《Ogre Tyrant》


 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 01 – Slave to circumstance – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 01 ¨C Slave to circumstance ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 01 - Slave to circumstance - Part One {Rewrite}


    Waking with a start, I frantically began pawing at my face and chest. Expecting my hands to come away covered in blood, I was surprised when my hands came away clean instead. With deep heaving breaths, I took a handful of seconds to appreciate the fact that I was alive and seemed to be in good health.


    The last thing I remembered was wrestling with someone who had broken into my house in the middle of the night. I distinctly recalled being stabbed several times in the chest and abdomen, so I couldn¡¯t understand how those stab wounds had simply disappeared without a trace. The mystery deepened further as I realised all of my clothes were missing as well.


    I briefly entertained the possibility that I might be having a reaction to anaesthesia and that I was actually lying on an operating table at this very moment. However, it was incredibly difficult to believe due to the profound realness of the sensations I was feeling. I had never had a dream so vivid in all my life.


    Pushing myself up into a sitting position, I was surprised to feel moist dirt and grass beneath my fingers.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I wondered aloud, now taking a moment to take in my surroundings. I appeared to be in a forest, but the closest forest I knew of had been hours away by car and wasn¡¯t nearly so wild and lush.


    Keenly aware of my nakedness, and driven by an immediate desire to resolve that issue as quickly as possible, I awkwardly began hunting through my immediate vicinity for where my clothes might have been hidden. For whatever reason, I became convinced that rifling through the next bush or tossing aside another fallen branch would reveal my missing clothes.


    Somewhat surprisingly, in spite of my manic activity, I didn¡¯t overheat like I usually did. Once I realised that, I felt a stab of momentary panic when I realised that I didn¡¯t have my inhalers for treating my asthma. That panic gave way to confusion as the obligatory panic-induced asthma attack failed to materialise.


    Tentatively taking several deep breaths, I was surprised to find that my asthma seemed to be gone entirely. Still confused, but feeling increasingly optimistic in spite of myself, I began giving myself a proper examination to see what else about myself had changed.


    As best as I could tell, I was still freakishly tall but had no true frame of reference to be certain. I was still overweight with the same ¡®beefy¡¯ build ascribed to strongmen of the nineteen hundreds, possessing fat and muscle in relatively equal measure. My thick skin was the same grey almost green mess it had always been, thanks to a rare nerve condition that was also responsible for my complete lack of body hair.


    Besides being naked and no longer seeming to have asthma, there didn¡¯t seem to be any further changes.


    For a moment, I was tempted to believe the change in environment was responsible for subduing my asthma. My home was within striking distance of the sea and a whole mess of sand dunes, so it wasn¡¯t impossible.


    A woman¡¯s cry of surprise from somewhere nearby caught me off guard. The sudden realisation that I wasn¡¯t alone gave me a moment of reassurance before transitioning rapidly into fear and embarrassment.


    Mortified at the prospect of being mistaken for some sort of sexual deviant running around naked in the woods. I began hurriedly making my way in what I sincerely hoped was the opposite direction.


    ¡°*** ***! ***! *** *** ***!¡± The same woman cried out in fear from somewhere close by in a language I didn¡¯t understand.


    I quickly covered my crotch with my hands and looked around my immediate surroundings from the cover of a large bush. I still couldn¡¯t see any sign of the woman that had cried out.


    A few moments later, I realised that perhaps there was someone else in a similar situation to myself, and that maybe this woman had caught the perpetrator in the act.


    Although I had always been ashamed of my bad looks, and the thought of being seen naked was mortifying, it only served to fuel my anger.


    Leaving the relative safety of the bush, I charged towards the sounds of the struggle.


    Crashing through the treeline, I found a large naked man with dark skin and huge muscles assaulting a young woman. My eyes were immediately drawn to the footlong knife he was holding against her bare throat.


    ¡°HEY!¡± I shouted angrily, raising my hands from my crotch and balling them into pudgy fists. My size and general appearance had always frightened people, so I hoped this would be enough to cause the man with the knife to back off.


    The man suddenly stopped what he was doing and turned around. Initially angry, his expression quickly became fearful. Something was seriously wrong with his face. It almost looked like someone had cut off his nose.


    Despite holding a large knife, the noseless man quickly stumbled away from the woman and began backing away with his hands raised. ¡°No hurt! Yours! I leave!¡± He then turned and ran off into the trees.


    Revolted by the man¡¯s face and with the memory of being stabbed still fresh in my mind, I felt no desire to chase after him. I was confident that his distinctive features would make it easy for the police to catch him after I gave them a general description.


    ¡°***** ******,¡± the young woman stammered in a language I don¡¯t understand, her distressed shoulder-length blonde hair obscuring most of her face. Perhaps she was a backpacker or tourist that the man kidnapped. However, the boiled leather armour and sword hanging from her hips made me reconsider. I was aware that LARPING and Cosplay were a thing and seemed to make more sense. A fake sword wouldn¡¯t have done much good, so calling for help had clearly been the way to go.


    Suddenly quite embarrassed again, I cupped my hands over my shame and tried my best not to look at her. My mother raised me to be respectful, and flashing my privates in public was anything but that.


    However, hearing the sound of a knife being drawn quickly caused my chivalry to evaporate. Glancing back towards the blonde, I was surprised to see that she had drawn her sword and was now pointing in my direction. The sword did not look as I had expected it to and seemed quite real.


    Raising one hand and doing my best to not look at her exposed chest while still keeping an eye on that sword, I slowly backed away. ¡°I-I d-don¡¯t mean you any harm!¡± I stuttered nervously, ¡°Someone stole my clothes and dumped me out here in the woods! I swear!¡±


    When the young woman made no attempts to follow after me, I breathed a deep sigh of relief, ¡°That could have gone really ba-¡±


    ¡°******* *******,¡± The young woman shouted forcefully.


    I immediately felt an immense pressure inside my head, and words suddenly appeared in front of my eyes,


    [Warning: Bond has been forcefully attempted. Accept? (Y/N) ]


    ¡°The hell is this?!¡± I groaned.


    More words suddenly appeared under the first.


    [(Bond) takes many forms. It is a connection between two or more individuals that bestows benefits upon one or more participants. The most common benefit shared by participants is the (Symbiotic Communication) effect. ]


    ¡°******* *******!¡± The young woman repeated again, this time more forcefully.


    The same original message appeared again in response,


    [Warning: Bond has been forcefully attempted. Accept? (Y/N) ]


    ¡°Did someone install a computer chip in my head or something?¡± I groaned weakly, fumbling at my temples, trying to find a scar or incision, ¡°Or maybe I am having a mental breakdown?¡±


    ¡°******* *******!!¡± The young woman repeated again anxiously, gripping her sword tighter with a determined look on her face.


    Was she planning on stabbing me if I refused?! Wait...was she just trying to communicate? Is that what this is all about? Although I thought I was behaving as non-threateningly as possible, she was probably more frightened than I was. If whoever did this to me also did it to her, wouldn''t it make sense for her to be so on edge?


    ¡°******* *******,¡± The young woman repeated again, a determined and dangerously desperate look in her eyes.


    ¡°ACCEPT!¡± I shouted, unwilling to run around the forest with two armed psychos after me.


    [Bond accepted: Applying Enslaved Status and Effects. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 1): You are able to understand all spoken languages of your master. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 2): Your master understands all your spoken languages. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 3): Disobeying direct commands of your master will require a contest of {Willpower}. Failure will result in pain being administered until the command is obeyed or the command is rescinded. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 4): While following direct commands of your master, bonuses are applied according to your master¡¯s level. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 5): Your master¡¯s brand has been applied to your body and soul.]


    ¡°Wait...what?!¡± I demanded, feverishly reading through the wall of text, ¡°This can¡¯t be real?!¡±


    ¡°I...can¡¯t believe it actually worked...¡± The young woman muttered in disbelief.


    ¡°What is this?! Why did you do this to me?!¡± I demanded, ¡±Didn¡¯t I save you from that guy?!¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time helping someone had turned out badly for me, but I would have thought she would be more grateful.


    The young woman was taken aback for a moment, but her expression quickly changed from shock to delight, ¡°HAHA! It works, I can understand it now!¡±


    ¡°It?¡± I mumbled numbly, seriously reconsidering if the man from earlier had not perhaps been justified in assaulting this psycho. Turning around to leave, I wanted to get as far away from this crazy woman as fast as possible.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The young woman snapped suddenly, ¡°Where do you think you are going, Ogre?!¡±


    I stiffened immediately. ¡°OGRE?!¡±


    Because of my pasty skin and large but heavy build, this was the hurtful nickname I had been saddled with since primary school.


    Snapping off a nearby tree branch to serve as an improvised weapon, I rounded on the woman and glared angrily at her. I had no intention of striking her, but there was no way in hell I would just let her stab me either.


    ¡°What did you call me?!¡± I demanded angrily.


    The young woman took a couple of steps backwards and nearly fell over into a nearby bush. ¡°Ah, an Ogre?¡± She replied with a confused expression on her face.


    Misjudging my own strength, the tree branch snapped in my hand.


    ¡°That is what you are, right?¡± She continued hurriedly, ¡°An Ogre, that¡¯s what the status screen says.¡±


    ¡°Status screen?¡± I snorted incredulously. ¡°What are...¡± The words caught in my throat as large blue panels obscured my vision.


    [Tim - Ogre Runt: 1 ] [HP: 45/45 ] [MP: 0/0 ]


    [Emelia¡¯s Slave*] [Class: ??? ] [Exp: 0/- ]


    [Strength: 15* ]


    [Agility: 8 ]


    [Toughness: 20* ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 15 ]


    [Presence: 3 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide {Rank 0}): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance. ]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength {Rank 0}): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage. ]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut {Rank 0}): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 1): You are able to understand all spoken languages of your master. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 2): Your master understands all of your spoken languages. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 3): Disobeying direct commands of your master will require a contest of (Willpower). Degree of failure will result in pain being administered until the command is obeyed or the command is rescinded. ]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 4): While following direct commands of your master, bonuses are applied according to your master¡¯s level .]


    [(Enslaved Status Effect: 5): Your master¡¯s brand has been applied to your body and soul. Resistance is futile. ]


    ¡°What the hell?...¡± I groaned in despair. Although I didn¡¯t want to believe it, this all seemed eerily familiar to those light novels and anime I had read in my spare time.


    A chill ran down my spine as I realised that the man from earlier was probably a bloodthirsty monster, and I had confronted it stark naked and barehanded. Without even a weapon to defend myself with, I winced as I realised how badly the situation could have become.


    The tree branch slipped through my numb fingers and by my legs buckled beneath me. Falling hard to the ground, I desperately clutched at my head and began rocking back and forth. ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± I demanded, ¡°I wanna go home!¡± Tears were stinging at the corners of my eyes.


    ¡°Emelia!¡± Another woman cried out from somewhere nearby, ¡°Emelia!¡±


    ¡°I am over here!¡± The young blonde-haired woman, apparently named Emilia, called out in reply. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Less than a half minute later, two people dressed in similar cosplay outfits entered the clearing with weapons drawn.


    The first was another young woman in steel armour and wielding a two-handed sword. The second looked slightly older than Emilia and wore an open sleeveless robe cinched at her waist with some sort of leather armour beneath it.


    ¡°OI! Did that monster do this!¡± The woman with the two-handed sword demanded, edging closer to me and raising her sword to strike.


    ¡°Wait!¡± The second woman cried and grabbed the first woman¡¯s arm, ¡°It has her mark, see?¡± She said with a scolding tone and pointed towards my head.


    ¡°Clarice! Nadine!¡± Emelia cried in relief, ¡°When we got separated, I thought I was a goner for sure!¡± She sheathed her sword and began retying her shirt and affixing her leather breastplate.


    The first woman snorted irritably, ¡°I told you not to go running after that Goblin! But you went and did it anyway, didn¡¯t you!?¡±


    Emelia flushed with embarrassment, ¡°W-well, I am a Monster Tamer after all! Without a monster, I can¡¯t really do much!¡±


    ¡°HRMPH!¡± The first woman snorted angrily, ¡°That¡¯s still no excuse!¡±


    ¡°Ah, but didn¡¯t it all work out, Clarice?¡± Emelia replied hesitantly, ¡°I did manage to tame an Ogre after all.¡±


    The first woman, Clarice, was taken aback for a moment, ¡°An Ogre?!¡± She cried incredulously, ¡°I thought it was just a big pale Orc!¡±


    The second woman moved closer to me to take a better look, ¡°Oh!¡± She exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Emelia is right! This is an Ogre, albeit a small one.¡±


    ¡°The stats say it¡¯s an Ogre Runt,¡± Emelia explained, ¡°That¡¯s like the lowest evolution tier of Ogres, right?¡±


    The second woman nodded, ¡°But why is it curled up like that?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Emelia bashfully rubbed the back of her head, ¡°I think it was having an identity crisis or something. It didn¡¯t seem to like it when I called it an Ogre.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± The two other women exclaimed in surprise.


    Clarice suddenly lowered her sword, ¡°Hey! Emelia! Does it have a name?¡± She demanded eagerly.


    Emelia was quiet for a moment before replying, ¡°IT DOES!¡± She exclaimed excitedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t just tame an Ogre! I tamed a specially named Ogre!¡± She declared triumphantly.


    I couldn¡¯t help but flinch every time they said the word. The decade of social isolation and humiliation associated with the word was too much.


    ¡°Ah, Emelia, Clarice, perhaps you should stop using that word?¡± The second woman suggested softly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to like it.¡±


    Clarice snorted in contempt, ¡°The monster is already tamed. Why does it matter what we say?¡± She demanded.


    The second woman gently cleared her throat, ¡°Ahem. It matters, Clarice, because Emelia was already insanely lucky to tame it in the first place. Toying with its emotions is not only cruel but also incredibly unwise. Given her low level, it is quite possible that it could break free if given sufficient motivation to do so.¡±


    Emelia paled, and Clarice took a step back.


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s not true, right? Nadine is just joking, yeah?¡± Clarice asked Emelia.


    Emelia gulped hard and shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I think the trainer at the Guild did say something about that,¡± she admitted nervously.


    Clarice backed further away and raised her sword again, ¡°Maybe we should just kill it for the Exp?¡± She suggested shakily.


    The second woman, Nadine, unexpectedly stepped between myself and Clarice, ¡°That would be incredibly foolish and shortsighted,¡± she stated sternly.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that!¡± Clarice demanded rudely, ¡°You said it yourself. The thing could turn on us at any moment!¡±


    Nadine sighed and shook her head, ¡°I meant that it might break free if you deliberately antagonise it! The same is true of any monster Emelia would be able to tame. Only the most powerful monster tamers can eliminate the possibility of the monster breaking free entirely.¡±


    ¡°So we should kill it!¡± Clarice repeated, moving closer.


    What was with this woman and wanting to kill me? What the hell had I done to her?!


    ¡°No!¡± Nadine stated coldly, ¡°We should not!¡± She glared frigidly at Clarice as she began speaking again, ¡°Realistically, the best we could have hoped for Emelia to capture is a wounded Goblin. Goblins have very limited combat ability and stunted evolution potential. So even assuming that the Goblin manages to survive a single outing in the Labyrinth, it would not be worth funnelling a single mana core towards its development.¡± Nadine suddenly shifted her focus from Clarice to me instead, ¡°Now this monster, on the other hand, has high combat potential and a multitude of powerful evolutionary paths available. Quite frankly, it would not be unrealistic to assume that it is already considerably stronger on its own than we are as a group. Imagine how easy it would be to farm experience, mana cores and magic items with this powerhouse leading the charge!¡± She declared zealously.


    ¡°We should do it!¡± Emelia agreed eagerly, ¡°So long as we are all in the same party as my monster, we can just leech Exp shamelessly!¡±


    ¡°Eh! You too, Emelia?!¡± Clarice demanded.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Emelia rubbed her hands together in a shameless display of greed, ¡°This is why I chose the Monster Tamer class after all! Hard work is for suckers!¡± She laughed childishly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t work hard, work smart!¡± Nadine agreed and laughed along with her.


    Clarice slumped her shoulders in defeat and let out a deep sigh, ¡°Why did I even agree to make a party with you two?¡± She muttered in exasperation.


    I had heard everything, of course, but frankly, I wasn¡¯t paying much attention. My existential crisis made that sort of thing difficult. Near as I could tell, I was either in a hospital bed hallucinating a fever dream nightmare, or I actually died and was being punished for some reason. Neither option seemed particularly appealing, yet I had no evidence to dismiss them as possibilities.


    ¡°It has a name, right? So what do we call it?¡± Clarice demanded brusquely.


    ¡°Oh, let me check my status again,¡± Emelia replied eagerly, her eyes moving side to side as she read something no one else could see. ¡°Ah, here it is, wait, what?! Tim?!¡± Emelia snorted in surprise, ¡°Eh! Isn¡¯t that strange?!¡± Emelia demanded, ¡°Why did the Labyrinth name an Ogre Tim?! That¡¯s not monstery at all!¡±


    ¡°Tim?!¡± Clarice snickered incredulously, apparently just as surprised as Emelia.


    Nadine simply stroked her chin thoughtfully before nodding, ¡°I suppose that makes a sort of sense, given its behaviour,¡± she said.


    Emelia and Clarice stared incredulously at Nadine and waited for her explanation.


    ¡®Well, it is behaving rather strangely, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nadine pointed out, ¡°Perhaps the Labyrinth made a mistake? Maybe it tried to spawn two different monsters and crossed them over somehow? It has happened before. Remember the stories about those chimeric creatures on the higher tier floors?¡±


    Emelia and Clarice nodded.


    ¡°If Tim is a mixed-up monster, that could explain the weird behaviour from earlier,¡± Emelia muttered.


    ¡°Weird behaviour?¡± Nadine asked curiously.


    Emelia stiffened slightly, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, ¡°Ah, well, after I lost track of the Goblin-¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Clarice interjected with a derisive snort.


    ¡°-I was ambushed by an Orc with a knife!¡± Emelia growled, glowering at Clarice, ¡°I think it''s the boss monster for the floor! Ah, but anyway, Tim shows up out of nowhere, roars at the Orc and makes it run off! So I am thinking that this Og-erm, Tim, is going to kill me or have its way with me, but then it growls at me and starts backing off while covering its tackle.¡±


    ¡°No way...¡± Clarice grunted incredulously.


    ¡°Yeh-huh,¡± Emelia protested, "It just kept growling and backing off, so I figured, what the heck? And cast my monster taming ability on it. The status prompt said that it was too strong or something, so it had almost no chance of working. But I was panicking, y¡¯know? I thought maybe it was just waiting for me to let my guard down or something, so I used the monster taming ability again, and again and then suddenly, it worked! But then it tried to walk away, and when I called it a..Y¡¯know, it got REALLY mad and started coming at me with that branch,¡± she pointed at the abandoned branch beside me. ¡°Come to think of it, it seemed to get really upset after accidentally viewing its own status window...¡±


    Nadine was quiet for a while before nodding her head, ¡°I think perhaps the Labyrinth crossed over one of its lower floor merchants or quest givers with an Ogre. It would explain the body dysmorphia it is experiencing and the strange name.¡±


    ¡°Aww,¡± Emelia seemed disappointed, ¡°So it isn¡¯t a specially named monster?¡± She asked dejectedly.


    ¡°Well, it still might be,¡± Nadine offered sympathetically, ¡°What are its stats and racial abilities? Can you share the status window so I can take a look?¡± She asked.


    Emelia nodded and waved her hands around in the air for a moment, ¡°Done, you should be able to see his stats now.¡±


    Nadine nodded, and then her eyes began panning back and forth, ¡°Oh my!¡± She exclaimed suddenly.


    ¡®What?¡± Emelia and Clarice demanded anxiously.


    Nadie gulped and took a breath to steady herself, ¡°It¡¯s Intelligence stat is way higher than normal,¡± she declared excitedly.


    Emilia stared blankly for a moment and had a confused expression, ¡°But it is only ten though?¡±


    Clarice baulked and nearly lost her footing, ¡°W-What?!¡± She stammered worriedly.


    ¡°Ten is incredibly high for most dungeon monsters,¡± Nadine pointed out dryly, ¡°Look at your own status screen Emelia, compare it to your own Intelligence stat,¡± she insisted.


    Emelia seemed to do as she was told and a few moments later, she blushed profusely, ¡°Oh...¡± She murmured.


    Nadine nodded and smiled, ¡°Most human adults are around nine or ten Intelligence. The more evolved Goblins can have about seven and Orc chieftains cap out at around six or so. Ogres, barring one exceptional late-tier mutation, do not have an intelligence higher than three and could be outsmarted by toddlers! To have an Intelligence stat of ten is just ludicrous!¡±


    Emelia had an awed expression and was looking at me in a new light.


    Clarice was less convinced, ¡°So it has human-level Intelligence, big deal. How is that better than extra Strength, Agility or Toughness?¡± She demanded.


    Nadine¡¯s right eye twitched, ¡°Because it can understand EVERYTHING we are saying,¡± she pointed out irritably, ¡°With a monster like this on our side, we can devise and execute elaborate plans and ambushes! It is also that much harder for it to fall for those same actions undertaken by other monsters. To call a mutated Intelligence stat like this top tier would be a disservice!¡±


    ¡°Ehhhh,¡± Clarice still seemed unconvinced.


    ¡°Consider this then,¡± Nadine offered, ¡°Tell me, what is your Strength, Toughness and HP.¡±


    Clarice was quiet for a moment before cagily replying, ¡°Twelve, eleven and twenty-two...why?¡±


    Nadine grinned, ¡°It is stronger than you, much tougher than you, has almost twice your hp, racial bonuses to dealing damage, reducing the amount of damage it takes from potential injuries AND has roughly the same level of Intelligence as you!¡± She declared viciously, ¡°Now factor in its additional racial ability to allow for fast recovery. How confident are you in keeping up with such a powerhouse? Let alone fighting it.¡±


    ¡°Tch!¡± Clarice looked away and chose not to answer.


    ¡°So it is really that strong then?¡± Emelia asked eagerly.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Definitely,¡± her expression grew a little concerned, ¡°But we need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Careful?¡± Emelia asked, somewhat confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s as smart as a human, remember. It understands everything we say, everything we have been talking about. We can¡¯t just treat it like any other monster, we need to be careful. If we treat it well, then I am sure Tim will be a great benefit to us, But I am also somewhat concerned about Tim¡¯s body dysmorphia. It might need some training to overcome some mental blocks before we can use it to fight for us. Remember what it was like when you tried attacking your first Vrabbit?¡± Nadine asked with concern.


    ¡°So what should we do?¡± Emelia moved closer and leaned down to take a closer look at me like I was a puppy in a pet store.


    ¡°We need to talk with it,¡± Nadine replied matter of factly, ¡°But not here. If that Orc is still around it could be real trouble. We should bring Tim back to basecamp and rent a room.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Emelia agreed eagerly.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Clarice conceded.


    Nadine knelt down beside me and softly cleared her throat to get my attention, ¡°Ah, Tim is it? We are going to head back to basecamp now. I am sure that you are confused, but it will be safer if we go there first before answering any questions you may have, alright?¡±


    I knew that naked and alone, it would probably only be a matter of time before that Orc came back and killed me, so I had to go with them for the time being. Maybe I would be able to find out what the hell was going on.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed quietly and awkwardly got to my feet while trying to keep my groin covered.


    Clarice took another step back and lowered her sword, ¡°Bloody hell...¡± She exclaimed.


    I cringed and tried to make myself look shorter. My freakish height had always been a sore point of mine. Considering Clarice was the tallest of the three women at around five and three-quarters feet tall and still didn¡¯t reach my shoulder, it only made me feel more awkward and out of place.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nadine removed her backpack, unstrapped the bedroll from the top and offered it to me, ¡°You must be, erm, cold,¡± she whispered apologetically.


    I nodded and fumbled to wrap the bedroll around my waist like a towel. Once I had my crotch covered, I rewrapped the quilted fabric more tightly like a sarong. Although it constricted my movement somewhat, there wasn¡¯t much that could be done about it.


    I didn¡¯t say anything while following them through the forest. I was too on edge to really think of anything to say and honestly afraid that the noise would attract danger.


    After a surprisingly short walk, we suddenly left the forest behind and entered a large open plain. There were other groups of people walking around in the distance. Some of them even appeared to be fighting things that were hidden in the grass. All of them were dressed in similar outfits to the three women and openly carried mediaeval weapons.


    The other groups made a point of coming closer to gawk at me and it made me feel like even more of a freak. I had to cover my ears and stare down at the ground in order to try and ignore them.


    Before I realised it, we had arrived in what looked like a small town. Thankfully there were fewer people about, presumably because they were all out in the forest and the plains.


    The buildings looked similar to those I had seen showcased in European historical tourism documentaries. Predominantly made of wood and plaster, some of the buildings were made with layered stones and mortar for the lower levels.


    The group suddenly stopped in front of a large building with a sign featuring a vicious looking rabbit with a mouth full of sharp teeth.


    ¡°You two wait out here while I make sure we can get a room,¡± Nadine suggested and went inside.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Clarice kicked at the dirt road irritably and hooked her thumbs through her sword belt.


    Less than a minute later, Nadine returned and motioned for them to follow her inside.


    The inside of the building looked and smelled like the tavern at the ren-fair I had visited once. There were, of course, far fewer smartphones and drunk university students...Well, there were no smartphones anyway.


    Nadine led them to the stairs, but Clarice hung back, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go find a group to hunt some Vrabbits, so at least today isn¡¯t a complete loss. I¡¯ll catch you guys later this evening.¡± She said, leaving the inn and heading back the way they had come from.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Emelia called out loudly and waved after her light-heartedly.


    ¡°Vrabbits?¡± I mumbled. Does she perhaps have a speech impediment?


    Nadine smiled and nodded while leading them down the hall at the top of the stairs, ¡°Vrabbits are the most common monster on this floor of the Labyrinth. Unlike normal rabbits, they have sharp teeth and like to drink blood like a vampire.¡±


    My insides squirmed as I recalled our otherwise quiet walk through the open plains outside of the small town. There were such vicious little rodents hiding in the grass? What would have happened if I was attacked? I don¡¯t even have anything to defend myself with!


    Perhaps noticing my sudden distress, Nadine smiled reassuringly, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s alright. Your racial ability would stop such a weak monster from being able to deal any damage to you,¡± she stated confidently.


    After stopping at the door halfway down the hall, Nadine withdrew a key from her pocket, unlocked the door and motioned for them to follow her.


    The room beyond was somewhat small for me, my head was close to grazing the slanted ceiling near the window. Sitting down on the bed, I anxiously wondered if I would be able to get any real clothes. After all, I didn¡¯t have my wallet or anything besides the padded fabric wrapped around my waist, and that wasn¡¯t even mine.


    Nadine politely cleared her throat to get my attention, ¡°You must be confused and have all manner of questions for us," she prompted, ¡°We will answer them if we can. Just please understand that if we can''t answer something, it is probably because we ourselves don¡¯t know the answer. Okay?¡± Nadine smiled warmly and brushed her hand over my shoulder before retreating a short distance and sitting on a chair that had been by the window.


    Emelia nodded enthusiastically and took a seat on the floor.


    Scrunching my brow, it only took half a second to realise which answer I needed most, ¡°Where am I?¡±


    Nadine nodded understandingly, ¡°We are currently on the first floor of the Hurst Labyrinth. Specifically the basecamp of the first floor, a safe zone where monsters are unable to enter barring extenuating circumstances.¡±


    The answer only raised more questions, ¡°This Labyrinth, which country is it in?¡± I asked, desperately trying to get some sort of grip on the situation.


    ¡°The entrance to the Hurst Labyrinth is located within the city of Hurst, so named for the Labyrinth and the wealth it brings. The country is the kingdom of Asrus, so named after the royal family. Is this what you wanted to know? Or did you intend something else?¡±


    I just groaned and shook my head, ¡°What is this status-¡± I was interrupted by the wall of text blocking my vision and I jumped backwards on the bed with a start.


    Nadine nodded sympathetically, ¡°I am sure it must seem quite alarming. I would suggest this simple trick to avoid further distress. Instead of saying status,¡± she very deliberately blinked immediately after saying the word herself, ¡°Try saying stat screen or information pane. Most people should know what you are talking about and it will not inconvenience you by summoning your information. If you do say it accidentally, status, you can simply blink to dismiss it again like so,¡± Nadine blinked again by means of demonstration.


    ¡°S-status,¡± I stammered, gritting my teeth as the wall of information suddenly appeared in front of me. Squeezing my eyes shut for a good few seconds, I slowly opened them and was relieved to find that my vision had returned back to normal.


    ¡°You were asking what the stat screen is,¡± Nadine continued after waiting to make sure I was listening again. ¡°At its most fundamental level, the stat screen has all of your personal development and characteristics regarding class progression and racial abilities. It also shows you various positive and negative conditions, such as poisoning or the beneficial effects of a spell. For you Tim, the most important parts to pay attention to will be your statistics, such as Strength and Toughness, as well as your health points or HP, and your Mana Points, or MP.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.


    Nadine smiles sympathetically, ¡°Your maximum MP value is an indicator of your progress towards evolution. You can increase your maximum MP by consuming magic stones from monsters. Strength determines how much damage you can deal in combat and Toughness reduces the damage you take while also improving your endurance and increasing your HP. Also, If your HP reaches zero, you fall unconscious. If it reaches a negative value equal to your Toughness stat, you die. So to have a toughness as high as yours is incredible.¡±


    I felt like someone just dumped ice water over my back and shivered. I could tell that she wasn¡¯t lying to me, not knowingly anyway. So being told that these abstract numbers literally dictated whether I lived or died was terrifying.


    ¡°Ah, I think I may have been a little too heavy-handed,¡± Nadine said remorsefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I got this,¡± Emelia chimed in, ¡°Hey, so Tim, you¡¯re probably freaking out right?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for an answer and just ploughed ahead, ¡°Compared to the rest of us, your HP and toughness are huge! You really don¡¯t have to worry about it so much. Besides, I bet your racial Evolutions increase your Toughness as well, so you''re basically a bulwark even without any of the Classes!¡± Emelia exclaimed excitedly.


    Nadine placed a steady hand on Emelia¡¯s shoulder and gave her a mildly exasperated look before turning her attention back to me again. ¡°Emelia is mostly correct, although I am sure that some of what she said lacks the context for you to understand properly,¡± she stated apologetically, ¡°Your racial advantages does indeed make your survival far more likely than our own in the Labyrinth. That is part of what we wanted to talk to you about.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head. Recalling what they had spoken about earlier, it was clear that they wanted me to fight for them. ¡°I can¡¯t do it! I have never even hurt a fly!¡± I protested before they could even ask.


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Emelia exclaimed incredulously.


    Nadine, on the other hand, was much more composed, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we will teach you,¡± she replied in a tone that made it clear she understood what I meant and disregarded it. ¡°As Emelia¡¯s tamed monster, we could force you to fight. However, I think it would be much better for all of us if we could instead come to an agreement without resorting to such crude methods.¡±


    Basically, she was telling me I could fight for them and get a few perks, or fight for them as a slave. The choice was obvious, but it was still ultimately no choice at all. The status screen said it all, I was already their Slave. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it,¡± I groaned, burying my face in my hands and fighting back tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as all that,¡± Nadine said reassuringly, ¡°It is difficult for most people when they first start out. But it is also something everyone just gets used to over time. Besides, I meant what I said, is there anything, in particular, you want in exchange for fighting on our behalf? Assuming that food, shelter and clothing are already a given, of course.¡±


    I just sat there for a while and couldn¡¯t really think of anything. If this really was another world, I sort of knew what I should ask for, but I wasn''t sure they would accept it. ¡°Money of my own to buy things with?¡± I asked dubiously, expecting an immediate rejection.


    Emelia frowned and crossed her arms, but Nadine just smiled.


    ¡°Although I am sure Clarice will object at first,¡± Nadine admitted with a wry smile, ¡°I have no doubt that once we have addressed your mental block regarding violence, you will more than adequately offset your share in coin. Coin is actually a good choice from our end as well, given that you would share in our own motivation for pressing deeper into the Labyrinth.¡±


    Emelia seemed mollified and had an understanding expression on her face, ¡°Hey that¡¯s right! It basically makes Tim one of us!¡±


    Nadine nodded, ¡°If somewhat stronger and tougher, indeed. With Tim at our side, our survivability just got a whole lot higher.¡±


    After their little chat, Nadine and Emelia took me back outside and to another building. Walking inside, it appeared to be a tailor''s shop. There were piles of neatly folded clothes of varying colours and styles, many of which I only vaguely recognised from television and movies.


    Rather than looking at the clothes on display, Nadine approached the woman behind the counter directly.


    ¡°Good afternoon customer!¡± The middle-aged woman greeted them warmly.


    ¡°I want a Niffleweed tunic, pair of pants and underwear as well as a Bristleboar hide belt and apron for my companion,¡± Nadine politely demanded while pointing at me.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the woman agreed and a few moments later, a neat pile of clothes appeared on the counter. ¡°That will be one silver and five copper coins please.¡±


    Nadine removed the small pile of coins from a leather pouch at her belt and deposited them on the counter before taking the pile of clothes. She handed me the pile of clothes with a somewhat sympathetic look on her face, ¡°We don¡¯t have enough spare coin at the moment to buy you armour, but your racial ability and natural toughness are already far better than anything we could buy on this level of the Labyrinth anyway.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t really anything I could do about it, so I just accepted the clothes and nodded. Better to have the leather apron than not. If it was made of boarhide, I figured it had to give at least some protection.


    The next store we entered had walls crammed full of all sorts of mediaeval weapons, although I honestly didn¡¯t recognize many beyond the staples of modern cinema, such as the longsword, various bows and crossbows.


    Nadine proved me wrong a few moments later when she retrieved a thick knobbled tree branch from a nearby barrel. It was obviously intended to be a crude cudgel or club. Similar to a larger thicker baseball bat, I was under no delusions as to why she chose it. A club was easy to use, required little skill and was very likely incredibly cheap.


    Placing the club on the counter, Nadine smiled and addressed the shopkeeper, ¡°Just this please.¡±


    The shopkeep smiled and nodded, ¡°One copper, please.¡±


    I didn¡¯t feel great about guessing correctly. A part of me had hoped that perhaps the club would have special properties or something. But since the club only cost one copper coin, I now doubted such a thing was possible.


    Depositing the copper coin on the counter, Nadine withdrew the club and handed it to me with another apologetic smile. ¡°I am sorry, but until we earn more coin, this ironwood club is the best weapon I can justifiably afford. Until we have a bit of a cushion, I don¡¯t want to risk you breaking something we can¡¯t replace,¡± she explained.


    I sighed and nodded. I could understand where she was coming from. I wouldn¡¯t want to spend a whole lot of money on someone with dubious combat ability like myself either.


    After leaving the weapon shop, we returned to the inn and Emelia and Nadine left me alone to change into my new clothes.


    Surprisingly, they were a good fit! Arguably the best fitting clothes I had ever worn in my entire life. Even the underwear, a pair of linen boxers with a drawstring cord to hold them in place, fit as if the tailor had made them just for me. Although the tunic was quite large and baggy, it seemed more like a style preference than a fitting issue, so I let it slide. Honestly, it just felt so much better to be wearing underwear again. Particularly with the prospect of sharp-fanged rodents hiding in the grass.


    Tying the boarhide apron over my front, I actually felt somewhat reassured by how tough it felt. If I could get boots and gloves made of the same material, I would feel a whole lot better about setting foot in the open plains again. With that thought in mind, I opened the door and rejoined Emelia and Nadine.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking much better already,¡± Nadine remarked cheerfully.


    ¡°He sort of looks like a blacksmith,¡± Emelia giggled.


    I did my best to smile. ¡°Uh, but I don¡¯t have anything to wear on my feet? And wouldn''t gloves be a good idea if I am hunting rabbits with so many teeth?¡± I asked hopefully.


    Nadine sighed and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we just don¡¯t have the coin for it at the moment. I can promise that we will make it a priority, but you honestly won¡¯t need them fighting Vrabbits. Your Racial Ability to reduce damage taken is a little overpowered against such weak enemies. You more than likely will not even take any damage fighting them at all. Even if they bite your fingers and toes, their teeth shouldn¡¯t be able to break your thick hide.¡±


    I nodded, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed and more than a little worried. So far as I was aware, most of what she was saying was pure guesswork.


    ¡°I am not expecting much, but we should try and find Clarice so we can work on your ability to fight monsters,¡± Nadine suggested.


    Emelia eagerly agreed, ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that! Everyone was so jealous when they saw my monster earlier!¡±


    Nadine frowned slightly, ¡°Emelia, try not to antagonise anyone. We don¡¯t want any trouble and Clarice causes enough problems as it is.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Emelia smirked and waved her hand dismissively.


    Hearing the brief exchange between the two of them, I had a bad feeling. But I didn¡¯t really have much of a choice but to follow them. Until I had sufficient savings of my own and a better understanding of what was going on, I was dependent on them for my survival.


    Leaving the small town again, we began wandering around the plains.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about encountering Vrabbits just yet,¡± Nadine said reassuringly, ¡°They are mostly drawn to the smell of blood and with so many adventurers active at the moment, they will be drawn towards them instead.¡±


    I sighed in relief, feeling a little better. However, a short while afterwards, I became quite anxious again as I realised something. If they are drawn to blood, wouldn¡¯t that mean after fighting even just one Vrabbit, you would then be attacked by greater numbers of them over time?


    Emelia suddenly began waving and calling out loudly, ¡°Claaarice! Hey! We''re here to help!¡±


    Looking in the direction Emelia was waving, I quickly recognised Clarice by her armour. However, her chest and arms were spattered with fresh and drying blood, giving her the appearance of a b-grade horror movie villain.


    Without even turning to face us, Clarice waved one arm to show she had heard Emelia while swinging her sword with the other. There was a hair-raising shriek and a fresh spatter of blood on Clarice¡¯s armour.


    Nadine and Emelia already both had their smaller swords drawn and were cautiously making their way toward Clarice. Not wanting to be left alone with the vicious rodents around, I quickly followed after them.


    ing...out...today?¡± Clarice panted, evidently more tired than she first appeared. There were a dozen bloody rabbit bodies scattered in the grass around her though, so perhaps that was to be expected.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Tim is proving more cooperative than I expected. But weren¡¯t you going to join one of the other groups? Fighting Vrabbits on your own is dangerous, even for a Swordsman like you.¡±


    Clarice nodded and growled slightly in annoyance, ¡°It¡¯s that bitch Jacky again. Apparently, no one wants to group up with me after that stunt she pulled last time. How was I to know she would do something crazy like that?!¡±


    Emelia, who was watching the grass around them, sighed and shook her head, ¡°She is messed up in the head alright. What kind of psycho dumps a bucket of blood on someone for bait?!¡±


    ¡°I hear Thomas retired after that incident, not that I blame him,¡± Nadine winced and shook her head, ¡°Just because a Bard doesn¡¯t have much combat potential at these low levels, it doesn¡¯t mean you should treat them like they are expendable.¡±


    I listened to their conversation with mounting dread and horror. From what I could tell, this Jacky person was bad news. My opinion of these three women rose dramatically in comparison as I realised things could be far worse.


    *****


    Toofy slowly crept her way through the Orcs'' camp, dashing from cover to cover as the opportunities presented themselves.


    The four Orcs had managed to ambush a group of humans and were now pawing through their belongings. The armour would be too small for them, but it was also unfortunately too large for Toofy. However, Toofy wasn¡¯t interested in the humans'' armour, she wanted the shinies from the pouches they kept on their belts.


    The Orcs spent a while longer stripping the bodies and making a pile of gathered equipment before starting a fire to cook their food.


    Reminding her stomach that she already had food back in her hiding place, Toofy settled in to wait for her opportunity to pilfer the shinies from the pile of equipment.


    Knowing she had precious little time to make it back to her hiding place before the biters began their nightly prowling for food, Toofy cautiously left the cover of the bush. Creeping as silently as she could manage, Toofy made her way towards the discarded pile of human equipment.


    Quietly rifling through the contents, Toofy grinned as she uncovered a pouch of shinies. Suppressing a squeal of delight, Toofy began hurriedly looking for more.


    Toofy¡¯s ears twitched in reaction to the sudden silence and she leapt ahead and to her right, scattering the pile of equipment in her haste.


    *


    Toofy felt the ground shudder behind her but refused to look back, already certain that one of the Orcs had just attempted to surprise her.


    Sprinting as fast as her legs could manage, Toofy ducked and darted through the underbrush to break their line of sight from her pursuer. Repeating this strategy several times in rapid succession, Toofy slowed her pace and began cautiously making her way back to her hiding hole.


    Cries of anger and alarm had begun echoing through the forest, signalling that the biters had begun their nightly hunt early. Usually preoccupied with hunting the humans, Toofy figured that the Orcs'' ambush must have scared the other humans enough to make them run away behind their walls earlier than usual.


    With no humans to hunt, and with nighttime quickly approaching, the biters would soon be entering the forest in greater numbers.


    With the nicks in her ears and scars on her arms to serve as a reminder of the last time she didn¡¯t make it back to her hiding hole in time, Toofy decided to redouble her speed.


    Hearing movement up ahead, Toofy dove into a nearby bush and remained completely still.


    Three humans with bloodied equipment but who were otherwise uninjured passed through her field of view headed towards the direction of the human encampment.


    As weak as humans could be, Toofy knew better than to fight any human that hunted in the forest. Unlike the humans in the open field that killed biters, the humans who hunted in the forest could kill Orcs.


    Only a Goblin, and completely on her own, Toofy felt confident she could lose human hunting packs in the forest. However, she had seen mobs of Goblins cut down in open combat and ambushes often enough to understand that fighting meant death.


    Carefully holding the pouch of shinies so they wouldn¡¯t give her away, Toofy hunkered down lower to the ground, refusing to move until the humans were gone.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 01 – Slave to circumstance – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 01 ¨C Slave to circumstance ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 01 - Slave to circumstance - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Contrary to my expectations, hunting the Vrabbits was something of a misconception. Feeling a tug on my finger, I looked down and nearly fell over in shock. There was a large rabbit clamped down and hanging off of my index finger. I could feel it working its surprisingly powerful jaws as it tried to bite down harder.


    Emelia wheeled about on the spot, as if she had eyes on the back of her head, ¡°Hey look! Tim caught one already!¡± She cried happily and pointed to the carnivorous rodent gnawing on my finger.


    I honestly felt like if I could detach my hand to be free of the Vrabbit, I would. It was obviously trying to harm me, but I just couldn¡¯t work up the nerve to do anything about it. I was just too frightened.


    ¡°Tim, what are you waiting for?!¡± Emelia demanded, ¡°Kill it!¡±


    [ Your master has commanded you to kill {Vrabbit: 2 (x1) } ]


    Emelia¡¯s command reverberated through my mind, and I felt a sharp twinge of pain in my head. Dropping the club Nadine had given me, I clutch at my head and groan in pain. While it was no more intense than a light headache, the pain seemed to be growing with each passing moment. Unlike the status window and previous information panels, this one did not disappear no matter how many times I blinked.


    *Crunch*


    [ You have completed your master¡¯s command. ]


    [ You have slain {Vrabbit: 2 } +0 Exp. ]


    Looking down at my hand in horror, I could see the mangled remains of the rodent in my tightly clenched fist. The sight truly made me feel sick.


    ¡°Eh, that was a rank two Vrabbit?¡± Clarice commented happily, ¡°Even with three people to split it with we still got so much exp!¡±


    ¡°The mana stone is probably reasonably valuable too,¡± Nadine added, ¡°The hide also seems to be fully intact. The Guild will very likely pay a nice price for it.¡±


    Clarice looked like she was about to say something else, but her attention suddenly shifted to the grass nearby, and she raised her sword instead.


    Emelia noticed as well, ¡°Tim, kill the Vrabbits!¡± She ordered eagerly, pointing to the section of disturbed grass.


    [ Your master has given you a standing order to kill {Vrabbit: - (x-) } ]


    Bracing myself for the pain, I was surprised when it didn¡¯t come. Had it simply been a coincidence?


    ¡°Tim, what are you doing?!¡± Emelia asked angrily, ¡°Go over there and kill the Vrabbits!¡±


    [Your master has given you a standing order to kill {Vrabbit: - (x-) } in the designated location.]


    Just like before, the pain began welling up inside my head. Releasing the carcass of the Vrabbit I had already mangled, I felt an immediate wave of relief as I picked up my club and slowly made my way over towards where Emelia had pointed.


    Is this what it meant to be Enslaved?


    Moving closer to the tall grass, three sharp-toothed rabbits leapt out at me and bit down on my left arm as I tried to shield my body.


    I hesitated, horrified by the thought of these monsters chewing on my flesh and I wanted to run away. Before I could even take a single step, the pain flashed inside of my head and only abated when I began thinking of how to kill the Vrabbits.


    They were too close for me to swing the club at them effectively and I had no other weapons. Feeling the flash of pain again as I briefly considered swatting them away and running, I felt like I had no other choice. Dropping the club, I tentatively reached for one of the Vrabbits and tried pinching its neck to remove it in a similar method to remove a leech.


    *Crunch*


    [ You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp. ]


    The rodent fell limp almost immediately and fell off my arm.


    I stared at the crumpled body of the Vrabbit on the ground.


    Were these monsters really that weak?


    Still feeling conflicted and more than a little squeamish, I pinched the neck of the second Vrabbit in the same way as the first.


    *Crunch*


    [ You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp. ]


    Knowing that the only way to stop the pain was to kill all of them, I took a deep breath, hardened my heart and pinched the neck of the last Vrabbit.


    *Crunch*


    [ You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp. ]


    Looking down at the dead bodies of the Vrabbits, I felt a little broken inside. If I hadn¡¯t been forced to, I probably wouldn''t have been able to fight back at all. I had always been a coward. In spite of my size and how poorly I was treated, I just didn¡¯t want to hurt people.


    ¡°Easy exp!¡± Emelia declared triumphantly.


    ¡°Emelia...¡± Nadine let out an exasperated sigh, ¡°We were going to ease Tim into it, remember? Can¡¯t you see how upset he is?¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Clarice snorted, ¡°Why bother? Clearly, the commands are working just fine.¡±


    ¡°And what about when they stop working?¡± Nadine demanded, ¡°What do you think will happen when the broken mess of its mind no longer fears pain and enjoys killing? You hate Jacky, but you seem hellbent on making a monster just like her!¡± She pointed out viciously.


    ¡°I...Fuck!¡± Clarice cursed and took a wild swing at the grass in frustration.


    ¡°We should just call it a day,¡± Nadine suggested, ¡°The mana stone from the level 2 Vrabbit should cover a night at the inn anyway.¡±


    ¡°Fine...¡± Emelia agreed reluctantly.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Clarice snorted.


    Nadine sighed, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stow the Vrabbits into a couple of sacks and head back,¡± she withdrew a pair of sacks from her backpack and handed one to each of them.


    As Emelia and Clarice went about the business of stowing the Vrabbit corpses into the sacks, the air was quickly filled with the strong smell of licorice.


    Nadine picked up the discarded club and held it out for me to take with an apologetic expression, ¡°I am sorry. Things didn''t go as I had planned. Once we return to the inn, we can talk about what happened. I am sure you must have questions.¡±


    I accepted the club more out of reflex than anything else. My thoughts were a mess, and I felt like I was going to be sick. I could only manage a faint nod in response to Nadine¡¯s offer. While I really wanted someone to talk to, Nadine was one of the people holding me captive. I had no guarantees that this was anything more than an act to gain my trust. I could still remember just how Nadine greedily explained her motives for sparing my life.


    I felt like I was imprisoned inside my own body. Even my own mind could not be trusted.


    What if they forced me to kill someone?


    I couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the thought.


    Since I had no choice, I followed them back into the small town. Perhaps it was the strong smell of licorice, but we weren¡¯t attacked by Vrabbits on the return trip despite the blood staining the fabric of the sacks.


    Upon reentering the small town, Emelia and Clarice began heading off towards a large building in the middle of the town. Nadine motioned for me to follow and entered the inn we visited earlier.


    ¡°Two meals please,¡± Nadine requested politely and deposited two copper coins on the bar.


    The innkeeper nodded and swept the coins off the bar and into his pocket before briefly disappearing into the back room. When he returned, the innkeeper deposited two wooden bowls of stew on the counter. A curiously quiet man, the middle-aged innkeeper had not spoken a word throughout the entire transaction. He simply nodded and did as Nadine asked. It was strange, but honestly, I didn¡¯t really care.


    Following Nadine up to the room, I sat down on the bed and dropped the club onto the floor. The thought had briefly entered my mind to knock Nadine unconscious with it and run away. But honestly, I felt like overpowering Nadine would be more difficult than it seemed. Furthermore, even if I managed it, any number of the weapon-wielding young men and women around the town would cut me down without a second glance.


    ¡°You should try eating the stew,¡± Nadine suggested softly, offering me one of the wooden bowls, ¡°A warm meal should help take the edge off and help you unwind.¡±


    Even though I didn¡¯t feel hungry, I accepted the offered bowl of stew out of reflex. Composed of a thin gravy, a myriad of vegetables I could not identify, and small chunks of browned meat, the stew actually appeared rather appetising. Of course, that was my initial thought. Raising the bowl to my lips, I stopped as I realised where the meat in the stew must have come from.


    It was almost certainly Vrabbit meat. There was no way a rural community such as this would throw away a possible food source like that. I had overheard stories from other students in secondary school about hunting rabbits with their relatives out in the country during holidays. Apparently, their relatives made a point of not just getting them to kill the rabbits themselves but also to skin and gut them too.


    None of those students had seemed particularly traumatised by the activities at the time, and none of them gave off the vibe of a bloodthirsty killer either. Come to think of it, I had never really considered where the meat I bought from the supermarket came from either. Objectively, I knew that abattoirs existed and employed men and women to kill animals. Then there were butchers who carved and dissected meat for a living as well. Surely all these people were not deranged psychos, right? They were just people doing a necessary service so someone like me could enjoy a more balanced diet.


    Taking another look at the bowl of stew, I sighed and began gulping it down. Even though I didn¡¯t feel hungry a moment ago, the moment the stew began sliding down my throat, I suddenly felt ravenous. Before I realised it, I had already finished off the stew and even licked clean the bowl. I very nearly took a bite of the bowl itself before managing to regain control of myself.


    ¡°Ah, it appears you were indeed quite hungry,¡± Nadine observed with a smile, ¡°I thought that might be the case. Here,¡± she offered me the second bowl of stew in exchange for the empty bowl I was holding.


    I gratefully accepted the second bowl of stew and immediately gulped it all down. After licking the bowl clean, I sheepishly handed it back to Nadine. Ugh, why was I being such a glutton?


    ¡°Thank you for the meal,¡± I mumbled self-consciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Nadine smiled warmly and set both the bowls aside on the small nightstand and took a seat on the chair. ¡°I want to apologise for what happened earlier. Please understand that Emelia, Clarice and myself are all quite new to all of this as well. I don¡¯t think Emelia intended to force you into fighting as she did, not at first anyway. I think she just got excited after seeing the Exp reward from the rank two Vrabbit,¡± she grimaced and shook her head, ¡°Tim, I want to reassure you that I will be having a lengthy talk with Emelia about using her Class Abilities more appropriately, okay?¡±


    I felt a sudden wave of relief and nodded. Truthfully, after giving it some thought, I felt like I could get used to hunting and killing Vrabbits. There didn¡¯t seem to be any danger, so I only had to overcome my squeamishness. So long as I don¡¯t have to skin or butcher them, I think I should be able to do it.


    ¡°Do you have any questions for me? I will answer if I can,¡± Nadine offered kindly.


    I nodded but honestly couldn¡¯t think of what to ask.


    ¡°Hrm, you are probably a bit overwhelmed and can¡¯t decide what to ask right?¡± Nadine observed understandingly, ¡°That¡¯s alright. I will try and explain some things that at least I think you will need to know if we are going to work together, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed thankfully. At least listening to Nadine would give me to think about what I needed to ask later.


    Nadine spent the next few hours explaining all manner of things about this world to me, specifically regarding the Labyrinth. Apparently, the reasons Nadine believed Emelia became overexcited was because the three of them could only manage to safely hunt a couple of dozen Vrabbits each day before needing to retreat back to the small town to recover. Half of that number was usually accomplished by Clarice on her own since she was the most formidable combatant amongst them. Which explained why Emelia became so excited after I killed so many with apparent ease.


    There were two primary reasons why Emelia had become so excited. An adventurer¡¯s progression in strength was described as being accumulated through wealth and by slaying monsters.


    The accumulation of wealth was pretty straightforward to understand, or at least I thought so. More money means access to better equipment. It was Exp that I had trouble getting a grip on. Apparently, adventurers would gain this Exp when they or one of their minions, either a Summoned or tamed monster like himself, killed a wild monster. Accumulating enough Exp would make the adventurers stronger. Nadine had said it would become more obvious after witnessing them ¡®level up¡¯.


    Apparently, most adventurers started their prospective careers by registering with the adventurer¡¯s Guild. The adventurer¡¯s Guild was sort of a catch-all organisation in regards to the Labyrinths. They provided training to prospective adventurers, and bought and sold equipment as well as other items including the magic stones from monsters.


    The Guild also served as an intermediary between powerful governments and adventuring groups. They even issued requests for specific tasks in the Labyrinth, like retrieving specific resources or culling particular monsters.


    The adventurer¡¯s Guild has small towns called footholds on each layer of the known Labyrinths. Special artifacts are used to establish these safe zones and drive away wild monsters. However, it seems like the Labyrinths don¡¯t let the footholds off that easily and periodically send armies of monsters to attack them.


    Part of the contract with the adventurer¡¯s Guild required members to defend the foothold on their level of the Labyrinth if it came under attack. There were certain exemptions such as mitigating circumstances from injury or the like, but basically, any adventurer found to have abandoned a foothold would be blacklisted from the Guild.


    Interestingly, you did not have to be registered with the Guild to enter the Labyrinths. Although there was an entrance fee that varied depending on whether you were a member of the adventurer¡¯s Guild or the associated merchants Guild, mercenary Guild or just unaffiliated. Being blacklisted cut you off from all of the adventurer¡¯s Guild services, discounts and protections. It did not seem like a particularly big deal until Nadine made a point of explaining one specific service offered by the Guild.


    The way-stones.


    Each Labyrinth had hundreds of floors, Each floor of the Labyrinths had two portals scattered randomly somewhere on the floor. The footholds were always established at the return portal, making it easy to leave so long as you didn¡¯t become lost. Maps with varying degrees of detail were often available from the Guild for a small fee as well. However, the portals that allowed movement between floors in the Labyrinth changed their exit point to their designated floor every few minutes. Even though you can see through the portal before entering, there was a strong possibility of immediately encountering danger.


    This was why way-stones were so important.


    So long as you had a Guild way-stone on your person, you would arrive at a Guild foothold on the prospective floor of the Labyrinth. Way-stones could also be used to send distress signals to the Guild and had a function similar to a compass that allowed you to find your way back to the foothold if you were to become lost.


    Nadine had shown me her way-stone while explaining how important they were. It honestly didn¡¯t seem like much to me. It was just a small round stone with a single arrow carved into the top face of it. Apparently, if I had mana, I would be able to inject it into the stone, and the arrow would glow to varying degrees of brightness when directed towards the centre of the foothold. Nadine said they would have to requisition one for me when they were ready to move deeper into the Labyrinth. But they weren¡¯t free and I still didn¡¯t have any real equipment yet, so it probably wouldn''t be for a while.


    Most of the other things Nadine told me were rather uninteresting in comparison. I had already sort of guessed most of it. This world was more or less at the feudal level of technology but also had weird unexpected magical conveniences similar to modern-day inventions but powered by the magic stones retrieved from monsters.


    Settling into sleep, even though the bed was somewhat uncomfortable, I was genuinely surprised at how well I was adapting to these sudden changes. I mean, I am an actual literal monster and now living in a world I certainly would never have dreamt of.


    Maybe I was just in shock, and this would all catch up to me tomorrow?


    *****


    Nadine locked the door to Tim¡¯s room. Even though she knew Tim¡¯s strength was more than sufficient to burst through the wall if he wanted to, it wasn¡¯t actually to lock Tim in so much as keep others out. Nadine needed time for her enchantment to do its work and couldn¡¯t afford for Tim to be put into a state of wariness again. Recasting her enchantment had been draining enough after the previous disaster.


    Letting out a deep sigh, Nadine opened the door to the room on the opposite side of the hallway and quietly entered. Emelia and Clarice had already been waiting for her, chatting idly while cleaning their armour and weapons.


    ¡°So?¡± Emelia asked eagerly, ¡°Did it work?¡±


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Tim seems to be taking everything in stride now. So long as I have enough mana, I don¡¯t think Tim will have any problems doing what we want.¡±


    Despite her earlier arrogance, Clarice now had a hungry and almost predatory look in her eyes, ¡°Good. I can¡¯t wait to get some better equipment and level up so we can leave this floor.¡±


    Emelia nodded in agreement, ¡°Can you even imagine being stuck on this floor for six months while we grind to level five?!¡± She exclaimed incredulously.


    Nadine¡¯s eyebrow twitched in annoyance and she yanked the blanket from off the bed and threw it at the door. Only once she was satisfied that her words wouldn¡¯t carry into the hallway outside did she begin to speak, ¡°Could you at least try and remember where we are?!¡± Nadine hissed, ¡°Half the adventurers in the foothold will know by now that we have an Ogre on our team, and I would very much prefer it that the other half don¡¯t find out until tomorrow at the earliest!¡±


    Emelia gingerly scratched at the back of her head, ¡°Ah, you''re right, sorry. I just got a little excited, forgive me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hrmph,¡± Nadine huffed irritably, ¡°Fine. Just be more careful.¡±


    Their initial team-up had been arranged by the Guild. Since they were both, strictly speaking, support classes, it was strongly encouraged for them to never fight monsters alone due to their relatively poor combat abilities.


    As a first-level Enchanter, Nadine didn¡¯t have any of the powerful charms or status effects yet. It would be at least another four levels until she had the opportunity to learn Sleep. Even then, she probably wouldn¡¯t have the mana to just cast it willy nilly either. When Nadine¡¯s affinity for the Enchanter class had been determined, she understood that it meant she would always need to adventure as part of a team. Emelia on the other hand...She didn¡¯t seem to understand much of anything.


    Reckless, impetuous and often quite forgetful, Emelia had caused no small amount of problems for Nadine up to this point. Their first outing into the Vrabbit meadow had very nearly been a disaster when Emelia tripped on a rock and shattered the lure they had bought from the Guild, covering herself in the blood inside the vial. They had no choice but to retreat back to the foothold after a small horde of Vrabbits began swarming towards them. The only upside to that encounter was when they had met Clarice while buying a fresh lure.


    However, even Clarice was almost more work than she was worth. Stubborn and irritable, she had the gift of rubbing people just the wrong way. If Nadine hadn¡¯t been so desperate for a team member with actual combat ability, she honestly wouldn''t have had anything to do with Clarice at all. Just associating with Clarice made it harder to have future relationships with the other adventurers on this floor of the Labyrinth and their associated charters.


    Before the miracle of discovering Tim, Nadine¡¯s plan had been to grind to level five, save up a few silver and move to a different Labyrinth. Clarice¡¯s notoriety was honestly that bad. It was not an understatement to assume that no one would willingly team up with her more than once. That is unless they were as desperate as Nadine.


    But now that they had Tim, that changed everything. Nadine now had no plans on ending her partnership with either of her teammates, since both of them had now become essential.


    Emelia and Tim were a package deal, so there was no way around that. Clarice knew she had nowhere else to go and frankly, Nadine knew that just because they had Tim did not make them invincible. It would be a great deal more reassuring to have another willing body between herself and the monsters.


    ¡°Um, but...Nadine? How have you been convincing the monster to help us anyway?¡± Emelia asked with a confused expression on her face.


    ¡°Talking mostly,¡± Nadine admitted. She had been raised by the church and had learned from the clergy that one of the simplest ways to calm people down was to talk things out and listen to them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet your Enchanter spells had nothing to do with it,¡± Clarice grunted with a grin.


    Nadine forced herself to smile, ¡°As I am sure you know, Clarice, my Soothe spell can only do so much. Forgive me for being crass. To use it on an Ogre is like pissing in the wind!¡±


    Clarice didn¡¯t back down, ¡°But you did, didn¡¯t you?¡± She needled.


    Nadine¡¯s eye twitched as she struggled to remain civil, ¡°Of course I did! It¡¯s an Ogre. An aberrant Ogre even! With you two seemingly going out of your way to upset it, what choice did I have?!¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, you''re a bit high-strung,¡± Clarice grinned, having gotten a rise out of her was seemingly what she had wanted, ¡°You need to chill out and relax.¡±


    Nadine snatched a straw-filled pillow off the bed and proceeded to mercilessly beat Clarice over the head with it.


    *****


    I felt much better today, a good night''s sleep really seemed to have done the trick. While I was not looking forward to breaking fluffy murder-rabbit necks, I felt I could at least tolerate it.


    Finding the door was locked, I spent a couple of hours watching other early risers go through their morning routines from the vantage afforded by the window. I was still used to waking up to get ready for my part-time job before going to university, but I supposed this was likely to become part of my new routine.


    After another couple of hours of waiting, Nadine unlocked the door and brought me two bowls of warm stew for breakfast, ¡°How are you feeling this morning?¡± She asked brightly, depositing the two bowls on the table and motioning for me to eat up, "Do you think you can manage to help us out today?"


    ¡°I think so,¡± I agreed, ¡°I mean, you just want me to put down those vampire rabbits, right?¡±


    Nadine¡¯s eyes twinkled a little with excitement, ¡°Yes, it would be a big help.¡±


    Her reaction was about what I had expected. It was why they were keeping me around, after all.


    All the same, I had decided to test the waters a little to reassure myself of their motives, ¡°I might need a minute to regain my nerve, is that alright?¡±


    Without batting an eye, Nadine nodded with an empathetic expression, ¡°It will most likely take some getting used to. Only a deranged person would be able to look forward to such a thing and enjoy it. If you need a moment to collect yourself, just let me know, and I will make sure you get it.¡±


    Despite her near-constant reassurances and support up to this point, I actually had not expected Nadine to go so far. Still, realised that it could be an act as well, but at this point, I doubted it made much of a real difference.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed and began slurping down the bowls of stew.


    Somewhat aware of the price for my room and the two meals, I resolved myself to at least kill enough of the Vrabbits to pay my own way. That way, the Exp would serve as a perceived ¡®bonus¡¯ so I wouldn¡¯t be pressured to do any more than was needed.


    After I finished both bowls of stew, Nadine collected the bowls and motioned for me to retrieve my club and follow her downstairs.


    Clarice and Emelia were already waiting for us by the front door to the inn.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s a little weird that you are the one taking care of the monster and not Emelia?¡± Clarice asked with a baiting tone.


    Not realising the question was not directed at her, Emelia shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s fine though, isn¡¯t it? Besides giving orders, isn¡¯t Nadine¡¯s Class better for this sort of thing?¡±


    That somewhat got my attention as I realised that I did not know what Class Nadine had. I had already learned that Emelia was obviously a Monster Tamer. Similarly, I had overheard the group mention that Clarice¡¯s class was a Swordsman.


    Why did they think that Nadine¡¯s class would be better suited?


    Nadine just glowered at Clarice for a brief moment before heading off towards the gate out of town.


    ¡°No fun,¡± Clarice grumbled quietly and began following after her.


    Half expecting Emelia to give me a command, I quickly followed as well. There was no way I wanted to experience that pain inside my head again. So far as Nadine had explained it to me, medicine was prohibitively expensive and medical care was even more so.


    When we arrived at the open gate, Nadine seemed to already have a place in mind and led us quite far away from town. Apparently, since the Vrabbits would be drawn to the smell of blood, it was quite safe to walk through the plain as long as other adventurers were already hunting. .


    That was the theory anyway.


    Nadine led us around to the plains on the rearmost side of town before pulling out a small glass vial from a special wooden box inside her backpack. ¡°I think this area should be good for hunting today. What do you guys think?¡± Nadine asked in a way that made it clear she had already made up her mind.


    ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± Clarice grumbled and drew her sword.


    ¡°Looks good!¡± Emelia agreed enthusiastically.


    Nadine looked at me expectantly.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine, I guess,¡± I add quickly. I didn¡¯t really know much about what would make a good hunting spot, but from what I could tell, being so close to town would probably limit the Vrabbits angle of approach. Or that¡¯s what I thought anyway.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Nadine found a small rock and dribbled some of the blood onto it before recorking the vial and stowing it away in the special small wooden box alongside another vial with strange yellow liquid inside it. Carefully placing the stone on the ground, making sure not to get any of the blood on herself, Nadine backed away and looked at me expectantly, ¡°Are you sure you are okay with doing this?¡± She asked, giving me one last chance to back out.


    I sighed and nodded. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to this, but I was prepared to start pulling my own considerable weight. Knowing how useless the club had been yesterday, I slipped it through my belt and moved forward so I was standing over the blood-marked stone.


    ¡°You can do this Mister Tim!¡± Emelia cheered, her words providing a surprising level of reassurance.


    ¡°Pfft, we¡¯ll see,¡± Clarice grumbled as she limbered up with a few practice swings.


    It took less than a minute for the long grass nearby to begin rustling, really making me wonder just how close it must have been to get here so quickly. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perhaps they had tunnels all over the plains?


    ¡°Tim!¡± Nadine¡¯s voice snapped me out of it.


    Distracted by considering a warren that spanned the plain around the town filled with carnivorous rabbits, I didn¡¯t notice the Vrabbit biting down on my foot. ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologised and reached down to grab the voracious little bugger worrying at my big toe.


    *Crunch*


    [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp]


    Only intending to get a hold of it so I could cleanly snap its neck, I was surprised that the minor tightening of my grip as I straightened my back was enough to kill it. The Vrabbit looked much the same as it had in life, just still...and floppy... starting to feel a little weird, I looked at Nadine, ¡°What do you want me to do with it?¡± I asked awkwardly, trying my best not to give away how weirded out I was.


    ¡°Just throw it over here. We will store it in one of the special sacks,¡± Nadine answered, ¡°You¡¯re doing good, just let me know when you need a break, alright? There are always more monsters out and about early in the morning, so don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    I nodded, tossed the dead Vrabbit over to them and returned my attention to the grass ahead of me. There were already a number of Vrabbits moving through the grass a short distance away. ¡°She isn¡¯t kidding,'''' I muttered and waited for them to show themselves.


    [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp]...


    With each Vrabbit I killed, I really began to wonder just why I had been so against this in the first place. I didn¡¯t enjoy it. I really found it rather annoying and boring at the same time. I tried to keep a count originally, but I had lost count at around forty. Most Vrabbits would be too preoccupied gnawing at my skin to react and were dispatched quickly, but every so often, there was a troublemaker.


    The troublemakers were what broke the monotony, clambering over my body as a squirrel would. It was borderline maddening. Thankfully, thus far, none of them had managed to work their way inside of my pants or tunic, although some had come close.


    ¡°Alright, I take it back...¡± Clarice admitted grudgingly, ¡°Tim is definitely not a waste of space.¡±


    ¡°I have at least twenty Vrabbits in my sack, and a couple are rank two¡¯s as well. How about you two!¡± Emelia asked excitedly.


    Clarice lifted her sack in her left hand and gave it an experimental shake, ¡°Not sure,¡± she admitted, ¡°Maybe twenty-five? It¡¯s gonna be interesting finding out the final number at the bounty office,¡± she chuckled greedily.


    ¡°I think the count is around seventy-five. The increased Exp from the rank two¡¯s makes it hard to be sure,¡± Nadine chimed in happily.


    ¡°How did you figure that out?¡± Emelia asked in surprise.


    Nadine gave her a pitying look, ¡°Basic mathematics. I already knew how much Exp I had this morning before we started, and I have seen how much I receive per Vrabbit Tim kills, so it is easy to figure out a rough number of how many have been killed so far.¡±


    Emelia blinked in surprise, ¡°Woah, really? Gah, I wish I had thought of that!¡± She moaned, ¡°I could probably figure out how long it will take to level up!¡±


    Nadine nodded with a smirk, ¡°It¡¯s okay though, our Exp should be close to the same since we have been partners from the start, remember?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Emelia cried, immediately bouncing back from her brief disappointment.


    A sudden flash of golden light got everyone¡¯s attention, including mine, even though I still had a pair of Vrabbits ripping at the legs of my pants. Clarice was surrounded by a golden corona with a malevolent smile on her face.


    ¡°Awww yeah! Suck it bitches! I JUST LEVELLED UP!!!¡± Clarice cried, dropping the sack and pumping her sword arm up in the sky.


    ¡°Awww, lucky!¡± Emelia pouted.


    Nadine patted Emelia¡¯s shoulder, ¡°That¡¯s alright, we will catch up in no time,¡± she consoled her.


    Was that what it looked like when someone ¡®levelled up¡¯?


    Besides the obvious gloating. It was certainly eye-catching.


    Wouldn¡¯t that be a liability in the Labyrinth, though? I wondered while swatting at the Vrabbit that had just now attempted to crawl up and into my pants,


    ¡°I think I am ready for a break now,¡± I called out, feeling a little mentally fatigued by the monotony.


    *Crunch*, *Crunch*.


    [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 2 } +0 Exp]


    ¡°Alright, bring over the stone and we can store it in the sack,¡± Nadine called back appreciatively.


    As I brought over the dead Vrabbits and bloodied stone, Emelia seemed to be distracted by a new problem, wrinkling her brow in concentration, ¡°Wait, I just realised...¡±


    ¡°Hrm?¡± Nadine gave her a curious look.


    ¡°How awesome I am?!¡± Clarice demanded arrogantly.


    ¡°No,¡± Emelia replied dismissively, ¡°I mean of course!¡± She corrected as Clarice glared at her. ¡°What I meant was, who is going to remove all the mana stones?¡±


    Nadine and Clarice looked somewhat shocked for a moment before numbly looking down at the bulging sacks.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Clarice smacked her lips apprehensively.


    ¡°Right...¡± Nadine nodded with equal reluctance. After a short while, Nadine sighed and shrugged, ¡°I suppose we could just agree to pay the Guild processing charge,¡± she suggested glumly.


    Clarice nodded, ¡°I suppose it might be a bit much to make the Og-I mean, to make Tim, do it, huh?..."


    ¡°What if we caught another monster?¡± Emelia suggested.


    Nadine and Clarice both immediately shook their heads.


    ¡±We have been over this before,¡± Clarice complained, ¡°You aren¡¯t high enough level yet! Tim was a pure fluke! No way you can manage something like that again.¡±


    Nadine gave Emelia an apologetic smile as she opened the sack and allowed me to deposit the stone and Vrabbits inside. ¡°I am sorry, but Clarice is right, Emelia. A wounded Goblin would be the most you could probably manage without levelling up, and we would have to go into the forest to try and find one of those.¡±


    Emelia seemed undeterred, if somewhat distracted, ¡°So if I found a wounded Goblin, you reckon I could have a shot at taming it?¡± She asked slyly.


    I turned to look in the same direction as Emelia and was not quite sure what I was seeing.


    ¡°Emelia-¡± Nadine sighed in exasperation.


    What appeared to be a small child dressed in badly damaged adventurer''s armour was sprinting across the plain from the nearby forest. The disturbed grass behind them made it obvious that there were more than a few Vrabbits on their trail.


    ¡°Yes or no?¡± Emelia interrupted insistently.


    ¡°I mean if we happened to find one...¡± Nadine¡¯s voice trailed off as she noticed what Emelia and I were staring at.


    ¡°Tim! Bring me that Goblin!¡± Emelia declared eagerly.


    [ Your master has given you a command. ]


    I barely had time to register what she had said before the first tingling whisper of pain made itself known inside my head. Desperate to avoid feeling that pain again, I wasn¡¯t really thinking about what I was doing. Before I realised what was happening, I was already running across the open field, giving chase to what I now realised had to be a Goblin.


    *Crunch* [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp]


    I nearly slipped as an unfortunate Vrabbit was caught underfoot, and the accompanying message obstructed my sight.


    The Goblin¡¯s pace had begun flagging. However, after noticing me sprinting towards it, the Goblin gained fresh vigour and began pumping its arms and legs hard to get away. ¡°NO KILL! NO KILL! NO DIE!¡± It shrieked in terror.


    I could feel the pain building the moment I considered slowing down, so I continued chasing the Goblin. There were more Vrabbits joining the chase with every passing second, the grass rustling in such a way that it made me afraid that tiny raptors would drag me down at any moment.


    The Goblin seemed to have noticed as well, ¡°NO BITE, NO BITE!¡± It howled pitiably, narrowly avoiding a Vrabbit that was waiting in ambush ahead of it.


    Having very nearly caught up to the Goblin now, It felt like I was stepping on Vrabbits more often than the ground, and I was barely able to see past all the kill notifications appearing in front of me.


    Before I realised it, I had gained enough ground on the Goblin to the point that I might be able to grab it. However, with the Vrabbit death notifications as an ever-present reminder of my brute strength, I hesitated at the thought of carelessly snatching the spindly looking Goblin.


    The sudden flash of pain was expected, although it was somewhat weaker than I had anticipated.


    Was it perhaps taking into account the reasoning for my hesitation?


    I really hoped so.


    Emelia had only ordered me to bring her the Goblin. So theoretically, I could accidentally kill it and bring it to her. Unfortunately, I understood her intention to bring it back alive and couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that Emelia wouldn''t punish me for failure. Her happy flighty nature did not mean she had moral qualms over such things, Emelia was obviously fine with the concept of slavery, so why not corporal punishment as well?


    With that incentive in mind, and the pain in my head growing worse, I quickly came up with a plan that I hoped would work.


    However, just as I was planning on tricking the Goblin into thinking I was going to rescue it from the Vrabbits, the Goblin tripped, and I now had to save it for real.


    ¡°AAAAAH!¡± The Goblin shrieked, tripping and falling into the grass, already set upon by four Vrabbits that had materialised seemingly from nowhere.


    Skidding to a halt, I grabbed the back of the wildly thrashing Goblin¡¯s armour and effortlessly lifted it into the air.


    A Vrabbit was still savagely biting at the Goblin¡¯s calf and didn¡¯t let go until I crushed its ribcage.


    Seeing the Goblin up close, I could now understand what was driving the Vrabbits into a frenzy. The Goblin already had a number of cuts littered over its body, but most prominent was the deep gash on the right side of its face. It was a miracle the Goblin had managed to keep its footing as long as it had, given that it was half-blinded by the sheet of blood coating half its face and had to be in a considerable degree of pain.


    Feeling the pain in my mind increasing again and keenly aware of the Vrabbits gnawing at my feet and legs, I began running back towards Emelia. There were two problems though, as far as I could tell. Firstly, the Goblin was not nearly as exhausted as I had thought it would be, thrashing and stabbing at my arm with what looked like a small dirty shiv. Wanting to keep that weapon as far from my eyes as possible, I was forced to hold the Goblin at arms-length. Second, a small horde of carnivorous rabbits were following the scent of the Goblin''s fresh blood and was therefore right behind me.


    Slowing up just enough that the Vrabbits wouldn''t have an easy time latching into my legs, I tried to think of what I should do. With no idea just how badly injured the Goblin was, I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility of it keeling over dead at any moment. So I couldn¡¯t just stop and try stomping all the Vrabbits to death, more of them would just keep coming. However, I also doubted that Nadine, Clarice and Emelia would appreciate being swarmed by the Vrabbits either. Thankfully, my meandering jog was enough to keep the pain at bay, confirming that intentions played a significant role in the enforcement of a command.


    Contrary to my expectation, Nadine was waving at me to get my attention and appeared to be motioning for me to come back.


    Feeling the pain in my head slowly building, I quickly shifted back into an awkward run while trying to keep the Goblin and its shiv away from my face. Thankfully, it seemed to have realised that I meant it no immediate harm and reduced its attempts to shank my face considerably in response.


    ¡°TIM!¡± Emelia shouted suddenly, now that I was perhaps a few dozen feet from the group, ¡°STOP!¡±


    [Your master has given you a command.]


    The sudden pain nearly caused me to topple down into the grass, and there was no doubt in my mind that if I had been holding the Goblin, it would have been crushed by my suddenly clenched fist. Stopping as quickly as I could, I slipped and only barely managed to fall backwards on my ass through some divine miracle of physics momentary inattention.


    [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp]...


    The sudden bombardment of notifications made it clear that there had been no shortage of Vrabbits literally right behind me as I fell. Even now, they were swarming over my legs and clambering up my chest, gnawing and biting as they tried to reach the terrified Goblin now firmly wrapped around my raised arm as if it were a tree.


    The Goblin had now redirected its shiv towards the Vrabbits, which was of small consolation as I desperately swatted them off my body and did my best to protect my face. I had no plans on testing whether my eyes were as tough as my skin.


    Just as I was thinking of how important it was to protect my eyes, I felt something shatter against my face, and my sense of smell was mercilessly obliterated by the invasive stench of licorice. Forced to close my eyes for fear that they would burn from the intensity of the smell, I now had to rely on my sense of touch alone to ward off the Vrabbits. This would have been fine if my thickened skin didn¡¯t also reduce its sensitivity, making it a maddening contest of mental fortitude vs paranoia.


    ¡°Tim! Don¡¯t worry, we are coming to help!¡± Nadine called out, her voice growing closer by the second. ¡°Did you really have to hit him in the face?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me! You just said to hit him with it!¡± Clarice argued bitterly, apparently the one responsible for pelting my face with whatever was responsible for permanently destroying my sense of smell.


    ¡°I said to aim for his chest!¡¯ Nadine growled somewhere nearby.


    ¡°I did! I swear!¡± Clarice insisted defensively, ¡°I mustn¡¯t have accounted for my level up, is all...¡±


    Cracking my eyes open just a little, I immediately regretted it. The fumes irritated my eyes to the point that I thought they must be burning.


    Had Clarice thrown some sort of high proof alcohol at my face?!


    Considering how dry my face felt, the only possible explanation I could think of was that Clarice must have pelted my face with some sort of diabolical licorice schnapps.


    By the time I could stand to open my eyes, the Vrabbit swarm was no more, its members having died or fled.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Nadine gave Emelia an angry expectant look.


    Emelia cowered somewhat, ¡°Ah, sorry Tim,¡± she apologized, ¡°I got a little excited. You can stop stopping now,¡± Emelia said sheepishly.


    Until she said those words, I had not realised just how tense I was. Almost every muscle in my body suddenly relaxed all at once.


    ¡°At least we got some good Exp out of it,¡± Clarice commented a little breathlessly, stuffing another Vrabbit into her sack. ¡°Heck, even looks like we might get Emelia that Goblin she was after too!¡± She said sarcastically, most likely in regards to the Goblin''s pitiable condition.


    ¡°Oh! I almost forgot! Thanks, Clarice!¡± Emelia burbled, shifting her attention to the petrified Goblin clinging to my still upraised arm.


    ¡°Strange that it is wearing armour though,¡± Nadine commented curiously, ¡°To be wounded already as well. Did another adventurer or party already attack it?¡±


    ¡°Who cares?!¡± Emelia insisted, ¡°This Goblin is mine now! Just let me concentrate for a second to use my Ability...¡±


    ¡°Hrm...Emelia, I think you should probably wait a moment. If another party already attacked this Goblin, it could cause problems if they find out you tamed it,¡± Nadine cautioned worriedly.


    ¡°Pffft so what?!¡± Clarice scoffed, ¡°You know the rules of the Guild. If they couldn¡¯t manage to kill it, it''s fair game!¡±


    From what I understood of Clarice¡¯s temperament, Emelia taming this Goblin was definitely a very bad idea.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Feeling the Goblin suddenly stiffen against my arm, I couldn¡¯t help but groan.


    ¡°No hurt! No, eat! I serve!¡± The Goblin squeaked shrilly, still frightened out of its wits.


    Feeling a warm liquid running down my arm, I sincerely hoped it was Goblin blood.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Emelia exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°What?¡± Clarice asked snidely, ¡°You get another named monster?¡± She snorted.


    Emelia didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°Yup.¡±


    Clarice stiffened and abandoned the Vrabbit she was reaching for, instead slowly looking towards Emelia with a shocked and incredulous expression, ¡°That¡¯s a bad joke, Emelia.¡±


    Nadine paled and shifted her attention to the Goblin.


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Emelia insisted, ¡°It already has a name and everything!¡±


    From what I learned from Nadine, I couldn¡¯t imagine avaricious adventurers being happy about losing what had to be a fairly sizable payday.


    Clarice had begun to sweat a little, saying nothing and now gathering the dead Vrabbits with renewed vigour.


    Nadine did likewise, ¡°Maybe if we discard its equipment?¡± She muttered quietly.


    Seemingly unperturbed by what was going on around her, Emelia was beaming as she took a closer look at her new Goblin, ¡°Why is your name Toofy?¡± Emelia asked curiously.


    The Goblin, Toofy, gave a wide grin, its normally pinched face now slit by a large crescent smile of sharp yellow teeth, ¡°Toofy is Toofy, cuz Toofy has all her teef!¡± The Goblin declared proudly.


    Emelia had a serious expression on her face as she considered this for a moment before nodding sagely, ¡±That makes sense,¡± she agreed, apparently convinced. ¡°Oh,¡± Emelia seemed to realise something, ¡°You can put Toofy down now, Tim.¡±


    More than happy to oblige, I lowered my arm and was glad to find that it had indeed been blood running down my arm from the bite wound in Toofy¡¯s calf, not urine. Unfortunately, even though I let go of Toofy, Toofy did not let go of me.


    ¡°Ah! No grass! No biters!¡± Toofy whimpered in her shrill voice, desperately clinging to my arm for dear life. To be fair, if I was Toofy, I probably would too. The thought of being chased down and eaten by carnivorous rabbits a quarter my size was bloody terrifying.


    ¡°We should probably leg it,¡± Clarice suggested nervously, ¡°Pretty sure we¡¯ve got most of them anyway.¡±


    Nadine nodded, ¡°That would be best,¡± she agreed, withdrawing another sack from her backpack. ¡°Uh, Toofy, how about you ride inside this sack, so the grass biters don¡¯t find you,¡± Nadine suggested while handing me the sack.


    Toofy blinked and tilted her head to one side like a dog, ¡°Sack safe? No grass biters?¡± She asked suspiciously.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°The sack is magic!¡± She insisted, ¡°Only dead grass biters can go in the sack.¡±


    Toofy required no further convincing and eagerly hopped into the sack, ¡°Hehe! No grass biters get Toofy!¡± She cackled quietly from inside the sack.


    Giving me an apologetic look, Nadine quickly motioned for the group to head back towards the town gate. ¡°With any luck, we can get back to the Guild and settle up these Vrabbits before any trouble starts," she muttered.


    ¡°Hrmph, bloody doubt it,¡± Clarice moaned ruefully, ¡°Emelia spent all our luck already and then some, we¡¯re screwed.¡±


    Noticing the angry group of adventurers heading in our direction from the forest, I was inclined to agree.


    Proofreaders: David Talpos and ThatOneVampire


    Patrons: Wholly Anonymous, Gremlin, Derp Njeh, Pillowreader, Leviathon251, John McCarter, Sparkley Unicorn, MortederTod, ManguKing, Justin, AnOldGuy, OrganicMeat(2.0), osos12, SV, Louis Lawton, Azgaroth, InfernalDrake, Frightful6_7, Neorem, minion, Rich, Lancelot9402, Avista Askenazu, McMax, Alex, HumbleBee, Alexander Amann, Thom, MadSwede87, Joshua John Wallace, ALEXEI, SquiddlyWinks, Lictor Magnus, Helen Rooney


    [/author]

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 02 – An endearing indenture – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 02 ¨C An endearing indenture ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 02 - An endearing indenture - Part One {Rewrite}


    There were only three adventurers in all, but they looked a great deal more capable than Nadine, Clarice and Emelia. For starters, all three of them were wearing matching chainmail armour and holding their weapons in a way that made it clear they knew how to use them. Only Clarice seemed capable of the latter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can hide it!¡± The tallest of the three adventurers growled accusingly from behind his helmet, ¡°We saw you steal our monster!¡±


    Nadine stepped forward with her hands open at her sides to try and show them that she had no ill intentions, ¡°Ah, I am sorry about that. My teammate got a little carried away and ordered her minion to capture it. We were too far away to see that it had already been injured. Please forgive us.¡±


    ¡°I forgive nothing!¡± The adventurer fumed, ¡°How are you going to make this right?!¡±


    Before Nadine had a chance to answer, one of the other adventurers chimed in, ¡°Hey they are all pretty cute right? How about you girls keep us company tonight and we call it even?¡±


    I really couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted hearing such a proposal and judging by the flash of anger in Nadine¡¯s eyes, I could only assume she felt the same.


    ¡°We will take this matter before the Guild and they will sort it out!¡± Nadine replied coldly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clarice chimed in, ¡°I would rather sleep with Tim before sharing the same room with the likes of you ugly bastards,¡± she hooked her thumb back towards me to make it clear who she was talking about.


    I tried not to wince at being used as a frame of reference for low standards.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Emelia agreed emphatically, ¡°At least Tim smells like candy!¡±


    I assumed this was a comment related to the overpowering stench of licorice whose fumes were still burning my eyes.


    ¡°Y-you bitches!¡± The adventurer who propositioned Nadine cursed angrily and brandished his longsword threateningly.


    Seeing things were quickly going south, I took a firm grip on my club and limbered up a little. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could bring myself to actually hurt any of them, but they didn''t know that.


    ¡°Hey, calm down you idiot! That¡¯s an Ogre!¡± The adventurer who hadn¡¯t spoken yet insisted to his companion.


    I flinched, clenching my teeth and curling my lip out of habit.


    Nadine retreated back to our group and glared coldly at the other adventurers, ¡°I am willing to ignore what you said and settle this at the Guild office. If you try to attack us, we will not hold back!¡± She hissed, drifting closer to my side to make the point clear as to who had the greater advantage in an open fight.


    ¡°Fine!¡± The leader spat angrily, turning and heading back to the town from the opposite direction.


    Nadine let out a long sigh of relief, ¡°Well that could have gone better,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°We could take ''em,¡± Clarice grunted with dissatisfaction.


    ¡°No way they could beat Tim,¡± Emelia agreed enthusiastically.


    ¡°And what about the Guild? HRM?!¡± Nadine interjected, ¡°Do you think they would look so kindly on breaking the rules about fighting so close to the foothold?!¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Clarice and Emelia glanced at one another and didn¡¯t answer.


    Nadine sighed and shook her head, ¡°Forget it, what¡¯s done is done. Let¡¯s just hope the Guild evaluates Toofy as low value...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they will,¡± Clarice chuckled.


    ¡°Hrm? Why?¡± Nadine asked worriedly.


    Clarice grinned antagonistically, ¡°The Goblin has a Class and is already level two.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s expression grew dour, ¡°Show me, Emelia,¡± she sighed resignedly.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Emelia agreed guiltily, ¡°Sorry Nadine, I didn¡¯t know I just-¡±


    ¡°-I know, I know...¡± Nadine interrupted. ¡°Scavenger huh? At least that should be useful once we go a little deeper in the Labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± Clarice asked greedily.


    ¡°You¡¯ll love this,¡± Nadine sighed, ¡°Its starting Class Ability detects treasure in a radius determined by its Intelligence stat. It¡¯s a lot like the Thief ability.¡±


    ¡°What other Abilities does it have?¡± Clarice asked eagerly.


    ¡°You mean its Racial Abilities?¡± Nadine asked.


    ¡°No! The other class abilities of Scavenger!¡± Clarice insisted impatiently.


    Nadine frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Most Classes monsters qualify for only get one Class Ability per tier and I am not familiar with this particular monster Class.¡±


    ¡°Monsters only get one Ability per Class tier? Lame!¡± Clarice huffed dejectedly.


    ¡°You would rather boss and special monsters had more Abilities?¡± Nadine asked icily.


    Clarice stiffened, ¡°Ah, actually you¡¯re right, one Ability is fine.¡±


    ¡°What about Tim then?¡± Emelia asked, ¡°What Class should we give him?¡±


    Nadine was thoughtful for a moment and then shrugged apologetically, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to unlock any of the monster classes for Ogres. The Guild might know, but that information is probably expensive.¡±


    ¡°What about the Taskmaster?¡± Emelia asked, ¡°It¡¯s like another monster taming class isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Nadine thought about it for a moment and nodded, ¡°I think that is the beginner Class for the Slaver. If I remember correctlyt, it makes other monsters stronger or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, really?! So Tim would make Toofy and any other monsters I tame stronger?¡± Emelia asked excitedly.


    ¡°Maybe, I am not really sure, it has been a while since-¡± Nadine tried to explain but was interrupted.


    ¡°ALRIGHT! TIM YOU¡¯RE NOW MY TASKMASTER!¡± Emelia declared emphatically, the proclamation accompanied by a sudden burst of golden light.


    [You have acquired the Basic Class: {Taskmaster}.]


    [Class: Taskmaster. +1 Willpower, +5 HP.] [Exp: 0/1000 ]


    [(Class Ability: Word of the master): The Monsters and Slaves in your party obey your commands as if you were their master. Disobeying your direct commands requires a contest of (Willpower). Degree of failure will result in pain being administered until the command is obeyed or the command is rescinded.]


    I almost blinked and missed the sudden messages.


    ¡°What did you DO?!¡± Nadine demanded.


    Emelia shrank back and awkwardly smiled to try and break the tension, ¡°Well you said Taskmaster was a good class and I remember my trainer saying something about how Taskmaster was unlocked...¡± She explained apologetically.


    ¡°Emelia...¡± Nadine looked like it was taking everything she had just to remain civil, ¡°We could have found a way to make Tim an Ogre Mage! Not only is it a race-exclusive class but it''s an incredibly powerful one that would have made the most of his high Intelligence!¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emelia replied dejectedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just got really excited...¡±


    Nadine sighed and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s fine, what¡¯s done is done. Once we get rich from the lower floors of the Labyrinth, maybe we can pay for a Class retraining or something.¡±


    ¡°Could be worse,¡± Clarice added snarkily, ¡°Emelia could have made him a Barbarian or something. Just imagine trying to keep a handle on him the moment he flies into a rage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Nadine sighed, "Could you share his stats with me Emelia, so I can see what his class does?¡±


    Emelia nodded, ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well this isn¡¯t so bad at least,¡± Nadine commented.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Clarice asked curiously.


    ¡°Tim can now command any other monsters or Slaves Emelia manages to take in just the same as she can. At least now there is someone else to keep a tight rein on things.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Clarice agreed, ¡°I mean at this rate we could practically start our own adventuring charter by the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°Please use the Ability responsibly,¡± Nadine asked me quietly, so Emelia couldn¡¯t hear, ¡°Also, try and keep that Goblin from mischief.¡±


    I nodded to show I understood, but I wasn¡¯t actually sure what exactly Nadine expected me to do. After all, Emelia could just supersede any commands I give to Toofy any time she wanted. This just seemed like I was being punished for Emelia¡¯s mistakes.


    Since I was now responsible for Toofy, I supposed it would probably be a good idea to patch her up somewhat while on our way to the Guild office. Then again, until we had made it back into town, I couldn¡¯t remove her from the sack without drawing in more of the Vrabbits again.


    I cleared my throat to try and get Nadine¡¯s attention, ¡°Uhm, shouldn¡¯t we patch-up Toofy¡¯s injuries? Wouldn''t it be bad if she bled out before we made it back to town?¡±


    Nadine gave me a curious look for a moment before turning her attention to Emelia ¡°Emelia, has your new Goblin been losing HP?¡±


    ¡°Hrm...ah, I¡¯m not sure,¡± Emelia admitted with a little embarrassment.


    Nadine sighed and nodded, as if she expected as much, ¡°Why don¡¯t you share the status with Tim so he can keep an eye on it?¡± She suggested.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Emelia agreed.


    A few moments later a fresh wall of text appeared in front of me.


    [Toofy - Goblin: 1 ] [HP: 3/19] [MP: 0/3 ]


    [Emelia¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Scavenger 2. +2 Intelligence, +1 Toughness, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 7/3000 ]


    [Strength: 7 ]


    [Agility: 13* ]


    [Toughness: 6 (7) {+1} ]


    [Intelligence: 6* (8) {+2} ]


    [Willpower: 6* ]


    [Presence: 5 ]


    [(Class Ability: Treasure Sense): Detects and highlights items of value within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases range.]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious {Rank 0}): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot {Rank 0}): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    ¡°Status,¡± In addition to my own information, I could now see Toofy¡¯s information by looking slightly to my right. In order to keep an eye on her HP, I would need to keep bringing up the information screens as we walked. I found it profoundly irritating that blinking caused all of the information to disappear. ¡°Nadine?¡± I asked politely to get her attention again, ¡°Is there some way to keep some of the stat information even after blinking?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, I hadn¡¯t told you about it yet. Thanks for reminding me. You should be able to keep a basic cut down version of the stat screen for yourself, Toofy and Emelia by saying Master Status Core,¡± Nadine explained helpfully, ¡°Also, and I am not sure this will work, you can try replacing Master with Party instead. If it works, you should be able to see the basic information for Clarice and I as well.¡±


    ¡°Thanks," I nodded politely, ¡°Let''s try the first one then, Master Status Core.¡±


    Immediately three small panes appeared in the lower periphery of my vision.


    [Tim - HP: 45/45 - Normal ] [Emelia - HP: 25/25 - Normal ] [Toofy - HP: 3/19 - Bloodied ]


    I experimented with blinking a few times and was happy to see that the information panes remained. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try the other one. Party Status Core.¡±


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Nadine asked curiously.


    I shook my head, ¡°Nope, nothing changed,¡± I replied disappointedly.


    Nadine shrugged, ¡°I guess we''ll just need to keep in mind if a fight is going against us.¡±


    Clarice''s helmet shifted in such a way that it seemed like she was exaggeratedly rolling her eyes.


    Thankfully, Toofy¡¯s HP did not decline during our walk back to town, although she did squirm about in the sack every so often.


    It was my first time being brought to the Guild office and I was a little disappointed by how unimpressive the building looked from the outside. It just seemed like pretty much any other building in town, made from rough wooden planks and red bricks with open unglassed windows.


    The inside was much the same, although it was apparent that at least some attempt had been made to make it more presentable. The ground floor looked very similar to a small bank. There were chairs against the far wall, an advertising bulletin board and a row of desks with professional formally dressed staff seated behind them.


    Besides the Guild staff, the only other people present were the three adventurers from earlier. They were currently engaged in a heated discussion with what appeared to be the bank-erm Guild manager.


    ¡°They just stole it right out from under us!¡± The leader grouched.


    The manager nodded with an expression of tested patience, ¡°You have said as much a dozen times already sir. Please take a seat while we wait for the accused party.¡±


    ¡°Accused?!¡± The pervy party member chimed in, ¡°Bloody guilty! More like! We even offered them a fair deal to settle the matter!¡±


    ¡°FAIR DEAL?!¡± Clarice roared indignantly, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the room, ¡°You tried blackmailing us into sleeping with you! You disgusting slimeball!¡±


    The initially surprised expressions from Clarice¡¯s outburst now turned to poorly concealed disgust as the female Guild staff members shifted their attention from Clarice to the three adventurers.


    ¡°Urk, well...It was a special Goblin! It¡¯s valuable!¡± The pervy adventurer insisted defensively.


    ¡°Dude! Shut the hell up!¡± The tactful party member hissed.


    The manager was not amused, ¡°Mister Andros! You have been warned about soliciting fellow adventurers before! Pending the outcome of this investigation, you may find yourself blacklisted from the adventurers Guild!¡±


    The pervy adventurer Andros staggered back a step as if the manager had struck him in the gut.


    The manager gave an exasperated sigh, straightened his vest and approached us with an apologetic smile, ¡°Due to the nature of the accusation, I would please ask that you temporarily relinquish the monster to our custody. While the assessor determines the value of the monster, we can conduct interviews to determine the truth of the matter. I trust this is agreeable?¡± The manager asked politely.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°I have an additional request, that Tim-¡± she motioned to me, ¡°-be allowed to stay with the Goblin during the assessment. He has the Taskmaster class and can make sure the Goblin is compliant.¡±


    The manager was a little surprised by Nadine''s request, but nodded, ¡±Alright then. If you would please follow me upstairs the assessor will retrieve Tim and the contested Goblin momentarily. Feel free to leave your bounties and belongings with any of the staff if necessary.¡±


    Following Nadine''s lead, Clarice and Emelia handed over their practically bursting sacks of Vrabbits to one of the Guild staff like the manager suggested.


    ¡°So many for such a small group,¡± the staff member commented in surprise, ¡°You think maybe they have been stealing from other parties after all?¡±


    Another staff member came over to take a look inside one of the sacks and shook their head, ¡°I don''t think so. Most of these Vrabbits look half crushed and they do have an Ogre. Hunting even this many was probably child¡¯s play.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The first staff member asked with surprise, looking at me as if they had just noticed me for the first time.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about being overlooked like that. A part of me felt overjoyed at a sense of normalcy I had only experienced a handful of times before in my life.


    A woman in a long coat and tightly bound dark hair entered the room from the back area, ¡°Alright, where is this Goblin I am meant to be assessing?¡± She asked a little sleepily.


    ¡°Ah, over there,¡± one of the staff pointed in my direction.


    I walked over and held up Toofy¡¯s sack, ¡°Toofy is in here,¡± I explained.


    Perhaps more shocked than Clarice¡¯s earlier outburst, the Guild staff that had been assigned to the counter were surprised, to say the least.


    Did they not expect me to be able to speak?


    The newly arrived woman who I assumed to be the assessor mentioned earlier, did not seem surprised so much as curious. ¡°You seem rather articulate for an Ogre,¡± she commented curiously, ¡°Perhaps I should assess you as well?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Miss Celia, they did not consent to that...¡± One of the Guild staff reminded her before adding more quietly, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t doing something like that get you into more trouble? And don¡¯t you only have a couple more days to go?¡±


    ¡°Hrmph!¡± The assessor Celia crossed her arms and pouted, ¡°Fine! Bring out this Goblin and let''s get it over with!¡±


    I nodded and reached into the sack, after fumbling for a handhold, I pulled Toofy out from the sack and got a better grip by the back of her overly large belt.


    Toofy just hung there limply as if she had fallen unconscious or died. Unfortunately for Toofy, her ruse was undermined by opening her eyes every couple of seconds and furtively looking around the room before playing possum again.


    ¡°Put the Goblin down on the table,¡± Celia ordered and took out a black leather collar from her coat.


    ¡°Ah, Ms Celia, the command collar shouldn¡¯t be necessary. Ms Nadine said the Ogre is a Taskmaster.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Celia shrugged, ¡°Alright, Ogre, Command the Goblin to stay still and then put it down on the desk.¡±


    Every time they said the word, I couldn''t help but flinch.


    Wanting this to be over as quickly as possible, I did as Celia asked, ¡°Toofy stay still,¡± I commanded and carefully put her down on the desk.


    ¡°Kay!¡± Toofy replied, her act at playing possum now forgotten and her beady eyes intently watching Celia as she drew closer.


    ¡°And no biting, keep your jaws shut¡± I hastily added.


    ¡°Grrr!¡± Toofy growled angrily at her plan being thwarted.


    ¡°Assessment!¡± Celia pressed her hand against Toofy¡¯s forehead. A few moments later she sighed and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s about what is to be expected in a case like this. It¡¯s a Named Goblin with two levels in a basic class,¡± she drew her hand back again and began washing it in a prepared basin of soapy water.


    One of the other Guild staff members transcribed what Celia said and then went upstairs.


    ¡°Just leave the Goblin there for now,¡± Celia sighed dismissively, ¡°The manager will decide what is to be done with it.¡± She dried her hand on her coat and then hopped up to sit on the desk, giving me a rather disconcertingly intense stare.


    Time passed slowly and a few other adventurer groups came and went, buying supplies or making inquiries with the Guild staff. It seemed to be just as Nadine had told me it would be. Pretty much all the adventurers in the area were as new to this as they were and don''t know much more than I do.


    ¡°You are pretty smart aren¡¯t you,¡± Celia commented quietly, ¡°Has to be almost human level Intelligence at least.¡±


    I realised that perhaps I had been too obvious in my eavesdropping and tried my best to look inconspicuous.


    ¡°Tib, Toofy node itches!¡± Toofy complained through gritted teeth.


    I sighed and carefully scratched Toofy¡¯s nose for her.


    ¡°Toofy mouth tired,¡± Toofy whined her beady eyes watering pitiably,


    It seemed cruel to just leave her like that, so I decided to be more specific with the command ¡°Alright, you can unclench your jaw now, but no biting!¡±


    ¡°Grr, Tim no fun!¡± Toofy complained grumpily, ¡°Toofy hungry!¡± She wailed, tears running down her cheeks.


    Now I really felt bad. If Toofy was that injured, it made sense that she would become hungry as her body tried to replace all the blood she had lost. Unfortunately, I didn''t have anything to feed Toofy.


    Nadine, Emelia and Clarice all had emergency rations in their backpacks, but all I had was the clothes on my back and the sack I had been using to carry her around in.


    ¡°Waaaah,¡± Toofy continued to wail pitiably like a small child.


    Actually, that raised an important question, how old is Toofy?


    The way she has been behaving is very reminiscent of a child. Well...a child with a mouth full of sharp teeth and a shiv hidden somewhere on its body, but still a child.


    Celia glared at Toofy irritably, ¡°Shut up."


    Toofy whimpered at the sudden rebuke but quickly rallied. ¡°Grrrr!¡± Toofy¡¯s expression hardened and she began angrily growling and baring her teeth at Celia, ¡°Bite you! Eat you!¡± Toofy growled menacingly.


    Hrm, perhaps my assessment was a little off?


    Toofy was perhaps not childlike so much as driven by basic needs, lacking in self-restraint and shame. ¡°Is there something I can feed her?¡± I asked no one in particular.


    ¡°If you are willing to answer a few questions, I will bring something for the Goblin to eat,¡± Celia offered with a smirk.


    I hesitated, the way she had been staring at me was unnerving.


    ¡°Tim? Toofy hungry¡± Toofy sniffled, apparently more than aware of what was transpiring around her.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed reluctantly.


    Celia grinned wolfishly and hopped off the desk. She disappeared into the backroom behind the desks and returned with a plate of cooked meat. Judging by the size of the meat, I assumed it was roasted Vrabbit. Celia handed me the plate and sat back down on the desk again.


    ¡°Ahhhhh,¡± Toofy opened her mouth expectantly.


    Picking up one of the boneless pieces of meat, I dropped it into Toofy¡¯s mouth.


    Toofy¡¯s jaws slammed shut like a steel bear trap and she gulped the piece of meat down whole, ¡°More! Ahhhh,¡± she pointed her filthy fingers towards her mouth.


    ¡°So, I have upheld my end of our bargain, are you prepared to answer my questions?¡± Celia asked.


    I nodded, ¡°Assuming I know the answer and it isn¡¯t too intrusive,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Interesting...¡± Celia withdrew a clipboard from under the desk and quickly wrote something down, ¡°We shall start with something easy. What are you?¡±


    I frowned disapprovingly, knowing what she meant by that particular question, ¡°I am Tim,¡± I replied belligerently as I fed Toofy another piece of meat.


    ¡°Hrm? No, I didn''t ask for your name, I asked what type of monster you are,¡± Celia clarified condescendingly.


    ¡°I am Tim,¡± I repeated stubbornly.


    Celia frowned, ¡°Fine, moving on, do you know what your Intelligence stat is?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied ¡°And it¡¯s ten,¡± I was fine giving away this information since she had just about guessed as much already and I had technically refused to answer the previous question.


    Celia¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise, ¡°Ten...Well, that makes sense...¡± She murmured, taking a full half a minute to write more notes before preparing to ask another question. ¡±What level of the Labyrinth did you come from? And from which Labyrinth?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to answer this question. I had the impression that telling the truth wouldn¡¯t be a good idea at all, so I decided to be deliberately evasive, ¡°I was captured on this floor, yesterday,¡± I replied somewhat truthfully, avoiding bringing up the subject of my true origins.


    Celia was surprised and gave me an intense scrutinising look, ¡°No collar,¡± she mumbled excitedly and began furiously writing more notes across several pages.


    I was getting the feeling that perhaps I should have attempted a greater degree of vagueness in the answer I had given.


    Toofy had now eaten the last of the meat and there was nothing left but the bones, leaving nothing left for Celia to bargain with.


    ¡°Where-¡± Celia began to ask but I interrupted her.


    ¡°No,¡± I said flatly and placed the plate down on the desk.


    Celia frowned, ¡°I can get you more meat,¡± she offered enticingly.


    My stomach rumbled in response, ¡°No,¡± I repeated firmly.


    ¡°Hey, be reasonable-¡± Celia began asking but was interrupted by Toofy this time.


    ¡°Tim say no!¡± Toofy growled menacingly. It was actually rather endearing and reminded me of a dog protecting its owner.


    Celia was about to say something else when Nadine, Clarice and Emelia returned downstairs accompanied by the manager. None of the girls looked particularly happy.


    In contrast, the three adventurers seemed relatively upbeat when they descended the stairs a few moments later, except for Andros. Andros was even more dejected than Emelia. The three of them took a seat near the stairs and appeared to be waiting for something.


    A few moments later, it quickly began to make sense.


    ¡°I need the Vrabbits in these sacks quickly sorted and valued,¡± the Guild manager announced, clapping his hands to accentuate the importance of the request.


    The Guild staff quickly decided amongst themselves who would remain on regular duties and who would handle the priority sorting. I had learned earlier that the staff receive certain incentives like a sales commission for handling monster remains. So naturally, it required some compromising amongst themselves to determine who would benefit from this opportunity.


    No less than five of the seven staff members pulled on thick leather gloves and began sorting through the Vrabbits inside the sacks. Besides keeping their hands relatively clean, it just made sense that they would wear sturdy gloves considering the sharp teeth of the Vrabbits haphazardly bundled into the sacks.


    ¡°Ugh, no way there is enough,¡± Clarice moaned, watching the Vrabbits get laid out on one of the desks.


    ¡°Sorry...¡± Emelia apologised gloomily.


    Nadine said nothing, just pursing her lips and watching the sorting with a tense expression on her face.


    It did not take long for the Guild staff to work their way through all of the Vrabbits and double-check their work. ¡°One hundred and three rank one Vrabbits in close to prime condition, worth forty-one copper coins. Four rank two Vrabbits in prime condition, worth twenty-two copper coins. Assuming the mana stones are all harvested and sold, the total projected value stands at sixty-three copper coins,¡± the Guild manager summarised.


    ¡±Not even close,¡± Clarice snorted in annoyance.


    Nadine cleared her throat and addressed the Guild manager, ¡°I would like to take out a short-term loan please."


    The manager appeared to have expected as much and nodded with a concerned look on his face, ¡°Are you sure? For this amount at your level it will need to include the indenturement clause and both of your party members would need to co-sign. Unless you are considering putting up your other monster as collateral?¡±


    Even though the Guild manager could not have been nicer about it, I still couldn¡¯t help but shiver at being treated like a literal commodity.


    Nadine looked to Emelia and Clarice for confirmation.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Emelia nodded emphatically, ¡°This is all my fault, but I¡¯ll make sure to pay you both back later!¡±


    Clarice had seemed to be on the fence, but after hearing that Emelia planned on paying them back, she sighed and nodded ¡°Fine, but I want interest, Emelia!¡±


    ¡°Alright, we will all sign for the loan,¡± Nadine confirmed.


    ¡°Very well, please accompany me to my office and we will fill out the required paperwork,¡± the Guild manager politely gestured back to the stairs.


    ¡°One moment please, is it alright if Tim and Toofy accompany us?¡± Nadine asked, glancing deliberately at the trio of adventurers in the corner.


    The manager nodded in understanding, ¡°It should be alright,¡± he agreed, ¡°Just please make sure they behave themselves. It would be unfortunate to add the repair costs of damaged furniture to the amount of the loan after all.¡±


    Nadine nodded and gave me a telling look.


    I sighed and picked up Toofy, ¡°Do you want to go back in the sack?¡± I asked.


    Toofy considered this for a moment before shaking her head, causing the weathered copper pot that was serving as her helmet to fall off her head and revealed her big pointed ears. Well, one of them was pointed, the other had obviously been viciously assaulted by a Vrabbit and was half the length of the other. ¡°Toofy be good,¡± she insisted.


    ¡°Ah okay...¡± I agreed, picking Toofy up and carefully replacing the pot on her head. Because of her small size, I was easily able to fit Toofy into the large pocket on the front of my leather apron.


    Toofy immediately gave the leather an experimental lick, ¡°Pig!¡± She declared excitedly and began gnawing at the lip of the pocket.


    Relatively confident that the apron would be fine, I ignored Toofy and followed the others up the stairs and into the Guild manager''s office.


    The Guild manager sat down at his personal desk and pulled out a form from one of the drawers. He placed it down in front of Nadine, who was now sitting opposite him, so she could take the opportunity to read it first. ¡°So, just to make sure you are clear on the most important aspects of the loan, I would like you to ask now if you have any questions. Of course, the indenturement clause in the event of multiple missed payments is particularly important.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Emelia asked.


    ¡°The indenturement clause will become active after missing three consecutive repayments or five non-consecutive repayments. In that eventuality, you will be forcibly required to repay your debt by working for the Guild at a fixed rate according to your level. While indentured, your debt will not grow, but many of your freedoms will be restricted. As none of you have criminal histories or demerits on file, the dormant slave mark will not be necessary,¡± the Guild manager carefully explained.


    ¡°Slave mark?¡± Emelia balked, ¡°We would be Slaves?!¡±


    Nadine sighed, ¡°No Emelia, he just explained that we would NOT be Slaves. If we missed too many repayments we would basically be employees of the Guild until we worked off the debt.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emelia mumbled with embarrassment.


    Clarice shook her head, ¡°Still at the rate we would be paid at our level, it''s almost a matter of semantics.¡±


    The Guild manager made no attempts to correct her, instead, he nodded in agreement, ¡°Even with your recent level up Ms Clarice and assuming that Ms Nadine and Emelia are not far behind, it would still take a little over a year to pay off the debt, assuming you missed the next three repayment deadlines. So please consider this loan seriously.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, a whole year,¡± Clarice hissed, ¡°You sure about this Nadine? I mean, it''s just a Goblin.¡±


    Nadine nodded with a determined expression, ¡°A named Goblin that has already unlocked a basic class. While not as valuable as Tim, Toofy will become more valuable when we go a couple of floors deeper and monsters start dropping valuable equipment. It¡¯s much easier to make the investment now,¡¯ she explained rationally.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Clarice grimaced.


    ¡°It''s not that bad,¡± Nadine Insisted, ¡°Ten per cent interest is actually a rather good rate considering we aren¡¯t putting up any collateral.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Clarice agreed reluctantly, ¡°I mean, what am I even worrying about? Tim almost earned one silver this morning without breaking a sweat. We should be able to pay back twenty-seven silver in no time!¡±


    Nadine wavered her hand somewhat, ¡°Well, not for a few days. We need the smell to subside first.¡±


    Clarice stiffened, ¡°Ah, yeah, right...¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else pertaining to the loan that you would like explained?¡± The Guild manager asked patiently.


    Nadine and Clarice looked sidelong at Emelia.


    Emelia blushed and shook her head self-consciously.


    ¡°Alright then, one moment while I fill out the form and prepare it for your signatures,¡± the Guild manager quickly filled out the form, double-checked his work and set it down on the desk again, ¡°Please make sure everything is correct before signing,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Wait, why is the amount only twenty-six silver and eighty-one copper?¡± Emelia asked when it was her turn to sign.


    The Guild manager politely cleared his throat, ¡°The value of the Vrabbits was deducted from the required loan before applying the interest, resulting in a net savings of nine copper. The processing fee in this instance has of course been waived due to the special circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Emelia blushed again and signed the form.


    I am actually rather impressed with this Guild manager. When the subject of a loan had come up I thought that he would try and bleed the girls for as much money as possible. Apparently, that was not the case.


    Now that everyone had signed the form, the Guild manager double-checked it to make sure everything was correct and nodded. Stamping the form in the top corner he smiled, ¡°Alright, with this everything is now settled. I will make sure that the other party is compensated, so please let me know if anyone attempts any funny business,¡± the Guild manager warned them, ¡°Oh, please remember that repayments are due at the end of every month!¡±


    ¡°We will, thank you!¡± Nadine bowed respectfully and led them out of the office and back downstairs.


    Before the three adventurers had a chance to make trouble, Celia immediately ambushed Emelia ¡°Hey, sell me the Ogre!¡± She demanded.


    Emelia backed hurriedly away and hid behind Clarice.


    ¡°Name your price!¡± Celia insisted, pursuing Emelia with complete disregard for Clarice¡¯s personal space.


    ¡°Oi get off!¡± Clarice huffed, shoving back against Celia with evident discomfort.


    ¡°Tim isn¡¯t for sale!¡± Emelia stated, less intimidated with Clarice serving as a buffer between them.


    ¡°Ms Celia!¡± The Guild manager declared aghast at the spectacle, ¡°You will stop harassing the Guild¡¯s adventurers this instant! Behave with decorum befitting your position in this office or I shall inform headquarters of your non-compliance!¡±


    Celia hissed and backed off, ¡°I was just offering to buy-¡±


    The Guild manager cut her off mid-sentence, ¡°Not another word! Please return to your office at once!¡±


    Celia looked like she had plenty of unpleasant things to say, but kept her mouth shut and stalked away.


    ¡°We should go take a short break at the inn,¡± Nadine suggested and led them outside.


    Going back to the inn, the three of them took seats and the table while I sat down with Toofy on a nearby bench by a window.


    ¡°So what is the plan?¡± Clarice asked, removing her helmet for the first time since I had met her, revealing her short red hair and fierce green eyes.


    Nadine drummed her fingers on the table while she thought about it, ¡°Hrm, well, we can¡¯t hunt any more Vrabbits for a few days until the smell wears off. So maybe we could try hunting Goblins near the edge of the forest? But that is still somewhat dangerous with our equipment at the moment.¡±


    ¡°We have Tim to keep us safe though! So we should be fine right?!¡± Emelia insisted.


    I was surprised that Emelia was in such a rush to go back into the forest after what happened last time. Then again, she was rather impulsive.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just rely on Tim to keep us safe,¡± Clarice interjected, ¡°What if more than just that one Orc shows up? We can¡¯t just hope they all attack Tim.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you level up? Can¡¯t you fight an Orc yet?¡± Emelia asked, visibly disappointed.


    ¡°Krk, hey! I only went up one level! Swordsmen aren¡¯t expected to fight Orcs until at least level five you know!¡± Clarice bristled defensively.


    I felt like perhaps I should say something since they were overlooking Toofy¡¯s Bloodied Condition, ¡°Uhm?... Hey, shouldn''t we do something about Toofy¡¯s injuries?¡± I asked.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Maybe we should leave Tim and Toofy at the inn and do some Vrabbit hunting on our own today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, better to start chipping away at that debt as soon as possible and we need to pay for our stay at the inn anyway,¡± Clarice agreed.


    ¡°Alright, Tim, do you think you could get Toofy cleaned up and dress her wounds if we organised a bath and some bandages?¡± Nadine asked.


    I scratched my head nervously. I had a senior first-aid certificate and was most of the way through my qualifications to become a registered nurse, so cleaning and dressing wounds was not that big of a deal. The problem as I saw it was that Toofy was a member of the opposite sex, assumedly. Her size being close to that of a child only made it worse. ¡°Ah, is it really alright for me to do something like that?¡± I asked nervously, hoping they would realise the problem without me needing to spell it out for them.


    ¡°You are both monsters, so it''s fine,¡± Emelia waved her hand dismissively.


    I couldn¡¯t help but cringe, even though such an opinion from Emelia should have been expected.


    ¡°Ah, but no babymaking!¡± Emelia scolded sharply.


    [Your master has given you a command. ]


    What the hell is wrong with this person?! How could she both understand the nature of the problem and completely disregard it?!


    ¡°We are already in debt, this is not the time to have more mouths to feed,¡± Emelia added sagely.


    ¡°You seriously think that I would do something like that...to Toofy?¡± I asked incredulously.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Emelia replied in an offended tone, ¡°I just forbid you from doing it, so how could you?¡±


    I had no words...


    Is this what it feels like to have a stroke?


    Clarice began laughing so hard that she fell off her chair and began rolling around on the floor.


    Nadine was struggling to keep a straight face, ¡°Ah, I will go organise the bath and bandages,¡± she quickly got up and hurried over to the innkeeper while covering her mouth and trying not to laugh.


    When Nadine returned a few minutes later, she was much more composed, ¡°Everything has been arranged, so you can just wait in your room if you like.¡±


    ¡°What about clothes?¡± I asked, Toofy was currently wearing a jumbled assortment of filthy cloth and leather scraps. To say nothing of the risk of infection, there was no telling whether the materials would even maintain basic structural integrity if I tried washing them.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Nadine obviously hadn¡¯t thought of that.


    ¡°Toofy can wear some of my old clothes,¡± Emelia offered. Although Emelia was shorter than average, there was still a significant size discrepancy between Emelia and Toofy.


    ¡°I guess I could just roll the sleeves and use a belt?¡± I muttered in defeat, remembering the current money problem.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll quickly go put them in your room,¡± Emelia jumped up from her seat and ran off up the stairs.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Nadine apologised, ¡°But with your Class Ability and Racial Ability, you should be able to wash Toofy without getting injured. I would not be so confident if it was one of us. I hope you understand.¡±


    I sighed and nodded, Nadine had a point. I had no trouble imagining Toofy getting at least one good bite in before Emelia remembered to command Toofy not to.


    Emelia returned a couple of minutes later, ¡°Alright you can give Toofy her bath now, just no funny business!¡±


    I hate you...


    Clarice snorted and sighed contentedly, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go hunt some Vrabbits before all the good hunting places are taken,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Kay,¡± Emelia agreed enthusiastically.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Nadine agreed, but before she left the inn, Nadine hung back a moment, ¡±Oh, I paid for three meals already, they should be brought up to the room in a few hours,¡± she then disappeared out the door.


    I released a defeated sigh and slowly began making my way upstairs to my room. I would have been worried that Toofy was so quiet, but she had been chewing on my apron since we left the Guild office.


    The innkeeper had already filled a large wooden bath with hot water by the time I entered my room. After closing the door, I pried Toofy¡¯s teeth off my apron and put her down on the floor by the bathtub, ¡°Alright, Toofy, you are allowed to move again but you are not allowed to leave the room, okay?¡±


    Toofy nodded and began stretching like a cat, ¡°Okay, Toofy do.¡±


    I took off my apron and tunic then gave myself a quick hobo bath using my hands and towelling off with the blanket from the bed. I then picked up the bucket left by the innkeeper and filled it with water from the bath, setting it aside for later.


    Toofy cocked her head curiously at me, ¡°Why Tim do?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was just getting myself clean,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Clean?¡± Toofy was confused, ¡°What clean?¡±


    Given that Toofy was practically caked in grime, I should have guessed that she didn¡¯t know about personal hygiene. ¡°You use water to wash off dirt so you don¡¯t get sick,¡± I explained.


    Toofy nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.


    ¡°What wash?¡± Toofy asked.


    ¡°There it is...¡± I sighed and tried to remind myself that Toofy wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose, ¡°Washing is when you rub your body with water. It gets rid of all the dirt, mud and grime.¡± I explained and demonstrated by washing my arms with the bathwater.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Toofy nodded her head in understanding. She began climbing up on the nearby chair to get a better look at the bath. ¡°Toofy go in water?¡± Toofy asked with uncertainty.


    ¡°Yes, but you need to remove your clothes and armour first,¡± I insisted awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh, okay. Toofy do!¡± Toofy sat herself down and promptly began stripping off her assorted rags,


    I looked away to give Toofy at least some small measure of privacy.


    ¡°Okay, what Toofy do?¡± Toofy asked. ¡°Toofy no reach water, Toofy small!¡± She complained after a short pause.


    Reasoning that this would be little different from the job I had been training for in palliative care, I turned my attention back to Toofy. However, I reflexively looked away again almost immediately. After reminding myself several times more that my intentions were beyond reproach, I sufficiently overcame my discomfort to get to work.


    Toofy was hanging off the chair backwards and paddling her filthy feet in the water, ¡°Can¡¯t reach!¡± Toofy began wailing in frustration, ¡°Tim help Toofy!¡± She demanded.


    Gritting my teeth, I moved around the bath and over to Toofy. I lifted her off the chair with almost no effort whatsoever and slowly lowered her into the bath.


    Toofy began squirming almost immediately, ¡°AH! TIM NO DROWN TOOFY! TOOFY GOOD! TOOFY OBEY TIM!¡± She shrieked and scratched at my arms like a drowning cat.


    ¡°Toofy, it¡¯s okay. I am not drowning you, this is a bath, remember? We use the water to get clean,¡± I reminded her. It was understandable that she was freaking out. By my approximation, the water would be just about deep enough to reach her armpits.


    ¡°Tim promise?¡± Toofy sniffled miserably, a bloody trail of snot dribbling down from her right nostril.


    ¡°I promise, it''s all going to be alright,¡± I consoled her. I made sure not to let go until I was certain that Toofy¡¯s feet had touched the bottom. ¡°There see? It¡¯s a little deep, but you won''t drown.¡±


    Toofy¡¯s little chest was still heaving as she slowly began to calm down, ¡°Water scare Toofy,¡± she sniffled pitiably.


    ¡°It''s okay, everyone gets scared sometimes,¡± I next picked up the small thick-bristled brush and began carefully scrubbing the grime from Toofy¡¯s right arm and hand. Unsurprisingly, getting Toofy clean was no easy task. With so many small cuts and abrasions on Toofy¡¯s arms and hands, I had to be incredibly careful not to aggravate her injuries further while cleaning around her wounds.


    In many respects, I considered Toofy to be far braver than I was. She was certainly holding up better than I would have in her situation and condition. That was, of course, assuming that I was understanding her correctly at all in the first place. After all, Toofy was the first human-like monster I had seen and I was making a number of assumptions based heavily on her appearance. For all I knew, the little Goblin might be a murderous unrepentant killing machine.


    *****


    Clarice watched the grass around her like a hawk, slowly shifting her weight as she transitioned from one stance to another.


    Clarice hated fighting Vrabbits. Not only were they far more dangerous than a monster their size had a right to be, but they were capable of extreme bursts of speed, making them difficult to hit.


    Truth be told, Clarice would very much have preferred to hunt Goblins or Orcs in the forest. However, she wasn¡¯t nearly so stupid as to think she would last more than an hour or two at most with Nadine and Emelia as her backup. The Ogre would be able to pull his weight, at the very least diverting attention away from herself, and the Goblin would probably do some real damage if given a proper weapon.


    Even so, Clarice wasn¡¯t going to risk it. There wasn¡¯t any reason to take a risk like that when Tim was already set to level them up through culling the Vrabbits.


    The grass to Clarice¡¯s right began to rustle.


    Clarice was already beginning her thrust as A Vrabbit erupted from the grass, lunging towards her throat. Gritting her teeth, Clarice took on a burst of speed and drove the point of her sword through the Vrabbit¡¯s open mouth and into the back of its skull, impaling its brain.


    Normally, Clarice wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk in attempting a thrust when a sweeping cut or slash would have worked just as well. However, the pressure of her potential enslavement to the Guild was justification enough to take the relatively minor risk.


    Blinking away the notification out of reflex to maintain an unobstructed field of view, Clarice warily eyes the grass around her for another Vrabbit.


    ¡°Clarice, behind you!¡± Emelia cried out in warning.


    ¡°Not this one,¡± Clarice grunted to herself, knowing when and where she could afford to take risks. Keeping the tip of her sword low, Clarice widened her stance and pivoted her hips as she began sweeping her sword in a ninety-degree arc. Spotting the Vrabbit dashing for her legs, Clarice accelerated her momentum and caught the Vrabbit on the side of its head, cleaving into its skull and killing it almost instantly.


    Blinking away the kill notification, Clarice took a deep steadying breath. Her blade did a great deal of damage to small monsters, but it was tiring having to move it around so quickly. Clarice was in good enough shape to keep up a concerted attack without flagging for a solid five minutes, but the stopping and starting required in fighting Vrabbits exacted a toll all of its own, tiring her faster than a proper fight would have.


    ¡°Do something useful and fetch these dead ones!¡± Clarice barked, deliberately moving away from the dead Vrabbits as she continued watching the grass. ¡°Why did I have to hit the ogre in the face?!¡± Clarice cursed to herself as she spotted two Vrabbits headed straight for her. Shifting her sword into a striking position once more, Clarice grit her teeth prepared to meet her furry foes.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 02 – An endearing indenture – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 02 ¨C An endearing indenture ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 02 - An endearing indenture - Part Two {Rewrite}


    The innkeeper had left soap, but I wouldn''t be able to use it for anything besides Toofy¡¯s hair. She would need to wait for her next bath before her injuries were healed enough to handle soap without becoming aggravated. Besides, Toofy was barely tolerating the warm water as it was.


    After Cleaning Toofy¡¯s arms, I quickly scrubbed her back and shoulders before handing her the brush, ¡°Alright, use this brush to wash your front okay? Just like how I washed your arms.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Toofy agreed with a determined expression. To her credit, she sounded like she was really doing her best. Naturally, I had turned away to give Toofy some privacy while desperately trying to think of a way to get her legs cleaned without being damned to hell. In the end, I just had to hope that soaking in the warm water would dislodge the worst of the filth on its own.


    ¡°Toofy done!¡± Toofy declared proudly.


    ¡°Ah okay Toofy, let¡¯s try and get your face cleaned up next okay?¡± I suggested helpfully.


    Toofy bit her lip and indeed reluctantly, ¡°Kay.¡±


    I could understand why Toofy was reluctant, there was no avoiding the pain now. The large cut down the right side of Toofy¡¯s face would need to be thoroughly cleaned to make sure she did not get a major infection and risk losing her eye. ¡°This will hurt, but you have to be brave okay Toofy?¡±


    Toofy nodded and fidgeted uncomfortably.


    I was regretting not asking for painkillers, assuming of course that they had any. I then thought of something that may at least take her mind off the pain a little. Unbuckling my belt, I folded it over and held it in front of Toofy¡¯s mouth, ¡°Here Toofy, bite down on this. It should help a little with the pain.¡±


    Toofy didn¡¯t even hesitate, snapping her jaws down on the belt in a blur of teeth.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked, taking a deep breath to steel my nerve. The thought of deliberately hurting Toofy was barely made tolerable by the fact that I would be helping her.


    Toofy nodded and began enthusiastically chewing on the belt. It wasn''t what I had intended, but it seemed to make her happy.


    I cleaned away the grime from the parts of Toofy¡¯s face and neck before finishing with the right side. I put the brush away and did the next part by hand. I tore off a small section of linen bandage and soaked it in the clean water before gently dabbing at the cut, rinsing the cloth off in the bathwater, before wringing it out and wetting it with the cleaner water from the bucket. I lost track of how long it took in the end, but eventually Toofy¡¯s face and cut were clean, albeit bleeding slightly. While cleaning Toofy¡¯s eyelid I was relieved to find that her right eye was actually relatively unharmed, merely bruised and slightly inflamed.


    ¡°Alright Toofy, we are almost done now, I just need to clean your hair. I need you to keep your head tilted back and your eyes tightly shut okay? You really don''t want soap in your eyes,'''' I explained as I tilted Toofy¡¯s head back and began cupping bathwater into her hair. Toofy¡¯s hair had more twigs in it than most bird nests I had seen, so after wetting the greasy tangled mess, I had to slowly remove the broken twigs and painstakingly untangle the seemingly infinite number of knots. Only after all of that did I dare to introduce soap.


    With how greasy Toofy¡¯s hair had made my hands, it was a pleasant relief to feel that sensation subside as the lathered soap stripped it away. To take care of the remaining knots, I had to resort to using the bristle brush to gingerly comb through Toofy¡¯s hair. To her credit, Toofy didn¡¯t complain once during the whole ordeal. Then again, she did have a belt in her mouth.


    ¡°Arms out of the water Toofy,¡± I warned before slowly and carefully rinsing the soap from Toofy¡¯s hair. I made sure not to use all of the water set aside in the bucket because I still needed some of it to clean the small cuts on Toofy¡¯s arms after removing her from the bath. ¡°Alright, time to come out, Toofy,¡± I picked her up from behind and set her down by the bath while doing my best not to look anywhere I shouldn¡¯t. Retrieving the bedroll Nadine had left in my room, I discreetly wrapped it around Toofy just under her armpits to help her dry off.


    It was then that I noticed the thin trickle of blood running down from her calf and remembered how the Vrabbit had tried to take a chunk out of it. ¡°One-moment Toofy, I need to bandage your leg,¡± I insisted in a mild panic while fumbling to grab a bandage. Wrapping the bandage tightly and securely, I breathed a sigh of relief as the stain on the bandage stabilised. If I had anaesthesia and a sewing kit, I could have sewed the wound shut to halt the majority of the bleeding, but since I didn¡¯t, I had to hope that the bandage would hold.


    With Toofy happily chewing away at my belt and the issue of my eternal damnation experiencing a desperately needed reprieve, I began carefully cleaning Toofy¡¯s arms in preparation for the bandages. Bandaging Toofy¡¯s arms was actually rather simple. The injuries that could benefit from the protection were all limited to her forearms, so it was a simple matter of securely wrapping them in the bandages and tucking them in the edges to hold them in place for the time being. I would have preferred to pin them in place with medical tape or a safety pin, but I didn¡¯t have access to either and didn¡¯t trust myself enough to risk using knots.


    The cut on Toofy¡¯s face was trickier. In the end, I had to settle for making a headband, wadding some bandages, and then holding it to the injured area while looping another band of bandages diagonally around her head and combining it with the headband to help stop the wadded bandages from slipping. It was far from perfect, but it was the best I could do without pins or at the very least a needle and thread.


    Turning my attention to the clothes Emelia had donated, I quickly realised that my earlier assumption was correct. With no other alternatives, I rolled up the sleeves on the tunic and trousers. ¡°Alright Toofy, it''s time to get dressed again, arms up,¡± I put the tunic on her first, for obvious reasons, then removed the damp bedroll and helped Toofy into the trousers. I cinched the trousers around her waist with a leftover bandage and roughly tied a second length over the top of the tunic in the same place to stop it billowing about with every breeze through the window. Even so, the tunic almost reached the floor and was more like a mumu or robe.


    ¡°There, feel better?¡± I asked with no small measure of pride for a job well done.


    Toofy nodded and continued gnawing at the belt.


    Rolling my eyes, I picked Toofy up and put her down on the bed. Having her wounds cleaned and dressed was probably a tiring experience, so I think it will be best if she at least took a nap. ¡°You can take a short sleep if you want Toofy, I will wake you up when there is food, okay?¡±


    Toofy nodded emphatically, drool running down her chin as she made herself comfortable and fell asleep almost the instant her head touched the pillow.


    Sighing and shaking my head, I took a closer look at the rags Toofy had stripped off earlier. If it weren''t for our current state of poverty and my current loss of smell, I would not have been nearly so bold.


    Toofy¡¯s armour appeared to be made from discarded and damaged pieces of leather armour crudely tied together with plant fibre cords through holes bored by her shiv or some other sharp impliment. I could only assume that it held no real value. Similarly, the rags Toofy had been wearing as clothes were completely irredeemable, most of them fell apart in my fingers at the slightest pressure.


    The only things of note amongst Toofy¡¯s belongings were her small iron shiv and silver belt buckle. It had been tied to a cord-like she was wearing it as a necklace. It was obvious that Toofy valued it enough to keep it, so I didn¡¯t want to take it from her. Washing the plant cord and silver belt buckle as much as I could manage, I left them on the bed by Toofy to dry. I wonder if Toofy ate the belt that it came from, after all, she really seems to like chewing on leather.


    After a short while, there was a knock at the door and the innkeeper entered with three bowls of stew on a sturdy wooden tray. He put the tray down on the foot of the bed and looked over at the bathtub and sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she was pretty dirty,¡± I apologised.


    The innkeeper looked at me in surprise, ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± he replied a little strangely. Using the bucket, he then began bailing the bathwater out the window.


    I suppose it¡¯s a reasonable expectation since this room doesn''t look out onto the street and repeatedly walking up and down the stairs would be quite tiring. Just bailing the water out the window was still visibly tiring the middle-aged man out.


    ¡°I can help if you want,¡± I offered. It was never a bad idea to be in the good graces of local businesses. I pulled on my tunic, now that I had well and truly dried off.


    ¡°Oh, erm, sure,¡± the innkeeper agreed a little breathlessly.


    I nodded and lifted the bathtub, it was still about half full but I didn¡¯t feel overburdened. Carefully walking over to the window, I made sure to disturb the bathwater first to dislodge the filth and then threw the remaining water out the window in one go. ¡°Would you like me to carry the bathtub back downstairs for you?¡± I asked helpfully.


    ¡°Alright," the innkeeper agreed thankfully.


    ¡°Okay, just a moment please,¡± I put down the bathtub and gently shook Toofy awake, ¡°Toofy, wake up, the food is here.¡±


    Toofy¡¯s one good eye immediately flashed open, ¡°Food?!¡± Toofy asked excitedly, sniffing eagerly at the air.


    I pointed at the tray with three bowls of stew, ¡°These are for you. Make sure not to spill any and no biting or breaking the bowls or tray, understand?¡±


    Toofy nodded emphatically but stopped suddenly, ¡°What, tray?¡±


    I chuckled and tapped the wooden tray, ¡°This is a tray Toofy,¡± I explained patiently.


    ¡°Oooh," Toofy nodded her head sagely for a moment before growing sombre, ¡°What Tim eat?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I am not hungry yet, this is all for Toofy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Toofy eat!" Toofy sniffled, a tear running down her left cheek as she lifted the first bowl and began gulping the stew down.


    Picking up the bathtub again, ¡°I will be back in a little bit, so behave, okay Toofy?¡±


    Toofy nodded, too occupied with licking her first bowl clean to speak.


    ¡°Ah, alright, this way please,¡± the innkeeper motioned for me to follow him downstairs.


    Making sure to close the door, to reduce Toofy¡¯s temptation to explore, I followed the innkeeper downstairs, through the kitchen area and out the back. This small walled-off courtyard served as a laundry area, with lines of clothes and bedsheets drying on one side. On the other side was an old fashioned pump, a small stack of similarly sized bathtubs and a middle-aged woman currently engaged in washing more sheets against a washboard.


    ¡°Should I rinse out the tub with the pump?¡± I asked.


    The innkeeper looked surprised and nodded. After overhearing Nadine''s description of typical levels of monster Intelligence, he was rather well justified in that opinion.


    Rinsing out the tub thoroughly, I stacked it back with the others and was going to head back to my room when the innkeeper called out to me ¡°W-wait.¡±


    I stopped and wondered if I had accidentally done something wrong.


    ¡°Would you be interested in doing some work around the inn? More like chores really, but we are short-staffed at the moment and expecting a large number of new adventurers to enter this floor of the Labyrinth soon,¡± the innkeeper explained hurriedly.


    The innkeeper¡¯s wife frowned somewhat and gave her husband a questioning look.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I agreed tentatively, ¡°But I need to bring Toofy with me so I can keep an eye on her.¡±


    The innkeeper looked relieved, ¡°That should not be a problem. Most of our rooms are empty at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed amiably, ¡°What would you like me to do?¡±


    As it turns out, the innkeeper and his wife had fallen very far behind their self-imposed schedule and had not had a break in days. Every room in the inn was due for its floors being scrubbed, including the common room and kitchen. There was a substantial backlog of laundry as well, which the innkeeper''s wife was stoically chipping away at.


    More than able to manhandle around the furniture, I decided that given how early in the day it was, I would start with scrubbing floors. I really didn¡¯t mind it all that much, my new thick skin seemed to stop my knees from getting sore and Toofy¡¯s endless barrage of questions and child-like observations kept my mind otherwise occupied.


    The entire ground floor was made of stone, so it was very easy to get clean and didn¡¯t take me long at all. The innkeeper said he would handle mopping up the small puddles of water, so I could move on to the upstairs floors. Although a little more tedious, because I had to mop up the water with a rag as I went, it still wasn¡¯t that bad with Toofy for company.


    After cleaning all the floors, it was hardly past midday, which seemed ridiculous to me at first. But my increased strength really did seem to make scrubbing the floor incredibly easy, so I suppose that''s why it didn¡¯t take very long.


    Helping the innkeeper¡¯s wife with the laundry, she was sceptical at first but really didn¡¯t seem to mind the extra help. I was by no means as good at it as she was, so I handled the sheets, while the innkeeper''s wife washed the clothes. After a while, I seemed to figure out the trick and began making decent headway.


    One of the reasons why the innkeeper''s wife didn''t complain was because I could wring water from the sheets to the point that they were very nearly dry. This saved a great deal of space on the laundry lines and sped up the drying process. We finished the last of the washing early in the evening.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work,¡± the innkeeper said gratefully, ¡°Please, for your trouble,¡± he offered me a wooden tray with two bowls of stew and three copper coins.


    ¡°Ah, thank you, but is this okay?¡± I asked, not wanting to get the innkeeper in trouble with his wife. Each meal was worth a copper coin, and copper coins seemed to have a great deal of purchasing power in this feudal economy.


    ¡°It is alright,¡± the innkeeper smiled, ¡°My wife insists that you be paid for your work and this is what we pay the maids who usually help with the work, so it is fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright then,¡± I agreed, happily accepting the tray, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our room to eat. Come on Toofy.¡±


    Smelling food, Toofy eagerly scrambled along behind me, ¡°Toofy eat!¡± she declared eagerly. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I had worked up a little appetite, so I ate one bowl of stew and left the other two for Toofy. Besides her injuries, I had noticed that Toofy was also somewhat malnourished, so hopefully, this extra shot of nutrients would help her bounce back and recover faster.


    Having quickly polished off her own two meals, Toofy looked curiously at the copper coins, ¡°Shinies,¡± she whispered, her good eye fixated on the coins like a magpie. Toofy was about to pounce on the copper coins but stopped herself at the last moment. Toofy gave me a guilty look and stiffly sat back down, ¡°Toofy no steal Tim¡¯s shinies...¡±


    Toofy looked so disappointed, I let out a sigh and gave her one of the copper coins, ¡°Here, this is for you,¡± Toofy¡¯s distracting presence had made cleaning the inn more bearable, so I didn¡¯t feel too bad giving her just one of the coins as compensation.


    Tears welled in Toofy¡¯s good eye as she accepted the copper coin with trembling fingers, ¡°Tim give Toofy shiny?¡± She sniffled, rubbing away dribbling snot from her nose with the folded sleeve of Emelia¡¯s old tunic. ¡°Tim good, help Toofy. Toofy give Tim shinies¡±


    It was hard to understand Toofy sometimes, ¡°No you can keep the coin Toofy, it¡¯s yours,¡± I insisted.


    Toofy shook her head, ¡°Not coin. Toofy¡¯s home, many shinies hide!¡±


    I didn''t quite understand what Toofy said at first, but then I remembered the primary cause for the current situation. According to Nadine, monsters had four possible sources of value. First, was experience to level up. Second, was the mana stone embedded in each monster¡¯s head, which could be sold for money. The third was the monsters'' body parts, also able to be sold for money used to make weapons, armour and potions. Lastly, higher difficulty monsters carried their own equipment and hoarded treasure like dragons from fairytales.


    Even though Toofy¡¯s personal equipment was admittedly garbage, the description of her Scavenger Class Ability meant it was possible that she had a hidden treasure hoard, reconsidering the words Toofy had used from her limited vocabulary, that seemed to be the case. ¡°Toofy, are you saying you have a hidden stash of items?¡± I asked for confirmation.


    Toofy looked a little confused as she took a moment to puzzle out the meaning of what I had said before answering, ¡°Yes! Toofy hide many shinies. Toofy hide shinies under tree, hide from Grobguk!¡±


    ¡°Grobguk?¡± I asked, it sounded like gibberish but I had to be sure.


    Toofy nodded with a dour expression on her face, ¡°Grobguk big Orc, scare Toofy, steal Toofy¡¯s shinies! So Toofy find tree, tree hide Shinies, hide Toofy from Grobguk!¡±


    Ah, that made more sense. The larger monster was bullying her, so Toofy hid herself and her treasures in a tree. ¡°Did those adventurers find the tree?¡± I asked, hoping Toofy knew who I was talking about.


    Toofy vigorously shook her head, ¡°Bad humans hide, attack Toofy foraging. Toofy scared, run far. Ground biters chase Toofy! Toofy fall, hurt, sad. Toofy no want die, Tim save Toofy! Toofy like Tim!¡± Toofy¡¯s voice and expressions started angry and bitter, then became scared and then finally grateful.


    I felt touched, ¡°I like you too Toofy,¡± I ruffled Toofy¡¯s hair. It was nice to have some company and in a more selfish sense, to have someone else besides me in the same situation. Although I had known Toofy less than a single day, her near guileless childlike personality made me feel like maybe I had a little sister. ¡°Alright, we can talk more about it later. You should sleep until dinner time, okay? You still need to recover.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Toofy yawned and curled up on the bed before promptly falling asleep.


    The evening was a little chilly and since I didn''t have a lantern or even candles, I needed to keep the window open for light. To ward off the chill, I doubled over the blanket and covered Toofy with it. I had never really minded the cold myself, which was probably because of my extra layer of insulating body fat and damaged nerve endings.


    Not too much later, I heard Clarice grumbling and groaning downstairs, ¡°Ugh, I am sooo tired! I need a bath!¡±


    ¡°I need one too!¡± Emelia complained, ¡°I¡¯m so sweaty!¡±


    ¡°Share?!¡± Clarice demanded incredulously, most likely in response to Nadine. ¡°Fine!¡± Clarice began stomping up the stairs grumbling loudly under her breath as she passed Tim¡¯s door.


    A couple of minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Nadine entered the room, ¡°Good evening Tim,¡± she wearily waved in greeting before sitting down on the chair and letting out a tired sigh.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± I replied.


    ¡°How is Toofy doing?¡± Nadine asked with obvious concern. Understandable, considering she had taken a loan to keep Toofy after all.


    ¡°Better. The cut didn¡¯t go deep enough to permanently injure her eye and I made sure to clean everything thoroughly before applying bandages.¡± That reminds me, ¡°Is there an antiseptic, or salve I can put on the cuts to stop them from getting infected?¡± I asked, aware that Nadine had already told me that medicine was considered quite expensive.


    Nadine grimaced uncomfortably, ¡°There is, but they are too expensive for us right now I am afraid.¡± She shook her head apologetically. ¡°We need to save every copper until we get that loan paid off, or at least get a month ahead on the scheduled repayment.¡±


    I nodded, it was pretty much what I expected, ¡°How much would a needle and some thread cost?¡± I asked.


    Nadine hadn¡¯t expected that particular question and took a moment to reply, ¡°I think you can buy a packet of needles and a cheap spool of thread from the tailor for a copper each, why?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°The bandaging on Toofy¡¯s face would fit better if I could sew some of the bandages together. I could also alter Toofy¡¯s clothes to fit better. Just a couple of ideas,¡± I explained.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°As I said Tim, we can''t make any extra purchases right now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I know. It¡¯s okay, I understand,¡± I explained hurriedly, ¡°I did some work for the innkeeper today and he paid me a couple of coins is all.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Nadine looked curious, ¡°What is it that he had you do?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Just scrubbing floors and helping his wife with the laundry. It really wasn¡¯t that hard.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why the floors look so clean,¡± Nadine commented while nodding her head thoughtfully. ¡°You really didn¡¯t mind doing that kind of work?¡± She asked a little apprehensively.


    I shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I had to keep an eye on Toofy anyway, so I decided to spend my time productively.¡±


    Nadine was a little surprised but nodded in understanding, ¡°Would you mind doing some other jobs around the foothold?¡± She asked tentatively.


    I shrugged, ¡°It depends on the job. I really don''t mind doing most things.¡± It was true, I worked a number of temp jobs and part-time jobs over the years to put myself through school and had done a little bit of everything.


    ¡°Tim, would it be alright if I arranged for you to do some jobs while we are hunting Vrabbits tomorrow?¡± Nadine asked.


    I nodded, ¡°So long as it is something I can do, then it should be fine,¡± I agreed amiably. Even though I probably wouldn¡¯t see much benefit personally from working these jobs, the earnings would probably go towards paying off the loan sooner anyway, and it would give me an opportunity to learn more about my surroundings. I was actually a little surprised that Nadine had not asked for the two copper coins.


    ¡°Euuuf,¡± Nadine exhaled with an unladylike grunt as she unsteadily got back to her feet, ¡°I have already paid for three meals. The Innkeeper should deliver them soon. I will see you tomorrow morning Tim,¡± she wearily walked out the door and towards the room she shared with Clarice and Emelia.


    Just as Nadine said, the innkeeper arrived a couple of minutes later with three bowls of stew on a new tray. ¡°Here you go,¡± he announced hurriedly, placing it down on the bed and swapping it out for the tray with three empty bowls.


    I had already moved the two remaining copper coins into the pocket of my leather apron, so there was nothing to worry about in that regard.


    ¡°Ah, would you mind helping with the baths again? Five baths need filling. I do not think my back is up for it and my wife is busy tending the fire. I can give you a copper coin for the trouble,¡± the Innkeeper offered.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed happily, ¡°But can I ask something first?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± the innkeeper agreed, now looking much less stressed than a few moments earlier.


    ¡°How much do you charge for a bath?¡± I asked. Bathing was important, so knowing the price would help me decide how regularly I would theoretically afford to do so going forward.


    ¡°We charge only a single copper during most seasons, but in winter we have to charge twice as much to cover the increased cost of firewood,¡± the innkeeper explained honestly.


    ¡°Okay, I will come down once Toofy and I have eaten the stew,¡± I smiled as I noticed Toofy¡¯s nose wrinkling and her nostrils flaring as she smelled the nearby food.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the innkeeper promptly left to see to his work.


    ¡°Toofy wake up,¡± I gave Toofy a gentle jostling, ¡°The food is here.¡±


    ¡°Food!¡± Toofy was up and scrambling over the blanket in no time.


    ¡°Okay, these two are for you and this one is for me,¡± I explained quickly, taking my bowl of stew and drinking it down with gusto. I really wasn¡¯t all that hungry, but since waking up in this strange place, whenever I start to eat, I suddenly feel famished. Without the willpower I had honed over years of strict dieting, there is no way I would be able to stop at one bowl of this delicious stew,


    In no time flat, Toofy had eaten both her bowls of stew and licked clean all three of our bowls, rubbing her stomach with a look of contentment.


    ¡°Alright, I need to work again, so I need you to be on your best behaviour,¡± I explained quickly while putting on my leather apron.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Toofy agreed, snatching my belt from the bed and climbing into the apron pocket.


    I was a little surprised that Toofy had guessed at my intention without needing to be asked. I had planned on stowing her in the pocket to keep her out of trouble, albeit without my belt, but this was fine too I guess.


    With Toofy gnawing happily on the belt, I quickly made my way downstairs and the innkeeper directed me to the kitchen. They heated water for the baths by boiling water in a very large kettle over their large fireplace. While the innkeeper¡¯s wife was busy, she gave me quick directions and a handful of keys.


    I didn¡¯t need to know how to read the local language to do the job, which was a relief. I just had to bring a bath to each of the rooms with doors matching symbols to the wooden tag on each of the provided keys. Straightforward enough, I went out the back and made a stack of five bathtubs. Heading upstairs, I then delivered one to each room after knocking to make sure the room was unoccupied. I made sure to lock the doors behind myself before returning for the next step. Thankfully, the inn had a larger bucket than the one I had used earlier to rinse Toofy¡¯s hair. Well, technically it was a barrel with handles, but whatever, I sure as hell wasn¡¯t complaining.


    I could carry enough hot water in one trip that the innkeeper had to let each of the adventurers know their baths would be ready much sooner than expected. Not that either party minded.


    Once I returned for the required cold water from the pump, I made sure to grab one of the buckets as well. After filling the bathtub most of the way, but making sure the water was still hot, I filled the bucket with cold water and left it by the bath. On my way out of the room, I nearly knocked down an adventurer who was returning for their bath. I apologised and left him standing there clutching a small bar of soap with a stunned expression on his face.


    ¡°That was fast!¡± The innkeeper congratulated me as I refilled the kettle with fresh water from the pump outside.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, a little embarrassed. I wasn¡¯t used to receiving praise, it was nice.


    The innkeeper''s wife nodded in agreement, ¡°He is very hardworking and diligent. If he was not a monster, I would have introduced him to our Millie!¡± She chuckled, adding dough dumplings to the large stew pot.


    I just smiled vaguely at the intended compliment.


    As a favour to the girls, I made their bath the next one I would prepare. Clarice, Emelia and Nadine were all surprised when I knocked on the door and entered their room. I had already seen their room earlier when scrubbing the floors and it was pretty much the same as mine, except it was a little bigger and had a much larger bed. It wasn¡¯t just because they were trying to save money either, Apparently sharing a bed was common in this world.


    ¡°Eh, why is Tim here?¡± Emelia asked, apparently oblivious to the large barrel of steaming water I was using to fill the bath.


    Clarice rolled her eyes and continued eating her dinner.


    Nadine appeared to have already finished her dinner and was dozing face-down on the bed, still fully clothed in her adventuring outfit.


    ¡°I am preparing the bath,¡± I explained, pouring the last of the water into the tub, ¡°I will be back in a couple of minutes with the cold water.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Emelia looked expectantly at Clarice.


    True to my word, I returned shortly afterwards with the cold water and bucket. ¡°How hot do you want the water?¡± I asked politely.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°Pretty hot, but not too much,¡± she replied unhelpfully.


    I sighed and slowly began pouring in the cold water, ¡°Is this about right?¡± I asked.


    Clarice dipped her fingers in the water, ¡°Colder,¡± she declared with dissatisfaction.


    I poured in more cold water, ¡°How about now?¡±


    Clarice tested the water again, ¡°Colder,¡± she repeated.


    We continued this back and forth until the bathwater was barely lukewarm.


    ¡°This will do,¡± Clarice shrugged, waving me away dismissively.


    I frowned. From what I overheard earlier, the three of them were going to share this bath and rather than taking a turn later when the water had cooled, Clarice was selfishly going first and pretty much guaranteed Emelia and Nadine would be left with cold bathwater.


    I kept my complaints to myself and returned downstairs to prepare the water for the next person¡¯s bath.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± The innkeeper¡¯s wife asked.


    ¡°Kind of?¡± I shrugged, not really sure what complaining would accomplish.


    The innkeeper¡¯s wife stopped what she was doing and looked at me with an expectant expression.


    I released an uncomfortable sigh, ¡°Clarice, one of my owners I guess, is taking the first bath and wanted the water cooled to the point that it will be well and truly cold by the time the other two have a chance to use it.¡± I explained, ¡°I know, it¡¯s petty and stupid, but the others are pretty worn out, you know?¡±


    Far from being dismissive as I had expected her to be, the innkeeper¡¯s wife was nodding with a conflicted expression, ¡°I have heard many things of Clarice from other adventurers. She is certainly difficult, to say the least.¡± She agreed, ¡°But the solution in this particular instance is simple. Just empty out the cold bathwater later and replace it with hot water again.¡±


    ¡°Ah, we don¡¯t really have the funds for that right now, that is why they were meant to be sharing,¡± I hurriedly explained.


    The innkeeper¡¯s wife smirked, ¡°I assumed as much, but you misunderstood me. I was not intending to charge you for the water.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uhm, is that alright though?¡± I asked nervously. They were running a business after all and needed to earn a profit.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± the innkeeper¡¯s wife reassured me, ¡°Since you are already helping my husband and I, boiling water while the fireplace is still lit or the coals are still hot, costs us nothing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled and bowed appreciatively.


    The innkeeper''s wife waved off my thanks with a smile and returned to her work.


    While returning from filling the final bath, I heard Emelia¡¯s muffled voice from down the hall.


    ¡°Clarice! The bath is ice cold! Why did you take so long!¡± She demanded, her voice filled with the pain of betrayal.


    ¡°Should have eaten your dinner faster,¡± Clarice retorted unsympathetically.


    ¡°Clarice!¡± Nadine growled menacingly, "That was meant to be for all of us!¡±


    Knowing things were coming to a head, I knocked on the door.


    There was the sound of a brief scuffle and then Emelia opened the door, ¡°Hell-oh, hi Tim. Are you taking the bath back?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I am going to replace the water,¡± I explained, filling the barrel from the bathtub.


    ¡°Oh wow! Really?! Thanks, Tim!¡± Emelia pumped her fist in the air as if posing in triumph.


    ¡°Ah, Tim? Is that really allowed? You know you can''t just do things without asking,¡± Nadine asked worriedly.


    ¡°It''s okay, the innkeeper¡¯s wife gave me permission,¡± I replied happily.


    Nadine looked somewhat surprised, ¡°Oh, Rose? That¡¯s really sweet of her.¡±


    ¡°It will only be while the fireplace is still lit, so the next person shouldn¡¯t take too long or the last person will miss out,¡± I clarified, just to make sure there aren¡¯t any misunderstandings.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Alright, thanks Tim,¡± she smiled appreciatively.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I gave Nadine a nod and then left the room with the barrel of cold bathwater.


    ¡°Please, please, please, please let me go next Nadine?!¡± Emelia immediately began begging before I even managed to close the door.


    Emptying the bathwater outside, I filled the barrel back up again with boiling water and took it upstairs. Emelia was already waiting expectantly wearing only a towel. Since I was now adding boiling water to the cold water left in the tub there was no real temperature control anymore. If it was too hot, Emelia would just have to wait for it to cool somewhat first. Thankfully, Clarice had only used half the bucket of water, so it should be fine for Emelia.


    Leaving them to it, I went back downstairs to prepare the water for the final bath. Toofy had fallen asleep again, so I was taking my time and making sure not to wake her up.


    The inn¡¯s common room was pretty busy, more than half the tables were filled with adventurers noisily eating, drinking and chatting with one another. While I got some attention, it wasn¡¯t nearly as much as I initially expected. I have to assume that given my current clothes and that I appeared to be working at the inn, people were not paying close enough attention to tell that I was different.


    Since I had nothing else to do for a while, I chatted idly with the innkeeper¡¯s wife, Rose. It was mostly just idle gossip of no real consequence, but it helped me get a better idea of the differences in this world. Most notably, it was a bit of a shock to find out that people were considered adults at the age of sixteen and were considered strange if they were not married by their early twenties. As a result, many adventurers are quite young. The allure of easy money in the Labyrinths ensured a constant stream of young people hoping to strike it rich. Unfortunately, the Labyrinths had a truly horrifying mortality rate.


    According to Rose, Only one in ten adventurers would reach the fifth floor of the Labyrinth. Some would give up and seek a normal life, but many simply died because they were not strong enough to survive. The death toll tapered off on the higher floors, but it was not because of lower difficulty. The rate of fatalities decreased because the adventurers too weak or foolish to survive were already dead.


    Rose had been curious about my obviously human level of Intelligence, but didn¡¯t press the issue when I mentioned that Nadine had called me a named monster. I don¡¯t know if she believed that or not, but she stopped asking questions about it.


    After about an hour of chatting with Rose, I filled a bucket from the pump outside and then took both the filled bucket and empty barrel upstairs. No one answered when I knocked on the door, so I used the key to get in. The girls had all fallen asleep and the small candle on a plate by the window had blown out.


    Using the light from the lantern mounted in the hall, I placed the bucket by the bathtub, then filled the barrel from the tub and submerged the empty bucket in the barrel. Quietly moving over to Nadine, I gently shook her awake.


    ¡°Nng, huh? Wha? T-Tim?¡± Nadine blearily blinked her eyes in confusion, her face plastered with her long auburn hair.


    ¡°I was about to refill the bath if you still wanted to use it,¡± I explained hastily before she had a chance to misunderstand the situation.


    ¡°Huh?... Oh, thanks Tim,¡± Nadine seemed quite tired and sore, barely managing to sit up as I left the room.


    Returning a couple of minutes later, I found Nadine wearing a towel and sitting on the edge of the bed. She perked up a little upon seeing the steam rising from the barrel.


    Emptying the barrel into the bathtub, I then turned to leave Nadine to enjoy her bath.


    ¡°W-wait¡± Nadine called out before I could close the door.


    I stopped and turned back.


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed, ¡°Could you help me into the bath?¡± She asked quietly, ¡°My muscles are too stiff.¡±


    I didn¡¯t trust my voice not to crack, so I just nodded. Going back into the room, I closed the door behind me and tried to ignore the intimate setting provided by the weak candlelight.


    Letting Nadine pull herself up with my arm, I supported her over to the bathtub and realised that I would have to be more proactive. Gulping down my saliva, I lifted Nadine by the waist with both hands and sat her down on the rim of the tub.


    ¡°Ahhhh! Thanks, Tim, the hot water feels so good on my tired feet,¡± Nadine sighed in relief, ¡°Uhm, could you stay? Ah! I mean, I am quite tired and I don¡¯t want to drown in the tub! Since Emelia and Clarice are already asleep...Could you stay?¡±


    Thankful that my flushed cheeks were not visible in this poor lighting, I nodded and carefully sat down near the bathtub but making sure to face towards the wall to give Nadine her privacy. I heard Nadine remove her towel and slowly lower herself into the water.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh,¡± Nadine moaned in pleasure.


    Is she doing this on purpose? Nadine has to know what she sounds like, right?


    I gulped hard and tried to keep my mind off of the scene behind me.


    There was the sound of disturbed water and then a wet slapping sound that spattered me with some stray droplets. Puzzling over what happened, it took me a moment before I realised that she must have just whipped her wet hair.


    We didn''t say anything to one another for the next half hour or so. Nadine just made suggestive moans and moved about in the water while I remained silent.


    ¡°Ah, Tim?¡± Nadine asked sleepily.


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± I replied, clearing my throat to keep my voice even.


    ¡°I am ready to get out now. Could you bring me Emelia or Clarice¡¯s towel?¡± Nadine asked.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I did my best to keep my eyes averted and picked up one of the damp towels. I then held out the towel so Nadine could take it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nadine gratefully accepted the towel and then there were more sounds of moving water. ¡°Ah, Tim, you can turn around now."


    I slowly turned around and found that Nadine had wrapped herself in Emelia¡¯s towel, thoroughly soaking it through, but at least managing to cover herself. Of course, the wet towel was clinging to her body and left so little to the imagination that I reflexively glanced away again in embarrassment.


    ¡°Can you help me out of the bath?¡± Nadine asked tiredly, ¡°I still need to dry off and I am struggling to stay awake.¡±


    I nodded and let her take hold of my arm, then I pulled her up out of the water. Almost like my subconscious activated latent telekinetic abilities, or perhaps because of physics, the soaked towel fell off Nadine¡¯s body and disappeared into the depths of the tub.


    Nadine just stood there, still clinging to my arm and intensely staring down at the bathwater as if she were trying to determine where her towel had disappeared to, or maybe whether this was a bad dream.


    After thoroughly getting an eyeful and etching the image onto my very soul, I managed to find a shred of remaining decency and reluctantly looked away. Nadine¡¯s original and still dry towel was within arms reach on the bed, so I snatched it and almost knocked Nadine over trying to hand it to her.


    Nadine made a sort of squeaking noise and snatched the towel with one hand, while furiously digging her nails into my arm with the other, or at least she tried to. She used my arm to keep her balance and shakily got out of the bath before letting go of my arm.


    Certain that nothing good could come of lingering further, I picked up the barrel, left the room, locked the door and disappeared downstairs. I was so shaken up that I very nearly woke up Toofy when going down the stairs.


    Kirk the innkeeper looked at me strangely, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He asked probingly.


    I shook my head and blushed.


    Kirk crossed his arms and smirked, ¡°Alright, fess up. What happened?¡± He demanded jokingly.


    ¡°The towel slipped...¡± I muttered quietly, ducking into the kitchen before he could ask further questions.


    After returning the barrel and bucket to where they belonged, I hastily made my way back to my room before Kirk or his wife Rose could ask any follow-up questions. Trying to remove Toofy from the apron pocket, I met with little success. Toofy even stopped sucking on the leather belt long enough to bite me on a particularly poor attempt. Like a cat that had found the perfect place to take a nap, there was no dislodging Toofy without risking hurting her in the attempt.


    Left with little choice, I had to leave Toofy be. This was unfortunate because I just realised the door to my room was currently left unlocked. Since the only way to get a key to lock it would be to either go and ask Nadine or the innkeeper to lock the door, I resigned myself to sleep in front of the door instead. Relying on my bulk to keep the door securely shut through the night, or at least wake me up if someone tried entering, I slowly fell asleep.


    I woke up to find Toofy jumping up and down on my stomach and had the impression that this may have been going on for a while judging by the mild level of discomfort. So relying on being shoved by a door may have been unrealistic.


    ¡°Toofy huuuungry!¡± Toofy declared listlessly as she continued jumping, apparently unaware that I had already woken up.


    How could Toofy be hungry already after eating so much yesterday? I wondered. Wait a minute! Judging by the fact that I kind of felt like I needed to pee, which was briefly intensified each time Toofy landed on my stomach, I was forced to consider the very real possibility that Toofy was almost definitely not toilet trained.


    Snatching up a surprised Toofy, I leapt to my feet and bolted down the stairs to one of the inn¡¯s toilets. Thankfully Toofy was too surprised to react. Little more than well-ventilated drop toilets, I suddenly noticed a very real problem. The hole in the seat was too big...


    ¡°Tim?¡± Toofy asked in understandable confusion given the circumstances.


    It only now occurred to me how lucky I was that Toofy didn¡¯t soil herself in fright earlier. Given how much stew she ate yesterday, she must be positively bursting.


    ¡°Ah, Toofy. You probably need to relieve yourself right?¡± I asked.


    Toofy stared back at me uncomprehendingly.


    I was starting to get really worried that I would need to clean up Goblin piss or worse, ¡°You know, pee? Poop?¡±


    ¡°Pee? Poop?¡± Toofy asked, obviously confused.


    I tried not to panic, ¡°You know, it comes out, down there,¡± I pointed at her groin.


    Realisation dawned on Toofy¡¯s face, ¡°Oh!¡± her expression suddenly became troubled and she nodded, ¡°Toofy poop!¡± Toofy began scrambling to get away.


    "Gah Toofy! Poop goes in the hole,¡± I pointed to the hole in the board and left with no other options, pulled down her trousers and hiked up her tunic. I was barely in time.


    Dangling precariously over the hole, Toofy released an unholy abomination that I am forever grateful to be unable to smell. From what I was hearing alone, her diet before being captured by Emelia must have been awful.


    I didn¡¯t dare lift Toofy away from the hole until I was absolutely certain she was finished. Thank god for what has to be the most amazing and miraculous existence in this crazy world, dawnmoss. Thoroughly absorbent, odour suppressing and rapid growing, dawnmoss was this world''s substitute for toilet paper. I had my doubts initially, but after using it yesterday, I have to say that it is better in just about every conceivable way. Rose even claimed that adventurers sometimes forget emergency rations, but never forget to pack a few pounds of fresh dawnmoss. That¡¯s how big a deal it was.


    Taking a small clump of dawnmoss from the bucket nearby, I gingerly give Toofy¡¯s behind a once-over before dropping it down the toilet and handing her a piece, ¡°You use this to clean yourself after a poop,¡± I explained.


    Toofy rolled her good eye at me, ¡±Toofy know! Not idiot!¡± She sighed indignantly, snatching the dawnmoss and cleaning herself before glancing at me uncertainly and throwing it down the toilet as I had done.


    Crisis averted. ¡°Sorry Toofy, I don¡¯t think you''re an idiot,¡± I apologised.


    Toofy pursed her lips and shrugged, ¡°Okay, Toofy forgive Tim.¡±


    The dawnmoss was amazing for another reason as well, the jelly-like sap inside the moss has antibacterial properties and was harvested for a secondary form of soap. Taking up a third clump of moss, I squeezed it hard in my fist until the clear sap came out. There is a small pot of it in the corner, but I knew from what Rose told me last night that fresh is best and while the sap is cheap to purchase from the apothecary, it is not free. ¡°Okay, let''s wash our hands, get you dressed again and see what we can do about breakfast.¡±


    Toofy didn¡¯t look overly enthusiastic as she took a blob of sap and expertly cleaned her hands with it.


    ¡°Uh, Toofy, breakfast is a human word for food you eat in the morning,¡± I explained patiently.


    Toofy immediately perked up upon understanding what I had intended.


    I figured that may have been the case. Dropping the squished dawnmoss down the toilet, I helped Toofy back into her trousers. Taking her back out into the common room, I could tell by the amused expression on Kirk¡¯s face that he had seen my desperate dash to the toilet.


    I gave him an embarrassed shrug and led Toofy back upstairs. It was still quite early, so besides ourselves, the innkeeper Kirk and presumably his wife Rose, no one else was awake yet. Toofy was not taking things particularly well once we got back to our room with no food to show for it.


    ¡°Toofy hungry!¡± Toofy insisted, her lower lip trembling and one good eye watering pitiably, ¡°Toofy dying!¡± She declared dramatically, falling backwards on the bed as if struck down from starvation.


    This really sucked, because even though I knew Toofy was being overly dramatic and may only be a little hungry, I still felt bad that I had only a few options to resolve it. I could spend one of my three remaining coppers on a meal to tide her over, but then I probably wouldn''t have enough for the sewing supplies. I could spend Toofy¡¯s single copper on a meal, but that didn¡¯t feel great either. All the more so, since we were technically Emelia¡¯s responsibility and she should be taking care of this.


    In that train of thought was the final option, I could wake up the girls so they would begin organising breakfast. The problem with that was of course what had happened last night. I am not too proud to admit that at this moment I was pretty damned terrified of what Nadine might do to me. I still didn¡¯t know what her Class was, and after hearing from Rose about what some of them are capable of, this is not the way I want to find out!


    ¡°Just be patient a little while longer Toofy. Oh, here, you can chew on my belt until the food arrives okay?¡± I pulled my belt out of the apron pocket where Toofy had left it.


    Quick as a flash, Toofy leapt off the bed and was now hanging off the belt in my hand with her teeth. Letting go of the belt, Toofy landed on her feet but immediately leapt back up onto the bed and began rolling around.


    After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door and Nadine let herself into the room. Far from the blackened wrathful expression I had expected, Nadine seemed just as nervous as I was. ¡°Ah, Tim, I really need to talk to you.¡±


    Toofy sprang to her feet, the belt forgotten on the bed, ¡°Food?!¡±


    Nadine was taken aback for a moment, ¡°Ah, what? Oh, I''ll take care of that in a minute.¡±


    Toofy lost interest immediately, dropping back down onto the bed and resumed chewing on the belt.


    Nadine smiled in bemusement at Toofy for a moment before returning her attention to me, ¡°I want to talk to you about what happened last night.¡±


    My mouth became dry in an instant and my imagination kicked into overdrive considering exactly how Nadine was going to kill me. Unable to speak, I mutely nodded.


    ¡°I would really appreciate it if it was kept just between us. Please don''t tell Clarice or Emelia!¡± Nadine pleaded earnestly.


    Considering how I had begun my morning, it seemed only fair that things balance out this way. I nodded to show Nadine that I agreed to keep our secret.


    Nadine sighed in relief, ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t think I would ever have been able to live it down otherwise.¡±


    Having met Clarice, I was inclined to agree.


    *****


    Grobguk sighed contentedly as he licked the fresh blood off his knife. The human he had captured the day before had proven very entertaining and almost as delicious. Were it not for a particular problem, Grobguk would have agreed that his life was perfect.


    Unfortunately, that problem was an Ogre and it was in Grobguk¡¯s territory. For as long as Grobguk could remember, he had been the strongest monster in the territory. Anyone that dared to so much as look him in the eye would be hacked to pieces as an example, and Grobguk¡¯s amusement. However, Grobguk knew on an instinctual level that the Ogre was stronger than him and Grobguk would die if he was stupid enough to fight it alone.


    Fortunately, Grobguk had an entire tribe of expendable minions. Once the scouts located the Ogre¡¯s lair, Grobguk would send waves of his minions at the Ogre until it was sufficiently weakened and Grobguk could kill it. After all, the Ogre was not necessarily a calamity. Far from it, Grobguk knew that if he could kill the Ogre and feast on the stone inside its head, Grobguk would grow even more powerful.


    Cutting off another chunk of meat, Grobguk stuffed it in his mouth and savoured the rich flavours. ¡°I wonder what Ogre tastes like?¡± He mused, blood dribbling down his chin as he smiled.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 03 – Dues of heroism – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 03 ¨C Dues of heroism ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 03 - Dues of heroism - Part One {Rewrite}


    Nadine and I quietly watched Toofy rip and tear her way through the remainder of what had been a rather large tray of sausages. Like a starved animal, Toofy barely spared the necessary time to breathe as she stuffed more sausage into her mouth.


    ¡°I am sorry for thinking that you weren¡¯t feeding her,¡± Nadine apologised, ¡°I did not think the group Synergy would be this bad...¡±


    ¡°Group Synergy?¡± I asked curiously. This was the first time I had heard mention of such a thing.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Nadine smacked her forehead, ¡°Sorry Tim, I should have told you about this sooner, it¡¯s quite important. When Slaves or monsters are in the same party, they share a lesser version of their Racial Abilities. I had thought since both of your Abilities are only rank zero that it wouldn¡¯t do all that much yet. But unfortunately, it looks like I was wrong,¡± Nadine explained hurriedly. ¡°It is a little more complicated than this, but basically Toofy is receiving a lower-ranked version of your Iron Gut Racial Ability. It is probably only healing her wounds slightly while drastically increasing her appetite...¡±


    [Toofy - HP: 8/19 - Bloodied ]


    Looking at the panel displaying Toofy¡¯s status, I could see that she had recovered five HP since yesterday. However, I didn¡¯t have sufficient frame of reference to know if that was slow or fast.


    [Toofy - HP: 9/19 - Normal ]


    Noticing that Toofy¡¯s HP value just changed I realised Nadine was right. However, I still had more questions, ¡°Nadine? Do you mind if I ask a question?¡± I asked politely. Manners cost nothing and I wanted an honest answer.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Nadine nodded encouragingly.


    ¡°Does eating food recover the HP stat? Or is it just because of my Racial Ability?¡± I asked inquisitively, ¡°Also, is there healing magic to recover HP? Like spells or potions?¡±


    ¡°Healing spells and potions exist, but the potions are expensive and the classes with decent healing spells don¡¯t unlock them until around level twenty,¡± Nadine explained with a tinge of disappointment, ¡°Most adventurers with spellcasting classes are very unpopular at low levels because we are seen as not pulling our own weight until we have strong spells,¡± she became a little flustered and cleared her throat, ¡°Ah, but anyway, yes, eating food does help recover HP but it depends on the level of the monster¡¯s meat being eaten and how much of it you eat.¡± Nadine pointed to Toofy who was all but finished with the sausages intended to feed four people, ¡°With a weak version of your Racial Ability, Toofy might be healing at twice the normal rate...wait...Tim?¡± Nadine gave me a strange look.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked somewhat defensively.


    ¡°Ah, I was just wondering why you aren¡¯t as affected as Toofy. I mean, aren''t you hungry?¡± Nadine asked quizzically, ¡°I know you''re not injured but monsters generally don''t have such...restraint.¡±


    A little embarrassed, I shrugged, ¡°Usually only when I am eating...¡±


    My response certainly did not seem to be what Nadine had expected, her confused expression intensifying but abruptly disappeared and was replaced by one of clarity, ¡°Tim what was your Willpower again?¡± she asked excitedly.


    ¡°Sixteen,¡± I replied, not needing to bring up the status screen to check. My stats seemed integral to my continued survival so memorising them wasn¡¯t difficult.


    ¡°That has to be it,¡± Nadine insisted triumphantly, ¡°If I remember right, Toofy only has six or seven. Basically the same as a child, there¡¯s no way she could exercise the same level of...res...traint...¡± Nadine¡¯s expression became lax and her eyes grew wide, ¡°D-did y-you s-say s-six-teen?¡± She stuttered.


    I nodded. Apparently, sixteen Willpower was a lot huh? Good to know. I wondered if ten was the human baseline for most stats.


    Nadine gulped hard and took a minute to compose herself, ¡°Tim? Have I mentioned just how happy we all are that you are part of the team?¡± She asked nervously with a strained smile.


    ¡°I thought you already looked at my stats a couple of times though?¡± I asked, not sure why she had overlooked something like this after making such a big deal over my Intelligence.


    Nadine gulped, ¡°Ah, I think I was distracted by your Intelligence...¡± She explained awkwardly, ¡°Monsters only very rarely have above eight Willpower. To have almost double that...¡± Nadine shifted uncomfortably.


    Toofy finished licking the final drops of grease from the platter and had a hopeful expression as she lifted the tray and desperately searched for any sausages that may have been hiding. Toofy really did look quite adorable, in a feral hobo sort of way. She was like someone spliced together a particularly violent child with a stray cat or dog.


    Wanting to get a start on the day, I shifted my attention away from Toofy and back to Nadine, ¡°You mentioned before that you would organise some jobs for me today?¡± I prompted.


    Nadine nodded and became more relaxed, ¡°There are job listings on the notice board in the Guild office. Most of them are proper adventuring work, like killing specific monsters, monster resource harvesting or rescue missions. But there are also jobs posted by the other foothold residents that are safer, like what you did for Kirk. Most adventurers don''t even consider them, because they don¡¯t pay very much and you don''t earn Exp because you aren''t fighting monsters.¡± Nadine explained with a shrug, ¡°Usually only the injured or complete beginners do these jobs. But Since you don¡¯t mind, it will be a good way to try and offset the expenses for the room and food at least somewhat,¡± she gave a brief but pointed look at Toofy, who was licking the already clean platter.


    I nodded to show I understood.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need anything to eat before we go see what jobs are available?¡± Nadine asked, somewhat concerned.


    I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright, ¡° Nadine seemed a little sceptical but was probably thankful to save the money, ¡°Let¡¯s go check the job listings then.¡±


    Picking up Toofy, I put her inside the pocket of my apron and she eagerly set to gnawing on the belt. I had made sure to stow the belt in there for just such a reason. I didn¡¯t see the point in resorting to commands when a readily available chew-toy achieves the same result without resorting to frying her brain.


    As we were leaving the inn, Kirk hurried over ¡°Would you be able to take care of the baths again, sometime around midday?¡± He asked, ¡°Rose and I will be busy finalising preparations around the inn and I don¡¯t think I can spare the time to empty them all. I can give you and the little one another platter of sausages as compensation.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed. Most people in this world seemed to follow the same custom of stopping for lunch in the middle of the day, so it should be fine. Besides, emptying the bathtubs was easy and wouldn¡¯t take long. ¡°Are you sure? Aren¡¯t sausages expensive?¡± I asked, trying to get a frame of reference on this world¡¯s weird economy.


    ¡°The Vrabbit sausages?¡± Kirk asked, ¡°We buy the processed meat from Don the butcher here in the foothold and he buys it from the Guild. So it¡¯s actually rather cheap because of how plentiful it is. We can sell a platter of sausages for a copper and still make a healthy profit. But only because we boil them rather than roast them.¡±


    I nodded to show I understood. With such plentiful ingredients, the most valuable commodity would be their time. Using the big pot they have in the kitchen, Kirk and Rose could easily boil hundreds of sausages at once. So long as the sausages tasted alright, they would have no problems turning a decent profit.


    Entering the Guild office, I was not surprised to find that besides ourselves and the Guild staff, the office was otherwise empty.


    Nadine waved good morning to the staff and headed over to the job board.


    There were about a few dozen small pieces of paper nailed to the board scrawled with symbols I assume are letters, but cannot understand. However, each piece of paper did have a single simple picture on it at the bottom. The ones I could see were crossed swords, a hammer or maul, what looked like a knife and hatchet, and finally a pair of clasped hands. Did those symbols denote the type of job? I watched Nadine closely and saw that her attention was firmly fixed on the papers at the bottom of the board with the hammer symbol.


    ¡°Hrm, what about this one?¡± Nadine said quietly, rubbing her chin, ¡°The pay is good, but you need to do the other job too? Okay, let¡¯s see...ehhhh isn''t that too stingy?¡±


    ¡°What is the job?¡± I asked curiously. I have no way of reading these myself, so I have to rely on Nadine. I should see if I can buy a book or something at some point to try and learn the language. Not being able to read could get me into a lot of trouble fast.


    ¡°Well...¡± Nadine seemed reluctant but shrugged, ¡°The apothecary is paying a fair bit of copper for working the sap extractor to extract the sap from dawnmoss for soaps and stuff. But...you have to gather the dawnmoss first and he is paying a copper for every two barrels of it and there is a ten barrel minimum in order to get paid and at most thirty barrels...that''s a lot of work for really low pay. You also have to deliver each barrel load to the Guild first, then drop it off to the apothecary.¡±


    ¡°Why does it need to be taken to the Guild first?¡± I asked. It seemed kind of arbitrary.


    ¡°Hrm? Oh, right. So with most resource harvesting quests-¡± Nadine pointed to a piece of paper with the picture of a knife and axe on it at the bottom, ¡°-You need to deliver the materials to the Guild so they can register the materials as being received, then you deliver them to the client and get them to sign your receipt before returning to the Guild to collect your reward. Most of the time the client will just take the delivery from the Guild themselves, so you get paid right away and don''t need the signature. The reason it is done like this is to stop clients from cheating adventurers out of their pay. Because if the client doesn''t pay up, the Guild doesn¡¯t get their cut. The whole receipt system leaves a paper trail so the Guild can keep track of what is going on and send the compliance enforcers if needed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...actually pretty smart,¡± I hadn¡¯t really considered that. They were basically just using a similar system to modern-day businesses, albeit doing their best with available technological limitations. Still, this job may not be so bad, ¡°Is harvesting dawnmoss hard? Doesn''t it grow just about everywhere?¡±


    ¡°Well sure, and shearing it off the foothold defensive wall is pretty simple. It¡¯s just that the barrels would be pretty heavy and...oh.¡± Nadine paused and smirked, ¡°I guess it really wouldn¡¯t be that hard for you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± I agreed with a smirk of my own.


    ¡°Alright, well if you don¡¯t mind this job, we will take the other one as well. The sap extractor is easy to use. You just load the dawnmoss in the top and turn a handle. It¡¯s pretty tiring, but I think it should be fine with your Strength and Toughness. But if you don''t feel up to it, just doing the barrels is fine for today.¡±


    ¡°Does the sap extraction job pay per quantity like the other job?¡± It was an important factor in deciding if it was worth the effort.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Each bucket of sap harvested will earn one copper. Usually, you can get two or three buckets of sap from a barrel of dawn moss, so long as it isn''t summer. In summer it is usually a bucket less since the moss doesn''t grow as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will do both,¡± I confirmed, there was just too much money to be made to pass it up and let someone else reap the benefits. ¡°Can I do both jobs at the same time? If I deliver dawnmoss, can I immediately use the sap extractor to stop someone else from doing it?¡±


    Nadine had a complicated expression, ¡°You could,¡± she agreed hesitantly, ¡°But in this instance, no one else can take the job unless they are also doing the harvesting job as well. But that is still a good point. If there are jobs like this in the future, that is definitely the way to do it, guaranteeing as much pay as possible for the work you put in.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will do that then,¡± I agreed.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°So long as the client is alright with it, then it is fine. Just remember to get the receipts signed to avoid any misunderstandings.¡±


    I nodded and followed Nadine over to the counter.


    ¡°I would like receipts for the dawnmoss collection quest and the dawnmoss sap extracting quest please,¡± Nadine requested politely.


    The male staff member nodded, and retrieved four relatively small pieces of paper before returning to the counter, ¡°Alright, so, the dawnmoss harvesting is rather straightforward.¡± He pushed forward one of the papers before continuing, ¡°The Guild will provide the necessary equipment, I just need your Guild identification number, name and signature at the bottom here.¡±


    Nadine took a moment to read what was written on the paper before filling out the form and handing it back.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the staff member filed the paper away below the counter before pushing forward the second piece of paper, ¡°Alright, due to the variable nature of the request, please be sure to bring the requested materials back here first and receive a signature for each...¡± He took a moment to scan the page, ¡°-barrel of dawnmoss, you have collected before delivering it to the client. Also make sure to have the client sign the receipt upon delivery of each of the barrels of dawnmoss,¡± the staff member handed Nadine the paper.


    Nadine wrote something on it and took it off the desk.


    ¡°Alright, the request for sap harvesting will take place at the client¡¯s place of business, so please remember to maintain the Guild¡¯s standard for professional conduct aaaand-. He slid across the third piece of paper, ¡°-make sure to have the client sign the receipt for the completed task. Any questions?¡± The staff member asked cheerily.


    Nadine nodded as she wrote something on the paper, ¡°My party¡¯s tamed monster will be providing the deliveries. Is that alright?¡±


    The man looked at me somewhat sceptically, but shrugged, ¡°I would advise against autonomous use of tamed monsters. But there is nothing strictly against it. If you are confident that your monster can do the job and so long as the client is satisfied, then it is fine.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nadine smiled, ¡°I will go see the quartermaster about the equipment, thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± the man replied with a smile.


    Nadine and I left the office and walked around to the back of the Guild office building. The supply warehouse was like a large brick shed built onto the back of the building.


    The quartermaster was an older man in his fifties with thinning hair and large glasses. He was currently holding a clipboard and appeared to be doing an inventory check.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Nadine waved with a smile.


    ¡°Morning,¡± the quartermaster replied a little grumpily But his expression softened after turning around and seeing Nadine.


    ¡°I would like the equipment for this quest please,¡± Nadine asked politely, offering one of the pieces of paper.


    The quartermaster accepted the paper and squinted at it for a moment before returning it, ¡°Of course my dear, one moment,¡± he replied amiably.


    ¡°Could I also borrow a messenger satchel as well? I have the required deposit,¡± Nadine withdrew two coppers from her pouch.


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± the quartermaster replied happily, bringing over two barrels in a handcart. Accepting the coins, he picked up his clipboard and wrote something down before retrieving a small leather satchel with a thick leather strap. ¡°Will that be all?¡± The quartermaster asked.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Nadine gave the quartermaster a warm smile and put the job papers in the satchel.


    I lifted the handles of the handcart and followed Nadine back to the front of the Guild office.


    ¡°Okay Tim, I need to get back to the inn and grab something to eat before the other two begin to wonder where I have disappeared to. Do you remember everything you need to do?¡± Nadine asked nervously.


    I nodded, ¡°Get everything signed for each step of the job,¡± I summarised.


    Nadine nodded, now looking more relieved, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this with you then,¡± she handed me the messenger satchel. ¡°Good luck Tim,¡± Nadine smiled and waved goodbye while she jogged back to the inn.


    I already had a general plan of how I was going to do this. Because I needed to stop at the Guild before making the final delivery, I figured it would be best to harvest the dawnmoss on the section of the defensive wall closest to the Guild building. So, pushing the handcart back down the side road again, I continued until reaching the wall.


    Setting the handcart down by the wall, I looked inside the barrels and found the tool I was looking for. It was a piece of wood roughly shaped like a knife with a similar yet blunt edge. Basically, the way to harvest the dawnmoss seemed to be done by separating its roots from whatever it was growing on by using the wooden knife or your hands and then pulling the dawnmoss off.


    Setting to work, I could remove curtains of the dawnmoss at a time by making sure to properly separate the dawnmoss¡¯s roots and scoring vertical lines with the knife down the height of the wall. It really wasn¡¯t all that difficult and the dawnmoss growing on the wall didn¡¯t have any dirt or decomposing leaf matter to worry about either.


    Within about ten minutes, I had filled both barrels to the point of overflowing. I wanted to be sure that neither the Guild nor the apothecary could find an excuse not to pay up.


    Wheeling the handcart back to the Guild office, I didn''t have to wait long until the same staff member from before came over to perform the inspection.


    Digging through one of the barrels for a few moments, he seemed satisfied and repeated the procedure on the second barrel with the same result. He then looked at me expectantly.


    I opened the messenger satchel and handed him the paper with a knife and axe symbol at the bottom.


    He nodded, held it against his clipboard, signed it twice and handed it back again.


    I replaced the paper in the satchel and trundled off towards the apothecary.


    The Guild staff member accompanied me some of the way there, before heading back to the Guild office. Probably just reassuring himself that I knew where I was going and wasn''t just wasting his time. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The apothecary was only a few minute¡¯s walk from the Guild office. I had seen it before but never been inside. Seeing that the handcart wouldn¡¯t fit through the door, I lifted the barrels by their rope handles and walked inside. The inside of the apothecary reminded me a little of a small liquor store. There were bottles of strange coloured liquids stocked behind the counter and a few bundles of what looked like dried kale hanging from the ceiling.


    There was no one at the counter, but a bell had rung when I came through the door, so I decided to wait.


    About a minute later, someone wearing a black robe, dark leather apron and a beaked plague mask entered from the back behind the counter. ¡°** ** ********!" The person said something I couldn¡¯t make out clearly and pointed at the barrels excitedly.


    ¡°Sorry, could you repeat that?¡± I apologised.


    ¡°* ****-" The robed figure began speaking just as unintelligibly as before, but suddenly stopped. Taking a moment to remove the plague mask, it revealed a young man in his mid-twenties, ¡°Ah sorry, I keep forgetting that people can¡¯t understand me with...¡± The young man stopped and stared at me for a long moment, ¡°Are you an Ogre?¡± He demanded bluntly.


    I cringed and nodded, ¡°I am here to deliver dawnmoss for the request,¡± I explained, motioning to the barrels.


    ¡°Well, that is fine. Just try not to break anything, will you? Come pick up those barrels and follow me,¡± he waved and motioned for me to follow him into the back.


    Lifting the barrels, I did as he asked and entered the back room. It looked like a giant meth lab, filled with beakers and other eccentric glassware. I now understood his need for wearing the mask. If I hadn''t already lost my sense of smell, I probably would have now. Just by tasting the air, I could tell that this was where Nadine had acquired the contents of that glass vial Clarice pelted at my face.


    ¡°You can empty the barrel over here,¡± the apothecary pointed to a large crate.


    I shook my head, ¡°I need two signatures first,¡± I insisted, removing the job receipt from the satchel. Geez, I sound like I work at the post office.


    The apothecary sighed and went looking for a pencil.


    The prolific use of pencils was one of the more mundane oddities of this world. Yet I haven''t seen a single eraser. Maybe that is why they are so popular? Without an eraser, they are basically as permanent as an ink-based pen.


    A short while later, the apothecary returned and signed the receipt, ¡°Alright, can you please deposit the dawnmoss in the crate as I asked?¡±


    I replaced the job receipt in the satchel and withdrew the second request receipt and handed it to the apothecary, ¡°I want to do the sap extracting as well,¡± I explained.


    The apothecary gave me a strange look and didn¡¯t take the job receipt, ¡°I thought I made it clear that I wanted at least ten barrels first?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Yes, that is what the Guild said. But I don¡¯t want someone else to take my hard work,¡± I explained apologetically.


    ¡°Oh, well, that makes sense,¡± the apothecary agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, bring me another two barrels and I will let you start the other request early. How about that?¡±


    It was a more than fair compromise, ¡°Okay. I will return shortly,¡± I replaced the request receipt in the satchel and emptied the dawnmoss into the crate.


    Returning to the wall again, I harvested more dawnmoss, filled the barrels and received the required signatures from the Guild. All told, I was back at the apothecary within about fifteen minutes.


    Carrying the barrels inside, I could tell that the apothecary himself was quite surprised to see me return so quickly. ¡°Sign please,¡± I held out the receipt and stowed it away again after receiving the pair of signatures.


    ¡°You are quite industrious, aren''t you,¡± the apothecary commented with a small smile, leading me into the back again. He motioned for me to come over by what I assumed was the sap extractor.


    I had to assume it was the sap extractor because it looked nothing like the olive press I had envisioned in my mind. To me, the extractor looked like a big meat grinder for making sausages.


    ¡°Okay, the sap extractor is easy enough to use. Place a bucket below the collection nozzle, Just throw the dawnmoss in the top-" He motioned to a small tap at the bottom and to the chute at the top, ¡°-and turn the handle. If it gets stuck, just try turning the handle back the other direction for a little bit, that usually sorts it out.¡± The apothecary then walked over to a row of barrels by the far wall. ¡°When you fill a bucket, empty it into one of these barrels. But please please please, make sure to put the lids back on the barrels. I do not want a repeat of last time. Oh, and don''t worry about the pulped dawnmoss that drops out of the extractor, I will take care of that later. Questions?¡±


    ¡°Is it alright if Toofy assists me with loading the extractor?¡± I pulled Toofy out of the apron pocket by the back of her tunic.


    Toofy looked around the room curiously while still gnawing on the belt.


    The apothecary regarded Toofy apprehensively, ¡°Are you a Taskmaster by chance?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Hrm, I suppose it is alright then,¡± the apothecary conceded, ¡°Just please make sure the Goblin does not get up to any mischief. There are many unstable compounds and valuable ingredients stored in my shop and I doubt your master would appreciate paying to replace them.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± I held up Toofy so we were at eye level with one another, ¡°Toofy do you want to help?¡± I asked.


    Toofy gave me a curious look, but she didn''t take the belt out of her mouth.


    ¡°It is really simple and we will buy food later if you do a good job,¡± I offered enticingly.


    Toofy¡¯s eyes shone greedily and the belt fell from her mouth, ¡°Toofy help! Toofy like food!¡± She shrieked excitedly.


    ¡°Alright, calm down Toofy.¡± I picked up the belt off the floor and stowed it away in the pouch again, ¡°You need to be on your best behaviour or we won''t buy food, okay?


    Toofy nodded emphatically.


    Just as Nadine and the apothecary said, it was actually a really simple job, and with Toofy¡¯s help, we made really good time. In fact, by the time it reached midday we had completely finished both job requests.


    We did such a good job that the Guild manager politely insisted that I wait while one of the Guild staff double-checked with the client before handing over the payment. It was pretty understandable and even though Toofy was grouchy at being forced to wait, I didn''t mind all that much.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± the Guild manager apologised, counting out the coppers onto the desk.


    I shrugged. Honestly, I am surprised by how accepting and accommodating the people in the town have been. I was supposed to be a literal monster. As best I could figure, it was my attitude that was responsible.


    I swept the ninety-two copper coins off the manager¡¯s desk and into the messenger satchel. I had already put my own three coppers inside as well. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t trust Toofy but...I really really don''t want to sift through Goblin feces to find any coins she may or may not eat in a fit of hunger. It seemed a little crazy when I thought about just how much money I earned this morning for only a little bit of hard work. Admittedly, Toofy helped, which made it a bit faster but not by that much.


    ¡°Food now?¡± Toofy asked pitiably.


    ¡°Yes Toofy, we will go get food now,¡± I agreed warmly, tousling her hair.


    ¡°Food!¡± Toofy cheered in triumph, ducking back into the pouch of the apron.


    Returning the handcart and two barrels to the quartermaster, I asked if it was okay to return the satchel a little later and he agreed. Well, that is to say, the quartermaster explained that the deposit could be exchanged for the satchel any time within the next few days without incurring a fine. The quartermaster had been somewhat condescending, but considering I was supposed to be a big dumb brute, his pantomiming and caveman-style speech didn¡¯t seem motivated by malice.


    Returning to the inn, there were already a number of adventurers and townspeople occupying the bar and tables. So it took a few minutes to get the innkeeper Kirk¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Ah, Tim!¡± Kirk waved me over to a relatively free section of the bar, ¡°Are you ready to take care of those bathtubs? Or are you just stopping by for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± I answered with a smile, ¡°I would like two platters of sausages please,¡± I placed two coppers on the bar.


    Kirk pushed one back to me, ¡°It''s alright, I know you are good for it.¡±


    I smiled and pushed the copper back again, ¡°These are for Toofy, to keep her occupied while I work. I will have mine after. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be anything left,¡± I chuckled, tousling Toofy¡¯s hair as she began poking her head out of the apron¡¯s pouch.


    Kirk nodded in understanding, ¡°Alright, I will bring them up to your room when I have the chance. Shouldn¡¯t be more than a few minutes,¡± he deftly palmed the coppers off the bar and into his coin pouch before attending to another customer.


    I returned to my room and closed the door, giving Toofy a chance to stretch her legs again.


    ¡°Food?¡± Toofy asked with a confused look.


    ¡°Soon Toofy,¡± I promised, giving her the belt to chew on while we wait.


    Giving the messenger satchel a gentle shake, I began to make a list of things I needed to buy for myself and Toofy. Clothes for Toofy at the very least, even if it was similar to what I am making do with. A proper coin pouch for each of us, for obvious reasons. I still wanted a sewing kit too, even if adjusting Emelia¡¯s hand-me-downs was no longer necessary, it was still a very useful thing to have. More clean bandages and a small bottle of antiseptic from the apothecary if I can afford it.


    Even though dawnmoss had antibacterial properties, it would aggravate an injury if you apply it to an open wound. Apparently, the apothecary had a process for making the antiseptic that keeps the antibacterial properties while losing the inflammation effect. It would definitely be worth buying if I could afford it. I just wished I had remembered to ask for the price while I was at the apothecary earlier.


    Shoes and gloves would be nice, but I come to understand why Nadine didn¡¯t buy them for me before. The Vrabbits had done a real number on my clothes, but my skin was completely fine. Still, it might be a good idea to get them for Toofy, she got pretty beat up after all.


    Getting Toofy a club or something simple to replace her shiv would be a good idea too. Actually, that was something, maybe I could find a carpenter to make a custom toilet plank for Toofy so she wouldn¡¯t fall into the human-sized toilets. Definitely, a mandatory purchase if I could find someone to take care of it.


    For toofy: Clothes, gloves and shoes, a cheap but durable weapon, a coin purse, maybe a small backpack, and most importantly, a child-sized toilet seat.


    For myself: A sewing Kit, bandages, a coin purse, antiseptic if I can afford it, a satchel to store the bandages, sewing kit and antiseptic in, and a backpack for myself wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea either, or maybe one of those big ones used by mountain climbers and backpackers. Lastly, at least one book that could give me the opportunity to learn the written element of the local language.


    Just as I finalised my list, there was a knock at the door and Kirk entered with two platters of sausages. After putting the platters down on the bed, he withdrew the room keys from his pocket and gave them to me with a smirk as he watched Toofy greedily shovel a fistful of sausages into her mouth. ¡°I''ll bet Rose would get a kick out of watching this,¡± Kirk chuckled, shaking his head and smiling as he left the room.


    I couldn''t blame him, I was working hard to stop myself from laughing as well, ¡°Okay Toofy, I will be back in a little bit, so no leaving the room and be good alright?¡±


    Toofy nodded but continued demolishing sausage after sausage as if her life depended on it.


    It took a little longer to empty the bathtubs this time. I couldn¡¯t just dump all the water out the window as I had before for four of the five bathtubs. There were too many people in the street, so the chances of hitting someone were too high. Instead, I borrowed the barrel to empty the bathtubs most of the way, before emptying them out of my room¡¯s window, which was safe since no one should be back there. After emptying the tubs, I returned them and the barrels to the laundry courtyard before collecting my own lunch.


    Unfortunately, I had only eaten half the sausages on my platter before Toofy finished both of hers. One look at Toofy¡¯s big watering eyes and quivering lip made me surrender a full half of my remaining sausages.


    Having finished our food, I loaded Toofy into the apron¡¯s pouch and headed across the street to the tailor¡¯s shop.


    ¡°Greetings customer!¡± The woman behind the counter waved in greeting. ¡°How may I help you today?¡±


    There was something off about this woman. I had noticed it last time as well but still couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it. Removing Toofy from my apron, I put her down on the ground, ¡°Okay, Toofy, stay still for a bit okay?¡±


    Toofy nodded, continuing to chew on the now somewhat ragged belt.


    Shifting my attention back to the shopkeep, I tried to remember what Nadine had ordered for me when we last came here, deciding that it would be a good test. ¡°Excuse me, do you remember the order from when I was last here?¡± I asked curiously.


    The shopkeeper¡¯s expression didn¡¯t move or say anything for a moment, then suddenly blinked ¡°One niffleweed tunic, one pair of niffleweed pants, one pair of niffleweed underwear, one bristleboar hide belt and one bristleboar hide apron,¡± the shopkeep replied woodenly.


    I realised that it was a rather terrible test since all of those items are currently within her line of sight. I also just remembered how expensive my clothes were. Adjusting Emelia¡¯s donated hand-me-downs definitely seemed to be the way to go after all.


    ¡°I would like to buy a basic sewing kit, please. How much will that cost?¡± I braced myself for the worst.


    ¡°One basic sewing kit is fifty copper coins,¡± the shopkeeper replied woodenly.


    That was far more expensive than I had expected. ¡°Ah, what is in the basic sewing kit?¡±


    ¡°One pair of small sheers, five small patches of niffleweed cloth, three bonedog sewing needles, two spools of niffleweed thread,¡± the shopkeeper continued staring expectantly at me without blinking.


    ¡°May I see the contents of a basic sewing kit please?¡± I requested politely.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the shopkeep nodded and a small bundle of items appeared on the counter.


    ¡°How much does a spool of niffleweed thread cost?¡± I asked politely, ¡°I might want to buy more.¡±


    ¡°A single spool of niffleweed thread costs two copper coins,¡± the shopkeeper replied woodenly, the contents of the basic sewing pouch disappearing into thin air.


    I thought about my options for a minute, sighed and made my decision, ¡°I would like a basic sewing kit and five additional spools of niffleweed thread please.¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± the contents of the basic sewing kit reappeared on the counter along with the additional spools of thread I asked for. There was an unexpected addition though, a small cloth bag that was not brought out before.


    While counting out the required number of coins, I motioned my head at the small cloth bag, ¡°Is the bag part of the basic sewing kit?¡±


    The shopkeeper bowed slightly and shook their head, ¡°No. Dear customer, this niffleweed bag is complimentary. Consider it a special service for a first-time customer,¡± there was a palpable aura of danger around the shopkeeper now. Her movements had become far more fluid, and unlike before she now seemed keenly aware of her surroundings and of me in particular.


    Now in a hurry to finish the transaction and leave, I deposited sixty copper coins onto the counter and swept the sewing supplies into the small bag. Returning Toofy to the apron¡¯s pouch, I hurriedly left the shop. Even though I had done my best not to look, I still managed to catch a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of the shopkeeper¡¯s face. More or less as it had been before, her lips were now curled in a predatory smile revealing needle-like teeth.


    I shuddered and hurried away towards the weapon store. Wondering if she was a tamed or Enslaved monster like me and how everyone seemed fine with it being inside of their town.


    The bored owner of the weapon store gave me a quick once over with his eyes, before apparently deciding I was not going to cause trouble and returned to reading his book.


    I nearly cried from the desperately needed level of normalcy. I was keenly aware of my status as a monster surrounded by instruments of pain and death right now, but this shopkeeper was behaving exactly like the owner of a convenience store I frequented back home. Most importantly, he was almost definitely human and not whatever the hell the tailor was.


    Walking through the rows of weapons, I easily found the area dedicated to displaying blunt weapons. It only took a moment to find what I was looking for. It was a much smaller version of my own weapon, a short thick ended club with a bound cloth grip. Objectively, it was better than my own club, but considering how small it was, using it would be impractical for me. I just hoped that the reduced size also applied to the price.


    Depositing the club on the counter, I waited for the man to finish the page of his book. ¡°Excuse me, how much is this please.¡±


    The man glanced at the club and sighed, this was probably not even worth his time, ¡°Two copper coins,¡± he replied.


    I nodded, deposited two copper coins on the counter then put the small club in the pouch of my apron. Pricier than my own club had been, I could only assume that Nadine was the decisive factor for determining the difference. Leaving the store, I began exploring around town looking for a carpenter.


    It took me more than a quarter-hour, but I eventually found the carpenter¡¯s workshop. It took me so long because I honestly didn''t know what to look for. In my head, what I had been thinking of was a lumberyard, which I now knew this town didn¡¯t.


    Entering the carpenter¡¯s store, I found that the storefront was mostly empty. That made sense I suppose. The town was not very big, so there would not be enough business from selling premade furniture.


    A spindly old man gave me a curious look as I approached the counter, ¡°Can I help you?¡± He inquired curiously.


    I nodded, ¡°How much would it cost to make a custom-sized toilet seat?¡± I ask somewhat awkwardly.


    The old man rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment before looking me up and down.


    Quickly realising that I would need to clear up the misunderstanding, I briefly withdrew Toofy from the pouch of my apron, ¡°Ah, it is not for me. It is for her.¡±


    Understanding flashed in the old man¡¯s eyes, ¡°Oh, I was about to ask if this was for using out in the field as it were. My relief seats are usually my top seller. But I can see the problem you must be having. Hrm...¡± He rubbed at his chin again, ¡°I will tell you what, you look big and strong. If you can spare an hour of labour I will make you a custom seat free of charge, how about it?¡±


    ¡°Alright, but what do you need me to do?¡± I ask, more than happy to save the money.


    ¡°I just need someone to cut some planks to size so I can finish a couple of orders early. Nothing too strenuous or difficult,¡± the old man explained, bringing me into his workshop area.


    It was pretty much as he described. All I had to do was use the handsaw to cut premarked planks of wood. However, he really seemed to have underestimated how quickly I would get it all done, because I was finished in less than twenty minutes.


    The old man was still in the process of knocking the custom toilet seat together from offcuts using glue and nailless wood joining techniques.


    Rather than just idling away, I took up a broom and swept up the sawdust into a corner. I didn¡¯t try to throw it out, because I heard back in the day butchers used the sawdust on their floor to absorb stray blood. So the old man probably had a deal with the butcher and I didn¡¯t want to mess with that.


    In the end, the old carpenter offered me a special deal, for just two coppers he would treat the toilet seat with beeswax to better protect it from the elements and daily use. Naturally, I accepted.


    *****


    ¡°UUUUUUUGH!¡± Clarice groaned dejectedly at the sight of the packed common room, ¡°ARE YOU SERIOUS!¡±


    Her outburst garnered only minor attention from the adventurers near the door. However, once they noticed the source of the disturbance they promptly paid her no mind.


    ¡°I Told you that we should have stopped a little earlier,¡± Nadine sighed and shook her head, ¡°Of course there was going to be a line at the Guild office around midday.¡±


    ¡°We can just order food to our room, so it''s fine,¡± Emelia shrugged.


    Clarice slumped dejectedly, ¡°But I wanted a beer,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Nadine fiercely demanded.


    Clarice baulked and raised her hands defensively, ¡°Ah, nothing!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Nadine narrowed her eyes and stared knowingly at Clarice, ¡°For a moment there I thought you were intending to spend our bath money on beer!¡±


    Clarice gulped and guiltily avoided Nadine''s gaze, ¡°Ah...I would never...¡±


    The three of them then approached the bar and placed their order for a platter of sausages to share and returned to their room to relax.


    Nadine immediately noticed that the bathtub was gone and understood that Tim was very likely in his room or somewhere around the inn. ¡°He really is a hardworking monster,¡± she muttered appreciatively.


    Nadine was quite surprised by Tim¡¯s positive work ethic. Even though he was a Slave, Nadine had no control over Tim except for what he allowed. The memory of their conversation that morning in the common room still made Nadine shiver. With a Willpower of sixteen, the effect of Emelia¡¯s commands would be drastically reduced. While still painful, it was nowhere near the incapacitating levels of pain that normally kept tamed monsters and Slaves obedient.


    It was entirely possible that once Tim became acclimated to the pain, he would just ignore it outright. This possibility would only increase as Tim gained levels and began to evolve. Granted, Ogres had only a small chance of increasing Willpower as they evolved, but even a single point would drastically reduce the level of pain inflicted by defying commands.


    Nadine sighed and shook her head. There was nothing she could do about it. Nadine just had to be as nice to Tim as possible and hope that their eventual parting would be amicable. The only alternative would be to save up and buy a greater collar of enslavement and somehow trick Tim into wearing it. While he was trusting, Nadine could tell that Tim was learning at a rapid pace and by the time she could afford the greater collar of enslavement, Tim would know full well what it was and what she was intending to do with it.


    There was a knock at the door and a few moments later, the innkeeper''s wife Rose entered the room with their order of Vrabbit sausages. She placed the platter on the small table by the window and then turned to Nadine, ¡°Tim has been a real help these past couple of days. Thank you for lending him to us,¡± Rose said appreciatively.


    ¡°But Tim is my monster though?¡± Emelia pointed out childishly, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be getting the credit?¡±


    ¡°But Nadine is party leader,¡± Clarice reminded her, snatching one of the sausages and hungrily taking a bite, ¡°Beshides, gyou habent reary traed hib gyou knowb?¡±


    Emelia gave an exasperated sigh and crossed her arms, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault! Tim is just too smart! How am I meant to teach him anything if he knows more than I do?!¡± She pouted.


    Clarice gulped down the last of her first sausage and let out a satisfied sigh, ¡°Heh, you''re saying that like it''s a bad thing. Think of all the benefits you''re getting without actually working for it. Isn''t that why you wanted to be a Monster Tamer?¡±


    Emelia blinked and became more relaxed, ¡°Oh yeah!¡± She snatched up a sausage and eagerly took a bite.


    Nadine and Rose who had silently witnessed the exchange shared a knowing look.


    Rose straightened her cooking apron with a practised hand, ¡°Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Kirk has agreed to expand the inn to build the bathing area. Isn¡¯t that great news?¡±


    Nadine smiled, ¡°That¡¯s great! Oh, thanks by the way. Thanks to SOMEONE, who shall remain nameless, I almost had to take a cold bath.¡±


    Rose chuckled and nodded knowingly, ¡°We have already placed the order for the boiler and pipes, but we need someone to help Jerry with the foundations for the expansion and possibly with carting the bricks and other materials from the Guild. Do you think Tim would be interested?¡±,


    Nadine thought about it for a moment, ¡°I am not sure. Tim said he is fine with most jobs, but I¡¯ll ask him later just to make sure and get back to you, okay?¡±


    Rose nodded appreciatively, ¡°That is more than reasonable,¡± she agreed happily. Rose then left the girls to enjoy their lunch and headed back downstairs.


    ¡°Wow, so the innkeeper is really going to build those private bathing rooms?¡± Emelia asked happily.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Looks that way,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°Pffft, hot baths are overrated,¡± Clarice muttered quietly, reaching for another sausage.


    Filled with righteous anger, Nadine brought her pillow down on Clarice¡¯s head with the wrath of the heavens themselves.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 03 – Dues of heroism – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 03 ¨C Dues of heroism ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 03 - Dues of heroism - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Walking back to the inn, I stopped in my tracks as the familiar message appeared in front of my eyes and pain flared in my head. Involuntarily dropping Toofy¡¯s new toilet seat by the front door, I staggered and braced against the wall to keep my balance.


    [ Your master has given you a command. ]


    ¡°You have got to be joking?! She doesn''t even have to be within earshot?!¡± I quickly made my way towards the gate to the town, causing the pain to disappear for the time being.


    Okay, so maybe they need my help out in the plains? Otherwise, the pain wouldn¡¯t have stopped right?


    ¡°Toofy, did you get an order from Emelia just now?¡± I ask while hustling to the gate.


    ¡°No,¡± Toofy replied curiously, peeking outside the apron pocket. ¡°Master call Tim?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I grunted.


    Now standing at the open gate, my attention is drawn to a small battle taking place out in the plain. A group of adventurers was being attacked by what looked like Orcs and Goblins. Experimentally moving in that direction, I was surprised that the pain in my head was not receding.


    Looking around the plains, I could see other adventurers running back towards town or towards the battle. However, I saw no sign of Emelia, Nadine or Clarice. Moving quickly around the wall of the town, I was relieved by the pain in my head lessening somewhat.


    [ Your master has given you a command. ]


    The latest command nearly made me lose my footing as it obscured my vision, but as I steadied myself I noticed something.


    [ Emelia - HP: 8/25 - Bloodied ]


    Emelia¡¯s HP had plummeted at some point in the last couple of minutes. This confirmed it, the girls were in danger and most likely fighting for their lives. Pulling Toofy out of my apron, I moved her up onto my shoulders, ¡°Make sure you hold on tight Toofy!¡±


    Toofy obediently climbed up onto my shoulders and hooked her legs around my neck.


    With my legs now unrestricted, I began to run.


    [ Your master has given you a command. ]


    [Emelia - HP: 2/25 - Bloodied ]


    Emelia¡¯s HP had taken another big hit and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen to me if Emelia died. Nothing good. Guild regulations stopped other adventurers from attacking me because Emelia was my ¡®owner¡¯. If she died, that protected status would disappear. At best, I could hope to be Enslaved by someone else, at worst...they might kill me.


    Running as fast as I was able, I relied on the absence of pain to serve as my guide. I could see another small battle taking place in the fields ahead of me. Larger in scale than the last, there were at least a dozen adventurers beset on all sides. Fending off hulking brutish humanoids from the front while Vrabbits came at them from the direction of the town.


    ¡°Toofy see master!¡± Toofy shouted excitedly pointing to the middle of the battle.


    [ Your master has given you a command. ]


    ¡°Nng!¡± Each order had multiplied the pain and my brain felt like it was on fire. ¡°RAAAAAGH!!!¡± I charged towards the battlefield with reckless abandon, my legs pumping in rhythm to the pulsing pain in my head.


    [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp]...


    Blinded by a flurry of notifications, I was entirely reliant on the pain to show me the way.


    ¡°Oh shit! One of them got behind us!¡± A male voice cried.


    ¡°Someone, move to block it!¡± Cried another.


    ¡°TIM!¡± Nadine cried desperately, ¡°TIM, OVER HERE!¡±


    I saw a flash of metal from my unobstructed peripheral vision and a sword swiped against my stomach.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Whoever was responsible cried out in pain as I rushed past without breaking stride.


    ¡°It''s broken through!¡± Someone cried fearfully.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Cried someone else.


    The notifications cleared and I found myself hurtling towards a naked barrel-chested man brandishing a crude stone axe. Noticing his tapered ears and missing nose, I could only assume he was an Orc.


    Emelia was knocked down in the grass and had lost her weapon, desperately scrambling to get away from the Orc that was now behind her.


    A fresh wave of pain surged through my mind, I couldn¡¯t think anymore.


    Just as the Orc raised its axe to strike Emelia in the back, I delivered a punch to his gut that sent him sprawling.


    Retrieving the Orc¡¯s stone axe, I prepared to strike the fallen Orc.


    Something struck my back, but I ignored it, splitting the fallen Orc¡¯s head open with its own weapon and spattering my face with its blood.


    [ You have slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    ¡°Tim! Help!¡± Nadine was being overwhelmed. Even though Nadine¡¯s opponent was only using a crude wooden spear, the Orc was a much better fighter and far stronger than her. Nadine was already covered in minor wounds and was barely holding on.


    Focusing on the Orc, I felt the sudden absence of pain and nearly fainted. Staggering forwards, I prepared the stone axe to attack.


    The Orc saw me coming and changed targets, ¡°Grobguk want you dead!¡± He hollered, thrusting the spear into my chest.


    ¡°Oof...¡± I was temporarily stunned by having the wind knocked out of me.


    ¡°NO HURT TIM!¡± Toofy shrieked, leaping off my shoulders and into the face of the bewildered Orc. ¡°DIE! DIE! DIE!¡± Toofy¡¯s right arm thrust back and forth with manic swiftness, the shiv and her right hand dyed red with blood.


    The Orc thrashed about wildly with its spear, blood pumping from its neck and down its chest.


    Toofy didn¡¯t hang around, leaping off the Orc and into the grass. Her sudden departure revealing the savage damage she had inflicted on the Orc.


    Bleeding profusely from his neck, the Orc staggered for a moment before collapsing into the grass.


    The instant the Orc fell, Toofy pounced onto his chest and drove her shiv through the Orcs eye.


    [ Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    ¡°Tim! Look out!¡± Nadine cried.


    I turned to look towards Nadine in time to feel something hard crack into the back of my head.


    Nadine had been pointing behind me, her panic increasing as I was driven to my knees.


    ¡°Ogre weak!¡± Someone grunted from behind me.


    Pushing myself to my feet, I was hit again, this time on my left shoulder.


    Snarling, I rounded on my attacker and was not surprised to find it was another Orc wielding a stone sledge.


    ¡°Me kill weak Ogre! Me strongest!¡± The Orc growled in challenge, preparing to swing the sledge again.


    My shoulder was throbbing painfully, but the instant I considered backing down, the pain in my head would intensify and drive me forward again. Narrowly avoiding the overhead blow from the Orc, I swung my stone axe at his left arm. The poorly made weapon couldn¡¯t handle the strain and came apart, leaving the axehead behind in the Orc¡¯s now broken forearm.


    ¡°GRAH!¡± The Orc howled and tried to retreat, nursing his left arm to his chest and dragging the sledge behind him.


    ¡°DIE!¡± Toofy charged at the crippled Orc from behind, burying her shiv in the back of the Orc¡¯s knee and then nimbly leaping away.


    The Orc stumbled and fell. Trying to stand back up, the Orc¡¯s leg was unable to support his weight, forcing him to abandon his sledge and try to crawl away from the battle.


    Curiously, Toofy did not pursue the Orc, instead, grinning malevolently as the tall grass near the Orc began to move.


    Within seconds, a small pack of Vrabbits had erupted from the grass and began tearing into the crippled Orc.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Nadine called my name again. She was half carrying Emelia, who was bleeding pretty badly and seemed to be unconscious. ¡°We need to get back to the foothold!¡±


    [ Toofy has slain {Orc: 3 } +150 Exp ]


    The remaining Orcs were fleeing back into the forest, leaving their wounded for dead.


    The adventurers were similarly trying to organise a retreat of their own. Half of them were badly injured, and at least two were unconscious, dying or already dead.


    ¡°TIM! FOCUS!¡± Nadine''s voice cracked, ¡°You need to take as many of the wounded back as you can carry!¡±


    [ Toofy has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp ]


    [ Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +50 Exp ]


    I took a deep breath and nodded.


    [ Emelia - HP: 0/25 - Bloodied, Unconscious ]


    Taking Emelia from Nadine, I began picking up the other fallen adventurers. Carrying the strangers on my shoulders and Emelia in my arms, I quickly tried to find Toofy. I found her a few moments later, burying her shiv in an Orc¡¯s neck.


    [Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +50 Exp ]


    ¡°Toofy!¡± I called out, trying to think of a plan. I didn¡¯t have much time.


    Toofy came running over almost immediately. She smiled up at me with a suspiciously bloody mouth.


    ¡°I need you to stay with Nadine. Kill any biters that try to attack her, Okay?¡± I hated the idea of leaving her behind, but I didn¡¯t think I had much fo a choice. Preparing to elave, I really hoped that Toofy would be alright.


    ¡°Toofy do!¡± Toofy agreed, running over to Nadine and snarling at the surrounding grass.


    With no time to spare, I adjusted my grip as best I could and began running back towards the town.


    [ Toofy has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp ]


    The notification made me flinch and I did my best to try and stop myself from dwelling on the fight that would be ahead of the adventurers I was leaving behind. With so many of them wounded, the Vrabbits would be drawn to them like sharks to chum.


    [ Clarice has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp ]


    I hadn¡¯t seen Clarice earlier, so it was a relief to see the notification with her name on it.


    [ Toofy has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp ]


    Toofy¡¯s kill notification was the last I received before making it into town.


    Seeing a bedraggled line of adventurers heading for the inn, I assumed that it was the emergency gathering point and would have treatment materials. So I rushed over as fast as I could manage.


    The common room was in a state of barely organized chaos. Bloodied young men and women were sitting wherever there was space. Those too injured to sit were laying on the tables. Using my size to push my way through the crowd, I gently lowered Emelia onto a table before offloading the other two adventurers nearby. Quickly looking around the room for medical supplies, I found only a few remaining rolls of bandages on a nearby table. I was relieved to find that Emelia at least seemed to still be relatively stable.


    [ Emelia - HP: -1/25 - Bloodied, Unconscious ]


    Quickly looking Emelia over, I identified a couple of broken ribs in addition to some deep cuts on her left arm, right leg and shoulder. Pulling out my sewing kit, I used the shears to cut away the tunic so I could bind her shoulder. Snatching up the bandages from the nearby table, I bound Emelia¡¯s shoulder and arm. Ideally, Emelia should get stitches, but right now the priority was stopping the bleeding. Repeating the process for the cut in Amelia''s thigh, I used up the last of the available bandages. What I used from that moment onwards came be from my own supply.


    Besides Rose and Kirk, there was no one else tending to the injured adventurers.


    Shouldn¡¯t there be a doctor around here or something?! What about the Guild?


    Shifting my attention to more productive avenues of thought, I moved over to the pair of adventurers I had brought over from the battlefield. The first was a young man with a broken arm and a bleeding head injury. The second was a young woman with short blonde hair. She had a nasty puncture wound to her stomach and shoulder.


    Starting to feel overwhelmed, I took a deep breath, ¡°Just stop the bleeding,¡± I muttered, ¡°Stop the bleeding and buy time to worry about everything else.¡± Bunching my muscles, I ripped off the young man''s tunic and tore it into strips. Since it was his clothing that was sacrificed, I tended the young man''s injuries first, starting by binding his head wound. Resetting the protruding bone back into his arm was trickier. Even though I had more than enough strength to force the bone back into place, the feeling beneath my hands made me feel ill. I had to ¡®borrow¡¯ a couple of pieces of firewood from the kitchen to serve as a splint.


    Shifting my attention to the young woman, I realised that I did not have enough of the young man¡¯s shirt remaining to treat both her injuries. So I decided to use the improvised bandages on her shoulder before taking a closer look at the puncture wound to her stomach. I tried to smell the wound, only to remember that my sense of smell had still not returned. With a deep sigh, I wadded the fabric patches from my sewing kit against the wound and used the remaining bandages Nadine had bought to bind them in place. It wasn''t pretty, but until I had actual supplies, it would have to do.


    ¡°H-hey,¡± someone took hold of my arm.


    Turning around to look at them, I saw a young woman nursing her shoulder and looking up at me with a fearful yet determined look in her eyes.


    ¡°C-can you help my friend? He is badly hurt and I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± she clutched at my arm desperately, giving me the impression that she wouldn¡¯t let go until I answered.


    ¡°I can try,¡± I agreed, ¡°But I don¡¯t have any more bandages.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to hear the second part, instead, she was determinedly trying to drag me over to another table.


    Following her through the crowd, I could see why she was so desperate. The clothes of the young man on the table were badly shredded, soaked in blood and his skin was deathly pale. Pressing my fingers to his throat, I tried to find a pulse. Even though I was not optimistic, I managed to feel a faint pulse. ¡°I need bandages!¡± I stated loudly, using my shears to cut away his tunic to see the damage.


    This was not good. The young man¡¯s chest was a mess of cuts. Some of them were shallow and could be ignored, but most were quite deep. Strangely, this was the first injury I had seen with clean cuts. All of the others had been ragged and accompanied by substantial bruising. The kinds of injury you would expect after getting hit with something like a stone axe or knife.


    Had he been attacked by another adventurer?


    With no sign of bandages, I sighed and wondered what the damages would be. ¡°I will be right back,¡± I called out as I headed towards the kitchen. With Rose and Kirk already occupied, I entered the kitchen uncontested. Passing through the kitchen, I entered the walled-off laundry area and pilfered four of the damp bedsheets hanging on the line. Viciously ripping two of them into strips and the remaining pair into quarters, I hurried back into the inn.


    Muscling through the crowd, I quickly folded over a quarter of the damp sheet and covered the young man''s chest. There were too many cuts to pad each wound individually, so instead, I was using the folded sheet to cover them all and now began wrapping the strips of bedsheet to bind it in place. ¡°Make sure no one moves him,¡± I grunted, working as quickly as I dared. If the young woman said anything I didn''t hear it. After binding his chest, I was mollified to see that the bleeding had slowed dramatically. Binding the cuts on his arms and legs, I was really starting to feel sick.


    I was covered in blood and couldn¡¯t stop my hands from shaking. Stumbling through the crowd I tried to calm down by breathing in the fresh air outside. But somehow, the air just tasted even more strongly of blood than it had inside. Trying to take another steadying breath, I wasn¡¯t ready for the fresh wave of nausea and doubled over as I retched up a torrent of bile. Pushing myself back to my feet, I tried to spit the lingering bile from my mouth.


    ¡°He is over here,¡± someone said loudly, ¡°Hey, you need to help my party member too! His leg is bleeding!¡±


    ¡°He needs to help my friend first!¡± Another argued, ¡°The Orcs broke her arm and the bone is sticking through!¡±


    A small crowd of less injured adventurers were beginning to surround me. Each of them arguing why their request was more justified than the others. With so many people shouting at me, I began to panic. Everyone was being so loud and there was so much blood... My insides writhed and I felt another wave of bile rising up my throat. Leaning heavily against the wall, I vomited for the second time and nearly fell to my knees.


    I couldn¡¯t stop my hands from shaking and no matter how vigorously I wiped them against the apron, they kept coming back sticky with blood. My tunic was soaked through with sweat and for the first time in a very long time, I felt cold. ¡°I can''t do this...¡± I whispered. With my back pressed against the wall of the inn, my knees buckled and I fell on my ass.


    ¡°Hey get up!¡± One of the people crowding around me demanded, ¡°This is no time to take a break!¡±


    ¡°Stupid monster! Get up! If my friend dies, it¡¯s your fault!¡± Yelled another.


    ¡°If he dies, I''ll kill you m-¡± Another member of the crowd began to shout, but I covered my ears and didn¡¯t hear anything else.


    I want to go home! This isn¡¯t real! Wake up!


    *****


    Limping heavily through the foothold gate, Nadine felt an immeasurable degree of relief. Both Clarice and herself were so tired that neither of them was sure who exactly was supporting whom as they leaned on one another and tried to keep moving forward.


    In comparison, Toofy, who was trotting along beside Nadine, was positively chipper. This was kind of awkward, considering that Toofy had done the majority of the fighting on the long walk back to the foothold. Nadine was forced to admit that Emelia¡¯s choice to make Tim a Taskmaster had probably saved her life today.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on in front of the inn?¡± Clarice asked woozily, ¡°Why are there so many people outside?¡±


    ¡°Maybe someone from the Guild is making an announcement?¡± Nadine suggested, still too far away to see any more than Clarice.


    Drawing closer, Nadine and Clarice heard the angry shouts and saw that some members of the crowd were swinging weapons.


    ¡°Did someone bring back an Orc?¡± Clarice asked, confused.


    ¡°TIM!¡± Toofy shrieked and dashed towards the crowd. After taking no more than two steps from Nadine¡¯s side, Toofy pitched to the ground and began clutching desperately at her head. ¡°T-TIM!¡± Toofy feebly tried crawling forward but made little progress using only one arm while clutching her head with the other. Collapsing outright, Toofy¡¯s body continued to shudder as if she were having a seizure.


    ¡°The hell is going on?! Ung!¡± Clarice bent down and dragged Toofy closer to take a look.


    Almost immediately, Toofy¡¯s convulsions subsided and she shakily staggered to her feet.


    ¡°THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!¡± The familiar voice boomed like thunder, rattling the nearby buildings.


    The crowd by the entrance to the inn had scattered backwards further into the street, revealing the innkeeper Kirk standing in the doorway, his clothes smeared with blood and his face blackened with anger.


    With the crowd now dispersed, Nadine would now see Tim curled up on the ground. Covered in blood, his clothes were in ruins.


    As Nadine and Clarice drew closer, they could see that Tim wasn¡¯t moving.


    Toofy tried rushing forward again, making it slightly further before collapsing into another seizure.


    ¡°Clarice! You have to keep hold of Toofy!¡± Tim had ordered Toofy to stay by Nadine¡¯s side. No match for Tim¡¯s ridiculous level of Willpower, Toofy would fry her brain if she kept trying to leave.


    Clarice grunted in acknowledgement and dragged Toofy back again. This time, she held Toofy around the waist as they continued slowly hobbling towards the inn.


    Kirk was kneeling down beside Tim and looked like he was trying to assess his injuries. Seeing Nadine and Clarice approaching from a short distance away, Kirk hurried over to them.


    ¡°What is wrong with Tim?¡± Nadine asked urgently, ¡°Is he badly hurt?¡±


    Kirk shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It Doesn''t look like the troublemakers managed much more than a few light cuts and bruises. But there is a huge bump on the back of his head and he isn¡¯t responding. It could be brain damage.¡±


    Nadine paled, she had seen Tim take the blow to the back of the head earlier. He had seemed to just shrug it off, so Nadine hadn¡¯t thought much about it. After all, Tim¡¯s Toughness and Racial Ability combined should have meant he took little if any damage at all from such a poor weapon.


    ¡°Are either of you critically injured?¡± Kirk asked worriedly, ¡°The Guild hasn¡¯t sent a Surgeon yet, so it is just me and RoseI, so I need to get back in there.¡±


    ¡°We can wait,¡± Clarice interjected before Nadine had a chance to say anything, ¡°Is Emelia alright?¡± She got beat up pretty bad.¡±


    Kirk nodded, ¡°Tim already patched up Emelia and the other adventurers he brought with him. Rose also checked his work to be sure, and it looks fine. There isn¡¯t much room left inside, but if you wait outside next to Tim, Rose and I will get to you when we can.¡± Kirk rushed back off towards the inn again.


    Staggering over to Tim, Clarice let Toofy go and leaned heavily against the wall. Nadine all but collapsed sliding down the wall, too tired and sore to move.


    ¡°What do you think happened?¡± Clarice asked worriedly, ¡°You think maybe they were gonna try and lynch him?¡±


    Nadine looked tiredly over at Tim and nodded. Emotions were running high, people had very likely lost friends and party members out on the plains today from the surprise Orc attacks. Everything had gone wrong faster than anyone could process what was happening. It made sense that the more impulsive and aggrieved adventurers would try and get some payback.


    Toofy had now armed herself with a small club in addition to her shiv and was standing beside Tim protectively. It was both touching and absurd to look at, given that even laying down, Tim was still almost taller than Toofy.


    ¡°The Guild is going to have to put up an extermination quest after this,¡± Clarice observed dryly.


    Nadine nodded in agreement, ¡°For monsters to behave this aggressively, a raid on the foothold would not be far behind.¡°


    ¡°You think they will let the more injured adventurers leave?¡± Clarice asked with concern. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be at least a week until some of us are able to walk again, let alone fight. They will factor that in right?¡±


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The rules are pretty clear though, if you can hold a weapon, you are supposed to stay.¡±


    ¡°Shit!...¡± Clarice cursed angrily.


    As of right now, any adventurers trying to leave this floor of the Labyrinth before the Guild made its ruling, would be blacklisted. Effectively, they were now trapped and had to make a decision that had dire potential consequences. Stay and fight, or flee and become blacklisted, ending their adventuring careers before they ever started.


    ¡°Shit!...¡± Clarice repeated, hissing through her teeth as she contemplated the impossible decision.


    *****


    I woke up in my bed int he inn.


    No, that¡¯s not right. I still have not woken up yet. I am still dreaming, still trapped in this nightmare.


    Sitting up, I found that someone had taken almost all of my clothes, leaving me with only my underwear. Looking around the room, I saw no sign of my clothes, the messenger satchel, or the sewing kit.


    I staggered over to the window and tried to breathe in the night air to clear my head.


    Shaking my head, I could still see the face of the Orc I killed, the fear in his eyes as I brought his own weapon down on his head and dashed his brains onto the grass. The taste of his blood in my open mouth.


    I''m found it hard to keep a clear line of thought. I felt dizzy, disconnected... Even the room was struggling to remain focused, the floor growing wider, expanding in all directions as a black yawning pit opened up beneath my feet.


    I fell through the darkness for what seemed like an eternity. I began to forget, to remember something important. It is there, If only I knew what it was, I could reach out and touch it, be made whole again.


    I was screaming, I didn¡¯t want to die, but it is inevitable. When I stopped falling, I wouldl die, this was an inescapable truth. I was falling, but the one screaming is not me. There was a light below, but it¡¯s too bright, I can¡¯t look and have to close my eyes.


    With a ragged gasp, I opened my eyes. My head was killing me, and my eyes feel like someone used them as stress balls for a few hours.


    What was with that messed up dream? Am I having a mental breakdown?


    Cautiously getting up off the bed, I could tell that it was daytime thanks to the light filtering through the gap in the window shutters. However, even that small amount of light felt almost like it was too much to bear. My skin was hot and I realised that I was probably running a fever.


    Barely able to see, I staggered to the door and tryed to turn the handle, only to find that it was locked.


    Why is the door to my bedroom locked? What, my bedroom door doesn''t have a lock... That means...


    I forced my eyes open and focused on my surroundings. ¡°Fuck...¡±


    I am still in this world after all?


    I groaned and stumbled back over to the bed. My head hurt too much to deal with this right now. Embracing sweet oblivion, I swore I could hear someone quietly laughing.


    Waking up again, I felt like a lot of time had passed. With my eyes feeling much better, I bravely glanced towards the window. Faint golden light filtering through the shutters meant that the day was just ending, or beginning.


    Getting to my feet with only minimal dizziness, I staggered over to the door. Testing the handle, I was not surprised to find that it was locked, but I had hoped that it wouldn¡¯t be. Turning around and heading back towards the bed, I heard someone''s footsteps coming down the hall.


    A few moments later, a key rattled in the lock and the door opened.


    Standing in the doorway was the innkeeper''s wife, Rose, holding a tray with a large jug and a small dishrag. ¡°Oh!¡± Rose gave a sudden start as she looked up and noticed me by the door. ¡°Tim, you gave me a bit of a fright. You have not stirred for days and now you''re suddenly up and about! How are you? The girls are worried sick!¡± Rose stepped back out into the hallway, ¡°Come on, follow me!¡± She insisted without giving me a chance to answer, her sharp tone making it clear that it was not a suggestion.


    Somewhat awkwardly, I followed Rose down the hall. I still felt somewhat light-headed, so it was difficult keeping my balance.


    Rose opened the door to the girls shared room.


    ¡°Rose! Is there any news on...¡± Nadine¡¯s voice trailed off momentarily as she caught sight of me lingering in the hallway. Nadine was sitting up in bed with her right arm in a sling and wearing a short-sleeved ankle-length nightgown. ¡°Tim! You''re awake!¡± Nadine cried out in surprise.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Clarice, also wearing a similar yet shorter nightgown shuffled into view from beside the door. Her left ankle was heavily bandaged and she was struggling to put her weight on it.


    ¡°TIM!¡± Toofy had been hidden under the bed, and desperately began scrambling towards me, only for Nadine to grab the back of Toofy¡¯s tunic at the last moment and drag her back.


    ¡°Toofy. No!¡± Nadine chided authoritatively, ¡°You have to stay close to me, remember?¡±


    Toofy didn¡¯t let up, redoubling her effort and began slipping out of her oversized tunic.


    ¡°Urgh, Tim! Could you get in here please!¡± Nadine gasped, straining to hold Toofy back with only her left arm.


    Rose smiled apologetically and stepped aside to let me pass through.


    The moment I came within arms reach, Nadine let go of Toofy, ¡°Ugh...¡± Nadine groaned, ¡°I think I pulled a muscle.¡±


    Toofy scrambled up my front and hugged me tightly around my neck. ¡°Tim gone, Toofy scared,¡± she whimpered, wet tears falling on my shoulder, ¡°Tim no leave Toofy!¡± Toofy demanded, hugging me tighter.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel incredibly selfish. I had pretty much forgotten about Toofy. Whether this was all a fever dream or hallucination, it sickened me that I could be so heartless.


    If this was a representation of my subconscious, wouldn¡¯t that make everything I do here all the more important?


    I hugged Toofy back, ¡°It¡¯s alright now,¡± I reassured her, ¡®I won¡¯t leave you behind again, okay?¡±


    ¡°O-o-okay,¡± Toofy sniffled, wiping her snotty nose on my bare shoulder.


    ¡°Tim,¡± Nadine waved her hand slightly to get my attention, ¡°You still need to revoke the last command you gave to Toofy. She could accidentally hurt herself again if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Her words were like a sucker punch to the gut. I was all too aware of the pain I experienced under Emelia¡¯s commands, to think of Toofy suffering through that made me feel sick. ¡°Toofy, you don''t have to follow Nadine anymore okay?¡±


    ¡°K-kay,¡± Toofy sniffled.


    ¡°You brought them back safe, just like I asked you to. I am proud of you,¡± I tousled her hair and moved to go sit on the corner of the bed.


    During this whole exchange, Emelia had remained asleep with a contented expression on her face.


    [Emelia - HP: 3/25 - Bloodied ]


    Rose placed the tray down by the window and placed the back of her hand against my forehead, ¡°Hrm, no sign of the fever, good. How do you feel?¡± She asked, scanning me from head to toe.


    ¡°My eyes hurt a little,¡± I admitted.


    Rose nodded, ¡°That¡¯s normal, it should pass some time in the next day or two. Just make sure you get plenty of rest,¡± she insisted.


    I nodded, even though I didn¡¯t really feel tired. There were still some light activities I could do in the meantime. However, with all my belongings currently missing, that would be quite difficult. ¡°Ah, have you seen my sewing kit?¡± I asked nervously, worried that one of the less scrupulous adventurers had stolen it in the confusion.


    OH NO!


    ¡°Ah, there was also a custom made toilet seat for Toofy, I dropped it...somewhere,¡± trying to think about where I had left it, made my head hurt.


    ¡°Oh, we were wondering who that belonged to,¡± Rose giggled, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we have all of the unclaimed belongings locked away to prevent sticky fingers. I will bring you your things a little later alright? Oh, but unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much we could do to save your clothes I am afraid, sorry.


    I nodded, but couldn¡¯t remember what happened to my clothes either. I remember that they had gotten pretty bloody and tattered, but a decent wash should have been alright.


    ¡°Anyway, I should leave you all to get some rest. Oh, here,¡± Rose handed me a room key, ¡°So you can lock your door. After what happened, Kirk wants to play things safe. So be safe, alright?¡± She straightened her apron, excused herself and closed the door.


    ¡°Why do I need to lock my door?¡± I asked, a little confused over what I have apparently missed.


    Nadine looked worried, ¡°You don¡¯t remember what happened?¡±


    I shrug helplessly, ¡°Remember what exactly? I remember receiving Emelia¡¯s commands, sort of, but bits and pieces are a blur.¡±


    Nadine nodded sombrely, ¡°What is the last thing you remember?¡±


    ¡°I think...I think it was bandaging up one of the seriously injured adventurers, but it''s kinda fuzzy,¡± I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t even know that person''s name, maybe I imagined it?¡±


    Nadine and Clarice shared a look, ¡°Mathis,¡± they answered in unison.


    ¡°The surgeon says you saved his life Tim,¡± Nadine explained, ¡°He didn''t believe it when everyone kept telling him that it was you who did it.¡±


    ¡°Still didn¡¯t by the time he left,¡± Clarice grunted irritably, ¡°Snotty prick.¡±


    Judging by the way Nadine let Clarice¡¯s comment slide without challenge, it seemed like her assessment was not altogether inaccurate.


    Nadine stared at me for a moment, her expression a mess of conflicting emotions, ¡°We are alive because of you Tim. No matter what happens, I just want you to know that I won''t forget it.¡±


    ¡°Me either,¡± Clarice grunted brusquely in agreement, ¡°Someone has a problem with you, they have a problem with me too!¡±


    ¡°Toofy too!¡± Toofy insisted.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied lamely, embarrassed by the intense focus of their attention. ¡°I uh, should probably go rest,¡± I muttered awkwardly. Standing back up, I gave the girls a brief wave in parting and closed the door behind myself.


    Heading back to my room with Toofy in tow, I noticed a young woman with short chestnut coloured hair and hazel eyes, staring at me from the landing to the stairs leading down to the common room.


    She had a curious expression on her face as if making up her mind about something. The young woman shrugged and headed downstairs, but she kept looking at me from the corner of her eye until disappearing from view.


    That was weird. I didn¡¯t remember having seen her around before either.


    Was she one of the adventurers Kirk was trying to get the inn prepared for? Or was she perhaps part of some reinforcements sent by the Guild? Without asking her, which I was in no rush to do, I had no way of knowing who she was and why she was here.


    Before going to bed, I made sure to lock the door and double-check it just to be sure. Something about that woman had put me on edge.


    With nothing else to do, I spent most of the day lightly dozing on my bed.


    Toofy had draped herself over my chest and tried to bite me every time I tried to move her, so there she remained. Toofy was only temporarily dislodged when Kirk delivered a large bowl of fried Vrabbit meat. But only until we finished eating.


    After sleeping through the night without incident, Toofy became slightly less clingy. She only insisted on remaining next to me.


    Waking up well and truly before just about everyone else, Toofy and I did not have to wait in line to use the toilets. All things considered, I still found sending Toofy in to use the toilet alone somewhat nerve-wracking. I couldn¡¯t help but worry that she would fall in somehow.


    But my worrying was ultimately for nothing. After a few minutes, Toofy pushed open the door and walked out proudly carrying the custom toilet seat under one arm. ¡°Toofy smart,¡± she reminded me with a grin.


    I chuckled and tousled Toofy¡¯s hair, ¡°Yes you are," I agreed happily. It was so satisfying, knowing that I wouldn¡¯t have to accompany Toofy to the toilet anymore. Partly, because of how awkward it was, but mostly because my sense of smell was slowly coming back.


    Returning to our room, I finalised my plans for making alterations to Toofy¡¯s clothes. The overall concept was just to downsize the tunic and pants. There was obviously more than enough fabric to do it, but since Toofy lacked any form of underwear I thought it might be best to start with the pants. At least this way Toofy would still basically be wearing a dress while I worked.


    Before sewing together the much smaller pair of trousers, I stitched together a couple of pairs of underwear for Toofy from the leftover fabric. It felt super awkward trying to design panties for her, so I just made drawstring boxers instead. Working on the tunic next, I decided that I would make Toofy a cloth belt, coin purse and a shoulder strap singlet from the leftover materials.


    Toofy really didn¡¯t understand my insistence on wearing two layers of clothing, but she eventually relented.


    ¡°Oh! Toofy warm!¡± Toofy announced cheerily, hugging herself and rolling around on the bed.


    So long as Toofy was happy and wearing underwear, I would take it as a win.


    Now I was left to lament my own clothing situation. While not naked, I was far from comfortable walking around in my underwear. With only a few scraps of cloth leftover, the only other fabric I had to work with was Nadine¡¯s bedroll. I could try and make a kilt, but I was fairly certain that the fabric was way too thick.


    ¡°Ugh! this is so annoying!¡± I grunted in frustration. I resolved myself to head downstairs and ask Rose what happened to my clothes, ¡°Come on Toofy, we are going downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Toofy agreed eagerly, nimbly jumping off the bed and clambering up my back to hang off my shoulder.


    Contrary to my expectations, despite being early in the early evening, the common room was mostly empty. I could only assume that most adventurers must be resting up in their rooms or something.


    Ignoring Kirk, who was struggling to keep a straight face, I determinedly walked through to the kitchen.


    ¡°Oh, hello Tim,¡± Rose welcomed me warmly from over by the cooking pot. ¡°When did you buy new clothes?¡± She asked, pointing at Toofy.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I sighed, ¡°I made these out of the clothes Toofy was wearing before.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± this seemed to have piqued Rose''s interest. ¡°Mind if I take a look?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, it¡¯s nothing special. I just did what I could with what I had,¡± I shrugged. I probably couldn''t do much better unless I somehow found a magical sewing machine or something, my finger dexterity leaves a lot to be desired.


    ¡°No, you did a pretty good job,¡± Rose insisted, testing the seams and darning, ¡°I am honestly surprised you can use a sewing needle with those large fingers of yours.¡±


    I shrugged. It was more an act of patience than actual skill on my part.


    ¡°Oh! You even made underclothes for her!¡± Rose commented in surprise, unabashedly looking down the front of Toofy¡¯s tunic.


    ¡°Ah, so Rose, I was wondering if there was anything left of my clothes? Even if they are a bit tattered, I can stitch them back up," I explained.


    Rose stiffened somewhat before quickly returning to making a show of looking over Toofy¡¯s new clothes, pretending she had not heard me ¡°Hrm? Oh look at this! How darling!¡±


    Well, that is incredibly suspicious. What happened to my clothes?! If Rose won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll try asking Kirk, and if Kirk won''t tell me, I¡¯ll ask Clarice. Why not Nadine? Because Clarice likes stirring the pot, and if she won''t tell me, no one will. ¡°We should be heading back to bed then, I¡¯ll see you later Rose,¡± I turned and left somewhat abruptly, hopefully making it clear that I didn¡¯t appreciate the cloak and dagger nonsense regarding the fate of my clothes!


    ¡°Oh, good night,¡± Rose called out hastily.


    I was going to take a seat at the bar but noticed Kirk deliberately avoiding eye contact.


    Well, that''s a bust too then. What the hell is going on?! What happened? What am I not remembering?


    Getting pretty annoyed at this point, I headed upstairs to the girls shared room. If Clarice was going to tell me anything, she wouldn¡¯t care if there was a disapproving audience or not, so it didn''t really matter.


    ¡°Grrr¡± Toofy stiffened, digging her thick pointed nails into my neck and back, growling quietly at the door to the girls room.


    Stopping outside their door, I could hear a conversation already progress with another woman I don¡¯t recognise.


    ¡°-just for tomorrow as a trial run and we split the coin one and three so everyone¡¯s nice and happy, okay?¡± The stranger suggested good-naturedly.


    ¡°You said that already,¡± Nadine replied suspiciously, ¡°But you still didn¡¯t explain why a level ten is interested in hunting on this floor of the Labyrinth. Forgive me, but this really doesn¡¯t seem worth your time...¡±


    They were discussing inviting another person to the party? But even Nadine, who was the most mobile of the group at the moment, was still fairly injured.


    The woman laughed a little in response before stopping suddenly, ¡°Oh, you''re serious? I thought I already explained myself quite well though? I am a Synergist, I need qualified party members to work at my full potential. Since no one else from my charter accepted this Guild request, I need at least one strong partner I can rely on. From what I hear, your Ogre is the strongest on the floor.¡±


    ¡°His name is Tim!¡± Clarice growled.


    The stranger gave a loud exaggerated sigh, ¡°Fine, Tim, whatever. Anyway, we can make the deal through the Guild if it makes you feel better, make it nice and legal,¡± she offered appeasingly, ¡°You really mean to tell me you three have enough savings to just sit here and do nothing for at least another week, HOPING that the raid doesn''t hit before you can stand on your own two feet and defend yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Clarice snapped angrily, ¡°How do we know you won''t just gank Tim the moment you take him outside the foothold?!¡±


    The stranger snorted derisively, ¡°Really? Assuming we make this deal through the Guild, why the hell would I risk my career over this? And in case you have forgotten something, I am stuck here like the rest of you until this raid is dealt with! The extermination request has Orc heads at ten copper each and Goblin heads at five copper each. With three-quarters of the bounty going to your party, you can make some quick easy moolah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the part I don¡¯t understand,¡± Nadine replied coldly, ¡°Why take on so much danger for so little reward?¡±


    The stranger groaned loudly, ¡°Seriously?! Are you not listening? I AM A SYNERGIST! So teaming up with an Ogre and hunting Orcs would make me the safest adventurer on this floor. Geez, if I could afford my own monsters, I wouldn¡¯t even be making this offer.¡±


    ¡°We need to think about this,¡± Nadine reluctantly conceded.


    ¡°That''s all I am asking,¡± the stranger said in exasperation, ¡°Geez!¡±


    The door opened and the chestnut-haired woman from earlier looked up at me, ¡°Oh hello there handsome. I was just talking about you,¡± she smirked and by the look in her eyes I could tell she knew I was listening to most of the conversation that transpired. She gave my stomach a playful slap as she passed by me into the hall and headed off to the stairs.


    There was something really off about her.


    ¡°Tim what are you doing here so late in the evening?¡± Nadine asked nervously.


    Trying to put that strange woman out of mind, I focused on my original reason for coming here. ¡°Clarice? What happened to my clothes?¡±


    Clarice and Nadine glance awkwardly at one another but say nothing.


    Emelia looks confused, ¡°Wait, why is Tim basically naked again?! Did someone steal Tim¡¯s clothes?!¡± She stared accusingly at Clarice.


    ¡°Uh...no,¡± Clarice answered awkwardly.


    Emelia narrowed her eyes and glared, ¡°Clarice, give Tim back his clothes!¡± She demanded, ¡°If you don¡¯t I¡¯ll tell Tim about-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal his clothes!¡± Clarice interjected with a panicked expression on her face.


    Emelia was unconvinced, ¡°Prove it,¡± she demanded.


    ¡°How?!¡± Clarice countered, ¡°I don''t have them and I don¡¯t know where they went. So how do you expect me to prove I didn¡¯t steal them?¡± She demanded angrily.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emelia scratched her head and her hardened expression softened again, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that,¡± her eyes suddenly went wide and Emelia pointed her finger accusingly at Nadine, ¡°Then it was you!¡±


    Well, this was going nowhere fast.


    Nadine let out a long-suffering sigh and massaged her temple, ¡°Look, Tim, your clothes were badly damaged in the Orc attack. Rose took them to The Tailor for us, to get them patched up, but something happened...¡± She shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Rose says The Tailor won''t give the clothes back unless you collect them in person...It hasn¡¯t done that before...¡±


    I shivered remembering the tailor¡¯s minor change in appearance as I was leaving the shop. ¡°What is the tailor? Is it a monster or something?¡± I blurted out, unable to handle the unknowns of it all. The tailor had really freaked me out. And there was no way in hell I was going back in there again without knowing more about it.


    Nadine nodded in understanding, her anxious expression a reflection of how I felt, ¡±The Labyrinth doesn''t just make monsters. Sometimes it makes people too-¡±


    I gulped hard and tried not to look too suspicious.


    ¡°-The people made by the Labyrinth are divided into two types, quest givers and vendors. Both types are very predictable and you can pretty much immediately tell that they aren¡¯t people. The quest givers will offer rewards for doing specific things, usually something dangerous, but the reward is almost always worth it. The vendors are mostly the same, charging high prices but selling items made of monster materials. But sometimes...sometimes the people the Labyrinth makes are a bit...wrong...¡± Nadine shivered.


    So I wasn¡¯t the only one who had seen what was wrong with the tailor, Nadine must have seen it as well. It¡¯s somewhat of a relief to know that I am not crazy....less crazy? Hrm...


    Nadine took a steadying breath before continuing, glancing somewhat nervously towards the window, ¡°The Tailor is something unique to this Labyrinth and it has a shop on every known floor. That in and of itself is pretty weird, a Labyrinth will rarely outright copy something like that so perfectly. Most of the time, it¡¯s just that woman, completely normal, just like every other vendor, predictable and forgettable. But every so often, The Tailor breaks script and talks to people,¡± she shivered again, ¡°But its appearance changes, like it is just borrowing the shopkeeper¡¯s body to communicate. This has started the rumour that The Tailor isn¡¯t just part of the Labyrinth, but the Labyrinth itself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so the tailor is a monster then?¡± I asked, wanting this confirmed.


    Nadine scrunched up her face and shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s complicated. By Guild definition, yes, it is a creature made by the Labyrinth, so it is a monster. But every attempt by epic level Monster Tamer¡¯s and Slaver¡¯s to capture The Tailor have met with disaster. The Guild¡¯s current policy is now to just observe. So long as no one antagonizes it, the Guild seems content to leave it be. There are even rumours of the Guild offices on other floors making deals with it in secret. But those are just rumours, of course.¡±


    This all had a Halloween type of vibe to it that I really wanted no part of. For the first time in my life, I was seriously considering whether I needed to wear clothes. To let something that insanely dangerous live inside the town just seemed insane. It was like knowing Pennywise wass living in a house across the street and sending your kids trick or treating anyway.


    How the hell does the Guild even rationalize it?


    ¡°It has never attacked anyone unprovoked,¡± Clarice explained, giving me a sombre look that made it clear she had guessed at my line of thought. ¡°Only when people try to steal something or attack it. Fuck, you can curse at it all day and it will just raise the prices. So much as slap it, you''re done...¡±


    ¡°That does not make me feel better...¡± I complained.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t meant to,¡± Clarice scoffed, ¡°It was for context.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Tim,¡° Nadine added hastily, ¡°I can go with you if you want,¡± she offered reassuringly.


    Geez, am I that much of a coward, that I would drag a crippled woman a quarter or less of my weight into a monster den, just to retrieve my clothes?


    The answer was yes. There was no way I was going back there alone.


    ¡°Toofy too!¡± Toofy volunteered adamantly.


    I had forgotten about Toofy. The prospect of Toofy backing me up was actually much more reassuring than Nadine. Even though Toofy was damned small, I pitied anyone who would pick a fight with her one on one. Not least of all because I still don¡¯t know where she has been hiding that shiv...


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed with a depressed sigh.


    Let¡¯s go and have a chat with the creepy monster across the street just as the sun is setting. What can go wrong? Nope. To hell with that!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go tomorrow morning,¡± I suggested tactfully.


    Nadine nodded, visibly relieved.


    Even Clarice looked somewhat relieved.


    ¡°Wait... So Rose stole Tim¡¯s clothes?¡± Emelia asked, obviously confused.


    The three of us stared at Emelia incredulously for a moment before Clarice started baying in laughter. Unable to help ourselves, Nadine and I joined in.


    ¡°What?¡± Emelia asked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment, ¡°Did she not take them then?¡±


    Even Toofy joined in now, ¡°Heeheehee, Master silly.¡±


    ¡°Hrmph!¡± Emelia pouted, crossing her arms.


    It felt good to laugh again. I honestly couldn¡¯t remember the last time I felt like this. To feel it here of all places too, maybe my subconscious knew what it was doing. I hadn''t felt this happy in a long time. I was almost disappointed that this was all just a figment of my imagination.


    *****


    Jacque left the inn and walked across the street to the tailor¡¯s shop. Unlike most, she didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second before entering. Jacque knew about ¡®The Tailor¡¯ and the stupid mythos the adventurers Guild had built around her and she couldn¡¯t care less.


    ¡°Greetings, customer,¡± the hollow puppet of a shopkeeper called out in welcome.


    ¡°Spare me,¡± Jacque slid the deadbolt home and locked the door before approaching the counter. ¡°Come on out Kiki, I don''t have all night!¡± She tapped her boot impatiently.


    The shopkeeper puppet blinked and subtly began to change, most notably her teeth sharpening like needles. ¡°Ahhh, Jacque!¡± Kiki hissed, ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± Her accent completely out of place for this world and its inhabitants.


    ¡°I want to know more about that Ogre, the one the adventurers are calling Tim,¡± Jacque demanded.


    Kiki nodded, the neck of her puppet crackling like dry leaves, ¡°This information will cost you,¡± she grinned and leaned forward across the counter.


    Jacque sighed and removed a small pouch from her belt before upending the contents on the counter. Small quartz-like crimson crystals tumbled into a small pile, ¡°Talk,¡± Jacque demanded.


    Kiki¡¯s grin broadened as she regarded the tiny crystals. Even though there were only ten, they were each the size of her thumbnail and Jacque knew that she likely had not eaten yet today. ¡°A young woman brought him in about five days ago, bought some basic clothes and an apron. All quite ridiculous, like an Ogre even needs anything more than a loincloth.¡±


    Jacque nodded and pushed two of the crystals to Kiki.


    Kiki immediately snatched the crystals up, threw them in her mouth and swallowed. ¡°Mmmmmm, that hits the spot,¡± she purred, covetously eyeing the remaining crystals.


    ¡°You want more?¡± Jacque asked, tracing her finger between the crystals, ¡°Then make it worth my while.¡±


    Kiki hissed and scratched her now lengthening fingernails across the counter in frustration, ¡°You want him? Yes? The Ogre?¡± Her accent thickened, becoming more difficult to understand.


    Jacque nodded.


    ¡°I can help! Give him a nudge in the right direction!¡± Kiki¡¯s attention rapidly altered between Jacque and the crystals.


    ¡°Explain,¡± Jacque demanded cooly, making a show of being unimpressed.


    ¡°The clothes! His clothes! I have them, wanted to have a little chat, demanded they bring him to me,¡± Kiki explained hurriedly, ¡°You want the Ogre? I can offer him a deal!¡±


    Jacque was unimpressed, ¡°And how does this help me?¡± She demanded.


    Kiki hissed angrily, ¡°When his masters take him into the forest to perform my quest, you follow and kill them! Then the Ogre is yours!¡±


    ¡°Your ideas get really stupid when you''re hungry, you know that?¡± Jacque observed dryly.


    Kiki bristled at the insult, her mouth growing larger, lips blackening as her skin grew paler.


    ¡°Oh, calm down!¡± Jacque hissed in annoyance, picking up one of the crystals and tossing it into Kiki¡¯s mouth, ¡°Such a drama queen.¡±


    Kiki glared balefully at Jacque but did not spit the crystal back out, quickly swallowing it instead. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s not an entirely stupid idea,¡± Jacque sighed, ¡°Alright. Offer him a deal to go hunting for the boss monster, or something. His masters are out of commission, so as long as you make the deal sweet enough, we can all come out a winner here. You get a tasty mana crystal, I get some alone time with Tim and his masters get a stack of cash. Deal?¡± She pushed another two crystals halfway across the counter.


    Kiki stared hungrily at the crystals, her long black tongue slipping between her teeth, ¡°I want more!¡± She demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the remaining five AFTER,¡± Jacque countered.


    ¡°Done!¡± Kiki slammed her withered hand down on the counter and swept the two crystals up into her mouth.


    Jacque placed the remaining crystals into her pouch again and walked back over to the door, ¡°You better hold up your end of the deal, Kiki!" Leaving the shop and stepping out into the now rapidly darkening street, Jacque looked back over her shoulder at the puppet which had returned to its original unassuming appearance, ¡°Pfft, addicts,¡± she muttered derisively, rolling her eyes and walking back over to the inn.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 04 – A tailored experience – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 04 ¨C A tailored experience ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 04 - A tailored experience - Part One {Rewrite}


    Despite waking up at the crack of dawn, I was in no rush. Checking underneath the bandages on Toofy¡¯s arms, I was surprised to find that they had completely healed, leaving behind only a few small scars. The same was true of her face as well. The deep gash on the right side of her face was gone, replaced by a long discoloured scar. Nadine hadn¡¯t been kidding. Toofy looked like she had made a full recovery and that was supported by the group status.


    [Toofy - HP: 19/19 - Normal ] S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°How is your eye Toofy?¡± I asked excitedly.


    Toofy was blinking a lot as she attempted to adjust to the light but seemed just as excited as I was, ¡°Toofy see!¡± She stood up somewhat unsteadily and started jumping around on the bed. ¡°Toofy see! Toofy see!¡± Toofy repeated with every jump.


    I chuckled watching Toofy play around. She must have been more worried than I was, despite the brave face she had put on. ¡°Do you want to come with me and get breakfast?¡± I asked Toofy loudly.


    Immediately changing focus, Toofy stopped jumping and looked at me blankly for a moment before her eyes lit up, ¡°Breakfast!¡± She cried excitedly and began trying to shove me off the bed.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m getting up,¡± I chuckled, standing up and letting Toofy clamber up my arm.


    Toofy stopped halfway up, hanging off my arm like a sailor in ships rigging, pointing excitedly to the door. ¡°Go Tim go! Breakfast!¡± She shrieked excitedly.


    We left the room on our grand voyage to the common room bar downstairs.


    ¡°Pfffft!¡± The innkeeper, Kirk, was not prepared and sprayed his morning tea halfway down the length of the bar before quickly ducking into the kitchen.


    ¡°What are you doing? I still need to-¡± Rose¡¯s complaint¡¯s stopped mid-sentence upon following her husband¡¯s frantic gesturing, ¡°Pfft AHAHAHA!¡± She clutched at her stomach and laughed.


    Kirk himself was red-faced, wheezing breathlessly and slapping his thigh.


    I couldn¡¯t blame them. Toofy and I looked pretty silly. Walking down the remaining stairs, I sat down at the bar, taking care to pick a stool that was not wet. Toofy moved up onto my shoulder and sat down.


    Maybe I should have worn Toofy¡¯s bandage eyepatch and added to this nautical theme? I mean, with Toofy on my shoulder, that¡¯s kind of like a pirate, right?


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realise how much I needed to see that,¡± Rose snickered, using her apron to wipe a tear from her eye.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that funny,¡± I countered, still smiling in spite of myself.


    Kirk was still bent over wheezing, waving his hand and pointing as means of contributing to the conversation.


    ¡°Breakfast!¡± Toofy demanded seriously, slapping her thighs with a serious frown on her face.


    ¡°Pffft,¡± Rose clapped her hand over her mouth and made it to the kitchen before she started laughing again, ¡°AHAHA!¡±


    I turned my head to look at Toofy, ¡°Breakfast is serious business, isn¡¯t it, Toofy?¡±


    Toofy nodded emphatically, ¡°Breakfast business!¡± She agreed with a stern expression, glaring at Kirk.


    ¡°I...I can¡¯t...¡± Kirk wheezed, stumbling light-headed into the kitchen.


    Toofy shook her head, very unimpressed with Kirk¡¯s lack of professionalism. After all, he had one job, bringing Toofy her food, and he is somehow messing it up.


    Or at least that¡¯s what I liked to think Toofy is thinking anyway.


    After a couple of minutes, Rose returned from the kitchen with a pair of large steaming bowls of what I would guess was meat in gravy.


    ¡°How much is the meal today?¡± I asked, opening the cloth bag for my coppers.


    Rose waved her hand, ¡°No charge, all expenses are being paid by the Guild until the emergency is over,¡± she smirked, ¡°So I won¡¯t be charging you for ruining four of my good sheets either.¡±


    Toofy hopped off my shoulder, sat down on the bar and scooted closer to one of the bowls until it was in her lap. She scowled at the bowl¡¯s contents and glared at Rose accusingly, ¡°Hot,¡± Toofy reviewed scathingly.


    Oh boy, maybe today was the day I taught Toofy how to use utensils?


    ¡°Rose, are spoons covered as part of the Guild¡¯s subsidy?¡± I asked, hopefully.


    Rose could see where I was going with the question and nodded. She bent down and withdrew a wooden spoon from beneath the bar and held it out for Toofy.


    ¡°If you use a spoon, you can blow on your food to cool it down before putting it in your mouth,¡± I explained to Toofy while gesturing to the spoon, ¡°I¡¯ll show you okay, watch me,¡± I used the spoon provided in my bowl to lift a chunk of gravy covered meat in front of my face, gave it a few exaggerated but gentle blows before putting it in my mouth, chewing and swallowing. ¡°See? Now you try,¡± I encouraged Toofy.


    Toofy looked up at me dubiously as she accepted the spoon from Rose. She copied my actions to a tee. However, upon putting the spoon in her mouth, Toofy¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement, and I quickly pulled the spoon from her mouth as she began vigorously chewing. ¡°No hot! Toofy no hurt!¡± Toofy declared in amazement, snatching the spoon back from me and going in for another spoonful.


    ¡°No biting the spoon,¡± I warned Toofy, ¡°Use your lips to pull it off the spoon, like this,¡± I demonstrated exaggeratedly, probably looking like one of those apes eating ants off a stick.


    Taking her induction into the ways of consuming food very seriously, Toofy watched me with rapt attention before trying it herself. It took her a few tries, but she got the hang of it.


    ¡°You¡¯re so smart Toofy¡± I tousled her hair affectionately and left her to eat in peace.


    Toofy smiled and proudly flaunted her newly acquired skills. Throughout the meal, she managed to avoid spilling even a single drop of gravy on herself. A truly impressive feat.


    Which is more than can be said for myself. However, one of the benefits of not having a shirt on was that I could quickly clean the mess.


    After polishing off her bowl of meat and gravy, Toofy rubbed her belly contentedly.


    ¡°Are you full Toofy?¡± I asked her warily.


    Toofy nodded and burped, ¡°Toofy full,¡± she agreed with a lazy smile.


    Interestingly, Toofy¡¯s appetite had reduced substantially. The only cause for it I could think of was that her HP was now full. As best I could figure, the synergy from my Racial Ability becomes inactive if she was at full HP. Which could explain how I have been able to exercise so much restraint as well. Looking at my own HP, I was not surprised to find it was maxed out, which seemed to support my assumption, at least for the time being anyway.


    I wondered if anything had changed, ¡°Status.¡±


    [Tim - Ogre Runt: 1 ] [HP: 45/45 ] [MP: 0/0 ]


    [Emelia¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Taskmaster 0. +1 Willpower, +5 HP.] [Exp: 483/1000 ]


    [Strength: 15* ]


    [Agility: 8 ]


    [Toughness: 20* ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 15* (16*) ]


    [Presence: 3 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide {Rank 0}): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength {Rank 0}): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut {Rank 0}): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]


    [(Class Ability: Word of the master): The Monsters and Slaves in your party obey your commands as if you were their master. Disobeying your direct commands requires a contest of (Willpower). Degree of failure will result in pain being administered until the command is obeyed or the command is rescinded.]


    [Group Synergy: {Vicious: - }, {Underfoot: - }.]


    [(Enslaved Status Effects: {Hide/Expand})]


    Just under halfway to the Exp cap. I assumed that I would ¡®level up¡¯ when I reached the maximum.


    Taking a quick look through, I saw that there was something I hadn¡¯t noticed before. It was the group synergy Nadine had told me about. Vicious and Underfoot were Toofy¡¯s Racial Abilities. A bit further down, I saw that the Enslavement effects had all collapsed and sorted themselves into a single line of text.


    When and how did that happen? Did I make that change in my sleep? or...Oh, doesn¡¯t Emelia have access to my status screen? That could be annoying. Wait a minute, looking to the side, I took a look at Toofy¡¯s status.


    [Toofy - Goblin: 1 ] [HP: 19/19] [MP: 0/3 ]


    [Emelia¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Scavenger 2. +2 Intelligence, +1 Toughness, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 581/3000 ]


    [Strength: 7 ]


    [Agility: 13* ]


    [Toughness:6 (7) ]


    [Intelligence: 6* (8*)]


    [Willpower: 6* ]


    [Presence: 5 ]


    [(Class Ability: Treasure Sense): Detects and highlights items of value within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases range.]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious {Rank 0}): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot {Rank 0}): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    I couldn''t see the group synergy or enslavement information at all.


    Why is that? Is it because I don¡¯t have permission to see them? Nadine did keep asking for Emelia to give her permission to see my status. So maybe I can only see this much of Toofy¡¯s status by default? Also, wow, how many Vrabbit¡¯s did Toofy kill while protecting Nadine? She had barely any Exp before, now she has close to one hundred more than I do...


    Watching Toofy, now rolling around on the floor holding her feet, it was very difficult to reconcile her current behaviour against her murder-hobo persona in combat. Objectively, it was terrifying. It was like having a miniature Hulk...with a shiv. One moment her hand is empty, next thing you know, she¡¯s holding a bloody shiv, and you''re dying from exsanguination. I honestly didn¡¯t see how the girl¡¯s thought a Goblin wouldn¡¯t pull its own weight. As far as I could tell, Toofy was carrying the team.


    ¡°Hello, handsome,¡± the woman with the chestnut hair and hazel eyes had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She took a seat next to me at the bar, ¡°I would dress down for breakfast as well, but I don¡¯t have your self-confidence,¡± she grinned brazenly and leaned sideways on the bar and batted her eyelashes at me.


    Was she seriously trying to flirt with me? Or maybe just messing with me? Hrm, no, she definitely wants something. Life experience all but confirmed it.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want anything from you, alright?¡± She turned her back to the bar and stretched, ¡°Just trying to make conversation is all, honest.¡±


    Okay, that was weird.


    ¡°What do we even have to talk about?¡± I asked sceptically, recalling what I had overheard last night.


    The woman smiled lazily and nodded, ¡°Probably more than you think, but less than I am willing to divulge in front of an audience. Beer and breakfast, please!¡± She called out loudly towards the kitchen.


    There was a slight scuffling sound, and a few moments later, Kirk left the kitchen with a bowl of meat and gravy. The slight colour in his cheeks suggested that perhaps he had been eavesdropping and was embarrassed about being caught.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed Kirk at all, so I wondered how this woman had managed it.


    Did she have crazy detection skills or something?


    The woman dropped one copper on the table and gave me a curious smirk, ¡°I bet you¡¯re wondering how I knew the innkeeper was there, right?¡± She smirked again and took the tankard of beer Kirk just served and began drinking it down. ¡°Gah! That¡¯s the stuff! Breakfast of champions!¡± She slammed the now empty tankard back on the bar and turned her attention back to me again, ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Well, what?¡± I asked, ¡°Did you want applause? I have watched a bunch of adventurers drink a tankard in one. It¡¯s honestly not very impressive.¡±


    She snorted and rolled her eyes, ¡°Well, no, I meant about the innkeeper thing. You aren¡¯t even gonna try guessing?¡± She asked, somewhat disappointed.


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Fine. You probably saw him when you came down the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Nope, he was canoodling his wife when I came down,¡± she insisted playfully, ¡°Try again.¡±


    I frowned. Spying on people wasn¡¯t really my thing, so naturally, I didn¡¯t know how she could have done it. I shrugged, ¡°I dunno, how?¡±


    She sighed and shook her head slightly, ¡°Giving up so easily? Fine,¡± she sat up and tapped her temple ¡°Trade secret,¡± she smiled conspiratorially and leaned onto the bar again.


    ¡°Then why did you even ask me to guess if you weren¡¯t going to tell me anyway?¡± I asked exasperatedly.


    ¡°To have a conversation, sourpuss,¡± she smirked and began eating her breakfast while waiting for me to react.


    Nope, not worth it. This person was just trouble. I glanced down at Toofy and could see she thought much the same as I did, standing between the woman and me, glaring at her balefully with teeth bared and ready. ¡°Kirk, can I get three bowls for the girls?¡± I asked while ignoring the disappointed look that the woman gave me.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kirk disappears into the kitchen.


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, don¡¯t be like that!¡± The woman insisted, ¡±We haven¡¯t even had a chance to introduce ourselves yet.¡±


    I scowled and did my best to ignore her.


    ¡°Hi Tim, I¡¯m Jacque,¡± she extended her hand expectantly only to suddenly whip her arm back.


    *Clack*


    Toofy jumped up between us and missed biting the woman''s fingers by less than an inch.


    ¡°Nice try puppy,¡± Jacque, smirked antagonistically.


    ¡°Grrrr!¡± Toofy climbed up my back and onto my shoulder again, growling angrily and brandishing her shiv menacingly.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Kirk returned from the kitchen and handed me a large tray with the three bowls on it.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I got up off the stool and walked over to the stairs.


    ¡°Nice talk. Let¡¯s do it again some time, yeah?¡± Jacque called after me.


    I could feel her eyes on me as I walked up the stairs and tried to ignore her.


    What is she even trying to accomplish? Does she think that if I have a shot at sleeping with her that I¡¯ll magically be able to slip Emelia¡¯s enslavement and join her team as her Slave instead? Ridiculous.


    I knocked on the door to the girl¡¯s room and heard a sudden scramble and scattered whispers.


    A key rattled in the lock, and Nadine opened the door, ¡°Oh, it''s just Tim and Toofy,¡± she called out over her shoulder and made room for me to enter.


    Entering the room, I could see Clarice in the process of turning her tunic the right way round and avoiding eye contact.


    Emelia was glancing at her, giggling quietly.


    I shrugged and put the tray down on the bed. I had accidentally put clothes on the wrong way round when in a rush too. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. Picking up a bowl and spoon, I handed it to Emelia. ¡°Are you feeling any better?¡± I asked her, glancing at the status display.


    [Emelia - HP: 3/25 - Bloodied ]


    Emelia smiled and gratefully accepted the bowl of food, ¡°Thanks, Tim. Ah, it¡¯s starting to hurt less.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be able to fight for at least a week though without exacerbating her injuries,¡± Nadine added gloomily.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a week pretty fast?¡± I asked, a little confused. The healing rate of people in this world was insane.


    Nadine shrugged, ¡°It depends. Adventurers can heal from injuries pretty quickly, assuming there are monsters to eat. But it¡¯s still nothing compared to a monster''s rate of healing.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by that?¡± I asked. That sounded like very important information. All the more so, considering that if Emelia died, I would probably not be far behind her.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s one of the perks of being an adventurer. So long as we eat meals primarily made of monsters, it accelerates our body¡¯s healing. There are a few factors, like the adventurers level, the tier and rank of the monster, and how much of it the adventurer has eaten recently,¡± Nadine gave me a sympathetic look, perhaps assuming that the information dump had been a bit too much, ¡°Basically, low-level adventurers like us, eating low tier and rank monsters for every meal will heal about one HP a day. Does that make sense?¡±


    I nodded, it was simple enough to get my head around. So that meant that it would be twenty-two days until Emelia returned to full HP again. That was still a very long time to be in recovery. But Nadine had said about a week? Actually, that was an important point, ¡°What does the Bloodied Condition mean?¡±


    ¡°Hrm, basically, it is a Condition that applies to adventurers and monsters that get below half their maximum HP. Some adventurers'' and monsters¡¯ abilities are dependent on the Bloodied Condition or Conditions in general to work. Toofy has an ability like that if I recall,¡± Nadine explained, sitting down on the bed and starting her breakfast.


    ¡°What about Vrabbit¡¯s? Do they have an ability like that? I asked worriedly, realising just how royally screwed we are right now.


    ¡°They do,¡± Clarice confirmed dourly, ¡°It¡¯s called Swarm, and it¡¯s brutal. It agros all other Vrabbit¡¯s in range to attack the same target. Pretty much the moment one person becomes Bloodied, the Vrabbits completely ignore everyone else and rush that person exclusively. Combine it with their Blood Scent ability, and you are just screwed,¡± she hugged her arms and shivered.


    That certainly explained what happened during the Orc ambush. Why so many adventurers were in reserve guarding the flank and not fighting the Orcs alongside the others. But that was another thing I needed to know as well, ¡°How many adventurers can be in the same party?¡± I asked curiously. Surely there had to be some reason why adventurers didn¡¯t just make twenty-plus kill teams for safety.


    ¡°OOH! OOH! I KNOW THIS ONE!¡± Emelia shouted excitedly.


    ¡°Damn! Volume!¡± Clarice shot Emelia an angry glare.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Emelia apologised, cheeks reddening in embarrassment, ¡°But I know this one! It¡¯s five, the party limit is five adventurers,¡± she declared proudly.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Emelia is right. The party limit is five adventurers and ten tamed monsters or Slaves.¡±


    Well, that seemed exploitable, ¡°So why don¡¯t people run around with loads of Slaves and tamed monsters then?¡±


    Nadine smirked wryly and nodded, ¡°Some people do. But it¡¯s rare. Not everyone can manage such a large party effectively, and the startup costs are just unrealistic.¡±


    ¡°What about taming more monsters? It is Emelia¡¯s Class Ability, right? Couldn¡¯t we avoid a repeat of that latest disaster just by taming more monsters?¡± I felt dirty, suggesting that. It was one thing to make the most of the bad situation, but to deliberately encourage drawing others into that situation with me was a bit much.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°Unless we bought slave collars for them, it isn¡¯t possible. Emelia¡¯s taming ability has a restriction based on her Presence statistic. She probably won¡¯t be taming anything for a very long time unless we manage to save up a lot of silver and buy a collar for Toofy.¡±


    I wanted to ask why they would buy a collar for Toofy and not me, but the prospect of wearing a Slave collar just made the underlying nature of our relationship way too real.


    The conversation hit a lull at that point, and I let the girls eat their breakfast in peace. Nadine was taking her time, eating with deliberate, almost perverse slowness. I didn¡¯t blame her, though. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to going to the tailor either.


    After about a half-hour, Nadine finished her breakfast, and we no longer had an excuse for procrastinating any further. Capitalising on her weakened condition, we did take the stairs very slowly, just to be safe. But that only earned us another five minutes. Gloomily walking across the road, I wanted nothing more than to call it off and go back to the inn. Even fighting Vrabbit¡¯s would be preferable to this.


    Now standing outside the tailor¡¯s shop, I could see the shopkeeper through the open door. She was just standing there without moving, not even so much as blinking.


    ¡°We should just get this over with,¡± Nadine suggested, her expression determined despite her left hand trembling.


    I was a real piece of work. I could have faced this eldritch horror alone, but instead, I was dragging two other people down with me. I let out a deep sigh and entered the store.


    Almost immediately, the shopkeeper¡¯s head turned to face me, its dark eyes boring into my soul. Unlike the previous times I had visited, the shopkeeper did not offer a greeting. Instead, she began tapping her nails impatiently.


    Nadine took hold of my hand, and I very nearly jumped out of my skin in fright. This was one of the few times I was glad to have a poor reaction speed. It was probably the only reason I was preserving any degree of my dignity at this point. Not that I thought Nadine would judge me too harshly. She had to be at least as frightened as I was. I could feel her pulse racing.


    Desperately stealing my nerve, I began approaching the counter again. Each step became more difficult than the last, my dread making me feel like I had weights strapped to my legs and feet. By the time we arrived at the counter, I honestly had no idea how long it had taken us to get here.


    The shopkeeper smiled, revealing rows of needle-like teeth, ¡°I have been expecting you,¡± she said in a mildly annoyed tone, one of her nails shaving a line of wood from the counter. ¡°I have a deal I want to offer you, Tim,¡± the shopkeeper hissed, ¡°I desire the head of the Orc chieftain. Bring it to me, and I shall reward you!¡± Her mouth grew wider, revealing more teeth and a blackened tongue.


    ¡°Wh-what is th-the re-reward?¡± Nadine stammered, adamantly staring at the ground and refusing to meet its gaze.


    The shopkeeper glared balefully at Nadine with undisguised contempt, ¡°Fifty silver coins is your prize, if you dare,¡± it hissed.


    Nadine was now trembling like a leaf.


    We desperately needed that money. The Orcs needed to die, and theoretically, killing the chieftain would at least delay the raid.


    Was there a downside to this I was not aware of? Was this an elaborate trick, like a Faustian bargain or something?


    ¡°Why do you want the chieftain''s head?¡± It took me a moment to realise that I asked the question out loud.


    The creature stared at me with soulless black eyes for a moment, as if considering the question, ¡°The chieftain has inconvenienced me. I would have him removed and made an example to others!¡± it cackled dryly.


    ¡°Fine, we will do it,¡± I felt like, unless I gave the creature a reason to keep us alive, I doubted we would be leaving the building, dead or otherwise.


    All at once, the creature disappeared, replaced by the unassuming shopkeeper. ¡°Don''t forget your purchases,¡± the shopkeep motioned woodenly to the small pile of folded clothes on the counter.


    Snatching up the clothes, I quickly backed away and dragged Nadine after me. Never has the sun felt so good against my skin!


    ¡°We are alive?¡± Nadine whispered incredulously, ¡°Holy shit, we are alive!¡± Her knees buckled, and she nearly fell to the ground and only managed to remain standing by clutching onto my arm.


    ¡°That was stupid...¡± I groaned. I was way too reckless.


    What the hell was that thing anyway?! How the hell do Kirk and Rose sleep at night knowing that thing is just across the road?!


    ¡°Tim?...¡± Toofy whimpered weakly, scrambling off my back. She hugged my neck tight. I could feel her heartbeat hammering in her chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now Toofy,¡± I gently hugged her back with my free arm.


    Toofy said nothing and just hugged me tighter, sniffling quietly and burying her head against my shoulder.


    ¡°Next time I am going in alone,¡± It was selfish and cruel to drag Nadine and Toofy along for this horror show.


    What had bringing them along actually accomplished? Pretty much nothing but traumatising three people instead of one. For crying out loud, Toofy was basically just a kid and Nadine was crippled, I really was a monster...


    Sitting on the floor in Nadine, Clarice and Emelia¡¯s room, I sat in silence gently rocking Toofy in my arms. She had cried herself to sleep sometime after we returned to the inn and became distressed whenever I tried putting her down. So it had taken me quite a while to get dressed without waking her.


    Nadine had just finished recounting what happened to Emelia and Clarice, so the three of them were trying to decide what to do. Obviously, it would be incredibly dangerous to just send me out into the forest to try and find the Orc chieftain. But similarly, all three of them still had the Bloodied condition and would not be able to leave the town without being swarmed by Vrabbits.


    ¡°I guess we have no choice...¡± Nadine sighed, ¡°Tim?¡±


    I looked over at Nadine and saw she had a defeated expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any other way to get out of this. I think we will have to make a deal with this Jacque person,¡± Nadine sighed gloomily, ¡°I have a bad feeling about her, but I don¡¯t know what else we can do.¡±


    I nodded. I understood exactly what she meant. Accepting the tailor monster¡¯s ¡®deal¡¯ assumedly came with the expectation that it would need to be completed in a similar fashion to other quest givers requests. So I had a week or less before the quest would ¡®fail¡¯. The consequences for that failure were completely up for interpretation, and as such, we all assumed the worst. Basically, I had less than a week to bring back the chieftain¡¯s head, or the tailor monster would take mine instead.


    ¡°I will try to negotiate for the best possible terms,¡± Nadine tried to reassure me, ¡°If she tries anything funny, feel free to run back to the foothold and we will remove her from the party.¡±


    ¡°She said her class is a Synergist, what is that? Is there something I need to watch out for?¡± I asked, wanting to confirm my suspicions.


    Nadine blanched and nodded, ¡°Jacque claims her class is Synergist. You remember what I told you about Racial Ability Synergies, right?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Well, the Synergist class would allow Jacque to effectively gain that same benefit for any Slaves or tamed monsters in her party. Similarly, she can also Synergize Class Abilities. These will of course all be weaker than the originals, but I don¡¯t know by how much. Of course, all this information is second-hand, I had never met a Synergist before now,¡± Nadine explained apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I understand,¡± I sighed and carefully got to my feet, cradling Toofy in my arm. ¡°So what she said that night wasn¡¯t just boasting? With me in her party, would she really be the strongest adventurer on this floor of the Labyrinth?¡±


    Nadine nodded and got off the bed, ¡°Quite possibly. If she really is level ten, then she is already pretty strong anyway.¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡± Clarice called out hurriedly, stopping Nadine and I as we were about to leave. She fished something out of her pocket and held it out in her hand. It was a small wooden spinning top, no larger than an inch in diameter, made of a dark polished wood of some kind. ¡°It¡¯s my good luck charm, I''ve had it since I was a kid. I want you to take it,¡± Clarice insisted, her cheeks flushing slightly.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I accepted the toy somewhat guiltily.


    ¡°Just...Just make sure you come back in one piece to give it back okay?! If you don''t I¡¯ll hunt you down and drag you back myself!¡± Clarice looked away and punched my arm.


    ¡°Stay safe Tim!¡± Emelia called out from the bed, ¡°If you get yourself killed, I won''t forgive you!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± I replied with as much confidence as I could muster.


    As Nadine and I left the inn and headed towards the Guild office, I looked back and could see Clarice watching us from the window of their room. It was strange to see this side of Clarice. Granted, I honestly hadn¡¯t spent that much time with her, but I supposed that is the nature of first impressions.


    Jacque was sitting on one of the benches near the door and did not seem surprised to see us in the slightest. ¡°Are you ready to make this partnership official?¡± She asked with a grin.


    Nadine pursed her lips and nodded.


    ¡°Cool, then let''s get on with it,¡± Jacque chuckled. Sauntering over to one of the Guild staff, she glanced over her shoulder and winked at me, ¡°We wanna see the manager to arbitrate a deal,¡± Jacque requested casually, making it obvious she was familiar with the process.


    The Guild staff member nodded, ¡°Alright, please follow me to the conference room.¡±


    The conference room was about what I had expected, resembling a company board room with a long table and a bunch of chairs arranged around it. The Guild staff member left to fetch the manager, leaving us alone in the room.


    Jacque wasted no time in making herself comfortable, leaning back on a chair, resting her boots on the table and clasping her hands behind her head. ¡°I am gonna go out on a limb here and assume you are going to try and wring every coin and assurance you can out of me,¡± she stated flatly, pointing the toe of her boot at Nadine accusingly, ¡°You know what, that¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s save some time then. I¡¯ll go as low as one share to your four, agree to a conditional Enslavement reparations clause at a magnitude of three times Tim¡¯s approximate value, and even give your party first dibs on any loot. That¡¯s as low as I will go. Take it or leave it.¡±


    Nadine gulped hard, her eyes wide in disbelief.


    Judging by Nadine¡¯s reaction, I assumed this was a very favourable deal indeed. We would be getting eighty percent of the rewards, the first pick of the treasure and that Slave reparations sounded brutal.


    So why did I have the feeling that Jacque was still very much coming out ahead?


    Nadine gave me a small nod, ¡°It''s a very good deal,¡± she whispered, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    I sighed and nodded. We didn¡¯t have much of a choice at this point.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Nadine agreed.


    Jacque grinned and looked towards the door.


    A couple of seconds later the Guild manager opened the door and entered the conference room. ¡°Good morning everyone. I understand that you wish to organise a cooperation contract?¡± He asked for confirmation.


    Nadine and Jacque nodded.


    The Guild manager then transcribed the agreement to paper, had Nadine and Jacque both read it to confirm the agreement and then sign it. All told it took less than a couple of minutes. Apparently, this sort of thing is quite common when adventurers start teaming up at higher levels.


    ¡°Alright, you have yourselves protected legally now. Are you going to invite me to the party? Or keep wasting daylight?¡± Jacque demanded cheekily.


    Nadine frowned and carefully removed her injured arm from the sling. She then extended her hand to Jacque, ¡°Party invite.¡±


    Jacque clasped Nadine¡¯s extended forearm and when Nadine reciprocated, she smiled, ¡°Accept invite.¡±


    I wasn''t sure why, but Jacque¡¯s group status was immediately added to the row of statuses in my lower peripheral vision.


    [Jacque - HP: 35/35 - Normal ]


    Why did her status appear but I still couldn¡¯t see Clarice or Nadine? was it because she is a synergist?


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s get this show on the road!¡± Jacque rubbed her hands together eagerly and left the conference room.


    Nadine winced as she replaced her arm in the sling, ¡°What are you going to do with Toofy?¡± She asked me.


    I had already given some thought to it. Despite promising Toofy that I wouldn¡¯t leave her behind, I just couldn¡¯t stand the thought of something happening to her. Especially since I still didn¡¯t know what Jacque¡¯s angle was. ¡°I want to leave her with you and the others, at least for today. I just have a bad feeling about this person.¡±


    Nadine nodded in understanding, ¡°I know what you mean.¡±


    After walking back downstairs, Jacque followed us back to the front of the inn.


    ¡°I will be back in a minute,¡± I told her, heading inside and very carefully transferring Toofy over to Nadine.


    ¡°Be careful out there Tim,¡± Nadine said quietly, ¡°And try to come back in one piece.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Heading to my room, I retrieved my club and returned downstairs.


    ¡°Not bringing the midget huh?¡± Jacque observed glibly, ¡°I¡¯ll miss the buffs, but it¡¯s probably the smart move,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°So what are we doing?¡± I asked. Besides vaguely mentioning that we would be doing the extermination quest, she had been incredibly tight-lipped on any further details.


    Jacque seemed to think about it for a moment before making a decision, ¡°I think we will take it relatively easy today and just hunt some Orcs and Goblins for the extermination quest. We won¡¯t go too far into the forest though, so the groups should be quite small. So let''s get to it!¡± She smiled at me and then set off towards the gate.


    Following Jacque, I made a point of staying a few steps behind and on her left side.


    Crossing the open plain, strangely, we did not encounter a single Vrabbit. It wasn¡¯t like we had taken any detours either, just cutting straight across from the gate to the forest.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like me much, do you?¡± Jacque observed aloud.


    ¡°I don''t know you well enough to decide yet,¡± I replied, evading the question.


    Jacque nodded, snorted quietly and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don''t have to lie to me just to spare my feelings. I am a big girl, I can take it.¡±


    ¡°I was being honest,¡± I insisted, ¡°I don¡¯t know you, but you keep acting like we know each other. It¡¯s honestly off-putting.¡±


    ¡°Hrm, you think so?¡± Jacque mused, ¡°So maybe that girl is more your type then? Do you like more serious girls?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a type,¡± I replied stiffly. It was strictly the truth. No one had ever really given me a chance before, so I didn¡¯t really have any positive or negative opinions relating to personality or body type.


    ¡°Why lie?!¡± Jacque cried incredulously, ¡°Everyone has a type, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Well I don''t,¡± I shrugged and watched the forest around us for signs of movement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that for a second, I bet you''re just ashamed of it,¡± Jacque drawled lazily, tsk, this will have to wait a minute, we got two Orcs waiting to ambush us up ahead,¡± she pointed to a large bush a few dozen feet further ahead.


    As Jacque pointed at the bush, a pair of Orcs burst out of the bush and charged at us. Both Orcs just had wooden spears, but I was in no rush to find out how much damage they could do with them.


    Readying my large club like a baseball bat, I quickly realised a problem. Jacque had not drawn her sword! ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Jacque had taken a fighting stance and was just waiting to take the Orc charge. ¡°Fighting, duh,¡± she huffed snidely.


    Fortunately for Jacque, both Orcs had levelled their spears at me and seemed to be ignoring her. However, as the faster Orc thrust his spear towards my face, Jacque ducked low and delivered a right hook to his kidneys. The blow sapped the Orc¡¯s strength and caused his attack to falter.


    Unfortunately for the Orc, the disruption in his attack gave me enough time for my club to crash down on his head.


    *Crack*


    [ You have slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    The second Orc did not even hesitate, knocking the other Orc aside and ramming his spear into my stomach.


    ¡°Oof,¡± unable to pierce even the leather apron, the jab hadn¡¯t hurt so much as been incredibly uncomfortable and winding me slightly


    As the Orc prepared for a second strike, Jacque hooked the fallen Orc¡¯s spear with her boot and flicked it up into her hands.


    This gave the Orc enough time to jab his spear at me again, catching and ripping the sleeve of my tunic, but failing to pierce my skin. The Orc jabbed, again and again, driving me back and forcing me on the defensive as he targeted my face.


    Jacque watched the exchange for a minute before slipping in behind the Orc and sweeping the shaft of the spear at his right ankle.


    *Crack*


    ¡°Grah!¡± The Orc cried out in surprise and pain, falling to the ground as the momentum of Jacque¡¯s attack swept his legs out from underneath him.


    Without missing a beat, Jacque shifted her grip on the spear, stepped forward and drove it into the Orc¡¯s eye socket.


    [ Jacque has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    ¡°That was easy eee-nough!¡± Jacque grunted as she twisted and pulled the spear free from the Orc¡¯s eye socket, ¡°I am really digging this Brute Strength buff!¡± She flexed her right arm and squeezed her bicep with her left hand.


    Nadine was not kidding, Jacque really seemed to know what she was doing.


    Dropping down the spear and opening her pack, Jacque withdrew a large sack and bundle of cloth about the length of her forearm and hand. Unwrapping the cloth revealed a butcher''s cleaver with some notches on its edge. Replacing the cloth wrapping in her pack, Jacque knelt down by the Orc she had killed and raised the cleaver.


    I flinched. What she was going to do objectively made sense. The Guild required the head for proof of the kill and it had the valuable mana stone inside. Carting around entire bodies was inefficient and cumbersome, it was much easier to just remove a head and carry it in a sack.


    Jacque was about to bring the cleaver down on the Orc¡¯s neck but stopped, ¡°You think a cleaver counts as a heavy weapon?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied honestly. This was not exactly the sort of thing I spent my time thinking about.


    Jacque shrugged and prepared to strike again, before stopping with a thoughtful expression. ¡°Hey, I reckon you should do it, ¡±she said, standing up and offering me the cleaver, ¡°You do have the uniform and all.¡±


    I glanced down at my leather apron.


    Damnit.


    I could tell by the way Jacque was looking at me that she was not going to take no for an answer. Logically I understand that this was something I would have to get used to doing, but it wass difficult to accept emotionally. Setting down my club, I reluctantly accepted the cleaver.


    Kneeling down by the Orc I had killed, I nervously raised the cleaver and prepared to strike. The Orc was already dead, so it wouldn¡¯t feel anything, all I was doing was butchering meat. I repeated this thought in my mind five times before working up the nerve and bringing down the cleaver.


    *Thump*


    The cleaver cut deep, perhaps a third of the way through the Orc¡¯s neck, splattering blood against my apron. It was a poor strike, I had lost most of my nerve at the last moment and dramatically lessened the strength of the blow.


    Damnit, I need to do this!


    I raised the cleaver again, gathered my nerve and struck.


    *Thump*


    I did better this time, very nearly cutting the rest of the way through. I had still lost some of my nerve at the last moment, but not nearly as bad as the first time. With one final swing, I separated the Orc¡¯s head from his body.


    Jacque nodded at me approvingly, ¡°Not bad,¡± she threw me the empty sack and then motioned to the other dead Orc.


    I nodded, grabbing the Orc head by its hair and depositing it in the sack before moving on to the second Orc. This time, I focus as much of my strength into my arm as possible and bring the cleaver down on the Orc¡¯s neck.


    *Chunk*


    I stared at the severed neck in surprise.


    Was I really this strong?


    ¡°Hrm, I would say the cleaver counts as a heavy weapon after all,¡± Jacque commented approvingly, ¡°I think I will use it as my primary weapon for the rest of our hunt today,¡± she extended her hand expectantly.


    I gave Jacque back her cleaver and put the second Orc head in the sack.


    ¡°Tell you what champ. I will remove the heads and you carry the sack, fair?¡± Jacque offered with a lazy smile.


    So that was her plan?


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed. Even though hacking off the heads of the Orcs was not nearly as upsetting as I thought it would be, I still found it unpleasant. So, I picked up the sack and retrieved my club from where I dropped it. I would probably need to drop the sack when we get into a fight, but carrying it, for now, was fine.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty strange for an Ogre, you know that Tim?¡± Jacque observed coyly, glancing at me from over her shoulder.


    ¡°So I have been told,¡± I replied dryly.


    Jacque smiled, ¡°Still, you¡¯re better company than most humans I hang out with.¡±


    That was a strange thing to say. Then I remembered the nature of the Synergist class and that she must spend a lot of time with tamed monsters. So I supposed it wasn¡¯t that weird, given her personality.


    We set back out into the forest again. Jacque, who was taking the lead, didn¡¯t seem to have a clear direction in mind and would drift one way or another for no apparent reason. However, just as I was going to ask what the reason was for doing this, she stopped and pointed ahead.


    There was someone trussed and bound in the middle of a clearing. By the looks of them, they were one of the adventurers from town and in a very sorry state.


    ¡°There are five Goblins and an Orc hiding in the trees and bushes set for an ambush. I know this will sound bad, but hear me out. I want you to go over to the girl they have tied up out there for bait and trigger the ambush, okay?¡± Jacque was deadly serious.


    ¡°Why? I mean, since you know where they are, shouldn¡¯t we just attack them first?¡± I hissed back quietly.


    Jacque rolled her eyes, ¡°Firstly, they already spotted us. Secondly, I don¡¯t know where each of them is hiding. This plan is much better because they will think they have the upper hand and come out of hiding.¡±


    I frowned.


    So Jacque is skilled enough or has an Ability for detecting nearby monsters, but not their exact location?


    I sighed, yet another question to ask Nadine about. The difference between the Abilities of high-level adventurers and low-level adventurers really seemed quite significant.


    Jacque was still waiting for my decision.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed reluctantly. If we just walked away, there was no telling what they would do to their prisoner. Or rather, I knew exactly what they would do and knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself unless I at least tried to save them.


    *****


    Grobguk was furious! Not only had he lost one of his best warriors, but the Ogre had the gall to run and hide in the one place Grobguk could not follow. Somehow the Ogre had turned the humans into his Slaves and was having them do his bidding! Even now, powerful humans stalked Grobguk¡¯s territory and slew every one of Grobguk¡¯s warriors they encountered. They even hacked off the heads to carry back as trophies!


    Pacing back and forth in his cave, Grobguk wondered if perhaps there was some way to draw the Ogre out, to separate him from his human slaves. Thinking back on their first encounter, Grobguk wondered if perhaps the Ogre shared the human weakness for females. It was entirely possible, the stronger the male the more females he would require to provide strong offspring.


    Yes, this could work. One of Grobguk¡¯s surviving warriors who fought against the Ogre claimed that the Ogre was gathering more females before he fled.


    ¡°You!¡± Grobguk pointed to one of his warriors positioned outside the cave, ¡°Find human females, bring to Grobguk!¡± He demanded.


    The warrior thumped his fist against his chest before gathering a pack of weaker Orcs and running off into the forest.


    ¡°You!¡± Grobguk pointed to another warrior, ¡°Bring Goblin chief Gobgob, kill if resist!¡±


    Grobguk was going to leave nothing to chance. When the Ogre was lured out of its den, Grobguk would ambush him with every able-bodied Goblin in the forest and only then move in for the kill with his warriors.


    Grobguk grinned wickedly, ¡°Stupid Ogre, You no smart like Grobguk!¡± He crowed.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 04 – A tailored experience – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 04 ¨C A tailored experience ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 04 - A tailored experience - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Still carrying the sack, I slowly walked over to the clearing. As I drew closer, I could see that Jacque had been right, the adventurer the Goblins and Orc were using for bait was a young woman.


    Seeing me approach, I saw recognition in the woman¡¯s eyes but I didn''t recognise her. I decided that she had probably seen me around town. She was trying to say something, but the gag in her mouth made it impossible to accomplish more than indistinct grunts and breathing heavily through her nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we are here to rescue you,¡± I tried to reassure her.


    The woman¡¯s grunts became more insistent and she stared fearfully over my shoulder.


    Letting go of the sack, I quickly stood up and began lifting my club into a defensive position.


    *Clack*


    The shaft of the Orc¡¯s two-handed stone axe was slowed but was not stopped entirely, hitting me in the chest and knocking me back a couple of steps. Undeterred, the Orc raised his axe to strike again, ¡°KILL OGRE!¡± He bellowed.


    A half-second later, four small Goblins, just as naked as the Orc, came rushing out of the nearby bushes holding clubs and stone knives.


    Unsure of how long I had until Jacque would move in to help, and painfully aware of Goblin combat potential, I decided to try and level the playing field a little. Stepping back and swinging my club backhanded, I caught one of the Goblins on its shoulder as it leapt out of the way.


    The Goblin was down only for a second before leaping to its feet and rushing in again.


    Right, Goblins take less damage from bigger opponents...


    *Thump*


    I managed to narrowly avoid the Orc¡¯s overhead chop, but now I had three Goblins behind me. Within a couple of heartbeats, I began to feel small impacts on my legs. Far from what I had expected, I didn¡¯t feel any pain at all. I decided that it would be better to focus my attention on the Orc instead and batted at the shaft of the Orc¡¯s stone axe.


    *Clack, fwoosh*


    Even though I did not think I had hit that hard, the glancing blow I dealt to the Orc¡¯s stone axe slid up the shaft, caught on the stone head, and then sent it flying.


    The Orc and I stared at the headless axe in surprise. Apparently, neither of us had expected that to happen.


    Recovering faster, the Orc glared murderously at me ¡°Ogre break axe, ME BREAK OGRE!¡± He screamed, swinging the shaft like a club.


    I hastily stepped back to avoid the sweeping blow.


    *Crunch*


    I felt the unpleasant sensation of breaking bones and tearing meat beneath my right foot.


    One of the Goblins unfortunate enough to be standing behind me let out a piercing shriek as I crushed its right leg.


    The Orc paid no attention to its fallen ally and continued viciously and skillfully driving me backwards with its improvised club.


    I didn¡¯t realize what he was doing until my back hit the trunk of a tree.


    Weighed down by rocks, a net tumbled out from the tree, bounced off my shoulder and became tangled on my club.


    Apparently, the moment the Orc had been waiting for, he took a double-handed grip on his improvised club, stepped to my side and swung in hard to catch me in the chest.


    Left with little choice, I let go of my club and did my best to sidestep the blow.


    *Crack*


    The Orc¡¯s club crashed against the tree trunk with enough force to turn half the axe shaft into a rain of jagged splinters. Unfortunately for the Orc, he caught a face full of the splinters and a couple even went into his eyes. Dropping what was left of his weapon, the Orc staggered backwards while breathing heavily and clutching at his bleeding face.


    [ Jacque has slain {Goblin: 1 } +50 Exp ], [ Jacque has slain {Goblin: 1 } +50 Exp ]


    The two consecutive notifications caught me by surprise. Quickly glancing away from the Orc, I saw Jacque stalking towards the one Goblin left standing on its own two feet.


    *Thump*


    While I was distracted, something had fallen from the tree and hit me on the head. Looking down at the Goblin scrawled at my feet, it was not difficult to figure out what had happened. Ignoring the Orc, I quickly grabbed at the Goblin before it could run away.


    *Crunch*


    The Goblin screamed as I unintentionally broke its arm.


    Am I really that strong?


    I reflexively recoiled and released the Goblin as I considered the number of times I may have accidentally injured Toofy by being so careless.


    The Goblin fell to the ground, shrieking and wailing while looking at its pulped arm in horror.


    [ Jacque has slain {Goblin: 1 } +50 Exp ]


    The Orc had begun to move again, groggily staggering towards me, bloody tears running down from his injured eyes, ¡°Kill Ogre...¡± The Orc growled, reaching out for me with its bloody hands.


    No thanks. I am not going to wrestle with a naked Orc.


    Circling around the Orc, I tried tripping him by kicking his shin.


    *Crack*


    The Orc howled in pain and collapsed on top of the Goblin.


    Making the most of the temporary reprieve, I quickly moved over to my entangled club and pulled it out from the net. Turning on the Orc, I raised my club high for the killing blow. The Orc was already blind, barely a threat. This felt very different from before.


    I don¡¯t think I can do this.


    [ Jacque has slain {Goblin: 1 } +50 Exp ]


    ¡°Tim what are you doing?!¡± Jacque demanded angrily.


    I gulped and tightened my grip, trying to get in a state of mind like when culling Vrabbits, but I couldn¡¯t do it.


    The Orc finished getting back to his feet and lunged at me, ¡°KILL OGRE!¡±


    *Crack*


    [ You have slain {Orc: 2 } +200 Exp ]


    There was a sudden bright flash of golden light and a sequence of status screens now occupied my vision.


    [ Congratulations, you have levelled up! ]


    [ Class: Taskmaster 1. +1 Willpower, +5 HP.] [Exp: 83/2000 ]


    [ Determining Attribute Archetype {Pending}.]


    [ Determining Attribute Archetype {Complete}.]


    [ Applying Attribute Archetype {Pending}.]


    [ Applying Attribute Archetype {Complete}.]


    [ Class: Taskmaster 1. {Doctores} +2 Willpower, +5 HP.] [Exp: 83/2000 ]


    [ Jacque has slain {Goblin: 1 } +50 Exp ]


    ¡°Congrats!¡± Jacque called out from the middle of the clearing, ¡°That was pretty good timing, eh? Good thing it didn¡¯t happen in the middle of the fight. That could have been bad.¡±


    I blinked away the status screens and looked down at the Orc. He was face down in the grass and the back of his skull was split open and bleeding.


    I did this...


    Jacque walked over, knelt down beside the weakly moaning Goblin, pressed her free hand against its chest and cleanly hacked its head off.


    [ Jacque has slain {Goblin: 1 } +50 Exp ]


    ¡°And that¡¯s five,¡± Jacque nodded, turning to the dead Orc, ¡°Oh wow, you really did a number on this guy, didn¡¯t you. Just goes to show how poor a matchup this is for the Orcs and Goblins. I bet you didn¡¯t even take any damage, right?¡±


    I glanced down at the party statuses and saw that she was right.


    [ Tim - HP: 45/45 - Normal ]


    I furrowed my brow and frowned. Was the toughness stat really that powerful? Or are the stone weapons really that bad? I didn¡¯t remember Toofy having a Racial Ability like mine to increase primitive weapon damage, and the Orc never got a clean hit on me, so maybe that was it?


    Jacque hacked off the Orc¡¯s head in one swing. She was either VERY good at it, or far stronger than she looked. ¡°Alright, enough messing around,¡± she pulled the rag from her pack and cleaned the cleaver, ¡°You gather the heads, I''ll have a chat with the girl they were using as bait.¡±


    I nodded and began tossing the heads into the sack while Jacque cut off the woman¡¯s bindings.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± The young woman sobbed, ¡°When they ambushed us and tied me up, I thought I was a goner!¡±


    Jacque nodded and patted her shoulder, ¡°Where are your friends? Do you know?¡±


    That was unexpected. I thought Jacque was a rather callous person? Maybe I misjudged her.


    The young woman nodded and pointed deeper into the forest, ¡°They have a small camp in that direction I think, or at least, that is where they had us locked up in a cage before bringing me out here.¡±


    Jacque nodded and stopped to think for a moment, ¡°How big was your party? And what is your party level?¡± She asked.


    ¡°There were five of us, but...I think they killed Jeff...¡± The young woman¡¯s shoulders slumped dejectedly.


    ¡°And your party level? I need to know the threat level before trying to rescue them,¡± Jacque insisted.


    The young woman nodded slightly, ¡°Six, our party level was six...¡±


    Jacque nodded and had that thoughtful expression again, ¡°Alright, this could be doable. Do you remember how many Orcs and Goblins there were?¡±


    ¡°Maybe ten Orcs? Sorry, but I don''t know how many Goblins...they kept coming and going from the camp,¡± the young woman shook her head and shrugged dejectedly.


    ¡°Hrm, alright,¡± Jacque stood up and pulled the young woman to her feet as well.


    The monsters had left the young woman with her clothes and padded cloth armour but taken everything else. She also looked like she was having trouble putting weight on her right leg.


    ¡°Tim, I will leave the decision to you,¡± Jacque looked at me expectantly, ¡°We can either take-¡± She glanced at the young woman.


    ¡°Sandra,¡± the young woman provided helpfully.


    ¡°-right, Sandra, back to the foothold first. Or we can take her with us and try to rescue her party members.¡±


    Why was it my decision to make?


    ¡°Just so you know, there is no guarantee they are still alive. But the longer we take, the more likely it becomes that they won¡¯t be,¡± Jacque added.


    ¡°Then we should go and rescue them first, right?¡± I asked, somewhat confused.


    Jacque smirked, ¡°I don¡¯t think you properly considered what that means,¡± she replied, ¡°If we go to rescue the survivors first, then Sandra will need to come along with us. Which means one of us will need to stick close to her to make sure she isn¡¯t taken hostage or killed.¡±


    So that was it.


    Basically, if I chose to attempt the rescue first, I would be placing Sandra in danger. But I was not a good enough fighter to fight and protect her at the same time. This meant that Jacque would need to hang back, while I took the fight to the enemy. I looked down at the headless corpses of the monsters and considered what exactly that entailed. I would have to attack with the intent to kill. Sandra had said there were around ten Orcs at the camp where her surviving party members were being held.


    Could I really do it?


    ¡°Please...¡± Sandra looked up at me hopefully, ¡°Please save my friends.¡±


    Damnit.


    ¡±Alright, let¡¯s try and rescue the adventurers,¡± I agreed somewhat apprehensively. I could already feel butterflies in my stomach at the prospect of fighting with the intent to kill. Objectively, I knew that it shouldn¡¯t bother me this much. After all, the Orcs were more than happy to kill me if they got the chance. But the premeditation seemed to make all the difference. Which was also kind of stupid, since I came into the forest to kill Orcs.


    So why was it bothering me so much?


    The three of us began moving in the direction Sandra had insisted would lead to the camp where her friends were being held prisoner. Jacque was supporting Sandra with her left arm while keeping her other arm free to use the cleaver.


    Jacque had looked like she was deep in thought, but suddenly became focused and pointed ahead and to our right. ¡°The monster camp is over there,¡± she pointed, ¡°Try not to let them surround you,¡± Jacque advised.


    I nodded and tried to psych myself up. I was not a violent person, I didn''t like hurting people. But all the same, I now had to kill the Orcs in order to save the human prisoners. I tried to focus on the thought of saving the prisoners, it helped a little and I felt like maybe I could do this after all.


    Leaving Jacque and Sandra behind, I began walking in the direction of the camp.


    I could make out the faint voices of Orcs up ahead, they sounded like they were laughing.


    A woman screamed.


    The Orcs laughed louder.


    I ran through the underbrush and arrived at the Orc¡¯s camp just in time to see the largest of eight Orcs present bending back a restrained young woman¡¯s finger.


    The young woman screamed through her gag, trying to pull her hand away from the Orc.


    The Orcs all continued laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.


    ¡°STOP IT!¡± I roared angrily as I charged through the camp.


    The Orcs all looked over at me in surprise.


    ¡°OGRE!¡± The largest roared happily, throwing the young woman aside.


    [ You have slain {Orc: 2 } +200 Exp ]


    [ You have slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    [ You have slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    [ You have slain {Orc: 2 } +200 Exp ]


    [ You have slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    [ You have slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    [ You have slain {Orc: 3 } +300 Exp ]


    Breathing heavily, I looked around in confusion. The Orcs were all dead. ¡°What?...¡± My head hurt and I felt dizzy.


    Jacque, Sandra, the young woman with the broken fingers and three badly beaten and bruised-looking young men were huddled somewhat nearby at the edge of the camp.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Jacque asked cautiously, ¡°You alright now? We good?¡±


    I slowly nodded my head, nearly vomiting from a sudden rush of nausea.


    ¡°You sure you aren''t a Berserker?¡± Jacque joked nervously.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, moving to rub my aching head but stopping short as I noticed my hands were covered in blood.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Jacque asked curiously, ¡°Well, I am not completely sure how the fight started, but by the time I came over you were crushing that big one''s neck while it was trying to beat your head in.¡±


    ¡°Just came crashing in out of nowhere,¡± One of the young men muttered in awe.


    ¡°Threw them around like they are nothing...¡± Added another.


    The third young man, who was being supported by the other two, just stared at me in a mix of fear and awe.


    I glanced down at my HP and was confused.


    [Tim - HP: 45/45 - Normal ]


    Why am I at full HP? Surely that large Orc was strong enough to have dealt at least one point of damage right? Or for that matter, the Orcs had me heavily outnumbered, did they really deal no damage at all?


    ¡°Oi, Tim!¡± Jacque had already finished gathering the Orcs'' heads and stuffing them in the sack, which she was now holding out for me to take. ¡°We should head back to town and get these guys squared away doncha think?¡±


    I nodded, accepting the sack and looking at the broken remains of my club. I must have broken it during the fight. It had split roughly around the middle and was currently embedded in the guts of two different Orcs. There was no real point in keeping it since it was only a single copper to replace. For now, I picked up one of the dead Orcs'' wooden spears instead. It would have to do until we get back to town.


    The way back was slow going since we had to adjust our pace to accommodate the slowest of the injured adventurers, Jeff. While Sandra was quite relieved that the Orcs hadn¡¯t killed him, it was apparently not for a lack of trying. Despite being conscious, Jeff had multiple broken ribs, a broken arm, a broken foot, a broken leg and many cuts and bruises. He was the group¡¯s designated front liner and took a severe beating in the Orcs'' ambush before everyone was surrounded and captured.


    There was a pretty big problem though. With how injured the adventurers all were, there was no doubt that they all had the Bloodied condition.


    So how are we going to cross the plains without the Vrabbits swarming us?


    Jacque didn¡¯t seem all that worried, ¡°Once we are closer to the foothold, I¡¯ll head back first and bring back a sled. Then you can just tow everyone across, hopefully, faster than the Vrabbits can chase after us.¡±


    I had thought she was joking at first, but once we were able to see the plain through the treeline up ahead, she waved her goodbyes and promised to be back as quickly as she could. At least she was taking it seriously and was jogging quickly.


    The injured adventurers all huddled together and were speaking quietly enough that I could hear that they were talking, but not make out what they were saying. It was to be expected I suppose, they already knew one another and besides being a monster, I was also an outsider.


    After about five minutes, I could see that Jacque had made it to the town gates, which was somewhat of a relief. After all, she had no small amount of blood on her padded armour after killing those Goblins and cutting off so many heads.


    ¡°Uhm, Tim?¡± Sandra had separated from the group to talk to me. Seeing that she had my attention, Sandra wrung her hands a little before bowing her head, ¡°Thank you for rescuing my friends.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It was the right thing to do,¡± I replied, somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°We don¡¯t really have anything to offer, but we will make sure to pay you back once we get back on our feet,¡± Sandra promised earnestly.


    Seeing that she wouldn''t accept no for an answer, I nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Sandra bowed again and returned to her friends.


    About ten minutes later, I saw Jacque slowly crossing the plains towards us with a sled in tow. After she made it about halfway, I noticed that there was someone standing on the sled. Someone small...and hyperactive...damnit. I wanted to keep Toofy out of harm''s way, not drag her into it.


    Thankfully, it looked like Jacque must have detoured to clean or change her armour first. When she drew closer, I realized that wasn¡¯t the case, since her armour was just as bloody as before. It wasn¡¯t until Jacque arrived at the treeline that I realized what she had done.


    My nose rankled reflexively at the smell of licorice. As Toofy leapt off the sled and ran over towards me, the smell only grew stronger.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Toofy didn¡¯t break stride, scrambling up my front on all fours before grabbing my ears and planting her feet on my chest so she could stand here and glare at me reproachfully, eye to eye. ¡°Tim bad! Tim leave Toofy!¡± She looked more upset than angry.


    Toofy was right of course, I had left her, on purpose. Until I had a better understanding of how dangerous it would be, I didn¡¯t want to risk her getting hurt. ¡°I am sorry,¡° I apologised.


    Toofy pursed her lips and nodded. She let go of my ears and gave me a hug around my neck, ¡°No leave Toofy...¡± Toofy insisted with a sniffle.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, gently patting Toofy¡¯s back. I shouldn¡¯t have left her behind. The more I thought about it, the more inevitable this outcome seemed to be. In fact, an innocuous line from one of my favourite movies came to mind and was quite fitting. ¡®The closer we (Toofy) are to danger, the further we (Toofy) are from harm¡¯. Just by being a monster, Toofy would forever be in danger. The only way I could reduce that danger for her was to make her stronger. Fighting the Orcs might be somewhat dangerous, but in the long-term, it would make her far safer and less reliant on others for protection.


    I remembered that Nadine had also briefly mentioned that consuming the mana stones of other monsters would make me stronger as well, so I assumed the principle would be the same with Toofy. In fact, Toofy already had some progress in that regard if I was remembering right, so I would definitely make it a priority if I could. Ultimately, the decision wasn¡¯t mine to make, but Nadine, Clarice and Emelia¡¯s. If they said no, I didn¡¯t really have any way of circumventing them.


    ¡°Hrm maybe I was wrong,¡± Jacque sniggered from over by the adventurers, ¡°Maybe little green girls are your type?¡±


    I blushed and Toofy glared balefully at Jacque, probably not understanding the insinuation and responding more to her tone and established dislike.


    ¡°Everyone is all ready to go, so let¡¯s head back to the foothold, grab some lunch then get back to it yeah?¡± Jacque insisted as she began walking over to the sled.


    I rolled my eyes at Jacque¡¯s back and Toofy smiled.


    Heading over to the sled, I could see that it was basically just a wooden pallet with runners beneath to decrease drag and a pair of ropes to pull it with. It had short rims around the edges to stop crates from slipping off, but it wouldn''t really give the adventurers much of anything to hold onto. Or at least it didn''t until Jacque tied a pair of ropes between the runners and laid them out in line with the ropes I would be using to pull the sled. So at least now they would be able to hold onto the ropes.


    Jacque had brought more of the liquorice liquid and spread it on the adventurer''s armour, splitting the entire vial as evenly as she could between them. This would help mask their smell, but unfortunately, any Vrabbits they passed would still supposedly be able to detect their bloodied status and initiate a swarm.


    So the plan was that Toofy would attack any Vrabbits that made it onto the sled with her club, while Jacque would use the wooden spear from the Orc camp to attack Vrabbits that got close. Prioritising the use of blunt weapons was to reduce the amount of blood spilt in the area to hopefully prevent Vrabbits from further afield being drawn into the chase. It seemed like a pretty okay plan, all things considered.


    With everyone settled on the sled, with the exception of Toofy and Jacque who were both standing on it with safety ropes tied around their waists, I slowly began moving forward. Even though I felt strong enough to pull the sled into a straight run, the sudden jolt wouldn¡¯t do the passengers any favours. So I had to start slow and gradually build momentum.


    The first Vrabbit to attack arrived after travelling just twenty feet or so into the plain. However, despite one of the adventurers crying out in alarm, the encounter ended rather anticlimactically as Jacque crushed its ribs with the blunt end of the spear.


    [ Jacque has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp ]


    Hrm? That was new. Shouldn¡¯t the Vrabbit have been worth one Exp?


    The answer came a few minutes later as five Vrabbits began chasing the sled and slowly gaining ground from behind.


    Jacque managed to kill four of them in one wide sweep.


    [ Jacque has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp ], [ Jacque has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp ], [ Jacque has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp ], [ Jacque has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +0 Exp ]


    However, it also gave the last Vrabbit the small chance it needed to make it onto the sled, for all of half a second before Toofy launched the Vrabbit off the sled with a double-handed blow from her club and screeching, ¡°Biter OFF!!¡±


    *Crack*


    [ Toofy has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp ]


    That¡¯s weird. So I still get Exp from Vrabbits, albeit very little in comparison to the Orcs and Goblins. Maybe the Exp was lower because Jacque is a higher level? Gah, something else I have to remember to ask Nadine about later.


    There were not many adventurers out in the plains since the ambush, but the few who remained were definitely staring at us as we raced towards the gate. Sparing only a single glance over my shoulder, I was shocked to see a tide of Vrabbits chasing behind us. But all at once, as if striking an invisible barrier, the Vrabbits abruptly stopped and fanned to either side. I guess what Nadine had told me about monsters being unable to enter the town was literal rather than figurative. Good to know.


    Now inside the town, I pulled the sled over to the inn and let the adventurers off. They would need food to kickstart their recovery and a couple of them were in desperate need of medical attention.


    ¡°We should settle up what we got so far with the Guild,¡± Jacque suggested, already walking away before checking to see if I would follow.


    Releasing a sigh, I shrugged at Toofy and she climbed up onto my right shoulder. Not what I had meant, but oh well.


    *****


    Jacque was quite pleased with how things were going so far. She was quite certain that Tim was beginning to warm up to her, thanks in no small part to rescuing those hapless adventurers. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfortunately, she had not made a good first impression. Jacque¡¯s people skills left much to be desired when she was just being herself. It was one of the oddities of her nature, Jacque couldn¡¯t help it. But now that she had a better understanding of Tim¡¯s relationship with the Goblin, Jacque had a fortuitous opportunity to improve his opinion of her further.


    Leading Tim to the Guild office to collect the bounty and extract the mana stores from the Orc¡¯s heads, The state of emergency made all Guild services free of charge, so Jacque had the Guild extract the stones for her. It wasn¡¯t a bad haul for this floor of the Labyrinth, five rank one Goblin mana stones, six rank one, three rank two, and one rank three Orc mana stones. There were easily enough mana stones here to push the Goblin up a rank and make solid progress towards the next rank as well.


    Leaving the Guild office, Jacque turned her attention back to Tim and to a lesser extent, the Goblin Toofy. ¡°If you are going to bring your pet, it would probably be best if we increase her rank.¡±


    Tim furrowed his brows at Jacque for a moment. <What game is she playing now? What is her angle?>.


    Jacque shrugged and smiled, ¡°You just seemed rather attached is all, and hunting Orcs is far more dangerous for her than for you or me.¡±


    ¡°But why are you suggesting it?¡± Tim asked suspiciously, <What is in it for you?>.


    ¡°Because I want us to be friends,¡± Jacque stated simply, deciding to put at least one of her cards on the table., ¡°Tell you what. I will even negotiate with your masters about the merits of improving the Goblin¡¯s rank, how about that?¡±


    Tim frowned but nodded, <Will she really be able to do that though? The girls seem to dislike her as much as I do.>.


    Jacque tried not to make a scathing remark, after all, it wasn¡¯t like Tim was aware she could hear his thoughts.


    Heading back to the inn, Jacque tuned out the background chatter and they headed upstairs to his master¡¯s room. Knocking on the door, it only took a short moment for the smart one of the three, Nadine, to open the door and let them in. ¡°Bringing you your cut so far,¡± Jacque explained, handing over one silver and one copper, ¡°We rescued another party out there too, but the Guild won''t give the reward for that until they verify.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nadine accepted the coins and looked at Tim, <I hope she doesn¡¯t do anything to break him.>.


    Clarice shifted uncomfortably in the bed, <I should be out there, not cooped up in here! I don''t trust her!>.


    <Wow! Tim is doing great! I am a genius!> Emelia leaned in to get a closer look at the coins in Nadine''s hand before turning her attention to Tim and giving him an emphatic thumbs-up, ¡°You are doing great Tim! Keep it up!¡±


    Jacque tried not to smirk. Technically, there was only one person she needed to convince, and that was Emelia. ¡°There is something I wanted to talk about as well though,¡± Jacque said, giving Tm a nod, ¡°I think you should invest mana stones into evolving your Goblin.¡±


    <Ehhhhhh, aren''t mana stones worth a lot of coins?> Emelia looked less than impressed.


    Clarice scrunched her face up, ¡°What? Why Toofy and not Tim?¡±, <Tim would get way stronger from it than Toofy.>.


    Nadine furrowed her brow slightly and looked at Tim before nodding slightly, ¡°I agree.¡± <Tim obviously wants this and it isn¡¯t like we have kept good on our deal to pay him yet. Besides, I don¡¯t think Tim would be able to handle losing Toofy.>.


    ¡°Huh? Why though?¡± Emelia asked Nadine, visibly confused. <It¡¯s so many coins!>.


    Clarice looked expectantly at Nadine as well, but her expression quickly changed to one of understanding as she looked at Tim and Toofy. <Eh?! Why would Nadine agree with...Oh...Well, I guess it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like Tim hasn¡¯t earned it. Besides, that little pipsqueak is straight-up vicious in a fight, it''s not like making Toofy stronger is a bad thing for us.>.


    ¡°Upgrading Toofy will improve our overall party strength and make earning coin and Exp easier down the line,¡± Nadine explained to Emelia calmly, if a little domineeringly, ¡°Besides we owe Tim at least this much.¡± <That is an understatement. He literally saved our lives.>.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Emelia asked, still somewhat confused but obviously valuing Nadine¡¯s opinion. <It¡¯s so many coins though! But she said we earn more coins by doing this, so that''s good right? But we won''t have the coins now? But we get more later? Ugh, this is too hard!!! I¡¯m just going to agree with Nadine, that always works.>. Emelia nodded, decisively, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jacque clapped her hands together, ¡°¡®I¡¯ll assume this is your first time doing something like this so I Will give you some friendly advice. Never bulk feed your monsters the mana stones you collect. It can make them unstable. The stronger the base monster, the longer between feeding sessions. Got it?¡±


    This was at best, a half-truth. There were no risks in power-feeding standard monsters created by the Labyrinth. The problem was what happened when you progress someone like Tim too quickly. The effect was akin to addiction. Near as Jacque had uncovered so far, ¡®The Broken¡¯ were created by the Labyrinth with this weakness deliberately, amongst others. After all, strung-out addicts were more likely to act against their own interests and survival in favour of those of the Labyrinths. Jacque did not want Tim to join the ranks of the addicts, there were far too many of those as it was.


    Nadine and Clarice nodded, while Emelia was literally lost in her own thoughts, so Jacque tuned her out.


    ¡°So how would you suggest we proceed?¡± Nadine asked, clearly willing to put aside her pride for the group¡¯s benefit. <I wish I knew more about this. But it¡¯s not like I planned on teaming up with a Monster Tamer...>.


    Jacque smiled and nodded, ¡°For Tim, I would limit him to at most one mana stone of any size per day and to not give him a stone more than three ranks ahead of his own progression. But for the Goblin, feeding her a mana stone every few minutes or so should be fine.¡±


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Okay. Then for the time being at least, I want Toofy to receive all the mana stones from our share when collecting bounties," she turned her attention to Tim, ¡°Tim Is that alright?¡± <This really is the least we can do for him. It is not like we are actually contributing at this point.>.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jacque agreed. Withdrawing a small drawstring pouch from her belt and upending the contents on the bed. ¡°The rank distribution is uneven this time,¡± she explained, sorting the mana stones into groups, ¡°But the Guild is keeping count, so I am fine with just taking the Goblin mana stones, for now, agreed?¡±


    Nadine hesitated a moment and then nodded, "Agreed.¡± <I need to visit the Guild later to get a copy of the mana stone price list.>.


    ¡°Also, Tim¡¯s weapon broke earlier, so he needs a new one. I highly recommend against buying something so cheap again. You should get him something like a flanged mace or a morningstar since they don''t require a high level of skill for him to use against enemies on this floor and will deal a lot of damage.¡± Jacque suggested ¡°Maybe a shield too, he seems more defensively inclined, so you might as well lean into it. Oh, and a helmet.¡±


    Nadine looked to Clarice for her opinion, likely because the redhead was much more martially inclined. <I don¡¯t really know about this sort of thing, but it seems to make sense.>.


    Clarice was thoughtful for a moment. <That¡¯s true, Tim is pretty iffy when it usually comes to attacking things without being ordered to. It would also be good to have a solid anchor to the frontline so I can focus on attacking.>. Clarice nodded in approval, ¡°We also need to buy Toofy a decent weapon too.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°I will make the necessary purchases with Tim now if you want to take a break for lunch,¡± she offered. <This will give me a chance to double-check the bounty with the Guild.>.


    Jacque resisted the urge to roll her eyes and left the room instead. Things were definitely looking up. While heading downstairs to the bar, Jacque tried to think of some more references she could test Tim with. After all, she didn¡¯t have any concrete proof that he was one of ¡®The Awakened¡¯ yet and Jacque needed to be absolutely sure before she could move on to the next step.


    *****


    I followed behind Nadine as we headed over to the weapon shop. Entering the store, we headed straight over to the counter.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Nadine greeted the shopkeeper brightly, ¡°I am looking to buy a new weapon, could you show me a good choice for one silver or less?¡±


    The man who had been obviously bored reading his book before we entered was suddenly quite motivated, ¡°Of course. Is the weapon for you or-¡± He looked at me with a faint look of recognition on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s for Tim, yes. I was recommended to buy a flanged mace or morningstar, but I don¡¯t really know what they are,¡± Nadine admitted with a faint flush of embarrassment.


    ¡°Not a problem!¡± The shopkeeper replied eagerly, ¡°Not, a, problem. Please follow me!¡±


    The shopkeeper led us to the blunt weapons section of the shop and gestured to a pair of weapons on the rack. ¡°This is a flanged mace,¡± he explained, removing a clublike weapon from the rack.


    It had a wooden shaft ending in an iron head with stumpy winglike protrusions.


    ¡°This is of course the cheaper version to better accommodate your budget. The more expensive and more durable versions are made entirely of iron or steel. But one of the benefits of this version is the lighter weight and being able to replace the shaft if it becomes damaged. It¡¯s a substantial upgrade over the ironwood club.¡± The shopkeeper then took the second weapon off the rack with his other hand, ¡°Now, this beauty is a morningstar.¡±


    The morningstar was similar to the flanged mace with the exception that its shaft was longer and the iron head of the morningstar was spherical and covered in spikes.


    ¡°Much like the flanged mace, the shaft can be replaced if it is broken or damaged and the more expensive variants are made entirely of iron or steel. Personally, my preference is the morningstar. I have found that being able to drive enemies back with the point at the tip is usually more effective than jabbing them with the flat end of the flanged mace. As for the weight, your, ¡®Tim¡¯, shouldn¡¯t have a problem with either. But I would strongly recommend upgrading to solid metal variants as soon as possible. It is not altogether uncommon for stronger monsters to break unenchanted wood weapons,¡± the shopkeeper advised.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°okay,¡± she shifted her attention to me, ¡°Which of them do you think suits your fighting style better?¡± Nadine asked, obviously quite unsure of which to choose.


    ¡°The morningstar,¡± I replied, the shopkeeper''s advice had sold me on the idea. I already had problems with enemies getting too close and needed a way to make them back off.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°How much is the morningstar?¡± She asked after shifting her attention back to the shopkeeper.


    The weapon racks were all divided by prices carved in the wood, so I wondered why she had not just read the price directly.


    The shopkeeper quickly glanced at the price on the rack before looking back to Nadine and taking a shallow gulp, ¡°Ah, for you, only seventy coppers,¡± he offered.


    Nadine smiled brightly, ¡°Thank you. Oh, do you also have any shields for thirty copper?¡± She asked sweetly.


    Okay, now I understood what she was doing, and given our money situation at the moment, I did not particularly disapprove.


    ¡°Ah...we might have one or two,¡± the shopkeeper agreed, a little apprehensively, glancing towards a row of shields on the wall behind them.


    The assumedly cheapest of the shields was only twice the size of my hand. The larger and undeniably more expensive shields were closer in proportion to Toofy in total size.


    However, contrary to my expectations, the shopkeeper removed one of the largest shields off the wall. Well, calling it a shield was perhaps a little generous since it closely resembled a door sprung off its hinges. Consisting of three wide vertical planks of wood held together by two horizontal planks on either side, it was basically a door with leather straps on it. Not that I was opposed to the idea, I actually rather liked the idea of having a thick wooden door between myself and the enemy.


    ¡°I know it isn''t pretty, but so far as budget ironwood shields go, it''s definitely the best option. Normally the weight is too draining for rookies, but your, Tim, should have no problems. Since it has been sitting here collecting dust for so long, I can let you have it for ten copper.¡± The shopkeeper generously offered.


    ¡°Great!¡± Nadine agreed cheerily.


    We still needed a weapon for Toofy and I saw something that might just do the trick. I pointed to the row of leather slings hanging on a nearby rack and motioned to Toofy. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt Nadine¡¯s conversation with the shopkeeper, just in case he decided to stop giving Nadine the discounts.


    Nadine gave me a small nod to show she understood before making an exaggerated expression of surprise, ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot, I would like to buy a sling and pouch of bullets for my Toofy,¡± Nadine exclaimed, moving over to the row of slings, ¡°Do you have any recommendations for what I have left?¡± She asked while blushing slightly.


    Wow...had Nadine been doing this to me?... Hrm, I need to start paying more attention.


    The shopkeeper gulped, quickly shifting the shield and morningstar over to the counter before nearly tripping over himself as he eagerly rushed back over. ¡°O-of course!¡± The shopkeeper gushed excitedly, ¡°For your budget, I would recommend-¡± he gave Toofy a quick glance before rifling through the slings, ¡°-this Bristleboar leather sling! The leather is incredibly durable, so it should last at least a couple of years with only minor maintenance. The accompanying Bristleboar hide pouch can hold up to twenty standard sling bullets, so it will give your, ¡®Toofy¡¯, plenty of ammunition without being weighed down.¡± He picked up a small pouch from a nearby table and handed it to Nadine to judge the weight for herself.


    ¡°Okay I¡¯ll take it,¡± Nadine smiled brightly.


    The shopkeep accepted the pouch back and we all returned to the counter. Nadine handed over the single silver coin and received seven coppers in exchange. Geez, I hoped the shopkeeper didn¡¯t take too much of a loss just now.


    After giving Toofy the sling and pouch of stones, I picked up the morning star and shield and we walked out of the shop. Nadine made a point of turning around, smiling and waving at the shopkeeper before we began heading back to the inn.


    Except for Jacque and a couple of other adventurers, the common room was pretty much empty.


    ¡°So you took my advice,¡± Jacque observed cheerily, ¡°Good. Because I doubt the boss monster is just going to hang back and just keep letting us run around the forest unopposed. I would rather bag him and collect the bounty than run away, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°You want to hunt the boss monster?¡± Nadine asked hesitantly, probably deciding if we could trust her or not.


    Jacque shrugged, ¡°I mean I would rather kill it than run away. After all, killing the boss monster would end this emergency and award a substantial bounty. As for hunting it deliberately, eh, not sure it¡¯s worth the risk. Boss monsters only rarely stray far from their minions after all.¡±


    Nadine glanced at me for a moment, but said nothing.


    ¡°You should probably get something to eat before we head out again, I wanna get back out there in less than an hour,¡± Jacque told them dismissively, turning back to her meal.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send some food up to your room,¡± Kirk said before disappearing into the kitchen. It was hardly surprising, he had heard the whole conversation and the Guild was footing the bill for all the meals and accommodation anyway.


    Returning back to the girls room, I laid down our new purchases on the bed so Clarice could take a look at them. She was the most qualified of us to determine if Nadine and I had made the right choices.


    Clarice carefully looked over each piece of equipment before giving a perfunctory nod, ¡°How much did you spend?¡± She asked curiously.


    Nadine smiled, ¡°Only ninety-three copper.¡±


    Clarice snorted in amusement and grinned, ¡°Then you got a hell of a deal. This is a big step up from that club Tim was using, that¡¯s for sure. We might even be able to get the carpenter to embed some spikes in the shield to deal some damage when Tim shoves enemies away with it. That shouldn¡¯t cost much either.¡±


    I actually quite liked the sound of that. I found the idea of shoving enemies away easier to handle than outright attacking them, ¡°Should I go take care of that now?¡± I asked.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°There probably isn¡¯t time for it until this evening. Jacque sounded pretty adamant about getting back out there again.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Should we start feeding Toofy the mana stones?¡±


    ¡°Sooner would be better than later if we follow the advice she gave right?¡± Clarice agreed with some uncertainty.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°That would probably be best.¡± She removed the mana stones from a pouch at her waist and chose one of the smaller ones. It was like a small chunk of amber coloured quartz that shimmered slightly in the sunlight coming from the window. ¡°We should probably start with a rank one mana stone and see how much of an effect it has first, before trying the others,¡± Nadine suggested.


    It was a smart idea since none of us had any experience with this sort of thing.


    ¡°Tim do you want to keep an eye on Toofy¡¯s MP?¡± Nadine asked.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°Status,¡± I ignored pretty much everything except for Toofy¡¯s MP.


    [MP: 0/3 ]


    ¡°It¡¯s currently sitting on zero out of three,¡± I announced, for everyone but Emelia¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°Okay, let''s give this a try,¡± Nadine held out the mana stone to Toofy, ¡°Toofy, could you eat this please, just, ah, maybe don''t bite it?¡± Not a bad suggestion since we had no idea if it was as strong as an actual stone or not.


    ¡°Kay,¡± Toofy snatched the mana stone and swallowed it in one gulp.


    Nothing happened at first, but a few seconds later Toofy¡¯s mana stat changed.


    [MP: 1/4 ]


    ¡°Toofy¡¯s current mana just changed to one and her maximum improved to four. No other stats changed,¡± I announced, making sure not to blink and dismiss the status screen by accident as I checked the other stats again.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Nadine rubbed her chin, thoughtfully, ¡°I wonder what increment of mana she needs to improve to rank two. Let¡¯s try a rank two mana stone next.¡±


    After a few minutes, we fed Toofy the rank two mana stone and it had immediately noticeable results. Outwardly, Toofy just grew about two inches taller, stats-wise it was a little more interesting.


    [Toofy - Goblin: 2 ] [HP: 19/19] [MP: 3/6 ]


    [Emelia¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Scavenger 2. +2 Intelligence, +1 Toughness, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 510/3000 ]


    [Strength: 7 ]


    [Agility: 14* ]


    [Toughness:6 (7*) ]


    [Intelligence: 6* (8*) ]


    [Willpower: 6* ]


    [Presence: 5 ]


    [(Class Ability: Treasure Sense): Detects and highlights items of value within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases range.]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious {Rank 1}): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot {Rank 0}): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    Toofy¡¯s maximum mana increased, her rank increased and the rank of her Vicious racial ability increased as well, presumably making it more effective. But as Nadine said, the group synergy for her Vicious ability increased to rank one as well. She also gained one point of Agility


    ¡°Toofy¡¯s max mana is now six, her rank is now two, she gained another point of Agility and her Vicious ability is now rank one!¡± I announced excitedly.


    Nadine and Clarice both look surprised.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± Clarice replied with surprise, ¡°Thought it would take loads of mana stones.¡±


    Nadine nodded in agreement, ¡°So did I. Maybe it¡¯s because the Orcs are so much stronger than Goblins?¡± She turned to Emelia, ¡°Do you remember your trainer mentioning anything about mana stone tiers and evolving monsters?¡± Nadine asked.


    Emelia blushed and shrugged, sinking into the bed covers to hide. But then she suddenly stopped, ¡°OH, they gave me a small book. It¡¯s in my bag!¡±


    The three of us stared incredulously at Emelia, even Toofy joined in, though I doubt she was aware of the reason for it.


    ¡°What?¡± Emelia demanded meekly, ¡°I became a Monster Tamer to lead, not to read.¡±


    ¡°Emelia...¡± Nadine rubbed her eyes tiredly, ¡°May I read the book please?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Emelia replied in relief, ¡°Boring book anyways, not even any pictures.¡±


    Clarice just winced at Emelia and shook her head.


    However, the timely arrival of lunch delivered by Kirk provided Emelia with a reprieve as everyone began eating their food. That is, everyone except Toofy, who would lower her spoon of stew every few seconds, look over at Emelia and comically waggle her head before continuing to eat again. It honestly just got funnier each time she did it. I am pretty sure Toofy was doing it solely for my reaction since she would dart a quick glance my way whenever she was doing it, the little goofball.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 05 – Enslaved to sentiment – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 05 ¨C Enslaved to sentiment ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 05 - Enslaved to sentiment - Part One {Rewrite}


    Nadine had quickly skimmed through the Monster Tamer book and read aloud the parts she thought I might find useful. Most notable were the detailed explanations of monster tier and rank progression. Basically, monsters would start at rank one and consume mana stones to increase in rank until eventually evolving and increasing to the next tier. The tier structures were roughly approximate to the floors of the Labyrinth, but unfortunately, the book did not list Ogres among its examples.


    Goblins and Orcs on the other hand were rather well documented. Goblins, in a similar position as both varieties of Kobolds, were considered to be half-tiered monsters. They were an example of monsters roughly equating to the average difficulty of the first floor of any given Labyrinth. However, named monsters were always a half-tier higher than their base species, so even though Toofy was a Goblin, she was technically a tier-one monster. Being tier-one put Toofy on an approximate power level to the Orcs, albeit with markedly different Abilities.


    Rank progression was actually rather simple to understand as well. Basically, consuming a mana stone of another monster of the same tier would award one maximum mana per rank of the mana stone. Consuming a mana stone of lower-tier monsters would have drastically reduced results. With every five maximum mana gained, a monster would Evolve, improving its stats and Racial Abilities. When a monster reached twenty-five maximum mana, it would Evolve into a higher tier form of its species and reset to rank one again.


    This information was not immediately useful for my own progression, particularly since we didn¡¯t know what tier I was, to begin with. However, it was a different story entirely in regards to Toofy. It was entirely plausible that Toofy would be able to evolve into a tier-two Goblin species from consuming Orc mana stones.


    The use of the mana stones would be a rather sizable loss of potential wealth, but the gains in terms of party combat capabilities were determined to be worth the tradeoff. It was actually Clarice who made the most convincing argument, comparing the investment in a similar sense to purchasing equipment. With a proper frame of reference for how strong Toofy was and of her future potential, only Emelia was still grumbling at the prospect of losing so many mana stones.


    There was one final thing Nadine took the time to explain to me before I had to leave again, and it was arguably just as important as the tier and ranking progression system. Nadine told me how to do advanced filtering of the status screen and notifications. After I had mentioned how dangerous it was to have the obnoxious panels covering my central vision, Nadine insisted on walking me through the basic filtering commands.


    In hindsight, I honestly should have figured them out on my own. They were so blatantly obvious that I felt embarrassed for not discovering them sooner. ¡°Status, combat notifications, scrolling lower peripheral, reduce size, reduce size, reduce size, reduce size.¡± The example notification pane shifted to my lower peripheral as I commanded and was replaced with procedurally smaller panes until they were roughly the same size as the group status information. Blinking, I dismissed the status screen and was left with only the group status panes,


    I hadn¡¯t realised just how much stress I was carrying on my shoulders until taking care of that. Even knowing that the sharp-toothed Vrabbits couldn¡¯t hurt me, being reduced to only using my peripheral vision had been like watching a particularly suspenseful horror movie. The fact that I was now fighting Orcs that made the rugby players from high school look like librarians, really had not helped.


    Toofy had also been fed the remaining mana stones to try and make her as strong as possible before hunting Orcs with me and Jacque. This had increased Toofy¡¯s maximum MP by a total of twelve points and had caused Toofy to rank up twice more and very nearly a third time as well.


    [Toofy - Goblin: 4 ] [HP: 19/19] [MP: 15/18 ]


    [Emelia¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Scavenger 2. +2 Intelligence, +1 Toughness, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 510/3000 ]


    [Strength: 8 ]


    [Agility: 15* ]


    [Toughness: 6 (7) ]


    [Intelligence: 6* (8*) ]


    [Willpower: 6* ]


    [Presence: 5 ]


    [(Class Ability: Treasure Sense): Detects and highlights items of value within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases range.]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious {Rank 2}): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot {Rank 1}): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    From what I could tell, Toofy had gained one more point in her Strength and Agility attributes and ranked up both of her Racial Abilities once each as well. While the additional damage from Vicious would be useful, I would have preferred Toofy¡¯s Underfoot Ability had ranked up higher instead. After all, it was the Orcs that seemed most likely to deal out sudden fatal injuries, and Underfoot seemed like it could alter that outcome.


    Heading downstairs with Toofy, I still felt incredibly nervous about taking her into the forest. The fact that Toofy had been living there for who knew how long, was of little comfort.


    Jacque was already waiting for us by the front door. She threw a large backpack at me the moment I cleared the stairs, ¡°Heads up!¡± Jacque called out with a grin.


    The backpack bounced off my chest and landed on the floor with a dull thud. Whatever Jacque had filled it with, was reasonably heavy. Picking up the backpack, I smelled the faint aroma of cooked meat. Unfastening the top of the pack and looking inside, the smell intensified and I found a multitude of wrapped cloth parcels.


    Jacque had stocked up the entire large leather pack with food. Since the Guild was paying the bill, I felt kind of stupid for not thinking of something like this sooner. With both Toofy and Jacque benefiting from my Iron Gut Racial Ability through group Synergy, food was equivocal to emergency medical supplies.


    Slipping the pack onto my back, I wasn¡¯t surprised when Toofy climbed up and used it as a seat. The pack was actually big enough that I could carry Toofy inside of it if we ate or discarded most of the food.


    ¡°You ready to get back out there?¡± Jacque asked eagerly, tapping the butt end of her wooden spear against the door.


    I nodded while strapping the door-shield to my arm and then drew the morningstar out from my tattered belt, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Jacque smiled, ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it! Daylight¡¯s a¡¯wastin.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think we will run into the Orc chieftain?¡± I asked somewhat apprehensively.


    Jacque shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± she admitted, ¡°But if we do, there will be a whole mess of minions to deal with. It won¡¯t be an easy fight.¡±


    Crossing the plains, I was relieved to find that the Vrabbits had dispersed rather than continuing to stake out the invisible barrier. But considering the Vrabbits absence raised an interesting question as to why the Vrabbits didn¡¯t hunt Orcs and Goblins in the forest. Then I recalled the already healed bite wound to Toofy¡¯s ear and had my answer. The Vrabbits didn¡¯t have to leave, because their prey came to them instead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try the other direction this time,¡± Jacque suggested, leading us in what I presumed was a different direction than last time.


    With no direct line of sight of the town, I didn¡¯t know where we were going. I really needed a compass or something. I would even settle for a map, but those were inordinately expensive.


    Jacque looked back at me curiously but said nothing.


    After walking for a while longer, Jacque suddenly stopped and looked to our left. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance and we set off in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± I asked, a little concerned at her reaction and our abrupt change of course.


    Jacque didn¡¯t reply at first, but after a couple of minutes, she let out a frustrated sigh, ¡°Damnit, I really didn¡¯t want to deal with this a-hole today...¡±


    ¡°Who are y-¡± Before I could finish asking the question, I heard people approaching from behind us. Looking over my shoulder, I could see five adventurers in chain hauberks rushing to catch up to us. They didn¡¯t seem overly hostile, but I was getting a bad feeling all the same.


    Jacque stopped and turned to face them, watching their approach with disgust.


    ¡°Oi! Jacky! Long time no see!¡± One of the adventurers called out boisterously.


    The other adventurers laughed, but it came across as being more than a little forced.


    Jacque¡¯s scowl deepened and she glowered at the adventurer who had called out to her.


    The adventurers stopped a dozen paces away and the one who had called out removed his helmet.


    ¡°Hrmph, you still sour over that misunderstanding a month back?¡± The adventurer demanded with a disarming smile, ¡°If you want, I could put in a good word for you and get you an invite back to the chapter.¡± Objectively, the young man was handsome in a classical sense, possessing strong features and a tall athletic build. Unfortunately, his good looks were ruined, in my opinion, by the cold arrogance in his eyes.


    ¡°Like I told the chapter master when I left, I don''t work with rapists, Byron,¡± Jacque replied icily, gripping her spear so tightly her knuckles had turned white.


    The adventurer, assumedly Byron, frowned, ¡°The investigation cleared me on all charges, Jackie, so it might be best if you stop spreading rumours...¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The other four adventurers shifted uncomfortably.


    Jacque stood her ground, ¡°Then leave me alone! I want nothing to do with you, so get lost!¡±


    ¡°Apologise,¡± Byron demanded arrogantly.


    Jacque turned to leave.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Byron moved forward and made as if to grab her arm.


    *Thwack*


    Jacque spun and delivered a blow to Byron¡¯s left knee, sweeping him off his feet in the process.


    ¡°Argh!...¡± Byron fell hard.


    The four other adventurers quickly rushed forward to help him. Two of them grabbed an arm each to drag Byron to his feet while the other two drew their swords and squared off against Jacque.


    Jacque backed off but made a point of keeping her spear in a ready position, ¡°You try and touch me again, and I will drive the pointy end up your ass!¡± She growled angrily before turning to me, ¡°Come on, let''s get a move on.¡±


    More than happy to avoid the confrontation, I quickly followed along behind her.


    ¡°Don''t just let her go, you idiots!¡± Byron screeched, ¡°Go get her!¡±


    Looking over my shoulder, I could see that the adventurers were hesitating,


    For a moment there I thought they would just blindly follow this guy''s orders like some pampered lordlings minions. I had always hated that trope. No matter how weak the minion and no matter how powerful the protagonist, the minions would just mindlessly charge like flies against a car windshield.


    ¡°A gold piece for whoever drags that bitch back here on her knees!¡± Byron promised.


    Okay, now that''ll do it.


    I quickly slipped my morning star through my belt, grabbed Jacque around the waist and ran. I didn¡¯t even have to turn around to know that at least one of those adventurers was going to take a crack at Jacque. One gold piece was worth one hundred silver, which was worth ten thousand copper. Greed was a notoriously powerful motivator, and I wanted no part in it.


    After running for around five minutes, I slowed down and set Jacque back down, ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologised. It would not have been a pleasant journey for her.


    However, Jacque didn¡¯t seem any worse for wear. She actually seemed kind of pleased about something, ¡°Thanks, Tim.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I just didn¡¯t want to fight those guys, you know?¡± I explained a little awkwardly.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°You really don¡¯t behave like most of the monsters I''ve seen before,¡± she commented cheerily.


    ¡°Well...there were four of them you know?¡± I deflected by reminding her of the odds.


    Jacque snorted and shook her head, ¡°Besides that shitheel Byron, the others are all just rookies running around in expensive equipment. I highly doubt they could manage more than just scratching you with those swords.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but what about yourself and Toofy?¡± No way I was going to put Toofy at risk over whatever the hell kind of history Jacque and this Byron guy have.


    Jacque¡¯s smile widened, ¡°See that¡¯s what I mean. The Labyrinths¡¯ monsters are inherently selfish by nature and design. Yet here you are.¡±


    The way Jacque said that didn¡¯t seem quite right to me.


    Toofy began to growl.


    ¡°Oh, right. It seems like you may have run past a few Orc and Goblin patrols on the way here. We should get ready for a pretty big fight,¡± Jacque shrugged somewhat apologetically and readied her spear.


    That was definitely my bad. I was not light on my feet and it was pretty difficult to move quietly while running through the forest with a door strapped to my arm. ¡°Toofy, do you think you could hop up into that tree and use your sling?¡± I asked, careful to avoid phrasing it as a command. Emelia¡¯s Monster Tamer book has said that it was based on intent and not phrasing that triggered the command abilities, but I would rather not risk it.


    ¡°Toofy do!¡± Toofy crawled up my extended arm and climbed up a little higher before settling on a thick branch. She immediately set about loading her sling, giving it a rapid twirl and hurling the first bullet.


    [ Toofy has slain {Goblin: 1 } +50 Exp ]


    Woah!


    I hadn¡¯t known Toofy already knew how to use a sling. I had mostly just sent her up into the tree to keep her out of harm''s way.


    Wait, did Toofy hit the target she was aiming at though?


    Just because she killed a Goblin, didn¡¯t mean that it had been her intended target.


    Toofy threw another bullet.


    ¡°GRA!¡± An Orc bellowed out in pain.


    Three Goblins rushed through the brush, with an Orc staggering a few steps behind them.


    *Crack*


    The Orc¡¯s head whipped backwards as Toofy threw a bullet into its head just above the right eye.


    [ Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    Okay, Toofy was obviously a damned sniper...


    With the Orc behind them down for the count, the three Goblins spared only a second to make sure he wasn¡¯t getting back up again before legging it into the forest.


    With the sounds of more Orcs and Goblins approaching, I was more than happy to see them go.


    ¡°Where did you find Toofy anyway?¡± Jacque asked, smiling and shaking her head.


    Toofy was swinging the sling again, but she didn¡¯t appear to have an immediate target.


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said we found her just outside of town?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Really?¡± Jacque seemed impressed, ¡°Don''t know how you managed to catch her. To keep her balance like that on the branch while spinning the sling, her Agility would need to be pretty damn high.¡±


    I could tell Jacque was fishing, so I just nodded.


    ¡°Many Orcs!¡± Toofy called out anxiously and hurled another bullet from her sling.


    Jacque¡¯s eyes grew wide, ¡°Ah so, remember how I told you the chieftain would bring along his minions? Well, we may need to run.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± I asked, a little confused since we knew this would happen at some point.


    ¡°Because he didn¡¯t just bring his own minions, he brought the Goblin chief and his minions as well!¡± Jacque replied worriedly.


    It took a moment for that information to sink in. ¡°Running sounds like a good idea,¡± I agreed, ¡°Toofy come down, we¡¯re leaving!¡±


    Toofy jumped out from the tree and grabbed onto my pack to arrest her fall, ¡°GOGO!¡± She shrieked nervously.


    Jacque began to run and motioned for me to follow, ¡°Just follow me no matter what! They are trying to surround us!¡±


    I nodded and began running after Jacque as best as I was able. All the while, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was all my fault.


    *****


    Grobguk grinned, the Ogre had finally come out of hiding. Even now, the Ogre was running away in fear! ¡°CHARGE! KILL OGRE!!!¡± He bellowed, whipping his warriors into an even greater frenzy.


    Grobguk¡¯s warriors were only too keen to obey, charging recklessly through the underbrush and leaving a swathe of splintered and trampled vegetation in their wake.


    Gobgob and his pitiful Goblins were no less enthusiastic but were quickly being left behind.


    Grobguk didn¡¯t care. With the Ogre running scared, it was clear that he didn¡¯t need the Goblins after all.


    *Thwack*


    Grobguk felt something strike his calf, causing him to lose balance and nearly tumble to the ground. Looking behind him, Grobguk could see Gobgob and his elite warriors just a short distance away, the latter already loosing another volley of stones from their slings. ¡°GOBGOB DARES?!¡± Grobguk bellowed in fury.


    *Thwack*, *Thwack* *Thwack*, *Thwack*, *Thwack*.


    The hail of stones pelted Grobguk¡¯s body and he felt his bones cracking beneath the onslaught. Instinctively, Grobguk understood that if he continued cowering, he would die. Mustering all his rage, Grobguk charged towards Gobgob, preparing to bury his knife into the treacherous Goblins head.


    *Thwack*, *Thwack* *Thwack*, *Thwack*, *Thwack*.


    Another volley of stones crashed into Grobguk¡¯s chest, stalling his momentum and stealing the breath from his lungs, replacing it with blood and pain. ¡°GOBGOB!¡± Grobguk spat, continuing to stagger forwards. Even if it cost him his life, Grobguk would end Gobgob before permitting himself to die. To be slain by a Goblin was already dishonour enough, to not take the puny weakling with him was just unthinkable.


    Gobgob raised his hand and his elite warriors held back the next volley. The elderly Goblin chief stepped forward to face Grobguk alone, relying on his hilariously large walking stick for support.


    Grobguk could no longer speak, so he settled for glaring balefully at Gobgob as he struggled towards the Goblin.


    ¡°Grobguk stupid!¡± Gobgob cackled, his wrinkled mouth splitting wide in a grin, ¡°Gobgob smartest!¡± Gobgob swung his walking stick at Grobguk¡¯s ankle.


    *Crack*


    Grobguk¡¯s strength failed him as he tumbled painfully to the ground, ¡°Blurghuk!¡± Blood vomited from his mouth as the impact forced it out of his shattered chest.


    Gobgob struck again, this time at Grobguk¡¯s right hand, which was still clutching the magical knife and symbol of his position as chieftain.


    *Crack*


    Grobguk felt his bones break but desperately clung onto the knife, struggling to inch closer to Gobgob.


    *Crack*, *Crack*, *Crack*, *Crack*


    Gobgob seemed more than happy to keep hitting Grobguk anyway. Eventually prying the knife from Grobguk¡¯s badly mangled hand.


    With his vision turning black, the last thing Grobguk saw was a bright flash of crimson light, and then, nothing.


    *****


    [ Goblin Chieftain Gobgob has declared war against the invaders on the {Hurst First Floor} Settlement of the {Hurst Labyrinth}! ]


    [All {Static Defensive Wards} and {Interdimensional Travel} will be {Deactivated} for 1d 0h 0m initiating in 3d 0h 0m. ]


    I very nearly crashed face-first into a tree as the notification appeared in front of me. Unlike the other status notifications, which were blue, these latest notifications were a deep angry red. Even after I blinked, a much smaller status screen appeared at the top of my peripheral vision and It seemed to be a sort of countdown timer.


    [ 2d 23h 59m ]


    ¡°Shit...¡± Jacque cursed without breaking stride, slowing only enough for me to catch her up.


    I could only assume that she had received the same status notification I had. It definitely wasn¡¯t good, but it also wasn¡¯t quite what I had expected.


    Wasn¡¯t the boss monster meant to be an Orc chieftain, not a Goblin?


    As unfortunate as this was, a Goblin chieftain would be easier to defeat than an Orc chieftain.


    After a few more minutes of running, Jacque stopped and motioned for me to do the same.


    We had been running for close to half an hour, so I had no problems with taking a much-appreciated breather. ¡°You...okay...Toofy?¡± I panted, glancing back at her.


    Toofy nodded, although she seemed quite anxious. My face had taken the worst of the branches, so besides her hair having a fresh batch of twigs and leaves in it, Toofy seemed to be otherwise fine.


    ¡°We need to head back to the foothold,¡± Jacque declared gloomily, ¡°It¡¯s just way too dangerous to continue hunting at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed, more than happy to return to town again.


    After resting for a bit longer, Jacque slowly began leading us back to town.


    Unsurprisingly, we were not the only ones heading back across the plains. Four other parties were rather hurriedly grouping together along the way. Not a bad idea considering the circumstances.


    However, Jacque made no moves to join them, so we made our own way back alone. Even though we weren¡¯t rushing like the other adventurers, it still didn''t take too long.


    ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you later Tim, we are done for today,¡± Jacque gave me a small wave goodbye before heading off in the direction of the Guild office.


    ¡°Later,¡± I waved back but Jacque probably didn¡¯t notice. She appeared to be deep in thought.


    I needed some answers, so I returned to the inn.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Nadine called out from the window, her expression a mix of relief and persisting worry.


    A couple of seconds later Clarice joined Nadine by the window and gave me an awkward wave.


    The pair of them were waiting for me in the common room as I entered the Inn. they were currently seated at a table near the door and looking over what looked like a map.


    ¡°Tim, can you come take a seat for a minute?¡± Nadine asked hurriedly, apparently more than a little stressed.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed and very cautiously sat down on one of the chairs. It creaked a little but seemed to be alright supporting my weight.


    ¡°There is no easy way to say this,¡± Nadine sighed, ¡°The Guild has issued us a mandatory quest.¡±


    ¡°Mandatory? They can do that?¡± This was the first I was hearing of it. Outside of the Guild staff themselves, the adventurers Guild had honestly seemed a lot more like a temp agency.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°It¡¯s rare, but in emergencies, the Guild can issue mandatory quests to members. If we refuse, we get blacklisted from the Guild,¡± she explained wearily, ¡°We will still get paid for it, but the conditions and requirements are unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a frickin power trip! That¡¯s what it is!¡± Clarice snapped angrily.


    I really didn¡¯t like where this was headed, but I had to know for sure, ¡°What is the quest?¡±


    Nadine pointed to the map on the table. It was a somewhat crude birdseye view of the town. ¡°The Guild wants us, specifically you, to guard the gate for the duration of the raid.¡±


    ¡°Uh...Did you tell them that I am not much of a fighter?¡± I asked worriedly, starting to feel a little panicked.


    ¡°Of course we did!¡± Clarice snorted, ¡±Guess how well that went down?!¡±


    ¡°They thought we were lying..." Nadine explained disappointedly, ¡°Even though your combat record is short, from where they are sitting it still looks very impressive...¡±


    ¡°That''s not even the worst part!¡± Clarice snarled, ¡°Tell¡¯im!¡±


    Nadine paled and gulped hard, ¡°The Guild...they want to put a slave mark on you...¡±


    My stomach lurched and I felt like I was going to be sick.


    ¡°They already took Emelia to the Guild to handle things on their end. Tim, I am so sorry, I didn¡¯t want something like this to happen,¡± Nadine explained sympathetically,


    ¡°Fucking bullshit is what it is!¡± Clarice seethed, ¡°The foothold is in danger, better start Enslaving people!¡±


    ¡°What is going to happen?¡± I asked weakly, ¡±Is it just going to be a second Slave mark? Like, do I have to obey two different people?¡±


    Nadine gulped again and looked down, ¡°Ah, no Tim. You can only have one mark at a time. They took Emelia to...to transfer ownership...All Guild managers are Slavers and-¡±


    I didn¡¯t hear the rest of what Nadine was saying, I felt like someone had vented the oxygen from the room and I was having trouble breathing. Stumbling to my feet, I headed out towards the door to get some fresh air. Everything was all blurry and I couldn''t stop my hands from shaking!


    [ Warning: Bond has been forcefully attempted. Accept? (Y/N) ]


    I stared at the status alert for a full minute before understanding what It said, ¡°Refuse!¡± I croaked hoarsely.


    [ Bond Rejected. ]


    [ Warning: Bond has been forcefully attempted. Accept? (Y/N) ]


    ¡°Refuse!¡± I repeated, this time, feeling a rush of anger.


    Panting heavily, I stumbled back into the inn and retrieved my shield from by the door where I had left it.


    ¡°Tim, you should calm down so we can talk about this,¡± Nadine insisted pleadingly.


    [ Your master has given you a command. ]


    ¡°REFUSE!¡± I snarled as a sudden mild pain took hold in my head.


    Toofy whimpered and growled sympathetically, whipping her head around to try and find what was causing me pain.


    Staggering out of the inn, I saw a small group of people rushing out of the Guild office.


    <Run!> The thought reverberated through my mind with such force that it very nearly stunned me.


    However, seeing the group from the Guild office rushing towards me, I turned and ran towards the gate.


    The group chasing me began shouting, but I paid no attention to them and just kept running. Reaching the gate, I hesitated only for a moment before charging forward again.


    [ Your master has given you a command. ]


    The pain in my head increased slightly, but I could handle it. It was nothing like the last time Emelia had given me commands. I continued running until I made it into the forest. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I looked back and was surprised that no one had continued following me. They had all stopped just a short distance into the plains.


    ¡°Are you alright Toofy?¡± I asked, a little worried that Emelia had used the command on her as well.


    ¡°Toofy okay,¡± Toofy confirmed, but she sounded a little shaken. ¡°Why Tim run?¡± She asked curiously.


    I tried to think of a way to explain it so Toofy would understand, ¡°A bad man tried to take me away, so I ran.¡± It only occurred to me now that they probably have something in mind for Toofy as well. If they were willing to use me as fodder, naturally, they wouldn¡¯t think twice about doing it to her. FOr the life of me, I couldn¡¯t think of a way to protect her from it.


    Toofy suddenly stiffened, ¡°Bad man taking Toofy!¡± She shrieked in terror, her shiv materializing in her hand and whipping around at the air in a panic.


    ¡°Toofy! Calm down! I won¡¯t let them take you!¡± I tried to reassure Toofy.


    ¡°Taking Toofy away!¡± Toofy wailed, clutching at her head.


    ¡°I won''t let them!¡± I roared protectively, ¡°Stay with me Toofy!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how I would do it, but dammit I would try anyway!


    ¡°Toofy wants to stay, not go!¡± Toofy screeched, clawing at her hair and crying.


    [ Your master has given you a command. ]


    ¡°Damnit Emelia! That¡¯s it! CONTEST BOND!¡± I screamed in frustration.


    [ Bond Broken: Removing Enslaved Status and Effects.]


    [ You have been automatically removed from Nadine¡¯s party]


    All at once, the pain stopped and I could think clearly again, ¡°Toofy it¡¯s okay, just stay with me okay?¡± I started moving through the forest, worried that the noise we had been making would very quickly result in an attack by the natives.


    ¡°***?¡± Toofy looked up at me in fear, confusion and pain.


    Just as the monumental consequences of what I had just done began settling on my shoulders, Toofy began to convulse. Quickly setting Toofy down on the ground, I worked the edge of my palm into her mouth to stop Toofy from biting off her own tongue. ¡±Shit! What is happening, what do I do?!¡±


    In a moment of gut-wrenching clarity, I realised that Emelia or that Guild manager must have been layering commands onto Toofy. Her Willpower was nowhere near as high as mine, so of course, she couldn¡¯t resist it as I could.


    Then what the hell do I do?


    I needed to buy some time to think. With no other options presenting themselves, I gently cradled Toofy in my arm and slowly began walking back toward town.


    Toofy stopped seizing almost immediately, just shuddering and crying from the memory of the pain. ¡°*** ***, ***** ****, *** ***,¡± Toofy struggled feebly, looking deliberately at the town in the distance then back to me and shaking her head.


    ¡°No, Toofy,¡± I croaked hoarsely.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do. However, if I didn¡¯t take Toofy back, the pain would probably kill her. At the same time, going back also meant that they would be using Toofy as fodder to defend the town. Even though she was now stronger than an Orc, there would likely be hundreds of Orcs and Goblins attacking the town. Stuck as the vanguard, Toofy¡¯s chances of survival would be almost nonexistent. So if I wanted to try to keep Toofy alive, I would need to surrender myself as well.


    With Emelia, I had accepted Enslavement without realising what I was doing and what it entailed. But now, I knew better and every fibre of my being detested the very idea of it, demanding that I turn and run. Even Toofy wanted me to run away. But I couldn¡¯t do it. Toofy would die without me, I felt certain of it.


    Faced with an impossible choice, I chose the lesser of the two evils. Maybe I was just a coward. It would explain so many things about me and my life. I had always done what was demanded of me and when push came to shove, I would back down. Even my reluctance to hurt people could be seen as a fear of consequences, of power and control.


    Technically, I could free Toofy by killing the Guild manager, or whoever was currently her master. I could kill him and run back off into the forest before anyone had a chance to do anything about it. But, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to even consider it before dismissing the idea in shame.


    *****


    ¡°Let¡¯s quit the Guild!¡± Clarice insisted seriously for the fifth time in as many minutes, ¡°This is all bullshit. No one else is being forced to put up with anything close to this!¡±


    Nadine was heavily inclined to agree with her. Even though the Guild had the right to issue mandatory quests, the theft of property through Slave bonds was dangerous territory. Ignoring for a moment the fact that Tim was a thinking being, the Guild just forcibly seized a substantially valuable asset under the pretext of a quest. If it weren¡¯t for the portals being inaccessible, Nadine would have immediately filed a grievance against the manager.


    Slavery was big money, and the Guild manager had greatly overstepped his intended authority. If the Guild didn¡¯t take the grievance seriously, most of the Slavers and Monster Tamer¡¯s would quit overnight.


    Nadine had already written three letters in preparation for when the raid ended. ¡°We might as well be mercenaries,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°If the Guild is just going to abuse its authority anyway, then what is the point in staying a member?¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Clarice agreed excitedly, ¡°That''s what I¡¯m saying!¡±


    ¡°They still won¡¯t give Tim back, or Toofy for that matter. The Guild manager will just exercise his ¡®emergency authority¡¯ to keep them until the raid is over,¡± Nadine explained dejectedly, ¡°And on top of that, technically Tim and Toofy are Emelia¡¯s property, not ours.¡±


    Clarice¡¯s face darkened still further, ¡°The treacherous bitch! Selling Tim after he saved her life!¡±


    Nadine pursed her lips and nodded. She did not think for a moment that Emelia did it with ill intentions in mind. However, Nadine also heavily suspected that Emelia had given precious little thought, if any, beyond how much silver the Guild was promising her in exchange.


    Clarice was about to voice a few more choice epithets but was distracted by a knock at the door to their new room.


    Before Nadine or Clarice could so much as ask who it was, the door opened and Jacque slipped inside before quickly closing the door after herself.


    ¡°What do you want?!¡± Clarice snarled, already in a bad mood and unwilling to put up with Jacque¡¯s shenanigans.


    Jacque didn¡¯t say a word, instead, moving over to the bed, yanking off the blanket and covers. She walked back over to the door again and stuffed them into the crack at the bottom of the door.


    Nadine could already tell that Jacque was very likely bringing them a great deal of trouble.


    Jacque then walked over and closed the shutters and curtains. Finally turning her attention to Clarice and Nadine, Jacque had an intense look in her eyes that Nadine had not seen before. ¡°If there was a way to free Tim from the Guild manager¡¯s control, would you do it?¡± She asked bluntly.


    ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± Clarice replied almost immediately.


    Nadine hesitated a moment, earning the ire of both other women, ¡°It¡¯s not Tim we need to free,¡± she hastily tried to explain, ¡°It¡¯s Toofy. I know the reason he came back would have been to stop the commands from hurting her. He won¡¯t leave without her being freed.¡±


    Jacque nodded, ¡°I know. So I will ask again. If there was a way to free Tim from the Guild manager¡¯s control, would you do it?¡± She repeated earnestly.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°I owe him and Toofy at least that much,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°Good,¡± Jacque nodded, ¡°Because I have a plan and I need your help to make it work.¡±


    Nadine and Clarice glanced at one another before eagerly huddling closer to hear more.


    *****


    I continued staring blankly at the open plains from my position outside the gates. They had leveraged Toofy against me almost the very moment I returned to the town. Ordering her to fight me, while Gregory attempted to Enslave me again. Toofy refused, of course, so she immediately began convulsing in pain. I knew they wouldn¡¯t stop until I submitted, so that¡¯s exactly what I did. I became a Slave again. Then they had taken Toofy away, presumably to rest, but I couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Nadine and Clarice had stopped by to tell me that Toofy was alright, but the Guild had locked her up in a holding cell beneath the Guild office. They had both apologised profusely and promised to do what they could, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Nothing mattered. Emelia had cast me aside so casually, even seeming happy about it.


    Is that what I get for saving her life?


    Staring despondently at nothing in particular, I wondered what the life expectancy of monsters was in this world.


    Did I have another fifty years of this ahead of me? A hundred? Ten? I had no way of knowing, but I hoped it was shorter rather than longer.


    What really hurt wasn¡¯t how callously the Guild manager, Gilbert, was treating me. It was how kind other members of the town had been up until now. I had fooled myself into thinking that my situation wasn¡¯t nearly so bad as the reality. But reality seemed to have caught up to me in a real hurry.


    Gilbert had spent a solid hour detailing exact commands for my every waking moment, including establishing which hours I would be awake for and which I would not. I learned more about the status commands in five minutes than I had in my entire time with Emelia.


    Besides my clothes, morningstar and shield, everything else had been confiscated and presumably returned to their original owners, namely Emelia and Jacque. I could tell that Gilbert had seriously contemplated whether to take my clothes as well before eventually deciding against it. I couldn¡¯t believe that I thought he was a standup guy.


    Gilbert had assigned a number of adventurers to serve a watch schedule at the gate as well. But none of them seemed particularly friendly. They just mostly ignored me and kept to their own company.


    When it grew dark and the pain ebbed, I shuffled to the inner side of the gate wall and lay down to sleep. Staring up at the sky, I wondered if perhaps someone would kill me in my sleep and I found that the thought did not scare me nearly as much as it had only a few days ago.


    It took a long time for me to get to sleep, and waking up in the morning to a splitting headache made me feel that much worse. Picking up my morningstar and shield, I returned to the designated position and stared vacantly at the plains. I had realised rather quickly that Gilbert¡¯s commands had serious problems with achieving the results he wanted.


    I had no incentive to be vigilant, and so as long as I was vaguely looking in the right direction, I felt no pain. Gilbert¡¯s pre-established commands were painful enough to be aggravating, but not enough that I couldn''t resist. His whole house of cards was kept standing because he held Toofy hostage, and he knew it.


    Only vaguely aware of my surroundings, I would probably fall asleep on my feet if it weren¡¯t for the sudden jolts of pain whenever I closed my eyes for more than a second at a time.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Someone called out from nearby.


    Ignoring the pain, I look away from the empty plains and see Nadine and Clarice slowly making their way down the street towards me.


    ¡°We brought you food,¡± Clarice explained nervously, holding out a small basket full of roasted meat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry¡± I replied offhandedly.


    Nadine looked worried, ¡°Tim, you really should eat something to help keep your strength up,¡± she insisted.


    I shook my head and turned back to the plains again, ¡°Not hungry,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°We went to see Toofy earlier,¡± Nadine shared encouragingly.


    ¡°She misses you,¡± Clarice added.


    I nodded, ¡°I miss her too...¡±


    There was an awkward pause before Clarice tried handing me the basket again, ¡°You need to eat to keep your strength up,¡± she insisted.


    I sighed and slid my morning star through my belt, twitching slightly as the pain started back up almost immediately. Turning away from the plains added another layer of pain until I accepted the basket and shifted it awkwardly to my shield-bearing hand and looked back out at the plains again.


    I absently grabbed a piece of meat, put it in my mouth and swallowed. The mild pain in my head made it difficult to appreciate the food, so I just listlessly ate one piece of meat after another. My mind began to wander again when I noticed Nadine was trying to get my attention.


    ¡°Tim...I know this must be hard for you, but you just need to bear with it a little longer,¡± Nadine said in an attempt to raise my spirits.


    It honestly wasn¡¯t worth replying to. I was a slave and would soon be compelled to kill against my will. But only because they had someone I cared about as a hostage. It was the lesser of two evils, but it made me disgusted with myself. I didn¡¯t blame Toofy for this, it wasn¡¯t her fault. I missed her.


    ¡°Just hang tough, things will work out...¡± Clarice added somewhat awkwardly, lightly punching my shoulder.


    Another protracted silence passed between us before Nadine sighed. ¡°We will see you later Tim,¡± she said quietly and slowly began walking away.


    ¡°I...¡± Clarice hesitated then roughly cleared her throat, ¡°Just stay safe alright?¡±


    When the food in the basket ran out, I found that there was a small leather satchel at the bottom. Ignoring the pain, I opened the satchel and found a half dozen thick sheets of card stock. Curious, I removed the topmost one and very nearly dropped it again. It was a picture of Toofy and I eating breakfast at the inn, or at least a sketch of it.


    Seeing the serious expression on Toofy''s face, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Even though it had been only a couple of days, it had felt like forever since I last saw her. I needed to see more. Replacing the first card into the satchel, I withdrew another.


    It was a picture of Toofy sleeping splayed out on my stomach in our room. Whoever sketched this had even included the belt abandoned on the floor. The next was of Toofy sitting on the large pack and leaning on my head as we walked through the forest.


    I remembered each of the events they were based on, more or less. But the final three were different. The fourth picture showed Toofy huddled in the centre of a dark cage, and a featureless stranger looking at her through the bars holding a collar in their outstretched hand.


    The fifth picture showed the stranger walking down the main street of the town with Toofy peeking out from the large pack on their back.


    The sixth and final picture showed the stranger handing me the pack and pointing urgently to the forest.


    Were Clarice and Nadine working on a plan to rescue Toofy?


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel about that. On the one hand, I desperately wanted Toofy to be rescued, but on the other, I was worried about what could go wrong in the attempt. If something happened to her, I would never forgive myself.


    *****


    ¡°How is he doing?¡± Jacque asked although she had a pretty good idea by the looks on their faces.


    ¡°It¡¯s like he¡¯s not even there,¡± Clarice muttered, <This is my fault, I wasn¡¯t strong enough to stop it.>.


    ¡°Tim was already quite fragile when we first met him, and...he''s slipping. If the Guild manager forces him to fight, I don''t think there will be much of Tim left afterwards,¡± Nadine explained, <I should have been more careful. I should have known something like this would happen!>.


    Jacque nodded, this was about what she had expected after observing Tim for a few days. Despite his literally tough exterior, Jacque had the impression that at any given moment, Tim¡¯s psyche was hanging by a handful of threads. Given his current treatment, it was very likely that those threads would snap at any moment.


    Jacque had only just confirmed Tim was an Awakened, a human soul given new life in a monster''s body. Already insanely rare, he was rarer still in that he was not a deranged psychopath like the overwhelming majority of the others. That is, he wasn¡¯t one yet.


    Jacque had seen plenty of otherwise good people turn bad after being mistreated or pushed into a corner. This was why Jacque had come up with a plan to free Toofy and by extension, Tim. The fact that the Guild manager was able to control Tim by using Toofy as a hostage spoke volumes of each of their moral characters. Any doubts Jacque had about Tim had been swept away upon learning of his sacrifice. Jacque knew of only a handful of Awakened would do anything close to what he did, but only Tim would accept becoming a Slave instead of killing the Guild manager.


    ¡°Alright, I have everything prepared. Are you both ready to play your part?¡± Jacque asked seriously.


    Clarice and Nadine both nodded in agreement, their eyes steeled with determination.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do this!¡± Jacque declared.


    The three of them headed downstairs to the inn¡¯s common room, where Jacque and Clarice continued to head off to the street while Nadine beelined for Byron and his lackeys.


    Nadine had the most difficult and frankly dangerous part to play in this rescue mission. She had to lure Byron away from his entourage and get him to drink the sleeping draught Jacque had purchased from the alchemist.


    It was part of the cover and frame-job Jacque had thought up to redirect suspicion from themselves once Toofy was found to be missing.


    Jacque and Clarice waited near the tailor shop across the street.


    After a while, Byron¡¯s entourage left the inn. Clarice shivered with a scowl and quickly headed back into the inn again. A few moments later there was a great deal of angry shouting and a short while after, the innkeeper was dragging Byron out by his collar and towards the Guild office.


    After about an hour, the innkeeper stormed out of the Guild office and back to the inn.


    Jacque waited a few minutes longer, ducked into the tailor¡¯s shop and put on her disguise. Leaving the shop, Jacque knew that most people wouldn¡¯t give her a second glance. Disguises were a specialty of hers and she knew how best to blend in.


    Entering the Guild office, Jacque was not surprised to find the staff were gossiping amongst themselves about what had happened. Some of them looked towards the door as Jacque entered but quickly dismissed her. After all, she looked like one of them. Well, specifically, Jacque looked like Emily, a member of the Guild staff who was visiting Don the butcher for ¡¯an afternoon snack¡¯.


    Jacque calmly walked into the back area and took the keys off the hook by the door. All Guild office buildings shared the same general designs and floor plans, so because Jacque had already explored one, she had effectively explored them all.


    Unlocking the door to the holding cells, Jacque walked downstairs into the poorly illuminated passageway. Following the rows of barred cells, Jacque stopped at the end of the row.


    Toofy was curled up in the foetal position in the exact centre of the cell, barely moving a muscle.


    Jacque tapped the cell door quietly, loud enough that only Toofy would hear.


    Toofy¡¯s ear twitched. Far less coherent than the thoughts of humans, a myriad of images and impressions quickly surged to the forefront of her mind. <An image of Tim looking down at Toofy and patting her head, the feeling of being held in his arms, confusion, loss.> Toofy quickly looked towards the door and saw Jacque. <The faces of adventurers twisted in anger, pain, darkness, alone.>. Toofy¡¯s head slumped dejectedly back to the floor. <Tim was watching them take her away, his face contorted in pain. Sad, anger, confusion, loss.>.


    Jacque could feel the little Goblin¡¯s despair, surprised that Toofy understood why Tim had returned to the foothold and what it meant. Doing her best to organise her thoughts, Jacque began projecting them to Toofy. <Escape, the door to the cell was open and so was the door upstairs. Flee, Jacque showed an open window in the room above. Hide, Jacque conjured the image of the barrels and crates outside, focusing on a large leather pack concealed behind them. Pain, endure. Happy, flee, Jacque formed an image of Tim hugging Toofy as he ran from the foothold gates towards the forest.>.


    Toofy raised her head again and stared at Jacque. <Toofy repeated the same image of Tim again, Sad, anger, confusion, loss. Confusion.>.


    Jacque could tell what she meant. Toofy wanted to know what would stop them from forcing Tim to come back again. <Jacque formed an image of the leather pack again, of Jacque herself putting a collar around Toofy¡¯s neck. Endure, relief, happy, flee, hide.>. Communicating like this was difficult, but Jacque at least had some practice deciphering and interpreting the thoughts of monsters, so she was reasonably confident that her intentions were getting across.


    Toofy tilted her head at Jacque quizzically but nodded.


    Jacque unlocked the cell door and stepped back.


    Toofy cautiously approached the door and flinched as she made to step over the threshold. Just as Jacque was considering altering the plan, Toofy grit her teeth and lurched into the passageway.


    Jacque nodded and jammed a few pieces of broken twig into the lock of the cell door and slowly followed Toofy up the stairs before doing the same on that door as well. Watching Toofy stagger towards the open window, Jacque made sure she was presentable, replaced the keys on the hook and walked out of the Guild and towards the direction of the butcher shop.


    Narrowly missing the real Emily by quickly slipping into the shadowed alley between the two buildings, Jacque hurriedly changed her disguise to look like one of the other young female adventurers currently stuck in the foothold.


    Nonchalantly returning to the Guild office building, Jacque was glad to find that no one had discovered Toofy¡¯s absence yet. Looking amongst the crates and barrels, Jacque sighed in relief when she found the empty pack she had stowed earlier, was now rather full and trembling slightly.


    the thought repeated over and over.


    Jacque felt bad about this part of the plan. She had felt the pain of Slave commands herself and had no desire to ever feel it again. <Endure, pain.> Jacque encouraged her. Lifting up the pack and strapping it to her back, Jacque made sure no one was looking her way, then casually meandered over to the tailor¡¯s shop and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°Ah, Jacque!¡± Rasped Kiki, eagerly wringing her clawed hands together, ¡°I assume our transaction is soon to be completed?¡±


    ¡°Did you get what I asked for?¡± Jacque asked bluntly.


    Kiki winced and nodded, materialising a studded leather collar in her hand before quickly dropping it on the counter as if it might lash out and bite her.


    Jacque wasn¡¯t thrilled about touching it either. Removing the small pouch from her belt, Jacque upended the remaining five mana stones onto the counter. ¡°Now remember, no matter when Nadine comes in to explain that the Orc chieftain is dead-¡±


    ¡°-I will hiss and refuse to provide the reward since she did not bring me the head. But that will be the end of it, I know! Now take that loathsome thing out of my shop!¡± Kiki demanded, snatching up the mana stones and gulping them down before abruptly disappearing to leave the puppet in her place.


    Gritting her teeth, Jacque swept the collar into the pouch and quickly left the shop. Casually walking over to the gate, Jacque saw two low-level adventurers boredly watching the treeline and nervously discussing the raid. Ignoring them, Jacque walked up beside Tim and shrugged the pack off her back, set it down beside the wall and placed the pouch on top of it along with a folded piece of card from her pocket. With her task complete, Jacque made sure the two adventurers on watch hadn¡¯t noticed her, then walked back to the inn.


    Now it was all up to Tim.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 05 – Enslaved to sentiment – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 05 ¨C Enslaved to sentiment ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 05 - Enslaved to sentiment - Part Two {Rewrite}


    <Behind you>, the voice cut through my melancholy like a knife.


    Looking around for who had spoken, I only saw the scheduled guards. Then I heard it. A quiet whimper from somewhere beside me. Turning slightly and looking down, I recognised the large leather pack Jacque had given me the day before. There was a folded card and leather pouch sitting on top of it as well. Just as I was wondering what had made the noise, I saw the pack move slightly.


    Remembering the cards from the basket, I quickly knelt down and looked inside the pack. My heart nearly skipped a beat when I found Toofy grimacing and looking up at me in surprise.


    ¡°T-Tim,¡± Toofy moaned weakly.


    I did my best to stave off a sudden wave of panic while trying to think of a solution. Remembering the images on the pieces of card, I snatched up the final folded piece of card and was relieved to find two basic sketches. The first was of the pouch and had several arrows and exclamation points directed at it. The second picture was of someone''s neck wearing what looked like a dog collar, and a hand smearing blood on the collar''s nameplate.


    Fumbling for the pouch, I opened it and found the dog collar. The picture¡¯s instructions obviously intended that I should fasten it around Toofy¡¯s neck, but I hesitated upon realising it was a Slave collar. I had no idea if the collar would cancel out Gilbert¡¯s control over Toofy, or if it would hurt her.


    Glancing down at Toofy, my stomach lurched. There was no time for, what-ifs, I needed to act.


    Awkwardly fastening the collar around Toofy¡¯s neck, I hoped that this would work. Pressing my right thumb hard against a spike on the morningstar, I managed to puncture the skin and wiped the bead of welling blood against the collar¡¯s nameplate. Almost immediately, Toofy relaxed and let out a sigh and I felt pain beginning to well up inside of my head.


    [ Contesting Bond. ]


    The pain continued to build, but I grit my teeth and bore with it, throwing every ounce of will I had against it as if the pain was a boulder and I only had to push it out of my way. Feeling blood trickling down my lips, I made my peace with the very real possibility that contesting the bond may kill me. Then, rather abruptly, the pain disappeared and was replaced with a small notification then another a half second later.


    [Bond Successfully Contested. ]


    [Bond Successful: Providing {Command Least} Item Ability]


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the Ogre doing?¡± One of the adventurers asked curiously, apparently having finally noticed that I wasn¡¯t just standing there as I had been a couple of minutes ago.


    Wasting no time, I quickly threw the card and pouch into the pack, picked up the pack and ran for all I was worth.


    ¡°Huh? HEY!¡± The other adventurer shouted after me.


    I didn¡¯t really listen to them, ¡°Contest bond!¡± I hissed and began running as fast as I could towards the forest.


    [Bond Broken: Removing Enslaved Status and Effects]


    [You have been automatically removed from Gilbert¡¯s party]


    [Conditions have been met to advance to the Advanced Class: {Slaver}. Accept? (Y/N)]


    ¡°Accept!¡± I grunted, as much to get the status notification as anything else.


    [Class advancement: {In Progress}]


    [Class advancement: {Complete}]


    [Class: Slaver 0. +1 Willpower, +5 HP.] [Exp: 0/5000 ]


    ¡°What the hell is with that amount of Exp to level up?!¡± I groaned before dismissing the status and redoubled my effort in putting as much distance between us and the town as possible.


    Stopping at the treeline to catch my breath, I looked inside the pack and saw Toofy smiling up at me.


    ¡°TIM!¡± Toofy cried excitedly, leaping out and giving me a desperately tight hug.


    ¡°Toofy!¡± I dropped the pack and hugged her back.


    ¡°Tim save Toofy!¡± Toofy sniffled, tears wetting my neck as she pressed herself in tighter.


    As much as I wanted to indulge in the moment, I glanced back towards the town and saw a group of adventurers forming up at the gate. ¡°Toofy we need to leave and find somewhere to hide, okay?¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Toofy sniffled, pulling back from her hug and wiping her snotty nose on her sleeve. ¡°Where Tim hide?¡± Toofy asked worriedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. Every part of this forest looked the same to me.


    Toofy was quiet for a moment before growing excited, ¡°Tim hide Toofy¡¯s home!¡± She insisted, pointing off into the forest.


    I remembered that Toofy had mentioned before that she had a hiding place in a tree or something. It might not be much, but it would be better than nothing, ¡°Do you know how to get there from here?¡± I asked.


    Toofy nodded and scrambled onto my shoulders, sitting herself down behind my neck and pointing off into the forest, ¡°Tim go! Toofy show tree!¡± She insisted excitedly.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed, stuffing the pack into my apron pocket. I began quickly moving into the forest.


    Just like when I was following Jacque, it took barely any time at all before I was hopelessly lost. Thankfully, Toofy seemed to know where we were going. Or at least. Her emphatic pointing seemed to indicate as much anyway.


    ¡°How much further?¡± I asked Toofy quietly, worried that we might encounter more Orcs and Goblins.


    ¡°Hmmmmmmm,¡± Toofy hummed thoughtfully, ¡°Close,¡± she replied pensively.


    I had been walking through the forest for close to a half-hour already and was beginning to suspect that Toofy was not as adept a survivalist as I had originally thought. ¡°Toofy are you sure?¡± I asked dubiously.


    Toofy hesitated, ¡°Yeeeeees...¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I repeated patiently, ¡°I won¡¯t be mad at you if we are lost, Toofy.¡± I reassured her.


    ¡°Ummmmm,¡± Toofy¡¯s weight shifted as she took a fresh look around. ¡°That way,¡± Toofy insisted after a few minutes, pointing off to my right.


    I sigh and begin walking in that direction. At this point, we might have to call it a day and try to make a shelter to spend the night in. Since I had zero camping experience, I was still willing to Give Toofy a couple more hours to try and find her hideout.


    ¡°STOP!¡± Toofy suddenly yanked on my ears as if they were a horse''s reins.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Toofy¡¯s sharp nails didn¡¯t break the skin on my ears, but it still stung.


    ¡°There!¡± Toofy insisted, pointing to a larger but otherwise innocuous tree,


    For some reason, I had pictured a small bird''s nest-like treehouse or a large warren under the tree. Gloomily approaching the tree in question, I only grew more disappointed as I drew closer.


    ¡°Toofy¡¯s home!¡± Toofy declared proudly, scrambling off my shoulders and over to the large tree.


    ¡°It¡¯s...nice,¡± I commented supportively, trying to think of a way I could make a shelter from branches and maybe some of the denser bushes I had seen around.


    Toofy gave me an incredulous look that made it clear she was questioning my intelligence. ¡°Toofy no show Tim yet,¡± she stated flatly and gave an exaggerated sigh while shaking her head. Walking over to the tree, Toofy looked back at me expectantly. She took hold of a small tree root and pulled.


    Much to my surprise, Toofy pulled up a large section of the grassy ground to reveal a hard-packed and reinforced tunnel. It looked like the mineshafts I had seen in movies and videogames, with rough planks and branches forming supporting arches.


    Toofy climbed down into the mineshaft and motioned for me to follow her, ¡°Tim! Follow Toofy!¡±


    Curious, I unstrapped my shield, dropped it into the hole and hopped down after Toofy. Looking down the tunnel, I could see that there was a large chamber ahead and it was dimly illuminated despite the absence of torches. Pulling the camouflaged trap door shut, I followed Toofy down the tunnel. I had to hunker down to avoid dragging my head against the ceiling, but it wasn¡¯t so bad given how short the tunnel had been.


    The chamber at the end of the tunnel was quite large, maybe twenty feet in diameter. The source of light was coming from the trunk of the tree in the ceiling. Someone had somehow managed to bore a two-foot wide hole straight up the centre of the tree without killing it in the process. It had to be the result of magic, there was no other explanation I could think of.


    Toofy excitedly scuttled to a small alcove in the wall and waved at me to join her, ¡°Toofy¡¯s shinies!¡±


    I approached the alcove to see what Toofy was so excited about. It appeared to be a large pile of trash that was larger than Toofy herself. I could see pieces of broken glass, damaged cookware, scraps of armour, and even the shattered remains of a sword. I now understood where Toofy had sourced the materials for her shiv. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s...nice...¡± I agreed somewhat hesitantly.


    Toofy cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, ¡°Tim no like?¡± She asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.


    ¡°Nonono, it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s just...not what I expected,¡± I explained awkwardly.


    Toofy scratched at her ear with a confused look on her face for a moment before becoming excited again, ¡°Tim wants coins!¡± She cried as if it were obvious. Toofy skirted around the pile of admittedly shiny garbage and began dragging something out from deeper in the alcove. Apparently quite heavy, Toofy was straining against the broken strap of an adventurer''s backpack, leaving a groove of displaced earth in its wake.


    Panting heavily, Toofy came to a halt in front of me and gave me an expectant look.


    Curious, I opened the pack and looked inside. ¡°No way...¡± I looked at Toofy incredulously.


    Toofy grinned and began hopping around excitedly, ¡°See! Many shinies!¡± She cried happily.


    That was an understatement. Toofy had brought me a pack very nearly filled with copper and silver coins. ¡°How did you get so many of them?¡± I asked, overwhelmed by how rich Toofy was.


    ¡°Toofy find,¡± Toofy replied happily, bouncing excitedly as she alternated between looking at me and the pack full of coins.


    It took me a moment before it clicked. It was the result of Toofy¡¯s Scavenger Class Ability. It basically made her a magpie. Even though I didn¡¯t know how the Ability worked exactly, I had to assume that it made items of value stand out quite well for Toofy to have found so many of them. ¡°This is very impressive!¡± I complimented Toofy and tousled her hair.


    Toofy leaned into my hand and laughed.


    I missed this. Somehow, Toofy always seems able to make me feel better. I mean, I was currently on the run and hiding in a hole in the ground, but I felt happy regardless. In fact, I just thought of a game I could play with Toofy. Taking one of the pieces of broken glass, I held it into the light and angled it to reflect a coloured light onto the floor.


    As I had hoped, Toofy¡¯s head whipped about to stare at the colourful light, fingers twitching as she lowered herself into a stalking stance. Toofy cautiously crept towards the light and prepared to pounce.


    Just as Toofy leapt, I waved the light back and forth and moved it away.


    Toofy proceeded to give chase.


    There were some close calls, but when I noticed that Toofy was starting to get tired, I let her ¡®catch¡¯ the light. ¡°You caught it Toofy!¡± I cheered, ¡°Good job!¡±


    Toofy was confused and a little disappointed at the light¡¯s sudden disappearance, but after realising that I was praising her, Toofy ran back over and pulled my hand onto her head for a celebratory hair tousling.


    ¡°Oh alright,¡± I conceded with a chuckle. We had to get all the sticks and leaves out of her hair again anyway.


    I sat down against the wall and Toofy immediately curled up in my lap, drifting off to sleep shortly afterwards. She had a long day, so I was okay with letting her sleep. It was her house anyway, so I supposed she could sleep wherever she wanted anyway.


    With nothing better to do, I decided to take a look at my Status to see how different the advanced class of Slaver was to Taskmaster, ¡°Status.¡±


    [Tim - Ogre Runt: 1 ] [HP: 35/45 ] [MP: 0/0 ]


    [Class: Slaver 0. +1 Willpower, +5 HP.] [Exp: 0/5000 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Party Members: Tim.]


    [Strength: 15* ]


    [Agility: 8 ]


    [Toughness: 20* ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 15* (16*) ]


    [Presence: 3 ]


    [(Racial Abilities: {Hide/Expand})]


    [(Class Ability: Enslave): Dominate the minds of lesser beings and press them into servitude. Requires a willing target or a contest of (Willpower) against a target with {Bloodied} Condition. Cannot be used on Beasts. Maximum number of slaves determined by {Willpower} (0:3)]


    [(Class Ability: Command): Issue commands to your slaves. Disobeying your direct commands requires a contest of (Willpower). Degree of failure will result in pain being administered until the command is obeyed or the command is rescinded.]


    [Group Slaves/Tamed Monsters: Toofy.]


    [Group Synergy: {Vicious: 1 }, {Underfoot: 0 }.]


    There was a fair bit more to see this time. The party information was new, and I wondered if that was because I was no longer in someone else''s party, no longer a Slave, or because I was now Party Leader. Or perhaps a combination of the three.


    My Racial Abilities had been minimised. As best I could figure, the status system seemed to take intent into account, but it didn¡¯t seem particularly consistent about it, so I couldn''t tell for sure one way or the other.


    Enslave made sense, but I didn¡¯t think I would be comfortable using it. It would be rather hypocritical of me to go around Enslaving people, given how much I hated being a Slave myself. Command was basically the same as the Taskmaster''s ability, so that was easy enough to understand.


    Toofy didn¡¯t seem to count against my maximum number of Slaves, which I assumed was because of the collar. I was determined to try taking it off later after she finished her nap.


    I could see the Slaves status section now as well, even though it just has Toofy. Which was kind of interesting.


    I briefly considered counting Toofy¡¯s treasure hoard, but just the thought of it made me feel tired. I was beginning to think that Toofy had the right idea, a good nap after all the excitement sounded pretty good about now.


    Closing my eyes, I begin to drift to sleep.


    <Tim?>


    Huh?! My eyes shot open and I looked around the room, only to find that besides Toofy, who was still sleeping, I was alone. All the same, I could have sworn I heard someone say my name.


    <Tim?>


    I definitely heard something that time, but I still couldn¡¯t tell where the voice was coming from. ¡°Hello?¡± I replied, looking towards the tunnel and the hollowed tree trunk in turn.


    <How did you get in there?!>


    The voice sounded exasperated and eerily familiar.


    <Nevermind, found it.>.


    There was the sound of muffled footsteps coming down the tunnel.


    Awkwardly cradling Toofy in one arm while drawing my morningstar, I anxiously waited to see who or what would emerge from the tunnel.


    <Oi! If you try and brain me with that, I¡¯ll make you regret it!>


    A couple of seconds later, Jacque cautiously exited the tunnel with a somewhat annoyed expression on her face, ¡°Do you have any idea how long I have been wandering around the forest looking for you?¡± She demanded heatedly.


    ¡°Ah...¡± This was unexpected.


    ¡°I figured, hey, he''s a big guy, he¡¯ll leave a big trail to follow, easy. NOPE. You left a big trail alright, but backtracked and crisscrossed yourself so many times even I was beginning to get lost!¡± Jacque complained angrily, ¡°I very nearly didn¡¯t find you at all!¡±


    ¡°Erm, sorry?¡± I wasn''t sure what was really going on here.


    Jacque glared at me for a moment, sighed heavily and visibly calmed down. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I''ve found you now, and that¡¯s what matters.¡±


    ¡°Are you here to take me back?¡± I asked nervously, clutching the morningstar tighter.


    Jacque¡¯s eyes darted to my weapon hand then back to my face again, ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t have helped bust you out otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I thought back to the events earlier today and hadn¡¯t recalled seeing Jacque even once.


    Jacque smirked, ¡°A big part of why I helped you escape is because I need to talk to you about something incredibly important,¡± she explained enigmatically, obviously baiting me into asking about it.


    ¡°About what?¡± I conceded, losing nothing by asking a simple question. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jacque nodded and sat herself down, motioning for me to do the same.


    Carefully sitting back down, I settled Toofy in my lap again.


    ¡°I know you aren''t a monster,¡± Jacque stated bluntly, ¡°Don¡¯t try to deny it. You are an Awakened, a human from Earth.¡±


    I stared at Jacque in surprise.


    How did she find out? What gave me away? What is she going to do to me?


    Jacque winced a little but continued staring at me intently, ¡°I know you have questions and I will do my best to answer them. I know you are an Awakened Tim, because I am as well,¡± The colour drained from Jacque¡¯s hair, eyes and skin, leaving her as white as snow. ¡°I am a monster, like you,¡± she explained, ¡°My Racial Abilities are not oriented directly towards combat like yours are. They are more suited for infiltration,¡± Jacque¡¯s body changed slightly and the colour flooded back across her body. In a matter of seconds, a young woman Tim didn¡¯t recognise had taken Jacque''s place.


    My mind was reeling from the sudden influx of information.


    Wait, so I am not the only human trapped in a monster body? What kind of monster was Jacque? What brought us here? And why?


    <Full disclosure. When you think that loudly, I can hear your thoughts as well.>.


    WHAT?!


    The woman that replaced Jacque flinched, ¡°Ow...¡± She glared in annoyance, ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    Sorry.


    The woman''s body quickly changed until she took the form of colourless Jacque again, ¡°In case you are wondering, this is my true form,¡± Jacque explained patiently.


    ¡°You can turn into other people?¡± I asked dazedly.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Jacque agreed, ¡°I am only a Changeling, not a true Doppelganger. So I can only change my form to within certain tolerances.¡±


    ¡°Changeling? Doppelganger?¡± I asked, unfamiliar with what those were.


    Jacque sighed and nodded, ¡°A Doppelganger is a shapechanger that specialises in mimicking people and has telepathic abilities. A Changeling is a much weaker, lower-tier version of the Doppelganger.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± I wished I had gotten Jacque¡¯s Ability, maybe then I would have avoided getting into so much trouble.


    Jacque smirked and shook her head, ¡°I had a similarly rough start myself. Just like you, I didn¡¯t speak a word of the language and sure as hell couldn¡¯t read any of it,¡± her expression hardened, "Someone took advantage of my disoriented state and sold me as a Slave. Before Orchestrating my escape, I learned what I needed to survive and blend in. Which is why I was able to help you today,¡± Jacque explained somewhat irritably.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you,¡± I apologised.


    Jacque shook her head and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. it¡¯s the Labyrinths,¡± she insisted, ¡°They want us to lash out, to kill people. The Labyrinths choices aren¡¯t random. They choose a monster that simultaneously plays to your strengths, but also embodies your greatest insecurities and weaknesses,¡± she gave me a knowing look.


    Taking a moment to consider what Jacque had said, It seemed to be right. So far as I could tell, the Labyrinth had barely deviated from my original body at all, because if Jacque was right, it didn''t have to.


    I had always been big for my age, but cowardly. Factor in my early-onset baldness, a face that looked like I was smacked in the face with a shovel as a baby, and it became inevitable that kids gave me the nickname of Ogre. My stats and Racial Abilities had been overpowered thus far, so that fit Jacque¡¯s narrative too.


    ¡°So there are other people like us?¡± I asked.


    Jacque grimaced, ¡°Yes and no. Most Awakened I have made contact with are either batshit crazy, mana addicts, psycho killers, or a combination of the three. I can''t stress enough how much of an outlier we are Tim. people don¡¯t stay stable for long in the Labyrinths.¡±


    ¡°So why are you telling me all of this? Why help me?¡± I asked, growing suspicious with all this talk of killers.


    ¡°Because I need your help,¡± Jacque admitted, ¡°I want to head to the topmost floor of the Labyrinths and find out where the Labyrinths came from and why they are killing people. I need someone I can trust, a partner,¡± she stared intently at me, ¡±Will you join me?¡± Jacque asked earnestly.


    ¡°Why me?¡± I asked indecisively, ¡°Couldn''t you just team up with some of the natives?¡±


    Jacque shook her head, ¡°The higher level the adventurers, the more difficult it is to fool them. I barely fooled your previous masters, while you noticed an irregularity right away. In the higher floors of the Labyrinths, shapechangers are more common and if they suspect someone''s identity is not genuine, adventurers will attack first and ask questions later.¡±


    I vaguely recalled how I had been able to see Jacque¡¯s group status but not Nadine, Clarice, or Emelia¡¯s. So I had to admit that she had a point.


    ¡°You are taking this a lot better than I expected,¡± Jacque observed curiously.


    ¡°Am I? I don¡¯t feel like I am though...¡± I was just trying to understand what was going on.


    ¡°You...you aren¡¯t the first Awakened I have approached about this,¡± Jacque shuddered and rubbed at her throat, drawing attention to a thin silver scar, ¡°Trust me, you are taking this much better than they did.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid that I would react as they did?¡± I asked curiously.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°A little,¡± she admitted, ¡°It¡¯s why I wanted to spend time with you alone, to see if you were just acting.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± I guess that made sense.


    ¡°See! This is what I am talking about! You just roll with the punches!¡± Jacque shook her head.


    ¡°Is that bad?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well...no,¡± Jacque admitted a little irritably, ¡°It¡¯s just weird. Don¡¯t you have like a million questions?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± I agreed earnestly.


    ¡°Well then?¡± Jacque waved her hand insistently, ¡°Ask away!¡±


    ¡°You said that you were trying to provoke me. Was that an act? Or is that who you really are?¡± I asked curiously.


    Jacque was surprised and somewhat taken aback, ¡°Erm...a bit of both...¡± She admitted hesitantly.


    I nodded, that sounded like the truth. ¡°Is your class really a Synergist?¡± I asked.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°I unlocked the Class rather quickly, but it takes a lot of experience to level it up.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s an Advanced Class?¡± I asked, wanting to know if it was normal for the Advanced Classes to require so much Exp.


    Jacque was a little surprised, ¡°You know about Advanced Classes?¡± She asked without answering the question.


    I nodded, ¡°I unlocked the Slaver Advanced Class when I escaped from the town with Toofy,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Wow...¡± Jacque shook her head, ¡°Is it really that easy to become a Slaver?¡± She asked incredulously.


    I shrugged, ¡°It reset all my levels and Exp though,¡± I added helpfully.


    ¡°Oh, right. You were a Taskmaster, weren''t you? Maybe that is why Slaver unlocked so easily? Still though...¡± Jacque seemed a little annoyed and maybe a little jealous as well.


    Well, considering her goal, Slaver probably would have been a good fit. Jacque could have just enslaved a few Orcs or something instead of party members. Assuming that she was alright with Slavery.


    Jacque stiffened and looked somewhat embarrassed.


    Oh, right. Jacque said she can read minds...


    Jacque coughed loudly to clear her throat, ¡°Ah, so, what do you say? Will you come with me?¡± Jacque asked somewhat awkwardly.


    ¡°Hrm,¡± there was a great deal to think about. I knew that in order to survive, Toofy and I would have to become much stronger, or we would just be Enslaved again or killed. Finding out what was at the top of the Labyrinth was an interesting proposition, but didn¡¯t feel like a priority to me honestly. However, for a while at least, our goals were more or less aligned, and there was safety in numbers.


    But what about Nadine and Clarice? Couldn¡¯t they come with us?


    They had proven themselves to be at least sympathetic if not kind towards myself and Toofy. I wanted to repay them for playing a part in rescuing us.


    Jaque frowned but said nothing.


    ¡°Would you be against Nadine and Clarice joining us?¡± I asked tentatively.


    Jacque sighed and thought about it for a short while, ¡°Is it a deal-breaker if I say no?¡± She asked pointedly.


    ¡°Well, no. But wouldn¡¯t we be safer with natives in our group? You said that higher-level adventurers become very suspicious of strangers. If it is just you, me and Toofy, wouldn¡¯t that seem incredibly suspicious? Also, Nadine seems quite good with people and Clarice is..well-¡±


    ¡°-not so good with people?¡± Jacque commented but was nodding slightly.


    ¡°Well, I was going to say that Clarice would attract attention away from you, just by being herself,¡± I explained, somewhat embarrassed for speaking ill of her after rescuing me.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°I understand what you meant,¡± she reassured me, taking some more time to think.


    ¡°Ah, also, is the collar I put on Toofy removable? Maybe I could use that as my disguise?¡± I suggested. So long as people thought that I was an Enslaved monster, they only had to then point out that I was also a Slaver, to explain Toofy¡¯s presence.


    Jacque looked at me curiously and nodded, ¡°You can remove it and reuse it,¡± she admitted, ¡°But you just raised a pretty big problem. The Slave mark. Any Slaver, Taskmaster or Monster Tamer of fifth level or higher can see Slave marks. They would notice rather quickly that no one besides Toofy bears the same mark and begin asking difficult questions.¡±


    That was a pretty big problem. I had been wondering why I couldn¡¯t see any marks on myself or Toofy, ever since I read the Enslaved Status Effects. Perhaps there was some form of workaround. ¡°What if?-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jacque replied interrupted flatly, ¡°I trust you Tim, but not enough to become your Slave.¡±


    ¡°What if Nadine or Clarice agrees to it though?¡± I asked, even though I honestly didn¡¯t know if either of them would feel any better about it than Jacque.


    Jacque was quiet for a long time before speaking again, ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed reluctantly, ¡°If at least one of them agrees, then I would feel more comfortable with them joining the group,¡± Jacque relented, ¡°Just don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±


    I nodded. It was a fair compromise and Nadine and Clarice really did have benefits they could bring to our group besides serving as camouflage. As natives, they were basically guaranteed to know more about this world than we do, and knowledge is a key component for survival. Besides, they each had Classes of their own and it didn¡¯t seem like Exp was reduced by being in a party.


    ¡°It is,¡± Jacque interrupted my train of thought, ¡°Exp is quartered when you form a party,¡± she explained.


    ¡°What? Really?¡± That was a surprise, ¡°So, do some people go around alone just to keep more of the Exp?¡±


    Jacque nodded, ¡°It¡¯s obviously far more dangerous, but the rewards for the risk tend to be worth it. Most of this world¡¯s ¡®heroes¡¯ run the Labyrinths solo and are exceptionally high level.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy though...¡± I muttered, considering fighting groups of monsters on my own.


    Jacque smirked, ¡°Well, the rumours about the Exp requirements for levelling Master level Classes strongly encourages it.¡±


    ¡°There is another classification of Classes above Advanced?¡± I asked incredulously, ¡°And it takes even more Exp per level? That¡¯s insane!¡±


    Jacque nodded, ¡°How to unlock them is kept secret though. Those with Master Classes have been known to kill anyone who tries asking them about it.¡±


    Why are so many people in this world bloodthirsty psychos?...


    ¡°It¡¯s part of human nature,¡± Jacque shrugged, ¡°Survival of the fittest and all that. The addition of quantifiable abilities and upgrades just adds another layer to it.¡±


    She had a point. It was not like people on Earth had behaved much better when given the chance.


    ¡°Have you given much thought about the raid?¡± Jacque asked, changing the subject, ¡°The foothold will probably endure, but there is no guarantee that Nadine and Clarice will make it through in one piece.¡±


    [ 1d: 7h : 25m ]


    There was still about a day and a half until the raid would begin. I thought of the townspeople who had been kind to me, of how Nadine and Clarice were still recovering from the Orc¡¯s ambush. I wanted to help them, but I didn¡¯t want myself or Toofy to be Enslaved like that again either. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°Your standing with the Guild is pretty bad after escaping, but it¡¯s fixable. Assuming Nadine or Clarice is willing to serve as your ¡®beard¡¯, you can play hardball with the Guild and establish favourable terms. The Guild manager already knows he can''t challenge you directly, you will just break free again. Similarly, he can¡¯t steal Toofy either, for the same reason, your Willpower is just too high for him to challenge. Factor in the dire straits of the foothold facing the raid with already wounded adventurers, he has no choice but to make concessions.¡±


    I nodded uncomfortably. It all hinged on Nadine and Clarice¡¯s decision. If they refused, I would probably have to flee deeper into the Labyrinth, even after helping the town survive. ¡°Would you be willing to ask Nadine and Clarice for me?¡±I probably couldn¡¯t approach the town without being attacked at this point.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on sleeping out here. Not just yet anyway.¡± She got to her feet and patted down her pants to remove some of the dirt. ¡°I¡¯ll try to come back tomorrow before midday with an answer for you. Oh!¡± Jacque slapped her forehead, ¡°Nearly forgot. We should form a party so it isn''t so dangerous when I come to find you again. You will know Nadine and Clarice¡¯s answer by whether I invite them or not as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed, reminded that Jacque had made the trip without the synergy buffs Toofy and I otherwise would have provided. Carefully getting to my feet and cradling Toofy to my chest with my left arm.


    ¡°Party Invite,¡± Jacque held out her right hand.


    I carefully clasped Jacque¡¯s arm in the same way I had seen her and Nadine do it at the Guild office, ¡°Accept invite.¡±


    [You have joined Jacque¡¯s Party]


    I could see Jacque¡¯s group status information now as well, so if something went wrong, I would at least know about it.


    ¡°Oh, I brought you some supplies as well,¡± Jacque shrugged off her pack and left it by the wall, ¡°Just what the Guild confiscated, a bedroll, and some food and water too. I hadn¡¯t expected you to find a shelter like this,¡± she admitted, clearly impressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s Toofy¡¯s home," I explained, somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Jacque looked around, ¡°That makes sense. She must have found his abandoned merc bunker and moved in. Oh right, you wouldn¡¯t know. Mercenaries often have bunkers set up in Labyrinths for when they aren''t welcome in the footholds. There are probably dozens of them here on the first floor alone and they become more common on higher floors.¡±


    That explained a lot. While I hadn¡¯t expected Toofy to have been the one to build the hideout, I had wondered who had and why. I even worried a little that maybe the Orcs had built it.


    Jacque smirked and began making her way down the tunnel, ¡°I¡¯ll see you sometime tomorrow,¡± she said, before climbing out of the tunnel and replacing the trapdoor.


    Left alone with Toofy, I awkwardly dragged my shield down the tunnel and used it to block off most of the tunnel entrance. There were some gaps to either side, but I felt safer knowing that there was another barrier between myself and possible intruders. After Jacque found the trapdoor so easily, I was having second thoughts about how well hidden this bunker was.


    Laying out the bedroll, I settled down and began drifting off to sleep again. It had been a long day and there was a lot to think about.


    When I woke up, Toofy was sitting on my chest and staring at me expectantly.


    ¡°Morning Toofy¡± I yawned, relatively unfazed by behaviour at this point.


    ¡°Mor-ning?¡± Toofy pronounced the unfamiliar word and shook her head, focusing on me intently again, ¡°Breakfast?¡± She asked, pointing to the pack Jacque had left by the wall.


    ¡°Breakfast,¡± I agreed, ¡°Bring me the pack and let¡¯s see what Jacque brought for us.¡±


    Toofy excitedly sprang off my chest and rushed over to the pack, grabbing it in a bearhug and quickly waddling back over to me again, ¡°Breakfast!¡± Toofy declared excitedly, looking at the pack expectantly.


    Opening the pack, I found that it had cloth parcels of food like those Jacque had first provided in the larger pack two days ago. Taking a couple of parcels out, I could feel that they had different contents. One was obviously sausages, the other was probably roasted meat. ¡°Which one do you want?¡± I asked Toofy, holding out the parcels so she could choose.


    ¡°Hmmmmm,¡± Toofy seriously considered each parcel, subjecting them to intense scrutiny as she poked, prodded, sniffed and stared at them for over five minutes before choosing the roasted meat.


    Untying the knot on the parcel, I set Toofy¡¯s breakfast down on the bedroll.


    ¡°BREAKFAST!¡± Toofy squealed excitedly, stuffing pieces of meat into her mouth with relish.


    I smiled and untied a parcel for myself. By modern standards, the boiled sausages were not very flavourful, but I could still taste the spices Rose had used to improve them.


    After finishing breakfast, I took out one of the three water skins from the bag and took a small drink. Besides stew, I was pretty sure it was the first time I had a drink of water since I woke up in this other world.


    Was that considered normal?


    Even before taking a drink just now, I hadn¡¯t been all that thirsty.


    ¡°Water?¡± Toofy asked, holding her hands out expectantly.


    ¡°Sure Toofy,¡± I handed her the waterskin.


    Toofy proceeded to drink it dry in a matter of seconds. She handed me the empty waterskin and smiled.


    Toofy apparently needed a fair bit of water, so other monsters are assumedly the same. I wondered if it had to do with my Toughness. I had a much higher Toughness than Toofy and even though she was smaller she still ate close to the same or more amounts of food than the adventurers. I wondered if Jacque or Nadine knew the reasoning behind this.


    Unsurprisingly, Toofy now had to go to the bathroom, only, the bunker didn¡¯t have one. So we had to cautiously make our way topside so she could relieve herself. Thankfully there was plenty of dawnmoss growing on a nearby tree, so that was one less thing to worry about at least.


    While Toofy was relieving herself in the bushes, I tried to keep watch for trouble. The forest was filled with monsters after all. While keeping watch I began to make out the guttural clipped tone of Orcs from somewhere nearby.


    ¡°Toofy, I think there are Orcs nearby, are you just about finished?¡± I asked quietly.


    Toofy, who had been humming, suddenly grew quiet, ¡°Orcs?¡± She asked nervously. There was a brief moment of silence and Toofy crawled out from the bush, thankfully with her pants on, although a new shiv had materialised and was now gripped tightly in her right hand. Toofy¡¯s ears perked up and she turned to face a particular section of the forest, ¡°Orcs,¡± she agreed unhappily.


    Unfortunately, the Orcs appeared to be in the direction of our bunker.


    Faced with the prospect of losing everything that was left inside of the bunker, including all of our food and water, it was looking like we would need to fight.


    ¡°Toofy, how many Orcs are there? Do you know?¡± I asked, hoping it was only a couple.


    Toofy gave me a confused look.


    Oh...she probably doesn''t know how to count...


    ¡°Are there many or few?¡± I asked, changing the question so hopefully, she understood what I meant.


    ¡°Few?¡± Toofy replied uncertainly.


    I couldn¡¯t be mad at her, this was more on me than Toofy. It¡¯s not like I have made an effort to teach her anything important. But I swore that if we made it out of the upcoming raid alive, it was going to be one of my top priorities. Because situations like these were where poor communication got people killed.


    ¡°Okay Toofy, let''s try to surprise them, okay? But If I think it¡¯s too dangerous, we run away, okay?¡± I told Toofy quietly.


    Toofy quietly nodded her head, now much more excited than before.


    As we began quietly making our way back to the bunker, we quickly recognised the problem with this plan. I was not very good at sneaking. When the tree on top of the bunker came into view, two of the five Orcs searching the area immediately noticed me.


    ¡°DIE!¡± Bellowed the first Orc, charging me with a stone hatchet.


    ¡°KILL! Bellowed the second, armed only with a large rock.


    Toofy sidestepped into the bushes, removing their line of sight. Not that it mattered, since the Orcs were charging me, but it was still a sound tactical decision.


    Having lost the element of surprise, I raised my shield and tightly gripped my morningstar.


    As the two Orcs were about to crash into me, I tried beating them away with my shield.


    *Whump*


    Both Orcs fell to the ground but didn¡¯t seem particularly injured, they had just been too heavy to deal much damage.


    However, Toofy seized the opportunity and leapt from the bushes, driving her shiv into one of the Orc¡¯s necks before he had a chance to get his bearings. Toofy stabbed him a half dozen times more before tumbling away into the bushes again.


    [ Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    The other Orc and I stared at the dead Orc on the ground for a moment before coming to our senses.


    ¡°KILL!¡± The Orc roared, desperately scrambling to his feet.


    *Crack*


    I smacked the Orc with my shield and sent him sprawling again, only this time it was into the bushes where Toofy was lurking.


    The Orc quickly tried to stand up but suddenly grew limp.


    [ Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    The three remaining Orcs were approaching me more cautiously. They were all larger than the first two, so I could only assume they were also of higher rank. Similarly, they had bigger heavier weapons too. The largest had a stone maul and the two slightly smaller Orcs had stone axes.


    ¡°Ogre mine!¡± The biggest Orc growled, ¡°Kill Goblin!¡± He spat dismissively.


    The two smaller Orcs didn¡¯t look happy about that, but they diverted course for Toofy¡¯s latest hiding place.


    While the largest Orc was still a half head shorter than me, his heavily packed muscles were incredibly intimidating. Sheer brawn, combined with the huge maul guaranteed I would be taking damage in his fight.


    As the large Orc drew closer, I took an experimental swing at him with my morningstar and missed.


    The large Orc deftly leaned away from the blow and used the motion to shove the head of his maul at me.


    *Clack*


    I barely managed to move my shield to block the blow in time.


    The large Orc wasn¡¯t just big, he was fast too and apparently capable of using that maul one-handed. Snorting contemptuously at me, the large Orc began his assault in earnest. Swinging and thrusting the maul while staying out of reach of my morningstar.


    I didn¡¯t know how much punishment this shield would be able to take, but at some point, it would inevitably begin to break. I could feel the impacts from the maul through the shield, and while it didn¡¯t hurt, my left forearm and hand were slowly becoming numb. Preparing my shield to block again, I was taken by surprise as the large Orc suddenly lunged instead and snapped his head forward.


    *Crack*


    The large Orc¡¯s forehead smashed into my thick brow before he staggered backwards.


    Stunned, it took me a moment to get my bearings again. I could see the large Orc looking at me in confusion, a thick line of blood running down his forehead and blinding his right eye. Worried that I might be bleeding as well, I pressed my wrist against my brow. Besides throbbing painfully, my brow seemed to have come out of the exchange unscathed.


    The large Orc did not seem happy about that at all, ¡°DIE!¡± He bellowed, raising his maul for a double-handed blow.


    I decided to rush the large Orc instead, bracing behind my shield and slamming into his now exposed chest.


    *Thump, Crunch* *Thud*


    The large Orc was thrown backwards, his maul landing heavily behind me. He tried to rise, but grimaced in pain, coughing and gasping, flecking his lips and chin with blood.


    Turning my attention from the large Orc, I was surprised to find that the two other Orcs were desperately hacking at two different bushes. Each of them was also sporting a multitude of bleeding injuries from their calves and thighs.


    Glancing quickly at the group status, I was relieved to find that while Toofy had taken some damage, she was still okay.


    [Toofy - HP: 16/19 - Normal ]


    As one of the Orc''s axes smashed into another bush, I heard Toofy screech and saw her hp drop.


    [Toofy - HP: 14/19 - Normal ]


    ¡°RAGH!¡± A flood of anger washed over me and I charged the Orc responsible.


    *Thunk*


    My morningstar smashed into the back of the Orc''s head, caving in his skull.


    [ Tim has slain {Orc: 3 } +300 Exp ]


    The last Orc left standing, changed targets, coming at me with a heavy sweeping chop.


    *Thunk*


    ¡°GRA!¡± I took the blow on my shield and brought my morningstar crashing down on the Orc¡¯s head.


    *Crunch*


    The Orc stared dumbly at me for a moment, blood running down its face, ¡°Urk...¡± His eyes went cross-eyed and he collapsed in a heap.


    [ Tim has slain {Orc: 3 } +300 Exp ]


    Like a bucket of ice water was dumped on my head, the anger suddenly disappeared and I began thinking more clearly again. ¡°Toofy?¡± I croaked, my throat suddenly feeling quite hoarse.


    Toofy stumbled out from the bush and appeared relatively unharmed. Her clothes were torn in places, but I couldn''t see any bleeding. She looked past me at the remaining Orc, still hacking and wheezing where I had left him. Toofy¡¯s expression hardened and she stalked towards the Orc.


    I wanted to stop her. Even though the Orcs had been trying to kill us just a few moments ago, it still felt wrong to kill them when they couldn¡¯t fight back. However, my grievance was rendered moot when Toofy rammed her shiv through his eye and into his brain.


    [ Toofy has slain {Orc: 4 } +400 Exp ]


    Perhaps it was better this way. The nuances of mercy would only get Toofy killed. The monsters in the Labyrinth were ruthless because they had to be. Even if I found it upsetting, enforcing my beliefs on Toofy could only end in disaster.


    While I was distracted having my moral debate, Toofy had been more productive. Using a dead Orc¡¯s hatchet, she had begun to hack open the dead Orcs foreheads and retrieve the mana stones.


    Another reminder of the advantages of brutal pragmatism I thought ruefully.


    Once Toofy had gathered all the mana stones, I dragged the bodies a short distance away before we retreated back into the bunker to lick our wounds. I felt like such a coward when I thought of it like that.


    I had taken only a single point of damage during that whole exchange with the rank four Orc and wanted to go hide. Meanwhile, Toofy had taken five points of damage while fighting enemies close to three times her own size and still seemed raring for a fight. I decided to stop wasting energy on how to make Toofy more like me and start thinking about how I could be more like her.


    ¡°Breakfast?!¡± Toofy asked insistently, rapidly alternating her attention between myself and the parcels of food inside the pack while licking her lips hungrily.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, she had earned it.


    Toofy grinned and pulled out a food parcel before frantically untying it and shovelling the contents into her mouth, barely sparing a second to chew. She repeated this four more times in rapid succession before slowing down. ¡°UUURP!¡± Toofy let out an incredibly wet, yet satisfied burp, looking incredibly pleased with herself.


    *****


    Gilbert dabbed at the sweat beading upon his brow and continued to pace nervously back and forth beside his office window. The window afforded an impressive view of the foothold and under normal circumstances brought Gilbert a great measure of comfort and satisfaction. However, with the imminent invasion and the sudden loss of the lynchpin of the foothold¡¯s defence, Gilbert could only stare out at the distant forest with an increasing sense of dread and despair.


    From the beginning, Gilbert should have known the Ogre was too smart to leave unattended. He still wasn¡¯t quite sure how the Goblin had managed to pick the lock to its cage, or how the Ogre had unlocked the Slaver Advanced Class while posted at the gate.


    There was a very real possibility that the Ogre and Goblin might join the raid against the foothold. Worse still, Gilbert had given the Ogre cause to hold a grudge.


    With only a handful of experienced adventurers on hand, Gilbert knew that the foothold was almost guaranteed to take heavy casualties. Some of the leaseholders might be persuaded to ¡®take shelter¡¯ with Gilbert and the Guild¡¯s administrative staff in the more defensible Guild Administration building, but Gilbert knew that they would expect compensation for any damage done to their property.


    Left with no easy solution, Gilbert knew he was going to need to make a choice between his career or his survival.


    Minimising the damage to the physical assets of the foothold would look good on his record, but signing off on exorbitant compensation plans would not. Losing the Ogre was something of a blow in that regard as well. Acquiring such a unique specimen would have all but guaranteed his promotion and a sizable bonus as a finders fee. Gilbert would have done so already if it hadn¡¯t been for the unexpected declaration of the raid.


    Determinedly avoiding looking at the timer, Gilbert removed his glasses with a trembling hand and set them down on his desk. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gilbert tried to massage away the lingering remnants of the migraine caused by his brief and entirely one-sided battle of wills with the Ogre.


    Gilbert had never mistaken himself for a paragon of will, but he had ranked rather favourably when he first applied for the position of Guild foothold manager several years prior. However, the Ogre was on another level. Not only was its Willpower higher than Gilbert''s own, it appeared to have no fear of liquifying its own brain in the pursuit of dominance.


    Even if they had been otherwise evenly matched, Gilbert still would have lost. He had heard far too many horror stories regarding what would happen to anyone who made a habit of committing to do-or-die contests of will. Mood swings and emotional volatility represented the milder outcomes, while seizures, psychosis, mental enfeeblement and even death were not unheard of.


    As things stood, Gilbert was already more than a little worried that he might have sustained permanent damage and had to console himself with the fact that he had elected to cede control over the Goblin before passing out. When Slavers fell unconscious, it became impossible to voluntarily cede control, leaving only the death of one side or the other.


    Resting both hands on his desk, Gilbert did his best to try and calm down. If he was going to improve his chances of surviving the raid, he needed to project an air of confidence and certainty. No doubt, his staff would see right through the mask, but the majority of the adventurers were green enough that they wouldn¡¯t be able to differentiate Gilbert¡¯s confidence from genuine leadership.


    So long as the majority did as Gilbert commanded, he was confident he would be able to survive. Even if that survival had to come at the expense of the adventurers with more trust than commonsense. Then again, Gilbert supposed that if they had good sense to begin with, they wouldn¡¯t have become adventurers in the first place.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 06 – Master of disguise – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 06 ¨C Master of disguise ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 06 - Master of disguise - Part One {Rewrite}


    Toofy was still napping peacefully when I noticed that Clarice and Nadine¡¯s basic status information had suddenly appeared in the group status in my lower peripheral vision.


    [ Clarice - HP: 14/29 - Normal ], [ Nadine - HP: 8/18 - Bloodied ]


    I was pretty surprised. I wouldn''t have blamed either of them for opting out as Jacque had done.


    Becoming someone''s Slave was a big deal. Even if I promised not to use the Command ability and used the advanced status options to disable it, they had no guarantees that I wouldn¡¯t re-enable it again later. There is a difference between trusting someone and placing your entire future in their hands.


    The plan was beginning to feel like a very very bad idea. I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready for such a significant degree of responsibility. I began to try and think of any other ways we could accomplish the same effect while also hoping that the others might be doing the same.


    Feeling a little less stressed, I relaxed and tried to think of what else I could do to keep myself productive. Restitching the tears in Toofy¡¯s clothes was one possibility, but she was still wearing them. My thick fingers were not dextrous enough to avoid accidentally hurting her, and I didn¡¯t want to wake Toofy up, so I decided against it.


    I glanced at the adventurer''s pack filled with copper and silver coins. I reluctantly decided that counting the coins was better than doing nothing. Emptying Jacque¡¯s pack onto the bedroll, I began counting off the copper coins in groups of ten, dropping them into Jacques pack and marking each group off with a line in the dirt floor. It was pretty slow going, but I figured I had plenty of time.


    The pack of coins was less valuable than I had expected but was still rather substantial. There were three thousand two hundred and fifty-seven copper coins and fifty-two silver coins. It wasn¡¯t quite as much as that Byron guy had attempted to bribe his entourage with, but it was still a large amount of money.


    Converted to its highest denomination, Toofy would have about eighty-four silver coins. It made me smile to think of some poor bank clerk counting out the copper coins as I had just done, even if the copper coins in this world had significantly more buying power compared to coins from my own country.


    <Tim, is everything alright?>


    I was surprised to hear the voice again and couldn¡¯t help but look around the bunker before remembering that it had to have been Jacque. I tried clearing my mind as much as possible and thinking the words <WE ARE FINE.>.


    <Loud!>


    I flinched guiltily, <Sorry.>


    <We will arrive soon.>


    <We?> I became worried that Jacque had brought along Clarice and Nadine. Neither had seemed to be in fighting condition when we last met.


    <She insisted.>


    Glancing at the group status panes, I had to assume it was Clarice. Nadine¡¯s Bloodied Condition would make the trip pretty much impossible since the Vrabbits would just swarm her.


    <There is a lot of blood up here...Are you sure you are both okay?>


    <Toofy was hurt, resting now.> I glanced guiltily down at Toofy. If I had been more proactive in that fight, she probably would not have been hurt.


    <We are coming down, no head-bashing!>


    A few moments later I felt a brief draft and heard two people hopping down into the tunnel.


    ¡°How did they even find this place?!¡± Clarice exclaimed incredulously.


    <Tim, would you please unwedge the door?>


    There was a knocking against my shield, currently wedged into the mouth of the tunnel.


    Carefully cradling Toofy to my chest, I moved over to my shield and dislodged it from the tunnel.


    Clarice and Jacque were waiting for me as I expected.


    Walking back over to the bedroll, I sat back down again, carefully replacing Toofy in my lap.


    ¡°Quite a lot of blood up there,¡± Jacque observed, repeating her earlier observation, most likely for Clarice¡¯s benefit.


    I nodded, ¡°We had left the bunker for a couple of minutes and five Orcs were snooping around when we came back.¡±


    Jacque nodded and was about to say something when Clarice interjected, ¡°Five Orcs?! Really?!¡± She sounded very impressed.


    I shrugged, ¡°Toofy did most of the fighting,¡± I admitted freely. Protecting Toofy and being proud of killing intelligent sentient beings were two very different things in my opinion.


    ¡°How many did you bring down before they ran away?¡± Clarice asked insistently.


    ¡°We killed all of them,¡± I replied awkwardly, ¡°There was a rank four Orc with them, I don¡¯t think they even considered running away. They certainly didn¡¯t attempt it anyway.¡±


    Now that had caught Jacque¡¯s interest.


    ¡°Bloody hell! Just how strong are you Tim?¡± Clarice demanded, obviously impressed, ¡°I mean, I know Nadine said Og-uh you were high tier, but still!¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡±


    ¡°Around tier ten,¡± Jacque interjected, ¡°The tenth floor is when you start encountering giant-kin. At least according to what I have heard anyway.¡±


    Clarice¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°No way...¡± She breathed, ¡°What the hell was Tim doing on the first floor then?¡±


    Jacque shrugged, ¡°Nadine¡¯s theory is the most likely,¡± she lied, ¡°It happens more often than you think.¡±


    Clarice just shook her head, ¡°This is insane...this whole time we had a tier ten monster in the party...¡±


    ¡°Maybe you appreciate just how special he is now?¡± Jacque asked pointedly, ¡°And why the manager¡¯s actions were so incredibly dangerous.¡±


    Clarice paled and nodded. ¡°Ah, how is Toofy doing by the way?¡± She asked a little nervously.


    ¡°A little banged up, but seems to be alright now,¡± I replied, glancing briefly at Toofy before returning my attention to Clarice.


    ¡°We, uh, brought some more bandages and food,¡± Clarice explained awkwardly, shrugging off her pack and offering it to me.


    I gratefully accepted it and set it down by the others, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°We talked a lot about the slavery thing,¡± Clarice blurted suddenly, ¡°Nadine and I, Y¡¯know?...¡± Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, ¡°I, erm, that is, we, know what the whole slavery thing means and why we need it for the disguise...¡± Clarice¡¯s cheeks grew redder as she became more flustered, ¡°I, uh, Nadine said, but, uh, I volunteered...¡±


    Jacque smirked.


    ¡°So yeah...¡± Clarice mumbled, adamantly avoiding eye contact.


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare for a minute while trying to make sense of what she said, ¡°Just so I don¡¯t misunderstand. You want to become my Slave?¡± I asked Clarice.


    Clarice gulped, ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal!¡± She insisted, still avoiding looking at me, ¡°It-it¡¯s just for a disguise right?! You aren''t going to make me do stuff using commands right?! So it¡¯s no big deal! Stop Making a thing out of it!¡± Clarice¡¯s voice had begun to crack and her ears were brighter than tomatoes.


    Please don¡¯t tell me this is her secret fetish...I mean, come on, first Toofy, now this?!


    Jacque nodded slightly and smirked.


    Damnit...


    ¡°I-I¡¯m ready,¡± Clarice breathed heavily.


    ¡°Enslave!¡± I felt a faint chill pass through my body and felt a mild sense of absence in its wake. As best I could tell, it was how it felt to spend mana.


    Clarice stiffened for a moment, ¡°Ah-accept!¡±


    [Bond Successful: Applying Enslaved Status and Effects]


    [Clarice - Human ] [HP: 14/29] [MP: -/- ]


    [Tim¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Swordsman 1. +2 Strength, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 1252/2000 ]


    [ Strength: 13* (15*) ]


    [ Agility: 10 ]


    [ Toughness: 12 ]


    [ Intelligence: 10 ]


    [ Willpower: 10 ]


    [ Presence: 7 ]


    [(Class Ability: Blade Proficiency {Rank 0}): Improves damage with bladed weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [Group Synergy: {Vicious: 1 }, {Underfoot: 0 }, {Thick Hide: - }, {Brute Strength: - }, {Irongut: - }.]


    [(Enslaved Status Effects: {Hide/Expand})]


    Wait a minute...Why does Clarice have my Racial Abilities in her synergy list? I thought only monsters share Racial Ability synergy?


    *Gurgle!*


    Clarice stiffened in embarrassment, ¡°Could have sworn I ate before we left...¡± She muttered quietly.


    I decided to disable the command Ability first and indulge my curiosity later, ¡°Status, disable Class Ability, Command, target Clarice.¡±


    [Class Ability: {Command} - {Clarice (Inactive)}]


    I had tried doing this for Toofy already, but it didn¡¯t work until I removed her collar and enslaved her through my own Ability first. I had to assume that the collar had its own prompts for triggering the same result, but I had no idea what they were. I also had the impression that Advanced classes were a fair bit more accommodating than the basic ones. Or at least, that is what it seemed like to me.


    ¡°Make sure you read through the enslavement effects so you understand them,¡± Jacque encouraged Clarice, ¡°


    Hang on...That reminds me of something. How have I been understanding Clarice this whole time? Without the slave bond to a native human, I shouldn¡¯t have been able to understand Clarice at all, let alone her being able to understanding me.


    Jacque subtly shook her head at me and pointed to herself with her thumb. <One of my Racial Abilities. You just think you have been speaking the language while my ability facilitates the actual communication.>.


    That made a sort of sense, but it still left me with other questions. <Why don''t I see your Racial Abilities on the synergy list?>.


    <Because that is another one of my Racial Abilities.> Jacque smirked.


    I recalled that Jacque had referred to herself as an infiltration type. A monster''s master wouldn''t know that Jacque¡¯s group status information was visible because they would already see the party status. However, they would almost definitely notice unexplained synergies in their own monster''s status.


    ¡°H-Hey!¡± Clarice exclaimed urgently, ¡°Where did these synergies come from?!¡±


    Jacque appeared to be in no rush to explain, so decided I would take a crack at it. ¡°I think it is because you are a Slave. So you share Racial Synergies with monsters and Slaves in the party.¡±


    Clarice just stared at me in shock for a few moments, ¡±WHAT?!¡±


    Toofy stirred and blinked blearily up at me, ¡°Bwekfast?¡± She yawned hopefully.


    Clarice flinched, ¡°Sorry...¡± She mumbled apologetically.


    ¡°Okay Toofy, but it is closer to lunchtime now,¡± I untied a parcel of sausages for her and set it down on the bedroll.


    Toofy rolled off my lap and hungrily set upon the poor defenceless sausages.


    ¡°I guess you should probably eat too,¡± I told Clarice, offering her three of the food parcels.


    Clarice looked like she was going to refuse, but another audible gurgle from her stomach made Clarice change her mind, ¡°Maybe just a couple,¡± she conceded. However, after opening the first parcel, Clarice began wolfing down her food as quickly as Toofy.


    If the rate of healing was at all similar, then Clarice would need to eat roughly thirteen meals before making a full recovery. I began to curiously watch Clarice¡¯s HP displayed by the group status. At first, it didn¡¯t change, but by the time Clarice tucked into her fourth parcel of food, her HP began to steadily increase.


    ¡°Ooof, so full,¡± Clarice moaned, lying down on the dirt floor.


    Clarice had just finished eating eight whole parcels of food. A monstrous amount for someone of her size. Clarice was by no means a shrimp, but she wasn''t a herculean bodybuilder either.


    ¡°How can I eat that much and still be hungry?!¡± Clarice complained, ¡°Ooof-status!¡± She burped unapologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Iron Gut ability,¡± I explained, ¡°It is what makes Toofy so ravenously hungry as well. It seems to shut off once you finish recovering though.¡±


    Clarice was quiet for a moment, her eyes drifting upwards, ¡°WHAT?!¡± She cried, most likely having just noticed her current HP.


    [ Clarice - HP: 20/29 - Normal ]


    It was still slowly rising and would reach around twenty-two if my observations on Toofy were correct. Toofy herself had just set aside the remaining half of her second parcel of food, apparently no longer hungry.


    ¡°This ability is overpowered...¡± Clarice declared reverently, ¡°It would have taken me more than a week to recover...Hey! This is our secret right?!¡± Her mood shifted suddenly and became quite possessive.


    ¡°I would prefer it,¡± I agreed. Besides Nadine, who should be told for practical reasons, I didn¡¯t want anyone else finding out.


    ¡°Wait a minute...I get all of these Synergies...¡± It seemed like Clarice just noticed the exploit.


    ¡°Hahaha, HaHaha, HAHAHA!¡± Clarice began laughing maniacally.


    I glanced at Clarice who was now excitedly pumping her fists in the air. I was fairly certain that Clarice hadn¡¯t fully considered the ramifications of being a Slave.


    <I¡®m pretty sure she considers the whole slavery thing a bonus.> Jacque snickered.


    <...> I had no words.


    <Don¡¯t kink shame. It¡¯s unhealthy.> Jacque was holding her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing. She apparently found my discomfort funny.


    After a while, Jacque settled down, ¡°Toofy must be close to evolving by now right?¡± She asked curiously.


    I nodded, ¡°Seven more points to go.¡±


    ¡°Should we hunt down some Orcs and Goblins then?¡± Jacque asked, stretching a little to prepare for a fight.


    ¡°Actually, I have those mana stones from the Orcs earlier. But I still had questions about the evolution tiers, so I was putting it off,¡± I explained.


    Jacque nodded, understanding my reluctance, ¡°Goblins are pretty predictable. Since she was a named monster, Toofy might get a rare evolution, but most likely you will have to choose between Hobgoblin or Bugbear,¡± she explained casually, ¡°You don¡¯t have to choose immediately either, so there isn¡¯t actually any downside to feeding Toofy the mana stones now.¡±


    ¡°You''re sure?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°I have never done this myself, but I have run with Monster Tamers before and witnessed it a couple of times.¡±


    I supposed it was something I needed to do for Toofy at some point anyway. The stronger she became, the less I would have to worry.


    I removed the largest mana stone from the pack and handed it to Toofy, ¡°Here you go Toofy,¡±


    Toofy greedily snatched the mana stone, shoved it in her mouth and swallowed, licking her lips greedily. She grew another half inch right before my eyes in a matter of seconds.


    Alright, let¡¯s see what upgraded, ¡°Status.¡±


    [Toofy - Goblin: 5 ] [HP: 19/19] [MP: 19/22 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Scavenger 2. +2 Intelligence, +1 Toughness, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 1860/3000 ]


    [Strength: 8 ]


    [Agility: 15* ]


    [Toughness: 6 (7) ]


    [Intelligence: 6* (8*) ]


    [Willpower: 7* ]


    [Presence: 5 ]


    [(Class Ability: Treasure Sense): Detects and highlights items of value within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases range.]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious {Rank 2}): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot {Rank 2}): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [Group Synergy: {Thick Hide: - }, {Brute Strength: - }, {Irongut: - }.]


    [(Enslaved Status Effects: {Hide/Expand})]


    It looked like Toofy gained one point of Willpower and increased the Underfoot Racial Ability one rank as well.


    ¡°Jacque? Do monsters gain stats with every rank increase?¡± I asked curiously.


    Jacque shook her head, ¡°Only tier one monsters. Beginning at tier two progression radically slows down. Monster¡¯s get a stat bonus and Racial Ability increase at rank three, but nothing else.¡±


    At Toofy¡¯s rate of progression, her stats would have been higher than mine in no time otherwise. But I still found it a little disappointing though.


    After waiting at least a few minutes, I took out one of the next largest mana stones. Assuming I remembered correctly, it was a rank 3 mana stone and should trigger Toofy¡¯s Evolution. ¡°Toofy, are you sure about this?¡± I asked nervously, ¡°I won''t force you to evolve if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Toofy considered it for a moment and then nodded, ¡°Toofy do!¡±


    I doubted Toofy fully understood what was going on, but I also doubted whether I was capable of explaining it all to her anyway. With a somewhat regretful sigh, I handed Toofy the mana stone.


    Toofy plopped the mana stone in her mouth and swallowed. Unlike earlier, Toofy did not begin growing, instead, a trio of green status panes appeared in front of my eyes.


    [Bugbear Runt: +1 Strength, +1 Toughness, +1 Agility. (Common)]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength): Deals more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Bugbear Runt} (Accept/decline}]


    [HobGoblin Runt: +1 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Presence. (Common)]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Coordination): Deals more damage while near allies. {Presence} increases the range of effect.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {HobGoblin Runt} (Accept/decline}]


    [Primaeval Goblin Runt: +2 Agility, +1 Toughness, +1Willpower. (Rare)]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Agile Reflexes): Increases reaction speed against incoming attacks. {Agility} increases the effect.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Primaeval Goblin Runt} (Accept/decline}]


    They all have the Underfoot and Vicious racial Abilities and a third Ability that was unique to each of them. It looked like the Bugbear would make Toofy more like me. But I wasn¡¯t sure that would be a good thing. HobGoblin seemed to be a more cooperative type of Goblin. The Coordination ability and increased Intelligence could be quite good for Toofy as well.


    However, the Primaeval Goblin had something the other two didn''t, another defensive Ability. Agile Reflexes would be an important step in minimising any harm done to Toofy. The evolution even came with two more points of Agility, which would make Agile Reflexes even more effective.


    That pretty much clinched it for me, but I wanted to know what Jacque thought before confirming it.


    Jacque looked surprised.<You want my opinion?>.


    I nodded.


    <As far as I am aware, rare evolution paths are always the best choice. They have the most raw stats, but they also have Racial Abilities not available in the monster''s other evolution paths.>.


    From a pure potential gains perspective, it came out slightly ahead. ¡°Alright, Toofy what do you think about becoming a Primaeval Goblin?¡± I asked.


    Toofy shrugged, ¡°Toofy do.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem overly enthusiastic. ¡°Toofy. Can you read the status notifications?¡± I blinked to dismiss the status screen.


    Toofy looked blankly at me for a moment before answering, ¡°No?¡±


    Redoubling my resolve to teach Tooofy to read, I made the choice. ¡°Confirm evolution, Primaeval Goblin Runt.¡±


    The status panels disappeared and Toofy grew stiff as she was covered in a faint green light. After a few seconds, the light abated and she looked almost exactly as she had before, maybe an inch taller.


    ¡°Status,¡± I wanted to make sure Toofy¡¯s evolution had actually happened.


    [Toofy - Primaeval Goblin: 1 ] [HP: 21/21] [MP: 0/0 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Scavenger 2. +2 Intelligence, +1 Toughness, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 1860/3000 ]


    [Strength: 8 ]


    [Agility: 17* ]


    [Toughness: 7 (8) ]


    [Intelligence: 6* (8*) ]


    [Willpower: 8* ]


    [Presence: 5 ]


    [(Class Ability: Treasure Sense): Detects and highlights items of value within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases range.]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious {Rank 2}): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Underfoot {Rank 2}): Takes less damage from Larger enemies. {Agility} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Agile Reflexes {Rank 0): Increases reaction speed against incoming attacks. {Agility} increases the effect.]


    [Group Synergy: {Thick Hide: - }, {Brute Strength: - }, {Irongut: - }.]


    [(Enslaved Status Effects: {Hide/Expand})]


    Toofy had definitely evolved. As best I could figure, the Primaeval Goblins were just very similar to regular Goblins. I supposed that made sense, especially considering it was only the first step of her evolution. ¡°How do you feel, Toofy?¡±


    Toofy shrugged with a confused expression on her face.


    ¡°Another Ability!¡± Clarice pumped her fists and sat up, ¡°You need to tell me what all these Abilities do Tim!¡± She insisted.


    It was a fair request, so I spent a couple of minutes reading them all out for her. Judging by the interest on Toofy¡¯s face, it confirmed that she couldn¡¯t read her own status information and didn¡¯t know about her racial advantages.


    ¡°Uh, Jacque? You wanna head topside with me for a couple of minutes?¡± Clarice asked with a somewhat uncomfortable expression on her face and holding one hand over her abdomen.


    Jacque nodded with a knowing expression and smirked a little.


    I wondered if Clarice was feeling ill after eating so much food all at once.


    A few minutes later the pair of them returned and Clarice looked like she was feeling much better.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Clarice had a determined look in her eyes, ¡°You think maybe we could go hunting for a bit?¡± She asked, opening a fresh parcel of food and ripping into the roasted meat with gusto.


    Ravenous hunger aside, it wasn''t an altogether unexpected request. There was a problem though, even assuming Clarice was now strong enough to fight an Orc, she only had light armour. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked cautiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you shouldn¡¯t be fighting Orcs until level five?¡±


    Clarice flinched, grinning awkwardly and scratching at her ear, ¡°Well yeah...but with the raid and all, I kinda figured that levelling now is better than later,¡± she explained hopefully.


    Jacque nodded in agreement, ¡°She has a point. Better to improve now, while it is relatively safe. Every little bit could make a difference when fighting the Goblin horde.¡±


    We had a reasonably large group right now with the four of us, so the risks should be lower. Every Orc and Goblin we eliminate now would also be one less member of the Goblin¡¯s horde.


    I still wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea of deliberately hunting down sentient humanoids with the explicit purpose of killing them. Objectively, I undersood that the Orcs and Goblins were going to attack the foothold and kill the residents and adventurers if they could. But it just made me more conflicted.


    The raid announcement had complicated things further. The humans had been declared invaders. So the Orcs and Goblins were presumably just defending their home. Only, that didn¡¯t feel quite right either. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Orcs we had encountered so far had no reservations in attacking Toofy and theoretically, she belonged here as much as they did.


    The Orcs in particular seemed to be going out of their way to attack me over anyone else present, including humans. The Orcs seemed excited by the prospect of killing me in particular. Which didn¡¯t make any real sense to me at all.


    I would have thought that it was because I was actually a human trapped inside a monster body, but they had pretty much ignored Jacque.


    <Monsters are aware of rank and tier progression on an instinctive level. If they think they can kill you and take your mana stone, they will.> Jacque gave me a cautionary look.


    A chill ran down my spine. Jacque knew more about this world than I did and so far as I could tell, she had no reason to lie about this. So basically, it would be safe to assume going forward, that the moment a monster saw me that they would be thinking of how to kill me.


    ¡°So?¡± Clarice insisted, eating another parcel of food.


    Even though I still felt conflicted, I nodded. Jacque would steer us clear of anything we couldn¡¯t handle, so I figured it shouldn''t be too dangerous.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Clarice pumped her fist and headed towards the trapdoor.


    To my surprise, Toofy seemed to have understood the conversation and was eagerly chasing after Clarice. Or maybe she was just a little stir crazy after being cooped up inside for so long.


    I carefully began shifting all the remaining food parcels to the largest pack along with my sewing kit and the bandages. I would rather be prepared if something were to happen, so I made sure to store some of the bandages in a belt pouch as well. First-Aid was another thing I had to teach Toofy, Nadine and Clarice.


    Despite having such a dangerous profession, almost none of the adventurers seemed to know the first thing about treating injuries.


    Adventurers would drag themselves and their wounded companions back to the town, pay for treatment if it was absolutely necessary, but otherwise just eat and rest until they got better. The whole problem with that method was not only high rates of infection but relying on returning to the town in time to be saved. Which I found mind-boggling, it was insane. Basic First-Aid was easy to learn and would save so many lives.


    After leaving the bunker, Toofy climbed up onto my shoulders and began gently rocking back and forth, obviously eager to get going. Jacque had returned Toofy¡¯s sling and ammunition pouch, so hopefully, Toofy would be satisfied to fight from afar.


    Once I had strapped my shield to my arm and Clarice had donned her helmet, Jacque chose a direction seemingly at random and we began walking through the forest. It took less than five minutes before Jacque stopped and pointed off into the forest to our right. ¡°It¡¯s another Orc camp, but I don¡¯t think this one has any prisoners.¡±


    ¡°How many are there?¡± Clarice asked. It was somewhat reassuring that despite the synergy bonuses, she still seemed to maintain a certain level of caution.


    ¡°Only three Orcs,¡± Jacque replied, somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°How many Goblins then?¡± Clarice asked.


    ¡°None...¡± Jaque¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°This is worth looking into. Tim, were there any Goblins amongst the Orcs that attacked you earlier?¡±


    ¡°No...¡± I was beginning to see where Jacque was going with this. It seemed like the power dynamic of the Orcs and Goblins had shifted with the approaching raid. I hoped that this was the case. The prospect of the Orcs backing out of the raid was an unexpected but very welcome surprise.


    ¡°We should probably talk about this later,¡± Jacque insisted quietly, ¡°I am pretty sure the Orcs heard us talking and are preparing to attack us.¡±


    Clarice nodded, adjusting her grip on her sword.


    It only just occurred to me that Clarice is the first person I had seen in this world to use a sword quite so large. It was perhaps only a half-foot longer than the swords most of the other adventurers were using, but the wider blade and larger crossguard had to add to the weapon''s weight.


    ¡°Here they come,¡± Jacque warned, readying her wooden spear and moving further to the left flank.


    Toofy growled and loaded her sling.


    I could hear the Orcs moving quickly through the undergrowth towards us, apparently not even trying to hide their presence.


    ¡°Oh Hell! COVER!¡± Jacque shouted as she leapt to take cover behind a tree,


    Three Orcs rushed out from behind a particularly large tree and prepared to hurl spears at us.


    *Thwack*


    Toofy was quicker, catching one of the Orcs in the groyne and sending him to his knees with an expression of indescribable anguish.


    *Tak, Tak*


    The two Orcs still standing had thrown their spears but they bounced harmlessly off of my door-shield. I was profoundly glad that the Orcs didn¡¯t have higher-quality weapons.


    ¡°Coward Ogre!¡± One of the Orcs screamed, charging forwards.


    Peeking over my shield, I could see that he was coming at me with nothing but his bare hands.


    *Shink*


    Clarice stepped out of cover and sliced across the back of the Orc¡¯s right thigh as it passed her.


    ¡°URK!¡± The Orc lost his balance and crashed to the ground. Quickly trying to scramble to his feet, the Orc only managed to struggle into a kneeling position before Clarice brought her sword down on the Orc¡¯s head.


    *Crack*


    [ Clarice has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    Clarice momentarily let go of her blade and hastily stepped back, just in time to dodge another spear thrown by the last Orc left standing. ¡°Oh! You wanna go huh?!¡± Clarice growled angrily. She grabbed hold of her sword again and kicked the Orc¡¯s dead body to dislodge the blade from its head.


    ¡°Human weak!¡± The Orc cried back at Clarice, charging at her with reckless abandon.


    Just as the Orc was about to enter Clarice¡¯s reach, Jacque lashed out with the blunt end of her spear, catching the Orc¡¯s left shin.


    *Crack*


    The Orc stumbled and despite the pain managed to stagger forwards.


    *Chunk*


    Clarice stepped to the side of the Orc¡¯s staggered charge and cut into the Orc¡¯s neck, very nearly decapitating him but not quite able to cleave through the Orc¡¯s spine. Yanking her sword free of the Orc, Clarice performed a sweeping backhanded blow and finished the job, freeing the Orc¡¯s head from his body.


    [ Clarice has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    Far from finished, Clarice stalked towards the incapacitated Orc that was still retching and coughing in the foetal position. She was ruthless, Clarice didn¡¯t even hesitate as she drove the tip of her sword into the Orc¡¯s chest.


    [ Clarice has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp ]


    ¡°Haa...haaa...haaa. Did you see that?! These synergies are insane!¡± Clarice cried after catching her breath.


    I was already regretting taking Clarice as a Slave.


    Jacque took out her cleaver and large sack, ¡°Should we collect the heads for the bounty? Or just the mana stones?¡± She asked no one in particular.


    ¡°Well..we shouldn¡¯t leave found coin to go to waste right?¡± Clarice asked somewhat hesitantly.


    Both women turned to me, making it clear that I needed to make a decision.


    We still needed money for better equipment, so even though I found it distasteful, it was something of a necessity. ¡°Do it,¡± I agreed.


    Jacque nodded and quickly set about removing the two remaining Orcs heads since Clarice had so conveniently beheaded one Orc already. After stowing the Orc heads in the sack, Jacque led us off into the woods again.


    ¡°No wonder Toofy is so strong,¡± Clarice observed conversationally.


    ¡°Toofy strong!¡± Toofy agreed emphatically, misunderstanding Clarice''s intent.


    Clarice didn¡¯t seem to mind, grinning instead, ¡°Toofy strong,¡± she agreed, ¡°Just a shame humans don¡¯t have any Racial Abilities. Makes me feel like a leech hehe,¡± Clarice scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, ¡°Thanks for letting me join your group Tim. I know that this is for a disguise or whatever, but I really appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you, Clarice, for helping free Toofy,¡± even though I wasn¡¯t sure of Clarice and Nadine''s exact involvement beyond bringing me that basket, but I still felt like I owed them. Jacque too, but she was already clear on what she wanted in exchange.


    Clarice blushed and glanced away awkwardly, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she muttered awkwardly, ¡°You already saved my life, so this was nothing.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t quite so certain. I supposed my presence might have scared off the Orcs and Goblins at the time, but it was Emelia who I had carried back to the town, not Clarice. Or at least that was how I remembered it.


    After walking for a while longer, Jacque stopped suddenly and frowned. Turning back the way we had come, her brow furrowed in annoyance, ¡°Someone is tracking us,¡± Jacque said quietly.


    Clarice looked surprised, ¡°How can you tell?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°Just a feeling,¡± Jacque lied, ¡°Let¡¯s take cover over there and see who is following us,¡± she insisted, motioning to a nearby thicket.


    Hiding in the thicket as Jacque had instructed, we waited to see who or what had been following us.


    After a few minutes of waiting, a large black-furred feline came into view. The large cat resembled a more heavily built panther. It was slowly following our trail and pausing to glance at the surrounding forest every few steps, revealing a studded collar around its neck.


    I had the impression that the panther knew we were in the general area, its ears flattened against its head making it clear that it was on alert for danger.


    Jacque¡¯s frown deepened. Standing up from her hiding place, Jacque began slowly walking towards the panther, ¡°Come on out Tobi!¡± She demanded flatly.


    The panther lowered itself closer to the ground and growled at Jacque.


    ¡°I am not going to ask again,¡± Jacque warned coldly, ¡°I know you have been following us. Come out or I kill the Shadowcat.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Okay! Sheesh, I didn¡¯t mean any harm,¡± Called out a young man dressed in green and brown leathers as he quickly walked out of the forest with his arms raised. He was holding a bow in his right hand and had both a sword and a large quiver of arrows hanging off his hips.


    ¡°Why are you following us?¡± Jacque demanded flatly, ignoring the panther, or Shadowcat as she had called it.


    The young man, Tobi, shifted uncomfortably, ¡°The Guild put up a job to hunt down the Ogre-¡±


    Jacque glared balefully a Tobi.


    ¡°-Ah, not like that! They wanted to know if it had joined the Goblins'' raid!¡± Tobi quickly explained nervously.


    ¡°Well it hasn¡¯t,¡± Jacque replied flatly, ¡°So you can go.¡±


    Tobi gulped and looked around nervously, ¡°Did you manage to capture the Ogre after all?¡±


    ¡°Leave!¡± Jacque repeated, tightening her grip on the spear, ¡°Now!¡±


    The Shadowcat backed away but didn¡¯t run.


    ¡°We could split the reward?¡± Tobi offered meekly.


    Jacque¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    Tobi took an involuntary step backwards, ¡°Ah, okay, I¡¯ll see you back at the foothold later, yeah?¡± He turned and quickly began to leave, ¡°Shady! Let¡¯s go,¡± Tobi commanded anxiously.


    The Shadowcat hissed at Jacque before quickly slinking away after its master.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Jacque called out suddenly, her expression was now quite worried.


    The Shadowcat had shifted its attention from Jacque and was now eyeing the surrounding forest warily, a deep growl rumbling in its throat.


    ¡°We are surrounded...¡± Jacque groaned and quickly backed up towards our group.


    ¡°Hey! Wait! Don¡¯t leave me!¡± Tobi cried, hastily moving to follow Jacque back towards our hiding place.


    ¡°We need to leave!¡± Jacque called out urgently, ¡°Follow me!¡± She continued running past us without stopping.


    *Thwack*


    Something hard struck my head and ricocheted into the bushes.


    Pulling Toofy off my shoulder, I hugged her close to my chest with my right arm and ran after Jacque.


    *Thwack, Thwack*


    I was struck twice more, on my back and right shoulder before managing to move, narrowly avoiding who knows how many other projectiles.


    ¡°Clarice?!¡± I called out, unable to see her as I looked over my shoulder and worried that she may have been struck down.


    ¡°Here! Just keep running!¡± Clarice insisted from somewhere behind me.


    *Thwack*


    A rock came flying at my face and smashed into my right eyebrow, sending a jolt through my head and nearly causing me to trip and fall.


    As I continued to run, blood welled from the cut and began trickling into my right eye, making it hard to keep my eye open.


    Half-blind, I lost sight of Jacque nearly a dozen times over the next half hour before we suddenly stumbled out of the forest and into what appeared to be the rugged foothills at the base of a very small mountain range.


    Clarice had been just behind me, but she was breathing heavily and clutching at her side.


    Looking at the group statuses, I could see that everyone but Toofy was at least a little worse for wear.


    [ Jacque - HP: 31/35 - Normal ] [ Clarice - HP: 16/29 - Normal ] [ Tim - HP: 41/45 - Normal ] [ Toofy - HP: 21/21 - Normal ]


    ¡°Bastards got me in the back!¡± Clarice groaned, favouring her left side.


    Quickly taking a roll of bandage from my pouch, I double wrapped it around my head and tied it off. The bleeding seems to have already stopped, but I didn¡¯t want to risk the wound splitting open again.


    ¡°We need to keep moving!¡± Jacque insisted, ¡°It is only a matter of time before the Goblins catch up to us again!¡±


    It was at that moment that Tobi came tumbling out of the forest, his tamed Shadowcat limping along beside him. Although there were no obvious signs of injury, Tobi¡¯s left arm was hanging limply at his side and seemed to be causing him a great deal of pain.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Jacque insisted urgently, already a short distance ahead of us.


    Clarice began a staggered jog after Jacque but stopped when she noticed I wasn¡¯t following.


    ¡°Please...¡± Tobi wheezed, ¡±Please...don¡¯t...leave...me...¡± He was terrified and barely able to stand.


    I could tell from a glance, that if I left Tobi, he would die. The Shadowcat was in worse shape than I expected as well, bloody phlegm dribbling from its mouth with each breath.


    Damnit...


    I glanced up at Toofy, ¡±Toofy-¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Toofy shouted, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck, ¡°Toofy stay!¡±


    I was going to send her ahead with Clarice, but apparently, Toofy had guessed my intentions. Quickly moving over to Tobi, I grabbed Tobi and slung him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I would have preferred to be more gentle, but without abandoning my shield, I had limited options. I stared at the Shadowcat for a moment, half expecting it to attack me. But instead, it just looked up at me with a pitiful expression.


    ¡°Fine...¡± I shifted Tobi to my left shoulder and lifted the Shadowcat up onto my right shoulder, but had to hold onto it to stop it from slipping.


    *Riiip*


    The Shadowcat anchored its hooked foreclaws into my back over my shoulder and scrambled for footing against the apron covering my front.


    It hurt, but not as much as I expected it to, like when I was getting a flu shot at the doctor. Except it was like having ten of them at the same time...every time I took a breath.


    With a groan, I awkwardly began running after Jacque, who already has a pretty substantial lead.


    Despite her injured state, Clarice easily matched pace with me, gaining a slight lead as we were forced to manoeuvre around a number of obstructions and obstacles.


    I would have praised her for the good showing, but I was too preoccupied trying to keep my footing while keeping hold of a panicking panther attempting to secure its own footing in my ribcage.


    *****


    Gilbert slumped in his chair as he continued to read the reply sent by his superiors. Not only had his request for a team of experienced adventurers been denied, but Gilbert was also expressly forbidden from leaving his post. His earlier report on the Ogre had now quite entirely backfired on him.


    If there was one thing that could always be guaranteed, it was that his superiors'' greed would win out every time.


    Bribing and coercing low levelled and inexperienced adventurers was relatively easy and comparatively cheap. The costs could be offset with a week or two of renewed operations. The higher levelled adventurers were a different story altogether. As motivated by greed as any other men, they had a keen sense of their own worth and weren¡¯t naive enough to be cowed into accepting lower rates by the threat of Guild authority.


    In the wake of his superiors¡¯ decision, Gilbert had been tempted to dip into his own savings in order to hedge against potential threats to his life. However, he had ultimately resolved to see how things would pan out.


    If his worst fears came to pass, Gilbert already had three adventurers on probation that he could use as his own personal bodyguards. Under normal circumstances, Enslaving adventurers outside of an explicit breach of contract would see Gilbert in serious trouble. However, the raid itself provided a convenient means of concealing foul play.


    Byron¡¯s father had some connections, but the boy was already set to be blacklisted.


    Gilbert already knew he was already going to suffer some degree of consequence for Byron¡¯s knavery due to paternal vengeance. Gilbert also knew that the level of vengeance Byron¡¯s father could leverage against him would not be worsened all that much if his son were to die in the raid.


    It was one of the interesting aspects of human nature Gilbert had observed in his twenty three years working for the Guild. Anyone with power and influence, had a tendency to use the full reach and scope of said influence whenever they were trying to make an example of somebody who crossed them. Of course, this meant that if you were going to make an enemy of them in the first place, there weren¡¯t any further disincentives from going further.


    What baffled Gilbert was how few people with that sort of power and influence seemed aware of that glaring weakness. Especially since they proved capable of exercising caution when threatening one another. Taking only small punitive actions in comparison, unwilling to overextend and reveal the extent of their influence.


    Convincing Byron to remain in the administration building would be easy. Gilbert reckoned he could probably have charged the brat for the privilege if he wasn¡¯t so keen on avoiding a paper trail. The other two adventurers, Simon and Bret, wouldn¡¯t be any trouble either. No one with half decent sense would pass up the opportunity to wait out the raid in the most defensible building in the foothold.


    Getting up from his chair, Gilbert walked over to the window and stared at the distant forest.


    Gilbert had posted rewards for anyone who could provide information on the Ogre¡¯s location, but interest had been minimal. There were not many adventurers with the right skillset to begin with, and the increased aggression from the Orcs and Goblins had winnowed that pool down even further.


    Locating the Ogre was something of a gambit. Gilbert wanted to attempt to bribe it into defending the foothold, weakening itself in the process. After the raid ended, and assuming it was still alive, Gilbert would send a request for a more qualified Slaver to take the Ogre into custody.


    Of course, that was assuming the Ogre could be found in the first place, let alone convinced to return and defend the foothold.


    Gilbert winced as he recalled the heated conversation that took place shortly before he had attempted to first take custody of the Ogre. In hindsight, the young adventurer, Nadine, had been correct. Enslaving and imprisoning the Goblin had been a mistake. Gilbert now realised that he should have exercised a greater degree of subtlety and tact while handling the situation.


    If Gilbert had managed to handle his fears better, then there was every chance that the Ogre would have defended the foothold of its own volition. Whatever means the three young women had used to keep the Ogre docile and pliable were unlikely to work again. Gilbert cursed himself for a fool, vowing to exercise greater caution and restraint in the future.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 06 – Master of disguise – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 06 ¨C Master of disguise ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 06 - Master of disguise - Part Two {Rewrite}


    As we cleared the foothills and reached the mountain, it actually started to get a little easier, for me at least. The steady incline meant I just had to lean forward.


    Clarice was having a worse time of it though, apparently having spent most of her flagging energy to get even this far.


    Thankfully, Jacque had stopped just a little further ahead.


    As I caught up to her, I saw why Jacque had stopped. She had found a shallow cave in the mountainside.


    Setting down Tobi and dislodging the Shadowcat, I began taking deep breaths to try and clear my head. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the almost definite concussion from the blow to the head, insufficient oxygen from limiting my breathing because of the claws in my back, the veritable stranglehold Toofy had around my neck, or maybe from running for close to an hour, but I was feeling quite lightheaded.


    ¡°Toofy can you hop down for a minute?¡± I asked somewhat woozily.


    Toofy reluctantly let go, staring up at me with a mixture of concern and suspicion.


    ¡°Not going anywhere,¡± I panted, stretching and trying to slow my breathing.


    Clarice came staggering over a few moments later, clutching tightly onto my arm for support to stay standing, ¡°Ah! Ah! Please-tell-me-we-are-done-run-ning,¡± she gasped between deep breaths and clutching desperately at her side.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°We can take a break here, but we will need to get moving again soon. Even assuming that the Goblins don¡¯t chase us into the mountains, this is the Orcs'' home turf and I doubt they will be more hospitable than the Goblins.¡±


    Putting down my shield, I shrugged the pack off my back and gave Clarice four of the parcels of food and one of the waterskins.


    Clarice nodded in thanks, slumping down into a sitting position and began gulping down water.


    Next, I gave Jacque two of the food parcels and the other waterskin.


    Jacque accepted them with a nod and moved to a higher position to keep a lookout. The ridge we were resting on would hide us from the sight of those below, but it also made it much harder to see anyone coming.


    Untying one of the seven remaining parcels of food, I put it on the ground next to the Shadowcat.


    The Shadowcat immediately pounced on the food with desperate abandon.


    Watching the Shadowcat eat made me realise how incredibly hungry I suddenly felt. I could barely untie the parcel of food because of how badly my fingers were trembling. Without even thinking, I stuffed the contents into my mouth before even managing to tell what it was. Without chewing, I swallowed and felt the lump of food as it travelled down to my stomach and disappeared. I somehow felt hungrier than before, positively famished, I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I had anything to eat.


    Eyeing the remaining parcels of food greedily, I reached out to take another. But just as I was about to take one, I stopped. ¡°No,¡± I muttered quietly, ¡°I am not hungry.¡± My stomach writhed in protest, a deep ache settling in my abdomen. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± I repeated adamantly. The pain began to subside and all too quickly disappeared entirely, and with it, my hunger.


    I had been strictly dieting since childhood, did my stomach really think that it could defeat me so easily?! Impossible!


    Contrary to my own restraint, Clarice wolfed down her food in no time and appeared to have drunk all the water.


    Turning my attention to Tobi, I could see he was still in a great deal of pain. ¡°Do you mind if I check your injuries?¡± I asked.


    Tobi nods with a pained expression on his face. Being carried so roughly had most likely exacerbated his injuries.


    Giving Tobi a once over, I was fairly confident that he had a couple of cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder. On the upside, I could fix the shoulder. On the downside, it would hurt, a lot.


    Tobi grunted loudly from the pain as I popped his left arm back into the shoulder socket. The surrounding muscles were badly bruised from whatever hit him and dislocated it in the first place, and the muscles were likely torn as well. I made Tobi a wrist sling from one of the bandages to at least make him more comfortable.


    ¡°Thanks¡±, Tobi groaned weakly, looking a little pale from the pain, ¡°Would you mind if I had something to eat?¡± He asked, looking like he expected me to say no.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed somewhat reluctantly, handing him one of the food parcels.


    I turned my attention to the Shadowcat. It was in pretty rough shape and I could hear a wet rattling sound with every breath it took. Running my hands gently along its sides, I quickly found the problem. The poor thing had two broken ribs and I suspected that one of them had pierced a lung.


    ¡°Is it bad?¡± Tobi asked, the depressed tone in his voice giving away that he knew the Shadowcat¡¯s general condition already.


    ¡°Broken ribs and a pierced lung,¡± I shook my head. I was not a veterinarian, a doctor, or even a certified nurse, but even I could tell that the poor feline likely wouldn¡¯t make it.


    Tobi nodded, his expression darkening, ¡°Thanks anyway,¡± he said quietly, feeding the Shadowcat despite the likely futility of the gesture. Tobi¡¯s relationship with the monstrous feline was closer to a pet owner from earth, despite the ferocious feline being many orders of magnitude larger than a house cat.


    There was a chance that the Shadowcat could be saved, but I honestly wasn''t sure it was worth the risk of exposure.


    Climbing up to Jacque¡¯s vantage point, I sat down next to her and before I could say a word, Toofy innocuously sat down on my lap.


    Jacque sighed and gave me a telling look, ¡°Look, Tim, we have finite resources and are currently deep behind enemy lines. I understand you wanna save his pet, but I am far more concerned with getting us back to the foothold in one piece. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think inviting Tobi Into the party is worth the risk.¡±


    I nodded, that was a pretty fair assessment. I stared out at the rolling foothills below us, there was no sign that the Goblins had followed us, but they could very easily be hiding just beyond the forest treeline. ¡°Are there any Orcs nearby?¡± I asked, trying to take my mind off depressing thoughts for a moment.


    Jacque shook her head and had a slight frown, ¡°I would have expected to find at least a few foragers by now. The fact that the Goblins appear to be working independently of the Orcs should have meant that there would be more Orcs in this mountain range, not fewer. But there was something about those Orcs earlier...¡± She grimaced and shook her head, ¡°Something happened that broke their unity. I think maybe the Goblin chieftain managed to kill the Orc chieftain. It¡¯s the only thing I can think of that would explain all this.¡±


    Reminded of the sack with three decapitated Orc heads at our feet, it gave me a somewhat gruesome idea.


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s nasty,¡± Jacque grimaced.


    ¡°It would work though,¡± I countered unenthusiastically with a similarly disgusted expression.


    Jacque nodded, ¡°Assuming he agrees, which he probably will. Tobi really loves that cat of his. Apparently, he was a gift from Tobi''s older brother. He is all Tobi has to remember him by. Wow, now that is just sad.¡±


    I had thought Jacque knew the backstory herself until it became obvious that she was just perusing Tobi¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Then I will go suggest my plan,¡± I replied, taking hold of the sack and gently taking Toofy off my lap. Walking back down to Tobi, I tried to think of a better way to phrase what I intended. ¡°I might be able to save your cat,¡± I explained hesitantly.


    Tobi was stunned for a moment as a result of the emotional whiplash. ¡°Wh-what?! How?!¡±


    ¡°I have a Racial Ability that accelerates healing. If you let me claim him, he will get the group Synergy and maybe recover fast enough to save his life,¡± I explained somewhat awkwardly.


    Tobi was justifiably hesitant, ¡°Why can''t the party leader invite me into the party?¡± He asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Jacque doesn¡¯t trust you,¡± I replied bluntly. It was true enough and honestly, I didn¡¯t trust Tobi all that much either. But our odds of survival would improve with more of us in fighting shape and since Tobi was just too much of a risk to have in the party, his pet Shadowcat would have to join on its own.


    Tobi looked like he was about to say something else when the Shadowcat coughed up a rather sizable amount of bloody phlegm. ¡°Fine!¡± He agreed hastily, staring fearfully at the Shadowcat.


    Wetting my thumb with some spit, I rubbed off some of the blood crusted on my face and knelt down next to the Shadowcat. As I had expected, the collar around its neck was very similar to the one I was currently wearing myself, so I smeared the reconstituted blood on the tag area.


    Tobi stiffened for a moment, ¡°Accept.¡±


    [Bond Successful: Applying Enslaved Status and Effects]


    [Shady - Shadowcat: 2 ] [HP: -3/22] [MP: 1/8 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Slave*] [Class: ??? ] [Exp: 0/0 ]


    [Strength: 12 ]


    [Agility: 13* ]


    [Toughness: 11 ]


    [Intelligence: 3 ]


    [Willpower: 5 ]


    [Presence: 3 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Shadow Step {Rank 1}): Move between shadows by consuming {MP}. {Agility} increases the maximum distance per point of {MP} spent.]


    [Group Synergy: {Agile Reflexes: - }, {Vicious: 1 }, {Underfoot: 1 }, {Thick Hide: - }, {Brute Strength: - }, {Irongut: - }.]


    [(Enslaved Status Effects: {Hide/Expand})]


    Not exactly the most imaginative name I noted, struggling not to roll my eyes. Shady was doing about as poorly as I had expected. His stats were somewhat interesting but made sense given that it was an animal. What really gave me pause was the Shadowcat¡¯s Racial Ability Shadow Step. It sounded pretty amazing if it did what I thought it did.


    Hearing Shady¡¯s stomach gurgle, I knew that I didn¡¯t really have time to procrastinate. Upending the sack, the three Orc heads tumbled out and onto the ground.


    Shady eyed them hungrily and licked his lips, now suddenly much more alert and energetic.


    Unfortunately, besides the neck, the Orc heads did not have much meat on them. However, the inside was a different matter entirely.


    Stealing my nerve, I raised my right foot and cursed the fact that I didn''t have any shoes.


    *Crunch*


    My foot drove through the Orc¡¯s head like a rotten melon, spattering blood and brain matter around the immediate vicinity. Very nearly throwing up, I Clenched my jaw and tensed my abdominal muscles until the initial wave of nausea passed. ¡°Eat,¡± I commanded, looking pointedly at the Shadowcat and snatching Toofy as she began reaching for a chunk of brain. ¡°Not you Toofy,¡± I insisted, trying to hold down a fresh wave of nausea as I realised what she had been trying to do.


    Shady began wolfing down the splattered Orc head as fast as it was able, which was actually not very fast considering his injuries, but he was still enthusiastic about it.


    ¡°Nasty,¡± Clarice commented disdainfully, but couldn¡¯t seem to bring herself to look away.


    Tobi apparently couldn¡¯t handle the sight of what was going on and began dry heaving as he scrambled away white as a sheet.


    Lining up my foot above the next Orc head, I did my best to try and convince myself that I was doing something less heinous.


    *Crunch*


    It didn¡¯t work. My imagination just couldn¡¯t compete with the grotesque reality of the situation. It didn¡¯t help that there really weren¡¯t many similar activities to what I was doing and those I could think of were either worse or just as bad.


    *Crunch*


    Holding down the bile through sheer force of will, I walked a short distance away and took a few deep breaths. Determinedly not looking back, I instead concentrated on assessing everyone''s condition through the group status.


    [ Jacque - HP: 35/35 - Normal ] [ Clarice - HP: 20/29 - Normal ] [ Tim - HP: 45/45 - Normal ] [ Toofy - HP: 21/21 - Normal ] [ Shady - HP: 0/22 - Bloodied ]


    Surprisingly, both Jacque and I seemed to have made a full recovery.


    Gingerly pressing my finger against my brow, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the swelling had disappeared along with the residual pain and bruising. Even Clarice was on the mend, very nearly in the same condition she was in before we got ambushed. Still, I would need to give her a checkup once my stomach has settled down again. The way she was clutching at her side was likely another rib injury.


    Thankfully, Shady was recovering as I hoped he would. Following the logic of what Nadine had told me, I had strongly suspected that such a nutrient and fat-rich...meal, of a higher level monster, would allow the Shadowcat to recover hp much faster than the packaged Vrabbit meat the rest of us were eating.


    ¡°Clarice?¡± I called out, motioning for her to come over while avoiding looking at the Shadowcat and its ¡®meal¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Clarice asked distractedly, apparently still unable to look away from the spectacle.


    ¡°I noticed you were clutching at your side. Were you hit? Or was it just because of the exhausting run?¡± I asked pointedly.


    ¡°Yeah, one of those rocks caught me on my side,¡± Clarice admitted.


    ¡°Do you mind if I take a look?¡± I asked, ¡°To make sure you don¡¯t have any broken ribs,¡± I added hastily.


    ¡°Ah, uh, I guess...¡± Clarice agreed, raising her arms and wincing slightly.


    ¡°Ah, Clarice, I won''t be able to check through your padded armour...¡± I pointed out awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Clarice¡¯s cheeks flushed and she began awkwardly unbuckling the front of her armour.


    <Cue the bad seventies funk music, bow chicka wow wow.>.


    Doing my best to ignore Jacque¡¯s inappropriate and UNWELCOME comments, I gingerly pressed Clarice¡¯s ribs with my fingers and confirmed that none of them were broken. I would have asked Clarice to raise her tunic so I could judge the extent of the bruising, but the presence of the telepathic voyeur made me too nervous.


    ¡°You can lower your arms now,¡± I told Clarice somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Nothing appears to be broken, so it is likely just severe bruising and maybe some fractures. Either way, I want you to have these to keep your strength up,¡± I handed her five of the packaged meals, leaving only one in reserve.


    Clarice accepted the food gratefully and moved off to enjoy her meal where she wouldn¡¯t have to watch the Shadowcat enjoy his.


    <She liked it when you touched her, pain and all.> Jacque teased.


    I¡®m not listening.


    Setting down on the ground, I removed the bandage from my forehead and used it to scrub at the dried blood caking the right side of my face. Since Clarice had finished off the waterskin I had given her earlier, and I was ignoring Jacque, I had to use saliva to clean the remnants around my eye. I would have preferred to flush my eye out with water as well, but I was content with my results for now.


    I decided to tie the soiled bandage back onto my forehead again for the time being. I was hoping that I could keep it there as a sort of sweatband and quickly shift it if I was injured on my brow or forehead again. I was not particularly well-coordinated on my best day and losing my depth perception, as well as a full third of my field of view, had made moving quickly an arduous task.


    ¡°Tim okay?¡± Toofy asked worriedly, leaning in close and staring at my right eye.


    I smiled and nodded, ¡°I am okay,¡± I reassured her.


    Toofy pursed her lips and traced the fresh scar on my brow with her left index finger while touching her own scar with her right hand.


    ¡°I am okay,¡± I repeated, ¡°No pain, no hurt.¡±


    Toofy nodded to show she understood and gave me a small smile before sitting down on my lap.


    Roughly an hour passed before Jacque insisted that we get moving again. There had been no signs of the Goblins that ambushed us earlier, perhaps content to let the Orcs finish us off rather than give chase.


    Shady looked to be doing much better or at least wasn¡¯t breathing with so much difficulty anymore. Taking a quick look at his status I could see that besides increasing his current HP he had also gone up a rank as well. Apparently, Shadowcats were tier one monsters, otherwise, the rank one Orc mana stones shouldn¡¯t have been so effective in increasing Shady¡¯s maximum MP. Curiously, I had also noticed that unlike Toofy before her tier evolution, Shady¡¯s MP appeared to be slowly recuperating as well.


    On the move again, we maintained a relatively slow pace to accommodate Tobi and Shady. Jacque had decided that it would be best if we tried moving through the mountain range for a while before trying to head back to the foothold through the forest.


    I wanted Toofy to be less of a target, so she was walking alongside Clarice just ahead of me. That blow to my head earlier could have hit Toofy and the thought of it was deeply unsettling.


    As we travelled across the mountain range, we found signs of the presence of the Orcs, such as broken and discarded weapons, bone pits and even weathered skulls mounted on wooden stakes. But we still hadn¡¯t seen a single Orc. The whole experience was quite eerie.


    My imagination couldn¡¯t seem to decide whether we were walking into another ambush or through a haunted ghost town.


    After travelling for the better part of an hour, Jacque motioned for the group to halt. She appeared to have found another cave, the entrance prominently marked by grinning skulls hanging from the entrance.


    Jacque carefully made her way back to our main group, her expression somewhat disturbed.¡± I know why we haven¡¯t encountered any Orcs,¡± she stated flatly, ¡°The Goblins are exterminating them.¡±


    It took a moment for what Jacque had said to sink in, giving credence to the feelings I had over our journey so far.


    ¡°This is very bad. We need to bring this news back to the foothold as soon as possible,¡± Jacque insisted.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Orcs not being part of the raid a good thing?¡± I asked, clearly missing an important detail on how this was in any way a problem.


    Clarice nodded in agreement, ¡°It¡¯s fewer monsters we need to fight, so what''s the big deal?¡±


    Jacque shook her head and sighed, ¡°The problem is that Goblins are smarter than Orcs and will use better tactics. The problem is that a whole mess of those otherwise weak Goblins are going to have increased in rank, making them even more dangerous!¡±


    Jacque made two very compelling points on how this was indeed a pretty big problem.


    *****


    Nadine fidgeted restlessly. Even with Rose for company, Nadine couldn¡¯t help but quickly check the group status panels every few minutes. Although she couldn¡¯t be sure of the specifics, it was obvious that they had been through a particularly gruelling fight. Even Tim had taken damage on a similar level to when he rescued them from the Orcs'' ambush on the plains.


    What Nadine couldn¡¯t fully make sense of, was how Clarice had rapidly healed from her lingering injuries from the ambush, been wounded badly again and then seemingly healed most of that damage as well.


    Nadine let out a frustrated sigh. She felt so helpless just sitting here doing nothing. Nadine had tried helping Rose cut vegetables, but with only one hand, she had ultimately hindered more than helped.


    Truthfully, Rose didn¡¯t need Nadine''s help at all, but was keeping a close eye on her after ¡®the incident¡¯. So far as Nadine could tell, it wasn¡¯t out of suspicion or anything, just to make sure she was alright and that Byron and his flunkies didn¡¯t try anything.


    Nadine had felt bad about using Byron as a distraction and alibi. That was, right up until four sleeping philtres similar to the one Jacque had given Nadine, were found in a hidden pouch sewn into Byron''s pack.


    She now understood why Jacque had chosen Byron in the first place. It was true that some adventurers used sleeping drugs on bait to make monsters easier to kill or capture. However, given how he went out of his way to hide them and his lack of reservations in attempting to take advantage of her, it was clear what Byron¡¯s intended use for them had been.


    The Guild manager had postponed the inquiry into Byron''s actions until after the raid, but they had seized all of his belongings under the pretence of collateral to make sure he didn¡¯t try running away the moment the portals reactivated.


    That was how they had discovered Byron¡¯s secret stash. In addition to the sleeping philtres, a small pouch of illegal and highly addictive narcotics had been uncovered as well. Assuming the foothold survived the raid, Byron was all but guaranteed to be blacklisted from the Guild and very likely imprisoned.


    Nadine had learned all of this from Rose, who of course was well informed of just about all the goings-on in the foothold. Before spending the past couple of days with her, Nadine had severely underestimated just how many people Rose would talk to on a daily or even hourly basis.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am sure Tim is keeping your friend Clarice safe,¡± Rose said reassuringly, she had guessed at the purpose of Clarice¡¯s absence shortly after Clarice left with Jacque.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s bothering me...well, it¡¯s not the only thing,¡± Nadine conceded.


    Rose nodded, ¡°Then you are worried about what the manager will try when Tim returns,¡± she guessed astutely.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Tim¡¯s Willpower is more than a match for him and can break free whenever he wants. But what if he tries to take Toofy hostage again? All the manager has to do is offer some of the higher-level adventurers a reward and there would be no shortage of volunteers.¡±


    Ironically, it was the manager¡¯s heavy-handed tactics that drove Tim away in the first place. It was obvious that attempting to kidnap Toofy again would push Tim over the edge, only, whoever attempted it wouldn''t live long enough to regret it.


    Tim had initially been an enigma to Nadine, a jumble of contradictions and unexpected neurosis. But there was more to him than could be explained by his disproportionately high Intelligence alone. Just like the other monsters created by the Labyrinth, Tim had an established foundation of knowledge to draw from as a reference for learning. The problem was that Tim seemed to know nothing about the Labyrinth at all, but had adapted to human behaviour and customs like a fish to water.


    In many respects, Tim had been more afraid of Nadine and the other humans than they were of him. It was an absurd notion for a hulking brute to be scared of the barely qualified adventurers. That was until she factored in Tim¡¯s reluctance towards violence.


    However, Nadine knew better than to confuse his reluctance with a lack of ability or conviction. She suspected that if anyone had attempted to mistreat Toofy by mundane means, things would have turned out VERY differently.


    ¡°You can rest somewhat easy on that front,¡± Rose said reassuringly, ¡°My husband and I have already informed Gilbert that any further attempts at unjust seizure of property and employees will meet with dire consequences for his career,¡± she explained with a malicious glint in her eyes.


    Nadine was surprised that Kirk And Rose would go out on a limb like that for Tim. After all, they had only known him for a couple of days. Then again, that was just as true for Clarice and herself as well, not to mention Jacque.


    Rose noticed the way Nadine was looking at her and huffed irritably, ¡°It¡¯s the principle! He has been nothing if not courteous and helpful and...and...there is a sadness in his eyes...¡±


    Nadine nodded. She had seen it too. It was more prominent just before they had freed him, but it had been there before as well. Intuitively, Nadine understood it was a primary motivation for his severe aversion to violence. But for whatever reason, it seemed unrelated to his actual enslavement.


    ¡°You make sure to treat him proper!¡± Rose insisted, dabbing surreptitiously at the corners of her eyes with her apron, ¡°Gah, blasted onions!¡± She cursed quietly.


    Nadine nodded, taking great care to avoid looking at the still very much intact onions resting on the chopping board.


    *****


    We had some near misses but had passed through the forest without getting into another fight or being ambushed. However, now there was a new yet familiar problem. Crossing the plains without the wounded being torn to shreds by Vrabbits.


    Granted, only the Shadowcat and I smelled of blood, but it was Shady and his rightful owner Tobi that were in the most danger with the Bloodied Condition. Jacque and I had silently argued about retreating to the bunker, but she was adamant about returning to the town. Jacque honestly seemed pretty scared.


    <Not scared! Prudent!> Jacque glared at me.


    I rolled my eyes, ¡°Then, what is the plan exactly? Are you going to go back to town like last time and fetch the sled again?¡± I asked.


    Jacque shook her head, ¡°No, that¡¯s too dangerous. It will take too long for me to retrieve the sled and bring it back. It would just be better if you carried Tobi and the Shadowcat and we all ran across the plains instead.¡±


    I grimaced recalling the unique sensation of the pain from the Shadowcat¡¯s hooked claws anchoring in my skin. There was another problem too, carrying both of them would slow me down considerably, and there was no guarantee that I would still be fast enough to outrun the Vrabbits. Remembering the literal swarm of Vrabbits that had given chase last time, I was not a fan of this plan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would be fast enough while carrying so much weight,¡± I immediately countered.


    Jacque frowned, ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± She asked somewhat testily.


    I shrugged and thought about the problem for a moment. The biggest issue was the collective weight and not being able to use my arms. Even if I threw away my shield, it would only make carrying Tobi and his cat a little easier. Maybe that was something I could work with? ¡°Do you still have those ropes?¡± I asked Jacque.


    Jacque was already shrugging off her pack and searching for her lengths of rope, ¡°No self-respecting adventurer should ever be without it,¡± she replied, tossing me the coils of rope.


    Tying the rope around one end of the door-shield, I then tied the rope around my waist. ¡°Alright, Shady, go onto the sled,¡± I pointed at my shield now turned sled.


    The Shadowcat limped over to the improvised sled and mounted it uncertainly. It would be a bumpy ride, but the feline¡¯s reflexes and balance should be enough to compensate for it. If those both failed, there would always be his claws.


    Lifting Tobi up onto my left shoulder and letting Toofy sit behind my head, I moved about a little to get a sense of my altered balance.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty crazy how much weight you can carry,¡± Clarice commented, clearly impressed.


    I shrugged, not knowing how to respond to that.


    ¡°Alright, we will go first,¡± Jacque gave Clarice a playful nudge with her elbow. ¡°Give us a half-minute head start alright?¡± She grinned and set off at a light jog.


    Clarice flashed me one final smile and ran after her.


    After giving them both the requested head start, I slowly began walking out onto the plains, building speed until I was just short of an outright run. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [ Shady has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp ],[ Shady has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp ], [ Shady has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp ]...


    Unsurprisingly, the Vrabbits began homing in like sharks and I could hear Shady viciously ripping and tearing any of them that managed to make it onto the sled. I was pretty sure I could hear the Shadowcat eating some of them as well, but I was trying my best to ignore it.


    I caught up to Clarice and Jacque rather easily and had to deliberately hang back a little so I wouldn¡¯t overrun or outpace them. Even though the Vrabbits would be drawn to Shady and Tobi as priority targets due to being Bloodied, it didn¡¯t mean that the gathered hoard of Vrabbits wouldn¡¯t just turn on Clarice and Jacque after I pulled ahead and out of range of their Ability.


    All things considered, the dash across the plains wasn¡¯t all that bad. I would have preferred it if Toofy hadn¡¯t slapped the top of my head so much, but I could understand the cause of her excitement.


    Just like last time, the Vrabbits suddenly stopped as they hit the invisible wall. I actively avoided thinking about what would have happened if I had bounced off that wall. Similarly. Jacque and Clarice wound down their run into a jog and then a walk.


    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± Clarice cursed, ¡°Remind me never to do that again!¡±


    Jacque grinned, ¡°This is the second time for me, but I have to agree with you, running the whole way sucked.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Clarice didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°We rescued that party of adventurers with a sled-¡± I began to explain.


    ¡°But I got to ride it and fend off the Vrabbits like a badass!¡± Jacque interrupted happily.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Clarice groaned and nodded while stretching her legs, ¡°That sounds way more fun,¡± she agreed.


    Setting Tobi down, I untied the rope from my waist and shield. After returning Jacque¡¯s ropes, I strapped my shield to my arm again and noticed that Shady was looking somewhat plumper than before the mad dash across the plain started.


    Circling around the outer wall, I couldn''t help feeling more anxious as we drew closer to the gate. There was a very real possibility that the Guild manager or one or more of the adventurers would try something and I would need to run from town again at very short notice.


    However, the reality was somewhat anticlimactic. The pair of adventurers by the gate were surprised to see me, but neither of them ran off to deliver a message or made any move to attack me as I had expected. Fairly convinced that it was thanks to the collar, I still made sure to stay close by Clarice just in case.


    Once we were through the gates, I turned my attention to Tobi, ¡°You can take your cat back now,¡± I told him.


    Tobi looked relieved, perhaps thinking that I would try and steal the Shadowcat or claim it as compensation. Tobi bit his lip and thumbed the blood onto the collars tag.


    [Warning: Bond has been forcefully attempted. Accept? (Y/N)]


    ¡°Accept,¡± I agreed somewhat hesitantly, a part of me worrying that I was transferring ownership of myself and not the cat.


    ¡°Thank you for all your help,¡± Tobi said earnestly, ¡°I swear I will repay you when I am able,¡± he promised.


    I shrugged, honestly not expecting much.


    Entering the inn, I was surprised to find that it was now considerably busier than the last time I was there. A combination of the lightly wounded adventurers having already recovered, and moderately wounded adventurers being too stressed to lay around all day with the approaching raid, had resulted in the busy common room.


    ¡°Tim!¡± The innkeeper Kirk came out from behind the bar and slapped me affectionately on the shoulder, ¡°it¡¯s good to see you in one piece!¡±


    I smiled somewhat awkwardly, unsure of what to say.


    Kirk¡¯s eyes narrowed at the collar around my neck briefly, but the faintest of nods made it clear that he had guessed half of what was going on. Perhaps believing the collar to be fake or inactive.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Nadine and Rose had just left the kitchen to see what the commotion was and found that their group had returned. It was Nadine who had called out, rushing over and stopping just short of hugging me.


    ¡°Hrmph,¡± Clarice crossed her arms and frowned, perhaps unhappy that I was receiving all the attention.


    Jacque smirked but said nothing, slipping quietly back out the door.


    ¡°Such a brave young woman to go after Tim in your condition!¡± Rose declared loudly, drawing Clarice into an affectionate hug.


    Clarice flushed with embarrassment but seemed glad of the attention she was now getting.


    ¡°I want to hear all about what has happened since you left,¡± Nadine insisted, motioning with her head towards the stairs.


    I nodded and gave Kirk and Rose a small wave before heading upstairs to Clarice and Nadine''s room.


    Clarice was only a few steps behind me but seemed reluctant to leave the limelight.


    Sitting down on the floor, Toofy shifted off my shoulders and into my lap, ¡°Food?¡± She asked inquisitively.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, shrugging off the pack and handing the remaining parcel of food to Toofy.


    Toofy looked at me expectantly for a moment and then back to the parcel, obviously thinking that I was meant to untie the knot for her so she could eat.


    ¡°I want you to try untying it,¡± I explained.


    Toofy nodded, ¡°Toofy do,¡± she placed the parcel on the ground and began experimentally pulling at different parts of the knot with her fingers and claws.


    Since Toofy wasn¡¯t ravenously hungry, I thought it might be a good learning exercise for her to work through the unfamiliar knot, so I left her to it.


    Once Clarice and Nadine entered the room and closed the door, I was not surprised to see that the former had a large platter of roasted meat. Clarice was still missing HP and likely felt ravenous.


    Toofy eyed the platter briefly, but surprisingly returned to puzzling through the parcel in front of her without complaint.


    Before saying a single word further, Nadine yanked off the bedsheets and blanket and threw them down at the bottom of the door, ¡°So? What happened?¡± Nadine insisted quietly, her expression equal parts curiosity and worry.


    I explained what had happened as best I could while omitting Jacque¡¯s secret and by extension my own. Starting with Toofy¡¯s tier Evolution, Clarice¡¯s enslavement, briefly explaining how she was receiving the group Synergies, our encounter with Tobi and our escape from the Goblin ambush before eventually managing to return to town.


    Nadine seemed quite distracted after learning of Clarice¡¯s benefit of the group''s Synergy effects and now seemed to appreciate why Clarice was wolfing food down like a glutton. ¡°But that shouldn¡¯t be possible...¡± She muttered.


    ¡°I thought the book said Slaves and tamed monsters share synergies?¡± I asked, now a little confused. I was pretty sure that¡¯s what Nadine had told me.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°They do Tim, but only monster Slaves,¡± she amended.


    I could now see why she was treating this like such a big deal.


    ¡°Maybe it is because you enslaved a human as a monster?¡± Nadine suggested thoughtfully before shaking her head, ¡°No, the colosseum has had monster Slavers before and someone would have noticed something...¡±


    I did not find the existence of that particular pastime reassuring given my disguise as an enslaved monster. As for why the group Synergy was applying to Clarice, Iwas fairly certain I had a pretty good idea as to why it was not behaving normally.


    The less likely reason was that Jacque was the party leader, and her being a monster might blur the normal rules somewhat. However, I was almost certain that the actual reason was because of me. As both a human and a monster, or ¡®Awakened¡¯ as Jacque put it, I had to be forming a sort of bridge and messing with the enslavement system.


    Nadine appeared to have arrived at a similar conclusion, ¡°I think what makes you different is responsible for this,¡± she explained excitedly. Nadine gnawed at her lower lip and became lost in thought.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Toofy cried triumphantly, having managed to untie the double-knot that had originally been a bow-knot. She grinned happily up at me and directed my hand towards her head.


    I smiled and gave Toofy a thorough hair tousling, she had earned it. Besides, If I was going to begin teaching Toofy basic skills and eventually literacy, I needed to support a positive association with learning. ¡°You did very good Toofy,¡± I said encouragingly.


    Toofy¡¯s grin broadened and she happily began eating her food.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Nadine asked timidly.


    I shifted my attention from Toofy to Nadine and found that she was fidgeting nervously.


    ¡°Ah, I was thinking that maybe...Just for a while or...That is...¡± Nadine¡¯s cheeks reddened and her hands worried at the hem of her tunic.


    I frowned slightly, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t two of you having the matching Slave mark ruin the disguise?¡± I asked pointedly, reminding Nadine why Clarice was enslaved in the first place.


    Nadine perked up a little at that, ¡°Ah, actually, no. Shared ownership of slaves is uncommon but not unheard of...¡± She explained hurriedly before losing steam.


    I still didn¡¯t like the idea of having another person as my slave. With Clarice, it was purely for the disguise, despite Jacques unwelcome insinuations.


    Nadine could obviously tell I don''t care for the idea and seemed to be working on an argument to change my mind.


    ¡°Eh? Do you not want Nadine to survive the raid?¡± Clarice observed antagonistically, now having finished her meal and ready for some after-dinner entertainment.


    I flinched. Even though I knew what Clarice was doing, I couldn''t help it. The truth of the matter was that Nadine¡¯s chances of survival would drastically increase with the group Synergies compared to without them.


    ¡°Just for the raid,¡± Nadine pleaded, capitalising on the opportunity Clarice provided.


    I shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°It''s not like you would do anything bad, right?¡± Clarice goaded.


    I flinched again, reminded of Jacque''s taunting.


    ¡°Tim, please!¡± Nadine insisted, her expression worried and afraid.


    I knew that she was acting, but there was an unmistakable kernel of truth to her act as well. Nadine had already told me about her distinct lack of combat potential before and it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how vulnerable she would be during the raid with how injured she was.


    Damnit...


    ¡°Fine...¡± I relented, ¡°But I want to be clear that this is under protest!¡±


    ¡°Sure it is,¡± Clarice snorted, ¡°You men are all the same, always enslaving vulnerable young women to make your harems!¡±


    I flinched for the third time and seriously began reconsidering the whole thing, disguise and all.


    Nadine elbowed Clarice hard in the ribs with a scowl.


    Clarice shrunk back with a somewhat cowed expression, ¡°I was just joking,¡± she muttered unconvincingly.


    Not at all happy about the fun, Clarice had been making at my expense, I shifted my attention to Nadine, ¡°Enslave,¡±


    ¡°Accept!¡± She agreed eagerly, ¡°Status!¡±


    [Bond Successful: Applying Enslaved Status and Effects]


    [Nadine - Human ] [HP: 8/18] [MP: 5/5 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Enchanter 1. +2 Presence, +5 MP. ] [Exp: 1126/2000 ]


    [Strength: 8 ]


    [Agility: 10 ]


    [Toughness: 9 ]


    [Intelligence: 12 ]


    [Willpower: 11 ]


    [Presence: 13* (15*) ]


    [(Class Ability: Soothe {Rank 0}): Reduces anger and anxiety in the target at the cost of MP. {Presence} increases the effectiveness and duration of the ability. Contested by targets {Willpower}.]


    [Group Synergy: {Agile Reflexes: - }, {Vicious: 1 }, {Underfoot: 1 }, {Thick Hide: - }, {Brute Strength: - }, {Irongut: - }.]


    [(Enslaved Status Effects: {Hide/Expand})]


    [Class Qualifications: Taskmaster. ]


    Looking at Nadine¡¯s status, I could now understand why she had been so worried. Nadine wasn¡¯t suited for combat at all. At least Toofy had a high Agility to offset her low Strength and Toughness, Nadine didn¡¯t even get the bonus HP I had thought was standard to all Classes.


    Reading through the Soothe ability, a few other things began to make sense as well. Nadine had probably been using it on me every time she had the chance.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I should feel angry or grateful about that.


    On the one hand, it may have eased my transition. But on the other hand, she may have been blatantly manipulating me for her own benefit.


    Noticing something new at the bottom of Nadine¡¯s status quickly dominated my attention. Neither Toofy nor Clarice had the Class Qualifications entry on their status, so I wondered what made Nadine so different.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Nadine appeared to be just as surprised as I was, ¡°You see that too right?¡± She asked nervously.


    I nodded, ¡°Was that not there before?¡± I asked.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°Normally when you qualify for a class it will be added to the bottom of your status. If it is a higher mastery level than your current class, you can change Classes right away. But if the mastery level is the same or lower, you need to pay for a specialist to remove your class first. We went through something similar to this at the Guild training centre after they determined our aptitudes and assigned us a teacher,¡± Nadine explained.


    ¡°So you can teach people and they can unlock a Class?¡± I asked curiously, considering the ramifications of such methods.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°For most Basic Classes, the instructors just need to explain some things and combine it with some hands-on lessons and that usually does the trick. Spellcasting classes are more theoretical, while combat Classes are more practical, but it''s fundamentally the same.¡±


    Clarice nodded in agreement.


    But that raised another question that had been bugging me, ¡°Why is it that none of you knows First-Aid?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Nadine looked confused, ¡°First, aid?¡± She asked uncertainly.


    ¡°How to treat and bind your own and each other''s injuries,¡± I insisted.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nadine frowned unhappily, ¡°They do teach us some of that sort of thing, but there is a pretty heavy emphasis on getting the injured back to the foothold so someone more qualified can do the treatment if required.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid,¡± I snorted disapprovingly, ¡°If you bound your injuries first, they wouldn¡¯t be so bad by the time you returned to town.¡±


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Rose and Kirk are both retired adventurers and have a fair bit of experience binding wounds, but neither of them has unlocked the Surgeon or Field Surgeon classes, despite running this inn for a couple of decades,¡± she explained ruefully.


    ¡°So you think that they are missing the theoretical component for qualifying for those classes?¡± I asked curiously.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°It is why the surgeon¡¯s Guild charges such exorbitant fees for treatment and have strict entry requirements and oppressive confidentiality contracts for their members,¡± she explained bitterly.


    ¡°You wanted to be a surgeon?¡± I guessed.


    Nadine nodded and sighed despondently, ¡°But the tuition fees are ruinous and I didn''t qualify for the scholarship.¡±


    As an orphan, I couldn¡¯t imagine the surgeons Guild would look very favourably on her without ulterior motives.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to raise the money by adventuring,¡± Nadine explained, ¡°But then this all happened,¡± she stated glumly.


    ¡°I could teach you what I know,¡± I offered sympathetically. Besides knowing advanced First-Aid, I had been taking classes at University to become a registered nurse, so I was probably considered rather knowledgeable by this world''s standards of medicine. Unfortunately, I realised there was something of a problem.


    How do I explain what I know?


    ¡°Could you?¡± Nadine asked somewhat optimistically.


    Regardless, I was committed now. I nodded.


    Nadine smiled and was about to say something when her stomach began gurgling loudly. She flushed with embarrassment and Clarice snickered.


    ¡°Maybe Clarice should go fetch another platter of food?¡± I suggested flatly.


    Clarice stiffened for a moment and then relaxed when the expected pain didn''t materialise. Apparently, she had forgotten that I deactivated the command ability. Getting up off the bed and heading to the door, she almost seemed disappointed.


    Nope nope nope.


    I turned my full attention to Nadine and pulled out the bandages from my pack and began explaining the basic theory work behind First-Aid. I had to simplify certain concepts and omit details that were only confirmable with modern earth science, but Nadine seemed more than capable of keeping up with the basic principles.


    We stopped so Nadine could eat her fill before continuing again.


    Without the practical elements, the theory side of things didn¡¯t take very long to adequately explain. After covering theory, we used Clarice as a modelling dummy so I could teach Nadine hands-on practical skills. However, I quickly encountered a problem when explaining to Nadine how to do chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The fact that doing chest compressions would very likely crack or fracture anyone¡¯s ribcage she practised it on, meant that we had to ask for even more food, just in case Nadine accidentally hurt Clarice.


    The fact that Clarice was not phased by the prospect of being injured was more than a little disconcerting. With emergency food supplies on standby, I had Nadine begin by going through the motions without actually making contact. After correcting her until I was confident she had it right, I let Nadine try it out for real. To her credit Nadine got the hang of it quickly, finding her rhythm and remaining professional despite Clarice¡¯s attempts to embarrass her.


    After taking another food and toilet break, I decided that Nadine needed more hands-on experience with binding and cleaning real injuries. So I asked Kirk if we could help redress the wounds of the more injured adventurers still confined to their beds. With the provision that Rose accompany us for supervision, he agreed.


    Nadine struggled at first, unused to the sights and smells, despite having hacked apart who knows how many Vrabbits. However, by the late evening, she had gotten over the worst of it and was making fewer mistakes. The commands function was something like a cheat or training wheels in that regard. Giving her a sting when she would otherwise make a mistake. I hadn¡¯t wanted to use it, but Nadine insisted and the results spoke for themselves.


    Since Toofy didn¡¯t have anything to do and was otherwise bored. I had been teaching her a counting song she could sing and follow with her fingers. Toofy seemed to enjoy it well enough, even if she frequently needed me to remind her of the words.


    The last Adventurer we visited was the worst case so far. I vaguely remembered him and his injuries. He had been savagely stabbed repeatedly with a knife or maybe a bladed spear or sword. Observing Nadine removing the bandages, I could tell that a couple of sets of stitches had torn and would need to be redone.


    Unfortunately, this was not something I would be able to demonstrate very well for Nadine because of my fingers. Instead, I had to talk her through it. I was concerned for a few reasons at first, but things weren¡¯t as bad as I had first assumed.


    My first concern was related to the material used for performing the stitches. It was the same Thistleweed thread I had bought from the tailor, so I was concerned that the stitches would need to be pulled out once the wound closed. However, since Thistleweed was a type of plant monster and the thread made from its remains would be degraded by adventurers¡¯ bodies in a similar fashion to modern earth degradable stitches, there wasn¡¯t really anything to worry about. My second concern was with performing the stitches without anaesthetic. But Rose had brought a sleeping drug that would keep him unconscious.


    My final concern was that while I had a firm grasp of the theory for suturing external injuries, I had no personal experience performing the procedure. I hadn¡¯t gotten that far in my course at University yet, we were not scheduled to start classes at the adjoining medical school until next year.


    Doing my best to coach Nadine through it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that she had something of a knack for it. Unlike me, Nadine did not recoil from inflicting harm and was calm throughout removing the original stitches and replacing them as I instructed.


    I was rather appalled at the original sloppy stitching done by the alleged surgeon. It was honestly somewhat surprising that other stitches had not torn or failed outright earlier.


    As Nadine finished with the final stitch and tied off the final knot on the second wound with torn stitches, a large status pane appeared in front of my eyes.


    [Conditions have been met for {Nadine} to advance to the Advanced Class: {Field Surgeon}. Accept? (Y/N)]


    I glanced at Nadine and could tell that she was looking at a similar message herself.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Rose asked worriedly, taking a closer look at Nadine¡¯s needlework.


    Nadine grinned and shook her head, ¡°I unlocked the Field Surgeon advanced class!¡± She cried happily.


    Rose was as stunned as I had been, ¡°Wh-what?!¡± She demanded, ¡°But how?¡±


    ¡°Accept!¡± Nadine declared eagerly, giving me a vigorous nudge in the ribs.


    It took me a moment to realise that I was the one that had to accept the class change, being her master and all. ¡°Accept,¡± I whispered quietly.


    Nadine¡¯s grin grew wider as she eagerly read through her status.


    ¡°Status¡± I whispered quietly, rather interested in taking a look myself.


    [Nadine - Human ] [HP: 8/18] [MP: 5/5 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Field Surgeon 0. +1 Intelligence, +5 MP. ] [Exp: 0/5000 ]


    [Strength: 8 ]


    [Agility: 10 ]


    [Toughness: 9 ]


    [Intelligence: 12* (13*) ]


    [Willpower: 11 ]


    [Presence: 13 ]


    [(Class Ability: Field Dressing {Rank 0}): Expend MP to accelerate {Healing} of adequately treated injuries. {Intelligence} increases the duration of accelerated {Healing}.]


    [Group Synergy: {Agile Reflexes: - }, {Vicious: 1 }, {Underfoot: 1 }, {Thick Hide: - }, {Brute Strength: - }, {Irongut: - }.]


    [(Enslaved Status Effects: {Hide/Expand})]


    [Class Qualifications: Enchanter, Surgeon, Taskmaster. ]


    The Field Dressing Ability was definitely worth getting excited over. Adventurers already healed from injuries at a rather phenomenal rate, increasing it even further was bound to make Nadine very popular indeed.


    Nadine had also unlocked the Surgeon Class, so I assumed that because only Field Surgeon had been announced, that Surgeon was probably just a basic class and inferior to Field Surgeon. Otherwise, the alert would have announced them both.


    Nadine shifted her attention to the poor bedridden adventurer and pressed her hand against the recently re-stitched wound. Nothing happened at first, but a pale light began peaking through Nadine''s fingers. Withdrawing her hand revealed the light was coming from the stitches and that the wound itself was very slowly but visibly healing shut in real-time. After The wound closed entirely, the stitches disintegrated and disappeared, leaving only a pale scar. Just as soon as the first set of stitches disappeared, the second set of stitches began glowing as the first had done.


    This process continued through the adventurer¡¯s other injuries but stopped before making it through more than half of them. As the final set of stitches disintegrated, a Gold coloured status alert appeared.


    [ Nadine has healed a {Heavy Wound} +100 Exp ]


    Wait a minute! You can get Exp by healing people?!

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 07 – Underprepared and under-siege – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 07 ¨C Underprepared and under-siege ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 07 - Underprepared and under-siege - Part One {Rewrite}


    Nadine was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement, and I couldn¡¯t blame her. Field Surgeon seemed like an amazing Class. Granted, Nadine would still need protection from monsters, because it didn¡¯t have any offensive Abilities, but I doubted she would have any shortage of volunteers. Not only could Nadine heal other people''s injuries, but both herself and whatever party she was part of would receive Exp as well.


    I could understand why the surgeons Guild would charge hefty fees for training and membership. Basically, once you were in, you would be set for life. Judging by the shoddy suturing done by the surgeon the Guild had hired, you didn¡¯t even have to be that good at it.


    I wondered how much they had been paid for their time.


    ¡°It only costs one mana!¡± Nadine declared excitedly, Promptly activating the ability for a second time.


    Clarice stifled a yawn, ¡°I¡¯m gonna head to bed.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a bad idea. ¡°Come on Toofy, we should be getting to bed as well.¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Toofy let out a quiet yawn and followed me out the door.


    Heading down the stairs to the second floor, I stopped in front of the door to our room as I remembered that I didn¡¯t have a key. I sighed and continued down to the common room instead.


    Toofy was beginning to drag her feet, so I picked her up and let her head rest against my shoulder.


    Toofy snuggled in to make herself comfortable and was lightly snoring before I reached the bottom step of the stairs.


    Kirk looked like he was about to call out to me, but took a look at Toofy and thought better of it, opting to wave me over instead.


    There was currently no one besides us in the common room and since Toofy was already asleep, I carefully took a seat at the bar.


    Kirk made a point of checking to see if anyone was lingering near the stairs before moving in closer, ¡°You should get your collar marked before the Guild manager sees it,¡± he whispered softly, making a point of rubbing at his neck where the tag of the collar was located around my neck.


    The nature of these collars was new to me and I suspected it was for Jacque as well since her oversight didn¡¯t seem intentional. Nipping my middle finger enough to draw blood, I then dragged my lightly bleeding finger across the tag plate. I probably looked suspicious as heck, but at least I tried.


    [Bond Successful.]


    I hadn¡¯t expected that so I looked to Kirk for an explanation.


    Kirk nodded slightly and leaned over the bar so he could viciously attack a particularly stubborn grease stain with his cleaning cloth, ¡°Not all Slave collars are used for enslavement. In fact, rumour has it that you can use it to protect yourself and hide in plain sight,¡± he gave me a surreptitious wink and leaned back again, apparently satisfied that the grease stain had been taught a lesson.


    I smiled and nodded at Kirk to show I understood his meaning and appreciated the advice. I honestly doubted I would have thought to Enslave myself as another layer of camouflage and protection.


    Hearing someone quickly coming down the stairs, Kirk and I both looked over to see who it was, albeit with Kirk managing the effort in a far less obvious fashion.


    I relaxed when I saw that it was just Rose. I wasn¡¯t sure what I had been thinking, but talking about slavery had left me a little jumpy.


    Rose hurried around the bar, aggressively dragged her husband in close and began whispering excitedly in his ear. Or, at least I assume she was whispering because I could see her lips moving but couldn¡¯t hear anything she was saying.


    Kirk¡¯s eyes grew wide and he looked at me with surprise before turning back to his wife.


    Rose said something else and nodded emphatically in my direction.


    ¡°Ahrm!¡± Kirk made a show of awkwardly clearing his throat as he turned his attention back to me again. ¡°Ah, Tim?¡± Kirk asked somewhat nervously, ¡°Is what Rose told me true?¡± Asking in such a way that he clearly believed his wife and just wanted me to confirm it aloud.


    Keenly aware that there was only one thing I had done recently that would interest them so much, I nodded. There was no sense trying to hide it, they both already knew generally what I had been doing.


    Kirk¡¯s balding head began to sweat and he mopped at it with his washcloth, ¡°Ah, do you think perhaps you could give our daughter Millie lessons?¡± Kirk asked respectfully while wringing the washcloth between his hands nervously.


    ¡°Ah, I guess?¡± I answered noncommittally. I honestly wasn''t sure what was going to happen with this raid and more specifically what we would do afterwards.


    Rose gave her husband a none-too-subtle jab to the ribs, while still making sure to maintain her smile.


    Kirk took it in stride, barely seeming to notice, ¡°We would pay you for your trouble of course!¡± He insisted, ¡°And both you and your party would always be welcome to stay in our inn free of charge!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but flush a little in embarrassment, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not the problem, I am just not sure what we will be doing after the raid,¡± I explained nervously, ¡°If I am available, I don¡¯t mind teaching her the basics.¡±


    Kirk and Rose glanced at one another for a moment and seemed a little confused.


    ¡°The basics?¡± Rose asked curiously.


    I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what I did for Nadine. That¡¯s what you wanted right?¡±


    Rose looked surprised, ¡°You know more?!¡± She gasped incredulously.


    I nodded slowly and realised that I had probably made a mistake. I was committed now and at least Kirk and Rose had been decent to me thus far. ¡°What I taught Nadine was field surgery, treatments for the battlefield, you know?¡± It was senior first-aid, but I had already learned that the term didn¡¯t carry the same weight it should.


    Rose and Kirk nodded, after all, the description of the Class was in its name.


    ¡°It would take much longer than an afternoon to cover the other important but more time-consuming components,¡± I explained, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it would unlock a different or higher class, but it''s important information all the same.¡±


    ¡°So you will need to stay and teach Nadine this advanced knowledge,¡± Rose insisted with a predatory smile, ¡°You can teach my Millie at the same time!¡±


    Kirk gave me an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Ah, ideally, I guess,¡± I agreed nervously. There was a lot of medical theory to cover to meet Earth¡¯s basic medical standards. I had just taught Nadine what I considered to be the bare minimum to qualify for a senior first-aid certificate.


    Granted, this world rendered a great deal of earth¡¯s medical diagnostic theory irrelevant by healing people''s injuries in a matter of moments. Similarly, the existence of the status and HP stat itself made it obvious when someone was injured and what stage of recovery they were in. Still, the theory side of things seemed to be important in unlocking more advanced forms of a Class, so I decided it would be better to teach Nadine more if I had the chance.


    ¡°So you will do it, right? Teach our Millie the advanced knowledge alongside Nadine?¡± Rose pressed relentlessly.


    I gulped and nodded, unprepared to deal with this sort of intensity.


    ¡°Good!¡± Rose replied cheerily, pecking her husband on the cheek before disappearing into the kitchen.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kirk apologised, scratching at the back of his head awkwardly, but clearly pleased that his wife had closed the deal.


    ¡°Could I have the key to my room now?¡± I asked awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Kirk looked a little embarrassed, realising that it was probably why I had come downstairs in the first place.


    Accepting the key from Kirk, I walked back upstairs and unlocked the door to my room. It was a little strange to think of it that way, but I really did consider this room to be mine, a place where I belonged.


    Taking care to lock the door behind me, I sat down on the bed and grimaced at the sight of my dirty feet. I should have taken a bucket of water from downstairs so I could wash them.


    Filled with regret, I pulled back the blanket and got Toofy settled before replacing the blanket again. Removing my apron, I carefully laid it out at the foot of the bed, so my feet wouldn''t dirty the blanket or sheets. I was going to lay down but remembered that the Shadowcat had damaged my tunic as well and it probably had blood on the back of it. So I stripped my tunic off and left it on the bedside table. I decided I would take a closer look at it in the morning, but for now, I needed sleep.


    As I began to drift off to sleep, I could feel Toofy wriggling closer until she was just about pressed up against me through the blanket. Thinking that perhaps she had woken up and was feeling a little frightened or anxious, I raised my arm and let her snuggle in closer. Within less than a minute, she fell asleep again and I wasn''t far behind her.


    Waking up early, I found Toofy humming the counting song to herself and marking off her progress with her fingers. It was something of a pleasant surprise. I could only hope that this world''s alphabet was similar enough in structure that I could adapt a nursery rhyme for teaching the alphabet as well.


    [ 0d : 6h : 34m ]


    I hadn''t intended to look at the countdown for the raid, but now that I had, I couldn''t bring myself to look away. There were six and a half hours left before the protective barrier surrounding the town would disappear. Feeling myself begin to panic, I decided that I needed to do something, anything to keep myself busy.


    The moment I began to get up, Toofy¡¯s attention locked onto me hungrily, ¡°Breakfast!¡± She demanded happily. Leaping off the bed, Toofy unlocked the door, having apparently acquired the key while I was asleep, ¡°Breakfast!¡± She repeated, waving her arms insistently to make me move faster.


    Taking a quick look at my tunic, I could see that while it was not particularly dirty, the Shadowcat had torn two large holes in the back of it. It wasn''t beyond saving, but I would need to cannibalise the sleeves for materials. Seeing that Toofy was just about on the verge of tears, I just put on my apron instead.


    Making sure to take the key and stow it in my apron, I smirked as I watched Toofy race from the room over to the top of the stairs and begin waiting impatiently for me to catch up again. Toofy did the same thing again when I reached the top of the stairs, racing to the bottom and giving me an exasperated sigh when she realised I was still on the topmost steps. I was tempted to tease Toofy a little but decided against it. She was probably more than a little stressed herself and I didn¡¯t want to make it worse.


    Making a show of moving down the stairs faster than I normally would have preferred, I could see that this earned a satisfactory nod from Toofy and a stifled chuckle from Kirk.


    Taking a seat at the bar, Toofy looked at Kirk expectantly, ¡°Breakfast,¡± she reminded him curtly. No doubt wondering how he could manage to keep his job when Toofy had to keep reminding him how to do it.


    Acting contrite, Kirk bowed in apology and went to the kitchen to fetch them some food. When he returned a few moments later with two bowls of stew, I motioned for Toofy to wait.


    ¡°How many bowls of stew are there Toofy?¡± I asked, not expecting much progress on her counting just yet, but still interested to see her try.


    Toofy furrowed her brow at me and pursed her lips for a moment before looking at the bowls of stew.


    ¡°Think about the song I taught you,¡± I offered helpfully, ¡°If each bowl of stew is one finger, how many is that?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Toofy began loudly humming the nursery rhyme, ¡°This!¡± She held up two fingers on her right hand.


    ¡®Very good!¡± I tousled Toofy¡¯s hair, ¡°You can eat now.¡± She was struggling to remember the words, but the principle of counting had stuck at least. Not bad at all considering I had only taught it to her yesterday evening.


    Toofy grinned and eagerly began wolfing down her meal.


    As an extra reward, I scooped a few spoonfuls of meat from my own bowl into hers.


    ¡°You are teaching her to count?¡± Kirk asked with no small amount of surprise.


    I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s an important skill.¡±


    Kirk nodded in agreement but was still somewhat perplexed, ¡°Did Nadine teach you to count?¡± He asked probingly.


    I shook my head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You taught yourself?¡± Kirk asked in surprise.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± I lied, unwilling to expose my true origins at this point in time. If Jacque hadn¡¯t done so, then it had to be for a reason.


    Kirk was giving me the same appraising look Nadine had. Obviously coming to his own conclusions on how I knew the things that I did. ¡°Oh! Right, Don, the butcher, has put up a special request for Vrabbit meat. The Guild is footing the bill, but with so many injured adventurers and few willing to leave the foothold, we are running dangerously low on food reserves. I think he was offering twice the normal rate, which means about half a copper per Vrabbit, not including the mana stones.¡±


    It did seem like easy money and I had foolishly left Toofy¡¯s coins out in the bunker. ¡°I will talk to the others about it,¡± I shrugged, with the raid drawing closer, I was not particularly keen on the idea of hanging around outside the walls.


    Kirk nodded, although he also seemed somewhat worried, ¡°There is another reason for the increase in reward. During the raid, monsters will not respawn and monsters normally only respawn around midnight. So every Vrabbit taken care of now is one less to worry about later.¡±


    That sounded like something someone should have told me a while ago. The thought of that tide of vermin descending on the town sent shivers down my spine. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to the others,¡± I repeated with more conviction.


    Kirk nodded appreciatively, ¡°I am sure that if you''re out there, other adventurers will be emboldened and join the effort,¡± he said encouragingly.


    I nodded and let Toofy finish the rest of my stew, I wasn''t feeling particularly hungry anymore.


    Once Toofy had licked clean both bowls, we headed back upstairs to speak with Nadine and Clarice.


    Knocking on their door, I was surprised to hear that they were already awake.


    The reason quickly became obvious as Jacque was the one to open the door, ¡°Particular reason you are visiting a room of young women without a shirt?¡± She asked with a smirk.


    I tried to ignore Jacque and walked into the room.


    ¡°Morning!¡± Clarice grunted distractedly, pulling on her thick knee-high boots.


    ¡°Good morning Tim,¡± Nadine smiled happily, ¡°Was there anything you wanted?¡±


    ¡°It''s probably about the Vrabbit hunt, right?¡± Jacque asked, a knowing look in her eyes.


    I nodded, ¡°Kirk said the Guild is paying double for the meat because supplies are running low.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nadine nodded, ¡°And they want as many of them culled before the raid as possible. Makes sense. Was that something you wanted to do?¡± she asked curiously.


    I shrugged, To say I wanted to do it would be a gross oversimplification. I didn¡¯t want to get eaten alive by a swarm of Vrabbits during the raid, but that didn¡¯t make me thrilled at the idea of culling them en masse either.


    ¡°I was planning on doing it too,¡± Clarice interjected, now strapping on her padded armour, ¡°You never know, getting rid of a few of those Vrabbits now could make all the difference later.¡±


    I was about to say something but was interrupted by a knock at the door.


    Jacque looked bemused as she moved to open the door.


    Emelia staggered somewhat unsteadily into the room, nearly falling over in surprise as she noticed Toofy and I standing over by the wall.


    ¡°What do you want?!¡± Clarice spat irritably.


    Emelia shrunk back as if Clarice had threatened her, ¡°Ah, uhm, I just wanted to apologise...¡± She murmured timidly. ¡°I...I know what I did was wrong. I...I¡¯m sorry...¡± Emelia looked ashamed of herself and was staring at the floor.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Clarice snarled angrily, ¡°You''re just scared of being alone during the raid!¡±


    Emelia flinched but said nothing, shrinking further into herself, trying to appear as small as possible.


    Jacque watched the exchange with vague interest but showed no signs of intervening one way or the other.


    Toofy wasn¡¯t thrilled to see Emelia either, apparently understanding her role in what had happened and was understandably upset about it.


    I had thought that seeing Emelia again would have made me angry, but it didn¡¯t. What Emelia had done to me and Toofy was callous and ultimately quite cruel. But she had done it without malicious intent. I was actually a little surprised that Emelia had agreed to hand us over to the Guild manager Gilbert in the first place. I had been too stressed out to think about it clearly before, but it didn¡¯t seem to fit Emelia¡¯s personality. Or at least I didn¡¯t think so anyway.


    Emelia was admittedly quite lazy and didn¡¯t seem all that bright, but she also didn''t seem to understand how any of this adventuring business actually worked. When I considered what I knew of Emelia, I was left with the impression that she was in over her head and making mistakes because of her impulsive nature.


    I wasn¡¯t going to forgive Emelia so easily, but I felt like I could give her the chance to earn it. If Emelia was truly sorry for what she had done or at the very least the role she played in what happened, then I was willing to give her a second chance to do better. After all, Emelia had no power over me anymore, I didn¡¯t even need her for a disguise. Even after the pain Emelia had caused me, if it weren''t for her, I would very likely be dead right now, Toofy too for that matter. If Emelia turned out to be lying, then I would have lost nothing. But giving her a second chance might save the life of someone I cared about.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± I interjected calmly as Clarice was about to say something else. ¡°I can¡¯t forgive you, Emelia, not after what you did...¡±


    Emelia slumped further, moaning quietly as her tears fell to the floor.


    I could empathise with the fear and isolation she must be feeling right now, it was quite familiar to me after all. ¡°That is, I can¡¯t forgive you yet,¡± I amended.


    Emelia grew still and glanced up at me, her expression desperate and afraid.


    Toofy and Clarice stared at me incredulously, while Nadine and Jacque were more pensive.


    ¡°If you truly meant what you said, then prove it,¡± I challenged Emelia.


    ¡°Anything!¡± Emelia blurted, ¡°I-I¡¯ll do anything!¡± She cried desperately.


    ¡°Ah, how about we start simple then?¡± Nadine suggested tactfully, ¡°Clarice and Tim were going to hunt Vrabbits in preparation for the raid. Why don¡¯t you go help them out?¡± She offered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it! Urk..¡± Emelia agreed eagerly but flinched from the pain of her chest injuries.


    ¡°Come lay down for a minute,¡± Nadine insisted, motioning to the bed.


    Emelia nodded reluctantly and did as she was told.


    Seeing Nadine pulling up Emelia¡¯s tunic, I decided that it would be best to take Toofy and wait downstairs.


    ¡°Why?¡± Clarice demanded flatly as she joined me in the common room, evidently unimpressed with my decision.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t blame her for everything that happened. I owe Emelia at least a second chance to prove herself,¡± I replied bluntly.


    Clarice frowned, ¡°Even after what she did to the both of you?¡±


    ¡°Emelia Enslaving us is the reason we are still alive Clarice,¡± I reminded her, ¡°I meant what I said earlier, I haven''t forgotten what Emelia did, I honestly don¡¯t know if I can ever forgive her, but I at least owe her the chance to try and earn it.¡±


    Clarice grew quiet, her expression now more thoughtful than frustrated. ¡°Fine,¡± Clarice agreed, ¡°But I won¡¯t cut her any slack!¡± She promised somewhat coldly.


    I shrugged, there wasn¡¯t much I expected from the others. I was only acting according to my own conscience. ¡±How did you want to handle the Vrabbit hunting?¡± I asked, not so subtly steering the conversation towards a more productive subject.


    Clarice sighed and scratched at the back of her head, ¡°I dunno. Do you have any ideas?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°We are meant to reduce their numbers as much as possible right?¡± I asked rhetorically.


    Clarice nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we would be able to borrow the handcart or sled from the Guild?¡± It would make delivering the Vrabbits easier afterwards, so I really hoped it was doable.


    Clarice smiled and nodded, ¡®Yeah I reckon we could get the sled,¡± she agreed eagerly.


    ¡°I figure that we set up shop at the barrier and lay down a lure just outside of it. I¡¯ll be the bait and deal with most of them and throw them back to Toofy to store in some sacks or whatever on the sled.¡± I explained.


    ¡°And what do you want me to do?¡± Clarice asked curiously.


    I shivered, ¡°Try and stop them from swarming me.¡±


    Clarice nodded and gave me a resolute smile, apparently satisfied that I wasn''t just putting her on babysitting duty.


    ¡°I was thinking Jacque and Emelia could do the same, assuming they are coming,¡± I added, ¡°The more of us there are, the more comfortable I would be in using a stronger lure.¡±


    Clarice had looked somewhat irritated at the mention of Emelia again, but it quickly passed and she nodded in understanding.


    ¡°It might be worth investing in some clubs or staves to keep the blood levels manageable,¡± I suggested, remembering how the adventurers were hard-pressed in staving off the Vrabbits during the Orc ambush.


    ¡°Yeah, probably a good idea,¡± Clarice agreed, growing noticeably paler for a moment.


    [Nadine has healed a {Heavy Wound} +100 Exp]


    Clarice and I were both surprised as the golden notification appeared. We shouldn''t have been, it was pretty obvious what Nadine had intended from the start. But it was still quite new and we weren¡¯t used to it yet.


    Clarice smiled and shook her head, ¡°I still can¡¯t believe how much Exp we get from Nadine healing someone,¡± she muttered with a little jealousy.


    I nodded. For native humans, who only had Class levels to compete against monsters'' stats and Abilities, gaining so much Exp from healing people was borderline overpowered. I wondered if it would be possible to power level someone that way assuming you had the patients to heal for Exp. I figured that was why the surgeons didn¡¯t roam around the Labyrinth like the other adventurers. They just didn¡¯t need to. The surgeons get all the Exp and money they want, just by healing patients in the comfort of their office or by making a few house calls.


    No wonder Nadine had been so excited. Theoretically, she could retire from the Labyrinth after this raid was over. Perhaps that was why Nadine wasn¡¯t nearly as upset as Clarice.


    [Emelia - HP: 15/25 - Normal ]


    Noticing Emelia''s information appearing in the group status, I could only assume Jacque was fine with her joining the party. The other thing I noticed was the amount of HP Nadine must have restored using her Ability. Assuming that Emelia had been recovering one HP a day as Nadine told me before, then Emelia had just recovered roughly ten HP. That was pretty crazy since it only required bandages and thread.


    Judging by the shock in Clarice¡¯s expression I assumed she just noticed as well. ¡°Bloody hell,¡± she muttered.


    After a few minutes of waiting on the others, Clarice decided to go purchase a couple more cheap blunt weapons and borrow a sled or handcart from the Guild. It was a pretty good idea, because Nadine, Jacque and Emelia seemed to be taking their time coming downstairs.


    [Nadine has healed a {Heavy Wound} +100 Exp]


    While waiting, another alert appeared in front of me and predictably I found that Emelia¡¯s HP had now fully recovered. Shortly afterwards, the trio of young women descended the stairs. Each of them were now wearing their padded armour and other equipment.


    <You didn¡¯t tell me you were a doctor.> Jacque gave me an amused look while sitting down at the bar.


    <I¡¯m not.> I avoided looking at Jacque and the others, instead, focusing my attention on Toofy. ¡°Do you want to sing the counting song while we wait?¡± I asked.


    Toofy grinned and nodded, ¡°Ten fat sausage, frying in pan-¡±


    <You didn''t...>


    <I did.> I countered, rather pleased with myself.


    ¡°-All suddenly, one BANG!¡± Toofy curled one of her fingers before continuing.


    Toofy¡¯s grammar wasn¡¯t all that bad considering, although her pitch could use some work. As Toofy counted down her fingers, she grew progressively more despondent until reaching the end of the rhyme and happily starting over again.


    <Why?...> Jacque was giving me a pained look from over at the bar.


    I shrugged, <To teach her to count, which is working.>


    Jacque looked surprised, <She knows how to count?>


    I nodded, <With a little prompting, yes.>


    Jacque abandoned the seat at the bar and brought the remainder of her breakfast over and sat down by Toofy.


    Toofy eyed Jacque warily but continued singing the nursery rhyme.


    ¡°Toofy, how many fingers am I holding up?¡± Jacque held up four fingers on her right hand.


    Toofy stopped singing and eyed Jacque warily, ¡°Four sausages,¡± she replied after counting on her own hand.


    Jacque was amused, holding up her other hand with three more fingers raised, ¡°And how many now?¡±


    Toofy blinked and stared for a moment, ¡°Seven sausages,¡± she replied slyly.


    Jacque smirked, pushing the remains of her breakfast over to Toofy as a reward, ¡°Oh but she is clever isn''t she?¡± <She literally just figured out that she could count my fingers rather than just her own. Clever girl.>


    Toofy looked at me for approval.


    I nodded and gave her hair a good tousle, ¡°You earned it for being so clever.¡±


    Toofy grinned, her eyes practically sparkling at the praise before she began hurriedly shovelling the food into her mouth in case Jacque or myself changed our minds.


    After a few minutes, Clarice returned with the sled, a few dozen sacks, some lengths of rope and a bundle of staves. Since Nadine was going to remain behind and negotiate a deal for mana potions in exchange for healing wounded adventurers, the five of us set out for the town gate. Toofy insisted on riding the sled and I suspected it was to put as much distance between herself and the tall grass as possible once we entered the plains.


    Passing the gate we entered the plains and continued until we reached the approximate position of the barrier.


    Setting up a lure in a similar fashion to how Nadine had done days earlier, I continued ahead of the group and waited until the telltale signs of the displaced grass gave away the approaching Vrabbits.


    Carefully walking backwards, I tried not to flinch when the carnivorous rodents came jumping at me out of the tall grass.


    With one Vrabbit gnawing ineffectually on my calf and the other firmly lodged on my arm, I was somewhat unnerved when the Vrabbits were forcibly wrenched off of me as I passed through the invisible barrier.


    I honestly hadn¡¯t known what to expect but was quite relieved that untamed monsters couldn¡¯t just piggyback a ride through the barrier. But that raised an interesting question, ¡°why didn''t adventurers just establish lures at the edge of the barrier and kill the Vrabbits from relative safety? Why was there a need to put themselves in danger?¡±


    <Because inside of the foothold¡¯s ward, all kill-based Exp is nullified.>


    I looked back at Jacque in surprise and she smirked. That was an interesting tidbit of information.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how useful it would be, but it was still quite interesting.


    Clarice removed a few short wooden stakes from her pack and a wooden mallet, ¡°Quartermaster said we should mark the barrier to prevent accidents,¡± she explained with a shrug, carefully driving the stakes at least a foot back from the approximate edge of the barrier. ¡°I think that should do it,¡± Clarice declared, now warily eyeing the small cluster of Vrabbits congregated around the lure.


    I nodded and stepped through the barrier again. I was immediately set upon by the Vrabbits and had to act quickly to stop them from swarming over me and biting my more sensitive areas. I was glad that the kill notifications were now comparatively unobtrusive so I could just ignore them. Being informed of every fluffy murder rabbit I killed kind of felt like I was being judged by an unseen bystander.


    Just like last time, I began to find a rhythm and lost focus. Even with Clarice, Jacque and Emelia opportunistically whacking at the Vrabbits flanking me from the sides, I just couldn¡¯t help but let my mind drift. I supposed adding another layer of psychological and emotional distancing made it easier to handle what I was doing. I knew that objectively the Vrabbits were more like wolves than rabbits, but the appearance still made me hesitate all the same.


    <Have you considered getting the Monster Tamer to tame a Vrabbit or two for the raid?>


    Jacque¡¯s question caught me by surprise and it took me a moment to adjust. <Ah, no, I actually hadn¡¯t. Why? Do you think it is worth it?>


    *Thwack*


    Jacque brought the blunt end of her spear down on a Vrabbits neck, deftly retracted the stave, thrust it forward again and flung the limp Vrabbit¡¯s body back to Toofy. <Well...It¡¯s honestly better than nothing. Assuming you power level them to at least tier one evolutions.>


    That was a pretty good idea, assuming Emelia would be on board with it. Having a pair of tier one monsters to help protect the group during the raid, even if they were just Vrabbits, could be the difference between someone''s life or death. I was also far more comfortable with Emelia being responsible for animals than sapient beings, so occupying her taming slots would take a load off my mind.


    Stepping back through the barrier for a moment, I turned my attention to Emelia, ¡°Emelia? How do you feel about taking a pair of Vrabbits as your tamed monsters?¡± I asked bluntly.


    Emelia seemed surprised, glancing briefly at the gathering mob of Vrabbits just beyond the barrier before answering, ¡°Uhm, aren¡¯t Vrabbits really weak though?¡± She asked meekly.


    ¡°They are,¡± Jacque agreed, ¡°But if we upgrade them a tier, they should be able to fight the weaker Goblins pretty easily."


    Emelia looked more nervous than before, ¡°Would it really be okay? Ah, I mean, aren''t the mana stones expensive?¡±


    Clarice snorted and rolled her eyes, apparently upset by what she had said.


    Emelia shrunk back and grew timider.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I reassured her, ¡°Better to spend them on something to help keep us all alive.¡±


    Emelia gulped and nodded, nervously turning to the Vrabbits beyond the barrier and giving one of them a solid smack with her stave.


    *Thwack*


    The Vrabbit turned on Emelia and hissed angrily at her, pawing against the barrier and baring its teeth dangerously.


    Emelia stared intently at the Vrabbit for a few moments, some sweat beading on her forehead.


    [Vrabbit - HP: 4/8 - Bloodied ]


    The Vrabbit stiffened and suddenly looked around itself in a panic, instinctively backing away and accidentally leaping through the barrier as it desperately fled its now incensed kin. The tamed Vrabbit had crimson smoke-like tendrils radiating off of it and it took me a moment to realise what was happening. It had to be the effect of one of the Vrabbit''s Racial Abilities. I didn¡¯t think it would be so noticeable.


    ¡°Stay!¡± Emelia commanded, pointing down at the ground beside her.


    The Vrabbit stopped bounding away and slowly began hopping back to Emelia¡¯s side, if somewhat reluctantly.


    Emelia chose another Vrabbit seemingly at random, thwacking it on the head and bringing it to heel like the first, albeit after it took an unfortunate bite to its flank.


    [Vrabbit - HP: 2/8 - Bloodied ]


    ¡°Uhm, so what do I do now?¡± Emelia asked nervously.


    ¡°We begin feeding them,¡± I shrugged somewhat awkwardly, ¡°They will need to recover their HP to be of any use in the raid anyway.¡±


    Emelia nodded submissively, apparently willing to go along with whatever I decided was best,


    I felt a little bad about how subdued Emelia had become, but not much, given everything that had happened.


    With the intent of killing two birds with one stone, Jacque had taken out her cleaver and begun beheading Vrabbits from one of the sacks and throwing the heads to Emelia¡¯s recently tamed pair of Vrabbits.


    Unfortunately, the combination of spilt blood and the tamed Vrabbits Bloodied Condition had begun to attract Vrabbits in positively terrifying numbers. I was quickly forced to retreat behind the barrier or risk being swarmed outright.


    Jacque just gave me a noncommittal shrug, ¡°I guess you will have to just cull them from the inside like the rest of us,¡± she suggested.


    I sighed and nodded, the Vrabbits had not been generating much Exp for me in the first place, so I had assumed it wouldn''t be all that different to what I had been doing before. Except that it wasn¡¯t. With the Vrabbits now in a frenzied state, they had taken on a more horrific appearance, actively brandishing their sharp teeth and pressing against the barrier in an attempt to break through. This meant that I was now reaching my hands and fingers directly towards a mass of razor-sharp teeth. It was an entirely unpleasant experience, to say the least.


    Forced to exercise far less control than before, I resorted to crude yet effective tactics instead. Grabbing a fistful of fur, I would squeeze and yank my arm back to the barrier, usually killing however many Vrabbits were caught in my hand before pulling their lifeless bodies through the barrier. It was an entirely unnatural motion, like starting a belligerent lawnmower, so I couldn¡¯t psychologically mask what I was doing by letting my mind drift as I had done before. The murderous behaviours of the Vrabbit swarm did make me feel slightly less guilty about it though.


    Clarice and Jacque had given up on retrieving any of the Vrabbits they killed, prioritising thinning the growing swarm as much as possible instead. After all, it was the primary reason we were out here. Every Vrabbit culled now, was one less we would need to face during the raid.


    In their frenzy, the Vrabbits tore into their own dead like rabid piranhas, apparently capable of even eating the bones, they left no traces of their fallen.


    By the time the swarm was depleted, I was breathing hard and my hands were covered in blood and loose clumps of fur. Glancing back at the sled for a moment, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the mound of bulging sacks piled on top of it. The pile was easily almost twice as tall as I was and was only still standing because someone, probably Jacque, had bound it all thoroughly together with rope.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty impressive huh?¡± Jacque gloated, ¡°We ran out of sacks, so Clarice and I made buttresses from the already filled sacks and started tossing the remaining Vrabbits into the middle. Pretty clever if I do say so myself.¡±


    It took me a moment to overcome my shock, ¡°How many...¡± I couldn''t even finish the question before becoming overwhelmed again.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°Hundreds?¡± She guessed, ¡°You¡¯ve been at it for a couple of hours after all.¡±


    ¡°Easily more than a thousand,¡± Jacque corrected, shaking her head in amusement.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Clarice regarded the sled again and whistled, clearly impressed. ¡°The Guild is going to throw a fit!¡± She declared happily, ¡°With the double rates for the meat and so many mana stones!¡±


    Jacque nodded in agreement, sharing Clarice¡¯s enthusiasm.


    Strangely, Emelia was still quite subdued, standing off to the side of the group with two rather large unfamiliar monsters flanking her. Still somewhat resembling rabbits, the two monsters looked more like rodent-like dogs with long rabbit ears. They had lost their fluffy bunny tails and instead, each had a pair of whiplike tails similar to that of a mutant twin-tailed rat. The two monsters were covered in bristly dark rust-coloured fur with protruding bone spikes from their shoulder blades.


    Taking a second look at the two monsters, I didn¡¯t quite understand how they had descended from the Vrabbits at all. Although I supposed when it came down to it, most rodents were incredibly similar, especially when it came to rabbits and rats. Did the Vrabbits perhaps share an evolution with other rodent monsters? I vaguely recalled Nadine mentioning something like that when she was reading through Emelia¡¯s Monster Tamer book, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Briefly glancing at my peripheral vision, I could see that Emelia hadn¡¯t changed the names of the monsters yet.


    [Bloodhunter - HP: 16/16 - Normal ], [Bloodhunter - HP: 16/16 - Normal ]


    Bloodhunter?


    I supposed the Vrabbit origins now made a fair bit of sense.


    I wonder what Racial Abilities they have?


    ¡°Status,¡± I ignored most of the status information and focused on the Group Synergy.


    [Group Synergy: {Vicious: 1 }, {Underfoot: 1 }, {Agile Reflexes: - }, {Scent Blood: 3 }.]


    Scent Blood? ¡°Emelia? Can you share the Bloodhunter stats with me?¡± I asked, genuinely curious.


    Emelia hurriedly nodded and a few moments later I was able to look at their stats.


    [Bloodhunter - Bloodhunter Pup: 1 ] [HP: 16/16] [MP: 0/0 ]


    [Emelia¡¯s Slave*] [Class: ??? ] [Exp: 0/0 ]


    [Strength: 7 ]


    [Agility: 13 ]


    [Toughness: 8 ]


    [Intelligence: 3* ]


    [Willpower: 4 ]


    [Presence: 2 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Scent Blood {Rank 4}): Detects and highlights {Bloodied} and {Bleeding} targets within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases the range of the effect.]


    Well, I couldn¡¯t see the synergies on either of the Bloodhunter¡¯s statuses, but I had their Racial Ability as a synergy, so I guessed that it confirmed that certain information is restricted when shared. On the whole, they more or less had the same stats, one had a point higher strength and the other had a point higher agility, but that was it. So I could probably safely assume that going forward, most monsters would probably follow similar patterns in progression to others of their kind. The Bloodhunter¡¯s didn¡¯t seem all that special either, but I supposed that considering they used to be just somewhat large rabbits and were now around twice as large, it was still a rather significant improvement overall.


    Just as Kirk had predicted, it seemed like our presence on the plain emboldened other adventurers to do the same. I could even see Tobi and his Shadowcat Shady helping out as part of one of the other groups.


    ¡°We should probably head back now right?¡± I asked, Glancing at the remaining time before the raid would begin.


    [ 0d : 3h : 13m ]


    By the time we brought the sled of Vrabbits to the Guild office, there would be only around three hours left. I had no idea if the Guild staff would even bother trying to count them or not, let alone when we would be paid. So I wanted at least a couple of hours to work on a few things for Toofy before everything got out of hand.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a good idea,¡± Jacque agreed.


    Clarice nodded and regarded the overburdened sled somewhat guiltily, ¡°Are you sure you can pull all that?¡± She asked.


    I shrugged, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. But we will probably get back faster if the three of you push while I pull,¡± I suggested.


    With everyone in general agreement, I was about to begin pulling the sled, when I noticed that Toofy was missing and that I hadn¡¯t seen her for a while. ¡°Toofy?¡± I called out worriedly, quickly looking around the sled, ¡°Toofy! Where are you?!" I was beginning to feel more than a little panicked as I searched the surrounding area and couldn''t find her. The only thing stopping me from losing it entirely is that I could still see Toofy¡¯s HP was at full.


    ¡°Heeheehee,¡± I very nearly missed the muted giggling coming from above me.


    I looked up just in time to see Toofy¡¯s head disappear from view at the top of the Vrabbit filled sacks. Thoroughly relieved, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to be angry with her. With the raid drawing closer, I had been worried that Toofy had wandered off beyond the barrier and towards the forest. All the same, I decided I should probably discourage Toofy from playing such tricks for the time being.


    ¡°Boohoohoo,¡± I made a show of being upset and searching through the tall grass around the sled.


    Toofy¡¯s giggling stopped and I could see her hurriedly climbing down from the sled, ¡°No sad Tim! No sad!¡± Toofy cried out as she jumped down the remaining distance and raced over to comfort me, ¡°See? Toofy no hide! Se-eee!¡± Toofy squealed as I stopped pretending and snatched her up in a hug.


    ¡°Found you!¡± I laughed and began mercilessly tickling Toofy¡¯s sides.


    Toofy¡¯s squeals of surprise turned desperate as she began laughing and trying to escape.


    I didn¡¯t let her go so easily, ruthlessly tickling her for another couple of minutes before draping her over my shoulder and moving into position to begin pulling the sled.


    Toofy seemed to be incredibly ticklish and was panting heavily as her small body trembled on my shoulder.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t a child, you know that right?¡± Jacque asked somewhat derisively as she took her place behind the sled.


    I shrugged. To me, Toofy was Toofy. The main reason I indulged her child-like behaviour was for a degree of much-needed normalcy. Particularly given that I rarely needed to eat or drink, having fun with Toofy anchored my mind in the present without miring me down in the darker tasks that necessitated my survival. I liked to think that I provided the same service for Toofy in return, but I had no real way of confirming it one way or the other.


    Dragging along the sled behind me, I was thinking about monster evolutions and why Nadine, Emelia and Clarice had not tamed a Vrabbit and levelled it up sooner. Granted, the Bloodhunters did not look particularly impressive and they lost the swarming ability the Vrabbits were meant to have, but they were still much better than nothing. The impression I had of the three young women desiring more money and easy Exp was at odds with their early behaviour.


    I vaguely remembered Nadine calling it not worth the effort, or something along those lines. But was it really?


    I hadn¡¯t seen how many mana stones Jacque had fed each of the Bloodhunters, but they had just been Vrabbits. It would only have taken them a couple of days at most to evolve a Vrabbit into a Bloodhunter. And once they had one, it would have been easier to get the second. Then again, if they had done that, then neither myself nor Toofy would have been tamed, so...hrm.


    <It¡¯s because of the limited evolution potential.>


    I wasn¡¯t prepared for Jacque¡¯s sudden input and it took me a moment to gather my thoughts again, <Evolution potential?>


    <Common evolutions have limited evolution potential and can increase at most five steps before being unable to progress further. It¡¯s very likely that a Bloodhunter would be killed in a bad encounter with Vrabbits before returning the three hundred Vrabbit mana stones required to evolve it in the first place.>


    Bringing the sled to a halt in front of the Guild office, it was hardly surprising that we were getting a great deal of attention. Adventurers and Guild staff members alike were gathering around the sled and staring in disbelief at our accumulated bounties.


    Toofy was preening pridefully from her vantage sitting on my shoulder as if it was all her doing.


    Emelia¡¯s new pets were getting some attention as well, albeit for a different reason. To call Bloodhunters grotesque was somewhat of an understatement, not that Emelia seemed to mind.


    ¡°Are you alright to watch the sled?" I asked Jacque and Clarice.


    They both nodded.


    ¡°This will take them at least a half-hour to sort through,¡± Jacque explained, ¡°So you can go do your own thing if you want.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clarice agreed, ¡°We got this.¡±


    Emelia and her pets showed no signs of leaving either, so it was very unlikely that anyone would do anything stupid.


    Taking Toofy back to the inn, I glanced at the raid countdown timer and tried my best to stay calm.


    [ 0d : 2h : 56m ]


    There was now less than three hours to go...


    *****


    Nadine Worked alongside Rose to take stock of the medical supplies provided by the Guild. The sheer volume of the supplies unnerved Nadine as she was forced to readjust her expectations of how dangerous the raid was going to be. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Injured adventurers were moved to the highest floors, both as a safety precaution to move them farther from harm, and to make the rooms closer to the ground floor available for any wounded from the raid itself.


    Following Tim¡¯s advice, Nadine made sure to leave a bucket of clean water and some food in every boarding room of the inn. That way, the wounded would be able to somewhat take care of themselves after being treated, freeing up Nadine and anyone else to handle critical cases in need of their attention.


    Some of Tim¡¯s advice had the definite impression of high standards of care, but it was also rather obvious that Tim was also compromising far more than he was comfortable with. It was something Nadine found profoundly strange given the already intensely high standards he was both exciting and demanding her to attempt and maintain. If Tim hadn¡¯t been the one to facilitate unlocking both her Basic and Advanced Surgeon Classes, Nadine might have been tempted to disregard his advice.


    However, even after all Tim had taught her, Nadine was keenly aware that he had far more he could teach her if given the time to do so. Just that fact alone seemed insane. All the more so since Tim¡¯s only excuse for not performing a number of the treatment methods was because of his own self-professed clumsiness.


    Acquiring Tim as a front-line fighter for their party had seemed like impossibly good fortune, especially considering his temperament. But with each passing day, Nadine had come to realise that it was his mind that was the true treasure. The fact that Tim did not hoard his knowledge or demand unreasonable favours or compensation was downright bizarre.


    If it weren¡¯t for Tim¡¯s profound sense of loneliness and the haunting sadness in his eyes, Nadine would have been tempted to expect he had ulterior motives. However, Nadine was fairly certain that Tim still didn¡¯t fully trust them. Given what had happened and how they had first met, Nadine wouldn¡¯t be all that surprised if it was true.


    She felt ashamed for having thought of him only as a tool. All the more so considering how deliberately helpful he endeavoured to be and how that helpfulness was repeatedly punished by those around them. Regardless of the outcome of the raid, Nadine knew that she would need to get Tim as far away from the foothold as possible. Tim wouldn¡¯t survive in captivity, and after all he had done for them, Nadine knew she owed him enough to risk being blacklisted by the Guild at the very least.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 07 – Underprepared and under-siege – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 07 ¨C Underprepared and under-siege ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 07 - Underprepared and under-siege - Part Two {Rewrite}


    I had a little less than three hours before the raid would begin. I hurried up the stairs to Nadine and Clarice¡¯s room, shrugged off my pack and then pulled out the sewing kit. Hoping that Nadine would understand, I appropriated her bedroll and began visualising the outline of the necessary cuts I would soon make on the quilted fabric.


    Encouraging Toofy to practice her counting song, I set to my task and did my best to keep an eye on the remaining time. Working quickly, I sewed together a padded tunic and cap for Toofy to better protect her from the weapons of the other Goblins. I also made padded caps for Nadine and Emelia since they didn''t appear to have helmets of their own and some protection would be better than nothing.


    Assumedly, the town and the adventurers were considered too poor to warrant an armour shop. I supposed it sort of made sense, depending on the type of armour, but I had always been led to believe that cloth armours were actually rather cheap. The fact that the majority of the adventurers in town were using variations of the padded cloth armour combined with boiled leather reinforced that assumption as well.


    With just under an hour remaining, I tried to think of something I could do to improve our chances of survival but came up blank.


    Heading downstairs, I was surprised to find that Kirk and Rose were both wearing padded cloth and leather armour. They also had weapons strapped to their sides and a number of crossbows laid out on the bar alongside a truly staggering pile of ammunition.


    Nadine was downstairs as well, helping Kirk stack the majority of the furniture against the walls to block the windows. I decided to help and insisted that they should leave at least one table free for emergency medical treatment purposes. It was far easier to work on someone while standing than kneeling. Similarly, I filled three of the large tubs and four of the buckets with water and brought them into the common room, just in case.


    Nadine gave me a curious look when I presented her with the padded cap I had made for her, but she accepted it gratefully all the same. All the more so when I pointed out that it would help keep stray hair and sweat from her eyes while fighting the Goblins or administering treatment to the wounded.


    There was apparently some good news on that particular front. Nadine had negotiated and finalised a deal that secured the alchemist¡¯s entire stock of mana potions on a provisional basis for the duration of the raid. She would also be compensated for serving in the role of triage for the duration of the raid, rather than by the number of spells cast and wounds tended.


    Jacque, Clarice and Emelia were waiting for me outside, which gave me a chance to give Emelia the padded cap.


    ¡°Where did you find a gambeson in Toofy¡¯s size?¡± Clarice asked curiously, taking a closer look at Toofy¡¯s padded armour.


    ¡°I made it,¡± I confessed, keenly aware that it was a pretty rough-looking product.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Clarice looked even more impressed, ¡°Where did you find the materials?¡±


    I shifted somewhat uncomfortably and scratched the bridge of my nose, ¡°Ah, I may have ruined Nadine''s bedroll,¡± I confessed.


    Clarice didn¡¯t seem to immediately understand, but then she took a closer look at Toofy and began to laugh, ¡°Oh this is too good!¡± Clarice crowed. She quickly rushed inside the inn and returned a few moments later with Nadine in tow, ¡°You have to see this!¡± Clarice kept insisting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what is so...IS THAT MY BED ROLL?!¡± Nadine demanded.


    Toofy grinned and gave a demonstrative twirl to show off her new armour, completely misreading Nadine¡¯s mood.


    ¡°It sure is!¡± Clarice confirmed before snorting with laughter.


    Jacque was similarly entertained, chuckling quietly as she watched the drama unfold.


    Even Emelia was shyly smiling from a short distance away. Although she was at least polite enough to hide it behind her hands.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologised, ¡°But we didn¡¯t have any coins for materials or time to make it from scratch. I thought that maybe you wouldn¡¯t mind so much given the circumstances.¡±


    Nadine turned her attention to me, clearly wanting to say a few choice words but restrained herself through an act of will.


    ¡°It¡¯s just, well, everyone else already has armour to help protect them, except for Toofy. I already saw what those wild Goblins were capable of and I didn¡¯t want to leave her unprotected. I am sorry for ruining your bedroll, but I just didn¡¯t see any other way,¡± I explained helplessly.


    Nadine gnawed at her lip for a moment, glancing briefly at Toofy and then releasing a deep sigh, ¡°No, you are right. I overreacted,¡± she conceded, ¡°Besides, I can just buy another one after this is all over. Sorry, Tim.¡±


    I just nodded awkwardly, I didn¡¯t think Nadine had anything to apologise for. I was the one who had destroyed her property without permission. In hindsight, I really should have asked first.


    Unsure of what I should do at this point, I just waited around with the others outside the inn and watched the timer countdown.


    [All defensive wards and transportation portals will now be deactivated for the next 24 hours.]


    *****


    Gobgob and his trusted elite warriors watched as their lesser kin approached the great plains and began depositing prepared supplies just inside the edge of the tall grass. Gobgob had given considerable thought over the years to how he planned on wiping out the human nest and had settled upon a rather simple yet effective plan. Fire, Gobgob would weaken the humans with fire before assaulting their nest in force. The smoke and crazed biters would do much to weaken the humans in preparation for his eager warriors.


    Lowering his spear to signal the beginning of their attack, Gobgob smiled eagerly as the gathered piles of wood and dried leaves were set alight and began spreading into the plains. Even if the fires themselves did not spread to the walls or buildings inside of the human nest, the smoke would make it much harder for the humans to watch his minions'' movements.


    Once the plains were well and truly ablaze, Gobgob signalled for his minions to begin their advance in the wake of the fire. Driven by the breath of the dark god itself, the flames rapidly approached the human nest while leaving Gobgob¡¯s minions largely unharmed.


    ¡°CHICHICHI!¡± Gobgob screeched commandingly.


    Gobgob¡¯s loyal warriors shifted nervously and made room before their chieftain.


    There was a screeching howl from the forest and a few moments later a larger and drastically stronger biter scurried out of the forest and obediently laid itself down by Gobgob¡¯s side.


    Unlike the wild soft biters of the plains, Gobgob had raised this biter to be stronger and faster than its kin. It was largely the reason for his ascendancy as chieftain all those moons ago. The large biter had made it easy to eliminate his rivals and seize the staff of leadership from the old chieftain.


    Climbing onto the biter¡¯s back, Gobgob dug in his heels and took a firm grip of the biter''s fur with his left hand to avoid falling off its back.


    After a couple of moments, the large biter stood itself back up and snarled intimidatingly at Gobgob¡¯s warriors. Although it was even less intelligent than they were, the large biter understood that its position in the hierarchy outstripped their own and would tolerate no rivals.


    Gobgob observed this exchange dispassionately. If any of his warriors were foolish enough to stand up to the large biter, then they were either too stupid, ambitious or strong to be of use to Gobgob anyway. Gobgob tolerated no rivals either.


    From his higher vantage, Gobgob could better watch the progress of the weakest Goblins in the wake of the fire. It would not be long until their path of attack was secured and the attack could begin.


    Gobgob grinned in excitement, the wrinkles of his face parting to reveal cracked and broken teeth as he cackled in anticipation of the bloodshed soon to come.


    *****


    The town was blanketed by smoke and was making it difficult for some of the adventurers to breathe. Thankfully, Kirk and Rose had been somewhat prepared for this eventuality and quickly began distributing wet folded squares of cloth for everyone to wear over their mouth and nose. I wasn¡¯t certain how much it would reduce the effects, but for most adventurers, it seemed to be enough.


    Curiously, I hadn¡¯t felt the effects of smoke inhalation myself, but I still tied on an outlaw-esque bandana around my mouth and nose, just to be sure. Toofy took my instruction to only breathe through her nose in stride and seemed to be fine with just wearing the wet mask as well.


    The gates to the town were now firmly shut and a large thick plank of wood barred it from opening again. From what little I knew of Goblins, I assumed they wouldn¡¯t be able to break through the gate without the help of the Orcs since they were just too small and weak. However, I also knew that Toofy¡¯s strength was not, well, Strength, but her Agility and proclivity to climb just about anything and everything in sight when given the opportunity.


    So it was with great reluctance that I began rather foolishly scaling the outer walls of the inn towards the roof. The inn was easily the largest building in town and I would be afforded a decent view of the plains from up there, that is, I would have been under more optimal circumstances anyway. Kirk had assured me that the roof would support my weight, but I was still incredibly nervous. Toofy had insisted on coming with me, so I had to be fast to make sure that she didn¡¯t breathe in too much smoke.


    Clambering up onto the roof, I cautiously made my way to the highest point and braced against the brick chimney for support. As I had expected, the plains were awash with fire and smoke. However, upwind of the smoke, I could occasionally make out small shapes scurrying across the open ground towards the town.


    ¡°There! There!¡± Toofy screeched excitedly, pointing into the smoke near the closest section of the wall.


    Quickly concentrating where Toofy indicated, it took me a moment to realise what I was looking at. The Goblins were all descending into a large hole in the ground a short distance from the wall!


    Unsure of exactly what I should do, I decided that passing along the information was probably a good start. ¡®THE GOBLINS ARE TUNNELLING UNDER THE WALL!!!¡± I shouted as loudly as I could while pointing in the direction of the Goblins hole. Unfortunately, my sudden outcry did not have the effect I had hoped for.


    Most adventurers had been unaware that I was on the roof of the inn to begin with and couldn¡¯t see through the haze of smoke. Other adventurers became panicked and began running around like headless chickens, spreading panic and disrupting the few who were moving to investigate my warning.


    Toofy hurriedly climbed onto my back and I began making my way back down to the ground as quickly as I could manage. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t seem to be quite fast enough. Before I was even halfway down, I could hear cries of pain and frightened shouts for reinforcements. Opting to just fall to save climbing down the final floor, I managed to keep my feet under me and hastily strapped my shield to my arm.


    Rushing in the direction of the wall, I could see that Jacque and Clarice were already engaged in a pitched battle against more than a dozen Goblins. The other adventurers who had come ahead of them were already desperately staggering away in retreat, bleeding from multiple wounds and barely standing upright.


    My sudden appearance had an immediate effect on the Goblins and overwhelmed adventurers alike. The Goblins instinctively shied away from me for a handful of seconds, allowing the adventurers a much-needed opportunity to withdraw. Similarly, the adventurers, while frightened by my sudden appearance, were thankful for the reprieve.


    Toofy slid off my back and began swinging her sling.


    Jacque, who had almost definitely known I was coming, didn¡¯t even glance back in my direction once as she proceeded to rapidly bludgeon four of the startled Goblins to death in rapid succession with the stave of her wooden spear.


    Clarice, although a little surprised by my sudden arrival, followed Jacque¡¯s lead and beheaded one Goblin and amputated the right arm of another at the shoulder.


    Somewhat distracted by the ruthless displays of violence, by the time I reacted the Goblins had rallied and pressed the attack again.


    Fairly confident that the Goblins could not hurt me with most of their weapons, I knew that finding their point of entry into the town was a higher priority than avoiding minor damage. So with that thought firmly in mind, I grit my teeth and pushed through the ranks of the Goblins and towards the wall.


    Not that I had any experiences from my life on earth to make a direct comparison to, but shoving my way into and through the unruly ranks of the Goblins was what I imagined it would be like to work at a particularly unruly daycare facility. That is, if the children were all carrying weapons and trying to kill you.


    As I had hoped. Thus far, none of the Goblins seemed strong enough to deal any actual damage to me, accomplishing little more than tattering my already ragged pants. This meant that it was the sling throwers like Toofy that I had to watch out for, after all, they had been the only Goblins to actually hurt me since I arrived in this world.


    This was my actual reason for wanting to locate the hole. If I could stop the sling throwers from getting into the town, the chances of my survival would increase dramatically and I had to assume that everyone else''s would as well.


    Glancing over my shoulder to make sure that Toofy, Clarice and Jacque were alright, I was relieved to see that another four adventurers, as well as Tobi and his pet Shady had joined the fray and were managing to hold the Goblins back and avoid being overrun.


    Turning back to the wall, I saw another wave of Goblins suddenly appearing from beneath a large patch of bushes. I hadn¡¯t noticed the bushes earlier from the rooftop due to the smoke, but looking at them now, it was pretty obvious that they didn¡¯t belong here. So far as I knew, there was no vegetation larger than the grass permitted within the town limits, for what I assumed was for precisely like this one.


    Battering my way through the fresh wave of Goblins, doing my damnedest to ignore their shrieks and cursing, I swept aside the bushes and revealed an admittedly small hole. Only a little larger than the Goblins themselves, the hole would only allow one Goblin at a time to climb up into the town. In fact, I was currently staring back at one such Goblin who was halfway through climbing up the hole at this very moment.


    I needed to plug the hole somehow to stop the Goblins from climbing out. Glancing briefly at my shield, I quickly dismissed the idea and moved closer to get a better look.


    ¡°EEEK!¡± The Goblin in the hole shrieked in terror as the walls of the hole began to collapse.


    That had been completely unintentional, but it solved my problem. I was so heavy that the poorly dug hole began collapsing when I got too close to it.


    The Goblins still fighting the adventurers behind me began to panic and scatter, perhaps realising that they were doomed without fresh waves of reinforcements.


    Seeing that things were still very much in hand, I aggressively stamped my foot over the collapsed hole and the nearby ground to make sure that the hole would stay closed for at least a short while.


    Unlike the other adventurers, Clarice and Jacque did not pursue the fleeing Goblins, instead escorting Toofy as she dashed over to my side.


    ¡°Tim see?! Tim see?!¡± Toofy demanded excitedly, pointing back to the fallen Goblins of the failed incursion, ¡°Toofy kill five sausages!!!¡± She cried ecstatically while holding up her left hand and wiggling her fingers and thumb.


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether I should be proud, horrified or amused by Toofy¡¯s demonstrated potential. On the one hand, this was a matter of life and death, and Toofy was just defending herself. But on the other, she really seemed to enjoy it just as much as the Goblins and adventurers had. I was glad that her communication skills from learning to count were working, but this isn¡¯t exactly what I had in mind when I started teaching her. And yet, despite the carnage, Toofy referring to the fallen Goblins as sausages was pretty damned cute and I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little in spite of myself.


    Jacque was less amused, ¡°I think this was meant as a distraction,¡± she said coldly, scanning the nearby area, ¡°Did you see anything else while you were on the roof?¡±


    I thought back on what I had seen and looked back at the small number of Goblins that lay dead nearby. ¡°I saw maybe hundreds of Goblins headed towards a large hole outside. But for only this many to have come out already...It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Jacque frowned, ¡°You''re right. They almost definitely have more holes or are in the process of digging them. We should fall back to the inn and gather some of the other adventurers to help look for them.¡±


    Clarice nodded, ¡°If the Goblins are going to use a tunnel to invade the foothold, we need to make sure everyone stays in sufficiently large groups so they can at least weather a surprise attack long enough to receive help. If we let the Goblins pick us off one by one, it''s over.¡±


    More than willing to defer to their expertise, I followed Clarice and Jacque back to the inn and the other adventurers involved in the skirmish did the same.


    Many of the adventurers were now standing around or worriedly pacing in the main street of the town. I didn¡¯t quite understand why more of them hadn¡¯t come to help when the Goblins were discovered inside the wall. As we passed one of these other groups, the explanation became obvious, they were afraid.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a surprise really. Most of the adventurers were young adults like me and some of them were even younger.


    Who in their right mind would willingly rush off towards danger to help strangers?


    Clarice didn¡¯t seem nearly so understanding, glaring contemptuously at those who had simply watched from afar without providing any meaningful assistance.


    Even though the four of us had all managed to avoid injury thus far, I could still empathise with Clarice¡¯s position, I wasn''t overly thrilled with the other adventurer¡¯s behaviour either. I was pretty scared too, but I was still doing my part.


    Seeing the Guild manager Gilbert exiting the inn, I immediately stopped and kept my distance from him. Conversely, the nearby adventurers all began surging towards the man with demands for an explanation.


    Clarice decided to stay by me and Toofy, but Jacque began determinedly shoving her way through the gathering crowd and was by no means gentle about it.


    I could see that once Jacque reached the front of the crowd, she leaned in close to Gilbert and began explaining the situation to him.


    Gilbert¡¯s mask of control slipped for a moment and I could see how afraid he was of the news Jacque had given him. But to my surprise, he regained his composure and began exuding an aura of authority and determination.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Gilbert cried stiffly, his voice only muffled slightly by the wet cloth tied over his face.


    The effect on the surrounding adventurers was immediate, causing them to become quiet and still.


    ¡°All adventuring parties with three or more members are to partner with another party and form a group of no less than eight people! You will then take a position in front of one of the foothold¡¯s storefronts and await further instructions! Those who do not have a party or lack sufficient members are to gather in front of the Guild office!¡± Gilbert¡¯s loud commanding voice carried up and down the street with ease, noticeably reducing the nerves of most of the frightened adventurers.


    All too keen to increase their numbers and secure a greater sense of safety, the various adventuring parties quickly teamed up with one another. Unsurprisingly, the higher levelled and better-equipped adventurers joined forces with one another in preference to their weaker colleagues. Similarly, it was these same adventuring parties that quickly claimed the positions closest to the inn. Whether it was to better receive Nadine¡¯s healing or to take shelter in the sturdy building was unclear.


    Jacque ignored the frantic requests of other adventurers to join their party or to team up, instead pushing back to us through the crowd. <Can you see Tobi? We need his cat!>


    Since I was taller than anyone else around us, it only took a few moments for me to find Tobi and Shady amidst the crowd. <There.> I pointed over in Tobi¡¯s direction, unsure if Jacque could see what I saw.


    Jacque nodded and began pushing her way through the now-thinning crowd. After a brief exchange with Tobi and what I assumed was his party, Jacque pointed back over to me and extended her arm to Tobi. A few seconds later, Tobi¡¯s group information was added to my peripheral vision alongside the others, signalling that he had joined the party.


    Tobi and his previous party quickly began making their way over to Clarice, Toofy and myself while Jacque began carefully regarding her surroundings.


    ¡°Thanks for letting us be a part of your group,¡± Tobi smiled nervously.


    The four other young men and women nodded determinedly in agreement, even though they were obviously intimidated by me. Judging by their equipment, they were not nearly so well off as Tobi, so their gratitude was very likely sincere. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I nodded, ¡°Did Jacque tell you why?¡± I asked curiously.


    Tobi shook his head, ¡°She just said something about needing Shady¡¯s Synergy, I think.¡±


    That was interesting.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Tobi exclaimed, ¡°Are you serious?!¡± He looked up at me incredulously, ¡°How does your party have so many Synergies?!¡±


    Shady seemed quite pleased with the situation, tensing his muscles and flexing his claws inquisitively.


    Before I could reply, Tobi slapped himself on the forehead, ¡°Oh of course! Duh! Monsters!¡±


    The members of Tobi¡¯s previous party gave him inquisitive looks, ¡°What do you mean?¡± One of them asked, ¡°How many synergies does Shady have?¡±


    ¡°Like, seven!¡± Tobi crowed excitedly, ¡°And pretty much all of them are combat-oriented too!¡±


    The other adventurers looked surprised, ¡°Woah! And one of those is that overpowered recovery ability isn''t it!¡± One of the young women asked excitedly.


    Tobi nodded, ¡°But I can see now that that ability isn¡¯t even the best one! With these abilities, I bet Shady could take down even high-rank Orcs with no problems!¡±


    Throughout this exchange, Toofy had somewhat shyly taken to hiding behind me and peeking at the strangers from around my apron. An interesting development, considering that she could probably take them all on in a fight and still come out on top.


    Glancing back at Clarice, I could see that she was scowling somewhat while staring at nothing in particular. She was probably a little sore about not being able to use the Shadowcat¡¯s Shadow Step ability since she had no mana. But that raised an interesting question.


    Could we use the Shadow Step Ability or other Racial Abilities if we had a nearby source of mana to draw on instead? Like maybe using a manastone from a dead monster like a battery?


    Theoretically, it seemed like it should work. It was basically just the same thing the ability was doing anyway so far as I could tell. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have any mana stones to test that theory with just at the moment, so I left it as something to try later.


    A sudden outcry from down the road drew me from my musings. Watching the group of adventurers beginning to panic, I could only assume that another pack of Goblins had made it inside the walls.


    ¡°We going?¡± Clarice asked, but was clearly prepared to accept my decision either way.


    I nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I agreed and motioned for Toofy to climb onto my shoulder


    With Toofy ready, I began hurrying over towards the slowly retreating adventurers.


    We barely reached them before the small horde of Goblins did. With Tobi and his friends left to support the floundering adventurers responsible for this area, Clarice, Toofy and myself crashed into the Goblins before they had the chance to gain any momentum.


    Toofy had leapt off my shoulder and onto the roof of the nearby building, her vantage point giving her a prime position to attack with her sling without allowing her landbound cousins the opportunity to readily retaliate.


    Clarice was content to follow in my wake, sweeping her sword in deadly arcs that cut down any Goblin foolish enough not to immediately back away in retreat.


    For my part, I clumsily swung my morningstar back and forth on my right side while buffeting with my shield on my left side. I honestly felt quite silly and if it weren''t for the deadly circumstances, I wouldn''t have been surprised if someone laughed at me.


    ¡°Hole! There!¡± Toofy pointed emphatically at a large incredibly conspicuous bush near the wall, releasing a stone from her sling that crushed the skull of a Goblin that had begun crawling out from beneath it.


    Pushing forwards, I swept aside the bushes with my shield and began stomping my heel near the edges of the hole. Just like the first, there was a Goblin already part-way up the hole staring up at me in terror as the hole began to collapse. Glancing over my shoulder as I busily worked at filling the hole, I could see that Clarice, Toofy and the other adventurers now had the situation well in hand. Our initial assault dividing the attention of the Goblins had proven fatal and it didn¡¯t look like any of the Goblins would escape the melee alive.


    Just as I was about to shift my attention back to the hole, I was very nearly blinded as a sudden explosion of light on the nearby rooftop caught me unawares. The flash of golden light burned into my retinas and was accompanied by Clarice shouting excitedly, ¡°HELL YEAH! LEVEL UP!¡±


    Having now quite thoroughly sealed the hole while blindly trying to keep my balance, I had to wonder if anyone else had as much of a problem with that particular part of the class-level mechanics as I did.


    Quickly rejoining the group, I let Toofy jump down off the roof and onto my shoulder again. From what I could see going on around the town, it was obvious that the Goblins had more than a few holes they were using to break in. Most, if not all the groups of adventurers were actively engaged in fending off the small hordes of Goblins streaming in from the direction of the town''s walls.


    ¡°Oh, shit...¡± Clarice swore.


    ¡°Poop!¡± Toofy agreed sourly.


    In addition to the Goblins using clubs, there were now more than a few of them using slings from behind the battle lines.


    It was obvious that the less experienced adventurers were no match for the onslaught and would soon be overrun if something wasn¡¯t done to change the situation soon.


    ¡°We need to help them regroup at the inn,¡± I decided. I might not be a master of strategy, but even I could figure out that losing so many of the defenders so early would not be good. Motioning for Tobi and the other adventurers to follow, I rushed towards the closest group of besieged adventurers.


    *Crunch*


    My morningstar struck an unfortunate Goblin¡¯s head with enough force to rupture it like a rotten melon, spraying the other Goblins with blood, brain matter and broken bones.


    As if taking it as their cue to flee, the small Goblin horde turned and ran, crashing into their approaching reinforcements.


    ¡°Fall back to the inn!¡± Clarice roared and she followed up my charge with a brutal cleaving blow that cut down a pair of Goblins.


    Toofy was trailing behind Clarice and opportunistically slinging stones into the Goblins who attempted to hold their ground. She had no shortage of ammunition since she had begun scavenging stones from the other Goblins.


    Tobi and his friends joined the charge behind us to keep the pressure on the Goblins while I pushed through their ranks to cause as much chaos as possible.


    Once the adventurers had all disengaged and made progress back towards the inn, I motioned my morningstar to the next beleaguered group of adventurers and gave Clarice and Toofy a short head start.


    Some enterprising souls had the tactical sense to begin forming exterior barricades out in the road to better obstruct the Goblins'' projectiles and serve as a bulwark against the Goblin¡¯s foot soldiers. Made from tables, barrels, crates, benches and just about anything else that wasn''t bolted down, it looked quite a sight but was hardly impressive.


    Thankfully, at least one of the better-equipped adventuring groups had similar thoughts to myself and was actively assisting other groups on the other end of the street to disengage and retreat to the inn.


    *Thwack*


    A rock struck and bounced off my right arm, shaving off a single HP. It was the fifth time I had been hit so far, so I was still fine. But the pain still made me flinch all the same.


    Pushing the pain from my mind, I began charging toward the last group of adventurers. Two members of their group were already down and quite possibly dead despite their best efforts to protect them.


    *Thud, Thud, Thud*


    Three Goblins are caught by my shield as I plough straight into the heart of their group, they fall to the ground with dazed expressions and begin emitting red tendrils of smoke. I ignore them and focus my attention on healthier Goblins, leaving the wounded for Clarice or Toofy to deal with if necessary.


    *Thud*


    Another rock hit me in the back, coming somewhere from down the street. I didn¡¯t have time to go looking for my attacker, so I battered away at the Goblins all around me instead. I wasn¡¯t dealing much damage, but the Goblins were terrified of me. In fact, they were so scared of me that they kept backing away or dodging into the reach of Clarice and were cut down so quickly they didn¡¯t have time to regret it.


    This final group of adventurers didn¡¯t need to be told what to do and disengaged as quickly as they could manage, carrying their incapacitated companions and rushing back to the barricades further along the street.


    Curiously, the Goblins made few if any attempts to break into any of the buildings of the town, making attacking every human they could see their top priority.


    Was this why all the shop owners and Guild staff had taken refuge in the inn?


    If it was true, then I really had to admire their courage and pragmatism. Particularly in the case of the weapon shop owner. But I supposed to the Goblins, these buildings must all seem very similar.


    *Thump*


    Another stone struck me in the small of my back.


    Damnit!


    *Crack*


    Turning suddenly in the direction the stone came from, I accidentally caught a Goblin in the side of the head with my morningstar. The Goblin¡¯s body grew limp and spasmed weakly before sliding off the spikes and collapsing on the ground.


    I could see the Goblin that had attacked me, he had climbed onto a rooftop and was preparing to sling another stone at me. Just as he was about to release the sling, a stone struck the Goblin in the chest and he tumbled backwards off the roof.


    ¡°No hurt Tim!¡± Toofy shrieked angrily, already spinning her sling again and locking onto her next target.


    That Goblin was not the only one smart enough to take the higher ground, there were already dozens of Goblins jumping up and down on the rooftops of the town. Fortunately, very few of them had slings and ammunition. Unfortunately, in the haze created by the smoke, those few adventurers with ranged weapons of their own were hard-pressed to retaliate against the sling throwers, unable to differentiate them from the rest of the Goblins due to the poor visibility.


    [Jacque has slain {Goblin: 1 } +50 Exp]


    If it weren¡¯t for the occasional kill notification with Jacque¡¯s name on it, I would have truly doubted whether she was helping at all. I hadn¡¯t seen her since we collapsed that first tunnel.


    ¡°Ow! Cheeky fucker!¡± Clarice swore, cracking open the head of a Goblin that caught her in the back with its club. Clarice cussed a lot when fighting, but she actually gave off the impression that she enjoyed fighting quite a great deal. Then again, Jacque had insinuated that Clarice enjoyed pain.


    Damnit! Why was I thinking about stupid things like that during a battle for our lives?! Stupid, incredibly stupid.


    I made an extra effort to push back the Goblins to give Clarice and Toofy time to disengage, ¡°Head to the barricade!¡± I called out, more for Clarice¡¯s benefit than Toofy¡¯s. Fighting my way clear, I snatched up Toofy and began hurrying towards the barricades.


    *****


    Nadine hastily washed her hands in one of the large tubs of water Tim had thoughtfully left out earlier. Even though the folded sleeves of her tunic were stained with blood, Nadine was thankful that Rose had generously donated a thick cooking apron that kept the rest of her clothes relatively clean.


    Carefully unstopping a mana potion, Nadine chugged the entire contents down and braced against the wall as she waited for the dizzying side effect to subside. It only took a few seconds, so Nadine was ready to get back to work quite quickly. ¡°Next!¡± She called out, moving over to her operating table.


    Emelia, who was serving as her assistant, had already wiped down the table twice to prepare it for the next patient. Once with water, and once with alcohol, as Tim had insisted Nadine should do it when situations allowed.


    Similarly, Nadine¡¯s sewing needles were cleaned in alcohol between uses as well.


    According to Tim, it improved the sanitation of the materials, which reduced the chance of spreading diseases and infections. This directly translated into a higher level of treatment, which provided a greater healing effect from her Field Dressing ability. This was important, because the greater the amount of healing, the more likely it was that Nadine would earn greater amounts of EXP and get an adventurer back into the fight.


    A pair of battered-looking adventurers carried their unconscious companion over to the table and laid him down on top of it.


    Waving the two adventurers away, Nadine leaned in closer to take a better look. Unfortunately, it looked like another case of blunt force trauma. It was the tenth adventurer that had been knocked unconscious by a blow to the head. There was not much Nadine could do to treat injuries like this, which was unfortunate.


    ¡°Bandages, pain salve and a cold compress,¡± Nadine ordered, confident that Emelia would quickly organise the requested materials. Using one of the clean rags to clear the blood away from the swollen area of split skin, she then discarded the rag into the rag bucket.


    After applying a liberal amount of the pain salve over the split area of skin, Nadine began binding two layers of bandage around his head. She then applied the cold compress and bound it in place with two wider layers of bandage before cutting the bandage and tying it off.


    Concentrating on the wound, Nadine gently pressed her fingers against the bandages and activated her Field Dressing Ability. Nadine immediately felt the tingle of mana passing through her fingers and into the unconscious adventurer. Almost immediately, the bandages and cold compress began to glow with golden light. A couple of moments later the golden light began to disappear as the bandages and compress rapidly disintegrated.


    [Nadine has healed a {Heavy Wound} +100 Exp]


    ¡°Oh!¡± Nadine was pleasantly surprised since the previous nine cases of head injuries had only managed to heal moderate wound levels for fifty EXP each. She wondered if perhaps it was because this particular adventurer had taken a much more substantial blow to the head than the others. However, Nadine did not have time to waste on thinking about such things at the moment and motioned for the two adventurers to take their companion upstairs.


    If prior experience was any judge, that adventurer would not be waking up any time soon and Nadine had other patients waiting.


    *****


    I ducked into the inn briefly to make sure everything was alright and was glad to see that Nadine and Emelia were running a rather tight ship in Rose and Kirk¡¯s absence. However, I did have a few words of advice for them all the same.


    ¡°Nadine,¡± I announced myself quietly to avoid spooking her while she was suturing a rather nasty-looking cut to a young woman¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Nadine grunted good-naturedly, without taking her eyes off her patient.


    ¡°You should designate a pair of adventurers to serve as orderlies, erm, helpers. There are a lot of relatively healthy adventurers here who are needed outside, but they are...stuck taking care of their friends until it is their turn for treatment,¡± I explained, ¡°If you appoint a couple of people to keep an eye on the wounded, and even retrieve them from outside, it will free up more people to fight.¡±


    Nadine paused for a moment and then nodded vigorously before continuing, ¡°You are right,¡± she agreed, ¡°I will get right on it.¡±


    ¡°You are doing really well by the way,¡± I encouraged her, ¡°Keeping your mettle under pressure like this is a rare talent and important skill. Keep up the good work!¡±


    I received a mixture of scowls and smiles from the wounded adventurers and their accompanying partners on my way heading back outside. No doubt some of them were terrified and glad for the excuse to take refuge in the inn for a while. While the majority of the smoke had cleared, it only made the Goblin slingers on the rooftops all the more dangerous and there were already a pair of dead adventurers lined up by the wall outside as a constant reminder of how deadly the slingers were.


    Kirk and his wife Rose were currently hunkered down behind a table that provided some measure of cover for anyone entering or exiting the inn. Kirk was grunting, huffing and puffing as he drew back the drawstring of one crossbow after another before handing them off to his wife Rose, who would then load a bolt, take a steadying breath, rise slightly from cover, aim and fire at a Goblin slinger on one of the rooftops across the street, before quickly ducking back down again, setting aside the crossbow and beginning the process anew.


    Toofy had been waiting behind the same table for cover and retrieving the stones the wild Goblins had been slinging at them to replenish her own ammunition.


    They had started this raid with hundreds of crossbow bolts in reserve but were rapidly running out, now reduced to less than a few dozen at most. From what I had seen, Rose was a rather good shot and rarely missed in spite of the Goblin''s naturally high Agility. Unfortunately, the Goblins'' Racial defensive Ability was drastically reducing the lethality of the bolts that managed to hit them, only inflicting flesh wounds the majority of the time. To make things worse, the Goblin slingers were actively using the other Goblins as meat shields, improving their longevity still further.


    Giving the pair of them a nod of encouragement, I grimaced somewhat as I saw the sheer number of Goblins assaulting the barricades. There were hundreds of them. Seeing Clarice in the thick of the fighting in an area where the barricade was weakest, I made that my destination. Toofy cautiously followed along behind me, cleverly using my bulk as cover from the rooftop slingers as she engaged in a brutal series of counterattacks and skirmishes of her own.


    Unlike Rose, Toofy did not appear to trigger the wild Goblin Underfoot defensive Racial Ability, so her attacks struck their mark far more often than not. Another point in her favour was that Brute Strength appeared to enhance her sling damage as well, often requiring only a single strike to a Goblins chest or head to immediately kill them outright. Then again, I was sure the sling did a deceptively large amount of damage on its own. After all, the Goblins were able to damage me with them, and that was something the Orcs with their larger muscles and weapons hadn¡¯t been able to manage with any real degree of consistency.


    The barricade had been condensed since its original conception. Instead of blocking off the entire street, the barricade had been brought back on both ends and closed over at about half the width of the street. Normally, this would be incredibly stupid, allowing the Goblins to assault yet another flank to apply more pressure on the defenders.


    However, everyone had noticed rather quickly that the Goblins were all avoiding the tailor¡¯s shop like the plague. As if they somehow knew about the existence of ¡®the tailor¡¯ and wanted nothing to do with it.


    This didn¡¯t mean that they could leave that flank alone entirely, but it did mean that they didn''t need nearly so many adventurers to defend it.


    Unsurprisingly, Tobi¡¯s pet Shady was a killing machine, with so many combat Synergies it would have been disappointing if it wasn¡¯t. I was pretty sure that it had gotten much larger since the last time I saw it as well. After watching Shady disembowel an unlucky Goblin with one swipe of his paw, I decided that just watching the battle was probably not a good idea.


    *Thwack*


    Stepping into the breach, I raised my shield just in time to stop a stone launched from a rooftop from striking Clarice.


    Startled by the noise, Clarice rounded on me in surprise, ¡°Don''t scare me like that!¡± She demanded tiredly, panting heavily to try and catch her breath.


    [Clarice - HP: 21/29 - Normal ]


    ¡°Go take a break for a few minutes, get something to eat,¡± I told Clarice after glancing at her HP. She was already somewhat injured, so it would be better if she took a few moments to recover before coming back to fight again.


    Clarice looked like she was going to refuse, but stopped herself and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she agreed, I¡¯ll be back after taking a breather.¡±


    It was a little strange being able to have a quick conversation like that on a battlefield. If the Goblins worked up the nerve, they could easily have rushed us and swarmed through the breach. But for whatever reason, they hadn¡¯t.


    Clarice jogged off to the inn, leaving Toofy, myself and a few adventurers I didn¡¯t recognize to hold it.


    *Thwack*


    Another stone ricocheted off my shield, but this time caught a Goblin''s shin. The poor Goblin fell to the ground shrieking in agony.


    Just standing in the breach seemed almost as effective as my active attempts at fighting, which was somewhat sad.


    *****


    Watching the battle take place from his cunning hiding place, Gobgob was not happy. Not only was he not happy, but Gobgob was borderline enraged. The Ogre was proving far more cunning than he had anticipated. Even with the outer defences of their nest breached, the Ogre¡¯s minions had hastily erected new defences and rallied without suffering many, if any, casualties. All while Gobgob¡¯s warriors continued to die without achieving much of anything.


    This was not how the great reclamation was meant to go! The great prophecy had lied!


    Gnawing angrily at his withered lower lip, Gobgob tried to think of how he could turn the situation around. There was no retreating now, if Gobgob allowed it, the other Goblins would kill him to appease their dark god. But it was already taking every one of his dwindling number of remaining warriors to keep the lesser Goblins in the fight.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Gobgob cried irritably, frustrated that the lesser Goblins wouldn¡¯t ignore their cowardly nature and just rush the Ogre already.


    Didn¡¯t they know that this was all for Gobgob¡¯s grand ascension?!


    Gobgob was about to call out for one of his elite warriors when he noticed the large biter beneath him had stiffened and was scenting the air.


    Strange, was it perhaps one of his rivals attempting to seize power? Or maybe one of the humans had snuck up on him?


    It didn''t matter either way since the response would be the same.


    Gobgob rolled off the large biter and swung his spear in a sweeping arc that would easily hack down anyone foolish enough to have been sneaking up behind him. However, to Gobgob¡¯s immense surprise, there was no one there at all. Unfortunately, the hissing growl coming from the biter''s throat told Gobgob differently, only that now the enemy had somehow moved behind him again.


    Gobgob repeated the attack again and was denied again when he found no one was there.


    *Thunk*


    Gobgob heard a meaty impact behind him and turned just in time to see a human female pulling a large short metal blade from between the large biters now separated head and neck. Somehow she had killed the biter in one blow.


    Impossible! Impossible!!!


    Gobgob turned to flee but the human female appeared in front of him again, hefting the blade in a practised grip.


    ¡°Gobgob, right?¡± The human female asked with a cruel smile, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you!¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 08 – Don’t know Jacque – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 08 ¨C Don¡¯t know Jacque ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 08 - Don¡¯t know Jacque - Part One {Rewrite}


    Jacque grinned malevolently as she stalked towards the cowering Goblin chieftain, ¡°This really is just bad luck on your part,¡± she chuckled, ¡°I mean, I¡¯d offer you the chance to live in exchange for the spear, but we both know that would be a blatant lie.¡±


    The Goblin chieftain, Gobgob, voided his bladder in fear, too scared to even move.


    ¡°Still, the complications from killing you myself would be a real hassle,¡± Jacque shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh, ¡°So instead, here''s what we are going to do...¡± She slowly stalked closer and bent down to the Goblin¡¯s eye level, ¡°I am going to give you one chance at taking down the Ogre, and if you try to run, I will cut off your legs and leave you to the mercy of the ¡®biters¡¯. Deal? Good? Fantastic! GO!¡±


    Gobgob immediately began backing away, tripped, scrambled back to his feet and began running towards the horde of Goblins besieging the barricades around the inn down the street.


    Jacque Shadow-Stepped onto the roof of the Guild office and watched the terrified chieftain¡¯s progress. Originally, she had intended to hunt down the pieces of the key in a more relaxed fashion, giving Tim more time to acclimate to the brutal reality of the Labyrinth and for Jacque to make sure Tim was a suitable partner. As he was now, Tim was far too soft.


    The rash actions of the Guild manager Gilbert had been a welcome addition to events, if only because it forced Tim to reevaluate his previously assumed safety and rights. While it was true that Jacque did not want Tim to become a mana addict like Kiki, she didn¡¯t want him to be nearly so weak and trusting either. It would be only a matter of time before the other Awakened became aware of Tim¡¯s presence and if he did not grow considerably stronger, they would kill or consume him.


    The onset of the raid was a perfect opportunity to see how Tim would react under stress. While Jacque was fairly confident she had a solid read on his personality, there was always the distinct possibility that Tim was misleading her. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time another Awakened had played the bumbling Earthling and attempted to take Jacque by surprise.


    As Jacque well knew, the Labyrinths were not benevolent entities. The Awakened were intended to be avatars of chaos and destruction, bloodthirsty, unrepentant and psychotic remorseless killers. It had been a truth learned the hard way, but one that Jacque had learned early in the years she had spent traversing the Labyrinths.


    Those reincarnated by the Labyrinths were not chosen entirely at random. Each and every one of the Awakened had a unifying trait that made them stand out for selection.


    Every Earthling chosen for reincarnation by the Labyrinths, was a killer.


    *****


    ¡°I see the chieftain!¡± A young man holding a short crystal-topped stave called out, pointing frantically down the street and past the sea of Goblins.


    Nearly as large as Toofy, the Goblin chieftain had a long-shafted spear gripped tight in its hands and a crazed look in its eyes as it charged towards the melee. The Goblin chieftain¡¯s presence had an immediate bolstering effect on the nearby Goblins, driving them forward in a frantic apocalyptic wave of violence.


    I was overrun almost instantly. Goblins flooded past me on all sides and into the previously secure ground behind the barricades. It all happened so suddenly that I didn¡¯t know what to do. Before I realised it, I was alone amidst a sea of shrieking green monsters.


    *Thwack, Crunch*, *Crunch*, *Thwack*, *Thud*


    I panicked, wildly lashing out with my morningstar and looking for a way to flee.


    ¡°Tim!¡± I heard Toofy shriek from somewhere nearby, but I couldn''t see her. ¡°Tim!¡± She shrieked again, this time more desperately.


    Most of the adventurers were already driven back to the inn or missing, almost certainly trampled under the mob of Goblins'' feet.


    ¡°TOOFY?!¡± I bellowed, desperately searching for her amidst the chaos as I waded through the Goblin tide.


    There! I spied Toofy a short distance away, desperately clinging to the top of a section of the barricade as she was beset on all sides. Somehow, Toofy managed to hold her own, viciously stabbing, punching, kicking and biting anything that tried to draw near.


    *Thwack*


    A slingers stone cracked into the back of my head, but I ignored it and bodily ploughed through the Goblins standing in my way. I felt their small bones breaking beneath my feet, but I didn¡¯t care.


    For their part, the Goblins didn''t seem to care either, they ignored me, rushing after the final cluster of adventurers holding the entrance to the inn.


    Toofy was frantically clambering over the barricade in an attempt to reach me, her eyes wild with fear as she stabbed and slashed at the grasping hands of the wild Goblins. ¡°TI-¡± Toofy¡¯s cry was cut short as a stone caught her in the side of the head.


    I watched in stunned horror as Toofy fell and was almost immediately swarmed by Goblins. ¡°TOOFY!!!¡± I surged through the Goblins with reckless abandon.


    Toofy was trying to fight them off as best she could, but was obviously dazed by the blow to the head and wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out much longer.


    ¡°GET OFF HER!!!¡± I roared, sweeping my morningstar through the Goblins and sending them crashing into the green tide.


    Toofy woozily tried to stand but collapsed.


    ¡°Toofy!¡± I battered away another wave of Goblins and discarded my weapon. Snatching up Toofy, I could feel her body going limp and feared the worst. Looking over at the inn, I was frustrated to see that the adventurers had all retreated and closed the door behind them.


    With no other targets to distract them, the slingers'' stones began pelting against my body with ever-increasing frequency. I did my best to shield Toofy with my body, but it would only be a matter of time before they hit her.


    Turning away from the inn, my attention fixed upon the tailor shop. ¡°Damnit!¡± I charged through the mass of Goblins and towards the open door.


    Perhaps sensing what I intended, the Goblin horde began throwing themselves at me with suicidal abandon. Desperately clutching at any part of me they could get a hold of, they did little besides slow me down. But that was very nearly enough, giving the slingers more opportunities to wear me down.


    Gasping in pain, I staggered across the threshold of the shop and slammed the door shut. Almost immediately, I sensed something was wrong.


    ¡°Hello again,¡± the dark thing croaked hungrily.


    I flinched and slowly looked towards the shop counter. As I had feared, the shopkeeper was gone, replaced by the pale horror from my nightmares. Even though I had known confrontation with the monster was inevitable, I did not think I would have so little time to prepare. Gently laying Toofy down by the wall, I grit my teeth and did my best to push the pain from my mind.


    Turning my attention back to the nightmare monster, I instinctively understood that I had no chance. Whatever this monster was, it was far stronger than me and I didn¡¯t even have a weapon to fight it with. Even so, I had to try, I wouldn¡¯t let it take Toofy! If this was how I died, then so be it, I will not abandon her.


    <Tim?! Where the hell are you?!>


    The monster and I both froze.


    <Toofy is hurt! You have to get her out of here!> It took every shred of my flagging self-control not to scream through the connection at Jacque. This was perhaps my only chance to save Toofy and I would not let it slip through my fingers.


    <You are in the tailor shop?>


    <Yes!> I hissed in fear and frustration as the monster began growing in size.


    There was a sudden burst of shadows by the door and Jacque suddenly appeared, as if she had been there the whole time. Narrowing her eyes warily at the monster, Jacque waved me back. <Don¡¯t provoke it! You don¡¯t stand a chance!>


    I gulped hard and nodded. <What do we do?!>


    Jacque frowned and pursed her lips. <We are just about out of options...but there are a couple of things left we could try...>


    <What do we do?!> I repeated, anxiously staring at the monster as it in turn carefully regarded Jacque.


    <I can hold off ¡®the tailor¡¯ for a little while, but not indefinitely. It says it will forgive our intrusion and allow us to leave, but only if you bring it the Goblin chieftains head in payment.> Jacque continued coolly staring down the monster.


    Seeing no other way through this, I locked eyes with the monster and nodded.


    The monster smiled and tapped its elongated fingers excitedly on the counter, ¡°We have a deal?¡± It rasped, ¡°Good, gooood! Forgiving your earlier failure may yet prove worth my while!¡± It motioned one hand and the door to the shop slammed open, ¡°GO! GO AND FETCH ME MY PRIZE!¡± It demanded, ¡°DO NOT KEEP ME WAITING!¡±


    As I prepared to leave, Jacque stopped me for a moment. ¡°Take this,¡± she insisted, handing me her cleaver, ¡°You will need it.¡±


    Since I was without a weapon, I nodded and gratefully accepted the heavy poorly balanced blade. Taking one last look at Toofy, I stepped through the door and raised my shield.


    *Thunk* *Thunk, Thunk* *Thunk* *Thunk, Thunk, Thunk* *Thunk*


    A hail of stones immediately began battering against my shield and I wondered how long it would be able to last against a sustained barrage. Knowing that the moment I exposed myself that I would begin haemorrhaging HP, I tried my best to avoid flinching and peeked past my shield to try and find the Goblin chieftain.


    Still holding the spear that was far too large for his diminutive stature, the Goblin chieftain Gobgob stood out like a sore thumb. Unfortunately, he was more than a dozen ranks deep behind a wall of his minions, showed no signs of wanting to approach and had a couple of hundred Goblins behind him to cover a retreat if necessary.


    Damnit! What am I meant to do?!


    Without the chieftain''s head, the monster inside the tailor¡¯s shop would kill Toofy. And without any other targets to draw their attention, the Goblin slingers would very likely kill me within seconds of lowering my shield or straying too far from the rear cover of the shop. There had to be some way to do this.


    Maybe I could try thinning their numbers on the flanks? Or maybe lure them into an alley between two buildings?


    I disregarded both ideas pretty much immediately since they would expose me to the same level of damage as a reckless charge anyway.


    <Issue a challenge!>


    I blinked in shock, very nearly taking a stone to the face as my shield dipped slightly. <What?!>


    <Challenge the chieftain! It¡¯s the only way to make the other Goblins back down!>


    Would they all really back down and allow the chieftain and I to fight one on one?


    That seemed crazy to me. After all, the Goblins had every possible advantage right now and it was only a matter of time until they would win.


    So why the hell would the chieftain accept my challenge?


    <It¡¯s a monster thing...>


    <...>


    Fine! Screw it! This will work or it won''t!


    ¡°HEY!¡± I roared in a challenge, eliciting gibbering shrieks from the Goblins, temporarily stalling the barrage of stones. ¡°I CHALLENGE YOU!¡± I lowered my shield slightly and pointed the cleaver in the chieftain''s general direction, ¡°FIGHT ME GOBGOB!. My challenge was painfully unoriginal, but given the limited language capabilities of the Orcs and Goblins I had encountered thus far, it was probably for the best.


    The Goblins shifted their attention from me to their chieftain, waiting for his answer with nearly palpable expectation.


    Maybe Jacque was right?


    There was no reason for the Goblins to take this challenge seriously, and yet they were anyway.


    The Goblins surrounding chieftain Gobgob took a few steps back, the same expectant look on their faces.


    Gobgob looked furious, gnashing his teeth and glaring balefully at his cowering minions, ¡°Fight!¡± He commanded, thrusting his spear aggressively in my direction.


    The surrounding Goblins made no moves to follow the command, instead, growing restless and eyeing one another warily.


    Even more furious, but now also quite nervous, Gobgob thrust his spear in my direction again, ¡°FIGHT! KILL OGRE!¡±


    The Goblins began shifting about and muttering angrily to one another.


    Gobgob gulped hard, hissing and waving his spear to drive the other Goblins back. ¡°GOBGOB KILL OGRE!¡± He shrieked fearfully.


    The surrounding Goblins calmed down almost immediately, scrambling over one another to clear the space between myself and their chieftain. Even the slingers on the opposing rooftops had lowered their slings and were now watching the proceedings intently.


    Lowering my shield to a more relaxed guarding position, I took a deep breath and slowly began walking forwards. Objectively, I knew that the Goblin stood very little chance of even hurting me, practically none at all if I could wrest that spear from him, but I was still incredibly anxious. The crimson smoky tendrils coiling off my arms told me that I was already Bloodied. The Goblin¡¯s Vicious Racial Ability would make even this elderly Goblin deal more damage than it otherwise should. It took every scrap of my flagging willpower not to look at how much HP I had left. I knew that if I were to look, my cowardice would cause me to falter and probably get me killed.


    The Goblin chieftain Gobgob hissed at his minions disparagingly and then slowly began making his way towards me, spear at the ready. Contrary to his apparent age, the withered Goblin seemed just as hale and hearty as his minions, perhaps even more so. After reducing the distance between us to a couple of dozen feet, Gobgob suddenly launched himself into a charge, shrieking like a banshee and thrusting his spear towards my chest, ¡°DIE!!!¡±


    *Tak-shink*


    To my immense surprise, the blade of the spear bore straight through my shield and narrowly missed my arm. I was only saved by the shaft of the spear catching on the outer surface of my shield due to the Goblin lacking the strength to drive it through further.


    More out of surprise than skill, I twisted and pushed my shield to drive the spear back and away from my chest.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Gobgob refused to let go of his spear and was pushed along the ground in a mirror to the movement of my arm.


    Thinking that maybe I could copy something I saw from a movie, I dragged the spear a little closer again and tried hacking at the shaft with the cleaver.


    *Tak*


    The jarring force against my wrist and my surprise at leaving not so much as a single mark on the wooden spear shaft nearly caused me to drop the cleaver.


    What the hell was that spear made of?!


    Gobgob recovered faster than I did, yanking his spear free and retreating a short distance as he began slowly circling to my right.


    Please don''t let that spear be magical...


    The bluish sheen of the spearhead''s metal flashed in the light for a moment as if it was mocking me.


    Damnit...Of course, it is magical, why wouldn¡¯t it be? Gobgob was meant to be a boss monster or something, so why wouldn¡¯t he have a powerful magic item?


    No doubt sensing my sudden unease, Gobgob grinned wickedly and made a sweeping strike for my face.


    I raised my shield to parry the blow but was shocked when it didn¡¯t connect. Instead, pain erupted from my right shin and calf. Looking down, I could see the spear twisting and pulling back through my leg, spattering the street with blood.


    This was bad, really bad.


    ¡°BLEED! DIE!¡± Gobgob crowed triumphantly.


    Staggering unsteadily from the pain in my leg, I grimaced as I realised just how monumentally screwed I now was. The instinctive flinch every time I tried to put my full weight on my right leg all but guaranteed the remainder of this fight would only continue to proceed in the Goblin chieftain''s favour. On the upside, I would die from blood loss sooner rather than later, so I would not regret my screw up for long.


    Gobgob took a probing sweep at my chest, shearing off a corner of my shield and narrowly missing my face.


    ¡°I can''t continue playing defence!¡± I grunted angrily. Staggering forward, I grit my teeth against the pain and battered the shaft of the spear aside as I tried to close with the Goblin to attack him.


    Obviously understanding what I was up to, Gobgob gleefully scampered away grinning wickedly and laughing at my ultimately futile efforts.


    In an ill-advised fit of anger, I hurled my cleaver at Gobgob, and immediately regretted it.


    Gobgob deftly stepped aside and avoided the flying cleaver entirely, although the minions farther behind him were not so lucky. ¡°Stupid Ogre!¡± He cackled, redoubling his efforts and harrying me with his spear.


    The Goblin was right, it was an incredibly stupid thing to do. The steel cleaver was probably the one thing I had that could parry the spearhead directly, and I had literally thrown it away. Cursing myself for being so incredibly stupid, I narrowly missed getting stabbed in the right shoulder. However, as the Goblin retracted his spear for another thrust, I got an idea.


    *Tak-shink*


    I caught the Goblin chieftain''s spear on my shield again, only this time, I was ready for it. Reaching around my shield, I grabbed hold of the spear and angled it upwards, forcing the Goblin up off the ground. Unfortunately, the Goblin¡¯s meagre weight was enough to cause the spear to begin slipping free of my shield. Unwilling to waste the opportunity I had created for myself, I pulled the spear free and slammed it towards the ground.


    *Crunch*


    I stared at the Goblin chieftain in surprise, Gobgob had clung onto the spear right up until the end and was smashed into the ground.


    ¡°Gyah!¡± Gobgob shrieked and tried to pull the spear from my grasp, but he was far weaker than me and lacked the sufficient size to leverage his meagre weight.


    *Whack*


    I swung the spear into the surrounding crowd of Goblins. Most of the small creatures evaded the blow but one unfortunate soul was struck by the Goblin chieftain¡¯s body directly, causing them both to shriek in pain.


    Gobgob stubbornly continued clinging to the spear, like a drowning man to a piece of driftwood.


    ¡°Let! GO!!¡± I roared, swinging the spear through the air with as much force as I could muster, cutting my forearm on the spearhead because of my recklessness.


    Still, Gobgob continued to stubbornly hold on, ¡°Gob-gob-kill!-OGRE!¡± He screeched hatefully.


    *Crunch* *Crunch* *Crunch* *Crunch* *Crunch*


    ¡°DIE!¡± I bellowed, slamming the spear against the tailor shop¡¯s wall over and over again. Every second I wasted fighting this monster reduced the chances of Toofy¡¯s survival and I couldn¡¯t afford to be weak. Releasing the spear, I staggered over to the Goblin chieftain.


    Gobgob¡¯s body was in bloody ruin, broken bones contorting his limbs at unnatural angles and poking through his skin. Coughing up blood through his broken jaw and shattered teeth, Gobgob stared at me with intense hatred in his one remaining good eye, ¡°Gwob-glob-ghil-ghog-GHURK!¡±


    I cut his words short by stomping my foot down on his chest, causing a torrent of blood to erupt from his mouth. Pain shot up through my injured leg and I very nearly fell to my knees. Somehow, I pushed the pain to the back of my mind and kept the wherewithal to work through the pain and retrieve the spear.


    [Goblin Chieftain Gobgob has been slain by Ogre Runt Slaver Tim!]


    [All defensive wards and transportation portals will reactivate in one hour.]


    [{Key of Awakening (???)} has been acquired and bound to your soul.]


    [Conditions for identifying {Key of Awakening (???)} have not been met.]


    Breathing hard, I blinked away the notifications and was shocked to find that the spear had disappeared. However, I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it because I was still surrounded by Goblins and could pass out from blood loss at any moment. Feeling more than a little lightheaded, I knew there was no way I would be able to fight the Goblins off for another three minutes, let alone an hour. But I didn¡¯t see that I had much of a choice.


    Grimacing from the pain, I snatched up Gobgob¡¯s mangled corpse and held it up for all the Goblins to see, hoping that the Goblins would recognise their leader was dead and become at the least somewhat demoralised. Jacque had said challenging the chieftain would make the other Goblins stand down for the challenge, but she never mentioned what would come after. Perhaps for good reason as it turns out. Jacque may have believed that I didn¡¯t already know my chances of surviving were close to zero.


    *Chunk*


    A Goblin tumbled off a nearby rooftop, clutching at something embedded in its chest before striking the ground.


    *Chunk, Chunk, Thwip*


    Three more Goblins shrieked in pain, two of them tumbling from the rooftops.


    The horde of Goblins began crying out in fear, looking for the source of danger.


    I saw the innkeeper¡¯s wife Rose step in from beside one of the third-story windows of the inn, take aim with her crossbow and fire.


    Another Goblin screeched and fell from a nearby roof.


    Two more adventurers I did not recognise had taken Rose¡¯s lead and fired their own ranged weapons at the Goblins as well.


    The Goblins panicked and began to scatter in every direction. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *****


    Clarice was first through the door the second Kirk unbarred it. As one of the only close combat adventurers still in relatively prime condition, Clarice, Emelia¡¯s pair of Bloodhunters, Tobi, his pet Shady and two other adventurers had decided to rush the Goblins and stop them from recouping their morale while the adventurers searched for survivors.


    Contrary to what she had expected, Clarice found that the Goblins were already scattering like rats. Even so, it was not the time to stand idle, at the very least they needed to re-secure the barricade and search for survivors.


    Rushing out the door with her sword at the ready, Clarice saw Tim staggering into the tailor¡¯s shop, dragging a broken and bloodied Goblin corpse behind him. Fearing the worst, she quickly glanced at her group status and flinched.


    [ Tim - HP: -7/45 - Bloodied, Bleeding ] [ Toofy - HP: -3/23 - Bloodied, Stunned ]


    Clarice had already known about Toofy¡¯s critical condition and to a lesser extent, Tim¡¯s. But a great deal had changed in the past couple of minutes and Tim had lost more than nine hp in a single hit and gained the Bleeding condition. Immediately shifting her priorities, Clarice dropped her sword and sprinted across the street. The Goblins had already fled the immediate vicinity so she was in very little danger, or so she thought.


    Barrelling into the tailor''s shop, Clarice froze in muted horror as a pale, sickly long-limbed horror stuffed something into its large razor-fanged maw and messily began to chew. Blood and viscera spattered down its front and onto the floor as it groaned in ecstasy, ¡°MMM! Delicious!¡±


    ¡°We need to leave!¡± A familiar voice stated firmly.


    Clarice shook her head numbly and returned somewhat to her senses. Shuddering as she pulled her eyes from the horrid thing at the far end of the store behind the counter. Clarice saw that Jacque was carrying Toofy over her shoulder and struggling to try and keep Tim standing with her one free arm.


    ¡°NOW!¡± Jacque insisted, ineffectually trying to drag Tim towards the door.


    Clarice nodded, ¡°R-right!¡± She stammered, doing her best to ignore the sounds of crunching bones and ripping meat. Quickly pulling Tim¡¯s shield free from his arm, Clarice took the bulk of Tim¡¯s weight and began dragging him out the door. Tim¡¯s skin was clammy and he didn¡¯t seem to know what was going on, dragging his right leg limply along and leaving a trail of blood.


    [Bloodhunter has been killed by Goblin!]


    Clarice flinched and redoubled her efforts in moving Tim across the street and back to the inn. Just as Kirk had warned them, the Goblin rout would not last long and the Goblins would quickly return in force.


    Tobi and the other adventurers were already frantically dragging bloodied adventurers back to the inn while Shady savagely tore apart any Goblins who drew too close.


    As they reached the inn, Jacque left Tim to Clarice as she hurriedly moved to lay Toofy down on the bar before returning to help manoeuvre Tim through the door. Tim¡¯s bulk had made this entire endeavour much harder than Clarice would have initially expected and she was already breathing heavily from the strain. ¡°Nadine! We got him!¡± Clarice called out as she tried to ease Tim down onto the floor as gently as she could, but had to settle for sitting him up against the bar.


    Nadine made no visible sign to acknowledge what Clarice had said, but Emelia was already rushing over with a bucket and fistful of bandages.


    ¡°Wrap the bandages tightly around any open wounds!¡± Nadine called out loudly, ¡°I am nearly finished!¡±


    Emelia quickly moved to do as she was told.


    Clarice hurried back out the door to try and find other survivors and grimaced as she quickly realised that there were precious few of them to find. The Racial Ability Synergy from the one remaining Bloodhunter revealed only five more survivors amongst the thirty or so human bodies strewn about the barricades. ¡°Damnit...¡± Clarice cursed, hardening her heart and pointing out the survivors to Tobi and the others. They would not have time to retrieve all the bodies and the living had to take precedence.


    *****


    Blearily opening my eyes, I groaned in pain as I became all too aware of my battered and bruised nerve endings. It felt like someone had taken a steak tenderiser to my back and chest with a vengeance. But even that was nothing compared to the soul-draining ache from my stomach. It felt like I hadn¡¯t eaten in weeks if not longer. Shakily pushing myself up into a sitting position, I dragged my feet over the edge of the bed and weakly tried getting to my feet. It was only after putting my full weight on my leg that I realised how stupid I was being and hastily sat back down, bracing against the anticipated wave of pain.


    However, contrary to my expectations, the pain didn¡¯t come. In fact, my legs were one of the only places that didn¡¯t hurt. Worried that maybe I was in some form of shock and had exacerbated the injury, I anxiously looked down at my leg.


    I blinked in surprise. My leg appeared to be completely fine, albeit hosting two large new scars.


    It took my brain a couple of minutes to process this sudden revelation and I realised that Nadine must have healed me using her special Ability. Gingerly getting to my feet again, I staggered and very nearly fell over from a sudden onset of dizziness. I should have expected that, I was probably rather anaemic right now after losing so much blood.


    Looking down at myself for a moment, I realised that I wasn¡¯t seeing the crimson smoke as I had before. Glancing at my group status, I could see that I only had ten HP and still had the Bloodied condition.


    ¡°Status,¡± I croaked while staggering over to the wall by the door. Skimming through the information, I saw that the Scent Blood Ability was gone from my Synergy list and after looking more carefully at the group status, I realised why. Both Bloodhunters were no longer part of the group. It shouldn¡¯t have been all that surprising, but the assumed deaths of the hideous beasts still came as somewhat of a shock.


    Quickly looking at Toofy¡¯s information, I was relieved to see that she appeared to be recovering. Even so, I felt a familiar pang of worry and looked over the room again, in case I had overlooked her. Seeing no sign of Toofy, I tried opening the door, but unsurprisingly it was locked. Looking back over at the bedside table, I saw the room key laid out beside the washbowl. Grumbling that I should have noticed it sooner, I staggered back across the room and decided that I might as well freshen myself up a bit while I was at it.


    After splashing my pits and face, I thirstily gulped down the remaining water and then dried myself off with the bed blanket. It was no substitute for a real bath, but it had to do for the time being. Feeling somewhat cold, most likely from the anaemia, I wrapped myself in the blanket like a cape, tying off two corners in front of my chest so I didn¡¯t have to hold it in place.


    The pain in my stomach was growing worse and causing my hands to shake, so I decided that I needed to unlock the door while I was still able to do so. Lethargically crossing the room, yet again, I shakily pushed the key into the lock, unlocked the door and walked out into the corridor. Knowing that Toofy was almost definitely in Clarice and Nadine¡¯s room on the third floor, I groaned and made my way over to the stairs.


    Clinging tightly to the bannister, I dragged myself up the stairs. Resting against the wall for a moment while waiting for the dizziness to pass, I could almost hear muted conversations from the nearby rooms. I pushed myself off the wall and continued staggering down the hall. Finally standing, leaning, in front of their door, I knocked and tried turning the handle. It was locked...


    Groaning in frustration, I knocked again, but no one answered. I slumped hard against the neighbouring wall and slid to the floor. I was just so tired.


    Unable to keep my eyes open, It only took a moment before I lost consciousness.


    ¡°Tim? Wake up, Tim?¡± Someone said quietly while gingerly jostling my shoulder.


    Tiredly opening my eyes, I saw Clarice kneeling over me with a candle in hand.


    ¡°What were you doing up here?¡± She asked worriedly, ¡°You were meant to be resting in your room!¡±


    I blinked blearily and tried to sit up, but lacked the strength and coordination. ¡°Toofy...¡± I groaned.


    Clarice sighed irritably, ¡°You could have asked us to bring her to you, y¡¯know!¡±


    I stared uncomprehendingly at her in reply. I knew what she was saying should make sense, but it was getting harder and harder to think.


    ¡°Fine! Might as well try dragging you into our room I guess, no way in hell am I getting you downstairs on my own after it took three of us to get you into your room in the first place!¡± Clarice growled but seemed more concerned than angry.


    Clarice unlocked the door and began heaving me across the threshold like a heavy sack of potatoes, dragging me by my arms and leaving me by the bed. Grunting loudly, Clarice then hooked my arm over her shoulder and lifted me just high enough to drop me backwards onto the bed. ¡®Bloody!-Hell!¡± she gasped, ¡°Were-you-all-ways-this-heav-vy?!¡±


    I closed my eyes and began to pass out again, much to Clarice¡¯s annoyance.


    ¡°Tim! Breakfast!¡± Toofy yelled and something was jammed into my mouth.


    Opening my eyes, I found Toofy sitting beside me on the bed and shoving a fistful of meat into my mouth. I tried to speak but nearly choked instead.


    Seeing that I was awake, Toofy¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Tim!¡± She suddenly jumped up onto the bed and gave me a hug, inadvertently clearing my airway and allowing me to breathe again.


    ¡°Toofy,¡± I croaked, too relieved at her recovery to be mad at her for nearly choking me to death. Besides, I assumed that Toofy had meant well.


    After hugging me for a while, Toofy sat back up and pouted, glancing at me expectantly. ¡°Toofy feed Tim all night,¡± she stated sternly, ¡°Tim scare Toofy! Tim bad!¡± Toofy insisted crossly.


    ¡°I am sorry Toofy,¡± I apologised sincerely. While I did not regret doing what I did to save her life, I appreciated the distress my brush with death would have caused her. If things had turned out slightly differently maybe there would have been a better option, but I still felt like I had made the best choice I could under the circumstances. More or less.


    My lack of fighting skill and experience was arguably my greatest weakness right now. Even though the Goblin chieftain had what I assumed was a magic spear, I had literally almost every other advantage and still nearly died.


    Remembering how I tried throwing my only weapon away made me feel ashamed of myself. Almost everything I knew about fighting came from watching movies and anime, so I should have known better than to just blindly copy them and hope for the best.


    Going forward, I resolved that I would at the very least strive for basic competence in some form of martial arts.


    Perhaps Clarice could help with that?


    She was a Swordsmen and looked like she knew what she was doing from what I had seen so far.


    Toofy nodded, seeming to accept my apology, but she insisted on feeding me the pieces of meat I had spat out earlier, ¡°Eat!¡±


    Still quite hungry, I ate the food without complaint, even though I would have very much preferred to feed myself.


    Toofy¡¯s idea of portion size was literally how much of a thing you could fit in your mouth and still chew. It was perhaps a small miracle that I even woke up when I did. If Toofy had in fact been feeding me all night, I wondered how many times had I come that close to choking. There was no good answer to that question, so I promptly dropped it and focused my attention on chewing and swallowing as fast as I could manage. Thankfully, the food I had spat out earlier was apparently the last of the food Toofy had on hand.


    *Gurgle*


    Toofy pursed her lips and rubbed at her stomach.


    ¡°Toofy? Did you not eat breakfast yet?¡± I asked warily, already suspecting I knew the answer.


    Toofy shifted guiltily and quickly hopped off the bed and onto the floor, snatching up a stray fragment of meat and stuffing it in her mouth, ¡°Yeees?¡± Toofy replied cheekily.


    I narrowed my eyes at Toofy and sat myself up, more than a little surprised to find that most of the pain I had felt earlier was now gone. ¡°Maybe we should go get more breakfast?¡± I suggested.


    Toofy stiffened and looked at me in surprise, ¡°More breakfast?¡± She asked curiously, drooling a little and rubbing her stomach.


    I nodded, now having made up my mind, ¡°More breakfast,¡± I insisted, feeling the hunger in my stomach intensifying again. Finding the blanket from my bed had just been untied and left beneath me on the bed, I got up and tied it around my shoulders again. I wasn¡¯t thrilled at the prospect of walking around the inn in my underwear, so the extra layer helped to alleviate a certain degree of my unease.


    Toofy, who was only wearing the tunic and pants I had made for her, seemed somewhat jealous, so I made her a cape similar to my own from one of the girl¡¯s towels.


    ¡°Ready for breakfast?¡± I asked, grinning a little as Toofy swept her ¡®cape¡¯ back and forth behind herself.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Toofy looked surprised for a moment before a petulant gurgle from her stomach reminded her what we were doing, ¡°Breakfast!¡± She agreed emphatically.


    Unlocking the door with the key, which had conveniently been left on the bedside table, we left the room, locked the door again behind us and headed downstairs.


    Toofy was rushing ahead, whooshing back and forth while holding her ¡®cape¡¯ out to either side, giggling and shrieking for reasons I honestly didn¡¯t quite understand.


    By the time we reached the stairs to the common room, we had already gathered somewhat of a following from bemused adventurers investigating the noise outside their rooms. Not that Toofy seemed to mind, but I felt more than a little bit embarrassed about it. The stifled laughter really didn¡¯t help.


    ¡°Woosh!¡± Toofy cried as she leapt down the final half dozen steps in one go, narrowly avoiding tripping on her ¡®cape¡¯ as she rolled and sprang up onto her feet again. Toofy looked at me expectantly, hopping around in her excitement.


    Already about as embarrassed as I could get, I sighed and leapt down the final few steps of the stairs as she had done, flourishing and billowing my own ¡®cape¡¯ dramatically as I landed in an incredibly poor approximation of a Batman swoop landing.


    *Whoosh*


    Toofy just stared for a moment in wide-eyed surprise, then she began shrieking excitedly and scampering back up onto the stairs to try it herself. Jumping from much higher up the stairs, Toofy sailed with her towel cape fluttering around her, briefly landing on my shoulder before launching off and into a tumbling roll.


    I assumed that this strange sense of pride and envy I was feeling must be what all parents feel when their child surpasses them.


    Toofy hopped around excitedly before rushing up the stairs and doing it again, clearly demonstrating that it had not been a fluke. When she repeated the leap from the stairs for the third time, I shifted and caught her instead of allowing her to jump off my shoulder.


    ¡°Breakfast, remember?¡± I reminded Toofy with a playful hug.


    ¡°Oh! Breakfast!¡± Toofy agreed, much to the disappointment of our rather sizable audience.


    Sitting Toofy down on my shoulder, I moved quickly over to the bar, causing her ¡®cape¡¯ to catch some air and flutter a little behind her.


    Kirk and Rose were struggling to keep straight faces as they watched us take our seats, the former hiding his amusement behind his bristling moustache and the latter behind her hand.


    ¡°We would like breakfast please,¡± I requested with a poker face of my own.


    ¡°Breakfast!¡± Toofy insisted, thumping the bar like a thug to accentuate her point.


    Rose and Kirk shared a quick glance with one another before Rose hurried off to the kitchen, breaking into raucous laughter the moment she left the room.


    ¡°Pfftft,¡± Kirk covered his mouth with one hand, ¡°I can''t, I just can''t! Ahaha!¡±


    Objectively, our antics were not all that funny, or at least I didn¡¯t think so. So I decided to chalk it up to the amount of stress everyone had been under than the quality of the entertainment.


    Still holding back laughter, Rose brought out two trays piled with roasted meat and placed them in front of myself and Toofy.


    Toofy immediately set to hungrily stuffing her mouth.


    Despite originally intending to set a better example, I honestly didn¡¯t behave much better, quickly sinking to her level and shovelling food into my mouth as quickly as I could chew and swallow it down. I had seriously underestimated just how hungry I felt.


    In the end, Rose brought out another three trays of food before I finally felt the hunger recede. With the hunger pains no longer distracting my thoughts, I supposed that considering how injured I must have been, eating at least this much was to be expected. Even so, it was a prodigious amount of food and I didn¡¯t quite understand how I had managed to fit it all in my stomach. As if on cue, I felt a sudden shift in my guts that signalled an urgent need to go use the restroom.


    Unsurprisingly, when I left the restroom, I found Toofy running around the common room, jumping off empty tables and unoccupied chairs. Since we had been through so much in just the past few days, I decided to let her have her fun and took a seat at the bar again.


    ¡°Want another?¡± Kirk asked with a sly smirk.


    I smiled wryly and shook my head, ¡°One kid is enough I think.¡±


    Kirk baulked, ¡°Wait...what?¡±


    I knew he had probably been referring to another meal, but I felt it was only fair to get at least one joke in at his expense in exchange for the earlier entertainment.


    ¡°Oh, hardy har har,¡± Kirk muttered derisively upon quickly recognising the joke.


    I shrugged. I kind of meant it, Toofy was a bit of a handful and I really didn¡¯t think I was doing that good a job taking care of just her, let alone another kid as well. But that did get me thinking about Clarice, Emelia and Nadine¡¯s collective absence. When I found that Clarice and Nadine weren¡¯t in their room, I thought that maybe they would be here in the common room instead, but I was apparently wrong.


    ¡°Do you know where the girls have gone?¡± I asked Kirk somewhat worriedly.


    Kirk nodded in understanding, ¡°Yeah, I think they were headed to the Guild office to confirm your party rewards for the raid. Since they have been gone for the better part of an hour, I expect that they are probably haggling over the precise amount of the compensation owed,¡± he explained thoughtfully, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it though. With the portal reactivated now, they can just take a complaint directly to the Guild branch office in Hurst just outside the Labyrinth.¡±


    I nodded to show I understood what he meant, but still couldn¡¯t help but worry anyway.


    What would happen if the Guild manager realised Nadine and Clarice were enslaved by me and not the other way around?


    ¡°On a brighter note, Rose and I are expecting our staff to return from holiday at some point today,¡± Kirk added cheerily, ¡°Not that we haven¡¯t appreciated your help around the inn, but it will be nice to have things up and running smoothly again so we can begin taking things a little easier for a while.¡±


    I nodded and remembered something else, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were expecting more adventurers soon as well?¡± I asked, a little unsure about when exactly he had mentioned it, only remembering that he had done so at some point.


    Kirk nodded, ¡°Aye, but I think the Guild is holding off on letting them through until things are cleaned up a bit more. The Goblins really thrashed a lot of the furniture and other materials used to make those barricades,¡± he sighed and shook his head, ¡°There is also the matter of the adventurers who didn¡¯t make it. They have been busy filling out the paperwork and preparing letters to notify next of kin for the better part of the morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± I didn¡¯t really know what to say to that. I guess I had been avoiding thinking about it. Recalling how quickly the barricades had been overrun, it was inevitable that people had died. I suppose I was still far too naive, ¡°How many?...¡± I asked hesitantly, regretting my choice almost immediately, knowing that any number would seem like too many.


    Kirk had noticed my hesitation and tightened his lips for a moment, his expression making it obvious that he was seriously considering whether to tell me the truth. ¡°Thirty-seven,¡± Kirk replied quietly, ¡°Nadine did her best to save as many as she could, but there was only so much that could be done..."


    Thirty-seven...The number repeated over and over in my head, accompanied by faces of young men and women I had seen manning the barricades, but knew only in passing. Thirty-seven...I didn¡¯t even know their names...Thirty-seven people died because I wasn¡¯t strong enough because I didn¡¯t do what needed to be done and kill that Goblin chieftain sooner...


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Tim,¡± Kirk insisted firmly, ¡°You did what you could. No one in their right mind would accuse you of anything less. Ninety-three people are alive because of you and what you did, don¡¯t forget it,¡± he leaned over the bar and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, ¡°I know Rose and me sure as hell won¡¯t, nor our daughter Millie for that matter either.¡±


    Still feeling rather upset, I nodded slightly and tried to feel less guilty about things that had been out of my control. But my subconscious was relentless, perfectly willing to prove how exactly Kirk was wrong and that I was in fact responsible for everything that had happened.


    ¡°Hey, Tim!¡± Clarice called out warmly as she walked in through the front door, ¡°Huh, what''s up? You still feelin weak?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°No, I...I¡¯m fine, I just need some time to process a few things...¡± I replied quietly, ¡°I...I think I need to go lie down for a bit...¡± I somewhat shakily got to my feet and began making my way towards the stairs.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 08 – Don’t know Jacque – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 08 ¨C Don¡¯t know Jacque ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 08 - Don¡¯t know Jacque - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Toofy saw me heading for the stairs and hurriedly caught up to me, scrambling up the blanket on my back and taking her seat on my shoulder. Still somewhat excited from playing, Toofy hadn¡¯t seemed to notice my change in mood and was still grinning maniacally as she slowly began to calm down.


    It wasn¡¯t until we reached the room that Toofy¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°Tim sad,¡± she observed somewhat worriedly.


    I nodded and sat down on the bed.


    Toofy looked around in nervous confusion, ¡°Why Tim sad? Tim hurt?¡± She hopped off my shoulder and began checking me for injuries.


    I didn¡¯t know how to go about explaining this to Toofy and wasn¡¯t sure I even wanted to try. ¡°I...I am sad because people died. Because I think it was my fault and that maybe...Maybe I could have done something about it if I wasn¡¯t so weak,¡± I explained quietly.


    Toofy cocked her head to one side and was visibly struggling with what I had said. Sitting down beside me on the bed, Toofy held one hand over her chest, ¡°Tim¡¯s heart hurts?¡± She asked sympathetically.


    A little surprised by her level of empathy and comprehension, I nodded.


    Toofy nodded and looked very sad, ¡°Toofy heart hurt too,¡± she sniffled, wiping her nose absently on her sleeve, ¡°Toofy lost Leafy, Toofy heart hurt too,¡± tears began running down her eyes as Toofy stared at the wall.


    ¡°Leafy was your friend?¡± I guessed, surprised that she had not spoken about this person before.


    Toofy screwed up her face a little and shook her head, ¡°Leafy like Toofy, older, teach Toofy, protect Toofy...¡± Her voice trailed off quietly and she sniffled again.


    ¡°Leafy was your parent?¡± I corrected, ¡°You were Leafy¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Toofy nodded, ¡°Leafy give Toofy food, hide Toofy, protect Toofy, make Toofy safe,¡± she smiled faintly for a moment before her expression turned sad again, ¡°Many Orcs find Toofy, find Leafy, want eat. Leafy make Toofy run, Toofy run, Toofy hide. Leafy...Leafy gone. Toofy alone, Toofy heart hurt,¡± Toofy looked up at me with sad eyes as fresh tears began running down her cheeks.


    ¡°Oh Toofy, I¡¯m so sorry, come here!¡± I lifted Toofy up into a hug. I was beginning to understand why Toofy had grown so attached to me. I was treating her like a child after all, so of course, she would see me as a parent figure to fill the void left by Leafy.


    After a while, Toofy stopped crying and I thought it would probably be best for both of us to take at least a short rest. This morning had been far more emotionally exhausting than I had expected when I woke up earlier. Snuggling Toofy in close and covering us both with the blanket, I decided that I would try and be nicer to Toofy from now on. While I hadn¡¯t exactly been mean to her, there were times when I had kept my distance emotionally, and I now regretted it.


    Waking up a while later, despite the emotional turbulence, I didn¡¯t really dream of anything that I can remember now that I had woken up again. Toofy looked like she was doing better, which was a relief. I felt more than a little guilty over my narcissistic melodrama forcing her to dredge up such painful memories to put things in perspective.


    ¡°What do you think about getting some lunch?¡± I asked Toofy as cheerfully as I could manage, which admittedly wasn¡¯t much but was still better than I could have managed before.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Toofy agreed, her usual energy still somewhat dampened compared to usual.


    Knowing that I had to make this up to her, I decided to teach Toofy how to slide down the bannisters.


    Heading downstairs to the common room, I waited at the bottom of the stairs and motioned to Kirk that he should pay attention. After waiting for Rose and incidentally a rather decent crowd of loitering adventurers, I gave Toofy the signal.


    Toofy took a running leap, laughing hysterically as she landed both her feet on the bannister and slid right down to the bottom with her ¡®cape¡¯ drawn out to either side and fluttering behind her. Leaping into my arms rather than risking a tumble, Toofy promptly hopped down and raced back to the top of the stairs again.


    Toofy repeated her new game a half dozen more times before tiring somewhat and joining me at the bar.


    ¡°I am not sure you are a very good influence on her,¡° Kirk commented with a wry smile.


    I shrugged, having already made up my mind to let Toofy enjoy herself for a bit. ¡°Could we have a large lunch, please?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Kirk agreed, disappearing into the kitchen for a few moments before returning with a large tray of roasted meat.


    Letting Toofy pick what she liked first, I waited until she began slowing down before eating anything myself.


    A short while later, I stretched and caught a whiff of my armpit. Even though the smell wasn¡¯t that bad, it was clearly time for a bath. ¡°I think it¡¯s high time Toofy and I took another bath. Would it be alright if we bathed in the laundry area?¡± I asked Kirk, it had been more than a couple of days since the last time we bathed and I was feeling a little grody.


    Kirk scratched his chin, ¡°Erm, I guess it would be fine. But why not just take your bath upstairs?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really feel like making multiple trips,¡± I shrugged, there wasn¡¯t much more to it than that. Besides, the cooking fire would be in use at the moment, so it would be a cold bath anyway. If anything, taking a bath outside might warm the water up a little. ¡°Come on Toofy,¡± I waved at her to follow me as I walked around the bar and into the kitchen.


    Rose was busy at work tending the fire and preparing what looked like stew in preparation for dinner, but she still raised an eyebrow inquisitively at me as Toofy and I walked through the kitchen.


    ¡°Taking a bath,¡± I explained sheepishly.


    Rose nodded and turned back to what she was doing, apparently more than satisfied with the answer.


    Walking out into the laundry area, I was a little surprised to find that most of the laundry tubs were missing. It took me a moment to realise that they had probably been used as part of the barricade and were very likely damaged. So it made sense that they hadn¡¯t dragged them back through the inn again, there wouldn''t have been much of a point.


    Taking one of the tubs, I placed it under the pump and filled it with water. As I had expected, the water was rather cold, so I decided that it would probably be best If I took my bath first, at least then the water would be somewhat warmed up for Toofy. Untying the blanket from around my shoulders, I slung it over a washing line and did the same for Toofy¡¯s towel in an attempt to keep them from getting any dirtier and remain dry until we needed them.


    Taking out a small bar of soap from the lidded clay pot by the door, I stepped into the tub and sat down.


    Toofy began stripping down, but I managed to stop her before she got to her underwear, barely. Contrary to my expectations, Toofy didn¡¯t seem to mind the cool water temperature and hopped in with a splash.


    I grabbed one of the nearby buckets, filled it with the bathwater and upended it in the tub so Toofy had somewhere to sit that would keep her head above water. ¡°Do you remember how to wash?¡± I asked Toofy while lathering up my chest and pits.


    Toofy shrugged and then nodded somewhat uncertainly.


    ¡°Just copy me,¡± I instructed, making sure to rub down my arms, chest and as much of my back as I could reach.


    ¡°Toofy do,¡± Toofy agreed, watching me far more intently than I was comfortable with given our current situation.


    Finished with the soap, I handed it over to Toofy, ¡°After you wash, I will help you wash your hair, okay?¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Toofy nodded and began lathering up her arms just as I had done.


    While Toofy was occupied, I discreetly washed down my groyne and made a mental note to make sure one of the girls had a chat with Toofy about personal hygiene regarding her feminine areas. Although it was not an immediate issue, it was quite possible to become one in the future.


    In the best case scenario, I would prefer it if they helped socialise Toofy a little by bathing as a group. If there was one thing I had noticed over the past few days, it was that Toofy was much smarter than I had initially given her credit for, so proper socialisation had to become a higher priority.


    ¡°Make sure to wash under your clothes too,¡± I reminded Toofy, as she lathered up her top.


    Toofy looked at me a little weird, then shrugged, ¡±Kay.¡±


    I took the opportunity to grab another bucket and began washing down my head and face with the soapy bathwater. To my immense relief, Toofy did not take long to wash and we could move on to washing her hair. Interestingly, Toofy remembered this part and leaned her head back towards me expectantly.


    Wetting Toofy¡¯s hair with the bathwater, I gingerly lathered up her hair and paid particular attention to behind her ears and the nape of her neck. Satisfied that it was about as good as I could manage, I shielded Toofy¡¯s eyes with my hand and began rinsing her hair out with fresh water from the pump. ¡°All done Toofy, time to hop out,¡±


    Toofy eagerly got out of the tub and shook herself to dry off a little.


    Getting out as well, I emptied the tub and pulled down Toofy¡¯s towel from the washing line and dried out her hair as best as I could before wrapping the towel around her just below the armpits. ¡°Better?¡± I asked.


    Toofy grinned and nodded.


    Folding the blanket in half, I wrapped it around my gut and gave Toofy¡¯s tunic and pants a good scrubbing in the bathwater before wringing them out and then emptying the bathwater into the corner drain. I was fairly certain that it fed into a small pipe that fed the water a short distance from the inn, or at least that¡¯s what I vaguely remembered Rose telling me while we were doing laundry.


    Heading back upstairs, I found my pack had been stored in the corner of the girl¡¯s room and fished out Toofy¡¯s spare change of underwear. Giving Toofy some privacy to change, I took off the blanket I had been using as a towel and properly dried myself off with it while staring at the far wall.


    I spent the next hour or so singing the sausage nursery rhyme with Toofy to try and help her remember the words for each number, and later giving her some very basic maths problems to familiarise herself with the concept. Toofy was definitely making solid progress on both counts, it was just a matter of keeping at it so it sticks.


    ¡°Ugh! I need sleep!¡± Nadine groaned as she suddenly barged into the room, wandered over to the bed and collapsed face-first into the blanket, ¡°I never want to drink another mana potion again!¡±


    Clarice was not far behind her and closed the door, ¡°Yeah, I hear that the accumulated side effects are nothing to joke about,¡± she agreed with an exaggerated shiver.


    ¡°Side effects?¡± I asked.


    Clarice nodded, ¡°You get dizzy when you drink one, but if you drink too many you get pretty bad nausea or fatigue. Or at least that¡¯s what Nadine says anyway.¡±


    Nadine groaned into her pillow but made no further attempts to confirm or deny what Clarice had said.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Clarice slapped her forehead, ¡°A Guild investigator is putting together a report on the raid, so try to stay up in the room as much as possible, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡± I agreed hesitantly, ¡°What is a Guild investigator exactly?¡±


    Clarice scratched the back of her head awkwardly, ¡°Well, erm, they like, investigate stuff for the Guild, you know?¡± She replied, perfectly explaining nothing I hadn¡¯t already assumed by virtue of the title.


    Nadine groaned and rolled over on the bed, ¡°The investigator interviews people, looks into anything strange, assesses damage to the foothold, stuff like that,¡± she sighed tiredly, ¡°It¡¯s mostly just administrative stuff, but there is a chance that the investigator might take an interest in you and ask some difficult questions...¡±


    Ah, there it was. ¡°If that is the case, then I don¡¯t really mind,¡± I agreed, more than willing to hang out in the room for a couple of days until this investigator leaves.


    ¡°Figured you would say that,¡± Clarice grinned somewhat mockingly, ¡°So I let Kirk know that you and Toofy would be needing meals delivered to the room.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I was genuinely appreciative that Clarice had made the consideration on our behalf.


    ¡°Could you keep it down for a while, at least until I fall asleep?¡± Nadine groaned.


    Clarice rolled her eyes and headed for the door, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Pulling out my damaged tunic from my pack, I followed through on my plans to repair and alter it. It was a rather straightforward process so it didn¡¯t really take that long. Slipping on my recently patched tunic, I set about doing my best to shorten the pants and reinforce the knees and cuffs. Pretty much all the fabric from my mid-shin and lower had been torn and frayed to oblivion. So by the time I was done, I finished with a somewhat longish pair of shorts that fell just past my knees. Given that this was the best I could do with what I had on hand, I decided not to be too hard on myself.


    While I was more than happy to pass the rest of the day in quiet self-reflection, Toofy became bored rather quickly. I tried teaching her some quiet games, but Toofy was either uninterested or would become too excited and we would have to stop so she wouldn¡¯t wake up Nadine.


    In the end, I settled on quietly telling Toofy some of the fairy tales and children''s stories I remembered from when I was growing up. Toofy would interrupt occasionally when she didn¡¯t understand something, but surprisingly not very often.


    By the late evening Clarice had returned to the room and Nadine, though still tired, was doing much better.


    ¡°The investigator has been asking a lot of questions about Tim,¡± Clarice sighed irritably.


    ¡°Questions?¡± I asked hesitantly, unsure I wanted to hear the answer.


    Clarice nodded, ¡°Where is it? What level is it? Who is the owner? Where did it come from?¡± She had adopted a nasal tone, presumably to imitate the investigator, ¡°He has been badgering me all day! Because of course, the Guild manager ratted us out!¡± Clarice seethed.


    Tiredly sitting up in bed, Nadine nodded and rubbed her temples, ¡°What about Emelia? Do you know if she has told the investigator anything?¡±


    Clarice snorted and smiled a little, ¡°Actually, yeah, she has.¡±


    Nadine stiffened, ¡°Is it anything we need to worry about?¡± She asked worriedly.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Clarice chuckled and shook her head, ¡°He tried questioning her but got nowhere fast! I think maybe Emelia is smarter than we gave her credit for. After just a couple of minutes, the investigator was practically pulling his hair out and screaming at her when she couldn¡¯t answer one of his first questions he asked slightly differently for a second time to try and trip her up. It was hilarious!¡± Clarice crowed happily.


    Nadine sighed in relief, ¡°I suppose that is perhaps the best we could have hoped for.¡±


    Clarice shrugged and pulled off her boots.


    ¡°So will we be alright you think?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Dunno,¡± Clarice admitted a little sheepishly, ¡°Kirk and Rose are looking out for us, so it will probably be fine though.¡±


    Nadine gave it some thought and then nodded, ¡°The investigator seems to be driven by curiosity more than a valid motive, so I doubt the Guild will allow him to linger for long. Also with the portal open again, Kirk and Rose can exercise a decent amount of influence to pressure the Guild into wrapping up the investigation sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°Why is that exactly?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t they just running an inn?¡±


    Nadine smirked a little condescendingly and shook her head, ¡°The innkeepers who work inside the Labyrinths are technically contracted by the Guild. They have a rank slightly lower than the manager but unlike Guild managers, the innkeepers aren¡¯t nearly as divided in Guild politics. So the managers are reluctant to antagonise them lightly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know Kirk and Rose had that sort of clout,¡± I admitted sheepishly, ¡°But if they are Guild employees, does that mean the inn belongs to the Guild? So can¡¯t the investigator just get a key and barge in whenever he feels like it?¡±


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°The agreements are a bit complicated, but basically Kirk and Rose own the inn under an operational discretionary lease contract. So long as Kirk and Rose pay the lease fee, they can run the inn however they like.¡±


    ¡°They can tell the investigator to fuck off basically,¡± Clarice clarified with a grin.


    Nadine sighed but nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s a relief,¡± I sighed, but all too quickly remembered something else that had been bothering me, ¡°Have either of you seen Jacque?¡± I asked worriedly. There were some questions I wanted to ask her, specifically about the Goblin chieftain¡¯s spear, but she hadn¡¯t made an appearance all day.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°Dunno.¡±


    Nadine shook her head as well, ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything about leaving, but I haven¡¯t seen her since this morning. I doubt she will have gone anywhere just yet though, the rewards for the raid contributions haven¡¯t been handed out yet after all, and it¡¯s not like Jacque has dissolved the party either.¡±


    I nodded and tried my best to put the matter out of my mind for the time being, but it was easier said than done.


    *****


    Sauntering down the city streets of Hurst, Jacque paid little mind to the small band of thugs trailing behind her. Worst case scenario, they did something stupid and she would need to put them down. Jacque¡¯s information broker in the slums had been quite helpful, so she didn¡¯t really mind the minor inconvenience all that much since she was in a good mood.


    Although Jacque still needed to verify the information with a few targeted inquiries at the Guild, she was confident that the opportunity was real and intended to capitalise on it. Defensible unclaimed real estate in the Labyrinth was hard to come by after all, and Jacque needed a new base of operations after what happened to the last one.


    Recalling the slaughter of her minions at Trevor¡¯s hands still made Jacque angry. The meathead hadn¡¯t even claimed the territory or looted the ruins after levelling her fortress to the ground and killing everyone he could catch. Jacque swore that she would make Trevor pay for that, many of those minions had been irreplaceable and close friends.


    Letting out a deep sigh, Jacque had to content herself with the fact that her provisional alliance with Tim seemed to be off to a good start. Even though he was not nearly ruthless enough to contend with the other Awakened, he was getting there. Given the right guidance and a few nudges in the right direction, Jacque was confident that Tim would more than suit her purposes.


    Discovering Tim on the first floor of Hurst¡¯s Labyrinth was a happy little accident and more than made up for losing her chance at the key. There would always be other keys and there was no telling which key he received anyway. Besides, If Jacque had wanted to claim the key, she would have had to kill all the witnesses. At least this way, all the attention was on Tim and not her.


    Noticing two more thugs moving out of the alleys ahead of her, Jacque sighed and shook her head. Drawing her sword, Jacque glanced lazily over her shoulder at the thugs now rapidly closing in from behind and sighed again. This really was a mild inconvenience, but at least there would be no witnesses.


    ¡°Hand over yer-URK!¡± The thug staggered backwards clutching at his neck as blood welled over his fingers and ran down his chest.


    Before the others could react, Jacque had leapt in amongst them. Effortlessly disarming one of them by hacking through his right bicep and severing the muscles and bone while using the same blow to slash open the guts of another, spilling his intestines onto the ground.


    Jacque didn¡¯t let up, capitalising on their shock and driving the tip of her sword through another thug''s chest before kicking him off the blade and swinging the sword overhead and into the collarbone of another that was standing behind her.


    ¡°M-monster!¡± The last thug cried, dropping his truncheon and turning to run.


    ¡°Close enough,¡± Jacque muttered with a smirk, effortlessly catching up to the fleeing man and slashing a long gash down his back, causing him to pitch forward onto the hard ground.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me! I didn¡¯t wan-ghurk...¡± Jacque cut the thug''s plea short by hacking her sword halfway into his neck.


    Shaking her head, Jacque leaned in close to the dying man so they could look one another in the eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t show mercy to trash like you,¡± she spat, ¡°Preying on those you think are weaker and always running your mouths about how you had no choice the moment someone stronger reminds you how weak you truly are!¡±


    The thug pawed helplessly at the sword lodged in his neck as his eyes began to dim.


    Jacque waited until the last flicker of life left the man¡¯s eyes and snorted in contempt at his final thoughts encompassed by a single word, ¡®unfair¡¯. The irony was not lost on Jacque. To gang up on a woman late at night, seven to one and still claim that life, the fight and the universe, in general, was unfair...It was actually rather typical of most bandits and thugs Jacque was forced to put down. Almost every single one of them had believed their actions to be justified by some perverse self-serving logic, and the moment things didn¡¯t go their way, it was ¡®unfair¡¯.


    Wiping her sword clean on the dead thug¡¯s tunic, Jacque briefly considered looting their bodies and then decided against it. It was likely that they only had a few coppers, and it wouldn¡¯t be worth dirtying her hands further for such a pittance. Better to leave it for the scavengers, it would encourage them to mess up the scene a bit anyway as they fought over the spoils.


    Jacque sheathed her sword and casually began sauntering back towards the Guild branch office, absently wondering if any other trash would be stupid enough to cross her path.


    *****


    Stiffly stretching my back, I wondered if it was really such a smart idea to sleep on the floor. Unsurprisingly, I was the first one awake and couldn¡¯t really do all that much without waking anyone else up. So instead, I decided to look at everyone¡¯s status to see if fighting off the raid had gotten us any real benefits.


    Looking at my own status information first, I saw that I had levelled up, despite the gigantic amount of EXP required. The level up had awarded another point of Willpower, bringing me up to seventeen. Increasing my Willpower stat was tantamount to increasing protection against Enslavement, so I was glad to have it.


    Toofy had gained an extra point of Toughness and Agility, which was nice. Anything that increased her survivability was more than welcome in my book.


    Nadine had gone up a level as well, gaining another point of Intelligence. I wondered if it actually made her smarter or if it just helped with overall comprehension.


    Lastly, Clarice had gained two whole points of extra Toughness, which was kind of crazy given how close both she and Toofy were to gaining another level. Clarice was steadily getting closer to the same HP as me even and now had thirty-three. The benefits of having a combat class were pretty obvious at this point. If I didn¡¯t need to keep Toofy safe from opportunists using Enslavement abilities on her, I would seriously consider getting a combat Class instead of Slaver.


    I knew there were probably some people who would be overjoyed at the opportunity to dominate others with the power of their mind and turn them into hapless Slaves, but I was not one of them. If it weren¡¯t for Toofy, I would rather have no Class at all than Slaver.


    Clarice woke up about an hour later and I aired my grievance over the Slaver Class.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°Is it really so bad?¡± She asked sceptically, ¡°I mean if you know that you won¡¯t abuse the Ability and take advantage, then what is the difference?¡±


    I opened my mouth to reply but couldn¡¯t think of a satisfactory answer. The best I could manage was that I disliked the name and was honestly a little worried by the temptation. ¡°I guess you''re right...¡± I admitted somewhat sullenly.


    Clarice shrugged again, ¡°Sometimes you just have to make the most of what you are given, y¡¯know?¡± She added sympathetically.


    I nodded, ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°Although, speaking of Classes...¡± Clarice rolled over on the bed so she was facing me and had a hopeful expression on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know any Advanced combat Classes?¡± She asked hopefully.


    I shook my head, ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty obvious that I don''t?¡± I asked somewhat exasperatedly, ¡°I was actually going to ask you to show me how to fight, but then Toofy and I got stuck in this room.¡±


    Clarice sighed and nodded, ¡°Figures. It¡¯s pretty amazing that you can teach the Surgeon and Field Surgeon Classes though,¡± she admitted, ¡°You sure you don¡¯t know any fighting techniques?¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure,¡± I replied.


    The closest thing I knew to fighting was Olympic-style wrestling and I wasn¡¯t very good at it. I lacked a lot of the necessary flexibility and nimbleness to perform the moves correctly. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My mum had gotten me into wrestling for exercise and to try and make some friends, but my height and weight meant that I had to train with much older kids, so I dropped the sport after a few years. In hindsight, I probably would have been better at American showmanship wrestling, but I had never really considered it.


    ¡°You hesitated,¡± Clarice observed pointedly, ¡°Why did you hesitate?¡±


    Had I? I was pretty sure I hadn¡¯t.


    Letting out a deep sigh I rubbed at my temples, ¡°I know a little about wrestling,¡± I admitted.


    Clarice smiled intensely and sprang up into a sitting position, ¡°Teach me!¡± She demanded.


    I flinched, ¡°Um, are you sure? We don¡¯t really have the space-¡± I tried to discourage Clarice but she was already up and off the bed.


    ¡°Nah, we¡¯re doing this!¡± Clarice insisted, pulling on her pants, ¡°You can just push the bed up against the wall or something!¡±


    I slumped dejectedly in defeat.


    Toofy seemed excited at doing something more active though, so I supposed it wasn¡¯t all bad.


    I pushed the bed against the far wall and removed the mattress before lifting the bed up onto its side to free as much space as possible. Laying out the mattress on the floor, I hoped that it would be sufficient to dampen hard falls without being too difficult to move on. Without a real mat, the mattress would just have to do.


    ¡°We need to do stretches first,¡± I insisted, resolved to at least avoid pulling a muscle if I could help it.


    ¡°So we just copy you?¡± Clarice asked, already doing some basic warmup stretches of her own.


    I nodded, ¡°Yeah. Ideally, the warmup would include some light running, but we don¡¯t really have space for that...¡±


    After about fifteen minutes of Toofy and Clarice following my lead, I waved them back away from the mattress and began demonstrating the basic stance and how you were expected to move. Explaining why the stance was important basically boiled down to remaining mobile while maintaining your centre of gravity to prevent you from losing balance, so they both picked it up easily enough.


    Toofy already had the break-fall figured out from what I had seen yesterday, so I had her demonstrate it for Clarice. Once Clarice was fairly confident in using it, there wasn¡¯t much point in putting off the holds and throws anymore, but I still wanted to give Clarice one last chance to back out.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked warily, ¡°I am not particularly good at this and if I do it wrong, I could break or dislocate your arm...¡±


    ¡°Woah! Really?!¡± Clarice asked not at all afraid as I had hoped, and was instead even more excited.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I assumed the position and signalled for Clarice to come at me. Before either of us really knew what was happening, I had ducked down, pivoted my body, grabbed her arm and thrown her up and over onto the mattress.


    *Whump*


    I just stood there for a moment awkwardly holding Clarice¡¯s arm before moving to try and help her up.


    ¡°How the hell did you do that?!¡± Clarice demanded, apparently somewhat intimidated.


    My technique had been sloppy but passable, mostly succeeding due to brute strength. ¡°It would be easier if I could show you,¡± I explained with a sigh, ¡°But I guess I could show you how I moved and then you could maybe practice with Nadine when she comes back.¡±


    ¡°Why Nadine?¡± Clarice asked, somewhat confused.


    ¡°You think you could throw me?¡± I asked dubiously. If she had a real wrestling instructor to work with, she just might manage it with good technique. However, for Clarice¡¯s current skill level, I was way too heavy.


    Clarice frowned determinedly, ¡°Why not?!¡± She demanded, ¡°Go on, show me what I need to do, then I¡¯ll flip you so hard you see stars!¡±


    Groaning inwardly, I demonstrated the move five more times, step by step. Giving Clarice a few mock tries to get the form right, we were ready for Clarice to make an actual attempt.


    ¡°GRRRGH!!!¡± Clarice grunted and strained hard to try and lift me off the ground but just couldn¡¯t manage it. Trying, again and again, she just couldn¡¯t build up the required momentum.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I consoled her, ¡°As I said, I am just way too heavy for you at the moment. There is no need to feel bad about it, I honestly doubt that I could flip someone my size,¡± I admitted truthfully.


    Breathing heavily Clarice nodded and released my arm, ¡°Then-what-else?¡± She demanded.


    I was about to answer when Nadine returned with breakfast. ¡°Oh, What are you guys doing?¡± She asked curiously, looking at the mattress in the middle of the floor.


    ¡°Tim¡¯s teaching me to grapple!¡± Clarice insisted enthusiastically.


    ¡°Wrestle,¡± I corrected lightly, gratefully accepting one of the bowls and handing the other to Toofy.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Clarice said dismissively, ¡°Tim says I need a partner though, so what do ya say?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what?¡± Nadine asked, a little confused by what was going on.


    ¡°I need a training partner!¡± Clarice repeated insistently, ¡°You¡¯ll help me right?!¡±


    Nadine blanched, ¡°Um, I really don¡¯t think it sounds like-¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Clarice interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s important for self-defence! Besides, we have this mattress for safety and everything!¡± She insisted intensely.


    Nadine looked to me for help, but I just shrugged. Clarice did actually have a point. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing for Nadine to know how to defend herself without a weapon. Although admittedly one of the more aggressive martial arts would be better for that sort of thing.


    While Toofy and I ate our breakfast, Clarice bullied Nadine through the warmup stretches.


    Now free of having to demonstrate every move on Clarice, I could demonstrate everything up to final execution with Nadine and then have Clarice repeat it for me until she got it right. It still didn¡¯t unlock any Classes though, no matter how many times Clarice threw Nadine or pinned her to the floor.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Nadine put her foot down, ¡°I am heading off for lunch!¡± She stormed out of the room and stomped down the corridor in a huff.


    Clarice winced, ¡°I guess I did kinda take it too far...¡± She admitted sullenly, ¡°What are we getting wrong?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Maybe you need to wrestle a wider range of opponents?¡± I suggested. ¡°Or maybe you need to beat someone with wrestling? Nadine didn¡¯t unlock the Surgeon classes until she finished her second set of sutures.¡±


    Clarice pursed her lips and nodded thoughtfully, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, I need to throw some people around and maybe choke them out?¡±


    Oh no, what have I done?!


    ¡°Ah, no Clarice I don¡¯t think-¡± I tried to correct her but it was too late.


    Clarice wasn¡¯t listening and hurried out of the room.


    Damnit...


    It¡¯s not like I could even chase after her with that damn investigator around either. Ugh, this was just another stupid mistake, I should have just refused to teach Clarice anything in the first place.


    ¡°Hup,¡± Toofy rolled across the mattress again, clapping excitedly as she sprang up on the other side, ¡°Hehehe! Tim see?¡± She asked excitedly.


    Alright, maybe it wasn¡¯t all bad, ¡°Yes Toofy, I see. You are so good at this!¡± I replied encouragingly.


    Toofy grinned and tucked into another roll across the mattress to land right in front of me. Grabbing my hand, she moved it onto her head and looked up at me expectantly.


    ¡°Cute little monster!¡± I growled affectionately, tousling her hair.


    ¡°Hehehe!¡± Toofy giggled through her teeth.


    Seeing that Toofy really seemed to like acrobatics, I wondered if she would be interested in learning to handstand or cartwheel. They had little real practical value, but it was the sort of thing kids found entertaining. Besides, it would be easy enough to teach Toofy how to handstand while we are stuck in this room anyway.


    ¡°Do you wanna learn something fun?¡± I asked Toofy slyly.


    ¡°Hrm?¡± Toofy looked up at me curiously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over by the wall and I will show you,¡± I explained, moving over to the wall and sitting down.


    Toofy followed me, looking somewhat confused.


    ¡°Watch this,¡± I smiled, laying down on the floor before pushing my back up the wall and supporting my head with my arms.


    Toofy clapped excitedly ¡°Toofy do!¡± She insisted, copying what I had done, but having a much easier time of it given her lighter frame.


    ¡°Pretty fun huh?¡± I insisted.


    Toofy grinned back at me but was too distracted by the new perspective to answer.


    I winked at Toofy before slowly letting myself back down, ¡°If you get good at it, you can even walk on your hands. Do you want to try?¡±


    Toofy nodded vigorously, ¡°Toofy do!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, okay Toofy,¡± I smiled and squatted down next to her, ¡°Since you are still learning, I will hold your legs up so you can keep balance, okay?¡±


    ¡°Kay!¡± Toofy waggled her feet and toes excitedly.


    Holding Toofy¡¯s ankles I gently guided her away from the wall.


    Toofy squawked in surprise at first, as she staggered and desperately tried to keep her balance. But very quickly, she found her centre of gravity and was able to keep pace with the slow movement across the room.


    [Conditions have been met for {Clarice} to advance to the Advanced Class: {Grappling Pugilist}. Accept? (Y/N)]


    ¡°YESSS!¡± Clarice cried out loudly from outside the window.


    I nearly dropped Toofy in surprise. After reading the notification, I just stared at it for a minute incredulously.


    The door to the room slammed open and Clarice rushed inside. She had a split lip and her nose was bleeding, but Clarice didn¡¯t seem to care, ¡°You see that right?!¡± She demanded excitedly.


    I nodded, ¡°What did you even do?¡± I asked hesitantly, not sure I wanted to know the answer.


    ¡°Oh pretty much nothing,¡± Clarice scoffed offhandedly, ¡°I just sparred a bit with Tobi since I figured he owes us one. I kept trying to throw him over my shoulder as you showed me, but he kept hitting me, so I got a bit mad and started hitting him back. Before I knew it, I got a good left hook in and dropped Tobi to the ground. Since he was already down there, I figured I would try the chokehold you know? One thing led to another and here we are!¡±


    Wait a minute, ¡°Did you choke Tobi unconscious and leave him outside alone?¡± I asked sharply.


    Clarice opened her mouth to answer but promptly stopped herself, ¡°Ah...maybe...¡± She admitted sheepishly.


    ¡°I told you choking people out was dangerous Clarice!¡± I hissed urgently, ¡°You should have at least brought him to Kirk to make sure he was alright!¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah...¡± Clarice admitted awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ll go do that now,¡± she quickly slipped outside and hurried downstairs again.


    I had half a mind to decline the Class change on general principle, but after taking a deep breath I decided against it. There was little point in being petty, the damage was already done. Perusing Clarice¡¯s status while waiting for her to return, I could see that she had unlocked two Basic Classes as well, the Grappler and Pugilist. So maybe I was right, practising with Nadine hadn¡¯t counted, or maybe Clarice just needed a second opponent.


    ¡°Nadine says Tobi will be fine,¡± Clarice announced dismissively as she returned to the room again. ¡°So anyway, are you gonna accept the Advanced Class or not?!¡± Clarice demanded impatiently.


    ¡°You actually want it? Do you even know what the Class does?¡± I asked just to make sure. Conceptually, the Class didn¡¯t seem like a very good idea. The whole point of using weapons was to put some added distance between yourself and your opponent. Theoretically, this Class would specialise in close-quarters fighting, not exactly ideal when fighting monsters.


    Clarice nodded, ¡°It¡¯s probably all about hitting people and throwing them around. Of course I want it!¡± She insisted.


    I sighed and shrugged, ultimately, it was her decision, ¡°Accept.¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± Clarice pumped her fists, ¡°THIS IS SO AWESOME!¡±


    ¡°Status¡± I muttered quietly. I wanted to see what exactly made this class so special. Skimming through the majority of the information that I knew already, I saw that her starting stat bonus was a single point of strength and five bonus HP, not much of a surprise there. However, reading through the new Class Ability genuinely gave me pause.


    [(Class Ability: Brutal Momentum {Rank 0}): Increases the momentum of your attacks. {Strength} increases momentum.]


    ¡°Hehe, you wanna try that move again?¡± Clarice asked with a determined grin.


    I sighed and nodded. Might as well find out if the ability behaves like we think it does.


    After making sure Toofy was a safe distance away, I gave Clarice the go-ahead and she smiled wickedly. Already regretting agreeing to this, It was obvious that Clarice had not forgiven her earlier failure.


    Throwing her whole weight and Strength into the throw in one motion, Clarice actually managed to almost lift me off the ground. Considering that she was a whole Strength point weaker than the last time she tried, this was a damned impressive effort.


    ¡°Ugh, damn it!¡± Clarice cursed, staggering away and massaging her shoulder, ¡°Still couldn¡¯t throw you...¡±


    ¡°You came close though,¡± I pointed out encouragingly, ¡°Much closer than before for sure.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Clarice asked, hissing a little as she rolled her shoulder, very likely having pulled a muscle.


    ¡°Yeah. You could probably manage it with another point of Strength to replace the one you lost,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Clarice seemed mollified by that, ¡°You¡¯re right, I forgot about the Strength loss,¡± she admitted and grinned again, ¡°Just wait until I level up again, I¡¯ll be throwing you around like a sack of flour in no time!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not very encouraging...¡± I pointed out awkwardly.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°Wasn¡¯t meant to be!¡± She grinned ferally, ¡°Anyway, thanks for the help, Tim!¡± Clarice called out over her shoulder on her way out of the room, ¡°Now, who to try it on next-¡± I heard her muttering as she closed the door.


    I really needed to stop helping crazy people...


    *****


    Emelia sat awkwardly at the bar and picked at her lunch with little enthusiasm. But it wasn¡¯t because she had problems with the food, Emelia actually really liked Rose¡¯s cooking. She was just rather stressed out and didn¡¯t feel like she had anyone to talk to about it.


    Helping the group during the raid seemed to have helped repair the rift Emelia had created between them, but she didn''t want to test the relationship just yet for fear it would fall apart again. So that left Emelia on her own, with no one to talk to. If she was being honest with herself, Emelia was afraid of what Tim, Nadine and Clarice would say when they discovered that both Bloodhunters were dead.


    Emelia was not particularly good with numbers, but she knew that those two monsters had required a colossal amount of mana-stones to evolve and that she had no feasible way of paying them back.


    When Emelia had enquired at the Guild office about her share of compensation from the raid, the receptionist had unhelpfully directed Emelia to the notice posted on the board.


    Even after lingering by the board for more than three hours, Emelia still did not have a clear idea of how much compensation she would receive. Asking some of the other adventurers investigating the notice hadn¡¯t been particularly helpful either.


    Emelia sighed dejectedly and took another bite of her meal. When Emelia had applied to become an adventurer, she hadn¡¯t known it would involve so much reading. The main reason she chose to become an adventurer in the first place was that she thought all she needed to do was kill monsters and get paid.


    If Emelia had known things would turn out like this, she never would have run away from home in the first place. It was also fairly depressing and rather telling, that contrary to her initial expectations, neither her mother nor father had made any attempts at trying to track her down.


    Then again, Emelia should have expected it. She had been a constant source of embarrassment for them and they were probably quite happy to be rid of her. After all, for a family of scribes to have a daughter unable to read or write was scandalous. It wasn¡¯t for a lack of trying on Emelia¡¯s part, she wasn''t illiterate. It was the damned letters and numbers. Whenever Emelia became anxious, they would just begin moving around on the damned page.


    Everything that had gone wrong in her life was the fault of those damned untrustworthy things messing about and tripping her up. Most recently when the Guild manager insisted that Emelia was legally required to hand Toofy and Tim over or be imprisoned. Unable to read the words on the paper, Emelia had no idea whether he was telling the truth and he wouldn¡¯t let Emelia talk to Nadine about it. The decision had to be made right then and there. And in her fear, Emelia had chosen poorly, she knew that now.


    Despite the pain and no small level of anguish Emelia had caused Tim, he had given her a second chance to make things right. Tim had even given her the two Bloodhunters to help protect her during the raid. But now the Bloodhunters were dead and everything was turning to shit again. ¡°How am I even meant to tell him?¡± Emelia sighed dejectedly and wondered if anyone else would accept her into their party.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 09 – Above the law – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 09 ¨C Above the law ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 09 - Above the law - Part One {Rewrite}


    Setting down the final piece of paper, I sighed and scratched my head. I had never been a particularly good artist, so I supposed it would have to do. I had spent the past six hours sketching visual references for human anatomy, mostly making basic copies of the illustrations of what I remembered from my textbooks.


    Short of hunting down an Orc from the forest, which I was incredibly conflicted about doing, my sketches would be my best reference materials for teaching aids. I had made sure to represent each of the major organs as best I could, so I supposed it would be better than nothing.


    Besides, there was no guarantee that human and humanoid monster anatomy was similar enough beyond surface-level aesthetics to be of much use anyway. I was already making a rather large assumption that the locals and humans from Earth shared the same internal anatomy.


    When Rose had dropped off the stack of papers and some pencils in a small messenger satchel, she had also rather excitedly told me that her daughter Millie would be returning some time early tomorrow. Along with the none-too-subtle reminder that I had agreed to teach Millie some of the more advanced medical theory I knew alongside Nadine,


    To that end, I had been preparing structured lessons as best as I could manage. Even with how comparatively little I knew compared to a certified nurse, let alone a fully qualified doctor, I still anticipated the lessons taking at least a month of constant teaching and revision. It could quite possibly take longer if either of them struggled with anything, and this was all assuming they internalised everything on the first try.


    I sighed and scratched at my chin. There was still the matter of securing a willing volunteer for the class unlocking stage of suturing open wounds. Again, capturing a monster would pretty easily serve this purpose...but besides making me feel incredibly uncomfortable, it set a bad precedent. As someone who was identified as a monster, it was in my best interest to discourage medical experimentation on monsters.


    Maybe Rose or Kirk would volunteer? Or there was always the chance that an adventurer would be hurt badly enough to require medical intervention...


    Neatly stacking the pile of papers, I stored them and the pencils away in the messenger satchel Rose had provided. Hanging the satchel from a coat hook by the door, I decided to take a short nap on the bed. Sleeping on the floor the past couple of nights hadn¡¯t done any real harm, but it hadn¡¯t been comfortable.


    ¡°Tim tired?¡± Toofy asked, panting a little from the gymnastics she had been practising to entertain herself with while I was busy.


    I nodded, ¡°A little,¡± I admitted. There was probably only a couple of hours left before Nadine and Clarice would want the bed back themselves, so it would be better to take advantage of it now rather than later.


    ¡°Toofy sleep too,¡± Toofy insisted, hopping up into the bed and snuggling in next to me.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, despite the fact that short of throwing her out of the bed, there would be nothing I could do to stop her once I fell asleep anyway, even if I wanted to.


    Slowly drifting off to sleep, a strange yet profound thought occurred to me shortly before I fell asleep. Of all the things from Earth, it was the music that I missed the most and had the greatest singular impact on days like the one I had just had. Without music to serve as a buffer, I felt oppressed by the unfamiliar intensity of silence left in its absence.


    Sitting on the jagged rocks and watching the ocean, it took a while to realise that I was dreaming. It was a beach my Mum used to take me to when I was younger, her most favourite place in the world, she had called it.


    Objectively, the beach was not very good by Australian standards. The sand was littered with rocks and broken shells that would cut your feet if you didn''t wear shoes or thongs. The shallow water was strewn with large rocks and made wading out into the deeper water incredibly dangerous. All the same, it was my mum''s favourite beach.


    I had once asked Mum why, and she told me that it had been where she first met Ryan when she was much younger. Later it was where Ryan had taken Mum on their first date and later still, proposed.


    I never got to meet Ryan, he was run down by a drunk driver and died in the hospital four years before I was even born. Mum had talked about him a lot though, and even talked to him when she didn¡¯t think I was around.


    She had adopted me about eight years after Ryan passed away. I didn¡¯t remember much of my early childhood before being adopted, just that I was angry and sad all the time. But I still remembered the first time Mum brought me to her beach. I still remembered the last time we sat here together and talked about the future. I still remembered scattering her ashes into the waves. It was Mum¡¯s favourite place in the world and she had wanted to be a part of it.


    Listening to the crashing waves, I was reminded of how much I missed her. I missed being able to talk through my problems with her, I missed seeing her smile...


    Turning around to look at the scraggly weed-ridden sand dunes, I confirmed that I was all alone. For a moment, I had hoped that perhaps I would see Mum again, even if she wasn¡¯t real, even if it was just a dream...


    Opening my eyes, I felt too depressed to get up, so I just continued laying there until light began filtering through the window shutters. Glancing irritably at the unwelcome source of light, I very nearly jumped out of bed in surprise as I saw Clarice sprawled out on the bed next to me. Worse still, I could see Nadine tucked under the blanket on the far side of the bed.


    It took my brain a few frantic minutes to realise that I must have slept straight through the night. Either unwilling or unable to wake me up, Clarice and Nadine had just gotten into bed with Toofy and me. Now hearing Clarice snoring like a sawmill, I was confused why I hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier. The best I could come up with was that I had blocked it out as a sort of white noise.


    Carefully getting out of the bed, I was not surprised when Toofy¡¯s eyes snapped open and immediately locked onto mine.


    ¡°Breakfast?¡± Toofy asked, already crawling off the bed expectantly.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed, ¡°Why not?¡± Reaching for the door handle, I stopped at the last moment. I had forgotten about the investigator. ¡°Sorry Toofy, we can''t go get breakfast yet. Clarice or Nadine would need to-¡±


    Toofy hopped back onto the bed and jumped onto Clarice¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°ACK!¡± Clarice grunted and instinctively curled to protect herself before Toofy could land on her stomach for a second time.


    ¡°Breakfast!¡± Toofy called out insistently, preparing to jump on Nadine.


    ¡°Toofy stop!¡± I called out desperately.


    Toofy looked back at me quizzically for a moment before hurriedly hopping off the bed just in time to avoid a kick from Clarice.


    ¡°The hell was that for?!¡± Clarice growled, groaning as she started sitting up in the bed and clutching her stomach.


    Toofy had taken cover behind me, leaning out slightly to point an accusing finger, ¡°Breakfast!¡± She gestured from Clarice to the door.


    Clarice stared at Toofy incredulously for a moment before shifting her attention to me instead, ¡°Is she serious?!¡± She demanded.


    I sighed and nodded before turning my attention to Toofy, ¡°You shouldn''t jump on people to wake them up,¡± I reprimanded her.


    Toofy shrunk back a little and nodded.


    ¡°Is this how she normally wakes you up?¡± Clarice groaned as she gingerly pulled on her pants.


    ¡°Only that one time she was particularly hungry,¡± I admitted.


    Clarice¡¯s expression softened a little, ¡°Oh...¡± However, it quickly hardened again, ¡°She still shouldn¡¯t do that!¡± Clarice growled.


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it,¡± I promised.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Clarice pulled on her boots and stomped out of the room.


    ¡°We probably should teach Toofy some basic manners,¡± Nadine admitted sleepily while making sure to keep an eye on Toofy.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt,¡± I agreed.


    Perhaps as payback for her rude awakening, or maybe because Rose and Kirk hadn¡¯t quite prepared breakfast yet, Clarice didn¡¯t return with food until about an hour later. On the upside, it did give me the opportunity to explain to Toofy why Clarice had been so upset. Clarice¡¯s delay only served to reinforce the lesson.


    ¡°Toofy sorry,¡± Toofy sincerely apologised to Clarice, if only because she now understood that biting the hand that feeds you is ill-advised.


    ¡°Fine, just don''t do it again!¡± Clarice grumbled, setting the tray of sausages down on the bed.


    Toofy nodded and eagerly ran over to the sausages.


    ¡°Did Rose or Kirk happen to mention whether the inspector would be leaving today?¡± Nadine asked, tying her hair back into a ponytail.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°Didn¡¯t ask,¡± she admitted nonchalantly.


    Nadine nodded, seeming a little annoyed but not willing to get into a fight over it.


    Clarice shifted her attention to me again, ¡°You wanna practice some grappling?¡± She asked hopefully.


    I sighed and shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we have until Millie is meant to arrive. And besides, this room really isn¡¯t big enough to WRESTLE properly.¡±


    Clarice snorted dejectedly and pouted, ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡±


    Feeling a little bad for Clarice, I tried to think of something she could do to stay busy. ¡°Do you know if Kirk is still going to go ahead with the bathhouse?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Because you could always help with digging the foundations and moving the building supplies.¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Clarice asked dubiously.


    I shrugged, ¡°Something to do and a lot of the exercise lends itself well to wrestling.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Clarice asked a little sceptically.


    I nodded, ¡°If it involves half the activities I think it will, you should get some decent Strength training out of it. You may need to work on some Agility training to balance out later, but it¡¯s definitely better than doing nothing.¡±


    Clarice seemed convinced and grinned, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go ask Kirk about it.¡± she left the room in much better spirits than she had been a few minutes earlier.


    ¡°Is that really true?¡± Nadine asked.


    I nodded, ¡°It is, assuming she gets a decent balance of activities.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to practise my surgery skills?¡± Nadine asked pointedly with a competitive edge to her voice.


    ¡°It depends. Practising your sutures is always worth the time and the same goes for bandaging as well, for obvious reasons. But mostly, I would highly recommend writing down everything you know and learn, so you can reference it later if you begin to forget. Revision is an important skill in practising medicine,¡° I explained seriously. After all, it was the bedrock of the medical profession on Earth, so it really wouldn¡¯t hurt Nadine to adopt it as well. ¡°Also, any sort of activity that improves your manual dexterity in your fingers lends itself well to surgery skills in general as well.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Nadine asked, her interest piqued, ¡°So like sewing and things like that?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°You could also try coin or card tricks, there are a lot of things you can try really.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Nadine was somewhat surprised but seemed convinced.


    I remembered something one of my teachers had suggested for me to try, ¡°There are some finger exercises I could show you as well if you want, but it is very much a long term investment and takes a while to start showing results.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Nadine agreed eagerly.


    Spending a few minutes demonstrating and explaining the point of the exercises, since I was honestly not very good at them, I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised when Nadine realised that she could now do them on her own. It¡¯s amazing what having reasonably dexterous fingers allows you to accomplish.


    ¡°Just make sure not to overdo it,¡± I reminded her, ¡°A little can go a long way.¡±


    Nadine nodded, eagerly cycling through the exercises.


    Shaking my head, I decided to have some breakfast. Nadine would learn her lesson after her first set of cramps, so there wasn¡¯t much I could do besides waiting for it to happen.


    After finishing breakfast, Toofy began slowly staggering around the room in her steadily improving handstand.


    ¡°How long has Toofy been able to do that?¡± Nadine asked, clearly surprised.


    ¡°Not long. I was worried about Toofy becoming bored, so I showed her how to do a handstand and helped her learn the basics on how to keep her balance while walking with her hands.¡± I explained somewhat offhandedly, ¡°Honestly, Toofy is just naturally gifted at this sort of thing, to say that I taught her how to do it is being pretty generous.¡±


    Enjoying the attention, Toofy grinned manically and began moving faster around the room.


    ¡°Still though,¡± Nadine gave me an appraising look, ¡°Are you sure you aren''t a Class Trainer?¡± She asked seriously.


    ¡°Class Trainer?¡± I asked, fairly certain I understood the underlying concept but unsure of the significance.


    ¡°A Class Trainer,¡± Nadine nodded in confirmation, ¡°A human-like monster created by the Labyrinths that can teach adventurers different Classes. Although it is very strange that you do not have access to those Classes yourself...¡±


    I seriously considered telling Nadine the truth, but I had a strong suspicion that she wouldn¡¯t believe me. Similarly, I had gotten the impression from Jacque that outing myself as an Awakened was not a good idea.


    Isn¡¯t that usually how it goes? Reborn as a hero or monster, the moment the natives figure out what you are, powerful forces begin mustering to guarantee your destruction?


    So far, the worst I had faced had been malign opportunism.


    How much worse would my life get when some powerful hero, villain or organisation decided I was a potential threat and moved to snuff me out?


    Better to not take the risk. Knowing that Jacque could read surface thoughts, it only made sense to assume that something similar could be done with magic. So logically, my secret would never truly be safe, but the risks could be heavily mitigated by reducing the number of people who were aware of it.


    Maybe once I knew more about this world and about the Awakened, I would consider telling people who I really was. But until then, there really wasn¡¯t a benefit to gain from doing so, just unmitigated risks and unknowns.


    I just shrugged noncommittally, knowing that Nadine had probably made up her own mind already anyway.


    Nadine gave me a long appraising look, ¡°Are you sure there aren''t other Classes you know how to teach?¡± She asked earnestly.


    ¡°I...don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted honestly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that what I was teaching would unlock those Classes to begin with.¡±


    Nadine nodded with a pensive expression, ¡°Then, do you mind explaining what other skills you know?¡± She asked with genuine curiosity.


    I shrugged and took a few moments to think. The bar for unlocking Classes did not seem particularly high, at least for the Basic Classes anyway. So with that assumption in mind, I supposed the more important question was whether the classes were limited to combat or not. ¡°Just combat skills? Or?...¡± I shrugged and waved my hands a little to express how unsure I was of it all.


    Nadine tilted her head slightly, ¡°You know non-combat-related skills?¡± She asked curiously.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Well...¡± Nadine looked pensive for a moment again before continuing, ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s important to understand that not all Classes revolve around combat directly. Most known Classes do in some way, but that is mostly because of the nature of adventurers and the fact that powerful groups like the noble houses and prestigious Guilds keep certain Class knowledge a secret.¡±


    ¡°So, is there something like a builder class?¡± I asked curiously.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°So far as I know, no, not exactly. I heard some more experienced adventurers talking about a Siege Engineer Class while I was being trained at the Guild, but it seemed to specialise in very specific tasks like expending mana to repair or demolish fortifications. You see what I mean?¡±


    I nodded, considering all the temp jobs I had worked on over the years. I eventually had to shake my head after realising that almost all of them were very mundane or over-reliant on technology. However, it did remind me about something I wanted to ask earlier, ¡°If I know how to teach these Classes, why haven¡¯t I unlocked them myself? Or started with them unlocked?¡±


    Nadine smirked slightly, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s actually rather easy to answer. Most Classes had qualification criteria beyond just the theory and practical elements, or more accurately, they all do. In addition to the practical and theory requirements, Classes also have minimum stat-based requirements to unlock them, some are just incredibly low. It¡¯s why prospective adventurers are given aptitude tests to decide which of the Classes available at the Guild they can apply to learn.¡±


    Well that kind of sucks.


    So whatever the status was, it had determined that I was not good enough for Classes related to what I already knew how to do. Then again, I still hadn''t sutured anyone¡¯s wounds or pinned someone into unconsciousness either, so maybe I was overreacting. Besides, as much as I loathed it, I still needed Slaver for the time being and had no idea of when I would be able to safely be rid of it.


    ¡°So you really can¡¯t think of any other skills that could unlock a Class?¡± Nadine asked persistently.


    I shrugged, ¡°Not really, no.¡±


    Nadine sighed and shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s fine Tim. I mean, you already know how to teach like four or five Classes, two of those being Advanced classes as well. Just knowing how to teach one Class would have designated you as a Class Trainer, but five is damned impressive!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I rubbed at my neck in embarrassment, ¡°But I am pretty sure Clarice probably had most of the Brawler unlocked on her own hehe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Nadine agreed with a smile. She got up off the bed and stretched for a moment before returning her attention to me again, ¡°Can you think of anything else we might need for the lessons when Millie gets here?¡± Nadine asked.


    I thought carefully for a moment, ¡°Well, maybe some sewing supplies to practise suturing first, before doing it on a volunteer? Oh, also, we will want a volunteer...I figured maybe Kirk or perhaps one of the other adventurers if they get injured or something.¡±


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    I turned around to give Nadine some privacy while she finished changing.


    ¡°I''ll be back in a little while,¡± Nadine said as she walked out the door, taking care to close it behind her.


    Taking the key off the bedside table, I made sure to lock it as well, just in case.


    *Rattle*


    I had been just about to step back from the door and sit on the bed when I saw the doorknob ineffectually turning as someone tried to open the door.


    Toofy looked over in my direction curiously.


    I held my finger up to my lips and hoped she understood what I meant.


    Toofy quietly ended her handstand, lowering herself onto all fours and crawled under the blankets on the bed.


    Very impressed with Toofy, I quietly pulled off my tunic and dropped it to the floor to cover my feet. If anyone tried looking under the door, all they would see is a few stray items of clothing and the bottom of some furniture. Slowly leaning forward, I braced my full weight against the door, just in case.


    Neither Clarice nor Nadine had a reason not to announce themselves before trying to enter the room, so there wasn¡¯t really a downside to my paranoia beside the immediate inconvenience.


    Hearing some strange noises coming from the lock beneath the door handle, I felt vindicated and began mentally preparing myself for the worst.


    ¡°Hey!¡± A familiar male voice called out angrily, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± They demanded accusingly.


    There was the sound of small metal objects falling on the other side of the door and scrambling boots.


    ¡°Ah, nothing...This is, erm, this is official adventurers Guild business!¡± A nasal-voiced man insisted unconvincingly.


    ¡°Like hell it is!¡± The familiar male voice repeated, ¡°I¡¯m telling the innkeeper!¡±


    The sounds of quick boot steps rushing away from the door stopped suddenly at the sound of a low threatening growl.


    ¡°INNKEEPER! SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO BREAK INTO A ROOM UPSTAIRS!¡± The familiar male voice called out as loudly as they could manage. My brain finally put a name and face to the voice, it was Tobi.


    Had the girls asked him to keep an eye out just in case? Or was this all just a very happy coincidence?


    I heard muted cursing coming from the nasal-voiced man and muttering from other adventurers that had opened their doors to investigate the source of the commotion.


    A few moments later a set of heavy footfalls announced Kirk¡¯s arrival down the hall, ¡°I have warned you once already!¡± Kirk growled angrily, ¡°MY inn MY rules! Now I find you trying to break into MY lodger''s private rooms?!¡±


    ¡°I am well within my rights!¡± The nasal-voiced man insisted indignantly, "As property of the Guild-¡±


    ¡°Privately leased property!¡± Kirk roared, ¡°You and I both know full well the distinct lack of authority you have in this building without my expressed permission! Which I can assure you, you do not have!¡±


    ¡°But, but-¡± The nasal-voiced man insisted.


    ¡°BUT NOTHING!¡± Kirk thundered.


    ¡°I have a warrant!¡± The nasal-voiced man shrieked, causing a momentary silence to fall on the corridor before all hell seemed to break loose and everyone began talking all at once.


    Okay, I could see where this was going and I didn¡¯t like it. Picking up my tunic off the floor, I hurriedly slipped it back on again. Pulling both my pack and the satchel off the coat rack, I slid them onto my shoulders and quietly walked across the room and over to the window.


    ¡°Toofy!¡± I whispered urgently.


    Toofy cautiously peeked out from under the covers.


    I quietly motioned for her to come over and hang off my back.


    Toofy nodded, effortlessly climbing into position, hugging her arms around my neck and anchoring the claws on her toes into the back of my tunic. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Confident that Toofy was secure, I peeked out the window and was glad that the street appeared to be empty. Wondering how long exactly I would need to hide, I decided that the roof would be a good starting point since it would keep me pretty decently hidden from view if I stayed on the side of the town wall.


    Climbing out the window, I took hold of the edge of the nearby overhanging roof and carefully pulled myself up. Confident that the wood-shingled roof could hold my weight so long as I moved carefully and followed the hidden support beams, I scaled the top of the roof and then made my way towards the chimney. The squat profile of the chimney would help conceal my presence on the roof from the direction of the Guild office, so I felt rather good about using it as our hiding place.


    ¡°You can sit down next to me now if you like,¡± I told Toofy.


    Toofy scrambled off my back and sat down on the roof next to me, curiously opting to sit at a higher point on the roof so we were at about eye level, but so I had to look up slightly at her to do so. Judging by the furtive glances and the cheeky smile, it was a very deliberate choice.


    Rolling my eyes good-naturedly at Toofy I did my best to remember why we were hiding out on the roof in the first place.


    I wondered if that inspector really had a warrant that allowed what he claimed, or if it was all just a big bluff. In either case, he had to be colluding with the Guild manager Gilbert, although I wasn¡¯t sure why exactly.


    What reasoning besides petty revenge did Gilbert have for wanting me investigated?


    With nothing to do but anxiously wait, I was startled when I heard someone flinging open a pair of shutters on the other side of the inn.


    ¡°It must have escaped out the window!¡± The inspector shrieked desperately, the unhinged mania in his voice causing me to picture the room completely overturned with clothes strewn everywhere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The investigator shrieked again a few moments later in reply to a question I obviously hadn¡¯t heard.


    A few minutes passed in silence before Shady suddenly appeared next to us on the rooftop, seemingly as surprised to see us as we were to see him.


    Toofy grinned and began patting Shady¡¯s head and playing with his ears.


    Shady bore with it stoically, making as if to bare his teeth every so often Toofy petted him too hard, but would then catch my eye and calm down.


    Wondering if Tobi had sent Shady to look for us, I took one of the spare pieces of paper and drew a rudimentary picture of a roof and chimney in a corner. Tearing the corner piece off of the paper, I tucked it into the buckle of Shady¡¯s collar.


    The Shadowcat seemed to sigh in relief right before disappearing in a small burst of black smoke.


    ¡°Awww,¡± Toofy grumbled dejectedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can pet the kitty later,¡± I reassured her quietly.


    Toofy sighed and nodded, seemingly mollified for the time being.


    As I had somewhat expected, Shady didn¡¯t immediately return. There was a reason I had sent a picture in the first place. We had no other means of communicating back and forth, so unless it was urgent, it was better to just remain inconspicuous.


    As the minutes dragged on into hours, I was very glad that we had at least had the opportunity to eat breakfast before being forced to hide on the roof. Convincing Toofy to take a nap on a full stomach was pretty easy, particularly given how warm it was on the roof. But it did get me thinking about something else.


    Where did the sun, moon and other stars come from?


    I could see a sun in the sky and was doing my best not to look directly at it. I had already seen the moon at night as well as a whole mess of stars forming constellations I don¡¯t recognise.


    Was this floor of the Labyrinth a literal mini world? Or is everything up there just an illusion accompanied by some sort of weather magic?


    The sudden wave of anxiety as I briefly considered that I might even be starring in my own Truman show made me feel a little ill.


    Doing my best to put the thought of starring in a voyeuristic show for someone¡¯s sick amusement aside, I decided it would be a good idea to take out my apron from my pack and give Toofy some shade so the illusionary sun doesn''t burn her skin or cause her to dehydrate so quickly.


    That was something else I had noticed, despite a complete lack of sunscreen, my vampiric complexion had not burned once since arriving in this strange world. Which only reinforced my theory that the sun was indeed an illusion.


    *****


    Nadine couldn¡¯t help but pace back and forth with worry. Despite Kirk and Rose¡¯s best efforts, the Guild investigator had only doubled down and was now in the process of figuratively tearing apart the inn room by room. He was strangely convinced that Tim had snuck out the window and was taking refuge in another one of the rooms. The investigator even flat-out refused the possibility that Tim had run off, fleeing the foothold and into the forest again.


    It was altogether quite odd and incredibly disconcerting. Even after Tobi had discreetly let Nadine know of Tim¡¯s assumed hiding place on the roof, it didn¡¯t make her feel any better. If anything, it made Nadine feel worse because it meant that the investigator actually did have a method for knowing Tim¡¯s approximate location.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get wrinkles worrying like that,¡± Rose observed as she set a fresh batch of sausages boiling.


    ¡°Oh lay off, Ma,¡± Millie chided, no doubt similarly nervous as Nadine, albeit for slightly different reasons. Like her mother in so many ways, they inevitably clashed over everything. ¡°Isn¡¯t there something you and Da can do?¡±


    Rose sighed and shook her head, ¡°The Guild is overstepping its authority, again. Your Da and I have already sent messages to our friends, but very likely nothing will be done until this evening.¡±


    Millie scowled, ¡°You are gonna gouge them with the contract penalties though, right?¡±


    Rose nodded sternly, ¡°Of course! I don¡¯t know what Gilbert''s intended endgame was, but it is going to end with him being fired or saddled with substantial debt.¡±


    ¡°He seemed like such a decent man. Why is he even doing this?¡± Nadine asked irritably.


    ¡°Greed probably,¡± Rose replied matter of factly, ¡°It almost always is. This is hardly unheard of. A party of fresh-faced kids manages to capture a special monster and think they have hit the jackpot. Only, now they find out that there is a ¡®special procedure¡¯ to follow with the Guild that requires them to temporarily hand over the monster. Awww, but wouldn¡¯t you know it? There has been an accident and the monster has been misplaced. The Guild will compensate them of course, but it''s nothing compared to what the adventurers stood to gain before. Some months later, wouldn¡¯t you know, there is their missing monster on the leash of some noble son or other, clear as day!¡±


    Nadine blanched, ¡°So you think the manager was really after Tim before?¡± She asked worriedly.


    Rose nodded, still frowning, ¡°Very likely,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°So we need to leave the Guild then?¡± Nadine asked resignedly, ¡°If we aren¡¯t members then they have no authority right?¡±


    Rose shook her head and sighed, ¡°It isn¡¯t that simple. Leaving the adventurers Guild puts you out of reach of the official channels of the Guild, true, but not the real powers behind it. What''s to stop that aforementioned noble from just swooping in and seizing Tim from you directly? Precious little, unfortunately. Sure the noble would likely have to pay a fine to some other higher ranked noble and you ¡®might¡¯ receive a reparations payment, but Tim would be long gone.¡±


    Nadine slumped dejectedly at the news, thinking that perhaps Tim had the right idea when he ran off into the woods the last time, ¡°Then what can we do?¡±


    Rose was thoughtful for a few minutes before making her reply, ¡°What do you know of monster settlements on the other floors?¡± She asked cryptically.


    Millie was surprised but nodded thoughtfully in agreement.


    ¡°Monster settlements?¡± Nadine asked, a little confused because she had never heard the term before.


    Rose gave Nadine a somewhat smug look and nodded, ¡°So you know how almost every monster the Labyrinth makes is close to identical to the others right?¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± Nadine agreed.


    Rose nodded, ¡°Well, every so often, you get a specially named monster, like Tim or Toofy. Due to their unique ¡®characteristics¡¯, they will often have children, something the other monsters are just otherwise incapable of. The need to protect their young causes a significant shift in their behaviour. I won¡¯t say that monsters residing in monster Settlements are smarter, but they definitely have different priorities.¡±


    ¡°So how does that help us?¡± Nadine asked, not understanding why Rose would explain all of this.


    Rose smiled and waved for patience, ¡°That shift in behaviour and priorities makes it possible to trade with them, albeit to a limited degree. As a standing rule, all Guilds punish anyone who attacks one of these Settlements. Not for moral reasons of course, but because of the sheer amount of profit they stand to lose out on. The third floor of the Hurst Labyrinth has many monster Settlements and Bertrum, the innkeeper of the foothold, is an old friend. If worst comes to worst, you just need to take Tim and Toofy to the foothold on the third floor and Bertrum will help direct you to a friendly monster Settlement,¡± she explained matter of factly.


    Nadine was more than a little surprised, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard about monster Settlements before?¡± She asked, ¡°I mean if special monsters can start Settlements, shouldn¡¯t the Guild have warned us about them?¡±


    Rose smirked, ¡°They would have, but only after you moved to the third floor. The Guilds like profits, but the kingdom doesn¡¯t like Settlements forming on the first couple of floors. This is their sort of compromise.¡±


    Nadine frowned, ¡°So they just let rookies like us wipe out the Settlements for them?¡±


    Rose nodded.


    It didn¡¯t seem like Rose had been misleading her. It was a well-known fact that almost all monsters were identical as if cast from the same mould and mass-produced. Then there were notable exceptions such as Tim and Toofy. Toofy very obviously stood out on this floor of the Labyrinth since she was the only female Goblin in a forest full of males. Or at least, the only one Nadine had seen so far.


    Thinking back on the state Toofy had been in when they found her, Nadine realised that what Rose had said must be true. The trio of adventurers had been chasing Toofy under the assumption that she had special treasure, and Clarice had told her about Toofy¡¯s home in the forest. She had effectively been a Settlement of one, waiting for others to appear or maybe even preparing to start the process on her own...


    Blushing slightly, Nadine cleared her throat and tried to focus on the issue at hand, ¡°Do you think Tim and Toofy could really find refuge in one of these monster settlements?¡±


    Rose nodded, ¡°Monster settlements aren¡¯t exactly racially diverse or inclusive, but they can be bargained with. I am certain that if Tim offered to teach even a couple of their members the Surgeon Class, he would be treated as an honoured guest at worst or perhaps even invited to join the Settlement outright.¡±


    Nadine nodded in agreement, ¡°As a skill trainer, Tim has immense implicit value,¡± she admitted, ¡°And I am sure that a healing Class like that would be just as valuable to monsters as it is to us.¡±


    ¡°No kidding,¡± Millie sighed dejectedly.


    *****


    Staring up at the stars in the evening sky, I was regretting not having emergency supplies of food or water stored in my pack. At least I was able to give Toofy the padded cloth armour I had made for her to sleep on and my now sleeveless tunic to use as a sort of blanket.


    Doing my best to ignore the smokey smell of food wafting up the chimney, I tried to remain alert. I had heard someone poking around in what I assumed was the attic just below us around an hour ago. There seemed to be a distinct possibility that the investigator was using some sort of Ability or maybe a magical item to try and locate me, which was very disconcerting. I honestly expected the guy to try searching the roof at any moment.


    For whatever reason though, nothing happened. I stayed awake throughout the entire night, waiting to be discovered and prepared to grab Toofy and flee. But nothing happened.


    <The inspector is gone.>


    I nearly gave myself whiplash as I looked around for the source of the voice, before suddenly realising it had been in my head.


    <I am coming up, try not to break your neck.> There was a hint of amusement in the voice.


    A few moments later, Jacque suddenly appeared by the chimney amidst a burst of black smoke. <Ah, I totally want one of those Shadowcats¡¯ now. Very convenient.> Jacque smirked as she took a seat next to me and set down a small sack that smelled of food. <I gathered that the both of you must have been up here since yesterday, so I brought food and water.>


    <Thanks.> I smiled and gave Jacque an appreciative nod before gently jostling Toofy awake and moving the sack beside her.


    Toofy¡¯s nose sniffed inquisitively at the sack before opening it and giving me an excited toothy smile, ¡°Eat?¡± She whispered questioningly.


    I nodded, ¡°Eat.¡±


    Toofy¡¯s smile grew wider as she pulled out a particularly large sausage and began wolfing it down.


    <The inspector hasn¡¯t left for good.> Jacque glanced pointedly over at the Guild office and nudged her head, <In fact, the branch manager in Hurst has gotten involved as well. This is going to get much worse rather quickly.>


    I slumped a little and nodded. A small part of me had already been worrying about something like this, the inexplicable escalation.


    Jacque grinned a little and shook her head, <It¡¯s mostly your fault you know. You have been behaving too strangely, drawing too much attention. Just be glad that it is some brown-nosing social climbers looking to Enslave you and not another Awakened looking to kill you Highlander style.>


    ¡°What?!¡± I whispered hoarsely, too rattled to form the thoughts coherently.


    Jacque sighed and shook her head again. <Right. I forgot that I hadn¡¯t told you about that bit yet.> She settled down on the roof and became lost in thought for a few moments before shrugging and turning her attention back to me again. <I mean, you have seen the Highlander movies right? Or at least know the gist of it yeah?>


    I nodded. <There can be only one, a bunch of immortals running around cutting each other''s heads off?>


    Jacque nodded and sighed while rubbing at her temples. <Well, some incredibly stupid and honestly rather psychotic Awakened have gotten it into their heads that our unique situation is governed by Highlander rules. So they make it a point of decapitating every other Awakened they can get their hands on.>


    I gulped anxiously and couldn¡¯t help but glance around the surrounding area. <Why would they do that though? It¡¯s not like they actually get a power upgrade or anything tangible right?>


    Jacque gave me a telling look. <Actually, it¡¯s a little more complicated than that. If they were to kill you around four or five days ago? You would be right, they would get nothing. But now?...> She shook her head.


    Thinking back over the past few days, there was one thing in particular that stood out. <The Key of Awakening.>


    Jacque nodded. <If another Awakened killed you, they would be able to take your key.>


    My brow furrowed from a combination of anxiety and confusion. <Why would they want the key? Is there some way for me to get rid of it? What does it do that makes it so valuable to kill someone over?>


    Jacque gave me a longsuffering look and stared at me for a few moments before making a reply. <They want it because it will make them stronger. No, you can¡¯t get rid of it without dying, and it''s complicated. Every one of the keys is different, pretty much random as near as I have been able to discover. I will assume that you haven''t managed to unlock your key, since you don¡¯t know what they do.>


    I nodded.


    Jacque let out a long sigh and became lost in thought for a while again before eventually shaking her head. <The unlocking requirements are unique to each key, but usually linked to how you acquired it.>


    I thought about that for a moment. I had gotten the key from that Goblin chieftain after defeating him in a duel. <Does that mean I have to duel someone else?>


    Jacque snorted and shook her head in amusement. <You did not ¡®duel¡¯ the Goblin, you challenged him. He was a chieftain too, so maybe the key has something to do with leadership?> She gave me a dubious look and shook her head.


    I slumped somewhat dejectedly. I was not looking forward to another one on one fight after barely winning the last one.


    Jacque nodded. <You definitely need some lessons on how to fight.>


    <Is that an offer?> I asked hopefully. I had seen Jacque fight and could tell that she was easily the most proficient fighter I had seen thus far, by a substantial margin.


    Jacque shook her head. <I don¡¯t have the time for it just at the moment. There is something personal I need to attend to and I was just coming back to let you know that I won¡¯t be around for a few months at least, quite possibly half a year.>


    I stared blankly at Jacque for a moment before what she had told me sunk in.


    Jacque gave me a small smile and shook her head as she got to her feet. <Don¡¯t worry too much. I was eavesdropping on your friends downstairs and they seem to have a fairly decent plan coming together and will probably contact you themselves within the hour. Good luck Tim, try not to die.> she fired a pair of finger guns at me, winked, and disappeared in another puff of black smoke.


    A few moments later, I noticed that Jacque had now left the group, leaving me as party leader.


    ¡°Well...¡± I considered cursing but honestly felt too anxious and depressed to make the effort. Joining Toofy in abating my anxiety a little with some old-fashioned stress eating, I seriously hoped that whatever plan the others were coming up with was a good one.


    Once Toofy had eaten her fill and drank some water, I stored the sack inside my pack and helped Toofy put on her padded armour. At this point, it would be better to be as prepared as we could be, so I put my sleeveless tunic back on as well as the leather apron.


    I could only assume that the Guild branch manager would have reasonably powerful agents at their command considering they were responsible for overseeing an entire Labyrinth of adventurers. The reality of having caught someone of their influence¡¯s attention was unsettling, to say the least. If all Guild managers were Slaver¡¯s, it made sense that a higher-ranked manager would be at a higher level too. If they were, then I did not like my chances of breaking the Enslavement of someone of their assumed strength.


    When the sun began rising over the treeline, I was very nearly hit on the head with a rock. Looking around, I saw another rock sail up and over the edge of the roof,


    Cautiously moving across the roof, I looked down over the edge and found Clarice preparing to throw another rock.


    Clarice was about to throw the rock when she noticed me looking down at her. Dropping the rock, Clarice motioned for me to come down.


    Retrieving my pack, I waved for Toofy to hop on my back. Once Toofy was secure, I carefully climbed down the side of the inn and looked to Clarice for an explanation.


    Clarice looked around conspiratorially for a moment before leaning in close, ¡°We are leaving the foothold,¡± she whispered urgently, ¡°Nadine, Tobi and Emelia are already headed towards the gate and are waiting for us!¡±


    Already informed by Jacque that there was a plan in the works, I was not particularly shocked by our initial gathering point. However, I was more than a little surprised that Nadine and Clarice trusted Tobi and Emelia enough to include them.


    Hurrying along behind Clarice, we ran along the inner side of the town wall until we reached the gate.


    Just as Clarice had said, Nadine, Emelia, Tobi and his cat Shady were all waiting for us and wearing their adventuring equipment and large packs.


    ¡°We can talk more once we reach the edge of the forest,¡± Nadine hissed urgently, ¡°We need to put as much distance between ourselves and the foothold as possible before the investigator and his thugs realise what is going on!¡±


    I nodded and took the lead by jogging out into the plain ahead of the group. Any reservations I had about serving as vanguard were nothing compared to my unease regarding the investigator and his goons.


    Just like every other time, I had not seen a single Vrabbit while heading towards the forest. They really did seem to be over-reliant on scenting blood to track their prey.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Nadine announced, breathing heavily, ¡°Rose says the portal to the second floor should be up on the mountain, specifically at its peak. So after a short break, we should start making our way to the mountain as fast as possible while not leaving ourselves exposed to potential ambushes,¡± the way she laid out the plan made it clear that Nadine did not expect any input.


    The thought of leaving all that money behind in Toofy¡¯s bunker was somewhat painful, but I honestly had no idea how to find it again. Besides, the delay could very well prove fatal in this race against the clock.


    ¡°Oh, ah, here is your mace,¡± Tobi said awkwardly, pulling my morningstar from his belt and handing it to me, "Sorry that I couldn¡¯t bring your shield, but it was a bit too conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I gratefully accepted the weapon, silently berating myself for not retrieving it when I regained consciousness after the raid.


    With Shady and I taking the lead, Clarice on our left flank, Tobi on our right flank, and Emelia, Nadine and Toofy roughly in the middle, we began quickly moving through the forest in the direction of the mountain. Keenly aware of the danger we were in, I just hoped that the risk would ultimately be worth it.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 09 – Above the law – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 09 ¨C Above the law ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 09 - Above the law - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Every few minutes we would hear cries of pain and combat from somewhere out in the forest around us, but we didn¡¯t stop to investigate. Instead, we would alter our course as best as we could approximate to avoid the source of the disturbances and keep hurrying onward.


    Making decent time, we stopped for a very short break at the treeline bordering the base of the mountain. With Shady¡¯s animal senses and instincts to give us an early warning of danger, it was not nearly as dangerous as it would have been without him. I was actually very impressed with how the Shadowcat had unerringly steered our group through the forest without requiring prompts or instructions from Tobi.


    ¡°It¡¯s about to get much more dangerous,¡± Tobi said nervously to nobody in particular.


    Looking up at the mountain, I could only agree. With only sparse sporadic cover, we would not be able to sneakily avoid encounters nearly so easily. In all likelihood, our escape might very well devolve into a bloody running battle right up until the portal as more and more Orcs and Goblins would be drawn by the sounds of combat and rush to join the fray.


    ¡°Tim, do you mind carrying a couple of the heavier packs?¡± Nadine asked, already shrugging off the bulging pack off her back.


    I nodded, handing Nadine the messenger satchel in exchange, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Emelia quietly removed the larger of the two packs she was carrying and handed it to me as well.


    I handed my much emptier pack back to her in return as I balanced the two large packs as best I could.


    With everyone ready to continue, we left the cover of the forest and quickly made for the foothills.


    We didn¡¯t see our first Orc until we were partway up the mountain. There were close to a dozen of them, perhaps more. Near as I could tell, there were two groups fighting over territory, or maybe about who should be the leader. It was tough to say since the Orcs were spending more time and energy trying to kill one another than talking. The brawl was taking place on an open slope, so we could run past them easily enough, but we would definitely be spotted doing so.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± I asked quietly, even though I was quite certain what the answer would be.


    ¡°Let¡¯s carve straight through ''em,¡± Clarice insisted, ¡°We don¡¯t have time to be standing around overcomplicating it.¡±


    Surprisingly, Nadine nodded in agreement, ¡°Let¡¯s just try to hit them hard and fast enough that they can''t muster a defence.¡±


    Steeling my resolve for the fight, I clenched my jaw and squared up to charge. With only six Orcs left standing and still embroiled in their conflict, they didn¡¯t see me coming until it was too late.


    *Crunch*


    My morningstar tore into the side of an Orc¡¯s head, caving in the bone and causing the Orc to crumple lifelessly to the ground. Before the other Orcs had time to react, I swung the morningstar back in the opposite direction, catching another Orc in the back of the neck.


    *Thud Crack*


    The Orc¡¯s head flopped to one side and its body fell limply to the ground, narrowly avoiding a meaty fist to the face from one of its rivals.


    *Chunk*


    Before that particular Orc could do much more than blink at me in confusion, his head rolled free of his neck and onto the ground.


    Clarice followed up her backhanded swing with her sword by sweeping it into and overhead chop into yet another Orc¡¯s collarbone.


    *Crunch*


    Surprisingly, Clarice¡¯s sword cut through the collarbone and down into the Orc¡¯s abdomen.


    Clarice, the Orc and I just stared at the sword for a moment before the Orc collapsed. I was pretty damned sure Clarice hadn¡¯t been nearly strong enough to do that before.


    *Crunch*


    Another one of the remaining Orcs was dropped to his knees as Toofy slung a stone into its back and probably broke its ribs.


    Tobi slung a stone as well, but it scored only a glancing blow against the otherwise uninjured remaining Orc. However, Shady followed up his master¡¯s attack by leaping onto the Orc, biting down on its collarbone and ripping open its abdomen by raking its hind claws.


    The Orc went down screaming, desperately swinging at Shady but missed as the Shadowcat agilely disengaged and tore open the Orc¡¯s inner forearm with a swipe from his paw and hooked claws.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to attack the two downed Orcs, but Shady and Clarice had no such reservations and dispatched them as a matter of course.


    Taking a few moments to let the others catch us up, we reformed our formation and began heading back up the mountain.


    ¡°You saw that right?¡± Clarice asked giddily.


    Knowing she was talking about nearly cutting the Orc straight down the middle, I nodded.


    ¡°This bonus to momentum is great!¡± Clarice added, ¡°Definitely worth losing those stats in the short term.¡±


    I was definitely inclined to agree. It was obvious that the bonus to momentum for her attacks was not limited to unarmed attacks or wrestling throws. Obviously, a flat increase in momentum would need to be treated with care so Clarice wouldn¡¯t pull a muscle or worse, but it seemed like a worthwhile trade-off for such a drastic increase in fighting potential.


    Continuing the hike up the mountain, our choice in route quickly became restricted to a single path littered with Goblin and Orc bodies. Staying on our guard against a potential ambush, we were not surprised when a growl from Shady informed us of just that.


    Three Orcs leapt out from a boulder up ahead, stood there for a moment and then ran.


    ¡°Maybe they didn¡¯t want to fight a group as large as ours?¡± Tobi suggested hopefully.


    Nadine frowned, ¡°I think it is more likely that they are running off to gather more Orcs.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Emelia interjected, shrinking back nervously as everyone turned to look at her for an explanation, ¡°Ah, I mean, didn¡¯t they look super scared the moment they saw Tim?¡±


    Nadine furrowed her brow and thought about it for a moment, ¡°Weren¡¯t the Orcs rather afraid of Tim before the raid as well? When Tim came to our rescue on the plains, the Orcs ran away the moment Tim thinned their numbers a little.¡±


    Clarice nodded, ¡°Hey, actually, now that you mention it, we haven¡¯t seen any of those larger Orcs yet either and it was always those big ones that had a rage-boner for Tim in the first place. I reckon the low-rank Orcs were being bullied into fighting him. I mean, Tim can kill one of them in a single decent hit, so it makes sense to not want to risk an open fight.¡±


    ¡°I think you are right,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°But in either case, we should probably hurry. Just because they weren''t willing to risk an attack now, doesn''t mean they won¡¯t find courage in greater numbers later.¡±


    Redoubling our pace after that short break, it didn¡¯t take long to reach a large open plateau at the top of the mountain. On the far side, sheltered by some ornately carved boulders, was a large shimmering doorway I assumed had to be the portal we were looking for. Unfortunately, there were literally hundreds of Orcs between us and the portal, violently laying into one another with rocks, clubs and even a few primitive stone weapons.


    ¡°Bloody hell!¡± Clarice cursed quietly from our hiding place.


    Nadine shot Clarice a scathing look but said nothing.


    The only upside I could see in the current situation was that the number of Orcs capable of fighting was dropping off rapidly. Unfortunately, I could also see four particularly large Orcs moving about the melee, seemingly avoiding fighting one another directly while also slinging crude monosyllabic insults.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just wait here doing nothing!¡± Clarice insisted, her sword twitching slightly from her battle lust.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t fight that many Orcs either!¡± Nadine countered irritably.


    I nodded in agreement with Nadine. If Clarice''s earlier theory was right, then we would very likely have to fight every single Orc present until the larger Orcs were killed and the ¡®weaker¡¯ Orcs morale was broken.


    Then again, what if I challenged the larger Orcs directly? Would that work?


    I took another look at the way the larger Orcs were deliberately avoiding one another. They were clearly smart enough to realise that fighting each other would leave them vulnerable to a rival, but they were also obviously trying to goad their rivals into a fight.


    ¡°Toofy?¡± I lifted her onto my shoulders to get a better view, ¡°Do you think you could hit one of the big Orcs with your sling?¡±


    Toofy moved off my shoulders and onto the boulder we were hiding behind, crouching low to reduce her chances of being seen. After a few moments, Toofy looked back at me and nodded, loading a stone into her sling and waiting for the order.


    Realising what I intended, Nadine looked surprised and nodded in approval.


    Worst case, we would have to fight the Orcs, in the best case, the largest Orcs would kill one another and demoralize all the Orcs that remained.


    I locked eyes with Toofy, channelled my inner Palpatine and nodded, ¡°Do it.¡±


    Toofy stood up straight, rapidly swung her sling for a few moments, launched the stone towards the melee and rolled off the boulder and into cover alongside the rest of us.


    For a moment, nothing happened. But just as I was about to peek around the corner for another look, a thundering roar echoed over the plateau.


    ¡°RAGH! ME KILL YOU!!!¡± An Orc roared angrily


    ¡°YOU DIE!!! ME KILL!!!¡± Another countered.


    Taking a quick peek around the boulder, I saw two of the larger Orcs shoving through the melee to engage one another directly. The Orcs around them moved away to give them space to fight and surprisingly, even the two forces of Orcs not directly involved in the challenge stopped fighting to watch as well.


    Wasting no time, the brutes charged one another and began battering away with their clubs and fists. They seemed evenly matched for the most part, but one of them was reacting slightly slower than the other and was favouring their right arm. With only a minor advantage, the victor was in poor condition to face the inevitable challenge of the next large Orc, who in turn was ill-matched against the last large Orc yet to participate.


    ¡°ME STRONGEST!!!¡± The Orc bellowed in triumph, his body littered with bruises.


    Gulping hard and stealing my nerve I led the group out from our hiding place, ¡°I CHALLENGE YOU!¡± I shouted, pointing my morningstar at the large Orc.


    The crowd of Orcs turned around and stared at me for a moment and then looked back at the large Orc again.


    The large Orc balked, his shoulders sagging as he looked at me with an equally stunned and incredulous expression on his face. It was kind of ironic, given that this Orc had been all too smug when confronted by the same expression from his rival only a few minutes earlier.


    Curiously, rather than prepare to fight me, something unexpected happened instead. The Orc bowed his head in surrender, ¡°Me beaten!...¡± He declared loudly but submissively.


    Unsure if I had heard the Orc correctly, I looked to the rest of the group for confirmation and found that they were just as surprised as I was. Turning back to the Orcs, I found that all of the Orcs in the vicinity were behaving similarly and kneeling down with heads pressed to the ground in submission.


    ¡°Should we just walk through?¡± I asked the others quietly.


    Nadine shook her head a little, ¡°I think maybe you should try ordering them down the mountain. They could seriously slow down the investigator and his group.¡±


    ¡°You think they will do that?¡± I asked nervously.


    ¡°Yeah I reckon they would,¡± Clarice interjected, more than a little awed at the spectacle herself.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°They clearly recognise you are stronger and you are a fair bit larger too. So now that the only rival you have has surrendered, they will probably do what you say until another Orc challenges you.¡±


    Taking a steadying breath, I turned back to the Orcs again, ¡°L-Leave this place!¡± I commanded gesturing to the path down the mountain as I led our group up and onto the plateau.


    The large Orc Looked up at me along with the others, but then he turned to the portal instead of the path I had indicated and seemed to realize what I intended. Getting to his feet, the large Orc kicked at those nearby and pointed to the path down the mountain, ¡°GO! WE GO!¡± He roared menacingly.


    The smaller Orcs all quickly got to their feet and began hurrying towards the path.


    Circling around the rushing Orcs, I kept an eye on the large Orc, who in turn kept a wary eye on me. It was pretty obvious that the Orc had figured out that we intended to leave and that he would be free to seize control of the gathered Orcs once again afterwards.


    Approaching the portal, I waited for Nadine to explain what exactly the plan was going forward from here.


    ¡°You remember what I told you about the portals?¡± Nadine asked, somewhat distractedly as she kept her attention on the portal in front of us.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Well, we aren''t going to use the waystones for rather obvious reasons, since showing up in another foothold at this point is rather foolish. Instead, since we have a little bit of time, I want to see if we can get a good entry location close to the next portal on the other side,¡± Nadine explained distractedly.


    Looking at the portal, I could see rolling grassy hills on the other side but not much else. After a minute or so, the image changed and showed a dry and dusty expanse littered with withered shrubs that were oddly reminiscent of the Australian outback you see on postcards for tourists.


    After a few minutes, the portal changed again and Nadine immediately perked up. It was the same dusty expanse as before, but now there was a rocky formation in the distance. Unfortunately, there was also a rather sizable horned lizard near the portal¡¯s exit as well. The lizard resembled a very large iguana with filmy drool running down from its mouth.


    ¡°Too good to pass up,¡± Nadine sighed, ¡°Alright! We are going through!¡± She announced decisively. ¡°There is a large Razortooth on the other side, so watch out!¡±


    Everyone quickly moved into position and looked at me expectantly.


    Right, of course, I had to go first...


    Readying my morningstar, I braced myself for the worst and stepped through the portal. The sudden change in climate was more than a little disconcerting and took me a moment to adjust. Unfortunately for me, the Razortooth was at no such disadvantage and sprang into motion, quickly running towards me.


    Remembering that the others would be coming through right behind me, I couldn¡¯t just dodge and hope for the best. So instead, I shakily ran forward and off to the Razortooth¡¯s right side to draw its attention.


    Thankfully, my gamble paid off and the Razortooth halted its own charge to take a vicious snap at my legs. Even though it was only the size of a medium-sized dog, I was in no hurry to see if the Razortooth lived up to its name. I have watched far too many documentaries on venomous lizards and reptiles to risk getting bitten by one if I could help it.


    *Thump*


    A flying stone smacked the Razortooth in its side and caused it to hiss in pain before quickly scurrying away.


    Watching the large reptile run away, I was a little taken aback by how easy that had been. Looking around us, I could see other Razortooths in the distance, mostly just basking in the sun or slowly ambling around. It took a moment, but then I realized why the encounter had been so easy. The Razortooths were most likely at the bottom of the food chain, just as the Vrabbits had been on the first floor.


    ¡°We need to hurry and find the cave,¡± Nadine announced, pointing towards the rocky formation in the distance.


    Toofy scrambled up my back and sat down on my shoulder, most likely to get out of reach of the Razortooths. I didn¡¯t blame her and would have insisted Toofy get up out of reach anyway.


    Curiously, Shady had slunk back into the centre of the group and did not seem keen on joining me at the front. I suppose that made sense, Shadowcats were probably not very high tier and these Razortooths were as large as he was. Still, I was a little annoyed at being left at the front ¡®on my own.


    Setting a brisk pace, it was after walking for around an hour that I noticed a problem, well, two problems really. The first problem was that we didn¡¯t seem to get noticeably closer to our destination. The second problem was that there were signs of a larger predator than the Razortooths wandering around and that we hadn¡¯t actually seen laid eyes on it yet.


    Stopping at around midday, we were all somewhat demoralised. Constantly trudging across the dusty plains towards the rocky outcropping in the distance without making any notable progress was taking its toll. Tobi at least had been somewhat distracted while we travelled, slinging stones at any Razortooth that drew too close. Now that we were taking a break, Toofy excitedly took up the duty instead.


    "The portal to the third floor is further away than I expected,¡± Nadine sighed and apologised disappointedly.


    Emelia said nothing, just smiling somewhat nervously in support.


    Tobi shrugged, ¡°We already knew that this was a possibility. At least we can see where we need to go.¡±


    Clarice yawned and stretched, not really seeing a point in contributing to the conversation one way or the other.


    ¡°Tobi¡¯s right,¡± I agreed, ¡°At least-THE HELL IS THAT!¡± I pointed off to the right of the rock formation ahead of us. A large emu-like bird with a huge vicious-looking beak was racing across the open ground towards us. Easily as tall as myself, the apparently flightless bird was massive.


    Terrified that the monstrous bird would snap Toofy up in one bite, I pushed Toofy into Nadine¡¯s arms and charged toward the giant murder bird. This was not the dumbest thing I had ever done, but as I moved farther and farther from the relative safety of the group, I began to recognise my mistake. Without the rest of the group for support, I would be stuck facing this monster on my own and obstructing Toofy and Tobi¡¯s firing lines.


    Damnit...


    As I swung my morningstar to catch the monstrous bird in the side of the head, it suddenly ducked its thick sinewy neck down and jabbed its beak into my gut.


    *Thump*


    I was knocked off my feet and tumbled awkwardly to the ground, losing my grip on the morningstar in the process.


    The mutant emu immediately followed after me, hissing and screeching as it tried to stab me with its beak again.


    Rolling back and forth on the ground, I was actually far more worried about its large powerful talons than its beak. With no opportunity to stand back up again, I balled my fist and slammed it into the side of the bird¡¯s head the next time it tried to jab me in the guts.


    *Thump*


    The giant bird recoiled and staggered, giving me enough time to scramble to my feet and look for my fallen weapon. Unfortunately, my morningstar was laying beneath the murder bird, so I would have to get dangerously close to its talons to try and retrieve it. Opting instead to snatch up a decent-sized rock off the ground, I hurled it at the bird¡¯s head and even though the rock went widet, I still managed to hit its body with a meaty thump.


    Glaring balefully at me, the mutant emu hissed menacingly and stalked towards me again.


    *Thwack*


    A rock struck the giant bird in the side of the head, stunning it and causing it to fall weakly to the ground.


    Seeing a golden opportunity, I turned back to the group, ¡°Emelia! Quick! Try and tame it!¡± I called out urgently, shifting my attention back to the dizzy-looking murder bird and preparing myself to tackle it if it tried to run away.


    After half a minute of tensely waiting for Emelia, I was just about to move in when I saw a new addition to the group status.


    [Desert Raptor - HP: 8/30 - Bloodied, Stunned ]


    The so-called Desert Raptor looked nothing like the dinosaurs I had grown to associate with the word. However, after remembering the actual meaning of the word raptor, it made perfect sense. I had never seen a bird that so fully embodied the description of ¡®bird of prey¡¯.


    ¡°I have control of it now,¡± Emelia said nervously, her tone not quite contradicting, but certainly undermining her words.


    ¡°Status,¡± I glanced down at the group synergies and saw an interesting new pair of additions to the list.


    {Concussive Force: 0 } {Hardy: 0 }


    ¡°Emelia? What does Concussive Force and Hardy do?¡± I asked curiously.


    Emelia didn¡¯t reply right away, but a short while later she shared the Desert Raptor¡¯s status with me instead.


    [Desert Raptor - Desert Raptor Runt: 3 ] [HP: 30/30] [MP: 12/12 ]


    [Emelia¡¯s Slave*] [Class: ??? ] [Exp: 0/0 ]


    [Strength: 15* ]


    [Agility: 11 ]


    [Toughness: 15* ]


    [Intelligence: 2 ]


    [Willpower: 2 ]


    [Presence: 1 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Concussive Force {Rank 2}): Increases chance to inflict {Stunned} Condition with {Blunt} attacks. {Strength} increases duration of effect.]


    [(Racial Ability: Hardy {Rank 2}): Reduces the need for food and water. {Toughness} increases resistance to environmental extremes in temperature.]


    Given our current situation, the Hardy synergy was probably going to make a fair bit of a difference. There was no telling how long it was going to take us to get to the cave and I had not seen any water so far, so it was a pretty big deal. I wondered if the Razortooths had a similar ability. I would have assumed that they had to, or else water was more plentiful than I had assumed it to be. Although, that was of course assuming the Labyrinth even cared whether its monsters could survive more than a few days at a time before being replaced by new monsters.


    Likely having checked the group status themselves, the others cautiously made their way over to get a closer look.


    ¡°Bloody hell...¡± Clarice cursed, walking around the giant stunned bird and thoroughly looking it over, ¡°This thing is huge!¡±


    ¡°I thought it looked plenty big from back over there, but...wow...¡± Tobi agreed, wincing slightly as he got a closer look at its talons.


    ¡°You reckon we could ride it?¡± Clarice asked excitedly.


    Tobi balked somewhat, ¡°Ah, we don¡¯t really have a saddle or anything...¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± Clarice agreed glumly, misinterpreting Tobi¡¯s reluctance for disappointment.


    ¡°Well...¡± I scratched at my head thoughtfully for a moment, immediately earning Clarice¡¯s intense interest.


    ¡°What?!¡± Clarice demanded eagerly.


    ¡°Well, I was just thinking that we might be able to make one. I mean, the Desert Raptor is already tamed, right? So we could probably just fold over a bedroll to cushion the back a little and just make some rope stirrups and reins to keep your balance if you don''t want to hold on with your legs....what?¡±


    Nadine was just staring blankly at me like she had no idea what I was talking about.


    Clarice similarly didn¡¯t seem to understand what I said, but was plenty excited, ¡°So you can make a saddle right?!¡± She insisted excitedly.


    ¡°I could try...¡± I agreed apprehensively. As silly as the idea was, at the very least we would probably have the Desert Raptor carry some of the group''s supplies like a pack mule.


    With Emelia giving the Desert Raptor firm commands to stay still while I worked, I was still more than a little on edge whenever I had to work around its beak or talons. Which was pretty much the whole time.


    In the end, I settled for sacrificing my apron to provide a base layer beneath the bedroll to provide a more durable foundation before securing each layer with more rope and fashioning crude stirrups from the looped rope. The replacement for bit and bridle was trickier since I couldn''t actually put anything in the Desert Raptor¡¯s beak without it being damaged. In the end, I settled for just anchoring a rope around the base of the Desert Raptor¡¯s neck. Whoever was trying to ride it probably wouldn¡¯t be able to steer very well, but at least they would have some crude reins to hold onto.


    *****


    Sitting on the back of the giant bird, Clarice could hardly contain her excitement, ¡°Up,¡± she commanded eagerly.


    The Desert Raptor looked back at Clarice with one of its beady eyes and promptly stood itself up, shaking a little to dislodge the dust and sand from its lower feathers.


    Even though Clarice had no real comparisons with which to fairly judge Tim¡¯s workmanship, she was still incredibly impressed with how easily she was able to keep her balance. ¡°Let¡¯s go forward,¡± Clarice murmured excitedly, flicking the rope reins.


    The Desert Raptor began gingerly walking forwards, occasionally turning its head to look at her before twitchily glancing around at the surrounding scrubland.


    ¡°A little faster,¡± Clarice flicked the rains again.


    The Desert Raptor broke into a smooth trot.


    Clarice pulled the reins to the right and leaned her weight onto the right stirrup experimentally and was ecstatic when the Desert Raptor obediently began turning to the right. Directing the Desert Raptor back to the group, Clarice pulled back on the reins to call the Desert Raptor to a halt a few paces away from Tim.


    ¡°Everything is working alright?¡± Tim asked anxiously.


    Again, Clarice lacked any real experience to truly judge the effectiveness of the saddle in any professional terms, but she nodded vigorously, ¡°It¡¯s amazing! How did you even know how to make a saddle anyway?¡±


    Tim shifted uncomfortably and shrugged, ¡°I just sort of eyeballed it and adjusted it as I went. I think it¡¯s the commands that really make the difference though,¡± he insisted, ¡°Emelia¡¯s taming Ability is really overpowered when you think about it. I mean, she could tame another one of these if we managed to find one.¡±


    Clarice nodded excitedly, ¡°We should totally try and find another one!¡± She insisted.


    Tim appeared to think about it for a few moments but eventually nodded, ¡°If we can get the four of you all riding a pair of Desert Raptors, we could probably make pretty good time moving forward, especially with that Hardy Ability Synergy.¡± Tim gave the Desert Raptor another appraising look, ¡°But I think we should probably work on getting that one healed up first.¡±


    Seeing where this was going, Clarice grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll take it for a quick combat test!¡± She announced eagerly and flicked the reins before Tim or anyone else could say anything to the contrary.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Nadine called out in a surprisingly supportive tone.


    Flicking the reins a couple more times to bring the Desert Raptor up to what Clarice considered to be a reasonable speed, they were soon racing across the scrubland and spotted their first target, ¡°Kill!¡± Clarice commanded, pointing to the Razortooth ahead and to the left.


    The Desert Raptor turned its head to the side to look at what she was pointing at and screeched excitedly as it broke into a sprint.


    Glad for the reins and stirrups, Clarice managed to stop herself from being thrown by the sudden burst in speed. It was a totally different experience to before and Clarice almost felt like she was flying.


    Contrary to Clarice¡¯s expectations, the Desert Raptor overran its prey and smacked it hard with its beak as it passed. The Razortooth was barrelled over like it was nothing and struggled to right itself.


    However, the Desert Raptor quickly returned and bludgeoned it with the tip of its large beak, resulting in an audible crunch as it broke bones from the force of impact. Knocking the twitching body of the Razortooth a few times to be sure it was down for the count, the Desert Raptor planted one talon on the body, leaned down and tore off its head.


    Swallowing the head whole, the Desert Raptor thoroughly crushed the Razortooth¡¯s body into the ground under its weight before removing its talon and revealing that it had managed to snap off the dorsal spines running down its back. A few seconds later the Desert Raptor had swallowed the body of the Razortooth down whole.


    Thoroughly impressed by the raw power of the Desert Raptor, Clarice was convinced that Emelia had to give it a name. After all, Clarice was still convinced that the main reason the bloodhunters had died was because Emelia hadn¡¯t named them.


    However, that raised the question, what did you call an eight-foot tall murder bird?


    *****


    ¡°You can''t call it that!¡± Clarice insisted adamantly.


    Emelia shrunk away but shook her head in disagreement, ¡°Tim caught it so I am fine with him choosing,¡± she insisted.


    I shrugged, ¡°And I told Toofy she could pick the name,¡± accepting no responsibility for the Desert Raptor¡¯s new name.


    Clarice slumped in defeat, ¡°How am I meant to ride into battle astride a mighty war-mount named Beaky?...¡± She lamented.


    ¡°Beaky good bird,¡± Toofy insisted incredulously, patting the Desert Raptor¡¯s head as it leaned closer. She had established an early rapport by feeding it some food shortly after Clarice returned.


    Since Emelia and Tobi were not benefitting from the Synergies, Nadine and I silently agreed that it would probably be best if the both of them rode Beaky for the time being. This meant that one of them would need to hold the other around the waist to stop themself from falling off, but it was a small sacrifice Nadine and I were prepared for them to make.


    To Clarice¡¯s immense disappointment, we did not find another Desert Raptor before the sun began to set and we had to make camp for the night. Tobi and Clarice took first watch and the rest of us hunkered down for the night. Considering that I hadn¡¯t slept for almost two days I honestly hadn¡¯t felt as tired as I would have expected.


    Although the others had tried to be considerate, I still woke up shortly before sunrise. Stretching and patting myself down to dislodge some of the dust and sand, I made a point of taking in our current surroundings. All told, there really wasn''t much to see. Small piles of rocks, withered shrubs and rolling dried earth and sand for as far as I could see. The only visible landmark was the rocky outcropping we were headed for.


    Using the distance we had travelled yesterday as a baseline, I guessed that it would take us at least four more days of solid walking to reach it. Perhaps a little less if we could capture and tame another Desert Raptor or find some trees to make a sled or something.


    Nadine and Emelia had taken the last watch and were still noticeably tired, so I insisted that they get at least an hour of sleep before we set out again. With Beaky, Shady and Toofy now awake to help me keep an eye out, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    Toofy seemed to have figured out the knack for taking care of the animals, namely giving them food. The biggest problem Toofy had when feeding them was knowing when to stop.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough Toofy,¡± I chided her warmly as she moved to retrieve another sausage from the pack.


    ¡°Kay,¡± Toofy agreed somewhat dejectedly.


    Shady and Beaky looked at me with expressions of betrayal in their eyes.


    ¡°You can give them head pats though,¡± I reminded Toofy by tousling her hair, dislodging a decent amount of sand. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Toofy grinned excitedly and scrambled after Shady who had seemed to realise what was happening a few moments too late to get a head start.


    ¡°Good kitty,¡± Toofy cooed, playing with the indignant Shady¡¯s ears. Beaky, who seemed left out, began receiving head scratches through its feathers after ¡®playfully¡¯ nudging Toofy and nearly bowling her over.


    Watching Toofy play, I wondered what the unlocking requirements were for Emelia¡¯s Monster Tamer Class. I regretted having convinced her to go to sleep, but I suppose I can just ask her later.


    Gathering some stones and borrowing Tobi¡¯s sling, I began experimenting with how to use it. Toofy and Tobi had made it look incredibly easy, just spin and release, so I figured that if I could get halfway decent at it that it would be a net gain for the group.


    Unfortunately, after an hour of trial and error, I was still woefully inaccurate. I hadn¡¯t even managed to hit the bush I was aiming at even once. To my immense disappointment, I found I was actually much more accurate just throwing the stones by hand and could reliably hit the bush seven times out of ten attempts.


    I just assumed that there was something I wasn¡¯t getting about sling-throwing, so I would ask Tobi about it later.


    ¡°I think you just need to practice,¡± Tobi said unhelpfully after watching me sling a few stones towards the bush. ¡°I mean, on some throws you are releasing too early and on others too late. Because the sling amplifies your throwing force, when you miss, it¡¯s causing you to miss badly. As for your aim, that should get better with practice too.¡±


    I sighed and nodded, not really sure what I had been expected. It was unrealistic for there to be a single thing I was doing ¡®wrong¡¯ that would immediately be correctable and make me a sharpshooting marksman.


    Tobi was nice enough to make me a sling of my own from some of our rope. He said it would better suit me because of my size and I could see that it was a fair bit larger than the one he was using. Of course, the most significant difference this would make was the size of the stones I would need to practice with as well.


    Once everyone had eaten their breakfast, it was agreed that Toofy would ride with Emelia on Beaky, so I could get some practice with my sling and Tobi could play safety, deterring anything that took insult at the clouds of dust and sand I was kicking up in their vicinity.


    Rather unexpectedly, Tobi didn¡¯t have to intervene nearly as often as I had expected. It turned out that fist-sized rocks smacking into the ground in their general vicinity was enough to convince most Razortooths to quickly lose interest. I still hadn¡¯t hit one by the time it was midday, but Tobi only had to intervene once out of the couple dozen incidents, so that was something at least.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see why you are bothering with it,¡± Clarice commented while lounging against Beaky, ¡°I mean, you can probably just kill one of those lizards in a single hit with your morningstar anyway.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I admitted. The real reason I wanted to become at least reliably proficient was to try and deal with potential threats BEFORE they were right up in my face. The scars on my right leg were proof that I desperately needed some real fighting skills and a more versatile toolkit for approaching combat. The root of the problem was that close-quarters combat still terrified me. Everything was capable of going pear-shaped in a matter of seconds and I just didn¡¯t have the experience necessary to judge the situations objectively and respond effectively.


    ¡°No, I think Tim has the right idea,¡± Nadine interjected, ¡°It would probably be a good idea for all of us to get some practice. After all, flying monsters begin to appear on the third floor in this Labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Clarice sounded a little worried.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Nothing too dangerous, but it is still a good idea to start practising now while we have the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Wish I still had my bow,¡± Tobi sighed dejectedly.


    I vaguely recalled that he had lost it in the forest while we were fleeing the Goblin ambush. ¡°You couldn¡¯t afford a new one?¡± I guessed, judging by Tobi¡¯s tone.


    Tobi nodded, ¡°Bows made from Labyrinth materials are pretty expensive and I just didn¡¯t have the savings for it.¡±


    ¡°And since the Guild-¡± Clarice pointedly spat into the dirt, ¡°-delayed payment while the ¡®investigation¡¯ was happening, none of us got compensated before leaving!¡± She growled angrily.


    Emelia nodded dejectedly in agreement.


    ¡°Not that we blame you for this Tim,¡± Nadine added hurriedly.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the Guild being a bunch of bastards!¡± Clarice agreed angrily.


    I nodded but still felt responsible. Jacque had told me that I was standing out too much and making myself a target, and I knew she was right. I hadn¡¯t made much of an effort to hide that I was different and before learning of the Awakened and now experiencing firsthand the repercussions, I hadn¡¯t understood why pretending was necessary. Arguably, my treatment would have been far worse if I hadn¡¯t behaved irregularly, but who was to say just how far-reaching the consequences would be. For now, it is an adventurers Guild branch manager, but there was the distinct possibility of it escalating further, and I really wasn¡¯t looking forward to finding out.


    Tobi made slings for everyone in the group and it was decided that we would all take turns practising against the Razortooths. With so many of us taking potshots, it wasn''t really surprising that we started killing the Razortooths rather than just driving them off. What was surprising that honestly shouldn¡¯t have been in hindsight, was the amount of EXP the Razortooths were awarding upon being killed.


    Each Razortooth was worth as much EXP as a similarly ranked Orc from the first floor. So assumedly, the Razortooths were tier one monsters and the bottom of the food chain, at least in this section of the floor. Who knows what monsters there are in the grassland that was presumably somewhere out there beyond the horizon.


    Remembering my question from earlier I took a break from sling-throwing practice and began walking alongside Emelia, Toofy and Beaky. ¡°Emelia? What sort of training did you have to do to become a Monster Tamer?¡± I asked curiously.


    Emelia stiffened and gnawed at her lip nervously, ¡°Um, ah, I can¡¯t tell you,¡± she replied nervously,


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked a little put out by her flat-out refusal.


    ¡°Ah, I mean, I literally can¡¯t!¡± Emelia insisted, ¡°They made us swear a special oath and everything!¡±


    ¡°Special oath?¡± This is the first I was hearing of anything like this.


    ¡°Emelia is right,¡± Nadine chimed in, apparently having overheard the conversation, ¡°All prospective adventurers have to swear a magically binding oath not to reveal the Class training methods of the Guild.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Now things were starting to make sense.


    Continuing walking for a while and not really thinking about it all that much, a thought suddenly occurred to me.


    Was the Guild branch manager after me because he suspected I was the one who taught Nadine her field surgeon class?


    The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that it was true. I didn¡¯t blame Nadine for doing her best to make the most of her newfound healing Abilities, but it was pretty obvious now that it was the primary motivator for this current escalation. Assuming the Surgeons Guild had a similar oath to secrecy for its members as the adventurers Guild, that made my ability to teach those Classes incredibly valuable. This all just made what Jacque had said doubly true, I had brought this on myself.


    Judging by the somewhat guilty look on Nadine¡¯s face, I guessed that she was thinking along similar trains of thought. ¡®Sorry Tim,¡± she apologised, ¡°I probably could have been more discreet about it...¡±


    I shook my head and sighed, ¡°it doesn''t matter now, what¡¯s done is done. Besides, this might all be for the best, who knows?¡±


    Nadine looked relieved and nodded, ¡°The third floor should be a good chance for us to make some real coin, improve our equipment and level up,¡± she added optimistically.


    ¡°You think we will really be able to take refuge with a monster Settlement?¡± I asked nervously.


    Nadine hesitated, but nodded, ¡°I think so. Rose and Kirk both seem to think it will work and they should know, being retired adventurers themselves.¡±


    That piqued my curiosity a little. Despite being a staple of most RPG¡¯s and fantasy settings, I didn¡¯t really get a battle-hardened vibe from either of them until the raid on the town. ¡°Do you know their Classes and levels?¡± I asked curiously.


    Nadine shrugged uncertainly, ¡°They have to be at least level five or the Guild wouldn¡¯t let them run the inn. But the innkeeper in the third floor¡¯s foothold used to be their party member and he has to be at least level fifteen, so they are probably at least level ten?¡± She guessed with another shrug.


    ¡°The Guild has a minimum level requirement for innkeepers?¡± I asked somewhat incredulously. I mean it kind of makes sense, given the danger and the fact that they were expected to keep adventurers in line.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°The standard rule is at least five levels per floor of the Labyrinth and more favourable rates for being higher than the minimum. I think it''s similar for the managers too,¡± she remarked as an afterthought with a sour expression.


    Now that was important information. ¡°So the manager on the third floor is at least a level fifteen Slaver?¡± I asked pointedly.


    ¡°Yes, or at least an equivocal Class, although I haven¡¯t heard of any Classes that would be considered interchangeable with the Slaver,¡± Nadine admitted thoughtfully.


    ¡°So how much stronger do adventurers get as they level anyway?¡± I asked curiously. It had been something that was bothering me for a while now. If an adventurer''s stat progression continued at the rate I was witnessing thus far, then it seemed quite bizarre that adventurers would continue struggling much against monsters deeper in the Labyrinths.


    Nadine smiled and nodded in understanding, ¡°Not very,¡± she admitted glibly, ¡°Class progression is similar to the tier progression of monsters. After level five, you only get additional stats every fifth level. But you do get one additional maximum mana per level as well, which is pretty important since you need mana for using magic items and using some special class abilities.¡±


    I hadn''t expected that. ¡°So how does the increased mana work regarding monster tier progression? I asked warily.


    ¡°That is counted separately, like your base stats and class bonuses. Or at least that is what I have heard anyway,¡± Nadine shrugged.


    So if Nadine was right, I would eventually be able to Shadow Step? That seemed kind of cool.


    Recalling how much EXP I would need to make that happen quickly put an end to my wishful thinking though. Besides I just realised something very troubling indeed, Toofy had access to that Ability Synergy as well, and she would soon have mana to be able to use it. The thoughts of what kind of mischief she could get into with near impunity were very nearly enough to give me a stress migraine on the spot.


    As if on cue, a familiar-looking dust cloud was hurtling towards us on the dusty plain.


    ¡°Dibs!¡± Shouted Clarice, racing off towards the approaching Desert Raptor with open arms and a manic expression of determination plastered on her face. Holding no weapon, it was obvious that Clarice intended to try and subdue the murder bird with her bare hands.


    Damnit...


    I dropped my sling and raced after Clarice. So far as I knew, Clarice had no real idea what the Desert Raptor¡¯s Racial Abilities were, let alone its stats. She wasn¡¯t even wearing her damn helmet because of the heat. Now lamenting having captured the first one, hoped that at least this Desert Raptor would be smaller and easier to knock out...


    It wasn¡¯t. The rapidly approaching Desert Raptor was noticeably larger than Beaky and appeared to be far more vicious with darker plumage and a myriad of scars littering its face and legs.


    Damnit...


    Snatching up a large rock from off the ground, I slowed and hurled it at the Desert Raptor in an attempt to hit it somewhere around its centre mass. I would have missed if the Desert Raptor hadn¡¯t tried to dodge and accidentally facilitated a glancing blow.


    Fortunately for Clarice, the Desert Raptor now changed targets, shrieking angrily from the pain. Unfortunately for me, the Desert Raptor was now targeting me instead.


    Clarice leapt at the Desert Raptor in a flying tackle but missed, tumbling into the dirt.


    Picking up another rock, I had just enough time for one last throw before the Desert Raptor would be in range to batter me with its beak or start raking me with its talons. Or at least that is what I had thought as I reached down to pick up the rock. Quickly looking up again, I was very nearly face to beak with the Desert Raptor. Desperately stumbling to the side, the rock slipped from my hand as I flailed my arms trying to keep my balance.


    *Thwap*


    The Desert Raptor staggered as I accidentally smacked the side of its head. I hadn¡¯t hit it very hard, so the Desert Raptor quickly shook it off and hissed at me angrily as it stalked towards me.


    Pulling my morning star from my belt, I warily paced to the side of the Desert Raptor to try and give myself as much room as possible to swing or dodge.


    Just as the Desert Raptor and I prepared to attack, a rock smacked into the back of the Desert Raptor¡¯s head.


    *Crack*


    The rock broke into pieces and the Desert Raptor collapsed, twitching and keening as blood began welling behind its head and soaking into the sand.


    ¡°GOT IT!¡± Clarice roared in triumph, ¡°EMELIA! Get over here and tame it already!¡± She demanded.


    ¡°I think you overdid it,¡± I stated bluntly, pointing to the nasty wound on the back of the Desert Raptors head.


    ¡°Oh, shit...¡± Clarice cursed, ¡°You better come too, Nadine!¡± She shouted insistently.


    Emelia arrived a couple of seconds later and within moments the dying Desert Raptor¡¯s information was added to the group status.


    [Desert Raptor - HP: -7/32 - Bloodied, Stunned ]


    Confident that the Desert Raptor now wouldn¡¯t bite my hand off, I wadded a bunch of the small cloths that had been used to wrap our food and pressed them against the large gash in the back of the bird''s head. Thankfully, near as I could tell, the skull was still intact.


    Nadine reached up a few moments later. ¡°What should I do?¡± She asked, pulling out her own small medical kit.


    ¡°Could you try just healing the wound as it is now?¡± I asked, ¡°This will be a good test to see what the limits of the Ability are.¡±


    Nadine nodded and pressed her hand against the bloodied cloth. Within moments, the wadded mass of cloth began glowing and slowly disintegrating until it disappeared entirely.


    [Nadine has healed a {Moderate Wound} +100 Exp]


    The gash in the back of the Desert Raptor¡¯s head had closed significantly compared to before and was no longer bleeding. Seeing that the Desert Raptor was back into positive values of HP I didn¡¯t think we should use any of our limited medical supplies just yet. ¡°I think we should try and heal the rest of the Desert Raptor¡¯s missing HP with food,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°You mean Thunder,¡± Clarice interjected.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked over and saw Clarice with her arms crossed and a smug expression on her face, ¡°His name is Thunder.¡±


    ¡°Thunder?¡± I asked warily, although I was quite certain of why.


    ¡°Because he has black and grey feathers and it sounds badass!¡± Clarice replied matter of factly.


    I just stared blankly at Clarice until she broke eye contact. Beaky was unacceptable? But Thunder was okay?


    I rolled my eyes and sighed exasperatedly. Granted, I couldn¡¯t exactly think of a better name myself, but I wasn¡¯t the one openly criticizing other people''s choices.


    Although...


    I glanced at the Desert Raptor¡¯s heavily muscled legs and smirked as I realised the fun I could have with a particular nickname.


    All will quake in terror at the mere sight of Clarice and her ferocious steed, Thunder Thighs!

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 10 – Do or die – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 10 ¨C Do or die ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 10 - Do or die - Part One {Rewrite}


    Continuing our travels across the arid scrubland, I wondered if helping Clarice secure her new mount was in fact a good idea. Putting aside the time and effort to recover its missing HP, Clarice had now begun taking Thunder Thighs out on ¡®scouting¡¯ missions. However, the stream of EXP notifications and the fact that we could still generally see what Clarice was up to, made it obvious that she was just riding around on the Desert Raptor ganking Razortooth¡¯.


    It wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing since it was EXP we probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten otherwise and it was keeping Thunder Thighs fed and in top health. However, constantly kicking up dust was bound to attract attention and we still had no idea if anyone else from the Guild was in the area or not. There was also the distinct possibility of another type of monster we hadn¡¯t seen yet was in the area and would investigate.


    Since Nadine had not wanted to go ¡®scouting¡¯ with Clarice, it was just the two of us on foot. Shady was as well, but short of being able to make a sled, that wasn¡¯t going to change any time soon.


    Toofy really seemed to be enjoying riding Beaky, and I regretted not having the opportunity to make a cloak for her to have flapping in the breeze.


    The circulation of air was another thing I found weird about the Labyrinth. Even though meteorology and science, in general, were not my area of expertise, I honestly wouldn¡¯t have thought worlds so small could circulate air so neutrally. Short of hidden air ducts circulating air behind the scenes, I couldn¡¯t manage to wrap my head around it.


    ¡°Uh, guys?¡± Tobi called out worriedly, ¡°I think we might have company,¡± he was leaning back on the saddle and to the left pointing in roughly the same direction while tightly hugging Emelia¡¯s waist with his other arm.


    Slowing down a little so Beaky would pass us by, Nadine and I looked off in the direction Tobi had indicated and noticed a number of small dust clouds on the horizon. They were too far away to make out much of anything, but it was very likely to be more Desert Raptors judging by how fast they were moving.


    ¡°Catch up to Clarice,¡± I told Emelia, ¡°Tell her that we might have a fight on our hands and to come back right away,¡±


    Emelia nodded and flicked the reins before Tobi had the chance to begin to dismount.


    ¡°We should probably try to close the gap a little too,¡± I suggested to Nadine.


    Nadine glanced briefly at the approaching dust clouds and nodded, ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± she agreed.


    The three of us broke into a light jog trailing along behind Emelia.


    The scrublands were not particularly hot but were definitely on the warmer side. So I was fairly impressed by how well Shady was holding up. Even with the Hardy Synergy bonus, his black fur was a distinct disadvantage for regulating body temperature in full exposure to the sun.


    After jogging for around five to ten minutes, Emelia and Clarice had both circled back for us.


    ¡°Should I go take a look?!¡± Clarice asked excitedly, no doubt keen to do some actual scouting.


    Nadine seemed conflicted, ¡°Alright,¡± she agreed hesitantly, ¡°Just a quick look though!¡±


    I nodded in agreement. The last thing we wanted at this point was to get drawn into a fight after splitting the party.


    ¡°Be back in a few!¡± Clarice called out excitedly as she drove Thunder Thighs into a sprint.


    We continued on ahead towards the rocky outcropping at a decently fast pace, just to make sure we would keep enough breathing room to make a decision once we knew what we were dealing with.


    True to her word, Clarice returned a couple of minutes later and looked quite badly shaken. Bringing Thunder Thighs to a halt, Clarice waved urgently at Nadine ¡°Get on! Get on! Hurry!¡±


    Initially a little shaken by Clarice¡¯s panic, it took Nadine a few moments to react. ¡°What is it?¡± She asked insistently as she accepted Clarice¡¯s help in climbing onto the back of the Desert Raptor.


    ¡°Spiders!¡± Clarice croaked, unconsciously shivering, ¡°Bloody huge spiders!¡±


    Looking back at the dust clouds headed in our general direction, I could now vaguely make out Desert Raptors with riders. I couldn¡¯t see any spiders yet, so I had to assume that the spiders were trailing along behind them.


    ¡°Should we change course?¡± I asked hurriedly as Nadine finished slipping her boots into the stirrups.


    Nadine shook her head adamantly, ¡°They would probably just chase us anyway. We just have to hope we can lose them.¡±


    I nodded and motioned for the others to begin moving, breaking into a sustainable jog myself with Shady loping along at my side. Realistically, I assumed that I would need to break into a long sprint at some point, but doing so prematurely would leave me tired and limit my options if the situation were to change. I was actually waiting to see if I would need to snatch up the Shady and carry when he began to tire or overheat, and I wanted to avoid the extra weight for at least a short while longer.


    After a few minutes of running, I looked over my shoulder and was relieved to see that the raptors and their riders had stopped heading in our direction and were instead peeling off far to our left. It also gave me my first look at the giant spiders Clarice had mentioned, and I was incredibly grateful that they were determinedly chasing the unknown Desert Raptors¡¯ riders.


    Each of the giant spiders was the size of a small car and vaguely resembled a few pictures of camel spiders I had seen once. They were like large scorpions with large mandibles and without the stinging tail, but I could have sworn I could see something resembling a stinger on its abdomen.


    With a fresh shiver running down my spine, I forced myself to look away and keep moving.


    After running for another ten to twenty minutes, Shady began flagging behind and with only the options being me carrying him or stopping for a rest break, we chose the latter.


    ¡°Those things were fucking huge!¡± Clarice complained, shaking slightly as she awkwardly dismounted from Thunder Thighs.


    Tobi looked quite pale and nodded. An impressive feat for his normally dark complexion, ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be able to sleep tonight...¡±


    ¡°Were they really that bad?¡± Emelia asked nervously, glancing back at the way we had fled.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look?!¡± Clarice demanded incredulously.


    Emelia shook her head, ¡°Riding is pretty hard...¡± She mumbled defensively.


    I was actually fairly impressed by how well both Clarice and Emelia had been able to ride the Raptors at all. The ¡®saddles¡¯ I had made for them were honestly not that good, and I could see that some of the ropes had begun slipping and would need to be adjusted before we set out again.


    Clarice just stared at Emelia with a strange look and shook her head.


    Nadine hadn¡¯t joined in on the conversation at all, instead fixedly staring at our destination with a thoughtful yet troubled expression.


    More concerned with what was bothering Nadine, I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to what the others were getting up to besides keeping an eye on Toofy. Thankfully, Toofy was happily taking advantage of Shady¡¯s momentarily exhausted state and was playing with his tail. Giving Shady a meaningful stare for a moment, I felt confident that the Shadowcat wouldn¡¯t do anything too outrageous.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Nadine asked quietly, ¡°Do you mind if I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I guess?¡± I agreed somewhat apprehensively, unsure what she wanted to talk about.


    Nadine didn¡¯t ask her question right away, instead continuing to stare thoughtfully at the distant horizon. ¡°Is there something you want out of life?¡± Nadine asked rather abruptly.


    ¡°Uh...¡± I didn¡¯t know how to answer that.


    On Earth, I had intended to become a registered nurse and work in hospice care, but that really wasn¡¯t an option anymore. I had honestly never really given my future all that much thought before, always being distracted by the present. The main reason I had gravitated towards nursing was because of Gina, Mum¡¯s home care nurse. Gina did so much for my Mum.


    I just...I just wanted to feel useful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted a little gloomily.


    Nadine gave me an openly appraising look, and after a few moments, she nodded as if coming to a decision. ¡°I have just been thinking about ways we could try and pay you back for helping us, but I realised that I had never asked you what you even wanted, I mean, long term.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± I didn¡¯t really know what to say to that. I guess I had just kind of resigned myself to doing whatever they had wanted to do.


    That was pretty depressing now that I thought about it. Oh, right, I hadn¡¯t taken my meds in about a week, of course, I was slipping into old habits...


    ¡°Tim? Are you alright?¡± Nadine asked, looking a little worried.


    I sighed and stared soberly at the horizon, ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, feeling more than a little conflicted over the question.


    On the one hand, I certainly felt far more alive than I had in a long time. But the stress of being hunted...of being a literal monster...it just kept piling up, and I was becoming worried about what I would do when I couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. The problem was that I didn¡¯t really have anyone to talk to about anything. Toofy helped, the little goofball and her child-like antics were keeping me grounded. The fact that she needed my protection gave me the purpose and direction I otherwise lacked. I was grateful to have her in my life.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± Nadine asked quietly, her expression making it obvious that she was more than a little concerned by my lacklustre responses thus far.


    Mulling it over for a couple of minutes, I released a long sigh.


    Fuck it.


    ¡°Do you think I am a monster?¡± I asked pointedly.


    Nadine seemed somewhat thrown by the question but quickly collected herself, ¡°Ah, well...¡± She gnawed at her lip and looked away for a few moments more while trying to think of a suitable answer.


    This was pretty much the reaction I had expected. After all, I very obviously was a monster.


    ¡°No...¡± Nadine replied, shaking her head and looking at me thoughtfully, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you are,¡± she repeated confidently if in a somewhat subdued tone. ¡°Everything about you, everything you do...It¡¯s far too...different. The way you talk and behave, it¡¯s too...normal. If I hadn¡¯t seen your stats I would have...I would have thought you were no different to the rest of us, that you were human,¡± Nadine stared at me questioningly as she continued, ¡°There are a few different special creations of the Labyrinths that I had thought explained why you were so different. But none of them felt quite right. Also, when you came back to save Toofy...when you became the manager''s Slave... That isn¡¯t something a monster would do. Even if what Rose told me about the specially named monsters is true, I still doubt that they would trade their free will away to save someone outside of their community. So no, I don¡¯t think you are a monster. I think...I think you may be human.¡±


    I nodded in silent agreement with her explanation. Just as Jacque had pointed out a couple of days ago, I was not hiding very well and Nadine was a rather observant person. In hindsight, it would have been only a matter of time before she figured it out on her own. My leading question had merely caused her to reach the answer a little bit sooner.


    ¡°I am,¡± I confirmed quietly, ¡°Or I was,¡± I stared at my hands and sighed. Very little regarding my physical appearance had changed. I had confirmed it twice using my reflection in the bathwater to do as thorough an inspection as possible. ¡°The last thing I remembered before suddenly appearing in the forest where I found Emelia, where you found me, was being attacked late at night in my house and falling down the stairs.¡±


    Nadine stared intently at me for a few moments before nodding, ¡°I believe you,¡± she stated firmly and then averted her eyes as she winced, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we should have treated you better.¡±


    I remembered our first meeting in the forest, shook my head and sighed, ¡°No, there is no way you could have known.¡± This was something I had already thought about a great deal. Given the circumstances and what they had known at the time, Clarice, Emelia and Nadine had treated me better than I could have expected from just about anyone else in the same position.


    ¡°Still...¡± Nadine shifted uncomfortably, ¡°It has probably been tough enough adjusting to your new body, let alone being treated like a monster.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± I hesitated for a moment and smiled a little awkwardly, ¡°Actually, this is how I looked before...¡±


    Nadine looked surprised, ¡°Wh-what?!¡± She stammered incredulously.


    Feeling more than a little embarrassed, I looked away, ¡°I have always looked like this. The doctors, erm, Surgeons, called it an unfortunate instance of inherited recessive traits. Basically, I was unlucky.¡±


    Nadine was quiet for a moment, ¡°Unlucky?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°To be born this ugly,¡± I muttered bitterly.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nadine mumbled awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn''t mean to-¡±


    ¡°-It¡¯s fine,¡± I interrupted, ¡°There''s nothing I can do about it anyway.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re as bad as you make yourself out to be,¡± Nadine insisted, ¡°You have a good heart, I can tell by the way you take care of Toofy, the way you have looked out for all of us...¡±


    I shrugged. I made my peace with being ugly a long time ago and did my best to avoid thinking about it too much.


    Walking over to Toofy, I sat down next to her and tried to unwind a little. I had basically just told Nadine my biggest secret, and now only time would tell if it was a colossal mistake.


    After everyone was well-rested again, we continued travelling at a brisk pace until the late evening and then we made camp again. Feeling emotionally exhausted, I didn¡¯t put up much of a fight when Nadine argued that I should be allowed to rest uninterrupted until dawn. After all, I had been the one walking for most of the day while they all rode the Raptors. Or at least that is what she had said to convince them anyway.


    As I closed my eyes, I held onto a faint hope that I would dream of the beach again and that perhaps maybe this time, my mum would be waiting for me.


    *****


    Watching Tim sleep, while still doing her best to keep an eye on their surroundings, Nadine had a lot to think about. Things were far more complicated than she had expected, and Tim¡¯s revelation had only made them more so. The fact that Tim was human, and knowing his origins, it changed everything.


    Tim wasn¡¯t just a sophisticated creation of the Labyrinth, he was many other things, a victim of circumstance. The fact that the Labyrinth could revive someone and alter their status was incredible and terrifying. It begged the question of whether other special named monsters were the same.


    Was Toofy in fact a child revived and altered by the Labyrinth? Or perhaps even a child of one of these monster Settlements? Surely if the Labyrinth could revive humans, it could do the same for its own monsters, right?


    The fact that Nadine had no ready answers was frustrating. She briefly considered waking Tim up to see what else he knew, but everything he must have been through, Nadine thought better of it and let him sleep.


    Recalling Tim¡¯s odd behaviours, his hesitancy and fear, how they had forced him to fight and kill. It made Nadine feel sick and ashamed.


    Growing up in an orphanage, there had been a very real possibility of being kidnapped, turned into a Slave and sold on the black market. Nadine¡¯s fair appearance had only made her more of a target, and the prospect of being made into someone''s Slave had terrified Nadine to the point that she barely slept some nights. So the fact that she had willingly participated and encouraged the others in the activity herself...it disgusted her.


    Nadine¡¯s whole life, she had considered herself a good person. Perhaps not the best, but still fundamentally good. But Tim¡¯s true identity changed things. What made things worse was that Tim had already seemed to forgive them for what they had done to him.


    While it would be easy to accept that forgiveness at face value, Nadine knew there was more to it than that. She had always prided herself on being able to read people, to understand their driving emotions. This was one of the reasons why her aptitude for the Enchanter class had been so high. However, this was also why Nadine was now thoroughly convinced that Tim was depressed and very likely had been for a long time.


    Tim had not forgiven them simply because he was a good person. He had forgiven them because he thought so little of himself that he didn¡¯t consider what they had done to him to be wrong. Recalling Tim¡¯s interactions with Toofy, it was obvious that he was living vicariously through her. Only allowing himself to feel happy when she was happy. It was also partly why he was so fiercely protective of her. Toofy very likely represented the one thing in his life that made it worth living.


    Now that Nadine knew the truth, she had to decide how best to break it to the others. Assuming Tim agreed, which was not guaranteed considering how reluctant he had been to admit it in the first place.


    Clarice would probably be the easiest. Nadine knew that her family was descended from gladiators of the fighting pits and colosseum. It was probably why she had a rather interesting attitude towards the concept of Slavery in the first place. Similarly, she had a strong moral compass regarding her ideal of honour. Clarice hadn¡¯t hesitated at the prospect of becoming Tim¡¯s Slave in return for saving her life. There seemed to be a little bit more to it than that, but it was obvious that Clarice would probably accept Tim being human better than Nadine had.


    Emelia on the other hand...


    Emelia was more difficult to get a read on. Nadine had thought she knew Emelia reasonably well, but then she handed Toofy and by extension, Tim, over to the Guild so readily that Nadine wasn¡¯t sure what to think. Nadine¡¯s initial impression of Emelia had been that she was impulsive, somewhat reckless and slightly dim. However, Emelia had not demonstrated any behaviour that would have suggested what she was truly capable of. In fact, Emelia had been shocked when confronted by Nadine the amount of pain her unwitting commands were causing Tim. It was almost like Emelia hadn¡¯t known how her own Class Abilities worked...


    Nadine¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration. There was something to that line of thought that bothered her. Glancing over at Emelia, Nadine began actively recollecting everything they had done together since first being introduced at the Guild.


    Emelia had been prone to wandering off the wrong way, allegedly ¡®exploring¡¯ despite the signs and directions provided for them. She also frequently asked Nadine''s opinion when selecting her equipment, despite everything being clearly labelled. Then there was the fact that Emelia had left Nadine to fill out the majority of their initial paperwork for finalising their adventurer identification to receive their way-stones.


    At the time, Nadine had just thought Emelia was lazy. But now...maybe there was more to it?


    Putting her theories regarding Emelia aside, for the time being, Nadine considered what to do regarding Tobi. She honestly knew very little about him and most of that was what she had heard secondhand from Clarice.


    Tobi definitely seemed grateful to Tim for saving his life, but it still didn¡¯t explain why he was so willing to help them. Tobi had to know that he was making a powerful enemy of the Guild branch manager.


    So why was he helping them?


    Nadine hadn¡¯t sensed any guile from him and he had seemed earnest enough when he insisted on helping them out. So far as Nadine knew, Tobi¡¯s Class was some sort of archer or tracker, so it wasn¡¯t like he was using a charm or enchantment on them all either.


    Since Tobi¡¯s turn on watch was next, Nadine woke him up a little early so they could talk. It was selfish, but given the situation, she felt it was the right call.


    *****


    Waking up early, I stretched and tried my best not to wake Toofy.


    However, my efforts were in vain and Toofy¡¯s eyes promptly snapped open and fixed on me expectantly, ¡°Breakfast?¡±


    Smiling, I nodded and pulled over the pack I had used as a pillow. Knowing that Toofy seemed to like sausages the best, I searched amongst the food parcels until I found one with the sausages. ¡°Just try to savour them, okay? There aren''t many sausages left.¡±


    Toofy accepted the food parcel with the solemn dignity of a priest handling a holy artefact, before hastily pulling apart the knot and shoving the first sausage in her mouth.


    It took a great deal of restraint to hold myself back from laughing after watching Toofy¡¯s newfound piety descend into hedonistic barbarism.


    Well, I suppose we all have our vices.


    I wasn¡¯t feeling hungry, so I buckled the pack and took a look around the surrounding scrubland.


    Nothing had changed since last evening, well, nothing I could see anyway.


    We did appear closer to the rocky outcropping than I had initially expected, but I suspected that had more to do with favourable lighting than actual progress. Even so, it was possible that we might reach the cave sometime in the evening if we pushed a little to make a good time while travelling today.


    ¡°Awww,¡± Toofy was staring dejectedly at a scrap of parcel cloth and waving it as if expecting more sausages to appear from thin air.


    I sighed, surreptitiously removed what was now definitely the last parcel of sausages in the pack, and held out my open hand to Toofy expectantly, ¡°Do you want to see a nice trick?¡± I asked cryptically.


    Toofy narrowed her eyes, ¡°Trick?¡± She asked suspiciously.


    I nodded solemnly, ¡°Hand me the parcel cloth,¡± I instructed.


    Toofy obliged, still looking very suspicious.


    Closing my fist and bringing my hand behind my back, I quickly swapped the empty parcel cloth with the last remaining parcel of sausages. ¡°Now I need you to count to five,¡± I instructed Toofy.


    Toofy gave me an intense scrutinising look before promptly turning her attention to her hand and began silently counting out the numbers. Nodding to herself, Toofy then began counting aloud, ¡°One, two, three, f-four,¡± she paused and furrowed her brow in concentration before nodding again, ¡°Five!¡±


    I withdrew my hand from behind my back to reveal the parcel of sausages.


    Toofy stared in open-mouthed amazement, for all of a second. Quickly regaining her composure, Toofy snatched the parcel of sausages and began eagerly pulling apart the knots to get at the delicious cases of meat inside.


    ¡°You''re spoiling her, you know that right?¡± Clarice commented with amusement. She had taken the final watch, so it was just the three of them awake at the moment.


    I shrugged. I figured so long as I reined in her less desirable excesses, allowing her to indulge in relatively harmless vices was alright. Besides, I had noticed something over the past couple of days and wanted to confirm it, ¡°I think Toofy is still growing,¡± I explained, drawing Clarice¡¯s attention to the pants and tunic that now looked slightly too small for Toofy.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Clarice moved in for a closer look, even going so far as to risk lightly pinching Toofy¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I think you are right,¡± she agreed, more than a little surprised by the revelation. ¡°Is it because she is growing into her latest evolution you think?¡± Clarice asked, scratching her head thoughtfully.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, ¡°I did think it was a little strange that she didn¡¯t immediately grow after evolving like she had when increasing in rank. Maybe Nadine has the answers?¡±


    Clarice rolled her eyes, ¡°You mean Emelia¡¯s book, has the answers.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Nadine¡¯s the only one who has read it though.¡±


    Clarice made as if to answer, paused and nodded slightly, ¡°Forgot about that,¡± she admitted. ¡°Still though! You know I can read too right?!¡± Clarice insisted as she knelt down by Nadine¡¯s pack and began rummaging around for the book. ¡°Here we go,¡± Clarice muttered, pulling out the book and flicking through the pages until she found what she was looking for. ¡°Hrm...nope, nothing in here about that. I mean, this book is for beginners. Not really surprising it doesn''t have all the answers,¡± Clarice replaced the book in Nadine¡¯s pack.


    I nodded thoughtfully.


    She had a point. But there was perhaps another reason why the information wasn¡¯t found in the book as well. Toofy had told me that another monster, Leafy, had taken care of her before we found her. If Leafy was her mother, then it made sense that Toofy was quite probably still young enough to be experiencing growth spurts.


    Factor in her recent evolution and it was also possible that her gradual growth was now observable because Primaeval Goblins were a larger species, making the gradual growth more obvious. It kind of made sense that if eating other monsters accelerated the healing process, that it could do the same for growth as well. My own Racial Ability artificially accelerated my metabolism, so this wasn¡¯t all that far fetched.


    Actually, perhaps that was it? Maybe my Iron Gut Synergy was responsible for accelerating her growth?


    ¡°What is it?¡± Clarice asked shrewdly.


    ¡°I think I figured it out. I am pretty sure Toofy is still an adolescent, she is still experiencing growth spurts. Or maybe is experiencing it again now that she has Evolved into a similar species. It¡¯s entirely possible that my Iron Gut ability is responsible for her accelerated growth,¡± I explained.


    Clarice raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, ¡°Why would your Racial Ability do that?¡± She asked sceptically.


    ¡°Well, firstly, my Racial Ability description specifically states that it accelerates healing. Growing is just another form of self-repair or ¡®healing¡¯, so it makes sense that my ability would accelerate it,¡± I explained excitedly.


    Clarice looked more than a little confused and was not particularly convinced. However, she doesn¡¯t seem willing to put up a fight over it, ¡°Okay, so why is that a big deal?¡±


    ¡°Well...It isn¡¯t really. I just thought it was pretty amazing,¡± I admitted.


    Clarice shrugged and began tending to her equipment.


    Travelling across the scrublands gave me a great deal of time to think. Particularly since the elevated position of the others on the backs of the Desert Raptors gave them a better vantage point for spotting trouble. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t really anything I wanted to think about. This made time seem to pass painfully slowly. The only upside was that the rocky outcropping was growing noticeably closer with each passing hour.


    With the sudden boost in morale, we decided to keep pushing ahead after taking only a very short break around midday.


    It was perhaps for the best because sometime in the early evening, Tobi spotted familiar dust clouds headed in our direction again. Since there was no real possibility of the encounter being a positive one, we immediately quickened our pace.


    Having a decent headstart on whoever was headed in our direction, we arrived at the cave with a decent lead but encountered a serious problem. Another group was already staking out the entrance to the cave and appeared to be waiting for us.


    There were five young men and women blocking the entrance to the cave with a makeshift barricade made from an overturned wagon. Four of them were standing behind the barricade and had crossbows aimed in our direction, while the last, presumably their leader, was riding a Desert Raptor and waiting outside. All five of the adventurers seemed to be wearing steel or iron breastplates and helmets in addition to their padded armour. So things were not looking good.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Nadine asked worriedly, ¡°If we get any closer, they will probably open fire on us.¡±


    ¡°We should just outflank them and sweep in from the side!¡± Clarice insisted angrily, ¡°That way they won''t have the chance for more than one shot at it!¡±


    ¡°We could siege them with our slings to force them out,¡± Tobi suggested hesitantly, glancing back at the approaching dust cloud.


    Clarice followed Tobi¡¯s lead, ¡°Shit!¡± She cursed angrily, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this!¡±


    Three Desert Raptor riders were closing in fast from behind, the riders swinging slings above their heads as they suddenly accelerated towards us. Even though they had not thrown any stones yet, it was only a matter of time.


    I loaded a rock into my sling. I doubted I would manage to hit any of them, but I hoped that the size of the projectile alone would make them back off. Targeting the rider in the middle, I released the rock and watched it tumble through the air. Poorly weighted and unbalanced, the rock veered off target and exploded slightly ahead of the rider on the left flank.


    Even though the rock had missed, the shrapnel must have injured the Desert Raptor, because it tripped and crashed into the ground a couple of moments later, flinging the rider off its back.


    Tobi had now taken my lead, dismounting and preparing his sling, ¡°Watch out! They have bolas!¡± He cried out in warning.


    Bolas?


    I didn¡¯t know what that was, but the fact that it had Tobi worried was rather disconcerting. Slinging another rock, I missed so badly that it could have only been further off-target if I had managed to throw it backwards.


    Tobi had far more success, hitting a Desert Raptor in the chest and quickly preparing to throw another stone at the same target.


    ¡°You better hop off!¡± Clarice growled, ¡°Looks like their leader is gonna charge!¡±


    I glanced back briefly and saw Nadine hurriedly dismounting. I also saw Toofy almost lazily twirling her sling as she slowly walked over to join me and Tobi.


    Hurling a larger rock, I managed to cause the lead rider¡¯s mount to baulk when the rock thumped a few feet ahead of them, narrowly missing the Desert Raptor¡¯s beak.


    Tobi scored another hit, but it appeared to have only been a glancing blow.


    Toofy continued twirling her sling, gradually building up speed as she continued staring at the approaching riders.


    Hearing cries from the direction of the cave, I briefly glanced back as I loaded another rock.


    The crossbowmen were firing at Clarice and Thunder Thighs as she counter-charged the group''s leader. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, just as the crossbowmen fired, Clarice and Thunder Thighs disappeared in a burst of black smoke. They reappeared a moment later next to the leader¡¯s mount. Clarice and the leader both appeared just as shocked as I was. Thunder Thighs was unaffected and slammed his beak into the leader¡¯s gut hard enough to dismount him outright and send him tumbling awkwardly to the ground.


    *Crack*


    [Toofy has slain {Desert Raptor: 3 } +600 Exp]


    As stunned as I was, I turned around just in time to see that one of the Desert Raptors that had been charging to attack us was skidding into the dirt. Its rider was sprawled awkwardly a short distance ahead and wasn¡¯t moving.


    The rider at the rear with the wounded mount decided to withdraw. Unfortunately, the remaining rider, still fresh and uninjured, did not appear to be so easily cowed and was finally in range for a counter-attack. The rider hurled what I had initially thought was a sling, but Tobi had identified as a ¡®bola¡¯. The leather strap flew through the air and caught Tobi around the chest, rocks tied to its ends causing the strange weapon to bind his right arm securely to his chest as the rider continued charging past us.


    Unfortunately for the rider, Shady suddenly appeared next to his mount, leaping from the shadows and tearing him from his saddle. The rider screamed in terror and pain as Shady began biting and raking into his chest and gut through his armour.


    *Thwack*


    Toofy hurled a stone into the back of the now riderless Desert Raptor, causing it to stagger and barely remain upright as it tried to flee the battle.


    ¡°TELL YOUR MEN TO STAND DOWN!¡± Clarice roared angrily. She had dismounted Thunder Thighs and was holding her sword above the prone form of the adventurers¡¯ leader. Apparently not getting a satisfactory answer, Clarice pressed her sword against groyne, ¡°I said do it!¡± She threatened coldly.


    ¡°P-PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS!¡± The leader cried fearfully, ¡°D-DO IT! PUT THEM DOWN!¡± He sounded truly terrified.


    Clarice yanked the leader up onto his feet and shoved him forward in the direction of the cave, keeping her sword pressed against his backside. ¡°OUT OF THE CAVE NOW!¡± Clarice demanded, ¡°GET ON YOUR KNEES AND WE WON''T HARM YOU!¡±


    It was weird how this scene was playing out like some fantasy police drama and I almost expected Clarice to begin rattling off a fantasy version of the Miranda rights.


    The four adventurers quickly scrambled over their makeshift barricade, nearly tripping over one another in their haste to comply. Considering how rapidly the fight had turned in our favour and how it had happened, I couldn¡¯t really blame them.


    The rider Shady had been so affectionately mauling was a bloody mess. Unlike the adventurers in the cave, he did not have a breastplate to protect his torso and his padded armour was torn to bloody ribbons and soaked in his blood.


    Looking away from the gruesome sight, I could see Tobi needed help freeing himself so I moved over to help.


    Now that I had a closer look at it, I now realised that I had seen something like the bola before in movies. The stones tied at each end of the three lengths of leather cord would not only give the cord sufficient mass to drive it forward but would also provide the necessary momentum to bind the target on a successful hit. Objectively, it was a pretty terrifying weapon when I stopped to think about it. Without help, Tobi would have been relatively helpless for at least a couple of minutes before managing to free himself.


    Nadine spared a moment to try and save the bloodied adventurer''s life, but the lack of glowing light made it clear that he was already dead.


    ¡°YOU GUYS COMING?!¡± Clarice demanded impatiently, already halfway to the cave and still escorting her prisoner while flanked by Thunder Thighs.


    We all quickly moved to catch up to Clarice and her prisoner.


    ¡°P-please d-don¡¯t k-kill m-me!¡± The young man sobbed pitiably, ¡°H-he m-made us d-do it!¡±


    Getting a closer look at the adventurer, I was surprised to see how new most of his equipment looked.


    Was this why the fight had been so easy? Had the Guild managers just conscripted some nearby adventurers, thrown some equipment at them and expected things to just work out? Why hadn¡¯t they just sent higher-level adventurers? Come to think of it, I think I saw Slave collars on at least one of those Desert Raptors they were riding as well...


    When we reached the cave, Clarice began tying up the adventurers. Given that they seemed to have been coerced, I was glad that we weren''t doing anything too drastic. Somewhat surprisingly, Nadine and Clarice had both readily agreed with one another to leave them the lion''s share of their gear too.


    ¡°The Guild can track certain items,¡± Nadine explained while rifling through the adventurers¡¯ supplies from the wagon. ¡°If it is valuable enough, they will have marked it. So anything with the Guilds mark on it is out.¡±


    ¡°Can we keep the wagon?¡± I asked curiously.


    Nadine paused to think for a moment before shaking her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s better not to risk it. There is too high a chance that there is a mark hidden on it somewhere.¡±


    This whole mark tracking business had me more than a little worried. Before Nadine had mentioned it, I was seriously considering scavenging one of those collars and a saddle from the fallen Desert Raptor.


    ¡°We gotta go!¡± Clarice called out suddenly, sounding more than a little worried.


    Looking out at the scrubland, I could see another dust cloud on the horizon.


    ¡°Toofy,¡± I waved to get her attention and motioned for her to follow along beside me.


    Toofy obediently rushed to my side, somewhat jumpy with nervous energy.


    ¡°Just stick close to me, alright?¡± I tried to reassure her.


    Toofy nodded but didn¡¯t say anything as we entered the cave.


    The cave was large enough that Emelia and Clarice could have ridden the Desert Raptors inside. however there were some dangerously low-hanging stalactites, so neither of them seemed willing to take the risk.


    I had actually expected to encounter some sort of monster in the cave, but it was apparently empty. I had to assume that those adventurers outside had lured them out earlier because I couldn¡¯t think of any other way to explain it.


    After a couple of minutes of following the winding tunnel downward, we entered a large cavern. Illuminated by the flickering light of the portal at the far side, I couldn''t see any monsters here either.


    ¡°Looks like the coast is clear,¡± Nadine observed warily, ¡°Still, let¡¯s try to stick close. I am not sure how long those reinforcements will take to get here, so we may not have much time.¡±


    Following her advice, we all cautiously approached the portal and anxiously waited for Nadine to give the word. After waiting for a while, we watched the portal cycle through at least three different landscapes. One was a forest similar to the first floor, while another was a frigid hinterland. The final and current area displayed by the portal was a foggy swampland.


    Shady became agitated and began growling in a warning tone.


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think we have much time,¡± Tobi stated worriedly, glancing pointedly down the passageway.


    ¡°I say we just take the portal next time it changes,¡± Clarice insisted.


    Nadine winced but nodded, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Emelia shifted nervously, clutching Beaky¡¯s reins tight as she kept alternating her attention between the passageway and the portal.


    ¡°Damnit...¡± Nadine cursed as the portal changed again but displayed another stretch of swampland.


    ¡°We gotta go!¡± Clarice insisted urgently, roughly taking Nadine¡¯s arm and dragging her through the portal while leading Thunder Thighs with the reins.


    Emelia quickly followed next with Beaky, while Tobi, Toofy, Shady and myself were not far behind her. Even though the portal would remain open for at least a few minutes before changing, none of us was eager to encounter the adventurer''s reinforcements.


    There were three things that immediately caught my attention upon crossing through the portal. The first was the smell, and it was not pleasant, reeking of rotten vegetation. The second was the humidity. Lastly, A large black alert panel with blood-red text appeared in front of my eyes and made it incredibly difficult to see.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: Designate a Totem/Flag/Marker to designate the heart of your domain. You must complete this task within 1h. {Success} will bind the territory to your will and unlock the next stage of the quest. {Failure} will result in your death. Good luck!]


    The black panel disappeared the moment I finished reading it and was replaced with another much smaller panel at the top of my peripheral vision.


    [ 0d : 0h : 59m ]


    Seriously?!


    ¡°Woah! What the hell?!¡± Clarice demanded, ¡°You guys seeing this?!¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah...¡± Tobi stammered, obviously shaken.


    Emelia just gulped and nodded.


    ¡°Toofy see,¡± Toofy nodded, but seemed confused.


    ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± Nadine insisted, ¡°Those reinforcements might enter the portal chamber at any moment, and I would prefer it if they didn¡¯t know we were here!¡± She began determinedly setting out in the opposite direction we had originally been facing upon exiting the portal. ¡°Remember to keep an eye out for monsters!¡± Nadine reminded everyone grimly, drawing her sword and regarding the swampland warily.


    As a positive to this mess, we had at least arrived on a rather sizable landmass and were a decent distance from the murky pools of water slightly further out. However, heavy as myself and the Desert Raptors were, our feet sunk noticeably deeper into the ground than those of our human party members. Toofy probably wouldn¡¯t have had many problems, but I wasn¡¯t willing to put her at risk, so I was carrying her on my shoulder.


    ¡°So you all saw that quest panel?¡± I asked anxiously as we continued walking along the landbridge, heading deeper into the swamp.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t miss it,¡± Clarice grunted angrily, ¡°What sort of bullshit quest has an auto-kill feature for failure?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know they could do that,¡± mumbled Tobi dejectedly.


    ¡°Mandatory quests shouldn''t even appear until the twentieth floor at the earliest,¡± Nadine agreed, more than a little freaked out and on edge.


    Emelia just confused quietly following the group and warily keeping an eye on the murky swamp water.


    After walking for a few minutes, Nadine looked back at the way we had come from and seemed satisfied that we weren¡¯t followed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s one problem dealt with,¡± she sighed wearily.


    Clarice snorted, ¡°Yeah, now we just have to deal with this bloody quest! It doesn''t even tell us what the reward is!¡±


    ¡°We should try to find somewhere fast and just get rid of it!¡± Tobi suggested hastily.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°This is a chain quest, it said part one, there is going to be at least one more part to it. Considering that this quest is labelled Conquest, it will probably involve a subjugation quest type or perhaps even...a raid,¡± she gulped hard and shivered, ¡°S-so we need to choose the place carefully!¡±


    No one argued with Nadine and thankfully, after spending another fifteen minutes walking in roughly the same original direction, we would soon be leaving the wetlands of the swamp behind. Well, that wasn¡¯t strictly true, but the patches of land were becoming much larger and there were now small hills and many more trees and shrubs.


    What was disturbing, was that we still hadn¡¯t seen any signs of any wild monsters. This just made me more nervous every time we were forced to move closer to the water before being able to continue pushing ahead.


    [ 0d : 0h : 13m ]


    ¡°Okay! We really have to decide on a place to do this!¡± Clarice insisted urgently, ¡°We haven''t seen a single monster since we got here, and I don¡¯t wanna die just because you ¡®think¡¯ we might find somewhere better.¡±


    Looking rather pale, Nadine nodded in agreement, ¡°We should just mark one of the trees to serve as the Totem. Since we don¡¯t know who the primary target of the quest is, we should all just carve a symbol into one of these trees.¡± She then pulled out a knife, approached a nearby tree and gauged a line into it.


    When the timer continued counting down, we all moved off to do the same. We were a decent distance from the closest body of water, so it seemed relatively safe. Toofy carved a big toothy smile into the tree, or she tried to. The end result was just a jagged line. Seeing what Toofy was going for, I borrowed her shiv and carved out a closer approximation of her smile and then at her insistence, added a pair of slitted eyes to match her own above it. The carving pulsed with an eerie red light and a black status panel appeared in front of my eyes again.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: {Success} Totem has been established]


    [Conquest! {Stage 2}: Select a compatible {Racial Ability} to strengthen {Minions} through your {Totem}. You have 10m to decide! {Success} will imbue the {Racial Ability} into your {Totem} and unlock the next stage of the quest. {Failure} will result in your death. Good luck!]


    Just as before, the panel collapsed and was replaced with a familiar countdown timer.


    [ 0d : 0h : 9m ]


    ¡°Pretty sure it means me!¡± I called out nervously, ¡°Which ability should I pick?¡±


    The others quickly gathered around our new ¡®Totem¡¯, which was still shedding the same eerie crimson light and pulsing slightly as if it had a heartbeat. The combination of the face and the lighting was definitely creepy, add to the fact that it was starting to get dark, that we were all alone in a swamp, and it was getting a bit much.


    ¡°Does it really matter? Just pick one!¡± Clarice growled irritably.


    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Tobi agreed anxiously, more than a little frightened by the repeat of the enforced auto death on failure.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Nadine stated sternly, motioning for everyone to calm down. ¡°This is obviously some sort of quest to form a Settlement or maybe even a foothold! We need to think long-term!¡±


    Clarice and Tobi calmed down somewhat.


    ¡°A Settlement?¡± Emelia asked uncertainly.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Notice the name of the quest? Conquest! That suggests we are claiming a territory for occupation. Even the quest descriptions support this theory. If I had to guess, the minions that the quest is referring to are us,¡± she gestured to herself, Tobi, Emelia and Clarice, ¡°This might be a divergent quest chain that became available only because Tim is party leader! We could be part of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here! So we need to think LONG-TERM!¡± Nadine''s emphasis on the potential benefits somewhat calmed the others down, but I was still staring fixedly at the timer.


    [ 0d : 0h : 7m ]


    ¡°Ah, so which one?¡± I asked again, trying not to panic. Knowing I had seven minutes or less to make a decision or die was not doing wonders for my long-term planning skills.


    Nadine and Clarice shared a somewhat telling look with one another, before warily considering Tobi and Emelia.


    ¡°I think we should go with Iron Gut,¡± Clarice firmly suggested. ¡°Extra damage and damage resistance won¡¯t mean much if we run out of bandages or mana, and if we are getting hurt, then there have to be monsters to eat.¡±


    Nadine nodded in approval, ¡°Iron Gut is the safest choice,¡± she agreed.


    Tobi seemed more than a little flustered, no doubt watching the timer as closely as I was. ¡°Iron Gut? That was the healing one right? Yeah, okay, I¡¯m fine with that!¡±


    Emelia was far more composed, ¡°yeah, I think that would be safest!¡± She agreed, albeit a little hesitantly.


    ¡°Ah, so I wonder how I am meant to do this?¡± I wondered aloud, momentarily drawing a blank.


    [ 0d : 0h : 5m ]


    ¡°It is probably something like. Quest objective, select Iron Gut, Confirm,¡± Nadine suggested helpfully.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: {Success} Totem has been established]


    [Conquest! {Stage 2}: {Active} Your {Minion} {Nadine} has selected {Iron Gut}. Accept? (Y/N)]


    ¡°Accept!¡± I confirmed, more than a little relieved.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: {Success} Totem has been established]


    [Conquest! {Stage 2}: {Success} Your {Totem} has now been successfully imbued with {Iron Gut} and will impart its effects to nearby {Minions}.]


    [Conquest! {Stage 3}: Defend your {Totem} from monsters in the contested territory! Your {Totem} will periodically attract monsters within 1 mile for the next 24h. {Success} Complete the Conquest! Quest and receive a reward equal to your achievements. {Failure} will result in your death. Good luck!]


    ¡°OH COME THE FUCK ON!¡± Clarice swore loudly.


    Reading the third and final stage of the quest, I was inclined to agree.


    [ 0d : 23h : 59m ]


    When the large black panel was replaced with the timer, I could see that the expressions of the others fully encompassed the myriad of emotions running through my own mind. Anger, fear, and strangely enough, determination.


    So long as Toofy had a chance at survival, I wouldn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°We will need fire,¡± I stated firmly, moving over to one of the smaller trees and leveraging my weight against it, yanking back and forth until I uprooted it out of the loose soil. Throwing it to the side, I moved over to another three to uproot another.


    ¡°Tim is right!¡± Nadine stated loudly with far more confidence than I currently felt, ¡°We need to get busy and prepare! It will be dark soon and we need fire!¡±


    Leaving Beaky, Thunder, Shady and Toofy to keep watch on our surroundings, we all began gathering together as much flammable material as quickly as possible. It would be nightfall within a few hours, and the prospect of fighting completely unknown monsters in the dark was intolerable.


    [ 0d : 19h : 34m ]


    We had managed to set three large bonfires a couple of dozen feet from the tree serving as the Totem before the sun began to set and the swamp was dimly illuminated by moonlight. Nadine seemed confident that we had enough wood stockpiled that we could keep all three bonfires burning all night, but given the lack of clouds in the sky, I was now beginning to wonder if we had made a grave mistake.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 10 – Do or die – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 10 ¨C Do or die ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 10 - Do or die - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Afforded a rather impressive view of the surrounding area, especially now that I had removed all of the smaller trees, I nervously kept an eye out for signs of movement. Noticing a number of logs in the lake a fair distance away from our camp, I was not fooled by their innocuous appearance and quickly pointed them out to the others, ¡°We have monsters approaching from across the lake,¡± I called out for Clarice¡¯s benefit since she was watching the opposite direction.


    Clarice quickly glanced back to see where I was pointing and scowled, ¡°You''re sure?¡± She asked, turning back to cover her position.


    ¡°Very,¡± I insisted, ¡°Those are almost definitely monsters pretending to be logs. After all, how many floating logs did you see on the way over here?¡± I asked rhetorically.


    I could picture scaly crocodiles sluggishly swimming towards us in the murky water and was glad that I had insisted on a crude platform to be lashed together in boughs of the Totem tree. Confident that Toofy would be safe from most dangers up there, I could devote the rest of my attention to spotting threats the others might have overlooked.


    ¡°Fuck...¡± Clarice cursed, ¡°You¡¯re right, I saw one move!¡±


    ¡°Crawlies!¡± Toofy shrieked excitedly pointing at the far bank.


    Large crab-like crustaceans the size of large dogs were scuttling into the water and headed our way. Similarly, I noticed more than one telltale s-shaped ripple in the water heading towards us as well.


    ¡°Snakes and crabs!¡± I called out in warning.


    ¡°Uh, some sort of big plant thing over here!¡± Tobi called back.


    I quickly glanced back towards Tobi and saw a shambling humanoid shape emerging from the water. With Shady, Emelia and Beaky to serve as backup for his flank, I was confident that they would be alright.


    I was more worried about myself, but that was only because I was the only one protecting an entire flank on my own. Even Clarice had Nadine and Thunder Thighs for support.


    Each flank was basically determined as the space between two of the three bonfires, with the Totem being in the centre. If anyone was badly injured, it was agreed that they should fall back to the Totem and quickly eat as much of the food left in our packs as they needed before returning to support the others until Nadine could help tend their wounds.


    With no mana potions, Nadine was currently limited to four uses of her Ability, but would hopefully finish regenerating the fifth point sometime during the night.


    A fight broke out from the other side of the camp and I had to stop myself from turning around to investigate. It was a good thing too because the suspicious ¡®logs¡¯ were growing dangerously close.


    *Crunch* *Splosh*


    [Toofy has slain {Scourge Swarmer: 2 } +200 Exp]


    ¡°The hell was that?!¡± I asked, having heard a stone whoosh through the air somewhere behind me.


    ¡°Flying blood parasite monster!¡± Nadine called back, ¡°Good job Toofy!¡±


    I shivered involuntarily as I considered a monstrous version of a mosquito.


    Ugh, no thanks! I¡¯ll take the giant crabs!


    Watching my first enemy dragging itself up out of the water, I tuned out the sounds of combat behind me and focused on the thick-scaled and six-limbed crocodile quickly ambling in my direction. Thankfully, the crocodile monster was somewhat small by crocodile standards. Unfortunately, it was still a monster, so I had no idea if it had any special Abilities not hinted at by its appearance.


    Curiously, the undersized monstrous crocodile didn¡¯t slow to try and lunge at me. Instead, it just barreled straight towards the tree.


    *Thump Crunch*


    I had swung my morningstar down into the crocodile¡¯s body, temporarily stunning it. Pulling my weapon free again, I stabbed it in the face as it tried to bite at my shins. Very aware of a crocodile''s bite strength, I was very careful to keep my legs out of its reach as I lunged to deliver another body blow.


    *Thump Crunch*


    The blow didn¡¯t kill the croc but seemed to have knocked it unconscious. Unwilling to take any chances, I sighed, steeled my nerves and brought my morningstar down on its head.


    *Crunch*


    [You have slain {Swamp Lurker: 1 } +300 Exp]


    Swamp Lurker huh? Yeah, that¡¯s an appropriate name for an ambush predator...


    Keenly aware that I would not have the luxury to continue spending so much time on each opponent, I readied a powerful double-handed blow for when the next Swamp Lurker would come within reach of my morningstar.


    I was still vaguely aware of the grunts, cursing and shouts of the others as they engaged in fights of their own. Without our group Synergies, the quest objective would probably have been outright impossible. But for now, it seemed like we would be able to hold our own.


    *Crunch*


    I disabled the next Swamp Lurker by caving in half its skull and with a second blow, killed it. Unlike hunting the Vrabbits, I felt no hesitation in attacking the obvious predators.


    *Thwack* *Splash*


    I sent a brightly coloured snake flying back down the hill and into the water. I didn¡¯t really know much about monster biology, but I was pretty sure the bright colouration meant it was poisonous.


    [You have slain {Swamp Moccasin: 1 } +150 Exp]


    I was pretty sure I hadn¡¯t hit the snake that hard.


    Seeing that I had a few moments before the next croc would make landfall, I concentrated on where the snake had fallen into the water. Seeing the water growing increasingly agitated, I realised that there had to be another type of monster in the water.


    Since whatever it was had not tried leaving the water, I suspected that it must be some sort of fish. It was obviously carnivorous and vicious, having killed the wounded snake in a matter of moments.


    Oh no...


    I made a mental note to avoid the water at all costs.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Clarice cursed loudly.


    *Schwick Splat*


    [Clarice has slain {Bull Bufo: 3 } +900 Exp]


    My curiosity got the better of me and I quickly glanced over at Clarice¡¯s flank. Unsure what I was seeing at first, due to the mess of bodies, I soon recognised what had to be the source of Clarice¡¯s cursing.


    A pair of bull-horned amphibians with bristly manes running down their backs were attempting to lash Clarice with their tongues. However, Clarice was viciously counterattacking with her sword and by the looks of it had already killed four of that monster already.


    Startled by a familiar hiss, I turned my attention back to my designated flank just in time to avoid the snapping jaws of a large Swamp Lurker. Vigorously pounding away at its head and neck, I didn¡¯t stop until I received the kill notification.


    The last thing I needed was a croc regaining consciousness mid-fight and breaking my leg with a death-roll.


    Seeing another snake coming up the hill, I wanted to try something different in order to confirm my earlier suspicions.


    *Crunch* S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I smashed the snake''s head into the ground, killing it instantly. Grabbing the end of its tail, I swung the snake around a few times to build momentum, then hurled it at one of the approaching crocs in the water. Unsurprisingly, I missed it. However, just as I had expected and feared, the water around the dead snake quickly became disturbed and the snake¡¯s body was pulled under.


    What I hadn¡¯t expected was for the water around the croc to become disturbed as well. Within moments, the croc was thrashing and biting at hidden assailants in the water. The other crocs began detouring towards the commotion as well, but I doubted they were intending to provide assistance.


    With fascinated horror, I watched the scale of the violence grow exponentially larger with each passing minute. If it weren''t for the snakes actively avoiding the conflict, I honestly wouldn¡¯t have anything else to do. Judging by the monsters diverting from either side, I could only assume that our situation overall was very likely improving.


    ¡°You alright over there Tim?!¡± Clarice called out a little raggedly.


    *Thwack*


    I sent the latest snake tumbling down the hill and straightened my back. Bending over so often was actually starting to tire my back out. ¡°Mostly!¡± I called back, ¡°Why? You want to switch?¡± I glanced over at Clarice¡¯s flank and saw that she was looking very tired. The frogs and plantmen had not diverted to the murderfest in the lake, so she had very likely been fighting constantly this entire time.


    ¡°Y-yeah...¡± Clarice called back tiredly as she noticed how calm my area was in comparison.


    Making sure there were no snakes in the immediate vicinity, I hurried over to change places with Clarice, while she and Thunder Thighs Took a short breather. The Desert Raptor actually looked to be in high spirits and seemed uninjured thus far. Not a bad achievement, given that I had assumed the Desert Raptor would be weaker than most of the monsters on this floor. As best I could figure, it was because of Clarice being so aggressive and holding the attention of the monsters.


    I didn¡¯t have much time to think before a shambling plantman came stumbling at me with open arms. I now realised that there may be a problem with switching places with Clarice. I was not so sure my morningstar would do all that well against a monster apparently made of clumps of mud, reeds, branches and other rotten vegetation.


    *Splat*


    Okay...


    Apparently, I knew nothing about monster anatomy, because my first strike against the plantman obliterated its arm and a good chunk of its chest, sending the rotten detritus flying.


    The plantman staggered and clumsily lunged at me, ripping apart its midsection in the process and causing it to miss, badly.


    *Splort*


    [You have slain {Mud Doll: 1 } +100 Exp]


    The plantman fell apart as it hit the ground.


    Well...that was far weaker than I thought it would be.


    *Thwap*


    One of the dog-sized frogs¡¯ tongues smacked my shoulder and I felt a faint scraping sensation. As the tongue retracted, I spotted small spines on the end of the frog''s tongue.


    [Tim - HP: 44/45 - Normal ]


    Quickly glancing at my status, I was relieved to find that I hadn''t been poisoned. Deciding to be more proactive, I rushed at the frog and made a swing for its centre mass.


    Unfortunately, the frog easily dodged the attack, leaping up and over before suddenly leaping straight at me in an attempt to gore me with its horns.


    *Thworp*


    I barely managed to backhand the frog away, receiving a shallow cut across my forearm in exchange. The monstrous frog¡¯s stomach was torn open, spilling its guts and entrails around the immediate area. Even so, the frog still didn''t die immediately, weakly attempting to crawl back towards me for a final attack.


    *Splat*


    I put the frog out of its misery and was spattered with blood for the effort. An hour hadn''t even passed, and I was already beginning to feel the onset of mental fatigue. Even so, I had no other choice than to keep fighting. If we failed this quest, at the very least, I would die, but there was also a chance that the others would be killed by the Labyrinth as well.


    If the Labyrinth was able to so effortlessly kill adventurers, why did it even bother with spawning monsters? It didn¡¯t make sense to me.


    *****


    Hana fled through the forest as fast as her short legs could carry her. Supported by her intuitive understanding of the flora, and strengthened by her magic, Hana ran like the wind. Yet it was not enough. The Destroyer was always just a handful of seconds behind her, one mistake, a single lapse in concentration, would mean her death.


    The Destroyer had already slain Hana¡¯s mother and sisters, burning their Heart-Trees and cackling in glee as everyone Hana loved writhed in agony and was burned from the inside out. Hana had wanted to fight, to protect her family, but they had insisted that she flee, buying her the precious seconds now keeping her alive with what had remained of their own.


    Hana had been running for over two days straight and was slowly succumbing to mana fatigue. Even though the forest was generous and lent her what strength it could, Hana was too immature to contain the mounting impurities.


    At best, Hana expected that she would be able to continue running for maybe another day before her inevitable collapse. But all was not lost, Hana knew she may yet survive if she managed to reach the Orc Settlement of the Stone Tree tribe. They had an alliance with her mother and would render aid against The Destroyer. Hana was close now, no more than an hour away at most.


    Resolved to see The Destroyer pay for their crimes, Hana felt a fresh wave of strength well up within her and redoubled her efforts. Hana would not fail, not when she was so close!


    Hana grinned fiercely as she passed a stone Totem that marked the boundary of the Stone Tree tribe¡¯s territory. But that smile wavered as she sensed something was amiss.


    Pulsing her consciousness through the surrounding trees, Hana nearly lost her footing as the scene unfolded in her mind. The Stone Tree tribe were no more, the butchered remains of men, women and children scattered throughout their territory. The only solace Hana found in this tragedy was that a number of the tribe had possibly managed to escape the slaughter.


    The wanton violence was doubtless orchestrated by The Destroyer or one of its many servants. Hana had no doubts regarding The Destroyer''s depravity and ruthlessness.


    Knowing that there was no longer any assistance to be found with the Stone Tree, Hana almost lost hope. There was no one else she could reach with her remaining strength. But fighting The Destroyer was suicide and hiding had proven similarly impossible.


    Somehow, The Destroyer always knew where Hana was trying to hide. It was hardly surprising though since their Grove had been incredibly well hidden in the first place. So naturally, The Destroyer had to possess a special Ability or item that assisted them in hunting her.


    With no other options left, Hana continued to run, desperately hoping that a miracle would save her or slay The Destroyer. Unfortunately, as the hours passed and Hana¡¯s strength continued to fail, no such miracle presented itself.


    The Destroyer was right behind her now, growing closer with every passing second.


    Limbs numb from overdrawing so much mana, Hana tripped and fell to the forest floor.


    ¡°Ah! Are we done playing this little game?!¡± The Destroyer cackled.


    Knowing there was no escape and too weak to stand, Hana faced her enemy with silent defiance.


    The Destroyer was an unnatural creature of metal, fire and hate, its aura exuding a disdain for all life. ¡°Awww, nothing to say little one?!¡± The Destroyer cackled, its voice like crackling flames, ¡°Well, I suppose this is it then!¡± Azure flames coalesced in its outstretched hands as The Destroyer slowly began walking towards her.


    Seeing her death approaching, Hana nearly broke down in tears. This was how it would end, in spite of her mother and sisters¡¯ sacrifice, this was how Hana would die.


    ¡°Any last words?!¡± The Destroyer hissed, the buffeting heat from its flames scorching her skin.


    Gathering the last of her mana, Hana willed it into a final desperate attack, one way or the other, this would be the end of her. Glaring into the pitiless mass of metal that formed The Destroyer¡¯s head, Hana was ready to face the end, ¡°DIE!!!¡± She screamed, releasing all of her pent-up rage and fury.


    The forest itself bent to Hana¡¯s will, branches from nearby trees sharpening to stakes and driving through the weak gaps and crevices of The Destroyer''s metal body, impaling and pinning it to the ground.


    Amazingly, The Destroyer lay immobile, the azure flames guttering and then becoming extinguished.


    Barely clinging to consciousness, Hana could barely believe her eyes.


    Somehow, she had actually managed to kill The Destroyer! Perhaps his arrogance had left him vulnerable or-


    ¡°AHAHAHAHAHA!¡± The Destroyer cackled and the branches impaling its body turned to ash, ¡°The look on your face! Priceless!¡± The Destroyer got back to its feet and briefly regarded Hana with its head tilted slightly to one side and shaking in mock disappointment, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you actually expected such a weak attack to kill me?!¡± The Destroyer snickered, ¡°I barely even felt it!¡±


    Hana slumped in defeat, there was nothing left to do now except wait for death. Even now, her vision was fading and Hana could barely keep her eyes open.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t so bad,¡± The Destroyer said in an almost comforting tone, ¡°The struggle is over. All you need to do now is accept the inevitable,¡± the azure flames enveloped its hands again and The Destroyer reached out to end it all.


    [Congratulations {Hana}! You are qualified to receive the opportunity to serve a Lord of the {Hurst Labyrinth}! You will be expected to serve the role of {Settlement Overseer}. Complimentary {Relocation} and {Promotion} will be provided should you accept this opportunity! All glory to the Great Plan!]


    [You have been selected for {Relocation} and {Promotion}. Accept? (Y/N)]


    Tears welled at the corners of Hana¡¯s eyes. The miracle she had hoped for had arrived!


    ¡°Accept!¡± Hana croaked.


    [As compensation for accepting {Relocation}, all negative Conditions shall be cleansed and your body restored to prime condition. {Mana Fatigue}, {Despair}, {Marked} Conditions {Removed}. As compensation for accepting {Promotion}, you shall receive an upgrade to your class. {Druid} Upgraded to {Arch Druid}]


    A blinding flash of golden light erupted from Hana¡¯s body as she was empowered and restored.


    ¡°NO!!!¡± The destroyer howled in fury, desperately reaching for Hana but unable to find purchase as her body began to disappear. ¡°I WILL FIND YOU! I WILL BURN YOUR SOUL TO ASH!¡± The Destroyer howled in impotent fury.


    As The Destroyer¡¯s voice and the golden light faded away, Hana slowly became aware of her new surroundings. Tentatively extending her consciousness into the surrounding area, she very nearly recoiled in horror at the amount of death she detected in the immediate vicinity.


    With the golden light no longer impairing her vision, Hana could see a hulking brute towering over her, covered head to toe in blood, mud and gore.


    Instinctively, Hana understood that this was her Lord and whom the message said she would serve. Very nearly driven to despair, the only solace Hana could find in the situation, was that she was still alive and might be able to one day seek revenge for her murdered sisters and mother.


    *****


    It had been one hell of a slog initially, but after about an hour, the immediate area seemed to have been depopulated of monsters. That had given us a few hours to rest before all of the monsters respawned again at midnight.


    However, we knew what to expect the second time around and despite a few non-threatening injuries, we made it through to the following morning without any real problems. Then it just became a matter of waiting for the quest timer to run down while we took turns recuperating and sorting through the bodies and disposing of the most mutilated carcasses.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Completed}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: {Success} Totem has been established]


    [Conquest! {Stage 2}: {Success} Your {Totem} has now been successfully imbued with {Iron Gut} and will impart its effects to nearby {Minions}.]


    [Conquest! {Stage 3}: {Success} chain quest Conquest! {Completed}]


    [Determining degree of success...]


    [Acquiring rewards...]


    [Congratulations! You have completed {Conquest!} and will now receive x1 {Settlement Overseer} and x10 {Minions}. Standby for immediate delivery! Ownership of {Tim¡¯s Settlement} confers upon you the rank of {Labyrinth Lord}!]


    Blinking away the quest notification I was surprised to find that a small girl, no bigger than Toofy had appeared in front of me. With weird grass-like hair, deep green eyes, pale olive skin and tapered ears, she seemed quite strange. However, the fact that she was at least wearing some sort of short dress woven from plant fibres had been both interesting and a relief.


    Looking down at the strange little girl sitting on a small wooden crate filled with bizarre black and technicolour eggs, I was somewhat worried by her frightened expression. Taking a moment to look myself over, I realised it was actually a rather reasonable response, given the situation.


    A monster she may be, but that didn¡¯t mean she was without common sense.


    Glancing briefly at the others, who didn¡¯t look much better than myself, I sighed and knelt down to bring myself closer to her eye level. ¡°Uh, hi. I¡¯m Tim,¡± I said with as friendly a tone of voice as I could manage to compensate for my horrific appearance.


    The strange girl looked up at me, seeming somewhat confused, ¡°I am called Hana, my Lord. The Labyrinth has decided I will serve as your Settlement Overseer,¡± she replied quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Hana,¡± I responded warmly, ¡°You can just call me Tim if you like.¡±


    Hana nodded warily and looked around our surroundings. ¡°Lor-erm, Tim...This is your Settlement?¡± She asked somewhat dubiously, her attention lingering on the mound of monster corpses before halting on the Settlement Totem.


    I sighed and nodded, ¡°I know it isn¡¯t much, but we just finished the quest you see?¡± I tried to explain.


    Hana glanced briefly at me and nodded before approaching the Totem and running her hand across the surface of the tree. ¡°At least you have good taste,¡± she murmured quietly, nodding in approval.


    ¡°Euf,¡± I couldn''t help but groan as I got back to my feet. The constant fighting had really done a number on my back and I was feeling more than a bit stiff. Taking a closer look at the eggs, it only just occurred to me that these were meant to be my aforementioned ¡®minions¡¯. ¡°Anyone know what kind of monster eggs these are?¡± I asked optimistically.


    Nadine shook her head and moved in for a closer look.


    ¡°Do you know if we have to keep them warm or something?¡± I asked Nadine nervously.


    Nadine shook her head again and now had a thoughtful expression, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about this sort of thing,¡± she admitted curiously as she picked one of the eggs up to take a closer look.


    ¡°Eggs need mana to hatch,¡± Hana explained, returning to the crate and taking a look for herself, ¡°You can inject the mana directly, surround them with mana stones, or rely on ambient mana,¡± she explained somewhat stiffly as if reciting a lesson from memory. ¡°You should probably avoid hatching them until you have a nursery and suitable defences Lo-Tim,¡± Hana insisted somewhat nervously, ¡°Newborns have trouble fending for themselves and make prime targets for predators.¡±


    Eyeing the pile of dead predators nearby, I nodded in agreement. ¡°I guess we should focus on making some sort of shelter,¡± I sighed and began taking stock of the reduced number of trees in the general area. After all, we had burned most of them in order to last through the night,


    Hana fidgetted a little uncomfortably, ¡°If I might suggest something?¡± She offered.


    ¡°Please,¡± I nodded and smiled reassuringly.


    ¡°While I may not be very strong, I can shape plants to serve as shelter. If you are able to transplant some trees, and...and provide me with mana stones from nearby monsters, I could reshape the trees to serve as shelters from the elements and monsters alike,¡± Hana offered, although seeming somewhat reluctant in reference to the mana stones.


    Perhaps she thought we wouldn¡¯t trust her? Or maybe she knew how valuable they were?


    ¡°Alright let''s do that,¡± I agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll uproot a few trees while you guys keep an eye on things, maybe introduce yourselves too?¡± I suggested pointedly, more than a little surprised that I was the only one who had done so.


    Judging by Hana¡¯s appearance, I assumed that she was some sort of wood sprite, especially since she claimed to be capable of ¡®shaping¡¯ trees. With that in mind, I carefully uprooted the first young tree and brought it back to our camp.


    Hana had already cleared a hole in the ground a short distance from the Totem and had also dumped a good deal of ash into the hole as well.


    The moment I put the tree in the hole, a green aura began emanating from Hana¡¯s body and the transplanted tree¡¯s roots began aggressively burrowing into the ground. Raising her hands high, the tree¡¯s trunk began growing taller and wider. Within a matter of seconds, Hana had multiplied the tree''s size enormously.


    Slumping slightly, the green aura dissipated and Hana removed a mana stone from a small pouch at her waist. Raising the stone to her lips, Hana hesitated for a moment, seeming conflicted. But the moment passed and was replaced by a look of grim determination as Hana placed the mana stone in her mouth and swallowed. A few moments later, Hana was once more surrounded by the green aura and continued accelerating the growth of the tree.


    Over the next few hours, Hana demonstrated that she could make good on her claim, and had grown the tree to a truly impossible size. It was easily more than fifty feet wide and who knew how tall. She had even formed twisting stairs from the tree itself and hollowed out a section roughly twenty feet off the ground to serve as our shelter for the night.


    After cooking what we could and allowing the Desert Raptors to eat their fill, we dumped the remaining bodies into the water for the carnivorous fish to take care of while Hana caused the vegetation underfoot to absorb what remained.


    Over the course of ¡®shaping¡¯ the tree, Hana had consumed no small amount of mana stones and was now a full head taller than Toofy. After we shifted all our supplies inside, Hana removed the lower steps, making it impossible for anything other than the mosquitos or frogs to reach us.


    With how gross my clothes had become, I had few qualms about stripping off my tattered tunic and pants. It was a sentiment shared by the others, although they at least had spare changes of clothes to change into afterwards. Painfully aware of what I had to assume were some form of monstrous piranhas in the water, There was no real way for me to clean my soiled clothes either.


    Toofy had stripped off her padded armour pants. Not because they were particularly dirty, but because of the humidity. Tobi followed my lead and seemed to be taking the opportunity to flex a little. I couldn¡¯t really blame him, Tobi¡¯s a decently attractive guy and the girls were objectively in really good shape themselves.


    Leaving Tobi to his ¡®peacocking¡¯, I decided that I should probably try to find out more about Hana. She seemed rather tense and I was almost certain that she was in pain. ¡°Hana? Can I speak with you for a moment?¡± I asked gently.


    Hana stiffly regarded me for a moment before crossing the room and waiting to see what I wanted, her face an unreadable mask. However, Hana¡¯s frosty wooden demeanour did not extend to her eyes. They were fixed on somewhere, something, I couldn¡¯t see, windows into the turmoil of emotions clashing just beneath the surface.


    ¡°Hana, is there something you want to talk about?¡± I hoped I was wrong, that I was misreading the signs.


    Hana¡¯s facade lapsed for a brief moment, exposing her intense fear, anger and sorrow. But just as quickly, her mask was fixed securely in place again. ¡°No,¡± she replied quietly, turning to leave and sit on her own again.


    ¡°Hana wait,¡± I insisted, ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry if I have done something to upset you. I didn¡¯t mean to abduct you from your home. I had no control over the quest rewards, but if I can, I¡¯ll try to make it up to you, alright?¡± I offered earnestly.


    Hana paused, her resolve faltering, ¡°You didn¡¯t steal me away,¡± she replied quietly, ¡°I chose to accept the summons and posting as your Settlement Overseer.¡±


    ¡°Then...is there something else that is wrong?¡± I asked warily, ¡°Have we done something to offend you? I know you seem to like trees, but we only burned what we needed to survive,¡± I assured her.


    Hana stared at me for a short while and I could tell she was weighing a difficult decision. ¡°I am the only one left...¡± Tears began welling in her eyes and Hana¡¯s facade came crumbling down, ¡°Sakura, Hanaye, Tsubaki, Kohana, Reika...M-Mother...¡± Her slender fingers closed into fists as tears streamed down her cheeks, ¡°The Destroyer killed them all! My entire family! Burned them alive...¡± Hana shuddered and stifled a whimper, her eyes flashing dangerously, ¡°I¡¯ll kill it, no matter what! Even if it takes the rest of my life! I will never forgive! Never forget what was taken from me!¡± She hissed bitterly, ¡°My...my family...¡± Hana shuddered and weakly fell to her knees, cupping her face in her hands to mask her grief.


    Before I even had a chance to do anything, Toofy had leapt forward and wrapped Hana in a tight hug, pressing the relative stranger comfortingly against her chest and rubbing her back reassuringly, ¡°Hana sad, is okay, Toofy sad too, Tim help Toofy, Tim help Hana too,¡± Toofy insisted.


    Hana made no real signs that she had even heard Toofy, just letting out deep racking sobs and pitiable wails into her tunic.


    Unsure of what I should or even, could, do, I was grateful that Toofy was demonstrating such emotional maturity and empathy


    After some time had passed, Toofy gently guided Hana over to me and the both of them huddled in close by my side. Toofy looked up at me with a pleading look, glancing briefly at Hana before shifting back to me again.


    I nodded to show Toofy I understood. I would do what I could for her. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you,¡± I whispered, tousling her hair affectionately.


    Toofy gave me a small smile and nodded, hugging Hana a little tighter.


    I could already tell I wasn¡¯t going to be able to sleep tonight, so I did my best to make sure that at least the two of them would be comfortable. I knew from personal experience that a good night''s sleep could do wonders for improving your ability to cope with life''s bullshit.


    Watching the pair of them sleep, I couldn''t help but snort derisively as I recalled a particular argument I had with my Mum when I was fifteen years old.


    I had adamantly insisted that I would never be a parent, on the basis that no one would ever willingly consider me a viable partner. Yet Mum had insisted that I was wrong and would have more kids than I knew what to do with. In a way, we were both right.


    I wonder what mum would think if she could see me now?


    Thankfully no monsters attempted breaking into our refuge during the long night. One of the stranger aspects of this world, or the Labyrinths specifically, was the lack of ambient noise. Without the various insects and small wildlife, the nights, in particular, were disturbingly quiet. I could only assume that the atmosphere in a swamp on Earth would be so lively you would need earplugs just to stand a chance at sleep.


    At least the long night had given me a chance to look at everyone''s stats. After killing so many monsters, everyone had gained a level up. My level up gave me another point of Willpower, Nadine¡¯s gave her another point of Intelligence, Clarice got another point of Strength and Toofy gained another point of Agility. Toofy was actually the highest level member of the party, now at level five.


    Toofy¡¯s new class ability was actually rather interesting.


    [(Class Ability:Desperate Strike {Rank 0}): Expend MP to deal additional damage with {Primitive} and {Improvised} weapons. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    At first glance, it seemed rather generic, which I supposed was. However, when you factored in Toofy¡¯s preferred choice in weapons and that her progression towards her next Evolution would also be increasing her max MP, Toofy could very well turn a fight in her favour by burning through MP, which I supposed was the point of the ability in the first place.


    As I had hoped, Hana seemed to be doing much better by the time she woke up in the late morning. Although more subdued than she had initially been last evening, I believed that this was healthier for Hana than putting up a strong front.


    ¡°Breakfast?¡± Toofy asked eagerly, dragging Hana along behind her like a lost puppy.


    I was trying to decide if eating croc meat was worth the risk or not. While I had no shortage of barbecuing experience, I had very little experience with cooking meat directly over the coals of a bonfire.


    Deciding it would probably be best to avoid food poisoning, for the time being, I figured we could always leave the ¡®cooked¡¯ meat for the Desert Raptors and Shady. Fishing out a parcel of roasted meat, I handed it to Toofy before retrieving another and hesitating.


    ¡°Uh, Hana? Are you alright with eating meat?¡± I asked worriedly. It was pretty much gospel in most modern literature that elves and other mystical forest creatures were strictly vegan or at worst vegetarian.


    Hana gave me a curious look, ¡°Yes, I eat meat,¡± she agreed and took the parcel of roasted meat, ¡°What else would I eat?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know, maybe a salad made from vegetables or something?¡± I replied lamely.


    Hana looked disgusted, ¡°I would sooner eat my own arm,¡± she stated, curiously watching Toofy to see how to untie the knots.


    That hadn¡¯t been the reaction I had expected, ¡°Do you mind if I ask why?¡±


    Hana shifted a little uncomfortably, ¡°I can sense the thoughts and feelings of nearby plants by activating my Ability,¡± she explained a little hesitantly, ¡°The idea of eating something I have shared experiences with, or could accidentally share experiences with during consumption...it is not pleasant...¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Yeah, that made sense, ¡°Ah, wait, are you sure that it won¡¯t upset you when we use wood to make fire for cooking food?¡± I asked warily.


    Hana considered it for a few moments and shook her head, ¡°No, it is fine. You do not burn the trees for the sake of destruction, and so long as it is for constructive purposes, I will continue to support the practice.¡±


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s very considerate and well-reasoned of you to say,¡± I replied appreciatively.


    Hana shrugged, greedily removing a piece of roast meat from the open parcel and stuffing it in her mouth, ¡°MMM! SHO GUD!¡± She rubbed her cheeks appreciatively and squirmed in delight.


    Well, I guess that settled it, Hana was a carnivore.


    ¡°Oh, right. Hana, I have been meaning to ask you, what kind of monster are you?¡± I asked curiously.


    Hana seemed surprised, like the answer was obvious, ¡°I am a Dryad,¡± she replied with a shrug, ¡°Although I am still a sapling...¡± Hana admitted sheepishly.


    Assuming that being a sapling was a reference to age or Evolution, it seemed like she was telling the truth. ¡°Is the tree shaping part of your abilities?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Hana shook her head, ¡°That is from my Class.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what Cass do you have? If you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± After seeing what she was capable of, I was more than a little curious.


    Hana nodded, apparently quite aware of how impressive her Ability is, ¡°I was a Druid before accepting the promotion, so now I am an Arch Druid,¡± she replied matter of factly.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Nadine cried, spilling her own breakfast and rushing across the room, ¡°Are you really an Arch Druid?!¡± She demanded, equal parts incredulous and excited.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Hana replied, warily edging away from her.


    ¡°That''s a Master Class!¡± Nadine declared excitedly, ¡°No wonder it is so powerful!¡±


    ¡°I assume that Master comes after Advanced?¡± I asked curiously.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°They are exceptionally rare! Even amongst monsters! Although I suppose it would only make sense that a Dryad would unlock the Druid Classes. Even so! It is still incredibly impressive!¡±


    Realising that she was being praised, Hana squared her shoulders and straightened her back slightly, ¡°Of course!¡± She preened, ¡°In the wilds of the Labyrinth, the strength of a Druid is largely without equal!¡±


    Toofy distractedly watched the exchange briefly before noticing the scattered remains of Nadine¡¯s breakfast and quickly scurried over to claim them before Shady or the Desert Raptors had the chance.


    ¡°What sort of limits do you have with the Ability?¡± I asked, already thinking of a few different things we could try.


    Hana shrugged, ¡°So long as the plants have access to sufficient nutrients and sunlight, just about anything is possible. Only, encouraging significant growth requires a lot of mana,¡± she stated pointedly.


    ¡°So we need to kill a bunch more monsters is what you''re sayin?¡± Clarice noted.


    Hana nodded, ¡°Depending on the size of the Settlement and defences desired to surround it,¡± she clarified.


    ¡°Well, I would rather be hunting monsters than uprooting and planting trees,¡± Clarice admitted, making it clear where her preferences for the day¡¯s labour lay.


    ¡°Me too!¡± Emelia added hastily.


    ¡°Me as well!¡± Tobi joined in.


    Why did this feel like a game of not it?


    It wasn¡¯t like Tobi or Emelia could uproot even the smallest trees without spending a great deal of effort. So I wasn¡¯t sure why they thought I would suggest they do it.


    ¡°Nadine, do you think you could chat with Hana and come up with some sort of plan for the Settlement while I try sourcing some more trees?¡± I asked as I got to my feet and began to stretch.


    Nadine nodded emphatically, ¡°Sure! This is such an exciting opportunity! I''ve never had the chance to design a Settlement before!¡±


    ¡°Alright, well I guess that leaves manastone harvesting to the six of you,¡± I motioned to Emelia, Clarice and Tobi before repeating the gesture with Thunder Thighs, Beaky and Shady. Talk about overkill, at least they should be safe with those numbers.


    Lastly, turning to Toofy I decided to give her a choice, ¡°Do you want to stay here and keep Hana and Nadine company, or help me pull up some trees?¡± I asked neutrally.


    Toofy considered both choices for well over a minute, ¡°Toofy stay,¡± she stated grudgingly.


    I smiled and tousled Toofy¡¯s hair, ¡°You''re being so responsible! Such a good girl Toofy!¡±


    Toofy grinned and leaned into my hand, ¡°Toofy good girl!¡± She parroted.


    ¡°Yes, you are!¡± I agreed.


    With everyone now assigned their duties, we each began preparing to set out to get to it. Unfortunately for me, this meant I would be uprooting trees in my underwear.


    Letting out a long sigh, I picked up my morningstar and spent a few minutes limbering up. My back was still a little stiff from yesterday and I hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep last night, but rather surprisingly I was doing pretty alright all things considered. Descending the steps, I still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I had forgotten something. Only vaguely aware that it was something important, I wracked my brain as I tried to think of what it was.


    Then it hit me, it was the stairs! Hana hadn¡¯t replaced the lower section of stairs again yet! I really wish I had remembered that little tidbit BEFORE falling face-first over the edge...


    *****


    Hana released a deep sigh as she felt the latest wave of mana leaving her body and invigorating the recently transplanted tree. Under her guidance, the tree¡¯s roots grew thick and strong, anchoring deep into the earth and securing the nutrients the tree would need to grow still further in the coming hours. The altered composition of the tree would also begin syphoning mana from the ground and dispersing it into the immediate area.


    This was the single most important aspect for a Dryad Grove and Hana assumed it would prove very useful to a more traditional Settlement as well.


    The modified trees would begin concentrating the ambient mana and would both increase the rate of mana regeneration of monsters in the vicinity, as well as increasing their maximum capacity over time as well. Although it wouldn¡¯t be nearly so effective for Lord Tim¡¯s other minions, Hana herself would see substantial benefits in the coming days.


    In particular, the mana syphons would provide the levels of ambient mana required to begin hatching the unknown monster eggs.


    Popping another manastone into her mouth, Hana hesitated for a moment before swallowing. Consuming manastones was a practice her mother had strictly prohibited, and for good reason.


    Already attuned to the natural world of the Labyrinth and the plethora of flora that inhabited it, Hana could have slowly continued her own growth by filtering mana from her surroundings alone. After all, it was the path Dryads were intended to take.


    However, it would have taken far too long for Hana to obtain the power she needed for her revenge.


    Recalling her mother¡¯s Grove set ablaze, Hana grit her teeth and swallowed the manastone. Feeling the fresh wave of power spreading through her body, Hana knew she was close to reaching her Evolution and was fairly certain that a second Evolution was likely within reach as well.


    Obtaining such power would have taken Hana more than a decade to accumulate on her own through passive absorption. Even though the price for cutting corners would likely come due sooner rather than later, Hana didn¡®t care. If it meant she was able to kill The Destroyer, she would pay any price.


    Hana¡¯s corruption from consuming the manastones was a price she could live with.


    Her transition from a Dryad to Corrupted Dryad had only one notable change in that the soulless would no longer ignore her presence. Effectively, they would treat Hana as they would any other monster of a different Species. Meaning they would attack her on sight.


    As Hana continued to evolve, the aura of corruption would intensify and her presence would begin driving the soulless berserk. However, so long as she remained within the Settlement, then it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    Hana smirked ruefully as she continued her efforts in guiding the growth of the tree.


    The disadvantage of the corruption didn¡¯t actually mean much in her current situation. As Lord Tim¡¯s Overseer, Hana had access to the Settlement¡¯s management options, and she had already enabled the protective ward to drive out soulless from the territory.


    Most of them anyway.


    The human minion known as Nadine had requested the carnivorous fish be allowed to stay, so the other minions could ¡®farm them¡¯ for food and manastones. The idea had merit, so Hana had agreed and planned to establish a sizeable pond later.


    Lord Tim¡¯s minions were not what Hana had expected.


    For so many of them to be human was a true surprise. From all her mother had told her, Hana had been under the expectation that human minions were exceptionally rare. Their natural bigotry, greed and tendency towards violence, made them difficult to control, and yet Lord Tim had four of them.


    They were obedient as well, following his every command without needing to be threatened or otherwise coerced. What had made it all the more surprising was Lord Tim possessed an Enslavement Class but showed no signs of actively using it.


    Nadine had explained that he was using it to shield his minions from the Enslavement of others.


    For an Ogre, Lord Tim was incredibly strange.


    Besides asking Hana to help establish the Settlement, which was one of her new duties as Overseer anyway, he had seemed content to leave Hana to her own devices. The only order Hana had been given was to pace her consumption of manastones to avoid what had been explained as a form of mana addiction. Hana had never heard of such a thing but didn¡¯t see much of a problem following the order either. It just gave her more time to adjust to each incremental increase in strength.


    ¡°I wish I could grow plants like that,¡± Nadine sighed wistfully, ¡°It¡¯s truly impressive.¡±


    Hana smiled and graciously accepted the compliment. After all, It was only natural that a minion would complement their Overseer¡¯s abilities. As Nadine had explained earlier, her own Class involved the healing of injuries through binding and stitching flesh back together. Perhaps not as valuable as it would be in other Settlements that lacked the Lord¡¯s Iron Gut recovery aura, it would still prove useful enough under the right circumstances.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Nadine gave a start, ¡°Do you think it would be possible to grow some flowers?¡±


    Hana nodded, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too hard,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°Do you think you could grow some flowers next? The smell is pretty bad around here,¡± Nadine explained somewhat apologetically.


    ¡°Hrm,¡± Hana didn¡¯t particularly like the idea of delaying the establishment of the Settlement. Even though it would not technically require that much mana, it would still set Hana behind her self-imposed schedule.


    Getting the last of the required mana syphons to the requisite size and potency before evening would be difficult.


    ¡°You know,¡± Nadine leaned in and shielded her mouth conspiratorially, ¡°Tim has complained about strong smells like this before. I bet he would appreciate it if you took care of it,¡± she suggested slyly.


    Hana carefully considered the new information for a moment and approximated the amount of mana it would cost. Weighing the loss in productivity against the potential goodwill from her Lord, Hana eventually agreed that Nadine¡¯s suggestion had merit.


    With a flourish of her hand, Hana caused a wave of verdant green vegetation to erupt from the ground and spread through the area. After a few moments of rapid growth, thin petalled flowers began to bloom from long elegant stalks and released a pleasant but not overpowering fragrance.


    The lilies were actually native to swamp biomes but were normally devoured by the soulless for the trace amounts of mana concentrated in their bulbs. Or at least that is what Hana figured must have been happening because she had not seen any such flowers in their vicinity despite the faint traces of the immature bulbs beneath the ground.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Nadine exclaimed in wonderment as the flowers rather quickly overran the Settlement.


    Hana patiently counted down the requisite time in her head until she could take the next manastone.


    Although she had not found the rotting smell of vegetation disagreeable, Hana did have to admit that she preferred the sweet scent of the lilies more.


    ¡°Pretty!¡± The Goblin, Toofy, raced headlong into the field of lilies, hopping around excitedly as she took in the sights and smells of the flowers.


    Curiously watching Toofy play amongst the flowers, Hana smiled a little and decided to join her.


    Seeing Hana approach, Toofy¡¯s smile widened, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth, ¡°Look! Look!¡± She insisted, gesturing frantically at the surrounding lilies, ¡°So many pretties!¡±


    ¡°Do you like the lilies?¡± Hana asked, already convinced that the expended mana had been worth it.


    Toofy nodded emphatically, ¡°Pretties look pretty, smell pretty!¡± She explained, as if Hana was not able to tell for herself.


    Rather than being offended, Hana was rather amused.


    Is this what it had been like for her older sisters? Hana wondered wistfully.


    Toofy¡¯s energy level dropped rather suddenly, her expression becoming concerned, ¡°Hana sad?¡± She asked worriedly, ¡°No sad Hana,¡± Toofy insisted, and before Hana had a chance to answer Toofy wrapped Hana in a tight hug.


    Hana¡¯s first reaction was to push Toofy away.


    Being the Lord¡¯s Overseer required her to maintain a strong, confident and authoritative presence in front of the minions.


    However, the earlier reminder of her lost family had unsettled Hana somewhat and she could use a little comfort. Besides, the Lord often seemed to indulge Toofy¡¯s eccentricities, giving the little Goblin close to free rein, so Hana decided she could do the same until told otherwise.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 11 – Death of a harem – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 11 ¨C Death of a harem ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 11 - Death of a harem - Part One {Rewrite}


    Returning to the Settlement with another uprooted tree, I was surprised to find that the ground ahead was blanketed with lush green plant life. More specifically, crisp blue and white petalled flowers. Carefully setting down the tree, I walked closer for a better look. They appeared to be a type of swamp flower, but I honestly didn¡¯t know much about botany besides the word and a few common medicinal plants.


    Wandering around a little, I was very impressed with Hana and Nadine¡¯s progress so far. Ten newly transplanted trees dominated the local landscape, forming a rough circle centred around the Totem and our current residence. Each of the trees was of slightly different sizes, and they averaged out at about ten feet wide, half as much again near the base of the trunk, and even the shortest were around fifty feet tall. Assuming Hana intended to grow them larger still, it would not be surprising if they just about formed a solid wall at this rate.


    Of course, they were pitifully small compared to the tree serving as our home, which was easily four or five times their size. Over the course of the day, Hana had nearly doubled the tree¡¯s overall size from yesterday and I had to wonder just how much mana she had actually used to accomplish it.


    It was another rather blunt reminder that I still didn¡¯t have MP of my own, let alone any cool abilities to use it on.


    Climbing the steps of the tree fort, I found Toofy animatedly entertaining Nadine and Hana with a stirring rendition of the sausage song. It was truly amazing how Toofy could misremember the words, sing out of tune, but still maintain the rhythm.


    She was definitely gifted.


    Nadine had noticed my return and was doing her best not to laugh, while Hana looked incredibly confused and didn¡¯t seem to know what to do.


    Seeing me standing in the open doorway, Toofy abruptly stopped singing, ¡°Tim!¡± She bounced over, excitedly grabbed my hand and tried to drag me back down the stairs, ¡°See pretties!¡± Toofy insisted.


    Determined to avoid an accident, I swept Toofy up and deposited her on my shoulder before heading downstairs to look at the flowers again.


    As we reached the bottom of the stairs, Toofy wriggled free of my loose grip and began excitedly jumping amongst the flowers. ¡°Pretties! Tim see?!¡± She declared emphatically.


    I smiled and nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes the flowers are very pretty.¡±


    Toofy stopped and cocked her head to one side slightly with obvious curiosity, ¡°Flowers?¡± Toofy asked hesitantly.


    I nodded and picked one of the lilies, ¡°They are called flowers,¡± I explained patiently, holding out the stem for Toofy to take.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Toofy nodded sagely, as if the revelation was obvious, ¡°Flowers!¡± She agreed emphatically, accepting the lily and wildly waving it around.


    Thinking she might enjoy it, I picked a few more lilies and roughly wove their stems together to form a crown. Waving Toofy over, I placed it on her head. I had never made a flower crown before and was relieved that it didn¡¯t immediately fall apart.


    ¡°Flowers!¡± Toofy screeched, staring up at her crown and nearly falling over backwards as she tried to get a better look.


    Nadine and Hana had followed us down the stairs watching Toofy¡¯s antics with similar expressions to before.


    ¡°Is this normal?¡± Hana asked somewhat uncertainly.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Nadine nodded but did not elaborate further.


    Hana furrowed her brow and began wringing her hands together with worry. After a few minutes, she seemed to have made up her mind and approached with a determined expression, ¡°Ah, my Lord?¡± Hana asked somewhat hesitantly.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I was more than a little curious as to what was making her so nervous. I was not keen on being called a Lord, but that was something we could discuss once things were more settled.


    Hana seemed unable or unwilling to look me in the eye, ¡°Do you like the flowers?¡± She asked nervously.


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied honestly, thankful that I was no longer able to smell the overbearing and pervasive stench of rotting vegetation.


    Hana appeared visibly relieved, ¡°I am glad you like them!¡± She smiled and genuinely seemed quite happy by my response. ¡°I think I should be able to finish the fortress by evening,¡± Hana insisted firmly.


    ¡°Really?!¡± I looked around at the trees a moderate distance away, ¡°That¡¯s really impressive!¡± I felt another pang of jealousy and was a little suspicious, ¡°You are pacing yourself with those manastones like I asked, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Hana insisted, appearing mortified at the suggestion.


    That actually made me feel a little guilty, ¡°Sorry, I just don''t want you to get addicted.¡±


    Hana was somewhat mollified and distractedly adjusted her plant-fibre dress, ¡°I appreciate your concern...¡± She replied a little quietly, ¡°But I am your Overseer, I wouldn¡¯t dare disobey a direct order.¡±


    I winced.


    That made the nature of the Labyrinth¡¯s arrangement sound uncomfortably similar to slavery. Hopefully, our relationship was more benign. The memories of the pain I had felt were still quite fresh in my mind and I had no intentions of inflicting it on others.


    ¡°Just...just do what you think is best,¡± I did my best to keep the suggestion vague, just in case.


    ¡°As you will,¡± Hana agreed, shifting her attention to the surrounding trees as she popped a mana stone in her mouth and gulped it down. ¡°You said you wanted clean water for bathing, right?¡± Hana asked Nadine pointedly. Without waiting for an answer, she raised her arms out to either side and was quickly blanketed in an emerald aura. Eyes radiating the same energy, she gestured one hand to where I had left the uprooted tree.


    Within moments, the tree was quickly crawling across the ground by its roots towards Hana, like some sort of wooden octopus. At her direction, the tree moved a short distance away from the Totem and opposite the treefort. Hana motioned her hand downwards and the tree¡¯s roots grew many times their original size and began boring deep into the ground. While the roots descended, Hana directed the tree to grow outwards, rapidly increasing its girth and creating a large open cavity before causing the trunk and branches to wither and be absorbed into the lower trunk of the tree. After a few minutes of intense growth and displacement of the nearby soil and vegetation, Hana had formed a gnarled and knotted wooden basin roughly twenty feet in diameter and close to five feet deep.


    Evidently still not finished, Hana caused a fresh seedling to sprout from the centre of the basin and diverge into three separate trees. The trio of trees twisted and coiled around one another as their trunks grew thicker and began occupying more of the basin. With the trees now occupying roughly half the space, Hana brought an end to their growth.


    ¡°Is this a water catchment pool?¡± Nadine asked curiously.


    Hana smirked, made one final gesture with her right hand and dissipated the aura.


    *Glurglelugluglug*


    The unmistakable sound of water flushing through pipes drew my attention to the trees in the basin. A few seconds later, water began gushing out of holes in the trunks of the trees and splashing into the basin.


    ¡°How...¡± Nadine seemed lost for words, opening and closing her mouth in stunned silence.


    ¡°Water pressure,¡± I declared, much to my own surprise.


    Hana looked surprised, but not nearly as much as Nadine and myself.


    How did I know that?


    The vague memory of a large tree gushing torrents of water drifted at the edges of my mind.


    Oh...


    It was a viral video. Apparently, the phenomenon wasn¡¯t even that uncommon. When a sufficiently large tree tapped into a water source below ground, the pressure would draw the water up and out of the tree if it had a breach in its trunk. Obviously, Hana had just done it on purpose rather than waiting for it to occur naturally.


    ¡°You tapped into a large deposit of bore water or something,¡± I assumed, partially to provide Nadine with an explanation for what must seem like another source of magic, ¡°The water pressure drives the water up through the roots and out of those holes in the trunk. Basically, the trees are just acting as pipes.¡±


    Hana nodded, looking rather impressed that I had managed to figure it out, ¡°I should have known that my Lord was knowledgeable of such things,¡± she complimented brazenly.


    I shrugged off the compliment, ¡°Just a coincidence. I really don¡¯t know much about plants,¡± I deflected.


    ¡°Hrm,¡± Hana narrowed her eyes suspiciously for a moment before apparently deciding she had better ways to spend her time. However, a couple of seconds later, she stiffened and began running back to the tree fort, ¡°The first of the eggs are hatching!¡± She cried urgently, already racing up the stairs.


    ¡°Eggs?¡± Toofy asked curiously, temporarily distracted from the alluring danger of the fountain.


    ¡°You want to see the eggs hatch?¡± I asked Toofy, lifting her up and onto my shoulder before she had a chance to refuse. I was now going to have to add swimming lessons to Toofy¡¯s schooling schedule. Especially since there was no way a fence would be able to keep her out of the fountain once she was determined to get in.


    No less excited than Hana, Nadine beat me to the stairs.


    When we reached our living quarters, I saw Hana very carefully removing eggs from the chest I had received upon completion of the Labyrinth¡¯s quest. Scrutinising each one intensely before either placing it back in the chest or setting it aside on the ground beside her, Hana was fully engrossed in her task.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of monster eggs they are!¡± Nadine whispered excitedly,


    I was just as excited but far more apprehensive. The Labyrinth¡¯s quest had not exactly been particularly accommodating. Sure, the Settlement was potentially a great boon in the long run, but it required significant investment, and something told me that whatever these baby monsters were, it would be a similar situation.


    Apparently finished checking all twenty-five eggs, Hana had set aside three of the eggs and now presented them for my inspection. ¡°These three eggs are very close to hatching,¡± she explained, one of the eggs wobbled slightly in response, ¡°As Overseer, I will need to imprint on the hatchlings so they do not run amok,¡± Hana explained and looked at me expectantly.


    Understanding that she was asking for permission, I nodded, curious to see what it would entail exactly.


    Toofy slid down off my shoulder to take a closer look at the gently rocking egg.


    ¡°Careful,¡± I warned. The last thing I wanted was Toofy breaking one of the eggs, or getting into a biting contest with one of the hatchlings.


    Toofy waved me off distractedly and laid down on the floor to get a closer look.


    Letting out a sigh, I looked to Nadine for some support, but she was already following Toofy¡¯s lead and moving in for a closer look. Unwilling to be the only one left out, I moved a little closer as well.


    The eggs were reasonably large, around the same size as an emu egg or maybe a little smaller. All three eggs were now wobbling about, the technicolour patterns on the shells intermittently flashing in conjunction with the movement.


    *Crack*


    The first egg to hatch, unsurprisingly, was the first to show signs of movement, sporting bright green lightning-like patterns on its shell. A large crack now ran the length of the shell, like a jagged seam.


    *Crack Crack, Crunch*


    All at once, the egg was forced apart and a small mucus-covered blob burst free and onto the ground. ¡°Gnnn, grrrr, raaaz, kriiii!¡± The small monster began mewling and growling as it slowly untangled its limbs.


    Although just as surprised as we were, Hana was quick to act. Gathering the same emerald aura as before, she gently touched the newly-hatched monster¡¯s head with her index finger.


    All at once, the monster grew still, revealing that it looked like a very small child with small horns protruding across its forehead.


    A black notification appeared at the bottom of my peripheral vision.


    [Settlement Alert {Tim¡¯s Settlement}: {Gric - Lesser Daemon} was recruited by {Overseer Hana} as a minion.]


    Wait...What?!


    Hana had a similar reaction, ¡°Daemon?!¡± She exclaimed worriedly, quickly retracting her finger.


    The tiny green-skinned Daemon, Gric, followed Hana¡¯s finger with its eyes hungrily. However, seeing that it was now out of reach, it shifted its attention to the broken remains of its shell.


    ¡°Baby hungry,¡± Toofy declared. She hurriedly got up and retrieved a large chunk of the leftover meat we cooked yesterday evening. ¡°Baby eat,¡± Toofy insisted, sitting back down and depositing the large chunk of croc meat next to the freshly hatched Daemon.


    ¡°Toofy I don¡¯t think-¡± I started to say, but stopped abruptly as the little Daemonling scrambled into action.


    Opening its mouth wide, Gric revealed a mouth of short lizard-like serrated teeth, which it then used to begin ripping off pieces of the roasted meat and swallowing them as fast as it was able.


    Toofy nodded understandingly, and gave the Daemon a soft pat on the back, ¡°Good baby.¡±


    Gric ignored her and continued stuffing its face.


    ¡°Uh is this alright?¡± I asked Hana since she was the only one of us who had even known monsters lay eggs, let alone what would come after.


    ¡°Ah, I think so?¡± Hana replied distractedly as she watched Gric shred through the meat with increasing energy. ¡°The newly hatched would normally eat their eggshells and absorb the mucus before becoming this...active...¡± Hana explained nervously before stopping to think for a moment, ¡°Oh,¡± she sighed and shook her head, ¡°I forgot about the Totem,¡± Hana apologised, ¡°The poor thing must feel like he is starving.¡±


    ¡°He?¡± Nadine asked, beating me to it.


    Hana nodded a little awkwardly and pointed to the Daemon¡¯s hindquarters.


    Previously covered by the mucus, the nub of a tail on Gric¡¯s back was now visible along with the similar protrusion from his groyne.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nadine blushed a little in embarrassment.


    After about a minute, Gric appeared to have eaten his fill, the Daemon¡¯s belly had distended to what had to be a painful degree. However, Gric seemed unfazed and just continued to stare at the remaining veritable mountain of roasted meat possessively with his black and gold eyes.


    Now that Gric was relatively still, I quickly noticed that he was ever so slowly growing in size. He was already at least a half-inch taller than when he had first hatched. The trio of horns now crowning his forehead had grown a little too but still weren¡¯t very large.


    Both of the remaining eggs now appeared to be close to hatching as well, the purple and orange patterns each respectively flashing as the eggs grew more restless.


    *Crack Crack, Crunch*


    All at once, the purple egg was torn open, followed a moment later by the orange one. Two new Daemon hatchlings tumbled out and onto the ground, mewling and growling at one another. It was like watching a pair of kittens try to intimidate each other.


    Hana promptly gave each a gentle tap on the forehead, immediately quieting both Daemon hatchlings.


    Two more black status alerts quickly flashed into my peripheral vision.


    [Settlement Alert {Tim¡¯s Settlement}: {Qreet - Lesser Daemon} was recruited by {Overseer Hana} as a minion.]


    [Settlement Alert {Tim¡¯s Settlement}: {Dar - Lesser Daemon} was recruited by {Overseer Hana} as a minion.]


    Assuming the status alerts were in the same order Hana had recruited them, then the light purple-skinned Daemon had to be Qreet, and the dark orange-skinned Daemon must be Dar.


    ¡°Are you naming them?¡± I asked Hana, more than a little confused by the strange names.


    Hana shook her head, ¡°No, the Labyrinth named them. But if you wish, it is possible to rename them at the Settlement Totem.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I guessed it made sense, in the same reasoning that the Labyrinth assumedly named all special monsters in the first place. But it was interesting to know that I could change their names through the Totem, rather than through enslavement and the status commands. That reminded me that I had pretty much forgotten about the Totem and had no real idea what it was capable of, if anything beyond changing monster names and allowing the Settlement itself to exist.


    Before I had the chance to ask Hana a few questions, the curious behaviour of the two newly hatched Daemons drew my attention. Obviously hungry, Qreet and Dar had crawled over the short, but not negligible distance, to Gric and the comparatively large chunk of roast meat. However, instead of tearing into the food as Gric had done, Qreet and Dar had both prostrated themselves before Gric and were mewling pitiably.


    Toofy hopped up to get more meat, but while she was gone, Gric surprisingly tore off a large strip of meat with his teeth and threw it to Qreet.


    Expecting the two hatchlings to fight over the morsel, I was surprised again when Dar did little more than stare hungrily at the food his hatch mate had received.


    Gric chittered and nodded his head approvingly. He then tore off another piece of meat and threw it to Dar. Who spared a moment to squeak in gratitude before viciously assaulting the roasted meat.


    Toofy returned with two more pieces of meat for Qreet and Dar.


    However, Gric did not seem happy about this, hissing and glaring at her.


    Toofy was taken aback for a moment, ¡°No mad at Toofy!¡± She reprimanded Gric, bopping him lightly on the head with a piece of meat. With Gric suitably cowed, Toofy gave Qreet and Dar each a piece of roasted meat of their own.


    Again, neither Daemon made a move to begin eating, instead, they stared intently at Gric, clearly waiting for some form of permission.


    Toofy seemed to notice this as well and frowned, ¡°No greedy baby!¡± She warned, baring her mouth full of sharp teeth.


    Far less intimidated than he should have been, given that Toofy could just about stuff him whole into her mouth, Gric hissed in annoyance before chittering at Qreet and Dar.


    Evidently having received permission, the pair of Daemonlings began tearing into their pieces of roasted meat just as Gric had done minutes earlier.


    Satisfied, Toofy nodded, ¡°Good baby.¡±


    ¡°Are all monsters so hierarchical?¡± Nadine asked curiously.


    Hana shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know, and while I also do not know much about Daemons, the one thing I know for certain is their rigid adherence to hierarchy. It is what makes them so dangerous. A Daemon will obey its superior without question, even if it means that they will die.¡±


    ¡°Was hatching first enough to make Gric the leader?¡± Nadine asked curiously, beating me to it.


    ¡°Well...sort of,¡± Hana agreed tentatively, ¡°More likely, I think it has something to do with their rate of growth. The green one, Gric, hatched first because he developed faster, most likely because he has a greater aptitude for manipulating mana. The same goes for Qreet and Dar, who have hatched slightly later, but still well before the rest of the other eggs. I was actually surprised that these three hatched today. I was expecting the eggs to still need at least another day or two before I had grown the mana syphons enough to provide the necessary mana.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second, mana syphons?!¡± Nadine demanded, beating me to it again.


    Hana fidgetted a little nervously, ¡°Ah, yeah, this is what the ring of trees is for...¡± She explained sheepishly, ¡°The trees gather mana from the surrounding soil and release it into the immediate area. It¡¯s a core part of any Dryad¡¯s Grove...¡±


    Nadine was speechless.


    ¡°What does that mean exactly?¡± I asked, unwilling to let my expectations get ahead of themselves.


    Hana was only too happy to explain.


    Vindicating my expectations, it turned out there were great benefits to having increased mana levels. Firstly and rather obviously, it increased mana regeneration. But apparently, even progression towards rank and Evolution is possible if you stay in the area long enough.


    Hana also explained that without the mana font effect, each individual egg would need to be either surrounded by manastones or be donated mana directly through prolonged skin contact with a monster that has excess mana. So the mana font, or Grove as Hana preferred to call it, was a great boon to the long-term growth and development of a Settlement.


    By the time Hana finished her various explanations regarding the ins and outs of the Grove¡¯s ambient mana-enriching effects and exactly what made it so important, and by extension herself, the others had returned from their first round of hunting.


    ¡°They look pretty weak,¡± Clarice commented glibly after getting a good look at the Daemon hatchlings, ¡°Do they have any cool Abilities?¡±


    The green Daemon Gric narrowed its eyes and glowered at Clarice, evidently at least able to understand her tone if not her exact words.


    Similarly, Qreet and Dar did not seem particularly amused either, baring their small serrated teeth and hissing.


    Apparently not having expected that response, Clarice shifted her attention to me while still keeping the corner of her eye on the little Daemonlings, ¡°Uh, so how smart are they exactly?¡± She asked a little nervously.


    The trio of Daemonlings had close to doubled their original size and were about a foot and a half tall, making it painfully obvious now that Gric and Dar were male and Qreet was female. I had sewn together some loincloths, but if they kept growing at the same rate, they would outgrow them by tomorrow.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± I admitted honestly, ¡°They seemed to understand the insult well enough though, So I should be able to invite one into the party to take a look at their status.¡±


    Gric shifted his attention from Clarice to me instead and immediately became docile.


    ¡°Since they are your minions, you can just call them into your party directly with a single command,¡± Hana suggested helpfully, ¡°Just say Invite minion and the names of the minions you want to invite.¡±


    Really? That¡¯s pretty cool, ¡°Invite minion, Gric, Qreet and Dar.¡±


    The trio of names immediately appeared alongside the others in my group status.


    [Gric - HP: 12/12 - Normal ], [Qreet - HP: 12/12 - Normal ], [Dar - HP: 12/12 - Normal ]


    I saw no immediate differences between their HP, which made sense, so I figured I would take a closer look and see what stats and abilities the Daemons had, ¡°Status.¡±


    [Gric - Daemon Hatchling: 1 ] [HP: 12/12] [MP: 0/0 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Minion. Minion of Tim¡¯s Settlement.] [Class: ???. ] [Exp:0/0 ]


    [Strength: 6 ]


    [Agility: 6 ]


    [Toughness: 6 ]


    [Intelligence: 6 ]


    [Willpower: 6 ]


    [Presence: 6 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Natural Selection {Rank ???}): Consuming the fallen allows emulation of characteristics and traits by expending MP. Changes to characteristics and traits cannot be reversed, only overridden or progressed.]


    Ignoring the parts I had already seen on other status screens, I was a little surprised by the trail of sixes for stats and wondered if maybe the Labyrinth had a sense of humour. But I didn¡¯t have much time to dwell on it because the Racial Ability very abruptly stole all of my attention.


    Woah...


    Did the ability mean that the Daemons would change their biology after eating another monster? If so, were the changes simply cosmetic, or more practically oriented?


    ¡°What is it?¡± Clarice asked, now looking a little worried, like perhaps the tiny monsters were not so weak as they appeared.


    I read the Racial Ability description aloud for everyone to hear.


    ¡°Woah...¡± Clarice exclaimed, just as surprised as I had been.


    ¡°So they copy Abilities?¡± Emelia asked uncertainly, scratching her head as she dubiously considered the Daemons.


    ¡°No, it would have said that it copies the Racial Abilities if that is what it does,¡± Nadine insisted, ¡°The Labyrinth¡¯s descriptions can be vague sometimes but never regarding core concepts.¡±


    Hana nodded in agreement with Nadine.


    ¡°So something like chimaerism?¡± I suggested, ¡°They find another monster with a better natural advantage and emulate it?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Hana agreed somewhat uncertainly, ¡°But we won¡¯t know for sure until one of them decides to use it.¡±


    The whole time we were talking, Gric had turned to look at each person as they took their turn to speak. ¡°Griiiik!¡± The sudden screech caught everyone off guard, including me, despite the fact that I had been watching the little Daemon closely.


    Everyone looked down at Gric.


    Gric stared right back, pointing animatedly at the pouch on Hana¡¯s waist and back to himself, ¡°Griiik!¡± He screeched again, though much less strenuously.


    ¡°Baby wants shiny rock,¡± Toofy declared in sudden realisation.


    Gric narrowed his eyes witheringly at Toofy but nodded.


    ¡°Should I?¡± Hana asked, obviously intrigued.


    I wasn¡¯t so sure about this, ¡°They aren¡¯t even a day old yet, is this safe?¡±


    Hana shrugged apologetically, ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think so. They are already passively absorbing mana from the surrounding area, it isn¡¯t like mana itself is harmful. At worst, he might fall into a coma until he is able to process the impurities out of the manastone. Which wouldn¡¯t take long, since manastones are basically pure condensed mana.¡±


    Well, that makes it seem pretty safe I guess. There was something else as well, the Daemon hatchling was obviously aware of everything going on and seemed to be reasonably intelligent.


    So it would know if something was harmful to it, right? Ugh, I can¡¯t believe I am rationalising whether a newborn has the intelligence and experience to know if something is dangerous...


    ¡°If it was dangerous, the Daemon would know right?¡± Nadine asked Hana, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the Labyrinth have imprinted a whole mess of information into his head about what he needs to know to survive?¡±


    Hana nodded agreeably, ¡°It varies, but generally yes.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute...¡± Clarice interjected, confusedly shaking her head, ¡°How does that work exactly? Isn¡¯t it just like a baby right now? How can it understand what we are even talking about? How would it know what it ¡®knows¡¯?!¡±


    That was generally what I wanted to know too.


    Hana sighed and took a moment to formulate a response, ¡°I can¡¯t really think of a much better way to explain it, but my mother...She often told us fantastical stories where the heroes and heroines were reborn into the world in the bodies of infants. Even though they were limited by their newborn body, they still had a lifetime of experiences to draw from. It isn¡¯t a perfect analogy, but it is close. We monsters are not like your human offspring, we may lack emotional maturity for a time, but we are just as capable as our seniors intellectually.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Clarice did not seem to fully understand, but surprisingly didn¡¯t want to fight over it.


    Fully aware of the type of stories Hana was referencing, I understood what she meant, ¡°So it¡¯s like starting life as a teenager,¡± I suggested, ¡°You already know most things you need to survive and how the world generally works, but you are still emotionally immature and need to physically develop until you would be recognised as an adult.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Nadine nodded, ¡°Alright, I think I get it now. That¡¯s really strange but it aligns with the general observations of the documented nature of monsters,¡± she agreed while also giving me a curious glance, likely wondering how I was able to so readily understand Hana¡¯s analogy.


    Clarice grudgingly nodded as well, ¡°I guess that kinda makes sense,¡± she grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s still really weird.¡±


    I noticed that Emelia and Tobi had both stayed silent throughout the exchange and were actively avoiding eye contact with those who engaged in the discussion. I didn¡¯t blame them, it was probably a difficult concept to get your head around from an outside perspective.


    Seeing Toofy offering the three Daemons some more roasted meat, despite not having finished their previous portions, I couldn''t help but reevaluate how I had treated Toofy herself. Some things had been obvious for her, while others were completely foreign.


    How did the Labyrinth decide what was important and what wasn¡¯t?


    ¡°Baby eat!¡± Toofy insisted, tearing off a shred of meat and pushing it at Gric.


    Gric glowered, glancing warily in my direction before calming down slightly, ¡°G-r-i-c,¡± the Daemonling rumbled, pressing its throat with one hand and gesturing at his chest with the other.


    ¡°Gric?¡± Toofy seemed confused.


    ¡°Toofy, he is telling you his name,¡± I explained patiently.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Toofy grinned and pointed at herself, ¡°Toofy!¡± She then pointed at the Daemon, ¡°Gric!¡±


    Gric nodded, released a pent-up sigh and even smiled a little.


    ¡°Gric still baby,¡± Toofy insisted with a cheeky smile, immediately souring the Daemon¡¯s mood.


    ¡°Are we gonna give it the manastone or what?¡± Clarice asked impatiently, ¡°As fascinating as all this is, daylight''s burning and we should probably get back out there. If any of those other eggs hatch and have close to the same appetite, we are gonna be in trouble.¡±


    She had a point.


    ¡°Oh, that shouldn¡¯t be too bad,¡± Nadine interjected, ¡°Hana agreed to make a pond so we can just fish for those carnivorous fish.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if they are edible yet,¡± Clarice countered, ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t really have the tools for catching them either. So even if we are just going to use wooden fishing spears, we still need to make them first.¡±


    It was kind of strange seeing Clarice so serious, and not for the sake of an argument either.


    Noticing my curious look, Clarice blushed a little and cleared her throat, ¡°Look, I just don¡¯t want us to be left unprepared, you know? Looking after kids is a lot of work!¡±


    She had a point. I barely had the supplies to provide loincloths for just the three of them, let alone another twenty-two potential siblings. Keeping them all fed was going to be a real issue as well if their appetites continued at the same rate as Gric and the other two.


    ¡°Alright, could you please give Gric one of the more powerful mana stones?¡± I asked Hana, curious to see what would happen, but also hoping that nothing would go wrong.


    Hana nodded and retrieved two manastones from her pouch, swallowing one herself and handing the other down to Gric. Noticing my questioning look, Hana smiled wryly, ¡°I am still accelerating the growth of the trees outside,¡± she explained, ¡°Once the tree reaches a certain size, it doesn¡¯t need detailed direction and can be allowed to just grow.¡±


    Concentrating, I realised that she was still faintly cloaked in the emerald light. Feeling a little guilty for suspecting Hana of feeding an addiction, I shifted my attention to the Daemon instead.


    Gric did not disappoint. Less than half a minute after forcing the manastone down his throat, Gric began to change. Accompanied by the crackling of breaking bones, Gric¡¯s jaw widened, the lower mandible thickening and forming into a pronounced underbite as thick sharp teeth erupted from the gum line. Opening his mouth, Gric revealed smaller but similarly conical teeth protruding from the upper side of his gum line as well. Despite the blood dribbling down his chin and the ejected teeth piled on the floor, Gric appeared to be very pleased with himself, grinning happily as he experimentally worked his jaw.


    ¡°Well, that was gruesome...¡± Clarice commented.


    Tobi and Emelia nodded.


    While I would normally agree with them, I was more distracted by the sudden change than the side effect. With his new teeth, heavy lower jaw and accompanying muscles, Gric seemed far more intimidating than someone a foot and a half tall had a right to be.


    ¡°Not as big a change as I thought there would be,¡± Nadine admitted disappointedly, ¡°But I suppose if it is MP dependent, I shouldn¡¯t have expected so much.¡±


    Gric narrowed his eyes slightly at Nadine but otherwise did nothing.


    Qreet and Dar, on the other hand, were now carefully eyeing the pouch at Hana¡¯s waist.


    Okay, that could become a problem. Better to try and nip this in the bud than deal with a tragedy later. ¡°Gric, Qreet, Dar.¡± I waited until I was sure I had all three Daemonlings'' attention, which took all of half a second, ¡°You are only to consume manastones as directed by myself or Hana, understood?¡± This would be an important rule if Hana established a fishing pond later.


    All three Daemonlings nodded vigorously in response, their expressions solemn and serious. It would have been rather comical if the implications weren¡¯t so unsettling.


    Excusing myself, I decided that it would be a good opportunity to at least try and teach Toofy the basics of swimming. There was water everywhere in the swamp, and the thought of her drowning while I was distracted, terrified me.


    Besides, the swimming lesson would be able to double as a bath and opportunity to wash her clothes, which were definitely getting on the gross side.


    Lacking proper bathers, I just made sure to retie the knot on my boxers and slip into the fountain. The water was crystal clear and I suspected that Hana had put more thought and design into it all than I had guessed earlier. The slight current I could feel at the bottom pretty much confirmed it. Somehow Hana had created a self-filtering fountain, almost like...magic...Right...I kept forgetting how ridiculous magic like this could be.


    Toofy took to the water like a drowning cat. It took the better part of a couple of hours to even get her to try treading water, but that was mostly my fault. I had never tried teaching anyone to swim before, so my instructions weren¡¯t very helpful, which only made Toofy more reluctant. In the end, I had to abandon the swimming lessons for the day because Toofy was too tired to continue.


    Leaving Nadine to help Toofy get changed into her dry underwear, I set about cleaning my own clothes. The stains would never come out, but I didn¡¯t really care about that at this point.


    Walking around in my underwear surrounded by members of the opposite sex had initially been mortifying. However, at a certain point, my embarrassment peaked and I guess I started acclimating to it. It even made dealing with the humidity more bearable. However, when it came down to it, I just missed wearing clothes...It was harder to remind myself that I was not some sort of savage monster when I was just running around in my underwear.


    After washing my tunic and pants as best as I could manage, I gave myself a rough wash after waiting for the water to clear up a bit.


    Clarice, Tobi and Emelia had just about finished resting and were preparing to set out again. Their previous hunt had managed to fill a small pouch with mana stones, but they had not brought back any monster corpses for butchering.


    To be fair, I hadn¡¯t asked them to, and our supplies had seemed adequate at the time. With the understanding that meat would be a higher priority than the manastones, Hana had generously ¡®grown¡¯ a sled from woven tree roots so they would be able to make more efficient use of their time.


    After bathing, I decided to investigate the Totem.


    There was far too much I didn¡¯t understand, and even though I could ask Hana for some answers, I still had a distinct impression that she was not coping nearly as well as she was letting on. Hana¡¯s driven behaviour seemed motivated by either avoiding the source of her pain or preparing to face it. For the time being, I would wait and see if there was any way I could help her, but thus far, the best I could come up with was to give her some time to herself to process her grief.


    Standing before the Settlement Totem, I sighed awkwardly as I now considered the rather disturbing pair of eyes and toothy mouth Toofy and I had carved into the tree. Able to think of no other way to interact with it, I pressed my right hand against the Totem.


    I immediately felt a small jolt run through my hand, up my arm and into my head. A torrent of information began flooding into my mind in such a way that I was half reminded of the re-education facilities often depicted in movies. Unable to remove my arm and incapable of stemming the tide of information, I was forced to weather through it as best as I was able.


    Stiffly drawing away my hand, I became aware of how desperately I needed to blink. Stumbling half-blind to the fountain, I splashed the water into my eyes as best as I could, glad for even the small measure of relief it provided.


    I felt tired and glancing hesitantly toward the sky, mentally bracing for the pain the bright light would cause my abused eyes, I froze. The sun was already hidden behind the now fully grown wall of trees surrounding the immediate area. So what had felt like minutes must have, in fact, been hours.


    Thinking about what had happened I vaguely recalled a myriad of status messages intermittently flickering in and out of my line of sight. Unfortunately, I hadn¡¯t managed to get a good look at any of them and could only recall that they had been black. Glancing back towards the Totem, I briefly considered touching it again, but couldn¡¯t work up the nerve. Losing a few hours and being unable to fill the gap was already quite distressing enough without repeating the trauma.


    ¡°I really should have asked Hana about it first,¡± I groaned, pushing myself up onto my feet again, now that my eyes felt mostly recovered.


    Heading back up the stairs to enter the tree fort, I was surprised to see that the stairs continued up further around the tree. Curious, I followed the stairs upwards and found another hollowed-out alcove. More than twenty feet up in the air, I made a mental note to ask Hana to make guard rails of some kind to reduce the risk of potential accidents. I am not afraid of heights, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be prudent about such things either.


    Peering into the large hollowed-out area, I was a little surprised to see that Hana had taken the effort to divide the space into three rooms. Granted, there were no doors, just open arches, but it was not something I had expected. After inspecting the first of the three rooms, I was impressed even further when I found that there was a large bed on the far side. Or at least I figured it had to be a bed because nothing else would really make sense.


    The bed was a large roughly rectangular raised surface covered in what looked like thick springy moss. Taking an experimental lie down on the ¡®bed¡¯, I was happy to find that the moss was thicker than I had expected and quite comfortable. Hana had even gone through the trouble to grow the moss thicker at the head of the bed to approximate a long pillow. It was sort of weird when I stopped to think about it, right up until I remembered that Nadine was likely the source of the suggestions.


    Investigating the two other rooms, I found that they were a little smaller but otherwise identical. Well, the beds would make sleeping tonight that much easier and help keep up morale, so they were definitely a welcome addition to the tree fort.


    Walking back down the stairs to the first floor, I found it mostly as I had left it earlier, with the noted exception that now the large alcove was supported by a single large wooden pillar in the centre. Since it had not been necessary before, I just assumed that Hana had erred on the side of caution. Theoretically, the weight above would have been reduced by hollowing out the new bedrooms, but it was still the best explanation I could think of.


    Although now that I was looking more closely, I noticed that the Daemonlings were absent. I had already assumed that Nadine and Hana would have taken Toofy with them to keep an eye on her, but for some reason, I had also assumed they would leave the Daemonlings behind. Walking back down the stairs, I retrieved my now dry tunic and trousers from the branch I hung them on earlier to dry. Pulling them on, I then quickly made my way over to the arching gap in the wall of trees.


    Thankfully, Nadine, Hana, Toofy and the Daemonlings were all safe and sound. Hana seemed to be in the process of terraforming the surrounding swampland. She was draining swamp water from the small ponds in the immediate area and appeared to have similarly drained the excess moisture from the ground as well. The ground still felt soft underfoot, but it no longer sank with every step I took either.


    [Toofy has slain {Fleshripper: 1 } +100 Exp], [Toofy has slain {Fleshripper: 1 } +100 Exp], [Toofy has slain {Fleshripper: 1 } +100 Exp]


    Taking note of the trio of status alerts, I had to assume that the Fleshrippers were the carnivorous fish and that Toofy was opportunistically culling them after Hana left them stranded.


    Hurrying over, I found that there were more of the fish than I had expected. The small pond had been perhaps thirty feet in diameter, but there were easily forty or so of the Fleshrippers still flopping around in the drying mud.


    Thankfully, Nadine or Hana had given Toofy a spear, so she was not really in any danger. Skirting the periphery, Toofy chose her targets wisely. Striking without warning, it was rare for one of the Fleshripper¡¯s to survive the first strike. After receiving the status notification, Toofy would then retrieve the dead fish and toss it into a proportionally large woven basket hanging off her back.


    As I had expected, the Fleshrippers bore a striking resemblance to piranha, with one notable exception. The Fleshrippers had no eyes.


    Giving Toofy a smile and a wave, I joined the others.


    ¡°Toofy wanted to surprise you with fish for dinner,¡± Nadine explained somewhat apologetically, ¡°We tried talking her out of it, but the best we could manage was convincing her to use a spear instead of that shiv.¡±


    Glancing over at Toofy stalking her next target, I nodded in understanding, ¡°I hope she wasn¡¯t too much trouble,¡± I apologised.


    Nadine shrugged, ¡°I think she was just really worried about you,¡± she explained, ¡°I mean, you were just standing there and we didn¡¯t know what was going on until Hana explained you were attuning to the Settlement through the Totem.¡±


    ¡°...¡± I was about to ask what that was, but rather abruptly I realised that I already seemed to know the answer.


    Attuning to the Settlement was a necessary step in exercising control over the myriad of settings and controls available to the territory designated under the Settlement. I intuitively understood that changing these settings only required clear directed thoughts of intention while within the Settlement¡¯s territory.


    I also understood that a few settings had already been altered by a designated subordinate, Hana. Her title as Overseer was not just for show, it gave Hana a level of control over the Settlement that was just short of my own.


    There was something else as well. As Lord of the Settlement, if the population reached a sufficient size, I would be able to issue quests.


    *****


    Riding the sled atop a small pile of monster corpses, Tobi continued contemplating how he would ask Tim for his assistance. It didn¡¯t help that Tobi already owed him his life. The prospect of begging a favour on top of it all seemed like he was tempting refusal on principle alone.


    Even though Tobi had assisted in Tim¡¯s escape from the first-floor Foothold, he knew that his own contributions had been largely negligible. Even hunting for food and manastones, Clarice and Emelia were both proving far more helpful than Tobi. Without proper equipment, there really wasn¡¯t much he could do about it. Slinging stones was all well and good, but there were precious few of them in the swamp and Tobi was slowly losing them to the treacherous bogs and murky pools.


    While he was not a bad swordsman, Tobi certainly wasn¡¯t very good either. Worse still, he only had a shortsword and was in no rush to get closer to the swamp monsters than was absolutely necessary. Tobi still thought Clarice had ro be at least a little crazy to so eagerly charge into close quarters at the first opportunity.


    Scratching behind Shady¡¯s ears, Tobi wondered if Tim and the others would allow him to rank up the faithful Shadowcat and if possible allow him to Evolve. Unlike his own personal request, Tobi felt like they would probably allow it.


    Letting out a sigh, Tobi scanned the surrounding area for hidden threats. Or at least, he had meant to. Just like the last time and the dozen or so times before that, Tobi¡¯s initial intentions were forgotten as his attention lingered on Emelia.


    Quickly looking away before she noticed he was staring again, Tobi swallowed hard and tried to ignore the rushing blood in his ears. Fairly certain that Emelia was not spoken for, Tobi did not want to overstep his tenuous position in the group to confirm it.


    Perhaps once he had solidified his position...


    After allowing his mind to wander for a while, Tobi became aware of Clarice staring at him expectantly. ¡°Uh...¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what to say and was worried she had seen him looking at Emelia.


    Clarice rolled her eyes, ¡°I was asking if you saw anything trailing us.¡±


    Tobi gulped dryly, ¡°Ah, no, nothing has been following us,¡± he replied hastily.


    Clarice narrowed her eyes and after a few moments, she began to grin. Glancing between Emelia and Tobi, it quickly became obvious that she suspected something. ¡°Hey Emelia?¡± Clarice called out happily.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Emelia shifted in the makeshift saddle, looking to Clarice with mild interest.


    ¡°I think Tobi¡¯s been toughing it out on that sled for quite long enough. You should let him ride on Beaky again,¡± Clarice requested sweetly with a devilish grin.


    Emelia shrugged, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The sled came to a halt.


    Clarice motioned for Tobi to take his seat behind Emelia, ¡°Well? Come on, we don¡¯t have all day!¡± She insisted, eyes sparkling with barely concealed joy at his discomfort.


    Tobi gulped and climbed up onto the saddle.


    ¡°Just try to be more careful with your sword this time,¡± Emelia stated a little crossly, ¡°It was a little uncomfortable feeling it digging into my back last time you know?¡±


    Clarice snorted and stared knowingly at him.


    Tobi quickly fit his boots into the stirrups and gingerly wrapped his arms around Emelia¡¯s waist.


    Soon they were on the move again and Emelia giggled, ¡°You know, I actually thought that maybe it was your other sword,¡± she said jokingly.


    ¡°AHAHAHA!¡± Clarice apparently couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.


    Deeply embarrassed, Tobi shifted back a little on the saddle.


    ¡°Aww, I¡¯m sorry Tobi! It¡¯s just a joke, I uh, I think you¡¯re a real gentleman!¡± Emelia apologised, obviously misinterpreting the cause for his silence.


    Coughing to clear his throat, Tobi did his best to seem unfazed, ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he insisted in what he hoped came across as nonchalant indifference.


    ¡°Ah, oh! I know! Why don¡¯t we trade places! I¡¯ll let you ride in front to make it up to you!¡± Emelia insisted, bringing Beaky to a stop again. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really!¡± Tobi insisted, beginning to panic.


    Emelia didn¡¯t seem to be listening and leaned back on the saddle as she made to remove her feet from the stirrups. Glancing back behind herself as she was preparing to hop down from the saddle, Emelia suddenly froze. Looking quite puzzled, she was staring at the shortsword strapped to his left hip. Wriggling her behind experimentally, she seemed confused.


    Tobi dared not make a single sound or move a muscle.


    Emelia furrowed her brow in confusion and she looked over her other shoulder. Hopping off the saddle, Emelia''s eyes grew wide in surprise and she began to blush, ¡°Oh...¡±


    On the verge of tears, Tobi felt a mounting sense of horror as he realised that his embarrassment was just making things worse. Torn between fight or flight, Tobi sighed in relief as his vision turned black and he slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 11 – Death of a harem – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 11 ¨C Death of a harem ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 11 - Death of a harem - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Roasting fish on skewers by the fire, I was pleased by the amount of enjoyment Toofy seemed to gain from the rather simple activity. Toofy had proven a natural at cleaning and gutting the fish. Not that I should have expected any different.


    Toofy was sitting on my lap as we both tended the fire and rotated the fish to try and cook them evenly. We had already Cooked around twenty or so and the trio of Daemonlings was busy pulling off every scrap of flesh and depositing them in a small woven basket for dinner later. Gric, Qreet and Dar were eating as much as they were storing, but that was fine too. Besides reducing the chances of someone choking on a fishbone, it was mostly busy work so I could keep an eye on them.


    The three of them had been steadily growing and were now around two feet tall. Rather interestingly, hair had begun to grow on their heads as well. I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but Qreet and Dar only had two horns each compared to Gric¡¯s three, and I wondered if the number of horns has something to do with their ability to manipulate mana. It was an interesting coincidence that he had hatched first, while Qreet and Dar hatched later, but it was still possible that it was precisely that, a coincidence.


    I was distracted from my musings by the return of Clarice, Emelia and Tobi.


    Although Clarice was in high spirits, both Emelia and Tobi looked somewhat subdued.


    Hopping off of Thunder Thighs, Clarice energetically rushed over with a big grin on her face, ¡°You will never guess what happened!¡±


    ¡°Clarice!¡± Emelia cried angrily, rushing up behind Clarice and shoving her hard.


    Narrowing her eyes slyly at Emelia, Clarice¡¯s grin turned predatory, ¡°Then you tell him,¡± she insisted.


    Emelia froze like a rabbit caught in oncoming headlights.


    ¡°Just stop it!¡± Tobi growled, glowering at Clarice as he stomped over to join them.


    ¡°Make me then?¡± Clarice goaded, making it painfully obvious that this was what she had wanted to begin with.


    Tobi growled with anger. Fists trembling, he glared at Clarice for a few tense seconds before deflating slightly and shifting his attention to Emelia instead. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said coolly, taking her hand and motioning his head back towards the entrance to the Grove.


    Emelia was a little surprised but nodded, taking firm hold of Tobi¡¯s hand in return as they both briskly walked away.


    Clarice chuckled, ¡°Figured that would do it,¡± she crowed triumphantly.


    ¡°Is there a particular reason you were riling them up?¡± I asked Clarice, unimpressed with her deliberately agitating our teammates.


    Clarice leaned down conspiratorially, ¡°The best reason,¡± she replied cheerily while dragging over the overburdened sled.


    ¡°Which is?¡± I asked patiently, doing my best not to lose my temper.


    Clarice grinned a little wider and winked, ¡°Helping a sister out, of course! Emelia is so stressed out over a bunch of things that she barely says a word anymore!¡± She grunted and pulled a croc carcass off the sled, ¡°So, I figured since Tobi was so obviously into her, that I would rile¡¯em up a little and let nature take its course! Brilliant huh?!¡± Clarice demanded, evidently proud of herself.


    Wait...


    It took me a moment to figure out what Clarice had intended, ¡°You are manipulating them to-¡± I covered Toofy¡¯s ears protectively, ¡°-have sex to improve Emelia¡¯s mood?!¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Clarice shrugged and nodded, ¡°Basically, yeah. I mean, Tobi¡¯s a bit of a wimp, but he seems like a decent guy.¡±


    ¡°Clarice...¡± I just couldn¡¯t find the words.


    ¡°What?¡± Clarice demanded, sawing into the croc¡¯s neck with her butchering knife.


    ¡°You...You can¡¯t just manipulate people into relationships like that!¡± I insisted, feeling sorry for Tobi and Emelia.


    ¡°Nah, pretty sure I can,¡± Clarice boasted, ¡°And I just did! You¡¯d be surprised how well people bond over a common enemy if given half the chance,¡± she grinned wickedly.


    ¡°...¡± I let go of Toofy¡¯s ears and rubbed at my brow to ward off a migraine, ¡°No, I meant that you shouldn¡¯t do it,¡± I clarified.


    ¡°Why?¡± Clarice demanded, yanking out the mess of croc guts and dumping them in a basket, although curiously stowing away the intestines in another. ¡°Look, Tim, we all have needs and no offence, the selection around here isn¡¯t great.¡±


    ¡°What?...¡± My hands instinctively covered Toofy¡¯s ears again, migraine be damned.


    Clarice shifted a little uncomfortably as she peeled the skin off the croc, ¡°Well...you¡¯re a great guy and all, but...you¡¯re still a monster...¡± She glanced over at me with a sympathetic expression, ¡°Humans and monsters don¡¯t mix. Just know that it isn¡¯t personal, yeah?¡± Clarice explained in a surprisingly gentle tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mix?¡± I asked, sensing there was more to it than face value and wanting to distract myself from the minor blow to my ego.


    Clarice shifted uncomfortably, ¡°There are rumours amongst the whores that work the arena and fighting pits, of expecting mothers just dropping dead or miscarrying the near fully grown child after a few days...¡± She shuddered and returned to her grisly work. ¡°So it¡¯s nothing personal. Just, don¡¯t expect any human girl to risk going through that, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, feeling a little sick, avoiding romantic entanglements with humans seemed like a pretty high priority now. ¡°Nadine doesn¡¯t like me that way either, right?¡± I asked, feeling a little worried. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Clarice shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s easily the smartest person I know, so there is no way she doesn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    I sighed in relief. Alright, new Settlement Law, no breeding with humans.


    [Tim¡¯s Settlement Law: All breeding with {Humans} is prohibited.]


    Toofy and Clarice both stiffened.


    Clarice stopped what she was doing and gave me an incredulous look, ¡°That¡¯s a little mean spirited don¡¯t you think?¡± She demanded angrily.


    Whenever I created or altered a Settlement Law, a status alert would be sent to everyone inside the Settlement¡¯s territory. Similarly, the laws would be displayed to everyone entering the Settlement¡¯s territory as well.


    Flushing with embarrassment, I concentrated to try and rectify the mistake.


    [Tim¡¯s Settlement Law: All breeding between {Humans} and {Monsters} is prohibited.]


    ¡°I swear it wasn¡¯t on purpose,¡± I apologised. Although, since the system worked off of intent, perhaps the blow to my ego earlier had been greater than I was willing to admit.


    Clarice narrowed her eyes at me, forked her index and middle finger on her left hand and motioned between her eyes and my own before returning to skinning the croc.


    Awkwardly removing my hands from Toofy¡¯s ears I did my best to avoid her curious but all too intelligent stare.


    I spent the rest of the evening composing and altering laws for the Settlement. It was trickier than I had expected it to be, given that the system should have been very literally intuitive. So in the end I was forced to make more laws than I wanted, just to make sure certain contingencies were accounted for.


    Defining theft was particularly tricky since we had no established form of trading. Defining sexual assault was not a pleasant half-hour either and resulted in a particularly awkward but necessary series of explanations for Toofy and by extension, the audience of Daemonlings.


    As a result, dinner was a rather subdued affair and no one really felt up to talking much. Well, everyone but Toofy, who was very keen on getting everyone¡¯s opinion on her roasted fish.


    Retiring to bed, I had assumed the Daemonlings would just sleep with myself and Toofy, apparently, that was not going to be the case. Gric and Dar curled up on the bed with Tobi and Shady in one room, while Qreet joined Nadine, Emelia and Clarice in their room.


    Hana rather nervously crawled into bed alongside Toofy and myself, and I didn¡¯t have the heart to shoo her out, so that was that.


    Waking up early the next morning, I was surprised to find that Hana and Toofy were missing. A little worried, despite the protections afforded by the Settlement, I quickly got up and pulled on my tunic. Quickly glancing into the other two rooms to make sure they aren''t there, I headed downstairs.


    Partway down, I was relieved to see Hana and Toofy chatting away as freshly skewered meat was roasting by the fire.


    ¡°No, that''s not what I meant-¡± Hana suddenly stiffened and grew silent as she saw me descending the last few steps.


    ¡°Hana like Tim?¡± Toofy asked curiously, narrowing her eyes momentarily before noticing me as well. ¡°Tim! Breakfast!¡± Toofy excitedly jumped to her feet, raced over, took hold of my hand and began pulling me towards the campfire. ¡°Toofy make. Toofy give Tim breakfast!¡± She declared proudly.


    Sitting down, I gratefully accepted the skewered meat, ¡°Thanks Toofy,¡± I pulled off a chunk with my teeth and chewed it experimentally. Surprisingly, even though I was fairly certain it was meat from one of those six-legged crocs, it tasted of fish. It could use some salt, but it wasn¡¯t half bad, ¡°This tastes really good,¡± I complimented Toofy and tousled her hair.


    Toofy grinned and bounced a little in excitement, ¡°Toofy like cooking,¡± she agreed excitedly, ¡°Toofy like making tasty foods!¡±


    I smiled and pulled her onto my lap, offering her a bite of my skewer.


    Toofy tore off a sizable chunk and chewed on it happily.


    All the while Hana had been watching us intently. ¡°Could...Could I try some?¡± She asked nervously.


    Noticing the numerous skewers roasting by the fire, I figured that they probably weren¡¯t cooked yet. ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed amiably, I was not very hungry anyway, so I could wait.


    Hana sat herself down on my lap opposite Toofy and opened her mouth expectantly.


    I hadn¡¯t expected that. I Offered Hana the skewer a little awkwardly since I had to swap it to my other hand first.


    Just like Toofy, Hana took a big bite of the meat and set to determinedly chewing, eyeing Toofy in a way I could only interpret as competitive.


    Something suddenly clicked and I began feeling far more awkward. Hoping I was just being paranoid, I decided to test the waters so to speak. ¡°So Toofy, what were you and Hana talking about earlier?¡± I asked with feigned innocence.


    Toofy looked thoughtful for a moment before realising what I was referring to, ¡°Oh!¡± She hopped up and cupped her hands around my ear, ¡°Hana thinks Toofy and Tim mates,¡± she giggled quietly, ¡°Hana like Tim,¡± Toofy insisted, comically wiggling her eyebrows and puckering her lips.


    Apparently having heard everything, Hana stiffened and blushed, refusing to look either of us in the eye.


    So it is as I feared...


    ¡°Ah, Hana, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologised awkwardly, ¡°But, you are just too young and-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-three summers old!¡± Hana shouted, trembling and glaring angrily at Toofy. ¡°Nadine said that my size would put you off, that it is too child-like,¡± she hissed bitterly, ¡°But that¡¯s okay!¡± She turned her attention to me and stared intensely into my eyes, positively twitching with desperate manic energy ¡°I will grow! I am close to evolving! You will see!¡± Hana stumbled to her feet and rushed up the stairs and into the storage room of the treefort.


    ¡°Uh oh...¡± Toofy cringed sheepishly.


    ¡°Watch the fire Toofy and stay away from the fountain! I am going to go make sure Hana is alright¡± I explained hurriedly as I got to my feet.


    Toofy nodded solemnly, ¡°Toofy do!¡±


    Rushing up the stairs to the storeroom, I found Hana stuffing her face with food.


    ¡°Hana, are you alright?¡± I asked cautiously.


    Swallowing down a mouthful of food, Hana was about to reply but smiled broadly instead.


    A black status alert popped up in front of my eyes.


    [{Overseer Hana - Corrupted Dryad Sapling} is evolving.]\


    Corrupted?


    Hana began growing in real time, steadily gaining more than a foot in height. The rate of growth slowed but didn¡¯t stop entirely and Hana began stuffing more food into her mouth.


    ¡°Hana...You don¡¯t need to do this,¡± I insisted gently.


    Hana paused but didn¡¯t look like she believed me.


    ¡°The whole physical, intellectual and emotional disparity in monsters is a mess, I think I get that,¡± I explained sympathetically, ¡°You are probably thinking that rushing to change your appearance will suddenly change everything right?¡±


    Hana nodded hesitantly.


    ¡°Well, it probably won¡¯t,¡± I admitted wryly, ¡°Objectively, Clarice, Nadine and Emelia are all attractive young women around my own age, but I am not romantically interested in any of them and it appears to be mutual,¡± I explained a bit more flippantly than I felt.


    Hana visibly deflated, ¡°Oh...¡± She mumbled, looking quite embarrassed. But after a few moments she seemed to grow rather determined, ¡°Why?¡± Hana asked pointedly.


    ¡°Er, why what?¡± I asked nervously.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you find them attractive?¡± Hana demanded determinedly.


    I shrunk back towards the doorway, ¡°I guess I just don¡¯t,¡± I replied lamely.


    Hana narrowed her eyes sceptically, ¡°Is it because they don¡¯t have giant breasts or buttocks?¡± She demanded accusingly.


    ¡°N-no!¡± I replied hastily, mortified at having this argument with what looked like an eleven-year-old, ¡°Look, I was just trying to check on you to make sure you don¡¯t do anything rash alright? Suddenly growing three feet won¡¯t really improve my opinion of you Hana.¡±


    Hana deflated dejectedly.


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re pretty damned amazing already. Why would a few feet change that?¡± I insisted, trying to buoy up her confidence a little while not making it dependent on romantic implications. As if I didn''t already have enough trouble establishing boundaries with Toofy. ¡°Just look at everything you managed to build here, in just a single day!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hana asked uncertainly, ¡°You aren¡¯t just saying that to make me feel better?¡±


    ¡°I really mean it,¡± I insisted, ¡°Just grow at your own pace alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Hana smiled, putting down the basket of dried fish flakes.


    Moving to head back downstairs I noticed Nadine just slightly further up and could tell that she had been listening in. Without a door, it would have been hard not to.


    Nadine gave me an approving nod before slipping into the storage room, hopefully to have a talk with Hana.


    It wasn¡¯t until I reached the campfire again that I remembered Nadine already played a part in this melodrama and realised that leaving her alone with Hana again may not be the best idea. Unfortunately, I was already too late and the pair of them were now chatting quietly to one another as they slowly came down the stairs.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Nadine asked politely.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I replied warily, taking note of the obvious solidarity between the pair.


    ¡°Hana has been working really hard to make all of this, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Nadine asked with a painfully obvious leading question.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I agreed, knowing there was no way out short of sprinting away and hoping Hana didn¡¯t seal the entrance to the Grove. Judging by the intense expectant look Hana was giving me, I really couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility of that happening.


    ¡°And you meant what you said about her height, right?¡± Nadine continued in the same leading tone.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I agreed again, feeling the noose tighten around my neck.


    ¡°Then it is only fair you prove it by taking her on a date right?¡± Nadine and Hana¡¯s eyes gave off a predatory intensity as she asked the question.


    ¡°Y-¡± I almost said it but caught myself at the last millisecond, ¡°-how and where?¡± I spluttered instead, congratulating myself on the save, even if it was neither graceful nor tactful.


    Nadine didn¡¯t skip a beat, ¡°Why at the town fountain of course!¡± She insisted with a broad grin, ¡°It¡¯s a very common date location for new young couples.¡±


    ¡°...¡± My brain was drawing a blank.


    ¡°You''re both artists, of a kind, so I am sure you will have a great deal to talk about,¡± Nadine pressed aggressively.


    ¡°.....¡± Come on! Think! I don¡¯t want to be that creep who dates girls who look way underage!


    ¡°Or are you really that shallow?¡± Nadine suggested snidely, raising her eyebrow evocatively.


    Damnit...


    ¡°Fine...¡± I agreed.


    Nadine and Hana turned to one another and shared a victorious grin.


    ¡°But!¡± I added firmly, ¡°Only after the Settlement is finished being built.¡± If they were going to play dirty, then so was I, ¡°And to be clear. This is not the town fountain, it is far too small and deep. Children could easily drown in it,¡± I stated firmly.


    Nadine was slightly taken aback, while Hana only looked more determined.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Hana agreed, smiling determinedly, ¡°It¡¯s a date!¡±


    Confident I had bought myself at least a little time, I sighed in relief and nodded.


    Snatching up a pair of skewers, Hana gave one to Nadine and dragged her out of the Grove.


    ¡°What¡¯s date?¡± Toofy asked curiously.


    Damnit...


    After awkwardly explaining what a date is and what the general point was of taking someone on one, I decided to exercise for a bit to try and burn off some of my nervous energy. The prospect of dating someone who looked underage was really driving my anxiety through the roof. I had meant everything I said to Hana earlier, it was just that I had a lifetime of social conditioning to contend with as well.


    Being friends with a kid? Sure, not particularly advisable in most situations given Earth¡¯s infinite number of highly publicised degenerates, but still possible. Dating a kid? NO. It was such a cringe worthy trope in fiction and fantasy settings. It made little difference if the person in question was actually five-thousand years old but looked twelve. At the end of the day it meant you were attracted to someone with the appearance of a twelve year old.


    Why did I have to intervene?!


    ¡°Looking a little rough,¡± Clarice commented, ¡°Something on your mind?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be a creep who dates people who look like kids!¡± I groaned without thinking.


    ¡°Wait a minute! What?!¡± Clarice demanded, suddenly all ears, ¡°Toofy or Hana?!¡± She demanded.


    I looked at Clarice in disgust, ¡°Hana, obviously...¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Clarice swore and kicked at one of the nearby lilies, ¡°I owe Nadine five silver...¡±


    I stared incredulously at her for a moment, ¡°You girls are monsters...¡±


    Clarice rolled her eyes, ¡°Really? I¡¯m meant to be such a bad person because I thought there ¡®might¡¯ have been something more to your whole selfless devotion and self-sacrifice?¡± She demanded, clearly insulted, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°YES,¡± I insisted, ¡°They are basically kids!¡±


    Clarice just shook her head, ¡°You really don¡¯t see it do you?¡± She asked warily.


    ¡°See what?¡± I demanded, feeling a stress headache coming on.


    ¡°Toofy isn¡¯t a kid. I mean, Nadine and I aren¡¯t sure exactly how old she is, but she definitely isn¡¯t a kid,¡± Clarice stated candidly, ¡°At the least, she has to be around the equivalent of a teenager, that much is obvious.¡±


    ¡°...it is?¡± I asked quietly, now suspecting what I was going to hear and dreading it.


    Clarice gave me a funny look, ¡°You mean to say, that after literally bathing her, you didn¡¯t notice?¡±


    I blushed and tried to force down my embarrassment, ¡°I was making active attempts to avoid looking at anything!¡± I insisted.


    ¡°Riiight,¡± Clarice agreed sceptically.


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± I insisted adamantly.


    ¡°Well, then, I guess you will just have to take our word for it¡± Clarice stated with a shrug, making it clear that she didn¡¯t really believe me, but wouldn¡¯t fight over it further.


    Hang on...


    ¡°Is that why Nadine was helping Hana to pressure me into going on a date?!¡± I demanded, now feeling quite angry.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Clarice demanded, evidently somehow more upset than I was.


    ¡°They ambushed me a short while ago,¡± I explained a little bitterly.


    ¡°Oh, hells no!¡± Clarice stormed off towards the entrance of the Grove.


    I felt a little better that someone was finally taking my side, but only for a moment as I soon realised that Clarice was probably more upset about losing the bet than my feelings.


    After a short while, Clarice and Nadine returned, still embroiled in the middle of a heated argument.


    ¡°We agreed that there would be no interference!¡± Clarice growled angrily.


    ¡°No, we did not!¡± Nadine insisted, ¡°You suggested it and I said no.¡±


    Clarice scowled darkly for a moment before grinning wickedly, ¡°Tim¡¯s pretty pissed at you y¡¯know, thought betting on relationships is ¡®monstrous¡¯.¡±


    Nadine frowned and glanced uncertainly in my direction, ¡°Well, you did it too!¡±


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°At least I was honest with him about it and didn''t try to play monster matchmaker.¡±


    Nadine glared angrily at Clarice, ¡°Well, at least Hana actually has those feelings! Any idiot can see Toofy considers Tim as a father or brother!¡±


    ¡°So?!¡± Clarice deflected, playing the contrarian, ¡°Loads of girls are into that sort of thing!¡±


    Nadine stared open-mouthed at Clarice, ¡°WHAT?!¡± She demanded.


    Realising she may have gone a little too far, Clarice tried to backpedal, figuratively and literally, ¡°Well, what I meant was-¡±


    ¡°You''re fucking sick Clarice!¡± Nadine shook her head in disgust, ¡°You mean you made the bet knowing their relationship already?!¡±


    Clarice bolted, ¡°Gotta take a shit!¡± She called over her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t wait up!¡±


    Even though Clarice had evidently lost the argument, I still had the distinct impression that I was the one who had lost overall.


    Nadine took a few minutes to calm down before coming over to try and explain herself. ¡°Okay, I know it looks bad, but Hana really does seem to like you, in a romantic sense I mean,¡± she insisted, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that before making the bet and I kind of thought Clarice was joking.¡±


    I chose not to interrupt so I could see where this was going.


    ¡°More importantly, Hana is having a much worse go of it than she is letting on,¡± Nadine explained cautiously, ¡°At the moment, she is distracting herself with work and to a lesser degree a little bit of a crush she has on you.¡± She sighed and appeared far more concerned than I had initially given her credit for, ¡°After what happened to her, it¡¯s obvious that she is going to start falling apart if she doesn¡¯t start processing it in a more healthy way. What happened earlier was a telling sign of how fragile she is right now. Hana needs time to heal, and I think you can give her that,¡± Nadine explained, looking quite concerned but also expecting me to give an answer.


    ¡°So you want me to be her pretend boyfriend?¡± I asked warily.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°No, I want you to take the relationship seriously,¡± she insisted, ¡°As much as Hana needs you, you need her more.¡±


    I frowned but Nadine hastily began talking again before I could say anything.


    ¡°It''s obvious that you are unhappy,¡± Nadine observed, ¡°You treat Toofy like she is your only positive emotional outlet...and it isn¡¯t healthy, for you or for her.¡± She shifted somewhat uncomfortably, ¡°I still remember the look in your eyes when they had Toofy locked away, you had given up. Not just on rescuing her, on possibly escaping. You gave up on everything and were waiting to die.¡±


    I met Nadine¡¯s gaze but said nothing. After all, she was right and we both knew it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to diminish any of the things you did, but it¡¯s obvious that most of your bravery stems from thinking that you¡¯re expendable and readily replaceable. Emotionally balanced people don¡¯t think like that,¡± Nadine explained, ¡°You have been using taking care of Toofy as an excuse to care about yourself, even if it is just a little bit. So I want you to seriously reconsider giving Hana a chance. If you need to find excuses to care about yourself, excuses to justify living, then why not love? You both need each other and even if your relationship does not work out romantically, I am sure that you will both be able to support one another as good friends.¡±


    Nadine literally just gave me a speech on the value of love and friendship.


    I snorted quietly and shook my head. As an adult, I had never seriously considered the possibility of being part of a romantic relationship. To put it bluntly, I had always considered myself to be too ugly. After all, it was the reason every girl I had ever asked out had given for their refusal, before the polite ones excused themselves or the meaner ones began ridiculing me.


    So now that I had the prospect of a relationship in front of me, why wasn¡¯t I leaping at the chance?


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed. I already agreed to the date with Hana, so it wasn¡¯t like this changed much.


    Besides, being emotionally available wouldn¡¯t kill me...probably.


    *****


    Kai surveyed the canvas for his latest masterpiece and was filled with excitement. The quaint classical architecture of the relatively small town was going to suit his purposes perfectly. Located deep within a taiga forest on a large open river, the town would stand a decent chance of repelling his attack under normal circumstances.


    However, Kai had no intentions of fighting fair. No, in order to realise his childhood dreams, Kai was decidedly against anything that could be remotely considered as ¡®fair¡¯. Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Kai made a finger gun with his hand, aimed it at the town gate, and fired, ¡°Pew.¡±


    The town¡¯s invisible protective barrier flickered into being, deep cracks webbing against its surface from the point of metaphorical impact since there was no actual projectile. With the barrier compromised, Kai gathered energy into his right fist, moulding and shaping it with the power of his imagination, before lobbing it towards the town gates.


    Even though the pair of armoured guards saw it coming, neither of them managed to run away in time before the beach-ball-sized orb of fire smashed into the ground and detonated. The resulting explosion ripped the stone gateway apart and sent the gates flying.


    Knowing that this would be more than sufficient to announce his presence, Kai playfully prepared another and began slowly walking towards the town. If he was lucky, the hero would come and find him, if not, well...Kai would have to find him instead.


    It was a curious thing in Kai¡¯s experience, every small town he had managed to find had a hero, someone who would rush out to fight him to the bitter end. Sometimes they even had two! The heroes were the most fun to fight and so long as Kai held back just enough, the fun would last quite a while. It was a shame more people weren''t like that though.


    Lobbing the pair of fireballs over the walls, Kai waited expectantly for the screaming to begin and was not disappointed. Within a few moments, cries of pain, confusion and terror could be heard from within the town and looking through the open expanse where the gate had once stood, Kai could see people running too and fro


    Nodding in greeting to the pair of charred corpses that had been smashed against the town wall, he generously donated a small portion of mana to regift them a semblance of life. The pair of guards staggered to their feet and fell into position behind Kai, awaiting his orders.


    ¡°Stop anyone who tries to escape,¡± Kai ordered, keeping it simple so they were less likely to be distracted. The Ash Guard, as he liked to call them, would drain his MP to cast their spells, but it was of little consequence. So long as they killed even half the people that they attacked, Kai would be able to recoup the mana.


    Walking down the main street of the town, Kai was beginning to wonder why no one had tried to stop him yet. Feeling a little putout, he glared angrily at a young woman who was rushing past, and nothing...


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Kai stopped and rubbed his non-existent chin, then he felt it. Sighing wryly, Kai tore away the piece of ashen sackcloth he had tied around his helmet. He had forgotten he was wearing it.


    A young man rushing down the street caught sight of Kai and came to an abrupt and sudden halt.


    Feeling the waves of fear emanating from him, Kai decided to let him go. It was better in the early stages to let the townsfolk gather others and form some semblance of resistance, it was much more fun this way.


    Continuing his leisurely stroll towards the centre of the town, Kai could practically taste the mana wafting off the powerful magic item the locals believed to be so cleverly hidden beneath the biggest building in town. Normally they would have been right, but there was precious little that was normal regarding Kai.


    *Twing.*


    Sighing and shaking his head, Kai looked up at the thoroughly surprised archer that was hiding on a nearby rooftop. Waggling his finger at him, Kai considered letting him go with a warning, but then he thought better of it. Since a hero had not shown themself yet, he figured that it might be about time for him to become a little more proactive.


    Preparing another fireball, Kai lazily lobbed it in the cowardly archer¡¯s general direction. If it hit, great! If not, well that was fine too. Unlike most other towns he had visited, Kai was surprised by the disturbing absence of EXP he should have been receiving. It had taken him a while to notice, but now that he had, it was all Kai could really think about. Perhaps it was as he had feared, maybe he had finally out-levelled this stage of the game.


    That was a little sad in a way. Kai had never played such a brutally realistic yet fantastical game before, especially one that let him be whoever he wanted. Heroes were so boring and Kai loved that this game allowed him to play the role of a villain. He was still working on ideas for a villain name, but none of them had really felt right or was already taken. The last thing Kai wanted was to find out that people were laughing at him because of a stupid name choice.


    It did remind him of that one lucky NPC who got away by glitching into non-existence, the first bug Kai had encountered in the otherwise flawlessly immersive game experience. She had kept screaming the destroyer this and the destroyer that. It was kind of on the nose, so to speak, but it did sum up rather well what Kai was all about. But a name like that had to be already taken right? It was such a low hanging fruit that there was no way it wasn¡¯t already taken. But what if it isn¡¯t? Wouldn¡¯t it be kind of cool to pick a name provided to him by the game itself? It¡¯s kind of like unlocking a rare title.


    ¡°Screw it. If anyone¡¯s watching my stream, shut the fuck up or I¡¯ll burn your house down!¡± Kai threatened, giving fair warning to any stream snipers and trolls. ¡°Status, name change, The Destroyer!¡±


    If his avatar could smile, Kai would be positively beaming right now. This had to be one of the perks of super-secret Alpha testing, all the cool names were still available!


    *Twing*


    Another arrow ricocheted off his helmet, but Kai was far too good a mood to care. ¡°You get one more!¡± He called out in warning, ¡°Then I start taking it personally!¡±


    Unsurprisingly, the archer seemed to have decided against taking another shot.


    ¡°Definitely not a hero,¡± Kai muttered, shaking his head as he continued walking towards the large building. A casual ¡®off the cuff¡¯ death threat would not deter a real hero.


    Facing no real resistance, but wanting to firmly establish his new name and title, Kai, The Destroyer, passed the time by casually throwing smaller fireballs into buildings as he passed. Some had people inside and he felt the pleasurable rush of mana flooding into him, others had been abandoned or were otherwise empty and he ignored them.


    Thankfully, a real semblance of resistance seemed to have formed up ahead, barring his path to the large building and the powerful magic item within.


    Five young men and women, presumedly of some interesting blend of classes, had taken a stand on the road ahead. Well...Two of them were technically standing on the roofs of nearby buildings, but that¡¯s semantics and Kai didn¡¯t really care. What mattered was he had found his hero, and perhaps more besides.


    ¡°WHO DARES STAND AGAINST, THE DESTROYER!!!¡± Kai roared menacingly, really hamming it up for anyone who might be watching. In his opinion, if you weren''t overacting, then it wasn¡¯t worth doing the whole villain and hero schtick in the first place.


    The woman standing at the front of their formation, in gleaming plate and mail, with a cool looking shield and honestly, rather boring looking spear, took a defiant step forward. ¡°I am Katarina VanDyne and I will put a stop to your butchery foul monster!¡± She cried back, although her voice was muffled somewhat by her helm.


    Kai was excited. It was always more interesting to fight a real heroine! Her look was fantastic too! Her shield had a real coat of arms on it and everything!


    Katarina gave a nod to her companions and the three of them on the ground, rushed towards him.


    One of the pair left behind, another archer, fired three arrows at Kai in rapid succession.


    *Twing Twang Twing*


    Amazingly, all three arrows made it through Kai¡¯s open-faced helmet, although they were promptly incinerated. Kai disliked his body becoming stiff from built-up junk and would have to remember to clean his boots out later. Even so, Kai was super impressed, this archer was easily the best he had seen so far. He hadn¡¯t even used any mana on those attacks either, it was all skill.


    Noticing the large amount of mana being formed by the young woman on the opposite rooftop, Kai felt annoyed. He didn¡¯t like fighting other spellcasters, it was too risky.


    Gathering and condensing mana in his fist, Kai threw a small baseball-sized orb of fire onto the roof of the building. Upon making contact with the roof, the globe erupted like a water balloon and spilled fire everywhere.


    The young woman screamed and tumbled off the roof into the pooling fire below.


    ¡°ALL SHALL BURN!!!¡± Kai crowed triumphantly, even if the woman hadn¡¯t died just quite yet, she would soon enough. Giving the hero and her companions time to readjust and compose themselves, he took a closer look at the archer.


    Surprisingly, the archer was on the move, but not running away as Kai had half expected, instead, the archer was sprinting across the rooftops towards him!


    ¡°Yes!¡± Kai knew that there had to be more than one hero for a town this large.


    *Twing, Twing, Twang, Twing.*


    The archer kept firing arrows at Kai as he ran, even though they were far less accurate, every one of them still landed a hit.


    Curious to see what the archer¡¯s ¡®big play¡¯ would be, Kai conjured a wall of fire that would stall Katarina and her two other party members.


    ¡°YOU DARE FACE ME?!¡± Kai roared, hoping that the archer had a comeback or one-liner prepared.


    ¡°Can¡¯t do that!¡± The archer called out, rather disappointingly as he dropped his bow and threw something at Kai¡¯s head.


    Seeing that it was a glass vial, and not wanting to risk an unknown fluid making contact with his body, Kai prepared to incinerate both it and its contents.


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t have one!¡± The archer yelled, rolling for cover on the other side of the rooftop.


    Kai let the attack through on principle.


    The vial shattered against the left side of Kai¡¯s helmet and exploded, blasting him sideways through the brick wall of the adjacent building.


    ¡°That actually hurt,¡± Kai chuckled, clambering to his feet, stomping through the debris and back onto the street. ¡°YOU DARE TRY TO DESTROY THE DESTROYER?!!!¡± He roared happily, ¡°I¡¯LL BURN YOU UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT!!!¡±


    It was quiet for a moment and then a knife came flying at Kai from a different rooftop, ¡°Figured that would be how I die!¡± The archer called out.


    Again, Kai was going to let the attack hit on principle, wanting to see what would follow.


    *Twing*


    The Archer leapt across to another rooftop, throwing another knife midleap, ¡°Since my name is Ash!¡±


    ¡°YES!!!¡± Kai roared in triumph, ¡°FINALLY!!!!!¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 12 – That settles it – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 12 ¨C That settles it ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 12 - That settles it - Part One {Rewrite}


    Holding the new spear Hana had made for me just this morning, I felt conflicted. Formed entirely of dense hardwood, the spear was a little taller than I was and had a long thin leaf-blade style head. Combined with the swirling pattern of the wood-grain, it was objectively beautiful. However, the underlying motivations for the gift still left me feeling uncomfortable.


    Hana had insisted that her reasons for giving me the spear were not related to our impending date, but it was difficult not to think it was related in some way. The only consolation I could really find in the situation was that Hana had grown another half foot taller during the night. Although rather curiously her ears had become more rounded and human-looking.


    I directed my thoughts towards something more productive, developing the Settlement. From what I remembered being told by Nadine and Hana before things got more complicated. The original plan was to ring the Settlement¡¯s boundary with thick thorn bushes or some other form of vegetation.


    At the time, I had thought something on that sort of scale would take months of continuous work, but I now realised that it would take Hana only a few days at most. The combination of the mana font effect from the Grove and a steady supply of manastones gave Hana a seemingly limitless supply of mana. It was actually a little terrifying.


    If I understood the basic principle of Hana¡¯s Class Ability, it gave her direct control over any form of vegetation. That control seemed to take the form of directing the plant¡¯s growth as well as allowing puppeteering the plant¡¯s movements. What made the Ability rather unsettling was the fact that plants were literally everywhere.


    I was starting to suspect Nadine had far more pragmatic reasons for pushing my relationship with Hana. Having an emotionally unstable powerhouse capable of single-handedly killing anyone of us or perhaps even all of us, at any given moment, was a tough pill to swallow.


    I wasn¡¯t convinced Hana was capable of cold-blooded murder, but I also hadn¡¯t thought myself capable of becoming acclimated to killing either. When it had come down to it, my scruples had folded in preference to my survival. It was honestly rather depressing when I stopped and thought about it.


    Assumedly, the one person I should know best is myself. However, the more time I spent in the Labyrinth, the less certain I felt that I knew myself at all. I supposed that was what happened when your comfortably established preconceptions are meaningfully challenged for the first time.


    When we had fought those adventurers on the second floor, I was aware that at least one of them had died. Each night since, I had waited for something to happen. I had expected the guilt of killing another human being to eat away at me from the inside. But it didn¡¯t. Reflecting on the memory, all I felt was a vague sense of relief. Relieved that we had managed to escape. Relieved that none of our group had been badly hurt. Relieved to still be alive. If I really stopped to think about it, I was sad that someone¡¯s son or daughter had died, but it was the same level of empathy I felt for the adventurers who died defending the first-floor foothold.


    Trying my best to leave such thoughts behind, I prepared to head out and walk the boundary of my demesne. Hana had already drained all but the largest bodies of water, so the ground was actually rather solid now and the odour of rotting vegetation had decreased substantially. Even so, I still decided to test the ground every so often with the butt of my new spear. It was something I had seen done on T.V to avoid sudden pitfalls and quicksand. Even though I was confident that Hana would have eliminated those hazards, it still seemed like a good habit to get into.


    The more I walked along the boundary of my territory, it became obvious that Hana¡¯s terraforming was more extensive than I had initially realised.


    The somewhat flooded swamplands beyond the border allowed for all manner of ambush points for amphibious predators. The sections of land tall and wide enough to walk on were still within a couple of seconds striking distance of the water. It made our arrival at our current location seem rather miraculous when I considered the fact that we had not been attacked until progressing the mandatory quest. The only reason I could think of to explain it was that perhaps the swamp monsters were largely nocturnal.


    However, I could clearly see a few monsters moving about the periphery of the boundary. They engaged in short brutal skirmishes with one another before one of them would flee or be eaten by the victor.


    My walk also gave me my first look at the giant blood-sucking mosquitoes the status alert had identified as Scourges.


    I wish I hadn''t.


    The grotesque abominations were the size of a baseball and largely resembled a flying leech. Before completing a full circuit of the territory, I was unfortunate enough to witness one of the six-legged croc¡¯s get swarmed by a couple of dozen Scourges and turned into a desiccated husk in under a minute. The Scourges did not seem to care about getting wet and could dry their wings within a second or two, quickly flying away to find their next meal.


    I had to assume that Clarice, Emelia and Tobi were taking precautions, or that perhaps the Scourges were only ambushing isolated targets. Even so, it was not a particularly pleasant train of thought, so I did my best to concentrate on the positives. The most notable of which was the mostly invisible barrier surrounding the limits of my territory.


    Attuning to the Totem allowed me to see the barrier, although it was still rather difficult to notice unless I actively made the effort to do so. Identical in core function to what I had seen from the foothold barrier, it was impassable to any and all wild monsters not explicitly given an exemption.


    It made me curious how the adventurers Guild established their footholds in the first place. Nadine had explained it as a matter of course that the Guild had done so, but that raised far more questions.


    What if the Guild had its own pet monster, someone like me? Or...what if the reason the Guild managers were Slavers was not for enforcing Guild contracts, but to enforce ownership of the footholds?


    Despite the warm swamp air, I couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    Was that what they had actually intended for myself and Toofy?


    Taking a moment to calm down, I realised that it didn¡¯t make much sense and that I had just been working myself up. It was far more likely that the Labyrinth had offered the first adventurers to a new floor a quest in a similar fashion that it had done for me, That adventurer was then likely given a cushy salary by the Guild or something so they could use the territory. I had no real way of knowing and could only guess.


    Finishing my walk, I was not surprised to see Hana eagerly forming the first segment of the wall of thorns. For some reason, I had expected thin blackberry bush vines. So the gnarled roots as thick as my arm, with thorns the size of my thumb ripping out of the ground was quite a shock. Hana did not appear to be taking any chances either, layering the thorn wall roughly teen feet deep as she made her first pass around the Settlement limits.


    On the one hand, Hana¡¯s work ethic was inspiring. She was showing no signs of attempting to cut any corners just to receive her ¡®reward¡¯ sooner. On the other hand, it was really driving home the fact that I was currently using her for free labour.


    Besides the date, the only other thing I knew Hana wanted was killing ¡®The Destroyer¡¯. Even though she had not asked for my help, I kind of felt a vibe from Hana that she intrinsically expected it in exchange for her services and loyalty.


    Perhaps it was a bargain she had somehow struck with the Labyrinth? No, that didn¡¯t feel right. Assuming the Labyrinth could be bargained with, it would be the one dictating all terms.


    Trying to put the prospect of tacitly agreeing to Hana¡¯s bargain with the Labyrinth, I began walking back to the Grove. The remaining twenty-two Daemon eggs would be hatching sometime in the next couple of days and we still lacked anything close to the amount of food needed to feed the freshly hatched Daemonlings.


    Even though Clarice was more than willing to get stuck in and assault the local wildlife, that would not really solve the problem. The biggest problem was the climate. The high levels of humidity made the prospect of storing food for any meaningful length of time very difficult. Without salt, sugar and saltpetre, we didn¡¯t really have any options besides replacing our food stores daily. Well, nothing I could think of anyway.


    To make the most of what we have, I had decided to allow Gric, Qreet and Dar to begin consuming manastones in the hopes of increasing their growth. The trio of Daemonlings had been only too eager to obey but were still ever so slightly disappointed about my restrictions to prevent mana addiction.


    The idea was to get them into a position to meaningfully help around the Settlement as soon as possible. Three extra pairs of hands could make all the difference when looking after twenty-two starving Daemon hatchlings.


    Emelia and Tobi did not seem willing to work with Clarice again just yet, so I decided that I would take their place. That didn¡¯t mean that they wouldn¡¯t have anything to do. In fact, they would be responsible for catching fish from the large shallow pond on the west side of the Settlement. The three Daemonlings would then be in charge of gutting, cleaning and cooking them since Toofy would be coming with me. Nadine would keep an eye on everyone while I was gone and try to keep them on task, or so she claimed.


    Letting Toofy ride Beaky, I did not expect her to contribute much to any fighting and would in fact prefer if she actively avoided combat altogether. I had only brought Toofy along because she would be incredibly upset if I deliberately left her behind. In all likelihood, Toofy would run off to try and find me, putting her in more danger than bringing her along in the first place.


    Apparently, Hana had made spears for Clarice as well, because she had a full brace of them tied to the sled. They did not look nearly so detailed as mine, but it was kind of nice to see that Hana was making an effort to fit in with the others.


    Clarice was forgoing her large sword in favour of one of the spears. ¡°Much rather have the reach,¡± she admitted with a grin, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s way easier to use a spear like this on Thunder!¡± Clarice smiled broadly as she hopped up into the saddle, ¡°This is gonna be fun!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any sort of cavalry training?¡± I asked dubiously, already suspecting I knew the answer.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Clarice replied cheerily.


    I shook my head and sighed, ¡°At least try and be careful?¡± I insisted, already regretting my decision to come along.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± she grinned cheekily and flicked Thunder Thighs¡¯ reins.


    Pulling my new and crudely sewn bandana up over my nose, I hoped that it would make the swamp air more tolerable. Made from the empty food parcels cloth, I had smashed some of the lilies into the fabric to try and infuse their scent as a buffer against the smell of the swamp. Following Clarice out into the swamp, it became obvious that I had only a middling level of success at best. I could still smell the rotting vegetation, but it was more tolerable than when we had first arrived a couple of days ago.


    ¡°So what do you think of Hana?¡± Clarice asked bluntly as she scanned the immediate area for threats.


    I had assumed she would ask at some point, so Clarice did not get the flustered reaction she was no doubt hoping for. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, ¡°But I don¡¯t think she has a crush on me,¡± I pointed out calmly.


    ¡°Hrm? Really?¡± Clarice glanced back my way for a moment before returning to her vigil, ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    I sighed and shook my head, ¡°I have a lot of experience dealing with things like this,¡± I replied a little sourly.


    Clarice was quiet for a while and then brought Thunder Thighs to a halt. ¡°I...Nadine told me about what happened, that you are...like us, human I mean,¡± she explained awkwardly.


    ¡°I thought she might,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Clarice apologised with an irritated sigh, ¡°I¡¯m not good at this touchy-feely shit y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Clarice, I understand,¡± I shrugged even though I knew she wouldn¡¯t see the gesture.


    We spent the next few minutes travelling in silence.


    Coming to a halt, Clarice pointed her spear at a suspicious-looking log submerged in a nearby body of water. ¡°We need to throw a branch or some mud at it to piss it off,¡± she explained while looking at me expectantly.


    Sighing and shaking my head, I grabbed a fistful of mud and loosely packed it into a ball, ¡°You know I have almost no chance of hitting it, right?¡± I threw the mud ball at the ¡®log¡¯ and waited.


    *Sploosh*


    As I had predicted, I missed quite badly. However, the camouflaged croc did not seem to like the sudden disturbance and thrashed wildly for a moment before propelling itself towards us.


    ¡°I got this!¡± Clarice grinned manically and rolled her shoulder, levelling her spear at the oncoming croc.


    On the off chance that Clarice did not have things as well in hand as she assumed, I readied my spear as well.


    The moment the croc crested the shallows, Clarice eagerly whipped Thunder Thighs¡¯ reins and leaned forward in the saddle, ¡°LET¡¯S GO! THUNDER!!!¡± She roared excitedly.


    Thunder Thighs immediately sprang into a charge, closing the distance between themselves and the croc in less than a couple of seconds.


    ¡°TAKE-¡± Clarice thrust her spear at the exposed body of the croc.


    *Shunk*


    ¡°-THIS!¡± Clarice roared in triumph as the shaft of the head of her spear drove into the croc¡¯s back and Thunder Thighs veered off and away.


    Not actually dead, but no doubt mortally wounded, the croc appeared to be pinned to the ground, thrashing its head and tail in an attempt to free itself.


    Feeling a little pity for the creature, I gripped my spear tightly and moved forward to finish it off.


    *Chunk*


    To my surprise, Hana¡¯s spear proved far deadlier than I expected. I had aimed for the croc¡¯s right eye socket, intending to kill it quickly with a blow to the brain. Naturally, I missed, managing to spear through its spinal column instead. With how wildly the croc had been thrashing, I should have aimed there in the first place.


    Pulling my spear free of its now twitching body, I noticed that I had not yet received a kill notification and felt even worse for the creature. As violent as the croc was, it was only acting according to its nature and I did not want it to suffer. Preparing my spear to strike again, I took a moment to line up my strike properly this time.


    Just as I was about to strike, the notification appeared at the bottom of my peripheral vision.


    [You have slain {Swamp Lurker: 2 } +600 Exp]


    The croc¡¯s legs and tail were still twitching a little, but the head was completely still.


    ¡°Did you see that?!¡± Clarice crowed, ¡°First try!¡±


    I nodded but didn¡¯t revel in the kill. I was doing this to keep us all fed, not for sport. Gingerly planting one foot on the croc¡¯s back, I pulled Clarice¡¯s spear free and then returned it to her. Whatever Hana had done to make these spears, she clearly knew what she was doing. Neither Clarice¡¯s spear nor my own showed any signs of stress damage despite the forceful impacts against the croc¡¯s tough hide and bones.


    ¡°We should get a few of those snakes now,¡± Clarice pointed out cheerily, ¡°They get drawn in by the blood, I think.¡±


    Dragging the croc onto the sled, I wondered if it might be from the noise instead. ¡°Is this what you usually do with Tobi and Emelia?¡± I asked suspiciously.


    Clarice snorted and shook her head, ¡°Hell no!¡± She grinned and shook her spear a little, ¡°I figured since you''re out here that we could really cut loose you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really not that good at fighting, Clarice,¡± I reminded her.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s the Synergies!¡± She insisted excitedly, ¡°You have no idea how much easier it is fighting with these overpowered buffs! Going without them was close to torture.¡±


    I supposed Clarice had a point. The combined offensive and defensive synergies from myself and Toofy were pretty strong, particularly since humans normally didn¡¯t have access to them. ¡°I guess,¡± I agreed. It was still weird how the Labyrinth was able to manipulate everything like that. Artificially inflating or deflating the amounts of ¡¯damage¡¯ being dealt and taken and what the numbers even objectively mean.


    ¡°Uhh Tim, we might have trouble!¡± Clarice called out warningly.


    Following her line of sight, I was surprised to see three people wearing bone armour slowly walking towards us. As near as I could tell at their current distance, they looked human, but so would just about anyone at that distance.


    They were carrying weapons that looked like they were fashioned from bone as well, clubs and spears as near as I could tell. However, unlike the Orcs and Goblins from the first floor, they showed no signs of overt aggressive behaviour.


    ¡°Do you think they are from a nearby Settlement?¡± I asked warily.


    Clarice fidgeted nervously, ¡°Dunno, maybe?¡± She glanced back towards me without letting the trio of strangers out of her sight, ¡°What do you wanna do?¡±


    Feeling just as nervous as Clarice, I tried to quickly evaluate our options. The strangers did not appear to be hostile, but that could change once they drew close enough to attack us.


    As if hearing my thoughts, the stranger in the middle of their formation made a show of waving its companions down and stowing their weapon. A few moments later, the other two strangers stowed their weapons as well. While still hanging off their waists and within easy reach, it was obviously intended as a gesture to demonstrate their peaceful intentions. After all, if there was one brutal lesson I had learned in this world, a couple of seconds advantage for an enemy could easily prove fatal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what they want,¡± I decided, ¡°If things go to shit, we run back to the Settlement.¡±


    Clarice nodded grimly, ¡°Gotcha.¡±


    My initial thoughts in referring to them as strangers rather quickly proved to be rather appropriate. Briefly stopping a short distance from us, the stranger in the middle approached while their companions remained behind.


    The stranger appeared, ¡®mostly¡¯ human, but the minor differences were very noticeable and impossible to ignore once I had noticed them.


    The first thing I noticed was his eyes. Like Toofy, the pupils were slit like a snake, although his sclera were jade and not amber. The second thing I noticed was the pair of large yawning scars running either side of his mouth and along his jawline. Besides these two bizarre traits, the stranger looked like he was a scrawny teenager. The bone armour bulked these strangers out far more than I had initially realised.


    The strange teenager bowed awkwardly, his cumbersome armour greatly impairing his movements.


    The two strangers farther back bowed deeply as well, managing the feat with far more grace.


    ¡°Greetingss of Lord!¡± The teenager exclaimed, still bowing deeply, and rather curiously lingering on the s. ¡°Happinesss and ssun to your kin.¡±


    Although initially quite confused, I quickly realised that it must be a sort of formal greeting and should probably make a reply of my own, ¡°Uh, well met and, uh, good fortune?¡± I replied a little awkwardly.


    Nailed it...


    The strange teenager stopped bowing and smiled in what was probably intended to be an approximation of happiness. However, it quickly revealed that my assumption regarding his face being scarred was wrong. The teenager¡¯s mouth was in fact about four times bigger than I had expected, given his mostly human appearance. ¡°Thiss one iss Ushu, sspeaker of Bleak-Fang tribe,¡± as he began speaking again, it became painfully obvious as his mouth continued past his lips, separating just a little too far.


    ¡°I am Tim, and this is Clarice and Toofy,¡± I motioned to each in turn.


    The strange teenager, Ushu, nodded.


    I just realised that his name was the one thing he had spoken clearly and recognised why. We weren¡¯t speaking his language...


    ¡°Perhapss Ushu and Lord Tim talk ssafe another plasse?¡± Ushu asked, warily eyeing the nearby swamp.


    I could appreciate the cause of his nervousness but had to think about it for a moment. Looking to Clarice for advice, all I received was an uncertain shrug in response.


    Whatever Ushu was, he did not seem particularly threatening, but there was a distinct possibility that it was a deliberate act to encourage us to lower our guard. However, returning to the Settlement would drastically stack the odds in our favour if a fight actually broke out.


    I dismissed the possibility of them scouting the Settlement pretty much immediately. Everything outside of the Grove had been visible for a couple of days and would continue to be for at least another couple more. So if they wanted to see the open land Hana had cleared, there were easier ways to go about it.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed a little reluctantly and motioned back in the direction of the Settlement.


    Ushu seemed to understand my intent and waved to his companions, ¡°*****! ** ** *** **** ** ***** **** ****!¡± Unlike the language he was using to communicate with me earlier, this new language made full use of Ushu¡¯s large mouth and apparently hyper-developed throat muscles to communicate with what sounded like a protracted and alternately clipped series of sharp hissing noises.


    Ushu¡¯s two companions quickly rushed to his side and bowed respectfully towards me again before falling into step behind Ushu and heading towards the Settlement.


    ¡°We should probably get moving ourselves,¡± I insisted, taking hold of Beaky¡¯s reins and leading him back towards the Settlement, making sure not to upend the sled.


    Curiously, Toofy was opening her mouth wide with her hands and trying to hiss like Ushu, but she mostly just kept blowing sloppy raspberries.


    Shaking my head, I wondered if whatever Ushu and his companions were would find that sort of thing offensive. I hoped not, because I found it pretty damned funny.


    ¡°What do you think they want?¡± Clarice asked bluntly.


    I shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe they are just trying to establish diplomatic relations? We might be neighbours and just haven¡¯t seen their Settlement yet.¡± I observed optimistically.


    Clarice gave me a funny look, ¡°You don¡¯t really believe that, do you?¡± She asked incredulously.


    ¡°Well...No, but everything else I can think of is pretty depressing,¡± I admitted.


    Clarice nodded and shrugged, ¡°Guess we will find out soon enough,¡± she said with an edge of eagerness to her voice.


    I hoped for Ushu¡¯s sake that he and his two companions had peaceful intentions.


    When we arrived at the Settlement a short while later, I was not really surprised to see that Hana, Nadine, Tobi and Emelia were all rather anxiously waiting for us. While Hana¡¯s Plant Sense, as she called it, allowed her to receive information from nearby plant life, I had no real idea of what range limits there were on the ability, if any. Evidently, it must be quite large for her to have noticed us coming and manage to gather the others so quickly.


    Thankfully, Ushu and his two companions had the good sense to stop a short distance into the Settlement barrier. Far better not to risk provoking anyone.


    Joining the others, I quickly updated them on the little we knew so far. Unsurprisingly, Hana seemed to know more than we did.


    ¡°They are Serpent-Kin,¡± Hana explained warily, ¡°I have not heard of the Bleak-Fang tribe before, or of their kind willingly entering the swamplands...¡± She gave me a somewhat apologetic look, ¡°This land is somewhat notorious Lord. Few that enter ever manage to leave.¡±


    Given the number of ambush predators, I was not surprised, ¡°What do you think they want?¡±


    Hana shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Well...If they truly are living out here in the swamp...It would explain why things have been so quiet...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked warily.


    Hana glanced briefly at Ushu and his two companions, ¡°The Labyrinth concentrates the soulless against interlopers. So the reason there have been so few monsters around the Settlement and even upon your arrival-¡±


    ¡°-Is because it was spawning most of the monsters to fight them instead?¡± I interrupted, guessing her train of thought and grimacing.


    Hana nodded, ¡°Even assuming that they managed to erect a barricade in a defensible position, the soulless would form inside beside them as well. Each night would bring more of the Labyrinth¡¯s attention and increase the intensity of the soulless¡¯ attacks until there is no one left.¡±


    I was reminded of the mandatory quest and how much of a gruelling slog that had been. The prospect of reliving the experience every night was a tough pill to swallow. ¡°So their tribe is probably seeking shelter?¡± I asked, strongly suspecting that would be the case.


    Hana nodded.


    ¡°Well,¡± Nadine interjected, ¡°That isn¡¯t such a bad thing for us is it? So long as their tribe is willing to join your Settlement, we would have that many more hands to help out gathering food and protecting the place. For a space as large as this, twenty-five Daemons really wasn¡¯t going to cut it. Even once Hana finishes with the briar wall and installing a gate, we will still need guards and a garrison.¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± Hana agreed, ¡°However, there may not be as many of them left as you think,¡± she stated pointedly to curb Nadine¡¯s budding enthusiasm.


    Nadine winced a little and nodded, ¡°Right...¡± She agreed.


    I motioned for Ushu to come join us.


    Ushu waved his escorts down and approached alone, ¡°Lord Tim,¡± he bowed and then repeated the gesture to Hana, albeit to a lesser degree of deference.


    Not really sure how I should respond, I gave Ushu a nod in return since Speaker was probably a title that normally afforded respect. ¡°What did you want to talk to me about?¡± I asked directly. The language barrier between us made exchanging pleasantries a waste of time anyway, so better to get on with it.


    Ushu nodded gravely but seemed only too eager to be shifting focus to the heart of the matter. He took a deep breath to calm himself, ¡°Lord Tim, Bleak-Fang iss in dessperate need! We are dying! Ssicknesss and ssoulesss sstalk our camp, death iss ssertain,¡± Ushu clasped his surprisingly long fingers together as if in prayer, ¡°I beg, pleasse acssept our young and unhatched to sserve you!¡± He fell to his knees and prostrated himself on the ground, ¡°For thiss we offer anything!¡±


    Ushu¡¯s escort had similarly prostrated themselves, ¡°****** ****!¡± they hissed, sounding somehow both aggressive and pitiable at the same time.


    Having expected Ushu to bargain for his whole tribe to be allowed sanctuary inside the barrier, I was a little thrown that he was offering me his tribe''s future instead. I had honestly expected something like a none too subtle attempt at being made an Underlord or disposing of a rival. Feeling more than a little bad about my assumptions, I looked to Hana to see what her thoughts were on the subject.


    Hana seemed deeply conflicted and so did Nadine. Meanwhile, Tobi and Clarice appeared to be glad they weren¡¯t the ones being expected to make any decisions.


    ¡°Um,¡± Emelia fidgetted uncomfortably as I shifted my attention to her, she gulped hard and made a visible effort to look me in the eyes, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just take all of them?¡± Emelia asked timidly, ¡°I mean, someone has to look after the kids right? And besides, it¡¯s like Nadine said, we need more help.¡± Her cheeks flushed a little but she didn¡¯t back down, ¡°So I think we should take them all in!¡± Emelia insisted.


    ¡°M-me too!¡± Tobi agreed, tightly squeezing Emelia¡¯s hand.


    Clarice smirked and nodded, ¡°Yeh, me too. A Lord needs subjects right?¡±


    Nadine nodded in agreement as well, ¡°We need all the help we can get at this point. You never know, the next group of strangers may not be so friendly.¡± She pointed out pragmatically.


    ¡°I support whatever you decide is best,¡± Hana stated, ¡°However...Your minions have raised valid points.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°Ushu, I want to ask a few questions before making my final decision.¡±


    ¡°Anything!¡± Ushu grovelled, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.


    ¡°Why are you and your people in this swamp if it is so dangerous?¡± I asked, trying not to sound as suspicious as I felt.


    Ushu stiffened for a moment and cringed, ¡°Exssiled Lord...¡± He replied bitterly, ¡°Driven from the foresstss by Black-Maw raiderss...¡±


    Hana looked somewhat shocked for a moment, then became incredibly angry.


    ¡°Fleeing our home, we had nowhere elsse to go. The Sspeaker before me, my masster Armu and our bravesst warriorss held them back ass I gathered thosse I could and fled...It wass another trap...We had no choice but to flee into the deathlands...¡± Ushu¡¯s voice trembled, tears streaming from his eyes, ¡°I beg, Lord, pleasse, ssave my peopless future...¡±


    Judging by Hana¡¯s reaction, I could assume the Black-Maw were bad news and the Bleak-Fang tribe probably hadn¡¯t initiated the conflict. Even so, it would be all but guaranteeing the Black-Maw would be an enemy in the future.


    The fact that Ushu had only been bargaining for the children and unhatched eggs, innocents, was rather telling.


    Perhaps he was aware of the danger he would be bringing down on all of us if the adults were taken in?


    If that was true, then the Black-Maw had to be a real threat. However, without the remaining adults to take care of the children, myself and the others would be forced into an incredibly unstable position ourselves. So really, this was an all or nothing deal to begin with and I had to decide if it was worth the risks.


    On the one hand, Ushu had already admitted that they had sick tribe members, and we currently had no medicines to treat them with. Perhaps Hana could grow some medicinal herbs, but it was not a good idea to just assume that would fix the problem.


    Depending on their numbers, providing adequate shelter could prove similarly difficult. While it had not rained yet, the gathering storm clouds in the sky made it clear that it would very likely begin raining sometime in the next twenty-four hours. Without shelter, the condition of the sick and healthy alike would deteriorate and generate further illness.


    On the other hand, I already felt responsible for them...


    Without my intervention, they would almost certainly die. Whether it was from the ravages of disease and fever or the hungry jaws of wild monsters. Saving the children would be a hollow victory if it meant raising an entire generation of traumatised orphans.


    I had reached my decision, ¡°All of you,¡± I stated clearly, ¡°That is my counter offer Ushu. Young, old, sick, healthy, doesn¡¯t matter. All of you will join my Settlement, or none of you will.¡± It probably came across as more callous than I intended, but there was not a lot I could really do about that. I wanted to make my position clear. I was willing to give them shelter, but I would need help in exchange.


    Ushu gulped hard, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks, ¡°Lord! On behalf of my people, I sswear loyalty and sservice to your will!¡±


    Still noticeably upset, Hana materialised her emerald aura and placed her hand on Ushu¡¯s head.


    [Settlement Alert {Tim¡¯s Settlement}: {Ushu - Serpent-Kin} was recruited by {Overseer Hana} as an Underlord.]


    Expecting the status alert, I was surprised to see that Hana had decided to recruit Ushu at a higher rank than minion.


    The Underlord rank was the bridging gap between my own rank as Lord, and the lowest rank of minion. While Hana¡¯s position as Overseer was unique and occupied only a slightly lower authority than my own.


    The primary benefit at the moment was an increased effect received from the Settlement Totem. In the event that Ushu was injured, he would heal faster from the Iron Gut effect than if he was just a minion. If the number of minions in the Settlement grew high enough, Ushu would be able to issue quests as well. Annoyingly, that number was five times less than it was for me. Depending on how many of his fellow tribesmen survived, Ushu would be my Settlement¡¯s first quest giver.


    ¡°Where are the rest of our people?¡± I asked Ushu, pulling him to his feet.


    Ushu took a moment to collect himself and let out a deep sigh. An aura similar to Hana¡¯s faintly formed around him, only far fainter and a pale shade of grey rather than emerald. Even though his eyes now appeared clouded as if by advanced cataracts, Ushu pointed back into the swamp in the rough direction we had returned from, although slightly further ¡®south¡¯.


    It was one of the weird things I noticed after interacting with the Totem. I now knew with absolute certainty where I was in relation to my Settlement and what the Labyrinth had determined to be true north.


    Hana nodded in agreement, still cloaked in her own emerald aura, ¡°I can sense a faint ward,¡± she explained, ¡°If they hurry, they might make it through the barrier before nightfall.¡±


    ¡°Best we help out as much as possible then,¡± I decided, ¡°Hana, do you think you could make this sled bigger? Make some railings or walls around the edge?¡±


    Hana gnawed at her lip and nodded a little reluctantly. At her direction, new roots erupted from the ground and began twining themselves into the existing framework of the sled, increasing the surface area slightly while also forming a three-foot tall lattice railing around the edges of the sled.


    ¡°We should probably bring more of them,¡± Nadine suggested, ¡°The sick and wounded probably won¡¯t have the strength to keep up otherwise.¡±


    Without saying a word, Hana began weaving a small stack of sleds one on top of the other. Bearing a striking resemblance to storage pallets, the sleds had three thick runners underneath the robust woven floor and a shallow half foot tall rim around the edges. Since they were woven from tree roots, there were plenty of anchoring points to tie on ropes, but we were starting to run short on that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could make some rope?¡± I asked Hana, feeling a little bad for relying on her so much.


    Contrary to my feelings, Hana smirked a little and began wiggling the fingers of her right hand, causing the nearby swamp grass to begin growing and coiling into thin lengths of cord. Twirling her left hand, Hana caused the braided cords to form into thick lengths of rope. Within a couple of minutes, she had managed to make more than enough rope to suit our needs and more besides.


    Now I kind of feel like an idiot for not asking Hana to make some clothes for the Daemonlings...even if it was just some diaper loincloths or something, it would be better than what I managed to make.


    ¡°We should probably leave Clarice free to scout ahead and support,¡± I suggested, testing the weight of the stacked sleds.


    Clarice grinned, ¡°Fine by me!¡± She agreed excitedly.


    ¡°So with Emelia riding Beaky, we can probably get away with myself, Ushu and Toofy riding in the sled,¡± Nadine suggested thoughtfully, ¡°So long as Tobi and Shady are fine making the trip on foot, we should probably be able to travel reasonably quickly assuming Clarice does a good job keeping the monsters off of us.¡±


    ¡°Just wait!¡± Clarice jeered, ¡°I¡¯m gonna show you what Thunder and I can do!¡±


    Nadine didn¡¯t look convinced.


    I sighed, ¡°It may have been just a lucky hit earlier, but she is pretty good,¡± I admitted.


    Nadine didn¡¯t seem to find that any more reassuring.


    ¡°Lord?¡± Ushu asked timidly, ¡°Are we not bringing Zecis and Hraga with uss?¡± He asked, now speaking the same language as the rest of us as if born to it, yet still lingering on the s sound.


    Glancing briefly at the two serpent-kin in question, I could tell that they were close to exhausted already. Just the brief respite they have had here in the Settlement was enough for their accumulated fatigue to nearly overwhelm them. ¡°I do not think that they are in any condition to fight,¡± I stated tactfully, ¡°And we would make better time with less weight.¡±


    Ushu deflated somewhat and nodded, hurriedly walking over to his companions to inform them of the decision to leave them behind.


    ¡°And someone needs to stay with Hana and the Daemonlings,¡± Nadine added diplomatically.


    Hana nodded, ¡°There is still a lot I need to get done,¡± her expression soured a little, ¡°Even more now,¡± Hana groaned, likely having realised all the refugees we would be bringing back needed somewhere to sleep.


    After giving Nadine a couple of minutes to grab some supplies and for the others to pull on their armour, we were now ready to set off into the swamp.


    *****


    Watching the Overseer hastily erect large domed shelters from the hundreds of thousands of interlocking roots spanning the territory of the Settlement, Gric was a little annoyed that he was given no change in orders. Worse still, that Serpent-Kin, Ushu, had been recruited directly as an Underlord.


    That thought did not sit well with Gric, nor with his hatch mates, Qreet and Dar. Both of them were in agreement that Gric should have been next in line for a promotion, shortly followed by themselves, of course. To their collective reckoning, Ushu was a distant fourth at best, perhaps even fifth.


    Even though the Goblin Toofy held no official rank, it was obvious that she held an unofficial position of authority close to that of the Overseer. If she had been promoted to Underlord, Gric would have been able to accept that. At least Toofy had earned it. She was the first of them all, even preceding the Overseer, Gric had overheard one of the Lord¡¯s human minions conversing with the Overseer and confirmed as much.


    Boring his clawed hand through the eye socket of the dead Swamp Lurker, Gric rooted about in its brain until his claws made contact with the mana stone and ripped it out. Seeing little point in cleaning it, and that it would waste precious nutrients, Gric gulped it down as it was and appreciatively licked his hand clean.


    Feeling the sudden rush of mana within, he eyed the Swamp Lurker corpse hungrily. Different from his normal hunger, Gric was driven by a need to become stronger and there was still much he could gain from the body of the Swamp Lurker. What he needed most right now, was strength from larger and more powerful tendons and muscles, and the Swamp Lurker would give Gric both of these.


    Baring his teeth hungrily, Gric rolled the Swamp Lurker over and onto its back. Qreet and Dar had both taken their allowed manastones as well and were filled with the same hunger. Latching his jaws onto the hole in the Swamp Lurker¡¯s underbelly, Gric viciously tore at the scaly hide and meat underneath. As Leader, he was expected to be strong enough to lead the others in everything that they did, which meant clearing a way for them if need be.


    Ripping the Swamp Lurker¡¯s guts wide open, Gric grinned triumphantly around the large chunk of meat in his mouth as he motioned for the others to eat. Qreet and Dar grinned eagerly in return before setting upon the breach themselves.


    Struggling to swallow the Swamp Lurker meat, Gric decided to adapt some of the Swamp Moccasin¡¯s physiology next, after all, the faster he could eat, the faster he would grow stronger. Recalling that there was still some of the cooked meat left in the storage room, Gric prematurely halted his adaptation and growled for the others to do the same. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qreet and Dar obediently stopped their feasting and waited to see what was required of them.


    Gric pointed back to the Grove and motioned for them to follow. The Swamp Lurker¡¯s corpse was far too large for them to carry easily, so instead he waved at them to leave it, they would just return later.


    Roughly dividing the remaining meat between them, Gric pantomimed eating a piece of large meat and gulping it down, pointing at his throat as he repeated the motion and then back to the Swamp Moccasin meat. As the leader, Gric felt he had given them the best advice he could to accelerate their growth, and hungrily wolfed down the roasted meat.


    The moment the delicious mass of proteins reached his stomach, Gric began instinctively guiding his growth towards what he wanted. The pain blossoming in his throat brought a smile to Gric¡¯s upper lip, the pain meant he was becoming stronger.


    The surge of growth would delay developing speech somewhat, but it was a worthwhile exchange. As near as Gric could tell, the Lord already had a powerful enemy and gained another in accepting Ushu¡¯s tribe under his benevolent and just rule. The Lord did not require Gric to be able to speak right now, what he needed was powerful lieutenants. And that was a role Gric and to a slightly lesser extent, Qreet and Dar, were bred for.


    With the pain abating, Gric sighed wistfully and began counting down until the next time he would be allowed to consume another manastone. The Lord, in his infinite wisdom and benevolence, had given them a far more gruelling and equally rewarding training regimen than the Daemonlings could hope for.


    In warring against his primal nature, Gric had already managed to improve his Willpower stat twice. Muscles and Bone were easy for the Daemonlings to develop, the mind was far more complicated and difficult.


    Leading his hatch mates back to the Swamp Lurker, Gric felt more than ready to indulge his more mundane but nonetheless intense hunger. The manastone had increased his rank and Gric had more growing to do.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 12 – That settles it – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 12 ¨C That settles it ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 12 - That settles it - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Staring at the sprawling camp of the Bleak-Fang tribe, or what remained of them, I realised just how badly I had underestimated how many people we were coming to rescue. In my mind, I had envisioned the tribe of Serpent-Kin originally numbering in the hundreds at most. Then, after factoring in a gruelling battle that would cost them close to half their number and a hellish rate of attrition for spending who knows how long in the swamp, I had expected perhaps a hundred people at absolute most.


    As it turned out, I was half right. There were only about one hundred Bleak-Fang tribesmen adults still alive. However, nestled deep in the middle of their encampment, there were at least as many children.


    At first, the sheer number of surviving children had not made much sense to me, but then I remembered Ushu¡¯s initial request. Ushu¡¯s insistence on taking in the Bleak-Fang tribe¡¯s future. The implied sacrifices they must have made to keep so many of them alive in spite of the ever-present danger. However, the haunted look in the children¡¯s eyes made it clear that the sacrifices of their parents were not always enough.


    Leaving Ushu to organise his people, I did my best to try and exude an aura of confidence and reliability. This was rather difficult because I didn¡¯t feel particularly confident in protecting nearly so many people. Most of the children were being directed to the sleds, primarily those who were smaller or notably weak.


    However, one sled was reserved and occupied by some of the older children and a very large ironbound chest. Easily half the size of the sled, it took me a moment to figure out what must be inside. The literal incarnation of the Bleak-Fang¡¯s next generation, the otherwise vulnerable and unaccounted for eggs.


    The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. With wild monsters capable of spawning in amongst your defences, a sturdy reinforced chest had probably been the safest place in the entire encampment.


    The surviving members of the Bleak-Fang tribe had few personal possessions, so it did not take long for Ushu to quickly organise them for travel. It was a rather grim reminder that they were refugees, not settlers.


    Every adult was armed with makeshift clubs, spears and hammers, most of them were of questionable quality. It was obvious that they had been in desperate straights and made weapons of anything and everything they could lay their hands on. I was pretty sure I even saw one woman holding a very human-looking femur.


    All told it took a half-hour before the refugee train was on the move. The seven of us were interspersed throughout the column, with Clarice and Tobi roving up and down the sides of the formation to keep an eye on things and assist the Bleak-Fang when they were attacked.


    Partly to demonstrate my commitment to their people, partly because there was nothing else I could really do to be useful, I was pulling the sled carrying the older children and ironbound chest I assumed was storing the remaining eggs of their tribe. Ushu had tried insisting that some of the healthier tribesmen would do it, but I had refused. After pulling the sled for close to an hour, I was glad that I had stood my ground, so to speak, the sled was quite heavy.


    Toofy had started the trip on my shoulder but had since migrated to the sled itself and was pestering the teens with all sorts of questions. At first, they tried ignoring her. However, after a while, a couple of the girls warmed up to her and began asking questions about the Settlement and the remaining boys joined the conversation as well.


    Listening to the nervous teenagers discuss the promised safety of the Settlement and the horrors of what they were leaving behind...It was heartbreaking.


    The tribe had spent a week fleeing through the forest to the east, the warriors of the Black-Maw tribe nipping at their heels. During a third and final bitter stand, the Bleak-Fang hastily constructed rafts and fled westward across ¡®The Great River¡¯. A river so wide that it had taken a full day to cross it. After all that, they had spent five full days in the swamp awaiting the deliverance Speaker Ushu had promised was coming. The tribe had very nearly been annihilated, roughly nine in ten adults had died during the initial ambushes, later fighting stalling actions to allow others to escape, and finally desperately fighting the wild monsters of the swamplands.


    A death toll like that was almost impossible to get my head around. For the Bleak Fang to have such absolute faith in Ushu, a teenager by appearances and temperament, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of desperation or faith. The teenagers guarding the egg chest seemed convinced that Ushu had known I was coming, and that was unsettling.


    Did this world really have people who could see the future? If it did, what did that mean for free will?


    I couldn¡¯t think of a satisfying answer and resolved to confront Ushu about it later.


    Somewhat disappointed, and glad for it, attacks by wild monsters against the column had been few and far between. For the most part, Clarice had been able to intervene before anyone was badly hurt, and in those instances where she hadn¡¯t. Nadine had been able to stabilise their injuries.


    When the Settlement had finally come into view ahead, it had an immediate invigorating effect on the Bleak-Fang¡¯ and they began hurrying forward with renewed strength and vitality. It was for the best too. I had been experiencing a mounting sense of dread that had only grown worse as the day wore on.


    I just felt like something was about to happen. To be proven wrong and cross over the barrier into the Settlement was an immense relief. Even more so when I saw how busy Hana had been in our absence.


    The mostly flat and open ground had changed into rolling hills of gnarled roots that formed ¡®natural¡¯ caves.


    Hana¡¯s solution may not have been as elegant as the tree fort, but at least it looked like there would be enough housing for the refugees. Considering Hana had no advance warning of how many refugees to expect, she had done a truly amazing job and still somehow found time to shape an impressive fountain a short distance from the entrance to the Grove.


    The fountain was less than a half-foot deep but was easily more than a hundred feet in diameter. It had a number of smaller spouts of water ringing the periphery and driving water towards the raised roots of a large tree in the centre. The large tree had a myriad of luminescent fungi sprouting from its trunk shedding faint golden light over the rippling water.


    Many of the Serpent-Kin had already begun making their way over to the fountain for drinking water and were surprised by how clean it was. The fact that they had very likely been resorting to drinking boiled swamp water was probably why so many had become sick.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Nadine stepped up beside me and began vigorously washing her hands with water from the fountain.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I replied a little anxiously, guessing that this would be something important.


    ¡°Some of the Serpent-Kin are really sick and...I don¡¯t know what to do. I know you talked about managing fever and things like that before, but not what we should do when it gets this bad,¡± Nadine explained, taking my arm and pulling me towards one of the root-formed barrows.


    Even though Hana had made the insides of the barrow quite large, I still had to crouch down a little to clear the entrance. Similar to the fountain, there were smaller luminescent fungi growing in small alcoves around the periphery of the burrow. Less well illuminated than what was possible with an electrical light source, it still did a surprisingly good job.


    Thirteen Serpent-folk men and women were laid out on the thick moss floor. Evidently in pain, suffering from intense fever and rattling coughing fits, I strongly suspected that advanced treatment would be all but impossible.


    Even though dawnmoss had antibacterial properties, it was toxic if ingested directly. But antibiotics were exactly what was needed. ¡°Could you go find Hana?¡± I asked Nadine warily, ¡°We are going to need much more dawnmoss for the next few weeks at least.¡±


    Nadine raised an eyebrow at me curiously but quickly hurried off.


    Carefully taking a closer look at one of the sick tribesmen, I held in a weary sigh. It could be much worse. Legionnaires'' disease was potentially fatal, but there was still a good chance that most of them would survive just by having access to clean drinking water. However, it was very likely that more people were sick but hadn¡¯t progressed this far yet. So it was important to try and figure out what our options were before leaving it to chance.


    After a short while, Nadine returned with Hana in tow.


    ¡°You asked for me, Lord?¡± Hana asked a little eagerly.


    I nodded and left the barrow, motioning for both of them to follow me outside. ¡°Is there a limit to what you can grow?¡± I asked rather bluntly, ¡°I mean, can you change what a plant is? Or do you just alter its shape?¡±


    Hana paused to think for a moment and glanced towards the burrow of sick tribesmen, ¡°You want me to try and grow medicine?¡± She asked warily, dodging the question.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I agreed, ¡°Dawnmoss already has antibacterial properties, but the problem is-¡±


    ¡°-Everything else,¡± Hana interrupted, nodding with understanding, ¡°I can...¡± She admitted hesitantly, ¡°But it is very complicated and takes a great deal of trial and error...¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s about what I expected,¡± I admitted, still feeling a little disappointed, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose wild garlic grows around here?¡± I asked somewhat hopefully.


    ¡°Not that I have seen,¡± Clarice replied, but became thoughtful for a moment, ¡°I think Tobi has some cloves of garlic for keeping his boots clean,¡± she added helpfully.


    I grinned, ¡°Go find Tobi, we need that garlic!¡± I insisted, feeling much better. Short of having actual medical grade antibiotics, garlic was probably the best we would be able to manage for a proactive treatment regimen. Like dawnmoss, garlic was another plant with antibacterial properties, but thankfully in this case, it was edible and non-toxic.


    Fortunately, Tobi did in fact have a few unspoiled cloves of garlic in a small pouch in his pack. Within minutes, Hana created a sprawling field of garlic and was working on growing more. Even though she was unfamiliar with the plant, she seemed to have little problem in accelerating its growth, splitting the cloves apart and repeating the process over and over again. As impressive as industrial farming was on Earth, it didn¡¯t really hold up against the capabilities of a motivated Arch Druid.


    ¡°I want everyone to eat at least one raw, well-chewed or diced clove of garlic before bed,¡± I told Ushu, ¡°It will help with fighting off the swamp sickness. It will probably cause indigestion but that is far more preferable than the alternative. Also, make sure everyone washes their hands regularly with dawnmoss sap to avoid spreading the sickness. Everything will need to be thoroughly cleaned over the next few days, but things are looking up,¡± I advised encouragingly.


    Ushu bowed in deference and raced off to spread the word, leaving myself and the others to speak more privately.


    ¡°Will it really help?¡± Nadine asked anxiously.


    I nodded, ¡°If I diagnosed the infection correctly, then it should help them fight it off. It should also help those with much milder symptoms recover quicker as well,¡± I sighed and grinned a little, ¡°It is very lucky that Tobi had those cloves of garlic for his foot fungus.¡±


    Tobi blushed self consciously but Emelia seemed quite proud of him and so he was not particularly upset.


    ¡°But why garlic?¡± Nadine asked curiously, ¡°I thought it was just something for making other foods taste better.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is,¡± I agreed, grinning a little wider, ¡°But it also has a special chemical that makes it useful for helping fight off certain bacteria and fungi. That is assuming you don¡¯t cook it too much.¡±


    ¡°Rather deal with garlic breath than getting sick,¡± Clarice agreed appreciatively, ¡°But feeding so many people is going to get really tricky.¡±


    ¡°Hana could make more fishing ponds?¡± Tobi suggested helpfully.


    Hana shook her head, ¡°I could, but that would only divide the number of ¡®fish¡¯ between them. The Labyrinth has limits on the number of soulless of a certain type within a certain area,¡± she explained confidently.


    ¡°Is there perhaps another food you could grow inside the Settlement to supplement our diet?¡± Nadine asked, ¡°Like maybe berries or some sort of tuber?¡±


    ¡°I think I saw some of the kids eating stuff like that,¡± Emelia added helpfully.


    Hana shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I could...¡± She agreed reluctantly, ¡°But there is only so much I can do and the soil will need fresh nutrients...¡± Hana really did not seem to like the idea, but I suspected I knew the real reason why.


    ¡°Have you considered teaching some of the Bleak-Fang to become Druids?¡± I asked Hana rather bluntly.


    Hana seemed stunned, ¡°W-what?!¡± She demanded incredulously.


    ¡°Well, assuming you can teach a few of them the Druid class, you would have that many more helpers,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Can she even do that?¡± Clarice asked dubiously, ¡°No offence, but before Hana joined, I didn¡¯t even know Druid was a class.¡±


    Nadine nodded in agreement, ¡°Are we sure it isn¡¯t a Class restricted to Dryads? No offence Hana.¡±


    Hana grinned, ¡°It kind of is,¡± she agreed, grinning wider, ¡°But not like you think. You just need to be able to sense the plants around you like I can.¡± Hana was practically trembling with excitement at the prospect of drafting so many of the Serpent-Kin into service to complete the Settlement. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Before you go too crazy,¡± I waved for Hana to calm down, ¡°It would probably be a good idea if we knew more about what Classes the Bleak-Fang already have and decide on a more balanced approach,¡± I insisted.


    Hana settled down a little and nodded, but it was clear that she was doing some quickfire calculations in her head as she left to find the Bleak-Fang Speaker.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were that eager for your date,¡± Clarice leered suggestively.


    ¡°A necessary sacrifice,¡± I sighed wryly.


    Tobi snickered quietly, likely enjoying the fact that I was receiving my comeuppance for publicly outing his foot fungus.


    Emelia was similarly amused but said nothing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what is so wrong with it,¡± Nadine insisted icily, ¡°Besides, you could hardly say she still looks like a kid.¡±


    After a few minutes, Hana returned with Ushu in tow.


    ¡°Tell him,¡± Hana insisted eagerly.


    Looking a little confused, Ushu bowed, ¡°Uh, my Lord. Your Oversseer requessted that I inform you of the classsess amongst our warriors...erm, well...I am ssorry Lord, but bessidess mysself and my apprentissess, there are no otherss who have unlocked a Classs.¡±


    Hana grinned with wolfish glee.


    ¡°Hang on,¡± Nadine rested a restraining hand on Hana¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We should really think things through before teaching people Classes willy nilly. Besides, we don¡¯t know what Ushu¡¯s Class is yet.¡±


    ¡°Shaman,¡± Hana replied quickly, evidently quite prepared for this eventuality, ¡°It¡¯s a Basic Class that allows them to sense and manipulate mana. Just about every village and tribe has them.¡±


    ¡°Clearly they need strong fighters to start bringing in food!¡± Clarice insisted, eagerly joining the conversation, ¡°I could teach them!¡±


    ¡°Hang on!¡± Nadine growled, ¡°They need healers too!¡±


    ¡°And Druids!¡± Hana agreed eagerly.


    Ushu seemed at a loss for a few moments before realising what was going on, ¡°You will teach uss Classsess?¡± The shaken teenager gasped in astonishment.


    ¡°Uh, yeah?¡± Clarice replied uncertainly.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Ushu exclaimed, more than a little shocked.


    Nadine and Clarice shared an awkward glance with one another.


    ¡°Monsters don¡¯t normally get to ¡®learn¡¯ Classes,¡± Hana pointed out a little smugly.


    Ushu nodded in agreement.


    Feeling another argument coming on, I raised my hand for silence. ¡°Look, we can sort out who will learn what Classes tomorrow. It¡¯s been a long day for us, but it has been far worse for them. We will need warriors, healers and Druids to make it through the next few days. To say nothing of somehow feeding two hundred or so people. We will decide on the specifics tomorrow morning,¡± I insisted with finality, making my retreat and heading for the fishing pond to check on the Daemonlings.


    Hana had really not been joking when she said the Daemons would unquestioningly follow orders. Apparently, it even extended to the necessary steps to fulfil those same orders.


    While Gric tended a large fire with an alarmingly impressive array of skewered fish, Qreet and Dar patrolled the edge of the pond with thin barbed spears fashioned from bone and branches.


    As it turned out, baiting the carnivorous fish was far easier and less dangerous than I would have expected. Qreet and Dar would simply splash the edge of the water with their spears until a fish came to investigate, then one of them would spear the fish and wait for a second fish to be drawn by the distress of the first. The duo would repeat this process over and over again, grinning all the while and occasionally grunting or growling at one another encouragingly.


    Having seen me coming, Gric stood up from his position by the fire and motioned to the large baskets of roasted fish. In the time since I last saw him and the others, Gric had grown well over four feet tall and taken on rather substantial amounts of muscle as well as growing a small crocodilian tail. Gric¡¯s neck seemed to have gotten slightly longer and thicker to the proportions of his body as well.


    ¡°We...do....good?¡± Gric rumbled, struggling to form the words, garnering the immediate attention of Qreet and Dar, who were now headed over as well.


    Dar had grown and was very similar to Gric, except he lacked the powerful lower jaw and instead had more robust claws and a thicker tail.


    Qreet was far more different than either of them, now standing a full head taller with a long sinewy neck, arms, legs and snake-like tail. Her head had slightly elongated as well and looked suspiciously serpentine.


    Evidently, all three Daemons were taking their personal development very seriously and altering themselves at every opportunity.


    ¡°You have all done very well,¡± I praised, and was pleasantly surprised as the trio growled, hissed and grunted at one another with pleased expressions on their faces, or as near as I could tell anyway. ¡°There are far more people joining the Settlement than I expected, so I will be relying on you three to keep up the good work alright? I might need you to show them how to fish too.¡±


    Gric nodded and the other two Daemonlings did the same.


    ¡°Hana will probably begin sending people over for food, be nice alright?¡± I encouraged them.


    The trio of Daemonlings nodded in near-perfect unison before returning to their tasks.


    In much better spirits now that I knew everyone was not going to immediately starve to death or die of complications from eating too much garlic, I began looking around for Toofy. Rather surprisingly, she was still where I had last left her, chatting away with her new friends. More than happy to see she was enjoying having more people to talk to, I gave her a small smile and wave before heading back to the Grove.


    ¡°-so we are agreed?¡± Nadine insisted, ¡°Those with high Intelligence are to be trained as Surgeons-¡±


    ¡°-Those with high Willpower I will train to be Druids!¡± Hana agreed enthusiastically as she interrupted Nadine.


    ¡°And I get to train the rest!¡± Clarice agreed, rubbing her hands together excitedly.


    The trio of schemers were sitting on the stairs to the tree fort and hadn¡¯t seen me coming apparently. ¡°You aren¡¯t forcing anyone to do something they don¡¯t want to do!¡± I stated flatly, ¡°Just to be clear.¡±


    Clarice and Nadine jumped a little in surprise, but Hana remained calm, likely having already known I was there.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Nadine agreed guiltily, ¡°I just meant those who volunteered...¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Clarice agreed shamelessly, ¡°But let¡¯s be serious, who wouldn''t want to learn how to be a Grappling Pugilist? Brutal Momentum is awesome!¡±


    I sighed and shook my head, Clarice was right, sort of. Any class was better than none. Shaking my head in disappointment I began heading upstairs to go to bed.


    ¡°Uh, you probably don¡¯t want to go up there right now,¡± Nadine called out nervously.


    Clarice grinned and chuckled.


    I frowned and was about to ask what they meant when I heard the muffled moans coming from higher up the tree. Slowly walking back down the stairs, I turned my attention to Hana, ¡°We need doors,¡± I insisted before leaving the Grove to find something else to do.


    I returned to join Gric by his cooking fire. Eating a small meal of roasted fish, I watched the trio of Daemons go about their tasks. They each took a great deal of pride in what they were doing and genuinely seemed to enjoy it.


    After having a rather slow conversation with Gric, I began to figure out why. In the same way that the enslavement commands stimulated the pain centre in the brain, Daemons seemed to receive stimulation to the pleasure centre of their brain when following orders. It would definitely explain Hana¡¯s insistence that they would follow an order that would otherwise kill them.


    Somehow, I found that more unsettling than forcing obedience through pain.


    In the end, I settled down and decided to sleep by the fire rather than waiting to sleep in my room.


    Waking up early, I was a little surprised to see the three Daemons were already up and about. More surprisingly, they were not alone. A small horde of Serpent-Kin children were patrolling the edge of the water of the large pond with fishing spears of their own. They were not alone either, escorted by a few very anxious-looking adults.


    Not all of the children were fishing, some of them were cleaning fish and tending fires. All of this was taking place under the direct supervision of Gric, Qreet, and Dar and they appeared to be rotating children through the different jobs at regular intervals.


    This was not exactly what I had in mind when I brought up the issue last night, but I couldn¡¯t really argue with the Daemons results either. Fishing like this was going to be an important skill for these kids and adults to learn.


    I briefly considered joining them, but the number of fish seemed to be growing thin already.


    Considering the size of the pond, it was already rather impressive and a little terrifying that there had been so many of the eyeless piranha inside of it in the first place.


    Maybe Hana had dug a water well beneath it?


    Staring at the water, I could just about make out what appeared to be a web of thick roots below the water, but that was hardly conclusive.


    With the smell of roasted garlic and fish heavy in the air, I wandered off to look for Toofy.


    I was a little disappointed when I found her a short while later already eating breakfast with her new friends. Feeling the familiar sting of rejection, I decided against confronting her, Toofy deserved friends around her own age. Besides, I had been wanting her to become more socialised and this was the best opportunity for it.


    Wandering over to the Grove, I found Ushu and a rather large gathering of the healthier Serpent-Kin excitedly milling about a short distance from the entrance. Upon seeing me, the crowd quickly fell to their knees and prostrated themselves in deference as if I were some kind of god.


    Nope, not having that...


    ¡°Please stand,¡± I insisted, trying to keep the discomfort from my tone so they wouldn¡¯t do anything drastic.


    Looking a little confused, the gathered Serpent-Kin cautiously got back to their feet.


    Dressed mostly in rough-spun cloth wrapped around their waist and another around their chest in the case of the women, their protruding ribs it was painfully obvious that they were all in desperate need of food.


    Even though their bone structure seemed a little more refined and slight than that of a human, I was fairly confident that protruding ribs and sunken eyes were a rather universal indicator of starvation.


    ¡°Lord!¡± Ushu bowed low at the waist, despite having prostrated himself just a few moments earlier. Free of his bulky bone armour, he was noticeably healthier than the surrounding adults, just like most of the other children.


    ¡°Is there something that you wanted?¡± I asked, trying not to feel intimidated by the intense expressions of gratitude and expectation practically radiating from the gathered Serpent-Kin.


    Ushu straightened and smiled nervously, ¡°Lord, I have gathered our sstrongest and most capable tribess men and women to be judged for their worthinesss to be besstowed a Classs!¡± Despite his nervousness, he was still very excited.


    Consisting of both men and women in their early twenties to late thirties, the Serpent-Kin tribesmen were just as excited as Ushu.


    I wondered if humans were like this outside of the Labyrinths.


    The general impressions I had gotten from speaking with Nadine and the others was that only the Guilds and military had access to learning the classes. It made sense that ¡®commoners¡¯ would become excited to be offered such tangible increases in capabilities that were previously denied to them.


    I nodded and glanced towards the empty yard of the Grove, ¡°Did Nadine or Hana explain how they would be selecting students?¡± I asked somewhat warily, afraid that I already knew the answer.


    Ushu looked a little embarrassed, ¡°I am not ssure Lord. I was ssent to sspread word amongsst m-your people. When I returned, I found that they had retired for the evening...¡±


    I sighed and took a moment to rub my neck, ¡°Alright..¡± I took a moment to consider my options and decided that being more proactive was probably a better idea. ¡°Okay, there are a few different Classes that I think we will be able to teach you,¡± I began explaining, ¡°But I want to be clear that I will not force anyone to train in a Class that they do not want, even if your stats would fit one Class better than another. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°Yess Lord!¡± Ushu and the tribesmen all replied with excited deference.


    I spent a few minutes roughly explaining what the different Classes were capable of and how I thought they would be useful to the Settlement, taking particular care not to overemphasise any one of them over the others. It was a little tricky because strictly speaking, I didn¡¯t know how Hana¡¯s Druid Class Abilities actually work.


    Under Ushu¡¯s guidance, the volunteers were divided into three different groups according to their preference. To my surprise, most wanted to be trained in fist fighting and wrestling techniques for close combat. Given the current food shortage and what they must have been through, I should have known better. Of the twenty volunteers, only three wanted to try and become Druids, and four to become Surgeons.


    Since basic first aid was important for everyone to know anyway, I decided to start with that.


    Everything went fine for the most part, despite the Serpent-Kin being initially hesitant to ask questions. The first real problem arose from trying to practice CPR.


    While the muscles and tendons of a Serpent-Kin¡¯s jaw would keep their large mouth shut more or less on their own. The problem was that their mouths were not able to form an effective seal due to lacking the cheek-walls of other humanoids. So trying to force fresh air into a Serpent-Kin¡¯s mouth was incredibly ineffective. Similarly, Serpent-Kin couldn¡¯t generate the pressure in their own mouths either. This was not a big problem for training purposes, but it could be in a life or death situation where someone''s life hung in the balance.


    A couple of the more eager volunteers even attempted opening their mouths to full distension to try and form a seal that way, but it just raised another problem.


    Serpent-Kin had a large pair of retractable fangs on their upper mandible and behind their front row of teeth. It seemed to share a group of tendons related to opening and closing their mouths, so it was impossible for the volunteers to open their mouth past a certain point without their fangs being deployed as well. To make things worse, they were venomous and not immune to their own venom, just ¡®resistant¡¯.


    The venom itself was explained to cause muscle weakness or even paralysis, depending on the hardiness of those afflicted.


    Armed with this new knowledge, I made a mental note to steer clear of their mouths from now on if I could help it.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Clarice practically leapt down the remaining dozen steps, ¡°Are these my new recruits?!¡± She asked excitedly while squaring off against one of the larger male Serpent-Kin.


    ¡°Some are,¡± I agreed, feeling a little amused, ¡°I was just teaching them basic first aid.¡±


    ¡°Like how to bandage and stuff?¡± Clarice asked distractedly.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± I agreed, unwilling to debate the details since that was probably what she wanted.


    Clarice¡¯s attention flickered towards me for a split second before returning to the volunteers, confirming my suspicions. ¡°Well, now that you have taught them that boring stuff, it¡¯s time I showed them some of my awesome moves!¡± She boasted, flexing her biceps and then punching the air a few times in an old-timey bare-knuckle boxing stance. ¡°You will probably want those Surgeons ready soon too,¡± Clarice grinned like a predator as she brazenly sized up the volunteers, ¡°Brawling probably costs some HP to guarantee the unlock.¡±


    To their credit, not one who volunteered for learning Classes from Clarice showed signs of being intimidated, a few even grinned back at her in an open challenge.


    This only made Clarice more excited, ¡°Okay! Everyone who wants to learn how to fight! Follow me!¡± She pushed her way through the crowd and headed off towards the southern side of the Settlement where there were still open areas of relatively soft soil.


    ¡°HEY!¡± Hana shouted, effortlessly keeping her balance as she sprinted down the stairs, ¡°You better not be running off with my Druids!¡±


    Clarice didn¡¯t even bother looking back, walking off with her thirteen trainees.


    ¡°Ah, no, great Oversseer these humble volunteerss dessire to learn the Druid Classs,¡± Ushu explained placatingly, gesturing to the trio of volunteers.


    ¡°Oversseer,¡± the tribesmen bowed respectfully.


    Hana seemed disappointed, ¡°Only three?¡±


    I shrugged apologetically, ¡°There will be the chance to teach others the Class later. It is probably for the best that we aren¡¯t trying to teach everyone at the same time. Securing food is going to be a big enough challenge as it is. So many of the first volunteers becoming fighters should mean that you will have a better chance at teaching a larger group next time,¡± I suggested placatingly.


    ¡°I...I guess so,¡± Hana agreed reluctantly. ¡°Alright! You three will be my first disciples! Don¡¯t let me down!¡± She passionately motioned for them to follow her as she headed off towards the garlic field.


    Unlike the other two, Nadine took her time walking down the stairs and tying her hair back into its usual ponytail. ¡°Four volunteers? I hadn¡¯t expected so many,¡± she mused happily, ¡°Uh, right, how are we going to do this?¡± Nadine asked curiously.


    ¡°Do what?¡± I didn¡¯t quite understand what she meant.


    ¡°Are we going to teach two each or?...¡± Nadine shrugged, making it clear that she wanted me to decide.


    ¡°Hrm, well, I have already gone through basic first aid with them. So, how about you help them practise the suturing techniques on some spare cloth or hide, and afterwards I will try and bridge the remaining basics,¡± I offered.


    Nadine grinned and nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just go grab something to eat first. That fish smells incredible!¡±


    Garlic as a primary seasoning wasn¡¯t really my thing, but it definitely won out against the lack of alternatives.


    A few minutes later, Nadine returned and began teaching.


    It was a unique experience to listen to the same lessons told from someone else''s perspective and experiences. Which, to be fair, our experiences were very different. Nadine began retelling her first-hand experiences with triage, which differed greatly from how I had initially tried to prepare her for it.


    ¡°-You can¡¯t afford to stop. Even when your arms are caked in blood and your patient is screaming in agony, you just need to buckle down and do what needs doing.¡± Nadine stared meaningfully into each of the Serpent-Kins eyes before moving on, ¡°Every second matters, every decision you will make matters. If you freeze or hesitate, people will die.¡±


    Nadine didn¡¯t sugarcoat it and proceeded to give a brutal retelling of her own personal experiences defending the foothold. Specifically, how she was not able to save three patients and why they had died.


    ¡°-I...I didn¡¯t tie the tourniquet off tight enough, the knots slipped and she bled out on the table before the magic had a chance to take hold. It was a stupid mistake. I was tired, hungry and suffering from mana exhaustion, but that mistake could have been avoided if I had conscripted help,¡± Nadine¡¯s mood had soured and she glanced guiltily at me for a second before looking away, ¡°I should have asked for help sooner!¡± She insisted adamantly, ¡°Just because I was a Surgeon and had a healing Ability, I thought I needed to do everything on my own...and Susan died for my mistake...¡±


    After recounting her experiences, Nadine demonstrated how to suture a wound and then set her students to work. Thread, cloth and needles were all sparse, so they would not have much opportunity to practice further unless Hana and her Druids were able to make more supplies.


    Sending Nadine¡¯s students off to lunch, I knew that I should say something to Nadine, but I wasn¡¯t really sure what.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame myself,¡± Nadine stated, clearly guessing what was on my mind, ¡°I mean I do blame myself, it was a stupid mistake, But it doesn¡¯t haunt me, not like you are probably thinking anyway.¡± She sat down on the steps beside me and sighed, ¡°I have thought about this a lot Tim. I was just one person, one person doing the work of five or more. I did the best I could and I learned that sometimes...sometimes I am not going to be good enough and people will die...¡± Nadine¡¯s voice was trembling slightly and her hands had begun to shake and all at once it was like a dam burst inside of her, ¡°I should have listened to you...You said that I would need extra help...but I was doing so well and...and Susan died because of me...¡± Her eyes grew unfocused and the shaking in her hands intensified.


    ¡°Nadine!¡± I took her hands in mine and tried to draw her focus.


    Nadine stared at me uncomprehendingly for a few moments before shaking her head, ¡°I know it isn''t my fault but...I just...I keep thinking about her, about them, what I could have done differently, how they could have survived, how they would be alive right now...¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I gave her hands a reassuring squeeze, ¡°You did your best. Sometimes that won¡¯t be enough. There have been people far more qualified in far more controlled conditions who have done far worse. I think you are grossly underestimating just how well you performed under the circumstances and with so little training...¡± I shook my head and snorted a little derisively, after all, I was the one who should have trained her better. ¡°How many people are alive because of what you did? How many people did you manage to save in spite of all of the odds stacked against you? Susan died because she was viciously attacked and wounded, not because you didn¡¯t save her...We can¡¯t save everyone...¡± I tried to keep my voice steady as unwanted memories began surfacing and clamouring for my attention.


    ¡°I...¡± Nadine¡¯s expression softened and she smiled weakly, ¡°Thanks Tim, I guess...I just needed to hear someone else say it,¡± she rubbed at the corners of her eyes, ¡°Absolving myself of sin just made me doubt myself even more, you know?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I know. Whenever you need to talk, just come find me, alright? It¡¯s better not to just bottle it up inside.¡±


    Nadine nodded and sighed a little despondently, ¡°I still wish that I could have saved them though...¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed supportively.


    A long silence passed between us.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Nadine asked somewhat timidly.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± I noticed a subtle change in her mood and could tell something else was bothering her.


    ¡°You really need to talk to Hana,¡± Nadine explained slowly, ¡°She is getting worse and...she won''t talk to me about it. I can tell that she is in pain, but I can¡¯t help her.¡± She stared at me determinedly for a moment before looking away, ¡°I am worried about her, heh, as ironic as it sounds, I fear Hana is close to falling apart...¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. Or to put it bluntly, I knew what Nadine wanted me to say, but I was reluctant to say it. Years of therapy had barely made the pain tolerable, a wound scabbed over but not nearly close to having healed.


    Nadine frowned disapprovingly at my silence, ¡°Why won¡¯t you talk to her?¡± She demanded, her expression making it clear that she was confused and more than a little disappointed, ¡°Is this because of her appearance? Hana wasn¡¯t lying Tim, she is growing and-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that!¡± I snapped without meaning to.


    Nadine looked shocked.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologised and rubbed tiredly at my brow, ¡°I just...I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Nadine pressed, concerned but determined to know.


    I sighed deeply and grimaced. ¡°Because I can¡¯t help her,¡± I admitted bitterly.


    ¡°What?¡± Nadine seemed confused, ¡°You just need to listen. Is there a reason you can¡¯t do that?¡±


    I flinched and felt more than a little ashamed.


    Nadine noticed my reaction and seemed concerned, ¡°What is it?¡± She asked softly.


    I briefly considered lying, but I didn¡¯t see the point. ¡°Because it will hurt...¡± I admitted dourly.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Nadine asked, becoming noticeably more concerned.


    I shook my head, ¡°I just...It¡¯s something I can¡¯t help her with. I don¡¯t have any answers! Sometimes people die and there is nothing that will ever fix that! Bad things happen to good people, that¡¯s just life!¡± I snapped angrily.


    Nadine was taken aback, no doubt shocked at my sudden outburst. However, she quickly got over it and her expression became grimly determined, ¡°This is what I was talking about Tim! You need this just as much as Hana does!¡±


    It was obvious that she was right, but I chose to say nothing. I don¡¯t want to remember. I began walking away but stopped when I saw Hana lingering by the entrance to the Grove.


    How long had she been there? How much did she hear?


    Conditioned by T.V and movies, I expected Hana to turn and run away. But she didn¡¯t. Instead, Hana cautiously entered the Grove proper and slowly made her way over towards us. ¡°I...I just wanted to let you know that I...I failed,¡± Hana stated quietly, avoiding eye contact and gnawing at her lip in frustration. ¡°I thought that the group Synergy would be enough...But it isn¡¯t.¡± She hissed bitterly.


    Nadine gave me a weighted look and nodded her head slightly towards Hana expectantly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I am doing wrong!¡± Hana growled irritably, ¡°It should have been enough!¡± She balled her fists and clenched her jaw, hissing angrily through her teeth. After a few moments, Hana seemed to calm down, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lord, I will figure this out, I just need more time. I promise that the Settlement will be finished by the end of the day, one way or the other!¡±


    I felt like a jackass, ¡°Hana?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord?!¡± Hana looked worried.


    I sighed and shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s fine, the Settlement I mean. It will take as long as it takes.¡±


    Hana appeared disappointed and deflated somewhat, ¡°I can do this!¡± She insisted weakly, ¡°I just have to figure out what went wrong and-¡±


    ¡°Hana,¡± I reached out and took hold of her shoulder.


    Hana nervously glanced up at me, wincing in anticipation of a stern rebuke.


    ¡°I mean it Hana. It¡¯s fine. You have already done so much...¡± I cringed a little from the guilt of setting an arbitrary deadline through conditions. ¡°We can work out the teaching problem together...I am sure we will be able to figure it out.¡±


    Hana nodded but still seemed uncertain.


    Leaving the Grove, Hana and I walked over to the garlic field and joined Hana¡¯s prospective Druid trainee¡¯s.


    Knowing that she expected me to take the lead, I had prepared a few questions to try and learn more about how Hana was expecting her students to unlock the Druid class.


    For their part Hana''s three students looked just as dejected as she was, no doubt blaming themselves rather than her.


    ¡°Alright Hana, invite me to the group and try teaching from the beginning,¡± I suggested, holding out my arm to receive the party invite before realising that it was unnecessary.


    Since Hana was my Overseer, she didn¡¯t have to clasp my arm to issue the invite, but she still chose to do so anyway, ¡°Party invite, Lord Tim.¡± Feeling her stress through the tremors from her hand, I felt even more guilty about how I had been managing the situation.


    ¡°Accept invite-¡± I accepted the status prompt and was immediately bombarded with a host of sensations that I was completely unprepared to handle.


    Similar to an extreme sense of vertigo, I staggered and would have fallen if Hana had not quickly moved to support me. An immense quantity of information was pouring into my mind and I wasn¡¯t sure how to process it.


    I could feel so much more than what I had known only a few moments ago and felt my predefined boundary of self slipping. It felt like I was only now becoming aware of pieces of myself that had been missing until this moment and my mind was desperately trying to reconnect to them.


    Unsure of how much time had passed, I slowly became aware of my core self again. ¡°That...was weird...¡± I croaked, shaking my head and trying to clear my head. I could still feel the presence of those other senses but was able to more or less ignore them for the most part. ¡°Was it the same for the three of you too?¡± I asked, directing the question to the three Serpent-Kin.


    They shifted a little uncomfortably and nodded.


    A little relieved that I wasn¡¯t the only one who had to go through that, I was actually beginning to understand why Hana was probably having so much difficulty teaching them anything.


    The surrounding area was too...alive?


    I couldn¡¯t think of a better word to describe it. There was far too much going on around us and it was incredibly difficult to concentrate. ¡°I think this is the problem,¡± I told Hana, waving expansively at the surrounding area, ¡°It¡¯s too busy, there is so much going on that I nearly lost myself in it.¡±


    Hana paled a little, ¡°Oh...¡± She carefully regarded the area and slowly nodded. ¡°Follow me,¡± Hana motioned for us to follow her and headed to the south end of the Settlement. Only a short distance from the low section of the briar wall, Hana cloaked herself in emerald light and held out her hands to either side in a slow deliberate motion.


    I saw the grass wither and the ground ripple like water as the tangled mass of interlocking roots beneath us receded. More than that, I felt it happen and was shocked by the relative clarity I now felt with their absence. Even though Hana had only pushed the majority of plant life back a couple of dozen feet, it made ignoring the extrasensory input infinitely easier now that I had a clearly defined sense of where I began and ended.


    ¡°Better?¡± Hana asked quietly.


    ¡°Much better,¡± I replied.


    The trio of Serpent-Kin nodded vigorously in agreement, ¡°Yess Oversseer!¡±


    ¡°Stupid mistake...¡± Hana muttered bitterly. ¡°Wait here,¡± she told us and briefly walked back over to the garlic field before returning again with a large bulb of garlic.


    It was more than a little disturbing to feel the sensation of slight pressure and comparatively rapid movement from the bulb of garlic as it entered the circle. As the closest and most distinct form of living flora, it stood out like a small sun. Similarly, it was a wholly unique experience to feel the bulb of garlic being divided into cloves.


    ¡°We will try this exercise again, ¡°Hana explained while handing each of us a clove of garlic.


    I had never really thought about the internal processes of plants before, so the miniature hive of activity in my hand was fascinating.


    ¡°Just concentrate on the process, beginning to end,¡± Hana insisted.


    Almost immediately the clove of garlic was split open by three different shoots and a mess of thin roots searching for sun and soil to fuel its growth. I felt the garlic plant¡¯s desperate struggle for survival, churning through its stored reserves until they were exhausted. Slowly, it began to wither and die. It had nothing left to give and eventually succumbed.


    ¡°Druid¡¯s don''t make life,¡± Hana explained a little coldly, ¡°We nurture it,¡± her tone softened, ¡°Under our care and guidance, life is given the chance to flourish in accordance to our will,¡± Hana separated a clove of garlic and dropped it to the ground. With a wave of her hand, the clove erupted into motion, shoots springing from the skin as roots dragged the swelling garlic plant into the ground. In under a few seconds, a fully mature garlic bulb had taken the place of the clove. ¡°But growth is just one part of what we do. Where there is life...there must also be death...¡± She curled her hand into a fist and I felt most of the garlic plant begin to wither and die. ¡°Entropy is part of the balance between life and death...nothing lives forever...¡± Hana stated dourly.


    I noticed that Hana had left the seeds untouched and I believed I knew why. It was part of the lesson. A cycle of life. Birth, growth, entropy, death and then rebirth. The constant cycle of nature in balance.


    [You are not qualified to unlock this Class. {Incompatible}.]


    What?


    I stared blankly at the black status screen with growing anger and incredulity. That had not happened before.


    Momentarily distracted by the exclamations of surprise and excitement from the others, it became obvious that the problem seemed to be isolated to myself.


    ¡°Status¡± I muttered and frantically began skimming through the screen.


    [Group Synergy: {Agile Reflexes: - }, {Vicious: 1 }, {Underfoot: 1 }, {Sense (Plant Life): 7 }, {Venom Resistance: 2 }.]


    [Class Qualifications: Taskmaster. ]


    Staring at the Group Synergy and Class Qualifications, I tried my best to stay calm. ¡°Leave Party,¡± I grunted and sighed with relief as the surrounding ocean of senses disappeared from my mind.


    Hana had been celebrating with her students¡¯ newfound success and now looked worried, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    I shook my head and began making my way back to the grove, ¡°I just need to test something,¡± I lied, not wanting to drag her mood down again and hoping that the suspicions taking form in the back of my mind were wrong.


    Retrieving my sewing supplies, I took one of the knives from the storage room, stripped off my tunic and held the knife up against my chest.


    To qualify for the Surgeon class, I needed to suture two wounds...


    Filled with nervous energy, I hesitated, a mental block disrupting my attempt at self-harm. ¡°I need to know!¡± I growled irritably and slowly pressed the edge of the blade against my skin. I hissed as pain began shooting outwards from the shallow cut. Pressing harder, I clenched my teeth and dragged the knife a short distance before making another cut slightly lower down than the first.


    Ignoring the pain and rush of endorphins, I took up my prepared needle and thread and got to work. At first, the pain made me hesitate before pushing through the needle, but by the end, I was just about able to ignore it. With the first cut fully sutured I turned my attention to the second.


    [You are not qualified to unlock this Class. {Incompatible}.]


    [You are not qualified to unlock this Class. {Incompatible}.]


    [You are not qualified to unlock this Class. {Incompatible}.]


    Fingers sticky with my own drying blood, I glared furiously at the black status alert. Taking a few minutes to calm down and clean my cuts, I pulled my tunic back on and stalked purposefully towards Clarice¡¯s training field. I refused to accept this.


    ¡°Oh hey, Tim! Come to see how real people fight?¡± Clarice laughed, motioning to her students. Some of them were practising beating the heck out of one another with their fists while others were practising break falls and wrestling chokeholds. ¡°Heh, or maybe you wanna let me show these wimps how it¡¯s done and have a match?¡± She suggested with an eager grin.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed.


    Clarice just stared blankly at me for a moment, ¡°Huh? Wait?! You¡¯re serious?!¡± She demanded.


    I nodded.


    Clarice grinned wickedly and wrung her hands together excitedly, ¡°Alright!¡± She turned to her students, ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing!¡± Clarice shouted, bringing them to a near-immediate halt, ¡°The big guy and I are gonna have a match!¡± She declared excitedly, ¡°So make some room!¡± Clarice waved everyone back.


    Her students were only too eager to obey, some excited by the prospect of the competition and others seemed to enjoy the prospect of seeing Clarice taken down a peg or two. Given the brutal method of Clarice¡¯s hands-on training, it was hardly surprising.


    ¡°You ready?¡± Clarice asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet and raising her fists.


    I raised my own fists and nodded.


    Clarice was about to say something and stopped, ¡°Wait a sec,¡± she muttered something and frowned before hurriedly making her way over, ¡°You aren¡¯t in the party,¡± Clarice whispered accusingly, ¡°That¡¯s cheating a bit, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, more than a little annoyed at the delay. ¡°Party invite, Clarice,¡± I growled irritably.


    Clarice grinned, ¡°Accept Invite!¡±


    *Thump*


    Even as she accepted the invite, Clarice had ducked down and thrown a right hook to my gut. After it landed, she bounced back and away out of reach with a mischievous grin on her face. ¡°That¡¯s for trying to cheat!¡± Clarice crowed as she brought her fists up again.


    The blow barely hurt at all and I needed her to hit me as part of the test anyway. Edging forward towards Clarice, I was not surprised when she knocked aside my guard and delivered a jab to my chest. This time the punch hurt, but only because she managed to strike the recently closed cuts on my chest.


    The idea of deliberately harming myself extended to letting Clarice hit me, but it was necessary, so I grit my teeth and bore through it. I weathered blow after blow while slowly chasing her around the practice area. After a few minutes, Clarice began to slow and I landed a few half-hearted punches on her guard.


    [You are not qualified to unlock this Class. {Incompatible}.]


    Lowering my guard, I glared at the black status alert with barely contained fury.


    *Crack*


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Clarice swore and cradled her wrist as she pulled back.


    Judging by the pain radiating from my cheek, I assumed that Clarice tried for another cheap shot while I was distracted. ¡°We¡¯re done,¡± I growled and stomped back towards the Grove. Stalking up the stairs of the tree fort, I threw myself down onto my bed and tried to calm down. I felt physically ill at the prospect that I would not be able to get rid of the Slaver class and its derivatives.


    Why was I deemed incompatible with those other classes?


    Feverishly scouring the information implanted by the Settlement Totem, I came up empty.


    Surgeon, I could understand. I was not particularly clever or intelligent and my stats reflected that. But I would have thought that Hana¡¯s insistence for candidates with high Willpower would have made a transition to Druid perfect for me.


    At worst, the brawling classes should have worked, even though I was not that nimble, I was not that much of a clutz either. The only thing I could think of was what Jacque had told me close to a week ago.


    That the Labyrinths would mess with me to try and get the reaction that they wanted...


    Brooding in the relative darkness of my room, I had to agree with her, the Labyrinth really seemed to know how to piss me off. Before I fully realised what I had done, I was downstairs in the storage room and had swallowed something rough and porous. Looking down at the open pack containing the majority of the manastones we had collected while doing the mandatory quest, I panicked and made to stick my finger in my throat to try and vomit what I had swallowed back out again.


    However, a sudden rush of euphoria flooded my system and left me feeling warm and fuzzy all over. Staggering backwards, I tripped over my own feet and fell heavily to the floor. Bracing against the expected pain, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn¡¯t seem to be coming. For one reason or another, that seemed hysterical and I began to laugh. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Pushing myself up and getting back to my feet, I swayed unsteadily and braced myself against the wall.


    After a while, the sense of euphoria began to fade and it left a keening sense of loss and emptiness in its wake. Leaning back down to the pack I pulled out another manastone and brought it up to my mouth. As the pain of the present began reasserting itself I became transfixed on the manastone.


    I needed it...


    It would be so easy to just let go...


    ¡°No!¡± I threw the manastone away and staggered out of the storeroom. I needed to put as much distance between myself and the temptation as quickly as possible. If Jacque were here I was not sure whether I would thank her or strangle her for the warning. Calling manastones addictive was a drastic understatement...


    Every step I took away from the harvested manastones made me hate myself a little more. To go from a complete cessation of all forms of pain, back to...reality. It was torture!


    Reaching the bottom step of the stairs, I was just about ready to collapse. Halfway to the fountain, I tripped and fell to the ground. Nearly paralysed by pain, I just decided to lay there to wait until it became more bearable...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 13 – Confronting your Daemons – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 13 ¨C Confronting your Daemons ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 13 - Confronting your Daemons - Part One {Rewrite}


    Pushing myself up off the ground, I slowly began walking away from the Grove, taking long deep breaths to remain focused on the present. That momentary slip in control had shaken me to my core.


    So far as I was aware, that had been the first manastone I had ever consumed. However, reflecting on the sensation, the experience felt disturbingly familiar. I had taken addictive medication before, but they had not felt nearly so intense as the effects of the manastone.


    The strength of the manastone high had me very worried about the inevitable withdrawal. If the intensity of withdrawal was anything close to the high, then I would seriously need to consider a treatment plan to wean myself off of it...


    Initially intending to visit the Daemonlings at the fishing pond, I changed my mind and headed for the garlic field to speak with Hana instead. I had walked off rather abruptly before and wanted to congratulate her on training her first disciples.


    The three newly trained Serpent-Kin Druids were eagerly growing the garlic field under Hana¡¯s instruction and supervision. For the most part, it seemed simple enough, and they were making notable progress in slowly expanding the field. However, that did not seem to be the entirety of what Hana was trying to teach them to do.


    ¡°-need to control your mana,¡± Hana insisted, ¡°The greater your degree of control, the lower your level of mana spillage will be. So concentrate! Focus on the plants you want to invigorate and do your best to ignore the others!¡±


    The Serpent-Kin Druids nodded and seemed to redouble their efforts. Similar to Hana, they were each cloaked in a faint emerald aura of their own. Understanding that the size of an aura roughly correlated to the amount of mana that the individual had remaining. It was a rather safe bet to assume that Hana was easily five to six times stronger in terms of mana capacity and perhaps three times stronger in terms of her aura¡¯s intensity, although I didn¡¯t know what that intensity meant, if it even meant anything at all.


    Deciding that Hana and her students would probably make better progress without me looking over their shoulders, I slowly wandered over to the fishing pond. As I had suspected, it appeared that all of the piranhas had been fished out and the children were now sitting around the cooking fires and hungrily eating their breakfasts. There were more adults visiting to collect food as well, but most of them did not linger long which made me curious.


    Following one of the groups back through the Settlement, I soon found a rather large gathering of Serpent-Kin adults outside of the barrow occupied by the egg chest as well as Toofy and her new friends.


    Unsurprisingly, Ushu seemed to be the focus of the crowd''s attention and was engaged in an animated and rather positive conversation with some members of the crowd. Unfortunately, the crowd of Bleak-Fang tribesmen were far too excited and I couldn¡¯t hear a single word of what he was saying.


    However, that ended rather promptly when my presence was discovered and the Serpent-Kin began prostrating themselves in deference with proclamations of, ¡°My Lord!¡±


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Ushu bowed deeply before hurriedly making his way through the prostrated crowd of his fellow tribesmen. ¡°Is there ssome way I can be of asssisstansse?¡± He asked nervously, his forked tongue heavily accenting the final syllables.


    Curious about what they had been up to, I nodded, ¡°What is it that you were doing just before I interrupted things?¡±


    Ushu looked a little taken aback, ¡°Oh! No Lord, you were not inter-¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I interrupted, shaking my head and smiling a little at the irony, ¡°I am just curious, please indulge me,¡± I insisted lightheartedly.


    Ushu gulped and nodded, though he seemed much less nervous, ¡°I wass jusst organissing hunting partiess for food. While the bounty of the lake iss great, we are too numerouss to rely upon it alone,¡± he seemed to have chosen his words with great care to avoid potentially insulting either Hana or myself. Honestly, I hadn¡¯t expected the teenager to be so politically adept, but I suppose Ushu was probably trained at least a little by the tribe''s previous Speaker before taking the mantle himself.


    I nodded to show my approval, but I had some conditions of my own before they departed. The last thing I wanted was a bunch of dead or injured tribesmen when it could otherwise be avoided. ¡°I want everyone who is going to participate in hunting to requisition a proper weapon from my Overseer Hana first. Furthermore, I don¡¯t want any hunting parties to leave the viewing distance of the briar wall and I want at least two five-man teams on standby in case something goes wrong.¡±


    A little surprised by my requests, Ushu was only too eager to obey, ¡°Of coursse Lord!¡± He then set about reorganising the planned hunting parties and sending the groups off towards the garlic field, one by one.


    When it was just the two of us, I couldn¡¯t resist my earlier curiosity and decided to inquire about the Shaman class. As Ushu was a sort of leader and Hana had stated that all monster Settlements had them, I hoped that Shaman might prove a viable alternative to the Slaver class down the line. ¡°Ushu, I hope this isn¡¯t trampling on any traditions of your people¡¯s culture, but I was hoping that you could tell me more about your class and specifically how you unlocked it. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Of coursse Lord!¡± Ushu grinned happily and took a few moments to collect his thoughts. ¡°The Shaman classs is very important! It iss our duty and privilege to commune with sspiritss and guidess our people. Shamanss can empower wardss to help protect their people from the ssoullesss-¡± His enthusiasm flagged a little, ¡°-asssuming they have the sstrength of will and nessesary mana.¡±


    ¡°So you can make smaller versions of a Settlement barrier?¡± I asked curiously.


    Ushu seemed a little uncertain for a moment, taking time to think on it before nodding, ¡°Yess, weaker and temporary, but mosstly the ssame. Larger protectionss and higher numberss of excluded ssoullesss both require more mana in upkeep.¡±


    That was pretty interesting. So theoretically, Shamans could establish and propagate these Settlements by power levelling their class, rank and evolutions in order to pay the assumedly high mana upkeep costs. ¡°What about the Grove Overseer Hana created?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Would that be enough to sustain a ward?¡±


    Carefully considering the question, Ushu¡¯s eyes turned grey and he was briefly cloaked in his smoky grey aura, ¡°Not ass grand ass my Lordss great barrier, but I believe a ssmall ward could be maintained,¡± he agreed thoughtfully.


    The prospect of being able to set up smaller outposts was an interesting concept, but I wanted to confirm something else as well. ¡°Can the wards be moved?¡± I asked bluntly. I fully intended to honour my arrangement with Kirk and Rose, so at some point, myself or a representative would need to get in contact with them at the foothold. Given the ever-present dangers of the Labyrinth, I would feel much better if that representative was protected.


    Ushu nodded but somewhat reluctantly, ¡°Movement weakenss the ward, dissruptss ssoullesss thoughtss but doess not deny entry. Wardss magic needss time to take root, to grow sstrong.¡±


    That made sense in its own way I suppose. It also explained why the Bleak-Fang had survived as well as they had in the swamp without real weapons. The Scourges alone would have taken a devastating toll without the wards to provide some sort of disruption. It also explained how easily the monsters were dealt with on the return trip to the Settlement. I had been quite puzzled by that at the time. Obviously, the wards had to be difficult to maintain in their flight from the Black-Maw, but at the same time, an established tribe must be capable of maintaining them as well. Otherwise, how would they live long enough to procreate and replenish those lost to the soulless?


    ¡°Are your apprentices able to make wards?¡± I asked, despite already guessing the answer.


    Ushu nodded but looked a little uncomfortable, ¡°My sucssesssorss lack the raw power nessesssary to maintain a ward for long and needss demanded manasstoness harvessted from ssoullesss fuel my ward.¡±


    I nodded, understanding what he meant. Apparently, the wards could be charged using the manastones, and rather than risk the ward going down entirely, they must have been charging it directly to give them the necessary edge to survive. That really only left one question, ¡°Can you show me how to become a Shaman?¡± I asked eagerly, hoping that this would be a viable career alternative.


    A little surprised, Ushu nodded vigorously, ¡°Of coursse Lord!¡± He declared eagerly, ¡°Pleasse follow me!¡± He motioned for me to follow and disappeared into the barrow.


    Following Ushu inside, I saw Toofy and the other teenagers playing some sort of game with what looked like knuckle-bones. I gave her a small wave and a smile, but left her to her game.


    Toofy flashed me a toothy grin in return and waved back while her friends nervously bowed, ¡°Tim play?¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°Maybe later,¡± I agreed, ¡°You will need to teach me how okay?¡±


    Toofy¡¯s grin widened and she nodded her head eagerly, ¡°Yes! Toofy do!¡± She agreed excitedly, grinning broadly at her friends as she tried to contain her excitement.


    Ushu had withdrawn a large steel key from a small pouch at his waist and unlocked the ironbound chest, revealing a large number of grey black-veined oblong eggs and strikingly vibrant turquoise bell petalled flowers. The flowers were rather withered, but a faint aura cloaking the flowers lent a sense of unnatural vitality to them. Nestled on top of the eggs, there were only seven flowers and I wondered how rare they were.


    ¡°Have you considered asking Overseer Hana to grow more of the flowers?¡± I asked, feeling a little bad for commandeering part of a scarce resource.


    ¡°...¡± Ushu stiffened and stared blankly at me for a few moments before shifting his attention to the withered flower in his hand. Mouth opening and closing a few times without making a sound, Ushu looked back to me and appeared to be in a deep state of shock. ¡°R-really?!¡± He cried suddenly, accidentally crushing the delicate flower in his hand.


    I was a little intimidated, despite Ushu being less than a quarter of my size, the manic intensity in his eyes was unsettling. ¡°I think she can do it...¡± I agreed, somewhat regretting raising the subject so abruptly.


    Appearing to take on a fresh wave of vigour, Ushu smiled excitedly and rushed out of the barrow and off in the direction of the garlic field.


    Taking a moment to close the chest, lock it and hand the key over to one of the awed teenagers, I then rushed off after the overexcited Speaker.


    Expecting Hana to be more than a little annoyed, perhaps not at me, but definitely at Ushu, I was quite surprised to find that she was just as excited as he was. ¡°You had Manabell seeds and you didn¡¯t tell me?!¡± Hana demanded, snatching the dishevelled and dried flower from Ushu¡¯s open hand. Before he had the chance to say anything in his defence, or even at all, she quickly rushed off towards the Grove.


    Following along behind her, I watched Hana reverently lay the flower down on the ground near the edge of the inner wall of the Grove and cloak herself in deep emerald light. Under her watchful gaze, the flower took root in the soil and began to recover its vitality.


    A few minutes later, Ushu arrived with the remaining flowers from the chest containing the Bleak-Fang¡¯s eggs. ¡°Overseer! I have more of the sacred flowers!¡± He bowed low while offering Hana the wilted and withered flowers.


    Hana wordlessly snatched them from his unresisting fingers and proceeded to plant them around the boundary of the grove. In no time at all, Hana managed to grow hundreds of much smaller flowers circling the inner wall of the Grove. The collective turquoise light emanating from the flowers cast a myriad of wavering shadows over the Grove and gave a distinct impression that the Grove was truly alive. Having accomplished all that she was able, Hana sighed contentedly and smiled wistfully at the changes made to the Grove.


    ¡°My Lord,¡± Ushu said quietly and presented me with a single dried Manabell flower, ¡°Forgive my impudensse,¡± he bowed low twice in succession, ¡°I wass excsited,¡± Ushu apologised.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied somewhat dismissively. Obviously, the flowers were important, so it was understandable that he would act a little crazy. The fact that Hana had as well was rather telling and made me more than a little curious. ¡°So what do these flowers do exactly? What makes them so special?¡±


    ¡°They allow visssionss of the sspiritss Lord,¡± Ushu replied reverently.


    So they were hallucinogenic?


    ¡°How?¡± I asked while trying not to sound overly judgemental.


    ¡°Conssuming the ssacred flower exsspandss the mind to ssee the flow of magic and entirely magical beingss like the sspiritss,¡± Ushu explained patiently.


    ¡°Wait, you mean like your grey aura when you use your class ability or Hana¡¯s emerald one?¡± I asked curiously.


    Ushu looked shocked and nodded, ¡°That iss part of it,¡± he whispered, ¡°You can truly ssee aurass of mana, Lord?¡±


    I nodded. It was a little surprising to find out that it wasn¡¯t considered normal.


    Ushu gulped a little nervously, ¡°Lord, it may be posssible that you posssesss innate mana ssight, which givess you immense potential with magic!¡±


    I frowned a little at that, recalling how the Druid class had been deemed {Incompatible}. ¡°So to become a Shaman, all I would need to do is eat the flower?¡± I asked somewhat apprehensively, uneasy at the prospect of embarking on some strung out spirit quest after my poor experience with the manastone.


    Ushu shook his head, ¡°No Lord, that iss no longer nessesssary.¡± He insisted and cloaked himself in grey mana. ¡°My sspirit beasst will be able to guide uss to a wild sspirit!¡± Ushu exclaimed excitedly as a shimmering grey scaled serpent the size of a small car materialised in the air above us.


    The mottled grey-scaled serpent showed no immediate signs of hostility, seemingly content to undulate and coil itself lazily through the air while patiently staring at Ushu.


    Ushu, knelt down on one knee as he prepared to address the snake spirit, ¡°Mighty sspirit, I besseech you for a boon!¡±


    The serpent grew agitated, baring its six-fanged maw wide and letting out a deep hiss.


    Ushu gulped hard but did not back down, ¡°My Lord hass presserved our people, dragging uss back from the brink of annihilation! Mighty sspirit! If my Lord is not worthy, then none of uss are!¡±


    Visibly angry now, the great grey serpent hissed and thrashed its body violently while looming closer and closer.


    Refusing to be intimidated further, Ushu scowled and his smoky grey mana flared briefly before dissipating entirely, taking the giant snake with it.


    [You are not qualified to unlock this Class. {Incompatible}.]


    [You are not qualified to unlock this Class. {Incompatible}.]


    [You have qualified to unlock the {Summoner} Basic Class.]


    [You have qualified to unlock the {Warlock} Basic Class.]


    [You have qualified to unlock the {Pact Binder} Advanced Class.]


    Distracted by the sudden appearance of the status alerts, it took me a few moments to realise that Ushu was attempting to apologise.


    ¡°-no way of knowing our tribess great sspirit would be sso dissresspectful! I am sso very ssorry my Lord!¡± Ushu had prostrated himself on the ground.


    I blinked away the status alerts and tried not to look too pleased, ¡°It¡¯s fine Ushu. I think it still worked.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Ushu looked incredibly relieved, ¡°You have unlocked the Shaman Classs after all?¡±


    I sighed and shook my head, ¡°No, I seem to be incompatible with that Class as well. But I managed to unlock two others which I hadn¡¯t known about, so it could have been much worse.¡±


    Ushu was a little disappointed that I hadn¡¯t unlocked the Shaman class, but seemed pleased overall for having been helpful.


    ¡°Have you heard of the Summoner, Warlock or Pact Binder Classes?¡± I asked curiously, but kept my expectations low since the Bleak-Fang only had the Shaman Class unlocked.


    Ushu shook his head but looked quite impressed, ¡°No Lord...¡± After taking a few moments to work up his nerve, Ushu cleared his throat and was about to say something else when I interrupted him.


    ¡°If I find out how I did it, then yes, I fully intend to allow others to learn them too,¡± I agreed without needing to be asked, ¡°Assuming they aren¡¯t dangerous of course.¡±


    Ushu beamed happily, ¡°Thank you Lord!¡±


    ¡°Summoner? Warlock? Pact Binder?¡± Hana had broken free of her reverie and seemed confused.


    ¡°We tried unlocking the Shaman class, but I only managed to unlock those three instead,¡± I explained a little sheepishly.


    Hana seemed surprised, ¡°Really? Wait...you didn¡¯t manage to unlock the Shaman class?!¡± She demanded somewhat incredulously.


    I nodded, ¡°I assumed it was one of two different incompatible class notifications I received just earlier.¡±


    Hana looked shocked and took a few moments to think, ¡°Is...Is that why you rushed off before?¡± She asked, tentatively, ¡°Were you incompatible to become a Druid as well?¡±


    I let out a deep sigh and nodded again, ¡°Yeah...and those aren''t the only ones. Despite being the one who taught Nadine her classes, I seem to be just as incompatible with them as well and another besides. It¡¯s the same with Clarice too. I taught her the Advanced Class she is using now, but I am incompatible with learning it as well.¡±


    More shocked than before, Hana gulped hard and turned more than a little pale before she turned to Ushu, ¡°Leave us!¡± She demanded, motioning to the entrance to the Grove.


    Ushu was only too happy to obey and hurriedly saw himself out without making a single complaint.


    ¡°You¡¯re an Awakened!¡± Hana stated coldly.


    ¡°I am,¡± I agreed, knowing it would be stupid to deny it. There was probably a mess of evidence for it at this point anyway.


    ¡°Were you going to tell me if I didn¡¯t figure it out?¡± She demanded.


    I seriously considered her question before answering and tentatively nodded, ¡°I think I was,¡± I answered honestly, ¡°The talk Nadine wants us to have...It wouldn¡¯t make much sense without it.¡±


    Hana looked surprised, ¡°Others know?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Besides you, Nadine and Clarice both know, I¡¯m not sure about Toofy, but I think she does in her own way.¡± I withheld information on Jacque to respect her privacy.


    Hana was visibly conflicted, ¡°Mother said the Awakened were not to be trusted...¡± She stated flatly with a mildly accusatory tone, ¡°When will you show your true face?¡± Hana demanded, ¡°When will the killing start?¡±


    I paled and took an involuntary step back, ¡°True face? Killing?¡± I choked out incredulously.


    Hana¡¯s expression hardened further, ¡°Awakened are killers! It¡¯s what you do! So stop pretending!¡±


    ¡°I don''t do that!¡± I snapped back defensively, ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone! And I have no other face than my own!¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± Hana hissed, ¡°Even mother couldn¡¯t restrain herself entirely! You are no different!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?!¡± I stammered, unable to process what I had just heard.


    Hana just glared at me accusingly, ¡°Is that the true reason you have the Slaver class? To make others do the killing for you?!¡±


    I felt physically ill at the suggestion. Partly because I had similar doubts regarding myself, but also because of how morally repugnant it was. ¡°No...¡± I croaked, feeling weak at the knees as bile rose up in my throat. ¡°Bleurgh,¡± I was unable to keep it down and vomited a torrent of bile onto the ground.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡± Nadine called out, rushing into the Grove.


    ¡°You lied to me!¡± Hana accused.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Nadine stammered, understandably confused. ¡°I haven¡¯t lied about anything-¡±


    ¡°He is an Awakened!¡± Hana hissed angrily, pointing viciously in my direction.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nadine shifted a little uncomfortably, ¡°Is that what you call it?¡± She asked curiously, ¡°There are more like Tim? Is it common?¡± Nadine sounded more curious than offended.


    ¡°Huh?...¡± Apparently, that had not been what Hana expected.


    ¡°So why is Tim being an...Awakened?...Why does that change anything?¡± Nadine demanded.


    Hana¡¯s face scrunched up in anger, ¡°Awakened are KILLERS!¡± She shouted in exasperated anger.


    ¡°AHAHAHA! Are you fucking serious?!¡± Clarice demanded rubbing the tears from the corners of her eyes, apparently having returned to the Grove for whatever reason and finding Hana¡¯s assertion hilarious. ¡°Do you have any idea how hard it was to get Tim to fight those wild monsters? Let alone kill them?¡± She barked and shook her head, ¡°Add on top of that the fact that we were treating him like shit under a Slave bond that he could have broken out of at any moment and killed us in our sleep...You understand how stupid you sound right now?!¡± Clarice joked incredulously.


    ¡°Clarice is right!¡± Nadine agreed, unsurprised by her sudden appearance, ¡°No offence to Tim, but until we forced him to, he wasn¡¯t able to even hurt a fly. I had never met someone so averse to violence in my life.¡±


    Hana deflated somewhat and looked confused, ¡°Y-you¡¯re lying,¡± she insisted weakly, ¡°He¡¯s just making you say that!¡±


    ¡°Because of the Slave bond?¡± Nadine asked curiously and shook her head, ¡°We have the bond for something else. Tim disabled the Command feature right afterwards. Like I told you before, the Slave bond was for camouflage so Tim can shield Toofy from Wnslavement.¡±


    ¡°Gives some amazing buffs too!¡± Clarice added with a grin, ¡°Synergies are fucking overpowered!¡±


    Hana didn¡¯t seem to know what to do, just staring at us all with an incredulous and confused expression on her face. ¡°It¡¯s impossible...¡± She muttered, shaking her head as tears ran down her cheeks, ¡°Even mother...So how...How can you be so different?!¡± Hana demanded angrily.


    Wiping the drying bile from my lips with my arm, I unsteadily got back to my feet, ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, ¡°The last thing I remember from my old life was being stabbed in my home and falling down the stairs...¡±


    ¡°And that doesn¡¯t make you angry?!¡± Hana demanded, ¡°That someone killed you?! Threw you away like useless garbage?!¡±


    I flinched a little but shook my head. ¡°Why would it make me angry if I already believed I was worthless to begin with?¡±


    Hana froze, ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°I was suicidal long before I was stabbed...¡± I answered dourly, ¡°Where I am from, looking like this-¡± I half-heartedly gestured at my face, ¡°-no one wanted anything to do with me if they could help it. Even my own mother threw me away like I was garbage, if my Mum hadn¡¯t found me, given me a home, then maybe I would have turned out like those other Awakened...But I am not like them!¡± I insisted adamantly, ¡°If my being an Awakened, something I have no control over, is such a problem, then I can remove you as Overseer and Promote someone else instead.¡±


    Hana staggered as if I had struck her.


    ¡°The choice is yours, Hana,¡± I stated bluntly and made my way out of the Grove. Losing Hana would make developing and defending the Settlement much more difficult, but the decision was hers to make.


    *****


    Gric couldn¡¯t help but grin as he read through the status announcement for the umpteenth time.


    [Your Lord has unlocked the {Pact Binder} Advanced Class. Your soul has been bound to {Tim¡¯s Settlement} Totem. Accepting a {Summon} will allow your projection to accumulate EXP and award MP based on your contributions in assisting your Summoner. Refusing a [Summon} will require a contest of {Willpower}.]


    Judging by the similar grins on the faces of his hatch mates, Gric was incredibly pleased that they understood how important this was. Of course, there was still the small matter of convincing their Lord to change Classes, but surely someone of his profound wisdom would see the benefits.


    ¡°Stay,¡± Gric rumbled at Qreet and Dar, ¡°I find Lord,¡± he explained and headed off towards the residential barrows. Gric didn¡¯t need to check on them to make sure his command was being followed, he already knew that they would follow it implicitly unless ordered by a higher authority.


    Guided by his mana sense, Gric found his Lord in discussion with his Underlord, Ushu.


    ¡°-you don¡¯t know how we unlocked them?¡± The Lord asked tiredly, ¡°They just suddenly appeared when you dismissed that giant snake spirit.¡±


    ¡°Ssorry Lord,¡± Underlord Ushu apologised unhelpfully, ¡°I do not undersstand the causse for thiss either.¡±


    Gric felt a sudden surge of happiness as he realised what a truly amazing opportunity had been presented before him. ¡°Lord,¡± Gric rumbled, bowing low as he made himself known and entered the barrow. ¡°Underlord...¡± He bowed less deferentially to Underlord Ushu as he drew closer. As much as Gric may dislike the favouritism the Overseer had exercised in elevating Ushu to Underlord, authority was to be obeyed regardless.


    ¡°Gric?¡± The Lord asked, looking more than a little surprised, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Gric smiled, or tried to, doing the best his altered body would allow, ¡°To serve you, Lord.¡± He bowed low again.


    ¡°To serve? How?¡± The Lord asked curiously.


    ¡°Pact Binder, Lord. It is a Class well known to my kind,¡± Gric explained, barely able to contain his excitement.


    The Lord was somewhat surprised for a moment before nodding slowly to himself and muttering, ¡°Of course, it had to be related to demons didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to know more about the class, Lord?¡± Gric asked eagerly.


    The Lord nodded but had visible reservations.


    Knowing he would change his Lord¡¯s opinion on the matter soon enough, Gric proceeded to explain how a Pact Binder was able to Summon Daemons or Angels by name, provided he knew of it. As opposed to the Summoner class which was only capable of Summoning soulless clones, a Pact Binder¡¯s Summoned monster would have all the cunning, intelligence and most of the capabilities of the original monster itself. A Daemon such as himself, Summoned by a Pact Binder, would be compensated in concentrated mana similar to a manastone and retain all EXP earned while Summoned.


    ¡°But what happens if you die or are fatally injured while Summoned?¡± The Lord asked pragmatically, demonstrating his profound wisdom and mercy.


    ¡°The Summoned monster is only a projection lord,¡± Gric explained, ¡°While it borrows some of my essence, it would do me no lasting harm should it perish.¡±


    ¡°So the caster, the Pact Binder, makes a weaker copy of you out of mana?¡± The Lord asked curiously, demonstrating his profound wisdom yet again.


    Gric nodded emphatically, ¡°Yes Lord. The body is but a construct made of mana. So long as the Summoner and Summoned monster have sufficient force of will, it would be possible to sustain the Summoning indefinitely barring catastrophic injury.¡±


    The Lord seemed quite impressed, demonstrating his immense intellect, ¡°So what are the conditions for unlocking the Pact Binder Class? Could we teach it to some of the Bleak-Fang?¡±


    Gric was stunned for a moment and didn¡¯t know how to respond. The Lord was truly a genius. Even one as powerful as he, would only have been able to sustain perhaps Gric and one of the other soon be hatched Daemonlings at most. Furthermore, as Gric continued to grow, the more mana it would take to construct the copy. But the Lord¡¯s brilliance would curtail this problem by dividing the load. More summoners meant that the required pool of mana could be shared.


    ¡°Yes Lord!¡± Gric exclaimed excitedly, ¡°So long as they possess the required Willpower, I can teach all the minions you require!¡±


    The Lord was taken slightly aback for a moment, but then he smiled, ¡°Find one candidate to teach first,¡± he ordered, demonstrating his profound wisdom yet again, ¡°We will determine if it is a viable Class option after seeing what it can do. After all, it¡¯s already competing with Druid¡¯s for the required stat.¡±


    ¡°Of course Lord,¡± Gric bowed low and knew that his chance had come, ¡°Lord, it would be fastest if I had permission to access the minion stats through the Settlement Totem.¡±


    The Lord was quiet for a few moments, causing Gric to worry if he had overstepped. ¡°I was planning on promoting you anyway,¡± The lord sighed and shrugged, ¡°This will help with recruiting the Daemonlings when they hatch later and I still have one more slot free anyway.¡±


    Gric could hardly believe his ears and began shivering with excitement.


    *****


    Conversing with Gric had been a real test of patience, but I was glad for it in the end. Despite the incredible sluggishness of his speech, the Daemon had proven far more knowledgeable than I would have otherwise realised.


    There had been another shocking development as well, apparently, Gric could read.


    Less than three days old and the bloody Daemon could read!


    The crude sigil pictographs the Serpent-Kin of this floor of the Labyrinth used for written communication apparently didn¡¯t qualify as a real language, so none of them could read their status screens or any of the alerts and notifications.


    If the Daemon¡¯s had not been a direct reward from the Labyrinth I would have suspected something seriously dodgy was going on.


    Well...Dodgier.


    I did not trust the Labyrinth for a second, since it seemed to be going out of its way to mess with me. However, Gric being literate was an unexpected windfall. I needed someone to make sure the small Daemon horde would be kept in line, and Gric seemed perfect for that. Furthermore, as loath as I was to admit it, his rigid adherence to hierarchy all but guaranteed his loyalty and that could not be overestimated in value. All the more so after my confrontation with Hana.


    Since I had conferred the promotion to Underlord, Gric had been standing in a near trance-like state, only his eyes darting back and forth as he worked his way through the immense piles of information from the Settlement Totem.


    Technically, I could do it too. However, the last time I tried gave me an immense headache. Besides, as an Underlord, Gric had far less information to slog through to find what was important.


    Passing the time watching Toofy and the teens play their knuckle-bones game, I had encouraged Ushu to return to organising the hunting expedition. Since Hana was likely indisposed, I gave him permission to take weapons from the storeroom if he needed them. They were just the extras we had taken from the adventurers from the second floor anyway. Hopefully, Hana had already made most of the weapons they needed.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Gric rumbled, drawing my attention from my musings, ¡°I-have-found-my student,¡± he declared triumphantly.


    That was faster than I had expected, ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked curiously.


    Gric¡¯s upper lip drew back in a smirk as he pointed towards Toofy and the small group of Serpent-Kin teenagers, ¡°Asra,¡± he declared, his finger directed at one of the boys.


    The Serpent-Kin teen in question looked up in surprise, no doubt from hearing his name spoken aloud.


    ¡°His-base-Willpower-has-the-greatest-potential,¡± Gric rumbled happily.


    Gric¡¯s choice gave me pause. Even though Ushu hadn¡¯t said as much aloud, it was heavily implied that these teenagers were either already trained, or intended to be trained to become Shamans. He had referred to them as his apprentices, I think. It was hard to remember with so much happening so quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to confirm this with Ushu first,¡± I apologised. Shamans sounded quite useful in their own right, so I didn¡¯t want to poach Ushu¡¯s next-generation unnecessarily.


    Gric bowed respectfully, apparently not put out in the slightest, ¡°There-are-others-though-not-as-promosing,¡± he explained happily. Gric had been rather upbeat since his promotion, so he probably wouldn¡¯t mind if his student wasn''t the creme of the crop.


    Heading off to find Ushu, I found him seeing off what looked like the last group of hunters.


    ¡°Lord, how may I asssisst you?¡± Ushu asked, apparently in quite a good mood himself. Seeing what remained of his people doing so well was no doubt a great source of positive motivation.


    ¡°Gric has selected his first student, but I wanted to make sure you are alright with his choice,¡± I explained.


    Ushu nodded understandingly but was a little surprised, ¡°Who iss it?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°Asra, I think it was. Some of your names are a little difficult for me to remember, but it was one of the boys left to guard the chest,¡± I explained somewhat sheepishly. To be fair, Serpent-Kin names had complicated inflections and it was difficult for me to approximate the right sounds. Apparently it wasn¡¯t one Gric shared, which was interesting in and of itself.


    To my surprise, Ushu seemed quite pleased by Gric¡¯s choice, ¡°Yess, Asra will make a dutiful sstudent,¡± he agreed happily.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he meant to be one of your apprentices?¡± I asked, more than a little confused by how well he was taking the whole situation.


    Ushu nodded apologetically, ¡°Yess Lord. When the tribess future wass unssertain, sso many apprentissess wass...pragmatic.¡±


    That made sense, in a depressing sort of way. Without the Settlement barrier, they would have needed as many potential Shamans as possible to create and maintain wards against the wild monsters.


    ¡°Two apprentissess iss more than adequate,¡± Ushu insisted.


    I shook my head, ¡°Shamans are important too. We will need as many different Classes as we can get to make the most of our situation,¡± I insisted. ¡°Asra will make a good test to see whether the Pact Binder is a worthy addition and whether we should encourage others to learn the Class.¡±


    Ushu bowed and nodded in agreement, ¡°Ass you will.¡± Straightening again, he gave a small start in surprise, ¡°Ah, Lord, I wass assked to inquire if further lesssonss in the healing Classsess would be held today?¡±


    I had forgotten about that and nodded a little sheepishly, ¡°Yes, I will be giving the more in depth training today,¡± I agreed.


    Ushu¡¯s mood improved considerably, making it obvious which of the Classes he personally valued.


    I couldn¡¯t blame him though. If I had lived through so much death and destruction, healing Classes would be my first pick too. But that reminded me of something else that had been bugging me. ¡°Ushu, your apprentices had seemed convinced that you knew I was coming to save your tribe. You were already here in the swamp before I was. Why is that?¡±


    Ushu visibly deflated, ¡°Oh, that...¡± He shifted uncomfortably, ¡°My people were defeated...Broken and without hope...We were doomed and everyone knew it...Sso I lied. I knew that we would all die without a purposse to unite uss. Sso I ssaid the great sspirit had ssent me a visssion, that our ssaviour would appear within ten dayss.¡± Ushu drew himself back up somewhat defiantly, ¡°I do not regret it. Without the lie, my people would be dead. The lie rekindled hope, gave them the sstrength to fight through their desspair. The lie bought uss the time we needed to find you!¡±


    I sighed in relief. I was thankful that he couldn¡¯t see the future and had just gotten lucky. The last thing I needed right now was an existential crisis regarding free will... ¡°It¡¯s alright, you¡¯re not in any trouble or anything Ushu, I was just curious.¡±


    Despite his initial candour, Ushu looked relieved.


    Leaving Ushu behind, I headed back towards the Grove. Glad to find Nadine and the students waiting for me outside, I sent Nadine to fetch my satchel from the storeroom and then I led them off to the barrow where the most critically ill Serpent-Kin were recuperating. With the intent of teaching them a more robust and nuanced series of lessons, I decided that it would be best if my prospective students advanced to having the Surgeon class first. It would reduce the burden on Nadine if members of the hunting party were wounded or in the event of some other disaster.


    ¡°You want them to cut themselves?!¡± Nadine asked incredulously, ¡°Would that even work?¡±


    I nodded and pulled down the collar of my tunic to expose the pair of sutured cuts on my chest, ¡°It does work,¡± I confirmed before pulling my tunic back into place, ¡°The cuts don¡¯t have to be particularly deep and waiting for someone to become injured might cause more problems than it avoids,¡± I explained patiently, very much aware that I was encouraging self-harm as my condition to unlock a Class.


    Objectively, there was very little difference from Clarice¡¯s lessons in terms of general principle.


    Nadine didn¡¯t seem particularly thrilled at the idea that I had tested the theory on myself, but after taking a few moments to think it over, she sighed and nodded in agreement, ¡°You¡¯re right, I can¡¯t really think of a reason not to. Besides, they can always heal their injuries immediately afterwards.¡±


    ¡°That was my general thoughts as well,¡± I agreed. Unlike Nadine, the Serpent-Kin could renew their MP and expand it further by consuming manastones if necessary. In terms of raw healing output, Nadine would probably have them beat on immediate levels of healing, but any one of them would likely have Nadine beat on the quantity of Ability use.


    Already understanding what was required of them, the prospective Surgeons each took turns cutting themselves as I had done, creating a pair of parallel cuts on the upper left side of their chest. It had a far more cultish vibe than I had initially intended, but it was too late now. Within a few minutes, all four candidates excitedly confirmed that they had unlocked a Class. Since they could not read their own status alerts, Nadine and I had to do it for them.


    Rather curiously, I noticed that Serpent-Kin was a base species template like Goblin had been for Toofy. So assumedly, they were capable of evolving into more advanced types of monsters, which was pretty interesting given their similarities in human appearance. Then again, I supposed the Orcs and Goblins were too, in their own way.


    Another surprise had been how Serpent-Kin were ¡®inferior¡¯ to what I had assumed was the human standard in almost every stat. Averaging roughly eight in every stat except Agility, which was eleven, I was even more impressed with their ability to survive the swamp as long as they had done.


    After confirming that they had unlocked the Surgeon Class, I moved on to teaching my altered lessons that I had prepared for Nadine and Millie. With the added ¡®benefit¡¯ of sick patients to provide context to certain aspects of my lesson regarding diagnosis and treatment of bacterial and viral infections, it really seemed to help them understand better than just having the descriptions I was able to provide.


    What I had not expected was, near the end of that first lesson, two of my students suddenly interrupted my explanation for the importance of strict hygiene standards.


    ¡°Lord! I have unlocked another Classs!¡± The first student, Mina, exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°Lord! I have also unlocked another Classs!¡± The second student, Unqis, joined in.


    Quickly looking at their Class Qualifications, I had expected to see Field Surgeon, but was surprised to see something else.


    [Class Qualifications: Surgeon, Hospice Surgeon. ]


    ¡°Are you seeing this?¡± I asked Nadine, wondering why these two students had unlocked this class but the others hadn¡¯t. ¡°Nadine?¡± I asked again when she didn¡¯t respond immediately.


    ¡°Oh! Uh, yeah, I unlocked a new Advanced Class too,¡± Nadine replied in something of a daze, ¡°Hospice Surgeon right? I wonder what it does?¡±.


    ¡°Well, where I am from at least, a hospice is a long-term care facility. Usually for the terminally ill or those recovering from serious illness or injuries. So assuming that is the case here?-¡± I looked curiously at Nadine, who nodded, ¡°-Then this Class probably has that as a focus right? Field Surgeon is focused on getting people back into the fight as quickly as possible, so Hospice Surgeon probably focuses on a more protracted but effective healing method.¡±


    ¡°Well, that makes sense,¡± Nadine agreed, seeming a little relieved, ¡°I was worried I had chosen the wrong Advanced Class for a moment there,¡± she admitted sheepishly.


    With the memory of Nadine''s small emotional breakdown yesterday still fresh in my mind, I decided it would be best not to point out that many more people probably would have died if she had not been able to keep throwing fighters back into the meat-grinder.


    ¡°Sshould I take the Classs Lord?¡± Mina asked excitedly, apparently more than eager to serve as a proverbial guinea pig.


    ¡°We need to find out what it does at some point,¡± Nadine added with a smirk.


    ¡°You heard what I think is involved in this Advanced Class. I stand by what I told Underlord Ushu, I will not force anyone to take a Class they do not want. It¡¯s your choice,¡± I insisted, doing my best to remain impartial despite wanting to know what the new Class was capable of.


    Mina and Unqis both grinned and declared, ¡°Acssept!¡± Near simultaneously.


    Doing my best to keep a straight face, I quickly perused their Statuses to see what had changed. Just like with Surgeon and Field Surgeon, Hospice Surgeon provided one bonus point of Intelligence and five MP. unsurprisingly the only real change was the Class Ability.


    [(Class Ability: Palliative Care {Rank 0}): Expend MP to provide accelerated {Healing} of adequately treated injuries and illness over time. {Intelligence} increases duration of effect.]


    Glancing at Nadine, I could tell she was just as blown away as I was.


    Reading aloud the Class Ability for the benefit of the others, I quickly turned my attention to Mina and Unqis, ¡°I want you to use your new Class Ability on as many of our patients as possible.¡±


    Between the two of them, they would have more than enough MP, but since they couldn¡¯t read and I had no idea what their status screens looked like from their point of view, I kept it simple. In a way, this would be another sort of test. I already knew Ushu could apparently use class abilities without being able to read what they said, but it was possible that he had undergone significant practice or dedicated training to do so.


    To my immense relief, Mina and Unqis seemed to have an intuitive understanding of their Class Ability and bestowed faint golden light onto their first patients.


    [Mina has initiated {Healing} a {Moderate Illness} +?? Exp {Pending}]


    [Unqis has initiated {Healing} a {Extreme Illness} +?? Exp {Pending}]


    ¡°EXP pending?¡± Nadine muttered aloud, ¡°That¡¯s new.¡±


    I had just been thinking the same thing and remembered that we had not explained that part to our students. Taking a few minutes to explain how EXP worked and how forming and maintaining a party was important for efficient personal and group progression, I then continued our lesson where we had left off. The notification of one of the patient''s condition being determined as Extreme was a little worrying, but there was not really anything more I could do about it. I just had to hope that the Palliative Care ability would be enough for the time being and check on them again later.


    Just as we were breaking for a late lunch, a cascade of golden alerts streamed into my lower peripheral vision.


    [Mina has cured a {Minor Illness} +150 Exp]


    [Unqis has cured a {Minor Illness} +150 Exp]


    [Mina has cured a {Minor Illness} +150 Exp]


    [Mina has reduced the severity of a {Moderate Illness} +150 Exp]


    [Unqis has cured a {Minor Illness} +150 Exp]


    [Unqis has cured a {Minor Illness} +150 Exp]


    Carefully looking through the first wave of notifications, I read them aloud for the benefit of the students. The prospect of receiving EXP for every stage of improvement in the patient''s condition seemed a little bizarre at first. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. Nadine earned EXP based on the total severity of injuries healed and this ability seemed to be doing the same, in a fashion.


    The Ability determined a total severity level and incrementally rewarded the EXP as it was successfully treated. This was probably because of the duration component of the ability itself. Unlike Nadine''s Field Surgery ability, which gave the EXP upfront in exchange for as much as it could manage, Palliative Care was far riskier in terms of being rewarded at unpredictable intervals over a fixed duration.


    Without a comprehensive study, it was difficult to determine if one Ability was actually ¡®better¡¯ than the other. However, the split focus of Palliative Care made it likely that Field Dressing was probably more effective at healing most forms of accessible injuries. There was still the distinct possibility that Palliative Care would pull ahead in terms of treating internal injuries though. In either case, I was just glad that we had something capable of combating disease.


    With the general impression that this world had a mediaeval level of technology, I was dreading the inevitable encounter with a pandemic level disease. There were certain steps I could take to reduce the risk of exposure, but ultimately it would become a numbers game. Living in a swamp had not been in my favour. Although, the relative isolation would help in the event of an outbreak.


    ¡°I bet Clarice is freaking out right now,¡± Nadine chuckled.


    ¡°Probably,¡± I agreed happily before grimacing a little as I realised something, ¡°You don¡¯t think she has her students beating the crap out of each other because she expected you to heal them, right?¡±


    Nadine nearly tripped, ¡°...¡± She glanced worriedly at me for a few moments and gulped hard, ¡°I want to say she wouldn¡¯t do that...but...¡±


    ¡°She totally would,¡± I sighed and rubbed at my face tiredly.


    As I had expected Clarice¡¯s ¡®students¡¯ were far worse for wear than they had been yesterday. Almost all of them had a multitude of bruises and were limping to one degree or another. However, contrary to my initial expectations, it did little to curb their enthusiasm. Unsurprisingly, it magnified their appetites and thankfully Ushu¡¯s hunting expedition had been regularly returning with food since earlier that morning.


    No less injured herself, despite the Racial Synergies, Clarice quickly made her way over when she saw us coming. ¡°So you are just about done training the healers right?¡± She asked excitedly.


    Nadine scowled and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.


    ¡°Partly,¡± I admitted, ¡°Why?¡± I asked neutrally, wanting to give Clarice the benefit of the doubt and hoping I was wrong.


    ¡°Well, I have been putting my troops through conditioning to bring their Toughness up,¡± Clarice explained rather excitedly, ¡°Have you seen how low some of their stats are? No wonder they have been getting their shit kicked in.¡±


    ¡°Wait...You have been training their Toughness stat by making them beat the crap out of each other?¡± I asked incredulously.


    Clarice grinned and nodded, ¡°Works too, most of them have ten Toughness or more now, but that¡¯s probably their limit.¡±


    ¡°Their limit?¡± I asked worriedly, unsure I wanted to know where this was going.


    ¡°Yeah, most people can only improve their pain tolerance by so much before it gets counterproductive and you start improving Willpower instead, avoiding the pain rather than enduring it,¡± Clarice explained matter of factly.


    ¡°And how do you know this exactly?¡± I really didn¡¯t want to know the answer, but couldn¡¯t help but ask the question.


    Clarice grinned lasciviously, ¡°Family secret, can¡¯t tell ya,¡± she laughed and shifted her attention to Nadine, ¡°So how about healing my troops so we can work on Strength training next? I mean, I could make them do it without it, but it would be more efficient if they could run properly.¡±


    ¡°Clarice...¡± Nadine rubbed at her temples with one hand and shook her head, ¡°You can¡¯t just do something crazy like this without telling anyone...What if the Settlement was attacked and all of your ¡®students¡¯ were left in their current state?¡±


    Clarice frowned a little and shrugged, ¡°Attacked by who? The swamp is a deathtrap, anyone who made it even close to our base would be in worse shape than we are,¡± she knew she had a point and refused to back down.


    To be fair, I didn''t really see much of a problem with Clarice¡¯s logic, although her methods left much to be desired.


    I let out a deep sigh, ¡°What¡¯s done is done and I don¡¯t hear anyone but us complaining about it,¡± I gave Clarice a loaded stare, ¡°But in the future, you will be upfront about your methods, to me and any potential students. Agreed?¡±


    Clarice grinned again and nodded, ¡°Sure, I mean, I gave them multiple chances to back out, but no one took me up on it.¡±


    I shook my head and tried to keep the fanatical fervour of the Serpent-Kin from my mind, ¡°Nadine, could you round up Clarice¡¯s students and get them to use cold compresses on their worst bruises? Dawnmoss soaked in water from the Grove fountain is the best we can manage for now.¡±


    Nadine nodded and hurriedly set out to do as I asked.


    I would have asked her and the other Surgeons to heal them, but that would leave us in a precarious position if something went wrong and we had exhausted all of our healers MP. There was always the possibility of giving the Serpent-Kin manastones to forcibly restore MP, but my recent experience with using manastone was more than a little troubling and I still needed more time to process it.


    S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 13 – Confronting your Daemons – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 13 ¨C Confronting your Daemons ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 13 - Confronting your Daemons - Part Two {Rewrite}


    After lunch, I continued teaching Nadine and our students while keeping a close eye on our patients.


    As I had suspected, EXP was awarded for every degree of severity reduced from an illness and most of the Serpent-Kin were now entirely cured, with only the most seriously ill now remaining bedridden.


    Unsurprisingly, most of those who had recovered were now very interested in learning to become Surgeons themselves. So I agreed to give them an introductory primer later in the evening and have Nadine give them a condensed version of today''s earlier lesson as a form of revision for her.


    As the sun began to set, I was heading towards the cooking fires for dinner when I was intercepted by Toofy and the Serpent-Kin Asra.


    ¡°Eggs hatching!¡± Toofy declared ecstatically, grabbing my hand and pulling me in the direction of the Grove.


    Asra nodded emphatically but said nothing.


    Hurrying to the treefort, I awkwardly lingered for a moment on the stairs when I saw Hana sitting alone by the fountain. I had a distinct impression that she wanted to be left alone, so I kept moving and entered the storeroom. Standing on the side of the room opposite the pack containing the mana stones gathered up until this point, I nervously tried to put them out of mind.


    Gric, Qreet and Dar had apparently been waiting for us and had laid out the remaining twenty-two eggs around the floor, roughly a foot apart from one another. Similarly, they had surrounded each egg with a small pile of food and left a much larger pile in the middle of the room.


    Noticing my curious focus on the food and strange positioning of the eggs, Gric waved at Asra and gave him a telling look.


    Apparently understanding what that meant, Asra gulped and nodded, ¡°Ah, Lord, the food and possitionss of the eggss iss to disscourage Daemon hatchlingss from fighting one another,¡± he explained nervously, ¡°Apparently, they are quite violent,¡± Asra shuddered and backed slightly away from the closest egg, or tried to.


    Toofy apparently didn¡¯t agree with Asra and wanted to move in for a closer look. Since she was firmly holding Asra¡¯s hand, it left him with little choice but to move closer instead. ¡°Just babies,¡± Toofy giggled, giving the egg an experimental poke.


    Asra looked like he was seriously contemplating gnawing off his arm.


    Toofy apparently didn¡¯t miss this either and grinned wickedly at Asra, ¡°Asra try run, Toofy tell Urzhas you cry!¡± She threatened warningly.


    Asra paled further, his cheeks flushing a little with anger, ¡°Y-you wouldn¡¯t!¡± He stammered.


    Toofy grinned wider and pulled Asra down to her eye level, ¡°Toofy will!¡± She confirmed eagerly.


    The fight went out of him and Asra submitted.


    Toofy cackled and dragged Asra¡¯s arm forward, ¡°Touch egg! Feel baby move!¡± She insisted excitedly.


    With the faintest glimmer of fight left in his eyes, Asra seemed to briefly consider making a break for it, but quickly relented and hesitantly touched the egg.


    Unfortunately, it was at that moment that the egg wobbled violently and cracked.


    Recoiling from the egg in terror, Asra tumbled backwards and very nearly sent Toofy flying. He probably would have done it if Toofy didn¡¯t have his wrist in a vice-like grip.


    Toofy squealed excitedly and was back on her feet again in moments, dragging Asra back towards the eggs again.


    Asra gave me a pleading look, but I initially pretended not to notice. If Toofy tried taking things too far, I would intervene, but for now, it just seemed like she was getting over-excited about the eggs hatching. However, upon hearing Asra whimper a little, either in pain or fear, I decided it would be cruel to just let it continue. ¡°Toofy, why don¡¯t you let your friend go? I think you are hurting him.¡±


    Toofy looked surprised and glanced down at Asra¡¯s wrist, the minor movement revealing her pointed nails had broken the skin, causing him to bleed slightly. ¡°Oops!¡± Toofy quickly let go and tackled Asra in a hug, ¡°Toofy sorry!¡±


    Winded and left in no position to be able to reply, Asra desperately turned to me for help again.


    I was just trying to think of how best to deescalate the situation when the egg that exacerbated most of the problem began violently rocking too and fro as it cracked open. ¡°Toofy, the egg is hatching!¡± I declared with exaggerated excitement.


    ¡°Egg!¡± Toofy yelped, shoving herself off Asra and diving headfirst towards the egg, her eyes wide as she watched it wobble and continue to crack.


    Gric had slowly made his way over as well and had gathered a faint nearly imperceptible amount of azure coloured mana around the tip of his right index finger.


    All at once, the egg¡¯s shell was pushed apart and a small Daemon tumbled out and onto the small pile of food. Before it even had time to so much as breathe, Gric poked it¡¯s forehead with his finger.


    Almost immediately, the status alert announced that the Daemon hatchling had joined the Settlement.


    This process was repeated another twenty times over the course of the next couple of minutes, a few occurring near-simultaneously, proving Gric¡¯s preparations prudent as the hatchlings very quickly acted upon a primal hunger and tore into whatever was in their immediate vicinity.


    In the wake of the hatching frenzy, there was one unhatched egg remaining, and so far as I could tell, it had made no signs it was going to hatch.


    Initially distracted by patting the babies, it didn¡¯t actually take Toofy long to notice the abnormality either. ¡°Egg no hatch?¡± She asked curiously, wandering over to take a closer look.


    Gric gave a low rumbling growl to Qreet and Dar before moving in to take a closer look. Lifting the egg and holding it up directly in front of his face, Gric stared at the egg for over five minutes before putting it back down again.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, already suspecting the worst, ¡°Is it...Not going to hatch?¡± I awkwardly changed my words as I was unsure how Toofy would take the news.


    Gric scratched his chest slowly with the claws on his larger right hand, ¡°Perhaps,¡± he rumbled thoughtfully, ¡°Hornless-take-longer. Can¡¯t-gather-mana-fast-enough-to-compete.¡± Gric motioned to the voracious horde of recently hatched Daemonlings that were in the process of ripping, tearing and chewing their way through a mountain of eggshells and assorted meats.


    I realised what he meant and felt a little sick. His confirmation of my earlier theory regarding the Daemons horns was overshadowed by the very real probability that Gric, Qreet and Dar would have very likely murdered their way through the other unhatched eggs if they had been entirely left to their own devices and very possibly turned on one another soon afterwards. After suppressing that horrible train of thought, I noticed that the recently hatched Daemonlings did in fact only have a single horn protruding from their forehead.


    Unlike Gric, Qreet and Dar, the newly hatched Daemonlings horns were not placed symmetrically and seemed to be anchored at random anywhere on their forehead. In most cases, it was probably fine, but a couple of Daemonlings had lost some level of vision to an unfortunately placed horn and its surrounding bone and muscle encroaching over an eye.


    Regarding those few, I felt relatively certain that they would outgrow the worst of it. Like humans, the Daemons would likely grow enough that the obstructing bone and muscle would migrate slightly farther from the eye and restore most of their vision in the process. Not that the Daemonlings seemed to mind all that much.


    ¡°Is there anything we can do to make it hatch faster?¡± I asked, aware that Ushu would very likely begin asking for similar access once his people were better situated and I didn¡¯t want a potentially cannibalistic Daemonling going on a murder spree.


    Gric shifted uncomfortably for a moment before replying, ¡°Yes,¡± he replied flatly.


    I waited a couple of minutes before realising a further answer was not forthcoming, ¡°Which is?¡± I prompted, using a firm tone to make it clear that I was not going to just let the issue go.


    Gric shifted uncomfortably again, ¡°Injecting-mana-directly,¡± he rumbled, sounding profoundly uncomfortable, ¡°It-is-not-the-Daemon-way,¡± Gric rumbled.


    Toofy picked up the egg and pressed her ear up against it, squinting her eyes tightly shut as if she was trying to hear the Daemonling moving around inside.


    ¡°Why not? What''s the problem with that method?¡± I asked warily, somewhat certain that it had to be pretty serious for Gric not to seriously consider it an option.


    ¡°It¡¯ss a paternal imprint Lord!¡± Asra interjected timidly, ¡°It¡¯ss how hatchlings recognisse their parentss.¡±


    Despite his momentary annoyance at being interrupted, Gric seemed content to let the issue go and nodded.


    ¡°Wait, Daemons don¡¯t do this?¡± I asked, more than a little concerned by the potential reasons for such a practice.


    Gric hissed in aggravation before quickly gaining control over his emotions again, ¡°Family-breeds-weakness,¡± he stated coldly and both Qreet and Dar nodded in agreement.


    They were serious...


    It was probably my own bias of spending my early life without parents, just a government recognised carer, but there was no way I was going to let this slide. ¡°I want to be very clear. If anyone in my Settlement is responsible for...making an egg, they will damn well look after the life that hatches out of it! Understood?¡±


    The three Daemons nodded with near comical looks of existential horror on their faces.


    *Crukcrik*


    Drawn to the sudden cracking sound, I was relieved to find that Toofy hadn¡¯t smashed the egg open out of impatience.


    ¡°Egg hatch!¡± Toofy declared proudly, ¡°See?!¡± She thrust the violently shuddering egg up towards me so I could take a closer look.


    However, just as Toofy did so and I leaned down, the egg suddenly exploded, sending eggshell and goo splattering in all directions, which was mostly my face at that point.


    Adamantly standing my ground through force of will, since I could hear Daemonlings scurrying around for food and didn¡¯t want to crush any of them by mistake. Instead, I hiked up my tunic and used the lower portion to wipe my face clean while making a mental note to thoroughly wash it later to prevent salmonella poisoning and conjunctivitis.


    ¡°Cute baby!¡± Toofy squealed excitedly.


    Looking back down at Toofy I could see that she was cradling an albino skinned Daemonling with transparent crystal-like horns. Unlike the others, this Daemon had a veritable crown of horns ringing its head, beginning at either temple and looping around the back of its head. It also had a larger horn protruding from the centre of its forehead like Gric. Much to my surprise, the Daemonling was making no attempts at attacking Toofy at all, seemingly content with greedily licking off the egg gunk spattered on her face.


    ¡°Heehee baby tickles!¡± Toofly giggled while gently stroking its back with one hand. Judging by the absence of a second tail, I assumed it was a girl. So that and the knowledge that it was less than a couple of minutes old left me feeling far less weirded out than I would have been otherwise given the circumstances.


    ¡°Are you going to recruit her?¡± I asked Gric pointedly.


    Gric looked stunned and took a few moments to react, ¡°Yes...¡± He agreed reverently, gathering mana to his forefinger again as he approached the albino Daemonling to recruit her.


    As if sensing his presence, the albino Daemonling stopped what she was doing and turned to face Gric, her eyes emitting a faint ruby light as she stared the larger Daemon down with the dismissive arrogance of someone considering something normally far beneath their notice.


    ¡°Pretty eyes!¡± Toofy exclaimed, turning the Daemonling around so she could get a better look.


    Surprisingly, the albino Daemonling didn¡¯t put up a fuss, instead taking the chance to release a dismissive sniff and turn away from Gric entirely.


    Gric staggered as if he had been struck by a mortal blow. ¡°Not...Worthy...¡± He hissed defeatedly.


    Assumedly, because the albino Daemon has more horns, Gric believed that she was his superior, in the same way that he was superior to Qreet and Dar, who were in turn the superiors of all the other Daemon hatchlings.


    It kind of made sense, that of the original trio, Gric was noticeably ¡®bigger¡¯ overall than the other two, so could be assumed to be stronger. But Gric easily had close to a couple hundred pounds on the newly hatched albino Daemonling, so there was an obvious artificially inflated component to their strength hierarchy. It was more of a competitive caste system than a true meritocracy driven competition of strength.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I looked back at Asra, who was safely located by the doorway and keeping a wary eye on the Daemonlings. ¡°Could you please fetch Underlord Ushu? I need him to recruit a Daemon.¡±


    Asra looked taken aback for a moment, gulped hard, nodded then turned and ran down the stairs.


    Technically, I could probably gather enough mana to do it, since I had consumed that manastone, but I really didn¡¯t want to risk something going wrong. Like going on a manastone fuelled bender and murdering everyone...I needed to talk to someone who knows more about this, like Jacque...


    ¡°Baby hungry?¡± Toofy asked, pulling out a piece of meat from her pocket and offering it to the Daemonling.


    The albino Daemonling bared its teeth and whined pitiably, a far cry from its prideful persona of a moment prior.


    ¡°Aww, hungry baby eat,¡± Toofy cooed, holding the piece of roasted meat close to the Daemonling so she could get stuck-in.


    Warbling her thanks, the albino Daemonling began tearing into the meat with ravenous abandon, ripping, tearing and swallowing as fast as she was able.


    After a few minutes, Ushu came hurrying up the steps and very nearly tripped over one of the Daemonlings roaming the floor. ¡°Ah! I mean, You ssent for me Lord?¡± He asked somewhat awkwardly as he worriedly kept an eye on the hungry Daemonlings.


    ¡°I want you to recruit the last Daemonling to the Settlement,¡± I explained, pointing to the albino Daemon in Toofy¡¯s arms.


    Ushu nodded obediently and very carefully made his way across the room, making sure to stay as far from each of the Daemonlings as possible.


    ¡°Gric, can you organise some more food for them? And make sure they understand the rules too,¡± I suggested for Ushu¡¯s piece of mind. I was reasonably confident that the little terrors would not do anything without being explicitly told to by one of the older Daemons, Ushu, Hana or myself, but it would be better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°Of-course, Lord,¡± Gric rumbled deferentially before turning his attention to the Daemonlings, ¡°Follow,¡± He growled in a decidedly menacing tone.


    The Daemonlings scrambled to form up behind him, even going so far as to abandon a scrap of food that was about to go in their mouth.


    Taking the lead, with Qreet and Dar close behind, the Daemonlings streamed after them down the stairs.


    [Settlement Alert {Tim¡¯s Settlement}: {Ril - Lesser Daemon} was recruited by {Underlord Ushu} as a minion.]


    ¡°It iss done Lord,¡± Ushu declared and stepped away. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The albino Daemonling, Ril, looked directly at me for the first time, revealing that she had no pupils or iris, her eyes were like solid rubies. Even so, I still had the distinct impression that she could see me.


    ¡°Baby¡¯s name is Ril,¡± I told Toofy, knowing that she couldn¡¯t read and would likely appreciate it.


    Toofy grinned and turned Ril around to look her in the eyes, ¡°Hello Ril! Me Toofy!¡± She smiled wider and revealed her teeth.


    Ril copied Toofy and opened her mouth in a wide toothy smile.


    Toofy giggled happily and hopped around in excitement.


    ¡°Ah! Toofy, don''t be too rough!¡± I warned, ¡°Babies get hurt easily!¡±


    Toofy suddenly stopped and looked surprised, ¡°Really?!¡± She asked in a panic.


    I nodded sombrely, even though I was quite sure Daemons were supernaturally tough compared to a human child, it was still a good idea to exercise caution and establish a precedent.


    Toofy hugged Ril gently, ¡°Toofy Sorry Ril, Toofy be careful.¡±


    Surprisingly, Ril hugged Toofy back, chittering something unintelligible but obviously intended to be supportive.


    ¡°Maybe we should go get some more food for Ril to eat?¡± I suggested trying to brighten the mood again.


    Toofy grinned, ¡°Kay!¡± She agreed eagerly.


    ¡°You can show Ril to the others too!¡± I encouraged her as we left the storeroom, feeling far less on edge once I was halfway down the stairs.


    To her credit, Toofy took the stairs very seriously and made sure of every step before taking the next.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Hana called out quietly, just as I was about to leave the Grove, ¡°Could you stay? I want to talk.¡±


    Waving to Toofy and Ushu to go on without me, I turned back towards the fountain. It was probably for the best that we spoke in private. Slowly making my way over, I sat down by the fountain and waited to hear what Hana had to say.


    Hana didn¡¯t say anything or even make a sound for over a few minutes, then quite suddenly she turned to face me but was unable to look me in the eyes, instead averting her eyes to the side, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said stiffly. ¡°I was wrong about you, you aren¡¯t like them, like him!...¡± There was a brief flare of anger in her voice, her expression darkening before turning lax again. ¡°I just wanted you to know that I wouldn¡¯t have left...Just because you are one of them I mean...I...¡± Hana balled her hands into fists so tight that they began to tremble, ¡°I actually wanted you to be one of them! I want him dead! I want my family back! I want him to suffer for what he stole from me! I wanted you to kill him for me! I would have given you everything you asked for...¡± She unclenched her fists and tried to wipe away the tears that began streaming down her face.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so the silence just continued to drag on between us. Hana hadn¡¯t really apologised and my opinion of her hadn¡¯t exactly improved after being informed that she would have been fine with me being a murderer on the condition that I murder someone for her.


    ¡°Say something!¡± Hana demanded, ¡° I can¡¯t stand it! Just say something!¡±


    I guess I could now see what Nadine had meant when she insisted that Hana needed someone to talk things through with. ¡°Tell me about your family,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°W-what?!¡± Hana stammered, ¡°Why?!¡±


    ¡°Because you miss them,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°Because you are terrified at the prospect of the last part of them disappearing forever.¡± It was just a guess, but it was how I felt when my Mum died. It was the only thought that kept me going sometimes, that the final piece of her was living on inside of me, and I would not be the one responsible for extinguishing it.


    The silence dragged on again, but Hana seemed to be thinking over what I said, so I gave her all the time she needed.


    Hana took a deep breath to steady herself before speaking, a weak melancholic smile on her lips, ¡°Sakura was mother¡¯s eldest. She was so much like her too, strict, disciplined and wanting things to be just so,¡± she motioned her hands for emphasis, ¡°But she was kind too, always helping us when we were in trouble with mother...¡± Hana sniffled and laughed a little as she wiped away a fresh tear, ¡°I still remember when Tsubaki and I left home on our first great adventure and got lost. Mother was furious when she found out, I had never seen her so angry...But Sakura lied, she said she was the one who chased us away from home for annoying her...¡± She shook her head and quietly laughed again, ¡°We still got in trouble because Tsubaki didn¡¯t realise Sakura was trying to cover for us and gave us all away. She was always doing things like that, acting first without thinking, equal parts reckless and brave...¡± Hana was quiet again for a short while, ¡°She was the first of my sisters The Destroyer took from me. It was only because of Tsubaki that I managed to get away at all...For whatever demented reason, The Destroyer concentrated his efforts on chasing her...It didn¡¯t seem to matter how much magic Mother and Sakura threw at him, The Destroyer just ignored them and kept yelling things at her.¡±


    Hana stopped talking and a haunted look took hold in her eyes.


    ¡°We kept screaming at her to run, to leave it to mother, but she refused,¡± More tears ran down Hana¡¯s cheeks and she made no attempts to wipe them away, ¡°That¡¯s not what a hero does,¡± she sobbed brokenly, ¡°That was the last thing she told me...right before he killed her...¡± Hana growled and clenched her fists in anger, nails biting deep enough into her palms to draw blood, ¡°That sick fucker laughed as he tore her heart out and burned her heart-tree to ash. He knew the entire time, he had just waited until she was completely helpless to finish her...He killed Hanaye and Reika while fighting Mother...He didn¡¯t even do it on purpose, their heart-trees caught fire and nothing we did would douse the flames...¡± Hana began rocking back and forth, ¡°I can still hear them screaming for us to help them!¡± She broke down and continued crying for a long time before she managed to pull herself together enough to talk again, ¡°They never deserved that! Reika was so kind and gentle! She took care of all the flowers in our home! And Hanaye was always ready to listen to you, no matter how petty or stupid you had been to her...I always thought she was the most beautiful after mother, she was the one who looked most like her and had her delicate features...¡± She went quiet for a moment, but sobbed and shook her head, ¡°You know, I spent what felt like most of my life hating my sister Kohana. She was always such a bitch to me, always trying to get me into trouble and telling me how stupid I was and how I would never be as beautiful as her. The last time we spoke, I...I told her that I wished she was dead...Kohana died buying time for me to escape...I fucking hate her!¡± Hana wailed helplessly, making it clear she meant the opposite.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. I couldn¡¯t think of anything that would trivialise what she had and was continuing to go through. While my Mum had been my whole world, she was still only one person. Contemplating losing her six times, on the same day, my brain refused to process it.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± Hana demanded, her voice raw with conflicting emotions, ¡°I miss them all so much, and I hate that bastard for taking them from me! But I can¡¯t fight him! He is too strong!¡±


    ¡°Live,¡± It took me a moment to realise I had spoken aloud.


    Hana stared uncomprehendingly at me, likely just as surprised as I was.


    ¡°Live,¡± I repeated, inspired by the words of my grief counsellor, ¡°Live on knowing that the best of those you love lives on inside of you.¡±


    Hana just continued staring at me for a while, but eventually, she snorted softly and shook her head, ¡°Mother would have liked you...You aren''t like the others. The ones that hurt her, that made her angry all the time...¡±


    A lengthy silence passed between us before Hana spoke again. ¡°Tell me about your family, the one you had before. Mother didn¡¯t speak of the other world often, only when she was angry...¡±


    I nodded slowly and tried to organise my thoughts, but it quickly proved quite hopeless, so I just decided to start speaking instead and figured the words would fall where they may. ¡°I was alone in the beginning. My own mother threw me away, I was told later that they found me in a dumpster, it''s where you throw away garbage, trash, things you don''t want,¡° I explained awkwardly, flinching at each description, ¡°Someone found me, and I became a ward of the state. Basically, the government became my parents, sort of. I was raised by someone more interested in being paid by the government for the service than any thoughts about what was in my best interests. One day, I ran away from home. I had always wanted to see the ocean. I had seen so many pictures, but my foster parents never let me go. I had decided that even if it was the last thing I did, I would go see the ocean with my own eyes.¡± I smiled wanly as I recalled stumbling over the dunes and tumbling down the embankment, ¡°That was where I met my Mum. She said it was her favourite place in the whole world and that she would be happy to share it with me if I wanted to.'''' I let out a deep sigh and shook my head, ¡°Mum didn¡¯t adopt me right away. She couldn¡¯t. There were a whole bunch of legal hoops she needed to jump through, I didn''t understand any of that at the time and I thought that she had abandoned me. But after a few months, there she was, standing at the door and telling me I was coming home-¡± I couldn¡¯t help but choke up a little recalling how I had felt in that moment, ¡°-I had never felt so happy, to know that somebody wanted me, that I was loved.¡± I shook my head and smiled, ¡°I had never been so happy, I felt so many things I hadn¡¯t even known existed or had forgotten about just to try and make life more bearable. For the first time I was truly alive. Just the thought of my Mum being there for me was enough to make it through each day with a smile on my face. No matter what people said or did, I could ignore it so long as she was there waiting for me...¡±


    Cupping some water from the fountain in my palm, I drank it down to wet my throat and give myself a moment to prepare for what I had been dreading most.


    ¡°One day, I found out that my Mum was sick and was not going to get better. I decided that I was going to look after her, it was the least I could do after all she had done for me. Mum wouldn¡¯t hear of it, and made sure I kept going to school to prepare for University. She kept insisting that I plan for my future. But each day she remembered a little less and took longer to recognise me. Day by day she continued deteriorating until I barely recognised her anymore. It¡¯s hard to remember what she looked like before...But I still hoped that there would be some sort of miracle, that in spite of everything, I would just wake up one morning and she would be good as new again. Only, when I woke up one morning and went to check on her, she was gone. I knew there was only one place she would go, so I ran out of the house to find her and bring her back. Even though I knew it was already too late, following the doctor''s advice was the only thing really holding me together at that point. So I needed to bring her home. Only, when I found Mum, she was just about gone already. She looked at me like I was a total stranger, smiling as she explained why this was her favourite place in the whole world. This is where I met my fiance Ryan and found my boy Tim...¡± I broke a little inside repeating Mum¡¯s final words aloud. It forced me to remember holding her while I waited for the ambulance to arrive, the despair I felt upon realising she was already gone and I would never be able to speak with her again...


    A long silence passed between us.


    ¡°Sorry...¡± Hana said quietly, ¡°I had thought your family would be more like mother¡¯s...I...I¡¯m sorry Tim.¡±


    I nodded but said nothing, the pain was just about all I could feel and I didn¡¯t trust myself to say or do anything right now. After a while, I got up with the intention of heading straight to bed. I wanted to try and sleep through the worst of the pain, as long as it would take for it to recede back to a dull and manageable ache.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± Hana stammered, ¡°Where are you going?..¡±


    ¡°Bed,¡± I replied numbly, doing my best to distance myself from the pain, before it was able to overwhelm me again.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stay? Just a little longer?...¡± Hana pleaded, ¡°I...don¡¯t want to be alone...¡±


    I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder to look back at her. I wanted to say no, stumble into bed and fall asleep forever. But the familiar pain I saw in Hana¡¯s eyes sapped my resolve. She was foundering and was looking for something to hold on to. Anything that would keep her from drowning. ¡°Fine...¡± I croaked and sat down by the fountain again. Even though I had agreed to stay, I was still doing my best to distance myself from the pain of the reawakened memories.


    I wasn¡¯t sure when she had done it, but at some point, Hana had moved in beside me and was now leaning against my arm.


    Staring vacantly up at the sky, I tried to remember what Mum looked like before she became sick. There was no real way for the pain I was feeling to get any worse, so I revisited them all. Some were nearly forgotten, most were innocuous and boring, but a treasured few actually made me feel strangely happy in spite of the pain.


    Waking up early, I was surprised by how much better I felt. Even though some of the pain still lingered and was still fresh in my mind, it was far more manageable than it had ever been. I snorted and shook my head as I considered what my grief counsellor would think of that development. Being transported to another world or very likely a different dimension had not been one of his recommended steps for bereavement. Although I guess that says more about me than him, that something so radical had been necessary.


    There was still a significant problem, I didn¡¯t know how to help Hana with her pain. Even though we had both lost people we care about, it was obvious that our pain was not the same. I lost my Mum to illness, Hana¡¯s family was murdered in front of her and to make things worse, the murderer was still assumedly running around unchecked.


    Obviously, the thing Hana would want most is for the murderer to be killed for his crimes. But I had no idea if I was even capable of something like that. Putting aside my not inconsiderable moral qualms regarding coldblooded murder, I didn¡¯t think I had the actual capability to make the attempt itself.


    Just because The Destroyer was assumedly here on the third floor, did not mean that he was a third or even fourth-tier monster.


    Jacque had demonstrated herself capable of moving through the different floors with near impunity, so why would The Destroyer not be capable of the same feat?


    The only way I could think of being able to fight someone like that with any real chance at success was to begin regularly consuming manastones...


    I continued trying to think of alternatives, but everything just left me with the impression of my own profound cowardice. I had a very real idea of how addictive the manastones were, but refusing not to use them was not a sign of strength, but a reflection of my own fear and weakness. I had already demonstrated that I was capable of walking away at just one and even Jacque had heavily implied that avoiding them entirely was a bad idea. So I had to decide whether the risk was worth the potential benefits.


    Staring up at the last of the glimmering stars in the slowly brightening sky, I realised that I had already made my choice. I wasn¡¯t going to let people fight my battles for me anymore, this was my life and there were people I wanted to protect. In order to protect them, I needed to become stronger and make hard choices rather than just avoiding them.


    Gently laying Hana down by the fountain, I slowly but determinedly made my way up the stairs to the storeroom. It was to my immense relief that I felt no artificial pressure or other telltale signs of addiction driving me forward. I was not eager either, just determined to do what was necessary.


    Reaching into the pack, I searched for the largest manastone and carefully pulled it out. It was so strange that monsters were able to have these objects lodged in their brains without serious side effects. Even stranger that all monsters seemed capable of consuming and digesting them like some sort of sugar rock candy.


    Dropping the manastone into my mouth, I tested myself one final time, leaving the manastone on my tongue and letting it sit there for a full minute before eventually swallowing. That was another bizarre aspect of the manastones, assumedly you could absorb their mana over time through direct proximity, but it was so slow you wouldn¡¯t even notice it. In direct contrast, the sudden warmth and euphoria flooding through my system made me doubt the passive osmosis was even viable.


    Unlike yesterday, I did not lose myself so easily. In a way, the lingering pain helped, somehow stubbornly persisting despite the cascade of endorphins flooding my mind.


    Dropping the pack back to the floor, I tested my control by heading for the stairs. In spite of everything going so well thus far, I was still surprised when I realised that I had made it to the bottom steps without incident and feeling no more inclined to head back for a manastone now than when I first left.


    After less than a minute, the artificially induced high faded and I was glad to find that I felt just as I had before taking the manastone. It was weird to feel thankful for pain, but it was how I felt regardless.


    Finding a small gathering of Serpent-Kin gathered outside the entrance to the Grove, I was not surprised and felt a little guilty upon realising that they were Nadine¡¯s Surgeon students, including those I had unintentionally stood up last night. In a far better mood than I had been in...I can¡¯t even remember how long, I decided to start teaching them all over breakfast.


    When Nadine joined us later that morning, I could tell she was aware of what happened last night and was wearing a grin that all but screamed equal parts, ¡°I told you so!¡± And, ¡°I¡¯m just happy you are happy!¡±


    To get my own back at her, I had Nadine teach a revision class from yesterday and ruthlessly nitpicked her curriculum in the name of ¡®best practices¡¯ and ¡®improvement¡¯. To her credit, Nadine took it in stride and didn¡¯t seem to mind all that much. Our students didn¡¯t either, the more informal and lighthearted atmosphere encouraged them to ask more questions since it was Nadine who would take the fall and not them if something had been unclear.


    Our lessons really did drive home the need for a formal and universal written language to record information. The Bleak-fang¡¯s pictographs were not even close to robust enough for the purpose and I would have to invent just about every other word I needed to use, so it would be far too much work and was frankly something I was not good at. This left us with two real choices, learning a native human language, or that of the Daemons.


    As I saw it, each would have its own advantages and disadvantages. One of the primary benefits of choosing a human language would be the ease of facilitating trade and negotiating with the humans later. One of the more worrying downsides would be that any stolen documents would be readily understood by parties with malevolent motives. Using the Daemon language seemed like a more secure option for keeping secrets and stopping information from being stolen, but I didn''t know all that much about it either.


    I supposed it would be possible to do both, but the prospect of learning both languages myself was a little daunting, particularly given how busy I was going to be for the next week at least. But a formal language for the Settlement would make it much easier for future students to learn the Classes. So much of what I was teaching was so basic that it would take a quarter of the time to just read it and ask questions to serve as quality control later.


    Clarice¡¯s lessons probably wouldn¡¯t benefit all that much from academic instruction, but it¡¯s obvious that the more magically inclined Classes have a boatload of theory requirements and complicated details that would make far more sense if you knew about them first before requiring a practical demonstration.


    That did raise an interesting question though. If Gric and the other Daemons already had access to a robust language imprinted into their minds since before they hatched, why didn¡¯t they begin life with access to the more theoretical oriented Classes? Or for that matter, the knowledge on how to acquire them?


    Feeling like a complete idiot, I realised that I had never checked them in the first place...


    *****


    Gric felt quite proud of what he had managed to accomplish thus far. Only a little over two days old, he was already well on his way to leading a Daemonic host! Well...The start of one at least.


    Every Daemon Warband had to start from somewhere. Besides, the Lord had no shortage of minions, and although they might be weak, squishy, prone to debilitating illness, functionally illiterate and susceptible to emotional fatigue, Gric still saw great potential in their younger and more impressionable offspring.


    Weaknesses could be driven out if given the right incentives!


    There was of course one minor problem, Gric was no longer at the top of the heap. That position now rightfully belonged to Ril and it was only a matter of time before she would come to claim it. That left Gric with a serious problem and he was unsure of how exactly he was going to solve it.


    Gric could theoretically accept Ril¡¯s inevitable challenge and perhaps best her, but that was both unlikely and incredibly unwise.


    Ril had already been claimed as the offspring of the Lord¡¯s favourite servant, so harming her in any way was likely to be met with vicious reprisal and demotion. So Gric needed to be clever and think of something else to help him keep his rightful position as Underlord.


    There was an idea!


    Gric grinned, Ril would have no need for his title, if she already had one of her own! Now he just needed to think of a way to ¡®encourage¡¯ the Lord to promote her without demoting him in the process.


    Sensing the Lord was headed his way, Gric snarled a warning at the newly hatched Daemonlings. Any of them who embarrassed him in front of the Lord would pay for it dearly later.


    Qreet and Dar returned to their customary positions at his flanks and were careful to demonstrate the correct level of deference. Gric and they both knew the score and understood that a demotion for Gric was against their own best interests.


    Gric bowed his head as the Lord approached, ¡°Lord,¡± he growled respectfully and was echoed by Qreet and Dar a moment later.


    ¡°Gric, I want to ask you something,¡± the Lord said impatiently, deliberately skipping his official title and causing Gric to flinch. ¡°Well, I want to ask you a couple of things actually. You know how to read and write, yes?¡±


    Gric was confused, this was not the demotion speech he had been expecting. Eager to please, he quickly rallied and nodded, ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± Gric hoped he was not courting disaster by adding a slight emphasis to the title as a reminder of his own being absent in the discussion.


    ¡°So you would be able to teach this language to others?¡± The Lord asked thoughtfully, apparently not upset with Gric overstepping.


    Gric sighed and nodded again, ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± He repeated. Even though Gric had never taught the Daemon language to anyone before, he did not think it would be hard. After all, the Lord was a genius and would probably learn something so simple in a matter of minutes if he had the desire to do so.


    The Lord nodded and rubbed thoughtfully at his chin, ¡°Good. We don¡¯t really have any writing supplies at the moment, but I want the three of you to start teaching the younger Serpent-Kin how to read and write. Once we have better supplies I want you to teach the adults too. You think you can do that?¡±


    Gric swallowed hard, ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± He repeated mechanically, suddenly panicked at the prospect of trying to teach the young minions something as complex and nuanced as the Daemon language. ¡°Lord?¡± Gric croaked desperately trying to best think of how to salvage the situation.


    ¡°Yes?¡± The lord asked somewhat distractedly.


    ¡°Who will teach you?¡± Gric asked, trusting in his strong instincts to guide him through this nightmare, ¡°Perhaps, Ril?¡± He suggested slyly.


    The Lord frowned, almost certainly having seen through Gric¡¯s gambit. However, after thinking on it for a few minutes, he nodded slightly, ¡°I suppose that could work, someone needs to teach Toofy anyway, so why not her? Yeah, alright, that¡¯s not a bad idea.¡±


    Gric did his best to keep his smile neutral, ¡°Of course, Lord.¡±


    The lord¡¯s expression suddenly changed, ¡°OH! Right! Gric, do Daemons hatch knowing about any Classes?¡± He asked bluntly, his eyes boring into Gric¡¯s very soul, ¡°I remembered you talking about the Pact Binder. So I want to know if you know about any others.¡±


    Gric was not sure why the Lord was so driven to know about such mundane topics, but he was more than happy to oblige, ¡°Yes Lord!¡± Gric replied cheerily, ¡°Would you like me to tell you about them?¡± This would be the perfect opportunity to ¡®encourage¡¯ the Lord to change classes! Gric could barely contain his excitement over how well this day was turning out so far.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 14 – Height of ambition – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 14 ¨C Height of ambition ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 14 - Height of ambition - Part One {Rewrite}


    I just stared at Gric incredulously for a while, trying to reorganise my thoughts. It couldn¡¯t be that easy...


    ¡°Lord?¡± Gric asked worriedly.


    With one simple act, I could unlock a Master level Class and be rid of Slaver.


    According to Gric, all I had to do...was issue a quest. As the Daemon had explained it, I was apparently just shy of unlocking a Rulership Master Class that was only available to Lords of the Labyrinth. The requirements were not even that difficult, which is why I had already completed so many of them.


    Leadership, Delegation and Authority. The three broad categories for unlocking the Rulership Class. Leadership just required a class that emphasised leadership...and apparently, both Taskmaster and Slaver qualify. Similarly, Delegation only required recruiting three or more minions and promoting one of them to Underlord. Clarice, Nadine and Toofy would have counted as being recruited as minions when I became Lord of the Settlement, sort of ¡®Grandfathered in¡¯ as it were. Lastly, Delegation was literally just a matter of issuing a quest and having at least ten minions accept that same quest, regardless of whether they intended to complete it or not.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure there isn¡¯t any sort of hidden catch?¡± I demanded sceptically.


    ¡°Of-course, Lord,¡± Gric rumbled, ¡°The-quest-will-drain-EXP. Rulership-Class-will-recover-it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown. It was the same as he had described before, but it still worried me a little. The prospect of losing so much hard-earned EXP was actually not particularly distressing, but Gric¡¯s lack of available details on what the Rulership Class was even called, let alone what abilities it''s meant to have, was rather upsetting.


    Technically, as a Lord of the Settlement, I could now invite up to twenty minions in a secondary Party termed a Retinue. Functionally, it was the same as a Party except the EXP sharing suffered a fifty percent penalty and allowed four times as many members plus myself. Ushu and Gric could also form their own retinues, though only half the size of mine. With the very real capability of power levelling back from level zero, the loss of EXP didn¡¯t really bother me. It was the distinct possibility of Toofy being left unprotected against Enslavement that I was worried about.


    The only security I had in reserve was the Slave collar I was currently wearing around my own neck.


    Theoretically, the collar should be enough. I had no immediate plans to linger in ¡®human¡¯ territory, not after what happened with the adventurer Guild. I was simply too unfamiliar with the politics and social norms of this world and living out here in the swamp didn¡¯t seem quite so bad a prospect as it had only a couple of days ago.


    The more I thought about it, the fewer reasons I could think of not to go through with it. Who knows, maybe the Rulership Class will have better protections than Slaver anyway? I mean, it probably won¡¯t, but it was possible.


    Making up my mind, I let out a deep sigh. ¡°Issue quest, open to all minions with Class levels from my Settlement. Slay one wild monster. Repeatable. Confirm.¡±


    For a few moments, nothing happened. However, before I had the chance to relax, a pair of black status alerts appeared in my upper periphery.


    [Repeatable Quest: Monster Hunt {Active}]


    [Conditions have been met to acquire the Rulership Class: {Imperator}. Accept? (Y/N)]


    Still waiting for the other shoe to drop, I suspiciously watched the status notification for what felt like at least a minute. A little unnerved that everything had gone so smoothly, I cleared my throat, ¡°Accept.¡±


    [Class advancement: {In Progress}]


    [Class advancement: {Interrupted}]


    I groaned as the latest notification appeared in front of me, ¡°This seems more like it...¡±


    [Class advancement: {Delayed Pending Review}]


    [Class advancement: {Pending}]


    ¡°What?...¡± That notification didn¡¯t mean the Labyrinth itself was getting involved...Right? I felt a cold shiver run down my spine in response. Oh no...


    [Class advancement: {Review Completed}]


    [Class advancement: {Approved*}]


    [Class advancement: {Complete}]


    [Class: Ogre Warchief 0. +1 Willpower, +5 MP.] [Exp: 0/25000 ]


    Wait a sec...


    ¡°That isn''t the class I agreed to!¡± I growled angrily.


    Gric shrunk back worriedly but said nothing.


    Even though I didn¡¯t know what the difference was between an Imperator and an Ogre Warchief, the all but confirmed meddling of the Labyrinth in what should have been my own decision was infuriating and deeply unsettling. ¡°Status!¡± I barked hoarsely, wanting to get a handle on this new development as quickly as possible.


    [Tim - Ogre Runt: 1 ] [HP: 40/40 ] [MP: 5/0(+5) ]


    [Rulership Class: Ogre Warchief 0. +1 Willpower, +5 MP.] [Exp: 0/25000 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Party Members: Tim.]


    [Strength: 15*(16*) ]


    [Agility: 8 ]


    [Toughness: 20* ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 15* ]


    [Presence: 3* ]


    [(Racial Abilities: {Hide/Expand})]


    [(Class Ability: Eminence): Monsters slain by your minions within range of a Settlement Totem generate bonus EXP that may be awarded through {Quests}. {Willpower} increases the range of Effect. Stored EXP:(2200)]


    [(Class Ability: War Cry {Rank 0}): Issue a bellowing roar to improve the combat capabilities of yourself and your minions by consuming MP. {Strength/Toughness} increases the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Inspiring Presence {Rank 0}): Your very presence bolsters the hearts and minds of your allies giving them resistance to negative Status {Conditions}. {Willpower/Presence} increases the range of effect.]


    Taking a seat on the ground, I massaged my head and tried to focus on the positives.


    This wasn¡¯t actually all that bad. Eminence almost seemed worth it. A pool of free EXP I could dole out to whoever needed it most. The thought of the good that could come of power levelled healers was enough to earn at least a wry smile on my lips. It wasn¡¯t what I had expected, but I would make sure it did the most possible good. War Cry and Inspiring Presence would probably be very useful too, but they were certainly tied more to the name of the Class itself...


    Gric smiled a little uncertainly, or at least in what approximated the expression, ¡°Lord?¡± He growled somewhat meekly.


    ¡°Uh, yes?¡± I hadn¡¯t expected Gric to have a request of his own.


    ¡°May-I-accept-my-Class-upgrade?¡± Gric asked with nervous excitement.


    ¡°Ah, I guess so? What is it?¡± I asked curiously, unsure how I felt about the Daemon requiring permission to advance their classes.


    Gric grinned widely, ¡°Daemon Lord, Lord,¡± he took special care to carefully pronounce every syllable.


    I just stared blankly at Gric for a moment as my brain struggled to catch up with what I knew I just heard, ¡°Did you say Daemon Lord?¡± I demanded a little faintly.


    Gric nodded, ¡°Yes, Lord.¡±


    I gulped hard and felt my mouth turn dry.


    Surely the name was just a coincidence, right? There was no way that Gric or indeed the other Daemons were hellbent on global destruction or anything like that, right?!


    ¡°Uh, Gric. What Does the Daemon Lord Class do exactly?¡± I asked warily, desperately holding back a wave of panic.


    ¡°It-is-a-leadership-role, Lord. Daemon Lord-inspires-Warband, generates-quests, summons-allies, and-challenges-champions,¡± Gric explained happily.


    So it¡¯s exactly what I thought it was...


    Still, it didn¡¯t mean Daemon Lord was an inherently evil Class. Objectively, it sounded very much like my new Class. At least Daemon Lord seemed to be oriented towards inspirational leadership rather than petty tyranny. That was actually something odd I had noticed about the Daemons themselves as well. Beyond the initial misconceptions based on their name and appearance, they were incredibly pleasant to be around. Even more than that, I hadn¡¯t seen any of them commit a single unsolicited violent act.


    ¡°Gric?¡± I asked again to refocus his attention, ¡°What would you do if I was not in charge?¡±


    Gric looked confused for a few moments before seeming to come to grips with the question, ¡°Gather-and-strengthen-Warband, and protect the Settlement Lord,¡± he replied bluntly.


    It was just about what I had expected, but there was a problem with the answer I didn''t think Gric was aware of, ¡°Why though?¡±


    Gric remained silent, apparently having no answer to offer.


    ¡°Gric, I want you to focus your efforts on supporting the Settlement so it can flourish, but what do you think I mean by that?¡± I asked pointedly.


    Gric shifted nervously, ¡°To-protect-the-Settlement-from-invaders, Lord,¡± he answered hesitantly.


    I nodded slightly, ¡°That¡¯s part of it Gric. Keeping our people safe is important. But you need personal goals and aspirations of your own as well. I appreciate how selfless yourself, Qreet and Dar have been up until this point, but there is more to life than just fighting. Do you understand?¡±


    Gric just looked confused.


    I sighed and shook my head, ¡°Gric, Hana told me that part of what a Daemon leader is expected to do is lead by example. You can be so much more than just a soldier. I already asked you to be a teacher. But before that, you took the initiative and taught the Serpent-Kin kids how to fish from the pond. You have the potential to be more than you are now, and if I were to support your choice in the Daemon Lord Class, I would want you to understand what that means.¡±


    Gric seemed to slip into deep thought, hunching his shoulders so his elongated arms rested his thick knuckles on the ground to support his weight. He stood there for close to a half-hour in silence before blinking suddenly and turning his attention back to me again. ¡°Lord?¡± Gric rumbled assertively.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I had more than a little bit of time to think on things myself and realised I probably could have handled it better. Breaking even at this point would be a win in my book, just so long as the Daemons didn¡¯t decide to set themselves up as tyrants.


    ¡°I-want...to-lead,¡± Gric growled, ¡°Protect-so-Settlement-can-grow-strong. Protect-Settlement¡¯s-future, Gric¡¯s-future.¡± The conflicting emotions on his face made it clear that the minor distinction was difficult for Gric and very likely ran contrary to the Labyrinth¡¯s prime directives or programming.


    Encouraging the Daemon to be selfish may seem like a stupid idea, because it was, but I really couldn¡¯t handle the near mindless level of obedience they held towards higher authority. This was for one singular reason, the Labyrinth was almost certainly a higher authority to the Daemons than I was.


    What was stopping it from sending a mass communication to suddenly start murdering people order sixty-six style?


    Hopefully, this would at least give the Daemons a choice, or give their victims a head start.


    ¡°If you want to be a Daemon Lord Gric, you have my blessing, but not my permission.¡± I patted Gric on the shoulder and began heading off towards Clarice¡¯s training grounds. She was very likely quite annoyed by the loss of her buffs, so I figured that I might as well handle the inevitable fallout sooner rather than later.


    As I expected, Clarice did not look happy.


    ¡°The hell did you do?!¡± Clarice demanded, giving me a rough shove.


    ¡°I unlocked a Rulership Class and decided to advance it,¡± I explained bluntly.


    Still noticeably ticked off, Clarice sighed and shook her head, ¡°You think maybe you could have provided a little warning?¡± She demanded, ¡°I was in the middle of a sparring session and thought one of my students was holding out on me!¡± Clarice gingerly rubbed her left shoulder.


    ¡°CLARICE!!!¡± Nadine was storming over from the direction of the barrows and looked pissed.


    Unsurprisingly, Clarice stood her ground.


    ¡°THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING BREAKING HIS ARM?!!¡± Nadine shrieked in Clarice¡¯s face.


    Clarice nodded her head at me, ¡°It¡¯s Tim¡¯s fault!¡± She insisted dourly.


    ¡°What?!¡± Nadine dismissed the excuse out of hand, ¡°Right, so Tim ¡®ordered¡¯ you to break that guy''s arm in two different places?!¡± She demanded sarcastically.


    Clarice rankled under the verbal tirade but still didn¡¯t back down, ¡°No. Tim changed Classes without telling anyone, so I thought Hresh was stronger than he actually was!¡± She replied firmly.


    ¡°What?!...¡± Nadine had lost her momentum and was foundering, ¡°You changed Classes?¡± She asked, appearing more than a little surprised.


    I nodded, ¡°I did,¡± I replied, trying my best to not look guilty. In hindsight, I probably should have anticipated something like this. Clarice was more than a little out of control when it came to those synergy buffs.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nadine pretty much immediately deflated.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± I agreed awkwardly.


    ¡°You still need to be more careful!¡± Nadine hissed angrily at Clarice, ¡°You don''t just break someone¡¯s arm like that ¡®by accident!¡¯¡±


    Clarice exaggeratedly threw her hands up in the air, ¡°I thought he was way stronger!¡± She countered irritably, ¡°You have no idea how much I have been holding back!¡± Clarice jabbed Nadine in the chest with her finger.


    Nadine Flinched and was pushed back a step.


    ¡°Enough!¡± I demanded, relieved that the Slavery Bond was now gone and I didn¡¯t have to worry about accidentally frying anyone¡¯s brain.


    Nadine and Clarice stiffened briefly and suddenly looked at me in confusion.


    ¡°The hell was that?¡± Clarice demanded.


    ¡°Inspiring Presence?¡± Nadine commented, squinting slightly, ¡°A new buff?¡± She looked over at me with a curious and expectant expression.


    I sighed and nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s one of my new Class Abilities,¡± I explained, ¡°It¡¯s meant to remove negative Status Conditions, but I thought it was a passive effect since it doesn''t cost any MP...¡±


    Nadine looked surprised, ¡°Really? Did you get any other Abilities?¡±


    I nodded and quickly explained the changes. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Clarice was laughing like a madman, ¡°You know, I thought I had imagined the quest alert before!¡± She shook her head and grinned, ¡°But this is way better than those synergies!¡± The deep manic hunger in Clarice¡¯s eyes was unsettling.


    Nadine was only slightly more reserved, practically twitching in excitement.


    ¡°Oi, so when are you going to give us some power levelling quests?!¡± Clarice demanded eagerly.


    Nadine nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The Quests don¡¯t really work that way,¡± I tried to explain before either of them had the chance to interrupt, ¡°I could use it to accelerate levelling, but not replace it outright. The quests have rules and automatically calculate what a suitable reward would be based on the difficulty. So I can¡¯t just set a quest to kill one monster and have you gain a bunch of levels.¡±


    Clarice deflated a little, ¡°Damnit! Stupid Labyrinth!¡± She cursed.


    Nadine looked more thoughtful, ¡°So more enemies would mean a larger payout? And the same with more powerful enemies?¡± She asked with a strange glint in her eyes.


    I frowned a little but nodded, ¡°Difficulty determines the maximum reward, I agreed a little hesitantly.


    ¡°And that retinue thing you told us about, you can have twenty people in it plus your own party?¡± Nadine asked with a growing smile.


    ¡°Yes...¡± I agreed hesitantly, unsure I liked where this was going.


    Clarice suddenly perked up, ¡°Hey! What if we had a big brawl, the last one left standing earns the EXP?¡± She suggested eagerly while cracking her knuckles in anticipation.


    Nadine nodded encouragingly, ¡°Make a quest for the fighters, award them EXP for every opponent they manage to defeat and give the Surgeons a quest for healing injuries!¡±


    I just stared blankly at the pair of them for a short while before massaging my temples. ¡°We can¡¯t have a battle royale tournament...¡± I groaned exasperatedly, ¡°We don¡¯t have the resources or the time to spend on this sort of thing right now. Besides, everyone is pretty much level one anyway so they wouldn¡¯t get very much EXP even if they won.¡±


    Nadine frowned slightly, ¡°Right, I forgot about that. Hrm...¡±


    Clarice looked disappointed and turned to Nadine as if she was her only hope.


    ¡°What about a hunting competition?¡± Nadine suggested, ¡°It would give Clarice¡¯s students a chance to earn some EXP while also bringing in more food and manastones. Injuries are pretty much inevitable and at least this way we get supplies out of it.¡±


    ¡°That...Is actually not a bad idea,¡± I agreed hesitantly. ¡°We could start doling out manastones for everyone in the Settlement. The increased MP would make more leeway for the healers too.¡±


    Clarice was rubbing her hands together so hard and fast that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they caught fire, ¡°YESSS!¡±


    ¡°Well, I should probably get ready to teach the surgeons,¡± I stated a little awkwardly, ¡°If you really want to go through with this, you should probably speak with Ushu and Gric so they can coordinate it. They both have the Retinue function as well and you will want even the unclassed Serpent-Kin for support.¡±


    Nadine and Clarice both nodded eagerly and ran off to find their unwitting prey.


    Shaking my head, I sighed and headed off towards the garlic field. Just about all of the Serpent-Kin were now fully recovered, so I wanted to try and establish a more permanent treatment facility, and I would need the help of Hana and her apprentices to accomplish that.


    As I had expected, Hana and her apprentices were hard at work in the garlic field. Well...the apprentices were working hard while Hana did her best to help them improve. Having seen me coming, Hana smiled a little awkwardly and waved.


    I smiled and waved back. I felt just as awkward but kept my nerve by focusing on the reason for my visit. ¡°Hi Hana, do you have a minute to talk? I wanted to expand one of the barrows and wanted your help.¡±


    Hana brightened a little at that, ¡°Okay, sure. What did you have in mind?¡± She waved dismissively to her apprentices and they took that as their cue to take a break.


    ¡°Basically, I want to make a hospital, a dedicated building for the sick and wounded to receive treatment and recover,¡± I explained.


    Hana seemed unfamiliar with the word hospital but perked up as she heard the description, ¡°Alright,¡± she agreed thoughtfully, ¡°Did you just want the barrow made bigger or did you have something else in mind?¡± Hana asked curiously.


    That was the question, wasn¡¯t it? The barrows were actually pretty good so far as shelters go, but the lighting was a little lacking and airflow was a bit of a problem sometimes. ¡°Would you be able to grow something similar if I could draw up a rough plan for it?¡± I asked, ¡°The barrows are mostly fine, but there are some changes I would need to be made in order to make the hospital more effective.


    Hana looked intrigued, ¡°Sure,¡± she agreed happily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to have something workable by sometime after midday then,¡± I agreed, ¡°Thanks Hana,¡± I turned to leave and was surprised by Hana suddenly grabbing my hand.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Hana quickly let go of my hand and cleared her throat awkwardly, ¡°I...um, nothing...¡± She hurried over to where her apprentices were relaxing and began animatedly directing them back to the field.


    Feeling plenty awkward myself, I brusquely cleared my throat and headed off towards the barrow.


    Around fifteen Serpent-Kin were engaged in light-hearted conversation when I arrived, all of them proudly bearing the twin scars on their chests as if they were badges of honour. Which I suppose was probably quite appropriate given the circumstances.


    Organising the more ¡®senior¡¯ students to go through some of the more advanced subjects. I spent the next couple of hours sketching the rough outline of what I wanted onto one of my last pieces of paper. It actually gave me an idea related to teaching.


    So long as Hana was willing, she could probably make some large relatively flat surfaces to write and draw on with charcoal. It would be a decent approximation of a blackboard and could really help when teaching larger groups. That also reminded me that I hadn¡¯t asked Hana to help out with the clothing shortage either. Hopefully her apprentices would make decent progress and be able to help share the load sometime soon.


    Hana arrived a short time after midday. ¡°You know, Nadine was right,¡± she took the piece of paper with my sketched designs and held it up to the light to take a better look.


    I shrugged, my skills were pretty mediocre at best. Sketching covered a lot of the inherent flaws in my technique.


    ¡°Soooo, you mostly want it to be bigger?¡± Hana asked with a small smile.


    ¡°Well, mostly yeah,¡± I smirked a little bitterly. She was functionally correct. Most of my requested changes were to increase the size of the building.


    Watching Hana work, I should have just assumed she would have no problem adding windows, sheltered skylights and even indoor plumbing. All I had to do was generally explain what it was that I wanted and Hana seemed to be able to figure out everything else on her own.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you would be able to weave some curtains?¡± I asked hopefully.


    Partway through reconstructing the ceiling, Hana gave me a curious look, ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± she commented dryly before giving a small smirk and returning to her work on the ceiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s...¡± I drew a mental blank for a moment as I tried to think of how to explain it, ¡°Curtains are like cloth doors for the windows-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is either!¡± Hana chuckled.


    ¡°...¡± I don¡¯t know why I had assumed she would, ¡°Wait, a window or a door?¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± Hana replied lightheartedly.


    We spent the next couple of hours just chatting back and forth about mundane things I had honestly been taking for granted as common knowledge. I guess it was all relative really.


    ¡°Do you think you could draw something for me?¡± Hana asked a little nervously.


    ¡°I could try,¡± I agreed, more than happy to give Hana something in return for her help with the hospital building, ¡°What do you want me to draw?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± Hana smiled gratefully and got back to work, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes now that hadn¡¯t been there earlier.


    Before I had the chance to ask if everything was alright, Clarice and Nadine charged through the door like a wrecking crew.


    ¡°Everythings arranged!¡± Nadine cried triumphantly, ¡°We think we even figured out a way to get more of a benefit!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Clarice agreed ecstatically.


    ¡°We just have to make it a team competition,¡± Nadine declared smugly, ¡°Technically your competition would be every other group, making the challenge higher, resulting in more EXP!¡±


    ¡°So?!¡± Clarice pressed, ¡°That will work right?!¡±


    Thinking about it carefully, I had to grudgingly agree that they were onto something.


    Was I the weird one for not being excited about this plan?


    ¡°It should work,¡± I agreed with a sigh.


    ¡°YES!¡± Clarice pumped her fists, ¡°My team is gonna win this easy!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hana asked, understandably confused.


    ¡°They are trying to power level using my new Class Ability,¡± I explained, shaking my head a little in exasperation.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Hana was quiet for a moment and then suddenly grew quite determined, ¡°I¡¯m going to compete too!¡± She insisted adamantly.


    I should have seen that coming. Of course, Hana would be on board with power levelling...


    ¡°You can join my team!¡± Clarice insisted, ¡°Tobi didn¡¯t really want to join anyway.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Hana agreed seriously, shaping a spear from the wall t and taking hold of it with grim determination.


    ¡°Please tell me you haven''t got Toofy involved in this,¡± I insisted.


    Clarice and Nadine shared a brief but unmistakably guilty look with one another.


    I frowned disapprovingly.


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not like she is on our team!¡± Clarice whined defensively, ¡°Filthy ingrate went and made her own team!¡±


    That was only marginally better and actually made me even more worried than before. ¡°Who is on Toofy¡¯s team?¡± I asked while trying my best to remain calm.


    ¡°Just that boy Asra,¡± Nadine interjected, glaring balefully at Clarice, ¡°I don¡¯t think they are seriously considering joining in since it is just the two of them. Well, last I checked anyway.¡±


    ¡°Where is Toofy now?¡± I demanded while heading for the door.


    ¡°I think she is by the cooking fire with Ril!¡± Nadine called out after me but made no signs of following.


    With a snort, I hustled over to the cooking fires to look for Toofy. I was REALLY uncomfortable with the idea of just her and Asra running around the swamp on their own. The giant toads were easily big enough to swallow her whole!


    ¡°Urk!¡± Asra had seen me coming and choked on what he had been eating.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Toofy jumped up excitedly and ran over to greet me, Ril trailing along on Toofy¡¯s heels and wearing her spare tunic as a dress..


    It was hard to stay mad at her when she was so happy to see me, ¡°Hi Toofy,¡± I graciously accepted the skewer of roasted meat and was about to say something else when Toofy interrupted me.


    ¡°Hem!¡± Toofy Cleared her throat loudly and looked pointedly at Ril who was also holding up a skewer.


    ¡°Ah, thanks...Ril, ¡° I accepted the skewer and chose to ignore the fact that it only had a half-chewed piece of meat left on it.


    ¡°Good baby!¡± Toofy patted Ril¡¯s head affectionately and then gave me a surreptitious glance.


    Ril leaned into the petting and grinned happily.


    Snorting a little in amusement, I transferred one of the skewers to my other hand and gave Toofy¡¯s hair a light tousle. She was making an effort to socialise Ril, and that at the very least should be encouraged. Toofy had been doing a good job so far by the looks of it.


    Ril looked about as healthy as I could tell without being invasive about it. She seemed to be growing roughly at the same rate as Gric had, but showed no signs of altering her form thus far. In a weird sort of way, she really did look like a younger version of Toofy, assuming you ignored the albinism and horns.


    Noticing me staring, Ril stared back at me and smiled wide, revealing her mouthful of knife-like teeth, ¡°Ril...Good!¡± She exclaimed, struggling a little as if trying to find the right words but smiled even wider when she finished.


    I nodded and knelt down to bring us closer to eye level, ¡°Then you deserve a reward,¡± I offered Ril the skewer Toofy had given me earlier.


    ¡°Heek!¡± Ril hopped excitedly and snatched the skewer, ripping and tearing into the roasted meat.


    Toofy was still smiling but now jealously eyeing the remaining skewer from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°You can have this one, Toofy,¡± I handed her the remaining skewer.


    Toofy grinned and graciously accepted the skewer before pulling off the final piece of meat and throwing it in her mouth.


    Looking over at Asra, who had been attempting to very slowly back away, I fixed him with a determined stare and motioned for him to come to join us.


    Asra gulped hard and timidly made his way over. ¡°L-lord?¡± He stammered nervously.


    ¡°What is this I am hearing about Toofy and yourself joining in the hunting competition?¡± I asked sternly, making my stance on the issue painfully clear.


    ¡°Ahh...¡± Asra furtively glanced at Toofy, who had suspiciously grown quite still and was now avoiding eye contact with me. ¡°Uhm...¡± Asra shifted uncomfortably, ¡°L-lord I did not wa-OW!¡± He flinched back with a yelp as Toofy stomped hard on his foot.


    ¡°Toofy!¡± I called out reproachfully.


    Toofy flinched and slowly looked back at me with a guilty nervous smile, ¡°Oops?¡± She offered optimistically.


    I shook my head, making it abundantly clear that I didn¡¯t buy it, ¡°Toofy, you can¡¯t just hurt people when they do something you don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Hrmpf,¡± Toofy slouched her shoulders and scuffed at the ground with her feet.


    ¡°You need to set a good example for Ril,¡± I stressed, motioning to the little Daemon watching the transpiring events with wide-eyed wonder as she scarfed down the last of the meat.


    Toofy stiffened and her eyes widened, ¡°OH!¡± She gasped and held her hands over her mouth in horror.


    Ril just sort of vacantly smiled as she followed the flow of the conversation.


    ¡°Toofy bad mama!¡± Toofy hissed angrily, stomping her feet and pulling her ears.


    ¡°Toofy no!¡± I quickly took hold of Toofy to stop her from hurting herself, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that either okay? Just tell Asra you¡¯re sorry and don¡¯t do it again, alright?¡±


    Toofy slumped and nodded, ¡°Kay,¡± she sniffled.


    I let Toofy go.


    Toofy turned to face Asra, ¡°Toofy sorry Asra, Toofy no hurt Asra again,¡± she apologised quietly.


    Asra gulped hard, ¡°Ah, that¡¯ss alright, I uh, I forgive yo-oof!¡±


    Toofy had tackled Asra and wrapped him in a tight hug.


    To my surprise, Asra didn¡¯t panic like I expected him to. Instead, after overcoming the initial shock, he leaned into the embrace and hugged her back. It was actually a rather tender moment until Asra and I made eye contact, immediately causing him to panic, although I wasn¡¯t really sure why until I noticed the embarrassed flush in his cheeks.


    Oh no...This was going to be a problem.


    ¡°Asra why don¡¯t you go help Gric for a little bit,¡± I suggested, ¡°And, ah, Toofy I need to talk to you about some things...¡±


    Why didn¡¯t I get Nadine or Rose to do this days ago...


    *****


    Emelia double-checked the makeshift saddles for what felt like the hundredth time. Even though she didn¡¯t have much experience with them, Emelia was still a little surprised that Tim had been able to put something like this together from the random supplies they had on hand.


    ¡°Everything good?¡± Tobi asked, giving her one of his shy smiles while blushing slightly.


    Emelia snorted quietly and felt her own cheeks flush in response, ¡°Stop it,¡± she hissed, ¡°Do you want the others to know?¡± Emelia demanded playfully.


    ¡°I was just asking about the saddle!¡± Tobi insisted innocently, becoming flustered and blushing far more noticeably than before.


    Emelia knew that, of course, but it was fun to tease him a little she knew he wouldn¡¯t take it personally.


    Calming down, Tobi moved in closer, ¡°You sure you want to do this?¡± He asked, visibly concerned. ¡°Just because Clarice asked you to, doesn¡¯t mean you have to.¡±


    Emelia nodded, ¡°I want to get stronger too!¡± She insisted, ¡°Besides, this is all my fault anyway...I owe them...¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Tobi Took hold of her shoulders, ¡°We have talked about this, it...it wasn¡¯t your fault Emelia. The manager twisted your arm, there was nothing you could have done-¡±


    ¡°I could have refused,¡± Emelia interrupted bluntly, feeling ashamed as she remembered how quickly she had submitted to the manager''s demands.


    ¡°No, he would have enslaved you on the spot,¡± Tobi refuted, ¡°Then made you do it anyway and gods know what else besides,¡± Emelia felt him shiver as he pulled her in for a hug.


    Leaning into it, Emelia tried her best to let go. While she knew that she should bear some of the guilt over what had happened, Emelia appreciated Tobi¡¯s advocacy on her behalf. No one had ever really taken her side before and she quite liked the piece of mind from knowing that he was there if she needed him.


    ¡°Save it for the bedroom!¡± Clarice cackled from somewhere nearby.


    Emelia stiffened and glowered as she stared over at Clarice.


    ¡°Now now, there will be plenty of time for ¡®wrestling¡¯ after we win this competition,¡± Clarice grinned lasciviously as she made her way over to Thunder.


    Tobi unexpectedly had not let go and was holding her tighter. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk to her like that,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Hrm?¡± Clarice pretended not to notice, hopping up and into the saddle.


    ¡°I said, you shouldn¡¯t treat Emelia like that,¡± Tobi repeated sternly.


    Clarice sighed and shook her head, ¡°Look, just because she treats you nice, doesn¡¯t mean she likes you,¡± she drawled condescendingly.


    ¡°Tobi, it''s fine,¡± Emelia insisted, ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on the competition.¡±


    Tobi shook his head and gave her a pained look, ¡°It isn¡¯t fine. I can see that it bothers you-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re off the team by the way,¡± Clarice interrupted bluntly, ¡°We have a heavy hitter joining instead,¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Tobi looked confused.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happy,¡± Clarice taunted, ¡°Given I had to just about twist your arm to join in the first place.¡±


    ¡°W-what about Emelia?!¡± Tobi demanded protectively.


    Emelia felt conflicted by the exchange. She was glad Tobi was standing up for her but was worried Clarice might take things too far. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can just go hunting on our own tomorrow,¡± Emelia insisted quietly.


    Tobi looked a little disappointed but nodded. ¡°You know it¡¯s not the EXP I''m worried about right?¡± He asked quietly with a small worried smile.


    Emelia shyly smiled back and gave Tobi a quick peck on the cheek, ¡°I know.¡± With Tobi¡¯s help, she quickly mounted Beaky and gave Tobi one last smile before heading over to Clarice. ¡±I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    Tobi nodded and waved while seeing her off, ¡°Stay safe!¡± He called out, ignoring the laughter coming from Clarice up ahead.


    Emelia wanted to reply, but Clarice was already plenty agitated and she didn¡¯t want to make it worse. So she half-turned in the saddle and gave Tobi a determined nod instead.


    *****


    Organising the surgeons and roughly twice as many porters, I sincerely hoped that it wouldn¡¯t be necessary. If there were, at least all of the aspiring surgeons would benefit. I had invited them all into my retinue as well as inviting Ushu¡¯s apprentices and Ril to my party.


    I had tried talking Toofy out of going, but somewhat surprisingly, it turned out Asra actually had a plan. The pair of them weren¡¯t intending to fight at all. Asra was going to make the Daemons do it for them by summoning copies through his Pact Binder ability. Which made things make a bit more sense since Gric and the other Daemons were not participating.


    Watching the Serpent-Kin adults rushing about and preparing sleds, I was reminded of a scene from a movie where teams of ¡®runners¡¯ were preparing to charge into no mans land to deliver ammo. Once this competition started, the comparison would only grow more accurate.


    Even though the tribesmen were armed, most didn¡¯t have Classes and would be responsible for retrieving the bounty of resources generated throughout the competition. With all the blood in the air and spattered on the ground, I had no delusions in thinking that it would be ¡®safe¡¯.


    Massaging my temple I tried to focus on all the good that would come of this competition. Regardless of who ¡®wins¡¯ everyone would be better prepared for the future. This Labyrinth was a violent place. I had all but made my peace with that now. I just couldn¡¯t shake the feeling like something bad was going to happen. Something felt...wrong.


    Standing at the gate to the Settlement, I stared out into the swamp and frowned. There were fewer monsters out there than there had been over the past couple of days, most likely a result of the hunting trips earlier that morning. However, something still felt off.


    Moving forward, until I was standing just behind the edge of the barrier, I slowly scanned the horizon for any sign to justify my feeling of unease. Again, I came up empty. Everything looked...normal. Or what seemed to pass for normal anyway. I was about to turn around and head back through the gate, but then I saw it.


    Standing out in the swamp was a familiar shadowy silhouette standing in the bog.


    ¡°Oh no...¡± I croaked, somehow, despite the distance locking eyes with the creature.


    The Tailor grinned, revealing rows of needle-like teeth as it began stalking forwards.


    Fuck...


    Whatever The Tailor was, I sincerely doubted the Settlement barrier would be able to keep it out.


    A Swamp Lurker Lunged from the water dragged the unresisting form of The Tailor into the murky water.


    I had seen more than enough horror movies to know where this was headed.


    It was to my complete lack of surprise when the blood and mud-covered monster clawed its way out of the water, dragging the twitching carcass of the Swamp Lurker behind it.


    What was it doing here? Was it after me? Jacque had said she settled the score already...


    Thankful that I at least had a weapon on me this time, I waved back the Serpent-Kin that Ushu had assigned to guard duty. They had just noticed the unknowable horror lurching towards us and I did not want their deaths on my conscience.


    ¡°Maybe I can buy it off?¡± I muttered hoarsely, ¡°Maybe it would accept some manastones and just leave us alone?¡± I hissed and gnawed at my lip. That was a bad idea, even assuming it accepted the deal, it would just keep coming back. Worse, it would be stronger every time it came back for more. No, I had to do something about this here and now.


    Still dragging the corpse of the Swamp Lurker behind it, ¡®The Tailor came to a shuddering halt a dozen or so feet away. ¡°Hello...Tim,¡± it twitched and smiled wide, revealing its teeth again. The otherwise bedraggled and unassuming appearance of The Tailor began shifting into a form that haunted my nightmares. ¡°I want to talk,¡± its voice changed, sounding like an old Slavic woman. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t bite-¡± The Tailor lifted the Swamp Lurker by its neck and chomped through its head like it was an apple, discarding the rest of the Swamp Lurker¡¯s body as it grinned and swallowed, ¡°-I won''t bite you,¡± The Tailor amended.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I demanded hoarsely, clutching my spear so tight my hand hurt.


    The Tailor grinned, ¡°I just want to talk and perhaps make an offer?¡±


    ¡°What do you want?!¡± I repeated firmly, surprised I was standing my ground.


    The Tailor frowned, ¡°Interesting...¡± Its clawed hands twitched like dying spiders but the creature made no attempts to move closer. ¡°No matter. Some young punk burned down my store!¡± The Tailor snarled, ¡°You have something he wants!¡± The Tailor pointed accusingly at the Settlement behind me.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have her!¡± I declared adamantly, levelling my spear with the creature''s chest.


    The Tailor hissed and snarled in annoyance, ¡°I do not want HER!¡± The monster''s voice had become a discordant chorus of a hundred different voices each out of time with one another, ¡°I WANT HIM!¡± The Tailor pointed out into the swamp in what seemed like a random direction. ¡°NOBODY TAKES WHAT IS MINE! NOBODY STEALS FROM KIKI!¡± The monster shuddered for a few moments before calming down again, ¡°When that boy comes here for her, he is MINE!¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± I agreed, ¡°Just leave us the hell alone!¡±


    The Tailor snarled, ¡°No. That boy is coming here. I will not leave.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you stay!¡± I insisted. This monster was way too dangerous to have around. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild might be morally corrupt enough to accept a few missing people, but I¡¯m not.


    ¡°I will do as I-¡± The Tailor suddenly stiffened suddenly.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Gric stalked out from the gate, Qreet, Dar and Ushu right behind him.


    ¡°Daemons!¡± The Tailor hissed angrily, ¡°You consort with Daemons?!¡± It demanded furiously.


    Gric growled and took a threatening stance, glaring balefully at The Tailor without a shred of fear. Following his lead, Qreet and Dar released deep rumbling growls and bared their teeth.


    Ushu held aloft what looked like a giant snake fang dagger. Cloaking himself and the dagger in a thick fog of grey mana, Ushu thrust the dagger towards The Tailor like it was a holy cross and he was trying to repel a vampire. Surprisingly, it seemed to be working.


    The Tailor shrieked and stumbled backwards, shielding its face with its long-fingered claws.


    ¡°I BANISH YOU!¡± Ushu hissed, thrusting the fang dagger forward again and directing the point towards The Tailor.


    The Tailor fell to its knees and howled, shivering and shaking so violently that it seemed like the monster would tear itself apart. Then, all at once, The Tailor disappeared, leaving a rather plain and out of place middle-aged woman behind where the monster had been only moments before. The woman stiffly stood up, looked around, noticed me and smiled in a mechanical sort of way. ¡°Hello,¡± The woman waved stiffly and began walking over.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked Ushu incredulously. Somehow, he had managed to turn The Tailor into..well, the tailor.


    ¡°It wass an evil sspirit, Lord. I Banished it,¡± Ushu bowed but was still looking warily at the approaching woman. ¡°That ssouless wass sserving ass itss vesssel, it iss very likely marked. We should desstroy it!¡± He insisted worriedly.


    Gric nodded but looked conflicted. ¡°We-cannot,¡± he hissed in agitation, ¡°Destroying-a-vendor-will-bring-destruction.¡±


    ¡°From the Labyrinth?¡± I asked warily.


    Gric nodded.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the woman repeated, now standing only a few feet away and staring at my face without actually making eye contact.


    ¡°Then how do we get rid of it?¡± I demanded, ¡°I don¡¯t want that thing showing up here again! Especially now that we just pissed it off!¡±


    ¡°Ssorry Lord,¡± Ushu¡¯s expression was conflicted between relief and worry, ¡°I thought you were in danger...¡±


    I sighed in frustration and shook my head, ¡°No, you did the right thing. That thing, that evil spirit? It¡¯s dangerous and I don¡¯t want it anywhere near my people.


    ¡°I can Ward it!¡± Ushu suggested eagerly, pointing at the woman. ¡°The sspirit cannot posssesss what iss warded.¡±


    ¡°But what do we do with it?¡± I glanced worriedly at the woman who was still staring vacantly at me.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the woman repeated for the third time with precisely the same inflection.


    Gric shrugged apologetically, ¡°Lord-could-keep. Trade-for-supplies.¡±


    ¡°That...Isn¡¯t the worst idea...Huh,¡± I took a few moments to think about it. ¡°Don¡¯t we need money, er, coins, to trade with it?¡±


    Gric nodded.


    ¡°I guess we could always try and establish trade with some adventurers or something,¡± I sighed. ¡°Alright, so, what do I do?¡±


    Gric shrugged.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the woman repeated for the fourth time.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I replied exasperatedly.


    ¡°I need somewhere to work,¡± the woman commented brightly with the same vacant smile.


    ¡°I will find you somewhere to work,¡± I sighed resignedly. This was not the outcome I had expected, but considering how everyone was still alive, it could definitely have turned out worse.


    The vendor just kept following me like a stalker. After talking it over, at length, with the others, Nadine suggested we store the vendor in its own barrow in the Grove. No one was particularly thrilled with the idea, but it made sense when Ushu confirmed that he could establish a permanent Ward thanks to the ambient mana level. So we imprisoned the vendor in its own private cell, not that it seemed to mind.


    ¡°This could be pretty handy,¡± Nadine commented, assuming you can trade with the foothold or some independent merchants.¡±


    I was about to ask something but realised I had been overlooking a rather significant problem. ¡°The Tailor claimed that a psycho burned down her shop...¡±


    Nadine¡¯s expression changed from mild interest to shock, ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the reason it came here. It said the same guy was coming here next for Hana. Or at least I assume that was who it meant...¡± I was pretty confident The Tailor had been talking about The Destroyer and Hana.


    ¡°Then that means...¡± Nadine¡¯s face paled still further, ¡°We need to find out if Rose, Kirk and Millie are alright!¡± She insisted, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have come to the third floor at all if it weren¡¯t for us!¡±


    I winced and nodded in agreement.


    Clarice looked worried but was also pretty annoyed, ¡°I guess the competition is off then,¡± she grumbled.


    Nadine gave Clarice a scathing look.


    ¡°What?!¡± Clarice demanded defensively, ¡°I¡¯m worried about them too! That¡¯s why I assumed the competition was gonna be cancelled!¡±


    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a Raid Status alert or anything. Is it possible that the Foothold barrier is still active?¡± I asked hopefully.


    Nadine threw her hands up in the air, ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± She hissed angrily. ¡°We need to make a rescue party and try to find them. If they were lucky, maybe they managed to escape through the portal. Or maybe they made it onto a boat and fled upriver?¡± Nadine grew more concerned, ¡°But that psycho is running out there too...¡±


    ¡°Sso are the treacherouss Black-Maw!¡± Ushu hissed angrily.


    ¡°But what can we really do? A trip through the swamp would take days in and of itself, let alone trying to make it across the river. Also, how are we meant to find them?¡± I asked, not meaning to discourage anyone but I was overwhelmed by the scale of the endeavour and didn¡¯t know where to start.


    ¡°We could have one the Shamans make a Ward to keep the monsters away, and the rafts Ushu¡¯s people used to cross the river are probably still there,¡± Nadine suggested, ¡°The Foothold is meant to be by the river, so it would be relatively easy to look for them by travelling up and down the river. Besides, maybe they managed to get away on a boat and have been hiding out on the river.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I agreed, ¡°But who would go? The more people we send, the more difficult it would be to travel through the swamp.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Clarice cried out excitedly, ¡°You could make this a quest!¡± She slapped her hands and rubbed them together greedily, ¡°I mean this kinda sounds like a suicide mission, what with that psycho running around and all. So the difficulty level must be insane!¡± Clarice seemed completely out of sync with her choice of words and more than a little ecstatic at the prospect of rushing into extreme danger, ¡°Just think of how much EXP it would be worth!¡±


    Nadine just shook her head incredulously. ¡°Well, I am definitely going. Someone needs to be responsible.¡±


    Clarice shrugged, apparently not put out by the implication, ¡°Well I''m definitely going,¡± she didn¡¯t seem to think she needed a justification for it, which only made Nadien more annoyed.


    ¡°Ushu is the most powerful Shaman we have,¡± I suggested, ¡°Would you be willing to go?¡± I asked Ushu.


    Seemingly content to be a bystander in the discussion until called upon, Ushu was a little flustered. ¡°If my Lord willss it,¡± he replied nervously.


    ¡°We will go too,¡± Emelia insisted, volunteering herself and Tobi.


    Tobi was a little surprised but nodded in agreement.


    And that made five. Looking at the way they were already grouping together and starting to talk about preparations for the trip, I realised that I was being left behind. ¡°Just help yourselves to anything you need,¡± I encouraged them and then left them to their planning.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 14 – Height of ambition – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 14 ¨C Height of ambition ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 14 - Height of ambition - Part Two {Rewrite}


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Hana asked a little awkwardly after catching up to me.


    I shrugged and shook my head with a soft snort, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, ¡°I know they are heading into danger, but a part of me is disappointed at being left behind.¡±


    Hana nodded but said nothing.


    ¡°I guess I am just worried about them. The swamp is no joke and I honestly doubt the river and just about anywhere on this floor of Labyrinth is much better.¡± I felt like things were spiralling out of control, which was crazy considering how I had been just about ready to give the go ahead on some insane monster cull competition less than an hour ago. ¡°I guess I am just worried that something will happen to them,¡± I explained dourly.


    Hana nodded again but was giving me a strange look, ¡°Why don¡¯t you hate them?¡± she asked bluntly. ¡°They Enslaved you and made you serve them against your will. So, why?¡±


    I was quiet for a while as I remembered the events before and after my arrival in the Labyrinth. ¡°I have had some time to think about it, and honestly, the more I learn about the Labyrinth, the more convinced I am that they saved my life. They weren¡¯t exaggerating when they pointed out my hang-ups involving violence. If a pack of Orcs had found me first, I would have been dead or gone crazy.¡±


    Glancing at me dubiously, Hana elected to stay silent.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± I guessed.


    ¡°Well...¡± Hana shrugged apologetically and determinedly kept her eyes fixed ahead of us. ¡°Mother...She told us once, that when she first arrived in the Labyrinth, a group of humans attacked her. She tried begging them to just let her go, but they refused, even laughed at her.¡± Hana¡¯s eyes lowered slightly and she shrugged, ¡°So Mother killed them and that was the end of it.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do something like that,¡± I shook my head and tried to ignore the minor slip I had made.


    Judging by the look in Hana¡¯s eyes, I could tell she had noticed, ¡°Couldn¡¯t, not can¡¯t?¡±


    I let out a deep sigh and stopped walking, ¡°I have people I want to protect. People who depend on me, Even though I don¡¯t want to...I would kill to keep them safe from those who mean them harm.¡± It was a testament to the Labyrinth¡¯s conditioning. Death was everywhere and I couldn¡¯t just shift the responsibility to others anymore.


    I was a civilised man living in uncivilised lands. But worse than that, there was precious little I could do about it. The best I could do was establish a sanctuary and hope that I would be strong enough to hold it together.


    No.


    I was going to have to work for it. No more sitting back and waiting. If I just kept reacting, then I was doomed to failure. I had to be more proactive. I needed to become stronger so I could support my ideals with strength and conviction, not just words and sentiment. If I wanted to keep the people I cared for safe, I was going to have to get my hands bloody.


    As if on cue, a crimson Status Alert popped up in front of my eyes.


    [Conditions for identifying {Key of Awakening (???)} have been met.]


    [{Key of Awakening (???)} Quest Available. Accept? (Y/N).]


    ¡°Accept,¡± I barely hesitated. It was time to begin taking control of my life.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: Kill 1000 monsters within 10 Days. {Success} will earn a reward appropriate to your effort and unlock the next stage of the quest. {Failure} will terminate the quest and destroy {Key of Awakening (???). Good luck!]


    A thousand monsters seemed like a lot, but it hadn¡¯t required that I kill them all myself either. It also hadn¡¯t required a baseline of strength for the monsters.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Hana asked warily.


    ¡°I just accepted a quest,¡± I explained while forming the plan in my mind. Effort could mean a number of things. The difficulty of the monsters, how much I contributed personally, or even how quickly the quest was completed. There would be other interpretations as well, so I decided that getting to the next step of the quest sooner was an acceptable idea anyway, since the reward was unspecified.


    ¡°Issue limited quest. Kill one-thousand wild monsters. Exp reward goes to the top five contributors.¡± I didn¡¯t exactly know why, but I felt like this was the way the quest was meant to be done.


    It only took a few minutes for the others to find me and begin asking questions. So I explained the situation to them as best I could. Within the hour, the competition was back on and I could see solid progress being made on both the quest I had issued and the quest I had accepted. However, I still felt like it would be a good idea to make sure I earned at least some of the kills myself, so after adding Hana, since the expeditionary group was gunning for the reward collectively, I left the Settlement and headed into the swamp.


    Even though there were only about twenty to thirty participants, Asra and Toofy¡¯s strategy had turned the surrounding swampland into a warzone. There were seven different copies of Gric barrelling around the area and recklessly throwing themselves into brutal confrontations with wild monsters. Even though they were certainly weaker than the original, Gric¡¯s copies were ruthless and supported by a veritable swarm of the still child-sized Daemonlings.


    Watching Asra throw manastones and use them to summon copies of the Daemons from the Settlement, I was reminded of a show I had watched as a kid and wondered if perhaps I had chosen the wrong Class...


    Each time a Daemon was killed, which was already proving rare, they would return bigger and stronger than before. Almost all of the Daemons had modelled themselves largely upon the three body types of Gric, Qreet and Dar, favouring natural weapons, powerful muscles, and quick reflexes to see them through a fight.


    Clarice¡¯s students were getting stuck in as well, although they each seemed to have very different ideas on how to rack up their kill count the fastest. Some of them were fishing, while others were lingering at the periphery of the Daemon killing fields, swatting Scourges that were drawn in by the smell of blood.


    The expeditionary group themselves were in direct competition with Asra and Toofy¡¯s horde of summoned Daemons and didn¡¯t seem to be making much progress. I wasn¡¯t having much better luck either. Just about every predator in the region was being drawn towards the Daemons. So the best I could manage was attempting to intercept them, which was having middling levels of success.


    *Shunk*


    I drove my spear into the side of the croc and retreated before it had the chance to whip its head around and take a chomp in retaliation. Bleeding freely, it would quickly weaken if I drew the fight out. However, I was already struggling to find opponents as is and drawing the fight out would probably make it worse. Besides, manoeuvring around on this terrain was dangerous, better to just end it quickly.


    Attempting a feint to my right, the croc was not fooled for a moment and barrelled straight for my legs. With no real alternatives, I stepped back and very nearly tripped as my left foot suddenly sank shin-deep into the mud. Thrown off-balance, I barely managed to stab the croc¡¯s left foreleg and stall its advance.


    Experimentally trying to just tug my foot free, I quickly realised that it was going to take considerably more effort and both my arms to provide the necessary leverage. Stabbing at the croc to buy some more time to think, I was less fortunate this time and only managed to score some of its scales as it rushed me again.


    Out of sheer desperation, I threw myself sideways.


    *Clomp*


    The croc¡¯s jaws popped shut around where my leg had been trapped a moment earlier. However, just because it missed didn¡¯t mean it would just stop the attack.


    *Crack*


    Kicking the croc in the head with my heel as I tried to scramble away, I felt a section of bone give way and the croc¡¯s head snapped sideways painfully.


    Still alive the croc groggily followed after me to try and take another bite.


    Trying with the spear again, I caught the croc in the side again, only this time, I decided to just try and hold it there rather than retracting the spear.


    With little thought for self-preservation, the croc kept trying to push forward towards me, but it only managed to bury the head of the spear deeper into its internal organs.


    Eventually, the Swamp Lurker died from internal bleeding. It was only my third kill, so the sorry state it left me in was kind of pathetic. Gingerly testing my ankle to make sure I hadn¡¯t sprained it, I was relieved to find that I had only pinched a nerve.


    The retrieval teams were a decent distance away, so I decided to bring the body in myself. Given how terrifyingly filthy I was already, I committed to carrying it back over my shoulder. At the very least, it would seem more impressive than just dragging it back. It may also confuse the reason for my being so filthy in the first place.


    After this quest is completed, I am going to spend some serious time practising how to fight. However, with Clarice gone, I would need to be creative.


    Dropping off the carcass, I decided against washing up just yet, I was likely to get dirty again, so there wouldn¡¯t be much point. Heading back out into the swamp, I was surprised to see Emelia racing back and heading straight for me. In order to find more monsters, the expeditionary group had pushed deeper into the swamp, so Emelia¡¯s sudden return did not bode well.


    ¡°We found more refugees!¡± Emelia called out and motioned back in the direction she had come from, ¡°There are too many monsters and we can¡¯t break through!¡±


    Rushing over to meet Emelia halfway, I needed more information, ¡°How far away are they? And how many monsters are there?¡±


    Emelia looked quite pale and more than a little scared. ¡°Not too far, Nadine thinks that they were trying to make it to the Settlement like Ushu¡¯s people, but they don¡¯t seem to have a Shaman and there aren¡¯t many of them left. There are just so many monsters...¡± She was shaking so hard her teeth were nearly chattering.


    It was time to be decisive. ¡°Issue quest. Rescue the refugees. Reward priority based on distribution.¡± That should give some early warning and let everyone generally know what was going on. ¡°Emelia, go let the porters and Surgeons know that we will be heading out and to meet me at the gate.¡±


    Emelia nodded and hurried away.


    ¡°EVERYONE! LISTEN UP!¡± I roared, ¡°THE COMPETITION IS CANCELLED! RETURN TO THE GATE!¡±


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t nearly so simple in practice. While Asra and Toofy were both able to rather quickly retreat to the gate, the horde of Daemons was in the middle of a pitched engagement of their own and couldn¡¯t just suddenly cut and run. Clarice¡¯s students had it much easier and were able to end their own activities in short order. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gric, the original, had made his own way to the gate, despite appearing somewhat lethargic. ¡°I-will-fight, Lord,¡± he insisted stubbornly.


    Seeing this a positive step in his development, I nodded. Gric¡¯s Daemon Lord Class would be an important asset, assuming he had taken the Class.


    Hana was standing by the gate as well, but it didn¡¯t seem like she planned on joining us. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said regretfully, ¡°But I will do what I can to make the return trip easier,¡± Hana insisted, promptly cloaking herself in emerald mana walking towards the edge of the barrier. In a similar fashion to how she terraformed the Settlement, Hana began transforming the nearby swampland. The nearby bogs began to empty one by one.


    Gric took control over Asra and Toofy¡¯s party and quickly formed a retinue from half of Clarice¡¯s students, inviting all but two of them into the party itself.


    Following his lead, I invited the remaining pair into my party and quickly assigned them to protective duties with the Surgeons and Porters for our travel through open swampland.


    With what remained of Asra¡¯s force of Daemons to serve as Vanguard, we hurried off into the swamp.


    As I had somewhat expected, we met minimal resistance and quickly saw the reason as to why.


    In stark contrast to when we had found the Bleak-fang encampment, the refugees were in the grips of a desperate battle for survival. Unlike the Bleak-Fang, they appeared to have actual warriors and equipment, but the fighting was brutal. Like Emelia had said, there couldn¡¯t be more than fifty refugees, and they were being assaulted on all sides by a ragged tide of monsters.


    ¡°**** **!!!¡± A tall broad-shouldered woman in primitive plate armour raised a bloodied battle-axe high and roared something unintelligible. Judging by the effect it had on the surrounding warriors, it had to be a call to battle of some kind. Maybe an attempt to raise faltering morale.


    I could see Clarice, Nadine, Tobi and Ushu desperately trying to hold their own up ahead of us. If it weren''t for the lack of monsters coming from our direction and the feckless loyalty of the carnivorous fish in the water, their stand would have been impossible.


    ¡°Fighters stick close to your charges! Porters and Surgeons prepare to receive the wounded!¡± I called out and began rushing forwards along the winding path, the column of our motley band following close behind.


    Gric¡¯s copies readily overtook me, roaring in challenge as they barrelled headfirst into the closest monsters assaulting the expeditionary force¡¯s position.


    Rushing past them and towards the refugees, I gored a giant toad with my spear and flung the wounded monster off and into a nearby body of water. ¡°CHARGE!!!¡± I bellowed and to my surprise felt a sudden flood of energy coursing through my veins.


    A large Swamp Lurker launched itself from the water to my left, but I wasn¡¯t the least concerned.


    *Crunch*


    [You have slain {Swamp Lurker: 5 } +1500 Exp]


    My left fist collided with the side of its head and sent the Swamp Lurker flying back into the water. I barely even felt the impact and was even more surprised to see the death notification filter through my lower peripheral vision. A quick glance at the group status showed me why.


    [Tim - HP: 20/20 - Fearless, Indomitable, Battlelust, ]


    It suddenly clicked, I must have used my new Class Ability, War Cry.


    However, I hadn¡¯t used it intentionally...Was the ability just meant to activate on its own? Or was it because of something I did?


    I didn¡¯t really have time to think about it though, there were plenty more wild monsters ahead of me before I would make it to the refugees¡¯ defensive line.


    For their part, the refugees had very likely been aware of our expeditionary force but now seemed to be fighting with renewed vigour as they saw us fighting to clear a path for them to escape. They were already in the process of reforming their lines, the large warrior woman throwing herself into the fray and contrasting just how much taller she was than the other warriors, easily head and shoulders taller than the next tallest warrior.


    ¡°FIGHT!¡± Gric growled, ¡°FIGHT!!¡±


    The swarm of Daemons worked themselves into a frenzy and began launching themselves at every monster in sight. Many of them were no larger than children, but they seemed near impervious to harm. I even saw one ¡®unlucky¡¯ Daemon get swallowed whole by a giant toad, only to rip itself free from the toad¡¯s belly a few seconds later. Interestingly enough, Gric¡¯s copies seemed to be similarly affected and were leading the charge.


    Charging through the throngs of Daemons, I was soon on the front line again, only there were no more monsters between myself and the refugees. Quickly moving over to their lines, I was grateful when they allowed me to pass through. Heading straight for the amazon warrior that I assumed would be the one in charge, I tried to picture gathering mana into my right hand like I had seen Ushu, Gric and Hana do when recruiting people to the Settlement.


    A vibrant violet light glimmered into being around my hand.


    The amazon warrior promptly disengaged from her own melee and rushed towards me. Unable to see her face because of her helmet, I could still tell that she was incredibly worried but meant me no harm. For now.


    I offered my hand as if I were offering her a handshake.


    The amazon warrior was already carrying her axe in her left hand, so she reached forward and clasped my forearm. She nearly let go and gripped my arm tighter as she stiffened in surprise. ¡°**** ** ****?¡± The amazon warrior asked, her gruff words nothing more than unintelligible gibberish.


    Resting my spear against my shoulder, I then motioned to my mouth and ears with my hand, ¡°So we can communicate,¡± I repeated the motions and then finished it by pointing to our clasped arms.


    The amazon warrior nodded in understanding, ¡°******.¡±


    [Settlement Alert {Tim¡¯s Settlement}: {Lash - Deep Orc} was recruited by {Lord Tim} as a minion.]


    Deep Orc? I was a little thankful for the helmet now. It probably wouldn¡¯t have made a great first impression if recoiled in disgust. Then again, she hadn¡¯t recoiled either, so props to her self control.


    ¡°You are here to save us?¡± Lash asked intensely, gripping my arm even tighter.


    I nodded, forcing those other thoughts to back, where they belonged. ¡°Yes. My Settlement is only a little farther back the way I have come. You will be safe from wild monster attacks there.


    Lash nodded and released my forearm, ¡°WARRIORS! HEAR ME!¡± She bellowed like an army sergeant, ¡°ALLIES JOIN US!!¡±


    There was a ragged cheer from the ragged band of refugees in spite of the fighting.


    ¡°RETREAT EGGS AND WOUNDED! FIGHT HARD! SURVIVE!¡± Lash roared, brandishing her axe and directing it towards the furious pitched melee of the Daemons desperately holding back the wild monsters. The sled with porters and Surgeons had broken through and was shepherded through the front rank of warriors.


    ¡°Patch jobs only!¡± I called out to the Surgeons, ¡°We can worry about being pretty when everyone is in the safety of the Settlement!¡±


    The surgeons nodded in acknowledgement and were pulling out bandages, clumps of moss and lengths of cord.


    ¡°Healers?!¡± Lash exclaimed incredulously as she witnessed the first flash of golden light healing one of her warriors.


    ¡°I do,¡± I agreed, ¡°You mentioned eggs?¡± I pressed. I was aware of how important they were and was already rather worried by the absence of children in their group.


    Lash nodded vigorously and motioned to four burly warriors almost as large as she was. They were pushing and dragging a metal banded sled of their own. They were flanked by six more warriors in heavy armour. ¡°Clan¡¯s future,¡± she commented, her voice quavering slightly.


    How much devastation was that psycho responsible for?


    ¡°Then we need to make sure it makes it back safely,¡± I insisted. I pointed over the heads of the warriors and towards Nadine and the others, ¡°My minions over there. They are my elite and will make sure the egg cache makes it back in one piece. Just tell them I said so.¡± It was technically true. With the exception of Gric, I suppose, but he was needed here.


    Lash dipped her helmet roughly and ran off towards the sled.


    ¡°I have mana for ssixs more!¡± One of the surgeons called out loudly.


    ¡°Eight!¡± Called back another.


    ¡°Two!¡± Called back yet another, ¡°Heading out with the sled!¡±


    Hearing them communicating with one another despite the chaos, I was genuinely impressed by how well they were holding up under the pressure. If I could award medals for this sort of thing, I totally would.


    The Deep Orc warrior lines were rapidly tightening up and readying to pull out entirely. It was amazing how disciplined they were. Even though they didn¡¯t have shields, the warriors would bodily block errant monsters like American linebackers to stop them from breaking through the lines and running amok.


    ¡°PREPARE RETREAT!¡± Lash roared.


    ¡°OOH!¡± The warriors roared back as one, battered but still unbroken.


    That reminded me that I should be helping more to make sure as many people make it out of this as possible. ¡°SANCTUARY AWAITS!¡± I bellowed, feeling the familiar rush crashing through my system.


    Judging by the sudden spike in their performance, the Deep Orc warriors clearly recognised me as an ally, much to my relief.


    ¡°Time to get stuck in!¡± I grunted and made my way over to the slowly withdrawing backline. The warriors made room for me and seemed startled to see me, likely having expected someone quite different.


    Well, compared to them I looked very strange I suppose.


    Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I began stabbing and bashing at the monsters attacking the rear defensive line. To my immense relief, my skin proved too tough for the venomous water snakes to pierce. It was a good thing too because I was focusing most of my violent attentions on the large crocs and giant toads. The mud dolls were barely a threat and I had yet to see one manage to successfully hit anyone with enough force to inflict an injury.


    ¡°FIGHT!¡± Gric bellowed, and a few seconds later a trio of his doppelgangers joined the rear guard and then began pushing through into the enemy lines. Shortly after that, a small swarm of adult-sized Daemons rushed to join them. ¡°Lord!¡± Gric called from nearby.


    Looking back, I could see it was just Gric, myself and what remained of the rearguard, which was only a small handful of warriors. Everyone else has left. ¡°Got it!¡± I called back, ¡°RETREAT!¡± I roared, spending another point of MP to give the warriors a buff.


    We hurriedly disengaged, turned and ran. Having fought through seemingly endless waves of monsters like this during the mandatory quest, I knew that the Daemon doppelgangers wouldn¡¯t hold for long on their own. We had already been fighting for a half hour or more, and without fresh reinforcements, they would be worn down by attrition tactics. All the more so since the Daemons used natural weapons, such as their claws and teeth.


    True to her word, Hana, with the help of her Druid¡¯s had made rather drastic changes to the Settlement¡¯s approach, making it much easier to move at a higher speed the closer you came to the Settlement itself.


    Much to my relief, it looked like everyone else had managed to make it back. Better yet, the porters and a couple of the Surgeons were assessing latecomers and directing them to the mostly renovated hospital. Serpent-Kin were distributing food and clean water, helping those in relatively healthy condition towards the fountain or the cooking fires. Most of the warriors were leaning heavily on one another or on their accommodating guides. They seemed just about dead on their feet.


    Spotting Lash amidst the bustling throng, I began making my way over. While I knew I wouldn''t like what I would hear, I needed answers. Seeing her remove her helmet, I slowed somewhat to make sure I wouldn¡¯t freak out and cause an incident.


    Huh?


    Lash looked pretty much nothing like the Orcs I had seen on the first floor. She had incredibly pale green skin and short shock-white hair. Lash also had what was a mostly flat nose, exposing her nostrils, but she had pointed ears like Toofy, only larger. Yet the most striking thing was her eyes. Lash¡¯s iris¡¯s were a bright amethyst and shimmered like jewels in the last of the evening light filtering over the briar wall.


    With my mouth and throat suddenly feeling quite dry, I became quite flustered. Realising Lash had seen me staring and was now making her way over, I started to panic. Trying to dry my sweaty palms against my pants, I nearly freaked out as my hands came away muddy and bloody. and I remembered how filthy my clothes were.


    Lash stopped a few paces away and I noticed that she was also at least a few inches taller than I was. Lash held out her right hand expectantly.


    Unable to think clearly, I reached out and shook her hand.


    FUCK!


    Lash looked surprised but didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Gratitude,¡± She bowed her head.


    ¡°D-HRM,¡± my voice came out pitchy, so I quickly cleared my throat, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I let go of her hand and tried to wave it off nonchalantly.


    Lash gave me a curious look but nodded slightly, ¡°Will repay debt.¡± She bowed roughly and began making her way back over to the egg cache.


    ¡°Ah! I mean, ah, I have some questions, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± I asked awkwardly, trying to ignore the fact that my back was now sweating like crazy.


    Lash walked back over again, ¡°Questions?¡±


    I gulped hard and was confused as to why my mouth was now practically overflowing with drool, even though my mouth had been bone dry moments earlier. ¡°Ah, where did you come from? Why were you coming here?¡±


    Lash slowly exhaled and avoided eye contact for a few moments before clenching her statuesque jaw and staring me in the eye again, ¡°Below ground. World of stone,¡± Lash pointed to the ground, ¡°Exiled from Clan. Bright Lord demand Clan serve, Lash refuse. Hekara, Shaman, sensed mana-well, promised new home...¡± Her expression turned dour, ¡°Dark spirit ambushed Hekara, killed many. We escaped, no Shaman to confuse soulless.¡±


    ¡°Dark spirit?¡± I asked, ¡°Long spindly arms and claws, pitch-black eyes?¡±


    Lash stiffened before getting a grip on herself and nodding with a concerned look on her face, ¡°Yes. Dark spirit stalks the swamp?¡± She asked worriedly.


    ¡°Not anymore,¡± I pointed over at Ushu, who was making the rounds inviting Lash¡¯s warriors to the Settlement, ¡°Ushu Banished it. We have contained its vessel and Warded it in a prison to stop the dark spirit from coming back.¡±


    Lash seemed conflicted. Visibly relieved, she also seemed burdened by grief and anger. Understandable, we had only imprisoned the vessel, the dark spirit was still running around out there somewhere.


    ¡°I...I didn¡¯t see any children amongst the survivors...did...did the spirit?...¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it, the thought was so repugnant that my mouth refused to form the words.


    ¡°No,¡± Lash shook her head and looked somewhat relieved, ¡°Brought no children, only eggs.¡±


    That was a relief. Small miracles and all that.


    There was something else Lash had mentioned that bothered me. ¡°Who or what is the Bright Lord?¡± I asked curiously.


    Lash frowned and wrinkled her brow in anger, ¡°Another dark spirit!¡± She spat on the ground, ¡°Cruel, evil, harm all who disobey. Others, slaves, worse,¡± Lash spat on the ground again.


    ¡°So your old clan serves the Bright Lord?¡± I did not like the sound of this latest development. Especially since the Bright Lord may very well be The Destroyer operating under a different alias.


    Lash nodded, ¡°Hekara take us into exile. We leave while others sleep. Collapsed tunnels to escape.¡±


    Well, at least that''s something.


    Even though that pretty much guaranteed that we had another enemy out there somewhere, at least they didn¡¯t know where Lash and her people were. Sort of. While the mana-well effect created by the Grove was useful as a beacon for refugees, it was doubtless functioning the same for anyone else with darker motives too.


    Maybe Ushu could think of something to help with that?


    ¡°Need rest,¡± Lash stated, breaking me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, sorry! Don¡¯t let me keep you,¡± I replied awkwardly.


    Letting Lash go, I fought the impulse to check out her ass.


    The hell is wrong with me today?!


    The heavy hide and plated metal armour left almost everything to the imagination anyway, so what the hell?


    Shaking my head, I saw the quest completion status alert hovering in my peripheral vision. It had not taken long to unlock it at all. I had gained two levels as well, earning another point of Strength and Toughness.


    There was a small chance the next phase of the quest would be time-sensitive, so I decided to wait until tomorrow morning to complete the first stage and collect the reward.


    That did remind me of an idea I had during the rescue mission. The Settlement needed a real name, and I think I had come up with something pretty appropriate.


    Sanctuary.


    It was perhaps a little on the nose, but weren''t most town and city names from Earth?


    They were either named after someone, the things the town was known for, or a combination of both.


    ¡°Change Settlement name to Sanctuary.¡± I declared firmly. Like most of the Settlement functions, it was ninety percent intent.


    [Tim¡¯s Settlement has been renamed Sanctuary by order of Lord Tim. ]


    Suddenly everyone grew quiet and began looking in my direction.


    Right...I should have figured that would have an announcement.


    Silently making my way through the crowds, I headed for the Grove so I could wash myself and my clothes.


    Stripped down to my boxers and just about to hop into the water, I was interrupted by someone stepping out from the shadows.


    ¡°Sanctuary huh?¡± Hana asked goodnaturedly, ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± I agreed, ¡°It might be a bit on the nose, but I think it sends the right message, you know?¡±


    Hana nodded with a small smile, ¡°I do Tim. But I¡¯ll leave you to your bath, things to do, Barrows to grow. Busy busy busy.¡±


    ¡°Bye Hana,¡± I called out after her as I slipped into the water. It was pretty damn cold, but at least it was clean. Tearing off some of the dawnmoss growing on the outside of the fountain, I used it to both scrub off the filth as well as lather up my skin by squeezing out some of the sap.


    Draping my tunic and pants over the tree to air dry, I trudged upstairs and all but collapsed on my bed and pretty much fell asleep immediately.


    Waking up relatively late for once, the sun was actually out when I started walking downstairs. Retrieving my pants and tunic from the fountain tree, they were still a little damp, but they shouldn¡¯t take too long to dry out from my body heat, so I pulled them on and began meandering over to the cooking fires.


    Hana had been incredibly busy indeed. There were MANY more barrows than there had been yesterday. Which I suppose made sense. With pretty much all of the Daemons now adult-sized, and fifty or so Deep Orc refugees in need of housing, there actually may not be enough barrows even now.


    Unsurprisingly, Toofy, Asra and Ril were sitting near one of the cookfires and chatting animatedly. Well, Toofy and Asra were talking, Ril was just eating and staring at whoever happened to be talking.


    ¡°-got sso many levelss! Underlord Gric even ssayss I unlocked another Ability!¡± Asra declared excitedly, ¡°We make ssuch a good team!¡±


    Toofy grinned and nodded, ¡°Toofy tell Asra,¡± she flashed Asra a wider smile.


    Asra blushed but nodded, ¡°You did," he agreed somewhat quietly.


    ¡°You both did really well,¡± I agreed, smirking a little as Asra very nearly leapt out of his skin. They had been so involved in their conversation that they hadn¡¯t seen me walking up behind them.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Toofy leapt up and jumped at me for a hug.


    Effortlessly catching her, I gave Toofy a very light squeeze, remembering that she no longer had my synergies. Feeling a tug on my pant leg, I looked down and saw Ril reaching up with both arms expectantly.


    ¡°Ril...Up!¡± Ril smiled broadly, revealing her teeth.


    Unsure whether that was intended to be cute or threatening, I decided that it didn¡¯t really matter either way and scooped her up for a hug too.


    Ril grinned, ¡°Hehehe,¡± she looked happily at Toofy and then looked around the area from her new vantage point.


    Ril had done some growing and would probably be close to Toofy¡¯s own height soon. It was a little surprising that she wasn¡¯t as large as the other Daemons. She was obviously eating enough, but perhaps it had something to do with her not ¡®adapting¡¯ like the others were.


    Ril¡¯s appearance had not changed much since she had hatched, other than looking slightly more like Toofy. Which was a little weird. Somehow, Ril looked more plausibly passable as Toofy¡¯s daughter each time I saw her.


    ¡°Toofy?¡± I asked warily, intending to get to the bottom of this.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Toofy replied happily.


    ¡°I think you have been doing an amazing job looking after Ril,¡± I let Toofy have her moment of self-indulgent pride before moving on, ¡°What have you been feeding her?¡±


    Toofy grinned and wriggled excitedly, ¡°Toofy feed Ril Meat and Toofy milk.¡±


    ¡°W-what?!¡± I felt like I nearly had a heart attack.


    Toofy gave me a patronising look and shook her head, ¡°Toofy milk,¡± she repeated raising her right index finger to her mouth, breaking the skin with her teeth and offering her now bleeding finger to Ril.


    Ril greedily grabbed Toofy¡¯s hand and latched onto her bleeding finger like a leech.


    Apparently seeing nothing wrong with what she was doing, Toofy gave me a very condescending look and shook her head disappointedly.


    I had no words...


    It wasn¡¯t what I thought it would be, but was also somehow worse and explained everything...


    It was only natural That Ril wasn¡¯t growing as large as the other Daemons if she was actively modelling herself after Toofy.


    It was also why she looked more like Toofy every time I saw her...


    ¡°Toofy...¡± I couldn¡¯t find the right words to make her stop, my brain was in free fall.


    ¡°What?¡± Toofy demanded suspiciously.


    I caved, ¡°It¡¯s blood, not milk...Milk comes out somewhere else. Ask Nadine.¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh,¡± Toofy nodded sagely and then shrugged. ¡°Just Toofy blood. Why Tim mad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little weird,¡± I admitted and happened to notice Asra slowly slinking away, ¡°Toofy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Toofy asked while combing her free hand through Ril¡¯s hair.


    ¡°If Asra tells you to put something of his in your mouth, bite it,¡± I told her, ¡°Hard!¡±


    ¡°Kay! Toofy do!¡± Toofy grinned, revealing her razor-sharp teeth.


    Asra paled.


    *****


    Waking up in an unfamiliar place, Lash sprang up and into a crouch, her eyes exposing every nook and cranny of the barrow. Used to functioning with almost no light, Lash was nearly blinded by the light streaming into the barrow from the entrance on the far side.


    She had opted to rest in the same place they had stored the egg cache and their most elite warriors. Not only had that meant that she would be protected from treachery while she slept, Lash would also be able to help defend the eggs if need be.


    However, judging by the relaxed state of the guards, Lash had to conclude that no such treachery had taken place.


    ¡°Underlord Ushu says cooking fires for food if hungry,¡± Roch, one of the elite warriors on watch commented and pointed to the skewered meat being eaten by another guard.


    Lash nodded and began donning her armour. Armour was a Deep Orc¡¯s second skin and those who ventured out of dwellings without it often died shortly after.


    Which reminded Lash of the Settlement leader. He had charged into battle without a single scrap of iron and walked away unscathed, not even scratched.


    There had been warriors claiming to have seen him kill the soulless with his bare hands!


    Donning her helmet, Lash decided to leave her axe behind. It would send the wrong message, besides, she still had knives in her belt anyway.


    Suitably shielded from the near blinding light of the surface by her helmet, Lash left the barrow and took a moment to take in her surroundings.


    Everything was so strange.


    There were plants everywhere, but few of them were edible. Lash understood that the outer wall of strong and sharp plants was for defence. So it made sense to be inedible. The same was true of the roots that formed the barrows.


    However, the lichen carpeting the ground was not just inedible, it was toxic! And they had grown it just about everywhere they could!


    Then there were the tall plants growing from the roots. Lash had never known that there was more of a plant above the roots until she came to the surface. The plant was so strange, it grew from the roots, thickened into a single larger root, then diverged into many roots again with strange green things growing from those roots in turn. Somehow, they had grown a wall of these plants in the middle of the Settlement and the leader lived there.


    Wandering towards the cooking fires Lash was awed by the extravagance of it. While they had no forges, the surface-dwellers had huge fires for cooking food. Lash could see the leaders¡¯ elites intermingling with those of lower status and also actively encouraging her own people to take what they needed from the cooking fires or join in the butchering of the bodies of the soulless to provide meat for the fires. While both sides were somewhat wary of one another, the leader¡¯s people showed no signs of hostile intentions.


    Approaching the cooking fires Lash was surprised to see the leader himself was in attendance, carrying what looked like two children. Well, that made sense, a male of his status and strength was bound to have many children. Lash looked around for a sign of his mate or indeed, mates, as would be only fitting.


    After searching for a decent length of time, she had to admit defeat, Lash had seen no sign of them.


    Perhaps the females in the elite warriors were his mates?


    No that didn¡¯t seem right either, none of them looked like the children. If Lash and her people were going to stay on his lands, she needed to know more about the leader.


    Taking a moment to adjust her armour, Lash took a deep steadying breath and approached the leader directly. He saw her coming and set his children down to play or continue feasting.


    Lash nodded approvingly at the demonstrated appetites of both children. A strong appetite meant a strong child.


    ¡°Hrm!¡± The leader loudly cleared his throat, probably to get her attention, ¡°Ah, is there something I can help you with?¡± He asked.


    Lash had forgotten how tall he was. Their brief meeting during the battle and short conversation afterwards hadn¡¯t really given her time to internalise it. Lash herself was seven and a half hand lengths tall, a full hand length taller than most of her people. It was a sign of her strong bloodline.


    However, the leader looked to be less than a finger length shorter than her at most and considerably wider in the shoulders and hips. A powerful bloodline indeed.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He was looking at her expectantly and Lash realised she had not been paying attention.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Lash dipped her head contritely, she knew she was not making a good impression and was becoming worried. ¡°Was comparing size,¡± Lash apologised, hoping he would take it as a compliment.


    ¡°Oh, uh, okay?¡± He replied, seeming a little confused.


    Lash bit her lip as she realised her mistake. He had probably seen her comparison as an insult or perhaps a threat. After all, Lash was the closest match in terms of height, even if she was still far from being able to match his build.


    ¡°I was just saying that we haven¡¯t been properly introduced. My name is Tim,¡± He held out his hand expectantly.


    Seeing a chance to get things back on track, Lash reached out and tried to take hold of his hand in the same way he had done yesterday. It was important that she showed him that both she and her people were willing to learn his customs. Unfortunately, Tim, as he preferred to be known, had intended for a traditional warriors clasp, probably to demonstrate his respect for Lash as a warrior, so they accomplished neither gesture and fumbled their hands awkwardly for a few moments before settling for the warriors clasp.


    Lash was sweating bullets now. Things could not go any worse.


    ¡°Oh wow! I forgot how tall she is!¡± The fire-haired female Lash recognised from Tim¡¯s elites had joined them and was sizing her up for a fight.


    Lash had seen Fire-hair in action and would not underestimate her. She had demonstrated herself as being far stronger than her small stature should have been capable of. Fire-hair was dangerous, and Lash could tell by the look in her eyes that Fire-hair knew it and knew Lash knew it too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you wanna wrestle?¡± Fire-hair asked innocently, her eyes like glowing embers.


    Lash didn¡¯t know what rest-ling was exactly, but she had little doubt it was some form of fighting.


    ¡°Clarice,¡± Tim glared warningly at Fire-hair and her expression changed almost immediately.


    ¡°Aw come on Tim! None of these other guys is a real challenge and you won¡¯t wrestle me anymore. So why not let me and the new chick have a go?¡± Fire hair, or as Tim called her, Clarice, whined like a child in need of discipline.


    ¡°No!¡± There was iron in Tim¡¯s voice and Lash couldn¡¯t help but shiver. There was no way he did not have a mate. As Tim turned his attention to Lash, she felt weak in the knees. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he glared pointedly at Clarice for a moment before returning his attention to Lash, ¡°Clarice is a bit much sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Clarice glared back and crossed her arms defiantly.


    ¡°You are,¡± Tim insisted, ¡°And you know it!¡±


    Clarice broke eye contact, ¡°Ya don¡¯t have to be rude about it,¡± she muttered.


    Tim shook his head and took a deep breath before exhaling again, ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he apologised to Lash, completely disregarding his prestige as a warrior to save Lash¡¯s own. Clearly demonstrating that he had so much prestige that this was of no real consequence.


    ¡°She big,¡± the taller of the two female children Lash assumed was Tim¡¯s daughters complimented.


    The smaller one nodded, ¡°Big...¡±


    Lash stood a little straighter to show off her full height.


    ¡°Was there something you wanted?¡± Tim asked, sounding a little wearied by the audience and perhaps signalling Lash that she had taken just about enough of his time.


    Lash quickly cleared her throat, ¡°Wanted to give respect. You are leader,¡± she explained, making sure not to rush and show disrespect, bobbing her head to show subservience and submission. ¡°We serve,¡± Lash stated simply, making it clear that she accepted Tim was the undisputed leader.


    Tim nodded and smiled a little before roughly clearing his throat again and looking over at something that must have caught his attention.


    Following his gaze, Lash was surprised to see that a large number of the snake-men were brawling with one another. However, it was not the demonstration of lax discipline she had expected. The males and females had paired off with one another and were brawling like it was some sort of weapons training.


    Lash could swear she recognised some of the snake-men from the battle, but it was difficult to tell them apart, so she could be wrong.


    ¡°Oh, right. That was something I was going to ask you. Have you or any of your people unlocked any Classes besides Shaman?¡± Tim asked rather bluntly.


    Lash gulped and shook her head, suddenly realising why his people were so much stronger than they should be.


    ¡°Do you want to?¡± Tim asked with a wide smile.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 15 – Wrestling with emotions – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 15 ¨C Wrestling with emotions ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 15 - Wrestling with emotions - Part One {Rewrite}


    Watching Clarice and Lash fight was almost too painful to justify letting it continue. Lash was easily around eight feet tall and her biceps were thicker than Clarice¡¯s thighs. Her superior reach proved to be a nightmare for Clarice¡¯s attempts at closing in order to go on the offensive. Furthermore, without the Synergies to level the playing field, Clarice was unable to land a blow hard enough to slow Lash down. The only thing keeping her in the fight at all was the benefits of Brutal Momentum, making Clarice¡¯s attacks faster and hit harder than they otherwise would have been capable of.


    However, even without her armour, Lash seemed more than capable of weathering Clarice¡¯s hit and run tactics, her dense muscles soaking hit after hit with no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, Clarice was slowly but steadily being worn down and had begun to slow.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they just meant to punch each other a few times for Lash to unlock Brawler?¡± Nadine demanded, clearly somewhat exasperated by the prolonged bout.


    I nodded in agreement but said nothing. Technically, Clarice should have shown Lash proper form and technique first, then started the fight. But Clarice had been impatient and insisted on ¡®sizing her up¡¯ first. However, I didn¡¯t think it would matter too much in this particular instance since Lash had taken the initiative and was copying Clarice as much as possible. This would actually be a good test to see whether there were different ways to unlock the Classes besides those we already knew of.


    It had nothing to do with the fact that the Amazonian warrior was dressed only in a loincloth and chest wrapping...


    I was still rather curious about why none of us had unlocked a Class like Slinger or something while crossing the desert on the second floor. Tobi had the Archer class, or something similar, so I would have assumed he at the very least would unlock a relevant Class from transferable skills and knowledge.


    The Class training session and impromptu bare-knuckle sparring bout were actually providing a great deal of entertainment for the gathered crowd of Serpent-Kin and Deep Orcs alike.


    Maybe there was something to Clarice¡¯s insistence on a tournament after all?


    So long as we had firm rules of engagement and used blunted weapons, it would actually provide everyone with some much-needed combat experience against a challenging opponent.


    However, it would definitely have to wait until the hospital was finished. Hana was doing her best, but it was still going to take a couple of days.


    *Thump*


    ¡°Euf!!!¡± Clarice staggered as Lash delivered a punishing kick to Clarice¡¯s stomach.


    Giving her no time to recover, Lash stepped in closer while Clarice¡¯s guard was broken.


    *Crack*


    Lash¡¯s right fist slammed into Clarice¡¯s face, sending her tumbling backwards with blood running from her nose.


    Clarice staggered, trying to bring her guard back up and buy some distance between them, but she stumbled and fell to the ground instead.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Nadine called out loudly and rushed into their sparring ring to check on Clarice.


    To her credit, Lash immediately backed off and even looked somewhat concerned. Although she was covered in sweat, Lash seemed none the worse for the brawl.


    ¡°Gah, fuck...¡± Clarice struggled into a sitting position and shook her head, ¡°Youw kigh ligh ga muwle!¡± Clarice nasally exclaimed with a smile while pinching the bridge of her nose. (TN: You kick like a mule!)


    Seemingly put at ease, Lash grinned back, ¡°You are fast as a deep hunter!¡± She replied, her tone implying a compliment rather than an insult.


    Clarice, just like myself and most of the audience was a little confused by the comparison, but she took it at face value and grinned wider. ¡°Wewl, youw godda fide Tib negst!¡± Clarice insisted as she was helped off the field with a helping arm from Nadine. (TN: Well, you gotta fight Tim next!)


    ¡°Ah...¡± I gulped hard and tried not to panic. ¡°That may not be a great idea...¡± I tried to refuse diplomatically.


    Besides the fact that my Mum taught me not to hit girls, being around Lash made me uncomfortable...


    Lash¡¯s eyes lowered slightly and her shoulders slumped somewhat as if she was disappointed.


    Clarice pulled Nadine in closer, just about holding her in a headlock as she animatedly began explaining something to Nadine while interchangeably pointing between myself and Lash.


    Sensing a trap, I knew that I had to leave, now. Pivoting on the spot, I only made it a dozen or so steps before Nadine called out after me.


    ¡°Hey, Tim! Wait up!¡± The slightly amused tone of Nadine¡¯s voice was at odds with her annoyance from earlier and I did not like what it entailed.


    Should I pretend I hadn¡¯t heard her? Or should I fully commit to just running as fast as I can? I¡¯m a pretty fast runner and there is no way they would be able to keep up with me. But where could I go? The swamp? Was it really worth that level of risk?


    ¡°Tim? Didn''t you hear me?¡± Nadine demanded, suddenly rushing ahead of me and barring the way with an inappropriately amused grin on her face. Apparently, she had abandoned Clarice¡¯s near deadweight to corner me while I was distracted.


    ¡°I have things to do-¡± I began to lie.


    Nadine raised an eyebrow inquisitively, but her overall expression made it clear she didn¡¯t believe me in the slightest. ¡°Oh? What things?¡± Nadine demanded suspiciously.


    ¡°Uh, Settlement stuff,¡± I shifted uncomfortably and struggled to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°Ahuh,¡± Nadine cocked her head slightly and gave me a look that suggested I might as well come clean because she wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°Well, how about you postpone that ¡®stuff¡¯-¡± Nadine emphasised her disbelief with air quotes, ¡°-and teach Lash the Advanced Class since Clarice is out of commission?¡±


    ¡°Uhm,¡± My throat felt parched and I was beginning to sweat pretty bad.


    ¡°Good! I''ll let Lash know to expect you in about a half-hour after you are done with that important ¡®stuff¡¯,¡± Nadine insisted, air quoting and turning on the spot as she headed back to the training grounds with a broad grin on her face.


    Watching Nadine walk away, I caught sight of Clarice, who was being tended to by one of the Serpent-Kin Surgeons. She looked entirely too pleased for someone who had been beaten half to death a few minutes ago.


    Noticing me staring, Clarice¡¯s mouth slowly split into a wide grin that matched Nadine¡¯s.


    I am betrayed...


    Spending most of the hour desperately trying to wash the smell of sweat and swamp muck from my tunic, I met with only marginal success.


    Ultimately, I decided to forgo wearing it entirely. Going shirtless wasn¡¯t a big deal right?


    Unbidden, images of Lash wearing only the sweaty chest binding and loincloth she had worn during her bout with Clarice came to mind.


    I had to clench my fists to stop my hands from shaking and clench my jaw to stop my teeth from rattling.


    What was the big deal?!


    I had taught Clarice before and hadn¡¯t felt anything like this, and Clarice had been incredibly handsy!


    Gulping down another mouthful of water, I took one last rinse under the public fountain before heading for the training grounds.


    Seeing Lash already waiting for me, I gulped hard and took several deep steadying breaths as I finished making my way over. ¡°Are you ready to begin?¡± I asked, trying not to show how nervous I felt.


    Lash nodded, her eyes flashing determinedly as she tensed and untensed in preparation for the training.


    Gulping hard again and narrowly avoiding a coughing fit, I tried to mask it by roughly clearing my throat. ¡°Well it would probably be best to get to it,¡± I said awkwardly.


    Lash silently nodded again and seemed eager for the lesson to begin.


    ¡°I guess first things first, I should, uh, show you some of the exercises you can do on your own,¡± I sighed in relief and made a mental note to thank my brain later. I was so nervous that I could barely string two words together at the moment, let alone form a coherent sentence. I was flying by the seat of my pants and easily could have made an ass of myself there.


    After demonstrating the break fall and some limbering stretches, I then motioned for Lash to try.


    Lash diligently took to the exercises, and despite a few expected failures with the break-fall, she had no problems since she was very obviously in great fighting shape.


    ¡°Uh, next I guess we should try some basic grapple techniques,¡± I suggested, feeling a little less nervous than earlier. ¡°I¡¯ll demonstrate them with one of Clarice¡¯s student¡¯s. Just try to watch what I do.¡± I waved over one of the loitering Serpent-Kin and settled into the starting stance.


    Demonstrating as many of the grappling techniques, defensive measures and counters as I could remember, I had Lash perform each of them on the same student.


    Feeling like a great weight had lodged in my stomach, I realised that the last step would require me to be much more hands-on rather than just providing advice from the sidelines.


    Clarice was not a particularly good instructor and none of her students had unlocked the Advanced Class yet because they had not properly learned the pinning and hold techniques. This was very likely the reason they were all excitedly watching this training session with avid interest.


    ¡°Hrm!¡± I cleared my throat far louder than I intended to. Doing my best to ignore my sweaty palms, I somehow managed to maintain eye contact with Lash. ¡°Right, so, next we will practise pinning and holds.¡± I shifted nervously on the spot as a sudden spike of adrenaline hit my system. ¡°To demonstrate counters effectively, I will need to make sure you learn the pins first. So try to pay attention alright?¡± Through some miracle, my voice hadn¡¯t cracked despite my mouth and throat suddenly going bone dry.


    Lash nodded determinedly and settled into the wrestling crouch I had taught her earlier.


    Trying to keep things as professional as possible, it became increasingly difficult as Lash¡¯s laboured breathing kept forcing her bust into prominence. With my blood up, it only made demonstrating the pins and holds even more awkward due to the nature of wrestling making use of every available hand hold.


    It really didn¡¯t help that Lash was much stronger than Clarice, so I was forced to take it seriously and wrestle properly, which led to some very embarrassing and awkward positions.


    After about an hour of awkward drills and practice, I was just about at my limit and determined that Lash probably knew everything she needed to unlock the Advanced Class. ¡°Now, you should just need to pin and choke out an opponent,¡± I explained a little breathlessly.


    Lash nodded, smiling as she wiped the heavy sweat from her brow and then readjusted her chest bindings.


    With my adrenaline up, I was following every movement without meaning to. Seeing the dishevelled and rather unravelled state of her chest bindings, unbidden memories of firm yet yielding flesh amidst the struggle of our wrestling made me blush as I now recognised the association.


    ¡°You!¡± I barked, choosing one of Clarice¡¯s students at random and doing my best to hide my embarrassment by wiping the sweat from my face. ¡°You will be her opponent.


    Unsurprisingly, the comparatively anaemic build of the female Serpent-Kin was no match for Lash and she was pinned and choked out by Lash within a few minutes.


    Lash looked confused and was staring ahead in such a way that she had to be looking at a status alert.


    After making sure that the unconscious Serpent-Kin was seen off to the hospital, I nervously approached Lash. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked, even though I was pretty sure I knew the reason.


    Lash¡¯s cheeks flushed, but she nodded and shifted her attention to stare me dead in the eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t understand,¡± she admitted bluntly.


    ¡°I thought so,¡± I commented, trying not to sound condescending. ¡°If you say, accept, you should get the Class,¡± I explained. The Serpent-Kin had been able to gain classes this way, so I assumed it would be no different for the Deep Orcs.


    Lash nodded determinedly, ¡°Accept!¡± She barked. Lash frowned slightly and looked a little uncertain.


    Right, she had no way of double-checking whether she gained the class or not.


    ¡°Party invite, minion Lash. Status.¡± I panned my view to bring up Lash¡¯s status information.


    [Lash - Deep Orc Drudge: 5 ] [HP: 35/35 ] [MP: 26/26 ]


    [Class: Grappling Pugilist. +1 Strength, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 0/5000 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party]


    [Strength: 14*(15*) ]


    [Agility: 14 ]


    [Toughness: 15* ]


    [Intelligence: 8 ]


    [Willpower: 14* ]


    [Presence: 5 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Bloodlust {Rank 2}): Deal additional damage while {Bloodied}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Contempt {Rank 3}): Takes less damage from smaller enemies. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength {Rank 2}): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Class Ability: Brutal Momentum {Rank 0}): Increases the momentum of your attacks. {Strength} increases momentum.]


    [Group Synergy: {Thick Hide: - }, {Brute Strength: -* }, {Irongut: - }, {Venom Resistance: 3 }.]


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the status screen for a good few minutes, just to confirm what I was actually reading was correct. Lash had the highest stats of every monster I had seen so far.


    Well...excluding myself I suppose.


    If the Orcs on the first floor were anything like her, it was hardly a surprise the adventurers had gotten such a thrashing out in the fields.


    Like, what the hell was Contempt?!


    It seemed like little more than institutionally sponsored bullying!


    If Goblins didn¡¯t have the natural counter to it, I would really have suspected foul play. As for the other two Racial Abilities, I guess I sort of anticipated them. If it made sense for me to have Brute Strength, then it made just as much sense for Deep Orcs and Orcs in general to have it. Even Bloodlust generally fit in with what little I had been able to observe of the Orcs on the first floor.


    While taking a few minutes to cool off, I was drawn back to the top of the status screen again.


    Deep Orc Drudge? Unlike Toofy and myself, who had the suffix of Runt, Lash had Drudge. Is that the next stage of the evolutionary path?


    Since she was unable to read her own status, I figured Lash would not really know the reason behind the naming scheme. Similarly, Hana¡¯s evolution had a different naming scheme altogether, so I wasn¡¯t really sure what was going on.


    Lash was incredibly close to her next evolution though, so perhaps that would be a good opportunity to find out? ¡°Lash?-¡± I was surprised to find she was already staring at me intensely with a determined expression and momentarily forgot what I was doing.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Lash leaned closer, inadvertently angling her chest and revealing more of her cleavage. Not that I noticed of course, because I was dazzled by her eyes.


    ¡°Ah, just make sure you speak with Ushu and Gric to learn the rules,¡± I coughed to clear my throat and decided it might be a good idea to take a lie down. I was clearly not well. ¡°I gave orders to Gric to begin teaching the children how to read, but you have my permission to sit in on those lessons if you want,¡± I caught my eyes attempting to wander again and decided I had better go.


    Lash watched me leave, and seemed...disappointed?


    I shook my head and headed for the Grove. I probably had heat exhaustion or something.


    Hopping into the cool water of the fountain, I felt a fresh wave of clarity flood through my senses. ¡°Definitely a fever,¡± I muttered distractedly and dunked my head below the water.


    Raising my head out of the water again, I was surprised to see Ushu lingering by the stairs. I hadn¡¯t noticed him there earlier and judging by the determined look on his face, Ushu clearly wanted something. Seeing that he had my attention, Ushu hurried over and knelt down beside the fountain, putting us roughly at eye level with one another.


    ¡°Lord, I would assk a favour,¡± Ushu prostrated himself with his arms outstretched in front of him, like I was some sort of mythical god-king.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, trying hard not to sound too annoyed, certain that he would take it the wrong way.


    ¡°Lord, I seek the usse of the mana-well to hatch the eggss,¡± Ushu requested determinedly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± That was not what I had expected. ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed, then remembered something, ¡°I don¡¯t want parentless children Ushu. Every egg must be claimed and cared for.¡±


    Ushu rose back into a kneeling position, an intense look of gratitude on his face. ¡°Of coursse, Lord.¡±


    ¡°There will need to be a creche or something organised as well. It won¡¯t be safe to have so many children running around all over the place. Besides, I asked Gric to provide lessons on reading and writing the Daemon language so people can read their stat screens,¡± I explained.


    Ushu nodded obediently and looked like he would just about accept pretty much anything at this point.


    ¡°And, uh, I hope this isn¡¯t offensive but...your young don¡¯t try to eat one another right?¡± I asked worriedly.


    While not seeming to be offended, Ushu¡¯s silence was rather telling.


    ¡°Okay. New Rule, no mass hatchings allowed!¡± I insisted. ¡°At least one family member, adoptive or otherwise, must be present, per egg, and provide sufficient food to give a designated Settlement leader, most likely yourself or Gric, the opportunity to recruit the child. Understood?¡±


    Ushu nodded with a mixed expression of determined relief on his face, ¡°Yess Lord!¡±


    I took a minute to think of anything else we may have missed. Since nothing sprang to mind, I shrugged and gave Ushu a dismissive wave and settled back into my impromptu bath.


    Ushu wasted no time in bolting from the Grove, and only then did I realise my mistake.


    Every one of the Serpent-Kin would be wanting to hatch an egg...


    Damnit...


    As I had expected, within the short span of a few minutes, the first of the prospective parents began arriving outside of the Grove. They each tightly yet gently held an egg to their chest and bore a look of determined yet constrained excitement as they quietly conversed with one another in hushed whispers. Unfortunately, while their whispering was probably made with considerate intentions, it largely defied the point when a few dozen people did so simultaneously.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I figured that my bath had probably dragged on more than long enough already, so I reluctantly prepared myself to bring some order to the inevitable chaos.


    Stemming the tide at its source, I went looking for Ushu and once I found him, very calmly explained that it would probably be best for no more than ten eggs to be hatched at a time. There was no special shelter arranged yet, so it would have meant a great deal of crowding in the storeroom, and many aspiring parents left out in the rain that would be arriving sometime this afternoon.


    There was also the matter of the expedition to consider as well. Clarice would likely need the rest of the day to recover, but the longer we delayed, the more likely it would be that there would be no one left to find. Unsurprisingly, Nadine agreed, so it was decided that the expedition team would leave early tomorrow morning.


    Since Ushu would be gone for a week or longer. It meant Gric, Hana or Myself would be responsible for inviting any newborns to join Sanctuary. Since Hana was going to be busy for just about the entire foreseeable future, that really only left myself and Gric.


    *****


    Standing atop the deck of the small fishing boat, Kirk could hardly believe what he was seeing. A small fleet of tribal outrigger boats was racing towards the direction of the abandoned foothold. At their head was the ¡°Sunstrider¡±, one of the three trading ships allowed on this floor of the Labyrinth, by special permission of the adventurer¡¯s Guild. It was riding low in the water, so it was almost certainly bristling with goods for trade.


    Sunstrider belonged to the Forest Goblins of Sunrock. Unlike the Goblins of the first floor, the Forest Goblins of Sunrock had a reputation for being peaceful and even rescuing adventurers, mercenaries and merchants. It was the primary reason they were ¡®allowed¡¯ to have such a large ship. Propelled by a combination of oars and sail, the Sunstrider was crude and somewhat primitive in design compared to the grand sailing vessels employed in other floors of the Labyrinth. However, the arrival of the Sunstrider and its accompanying trader fleet was a good sign.


    The emergency flotilla was starting to run desperately low on supplies, and the supply runs to scavenge the foothold and surrounding area were growing more dangerous by the day.


    Pulling out the borrowed spyglass lent to him by the flotilla¡¯s council, Kirk took a closer look at the boats. To his surprise, the outriggers were packed with Forest Goblin warriors. Even though it had only been a matter of days, the Sunrock had somehow heard of their plight and looked like they were coming to their rescue.


    Only, that didn¡¯t seem right.


    Panning to the small trade fleet, Kirk was surprised to see one of the outrigger¡¯s break from formation and perform a one-hundred and eighty-degree turn, now heading back the way it had come. Those warriors aboard strangely bore expressions of grim determination and acceptance.


    Confused, Kirk directed the spyglass further northward.


    ¡°Oh fuck...¡± Kirk very nearly dropped the borrowed spyglass into the river.


    ¡°Wha¡¯ is it?¡± The wizened fisherman asked. A retired adventurer himself, he had a second sense for danger.


    ¡°It¡¯s a warship...¡± Kirk answered breathlessly.


    The second ship was similar in design to the Sunstrider, however, it bore no sails at all and was only driven by oars. Less well made, the warship was still easily close to twice as large as the Sunstrider and would be able to hold hundreds or even a thousand or more warriors easily.


    The outrigger charged straight for the warship, the warriors aboard holding their wooden shields to the front and above in a crude shield wall to protect the helmsman. As they drew closer to the warship, it became painfully obvious why. Narrow projectiles had begun peppering the outriggers crew and one by one they began to fall.


    Kirk didn¡¯t understand the point of their strategy, it was just pointless suicide.


    However, with just one warrior and the helmsman left standing, both of whom were doubtless riddled with all manner of projectiles, the outrigger slammed into the exposed oars of the warship on the starboard side. The outrigger''s mast managed to snap over a few oars before the outrigger was bodily flipped end over end by the momentum, crashing through many more oars before being splintered against the hull of the ship.


    Numbed by what he had just witnessed, Kirk didn¡¯t notice the outrigger headed his way until it had already closed half the distance between them.


    ¡°Wha¡¯ we doin?¡± The fisherman asked, stoically eyeing the approaching vessel.


    Kirk realised he was meant to make a decision and roughly cleared his throat. ¡°Let them approach. We need to find out what is going on and if they have any supplies to trade...¡±


    The fisherman gave Kirk a dubious look but said nothing. However, he did move closer to the ropes and loosen a few knots in preparation for a hasty retreat.


    The Goblins aboard the outrigger were waving frantically as a means to get their attention and pointing animatedly to the incoming warship. Drawing closer, the cries of the Goblins could now be heard as well, although Kirk himself didn¡¯t understand a word of it. Glancing back at the fisherman, he was not at all inspired by the suddenly pale and damn near terrified expression on the formerly implacable man''s face. ¡°What are they saying?¡± Kirk asked.


    ¡°Sunrock¡¯s gone,¡± the fisherman gave Kirk a pained look, ¡°They want shelter in the foothold as promised.¡±


    Kirk felt the blood drain from his face as he looked back out over the river. The Sunstrider wasn¡¯t laden with supplies as he had hoped. It was packed full of refugees.


    *****


    With everything finally sorted out, I headed to bed to take a much-needed sleep. An expected complication had arisen from the Deep Orcs once they found out what had the Serpent-Kin so excited. Thankfully, all it had taken to resolve it was reminding both sides that the limited access was only intended to be temporary. Once Hana had the free time to make a more permanent hatchery or something, then the restrictions would be loosened, provided everyone behaved themselves. Although I was loath to rely on such petty intimidation, it was proving remarkably effective at resolving minor disputes.


    Settling onto my bed with a contented sigh, I began drifting off to sleep almost right away.


    Almost immediately, I felt someone shaking me by the shoulder, ¡°Tim, wake up,¡± Clarice grunted. ¡°Nadine wants to talk to you about something before we leave. Also, you haven¡¯t made the quest yet,¡± She emphasised the second part with a particularly rough shove.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± I yawned and blearily sat up.


    ¡°Oh yeah, I wanted to ask something else,¡± Clarice mentioned as she threw me my tunic, ¡°What do you think of that Orc girl Lash?¡±


    Feeling my pulse quicken, I remembered Clarice¡¯s involvement in what happened yesterday. ¡°You did that on purpose,¡± I accused dryly.


    Clarice shrugged unapologetically, ¡°Sure. I mean, it¡¯s pretty obvious that you like her, so I took a couple of hits for the team,¡± she grinned lasciviously.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how the expression works...¡± I replied dryly.


    ¡°And that wasn¡¯t a denial,¡± Clarice observed with a satisfied grin. ¡°I guess it is kind of obvious that you would have a thing for tall girls.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have ¡®a thing¡¯ for-¡± I spluttered but was interrupted.


    ¡°-You really do Tim,¡± Clarice smirked and shook her head, ¡°Tobi had a crush on Emelia and he was a hundred times less obvious about it.¡±


    ¡°...¡± My mind was drawing a blank.


    ¡°So what is it that you like about her?¡± Clarice asked mischievously, ¡°Is it just because she is tall? Oooh ooh, it is because she looks strong enough to bend you over her knee and-¡±


    ¡°-It¡¯s her eyes!¡± I spluttered before Clarice had the chance to finish that sentence.


    ¡°Her eyes?¡± Clarice asked disappointedly. ¡°Not her powerful thighs or abs you could break rocks with-¡± She gingerly shook her right hand and grimace a little, ¡°-or maybe her big-¡±


    ¡°Shut up Clarice!¡± I growled in warning.


    ¡°I was gonna say heart,¡± Clarice pouted with a smirk, ¡°Although her tits are pretty big too.¡±


    I glowered at her.


    ¡°Just sayin, you spend as much time staring at other places as you do at her eyes,¡± Clarice shrugged and left my room.


    This was not how I wanted to start my morning. Thankfully, Clarice would be gone soon and I would be able to get some peace and quiet. Slowly heading downstairs, I could see Nadine and the others all waiting by the Grove fountain.


    Passing by the storeroom, I took note of the prospective parents each attentively cradling their respective eggs and quietly whispering excitedly to one another to pass the time.


    ¡°Was Clarice really the best choice?¡± I asked Nadine as I cleared the final steps.


    Nadine shifted a little uncomfortably, ¡°I think you should give Lash a chance,¡± she insisted, determinedly. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you find her attractive, so why not spend some time with her and see where things go from there?¡± Nadine asked as if it were the most simple and obvious thing in the world.


    Unwilling to back down, I stared back at Nadine, ¡°Why do you keep trying to pair me off with people?¡± I asked dryly, ¡°First Hana, now Lash. Is there something you aren¡¯t telling me?¡±


    Nadine blushed, ¡°N-no!¡± She insisted somewhat unconvincingly, ¡°I just want you to be happy.¡±


    Hana rolled her eyes but said nothing.


    ¡°She wants to get you laid,¡± Clarice corrected, ¡°She feels bad that you look, well, like you. So she thinks getting you laid will fix that,¡± she shrugged unapologetically at Nadine as the latter glowered back at her.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m fine. Just stop meddling in my love life.¡± I insisted, mortified that I was even part of a conversation like this.


    ¡°It may be a bit too late for that,¡± Clarice chuckled sheepishly, scratching awkwardly at her nose.


    Feeling a deep sense of dread in my gut, I turned my full attention to Clarice and glared at her, ¡±What did you do?¡± I demanded icily.


    ¡°Geez would ya look at that?¡± Clarice hurriedly backed away, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time we were heading out!¡± She called back to the others as she sprinted out of the Grove, Nadine, Tobi and Emelia close behind her.


    Hana gave me a somewhat reassuring pat on the back, her expression sympathetic, ¡°I caught her confessing your affections to Lash on your behalf,¡± she explained apologetically.


    ¡°...¡± I felt like I was having a stroke.


    ¡°Lash seemed receptive?¡± Hana explained uncertainty, ¡°Or at least I think so. It was hard to tell with all that metal in the way...Are you alright Tim? You look pale.¡±


    This isn¡¯t happening. It¡¯s all part of a nightmare, right? Of course, I just went to bed, this has to be a nightmare.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Hana sounded concerned. ¡°Tim?!¡± She called out more insistently.


    Everything went black.


    Sitting bolt upright in a panic, I looked around and was relieved to find I was still in bed. ¡°Thank god!¡± I groaned and massaged my head. I was just glad the nightmare was over. Even for Clarice, that had simply been too cruel. Getting out of bed, I reached for my tunic and found that it was not where I had left it to dry. Looking around the room, I quickly realised that I was already wearing it.


    ¡°Oh no...¡± My heart began racing again. Feeling dizzy, I sat down on the bed to try and clear my head. ¡°Maybe I just put it on in my sleep?¡± I muttered hopefully.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Hana asked as she entered my room.


    Damnit.


    ¡°So it actually happened?¡± I asked sourly.


    Hana nodded, ¡°You fainted, so I brought you back to your room.¡±


    Hana was growing by the day. Not nearly as fast as the Daemons, who had grown by leaps and bounds, but she was almost taller than Nadine and the girls at this point.


    I was about to ask how she managed to get me up the stairs, then I remembered that Hana could literally control the plants and probably made the tree do it with branches or something.


    ¡°She wants to talk to you by the way, Lash I mean,¡± Hana explained, ¡°She wants to dig a hole and fight some underground monsters...or something like that. I don¡¯t know, it was difficult to understand the explanation. Basically, she wants to harvest metal for more tools, weapons and armour, I think?¡± She shrugged apologetically, ¡°I said I would let you decide.¡±


    ¡°How is fighting monsters related to harvesting metal?¡± I asked incredulously.


    Hana shrugged, ¡°Maybe one of the underground monsters is made of metal, or has a high chance of spawning metal as an item drop?¡±


    ¡°Wait...What?¡± I gave Hana another incredulous look, ¡°Monsters can spawn items when they die?¡±


    Hana shrugged apologetically, ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. But it is something I have heard before,¡± her expression grew sombre for a moment before she continued, ¡°Besides, it isn¡¯t the monster spawning the item, it¡¯s the Labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°That...Actually kind of makes sense,¡± I agreed reluctantly, ¡°If it can make monsters, why not items too?¡±


    Hana nodded and shrugged yet again, ¡°It makes as much sense as anything else.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know. If they do find decent metal, it''s going to involve burning a lot of trees for fuel to make the metal workable. Are you alright with that?¡± I asked, more than a little concerned Hana may not have fully considered the ramifications.


    Hana considered the question for a while and then nodded, ¡°So long as they don¡¯t harm or burn my trees, then I don¡¯t really care,¡± she stated rather coldly, ¡°Besides, Sanctuary will need more weapons and armour than I can provide on my own.¡±


    ¡°Hrm, I guess that¡¯s true,¡± I agreed somewhat reluctantly. I couldn¡¯t help but feel Hana was making a compromise with ulterior motives in mind. Specifically, that she believed arming the residents of Sanctuary would help her get revenge on ¡®The Destroyer¡¯.


    ¡°So you will go speak with Lash?¡± Hana pressed relentlessly, making it clear she wouldn¡¯t leave without an answer. Specifically, the answer she wanted.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go see her,¡± I agreed reluctantly.


    Hana smiled, ¡°Good. Lash is waiting for you by the fountain downstairs.¡±


    Letting out a deep sigh as we made our way over to the stairs, I could see that Hana had told the truth.


    Lash and ten of her warriors were decked out in their crude sheet metal armour and waiting for us by the Grove fountain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose she mentioned where she wanted the tunnel to be dug?¡± I asked dubiously.


    Hana shook her head.


    As I left the stairs, Lash and her warriors knelt down on one knee, their faces directed downward in deference.


    Feeling a little awkward, I motioned for them to rise. ¡°Hana told me you wanted to dig a mine to fight monsters?¡± I asked probingly.


    Lash nodded and rose to her feet, ¡°Seek the Rumblers for iron, make tools, armour and weapons.¡± she explained.


    ¡°The rumblers have the iron?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Broken Rumblers leave iron,¡± Lash nodded, ¡°Rumblers dwell deep below,¡± she motioned to the ground.


    ¡°Alright. Iron would be useful,¡± I agreed. The staying power of the Deep Orcs in their desperate stand against the monsters was a testament to how big a difference it could make in a fight against wild monsters. ¡°What other monsters are down there though?¡±


    Lash shifted her weight a little and nodded, ¡°Spikers and Sniffers,¡± she explained matter of factly as if what the monsters were would be self-evident.


    It took a solid half-hour of back and forth before I had a general idea of what each of these three monsters looked like. The rumblers seemed to be stone versions of the Mud Dolls, while Spikers were larger underground variants of the lizards from the desert on the second floor. Finally, and most disconcertingly, the Sniffers sounded alarmingly similar in description to the evolved Vrabbits, the Blood Hunters.


    ¡°Where do you want the access tunnel?¡± I asked despite already having a rather solid idea in my mind.


    Lash pointed to the southern end of Sanctuary, ¡°Inside barrier, stop soulless infesting tunnels.¡±


    Yeah, that was just about what I had expected. ¡°What if something happens to the Settlement barrier? What will stop the soulless from flooding up into Sanctuary?¡±


    Lash tilted her head in surprise, or at least I assumed she was surprised since her face was hidden by her helmet. ¡°Underground, iron gates hold back soulless,¡± Lash explained slowly but seemed to realise the problem, ¡°No iron for the gate,¡± she grunted in annoyance.


    I nodded in agreement. Without some form of security, I did not want to make a tunnel that would simply funnel more monsters towards Sanctuary.


    ¡°What about a well without water?¡± Hana suggested, ¡°You could use ropes to climb down and I could pull the ropes back up again so the monsters can¡¯t use them?¡±


    ¡°A mine shaft?¡± That...Actually wasn¡¯t a bad idea, assuming the mineshaft opened up into a cavern or something so the walls weren¡¯t able to be climbed so readily. We could post lookouts at the top to keep watch while retrieving the first batches of materials. ¡°Okay, we could give that a try,¡± I agreed, ¡®Worst case, you could always seal the hole with roots and stuff right Hana?¡±


    Hana nodded confidently, ¡°It would be easy.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright then,¡± I agreed. As Sanctuary population reached required milestones, the protective barrier would increase as well. So theoretically, it would be possible to establish a smaller and more permanent base down below.


    Hana excused herself and left the Grove, no doubt to tend to one of her ever-growing responsibilities and work projects.


    Lash and her ten warriors remained however and gave off the impression that the tunnel had been only one of a larger number of requests.


    ¡°Is there something else?¡± I prompted. Even though I technically didn¡¯t have much planned to do today, it still felt weird to just ¡®waste time¡¯ with a psycho running around out there.


    ¡°We offer thanks, for Classes,¡± Lash bowed her head and her warriors did the same, ¡°Teach us others?¡± She asked with fragile optimism.


    ¡°Oh? Is that all? Sure.¡± It was only to Sanctuary¡¯s benefit for as many residents as possible to choose a Class. All the more so with the prospective mining shaft being located inside Sanctuary itself. ¡°If you ask around, there are quite a few to choose from, sort of. The Grappling Pugilist is the best close Combat Class we have, but the Surgeon Classes are important too. Also, the Summoner and Pact Binder Classes seem very interesting, and I don¡¯t think anyone has tried Warlock yet...¡±


    Lash¡¯s warriors gave each other uncertain looks, I assumed. It was understandable, the Classes were a pretty big deal, and I was basically giving them away for free.


    ¡°I Just have one rule,¡± I insisted.


    Lash and her warriors gave me their undivided attention.


    ¡°No revealing the Class unlocks to outsiders. Especially humans.¡± I had given a great deal of thought to this and was convinced that advertising that my citizens knew how to unlock Classes, especially advanced or restricted ones, would lead to trouble.


    Lash and her warriors nodded solemnly to show they understood. Although it was a little strange considering they had probably only seen four humans in their entire lives.


    ¡°Was there anything else you wanted?¡± I asked somewhat apprehensively. The group gave me the feeling like there was an even more pressing reason for their visit.


    Lash gave her people a backwards glance.


    Without any other signal, they turned and left the Grove, leaving Lash and I alone.


    ¡°Where is Leader¡¯s mate?¡± Lash asked bluntly, her tone both curious and nervous.


    All at once I began nervously sweating again. ¡°Ah, what?¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lash removed her helmet and stowed it under her arm, ¡°Where is Leader¡¯s mate?¡± She repeated, her cheeks flushed from wearing her stuffy helmet.


    ¡°W-what?¡± I gulped hard and backed away slightly.


    Lash dropped her helmet and stepped closer, staring intently at my eyes, ¡°Our child would make the caverns tremble,¡± she purred, carefully enunciating each word, proving she was more than capable of stringing together more complete sentences.


    ¡°Uh...¡± I couldn¡¯t think clearly and stepped back again to try and buy time.


    Lash didn¡¯t let up and even managed to draw closer, her hot breath washing over my face.


    Continuing to backpedal, I had no idea where I was going, too fixated on the scintillating amethyst light in her eyes. Feeling my back suddenly press up against something hard, I saw a sudden flash in Lash¡¯s eyes, something akin to a desperate need.


    Blood crashing through my veins and heart hammering in my chest, there was only one thought going through my mind, ¡°Her eyes are beautiful...¡± I couldn¡¯t look away.


    Lash leaned in closer, resting her forehead against mine, her captivating eyes less than an inch from my own. Then, all at once, Lash stepped back with a shy smile on her lips. Slowly backing away, she retrieved her helmet, gave me a final lingering stare, then left the Grove.


    Incredibly lightheaded and feeling exhausted I staggered over to the stairs and all but collapsed. Okay, Clarice and Nadine might have a point I reluctantly conceded.


    But now what?


    I spent just about the entire day sitting on the stairs or pacing the Grove.


    Intellectually, I was aware of how flirting was supposed to work. It was obvious, hopefully, that Lash was interested, but what the hell was I meant to do now?!


    Besides cliches from television, movies and novels, I had absolutely no idea what I was meant to do.


    ¡°Tim hungry?¡± Toofy and her shadow Ril caught me by surprise. Each of them was carrying a small woven basket with roasted meats inside.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I tried to put Lash out of my mind, which proved more difficult than I expected. ¡°Hi Toofy, hi Ril. Yes, I am famished,¡± I agreed and motioned for the girls to join me on the stairs.


    Toofy grinned and hopped up onto the stairs beside me and offered me her basket.


    ¡°Thanks, Toofy,¡± I gratefully accepted the basket and gave her hair a quick tousle. Picking a piece of meat and taking an experimental bite, I was reminded that acquiring more cooking herbs would be a nice long term goal. They really made quite a big difference.


    ¡°Why Tim smell like big Orc?¡± Toofy asked slyly, giving me a dramatic sniff for emphasis.


    I tried not to choke on my food and gulped it down.


    Toofy grinned wider, a malicious glint in her eyes.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time you had another swimming lesson?¡± I suggested.


    Toofy froze, ¡°Uh...¡±


    ¡°Do you want to learn how to swim Ril?¡± I asked innocently.


    Ril took some time to consider the question.


    Toofy rounded on Ril and began silently waving her hands back and forth like somehow I couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Ril swim,¡± Ril agreed.


    Toofy collapsed and groaned despondently.


    ¡°Swim now?¡± Ril asked, gnawing distractedly on a meaty bone.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed and set down the basket. Stripping off my tunic I hopped into the fountain and waited for Ril and Toofy.


    Ril was excitedly dragging Toofy to the fountain, bodily throwing her weight to make headway.


    Once Toofy and Ril were both in the water, Toofy didn¡¯t seem to mind so much. What was really surprising though, was how quickly Ril took to swimming, although it quickly became obvious why.


    The little cheater had grown gills in the side of her neck and chest. As Ril spent longer in the water, she changed still further, growing retractable crimson fins along the lengths of her outer forearms and shins. It was actually a relief, not having to worry about Ril drowning or by extension Toofy, since they were basically inseparable.


    For her part, Ril really seemed to enjoy swimming in the fountain and was remarkably fast and agile. It actually gave me an idea for a game. Retrieving one of the baskets of food. I tore the roasted meat into smaller pieces and began tossing them into the fountain for Ril to catch before they were swept away by the cycling current.


    Soon Toofy was in on the game as well, although that was probably just a convenient excuse for her to get out of swimming lessons. All the same, it was a fun game and by the time Ril began getting tired, the food was just about gone anyway.


    As I had suspected, Ril¡¯s fins retracted and along with her gills, nearly seamlessly sealed themselves, or appeared to. A closer inspection revealed that special muscles were holding either side closed on each seam. ¡°Very clever,¡± I gave Ril¡¯s soaked hair a few gentle pats.


    Ril grinned toothily at me and looked expectantly at Toofy.


    Toofy gave Ril some head pats as well, ¡°Good baby,¡± she agreed with a sombre nod and helped Ril back into her tunic-dress.


    Seeing the both of them off, I pulled my own tunic back on and decided to give the hospital a visit.


    As I had expected, Hana had made significant progress and would probably be finished sometime early tomorrow. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Serpent-Kin Surgeons teaching a pair of the Deep Orcs the basics. It was nice to see both groups getting along, especially with Ushu gone. I suspected that it may be because everyone was on their best behaviour to have access to the grove. Or more specifically, not to be denied access.


    Heading to the training grounds next, I made a mental note to organise Clarice¡¯s students into hunting parties to make sure we had enough food coming in each day. Hopefully, Ushu had arranged something, but I knew I really shouldn¡¯t take it for granted.


    As I had expected, just about every one of the Deep Orcs was paired off and either throwing punches at one another or engaged in attempting to pin one another to the ground and choke their opponent unconscious. I wondered if any of them besides those two aspiring to be surgeons, had actually asked about other Classes. I supposed it didn¡¯t really matter all that much. I intended for them to choose what they wanted, and judging by the laughter and loud happy conversations taking place, this was it.


    It was still quite odd though. Just about every one of them was wearing their crude plate armour. Only those who paired against Clarice¡¯s students were fighting unarmoured, probably out of sportsmanship.


    In the midst of it all was Lash. Near as I could tell, she was instructing Deep Orcs and Serpent-Kin alike, focusing a great deal more of her attention on the grapplers than the boxers. To Lash¡¯s credit, she seemed to be doing a pretty good job. Unlike Clarice, Lash didn¡¯t seem particularly pressured into asserting dominance. Although I did notice that she would have others take the submissive roles in more active demonstrations. Besides that though, Lash was doing well.


    Using Sanctuary¡¯s registry, I was still quite surprised to see that Lash was making solid progress, More than half of Clarice¡¯s students had unlocked the Advanced Class and twenty of her fellow Deep Orc¡¯s had as well. That actually raised a rather interesting dilemma.


    Contrary to Gric¡¯s request, I hadn¡¯t promoted Ril to an Underlord yet. I just didn¡¯t feel comfortable forcing her into a leadership role like that. I had done it to Gric and...well, he turned out a bit weird.


    If it was something Ril wanted, I would give her a chance, but until then, maybe Lash would be a good choice for my third Underlord?


    ¡°Hrm,¡± Watching Lash had made me anxious amongst other things and I needed a clear head for a decision of this importance. Deciding I would leave the decision for tomorrow, I made my way back to the storeroom and retrieved my morningstar.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 15 – Wrestling with emotions – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 15 ¨C Wrestling with emotions ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 15 - Wrestling with emotions - Part Two {Rewrite}


    I had thought that using a spear would be a smart decision. Increasing the distance I could strike at an enemy before they had the chance to return the favour had seemed like an obvious choice. Unfortunately, it seemed to require far more skill and practice than I had realised. It also required more hand-eye coordination than I could muster, so I felt few regrets in swapping back to the cruder morningstar.


    Stripping off my tunic and leaving it in my bedroom, I sought out Hana again and had her make a couple of blunted copies as well as rough approximations of the axes the Deep Orc¡¯s use, and some serviceable shields. Carrying the equipment to the training grounds, I brought the Surgeons along as well.


    Choosing one of the larger Deep Orc¡¯s to spar with, I took a shield and blunted morningstar, then squared up against my opponent. Adding him to my party, for the sake of fairness, I gave a rough outline of the conditions of the bout. No aiming for the head or groyne, making a mental note for Hana to make helmets and cups, being knocked down was worth three points, a strike on your limbs or body was worth one point and if you reached ten points, you lost the round.


    The Deep Orc warrior excitedly agreed and our match began. I lost less than three minutes later. I was playing far too defensively and had allowed my opponent to control the entire momentum of the fight. To say nothing of the difference in skill, I had barely attempted to strike him more than twice.


    I lost the next fifteen matches as well, but I was slowly getting the hang of it. There was a bigger problem than being overly defensive. I was trying to be more agile than the weapon required and both my offence and defence were suffering for it.


    Forgoing the shield entirely for the next few bouts, I started making real progress on brute-forcing through my opponent¡¯s defence. By the late evening, I felt like I was ready to start using the shield again, but had to call things off there since I couldn¡¯t see nearly well enough in the dark to reliably abide by the rules.


    Over the next few days, I fell into a routine of increasingly intensive exercise and sparring. I was improving little by little with each bout, but the most noticeable change I saw in myself was the drastic reduction in my hesitation towards aggressive strategy.


    Technically, I still hadn¡¯t won a bout yet, but that was partly due to the nature of the rules I established. To put it bluntly, I was a much larger target, which made me easier to hit. Even though I was hit more often, it was actually my opponents that had to keep tagging in and out between bouts because of how hard I was hitting them.


    The Deep Orc synergy for Contempt, combined with my own Racial Ability Thick Hide, was ensuring that only the hardest hits actually did any lingering damage.


    That didn¡¯t mean I wanted to change or get rid of the rules, far from it. While acclimating to being hit as a part of combat was important, I didn¡¯t want to become too comfortable with it either. The large scars on my shin and calf were a testament to the fact that things could still hurt me and I needed to be wary of that fact.


    An interesting development was how others were adopting the same rules for sparring with minor adaptations here and there to suit their own needs. The brawlers assigned points for different areas struck and lifted the ban on striking the head, for obvious reasons. The wrestlers were incredibly happy to learn of the official rules and were roughly abiding by those. Meanwhile, sparring with blunted weapons provided by Hana had become quite popular, particularly since the Surgeons were egging people on.


    Even though the sparring matches didn¡¯t provide EXP normally, I had decided it would be worth the expense to create a repeatable sparring quest. Contrary to my expectations, the rewards were not particularly small. I had forgotten about the possible rank disparity between combatants and had underestimated how much EXP the Labyrinth deemed appropriate for the relatively non-lethal quest objectives.


    As close as I had been able to determine, if both opponents were the same rank, same Class tier and level, the winner would earn five EXP. However, for each rank difference, the base EXP would increase by five. Similarly, every difference in level would add another ten EXP. If the winner only had a Basic Class and their opponent had an Advanced Class, the total Exp would be doubled.


    Needless to say, the huge stockpiles of EXP generated through Eminence began to be whittled away by the opportunistic fervour of those participating in the sparring matches. Although it did guarantee I had no shortage of sparring partners. As both a much higher-tiered monster and possessing a higher tier Class, defeating me in a sparring match generated a great deal of EXP.


    Surprisingly though, Lash had kept her distance and I was grateful for it. The training was already hard enough without hot flashes of anxiety to go with it.


    Taking a short break, I gave some more thought to Lash¡¯s candidacy for promotion to Underlord. According to Gric, she had proven a driven student of his improvised lessons for learning the written form of the Daemons language and was making decent headway in reading and recognising smaller words.


    Lash had apparently been seeking Gric out every evening for personal tutoring since she was busy instructing others during the day and couldn¡¯t attend the classes Gric was holding for Sanctuary¡¯s growing number of children.


    It did raise another question though.


    Should I help Lash unlock a Leadership Class so she could take a Rulership Class like myself and Gric?


    On paper, the answer was simple. Lash having a Rulership Class, even if it was the same as mine, would only make Sanctuary stronger, even if her personal combat capabilities dipped somewhat.


    Unfortunately, there were only two Leadership Classes I knew how to unlock, Taskmaster and Slaver...


    Both were somewhat problematic. Even though I had gotten the Ogre Warchief Rulership Class, I could just as easily see the Labyrinth making Lash a Deep Orc Dominator, or something cringy like that. Even though the Slavery mechanics seemed pretty broken, the prospect of Enslaving people was still abhorrent to me.


    But it did give me another idea...


    I had been wondering for a long time how Nadine, Clarice, Emelia and Tobi had first unlocked their Classes. There almost certainly had to be a trick to it, something incredibly counterintuitive or otherwise implausible that prevented adventurers and monsters from accidentally unlocking the Basic Classes through simple repetition.


    It made a sort of sense that Nadine¡¯s Enchanter Class was primarily derived from academic theory and would be incredibly difficult to unintentionally unlock. But Clarice¡¯s Swordsman Class seemed to be on the opposite end of the spectrum.


    Surely there were enough trainers and teachers for sword training that unlocking the class would be dead-easy and even acquired as adventurers became more proficient with their equipment?


    But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case either. There had to be a special trick to it, or Lash and the other Deep Orc¡¯s would all be Axemen or something.


    Hang on.


    I thought back to how I had unlocked my first Class. Emelia had promoted me to Taskmaster after capturing Toofy. But I hadn¡¯t received a status alert. I didn¡¯t remember seeing it when I first looked at my status screen either, but parts of it had been unavailable to me at the time, so it may have been there and I wouldn¡¯t have known. However, I could feel I was on the right track.


    Nadine hadn¡¯t mentioned receiving an alert for unlocking Taskmaster, although I might be misremembering, but I distinctly remembered seeing Taskmaster on her list of unlocked Classes after using the Enslavement ability on her. That had to be it. Being Enslaved and meeting the right stat requirements unlocked Taskmaster while using an Enslavement Collar and successfully Enslaving another person then unlocked Slaver.


    The Guild probably only needed advanced forms of the Classes to tutor or otherwise instruct the prospective adventurers in the basic tier of those same Classes. Mentoring was already an obvious component of the other Classes I had witnessed being unlocked, so it sort of made sense. I still felt like I was missing something, but it was the closest I had come to determine the method in the madness.


    No matter how I looked at it, it definitely seemed like I had somehow bypassed certain rules or restrictions. After all, even though I didn¡¯t have any of those Advanced Classes unlocked at the time, I was still able to teach and unlock Classes for others.


    So I wondered if there were other Classes I might be able to unlock, with the right technical skill and know-how. Removing the Slave collar from around my neck, I had an incredibly stupid idea.


    What if I could unlock the Monster Tamer class?


    Enslaving Toofy had unlocked the Slaver Class, so presumably, if I used the Slave collar on a wild monster, I would unlock the Monster Tamer Class, right?


    Hrm.


    Then why didn¡¯t I unlock it when I took Shady from Tobi?


    Thinking on the problem for a few minutes, the best answer I could come up with was that it didn¡¯t count with Shady because either he was willing or far too tame already. Shady was obviously Tobi¡¯s pet, so it stood to reason that he would be at least partially domesticated.


    Letting out a deep sigh, I knew there was really only one way to test my theory. Slipping the collar off my neck and stowing it in my pocket, I gathered some rope from the storeroom and headed out into the swamp.


    Normally, I would have gathered some help, but there were already hunting parties out and about in the general vicinity, so I figured it would be fine.


    Making my way towards the closest hunting party, I explained what I wanted to try and do and ignored the awed and incredulous looks they gave me in return. Tagging along, I was waiting for the ideal target.


    By my approximations, I needed a Rank one Swamp Lurker. Anything larger and the Slave Collar wouldn¡¯t fit, as is, it wasn¡¯t a sure thing anyway.


    After waiting close to a couple of hours, my opportunity had finally arrived. Roughly six feet from the tip of its snout to the end of its tail, the Swamp Lurker was pretty average by crocodile standards. With the hunting party hanging back in reserve I took deep steadying breaths while watching the Swamp Lurker slowly make its way over from the nearby body of water.


    Knowing that crocodiles and alligators had weak jaw strength for opening their jaws, my plan was to try and pin its mouth shut while one of the hunters bound it shut with the rope I brought. Once its mouth was bound shut, I would then be able to secure the Slave Collar and test my theory.


    As expected, the Swamp Lurker surged out of the water and charged at its closest target.


    Ready for it and having gotten a great deal of wrestling practice in the past few days for exercise, I deftly ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the Swamp Lurker¡¯s jaws as they slammed shut an inch from my shin.


    *Thump*


    I bodily slammed down on the Swamp Lurker from the side, pinning its body down with my body weight while scooping its lower jaw upwards with my right forearm. Feeling the tension in the Swamp Lurker¡¯s spine, I maintained the pressure and slowly shifted myself into a sitting position while couching the croc¡¯s throat in my elbow.


    The Swamp Lurker kept trying to wriggle and squirm its way free, but I was just too heavy for it.


    Holding its jaws tightly together with my left hand, I quickly added my right hand as well, very nearly puncturing the poor creature''s hide as I struggled to maintain a firm hold on its wet scales. ¡°Bring the rope!¡± I barked, making sure to keep the croc¡¯s head pointing upwards to give my assistant the benefit of an enlarged blind spot.


    The Serpent-Kin hunter rushed forward and slipped the prepared slipknot over the Swamp Lurker¡¯s mouth and pulled the noose tight. Then for good measure, she tightly looped the rope another four times before tying it off and grappling the beast''s jaws with both arms. Hugging it tight to her chest, it gave me the chance to retrieve the collar and begin cinching it around the croc¡¯s neck.


    As if sensing what we were trying to do, the Swamp Lurker began bucking about in earnest. However, the hunter refused to let go, and I was far too heavy for it to dislodge.


    Pulling the leather strap tight, I barely managed to feed the farthest hole into the buckle and thumb the pin through the catch. Pushing my other thumb onto the small sharp spike to mark the tag with my blood, I was relieved when all at once, the Swamp Lurker stopped resisting.


    A short deluge of status alerts filtered in front of my eyes.


    [Bond Successful: Applying Enslaved Status and Effects]


    [You have qualified to unlock the {Monster Tamer} Basic Class.]


    [You have qualified to unlock the {Beast Trainer} Advanced Class.]


    [You have qualified to unlock the {Wrangler} Advanced Class.]


    Grinning in triumph I blinked away the status alerts and was surprised to see that the hunter who had assisted me looked positively ecstatic. ¡°You unlocked one or more classes as well?¡± I asked rhetorically, knowing that the Serpent-Kin language wasn¡¯t sufficient to allow reading the Status information.


    The hunter nodded, ¡°Yess Lord, I ssee two boxsess!¡± she hissed excitedly.


    Oh wow, I hadn¡¯t expected that. ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked, having forgotten it in all the excitement and looking for her information.


    ¡°My name is Prittra, Lord,¡± She replied excitedly, most likely guessing why I was asking.


    ¡°Prittra...Prittra...¡± I mumbled while scanning through the hundreds of statuses. ¡°Here we go,¡± I skipped through the other information to see what Prittra had unlocked.


    [Class Qualifications: Monster Tamer, Beast Trainer. ]


    It was admittedly about what I had expected, but it was still rather exciting that we had both unlocked Classes at the same time. I briefly wondered if Prittra would have unlocked the wrangler if she knew wrestling techniques, or if she had been excluded because I had been the one to pin the Swamp Lurker. Putting those thoughts aside, I decided it would be best to inform Prittra of her choices. ¡°You have unlocked both the Basic Class Monster Tamer and the Advanced Class Beast Trainer. Monster Tamer Lets you tame wild monsters like this Swamp Lurker, and I assume Beast Trainer is a more sophisticated version of the same.¡±


    Prittra was positively thrumming with excitement, ¡°Which sshould I choosse Lord?¡± She asked a little nervously.


    Well, that was the question, wasn¡¯t it?


    Technically, I already knew what Monster Tamer was generally capable of. It was like a less specialised Slaver class, near as I could tell from the book Nadine had read for me. Considering how I really didn¡¯t want that mess causing problems in Sanctuary, the relative unknowns of Beast Trainer sounded more preferable.


    ¡°I think you should take Beast Trainer ,¡± I suggested, ¡°But it is your choice. However, be aware that I have no tolerance for Enslaving other residents of Sanctuary or other monsters of relative intelligence.¡± I didn¡¯t have the time to debate sapience and sentience right now, so that would have to do.


    Prittra nodded eagerly, ¡°How do I do that Lord?¡±


    I explained the process and a few moments later I could see her status information had changed.


    Prittra had gained one extra point of Willpower and five additional MP, which was interesting since both Slaver and Taskmaster got HP instead. Skimming past the stats and Racial Abilities I was rather impressed by the starting Class Abilities.


    [(Class Ability: Tame Beast): Dominate the mind of a Beast and establish yourself as their Master. Requires a willing target or a contest of (Willpower) against a target with {Bloodied} Condition. Cannot be used on Humanoids. Maximum number of Tamed Beasts is determined by {Willpower} (0:2)]


    [(Class Ability: Command): Issue commands to your Tamed Beasts. Disobeying your direct commands requires a contest of (Willpower). Degree of failure will result in pain being administered until the command is obeyed or the command is rescinded.]


    [(Class Ability: Bestial Vigour): Expend MP to increase the {Toughness} and {Strength} of your Tamed Beasts for a short time. {Presence} increases the duration of the effect.]


    Reading aloud the Class abilities for Prittra and the other Serpent-Kins¡¯ benefit, I wondered if the Deep Orcs would regret being so hasty in their choices. Then again, the available selections for Beast monsters in the immediate vicinity wasn¡¯t great.


    ¡°If you want, we should be able to transfer ownership of this Swamp Lurker,¡± I suggested, ¡°At the moment it belongs to me, but if you concentrate on using the Tame Beast ability, I should be able to let you take it.¡±


    Prittra gulped and nodded determinedly, ¡°Alright,¡± she agreed, apparently so nervous she forgot to mention my title, not that I was complaining.


    [Warning: Bond has been forcefully attempted against Swamp Luker. Accept? (Y/N) ]


    ¡°Accept,¡± I agreed and removed the Slave Collar. Carefully and somewhat shakily getting to my feet, I moved away from Prittra and her new pet croc. I may have been imagining things, but it seemed like the Swamp Lurker was glaring at me vindictively.


    As the high of my success began to fade, I wondered if perhaps I was celebrating too soon. I had just unlocked three more potential Classes, but we only had one Slave collar on hand. So even assuming those who wanted the Class paired up, we would only be able to train two people at a time after finding a suitable sized croc to try it on. Worse than that, it had taken some real doing to get the collar on, so I wasn¡¯t even confident the Serpent-Kin would be able to manage it on their own.


    Well, there was something else I wanted to try, which keyed into my theory for unlocking the other Classes.


    I would need to see if Prittra using her Tame Beast ability would generate the unlock for any of her hunting companions. I wasn¡¯t optimistic, but there was a chance that so long as they otherwise replicated everything but the Slave Collar, that it would work.


    With that plan in mind, I explained what I expected of the hunting party and secured another pair of volunteers. One of them would serve as a distraction, while the other tried pinning it down.


    Unfortunately, we didn''t manage to find another Swamp Lurker until late in the evening, and it was far too risky to try something that dangerous in the failing light. Even so, the hunting party was in high spirits. Most of them had not been particularly keen on Clarice¡¯s teaching methods and were worried they would not be able to secure a Combat Class otherwise.


    Returning to Sanctuary, I was still rather pleased by what we had accomplished. Particularly since now I had a method to teach Lash a Leadership Class that wouldn¡¯t involve enslaving anyone to do it. At the very least, Lash should be able to help the Serpent-Kin unlock the Beast Tamer Advanced Class. Even if the Advanced Class itself doesn¡¯t need to be present, I could at least rely on lash to be able to draw and close the Slave Collar.


    Prittra and her Swamp Lurker were getting a great deal of attention by the cooking fires, particularly from Toofy.


    ¡°Ahhhh,¡± Toofy opened her mouth wide, imitating the Swamp Lurker as she threw another chunk of meat into its mouth.


    *Thunk**Thunk**Thunk*


    The Swamp Luker snapped its jaws and pulled back its head to better swallow the food.


    Toofy waved to Ril and animatedly pointed at her own mouth.


    Ril nodded and threw a piece of meat underarm into Toofy¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Nyom nyom nyom,¡° Toofy gnashed her teeth repeatedly then threw back her head to swallow. ¡°Heeheehee,¡± She flashed Ril a grin, ¡°Ril¡¯s turn!¡±


    Ril opened her mouth wide and waited.


    After watching the girls play their little game for a half-hour or so, I decided that I had procrastinated long enough and went looking for Lash. Unsurprisingly, she was still on the training field, but it was just her and two other Deep Orcs fighting a three-way spar. It was an interesting change to the dynamic of the fight, and I wondered if it was an attempt at replicating the chaos of a real battle or if it was just an attempt to generate more EXP.


    Sitting down nearby, I watched the fight play out.


    Lash seemed to be testing her limits because despite putting up a good fight, she was still the first to be eliminated. The other two Deep Orc¡¯s had ganged up on her almost exclusively until she reached ten points and was eliminated.


    Not that Lash seemed to mind. She spent her downtime stretching and intensely watching the ensuing fight.


    For good reason.


    The two remaining Deep Orcs kicked it up another level once Lash was eliminated, their strikes coming faster and hitting far harder than earlier. Most of their attacks were deftly parried or avoided by rolling their hips or pivoting to side angle a blow.


    It was obvious that I had made a mistake in just assuming Lash was the strongest of the Deep Orcs just because she was the largest and had spoken for them. The two sparring Deep Orcs obviously had hard-earned skill and were making the most of their new Class Abilities.


    After about ten minutes of a rather dizzying back and forth, one of the pair began to tire and their opponent began landing hits on their armour, announcing each scored point with a resounding clang. They weren¡¯t playing around either, the axe blows looked like they could cleave unprotected limbs right off.


    It was about the same time that Lash seemed to have noticed me watching the bout and made her way over and stared expectantly at me, waiting patiently to see what I wanted.


    Explaining that I had found a way to unlock three more Classes, I waited to gauge Lash¡¯s reaction before informing her of my intent to promote her to Underlord.


    ¡°Monster Tamer, Beast Trainer, they make the soulless fight for you?¡± Lash asked inquisitively.


    I nodded, ¡°The Beasts tamed with the Class Ability fight like loyal companions, and I think you can make them loyal over time.¡±


    Lash thought about this for a moment and nodded, ¡°Loyalty is better than Slavery.¡±


    On Earth, the argument could probably be made that these were one and the same in regards to the Taming Class Ability. But the most important difference was that, unlike the humanoid monsters, the Beasts seemed single-mindedly compelled to attack humanoids and certain other targets on sight. Which domestication made otherwise impossible, the ¡®taming¡¯ mechanics seemed significantly more humane. In a sense, it gave the Beasts a choice they otherwise lacked.


    I was rather confused by how easy it was to keep my head around Lash at the moment, and the only reason I could think of for it was that she hadn¡¯t removed her helmet.


    Well...that and most of her body was covered by iron plates.


    ¡°I was thinking about promoting you to Underlord,¡± I explained, ¡°If we can unlock the Monster Tamer Class for you, then I am quite sure it will then unlock access to a Rulership Class like myself and Gric. What do you think?¡±


    Lash just stared at me silently for a while. She remained silent long enough that the sparring match ended and the pair of Deep Orcs made their way over to see what was going on. ¡°You want me to serve as Underlord?¡± Lash asked, ¡°Same as Gric? She added.


    I nodded.


    Lash returned to quietly contemplating the question.


    Meanwhile, the two other Deep Orcs seemed to be taken aback and briefly turned their visored helmets towards one another.


    Lash nodded and knelt down on one knee, lowering her head, ¡°I accept,¡± she pronounced determinedly.


    Realising that she was expecting the promotion here and now, I cleared my throat and did my best to sound important. ¡°By the power vested in me, by me, I hereby raise Lash to the position of Underlord.¡±


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Lash - Deep Orc} has been promoted to Underlord.]


    The Status Alert had very likely been sent to everyone within Sanctuary, but I wondered if Ushu and the others had received it as well despite the distance. Granted it had been four days already, but I had the general impression that these kinds of alerts were intended to be a big deal and notify EVERYONE within the faction.


    Raising herself up off the ground, Lash removed her helmet and I immediately felt the sudden spike in my anxiety as she stared at me with her intense luminous eyes, ¡°I won¡¯t fail you!¡± Lash promised determinedly.


    I nodded and tried to look far more confident than I felt. ¡°We can head out tomorrow morning to unlock the required Classes, alright?¡±.


    ¡°As you will,¡± Lash agreed with a barely restrained grin.


    Giving the three of them a perfunctory nod, I began making my way back to the Grove to go to bed. Shaking off my lingering nerves, I let out a deep sigh. Things had gone better than I expected, and it was good to know I could get through a conversation with Lash without devolving into a babbling wreck.


    Hana was waiting for me by the Grove fountain and got up when she saw me coming, ¡°I finished the Hatchery if you want to come to take a look?¡± She motioned to the far side of the Grove to the huge barrow den she had grown over the past couple of days.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I was actually rather curious to see what Hana had done. The walls, windows and roof hadn¡¯t really taken her much time at all, so the extra time had to have gone somewhere special.


    Entering the barrow, it was more or less the same as most of the others, with a few notable exceptions. Hana had made dozens of cradles from branches connected to the barrows'' walls. Looking closely I could see a very faint green aura pulsing off of the branches. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± I asked excitedly.


    Hana smiled tiredly and nodded, ¡°The cradles should help eggs hatch much faster and relieve some of the hatchlings'' initial aggressive tendencies.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why¡¯s that?¡± I asked curiously, taking a closer look at the cradle noticing a distinctly familiar sensation.


    ¡°I have been observing the hatchlings as much as I can,¡± Hana began to explain, running her hands lovingly over a nearby cradle. ¡°They crave food and mana in equal measure, but they are too young and lack self-control. Using violence to get what they want, it¡¯s not all that surprising,¡± she snorted quietly and shook her head. ¡°It was actually one of the Daemons that helped explain it for me. They are power-obsessed and all, true, but they were born quite recently and still remember what it was like.¡±


    It was weird to me that a statement like that was to be considered part of my new normal. ¡°Which Daemon did you ask?¡± I inquired curiously.


    ¡°The small one that tags along with your little Toofy,...¡± Hana stopped to think for a moment, ¡°Ril, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Oddly clever that one,¡± Hana mused with a smirk.


    ¡°How so?¡± I mean Ril was no cleverer than any of the other Daemons I had observed.


    Cuter? Sure, but more clever or cunning? I wasn¡¯t really convinced.


    ¡°She has been bathing in the Grove fountain every day. Sometimes for hours, ¡±Hana observed, as if that were a telling sign of intelligence.


    ¡°Sorry, I think you lost me there Hana. What¡¯s so special about hanging out in the fountain?¡± I asked a little dubiously.


    Hana gave me an amused smirk and then smiled, ¡°Have you forgotten what the Grove does?¡± She asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.


    I furrowed my brow for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s a mana-well right? The special trees draw mana up from underground and disperse it into the air.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Hana nodded, ¡°But the water from deep below already has mana saturated in it as well, and the high level of ambient mana stops it from dispersing.¡±


    Suddenly a few things began to make sense, ¡°Wait, you don''t mean?...¡±


    Hana smiled and nodded, ¡°Bathing in the Grove fountain, drinking its waters, infuses your body with its mana. The process is normally considerably slower than consuming manastones, but it seems that the Daemonling figured out a shortcut. She filters the mana from the water just by breathing.¡±


    ¡°What about mana addiction?¡± I groaned, recalling how I had encouraged Ril to swim in the first place.


    Hana shrugged, ¡°She shows no signs of anything you described to me after your..hrm, experience. In fact, she is far less obsessed than the other Daemons are regarding their manastone consumption. Every other Daemon takes their allotted manastone the literal moment they are allowed,¡± She snorted quietly and shook her head, ¡°I have seen your Toofy and Ril playing some sort of game with them instead.¡±


    I shook my head and tried to get my head around it. ¡°This is why taking that manastone felt so familiar. I had already been drinking and bathing in that water.¡±


    Hana nodded, ¡°Its effects would be incredibly weak, but given you can see mana, it probably isn¡¯t too unreasonable to assume you are somewhat sensitive to it as well.¡±


    I knew Hana was just trying to be supportive, but the prospect of being more sensitive to mana, and therefore more susceptible to addiction, was not a pleasant one. Trying to look past my own problem for a minute I tried to think of the ramifications for Ril. ¡°So swimming in the fountain isn¡¯t bad for her?¡± I wanted to clear on this, it was too important.


    ¡°She will be fine,¡± Hana confirmed, ¡°In fact, she seems to be close to her next Evolution.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I hadn¡¯t been paying nearly enough attention since Ril was so small. She was still shorter than Toofy for crying out loud.


    Hana nodded and thoughtfully rubbed her chin, ¡°Gric Evolved a couple of days ago, but he seems to be emphasising a different route of progression to his hatch mates.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked warily, not sure I would like what I was going to hear.


    Hana shrugged apologetically, ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is that he Evolved and hasn¡¯t outwardly changed all that much compared to say Qreet or Dar.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± I agreed, making a mental note to look into it.


    Perhaps Gric had just been busy?


    ¡°I thought so too,¡± Hana nodded, ¡°But he has been perfectly well behaved, just like all the others.¡±


    ¡°Well you¡¯ve given me a lot to think about,¡± I sighed ruefully, ¡°I better head to bed though, I probably have an early start ahead of me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hana drew closer, ¡°What are you getting up to now? I heard that you unlocked another Class,¡± she prompted.


    I nodded somewhat tiredly, ¡°Three actually. Monster Tamer, Beast Trainer and Wrangler.¡±


    ¡°Mhm mhm,¡± Hana nodded agreeably, ¡°So what about Lash?¡± She asked, checking her nails and feigning disinterest.


    ¡°What about Lash?¡± I countered.


    ¡°Oh you know, I was just wondering how things were going between the two of you,¡± Hana commented innocently, ¡°They must be going pretty well if you made her an Underlord right?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± I considered lying or dancing around the truth, but what was the point? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted.


    Hana raised an eyebrow quizzically, ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡±


    I shrugged and raised my palms exaggeratedly, ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know,¡± I insisted.


    Rolling her eyes, Hana sighed, ¡°Do you like her?¡± She asked bluntly.


    I felt my cheeks flush in response, ¡°Ah, yeah, she¡¯s nice, I guess,¡± I admitted evasively.


    ¡°Tim, don¡¯t be childish,¡± Hana chided, ¡°Anyone with eyes can tell you like her. Just admit it.¡±


    My cheeks flushed even more, ¡°Fine, HRM,¡± I gruffly cleared my throat, ¡°I like her,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Aaaand? What is it you like about her?¡± Hana asked, oddly exasperated and amused.


    ¡°I like her eyes-¡± I was almost immediately interrupted by a loud irritated groan from Hana.


    ¡°-It¡¯s been like five days Tim, have you seriously not talked to her at all?!¡± Hana demanded incredulously.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy...¡± I muttered defensively.


    Hana gave me a pitying look, ¡°Lash really seems to like you, you know. You should at least try to find out more about her.¡± She calmed down a little and let out a quiet sigh, ¡°Is it really so hard to talk to Lash?¡± Hana asked.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I groaned dejectedly, ¡°When she is around, it feels like my brain is going crazy, I can hardly string two words together at a time, let alone hold an engaging conversation.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± This had clearly piqued Hana¡¯s interest, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    I gave Hana an incredulous stare, ¡°Because I find her incredibly attractive and...well...I don¡¯t really have any experience with this sort of thing, okay?¡±


    Hana¡¯s expressions softened, ¡°Gah, right, sorry...¡± She apologised, ¡°It¡¯s just...I think Lash could really make you happy if you gave it a real chance,¡± Hana insisted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, okay?¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking,¡± Hana smiled wryly, ¡°You never know just how long we have left, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I considered the number of dangerous psychos running around the Labyrinth and had to agree.


    *****


    ¡°INCOMING¡± The warning came a second too late and Clarice watched as a Goblin warrior was knocked off their feet and pinned to the deck by a ballista bolt.


    Too busy desperately fighting off the latest wave of boarders, Clarice pushed the sight of the screaming Goblin from her mind and focused on what her father taught her. ¡°One enemy at a time,¡± she muttered, sweeping her sword down through the neck of her armoured opponent.


    The Deep Orc staggered, blood running down the front of their armour as they stared at Clarice in surprise.


    Snapping a kick to the Deep Orc¡¯s midsection, Clarice launched the Deep Orc off the ship and into the river.


    Immediately turning her attention to the next enemy, Clarice barely managed to dodge in time as an axe whistled past her head. Snapping her attention to the source of the attack, Clarice could see an Orc easily as tall as Tim and Lash pushing himself through the desperate melee, their gaze firmly fixed on her.


    ¡°Well fuck you too!¡± Clarice growled and snatched up one of the fallen axes herself. Taking only a moment to get a feel for the weight and balance of the thing, she hurled it at the oncoming Deep Orc.


    *Clang*


    Intending to contemptuously bat the attack aside, the large Deep Orc¡¯s parry came a moment too late, the axe impacted its chest armour with a shower of sparks as it then continued past into the melee. The large Deep Orc just stared at Clarice for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and began stalking forwards again, ¡°YOU!¡± He declared, ¡°YOU WILL BE SACRIFICED TO BRIGHT LORD!¡± The Deep Orc howled as he charged.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Clarice swore. There were too many fallen bodies on the deck and too many ongoing melee¡¯s to give her the room she needed to fight a larger heavily armoured opponent.


    *Shwing, Twang, Thwok*


    A trio of arrows raced past Clarice and into the chest of the Large Deep Orc, unfortunately, the first two ricocheted near harmlessly off its chest plate. However, the third managed to catch him in his relatively exposed neck, biting deep into the crude leather. ¡°Thanks Tobi!¡± Claricce called out gratefully but didn¡¯t take her eyes off the Deep Orc. He was wounded but far from done.


    ¡°RAGH! WEAK HUMAN FILTH!¡± The Deep Orc roared in anger and barrelled towards Clarice, his axe held high for an attempt at a killing blow.


    Keeping her temper, Clarice waited until the last moment to roll to the side, dropping her sword in the process but sending her free and clear of the scything arc of the axe.


    Unbalanced by the lack of resistance, the blood slick deck, and the rolling of the waves, the Deep Orc lurched and began flailing as he nearly fell overboard.


    More or less what Clarice had expected, she charged back at the unbalanced Deep Orc and shoved him as hard as she was able.


    Tumbling over the side of the ship, the large Deep Orc disappeared into the river, dragged inexorably downward by his heavy armour.


    Staggering away from the low railing, Clarice snatched up her sword again and cautiously approached the ongoing melee.


    The Goblin warriors were hopelessly outmatched, their crude bone armour and short metal tipped spears were no match for the hulking heavily armoured Deep Orcs. But they fought ferociously nonetheless. They still had the Deep Orcs outnumbered five to one, and despite taking some losses, the Goblins were able to distract the Deep Orcs long enough for Clarice and Tobi to try and swing things in their favour.


    The boarding actions had been taking place in earnest for the past hour. The larger enemy ship was deliberately keeping its distance while deploying smaller assault craft for boarding parties. The small fleet of ships belonging to the adventurer¡¯s Guild was tied up fighting two other similarly sized ships of their own, so they could expect no help from them either.


    When Clarice had volunteered to try and find Millie, Kirk and Rose, she had not expected something like this to happen. Clarice had thought the raid on the first-floor foothold had been crazy, but this was something else entirely.


    Taking a quick look to make sure the others were okay, Clarice was relieved to see that their vanguard was more or less holding and even pushing the Deep Orcs back.


    Tobi and Emelia were at the far end of the ship along with Beaky, Thunder, Shady and Ushu. Nadine was below decks treating as many of the wounded as she was able, most likely chugging her way through every mana potion the Goblins had in the process.


    At first, Clarice hadn¡¯t really understood why Tim had been so willing to surrender himself to Slavery to save Toofy. She was just a Goblin after all, there were always more of them. But after living amongst the monsters, she had been slowly changing her mind.


    When Ushu had insisted they personally support the Sunrock Goblins aboard the Sunstrider, Clarice had been reluctant, to say the least. The memory of the first-floor raid was still fresh in her mind and it had been hard to separate the actions of those wild Goblins from their more civilised kin.


    Then Clarice had seen the terrified faces of their children...


    The hold of the ship was damn near filled with the little buggers. Just like Ushu¡¯s tribe, the Sunrock had prioritised the safety of their children first.


    Looking into their little snot-nosed faces, the lingering anger and resentment she had felt changed targets. The thought of someone deliberately seeking to harm them made Clarice¡¯s blood boil. Tim really didn¡¯t have a choice, she now recognised the dilemma.


    At what point does your inaction translate to responsibility?


    Shaking her head and focusing on the battle, Clarice charged towards the closest Deep Orc. With Goblins harrying her target from all sides, she limited her attacks to thrusts at the exposed points of the armour under the arms and around the neck. Hardly the most effective use of her two-handed blade, Clarice waved the Goblins away so she could begin her attack in earnest. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only too keen to help elsewhere, the Goblins obliged, surging into another desperate melee, their added numerical advantage bearing an already wounded Deep Orc down to the deck.


    With enough room to properly use her blade without striking allies, Clarice began her own assault in earnest.


    Most of Clarice¡¯s attacks were stopped short by the Deep Orc¡¯s iron plate armour, but not all of them.


    Unlike true plate and mail, the Deep Orc design for their heavy armour prioritised outer surfaces and didn¡¯t cover their entire bodies. They had exploitable weak points of exposed flesh at the joints, midsection and neck.


    Furthermore, Clarice had the benefit of her blade being made of steel, so she was reasonably confident in being able to strike the Deep Orc¡¯s armour accidentally without the blade snapping or being heavily damaged. Ultimately, this was what gave her the edge. Ducking back from the savage swing of the Deep Orc¡¯s axe, Clarice leapt right back in again with a sweeping blow from above and sheared through the Deep Orc¡¯s right elbow.


    Momentarily stunned, the Deep Orc stared at the severed stump for a moment and staggered. However, rather than collapsing to the deck as Clarice had expected, the Deep Orc howled in fury and bodily rushed Nadine with such sudden momentum that she barely had time to react.


    Swept up in the Deep Orc¡¯s tackle, Clarice realised with sudden horror that they were tumbling over the side of the ship. Letting go of her sword, she desperately grasped for the railing but was too late.


    Crashing into the water, Clarice felt the air forcibly eject from her lungs and barely avoided inhaling a lungful of river water. The Deep Orc was driving them downward, his sheer weight causing them to sink at an alarming speed. Viciously pummeling at the Deep Orc to try and loosen his grip, Clarice began to panic.


    They were not alone in the water, dark shapes loomed below and were drawn by the ribbons of blood trailing from the Deep Orc¡¯s arm like a beacon.


    Frantically pulling a knife from her belt, Clarice began viciously stabbing at the Deep Orc¡¯s neck. The moment she felt his grip slacken, Clarice kicked off of the Deep Orc, dropped her knife and desperately swam towards the surface. If she was lucky, Clarice would be able to reach one of the abandoned boats the Deep Orcs had been using as assault craft.


    Feeling a disturbance in the water beneath her, Clarice didn¡¯t dare look down, she would make it to the surface or she wouldn¡¯t. Already dealing with a pounding headache and desperately needing to take a breath of air, Clarice knew she would have no chance at fighting anything without drowning anyway.


    All but certain now that death was only a matter of seconds away, Clarice kicked harder, she had almost reached the surface!


    Something crashed into the water beside her, but Clarice was beginning to blackout and continued struggling towards the surface. ¡°GUH!¡± She desperately swallowed a lungful of air and coughed violently to expel the small amounts of river water she had swallowed by accident earlier. Feeling the turbulence in the water beneath her, Clarice desperately swam for the nearest boat with all of her remaining strength. Scrambled out of the water and onto the empty boat, her vision swimming.


    Clarice couldn¡¯t believe she had made it out alive. She felt exhilarated, more energised than ever and riding the rush of victory. She laughed in sheer glee.


    She was Clarice! Most fearsome warrior on three levels! No one could best her!


    A black alert appeared in front of Clarice¡¯s eyes, and her excitement turned to ice. She stared, uncomprehendingly at the party status alert.


    [Thunder has been killed by Hydra!]


    Clarice fought the urge to blink, which would have dismissed the alert. She didn¡¯t want to lose the last connection she had with Thunder. "No. No, not Thunder..."


    Clarice had planned on riding that damn bird all the way to the top of the Labyrinth. They were going to be the first to see what was really up there. Riding Thunder made her feel damn near invincible. Nothing had been able to scratch them without swift and vicious reprisal.


    And now Thunder was gone. Thunder had had to fight alone, because Clarice had been occupied with that damn Deep Orc.


    And that bastard had brought a Hydra?


    Clarice closed her eyes and got to her feet. She opened her eyes and stared out over the battle.


    ¡°CLARICE!¡± Someone was yelling her name, but they sounded very far away.


    A dull pain blossomed in Clarice''s shoulder as a bolt tore through her sodden gambeson and disappeared behind her into the river. Clarice ignored it. Only a flesh wound. Not important.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Clarice spotted movement in the depths of the river. A shadow glided by, easily larger than the twenty foot boat she stood on. It was trailing the Sunstrider like a shark, ready to snap up anything -- anyone -- that fell into the water.


    "I''ll fucking kill you," Clarice muttered through clenched teeth. She balled her fists so tight her bones ached. "HYDRA!" She shouted at the shadow. "YOU HEAR ME? I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 16 – Bonds of friendship – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 16 ¨C Bonds of friendship ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 16 - Bonds of friendship - Part One {Rewrite}


    Watching Lash pin and latch the Slave Collar around the Swamp Lurker¡¯s neck all on her own, I was reminded that she was a great deal more flexible than I am and a great deal more reckless. She had stripped her armour before making the attempt, but her furtive glances in my direction made her motives questionable.


    ¡°You did it,¡± I confirmed after quickly checking Lash¡¯s Status, ¡°You should be able to unlock the Rulership Class now.¡±


    Lash grinned and nodded. It was just the two of us out here in the swamp. Technically, the Serpent-Kin hunting parties were out here somewhere too, but I hadn¡¯t seen any of them in more than twenty minutes or so. ¡°Accept!¡± She declared excitedly and looked to me for confirmation.


    After a few moments, Lash¡¯s class changed. However, it was not what I had expected.


    [Class: Deep Orc Warden. +1 Toughness, +5 MP. ] [Exp: 0/25000 ]


    [(Class Ability: Eminence): Monsters slain by minions within range of a Settlement Totem generate bonus EXP that may be awarded through {Quests}. {Willpower} increases the range of Effect. Stored EXP:(352200)]


    [(Class Ability: Bastion {Rank 0}): Expend MP to generate a temporary {Barrier} that expels enemies and negates hostile {Spells}. {Toughness/Willpower} increases the range of effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Hearthguard {Rank 0}): Deal additional damage and take reduced damage when fighting within range of a Settlement Totem. Expend MP to temporarily share the effect with nearby [Group] members.]


    I read the changes aloud to Lash since she otherwise would not have known what they did. She seemed...conflicted. It was rather obvious that Lash was disappointed by the absence of any offensive abilities. However, she was also intrigued by the defensive benefits of the Class Abilities themselves.


    I was actually somewhat glad Lash had gotten the Eminence ability. Even though it may be a standard class feature or something, it had great potential for the development of Sanctuary and its citizens. Assuming Gric had it as well, which was something I made a note to check on a bit later, that meant there were three of us gathering bonus EXP for making quests with.


    ¡°Bastion!¡± Lash cried determinedly, thoroughly catching me off guard. A violet near-translucent sphere pulsed outward and stopped at roughly twenty-five feet in diameter. The barrier had displaced a number of fish from the nearby body of water, but it was already beginning to fade.


    I had originally assumed bastion would last much longer, but it was only Rank zero, so I supposed it made sense to not be that amazing. Even so, being able to displace enemies like that would doubtless prove very useful in any sort of fight. Especially considering the number of times Lash would be able to use it before evolving.


    Right, that reminds me.


    ¡°Lash?¡± I asked, trying to get her attention.


    Lash stopped antagonising the captured Swamp Lurker and, still grinning, gave me a curious look.


    ¡°Have you and your people been consuming manastones?¡± It was intended to be a rather innocuous question, but the response surprised me.


    Lash shifted uncomfortably and avoided eye contact, ¡°No,¡± she replied bluntly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Gric...¡± I just realised the problem.


    The Daemons were following the rule regarding manastone consumption like clockwork, and it was for a few different reasons. Firstly, their drive to become stronger was damn near an addiction unto itself. Secondly, Sanctuary¡¯s Totem actually functioned with my intent to implement and support the law. To this end, the Totem created a timer that would count down until a citizen would be ¡®allowed¡¯ to consume their next manastone. Thirdly, and most importantly, the Daemons could read the timer...


    This explained a lot of things. I had simply assumed that everyone had been following the rule and were just really close to evolving. Apparently not. Running Jacque¡¯s equation through my head I just had to shrug and give Lash the most simplified method to follow. ¡°Until you evolve, you should be able to take one manastone in the morning, midday and then in the evening. Alright?¡±


    Lash nodded and seemed relieved. She hastily began donning her armour for the walk back to sanctuary.


    ¡°You are quite close already, it probably won¡¯t take many manastones before you can evolve,¡± I explained reassuringly.


    I was actually beginning to have doubts about what Jacque had told me regarding the manastone addiction. Specifically, that it extended to the specially named monsters at all and wasn¡¯t just something suffered by Awakened. I had no proof, but it was entirely possible that Jacque had told a partial lie to make me accept the more important truth regarding myself and the addictive relationship Awakened had with manastones.


    It felt true...But there had to be a reason for it. The only thing I could think of was that as Earthlings, assuming Jacque was even from Earth, there was something about us that made us react differently to the manastones.


    Maybe they were just inherently addictive and we had no tolerance for it?


    There were too many unknowns, and this entire situation was so bizarre that just about anything could be possible.


    ¡°Something is wrong?¡± Lash asked, now having fully donned her armour again, she looked ready for a fight.


    I shook my head distractedly, ¡°No, just thinking about something,¡± I replied and slowly began walking back to Sanctuary.


    Lash easily caught me up in a matter of moments, the recently tamed Swamp Lurker slung casually over her shoulder. After we drew closer to Sanctuary, Lash turned her helmet toward me in a way that made it obvious she wanted to ask something.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked somewhat awkwardly, suddenly painfully aware that it was just the two of us out here.


    Apparently, it was Lash¡¯s turn to be awkward, as she very nearly tripped on an only somewhat concealed tree root. ¡°Want to spar with you,¡± Lash admitted bluntly, ¡°Tim is strong and I want to be strong too.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at Lash incredulously for a moment before remembering that she was not able to read her own stats or status. Even though Lash¡¯s Toughness was lower, she had far more Agility and only had one point lower in Strength. To say that she was weaker than me was highly subjective. Besides, if we were to spar I already knew Lash would come out the victor. It wasn¡¯t because we were disproportionately matched, although I was sure her naturally higher Agility would make scoring hits far easier for her. It was because, ¡°I don¡¯t hit girls,¡± I replied bluntly.


    Lash¡¯s helmet cocked to the side, her expression within unreadable. ¡°Why?¡± She asked with a hint of anger in her tone.


    ¡°My Mum made me promise not to,¡± I replied sincerely. It had been an easy promise to keep thus far. Before being transported to the Labyrinth, members of the opposite sex hadn¡¯t wanted anything to do with me. Whether they were repulsed or afraid of me, it didn¡¯t make much difference. With no women in my life besides my Mum and her hospice nurse, neither of whom were antisocial antagonistic misfits, I kept my promise till the day I died. Keeping that promise in the Labyrinth had been just as easy for different reasons.


    Lash was quiet for a short while before loudly clearing her throat, ¡°Mum is?¡± She asked uncertainly.


    ¡°My mother, the woman who took care of me, who raised me,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Hrm,¡± Lash was quiet for a short while again. ¡°Why not fight females?¡± She asked bluntly, a hint of challenge in her tone.


    ¡°Because...¡± I was surprised to find I didn¡¯t have a good answer to Lash¡¯s question that would make sense in regards to this world.


    Sexual dimorphism in the monsters I had seen thus far had only extended to sexual characteristics. Males and females of the same species appeared to have the same general potential for putting on muscle and both were roughly the same in height potential as well.


    Maybe it is because the monsters lay eggs? But why do female humanoid monsters have breasts if all newborns are capable of eating solids?


    ¡°Where I came from, males were usually bigger and stronger than females,¡± I tentatively began to explain, ¡°Males hurting females is considered as shameful as hurting children.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lash asked, her tone more antagonistic than before, ¡°Not fighting females makes them weak. Weak females breed weaker offspring. Makes the clan weaker, vulnerable.¡±


    I wanted to argue with her, but Lash sort of had a point.


    In the context of the Labyrinth, denying someone the opportunity to increase their stats through fighting was likely to get them killed. I sighed and nodded, agreeing and conceding to her point. Still, the idea of hitting Lash didn¡¯t sit well with me. Beating on someone you had feelings for seemed...wrong.


    As if sensing my continued resistance, Lash changed tact. ¡°Wrestle instead?¡± She offered slyly, perhaps having intended the spar to take the form of a wrestling match from the beginning.


    My cheeks flushed and I pretended to scan the nearby swamp to hide my embarrassment, ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed. I had already told Hana that I would give Lash a chance, and since fighting seems to be one of her core interests, I supposed wrestling would approximate to a suitable activity for a first date.


    After returning to Sanctuary, Lash left the Swamp Lurker near the cooking fires and we both headed to the training grounds. At Lash¡¯s request, and my general direction and description, Hana had erected light barriers to form rough staging areas for sparring and other forms of training. It was mostly just short fences of raised roots, but Lash seemed pleased by the more orderly arrangement.


    ¡°So what rules should we use?¡± I asked Lash since it was her idea. We were standing opposite one another in one of the allotted spaces with thick moss covering the ground. It would help absorb some of the kinetic force and lessen the impacts when one of us threw or pinned the other to the ground.


    ¡°Surrender or defeat!¡± Lash insisted with a grin, removing the last of her armour and stowing it outside the fence.


    Right...I should have expected something like that.


    I sighed and nodded, stripping off my tunic, and after some considerably intense internal debate, removed my pants as well. As embarrassing and awkward as it would be to wrestle in my underwear, I didn¡¯t have clothes to spare and I had the impression that Lash was planning to be rough.


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t like most Serpent-Kin weren¡¯t walking around in just their underwear most of the time anyway, and the Deep Orcs probably would too if they didn¡¯t have their weird obsession with always wearing their heavy armour.


    Catching Lash giving me an appraising look, I shifted uncomfortably as I felt her eyes wandering over my body.


    Ugh, is this what I had been doing to her? I felt a sudden shiver run through my body, but rather than feeling scared or sick, I was...excited?


    I felt incredibly twitchy and on edge, incredibly aware of the blood being pumped through my veins and around my body. I honestly hadn¡¯t felt like this since puberty.


    Since...puberty...Oh...Things were beginning to make much more sense.


    Despite the looming dangers and near-constant stress the Labyrinth was throwing my way, I couldn¡¯t really remember a time where I had been less depressed. Speaking with Hana had helped process some things, but I also couldn¡¯t help but think the Mana-well was partially responsible as well.


    In place of antidepressants, I was getting small mood lifters while I was sleeping. So of course, feeling far less depressed and not taking antidepressants, would naturally result in a rather abrupt return of other hormones.


    Seeing the eagerness in Lash¡¯s eyes, I obviously wasn¡¯t the only one under the sway of hormones.


    Maybe wrestling was a bad idea after all?


    Lash took her position opposite me and waited for the signal to announce the beginning of our bout.


    ¡°Begin-¡± No sooner had I begun to speak, Lash leapt forward and closed the small gap between us almost instantly.


    Having lowered herself closer to the ground, Lash was attempting to sweep up from underneath my guard to wrap her arms around my midsection and drive me to the ground.


    Lacking her Agility and overall flexibility, I decided on a low-risk gambit and waited for Lash to make her attempted tackle. However, once her shoulder slammed into my lower chest, I hooked my arms over Lash¡¯s back and in one smooth motion heaved her off the ground. Pivoting on the spot, I straightened my back as I spun on the spot and slammed both our bodies to the ground.


    My gambit had paid off and Lash was stunned by the sudden change in events, reacting sluggishly as I broke free of her grip and straddled her back. Hooking my arms under her armpits and taking a firm grip around the back of her neck, I successfully established a full-nelson hold and pinned Lash to the ground.


    Try as she might, Lash was unable to break my hold, and after struggling for close to a minute, relaxed, ¡°Yield!¡± She grunted in frustration.


    Immediately, a gold status alert appeared in front of my eyes.


    [Congratulations! You have completed {Sparring!} and have earned 0 EXP! ]


    That was about what I had expected. The combination of a non-lethal challenge and the fact that Lash was considered a much weaker lower level monster.


    I blinked away the status alert then let Lash go and scuttled backwards before hastily getting to my feet.


    Lash leapt to her feet almost immediately. To my surprise, she was far from angry, quite the opposite. Lash had a broad grin and an unmistakable hunger in her eyes.


    That look sent a fresh wave of electrifying chills through my body and I realised that I was grinning right back at her.


    Squaring up, we prepared to wrestle again.


    The next seven bouts followed more or less the same pattern. Lash would attempt a direct tackle or takedown. However, I would then use an established counter or leverage my substantially greater body weight to power through and break any hold she managed to make. Once Lash was tired out, it was easy to establish a hold of my own and force her to yield.


    Visibly flagging now, Lash was breathing hard and her movements had become quite stiff and stilted. All the same, Lash was still incredibly eager for the contest to continue.


    Squaring up for what was shaping up to be the last bout, I was almost painfully aware of how untired I felt. Granted, I was better trained and a more experienced wrestler in a considerably higher weight class, but Lash was no slouch and to be so thoroughly exhausted was strange.


    Lash lurched forward as she had done seven times before, only this time she was attempting to grapple my shoulders rather than trying to tackle my legs, waist or chest.


    Meeting her challenge head-on, I caught Lash¡¯s hands with my own and pushed forward to brace against her forward momentum. Unfortunately, Lash had not followed through on her grapple as I had expected.


    Instead, Lash suddenly threw her not inconsiderable weight backwards, leapt off the ground and wrapped her legs tightly around my waist then sent us both crashing to the ground. Disengaging her hands from our grapple, Lash hooked her arms around my back and pulled herself tight against me, her amethyst eyes boring intently into mine.


    *Crack*


    With no warning, Lash had snapped her head forward and smacked our heads together. Temporarily stunned, I was unable to react as she leaned in, closed her eyes and pressed her lips against mine in a fierce kiss.


    Even after overcoming my surprise, I didn¡¯t pull away. Partly because it would be close to impossible, but mostly because I didn¡¯t want to.


    With absolutely no idea what I was doing, I tried to mimic Lash¡¯s affections as best as I was able. Even though I didn¡¯t have her enlarged wolf-like canines, Lash didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Sometime later, Lash let me go and I reluctantly pulled away.


    All at once I became paralysed by embarrassment. In the heat of the moment, I had completely forgotten where we were and the fact that there had been close to three to four dozen spectators gathered by the end of our seventh bout. Even though nobody was jeering or laughing at us, I still felt incredibly self-conscious.


    ¡°Wow,¡± the amused comment immediately drew my attention. Hana had her arms crossed over her chest and was smirking at me in wry amusement, ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t think you would actually go through with it. But it¡¯s nice to see Nadine and Clarice were right.¡±


    Lash took this opportunity to sit herself up, demonstrating both her immense core strength as well as reminding me that her legs were still wrapped around my waist. ¡°Overseer approves,¡± she growled softly while staring into my eyes intently. Draping one arm over my shoulder and the other around my chest, Lash leaned in and kissed the right side of my neck. Or I assumed that was what she was doing, I couldn¡¯t really see and was distracted by the firm yet yielding pressure against my chest.


    However, a sudden jolt of pain from the meat of my shoulder abruptly seized my undivided attention.


    Lash pulled herself back far enough that I could smell the blood on her breath and see it dribbling down her canines onto her lips.


    ¡°You bit me?!¡± I demanded incredulously, unable to stop myself from shivering as waves of adrenaline began crashing through my veins.


    Lash was smiling and exposed her own neck, pressing herself towards my mouth.


    I tried recoiling in horror, yet Lash was firmly locked onto me and all I managed to accomplish was falling backwards and forcing both of us back onto the ground. I had half a mind to bite her back out of spite but resisted the impulse. ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± I demanded, forced to angle my face away just so I could speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Orc bonding ritual!¡± Hana called out in surprise, ¡°She wants you to bite her back.¡±


    Lash took this as her opportunity to jam her trapezius muscle into my mouth, eliminating any real degree of choice in my participation.


    I vaguely recalled seeing similar scarred bite marks on a couple of the other Deep Orcs. Not that I had suspected they were scarring one another deliberately.


    Cradling my head with one arm, Lash flexed and pressed herself against me more insistently. Likewise, her thighs began crushing my midsection like a vice.


    A sudden flare of pain from my right side, very likely from my kidney, made me involuntarily tense in turn. Confused and in pain, an all too familiar hunger suddenly reared up in my mind. I hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet, but it felt like an eternity since I last had anything to eat.


    The taste of copper splashed over my tongue, and far too late, I realised what I had done.


    Lash shuddered and I bodily threw myself away from her, the sickly sweet smell of her blood intoxicating my senses and causing the yawning pit of my hunger to become more insistent.


    Despite her badly bleeding shoulder, Lash was grinning ear to ear, revealing her own bloody teeth.


    As another wave of hunger crashed into my senses, I shuddered and my shoulder began to ache, ¡°FOOD!¡± I snarled savagely, ¡°I NEED FOOD!¡±


    Everything became hazy for a while and I struggled to remember what exactly happened. All I could manage was the vague impression that I had been eating; a lot.


    I found a half dozen of the woven food baskets scattered around me in various states of disrepair.


    Reaching for my shoulder, I could feel a thick crust of dried blood. Judging by the wide trails running down my chest, I figured Lash must have a powerful anticoagulant in her saliva.


    Reminded that I had bitten Lash as well, I looked around worriedly and found that I was more or less alone. I was still sitting in the same partitioned section of the training grounds, but everyone else was gone.


    I could see the usual comings and goings over by the cooking fires, so I figured that there was no imminent emergency and that the crowd simply had other places to be.


    Getting to my feet, I stiffly made my way over to the Grove. I needed to wash all of this blood off and the cool water would help me think. When I got there, I found Hana relaxing by the fountain. With more than a few questions I needed answered, I decided to put off the bath.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Hana asked with obvious concern before I had a chance to ask a question of my own. She had begun asking the question before even turning around, a reminder that Hana always seemed to be aware of my movements within Sanctuary and its surrounding environs. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied somewhat coldly, ¡°Do you want to tell me exactly why Lash bit me?!¡± I was finding it really hard to stay calm. Spending more time with Lash had been Hana¡¯s idea and it was obvious that she was aware that something like this could happen.


    Hana flinched but made a point of looking me in the eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was going to do that,¡± she insisted firmly, likely guessing what I was thinking.


    ¡°You said it was a bonding ritual,¡± I prompted firmly, already suspecting I knew the gist of the motivation.


    Visibly struggling to maintain eye contact, Hana nodded. ¡°The Forest Orcs marked each other with their teeth to show other Orcs that they were already...well...taken.¡± She shifted uncomfortably and her cheeks flushed, ¡°It means Lash wants you to be her mate...¡± Hana gulped hard and looked away, ¡°And...and when you bit her back...it meant you accepted...¡±


    The first thought I had was hardly productive, wildly missing the point and conflating an Australianism with Hana¡¯s more scientific use of the word. I could do little more than stare at Hana incredulously for over a full minute before finally getting my thoughts together to try and fix this. ¡°You need to talk to her,¡± I croaked, ¡°What Lash did is not okay...¡±


    Hana nodded, ¡°I already did...But, uh, I doubt she cares...¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± I snapped, more from surprise and frayed nerves than genuine anger.


    ¡°Lash, well, the thing you need to know about Orcs is that they really aren¡¯t that sophisticated...and when you bit her back...well...¡± Hana trailed off lamely before finding her nerve again, ¡°When you bit Lash back, it was a very big deal. Her biting you was just a sign of intent...You biting her back wasn¡¯t just reciprocation...it, uh, it sealed the bond...It¡¯s even reflected in both your stats.¡±


    After staring at Hana blankly for a few moments, I numbly sought out my own status and tried to make what I was looking at make sense.


    [Bonded Mate/s: Lash {Deep Orc Drudge 5}.]


    [Bloodline: {Tyrant 0} +1 Willpower.] [Bloodline Progeny: None.]


    The first section was not hard to understand, I had already seen something similar on a few of the Deep Orcs and adult Serpent-Kins statuses. It was the second line that threw me. Tyrant Bloodline? What the hell is that? The negative connotations of tyranny made the bonus Willpower a small consolation.


    Trying my best to remain calm, I turned my attention back to Hana, ¡°Do you know what Bloodlines are?¡± I asked stiffly.


    Hana shook her head, ¡°No,¡± she replied quietly, ¡°I have never seen anything like that before and there is nothing like that in the information I gained from the Totem.¡± Hana trembled slightly and clenched her fists, ¡°Tim, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean for anything like this t-¡± She suddenly stiffened and stood bolt upright, her head swivelling to the south, ¡°A large number of Humans just appeared a short distance from our walls!¡± Hana exclaimed, her expression deadly serious and devoid of the uncertainty and guilt from earlier.


    Responsibility for the people in my care took precedence, so I forced my aggravation down and gave Hana my full attention. ¡°Try and find out who they are, I am going to recall the hunting parties.¡±


    Hana nodded and slipped into a trance-like state, waves of emerald mana pulsing from her body like a sonar.


    Rushing from the Grove I beelined for the cooking fires and snatched the first Daemon I came across, ¡°Find Gric, tell him a large number of humans have been detected to the south of Sanctuary. We don¡¯t know their motives, so I want everyone to be ready for a fight should it come to it!¡±


    Knowing the Daemon would convey the message to the best of its ability, I ran off towards the swamp. With no idea regarding what the humans wanted, I wasn¡¯t going to risk any of my people getting ganked out in the wilds. Issuing a quest to muster near Sanctuary¡¯s gate while I was on the move, I still wasn¡¯t willing to leave it to chance. Hearing the shouts and cries from the different hunting parties in the distance, I did my best to head towards them as fast as I was able.


    Three of the four hunting parties had already gathered together with their sleds and were waiting on the last by the time I reached them.


    ¡°Where is the last group?¡± I demanded, trying to project both a sense of urgency and calm at the same time.


    ¡°To the ssouth wesst Lord,¡± one of the Serpent-Kin party leaders declared nervously, pointing in the approximate direction.¡±


    ¡°Head back to Sanctuary,¡± I ordered, ¡°I will join the last group and see them back myself.¡±


    The hunters looked like they wanted to argue, but bowed their heads and obediently began making their way back to Sanctuary.


    Rushing off in the direction of the final group, it only now occurred to me that I had left Sanctuary without a weapon. With the distinct possibility of lives being on the line, I forced the thought from my mind. Worst comes to worst I would just have to use my fists. Every second right now could be the difference between life and death.


    Hearing cries of alarm and unmistakably human shouts from up ahead, I took a risk and redoubled my pace. The sodden ground of the swamplands was treacherous even while walking, running on it was really taking my life into my own hands. Even so, I only had a half dozen slips and trips by the time the hunting group came into view, so it was more than worth it.


    The five Serpent-Kin were cornered by what looked like close to ten human soldiers. Their matching equipment and deferment to a single authority figure made it incredibly unlikely that they were adventurers.


    One member of the hunting party was nursing a wounded arm, the shaft and fletching of an arrow protruding between his fingers. The sight of it made me incredibly angry, almost to the point that I couldn¡¯t hear what the lead human soldier was saying.


    ¡°-I said, take me to your village! You miserable cretins!¡± The lead soldier hissed angrily, ¡°If I have to ask again, I¡¯ll...¡± The words died in the man''s throat as he saw me hustling towards the Serpent-Kin.


    ¡°You will do what?!¡± I growled provocatively, straightening to stand at my full height, easily head and shoulders above the tallest soldier amongst them.


    Bolstered by my appearance, the hunting party hissed feral warnings of their own, baring teeth and fangs alongside their spears.


    Despite the fact that most of the soldiers were equipped with steel helmets, chain hauberks, gambesons, steel-tipped spears and metal banded shields, to a man, they backed away at my approach. The fact that I was spattered with mud and only wearing my boxers would have made the showdown especially comical if it weren¡¯t so incredibly dangerous.


    The leader, despite having paled considerably and now sweating bullets, took a tentative step back towards me, ¡°N-now l-listen here m-monster!¡± He stammered, ¡°By order of the king, you are to provide shelter and supplies for his Majesty¡¯s soldiers!¡± The impact he had intended to convey was completely lost due to his own transparent fear.


    ¡°Return to Sanctuary,¡± I told the hunting group, ¡°Tell the others what has happened.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± The leader cried out as the Serpent-Kin hurried past and out into the swamp. Despite his bluster, he still didn¡¯t try anything.


    ¡°If you want supplies,¡± I growled contemptuously, ¡°You can send someone to negotiate a fair price for them, AFTER providing compensation for your unprovoked attack on my people!¡± Turning my back on him and the other soldiers, which was an incredibly stupid thing to do, I stalked off after the retreating hunting party.


    To my relief, no one attempted shooting me in the back. I was genuinely surprised that no one had seemed to notice I was unarmed and completely unarmoured. With most of the nearby wildlife already having been culled by the hunters, my trip back to Sanctuary was rather uneventful.


    As expected and to my immense relief, all the members of the hunting party were accounted for, even the injured hunter was sitting nearby while a pair of Surgeons were carefully extracting the arrow from his arm.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Gric made his way over and offered me my morningstar and one of the practice shields.


    Gratefully accepting both, I tried my best to project a sense of calm and control as I turned my attention to the gathered crowd of my citizens, ¡°I want all Daemons and parents to fall back to the Grove. In the absence of Hana or myself, Gric is in charge. Understood?¡±


    Individuals amongst the crowd of Serpent-Kin and Deep Orcs nodded, while the Daemons rumbled, roared, growled and hissed obediently.


    While I wanted the Daemons to better convey a position of strength, both from greater numbers and bulk, I had the distinct impression that my presence alone was likely going to cause more than a few problems already. Besides, if the armoured bulk of the Deep Orcs wasn¡¯t intimidating enough, then Gric and the Daemons probably wouldn¡¯t cut it either.


    Spying Toofy and Ril lingering near Hana, I frowned disapprovingly. The last thing I wanted was for either of them to be involved in heated and quite likely hostile negotiations with the soldiers outside of Sanctuary.


    ¡°There are close to a hundred of them,¡± Hana explained quickly, misinterpreting the cause for my diverted attention, ¡°They have some form of ward with them and it is making it difficult to get an accurate count.¡±


    I nodded but was surprised by how few of them there were. ¡°Is there anything else you can tell me?¡± I asked, trying my best not to sound nervous in front of my citizens.


    Hana nodded and pursed her lips briefly before continuing, ¡°They do not have any spellcasters with them, but...their leader seems quite powerful. Perhaps even as strong as you...¡± Seeing that her comparison did not elicit the response she expected, Hana gave me a worried look, ¡°Tim, you may not fully realise it, but you are VERY powerful compared to just about anything the Labyrinth could throw at you on these lower floors, let alone compared to the Humans.¡±


    I had to grudgingly admit Hana had a point. Even without armour, my Toughness gave me absurd levels of durability.


    ¡°They are coming!¡± Hana¡¯s attention snapped towards the gate, ¡°Only half of them, the others are lingering by the southern wall, just inside the barrier.¡±


    Now that Hana had pointed it out to me, I could sense the intruders movements as they skirted the wall towards the gate. I couldn¡¯t sense the other group at all though, so I suspected it was related to the ward in their possession


    Quickly forming a party composed of myself, Lash, Hana, Toofy and Ril. I then filled out a retinue composed of the remaining Deep Orcs as Lash did the same and Hana formed a retinue from the Serpent-Kin hunters. With the agreement that Hana would stay back with Toofy, Ril and the Serpent-Kin Myself, Lash and our accompanying retinues moved outside of the gate to await the arrival of our uninvited guests.


    *****


    Lieutenant Felix was doing his best to keep a tight rein on his nerves. Despite making contact with Variants from the suspected monster Settlement, Lieutenant Uric, who had tagged along with the forward scouts, had reported some very unsettling news.


    There was an Ogre in the vicinity.


    Worse yet, the Ogre seemed to have a solid grasp of human language, which was unprecedented.


    Felix had no idea how the brute had managed to descend the Labyrinth, but one thing was clear, it did not bode well for Captain Klive¡¯s training expedition and impromptu relief effort for the Adventurer Guild¡¯s foothold.


    The longer Felix and his men continued walking the perimeter of the immense and densely packed briar wall, the more worried Felix became.


    He had never seen monsters capable of something like this before. There were rumours amongst the veterans at the barracks that higher tiers of monster were capable of wielding powerful magic, but Felix had never really believed it.


    As a career soldier, Felix was no stranger to the lower floors of the Hurst Labyrinth and a few others besides. However, in his seven years of service, this was the first time Felix had seen a defensive wall that was worth a damn and not just poorly imitated earthworks.


    To make things even more unsettling, the monster Settlement had to have a truly powerful Shaman to be capable of sustaining such an immense and effective Ward. Felix had never personally interacted with a Shaman before, and he doubted he would ever have the opportunity to do so either. The Variants protected their Shamans fanatically, and for good reason, considering their Wards were the only things keeping the other monsters out.


    Slowly rounding the wall, Felix nearly tripped over himself in shock at the sight ahead of them. Roughly thirty heavily armoured Orcs were standing at the ready by what appeared to be the gate to the monster Settlement. Standing beside the largest of the Orcs was the unmistakable form of the Ogre Lt. Uric had warned them about.


    Standing close to eight and a half feet tall, perhaps more, the Ogre was easily twice as broad as the largest Orc, armour and all.


    Lt. Uric had reported the Ogre to be unarmed and unarmoured, but half of that assessment needed to be revisited, because the Ogre was bearing a table-sized rectangular shield and a morningstar the length of Felix¡¯s arm.


    This was bad, really really bad.


    Cohabitation like this was almost unheard of, most monsters, Variant or otherwise, hated one another''s guts and competed ferociously for territory and resources. The fact that this Ogre had subdued the local Orcs as well as the scaled humanoid species Lt. Uric had reported, it did not bode well for their expedition.


    Bringing the column of troops to a halt more than a hundred feet away from the Orcs, Felix motioned for two of his most senior sergeants, Barus and Louis, to accompany him. To their credit, they didn¡¯t complain. Both men were seasoned veterans and well into their thirties. They likely understood that Felix had very little choice in who he needed to watch his back during the negotiations.


    ¡°You sure about this sir?¡± Sgt. Barus grunted, his piercing blue eyes staring disapprovingly at the Variants forces.


    ¡°Just say the word and we can hightail it to the Captain,¡± Sgt. Louis agreed with boundless optimism.


    Felix was tempted to take their advice, but he shook his head. ¡°We have our orders,¡± Felix stated firmly and injected as much confidence as he could muster.


    Neither of the seasoned Sergeants were fooled for a moment, but they knew their duty and formed up behind Felix all the same.


    Taking a few moments to settle his nerves, Felix slowly let out a deep breath and began walking towards the Variants. Much to his surprise, the largest Orc and the Ogre separated from the other Orcs and began slowly and purposefully walking to meet Felix halfway.


    Stopping only a half dozen feet from each other, Felix was forced to crane his neck upwards to look the pair of Variants in the eye. Knowing that the Ogre had to be the one in charge, Felix was a little confused as to how to proceed.


    Ogres were notoriously stupid, so it was quite possible that the Orc was the one actually pulling the strings. The fact that the Orc was female and the Ogre was male, only served to support this theory.


    Clearing his throat Felix prepared to speak but was startled into silence when the Ogre beat him to it and spoke first.


    ¡°One of your men shot an arrow and wounded one of my people,¡± the Ogre growled angrily.


    Felix didn¡¯t know what to say. If he hadn¡¯t seen the Ogre¡¯s lips moving, then he wouldn¡¯t have believed it. Glancing backwards for a moment, Felix saw that Sgt. Louis was wide eyed and Sgt. Barus was gripping his spear so tight his knuckles had turned white.


    ¡°You owe compensation,¡± the Ogre added.


    ¡°Compensation?¡± Felix replied without thinking.


    ¡°Your men injured one of my citizens,¡± the Ogre repeated, his voice deeper and more threatening than before.


    Compensation? Citizens? Weren¡¯t these words far too large for the likes of an Ogre? And how in the hells was it this articulate?!


    ¡°Are you the one in charge?¡± The Ogre demanded irritably.


    Felix gulped hard, ¡°Uh, I am,¡± he agreed uncertainly, unsure if the Ogre intended the larger force or just those now outside the gate to his Settlement.


    The Ogre frowned disapprovingly, ¡°Then what are you going to do about it?¡±


    Keenly aware that he was doing his unit and his king a disservice, Felix took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. ¡°I sincerely apologise for what may have occurred-¡±


    The Ogre¡¯s frown turned to a scowl.


    ¡°-for the harm caused,¡± Felix amended, ¡°What form of compensation did you have in mind?¡±


    The Ogre took on a thoughtful expression as it considered the question, ¡°If he was hit by an arrow-¡± The Ogre effortlessly pointed its morningstar at Sgt. Louis, ¡°-and required the assistance of a Surgeon. How much would the Surgeon charge to remove the arrow and heal the wound?¡± The way the Ogre asked the question and the intensity of his gaze made it clear that he should not be tested.


    The army had Surgeons on retainer and long term contracts, Felix had even required their services himself on more than a few occasions. ¡°Ten silver,¡± Felix replied honestly, unwilling to provoke the Variant into violent action. He had the distinct impression that the Ogre¡¯s anger was tied to the implied disrespect from the treatment of his subordinates.


    ¡°Then you will pay twenty,¡± the Ogre stated bluntly, making it clear there was no room for negotiation.


    Surprised that the price of compensation was actually somewhat reasonable, Felix sighed in relief. Fumbling slightly with his coin pouch, Felix counted out twenty silver coins and bravely approached the large Orc and Ogre. Realising too late that they might consider taking him hostage or opportunistically killing him then and there, Felix shakily held out the twenty silver coins for their inspection.


    The Ogre turned to the Orc and motioned towards Felix with a small nod of his head.


    The Orc nodded and cupped one hand to receive the coins.


    Gratefully handing over the coins, Felix hurried back to his original position.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± The Ogre asked, surprisingly no longer angry but understandably wary.


    Felix brusquely cleared his throat and stood up a little straighter, confident now that the Variants could be reasoned with. ¡°On behalf of the crown-¡± Felix noted an immediate shift in the Ogre¡¯s mood, ¡°-we request shelter and information,¡± he concluded hurriedly.


    Hells bells, what had Lt. Uric done to poison the Ogre against the king?


    They would definitely need to talk about this later with the captain.


    ¡°You will not be allowed within Sanctuary,¡± the Ogre stated bluntly, ¡°If you want to stay within the protected limits, then I want two copper per soldier each day you remain.¡±


    Felix winced but nodded. The captain wasn¡¯t going to like the idea of paying for the privilege of staying within a monster Settlement¡¯s outer limits, but the cost was surprisingly low given the nature of the earlier compensation. ¡°I will need to run this by my superior officer,¡± Felix explained and was glad to see the Ogre nod in understanding, before realising a moment later how terrifying the ramifications of that gesture was.


    Not only was the Variant intelligent enough to learn human speech, but it also appeared to have a functioning knowledge of human command structures as well.


    The captain was REALLY not going to like this.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 16 – Bonds of friendship – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 16 ¨C Bonds of friendship ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 16 - Bonds of friendship - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Watching the soldiers leave, I motioned to Lash that we should head back. I was still pissed at her for biting me, but now wasn¡¯t the time for talking it out. We had an armed force on our doorstep and measures would need to be taken to make sure our people were kept safe.


    I was actually quite surprised at how reasonable the army officer had been. There was always the possibility that he was putting on an act, but I didn¡¯t think that was the case.


    An upside of the negotiations was the influx of cash that we would be able to spend at the vendor, most notably on sewing kits and supplies for bandages. While Hana was capable of weaving rough plant fibre sheets of cloth, they were too inflexible and unabsorbent to serve as decent bandage materials.


    Heading back into Sanctuary, Hana immediately hurried over to us, ¡°What do they want?¡± She asked anxiously.


    ¡°A forward base, I think. They also probably want to know about what happened to the foothold. I got the impression that more soldiers would be coming too,¡± I explained dourly, ¡°That Ward of theirs, could it also be serving as a beacon or something for the Labyrinth portals to lock onto?¡± I asked.


    Hana¡¯s expression darkened as she seriously considered both the question and the possible ramifications. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hana admitted, ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the answer I wanted to hear, but as our resident magic expert, I trusted Hana¡¯s judgement. ¡°We need to establish patrols and triple the guards on duty at the gate,¡± I insisted.


    Unsurprisingly, both Lash and Hana nodded in agreement.


    Even if the soldiers turned out not to be a threat, lax security with a foreign force so close to Sanctuary would just be asking for trouble. This also made acquiring iron for more weapons and armour even more of a priority but left far fewer available hands to attempt it with.


    ¡°How long do you think it will take to tunnel down to one of the caverns below?¡± I asked Hana, trying to get a better picture of what needed to be done and in what timeframe.


    Hana was thoughtful for a moment, cloaking herself in emerald mana for no more than a second before scratching her head thoughtfully. ¡°No more than a day...I think,¡± Hana replied uncertainly.


    ¡°It¡¯s your new highest priority then,¡± I told her, training her students would have to take a back seat for the time being.


    I spent the better part of an hour reorganising Sanctuary.


    I couldn''t just leave the hunting party to their own general devices anymore, it was too dangerous. There would now be four hunting parties composed of an equal number of warriors and hunters, ideally forming two complete parties for a total of ten members. While the hunters secured food, the warriors would actively keep a lookout for humans. The hunting parties were also forbidden from approaching the encamped humans on the southern side of Sanctuary¡¯s outer walls.


    Finally heading back to the Grove, I took a much-needed bath and scrubbed off as much of the blood and mud as I was able. The more I scrubbed, the more alarmed I became by the amount of blood that was scrubbed away.


    Ril wanted to hop into the fountain, and despite my reluctance, I needed help scrubbing the blood off my back. It didn¡¯t occur to me until afterwards that the little Daemon¡¯s motives were likely less than benign.


    In the same way that Ril was even now filtering mana from the water of the fountain, she had almost definitely been taking in my blood. Even though Ril showed no obvious outward signs of change, I was all but certain that there was a new intensity to her eyes. Somehow, she was more present in the moment, paying far more active attention to her surroundings.


    It wasn¡¯t until I finished bathing that I realised what part of me Ril had taken for her own adaptation. It was my brain. The little Daemon had copied my brain.


    Critical reasoning was the lynchpin of human evolution, our strongest and most reliable asset. The Daemons were smart, to a point, but they were far more instinct than reasoning. It was true of most monsters I had interacted with.


    It made sense in context. Their environment was incredibly violent and overthinking things was just as liable to get them killed as provide a marginal benefit. After all, the named monsters were not very different from the cloned copies the Labyrinth mass-produced. Their key difference was their lack of compulsion to murder anything that did not look like themselves.


    But the sudden change in Ril¡¯s behaviour suggested that Daemons had room for improvement in the brain department. Or perhaps it was a matter of restructuring? Ril¡¯s head hadn¡¯t grown noticeably larger, so that seemed more likely.


    A quick glance at Ril¡¯s status confirmed my suspicions but also raised a host of other questions.


    [Ril - Daemon Fledgling: 2 ] [HP: 20/20] [MP: 11/11 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Minion. Minion of Sanctuary.] [Class: ???. ] [Exp:0/0 ]


    [Strength: 8 ]


    [Agility: 15 ]


    [Toughness: 10 ]


    [Intelligence: 12 ]


    [Willpower: 11 ]


    [Presence: 7 ]


    Gric had been the most intelligent of the Daemons, and last I checked he still only had nine Intelligence. Ril was a full three points higher and was not particularly lacking in other stats either. In fact, her Agility seemed absurdly high and I could only attribute that to her literally leeching off of Toofy.


    Finding the whole train of thought rather distressing and more than a little nauseating, I pulled myself up and out of the fountain. With all the children and most of their parents temporarily taking residence in the hatchery, additional hatchings had to be postponed. I felt really bad about that order in particular. Even though no one said or did anything to suggest any sort of anger or resentment, I could still tell that there was no small measure of disappointment.


    Just as I was about to head upstairs, a runner arrived and informed me that a small detachment of soldiers was approaching the gate again. Grunting in annoyance, I retrieved my morningstar and shield then headed for the gate.


    By the time I arrived, I could see the small contingent of soldiers approaching. As we had agreed, the soldiers would not send more than a dozen men when seeking a meeting. Apparently, his superior officer must have believed we had an established rapport, because I could see Lieutenant Felix and both of his escorts at the head of the column.


    Spotting the barrels being pulled along by sturdy handcarts, It was rather easy to guess what it was Lt. Felix was after. The army would be able to hunt for as much meat as they could eat and Sanctuary¡¯s barrier would keep them safe from monster attacks. However, one thing they would not be able to find or produce in ample quantities was clean drinking water.


    They would have almost definitely brought a certain amount with them, but a hundred soldiers in a humid climate would go through water in no time.


    Hell, they might even want to trade for toilet paper too. dawnmoss was difficult to gather in large quantities in the actual swamp.


    As they had done last time, Lt. Felix and his seconds approached the middle ground between us. Since there was no sign of Lash, I made my way over to negotiate on my own.


    Lt. Felix and his escort seemed more at ease than they had been in our previous meeting, although it almost seemed like Lash¡¯s absence was giving them more cause for concern and not less.


    Lt. Felix appeared to have done away with his chain hauberk and was wearing only his gambeson and steel arming cap. Given the heat and humidity, I couldn¡¯t really blame him. The prospect of wearing even the gambeson was just too much for me.


    Clearing his throat and seeming to make a genuine effort not to appear threatening, Lt. Felix signalled the beginning of our negotiations.


    As I had expected, the army needed clean drinking water. Even though they didn¡¯t explain why, I could tell that it was no doubt a combination of the inhospitable climate and the fact that every decent body of water was teeming with piranha.


    Sanctuary was already making a little more than a silver a day by allowing the army to camp within the barrier, assuming they kept to their word. Given the necessity of clean drinking water, and that I knew they would be going through it like nobody''s business, I figured charging three copper a barrel was a more than reasonable price. After all, Kirk and his wife Rose had charged a copper for a heated bath, so I figured this was a decent enough compromise between price gouging for a literal necessity, and keeping the temporary neighbours happy.


    Judging by Lt. Felix¡¯s relieved expression, he seemed to just be thankful there was a ready supply of clean drinking water available at all.


    Fair enough, legionnaires disease was no joke.


    Somewhat surprisingly though, Lt. Felix had also expressed interest in purchasing fresh garlic. I wasn¡¯t even sure how they knew we had it, but then the wind shifted and it became obvious that they must have smelled our cooking fires.


    Technically we didn¡¯t even have enough for our own consumption, but it did give me an idea. ¡°I might be willing to sell a basket worth a day,¡± I offered noncommittally, "But I would want more than just coppers in exchange.¡±


    Lt. Felix had a determined expression and withdrew a silver coin from his pouch.


    That wasn¡¯t what I meant, but it was interesting to see how valuable the added food stock was considered to be. Although it was almost certainly because the army didn¡¯t bring much garlic to begin with.


    Or perhaps because this was explicitly intended for treating legionnaires disease? It was possible.


    ¡°I meant that there was something else I want in return,¡± I amended, ¡°Although depending on whether we can come to a suitable arrangement, I might be willing to arrange repeat purchases at a reasonable price.¡± Negotiating with someone that was terrified of you was far less stressful an experience than I had thought it would be.


    Even though the three of them were armed, it was painfully obvious that they were doing everything within their power not to show any hostile intentions or anything that could be mistaken for it.


    Lt. Felix slowly put away the silver coin, like he was sliding the pin back into a live grenade. ¡°Ah, so what is it that you want?¡± He asked a little nervously.


    ¡°I have heard of other human vegetables, and I want to try some of them. Grow them, if possible,¡± I admitted, knowing that if Hana and the Druids could get anything to grow, that the soldiers would smell it any time the wind changed anyway.


    Lt. Felix looked surprised, ¡°Oh, um, I guess we could do that.¡± He turned to the fair-haired soldier to his left, ¡°Sergeant Louis, could you go requisition a medley of vegetables from the cook¡¯s tent? If he puts up a fuss, tell Quartermaster Finch we are negotiating for fresh garlic!¡± Lt. Felix was positively brimming with excitement, causing me to wonder if perhaps garlic was out of season or experiencing a shortage in the world outside.


    The soldier, Sgt. Louis, snapped a quick salute and began double-timing it back towards the army camp.


    ¡°So, should we perhaps make arrangements for the water in the meantime?¡± Lt. Felix suggested amiably, almost disturbingly upbeat compared to his near skittish performance a minute ago.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed and waved forward some of the Deep Orcs that were on guard duty.


    Arranging for the barrels to be filled was incredibly straightforward, and Lt. Felix even offered to buy one of the sleds after it became obvious the handcarts would make poor headway through the rehabilitated swampland.


    Somewhat disappointingly, the human army apparently only had two vegetables on hand, or that they were willing to trade. Large dried yellow onions and small potatoes. Sgt. Louis had brought a small sack¡¯s worth of each, which Lt. Felix anxiously handed over for my personal inspection.


    It was not exactly what I had expected, but that was my fault for having unrealistic expectations. Somehow, I had convinced myself that they would bring me this magical cornucopia of plenty and I would be able to enjoy a rich and diverse diet like on Earth. If I had been at all realistic, this is what I should have expected.


    Sending one of the Serpent-Kin to fetch a basket of garlic and to stow the new vegetables in the storeroom, I could tell Lt. Felix was thoroughly relieved. The deal was never truly off the table, so to speak. That single silver coin was far too valuable for the long term health and safety of my people. Quality bandages were far more valuable than a varied diet, especially now that the Hospice Surgeons could cure diseases and other ailments by spending MP. We still couldn¡¯t trade it all away, but if they pushed for it, I would probably be willing to sell eighty percent of our output.


    With our business completed, I headed back to the Grove and deposited the coins in the pack the girls had left behind. I had been trying not to think about them too much, but it was growing far more difficult after the sudden arrival of the soldiers.


    Even though Nadine and Clarice were technically minions of Sanctuary, I had not been able to see any change in their statuses and knew that short of one of them dying, I wouldn¡¯t see an update until they returned within range of the Totem.


    Knowing I owed Rose and Kirk for their help and generosity, I still felt like sending the others out there had been a mistake.


    Stowing my weapon and shield away, I slowly made my way up to my room. It was barely the early evening, but I felt emotionally drained. Dealing with the soldiers had been easy enough, but Lash assaulting me like that had really gotten under my skin.


    The fact that Hana was aware and had known that what happened was a distinct possibility and hadn¡¯t warned me was rather disconcerting. I had thought we had established a sort of friendship after our heart to heart by the fountain.


    Apparently, I was wrong.


    Slumping onto my bed, I very nearly fell asleep almost immediately, but after what had happened, the absence of a door made it all but impossible. So I just lay there doing nothing and let my mind wander.


    I didn¡¯t notice Hana at the door until she loudly cleared her throat to get my attention. ¡°Tim, are you angry with me?¡± She asked anxiously, ¡°Because I swear I didn¡¯t know Lash was going to do that!¡± Hana insisted, ¡°The Orcs I knew in the forest had elaborate courting rituals they would go through before...well...that...¡±


    I sighed and looked away from her, staring at the ceiling instead, ¡°I am not angry with you Hana,¡± I grunted, ¡°I¡¯m just...disappointed.¡± That one word summed up my feelings rather well.


    Hana was quiet for a long time, I was actually surprised that she hadn¡¯t left. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Tim, I-¡± Hana suddenly stopped mid-sentence and began furiously whispering with someone outside, ¡°No wait, you-¡±


    Drawn by the sound of the heavy footfalls, I looked over and was surprised to see Lash now standing in the doorway as Hana ineffectually tried to drag her back out. Lash gave Hana a withering look, ¡°Will explain,¡± she stated simply in a tone that made it clear Lash would not accept any argument.


    Hana looked like she wanted to argue, but was visibly intimidated and unsure of what to do.


    With Hana suitably cowed, Lash entered my room and stopped just short of my bed. Even though she wasn¡¯t wearing her armour, I felt no thrill at the sight of Lash¡¯s exposed skin, only a leery wariness of her mouth and teeth.


    Lash didn¡¯t back down from my scrutiny. Instead, she stared back at me intently and sat down on the floor. ¡°You are angry,¡± Lash stated simply, her expression wavering and giving the impression that she was somewhat confused. ¡°Overseer said bonding made you mad?¡± Lash prompted, a faint tremor in her voice belying her otherwise confident facade.


    Sitting up and giving Lash my full attention, I winced as I saw the large raw and ragged scar on her left trapezius muscle. The sunken scar made it obvious that a chunk of flesh had been torn away, a stark contrast to the raised scars on my own shoulder. I was responsible for that scar, and I felt ashamed.


    ¡°Thought you wanted me,¡± Lash said, her eyes lowering in a reflection of her disappointment. ¡°Yield to your judgement,¡± she lowered her head and released a long mournful sigh, hands trembling in her lap.


    What we had was a clash of cultures, a violent one. My self righteous indignation at being bitten had bled away the longer I stared at the handiwork I was responsible for. I could have established firmer ground rules, and looked into her culture.


    I could have restrained myself...I should have restrained myself...


    ¡°Why did you bite me?¡± I asked quietly, feeling the sudden shift as if a blockage had cleared away in my mind. I wasn¡¯t angry at Lash, I was angry with myself. I had broken the one rule that I thought I would never break. The one promise I had always thought I would be able to keep. I had broken it without even thinking, and that made me angry.


    Lash tentatively raised her head, ¡°Want to be your mate,¡± she replied quietly, staring into my eyes without a hint of guile.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, a lifetime of rejection violently warring against the very idea that anyone could consider me attractive.


    Lash seemed confused by the question, narrowing her eyes slightly and tilting her head a little to one side, ¡°Is strong, strongest Lash has ever seen.¡±


    The blunt unapologetic nature of her explanation caught me off guard.


    Was that it then? I guessed it made sense, I didn¡¯t know what exactly I had been expecting.


    We had known each other less than a week and somehow she was meant to know the depths of my soul?


    I wanted to blame my unrealistic expectations on the stories from movies and fiction I had read back on Earth, but there really wasn¡¯t any excuse.


    This world, whatever it was called, wasn¡¯t Earth. So far as I knew, there was no way back. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t matter, there was nothing waiting for me there, nothing except misery and pain. At least here I was wanted.


    Feeling the strange yet familiar stirring in my blood. I cradled Lash¡¯s face with my right hand as I stared deep into her eyes. No one had ever wanted me before, but I could tell by the way Lash gently leaned into my hand and by the rising warmth of her skin, she had been nothing but honest with her declarations of affection.


    I didn¡¯t love her. To claim as much would be childish and stupid.


    If I was being brutally honest, I had never seen anyone more beautiful than her in all my life. The bizarre irony of the situation was not lost on me. It had taken dying and being transported to a world of monsters just to find someone who I shared a mutual attraction with. Although I supposed it made sense, after all, we were both monsters.


    Allowing Lash to stay, I tried my best to explain my own actions. Repeating my thoughts aloud, I was ashamed of how frightened I was. It had taken Hana, Nadine and Clarice all but twisting my arm to make me admit that I even found Lash attractive. That ignoring my feelings was anything other than cowardice.


    Lash was sitting beside me on the bed and had patiently listened to my rambling pseudo apology.


    Every time I mentioned how ugly I felt I was, she would give me a strange look. But for the most part, Lash just listened attentively and even smiled when I began describing how attractive I thought she was.


    I hadn¡¯t intended to originally, but I did my best to explain how I came to be here and the role Clarice, Nadine and Emelia had played in both my enslavement and setting me free again. Lash had seemed quite conflicted over my retelling of events.


    Even though I had been generous in slanting the narrative in their favour, it was obvious Lash was not nearly so forgiving as I was. However, as I finally finished explaining my own origins and that I was actually human, Lash didn¡¯t really seem to care. She was a little curious, but on the whole, just seemed to take it in her stride.


    It was well and truly dark by the time I finished my retelling of events and explaining my behaviour. Lash hadn¡¯t spoken once the entire time. But now that I had made it clear that I was finished, she nodded and sat quietly in thoughtful silence for a while.


    ¡°Do you want me as a mate?¡± Lash asked bluntly, her voice quavering slightly in stark contrast to her determined expression and projected confidence.


    Normally, I would be embarrassed by such a blunt suggestion, but I was so emotionally wrung out that I just couldn¡¯t manage it. ¡°I do,¡± I replied honestly.


    The concept of a girlfriend was alien to her culture and we had exceeded the requirement for courting...So I guess we were married now? Or had been for the better part of the day already?


    Even so, I still did my best to express to Lash how I wanted to take things slow, so we could get to know each other better first.


    Apparently, the expression didn¡¯t carry over very well because I quickly found Lash kissing me fiercely while pushing me down to the bed...


    Despite the sunlight streaming into my room, I felt no real drive to get up. For one thing, I was pretty sure I had pulled a muscle or two. For another, Lash had tightly hooked my arm around her chest and was firmly gripping my forearm. I would probably dislocate my shoulder if I tried moving without waking her first, and neither option particularly appealed to me.


    Besides the state of her undress, which was a given, I appreciated seeing this more vulnerable side to her. The fact that Lash snored loud enough to wake the dead didn¡¯t really bother me in the slightest. The way she was curled up against me just gave me the impression of a cute little kitten, that just so happened to have a particularly bad sinus infection.


    There was one problem though, and it grated on me more as time slowly passed by. The absence of the door only served to accentuate just how exposed we both were at the moment since we had no sheets or other bedding. With both Lash and myself serving leadership positions in Sanctuary, it would only be a matter of time before someone would come looking for one of us.


    Vaguely recalling the loose sense of modesty the Serpent-Kin had displayed when using the public fountain, I was not overly thrilled by the very real prospect of someone just barging into our room. The concepts of public indecency and personal privacy amongst the Serpent-Kin and Deep Orcs were both very different to my own.


    Thus far, it had not been a huge issue, but I was beginning to think a bathhouse or outdoor designated bathing area might be the next priority.


    Lash yawned loudly and slowly opened her eyes. Seeing I was already awake, she gave me a warm smile and released her grip on my arm.


    Noting the mischievous glint in her eyes, I wondered if perhaps she had pinned my arm on purpose.


    Regardless, daylight was burning and there were things that needed tending to. Snatching up my boxers off the floor, I quickly pulled them on and tried to remember the last place I had seen my tunic and pants. It had been close to a day since I last wore them and I hadn¡¯t seen them anywhere.


    Lash was getting herself dressed as well, although with considerably less speed than I had done, grinning lasciviously as she noticed me watching.


    A little embarrassed, I had actually just been curious how she secured her chest bindings and hadn¡¯t really meant anything else by staring. Awkwardly clearing my throat and trying to will my embarrassment away, I slowly made my way downstairs.


    With the Hatchery serving as a shelter for the children and their guardians, there was a great deal more traffic in and out of the Grove than normal. To my extreme embarrassment, I could tell by the congratulatory looks the passersby were giving me, that they had very likely heard more than enough to know what Lash and I had gotten up to last night.


    Doing my best not to meet anyone''s gaze, I quickly realised it was a wasted effort.


    Lash was not subtle and was proudly arching her neck to best display the ragged bonding scar.


    I didn¡¯t know what sort of bonding ritual the Serpent-Kin used and assumed it was more discreet, but that didn¡¯t seem to stop them from understanding what was going on.


    After securing breakfast, and doing my best not to die of embarrassment, I led Lash away towards the agreed-upon site for the mineshaft. She seemed a little disappointed that we wouldn¡¯t be lingering by the cooking fires but didn¡¯t make a fuss over it.


    Hana was already waiting for us and seemed to be in good spirits. She made a point of giving us a knowing look before moving on to more productive matters. ¡°I managed to create a tunnel down into a stable cavern,¡± Hana announced cheerily. ¡°It is still within the limits of the barrier too, so climbing up and down should be relatively safe.¡± She gestured expansively toward the ten-foot wide hole in the ground.


    Roughly circular in shape, the edges and walls of shaft, so far as I could see, were tightly reinforced with roots of varying sizes loosely interwoven with one another. Hana had also grown carpets of what looked like luminescent fungi around the hole as well as a waist-high fence of gnarled roots.


    ¡°So the current plan is to rappel down with ropes?¡± I asked warily as I crept closer to the edge to take a better look.


    Hana gave me a strange look, ¡°I don¡¯t know that word,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, hehe. What I meant was, are we going to climb down using the ropes?¡± I clarified.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Hana agreed, now clear on what I meant, ¡°Unless you want to climb the walls?¡± She suggested dubiously.


    Lash leaned over the edge to take a look, shrugged and nodded, ¡°Fall is not so far,¡± she commented casually.


    I assumed Lash had to be referencing the drop from the bottom of the shaft to the cavern floor, because the prospect of a two-hundred-foot drop being ¡®not far¡¯, was insane. ¡°Well, we could use basic rope harnesses to help climb down and back up again faster,¡± I suggested, although I honestly wasn¡¯t sure how to loop the rope in such a way to make a friction harness.


    Hana nodded and took a few moments to think, ¡°It really would be a lot simpler to just make a sloping tunnel,¡± she commented wryly.


    Stepping away from the end of the hole, I honestly had to agree. There was a lot that could go wrong rappelling down a shaft like that. ¡°What if we did a bit of both?¡± I suggested.


    Hana gave me a somewhat incredulous look, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, what if you made a sloping tunnel down to the cavern ceiling or high up on one of the walls and then we attached a large retractable ramp?¡± I suggested. If we used it like an angled drawbridge then it would stop the wild monsters from being able to come up and out of the cavern in the disastrous event of Sanctuary''s Barrier going down.


    Hana took a few minutes to think about it, slowly pacing around the surrounding area before returning to the hole, ¡°It could work,¡± she agreed with a hint of reluctance in her tone, ¡°But it will probably take me another full day to get the tunnel made.¡± Hana sighed and carefully considered the hole, ¡°What should we do with this then?¡± She asked resignedly.


    ¡°Well, keeping it open for ventilation probably wouldn¡¯t be the worst idea,¡± I suggested, ¡°And we could always use it to deliver supplies or something.


    Hana gave me a dubious look and shrugged.


    ¡°We should probably do a scouting run anyway, and we can always bring back whatever metal we find too.¡± Having human soldiers on our doorstep made me quite nervous. The sooner we had iron weapons and armour to defend ourselves with the better.


    Lash volunteered to retrieve our gear and form a mixed scouting party of Serpent-Kin and Deep-Orcs with her retinue. The general logic being that most of the Deep Orcs were already on rotating guard or patrol duties and that the Serpent-Kin would need to acclimate themselves to the underground at some point as well. There just weren¡¯t enough Deep Orcs to assume they would be doing all the underground activities on their own.


    Perhaps tipped off by Lash, or just as likely sensing trouble, Toofy, Ril and Asra hurriedly made their way over to see what was happening.


    ¡°What Tim doing?¡± Toofy asked suspiciously as she looked down the hole.


    ¡°Exploring,¡± I replied somewhat evasively, knowing that it would only pique Toofy¡¯s interest further. I fully intended to bring her on this trip and she was already in my party.


    ¡°Tim no see good in dark,¡± Toofy commented, pulling down one eyelid to more fully expose her right eye.


    I nodded, ¡°True. That¡¯s why I was going to bring Asra,¡± I teased.


    Toofy scowled, ¡°Asra blind as Tim in dark,¡± she whined.


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed, ¡±That¡¯s why I am taking Ril.¡±


    Toofy flung her arms wide incredulously, ¡°Ril is baby!¡± She exclaimed, looking at me like I had gone insane.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m bringing you to look after her,¡± I smiled and waited for Toofy to react.


    Toofy looked confused, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ril tugged on Toofy¡¯s sleeve to get her attention, ¡°Mama is coming too,¡± she explained quietly.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Toofy nodded, stopped, became lost in thought for a moment, and grinned wide, ¡®Toofy going too!¡± She exclaimed happily.


    Ril grinned supportively, while Asra just sort of smiled shyly and actively avoided looking in my general direction.


    Under normal circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t have considered bringing Toofy into danger so willingly. However, the army camped outside of Sanctuary changed things. Assuming everything Lash had told me about the ecosystems down there was true, Toofy had far less to worry about by my side than if she was left behind. Besides, Toofy had been getting increasingly restless in the past couple of days, and I was hoping this would be a good chance for her to blow off some steam.


    Letting Ril and Asra come along made it more likely that Toofy would be kept out of serious trouble.


    Ril, because Toofy¡¯s protective instincts would supposedly curb her normally aggressive wanderlust and bloodlust.


    Asra, because he could summon a damn horde of Daemon copies on top of anything dangerous. It was actually the reason why I hadn''t volunteered the Daemons for this job in the first place. Asra could summon the Daemon copies exactly where they were needed most in the case of an emergency.


    Otherwise, they would be resting in reserve topside in the event anything crazy kicked off while we were underground.


    There was another sneaky trick Gric had brought to our attention as well. When the Daemon copy was destroyed or dismissed, its accumulated experiences would be shared with the original. Combined with the fact that the copies have the existing memories of the original, you effectively had a crude two-way communication network.


    So if we became lost or got into serious trouble, Asra could summon a copy of Gric, inform him of the situation and we would know that help was on its way. Similarly, we could get regular reports from Gric on events from the surface in basically the same manner.


    I was seriously starting to regret not sending Asra on the expedition team. Then again, I didn''t really want the other humans to know we had Daemons until I was absolutely certain how they would react.


    Lash returned a short while later, already wearing her crude plated armour and with a mixed force of Serpent-Kin and Deep Orcs in tow. Handing me my clothes, Lash held onto my equipment until I was fully dressed. ¡°Train new tamers while below,¡± she suggested, knocking the empty Slave collar on her hip and then motioning to the eager Serpent-Kin that I now noticed were wearing crude scaly hide armour.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± I agreed supportively. The Blood Hunters, or Sniffers, as the Deep Orcs called them, would be pretty easy for the Serpent-Kin to tame on their own. Assuming the collar wasn¡¯t too large for them.


    Lash grinned back at me happily and handed over a large training shield and my morningstar.


    ¡°Will there be room to use my shield properly down there?¡± I asked a little nervously as I made a sling strap from some rope so I could wear the shield on my back on the way down.


    Lash nodded and seemed rather unconcerned, ¡°Caverns are large,¡± she shrugged dismissively.


    I was still worried about the tunnels, but I could always just ditch the shield if needs be.


    Tying off the ropes to the anchor points Hana had already conveniently provided, Lash decided that she would go first.


    Briefly testing the rope between her two clenched hands, Lash nodded and hopped over the edge of the hole. She descended in short controlled leaps, barely even stopping at all as she descended to the cavern floor below. Lash briefly disappeared as she began inspecting the immediate surroundings.


    Returning again, Lash held up one fist to signal we were to proceed.


    Making a sling harness for Toofy I experimentally lifted Toofy and the rope above my head and jostled her a little to make sure the knots would hold her weight without slipping.


    In the meantime, the Deep Orcs began descending the shaft as Lash had done, no safety harnesses or anything, just hopping off the edge and slowing their descent by gripping the rope. If they had not done this a thousand times or more, I would be incredibly surprised. It took a certain level of stupidity to do something like that so nonchalantly otherwise.


    The Serpent-Kin were far more timorous, carefully sliding down the rope one by one. That still seemed incredibly reckless by my own standards though.


    Satisfied that Toofy''s harness would hold, I gingerly lowered her over the edge and carefully fed the rope down the shaft. Or at least that was what I tried to do, somewhere around a quarter of the way down, the rope began swaying heavily from side to side. Worried that I may have lost control of the line, I was about to start retracting it, but stopped as I heard Toofy cackling from below.


    ¡°Weeeee!¡± Toofy cheered as the rope swung near to the side again. Since I was too far back from the ledge to see what was happening, I could only imagine Toofy deliberately kicking off the walls and spinning madly as she descended the shaft.


    Ril, who was standing near the edge and peering over to investigate, briefly glanced back at me apologetically.


    Asra just looked incredibly pale.


    Letting Toofy have her fun, I continued slowly feeding the line until she reached the bottom and I felt the rope go slack. Tying up another harness for Asra, I briefly considered letting him free fall for a second but decided against it. The poor kid looked half scared to death already.


    Unlike Toofy, Asra was perfectly content to slowly climb down the wall of roots while I fed him more rope. It was actually rather interesting because it gave me a general idea of just how big the cavern was in terms of height. If my estimations were correct, the cavern floor to ceiling was a distance of about forty feet. So the total drop from the surface was roughly two-hundred and forty feet.


    Tying off a harness for Ril, I was a little surprised to see that she was about as excited as Toofy had been. Since I was feeding the rope back over the anchor point this time, I would be able to see what the little Daemon was going to get up to on the way down.


    Slowly easing Ril over the edge and feeding her rope, my blood ran cold as Ril braced herself against the nearby wall, then launched herself towards the opposite side. Before colliding with the wall of tangled roots, she took hold of the rope with one hand and turned ninety degrees. Angling her feet at the wall, Ril began running along the wall with a manic grin on her face, ¡®Weeeee,¡± she cheered quietly while descending the shaft.


    Toofy and Ril are crazy...Thank God for Asra being normal...


    When Ril cleared the chute, she began to spin from all the coiled torsion she had formed in the rope. Not that she seemed to mind. I could even hear the muffled cries of Toofy excitedly cheering her on. Thankfully, she reached the ground not long after.


    Since I was the last one left at the top, a harness wouldn¡¯t do me much good. Letting out a nervous sigh, I took a firm hold on the primary rope and began walking backwards down into the hole. Despite my initial fears, it wasn¡¯t actually that bad. Experimentally holding myself up by my arms, I hugged the rope with my thighs and feet and slowly ease my grip on the rope.


    Slowly sliding downward under the influence of gravity, I decided that I could probably go a bit faster and eased up my grip some more. Expecting my hands to begin hurting from friction burns, I was genuinely surprised when that didn¡¯t happen. Easing off the pressure, even more, I was really moving now and quickly descended into the cavern.


    Reaching the cavern floor, I was very nearly stunned by how easy the descent had been. I mean, if I had fallen, I would have broken every bone in my body and be lucky to be alive, but gliding down the rope like that had been obscenely quick and easy.


    The cavern wasn¡¯t like what I had expected either, illuminated by pockets of luminescent fungi growing on the walls or the floor. There were also carpets of strange lichen and pale wide capped toadstools.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat,¡± Lash said in warning, noticing my attention on the toadstools, ¡°Poisonous,¡± she added gravely.


    ¡°Icky!¡± Toofy agreed, scrunching up her face and sticking out her tongue.


    ¡°Mama licked one,¡± Ril giggled quietly.


    ¡°Only poisonous if eaten,¡± Lash amended when she noticed my alarm.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, I gave Toofy an exasperated look, ¡°You need to be more careful okay? No sticking weird things in your mouth!¡±


    Pouting, Toofy kicked the cap off a toadstool, ¡°Kay,¡± she grumbled in protest.


    I fixed Asra with a stern look to make sure he knew I meant business. ¡°Asra, I¡¯m counting on you to look out for Toofy while we are down here, alright? Don¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡±


    Asra paled and gulped nervously, ¡°A-Ass you will Lord,¡± he replied weakly.


    ¡°You too Rill,¡± I added, knowing that theirs was an impossible task if Toofy truly set her mind to something.


    Ril nodded determinedly, ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed sweetly, latching onto Toofy¡¯s left hand like an anchor.


    Toofy seemed oblivious to Ril¡¯s alternate intent and just squeezed her hand back and grinned, ¡°Adventure!¡± Toofy declared happily pointing to a large tunnel at the far end of the cavern.


    ¡°Not yet Toofy,¡± I warned.


    Toofy deflated a little but was still plenty excited.


    The cavern was roughly a quarter of the size of Sanctuary and had two large tunnels, one down at either end. Far from being stuffy or musty like I had expected, there was actually a rather strong air current blowing past our current position.


    The Deep Orcs and Serpent-Kin were headed towards the northmost tunnel. I recognised the Deep Orc taking the lead as one of Lash¡¯s sparring opponents, so I was not particularly worried about his competence.


    That did mean that it would be just the five of us scouting in our own group though unless Asra summoned some Daemons.


    ¡°Roch will explore the north passage, we will take the south-east,¡± Lash explained conversationally, her tone giving the impression that she was smiling beneath her helmet.


    ¡°Alrighty then,¡± I agreed. I waved to Asra, Toofy and Ril, ¡°Adventure awaits,¡± I grinned at Toofy.


    Practically vibrating with excitement Toofy impatiently began rushing to catch up.


    Much to my amusement and immense respect, Ril was doing an amazing job in slowing Toofy down ¡®tripping¡¯ and ¡®stumbling¡¯ every few steps.


    Rather than being angry or upset with her, Toofy gradually slowed down to better accommodate Ril, ¡°That¡¯s okay, Mama¡¯s need to look after babies,¡± she gave Ril a little snuggle in response to something the little Daemon had said too quietly for anyone else to hear.


    Lash took the lead while I brought up the rear. As an Underlord of Sanctuary, she could sense the barrier limits just the same as I can, so I was confident that Lash would announce when we were due to enter hostile territory.


    Even though the luminescent fungi provide a decent amount of illumination, there were still noticeable unlit dark patches or areas shrouded in shadow. Perhaps because of her unique eyes, Lash didn¡¯t shy away from the darkness at all.


    ¡°Can you see in the dark?¡± I asked Lash curiously.


    Lash nodded as she continued scanning the surroundings, ¡°Not as good as light,¡± she added with a shrug.


    I assumed what she meant was that the Deep Orcs probably didn¡¯t have infrared or anything, just eyes better adapted to make use of the limited light.


    ¡°What about you Asra? Can a serpent-kin see in the dark?¡± I asked curiously.


    Asra shrugged somewhat uncomfortably, ¡°The sstrong can, otherss can¡¯t. The warriorss and hunterss of the tribe can. I can¡¯t,¡± he explained disappointedly.


    The old warriors and hunters that had sacrificed themselves for the survivors to escape had probably been a higher Evolution of the Serpent-Kin.


    Or perhaps there was a special trick to using it, like spending MP?


    I really hoped it was the former, Evolving and gaining infrared thermal vision like a snake would be an amazing advantage for the Bleak-Fang refugees. Especially if they were going to start coming down into the underground alongside the Deep Orcs.


    ¡°Soulless ahead!¡± Lash called out sternly. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    We hadn¡¯t travelled that far down the tunnel yet, but I could make out the faint tint of the barrier up ahead. Just beyond it was a suspiciously large pile of rocks blocking the middle of the tunnel.


    ¡°Rumbler,¡± Lash stated bluntly, rolling her shoulders in preparation for a fight.


    ¡°Is there a trick to this?¡± I asked, ¡°Or do we just hit it really hard until it stops moving?¡±


    Lash¡¯s laughter echoes from inside her helmet, ¡°Hitting hard is the trick!¡±


    *****


    Toofy watched with amusement as Tim and his mate Lash charged a suspicious pile of rocks. Even though there weren''t any monsters hidden there, she really didn¡¯t have the heart to tell them, they just looked so excited.


    All at once, the ground began to tremble and the pile of rocks revealed itself to have been a monster in disguise!


    ¡°It was just hiding!¡± Toofy informed Ril.


    As her Mama, Toofy was responsible for making sure she learned about all the things and stuff in the world.


    Ril nodded, staring curiously at the strange rock monster.


    ¡°Monster trying to fool Tim, look like people,¡± Toofy explained, motioning to the roughly human shape the rocks had taken and scoffed, ¡°But too big! Monster stupid, monster no fool Tim!¡±


    Ril nodded again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ss what it wa-¡± Asra caught Toofy¡¯s eye and fell silent, ¡°I mean you¡¯re probably right,¡± he mumbled.


    Toofy nodded, ¡°Toofy almost always right,¡± she boasted, ¡°Tim say Toofy clever. Clever mean smart!¡± Toofy tapped her temple with her free hand knowingly.


    Asra smiled awkwardly and turned his attention back to the fight.


    *Crack*


    Toofy looked on in awe as Tim landed a solid blow against the rock monster¡¯s left arm, badly cracking the stone and causing some of it to crumble away. Even though the monster was close to Tim¡¯s size, it was way too slow to hit him back.


    *Clank*


    Lash came in from the side and slammed the back end of her axe into its left knee, causing the rock monster to topple to the ground as it lost its balance.


    Toofy wanted to run in and give it a good kick, but a gentle squeeze on her hand reminded Toofy that she had to look after Ril like a good Mama.


    *Crunch*


    Tim smashed his spiky club into the stone monster¡¯s shoulder, shattering the section of the arm and then planting his foot on its back.


    *Clankrunch*


    Lash had come in with a two-handed overhead blow and smashed away the rock monster¡¯s head, causing the rock monster to fall to pieces.


    [*** *** ***** {**** ****: * } +**** ***]


    Toofy blinked to get rid of the annoying thing in front of her eyes. That usually did the trick, but this time another annoying thing popped up instead.


    [***********: ********** ********** *****. {******} ]


    Toofy grunted in annoyance to make the second annoying thing go away too, which it thankfully did.


    Seeing Tim and Lash pawing through the remains of the monster, Toofy nodded knowingly, ¡°Monsters stupid fighting Tim,¡± she explained, ¡°Tim always win against nasty monsters. Is why Tim is big. Everyone listen to Tim.¡±


    Toofy had never seen a monster that could fight Tim and win, he was just way too big!


    Ril smiled and nodded, like a good baby.


    Toofy was about to impart some more important learning when she felt the familiar itch in her fingers, ¡°Shinies,¡± she whispered greedily. Looking this way and that, Toofy¡¯s eyes locked onto the broken body of the rock monster. ¡°Most important teaching!¡± She cackled, dragging Ril behind her, ¡°Toofy show baby how finding shinies!¡±


    ¡°Toofy!¡± Tim warned as she drew closer, ¡°I thought you were going to stay back and keep Ril safe?¡±


    Toofy grinned and shook her head, ¡°Toofy do later. Toofy teaching Baby to find shinies!¡± She exclaimed excitedly, clambering over the rock monster and looking around excitedly.


    Tim was about to say something but stopped himself.


    Lash was pawing through the rocks already as well, apparently looking for shinies too.


    ¡°Mine!¡± Toofy caught sight of the glimmer and uncovered the first shiny! It was strange as far as shinies go, almost as big as her forearm and impossibly heavy.


    ¡°That is the metal,¡± Lash said, pointing at Toofy¡¯s shiny.


    ¡°Nice job Toofy!¡± Tim leaned down and tousled her hair before picking up the shiny to take a closer look. ¡°Looks like iron to me.¡±


    Lash shrugged and retrieved her axe, ¡°Never more than one, we move on.¡±


    Tim put Toofy¡¯s shiny in his pack for safekeeping, which was good because it was too heavy for Toofy to carry around anyway.


    Fingers still itching, Toofy grinned even wider.


    There were still more shinies!


    Throwing smaller rocks out of the way, she put her Baby to work, directing Ril to move some of the other smaller rocks too.


    ¡°Uh, Toofy, we should really get moving, the Lord is waiting for us,¡± Asra warned.


    Toofy gave Asra ¡®the look¡¯. She used it whenever he was being silly and not paying attention. ¡°There are still shinies!¡± Toofy pointed out, digging through the broken rocks.


    Asra nodded to show he understood and approached Tim to explain. This was why Toofy liked hanging around Asra, no matter how much trouble she would get into, Tim always blamed him first. Asra was so silly that he didn¡¯t even try lying first.


    Toofy rolled her eyes and sighed. After she was done giving Ril all her teaching, Toofy would have to do it for Asra too.


    Spying another glimmer beneath one of the largest rocks, Toofy knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to lift it, but that was what Tim was for!


    ¡°Tim!¡± She waved frantically and motioned to the large rock, ¡°Toofy find shiny! Move rock!¡± Toofy had learned it was best to use small words when she wanted Tim to do something.


    It wasn¡¯t that Tim was stupid or silly, he just didn¡¯t understand very good sometimes.


    Tim made his way over with Asra trailing behind. Setting his weapon aside, Tim leaned down and pointed to the large rock, ¡°This one?¡± He asked curiously.


    Toofy nodded and pointed to the small part of the shiny peeking out beneath the rock, ¡°Shiny, see?¡±


    Tim took a closer look, ¡°Huh,¡± he nodded and heaved the rock off and away like it was nothing.


    To Toofy¡¯s dismay, the large rock had pushed the shiny into the ground. Remembering that Tim was there, she smiled and pointed at the shiny, ¡°Toofy find shiny, see?¡± Toofy explained cleverly, knowing that Tim would do the heavy lifting for her.


    Tim gave her hair another quick tousle, ¡°You really did,¡± he chuckled, digging the heavy shiny out of the dirt with his fingers. ¡°Lash, I thought you said there would only be one iron ingot? So why are there two?¡± Tim retrieved the first shiny from his pack and held them both up for everyone to see.


    Lash returned and removed her helmet. Visibly confused, she took both of the shinies from Tim and stared at them intently. ¡°Has never happened before...¡± Lash exclaimed, seeming more than a little confused.


    ¡°Toofy finds shinies really good,¡± Toofy reminded everyone boastfully. Sometimes the bigger people forgot how important she was, so Toofy had to remind them.


    Tim smiled and patted Toofy on the head, ¡°You really are aren¡¯t you?¡± His expression became thoughtful for a moment and then his eyes grew wide. ¡°No way...¡± Tim muttered, his eyes flicking left and right, ¡°You have got to be joking...¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lash asked curiously.


    Tim blinked and pointed to the second shiny Toofy had found, ¡°You were right. There should have only been one of them.¡±


    Lash looked confused, ¡°Where did the other come from?¡± She asked dubiously.


    Tim laughed and shook his head, ¡°It was Toofy. She has a Class Ability that can spawn dropped items!¡±


    Lash and Tim both turned to stare at Toofy.


    Toofy grinned, glad she was getting the attention she deserved. ¡°Toofy best shiny finder!¡± Toofy declared humbly.


    ¡°You really are Toofy,¡± Tim agreed with a chuckle, ¡°You really are.¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 17 – What lies beneath – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 17 ¨C What lies beneath ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 17 - What lies beneath - Part One {Rewrite}


    With a wry smile on my lips, I realised that I should have known better. Toofy¡¯s Class and Class Abilities were literally designed for this.


    [(Class Ability: Treasure Sense): Detects and highlights items of value within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases range.]


    [(Class Ability: Storage 8): Allows items to be stored in an extra-dimensional space. Stored items weigh nothing and do not deteriorate while within the extra-dimensional space. {Intelligence} increases the total potential volume of the extra-dimensional space.]


    [(Class Ability: Scavenge): Chance to generate additional dropped items from enemies by expending MP (Active). {Intelligence} increases drop chance.]


    Still in possession of a Basic Class, Toofy had unlocked her second and third Class Abilities, Storage, at level five, and Scavenge, at level ten. If I had been keeping a closer eye on her, I would have realised Toofy was level thirteen and rank three. Recalling the protracted battle to found the Settlement, her level actually seemed rather appropriate.


    Thinking about it some more, I realised that I had seen Toofy pulling objects from the extra-dimensional space before. It had mostly been little things or scraps of food. At the time, I had just figured she was using her pockets, but now I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°Toofy?¡± I asked warily, ¡°Did you bring something to eat? I am feeling a little peckish.¡±


    Toofy cocked her head slightly, giving me a curious look. ¡°It¡¯s kay, Toofy bring food!¡± She exclaimed happily and stuffed her left hand into one of her pockets. I was feeling a little disappointed, but that feeling quickly changed to shock as Toofy withdrew a fistful of meat skewers that had no possible means of fitting in her small pockets. ¡°Take!¡± Toofy insistently offered me one of the skewers.


    Somewhat dazed, I accepted the skewer and watched as Toofy and Ril demolished the other three between the two of them. Once they were finished, Toofy put the bare skewers back in her pocket.


    ¡°Toofy...Can you take out all of the skewers from your pocket?¡± I asked, ¡°The ones without meat I mean.¡±


    Toofy gave me another strange look, shrugged and began emptying her pockets. Within a few minutes, Toofy had emptied a pile of wooden skewers nearly as tall as herself. ¡°Done,¡± Toofy declared distractedly as she circled the pile.


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t know all of those were in there?¡± I asked while already guessing the answer.


    Toofy noded, ¡°Toofy forget, sometimes Toofy forget she forget,¡± she shrugged and began pulling more things out of her pockets.


    It took a moment for me to figure out what Toofy meant but I think I figured it out. She would forget that she had stowed things away in her pockets, and when withdrawing them later, forget that they were there because she had forgotten about them earlier. Basically, it meant Toofy had far more supplies on hand than she intended, and was taking it for granted while unintentionally replenishing it at irregular intervals. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With Ril holding close to thirty meat skewers, and the tunnel floor littered with clumps of dawnmoss, manastones, a disturbingly impressive array of shivs, and an entire set of Swamp Lurker teeth. I withdrew the two iron ingots and a bounty sack from my pack and offered Toofy the sack. ¡°Here, you can use this instead of your pockets. You should be able to fit bigger things in it,¡± I suggested enthusiastically.


    Toofy gave me a dubious look then looked around for something to put in the sack.


    ¡°Why not try one of those rocks?¡± I suggested, pointing at the broken remains of the Clay Doll, or Rumbler as Lash called it.


    Toofy shrugged, set down the sack and rolled a chunk the size of her head inside of it. The moment the chunk of dry clay passed the mouth of the sack, it disappeared. ¡°Huh?!¡± Toofy stuck her head inside the sack, ¡°Where rock go?!¡± She demanded angrily, squinting her eyes suspiciously at Ril.


    Ril baulked, ¡°Is Mama¡¯s magic!¡± The Daemon insisted, ¡°Like the pockets!¡± Ril pointed instantly at Toofy¡¯s pockets.


    Toofy frowned, apparently unconvinced.


    ¡°Toofy, Ril didn¡¯t take it. Why not try reaching into the sack for the rock?¡± I suggested.


    Toofy gave me the same nonplussed look.


    ¡°It¡¯s magic just like your pockets,¡± I insisted, convinced a more detailed explanation would probably not work.


    Still frowning and staring me down, Toofy reached into the sack and blinked in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s back!¡± She cried out excitedly, taking hold of the chunk of clay with both hands and heaving it out of the sack.


    Asra and Lash had both watched events thus far in silence, but Lash seemed quite keen to be moving on. ¡°There is much to explore,¡± she insisted, motioning to the tunnel ahead.


    I nodded and turned my attention back to Toofy, ¡°Alright, quickly put all your things away now Toofy,¡± I encouraged her.


    Toofy nodded excitedly and began dropping things into the sack, squealing in delight as they disappeared before her eyes.


    Interestingly, it seemed like Ril was able to deposit items into the space as well. As she helped Toofy retrieve her collection, any items Ril dropped into the sack disappeared, but only while Toofy was watching.


    So there seemed to be some sort of trick to it or perhaps a subconscious activation of some kind. It raised another question though, which had interesting possibilities of its own.


    If Toofy lost that sack, did she just need to find another container of some kind to withdraw all the items?


    I had a hunch that it was probably how it worked, but would need to test it later to be sure.


    Back on the move again, with Lash taking point and myself in the rear, it didn¡¯t take long for us to find trouble.


    The tunnel we had been following had gradually led us deeper and deeper underground. After travelling for a few minutes or so, we encountered a fork in the path and had to decide whether to continue travelling in roughly the same direction as before or detour to the right. Deciding to push ahead, we entered another cavern, although it was less than half the size of the one we had encountered before.


    With no barrier to prevent the spawning of monsters, it came as little surprise that the cavern was dominated by somewhat familiar-looking spiked lizards, only these were the size of ponies. There were dozens of them, lazing or slowly ambling about the cavern, but unfortunately for us, they seemed to be incredibly territorial. The instant one of the closest lizards caught wind of our scent, it released a shrieking hiss that stirred the whole cavern of reptiles into motion.


    ¡°Asra watches our back, I¡¯ll take the front with Lash!¡± I commanded, quickly moving to the front near Lash.


    ¡°Bite is venomous,¡± Lash warned as she readied herself to attack the first to enter her reach.


    While I did not plan on putting Asra¡¯s Venom Resistance synergy to the test, I was happy we had it. Growing up in Australia, I was taught to have a wary respect for dangerous wildlife, and no small number of them were venomous.


    Our current position seemed reasonably defensible. There were a number of stalagmite clusters that formed a sort of screening wall that cut most of the spiked lizards off from our position. Unfortunately, the spiked lizards proved more than capable of forcing their way through or climbing around them.


    With the prospect of facing so many monsters head-on, I was surprised to find that I wasn¡¯t afraid, if anything I was eager for the fighting to begin. I could tell by Lash¡¯s posture that she probably felt the same way. However, before I had time to fully consider the reason for my newfound battle lust, I was forced to devote my attention to the oncoming threat.


    Even though the spiked lizards were not particularly fast or nimble, they were nothing if not adapted to this rough terrain. Their clawed feet seemed capable of anchoring into earth or stone with near-equal ease, growing closer by the second.


    With the closest now less than ten feet away, I rushed forward and struck at the spiked lizard with an underhand blow from my morningstar.


    *Crunch*


    The spiked lizard had dodged my attack at the last second, causing me to miss its head and instead impact with its left shoulder, breaking bone and pulping the meat and scales as the spikes of my morningstar tore through the reptile''s flank.


    ¡°RAAAGH¡± Lash roared and dashed forward to intercept another one of the spiked lizards, her axe crashing down in an overhead strike.


    *Shunk*


    The spiked lizard screeched in pain, its hindquarters falling limp from the devastating blow to its spine.


    With my own opponent still alive and kicking, I slammed my shield into its face just in time to stop the spiked lizard from clamping its jaws on my exposed thigh. Swinging up and over my shield, I brought the morning star crashing down on the spiked lizard¡¯s back.


    *Thump*


    The spiked lizard shrieked pitiably and attempted to retreat.


    *Crunch*


    I crushed its skull with my morningstar and rushed over to help Lash.


    [You have slain {Spineback: 2 } +600 Exp]


    Lash had already dealt with her previous opponent, its nearly severed head hanging limply from its neck. She was currently fending off three more spiked lizards, or Spinebacks as named by the status alert. Lash was landing solid hits but was limited to shorter strikes to avoid providing the Spinebacks with an opening they could exploit to effectively attack her back.


    Rushing one of them from the side, I brought my morningstar crashing down in an overhead blow.


    *Thump Crunch*


    I felt the Spineback¡¯s rib¡¯s shatter beneath the impact as the head of my morningstar ripped into its back. Viciously yanking my morningstar free again, I could vaguely make out the exposed organs of the Spineback¡¯s chest cavity.


    Severely weakened, the Spineback attempted to retreat.


    Lash and I both let it go, we had more than enough enemies to deal with already. More Spinebacks were about to join the fight and there were still two others to deal with already.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold them, strike from the side!¡± I called out to Lash as I hopped in front of her and bashed the Spinebacks backwards to make some room.


    Lash gave a feral grunt in reply, her armour clanking and scraping as she hurriedly repositioned to my right.


    The rightmost of the pair of spinebacks seemed to realise what was going on and began turning to face Lash instead.


    *Thump*


    I jabbed its side and drove the topmost spike of my morningstar into its exposed flank.


    The Spineback screeched in anger, giving me its undivided attention once more.


    *Shunk*


    The Spineback spasmed wildly as Lash¡¯s axe came arcing down and was buried in the rearmost section of its neck. Still snapping its jaws feebly, the Spineback seemed determined not to die just yet.


    Bashing the remaining Spineback to drive it away from its fallen companion.


    *Shunk*


    Lash had rushed forward to engage another Spineback further ahead, striking its forelimb to deliver a crippling blow before rushing off to attack a different opponent.


    Going back on the offensive, I bashed the Spineback again and felt the shield begin to buckle. Made of interwoven roots and branches, the shield had put up a good resistance to the powerful claws of the Spinebacks, but my repeated bashing combined with the accrued damage had pushed it to the brink.


    Pivoting my hips and sweeping my morningstar in from the right, I caught the unfortunate monster in the side of the head as it leaned back in preparation to make an attack of its own.


    *Thump Crunch*


    [You have slain {Spineback: 1 } +300 Exp]


    The spikes of my morningstar had anchored into the skull of the beast, so I had to yank it back hard to dislodge it again.


    ¡°Lord! There are enemiess coming from behind!¡± Asra cried out in alarm.


    Turning back I could see a veritable carpet of movement blotting out the light of the tunnel and could hear a rising echo of maddening chitters. ¡°LASH! WE NEED TO MOVE!¡± I roared and rushed forward to take hold of Toofy and Ril.


    Driven by their own survival instincts, the pair of them scaled my outstretched arms like drowning cats and anchored themselves on my shoulders.


    Asra was shaking, his eyes wide with fear as he pulled a fistful of manastones from the pouch at his waist and threw them towards the oncoming swarm. ¡°Hold them back!¡± He shrieked and began to run.


    Letting the badly damaged shield slip off my arm, I turned and ran after Asra.


    Lash had fought her way clear to one of the tunnels ahead and to our right, leaving several wounded Spinebacks that were slowly closing in behind her. Alarmingly, the healthy Spinebacks within the cavern had begun retreating down other tunnels, making the threat posed by the Blood Hunters all the more real.


    Snatching up Asra by the waist, I charged straight for Lash, doing my best to keep Asra as far from the Spinebacks as possible. With the way the wounded Spinebacks had slowly closed ranks while stalking towards Lash, it was ultimately a largely futile gesture.


    Or it would have been if the hulking form of Dar didn¡¯t barrel past me and launch himself into the flanks of the Spinebacks with suicidal abandon. ¡°FEEEED!¡± The Daemon roared, impaling himself on the namesake of the first Spineback before hooking his claws into its scaly hide and clamping his powerful jaws down upon its neck.


    *Shriiip*


    Dar tore the Spineback¡¯s neck and a good portion of its spine free of its body with one vicious jackknifing snap of his heavily muscled neck.


    ¡°KILL!!!¡± The sinewy form of Qreet was only moments behind her hatchmate. Just as Dar had done, Qreet bodily launched herself at another Spineback. However, unlike Dar, she managed to avoid serious injury and after biting down on the Spineback¡¯s exposed neck Qreet seemed content to leave the damage at that.


    Rushing past the pair of Daemons and the opening they had provided, I followed Lash into the tunnel. She had provided warnings about something like this happening, so I was aware of the general plan of action. Lash would do her best to lead us away from the swarm and we would attempt to find a tunnel leading up to the surface or circle around to the cavern we first entered.


    Leaving a Clay Doll in our wake, we ran past it before it was even halfway through taking form.


    Entering another cavern, Lash motioned for us to stop and I reluctantly complied.


    Smaller still than the previous cavern, there was only one other tunnel large enough for Lash and Myself to pass through. Unfortunately, it would be a tight fit and we would both have to hunch down to avoid scraping our heads on the ceiling.


    ¡°Dangerous,¡± Lash muttered, apparently none too happy about the shrinking dimensions of our escape route. She looked back down the tunnel we had come from and paused for a moment. Letting out a cross between a growl and a sigh, Lash motioned to the tunnel ahead and began leading the way again.


    The cavern proved to be unoccupied as we managed to cross it without incident.


    Setting down Asra and coaxing Toofy and Ril to continue on foot, I settled into my position as rearguard again. Unable to see much of anything past Lash ahead and unable to turn back without extreme difficulty, I could feel my anxiety amping up with every passing moment. Seeing Lash tentatively entering another cavern up ahead, I felt incredibly relieved.


    The cavern was by far the largest yet.


    Naturally forced pillars of stone supported the ceiling, while a large pool of water dominated the centre of the cavern. However, the most striking feature of the cavern was the completely out of place worked stone facade of a towering gateway on the opposite side of the cavern.


    ¡°Is that a Deep Orc gate?¡± I asked Lash quietly. We had seen no monsters skulking about in the cavern thus far, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t there.


    Lash stiffly shook her head, ¡°Not Deep Orc, it is a dungeon...¡±


    ¡°Dungeon?¡± I asked warily, ¡°Like for keeping prisoners?¡±


    Lash shook her head again, ¡°No. Dungeons hold great treasure, powerful enemies. Many die, few return,¡± she stated dourly.


    ¡°Treasure?¡± Toofy¡¯s ears twitched excitedly.


    Ril tightened her grip on Toofy''s hand and anchored her clawed toes into the dirt.


    ¡°D-dungeon?¡± Asra croaked, taking a half step back as he fearfully regarded the cavern.


    ¡°So dungeons are incredibly dangerous? Got it,¡± I sighed and glanced warily back down the tunnel.


    [Summoned Daemon: Ruz has been killed by Blood Hunter!]


    I stared at the grey status alert for a moment before recognising the name. Ruz was one of the single-horned Daemons and assumedly had been summoned by Asra to cover our retreat. More than a half-hour had passed since our flight down the tunnel. It was crazy to think that the Daemons had only now suffered their first casualty.


    [Summoned Daemon: Wraithe has been killed by Blood Hunter!]


    [Summoned Daemon: Myra has been killed by Blood Hunter!]


    [Summoned Daemon: Kyon has been killed by Blood Hunter!]


    The trio of status alerts appeared in rapid succession and doused my hope that we could just turn around and head back. The fight was apparently not going nearly as well as I thought.


    Asra gave me a troubled look, ¡°Lord, the Daemonss are taking losssess.¡±


    I nodded grimly, ¡°How many did you summon?¡± I asked, trying to get a better handle on the context of the fight. We were apparently too far away to earn EXP from their kills, so the best possible indicator would be information provided by Asra himself.


    The Serpent-Kin teen shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Sseven...I think...¡± Asra replied with more than a little embarrassment.


    Recalling the fistful of manastones he had thrown, seven seemed about right. ¡°So it¡¯s just Qreet, Dar and one other Daemon left standing?¡± I commented, looking to Asra for confirmation.


    Asra nodded, ¡°Gric refussed the ssummon, sso-¡±


    [Summoned Daemon: Tyat has been killed by Blood Hunter!]


    Asra paled.


    Gric refusing the summon was not altogether unexpected. I could only assume that something was happening in Sanctuary that required his immediate attention. Gric would be told of events in the tunnels from one of the fallen Daemons, so I was not as worried as I would have been otherwise. If we waited, then Asra could summon Gric and we could get a more complete explanation of what happened.


    Waiting for Qreet and Dar¡¯s death notifications, I was both relieved and concerned by their absence. Relieved, because apparently, they had managed to break the swarm, concerned, because we had no real way of knowing what condition the pair was in. It was possible that they had both been badly injured and left for dead.


    ¡°Asra, I want you to summon one of the Daemons that covered our escape,¡± I ordered. I needed to know what was going on.


    Asra nodded obediently and seemed relieved at the prospect of additional reinforcements. Withdrawing a manastone from his pouch, Asra briefly flared a grey aura, ¡°Wraithe!¡± He commanded with surprising confidence as he dropped the manastone to the ground and took a few steps back.


    Within moments the Daemon¡¯s body quickly took shape before our eyes. Many of the Daemons had undergone significant changes since the battle to rescue Lash and the other Deep Orc refugees. Almost all of them had taken on various reptilian and amphibian characteristics into their own physiology. So even though they had appeared predominantly human after hatching, albeit discoloured and possessing horns and a tail, The most ¡®human¡¯ amongst their number now, was Ril.


    Wraithe, one of the female Daemons, was no exception. With a single horn protruding from her right temple, Wraithe had noticeably taken on characteristics of the Blood Hunters. Her tail was still covered in scales, but it was near twice her height in length and thin like a whip with spiked barbs protruding from the final couple of feet. Wraithe¡¯s legs were also rear jointed and combined with the elongating distension of her clawed feet and toes, Wraithe was almost as tall as Lash and myself, although much thinner.


    In general, Wraithe appeared to be very nimble and wiry, practically delicate compared to what I had seen of Dar.


    Nimbly hopping to her feet, Wraithe gave our surroundings a quick once over, her slightly enlarged and tapered ears twitching slightly as her attention lingered briefly on the tunnel. ¡°The humans are making demands, Lord,¡± Wraithe explained without being asked, very likely on Gric¡¯s order. ¡°Underlord Gric wishes you to know that he has the situation well in hand and that he has not revealed his true nature to the humans. Also, Underlord Gric wishes to know if you require assistance in returning to the surface.¡±


    Even though I had suspected Gric was busy, receiving confirmation that there was some sort of trouble with the human army still made me anxious. ¡°What about Qreet and Dar?¡± I asked, ¡°What happened with the swarm of Blood Hunters?¡±


    Wraithe stiffened slightly and hung her head in shame, ¡°Lord, we defeated the first swarm, but a second swarm was drawn by the blood and overran us. We were still wounded and only Qreet and Dar were strong enough to fight back,¡± she shifted uncomfortably and gave me a worried look, ¡°The summoning has not been terminated, but neither Qreet nor Dar have attempted to return to the surface...¡±


    ¡°Do you think they are waiting for us?¡± Asra asked hopefully.


    Wraithe fidgeted uncomfortably, ¡°It is possible,¡± she admitted.


    I think I knew what was going on. ¡°You think they are taking the opportunity to make alterations to grow stronger?¡± I guessed, knowing how much of a driving priority it was for the Daemons as a whole.


    There seemed to be some kind of loophole afforded by the summoning mechanic. Because the Daemons that were summoned were only copies, they seemed to be able to experiment as much as they liked without their choices being forced onto the original.


    Given the amount of trial and error involved, a situation like this one was an incredible opportunity, and apparently one that the pair of Daemons were not willing to pass up.


    Wraithe nodded with what seemed like guilty reluctance.


    Technically, the pair of Daemons were only doing what they had been told. Asra had given the command to ¡®hold them back¡¯ and holding down that particular cavern and tunnel was actually to our benefit. Daemons strictly obeyed every command they were given, both the spirit and the letter. It was one of the weirdest things about the rules this world operated under.


    Intent always seemed to take precedence when determining the desired outcome.


    With that thought in mind, I found it unlikely that Qreet and Dar were maliciously interpreting their command. It was far more likely that they believed that continuing to hold their ground was best serving Asra¡¯s intent, which I assumed was that we would make it back to safety while the Daemons held off any wild monsters.


    ¡°Should head back,¡± Lash insisted, her helmet angled in such a way that she was able to keep an eye on the dungeon entrance.


    It was obvious that there was more I needed to know about dungeons before entering one, so returning to the surface to get a more detailed explanation was a good idea. ¡°Alright let¡¯s head back,¡± I agreed.


    Asra released a ragged sigh of relief which was heavily contrasted by a disappointed, ¡°Awwwww,¡± from Toofy.


    With Wraithe now screening ahead, we generally maintained the same formation we had used in the beginning, with Lash and myself forming a protective buffer from the front and rear for Asra, Toofy and Ril.


    Despite not having accompanied us on our initial retreat, Wraithe nonetheless seemed to know exactly where to go. I could only assume that the Daemon had enhanced her sense of smell or was perhaps capable of following our tracks, which were admittedly rather easy to find.


    Encountering the Clay Golem we had fled past earlier, Lash and I dispatched it quickly and with Toofy¡¯s help managed to find another Iron ingot. There had been just the one this time, so I wondered what the actual chances of the ingot dropping in the first place were and whether Toofy¡¯s Class Ability was more or less likely to generate an item. Maybe the rank of the monster had something to do with it as well? The first Clay Doll had been a rank two, and this one had just been a rank one.


    Needing to stay alert, I pushed the thoughts from my mind and tried to keep an eye out for potential ambushes.


    [Dar has slain {Blood Hunter: 2 } +100 Exp]


    [Dar has slain {Blood Hunter: 1 } +50 Exp]


    [Dar has slain {Blood Hunter: 2 } +100 Exp]


    The trio of notifications suddenly appeared in rapid succession, making it obvious that at least Dar was still alive and under attack.


    Wraithe chittered excitedly, revealing powerful rodent-like incisors, ¡°Lord! There is much carnage ahead!¡± The Daemon declared excitedly, her clawed fingers twitching in anticipation.


    [Qreet has slain {Blood Hunter: 3 } +150 Exp]


    ¡°Scout ahead and see what the situation is, then report back,¡± I commanded.


    Wraithe grinned and sped off down the tunnel at a breakneck pace, nimbly dodging past or leaping over any obstacles in her way.


    After a couple of minutes, and a smattering of kill notifications from both Qreet and Dar, Wraithe returned with the still squirming and shrieking form of a Blood Hunter coiled tightly in her tail.


    *Crunch*


    [Wraithe has slain {Blood Hunter: 2 } +100 Exp]


    The blood Hunter grew deathly still, blood dribbling from its mouth and into the dirt.


    ¡°Lord, both minions, Qreet and Dar are following orders and holding the passage back to the surface. Only scavengers remain,¡± Wraithe lifted and waggled the dead Blood Hunter for emphasis, ¡°They are larger but fewer in number, Qreet believes the path to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go collect Qreet and Dar then head to the surface to see what is going on,¡± I motioned for Lash to lead the way and received a curt nod in reply.


    Individual Blood Hunters would be no threat to her or myself, but Asra, Toofy and Ril were a different matter. The size of small dogs or a house cat, the Blood Hunters had a nasty set of teeth on them and their relative size made a showdown between them comparable to a grown human facing off against a wolf.


    After cautiously travelling through the tunnel, we finally reentered the cavern that had been home to the Spinebacks. A mess of scattered bones just outside of the tunnel confirmed my suspicions regarding the Blood Hunter Swarms. Just like a horde of true rodents, they would descend on a food source and strip it as best as they were able.


    Scrape marks on the bones suggested that they were more than capable of gnawing through those too, but had either moved on to a better food source, or been interrupted.


    ¡°RAAAAGH!¡± The bloodcurdling roar echoed through the cavern, drawing my attention to the vibrant amber scaled and hulking form of Dar standing guard by the other tunnel entrance. He was facing away from us, putting his most recent changes on prominent display. Hunched over like a gorilla, Dar now had dozens of short sharp spikes protruding from his back, shoulders and outer surfaces of his forearms and thighs.


    Qreet was not immediately visible, but she promptly appeared a few moments later, slowly and carefully crawling across the roof of the tunnel above Dar. The way Qreet was moving seemed quite strange, given that she was upside down, but looked like she was climbing vertically.


    Quickly shepherding Asra, Toofy and Ril across the cavern, it became obvious why Qreet was climbing like that. She had grown powerful hooked talons and was climbing the ceiling in a similar manner to how the Spinebacks had traversed the stalagmites and rock walls littering the cavern floor.


    Both Daemons seemed quite happy to see us, quite possibly due to the multitude of injuries covering their bodies. Or perhaps because there were no more enemies in the immediate vicinity.


    ¡°LORD,¡± Dar growled, lowering his head in deference.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Qreet hissed, dropping from the roof of the tunnel and bowing low. Removing what looked like a bulging length of looped intestine off her shoulder, Qreet offered it to me as if the contents were incalculably valuable.


    Taking a closer look, I confirmed that it was indeed a length of intestine. Stretched to near transparency, I could see that the lower section was packed near to the point of bursting, with manastones. I stared at Qreet in shock. There were hundreds of manastones in there. ¡°How did you manage to collect so many?¡± I demanded.


    Qreet and Dar shared a respectful look with one another, ¡°Team-work,¡± Qreet hissed, struggling to pronounce the words while Dar nodded emphatically, mimicking wrenching something with his brutish fists and throwing it to the ceiling.


    Qreet pointed emphatically back to her previous hiding place.


    Leading the group down the tunnel, my breath caught in my throat as I caught sight of the nightmare-inducing ¡®nest¡¯ Qreet had made amidst the stalactites. Using intestines for rope and flayed hides to form a basin or floor, I could totally imagine Dar lobbing the severed heads of Blood Hunters up there for Qreet to ¡®process¡¯ before she discarded the remains.


    Daemons were nothing if not resourceful...


    ¡°We should head back...¡± I croaked, doing my best not to vomit, ¡°Toofy, store this in the pack please,¡± I handed her the intestine pouch and energetically wiped off my hand on my pants.


    Lash was giving both Daemons a stoic but presumably appraising look from beneath her helmet. After a few moments, she gave them a curt nod of approval and moved to take her place at the head of the formation.


    Qreet and Dar shared a look of elation with one another, hissing and growling quietly as they playfully shoved one another.


    That was when I finally noticed another oddity of the Daemon summoning. Unlike the battle to rescue the Deep Orc refugees, where the Daemons had been summoned completely naked, Wraithe, Qreet and Dar were all wearing their primitive hide clothing. Well...Qreet and Wraithe were, Dar had most likely lost his loincloth at some point in the fighting. Not that he seemed to mind, apparently having taken inspiration from the reptiles to protect his vulnerable assets from danger.


    Our trip back to the safety of the barrier was almost disappointingly uneventful. I was in no hurry to experience any more danger, but it still bugged me that we had been forced to retreat earlier. I was trying to be more assertive, and running away seemed like progress in the wrong direction.


    Now safely within the protection of Sanctuary¡¯s barrier, Asra dismissed Wraithe, Qreet and Dar, stumbling a little as he did so. The Pact Binder Summoning seemed to have an MP cost for both summoning and dismissing the Daemons, which was very interesting. I hadn¡¯t known about that. Or if I did, then Gric hadn¡¯t explained it very well.


    The other half of our scouting expedition had returned as well and apparently had been waiting for us for some time.


    Listening to their account of events, they too had encountered a Blood Hunter swarm, but they had been able to fall back to the barrier and thin out their numbers before exploring again. The other team had even managed to hold onto most of the corpses and brought them back.


    The pile was impressive but I didn¡¯t envy the job of bringing them to the surface. We had no cargo netting, so they would probably need to be tied off into groups of a half dozen and dragged up.


    The second group only managed to find one Clay Doll and unfortunately, it hadn¡¯t dropped an iron ingot. Lash was a little disappointed about that. Apparently, she wanted at least ten ingots for casting the first anvil and hammer.


    In all the excitement, I had very nearly forgotten about the incident with the humans. The fresh wave of anxiety was more than enough to propel me up the rope and to the surface at what I had thought was an absurd speed. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t all that fast, since Lash and the other Deep Orcs were right behind me. They had even brought Toofy, Ril and Asra along by giving them piggyback rides.


    ¡°Lord!¡± What I had initially assumed was a Deep Orc, but was actually Gric wearing a set of what I hoped was only borrowed armour, cried out and rushed towards me. Stopping only a few feet away, Gric bowed his head quickly, ¡°The Humans are invading!¡±


    It took a few moments for what Gric said to sink in, ¡°W-what?!¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Their negotiator, Lt. Felix, let slip that more Humans would be coming, much more! Hundreds!¡± Gric didn¡¯t sound frightened so much as excited and irritated.


    Lash shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Humans will attack?¡± She asked bluntly.


    ¡°Unclear,¡± Gric replied bitterly, ¡°Lt. Felix would not reveal more unless it was with the Lord.¡±


    Both Gric and Lash gave me a purposeful look from beneath their helmets.


    ¡°Did Felix say when he would be back?¡± I asked, doing my best to rein in my imagination before it began catastrophizing things.


    Gric bowed his head again, ¡°Lord, Lt. Felix and his minions are awaiting an audience at the designated meeting place.¡±


    I winced and bit back my criticism of leaving the most important information until last. There was little telling how Daemon biology and psychology would react to something like that, and I needed Gric in peak condition right now. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± I grunted, waving back Toofy as she made to come along, ¡°No Toofy, I need you to stay here and look after Asra and Ril, Okay? I¡¯ll be back in a little bit.¡±


    Toofy slumped dejectedly but nodded, ¡°Kay...¡±


    After receiving a reassuring nod from Ril, I rushed off towards the gate, with Lash and Gric hot on my heels.


    Taking a moment to compose myself first, I strode out from the gate and did my best to project an aura of calm and control. If the human army was searching for weakness as a premise to push for concessions, then I was going to put up the best fight I could manage. I owed my people that much at least.


    Just like our other negotiations, Lt. Felix and his pair of trusted officers were patiently waiting near the briar wall, where the ground was driest and air less humid. Seeing our approach, the trio left behind their soldiers to wait at the appointed place. Gric may be onto something, they were nervous, perhaps about being the bearers of bad news.


    Lt. Felix politely cleared his throat and smiled in what was probably intended to be a friendly manner. However, it was heavily undermined by the nervous twitch in his right eye and the sweat running down his brow. ¡°Ah, you know, you still haven''t provided a name or title to call you by,¡± Lt. Felix joked while probing.


    It was true, thus far I had dominated proceedings by directing the flow of conversations to what I wanted, cutting to the heart of the matter to get things over with. ¡°Chieftain will suffice,¡± I replied warily, ¡°What is it that you want?¡± I asked pointedly, knowing it would likely throw him off balance.


    ¡°R-right,¡± Lt. Felix stuttered a little, removing his helmet, couching it under one arm, running his free hand through his short and thoroughly soaked hair. ¡°My superior, Captain Klive, requests a meeting with you to discuss the possibility of a more established and, erm, integrated military presence in this region.¡±


    I furrowed my brow and scowled, ¡°Why?¡± I demanded, making my stance on the issue transparently clear. If push came to shove, we were currently quite capable of driving the humans out without an excessive level of violence or risk of fatalities to either side. But if the military presence increased, then any hostile actions taken by either of us would have severe consequences and collateral damage.


    Lt. Felix gulped hard and wiped away the sweat from his brow, ¡°I am not at liberty to disclose that information at this time,¡± he apologised with a cringe, his eyes briefly flicking to the morningstar slung through my belt. ¡°I-if you would agree to meet with the captain, I am sure he will be able to explain everything,¡± Lt. Felix added hurriedly.


    Realising I would get nothing further from him, short of crossing a number of lines that I was not prepared to cross, I grunted in annoyance and nodded, ¡°Fine, tell your Captain I will meet with him, now.¡± Being pushy with military officers was probably not the smartest idea, but I wanted to make it clear that I was not going to let them push us around.


    Besides, forcing a meeting like this gave them less time to prepare for any nasty surprises.


    Lt. Felix seemed somewhat relieved, ¡°Ah, well then, if you would follow me-¡±


    ¡°I will meet your captain, here,¡± I stated bluntly, interrupting Lt. Felix before he could go any further. No way in hell was I entering a military encampment of a couple of hundred soldiers. That was just asking for trouble. At best, it would give them negotiating power by abusing the obvious show of force, at worst, they would either threaten me directly or attack me if they didn¡¯t get what they wanted.


    So no, I was not going to just enter a den of wolves like a lamb to the slaughter. If their Captain had honourable intentions, then he wouldn¡¯t mind meeting on relatively neutral ground. In a way, this hardline stance of mine was intended as a test. If Lt. Felix and his captain backed off, then it was clear that they almost certainly had bad intentions.


    Lt. Felix looked a little nervous, but mostly seemed to be relieved, ¡°Ah...I will inform my Captain of your willingness to meet and the change of venue,¡± he agreed amiably and replaced his helmet on his head.


    Leaving with his soldiers in tow, I wondered if perhaps Lt. Felix had already expected an outcome like this from the start and had very literally just been following orders.


    I didn¡¯t have too long to dwell on it though. Less than a quarter-hour later, Lt. Felix, as well as the obligatory retinue of soldiers returned with a man in near-identical armour, with the addition of a steel breastplate and more ornate helm.


    Leaving the other soldiers behind, Lt. Felix and the man I assumed to be Cpt. Klive approached Lash, Gric and Myself.


    ¡°So,¡± Cpt. Klive gave me a brusque once over, his neatly trimmed moustache quivering slightly in what I assumed was annoyance, ¡°You are the ¡®chieftain¡¯ of this Settlement I take it?¡± He demanded curtly.


    ¡°I am,¡± I answered in kind.


    The Captain just stared at me for a long minute before slowly removing his helmet. Contrary to what I had expected, he was smiling.


    With salt and pepper hair and a host of wrinkles and scars besides, Cpt. Klive looked to be fifty or more years old, although he still seemed to be in impeccable shape despite his age.


    ¡°You don¡¯t take shit from anyone do you?¡± Cpt. Klive asked with amusement, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as chuckled quietly. ¡°Well, I suppose that is to be expected,¡± he commented, ¡°If I was as big as you are, I wouldn¡¯t put up with anyone¡¯s shit either.¡±


    Lt. Felix blanched and gave his captain a worried look, ¡°Sir-¡±


    Cpt. Klive waved Lt. Felix down dismissively, ¡°I suppose I have been plenty rude enough already, best get to introducing myself so we can move onto more productive matters, eh?¡± He grinned and straightened somewhat to stand a couple of inches taller, ¡°Captain Klive of his majesty''s armed forces, pleasure to meet you son!¡±


    I just nodded and waited to see what he wanted.


    Cpt. Klive coughed brusquely and nodded, ¡°Right, onto business then. I¡¯ll be blunt Mr Chieftain, your home is smack dab in the middle of what could be best described as the hells latrine,¡± he grinned at his own joke before continuing, ¡°But damn it all if it doesn¡¯t grow on you! Tough livin¡¯ conditions make tougher soldiers! I¡¯ve been bringing recruits here for decades for that very reason!¡± Cpt. Klive¡¯s expression grew wistful for a moment before he shook his head and came back to his senses, ¡°Mr Chieftain, I want a piece of the hell that you have carved out for yourselves down here, and I¡¯m willin¡¯ to pay for it!¡± He grinned expectantly at me, making it obvious that he wanted a reply.


    The way the Captain had expressed willingness to ¡®pay for it¡¯ I assumed was intended to be something akin to the phrase ¡®pay top dollar for it¡¯ rather than the passive-aggressive threat of benevolently offering to pay for it rather than just seizing it.


    ¡°What is it that you want exactly?¡± I asked warily.


    Cpt. Klive grinned somewhat sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, ¡°The higher-ups have been pushing for my promotion for some time now. They want to lock me up behind a desk...er, take me out of the fightin¡¯,¡± he quickly amended, no doubt assuming I wouldn¡¯t understand the reference. ¡°So, I figure it is about time I give¡¯em what they want and take¡¯em up on their generous offer!¡± Cpt Klive grinned wickedly, ¡°They said I could run any training base lower than the tenth floor, all I had to do was name it-¡±


    Lt. Felix paled and his eyes grew wide.


    ¡°-and I want this¡¯un!¡± Cpt. Klive declared animatedly, taking a deep breath of the swamp air. ¡°Just think of the soldiers I could create in a place like this!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question,¡± I insisted despite getting the gist of what he wanted. I would rather be safe than sorry.


    Realising his mistake Cpt. Klive nodded apologetically. ¡°Building military bases in the Labyrinth is normally no small undertaking and is a risky endeavour at the best of times. But I can tell that you have some, ¡®extra help¡¯,¡± he tapped the side of his nose and nudged his head in the direction of the briar wall, ¡°So I would be willing to pay for the same privilege in establishing a base in the nearby area. What do you say? I can offer coins, supplies, weapons, just about anything, name your price!¡±


    ¡°Sir are you sure!-¡± Lt. Felix spluttered.


    Cpt. Klive waved him down, ¡°Hush up son, I¡¯m negotiatin¡¯!¡±


    How many soldiers would be stationed in the base?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°How many will you let me have?¡± Cpt. Klive grinned back wolfishly.


    I frowned and considered that counteroffer for a moment. Maintaining a favourable ratio of my people vs human soldiers was a real sticking point for me. So long as the soldiers were outnumbered, they would think twice about doing anything stupid. The last thing I wanted was for some unruly soldiers to lynch one of my people and go running back to the Captain or some other officer under the assumption they would get away with it.


    ¡°I guess that depends on what you can offer,¡± I countered.


    Cpt. Klive grinned wider, ¡°Now we''re talkin¡¯! What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Guarantees,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°Assurances of your peoples¡¯ behaviour and an agreement on what happens if it is broken.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Cpt. Klive nodded, the look in his eyes suggesting he already knew what I was going to say next.


    ¡°If any soldier or human breaks my laws, then they will be punished according to my laws, not yours. That any humans attempting to escape justice will be handed over regardless of rank, title or reputation,¡± I demanded adamantly. Every other agreement we could come to wouldn¡¯t mean anything if some git did something stupid and took cover behind their comrades.


    Nodding in understanding, Cpt. Klive sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t agree to just hand¡¯em over, military law forbids it. However-¡± He quickly raised his hand placatingly, ¡°There is precedent for passing judgements in accordance with local customs. So assuming your laws are reasonable, I would have no issue in enforcin¡¯em. I can apply for an auxiliary alliance status for your Settlement too, which should make enforcing laws against adventurers a great deal easier,¡± Cpt. Klive added thoughtfully.


    I hadn¡¯t really considered what would happen regarding adventurers, I had rather naively assumed they wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to try anything, or wander into the swamp to begin with.


    ¡°If you will guarantee their behaviour and enforce my laws, then I suppose no more than five hundred would be acceptable for the time being.¡± I proposed. With The Destroyer and quite possibly a second Awakened running around out there, the small amount of danger represented by the additional human soldiers seemed like a worthwhile trade-off for a considerable buffer.


    Cpt. Klive smiled, ¡°Fair,¡± he agreed, ¡°Don¡¯t want to raise too many eyebrows by settin¡¯ up too fast anyway,¡± Cpt. Klive chuckled, ¡°What about payment for the base?¡± He asked eagerly.


    ¡°I suppose that depends on what you want,¡± I countered, ¡°Walls and a decent foundation are probably a given. But fresh and clean running water costs extra.¡±


    Cpt. Klive blinked in surprise, then grinned eagerly, ¡°Fresh, running water, you say?¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 17 – What lies beneath – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 17 ¨C What lies beneath ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 17 - What lies beneath - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Tobi gripped the handle of his borrowed bow tight and drew another arrow, ¡°Hail Shot,¡± he mumbled, drawing back the bowstring and loosing the arrow. The moment the arrow left the bow, two slightly smaller arrows shimmered into being on either side of the first and sped towards their intended target. ¡°Sure Shot!¡± Tobi muttered, nearly gasping as he felt the sudden surge of weakness wash through his body. Tobi was running incredibly low on mana and likely only had enough for one more augmented shot.


    Following the path of the three arrows, Tobi grinned with grim satisfaction as they found their mark in the exposed flank of the giant reptilian monster attempting to clamber aboard the ship.


    A Hydra, that was what Clarice had called it, a fucking Hydra!


    Nearly large enough to occupy the deck all on its own, the twin-headed beast was coming dangerously close to capsizing the ship. Half the ship¡¯s crew had already been killed or eaten, the poor Goblins having never stood a chance. Even Tobi was accomplishing little more than pissing it off. The Goblins weapons were simply not good enough.


    The Hydra¡¯s attention was currently upon Clarice herself, who was swinging and jumping through the rigging like a madwoman. She was bleeding pretty badly, but so was everyone else. Emelia had been knocked out cold by a swipe from the monster¡¯s tail and Nadine had barely managed to drag her to safety before barring the doors below decks shut.


    When the Hydra had first appeared, Tobi had been terrified and wanted to hide. But after it hurt Emelia...something had just snapped, and now he wanted it dead!


    Shady was already harrying its legs, nipping at the Hydra¡¯s underbelly when and where he could, before teleporting away and beginning the attack anew.


    Tobi had wasted close to a dozen arrows trying to blind the Hydra by shooting it in its eyes, but the arrows had bounced off without doing noticeable harm. It was insane, because the iron arrowheads provided by the Goblins were peppering the Hydra¡¯s scales without any real problems.


    *Crash*


    Clarice barely managed to dodge the snapping jaws of the Hydra as its bulk splintered the mast closest to the front of the ship.


    Cries of alarm and terror came from the ruptured deck, attracting the attention of all the fighters still left standing, and the Hydra itself.


    Bellowing in hunger the beast¡¯s heads snaked down towards the hole.


    ¡°Emelia!¡± Tobi croaked, fumbling for another arrow and lining up to take his shot, ¡°Precise Shot!¡± he roared, drawing the arrow back as far as the bow would allow and then letting it loose.


    The leftmost head of the Hydra turned its cold reptilian gaze on Tobi, hardly blinking as the arrow impacted with its eye and ricocheted away.


    Tobi drew and fired another arrow, then another and another.


    The Hydra opened its mouth wide and revealed several rows of sharp fangs.


    *Thump*


    There were more cries from below decks as the rightmost Hydra head attempted to force its way through the hole.


    Movement from above caught Tobi¡¯s eye and daring to glance away from the Hydra for half a second, he could barely come to grips with what he was seeing.


    ¡°DIE YOU FUCKER!¡± Clarice had launched herself off the crow¡¯s nest on the remaining mast and was hurtling down towards the Hydra¡¯s exposed back at impossible speed. With a splintered boom from the sails clutched tight in her arms, it was obvious what she intended to do with it.


    Clarice¡¯s sudden outcry got the attention of both the Hydra¡¯s heads, but Clarice was moving too fast for either of them to really do anything about it.


    *Shunk*


    The impact shuddered through the deck and nearly knocked Tobi off his feet.


    The Hydra roared in fury and pain, thrashing and splintering the few intact railings and slaying any Goblins unfortunate enough not to get out of the way in time.


    Clarice was unconscious, broken bones protruding from both her arms and her right thigh.


    Shady suddenly appeared beside her in a cloud of shadowy smoke and launched himself at the Hydra¡¯s leftmost head. A half-second later, Beaky appeared and charged the rightmost head, shrieking at a pitch that made Tobi¡¯s ears ache.


    For the first time in the engagement, the Hydra baulked, slowly backpedalling away from the relatively diminutive Shadowcat and off the deck.


    ¡°FUCK OFF!¡± Tobi ignored the pain in his arms and fired another arrow at the Hydra¡¯s flank.


    The remaining Goblins began doing the same, hurling spears and firing arrows of their own. Those without weapons ran at the Hydra with teeth bared, howling and whooping like frenzied beasts.


    Backing still farther away, the Hydra¡¯s heads took in the situation for a few moments longer and then fled, rolling off the ship and into the river.


    The ship rocked heavily to one side and Tobi lost his footing, sending him crashing to the deck and striking his head.


    Dazed and feeling incredibly weak, Tobi tried to push himself to his feet, but couldn¡¯t. The ship was spinning out of control and he couldn¡¯t tell which way was up. Tobi barely managed to roll onto his side before a sudden wave of nausea caused him to empty the contents of his stomach down his front and onto the deck.


    ¡°Emelia...¡± Tobi groaned and tried to stand again. However, he lacked the strength and felt so very cold...


    *****


    The Captain¡¯s requests had been understandably few. Besides the briar walls, terraformed ground and running water to form a relatively defensible and self-sustaining base, he had only made one other request.


    Cpt. Klive wanted to store a beacon in the Grove, which I categorically refused. After he explained what the beacon was and what it did, it only made me more certain that my decision was the right one to make.


    The beacon allowed soldiers bearing a matching mark to travel through an external portal and arrive in the beacon¡¯s general vicinity, so long as the beacon was adequately charged. It was sort of like a reversed Ward, forcing the human soldiers to spawn in a specifically designated place. In fact, the more I thought about it that way, the more I was convinced that it was exactly how the Beacon worked.


    Probing Cpt. Klive for more information. I was even more surprised to find that the humans had some sort of magical communication device that could transfer information back and forth between the outside world and inside of the Labyrinth, but also between the floors as well. He tried to bribe me with one, showing it off as the ultimate technology, but from what I could tell, it was a two way shared screen with leather-wrapped stylus.


    Without someone on the opposite side and an army of scribes to transfer messages, it was almost worthless to me. Certainly not worth the colossal security risk of armed soldiers suddenly appearing inside Sanctuary. Not by a long shot.


    In fact, now that I was aware of how the beacon worked, I was surprised to find that I could block its effects with the Barrier.


    Did that mean I could do the opposite as well? If myself or any of my people were to enter a portal from the outside, would that allow us to return straight to Sanctuary?


    If it did, that would be a fantastic escape route if anyone was captured and managed to slip away.


    Explaining the situation to Hana, she more or less agreed with my judgement. Allowing the human army to have a presence nearby would come in useful if another Awakened tried causing trouble, even if they only served as an early warning of The Destroyer¡¯s arrival.


    To that end, Hana insisted on the prospective fortification being located between Sanctuary and the river, which would put the army on our eastern side rather than the south where they currently had their camp. The general idea was that she would simply make a second gate on the western side once the human territory was finished, allowing our hunters free rein on the western front and giving the humans control and responsibility for the east.


    It wasn¡¯t a terrible idea. It would mean that the Captain would be responsible for all the adventurers that tried heading towards Sanctuary in the future. And would similarly be held responsible for any trouble the adventurers caused.


    Even so, Hana still estimated that it would take the better part of a week without burning through a whole mess of manastones. Even with the manastones, she still insisted that it would take a few days and that she would need a dedicated escort to fend off monsters that would be drawn to her disturbing the area.


    Normally, that would have been a completely reasonable request. However, since using the Daemons was out, that only left the Deep Orcs and Serpent-Kin, of which both groups were already pulling rather significant duties for Sanctuary. The best compromise I could figure, was that the hunting parties served as Hana¡¯s guard detail. So long as enough monsters were agitated, I supposed it could work out well enough.


    There was a silver lining of sorts, with a better handle on the ranking officer of the human¡¯s army, I was reasonably confident that I could allow the Serpent-Kin and Deep Orcs to begin hatching eggs again. It would probably be better to start on that front again sooner rather than later. The strength and size of Sanctuary¡¯s Barrier was dependent on the number of bound citizens, not how old they are. So the more children Sanctuary had, the better its future prospects would be.


    Lastly, I convened a meeting with Lash, Gric, Hana and Asra by the new partially completed mine entrance. I needed to know what exactly made dungeons so damn dangerous and whether it would be worth venturing inside of the one near Sanctuary, or collapsing the cavern to block it off forever.


    ¡®Sorry Tim, I haven''t heard of these ¡®dungeons¡¯ either,¡± Hana shrugged apologetically, her tall frame waving slightly in an imaginary breeze as she worked her magic.


    Now having removed, and assumedly returned his borrowed Deep Orc armour, Gric seemed positively ecstatic at the news of the dungeon. ¡°This is a fantastic opportunity Lord!¡± He exclaimed, ¡°Dungeons hold Artefacts and magical items of immense power! They are worth nearly any price to obtain! At your order, I will lead an incursion into the depths and retrieve all items of consequence for you my Lord!¡±


    More than a little taken aback by Gric¡¯s fervour, I looked to Lash and Asra for confirmation.


    Lash had removed her helmet and was holding it in her free hand, so I could clearly see the conflicted expression on her face. ¡°Dungeons are dangerous and valuable,¡± she agreed reluctantly, ¡°Best if Daemons explore and die, but awakened dungeon will hunger and hunt if not defeated.¡±


    Asra nodded emphatically, visibly terrified, ¡°Taless of adventurerss entering dungeonss and letting loosse hordess of powerful and nearly unsstoppable ssoulesss are many...¡± He gulped hard and gave me a pleading look, ¡°Pleasse Lord, bury thiss dungeon!¡±


    Lash nodded in minor agreement, ¡°Risk is too great,¡± she agreed.


    Gric deflated somewhat, sighed deeply and nodded, ¡°Forgive me Lord...I was excited...Their advice is sound. The dungeon should be buried until such a time as your army is strong enough to purge its denizens.¡±


    To have a unanimous agreement like this, the dungeon must be incredibly dangerous indeed. ¡°Alright, how do we collapse the cavern?¡± I asked, ¡°That is, how do we do it without getting crushed to death in the process ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± Lash snorted with a grin and pointed at Gric, ¡°Make Daemons do it.¡±


    I smiled a little as I realised she had a point. Even if the Daemons were caught in a cave-in, provided we only used summoned copies, then it wouldn¡¯t actually matter.


    Lash then pointed down Hana¡¯s new mineshaft for emphasis, specifically at Dar who could be heard deeper down clawing through the dirt and rocks. ¡°Dar will collapse the cavern,¡± she stated simply.


    Whatever changes Dar had made to his claws had turned him into a powerful digger. Assuming he could at least climb the walls as Qreet had, then it was possible Dar could destabilise the roof of the cavern and cause a wider collapse. Worst case scenario, he could just collapse the tunnel leading to the cavern.


    ¡°Well...We should probably handle it sooner rather than later, right?¡± I asked, doing my best to keep the disappointment from my tone.


    "It is for the best...¡± Gric agreed with a grimace, as if the words pained him to speak aloud.


    ¡°For the best,¡± Lash agreed bluntly, nodding in such a way that it seemed like this was the only reasonable outcome.


    Asra began letting out a deep relieved sigh, but suddenly stiffened in a panic as he realised his own necessary involvement in the plan. As our only Pact Binder, Asra was a mandatory member of the demolitions team.


    In fact, our group would be close to identical to the one we entered with earlier. As loath as I was to bring Toofy and Ril into danger, I needed Toofy¡¯s synergies for our team, just in case something went wrong or if we were ambushed again. Similarly, I needed Ril to look out for Toofy and keep her from trouble. Lash and I were obvious choices for nearly the same reason as Toofy. Our Class Abilities and synergies would be needed if anything tried escaping the dungeon before we could seal it off.


    Stocking up on required supplies, mostly food and extra ropes, we descended Hana and Dar¡¯s roughly formed tunnel and into the depths below. Anchoring and tying off a rope to help us return later, we climbed down the final twenty feet and entered the staging cavern.


    Asra got to work almost immediately, nervously flinging out manastones and summoning copies of the Daemons from above. As summoned monsters, the first ten Daemons would generate and earn full Exp from any monsters they killed. The remaining fourteen bled over from the regular party limits and became part of my assigned retinue as the party leader. A phenomenally broken mechanic if ever I saw one, not that I was going to complain about it.


    With the majority of Daemons eagerly roving ahead of us, and a selected pack of trusted elites covering the rear, namely Dar, Qreet and Gric, our journey through the tunnels and caverns was almost entirely uneventful. The daemons were ruthless, mobbing and feasting on any monster foolish enough to reveal itself. I honestly doubted that a BloodHunter swarm would accomplish much against the Daemons unless they were caught in a confining tunnel and buried beneath a literal tide of bodies.


    For the most part, the few monsters remaining in the general vicinity seemed to get the message and had retreated from the area. Much to the Daemons disappointment. Being confined to Sanctuary since the arrival of the humans had obviously been stifling and they were eager for a fight.


    As we were about to enter the tunnel leading to the cavern housing the dungeon entrance, Wraithe and two other Daemons I didn¡¯t know by name, came speeding down the tunnel, ¡°Lord! A dungeon beast has escaped! We must kill it!¡± Wraithe insisted excitedly.


    ¡°Escaped?!¡± Gric grinned wide, revealing his razor-sharp teeth.


    Wraithe nodded, ¡°Indeed Underlord! And it is already wounded!¡±


    The two other Daemons shared excited hungry looks with one another and licked their lips.


    ¡°Lord?¡± Gric looked to me for permission, ¡°Such a beast will aid our growth immensely!¡±


    I didn¡¯t doubt it, ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°But no suicide tactics!¡± We had a limited number of manastones with us and I would prefer not to have to make poor Asra burn through all of them just fighting one monster.


    Gric and the other Daemons grinned wickedly at one another and raced down the tunnel, all except for Ril of course.


    Slowly following along behind them, by the time we reached the cavern, the battle was in full swing.


    What looked like a bloated and massively overgrown Spineback, with two serpents in place of a head, was locked in a deadly life or death struggle on the cavern floor a short distance from the lake at the centre of the cavern.


    Dar and Qreet were clambering over its back, ripping and tearing with their powerful claws, biting down and swallowing chunks of the monsters still living flesh.


    The ¡®weaker¡¯ Daemons were doing much the same, anchoring onto the monster''s legs and tail, very nearly rendering it immobile as they gorged themselves on their prey.


    For his part, Gric was actually rather reserved, lobbing boulders and rocks at the serpent heads, stunning them and preventing them from accomplishing any meaningful reprisal. ¡°FEAST!¡± The light in the cavern dimmed briefly and I saw the pulse of Grics dark mana manifest and wash over the other Daemons, driving them into a greater feeding frenzy.


    The monster gave trumpeting roars in protest, looking longingly towards the lake. However, try as it might, the monster seemed incapable of dislodging the Daemons, or even moving in any meaningful way at all.


    ¡°Bad baby!¡± Toofy cried in anger.


    I turned around just in time to see Ril sprinting towards the wounded monster, Toofy hot on her tail.


    Damnit!


    Sprinting after them, I was moderately consoled by the fact that the monster seemed to be weakening by the second. Unfortunately, Gric was relocating to source a fresh pile of ammunition. So the monster was now free to counterattack.


    Snapping up one of the Daemons, the monster¡¯s snakehead very nearly dropped it immediately, revealing the Daemon making a bloody mess of its tongue and mouth.


    Unfortunately, the other head had found easier prey and darted at Ril. Before I even had the chance to try and do anything, the serpent''s jaws had slammed shut around Ril and swallowed her whole.


    ¡°BABY!¡± Toofy screamed hysterically, leaping onto the serpent¡¯s head, her shiv a blur of motion as blood poured from its eye.


    The serpent flung Toofy away with a gurgling roar, sending her crashing into the cavern wall.


    My blood ran cold and before I even realised it, my morning star was gripped tightly in my right hand and I was flying towards the serpent¡¯s head.


    *Thump* *Crunch*


    Half blinded, the serpent misjudged its angle of attack, causing its nose to slam into my midsection, but not until after my morningstar pulped its eye socket.


    Somehow keeping a grip on my morningstar, the momentum caused even more damage to the serpent¡¯s face as I was thrown away.


    Crashing to the ground, I sprang back to my feet and raced back towards the monster again, ¡°KILL IT!¡± I bellowed, feeling the surge of mana leaving my body but only after strengthening and reinforcing it.


    The Daemons collectively hissed, howled, roared and screeched their eagerness to obey.


    The rightmost head of the monster bared its fanged maw to try and ward the Daemons away, but only managed to draw their ire instead. A half dozen daemons redirected their efforts into wrangling its neck while inflicting as much damage as possible. The leftmost head was flailing and spitting up bloody bile.


    ¡°KILL! KILL!! KILL!!!¡± Toofy had streaked past me again and was scaling the monster''s body, using a pair of shivs like climbing picks, determinedly headed for the leftmost serpent¡¯s head.


    Rushing after her, I laid into the monster¡¯s body with my morningstar as best as I was able, losing myself in a haze of anger and bloodlust.


    It wasn¡¯t until the monster collapsed and a golden status alert appeared in front of my eyes.


    [Toofy has slain {Dungeon Guardian: Hydra: 5 } +25000 Exp]


    Blinking away my surprise, I lost track of the message, but vividly remembered what it had said. ¡°Dungeon Guardian?¡± I muttered in shock, ¡°Twenty-five thousand EXP?!¡±


    ¡°Where baby!¡± Toofy wailed nearby, pulling me from my shocked state.


    I could see Lash animatedly hacking away at the rightmost neck of the dead Hydra and was about to join her when I saw a section of the Hydra¡¯s neck move. ¡°Over here!¡± I called out and pointed to the moving section of its neck.


    Dar was first to arrive, anchoring his powerful claws into the scaly hide and snarling as he slowly ripped a hole through its hide.


    To my immense relief and no small amount of horror, Ril wriggled free of the Hydra¡¯s neck and into the light. She was soaked in blood, but despite a couple of tears in her sodden tunic, Ril seemed perfectly fine. More than that, she was grinning from ear to ear and licking her lips with relish, glancing eagerly back at the exposed flesh of the Hydra.


    ¡°Baby!¡± Toofy knocked Ril down with a flying tackle, ¡°Baby no leave Toofy!¡± she scolded, hugging Ril tight and sniffling.


    ¡°Sorry Mama...¡± Ril¡¯s smile had faded and she seemed genuinely remorseful over her actions, although I noticed that her newly found remorse still didn¡¯t stop her from eagerly licking herself clean.


    Leaving the Daemons to their feast, I stepped back with Lash to ask her a few questions. ¡°Do you know what a Dungeon Guardian is?¡± I asked, but made sure to keep my expectations appropriate to the fact that Deep Orc¡¯s literacy was insufficient to read status alerts or quests.


    Lash seemed lost in thought for a moment and surprised me with a tentative nod, ¡°Stronger monster patrols dungeon, keep weaker monsters in line,¡± she explained thoughtfully, ¡°But is not the strongest monster. Strongest monster guards treasures.¡±


    That sounded like both good and bad news, ¡°So it''s possible that with the Hydra dead-¡± I motioned to the dead Hydra, ¡°-the other remaining monsters inside will begin leaving the dungeon?¡±


    Lash nodded and shrugged, ¡°Haven''t seen a dungeon before,¡± she apologised, ¡°Scouting dungeon less dangerous now,¡± Lash admitted in a conflicted tone.


    I nodded as I considered what she meant. Without the dungeon Guardian wandering around, the dungeon would be relatively safer to explore before they sealed it away.


    Who knows, maybe it would be weak enough for them to kill the boss too? The Daemons didn¡¯t seem to have any problems dealing with the Hydra, so it was possible...


    Somehow, the Daemons had polished off everything but the largest of the Hydra¡¯s bones and Toofy had stowed away some of those for later, including more than a few of the Hydra¡¯s fangs...


    Toofy¡¯s most important find was a strange-looking jewel that had to be some sort of drop item like the iron ingots. Roughly the size of my thumb, the oval jewel had what seemed like a swirling vortex of water in its centre, the luminescent waters within shimmering with painfully obvious magical influences.


    Of course, Toofy had handed the jewel off to Ril, who was now obsessed with it to such a degree that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she began whispering to herself obsessively over how important it was to her, perhaps even naming it after that fact.


    Most of the Daemons seemed unchanged, which was a little surprising, but perhaps that was because many of them already had reptilian traits. Taking a closer look at Ril, I quickly recognised a similar change in almost every other Daemon.


    Ril had an almost completely translucent third eyelid, and judging by the way she was experimentally poking at it with her clawed fingers, I realised why the Daemons had judged it to be so valuable. Unlike the Deep Orcs, the Daemons didn¡¯t have any armour or weapons. So they made full use of their claws and teeth. Unfortunately, biting other monsters brought their eyes incredibly close to their enemies'' own natural weaponry. Armoured eyelids seemed like an incredibly valuable trait to copy.


    Standing before the colossal entrance to the dungeon, I was curious as to how exactly the gates were meant to be opened. There was no sight of any handles or anything similar that would allow the doors to be pulled open, so I had to assume that the doors needed to be pushed instead.


    Giving Gric and Dar, the two largest and heavily muscled Daemons the go-ahead, I watched with mounting trepidation as they bunched their muscles and heaved.


    The doors opened with a near agonising slowness, the hidden hinges seemingly reluctant to allow the invaders entry.


    Beyond the dungeon¡¯s gate was the beginnings of a dark hallway. Unfortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be any light sources inside, but the faint shadowy light from the luminescent fungi close to the entrance revealed rows of tall statues lining either side of the hall.


    ¡°Gric, do you see anything?¡± I asked, knowing that the Daemon¡¯s eyes are far better adapted to the dark than mine.


    Gric scanned the darkness for a few moments, panning his head back and forth, ¡°Just statues Lord,¡± he called back with no small amount of confusion. ¡°There is a much larger statue deeper within Lord, but I see no other exits or entrances besides this one, just more statues.¡±


    That was incredibly suspicious. Moving closer to look at the statues closest to the doors, they looked oddly reminiscent of theocratic knights. Carved in such a way that they were depicted wearing robes and scapular over the top of what looked like plated armour of some kind, bearing staves, spears and all manner of polearms.


    ¡°Gric, I want you and a few of the Daemons to take some of the glowing fungi in there and spread it around so I can get a better look,¡± I ordered, ¡°If the statues suddenly come alive, you have my permission to start trashing them,¡± I added, just to make it clear what I expected was going to happen.


    Gric nodded, and motioned vaguely over one shoulder, causing Wraithe and four other Daemons to begin hurriedly collecting luminescent fungi.


    With a decent amount collected, Gric led the Daemons across the threshold. Rather anticlimactically, nothing happened and the Daemons continued into the chamber proper, distributing the glowing fungi here and there to somewhat light up the chamber.


    The dungeon chamber was close to a couple of hundred feet in diameter, seeming to be roughly circular in dimensions and with a domed ceiling. Not that I could see that far into the darkness to be sure. It was far larger than I had expected it to be. Roughly dead centre was a larger statue that was more or less the same as the others, with the exception that it was nearly three times as tall and both its arms were empty, lowered and held out to either side while the serene face stared upwards towards the ceiling.


    It was a shame really. If the arms had been held upwards rather than lowered close to its sides, it would have matched a popular meme from Earth...


    ¡°Lord?¡± Gric called out from within the chamber, ¡°I detect no movement from the statues and sense no mana suggesting they will animate...¡±


    I was about to tell Gric and the other Daemons not to let down their guard, but was distracted by Toofy suddenly crossing the threshold. She was making a beeline straight for the base of the largest statue in the centre of the room.


    Damnit!


    Glancing quickly back at Ril, I could see her beginning to panic as she hurriedly stuffed the magical jewel in her pocket and raced after Toofy.


    Chasing after both of them, I kept a wary eye on the statues, ¡°Looks like we are doing this!¡± I called back over my shoulder and nearly tripped as I saw the large double doors slam shut just as Lash nimbly dove through the gap.


    Lash landed with a cacophonous clatter, the plates of her armour scraping and clanging against the rough flagstones.


    ¡°Adventurers!¡± A melodic and altogether androgynous voice called from seemingly everywhere at once, their voice echoing ominously throughout the chamber, despite the light and non-threatening tone. ¡°You have submitted yourselves to the judgement of the Heavens! Should you prove pure of heart, riches beyond measure will be bestowed upon you. However...¡± The voice grew cold, ¡°Should you prove unworthy, your lives will be forf-¡± the voice abruptly halted mid-sentence and there was the sound of a sharp intake of breath, ¡°High heavens preserve us,¡± the voice gasped, ¡°DAEMONS! PURGE THEM ALL!¡± The voice snarled.


    I was wrong, the statues were apparently still just cold inanimate statues...However, a large shimmering portal appeared ten or so feet above the large statues head, a strange facsimile of a halo.


    Within less than a second, a tall man in shimmering robes and plated armour descended through the portal, a spear outstretched in one hand and golden shimmering wings of pure light extending from his back. Directing his spear at the closest Daemon, the holy warrior released a howl of rage and charged.


    Thankfully, the target of the holy warrior¡¯s ire was Gric and he had kept enough of his wits about him to leap out of the way and even delivered a kick to the winged warrior¡¯s back in the process, ¡°ANGELS!¡± Gric roared with such contempt and loathing that it left my ears feeling fouled for having heard it.


    The other Daemons howled in outrage, moving to engage the Angel.


    Sensing his disadvantage, the Angel rose up towards the domed ceiling and out of reach, revealing that the ceiling was in fact about fifty feet tall at its highest point, making the chamber an almost perfect hemisphere.


    Seeing that the Daemons were keeping the Angel at bay for the time being, I rushed over towards the statue to retrieve Toofy and Ril.


    ¡°Toofy stuck!¡± Toofy whined unhappily, her right arm very nearly buried to the shoulder in a hidden alcove in the base of the statue.


    ¡°Stuck how? What happened?¡± I asked, trying not to panic and keeping one eye on the portal above us. All I could see was a bright sky filled with silver and golden clouds.


    Toofy pulled hard trying to dislodge her arm, ¡°Toofy see shiny, Toofy try to get. Shiny won¡¯t let Toofy go!¡± She cried, tears welling at the corners of her eyes. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A sudden flash of light and blurred movement signalled the arrival of another angel, but Lash seemed to have been waiting for it, because a loud crash echoed from somewhere behind me a couple of seconds afterwards.


    ¡°Toofy you need to let it go,¡± I insisted, ¡°We can find more shinies later, just let go, okay?¡± I could only imagine that inside the base of the statue, Toofy was determinedly holding onto an anchored thief trap of some kind. Like a monkey refusing to let go of the banana, her arm would remain stuck until she was caught or let it go.


    ¡°Can¡¯t!¡± Toofy wailed in a panic, ¡°Shiny won¡¯t let Toofy go!¡±


    Glancing upwards, I caught sight of three angels, two male and one, presumably female judging by the armour, joining the fray.


    *Clang*


    Lash managed to batter one of the male angels down to the ground and pin him beneath her boot while the remaining pair flew towards the ceiling alongside the other Angel, no doubt waiting for a numerical advantage before committing to an attack.


    Noticing the lack of remains provided by Lash''s previous victim, I realised just how much trouble we were in. The portal was Summoning Angels to fight us, so it was entirely possible that their numbers were limitless. Given I had no idea how much mana it took to summon Daemons or Angels, it would be far safer to move forward with the assumption that the portal could summon as many Angels as it wanted.


    Recalling that the voice had said something about being pure of heart and proving worthiness, it seemed like a real dick move to ensnare Toofy like this. Her kleptomania was not maliciously motivated!


    Noticing a small hole further along the base of the statue, I quickly pointed it out to Ril, ¡°Try slotting that jewel into the hole!¡± I insisted urgently.


    Ril nodded and hurriedly withdrew the jewel and pushed it into the hole. With her hand coming away empty, Ril looked at Toofy in a panic, ¡°It fell in...¡± She croaked anxiously and gave Toofy¡¯s arm an experimental tug.


    Toofy flinched and hissed in pain.


    Taking a quick look around, I could see that the three angels had now descended and were harassing the Daemons from a distance with their spears. Lash was standing close by and covering us the best she was able.


    A sudden bright flash of light from the portal caught me unawares and blinded me for a handful of seconds before I managed to blink away the after images.


    To my dismay, the portal had grown close to twice its original size and no fewer than seven Angels descended from the portal and rushed over to deal with Gric and the other Daemons.


    The only conceivable silver lining I could see in this situation was that thus far, they had elected to leave Ril and Toofy alone.


    Desperate, and unable to think of anything better to try, I got to my feet and tried shoving over the giant statue.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The voice called out angrily, ¡°Stop that!¡±


    Filled with confidence that not doing what the voice wanted was the key to resolving this situation as quickly as possible, I redoubled my efforts and felt the statue start to give.


    ¡°I SAID STOP THAT YOU BIG UGLY BRUTE!¡± The voice screeched in rage.


    Lash dropped her axe and joined me, pulsing her Bastion ability and sending the four Angels that just crossed the portal tumbling through the air.


    All at once, the statue gave out and crashed to the floor, snapping into several pieces.


    ¡°NOOOO!!!¡± The voice shrieked in outrage, ¡°WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!¡±


    Contrary to my expectations, the portal did not disappear. In fact, it seemed to be growing larger.


    Furthermore, a nimbus of golden light had now formed above the portal and was slowly taking shape into a winged humanoid form. Armoured in the same ceremonial robes and shimmering plate and mail as the other Angels, the latest arrival did not have a helmet to conceal his delicate and admittedly feminine features. Waist-length shimmering golden hair flowed down his chest and back in effortless silken tresses as he trembled with rage, ¡°YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS BLASPHEMY!¡± The Angel screeched materialising a silver spear from thin air and diving for Lash.


    Knocking aside Lash at the last moment, I caught the tip of the Angels spear on my arm and felt a cold burning sensation as it tore through my flesh.


    A quick Glance over Gric left me with little confidence that this fight was going in our favour. Two Daemons were badly wounded and just about on their last legs. Meanwhile, the host of Angels harassing them seemed unharmed.


    As the Angel charged me again, he was buffeted aside as Lash activated her bastion ability again and hurriedly retrieved her axe. ¡°Fight me! Coward!¡± Lash taunted with a feral snarl.


    The Angel sneered contemptuously and flew slightly higher out of reach. Pointing his spear squarely at Lash, the Angel grinned malevolently, ¡°Judgement!¡± The word reverberated through the chamber and Lash fell to the ground.


    Rushing to her side, I pulled off Lash¡¯s helmet to see what was wrong. Even though she was still breathing, Lash¡¯s pupils were fully dilated and she seemed to be completely unresponsive. Gently slapping her cheek and roughly jostling her, I began to panic as I realised that whatever the Angel had done rendered Lash catatonic. ¡°Lash!¡± Even though I didn¡¯t expect it to work, her complete lack of reaction chilled me to the bone.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel good does it?!¡± The Angel taunted, ¡°Ruining my trial will cost you all dearly!¡± He shrieked and lunged towards Toofy.


    Letting Lash fall to the floor, I desperately scrambled to intercept the Angel, but I was too late.


    *Shlink*


    Unable to avoid the incoming attack, Toofy had been a sitting duck.


    Ril stared balefully back at the Angel and tightly gripped the spear shaft lodged in her stomach, ¡°Not my Mama!¡± She croaked painfully, crackling energy erupting from around the wound and causing Ril to gasp in pain.


    ¡°No...¡± The Angel gasped in horror, ¡°Nononono! This is impossible!¡± His spear and armoured vestments suddenly vanished, sending the Angel toppling to the ground in an unceremonious heap.


    Ril collapsed.


    ¡°BABY! NO!¡± Toofy howled in anguish dragging Ril close with her one free arm, ¡°Toofy no mad at Baby. See?¡± She babbled, smiling awkwardly, ¡°Baby just stop tricking Toofy! Kay?! Baby just wake up!¡± Toofy shook Ril¡¯s limp body desperately trying to get a reaction, ¡°Don''t leave Toofy!¡±


    ¡°NOOO!!!¡± The soul-rending cry of anguish from the Angel shocked Toofy into silence. The ephemeral golden wings at his back had blackened to a mottled grey and so had his eyes. ¡°There must be some mistake!¡± He demanded, shouting towards the ceiling, ¡°I didn¡¯t harm an innocent! She was just a Daemon! I couldn¡¯t ha-OOF!¡± The Angel doubled over as if someone had struck him hard in the gut. ¡°No...¡± He croaked, ¡°I...I can fix this!¡± The Angel reached out towards Ril with his right hand, ¡°Grace!¡± He cried, closing his eyes and smiling gently with a somewhat expectant expression on his face.


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°What?...NO!¡± The Angel became enraged again, but I ignored it. Wadding up Ril¡¯s tunic, I tried my best to stem the bleeding. Despite the wound looking like she had been badly burned, it was far from cauterised, her blood welling freely from the open wound.


    ¡°Status,¡± The Angel croaked.


    ¡°Ril, you just need to hold on alright. Everything will be fine, we just need to get you back to Sanctuary." I tried my best to remain calm despite how hopeless the situation seemed to be. Not bringing a Surgeon had been a colossal oversight on my part. To make things worse, Ril wouldn¡¯t even be in this mess if I hadn''t brought her and Toofy along in the first place.


    ¡°Nooo,¡± The angel moaned pitiably, ¡°This isn¡¯t fair!¡±


    A sudden flash of anger refocused my attention on the enemy at hand, ¡°YOU!¡± I snarled viciously at the Angel, ¡°Even if you are just a summoned monster, I¡¯ll make you regret this!¡± I gently laid Ril down next to Toofy, allowing her anguish to pass through me and feed my anger.


    Gric and the Daemons had overpowered and disposed of the other Angels, so they took up flanking positions to stop the final Angel¡¯s escape.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± The Angel stammered, ¡°I can save her, just don¡¯t kill me! I can make things right, I swear!¡±


    ¡°How?!¡± I growled malevolently.


    The Angel gulped hard and winced, ¡°F-fallen Grace,¡± he sobbed, pointing a trembling finger towards Toofy and Ril.


    ¡°What is that meant to-¡± The words died on my tongue as a ragged burned incision appeared in the Angel¡¯s midsection and began weeping black blood.


    ¡°S-see?¡± The angel chuckled nervously towards the ceiling, ¡°I c-can make it r-right!¡± He then promptly keeled over and collapsed unceremoniously to the ground.


    It took a moment for what happened to fully register and begin making sense. The prospect of exchanging injuries was almost more than I could process.


    Quickly returning to Ril¡¯s side, I was relieved to see that the wound in her stomach was significantly smaller than it had been before, and appeared to have already stopped bleeding. Cradled tightly in Toofy¡¯s arms, it came as another shock realising that Toofy had somehow managed to free her other arm.


    ¡°Lord?¡± Gric growled ominously, ¡°What do we do with the Angel?¡± He asked with unconcealed animosity.


    I was severely tempted to have the Daemons tear him apart, piece by piece, but looking over at Lash stayed my hand. Whatever the Angel had done, we may need him alive to snap Lash out of it.


    ¡°Stabilise his wound,¡± I hissed angrily, ripping off my tunic and throwing it in their general direction, ¡°He has a lot to answer for...¡±


    Gric grinned evilly and nodded, ¡°As you will Lord.¡±


    *****


    Nadine staggered and nearly fell as the boat rocked from another strong wave. Having barely slept a handful of hours over the past few days, the battle against the Hydra had pushed her past the breaking point.


    Completely out of mana potions and forced to improvise with the primitive materials on hand, Nadine had accomplished far more than she ever would have believed herself capable of. Even so, Clarice had nearly died.


    With no MP left and no mana potions to restore it. The best Nadine had been able to manage was setting Clarice¡¯s bones as best as she could and praying to the gods for a miracle. Unable to do anything to stop the internal bleeding, prayer had been Nadine''s last resort, and she wasn¡¯t too proud to admit that she had made more than a few promises to try and tempt the gods into intervening.


    Nadine had held Vigil over Clarice and watched with ever-mounting dread and despair as her HP continued to slowly but steadily descend deeper into deficit. Nadine recalled how shallow Clarice¡¯s breathing had become, how cold her hand felt within her own.


    Then, just as all was well and truly lost, Nadine received her miracle. With a flash of golden light and the sudden appearance of a golden status alert, Clarice was given a second chance.


    Somehow, Toofy, of all people, had tracked the Hydra down and killed it. The colossal EXP reward for assisting in the kill, pushed both Clarice and Nadine herself each into their next levels.


    For Clarice, the level up gave her one additional point of Toughness, effectively staving off her demise with another three effective HP.


    Even though Nadine didn¡¯t gain MP for levelling up, she did gain another point of Willpower, and after another hour of damn near torturous waiting, Nadine regenerated the necessary MP to stabilize Clarice by using Field Dressing and accelerating her healing and restoring a chunk of HP.


    The only problem now was that Nadine couldn¡¯t bring herself to sleep.


    Not that she didn¡¯t trust the Forest Goblins, they had proven themselves to be genuinely helpful and trustworthy. However, with everyone out of commission, and Ushu actively working to conceal their presence from the enemy army, Nadine felt that succumbing to sleep at this point would be tempting fate and everything would suddenly go horribly wrong.


    Of course, with how heavy her eyelids were feeling at that particular moment, it may not be a question of if she would be going to sleep, so much as when.


    ¡°Land ahead! Land ahead!¡± Screeched one of the Goblins, immediately rousing Nadine to sudden, albeit grudging wakefulness.


    She didn¡¯t remember falling asleep, but Nadine could tell that she was a special sort of tired you could only get if you were woken from a deep sleep. A cross between raw unmitigated fury and a touch of melancholy that would gladly let the world burn down for another minute of sleep.


    Blearily acknowledging her replenished MP Nadine groaned and dragged herself to her feet. There was no shortage of patients in need of healing and she had both a job to do and a slew of promises to keep.


    Staggering over to Clarice¡¯s makeshift cot, an immense luxury under the current circumstances, Nadine double-checked that she had set the bones correctly, moved on towards the stairs and laboriously climbed up onto the top deck.


    The fight with the Hydra had left the ship in dire straits, but Nadine tried not to think about it too much.


    The ship was someone else''s problem.


    Shuffling stiffly across the deck to the mostly enclosed forecastle, Nadine found her next set of patients. Badly wounded while fighting the Hydra, the half dozen Goblins sharing crude makeshift hammocks for warmth had been in rough shape as near as Nadine could remember.


    With two MPs available to be spent, Nadine would once again have to decide who would live and who would be forced to survive on a hope and a prayer...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 18 – Questionable decision making – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 18 ¨C Questionable decision making ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 18 - Questionable decision making - Part One {Rewrite}


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know!¡± The Angel whined fearfully, attempting to recoil away but rendered incapable of doing so by Gric¡¯s iron grip upon his arms.


    ¡°What did you do to her!¡± I snarled, pointing a trembling finger at Lash who was still comatose on the floor.


    The Angel gulped hard, ¡°I-I cast Judgement on her...¡± He stammered as if that answered the question.


    ¡°Then UNCAST IT!¡± I growled, the knuckles in both my fists popping as I fought hard to restrain myself.


    The Angel grew deathly pale and tried shrinking back and away from me, but Gric wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°I...I can¡¯t...¡± He whispered fearfully.


    A sudden surge of fury drove me forward and I barely managed to regain control of myself in time to avoid wringing the Angel¡¯s neck. With a monumental force of will, I slowly withdrew my hands from around his throat, ¡°Why, not?!¡± I demanded quietly.


    Hyperventilating and obviously terrified, the Angel began to cry. ¡°I-I It-It¡¯s n-not h-h-how I-it w-w-works!¡±


    ¡°Then I have no use for you...¡± The coldness in my voice would have once disturbed me, but it didn¡¯t stop me from reaching out to take hold of the Angel¡¯s neck.


    *Boom*


    Looking back towards the gate I was just in time to watch the doors shudder under the force of a second impact, shortly followed by another and then another.


    *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Crack*


    A web of fractures began spreading over the rightmost door, growing larger and deepening with each impact.


    ¡°It is most likely Dar, my Lord,¡± Gric explained while still intensely staring at the Angel in his grasp.


    I slowly began tightening my grip.


    The Angel¡¯s eyes bulged as my grip grew tighter, cutting off the blood flow to his brain. ¡°Pleash....urk...no!...¡±


    Feeling the angel go limp, I let go. And began making my way over to Lash. Gently opening her right eye, I could see that her pupil was heavily dilated and could feel her skin trembling faintly beneath my touch. Whatever the angel had done to her, Lash seemed to be under the effects of a hallucination, suggested by the twitching of her eyes.


    ¡°Bind the Angel,¡± I told Gric numbly, ¡°If it tries to escape, kill it.¡±


    ¡°Of course Lord,¡± Gric bowed and slowly made his way over towards Toofy to retrieve the necessary rope.


    Toofy bared her teeth in anger and contempt as the Angel was brought closer, and to my surprise, Ril began to stir. ¡°Baby?!¡± Toofy gave Ril a rough shake.


    ¡°Nng...¡± Ril pushed feebly at Toofy in response, groggily opening her eyes with a dazed expression on her face, ¡°Mama?...¡±


    ¡°Baby!¡± Toofy pulled Ril in tight for another hug, fresh tears running down her cheeks.


    Ril¡¯s eyes suddenly snapped into focus, ¡°Mama!¡± She hugged Toofy back tightly.


    After a couple of minutes, the damaged stone door collapsed inwards and scattered broken chunks of stone across the floor.


    Unsurprisingly, Dar was the first through the breach, staggering drunkenly and rubbing irritably at his bleeding head. If it weren''t for his split and bleeding knuckles, I would have thought Dar had been exclusively battering his thick head against the door in order to breach it, although it was only a small consolation given the numerous bruises on his head.


    ¡°Lord!¡± Qreet was next through the breach, carrying Asra in her arms, who appeared to be more or less okay, albeit a little shaken. ¡°The blood outside is drawing more Blood Hunters! What are your orders?!¡±


    ¡°We are going to kill them,¡± I replied coldly.


    ¡°They-are-many,¡± Dar rumbled, cocking his head curiously to one side and staring at me with one large crocodilian eye.


    ¡°We will kill them all,¡± I repeated. ¡°Gric,I want you and two others to protect Asra, Lash, Toofy and Ril.¡±


    ¡°As you command my Lord,¡± Gric replied eagerly.


    Nodding in appreciation, I turned back to Qreet and Dar, ¡°Qreet, I want you to pick four other Daemons and hold the door. Dar, you and the rest are with me.¡±


    ¡°By your will Lord,¡± Qreet bowed and lowered Asra to the ground before hurriedly making her choice of defenders.


    ¡°Dar-obey!¡± Dar rumbled excitedly, a sentiment shared by many of the remaining Daemons.


    After retrieving my morning star, I considered leaving without saying anything to Toofy, but thought better of it. Quickly making my way over and kneeling down beside her, I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Stay safe, okay?¡± I asked uncertainly, the reality of what I was committing to beginning to sink in and aggravate the primitive part of my brain.


    Toofy and Ril both nodded, ¡°Keep Lash safe too!¡± Toofy insisted, ¡°Yeah!¡± Ril nodded energetically, wincing slightly from the pain in her abdomen.


    I gave them both a brief hug before getting back to my feet, ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± With great effort, I turned away and headed for the door, donning Lash¡¯s helmet as I went.


    As per my instructions, Gric and Qreet had both chosen their subordinates to assist in defending the dungeon, while Dar and the remaining Daemons were waiting outside.


    Exiting the dungeon and standing alongside Dar, I was a little surprised to find that he was almost as tall as me and very nearly as wide. If he were to stand upright, Dar would certainly be the taller of the two of us, although the heavily packed muscles on his back made such an event unlikely.


    Wraithe was amongst those waiting for me outside, her large batlike ears twitching in excitement. ¡°Lord! They are coming!¡± She hissed, eliciting a chorus of muted growls from the other Daemons.


    ¡°We-crush-them!¡± Dar snapped with a throaty growl, lumbering forwards to the outermost edge of the pack of Daemons.


    Confident Dar would be capable of holding his own, I passed through the Daemons and took up a position on the leftmost side. With Dar more or less holding the right and myself on the left, I hoped that the remaining Daemons would be enough to stop anything from getting through into the dungeon.


    After less than half a minute, I could hear the swarm approaching from down the tunnel.


    The swarm spilled out of the tunnel and into the cavern. Free of the confinement of the tunnel, the dog-sized rodents spread out across the open ground of the cavern and barrelled towards our position with bloodthirsty abandon. Forking at the lake, a full two thirds or more of the swarm were headed straight for Dar, while the remainder headed for me.


    Expecting to feel afraid at the seemingly limitless swarm headed in our direction, all I felt was anger.


    ¡°RAAAAAAGH!!! DAR KILL!!!¡± Dar bellowed in challenge, the concussive force of his outburst causing the frontrunners of the swarm to become disoriented and trampled by their kin.


    ¡°LET NONE PASS!!!¡± I roared, burning a point of MP to activate my Class Ability.


    To my surprise, a half-second later, a cry reverberated from within the dungeon. ¡°THE LORD¡¯S WILL BE DONE!!!¡± Gric cried, his words causing the nearby Daemons to swell in size and ferocity.


    *Crunch*


    I caught the front runner on my flank and was very nearly bowled over as twenty more Blood Hunters barrelled into me, scratching and biting at every exposed piece of my flesh.


    Ignoring the minor flashes of pain, I failed my right arm wildly and felt the spikes of my morningstar cutting and puncturing the seething mass of monsters, despite the reduced momentum. With my left hand, I began grabbing for anything I could get a hold of and squeezed. I didn¡¯t shy away from the feeling of broken bones and rent flesh as I had before.


    This violence had a purpose.


    Taking a shorter grip on my morningstar, I laid into the swarm with increased vigour. No matter what the rodents tried, they accomplished little more than turning my clothes to rags. Too weak to pierce my skin, their chisel-like teeth were essentially useless and their small claws even more so.


    With adrenaline crashing through my veins. I surged through the swarm like they were water, trampling any of the vermin unfortunate enough to be caught underfoot.


    The Daemons were holding their ground. Those in the front most position were taking the worst of the onslaught but weren¡¯t backing down, savagely ripping the Blood Hunter¡¯s to pieces and gorging themselves on the fresh meat whenever possible.


    Dar was a fortress unto himself, killing the Blood Hunters with sweeping arcs of his powerful claws, dashing them to bloody pieces.


    Somewhat following his lead, I balled my left hand into a fist and began bashing at the Blood Hunters rather than wasting time trying to grab and crush something important. Blinded momentarily by a golden flash of light, I didn¡¯t bother taking in the status alert, blinking it away so I could continue fighting unimpeded. Judging by the fact that it had been dismissed so easily, it was probably a level-up notification. So it could definitely wait until later.


    Seeing the swarms numbers beginning to thin, I realised that I had completely lost track of time. Almost like sleepwalking, I had been functioning just about entirely on autopilot.


    Quickly glancing back towards the Daemons, I was relieved to find that they were continuing to doggedly hold the line. At some point, the rearmost and frontmost ranks had changed places with one another. Both groups were covered in blood and small wounds, although they seemed no less enthusiastic for their injuries. This was likely due to the fact that even as the injuries were mounting on those in front, the wounds were rapidly healing on those standing behind.


    Even with the swarm weakening by the moment, I still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that worse was yet to come. The Blood Hunters, although numerous, had hardly been a real threat. Benefitting from a stack of damage mitigating and damage dealing synergies, the Daemons seemed capable of holding their ground near indefinitely. Knowing this, I still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something dangerous was headed their way.


    Laying into the swarm with greater vigour, I smashed and bashed my way over to the tunnel entrance to the cavern. At first, I saw nothing, but that in and of itself should have been a warning. All luminescent fungi had been obliterated, even those growing higher up on the walls and ceiling of the tunnel. All but ignoring the few Blood Hunters that attempted to harass and distract me, I was still very nearly bowled over as the first of the Spinebacks bellowed a challenge and surged into the cavern.


    Barely stumbling out of the way in time, I saw three more Spinebacks enter the cavern moments after the first, two scaling the walls and the last effortlessly scuttling across the ceiling.


    I quickly realised that I had made a grave tactical error in defending the dungeon entrance instead of the tunnel. But there was still a chance to change that. ¡°QREET! DAR! TO ME!!!¡± I roared and took a longer grip on my morningstar again.


    *Crunch*


    I swatted a Spineback off the wall and pushed forward while shoving at the armoured back of another with my free hand.


    ¡°RAAAAGH!¡± Dar bellowed, shaking the ground as he charged towards my position, ¡°DAR KILL!!!¡±


    ¡°WRAITHE!¡± I jabbed a Spineback in the eye with one of my morningstar¡¯s spikes, ¡°CHOOSE FOUR AND PELT THEM OFF THE WALLS AND CEILING!!¡± Without slings, I honestly wasn¡¯t expecting much, but the Spinebacks were enlarging the tunnel with every passing second they were delayed. It would only be a matter of time before they were spilling across the ceiling and out of reach.


    A few moments later, Dar materialised at my side.


    *Thump Crunch*


    Dar tackled a Spineback with so much force that it caused the unfortunate creature to vomit out more than half its internal organs. Bleeding from a small puncture wound, Dar savaged the defenceless Spineback, ripping free a chunk of flesh from its exposed neck and leaving it to die. Gulping down his prize, Dar set to attacking the encroaching Spinebacks with reckless abandon, like some sort of enraged reptilian gorilla.


    As ordered, Wraithe and her selected Daemons had begun pelting stones at the few Spinebacks that had managed to slip past. Considering they lacked slings, practice and were still being harassed by the remaining Blood Hunters, as near as I could tell, they were doing an admirable job.


    Hearing a pitiable screech from the ceiling, I glanced back just in time to see a Spineback topple to the ground.


    *Thump*


    Although the fall did not kill it, the Spineback seemed close to paralyzed.


    Nimbly scuttling along the ceiling, Qreet homed in on her next target.


    Unable to look away from the vicious melee for more than a handful of seconds, I very nearly lost a finger when a Spineback scythed its claws against the back of its kin. Missed only by a hair''s breadth, I had no doubt that Toofy¡¯s defensive synergy was the only reason I had managed to pull back in time.


    *Whump*


    I slugged the offending Spineback in the flank to repay it for the effort and slammed my morningstar down on the back of another. Without the natural weaponry of the Daemons, I supposed I was probably doing reasonably well. Unfortunately, unlike Dar, I was not able to find suitable footholds and was left behind a growing wall of bloody corpses.


    Seeing that the majority of the Blood Hunters had been dealt with, I made my decision. The Daemons would need to hold the line on their own, short of scrambling over the pile and fighting on the other side, my involvement was no longer viable. ¡°WRAITHE! KILL WHAT REMAINS OF THE SWARM! ONCE THEY ARE DEAD, JOIN DAR IN DEFENDING THE TUNNEL!!¡±


    ¡°I OBEY LORD!¡± Wraithe shrieked back with excitement, ¡°FOLLOW ME! CULL THE WEAK!!!¡±


    The chorus of eager cries in response was a little disconcerting, but it also served as a reminder of the fact that I was dealing with literal Daemons.


    Stepping back from the wall of corpses at the entrance of the tunnel, I began making my way back to the dungeon. Theoretically, so long as Asra was kept alive and manastones were funnelled back for him to use, the Daemon blockade could be maintained indefinitely. Assuming the water in the lake was drinkable, and no one got sick from eating raw meat.


    ¡°-have to leave!¡± The Angel cried, ¡±The dungeon will soon collapse! What part of that sentence do you not understand?!¡±


    Clearing the doorway, I could see the Angel squaring up against Gric as best as he was able, which wasn¡¯t particularly impressive given he was very nearly cocooned in rope, struggling to remain upright on his knees.


    ¡°YOU! Ogre!¡± Taking note of my arrival, the Angel shifted the entirety of its attention to me. ¡°We have to leave! The dungeon will soon collapse and kill us all!¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡± I asked Gric, unwilling to take an enemy at their word.


    Gric shrugged, ¡°It is possible Lord,¡± he admitted sceptically, ¡°More likely the Angel seeks a chance to escape.¡±


    The Angel gave Gric an incredulous look of disdain.


    ¡°Angel says Mama¡¯s treasure will let us escape,¡± Ril added.


    ¡°Treasure?¡± I asked warily, turning my attention to Toofy, I could see she was suspiciously avoiding eye contact.


    Ril gave me an apologetic look before giving Toofy a pinch, ¡°Mama, show Tim!¡± She insisted.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Toofy flinched and wrinkled her face in thought for a moment before letting out a deep sigh, ¡°Fine, Toofy do...¡± An ornate gold and silver stave appeared in Toofy¡¯s outstretched hand. Easily more than seven feet in length, somehow she was able to hold up the staff as if it weighed less than a pen.


    ¡°Just give me the staff and I can get us all out of here!¡± The angel demanded, earning a none too gentle kick to the back from Gric.


    ¡°Why?¡± I demanded in turn, ¡°What does it do?¡±


    The Angel groaned and tried rising to his knees again, but failed. ¡°It is a Lesser Staff of Planar Travel,¡± the Angel grunted angrily, ¡°And I am the only one that would be able to use it!¡±


    ¡°Lies!¡± Gric hissed, snapping a quick kick to the Angel¡¯s stomach before turning his attention to me, ¡°Lord, someone of your immense strength would have no problems dominating such a paltry magical item and binding it to his will.¡±


    ¡°You believe the staff is magical?¡± I asked warily.


    Gric nodded, ¡°Yes Lord. I can feel its power, and even though it is incomplete, it should serve sufficiently well to provide an escape for those you deem important.¡±


    ¡°Incomplete?¡± I asked curiously, eyeing the staff and noticing that the clawed tip was actually an empty socket. ¡°Is Ril¡¯s jewel meant to slot into the top?¡±


    Moving closer while Toofy materialised the jewel in her other hand, I noticed a faint shimmering distortion emanating from the staff. No more than a quarter of an inch from the surface of the staff, it still gave me the impression of looking through a pane of glass. Warping and bending the light to distort what was visible on the other side. Unable to slot the jewel into the socket, Toofy shrugged apologetically and offered them both to me instead.


    Four separate alerts appeared in rapid succession, the first was a resplendent gold, the second a deep bloody crimson, and the last pair a dull and all too familiar grey.


    [Staff of {Lesser Planar Travel} has been acquired! ]


    [Limited use item: (5/5)]


    [Lesser Planar Travel: Expending MP allows the wielder to open a portal to a location well known to them. While open, the portal will continue to drain MP from the wielder. Incapable of opening a portal beyond the current floor of the Labyrinth. {Intelligence} reduces the required MP to maintain the portal.]


    [You have acquired a Jewel of Elemental Water.]


    [Jewel of Elemental Water: Accelerates MP regeneration of the owner while they are immersed in water. The rate of MP regeneration is dependent upon the owners {Willpower}.]


    [You are not qualified to unlock this Class. {Incompatible}.]


    [You have qualified to unlock the {Rift Walker} Basic Class.]


    ¡°Bloody hell...¡± I croaked in relief. The staff was like some sort of town portal item. All we needed was enough mana to operate it and we would be fine. Seeing no racial restrictions or anything absurd like that regarding the staff, there was no way I was going to let the Angel anywhere near it.


    Gric, Ril and Asra would be our best bet for sheer volume of MP. Quickly looking through their stats I was only slightly surprised to see that Ril had the highest Intelligence of the three of them with twelve, Gric came second with eleven and Asra in the rear with ten.


    Gric¡¯s relatively high Intelligence and high MP made him a logical choice for activating the Staff of Lesser Planar Travel to allow our escape, ¡°Gric-¡±


    Seemingly having come to the same conclusion, Gric shook his head, ¡°No Lord,¡± he pointed to Ril and Toofy, ¡°Ril would be a better choice. I am just a projection.¡±


    I was far too familiar with Daemon psychology at this point to be blindsided by Gric''s seeming benevolence. If he was suggesting this as an alternative, then Gric truly believed it was the optimal solution. Thinking it over for a moment, I had to agree that he was right.


    Assuming Ril would be the last to pass through the portal, Gric or perhaps Qreet would be able to serve as an emergency safety to open a second portal in case something went wrong. Furthermore, I didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that Gric fully intended to harvest and bring back as many manastones as possible


    ¡°Alright, Ril,¡± I held out the staff for her to take, ¡°Are you able to activate the staff?¡± I asked, doing my best to not sound nervous, in spite of the visible panic on the Angel¡¯s face.


    Ril eagerly accepted the staff and greedily eyed the Jewel of Elemental Water before hastily nodding in agreement, ¡°I can,¡± she agreed, still pointedly staring at the jewel in my hand.


    Rolling my eyes a little, I sighed and offered Ril the jewel.


    Ril snatched it without a second thought, avariciously holding it before her eyes with a near manic obsession. Knowing what it did, I could easily understand why.


    Carrying Lash over my shoulder I took a firm hold of the Angel by the back of his neck. Leading the others out of the dungeon, just in case, I was glad to see that the Daemons were holding the tunnel entrance, albeit barely.


    As I had feared would happen, the Spinebacks were enlarging the entrance to the tunnel and quite probably the tunnel beyond as well.


    Supported by Toofy, Ril gingerly climbed the broken remains of the front door and entered the cavern beside me.


    With a telling look from Gric, the Daemons who had been left behind as protection set upon the scattered corpses and began retrieving manastones as well as filling their bellies. Not that I could blame them. The fighting back to Sanctuary¡¯s protective barrier was likely going to be brutal.


    Toofy gave the Angel a vicious glare from the corner of her eye, a shiv materializing in her free hand.


    Giving Ril a nod, I held my breath and hoped nothing would go wrong..


    Rill nodded, closed her eyes and took a deep breath just as I had done. Quickly cloaked in a crimson aura, Ril held out the staff in front of her, ¡°Activate Staff of Lesser Planar Travel!¡± Ril¡¯s normally quiet voice crashed through the cavern like a thunderclap. Tapping the clawed end of the staff on the cavern floor, the familiar shimmering form of a portal took shape in the air. The carved surface of Sanctuary¡¯s Totem could be seen but was heavily distorted.


    Just as I took a step towards the portal, I was temporarily disoriented by a complete absence of sound that lasted less than a second. Noticing the same bewildered expressions on everyone else, it took me a few moments to realise that the dungeon entrance had disappeared, exposing another tunnel and a moving wall of Clay Dolls.


    ¡°Through the portal! Now!¡± With both my arms occupied, I quickly strode through the portal and arrived in a familiar section of swampland. Despite the portal having shown the Totem, the distortion likely represented a variable nature to the magic. Less ideal than I would have preferred, it was still manageable. I was less than five minutes from Sanctuary, so it would not take long to reach safety. However, waiting for more than two minutes in relative silence, I began to worry about the others.


    What if they teleported into a pool of water?


    My stomach churned with unease. I had to get back to Sanctuary and organise a search party!


    ¡°No...¡± I quickly realised that I didn¡¯t. I could form a search party right here and now damnit!


    Issuing the quest to every occupant of Sanctuary, I began hurrying towards the safety of the barrier myself.


    By the time the swamp gave way to the cleared expanse and briarwall, I was relieved to see Deep Orc and Serpent-Kin search parties out in force. It was a good thing too because I had no fewer than seven Swamp Lurkers trailing a short distance behind me and had no way of fighting them without setting down Lash or the Angel.


    Striking for the closest hunting team, I spent one of my few remaining MP to give them a boost in fighting strength, slowing only long enough to make sure they had the fight well in hand before rushing towards Sanctuary.


    Having had to switch to carrying the Angel by the ropes on his back, the near-constant shaking had already caused him to vomit a half dozen times. By the time I set him down by the inner gate, the Angel was barely capable of moaning feebly and looked thoroughly ill.


    ¡°I want him watched,¡± I told the guards still at their posts, ¡°I will be back soon.¡± Leaving the Angel in their care, I rushed Lash towards the hospital. With any luck, the Hospice Surgeons would be able to rouse her and we would be able to go hunting for the others together.


    Just as I reached the hospital, I was very nearly blinded as both Lash and myself erupted with golden light signalling another level up. Blinking away the status alert for later, I groggily trudged across the threshold. ¡°I need a healer!¡± I called out loudly while striding towards what I hoped was an empty room.


    Thankfully the room was empty and I could hear hurried footsteps outside in the entrance hall. ¡°In here!¡± I called out again while laying Lash down on the bed.


    Within a handful of seconds, the room went from being very nearly empty to close to overflowing with surgeons.


    ¡°An enemy hit her with some sort of spell,¡± I explained to no one in particular.


    ¡°What do her stats say?¡± Someone called back from amidst the crowd. It was something I should have checked the moment she went down and the embarrassment very nearly stayed my tongue, especially after I had drilled the importance of the stats information in diagnosing someone quickly.


    [Lash - HP: 34/34 - Unconscious, Cursed ]


    I read her stats aloud and nervously watched as one of the Hospice Surgeons cast their Class Ability and other surgeons set about removing Lash¡¯s armour to give her a more thorough inspection.


    [Ril - HP: 7/20 - Bloodied ]


    The Angel had really hurt Ril quite badly, even after healing part of the injury, Ril was still Bloodied and that worried me a great deal. If those Scourges could smell blood, or worse, home in on Bloodied targets, then Ril, Asra and Toofy would be in immense danger.


    Removing Lash¡¯s helmet from off my head and depositing it alongside the rest of her armour, I tried to make up my mind on what to do. I couldn¡¯t just leave Lash like this, but the others needed me and I would do far more good out there than in here.


    Heading to the hospital fountain to wash myself off, I quickly realised that my pants were beyond saving, literally torn to shreds and nothing more than tattered rags. My boxers had fared a little better, but a few holes in the crotch caused me to shiver as I realised how close I had come to being neutered.


    Splashing myself with fresh water and ripping away my useless pants, I began heading back to Lash¡¯s room but stopped as a golden status alert flashed in front of my eyes.


    [Quest: Find and Rescue the Children! {Active}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Asra} found by {Sgt. Davis} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Asra} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {TBD} {Toofy} remains unfound]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {TBD} {Ril} remains unfound]


    ¡°Oh shit...What did I do?¡± I cursed myself for being so stupid and ran towards Sanctuary¡¯s gate as fast as I could manage. There was no way in hell the army was just going to ignore the fact that I could issue quests, and even though Lt. Felix and Cpt. Klive seemed like an alright sort, so had the Guild manager...I needed to get a handle on this situation fast, before someone did something stupid, like trying to take my people hostage in exchange for Exp!


    *****


    ¡°Fuck!...¡± Lt. Felix cursed defeatedly as he read the quest¡¯s status alert. Just like all the other soldiers, Lt. Felix had been presented with the quest close to a quarter of an hour or so prior. It had only been by pure chance that he witnessed the arrival of the monster boy on the fringes of the camp and seen first hand as Sgt. Davis spotted the boy and challenged his entry to the camp.


    The next couple of minutes had led to near-complete anarchy as Sgt. Davis and every member of his watch detachment proceeded to light up the camp like the blazing sun had crashed down from the sky.


    The anarchy was fuelled by the cries of Sgt. Davis¡¯s men as they loudly proclaimed their multiple levels of advancement.


    Apparently no one but Lt. Felix and Cpt. Klive realised just how much trouble they were in right now. If the Ogre was the one to issue the quest, and Lt. Felix had no reason to think he hadn¡¯t, then the Ogre also knew who currently had at least one of the three missing children.


    Lt. Felix wasn¡¯t an idiot, he had read just about every report on the Hurst Labyrinth during his time at the academy. In every single instance where a child was abducted from a Variant, Settlement or no, it would immediately escalate into brutal warfare. Regardless of species and even generations-old feuds, Variants would set aside their differences and kill every human in sight until the child was returned or the Variants were completely wiped out.


    All too often, the army was forced to enact the latter, as whatever irresponsible adventurer or lordling that performed the abduction would have long since fled and become near impossible to find. The fighting, by all accounts, was hellish and responsible for the ongoing instability present on floor thirty-two.


    Hansel, the third son of Duke Varik, had Enslaved and run off with a Sylvan girl more than eighty years ago. Every attempt at peace had been violently rebuffed with the same demands made. It mattered little to the Variants that they had collectively lost tens of thousands to the ongoing war, all they wanted was the return of the child.


    Lt. Felix had few doubts that the Ogre would prove any different, and the prospect of fighting an enraged Ogre was beyond terrifying. Everything he had read about Ogres agreed upon one thing only, their voracious appetites and preference for feasting on still living flesh.


    Suppressing a shiver, Lt. Felix began making his way towards the established meeting location to try and fend off the inevitable. With only Sergeants Barus and Louis for company, in spite of the latter¡¯s sour mood, Lt. Felix felt a sort of relief at the prospect that at least he wouldn¡¯t be facing down the monsters alone, but also felt guilty for similar reasons. If the negotiations went poorly, there was no real reason for all three of them to die.


    Seeing the Ogre already heading towards them, and a brutal Orc hatchet in his dominant hand, Lt. Felix waved Sgt. Barus and Sgt. Louis back while continuing ahead alone.


    Who knows, maybe the handful of seconds head start would be enough for the both of them to make it back to camp.


    ¡°Where is he?!¡± The Ogre wasted no time and cut straight to the point, veins bulging across his heavily muscled body.


    Lt. Felix gulped hard and raised both hands placatingly, ¡°The boy is safe in our camp,¡± he hurriedly explained, ¡°No harm has come to him-¡±


    The Ogre¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    ¡°-We, uh, were just waiting for the chance to give him back...¡± Lt. Felix explained hoarsely, his throat had suddenly become quite dry. In truth, Cpt. Klive had not given the necessary orders yet and was still attempting to bring the camp back under control.


    ¡°Bring him to me, NOW,¡± The Ogre demanded, an unspoken, ¡°Or else,¡± being heavily implied.


    Lt. Felix turned to his men and nodded. To his Immense relief, both of them quickly headed back towards the camp.


    [Quest: Find and Rescue the Children! {Active}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Asra} found by {Sgt. Davis} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Asra} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Toofy} found by {Lt. Uric} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Toofy} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Ril} found by {Lt. Uric} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Ril} returned to Sanctuary]


    The sudden appearance of the quest alert took Lt. Felix by surprise, but it seemed like the Ogre had been waiting for it and had immediately begun scanning the swamplands. Blinking away the quest information, Lt. Felix could see that the Ogre¡¯s expression had worsened considerably.


    ¡°All of them, NOW!¡± The Ogre growled, baring his large powerful teeth menacingly and heading towards the army¡¯s camp.


    With no express orders to stop the Ogre from entering the camp, Lt. Felix hoped for everyone''s sake that the Variants'' children were handed over without bloodshed.


    *****


    Riding a wave of adrenaline, I strode through the human army¡¯s camp like I owned the place. In my old life, I had grown used to looks of disgust and contempt, but it was something else entirely to be surrounded by terrified faces of men and women that looked like they had just stepped out of a historical drama. Despite the fact that they were all armed and armoured, precious few stood their ground as I swept through their camp.


    ¡°Where are they?!¡± I demanded, shoving aside one such soldier who had attempted to hold their ground, sending him bodily tumbling into a nearby tent. Noticing a commotion on the southernmost edge of the camp, I changed course.


    A small brawl had broken out amongst the soldiers. The two officers that had been sent by Lt. Felix were engaged in a pitched bare-knuckle brawl against five other soldiers, two of which were already unconscious or groaning painfully on the ground.


    Another pair of soldiers held the cowering form of Asra between them. Judging by the pained expression on the boy¡¯s face, the soldiers were not being particularly gentle.


    At my approach, the fighting broke up almost immediately, with the unidentified soldiers attempting to scurry back towards the other two holding Asra. The elder of Lt. Felix¡¯s subordinates took the sudden distraction as an opportunity to sweep the legs out from underneath his opponent and then viciously stomp their face, knocking them out cold.


    ¡°Why is the Ogre in the camp?!¡± One of Asra¡¯s captors demanded fearfully, ¡°Monsters shouldn¡¯t be allowed inside the camp!¡± His voice grew high and pitchy, close to breaking.


    Lt. Felix hurried ahead of me, joined his subordinates and drew his sword, ¡°Sergeant Davis! You are ordered to relinquish custody of the Variant child IMMEDIATELY!¡±


    The other soldier let go and hurriedly backed away.


    The soldier who had spoken earlier, presumably Sgt. Davis, determinedly clung to Asra¡¯s arm and scowled, ¡°The quest reward is mine! Sir,¡± he spoke the last with visceral contempt. ¡°Aint no way I am givin it up!¡±


    While Sgt. Davis was distracted, Asra opened his mouth wide and bit down hard on the soldier''s exposed hand.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± Sgt. Davis punched Asra hard in the face, sending the poor kid tumbling backwards.


    Leaping towards Asra, I glared balefully at the surrounding soldiers.


    ¡°Arrest him!¡± Lt. Felix commanded, pointing his sword at Sgt. Davis.


    Most of the soldiers just stared in confusion, but Lt. Felix¡¯s subordinates and a few others quickly mobbed Sgt. Davis and quickly incapacitated him.


    A sudden blinding flash of light caught everyone by surprise as a new status alert appeared.


    [Quest: Find and Rescue the Children! {Active}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Asra} rescued by {Lt. Felix} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Asra} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Toofy} found by {Lt. Uric} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Toofy} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Ril} found by {Lt. Uric} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Ril} returned to Sanctuary]


    While everyone was distracted, I lifted Asra up and quickly carried him towards the briarwall. As I had hoped, Hana more or less understood what was going on and opened a small path most of the way through the briars. Lowering Asra down again, I nudged him towards the opening, ¡°Go, I will find the others,¡± I reassured him.


    Asra took a tentative step into the briarwall and stopped, ¡°I don¡¯t want to run away,¡± he said quietly, his eyes drifting downward in shame.


    ¡°I need you to be safe, so I can find them,¡± I insisted, ¡°Not summoning Gric or any of the other Daemons was very brave, but incredibly stupid. If anything like this ever happens again, you have my permission to summon as many of them as you need to in order to stay safe. Alright?¡±


    Asra timidly nodded and slowly disappeared into the briars.


    [Quest: Find and Rescue the Children! {Active}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Asra} rescued by {Lt. Felix} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {Success} {Asra} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Toofy} found by {Lt. Uric} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Toofy} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Ril} found by {Lt. Uric} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Ril} returned to Sanctuary]


    There was another bright flash of golden light.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Hana hissed from the direction of the briarwall, ¡°Ril and Toofy are a short distance to the southwest, not far from the outskirts of the camp!¡±


    Once the golden light faded, the briarwall had closed and there was no sign of Hana. All the same, I nodded and began running towards the southwest. Uncaring of the attention I was drawing from the soldiers, I ran like the girls'' lives depended on it, because it very well might.


    Clearing the crude earthworks and palisades of the camp perimeter with ease, I ran off into the swamp. Forced to slow down to keep my footing, I still moved as fast as I felt I could get away with. Within a couple of minutes, I heard soldiers shouting and the voice of one soldier, in particular, that sounded familiar.


    ¡°-don¡¯t care! Shoot the bloody things down from the tree!¡± The familiar voice demanded, ¡°Do it or I¡¯ll have you flogged for insubordination!¡±


    Close enough now that I could make them out through the light fog, there were roughly twenty soldiers gathered roundabout a single tree. Looking up into the topmost branches, I could see Ril and Toofy doing their best to take cover from the four soldiers with bows.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU FUCKING DARE!!!¡± I bellowed, stalking along the only viable route.


    The soldiers just mutely stared back at me for a handful of seconds before one of the archers pulled back the string of his bow and fired.


    *Thwack*


    The arrow struck my shoulder and the shaft shattered, releasing a hail of splinters.


    *Thwack*


    Another archer fired and caught me in the chest, the arrow snapping and flying away much like the first but in larger pieces.


    *Clunk*


    One of the soldiers beneath the tree fell face-first into the muddy ground, a reddish-grey brick protruding from his helmet.


    [Toofy has slain {Human: ??? } +0 Exp]


    The fallen soldier¡¯s closest companions stared at the brick for a moment, then looked up into the tree with a look of horror.


    *Crunch*


    [Toofy has slain {Human: ??? } +0 Exp]


    Another soldier caught a falling ingot with his face and collapsed.


    ¡°Somebody do something!¡± A familiar-looking soldier demanded, his voice close to breaking.


    Recognising the soldier as the man who had been attempting to bully the Serpent-Kin hunting party, I gave him my undivided attention. Unless I missed my guess, he was Lt. Uric.


    ¡°S-stay back!¡± One of the archers stammered in a panic, drawing back his bow and aiming up into the tree, ¡°Stay back!¡± He repeated with more confidence, ¡°Or I¡¯ll shoot!¡±


    *Whump*


    A chunk of stone more than two feet in diameter slammed into the ground near the archer, narrowly missing him but crushing the foot of another soldier. In a panic, the archer released his arrow and stumbled backwards.


    The soldier with the crushed foot screamed in agony, but otherwise, everyone had gone quiet.


    ¡°TOOFY KILL!¡± Toofy screamed in rage.


    All eyes were drawn up into the tree.


    Toofy ran vertically down the trunk of the tree and stabbed the archer in the eye with what looked like a Spineback¡¯s spine.


    [Toofy has slain {Human: ??? } +0 Exp]


    Riding the dead archer¡¯s body to the ground, she ran straight for Lt. Uric.


    With his subordinates too shocked to react, Lt. Uric scrambled backwards and thrust his spear towards Toofy.


    ¡°NO!¡± Charging through the waist-deep water, to avoid a lengthy detour, I could feel the piranhas nipping at my legs.


    Toofy tumbled over the spearhead and swiped at Lt. Uric¡¯s gloved fingers.


    *Whap*


    Lt. Uric awkwardly backhanded Toofy across the face, momentarily causing her to stagger. However, before he had the chance to try and jab Toofy with his spear again, Toofy rolled to the side, taking cover behind one of Lt. Uric¡¯s men.


    ¡°Gah!¡± The soldier cried out in pain, staggering backwards and falling to the ground clutching his leg.


    Deftly clambering over the fallen soldier¡¯s body, Toofy narrowly dodged another thrust from Lt. Uric¡¯s spear.


    Surging out of the water, I caught the shaft of the nearest soldier''s spear as he levelled it towards my chest. Viciously yanking it from his grasp, I swung the but end of the spear hard at another soldier. The spear cracked from the force of the impact and the unfortunate soldier was sent tumbling into the shallows.


    *Thwack* *Thwack* *Thwip*


    Two arrows smacked into my chest but failed to penetrate. A third arrow narrowly missed my right eye and grazed along the side of my head.


    ¡°Kill this thing! Get it away from me!¡± Lt. Uric shrieked in panic as Toofy continued hounding him across the islet.


    Having overcome their initial surprise, the remaining soldiers hastily clumped together and formed a crude shield wall with their spears all directed towards me. Contrary to their superiors orders, it was obvious that these soldiers saw me as the greater threat.


    ¡°LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS THIS INSTANT!¡± A familiar voice thundered from the direction of the soldiers camp.


    Quickly glancing over my shoulder, I could see a ragged column of soldiers hurrying towards the battle. At their head was Cpt. Klive and Lt. Felix.


    The soldiers in the defensive formation looked first to Cpt. Klive and then briefly at one another. ¡°Fuck this,¡± one of the soldiers spat and threw down his spear, ¡°Not gonna die for that gits promotion!¡±


    There were grunts of agreement from the others and more weapons were thrown to the ground. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Cowards!¡± Shrieked Lt. Uric, now fully on the run from Toofy, having lost his spear and now clutching at his bloodied glove.


    Just like that, the last of the soldiers threw down their weapons and edged away.


    Shifting my attention from the soldiers to the tree, I could see Ril limply hanging on to one of the topmost branches, although there was no sign of the staff. Hurrying over to the tree, I was just about to contemplate how I was going to climb it, when Ril slipped from her branch.


    ¡°Ril!¡± Diving backwards, I barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Cold to the touch, my eyes were drawn to the arrow lodged in Ril¡¯s shoulder.


    [Ril - HP: -1/20 - Bloodied, Bleeding ] [Tim - HP: 42/44 - Enraged ]


    Biting down hard on the flesh of my thumb, I felt the warm coppery taste of blood welling into my mouth. Pushing my injured thumb into Ril¡¯s mouth, I winced as a sudden chill swept up my arm and Ril¡¯s jaw clamped down hard, anchoring her long needle-like teeth into my thumb. Almost immediately, her mouth formed an airtight seal and I felt my blood being forcibly redirected through my circulatory system and towards my thumb.


    [Ril - HP: 1/20 - Bloodied, Bleeding ] [Tim - HP: 41/44 - Bleeding, Poisoned ]


    I shivered and awkwardly cradled Ril against my chest. I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised when Ril¡¯s arms wrapped around my left arm to anchor herself in place. Still holding the axe in my right hand, I was actually somewhat relieved by the lessening of the strain on my hand, particularly given how numb it currently felt.


    ¡°Toofy?!¡± I called out and staggered slightly as I tried to quickly turn my head to look for her.


    Lt. Uric was scrambling backwards in the mud as Toofy stalked after him. ¡°I yield! I yield!!¡± He cried pitiably to no avail. Toofy was clearly out for blood. ¡°Captain! Save me!¡±


    I shifted my attention to Cpt. Klive to see what he would do, as did many of his gathered soldiers.


    Meeting my eyes for a moment, Cpt. Klive closed his eyes, sighed and shook his head,


    ¡°Captain?!¡± Lt. Uric screamed.


    Cpt. Klive turned away and faced back towards the direction of their camp.


    ¡°Captain?!¡± Lt. Uric screamed again, even more urgently, ¡°Capt-AAAIIE-URGH!¡± His cries turned to a wet rasping gurgle as Toofy slammed her shiv into his face and jugular over and over again.


    ¡°DIE! DIE! DIE! TOOFY KILL!¡± Toofy screamed in blackhearted fury, blood splashing against her face and chest as she straddled Lt. Uric¡¯s feebly struggling body and stabbed him over and over again.


    Looking back towards the soldiers, I was surprised to see that they had all taken Cpt. Klive¡¯s lead and literally turned their backs on Lt. Uric.


    Perhaps he was literally as bad as my first impression of him had been, or maybe Cpt. Klive was far shrewder than I had given him credit for.


    After all, there was no way he would have been able to intervene in time to stop Toofy from dealing a fatal injury. Besides, there was more to be gained from his death anyway.


    [Toofy has slain {Human: ??? } +0 Exp]


    [Quest: Find and Rescue the Children! {Active}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Asra} rescued by {Lt. Felix} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {Success} {Asra} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Toofy} rescued by {Cpt. Klive} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Toofy} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Ril} rescued by {Cpt. Klive} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {TBD} {Ril} returned to Sanctuary]


    The golden flash of light accompanying the quest update only served to reinforce that idea as the soldiers began excitedly comparing stat gains from their multiple level-ups.


    Now that the cat was out of the bag, I was far more valuable to Cpt. Klive and his military. Doubtless, the experienced officer was already crunching the numbers on how much leeway he would give in regards to all manner of hypothetical scenarios.


    ¡°Toofy!¡± I waved at Toofy to get her attention.


    Caked with blood, Toofy glared back at me for a moment, her eyes hard and feral before noticing Ril. ¡°Baby...¡± Toofy murmured, dropping her shiv and stumbling off of Uric¡¯s corpse. ¡°Baby!¡± Toofy cried and ran over, hugging Ril¡¯s dangling feet.


    Hissing from the sudden emergence of pain, I vaguely felt Ril dislodge her teeth and push my thumb out of her mouth.


    ¡°Mama!¡± Ril croaked, wriggling stiffly as she released my arm and slid into Toofy¡¯s embrace.


    Taking care to avoid the arrow still lodged in Ril¡¯s shoulder, Toofy hugged Ril tight and cried.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 18 – Questionable decision making – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 18 ¨C Questionable decision making ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 18 - Questionable decision making - Part Two {Rewrite}


    Realising that perhaps Toofy had thought Ril had been killed, I could only imagine what she must have felt upon seeing her awake again.


    [Ril - HP: 7/20 - Bloodied ] [Tim - HP: 34/44 - Normal ]


    Grimacing a little as I looked at the party status, I was relieved and a little surprised to find that I no longer had the bleeding condition. My thumb was throbbing awfully, but it wasn¡¯t bleeding anywhere close to the amount that it should have been, let alone what I had expected. According to my Status, the Poisoned condition was gone as well. Just as I was really starting to think about it, I felt a deep hunger take root in my stomach.


    ¡°Toofy, I need-¡± I looked down and was surprised to see that Toofy was already holding out a fistful of skewered meats, while Ril was savagely gorging on a raw meaty chunk of...something.


    Stripping the meat off the skewers and gulping them down, I accepted more from Toofy and tore through them as well. Feeling the hunger abate slightly, I pushed it back until it was all but gone.


    ¡°Thanks Toofy,¡± I patted her head tiredly and winced slightly as her hair rubbed against the exposed insides of my thumb. ¡°We need to take Ril back-¡± I barely caught my slip up in time, ¡°-home,¡± I amended, narrowly avoiding outing our surgeons. ¡°She needs rest.¡±


    Toofy stroked Ril¡¯s hair and nodded, ¡°Home and sleep,¡± she agreed.


    Leaning down, I let both girls clamber up onto my shoulders. I hadn¡¯t quite noticed it up until now, but Toofy had definitely been growing. She had to be close to four feet tall by now, perhaps more. Standing back up, I was glad to feel the grogginess from earlier had lessened considerably.


    All the surviving soldiers under Uric¡¯s command had banded together and were staying as far away from us as possible. Conversely, Cpt. Klive and Lt. Felix had both left their men behind and were now cautiously making their approach.


    Cpt. Klive broke the silence first, by awkwardly clearing his throat and Glancing towards Uric¡¯s mutilated body. ¡°I just want you to know, I did not issue orders to capture or otherwise harass your people,¡± he earnestly insisted, ¡°If he had not died of natural causes, I can assure you that Lieutenant Uric would have faced court-martial for his offence!¡± The conviction and disdain in Cpt. Klive¡¯s voice had me inclined to believe him, but there was more to it than what he was saying. Captain Klive seemed genuinely angry over what had happened. ¡°What are your demands?¡± He asked bluntly, ¡°How can we make this right?¡±


    Stopping to think about it for a few moments, I glanced towards the surviving soldiers that had been under Uric''s command. It pained me that I felt nothing for the dead soldiers.


    Logically, they were my enemies, so it made sense that I felt no pity for them, no sadness...But they were still humans, people...


    The smart move would be to set an example, hang the lot of them and establish a deterrent. If anything like this were to happen again, it needed to be crystal clear what would happen to those who attacked the citizens of Sanctuary. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knowing this, I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it. There was a line that I felt I knew I would regret crossing.


    ¡°What is your most severe punishment?¡± I asked soberly.


    Cpt. Klive looked somewhat surprised, ¡°Well...flogging in accordance to the severity of the crime is the most severe, non-lethal, punishment established in our military doctrine,¡± he explained somewhat dubiously, perhaps doubting I would find the punishment sufficient to match the crime.


    Still looking at the dead soldiers, I nodded, ¡°Then flogging it is,¡± I agreed. I had seen more than enough documentaries and period dramas not to underestimate the sheer brutality of such a punishment. Doubtless, the men and women would be thrashed within an inch of their very lives. ¡°We can discuss further compensation later. I need to return my children home,¡± I stated bluntly.


    ¡°Y-your children?...¡± Lt. Felix managed to somehow grow nearly as pale as Ril.


    Our family dynamic, whatever it was, could more or less be summarised as such, so I nodded and began heading back to Sanctuary.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Cpt. Klive cursed quietly, ¡°Fucking bastard just had to go after the chieftain¡¯s kids...¡±


    Passing by Cpt. Klive¡¯s soldiers, Ril and Toofy bared their teeth threateningly and hissed at anyone who didn¡¯t make way fast enough, or as fast as they would like.


    ¡°Half Ogres?!¡± One soldier whispered fearfully, and soon it was a chorus taken up by others as well. By the time we left the soldiers behind, I was genuinely curious as to whether that was ¡®a thing¡¯.


    Did the Labyrinth make hybrid monsters? Was it just a named monster thing? Was it supposed to be rare? Or would all of my prospective children with Lash be Half Ogre and Deep Orc?


    ¡°Lash...¡± I felt a twinge of guilt at having forgotten about her in all the excitement.


    [Lash - HP: 34/34 - Unconscious, Cursed ]


    I tried to take comfort in the fact that her condition remained the same as before and hadn¡¯t deteriorated...but it was a cold comfort at best.


    With the soldiers camp all but deserted, I decided to take a shortcut. Thankfully, Hana was ready and waiting, clearing a path through the briar wall large enough that I could pass through with the girls on my shoulders without them getting hurt.


    [Quest: Find and Rescue the Children! {Complete}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Asra} rescued by {Lt. Felix} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {Success} {Asra} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Toofy} rescued by {Cpt. Klive} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {Success} {Toofy} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 1}: {Success} {Ril} rescued by {Cpt. Klive} and {Subordinates}]


    [Find and Rescue the Children! {Stage 2}: {Success} {Ril} returned to Sanctuary]


    [Bonus reward assigned to {Lt. Felix} and {Subordinates} for personal contributions exceeding expectations! ]


    ¡°Are they alright?¡± Hana asked worriedly, gently yet firmly taking Ril from my shoulder to get a closer look at her while we made our way to the hospital. I quickly realised that Toofy wasn¡¯t the only one who had grown. Hana was nearly as tall as me now, perhaps a few inches taller if I counted her hair. Besides our height, we were close to polar opposites. Hana was thin, willowy and graceful...I was...well...not those things, at all.


    Reaching the hospital, Toofy hopped off my shoulder and followed along beside Hana and Ril, ¡°HEALS!¡± She shouted loudly, despite the four surgeons hurriedly making their way towards her.


    I cringed as I realised that her outburst was more or less my fault. Due to Toofy¡¯s inability to pronounce medic consistently, I had opted to teach her something simpler and widely recognisable...


    Awkwardly ducking into Lash¡¯s room, I did not envy the poor surgeon that would have to extract the arrow from Ril¡¯s shoulder. Even if Ril handled it like a trooper, which I had no reason to think she wouldn¡¯t. There was a very real possibility that whoever did the extraction would get stabbed by Toofy.


    Lash appeared more or less the same as when I had last seen her, only now fully stripped of her armour.


    Sitting down on the bed beside Lash for a moment, I took her right hand in mine and gave it a brief squeeze. Unsure of what I had expected such a gesture to accomplish, I snorted derisively at my wishful thinking and gently laid Lash¡¯s hand back down again. I didn¡¯t know what exactly to call our relationship, but...I cared about her. That something like this had happened to Lash under my watch was infuriating.


    Getting back to my feet, I very nearly bowled over one of the Serpent-Kin surgeons as I left Lash¡¯s room.


    ¡°Lord, Pleasse. You need treatment!¡± The female Serpent-Kin insisted, taking a tight hold of my left arm and taking a closer look at my slightly mangled thumb.


    Even knowing that infection could very realistically claim my whole hand if I delayed treatment, the thought of procrastinating the Angel¡¯s interrogation aggravated me all the same. ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed, ¡°But make it quick!¡±


    The surgeon nodded and hastily began stitching my thumb back together.


    Getting my first proper look at it, I could see why the surgeon had been so insistent. The exposed edges around my initial cut were showing signs of early necrosis. Quite possibly a reaction from Ril¡¯s venomous bite, it could also be the result of the swamp bacteria getting in the wound. Or, most likely, it was a direct result of Ril draining all blood from the surrounding tissue, leaving it to die. In hindsight, feeding Ril my blood through an extremity like that was incredibly stupid and not something I would rush to repeat.


    Recalling that this particular student¡¯s name was Elu, I was relieved by the fact that she was a Hospice Surgeon, so I wouldn¡¯t have to track down someone else to deal with the infection.


    Despite her nervousness from having me literally watching her every move, Elu did a good job with what was honestly a suboptimal wound. Requiring anchoring sutures farther back to avoid the necrosed tissue, the large cut was largely sealed but looked like a messy spider web. Under the effects of Elu¡¯s healing, I was grateful that the sutures didn¡¯t immediately disintegrate. Even though the suturing hadn¡¯t hurt ¡®that bad¡¯, it was still far from a pleasant experience and I had no desire to repeat it.


    Confident that my hand was now healing, I very nearly left Elu behind, but I stopped when I recalled that the Angel was wounded. Offering healing for information might provide the cure I needed to lift Lash¡¯s curse, and perhaps get some answers as to why the Angel was in that dungeon to begin with.


    With Elu in tow, I went looking for Gric, the original, not the summoned copy. Judging by the steady stream of Exp Status Alerts, the summoned Daemons were still underground.


    As I had more or less expected, the Daemons were all hibernating in the Grove, all except for Gric anyway.


    Descending into the prison Hana had grown to lock away the vendor the dark spirit had been using as a possession host, I found Gric and the Angel already engaged in a silent staring contest.


    Noticeably worse for wear than when I had left him before, the Angel had deep bruises on the right side of his face. However, what immediately drew my attention was the spiked Slave collar fixed around his neck.


    ¡°Gric...What have you done?...¡± I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the Daemon incredulously for a moment before realising how naive I had been NOT to expect this. Of course, Gric would do something like this. The Angel was obviously a threat and the Slave collar prevented him from using his abilities. Besides bludgeoning the monster unconscious, how else were they meant to interrogate it? All the same, the reality of enslaving an intelligent being made me feel ill.


    ¡°What have you learned?¡± I asked Gric, ¡°Did you learn how to remove the curse?¡±


    Gric blinked groggily as if waking from a deep sleep, ¡°Lord? Yes...The curse.¡± he glared balefully at the Angel who was now also shakily coming to his senses. ¡°Judgement is countered by Forgiveness, another Ability restricted to the treacherous Angels!¡±


    The Angel made as if to refute Gric but yelped in pain instead.


    Trying to put the Angel¡¯s suffering out of mind for the moment, I focused on Gric¡¯s answer. ¡°So I need an Angel to use another ability to remove the curse?¡± I growled irritably.


    Gric nodded but waved his hand uncertainly, ¡°Judgement amplifies guilt and traps the target within themselves. Most will overcome guilt with time...Some are crushed by it...¡±


    ¡°Am I right in assuming this Angel doesn¡¯t have the required ability to remove the curse?¡± I demanded irritably.


    Gric nodded and glanced briefly at the Angel for a moment before smirking with grim satisfaction. ¡°He is no Angel, Lord. Orphiel harmed an innocent, broke a holy vow. He is a Fallen Angel now.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°What difference does that make?¡± I asked, in no mood for any shenanigans.


    ¡°The difference, my Lord,¡± Gric grinned maliciously, ¡°Is that Orphiel has nowhere else to go. Angels execute their fallen on sight!¡±


    It took a minute for the enormity of that particular revelation to sink in. ¡°Then why did you put the Slave collar on him?¡±


    Gric gave me a dubious look, ¡°My Lord. Just because he has nowhere else to go, does not mean he can be trusted. Orphiel is still an Angel at heart and their arrogance knows no bounds.¡±


    The Fallen Angel made as if to say something again, but hissed in pain instead.


    ¡°I am certain he will join us in time, my Lord. But for the time being, it would be best if he is kept under...observation.¡± Gric grinned happily.


    I motioned for Elu to approach, ¡°Tend his wounds.¡± A part of me wanted to set Orphiel free of the Slave collar, but the thought of Lash laying comatose on the hospital bed caused me to hold my tongue. I would deal with him later...


    Leaving Gric and Elu to tend to Orphiel, I made my way back to the hospital. Hana, Ril and Toofy were all waiting for me in Lash¡¯s room when I got there.


    ¡°Do you have any ideas on how to break the curse?¡± Hana asked, waving her hand over Lash¡¯s bed to rejuvenate the moss. which had a similar effect to fluffing a pillow.


    I grimaced slightly and nodded, ¡°I do, but it isn¡¯t something we can take advantage of...¡± I explained dejectedly, ¡°The special ability or spell that Angel, or Fallen Angel now I guess, anyway, the curse amplifies feelings of guilt. Without the counterspell, there is no other way than hoping Lash snaps out of it on her own...¡±


    ¡°Tim... It will be alright,¡± Hana gave me a small smile and patted my shoulder, ¡°Lash is a fighter, you know? You can¡¯t just fight your way through the deep below and the swamp of death without being made of strong stuff...¡±


    I could tell Hana was trying to make me feel better, so I nodded despite my own reservations. Sitting down on the bed beside Lash, I gently took hold of her hand again and gave it a reassuring squeeze, hoping that she would return the gesture. However, as I expected, Lash remained unresponsive.


    ¡°Lash is cursed?¡± Toofy asked curiously. Even though the question had been directed to Ril, it still readily got Hana¡¯s and my attention due to the relative quiet of the hospital and the loudness of her inquiry.


    Ril nodded, ¡°Big Mama cursed,¡± she agreed, giving me an apologetic sad smile.


    Toofy nodded and rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment. ¡°Why Tim not kiss Lash?¡± She asked bluntly. "Lash is Tim¡¯s mate. Big kiss removes curse, Makes Lash all better,¡± Toofy explained incredulously, like Hana and I were deliberately overlooking an incredibly obvious solution.


    ¡°Toofy...¡± I sighed and tried to rein in the aggravation I felt. She hadn¡¯t meant anything by it, and was just trying to be helpful. ¡°That¡¯s not how you cure curses...'''' I explained gently.


    Toofy scrunched up her face incredulously and gave me a look that made it painfully clear that she knew I had no idea what I was talking about. ¡°Yes it do!¡± Toofy insisted, looking to Ril for confirmation, ¡°Kiss break curse in sleep time stories!¡±


    Ril nodded vigorously, ¡°Happily ever after,¡± she agreed.


    Toofy opened her arms expansively towards Ril, ¡°See? Toofy no lie!¡± She huffed and rolled her eyes while shaking her head disappointedly. ¡°Just kiss! Break curse! No more sad! Just happy!¡± Toofy insisted, kneading and puckering Lash¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Toofy!...¡± I narrowly avoided snapping at her and took a moment to calm down, ¡°I know you are trying to help...¡±


    ¡°Just kiss!¡± Toofy insisted exasperatedly.


    Letting out a long deep breath and counting down from ten to calm down, I gave Toofy a warning look.


    Toofy belligerently shrugged it off, ¡°Just kiss!¡± She repeated.


    ¡°...¡± I stared at Toofy incredulously for just over a full minute.


    Toofy glared right back, refusing to back down, even scurrying up onto the bed to bring herself closer to my eye level.


    ¡°Fine...¡± I conceded bitterly. I decided I would give Lash a quick kiss and then go to my room. I was past emotionally exhausted at this point, and one more escalation with Toofy was liable to result in me saying or doing something I would regret. I was already regretting telling her those children stories and folk tales.


    Toofy nodded sternly and pointed to Lash¡¯s face.


    Cradling Lash¡¯s head and leaning in for a kiss, I bitterly resented Toofy for insisting I go through the motions. Real-life was not a fairy tale. As much as I may hope for it to be the case, Lash was not Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, a simple kiss wouldn¡¯t fix this!


    Why not?


    The thought came unbidden from the chaos of my mind and I very nearly dismissed it just as suddenly as it arrived.


    This place is different from Earth, it clearly operates under different rules...So...Why not?


    Shaking my head to dislodge those thoughts, I reconsidered just leaving and heading to my room. This world, for all its craziness, was not actually that different to Earth after all. There were invisible laws that seemed to govern everything. Like the laws of physics, slightly different than what I had grown used to, they nonetheless could only be specifically altered, not ignored outright...


    Wait...


    *****


    Lash was on the brink of utter exhaustion and her armour was close to being completely compromised. No matter how hard she fought the shadowy apparitions, they would only reappear moments later.


    Returning to a twisted form of her former home, Lash was forced to fight off her former friends and clansmen over and over again. Although the scene was not quite as she remembered it, the mad chief¡¯s ambush had more or less resulted in the same confrontation around a week or so earlier. With no choices beyond kill or be killed, Lash had chosen her own survival. Those who had remained were corrupted...beyond saving...


    ¡°Lash!¡± The twisted apparition of a female Deep Orc a full head taller than Lash reappeared for what had to be the thousandth time. ¡°Kinslayer! Betrayer!¡± The apparition howled in fury swinging her twin axes in opposing scything arcs to shear Lash¡¯s head from her shoulders.


    Lash was tired of fighting and briefly considered allowing the apparition to end it. If it truly was the haunting spirit of Crish, then Lash¡¯s death would only be just. To slay one¡¯s kin was the worst crime imaginable...and Lash had killed so many...


    Just as the first axe was about to bite into her flesh, the axeblade was blown apart like smoke in a powerful air current. Unable to stop the momentum of its second axe, it was lost just the same as the first.


    ¡°TREACHERY?!¡± The apparition howled in confusion and fury.


    Confused, Lash felt a sudden warmth emanating from her shoulder. Seeing a faint golden light emanating from beneath her cracked pauldron, Lash shoved the hunk of scrap iron off her shoulder and was nearly blinded by the sudden intensity of the light. Even with her vision somewhat limited by her heavily dented helmet, Lash could easily recognise the glowing patch of skin for what it was. It was her bonding mark.


    ¡°THIS CHANGES NOTHING!¡± Crish¡¯s shadowy doppelganger insisted while forming a spear from the same shadow stuff as her body.


    Touching her bonding mark, Lash felt a pang of guilt over the pain and anguish she had caused her mate...Tim had not desired the bond, or had not been prepared for it. Even after their coupling, Lash still feared those negative feelings lingered and would resurface in the future. But just as quickly as the sense of guilt had appeared, it was swept aside.


    ¡°I forgive you.¡± Barely louder than a whisper, it was a miracle Lash even heard it over the cries of the apparition.


    ¡°NO! YOU ARE MINE!¡± Crish howled in anguish, her shadowy body collapsing under an invisible force. ¡°YOU OWE ME YOUR DEATH!¡± With one final desperate surge of strength, the apparition launched itself at Lash with suicidal abandon. The shadowspear evaporated as it came within inches of Lash¡¯s chest, and still the apparition barrelled onward with grim determination.


    Dropping her axe, Lash felt no fear and accepted the tackle without reservations, wrapping her arms tightly around her adversary and bearing them both to the ground.


    Somehow Lash was the one to end up on top. Despite her sister''s greater size, strength and skill, Lash was the one who would survive their battle.


    Crish smiled up at her, blood welling from the knife Lash had forced between Crish¡¯s chest plates and into her heart. Madness clearing for only a moment, Crish looked relieved. Trying to speak, she barely managed to utter a single word before growing still, ¡°Survive.¡±


    Lash felt the same harrowing sense of loss all over again, only this time, it was different. Lash now understood why she was the one that triumphed. Whatever it was that the Bright Lord had done to her sister, there was still enough of Crish left that she managed to give Lash the opening she needed in order to deal a killing blow and survive. There was no other explanation for it. Crish had always beaten her before, so defeating Lash would have been a matter of course.


    Now aware of the golden light growing stronger, Lash was forced to shield her eyes against its intensity.


    Suddenly feeling quite stiff and flustered by a familiar pressure against her lips, Lash tentatively opened her eyes. Tim was leaning over her and kissing her lightly on the lips. His eyes closed but he had a weary yet hopeful expression on his face.


    ¡°Awake! Awake!¡± Tim¡¯s adopted daughter Toofy shrieked from further down the bed, ¡°See! Toofy right!¡±


    Tim¡¯s eyes opened immediately and stared intensely into Lash¡¯s own. All at once, the worry left his face and Tim pulled her into a tight embrace.


    Still shocked by the sudden change in events, it took Lash a few seconds to react. Hugging him back, Lash leaned into the embrace as much as she was able. Now recognizing that she had to be inside one of Sanctuary''s dwellings, Lash understood that there was almost certainly a great many things she had missed out on while incapacitated.


    But more important than that, Lash wanted to know how exactly Tim¡¯s daughter Toofy had known how to help her...


    *****


    ¡°Children stories?¡± Lash asked curiously.


    Toofy nodded emphatically, while Ril nodded supportively.


    ¡°They are used to teach children morals and consequences,¡± Hana explained, looking to me for confirmation.


    I nodded, ¡°Human children don¡¯t have all of this information monsters seem to begin life with. And since kids are usually more interested in running around and having fun than listening to rules-¡±


    Ril glanced sidelong at Toofy.


    ¡°-someone figured out that they could tell entertaining stories to teach the kids about important things without them noticing,¡± I explained as simply as I could manage.


    Lash nodded slowly but still didn¡¯t seem fully convinced, ¡°How did Toofy know a kiss would work?¡± She asked apologetically.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t-¡± I tried to explain but was rudely interrupted.


    ¡°It did do!¡± Toofy insisted incredulously, waving both hands at Lash emphatically as evidence.


    I waved her down, ¡°Something Gric told me about how the Angel¡¯s ability worked...I figured that maybe there was a loophole, a cheat of some kind...I really didn¡¯t think it had much chance of working, but...I forgave you for marking me, biting me out of the blue like that was pretty upsetting...¡±


    Lash winced a little and nodded, ¡°I understand,¡± she agreed and rubbed at the large scar on her shoulder where I had marked her in turn. ¡°The light came from you,¡± Lash explained, ¡°Nothing I did changed anything. The fight with my sister repeated over and over. But that light...it changed what I saw...¡±


    Lash had already described both the events of their exodus from the clan and her experiences under the effects of the Angel¡¯s Judgment ability. Even so, it still hurt to hear Lash talk about being forced to fight and kill her own sister.


    ¡°How did you know that would work?¡± Lash asked, the determined look in her eyes making it clear she wanted the real answer.


    I sighed and nodded. ¡°Well, everything has rules, laws, that keep the world functioning. You throw a rock in the air, gravity will make it come back down.¡±


    The mention of gravity made Lash somewhat uncertain, but she nodded and motioned for me to continue.


    ¡°Well, this world, monsters and classes have abilities that specifically alter these laws in small ways. For example, back on Earth, an iron or steel headed arrow should have pierced my skin with no real problems. However, just earlier I was shot with a half dozen or so arrows and walked away with barely more than a scratch.¡±


    Lash nodded in understanding and Hana looked contemplative.


    ¡°So knowing that the rules and laws aren''t as rigid as they otherwise should be-¡± I took a deep breath and stared straight into Lash¡¯s eyes, ¡°-I gambled that so long as you felt any guilt over...y''know, biting me, that my forgiving you would weaken or disrupt the Curse.


    Lash was quiet for a moment and before she could say anything, Hana snorted and began to laugh. ¡°Ahahaha! So Toofy was right! You got your idea to cheat from the children¡¯s stories! Ahahaha!¡±


    Toofy perked up immediately and smiled upon hearing she was right.


    I grimaced and nodded, admitting defeat. ¡°Some of the stories, when it boils down to it, teach kids to search for unconventional answers, and when necessary...cheat.¡± I let out a deep sigh. ¡°Snow White is a story about a princess cursed to sleep forever...unless she receives a kiss from her true love. There are different versions of the story, but almost always a prince shows up and kisses her, breaking the curse and waking her up. But how can two people who haven''t even met share true love¡¯s kiss?¡±


    ¡°Unless they cheated,¡± Hana interjected with a grin, ¡°The rule or law on what constitutes true love varies from person to person. So long as the prince believed his intentions were pure of heart, which is also pretty damn subjective, then who is to say it isn¡¯t true love¡¯s kiss?¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°Sleeping Beauty is very much the same, and I¡¯ll bet there were hundreds of other similar stories too. But basically, I was hoping that the rules or laws in charge of that ability would be so poorly defined that I could rules-lawyer an exception and cheat the system.¡±


    I seemed to lose them with the last part, so I roughly cleared my throat and tried again, ¡°I hoped for an opening and cheated,¡± I paraphrased.


    ¡°Lawyered?¡± Hana asked curiously, ¡°My mother said that sometimes, what does it mean?¡±


    I flushed a little in embarrassment, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a real word, but a lawyer is someone that looks over legal documents to find loopholes. What they do with those loopholes depends on who they are working for.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Hana nodded, ¡°I see, so you would be the lawyer in this instance, working for Lash to break the curse?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Lord!¡± A Deep Orc called out anxiously from the hallway before ducking his head into the room and finding our small gathering, looking somewhat relieved upon finding me, but far more so upon seeing Lash was awake.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked worriedly.


    Hana spoke up before the Deep Orc had a chance, ¡°There are four humans at your designated meeting place,¡± she commented dryly.


    The Deep Orc nodded, ¡°Humans bring tribute.¡±


    ¡°Tribute?¡± It took a moment for the situation to begin making sense. With so much going on I had very nearly forgotten an important detail from earlier. I had claimed Toofy and Ril as my children. If the humans had taken that literally, then it only made sense that they would do their damndest to try and settle things sooner rather than later. After all, it was still incredibly likely that they thought of me as little more than a dangerous beast. Albeit a beast they could reap benefits from if well managed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet them,¡± I agreed, but wanted to know something else first. ¡°Hana, where exactly are the Daemons right now? I would have thought they would be back by now?¡±


    Hana looked surprised, ¡°They are firmly entrenched just beyond the Barrier limits. As near as I can tell, they have been stockpiling materials for collection in the primary cavern below. Is that not what they are meant to be doing?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not precisely what I told them to do,¡± I admitted, ¡°But the stream of Exp is definitely a welcome addition...¡±


    Hana gave me an exasperated look, ¡°Were you planning on inviting me for this Exp-¡± She waved her arms around in frustration trying to find an appropriate word, ¡°-Farming?!¡±


    I shrunk back under her justifiable anger. Tied down to Sanctuary as she had been thus far, it was cruel that she had been excluded while Ril, who had no class was taking up a party slot...


    Wait a minute...


    Flicking through the Daemons statuses, I confirmed that each did not in fact have a Class. Which was kind of weird that Gric did. Were the Daemons incompatible with all the others? Arriving at Ril¡¯s status I couldn¡¯t help but stare.


    [Ril - Daemon Fledgling: 3 ] [HP: 20/20] [MP: 1/17 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Minion. Minion of Sanctuary.] [Class: ???. ] [Exp:0/0 ]


    [Strength: 8 ]


    [Agility: 15 ]


    [Toughness: 11 ]


    [Intelligence: 12 ]


    [Willpower: 11 ]


    [Presence: 7 ]


    [Class Qualifications: Surgeon, Field Surgeon, Hospice Surgeon, Taskmaster, Slaver, Summoner, Pact Binder, Rift Walker, Rift Stalker, Nexus Binder. ]


    ¡°Tim? What''s wrong?¡± Hana asked, her earlier annoyance now taking a backseat.


    ¡°Ril,¡± I croaked, ¡°Her Classes...¡±


    Hana gave me a confused look before panning her eyes back and forth to see for herself. ¡°Woah...Is this real?¡± Hana whispered.


    ¡°I unlocked the Rift Walker Basic Class when Ril opened an emergency escape portal with a magic item we found,¡± I explained.


    Hana nodded absently, ¡°I thought something like that may have happened when you and the others all suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but Rift Walker? Rift Stalker? Nexus Binder? What do those Classes even do?¡±


    ¡°How the hell did she unlock all of those others?...¡± I went back and began looking through the Daemons statuses again, this time paying particular attention to their unlocked Classes. ¡°Bloody hell...¡± Glad I was already sitting down, I quickly came to realise that the Daemons were far from living up to their potential. Every, single, one, had five or more Basic and Advanced Classes already unlocked, but only Gric possessed an actual Class.


    Granted, two of those Classes were Taskmaster and Slaver, but every single Daemon had Surgeon unlocked and most also had Pugilist.


    ¡°Ril?¡± I tiredly turned my attention to the suddenly innocent-looking Daemon, ¡°Do you know why the other Daemons haven¡¯t taken any Classes?¡± I asked with a somewhat strained tone.


    Ril smiled and nodded, apparently all too happy to help, ¡°No one told them to.¡±


    I felt like screaming.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?!¡± Hana demanded incredulously.


    Ril cocked her head slightly to one side and raised an eyebrow, ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± she insisted, ¡°No one told them which Classes to take, so they haven¡¯t taken any.¡±


    Hana covered her mouth, faced the wall and released a muffled scream of frustration, ¡°MMMMMMMRRRRRRHHHHMMM!!!!¡±


    Ril looked confused, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± She asked nervously, ¡°Coz Mama said Ril is too young for Classes...¡±


    Toofy stiffened and suddenly looked very guilty.


    ¡°Toofy...You knew?¡± I croaked incredulously.


    Toofy gulped, shrugged and made a sound similar to blowing a raspberry, ¡°Pfffft, no...Toofy not know what Tim and Baby talking about. Toofy no read,¡± she stated defensively, raising a good point but sounding more suspicious than before.


    ¡°Ril?¡± I looked back to the Daemonling.


    Ril looked conflicted for a few moments, her eyes anxiously darting between myself and Toofy.


    ¡°Baby not say!¡± Toofy warned, wagging her finger and completely undermining her own pretence at ignorance.


    ¡°Toofy...Why?¡± I groaned. ¡°Having a Class would make Ril safer, you know that right?¡±


    Toofy looked guilty for all of a second before looking confused, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes Toofy...Classes literally make you stronger.¡± I tiredly rubbed at my eyes and took a deep calming breath before moving on. ¡°Ril, I would really appreciate it if you answer this next question to the best of your ability, okay?¡±


    Ril nodded determinedly.


    ¡°Okay. Ril, do you know what the Rift Walker, Rift Stalker and Nexus Binder Classes do?¡± I asked with a deliberately patient and measured tone.


    Rill nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± I took another calming breath, ¡°Can you please explain, to the best of your knowledge, what exactly each of those three Classes do?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ril replied cheerily. ¡°Rift Walker is easy to explain. We did it already,¡± she pantomimed striking the ground with a staff and then hopped forward. ¡°Rifts are unpredictable, but still useful. High-level Rift Walkers can open rifts between different floors AND Labyrinths!¡±


    I barely had time to process that bombshell before Ril was moving on to the next Class.


    ¡°Rift Stalker is a hybrid Class...like Sword Mage. Only, Rift Stalker attacks from short-range, ambushes enemies with more stable rifts. High-level Rift Stalkers are very hard to fight and almost impossible to catch,¡± Ril explained teasingly, leaping and pouncing around the room like a cat.


    Fighting someone or something capable of teleporting short distances was something I had seen playout in tv and movies before. It was almost always a pyrrhic victory at best for the teleporter¡¯s enemies. ¡°And the Nexus Binder?¡± I prompted.


    Ril smiled wider, ¡°Nexus Binder specialises in stable and reliable Portals.¡± Her smile faltered a little and Ril looked more than a little upset about something, ¡°Sorry for breaking the staff...¡± she apologised quietly.


    ¡°Wait, what? The staff broke?!¡± I demanded a great deal more harshly than I had intended.


    Ril flinched and nodded, ¡°The first portal dropped Mama and me in the water,¡± she sniffled and hugged Toofy, visibly shivering as she recalled the event in question, ¡°So I used it again and...and...¡± Ril couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything further.


    ¡°Bitey lizard bite stick,¡± Toofy explained, snapping her sharp teeth shut to accentuate the point, ¡°Stick break,¡± Toofy shrugged unapologetically, as if it were no big loss.


    Ril nodded in confirmation, ¡°The staff broke...¡±


    ¡°Is that when those soldiers found you?¡± I asked sympathetically.


    Toofy nodded dourly, ¡°Stick break. Big noise, Toofy and Baby land in tree. No place for hiding, so humans find.¡±


    ¡°Wait...The staff exploded?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Ril nodded, ¡°Made an unstable portal, we...we fell from the sky and landed in the tree...¡±


    ¡°Bitey lizard went splat,¡± Toofy grinned maliciously while comfortingly rubbing Ril¡¯s back.


    ¡°Bloody hell...¡± The two of them had damn near died using that piece of junk. While I may have been initially annoyed at the loss of an emergency item, I was now quite glad to be rid of it. There was precious little point in relying on an item that could catastrophically fail like that. Besides, the random teleportation was enough of a problem on its own.


    ¡°I could take Nexus Binder to replace the staff,¡± Ril offered timidly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to break it...¡± she sniffled.


    I shook my head and gently squeezed Ril¡¯s shoulder, ¡°No, that¡¯s alright Ril. I am just glad you and Toofy are okay. When you pick a Class I want you to pick the one you want, not just the one you think I would find most useful, okay?¡±


    Ril nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± Hana gave me a guilty look, ¡°Having a Nexus Binder really would help in the event of an emergency,¡± she insisted guiltily.


    ¡°It¡¯s her choice,¡± I reiterated, ¡°I unlocked the Rift Walker Class as well, so it''s apparently not all that hard to get. Worst case scenario, we just need to find or maybe buy a magical item like the staff, right?¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± Hana agreed somewhat reluctantly.


    ¡°On a lighter note, if you want in on the Daemons ¡®Exp farming¡¯, just ask Lash for an invite to her retinue. Mine is already packed full of Daemons,¡± I leaned over and intended to give Lash a quick peck on the cheek before leaving, but she dragged me down for a lingering kiss that I enjoyed far more.


    ¡°Be safe,¡± Lash demanded, refusing to let go until hearing a satisfactory response.


    ¡°I will,¡± I agreed, making a mental note to rearm myself before leaving Sanctuary.


    Seemingly satisfied, Lash pulled me in for one last hug before letting me go. The curse had taken a great deal out of her and she was obviously tired. I was actually rather touched that she had stayed awake this long and made the effort to see me off.


    Borrowing Lash¡¯s axe, I ¡®borrowed¡¯ ten more Deep Orcs while on the way to the gate. Intended only to serve as insurance, I knew the Deep Orcs would still put up a stiff enough resistance that short of another Hydra barrelling out the swamp and collapsing Sanctuary¡¯s barrier, there was nothing strong enough to stop us from retreating back into Sanctuary itself.


    Not wanting to jinx anything, I avoided saying as much aloud while traversing the outer border and heading for the designated meeting place.


    As expected, Cpt. Klive, Lt. Felix and his two seconds were the only soldiers in attendance. Captain Klive was sitting on a footlocker, but when he saw me coming, he stiffly got to his feet. ¡°Chieftain...erm, is it really just Chieftain?¡± He joked nervously as I approached two of the Deep Orcs as personal guards.


    ¡°It¡¯s Tim,¡± I replied flatly, not wanting to relinquish any ground for the negotiations, but also accepting that my original stance had been pretty stupid in insisting they just call me Chieftain.


    Cpt. Klive stiffly bowed at the waist, ¡°Well, Chieftain Tim, I just want to take this opportunity to express my sincerest regrets over the unconscionable treatment of your kin. There is no excuse for such egregious treatment of an ally and I want to assure you that as we agreed, the guilty parties have been punished severely.¡± In spite of his somewhat flowery language, Cpt. Klive seemed truly sincere. ¡°In the spirit of good faith, I have organised what I hope you will agree is a suitable tribute so we can settle this ugly business and leave it well and truly behind us.¡± he turned to Lt. Felix, ¡°If you would Lieutenant?¡±


    Lt. Felix nodded stiffly, knelt down and unclasped the chest before standing back up and opening it.


    The smell of rich spices and herbs hit my nostrils almost immediately. While some were completely unfamiliar, I still recognised some of my favourites.


    ¡°I have taken great pains to secure not only processed herbs and spices to bring happiness to your dining hall, but also seeds so your people can ¡®attempt¡¯-¡± Cpt. Klive didn¡¯t seem comfortable with using that word, but pressed on regardless, ¡°-to grow those you find most agreeable,¡± he smiled wide and nodded, seemingly quite pleased with himself, before suddenly remembering something, ¡°Oh, and twenty pounds of salt too. Ain''t nothing that don¡¯t taste better with a good pinch of salt!¡±


    In spite of myself, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I had been worrying about what to ask for in ¡®reparations¡¯ so I was more than happy to accept a gift like this that would arguably improve everyone''s quality of life. Good food was a real morale booster, especially in tough times.


    One of Lt. Felix¡¯s seconds handed him a sack, which Lt. Felix in turn offered to me, ¡°We took the liberty of retrieving the belongings that were left behind earlier,¡± he explained somewhat anxiously and opened the sack to reveal its contents.


    I hadn¡¯t actually given much thought to the ingots Toofy had dropped earlier, but it was a welcome boon all the same. I motioned for one of my bodyguards to take the sack. ¡°So long as something like this does not happen again, I think we can continue with our arrangement,¡± I suggested, without actually agreeing to our deal being renewed.


    Cpt. Klive nodded in understanding.


    ¡°I want assurances that something like this CAN¡¯T happen again without extreme repercussions for those involved,¡± I insisted.


    Cpt. Klive nodded again, ¡°You want a soulbinding contract,¡± he guessed, ¡°Very well, this can be arranged. With the provision that every soldier under my command obeys and upholds the spirit of the agreement under pain of death. Will this prove sufficiently satisfactory to negotiate terms for additional services as well as continued support for our previous agreement?¡± There was a damn near perverse hunger in Cpt. Klive¡¯s eyes, and I couldn¡¯t blame him.


    That hastily issued quest had distributed millions in Exp, and I could only imagine how many total levels his soldiers had gotten out of it. The lives of Asra, Toofy and Ril were an abstract variable, but somehow the Labyrinth had quantified a reward it had deemed appropriate. It just so happened to be that the total Exp reward was just shy of three million.


    As big a mistake as it had seemed at the time, issuing that quest may very well prove to be to my greater benefit. That is of course assuming the Captain could keep his word.


    I held out my right hand to shake on it.


    Unsurprisingly, Cpt. Klive went in for an arm clasp instead, ¡°You won¡¯t regret this!¡± He beamed, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about pesky adventurers either, I¡¯ll make sure those miscreants aren''t allowed to so much as set foot within a mile of your...Sanctuary, wasn''t it?¡±


    I half-nodded but realised that might create as many problems as it potentially solved. By being entirely reliant on the Military for the protection of my people, I would only be inviting disaster.


    ¡°You want adventurers?¡± Cpt. Klive asked, sounding a little perturbed, ¡°Look, what happened with Lt. Uric and his boys, I won¡¯t dig into that. Heavens know the man lacked the discipline necessary for soldiering. But I can¡¯t allow more indiscriminate killing.¡±


    ¡°You think my people would just murder humans for the fun of it?¡± I demanded dryly.


    Cpt. Klive shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Well, no. But most adventurers are dumb as bricks and events like today could become all too common.¡±


    Adventurers tend to be lacking in regard to impulse control, but I wanted to establish a precedent for moving forward in the future. ¡°I have friends who are adventurers,¡± I explained carefully, making sure to keep my tone measured and calm, ¡°I have sent an expeditionary force to offer them shelter from the conflagration taking root beyond the river. Those who have my trust will always be free to come and go from my lands. If we are going to enter a long term partnership, I need to know that you will not interfere.¡± Completely aware of how amoral and sketchy I just sounded, I suppressed my desire to take it back. Instead, I focused on the Captain while he made up his mind on the latest requirement added to our hypothetical alliance.


    Even though he did not seem particularly pleased about it, Cpt. Klive agreed. ¡°It is your land,¡± he admitted grimly, ¡°But I want guaranteed access to high yield quests for a special training regimen.¡±


    ¡°Quest yield is based on difficulty and prospective value,¡± I explained neutrally, ¡°The Labyrinth has final say on the reward.¡±


    Cpt. Klive looked intrigued, ¡°So the more difficult the quest, the higher the reward then?¡± He asked, the greed that had been dampened earlier now returning with a vengeance.


    I nodded.


    ¡°So if I wanted high yield quests, then all I would have to do is make sure the objective is as difficult as possible?¡± Cpt. Klive gave me a crooked grin, ¡°I can work with that, two Rocs with one ballista. Alright, you want to pick and choose who gets special permission to come and go as they please without my soldiers harassing them, I can agree to that so long as a certain number of quests each month are offered in exchange.¡±


    Knowing full well that I could simply set and forget repeating quests, it wasn¡¯t that bad a trade-off. Factoring in that I stood a real chance at learning more about the military forces of this world and what the Captain considered to be ideal quests for power levelling, it really wasn¡¯t a bad deal at all. ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°You have a deal.¡±


    Cpt. Klive smacked his hands together and gingerly rubbed them together, ¡°Hot damn! If my recruiter told me this was what the diplomatic corps did for a living, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have pursued a career in the regular army!¡±


    I smirked and had to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing. This was, all things considered, a VERY good deal for both of us. I just really hoped that Clarice wasn¡¯t going to mess it all up once she got back...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 19 – To be determined – Part One {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 19 ¨C To be determined ¨C Part One {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 19 - To be determined - Part One {Rewrite}


    Patrolling the refugee column, Emelia kept a wary eye on the swamplands around them. Thanks to the Wards supplied by the Goblin Shamans and Ushu, there was minimal risk of a wild monster sneaking up on them. However, the Wards did nothing to stop the attempted ambushes by the enemy Deep Orcs. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In spite of reaching the swamplands ahead of the Deep Orc fleet that had pursued them, there were still Deep Orcs waiting for them in the swamplands. The only upside was that the Deep Orcs were far too large to effectively blend in with the environment and were attacked by the wild monsters as much as the refugees were, more even, since they lacked Wards of their own for whatever reason.


    There was something else as well, the Deep Orcs were sick. Even though Nadine was far too exhausted to spare the time to look at them, Emelia was convinced it was the same sickness Ushu and his people had developed while fleeing through the swamp.


    But it didn¡¯t make sense. Why was their leader throwing away their lives like this?


    Emelia had little time to dwell on her musings as one of her Goblin warrior escorts spotted another likely ambush point up ahead.


    ¡°More pale ones hiding,¡± Chuti hissed angrily, motioning to a fallen tree further ahead of the refugee column.


    ¡°Stupid hiding place,¡± Filo agreed from his vantage point on Beaky¡¯s back.


    Emelia had volunteered the giant predatory bird for scouting duties, but unlike Clarice, she lacked the confidence to use Beaky as a battle mount herself. The Goblin Elders had leapt at the opportunity to make use of a swift-moving predator for reconnaissance, which thankfully spared Shady, Tobi¡¯s Shadowcat, the risks that would accompany the role.


    In truth, Emelia had only really volunteered Beaky because she had overheard one of the Goblin elders attempting to pressure Tobi for the use of Shady.


    Knowing how attached he was to his Shadowcat, Emelia had volunteered Beaky in Shady¡¯s place. If worse came to worst, she could always tame another one...


    Emelia and Chuti approached the Deep Orcs hiding place while Filo took a circuitous route to flank the ambush site from another angle.


    Drawing closer, Emelia had a distinct impression that something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    As Filo closed in to agitate the Deep Orcs lying in ambush, he suddenly drew back hard on Beaky¡¯s reins.


    Expecting the Goblin warrior to have abruptly halted to avoid a small volley of crossbow bolts, Emelia was surprised to see that Filo made no signs of raising his shield to protect himself against any projectiles.


    ¡°Orcs look dead!¡± Filo called out warily while slowly drawing closer to take a better look.


    This was not the first group of ambushers they had found dead or debilitated by illness. However, it also wasn¡¯t the first group they had encountered feigning death in order to draw them in closer either.


    Emelia and Chuti both raised their crossbows towards the would-be ambushers hiding place and waited.


    Filo dismounted and closed the remaining distance on foot. With a long thin spear and small bark shield at the ready, the Goblin warrior was literally going to poke the Deep Orcs bodies to see if they would react.


    Filo performed the poking because it made dodging away from the hulking Deep Orcs that much easier and prevented the giant flightless bird being caught as collateral damage. Besides, Beaky was far more effective while mobile than when caught standing still.


    Filo briefly disappeared from Emelia¡¯s line of sight, but he reappeared again almost immediately, vaulting backwards and flying through the air towards Beaky.


    A lone Deep Orc staggered out of the hiding place a few moments later.


    Chuti immediately lined up her shot and fired.


    *Thwap*


    Chuti¡¯s shot flew true and caught the Deep Orc in its throat, causing it to stumble to its knees and wetly gasp for breath.


    Emelia carefully handed Chuti her own still loaded crossbow and accepted Chuti¡¯s unloaded one in turn. They had figured out rather early on that Chuti was a far better shot, so Emelia would prioritise reloading the scavenged crossbows when the situations allowed for it. Besides, originally created by the Deep Orcs, even the strongest Goblin warriors struggled to draw the string back on the crossbows to reload them.


    ¡°Two!¡± Filo called out excitedly as he nimbly began dodging about in the middle ground between the ambushers hiding place and where Emelia and Chuti were taking cover by a tree.


    Grunting from the effort of drawing back the arms of the crossbow, Emelia sighed in relief as the cord caught on the trigger mechanism.


    *Thunk*


    A crossbow bolt struck the tree a foot or so from her head, and Emelia was grateful to see Chuti rapidly adjust her aim and fire back at the enemy crossbowman.


    ¡°Gra!¡± The delayed cry after Chuti¡¯s shot, filled Emelia with relief as she carefully handed over the freshly prepared crossbow.


    *Tang*


    Filo¡¯s spear impacted harmlessly against the crude iron chest plate of a Deep Orc that was charging across the open ground towards Emelia and Chuti.


    ¡°For the bright lord!¡± The Deep Orc roared and raised its axe high for a killing blow.


    Chuti quickly slapped a bolt onto her crossbow and fired.


    *Thunk*


    The shot went wide and caught the Deep Orc in the pit of his left elbow, unfortunately only accomplishing impairing the left arm and enraging the already terrifying mountain of muscle and iron plates hurtling towards them.


    With no time to prepare another crossbow, Emelia hastily drew her short sword and Chuti withdrew a pair of primitive punching knives. Sparing only a brief glance towards one another, Emelia and Chuti dashed off in different directions.


    Briefly ducking back behind the tree and headed off to take a circuitous route towards Beaky, Emelia nearly despaired when she found the Deep Orc had chosen her as its target, seemingly in spite of the Goblin Chuti being the one who actually wounded him.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Emelia cursed and willed for Beaky to come to her aid.


    ¡°Craw!¡± Beaky immediately sprang into action, clearing the distance in less than a couple of seconds.


    *Dwump*


    The bird''s giant beak smacked into the unprepared Deep Orc¡¯s chest and sent him sprawling into the mud.


    Rather than becoming engaged in a protracted melee, Beaky continued running past and circled around for another pass.


    ¡°Archer!¡± Filo¡¯s warning came nearly too late as Emelia barely dropped to the ground in time to hear a crossbow bolt pass by overhead. Despite being wounded, it was obvious that the Deep Orcs crossbowman was not out of the fight just yet.


    *Thump*


    Beaky battered the Deep Orc as he tried regaining his feet, knocking him down into the mud again.


    Chuti was no longer retreating, instead, she was now hastily and somewhat cautiously approaching the fallen Deep Orc.


    The fight ended rather abruptly as reinforcements from the refugee column arrived and filled the largest Deep Orc with bolts. Meanwhile, Filo was able to harry the crossbowman long enough for Chuti and other goblin warriors to join him and mob the Deep Orc in a way that only Goblins seemed capable of.


    Or at least that is how it should have ended.


    Distracted by the spectacle of ten Goblins mobbing the single Deep Orc crossbowman, Emelia was very nearly blindsided as the fallen Deep Orc riddled with crossbow bolts jerkily rose to his feet.


    There was another scattered volley of crossbow bolts from the relief team, although there were far fewer loaded crossbows to fire with.


    The Deep Orc staggered under the impacts but made no sound, instead it unsteadily but purposefully lumbering towards the nearest Goblin.


    Something was very wrong.


    ¡°Enslavement!¡± Emelia cried, pointing her shortsword at the aberrant Deep Orc. To her surprise, a Status Alert appeared almost immediately, but she was too flustered to read it. Nadine had explicitly warned her not to use this Ability in front of their Goblin allies, but Emelia couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was incredibly wrong. ¡°Stop!¡± She commanded, willing the Deep Orc to fall still so it would either succumb to its wounds and die, or give them time to put it down.


    The Deep Orc continued on regardless, seemingly oblivious to her command.


    Emelia felt an icy chill run down her back and took an involuntary step backwards.


    *Thunk*


    A lone crossbow bolt drove through the visor of the Deep Orc¡¯s helmet and a half-second later, it collapsed to the ground.


    A second Status Alert, no doubt the death of the Deep Orc appeared in front of Emelia¡¯s eyes. However, much like the first, she was too excited to stop the letters from moving around enough to read them.


    ¡°Emelia!¡± Tobi called out worriedly as he rushed over from the refugee column. The Goblins made way for him and Tobi warily skirted the corpse of the Deep Orc, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± he warned the goblins as they began closing in to salvage their ammunition. There was the unmistakable pitchiness in Tobi¡¯s voice that he reserved for when he was truly afraid, and that only unnerved Emelia even more.


    As much as Emelia liked Tobi, she was still far too embarrassed to admit to her...condition. So she waited to see if he would explain what it was that had him so worried. Tobi¡¯s sudden arrival and warning made it abundantly clear that there had been something in the Status Alerts that worried him, and so long as Emelia waited, she would know what it was too. Not being able to read whenever she wanted was inconvenient and frustrating, but it was baffling how often other people would do it for Emelia if she was patient and waited.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t touch you did it?¡± Tobi asked worriedly, critically looking her over front and back before calming down.


    Emelia shook her head, ¡°No, it didn¡¯t make it any further than what you saw,¡± she explained, her slight upward inflection suggesting Emelia wanted to know why he was being so careful.


    Tobi let out a deep sigh in relief, ¡°You probably haven¡¯t had much experience with Ghouls in Hurst, but you remember how I told you my family is from Mornbrent?¡±


    Emelia nodded.


    ¡°Well, the Mornbrent Labyrinth is sort of famous for the fact that it is very nearly overrun with undead type monsters like that Ghoul,¡± Tobi shakily pointed at the fallen Deep Orc for emphasis.


    ¡°What makes them so dangerous?¡± Emelia asked nervously, edging further away from the body.


    Tobi seemed only too keen to put more distance between them and the seeming corpse, ¡°Certain undead types, like the Ghoul, Curse their victims through touch, and if you die while Cursed...well...you come back as a Ghoul.¡±


    Emelia gulped hard and backed further away.


    ¡°We need to let the Guild representatives know about this,¡± Tobi groaned dejectedly, apparently no keener on interacting with the guild than with the Ghoul itself.


    Leaving alongside Tobi, Emelia gave the Ghouls corpse as wide a berth as possible. She had heard enough stories about undead monsters to be terrified of them and decided that she would not leave Tobi¡¯s side until they managed to return to the safety of Sanctuary.


    *****


    ¡°AHAHAHAHA!¡± Qreet cackled maniacally as the swamplands rapidly took shape before her. Already able to sense mana, the moment Lash invited Hana to her retinue, every Daemon immediately unlocked the Druid Advanced Class through the shared synergies of our combined party and retinues. Consequently, with no small amount of encouragement from Hana, Qreet and four other one-horned Daemons eagerly accepted the Class and got to work.


    In spite of their essences being heavily divided, the Daemons seemed to have no problems maintaining a gruelling development regimen. Which was definitely for the best, since Hana¡¯s presence beyond the Barrier had seemingly driven the monsters in the surrounding swamplands insane.


    Drawn like moths to a flame, the wild monsters of the swamp surged towards Hana at the centre of the terraformed territory with suicidal levels of abandon. It took the full deployment of every able-bodied Deep Orc and a full half of the adult Serpent-Kin, to hold the territory while the Druids worked their magic.


    With so many monsters assaulting our position and Hana and the Daemon Druids hastily disguised in large robes purchased from the vendor, I had been forced to issue a quest specifically targeting the human soldiers to encourage them to remain within their camp.


    Unsurprisingly, according to reports from our scouts, the humans seemed to have leapt at the opportunity and according to the quests instructions, were diligently standing in parade formation and performing marching drills in the confines of their camp. Even though the Exp would likely be minimal, it was still nonetheless free of risk which made it valuable in its way.


    Besides, Cpt. Klive and I had come to an agreement that he and his soldiers would remain confined to their current camp while the grounds were developed for their new and more permanent encampment.


    I wasn¡¯t a complete idiot, so I made sure that while the army¡¯s permanent encampment would be relatively close, it would still require a somewhat circuitous route along a winding raised pathway in order to approach Sanctuary. While I had been given no reason to suspect Cpt. Klive could not be trusted, I was not willing to be burned for a second time. After all, the adventurer Guild manager had seemed trustworthy too, right up until he wasn¡¯t.


    For my part, I wasn¡¯t content to slack off either. This world was a dangerous and violent place, and in order to protect those I cared about and those who depend on me, I would need to embrace those elements fully.


    Just as I had made a quest for the humans to keep them holed up in their camp, I had also made a quest for our benefit, awarding bonus Exp for anyone defending Hana based upon their contributions. It was a loophole of sorts I had recognised in the framework of quest giving. Timed events and those based on contributions awarded far more Exp than simply assigning a repeatable kill target. Even though the end result was technically the same, the volume of Exp was around forty percent greater and had additional bonuses for those who ranked the highest.


    With three sets of the Eminence Class Ability harvesting bonus Exp and storing it in the Totem, It truly boggled my mind that it was possible to drastically and literally farm Exp like this.


    Through the combined efforts of the Daemons below and my own efforts here above the ground, I had already reached level ten and gained two new Class Abilities.


    [(Class Ability: War Banner {Rank 0}): Claim dominance over the battlefield and embolden your Allies. Requires a suitable object to serve as your banner. The effect will end if the banner falls or is claimed by an enemy. Expend MP to give all Allies within range of the War Banner the {Brave} or {Stoic} Condition. Maximum number of Banners determined by {Presence} (0:1)]


    [(Class Ability: Heart of the Clan {Rank 0}): Your very presence inspires and empowers your Allies. Allies within range benefit from Racial Abilities available through your Primary Settlement Totem. {Willpower} and {Presence} increase the range of the effect.]


    I hadn¡¯t quite understood what Heart of the Clan had meant until a lull in the fighting gave me a chance to really think about it. In hindsight, it was obvious. The ability was telling me that it was possible to acquire additional Settlements. How exactly I was meant to go about doing that, I wasn¡¯t really sure, but it certainly made future prospects rather interesting all the same.


    Better still, Lash and Hana were both levelling as fast as I was and had gotten interesting abilities of their own.


    [(Class Ability: Retribution {Rank 2}): Expend MP to return damage taken against an enemy within range. {Willpower} increases the range and damage of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Bulwark {Rank 0}): Parry and block enemy attacks with increased {Momentum}. {Strength} increases the effect.]


    By all accounts, Lash¡¯s Warden Class was specialised in defence and was becoming even more so with each new ability she gained. On the upside, it provided a reasonable excuse to encourage her to use a shield.


    While Deep Orc armour was thick, the iron plates were reinforced and backed with hardened leather, but it still had a myriad of weak points and exposed surfaces. The addition of even a small shield could make a significant difference.


    Reading through Lash¡¯s new abilities also reminded me that I had never actually read Hana¡¯s Arch Druid starting Class Abilities.


    [(Class Ability: Plant Growth {Rank 2}): Guide and accelerate the growth of vegetation by expending MP. {Willpower} increases the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Grove Tender {Rank 2}): Form a {Grove} to serve as a natural PMana Well} in a suitable location. Gain increased MP regeneration while within range of the Grove.]


    [(Class Ability: Regenerative Regrowth {Rank 2}): Vegetation within range {Regenerates} at an accelerated rate. {Willpower} increases the range of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Wyrd Wood {Rank 2}): Impart limited sentience to suitable vegetation by expending MP. Maximum number of {Wyrds} is determined by {Willpower} (0/3).]


    [(Class Ability: Nature''s Own {Rank 0}): Gain substantial resistance to Disease and Poison. {Toughness} and {Willpower} increases the effect.]


    Hana¡¯s Arch Druid Class had only gotten stranger. I mean, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the walking tree people from a popular fantasy movie franchise after reading the Wyrd Wood Class Ability. Treants, I think, was the mythological term for them. Unfortunately, with all her mana being spent on terraforming the land, Hana had no real-time for experimenting with the ability. Or so I had assumed.


    No less than two minutes after reaching tenth level, Hana briefly redirected her attention to the centre of the terraformed land and pulsed a strong wave of mana that soaked into the ground.


    A few moments later, a tiny sapling slowly grew out of the ground and began to emanate mana matching Hana¡¯s own.


    Hana strode over to the sapling, knelt down and cradled it lovingly between her hands. Gathering mana in her hands, the sapling within underwent explosive growth and Hana was forced to step backwards. In under a minute, the sapling had swollen into a strange macabre pod and had begun to split open, disgorging a sickeningly sweet-smelling slurry.


    All at once, the pod seemed to explode, sending the skin and slurry flying in all directions and revealing a gnarled seed roughly six feet in diameter.


    Before I had the chance to ask Hana what the hell she was doing, Hana gathered mana in her right hand again and gently caressed the exposed seed.


    Under Hana¡¯s touch, the surface of the seed cracked and pulled apart. Some of the seed casing fell away, but most shrunk back on itself as if withering under an intense heat. The retraction of the shell revealed a tangled mess of what appeared to be roots and branches. However, the branches and roots stiffly began to separate from one another and revealed a roughly humanoid figure.


    Not so much concealed by the outer branches and roots as I initially thought, they were evidently part of the creature''s body itself. Initially curled in an upright foetal position, with its arms and legs hugged tight to its chest, the Wyrd stiffly began uncurling its limbs and standing under its own weight. A rather impressive feat given that it looked to weigh at least half a ton.


    Easily ten-foot-tall or more, the Wyrd somewhat resembled a wiry framed woman crossed with a tree. Although it seemed quite clumsy, the Wyrd nonetheless made its way towards the nearby defensive line with an implacable surety of purpose.


    Hana gave her creation a determined nod before returning to her original task.


    Curious as to why Hana did not raise a second, I quickly realised that it wasn¡¯t needed.


    The Wyrd took to the battle with single-minded determination and ruthless brutality. Crushing and strangling smaller prey underfoot, the Wyrd anchored its roots into the ground and crushed its enemies like a vice. Those facing its grasping hands fared little better. Capable of extending and retracting its arms at will, the Wyrd snatched up any wild monster that came within a dozen feet of it, and tore them in half, emotionlessly discarding the remains before pursuing its next target.


    With the Wyrd taking a great deal of pressure off the battle line, there was less of a need for my presence. However, as tempted as I was to leave the fighting to others, I decided that I needed far more practice to temper my aggression. Twice today alone, I had lost track of myself in the bloodshed and violence. Each time, there had been no warning. I would just suddenly become aware of myself again with an unexplainable absence in memory. The only correlation I had found was that it seemed to accompany a prolonged intensity of aggression, but that was not particularly helpful.


    With that in mind, I ordered the most tired to step back and recuperate. We were due for a break soon anyway, but recovering the remains of the wild monsters was bound to be a taxing affair and I doubted the Serpent-Kin currently held in reserve would be able to manage it on their own.


    Admittedly, killing snakes, crabs, crocodiles and even the Mud Dolls, was a poor substitute for actual weapons practice. Fighting beast type monsters was completely different to fighting humanoid ones with weapons. With how my life was headed, it was the latter I desperately needed more familiarity with.


    As Hana, Qreet and the other Daemons mana waned, the scheduled retreat was called and the final sleds carrying retrieved monster corpses were shepherded back to the safety of Sanctuary.


    Between the six of them, they had more or less terraformed a patch of swampland half the size of Sanctuary in under four hours of near-continuous effort. Only the promised supply of fresh clean water was yet to be fulfilled, but I doubted it would take Hana long to teach Qreet and the other Daemon Druids the trick and they would have it sorted out in no time.


    More importantly than the terraforming project, the absence of Status Alerts made it clear that the Daemons Exp farming down below had come to an end as well. Curious as to why exactly we had been swarmed by the wild monsters to begin with, I went looking for Gric in search of answers. Assumedly, since the Exp was no longer flowing, both he and the other Daemons would be unable to sustain their projected forms for long, so I just needed to seek out the original in our makeshift dungeon.


    On my way to the Grove. I noticed a bustling baggage train of Serpent-Kin and Daemons stretching off in the direction of the underground tunnel. The sheer volume of meat, hide and bone had already formed a veritable mountain near the cooking fires, where the valiant volunteers doggedly set about butchering the best cuts of meat and discarding the offal into the fishing pond.


    With no need to go fishing, the denizens of the pond were given free rein to dispose of the discarded innards.


    I couldn¡¯t help but snort derisively at myself as I recalled how I had once been concerned we would not be able to provide enough food for everyone to eat. It seemed almost perverse that we now had more food than we could possibly eat before it went bad. It was not a bad problem to have, considering the available means of waste disposal, but such overabundance was difficult to get my head around.


    Entering the Grove, my attention was immediately drawn to Ril and Toofy, who were playing by the fountain. Or, more accurately, Ril playing in the fountain and Toofy handstand walking along the rim.


    To my knowledge, Ril had not left the fountain since shortly after returning to Sanctuary, so Toofy had not left the immediate vicinity either. Clutching the magical jewel possessively, Ril nervously watched me pass by the fountain and even surreptitiously distanced herself from the rim as if fearing I would take it from her.


    Letting out a sigh, I shook my head and continued towards the underground prison. Currently home to only the npc Tailor Vendor and the Angel. Each of them were afforded rather sizable accommodations. Although I doubted either of them truly appreciated it.


    Entering the Angel Orphiel¡¯s cell, I found Gric was exactly where I had last seen him, however, the Angel seemed...off. Eyes wide and staring at the wall, the only sign the Angel was even alive came from the nearly imperceptible trembling of his lips.


    Having left the Angel in Gric¡¯s care, I was beginning to feel a niggling sense of guilt. All the more so since I had used its advice to cure Lash and then left it to...whatever it was Gric was doing to it.


    I roughly cleared my throat to get Gric¡¯s attention, ¡°Gric? I want a report on what happened down below,¡± I commanded authoritatively.


    Gric blinked and took a moment to get his bearings. ¡°Lord?!¡± He grinned toothily upon having noticed my presence, ¡°The below? Of course!¡±


    Orphiel gasped and began gulping down air as if he had very nearly drowned.


    ¡°It was a trap Lord, part of the dungeon,¡± Gric grinned wider, ¡°But the trap was not intended for you or indeed, for us at all. Merely a happy accident.¡±


    ¡°What? How does a trap send infinite waves of enemies at us like that?¡± I demanded incredulously, more in terms of general principle than lack of understanding. After all, I had already lived through three such examples already.


    Gric shrugged, ¡°It is the Labyrinth¡¯s will,¡± he replied somewhat dismissively.


    ¡°Tch...¡± Orphiel cringed but said nothing.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I have good news for you, Lord. The ¡®Fallen¡¯ Angel Orphiel has seen the error in his ways and wishes to serve you!¡± Emphasising the word Fallen, Gric seemed particularly ecstatic by the news, while Orphiel made no signs one way or the other.


    ¡°Is this true?¡± I tried my best to keep my voice free of emotion. I was already feeling guilty over leaving Orphiel in Gric¡¯s care, but I didn¡¯t want to give him any bargaining leverage.


    ¡°You may speak,¡± Gric encouraged the Fallen Angel.


    Cringing, Orphiel made to speak and winced.


    Gric chuckled, ¡°Speak,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°I will serve...¡± Orphiel croaked quietly.


    ¡°Can we trust him?¡± I asked Gric bluntly, ¡°What will stop him from betraying us the moment the collar is removed?¡±


    ¡°He will swear a Soul Oath of Service. To betray you Lord would result in his immediate death and indefinite annihilation,¡± Gric explained the last with a disturbingly intense degree of pleasure.


    ¡°But it isn¡¯t like the collar right? He won¡¯t just immediately die, or have his brain melted by disobeying me?¡± I asked pointedly. I would honestly rather kill the Fallen Angel here and now, than to subject it to literal slavery. ¡°So long as the oath prevents him from plotting against us or betraying us to outsiders, then that is enough.¡±


    Orphiel looked shocked, as did Gric.


    ¡°My Lord,¡± Gric anxiously flexed his fingers, ¡°The hosts of Elysium are treacherous and prone to all manner of deviousness if left unchecked-¡± He glared balefully at Orphiel, ¡°-so it is best to keep them on a tight leash!¡±


    Orphiel flinched bodily and shrunk away from Gric. The behaviour only exacerbated my mounting sense of guilt in having let things get so far out of hand. After all, the Fallen Angel seemed to be no older than fifteen years old, and was so obviously traumatised that I couldn¡¯t help but nervously wonder if this world had its own form of S.W.A.T.


    ¡°No, Gric. So long as, Orphiel... So long as he swears a binding oath not to betray us or attempt to bring us harm, he will be free to leave,¡± I had made my decision. Objectively an emotionally charged one, but I would much rather live with the consequences than continue being party to...whatever this had been.


    Gric frowned with intense dissatisfaction but tactfully held his tongue.


    ¡°You would let me leave?¡± Orphiel croaked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I agreed bluntly, ¡°You have attacked my people unprovoked, but the harm done is already removed, and I suspect Gric has already exacted a punishment fitting that crime,¡± I explained dryly. ¡°If you swear upon your soul to leave me and my people be, you will be allowed to leave.¡±


    The Fallen Angel said nothing, his eyes stared intensely into mine as if searching for something. Having found what he was looking for, or perhaps having given up, Orphiel broke eye contact and cast his gaze downward. ¡°I swear to this,¡± he whispered, yet the words boomed as loud as thunder.


    The Fallen Angel radiated a faint golden light that quickly took the form of interlinked chains over his body briefly before they disappeared.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± I asked sceptically.


    ¡°Yes Lord,¡± Gric confirmed somewhat disappointedly.


    ¡°I want to stay!¡± Orphiel¡¯s sudden outburst caught both Gric and myself off guard.


    ¡°What?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    The Fallen Angel gulped dryly and shrunk back under my bared suspicion, ¡°I want to stay...¡± Orphiel repeated, ¡°I-If there is a chance I can reverse the wrong maybe...¡±


    Gric noticeably relaxed, ¡°He believes he can return to grace,¡± he snorted in amusement.


    Orphiel clenched his fists determinedly but said nothing.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Gric stepped part way between myself and Orphiel to seize my attention, ¡°This is actually a valuable opportunity. Recruiting one of the fallen to the fold will almost certainly unlock Rulership Class advancements for us both!¡±


    Orphiel winced, but again, said nothing.


    Besides Gric¡¯s sudden excitement, I didn¡¯t see any immediate problems with the idea of the Fallen Angel joining Sanctuary. Whatever debt he owed, I had little doubt that Gric had made him pay for it tenfold. The fact that Orphiel had also already sworn an oath on the pain of his immediate death not to betray or harm us was a point strongly in his favour. The possibility that he could still find a way to serve as a spy existed, but if Gric had guessed Orphiel¡¯s intentions correctly, then there was actually nothing to fear.


    ¡°What was your oath?¡± I asked curiously, wanting to confirm my suspicions, ¡°The one that caused your..fall from grace.¡±


    Orphiel shuddered and hung his head in shame, ¡°I...I harmed an innocent...¡± He whispered despondently.


    Gric sneered contemptuously but said nothing.


    I had thought as much. Whatever beef existed between Angels and Daemons in this world, Orphiel had apparently not anticipated his oath being broken by accidentally harming a Daemon. As savage as the Daemons could be, it seemed weird that Orphiel would openly attack them like that unless he assumed they were ¡®guilty¡¯ in the first place.


    ¡°Why did you attack the Daemons then? Why did you assume they were not innocent?¡± I prompted. There was something more to this rivalry, and I needed to hear the other side of it before asking Gric.


    ¡°It has always been so...¡± Orphiel replied bitterly, ¡°They have always served the most vile and despicable of masters. To commit slaughter and genocide at their masters whim is their most ardent pleasure!¡±


    I flinched. I just couldn¡¯t help it. I knew enough of the Daemons to know better than argue with the Fallen Angel. If I ordered them to, the Daemons would do just as he said and worse if I willed it so. ¡°But you would join alongside them?¡± I asked warily.


    The fire left Orphiel¡¯s eyes and he hung his head, ¡°Yes...¡± He replied resignedly, ¡°I have no other path left to take...Better to seek my redemption in perdition, than seek Absolution in Elysium¡±


    The way Orphiel spoke the last portion sent a shiver down my spine.


    What the hell was wrong with this world¡¯s Angels?!


    ¡°May I?!¡± Gric asked eagerly, positively brimming with excitement.


    I was about to say yes, but I noticed Orphiel still had the Slave collar around his neck. ¡°Remove the collar first,¡± I commanded, ¡°Then if Orphiel truly wishes to join us, you can extend the invitation.¡± While I didn¡¯t doubt Gric¡¯s intentions, I still felt like it would be best if I kept a closer eye on his activities moving forward.


    Gric complied and removed Orphiel¡¯s collar, offering it back to me.


    Reluctantly accepting the collar, if only to remove further temptation from Gric, I motioned for him to proceed.


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Orphiel - Fallen Angel} was recruited by {Underlord Gric} as a minion.]


    For a moment, nothing really happened, then Gric began to smile.


    ¡°Yesssss!¡± Gric pumped his fists in excitement, ¡°Lord! I can now arbitrate summoning contracts on behalf of our minions!¡±


    I just stared blankly at Gric and waited for him to elaborate.


    ¡°Lord? Are you not pleased?¡± Gric asked worriedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what arbitrating those contracts means Gric. Why would you think I did?¡± I demanded dryly.


    Gric seemed to take the criticism in stride, ¡°It means that I may now accept and reject attempted summons on behalf of all lower-ranked Daemons! Should you wish it, we can serve as both mercenaries and spies throughout the Labyrinths!¡± His enthusiasm ebbed somewhat, ¡°Though it will be limited by the scope of our perceived value of course...¡±


    ¡°Are Summoner and Pact Binder classes so common as to allow for that?¡± I asked dubiously. I had not seen a single adventurer like that on the first floor, nor heard Nadine, Clarice or Emelia speak of them either. Considering how monumentally overpowered the summoning and Pact Binder Classes had proven themselves to be, it seemed unlikely for them to fly under the radar like that.


    Gric¡¯s grin took a sudden manic intensity, ¡°Not yet!¡± He admitted, ¡°But they could be!¡±


    He was right...Unlocking those classes had only two requirements so far as I could tell. First, to witness a summoning first hand, and second, to interact with a summoned creature. The problem with this method was that it would mean teaching someone the Classes in the first place. Once the Classes were out there, it would be almost impossible for them not to spread, but was that a good thing?


    I supposed that given the limited supply of Daemons to fill the contracted roles, it would stop an over-saturation. I mean, Asra had been popping manastones like candy to fuel his Daemon horde, and I was quite sure that the Daemons summoned copies were doing likewise just in order to sustain their mana fueled projections.


    ¡°Gric? Is there such a thing as consumable summoning items?¡± I asked curiously. I just had a brilliant idea on how we could spread our potential influence beyond this floor of the Labyrinth without directly relying on the human army. If there was one thing that always seemed to be in short supply, it was healers. So far as I knew, the human army hadn¡¯t brought any with them, and unless I missed my guess, it was because no Surgeon would consider the available payment from the army to be worth the risk. But there was no risk for the Daemons. At worst their projections would just disappear...


    Gric nodded eagerly, his eyes damn near sparkling, ¡°Yes Lord! Provided suitable materials, both myself and Asra are capable of this!¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± I demanded excitedly.


    ¡°Precious little Lord! Just blood, manastones and something to write upon should suffice!¡± Gric replied with equal enthusiasm.


    ¡°Blood?¡± That gave me pause for a moment.


    Gric looked somewhat confused, ¡°There is nothing else suitable to write with,¡± he explained pragmatically.


    ¡°Oh...¡± For a moment there, I had seriously reconsidered the whole Daemon summoning thing...


    ¡°Provided a manastone is sufficiently powerful, it can be used to store a delayed or conditional use of certain Class Abilities,¡± Gric explained cheerfully, ¡°Writing instructions isn¡¯t strictly necessary, but adds to the aesthetic!¡±


    ¡°Wait...Is that all?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Gric shrugged, ¡°The manastone provides the raw power, the Class Ability provides the structure. What else would be needed beyond that?¡± He replied.


    ¡°How are they meant to activate it then?¡± I pressed, clutching at straws, fully aware of my own ignorance.


    ¡°Injecting mana is sufficient to trigger the effect,¡± Gric replied helpfully.


    ¡°What about the staff from the dungeon?¡± I asked, ¡°Why was that so different?¡±


    Gric nodded in acknowledgement and gave Orphiel a sideways glance, ¡°That item was created by the Labyrinth, it was not created the same way, but you could emulate its effects well enough.¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡± How had I skipped straight to Daemon summoning and ignored one of the most practical uses, ¡°Your saying that Ril could make another Portal staff if she chooses that Class?¡±


    Gric gave me a strange look for a moment and then nodded, ¡°Lord, Ril has already chosen the Nexus Binder Advanced Class. She confirmed her choice shortly after your mandate for self-determination...¡±


    I should have expected that...


    Orphiel furrowed his brow but said nothing.


    Gric noticed the reaction and chuckled, ¡°Yes! Do you now see the glory of our Lord?¡± He demanded, ¡°To determine our own abilities with which to better serve his interests! No Archon of the heavenly host, nor Monarch of the great pit would dare entrust such a burden upon their servants! Yet such is the faith our Lord places in us!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but cringe at Gric¡¯s misplaced proselytising. Making the Daemons responsible for their own Class selection was to ease my own guilt over otherwise controlling their very lives. It was a small consolation to my conscience, but Orphiel didn¡¯t seem to see it that way.


    ¡°I can choose my own Classes?¡± Orphiel asked in a hushed gasp. He hastily covered his mouth and glanced fearfully around the surrounding darkness.


    I nodded, ¡°You can ask Gric or Hana about what Classes we have available and can teach y-¡±


    ¡°I want to be a Bard!¡± Orphiel blurted out suddenly.


    I just started at Orphiel for a moment before fully realising what he had said. ¡°A Bard?¡± I asked uncertainly, ¡°Like a musician? Sings and plays different instruments?¡±


    Orphiel nodded determinedly.


    ¡°Uh...Okay, if we figure out how to unlock that Class, you are free to learn it,¡± I agreed bemusedly.


    Tears welled in Orphiel¡¯s eyes and he fell to his knees, ¡°Thank you, most gracious Lord!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I replied a little nervously.


    ¡°Accept!¡± Orphiel cried out in what sounded like desperate happiness.


    It took me a moment to realise what had happened, but then it suddenly clicked. Orphiel had the Class unlocked already...


    [Orphiel - Fallen Angel Novitiate: 3 ] [HP: 20/20] [MP: 1/18 (23) ]


    [Tim¡¯s Minion. Minion of Sanctuary.] [Class: Bard 0. +1 Presence, +5 MP] [Exp:0/5000 ]


    [Strength: 10 ]


    [Agility: 12 ]


    [Toughness: 10 ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 8 ]


    [Presence: 15 (16)]


    [(Class Ability: Summon Instrument): Summon a copy of any known {Instrument}. {Summoned Instruments} increases the range and effect of {Bard Class Abilities}.]


    [(Class Ability: Scarper 0): Expend MP to intuitively recognise the shortest route out of a dwelling. {Presence} increases the speed of donning and retrieving equipment.]


    [(Class Ability: Inspire Allies 0): Expend MP and perform to inspire allies, increasing their damage dealt, reducing damage taken, and negating {Fatigued}. {Presence} increases the range of the effect.]


    [(Racial Ability: Fallen Judgement {Rank 2}): {Curse} an enemy with altered memories from their past, forcing them to confront their sins. {Presence} increases the difficulty of overcoming the {Curse} on their own as well as the difficulty in dispelling the {Curse} through alternate means.]


    [(Racial Ability: Fallen Grace {Rank 2}): Expend MP to remove damage from a living target, but take a portion of that same damage. {Willpower} decreases the damage taken.]


    [(Racial Ability: Fallen Divinity {Rank 0): Increases resistance to spells and replenishes MP when resisting spells. {Willpower} increases the effects.]


    [Class Qualifications: Taskmaster, Slaver, Minstrel. ]


    Looking over Orphiel¡¯s Status took me at least a few minutes. I just kept being drawn back to the Bard Class Abilities. Inspire Allies seemed pretty self-explanatory and ¡®on the level¡¯, but Scarper, and the fact that it had multiple Ranks, beggared belief. Unless I completely missed the mark, Scarper was designed for Bard¡¯s to bolt from someone''s bedroom at incredibly short notice.


    Why the hell did the Labyrinth have a Class Ability like that floating around?!


    Leaving Gric and Orphiel behind, I left the prison and went to take a drink from one of the spouts pouring into the fountain.


    Just as before, Toofy was still playing on the rim of the fountain, while RIl swam about in the water.


    ¡°You know,¡± I said loudly enough that Ril had no excuse not to hear, ¡°I could probably make a necklace for that jewel so you don¡¯t have to keep it in your hands.¡± Ril was smart for her age, incredibly smart, but she had the same relative ignorance as the other monsters in that she knew precious little beyond what the Labyrinth had imprinted in her brain. Older monsters of course accrued knowledge just as humans do, but Ril was barely a week old.


    Obviously intrigued, Ril swam closer. ¡°Tim can make a necklace like Mama¡¯s?¡± She asked curiously.


    Glancing over at the silver belt buckle tied to a leather strap hanging around Toofy¡¯s neck, I nodded. ¡°I made it,¡± I explained with a small grin.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Ril closed the distance between us with a powerful kick of her legs and a flick of her finned tail. Somewhat resembling the dorsal finned tail of the Hydra, I was a little surprised I hadn¡¯t noticed it sooner since it was easily equal in length to her height. ¡°Tim will make a necklace for RIl?¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°Sure, I just need some materials. I¡¯ll be back in a minute,¡± I patted Ril¡¯s head and moved off to the storeroom to find some leather or hide cord. Returning to the fountain, I made a small net from the cord and left two long lengths about a foot long each on either side. Somewhat resembling a sling, I offered it to Ril. ¡°You just need to put the jewel in the net then tie the cords together tight so it won¡¯t fall out,¡± I explained.


    Ril had watched me work, so I wasn¡¯t surprised when she eagerly and excitedly placed the jewel in the net, tied it off and then draped the necklace around her neck before tying off the cords behind her neck.


    ¡°LORD!¡± Wraithe, one of the single-horned Daemons rushed into the Grove, her bestial features twisted in an expression of anger, ¡°Sanctuary is under attack!¡±


    Her words caught me off guard, but I had already gotten to my feet and begun to move, ¡°Where?!¡± I demanded.


    ¡°The eastern gate Lord!¡± Wraithe chittered excitedly and pointed towards Sanctuary¡¯s only gate, ¡°They attacked us with ranged weapons! Four guards were injured but I stitched them right up!¡± She declared proudly.


    ¡°Are the enemies still out there?!¡± I demanded, letting Wraithe¡¯s class choice fall by the wayside as I tried to focus on what was important.


    ¡°Yes Lord! But we prioritised the lives of your minions, as ordered. No one has been allowed to attempt engaging the enemy force!¡± Wraithe spoke the words with pride and a hint of expectation.


    ¡°Good,¡± I commented, and noted the expression of satisfaction on her face in response. ¡°Where is-¡±


    ¡°What is going on?!¡± Lash demanded, already fully armoured and rushing towards us.


    ¡°Enemies attacked the gate,¡± I replied dourly, ¡°I was just about to organise a counter-attack. Thoughts?¡± Lash was bound to have far more tactical insight into this sort of thing, so I wasn¡¯t just going to ignore her out of hand.


    ¡°They are skirmishing? Or raiding?¡± Lash demanded.


    I looked pointedly at Wraithe, ¡°You said they were just firing from a distance right?¡±


    Wraithe nodded, ¡°Indeed Lord! The guards called them crossed bows,¡± she added helpfully.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wince a little upon hearing that. Depending on the head used on their ammunition, we could be in for a very rough time.


    Lash nodded sombrely, ¡°They do not intend to fight,¡± she concluded, ¡°Leaving Sanctuary is a mistake. We will chase and they will run. More will attack...¡±


    Not really having any ranged weapons to speak of put us at a huge disadvantage. ¡°What species of monster are they?¡± I asked hurriedly, realising I probably should have led with that question.


    Wraithe¡¯s eyes flickered briefly to Lash before returning to me again, ¡°We believe they are Deep Orcs, Lord.¡±


    Lash¡¯s expression turned bitter, but she said nothing.


    We arrived at the gate, and just as I had hoped, Hana''s Wyrd, the guards and other volunteers had blocked off most of the entrance with hauling sleds turned onto their sides.


    ¡°Lord! Your safety!¡± One of the volunteers hurriedly stripped off his helmet and pressed it into my hands, revealing the face of a grizzled old man.


    As much as I wanted to refuse, I knew better. Even if my skin was practically arrow proof, one lucky shot through my eye socket or ear canal would almost certainly be a death sentence. So I donned the helmet and tied off the leather strap.


    ¡°How many?¡± Lash demanded, effortlessly taking command.


    ¡°I count twenty,¡± One Deep Orc offered.


    ¡°Thirty!¡± added another.


    Lash nodded, seemingly taking the contradictory information in stride. After thinking for a moment, she turned her attention to me instead, ¡°I want to outflank them,¡± Lash stated bluntly.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Set the humans on them,¡± Lash replied matter of factly, ¡°Issue a quest while baiting the traitors!¡± Far from being conflicted at attacking those who had once been her people, Lash seemed incensed. There was an undeniable logic to her intended plan though, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything better.


    Issuing a quest to the humans specifically to repel the invading forces assailing the gate, I then temporarily disabled the garrison quest that had been keeping them holed up for half the day.


    Within minutes I heard a muffled horn call from the south.


    Were it not for the fact that the human soldiers had access to competitively ranged weapons to fight the Deep Orcs with, and shields, I would have felt bad for them. But that middling crisis of conscience evaporated as the human soldiers engaged the Deep Orc skirmishers.


    The few faces I could make out from the defensive vantage of the gate looked like they had been taken straight off a wartime propaganda poster. Far from being scared, as I had expected them to be, even the rank and file bore grins of eagerness and excitement, like they were off on some grand adventure...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 19 – To be determined – Part Two {Rewrite}

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 19 ¨C To be determined ¨C Part Two {Rewrite}Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 19 - To be determined - Part Two {Rewrite}


    When the Deep Orcs saw the human soldiers headed towards them, they didn¡¯t run as I had expected they would. Instead, champions broke from their ranks and charged at the soldiers.


    For all their eagerness, the soldiers weren¡¯t stupid. They formed ranks and collectively met the charging Deep Orcs with a densely packed wall of spears and shields.


    Seemingly obsessed with making contact with the soldiers, the Deep Orcs threw down their axes and tried scrambling over the improvised wall.


    However, the soldiers weren¡¯t going to allow it. Sporadic volleys of arrows began peppering the Deep Orc champions from the flanks, the shield wall ensuring that the archers'' allies were not caught in the crossfire. The majority of shots ricocheted off the Deep Orcs¡¯ heavy armour, but every so often, an archer would get lucky and sneak an arrow through the gaps in the iron plates.


    The footsoldiers'' weren¡¯t just maintaining the shield wall either. Through active coordination, they slowly drew the champions away from their own fire support and isolated them, allowing the archers to return fire against the would-be skirmishers with impunity, while the spearmen worried the champions down.


    Despite their losses, the Deep Orc crossbowmen didn¡¯t flee and kept fighting. Even with just one crossbowman left standing, he or she, stood defiantly against the withering hail of arrows, loading and firing their crossbow with dogged determination. Their defiance didn¡¯t last and an arrow caught the Deep Orc in the neck as they prepared to fire their next bolt.


    After the last Deep Orc fell, the soldiers swept over the battlefield and finished them off with brutal efficiency, although for some reason, the Deep Orc champions were being given a wide berth. With the quest completed, the soldiers were awarded Exp based upon their contributions to the fight and their immediate area lit up like the sun as most if not all of them levelled up simultaneously.


    Not quite sure what I had expected, I was still surprised when the soldiers doused the Deep orc champion bodies with oil and set them on fire.


    Wraithe and the other Daemons who had come to reinforce the gate quickly made themselves scarce as The familiar forms of Cpt. Klive, Lt. Felix and his lower-ranked shadows began approaching the gate. Hana had made her way over at this point as well, but shied back into the ranks of the Serpent-Kin volunteers and cowled herself in a drab but sturdy-looking cloak that looked like it was purchased from the incarcerated vendor.


    Motioning for the guards to open a space through the gate, I cautiously passed through the gate and waited for the humans to approach.


    Unsurprisingly, Lash and four other Deep Orcs I did not recognise followed behind me.


    In stark contrast to their lower-ranked officers and soldiers, Cpt. Klive and Lt. Felix looked unstrained by the battle that had taken place twenty or so minutes earlier.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim!¡± Cpt. Klive called out good-naturedly as they closed the remaining distance, ¡°I cannot express how truly grateful I am that you shared such a bounty with me and my men!¡±


    I nodded, unwilling to correct the man when he so willingly left himself in my debt.


    ¡°Although, the presence of the Ghouls was a real surprise. I had not read any reports of undead on this floor of the Hurst Labyrinth,¡± Cpt. Klive ruminated thoughtfully.


    ¡°Ghouls?¡± I asked without meaning to. Hearing the word, images of flesh-eating zombies came to mind but did not seem to fit what I had seen of the battle.


    Cpt. Klive nodded, his expression suddenly quite serious, ¡°They are a type of undead monster that spreads through a special Curse. The Curse of the Ghoul is carried in its bite. Anyone bitten by a Ghoul receives the Curse and will slowly transform into a Ghoul over time, or at midnight if they die from other means.¡± He waved back over to the burning corpses with a dour expression, ¡°Burning the bodies, dispelling the Curse or burying them in consecrated ground are the only known ways to stop those already Cursed from reanimating as Ghouls.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like the sound of that at all. ¡°What about Beasts?¡± I asked warily. I had seen enough zombie movies to not rule out the possibility of a zombified Beast hoard.


    Lt. Felix politely shook his head, ¡°Thankfully, the Ghoul Curse is limited to humans and..erm..human-like monsters...¡± He seemed uncomfortable with and unsure of his choice of words.


    I simply nodded and returned my attention to Cpt. Klive to better set his mind at ease, ¡°How is the Ghoul curse broken? And how do you create consecrated ground?¡± I asked pointedly. The last thing I wanted was to put down any one of my citizens unfortunate enough to be ¡®infected¡¯ while hunting to provide food for our community.


    Cpt. Klive was silent for a moment and seemed to be thinking something over with great intensity. ¡°There are Curse breaking potions and other magical items available in the Hurst marketplace. But they are incredibly expensive and vary wildly in cost depending on the strength of the dispelling effect. I have heard, from reliable sources, mind you, that the Ghoul¡¯s Curse can be broken by ingesting raw garlic and silver, but never seen it done first hand. As for consecrated ground...¡± He shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Only a grand speaker of the gods has been known to perform such a miracle. Hurst itself has a holy cathedral with sanctified grounds that ward against the undead. Unfortunately, such means are beyond us I am afraid.¡±


    I nodded in understanding and made a mental note to radically increase garlic production. ¡°I want silver as part of your first payment for the foundations of the fortification,¡± I demanded bluntly.


    ¡°I will make sure of it,¡± Cpt. Klive agreed earnestly, ¡°Ah, on the subject-¡±


    ¡°It will be ready by sundown,¡± I promised, ¡°Assuming we have the privacy to complete it.¡±


    Cpt. Klive smirked a little and nodded, ¡°Aye, and I will make sure you get it. But there was something else...¡± He glanced briefly yet pointedly at my hand, ¡°Can I assume you have access to advanced healing of some kind?¡±


    I was heavily inclined to plead ignorance or reference my own healing ability. However, recalling my earlier conversation with Gric, I would be remiss to overlook the opportunity the captain¡¯s request presented. The problem was in telling a convincing enough lie to minimise the risk to Sanctuary.


    Not for the first time in my life, I briefly regretted not being a proficient liar.


    ¡°Perhaps...¡± I agreed, trying to sound cryptic and mysterious, thankful that at least the helmet hid my face. ¡°A strange wandering merchant visited my Settlement many moons ago, with all manner of exotic items for sale. He would only accept coins for his wares, and we had few enough to spend...¡±


    Cpt. Klive and Lt. Felix nodded appreciatively and the former motioned for me to continue.


    ¡°I purchased a small bottle, a potion, the merchant called it. He claimed it would heal any lesser wound, and I suppose it has,¡± I clenched and unclenched my previously wounded hand. ¡°But I bought something else as well. A Summoning scroll. The merchant claimed it could Summon a spirit to tend and heal injuries for a certain length of time before it would disappear.¡±


    Now, this had Cpt. Klive¡¯s utmost attention, ¡°This scroll,¡± he gulped dryly, ¡°Do you still have it?¡± Even though Cpt. Klive was trying to downplay his interest, I could see the sudden intense desire to possess the fictitious scroll, taking hold in his eyes.


    I nodded, ¡°I do,¡± I lied, wondering how long exactly it would take Gric to manufacture the scroll.


    ¡°Name your price!¡± Cpt. Klive insisted suddenly, ¡°I have a duty to the soldiers under my command! As I am sure you can see, some of them are in pressing need of medical aid!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t lying, some soldiers did look like they were in dire need of medical attention. The soldiers armour had not fared particularly well against the Deep Orcs crossbows at such short range.


    ¡°You can have it in exchange for a favour,¡± I replied. I honestly had no idea how much to ask for. Objectively, the ability to call a Surgeon with a Daemons MP was bound to be expensive in and of itself. Add onto that, the fact that anyone in the vicinity would be unlocking the Summoner Class and quite possibly Pact Binder and Warlock as well, and the item was bound to be insanely expensive.


    With that in mind, I preferred the idea of Cpt. Klive owing me a commensurately sizeable favour. While I doubted it would persuade him to commit treason, I hoped it would prove sufficient to warrant special assistance in regards to Sanctuary and other Settlements that might be established down the line.


    ¡°Done!¡± Cpt. Klive agreed. ¡°You are proving a most valuable ally to his majesty, and I will do my utmost to shield your people from...undesirable interests.¡±


    I leaned in closer to Lash, ¡°Could you take two of your men and go to Gric? Tell him I want the scroll that summons the healer.¡±


    Lash nodded her head slightly and motioned to a pair of our accompanying guards, ¡°Follow me,¡± she commanded and headed back through the gate.


    The human officers seemed to collectively breathe a little easier with her absence.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Lt. Felix gave his superior officer a somewhat pleading look.


    Cpt Klive coughed lightly and gave Lt. Felix a terse nod, ¡°My junior officer and I were hoping that perhaps you could help explain why the Cursed Orcs were attacking your Settlement?¡± It was a fair enough question, particularly since by all accounts the battle was more dangerous than it had first seemed.


    ¡°A civil war, I think. The Deep Orcs of at least one clan had sworn to serve someone known as the ¡®Bright Lord¡¯. Or so the refugees have told me,¡± I explained while trying to keep my own people''s involvement ambiguous.


    Cpt. Klive did not seem to like the sound of that at all.


    ¡°You think this chieftain, or ¡®Bright Lord¡¯ is responsible for the attack on the adventurers Guild Foothold?¡± Lt. Felix whispered a touch louder than he should have.


    Cpt. Klive winced a little, glanced at me and nodded somewhat reluctantly.


    ¡°I have human friends returning from the human Settlement across the river,¡± I stated, trying to both set the Captain at ease as well as establish the fact that I was expecting the expeditionary group to return within the next few days.


    ¡°You have existing dealings with humans?¡± Cpt. Klive asked curiously.


    ¡°I do,¡± I agreed, ¡°They are friends to my people and they are always welcome in my home.¡± I hoped the Captain would remember that. Firstly, so he would be reminded that there were others who enjoyed my special attention, but also so he knew I would reciprocate kindness. After all, our alliance would only hold value if we could maintain it long term.


    Thinking of the expeditionary group had me worried, all the more so with the Cursed Deep Orcs running around.


    ¡°Then we will make sure to treat them in kind,¡± Cpt. Klive insisted, ¡°I want you to know that we are fully committed to an ongoing and mutually beneficial relationship.¡±


    The less stern of Lt. Felix¡¯s subordinates turned to his companion, ¡°Do you think the adventurers from the foothold would be with them as well then?¡± He asked quietly.


    The gruff one, made a point of clearing his throat and faintly gesturing in the direction of their superiors with a warning look.


    ¡°What about the merchants? What are we supposed to do if they come looking for help?¡± He asked, apparently still not having taken the hint.


    Lt. Felix gave both his men an intense glare that brought the questions to a halt, for a few moments at least.


    Cpt. Klive worked his jaw for a few seconds as if chewing a particularly tough strip of leather. ¡°My subordinate has raised an important issue. There is a chance that refugees from my kingdom will be accompanying or following the friends of your people. I have an obligation under oath to the crown to provide shelter and safety for loyal citizens in need during wartime.¡± The captain''s statement left an unspoken question lingering between us.


    What did I want him to do if adventurer refugees followed my expedition party?


    I scowled a little, as I recalled how coldblooded the Guild manager had been when imprisoning Toofy and renewing my enslavement. As a reactionary and entirely emotionally fuelled decision, I briefly entertained demanding the captain throw the adventurers back out into the swamp.


    However, after taking a few moments to calm myself and think it over, I realised that such a vindictive act would not achieve the effects I wanted. In all likelihood, the adventurers would form an unregulated refugee camp in the vicinity of either Sanctuary or the army base. With no one curtailing their behaviour, it wasn¡¯t much of a stretch to think that the adventurers would begin predating on all monsters in the vicinity.


    It would only be a matter of time before one of my people was attacked and the captain would be forced to uphold his end of our bargain. Such an early strain on our partnership would have long-lasting consequences too...


    ¡°You will take them in,¡± I muttered irritably, ¡°So long as they abide by our agreement, you can provide them shelter. However, should any of them bring harm to my people-¡±


    ¡°Then I will do as we have agreed!¡± Cpt. Klive interjected solemnly, ¡°I have recently read reports of your brief stay on the first floor of the Labyrinth, and I just wanted to let you know that I will not abide the kidnapping and enslavement of children, of any species, while I continue to draw breath.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the captain in surprise.


    How much did he know? Was this his way of calling out my lie regarding the scroll?


    ¡°Rescuing your child like that...¡± Cpt. Klive¡¯s expression shifted to one of immense respect, ¡°Few would endure Slavery to save a child. Fewer still would help defend those who stole them in order to press both into service...¡± The captain winced a little as he spoke the last, but he quickly rallied. ¡°I do have one question, if you will indulge my curiosity?¡±


    I said nothing in reply, but nodded my head slightly as a show of agreement that he could continue.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn on them when you had the chance?¡± Cpt. Klive asked, a faint incredulity in his tone. ¡°After what they did and the weakened state they were left in...there would have been nothing and no one that could have stopped you. So why did you let them live?¡±


    There were many different answers to that question. I didn¡¯t doubt for a moment that each of the girls would provide a different one as well, if they were ever asked. However, besides my previous avoidance of violence, there was one reason in particular that stood out above the others.


    ¡°I let them live, so I could live,¡± I replied gruffly, ¡°If I killed any of them for what they did, I would have to kill all of them. And if I did that, I would need to keep on killing for the rest of my life as those seeking vengeance of their own or, on behalf of others, would track me down and force my hand into conflict.¡±


    Cpt. Klive looked surprised for a moment, then slowly nodded in understanding. ¡°With the unpleasantness of earlier...I will admit that I had a hard time reconciling your behaviour. But I think I understand now, thank you.¡±


    I shrugged noncommittally. I sincerely doubted he understood much of anything really. If anything, the captain had probably come to some rather poor assumptions. A lot had changed since my original enslavement.


    Not least of which was my stance on violence...


    We stood in silence for a short while until Lash returned with the scroll in hand.


    The scroll looked far better than I had honestly expected it would. Near as I could tell, Gric had apparently bought some leather garment, perhaps a pair of leather pants, and removed one pant leg to use as the writing surface. Having cut away the stitches, the frayed and marked edges actually gave it a sort of aged look that seemed appropriate. A short tongue of leather had been stitched to the bottom and served as both an improvised binding to keep the scroll sealed, but also held the manastone in a sealed pocket. Even though I could not see the writing inside, some of the angular sigils of the Daemon language were written on the leather strap binding the scroll. In spite of telling me he would use blood, It looked like Gric had burned the letters into the leather.


    Lash handed me the scroll and then I handled it off to the captain who nearly tripped over himself in his haste to accept it.


    ¡°I will not forget this kindness, ¡° Cpt. Klive insisted, his attention nearly entirely focused upon the scroll now in his hands.


    For a moment, I felt like I had a greater appreciation for natives making peaceful contact with colonial powers, and I didn¡¯t like it. It was an uncomfortably poignant analogy for the events that had just transpired. Even though the captain had yet to give me a reason to doubt him, I was far too aware of Earth¡¯s own history to naively believe that our relationship would remain in my favour without taking precautions to keep it that way. On the upside, I now felt markedly less guilty about releasing Daemon spies into their midst.


    Now that they had the scroll, Cpt. Klive, Lt. Felix and the two lower-ranked officers begged their leave under the pretence of seeing to their wounded.


    More than happy to see them gone, I let them go without complaint.


    Retreating back through Sanctuary¡¯s gate, I motioned for Hana to come out from hiding.


    ¡°Why are they setting fires?¡± Hana called out irritably, a hint of anger in her voice.


    ¡°The soldiers seemed convinced that some of the Deep Orcs that attacked the gate were some form of undead,¡± I explained, unable to keep a hint of scepticism from my tone, Hana seemed unconvinced.


    ¡°Undead? Hrmph! I will handle this!¡± Hana hissed angrily and cloaked herself in emerald mana.


    Looking through the gate, I watched roots emerge from the ground beside and beneath the burning corpses. After waving back and forth for a moment, the roots suddenly angled their ends towards the corpses and viciously speared them straight through. Far from finished, the roots dug through the bodies like giant worms, ripping and tearing them apart. With the Deep Orcs bodies now thoroughly destroyed, smaller roots enveloped the remaining pieces and dragged them down into the ground.


    ¡°There!¡± Hana growled, ¡°No need for...¡± She seemed at a loss for words, ¡°That!¡±


    ¡°Hana...¡± I opened my arms wide and awkwardly offered her a hug. Much to my surprise, she accepted.


    Hana leaned into me and seemed content to just have me hold her for a while. She didn¡¯t cry or whimper, she hardly even made a sound. Glancing at Lash, I half expected her to be angry or annoyed.


    On the contrary, judging by her relaxed posture and the deliberate distance she was giving me and Hana, Lash didn¡¯t seem to mind at all.


    I guess I had just been an idiot to assume she would behave like a jealous teenager on some daytime soap opera. I made a mental note to try and think of something to make it up to Lash later.


    A short while later, Hana began to pull away and I let her go. ¡°Thanks Tim,¡± she gave me a small yet tired smile, ¡°I...I didn¡¯t expect it to affect me like that...¡±


    I nodded in understanding, ¡°It¡¯s alright. You should take a rest, let Qreet and the other Daemons handle the rest of the work for today,¡± I insisted.


    Hana looked like she was going to argue, but then she deflated a little and nodded, suddenly seeming quite tired, ¡°Alright, thanks again Tim,¡± Hana gave me a half-wave as she left towards the Grove.


    I waved awkwardly back, but she had already turned around and wouldn¡¯t have seen it.


    ¡°Should I call for the Daemons and organise guards for them?¡± Lash asked diligently.


    I shook my head, ¡°No need to risk it. Better to just have Asra summon copies of them instead.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lash agreed and walked over to one of the nearby guards to pass along the command and find Asra.


    ¡°Lord!¡± Wraithe came loping over from her hiding place behind one of the barrow mounds, ¡°It is happening! The humans just finalised the Summons!¡±


    Surprised Wraithe was in the loop on Gric¡¯s scheme, it took me a moment to realise that she actually wasn¡¯t. Gric had simply chosen Wraithe as the Daemon that would be summoned by the scroll since she possessed the healing class abilities they wanted, and as the summoned creature in question, Wraithe apparently knew who was doing the summoning.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I congratulated her, ¡°Just make sure to speak with Gric sometime soon alright? In fact, make sure all the other Daemons do too.¡±


    Wraithe grinned and bowed energetically, ¡°Of course Lord!¡± She happily reached towards the closest Daemons to spread the word, which unfortunately was Qreet and the other Druids. Thankfully, the four of them looked to me for confirmation before heading over to the Grove, so I was able to intercept them and explain the situation with Hana first.


    Only too eager to have more work to do, the four Daemons began avidly discussing the best distribution of labour in order to get the grounds ready for occupation by the army.


    With Hana¡¯s Wood Wyrd and the Deep Orc guards keeping a careful watch on the gate, I wasn¡¯t nearly as worried as I had been earlier upon learning of the attack. However, something would have to be done about the mine shaft and tunnels below.


    Taking note of the gold-coloured Status Alerts signifying Exp from healing related sources, I motioned for Lash to follow me and headed off towards the mineshaft. We descended down the mine-shaft together along with five of the other Deep Orcs.


    If the enemy clan of Deep Orcs were going to continue being a problem, then we would need some way of differentiating our forces. I was about to ask Lash what sort of accessory would be best when my attention suddenly shifted as I felt a disturbance in Sanctuary¡¯s barrier.


    ¡°Trespassers!¡± Lash growled angrily, her head swivelling to face the north.


    There was another disturbance, and then another.


    ¡°HAVE ASRA SUMMON THE DAEMONS AND FORTIFY THE ENTRANCE!¡± I commanded while seizing the axe from one of our entourage and then continued down the mineshaft. If I had learned anything from fending off the waves of enemies in the cavern with the dungeon, hemming in the enemy was a significant advantage and had to be ensured early. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Entering the cavern below, I rushed towards the northern tunnel. Hearing Lash was right behind me, I was tempted to order her to retreat, but I quickly thought better of it. Of the two of us, Lash was far better at establishing and holding a defensive position.


    By the time we reached the tunnel at the northern end of the cavern, there were already sounds of the invaders quickly approaching our location.


    Making a mental note to have the Deep Orcs make me a more durable shield of iron or perhaps steel, I gave my borrowed axe a few practice swings. More like a long-handled hatchet or a fire axe, the Deep Orcs used their axes almost exclusively one-handed while shoving or manoeuvring their opponents with their free hand.


    Even though the weapon was heavily weighted down the far end, it was completely different to what I was used to. I tried copying some basic chopping motions I had seen Lash and the others use during training, but I met with minimal success. It left me with little confidence in using the weapon, and I seriously considered just handing it off to Lash.


    However, I didn¡¯t have much time to come to a decision, the invaders were not far now and were closing fast. But something felt off...The invaders were far quieter than I had expected them to be. Deep Orc armour was not stealthy. Even at rest, Lash¡¯s armour was scraping and rattling with every minor movement she made.


    As the first invader came into view, it quickly made sense. The invaders weren¡¯t Deep Orcs, they were Serpent-Kin.


    *Thwip, Thwip, Thwip, Thwip, Thwip, Thwip, Thwip, Thwip, Thwip, Thwip, Thwip¡±


    I held up my left arm to shield the gap in my helmet and saw Lash move to do the same. The volley of arrows shattered against her breastplate and my chest.


    Glancing down at the fallen arrows, I was surprised to find they had worked stone arrowheads, not iron or even a softer and more common metal like copper.


    ¡°WHO ARE YOU?!¡± I roared in defiance, ¡°DECLARE YOURSELVES AND WHO YOU SERVE!¡± I hoped that this was all a big misunderstanding, and that the attacking Serpent-Kin were just another group of panicked refugees.


    ¡°WE SSERVE THE BRIGHT LORD!¡± A commanding voice called back from down the tunnel, ¡°AND HE WILL PERMIT NO RIVALSS! KILL THEM!!¡±


    Another volley of arrows flew down the tunnel to as little effect as the first, only now there was the sound of stampeding footsteps behind them.


    Lowering my arm, I could see a press of gaunt men and women rushing towards us, primitive stone weapons clutched tight at their sides.


    ¡°Hearthguard!¡± Lash growled and a faint amethyst light shimmered across my body and weapon.


    With so many of their allies in the way, the archers no longer had a clear line of fire and were forced to wait for an opportunity to present itself. Even though the arrows had proven ineffective thus far, I was still glad we established the chokepoint early. But with just the two of us, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the invaders to begin slipping past.


    Just as the first wave of invaders were about to come within reach, Lash leapt forward defiantly, ¡°BASTION!¡± An ephemeral globe of amethyst mana pulsed outwards from her body smashed the invaders backwards like a tidal wave, grinding those caught between it and the stone walls or floor into a grisly mangled paste of bloody flesh and splintered bones.


    Those not killed by the attack had been driven back into the next wave of their allies, and Lash set into them like a true demon, her axe keening through the air before cleaving through the invaders'' exposed bodies. ¡°BASTION!¡± Lash roared again, sending a second pulse of amethyst crashing through the invaders ranks in the wake of the first.


    ¡°YES! FORWARD!¡± I cried, gladly expending the MP to activate Warcry and join the battle alongside Lash. Though nowhere near as skilled with the axe as she was, it hardly mattered. A glancing blow sheared through a Serpent-Kin¡¯s weapon and chest, cleaving through flesh and bone like they were nothing but sodden tissue paper. We were butchers and the invaders were but lambs fit only to be slaughtered.


    ¡°BASTION!¡± A third pulse of amethyst light ground another wave of invaders to paste as we pressed forward towards their leader.


    In spite of our overwhelming advantage, the Serpent-Kin invaders had made no signs of intending to retreat. Something wasn¡¯t right, I could feel it. We were falling into a trap of some kind.


    ¡°Lash! Pull back!¡± I ordered, grabbing her arm and bodily dragging her back a ways down the tunnel.


    ¡°AHAHAHA! TOO LATE!¡± The same voice from earlier cackled triumphantly, ¡°CORPSSE EXPLOSSION!!!¡±


    *BANG*


    We were sent crashing down the tunnel as if fired from a rifle, scraping and bumping along the walls before flying clear and into the larger cavern.


    Deafened and barely conscious, I somehow managed to stagger to my feet in spite of the pain radiating from every nerve in my body. Heavily concussed, I was vaguely aware of blood running from my nose, ears and eyes. The wet blood on my burning skin felt like a healing balm compared to the heat radiating from my battered body.


    ¡°Lash...¡± I gasped and searched for her while the cavern spun around me. ¡°Lash!¡± I repeated, dribbling blood and spittle down my front as I searched for her amidst the clouds of smoke and debris. The dizzying effects of my concussion made it impossible to read my group status, but I took what comfort I could in the knowledge that I had seen no signs of a black Status Alert.


    Knowing enemies could be upon us at any moment, I resorted to fumbling about on hands and knees to find Lash. By some miracle, my all but nerve deadened hands found the dented ridge of what I assumed was her breastplate. Wrapping my arm around her chest, I awkwardly tried to rise to my feet. ¡°Lash!¡± I repeated desperately, unsure if she could even hear me but driven to make the effort all the same, ¡°We...need...to...leave!¡± I gasped, struggling to breathe as fluid began pooling in my right lung.


    Hearing no reply, I staggered towards the mine-shaft, relying on my intuitive and absolute sense of direction to guide my steps as I dazedly formed the structure of the quest in my mind.


    Something struck the back of my left shoulder, but I ignored it and doggedly continued forward. Something else struck the small of my back a few moments later, and then came another and another.


    Already fatigued beyond reason, I spared no attention to anything besides the sensation of Lash in my arms and the increased difficulty of drawing each new breath that came after the next.


    ¡°Done...¡± I gasped breathlessly and issued the quest.


    I could vaguely feel movement nearby, the muted cries of unrecognisable voices... But above all else, I felt the thundering of my blood crashing through my veins as my body dumped as much adrenaline as it could into my bloodstream in a vain attempt at staving off my inevitable asphyxiation.


    One more second...Ten? What difference would it make? It didn¡¯t seem to matter, my body refused to die, fighting for every second it could get.


    A familiar and pervading chill began to spread from the depths of my stomach, a dark and desperate need.


    ¡°No...¡± I let Lash go and unsteadily tried to stagger back the way I had come. I had to get away...I had to get as far away from Lash as possible before...before...be...fore...


    A sudden pain erupted in my chest and I hacked up bloody gobs into my badly battered helmet. Unable to think clearly, I hooked my fingers into the visor slit at either side and tore the helmet apart like wet newspaper. Finally free to breathe, I desperately gulped down fresh air, the accompanying pain a feeling of such sweet agony.


    Something struck me in the stomach, accomplishing nothing more than reminding me of my hunger.


    ¡°Feed...¡± I grasped blindly into the darkness and by pure chance managed to take hold of something warm and firm. Tightening my grip, I felt something give way and dragged the contents of my hand towards my mouth, ¡°FEED!¡± I repeated, my teeth biting down hard and shearing through flesh and bone. Blood splashed freely against my face and I revelled in it, gulping down my prize with relish. ¡°FEED ME!¡± I roared and leaned in for another bite.


    *****


    Ril had received the emergency quest, just as everyone else had. However, unlike most, she was aware of the true danger that now lay beneath their feet.


    Following along behind Mama, Ril found Tim¡¯s minions milling about the entrance to the underground tunnels. It took her only a moment to realise that either they or the cavern below must have suffered a collapse. To their credit, the minions had adapted and were preparing to rappel down the vertical shaft instead. However, Ril could not allow it.


    ¡°STOP!¡± Like a knife cutting through tender meat, Ril¡¯s commanding tone brought a near-immediate halt to all activity. Climbing up to stand atop the shoulder of a nearby Daemon, Ril scanned the crowd and found who she was looking for. ¡°DAR, COME HERE!¡± Ril demanded, her tone making it clear she would brook no argument.


    To his credit, although incredibly dim by the standards of his hatchmates, Dar knew the hierarchy and obeyed without question, quickly moving through the crowd and presenting himself to Ril and awaiting orders.


    ¡°ASRA! COME HERE!¡± Ril demanded again, searching for signs of Mama¡¯s friend.


    A few precious moments passed by before Asra was found and delivered to her as requested.


    ¡°Copy all Daemons, but not Dar,¡± Ril commanded decisively, ¡°Send them into the hole.¡±


    Asra gulped hard and nodded. He promptly began scattering manastones onto the ground and calling the true names of every Daemon except for herself and Dar. The Daemons in turn began their descent down into the cavern below, all except Gric.


    ¡°I will retrieve the Mistress,¡± Gric¡¯s copy quickly explained before leaping down into the hole.


    Ril nodded to herself and migrated over to Dar¡¯s impressive shoulders to take the next step of her plan. As she expected, Mama tagged along as well, as much out of protective instinct as her knack for finding trouble.


    Ril ignored the slew of death notifications as Daemon¡¯s copies were promptly executed. Less than a quarter of the strength of the originals, it was to be expected. After all, Tim was incredibly powerful and Gric was almost certainly using the others as expendable meatshields while trying to find and retrieve Tim¡¯s Bonded Mate Lash.


    This was why Ril needed Dar intact and his essence undiluted. Should Tim begin trying to climb out of the cavern before regaining his senses, Dar was the closest contender, pound for pound, to go toe to toe with Tim and buy enough time for Ril¡¯s plan to succeed without resorting to otherwise avoidable sacrifices.


    Gric, the original, arrived on the scene, ¡°I have found the Mistress, Asra, another wave! I will need assistance! I am afraid the Lord has seen her too!¡±


    Asra summoned a fresh wave of Daemons, including Gric, only this time the twins descended into the pit together.


    Ril nodded in understanding. Things were likely far worse than she had originally anticipated. The near-immediate barrage of status alerts confirmed Ril¡¯s fears and she motioned Dar into action, ¡°Into the pit!¡± She commanded, ¡°Then carry us along the ceiling!¡±


    Dar eagerly obeyed, bounding forward and freefalling down the pit. At the last possible moment, he anchored his mighty hooked talons into the wall of the pit and swung himself toward the cavern ceiling.


    Using her own hooked claws to hold herself secure on Dar¡¯s back, Ril used her tail to hold onto Mama, who lacked the deadly claws necessary to hold on by herself.


    The cavern was in chaos. Large chunks of the ceiling had collapsed and blocked the other passage up to the surface. A vicious melee was taking place near the blocked passage and Tim was at its centre. Daemon or Serpent-Kin, friend or foe, it didn¡¯t matter, he was beyond such things, fully succumbed to both his mana addiction and hunger.


    With such raw strength and durability, none of the combatants had any real chance of doing lasting damage. This was good, since Ril planned on retrieving Tim intact.


    Noticing the pair of Grics scaling the ceiling ahead of them, Ril pointed them out and motioned for Dar to follow. Should Gric need it, they would move in to help. Even though Gric was indeed powerful, his Strength was not nearly up to the level required to fight Tim head-on.


    Close to the blockage, the pair of Grics dropped from the ceiling, the first immediately scrambling to retrieve what had to be Lash from beneath a pile of loose rubble, while the second skittishly circled their perimeter. It was a good thing too, because Tim had just finished gorging on his latest opponent and caught sight of the Gric¡¯s.


    ¡°FEED ME!¡± Tim roared and charged the second Gric with blood matted hands hungrily reaching towards him.


    To his credit, Gric did his duty and didn¡¯t hesitate in rushing to engage. Nimbly ducking past Tim just slow enough to keep his Lord¡¯s attention, Gric¡¯s copy began a desperate game of cat and mouse, slowly but surely luring Tim away while the original worked at freeing Lash.


    ¡°Take us there!¡± Ril demanded, pointing to the original Gric.


    Dar grunted in acknowledgment and began weaving his way across the ceiling with deceptive nimbleness before dropping to the ground.


    ¡°Free her!¡± Ril pointed to Lash and began gathering her mana. She had been practising for a good portion of the day already, but her plan was still incredibly risky.


    ¡°Over here!¡± Qreet¡¯s copy shouted from somewhere out of sight, ¡°Over h-¡±


    *Crunch*


    Ril ignored the death notification and maintained her concentration.


    ¡°The mistress is free!¡± Gric hissed quietly and heaved her over one shoulder.


    Focusing on the empty ground in front of her, Ril forced her mana to shape and for the portal already envisioned in her mind. Slowly at first, but faster as Ril willed more mana towards it, a reflection of the Grove came steadily into focus.


    ¡°Go,¡± Ril insisted and motioned for Gric to leave.


    Obedient to a fault, Gric immediately sprang through the portal.


    With immense satisfaction, Ril watched as the pair of them reappeared a few feet from the portal.


    ¡°Fee-¡± the sudden cry came from just beside them but was cut off and Dar lurched and instinctively slammed one of his heavily overdeveloped arms towards the noise without stopping to think of the consequences, and very likely saving their lives in the process.


    Sent reeling by Dar¡¯s blow, Ril had already collapsed the portal and begun working on another.


    Relying entirely on Mama and Dar for her protection, Ril devoted her entire being to focusing on the exact location of her next portal.


    ¡°Protect Baby!¡± Toofy shrieked and threw a rock as she dragged Ril back and away from the melee, ¡°Keep Tim away!¡±


    Dar grunted and roared in affirmation, pounding his chest and squaring up against his Lord.


    Tim wasted no time on ceremony, launching himself towards Dar with the reckless abandon only the insane or truly immortal were capable of.


    Dar lashed out just as he had done before, only to be surprised as Tim deliberately caught the blow on his chest and pinned Dar¡¯s arm long enough to bite a chunk out of it.


    Bellowing in pain and fury, Dar backhanded Tim with his spiked knuckles, raking four vicious cuts across Tim¡¯s throat.


    Bleeding for only a moment, the cuts quickly healed and left behind pale scars in their wake.


    ¡°MORE!¡± Tim roared and charged again.


    Dar was healing quickly too, a minor but essential trait all the Daemons had harvested from the Hydra. But it wasn¡¯t quick enough. Otherwise forced onto the defensive while the large bite-sized chunk of muscle was regrown in his right arm, Dar raked his talons at Tim¡¯s thighs and knees, hoping to slow or immobilise him.


    Tim took a brutal strike to the right knee and Dar tore off his kneecap and severed the connecting tendons. Unfortunately, Tim continued lurching forward and managed to grab hold of Dar¡¯s shoulders. He then dragged the both of them together and bit deep into Dar¡¯s already injured arm as he desperately moved to protect his jugular and neck.


    More or less now holding Tim at bay exactly as Ril wanted, Dar dutifully maintained the grapple without complaint.


    With the portal finally ready, Ril focused on the ground behind Dar and focused intensely upon bringing it into being. With her entire focus otherwise devoted to the task at hand, Ril willed a short burst of primitive Daemonic telepathy towards Dar.


    A similar burst of telepathy returned from Dar almost immediately, the message saturated with pain and the unique sensation of his arm being chewed upon as he was eaten alive. <Dar hold.>


    This was why Dar was Ril¡¯s favourite Daemon. With none of Gric¡¯s guile, or Qreet¡¯s pride, Dar was content to obey and await new orders, his singular ambition to grow stronger only so he could better serve. Tim would reward Dar for this, Ril would make sure of it, even if she had to convince Mama to help too.


    Depleting her available mana nearly by half, Ril willed her second portal into being. Almost immediately, water began gushing out the portal. Hardly surprising given the destination, Ril honed her concentration to a razor''s edge. <Now!>


    Dar threw himself backwards into the portal without a second thought, his right arm both guarding his neck and lodged in Tim¡¯s gnashing maw, while his left arm anchored around Tim¡¯s back. The both of them fell into the water just below the foot of the portal, but Dar didn¡¯t let go and they both began to sink.


    Dispelling the portal, Ril hoped Hana and the Druids would be up to the task of restraining Tim if Dar passed out from blood loss before Tim succumbed to asphyxiation.


    Requiring far less detail for her next portal, Ril was still somewhat worried by the appearance of the approaching Serpent-Kin. Climbing up higher on the collapsed rocks, Ril was even more worried by the lack of fresh reinforcements. Assuming Asra had succumbed to mana exhaustion, Ril decided that her plan was still reasonably viable.


    Concentrating only the minimum amount necessary to picture the location in her mind, Ril scanned the gathering crowd of invaders for their leader. Spotting an individual with exaggerated serpentine features, she knew that she had found her target. ¡°Him,¡± Ril nodded her head towards the leader.


    Mama nodded, a special spiked rock made from clay and bones materialising in one hand and her sling in the other. ¡°Toofy kill for hurting Tim!¡± Mama snarled viciously and loaded the spiked ball into the sling.


    ¡°Pathetic!¡± The invaders leader hissed mockingly, ¡°You are only delaying the inevitable you know? Why not abandon thosse weaklingss and sserve a power worthy of the title?!¡±


    Ril sneered contemptuously at the Evolved Serpent-Kin in disgust, ¡°I see nothing worthy in you or your master!¡± She spat.


    The Evolved Serpent-Kin leader hissed angrily and began gathering mana for a spell.


    ¡°Now Mama!¡± Ril cried and formed a particularly large portal, easily three times the size of the others, slightly lower on the collapsed rocks.


    *Whap*


    The spiked ball caught the leader in the face, not only breaking his concentration, but causing no small amount of pain as he foolishly tore the barbed bones of the ball from his cheek.


    ¡°YOU WILL PAY FOR THISS! YOU WILL-¡± The leader suddenly stopped and staggered backwards in surprise as hundreds of gallons of water began blasting out of the portal and flooding the floor. Before he could react, the irate form of a Swamp Lurker came crashing out of the portal and barrelled into a trio of his minions that had been valiantly trying to resist the unrelenting torrents of water.


    Content that the invaders would be otherwise dealt with, Ril guided Mama higher up the obstruction and continued feeding mana towards the portal. The cavern was large, but despite having at least two major tunnels capable of otherwise funnelling the water away, the centre of the cavern formed a natural basin that would continue to allow the water level to rise at least another five or so feet before flooding into the tunnels. Meanwhile, the portal would keep drawing both water and aquatic monsters to flood the depths.


    If the invaders were smart, they would flee now, before the basin filled enough to support the ravenous fish. Then again, if they were smart, they wouldn¡¯t have started this conflict in the first place.


    Ril grinned and watched as Mama began picking off the invaders closest to the edge of the basin. Shielded as they were by the expanse of the portal, there was very little their enemies could do to assail Ril¡¯s impromptu fortress. Even if they charged up here to attack her directly, it wasn¡¯t as if Ril was without means of defending herself.


    As chaos began taking hold below, Ril eagerly watched the water level rising and smiled. The wild monsters wouldn¡¯t be the only ones allowed to have some fun!

 Chapter 20 – Will to live – Part One

    Chapter 20 ¨C Will to live ¨C Part OneChapter 20 - Will to live - Part One


    Lash convulsed in pain, her mind unprepared for the extent of the damage inflicted on her body. Unable to tolerate the pain, she passed out. This cycle repeated four more times before Lash rallied and successfully pushed back against the pain. Gritting her teeth, she pushed back further and opened her eyes.


    Lash was laying on a bed inside of Sanctuary¡¯s Surgeon home. As near as she could tell, someone had stripped her down and redressed her in a loose-fitting hoodless robe.


    ¡°You are awake Mistress?!¡± A vaguely feminine voice chittered excitedly.


    With monumental effort, Lash endured a fresh wave of pain as she turned her eyes in the direction of the voice. Relieved to find it was one of Tim¡¯s Daemons, Lash almost relaxed but managed to catch her fading consciousness at the last moment.


    The large rodent featured Daemon hurried to Lash¡¯s side and gently yet firmly pressed its hand against her chest, ¡°Mistress must remain still and allow the Healing magic time to mend your bones!¡± The Daemon insisted adamantly.


    Lash glanced down at her right arm and was surprised to find her entire forearm and hand were bound with thin branches that heavily restricted her movement and were responsible for the pressure causing her pain.


    ¡°Br-kn b-nes?¡± Lash hissed through clenched teeth, trying to come to grips with what was happening.


    The Daemon nodded, ¡°Both the Lord and Mistress were caught in a devious enemy counterattack and nearly killed-¡±


    In spite of the pain, Lash tried to sit up and saw that both her legs and her left arm were bound similarly to her right arm.


    ¡°You must rest!¡± The Daemon insisted, pushing her back down by pressing down on both her shoulders. ¡°The Lord is...fine. He recovered from his injuries while fending off the enemy.¡±


    Lash barely noticed the uncertain pause in the Daemon¡¯s speech, but once she heard it there was no convincing herself she hadn¡¯t. ¡°W-nt t- see h-m!¡± Lash insisted, pushing against the Daemon¡¯s artificial resistance and causing herself no small measure of additional pain.


    Now thoroughly conflicted, the Daemon retracted its hands, ¡°You need to rest!¡± It insisted, ¡°The healing magic is already mending your bones, and we are unsure if the magic aligns broken bones or if the splints are required for optimal recovery!¡± The Daemon sounded well and truly agitated now.


    Lash didn¡¯t back down, although even sitting up in the bed like this was proving far more mentally taxing than she had thought it would be.


    ¡°Do not move Mistress!¡± The Daemon insisted again, this time with a pleading tone instead, ¡°I...I will find some porters and transportation, just don¡¯t move!¡±


    Lash braced against the pain and nodded. She had not realised the extent of the damage she had taken until trying to stay upright under her own power.


    The Daemon continued just standing there for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a couple of minutes at most.


    Without warning, another female Daemon entered the room. ¡°Mistress,¡± the Daemon bowed but did not raise itself back up again afterwards. Instead, the Daemon carefully braced its four arms along the length of Lash¡¯s body and then in spite of her significant weight, it gently lifted her off the bed.


    Brought much closer to the Daemon¡¯s face, Lash vaguely recalled having seen the Daemon before, but the pain in her head made it difficult to recall if she knew the Daemon¡¯s name.


    Carried by the four-armed Daemon and escorted by the rodent-like Daemon, Lash was brought outside into the drizzling rain. Feeling the cold water against her face, and the immense relief that accompanied it, Lash realised that she had made a mistake. She glanced down at her right hand again, and could now see the intense medley of colours marking severe bruising as well as intense infection. If Lash still had the strength to speak, she would have ordered the Daemons to take her back. But she couldn¡¯t. It was too late now, Lash was committed.


    Having arrived at the Grove, Lash could vaguely make out the presence of two children and one tall but incredibly thin woman standing by the fountain.


    ¡°Why did you bring her here?!¡± The tall thin woman snapped, her rebuke causing Lash¡¯s porter to shiver in response.


    ¡°Mistress insisted upon seeing the Lord,¡± the rodent-like Daemon replied nervously, ¡°We have no right to disobey her. Mistress was causing herself harm attempting the trip herself, so acquiescence was necessary.¡±


    ¡°You should have kept her in the hospital,¡± the tall thin woman rebuked again, although with far less vigour.


    ¡°Sincerest apologies, Overseer,¡± both Daemons replied in unison.


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped,¡± the woman both Daemons had recognised as Overseer grumbled irritably, ¡°I suppose it is to be expected when you can¡¯t read the stat screen to check on someone¡¯s condition...¡± She paused for a moment, ¡°Or when your caretakers are too stupid to attempt doing so on your behalf-¡±


    ¡°Sorry Overseer...¡± Both Daemons apologised in unison again.


    Well past her breaking point, Lash could feel through their bond that Tim was nearby, but couldn¡¯t see any sign of him.


    ¡°Take her upstairs. When her condition im-¡± The overseer was suddenly interrupted.


    ¡°Tim¡¯s Mate stays!¡± A soft yet dangerous voice commanded.


    The tall Overseer turned towards the children, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?!¡± She demanded incredulously, ¡°She is barely managing to keep her eyes open! Do you have any idea what Tim would do if-¡±


    ¡°-He is starting to fight back,¡± the voice interrupted again.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t just leave her out here in the rain!¡± The overseer insisted, ¡°As bad as things are now, imagine how much worse they could get if something happened to her?!¡±


    ¡°Then make a shelter for her!¡± The other voice insisted, ¡°Wake up the Fallen Angel-¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious...¡± The overseer gasped in shock, ¡°Healing her the first time...It nearly killed him!¡±


    Lash wanted to demand where they were keeping Tim, but as soothing as the rain had been initially, it had also leeched most of her strength and left a pervading sense of numbness in its wake. Each passing moment made it more difficult than the last just to keep her eyes open, but even that had become too much. With one last desperate look towards the fountain, Lash shuddered and succumbed to the pain.


    *****


    Barely aware of my surroundings, I felt incredibly ill. Completely restrained from head to toe, I couldn¡¯t even move my head or open my mouth. Incapable of speech and forced to listen to the monotonous cascade of water refilling the fountain, I had no other company besides my own thoughts.


    I had become so desperate for interaction that I even imagined Toofy singing the counting rhymes I had taught her.


    As time continued dragging onwards, I wondered how long I would be capable of surviving without medical intervention. There was a very real possibility of becoming hypothermic or pneumonic if I was left immersed like this in the water. With so much of my body temperature being leached by the water, every fresh breath through my nose caused me to shiver and involuntarily exhale through my mouth, spraying and spluttering water between the roots clamping my jaw firmly shut.


    The last thing I remembered before waking up in the fountain, was the deafening sound of an explosion and being caught in multiple blasts of concussive force. As near as I could tell, there were no lingering signs of damage from the blast. But since I couldn¡¯t feel my arms or legs, that was of little comfort.


    Checking the group Status was what kept me both sane and stopped me from resisting my improvised imprisonment.


    [Tim - HP: 56/56 - Least Mana Addiction, Restrained. ] [Lash - HP: 41/41 - Unconscious, Moderate Infection. ]


    I had witnessed Lash¡¯s Infection condition regress from Extreme down to Moderate and my own Mana Addiction turn from Lesser to Least as time slowly passed by. As relieved as I was that Lash had survived and was being cared for, I was terrified by the prospect of what I would do if I was released or escaped before the Mana Addiction condition disappeared entirely. My unease was only compounded by the fact that I felt none of the compulsions that had been present every time I swallowed a manastone.


    So as maddening as my near-complete submersion in the fountain proved to be, I deemed it the lesser evil by far.


    However, just because I accepted the necessity of my restraints, it did not make the incessant and maddening splashing of the fountain any easier to bear. So I willed myself into a nearly unconscious state and ignored as many external stimuli as possible.


    When I became thirsty, I drank. When my stomach protested its hunger, I drank. But in all other things, I ceased to exist.


    I had no real idea how long I spent in that state of sensory deprivation, but even before I opened my eyes, I felt that something was different.


    The fountain had grown dark, cast in deep shadows from the faint illumination provided by the glowing fungi growing on the trunk of the central tree. Even though I suspected something had changed, besides the lowered visibility, I still couldn¡¯t see anything different to the last time I had opened my eyes.


    A noise from somewhere above me drew my attention, but I had no way of seeing what had caused it. The noise came again, but again, I couldn¡¯t make out what it was. I was rendered close to functionally deaf by the spouts of water pouring into the fountain.


    ¡°TIM!¡± Having waited for the noise to repeat itself, I was surprised to recognise it as a voice and my own name.


    *Splash*


    A cascade of water splashed into my eyes, and a half-second later a wave crashed over my head and forced me to hold my breath.


    As I blinked away the water, I very nearly choked as I gasped upon laying eyes on my unexpected visitor. Coughing and spluttering through my nose and the gaps in my teeth, I resisted the urge to continue blinking, for fear that she would disappear.


    Towering above me, Lash promptly dropped to her knees, sending another wave of displaced water to crash over my face. Unfortunately, her added mass to the fountain had raised the water level and I was now forced to hold my breath to avoid drowning.


    Visibly distressed, Lash cupped her hands around my face, as if rubbing my cheeks. However, it quickly became apparent that she had ulterior motives and pulled hard at the branches or roots that were restraining my head.


    As painful as it felt, I couldn''t help but smile up at her in relief as limited mobility returned to my neck. Being rendered incapable of moving for so long had left an intense stiffness in my joints, Worst of all in my neck. I very nearly cried out in surprise when angling my neck above the raised water level caused the vertebrae to pop loudly in my ears.


    As much as I appreciated Lash¡¯s company, my sudden relief nearly turned to panic as I remembered what I had last seen on the group Status. There was a reason I had been restrained, and another for why Lash should not be exerting herself like this.


    [Tim - HP: 56/56 - Normal, Restrained. ] [Lash - HP: 41/41 - Least Infection. ]


    As relieved as I was by the absence of the Mana Addiction, Lash¡¯s persistent infection had me worried. Contrary to what most people think, an elevated temperature is important for fighting off certain forms of infection. So even though cooling down could feel incredibly relieving, it was often detrimental to the healing process.


    Unfortunately, by the time I managed to find my voice, The short-sleeved robe Lash was wearing was thoroughly soaked. ¡°You...need...to...rest...¡± I croaked insistently, my urgent tone undercut by a quaver caused by the bruising on my throat.


    Lash shook her head determinedly and continued snapping my restraints, ¡°They say you had to be tied up,¡± she said quietly, ¡°To keep us safe from your curse...¡± Lash hesitated for the briefest moment before viciously snapping another branch.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t asked, I nodded ¡°Too...many...mana...stones....¡± I didn¡¯t remember eating them, but that was a disturbingly familiar enough experience in and of itself. Besides, there was no other way to explain the Mana Addiction I had seen on the group status.


    Lash¡¯s brow furrowed in concern as she continued to work, ¡°The little one, Ril. She says the water helps, but you were...you were already gone...¡± Her expression sank and she avoided looking me in the eye. Lash wiped at her eyes with her forearm, easily masking any tears with transferred water from the fountain, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she insisted, sniffling quietly, ¡°Daemons say you are better now and can come out!¡± Lash glared pointedly above and behind me, presumedly where RIl or Gric were currently located.


    ¡°Mistress!¡± The familiar pleading tone was familiar, but I couldn¡¯t immediately match the female voice with its owner, ¡°I merely insisted that your wellbeing was my highest priority!¡± The Daemon whined, ¡°We only wished for the Lord to stay in the fountain another hour longer for observational purposes!¡± A telltale chitter of agitation at the end of the Daemon¡¯s justification gave her away. It was Wraithe, which made some degree of sense, given her choice in Class.


    Lash glowered balefully, assumedly at Wraithe, for a few moments longer before determinedly continuing her efforts to free me.


    ¡°Wraithe?¡± I croaked questioningly, but immediately had to cough from overstraining my throat.


    ¡°Yes, Lord?!¡± Wraithe¡¯s familiar rodent-like features appeared over the rim of the fountain.


    I took a moment to ease my throat before speaking again, ¡°Have...Qreet...remove...my...restraints,¡± I croaked and gave the Daemon a determined glare to make it clear I would brook no argument.


    Wraithe fidgeted nervously and glanced about as if seeking a hiding place or reinforcements. Neither seemed to be forthcoming. ¡°As you command, Lord,¡± the Daemon acquiesced and backed away from the fountain.


    Despite the assumption that Qreet would soon arrive to finish setting me free, Lash didn¡¯t seem keen on waiting, so she continued doggedly pulling apart the roots and branches.


    I wanted to tell her to slow down to preserve her strength. But I was worried that Lash might take it as a sort of challenge. My throat was in no condition to express my thoughts clearly in a timely manner, so I decided to remain silent for the time being and hoped that Qreet would show up soon and render the point moot.


    For all her determination, Lash had definitely begun to tire in the few minutes it took for Wraithe to pass along my command to Qreet. Similarly, despite her best efforts, lash had only managed to free a small portion of my chest. However, as Qreet began magically withdrawing the remaining bindings, it became obvious why Lash had been struggling to make significant headway. The restraints had not only been interwoven and linked through one another, like a tightly packed net, they were also multiple layers thick and provided no real handholds to enable leverage.


    Thankfully, Lash was able to catch me before I slid below the water. No longer supported by the restraints, I still hadn¡¯t regained enough feeling in my arms or legs to support my own weight. I tried giving her arm an appreciative squeeze, but I had no idea if she even felt it.


    Pulling me to my feet, Lash then propped me up onto the rim of the fountain.


    I very nearly gasped in pain as a half dozen different muscle groups suddenly cramped. Doing my best to stretch through the worst of it, I distracted myself by taking in our surroundings. More or less as I had expected, the pair of Daemons were our only company within the Grove. ¡°When was...Lash treated...last?¡± I asked Wraithe. There was no way I was going to be able to get a good night''s sleep knowing that she had not received the best possible care first. Especially after very likely exacerbating her condition.


    Wraithe shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I will fetch a Hospice Surgeon at once Lord!¡± She replied instead of answering the question.


    Qreet watched the other Daemon leave and shook her head slightly in either disapproval or amusement, although her feral features made it difficult to be certain which. ¡°Shall I both you and Mistress to your chambers Lord?¡± She asked helpfully, ¡°Or perhaps renovate the quarters occupied earlier by Mistress?¡±


    ¡°Tim¡¯s room,¡± Lash replied hastily before I had a chance to even consider. ¡°I told Daemon I did not want to steal places in the hatchery!¡± She growled angrily.


    Qreet only shrugged and smiled as she took hold of me beneath the shoulder and helped me to my feet. Even though she was not nearly strong enough to fully support me on her own, between both Qreet and Lash together, they seemed to have a relatively easy time negotiating up the stairs to my room. In spite of the fact that Qreet was forced to anchor every other step by latching the hooked claws of her feet into the steps and open railing due to a lack of space.


    A single change caused me to momentarily just stand at the top of the stairs in surprise. Someone had actually tied a number of large thick hides over the exterior doorway. Recalling how embarrassed I had been by the lack of privacy since leaving the Inn on the first floor, I very nearly cried at the prospect of the minor step back towards an element of normalcy.


    ¡°Toofy made it,¡± Lash explained somewhat awkwardly and with a little confusion, ¡°She has been making things with her hands,¡± she wiggled her hands a little, as if the motion would better explain it.


    I nodded then discreetly gave Qreet a questioning look.


    Qreet nodded nearly imperceptibly in return, ¡°It is one of her Class Abilities, a crude production ability that substitutes mana for certain common reagents and materials. Apparently, it carries a reasonably high chance for failure, but the results are almost instantaneous.¡±


    Taking a closer look at the hides, I quickly realised both my mistake and the importance of what Qreet had just explained. I quickly found that they were not actually hides at all. Toofy had transmuted the raw scaly beast hides into tanned leather. Making a mental note to check in with Toofy sometime tomorrow, I allowed Lash to none to subtly pull me away from Qreet and half drag me towards my bedroom.


    Taking the hint, Qreet bowed and saw herself out.


    I groaned in equal parts pleasure and discomfort as I laid down on my bed. Having sat still so long in the fountain, my back muscles in particular felt thoroughly abused, and the short walk up the stairs hadn¡¯t helped.


    Now moving somewhat sluggishly herself, Lash sat down on the bed beside me.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed before, but the short-sleeved robe she was wearing was split at the back and tied together at the waist like a hospital gown. Vaguely recalling having described the garment to the surgeons while detailing best practices for long term patients, I was still rather surprised to see an adaptation of a patient gown here of all places.


    Perhaps mistaking my lingering attention for something else, Lash smiled coyly back at me and pulled apart the knotted belt of fabric holding the gown together, revealing a larger section of her back and buttocks. She had just begun to slip free of the sleeves when sudden movement by the door drew her attention, and my own a few moments later.


    ¡°Lord? Misstresss?¡± A female Serpent-kin called out uncertainty, ¡°I was told to provide treatment?¡± She added a few seconds afterwards, upon hearing no immediate response.


    Lash seemed a little put out, but also quite relieved. She stripped off the robe entirely and dropped it to the floor, ¡°Come in,¡± she called back and somewhat shakily rose to her feet.


    As much as I wanted to admire Lash¡¯s form from this unique and flattering angle, the imminent invasion of our privacy drove me to snatch up the robe from the floor and hurriedly drape the sodden garment over my completely bare crotch.


    Still dressed in a chest wrap and loincloth, Lash at least still held a pretence of modesty, not that I supposed she particularly cared. But with the exception of the Daemons, and even then only in unavoidable emergencies, I didn¡¯t want to make posing naked in front of my people a habit.


    To her credit, the Serpent-kin Hospice Surgeon did a thorough check over Lash¡¯s hands and feet, paying particular attention to her toes and fingers before casting the Healing spell. She had suggested seeing to me as well, but Lash only allowed the poor Surgeon enough time to cast a healing spell on me before directing her towards the door. Taking the hint, the Surgeon promptly left.


    Seemingly reinvigorated, Lash turned her attention back to me, a downright predatory gleam in her eyes as she stalked towards the bed, her chest wrap and loincloth deftly falling to the floor...


    Feeling thoroughly abused, but grinning in spite of it, I appreciatively drew Lash closer and attempted to think of ways I could delegate the day''s duties to Gric and Hana instead so I could avoid leaving my bed. An obvious shortcoming of my relationship with Lash was that our spending personal time together effectively halved the available leadership of Sanctuary.


    Wondering if perhaps I would be able to sleep in, I forlornly disregarded the thought almost immediately. Our enemies were already moving against us and we had no plan of defence organised to resist them. Furthermore, the expeditionary team might be returning soon. I needed to check in with the apprentices Ushu had left behind to see whether they knew about the group''s progress through tracking Ushu¡¯s Ward. So as tempting as appreciating my amazon goddess would be, it would have to wait until later.


    Or, I could multitask.


    Since waking up in the Grove Fountain, I felt..different. There was something I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on. So I decided that I had procrastinated that particular issue more than enough for the time being. ¡°Status,¡± I whispered quietly, hoping Lash¡¯s loud snores would drown out my voice entirely. After however long of being exposed to sensory deprivation specifically caused by audio-based stimuli, it surprised me how soothing I found the indefensible racket of her snoring to be. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Tim - Ogre Runt: 2 ] [HP: 56/56 ] [MP: 10/10 (5) ]


    [Class: Ogre Warlord 13. +4 Strength, +2 Toughness, +1 Willpower, +10 HP.] [Exp: 28050/65000 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Lash¡¯s Mate]


    [Strength: 15* (19*) ]


    [Agility: 8 ]


    [Toughness: 21* (23*) ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 15* (16*) ]


    [Presence: 3* ]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide {Rank 0}): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength {Rank 0}): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut {Rank 1}): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]


    [(Class Ability: Eminence): Monsters slain by your minions within range of a Settlement Totem generate bonus EXP that may be awarded through {Quests}. {Willpower} increases the range of Effect. Stored EXP:(482200)]


    [(Class Ability: Thundering Strikes {Rank 5}): The roar of thunder announces your presence on the battlefield and serves as a final warning to your enemies. Expend MP to imbue your attacks with additional {Concussive} damage on impact. {Strength} increases the area of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Warlord¡¯s Will {Rank 3}): Subordinates place their fate in your hands, requiring Enemies Abilities that target them to contend with your {WIllpower} first. {Willpower/Presence} increases the range of effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Warlord¡¯s Banner {Rank 2}): Claim dominance over the battlefield and embolden your Allies. Requires a suitable object to serve as your banner. The effect will end if the banner falls or is claimed by an enemy. Slaying enemies within range of the Warlord¡¯s Banner grants Allies additional damage resistance for a duration dependent on the strength of the enemy slain. Maximum number of Banners is determined by {Presence} (0:1)]


    [(Class Ability: Heart of the Clan {Rank 1}): Your very presence inspires and empowers your Allies. Allies within range benefit from Racial Abilities available through your Primary Settlement Totem. {Willpower} and {Presence} increase the range of the effect.]


    By the time I fully came to grips with the changes before me, Lash had begun to stir, which piqued my curiosity in the changes I knew had to have taken place for her as well.


    [Lash - Deep Orc: 0 ] [HP: 41/41 ] [MP: 10/10 ]


    [Class: Deep Orc Warden 11. +2 Strength, +3 Toughness, +1 Willpower, +5 MP, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 350/33000 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Tim¡¯s Mate]


    [Strength: 14*(16*) ]


    [Agility: 14 ]


    [Toughness: 15* (18) ]


    [Intelligence: 8 ]


    [Willpower: 14* ]


    [Presence: 5 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Bloodlust {Rank 2}): Deal additional damage while {Bloodied}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Contempt {Rank 3}): Takes less damage from smaller enemies. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength {Rank 2}): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Class Ability: Eminence): Monsters slain by minions within range of a Settlement Totem generate bonus EXP that may be awarded through {Quests}. {Willpower} increases the range of Effect. Stored EXP:(352200)]


    [(Class Ability: Bastion {Rank 5}): Expend MP to generate a temporary {Barrier} that expels enemies and negates hostile {Spells}. {Toughness/Willpower} increases the range of effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Hearthguard {Rank 4}): Deal additional damage and take reduced damage when fighting within range of a Settlement Totem. Expend MP to temporarily share the effect with nearby [Group] members.]


    [(Class Ability: Retribution {Rank 1}): Expend MP to return damage taken against an enemy within range. {Willpower} increases the range and damage of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Bulwark {Rank 0}): Parry and block enemy attacks with increased momentum. {Strength} increases the effect.]


    Most of her Status seemed the same, but what drew my attention in particular was the missing suffix from Lash¡¯s species. She was simply referred to now as a Deep Orc, rather than a Runt or Drudge like myself. I wondered if perhaps that meant Lash was close to evolving, and if it did, what exactly Deep Orc¡¯s evolved into.


    Even though my own changes were more significant, they gave me far more cause for concern than anticipation.


    During my blackout, I had not only somehow managed to change by Rulership Class, but also consumed enough manastones to rank up my species.


    The complete lack of progress I had witnessed up until now, in spite of forcing myself to consume the largest available manastone each day, had led me to believe that ranking up and evolving would not be possible until reaching a higher floor of the Labyrinth, or at least trading for higher tier manastones.


    To rank up so suddenly...I actually felt somewhat sick. What had I done in order to facilitate the rank up? Guiltily shifting my attention to Sanctuary¡¯s registry of citizens, I was both profoundly confused and relieved to find that no one had been marked as deceased. In fact, there had been a baby boom instead.


    During my absence, twenty-four Serpent-kin and seven Deep Orcs had hatched and been registered to Sanctuary¡¯s Totem by Lash, Hana and Gric. Feeling a twinge in my lower back, I realised that perhaps my absence hadn¡¯t been the only motivator behind Lash¡¯s urgency last night. Although that raised a serious question, could I even get her pregnant? With how blas¨¦ everyone had been regarding our relationship, it left me with the impression that they expected one extreme outcome or the other, which was incredibly unhelpful.


    Lash seemed to take that as her cue to finish waking up. However, just as I had done, she prioritised wriggling deeper into my arms over facing the waiting challenges of the day. Smiling contentedly back at me, Lash sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. Releasing a deeper and more serious sigh that came close to sounding like a groan, she reluctantly pulled away and sat up on the edge of the bed. ¡°There is much to do,¡± Lash grunted disappointedly as she set about clothing herself in her loincloth and chest bindings.


    ¡°I know,¡± I groaned in agreement, already having accepted the inevitable myself and well past the ability to justify procrastinating any longer. Pulling on the sleeveless robe, I did my best to ignore the fact that it was not even close to covering the expanse of my ass and just tied off the cord. I had no other options for clothing immediately at hand, so it would have to do until I bought something from the vendor downstairs. I wasn¡¯t thrilled by the prospect of spending our limited supply of coins on something as mundane as my own clothing, but given the lack of other options coming to mind, I would just have to suck it up.


    Catching the tail end of Lash¡¯s smirk as she watched me head for the door, I wondered if perhaps she had done this on purpose...


    To my immense relief there did not seem to be many people up and about just yet, and fewer still within the Grove. So I was able to buy replacement boxer shorts for those I had lost. Since they were relatively cheap, I decided to avoid purchasing other clothes for now. There was a very real possibility of whatever I chose to wear being damaged beyond repair from a single engagement with the enemy anyway, so why throw away money?


    Since Lash had more experience with organising defences and commanding clan warriors, I decided to leave that area of preparations to her while I held a meeting with the human soldiers.


    Making sure to bring my morningstar, I waited for the Captain at our designated meeting place. It was somewhat amusing to use the quest system to issue a meeting, but with our enemies prowling about the area, it was a convenient means of conveying information without additional risk.


    As Cpt. Klive and his entourage of lower-ranked officers came into view, I noticed that Klive¡¯s uniform had changed, and so had the other officers. Both Sergeants were now wearing armour that looked the same as what Lt. Felix had been wearing last I saw him, and Felix was wearing armour I had come to associate with the Captain himself. I could only assume that Klive¡¯s promotion had been confirmed and that he had promoted his own trusted officers in turn.


    Both excited and a little nervous, Klive and his entourage hurried over while doing their best not to appear hostile. ¡°Good morning!¡± Klive held out his arm in greeting.


    I made the obligatory arm clasp and nodded. ¡°You have been promoted,¡± I observed conversationally.


    Klive nodded and briefly removed his helmet to thumb over the strange markings engraved on the brow, ¡°My promotion was confirmed late last evening, I am a Colonel now!¡± He seemed a little surprised.


    Thinking for a moment, I mentally ran through a simplified list of military ranks I had seen advertised by Australia¡¯s Army reserves back on earth. ¡°You skipped a rank,¡± I muttered quietly as I realised what had happened.


    Col. Klive grinned wide and nodded, ¡°Two actually,¡± he corrected goodnaturedly, ¡°Which is great news for our relationship moving forward. As a Colonel, I can make damned sure any nobles and merchants are kept on their best behaviour!¡±


    I nodded appreciatively. Even though monsters were our biggest concern right now, I wasn¡¯t so naive as to think that problems wouldn¡¯t begin cropping up after we managed to drive them off. Although another thought came to mind as I recalled the possibilities presented by Ril¡¯s Rift Binder Class. ¡°You said that your superiors would give you free rein over this floor of the Labyrinth, but that was only for a lesser promotion. What about now?¡± I asked bluntly. There was little real reason to disguise my motives, and even though they didn¡¯t know about Ril¡¯s Class, the Portals themselves were common knowledge.


    Col. Klive¡¯s grin wavered, ¡°That would very much depend on context,¡± he replied diplomatically. ¡°Say you feel the need to stretch your legs and explore the wider Labyrinth, I could organise a force to accompany you and keep everyone civil. But approaching any of the adventurers Guild Footholds would be a big mistake, and as I am sure you already know, roughing it out in the wild poses its own problems.¡± Col. Klive shrugged apologetically, ¡°Why would you even want to leave anyway? If this is about that rival clan and the Undead problem, you have my personal assurance that the Kingdom of Asrus will support your people through these trying times! I had originally planned on bringing through a thousand fresh recruits for advanced training, but I have talented commanders arranged to accompany them as well!¡± He pumped his fist determinedly, ¡°Once you give the go-ahead to occupy the transformed ground, I can set my men to fortifying it and rooting out our enemies!¡±


    For some reason, it had never really clicked that the army would bring so many soldiers. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised such an outcome should have been expected. Col. Klive had been incredibly upfront about the prospect of bringing in more soldiers since the beginning, and there were already a hundred or so camping within Sanctuary¡¯s borders.


    Even so, I really began to wonder how many soldiers the Asrus kingdom actually had if they could just assign one thousand more of them to such a low-level floor of the Labyrinth at such short notice. Paying wages and upkeep for soldiers was never cheap on Earth, so even assuming the lowest ranked soldiers were conscripted and paid very little, their daily food requirements and equipment would still prove considerably expensive.


    It was another stark reminder that I knew almost nothing about the world beyond the floors of the Labyrinth I had visited so far. How big was the Asrus kingdom? Who were its neighbours? Did they wage war on each other? And if they did, what sized armies did they take to the field? And what were their expected casualties like?


    My partnership with Col. Klive was quickly proving to be a more important relationship than I initially anticipated. ¡°The preparations should all be completed,¡± I confirmed and pointed in the direction of the ground soon to be occupied by the humans.


    Qreet and the other Druids had raised a low Briarwall around the territory similar to Sanctuary but only a quarter as tall. They had also created a deep trench around the briar wall and filled it with water as well. As much as it seemed like we had done Col. Klive and his men a favour, it was actually in our own best interest. If he or his superiors turned on us, the Druids would have little problem turning these defences on the humans while allowing us to attack where we willed.


    With twelve Serpent-kin serving as my escort, despite only being armed with clubs and spears, I accompanied Col. Klive and his officers to inspect the grounds for his new camp.


    Whatever the more junior officers had expected, it clearly wasn¡¯t this. They made no attempts at hiding their shock and surprise at the open expanse of land laid out before them. In particular, they quickly approached the central fountain and tested the clear water spouting from the tree.


    ¡°It''s clean!¡± The more boisterous of Felix¡¯s shadows declared and began cupping another mouthful.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t fall in,¡± his stern compatriot warned and pointed towards the larger pool on the opposite side.


    Since there was no Ward currently active in the area, there were perhaps a few dozen of the ravenous piranhas swimming around less than an inch below the surface. Assuming they installed a Ward after moving in, the Piranhas would not respawn after being fished or starved out, so they weren''t really a problem.


    Col. Klive had removed a large square of folded paper from a pouch at his waist and eagerly opened it up to reveal rough plans for his encampment. Unable to read the notes accompanying each smaller diagram, I could still make out obvious structures like a mess hall, walls, a barracks, what could only be watchtowers of some kind, and a very formidable looking gatehouse.


    Noticing my curiosity, Col. Klive opened his base plans wider so I could get a better look, ¡°The engineers will have to make some adjustments to account for the fountain. But clean drinking water takes precedence, so the barracks will probably have to be moved to provide adequate room for the parade and drilling grounds.¡±


    Cpt. Felix and the other officers nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Lord!¡± One of the volunteers serving as my escort came rushing over from the entrance to the briar wall and was pointing frantically to the east, ¡°Enemiess are headed thiss way! You musst return to Ssanctuary!¡±


    I drew my morningstar and rushed towards the three other Serpent-kin still remaining at the entrance to the camp. Looking out past the moat I could see a dozen Deep Orcs charging through the swamp towards our position.


    The remainder of my escort, as well as Col. Klive and his officers had now joined us and were taking in the situation just as I had done.


    Theoretically, we outnumbered the Deep Orcs, but that singular advantage didn¡¯t count for much when only the human soldiers had armour that was worth a damn and the enemy was protected by thick plates of iron. Furthermore, my escort only had wooden weapons, and as per our agreement, Col. Klive and his men had not brought any ranged weapons with them.


    Rather than feeling intimidated, I felt...insulted. This land was mine! How dare they trespass into MY territory?!


    Before I fully realised what I was doing, I had already begun charging towards the Deep Orcs. Again, rather than feeling afraid or concerned, I curled my lips in contempt and willed mana to begin flowing through my body. With my heartbeat thundering in my ears, I threw myself towards the closest and largest Deep Orc, pivoting slightly to slam my morningstar into his side as I narrowly avoided his axe as it scythed past my neck.


    *BOOM*


    A deafening peel of thunder erupted as my morningstar made contact with the Deep Orc¡¯s armour, the latter shattering like broken glass as the thoroughly surprised Deep Orc was violently launched through the air and fatally collided with a tree close to two dozen feet away.


    Before anyone had the chance to react, I caught the next closest Deep Orc under the chin with my left fist.


    *BOOM*


    Thunder erupted as the Deep Orc¡¯s skull did the same, blood showering out of the helmet¡¯s visor as the Deep Orc¡¯s body was thrown up into the air.


    In amongst them now, I ignored a glancing blow to my back and brought the head of my morningstar down on a Deep Orc¡¯s shoulder.


    *BOOM*


    The Deep Orc collapsed beneath the blow and slammed into the ground, its thick pauldron crumpling like tissue paper.


    Backhanding another Deep orc trying to move into a flanking position behind me, I struck another Deep Orc already behind me with my elbow by accident instead.


    *BOOM*


    My original target drew back his axe and brought it swinging down towards my head.


    Baring my teeth, I leaned slightly backwards, but rather than attempt to dodge the blow, I whipped my head forward instead.


    *BOOM*


    The axe exploded into a withering hail of iron and wooden splinters directed entirely towards the now disarmed Deep Orc.


    ¡°FOR SSANCTUARY!!!¡± The cry momentarily caught me unaware and I turned around just in time to see one of my escorts leap high into the air and drive their wooden spear down through a gap in a Deep Orc¡¯s chest armour.


    The call to arms was taken up by a half dozen others, although they met with only middling levels of success now that the Deep Orcs had managed to overcome their initial surprise.


    Feeling the mana in my veins begin to ebb, I released fresh waves and kicked a Deep Orc in the back.


    *BOOM*


    The Deep Orc was sent flying off into the swamp and landed in the farther reaches of the moat.


    With their numbers dwindling by the second, the implacable Deep Orcs seemed to be reconsidering their actions and began falling back, with the exception of the largest Deep Orc still left standing.


    Throwing down his axe, the Deep Orc gave a phlegmy roar of defiance before throwing himself at me in a crude tackle.


    Some small part of my brain warned me against meeting the obvious challenge, but I was already drunk on adrenaline and braced to meet the charge head-on.


    The Deep Orc¡¯s ragged nails clawed at my arms as he fumbled for a hold.


    I allowed him no such opportunity. Blinking away the repeated black Status Alerts flashing before my eyes, I grabbed hold of the Deep Orc¡¯s right arm, turned my back on him, bent down and threw him over my shoulder in one smooth motion.


    *BOOM*


    The Deep Orc hit the moat back first, sending water and more than a few stiff piranhas flying in the process before I let go of his arm. The Deep Orc¡¯s back had been shredded open and set upon by hungry piranhas as it sank into the depths and out of sight.


    Looking around for another Deep Orc to fight, I felt an unexpected surge of disappointment when I found the survivors had already gained a significant lead. Even still, I felt the impulse to chase after them and take their severed heads to serve as a warning to others...


    As that feeling passed, my attention was drawn instead to the black Status Alerts still lingering in my lower peripheral vision.


    [ You have successfully resisted a {Necromantic Curse}]


    [ You have successfully resisted a {Necromantic Curse}]


    [ You have successfully resisted a {Necromantic Curse}]


    ...


    An icy chill swept down my spine in the wake of the battle as I considered how incredibly stupid I had just been. Carefully looking myself over to check for injuries, I was surprised to find that I had only taken one point of damage, which I was fairly certain came from recklessly headbutting the blade of an axe. I couldn¡¯t feel a cut, but my brow did sting a little, which was actually somewhat of a relief. Even though my Group Status Condition still registered as ¡®Normal¡¯, it was good to know that I had nothing to fear from a lingering magical infection.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Col. Klive asked anxiously, his eyes scanning my bare chest and arms for signs of the Ghoul¡¯s touch.


    ¡°My Condition is still normal,¡± I replied with far more confidence than I felt.


    Col. Klive let out a deep sigh of relief but still seemed to have lingering doubts.


    Since I was unwilling to invite him into my party to confirm it, he would just have to live with his doubts. I had spent long enough away from Sanctuary already, and the recent attack only made me more nervous.


    ¡°If everything is satisfactory, you can begin moving your soldiers,¡± I told the Colonel, making it clear that I was leaving.


    *Thump*


    Something hard smacked into my left arm shortly after leaving the cover of the briar wall. Momentarily stunned, all I managed to do was look down at the iron-tipped arrow at my feet.


    *Thump, Thump, Whish, Thump, Thump, Whish, Thump, Thump*


    A large group of lightly armoured humanoids had suddenly materialised from the morning fog and loosed a volley of arrows from what looked like short bows before suddenly disappearing back into the fog.


    Thankfully, the ambushers seemed to have marked me as their intended target, and only one of my escorts was caught by a stray arrow. The wound was not deep, the arrow having only grazed her shoulder, but I was paranoid now, and after waving everyone back into cover, I checked everyone¡¯s Group Status.


    [Vishek - HP: 19/21 - Poisoned.]


    Even though one member of my escort was a Surgeon, it did not seem wise to advertise that fact until the situation grew dire enough to warrant it.


    ¡°Poisoned,¡± I declared loudly so Col. Klive and his officers could hear me. While they did not have ranged weapons, they each had shields that could help provide cover if the ambushing archers attacked again.


    However, contrary to what I had expected, Col. Klive, Cpt. Felix and the other officers were now standing next to a portal easily twice the size of the ones I had used to traverse the floors of the Labyrinth. After less than a few seconds, heavily armoured soldiers in a traditional western plate and mail armour stepped out from the portal, raised their shields and slowly began marching over towards the opening in the briar wall.


    Stepping out into the breach myself, I was almost disappointed by the lack of response from the ambushers. All the same, I motioned for the smaller group of my escort to regroup with the others. The last thing I wanted was for any of them to get ganked under the ¡®fog of war¡¯. All the more so since the fog was growing worse by the moment.


    With the last of my escort having dashed over to rejoin the others, I followed suit and stepped back into cover. Fearing the worst for Sanctuary, I hurriedly prepared and issued a standing defence quest for all allies of Sanctuary. Titled simply, Hidden Fog Ambushers. Rewarding all participants for their contributions in fending off the ambushers, the title of the quest gave the most important warning, while the brief description and bonus reward specifically mentioned the enemies poisoned arrows.


    Knowing that a war was just about upon us, I made a last-second change to the quest that rewarded participants for ¡®recovering¡¯ the enemies weapons and armour and turning them in to a representative of Sanctuary for processing. Not wanting to give away the entire leadership of Sanctuary, I left the representatives as myself, Col. Klive and Cpt. Felix. I would have added some of their other officers, but I didn¡¯t remember their names and had more important things to attend to.


    The plate and mail vanguard had begun taking positions to block the briar wall entrance with their own bodies and shields. Close to three ranks deep, it looked like there were about forty of them and an officer I had not met before. In typical Hollywood fashion, the middle-aged man had deliberately removed his helmet.


    Even though it was probably in an attempt to better make out the surroundings in the poor visibility, and the fact that he still had both a padded cloth coif and another made of mail over the top of that, it still made for a tempting target.


    Motioning my escort farther back, to keep them well and truly out of any potential ricocheting arrows or debris, I found it difficult to look away from the man. It truly felt like he was daring them to take a shot at him.


    *Thwip*


    Just as I had expected, an arrow whipped through the fog and was two feet from striking the officer in the face when a shimmering haze suddenly materialised in front of the arrow. As the arrow attempted to pass through, the head of the arrow melted and flew wildly off course, while the rest incinerated and turned to ash.


    ¡°HAHA! Found the blighters!¡± The officer cheered in triumph and pointed his free hand off into the fog, ¡°Fireball!¡± A small marble-sized ball of amber coloured fire materialised an inch from the officer¡¯s outstretched finger and silently sped off into the fog, leaving a relatively clear tunnel of air in its wake.


    *Thwump*


    There was the sound of a muffled impact in the distance, then nothing.


    *BANG*


    A loud detonation ripped through the silence like a summer thunderstorm, hot air blasting away the fog in all directions


    The officer nodded with a grim sense of satisfaction, his eyes becoming unfocused for a moment while most likely reading his Status Alerts. He snorted quietly and shook his head, ¡°Why can¡¯t all my personal assignments by the crown be so profitable?¡±

 Chapter 20 – Will to live – Part Two

    Chapter 20 ¨C Will to live ¨C Part TwoChapter 20 - Will to live - Part Two


    The army¡¯s camp rapidly became a bustling hive of activity as soldiers and sleds full of materials and supplies began appearing from the portal. It now made sense why so many junior officers had been sent through first, as Col. Klive, Cpt. Felix and a few other senior ranking officers began assigning junior officers to organize the new arrivals and maintain a sense of order amidst the mounting chaos.


    ¡°Lord?¡± One of my dozen Serpent-kin escorts had stepped forward on behalf of the others, ¡°What iss your will?¡± Every one of them looked up at me determinedly, as if trying to show they were ready to take the fight to the enemy if I ordered it, even Vishek, who was already poisoned.


    Wearing only crude hide armour, it was already a miracle that only one of them had been injured so far. With that in mind, I had no desire to lead them into further danger. A defensive footing would be our best option. If we could buy time, perhaps Toofy could make the armour and weapons we needed in order to launch an offensive of our own that wouldn¡¯t be doomed to extensive losses.


    Even as I considered it, the thought of barricading ourselves in, it seemed...wrong, like it was exactly what the enemy wanted us to do...


    My attention drifted for a moment while I was lost in thought, and without realising it, I had begun to stare at the East. The expeditionary force was expected back sometime in the next couple of days. But why would seven humans and a monster matter to the enemy? Sure, Ushu had been a de facto leader of his people, so kidnapping or killing him might demoralize them...But that didn¡¯t feel right.


    Trying to push me onto the defensive so they could deal with seven humans seemed stupid considering the sheer number of humans arriving by portal every passing minute...Then it clicked, ¡°The girls aren¡¯t alone...¡± I breathed in surprise. The only reason I could think of for the enemy wanting to keep us on the defensive, was to deal with another force without interference.


    The number of adventurers they must have rescued from the raided foothold must have been truly substantial if the ¡®Bright Lord¡¯ viewed them as a credible threat. I needed to let Col. Klive know about this. At the least, a relief force needed to be organised to provide aid in seeing them to safety.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± I told my escorts, straightening my back and injecting as much confidence into my tone as I could muster. Public speaking wasn¡¯t something I had ever considered myself particularly good at, but for whatever reason, I had noticed that I was far less anxious about it lately. I suppose that it was probably to be expected when you had so many people worshipping the ground you walk on.


    Projecting an air of confidence I didn¡¯t really feel but pressed on by necessity and urgency, I strode through the human war camp like I owned the place. Head and shoulders taller than even the tallest armoured soldiers, few didn¡¯t make a point of clearing a path as I headed towards Col. Klive, and those who didn¡¯t were hurriedly dragged away by their fellows. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As such, Col. Klive saw me coming long before I cleared the milling throng of soldiers and junior officers milling about in his general vicinity. He waved them off and made his way over towards me, the soldiers and officers falling in line behind him as if they expected me to do something stupid, violent, or likely both.


    ¡°You need to send a relief team to recover my people and those travelling with them,¡± I stated bluntly and pointed to the east. ¡°I believe the enemy is trying to cut them off and kill them before turning their attention to us.¡±


    Col. Klive came up somewhat short and seemed somewhat surprised, ¡°You are sure?¡± He asked hesitantly, ¡°I know you may think quite highly of your friends, but-¡±


    ¡°I think they rescued more adventurers than I had initially expected. Or maybe...maybe they found more refugees,¡± I shook my head somewhat uncertainly, ¡°In either case, I want them rescued and brought to safety.¡±


    The Colonel, surrounding officers and soldiers all stiffened slightly as my quest notification appeared in front of each of their eyes. The conditions were simple. Rescue the expeditionary force in addition to any refugees, human or otherwise.


    Capable of viewing the quest details myself, I was surprised to find a crude map accompanying this quest, along with a faintly glowing marker. The only cause I could find for the marker, was that perhaps Ushu¡¯s ward was allowed to serve as a homing device for allies in very specific circumstances.


    ¡°Sir?¡± A woman in her early thirties with short clipped auburn hair and intense blue eyes stepped forward. ¡°Me and my boys can find a path through this swamp no problem! If you can give me Kristof and a company of men, we can see this mission through no worries!¡± She insisted, her leather armour making almost no sound despite her animated request.


    Col. Klive nodded and looked around the surrounding crowd before settling his attention on a tall broad-shouldered soldier in chain and gambeson, ¡°Cpt. Kristof, get a company of men together and prepare to sortie. You have command, but Lt. Rooke has operational mobility. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir!¡± Cpt. Kristof thumped the left side of his chest with his right fist before turning to the camp at large. ¡°SECOND COMPANY! FORM UP ON ME! MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT!¡± He barked while heading towards a relatively clear space near the gap in the briar wall.


    The blue-eyed woman, Lt. Rooke, grinned and headed towards the gap in the briar wall as well. Instead of calling out for her subordinates, she instead placed her finger and thumb in her mouth and released a distinctive piercing whistle. As Lt. Rooke made her own way over to the same mustering grounds as Cpt. Kristof, a couple of dozen men and women in similar armour, armed with bows, bucklers and shortswords fell into step behind her.


    I turned my attention back to Col. Klive. ¡°I need to head back to my people. There are things I still need to prepare,¡± I explained somewhat vaguely, although I honestly doubted he needed a detailed itinerary given our present situation.


    Col. Klive nodded, ¡°Of course. I will have Cpt. Felix and his men escort you and your honor guard back to Sanctuary.¡±


    Cpt. Felix had already been waiting nearby, so despite his initial surprise, he was quickly able to gather around fifty soldiers to escort us back to Sanctuary.


    As a small sign of gratitude, I issued another quest specifically for Cpt. Felix and his soldiers. Even though the travel distance was negligible, the very real possibility of dangers out in the fog would probably help reinforce the value of my goodwill in the projected conflicts ahead. Bonus Exp to boost your Class levels and augment your stats was probably no small boon for a rank and file infantryman. Furthermore, despite not being an expert in military matters, I was fairly certain that at least a third of Col. Klive¡¯s newly arrived soldiers were fresh recruits.


    It was mostly little things at first, like how young some of them seemed to be, or their relative sluggishness in following orders despite constant reminders from nearby officers. Again I wondered what the political landscape was like outside of the Labyrinth. Was Col Klive simply making the best of a rare opportunity? Or was there more to his eager opportunism than I had initially suspected?


    The Asrus kingdom didn¡¯t show any blatant signs of sexual discrimination from what I had seen thus far. Although the women were outnumbered roughly eight to one, that was actually a higher enlistment rate than my home country, and the same ratio seemed to be the case in the ranks of the officers too. But without another country''s army to compare this to, I didn¡¯t know if this should be taken as ¡®normal¡¯ or not.


    Before we left the camp, Col. Klive also gave Cpt. Felix orders to pack down the other camp and transfer everyone and everything over to the new base. An understandably pragmatic decision given the circumstances.


    With an armed escort shielding my original escort and myself from harm, we made it back to Sanctuary without any incidents. Leaving Cpt. Felix to his other duties, I reentered Sanctuary proper.


    Hana had set two of her Wood Wyrds to serve as both guards and improvised barricades for the gatehouse. They did a good job of it, their large gnarled bodies efficiently blocking the space and blending into the large gatehouse tree itself at the same time.


    There were also a dozen Deep Orcs and close to three times as many Serpent-kin standing guard or lightly resting near the gate as well. Our return, or perhaps mine, seemed to give them a great deal of relief.


    Leaving my escorts behind to explain events to their fellows, I headed off towards the mineshaft. Besides the sky, the gate and the mineshaft were the two ways I knew that enemies could get into Sanctuary, so they were my top priority.


    There seemed to be nothing to worry about. Either Hana or one of the other Druids had apparently decided it would be safer not to risk it and simply collapsed and sealed the tunnel.


    I was about to head off towards the cooking fires to get something to eat, but stopped as I heard the sound of clashing metal coming from the southern end of Sanctuary. To my surprise, we were not under attack. In fact, as I drew closer to investigate the sounds, I found that the Deep Orc¡¯s had managed to make some sort of primitive smithy.


    Blacksmithing was not something I had ever really paid all that much attention to on Earth. Besides making and fitting horseshoes, I didn¡¯t think anyone still had much of a practical use for it anymore. However, just from watching the trio of Deep Orc smiths diligently set about their work, I really wish I had paid more attention, even a single online video may have been a huge help to these primitive smiths.


    Rather than the cast iron anvils that were easily recognisable from cartoons, the smiths had made do by spiking moderately sized pieces of iron into a large stump. Watching the smiths work, I think I vaguely recalled having seen a similar primitive anvil in a Viking documentary or something. Not that it mattered, the smiths seemed fully capable of working with what they had, showing no signs of smelting down and casting a larger anvil from the impressive pile of iron ingots stacked near the forge.


    Judging by the small pile of what I assumed were completed pieces, the smiths were in the process of making more crude armour plates.


    I briefly considered tasking the smiths with making me some armour, but I dismissed the idea for now. In my last fight, a clean blow to my back hadn¡¯t even broken the skin. So the prospect of taking armour away from those who could benefit far more from its protection left a bad taste in my mouth.


    A helmet wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea, but the visor was the part I would see the most use out of. That actually gave me an idea, so I hurried off towards the Grove, in search of Toofy.


    As I had expected, Ril was swimming lazily in the fountain, while Toofy paddled her feet from the fountain¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Good morning Toofy, Ril,¡± I smiled and waved at them as I drew closer.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Toofy nimbly hopped up onto the lip of the fountain and then jumped at me.


    I caught Toofy before she could fall and gave her a hug. It felt like ages since I had last done that.


    *Splash*


    I looked up just in time to see that Ril had launched herself out of the water. Thankfully, she seemed to have more than enough propulsion to make it on her own.


    Giving them both another quick hug, I walked over to the fountain and sat down.


    After a few moments, Ril let go and wriggled back into the water, but Toofy seemed content to just sit with me for a while.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t know when I would next be needed, so despite wanting nothing more than to just sit with Toofy and enjoy the silence, I had preparations to make. ¡°Toofy?¡± I prompted softly.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Toofy shifted so she could peer up at me with both eyes.


    ¡°Do you think you could make a mask out of wood?¡± I asked hopefully.


    Toofy gave me a strange look and then shrugged, ¡°What is mask?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± That would be a problem. I had kind of hoped that Toofy already knew... ¡°Well...A mask is like a disguise, a face that you can wear over your own face so people don¡¯t recognise you.¡±


    Toofy gave me a dubious look.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of like this,¡± I held both hands over my face and peeked at Toofy through the gaps in my fingers. ¡°Only instead of hands, it would look like someone''s face, or maybe like an animal face instead.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh,¡± Toofy nodded and scratched her chin, ¡°Like the scary face on the tree?¡± she pointed to the Totem tree and the scary face we had carved in it.


    I nodded, ¡°You just have to make sure it has holes so you can see and breathe.¡±


    Toofy shrugged, ¡°Kay, Toofy do,¡± A lump of wood almost as large as herself appeared in her hands. A moment after having appeared, the lump of wood disappeared and was replaced by a large grotesque plaque featuring the grinning face from the totem.


    I tried using her in her first attempt to better explain the concept, and to my surprise, Toofy just about nailed it on her second try.


    Now roughly conforming to the shape of my face and head, the mask provided vision through the vertical eye slits and allowed breathing through the small gaps between the spiked teeth. Since the face on the totem didn¡¯t have a nose, Toofy had simply curved that portion of the mask in order to accommodate my nose.


    The only thing missing was a means to tie it to my head, but I should be able to figure something out on my own. Besides, I had just realised that there was something I needed to work on that was far more important.


    If open conflict were to break out at this point, fighting alongside the human soldiers would be incredibly dangerous. So far as I had seen so far, there were no obvious ways of telling my people apart from the enemies at our gates. Ideally, full-body identifiers of allegiance would be preferable, but we didn¡¯t have the money for that. Not yet anyway.


    We needed some way of marking everyone in a visible yet preferably non-harmful way. I kept coming back to coloured bands on cloth tied onto an arm or perhaps around the head, but it just didn¡¯t seem like enough. There had to be something more obvious that could be done, I just couldn¡¯t think of what it was.


    Given the limited materials on hand, there wasn¡¯t anything I could think of that our enemies couldn¡¯t mimic passably with only a little effort. It was incredibly frustrating. Worse, should any fighters on our side be killed or captured, the enemy could always steal those differentiators and wreak havoc all over again.


    After wracking my brain for more than a half-hour, I shook my head and accepted the fact that there was no perfect solution to be found. After waving goodbye to Toofy and Ril, I headed off towards the garlic field, although that section of Sanctuary should probably be called a farm since the Druids were growing all manner of spices and edible plants over there.


    Explaining to Qreet what I wanted was surprisingly easy, and she managed to ¡®grow¡¯ a sturdy pole and cross beam for my prospective Warbanner. I would have had Qreet attempt weaving the banner part itself as well, but I was planning on using something less flammable. Besides, with enemies just outside Sanctuary¡¯s walls, I didn¡¯t want to distract the Druids from their important work in helping to stockpile fresh food in case of a prolonged siege.


    Heading back to the Grove, I waved at Ril and Toofy in passing before heading down into the holding cells and consulting with the imprisoned vendor. After assessing all my options, I decided on the cheapest, and bought a sheet of light brown Niffleweed fabric roughly three feet wide and four feet tall, as well as a large vial of Bileberry Ichor, which the vendor assured me was a potent dark purple dye. For whatever reason, the vendor flat-out refused to dye the design onto the panel of fabric, which unfortunately left the task to me instead.


    Returning to the grove, I made an improvised paintbrush from a sturdy twig and some fraying rope. I had barely managed to draft the outline with some charcoal, when Toofy decided I needed help. My initial fears of her wasting the expensive dye were largely unfounded. In fact, despite a couple of stray drops early on, Toofy¡¯s natural agility ensured an altogether more faithful expression of the original than I could expect to manage on my own.


    Leaving the last of the dye with Toofy as thanks for her help, I tied the fabric to the staves prepared by Qreet earlier and then took it to the eastern gate. As much as I wanted to demonstrate favour equally amongst my subjects, the particular phrasing regarding the magical properties of the banner made it clear that a Deep Orc would be the best choice to make sure the banner did not fall. To that end, I chose the largest amongst those at the gate to bear it.


    As the Deep Orc took hold of the banner, the intense focus in his eyes shifted in a way that was now all too familiar to me.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I demanded while calling up Sanctuary¡¯s registry in my mind.


    ¡°Kurg, Lord,¡± The Deep Orc lowered his head in a sign of submission.


    Inviting Kurg to my retinue, I was not surprised to see that he had taken the Grappling Pugilist Advanced Class. Skipping through the bulk of his Status, I found what I was looking for.


    [Class Qualifications: Grappler, Pugilist, Banner Bearer. ]


    ¡°Do you see a Class confirmation screen?¡± I asked excitedly, ¡°Like before, when you unlocked the Grappling Pugilist?¡±


    Kurg slowly shook his head, ¡°No, Lord,¡± he replied dejectedly.


    So the Banner Bearer Class was Basic or Advanced? Otherwise, Kurg would have been given the chance to take it. Turning my attention briefly to the registry again, I was somewhat disappointed to find that all of the Deep Orcs had either already taken an Advanced Class, or were newly hatched children.


    ¡°Erm, my Lord?¡± A relatively old Serpent-kin interrupted, stepping forward from the gathered volunteers guarding the gate. Missing his right eye and bearing a large disfiguring scar that covered the right side of his face, the middle-aged Serpent-kin was still slightly larger than his peers. ¡°I would be honoured to bear your banner into battle againsst your enemiess!¡± He clasped his hands together and bowed his head.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°My name iss, Hesk, my Lord,¡± the older Serpent-kin replied unwaveringly, his lone remaining eye staring stoically back at me as I looked him over again.


    Like all of the Serpent-kin, Hesk was comparatively frail by human standards, and practically skin and bones compared to the Deep Orc¡¯s or myself. By the standards of the Serpent-kin, Hesk was not just slightly taller, but more robust than the others as well. Furthermore, the other volunteers had not seemed surprised when Hesk stepped forward.


    Unlike most Serpent-kin in Sanctuary, Hesk was apparently also amongst the few who had not chosen to attempt progressing to an Advanced Class, or perhaps hadn¡¯t been able to... Taking a minute to think about it, Hesk did seem somewhat familiar. Disfiguring scars were not uncommon amongst the Serpent-kin refugees, at least two in ten had scars as large or larger than my hand, and one in twenty had lost a digit, or in Hesk¡¯s case, an eye.


    ¡°Why have you not taken an Advanced Class?¡± I asked, feeling that his answer would be the determining factor in whether I left the banner in his or Kurg¡¯s care.


    Hesk nodded his head in understanding, ¡°Ushu ssaid opportunitiess to sserve would appear for thosse who would wait. I am ready to sserve ass you ssee fit, my Lord.¡±


    The gathered crowd of Serpent-kin all nodded in confirmation.


    The respect the other Serpent-kin afforded Hesk made my choice that much easier. From what little I knew of medieval history, being chosen to bear the banner of your Lord was meant to be a high honour. It made sense to choose someone for the job that others already respected.


    Taking the banner back from Kurg, I laid a hand on his shoulder, ¡°I am not doing this because I lack faith in your abilities. I am only trying to do what is best for our people. Do you understand?¡± The last thing I wanted was to foment discord through unchecked petty rivalries and misunderstandings.


    Kurg hung his head and nodded disappointedly, ¡°Clan comes first,¡± he agreed, ¡°Kurg or other, no matter. Clan is stronger, Clan survives, all that matters.¡±


    Unsure what to say to that, I just nodded and handed the banner to Hesk instead.


    With only a moment''s hesitation, Hesk accepted the banner. ¡°Acssept,¡± he hissed excitedly.


    Almost immediately, I felt a strange calmness wash over me. Judging by the subtle change in the others gathered around us, I was certain I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Knowing that my banner¡¯s Ability was related to reducing damage taken by allies, I was curious about the Class Abilities of the Banner Bearer. Specifically which of them was responsible for the all to welcome sense of calm I now felt.


    [(Class Ability: Hold the Line {Rank 0}): Inspires calm in Allies. Allies within range are more resistant to {Stress}. {Presence} increases the range of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Stand Firm {Rank 0}): The Bearer falls before the Banner, or not at all. Resist {Sleep}, {Fatigue} and {Exhaustion} while bearing the Banner. Expend MP to ignore injuries for a time. {Toughness} increases the effects.]


    Reading the abilities aloud for the benefit of Hesk and the others present, I was surprised when after I was finished, another Serpent-kin stepped forward.


    ¡°I would bear your banner ass well Lord!¡± The second Serpent-kin was far younger than Hesk, but seemed no less determined.


    I was going to explain how I could only create one special banner for the time being but stopped myself as I considered something I hadn¡¯t originally thought of. The Banner Bearer Class only required me to present a minion with a banner. There was no reason why I couldn¡¯t just make another one, or, better yet, have the two of them share responsibility for the special banner linked to my Class Ability. With two Banner Bearers taking care to keep the banner out of enemy hands and inspiring our allies, the burden would be lighter than just one of them bearing it alone.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked somewhat cagily, trying to keep my thoughts to myself while judging his character.


    The younger Serpent-kin grinned, ¡°I am Hessik, Lord!¡±


    I looked a little closer at Hessik, then back at Hesk.


    ¡°Hessik is my younger ssibling, Lord,¡± Hesk explained, very likely guessing the purpose of my comparison.


    I had some trouble telling some Serpent-kin apart. The differences in their facial bone structure seemed minimal, and they all had the same coloured hair and eyes. Some had more prominent patterns on their scales than others, but the younger Serpent-kins lacked most of those patterns altogether. Considering the relatively limited gene pool, the similarities weren''t exactly surprising, just frustrating sometimes. As an outsider, I didn¡¯t have much of a choice besides just taking Hesk¡¯s word for it.


    ¡°My own Class Ability is dependent on the banner being prominently displayed and kept out of enemy hands. While I have no expectations for you to fight alone to defend the banner, a second bearer would help ensure not only that my Ability remains active, but the benefits of the Banner Bearer Class remain active as well.¡± I gave them a few moments to think over my explanation before pressing the issue itself, ¡°Would you be prepared to share the responsibility of bearing this banner?¡± I asked Hesk. As the first to take up the Class, it didn¡¯t feel right to split his duties with someone else, even a sibling, without his consent.


    Hesk grew contemplative and pointedly ignored the pleading look of his younger brother Hessik. After two minutes of deep thinking, he seemed to have come to a decision. ¡°I will share this duty,¡± Hesk stated, still ignoring his younger brother, who was now grinning eagerly. He held out the banner for me to take it back.


    Accepting the banner, I then held it out for Hessik to take.


    However, just as Hessik was about to take hold of the banner, Hesk took a firm grip of his younger brother¡¯s arm and held him back. ¡°There iss no turning back from thiss. You will prove worthy of it, or I will make ssure you do!¡± He hissed, the ominous threat lingering and dampening his younger brother¡¯s enthusiasm somewhat.


    ¡°I am ssure!¡± Hessik replied after taking a few moments to build up his nerve again.


    Hesk nodded and released his brother¡¯s arm, allowing him to accept the banner.


    After confirming that Hessik had taken the Banner Bearer Class as well, I gave them both an order and permission, to select ten other minions to help protect the banner. I would invite them all into my retinue later, after the brothers had made their final selection. Making sure the Banner Bearers got as much Exp as possible in any conflict seemed like a really good idea given the widespread benefits they offered. All the more important because both Hesk and Hessik were now very low level and without real combat Abilities of their own.


    Looking for Lash, I found her back over by the smiths, who were now surrounded by an industrious workforce of Serpent-kin. While the Deep Orc smiths worked iron into armoured plates, the Serpent-kin were busily fabricating hide tunics, bracers, and kilts.


    After watching for a few minutes, it soon became obvious why. The armoured plates were not for the Deep Orcs, but for the Serpent-kin. What I had earlier assumed to be plates intended for Deep Orc pauldrons were actually plates intended to serve as a protective chest plate for the much smaller Serpent-kin.


    Taking a closer look, I could now see that the plates were much thinner and lighter. No doubt thick enough to still turn a blade, a crossbow bolt may still penetrate it at close enough range. Still, it was nice to see the Deep Orcs weren¡¯t selfishly hoarding the iron for themselves. Especially since the Serpent-kin were making do with wooden weapons.


    In the midst of the feverish efforts of mass production was Lash. She was so absorbed in her efforts in both explaining and demonstrating to the Serpent-kin workforce how to put together armour from the materials at hand, that Lash didn¡¯t notice me standing a few feet away. That is until the nervous staring of her workforce made my presence obvious.


    ¡°Tim,¡± Lash grinned and pulled me in for a kiss.


    Expecting a short peck on the lips, I was surprised when it lasted more than a few seconds, although I certainly wasn¡¯t going to complain about it. As embarrassed as I felt by the display of public affection, it actually seemed to bolster the workers'' fervour as they returned to their work. Or perhaps it was simply because of my presence itself...It was hard to think just at the moment.


    ¡°Have been showing how to make armour,¡± Lash purred, her hand lingering on my arm as she expansively waved at the immediate surroundings with the other. ¡°Clan did not always have metal for armour. Young are taught to make protection from soulless bones, hide, teeth and claws...¡± Her voice grew quieter and somewhat pained. Before I had the chance to ask Lash what was wrong, she roughly cleared her throat and dragged me towards the smiths. ¡°You need a helmet,¡± Lash insisted brusquely, ¡°I will make.¡±


    ¡°Lash, wait,¡± I pulled back, drawing us both to a halt, ¡°I had Toofy make me a mask to protect my eyes already. We don¡¯t have much iron, so I would rather see it do more good elsewhere-¡±


    Lash narrowed her eyes at me critically, but she said nothing.


    Feeling like I had to at least make some effort to convince her, I pulled the mask up from around my neck and fitted it onto my face. While the eye slits restricted my horizontal plane of vision somewhat, I seriously doubted an opponent would have much luck slashing at my eyes or of any splinters making it through the mask at all.


    *Thwack*


    Without warning, Lash had planted an armoured fist in my face. The momentum of the blow caused me to stagger, but besides a small amount of pain in my cheeks and forehead, I was none the worse for wear.


    Lash gnawed her lip and nodded, but it was obvious she still held a number of reservations.


    ¡°I could still use a hide cap or maybe a bone one to protect my head,¡± I suggested as a sort of compromise. While I hadn¡¯t really faced a significant enough threat to warrant it thus far, I was willing to wear something made of more plentiful materials if it would help set Lash¡¯s mind at ease. After all, despite the fact that she was currently walking around in what was obviously freshly forged armour herself, I had already witnessed first-hand how easily that armour could be bypassed. ¡°And I want you to use a shield.¡±


    Lash gave me a curious look and then began to smile again.


    ¡°A big one,¡± I insisted, already formulating a requisition quest for Qreet, Hana or one of the other Druids to fulfil when available. As much as I had become accustomed to not using one, I needed a shield to better distract and engage as many enemies as possible. Not to mention provide cover against those crossbows.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lash agreed, ¡°I will make armour of hide and bone instead.¡±


    Even though it was not exactly what I had agreed to, I was fine with the compromise. After all, running around in some sort of savage-looking bone armour would probably help in intimidating our enemies, even if it didn¡¯t provide much actual protection.


    Lash spent the better part of the day instructing the Serpent-kin volunteers in how to make each piece of a full hide armour reinforced with all manner of different bones collected from different monsters.


    Using the late afternoon light to check my reflection in the fishing pond, I was incredibly impressed with how truly savage the completed armour made my overall appearance. While the armour did take some effort to get in and out of, the weight was pretty much negligible. A thick hide cord that served as my belt made sure that the bulk of the weight was being carried on my shoulders and hips.


    Even the temperature was pretty bearable. Consisting of a helmet, jerkin, bracers and greaves, the armour actually gave my body a reasonable amount of surface area to breathe. For most people, those exposed areas would be considered weaknesses or vulnerabilities, but for me, the armour was mostly for aesthetics anyway so it didn¡¯t matter.


    There was actually some good news as well. The first shipment of scavenged equipment had been organised and delivered to the gate.


    While it offered the opportunity for me to try out a full set of Deep Orc plate armour, I actually wasn¡¯t all that interested. Instead, I left a standing order that all iron weapons and armour be set to the smiths to make sure they were fit for use. With the priority on providing armour and weapons for as many people as possible, the smiths had my permission to reforge anything they deemed to be in surplus.


    That was actually something I found rather surprising. Despite the forges being handled by only three Deep Orcs, apparently just about every Deep Orc in Sanctuary knew at least the basics of the craft, even the newly hatched children. What the Labyrinth chose to impart to each monstrous species as standard knowledge was rather bizarre. In the case of the Deep Orcs, it heavily suggested their adaptation to the underground of this floor and the presence of the Clay Dolls was no accident.


    It really made me curious. Did Toofy know how to make things as well? Thinking back on the incredibly crude clothing and armour she had managed to patch together before we found her, I was thinking that she probably did. So what was with the Serpent-kin? I had yet to see them do anything particularly noteworthy as of yet. Or was their special knowledge much more generalised, encompassing the majority of tribal living? It was hard to say.


    Before I had the chance to question one of the Serpent-kin for answers, a disturbance by the gate seized my attention.


    As I began making my way over to the gate, I felt a mounting sense of dread. Even the presence of Hesk and the banner didn¡¯t seem like quite enough to drive it back fully. ¡°What is going on?!¡± I demanded.


    ¡°It is the Usurper!¡± Growled Kurg, shakily waving his axe towards the gate, although whether it was in anger or fear was unclear, ¡°The Bright Lord!¡±


    ¡°** *** ** *** *** ***** ** ***** **** **, **** **** ******** ***** ** ** ***! ** *** **** ******!¡± As if having waited for his cue, a deep low voice called out a message from a short distance beyond the gate. I didn¡¯t understand a word of what was said, but the language sounded eerily familiar all the same.


    ¡°Open the gate,¡± I commanded, taking my morningstar from my belt and limbering up my shoulder before taking up my newly completed shield. Reminiscent of my first shield, it was three-quarters of my own height, nearly as wide as me, and three inches thick. The outer facing was covered in thick thorns and barbs, while the inner facing was padded with thick moss. ¡°Open the gate!¡± I repeated firmly. This was a chance to better understand the capabilities of our enemy and perhaps to take him out entirely. I was not going to let such an opportunity pass by uncontested.


    The Wood Wyrds slowly began to part, giving me my first look at what lay beyond.


    Having expected a small army at the least, I was confused when I saw a lone armoured figure roughly fifty feet from the gate patiently waiting out in the open. Despite the fog present everywhere else, the armoured figure¡¯s presence seemed to have driven it back a short distance, leaving them incredibly exposed.


    Waving back the Deep Orcs and Serpent-kins, I pressed forward alone. I recognised the armour of the enemy and had almost no doubt as to their intent in wearing it. After all, what sort of edgelord would unironically wear such armour and call themselves the Bright Lord?


    The Bright Lord had all but confirmed that he was an Awakened. The ¡®borrowed¡¯ armour design from a popular fantasy film franchise, coupled with his choice in title, made it painfully obvious. Which was perhaps what he intended.


    As I drew closer, I made sure to keep a wary eye on the distant fog banks. At the first sign of an ambush, I would retreat back to the gate. This was a fact-finding mission first and foremost.


    The spiky edgelord I was all but convinced was another awakened waited until I was only ten feet away before suddenly raising one gauntleted hand. ¡°****!¡± He demanded with the same commanding tone as before.


    I felt a faint tug at the edge of my mind, the briefest desire to kneel down before him, but it quickly passed.


    [ You have successfully resisted a {Necromantic Curse}]


    Blinking away the black Status Alert, I grit my teeth and lamented the fact that I didn¡¯t have a bladed weapon with which to hack the large gaudy ring from the stranger''s finger.


    The spiky armoured Awakened seemed genuinely shocked that his sneak attack had failed. An all too familiar looking and objectively oversized flanged mace appeared in his hands.


    I had drawn close enough now to realize I had made a small mistake. This Awakened was not wearing armour made of iron or steel, but blackened bones. In spite of myself, I still felt like I should have expected as much given the prefix that had accompanied his attempted curse.


    As much as I detested someone who had committed so much wanton slaughter, the thought of killing someone else in the same situation as myself still didn¡¯t sit well with me. Despite the knowledge of what this person had done and was intending to do, I wanted to believe I could find another solution besides killing him.


    ¡°Enough!¡± I growled angrily, ¡°Did you really just call me out here to attempt an ambush?¡±


    The armoured figure made no reply, but he seemed genuinely surprised by what I had said.


    ¡°Anyone with eyes can tell your borrowed look and name combined make it obvious that you want to be recognised. But is that because you want to find others like us? Or is it because this is what you do when you think the rules no longer apply to you?!¡± I demanded scathingly.


    The Dark Lord impersonator took a half step back before stopping himself. ¡°Ktch! I¡¯ll make you pay for that!¡± A reedy voice whined from within the darkness of the spiked helmet. ¡°I have powers you couldn¡¯t even dream of! A simpering oaf like you, all brawn and no brains has no business giving me a lecture on morality!¡±


    Now only five feet from the other awakened, I hardened my heart and prepared to end it. ¡°What you are doing is wrong! There is no possible excuse for it!¡± I hissed, tightening my grip on both my shield and morningstar.


    ¡°NO EXCUSE?!¡± He shrieked angrily, ¡°EVERY FUCKING DAY! WITHOUT EXCEPTION! PEOPLE LIKE YOU MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL!¡± He began to visibly tremble, the armoured black plates of bone-rattling ominously, ¡°BUT NOW IT IS MY TURN! I¡¯LL SHOW YOU WHAT REAL STRENGTH IS!¡± A black mist erupted from within his armour and enveloped me before I had the chance to react.


    [ You have successfully resisted a {Necromantic Curse}]


    *Whap Crunch*


    The Awakened had momentarily disappeared, only to reappear behind me, his flanged mace smacking into the small of my back, cracking and breaking the bones tied to my hide jerkin, but otherwise dealing no damage.


    I retaliated with a sweeping strike of my own, but my morningstar passed through his body as if he wasn¡¯t there. A half-second later, he disappeared and then immediately reappeared in my right flank again.


    *Whap Crunch*


    More bones shattered, but I ignored them. Was he really this stupid? I gathered most of my remaining mana and awakened the thunder lying dormant within my veins. Feinting a shield bash into the alleged Bright Lord¡¯s chest, I ignored the fact that my shield met with no resistance and immediately backhanded my morningstar into my blindspot.


    *BOOM*


    Black splinters of bone flew everywhere as the BrightLord tumbled head over heels across the ground.


    Staggering to his feet, The Bright lord appeared to be breathing heavily, but then he began to laugh. Far from sounding like he was happy or enjoying himself, the braying laughter sounded deranged...unhinged. ¡°You aren¡¯t as stupid as I thought you would be! But it doesn¡¯t matter! There is no way the likes of you could possibly defeat me! ARISE!¡±


    Nine ghostlike apparitions rose up from the black fog, their features hidden behind billowing shadows.


    The temperature dropped almost immediately, hoar frost crystallizing on the ground and chilling the air to the point that my breath turned to steam.


    On a primal level, I understood that I couldn¡¯t let these creatures touch me. As the first apparition raced towards me, I swatted at it with my morningstar.


    *BOOM*


    The Wraith shrieked in fury and evaporated into nothingness.


    However, while I had been distracted by the first, another had approached from my blindspot.


    A surge of white-hot agony flared down the length of my back on my left side, a pervading numbness immediately following in its wake.


    *Boom*


    Despite the minimal momentum of my shield, it was apparently enough to trigger the effects of Thundering Strikes, driving away the second Wraith and causing its form to dissipate into nothingness.


    [Tim - HP: 50*/56 - Enervated (50/50) ]


    Even though I didn¡¯t fully understand how the Wraith had managed to hurt me, I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to linger and find out. Especially since the other Awakened had somehow already disappeared. With no reason to continue fighting, and almost no mana left in reserve, I turned back towards Sanctuary¡¯s gate and fled.


    *Boom*


    The impact of my first stride striking the ground activated the last of the Thundering Strikes mana, propelling me dangerously forward, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with one of the Wraiths. Feeling my right knee strain from the excess force, as I landed and continued forward, I very nearly barrelled into the trio of young Serpent-kin that were rushing out of the gate.


    Each of the Serpent-kin was holding what looked like small wooden toys, however, as they each cloaked themselves in ashen coloured mana, their significance quickly became obvious.


    ¡°BANISH!¡± The trio cried in unison, their collective mana racing outwards and towards the oncoming wraiths like a wave.


    Even before the wave hit them, the Wraiths struck the invisible wall of Sanctuary''s barrier. While it did not stop them, their movements became comically slow as they struggled to make even the slightest headway, like ants entombed in honey. However, as the Serpent-kins collective mana washed over them, the Wraiths howled and shrieked like they had been doused in acid, their incorporeal forms steadily dissolving into nothing.


    Staggering backwards and resting against the gate, I lamented having given the enemy the opportunity to showcase his abilities. I should have been more aggressive, put him down hard then and there rather than trying to talk to him...


    Jacque was right, the Awakened were unrepentant killers, and if I wanted to protect my people, I needed to treat the Awakened accordingly.


    *****


    ¡°I need a tourniquet!¡± Nadine called out hoarsely, her blood slick hands already occupied with clamping the unfortunate Goblin¡¯s severed elbow shut. ¡°USHU?!¡± She cried out exasperatedly as he made no signs of moving. ¡°USHU!¡±


    The Serpent-kin Shaman was standing deathly still, a fistful of mana stones disintegrating in one hand and the mana stone serving as the focus for his Ward flickering dangerously dark in the other.


    ¡°Can help?!¡± Another wounded Goblin staggered to her feet, ignoring the bloody mess that was the left side of her face.


    Nadine very nearly forced the Goblin back down to rest, but she stopped herself at the last moment. ¡°Bring me some cord, rope, anything! I need to tie off this wound before he bleeds to death!¡±


    The Goblin nodded and hurriedly snatched a corded belt from another wounded Goblin.


    ¡°Tie off the wound!¡± Nadine hissed, her fingers slipping from all the blood.


    The Goblin looped the cord around the ragged bloody stump and pulled it tight before tying it off.


    Gasping in relief, she staggered back to dry off her hands on an already bloodied rag. There was no spirits, moss sap or even clean water left. The best Nadine could manage now was removing the worst of the blood from her hands before sewing the arteries and wound shut. She had unlocked a mass cleansing Ability earlier when the fighting broke out, but Nadine simply didn¡¯t have the MP to spare in order to use it. Even with every damned mana potion confiscated from the Guild, it wasn¡¯t enough. Nadine was barely managing to stay ahead of the curve by practising emergency triage.


    She had done her best to put the fighting out of mind, but Nadine could still hear it going strong beyond the makeshift walls of her open air field hospital. Consisting of nothing more than upright sleds originally made from the scavenged remains of the ship and its cargo containers, the sporadic impacts of crossbow bolts and arrows outside proved their necessity.


    With near mechanical detachment and efficiency, Nadine sutured the wounded Goblin¡¯s injuries and then transferred him off the large crate serving as her operating table. Currently waiting on the previous mana potion to restore another point of MP, Nadine mentally adjusted her running priority for healing and prepared to receive her next patient.


    The female Goblin from earlier offered Nadine a slightly cleaner rag. ¡°Rifi help,¡± she insisted, pushing the rag into Nadine¡¯s hands.


    Somewhat touched by the gesture, Nadine accepted the rag and removed as much of the drying blood as she was able.


    ¡°Healer! I need a Healer!¡± A booming voice demanded. A few moments later a large man in blood-spattered mail entered Nadine''s hospital, his eyes almost immediately fixing upon her. ¡°You! Healer! You''re coming with me!¡± The man demanded, already moving towards Nadine with an imminent air of violence about him.


    ¡°No!¡± Nadine flatly refused. This was not the first adventurer or Guild lacky that had attempted to drag her away to treat a slightly wounded master or companion. Rose, Kirk and their daughter Millie were doing what they could for the Foothold¡¯s wounded while Nadine did her best to keep the Goblin refugees and warriors alive with her own flagging strength and appropriated resources.


    Given that the brunt of the fighting, and dying, was being borne by the Goblins, Nadine saw it as only fair that they were her priority.


    The man growled dangerously as he stalked towards her.


    ¡°Back! No! Nasty human!¡± Rifi hissed, baring her teeth and pulling a sharp hand length spike seemingly from nowhere.


    Rifi wasn¡¯t alone either, many of the barely conscious and wounded Goblins tried rising to their feet, small weapons materialising in their hands as if drawn from thin air.


    ¡°Abominable filth!¡± The man swore and brutally kicked Rifi aside, sending her crashing into the far wall.


    Rifi slumped to the ground and didn¡¯t move.


    Shocked by what she had just witnessed, before Nadine could come to her senses and react, the man had taken a firm hold on her upper right arm and had begun dragging her out of the hospital.


    Dragged out into the chaos of the battlefield, Nadine was staggered still further by the chaos unfolding around her. The fighting had gotten much worse and the ground was littered with bodies. While many belonged to the Deep Orc¡¯s and wild monsters, there was also no shortage of the small childlike bodies of the Goblin refugees.


    ¡°-ARE YOU DOING?! LET GO OF HER!¡± Emelia¡¯s sudden cry kicked Nadine¡¯s fatigued mind back into focus.


    As weakened as she was, Nadine had no intentions of fighting fair. While the man holding her arm was temporarily distracted, she drew a dagger from her belt and slashed it hard against his exposed fingers.


    ¡°GAH!¡± The man roared in pain, reflexively shoving Nadine away.


    Barely managing to keep her feet, Nadine panted from accumulated fatigue and hastily looked about for signs of Emelia, and with any luck, Clarice.


    Unfortunately, there was no sign of Clarice, but Emelia was already rushing to her rescue, with Toby¡¯s Shadowcat, Shady, loping along beside her. ¡°Take him down!¡± Emelia cried, gesturing to the man who was now hastily drawing a bearded axe from his belt.


    Unfortunately for him, Shady was faster, disappearing in a cloud of shadowy smoke and to Nadine''s immense surprise, reappearing behind the man, now twice the size it had been only a moment before. Effortlessly driving the man to the ground, the now enlarged Shady roared fiercely at the pinned man¡¯s head, almost certainly deafening him.


    While Shady kept the man pinned, Emelia skittishly tried guiding Nadine back to the walls of the field hospital, ¡°You need to go back!¡± She insisted, ¡°They have sharpshooters in the mist!¡±


    Mouth now incredibly dry, Nadine stopped resisting and allowed Emelia to shepherd her back to the relative safety of the field hospital. There were some close calls, but bolts and arrows that flew in their direction had thankfully gone wide or fallen short. Now safely back within the field hospital, Nadine¡¯s stomach lurched as she recalled what the man had done to Rifi, her Goblin assistant.


    Two other severely injured Goblins had apparently moved her in the meantime, so she was now laying down, but Rifi had become incredibly pale. With the imagery of the carnage outside still so fresh in her mind, Nadine¡¯s meticulously curated triage list evaporated like smoke as she rushed to the dying Goblin¡¯s side.


    Before even touching her, Nadine could tell that Rifi was bleeding internally. Taking only a half second to confirm that she had the necessary MP, Nadine willed the mana to leave her body and stop the bleeding by repairing the damage. Without suturing the wound first, the healing would accomplish far less than it would otherwise, but her other Class Abilities would offset that somewhat, so Nadine just hoped that she had managed to intervene in time.


    *Thump Thump*


    Ignoring what she assumed was the noise created by stray arrows on the wall, Nadine kept her attention fixed on the deathly pale Goblin.


    *Thump Thump, Clank*


    ¡°Nhadleagh...¡± The wet gasping gurgle was almost so quiet that Nadine had almost missed it.


    Hurriedly standing up and turning around, Nadine froze.


    Emelia had collapsed against the far wall by the entrance, her right hand desperately pressed against the left side of her neck, a black fletched arrow shaft protruding through her fingers. Visibly struggling to keep her eyes open, Emelia tried to speak, but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°EMELIA!¡± Nadine raced across the room and barely managed to apply pressure to the wound before her friend¡¯s hand fell limply to the floor. Every instinct was telling her to pull out the arrow, but Nadine fought off the impulse as best she could and focused on applying pressure to the wound to stop Emelia from bleeding out. Foolishly removing the arrow would only accomplish the opposite, and unplug the dam, causing her to bleed out in moments.


    ¡°I NEED HELP!¡± Nadine called out hoarsely, tears stinging at her eyes as she felt Emelia¡¯s pulse begin to weaken. ¡°ANYBODY!¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± The calm controlled voice caught Nadine thoroughly by surprise, and if her fingers weren¡¯t already cramping, she may have accidentally lessened the pressure on Emelia¡¯s neck.


    Turning her head to search for whomever the voice belonged to, Nadine was surprised to see a woman in her early thirties, with short clipped auburn hair and intense blue eyes, dressed in scouting leathers had knelt down beside her and opened a large pack filled to bursting with medical supplies.


    The woman deftly worked her hand beneath Nadine¡¯s own to maintain pressure around Emelia¡¯s arrow wound. ¡°Your friend, the chieftain Tim, he sent us here to help. What do you need?¡±


    Three more women and four men, all wearing similar armour to the first, deposited equally large packs onto the floor as they entered the field hospital.


    Sorely tempted to just collapse and succumb to her exhaustion, Nadine bit the inside of her cheek, using the pain to help her focus and reorganise her thoughts. Nadine was no longer the helpless child she had been all those years ago. She had seized the opportunity Tim offered, knowing that personal sacrifice and intense resilience would be necessary to reach her goal.


    Filled with grim determination, Nadine forced back her feelings of exhaustion and got to work. The power to change and shape the future was now literally in her hands, Nadine only needed the will to see it through.

 Chapter 21 – Sound of war – Part One

    Chapter 21 ¨C Sound of war ¨C Part OneChapter 21 - Sound of war - Part One


    Lt. Rooke could not help but be impressed by the young Surgeon¡¯s sheer level of grit and dogged determination. It had honestly been surprising to see her go from a state of complete despair to the maelstrom of activity now flitting about the field hospital. Surprising and more than a little concerning.


    Judging by the dark patches under the young woman¡¯s eyes, Lt. Rooke estimated that she had not slept more than a handful of minutes at a time in at least half a week, perhaps longer. The Surgeon hadn¡¯t hesitated at all when Sgt. Gini offered her a canteen of their special scouting stimulant brew. Taking only long enough to sniff at it, she seemed to recognise it for what it was and gulped down at least a quarter of it in one go.


    No stranger to the brew herself, Lt. Rooke knew the Surgeon would be bound for a hard crash within the next eighteen hours after taking that much stimulant in one pull. However, she could not fault the Surgeon¡¯s assumed reasoning in doing so. Already on borrowed time and with bodies piling in now that the enemy''s forces had been temporarily routed, there would be time to rest later.


    Lt. Rooke and all her Rangers were practised in basic forms of first aid, so they had been doing what they could in order to actively implement triage protocols amongst the wounded and dying. While some of the younger Rangers were initially hesitant or reluctant to provide aid to the Goblins, a stimulant fuelled tirade from the Surgeon and a none too subtle reminder from Lt. Rooke¡¯s Sergeants had changed their minds in short order.


    This was why they were here after all. Rooke had noticed the important alterations to the quest the moment they encountered the ongoing battle. The primary directive remained the same as before, dictating eight people by name and species, making it clear in no uncertain terms that their required survival for completing the quest was absolute.


    The tertiary objective of protecting and rescuing refugees from the adventurer¡¯s Guild Foothold was superseded by another objective upon the discovery of the Forest Goblin refugees. The order changed instead to emphasise protecting and rescuing displaced refugees claimed by the Expeditionary Force first and foremost, and others only if the situation allowed for it.


    Even Lt. Rooke had balked a little at the quests phrasing initially. As selfish and troublemaking as adventurers were, they were still human and the overwhelming majority of the third floor Foothold refugees were Asrus kingdom¡¯s citizens. To place a higher priority on protecting monsters of the Labyrinth, even variants, was a bitter draught to swallow.


    Temporarily leaving the field hospital, Lt. Rooke headed over towards the adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s fortified position a short distance away. Unlike the Forest Goblins, who had been forced to do most of their fighting out in the open, the adventurers had taken shelter behind crude earthworks.


    Lt. Rooke had seen enough battles to recognise Mage-made defences when she saw them. So it was clear that the adventurers had a Geomancer or some other rare earth manipulating Class in their midst.


    While the adventurers she passed looked pitiful and wretched, Lt. Rooke now understood the intent of the quest, and why it had changed. The adventurers would take care of themselves first, second and third, and their allies last, if at all. The further into the earthworks she went, the more irritated and disappointed Lt. Rooke became. The Geomancer had mana enough to spare to make beds, tables and even crude chairs, but not to provide even small measures of cover for their allies fighting outside?!


    The Forest Goblins had made crude palisades from what looked like ships wreckage, but the overwhelming majority of their available materials had been spent creating the field hospital and a smaller structure beside it. Lt. Rooke had enough experience to know that the smaller structure almost certainly housed their young, and at most perhaps one or two carefully selected elders to guide their people in the wake of this disaster.


    The estimated Forest Goblin losses were catastrophic. More than a hundred were already dead, their small bodies either bristling with projectiles or hewn apart like sacks of meat. At least another hundred were dying, and many more besides were badly wounded. Lt. Rooke had fought in the last war with the Confederation of City-States, but only the villages that were massacred by the Bloody Baron came close to this level of brutality.


    ¡°-will release the Variant Shaman to my custody immediately or face the consequences!¡± Cpt. Kristof growled from a short distance up ahead.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s not be hasty!¡± A nasally voice replied somewhat fearfully, ¡°We need the Shaman¡¯s Ward to maintain the safety of the refugees. Without it, we would be beset on all sides. I''m sure we can come to some sort of agreement. Here, take it. Just a small-URK!¡±


    There was the muted sound of a body hitting the floor and a pair of blades being drawn a few moments later.


    Lt. Rooke hurried around another set of earthworks and saw Cpt. Kristof standing over the prone and groaning form of an altogether fat and balding man in fine clothes. The swords she had heard being drawn were held by two of Cpt. Kristof¡¯s men. They were currently directed towards a trio of large brutish thugs who seemed to have been slow on the draw and were now backing away with their arms raised.


    ¡°You will release the Variant Shaman to my custody immediately or be tried for treason!¡± Cpt Kristof repeated, the addition of the last words causing the trio of thugs to pale considerably.


    ¡°She¡¯s locked up over there with the others!¡± One of the thugs blurted out fearfully, pointing deeper into the camp.


    ¡°The key¡¯s in that pouch on his belt!¡± Another added.


    ¡°We had nothin ta do with it!¡± The last wailed.


    Lt. Rooke reassessed the man on the ground, her eyes narrowing.


    Cpt. Kristof knelt down and viciously tore away the pouch from the groaning merchant, along with his belt and no small amount of his silken pants. Taking this opportunity to acknowledge her presence, he threw Lt. Rooke the pouch and its attached textiles. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them for questioning,¡± Cpt. Kristof grunted, stepping over the incapacitated merchant and determinedly heading towards the trio of terrified thugs.


    Leaving in the direction the thugs had indicated, Lt Rooke came upon a section of earthworks almost as sturdy as the ones she had just left, and somewhat surprisingly, it even had a crude door. Given the nature of the imprisonment, she was surprised by the lack of guards.


    Approaching the door, Lt. Rooke¡¯s enhanced senses caught the faint sounds of someone choking and what sounded like a scuffle.


    Drawing her favourite hunting knife, Lt. Rooke kicked down the door and ducked low in preparation to drive the knife hard into someone''s kidney. However, the scene unfolding before her caused Lt. Rooke to momentarily pause.


    A young woman with fierce eyes and wild red hair was on her back, holding a man roundabout his neck with her right arm and viciously tightening the hold with her left to add additional pressure. Furthermore, the redhead had her left leg locked around a second man¡¯s throat and was similarly applying additional pressure with her right.


    Both men''s faces were already beginning to turn dark, their frantic movements becoming sluggish and increasingly desperate.


    ¡°They-kid-napped-my-friend!¡± The redhead grunted, incrementally increasing the pressure against her victims.


    Lt. Rooke blinked and took a moment to take in the room at large. As she had already more or less expected, there was a pile of cages stacked against the far wall. Every cage was occupied by monsters, with the exception of what looked like a gagged and bound young man with a large welt and bruise on the side of his head.


    As she skirted the ongoing melee on the floor, Lt. Rooke¡¯s blood ran cold as she saw the condition of the monsters kept in the cages. All of them were badly beaten and bruised, and what looked like a young girl barely seemed to be clinging to life, her skin blackened and withered by severed burns. While none of them had slave collars around their necks, Lt. Rooke recognised the near-perfect positioning they held in their cages, staying as close to the centre as they could possibly manage. Even the unconscious form of the young man was curled up in the centre of his cage.


    Removing a thick dwarven key from the pouch, Lt. Rooke snapped a booted heel against the temple of the man being strangled between the young woman''s legs.


    *Crack*


    The man jolted backwards slightly and felt limp.


    Apparently not even the slightest bit surprised by Lt. Rooke¡¯s summary execution of her victim, the redheaded young woman shifted her grip and viciously rotated the remaining man¡¯s head.


    *Crunch*


    The man spasmed and gasped as the young woman released him and leapt to her feet. ¡°We need to find the fucker who did this or he will kill them!¡± She insisted urgently and viciously kicked the paralysed man in the side of the head. The young woman paused and stiffened somewhat, suddenly eyeing her distrustfully, ¡°What are YOU doing here?¡± She asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing dangerously, ¡°And why do YOU have that key?¡±


    *****


    Sheepishly glancing at my Group Status, I still couldn¡¯t believe Ushu¡¯s apprentices had been right.


    [Tim - HP: 50/56 - Normal ]


    Lash had of course taken their word at face value, and been very insistent that I do the same. Thoroughly worn out, I still had to admit that I did in fact feel very much alive. Technically, the Shamans in training had said that all life-affirming activities, including eating, would gradually restore my damaged life force. However, the fact that they insisted upon mating being the most effective was all Lash had needed to know. In hindsight, I was relieved by her lack of restraint in waiting until we reached our bedroom.


    ¡°Lash?¡± I gently rocked her shoulder. Getting no reply other than her contented snoring, I jostled her harder, ¡°Lash, wake up, I need to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Mrm?¡± Lash stopped snoring and slowly opened her eyes. She flexed her muscles and snuggled in closer as she prepared to go back to sleep.


    ¡°Lash...where do baby monsters come from?¡± My question had the desired effect, immediately sobering Lash up and seizing her attention.


    ¡°What?¡± Lash asked in surprise, pushing herself up so she could look me in the eyes.


    Now that I knew I had her attention, I could phrase the question better to find out what I really needed to know. ¡°Monster eggs,¡± I started to explain somewhat sheepishly, becoming embarrassed under Lash¡¯s intense scrutiny, ¡°I wanted to know...you know...what our chances are...of you becoming pregnant...¡±


    Lash tensed, her thighs pinning my hips as she stared intensely into my eyes, ¡°Is not breeding moon,¡± Lash replied slyly.


    ¡°B-breeding moon?¡± I stammered slightly, trying to keep my mind focused on getting answers and not her warm skin pressing against mine.


    Lash nodded, ¡°Breeding moon brings new life to Clan,¡± she leaned in closer and stole a kiss, ¡°Still many nights until it returns.¡±


    ¡°H-how many?¡± I choked out, finding it increasingly difficult to focus on my original reason for waking Lash in the first place.


    Lash smiled lustfully, most likely completely misinterpreting my intentions, ¡°Enough for practice!¡±


    We didn¡¯t get much talking done after that. However, once I regained feeling in my legs, I extricated myself from beneath Lash as gently as I was able, got dressed and quietly headed downstairs.


    I very nearly tripped and fell over the side when I caught sight of what was transpiring by the fountain below.


    Orphiel was sitting on a high branch of the fountain tree and strumming a lilting melody on what looked like a small harp. While Ril stared fixedly up at him from what would pass for a hiding place on the opposite side of the tree, hands cradling her chin and a smitten expression of her face..


    On some level, I had expected Toofy and Asra¡¯s relationship to progress, just not this quickly. I also had reservations about whether Asra genuinely shared Toofy¡¯s interest and affection. Their shared affection was awkward to witness, mostly because of the years of social conditioning subconsciously assigning relative ages to them both largely based on height. I had to bite my tongue, and remind myself that the both of them were actually most likely incredibly similar in age, let alone how weird monster psychological development was due to the Labyrinth¡¯s interference.


    It had been so long since I last had something to listen to, so I decided to stay and listen for a while.


    Unfortunately, unlike Ril, my presence on the stairs was far more noticeable than her hiding place in the water below. Orphiel¡¯s playing came to an abrupt end the moment he noticed me.


    ¡°L-lord!¡± Orphiel stammered, his instrument evaporating into nothingness, ¡°I swear I did not mean to wake you! I can play quieter! I would practice somewhere else, but the acoustics are simply-¡±


    I silenced the distraught Fallen Angel with a wave of my hand and motioned for him to come closer. The last thing I wanted was to wake Lash up again, I was barely ambulatory as it was. ¡°You aren¡¯t in trouble, and you didn¡¯t wake me up.¡±


    Orphiel sighed in relief, his spectral wings fading as he landed long the stairs.


    ¡°It¡¯s just been a long time since I had music to listen to,¡± I shrugged apologetically, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    Orphiel blushed heavily, ¡°I am not very good, but I am practising hard!¡± he insisted.


    I had no idea what he was talking about. The farthest I had ever managed to progress as a musician was playing scales on a saxophone when I was twelve. Despite practising for close to two years, I had just never gotten the hang of it. In comparison, for all I knew, Orphiel had only been practising for less than a couple of days and was easily good enough to pass for an amateur musician. The fact that he didn¡¯t have a teacher really made his natural talent obvious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you lie like that again Orphiel, you''re better than most already. If you attempt humility you''re just going to piss off anyone less talented,¡± I insisted.


    Orphiel gulped hard and nodded, ¡°Yes, Lord...¡±


    ¡°Have you practised with any other instruments?¡± I asked curiously, not wanting to curb the aspiring musician''s enthusiasm. Not least because I could feel Ril¡¯s attention firmly locked on our conversation. I had seen more than enough high school dramas to know better than to mess with a girl''s crush. The fact that Ril was a Daemon that could open interdimensional portals only made my choice all the more prudent.


    Orphiel timidly shook his head.


    I recalled that he could replicate an instrument he could conceptualize, so I wondered if perhaps that was the reason for his choice. ¡°Was that instrument your favourite? Or-¡±


    Orphiel violently shook his head and his blushing intensified, ¡°I haven''t seen any others...¡± He admitted quietly.


    Well, that honestly seemed like a crime given his obvious talent. ¡°Follow me,¡± I got to my feet and headed downstairs to the storeroom.


    I spent the next hour using some charcoal sticks to draw musical scales on the storeroom walls, as well as doing my best to draw different instruments and explain how they worked. Since my musical knowledge and experience was heavily limited, I couldn¡¯t really offer much besides a handful of instruments and very basic music theory. All the same, Orphiel seemed incredibly happy, so I chalked it up as a win. In all likelihood, he would probably be able to take what little I had been able to give him and build on it intuitively with his talent alone, so I didn¡¯t feel too bad about not having much to offer.


    Heading down the stairs and walking past the fountain, I was painfully aware of Ril¡¯s intense stare following me as I headed out of the Grove and towards the cooking fires. As disgustingly early as it was, there would almost certainly be something either cooking or left over from yesterday.


    However, before I had a chance to do more than salivate over the smell of spiced fish, a commotion over by the eastern gate seized my attention instead.


    Releasing a mournful sigh, I petulantly issued a quest for someone working the tending the fires to bring me something to eat while I hurried off towards the gate to investigate.


    ¡°Lord! A human repressentative requesstss your pressence!¡± A Serpent-kin guard stationed up in the gatehouse tree pointed anxiously beyond the gate, ¡°He claimed it iss urgent!¡±


    Curiosity piqued, I motioned for the Wood Wyrd¡¯s to open a path for me to see who the representative was and what they wanted.


    I stopped just outside of the gatehouse, unwilling to stray too close to the edge of the barrier after my run-in with the other Awakened yesterday. Besides, I could see the squad of human soldiers easily enough from here. Bearing torches to see in the early morning darkness, they stood out like a sore thumb in the open terraformed ground that bridged Sanctuary to the soldiers camp farther east.


    ¡°Approach!¡± I called out, more than willing to give them permission to enter the barrier so we could speak properly without making an easy target for our enemies.


    Not needing to be told twice, the eleven men and women hurriedly crossed over into the barrier. Despite my expectations, I didn¡¯t recognise the junior officer leading these soldiers. Perhaps in his mid-twenties and only of average height, the junior officer had a difficult to place energy about him that completely rubbed me the wrong way in my state of irritable tiredness.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I demanded somewhat curtly, immediately regretting my harsh tone as the words left my lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± I amended in a much more civil tone.


    If the junior officer was offended, he didn¡¯t show it, and even seemed to smile a little wider now, ¡°We haven''t been introduced yet! I¡¯m Lt. Kestrel!¡± The junior officer volunteered in a persistently irritatingly cheery voice while extending his arm in greeting, ¡°Col. Klive has assigned me as your official Liaison since Cpt. Felix is preoccupied with other duties.¡±


    Taking a moment to formalise the greeting, I clasped forearms with him for a moment and let go. ¡°Is that all you came over to tell me?¡± I asked, doing my best to remain patient.


    ¡°Actually, I have news regarding your Grand Quest to rescue the Expeditionary Force!¡± Lt. Kestrel opened the messenger''s satchel at his side and withdrew a large roll of leather. Unfurling the leather revealed a circular map, and Lt. Kestrel motioned with a nod of his head to draw my attention to two recently added landmarks that I assumed denoted the army¡¯s base and further west, Sanctuary. ¡°Our relief force has made contact with the Expeditionary Force approximately seventeen hours march east by south-east,¡± he motioned for one of his subordinates to hold the map, and then pointed to the approximate location on the map. Suddenly quite serious, Lt. Kestrel paused for a moment and flinched slightly, ¡°While all members of the Expeditionary Force are accounted for, there have plications...¡±


    ¡°Complications?¡± I tried to brace myself for the worst, but the sheer dampening this prospective news had on the formerly manically cheerful lieutenants mood, did not bode well at all.


    ¡°Ah, ahrm, yes...¡± Lt. Kestrel fidgeted uncomfortably, ¡°The report we received from our ranking Ranger in the field claims that Expeditionary Force member Toby was abducted and illegally enslaved after witnessing the abduction of a Forest Goblin Shaman during a pitched battle against enemy forces-¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I growled, my skin crawling as I recalled my most recent experiences under enslavement to the adventurers Guild.


    Lt. Kestrel gulped hard and flinched, his soldiers recoiling and taking a few steps back. ¡°Yes, ah, he has of course been freed along with the other enslaved Variants. They have been remanded to the protective custody of Expeditionary Force member...uh...¡± he pulled out a small stack of papers from his messenger satchel and nervously rifled through them for a few moments before suddenly sighing in relief as he found the information he was looking for, ¡°Clarice. The freed Variants were remanded to the protective custody of Expeditionary Force member Clarice,¡± Lt. glanced up at me as if expecting an expression of my opinion on that decision.


    I nodded and rubbed at my temples with my thumb and forefinger, ¡°When you say Variants, you mean monsters like me? What the adventurers call named or special monsters?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lt. Kestrel nodded emphatically, ¡°It isn¡¯t an insult or a derogatory term or anything!¡± he insisted nervously, ¡°It just means, well, different...¡±


    I just stared at Lt. Kestrel for a moment before my tired brain dredged up something he had said earlier, ¡°You said there was a Forest Goblin Shaman and that the Slaver abducted them?¡± I prompted.


    Lt. Kestrel nodded emphatically and shuffled through the papers again, ¡°Yes! Our Ranger confirmed that the Forest Goblin refugees under the Expeditionary Force¡¯s protection-¡± He glanced briefly up at my face as if gauging my reaction to that assessment, ¡°-originate from the Variant trading town of Sunrock. Despite having a longstanding trading relationship with the adventurer''s Guild, it seems like they have been all but abandoned...¡±


    ¡°How many survivors?¡± Having been informed that there was both a battle and that the adventurer¡¯s Guild was giving them the cold shoulder, I braced myself for the worst.


    Lt. Kestrel dryly gulped and pulled out the most crinkled page from the stack, ¡°The report states that approximately one-hundred and fifty Forest Goblins were wounded during the battle and can be expected to recover if given enough time, extended medical attention...ah...there is more...Our Ranger reports that there may be as many as three hundred infant to juvenile Forest Goblins in addition to fewer than thirty uninjured adults...¡± His face turned pale as he reached the bottom of the page, ¡°Ah...also...ah...¡± Lt. Kestrel gulped hard and anxiously forced himself to look me in the eye, ¡°Expeditionary Force member Emelia is in critical condition and...and may not survive the return journey...¡±


    ¡°What is her injury?¡± I croaked, my throat and mouth suddenly as dry as a desert, ¡°If Nadine can¡¯t stitch her up then it has to be something bad, or a curse...¡±


    ¡°It was an arrow to the neck...¡± Lt. Kestrel paled, ¡°Apparently the-¡± He grimaced and apparently couldn¡¯t muster the effort to repeat the phrase again, ¡°Nadine did all she could, but passed out from extreme exhaustion...¡±


    ¡°How long until the soldiers bring them back?¡± I pushed back against the mounting dread attempting to establish itself in the periphery of my mind. If I let it go unchecked, then Emelia¡¯s chances would go from slim to none.


    ¡°Approximately another eight hours...¡± Lt. Kestrel gulped hard and gave me a determined look, ¡°Col. Klive just wanted to let you know that he will spare no expense in treatment of her injury! The magical item you traded to him has multiple uses and the Colonel fully intends to use it on Emelia!¡±


    In my raw state, I very nearly corrected him, barely clamping my teeth shut in time to literally bite my tongue. I nodded to show I understood. ¡°I will take in the Forest Goblin refugees, provided they are willing. But besides those I named in the quest, I will accept no humans within Sanctuary. Is that clear?¡± I stated the last portion far more severely than I needed to, but I was distracted by rifling through my tired brain to find relevant medical procedures to cover as many eventualities as possible.


    Lt. Kestrel nodded crisply and thankfully didn¡¯t seem to mind my tone all that much, ¡°Rest assured that the Colonel values this partnership immensely and that we will accommodate your requests and conditions to the best of our abilities.¡±


    I nodded, only half-listening.


    Lt. Kestrel removed a small wooden plaque from the satchel and held it out for me to inspect it,


    Bearing some sort of writing on the top half and a glass bead embedded below it, the bottom was blank and had a sliding slot with a small leather strap on it.


    ¡°This is a Message Board, a sort of low-level magic item. They work in pairs, and I have the one matching this one here. If you want to get in contact with the Colonel or need assistance with anything, just place a manastone in the slot at the bottom and slide it across like this,¡± Lt. Kestrel withdrew a small manastone from the satchel, popped it into the slot, and then slid it across until it was flush with the other side. The glass bead on the top half of the Message Board suddenly turned pitch black. Lt. Kestrel removed a matching Message board from a rectangular pouch at his waist and held it up alongside the first. The glass bead on the second one had turned black as well. ¡°When one other person wants to arrange for a meeting, they can slide the manastone across and turn the indicator black. When the other person wants to show they are ready to meet, they do the same thing, which will turn both indicators white. Like this,¡± he slid the manastone across on the second Message Board, which immediately turned both glass beads completely white.


    Accepting the Message Board, I realised two things at roughly the same time. First, the small leather strap was to keep the manastone fixed to the slider. Second, there was no way that the soldiers weren¡¯t using this for the equivalent of morse code messages. It was just ¡®too perfect¡¯ for the job.


    The Lieutenant rolled up the map again and deposited it back in the messenger satchel before offering me the satchel. ¡°The Colonel wanted you to have it,¡± he explained a little nervously while stowing away his Message Board again.


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± I replied, making it clear through my tone that we were done here.


    Having abruptly ended the meeting, I determinedly headed for the hospital while issuing a quest for Wraithe and any other Daemons who had taken the Surgeon Classes to meet me there for intense training.


    The trio of Daemons were already waiting for me by the time I arrived, so I dove right into the theory side of each potential scenario I could think of regarding safely treating Emelia¡¯s life-threatening injury. The overwhelming disadvantage was a near-complete lack of available tools.


    Assuming the arrow had damaged an artery, the shaft of the arrow itself would be somewhat plugging the cut. Just removing the arrow would see Emelia bleed out before even having a chance at sealing the cut with sutures, let alone getting a healing spell off afterwards. Assuming the arrow hadn¡¯t penetrated the full way through, the exterior wound would also begin bleeding the moment the arrow was removed, and the sharp edges of the arrowhead would do even more damage on the way out than it did on the way in. And that was assuming the damned arrow wasn¡¯t poisoned...


    The first thing drilled into the three Daemons was to demand whoever summoned them to summon the other two to serve as assistants. Without medical clamps, the extra pairs of hands would be vital in stopping the artery from hemorrhaging the moment they started moving the arrow. Second, if the arrow was a through and through, one Surgeon would apply pressure on the exit wound while another pinched either side of the potentially damaged artery to prevent a spontaneous hemorrhage. The final Surgeon would be responsible for breaking either end of the arrow then quickly and carefully removing the shaft from her neck. That same surgeon would then be responsible for suturing the artery if it was damaged, then using their healing ability to repair as much of the damage as quickly as possible before suturing the exit wound.


    If the artery was not damaged, or once they are confident it has healed enough to regain its integrity, only then would the second surgeon release their grip on the artery and begin suturing the entry wound.


    In all likelihood, they would need to increase the dimension of the entry wound with a careful incision on either side in order to give the second Surgeon enough space to pinch the artery and allow for the third Surgeon to suture any damage.


    That was just the first scenario I could think of, but there were hundreds of potential variables to account for. They also needed practice working on veins and arteries.


    When I had finished running through the most likely scenarios, I sent them off to gather possible practice materials from the offal pile near the cooking fires. It had been days since the hunters were allowed outside, so I wasn¡¯t optimistic about their chances.


    My stressed-out brain ever so briefly toyed with the idea of perhaps having Asra summon a copy of a Daemon volunteer and ¡®practising¡¯ on them, but the thought made me physically ill and I rejected it almost immediately.


    With the imminent influx of Forest Goblin refugees, and the staggering number of their wounded, I needed to buy out a whole mess of medical supplies and get the other Surgeons ready for the insane number of patients they would need to work through.


    It was only after rousing all the Surgeons, prepping all the volunteers that would be serving as porters and redirecting Hana, Qreet and the other Druids toward expanding the hospital and creating more emergency housing, that I realised Emelia almost certainly didn¡¯t have a damaged carotid artery. Or if she did, the cut had to be incredibly small for her not to have bled to death within minutes.


    When the Daemons returned empty-handed, I reminded them to try and confirm the condition of the artery first, and if the arrow wound missed it entirely, to act accordingly.


    With just about everything arranged, I gladly retired to the Grove and submerged myself in the fountain. Ignoring Ril¡¯s mild protests, I allowed myself to relax, confident that I had done everything I could.


    Somewhat remarkably, the stress, anxiety and tiredness that had been building since earlier had now begun slipping away. After soaking for about an hour and long having since allowed my mind to drift, I returned to my senses with a sudden start.


    I hadn¡¯t consumed a mana stone in the past two days...


    Slowly rising out of the fountain, I began carefully retracing my thoughts since I had first woken up in the fountain. With a clear mind, and now knowing what to look for, I shuddered as I recognised the changes in my usual behaviour. In particular, the shortening of my temper.


    It wasn¡¯t much, barely more than the difference of having missed an hour or two of sleep at most. But it had been enough.


    Shakily taking a seat on the stairs, I kneaded the crown of my head with my palms in anticipation of an anxiety-induced headache that could strike at any minute.


    ¡°Tim scared?¡± Toofy had wandered over and sat down on the stairs beside me without me noticing.


    ¡°I...¡± My first impulse had been to lie, but the sincere concern in Toofy¡¯s eyes caused me to reconsider, ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted, hanging my head and letting out a depressed sigh, ¡°I am...¡±


    Toofy moved in closer and wriggled in under my arm, resting her head against my chest, ¡°Toofy scared too,¡± she said quietly. ¡°World big, Toofy small, weak,¡± she shivered and huddled in closer.


    I absently ran my fingers through Toofy¡¯s hair. It was the opposite that I found frightening. The more I continued to fight, the more often I experienced violent blackouts.


    Being so strong made me nearly invincible...


    So what would happen if I turned on my friends? What if I blacked out and didn¡¯t come back to my senses again? The thought of harming the people I cared about both horrified and disgusted me in equal measure.


    I needed a contingency to make sure that if the worst were to happen, there would be some way of putting me down. Unfortunately, the only weapon I could think of was the spear used by the Goblin Chieftain from the first floor.


    Absently scratching the scar it had left on my leg, I wondered why the magical spear had disappeared the way it had, and what the significance of it was. What was the Key of Awakening? And what arbitrary conditions had I not met? Surely, the magical spear was more useful than whatever this ¡¯key¡¯ was intended to open.


    Realising Toofy had fallen asleep, I gently picked her up and then laid her down in her favourite sunbathing spot.


    As I turned to leave, I thought I heard her quietly whimper, the sound and implications pulling at my heartstrings. If it weren¡¯t already close to the estimated hour of the refugees'' arrival, I would have stayed a while longer. To better satisfy my guilty conscience, I issued a personal quest to Asra to keep Toofy company, with the added condition of also keeping her out of trouble for the next few hours.


    To my surprise and no small amount of amusement, this was the first quest I was able to make mandatory. Purely for the sake of science, I followed through and made the companionship and bodyguarding quest mandatory. Unsure of what exactly I had expected, the harshest penalty I could apply for failure was an Exp demerit based on the degree of difficulty. Interestingly, this was my first time testing penalties as well, and it was actually rather cool that the prospective penalty for failure seemed to markedly increase the degree of reward.


    Settling on a very minor Exp demerit for failure, I issued the quest and headed towards the Eastern gate.


    I tried hard not to smile as I noticed Asra bolting from his barrow towards the Grove. I kept forgetting that I was in a very real position of power and authority, and that abusing it like this was only going to cause problems later down the line.


    Waiting for the lookouts to give word, I only now began to seriously consider the possibility that the Forest Goblin refugees may not actually want to seek shelter in the fortress of a bloodthirsty Ogre. My brief chat with Toofy had left me in an awkward state of introspection, and I was seriously starting to doubt a number of things I had been taking for granted.


    I had just assumed that Kirk and Rose would want to bring their daughter to Sanctuary in order to become a Surgeon, even after everything that had happened since we left the first floor. But after experiencing two monster raids back to back, I wouldn¡¯t blame her parents for packing it in and living a normal life outside of the Labyrinth.


    The same went for Nadine and the others. I had just been assuming that once they returned, things would just return to how they had been before they left. But what was that? Our relationship had been one of near-constant change since the beginning. First, I was their slave, then a sort of pseudo employee, then companion and now...their king? I really hadn¡¯t stopped to consider how things had changed between us.


    I was joined at the gate by Lash, Gric and Hana. As leaders of Sanctuary, it would be our responsibility to invite each prospective member to the Settlement. With the refugees numbering in the hundreds. It would take no small amount of effort for the three of us to establish an organised yet brisk pace when processing the refugees. At this point, I just assumed Ushu would be far too worn out to help out, so we would have to make the best of it.


    ¡°Lord! The humans have just summoned Wraithe, as you said they would,¡± Gric announced proudly.


    I nodded grimly, ¡°Hopefully the other two will not be far behind. The more of them there are, the better chance they have of just powering through it if something goes wrong.¡±


    A minute passed by with agonising slowness. ¡°Lord! Forst and Xith have been summoned also,¡± Gric grinned happily, no doubt pleased about being able to charge the Colonel¡¯s Pact Binder for the additional summoning fees.


    As Gric was in charge of the Daemons summoning rights, he had established a rather robust set of rules and guidelines for the other Daemons to follow when being Summoned. The most important of which being the payment rate index. Allegedly of his own creation, the payment rate index quantified the value of the desired task and applied an objectively arbitrary required payment to be given to the Summoned Daemon before they would undertake said task. This was, of course, after the Summoner already forked out a commensurate amount of their own MP or manastones just to Summon the Daemon in the first place.


    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Gric had also admitted that he was considering having the Daemons establish fictional rivalries with one another to better extort additional payment from potential Summoners if they wanted to attempt summoning multiple Daemons for the same task.


    I would have found the nerve to rebuke Gric for his wanton greed, that is, if buying out so many medical supplies from the vendor hadn¡¯t left us desperately poor. So for the time being, I was willing to indulge his avarice in the name of charitable works.


    As the minutes dragged on, I was beginning to get worried. The only real consolation I could find, was that the registry still hadn¡¯t marked Emelia as deceased. Knowing the army¡¯s camp was too far away to get a group Status either, and not wanting to risk depriving the Daemon Surgeons of their much-needed information, I was forced to just hurry up and wait.


    ¡°Lord! I see movement from the East!¡± A lookout cried excitedly.


    The Wood Wyrds moved aside allowing everyone but Gric a reasonably clear view.


    However, my eyesight was not nearly as good as the lookout, so all I could really make out was the human camp in the distance.


    Hana suddenly stiffened, her face locked in an expression of extreme shock, ¡°No...it can¡¯t be...¡± Hana took three slow steps forward, her mantle of emerald mana coalescing around her as she slowly entered the gatehouse.


    ¡°Hana are you alright? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I followed behind her and saw a feverish intensity enter her eyes.


    ¡°No...¡± Hana repeated breathlessly as tears began running down her face.


    More than a little freaked out by what was happening, I reached out to take hold of Hana¡¯s left arm, but I was too late.


    Breaking into a sprint, Hana raced out into no man''s land, leaving the protection afforded by Sanctuary¡¯s barrier behind.


    ¡°Damnit! Hana! Come Back!¡± Without so much as a second thought, I raced out after her.


    Expecting an enemy ambush at any moment, my anxiety only continued to climb higher and higher as I slowly closed the distance between us. Now able to see the front of the Refugee column ahead of us, I felt a sudden sinking feeling in my gut.


    With the refugee column now having left the army¡¯s camp behind and now headed to Sanctuary, there would be no better time to spring an ambush.


    Hearing the cries of alarm from the refugees and escort of human soldiers I was certain that the trap was sprung and wildly looked around for the direction of the enemies attack.


    Only, there wasn¡¯t one. They were shouting and pointing at Hana and myself.


    While I slowed down in an attempt to rally and counterattack a fictional ambush, Hana continued running deeper in the column of refugees.


    By the time I caught up to her, I was greeted with a familiar face.


    Looking truly beyond haggard, Clarice had been pulling a sled on her own. Unlike the others drawn by soldiers or the less injured Forest goblins, her sled originally had one sole occupant although it was now shared by Hana.


    Hana had lifted the unconscious form of what looked like a badly burned young woman up into her arms and was crying hysterically.


    After staring at the two of them for far longer than I should have, my brain finally put the pieces together, ¡°She is one of her sisters...¡± I hadn¡¯t intended to say it aloud, but it slipped out just the same.


    Clarice nodded wanly, her expression a mix of anger contempt, ¡°It takes a real sick fuck to do that to someone...Slavers probably could...but when I got a closer look at her, I remembered what Hana said about...you know.¡±


    I nodded. I didn¡¯t know whether to pity or envy her. There had been a time when I would have given or done anything in order to get my Mum back. Only now, I wasn''t so sure. ¡°Clarice you need some rest, and we all need to get into safety as soon as possible. So how about you hop on the sled and make sure Hana and her sister are secure, and I pull it back to Sanctuary?¡±


    Half expecting a fight, I was surprised when Clarice simply closed her eyes, exhaled softly and nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    While the refugee column had stalled with Hana and my own sudden appearance, the officers in charge of the soldiers had gotten everyone moving again in short order.


    The Forest Goblins being carried on the nearby sleds were giving me curious and somewhat fearful glances whenever they thought I wasn¡¯t looking. Not that I could blame them all that much. After all, I still remembered how Toofy first reacted to me when I caught her on the first floor. Far from a children''s fairy tale, the prospect of a little Goblin being eaten alive was a very real possibility in this world.


    I was immensely relieved as the front of the column entered the barrier.


    A small contingent of Serpent-kin and Deep Orcs were standing guard outside the gatehouse, while Lash remained curiously absent.


    As more sleds from the column reached Sanctuary, some of the soldiers began to level up, prompting some light banter amongst the rank and file as they eagerly brought forward more refugees and sleds packed with salvaged weapons and armour.


    When we reached the barrier, I didn¡¯t stop and instead dragged the sled up and through the gatehouse before parking it off to the side and waving forward a nearby Deep Orc to take my place. ¡°Take them to the hospital, and let the Surgeons and porters know that the refugees are here,¡± I commanded before turning my attention to Lash and Gric.


    The former looking incredibly unhappy and the latter sporting the beginning of a black eye.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run off like that!¡± Lash scolded, punching my right arm for emphasis, ¡°Enemies everywhere!¡± her fury subsided and she now seemed more frustrated than angry.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to be more careful,¡± I promised, fully intending to keep it, but also knowing deep down that I was almost certainly going to break it sooner rather than later.


    Lash pulled me closer and rested her head on my shoulder, her armour uncomfortably pressing into my chest. ¡°Do or I hit harder to make remember,¡± Lash grumbled quietly, the whisper of a smile returning to her face.


    ¡°I will,¡± I promised, and tactfully made an addendum, ¡°So long as you refrain from beating up Gric!¡±


    Lash looked embarrassed for a few moments and then nodded, confirming my suspicions that Gric must have grabbed Lash¡¯s arm or something to stop her from chasing after me.


    I was going to say something else, but stopped as I heard an unexpected sound.


    Rhythmic, like a heartbeat, the sound repeated over and over in a set pattern with only minor variances.


    My blood ran cold as I recognised the sound, ¡°EVERYONE! HEAD INTO SANCTUARY NOW!¡± I roared and headed for the gatehouse again, Lash only a half step behind me. As I passed through, I spared a meaningful look back at Gric. I had no intention of leaving the human soldiers outside to die, so Gric would need to make sure both himself and all the other Daemons stayed out of sight.


    The soldiers were already forming ranks just within the protective boundary of the Barrier. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although initially unsure of what to do, the Forest Goblins had begun trickling through the gatehouse and into Sanctuary itself.


    The rhythmic pounding grew louder with each passing moment, and with it my sense of unease continued to intensify.


    ¡°HESK! PRESENT MY BANNER!¡± I snarled.


    A few moments later, Hesk and his younger brother Hessek came charging out the gatehouse with my banner held high between them.


    Almost immediately, I felt the previously mounting sense of unease and dread began to ebb away.


    Even though the soldiers hadn¡¯t truly panicked, they seemed much more at ease than they had been a few moments ago. Similarly, the Goblin refugees were still determinedly making their way through the gatehouse without devolving into a rampaging mob, forcing me to reconsider my rather poor opinion of their mental fortitude.


    Just about half of the refugees had managed to make it through the gate before the source of the noise revealed themselves.


    Three hulking bloated monstrosities, each over twenty feet tall, staggered out of the swamp. Bodies plated with thick sheets of iron, the three corpulent monstrosities indomitably pressed forward towards Sanctuary, their heavy footfalls responsible for the unsettling noise. Worse still, they were not alone, a host of shambling corpses staggering along in their wake.


    Staring down the approaching horde of undead, I regretted not having donned my armour earlier when I had the chance. However, my sense of regret quickly passed as I considered the effects my suit of hide and bone armour would have had on Ally morale given the nature of our enemy.


    Pulling my mask into place and giving my morningstar a few practice swings, I tried to look on the bright side. At least the giant shambling corpse monsters would be hard to miss...

 Chapter 21 – Sounds of war – Part Two

    Chapter 21 ¨C Sounds of war ¨C Part TwoChapter 21 - Sounds of war - Part Two


    Taking in the sight of the shambling corpses, I was vaguely reminded of a dozen or so different zombie movies I had seen while on Earth. They were slow and poorly coordinated, but they also seemed completely undeterred by any form of harm or discomfort.


    The first of the smaller undead to enter a pool or section of water would disappear entirely, almost certainly torn to shreds by the piranhas dwelling within. However, by the time a second or third undead entered the same body of water, the swarm of piranhas would already be floating dead and lifeless on the surface.


    After watching this process repeat itself a few times, I realised that a protracted engagement with the walking dead would only prove fatal. Whether it was because their blood and flesh were deeply poisonous, or if they possessed a literal aura of death, I did not think the somewhat anemic constitutions of the Serpent-kin would fare well in combat in either case.


    To my immense surprise, the Asrus soldiers had begun quickly forming a defensive crescent both ahead and wrapping back around my own position on either side. Only three ranks deep, I sincerely doubted the soldiers battle line would be able to hold back one of the putrid hulks for more than a few moments before being either dashed apart or cast aside.


    Even so, they formed ranks without complaints, and I briefly wondered if perhaps the effect of the banner was responsible. I had only begun to consider the possibilities when two senior officers presented themselves before me. A middle-aged man and woman, I recognised them from the Colonel¡¯s camp. The man, although higher ranked, still appeared to hold the woman in high esteem.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim, I am Cpt. Kristof of Asrus kingdom¡¯s ninth legion, and this is Lt. Rook of same,¡± Cpt. Kristof''s speech was clipped and taciturn, giving the impression that he was not used to speaking so many words consecutively. ¡°Our infantry will screen against outlying threats while Archers and Rangers provide support from within the defensive perimeter,¡± he shifted uncomfortably for a moment before preparing to speak again, but was interrupted by his companion.


    ¡°You are too important to risk,¡± Lt. Rooke stated bluntly, ¡°It would be best if you prioritised your safety and took up a second defensive position inside of your Settlement.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± my reply caught them both off guard. ¡°I will not retreat until every one of the refugees is safely within Sanctuary¡¯s walls.¡±


    The pair of officers stared at me for a couple of moments before the woman broke the silence.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Lt. Rooke agreed, much to the surprise of Cpt. Kristof, ¡°But my Rangers could be put to far better use with some tactical elevation,¡± she pointed to the gatehouse, ¡°With your permission, I would like to take up an overwatch position with my men in your gatehouse.¡± The way Lt. Rooke asked the question made it somewhat clear that she already had an argument prepared to justify the request.


    Even though the gatehouse would provide an expansive view of Sanctuary as well as the approaching undead, I had already made my peace with the fact that the soldiers would be entering Sanctuary and would see certain parts anyway. There were simply too many undead, if I didn¡¯t let the human soldiers retreat inside, I doubted they would be able to break through and return to their own camp without devastating losses.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed, much to her apparent surprise. ¡°Lower the ladders!¡± I called out loud enough for the defenders in the gatehouse to hear.


    ¡°You will allow us within your Settlement?¡± Cpt. Kristof asked, his eyes darting between the approaching undead, his own soldiers and the gate of Sanctuary.


    I nodded, doing my best to convey the reluctance I had for such a necessity. There was technically nothing about the Settlement itself that could cause any problems by observation alone. Even the Grove was something that while rare, was far from unique. But allowing the soldiers inside would drastically limit the Daemons freedom of movement as well as their contributions to Sanctuary¡¯s upkeep.


    At the rate the refugees were entering Sanctuary, there was a very real possibility that open fighting with the undead could be avoided altogether. However, the way the undead horde was fanning out reinforced my reluctant decision to allow the humans inside.


    I was momentarily distracted by a string of golden status alerts in my lower peripheral vision and then the bright flashes of light from the brothers bearing my banner. Alongside the Surgeons, I had invited them into my personal retinue in order to earn them as much Exp as possible from treating the refugees.


    My Banner Bearers were not alone, as more refugees streamed through the gatehouse and into the safety of Sanctuary, human soldiers would briefly flash with golden light, though the light was not nearly as intense and did not linger as long.


    The first attack made against the undead came from Lt. Rooke up in the boughs of the gatehouse tree. The arrow she loosed didn¡¯t seem all that special, the fletching only buzzing faintly as it whipped through the air and towards one of the bloated hulks.


    However, just before striking the enemy, the arrow burst into flames then smacked into an exposed section of its pale putrid flesh.


    As if doused in kerosine, the putrid hulk spontaneously combusted, its skin erupting into flames. Unfortunately, a half-second later, the flames were completely extinguished, revealing that the undead was seemingly unharmed.


    No doubt dissatisfied with the results of her first attack, Lt. Rooke fired again, this time targeting the hulk¡¯s armoured head.


    Her arrow flew true and disappeared into the hulk¡¯s visored helmet.


    Conditioned by years of zombie movies and television shows, I was shocked when the putrid hulk just seemed to ignore the traumatic brain injury like it was nothing. The arrow hadn¡¯t even noticeably slowed it down at all.


    Judging by the unphased, yet undoubtedly dour expression on Cpt. Kristof¡¯s face, I was very likely the only one who had expected a different outcome.


    As the undead drew closer, the other Rangers and Archers began opening fire. Unlike Lt. Rooke, they focused their attention on the smaller and less armoured bodies of the shambling Goblins and Serpent-kin.


    Almost all the refugees were now sheltered within Sanctuary, but only a handful of walking corpses had been felled. The prospect of so many undead assaulting the gate functionally uncontested drew a deep-seated resentment within me. As the shambling undead continued to draw closer, I grew restless and decided that I needed to do something.


    ¡°Spear!¡± I snarled, holding out my right hand expectantly as I released a familiar wave of mana into my bloodstream.


    A nearby Serpent-kin obediently placed their wooden spear into my hand as a palpable aura of expectation spread amongst those minions present.


    Picking a target at random, I settled on one of the putrid hulks located near the front of the undead horde. Hurling the spear with all my might, I watched it arc through the air with a grim sense of satisfaction. With my only source of experience at javelin throwing coming from high school sports, I held no delusions about expecting to hit my target. Much to my Phys-Ed teacher¡¯s sorrow, I was pathologically incapable of landing a javelin within the scoring zone.


    *BOOM*


    The near deafening crack of thunder was accompanied by a bright flash of light from the Banner Bearers. When the light faded, chunks of rotten flesh and torn limbs were still raining down ahead and on top of the undead horde.


    As I had expected, I missed. My throw had gone long and wide to the left, likely having missed my sighted target by ten or more feet in spite of its immense size.


    ¡°Another!¡± I held my hand out expectantly and sighted my next target. I knew I wouldn¡¯t hit whatever I aimed at, so the key would be in harming the target through collateral damage.


    Taking a short run of a half dozen steps, I threw my second spear. Watching it arc towards the undead, I could already tell that it too had gone wide. I closed my eyes and slowly retraced my steps, holding out my hand for another spear.


    *BOOM*


    When the bright flash came again, I was unphased, my eyes protected from the bright intensity. I could see two thinned areas amidst the ranks of the undead horde still implacably shambling towards our position. To my intense aggravation, they were either side of the leading hulk.


    Even though I still had mana to spare, I decided to hold it in reserve. Just about all of the refugees had now entered Sanctuary and by my current estimation, everyone would easily manage to withdraw before the undead reached our current position.


    I frowned and reconsidered the shambling horde of undead. They were far too slow to catch anyone in the open, even the human soldiers could still skirt around them and return to their own base if they were careful enough. So why had the enemy sent them? Something didn¡¯t feel right...


    Unable to dismiss the feeling, I hastily cobbled together a quest for the Daemons to share with the Surgeons and Porters. The only reason I could think of for the enemy to ¡®allow¡¯ the refugees to ¡®escape¡¯ unharmed, was if their plan depended or accounted for it already.


    In my haste to see the refugees to safety, we had forgone individually inviting them to the Settlement, from screening them for disease and other Status Conditions...


    <Lord! Multiple hostiles have been detected! They are congregating in the vicinity of the hospital!> Gric¡¯s telepathic communication was urgent, but not panicked.


    I was then vaguely aware of a couple dozen other such voices whispering in the periphery of my mind. It wasn¡¯t that the Daemons were using my brain as a relay, so much as my own connection to each of the Daemons through Sanctuary¡¯s Totem was too primitive and I hadn¡¯t disconnected from the communication as cleanly as I should have.


    With my paranoia vindicated, I felt no relief. Instead, my anxiety only seemed to multiply. I had allowed a pack of wolves through my front door uncontested and had no idea of what they were capable of. The fact that they were converging on the hospital made it even worse.


    Was this the enemy¡¯s plan? To trigger an orgy of violence amongst the wounded and massacre my healers?


    I knew that trusting the humans completely would almost certainly backfire, but leaving them ignorant of the threat would be far worse. I amended the quest targets to include both Cpt. Kristof and Lt. Rooke. After a moment''s thought, I included Toby, Clarice, Nadine and Col. Klive. If the enemy had infiltrated Sanctuary, then it was entirely possible that they had snuck inside of the humans military base as well.


    Cpt. Kristof immediately shifted his entire attention to me, his dark eyes scrutinising my masked face for a few seconds before looking purposefully towards the last refugees being shepherded through the gatehouse. ¡°You are certain?¡± Col. Kristof asked dourly, his deep voice surprisingly devoid of doubt in spite of the requested confirmation.


    I nodded and pulled down my mask. With so many non-citizens entering Sanctuary at once, I had not been able to determine friend from foe. ¡°Your men can¡¯t be trusted,¡± I stated bluntly, ¡°Do not leave the vicinity of the gatehouse.¡± I left the obvious threat of ¡®or else¡¯ unspoken.


    Cpt. Kristof gave a nearly imperceptible nod before turning back to his men to begin issuing orders for their withdrawal into Sanctuary.


    ¡°Back through the gate!¡± I waved expansively and directed the Serpent-kin and Deep Orcs to retreat back into Sanctuary. I tried to remain calm, convinced that any one of the refugees on the other side of the gate could be an enemy, and that any over hostile action could trigger a bloodbath.


    I had little fear for my own people. After all, most, if not all, had some form of Class and had levelled up multiple times, making them far stronger than they otherwise would be. Somewhat ironically, it was the refugees I was most concerned for. With so many of them already wounded, and an absurd number of children...


    Looking out over the milling throngs of refugees, I could see a veritable horde of children being led towards the safest location in Sanctuary, the Grove. It made sense of course, without orders to do otherwise, the Serpent-kin and Deep Orcs were acting true to their base nature, preserving the future generations.


    With a sudden painful twisting in my gut, I knew I had stumbled across the enemy¡¯s primary objective. He wanted to gut Sanctuary from the inside out, he wanted to provoke an open war, a war where he could use their grief to bait them into ambush after ambush, until there was no one left...


    ¡°Lash?!¡± I looked around but saw no immediate sign of her. I had intended to have her use her pulsing barrier as a last resort. The stipulation of enemy and allies in different Abilities suggested that they could differentiate targets independently of the user.


    I was about to issue a quest to the Daemons, but I stopped and altered it as I recognised Lash amongst those escorting the children. Instead, I directed the quest to Ril. Lash, the other escorts and the Goblin children had very nearly reached the Grove, there was no way I would be able to reach them in time. So, my quest for Ril was simple, to have Lash use her Ability and have the escorting adults fend off the hostiles as long as possible while I brought help.


    <Understood!> Ril¡¯s response came immediately upon receiving the quest, <Other Daemons notified, coordinating response.> Her sudden shifts in demeanour were something I still wasn¡¯t used to. One moment RIl would behave like a six-year-old, another like she was in her mid-teens. Then there were situations like these where she would take on the slavish mannerisms of a cadet in a movie version of boot camp.


    I decided that for the time being at least, it didn¡¯t matter. There were far more important issues at stake than a week old Daemon¡¯s personality disorder.


    <Lord!> The skittish communication identified Wraithe almost immediately, <There have been almost forty cases of the Blood Pox Condition despite the absence of symptoms! Only the higher levelled Hospice Surgeons have been able to identify those infected thus far!>


    <What about the hostiles?!> I demanded, my thoughts muddling through the message as best as I was able.


    <None of those flagged as hostile have taken action, but they are acting suspiciously. What are your orders?> Wraithe¡¯s nervous energy was infectious and it took me a moment to shake it off.


    <Have porters shadow them. If they become overtly hostile, try to restrain them. If they are undead, destroy them.> Assuming the worst, I didn¡¯t feel like I had any other choice. The enemy had not only sent a trojan horse of enemies amongst the refugees, but he had infected them with what I could only assume was measles as well...


    <As you will, Lord!> Wraithe promptly severed the connection, but I still felt the bridge forming to other Daemons in her vicinity before it cut completely.


    Forcing myself to appear as calm as possible, I replaced my mask and determinedly headed towards the Grove, ignoring the small party of ragged refugees trailing along behind me.


    Separated from the other Goblins, the differences were like night and day.


    The Goblins trailing behind me had paler skin and pockmarked rashes. Then there was the unsettlingly intense hunger in their eyes...


    A shockwave of rapidly expanding amethyst light signalled the beginning of Sanctuary¡¯s counter-assault. As I had hoped it would, Lash¡¯s barrier drove out the enemies hidden amongst the crowded mass of children while leaving the children more or less unharmed.


    Caught by surprise, the formerly hidden enemies were too stunned to react and caught a second wave of Lash¡¯s barrier as she urged the other Deep Orcs and accompanying Serpent-kin to usher the children to the safety of the Grove.


    The infected Goblins following me were the first to react, screaming and bodily throwing themselves at me with their teeth bared.


    Pushing their similarities to Toofy from my mind as best as I was able, I stepped back and swept my left hand out in a vicious arcing backhand.


    *BOOM*


    The first Goblin violently exploded in a spray of splintered bones and gore, the shockwave sending its seven companions tumbling through the air and crashing into the ground. Two of them suffered broken arms, while another¡¯s leg was thoroughly dislocated.


    [You have slain {Forest Goblin (Wight): 2 } +600 Exp]


    Sparing only a half-second to check the Status Alert to confirm my suspicions, I hardened my heart and brought my foot down on the prone scrambling form of the crippled Goblin.


    *Crunch*


    Even though I wasn¡¯t sure what a Wight was exactly, I didn¡¯t really doubt that it was some form of undead. Most notably because the Goblin I had just crushed underfoot had been roughly forced in two, yet was still scrambling to claw and bite at my leg.


    Just like the Deep Orc Ghouls, physical contact with the Goblin Wights had triggered black Status Alerts of their own.


    [ You have successfully resisted a {Life Steal} effect. ]


    Reading one of the Status Alerts was a mistake, my momentary pause provided an opening for the remaining undead Goblins to renew their attack and generate dozens of new Alerts in the span of a few seconds.


    Even though my HP remained unchanged, and the Goblin Wights failed to pierce my skin, their claws left a lingering chill against my skin all the same.


    More than a little freaked out by what the Life Steal effect implied, I swiped wildly at the Goblin Wights with my morningstar while trying to avoid touching them as much as possible.


    Unfortunately, the undead Goblins were too small and quick, nimbly dodging aside or ducking under my sweeping blows.


    While I was far from beginning to feel tired, repeatedly missing with my attacks and being bombarded with black Status Alerts was taking a psychological toll.


    Frustrated, I was about to resort to channelling mana for Thundering Strikes in an attempt to stun or destroy them with the concussive area of effect. However, just as I was about to do so, two of the Goblin Wights suddenly stumbled and were held firm by small roots wrapping around their lower legs and ankles.


    The whole patch of ground around me had come alive, roots whipping and wrapping around the confused undead as they attempted to leap away from one mass of roots only to become ensnared by other roots coming at them from behind.


    Trying not to think too much, I dashed the undead apart with my morningstar.


    A similar scene took place in a few pockets of fighting around Sanctuary, as roots and branches dragged the undead Goblins to the ground or at least hampered their ability to dodge long enough for Deep Orc¡¯s and Serpent-kin to stab, bash and slash them to pieces.


    While I wanted to think Hana had been responsible, the grappling vegetation¡¯s movements were far too stilted and aggressive to have been her handiwork.


    True enough, I could see the poorly disguised forms of Daemon Druids skulking through the barrows near each of the conflicts that had taken place. Furthermore, I could just about make out Qreet swiftly headed towards the hospital from the direction of the Grove.


    Assuming there was still more fighting that needed doing, I glanced briefly towards Lash and the other defenders dispatching the undead separated from the children. Confident that they had things well in hand, I ran off towards the hospital as well.


    It was complete chaos.


    Dead and dying Goblins were bleeding on the ground while Surgeons and porters were locked in a deadly battle against dozens of Goblin Wights, all while the wounded refugees cowered and ran for their lives.


    Qreet was standing stock still in the entrance doorway, her gaze locked intently on the undead and her fingers feverishly spasming through different motions in such rapid succession that her hands looked like twisted bony spiders.


    However, Qreet¡¯s efforts proved insufficient to stem the tide of violence, as each Wight she forcibly drew out of the bloody melee was replaced by two others.


    ¡°YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!¡± Hana¡¯s scream from the second floor caused the hospital itself to quiver and shake.


    *Shunk*


    A branch as thick as my arm tore up through one of the undead, expanding to twice its width in under a heartbeat and causing the Wight to rip apart.


    *Thwack, Shonk, Thwick¡±


    More branches and roots ripped out of the floor, ceiling and walls, grasping or impaling the bewildered undead and tearing them to pieces like some timber variant of a Lovecraftian Elder God.


    As devastating as Hana¡¯s rage-fuelled assault on the invaders was proving to be, there were some very close calls as the wooden tentacles homed in on cowering refugees. However, each time they drew close to a refugee, Qreet would twist and drag her arms as if wrestling with an invisible titan which would then cause the attack to be redirected elsewhere.


    Knowing the Daemon Druid would not be able to match Hana for long, I discarded my morning star and left the hospital. Looking up towards the second floor, I braced my legs and then jumped high enough to grab hold of a windowsill. Dragging myself in through the window, I could see Hana wreathed in a deep emerald haze of mana, her face fixed in a mask of pure hatred.


    Nearby, the familiar rodent-like form of Wraithe was bodily shielding her patient, the numerous ragged bleeding wounds on her body and the mutilated pockmarked corpses in the immediate area serving as a testament to her devotion to duty.


    ¡°HANA!¡± I shouted and began moving towards her while trying to think of how to calm her down.


    At least a little surprised, Hana gave a start and her aura of mana briefly flickered before a spiked branch erupted from the floor and very nearly gored me in the stomach. ¡°SO!...MUCH!..PAIN!¡± Hana screamed, her limbs visibly shaking with spasms and tremors.


    The floor became a carpet of half-inch thorns that pierced my feet, ironically dealing the first damage I had taken from the whole invasion.


    Gritting my teeth, I staggered forward. My sheer weight crushed most of the thorns underfoot, but the small cuts already opened by the first thorns allowed others to slip into the flesh of my feet and tore painfully as I raised my feet to take each new step.


    I had now managed to come within arms reach of Hana, but my feet were a bloody mess and several sizable spikes had begun growing from the floor, walls and ceiling. I had to make a choice. If I left Hana as she was now, there was no telling how much damage she would do, not just to the refugees and those within the hospital, including myself, but to Sanctuary¡¯s defences as a whole.


    *Clap*


    Despite dialling back my strength considerably, my heart ached and my face flushed with shame as Hana toppled to the ground. Regardless of the rationale and justifications I had for doing so, slapping Hana in her distressed state made me feel dirty.


    The protruding spikes stilled and then slowly began to conform back into the interwoven structure of the building. A short while later, the thorns browned and flaked away as well.


    Even though it hurt to move about, I made sure to move Hana onto a convalescence bed near the unconscious forms of Wraithe and her patient. My open-handed slap had knocked Hana out cold, and to my immense shame, broken her jaw.


    It didn¡¯t take long for one of the Daemon Surgeons to rush up to the second floor to tend to Wraithe¡¯s open wounds. Once recovered, it was Wraithe who then tended to myself and Hana, despite my protests that the Daemon should rest and allow her wounds to fully heal first.


    However, whether it was because of loyalty, a rebellious streak or a twisted interpretation of the Hippocratic oath, Wraithe chose to ignore me, and after tending to us, limped downstairs to tend to others.


    Left alone with Hana and the young woman Wraithe had so doggedly protected, I couldn¡¯t help but wince as I assessed the damage. It was clear that one of the Hospice Surgeons had already made preliminary attempts at treatment. The young woman''s extensive burns had been liberally coated in what smelled of aloe, although there was also the acrid stench of burnt sugar and something else.


    Unable to be clothed without the fabric irritating her wounds, her bare naked body exposed the horrifying extent of the damage. I conservatively estimated that ninety-five to ninety-seven per cent of the young woman''s body was covered in severe burns. The empty cavities of her eye sockets made it obvious that the young woman was blind, and from what I could make out from between her broken black teeth, her tongue was not likely to recover.


    It was more than just morbid curiosity that compelled me to examine her condition, it was guilt. Despite the noticeable withering of the ears and her discoloured skin, just by Hana¡¯s reaction alone, I could only assume that this young woman was another Dryad. Somehow she and Hana had shared experiences through a special link and with Hana¡¯s previous trauma, it had driven her into a hysterical fit of grief fuelled rage. I couldn¡¯t blame Hana for how she reacted, but I needed to keep an eye on her to make sure she wouldn¡¯t lose control like that again. Despite how much we needed her, I seriously considered whether there would be any viable methods for keeping Hana unconscious until the Surgeon''s efforts had time to reduce the burn victim''s pain.


    Coordinating with the Daemons in short bursts telepathically, Sanctuary slowly came to order again. However, there was a serious problem, the surviving leaders of the Forest Goblin refugees, a trio of Elders, were refusing to join Sanctuary without first having a personal meeting to negotiate with me first.


    Trusting Wraithe and the other Daemon Surgeons to keep a watchful eye on Hana in my absence, I reluctantly headed to the cookfires to negotiate with the Forest Goblin Elders.


    Still painfully aware of the undead presence outside of Sanctuary¡¯s walls, I felt somewhat vindicated in my earlier assumption that the enemy intended for Sanctuary to succumb to disease before actually trying anything. The shambling horde had reportedly pulled back out of bow and crossbow range shortly after the gate had closed. Despite their numbers swelling well over a couple thousand in the half-hour after their first appearance, they still made no signs of drawing closer or beginning any form of attack.


    Confident in the mundane and Eldritch Abilities of my Surgeons, the prospect of a potential epidemic was still bearing heavily upon my mind as I arrived at the cooking fires.


    Contrary to my initial expectations, the three Forest Goblin Elders did not seem to be united in their desire for negotiation.


    All three Elders looked to be in their late seventies by human standards, with mottled liver-spotted skin and far more wrinkles than seemed appropriate for people the size of children. They each had two honor guards that somewhat matched the style of dress and mannerisms of their charges.


    The first Elder was a male with a clean bandaged stump in place of his right arm, and his body was littered with many smaller scars that could be seen beneath his bloodstained padded cloth and leather armour. Although the Elder¡¯s expression was dour, I could see a grudging respect reflected in his eyes.


    The second Elder was a female with strange trophies woven into her bushy white mane of hair and a bird-like carving hanging from her neck that reminded me of Ushu¡¯s spirit focus. She seemed strangely relieved by my arrival, so I assumed she was in favour of her people joining Sanctuary, or at least far less opposed to the idea than the others.


    The last Elder, a male with long droopy ears and a tattered gold silk robe appeared to be the holdout. He seemed genuinely frightened of me in spite of the fact that I had already stripped off my bloodstained pants and tunic, lowered my mask, and was making no overtly hostile gestures towards the Elders at all.


    Gric had already been attempting negotiations and had been eagerly awaiting my arrival since they suddenly stalled. ¡°Lord! Allow me to introduce the honourable Elders of the Sunrock tribe,¡± he proceeded to point to each of the Elders in turn, ¡°Elder Skrit is their warleader, Elder Whisp is the tribes foremost Shaman, and Elder Clink is the tribes ¡®negotiator¡¯,¡± Gric put a strange emphasis on the title of negotiator, although I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Tim,¡± Elder Whisp smiled in greeting, revealing teeth just as sharp as Toofy¡¯s, ¡°For my people, I thank you for saving us all.¡± She bowed her head deeply and was joined in the gesture by Elder Skrit and their collective four guardians.


    ¡°Surprise help appreciated,¡± Elder Skrit agreed, ¡°Many Sunrock saved, thankful to you.¡± The Elder''s speech was somewhat stilted like Toofy¡¯s, as if he knew what he wanted to say, but struggled to string the right words together to express it in a more articulate manner.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Truthfully, my friends and I didn¡¯t know if there would be any other refugees besides the humans, but I am glad we could help,¡± I explained honestly. It wouldn¡¯t bode well for our relationship if I started it with an easily verifiable lie, so I opted for the truth.


    Elders Skrit and Whisp nodded in understanding, but Elder Clink¡¯s right eye twitched irritably.


    ¡°Gric has informed me that you have concerns about your people joining Sanctuary?¡± I asked rather bluntly, unsure of how best to bridge the subject.


    Before the other two Elders had a chance to answer, Elder Clink spoke up first, ¡°Ogre-¡±


    I flinched.


    ¡°-wants slaves! Sunrock be no more, is a trap!¡± Elder Clink insisted to his compatriots, barely acknowledging mine or Gric¡¯s presence. ¡°Ancients tell, dark days long enslaved under Ogre and Orcs! Sunrock fight and be free! No enslaved again!¡± Neither Elder Skrit or Elder Whisp seemed impressed by Elder Clink¡¯s argument.


    ¡°Sunrock ancients threw own poop at enemies,¡± Elder Whisp countered derisively, ¡°Live scared in trees like prey. Sunrock are not prey!¡±


    Elder Skrit nodded in agreement, ¡°Sunrock not prey. Sunrock choose destiny, not dead ancients.¡±


    Elder Clink became more agitated, ¡°Human allies no like Ogre! No trade with Sunrock! No trade, Sunrock be hunted, die!¡±


    Again, neither of the other two Elders seemed to agree with him.


    ¡°Human traders betray Sunrock!¡± Elder Skrit growled angrily, balling his fist so tight his knuckles turned white, ¡°Enslave Shaman! Leave Sunrock to die!¡±


    Elder Clink recoiled behind his protectors, though neither seemed keen on the idea of holding back the one-armed Elder of war. ¡°Lies!¡± He insisted shrilly, ¡°Ogre lies to make Sunrock slaves!¡±


    Now Elder Whisp was angry too, ¡°Lies?!¡± She shrieked incredulously, ¡°Lies! Yes! Human trader lies from Clink¡¯s mouth!¡± Elder Whisp¡¯s eyes began to glow with a light amber, almost golden, light as she took hold of the bird carving hanging from her neck.


    Elder Clink grew white as a sheet and fearfully cast his eyes up towards the sky, his pupils darting this way and that like a terrified rabbit.


    ¡°Sunrock judge you,¡± Elder Skrit hissed through curled lips of disgust.


    A translucent shimmering golden hawk the size of an SUV appeared behind Elder Whisp, coils of radiant golden mana emanating off of its spectral form.


    At once, every Forest Goblin within the vicinity, except Elder Whisp and Elder Clink, fell to their knees and raised their hands in supplication as if in the presence of a god. Which, I supposed they were.


    Gric¡¯s expression was far more calculated and controlled, as he was gauging the potential strength of the golden spirit-hawk before us.


    ¡°You have summoned me, little ember?¡± A soft feminine voice lilted from the spirit-hawk¡¯s beak, but it felt more like the limited telepathy of the Daemons than true speech.


    Elder Whisp bowed low, her bushy white hair falling over and around her head, ¡°Sunrock, humble servant begs you judge accused traitor of the tribe!¡± She raised her head slightly and pointed to Elder Clink, who in turn flinched in terror.


    The spirit-hawk remained silent, cocking its head to one side as it regarded the covering form of the accused. Without warning, the spirit-hawk disappeared without seeming to have accomplished anything besides scaring the old Forest Goblin half to death. Or so I thought...


    ¡°Guilty traitor!¡± Elder Skrit spat after raising his head, the sentiment shared by the other Goblins, even Clink¡¯s own guards.


    Elder Clink had fallen to his knees, his head slumped against his chest. After a few moments, he slumped to one side and fell to the ground, exposing the charred and blackened remains of his eyes still sizzling within his skull.


    ¡°It is finished,¡± Elder Whisp signed regretfully, no doubt recalling better times or perhaps the better elements of the dead Goblin¡¯s character before his unfortunate betrayal. After a minute or so of dwelling upon her own thoughts, she shifted her attention to me instead. ¡°Clink was traitor, but some things said worry us too,¡± Elder Whisp cautiously explained, her words receiving a small nod of agreement from Elder Skrit. ¡°Sunrock do not wish to be slaves, need to be free to choose own destiny.¡±


    I nodded in understanding, ¡°I think that there is something of a misunderstanding,¡± I explained, ¡°I don¡¯t want to enslave anyone. But I won¡¯t try and mislead you either. Joining Sanctuary means giving up a small measure of freedom. Just as members of the tribe must bend their will to yours to achieve the most good and overcome disaster, so too would you all need to bend to mine.¡± I waved expansively at the gathering crowd of Forest Goblins, Deep Orcs and Serpent-kin, ¡°A tribe needs leadership, and that is the role I provide and have provided since founding Sanctuary. I direct people and materials where I think they are needed and can do the most good. I provide advice and take it in turn. I offer Classes to my people, so they can strengthen themselves and better support one another, but I leave their choice on what path to take up to them,¡± I hadn¡¯t meant to raise my voice so loud, but I was getting swept up in the moment and couldn¡¯t help it, ¡°I don¡¯t want slaves, I want a tribe, a clan, a nation, a family! A place where children can grow old without the fear and predations of war, famine and disease!¡±


    I took a moment to calm myself down and steady my breathing again. The events since my arrival in this world had really left their mark, and I was surprised by how readily the words came once I began to give voice to my feelings.


    ¡°I do not rule alone. While no one else has the same level of authority as I do, I am not so arrogant as to believe I know everything, and I frequently consult with those whose opinions I trust in order to make the best decisions I can,¡± I paused and took a few moments to match the gazes of the two Elders, ¡°By giving up minor freedoms, your people will become stronger and better able to protect themselves. You fear my unjust tyranny? Then lead your people as my advisors and bring greater prosperity for us all!¡±


    I meant every word. I had no intentions of ruling Sanctuary on my own, or being some sort of petty dictator catering to my own desires and ignoring the needs of my people. If the Labyrinth¡¯s Settlement functions didn¡¯t outright force me to be in charge, I would hand the title over to someone else more qualified in a heartbeat. But since I couldn¡¯t do that, recruiting and promoting those best suited to lead and advise was my best alternative.


    In the wake of my speech, Sanctuary had become deathly quiet, as if everyone was holding their breath in anticipation of what would happen next.


    I began to wonder if perhaps my impassioned speech for united prosperity at the cost of minor freedoms had in fact crossed the line into fascist territory. It was hard to describe how little I controlled the citizens of Sanctuary, especially since there were occasions where I literally did almost the complete opposite and all but outright forced cooperation during periods of crisis. Did that make me a tyrant though?


    I was broken from my musings as both Elders took the knee before me, each holding a hand over their heart.


    ¡°You have proved friend and ally to Sunrock, Lord Tim,¡± Elder Whisp proclaimed loudly, deliberately projecting her voice as best as she was able, ¡°I will join you!¡±


    ¡°Skrit witnessed Lord TIm¡¯s strength!¡± Elder Skrit tensely shook his remaining arm in the air, ¡°Sunrock grow strong again! Stronger! Skrit join Sanctuary!¡±


    With both Elders proclamations complete, the gathered Goblins of the Sunrock tribe cheered and cried out in celebration, and after overcoming their initial surprise at the intensity, Sanctuary¡¯s existing citizens joined in as well.


    In comparison to the grand speeches, inviting both Elders into Sanctuary was comparatively anti-climactic, requiring only a brief touch from my hand and for them each to accept the invitation. After inviting both Skrit and Whisp, I began explaining how the Settlement functions worked and that I wouldn¡¯t be able to promote them until the required number of total citizens was met.


    Neither of them seemed to mind all that much, very likely having done the rough approximate math on their own and realised that once all of their people were invited to the Settlement, that both of them would then be able to receive promotion.


    To put it most simply, the original Settlement had allowed one Lord, one Overseer and three Underlords. After reaching a population of five hundred, every additional two hundred and fifty minions would unlock another Underlord position for promotion. So assuming every Sunrock refugee joined Sanctuary, which seemed like it would be the case, two new Underlord positions would be made available for the Elders to be promoted and make some progress towards the next milestone as well.


    True enough, even though it took Gric, Lash and myself the better part of ten minutes of near-constantly inviting the refugees to join Sanctuary, we managed to unlock a fourth Underlord position. After Promoting Whisp and having her bring some more order to the process, the remaining refugees, mostly children at this point, were invited into Sanctuary and assigned temporary housing and light duties while I gave Skrit his promised promotion.


    To my surprise, both Forest Goblin Elders qualified as literate and actually knew both the spoken and written language used in the Asrus Kingdom. Once they explained the fact that they had previously established strong trading relations with the ¡®human settlement¡¯ on the river and been trading with them for multiple generations, it made a fair bit of sense that they would endeavor to overcome the language barrier in order to secure the best deals and avoid being taken advantage of. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Confident that I could leave them to coordinate their people and make arrangements with Gric for anything they needed, I decided it was high time to have a meeting with the human officers. They had been behaving themselves thus far, near as anyone could tell, but their presence still put some of my people on edge. Given that they would most likely be trapped here for some time, we needed to establish some ground rules and make arrangements for their accommodations. I had anticipated the refugees, but not another two hundred and fifty or so human soldiers.


    As if expecting me, both senior officers waited a short distance away from their men, but well within what could be considered the boundaries of the gate.


    I had brought Lash with me, because I was feeling more than a little drained from making that speech earlier and putting on a confident front really wasn¡¯t helping my stress levels, so her presence helped keep me a little more centred. Besides, she may notice something I miss, or recognise something important for later.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim, it is good to see you are well and have put down the undead insurgents,¡± the Captain offered in greeting, ¡°If you need assistance in cleansing the area, I can arrange a work detail to-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, thank you for your concern,¡± I interjected, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible.


    We really didn¡¯t need the help, or, not in that regard anyway. The higher level Surgeons, both Hospice and Field, had unlocked a sterilisation aura that could be activated to ¡®disinfect¡¯ and ¡®sterilize¡¯ objects, environments and corpses within somewhat limited distances of themselves. The Daemon Surgeons had already put those with the ability to work cleaning the hospital and the barrows so those already infected with the Blood Pox could be treated without unnecessarily exposing others.


    ¡°We were not prepared to house so many people, but assuming you can tough it out for tonight, shelters can be provided for you and your men tomorrow,¡± I explained hastily, wanting this to be over with.


    The Captain nodded, ¡°This is acceptable. We have temporary shelters that can be erected if given a suitable area to make camp. We also have sufficient supplies of food for days under rationing, but arrangements will need to be made for fresh drinking water.¡±


    I nodded in agreement with his requirements and then stopped as I reconsidered the food situation. There were functionally two ways I had thought of generating enough food to stave off mass starvation.


    The first, and most dangerous, was to temporarily allow Swamp Lurkers to spawn within Sanctuary. Near as I could tell, they spawned in the water like the piranhas, not on land, so it would be a relatively controlled hunting scenario. The downside was that if I was wrong, there was a high chance that there would be widespread deaths unless we could literally get everyone up off the ground,


    The second, and safest, was to try and grow nutrient and calorie-rich foods using the Druids nature magic. The problem with that plan was that the spices and limited varieties of vegetables the Colonel had gifted me, were either unfit for the task or incredibly work-intensive on the Druids side. Growing a single bulb of garlic seemed to be reasonably easy, growing one hundred simultaneously was much less so.


    However, soldiers'' rations could be a gamechanger. From my limited understanding, a soldier¡¯s rations were meant to be packed full of calories, salt and necessary vitamins to ward off basic diseases and keep the soldier in fighting shape.


    ¡°Your rations, what¡¯s in them?¡± I asked somewhat excitedly.


    The Lieutenant pulled a waxed linen parcel from one of her belt pouches and offered it to me, ¡°Dried fruits, nuts, berries, that sort of thing,¡± she explained, a hint of a smile on her lips suggesting she had guessed my reason for asking.


    Opening the waxed linen packet, I nearly cried in relief as I recognised the familiar shapes, colours and smells inside. The fact that whoever made these rations didn¡¯t remove any of the pits or seeds was almost more than I could take and I found myself leaning on Lash for support. Assuming I was right about how the Druid¡¯s magic worked, we had a very real shot at turning Sanctuary¡¯s dire food situation right around!


    *****


    Cpt. Kristof watched the Ogre Chieftain and his Mate excitedly head off towards what he assumed was the food production area of the Settlement. Even though the Colonel¡¯s reports had expressed that the Ogre had a fondness for new plants, Kristof made a mental note to amend it to include both savoury and sweet preserves as well.


    He wasn¡¯t an idiot, Cpt. Kristof understood that whatever magical means the monsters of the Settlement had at their disposal were capable of encouraging rapid plant growth. So it made sense for the Ogre Chieftain to be excited about the prospect of adding variety to their diet while also lessening the need to hunt wild monsters to sustain themselves. If he was in the Ogre¡¯s place, Cpt. Kristof would likely be just as excited too.


    ¡°Do we have any new orders from command?¡± Cpt. Kristof asked, assuming that Lt. Rooke had already apprised the Colonel of recent developments.


    Lt. Rooke nodded, ¡°The priority has been upgraded to Absolute,¡± she stated somewhat excitedly.


    ¡°Absolute...¡± Cpt. Kristof needed a moment to process it. Absolute priority was almost universally reserved for protection and training details for members of the royal family...or assassinating rival heads of state...


    ¡°You think he isn''t worth the priority level?¡± Lt. Rooke asked somewhat jokingly.


    Cpt. Kristof shook his head, ¡°No. If what you saw is true, and combined with what we already learned, Absolute might be insufficient...¡± He didn¡¯t say it lightly. Absolute priority meant that every soldier was expected to die if necessary to accomplish the objective, and that any number of civilian casualties would be considered acceptable collateral damage. Rules of engagement could be freely broken, treaties violated, the objective was, literally, Absolute.


    ¡°How long do you think we have?¡± Cpt. Kristof asked dourly, his thoughts drifting to those of his family home.


    Lt. Rooke didn¡¯t answer right away, instead intensely watching the Ogre conversing with his mate in the distance. A qualified master of lip reading, and afforded the sight of a bird of prey from one of her Class Abilities, she was no doubt gathering additional intel. ¡°Maybe a year...¡± Lt. Rooke replied quietly, ¡°Less if something isn¡¯t done about the ¡®Bloody Baron¡¯.¡±


    Cpt. Kristof nodded. It was more or less what he had expected. His thoughts lingered on home again, of his wife and their two sons and daughter... ¡°Do you think the Ogre-¡±


    ¡°-Tim!¡± Lt. Rooke corrected sharply without looking away from her target, ¡°He hates that word.¡±


    Cpt. Kristof nodded and bit the inside of his cheek to serve as a reminder. He had read the reports and knew to trust Lt. Rooke¡¯s instincts. ¡°Right. Do you think Tim would take in human settlers?¡± Cpt. Kristof asked warily, knowing that the question could be misunderstood as borderline treasonous.


    Lt. Rooke was quiet for a while, then blinked and sighed as she turned her attention to him instead. ¡°He would, and already has, although perhaps not in name. The innkeeper and his family, remember? Not to mention the humans from the expeditionary force we helped rescue. That¡¯s almost guaranteed to be why the Grand Marshal upped the priority, and he wouldn¡¯t do anything without his Majesty knowing about it.¡± She let out a long breath, shook her head and wistfully regarded the sky, ¡°Absolute priority...fuck me...¡±

 Chapter 22 – Preparing for war – Part One

    Chapter 22 ¨C Preparing for war ¨C Part OneChapter 22 - Preparing for war - Part One


    Chang-min¡¯s mind drifted along the web of consciousness composed of the barely sentient minds of his undead legion. To his mild annoyance, Chang-min found no connections located within either of the enemy camps. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but after receiving so few kill notifications through his system, Chang-min was somewhat nervous about the effectiveness of his grand strategy.


    After confronting the brute-force oriented Awakened the System had identified as Tim, Chang-min had decided that direct confrontation favoured his enemy too much and himself too little. Therefore, Chang-min altered his original plan and decided to dabble in biological warfare.


    Infecting his infiltrators with Blood Pox, Chang-min had slipped them in amidst the Goblins survivors. With so many of the Goblins already sick and wounded, the infiltrators had no problems embedding themselves amongst the refugees. Since their presence alone was sufficient to spread the disease, Chang-min was content to allow the altered plan to proceed without further interference.


    Things had gone more or less according to plan. The idiot Ogre had recognised the trojan horse for what it was but was too late to prevent the trap itself. The disease would ravage their camps and leave them easy pickings, all without Chang-min having to raise a finger.


    While he doubted his adversary would succumb to the worst of the disease, Chang-min was confident that enough of the Ogre¡¯s allies would die or be so severely weakened that by the time Chang-min launched his final assault, the outcome would be a foregone conclusion.


    Besides, this alternate strategy would give Chang-min the breathing room he needed in order to deal with his true rival.


    Chang-min¡¯s rival had first appeared roughly two weeks ago. They had encountered one another a number of times but been unable to determine a true victor. In their rare face to face confrontations, Chang-min¡¯s rival, The Destroyer, as he was obsessed with calling himself, would slowly eke out an advantage and force Chang-min to make a tactical withdrawal to avoid lasting injury.


    Of course, Chang-min¡¯s Lieutenants were more than a match for The Destroyer''s own minions, which were little more than burnt-out husks. The problem was that The Destroyer cared little for taking and holding an actual territory, seemingly content to adhere to his namesake and destroy anything and everything he came across.


    Chang-min could not and would not allow it. The heavens had reincarnated him as a supreme existence as compensation for the horrors experienced in his past life, bestowing upon Chang-min the tools he needed to establish himself as supreme monarch above all.


    Chang-min¡¯s fortress was located deep underground, far from the flammable materials of his rival and built atop the chasm that spawned the raw living materials that would serve as the bulk of his forces.


    Much like a video game, the Labyrinth had predictable spawn locations, and just like those same video games, spawn camping in those same locations was very lucrative. The mass-produced copies were far less intelligent than the ¡®breeders¡¯ of established Settlements, but fodder didn¡¯t need to think, so Chang-min had no problems exploiting the spawn zone to the best of his ability.


    Unlike the weak Classes of the Natives, Chang-min¡¯s Necromancer Class was on an entirely different level. Not only was he capable of creating a completely loyal undead from any humanoid corpse, any Exp earned by his minions was given to Chang-min. It had taken him less than a week to reach the assumed level cap of thirty-five, unlocking all manner of powerful Abilities and buffs.


    If it weren¡¯t for the psychotic pyromaniac, Chang-min would have already established complete control over this floor of the Labyrinth and proceeded to the next.


    It annoyed Chang-min to no end that a single rival could delay his plans so effectively in spite of being so damnably erratic and undisciplined.


    Wandering the transformed halls of his inner sanctum, Chang-min paused before the large water basin that served as his stand-in for a mirror. He was glad that his reincarnation had preserved much of his core features, while abandoning those less desirable. The contrast of Chang-min¡¯s fine delicate features and the savage dominance of his armour represented a rather fitting dichotomy of his nature. Having spent close to his entire life at the mercy of others during his life on earth, he would never allow himself to be at another¡¯s mercy ever again.


    *****


    Organising the sleeping arrangements for more than five hundred Goblins and two hundred and fifty humans proved about as difficult as I feared. Even with competent leaders to streamline the process, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Sanctuary itself needed to be sanitised before those free of disease could occupy a residence.


    The highest priority had of course been given to the children and a cadre of dedicated carers. I knew enough about monster psychology and culture to avoid considering other options and accepted it as a required first step. Unfortunately, this meant that many of the adults were forced to sleep outside in a designated quarantine zone near the hospital. It also left the human soldiers as the last prospective recipients for screening and treatment, not that they complained.


    In spite of their demonstrated intentions thus far, I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to relax when in their presence. It really didn¡¯t help that the female officer always seemed to be watching me wherever I went.


    It was early morning by the time I was able to go to bed. I all but collapsed beside Lash and fell asleep within moments, the previous day''s events having proved mentally and emotionally exhausting.


    Waking up sometime around midday, I was somewhat disappointed to find Lash already gone from our bed. Her presence gave me a peace of mind that medications from my psychiatrist never could.


    After getting out of bed, I was forced to take some time to stretch and work out the stiffness from some muscles in my lower back. My javelin throwing technique, or lack thereof, left much to be desired, and had done a number on my back.


    I had made it halfway down the stairs when I noticed a peculiar smell coming from the direction of the cooking fires. With a sudden and persistent fear that the imminent food crisis may have caused experimental reclamation of the dead, or vulnerable...I rushed over to the cooking fires to investigate.


    To my immense relief and lingering worry for other reasons, the only meat being cooked by the fires was very obviously harvested from fish. However, in addition to the fish, there were strange plants being roasted on large flat rocks. Resembling a very pale green coloured butternut squash, the flesh of the plant looked somewhat squishy and rubbery.


    After standing by the cooking fires for a few minutes I confirmed that the strange plant was responsible for the smell, which I still couldn¡¯t pin down. Besides smelling somewhat rotten, the uncooked flesh of the vegetable smelled of strong cheese and sourdough. The change from being cooked was even stranger. The flesh hardened to that of a raw pumpkin while the smell of cheese was replaced by something almost fruity instead.


    The workers tending the fires seemed not to mind and freely ate the strange vegetable raw or cooked depending on supply.


    In my short time observing the cooking fires, dozens of deliveries from the Druids growing fields had been made by work teams of Forest Goblins. Each work team was composed of four Forest Goblins who would carry a large woven basket between them that could hold as much as fifteen to twenty of the strange vegetables without causing them visible strain.


    Impressed that the Druids had managed to generate such a substantial output to warrant so many workers, I took a small piece of the cooked vegetable to taste on my way over to investigate the field. Biting into the flesh, I nearly spat it out as the intense taste of poorly aged cheddar and an unplaceable yet altogether fruity sour juice splashed onto my thoroughly unprepared tongue. After reluctantly swallowing my first bite down, I was thoroughly divided on whether such a thing could or even should be called food.


    As I continued walking towards the Druids fields, I realised why the fruity taste and smell had been so familiar. The food wasn¡¯t rotten, it was fermenting. But that didn¡¯t make sense. Nothing else the Druids had grown had overripened to the point of fomentation, so why was this vegetable so special?


    ¡°What the?...¡± I stared out over the fields in shock.


    The native vegetable seemed to grow much like a pumpkin, through large sprawling vines that matted the ground and aggressively expanded to control as much territory as possible. Under the accelerated growth and guidance of the Druids, what looked like a single massive pumpkin plant had now dominated a space four times as large as the hospital. Furthermore, it appeared to still be growing.


    Hundreds of the vegetables were growing off the vines and seemed to fall off on their own without the Druids intervention. Around fifty Forest Goblins and Serpent-kin were hurriedly gathering the vegetables that fell off the vines and deposited them in the baskets I had seen the Goblins using earlier.


    The Druids had made an effort to plant the other seeds and invested enough mana and time to see them grow to maturity. However, it was obvious that the Daemons had settled on the cheese-squash to satisfy the looming food crisis, most notably because there was only a single bush or tree for each of the other plants, while the cheese-squash dominated the landscape.


    On some level, I found the Daemons choice questionable. I could clearly see an apple tree with small unripe apples growing on it as well as what might be an olive tree and what looked like a blackberry bush that was similarly bearing fruit.


    Hunting down Qreet wasn¡¯t particularly hard. Besides wearing the same hooded robe all the Daemons were wearing to disguise themselves, she was just standing out in the field. However, negotiating the vine-covered ground to get to her was another story.


    Unlike the Forest goblins and Serpent-kin, I was not nearly nimble or lithe enough to negotiate the vines without inadvertently trampling some of them. Ironically, destroying a small section of cheese-squash vines drew the attention of the Druids and Qreet hurriedly established telepathic communication.


    <Lord! Please do not damage the food crop!> Qreet spun around on the spot and nimbly made her way across the field.


    I waited for qreet to come closer, hoping she would explain herself without needing to have the answers dragged out of her.


    ¡°Lord! We were not expecting you...¡± Qreet said nervously, wringing her hands and briefly looking out over the field.


    ¡°Not expecting me?¡± I asked, somewhat confused, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Qreet shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Underlord Gric was satisfied that the choice in food crop would be sufficient to fulfil Sanctuary¡¯s needs...¡± She seemed confident in Gric¡¯s choice but was made uncomfortable by my scrutiny.


    I decided to let that particular issue go. ¡°Why did Gric think these cheese-squashes would be the best choice?¡± I asked insistently.


    Qreet seemed relieved, ¡°Ah, the cheese-squashes? Is that what they are called?¡± She asked curiously but brusquely shook her head, ¡°The cheese-squashes...¡± Qreet spoke the words slowly as if getting a feel for them, ¡°They are rich in essential minerals, proteins and carbohydrates. Underlord Gric is confident that a diet of monster flesh and...Cheese-squash...will prove sufficient to avoid worsening the food crisis.¡±


    Theoretically, they could be right. With the fish providing the essential fats and oils, and the cheese-squash providing a buffer of carbs and protein, it was probably the best call to keep the majority of Sanctuary¡¯s citizens fed and staving off starvation. However, there was a potential problem that I wasn¡¯t sure Gric was aware of, or if he was, had given an appropriate level of attention to.


    ¡°What about vitamins?¡± I asked, ¡°Will the fish and cheese-squash be enough to prevent people from getting sick?¡±


    Qreet hesitated, telling me all I needed to know. ¡°Each species has different requirements, Lord...¡± She replied evasively.


    I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to remain calm. The Daemons were both doing what they thought was best. It was just unfortunate that their stance was taken for what was best for most or some, rather than all. ¡°I have a new order for you and the other Druids, Qreet. For every ten mana you spend on growing cheese-squash, I want you to spend at least one mana on the other fruit trees and berry bushes. Am I clear?¡± In spite of trying to keep calm, I had begun raising my voice without meaning to.


    Qreet nodded and bowed, ¡°I understand, Lord, and will obey.¡±


    ¡°Why did Gric not suggest diversifying your growing efforts?¡± I asked, both trying to better understand his choice as well as giving Qreet a chance to regain my confidence.


    Qreet cocked her head slightly to one side inquisitively, ¡°Lord? With the undead laying siege to our borders, we do not have sufficient forces to patrol the briar wall AND harvest such labour intensive food crops.¡±


    I furrowed my brow in confusion, ¡°What do you mean? What about the Forest Goblin refugees? I know some of them are in pretty rough shape, but berry picking isn¡¯t exactly what I would call straining work.¡±


    ¡°Lord...¡± Qreet shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Many Forest Goblin adults were in critical condition, some were already half-starved...Wraithe has insisted that only those fit for work be allowed to do so...¡± She sounded confused by her fellow Daemon¡¯s decision and a little angry. There were few things that made the Daemons angry, and the top of that list was defying hierarchy. So Qreet¡¯s anger suggested that perhaps Gric had issued an order and Wraithe had defied it.


    That raised a worrying issue, amongst all my Underlords, none of them were tasked or specialized with prioritising the health of our people. If Wraithe had in fact defied Gric, then it wasn¡¯t going to sit well with the other Daemons either. As predictable as most of the Daemons were, it was strange how they found ways to surprise me and defy my expectations.


    ¡°What about the children?¡± I asked, ¡°Picking fruits and berries isn¡¯t hard, and they can eat while they work under supervision.¡±


    Qreet shrugged apologetically, ¡°Underlord Gric has attempted negotiations with Underlords Skrit and whisp...there have plications...¡±


    I sighed and rubbed at my temple, ¡°Alright, where are they? I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Qreet pointed towards the human encampment near the collapsed mine shaft, ¡°They are holding negotiations with the human soldiers¡¯ officers, Lord.¡±


    I frowned briefly as I tried to think of a reason why they would need to negotiate with the soldiers. Unfortunately, it just left me feeling paranoid, so I stopped and decided to check things out for myself.


    As I headed over to the soldiers camp, I tried to think of why the Forest Goblins would be adverse to their children performing such simple manual labour, and why Gric hadn¡¯t made the request of the Serpent-kin and Deep Orcs children as well. Granted, the younger ones would probably eat far more than they harvest, but that would be a good thing as well, so long as they didn¡¯t eat so many they got stomach aches.


    As best I could figure, it had to be because the monsters themselves had a very biased view towards hunter-gathering. Hunting was what brought in food, while the gathering component was the work to secure additional crafting resources from the carcasses or nearby environment. This was in direct opposition to humanity''s own hunter-gatherer cultures and history, where gathering was another means of securing food, not just crafting resources and raw materials.


    Having now entered the soldiers camp perimeter and headed towards the ramshackle looking command tent, I could only hope that the pair of recently appointed Underlords refusal was due to a very basic misunderstanding. Because in all likelihood, it would be the Goblins who would get sick from a vitamin-deficient diet first and be the most susceptible to preventable diseases.


    Worst case scenario, I would see the human officers put their soldiers to work instead. So, with that exact thought in mind, I invited myself into the officers¡¯ command tent.


    There were seven human officers in attendance, or perhaps five officers and two soldiers as guards. It was hard to tell without their full suits of armour on, and I had other things on my mind.


    The five officers, including the two most senior officers I had previously negotiated with, were sitting on the ground across from Underlords Skrit and Whisp. Out of everyone, only the junior officers seemed surprised by my presence, which did little to ease my mounting paranoia.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what it looks like,¡± The female officer raised her palms placatingly, ¡°Your Underlords just had questions about the adventurer Guild¡¯s actions during their combined retreat from the foothold,¡± She gave an insistent look at Whisp and Skrit.


    Whisp nodded in confirmation, though she bore a deep scowl on her face all the same. ¡°Human words are true.¡±


    Skrit nodded with a bitter grimace, his face a mask of barely contained rage.


    ¡°Was there something we could help you with?¡± The female officer asked, ignoring the mild discomfort on her superior''s face.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I agreed, deciding that it would be best to leave Whisp and Skrit alone for the time being. ¡°I want to know more about making magical items that run on mana stones,¡± It was something else I had wondered about and it could help alleviate our food problem.


    The two superior officers shared a telling look with one another and the Captain nodded.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the female officer agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll try to arrange a meeting with an instructor after, well, all of this blows over. But in the meantime, I think I know enough to show you how it can be done,¡± she got to her feet and headed out of the command tent.


    I followed her out and over to another large tent. Since the tent was filled with supplies and equipment, I assumed it must be their collective supply depot. The Lieutenant rifled amongst some of the larger packs before withdrawing a large leather satchel. Just judging by the sound the satchel made as she freed it from the pile, it was probably half-full of manastones.


    True enough, the female officer, Rooke I think her name was, removed a few manastones from the satchel before replacing it back with the others.


    ¡°What determines which Abilities can be stored into a manastone and which can¡¯t?¡± I asked curiously.


    Rooke shrugged somewhat apologetically, ¡°I am not sure, sorry. It mostly seems to be reserved for active-use Abilities.¡±


    ¡°Like the lights on your communication devices?¡± I asked.


    Rooke was taken aback for a moment and then smiled a little, ¡°Yeah, just like that.¡± Rooke shook her head a little and seemed to be thinking something over, ¡°The trick is actually rather simple. You just need to concentrate on the manastone and think about the Ability you want to store inside. Most of the time, the Ability just requires a small amount of mana to interact with it to become active. Whether it¡¯s your own or the target, it seems to depend on the Ability.¡±


    ¡°Wait...So, the slave collars?¡± My subconscious had put it together before I did, but it made sense.


    The Lieutenant shifted uncomfortably and avoided looking me in the eye, ¡°Y-Yeah, the Enslavement collars are made, not bought from the Labyrinths...¡±


    I frowned and tried to suss it all out. The owner transfer section of the collars I had seen were large enough to fit a manastone, but it didn¡¯t explain how they were able to be used repeatedly without depleting the manastone inside. ¡°What about the manastones?¡± I asked, unable to keep the odd mix of curiosity and irritation from my voice.


    ¡°Well...Again I can¡¯t be sure,¡± Rooke hedged nervously, ¡°But I think they are parasitic...¡±


    That made sense, leeching mana from the host in order to sustain the Enslavement that binds them. So why don¡¯t Slavers have legions of...


    ¡°Your country''s army...How many slaves are in it?¡± The question slipped out on its own.


    As I expected, Rooke flinched and grew tense. She looked like she was trying to decide if I would buy the lie she was planning to tell, or perhaps how much of the truth to tell. ¡°Around a thousand...¡± Rooke admitted quietly, ¡°But no variants...¡± She seemed incredibly nervous, like a cornered animal.


    ¡°Variants?¡± I asked dryly.


    Rooke gulped and shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Monsters like you and your people. Adventurers call you Named or Specials?¡± She offered helpfully.


    I nodded to show I understood. ¡°If your army doesn¡¯t keep my kind as slaves, then what is making you so nervous?¡±


    ¡°Mercs...¡± Rooke practically spat the word, her lips curled in flagrant disgust, ¡°We have no concrete numbers...But our best intel suggests that the Red Lions have as many as one to two hundred Variants on their own...¡± She held no reservations about looking me in the eyes now, staring intently and looking for some sort of reaction.


    ¡°The Variants, they aren¡¯t just soldiers, are they?¡± My stomach turned as my mind drifted to the worst places I could think of.


    Rooke shook her head, ¡°No, they aren¡¯t...¡±


    I wanted to throw up, expel the vile thoughts from my guts and my head.


    Roke continued speaking, ¡°The Emerald Vipers company is worse. They actively hunt down Settlements of Variants like yours and sell everyone off to the highest bidder. It doesn¡¯t matter to them, pure mercs to the core. Men, women, chil-¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± I snapped angrily. The intensity of my outburst drove her back a few steps before she regained her nerve. Even though I wanted nothing more than to hit something, I forced myself to take a deep breath instead. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± I demanded.


    Rooke faltered for a moment but quickly rallied, ¡°My superiors want to establish a working relationship with you, and keep it. I know this might be hard to accept after everything I just said, but the Asrus kingdom does not condone the enslavement of Variants.¡±


    ¡°But the adventurers Guild-¡± I was interrupted before I could say any more.


    ¡°-Is not an organisation, a clan...they don¡¯t belong in Asrus...They hold loyalty to no one but themselves and their backers.¡± The sheer contempt in Rooke¡¯s voice made her position clear. However, in spite of her anger, Rooke calmed herself and locked eyes with me again, ¡°Not all of us humans are the same. My clan, the Asrus, we are amongst the few resisting widespread slavery of monsters AND humans...The other clans don¡¯t like that.¡± She gave me a weighted look and made her way back to the command tent.


    Slowly making my way back to the Grove, I wondered if I tried to keep my mind from returning to dark places, but it was difficult with only my own thoughts for company.


    To my surprise, I bumped into Clarice by the cooking fires on my way back.


    ¡°Hey! Oh...Hey Tim,¡± Just about ready to take a swing, Clarice backed down when she noticed it was me who had bumped into her.


    ¡°Are you doing better? Have the Surgeons had a chance to look you over?¡± Clarice seemed a bit out of it and that had me a little worried.


    Clarice shook her head and glanced away, ¡°I¡¯m fine Tim, really. I just need to unwind for a bit is all.¡± She smiled vaguely for a moment before slipping back into her neutral expression again.


    Something was bothering her, but it seemed like Clarice just wanted to be left alone.


    Before I had a chance to excuse myself, Clarice smiled again, only this time with a mischievous glint in her eyes. ¡°I was talking to Lash earlier and she is really happy about your performance in the bedroom,¡± she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and snickered.


    I blushed a little but still managed to shrug it off. Unfortunately, that only seemed to egg Clarice on further.


    Clarice opened her mouth to speak, but paused and her expression turned dour again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Tim, I...I just need to be alone for a while...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I get it,¡± I patted Clarice¡¯s shoulder and turned to leave, ¡°If you want to talk about it, just come find me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay Tim,¡± Clarice gave me a small sad smile and then turned back to the cooking fire.


    I wanted to do more, say more, but I wasn¡¯t good at this sort of thing. I just hoped that Clarice would get better, or come see me if she needed someone to talk to about it.


    My brief talk with Clarice reminded me of something else, I needed to go see Hana. If she wasn¡¯t awake already, she would be soon. As much as I doubted I was the right person to comfort Hana and stop her from going out of control again, it didn¡¯t seem like there was anyone else. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Isolated on the recently built third floor, Hana and her sister were not hard to find. Getting to see them though, that apparently was the challenge. Wraithe had noticed my intentions first, so by the time I reached the second floor, there were a dozen porters and a handful of Surgeons reluctantly yet determinedly blocking my path.


    ¡°Lord, it is unwise to visit the Overseer at this time!¡± Wraithe insisted, ¡°She is conscious but very fragile right now!¡±


    The floors and walls trembled as if to accentuate the Daemon Surgeon¡¯s point.


    Wraithe stiffened for a moment, a telltale sign that she was engaging in telepathic communication. After a few moments, Wraithe waved the porters and other Surgeons aside, ¡°The Overseer needs to speak with the Lord, let him pass...¡± She sounded truly reluctant, as if forced into the decision and left with no other choice.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt her,¡± I muttered dejectedly, ¡°Not as long as I don¡¯t have to...¡± Recalling how I had been forced into making a snap decision, and how I had struck Hana hard enough to break her jaw made me feel sick and ashamed of myself all over again.


    I headed up the stairs and was surprised that Wraithe or one of the other Surgeons didn¡¯t insist on accompanying me. It was obvious that in spite of their relative seniority, the Serpent-kin looked to Wraithe for leadership, but Wraithe¡¯s reluctance to accompany me upstairs made me feel even more nervous about Hana''s mental state.


    Reaching the top landing, I could see Hana standing alongside her sister on the bed. She made no signs of moving as I approached, but the thought never occurred to me that Hana was not completely aware of everything I was doing.


    Making sure to appear as non-threatening as possible, I approached the bed to check on the condition of both the patient and Hana herself. What I found was not particularly comforting.


    The patient, Hana¡¯s sister, had come a long way in a short amount of time and looked stable, albeit heavily scarred. Her eyes were still gone, but her tongue had recovered more than I expected it to. However, The damage was still so severe that I doubted she would be able to speak normally, if at all. The only silver lining I could find, in spite of obvious withering to the cartilage in her ears, was that her eardrums looked intact and untouched, suggesting that her sense of hearing was likely intact.


    However, I doubted that would be of little consolation to Hana. About the same size as Hana had been when she first appeared as a quest reward, her sister¡¯s heavy scarring and the damage resulting from the original burns left her, for lack of a better word, disfigured.


    ¡°Can you heal her?¡± Hana croaked quietly, moving her hand to stroke her sister''s face, yet flinching back at the last moment with a pained expression. ¡°The Daemon...Wraithe, she said there wasn¡¯t anything else they could do...¡± Hana sounded defeated and looked like she might burst into tears at any moment, and perhaps would have if she also wasn¡¯t visibly dehydrated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted reluctantly, ¡°My medical knowledge is limited, and I don¡¯t know what medicines can be made from the plants of this world. The scars from the burns will continue to fade and heal over time, but the most severe injuries...There is nothing I can do for her eyes...¡± It felt cruel to just yank away all of her hope like that, so I determinedly pushed on, ¡±But her hearing should-¡±


    ¡°-Her name is Kohana,¡± Hana whispered despondently.


    I grimaced a little and nodded, ¡°Right...¡± It took a few moments to regain my nerve and relative composure, ¡°Kohana¡¯s hearing should be intact, so even if the nerve damage to her tongue proves more extensive than it seems, I should be able to teach Kohana at least rudimentary sign language to help her communicate...¡±


    A solitary tear ran down Hana¡¯s cheek and splashed onto the scarred skin of her sister¡¯s hand, ¡°Why is it that I can remember every little act of malice and unkindness she inflicted upon me?... Why can I remember all of that and still feel my heart aching at the sight of her?...¡± She whispered, ¡°Why can I still hate her so much and feel such intense grief over her disfigurement?...I asked for this...In my heart...Every time she spitefully lashed out at me...I dreamed of retribution...And now I have it...¡± Hana¡¯s shoulders began to shake as she succumbed to her grief and began sobbing.


    Wrapping my arms around her, I drew Hana into a hug.


    I lost track of the time while I held her. My sense of time was degraded by sharing in Hana¡¯s grief. I had no siblings that I knew of, so again, I could only imagine what it would feel like to lose everyone, and then after beginning to process that loss, have your rival or antithetical sibling return in dire need of your support and care. To make it worse, from what I recalled of Hana¡¯s retelling of events, her sisters and mother had all died trying to buy Hana time to escape. So if Kohana had suffered these injuries for Hana¡¯s sake, it was understandable that Hana would struggle to process her feelings considering their originally antagonistic or perhaps even hostile relationship with one another.


    After holding Hana a while longer, I found that she had exhausted herself into falling into a fitful slumber. Unwilling to leave her alone, I awkwardly maneuvered us both onto one of the beds closest to her sister and laid down with Hana resting in the crook of my arm.


    An idea had occurred to me while gently rocking Hana to sleep. However, it involved a choice that I truly felt was not mine to make, and I did not trust Hana to consider in her agreed and emotionally unstable state.


    While I was not completely certain, there was a distinct possibility that Orphiel could restore Kohana through the use of his Fallen Grace Racial Ability. Of course, the downside would be that half of any such injury would be taken on by the Fallen Angel instead. So Orphiel might be able to cure Kohana¡¯s blindness by restoring her eyes, but in doing so, it may cost him his own eyesight. That is of course also assuming that it didn¡¯t just leave them both with a state of near-complete blindness since Kohana¡¯s eyes were completely burned away.


    The scarring might be a reasonable request, as it would theoretically lessen the severity and divide it between them, allowing the sum total of scarring to heal at an accelerated rate. But even that might be too much to ask for. Scars as extensive as Kohana¡¯s would severely restrict movement, and quite probably be accompanied by no small measure of pain and nerve damage.


    I really didn¡¯t want to put the fallen Angel in the position where he felt like he had to choose, and I sure as hell didn¡¯t want to make the decision myself. What would otherwise be considered voluntary organ donation would quickly become organ harvesting the moment any shred of my authority got involved, and the thought of that made me sick.


    There was, of course, another possibility. If Orphiel could store his Fallen Grace Ability in a manastone, then it unlocked the possibility of not only widening the list of potential voluntary donors, but also perhaps collectively sharing the load. That was assuming it was an ability that could be stored...


    Adding the uncomfortable conversation and request to the list of my self assigned tasks for the day, alongside teaching any available Daemons the beginning steps for Auslan, the variation of sign language used and taught in Australia. While it would perhaps be a dead giveaway that I was an Awakener, assuming anyone recognised it and knew the significance of it, I didn¡¯t think it really mattered all that much at this point.


    After all, with what was now shaping up to be two other hostile Awakened set to fight me, it didn¡¯t seem all that big a deal if they managed to learn my original nationality.


    As the hours ticked by, I guiltily added another task to the mounting list, although this one was more of a long term goal. I needed more weapon practice. While I was reasonably confident in holding my own in a melee, my contributions at range left much to be desired. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the undead were literally approaching as a horde, I sincerely doubted my collateral damage from missing my original target would have been nearly so effective.


    When the fighting breaks out again, I need to be ready. There were only a handful of people inside Sanctuary that I felt could fight this Necromancer Awakened for any real amount of time before needing to retreat. Not being able to engage him in ranged combat would severely limit my options when fighting him directly or as support, so it was a critical priority.


    After I felt like Hana had slipped into a deep enough sleep, I carefully and gently extricated myself from the bed and made my way back downstairs. Unsurprisingly, Wraithe was already waiting for me.


    ¡°He can¡¯t do it,¡± Wraithe stated brusquely.


    ¡°What?¡± I hadn''t expected Wraithe¡¯s sudden outburst so I hadn¡¯t really caught what she said.


    ¡°The fallen one. He can¡¯t do it, not through proxy,¡± Wraithe seemed heavily conflicted, ¡°Racial Abilities cannot be stored, Lord, only those gained from Classes.¡±


    ¡°You already considered it,¡± I felt like kicking myself for being so arrogant as to think I would be the only one to think of it. ¡°Does she know?¡± I asked worriedly.


    Wraithe shook her head, ¡°No, the Overseer is compromised by...grief?¡± The uncertainty Wraithe¡¯s tone gave me pause.


    Do Daemons not have basic elements of empathy? Or are they just incredibly unfamiliar with certain emotions? Either way seemed dangerous.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t familiar with the emotion, or you don¡¯t understand what it is?¡± I asked cautiously.


    Wraithe fidgeted nervously, ¡°Both?¡± She ventured reluctantly, ¡°Daemons live to serve, not to mourn...¡±


    As emotionally exhausted as I felt after supporting Hana, this felt important, like it would have far-reaching ramifications.


    ¡°The other Daemons, they are...upset with my choices...¡± Wraithe flinched and I recalled that Qreet had mentioned how Wraithe had earlier stood up to Gric, the Daemons highest internal authority figure. ¡°It is difficult following your orders when they require so much...interpretation.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Hippocratic Oath? The ethical guidelines I gave to all the Surgeons?¡± I asked curiously, somewhat surprised that it was the cause of the internal conflict.


    Wraithe nodded, ¡°Causing a lesser harm to save a life, to heal a wound. This makes sense.¡± She chittered anxiously for a moment, ¡°But sacrificing or causing pain to the one or a few to save another or the many is not? But it is acceptable if the few or the one agree and the many or another are willing?¡± Wraithe twitched in what passed somewhat for a flinch, ¡°Daemons...We obey and give orders in turn. Orders are absolute, interpretation is...wrong. But your orders are confusing, disrupting the hierarchy...¡± She seemed genuinely distressed, like she was in the midst of an existential crisis.


    Daemons dealt in absolutes. Their slavish adherence to hierarchy and commands very likely offered a sort of insulated comfort, shielding the majority from making independent decisions beyond immediate survival, or perhaps even that too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want slaves Wraithe, and as distressing as this burden of choice and conscience you are experiencing right now, I am proud of your progress,¡± I rested a hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. ¡°Making tough decisions is necessary for growth as a person. The emotions you said you don¡¯t understand, I think you do, in your own way.¡±


    Wraithe looked at me with surprise.


    ¡°You are grieving for your lost innocence, the time before making tough decisions became a daily occurrence. The distress it is causing you, it is similar to what Hana is feeling, though perhaps not nearly as intense.¡± I didn¡¯t doubt that being so assertive without actual authority to back it up was distressing for Wraithe, and while it seemed to be paying off in terms of prompting emotional growth, it was liable to cause problems if left unchecked.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord. Your words of guidance forting,¡± Wraithe seemed truly appreciative, she even smiled a little.


    Her reaction helped me make up my mind regarding something I had been considering since laying out the first plans for the hospital, ¡°Wraithe, I want you to be Surgeon General of Sanctuary.¡±


    The Daemon¡¯s eyes grew wide with shock, ¡°L-Lord?¡± Wraithe stammered uncertainly.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a title in words only at the moment,¡± I explained, ¡°Simply put, you will be the highest medical authority of Sanctuary. Your job...responsibility, is to advocate best medical practices, foster potential talented individuals, sponsor and oversee ethical research, and make sure the people of Sanctuary stay healthy. It is a very important job and your official authority in those matters would be second only to my own,¡± I paused for a moment to let Wraithe think over what I had said. ¡°When an Underlord title becomes available, I intend to give you the promotion to help with your duties, but even without it, you will have my full support.¡±


    Wraithe seemed to be on the brink of tears, ¡°Lord I accept!¡± She knelt down and bowed her head expectantly.


    I wasn¡¯t actually prepared for this, and needed a moment to collect myself. With no official Underlord position to offer, only one thing really came to mind. I placed my right hand on Wraithe¡¯s head and accessed the Settlement Registry. I quickly located Wraithe¡¯s entry and added another line after her name.


    [ Wraithe ]


    [ Surgeon General of Sanctuary ]


    The text wouldn¡¯t be visible while Wraithe was in a group, but anyone with access to Sanctuary¡¯s Registry, and the ability to read, would be able to see it. Moving forward, this was actually going to prove a useful method for quickly identifying and differentiating anyone with the same or similar sounding names. Just by simply adding their primary occupation it would cut down on the number of potential conflicted search results. There were few of such instances now, but that could quickly change when more eggs were hatched.


    I lifted my hand, ¡°It¡¯s done. Congratulations Wraithe.¡±


    Perhaps not what she had expected, Wraithe was still very excited all the same, ¡°Thank you Lord!¡± She leapt forward and embraced me in a rib strainingly tight hug, before embarrassedly letting go and backing away, ¡°S-Sorry Lord! I was just excited...¡±


    I smiled, glad for the lightening of the mood, if not the faint ache from my ribcage, ¡°It¡¯s fine! You should be excited! This is a very big deal!¡±


    Wraithe grinned and skittered about on her hind legs with her tail waving excitedly for a few moments before growing still with a wide toothy smile plastered on her face. Almost certainly informing the other Daemons of her promotion, I decided it would be best to take my leave.


    I headed downstairs to the ground floor and decided it would be a good idea to emotionally recharge, so I began walking over to the Grove. I hadn¡¯t made up my mind whether I was going to just take a bath or to retire for the night, but finding Lash bathing in the fountain pretty much made the decision for me.


    Slipping into the fountain, I helped Lash wash her back and she did the same for me. Afterwards, we just sat there on the submerged seat. Resting my head on her shoulder, I tried to organise my thoughts, arrange some sort of schedule. The grim reality of Sanctuary¡¯s precarious position and the established presence of the undead demanded I pushed my limits and become stronger in order to protect those I cared about and those I had accepted responsibility for.


    With both manastones and wild monsters largely removed from the table, what made the most sense was improving my martial skills. Just as I had reminisced earlier in the day, my ranged capabilities were woeful. Furthermore, while I was adequately skilled at fighting in a melee, thus far it had largely been a result of my enemies ineptitude rather than my superior skill.


    With the goal of getting better at combat, it made sense that I should try and negotiate some sort of deal with the human soldiers. While they would no doubt demand or suggest an exchange for their expertise, there wasn¡¯t really anything preventing me from making the most of it.


    If the humans wanted the key to unlocking a class or two in exchange for helping with my training, then I could make the counteroffer to then extend that same training to a number of my warriors. Ideally, that would be the best outcome for both of us.


    While the volunteer warriors fought fiercely, there was little cohesion between them. Even practice bouts would devolve into individuals skirmishing with one another rather than fighting together as a coordinated unit. With the prospect of fighting a potentially near endless horde of undead, reckless individualism on the battlefield was a liability we would not be able to afford. Ironically, adopting the formations and defensive tactics of the native humans would be our best bet for making it through any engagement with the fewest possible casualties.


    Besides, having been nearly pelted to death by Goblin slingers, I was genuinely curious about what the Forest Goblins would be capable of in a supporting ranged combat role.


    There was also the matter of unlocking Classes. Depending on what the Forest Goblins chose, there may actually be good reason to risk other monsters temporarily spawning within Sanctuary¡¯s limits.


    The mental image of a horde of ravenous beasts descending on the undead was a tempting motivator. Or it was until I remembered how the piranhas had just seemed to keel over dead after briefly occupying the same vicinity as the weakest undead in the horde.


    That did give me another subject to discuss with the human soldiers. They had seemed at least somewhat familiar with the undead. Enough to understand and identify different types and what they could do. So finding out what caused the deaths of the piranhas became one of my highest priorities.


    After all, what was the point in learning the humans defensive military doctrines if the mere presence of the undead would kill all of Sanctuary¡¯s warriors? Far better that they had become slingers instead and whittled the enemies numbers from a distance.


    With a list of questions, the prospect of a deal to work out and intent to conscript a reasonable number of soldiers for the food gathering workload, I reluctantly left lash and the bath behind. She seemed to understand and gave me an encouraging slap on the behind as I left. Or at least I assumed that is what it was intended for.


    Making my way over to the human camp for the second time today, I had the distinct impression that the soldiers on watch had been expecting me. Neither of the pair I passed seemed surprised to see me, and they were markedly less afraid than other times I had been so close to them. Combined with the lack of an attempt to request or insist on an armed escort, I had to wonder if perhaps the soldiers had been busy preparing a list of requests and questions of their own.


    It didn¡¯t take me long to reach the command tent, but this time there was a pair of guards on watch outside. And one of them ducked inside the tent when they saw me coming. This only reinforced my theory that I was expected.


    The soldier that had ducked inside of the command tent exited and held the tent flap open for me.


    Pausing only long enough to give the soldier a quick once over, I ducked into the tent and found both superior officers waiting for me. While the female Lieutenant, Rooke, seemed positively champing at the bit, her superior seemed far more reserved.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim, our superiors have a request,¡± Rooke skipped all formalities and got straight to it.


    ¡°A request?¡± I asked neutrally, wondering if perhaps I could leverage it against my own without needing to forfeit the Class unlocks just yet.


    ¡°Yes,¡± The Captain interjected and gave Rooke a stern look, ¡°They want to know if you are willing to negotiate an exchange for your knowledge of Class unlocks.¡±


    I frowned on reflex, suddenly paranoid that perhaps someone was reading my mind. With so many other fantastical things going on in this world, something as simple as mind-reading wasn¡¯t all that difficult to imagine.


    ¡°Please-¡± The Captain held up one hand placatingly, ¡°-just hear us out. We have been authorized to bargain on our superiors behalf. If there is anything you need, there is a good chance that we can get it.¡±


    The Captain¡¯s offer didn¡¯t surprise me. With the stranglehold the various Guilds seemed to have on unlocking Classes, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to assume they were offering a blank cheque. But that is what gave me pause. Just because the Asrus army had proved to be better than the adventurers Guild, it did not automatically mean I should trust them without further proof. Besides, this was a good chance to find out more about the Asrus kingdom and its army.


    ¡°I might consider it,¡± I hedged, ¡°But I want to know more about your people first.¡±


    The Captain nodded as if he had expected as much, ¡°Alright,¡± he agreed, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±

 Chapter 22 – Preparing for war – Part Two

    Chapter 22 ¨C Preparing for war ¨C Part TwoChapter 22 - Preparing for war - Part Two


    I am not a good liar. A life spent desperately seeking the approval of others had seen to that. So when the Captain and Lieutenant made it known that they were aware of my knowledge and ability to unlock Classes, I was more disappointed than surprised.


    The Colonel had not given me a reason to doubt his word, nor had the Captain and Lieutenant. In fact, they had demonstrated a willingness to incur losses to establish a relationship, and a willingness to incur further losses in order to maintain it. Unfortunately, the fact that these actions were taken by a formal military somewhat lessened their significance for me. After all, the decision-makers were not the ones being presented as ¡®sacrifice¡¯, it was their subordinates.


    What little I knew of military hierarchies and their core motivations from Earth, I could only assume their rationale was something along the lines of ends justifying means. Rank and file soldiers, even the junior officers, were resources to be expended in achieving objectives. With that thought in mind, it was difficult to gauge just how objectively valuable a resource my knowledge and Abilities were.


    Thankfully, I had some previous frames of reference from Nadine and Clarice¡¯s reactions to unlocking new and Advanced Classes. Assuming the Military lacked access to unlocking certain Classes outright and only had a tenuous or otherwise limited ability to unlock or recruit others, I couldn¡¯t afford to price my unique services too cheaply.


    In contrast to selling Exp to the Colonel through scheduled and pre-approved quests, which was an arrangement capable of being perpetuated indefinitely. Selling the methods to unlock the desired Classes would be a once off transaction that would more than likely drive down my importance and potential influence. Simply put, the army would have far fewer reasons to treat me and my people favourably once they possessed the means for unlocking so many Classes for themselves. That is, of course, assuming that a form of Class knowledge scarcity was the driving factor behind their request in the first place.


    With that in mind, I figured I might as well use the opportunity to better determine their motives.


    ¡°How many, and which Classes does the Asrus kingdom military know how to unlock already?¡± I asked forthrightly, unwilling to leave any excuse for wiggle room in their answer.


    The Captain flinched in what seemed to be a genuine reflexive response to the question, his lips tightened and jaw set determinedly to avoid spilling what must be considered state secrets. ¡°F-Four...¡± He replied dryly.


    ¡°Five, if we count the chartered contract,¡± Lt. Rooke added helpfully.


    The Captain nodded, a somewhat pained expression in his eyes.


    ¡°What are the classes?¡± I asked, ¡°And what is that chartered contract?¡± My intuition suspected a similar situation to the Adventurers Guild, where a private third party was providing training under a strict non-disclosure contract, but I would rather be certain.


    Lt. Rooke pointedly cleared her throat while giving her superior an almost apologetic glance. ¡°Well, the Basic four are Swordsman, Spearman, Archer and Scout, although I am sure you may have guessed that already. The Asrus kingdom also has a chartered contract with an organisation to receive training to unlock the Ranger Advanced Class in exchange for payment and special services.¡±


    The Captain frowned a little. He seemed incredibly uncomfortable with the seeming openness of the Lieutenant in answering my questions.


    ¡°So you pay for each soldier that is to be trained?¡± More or less what I had figured, it was not an alien concept. Modern militaries on Earth often paid private sector specialists to provide niche training to their advanced units, so it made sense that the Asrus kingdom was doing something similar.


    The Captain nodded, ¡°Yes. In exchange for compensation, the soldiers we put forward for training are given the opportunity to attempt learning the Ranger Advanced Class.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment...Attempt?¡± All my observations on learning the Classes so far had been very cut and dry. So long as you met the required criteria, you unlocked the Class. It was a matter of when, not if, you would unlock it. That is, unless they had a similar problem as me?


    ¡°Ranger training has a high mortality rate...¡± Lt. Rooke replied quietly, ¡°I am sorry, but I am unable to disclose more on the subject. Not because I want to withhold information from you, but because an oath binds me to silence. I hope you understand,¡± she apologised.


    I nodded in understanding. It made perfect sense really. Whoever was teaching them the Ranger Class was using a binding oath on the participants in order to maintain a monopoly over the teaching method.


    ¡°Oh...¡± I felt like slapping my head as I realised a potential reason for prospective Rangers to fail at unlocking the Class. If the Ranger Class was supposed to be an advanced form of the Scout, then it probably had a heavy emphasis on survival and self-sufficiency in the wild, as well as tracking potential threats. I had seen enough reality T.V. to understand how brutal and unforgiving living like that for any prolonged period of time could be. I think it was even a staple of most military dramas to emphasise how the elite forces were required to go through training like that too.


    Lt. Rooke narrowed her eyes slightly at me as if she had read my thoughts.


    ¡°What do they charge per participant?¡± I asked hurriedly, trying to divert Lt. Rooke¡¯s suspicions.


    The Captain looked to his subordinate expectantly.


    ¡°Ten gold coins worth of high-level manastones,¡± Lt. Rooke replied without missing a beat or breaking eye contact, ¡°I don¡¯t know the other details, but we might be able to ask command if you insist.¡±


    I wanted to put a pin in that for now, the subject and my minor outburst had made her suspicious and far more alert than earlier. It actually creeped me out a little bit. ¡°What about the other Classes? Does everyone know how to unlock them? Or do you put soldiers under contracts like the Guilds?¡±


    The Captain slowly shook his head, ¡°Knowledge of unlocking the core martial Classes is restricted knowledge. Only the nobles are capable of teaching the methods to others, and Scouts are as much recruited as trained. It is not just the Asrus kingdom, all other nations follow similar practices.¡±


    ¡°And they all have the same Classes?¡± I asked curiously.


    The Captain shook his head again, but Lt. Rooke answered first, ¡°No. Most have at least one or two other Classes in sufficient numbers to be a credible threat, although not enough to achieve a decisive advantage over their neighbours.¡±


    ¡°How does the Adventurers Guild have so many Classes then?¡± I demanded. It just didn¡¯t make sense that a Guild would have such a seemingly diverse array of Classes while powerful nations only had four or five at most.


    Lt. Rooke frowned and the Captain scowled, ¡°Power and influence,¡± The Captain spat, ¡°Each time a new Class is discovered, or the means of unlocking an existing one is made evident, the adventurers Guild will make every possible attempt at acquiring it. With their vast wealth and insidiously pervasive political connections, it is almost always a matter of when and not if they get what they want.¡±


    That made sense. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to maintain a Class monopoly if you made sure there was no competition. ¡°Why do you even have an Adventuring Guild at all though? If you want manastones and other resources, why not just have your soldiers do it?¡±


    The Captain and Lt. Rooke shared a telling look with one another. After a few moments, the Captain nodded and looked away.


    ¡°It¡¯s somewhat complicated,¡± Lt. Rooke started to explain with a grimace, her fists tightening in anger, ¡°But near the end of the continental war a couple hundred years ago, the kingdom was severely low on funds and manpower. So the council made a deal with representatives from the Adventurers Guild. In exchange for a higher rate of taxation, the Guild would be allowed near-complete autonomy in the Labyrinths.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound all that far fetched conceptually. Essentially a private company had bought out a government company or resource while it was desperate for money and in a weak bargaining position. Although it was interesting to hear that it wasn¡¯t an immediate exchanging of goods but rather an agreement to higher taxation as payment. On paper, the Asrus kingdom was probably getting a decent remuneration from taxes. However, the lack of any form of governmental oversight left me with the impression that the Labyrinth was much more like America¡¯s old west. With no real government presence, the Guilds could do just about anything they wanted.


    ¡°The Adventurers Guild, does it operate in other countries?¡± I asked warily, ¡°Or is it mostly limited to Asrus?¡± I figured that if their continental war was anything like the great wars of Europe, then there would be no shortage of desperate countries looking to line their pockets with quick easy cash to funnel towards reconstruction efforts.


    As I expected, both officers nodded with dark expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Although they claim otherwise, and are operated by different boards of directors and stakeholders, it is a well known secret that almost every Guild for adventurers is part of a larger alliance,¡± the Captain¡¯s disgusted tone made his opinion on the matter quite clear.


    It was now painfully obvious how the Guild had managed to keep a stranglehold on unlocking Classes. With close to zero oversight, they could seize just about anything they wanted without anyone knowing the details or being able to cause a fuss. After all, they had almost succeeded in stealing away myself and Toofy without any real expenditure of resources or effort. With so many eager young men and women toiling away to earn their own fortunes, the Guild just had to patiently wait for something to catch its eye and then snatch it away. A small amount of compensation or a well-phrased threat would be all it takes to secure the adventurer¡¯s silence, and no one would be the wiser.


    Probing the officers with more questions, I got a better idea of the geography of what they both kept referring to as ¡®The Continent¡¯. Somewhat like medieval europe, Asrus was a landlocked kingdom surrounded by other countries. More specifically, Asrus was stuck between the Werrian Empire to the northeast and the Confederation of city-states to the south and west.


    I had the distinct impression that Asrusians held no great love for their neighbours. In fact, Lt. Rooke and the Captain seemed to go to great lengths to point out exactly how many Variant slaves were bought and sold within the Werrian Empire on a daily basis, and how poor their living conditions were. Although the manipulation was crude and incredibly obvious, I still had to admit that it had the desired effect. Even though I had never knowingly so much as seen a Werrian, I already felt an intense dislike for them.


    Although neither officer had anything nearly so damning to attribute to the Confederacy, they made it clear that their respective governments were not on speaking terms with one another. Apparently a reasonably high ranking noble had seceded from the Asrus kingdom and joined the Confederacy to avoid retribution. So in one fell swoop, Asrus kingdom lost a fifth of its total land and influence.


    On the whole, their position seemed pretty grim. Although Asrus was currently at peace, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Empire or Confederacy had finished sufficient preparations and open war would break out again, inevitably dragging the Asrus kingdom in along with them.


    Near as I could tell from their somewhat disjointed descriptions, the economies of this world were more than a little strange. Rather than seeking out mineral veins and establishing mines in the territories controlled by the country, they would form expeditions and search for monsters in the Labyrinths, like the Clay Dolls that drop pre-processed resources.


    The open land of each nation was largely dedicated to forestry and agriculture. With so much meat readily available from the Labyrinths, city centres were far larger than they otherwise would be on earth. Each city that housed a Labyrinth had thousands of workers that processed monster parts and other harvested resources to make everyday goods and necessities. Even the coins each country used for currency were actually looted from the Labyrinths.


    Since the wealth of a nation could more or less be determined by the number of Labyrinths it controlled, the cities were almost always the highest priority targets for occupation in wartime. As a result, the cities were all described as being heavily fortified. Without visual references to go off of, I just imagined cities with towering outer walls and multiple inner walls leading to the Labyrinth at the centre.


    The more they tried to explain things though, the more depressing the military¡¯s situation seemed to be. They had no portal mages, or Nexus Binders, of their own, and had to hire their services from the Adventurers Guild for exorbitant prices. Making things worse, it also meant that at least some members of the Guild knew the general movements of the military and could make certain guesses as to their motives and operations based on the equipment and personnel being transported.


    While the Captain and Lt. Rooke did their best to assure me that they had taken a more expensive and secure route, using expensive and painfully rare teleportation items, It still left an uncomfortable feeling in the back of my mind all the same. The sheer degree to which the Adventurers Guild had ingrained itself into the kingdom¡¯s military was very likely mirrored in the other countries to varying degrees as well. In effect, the Hurst Labyrinth was somewhat ironically the safest place I could expect to find.


    While they both had made attempts at massaging the truth here and there, I found it a little strange that neither the Captain nor Lt. Rooke attempted outright lying to me, at least so far as I was able to tell. Whether it was because they respected me, figured I was too ignorant to truly understand the context for what they were saying, feared some sort of violent outburst if discovered, or some combination of the above, was unclear.


    There was one interesting point of discussion though. Every country knew how to unlock the Taskmaster and Slaver Classes, but only the Empire and a few countries sharing its borders recognised it as a core military Class. The best explanation Lt. Rooke could provide was along the lines that the Classes were useless without monsters to serve as slaves. Apparently, most of the Slaver¡¯s higher level Class Abilities did not work well on humans, or worse, proved fundamentally fatal. So barring extenuating circumstances, such as penal units being deployed for manual labour or serving as shock troops, there was almost no legitimate military use for the Classes. Although the Captain did admit that certain prisons did use them to control more dangerous criminals while they served their sentences.


    What interested me was that apparently, no one else had figured out how to break the slavery mechanic as I had done with the girls. Or at least it wasn¡¯t common knowledge. It was somewhat strange though, considering just how powerful a buff it was for regular humans. Since humans lacked any Racial Abilities of their own, gaining even the Blood Sense of a Vrabbit could situationally prove incredibly beneficial. If humans had figured out how to gain the Abilities of Orcs and more powerful monsters, I felt confident that it would have made Slaver a much more important Class, even to the point of ignoring the others outright.


    Still ruminating over everything they had told me, I noticed that the Captain, whose name I finally remembered, Kristof, and Lt. Rooke were giving me expectant looks. After regaining my bearings, I realised that they expected to negotiate ¡®the deal¡¯ right now, or perhaps at least the groundwork for it.


    Doing my best to project more confidence than I felt, I straightened my back and squared my shoulders, easily gaining at least a few more inches of height in the process. ¡°What Classes do you want?¡± I asked simply. I figured that it would give me a better idea of what they already knew or suspected, which would allow me to avoid lying or fudging the truth unnecessarily.


    Cpt. Kristof and Lt. Rooke shared a brief but determined look with one another before returning their intense focus to me, ¡°We want all of them!¡± They replied in unison.


    The corner of my right eye twitched a little. I honestly should have expected that answer. ¡°And if you had to choose?¡± I asked, refusing to give up so easily after my blunder.


    Cpt. Kristof furrowed his brow slightly, but Lt. Rooke didn¡¯t skip a beat. ¡°The Surgeon Classes,¡± she insisted. ¡°And the Druid too!¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I can¡¯t teach you how to be Druids. You need the racial synergy to unlock it,¡± I explained, carefully omitting that I knew how to secure the synergy through the Enslavement mechanic.


    ¡°Then what about the Monster Tamer?¡± Lt. Rooke asked pointedly, ¡°I have seen Serpent-kin and Deep Orcs both wandering your Settlement with...domesticated Swamp Lurkers.¡±


    I nodded and took a moment to consider it. I actually had no intentions of teaching them the Monster Tamer Class. It was far too dangerous and open to abuse against my people. The Beast Trainer Advanced Class was much safer in that it was limited to enslaving beast type monsters only. ¡°I won¡¯t teach you that one-¡± Lt. Rooke¡¯s expression become somewhat frustrated for a second before hastily recovering, ¡°-but I could teach an Advanced equivalent instead.¡± If I was going to teach them to unlock anything, there was definitely going to be a rigid contract forbidding the enslavement of Variants and passing along the unlock information to others. It was honestly just a given at this point. All of the Classes they had asked for were objectively incredibly valuable.


    ¡°A-An Advanced equivalent?!¡± Cpt. Kristof sputtered incredulously, looking to Lt. Rooke for confirmation.


    Lt. Rooke seemed just as surprised as the Captain. However, clearly not willing to look a gift-horse in the mouth, she nodded eagerly in agreement, ¡°Okay!¡±


    ¡°Before I agree to anything, I want to know what exactly you are exchanging for the Ranger Advanced class training,¡± I insisted, feeling no real qualms about using the prospect of Advanced Classes as bait to get more detailed information to better approximate their market value.


    Cpt. Kristof and Lt. Rooke¡¯s enthusiasm waned considerably and their expressions grew strained as they shared a knowing look with one another.


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell you that,¡± Cpt. Kristof admitted somewhat dejectedly, ¡°Discretion is part of the agreement.¡±


    Lt. Rooke was already working away at her communication device, no doubt attempting to request some form of permission or confirm the available Classes on offer.


    While this wasn¡¯t a deal-breaker, it did raise the issue that I was unsure of what exactly I wanted in exchange. Ultimately, I wanted my people to be safe and for the most part, left alone to live their lives. Col. Klive had already agreed to enforce protective measures for Sanctuary against potential troublemakers, but perhaps I could take that further? What if I asked for complete authority over this floor of the Labyrinth? Or what about authority over the Labyrinth itself in its entirety? Technically, all it would really amount to would be a king or queen¡¯s signature on a document and their word. Beyond that, nothing would really change all that much. The more I thought about it, the less appealing the idea became. ¡®Conquering the Hurst Labyrinth¡¯ sounded good on paper, but the reality was almost definitely far bloodier in reality.


    Besides the wild monsters, there would be higher level Adventurers and more powerful Variants to deal with. While the Variants could probably be negotiated with, there was no way I would be so trusting towards the Adventurers Guild again without compelling evidence to convince me otherwise. Even the Variants couldn¡¯t be blindly trusted. The only real reason the Forest Goblins, Serpent-kin and Deep Orcs had all joined me so readily was because they were desperate and had no other options. So unless I was going to start playing geopolitics and deliberately destabilise the higher floors, aggressive expansion just wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    However, establishing smaller outposts on each floor might not be so bad. The Adventurers Guild would continue to be a threat so long as their members were capable of out levelling the dangers posed on this floor of the Labyrinth. If I secured the means to bring Sanctuary¡¯s own defence force up to a comparative level, then that would give us the ability to retaliate against any potential threats. I already felt like I had gotten incredibly lucky with how the Adventurers Guild had seemingly underestimated me so completely as to allow us all to escape as we had. It was only further good fortune, relatively speaking, that the other Awakened running around had caused such chaos and very likely prevented or at least delayed any sort of further attempts in the meantime.


    I realized that I had more or less derailed the negotiations, so decided to make my minimum expectations clear. I vastly preferred retaining all knowledge for the unlocking process, so the Hurst kingdom''s army would be expected to pay for each soldier¡¯s training on an individual basis and swear binding oaths of discretion and loyalty.


    Despite initial counter offers of tens of thousands of gold coins in compensation for each Class, I firmly refused. It honestly wouldn¡¯t take long at all to realistically generate the same amount of money from running a training program. So there was no justifiable reason I could see for surrendering such powerful bargaining chips.


    After tracking down Clarice, she more or less confirmed everything the Captain and Lieutenant had told me, as well as a few things I had overlooked.


    ¡°The kingdom is under a...uh...¡± Clarice scratched her head for a moment with an equally determined and irritated expression on her face, ¡°Damnit! What¡¯s that word?!¡± She looked at me expectantly, ¡°You know, when a senior advisor takes the throne because the next king is too young?¡±


    ¡°A regency?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Clarice exclaimed in relief, ¡°Thank you!¡± She let out a deep sigh, ¡°Well, from what I heard, the old king and queen died during the last war. So the old King¡¯s brother is filling the role as regent till his nephew is old enough to take the throne.¡±


    ¡°And the uncle isn¡¯t just seizing control and keeping his nephew locked away to stay in power?¡± I asked somewhat jokingly, a sizable collection of books and movies already casting the uncle in a poor light despite the fact I knew next to nothing about him.


    Clarice shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I mean, from what I heard, he passed up the crown the first time around and let his younger brother inherit instead.¡± She shrugged apologetically, ¡°Nadine or Emelia could tell you more, being natives and all.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I stared at Clarice in surprise for a moment, ¡°You aren¡¯t from Asrus kingdom?¡± I asked curiously.


    Clarice snorted and shook her head, ¡°Do I look like-¡± Her smirk slipped and was replaced with an expression of realisation, ¡°-Oh...right...you did say something about lots of different looking people all living together where you are from huh?¡±


    I nodded and motioned for her to elaborate a little.


    ¡°Well. I guess you could say I technically belong to the Werrian Empire,¡± Clarice stated dourly, a sour expression fixed on her face, ¡°You remember how I told you about the fighting pits and arenas for exhibition fights?¡±


    I nodded again and winced a little as I realised where her explanation was headed.


    ¡°Well, slaves have no citizenship, no rights. My mom and dad were both slaves. But my mom was a house slave and my dad a pit slave,¡± Clarice explained somewhat woodenly, ¡°Apparently dad was quite the fighter and the family that owned them decided it would be a waste not to try and breed a bloodline of champions...¡± Her mood darkened still further, ¡°I have two older brothers I never had a chance to know...They were sold before I was even born...I would have been sold too, but I was a girl!¡± Clarice snorted derisively and shook her head in contempt, amusement and disgust, ¡°Anyway, the family let my mom and me go after my dad died...He took a dive and made the family a lot of money...mom said letting us go was one of his conditions for going through with it, but I think the fat sack of shit that made him do it just couldn¡¯t stand to look at us anymore.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just tried my best to process everything.


    ¡°You probably think I¡¯m a hypocrite huh?¡± Clarice asked dryly and chuckled. ¡°I guess I am. First chance I had at bossing around a slave of my own and I didn¡¯t even think twice...¡± A pained and guilty expression darkened her face, ¡°I...I know it doesn¡¯t forgive what I did, but where I grew up, almost everyone I knew was a slave...I...I pretty much figured that since you were just a monster that it didn¡¯t matter...like we were taking in a sort of pet...I¡¯m such a piece of shit,¡± Clarice got to her feet and aggressively kicked a chunk of charcoal into the pond.


    ¡°Well...It wasn¡¯t entirely your fault,¡± I let out a deep sigh and thought back to how I had behaved upon first arriving in the Labyrinth. I was so shell shocked and depressed that I had pretty much decided to just do whatever they told me to. Of course, knowing what I know now, I could have broken free at any time, or at least demonstrated significant resistance. But I didn¡¯t. ¡°A pet huh? It doesn¡¯t seem that far off the mark from what I remember,¡± I agreed wryly and chuckled.


    Clarice gave me a long hard look, her fiery red hair matching the intensity of her eyes as she stared at me for a short while. Shaking her head, Clarice smirked, ¡°A stray dog really. You were just glad for the attention.¡±


    I shrugged, that was actually not a bad comparison.


    ¡°Speaking of which...¡± Clarice nodded her head towards a trio of new arrivals that seemed intent on having a few words with me themselves.


    Resembling a cross between the werewolves seen in horror or action movies and a hyena, the trio of Gnolls had been amongst the slaves the army freed from the Slaver¡¯s imprisonment. They had been recruited by Lash, so I hadn¡¯t gotten a particularly good look at them at the time. The smallest, a male, was wearing hide armour that although crudely sewn together, was surprisingly well made.


    Similarly, the two larger Gnolls trailing slightly farther behind, which I was somewhat surprised were female, as this was the first instance of significant sexual dimorphism I had witnessed so far in the humanoid species of monsters. Both females were wearing belts packed with bone and stone tools as well as wearing the same mass-produced loincloths and chest bindings we had provided for all the refugees.


    ¡°Heeheehee, Lord?¡± The slightly larger female asked, her nervous giggling far easier to read than the Gnoll¡¯s dog-like facial expressions. The other female and the male echoed the nervous giggling as well, although somewhat quieter.


    ¡°Yes? Is there a problem?¡± I asked, getting to my feet to buy some time while I searched for their names. Now standing up, the Gnolls appearance was even stranger.


    Their hunched backs and large thick necks bowed down and left their heads roughly on level with their chests. So rather than standing at roughly the same height as myself or Lash, the Gnolls were almost a couple of feet shorter.


    ¡°Heeheehee,¡± The three Gnolls giggled nervously again and the male took a half step back before tentatively stepping forward again.


    ¡°No Lord!¡± The larger female, Shakti or perhaps Yona, excitedly raised her large clawed hands placatingly, ¡°Heehee, we have skill in crafting armour, can help, yes?¡± She and the other female gave the smaller male a shove, prompting him to move about and showcase their handiwork.


    Already rather impressed with what they had managed in such a short period of time, and after apparently making their own tools as well, I was surprised even further when I noticed the male Gnoll, Gharn, drew a sizable saw bladed club off his back.


    A strange cross between a bludgeoning and slashing weapon, the Gnolls had anchored sharp teeth into one side of the club, creating a sort of saw-bladed sword.


    Gharn seemed to have a large handled stone knife in his belt as well, although he didn¡¯t seem nearly so eager to show it off.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± I took a closer look and tested some of the seams on the hide armour. Despite the relatively loose corded stitching, the armour had deceptively high durability. It wasn¡¯t until I leveraged close to my full strength at trying to draw opposing sides of a seam apart that I finally felt the hide fibres begin to give. I made sure to stop before doing any real permanent damage and tested another seam. ¡°Have you asked the smiths for metal tools?¡± I asked curiously, already very impressed with what they had accomplished with such primitive tools.


    ¡°Heeheehee, no, Lord,¡± The largest female nervously and excitedly shook her head. ¡°Wanted to show skill first, heehee, earn place in tribe!¡±


    While I couldn¡¯t fault her logic, I still felt a little awkward at the prospect of requiring the refugees to prove their value to me personally before being accepted. As far as I was concerned, so long as they were willing to pull their own weight, it was more than enough. ¡°Well, we can certainly use your skills,¡± I agreed, ¡°You should talk to the smiths about making you some iron tools to make the work more efficient, and if anyone asks to learn from you, I would appreciate it if you did your best to teach them. We don¡¯t have nearly enough iron to make armour for everyone, so producing hide armour of this quality is a high priority.¡±


    ¡°Heeheehee!¡± The trio of Gnolls giggled excitedly with one another before the larger female bowed her head slightly, ¡°We will do!¡± The gnolls then energetically loped off towards the distant clamour of the smithy. To my surprise, they proved perfectly capable of accelerating and raising their running speed by running on all fours. I made a point of remembering that for later.


    Even though the Deep orcs were capable of making crude hide armour, it was nothing compared to what the Gnolls had managed to piece together. This seemed to suggest that the Gnolls had a knack or wealth of pre-encoded knowledge for crafting primitive weapons and hide armour. Although there was the possibility that perhaps the Slaver had acquired them specifically because they were the craftsmen of their tribe, I found that possibility unlikely, although it did raise other questions. ¡°Clarice?¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Clarice had been just as distracted by the loping sprint of the Gnolls as I was.


    ¡°What did you think?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About the quality of the gear they made?¡± Clarie was thoughtful for a moment and then shrugged a little, ¡°Seemed pretty good I guess. If you could get higher tier monster hides, I wouldn¡¯t mind a custom-fitted set of armour.¡±


    ¡°Not an iron breastplate or something like that?¡± I asked curiously.


    Clarice gave me a bemused look and shook her head, ¡°Low tier iron is fine and all Tim, but it¡¯s heavy. Most monster hides are really strong though, depending on what it belonged to originally. It¡¯s one of the reasons why hide and leather armour gets more common as you progress through the Labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Wait a sec. Tier of iron?¡± I asked sceptically.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clarice gave me the same bemused look again, ¡°The metals from the Labyrinths have innate magical properties that make them more durable, and of course, more valuable. I don¡¯t really know much more about it, but the iron the Deep orcs are working with has gotta be low tier given we are only on the third floor,¡± she shrugged, ¡±It¡¯s still better than regular iron though. I think the army has equipment made from tier three iron made into steel? Or maybe it was tier two? I dunno, I wasn¡¯t really paying attention when someone was telling me about it.¡±


    ¡°Huh...¡± It made sense that stronger monsters would have stronger skins, making for more effective armour. But I hadn¡¯t really considered the possibility of a mundane resource like iron being made stronger by the Labyrinths. If I was being brutally honest with myself, it was not welcome news at all. It only made the prospect of facing high-level adventurers even more daunting.


    The real disadvantage of humans was their lack of Racial Abilities. But A high level adventurer wearing impenetrable steel armour would still pose a significant threat if they knew how to capitalize on their advantages. Then there was the prospect of razor-sharp high tier steel arrows and crossbow bolts. I slowly realised that my hopes for fortifying and remaining in Sanctuary indefinitely were doomed from the start.


    There was a silver lining though. No matter how well the humans could adapt and turn the resources of the Labyrinths to their advantage, there were still evidently very real limits on how far they could go. The girls had all stated as much before. No one had ever reached the end of the Labyrinths. That meant that at a certain point, adaptation and ingenuity simply weren¡¯t enough, and that if you wanted to survive you would need the natural advantages of monsters to go further.


    Hypothetically, that meant that so long as I could progress to that level, then the humans would become a non-threat. Similarly, I could only hope that it would make dealing with hostile psychos like the Awakened an incredibly rare occurrence as well.


    Right...the Awakened...


    My expression soured even further, ¡°What do you think we should do about the undead?¡± I asked dourly.


    Clarice sighed and took a seat by the cooking fire again, ¡°I dunno. Usually, the army gets called in when something like this happens. Have you tried asking them what they plan on doing about it?¡± She asked and vaguely pointed towards the army¡¯s camp.


    I shook my head and felt a surge of embarrassment, ¡° I had other things on my mind,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Clarice raised an eyebrow curiously.


    ¡°They want to buy some of the Classes I know how to unlock,¡± I explained. ¡°Which is why I was asking you those other questions earlier.


    ¡°Huh...¡± Clarice looked a little surprised, ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t think you would be interested in selling off your secrets,¡± she commented glibly.


    ¡°Well...I¡¯m not a huge fan of the idea, but Sanctuary needs an ally to keep the adventurers Guild in check,¡± I explained a little tiredly.


    Clarice nodded in understanding, ¡°Right, that makes sense,¡± She agreed, ¡°But you aren¡¯t just going to give that information to them right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was going to do something like what I assume the Adventurers Guild does,¡± It had been a while since the girls had vaguely explained some of the processes to me, so I was making an educated guess really.


    Clarice nodded again and seemed more at ease, ¡°Which Classes were they after? Or did you approach them first?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°They wanted the Surgeon Classes and the Monster Tamer-¡± I began to explain but was cut off by an outburst from Clarice.


    ¡°Wait a minute! You know how to unlock the Monster Tamer Class?! Since when?!¡± Clarice demanded.


    I tried to remember when exactly, but shrugged, ¡°Not too long after you guys left, I guess?¡± I replied somewhat lamely, ¡°Why? Were you thinking about changing Classes?¡± I joked.


    Clarice¡¯s expression became complicated and let out a deep sigh, ¡°Maybe? I dunno...¡± She frowned somewhat and stared into the fire for a bit.


    ¡°There are others too,¡± I prompted, trying to lure Clarice out of her unexpected funk, ¡°There was an Advanced Class for it too, the Beast Tamer, and another Advanced Class called the Wrangler, although I am not really sure what it does.¡±


    Clarice¡¯s expression lightened somewhat and she seemed as curious as she was incredulous by what I had claimed, ¡°Really?¡± Clarice asked, ¡°I don¡¯t think I have heard of the Wrangler either. What did you do to unlock them?¡± She demanded jokingly.


    I grinned and scratched a little awkwardly at the back of my head, ¡°I wrestled with a Swamp Lurker,¡± I chuckled.


    Clarice choked a little on her own saliva, ¡°What?!¡± She coughed incredulously.


    ¡°Well, I was thinking about how exactly they could teach someone like Emelia how to unlock the Monster Tamer Class. So I figured since Emelia isn¡¯t all that big on reading, or doing anything overly time consuming or focus intensive, that it had to be relatively simple-¡±


    ¡°So you just decided to wrestle a Swamp Lurker?!¡± Clarice demanded incredulously and punched me in the arm for emphasis, ¡°Bloody hell Tim...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as dangerous as you think,¡± I complained defensively, ¡°Their jaw strength is all about keeping their mouth closed and clamped down tight on whatever is in their mouth. It¡¯s actually really bad at opening its mouth once you pin it shut-¡±


    ¡°But how in the hell did you know that before doing it?!¡± Clarice demanded angrily.


    I raised both hands placatingly, ¡°People used to do stuff like this all the time back in my world. Since the Swamp Lurkers were so similar, I kinda figured they would have the same weakness.¡±


    Clarice had raised her fist to strike again, but stopped, ¡°Really?¡± Her incredulous and baffled expression more or less mirrored the same as those worn by tourists and bystanders receiving the prep talk before a reptile show.


    ¡°Yup. It seems crazy, I know. But once you see it in action, it makes a lot of sense, hehe,¡± I explained with an amused chuckle.


    ¡°So you just need to wrestle a Swamp Lurker?¡± Clarice asked incredulously.


    ¡°Well, you need to put a slave collar on it too,¡± I clarified, ¡°But yeah, that¡¯s pretty much it.¡±


    ¡°Is THAT why there are some of those Swamp Lurkers lazing around the camp?!¡± Clarice demanded, pointing over at one such Swamp Lurker sunbathing by the pond.


    ¡°Well...kind of...I taught Lash and some of the Serpent-kin how to unlock the Classes too. The Monster Tamer turned out to be a good alternative to the Slaver and Taskmaster Classes for providing a Leadership Class qualification.¡±


    ¡°What?...Leadership Class qualification?¡± Clarice gave me a confused look.


    ¡°Right...¡± I had forgotten that I didn¡¯t get a chance to talk this through with Clarice and the others before they left. ¡°It¡¯s one of the requirements for the Leadership Master Classes,¡± I explained somewhat sheepishly.


    Clarice let out a prolonged sigh and gave me a semi-defeated look, ¡°AAAARGH! Really?!...¡±


    I nodded.


    Clarice took a minute to calm down, ¡°Okay...What is a Leadership Master Class?! Cause I¡¯ll be honest Tim, it sounds like some bullshit Nadine would come up with.¡±


    I spent close to half an hour more or less repeating everything Gric had told me, adding some of my own observations here and there to contextualize things a bit.


    ¡°So...It¡¯s like A Master Tier Class that focuses on leadership then?¡± Clarice summed up somewhat dismissively.


    I shrugged, ¡°Basically? I guess that¡¯s just about it.¡±


    ¡°And you can¡¯t make any more right now?¡± Clarice added.


    I nodded, ¡°Sanctuary¡¯s population would need to grow larger,¡± I clarified.


    A long silence passed between us.


    ¡°Do you think I could get one of those fancy Underlord promotions down the line?¡± Clarice asked semi-jokingly, the intense light of the fire reflected in her eyes betraying a deeper expectation and need.


    I took a few moments to think about it and couldn¡¯t really see a reason why not. Clarice had proven herself as much, or more, than anyone else I had already promoted. I was also curious to see what would happen if I promoted a human, or if the Labyrinth would even allow it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed seriously, ¡°I am not sure it¡¯s even possible, but after two positions open up, I will try to give you a promotion. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Two?¡± Clarice asked, clearly confused.


    I grinned and chuckled a little to myself, ¡°Yeah, two. I already promised Wraithe the next promotion.¡±


    ¡°Wraithe is?...The rat Daemon?¡± Clarice asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I smiled proudly, ¡°She¡¯s earned it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Clarice gave me a curious look and motioned for me to elaborate, ¡°What did the Daemon do that impressed you so much?¡±


    I grinned, ¡°She stood up to Gric.¡±


    Clarice looked confused, ¡°Seriously? Is that all?¡±


    I gave Clarice a weighty look, ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand how significant that is.¡±


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°She didn¡¯t blindly do what the other Daemon told her to, what''s the big deal?¡±


    ¡°I know you haven¡¯t spent as much time with the Daemons as I have, but do you remember ANY of the other Daemons disobeying Gric?¡± I asked pointedly.


    Clarice furrowed her brows for a moment and then shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°You should go talk to Wraithe about it,¡± I suggested, ¡°She was at her wits end over it. Disobeying orders goes against Daemons inbuilt hierarchy.¡±


    Clarice frowned, ¡°So why are you rewarding Wraithe for ignoring Gric?¡± She demanded incredulously, ¡°Seems pretty arbitrary Tim.¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± I stared pointedly into Clarice¡¯s eyes, ¡°I would rather have people willing to stand up and do what is hard, rather than a mess of ineffectual sycophants.¡±


    Contrary to what I expected, Clarice smiled and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I think I get what you mean,¡± she agreed. ¡°I think I have a few ideas for how we can fight off the undead,¡± Clarice added after a short pause, ¡°But you are definitely going to have to get the Asrusian army on board for it to work.¡±


    A little surprised, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Wraithe¡¯s promotion was bearing unexpected fruit. While I had intended for it to be a kick in the pants for the Daemons, I hadn¡¯t given much thought to how Nadine, Emelia, or Clarice would react. ¡°All right Clarice, I¡¯m all ears, what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    *****


    Jacque impassively considered the buzzing crowd of the tavern. The sheer number of people present discouraged her from rifling through any one person''s thoughts for fear of getting a headache from the ¡®background noise¡¯. All the same, she kept a careful eye out for her contact.


    After close to a half-hour of nursing her second glass of wine, Jacque felt a familiar presence approaching her from behind. ¡°You took your time,¡± Jacque hissed irritably and downed the remaining contents of her glass in one gulp.


    A short man with dark greasy hair tied back in a loose ponytail sat himself down next to her and smiled, ¡°Pleasant as ever,¡± he chortled, his breath carrying the strong scent of peppermint.


    Jacque made a point of not reading his thoughts. She had made that mistake before and it had taken days to drink away the worst parts from her memory. ¡°Do you have the letter or not?¡± Jacque asked tiredly, glaring at the short man from the corner of her eye.


    Her disdain only caused the man to grin wider, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We can share a few drinks together, whaddya say?¡±


    ¡°That if you don¡¯t give me the damned letter in the next ten seconds, I¡¯ll ram this glass somewhere particularly unpleasant,¡± Jacque replied coldly.


    The dark haired man flinched involuntarily before regaining his composure, ¡°You know,¡± he said somewhat bitterly, ¡°Master Barrus says I show real promise you know! So you would do well to be nicer to me!¡± He sneered.


    Jacque didn¡¯t doubt him. Dale was a contemptible human being with borderline non-existent morals. Naturally, it would only be a matter of time before her handlers elevated him from errand boy to junior member. Even so, Jacque could just as easily work with his contempt as the alternative, so she would continue taking the less repugnant route. ¡°The letter?¡± Jacque repeated contemptuously, deliberately aggravating Dale further.


    Dale smiled stiffly and removed a card envelope from his chest pocket.


    Without waiting for him to hand it over, Jacque snatched the envelope, got to her feet and headed towards the door. Without looking back, she could tell Dale was no doubt ogling her even as he tried to think of some form of cutting remark. Jacque pushed him from her mind and focused on the envelope as she briskly walked down the street.


    Near as she could tell, there were at least three men and one woman tailing her, and unlike the thieves and beggars she was used to dealing with, these people were professionals. Secretly, Jacque hoped that one or more of her pursuers would break off and chase down Dale instead. Unfortunately, she knew there would be no such luck. After all, Dale almost certainly already had a dedicated tail of his own.


    The prospect of being a spy had once been exciting, but as the years wore on, Jacque had come to hate it with a deep burning passion. For the most part, it was being required to follow orders that irked her. To make things worse, working for genuinely vile people and furthering their agendas was like bathing her soul in raw sewage.


    Even though Jacque knew she was not a good person by any realistic degree, she had limits, standards. Her handlers did not.


    Ducking into an alley, Jacque felt her pursuers pause for only a moment before continuing to trail her from the nearby rooftops. They were hastily putting together a plan to ambush and capture her, as much for the contents of the envelope as Jacque¡¯s mind.


    To their credit, they were difficult to read. Their minds were hard, determined and focused solely on her and their underlying objective. Unfortunately, that was all Jacque needed.


    Drawing a concealed dagger from her leather jacket, Jacque spun on the spot and drove it hilt deep into the neck of a tall man that was two steps behind her. He had been silent as a cat, and Jacque hadn¡¯t even heard so much as a single footfall. If it hadn¡¯t been for his methodical internal monologue, she wouldn¡¯t have dared let him get so close.


    Watching the man fall to his knees, Jacque released her dagger, leaving it in his throat in order to give him a slim chance at survival. Pulling a cudgel from her belt, Jacque hopped to the side just in time for an arrow to thrum past her thigh and skitter down the cobbled alleyway.


    Just like his companion, the archer was narrating his actions in his mind, like a checklist. It was a habit shared by almost every human Jacque had encountered since coming to this world. As far as she was concerned, it represented a relatively healthy mind. The only ones who didn¡¯t engage in the ephemeral monologuing were more than a little unhinged or not all there.


    Knowing her pursuers were still aiming to capture her alive, Jacque saw no real need to take unnecessary risks, content to simply counter their efforts for the time being as she slowly backed away down the alley.


    The wounded man was now holding a wad of bandages to his throat and was laying on his back. Judging by the sudden shift in his thoughts and how relatively erratic they had become, Jacque doubted he would survive.


    Jacque hesitated. With the man''s composure compromised, she had unwittingly glimpsed deeper into his mind than she intended and seen far more than she wanted to. Jacque limited herself to surface level thoughts not only because going deeper was often difficult, but because going deeper touched upon true memories and emotions.


    Bitterly pulling a small vial from her jacket, Jacque nimbly dodged another pair of arrows and uncorked the vial with her teeth. True healing potions like this one were extremely rare. You couldn¡¯t buy them with money, you could only earn them by completing dangerous quests.


    Jacque deftly knelt down beside the dying man and upended the contents of the vial into his mouth. When he stubbornly tried to spit it out, she smacked him over the head with her cudgel, knocking him out cold. There was no real risk of drowning, the healing potion would be absorbed into his bloodstream long before then.


    Somersaulting backwards, Jacque narrowly missed the skull splitting strike of a two handed blow from the female pursuer''s own much larger cudgel.


    Just like the first man, she was tall and well-muscled, though not to the point of being bulky. Despite her momentary confusion over Jacque¡¯s seemingly miraculous dodging ability, she was otherwise unperturbed.


    Breaking into a run, Jacque maintained a steady reliable pace. With only two of the original four pursuers still on her tail, she was confident in her ability to lose them without too much more effort. In fact, just to make absolutely sure, Jacque drastically altered her appearance and ran back out onto the main street again. Then, just like she had done so many times before, she began casually wandering around and waited for her former pursuers to catch up.


    It was a relatively bad habit Jacque had picked up in her early years after being reborn as an Awakened. Even though there was rarely anything to be gained by so recklessly taunting her opponents like this, she couldn¡¯t help it.


    As Jacque expected, less than a minute later, a cloaked man and the woman from earlier rushed out onto the street, their heads quickly swivelling one way and then another as they tried to pick up her trail.


    Casually leaning by the window of a bakery, Jacque picked under her nails with a spare dagger, her narrowed eyes trailing the pair from beneath her eyelashes with practised ease and nonchalance.


    Even though Jacque had not changed her clothing, the pursuers had no way of knowing that the tall dark skinned tomboy with fiery red hair was in any way related to the pale-skinned dainty looking blonde they had been trailing only moments before.


    All the same, they did not leave. This was a common enough occurrence as well that Jacque didn¡¯t really think much of it. Sometimes, the people sent to tail her had strong instincts and knew she was toying with them, watching them from somewhere close by. For these occasions, Jacque had another trick up her sleeve.


    Acting as if to draw the envelope from her chest pocket, Jacque almost immediately regained the attention of both pursuers, if only for the apparent familiarity of her choice in clothing. Remaining calm, Jacque withdrew a small battered pipe and pressed it to her lips. Pulling out a small pinch of dried herbs from another pocket, she deftly packed them down into the bowl of the pipe and lit them by magnifying the sun through a copper sized piece of glass.


    Despite smelling similar to a popular narcotic, the dried herbs in Jacque''s pipe were benign. Taking a deep pull, she let out a cloud of the sweet smelling smoke and slowly began walking in the direction of the city gates, pretending not to notice the man and woman beelining for her from across the street. Replacing her lighting glass in her pocket, Jacque felt the anticipated tug and lightening of her belt.


    Careful not to react too quickly, Jacque looked pointedly towards a nearby food cart and reached for her belt. Only, her fingers closed around only empty air. Feigning surprise, she looked down and patted her belt. The pick pocket had cleanly cut away her belt pouch, strap and all. It was little more than a decoy, containing only a few copper coins, but Jacque played it up all the same before storming off down the street again.


    To their credit, Jacque''s pursuers followed her as far as the southern gate before finally seeming to give up.


    Far too experienced to make a mistake, Jacque continued walking for well over another hour until she surreptitiously removed the envelope from her jacket pocket. She broke the wax seal and mangled both pieces until they were unrecognisable and stowed them away in her pants pocket. Scanning the diaphanous paper within the card envelope, Jacque rolled her eyes as she caught a whiff of the sender''s signature perfume.


    With the amount of effort Jacque was expected to perform on their behalf, it aggravated her to no end that her ¡®handler¡¯ was so narcissistically careless. Anyone with half a brain would immediately be able to identify the idiot by taking a short sniff of the envelope. But it would still be considered Jacque¡¯s fault if they were ¡®unmasked¡¯. They were so cocky at this point that Jacque seriously wondered why they were bothering with all the secrecy. The fact that Dale had a tail of his own made it abundantly clear that they already knew who Jacque¡¯s handler was. So the best they could hope for was fishing for information.


    ¡°Fucking shit heads!¡± Jacque cursed as she crumpled the paper and envelope into a ball then set it alight with the ash from her pipe. Lobbing the small fireball off into the road, Jacque seethed. A killer she may be, but Jacque had standards! If it weren¡¯t for the leverage they held over her, Jacque would have gutted each of those bastards for even considering what they had just demanded of her.


    Turning back to look at the distant walls of Hurst for only a moment, Jacque considered going back. Despite knowing very little about him, she knew that if she explained her situation, he would at least hear her out. Hell, the prospect of her preposed suicide mission might even work in her favour.


    However, as quickly as she considered it, Jacque knew she was only fooling herself. She had only one choice, and that was to do as her handlers wanted. Even if it meant murdering a child. After all, what help could one Ogre be against an entire army?


    S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 23 – The simplest solution – Part One

    Chapter 23 ¨C The simplest solution ¨C Part OneChapter 23 - The simplest solution - Part One


    I stared at Clarice incredulously and waited for an explanation.


    Clarice¡¯s cheeks flushed and she glared back at me, ¡°What?! It¡¯s how they handle the big outbreaks in Mornbent!¡± She insisted defensively, ¡°All you gotta do is tell the army to bring in the siege engines and it will be no problem!¡±


    ¡°Clarice...¡± I sighed and rubbed at my eyes tiredly, ¡°I am not saying it¡¯s a bad idea, but-¡±


    ¡°-But nothing!¡± Clarice hissed, ¡°If you can convince them to start lobbing jugs of alchemist fire at the undead-¡±


    ¡°-Then I can pretty much guarantee Hana and her sister will both have a fit!¡± I growled adamantly.


    Clarice seemed confused and was about to continue arguing, then she suddenly stopped and kicked angrily at the ground, ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure fire is the best method anyway?¡± I asked dubiously, ¡°I saw one of the Rangers shot a flaming arrow into one of the larger undead. It caught fire for about a second and then completely extinguished itself.¡±


    Clarice froze and looked back at me in surprise.


    ¡°I saw it happen,¡± I insisted.


    ¡°Fuck...¡± Clarice crossed her arms and dejectedly glared at the distant gatehouse.


    A long quiet pause passed between us.


    ¡°Do you think Hana and her sister will be okay?¡± Clarice asked quietly, a notable element of regret in her voice.


    I didn¡¯t answer immediately. Part of me knew full well that Kohana¡¯s chances of ¡®recovery¡¯ were slim to none. Setting aside the extent of her disfiguring injuries, which in and of themselves all but guaranteed a negative outcome. Both sisters had lost their entire family over the course of a single day. However, while Hana had been able to direct her distress and emotional pain towards revenge, there was no telling what psychological state her sister was in when she was found and if she could be brought back from it.


    PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, had many forms. It was actually something of a miracle that Hana hadn¡¯t shown signs of pyrophobia after what she had been through. However, Kohana was likely going to be a different story altogether. There was actually a distinct possibility that Hana might develop additional PTSD symptoms as a sympathetic reaction to her sister¡¯s condition and experiences.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± I replied lamely, unable to inject the positive tone to effectively inflate the sisters prospects.


    Clarice hung her head and nodded, ¡°Expected as much when I found her...¡± She clenched her fists and thumped them hard into the ground.


    I understood how she felt. However, where Clarice expressed her pent up horror and disgust with anger, I was more prone towards despondency and depression. It was a cruel irony brought on by the need to keep a cool head in order to provide her treatment. Allowing myself to become angry would result in hasty and poorly thought out decisions, as likely to harm as help. Staying calm and somewhat distanced helped me keep perspective and make objective decisions. However, that same distancing and objectictivity felt...wrong, a sort of betrayal in the face of so much suffering. This in turn opened the way for doubt and depression.


    It was as if this second life was going out of its way to make sure I was painfully aware of the fact that I would have been a terrible hospice nurse. That I have no tolerance for the suffering of others and the only possible outcome would have been an irreversible descent into suicidal depression.


    Somewhat desperate to avoid returning to such familiar emotional territory, I dragged my thoughts back to the present and what needed doing. ¡°You know, I think you might be onto something about involving the army,¡± I commented confidently.


    Clarice looked up, her expression doubtful and suspicious.


    ¡°The Archer Class, that¡¯s the one Tobi has isnt it?¡± I asked pointedly.


    Clarice nodded, her brow furrowing slightly, ¡°Yeah?¡±


    I nodded and rubbed at my chin as I remembered how adeptly Tobi had transitioned from using a bow to using a sling. I couldn¡¯t remember him ever using any active Skills, so it might be weapon or ammunition specific. However, if there was a ¡®throwing¡¯ Class of some kind, I had to assume that the method for learning it was almost guaranteed to be linked to how the Archer Class itself was unlocked.


    For the system to be so pedantic to make both a Swordsman and Spearman Class, rather than just a generic Soldier Class, suggested that there were in fact a great number of Basic Classes the army was deliberately or inadvertently ignoring.


    ¡°Do you know if Tobi¡¯s Archer Class works with Crossbows?¡± I asked, wanting to confirm my theory.


    Clarice slowly nodded, ¡°Yeah, they do...¡± She narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her brow thoughtfully, ¡°Tobi found it weird too, what are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°There is no Crossbowman Class, is there?¡± I said, more a statement than a question.


    Clarice just stared blankly at me for a few moments before seeming to understand what I was getting at. ¡°You want to try and unlock a throwing Class?!¡±


    I grinned and nodded, ¡°It seems kind of weird to me that classes can be so specific yet completely unrepresented at the same time,¡± I explained, ¡°Spearman and Swordsman are incredibly specific, but Archer is unexpectedly limited? It doesn¡¯t make much sense unless there is an underlying reason for it. Granted, it is a little weird that Archer wasn¡¯t just called something like Bowman, but there might be another reason for it that I haven¡¯t been able to think of yet.¡±


    Clarice nodded and looked like she wanted to say something. However, Clarice made no attempts to speak no matter how long a pause I gave in order for her to do so.


    ¡°Clarice wh-oh!¡± I had yet to witness an oaths restrictions firsthand and was actually rather underwhelmed. While I suspected Clarice may not be allowed to pantomime anything restricted, it was a little confusing that she could so obviously emote her support. As best as I could rationalize, I could only assume that the oath would somehow scale depending on how much the oath was willfully breached.


    It did give me another idea though. The reason why both Spearman and Swordsmen were ubiquitous across all nations of the continent may be because their training methods and unlocking requirements are heavily transferable or interchangeable. It was certainly the case for Field Surgeons and Hospice Surgeons, both of which shared the same foundations but otherwise held minor specialized knowledge requirements.


    ¡°Do you think you could try-¡± I didn¡¯t even get to finish asking the question.


    Clarice nodded eagerly, leapt to her feet and determinedly headed off towards the training grounds.


    I still thought it was weird that the army would so readily leave two or more possible Classes gathering dust like that. Sure, an Axeman might be a bit more niche in its practical use than that of a Swordsman or Spearman, but surely it had a somewhat unique skill list that could make up for it in a special squad or something. The same could be said for a Maceman, as lame as the name sounded. It could specialize in breaching heavy armour and breaking bones. Hell, my hypothetical Maceman sounded like it could synergise insanely well with the Deep Orc¡¯s or my own Racial Abilities...Hang on.


    The two officers had said the martial Classes were retained and taught by the nobility, didn''t they? I let out a deep sigh and kneaded my brow. Right, this was starting to make sense. Thinking of nobles taking to the battlefield, an image of a knight bedecked in plate and mail armour. Serving as a sort of light tank on the medieval battlefields of ancient Europe, the most effective weapons at disabling an armoured knight or nobleman, were blunt or capable of delivering a great deal of kinetic force to focused areas. To simplify the range of effective weapons excessively, it would be fair to assume that knights and nobles only had reason to fear maces and heavy axes in close quarters. Moreover, though not as threatening individually, a skilled band of slingers could pelt down a knight just as surely as the goblins had done to me.


    With an established justification for the absence of three or more Classes, I headed back to the army¡¯s camp for confirmation. If I was right, then it was possible that reversing our current precarious position could be as simple as dedicating a few days to intense training.


    Just like before, a lone soldier hurried ahead to announce my arrival, while the other soldier remained on watch. While obviously excited by my sudden return, neither of them seemed to suspect anything out of the ordinary.


    As I had more or less expected, Cpt. Kristof and Lt. Rooke were already waiting for me when I entered the command tent.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim,¡± Cpt. Kristof saluted in greeting.


    Lt. Rooke gave a far more relaxed salute of her own and seemed rather curious regarding my sudden return.


    ¡°I am sorry, but our superiors have not had time to make a decision yet regarding your request,¡± Cpt. Kristof apologised.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting them to make up their minds for quite some time yet anyway. ¡°I have another request for you to pass along to your superiors.¡±


    Both officers briefly glanced at one another for a moment before giving me their full attention.


    ¡°What do you want in exchange for the knowledge to unlock the four martial Classes?¡± I asked bluntly. Honestly, I was expecting one of two outcomes. The most likely outcome was that they demanded a one to one trade in exchange. If possible, I would avoid that option or negotiate them down to a single Basic and Advanced Class. The less likely outcome would be an outright refusal. Either those with the authority to make the deal would feel threatened or otherwise not feel like the trade was worth the risks.


    ¡°The Surgeons!¡± Lt. Rooke cried out almost immediately in response, ¡°An agreement can be finalised within the hour if the knowledge to unlock the Surgeon Classes is exchanged,¡± she clarified with no less intensity.


    I pretty much figured that would be the case. Realistically, the Surgeon Classes were the most likely to be learned through observation and eavesdropping, so it was actually a good choice for exchange. It was the same general case with Clarice and the Swordsman Class. It was likely a matter of time before she sussed out the others, but we didn¡¯t have the luxury of time and the Spearman Class unlock requirements could help her confirm the existence of the other Classes more quickly.


    ¡°I would have additional conditions,¡± I warned, but hurriedly raised my hands placatingly, ¡°In the interests of maintaining standards of care, not gatekeeping knowledge.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cpt. Kristof asked warily.


    ¡°All potential Surgeons would need to undergo basic tests to make sure they meet minimum standards first. They would also need to commit to the training regimen in its entirety, not just as long as it takes to unlock the Classes,¡± I explained insistently.


    Both officers briefly glanced at one another again.


    ¡°Do you mind if we ask why?¡± Lt. Rooke asked, seeming a little confused.


    ¡°Standards,¡± I reiterated. ¡°Just because you show me how to fire a bow, doesn¡¯t mean I will start hitting targets on my first few tries.¡±


    Lt. Rooke nodded appreciatively, ¡°Right, so it is a fixed training schedule to meet basic standards before letting them loose in the field.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So this exchange would include a training-school provision. Something along the lines of the unlocking information being openly available to pre-selected candidates who meet the screening criteria. But requiring they continue training until the trainer deems them ready...¡± Lt. Rooke thoughtfully nodded her head as she rephrased the agreement, very likely conforming it to the language she would use in her report. ¡°Would you be willing to teach a small number of volunteers as a show of good faith?¡± She asked seriously.


    I nodded but was a little unsure, ¡°I am not sure the Advanced Classes can be unlocked without the Basic Surgeon Class,¡± I pointed out, wanting to be upfront about the distinct possibility of the agreement being voided by forces outside of my control.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Cpt. Kristof interjected calmly, ¡°Unlearning Elixirs can be acquired if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Unlearning Elixirs?¡± I asked curiously, even though I more or less guessed at what they were already.


    ¡°A somewhat expensive potion that removes your Class,¡± Cpt. Kristof explained helpfully.


    Despite guessing at its effects earlier, I still flinched as I imagined all my progress disappearing after drinking a cup of glowing liquid. ¡°Does it remove your Class that easily?¡± I asked anxiously.


    Cpt. Kristof shook his head, ¡°According to reports, Unlearning Elixirs offer a choice similar to the Class advancement system. You won¡¯t lose your Class unless you accept.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem as bad as I initially thought, but it was difficult to get over the idea of someone using it as a horrifically debilitating poison.


    Taking a deep breath to calm down, I slowly released it again and considered the potential risks of my next inquiry. Airing on the side of caution, I decided it could wait. If I was right, my latest theory was sure to cause problems with the nobility, and I would rather avoid it if possible. ¡°The Surgeon Classes receive better benefits from high Intelligence and decent Agility and Willpower, so it would be best if you screened your soldiers for the best candidates with that in mind,¡± I suggested, ¡°And I assume the martial four mostly use Strength, Agility and Toughness?¡±


    Cpt. Kristof nodded, taking a scrap of paper and scribbling indecipherable notes on it.


    ¡°Would you like to wait while we pass along the proposal to our superiors?¡± Lt. Rooke asked, ¡°Depending on their response, more soldiers may be deployed to begin an offensive against the undead.¡±


    ¡°Will they bring siege weapons?¡± I asked, remembering my earlier conversation with Clarice.


    ¡°It is very likely that at least light siege weaponry will be deployed to defend our military encampment,¡± Lt Rooke replied helpfully, ¡°Is there some sort of problem?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°If possible, I must insist that widespread and instance fire attacks be avoided unless absolutely necessary.¡±


    Cpt. Kristof seemed confused and looked to his subordinate for an answer.


    Lt. Rooke gave her superior a telling look in return, ¡°This is in regards to one of the liberated prisoners of the Slaver,¡± she stated while glancing at me from the corner of her eye.


    A look of recognition flashed across Cpt. Kristof¡¯s face, but his confusion only seemed to intensify.


    Lt. Rooke gave Cpt. Kristof another look that personally interpreted as, ¡°I will explain later.¡±


    Cpt. Kristof dubiously let the subject go.


    ¡°Will these light siege engines be catapults and ballista?¡± I asked curiously.


    Both officers gave me a strange look.


    ¡°You know, catapults, they throw big rocks? And Ballista are like bigger crossbows?¡± I insisted awkwardly.


    Lt. Rooke narrowed her eyes at me a little, her intense scrutinizing gaze pinning me in place. ¡°They will likely send lesser wind-lances and stone-throwers,¡± she agreed, ¡°How do you know of them?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± Evidently, I had overstepped what was considered acceptable and expected knowledge for a dungeon monster. ¡°My friend, Clarice, told me that the army would use siege engines and fire to deal with the undead,¡± I replied, dodging the question as best I could manage.


    Lt. Rooke didn¡¯t seem fooled in the slightest, ¡°Chieftain Tim. Do you know how to make siege engines?¡±


    Well, that was the real question, wasn¡¯t it?


    Theoretically, yes. Thanks to a physics and history collaboration project in high school, I knew how to make everything from a basic mangonel to a castle crashing trebuchet. The overwhelming majority of siege technology functioned on the same basic principles. The trick was putting a siege engine together from scratch without the required tools and materials. Knowing I would have to construct a siege engine from memory alone, I doubted I could make one that worked efficiently without multiple attempts to get the fine but necessary details worked out.


    While I was taking my time thinking through the question, and how best to fudge the truth, Lt Rooke seemed to have come to her own conclusions. ¡°Chieftain Tim? What are you going to do with the four martial Classes?¡± The look in her eyes made it clear that there was no hope of dodging the question.


    ¡°Defend Sanctuary,¡± I replied simply.


    Lt. Rooke frowned, ¡°Is that all?¡± She asked, a hint of incredulity in her tone.


    I shrugged, ¡°Everything I do is to keep Sanctuary safe,¡± I gave Lt. Rooke a meaningful look in return, ¡°I am not greedy or covetous by nature. All I want is peace and prosperity for my people.¡±


    My answer was apparently not what Lt. Rooke had expected. My slip up regarding siege engines had obviously been a red flag of some sort. However, my sincere desire for peace seemed to be at odds with whatever that red flag pertained to, so Lt. Rooke was left unsure how to proceed.


    ¡°Would you allow humans to live in Sanctuary?¡± Cpt. Kristof asked suddenly, his earnest question taking both Lt. Rooke and myself by surprise.


    I wasn''t sure what he meant by that, ¡°I already do?¡± I replied uncertainly. Ignoring the army, for the time being, Clarice, Emelia, Nadine, Tobi, the innkeeper Kirk, his wife Rose and daughter were all trustworthy enough that I fully intended them to stay as long as they wanted.


    ¡°Ah, I meant...regular humans...¡± Cpt. Kristof seemed to have lost his nerve and momentum.


    ¡°Normal humans?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Just regular people you mean? Not Adventurers or Soldiers?¡±


    Cpt. Kristof nodded.


    ¡°Why would regular people want to live in a swamp?¡± I asked somewhat incredulously, making a point of ignoring the fact that Cajuns were a thing on earth. ¡°Isn¡¯t it much safer to live in a big city?¡±


    Cpt. Kristof and Lt. Rooke shared a rather damning look with one another that made their uncertainty in that regard painfully obvious.


    The cities weren¡¯t safe? Or was it that they would not be safe for much longer?


    ¡°Is this because of the Empire and Confederacy¡¯s war?¡± I asked, fishing for more details and trying to get a better idea of what could so thoroughly undermine the otherwise implacable soldiers'' confidence.


    The lack of a timely response was rather telling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think settling large numbers of humans in a swamp is a good idea,¡± I explained diplomatically, ¡°Large scale terraforming projects are simply not feasible...¡±


    ¡°What if-¡± Cpt. Kristof began to ask but was swiftly interrupted.


    ¡°-Top Secret!¡± Lt. Rooke hissed, her eyes narrowed dangerously.


    ¡°Hrm?¡± Did the army want me to take more territory? Or did they want me to move? There was next to no chance of the latter. As inhospitable as the swamp was, it served as a natural barrier to most external threats. Presumably, even high level adventurers would still die from dysentery and other diseases, so the swamp was perfect.


    Besides, regular humans would be a huge liability in the Labyrinth. With nothing but raw stats and determination, there were almost certainly hard limits on what humans could do. That is, unless the Captain simply expected his people to be able to mooch off of the labour of hardworking monsters in order to survive?


    The knowledge that the Asrus kingdom¡¯s higher command had ¡®plans¡¯ for me, and that they warranted a top-secret classification, was unsettling. Even more so when it seemed to involve bringing human civilians into the Labyrinth.


    I shook my head, ¡°No.¡±


    My statement drew both officers'' attention away from their silent exchange and back to me again.


    Cpt. Kristof seemed disappointed, his shoulders slumping somewhat in defeat.


    However, Lt. Rooke¡¯s curiosity was noticeably piqued, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°I think mixing civilians and monsters together would be a mistake,¡± I explained glibly.


    Lt. Rooke frowned a little but motioned for me to continue.


    ¡°Well, what exactly would they do all day?¡± I asked dubiously.


    ¡°There was some discussion that human workers could fill manufacturing jobs to make more sophisticated goods...¡± Lt. Rooke admitted a little hesitantly.


    I raised an eyebrow and sighed for dramatic effect, ¡°Do you think my own people would not be capable of as much themselves?¡± I asked, making it clear that the passive human superiority stance was a bad hill to die on.


    Lt. Rooke sighed and shook her head dejectedly, ¡°I suppose not,¡± she agreed but still seemed to be bothered by something. ¡°You seem more concerned about relatively harmless humans than professionally trained soldiers with Classes and levels. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Discipline and order,¡± I replied with a heavy sigh, ¡°If any of your soldiers do something...stupid, we can quickly determine who did it and what punishment would be appropriate. However, what if your nephew or niece caused the death of one of my people?¡± I asked, ¡°Do you think you would be so willing to pass them over for judgement? And what about their parents?¡±


    Lt. Rooke hung her head and nodded to show she understood my problem. ¡°This is why your original agreement with the Colonel required near-complete segregation,¡± she realised, ¡°You didn¡¯t just want secrecy, but security.¡±


    She was just about right, so I nodded purposefully in agreement. I actually had been more obsessed over secrecy driven security at the time, but the arrival of the human refugees in the military camp basically made that point moot. If they hadn¡¯t already seen and learned of Sanctuary before their arrival, it would only be a matter of time before an unwitting or unscrupulous soldier confirmed it for them.


    I already considered it no small miracle that the three largest populations of monsters were getting along so well. With how divisive modern-day ¡®race¡¯ politics had been on earth, it was actually somewhat surreal to see such different species cooperate with one another so harmoniously, particularly given how aggressive they had proven to be in combat. As best I could figure, the Serpent-kin, Deep Orcs and Forest Goblins were all in a crisis-induced state of good behaviour, putting aside their minor grievances for the sake of possibly aggravating me and losing favour.


    Or their good behaviour could be attributed to the Settlement¡¯s laws. Any breach of the laws would immediately mark the individuals responsible. So I suspected that it was quite possible that no one wanted to be the first to break a law and bring shame on their group. After all, each group was originally part of a very tight-knit community and had no doubt had rigorously enforced laws and traditions of their own.


    Leaving the Captain and Lieutenant to inform their superiors of the new deal on the table, I decided to use my time more productively and went looking for the Forest Goblin Underlords. Getting the older children involved in harvesting the fruits and berries would go a long way towards alleviating the food crisis and I had no excuse not to talk to them about it.


    To my surprise, I found them both lingering near the training grounds observing Clarice, who was determinedly swinging a Deep Orc axe overhead over and over again with near manic intensity.


    Skrit and Whisp didn¡¯t seem to notice my arrival until I was just about standing next to them.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Whisp hastily bowed and seemed to make a point of avoiding looking at Clarice.


    Skrit bowed, but his attention returned to Clarice almost immediately afterwards, his eyes intensely following her every movement.


    ¡°You are trying to learn how to unlock her Class?¡± I asked curiously.


    Skrit nodded absently.


    Whisp paled and looked like a wrinkled child caught with their hand still in the cookie jar, ¡°Ah, Lord said Sunrock learn any Class...¡± She explained guiltily.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little as I nodded in confirmation, ¡°Yes, that is what I said and I mean it. Did you ask Gric for a list and description of the available Classes?¡±


    Skrit frowned but said nothing.


    ¡°Wanted to make children work,¡± Whisp hissed angrily, ¡°Still weak, need rest, not work!¡±


    Wait. So they had both walked out on Gric before learning anything about Classes? I sighed and made a mental note to speak with Gric later.


    ¡°Could you both come with me?¡± I asked politely, ¡°I want to show you the work I had in mind for the older kids.¡±


    The pair of elderly Underlords seemed incredibly reluctant but grudgingly nodded their assent.


    I motioned for them both to follow me and began walking towards the Druid fields. ¡°I want to be clear. Gric is not in charge of you. You do not have to do what he says.¡±


    Skrit and Whisp¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°However, I frequently delegate through Gric because I trust his judgement. If you do not want to take his advice, I would appreciate it if you would either negotiate a compromise or let me or Hana know if you cannot work things out amongst yourselves, alright?¡±


    Skrit and Whisp shared a weighty extended look with one another before they both nodded in agreement.


    ¡°As Underlords of Sanctuary, you are not just responsible for the Sunrock, but everyone else who calls this place home,¡± I suspected that part of the pair''s reluctance to listen to Gric was a misunderstanding regarding authority, so I wanted to make the situation as clear as possible. ¡°Whether it is Ushu, Lash, Gric or the both of you, my expectations are the same. I expect you to put the collective needs of all our people first. I know it may take some time to build the requisite amount of trust in order to work together with confidence, but I expect you to try.¡±


    A long silence passed between us as we walked and I began to worry if perhaps I had only managed to shift their poor opinion of Gric to myself instead.


    Arriving at the Druid fields, I was impressed by the amount of progress they had made after my earlier request. Large berry bushes and fruit trees had now been grown in long curving rows beginning closest to the wall of trees protecting the Grove.


    Serpent-kin children were already wandering through the bushes and climbing the trees, laughing and calling out to one another as they excitedly wolfed down everything they could get their hands on. Even though their fangs made it difficult to take a sizable bite from the fruits, getting their mouths stuck seemed to be half the fun for the younger children and some of the older ones looked like they were lining their fangs with berries and smaller fruits on purpose.


    Besides the Druids, there was at least one adult present and keeping a watchful eye out for roughly every ten children. Every so often, one of the adults would remind the children, or provide encouragement for contributing berries or fruits to the large baskets scattered amongst the trees and bushes. Just as I had told Qreet, my expectation was not for the children to provide efficient labour, but to offset their own daily food requirements.


    ¡°Do you understand what I meant now?¡± I asked with a small smile on my lips, finding it difficult to take the situation as seriously as I should with so many children running around laughing and playing with each other. ¡°I don¡¯t want your children to work as slaves, I just want them to socialize and help take care of their own food needs until the undead are dealt with and meat can be reliably returned to everyone''s diet.¡±


    ¡°Lord!...¡± Skrit and Whisp had both fallen to their knees, tears welling in the corners of their eyes and snot dripping down their noses. The ability for Goblins to suddenly behave and pass for children was truly an underrated survival skill.


    ¡°Just make sure to consider things a bit more thoroughly in the future and not just assume the worst of your fellow Underlords, alright?¡± I backed away as the pair of them began edging closer and reaching for my pant legs. In no mood to wash Goblin snot out of my pants, again, I decided that I would go check on Toofy, Ril and then Gric.


    Feeling pressed for time, I just stopped by the fountain long enough to let Toofy and Ril know about the fun the other kids were having eating fruits and berries out in the Druid fields. It took very little convincing to send the pair running to investigate. Unfortunately, I doubted either of them would take my warning about stomach aches seriously until it was too late. Which reminded me, I needed to give the Surgeons and porters at the hospital a heads up about that before they were packed to overflowing with kids learning a valuable life lesson on moderation.


    Having descended the tunnel into the prison, which the Daemons had collectively claimed as their home, I found Gric was already waiting for me.


    ¡°Anything new to report?¡± I asked conversationally, not really expecting anything since I had been getting my hands plenty dirty already.


    Gric¡¯s smile broadened somewhat and he nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Yes Lord! The soulless beasts have been thinning the undead horde since the latest spawning event and the undead have not been reinforced since their initial arrival!¡± The Daemon was very nearly bouncing on the spot in excitement, ¡°The undead will be destroyed in less than a week, even without armed intervention!¡±


    It took a few moments for what Gric said to sink in and once it did I couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± I insisted, ¡°How have you been tracking their activities?¡±


    Gric grinned wider and nodded, ¡°Yes Lord! Nahl has been diligently serving as scout and sentry at the gate since the arrival of the horde. His unique progression lies in observation and stealth, and he insists this information is accurate.¡±


    Nahl? I tried putting a face to the name but kept coming up blank. I wondered if that was a good or bad thing given the Daemon¡¯s choice in occupation.


    ¡°We have a deal with the humans that will give us the means to unlock the Scout Class as well as a few other Basic combat Classes. Make sure Nahl knows he will have top priority if he wants it, okay?¡± The Daemon had earned it and there would be no shortage of benefits for Sanctuary if he accepted the offer and improved his abilities even further.


    ¡°Of course Lord,¡± Gric bowed his head obediently.


    I felt bad about what had to happen next, but it was ripping off a band-aid and would be less painful if I didn¡¯t drag it out. ¡°Gric, there are some things we need to talk about.¡±


    Gric¡¯s smile wavered, making it obvious that he had probably guessed what we would be talking about.


    I raised one hand placatingly to encourage him to stay calm, ¡°Gric, you aren¡¯t in trouble and I am not going to demote you over this.¡±


    Gric¡¯s relief was almost palpable, the looming sense of dread having dissipated almost immediately upon learning he would not be demoted. It really drove home how important the promotions and demotions were to the Daemons.


    ¡°When dealing with the other Underlords, I want you to try and better express your reasons for what you want them to help you with. You can¡¯t just assume they will understand why you want them to put their children to work like that, especially after what they have been through. Do you understand?¡± I gave Gric a weighty look and could almost see the calculations being made behind his eyes as he tried to readjust his behaviour. ¡°There is something else. I am intending to promote Wraithe to Underlord at the next opportunity. I have already given her additional responsibilities and expect you and the other Underlords to respect her authority relating to those responsibilities. Am I understood?¡±


    Gric bowed his head, ¡°Yes Lord.'''' He was far sourer than when we first started, but this conversation was better to take place sooner rather than later. Especially if I was going to continue trusting Gric to handle things on my behalf.


    Spending a half-hour detailing Wraithe¡¯s responsibilities actually cheered Gric up a little bit. I could only figure that it was because her authority was incredibly specific and didn¡¯t interfere with Gric¡¯s comparatively larger but more generalised responsibilities. It didn¡¯t hurt that I hinted that the Lord title that would soon be unlocked would most likely be his, assuming he continued doing a good job.


    Returning to the training field, there was a rather sizable crowd gathered watching a training bout already in progress. To my horror, it was between Clarice and Lash.


    Pushing my way through the crowd, my anxiety immediately multiplied tenfold upon realising neither of them were using practice weapons.


    Although breathing heavily and her body practically soaked with sweat, Clarice doggedly continued her assault, the axe in her hands remaining in near-constant motion.


    For her part, Lash seemed to be making the most of the edged weapon bout. Despite her substantial size, Lash weaved and parried through every attack she was able, deliberately placing herself in harm''s way as some form of heavy armour training. Lash spent only the minimal amount of effort necessary to turn a lethal or heavy strike into a glancing blow deflected by her crude plate armour.


    The longer I watched the exchange, the more bizarre it became. Neither Clarice nor Lash was actually trying to win, going through a complex and randomly repeated set of exchanges that would draw blood if either party slipped up even a little. Considering how exhausted Clarice looked, I sincerely hoped they would end their session sooner rather than later.


    Clarice suddenly staggered backwards and dropped her axe as she fell onto her ass, ¡°Gah! Bloody hell!¡±


    I pushed through the crowd to make sure she was alright, but to my surprise, Clarice was smiling. ¡°What the hell were you two doing?!¡± I demanded, my nerves thoroughly shot after watching the exchange for close to half-hour.


    Lash shrunk back a little and bowed her shoulders.


    Pulling off Lash¡¯s helmet, I could see she was embarrassed and more than a little worried. I pulled her into a tight embrace, ignoring the hard ridges of her armour as they dug into my ribs and exposed arms. I felt like dragging her back to our room and never letting her out again. To put herself in danger like that...I couldn¡¯t stop shaking.


    ¡°Tim, it¡¯s alright we were just-¡± Clarice¡¯s voice caught in her throat as I pulled away from Lash and glared balefully at her instead.


    Lash said nothing but seemed embarrassed.


    After a couple of minutes, I had gotten enough time to calm down and realised I was overreacting. ¡°Clarice?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Already soaked in sweat, Clarice already looked like she had gotten a worse punishment than anything I could justify suggesting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you doing something like that again,¡± I croaked trying to keep my nerves in check and avoid another angry outburst. ¡°You want to have an edged weapon exercise, you tell me first and make sure you have porters and Surgeons on standby. Understand?


    Clarice gulped and nodded, ¡°Sure...Sorry, Tim...I was just excited you know?¡± She smiled weakly and then rapidly lost her nerve, ¡°It won¡¯t happen again...¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I meant it, but my voice sounded cold and spiteful. Unsure what I could do about it, I steered Lash away from Clarice and the crowd so we could talk in private.


    ¡°You are upset?¡± Lash asked hesitantly.


    There were fifty different words that could choose to describe how I felt. However, even though upset didn¡¯t seem nearly strong enough, I nodded in agreement. ¡°The thought of one of you hurting the other...dying...¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say any more aloud. That the pair of them had managed to avoid significant injury seemed nothing short of a miracle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust us?¡± Lash asked, a hint of incredulity in her tone.


    I flinched. ¡°No, I...I just can¡¯t stand the thought of something happening to you...¡± I insisted evasively.


    Lash shook her head and narrowed her eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t!¡± She accused and gave me a hard shove to drive the point home. ¡°Life is hard! Dangerous!¡± Lash shoved me again, ¡°Danger now makes less danger later! Saves lives!¡±


    I knew she was right and felt all the worse for how I had reacted, allowing fear to control me like that... S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You-¡± Lash was interrupted mid accusation.


    ¡°Lash! Wait!¡± Clarice had managed to limp her way over and grabbed Lash¡¯s right arm before she could shove me again. ¡°Tim overreacted, but we should have told him what we were planning on doing.¡±


    ¡°Was in no danger!¡± Lash snorted angrily, pulling her arm free of Clarice¡¯s stiff grip.


    ¡°Tim didn¡¯t know that!¡± Clarice hissed, squaring up like she was getting ready to take a swing or tackle Lash to the ground, ¡°He isn¡¯t like us!¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± I croaked, ¡°Lash, I trust you, I just...it doesn¡¯t stop me from being afraid.¡±


    Lash paused and calmed down somewhat, ¡°Afraid?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you,¡± I admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do if...if something happened to you...¡± I shuddered as I considered how badly their sparring match could have gone at any moment. Largely an irrational fear, given Lash¡¯s own substantial natural defences and how they dwarfed Clarice¡¯s relatively poor offensive abilities, it did little to detract from the fact that Clarice had been making very real attempts at landing a fatal blow.


    Lash quietly stripped off the plates protecting her right arm, ¡°Scratches only,¡± she insisted in a surprisingly gentle tone, pointing to a trio of scratch marks from where Clarice¡¯s axe had made partial contact past her armour. They were barely deep enough to draw blood at all and showed more signs of bruising than anything else.


    Even though I now had evidence of her ability to be hurt in training, I was surprised to feel an overwhelming sense of relief. Bruises, minor cuts and scrapes...I had been worried over nothing...Especially when compared to the myriad of larger scars littered across her body. I felt like an idiot and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Lash had calmed down and seemed to be at a similar loss for words.


    ¡°Uh, Tim? We got company,¡± Clarice¡¯s stiff tone immediately drew my attention. She was pointing towards the army¡¯s camp and the small squad of soldiers headed in our direction.


    Seeing Lt. Rooke leading three other soldiers I was unfamiliar with but bearing distinctive equipment, I could only assume that her superiors had given the green light on our proposal for exchanging Class unlock information.


    ¡°What do you think they want?¡± Clarice asked anxiously.


    ¡°We made a deal,¡± I explained as I headed off to meet Lt. Rooke halfway, ¡°Exchanging Class unlock information, The Surgeons for Spearman, Swordsman, Archer and Scout.¡±


    Clarice had begun following along behind me, but stopped in surprise, ¡°What?!¡± She scrambled to catch up, half jogging with a noticeable limp, ¡®Have you really thought this through TIm? Those Surgeon unlocks are insanely valuable! Way more than those Basic Classes!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I admitted, ¡°But I think they hold the key to unlocking many more, including potential Advanced versions of those same Classes.¡±


    Clarice nearly stumbled and tripped again, ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    I motioned for Clarice to keep her cool. The last thing I wanted was to lose bargaining power and have the army change the deal. It had admittedly only been a fringe theory of mine, but the more I interacted with the army officers, the more convinced I became that the nobles had access to at least one Advanced Class denied to the general military and quite possibly being kept secret by their officers. Much the same as the Adventurers Guild, I figured it was a contingency of sorts, a powerful combat Class reserved to keep the aristocracy in power.


    To an outside observer, there would be no evidence besides remarkable combat ability. But the noble and their personal bodyguards would know better, having access to the group Status information. Just like the aristocracy and nobility of Earth¡¯s ancient history, it made sense that nobles would receive much more advanced training than regular soldiers. Their training covered a much larger array of weapons and fighting styles and combined with their expensive equipment, it marked them as the elite fighting force of the battlefield.


    Just about every culture had its own variation, but in the west, they were called Knights.


    *****


    Rooke struggled to keep herself from smiling too broadly as she led the designated instructors and a trio of freshly wiped volunteers into the Chieftain¡¯s settlement. As she had expected, her superiors had accepted the deal almost immediately, the only reason it had taken so long to seek Tim out to finalise the deal, was because securing the requisite authorisation codes and transmitting them over secure communication was a time-consuming process.


    To Rooke¡¯s surprise, Tim was not hard to find, apparently engaged in an intense discussion with his mate and the adventurer Clarice. Sorely tempted to activate her Eagle Vision, Rooke resisted the urge to eavesdrop and risk botching their deal. Securing the knowledge to unlock the Surgeon and its advanced versions was a lower priority than Tim and his settlement, but it would prove critical in buying time they desperately needed.


    Tim and his own entourage had seen them coming and were moving to meet them partway.


    Besides scheduled use of the fountain, there had been an implied requirement that the soldiers stick to their own camp. Unsure of whether she should have brought so many soldiers this far into Sanctuary, Rooke decided to play it safe and wait for Tim to come to them.


    ¡°Your superiors agreed,¡± Tim guessed, a deceptively keen intelligence reflected in his eyes as he scrutinised Rooke¡¯s soldiers for a moment before settling on her.


    Standing so close to a monster capable of ripping her limb from limb was made all the more worrying because Tim¡¯s aggression was uncharacteristically restrained. Rooke had killed no small number of Ogres over the years, but always from a distance and while hidden. But besides looking like an admittedly small member of his race, Tim¡¯s intelligence and restraint was practically unheard of. Older and advanced evolutions of Ogres could be cunning, but never truly intelligent.


    Rooke nodded, ¡°They have. We are prepared to begin the exchange immediately, so long as that is agreeable with you?¡±


    Tim said nothing for a few moments, his attention shifting to the three volunteers, ¡°Are they literate?¡± He asked curiously.


    Of all the questions he could have asked, Rooke had not expected that one. ¡°Uh...¡± She looked back at Gunner, Flek and Liza.


    Flek and Liza stiffly nodded nervously, while Gunner shook his head.


    ¡°Is literacy a requirement?¡± Rooke asked nervously. Most recruits had basic levels of literacy, but not all.


    For a tense few moments, Tim said nothing. ¡°No, you remember better when you take notes and can read them later,¡± he commented, ¡°You will want to make learning to read and write a priority in the future. There is a lot more to surgery and medicine than unlocking a few Classes. Being able to read the advice and research being conducted by your peers is a very important skill.¡±


    Gunner nodded stiffly and determinedly set his jaw.


    ¡°Have you decided on specialties?¡± Tim asked, ¡°Assigning them a mentor will help streamline the process somewhat.¡±


    ¡°Mentor? You won¡¯t be training them yourself?¡± Rooke asked, unable to help herself from sounding disappointed.


    Tim gave her a curious look in return, ¡°I can teach them lessons, but I also want to see if those I have taught already are capable of effectively passing that same knowledge along in addition to their practical experience. After all, I am not a Surgeon.¡±


    When he put it like that, Rooke had to admit that it made a great deal of sense. Just because he knows how to unlock the Surgeon Classes, doesn''t mean he has the practical experience that would otherwise give their freshly trained Surgeons an edge.


    Rooke bowed her head in deference to his reasoning. ¡°Do you have volunteers for our instructors?¡± She asked in return, briefly scanning the nearby area.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Tim admitted, ¡°Are there any hard limits or requirements?¡±


    Rooke stepped aside and motioned for the three Sergeants to step up and explain themselves.


    Sgt. Finn spoke first, ¡°Anyone wanting to become an Archer will need both arms and most of their fingers,¡± he slipped his bow off his shoulder and strung it by using his leg and knee for leverage, ¡°Both legs is a plus, but you would be surprised hehe,¡± Sgt. Finn then demonstrated nocking an arrow and drawing back the string, making it clear why you needed certain fingers more than others.


    Sgt. Jean drew a shortsword from her belt scabbard and swapped it between her hands, ¡°No real requirements. So long as they have at least one good hand, or a functional prosthetic, unlocking the Swordsman is more about determination than physical ability.¡±


    Clarice nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Same for Spearman,¡± Sgt. Unger agreed, ¡°But two hands makes unlocking easier,¡± he held his spear with two hands rather than one and made a few example thrusts and swipes to accentuate his point. ¡°Novices find the extra control from a second-hand makes it easier to meet the requirements.¡±


    Tim nodded then turned his attention to his mate, the Deep Orc known as Lash. Nearly as large as he was, Rooke sincerely hoped their future offspring inherited their father¡¯s temperament. While Tim was accepting of humans, Lash held open distrust and suspicion for Rooke and her soldiers. ¡°Could you go round up anyone who might be interested in learning the combat Classes?¡± Tim asked with a surprising degree of gentleness.


    Lash¡¯s expression softened and she even smiled a little, ¡°Okay,¡± Lash agreed and gave Tim a kiss on his neck. As she began walking away, Lash locked eyes with Rooke and curled her lips into a feral snarl exposing her powerful teeth in what Rooke could only interpret as a warning.


    ¡°I assume you will be teaching the unlock requirements for Scouts?¡± TIm asked expectantly.


    Rooke nodded, ¡°Just try to bear in mind that some people just aren¡¯t cut out for it,¡± She warned to temper his expectations.


    Tim didn¡¯t seem all that surprised, ¡°You said as much before. Scouts are found, not recruited. Remember?¡±


    Rooke was a little surprised, ¡°Y-yeah...¡± She agreed, inwardly cursing herself for having underestimated his perceptiveness.


    ¡°Well, if you want to bring over the necessary training materials to the training grounds, I can introduce your volunteers to their mentors and get them started on the basics,¡± Tim suggested.


    Rooke nodded but paused after considering what would very likely be a problem, ¡°I don¡¯t think we will be able to handle more than five students each,¡± she apologised.


    Tim gave her a critical look and then to Rooke¡¯s immense surprise, shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It will just give the others a better idea of what to expect when it is their turn.¡±


    His relative level of indifference gave Rooke pause. She felt like she was missing something important...

 Chapter 23 – The simplest solution – Part Two

    Chapter 23 ¨C The simplest solution ¨C Part TwoChapter 23 - The simplest solution - Part Two


    Having escorted the three prospective students to the hospital, I made sure they each swore an oath of nonviolence against Sanctuary and the second oath of secrecy to protect the identity of their leading instructor, Wraithe. Despite their initial surprise, the soldiers accepted Wrathe¡¯s authority and presence without complaints.


    Since there was also a large number of Forest Goblins who wanted to try and become Surgeons, I volunteered to keep an eye on Hana and her sister so Wraithe could better teach her students.


    Contrary to my expectations, neither sister reacted to my presence.


    With nothing else to do, I took a seat by the window and intended to watch the goings-on down below. However, with no other distractions, my attention was drawn to a familiar band of red text in my peripheral vision. As my focus brushed over it, the band of text expanded and I very nearly leapt out of my seat in a sudden panic.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}] S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: Kill 1000 monsters within 10 Days {Completed}. {Success} will earn a reward appropriate to your effort and unlock the next stage of the quest. {Failure} will terminate the quest and destroy {Key of Awakening (???). Good luck!]


    I had completely forgotten about the mandatory quest! ¡°Complete!¡± Unsure why it had not automatically completed on its own, I was relieved when the quest text began to change.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: {Success}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 2}: Subjugate another {Settlement} {Completed}. {Success} will earn a reward appropriate to your effort and unlock the next stage of the quest. {Failure} will terminate the quest and destroy {Key of Awakening (???). Good luck!]


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: {Success}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 2}: {Success}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 3}: Promote 5 {Underlords} {Completed}. {Success} will earn a reward appropriate to your effort and complete the quest. {Failure} will terminate the quest and destroy {Key of Awakening (???). Good luck!]


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Completed}]


    [Determining degree of success...]


    [Acquiring rewards...]


    [Congratulations! You have completed {Conquest!} and will now receive proportionate rewards. x1 available {Settlement Overseer} promotion, x1 {Minion Vanguard}, {Sanctuary} has been promoted to your {Capital}.


    [Identifying {Key of Awakening (???)}...]


    [Identified {Key of Awakening}. {Shiverfang} Lesser Spear of Conquest: Ignores {Toughness} and applies {Bleeding} Condition. Can expend MP to penetrate armour. Reserves (5 MP) to become {Bonded}. When {Bonded} the Master may summon or dismiss {Shiverfang} at will.]


    While I was reading the last message, a large chest appeared on the ground in front of me, the familiar form of the Goblin chieftain¡¯s spear propped against its lid. ¡°Shiverfang?¡± I mused aloud and reached out for the shaft of the spear. It was just as I remembered it, with a larger and longer head than would otherwise be considered normal, reminiscent of a Roman gladius, the comparatively short shaft was only six feet long. It gave the spear a topheavy appearance despite the balance feeling relatively alright.


    Setting Shiverfang aside for the time being, I pulled over the chest to take a look inside. Unlatching and lifting the lid, I was surprised to find a single large egg inside. The quest had said part of my reward was a Vanguard Minion, but I had no real idea what that meant. Because the chest looked about the same size as the one the Daemons had arrived in, I had simply expected a Daemon sized egg to be packed within the large chest.


    The egg in question was, for lack of a better word, massive. Easily three feet wide and four feet tall, the egg¡¯s shell was covered in web-like grooves and raised surfaces. Similar to the Daemon eggs, the raised surfaces were a dark black colour while the grooves pulsed with a shifting Emerald and sapphire iridescence.


    Gently closing the lid, I wondered what I should do. The Daemons had been prodigious eaters when they first hatched. A literal mountain of food had been consumed in the space of a couple of days. To assume that whatever was inside of this egg would require anything less was asking for trouble.


    However, not making best use of their available advantages would have been a big mistake. As resource intensive as the Daemons had been in their early development, they had since made themselves unbelievably useful. From frontline fighters, to teachers and farmers, their potential was only limited by the scope of our collective imagination and Sanctuary¡¯s evolving needs.


    Then again, if the egg was any indicator of the infant''s size, then there was a very real possibility that whatever hatched from within would rapidly dwarf even me in terms of overall size. There was no real way of telling what was inside either since supposedly all female monsters laid eggs.


    I silently debated what to do about the egg for close to an hour before Clarice came to visit.


    ¡°You were right!¡± Clarice exclaimed quietly, making sure not to be too loud and disturb the sleeping Dryad sisters. ¡°The unlock requirements are really similar and I managed to finish the Axeman Basic Class too!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Good job Clarice!¡± I praised, not in the least put off by Clarice¡¯s sudden preening. She had earned it. ¡°How long before you think you can unlock them all?¡±


    Clarice¡¯s smile faltered for a moment, ¡°You were serious about that?¡± She asked, her voice quavering slightly as her sweat soaked body trembled from overexertion.


    I nodded, ¡°Yes. I highly suspect that there is at least one Advanced Class linked to learning two or more of the Basic combat Classes. There is also something else,¡± I waved for Clarice to come closer.


    Curious, Clarice sat down on the bed beside me, her eyes curiously over the spear and chest as if only just having noticed them.


    ¡°There is a very real chance that those Combat Classes might be linked to some form of dedicated mounted Class,¡± I explained quietly, ¡°Unlike a Squire or Knight, which are elite anti-infantry units that ¡®can¡¯ be deployed on horseback-¡±


    ¡°You''re thinking that there is a class that specializes in it?!¡± Clarice exclaimed with excitement and surprise.


    I nodded. ¡°I figured since you already had the most mounted expertise, albeit with no real professional training, that you might unlock a Mounted Class if you unlocked the Archer and Spearman Classes first.¡±


    Clarice said nothing, but her lips widened into a creepy conspiratorial grin, ¡°You know, that Rooke lady said she would teach volunteers how to ride once the undead are dealt with and the army makes a deal for the Beast Trainer Class.¡±


    I could see where Clarice was headed and gave her a weighted nod of approval, ¡°We probably want to get you those unlocks too, the Monster Tamer and Beast Trainer Classes, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Clarice agreed with a big grin plastered on her face, ¡°Y¡¯know, I really wish I had taken the Monster Tamer Class,¡± she admitted sheepishly, ¡°But the testers were convinced I don¡¯t have the ¡®personality¡¯ for it,¡± Clarice affected a strange tone and accented the word with air quotes for good measure.


    From what I could recall of Clarice¡¯s original stats, she was far better suited to a direct combat role than a taming one, but it wouldn¡¯t have been impossible. It was far more likely that Clarice had irked her testers in one way or another and then they had relegated her to a Basic combat Class.


    In those few moments of analysing Clarice¡¯s explanation, I now noticed a bitterness and resentment that I hadn¡¯t seen earlier. ¡°Are you alright Clarice?¡±


    Clarice didn¡¯t answer for a while, instead, she avoided eye contact as her expression soured and mood darkened further. After a few minutes, Clarice let out a deep sigh and turned to look me in the eye, ¡°I lied to Toofy. I tried not to, but she just kept asking and I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth.¡± The words came flooding out like a dam had broken deep inside of her, ¡°Thunder is dead, and it''s my fault! We were on the Goblins ship, desperately fighting off waves of Deep Orcs. I got knocked overboard...There was something big in the water, snacking on anything that came within reach.¡± Clarice¡¯s hands began to violently tremble, so she forcibly tucked them under her armpits to hold them still, ¡°I swam and swam as hard as I could, but I wasn¡¯t fast enough...the boat was so close...and all I could think about was how unfair it was...and...and then...¡± Her voice broke, ¡°Thunder died...That fucking monster killed him! He was still safe back on the ship, but then he was in the water behind me and that fucking thing killed him!¡± Tears streamed down Clarice¡¯s face as she rocked back and forth on the edge of the bed, ¡°Why did he do that?! I never told him to leave the damn ship!¡±


    Taking hold of Clarice by her shoulder, I pulled her into a hug and gently rubbed her back to try and comfort her.


    I had already known about Thunder¡¯s death, and it didn¡¯t take much to fill in the gaps from Clarice retelling her version of events to figure out what happened. Whether she was fully aware of it or not, Clarice had no doubt tried calling out for help, even if only intended as a silent scream to the heavens. Unfortunately, the slave collar on Thunder¡¯s neck made the large bird act as commanded. Supposedly still in a party with Tobi and his Shadowcat Shady, Thunder would have been able to reappear precisely where Clarice needed him to, whether she consciously intended it or not.


    As distressing as Thunder¡¯s death was for Clarice, I found it difficult to care all that much beyond the empathy I felt for Clarice¡¯s loss. The unique psychology of monsters meant that the wild monsters were incapable of being tamed or otherwise domesticated by any means besides Enslavement. Perhaps over a long enough period of time, it may be possible to imprint or modify a wild monster''s behaviour, but I honestly doubted it. Wild beast type monsters seemed to be dominated entirely by the Enslavement, subsuming their mind outright and bending it to the will of their new master.


    ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot,¡± Clarice snickered bitterly and roughly wiped away the tears from her face.


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, ¡°You¡¯re human. It¡¯s natural to be sad when your pet passes away. To lose them in such a sudden and violent way...I can only imagine what that feels like.¡±


    Clarice looked at me uncertainly for a moment before slowly nodding her head, ¡°Thanks Tim...I...I know Thunder was probably just a mindless monster, but...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I get it,¡± I gave her shoulder another squeeze, ¡°I am glad you made it back alive Clarice,¡± I was all the more grateful for Clarice making it back in one piece after hearing her brief retelling of events. I didn¡¯t want her dwelling on what could have been, especially since there was no way of changing it.


    The impression I had of Clarice, after considering all she had shared and all I had observed of her behaviour up until now, was that she was both profoundly lonely and desperate for attention. Unlike me, Clarice was prepared to do just about anything to get people¡¯s attention, picking fights and provoking people into arguments were as natural as breathing. Having a pet might actually do her some good. Although finding something strong enough to survive in the Labyrinth would probably prove quite difficult...


    Hang on...


    What about Shady? The Shadowcat hadn¡¯t behaved like the Draptors at all, in fact, I had seen the Shadowcat come dangerously close to outright denying a direct order. Why was he so different?


    ¡°Clarice? Do you remember Tobi mentioning where he got his Shadowcat from?¡± I asked curiously.


    Clarice wiped her nose on her sleeve and looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head, ¡°His brother gave it to him?¡± She suggested with a shrug.


    I furrowed my brow and tried to remember everything I knew about Tobi. Besides the fact that he was an Archer and that Shady had been some sort of gift from his older brother, all I could remember was a reference to Mornbrent and that Shadowcats were supposedly a tier two monster.


    ¡°Are Shadowcats native to Mornbrent Labyrinth?¡± I asked, hoping Clarice would forgive my curiosity in spite of her waning distress.


    Clarice wrinkled her brow in thought, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe?¡± She admitted thoughtfully, ¡°It is supposed to be a dark aligned Labyrinth, so they could be from there. Why?¡±


    Seeing that the distraction was doing her good, I decided to be honest with my suspicions. ¡°I think Shady is a Variant, you know? A named monster.¡±


    Clarice scrunched up her face and shoved my chest incredulously, ¡°No, there¡¯s no way,¡± she insisted, ¡°Named monsters aren¡¯t cheap, especially ones with displacement abilities...¡± Clarice¡¯s expression grew more serious, ¡°Unless he doesn¡¯t know,¡± she gave me a weighty look, ¡°Tim, be honest, why do you think Shady is special?¡±


    I shifted uncomfortably but forced myself to meet Clarice¡¯s intense gaze, ¡°He hasn¡¯t been acting like the other Beast type monsters under the influence of slave collars,¡± I admitted while skirting mentioning the Draptors directly, ¡°The crocs caught by the Serpent-kin I taught earlier are completely obedient, no resistance whatsoever. But Shady was...different...¡±


    Clarice flinched, ¡°You don¡¯t think Thunder was-¡±


    ¡°-No!¡± I interrupted louder than I had intended to, ¡°No, Beaky and Thunder were just like the tamed Swamp Lurkers. They showed no signs of being Variants.¡± The fact that they had both been blank slates in the name department was a telling sign as well.


    Clarice rubbed at her temples and sighed, her eyes finally falling on the chest and spear by the bed. Upon seeing the spear, Clarice¡¯s eyes immediately widened in recognition, ¡°That¡¯s the Goblin chieftain¡¯s spear!¡± She insisted excitedly, ¡°I thought one of the Guild¡¯s goons nicked it!¡±


    I nodded to show I understood, because its sudden disappearance had been confusing for me as well. ¡°I finished a quest earlier and it just sort of appeared out of nowhere,¡± I explained, ¡®Same with the chest too. It has another minion egg in it, only this one was labelled a ¡®minion vanguard¡¯. Thoughts?¡±


    Clarice hopped off the bed and made to carefully move the spear aside.


    [{Shiverfang} Lesser Spear of Conquest: Bond to Minion {Clarice} Y/N?]


    The crimson alert appeared the moment Clarice¡¯s fingers touched the shaft of the spear.


    ¡°Uh...Tim?...¡± Clarice glanced back at me uncertainly, leaning away from her hand as if it were a snake preparing to strike. ¡°You didn¡¯t say it was magical!¡± She accused me pitchily.


    ¡°Denied,¡± I caught Clarice as she immediately stumbled backwards, like her hand had suddenly been released from a vise. ¡°Uh, yeah, I guess it is,¡± I apologise, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a reaction like that though,¡± I insisted as I reached out and moved the spear away.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Clarice asked nervously while massaging her fingers.


    I told her.


    ¡°Fuck me!¡± Clarice swore, ¡°That¡¯s not a magic item Tim, that¡¯s a bloody Artefact!¡±


    ¡°There is a difference?¡± I asked, more than happy to play the fool if it meant Clarice was better able to recover from her earlier malaise.


    Clarice gave me a partly pitying but mostly incredulous look, ¡°Tim...Sometimes I just can¡¯t even...¡± She shook her head exasperatedly, ¡°A magic weapon would have increased durability and maybe a little bit of extra damage or speed, that bloody thing!¡± Clarice pointed at the spear, ¡°Outright ignores Toughness and applies Bleeding, AND can ignore certain amounts of armour at the cost of mana! That¡¯s not even remotely similar!¡±


    I waved my hands placatingly and deliberately glanced over towards the resting Dryads, ¡°Okay, I get it now,¡± I agreed good-naturedly. It wasn¡¯t like anyone had actually explained what magic weapons and armour did, let alone ¡®Artifacts¡¯. The closest explanations had been regarding the nature of magic items like the communication devices.


    ¡°Woah!...¡± Clarice had opened the chest and now had a firsthand view of the egg I had described earlier. ¡°It¡¯s huge! What kind of monster do you think is inside?¡± She asked curiously, running her fingers over the ridged surfaces of the egg.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted, ¡°But considering the Daemons were just classified as Minions and that the quest specifically stated this is a Vanguard Minion, I am actually kind of nervous about hatching it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Clarice gave me an incredulous look, ¡°What do you mean? There hasn¡¯t been a single hatchling so far that has gone out of control, and from what Ushu told us, newborns are a bigger danger to each other than us, right?¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I agreed thoughtfully.


    ¡°This could be just the muscle we need to take the fight to those rotten undead!¡± Clarice declared animatedly, ¡°What if there is something like a Trihorn or maybe another Ogre?¡±


    I flinched but Clarice didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°When are you going to hatch it?!¡± Clarice demanded excitedly, ¡°Sooner would be better than later, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admitted. ¡°I would need to make sure we have enough food, at the very least. I wouldn¡¯t want the poor thing to starve-¡±


    ¡°So tonight then?¡± Clarice insisted, ¡°Hatch it after the wild monsters respawn.¡±


    I sighed and took another look at the large egg, ¡°I don¡¯t even know how long this one will take to hatch. I¡¯ll have to ask Gric or maybe Wraithe-¡±


    ¡°I''ll go get her!¡± Clarice volunteered, stiffly yet excitedly jumping to her feet and rushing down the stairs before I could say anything to the contrary.


    I let out a long deep sigh and considered taking a short nap on the hospital bed. Without really meaning to, I began to doze and would have fallen asleep if Wraithe and Clarice had not suddenly returned.


    ¡°This is it!¡± Clarice insisted excitedly, her botched attempt at quieting her voice immediately drawing me back to full wakefulness.


    I sat back up and watched as Wraithe took a closer look at the egg.


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Wraithe gently ran her rodent-like clawed hands over the edges of the egg and patiently watched the pulsing waves of colour. After about ten minutes of observation, Wraithe scratched her head and gave me an apologetic look, ¡°I am sorry, Lord, but the Beast egg seems to require special conditions in order to hatch.¡±


    I waved my hand dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s alright Wraithe. Do you have any idea what the conditions may be?¡± I asked curiously. It was the first I was hearing of special requirements, besides a mana rich environment, for hatching monster eggs.


    ¡°Perhaps bonding?¡± Wraithe suggested dubiously while scrutinising the egg with her Mana Sight activated, ¡°Definitely a fluid of some kind...venom? Yes, definitely venom, which means bonding will happen automatically.¡±


    Clarice seemed a little disappointed, ¡°Oh...¡±


    It was now obvious to me that Clarice¡¯s interest in the egg was more a matter of personal interest than just curiosity. I let out a deep sigh and committed myself to the course, ¡°Clarice?¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Clarice gave me a sad yet profoundly guilty look.


    ¡°Human saliva is venomous, or more specifically, it is in just about every way that counts.¡± While not deemed as potent as snake venom, the bacteria carried in the human mouth was incredibly dangerous all the same. So really, it all depended on what the labyrinth determined to be a ¡®venom¡¯. Besides the Swamp Moccasins and the Serpent-kin there had been no truly venomous creatures in the swamp, and neither of them had a ¡®venom¡¯ damage-dealing ability. So I figured Clarice and myself had as much a shot as Ushu or one of the other Serpent-kin.


    Clarice looked quite surprised, ¡°Really?¡± Before I had time to answer, she was already sagely nodding her head, ¡°Well you do know all about medicine and stuff, so why not?¡±


    Much to Wraithe¡¯s and my own surprise, Clarice suddenly leaned over the egg and gave it a long wet lick. Almost immediately, Clarice let out a garbled yelp and staggered backwards while pawing at her tongue, ¡°AHW FUG! ID BUWDS!!!¡±


    Springing into action, Wraithe adeptly knocked Clarice prone and pinned her to the ground with her thighs while prying Clarice¡¯s mouth open with one hand to get a closer look at her tongue. Ignoring Clarice¡¯s struggling, Wraithe removed a small piece of charcoal from a crude pouch at her waist and crushed it over Clarice¡¯s tongue.


    Sputtering and wheezing from the dust, Clarice seemed to be making a visible effort not to resist. Her patience was rewarded a few moments later when a flash of golden light emanated from her mouth. Moments later, Wraithe was offering her a waterskin that Clarice gladly accepted.


    ¡°The surface of the egg is poisonous?¡± I regretted not having made such an assumption earlier. It made a sort of sense that it would have a natural defence. Not only would the poison ward off potential predators, but it would disable or kill potential egg thieves. From the standing point of traditional evolution, it more or less made sense.


    Wraithe nodded but still frowned somewhat, ¡°It was not poisonous before. Perhaps it was activated by contact with her mana?¡± She suggested before suddenly turning her attention back to Clarice, ¡°You did not channel your mana, did you?¡±


    Clarice shook her head. Gulping down one last mouthful of water, she grimaced, ¡°I was meant to do that to?¡± Clarice croaked, wincing in pain with each syllable.


    Wraithe gently patted Clarice¡¯s head and nodded, a second flash of golden light came out of Clarice¡¯s mouth. Moving off of her, Wraithe helped Clarice back up into a sitting position.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Clarice grinned sheepishly at Wraithe and then winced as she regarded the egg in the chest again.


    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to-¡± The words caught in my throat as Clarice licked the egg for a second time, only this time gathering a surprising degree of mana to herself as she did so. The bond would already have been established from the first contact, and since it was now fairly obvious that the surface of the egg had a reactive poison of some kind, Clarice¡¯s actions were rather excessive.


    Drawing away from the egg, Clarice¡¯s lips and tongue were visibly inflamed and blistered, ¡°Liggle hewp?¡± She coughed, looking at Wraithe and motioning to her own mouth.


    Wraithe sighed and began applying another layer of charcoal on Clarice¡¯s lips and tongue before handing her the waterskin again.


    After being healed again and rinsing out her mouth, Clarice looked expectantly at the egg and was disappointed by the lack of visible change.


    I chuckled and shook my head, ¡°It still needs mana to hatch you know?¡± Or at least I assumed so.


    ¡°She,¡± Clarice replied with a smirk, ¡°Not it.¡± She smiled wider at my confused reaction, ¡°A mother knows,¡± Clarice winked and stiffly got to her feet.


    Ignoring the wildly anecdotal evidence required to support such a claim, I was actually curious as to why the monster within the egg had not been invited to Sanctuary. Then I realised my mistake. Clarice did not have the authority to do so. It made sense, in its own way. The Bleak Fang had all marked eggs to establish bonds with their now adopted children, and just like with Clarice and the Vanguard Minion egg I would need to wait for it to hatch before learning more about the monster within.


    ¡°Hng! Ooof! Damned if this isn¡¯t heavy!¡± Clarice groaned as she tried lifting the chest, managing only to raise it a couple of inches off the ground before carefully setting it back down again with a loud grunt. ¡°Little help?¡± She asked unabashedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I waved off Wraithe and decided to leave the spear where it was for the moment. I would come back for it later and figure out what to do with it then. ¡°As much as I do not want to keep you from your students, could you keep an eye on Hana and her sister until I return?¡±


    As expected, Wraithe nodded obediently, ¡°Of course, Lord. May I speak with you before you leave?¡±


    I nodded and motioned for her to continue.


    ¡°We, the more experienced Surgeons, had feared the human students¡¯ presence would be detrimental to the learning process,¡± Wraithe smiled a little and shook her head, a faint trace of incredulity on her face, ¡°But it seems the rivalry is generating favourable results in the speed of which all students are learning your lessons.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I agreed, ¡°Just make sure not to let it get too out of hand. It¡¯s good to provide motivation through playing to each group''s strengths, but make sure to try to help them find common ground as well, alright? I would much prefer that common ground exists for cooperation later. As vast as the knowledge I have passed on to all of you, it is like a single drop in the ocean of what exists to be discovered.¡±


    Wraithe looked profoundly surprised, ¡°Truly lord?¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Clarice echoed incredulously, ¡°But you know enough to unlock an Advanced Class, how can there be that much more to know?¡±


    I tried not to think too badly of her, after all, the Surgeons Guild and others had hoarded knowledge to such a degree that it was a wonder civilisation had not collapsed under the accumulated weight of ignorance. ¡°A single book,¡± I motioned the dimensions of my introductory textbook with my hands, ¡°Was all it took to accomplish that much. Where I am from, what I know, what I remember, would be considered beginner''s level. The bare basics required to work a role similar to that of the porters.¡±


    Clarice looked shocked. No doubt, she had imagined I was some sort of savant or prodigy, when that couldn¡¯t be much farther from the truth. If I was smarter, or had better dexterity, I would have tried applying to be a doctor rather than settling for a position as a hospice nurse.


    ¡°This is why collaboration and record-keeping are important. It¡¯s why I insisted on the children being taught to read and write. Civilisation is built brick by brick, each generation leaving behind its accumulated knowledge for the next to build upon in turn. Do you understand?¡± I wasn¡¯t just looking at Clarice, but Wraithe as well. I had expressed similar sentiments before, but never in such relative detail or explained why it was so important.


    ¡°I understand, Lord,¡± Wraithe bowed with the stilted motions I had come to recognise accompanied the Daemons telepathy ability, the required concentration sapping their motor skills while communicating.


    Lifting the chest with relative ease, largely because of my wider frame distributing the weight better, Clarice and I carefully made our way down the stairs of the hospital and then headed to the Grove. I was glad to see the Goblins, Deep Orcs, Serpent-kin and humans getting along so well with one another. But I didn¡¯t delude myself into thinking it would always be this easy. Right now, everyone has a vested interest in getting along, and only time would tell how long it would last.


    Returning to the hospital, I casually browsed Sanctuary¡¯s registry to see if anyone besides Clarice had any success in unlocking one of the Classes being exchanged. Initially, there was no such luck, which I more or less expected. Even in movies a hero or soldier¡¯s training montage would take the better part of a week. Although it was curious, since Pugilist and its ilk had been just about the same time investment as Surgeon had been., unlocked in roughly the better part of an afternoon.


    After searching some more, I was glad to see that Scout had been successfully learned by one of the Daemons and around fourteen Forest Goblins. Thinking back on Lt. Rooke¡¯s initial description of recruiting rather than training Scouts, I wondered if perhaps it was because the class had a much heavier emphasis on tracking and staying hidden rather than fighting. A rare enough combination in humans let alone monsters. It did make me curious what exactly the Lieutenant was teaching in order to allow the Unlock though.


    With the first session of exchange lessons ending at sundown, Wraithe returned a short while afterwards and gave me a short rundown on both sisters¡¯ conditions.


    So far as she could tell, Hana had initiated and was now subsequently trapped, in a symbiotic link with her sister. Serving as a sort of melding of both physical and psychological life support, Hana was, in Wraithe¡¯s opinion, buying her sister time to piece herself together while Hana served as a sort of buffer for the more traumatic experiences and damage. Wraithe made it very clear that she had a limited understanding of what was going on and that she had only gotten her limited insights through repeated attempts at establishing a telepathic connection.


    The best treatment plan Wraithe could come up with was moving the pair into the Grove and waiting to see if the more familiar environment would help expedite their recovery. At the very least, the mana rich air and water would keep them in prime condition while they continued draining what nutrients they required from the nearby plants.


    Leaving Wraithe to organise the transfer, I retrieved Shiverfang and decided to confer with Lt. Rooke to see if the first day of training had gone as they had expected. Not in too much of a hurry, I wanted to give the human volunteers an opportunity to make their own reports first.


    Passing the training fields, I wasn¡¯t surprised to see dozens of men and women actively practising drills and performing general exercises. It was pretty much the sort of thing I expected independent progress to look like. Interestingly enough, many of those still practising were doing as Clarice had done earlier with the axe, repeatedly swinging, thrusting or drawing their weapon over and over again, some of them to the point of generating visible blisters. If it weren¡¯t for the eager presence of the junior Surgeons, I probably would have had half a mind to put a stop to the more enthusiastic among them then and there.


    Activity near the cooking fires was also more lively than usual. A particularly enterprising Forest Goblin had somehow negotiated the veritable mountain of clay from Toofy¡¯s extra-dimensional inventory and made close to a dozen relatively large-sized cooking pots. The cause for the commotion was not precisely the pots themselves, but the alluring smells coming from inside of them. Experienced cooks from the Forest Goblins, Serpent-kin¡¯ and even one of the human Sergeants were brewing stews or soups using the plentiful arrays of spices provided by the Druid¡¯s, in what seemed like an impromptu cooking competition. Although, of all the participants, the grizzled Sergeant seemed to be the only one following any sort of strict recipe.


    I felt a little guilty about not suggesting someone attempt making some pottery for cooking sooner. Objectively, it was more hygienic and allowed more food to be prepared simultaneously, so it should have been higher on my list of priorities. All the more so since the sudden boom in Sanctuary¡¯s population meant efficiency was becoming more important than simply having enough resources to go around.


    I made a mental note to check in with the Deep Orc smiths and see if it would be possible to cast a huge cooking pot to better provide for communal meals. I hadn¡¯t seen them do any smelting as of yet, just heating, shaping or cutting the ingots into more workable sizes, but I assumed they knew how to smelt the iron down if they knew how to do everything else. If we could get that huge pot for making larger meals with, it could free up more of the clay for bowls to eat out of, which seemed to be another scarcity. Not that I blamed whoever had made the pots, but there were only about a couple of dozen bowls floating around the cooking fires, and they needed to be cleaned again before anyone else could use them.


    The human Sergeant had introduced something of a workaround for the meantime, although it was hardly perfect. The cheese-squash could be hollowed out to form a temporary bowl, although you had to be very careful not to touch the bottom for fear of the transferred heat burning your hands. It wouldn¡¯t last particularly long, around ten minutes at most, before the exterior would soften and inevitably rupture. It also made whatever you put inside of it taste like the cheese-squash too, which some considered enough of a turn off to warrant waiting for a bowl to become available.


    The Gnolls seemed to have come up with their own solution, and I honestly wasn¡¯t all that surprised after having considered their inherent talent for working with hides and leather. Each had made their own medley of waterskins and were offering them in trade to others at the cookfire. Just as capable of holding soup and stew as they were water, none of their customers really needed much convincing. The most interesting part was the requested payment the Gnolls made of their customers. They were literally selling their merchandise for favours.


    It made a sort of sense when I stopped to think about it. After all, there were only three of them. If the Gnolls got into a disagreement with a group from another species, or needed help with a personal project, their options would be otherwise limited. Once the undead were dealt with and hunting resumed, it would probably go a long way towards their peace of mind knowing that whoever went hunting and those left behind had favours to call upon if they needed it. It was weird, eliminating the vagaries of reciprocity through gift-giving like that, but this whole situation was pretty weird already, favour trading was probably the least of it at this point.


    As planned, I eventually left the cooking fires and entered the army¡¯s camp. They were pretty much doing the same as everyone else. Those not on duty were gathered around cooking fires or sitting in small groups chatting or eating their evening meal. Lingering by their cooking tent for a short while, I was surprised to see just how heavily the cooks, or soldiers on cooking duty, were using the cheese-squash. I was surprised, because none of the soldiers seemed to like it particularly much and were not quiet about voicing their grievances with the cooks.


    I actually felt kind of bad for the cooks. They were doing as best they could, so far as I could tell. Frying onions, garlic and all manner of strong spices together before boiling the heck out of the cheese-squashes, assumedly to remove all semblance of flavour and improve the texture, before adding the spicy sauce. It seemed like a solid plan, basically providing a sort of starchy fatty pulp and then flavouring it from scratch. Only it didn¡¯t seem to work all that well since many soldiers still complained of the taste.


    Curiously enough though, the soldiers seemed eerily quiet regarding the taste and smell of their ¡®beer ration¡¯. All the more suspicious considering it smelled strongly of cheese-squash...


    I was about to investigate further, but was intercepted by Captain Kristof before I got a closer look into one of the open beer barrels.


    ¡°Ah, Chieftain Tim, I was not expecting to find you by our cooking tent,¡± He laughed good-naturedly, if somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Were you perhaps interested in joining us for dinner?¡±


    I could tell he was joking, but decided I would see what the soldiers were complaining about, ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°We can discuss business over a meal.¡±


    Cpt. Kristof¡¯s smile stiffened, but he nodded amicably and attempted to steer me towards the command tent. No doubt he intended to offer me something more fitting a state dignitary, but that would have defied my point in accepting to eat with them in the first place.


    Taking one of the thin steel bowls off a nearby trestle table, I moved to the back of the line and did my best to try and pretend not to notice the soldiers staring at me. After receiving my portion from the near petrified cook on serving duty, I followed Cpt. Kristof to the command tent. It seemed like just about all of the officers were in attendance, barring the Sergeant that was still no doubt cooking and enjoying his own meal at Sanctuary¡¯s cooking fires.


    Since everyone was using crates or barrels for seating, I didn''t have to worry all that much about breaking a chair, although it was a little awkward when I realised I didn¡¯t have a spoon or fork to eat with.


    Perhaps having guessed my dilemma, or maybe acting on reflexive etiquette, a nearby Lieutenant offered me one of his. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, or eat with my hands now that it could be avoided, I gratefully accepted the offered spork with a smile. I made a mental note to try and do something nice for him later if I could.


    The meal wasn¡¯t as bad as I had expected. It was more weird than bad. Like a sort of curry paired with soft cabbage or over-boiled potato.


    To their credit, the officers were eating the same food as their men, albeit with larger servings of the ¡®sauce¡¯. It wasn¡¯t until I finished my meal that I realised no one else was remotely close to finishing theirs and had spent a great deal of time staring at me instead.


    I took a moment to review my behaviour and couldn¡¯t really see any problems with my manners, unless there was some Asrusian custom I was unaware of. Then I realised that my otherwise ¡®civilised¡¯ behaviour had probably been the cause for attention. Letting out a deep sigh, I nudged my empty bowl and the borrowed spork a short distance across the table to show I was done eating and ready to get to business.


    ¡°Has everything been satisfactory?¡± Captain Kristof asked nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I agreed, much to every officer''s visible relief. ¡°I wanted to talk about the methods of unlocking the martial Classes in more detail and the possibility of sharing others in the future. Do you have the time?¡±


    Cpt. Kristof gulped hard and nodded, ¡°Of course!¡±


    Their first volunteers would have had at least one member unlock the Surgeon Class so far, so I wasn¡¯t worried about them thinking I wasn¡¯t upholding my end of the bargain and pushed straight for the details.


    The Captain was accommodating, but due to the restrictions on who had permission to unlock which Classes and the need to protect that information, I was required to meet separately with each instructor to find out the information I wanted.


    It actually wasn¡¯t that big a deal, and unsurprisingly, the Unlock requirements for the martial Classes weren¡¯t particularly impressive either.


    Like a bootcamp list of exercises for a movie montage, Archer, Spearman and Swordsmen were all almost identical with only minor variations in requirement dictated by the weapon. For example, a prospective Swordsman or Spearman would need to complete one thousand thrusts with their weapon, while the Archer would need to complete five hundred full draws and release with their bow. The Swordsman and Spearman would make swinging attacks, the Archer would make half draws and release.


    The number of required attacks were aggregated over a Labyrinth reset, so beginning just after midnight or the crack of dawn was preferred since it gave more recruits the highest chance of unlocking their Class.


    Just by listening to the instructors, I noticed a pattern and suspected that the number of attacks was more likely an over-exaggeration. My suspicion was that the requirement was actually much lower but required the attacks to be performed within fixed ¡®styles¡¯ rather than just simply swinging a sword over and over. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t confirm it right at that moment, but the army¡¯s teaching method of tackling each requirement in fixed order over the course of the day all but confirmed it. After all, those who picked up the required skill level would pass sooner, while those less talented would be drilled over and over by instructors until it was muscle memory.


    The final aspect of the unlock training made sense, but it was still difficult for me to get my head around. To put it bluntly, after meeting the base skill requirements, the recruit would need to fight an actively resisting opponent and lower them to the Bloodied Condition. If successful, they would then immediately unlock the Class. Unlocking each Class would of course require the steps be completed with each weapon, further confirming my own theories regarding a secret martial expert Class of some kind being reserved by the nobility. After all, on Earth, the male children of nobility were taught to fight from childhood with all manner of weapons in as much armour as they could tolerate, and were taught advanced horse riding as well. The results spoke for themselves, knights dominated battlefields, veritable tanks amidst a sea of the terrified peasantry.


    When it came to talking with Lt. Rooke about the Scout Class, in spite of my earlier assumptions, I was still surprised by how little she actually needed to teach her students in order to unlock the Class. According to her, all she needed to do was walk them through a few detailed explanations on tracking skills, sourcing food and clean drinking water, reading the weather and identifying monsters by the tracks they leave behind. By Lt. Rooke¡¯s account, the overwhelming number of Scouts recruited and trained by the Army were actually people from out in the country, trappers and hunters who already had the basic tracking and survival skills down which meant they only needed rudimentary instruction on tracking monsters rather than animals.


    With that in mind, it was hardly surprising that so many of the volunteers had been able to pick up the Scout Class so quickly. They were probably only missing one or two elements of the training to begin with.


    ¡°Clarice said you would be offering riding lessons?¡± I asked for confirmation.


    Lt. Rooke nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes. Even if we do not have any known mounted Classes, experienced Spearman and Swordsman are often taught to ride to serve as light and heavy cavalry.¡±


    ¡°Before I allow the teaching of the Beast Trainer Advanced Class in exchange for payment, there is something else I want,¡± I stated simply, preferring to be direct rather than beat about the bush.


    ¡°Name it,¡± Lt. Rooke replied eagerly before hastily drawing herself back somewhat, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to pass it up the chain of command,¡± she amended in a vain attempt at disguising her earlier eagerness.


    ¡°I want an apothecary-¡± I was interrupted before I could speak further.


    ¡°Done!¡± The Lieutenant quickly agreed.


    I resisted the urge to sigh. ¡°There was an apothecary with a store on the first floor before the raid on the foothold. I can¡¯t remember his name, but I want him.¡± He seemed trustworthy enough, and I highly suspected that an exchange of knowledge and resources between us could benefit us both greatly.


    ¡°Done!¡± Lt. Rooke repeated, although now she seemed a little curious.


    ¡°Medicine production,¡± I explained simply, although there was more to it than that.


    Lt. Rooke nodded in understanding. Even she had to know that the healing effect of the Surgeons was dependent on how well the wound or illness was treated before attempting to magically heal it.


    ¡°He will be required to swear an oath, just as your soldiers have, but my intention is not to keep him prisoner. After the undead are dealt with, he will be free to come and go as he pleases, so long as he abides by my laws,¡± I explained to make it clear how such relationships would work with non-military experts in the future.


    Lt. Rooke nodded again but looked somewhat curious, ¡°Would you consider open trade? For finished goods and resources?¡±


    ¡°Allowing merchants within Sanctuary you mean?¡± I asked a little testily. Their implied close affiliation with the Adventurers Guild made me inclined to refuse on general principle.


    ¡°Well...yes,¡± Lt. Rooke agreed, but she hastily raised her hands motioning for me to wait, ¡°We could vet them first, on the outside of the Labyrinth. We could charge them a fee to be teleported to and from the military base, there is no need for them to ever enter Sanctuary itself.¡±


    It actually wasn¡¯t a bad idea, assuming I overlooked the fact that the army would be effectively dictating my trading partners. Although it did give me another idea to serve as a sort of checks and balances, as well as a potential source of information.


    ¡°I want Kirk, the innkeeper from the first floor, and his wife Rose to be allowed to run an inn or boarding house in the military camp. A neutral ground for discussing trade and for merchants to stay while waiting for their deliveries of goods.¡± I wanted to pay the couple back, and teaching their daughter to become a Surgeon seemed like a pittance after what they had been through. I would include their friend, the innkeeper who had been running his own inn on this floor, but I didn¡¯t even know what he looked like. I felt it would be better to leave it to Kirk and Rose¡¯s best judgement in that regard.


    ¡°We can arrange that,¡± Lt. Rooke agreed, although she seemed quite curious as to why I made that a requirement. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    I nodded sombrely, ¡°I think it is just about time we dealt with the undead infestation,¡± I insisted.


    Lt. Rooke grinned, ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more! I¡¯ll be sure to pass along your requests to my superiors and let you know the moment they come to a decision.¡±


    I nodded gravely and prepared to leave.


    ¡°That spear...¡± Lt. Rooke¡¯s eyes stared fixedly at the blade for a moment before returning to me again, ¡°It¡¯s magical, isn''t it?¡±


    Despite its rather plain appearance, there was a definite aura of strangeness that emanated from it. I nodded again and stepped out into the cool night air. Or what I had expected to be cool which now felt somewhat uncomfortably warm. Despite the late hour and distance of the cooking fires, the night sky was brighter than it should have been as well and far cloudier...


    ¡°FIRE!!!¡± The cry came from the direction of the gate and was soon joined by others.


    Looking towards the gate, I could see a rain of embers and ash sweeping closer as bright flashes of crimson and amber light erupted beneath the starless sky.


    *****


    Kai released another wall of fire to incinerate the staggered charge of his opponent¡¯s undead minions. Severely disappointed that he was already max level and not getting any Exp for killing these enemies, Kai was sorely tempted just to let his own minions do all the work while he waited for his cowardly nemesis to show himself.


    That didn¡¯t mean Kai was going to do everything himself. He already had his Ashborn Revenants infiltrating the enemy''s lines searching for the enemy player.


    Kai hated the Necromancer. This was meant to be his own personal world to explore and destroy. The fact that the developers had given an early access account to a weeb that called himself ¡®The Bright Lord¡¯ and blatantly ripped off such an iconic suit of armour. He had no class!


    Even his Class choice, Necromancer, was such a typical low effort noob Class. Just spam Raise Dead and easy farm Exp, disgusting!


    Kai lobbed another fireball into a cluster of badly burnt undead, the heat of the blast roasting them to charcoal on the spot.


    ¡°COME OUT AND FIGHT!!! DAMN IT!!!¡± Kai roared, the flames inside his armour flaring through the gaps with each syllable.


    *KLANG*


    Kai tumbled head over heels and landed in a muddy pool of water. Seething with rage, he activated his Immolation Aura and shoved himself to his feet. The swamp water evaporated and the nearby mud cracked from the intense heat.


    Standing a short distance away was the Necromancer, his oversized mace raised threateningly above his head. ¡°I have had enough of these games!¡± He hissed, ¡°I gave you a choice! Join me, OR DIE!!!¡± A pitch-black bolt of energy arced from his outstretched hand and struck Kai in the chest.


    Weathering the blast, Kai resisted the urge to check his HP. He had made that mistake last time and the Necromancer had used his momentary distraction to escape. Besides, Kai knew he was resistant to the Dark Energy damage-type anyway. ¡°Got you!¡± Kai grinned and activated his Burning Gaze Ability which established a Homing Mark on the Necromancer. It didn¡¯t matter what tricks he used now, Kai would still be able to find him.


    Right on cue, the Necromancer took a step backwards, his body dissolving into the shadows and disappearing from sight.


    ¡°Too easy!¡± Kai barked in amusement, ¡°FIREBLADE!¡± The Necromancer wasn¡¯t the only one who could rip off popular film franchises.


    ¡°Gah! You! Bastard!¡± The Necromancer croaked in anguish from behind him.


    Kai glanced down at his coiling sword of superheated plasma and then back at the Necromancer who attempted to strike him in the back. Kai¡¯s sword was lodged in his enemy¡¯s abdomen with streams of smoke billowing from the wound. It was an expensive Ability to cast, but judging by the damage it had dealt, Kai didn¡¯t regret it at all.


    ¡°Nothing but trash!¡± Kai cackled, spinning about and attempting to drive his blade across and through the Necromancer¡¯s spine, maybe even cut him in half.


    Unfortunately, the Necromancer activated an ability of his own that doused the Fireblade, bringing Kai¡¯s counterattack to a momentary standstill. ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± The Necromancer demanded petulantly, ¡°There is no reason for us to fight one another!¡± His free hand billowed with dark shadows and seven Wraiths appeared as if from nowhere, each holding ethereal blades.


    ¡°Why?!¡± Kai couldn¡¯t help it, ¡°AHAHAHAHA!¡± Could this idiot really not understand? ¡°You are ruining MY game!¡± Kai barked savagely, ¡°You and your filthy bottomfeeder playstyle have stolen months of playtime! You aren¡¯t even PLAYING!!! You just make more undead and throw them at whatever! It¡¯s boring and BROKEN you piece of trash!¡±


    The Necromancer appeared to be stunned, taking a full step back in spite of himself, ¡°You...YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME?!¡± He roared incredulously.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Kai snickered, Asians always took competitive games so seriously, ¡°Of course it is a game!¡± He retorted, ¡°And you are ruining it with your toxic minion build!¡±


    The Necromancer had been called out, and he knew it. ¡°I can¡¯t...I just...¡± The Necromancer shook his head and pointed his oversized mace back at Kai, ¡°Kill him!¡± He hissed bitterly.


    The Wraiths moved as commanded, but Kai made no attempt to defend himself, instead, he activated and began charging his next attack. Intended to destroy fortifications, Kai knew it was probably overkill at this point, but he was pretty fed up with arguing with that toxic piece of shit. Besides, he had other business to attend to.


    Lazily forming a gun with his hand, Kai pointed at the Necromancer¡¯s open abdominal wound. There was a certain irony to this attack that Kai hoped the weeb would appreciate as he smashed his keyboard in a fit of rage. ¡°Implosion!¡± A near-perfectly transparent sphere no larger than his pinky sped out from the tip of his finger and raced towards the Necromancer.


    The Wraiths closest to the sphere shrieked in agony as their bodies were ripped apart and drawn into its centre, their immaterial forms drawn like smoke into a vacuum.


    Too slow to react against the danger, the sphere entered the Necromancer¡¯s wound. ¡°NO!¡± He shrieked and dropped his mace to the ground, ¡°NO!!¡± The Necromancer¡¯s abdominal armour crumpled inwards and he staggered to one side, ¡°KILL HIM!!!¡± The Necromancer shrieked breathlessly as his chest plate cracked and crumpled.


    The remaining Wraiths fell upon Kai with a vengeance, their spectral blades rising and falling with fanatical zeal. Unfortunately, each time their blades came within an inch of Kai¡¯s armour, they were driven away by an intense blast of heat from his Immolation Aura. As spectral beings, their attacks were forced to bypass mana the same way corporeal beings were forced to bypass armour. To make things worse for them, each jet of heat was dealing the Wraiths further damage. So even though Kai was beginning to run low on mana, he was more than confident he had enough to finish off the Necromancer and all his pets. After all, his unique Racial Ability gave him mana back on kill.


    ¡°You...Idiot...We...Could...Have...¡± The Necromancer¡¯s armour had completely collapsed in on itself, his final words lost in the sounds of cracking and crunching bone.


    [Congratulations! You have slain Chang-min - Fae {Necromancer}!]


    [Awakened Inheritance: None.]


    [Keys of Awakening: None.]


    With the Necromancer, Chang-min, dead, Kai turned his attention to the west. ¡°So many easy targets!¡± He cackled as an overhead display clearly denoted the direction for each of his remaining Marked targets. ¡°First, I¡¯ll get my mana back from these NPC¡¯s, then I¡¯ll move on to the next level. No telling how many of those Asian assholes are ruining my game while I¡¯m playing it properly!¡±


    Slowly trudging Westward, in spite of his severe mana depletion, Kai felt incredibly optimistic about the future prospects of the game. Admittedly, he had been a little worried about the bugs and game balance when he first encountered the Necromancer. But with that fight now over, his faith in the Devs was restored. Of course, some trash player couldn¡¯t just summon an infinite undead army and face roll everyone, that would have been way too OP. Hell, the Devs might have even nerfed the guy mid fight just to teach him a lesson.


    The thought of that guy smashing his keyboard and monitor in anger made Kai immensely happy. Now that he had a taste for it, Kai was looking forward to doing it again.

 Chapter 24 – Oath in ashes – Part One

    Chapter 24 ¨C Oath in ashes ¨C Part OneChapter 24 - Oath in ashes - Part One


    Garn continued stalking the heavily armoured Revenant from a safe distance as it headed towards the human encampment.


    The Stealth Ability continued draining his mana at an accelerated rate, the penalty for moving so quickly and reducing enemy perception simultaneously.


    <Identity confirmed!> The short-range telepathic message echoed through Garn¡¯s mind and automatically relayed to its other-selves. Unlike the telepathy exercised with other Daemons, it was far easier to communicate with oneself, thoughts flowing from one vessel to the next with little impediment.


    <Slow it down! The Revenant must not be allowed to recuperate!> This message originated from another. Passed along by the prime Garn, the copy recognised that the message originated from Underlord Gric.


    A silent telepathic ripple of affirmation passed between Garn and its fellow copies.


    Unlike the other Daemons, Garn was primarily adapted for stealth. With long ropy arms and legs, his body was relatively small giving him a spindly and ungainly appearance. However, assuming Garn was weak would be a fatal mistake. His muscles were like tightly coiled steel and a slap from one of his clawed hands or feet could break a Swamp Lurker¡¯s spine and rupture its internal organs.


    Unfortunately, without the correct weaponry, there was little hope of doing meaningful damage to the Revenant. However, the Revenant¡¯s minions were another matter entirely.


    Seemingly raised from the scorched remains of its victims, the minions of the Revenant appeared to be moderately powerful spellcasters in their own right. Fortunately for Garn, they did not appear to be particularly durable.


    Currently occupied with exterminating the berserk horde of undead, the Revenant¡¯s minions would occasionally be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and bashed to pieces. Although it didn¡¯t seem to bother the Revenant all that much, replacing its minions took time and mana.


    To destroy one of the minions, even a wooden spear would be sufficient, provided the strike was delivered at the correct time and place.


    <Moving in!> The message rippled through the group mind and shared a static image of one of the Revenant¡¯s minions on the verge of being overwhelmed, a crude spear raised at the ready in the periphery, poised and ready to strike.


    Knowing he needed to pull his own weight, Garn sought out a target of his own.


    [You have slain {Scorched Revenant} +1800 Exp]


    Garn was about to dismiss the Status Alert, but aeon old instincts drew his attention back to the message. <Scorched Revenant?> Garn queried the collective for confirmation.


    Almost immediately, a new message tore through the telepathic link, stating simply, <RUN!>


    For his own part, Garn disengaged without issue, the throngs of slavering undead blind to his presence as he effortlessly leapt over their heads and back towards Sanctuary.


    Mid leap, a bolt of searing agony lanced through Garn¡¯s right shoulder. Before he could fully process what was happening, the death cry of his other-self reverberated through his mind, throwing him further off balance.


    <SOUL BURN!> The panicked message echoed through the shared mind space as pain erupted from Garn¡¯s abdomen, driving him to his knees.


    <Sever connection!> The command came from the Progenitor and carried an undeniable will.


    Without hesitation or resistance, Garn withdrew a T-shaped spike from a crude pouch at his waist then fiercely drove it through his eye and into his brain.


    *****


    With precious time passing by with each moment, I rapidly issued quests to organise a defence for Sanctuary. Even though there would be few besides the Daemons capable of reading the quests, the Daemons would be sufficiently interspersed through the general population to pass along the messages to the relevant leaders.


    Facing The Destroyer, even if I restricted the fighting to Sanctuary¡¯s elite, was almost certainly going to result in casualties. To be able to throw around such destructive spells so indiscriminately meant that he was on another level entirely.


    The way I saw it, our best hope was to hole up within Sanctuary itself to make the best use of the Barrier. Even if it didn¡¯t prevent his spellcasting abilities entirely, it might provide enough of a dampener to even the playing field. However, there was a glaring problem with such an approach, namely, it would mean abandoning the isolated army fort to its own fate.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim!¡± Cpt. Kristof broke from a nearby cluster of loudly debating officers, ¡°We have confirmation of a hostile Variant approaching Sanctuary! The Colonel want¡¯s to assure you that measures are being taken to evacuate the civilians...But...our portals aren¡¯t working...fighting the Variant appears to be our only way through-¡±


    I held up my hand to signal for silence as I prepared another quest. Honestly, I would have very much preferred not to resort to such a thing and was not sure it would even work. However, if my suspicions were correct, The Destroyer would only benefit if I hesitated.


    A bright flash of light temporarily blinded my eyes, but as the light faded I found Ril and Toofy standing between myself and the gathering officers.


    With an appearance I assumed would be mistaken for an aquatic Goblin or something similar, Ril stuck close to Toofy and shyly regarded the nearby humans, baring her needle-like teeth in warning as one man drew a little too close.


    ¡°What Tim want?¡± Toofy asked curiously, inquisitively scanning the crowd as she pulled Ril a little closer.


    ¡°Ril, I need you to try and open a portal to the human fortification to the east,¡± I explained, ¡°We need to get Nadine and the others out of there.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Chieftain Tim-¡± Cpt. Kristof¡¯s interjection stalled abruptly as Ril¡¯s black eyes coldly stared into his own.


    ¡°Ril will try,¡± Ril agreed, baring more of her teeth to further intimidate the humans. Without releasing Toofy, Ril began gathering mana towards herself, a visible stream flowing from the direction of the Grove.


    A vertical tear appeared in the air next to Ril, no more than a foot long and no wider than her finger.


    Ril frowned and creases appeared on her forehead as she increased her concentration.


    The tear began to grow, widening to four feet but struggling to expand beyond five feet in height. The tear¡¯s translucence gave way to a rippling reflection of a fountain, revealing a half dozen frightened and surprised human soldiers.


    ¡°Impossible...¡± One of the officers gasped.


    ¡°Ril?¡± I didn¡¯t want to disturb her concentration, but I needed to know how long the portal would remain open.


    Ril¡¯s attention remained transfixed on the portal, her lips slowly curling into a snarl.


    ¡°We have no time to waste!¡± Lt. Rook dashed through the portal, hesitating for only a fraction of a second before passing through to the other side. Arriving on the opposite side, seemingly unscathed, Lt. Rooke appeared to be issuing orders to the soldiers on the other side, giving them shoves and shouting in their faces to accentuate her words.


    Broken from his own stupor, Cpt. Kristof began bellowing orders of his own, emphasising clearing the immediate area of all obstructions preparing to receive both refugees and fellow soldiers alike.


    Loathe to leave Ril with only Toofy for protection and with no telling how long the portal would remain open, I issued a quest and had the Daemons redirect twenty experienced fighters to protect the pair from harm.


    Contrary to my expectations, the male Gnoll and two of the Deep Orc smiths had tagged along, arriving shortly after the protection detail and bearing gifts.


    ¡°For Lord! Hehehe,¡± the Gnoll snickered nervously, offering a large pile of sewn hide.


    Accepting the hides, some of the pile fell to the ground, revealing that the pile was actually a number of different pieces of armour and a large empty waterskin.


    ¡°Hehe, I help!¡± The Gnoll nervously insisted and began hurriedly sorting through the pile. To his credit, it wasn¡¯t nearly as disorganized as it first seemed. The vast majority of the mass was actually what seemed to be a sort of armoured hide robe, split at the sides and front below the waist. Sewn together from the larger hides of the subterranean lizards and the swamp crocs, the armour was further reinforced by multiple layers in key areas, such as the left side of my chest.


    The remaining articles included thick iron-toe capped boots, gauntlets with protective iron warding plates on the back of the hand and small iron rods aligned over the forearm and wrist. Presumedly, the rods would make it incredibly difficult to sever my wrists, so I was grateful for the additional consideration. The final item was a large hide cap with draping sheets of hide on the sides and back, which I assumed would slow or prevent slashing attacks to my neck. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Lord!¡± The senior of the two smiths stepped forward and knelt down on one knee as he offered a large crude hammer made entirely of iron.


    The shaft of the hammer was about as long as my arm. The head was roughly the size of my own fist and had a spiked counterweight on the opposite side that was roughly the size of two of my outstretched fingers held side by side.


    Being made entirely of iron, the hammer was impressively heavy, although I didn¡¯t seem to have any problems adjusting to the weight compared to my morningstar.


    Presenting his work in a similar fashion to the first smith, the second held out an iron-bound shield of wood and hide.


    Gratefully accepting the additional protection, I struggled not to laugh as I realised that they had more or less replicated my first shield, albeit with additional reinforcement. Resembling a large rectangular door, this shield was reinforced by bands of horizontal iron riveted through thick hide into the rough planks of the shields main body. The smiths had even anchored crude spikes the size of my thumb into the shields outer midsection, roughly conforming to the opposite surface of my arm, where they would receive the greatest benefit from my own momentum or that of my enemy.


    Whilst donning my armour, Gric had been selecting and preparing our elite strikeforce. The Destroyer was an enemy that had to be taken seriously, and as much as I hated the fact, would require risking people I would rather keep as far from harm as possible.


    Now fully armoured and prepared for battle, I began hastily making my way towards the eastern gate.


    Soldiers had already begun streaming through the portal, each pair escorting one or more civilians or adventurers, who were in turn put under further watch and escorted away from the portal to a detainment area under Cpt. Kristof¡¯s immediate supervision.


    Part of my requested strikeforce was already waiting for me. The tall figures of Lash, Dar and Qreet standing out even amongst the other Deep Orcs.


    Both Daemons wore little in the way of armour, Qreet disguising her appearance with a cloth robe and Dar wearing only a hide loincloth. Only a half foot shorter than myself, Dar resembled a reptilian gorilla on steroids, his thick scale armoured body littered with scars.


    Lash was wearing her usual iron-plated armour, but now also wore a hide coat beneath it, similar to my own.


    The Serpent-Kin brothers Hesk and Hessik both held Sanctuary¡¯s banner high, an unmistakable rallying point amidst the relative chaos as children were ferried to the bunkers prepared beneath the Grove and volunteers headed towards the gate. Entering the range of their class ability, I felt an immediate sense of calm wash over my mind.


    Ushu, although appearing quite unwell, was also in attendance, his attention transfixed on the contents of a small pouch held close to his face. As our most powerful Shaman, there was a slim chance that he could end the fight before it even started, just as he had done with the possessed vendor. I didn¡¯t hold out much hope for that being the case, but it was better to cover all the bases, just in case.


    Gric had insisted on joining the vanguard as well, but I had refused. Garn, the Daemon Scout had nearly been killed outright when several of his summoned copies were slain by The Destroyer. The Daemons had reluctantly explained that the enemy had a Unique Racial Ability, Soul Burn. The passive Ability allowed the fire-based attacks of the user to deal damage to the soul itself. Since Daemons are the embodiment of their soul, when a copy is damaged by the Ability, the original is as well.


    Garn¡¯s survival had been attributed to the relative weakness of his copies and their own timely suicides to deny The Destroyer the opportunity to deal further damage to the original. A fact that I was profoundly uncomfortable with. Killing themselves, either through direct combat or by their own hands, it was certain to have a detrimental effect on the Daemons minds over time. This was all the more concerning because I didn''t know how long Daemons natural life expectancies were meant to be. The potential for mental derangement or psychosis was a very real possibility if they were allowed to keep doing it. That was one of the reasons why I hadn¡¯t deployed them against the undead, the long term risks had just been far too high.


    With slight reluctance, I gave Qreet Shiverfang and confirmed the bonding process. Of everyone in the strikeforce, she had the largest mana pool and best physical build to make use of it effectively.


    Ordering the remaining Daemons to remain in reserve was the closest they had come to open collective mutiny. Most of the Daemons still had little to no self-preservation instinct, and after hearing of the imminent confrontation they had expected and then insisted on being allowed to serve as the tip of the proverbial spear.


    I hadn¡¯t witnessed the exchanges personally, but felt the intense debate through the telepathic link with Gric as he brought the others to heel. It was only after Gric emphasised the dangerous and important role of serving as the final and most crucial line of defence, that the lesser Daemons seemed truly mollified.


    It wasn¡¯t a lie either. If our strike force failed, it would be up to those who remained to finish The Destroyer off for good.


    The Daemons hadn¡¯t been the only ones that needed convincing to stay behind. A hundred or more Serpent-Kin, Deep Orcs and Forest Goblins had insisted on being allowed to join, using the excuse of the Banner Bearers presence as an acceptably low standard for joining.


    In the process of turning them away, I had reviewed the Statuses of the strike force members to better assuage my doubts. To my surprise, both Dar and I had irregularities that I had not accounted for.


    My Presence had raised two points and was now seven instead of five. I had not gained any levels, so the best I could figure, I had somehow earned the stat increase in a similar manner to how exercise could increase the physical attributes. Did that mean it was possible to increase my Intelligence and Agility as well?


    It should not have been as much of a surprise as it had been. Nadine had explained stat improvement to me a long time ago, I guess I had just assumed it was something to be experienced by others and not myself.


    Dar¡¯s change was the most surprising, somehow, at some point in the past week, he had managed to unlock a Basic Class all on his own without my knowledge. Barbarian, a fitting name for a Class earned by a Daemon like Dar, and the starting Class Abilities only reinforced it.


    [(Class Ability: Shrug It Off {Rank 0}): Blows that would kill lesser men are but a hindrance to those who have faced death and remained unflinching in their resolve. Ignore the damage from a number of otherwise fatal wounds each day determined by {Toughness} (4:4).]


    [(Class Ability: Savage Warrior): Armour is for the weak! Your skin and scars are a tapestry of battles won and lost. Wearing less armour provides additional damage resistance from {Toughness}.]


    The ambiguity of ¡®ignore¡¯ was a little worrying, but the additional damage resistance from Savage Warrior was borderline absurd. Depending on how much additional damage resistance the ability offered, it was certainly a more economical option than replacing and repairing armour all the time. The fact that it did not seem to discriminate between types of damage either gave me some small hope that Dar would be able to see his way through the rapidly approaching fight, one way or the other.


    Seeing the portal close inside of the army¡¯s encampment, I knew our time was up. Leading our strike force back to the central fountain, I instructed everyone to soak themselves in water and fill their water skins. Even though it would probably do little against The Destroyer¡¯s magical flames, every little bit helped and could be the difference between a disfiguring injury and death.


    Returning to the gate, the Colonel and a cadre of officers were waiting for us.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim! I beg you to reconsider!¡± Col. Klive insisted his arms held out either side as if intending to try and stop me by force if necessary. ¡°Our combined forces should prove sufficient to defeat the hostile Variant! Facing it in the open is-¡±


    ¡°The only way to avoid catastrophic loss of life,¡± I interrupted bluntly. Our elite forces were the only ones capable of even harming him, so allowing The Destroyer inside of Sanctuary proper would allow for guerilla warfare, it also allowed The Destroyer free rein to go on a killing spree. So as much as it terrified me to place people I cared about in danger, it was by far the better option when considered objectively. In both instances, they would be in danger, but at least in the strikeforce, there would be less collateral damage.


    Col. Klive winced but seemed no less insistent. ¡°This Variant can be defeated without you personally risking your life! We were originally deployed to put this Variant down and have made preparations to do just that. So please, do not sortie against the hostile Variant until we have had a chance to take care of it!¡± A bright flash of orange light filtered through the briar wall as if to accentuate his point.


    Already mentally strained by the prospect of putting Lash and the others in danger, I reluctantly relented, ¡°Fine. What are you going to do?¡± If the Colonel¡¯s plan involved allowing The Destroyer inside of Sanctuary, then I intended to go through with my own plan as originally intended.


    Visibly relieved, Col. Klive motioned for one of the other officers to step forward.


    ¡°Chieftain,¡± The officer, a Captain with a long ropey scar running down the left side of his face, bowed and then motioned to a platoon of soldiers approaching the gate, ¡°My men and I have been equipped with powerful magical weapons and armour in addition to precious consumable items. We will draw the hostile Variant in closer and then put it down before it realises the danger it is in.¡± The Captain straightened his back and stared me straight in the eyes, ¡°We are very good at what we do. This is not the first time we have had to put a powerful Variant down,¡± ¡®and it won¡¯t be the last¡¯ lingered unspoken.


    Taking another look at the Captain and his men, their equipment did look a little strange compared to the soldiers I was used to dealing with. It was obvious that attempts had been made to make them appear more uniform, but even so, no two soldiers'' equipment were the same. With no way to externally determine their levels, I could make judgements based on their height and build.


    Less disciplined than the rank and file, the special squad carried themselves with a confidence and surety I had previously only associated with adventurers unwinding in the first-floor inn. Not limited to men, perhaps a third of the special squad was comprised of tall women. Every member of the squad had scars visible on segments of skin not fully covered by their armour.


    If there was time, I would have demanded a small contest of sorts to try and determine the soldiers¡¯ general capabilities, but there was no time left to spare on something so frivolous. ¡°You are confident?¡± It was more a statement than a question. To judge by their appearance, the special squad and their commanding officer seemed to think they had already won.


    I still couldn¡¯t dismiss my doubts. I had seen humans struggle to fight back Goblins in a one on one fight, and this Variant was almost certainly an Awakened like me. Which meant that he probably had all manner of tricks of his own. From what Hana had told me, the sick bastard had simply been playing with her and her family, dragging the fight out on purpose for his own sick amusement.


    Regarding the special squad again, I was reminded of yet another limiting factor. They were all limited to Basic Classes. Not that Basic Classes were bad, but Advanced Classes could easily be considered twice as powerful right out of the gate. Given humans'' distinct lack of natural advantages, I could not bring myself to share the Captain¡¯s optimism.


    Before the Captain of the special squad could reply, Col. Klive beat him to it, ¡°The Asrusian kingdom employs a formal standing army. That means our soldiers are men and women who have chosen the military life, being a soldier, as their lifelong profession,¡± quite possibly an embellishment, I could see the Colonel was trying to reassure me by insinuating that his quality of soldiers, and by extension their skill, should be considered superior to my tribal militia. ¡°I know you have concerns regarding our comparative frailty compared to monsters such as yourself, but we have been fighting the monsters of the Labyrinths for untold generations and are still standing. Do you understand?¡±


    I sighed and nodded, although I was not convinced in the slightest. ¡°If we fight together, our chances of succeeding with minimal losses would improve,¡± I countered, hoping that the military men would see reason. Lash¡¯s Bastion ability could repel spells and would prove invaluable against an enemy that seemed to specialize in spellcasting. ¡°I insist!¡± I had an incredibly bad feeling about this fight already and refused to make it easier for the enemy than necessary.


    The Captain scowled and gave Col. Klive a weighty look.


    I had seen too many movies and T.V. shows to commit to such a stupid mistake. ¡°You want to engage the Variant first? Fine. My strike force will remain in reserve and observe. If I think the enemy is beyond your soldiers¡¯ ability to put down without losses, my strike force will join the fight as reinforcements, agreed?¡± It was an easy compromise, but both officers seemed dissatisfied for different reasons. The Colonel obviously didn¡¯t want me in harm''s way, for fear of losing his established trading partner. While the Captain felt insulted that I would so openly question the competency of his specially trained and outfitted soldiers.


    Recognising that I was not going to change my mind, Col. Klive reluctantly agreed and the Captain submitted to the chain of command.


    Fifteen of the specially armed soldiers were Spearman and Swordsman, while the remaining five and the Captain himself were Archers. Each of them were equipped with a magic dampening item of one form or another. One soldier had a small round shield that granted fire resistance, while another had a necklace that provided a lesser but more general magic resistance. In addition to their resistance items, every soldier''s primary weapon was magical, but unfortunately, none of them were able to ignore or bypass armour like Shiverfang.


    The Captain seemed confident that the special armour penetrating attacks of each Class would be sufficient to bring The Destroyer down. I still had my doubts and was glad the smiths had added the spike onto my iron warhammer. Even though it was not magical, sheer concussive force concentrated into a sufficiently limited area would still deal damage. It was a lesson I had learned from the Goblin Raid and would not forget any time soon.


    As we marched out of the gatehouse, I half expected Clarice to come charging after us and demand to be brought along. Of course, I had already taken steps to avoid that by tasking the Daemons in reserve to keep Clarice and the other girls in a safe place to watch over Toofy and Ril.


    With the combined available synergies of every monster in Sanctuary, I felt like my strike force, not the specially armed soldiers, would be the determining factor in this battle.


    The thus-far unique Racial ability of the Gnolls, in particular, would likely prove rather telling in terms of raw damage output.


    [(Racial Ability: Pack Frenzy {Rank 3}): Deal additional damage for each ally within range of a Bloodied Enemy. {Presence} increases the range of the effect.]


    I had considered bringing Orphiel, but preferred keeping him in reserve as an emergency healer. There were limits to what the Surgeons could do, but Orphiel''s Racial Ability could bring someone back from the brink and give the Surgeons a chance at saving them, albeit at a price.


    Knowing that the enemy seemed to specialize or at least be adept at utilizing area of effect spells, the Captain deployed his men in a loose formation, spacing them more then ten feet apart from one another but still remaining within Sanctuary¡¯s barrier. This felt like another mistake, although I wasn¡¯t quite sure why.


    My strike force remained relatively close to one another, only a few feet between each of us with myself and Lash at the forefront. Ushu and the Banner Bearers were at the rear and expected not to engage unless absolutely necessary, or in Ushu¡¯s case, if the right opportunity presented itself. Qreet and Dar had naturally drifted to the flanks, with the latter providing cover for those behind.


    ¡°He is coming, Lord,¡± Qreet hissed irritably, a faint aura of emerald mana emanating from beneath her robe and shining brightly from her eyes. ¡°The undead are few, scattered or destroyed...I sense no signs of the Necromancer...¡±


    I frowned and nodded. Jacque had said something like this would happen. The Awakened would hunt each other down and fight for dominance, highlander style, leaving only the victor and the dead. ¡°How many minions?¡± I asked, wanting to confirm a budding theory.


    Qreet remained silent for a few moments. ¡°Four,¡± she replied uncertainly, ¡°I apologize Lord, I am not as skilled as the Overseer...¡±


    ¡°You are doing fine Qreet, and with Garn out of commission, you are doing far better than I have a right to expect of you,¡± I admitted truthfully.


    ¡°Plan still good?¡± Lash asked excitedly, her fingers tightening on the haft of her axe.


    I nodded and tried to project more confidence than I felt. The plan was simple. Lash and I would bring the fight to The Destroyer up close while Qreet manipulated the battlefield to give us cover or block line of sight at crucial moments, and if possible, make opportunistic attacks with Shiverfang. Dar would play a sort of skirmishing role as needed, focusing on taking down the enemy minions and intercepting attacks against Ushu and the Banner Bearers. The Banner Bearers would be doing their best to remain visible and provide their buffs, while hopefully avoiding enemy attacks. And finally, Ushu would attempt Banishing The Destroyer in much the same way as he had with the evil spirit possessing the tailor vendor.


    There was a lot that could go wrong with our plan, but ultimately I felt like it was our best chance at success without committing to potentially hundreds of casualties. Lash¡¯s Bastion Ability would be the true determining factor. If it turned out to be the natural counter I hoped it to be, then there was a good chance of everyone walking away from the fight with only minor injuries. Qreet¡¯s environmental control would play a key role as well. According to Ushu, most Spirit type monsters replenished their mana through draining their victims, and that there was a very good chance that the swamp beyond the battlefield was littered with drained manastones from all the destroyed undead.


    Qreet began preemptively shifting the terrain to offer potential bolt holes against ranged attacks as well as creating natural barriers to redirect and funnel protracted gouts of fire. Made from wet wood and moss, the defences would hopefully be capable of initially resisting The Destroyer''s flames and provide a tactical advantage.


    ¡°He is here,¡± Qreet hissed, her free hand twitching as she stared pointedly to the east.


    A dull haze of amber light signalled the final approach of The Destroyer and his minions. Seemingly above any attempt at subterfuge, all four minions flanked their master, trailing a short distance behind and flaring slightly out to his flanks.


    Not above making use of the tactical terrain Qreet had provided, the Captain motioned for his men to take cover.


    Similarly, I motioned for the Banner Bearers and Ushu to do the same. So long as the banner was visible, that was the main thing that mattered, and I sincerely doubted this guy would intentionally waste time damaging it without knowing what it does.


    Stepping out from the fog of the swamp, the armoured form of The Destroyer took a provocative stance and stared at the gatehouse behind us. ¡°Only made of wood?¡± His voice was like crackling embers, yet still managed to sound arrogant and condescending despite his limited vocal range. ¡°Oh well, guess it makes the home stretch that much faster hehe,¡± he raised his right hand and pointed his index finger towards the gate, intense amber mana coalescing around his hand.


    ¡°HEY!¡± I roared in challenge.


    The animated suit of armour shifted its focus to myself and the strike force, ¡°Maybe a final boss?¡± despite being intended as a whisper, his voice carried well enough in the relative quiet to be heard quite clearly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m game,¡± The Destroyer chuckled, ¡°Go on then, give me the whole spiel then!¡± He demanded, flames fanning from the joints in his armoured body.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I had thought I was prepared for just about anything, but his strange responses kind of threw me for a moment.


    ¡°Hrmpf,¡± The Destroyer shook his head and snorted derisively, ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t the final boss after all?¡±


    ¡°Final boss?¡± I felt a cold chill run down my spine, the carefree way he had said those words... ¡°What do you mean?¡± I demanded.


    The Destroyer lazily began walking closer, allowing the scorched and twisted forms of his minions to now become visible. ¡°Well,¡± he looked back over his right shoulder and then back towards Sanctuary, ¡°You¡¯re all that¡¯s left, I killed everyone else. Once I am done with you and your pathetic village, I will move on and find the next level,¡± the casual way he said it and the faint tone of pride in his voice repulsed me. ¡°Hey, you know, I probably wouldn¡¯t have found you and that other guy if you hadn¡¯t taken in that girl you know? Hehe, maybe that other one is here too?¡±


    ¡°Now!¡± The Captain barked.


    A volley of six arrows raced towards The Destroyer, but a sudden flash of amber light right before impact forced me to close my eyes.


    ¡°Oh? So this is where those soldiers went. I wondered why their camp was so empty...¡± The Destroyer redirected his outstretched finger from the gate towards the soldiers instead. There was no sign that the arrows had managed to inflict any damage at all. A radiant bead of amber mana raced from his outstretched finger towards the position of the closest soldier.


    *BOOOM!*


    The soldier managed to leap behind cover, but was blown backwards as that portion of roots and moss was torn apart in a deadly explosion.


    The Destroyer appeared to be quizzically regarding his hand, ¡°Huh? Though for sure I put way more juice into it than that?¡±


    It was the barrier. As destructive as his spell had been, Sanctuary¡¯s barrier had diminished it, and apparently enough that it literally gave The Destroyer pause.


    ¡°CHARGE!¡± I roared, wanting to make the most of the opening provided us.


    The Destroyer¡¯s attention immediately shifted to me, all four of his minions simultaneously releasing spells of their own.


    Dar leapt up into the air, hurtling up and over the ground between us and the enemy.


    Lash released a pulse of light, signalling her first use of Bastion as she matched step with my charge towards The Destroyer, the fiery projectiles of his minions sputtering into nothing as they made contact.


    No doubt caught off guard, The Destroyer barely managed to raise an arm to defend himself as I brought my warhammer crashing down towards his head with all my might, pumping as much mana into the blow as I dared.


    *BANG!*


    The blow drove The Destroyer to the ground.


    ¡°YAH!¡± Lash brought her axe down in a double-handed blow on the back of his helmet sending sparks flying as the blade of the axe scraped and skipped over the harder metal.


    ¡°OVERSEER! BROTHER! SISTER! LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!¡± Qreet cried from somewhere behind us as thick roots tore out of the ground and crashed over The Destroyer¡¯s limbs.


    Raising my arm for another blow, I brought my warhammer down with as much might as I could muster, this time aiming for the square of his back, unwilling to trust my badly shaking arm to remain accurate enough to land a solid blow on the curved surface of the helmet.


    *BANG!*


    Lash raised her axe to strike again.


    ¡°FUCKING OW!¡± A sudden blast of intense heat sent both Lash and myself sprawling as the roots binding The Destroyer withered and caught ablaze.


    *Thump!*


    [Dar has slain {Scorched Revenant} +1800 Exp]


    ¡°GRAH!¡± Dar bellowed a challenging roar as he raced towards his next target, the first Scorched Revenant having proven weak enough to destroy through bodily crashing into it moments earlier.


    Lash got to her feet first and spared a moment to help me up as well.


    The Destroyer was still lying face down on the ground, only now he was in the centre of a shallow smouldering crater. ¡°Ganking pieces of shit...¡± He cursed quietly, each syllable so laden with venom and bile it was clear he meant every word. ¡°Take this!¡± The Destroyer raised himself up on one elbow, the flame-filled eye slits of his helmet glaring balefully at me as a rainbow coloured ribbon of light appeared between us.


    A hole the size of my fist appeared in my shield, the rainbow ribbon of light halting an inch from my chest as the edge of a violet sphere connected and dissipated it.


    ¡°BULLSHIT?!¡± The Destroyer screamed, ¡°THERE IS NO WAY THAT SHOULDN''T HAVE KILLED YOU!¡±


    ¡°CHARGE!¡± The Captain and his men had rallied and charged towards The Destroyer.


    ¡°OH FUCK OFF!¡± The Destroyer screamed, still prone, he swiped his arm and generated a rolling wall of flames.


    ¡°WEDGE!¡± The Captain roared, raising his shield and angling it up and to the side as he maintained the forward momentum of the charge, his infantry following suit as the Archer¡¯s dove into nearby cover.


    The wall of fire swept over the soldiers, causing them to falter but not fall, mundane elements of their equipment blackening under the intense heat.


    *Twing, shing, clang, clank...¡±


    The soldiers fell upon The Destroyer with zealous abandon, their weapons rising and falling in rapid succession.


    ¡°Lash!¡± I motioned for her to move forward and she grimly nodded in understanding a violet sphere of mana erupting from her chest and expanding outwards as we closed the final distance.


    ¡°I-SAID-FUCK-OFF!!!¡± The Destroyer screamed, each syllable accompanied by a wall of fire or point-blank explosion, seemingly uncaring about harming himself with collateral damage.


    Three soldiers were incinerated where they stood, two more fell to the ground screaming in pain, Lash¡¯s Bastion arriving too late to save them from the flames.


    ¡°CHEATING MOTHER FUCKERS!!!¡± The Destroyer¡¯s left leg was sunken into the hard-baked ground, revealing why he had been unable to rise from his prone position, furthermore, charred and blackened roots were determinedly forcing their way through the riveted plates of the chestplate.


    ¡°LORD!¡± Dar cried out in alarm, giving me just enough time to draw Lash back behind me and raise my shield.


    Two of The Destroyer¡¯s minions had begun charging towards their master, their bodies flashing bright with unstable amber mana.


    *BANG! Bang!*


    The twinned explosions sent lash and I flailing backwards as we were bombarded by the superheated air and airborne debris.


    [Dar has slain {Scorched Revenant} +1800 Exp], [Dar has slain {Scorched Revenant} +1800 Exp]


    The Captain and his infantry lay scattered around the surrounding area, their bodies being dragged into crude shelters by roots and branches, living and dead alike, Qreet was making no real distinction and it quickly became obvious why.


    ¡°DESTROYER!!!¡± Spoken by five voices in rough harmony, the single word was accompanied by the shaking and tremors of every plant in the immediate vicinity. Qreet had formed an armoured exterior from the local vegetation, swelling her size to more than twenty feet tall, a blinding cloak of emerald mana saturating her temporary form and her surroundings. Genuinely surprised she could manage such a feat, I noticed a thick cabled braid of four similar yet distinct emerald cords of mana trailing back in the direction of the Grove.


    ¡°YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU TOOK FROM US!!!¡± Qreet¡¯s reinforced form stalked slowly yet determinedly forward, her body growing with each step and taking on a more refined form, Shiverfang clutched tight and raised high like a dagger in the right hand.


    ¡°Lash!¡± I shoved myself to my feet and looked back to make sure she was alright.


    ¡°Good to fight!¡± Lash replied, shoving herself to her feet and looking around for a weapon.


    I pressed the warhammer into her hands and looked back towards The Destroyer. There were a few magical weapons lying nearby, but I wanted to try something else.


    [Dar has slain {Scorched Revenant} +1800 Exp]


    The final kill alert came at just the right time. ¡°DAR! With me!¡± I roared and surged forwards.


    The explosions had apparently freed The Destroyer from his partial entombment and he now staggered to his feet, stumbling slightly and nearly falling over as his attention drifted towards the towering form of Qreet approaching from the rear. The Destroyer raised both hands and directed his palms towards Qreet, ¡°HOLOCAUST!¡±


    ¡°LA-¡± Halfway through saying her name, the air I needed to breathe disappeared.


    *FWOOOOOOSH!*


    A tsunami of fire flooded from The Destroyer¡¯s outstretched hands, rapidly reaching over fifty feet, the flames would pass over the briar wall and wash Sanctuary away.


    Bunching the muscles in both arms, I strained my body to its limit focusing every ounce of mana I had left into my hands. Already quite damaged, the dried and cracked shield straps snapped and my shield fell to the side. Stepping forward I opened my arms wide and faced the oncoming flames. Just as I was about to be overrun, Lash¡¯s protective barrier washed over me and signalled my time to act.


    *BOOOOOM*


    I brought my hands together with a deafening thunderclap, pain flaring up my arms and then immediately disappearing as the damaged nerves overloaded and entered a state of shock.


    The colossal wall of fire collapsed in on itself, drawn to the vacuum created by my desperate thunderclap.


    Unable to feel my arms, my exposed hands looked bloodied and raw. I determinedly took a step forwards across the scorched ground, watching with pride as Dar bodily tackled The Destroyer to the ground once again. Daemons were nothing if not determined.


    ¡°Lash!¡± I croaked, looking back for a moment to make sure I had her attention and then jerking my head towards Dar.


    Lash nodded in understanding and charged across the open ground, the warhammer raised high.


    ¡°What the fuck are you supposed to be?!¡± The Destroyer shrieked as he tried and failed to free himself from Dar¡¯s crushing embrace.


    Anchored by the tree roots snaking up his own legs, Dar seemed to effortlessly lockdown The Destroyer''s right arm and body.


    ¡°LET ME GO Y-¡± The Destroyer¡¯s voice cut off abruptly as Lash slammed the warhammer into his chest, spike first. Although it left only a tiny dent the reaction did not seem to match the level of damage as a gout of fire erupted from The Destroyer¡¯s helmet, accompanied by a howl of pain.


    Lash dodged to the side and Dar manhandled The Destroyer¡¯s head to ensure neither was directly hit by the flames.


    ¡°BURN YOU FUCKERS!¡± The Destroyer howled, the air rippling around his body as the air became superheated, ¡°LET ME GO!!!¡±


    Dar tightened his grip further, his scaled hide smoking in places where it made direct contact with Destroyer¡¯s body. However, this did not seem entirely to Dar¡¯s detriment, whether it was a result of hating his own body and inadvertently making the metal more malleable or whether Dar had just entered a Bloodied state and was now dealing additional damage from the Deep Orc Racial Ability, The Destroyers armoured body began to buckle beneath his tightening grip.


    *Clang*


    Lash slammed the spike of the warhammer into The Destroyer¡¯s chest again.


    ¡°AHH! LEMME GO!¡± The Destroyer howled again, this time scrambling his left arm and pressing it against the side of Dar¡¯s head. A scintillating rainbow of colour radiated from beneath his hand, but Dar did not loosen his grip, instead, drawing the armoured body tighter and tighter stil. ¡°THE FUCK?! HOW CAN THE DEVS ALLOW BROKEN SHIT LIKE THIS INTO THE GAME?!¡±


    His words sent another chill down my spine, almost causing me to lose my already painfully slow forward momentum. Did he think this was some sort of game? Could someone kill so many people...destroy so many lives...¡±No!¡± I shook my head and refocused on our objective. This man was a psycho and needed to be put down, that was all there was to it. If I allowed myself to dwell on it, there was no telling whether I would be able to find any answers that would satisfy me anyway.


    *Clank*


    Lash¡¯s latest blow had severely dented the chestpiece, now forming a dent an inch or two deep and three inches wide. There was now a good chance that her next strike would penetrate.


    Qreet¡¯s composite vegetation form had now reached striking distance and was preparing to deliver a strike of its own.


    Perhaps finally realising the danger he was in, The Destroyer began struggling in earnest, releasing scattered scorching rays of fire and point-blank detonations in an attempt to free himself.


    Unfortunately, Lash seemed to be able to anticipate the majority of his attacks and was matching them with hastily generated barriers, heavily mitigating or outright nullifying their effects.


    Emerald mana gathered around Shiverfang¡¯s blade and Qreet slammed it into The Destroyer¡¯s belly.


    The Destroyer screamed in pain.


    Qreet struck again.


    ¡°LOG OUT! LOG OUT!!¡± The Destroyer howled.


    Lash repositioned and slammed the warhammer into the same spot, eliciting another wordless howl as the hole was torn wider.


    Taking a firm grip of both The Destroyer¡¯s legs, Qreet forced him into a horizontal position and levelled Shiverfang above his crotch plate.


    ¡°DISCONNECT! DISCONNECT!!! SHUTDOWN!!! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!¡± The Destroyer screamed in panic.


    As shocked by what I was witnessing as hearing, the thought didn¡¯t even cross my mind to try and stop it.


    ¡°NONONONO-AAAEEIII!!¡± The Destroyer¡¯s screams raised an octave as Qreet slammed Shiverfang into his groin and then slowly began sawing it up and through his abdomen.


    Visibly fatigued, Lash staggered backwards and nearly knocked me over as she pulled off her helmet.


    Having regained some feeling in my arms, I managed to keep my footing by numbly grabbing her arm.


    Flushed with adrenaline, Lash turned on me with a snarl, although she became momentarily confused before fully recognising me.


    I pulled the large water skin from my waist and pressed it into her hands instantly.


    Lash nodded breathlessly and gulped down five deep mouthfuls of water before splashing it over her face and down the inside of her armour, ¡°Hot...¡± Lash croaked and then looked guiltily over at the pair of Daemons still determinedly working at putting The Destroyer down.


    ¡°I-¡± I coughed abruptly as I accidentally inhaled some airborne ash, ¡°You have one too,¡± I reminded her and patted the pouch of water on her own hip only to meet with little resistance.


    ¡°Empty,¡± Lash grunted with a shrug, gulping down another mouthful of water before handing my water skin back, only now much lighter.


    The Destroyer¡¯s pitiful wails were suddenly cut short, drawing both Lash¡¯s and my attention.


    Qreet had split his armour from crotch to collar, ripping the chest apart from inside with thick roots and branches, giving the appearance of his body writhing and shuddering as amber mana disgorged from the gaping hole.


    Lash grabbed my shoulder and pointed upwards with a worried growl.


    Following the trail of amber mana towards where Lash was pointing, I felt a heavy weight settling on my shoulders.


    A humanoid form was taking shape from the disgorged mana, and it looked pissed.


    With no sign of a kill notification, it was abundantly clear that our fight against The Destroyer was only beginning.

 Chapter 24 – Oath in ashes – Part Two

    Chapter 24 ¨C Oath in ashes ¨C Part TwoChapter 24 - Oath in ashes - Part Two


    Ushu had watched the battle against The Destroyer with muted awe, waiting for his moment to provide the assistance the Lord had insisted would become clear when the moment itself arrived.


    Staring at the coalescing amber mana in the sky, Ushu knew that his moment was now upon him. Thrusting both hands into the large pouch at his waist, Ushu withdrew two fistfuls of mana stones and did his best to clear his mind.


    Banishing such a powerful spirit was beyond Ushu¡¯s abilities, he instinctively knew as much. So instead, Ushu sought to even the playing field by summoning a spirit to fight on their behalf.


    ¡°GREAT KISHK! HEAR MY CALL!¡± Ushu fell to his knees and raised both mana stone-filled hands to the sky in supplication, ¡°YOUR PEOPLE ARE IN GRAVE PERIL AND IN NEED OF YOUR AID!¡± Grey mana erupted from Ushu¡¯s chest and travelled up his arms, engulfing the mana stones and causing the gathered mana to increase tenfold in the span of a second.


    Lord Tim¡¯s Banner Bearers, brothers Hesk and Hessik, both looked expectantly towards the sky. It was incredibly rare for a Shaman of the tribe to manifest their patron and guardian Spirit, and they did not want to miss the opportunity.


    However, much to the brother¡¯s disappointment, and Ushu¡¯s confusion, Kishk, the great pale serpent, patron and guardian of the Bleak-Fang tribe, remained absent.


    With more than half the mana stones in his hands already turned to dust, Ushu tried again, this time with more urgency. ¡°POWERFUL AND VENERATED KISHIK! WE HUMBLY PLEAD FOR YOUR AID! WE BEG! DELIVER USS FROM THE APPROACHING EVIL!¡±


    Again, the three Serpent-Kin looked expectantly to the sky, and again, they were disappointed.


    The amber mana had finished coalescing into its spiritual form, a crude simulacrum of a man set ablaze like a bonfire. More or less ignoring Lord Tim and his warriors, The Destroyer had turned his attention towards the heart of Sanctuary.


    Very nearly brought to panic, Ushu felt a calming wave of reassurance emanate from the nearby banner. With Kishik unwilling or unable to answer his summons, Ushu settled upon his backup plan. Forbidden by his old teacher and master, Ushu weighed the damnation of his soul against his duty to the tribe, and found the former wanting.


    Drawing the crude bone knife from his waist, Ushu clenched his jaw and pressed the point of the blade into his skin.


    In their ignorance, neither Hesk or Hessik understood the enormity of what Ushu was undertaking, or in the unlikely event that Ushu should survive, that their duty would be to execute him on the spot. Ushu did not blame them for their ignorance. With the elite cadre of warriors and the old chieftain¡¯s line all dead, only Ushu and his apprentices knew the law he was now breaking, and Ushu prayed that they would have the moral fortitude to follow through with their sacred duty.


    ¡°Shaman, Underlord? Iss there anything you need from uss?¡± Hesk inquired worriedly as Ushu¡¯s blade continued carving the sigils required for the ritual.


    Ushu tersely shook his head and concentrated on the task at hand, his hands trembling ever so slightly from the pain.


    ¡°DAR!¡± Lord Tim¡¯s roar echoed through the relative silence, centring Ushu¡¯s mind and introducing a fresh sense of urgency, ¡°BRING THOSE REMAINS TO USHU!¡±


    The cacophony of metal plate armour drawing closer announced Underlord Lash¡¯s approach and likely indicated that Lord Tim was close behind.


    ¡°Ushu! Is there anything you c-¡± Lord Tim had come running around the improvised bulwark that had sheltered the trio of Serpent-Kin from The Destroyer¡¯s flames. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± He demanded, pointing down at Ushu¡¯s self-inflicted wounds.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Ushu winced as the sudden intake of breath stretched his open cuts, ¡°I am grateful for everything you have done for my people,¡± tears welled in his eyes and Ushu continued cutting, ¡°You gave us shelter and ssusstenance when we were weak...¡± He looked up from his bloody work and into his Lord¡¯s eyes, ¡°For thiss, I gladly offer my life in payment!¡± Looking away from his people''s saviour, Ushu focused his attention on the accelerating form of The Destroyer. Drawing as much mana from the few remaining manastones in his pouch as he could, Ushu wished that he had more to offer in exchange for the lives of his people, that he had been stronger...


    As before, grey mana poured out of Ushu¡¯s chest, only this time it was accompanied by crimson streaks as the dense mana supplemented its volume with Ushu¡¯s own blood. Terrified by what he was about to do, Ushu again sought comfort from the banner¡¯s presence as he steeled his nerves.


    ¡°Ushu! What are you doing?!¡± Lord Tim¡¯s voice seemed distant somehow, fainter than it had been a few moments ago. ¡°Hesk?! Hesik?!¡±


    ¡°SPIRIT ANCHOR!!!¡± Ushu roared in defiance, projecting his will and sending the crimson and grey mana streaking towards the incorporeal form of The Destroyer. As the mana continued towards its target, it took on the form of a great serpent, baring its fangs as it raced after the now fleeing enemy.


    Just as The Destroyer was about to clear the outer briar wall, Ushu¡¯s projected serpent slammed into the enemy¡¯s back and established the connection.


    ¡°GRAH!¡± The Lord cried out in pain and a moment later Ushu felt it too, like someone had pressed a lump of hot coal into his brain.


    Blinking through the pain, Ushu desperately focused upon drawing The Destroyer back from Sanctuary, tears running freely down his face as the pain continued to slowly build in intensity.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Lash cried out from nearby and a wave of amethyst coloured mana swept across Ushu¡¯s vision, intensifying the pain to such a sudden degree that he nearly collapsed on the spot.


    ¡°Wait...Lash...don¡¯t...I...I can take it!¡± Lord Tim insisted shakily, his words seeming to sap the majority of Ushu¡¯s pain away, ¡°We...We can do this!¡± Lord Tim grunted determinedly and rested a large hand on Ushu¡¯s shoulder, lessening the Shaman¡¯s pain still further.


    With the fate of Sanctuary in the balance, Ushu had already committed the remainder of his life to the protection of his people. However, the presence of his Lord and fellow minions reminded Ushu that he was not in this fight alone and that they each had their part to play. Ushu just hoped that he would be able to last long enough to see his part through until the end.


    *****


    The ground shuddered and shook with every step of Qreet¡¯s vegetation reinforced body. Shaped more like Hana than should honestly have been possible given the raw materials available, it made a sort of sense when considering it was Hana pulling the strings and not Qreet.


    Far more savage and emotive than the Daemons, Hana had seemed to take great pleasure in disembowelling and inflicting pain on The Destroyer¡¯s outer shell. However, the immaterial nature of his true form had allowed The Destroyer to escape into the sky and begin making his way towards the Grove, and heart of Sanctuary.


    Ushu¡¯s ability had established a tether between himself and The Destroyer, seemingly maintained through force of will, rather than raw mana output. Whatever it was, my proximity to Ushu seemed to force my hand in sharing the load, generating a searing pain in my mind. Lash seemed capable of temporarily severing that connection, but it was abundantly clear that Ushu could not handle it on his own. So with some reluctance, I had to wave Lash off and stop her from doing it again.


    I could feel Ushu trembling beneath my hand and I was worried that even with my support, his spell would fail and The Destroyer would be free. However, contrary to my expectations, Ushu grit his teeth and shakily took hold of the mana tether with both hands. Hissing in pain, Ushu began trying to draw the tether towards himself, aggravating the deep cuts he had somehow collected on his chest and abdomen, filtering more blood into the grey and crimson tether.


    As if fuelled by the bloodshed, the tether began to ever so slowly retract into Ushu¡¯s chest, incrementally increasing the pain in my mind as The Destroyer was drawn closer.


    Dar cleared the barricade and dumped the mangled mess of The Destroyer¡¯s shell to the ground. It was completely beyond recovery, literally a pile of scrap metal.


    ¡°Can...Can you use it?¡± I asked Ushu, stumbling over the words as I struggled to form a coherent train of thought.


    With the smallest motion, Ushu shook his head, causing a stream of blood to fall from his nose.


    Subconsciously touching my own face, I was surprised to find as I drew my hand away, that it was wet with blood as well.


    *Thump, Thump, Thump*


    Hana¡¯s avatar of vegetation had begun pacing back and forth, eyeing The Destroyer¡¯s ephemeral form with hatred. ¡°YOU. ARE. MINE!!!¡± She howled, sending rippling tremors through the nearby undergrowth and twisting the briar wall into a host of twisted faces.


    ¡°LOOSE!¡± A familiar woman''s voice barked.


    A moment later, an arcing hail of arrows, most from the direction of Sanctuary, but also joined by four from a short distance to the east. Easily numbering close to a hundred, most passed through The Destroyer and were reduced to smouldering ash. However, a dozen or so arrows struck his incorporeal form and tore small holes in The Destroyer¡¯s body before being incinerated like the others. Each successful strike was also accompanied by the tether drawing him closer to the ground.


    ¡°LOOSE!¡± The voice barked again and was almost immediately answered with another withering hail of arrows.


    ¡°MINE!!!¡± The Druids avatar roared frantically, its right arm distending into whip with Shiverfang at its tip. Recoiling its arm, the Druid''s avatar body anchored itself to the ground with a plethora of thick tree roots.


    *CRACK*


    A near blinding flash of light forced me to avert my eyes. The pain in my head had temporarily abated but was quickly returning. Feeling an intense heat coming from above, I looked up and was surprised to see The Destroyer was far closer than before and drawing closer with every passing moment. While the progress had been only a snail''s pace before, the ethereal amber form of The Destroyer was practically racing towards us now.


    ¡°COME BACK HERE!!!¡± The Druids avatar screamed in fury, awkwardly lurching to the side as it retracted its distended arm and tried to give chase.


    ¡°Ushu-¡± The words caught in my throat as The Destroyer reached the end of the tether and slammed into Ushu¡¯s chest, sending the Serpent-Kin shaman toppling backwards and giving me a mind-shattering migraine that dropped me to my knees.


    ¡°LET ME GO! LET ME GO!¡± The Destroyer wailed, each syllable raising the ambient temperature by a degree or more.


    Squinting my eyes against the heat, I saw Ushu jerkily rising up into a sitting position, amber flames flickering from the cuts in his chest and out of his mouth.


    Lash and Dar both quickly obstructed my view as they took up warding positions between us.


    ¡°Ushu...¡± I didn¡¯t understand what was going on and the migraine threatening to split my skull open did not make it any easier.


    ¡°DIE!!!¡± Bodily towering over Lash and Dar, I saw Hana¡¯s face contorted in an expression of pure hatred as the Druids avatar charged past.


    *BOOM!*


    Even with Lash and Dar serving as a shield, a sudden wave of searing heat forced me to close my eyes and hold my breath.


    *BOOM!*


    Another wave of heat washed over me a couple of seconds later, more intense than the last and seared my exposed skin.


    *BOOM!*


    A third wave, more intense than the previous pair combined, pushed me over the edge and sent me into a coughing fit as I gasped in pain, filling my lungs with smoke. Teary-eyed and gasping for breath, I could see Lash collapsed at my feet while Dar was stoically holding the line.


    ¡°Dar...¡± I gasped, struggling to find the air I needed to speak.


    <?...> A unique silence, almost a void responded in my mind.


    Too desperate to overthink it, I shoved myself to my hands and knees and used the fresh source of pain to drive back the searing agony in my head. <TaKe...LaSh...SaFeTy...> I nearly collapsed again and would have done so, if Dar¡¯s scaly claw hadn¡¯t ripped through the armour on my right shoulder, forcing me to remain semi-elevated.


    There was smoke everywhere and I could hardly see anything past a few feet, with two glaring exceptions.


    The first was Ushu, or what remained of him. Immolated in amber flames, his body was broken and heavily depressed into the ground, smouldering like the coals of a bonfire.


    The Second was the Druids avatar, blackened and badly burned, it had its fist raised high for another blow, Shiverfang¡¯s blade protruding from between the fingers forming the avatar¡¯s fist.


    <Dar obey...> I barely noticed the reply, only that Lash¡¯s body had begun to move, that I was moving as well seemed less important compared to events unfolding in front of my eyes.


    Dar wasted no time in putting as much distance between us and the prospective danger, dragging Lash and myself low to the ground as he loped off and along the briar wall on his comparatively short legs.


    Struggling to breathe, my vision began to fail.


    *Boom!*


    The ground shuddered and another bright flash of light illuminated a towering silhouette. I tried to blink away the blurred after image, but found my eyelids had become too heavy.


    *Boom*


    The ground shuddered again but didn¡¯t seem nearly as intense as before.


    A faint flicker of light passed through my eyelids, and as the light faded, I saw familiar black boxes appear in my peripheral vision. The sudden absence of pain in my head was too much and I felt myself slip into unconsciousness.


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Overseer} Hana has slain {Underlord} Ushu. This is in direct violation of {Sanctuary¡¯s} LAWS. Impose Sanctions? (Y/N)]


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Minion Qreet has slain {Underlord} Ushu. This is in direct violation of {Sanctuary¡¯s} LAWS. Impose Sanctions? (Y/N)]


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Minion Mors has slain {Underlord} Ushu. This is in direct violation of {Sanctuary¡¯s} LAWS. Impose Sanctions? (Y/N)]


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Minion Krel has slain {Underlord} Ushu. This is in direct violation of {Sanctuary¡¯s} LAWS. Impose Sanctions? (Y/N)]


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Underlord} Ushu has been slain.]


    [Congratulations! You have slain Kai - Infernal Revenant {Pyromancer}!]


    [Awakened Inheritance: None.]


    [Keys of Awakening: Pyrrhic Will.]


    I had been stripped of all my armour and most of my clothes, and one of the Surgeons, or perhaps several, had lathered my body in strong-smelling paste. Staring at the black wall of notifications in front of my eyes, I felt...numb.


    In spite of all I had seen, I expected, had hoped, Ushu would somehow survive...


    The remotest shred of comfort I could find in the whole situation was that The Destroyer...Kai...hadn¡¯t been the one to kill him. I felt at a loss on what to do.


    My eyes throbbed painfully and it was difficult to see anything besides the Status notifications. For whatever reason, they were perfectly clear and crisp, a stark contrast to the blurry forms in my immediate surroundings.


    I could hear Lash at least, another small miracle, although her snoring was not nearly so loud as I had grown accustomed to.


    I continued laying there for a long time, rereading the Status notifications over and over again. This was my fault. I should have known something like this would happen. I had been fooling myself into thinking I was some sort of military leader, but I¡¯m not. Someone else could have come up with a better plan...Any plan at all would have been better...


    ¡°Lord?¡± It took me a moment to recognise Wraithe¡¯s voice. ¡°Lash suffered minor injuries, but is stable,¡± she said it in such a way that made it clear she was fishing for a response of some kind, ¡°The Serpent-Kin brothers, Hesk and Hesik, are both already fully recovered...¡± Again, Wraithe attempted to bait a response, ¡°Gric was the worse for wear on arrival, suffering from a number of severe burns, but treatment and additional rations have resulted in a full recovery...¡±


    Wraithe waited patiently for a response, but I gave none, so she just stood there quietly for a long time before eventually backing away and leaving me alone again.


    Gradually, my vision returned and the pain in my eyes subsided. ¡°Severe smoke inhalation,¡± I wheezed absently and rolled onto my right side. Trying to get a better look at Lash, I was confronted again by the obtrusive presence of the Status notifications. I wanted to get rid of them, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it.


    With a substantial volume of grief counselling still drifting in the less frequented areas of my memory, I was very much aware of the fact that I was being irrational. Dismissing or allowing the notification to remain would not change what had happened, and it wouldn¡¯t bring Ushu back. Even still, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to dismiss the notification.


    Similarly, Qreet and the other Daemons were blameless in this. They lived to serve and would do anything commanded of them. They were not guilty of Ushu¡¯s murder, I was. I could have commanded them to disobey Hana, found another way to end it without killing him...


    Qreet, Mors and Krel¡¯s Status notifications flickered and then disappeared. As much a part of me as my own thoughts, I assumed Sanctuary¡¯s Totem had sufficiently determined my intentions to make a ruling, dismissing the trio of notifications and their prospective penalties.


    I really didn¡¯t want to blame Hana, especially given everything she had told me. I understood her anger, but she had killed one of our own in pursuit of her revenge. Ushu had been nothing but helpful since I first encountered him. Sure, I had led a rescue party to help save his people and then offered them a place to live, which would be enough for most people to feel grateful, but he had never tried hiding anything from me either.


    Then again, the same had been true of Hana too...


    It was difficult and at the same time incredibly easy to rationalize Hana¡¯s actions. If someone had killed my mum, I couldn¡¯t promise I wouldn¡¯t do just about anything to get revenge on whoever was responsible. But it still didn¡¯t excuse what Hana did...


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Do you wish to Demote {Overseer Hana - Corrupted Dryad}? (Y/N)]


    I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. When I opened them again, there was a new notification.


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Settlement requires an {Overseer}. Nominate a minion or {Underlord} for Promotion.]


    Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t even a punishment. I never had any impression that Hana wanted the authority afforded by the position, and with the unexpected return of her sister...She was probably going to request a demotion anyway...


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}:Confirm Promotion to {Overseer} for {Underlord} {Gric - Lesser Daemon}? (Y/N)]


    ¡°Confirm...¡± Gric had earned it, and I needed time to process things...


    With all but the last notification removed, I was relieved to see that even though Lash had some patchy burns and lost most of her hair, she seemed to be alright.


    Suppressing a cough, I closed my eyes and ignored Gric¡¯s attempts to establish contact. I would try and face everything tomorrow. Succumbing to the alluring oblivion of sleep, I knew that there would be many things waiting for me when I woke up, and even though I didn¡¯t feel up to doing anything, I would have to regardless. I still needed to select a new leader to represent the Serpent-Kin and apologize for failing in my promise to protect them.


    Daylight poured in from the hospital window, but somewhat surprisingly, my eyes no longer hurt and seemed to have lost their excess sensitivity. Sometime during the night, Lash had left her own bed and joined me in mine.


    Already awake, Lash rose into a sitting position and gently stroked my back. ¡°You are sad,¡± she observed quietly, ¡°Sad for losing...Ush-hoo,¡± Lash struggled to pronounce his name as his own kin did, failing but having made more effort than I ever did.


    I tensed slightly and nodded, feeling pathetic as I recalled just how many people Lash had lost when they were banished from their clan and escaped into the swamp.


    ¡°Warriors die,¡± Lash stated bluntly, her expression shifting slightly to reflect a familiar sense of loss. ¡°Warriors die,¡± she repeated, ¡°So clan survives. Remember dead, honour sacrifice.¡±


    I exhaled slowly and sat up. Lash was right. Her hand had drifted to my shoulder, and I placed a hand on top of her¡¯s, taking a moment to centre myself and place things in proper perspective. Ushu had died under my command, but there was more to it than that.


    Not counting the humans, the six of us had placed our lives on the line to protect our home and people. The fact that Ushu was the only one to die, should be seen as a success and not a failure. The alternatives would have resulted in far more deaths, which was why I had elected to use an elite force rather than a swarm strategy in the first place.


    ¡°Thank you Lash,¡± I pulled her in close and rested my head on her shoulder, taking what reassurance I could from her warmth and the faint yet determined beating of her heart. ¡°Your people, when warriors died for the clan, what did you do to remember them?¡± I asked quietly.


    Lash was quiet for a while. ¡°We tell stories, of life, of battle, of death...Children learn, remember sacrifice, honour our dead.¡±


    ¡°What about statues? Carvings or drawings, anything like that?¡± I asked curiously, I knew so little about the traditions of Lash¡¯s people, and with so few of them still among the living, they were likely to be lost if they weren¡¯t shared.


    ¡°Sometimes, small drawing for children, help understand,¡± Lash admitted. She leaned back into me and let out a mournful sigh, ¡°Many dead,¡± she whispered, ¡°Hard remembering sometimes...¡±


    I nodded to show I understood but otherwise said nothing. A written record would help, in the long term at least, but in the short term, perhaps we could hold a funeral service or something.


    ¡°Lord?¡± Wraithe had returned and was lingering just at the top of the stairs.


    Having already committed to being productive today, I released a sigh of reluctance and raised my head off of Lash¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Yes Wrathe?¡±


    Wraithe approached somewhat hurriedly, ¡°There has been an incident,¡± she chittered nervously, ¡°During the chaos of the attack, several humans attempted breaking into the Grove, while others attempted a kidnapping.¡±


    Now fully awake, I felt my blood come alive, ¡°The soldiers?¡± I snapped.


    Wraithe shook her head nervously, ¡°No, Lord. Most involved were captured and are being held prisoner under Overseer Gric¡¯s orders. However...one human has claimed sanctuary with the soldiers and the Colonel will not release him to us until he has a chance to speak with you first,¡± she wrung her rodent-like clawed hands agitatedly.


    Dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts style underwear, I got to my feet and helped Lash up as well. Without having to ask, I knew she wanted to come with me. Humans were a sore subject for most monsters inside of Sanctuary, and Lash was nothing if not aggressively protective.


    Descending the stairs to the ground floor, I was only slightly surprised to see Clarice and Nadine waiting for me near the entrance.


    ¡°See? I told you he was alright,¡± Clarice smirked and then waved to myself and Lash in greeting, ¡±Hey Tim.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, and you know it!¡± Nadine countered, her expression deadly serious, ¡°Tim, we need to talk. Some people tried kidnapping one of your Surgeons.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± My blood ran cold, ¡°Someone dared to kidnap one of my Surgeons?!¡± I seethed, looking back to Wraithe for confirmation.


    Wraithe nodded, ¡°One of our recent novices from the Sunrock tribe,¡± she clarified.


    My right eyebrow twitched, ¡°The kidnappers are in our custody, correct?¡±


    Wraithe nodded and Nadine blanched.


    ¡°As per my agreement with the Colonel, we will hold a trial for the humans who attempted breaking into the Grove, as well as for those arrested for the kidnapping,¡± I hissed through my teeth, my words seeming to put Nadine at ease, ¡°Assuming the Colonel surrenders their leader.¡±


    Nadine stiffened and looked to Clarice for support.


    Unfortunately, Clarice was nodding in agreement, ¡°Can¡¯t give those guilds an inch or they will take a mile.¡±


    ¡°Guild?¡± My eyebrow continued to spasm.


    Clarice locked eyes with me and nodded, ¡°It was a member of the Merchants Guild, allegedly,¡± she emphasised the last by air quoting sarcastically.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that...¡± Nadine snapped back quietly, ¡°For all we know, the soldiers might be trying to cover their own tracks...¡± She didn¡¯t seem to believe it, but didn¡¯t seem convinced by Clarice¡¯s claim either.


    ¡°We will see then,¡± I growled, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Clarice gladly tagged along, her eyes flashing eagerly at the prospect of the inevitable confrontation.


    Nadine was more reluctant but nonetheless hurried along behind us after a short period of deliberation.


    In the light of day, Sanctuary looked like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, with the notable exception that the army camp was packed to the point of bursting at the seams.


    ¡°Did you have a chance to check on Toofy and Ril?¡± I asked Clarice, knowing she would have been watching over the Vanguard Minion egg in the Nursery right next to the Grove¡¯s fountain.


    ¡°Seemed okay last I checked at breakfast,¡± Clarice replied supportively, ¡°Though, the Daemon seemed pretty tired.¡±


    I sighed and nodded. I hadn¡¯t expected Ril to be capable of creating a stable portal of that size to begin with, let alone maintain it for as long as she had. ¡°And the innkeeper''s family?¡± I asked somewhat apprehensively.


    ¡°They are fine too,¡± Clarice confirmed, ¡°I convinced Gric to let them stay with us in the Grove. He has Daemons shadowing them, just in case, but I figure extra protection couldn¡¯t hurt, and it makes the locals less nervous, y¡¯know?¡±


    I nodded again in agreement. They were trustworthy, so far as I knew, but the other residents of Sanctuary didn¡¯t know that yet. Trust would take time.


    Approaching the human camp, the residents of Sanctuary would bow, salute or otherwise make signs of respect and deference as we passed. After some thought, it made a sort of sense. Because of Ushu¡¯s sacrifice, we had rather literally saved their lives and secured what I hoped would prove to be a lasting period of peace and prosperity. Of course, the meeting with the Colonel could change all that.


    Seeing us approach, the guards on watch sent a runner into the camp. For the first time, the guards attempted to bar my way by crossing their spears. I ignored them and pressed on through, heading straight for the command tent. Sanctuary was mine, and they were guests at my leisure, not the other way round. Perhaps realising this, or maybe out of self-preservation instinct, the guards allowed us to continue deeper into the camp without contest, short of a few stammered attempts at conversation.


    Having reached the command tent, we found four soldiers uncomfortably engaged in a staring match with a trio of grizzled and well-armed men in their own matching uniform bearing a talon-like crest.


    ¡°Mercs,¡± Clarice muttered warily, loud enough that only we would hear her.


    The soldiers on guard duty noticed our approach first, and just like the perimeter guards, one of them ducked inside the tent, while those who remained moved to block our entry.


    Glowering down at them, I watched their determination falter and shift directions. Rather than barring our entry, the guards now stood in the way of the mercenaries, the fact that they had made no attempts to enter the command tent was seemingly irrelevant.


    Entering the tent, I found a senior officer meeting that had likely been stalled by the guards announcement of our arrival. Recognising Col. Klive, Cpt. Kristof and Lt. Rooke down the far end of the table, I also noticed the distinct absence of their special forces Captain, and assumed he had likely died while fighting The Destroyer.


    ¡°Ah, Chieftain Tim, we were not expecting you so soon,¡± Col. Klive apologise nervously and gestured to a hastily vacated chair, ¡°Please, sit. With the hostile variants defeated, there is much to-¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡± I demanded flatly.


    Col. Klive gulped involuntarily and paled somewhat, ¡°Are you sure? There are other matters that-¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡± I repeated.


    Col. Klive gave Lt. Rooke a nearly imperceptible nod.


    Responding with a slight nod of her own, Lt. Rooke left her seat and exited the tent without a word.


    Despite the state of both my own and Lash¡¯s degree of undress, it was obvious that the younger officers in attendance were profoundly intimidated by our presence. Something Clarice seemed to relish for her own personal reasons.


    ¡°You are going to have a choice,¡± I growled to the room at large. ¡°Honour our agreement, or face the consequences.¡± My proclamation unsettled some of the officers, while others seemed indignant.


    Col. Klive and Cpt. Kristof shared a weighty look with one another but didn¡¯t say a word.


    A thin weasely looking man in his early thirties was thrust unceremoniously into the tent from the opposite entrance. ¡°-go, you insolent wench! Guards! Guards! Do you know who my uncle is! You will hang for...this...¡± He all but froze on the spot and his eyes grew wide in terror open seeing myself and Lash, his otherwise fine clothes becoming soiled as the pungent aroma of ammonia filled the air.


    Col. Klive released a quiet sigh. Back straightened and shoulders squared, he fixed the weasley man with a withering glare. ¡°Samuel Gendry, you and your hired men, stand accused of breaking the king''s peace, conspiring to kidnap allies of the crown, and assaulting the subjects of an allied kingdom. How do you plead?¡±


    Samuel Gendry paled and grew limp for a moment before seeming to fall back on an untapped reservoir of pride and spite. ¡°On what evidence?!¡± He hissed, ¡°You have no witnesses! I will see to it that my uncle has you hanged for treason!¡± Samuel gloated, his pencil-thin moustache quivering with malice.


    The lordling¡¯s outburst seemed to galvanise the officers present, even the most junior amongst them sat straighter in their seats, scowling at the accused with unconcealed contempt.


    ¡°Several eyewitnesses, as well as the victim, gave testimony against the actions of your men-¡± Col. Klive began reciting but was rudely interrupted.


    ¡°Peasants and monsters!¡± Samuel Gendry hissed venomously.


    ¡°Credible witnesses,¡± Col. Klive rebuked, ¡°How do you plead?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t judge me! My uncle will-¡± Samuel Gendry spluttered indignantly.


    ¡°HOW, DO. YOU. PLEAD?¡± Col. Klive growled, sternly and loudly annunciating each word in turn.


    Samuel Gendry just stared at the Colonel incredulously, no doubt wondering why his threats didn¡¯t seem to have any effect.


    Col. Klive turned to his officers, ¡°As officers of good standing and moral repute in his Majesty¡¯s army. Having heard the evidence and testimonies, and in accordance with martial law, state your judgement upon the accused.¡±


    ¡°Guilty,¡± the reply came almost immediately, as if they had rehearsed in secret to synchronise so flawlessly.


    Samuel Gendry blinked and looked around the tent in a state of shock, ¡°B-but m-my uncle...¡± He stammered quietly.


    Clarice snickered.


    ¡°As per our agreement,¡± Col. Klive winced slightly, but pressed on, ¡°Final judgement and sentencing is reserved for Chieftain Tim or his designated representative.¡± He, and every other officer then turned and looked at me expectantly.


    I had made up my mind a while ago, and the fact that the mastermind of the attack and attempted kidnapping was so readily contemptible only made sticking to it that much easier. ¡°Zero tolerance. Strip them, bind them, and then throw them into the pond.¡± I wanted a deterrent and had arrived upon the most terrifying and traumatic execution method I could think of. Well...the second most traumatic execution method. The first involved live vivisections for the purpose of educating the Surgeons on human and humanoid anatomy. But I didn¡¯t quite have the stomach for that. Throwing people into the piranha pond was already pushing it.


    Several officers blanched, but none spoke out against my decision.


    ¡°D-drowning?!...¡± Samuel Gendry gasped in horror.


    ¡°Hrmf, not drown, eaten,¡± Lash corrected approvingly.


    Lt. Rook dragged her prisoner out of the command tent before he could say anything else.


    An awkward silence began to settle on the tent.


    ¡°Is this sufficient?¡± Col. Klive asked, his expression somewhat pained.


    I nodded, ¡°You have upheld your end of our agreement, even after it was obvious that it will come at a cost.¡±


    Col. Klive nodded wearily, ¡°That man¡¯s ¡®uncle¡¯, is Baron Royce Gendry, the lord of Stormspire city. An influential man at court, to say the least.¡±


    ¡°And yet you still did the right thing,¡± I replied appraisingly.


    Cpt. Kristof smiled grimly, ¡°We follow orders and trust in his Majesty¡¯s judgement,¡± he stated simply.


    Clarice rolled her eyes but stayed silent.


    ¡°There is no sweeping this under the rug you know,¡± Nadine said quietly, ¡°Nobility keep a close eye on each other, and doubly so on family. It¡¯s only a matter of time before they find out what has happened.¡±


    Several officers shifted uncomfortably, but had otherwise determined expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Can you vouch for the integrity of your officers present?¡± I asked the Colonel. I had a proposition for him and his king, but I did not want to risk the information leaking any further than it had to.


    Col. Klive straightened his back, squared his shoulders and nodded with heartfelt conviction and surety, ¡°Aye, I vouch for them,¡± he replied confidently.


    The Colonel¡¯s officers each sat a little taller for receiving the confidence of their superior.


    ¡°I have a proposition for you and your king. A trial of sorts,¡± I smiled a little as some of the officers seemed troubled by my choice in words. ¡°A practice run, a test,¡± I elaborated, ¡°But it will require a great deal of organisation and secrecy on your part in exchange for the benefits. Are you interested?¡±


    Cpt. Kristof suddenly straightened bolt upright and looked expectantly at the Colonel, as did a few other senior officers. It almost seemed like they had been preparing for a moment like this.


    ¡°His majesty, the king, has given me discretionary authority to make decisions in all matters regarding this Labyrinth in his name. If there is secret knowledge, suggested amendments to our alliance, or other matters that you wish to discuss, you have my undivided attention,¡± Col. Klive replied hurriedly.


    ¡°You have proven that you will enforce Sanctuary¡¯s laws, by abiding by our established agreement. I want to be clear,¡± I explained, ¡°If you had attempted to subvert justice in any way, I would not be making you this offer.¡±


    Most of the officers seemed both intrigued and relieved by this news. Likely, they were relieved that at least they were getting something in exchange for the proverbial shitstorm that would be coming their way in the near future.


    ¡°I can offer you and your King, limited access to self-adjusting Master tier Rulership Classes,¡± The tent went dead quiet.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Clarice whispered loudly, ¡°I thought You said I was next?!¡± S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A dozen different voices all began speaking at the same time.


    The Colonel gave Cpt. Kristof a crisp nod.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Cpt. Kristof¡¯s booming baritone cut through the clamour like a thunderclap, his peers and subordinates suddenly shocked into the requested silence.


    ¡°What are the conditions for this access? And is there any way we could negotiate for increased access?¡± Col. Klive asked in a measured if somewhat eager tone.


    ¡°Increased requirements for secrecy and loyalty. This is non-negotiable,¡± I explained bluntly, ¡°Only myself and delegated subordinates are capable of administering a necessary title of leadership, which is required for unlocking the Class. Losing the title will similarly remove access to the Class.¡±


    Col. Klive nodded in understanding, ¡°And these Leadership Classes? What do they do?¡±


    ¡°It depends,¡± I replied honestly, ¡°They cater to the individual and change based on hidden and unknown prerequisites. Both myself and my Mate Lash, have the Leadership Class, but our Classes and Abilities are different.¡± I held out my hand as an offer to invite the Colonel to see for himself, making sure to limit his party access to our Classes and levels only.


    The Colonel accepted and a few moments later became even more excited, ¡°Do these titles and Classes make you quest givers?¡± He asked eagerly.


    I nodded, ¡°That is why they have the Eminence Class Ability.¡±


    Col. Klive gulped dryly, and I could practically see the frantic calculus taking place behind his eyes as he tried to determine what I would ask for in exchange.


    ¡°Sanctuary¡¯s laws take precedence, always, no compromises. The titles are a privilege and profound responsibility. Accepting this deal will bind you and your subordinates to our hierarchy and you will be expected to respect that hierarchy. Does this still sound agreeable to you?¡± I asked baitingly.


    This was a test of sorts. I wanted to know how far their superiors were willing to go for special Classes. If they accepted, then their loyalties would be bound to Sanctuary, and the oaths I would extract from them would ensure a far more proactive peaceful agreement than our current one. In effect, the Asrusian army, or at least the elements that participated, would become Sanctuary¡¯s own army.


    Furthermore, I did not intend to offer the Underlord titles at a one to one unlock rate. At my current level of understanding, every two hundred and fifty minions unlocked an additional Underlord position. So, with that in mind, I would offer the Colonel a two to one split. For every two Underlord positions unlocked, the Asrusian army would receive one promotion, while Sanctuary would receive the other. This would be Ushu¡¯s legacy, I would make sure of it. Sanctuary would have a whole host of elite defenders, so next time a sacrifice would not be necessary.


    Surprisingly, the Colonel nodded in agreement, ¡°This is acceptable, assuming we will be free to refuse requests that constitute treason by Asrusian law. I am to assume that this agreement will functionally serve as a...long term allied military collaborative effort that serves both our people''s best interests?¡± Col. Klive asked shrewdly.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed, ¡°Although I would highly suggest that your King promote you to a higher rank in order to make the best use of the prospective title I intend to offer you specifically.¡±


    Col. Klive seemed confused, ¡°Do you mind explaining why?¡± He asked somewhat nervously.


    I smiled a little and nodded my head, ¡°Your army has an established hierarchy already,¡± I pointed out, and the Colonel nodded politely in agreement to show he was listening, ¡°The title I intend to offer you, the Overseer, has similar responsibilities to a Baron or grand mayor. In your city, your authority would be second only to mine, understand? There is more to these titles than assigning quests and receiving Master tier Leadership Classes. Creating and enforcing laws, managing a census, reviewing the individual Statuses of your subordinates, it all changes.¡±


    The tent had gone quiet again, like none of the assembled officers dared to breathe for fear of drawing attention to themselves and risking impeding the negotiations.


    ¡°A Baron?...¡± Col. Klive gulped dryly.


    I shrugged, ¡°A rough approximation. Your village, town or city would be under your near-absolute purview and authority. Protected borders expanding with your oathsworn population. So yes, Baron would seem a reasonable approximation for beginnings,¡± I agreed.


    It was something I had noticed about the Asrusian army rather early, a similarity to the adventurers, they were almost all commoners. It was the lack of a surname that gave it away. One of the things I knew from Earth¡¯s history, was that until the black death swept through Europe, only very well off merchants and the nobility had surnames. In some areas, it was law, while in others it was out of laziness and pragmatism. Surnames were not hugely important when you already knew everyone in the village. So, offering titles had now taken on a different context for the gathered officers. Social advancement on an otherwise unprecedented scale of expectations.


    Throughout history, it was reasonably common for kings and queens to promote incredibly loyal commoner high ranking officers. But that was almost always to secure a freshly seized territory, so the Barons in question frequently died within a decade of receiving the title. Functionally, I was doing the same thing.


    Assuming the Colonel accepted, we would agree upon a suitable location for his own Settlement, and then I would issue a quest to seize it in my name, or something. Then, after it is successfully completed, a second settlement would be added under my authority. I assumed. The information available through the Totem was a bit vague beyond claiming territory in terms of what to expect.


    Lt. Rooke reentered the tent and patted down her somewhat dirtied uniform, ¡°Have I missed anything,¡± she whispered quietly to Cpt. Kristof as she took her seat at the table.


    Cpt. Kristof gave her a strained look in response, but was interrupted before he had a chance to reply.


    ¡°Lt. Rooke!¡± Col. Klive barked nervously.


    The lieutenant immediately stood bolt upright and at attention, ¡°Sir!¡±


    ¡°I need you to immediately send an encrypted message to his Majesty, requesting an emergency meeting as soon as possible. Our ally has made an offer beyond the scope of my authority to immediately accept and his Majesty will not want to allow this opportunity to pass by!¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Lt. Rooke snapped a one-handed salute, but had begun transmitting the message through her magical communication device the moment the Colonel began making the request. Her effortless proficiency made it clear why she was the Colonel¡¯s go-to person for sending the message.


    I cleared my throat to draw Col. Klive¡¯s attention, ¡°I am prepared to offer one title for each five hundred oathsworn under your banner. Just something to bear in mind. The method for unlocking the Master tier Leadership Classes will be explained after you accept the overseer position. Does this sound agreeable to you?¡± I asked in a carefully measured tone. I did not want the Colonel or his men to think I was cheating them, but I also knew that the Colonel would become aware of the ratios of minions to titles once he became my second Overseer. So it was important to make sure it was presented as a negotiation, not a demand.


    ¡°I...Uh...¡± Col. Klive looked quite surprised, likely not having expected they would be given access to so many, and on a fixed scale no less. It took him less than a second to do the math, ¡°Yes! Chieftain Tim, I agree to these conditions, provided his Majesty also gives his approval, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I agreed amiably, ¡°I have other issues to deal with, but I hope you will keep a closer eye on potential troublemakers in the meantime,¡± I said the last part to make absolutely sure there would be no need for throwing more people into the fishing pond.


    ¡°Kristof! Burns! I want you and your men to personally watch those adventurers around the clock. We will be heading back to our own base within the hour, and I think we can all agree that one slip up has been more than unacceptable. Am I clear?¡± The Colonel barked.


    Cpt. Kristof, and a middle-aged woman I assumed to be Burns, both snapped to attention, ¡°Sir!¡±


    Confident the Colonel had things well in hand, I motioned for our group to leave and then left the tent.


    The trio of mercenaries from earlier were now gone and the ground heavily scuffed and churned up around where they had last been standing. Having not heard a disturbance while we were inside the command tent, I wondered if perhaps the tent had some sort of noise dampening enchantment or something. If it did, I wouldn¡¯t mind one of my own for personal meetings, and maybe for mine and Lash¡¯s bedroom. With the girls now back in Sanctuary, I suddenly felt profoundly more awkward about the thought of being intimate with Lash in our bedroom. It would probably help them sleep better without hearing Lash¡¯s snoring either.


    Temporarily distracted by my thoughts, I hadn¡¯t realised Nadine had asked me a question and found her staring expectantly at me, clearly waiting for an answer. ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologised, ¡°I was miles away, what did you say?¡±


    Nadine sighed slightly exasperatedly, ¡°I asked whether you really intended to go through with that deal with the army?¡± She repeated anxiously.


    I nodded, ¡°Sanctuary needs more protection. Sacrificing our people is unacceptable. If we had more elite warriors, a wider range of skills...¡± The knuckles in my first hand popped as I clenched my fist to suppress my anger.


    Nadine was taken aback for a moment, ¡°So this is about Ushu after all...¡±


    We continued walking in silence a short while longer, generally meandering towards the cooking fires to get something to eat. With the immediate external threats dealt with, Gric had already reorganised hunting teams and there was a feast of sorts taking place now that vast amounts of meat had been returned to the menu.


    Settling down to eat through some of my lingering depression, I was surprised when Clarice suddenly snatched the small woven basket I had been using for a plate. ¡°The hell Clarice?¡± I grumbled and moved to snatch it back.


    ¡°Sorry Tim!¡± Clarice grinned, ¡°You''re gonna want this meal to go anyway. The Daemons just told me the egg is about to hatch!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± This was much sooner than I had expected, and I found that a little disappointing. Stronger monsters were meant to take longer to hatch, and I had been hoping that the Vanguard Minion egg would provide another elite powerhouse for Sanctuary.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Clarice replied excitedly, snatching another basket of roasted meat from one of the Serpent-Kin passersby, ¡®This girl¡¯s gonna be huge I know it! Come on!¡± She began running off towards the grove, nearly bowling over a half dozen goblins in the process.


    Nadine sighed and shook her head, although she was smiling in evident amusement.


    ¡°Well, we should probably bring some more food as well,¡± I suggested, getting a knowing nod of agreement from Nadine and a curious look from Lash.


    ¡°Never witnessed hatching,¡± Lash admitted somewhat excitedly, ¡°Family only most times.¡±


    Nadine smiled, ¡°Well, you''re part of our family, right Tim?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± I agreed, hefting the raw carcass of a large Swamp Lurker over one shoulder. ¡°Besides, I doubt Clarice would turn us away when she realises how little food she actually brought.¡±


    Lash grinned and nodded, following my example hefting two large bull-horned toads.


    I gave her a curious look, and Lash blushed a little.


    ¡°Babies need soft meat,¡± Lash mumbled.


    I was going to raise the question of why the humanoid monsters all seemed to have breasts, but quickly dropped the idea. There was a distinct possibility I wouldn¡¯t like what I would learn, and I was quite content to continue enjoying my ignorance.


    Rushing to the Grove, we entered the nursery, and to my immense surprise, it was damn near packed with prospective parents. Realising that Gric must have given the green light for hatching their young, I scanned the crowds, trying to find Clarice.


    ¡°There she is!¡± Nadine confidently strode into the crowd, leaving Lash and myself little choice but to follow after her.


    Without our armour, Lash and I actually blended in amongst the Deep Orcs reasonably well, given how distracted everyone was. It was actually something of a refreshing experience after being watched everywhere I went for the past couple of weeks.


    Clarice¡¯s nursery area was less crowded than most, but not for long. Besides Clarice, Toofy and Ril were already standing by the dividing wall that served to keep newborns from ¡®escaping¡¯ and attacking one another. Once, Lash and myself deposited the monster carcasses off to the side, the booth was getting quite crowded.


    ¡°We still don¡¯t know what is yet, do we?¡± Nadine asked curiously.


    ¡°No,¡± Toofy replied derisively, ¡°Is baby, silly.¡±


    Clarice covered her mouth and tried not to laugh, while Nadine flushed with mild embarrassment.


    ¡°Besides being a beast type with some form of venom attack?¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Wait...¡± Nadine frowned for a moment and then grinned, ¡°Is that why you were talking funny yesterday?¡± She demanded, rounding on Clarice.


    *Crackle, Crackle, Crunch*


    Sounds and movement from the egg drew all our attention before Clarice could form a coherent response, giving her a convenient out.


    ¡°You see that? You see that?!¡± Clarice crowed, ¡°My girl¡¯s gonna be huge!¡±


    She may very well be right, considering how violently the egg was rocking around.


    *Crackle, Crunch, Crack!*


    A full quarter of the eggshell suddenly exploded, causing the monster within to suddenly tumble out and into the open space of the partitioned area.


    Far smaller than the violent motions and size of the egg would have suggested, the little monster was coloured a bright neon green like it¡¯s eggshell, with black stripes. Roughly two feet long, including its tail which was roughly a full third of its length, the monster bore something of a resemblance to a komodo dragon or goanna, albeit with a broader wedge-shaped head and dorsal crest running down its neck and tail.


    Concentrating my mana, I slowly reached out to touch the beast monster.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Clarice suddenly grabbed my arm, ¡°If you have any of those titles or whatever, do you think I could do it?¡± She asked somewhat sheepishly, although there was an intense yearning in her eyes.


    ¡°Sure Clarice. Just give me a minute, but you should probably start feeding her just in case,¡± I retracted my arm and extended the open Underlord position to Clarice. I was actually a little nervous after having made the offer to the Colonel earlier, since technically I wasn¡¯t sure if humans could be granted the titles or unlock the Master tier Leadership Classes at all. I had simply assumed they could.


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Confirm Promotion to {Underlord} for minion {Clarice - ???}? (Y/N)]


    A little unnerved by the race section being marked out like that, I considered holding off and letting the army be the one to trial run the promotion. However, the steely determination in Clarice''s eyes changed my mind, ¡°Confirm.¡± Taking a moment to confirm through the Settlement that Clarice had in fact been promoted, and that nothing weird was going on, I gave her a thumbs up.


    Grinning ear to ear, Clarice concentrated really hard, and after a few moments, a thin sheen of near translucent mana took shape around her forefinger.


    The newborn had not been idle in the meantime and was busily snacking away on its shell, snapping off large pieces and then smashing them to bits as it snapped its jaws repeatedly, revealing a mouthful of serrated teeth and viscous saliva.


    Lacking sufficient reach, Clarice had to enter the partitioned area in order to get close enough.


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}:{Unidentified Species} detected. Performing {Settlement Scan} to identify primary abilities.]


    The sudden reappearance of the Status notifications caught me off guard.


    <Lord, are you also seeing this?> Gric asked warily.


    <I am. Do you know what is going on?> I didn¡¯t think the Labyrinth would give me a monster egg if it didn¡¯t already know what it was. Or had it made something new and expected me to trial run it on its behalf?


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Unidentified Species} primary abilities identified.]


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Do you wish to name {Unidentified Species} and select primary abilities based on the determined tier of evolution? (Y/N) ]


    I set aside the notification for the moment to ask Clarice for her input, since she would be the one taking care of the monster and all.


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Dhisi - Fester Maw} was recruited by {Underlord Clarice} as a beast minion.]


    ¡°Wait...What?¡± I looked back to the notifications and then back to the lizard. ¡°Oh...Fuck me...¡± It suddenly clicked, the notifications were not talking about the lizard at all, they were talking about Clarice...

 Chapter 25 – Leaders of men – Part One

    Chapter 25 ¨C Leaders of men ¨C Part OneChapter 25 - Leaders of men - Part One


    Mouth dry, I tried my best to keep my breathing steady and even. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of the Status notification, not just because it was anchored to the centre of my vision, but because of what it contained.


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: Do you wish to name {Unidentified Species} and select primary abilities based on the determined tier of evolution? (Y/N) ]


    ¡°Tim? Are you alright?¡± Nadine asked somewhat anxiously.


    I shook my head numbly.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK?!¡± Clarice cursed. A quick glance in her direction confirmed she was staring dead ahead and almost certainly reading some variation of the same Status notification.


    <Lord?> Gric and Wraithe¡¯s telepathic messages blended together, both Daemons barely containing their excitement.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Nadine demanded, alternating her focus between myself and Clarice.


    ¡°Is important?¡± Lash asked seriously. Seeing the same message, but unable to read it.


    I nodded stiffly, ¡°Very...¡± I croaked.


    ¡°Talk in private,¡± Lash stated seriously, ¡°Come,¡± she picked up the bull horned toads and motioned for me to do the same with the Swamp Lurker and follow. ¡°Red too,¡± Lash insisted, narrowing her eyes at Clarice, ¡°Is leader now, must make decisions.¡±


    Stumbling out of the nursery in a daze, I quickly became aware that Nadine, Toofy and Ril had come along as well. Clarice had brought her new pet lizard as well, although it seemed none too happy about it, hissing and flicking its tongue irritably.


    ¡°Council meeting,¡± Lash shepherded us all down into the Daemons living space. A large circular room had been added since I last visited.


    Taking a seat on a thick patch of moss at the far side of the room, Lash sat to my right while Toofy and Ril sat down to my left. Still wrangling with her new pet, Clarice was dragged to a sitting position by Lash, who promptly dropped the bull-horned toads in front of Clarice¡¯s Lizard.


    The lizard¡¯s petulant attitude shifted almost immediately, hungrily launching itself into the slimy toads and almost unhinging its jaw in an attempt to swallow a hind leg whole.


    ¡°Thanks...¡± Clarice grunted gratefully, although she definitely sounded distracted.


    Following Lash¡¯s lead, I dumped the Swamp Lurker as well, although I still couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the notification.


    ¡°Are you guys going to tell me what is going on now?!¡± Nadine pressed irritably.


    I told her.


    ¡°Fuck...¡± Nadine cursed in surprise.


    ¡°Changes things,¡± Lash agreed bluntly.


    ¡°So what do you think it will do?¡± Nadine asked curiously, ¡°Will it make us monsters like...you know, or just give us some abilities to even the playing field?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Gric and Wraithe entered the room and took seats opposite one another on either side of the room.


    ¡°This is most exciting!¡± Gric grinned widely, exposing two sharp rows of teeth.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Wraithe agreed, ¡°With Racial Abilities, the humans will be much less vulnerable!¡±


    Gric gave Wraithe an odd look, ¡°You mean that they will better do their part in serving our lord!¡± He corrected.


    Nadine frowned but said nothing.


    ¡°Oi!¡± Clarice barked in warning, ¡°We were taking care of Tim long before either of you were even born! So shut it!¡±


    Wraithe smirked and chittered in amusement as Gric huffed indignantly.


    A short while later, Underlords Skrit and Whisp, the surviving Forrest Goblin Elders arrived.


    ¡°Called for council?¡± Skrit asked crankily, taking a seat closest to the exit.


    *Thwap*


    Whisp gave Skrit a none too gentle slap on the back of the head and took a seat next to him, ¡°Respect!¡± She hissed, ¡°Training anytime!¡±


    Skrit grumbled something under his breath and flinched backwards as Whisp feigned another head smack.


    Getting to my feet, I called our impromptu meeting to order. For the benefit of the illiterate, I read the notification aloud and then sat back down again, giving everyone an opportunity to think over the potential.


    ¡°So?¡± I asked, ¡°What do you all think? Should I do it?¡±


    Gric raised his hand, ¡°I think you should,¡± he agreed excitedly, ¡°Granting Racial Abilities to the humans will only serve to make you more valuable. Even if the Ability they receive is underwhelming.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Clarice cried out angrily, ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡±


    Wraithe reluctantly raised her hand, ¡°Not intending any offence, but most humans are not particularly impressive...¡±


    ¡°Low tier at best,¡± Gric agreed.


    ¡°Low tier would still gain at least one useful Ability though,¡± Wraithe explained placatingly, ¡°Although I must admit that I am uncertain what Ability would best fit humans.¡±


    ¡°Abilities,¡± Nadine corrected distractedly, her brow furrowed in thought, ¡°The notification said Tim would have to choose, so there is more than one.¡±


    ¡°Humans made stronger?¡± Skrit scratched agitatedly at his chin, ¡°Not safe, bad.¡±


    Whisp frowned but nodded in agreement.


    I could understand their reluctance. After being betrayed by the Adventurers Guild, it would take time before the Goblins would be able to trust humans again.


    ¡°Bastards will always be bastards,¡± Clarice interjected, ¡°With or without whatever buffs Tim¡¯s choice would give us humans.¡±


    Whisp frowned, ¡°Is why-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to give more power to your allies!¡± Clarice growled, ¡°You''re forgetting about Synergies!¡±


    Nadine glanced sidelong at Clarice with a mixture of surprise and respect.


    ¡°What that?¡± Skrit asked sceptically.


    Clarice just stared back at the Goblin incredulously for a moment, ¡°Are you being serious right now?¡± She demanded.


    Skrit shifted uncomfortably.


    Clarice shook her head despondent, ¡°I can¡¯t, I just...¡±


    Before the elderly Goblin became upset, I decided to step in and explain how Racial Ability Synergies worked and also why teaching everyone to read and write was so important. The more I explained the benefits, the more excited Skrit became.


    Whisp, on the other hand, had remained much more composed and thoughtful, ¡°This why many monsters bring to Sanctuary?¡± She asked pointedly.


    I shook my head, ¡°No, that has been more of a happy accident. However, different monsters fighting side by side makes us all stronger.¡±


    Whisp nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I say yes,¡± she declared supportively, ¡°More monsters make Sanctuary stronger.¡±


    ¡°Skrit says yes too!¡± Skrit added energetically.


    ¡°I vote in favour of indicting humans into the fold,¡± Gric tented his fingers and smiled.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Wraithe agreed, ¡°But I insist our human representatives'' choices on Abilities be given greater weight.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great to me!¡± Clarice agreed.


    ¡°I know I don¡¯t really have a vote, but I appreciate the show of confidence you all have in us,¡± Nadine added appreciatively.


    I looked at Lash expectantly.


    ¡°Trust you,¡± Lash said simply.


    ¡°Alright. Accept,¡± the Status notification disappeared and a veritable wall of replacements quickly took its place.


    [{Unidentified Species} Has been measured as a tier 1 Evolution. Requires a designation and Primary Racial Ability based on the determined tier of evolution. Extrapolated characteristics match four previously established paths of Evolution. Provide a Species designation and select Evolution pathway to finalise induction of Species.]


    [Evolution Pathway: {Determination}]


    [(Racial Ability: Determination {Rank 0}): Temporarily increase all {Statistics} {1/Day}. Expending MP or HP increases the duration of the effect.]


    [Evolution Pathway: {Resilience}]


    [(Racial Ability: Resilience {Rank 0}): Reduce the effect of Negative Status Conditions. Gain additional HP:{1}.]


    [Evolution Pathway: {Defiance}]


    [(Racial Ability: Defiance {Rank 0}): Reduce the difficulty of resisting Mind Influencing Abilities and Conditions. Expending MP increases the effect.]


    [Evolution Pathway: {Cooperation}]


    [(Racial Ability: Cooperation {Rank 0}): As {Group Leader}, Increase maximum Group Size by {1}. Concentrate to transfer MP to a {Group Member} within range.]


    After reading aloud the instructions and available options for everyone else''s benefit, the room grew quiet.


    ¡°Well,¡± Nadine was the first to break the silence, immediately gaining everyone''s attention in the process, ¡°The choice seems obvious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clarice agreed, somewhat absently while scratching the baby lizard¡¯s head.


    ¡°Cooperation. Determination,¡± Nadine and Clarice had both spoken at the same time but rather predictably given different answers.


    ¡°Huh?! No way! Determination is way better!¡± Clarice argued.


    Nadine vigorously shook her head, ¡°Obviously you haven¡¯t thought it through. Cooperation is obviously superior. Setting aside the advantages of forming a ¡®gank squad¡¯-¡± She air quoted for emphasis, perhaps forgetting that I was the one who used the term, not Clarice, ¡°-Transferring mana through the group could literally save lives!¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Clarie waved off Nadine¡¯s argument dismissively, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t need saving if they could bump their stats when they need it most!¡± She counter-argued.


    As they both young women settled into a barely civil shouting match, I had to admit that my own preferences leaned more towards the Defiance evolutionary pathway. Being able to resist or break out of Enslavement and other agency stripping mind-altering effects was a powerful ability.


    Resilience wasn¡¯t bad either. A flat reduction of the effect of negative status Conditions could be life-saving, not just convenient. Poisoned, Bleeding, Cursed, just to name a few, the Racial Ability could easily be the determining factor between life or death.


    There were no bad choices, but that only served to make the decision even more difficult. Naming the species was easy, they already had a name, so I just had to borrow that.


    Everyone else but Lash had joined the ¡®discussion¡¯ now, loudly proclaiming why their choice was the correct one, and why the others were ¡®well intentioned¡¯ but wrong.


    While massaging my temple, I noticed that another Status Alert had appeared.


    [Tier 1 {Humans} recommended for Subspecies divergence to better adhere to Evolution Pathways. Proceed with inducting {Humans} as a Tier {0} Species with {4} established Subspecies? (Y/N) ]


    Taking a moment to consider it, and put more than a little on edge by the escalating argument, I decided that the prompt was probably better than any eventual compromise we could come up with. ¡°Accept.¡±


    Clarice and Nadine continued arguing for a good thirty seconds longer before noticing what i had done.


    ¡°So you agreed with me right Tim? Determination is obviously the best!¡± Clarice declared confidently.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Interjected Nadine, ¡°I know you have a soft spot for Clarice, but this choice has serious implications Tim. I hope you take the proper time to-¡±


    ¡°Already decided,¡± Lash interrupted with a faint smile.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Clarice and Nadine both exclaimed, one hopeful while the other was quite the opposite.


    ¡°It presented a compromise,¡± I explained carefully, ¡°The system I mean. Four Subspecies rather than just one primary Species. When you think about it, isn¡¯t this a much better representation of Humans anyway? The fact that you both couldn¡¯t agree, while I was favouring a different option entirely, basically proves my point.¡±


    ¡°I guess...¡± Nadine admitted reluctantly, ¡°But how is the whole Subspecies Evolution meant to work? I would have thought that the moment you made your decision, it would have applied the effects, you know?¡±


    That had me concerned for a moment as well, then I remembered what the message has actually said. In addition to making the four options Subspecies, it had also lowered Humans to Tier zero.


    ¡°Clarice, what are you doing?!¡± Nadine cried out, suddenly scrambling in an attempt to tackle the other young woman to the ground.


    I was distracted and hadn¡¯t seen what happened to provoke her, but the ¡®shit-eating grin¡¯ on Clarice¡¯s face seemed proof enough at this point.


    Already established as the stronger of the two, and backed up by advantageous Class Abilities, Clarice effortlessly broke Nadine¡¯s attempted grapple, and swallowed. A visible lump passed down her throat and Nadine¡¯s face fixed in an expression of horror as she numbly tried to lay hands on Clarice again, almost certainly to try and force her to eject whatever she had swallowed.


    Partway through deflecting Nadine¡¯s grapple, Clarice¡¯s attention suddenly shifted, allowing the slimmer woman to drive her to the ground.


    ¡°Come on Clarice! This isn¡¯t a game! Swallowing unrefined manastones can kill you!¡± Nadine sounded terrified. As she attempted to work her fingers into Clarice¡¯s mouth, likely to induce vomiting to try and expel the manastone, Nadine was knocked back as Clarice came back to her senses and gave her a decisive shove.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Keep your fingers out of my mouth!¡± Clarice laughed playfully, as if it were all a game, ¡°Bloody hell! It actually worked!¡±


    I hastily glanced at the top of Clarice¡¯s Status.


    [Clarice - Determined Human Runt: 1 ]


    Furrowing my brow, I brought up Nadine¡¯s Status for comparison.


    [Nadine - Human: 0 ]


    It was different from before, but not by much. However, it did remind me of Toofy¡¯s Status when we first found her, and the same for the Vrabbits. Was this what the foundation of all Evolutions looked like? ¡°Your status has changed too,¡± I told Nadine, hoping that perhaps she could fill in some of the blanks.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Nadine dazedly shifted her attention from Clarice to me.


    ¡°Your race has a progress tracker next to it,¡± I elaborated, ¡°Clarice¡¯s is at rank one, and yours is zero.¡±


    Nadine turned back to Clarice, an expression of dawning realization on her face.


    ¡°Finally put it together, huh?¡± Clarice gloated with a wide grin.


    Nadine frowned slightly and nodded, ¡°That was still super dangerous Clarice!¡± She slugged the other young woman in the arm for emphasis, ¡°Do you even-¡± Nadine suddenly flinched and stopped mid-sentence, ¡°You could''ve-¡± She flinched again, ¡°Just try not to be so impulsive!¡± Nadine huffed.


    ¡°Are you alright Nadine?¡± The way she was flinching was disturbing, especially since Nadine seemed to be largely ignoring it.


    Nadine pursed her lips and shared a weighted look with Clarice, ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it, sorry Tim.¡±


    I frowned. The way Nadine had inflected the first half of her sentence sounded...off. ¡®What do you mean?¡± I prompted, wanting to confirm my suspicions.


    Nadine flinched, as I expected her to.


    ¡°We can¡¯t talk about it-¡± Clarice bodily flinched, ¡°Fffuck I hate that!¡± She snarled. Getting to her feet, Nadine began pacing back and forth while energetically waving her wrists as if trying to draw feeling back into her hands.


    Clarice¡¯s reaction all but confirmed it for me, something was literally preventing them from talking about it. Most likely, it was an oath of secrecy, and if that was the case, then it was almost certainly one imposed by the Adventurers Guild. Worried that elaborating on my assumptions might trigger a reaction from the oath, I decided to keep my reaction somewhat vague. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I think I understand.¡±


    Nadine gave no visible reaction, ¡°Tim, I wanted to tell you something earlier, regarding the attempted kidnapping,¡± she explained neutrally, ¡°As long as people think they can steal the knowledge of unlocking Classes from Sanctuary¡¯s people, they will keep trying to abduct them.¡± Nadine made a point of looking me dead in the eyes, ¡°You should make all of your people swear oaths of secrecy regarding the Classes, that would stop anyone from being able to steal them while you attempt a rescue.¡±


    I nodded to show I understood what Nadine meant.


    ¡°I shall see to it personally,¡± Gric guaranteed.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°As Overseer of Sanctuary, it is now your responsibility to make sure every man, woman and child takes not only an oath of loyalty, but secrecy as well. Anyone wishing to breach either oath, requires either your or my permission to do so, understood?¡±


    Gric nodded eagerly and then looked expectantly at each person present in turn.


    One by one, everyone swore the additional oath of secrecy. Technically, Nadine and Clarice had never sworn oaths of loyalty, but I wouldn¡¯t force them to if they didn¡¯t want to. As founders of Sanctuary, it seemed wrong to think that an oath would do more to stay their hand than their invested effort would.


    That did raise another point of interest, ¡°Where is Emelia and Tobi?¡± I wanted to confirm my suspicions about Shady, Tobi¡¯s Shadowcat. Whether it was a Variant or just a disturbingly intelligent Beast monster.


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks turned pink and she determinedly avoided eye contact, ¡°Probably still in their room,¡± she explained quietly.


    Clarice snorted in amusement before returning her attention to her lizard Dhizi.


    During our hastily-convened meeting, the wedge headed goanna had ripped her way through the first bull-horned toad and was partway through the second. Granted, once the meeting had begun to wind down, Ril and Toofy had taken it upon themselves to stuff as much meat down the admittedly glutenous lizard¡¯s gullet as possible.


    [Dhizi - Fester Maw Hatchling: 0 ] [HP: 20/20] [MP: 0 ]


    [Clarice¡¯s Pet] [Class: ??? ] [Exp: 0/0 ]


    [Strength: 10* ]


    [Agility: 4 ]


    [Toughness: 10* ]


    [Intelligence: 3* ]


    [Willpower: 5 ]


    [Presence: 3 ]


    [(Racial Ability: Festering Bite {Rank 0}): Enemies wounded by {Bite} attacks are afflicted with the {Poisoned} Condition and become Vulnerable to the {Bleeding} Condition. {Toughness} increases the effect.]


    [(Racial Ability: Rending Teeth {Rank 0}): Enemies wounded by {Bite} attacks are afflicted with the {Bleeding} Condition. {Strength} increases the effect.]


    [(Racial Ability: Scent Blood {Rank 0}): Detects and highlights {Bloodied} and {Bleeding} targets within a predetermined range. {Intelligence} increases the range of the effect.] Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dhizi¡¯s Status was more or less what I had expected, with the exception of her being classified as Clarice¡¯s pet, rather than a slave or minion. It was my first time seeing such a variation, so it seemed weirder than it otherwise would have done. It did serve to remind me of something though.


    ¡°Clarice, I expect every Underlord to unlock and transition into the Master tier Leadership Classes. If you''re up for it, I think we had better unlock it sooner rather than later,¡± I insisted, ¡°You three should do the same as well,¡± I motioned to Wraithe, Skrit and Whisp each in turn.


    ¡°What is?¡± Skrit asked cautiously.


    ¡°A class like mine,¡± I explained, ¡°And like Lash,¡± I continued, after not receiving the enthusiastic response I had initially expected.


    Skrit and Whisp¡¯s eyes went wide with awe, apparently far more impressed by Lash¡¯s capabilities than mine. ¡°We do!¡± Both elderly Goblins agreed eagerly.


    ¡°Are you certain Lord?¡± Wraithe seemed more hesitant, ¡°What if I lose my Surgeon capabilities altogether?¡±


    ¡°Then you will retain your position as Surgeon General,¡± I reassured the anxious Daemon, ¡°If you lose the Surgeon Abilities themselves, then it will just become even more important to foster talents amongst the others and expand our medical knowledge.¡±


    Wraithe visibly relaxed, ¡°Thank you Lord, I will do as you command.¡±


    ¡°Well? What are we waiting for?¡± Clarice nimbly hopped to her feet, ¡°Let''s get to it! I bet I¡¯ll unlock some sort of legendary warrior Class or something,¡± she boasted confidently.


    Lash and I shared an amused look with one another, knowing full well what the required leadership Class entailed for unlocking, and that Clarice would very likely not enjoy the experience.


    With Emelia and Tobi still, ¡®upstairs¡¯, Nadine was more than happy to tag along as medical support, just in case Wraithe lost all her Surgeon Abilities in acquiring the new Class.


    Leaving Dhizi in Ril and Toofy¡¯s enthusiastic care, we left Sanctuary through a new rear gate created by Qreet and her fellow Druids. The soldiers were still in the final stages of relocating to their camp, and I wanted to avoid giving the adventurers and other human refugees an excuse or opportunity to witness the unlock method. There was always a chance that someone clever might figure it out just by context clues alone.


    ¡°You''re serious?¡± Nadine demanded incredulously, eyeing the rapidly approaching Swamp Lurker.


    ¡°Very,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Is truth,¡± Lash agreed, ¡°Collar beast, become stronger.¡±


    Clarice seemed more at ease after hearing that, even though she had already looked over Lash¡¯s Status and should have seen something like this coming.


    To her credit, Clarice did much better than I expected her to. I had forgotten that her Advanced Class would give her a definitive advantage at something like this. Within a few seconds, it was all over, the Swamp Lurker rendered docile by a beast slave collar crafted by our own resident Beast Trainers.


    ¡°Uh, I think there might be a problem?¡± Clarice stated uncertainly, ¡°Says something about pending? What¡¯s that me-oh never mind,¡± her brow furrowed in confusion, ¡°Can?¡± Clarice gave me a questioning look.


    I decided to take a look for myself to see what was going on.


    [Clarice - Determined Human Drudge: 1 ] [HP: 31/31] [MP: 5/5 ]


    [Tim¡¯s Slave*] [Class: Human Khan. +1 Strength, +5 HP. ] [Exp: 0/25000 ]


    [Strength: 13* ]


    [Agility: 10 ]


    [Toughness: 13 ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 10 ]


    [Presence: 7* ]


    [(Class Ability: Pillager): Slaying an enemy has a chance to strip them of their belongings and deliver them to the nearest allied Settlement Totem. Expending MP will deliver the corpse alongside all belongings.]


    [(Class Ability: Brutal Momentum {Rank 0}): Increases the momentum of your attacks. {Strength} increases momentum.]


    [(Class Ability: Bonded Mount): Accelerates the evolution of a bonded Beast. The bonded Beast gains access to the bonded rider¡¯s Class Abilities. Limit {1} bonded Beast.


    [(Class Ability: Implacable Charge {Rank 0}): Reduce the momentum of enemy attacks while engaging in a mounted charge. Expending MP extends this effect to nearby allies.]


    [(Class Ability: High Ground {Rank 0}): Deal additional damage while attacking an enemy with lower elevation. [Strength/Agility} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Determination {Rank 1}): Temporarily increase all {Statistics} {1/Day}. Expending MP or HP prematurely resets the daily limit.]


    ¡°Wow...¡± I had not expected this. Although in hindsight, I probably should have. I might be way off, but I was pretty sure Imperator was Roman, and Khan was definitely Mongolian. Unsure if the Labyrinth was just pulling similar concepts from my mind to match with from this world, it was certainly starting to seem like it.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Clarice asked worriedly, ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°I...I¡¯m fine,¡± I tried to put it out of mind for the time being. ¡°It¡¯s pronounced Khan. Where I am from, Khans were leaders of nomadic tribes that rode horses into battle. They were well known as conquerors and impeccable riders.¡±


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining...¡± Clarice disengaged from the Swamp Lurker and rubbed her arm awkwardly, ¡°Why do you think it changed from that Imper Class to this Carn?¡±


    ¡°Close,¡± I smirked, but grew quite serious again without meaning to, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe you just happened to have all the exact pieces required to unlock the Khan? Who knows, maybe you were a hairsbreadth from unlocking something else but this one was slightly closer?¡±


    ¡°I guess...¡± Clarice agreed noncommittally before suddenly perking up again, ¡°The Abilities are pretty kick ass though!¡±


    Nadine nodded in agreement, ¡°Certainly seems to have had your impulsive temperament in mind,¡± she joked.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Clarice grinned and gave her a playful shove. ¡°Do you think Dhizi will grow big enough for me to be able to ride her?¡± She asked seriously.


    Nadine shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember reading anything about Fester Maws, so I cant really guess either.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I hedged, ¡°It is a monster after all, so it could be a matter of when and not if you can ride her.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Nadine agreed with a nod, ¡°And she is a named monster too, so she will keep evolving. You never know, one of those evolutions might be something that could serve as a mount.¡±


    ¡°Lord, a human representative wishes to speak with you,¡± Wraithe interjected politely, ¡°Gric says that the innkeeper Kirk and his wife both vouch for this man,¡± she added.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± Clarice asked, beating me to it.


    ¡°Cecil? Seasil?¡± Wraithe scrunched her face in confusion for a moment before shaking her head, ¡°A merchant,¡± she shrugged helplessly.


    ¡°Will you be able to help the others through the unlocking process?¡± I asked with a sigh, in no particular mood to negotiate with a merchant.


    Wraithe nodded but seemed to empathize with my reluctance, ¡°I can Lord.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Just make sure not to take any absurd risks,¡± I reminded her, ¡°I would vastly prefer everyone Unlocks their Classes without any injuries if we can avoid it. If you have to cheat to make sure the Goblins get a decent crack at it, then do it. Alright?¡±


    Wraithe nodded obediently, ¡°Swamp Moccasins seemed an appropriate choice,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°Smart,¡± I grinned and gave Wraithe an approving pat on the shoulder before heading back to Sanctuary.


    ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, catch up with you guys later,¡± Clarice explained as she began jogging ahead, ¡°Gonna see how big my baby can get!¡± She cheered excitedly.


    Nadine and I shared an exasperated look and then smiled, Clarice hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see everything hasn¡¯t gone to her head,¡± Nadine joked sarcastically.


    ¡°I feel sorry for the poor hunting teams,¡± I sighed. If Dhizi had an appetite remotely close to the Daemons, then was liable to go through four or more Swamp Lurkers before sundown.


    Having returned to Sanctuary with Lash and Nadine, we found the innkeeper Kirk, his wife Rose, a young woman with red hair and dark freckles I assumed was their daughter Millie. They had two Daemons standing watch a short distance away, their bodies concealed by heavy robes.


    Having seen us coming from a distance, the trio seemed quite happy to see Nadine, but were somewhat apprehensive regarding myself, or perhaps Lash.


    ¡°I am glad you are alright,¡± I offered Kirk my arm.


    Kirk smiled, visibly relieved as he clasped my arm in greeting, ¡°As am I!¡± He joked nervously, ¡°Thought we were done for, just like on the first floor...¡± Kirk¡¯s hand and arm trembled slightly before he let go, ¡°But look at you! I knew there was something different about you! A chieftain of your own Settlement and everything!¡± He waved expansively at Sanctuary¡¯s surroundings with an expression of awe.


    ¡°I sort of fell into the job,¡± I admitted sheepishly, ¡°Despite what the army thinks, I was a slave when we first met.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Rose seemed genuinely surprised, ¡°But you were so...-¡±


    ¡°Polite?¡± I suggested with a smirk.


    ¡°Well, sure,¡± Rose agreed with a smile.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Lash held her arm out to Rose.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rose seemed somewhat surprised. ¡°Hello,¡± she somewhat nervously accepted the arm clasp.


    ¡°This is Lash,¡± I explained, ¡°My wife.¡± A lifetime growing up in Australia left ¡®mate¡¯ feeling rather inadequate in regards to defining our relationship.


    Rose¡¯s demeanor brightened considerably, ¡°Oh! Congratulations! No wonder your life got together in such a hurry eh? Haha,¡± she chuckled good naturedly.


    Lash seemed somewhat confused, ¡°Wife is?¡± she murmured quietly while giving me an imploring look.


    ¡°It¡¯s like mate, bonded. The human word,¡± I explained.


    Lash smiled, and confidently turned back to Rose, ¡°Yes, Tim my wife,¡± she proclaimed proudly.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Nadine barely covered her mouth in time to hide her reaction.


    Kirk¡¯s face turned an interesting shade of purple as he held his breath and tried not to laugh.


    Rose, bless her heart, appeared to be made of stone and just nodded congenially.


    Mollie didn¡¯t quite seem to know what to do with herself and squeaked nervously before covering her face in her hands out of equal parts terror and embarrassment.


    ¡°I am your husband,¡± I corrected with a grin and then pointed to myself, ¡°Husband,¡± I then pointed back at Lash, ¡°Wife.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Lash blushed and ducked her head down in embarrassment.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I kissed her cheek consolingly, ¡°Humans have a lot of words for just about everything, and it can get confusing sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Why laugh?¡± Lash asked apprehensively.


    ¡°Well...¡± There was a great deal to unpack to fully explain everything, so I decided to keep it simple. ¡°Basically, a wife is a female, like you or Rose, who gets bonded. A husband is a male, like me or Kirk, who gets bonded. Humans usually find it funny when you call someone the one they aren''t.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lash smiled shyly and nodded in understanding, ¡°So many words,¡± she complained half-heartedly.


    I shrugged, ¡°You''re not wrong,¡± I agreed.


    During this exchange, Rose had begun cuddling Kirk¡¯s arm and leaning on his shoulder, watching us like Lash and I were some sort of daytime soap opera. ¡°They go so well together, don''t you think?¡± Rose whispered.


    ¡°Mhm...¡± Kirk was still struggling not to laugh and was determinedly biting down on his lip.


    ¡°Uh, so anyway,¡± I cleared my throat to try and bring things back on track, ¡°If Millie still wants to become a Surgeon, she can start taking classes at any time.¡±


    That sobered Kirk up right quick, ¡°R-really?¡± He stammered, struggling not to cough as some spittle went down his airway.


    ¡°Even though we didn¡¯t manage to hold up our end of the bargain?¡± Rose asked guiltily.


    I snorted quietly and smiled as I nodded in confirmation, ¡°You meant to, and that¡¯s what counts. Even if the foothold wasn¡¯t attacked, we actually wanted to change the plan on our end after things started taking off over here. That¡¯s why Nadine and the others were out there, to bring you here instead.¡±


    Kirk and Rose looked shocked. Apparently, none of the girls had told them why they were out there.


    Far more humble now, compared to finding out I was the chieftain of a Settlement, Kirk pulled off his leather cap, ¡°Is that true?¡± He asked Nadine.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Tim argued that it would be much safer in the long run. Even before everything went crazy, we had already managed to carve out a real safe haven, you know?¡±


    Kirk and Rose both nodded in understanding, their eyes wandering over the strange structures and vibrant fields bursting with food.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone from the army talked to you about it yet, but I was wondering if you wanted to run an inn again. One of your own this time.¡± The idea was partly to repay them for their kindness and willingness to help, but also to serve as trusted intermediaries to facilitate trade.


    Kirk nodded, ¡°Uh...Yeah! A Colonel sat us down and gave us this whole spiel about the greater good and national interest. By the end of it, we were half convinced they were conscripting Millie into the army!¡± He shivered and gulped hard, ¡°Then he goes on to say that the crown wants to build us an inn and that we should very seriously consider accepting it. I thought maybe they were going to charge us an arm and a leg for it, maybe try to copper and silver it out from under us with hidden taxes or fees or something...¡±


    ¡°But this makes more sense...¡± Rose scratched her chin thoughtfully, ¡°You made some sort of deal with the military, right?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Several actually, although our latest one is by far the most significant, and still pending for the time being. In regards to the inn, I had hoped that you would serve as intermediaries to help facilitate trade with the approved merchants the army will begin bringing through,¡± I explained enthusiastically, ¡°Of course you can feel free to charge for the service, like a commission or something, I don¡¯t expect you to work for free.


    After a solid minute of silence, Kirk and Rose gave each other a prolonged meaningful look.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kirk agreed, ¡°I would have to be an idiot to say no to free construction and a decade of tax-free operation.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow in curiosity.


    ¡°The officer made some offers to try and sweeten the deal,¡± Kirk admitted with wry grin, ¡°He even offered to negotiate for Millie to receive training in an Advanced Class, but Rose caught on right quick that they must have gotten it from you or one of the girls in the first place.¡±


    I nodded to show I understood. So long as the offer was to negotiate for the service on their behalf, then that was fine. Although it was still quite interesting to see the lengths the army would go through to facilitate one of my requests.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Rose lightly smacked her brow, ¡°I completely forgot! There is someone we think you should meet, if you have the time?¡± She amended somewhat apologetically.


    ¡°Gah, right! Cecil!¡± Kirk added, thumping the side of his head.


    ¡°Who is Cecil?¡± I asked, more than a little intrigued by their reactions at having forgotten him.


    The married couple shared a weighted look, ¡°Cecil, erm, is a merchant, of sorts,¡± Kirk replied evasively and looked around nervously before suddenly growing relieved, ¡°Right, monster settlement,¡± he chuckled with visible relief.


    ¡°Cecil is a radical abolitionist,¡± Rose explained, ¡°He and his associates, erm, steal people and monsters, then set them free.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± It made much more sense why Kirk had been so nervous talking about it. Even though Asrus didn¡¯t use slaves as extensively as the other countries, they were still considered legitimate property. As such, liberating them, without their owners consent, constituted theft and was a crime. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll meet with him,¡± I agreed, ¡°But we probably don¡¯t want to be too obvious about it, right?¡±


    ¡°It should be fine,¡± Kirk reassured me, ¡°Cecil¡¯s cover as a provisions merchant has held up for years. If any looky-loos see us talking, they will probably attribute it to the Inn we were talking about earlier. The inn will be on your land after all, so it just makes sense that you would be part of the negotiations right?¡±


    That made sense and Kirk seemed confident enough, ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°But perhaps it would be best if Nadine introduced Millie to her instructors and peers?¡± I suggested, giving the poor girl an easy out.


    Millie gave her parents a pleading look.


    ¡°Would it be alright if I go with her?¡± Rose asked nervously, ¡®Not that I don¡¯t trust you or your-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I agreed, ¡°Just bear in mind that you will be required to take both a vow of loyalty and secrecy.¡±


    Rose sighed with relief and nodded, apparently all too familiar with the process.


    ¡°Oh, right. If you do want to take up the offer of an inn, I can offer you both Advanced Classes to better ensure your safety,¡± my proposition caught Kirk and Rose quite unawares.


    ¡°I, uh, don¡¯t really know what to say,¡± Kirk flubbed, nervously wringing his badly stained tunic.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Nadine suggested with a playful smirk, ¡°I¡¯d definitely recommend it. Tim could probably assign a repeating quest to award Exp each time you help the locals secure a good trade deal too.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°Securing favourable and stable long term trade deals will be important. The more valuable Sanctuary proves to be, the more resistance ne''er do wells will face in trying to cause us problems.¡±


    ¡°Then we accept!¡± Rose agreed happily.


    ¡°Alright, we can speak more about it later. After you have taken your oaths, you can tell one of the Daemons when you are ready to speak with Gric, he can let you know the list of Classes we know how to unlock.¡± I looked off in the direction of the army¡¯s camp and was glad to see that it was almost completely packed down, with only the command tent and a few half collapsed tents still standing.


    ¡°We will do that!¡± Rose agreed eagerly.


    ¡°Alright, follow me,¡± Nadine motioned for Rose and Millie to follow, and then began walking in the direction of the Hospital, ¡°You''re going to love it Millie! There is so much to learn and one of the officers is super handsome!¡±


    I wrinkled my brow and tried to remember the faces of the two male soldiers being trained as Surgeons, but drew a blank. I could only shrug in response to Kirk¡¯s sudden look of concern. ¡°I doubt they would have the confidence to flirt with your daughter while your wife is watching,¡± I tried to reassure him.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t Millie I was worried about...¡± Kirk grumbled quietly, ¡°Officers in wartime are as bad a match as adventurers anytime. I just hope she remembers that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like the idea of your daughter marrying an officer?¡± I asked, having trouble following the sudden shift in reasoning.


    Kirk nodded and began leading us towards the army encampment, ¡°There are rumours of heavy skirmishes taking place along the borders, entire squads disappearing without a trace. The crown seems to be denying it, but they have been paying out the pensions all the same...¡±


    I could see what Kirk was getting at. Border skirmishes had always been a prelude to war on Earth, and paying out the military pensions of the missing was tantamount to admitting their deaths. The army¡¯s desperation in wanting to grow stronger as quickly as possible made a bit more sense. I had already assumed that they had problems with their neighbours, but had not expected things to have progressed so far. Especially since it had been explained that Asrus was not intended to be the focus of aggression from either side of the actual conflict.


    Nearing the edge of the army¡¯s camp, we found Cpt. Kristof engaged in a quiet conversation with a tall blonde-haired man wearing a soiled yet expensive looking coat and boots. The man''s pants were similarly soiled, but were obviously made of cheaper materials.


    As we drew closer, Kirk raised his hand in greeting, ¡°Cecil! Oi oi!¡±


    The tall man turned to look in our direction and smiled. Classically handsome, Cecil had an aquiline nose, intense blue eyes and a short well-trimmed beard. ¡°Kirk! It is good to see you!¡± He made as if to approach and meet us partway. However, Cpt. Kristof was having none of it, and swiftly planted a large hand on Cecil''s shoulder, firmly holding him in place.


    ¡°Captain,¡± I gave Cpt. Kristof a nod in greeting after drawing closer.


    Cpt. Kristof saluted but made no other reply.


    ¡°Any word from your Colonel?¡± I asked, not really expecting much of a reply given how little time had passed.


    ¡°Colonel Klive, left for the capital an hour ago sir. I expect we will not receive further news for another hour at least,¡± Cpt. Kristof answered somewhat cagily while eyeing Cecil.


    ¡°I want to speak with this man in private,¡± I explained bluntly, unsure of how much the army knew about him and not willing to overcommit before I had a better understanding of his character.


    Cpt. Kristof fidgetted uncomfortably, ¡°After the incident, I would strongly suggest against it,¡± he insisted. Careful not to overstep his authority.


    I frowned disapprovingly, more exaggerated bluff than my actual state of mind. I would prefer privacy, but wouldn¡¯t demand it. Worse case, Cecil would return once Kirk and Rose¡¯s inn was built, and we could speak then.


    Cpt. Kristof began to visibly sweat, ¡°Uh...¡± He looked around as if seeking out a superior officer, or perhaps a colleague of similar rank to help back him up. Eyes settling on the command tent, Cpt. Kristof sighed in relief, ¡°Then might I suggest the use of our command tent?¡± He suggested hopefully, ¡°It should afford all the privacy you could hope for, while also allowing me to keep an eye out to make sure no one causes trouble,¡±his last words were directed at Cecil, who only shrugged innocently in response to the unspoken accusation.


    ¡°Acceptable,¡± I agreed and began making my way towards the command tent.


    Leaving the captain outside, the four of us sat down at the table, Lash by my side, with Kirk and Cecil sitting opposite us.


    ¡°I am glad that I have the chance to speak with you in person,¡± Cecil admitted with no small amount of relief as he extended his hand across the table.


    I clasped his forearm and motioned for him to continue.


    ¡°Our mutual friend-¡± Cecil offhandedly motioned to Kirk, ¡°-has likely already told you some of the more important things about me and my work, but allow me to better explain what it is we of the Midnight Caravan do, so there will be no misunderstandings or cause for bad blood between us. Is this agreeable?¡±


    I nodded and motioned for him to continue.


    ¡°We are Slavers,¡± he stated boldly, causing Lash to immediately tense in response, ¡°That is to say, many amongst our number ply the trade as cover and to allow the forcible breaking of Enslavement bonds.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I commented, reasonably familiar with the basics of Enslavement.


    Cecil paused for a moment and gave me a curious look.


    ¡°The girls enslaved him when they first found him, and later he flipped it on them,¡± Kirk explained.


    Cecil¡¯s eyes grew wide, ¡°Oh, so you DO know then, that will save us a great deal of time. Then I will move on to some facts you may not be aware of. The overwhelming majority of Variant slaves are taken from the first twenty floors of the Labyrinths, most commonly the first five. Slaves are typically sold into either general labour or military conscription, although, there are exceptions,¡± his mouth scrunched up and he winced slightly as he spoke the last, making it clear that those exceptions were considered truly distasteful. ¡°I won''t beat around the bush, we need you and your settlement,¡± Cecil admitted, ¡°Returning freed slaves to their original homes is close to impossible without extensive access to Adventurer guild records of each Labyrinth. Even then, it is still a guessing game, and not all freed slaves have a home to return to. We do our best to return those that we can, but as I said, it isn¡¯t always possible and finding them safe places to hide is becoming increasingly difficult.¡±


    ¡°How have you been hiding them?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Just mingling them amongst other slaves? Or places where people expect to see slaves?¡±


    Cecil smiled wryly and nodded, ¡°Both, in truth. But our resources are close to reaching capacity,¡± he earnestly held my gaze again and clasped both hands, ¡°So I ask only that you please give these freed slaves a chance!¡±


    I was a soft touch, and well aware of it, so I looked to Lash for a more balanced opinion and perspective, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Lash was thoughtful for a moment and then nodded determinedly, ¡°New blood make Sanctuary stronger,¡± she declared confidently.


    She had a point. Every new species of monster we brought into Sanctuary increased our group Synergy potential, making us stronger. Then there was the long term issue of genetic diversity, which once again reminded me that I still hadn¡¯t spoken with someone about how monster pregnancy differed from humans or animals.


    ¡°Your mate is as wise as she is beautiful,¡± Cecil flattered, his eyes betraying his relief at receiving Lash¡¯s support.


    Even though I knew he was just trying to flatter her to better work his way into our good graces, I felt a sudden surge of possessive jealousy. I reached one hand over and around Lash¡¯s waist and then drew her closer, ¡°Yes, she is,¡± I replied flatly, unable to keep the hint of a scowl from creeping onto my face.


    Lash grinned and snuggled in closer. A clear reminder that in spite of her minimalist and stilted speech, she was still fully capable of understanding everything we were saying.


    Setting aside my jealousy, I took a moment to calm down. ¡°Any freed slaves, and those who accompany them, will be required to swear oaths of loyalty and secrecy, as well as follow Sanctuary¡¯s laws,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°That is perfectly understandable,¡± Cecil agreed, ¡°I promise you won¡¯t regret this!¡± He extended his hand to formalize the agreement.


    Firmly clasping the abolitionist''s arm, I sincerely doubted it. Slavery had been big money on Earth, and from what I knew of this world so far, it was even more so. With that in mind, I knew I had just become a part of pissing off some very powerful people.


    *****


    Col. Klive followed closely behind the royal guards and deeper into the castle. Unlike his last visit, the already impressive security had been increased close to three fold. Squads of royal guards diligently patrolled the passages and checked each room, making sure the windows and shutters were securely locked and free of tampering.


    Only able to assume that something had happened in his absence, Col. Klive wished his scorts would increase their pace.


    After no less than fifteen further security checkpoints and identity challenges, Col Klive was finally standing in the waiting chamber of the king. Contrary to the heightened security elsewhere, the level of security had waned when drawing closer to the king, likely as a result of prioritising manpower for the Prince¡¯s quarters.


    Despite the gossiping of the common folk, Klive knew that the King wanted nothing more than to pass the crown to his nephew, and the increased security measures confirmed it.


    ¡°Enter!¡± The king called out from the other side of the door.


    One of Klive¡¯s escorts opened the door and motioned for him to enter.


    Not wanting to keep the king waiting, Col. Klive hastily entered the king¡¯s study. Just as impressive as the last time he had attended the king, the study was in fact a small personal library filled with untold knowledge collected through the kingdom''s illustrious history.


    The king stood with his back to the door, hands planted on his desk and scouring a map of the kingdom adorned with model soldiers. ¡°Klive? Tell me, what is so important that you require a personal audience? Even after receiving the full authority I can bestow under the laws governing my regency?¡± The king¡¯s voice was laden with fatigue but still held a genuine note of curiosity.


    Klive hurriedly cleared his throat, ¡°My liege-¡±


    ¡°Regent,¡± The king corrected sharply, ¡°For the final time, Colonel Klive, you will refer to me as Regent, or at worst, Lord Regent! I am not, and will never, accept this infuriating crown,¡± he tapped the gold band on his head for emphasis.


    Klive flinched, but nodded, far too excited by his news to take the rebuke to heart. ¡°The Ogre Chieftain, he made another offer.¡±


    The king stiffened for a moment and then pushed himself away from his desk. Tall, but incredibly lean, the king bore only a passing resemblance to his brother. His raven black hair seemed to defy his advanced age, as did his piercing steel grey eyes. However, the dark rings under king¡¯s eyes and two days worth of accumulated stubble surrounding his otherwise immaculately trimmed moustache and beard, made it obvious that he likely had not strayed from his study for at least a day and likely more. ¡°Another offer? Then he has accepted the treaty?¡±


    ¡°Yes my Lie-ord Regent, that agreement was reached already, albeit with a few acceptable concessions and alterations,¡± Klive replied hastily, ¡°The Chieftain has offered another deal, one that renders the others nearly insignificant!¡±


    The king narrowed his eyes but held up one hand to stall further explanation while he stiffly lowered himself into a nearby chair, ¡°Proceed.¡±


    ¡°Titles of power...¡± Klive¡¯s mouth felt dry after just speaking those few words aloud.


    The king¡¯s attention intensified, ¡°You are certain?¡±


    Klive couldn¡¯t help himself from shaking as he nodded in confirmation, ¡°His descriptions match those from the records you showed me all those years ago, although they are admittedly less flowery in naming than the records suggested.¡±


    ¡°Which titles did he offer specifically? Was it the Least? Perhaps a Lesser?¡± The King asked with equal parts excitement and anxiety.


    Klive couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Not just the least title, but an offer for the Governance, or Overseer as he called it.¡±


    The king stared back at Klive in astonishment, ¡°Truly?¡± He demanded breathlessly.


    Klive nodded.


    The king sprang to his feet and began manically pacing next to his desk, ¡°We need this! It just might be enough to see us through the coming devastation...¡± He stared grimly at the map, ¡°What does the Ogre want? Do I want to know?¡±


    Klive stepped forward and couldn¡¯t have wiped the smile from his face if he tried, ¡°Half of the least titles provided by the Governance was all he asked for, in addition to deepening our alliance of non-aggression and swearing oaths in support of that alliance.¡±


    The king was stunned, ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± He demanded incredulously.


    Klive nodded, ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± he confirmed.


    The king shook his head and rubbed nervously at his temple, ¡°I thought your people¡¯s reports held this Ogre in high esteem, and of ¡®remarkably high intelligence and wit¡¯? There is no way he cannot understand how valuable this is, especially...¡± The king froze and began nodding his head, ¡°Yes, that has to be it. He is unsure of our intentions, or more specifically, mine. He intends to use you and your men as a buffer between us!¡±


    Klive wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that, especially since it seemed like something the Ogre would do. His people¡¯s safety always came first, and as the king pointed out, Klive and his men were already literally expected to serve as a buffer against other human threats and interference.


    ¡°This is perfect!¡± The king declared excitedly, ¡°I want you back in Hurst¡¯s Labyrinth as soon as possible! We need to accept this deal before it is snatched off the table!¡±


    Klive made to obey his king¡¯s command, but froze as he remembered the final part of the Ogre¡¯s request, ¡°Ah, there is one final requirement for the deal to be finalized,¡± he apologised sheepishly.


    ¡®Well, what is it?!¡± The king demanded worriedly.


    ¡°He was concerned that my rank would not be a sufficient deterrent...nor reflect the elevated status of my position...¡± Klive explained awkwardly. Begging for promotion was something ¡®other officers¡¯ did, and it rubbed Klive the wrong way.


    The King paused his pacing for a moment and then nodded in understanding, ¡°Hestin is a good man, I wouldn¡¯t see him demoted, not with what is coming, would Field Marshal be sufficient?¡±


    Klive shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I think he expected I would be ruling a territory under official..erm...noble title...A Baron, I believe was the comparison...¡±He felt dirty for even having suggested it and fully expected the King to reprimand him.


    ¡°Done!¡± The king waved his hand dismissively, ¡°With your public record of service, no one will bat so much as an eye at raising you to the lower peerage. It¡¯s the promotion to Field Marshal I expect to ruffle a few feathers! Although the elevation to nobility may assuage that to a degree...¡± Slipping into his own thoughts, the King energetically waved for Klive to carry out his mission.


    Only too eager to obey, Klive bowed and hurriedly left the King¡¯s study. First his promotion to Colonel, and now this...Klive took what little consolation he could in the fact that at least his wife would be happy, and that for the first time since he was married, his mother-in-law would be well and truly lacking for complaints. Well...for a while at least anyway.

 Chapter 25 – Leaders of men – Part Two

    Chapter 25 ¨C Leaders of men ¨C Part TwoChapter 25 - Leaders of men - Part Two


    It was not until leaving the command tent, that I realised I had not inquired after how exactly Kirk was involved with Cecil and the Midnight Caravan. However, before I had a chance to ask, Cecil had been taken away by Cpt. Kristof and replaced by a familiar junior officer whose name I could not quite place.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± the junior officer, a Lieutenant, straightened her back and delivered a crisp salute. ¡°Chieftain Tim, Field Marshal Klive, formerly Colonel Klive, requests a face to face meeting at your earliest convenience!¡± By no means trying to be forceful, it was obvious that the Lieutenant was just incredibly excited.


    As I had expected, the Colonel had been promoted. Hardly a surprise given the value of the resources he was securing for his king and country. ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°Field Marshal Klive and no more than two accompanying escorts may seek me out when he returns to Sanctuary. We have much to discuss.¡±


    The Lieutenant snapped another salute then spun on her heel and rejoined a small squad of waiting soldiers. As they set out after the column of soldiers and supplies streaming out Sanctuary¡¯s gate, the young Lieutenant took out a communication tablet and began earnestly relaying my response to her superiors, or so I assumed.


    With no further need for lingering in the camp, I led the others back towards the public fountain. ¡°Kirk?¡± I figured now was as good a time as any to indulge my curiosity.


    ¡°Uh, yes Tim?¡± Kirk had been taking in the surrounding barrows with genuine interest and hadn¡¯t expected the question.


    ¡°How do you and Rose know Cecil and the caravan?¡± I asked, making sure not to use the Midnight Caravan¡¯s actual title.


    Kirk was quiet for a moment. ¡°Well, we used to help out sometimes,¡± he admitted vaguely, ¡°After a very close call, we said our goodbyes and took on more predictable work.¡±


    I nodded in understanding. There were few parents who would entertain the idea of orphaning their child, even for a worthy and noble cause.


    After reuniting Kirk with his wife and daughter at the hospital, Lash and I wandered through the Druids fields.


    Children of all ages were running this way and that, stuffing their mouths with different fruits, nuts and berries while a rather large number of caretakers shadowed the periphery or trailed behind the most excitable groups.


    ¡°Lash?¡± There was still an important question I needed answered.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Lash batted her vibrant amethyst eyes and leaned in closer.


    ¡°Where do monster babies come from?¡± I blurted out awkwardly.


    Lash blinked.


    ¡°I mean, I know where they come from,¡± My cheeks flushed, ¡°But I don¡¯t see any pregnant women, and can¡¯t remember having seen any either.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lash¡¯s eyes flashed in understanding. Motioning for me to sit down, Lash sat down beside me. With one sweep of her powerful hand, she cleared a large patch of dirt in front of us. ¡°Every woman taught Mothers Moon,¡± Lash explained, drawing crude yet unexpectedly artistic stick figure representations of a female Orc, Goblin, and assumedly Serpent-Kin. ¡°All Deep Orcs same, other monsters different but also same,¡± She drew a large circle above each figure''s head, then separated them with crescents, perhaps denoting phases of the moon.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a monthly cycle? Uh...Every thirty moons?¡± I asked, trying to rationalize the reference.


    Lash shook her head, ¡°Longer. Much, much, longer.¡± She began drawing single-lined crescents in the dirt and after a while drew a single circle. ¡°This, Mothers Moon,¡± Lash explained, pointing to the circle, ¡°This now,¡± She pointed some distance back from the circle.


    I counted the intervening crescents, ¡°Sixty two days?¡± I asked uncertainly.


    Lash nodded.


    Mouth dry, I counted the remaining crescents, ¡°Three years?!¡± I blurted out incredulously.


    Lash seemed confused.


    ¡°From, uh, Mothers Moon, to the next one,¡± I pointed from the circle to the first crescent.


    Lash nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s...That¡¯s a long time,¡± I observed awkwardly.


    Lash nodded and sighed, tucking her knees up to her chest and then resting her chin on them as she watched the children running and playing around us.


    I pulled Lash closer and wrapped my arm around her, ¡°Only sixty-two more days, right?¡± I asked nervously, feeling in no way confident about the prospect of being a parent.


    Lash glanced at me from the corner of her eye and smiled, ¡°Mmm,¡± She snuggled in closer, resting her head on my chest.


    There was still one more question on my mind that concerned me, and had since Clarice first spoke of it. ¡°Will it be dangerous for you? Having our baby I mean? Since I am an...you know...¡± I tensed at the attempt to say the word, but couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it aloud.


    Lash was quiet for a moment, then she glanced up at me with an expression of curiosity, ¡°Half-Breed?¡± She asked quietly.


    I nodded.


    Lash smirked and then returned to snuggling into my chest, ¡°Is fine,¡± she murmured reassuringly.


    Not exactly the answer I was hoping for, or expecting, it still reduced my anxiety considerably. Childbirth was no joke, and I had next to no knowledge of oviparous pregnancy. Letting Lash nap for now, I was determined to rectify my ignorance at the next available opportunity. With that goal in mind, I made a mental note to speak with one of the female Serpent-kin Surgeons to thoroughly dispel my ignorance, and hopefully the remainder of my anxiety.


    We sat there for close to an hour before one of the gate guards came to inform me of Field Marshal Klive¡¯s arrival and request for a meeting. I sent the guard back with instructions that we would meet our visitors in the emptied grounds previously occupied by the army.


    After gently waking Lash from her nap, we slowly made our way over to the assigned meeting place.


    As I had expected, the newly promoted Field Marshal Klive was accompanied by the familiar faces of Lt. Rooke and Cpt. Kristof. They had brought a handcart full of assorted supplies, including but not limited to a sort of trestle table and chairs, as well as what looked like an expansive map and an official-looking document.


    Field Marshal Klive, Lt. Rooke and Cpt. Kristof each snapped a smart salute upon mine and Lash¡¯s arrival, which I took to be a good sign.


    Once everyone was seated, Field Marshal Klive leapt straight into the thick of it. ¡°Chieftain Tim, I have obtained both written and verbal consent from his Majesty, and as per your suggestion will be elevated to the position of Baron within the month. Is there anything in our preparations that you deem wanting before finalizing our agreement?¡± He asked, equal parts nervous and excited.


    I shook my head, ¡°I will require oaths first, but that is part of the process.¡± I turned my attention to the official-looking document, ¡°This is?¡± I regretted not bringing one of the girls, or Tobi, to serve as translator.


    ¡°A written declaration of mutual defence and non-aggression between our peoples. It also stipulates that your laws take precedence in instances where territories overlap or border one another,¡± the way Field Marshal Klive confidently motioned to each section in turn gave me little cause to doubt his words, but I still made a mental note to have Nadine check it later. Who knew what legalese or potential loopholes were written in the fine print.


    ¡°And the map?¡± Despite the parchment being a large rectangle, the contents appeared to be perfectly circular.


    ¡°Shows the known geography of this floor,¡± Field Marshal Klive explained and looked expectantly at the Lieutenant.


    ¡°We are here,¡± Lt Rooke pointed with absolute certainty to a position west of the great river that divided the third floor.


    ¡°Have you approached the apothecary I asked for?¡± I asked somewhat offhandedly, only having just remembered that I needed his expertise to better develop paper and ink for record-keeping.


    ¡°Aherm, uh, negotiations are ongoing,¡± Field Marshal Klive replied tactfully, ¡°Apothecary Jonas has concerns about terminating his contract with the Adventurers Guild early.


    ¡°He would be forced to pay a fine?¡± I asked, shifting a little to try and make myself comfortable.


    ¡°Well, no. But the long term lease contracts with the Guild cost a great deal of coin...¡± Field Marshal Klive explained with a hint of frustration, ¡°We have offered to compensate him for the shortfall and relocation, but he was having none of it.¡±


    I frowned.


    ¡°Jonas did offer the services of his nephew,¡± Field Marshal Klive hastily added, ¡°He is less experienced, but appears to be in good standing with the Apothecary Society, and seems receptive to our offer.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed hesitantly. The whole reason I wanted Jonas was because I already had a reasonably good feel for his moral character. However, if I wanted things to run smoothly and make progress while I was training to become stronger, I needed the materials and means to make literacy commonplace amongst my people.


    Field Marshal Klive smiled and then gave Lt. Rooke a curt nod, who in turn took out her communication tablet.


    ¡°Have you considered where to establish your Settlement?¡± I asked, turning my attention back to the map. Ideally, I wanted it close enough to trade with, but far enough that we would have a fair warning of potential dangers headed towards Sanctuary. All the more so, since both Settlements boundaries would continue to grow over time.


    ¡°Assuming we can expect help to develop a road of sorts?¡± Field Marshal Klive paused and gave me a questioning look. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I nodded and motioned for him to continue.


    ¡°Then our engineers and Rangers suggested establishing the Settlement on the opposite side of the river to the ruined Adventurer foothold. This will allow the Settlement to serve as an intermediary trading hub for the less trustworthy merchants, while those we can issue good behaviour bonds will be allowed to travel the road and make deals with Sanctuary directly. Unless you have changed your mind?¡± Field Marshal Klive really looked like he was hoping I wouldn¡¯t change my mind.


    I couldn¡¯t blame him either, there was probably a great deal of money to be made running a trading post. Seeing the old foothold, and its portal, marked on the map, I looked back to where Lt. Rooke had marked Sanctuary. Even with a road, or more accurately, a solid straight path, the trip would still take two to three days on foot. ¡°Will merchants want to travel that distance?¡± I asked sceptically.


    Field Marshal Klive grinned, ¡°For the spices you have to trade? Definitely! As an added security for Sanctuary, and for the merchants safety, we will provide armed escorts of trained soldiers and a Protective Ward to allow rest or camping at pre-established waystations.¡±


    That seemed reasonable, and another good way for the Field Marshal to wring some more coins out of the merchants, all while being paid to keep an eye on them. ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°That seems like a good plan. But I have another request.¡±


    The trio of officers waited with baited breath.


    ¡°I want you to patrol the river too. I don¡¯t want adventurers, mercenaries or sleazy merchants trying to raft across and cause trouble,¡± I explained. There was always a chance they would risk hopping through a portal without activating the homing beacon, but I was reasonably confident that the swamp would take care of most potential troublemakers attempting that method. Besides, the idea was to ward off the Adventurers Guild as a whole, not just individual members.


    Field Marshal Klive nodded in understanding, ¡°We can do that, but it will take time to build the ships.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I agreed, plenty aware of the fact that shipbuilding was a whole engineering feat unto itself. ¡°There is nothing else I can think of right now, so assuming you are willing to swear the oaths, then I will gladly uphold my end of the bargain.¡±


    Field Marshal Klive and his two officers swore the oaths, as dictated, on the spot. Which was hardly surprising.


    ¡°Tell me, any of you, have you looked at your Status recently?¡± I was genuinely curious about this next part.


    Field Marshal Klive and Cpt. Kristof stared blankly at nothing for a moment, while Lt. Rooke¡¯s eyes seemed determinedly fixed on something in the upper left-hand side of her vision.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I hadn¡¯t known what to expect, but Rooke had all but confirmed it. The Human Species was recognised outside of my Settlement. ¡°Eating a manastone progresses it further,¡± I teased, seeing that the other two seemed to have noticed their slightly altered Status as well.


    ¡°How?¡± Field Marshal Klive asked, his face quite pale.


    Since they were under oaths of secrecy and loyalty, I had few reasons not to elaborate and explain things a little. ¡°I promoted a human, gave her a title, and the Labyrinth now recognises Humans as a species of monster. Four Subspecies to be specific.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin a little at the shock on their faces.


    ¡°Th-this is...¡± Cpt. Kristof stared at his shaking hands.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± Whispered Lt. Rooke, ¡°What are our Abilities?!¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°Depends. Each Subspecies has a different one,¡± I explained.


    Lt. Rooke¡¯s shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment, ¡°Only one?...¡±


    ¡°They are pretty interesting,¡± I countered cheekily.


    ¡°Lieutenant,¡± Field Marshal Klive held out an open hand expectantly, ¡°A manastone if you please.¡±


    After about ten minutes, the trio had finished their debate over which Subspecies, and by extension, which Racial Ability, was best suited for which roles and ranks in the armed services. The prevailing consensus was Cooperation, but there was a hard emphasis on having combinations of all four after I reminded them of Group Racial Synergies.


    Inducting the trio into the Settlement and promoting Field Marshal Klive to Overseer was almost anticlimactic in comparison.


    Since Field Marshal Klive intended to promote both Rooke and Kristof once he had finished inducting the remainder of his men, I decided now would be a good time to unlock A Leadership Class for each of them to later facilitate the progression into the Master tier. Besides, part of our bargain was that I teach and enable Field Marshal Klive to be able to do this himself.


    At first, the trio had been somewhat sceptical when I led them out into the swamp and explained what we would be doing. However, after demonstrating how to pin a Swamp Lurker in relative safety, on a wild Swamp Lurker, the trio began taking my explanation much more seriously.


    Kristof had volunteered to go first, and nearly lost his arm when he slipped on some mud and tumbled face-first towards the Swamp Lurker. However, Lash¡¯s timely intervention in both pinning the Swamp Lurker and prying open its jaws, left Kristof with only a few punctures in his forearm and doubtless a large bruise come tomorrow.


    After Lash suitably tired the Swamp Lurker to compensate for Kristof¡¯s injury, he tried again and managed to fix the taming collar around the Swamp Lurker¡¯s neck. Perusing Kristof¡¯s Status, I confirmed that he had unlocked the expected Classes, in addition to one more I had not seen before but anticipated unlocking, Cavalier.


    ¡°Do you have experience and training in riding?¡± I asked, ignoring Kristof¡¯s semi exhausted state.


    Kristof nodded, ¡°Y-Yeah, huf, part of officer, huf, training.¡±


    ¡°That would be it then,¡± I scratched my chin thoughtfully and nodded.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Field Marshal Klive exclaimed, apparently having checked Kristof''s status for himself.


    ¡°Probably a combination of weapon training, a bonded mount, and riding training and experience,¡± I theorised aloud.


    Rooke nodded, ¡°Probably,¡± she agreed and then pointed a short distance off into the swamp, ¡°Another one is coming our way,¡± Rooke warned.


    Having seen firsthand how quickly the maneuver could go wrong, Rooke made damned sure to lure the Swamp Lurker up onto drier ground before attempting to pin and fix the collar around its neck. Just like Kristof, she unlocked Cavalier in addition to the other expected Classes. It was also interesting to see that Rooke had Archer, Scout and Swordsman in addition to the Ranger Class, providing potential hints as to how to unlock the Advanced Class.


    When Field Marshal Klive¡¯s turn came, he diligently followed our instructions and managed to tame the Swamp Lurker without serious issues. Positively beaming, his expression faltered somewhat while the Labyrinth made its predicted alterations to his Class. ¡°Legate?¡± Field Marshal Klive asked uncertainly, his eyes widening in shock as he read through his Status.


    Curious to see what Class Abilities the Legate possessed, I decided to take a look as well.


    [(Class Ability: Eminence): Monsters slain by minions within range of a Settlement Totem generate bonus EXP that may be awarded through {Quests}. {Willpower} increases the range of Effect. Stored EXP:(26540)]


    [(Class Ability: Banner of the Legion {Rank 0}): While the banner stands, so too does the Legion. Allies and minions within range of the banners are granted the {Resolute} Condition. Maximum number of Banners is determined by {Presence} (0:4)]


    [(Class Ability: Fortified Position {Rank 0}): Allies and minions within range take reduced damage while in cover. {Willpower/Presence} increases the range of effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Elite Guard {Rank 0}): Retinue size is increased by {Presence} (0:4). Retinue Exp penalty is reduced and Group Exp sharing range is increased.]


    Although Legate had fewer Class Abilities to start with, they seemed reasonably impressive in terms of macro-level benefits. It was easy to see why Field Marshal Klive was so shocked. Taking a minute to explain what a Retinue was, and that every Lordship title got one, only intensified the shock even further. I couldn¡¯t blame him either, Elite Guard, combined with a Cooperative Racial Ability was just begging to be abused.


    Explaining generally how I believed the settlement claiming quest would work, once I issued it to him. I reinforced the fact that I believed abusing the Retinue system would be fine, but he otherwise needed to stick with a single party, otherwise, the quest might become unpredictable.


    Mors and Krel, the one-horned Daemons currently working under Qreet in the fields, would be loaned to Field Marshal Klive in order to form the road, rest stops, basic defences, as well as provide food and water for the fledgling Settlement. I could tell he wanted other monsters with Synergies to come along as well, but I suggested he capture some beast monsters instead. Loaning two Daemons was already pretty generous in my opinion. I had also agreed to let Field Marshal Klive receive an advance on his share of the Underlord titles, so he could promote both Kristof and Rooke before heading off to found the second Settlement.


    ¡°Do you have a name in mind?¡± I asked curiously.


    Field Marshal Klive shrugged somewhat helplessly, ¡°Naming things had always been above my paygrade,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Well, you could name it after your King,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Magnus?¡± Field Marshal Klive replied sceptically.


    I nodded my head and scratched my chin, ¡°Could work,¡± I agreed, ¡°Port Magnus?¡± People had named places after prominent figures all the time on Earth, but I never really questioned it. I wonder if it seemed weird to anyone at the time to refer to a place by the name of someone they knew personally.


    ¡°Ah, then I think I have the right name,¡± Field Marshal Klive insisted, ¡°Port Gidian.¡±


    Rooke and Kristof both nodded in agreement, their expressions solemn.


    ¡°A war hero?¡± I guessed.


    Field Marshal Klive nodded, ¡°The previous King,¡± he stated reverently, providing no further explanation.


    After another three hours of planning and negotiating with Skrit, Whisp and Lash to loan five warriors as an auxiliary force to provide Racial Synergies and promote long term cooperation, both Field Marshal Klive and I agreed that issuing the quest itself should wait until morning. Since this would give his forces the best time advantage in heading to their destination, it only made sense.


    Exempting seeing them off tomorrow morning, this would probably be the last time I would see Field Marshal Klive for who knows how many months. Building up a port town and its requisite defences would be no easy feat, even with the Daemon Druids capable of manipulating the terrain. There was also the distinct possibility of sabotage as well. Neither of us expected the Adventurers Guild to simply roll over and allow Field Marshal Klive to seize a chunk of their monopoly.


    Lash and I stopped in to check on Hana and her sister. After defeating the Destroyer, I had hoped that they would both have recovered, but it was sadly not the case. Wraithe insisted that they both showed signs of improvement, but Kohana¡¯s trauma was extensive and would take a long time to heal. Fighting, even through a proxy, had exacerbated their trauma. But the upside of eliminating the root cause was showing dividends in their recovery rate when compared to before.


    Sending Lash ahead to pick a spot for eating dinner, I quietly instructed Wraithe to gather information on the breeding cycles of all the Species of monsters in Sanctuary. With the premise that we needed to be prepared for sudden influxes of children and the possibility of complications from pregnancy. Vaguely, I was aware that oviparous species did occasionally have problems laying their eggs, and after considering the process taking place in humanoid anatomy, it would be better to be safe than sorry.


    As a potential parent mother, Wraithe quickly accepted the importance of my request and promised she would make it a priority for the Surgeons to compile all the information they could and provide a report.


    Noting Toofy and Ril¡¯s absence from the Grove¡¯s fountain, I wasn¡¯t surprised to see the pair giddily lobbing chunks of meat at Dhisi, who had already grown to two feet tall at the shoulder and close to ten feet in length. I had severely underestimated the metabolic effect of my own Iron Gut Racial Ability being shared by the Settlement. On the upside, it looked like Clarice might get her wish and be able to ride the giant monitor lizard as a mount if it continued consistently growing at this accelerated rate.


    Taking a seat by Lash, I gratefully accepted the clay bowl of what looked and smelled like stew. When Lash handed me the utensils, I almost dropped them in surprise. It was a pair of small pointed sticks that immediately made me think of chopsticks. However, after watching how others were using them, it seemed the primary purpose was to lance pieces of meat or vegetable and then pull them off with your lips or teeth once they were in your mouth.


    So when I started using them as chopsticks, it drew no small amount of attention. However, I quickly lost sight of my surroundings as a cascade of Status Alerts from Sanctuary blocked my vision.


    With a grunt, I disabled the notifications, confident that Gric would be keeping a close eye on the Humans being inducted into the Settlement. Once Field Marshal Klive successfully claimed the second Settlement, all the soldiers would be transferred to that Settlement¡¯s registry. The idea of loaning each other auxiliaries for the purposes of Synergies did have an appeal, so I had agreed to leave it to Gric and Field Marshal Klive to hash out amongst themselves. Similarly, Field Marshal Klive would send soldiers to Sanctuary to receive special Class training to avoid revealing accidentally to outside interests.


    After helping Lash dismiss the notifications, we continued eating our dinner in peace.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to come with us to the fourth floor?¡± I asked again.


    Lash shook her head, ¡°Clan few, need leader,¡± she explained reluctantly.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I took her hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze, ¡°No matter what happens, I will make sure to return before...you know?...¡± I lost some of my nerve as Nadine and Clarice began taking an active interest in our conversation.


    Lash smiled appreciatively and gave me a fierce kiss, ¡°You will,¡± she agreed adamantly, staring deeply into my eyes before shifting back into her seat again.


    I blushed a little and cleared my throat, ¡°Well, we won¡¯t be leaving until the Settlement of Port Gidian is established anyway,¡± I reassured Lash before turning my attention to Nadine and the bulging satchel of records on the fourth floor that Lt. Rooke had provided, ¡°Have you managed to find anything interesting?¡±


    Nadine nodded and gulped down her mouthful of food, ¡°The entire floor has been in a state of prolonged drought. The Adventurer Guild claims not to know why, but the foothold is also sitting on one of the only known bodies of water. The person who reviewed this report marked it as suspicious and requested an investigation,¡± she explained while pulling out another sheaf of papers. After flicking through them, Nadine found what she was looking for and held it out for me to look at.


    Aware that Nadine knew I couldn¡¯t read the language, I was surprised to see that I recognised the general format on the page. It was a balance sheet of some kind.


    ¡°This is the number of slaves sold to the Guild on the fourth floor each year,¡± Nadine explained, trailing her finger down the third column on the page. ¡°Two years ago, the number of slaves nearly tripled. If you look at the expenses and appraisal columns,¡± she traced her finger to the right, ¡°You can see that they paid nothing for the slaves, but valued them at around five to fifteen silver...¡± Nadine furrowed her brow and turned to the next page, ¡°Oh...That¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, trying not to sound too annoyed.


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed a little in embarrassment, ¡°Sorry,¡± she apologised, ¡°The slaves are almost all Orcs,¡± Nadine gave Lash a sympathetic look before elaborating further, ¡°With how high the value is set, it¡¯s basically guaranteed they are named monsters...¡±


    Besides mild discontent, Lash had no other reaction.


    Taking a moment to think about it, expecting a more extreme reaction was unrealistic. The Orcs being sold into slavery were not related to her in any way besides overarching Species.


    ¡°What is the landscape of the fourth floor like?¡± I asked, giving Nadine an easy out from her self inflicted awkwardness.


    Nadine busied herself by searching through the satchel for a few minutes, until her cheeks had returned to normal. ¡°Ah, here it is,¡± she withdrew a large roll of parchment and flattened it out.


    Similar to the map of the third floor, the fourth appeared to be perfectly circular and had two markings on the map denoting the portal to the fifth floor and the Adventurer Guild. However, that is where the similarities ended. The circle looked like a swath of desert camouflage, covered in patches of sandy yellows and browns.


    ¡°Wow...That¡¯s a lot of desert!¡± Clarice commented before enthusiastically shovelling more stew into her mouth.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Maybe we should just skip the fourth floor?¡± She suggested, ¡°Although we should still bring a lot of extra water, just in case.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. Even though skipping a floor meant increasing the expected difficulty of monsters we would be facing, it was still more appealing than fighting and slogging through an endless desert.


    The fifth floor looked somewhat interesting, featuring what looked like rolling hills and mountains skirted by forests. That is, of course, unless the cartographer was exaggerating. The foothold was located in what looked like a defensible mountain pass, while the portal to the sixth floor looked like it was in the middle of a forest.


    A forest would be something of a change of pace after hanging out in a swamp for so long. It would obviously have its own dangers for us to contend with, but the more I thought about it, the more I was looking forward to it.


    ¡°Slave records aren¡¯t as complete as the fourth floor...¡± Nadine muttered while pouring over another sheaf of papers, ¡°Orcs, Goblins, Serpent-Kin and...¡± She blinked and took a closer look, ¡°Razortusks?¡± Nadine furrowed her brow in confusion.


    ¡°Wha!¡± Clarice nearly choked on her food, ¡°Fifth floor has Boarmen?!¡±


    ¡°Boarmen?¡± I asked, looking to Clarice to elaborate.


    Clarice grinned, ¡°You know, Boarmen, like the Gnolls but Boars! They are bloody tough! The fighting pits and arenas were always featuring fights with Boarmen!¡± She insisted emphatically.


    An ugly human and boar hybrid took shape in my mind and almost put me off my dinner.


    ¡°We will need to be careful,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°But I still think maxing out our levels here on the third floor would be a much smarter approach.¡±


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°True, but we would miss out on trying to recruit more monsters for Tim¡¯s city.¡±


    ¡°When was that a priority?¡± I chuckled in amusement.


    ¡°When you gave us Racial Abilities to Synergise with!¡± Clarice grinned greedily.


    ¡°She¡¯s not entirely wrong...¡± Nadine agreed reluctantly, ¡°The longer we wait, the more variants that will be enslaved.¡± She sighed and grew despondent for a moment, ¡°I know we can¡¯t save everyone...That¡¯s just a fact. But waiting longer than we need to...I just don¡¯t feel good about that.¡±


    Clarice nodded sagely, ¡°Mhm mhm.¡±


    ¡°So what will we do about the variants on the fourth floor?¡± I asked rhetorically. The idea of wandering around a desert was just as unappealing as it had been earlier.


    ¡°Not every monster Settlement will be friendly,¡± Nadine pointed out as a reminder.


    ¡°Not to humans anyway,¡± Clarice agreed, ¡°Be lucky if some of the smaller ones are desperate enough for a new start. The big ones will definitely take one look at you Tim and think we¡¯re on the warpath.¡±


    I nodded and finished off the last of my stew.


    Nadine took another look at one of the documents from earlier. After reading for a couple of moments she let out a sigh, ¡°Maybe Tim could challenge for leadership and force them to join? It has got to be better than letting them all kill each other or die of thirst.¡±


    As much as I loathed the prospect of forcing people off their land, the alternatives was hardly appealing. Either way, I would feel guilty over it, so it would be better to make the decision I could live with. At any rate, I wouldn¡¯t have to make a decision for a few days at the least.


    The plan was to wait for Field Marshal Klive to establish the Port Settlement, then we would head out for the portal to the fourth floor. Taking Ril with us, the idea was that she could provide us with an emergency portal back to Sanctuary if we needed it. It was one of the reasons I wanted to help her level up, and the other was the prospect of permanently linking Settlements together. For Sanctuary to be truly safe, I wasn¡¯t the only one that needed to become stronger, and for the others to do it safely, we would need defensible enclaves on higher floors and the means to move quickly between them.


    After tasking Qreet, Mors and Qrel to get a head start on forming the road, and attaching Dar as a guard, I followed Lash back to our room so we took an early night.


    Standing before the hundred and something human soldiers who were standing at attention, I felt like I must look like some third world warlord inspecting expensive mercenaries. It didn¡¯t help that I was dressed only in pants and a tunic, while Field Marshal Klive, his officers and soldiers were decked out in fine armour.


    ¡°Overseer Klive,¡± I made sure to project my voice and promote the gravitas this monumental event deserved, ¡°I command you to claim the disputed territory in my name! Bring honour to your brothers and sisters in arms! AND BRING ME VICTORY!¡±


    Public speaking was not something I had much experience with, let alone inspiring actual soldiers. So when the soldiers raised their arms and cheered, I felt Field Marshal Klive must have given them orders to do it beforehand.


    All the same, a familiar notification appeared in front of my eyes.


    [You have issued a quest to {Overseer} Klive to Conquer territory and found a Settlement under your dominion.]


    [Success: Will establish a Settlement under {Overseer} Klive¡¯s command and award {1} {Overseer} and {3} {Underlord} titles for distribution. {Sanctuary} will be designated as your Capital, upgrade your title to {Overlord}, and unlock {Lord} titles.]


    [Failure: All minions under {Overseer} Klive¡¯s command will be slain and prevent {Overseer} Klive from holding titles for {1} year per minion lost. Enemy leaders will have the opportunity to establish a Settlement.]


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± I muttered distractedly. If I was understanding the failure penalty correctly, the minions would take the worst of it, while the commander, Field Marshal Klive would be barred from leadership. The most interesting part though, was that it seemed like the Underlords working under Field Marshal Klive would be let off the hook entirely, assuming they survived the failure.


    Blinking away the notification, I gave Field Marshal Klive and his officers a subtle nod, everything seemed to be in order and I didn¡¯t want to undermine their confidence or nerve. After all, they would need it. ¡°How long has it given you?¡± I asked quietly, while his subordinates began the march through the swamp.


    ¡°Ten days,¡± Field Marshal Klive replied, a hint of nervousness in his tone.


    ¡°You should be fine then,¡± I reassured him, ¡°With the druids creating walkways across the bog, you should make it with time to spare. It¡¯s defending your Totem for twenty-four hours that will be the most difficult. When I undertook the quest chain, the wild monsters largely ignored us and would push to try and reach the Totem. Just keep that in mind, alright?¡± I had as much invested in his success as he did, so I didn¡¯t want his forces to grow complacent and trip at the finish line.


    Field Marshal Klive nodded determinedly, ¡°And you said the quest did not generate additional monsters? Just those from the spawning hour at midnight?¡±


    I nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°Then, gods willing, we will reach the future site of Port Gidian ahead of schedule and prepare adequate defences,¡± Klive took a deep breath then donned his helmet, ¡®The people of Asrus will not forget your generous assistance. You are a true ally.¡± After giving me a crisp salute, Klive took on a double pace to catch up to the head of the column.


    Returning to Sanctuary, Made my way over to the training grounds. True to her word, Lt. Rooke had made arrangements for riding instructors and a few stags sporting both taming collars and saddles. It made sense when I stopped to think about it. Why spend years training a horse to accept a rider, when you can snatch a perfectly obedient one from the Labyrinth? Then you only need to train the rider.


    Making a detour, I fetched the Gnolls and Deep Orc smiths to come and inspect the saddles, bit, bridle and stirrups. There was a great deal they could learn just from looking at the completed examples. Similarly, I convinced one of the instructors to temporarily part with his armour and weapons so the smiths could take a closer look at how they were made. Obviously under orders, none of the instructors put up a fuss at the inconvenience.


    Training intensely against five opponents at a time, I was slowly beginning to find a comfortable rhythm. I was still far from actually winning one of these training bouts, but the minor improvements to my spatial awareness when fighting were worth the bruises to my ego.


    After stripping off my training armour to take a break and wash off, I found Lash watching Clarice and a couple of others taking riding lessons. Once i drew closer, I could see a nervous yearning in her eyes. ¡°You want to try?¡± I asked Lash, leaning in and giving her a kiss.


    Lash fidgetted nervously and nodded.


    Seeing someone as powerful as her behaving so timidly was too cute. Waving over one of the instructors, I had him start walking Lash through the basics. The elk were quite large, so they would be able to accommodate her frame, but not mine, so after washing off, I took a seat and watched Lash smile excitedly as she coaxed her mount into a brisk trot.


    By the late afternoon, I had returned to being beaten repeatedly with blunt weapons under the pretence of training. Just like my earlier training, I was showing signs of improvement, so I doggedly stuck with it until the evening. I didn¡¯t feel bad for losing, not really. Strength and endurance I had in spades, what I needed was skill and combat instincts.


    The majority of my training partners were Deep Orcs by necessity. In order to train effectively, I couldn¡¯t worry about badly hurting someone and holding back, I needed to become more comfortable exercising and leveraging my full strength and size. Of course, that meant the hits I was taking in return were that much harder as well. But that wasn¡¯t all bad either. With my training armour on, the blows hurt enough to be instructive, but not enough to do actual lasting harm.


    The second day of training was more interesting. To balance out the rather static nature of my fighting practice, I had Qreet fashion an obstacle course and then spent most of the day running it over and over again. My manual dexterity, or Agility, was my greatest weak point, and any opponent with just a couple points higher could easily dodge or retreat before I had a real chance to land an attack.


    The obstacle course was based on what I had seen in movies, featuring potholes, a climbing wall, rope swings, rope wall and commando crawl. By midday, Sanctuary¡¯s kids had commandeered it as their own playground. I spent the rest of the day designing a massive playground for the kids to play on so I could get my training ground back. Knowing it would be incredibly popular, and that they would need supervision, the playground was made in the middle of the residential area.


    I was only slightly surprised when I found Lash and Clarice exploring the playground later that evening alongside a horde of children. I had based it on what I could remember of a large playground in a state park my mum took me to a few times as a kid. Even though I only had Mum to play with, it had still been a lot of fun and was a happy memory.


    Watching a Serpent-Kin teenager whiz from one end of the playground to the other on the flying fox, I remembered how terrified I had been when I first attempted to try it. Ziplining was something I never truly got used to. The long walks back had always been such a chore compared to the relatively short time spent in the air. All the same, the kids seemed to enjoy it well enough and it was good exercise for them too. It would help them burn off all the sugar from eating so much fruit and berries.


    Getting ready for yet another day of weapon training, I was pleased to see that our pottery and smithing industries had been kicked into high gear. The smiths assured me they would be attempting to cast a huge iron cooking pot by the late afternoon. They seemed confident, so I was looking forward to seeing what they managed to put together.


    Practising with the Swordsman Class instructor, I quickly realised that I would need to dedicate the rest of the week to get anything meaningful out of it in terms of weapon proficiency. However, the experience in terms of being on the receiving end and how to prioritise defending myself was invaluable. Training with the Spearman instructor was much the same. Without a radical increase in hand-eye coordination, I wouldn¡¯t be changing from heavy blunt weapons anytime soon. On the upside, both instructors were able to teach me some better habits and tricks when using a shield, both defensively and offensively.


    With the greatest threats to our team coming from Humans or humanoid monsters, I insisted that all the girls and Tobi spend at least three hours each day actively practising and training to fight against a humanoid opponent


    Everyone agreed, but Tobi and Emelia seemed reluctant about leaving Sanctuary.


    ¡°We would just rather work at getting max level first,¡± Tobi explained apologetically, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely make sure we are ready to go next time,¡± he insisted determinedly, ¡°We have been going out with our hunting team every morning and afternoon, so we are making solid progress. Just need more time...¡±


    Emelia had remained silent throughout the exchange and had avoided eye contact as she was embarrassed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, no one¡¯s going to force you to do anything you don¡¯t want to,¡± I reassured them, ¡°If you don¡¯t think you are ready, that¡¯s fine. Just bear in mind, before you hyper commit to the Classes you have now, there are other options. It could be worth speaking with Gric to evaluate your options from what we know how to unlock.¡±


    Tobi grinned sheepishly and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely consider it,¡± he agreed.


    Emelia just nodded.


    ¡°Tobi, could I speak with you alone for a minute?¡± There was something I had wanted to ask for a while now, but had been putting off because of my hectic training schedule.


    ¡°Uh, sure?¡± Tobi smiled and waved back at Emelia as we walked a short distance away.


    Emelia waved back with a shy smile and then began wandering over to the cooking fires.


    ¡°So, uh, what did you want to talk about?¡± Tobi asked with a nervous smile.


    ¡°Shady is a Variant, isn''t he?¡± I asked bluntly.


    Tobi froze, ¡°W-what?!¡± He spluttered, apparently shocked at the revelation.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± I studied his reaction closely and so no signs of deception.


    Tobi shook his head, ¡°You...you''re sure?¡± He asked shakily, his face suddenly turning white as a ghost.


    ¡°Not completely,¡± I admitted. I was making a lot of assumptions to back up my rather limited observations.


    Tobi nodded shakily and began pacing, his attention obviously elsewhere before suddenly coming to a stop, ¡°What would it take to be sure?¡± He asked, a near manic intensity in his eyes.


    ¡°Well...I can think of one,¡± I admitted, ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Tobi insisted.


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°We will need Shady.¡±


    As if on cue, the Shadowcat suddenly materialised from a nearby patch of shadows, black smoke rapidly dissipating off his body.


    Tobi looked at me expectantly.


    ¡°We need to remove the collar, set him free.¡± Saying it aloud sounded far more dangerous than the concept had seemed in my head. There were a lot of ways this could go bad if I was wrong.


    ¡°Okay...¡± Tobi gulped hard and nodded.


    I stopped Tobi as he moved forward to remove the collar himself. If I was wrong, he would be mauled to death in seconds, better I do it. All Tobi would have to do is allow the removal of the collar and Enslavement.


    I made my way over to Shady and gingerly unbuckled the collar, a momentary shudder of resistance signalled Tobi cancelling the Enslavement Bond. I finished removing the collar and stepped back. The fact that Shady had not attacked me proved little. Unlike the majority of wild monsters, Shady had been in my proximity long enough to know how I was a substantial threat, Tobi on the other hand was a different story entirely.


    Just like Dhizi, Shady had a listed Intelligence of three, which I believed signified higher than Earth animal Intelligence in terms of advanced comprehension and reasoning skills. Shady¡¯s eyes were far too aware compared to animals I had seen at the zoo or on television.


    Rather than leaping forward or disappearing in a puff of black smoke, Shady just sat down on the ground and alternated between considering myself and Tobi. Far too relaxed, it was obvious that either Shady was making a show of non-aggression to encourage us to lower our guard, or that he genuinely meant no harm and was curious to see what was going to happen next. In either case, it looked like I had my answer.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Variant,¡± I confirmed and was rewarded by an all too Intelligent stare from Shady. I concentrated mana into my hand and offered it palm up to the Shadowcat.


    With only a moment''s hesitation, Shady pressed his head into my palm, causing a Status Notification to appear in my peripheral vision.


    [Settlement Alert {Sanctuary}: {Shady - Shadowcat} was recruited by {Lord Tim} as a beast minion.]


    Shady casually removed his head from my palm, padded over to Tobi and licked his hand.


    Any lingering doubts I had regarding Tobi¡¯s character were swept aside by the Shadowcat¡¯s overt display of affection. Even though Shady had been Tobi¡¯s slave, it was clear Tobi had not abused the Shadowcat. If he had, I sincerely doubted that Shady would be so tolerant.


    ¡°You know what this means right? Shady has unlimited Evolution potential. You should probably start feeding him the manastones from your hunting trips,¡± I suggested happily.


    Tobi seemed to be in a daze, ¡°Uh...Sure...Right...¡±


    Figuring he just needed time to adjust, and with the need for my training becoming that much more important now that we would be down two members, I headed back to the training field. There was a lot to do, and not much time to do it in.


    *****


    The fighting had been as fierce as the Chieftain had warned them it would be. The instant the Field Marshal had the statue erected, the surrounding swampland and river had surged into motion. Even though the Scouts and Rangers had thoroughly cleaned the immediate area, it quickly became obvious that the monsters were being drawn from an extreme distance. Without the loaned Druids defences and the Chieftains repeated warnings, they would have been overrun in minutes.


    As is, Kristof was certain that the main reason the front line held at all was because of the auxiliaries Synergies. As high a level as he had been before taking on his new special Class, Kristof had never felt so powerful, and he could tell that the other officers felt the same. The feeling of no longer clinging to the bottom ring of the food chain was exhilarating and he couldn¡¯t believe how far they had come in such a short amount of time.


    The camp was swarming with activity as monster corpses were butchered for usable materials and their manastones harvested to fuel the Druids efforts to repair and reinforce the port¡¯s defences. With less than eight hours until the monsters would begin respawning, half of the soldiers had been ordered to find what rest they could, while the rest prepared the port for the second wave. Kristof himself was responsible for overseeing the butchering and harvesting efforts. It wasn¡¯t so much that they believed the men and women under their command would risk everyone''s lives by withholding manastones for personal use, so much as his presence would make resisting the temptation that much easier.


    The Druids were a marvel to watch in action, erecting walls and towers in a matter of minutes rather than days or weeks. Granted the walls were densely packed thorns and the towers were trees, but given the circumstances, it was still incredible. Only a Geomancer could do better, and short of another miracle, they had no reason to be expecting one any time soon.


    Attempts at negotiating for Druid Class training had been made, but the Chieftain had refused on the grounds that it had very specific requirements that couldn¡¯t be emulated for quite some time. Rooke had later confirmed that he appeared to be telling the truth, so that had been the end of it.


    Able to access the accumulated Exp stockpile within Sanctuary, Kristof and the other officers with promoted titles could issue quests to each other and their subordinates, which did wonders for bolstering morale of the rank and file. However, for Kristof himself, the Field Marshals proclamation to fully settle the port once it was claimed, was what compelled him to put forth his absolute best efforts.


    The prospect of hiding his family away in the Labyrinth would have seemed insane only a few months ago. However, the situation on the border was growing worse with each passing day, and there were reports of spies infiltrating the outer cities and sowing discord. It was only a matter of time before the chaos would spread to the interior. So when the Field Marshal offered each soldier the opportunity to have their family the opportunity to migrate to Port Gidian, Kristof had accepted without reservation.


    Granted, their families would be expected to take the elixir and participate in mandatory militia training each week, but it was a small price to pay to ensure their safety. Besides, the Labyrinth would still present its own dangers, so being trained to defend themselves was to their benefit.


    ¡°How¡¯s things?¡± Rooke had approached from his blindspot and was making a show of rifling through the bloody manastones.


    Kristof smiled stiffly and shrugged, ¡°Making progress.¡±


    Rooke grinned and stretched her neck, ¡°He wasn¡¯t kidding you know. We just finished making our patrol. There''s more than a five-mile draw radius, which is why the defences on the riverside keep being attacked,¡± she shrugged and turned her attention to the Druids. ¡°Could you imagine if we had our own Druids?¡± Rooke sighed wistfully.


    Kristof nodded appreciatively, ¡°Yeah...Shame we could only arrange for a loan.¡±


    ¡°Better the loan than nothing at all,¡± Rooke hung and shook her head as he chuckled ruefully, ¡°Even Geomancers aren¡¯t this useful. We were effectively under siege, yet had close to unlimited food and clean water. That¡¯s crazy!¡± She grinned and rubbed at her neck, ¡°Why didn¡¯t we have them six years ago?¡±


    Kristof grunted in agreement, then a short pause passed between them. ¡°Are you bringing your family once we get things settled down?¡± He was genuinely curious since Rooke hadn¡¯t really talked much about it.


    Rooke nodded, ¡°Just trying to think of how I am going to explain to Bobby that I lay eggs now,¡± she snickered in amusement.


    Kristof¡¯s stomach churned and he suddenly felt very cold. ¡°Ah...right...¡± He had forgotten about that. Even though they had no confirmations yet, there was a distinct possibility that their new Racial Abilities came with ¡®other¡¯ changes.


    ¡°You thought about how you are going to explain it to Lucy and your girls?¡± Rooke asked with a devilish grin.


    No, no Kristof had not. ¡°Ah...I don¡¯t suppose?...¡±


    ¡°I suppose I could talk to the girls for you,¡± Rooke agreed slyly, a fox-like grin on her lips, ¡°But you will owe me a favour in return.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kristof asked with a deep sense of foreboding.


    ¡°My eldest, Teddy, you know Teddy right?¡± Rooke asked rhetorically.


    Kristof nodded, he had met Rooke¡¯s brood on a number of occasions. Theodore, or Teddy, was from Rooke¡¯s first marriage. A quiet bookish kid, he had taken after his father and was built like a lumberjack. ¡°He has to be around sixteen, seventeen now right?¡±


    Rooke nodded, ¡°Eighteen next month. Well, Teddy wants to pursue a career in logistics, and a recommendation from a ranking officer could go a really long way to securing a good position.¡±


    Kristof could see where this was going.


    Rooke gave him a weighty look, ¡°And since I can¡¯t do it because-¡±


    ¡°-Because logistics hates you?¡± Kristof replied.


    ¡°-Because logistics hates me,¡± Rooke agreed with no small measure of pride, ¡°I figured the recommendation and guidance provided by a close family friend could really prove useful.¡±


    Kristof groaned and rubbed at his brow, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Rooke patted Kristof on the back, ¡°You have made a wise decision,¡± she reassured him, ¡°Teddy¡¯s a good boy, and those stuffy bureaucrats would know that if they just gave him a chance!¡±


    Kristof ignored Rooke¡¯s ranting and tried to concentrate on the positives. Soon, the port would be established and his family would be safe from the predations of the looming war. As the first settlers, they would be awarded tax breaks and even be allowed to petition for startup collateral for establishing businesses and services the port would need in order to function. Lucy had always wanted to try her hand at running a tavern, but raising their girls ensuring they had a good education wasn¡¯t cheap, so they had lacked the opportunity before now. Kristof made a mental note to lead with that, hopefully, it would cushion the blow when Rooke informed them they were now egg-laying monsters...

 Chapter 26 – In conflicts wake – Part One

    Chapter 26 ¨C In conflicts wake ¨C Part OneChapter 26 - In conflicts wake - Part One


    Having woken up very early in the morning, considerably earlier than I was used to, I blearily stared at the multitude of alerts determinedly blocking the majority of my vision.


    [Settlement {Kirk¡¯s Settlement} has been claimed Successfully.]


    [{Sanctuary} has been upgraded from Settlement to Capital of {Tim¡¯s Faction}.]


    [Additional administrative functions are now available through the Capital Totem.]


    [Faction Alert: All Tim¡¯s Faction {Overseers} have voted and approved {2/0} to enact {Mandatory Quest: Faction Militia.} Faction wide.]


    [{Mandatory Quest: Faction Militia} All minions are required to choose a Class of at least Basic tier from the list approved by their {Overseer} and engage in mandatory group training exercises.]


    [{Mandatory Quest: Faction Militia} Success: Exercises and activities will be assigned to unlock the chosen approved Class. Earn Exp by completing designated exercises and activities within allocated timeframes.]


    [{Mandatory Quest: Faction Militia} Failure: Be flagged for corrective punishment or expulsion from the Faction. Appeals may be requested from those with {Underlord} or higher authority.]


    [Faction Alert: {Kirk¡¯s Settlement} has been renamed {Port Gidian}.]


    [Faction Alert: {Overseer} Gric and {Overseer} Kirk have agreed to the transfer of {4} {Underlords} and {1241} minions citizenship from {Sanctuary} to {Port Gidian}.]


    [Faction Alert: {Port Gidian} has doubled the minion requirement for {Underlord} promotions and gifted the difference to {Sanctuary} under {Overseer} Kirk¡¯s authority. Currently providing {0 (-2)} {Underlord} promotions.]


    [Faction Alert: {Port Gidian} has founded the {Port Gidian Council of Lords} under {Overseer} Kirk¡¯s authority.]


    By the time I finished reading through the list, I was well and truly awake.


    It was obvious that Kirk and his forces were successful. Furthermore, Both Kirk and Gric had been busy in their positions as Overseer, apparently formalising agreements that had previously only existed as verbal agreements.


    With the port Settlement now established, I would soon be leaving for the fourth floor. Provisions had already been prepared, so once the others were awake and gotten dressed, we would be leaving.


    ¡°Lash?¡± I rocked her shoulder and couldn¡¯t help but smile a little as her snoring came to an abrupt halt.


    ¡°Mrm?¡± Lash rolled onto her back, her mouth opening wide enough to reveal her perfect teeth and the sharpness of her canines. Blinking sleepily, Lash¡¯s amethyst eyes slowly came into focus, ¡°Tim?¡± She slurred groggily but almost immediately snapped to full wakefulness a moment later, ¡°Leaving today?¡± Lash asked, an undertone of disappointment in her voice as she sat up in bed and gave me her full attention.


    I nodded, the same sense of disappointment very likely mirrored in my own dour expression, ¡°The port Settlement on the river has been claimed. Once the girls are up, it won¡¯t be much longer till we leave...¡±


    Despite my incredibly poor choice of words, Lash didn¡¯t show any signs of jealousy, only a conflicted sense of longing. She would have offered to come with us, but Lash had a duty to her people, and I respected that. With roughly fifty surviving adults, preserving their peoples'' culture now firmly rested on her shoulders. With so many Deep Orc children running around, it was even more important to pass along the traditions before being overexposed to the more dominantly represented culture of the Bleak-Fang.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Lash stiffly got out of bed and released a muffled growl as she stretched her arms and back.


    I did my best to imprint the image in my brain. With a bit under two months at most until we would return, I wanted to make sure I had some good impressions to draw on when on the road.


    Lash left our room and I could vaguely hear her heavy footfalls descending the stairs. After a few minutes, Lash returned and was now wearing a heavily beaded necklace. Moving in close, she sat herself down on my lap and then draped a nearly identical one around my neck. Lash began rearranging the beads until they matched her pattern exactly, and once she finished I realised what the beads signified.


    ¡°This is the count until our Mothers Moon?¡± I asked as I took a closer look.


    Lash nodded demurely, ¡°Help remember,¡± she blushed and I felt a shiver pass through her thighs and a rising warmth.


    The necklace was genius, considering how low tech it was. The beads each hung from four different cords off the necklace. Each cord had a thick, but not impassable knot. Using the knot, beads could be raised or lowered to keep count, like a crude abacus. Similarly, the beads were allocated in groups of ten, except the first column, which only had one bead. Assuming each cord progressing from the left represented a denomination of ten, the leftmost cord was thousands, the next cord was hundreds, the next was tens and the final cord was single digits.


    Lash had set them both to fifty-four, clearly representing the number of days remaining.


    ¡°Clever girl,¡± I praised and drew Lash closer.


    Excited by the praise and closer proximity Lash shoved me down to the bed and leaned down until her face was inches from my own, ¡°Don¡¯t forget!¡± she purred dangerously then fiercely pressed her lips against mine.


    After getting dressed, I knelt down by our bed and gave Lash an affectionate kiss on her cheek.


    Already half asleep, Lash murmured something unintelligible and snuggled deeper into the large sheet that served as our blanket.


    ¡°I will be back with time to spare, I promise,¡± I smoothed a sweaty lock of hair from her face and tried to imprint the feel of Lash¡¯s skin to memory.


    Picking up the small bundle of personal belongings I would be taking with me on the journey, I quietly made my way out of our room and began heading downstairs to the mustering point.


    Nadine was already awake and chatting quietly with Lt. Kestrel, our official liaison to the Asrusian army. Or former liaison, since her honorary position was made redundant with the founding of Port Gidian. However, Nadine had suggested bringing her along to serve as a communications officer. Since none of us were familiar with the codes to effectively communicate with the morse code communicators, I hadn¡¯t really resisted the idea all that much.


    Of course, that did change our travel arrangements somewhat.


    Dhisi had stopped growing yesterday, which was actually something of a disappointment considering how huge she had grown in around a week. Easily twenty feet long from snout to the tip of her tail and around six feet at the shoulder, Clarice had gotten the epic mount she desired, and more besides.


    The Gnolls and Deep Orc smiths had managed to piece together a truly impressive set of saddles. More or less the same as the saddles used by the Asrusian army, they had gone a step further and added a ring of iron to the back of the saddle and bound it with thick hide cording. Effectively, they had added a complete backrest to Clarice¡¯s saddle. A half dozen large and reinforced hide satchels were hung off Dhisi¡¯s sides as both storage and emergency barding.


    The original plan had been for Clarice to run interference while Nadine, Toofy and Ril to ride on a sled that I would pull through the swamp until we reached the beached boats along the river. With the addition of Kestrel, someone else besides me would need to walk.


    By the looks of things, Nadine had talked Kestrel into changing into lighter armour to better accommodate our intended travelling pace and the no doubt arid climate of the fourth floor. We had bought and stowed away other provisions too, but we had reserved Toofy¡¯s entire extradimensional space for clean water. This meant that our smoked meat and vegetables were stowed on the sled for the time being, and would be transferred to Dhizi after we reached the portal.


    We left Sanctuary with minimal fanfare, besides being bestowed a refuelable Ward by Ushu¡¯s apprentices. They had yet to choose a successor from amongst themselves, but Asra had insisted on remaining in Sanctuary until they did. His prolonged training under Gric had signalled the end of Asra and Toofy¡¯s one-sided infatuation. Apparently, Toofy preferred someone who was less serious, and Asra hadn¡¯t exactly made an effort to win her back either.


    Setting out into the swamp, it didn¡¯t take long for Clarice to begin charging Dhizi into trouble. Thankfully, the giant lizard was more than capable of handling herself and came to little actual harm.


    By the time it was midday, Clarice had learned her lesson and wasn¡¯t actively seeking out trouble anymore. Dhizi¡¯s size and horrifyingly effective bite made short work of just about anything, but she lacked practice using her tail and nearly cracked one of my ribs when Dhizi missed a Swamp Lurker and stuck me in the chest, sending me flying into the muck.


    Making camp that night, I made sure to eat a double portion to regain my lost HP and dull the pain in my side. I honestly hadn¡¯t expected Dhizi to be able to hurt me so badly, in spite of the fact that she was basically a tank with legs. Judging by her own lack of evolutionary progress, I assumed Dhizi was probably a similar Tier to myself, maybe higher.


    The next four days passed rather uneventfully, but upon reaching the river, we encountered a problem. None of the beached boats were in suitable condition to make the journey across the river.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Dhizi can swim across, assuming we go with the current,¡± Nadine suggested while inspecting one of the closer boats dubiously.


    ¡°Probably,¡± I agreed, ¡°Ril can swim, so she can stay with Clarice and Toofy, just in case.¡±


    Ril nodded determinedly and Toofy continued to snore, having fallen asleep almost an hour ago.


    ¡°We, uh, could make a raft?¡± Kestrel suggested nervously, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of raw materials...¡± Without the other soldiers around, Kestrel had grown quite timid whenever she tried joining in conversations. This was somewhat understandable considering Toofy rarely let her get a word in edgewise, Clarice was too busy perfecting her riding technique to listen, and Nadine and I were already very familiar with one another.


    Kestrel was right, there was no shortage of materials. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to drag out some of the more intact boats. Maybe we can lash together an outrigger or something.¡±


    I spent the next few hours dislodging damaged boats from the edge of the bog and dragging them up onto the relatively dry land where we had made camp. This was when Kestrel surprised me by presenting a handmade wooden hammer and wooden nails. Or at least that¡¯s what she said they were. The hammer looked like a rolling pin that had been cut through the middle, and the nails were three-inch wooden spikes.


    ¡°If we can, uh, bore some holes, we can try to patch the holes,¡± Kestrel suggested hopefully.


    Nadine scratched her head uncertainly, ¡°I dunno, what do you think Tim?¡±


    Both women looked at me expectantly.


    ¡°We can try it,¡± I agreed hesitantly. I hadn¡¯t seen any iron nails on any of these boats, so presumably, they had been put together with wooden nails too. However, without tar or some other sealant, we would probably still need to bail water out of the boat for the duration of the crossing.


    Unsurprisingly, it was agreed that I would be the one to strip out the usable planks from the more damaged boats, while the girls made more nails.


    By late evening, we had just about finished repairing one of the crude boats. But as I had feared, no matter how thoroughly we applied additional nails, there were still gaps. I had suggested burning dawn moss sap, but Nadine had shot that idea down quickly. Apparently, the sap became unstable when exposed to too much heat, and was already water-soluble. I attempted to extract sap from the nearby swamp trees, but after an hour of work, I had barely anything to show for it.


    Leaving the issue until morning, Clarice took the first watch and we all hunkered down to sleep.¡¯


    ¡°We will just have to use our helmets I guess?¡± Nadine shrugged anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s not like we brought proper buckets or anything.¡±


    I nodded and turned my attention to the sail, or more specifically, its absence. From what Nadine and Clarice described, the hostile Deep Orcs and Serpent-Kin had predominantly used rowing as their means of propulsion. The prospect of rowing, steering and bailing water for up to twenty-four hours was thoroughly unappealing. The design of the boats wasn¡¯t what I had expected from their descriptions either.


    Flat bottomed and around twenty feet long, they looked like a cross between the amphibious D-Day landing craft from world war two films, and an airfoil missing the giant fan. The boats all had wooden runners on the bottom as well, suggesting that they had likely doubled as sleds as well. All things considered, I couldn¡¯t help but think of them as wooden skips for dumping trash in.


    Technically, we could probably cross the river by just steering and cutting an angle through the current. But that would land us much further down river and result in even more travel time to the portal.


    We didn¡¯t have much recourse, since none of us knew how to attach a mast without compromising the boat even further. There had been a few salvageable oars found in the boats, so after setting one aside to serve as a rudder, and firmly tying it to the boat so the person steering only had to angle it around without fear of losing the oar, we were just about finished. Since the current would be headed south, whoever was steering would need to aim for as close to an easterly heading as we could manage, while one person rowed on the right-hand side and another swapped between rowing and bailing.


    Since there would be precious little opportunity for eating, myself, Nadine and Kestrel had a hearty breakfast of our more perishable supplies.


    As a Scout, Kestrel would be in charge of steering. Apparently, Scouts had a Class Ability that gave them an unerring sense of direction.


    I would be our dedicated oarsman, and Nadine would alternate between rowing and bailing out water as needed.


    As I expected, Dhizi didn¡¯t seem to have any problems maintaining her buoyancy, so Clarice, Toofy and Ril were all sorted.


    Launching and entering our boat proved much more difficult, for me anyway. Lifting the Clarice and Kestrel into the boat had been relatively easy and avoided either of them having to deal with the bog that was up to my waist. Unfortunately, I had not fully considered how I would board the boat myself afterwards.


    After nearly capsizing the boat a half dozen times, Clarice brought Shizi up alongside the boat and I was able to board by climbing onto her large back first and shimmying carefully into the boat.


    With everything stowed away, we cautiously set out into the river. Contrary to my expectations, the current was quite tame to begin with, requiring me to alternate rowing on one side to the other as we began pulling northward.


    Kestrel had insisted it was a good problem to have at this point, arguing that we would rapidly begin losing that northern progress if the current picked up further out.


    Clarice had maintained progress nearby, allowing Dhizi to take it easy while we had the chance.


    After experiencing a swamp full of aquatic monsters, it was a little unnerving that there only seemed to be piranhas in the river. The piranhas wouldn¡¯t be a threat so long as Dhizi remained relaxed, but it didn¡¯t stop Clarice from anxiously scanning the water around them with a near manic intensity.


    Ril and Toofy seemed to be having a fun time from their vantage behind Clarice¡¯s saddle, skipping small stones Ril had brought from Sanctuary in a special hide pouch worn at her waist, and engaging in light snacking.


    As we had feared, our boat began taking on water once we cleared the bog. I had jammed the gaps with compressed moss, but that wasn¡¯t enough to stop water from slowly filling the bottom of the boat. Making things worse, Nadine couldn¡¯t begin bailing water until it reached about ankle height.


    As Kestrel had predicted, the current began intensifying after a couple of hours of rowing and our heading began shifting from northeast to east. A few hours after that, I was struggling to keep our boat heading east. By midday, I had largely surrendered to the current and was rowing to increase our speed of progress rather than trying to correct our course, although it was much the same activity.


    Maintaining the course with the rudder was proving more strenuous than we thought, so Kestrel and Nadine had to begin taking turns.


    Despite the increase in current, Dhizi still seemed fine enough more or less mirroring out progress ten feet or so downstream. It didn¡¯t occur to me until another hour later that she was likely benefitting from reduced pressures from the current by swimming so close to the boat.


    ¡°We should be able to pass the worst of it in a few hours!¡± Kestrel grunted as she continued leveraging her bodyweight against the shaft of the rudder.


    ¡°Really?¡± Nadine was taking a break from bailing and stared pessimistically out over the river, ¡°I thought this river normally took a full day to cross?¡±


    Kestrel grinned in spite of the strain, ¡°It would,¡± she grunted in agreement, ¡°Depends on how heavy the boat is, and how many are rowing...¡± Kestrel groaned and grunted as she carefully shifted her grip to make use of less tired muscle groups, ¡°Or if they were just sailing,¡± she added.


    All valid points, and there was another I had thought of as well. ¡°It depends on whether you are fighting the river or not too, and how much. Right now the river is doing most of the work since we don¡¯t have a precise location in mind for landing on the opposite side.


    As the hours passed by, I found myself growing increasingly worried by the lack of resistance we had faced thus far in crossing the river. If Kestrel was right, we had made it roughly halfway and were now angled towards the southeast, unable to compete against the strength of the current. To make things worse, our brief attempt at competing with the current had broken the oar we were using as a rudder and opened gaps between the planks on the sides of the boat.


    I managed to replace the rudder by lashing together my oar with Nadine¡¯s, which was just as well, since she was now actively engaged in bailing alongside Kestrel while I tried to maintain heading with the new thicker rudder.


    On the upside, Dhizi still seemed perfectly fine, and I was beginning to regret having underestimated her.


    Stuck relying solely on the current of the river for propulsion and the improvised rudder to provide a heading, it was late evening before we spotted the eastern shore in the distance.


    According to Kestrel, we had apparently drifted further south than we had wanted and were headed almost straight for Sunrock, the abandoned home of the Sunrock Forest Goblins.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked Nadine, while Kestrel shouted out the situation to Clarice. ¡°Should we risk making camp in the open tonight? Or find shelter in Sunrock?¡±


    Nadine seemed truly conflicted as she squinted into the gloom of the last light from the setting sun. ¡°We don¡¯t really need supplies and aren¡¯t in a position to take on much loot...Then again, we need time for the Ward to drive off Wilds, so it might be our best option for shelter tonight...¡±


    I nodded in agreement and grunted to express my own misgivings about our options.


    Clarice coaxed Dhizi closer, ¡°What are we gonna do?¡± She seemed emotionally drained and incredibly tired.


    Seeing there was no way Clarice was going to last much longer past reaching shore, let alone long enough to establish the Ward, it made our choice clear. ¡°We are headed for Sunrock to make camp.¡± I pulled a rope out of my pack and threw it to Ril.


    Before I had a chance to explain what I wanted, Ril had already taken the rope and begun tying it off to an iron hoop on the rear side of Clarice¡¯s saddle. Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t any good tie-off points besides the rudder. So, with a lot of misgivings, I tied the rope around my waist, moved near the front of the boat and took a firm hold of either side.


    Some life returned to Clarice¡¯s eyes and she began to grin when she realised what we were up to.


    ¡°Hurk!¡± I nearly pitched forward into the river as Dhizi suddenly quintupled her earlier speed. Hunching my back and leaning my weight backwards, I took on an embarrassing squatting position as I tried to maintain sufficient friction with the boat.


    Thankfully, Dhizi slowed her speed after a half-hour, allowing me to straighten my legs and take a look ahead of us. Unable to see much by moonlight alone, all I could make out was a large lagoon full of shadowy wrecks, big and small. A partially collapsed and blackened wall of stone on the shore made it impossible to see anything else beyond.


    ¡°I see movement!¡± Kestrel pointed in the direction of one of the sunken wrecks and quickly set about stringing her recurve bow.


    ¡°Clarice! There¡¯s something in the water!¡± Nadine called out in warning and pointed frantically towards the wreck Kestrel had singled out earlier.


    Large ripples were now headed towards our boat and there was no telling how deep the water was beneath us.


    Our boat was already in rough shape with water pooling around our knees and filled about halfway up the sides.


    *Splash*


    ¡°Something else is coming from the other side!¡± Kestrel called out, now drawing an arrow and tracking the progress of something I couldn¡¯t see.


    We were still at least a hundred or so feet from shore but growing closer with each passing second.


    *Twang, Thwack*


    Kestrel fired her arrow and it struck something alarmingly close by. ¡°River Lurkers! Don¡¯t leave the boat till we reach land!¡± She called out in warning.


    *Thump*


    ¡°AEII!¡± Nadine cried out in panic as something struck the right side of the boat and caused her to fall over.


    Trying my best to ignore how close the impact had been to my exposed fingers and hand, I looked to the left instead and quickly wished I hadn¡¯t.


    Even in the poor light, I could clearly make out the forms of four large reptiles swimming towards us, one of which had the broken shaft of an arrow protruding from its back. By no means as large as Dhizi, they were easily over six feet in length and had every advantage in this environment.


    ¡°Flare!¡± Kestrel hissed and fired another arrow.


    *Thwack*


    A gurgling rumble was accompanied by a surge of water spilling over the side of the boat as a brief intense white light lit up our surroundings, only to disappear a moment later.


    *Thud, Crunch*


    An impact from the right side rocked the boat and caused two of the planks to splinter inwards, spilling more water into the boat and causing us to sink faster.


    Nadine began frantically bailing water, but it was not enough. At any moment, our boat would become nearly fully submerged below the water.


    *Thump*


    The front of our boat struck something solid, causing the damaged side to buckle inwards as Nadine and Kestrel lost their footing and pitched forward.


    *Thud*


    Something struck the rear of the boat and caused the splintered planks on the right side to give out entirely, immediately flooding the boat.


    Expecting the boat to sink, I was surprised when two feet of the oars forming the rudder remained above water level. ¡°Land!¡± I called out, hoping that Nadine and Kestrel had enough wherewithal to realise what the warning meant. Fumbling with the knotted rope at my waist, and keenly aware that crocodiles were going to be on us in a matter of moments, I barely registered the fact that Dhizi must have stopped and turned about in order to enable the effort.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Nadine¡¯s cry and her frantic gaze locked over my right shoulder made it clear that I was out of time.


    Stiffly pivoting on the spot, half falling in the effort as the boat lurched along with me, I channelled mana into my right fist and swung blind, wrenching my back in the process.


    *Boom!*


    My fist connected with something solid and water erupted everywhere.


    [You have slain {River Lurker: 2 } +600 Exp]


    I staggered and nearly lost my footing, leaning heavily on the right side of the boat and causing the topmost planks to almost fully pull free of the frame.


    *Splash*


    A large croc launched out of the water to my right snapping its jaws and latching onto my arm. As I had seen happen all too many times on nature documentaries, the croc immediately began its death-roll, powerfully rotating its body in an attempt to drown, disorient, or cripple me.


    *Splash, Thump*


    My arm rotated clockwise and as I belatedly attempted to resist the sudden wrenching spin force, I was thrown backwards into the water again, striking my head on the deck of the submerged deck of the boat.


    With my back pressed against the deck of the boat, the croc seemed to lack the required strength to build the required momentum to accomplish more than wrenching my arm into a painful angle. Unfortunately, this still left me submerged in the water and no doubt soon to be surrounded by more hungry crocodiles.


    Rolling onto my right side, and pulling a few muscles in my shoulder in the process, I fumbled in the dark to find a handhold on my assailant. Through sheer luck, my questing fingers brushed against the crocs toothy maw and I was able to then wedge my fingers inside. As sharp as the croc¡¯s teeth were, they had not managed to pierce my skin. So, ignoring the pain, I fumbled for a grip with my other hand.


    Perhaps guessing at my intentions, or more likely attempting to secure a better hold, the River Lurkers mouth opened just long enough for me to get a grip on its lower jaw with my previously pinned right hand.


    Having secured the best grip I could manage, I Ignored the burning pain in my shoulder and the stabbing pain in my hands and began wrenching the croc¡¯s jaws open with brute force.


    I felt tendons snap and bones crack as the croc¡¯s jaws were violently torn apart. Blood pumped into the water and made it impossible to see.


    Releasing the thrashing form of the River Lurker, I scrambled backwards and pushed my head above water to expel the water from my lungs and replace as much of it with fresh air as possible.


    *Splash*


    A cascade of water and mud-spattered against the back of my head and a few moments later, Dhizi¡¯s electric green stripes passed by on my right side.


    *Splash, Thump, Thump*


    [Dhizi has slain {Swamp Lurker: 1 } +300 Exp]


    Still gasping for air, I fumbled through the submerged wreck of our boat and headed for the front, hoping that the land was not much further beyond.


    ¡°Flare!¡± Kestrel¡¯s voice rang out in the darkness somewhere ahead. Half a second later, a small glowing orb arced through the sky and illuminated the surrounding area.


    Clarice, Nadine, Kestrel and Toofy were about twenty feet away on the shore, but the light had revealed a crude stone jetty a short distance to my right. Already waist-high in the muddy water and still trying to expel it from my abused lungs, I immediately shifted directions and headed for the jetty.


    *Clack*


    The orb of light skidded along the length of the jetty and was revealed to be a stone while also demonstrating that the jetty was far longer than I would have thought.


    I barely managed to heave myself up onto the jetty before the stone¡¯s light winked out and plunged the world back into darkness.


    ¡°Tim! over here!¡± Nadine and Clarice called out in unison.


    ¡°HERE! HERE!¡± Toofy echoed, the oscillations in her voice suggesting she was likely jumping up and down while waving her arms.


    Sparing a moment to shrug off the rope from around my waist, I quickly realised that I needn''t have bothered. I could still make out Dhizi¡¯s bright hide some distance away and could tell it was further than the length of rope would have reached and still allowed me to stand on the jetty.


    Nervously following the image of the jetty in my mind''s eye while listening to the calls of the others for a reference point, I anxiously limped along the jetty and did my best to avoid thinking of the water below. The jetty was barely three feet above water level, so the crocs could easily lunge and grab an ankle or calf if I strayed from the centre. Of course, having close to no night vision whatsoever, I had no real idea how close to either edge I happened to be with each passing moment.


    The girls had all been huddled on what looked like a larger intersection of the jetty, so they were probably fine for the time being.


    Dhizi easily would have outpaced me, but after clambering up onto the jetty, she seemed content to match my pace instead.


    *Whip-crack! Splash¡±


    [Dhizi has slain {Swamp Lurker: 1 } +300 Exp]


    Dhizi released an irritated and aggressive hiss, although I was unsure if it was a signal of her impatience with my slow pace, a signal that more enemies were near, or both.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Toofy cried out happily and tackled my waist, ¡°Water dangerous, no swimming!¡± She scolded, giving me a thump on the thigh for good measure. Judging by how tight she was hugging my waist, I could tell she hadn¡¯t meant it as a joke and was in fact deadly serious.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed happily, ¡°No swimming.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Toofy¡¯s voice was muffled by pressing her face into my sopping wet shirt.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Nadine asked anxiously from close by, no doubt just as night-blind as I was.


    ¡°Just my shoulder,¡± I replied a little stiffly as I reflexively tested the assumption and received a plethora of pain responses as confirmation


    ¡°We just gonna wait til sunrise?¡± Clarice asked as she passed me by, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that most of our supplies are still in the boat right?¡±


    I flinched and came just short of cursing aloud as I realised Clarice was right. Kestrel had been wearing a small pack with a bedroll strapped on top, but Nadine and I had left our larger packs tied down in the boat. Nadine¡¯s pack had been filled with the desert supplies, predominantly consisting of alternate clothing and a lightweight tent. My pack had contained our food rations, which were no doubt now thoroughly ruined.


    ¡°We should wait a while for our eyes to adjust to the dark again,¡± Kestrel advised, ¡°Then we can leave this dock and try to find a defensible position inside the walls to spend the night.¡±


    I nodded in agreement but realised nobody besides Toofy and Ril would have seen it. ¡°I think that¡¯s our best option,¡± I agreed and stiffly sat down on the jetty.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Clarice grunted resignedly. ¡°Here Dhizi!¡± Clarice¡¯s voice raised an octave as she called for her pet and slapped her thighs as she walked back towards the centre of the walk space.


    Dhizi hissed eagerly and followed Clarice, obediently laying down where Clarice indicated, curling her body and tail in such a way that she encircled our entire group.


    ¡°Good girl!¡± Clarice kneaded the underside of Dhizi¡¯s neck with her knuckles, causing the giant lizard to hiss appreciatively in return.


    With how badly everything had gone, I was sorely tempted to have Ril open a portal and take us back to Sanctuary. However, turning tail the moment things got difficult would set a bad precedent and likely tank morale.


    Taking a few minutes to clear my head, I realised things weren¡¯t actually that bad. Sure I had pulled a muscle in my shoulder, but Nadine could probably fix it well enough once we had some light to work with. Granted, the bulk of our combined food supplies were waterlogged in the lagoon and was likely to be rendered inedible, but we could always make more. Hell, once we had some light to work with, we could cull the River Lurkers and get the desert supply pack back and turn the crocs into our new rations.


    As the minutes dragged onto hours, the sun began to rise and illuminate the lagoon. Unsurprisingly, there were close to a dozen River Lurker¡¯s of various sizes silently watching us from the water below. They had spent most of our downtime cannibalizing the remains of their wounded and slain kin, most likely too intimidated to attack because of Dhizi¡¯s substantial size advantage.


    On the upside, I had kept my own combat supplies with Clarice and Dhizi. My morningstar and recently repaired warhammer had been stowed away in a thick pouch behind the arching backrest of the saddle to try and keep them out of the water. Already prone to rusting because of the climate, I didn¡¯t want to exacerbate it further by drowning them in the river. Although it did serve as a good reminder to assist Clarice in regreasing the exposed iron buckles of Dhizi¡¯s saddle and cinch the cords that may have slackened from softening in the long swim through the river.


    The jetty, or dock, as the light of day had revealed, was not a comfortable size to undertake such maintenance. So after retrieving my warhammer, as it had greater reach and the blunt end was less likely to become stuck, I made my way towards the rocky shore.


    The others followed from a comfortable distance, distracting the majority of the River Lurker¡¯s while the more aggressive or alert matched pace with me instead.


    I had a fleeting regret for leaving the magic spear with Lash, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived. None of us were specially trained in using a spear and the risk of accidental injuries was far too high to justify bringing it.


    If we had absolute need, I could break Shiverfang¡¯s bond to Lash and summon it, so long as I had the time to do so, but my limited MP made using it myself less than ideal. Similarly, Clarice didn¡¯t have MP to spare either, and Nadine¡¯s MP literally translated to healing, so leaving it to her wasn¡¯t a great idea. Giving it to Kestrel was completely out of the question. As for Toofy and Ril...Well...I would very much prefer they stuck to using slings and stayed at the back.


    *Crunch*


    [You have slain {River Lurker: 2 } +600 Exp]


    Using the longer reach of the warhammer, I had brought it crashing down on the croc¡¯s skull as it began scrambling up the rocks.


    With a few moments until the next croc would arrive, I shifted to a better position slightly further away from the docks and readied to attack again. While I was not lefthanded, and by no means ambidextrous, the predictable movement of the River Lurkers heavily compensated for my reduced accuracy.


    *Thwack*


    [You have slain {River Lurker: 1 } +300 Exp]


    I caught the next croc in the side of the head with a low backhanded swing, the head of the hammer shearing through the left side of its skull and spattering brain matter across the dirt and rocks..


    Falling into an easy rhythm I tried to use this opportunity to become more familiar with fighting using my left arm rather than just relying on my right.


    *Crack*


    [You have slain {River Lurker: 3 } +900 Exp]


    I was forced to dodge out of the way as two River Lurkers surged up the shore at the same time, despite missing the skull of the larger croc as I intended, I managed to land the blow on its neck instead, dislocating or sheering through the spinal column in the process.


    Ril and Toofy had begun pelting River Lurkers with stones from their slings while Nadine and Kestrel took defensive positions on the dock slightly closer to the shore.


    *Snap, Fwip, Splash*


    While prowling down the dock, Dhizi had struck like a snake, her jaws biting down on a River Lurker and then threshing it about before her teeth sheared through the flesh and sent it flying a short distance away into the water.


    ¡°Good girl!¡± Clarice thumped the giant lizard''s neck affectionately and then began to urge her along the dock and towards the shore again.


    As I had expected, a full half of the approaching crocs diverted their approach and were now headed towards their fatally injured kin.


    Once Dhizi made it to the shore, the fight was a foregone conclusion. Larger, faster and more deadly by far, she made quick work of each River Lurker that attempted leaving the water. Dhizi rarely killed with her first strike, but she maimed her targets so thoroughly that they rapidly exsanguinated or succumbed to shock.


    In the aftermath, we allowed Dhizi to gorge herself before attempting anything further. Reptiles on earth could go weeks at a time without eating, depending on the size of the meal they had eaten beforehand. True enough, Dhizi¡¯s tail became noticeably thicker as she stockpiled energy and nutrients from her feasting.


    We sawed off and kept seven River Lurkers tails for our own rations with the plan to smoke them later once we made camp and the Ward was properly activated.


    Under intense supervision, Ril retrieved Nadine¡¯s pack from the wreckage of the boat. She would have retrieved mine as well, but apparently, the crocs had caught the scent of the food and just about tore it to shreds to get at the meat inside.


    With no immediate threats, we now had the opportunity to take a closer look at our surroundings, although there was admittedly very little to see on this side of the wall.


    The wall was around twenty feet tall at its highest point and arced around the lagoon, effectively cutting off any travel by land. However, the attack that had driven the Goblins from their home had also caused a few areas of the wall to collapse, leaving gaps in the wall and


    Kestrel took it upon herself to scale the wall and try to find a good place to make camp, but my own curiosity drove me to look upon the abandoned settlement with my own eyes.


    I wish I hadn¡¯t...


    Stumbling down from the breach, I sought solace in the shadows of the wall, trying to unsee what had been concealed on the other side. I wanted to vomit, but my stomach was empty. ¡°We need to leave...¡± I croaked weakly.


    ¡°Why? What''s wrong?¡± Nadine asked with concern.


    I shook my head, unable to speak of what I had seen, refusing to make it any more real than it needed to be, ¡°We need to leave,¡± I repeated and began walking towards a breach in the wall farther to the north of the lagoon. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *****


    Kestrel cinched her bandana tighter to help ward against the smell. The forest of impaled corpses looked to have been rotting for the better part of a week or more, fully exposed to the elements. Out of reach of predators, the corpses would probably last another few days before the black rot allowed their bodies to fall to the ground.


    At first, Kestrel had been surprised by the Ogre Tim¡¯s sudden disappearance, then she had seen the smaller bodies hanging from the tree and felt a wave of bile rising in her throat.


    They would find no shelter here, and certainly no rest. On that, the kestrel was certain.


    Returning to the group, as she crested the wall, Kestrel found that they were already slowly headed towards a breach in the north wall.


    Quickly catching them up, Kestrel fell into step alongside the group¡¯s Surgeon, Nadine.


    ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± Nadine asked quietly, her eyes filled with worry and fixed on Tim who was maintaining a solid lead on the group.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad...¡± Kestrel agreed quietly, ¡°Leaving is the right call.¡±


    Nadine gave Kestrel an intense scrutinising look, her eyes revealing a keen intelligence and disturbing lack of understanding. She left Kestrel to herself for a moment and jogged to catch up with the fiery redhead Clarice and her giant lizard. Speaking briefly with the Goblin, Tim¡¯s assumed adopted daughter Toofy, Nadine pointed to Tim for emphasis.


    A few moments later, Toofy climbed off the giant lizard, leaving behind what intelligence reports had suggested was a subspecies of aquatic Goblin, Ril, Toofy¡¯s own daughter.


    The complex relationship of the group hadn¡¯t made much sense until Kestrel had a chance to observe it up close for herself. While some senior officers and analysts had their own opinions, Kestrel could see that they had been seriously overthinking the data. By all accounts, Tim was alone, the only Ogre to have appeared outside of the tenth floor. That level of isolation, combined with his uncharacteristically high level of intelligence? There was a simple answer...He was lonely. Tim did what just about any human would have done in his circumstances, reaching out to others and establishing friendships to try and fill the void.


    As the Goblin streaked towards Tim, scrambled up his arm and gave him a tight hug, it only served to confirm Kestrel¡¯s assumptions.


    ¡°We probably need to keep an eye on Tim for the next few nights,¡± Nadine whispered to Clarice, a deeply concerned look on her face.


    Clarice frowned but nodded in agreement, glancing back towards the Sunrock settlement, ¡°What do you think was in there? I mean, Tim¡¯s a soft touch, but he ain¡¯t a lightweight.¡±


    Nadine nodded in understanding and then shrugged helplessly, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t talk about it. I¡¯m going to ask the Lieutenant later. Better we know what we are dealing with, you know? I figured Toofy will help keep him together, but what we really need is a solid rest to recuperate.¡±


    Clarice grunted in agreement and then eyed Kestrel suspiciously, no doubt assuming she had heard every word despite the distance.


    Kestrel felt guilty for activating her Keen Senses Ability. She hadn¡¯t meant to eavesdrop for its own sake. Kestrel was just trying to separate the assumptions in the reports from the facts, and one of the best ways to do that was by judging their personal interactions.


    Once they cleared the wall, Kestrel took point and began roving far ahead of the group. As she had begun to suspect, the Wilds were giving the massacred Settlement a wide berth, primal instincts compelling them to avoid the area to avoid disease. The River Lurkers had obviously been an exception, likely drawn in by the group''s activity on the river.


    After a couple of hours of searching, Kestrel found a suitable location to establish camp in a small cave beneath a rocky outcropping. The nearby treelines would block line of sight and prevent humanoid Wilds from assaulting them with ranged weapons.


    Leading the group to the site, no one had any complaints about the rough terrain, so they set about making camp almost immediately.


    Nadine gathered firewood while Kestrel began building their fire to cook and smoke the River Lurker Tails.


    Clarice removed her mount''s saddle and gave the giant lizard a thorough rubdown with a damp cloth that smelled of olive oil.


    Tim had laid out a bedroll in the cave and settled down to sleep, joined a few moments later by both his daughter and granddaughter.


    After collecting enough firewood to be getting on with, Nadine began removing the sodden supplies from her pack and laying them out to dry.


    It wasn¡¯t until midday that Nadine seemed ready to ask the question, and with the camp completely set up there was no justifiable reason for Kestrel to avoid it, so she didn¡¯t. Kestrel quietly gave an account of everything she saw, omitting nothing, but making sure to leave the worst for last.


    As expected, the mood of the camp fell significantly. A week or so ago, being told about a Settlement of monsters being executed and impaled on pikes probably wouldn¡¯t have phased Kestrel. Even learning of the children being hanged en masse from the same tree might only have given her pause. However, after watching the monsters of Sanctuary go about their daily lives more or less the same as the people from her home village, it had changed things...


    Nadine had excused herself and vomited in their latrine, while Clarice just nodded with a sour expression before returning to caring for her mount.


    Tending the fire, Kestrel wanted to lift the mood, the importance of unit morale having been drilled into her since enlistment. However, doing anything besides providing some good food seemed like it would be crossing the line, disrespecting the memory of the dead. At least in that regard, there was something Kestrel could do. While their initial rations had been lost when the boat sank, they had close to ten pounds of exotic spices stowed away in one of the waterproof sacks stored on the giant lizard¡¯s saddle.


    Hacking off small chunks of the meat onto the flat pan from her pack, Kestrel tried her best to emulate the different tips and tricks she had witnessed the cooks use while stationed in Sanctuary. Since they didn¡¯t have much salt, Kestrel focused on encouraging the meat to char slightly to draw out more of the herb and spices flavour while making the meat chewier.


    ¡°Is for eating?¡± A voice asked hungrily, nearly causing Kestrel to jump in fright.


    Looking over her shoulder, Kestrel could see both Goblins had silently crept over to investigate the smell. Knowing she needed to make a good impression, not just for her own sake, but for Asrusian and Sanctuary relations in general, Kestrel did her best to smile and nodded, ¡°Sure is! Do you want to try some?¡±


    Tim¡¯s daughter Toofy had a reputation amongst the cooks, and it depended largely on how they treated her when approached for food. Those who were generous, and smartly shared what they had been cooking, would find themselves the recipients of princely gifts of spices and interesting trinkets. Those who ignored and disrespected her, or worse, failed to offer food, would begin to notice their personal effects going missing the moment their backs were turned. The lesson was simple, feed the Goblin.


    Kestrel spiked a large chunk of meat with one of her twisted fire cooking forks and offered it to the salivating Goblin princess.


    Toofy grinned and eagerly snatched the fork from kestrel¡¯s hand, but rather than eat it herself, she held it up to her daughter''s mouth, ¡°Ahhh,¡± Toofy prompted and waggled the meat in front of the taller Goblin¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Ahhh,¡± the aquatic Goblin hungrily opened her mouth, revealing needle-like teeth for all of a second before snapping her jaws shut over the meat and pulling it off the fork. Ril rolled the meat around in her mouth before swallowing it whole.


    ¡°Good baby!¡± Toofy affectionately patted her daughter''s head, who in turn preened and leaned into her mother¡¯s affection like a large cat.


    ¡°More,¡± Toofy held out the fork to return it with an expectant look on her face and a silent challenge in her eyes.


    Working hard to keep up her smile, Kestrel moved to make room for the two hungry Goblins, ¡°Please, help yourselves1¡± She offered, motioning to the cooking plate.


    Toofy grinned and dragged her daughter with her to sit by the fire, licking her lips and eyeing the food like she hadn¡¯t eaten in days.


    Kestrel tactfully decided to give Ril her second smaller fork and was a little surprised when the aquatic Goblin gave her a grateful smile in return. Even though her black eyes and needle-like teeth were disconcerting, Kestrel was surprised not to feel intimidated.


    ¡°Is good!¡± Toofy smiled and rubbed her cheeks while chewing, ¡°Sho yummy!¡±


    Ril nodded animatedly in agreement mimicking her mother and wiggling her hips.


    Within a few minutes, the pair demolished the ten pounds of meat kestrel had prepared thus far and were contently rubbing at their slightly distended bellies while they trotted back over to Tim in the cave. Draping themselves over his stomach like he was a large mattress, Toofy and Ril quickly fell asleep.


    Kestrel sighed in relief and set about carving another tail for fresh meat. Within a few minutes, she had managed to fully spice the meat and cover the cooking plate again.


    ¡°So, when¡¯s dinner?¡± Clarice asked expectantly as she plonked herself down on the opposite side of the cooking fire.


    ¡°Something smells good!¡± Nadine called out while stowing another small sheet that had finished drying.


    Kestrel looked back to the cooking plate and then back at the two hungry women. Before she could even say anything, her stomach gurgled loudly in protest. ¡°At least another twenty minutes,¡± Kestrel confessed, her anxiety mounting as she began to realise that she had accidentally delegated herself as the group''s cook. Normally a rather well-respected position with relatively light duties, Kestrel doubted she would have such an easy time of it with only one cooking plate and needing to feed the entire group each day. After all, if two little Goblins could eat that much, how much would the Ogre be expected to eat?


    No doubt picking up on Kestrel¡¯s anxiety, Nadine patted her on the shoulder consolingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tim doesn¡¯t tend to eat all that much unless he gets hurt...wait...¡± She glanced back towards the cave, ¡°Uh, it would probably be a good idea if we just char the tails on the coals,¡± Nadine suggested nervously as she moved to do just that.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a good idea,¡± Clarice agreed with the same nervous energy, ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll get another fire going. No telling how bad that shoulder injury is.¡±


    Kestrel¡¯s anxiety continued to mount as the two other women diligently set about establishing a second fire and expediting the cooking process. The records hadn¡¯t mentioned anything regarding Tim¡¯s recovery periods from injury, only that he would disappear for a day at most before returning to full health again. However, Kestrel had done more than a little research on Ogres, and if there was one thing they were known for, it was their voracious appetites and lack of self-control regarding food.


    Nervously edging away from the cave, Kestrel worriedly considered the two Goblins draped over Tim¡¯s belly, and whether she had in fact just fattened up two pigs and sent them to slaughter...

 Chapter 26 – In conflicts wake – Part Two

    Chapter 26 ¨C In conflicts wake ¨C Part TwoChapter 26 - In conflicts wake - Part Two


    I tried to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes I would see the tree and the bloated diminutive bodies hanging from its branches. There was no judgement or condemnation in their eyes, just death...


    Waking up for what felt like the hundredth time, I tiredly rubbed at my eyes and brushed away the accumulated grit.


    Carefully shifting Toofy and Ril off my stomach and onto the bedroll, I stiffly got to my feet and then left the cave.


    Dhizi obstructed most of the cave entrance with her bulk, but she had left a gap, so I used that to leave. It was dark out, but I had no real way of knowing if it was closer to evening or early morning.


    Leaving the cave, I could see Clarice lounging against Dhizi¡¯s side and tending a small fire, apparently taking her turn on watch. Our secluded location, combined with the Ward, made attacks by wild monsters basically impossible. However, the same was not true of Humans or Variants, which was why maintaining a standing watch was important when outside of the Settlement.


    Walking a small distance away, I pissed behind a bush, and after rubbing my hands clean with dawnmoss, headed back to the cave.


    ¡°Tim, wait...¡± Clarice had gotten up and was waiting for me, ¡°You know, if you want to talk?...¡± She shrugged helplessly and tried to smile reassuringly.


    ¡°I...I want to sleep,¡± I croaked tiredly.


    Clarice nodded in understanding and made to sit back down, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.


    ¡°I want to...¡± I continued honestly, ¡°But I can¡¯t...¡± I staggered over to Dhizi and unceremoniously sat down, leaning against her side with my back like a recliner. ¡°I just can¡¯t get the image out of my head...Every time I close my eyes, it¡¯s there again. I know I am not responsible for what happened to them!¡± I clenched my fists and tried to suppress my mounting anger and frustration, ¡°I know that! But they won¡¯t go away!¡±


    Clarice nodded her head and gave me a concerned look, ¡°You aren¡¯t gonna like what I have to say Tim,¡± she warned with a deep sigh and looked up towards the sky. ¡°Shit happens,¡± Clarice pronounced despondently, ¡°And shit will keep happening. Nasty shit, dark shit, evil shit! It will keep happening so long as there are nasty fuckers out there who think they can get away with it...¡± She shifted her attention from the sky to me, ¡°Shit like you saw, it¡¯s not meant to go away easy Tim. It will haunt you because it represents a line you won¡¯t cross, because it repulses you on a primal fucking level...¡± Clarice returned her attention to the stars, the intensity in her eyes dimming, ¡°Get what sleep you can Tim...One way or the other, the memory will figure out whose side you''re on and eventually leave you alone...Enough to sleep anyway...¡±


    Returning to bed, I tried to keep Clarice¡¯s advice in mind while hoping to fall asleep.


    Waking up with the sun in my eyes was the only sign I had gotten any sleep. My brain felt sluggish and I was in a bad mood, annoyed by each minor inconvenience while changing my clothes. Despite having rested for more than twelve consecutive hours, I felt like it had been less than five minutes.


    Without really thinking, I accepted the skewered meat from Nadine with a grunt and tried to shield my eyes from the sun.


    ¡°The swelling has gone down,¡± Nadine commented reassuringly, ¡°Does it still hurt? Can you rotate your shoulder for me?¡±


    I rotated my shoulder and stretched my arm. Although a little stiff, the pain had lessened considerably. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I answered while trying to keep the irritation in my voice to a minimum. Just because I was in a bad mood didn¡¯t mean I needed to spread it around.


    Nadine gave me a weak smile and nodded. ¡°You know, we have another three days, maybe five, until we reach the portal. You can take it easy, alright? We got this.¡±


    I gave a noncommittal grunt in reply. She was right of course. Dhizi alone would be enough to scare off the more intelligent wild monsters, and was fully capable of killing anything else. After missing so much sleep, putting one foot in front of the other come midday would be difficult enough, assuming I would even make it till midday...


    I lasted until evening...


    Objectively, or with as much objectivity as I could muster in my sleep-deprived state, I almost found it strange that I had acclimated to the violence of this world as fast as I had done so far. I had killed dozens, maybe even hundreds of Goblins during the first floor Raid...and I felt nothing for them...


    They were, just, wild monsters...


    As if somehow the label was enough to strip them of personhood...


    Why can I kill those Goblins and feel nothing, but one look at that tree...


    I don¡¯t want to think about this!


    Collapsing onto my bedroll, I passed out within a few minutes.


    Waking up with the rising sun, I tried to put myself into a better frame of mind, but failed. I just felt so...angry.


    After two more days of fighting our way through the forest, we found the portal exactly where Kestrel said we would.


    Having watched the portal transition its exit location repeatedly over the course of two hours, I held few delusions over what we were committing to. The fourth floor was a wasteland of sunbaked sand and cracked earth. The forests were dead, the trees reduced to nothing but dried husks and the bushes made nothing more than shrivelled ruins.


    ¡°If we want to contact the local Variants, then the southern grasslands...Ahem, what used to be the southern grasslands, is our best bet. Variants are fiercely territorial and won¡¯t move unless forced,¡± Kestrel explained while referencing a map of the fourth floor.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait till dark, when it''s cooler?¡± Nadine asked worriedly, her voice muffled somewhat by her cloth head-wrapping.


    I had shown all the girls how to make a crude head and neck protector with a large piece of fabric. They would still be able to wear their helmets over the top, but the idea was to reduce their exposure to the sun.


    For my part, I had changed into an open front robe cinched at my waist in addition to the headwrap. ¡°No. Remember the second floor? Deserts get incredibly cold at night, which will make Dhizi lethargic at best. Better to travel during the day,¡± I reasoned somewhat snippily.


    Nadine nodded slightly but said nothing in reply, her expression hidden behind her improvised cloth veil.


    Clarice had just finished rigging a small sailcloth behind her saddle to give Toofy and Ril some shade. There had been concerns about whether Ril would be able to tolerate the heat and arid environment, so we soaked a large towel for her to rest under while we would travel. The combined effects with small shade awning made it so Ril would certainly be the most comfortable of us all. After all, if the towel dried out, Toofy could just wet it again from her storage space.


    ¡°This looks like the place,¡± Kestrel announced grimly.


    The image on the other side of the portal had changed. The southern grasslands were a sunbaked wasteland and looked more or less like every other part of the fourth floor we had seen thus far.


    ¡°You''re sure?¡± Clarice asked as she climbed up into Dhizi¡¯s saddle and took a firm hold on the reins.


    Kestrel gave a self-deprecating shrug, ¡°As much as I can be without crossing over,¡± she replied to better explain herself.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± I grunted and moved towards the portal, ¡°Worst case, we explore a little then return to Sanctuary.¡± Returning to the location of the portal would have been enough as a fallback, but at this point, I was almost thankful for an excuse to return home.


    ¡°Right!¡± Clarice agreed and began inching Dhizi closer as well.


    Kestrel nodded determinedly, snapped a quick salute and stepped through the portal.


    Giving Kestrel a couple of seconds to get clear, I stepped through the portal as well.


    Even having anticipated the extreme temperature difference, the dry air caught in my throat as I took my first breath. Suppressing a cough, I gingerly stepped aside to make room for whoever would come through next.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got trouble!¡± Kestrel was holding what looked like a small primitive telescope and was pointing to a nearly invisible dust cloud in the distance.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I demanded, squinting and shielding my eyes in a vain attempt to make out what the problem was.


    ¡°I can¡¯t confirm at this distance,¡± Kestrel hedged, ¡°But it looks like there are two groups of Variants fighting one another for dominance of the territory.¡±


    Dhizi suddenly appeared in our midst and Clarice set about moving her out of the way for Nadine who appeared a couple of seconds later.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Clarice asked excitedly, ¡°Dhizi¡¯s going nuts!¡±


    True enough, Dhizi was flicking her tongue far more frequently than usual and had locked her attention on the distant battle.


    ¡°Two groups of Variants seem to be fighting it out,¡± Kestrel repeated and then turned her attention to me, ¡°What do you want to do? If we get any closer, hell, if we don¡¯t leave, whoever wins is almost definitely gonna come investigate our presence.¡±


    ¡°How many are there fighting?¡± I asked. I wanted more information before making an important decision like this. After all, our whole mission here was supposed to be based on making contact with potential allies and recruits before moving on to the fifth floor.


    Kestrel took another look before lowering her telescope, ¡°Roughly twenty combatants and some sort of wagon with four pack animals?¡± She replied with a small note of uncertainty, ¡°Looks like there might be wounded or prisoners in the wagon...¡± Kestrel added nervously, ¡°Again i can¡¯t be sure from this distance b-¡±


    ¡°We are investigating!¡± I decided, my decision having been made at the mention of potential prisoners.


    ¡°Right,¡± Kestrel agreed, hurriedly stringing her bow.


    Hurrying across the dry cracked ground, my boots left obvious tracks for anyone who would bother to look for them. On the upside, the fast pace caused my accumulated sweat to cool me down faster than just relying on the faint breeze.


    After twenty minutes of forced marching, I could now see the fight for myself, or what looked to be the end of it.


    Five large heavily built men in rough cloaks and crude leather armour were bearing down on a smaller but more agile opponent. The crude cudgels and manacles in their hands made their intentions painfully obvious. They were almost certainly the Slavers Nadine had spoken of back in Sanctuary, or they were working for them. Either way, it made little difference now.


    ¡°Kill the Slavers!¡± I snarled and began charging across the open ground.


    Initially unaware of my presence, the five Slavers continued harrying their quarry, laughing and joking as he continued attempting to fight them with a pair of long knives.


    Unlike the Slavers, their prey had seen me coming and had become far more defensive, no longer making opportunistic attacks and just prioritising defence.


    As I drew closer, I realised that one of the Slavers was significantly bigger than the others, a full head taller at least. Assuming he was their leader, I reached for my morningstar, deciding that eliminating the enemy leadership would make the fight go easier.


    Less than ten feet away now, the Slavers finally recognised my presence and awkwardly attempted to disengage from their previous target and prepare a united defence. However, the largest had turned to run away instead, no doubt leaving his subordinates behind in an attempt to slow me down.


    *Thwip*


    An arrow whizzed past my right shoulder and struck one of the Slavers in the belly, causing him to stagger and provide exactly the opportunity I needed.


    *Thump*


    ¡°YOU!¡± I charged through the weakened formation and continued chasing the leader who was now desperately sprinting for the wagon.


    ¡°KILL HIM! KILL HIM!¡± The leader shrieked in an all too familiar tongue, confirming that we were indeed fighting Orcs.


    ¡°AEIII¡± There was a piercing wail from one of the Slavers behind me.


    *Crunch, Snap, Thwack*


    [Dhizi has slain {Mountain Orc: 2 } +400 Exp] S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Dhizi has slain {Mountain Orc: 1 } +200 Exp]


    The leader made the mistake of peaking over his shoulder and tripped.


    *Crunch*


    [You have slain {Mountain Orc Drudge: 2 } +600 Exp]


    My morningstar tore apart the back of his skull as he tried scrambling to his feet, spattering brain matter across the dirt and throwing his body flailing limply back to the ground.


    [Clarice has slain {Mountain Orc: 2 } +400 Exp]


    [Dhizi has slain {Mountain Orc: 2 } +400 Exp]


    Feeling my anger rising rather than dissipating, I tore my attention away from the leader¡¯s corpse and looked towards the sole conscious survivor who could explain what had happened here.


    Nadine had already pulled out her medical supplies and was putting Kestrel to work by helping gather the wounded of the, thus far, neutral party.


    [Dhizi has slain {Mountain Orc: 1 } +200 Exp]


    [Clarice has slain {Mountain Orc: 1 } +200 Exp]


    Meanwhile, Clarice and Dhizi were stalking the battlefield and executing the Slavers, something I honestly couldn¡¯t bring myself to care about enough to question, let alone stop.


    The lone survivor had sheathed one of his knives in his sash-like belt and was hurriedly approaching me while trying to look as unthreatening as possible while still holding the second knife. Like us, he was wearing a cloth headwrap to protect himself from the sun, and similar to myself, he was wearing loose pants, a long tunic and open-fronted robe, all bound at the waist by a long sash.


    Not sure of his intentions, I raised my morningstar slightly as a clear warning.


    The stranger understood my warning and came up five feet short. He was two heads shorter than me, at least, and far lankier. Placing his left fist, still doling the blade of the dagger outwards towards me, the stranger bowed deeply at the waist, his intense blue eyes staring into mine as he did so.


    Can you speak? I have questions,¡± I asked while lowering my morningstar into a resting position again.


    The stranger nodded and spared a moment to watch Nadine and Kestrel as they tended to the wounded, which were presumably his companions. ¡°Can speak,¡± the stranger agreed in a slightly different yet still understandable Orc dialect, returning his attention to me again, ¡°You not with Gargant?¡± He asked sceptically, ¡°Not with human slavers?¡±


    An involuntary growl escaped my lips as they curled in disgust, ¡°No, we are not!¡± I confirmed tersely.


    The much smaller Orc cowed slightly under my ire for a moment before quickly standing tall again, a defiant gleam in his eyes that could be found in just about any headstrong teenager.


    After taking a deep breath to calm down, I levelled my gaze with the young Orc again. ¡°I am Tim, High Chieftain and Overlord of Sanctuary and the third floor of this Labyrinth,¡± I rumbled, taking satisfaction in the widening eyes of the young Orc as he processed what I was claiming, ¡°And I want to speak with your leader,¡± I eyed the rows of wounded and the nearby wagon each in turn, ¡°Assuming they still live,¡± I added for dramatic effect.


    The Orc youth was truly cowed now, his left hand visibly trembling as he held his knife tighter. ¡°Th-this one is Jarwa,¡± he stammered while stiffly bowing again, ¡°Uday is chief, leader of tribe, Jarwal''s uncle. Jarwal can bring you to him. Uday will reward for returning warriors and hunters to tribe.¡±


    Nodding noncommittally, I took a closer look at the contents of the wagon. There were five unconscious Orcs matching Uday¡¯s general appearance, their faces hidden behind cloth wrappings and veils. Unsurprisingly, three of the prisoners were male and the remaining two were female. Besides the Gnolls, I had yet to witness any real gender preferences when it came to the jobs and roles filled by monster tribes.


    The four draft beasts Kestrel had spied earlier were actually large boars each wearing thick, professionally made, taming collars. Having noticed the collars, I was surprised that the boars hadn¡¯t immediately turned aggressive after the bond holder died. I was of course assuming that the Slavers leader had been the one to hold the bond, but also realised that there was no requirement for that to be the case. Technically, the bond holder could establish predetermined commands and just hand the boars off to someone else.


    Assuming we would be keeping the wagon for transporting the wounded, I approached the closest boar and bit my left thumb hard enough to break the skin and bleed. Pressing my thumb against the ownership tag, I felt a sudden pressure establish in my mind. The pressure increased gradually over the course of five minutes but then suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a Status alert.


    {You have successfully seized control of {Bristle Boar} from {Ugluk}]


    Furrowing my brow, I turned my attention to the remaining three Bristle Boars. ¡°Clarice! I think I want some back up!¡± I called out over my shoulder, not wanting to let the fierce-looking swines out of my sight.


    Clarice wasted no time and jogged over, Dhizi waddling close behind as she continued swallowing the remaining half of her Orc meal. ¡°What¡¯s-oh! Hey! Are those Bristle Boars? I thought something smelled familiar.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I just stole control of this one from its owner and I want you and Dhizi on standby in case he prematurely surrenders the others.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha!¡± Clarice nodded in understanding and then waved Dhizi forward.


    I placed my bleeding thumb on the tag of another collar. The same pressure from before suddenly manifested just as before. However, it disappeared almost immediately and the same Status alert appeared in its place.


    {You have successfully seized control of {Bristle Boar} from {Ugluk}]


    I had no proof, but I could only assume that whoever Ugluk was, he had no intentions of fighting me for control, or just as likely, couldn¡¯t, so he was surrendering at the first opportunity.


    I repeated the seizure of both the remaining Bristle Boars at the same time. Expecting an immediate surrender like before, I was surprised as the mental pressure continued to build to an almost uncomfortable level before eventually dissipating, only this time accompanied by three Status alerts.


    [You have slain {Mountain Orc Grunt: 3 } +1200 Exp]


    {You have successfully seized control of {Bristle Boar} from {Ugluk}]


    {You have successfully seized control of {Bristle Boar} from {Ugluk}]


    I stared blankly at the Status Alerts in surprise. I had not expected the Bristle Boars owner to die, or more accurately, that I could even kill him in the attempt of seizing control in the first place. Then I remembered when Toofy had been taken hostage, and how she had nearly died while attempting to resist the Enslavement. In that context, I suppose it made sense, but i was still confused as to why the Orc hadn¡¯t just surrendered control of the Bristle Boars in order to save his own life.


    ¡°Tim? Everything good?¡± Clarice asked worriedly.


    I shook my head and blinked to remove the Status Alerts, ¡°Yeah...I just...I mean...You saw the notification, right?¡±


    Clarice nodded, ¡°Mountain Orc Grunt, twelve hundred Exp...I think you overwhelmed them by doing two at once,¡± she speculated, ¡°That or they really misjudged who they were coming up against,¡± Clarice grinned and gave me a good-natured punch to the arm.


    Unable to think of an alternative explanation, I nodded in agreement. ¡°Did you look over the bodies for anything valuable?¡± I asked, intended more as an afterthought, I didn¡¯t really think Clarice would have had the time to do so just yet.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, actually, so it looks like that guy you killed was the only Variant...¡± Clarice explained somewhat nervously, ¡°The rest all had collars on, and I didn¡¯t see any other kill notifications...So...Yeah...Figured I might as well let Dhizi eat a couple to save on rations.¡±


    Setting aside my internal debate on the personhood of clones for what felt like the thousandth time, I turned my attention back to Jarwa, who had been quietly and intensely observing myself and Clarice throughout our interaction. ¡°How long do you think it will take for us to reach your tribe?¡± I asked directly, already in no mood for playing games.


    Jarwal glanced meaningfully at the wagon and then back to his eight unconscious companions still receiving treatment and assessment from Nadine. ¡°Before sun highest,¡± he asserted confidently, pointing off into the barren plains. To his credit, Jarwal wasn¡¯t stupid enough to contradict the sled tracks I could already see for myself. Whether he remained nearly as helpful once we reached striking distance of his allies, that had yet to be seen.


    Taking hold of one of the lead Bristle Boars by a large tusk, I began pulling it towards Nadine. Through Enslavement or by its own limited cognition, the giant boar began dragging the others, who in turn began pulling along the sled.


    Curiously, Jarwal did not immediately follow us. Instead, he crouched down by the body of the dead Variant I had killed and removed the crude leather pack of the dead Orc¡¯s back. With the pack secured, Jarwal hurried after the wagon. Once I stopped the wagon, Jarwal presented me with the dead Orc¡¯s pack, or more specifically, what looked like a large mostly full waterskin from inside of it. ¡°Yours, High Chieftain Tim.¡± The degree of reverence and visible reluctance the young Orc displayed served as a none too subtle reminder of the current drought and the importance of water.


    I accepted the large waterskin in silence and handed it off to Toofy and Ril who were still hiding in the shade on Dhizi¡¯s back. We already had a lot of water, but until I had a better understanding of what was going on here, I wasn¡¯t going to advertise that fact.


    While Kestrel and Jarwal loaded the unconscious tribesmen into the back of the wagon, I shifted the small amount of cargo from inside the wagon into Dhizi¡¯s saddlebags. In addition to questionable dried meat rations, there was another large half-empty waterskin. Unlike the first, even without opening the plug, this second waterskin smelled strongly of urine.


    Jarwal saw my reaction and scowled a little in anger, ¡°Slavers leave piss for beasts, Slaves no allowed drink.¡±


    As gross as the prospect of drinking someone else''s pee was, and I could well imagine becoming desperate enough to do so after languishing in the desert heat without anything else to drink and my survival depending on it. Being denied even that...It was a new low I had until now not considered possible.


    It made a sick sort of sense. The Slavers only needed their captives alive long enough to reach the foothold in order to sell them off. ¡®Wasting¡¯ water on them seemed somewhat pointless from that perspective.


    With the thirteen Orc tribesmen all loaded into the wagon, I rigged up a crude shade over the wagon bed using one of our tent tarpaulins to try and shelter them from the sun while we travelled. Nadine seemed convinced that although a couple of the most severely injured may have concussions, there were no other potentially life-threatening injuries so far as she could tell. Although every Orc she had tended to did show signs of dehydration.


    Keeping that in mind, I assigned Nadine to drive the wagon while I brought up the rear, in case the sled runners got stuck and needed a push. Clarice would rove about in our general vicinity and keep a lookout for trouble coming up behind us, while Kestrel and Jarwal would lead us to his tribe.


    As we travelled the wounded Orc¡¯s in the wagon bed began regaining consciousness one by one. Disoriented and somewhat panicked, it took Jarwal a considerable amount of arguing to convince the older Orcs that we had in fact saved their lives and were not looking for a fight.


    Jarwal''s estimated travel time seemed to be correct. We had finished following the sled tracks a half hour ago and were instead now following the tracks Jarwal and the tribesmen had left. Rather disconcertingly, there had been no obvious signs of wild monsters thus far. However, I could tell from the way Jarwal and Kestrel were scanning the barren hills ahead of us that they were convinced this would change at any moment.


    Recalling the last time we had traversed an arid waste, I could only really think of three potential enemies, and didn¡¯t much like the thought of any of them.


    ¡°Sand Stalker! Sand Stalker!¡± Jarwal barked out in warning, drawing his second knife and turning to the left of our formation.


    Clarice was currently roving on our right, but she brought Dhizi up to speed and wheeled her back in our direction.


    A solid chunk of dried earth about fifteen feet to our left suddenly flipped open and exposed a hairy brown spider the size of a truck now barrelling towards us.


    Ever since I was a child, I had never been particularly scared of spiders. However, the sheer size of the spider racing towards us did give me a momentary pause as my brain tried rationalizing the size discrepancy between the charging arachnid and my woefully small boot.


    *Thwack*


    Kestrel¡¯s arrow sheared into one of the spider''s eight eyes and caused it to stumble slightly as it continued to charge.


    Seeing Jarwal preparing to countercharge, the shock of such a large spider rapidly evaporated.


    Gripping my morningstar tight, I launched myself towards the giant spider and realized too late that I had badly mistimed my swing and would strike a front leg rather than its body. Now aware that my blow wouldn¡¯t connect, and with less than a couple of seconds until we made contact, I gathered mana into my left fist and jabbed it at the spider¡¯s maw, doing my best to ignore the giant mandibles and un-spider-like teeth in its mouth.


    *Crunch*


    My left arm disappeared into its waiting maw and was almost shoulder-deep before making solid contact.


    *Boom*


    The spider was thrown backwards and sent tumbling as putrid goo gushed out of its mouth and onto the ground. Within a couple of seconds, its legs began twitching and curling up towards its body.


    [You have slain {Sand Stalker: 1 } +400 Exp]


    Looking down at my arm in disgust, I found it was covered in an acrid semi-clear liquid I could only assume was some sort of venom. Gingerly dropping my morningstar, I bunched up a section of my robe and vigorously rubbed off the venom as best as I was able. Retrieving my morningstar and slipping it back into my belt, I was surprised to see that Jarwal was elbow deep in the spider''s rear end and hacking at it with his knives.


    After a couple of minutes, Jarwal pulled out a strange-looking pale sack and quickly deposited it in a hide bag which he then offered to me. ¡°Your kill, yours,¡± Jarwal insisted, practically forcing the bag into my hands.


    ¡°This is?¡± I asked warily, although I had my suspicions.


    Jarwal smiled reassuringly, ¡°Is Sand Stalker threads, make strong protection,¡± he motioned to both the spider and sun in turn before pointing to his own clothes.


    Things were beginning to make more sense. ¡°This is a silk gland?¡± I asked, not really expecting the young Orc to know the words I was using to describe it.


    Jarwal surprised me again and nodded in confirmation, ¡°Stalkers make silk thread, weavers make protection.¡±


    It was a little disconcerting how the Labyrinth kept managing to find bridging words to facilitate our communication, but I did my best to push it to the back of my mind. ¡°Your tribe hunts Stalkers for their silk?¡±


    Jarwal nodded eagerly, ¡°Hunt for silk and meat,¡± he agreed.


    My stomach became somewhat queasy at the prospect of staying with this tribe for dinner. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you bring that with us then?¡± I asked, trying not to show my distaste for the arachnid.


    Jarwal seemed somewhat embarrassed and shook his head, ¡°Venom make meat no good,¡± he apologised, pointing to the disgorged insides splattered on the cracked dirt and the ruptured carapace of its cephalothorax.


    Right, that makes sense. Spiders inject their venom to liquefy food and I had probably basted its insides when I blew its head open.


    Returning to the rear of the formation, I was now incredibly curious to see how the tribe''s weavers handled spider silk and turned it into clothing. I had only ever seen a spinning wheel in children¡¯s books as a kid, and an old-school loom once or twice on TV. In both instances, I had no idea how they actually worked, so I was genuinely curious to see if it was a technology we could bring back to Sanctuary, even if we didn¡¯t have car-sized spider¡¯s silk to work with. After all, there was always cotton.


    Clarice stuck much closer to the formation now, not so much out of fear of being suddenly attacked by a giant spider, but because she was genuinely annoyed at missing out on the action. Even though Toofy and Ril were safely tucked away, I did make a point of reminding her they were there and not to be too reckless.


    After travelling for another ten minutes, a rocky formation began to take shape in the distance. Judging by Jarwal''s excitement, this was most likely his tribe¡¯s home.


    Roughly a quarter-hour after the rocky formation came into view, a growing dust cloud approaching us from the same direction made it clear that we had been spotted in turn and that Jarwal''s tribe had sent a scouting force to check us out.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the scouts to make contact. Roughly twenty strong, they stood a full head taller than Jarwa. The largest amongst them was heatedly arguing with Jarwal, who I assumed was either explaining how his people came to be in such a sorry state, or was doggedly advocating on our behalf. Unable to read lips, I could really only guess.


    Plenty irritable from trudging through the heat all day, I was well past the point of being intimidated by a show of force through numbers alone. I think their leader picked up on that, and it only made him more upset.


    After what seemed like hours of standing around in the sun, Jarwal returned to the wagon. ¡°Jergal-¡± he pointed to the large Orc he had been arguing with moments earlier, ¡°-agrees you will meet uncle,¡± Jarwal declared proudly, if somewhat more tired than before. ¡°Jergal¡¯s warriors protect, we move fast now.¡±


    Understanding his intended meaning was along the lines that Jergal would secure our route and we could now move without the worry of being ambushed, I was more than happy to get our formation moving again. Even more so that we would be out of the sun that much sooner.


    With Kestrel taking a seat by Nadine and I still left on foot, we doubled our pace and rapidly approached the home of the Orc tribe.


    Unsurprisingly, our escorts lead us up onto the rocky formation and into the interior. With the slight increase in elevation, the village became obvious. With tall walls that looked like they were shaped from baked and blackened clay, it blended in rather well with the surroundings to a certain degree, exposed only by its obviously man-made shape and design. The village had thick guard towers flanking the gate and three others that were more or less equally distributed around the village¡¯s wall.


    The gate was quite impressive in an intimidating sort of way. Seemingly made of the same baked clay moulded over a wood or bone frame, the arch above the gate was festooned with the petrified trophies of the tribe. Amongst the motley collection of humanoid skulls was a spider''s cephalothorax almost twice as large as the one I had slain earlier., as well as a reptilian skull of almost three quarters its size. Truly impressive feats if the tribe didn¡¯t have combat Classes to do the heavy lifting.


    The inside of the village was somewhat similar to the rural middle-eastern towns and villages I had seen sometimes on the news or in movies. The walls of the buildings were all made from fired bricks and had a weathered look to them that suggested they had not been maintained in a long time. The doors of each dwelling were made from earth coloured fabrics, although there were signs that they had once used more conventional solid doors in their place.


    The villagers were dressed more or less as I had expected. The warriors were wearing similar garb to myself and Jarwal, while the ¡®civilians¡¯ and children wore much longer robes and had them cinched closed, rather than open.


    Jarwal and Jergal had entered a larger building on the opposite side of the village¡¯s central plaza, no doubt to announce our arrival and engage in another argument.


    There was near palpable desperation in the air that only partially abated when the wounded tribesmen were revealed from beneath the wagon''s tarpaulin and returned to their families. Taking note of the large well in the centre of the plaza, I already knew what to expect when I walked over to take a look, but curiosity compelled me to investigate anyway.


    The large clay jug sitting by the well was attached to an overhead beam by a length of thickly corded hide rope. However, rather than throwing down the jug into the depths, and very likely smashing it in the process, I dropped a small stone instead. After a few seconds, I heard a faint splat that signalled the stone had hit the bottom and struck what sounded like mud.


    Seeing the crowds continuing to grow, I sincerely hoped no one tried doing anything stupid. Spying a large pot nearby, I removed the lid and took a moment to confirm it was empty. Judging that to be the case, I quickly moved over to Dhizi and took back the waterskin I had given to them for safekeeping.


    The moment the waterskin came into the open, I could feel everyone''s eyes become fixated on me. Trying my best to appear calm, I carried the jug back over by the well and carefully set it down. It was large enough that Toofy or Ril could fit in it standing up, so the water I was about to empty into it wouldn¡¯t seem nearly as impressive as if I emptied it into a smaller jug. Unstopping the waterskin, I upended and emptied it into the jug, managing to fill it about a third of the way before the waterskin was empty. ¡°A gift of friendship, from my people to yours,¡± I announced loudly, having decided to keep it simple to avoid potential misunderstandings. Stepping away from the jug and returning to Dhizi, I was surprised by the sheer level of restraint demonstrated by the crowded villagers. Not one of them had rushed forward to claim the jug of water as their own. However, an older woman had briefly approached in order to seal the jug with its lid before returning to the crowd.


    ¡°Y¡¯think they don''t trust us?¡± Clarice asked a little nervously, prompting a quiet rumble from Dhizi.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the reason they are holding back,¡± she disagreed, ¡°Or rather, it¡¯s not why they aren¡¯t taking the water. I think they are waiting for the village leaders to divide it out into rations or equal shares. There is no way they could have survived a drought for this long if they weren¡¯t following some very strict rules.¡±


    Kestrel nodded in agreement, ¡°There are records of company¡¯s going to shit in better conditions than these in a tenth the time when discipline was low,¡± she commented helpfully.


    While we were talking, an elderly male Orc villager with a differently wrapped headscarf passed through the crowd and entered the same building as Jergal and Jarwa, perhaps to report on what I had done, and just as likely, request the distribution of the water.


    Deciding to check on Toofy and Ril, I was genuinely amazed by their ability to snooze through just about the entire day thus far. If it weren¡¯t so hot out, I would have insisted they come out of their cool little hidey-hole and get some exercise. But it was hot out and spreading the suffering around seemed profoundly counterproductive and incredibly petty. Besides, the last thing I wanted was Toofy revealing exactly how much water we happened to have in storage. That would basically guarantee our attempted kidnapping on the spot, discipline or no.


    After some time had passed, the same elderly Orc exited the building and motioned for me to follow.


    Waving the others down, I removed my morning star and warhammer, handing them off to Kestrel to look after until I returned and giving her instructions to water the boars from the piss waterskin if she felt up to it. They looked like they could use water, but I didn¡¯t think watering the boars with clean drinking water would go down so well with this crowd.


    Entering the building alongside the elderly Orc, I found Jergal and Jarwal sitting cross-legged across from a marginally more decoratively dressed older Orc who looked to be in the equivalent of his fifties. With his face uncovered, I was not particularly surprised to find that he had dark tanned coloured skin and the same intense blue eyes shared by the other Orcs in the village.


    Seeing my guide stiffly sit himself down, I emulated his example and sort of did the same, although I couldn¡¯t quite manage to fully cross my thick thighs and calves.


    Once I was seated, each of the other men present turned to face me and bowed at the waist while saluting with their palm in fist before sitting straight again.


    ¡°Chief Uday welcomes High Chieftain Tim,¡± The unveiled Orc repeated the fist in palm gesture while bowing his back at the waist slightly. ¡°Freeing hunters from Slavers, rescuing nephew, High Chieftain strong.¡± There was a deliberate pause, ¡°Why travel barren lands? Why visit Stonewell?¡± He stared intently into my eyes and seemed to be scrutinising my every action.


    I decided to start things on a lighter note. ¡°We rescued your nephew and hunters by accident, we almost didn¡¯t see battle in the distance. Returning them home afterwards seemed like the right thing to do in the circumstances. We have no prior grievances or grudges, so why not establish a friendship instead?¡± I explained sincerely.


    Chief Uday furrowed his brow and seemed to be mulling over what I had said, testing it for falsehood.


    ¡°There is more,¡± I admitted, but made a point of not looking guilty, ¡°When I heard about your people, and others, being enslaved and sold, I decided to take action and offer assistance. That is why we are here right now.¡±


    Somehow, Chief Uday seemed to find that explanation even more difficult to accept than the first. ¡°Why help us?¡± He demanded simply


    I considered his question and tried to reduce my answer to its most fundamental truth. ¡°Because we are stronger together and there are people I want to protect,¡± My hand drifted to the necklace Lash had given me.


    The movement was not lost on Chief Uday who seemed to understand the necklace¡¯s purpose almost immediately. ¡°High Chief Tim¡¯s mate Orc?¡± He asked in stunned surprise.


    I nodded and pulled aside my robe and tunic to expose the bite mark on my shoulder. It may not be the same bonding ritual used here, but the gesture alone would likely carry the intended meaning when combined with the context of our conversation. ¡°My wife, my mate, Lash, is a Deep Orc. Her people lived underground before a great disaster befell her people. I took them in and gave them shelter alongside others I had rescued, and soon we were joined by more. If you still have doubts, I can tell you how I founded Sanctuary and became High Chieftain.¡±


    Chief Uday gulped dryly and nodded, a combination of apprehension and scepticism warring with a rekindled sense of hope burning in his eyes.


    As I told my tale, warts and all, I could tell Jergal was determined to disbelieve everything, while Jarwal seemed equally determined to believe everything at face value. Meanwhile, Chief Uday and the elderly Orc remained quiet throughout, with the exception of a few clarifying questions from Uday.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Jergal snarled dismissively, ¡°Commanding water?! Impossible!¡± He had been hung up on my retelling of Hana and the Daemons efforts to literally shape Sanctuary from the swamp and provide us clean drinking water.


    Chief Uday and the elderly Orc, whom I was beginning to suspect was their Shaman, seemed somewhat sceptical as well, but not to the extent that they would say I was lying.


    ¡°Then I have a proposition for you,¡± I offered sincerely, ¡°If I can restore water to your people, will you join my alliance?¡±


    Chief Uday tried to conceal his conflicted emotions as he nodded in agreement to the terms, ¡°Chief Uday accepts High Chieftain Tim¡¯s bargain.¡± It was obvious that he expected me to fail, but I could see the desperate hope burning brighter in his eyes now, the look of a man willing to take one last roll of the dice.


    *****


    Peter shifted anxiously on the wagon¡¯s cushioned seat for what had to be the thousandth time that afternoon. It wasn¡¯t that the cushion was particularly uncomfortable, it was, in fact, one of the best cushions he had ever had the privilege of sitting on. It wasn¡¯t the surrounding swamp or soldiers serving as his escort either, the soldiers were greatly appreciated for their protection and the humid swamp air could be abated well enough with his small hand fan.


    What made Peter anxious was the fortune of delicate equipment packed into his wagon and the two being driven behind it.


    When the military had approached him, upon recommendation from his uncle Jonas, they had offered him a lucrative contract and attached a sheaf of papers for him to list any and all materials, ingredients, tools and machinery he would require. Their only provisioning requirement had been that he account for the making of paper, ink and surgical soap.


    Thinking that the Lieutenant that offered the contract was jesting, Peter had simply jotted down the bare minimum of what he would require.


    The Lieutenant had then handed the papers back to Peter and deeply impressed upon him and in no uncertain terms, that if he could operate his own fully furbished, ELITE, apothecarium, what would be required to do so. Price, would not be an issue.


    So now Peter was trundling along in a wagon, through a swamp, in the Hurst Labyrinth of all places, headed towards the military encampment the Soldiers kept referring to as Sanctuary. And Peter wasn¡¯t the only one either, near as he could tell, there were five other civilians each with their own wagons and dedicated bodyguards provided by the military. However, with the exception of the spice merchant, Peter honestly had no clue to begin guessing their professions.


    By late evening, their convoy had reached the end of the road and had come to a stop outside of a towering wall of thick briars and a hollowed tree serving as a sort of gateway. What had first appeared to be a barricade of roots and branches quickly revealed themselves to be some sort of plant monsters. However, rather than attacking the soldiers, they withdrew from the hollowed out tree and opened the path so the wagons could continue inside.


    After passing through the gate, they had now entered what appeared to be a partitioned area of a larger fortification. There was another hollowed-out tree similarly barricaded to the one they just passed through, however, the walls of briars were only half as tall, revealing towering trees beyond.


    The soldiers driving the wagons brought them to a stop in a large clearing that seemed specially made for this purpose.


    After a short wait, a middle-aged man and woman entered through the second gate and began speaking with the soldiers. While they were speaking, the other soldiers began setting up camp, making it clear that this was as far as they would all be going for the time being.


    After speaking with the soldiers, the middle-aged couple approached an older man who had been riding further back in the formation. They seemed to know each other and after a short discussion, the middle-aged man motioned the soldiers responsible for escorting the older man''s wagons to go through the gate.


    With the older man¡¯s wagons and escort having passed beyond the gate, the middle-aged couple repeated their pattern of speaking with soldiers, the civilian they were escorting, and then having them pass through the second gate.


    With just himself and the spice merchant remaining, Peter was becoming nervous again.


    After accompanying the last civilian through the gate, the middle-aged couple had now returned with a small crowd of monsters each carrying large baskets full of trade goods. The middle-aged woman led these monsters to the spice merchant while the middle-aged man now made his way towards Peter.


    ¡°You are Peter, right? Jonas¡¯s nephew?¡± The middle-aged man held out his hand in greeting.


    Peter nodded and shook the man¡¯s hand while trying not to appear overly nervous by the proximity of the monsters, who now seemed to be haggling prices for their goods with the elated spice merchant.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Kirk, and that¡¯s my wife Rose, your uncle may have mentioned us?¡± Kirk suggested helpfully.


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t remember if he did, sorry,¡± Peter apologised.


    Kirk shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s fine. We used to run the inn on the first floor while Jonas ran the apothecarium.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Peter didn¡¯t really know what to say to that and just shrugged apologetically. ¡°Ah, so the officer who recruited me was a little vague on what exactly I would be doing?¡± He hinted, hoping Kirk would know more and be willing to share.


    Kirk grinned, ¡°Aye, I know what you were asked for, but it¡¯s not my place to say.¡± He patted Peter¡¯s shoulder apologetically but continued smiling reassuringly, ¡°You were asked for special, ain''t no harm be allowed to come to you.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡± Peter stammered in surprise.


    Kirk nodded and replaced the soldier that had been driving the wagon, ¡°Got a nice big workspace and living quarters arranged for you on the quieter side of town,¡± he explained and gave the reins a flick to set the elk in motion. ¡°Best and brightest volunteers for apprentices too,¡± Kirk whispered conspiratorially and winked as he waved for the other wagons to follow.


    ¡°Apprentices?...¡± Peter¡¯s face turned white and he began to sweat heavily, ¡°I only graduated my own apprenticeship two months ago...¡± He gasped breathlessly.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kirk looked him up and down appraisingly, ¡°That¡¯s rather impressive isn¡¯t it?¡± He asked conversationally, ¡°You''re only twenty or I¡¯m sixty,¡± Kirk chuckled.


    ¡°Nineteen...¡± Peter mumbled numbly, ¡°I...I started early, reading my uncle''s books I mean...¡±


    Kirk nodded and didn¡¯t seem the least disappointed, ¡°Won¡¯t be a problem, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure the boss will only respect you more for it. Mind you give the volunteers time to learn their letters though. Teaching has been slow going without enough papers and writing supplies to go round.¡±


    Peter was about to ask what he was meant to do with illiterate apprentices, but they just passed through the second gate and he was stunned into silence by the savage beauty of his new surroundings. They had just entered what looked like an overgrown orchard, only the bushes were not invasive weeds, but bore ripe looking berries.


    As they continued passing through the orchard, a small horde of curious monsters had begun to follow them, all of them children of one species or another. They mostly seemed to be Goblins and scaly skinned humanoids, but there were a few bulky Orc children in the mix too.


    Some of the soldiers escorting the wagons smiled and waved at the kids, exchanging gifts or letting them sit on the side of the wagons.


    All of this took place under the watchful eyes of the children¡¯s caretakers, although it was curious that they were getting along so well.


    Leaving the Orchards, they briefly passed through open fields of pumpkins and other tubers before arriving at a very large pair of buildings that seemed to have been grown entirely out of the ground, formed from roots and thick branches.


    Kirk brought the wagon to stop and hopped off the seat, ¡°We weren¡¯t sure exactly how big the apothecarium needed to be,¡± he apologised while motioning to the monolithic sized building in front of them, ¡°But I figured since Jonas was always complaining about the one leased by the guild being too small by far, that it would be a good idea to have the Druids make it too big rather than risk it being too small.¡±


    Peter gulped and numbly slid off the seat to take a closer look. ¡°This is at least five stories tall...¡± he muttered absently as his eyes drifted towards the building next to it that was intended to be home, ¡°And that¡¯s at least three stories...¡±


    Kirk grinned, ¡°Mathias reacted much the same when we showed him his new carpentry workshop, Fargus too when he got a good look at the work the Deep Orcs have been producing without a ¡®real smithy¡¯,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Wait...Did you say Druids?!¡± Peter demanded incredulously.


    Kirk grinned even wider and nodded, ¡°Aye I did, why did you think the army made such a big deal about making lists of herbs you would need?¡±


    Peter suddenly felt very lightheaded and leaned on the wagon for support. The sheer scale of the vegetation being manipulated and the presence of the Druids made sense, but what Peter still didn¡¯t understand was why he had been chosen. ¡°Why?¡± he croaked, his throat suddenly bone dry from his nervousness, ¡°Why me?¡±


    Kirk patted him on the back reassuringly, ¡°Because your uncle made a good impression, and he vouches for you.¡±


    Rather than feeling reassured, Peter only felt more nervous. He only graduated two months ago, how the hell was he meant to live up to these insane expectations?!

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 27 – Stalking the sands – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 27 ¨C Stalking the sands ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 27 - Stalking the sands - Part One


    Chief Uday was kind enough to allow us to use one of the empty houses near the outer wall while we stayed in Stone Well. Dhizi was far too large to fit through the door, so she would sleep outside in the space between our building and the one next to it. Similarly, we parked the wagon and Bristle Boars outside the front and by the door.


    Settling in for the night, I had just as much luck sleeping as I had for the past few days. After waking up for the third time, I decided to just stay awake.


    Wandering outside, I stared up at the stars and tried to find any constellations I might recognise. Astronomy had never really been my thing, so I spent more than an hour more or less doing nothing.


    Knowing that the surrounding buildings were unoccupied, I entered the building on the opposite side of the main street and walked up the stairs to the second floor. Although a little dubious of the structural integrity of the building, I was surprised to find that the centre of the floor had no problems bearing my weight. Emboldened, I used the stairs on the second floor¡¯s exterior landing to walk up onto the roof.


    The vantage point of the rooftop gave me a view of almost the entire village, including the large number of guards patrolling the top of the wall. Knowing that Variants could enter Wards at will, it still seemed pretty brutal for so many of the village''s warriors to brave the cold every night just to protect themselves from Slavers.


    ¡°Stalker!¡± I barely heard the cry of alarm and wasn¡¯t sure if I had heard it correctly. It had come from almost the opposite side of the village. However, as I turned my attention in the right direction and continued to watch, I saw five warriors group up on the wall with long knives and short spears at the ready.


    In the space of a single second, one of the warriors was down, the huge form of a spider now standing atop their place on the wall. With horrified fascination, I watched as the distant figures darted in and out of the spider¡¯s reach again and again. Even the warrior that had been knocked down did not remain idle, rolling free from beneath the spider only to then leap back into the fray.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the spider curled up into a ball and one of the warriors pushed it off the wall and into the village.


    ¡°Stalker!¡± The call came again, only this time it was from two places at once.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t their Ward working?¡± I muttered and looked around the otherwise quiet village. Letting wild predators of this size inside the perimeter, even for food, seemed borderline suicidal. Seeing a large dark shape slip over a section of the wall, I felt my blood run cold. There had been no call for this intruder...


    Jumping off the roof, I grunted and ignored the pain in my knees, ¡°Dhizi! Follow me!¡± I commanded and ran for all I was worth.


    Even though Dhizi¡¯s metabolism had been severely affected by the cold, I could hear her scrambling after me as I sprinted down the main street.


    Already committed, I ignored the fact that my weapons were back in the borrowed house. There was a reason I had brought Dhizi for backup.


    Running down a side street, I briefly caught sight of the spider scuttling down a nearby alleyway. Matching its direction while sticking to the street, I was only partially surprised when it leapt out into the road towards me. I had purposefully made no attempts to quiet my movements, I wanted it to focus on me.


    All the same, It knocked me off my feet and I felt it rip through my robe as I tumbled backwards.


    *Snap! Crunch*


    The spider recoiled as Dhizi tore half of a leg from its body.


    Slowly pacing forwards, Dhizi dropped the twitching leg and tasted the air with her long tongue.


    The Sand Stalker continued backing away, foul ichor dribbling from its maimed leg. It clacked its thick mandibles in irritation and seemed to stare at me hatefully as I regained my footing.


    ¡°STALKER INSIDE!¡± The fierce cry came from the other side of the spider and caught all three of us by surprise. Or so I thought.


    *Snap! Crunch*


    The instant the spider¡¯s attention seemed divided, Dhizi leapt forward and bodily tackled it, ripping one of its legs off in the process.


    Three village warriors came running down the street from the direction of the earlier warning, but they quickly came up short and could only watch in surprise as Dhizi proceeded to dismantle the spider, piece by piece. At first, I was worried that the spider might seriously harm Dhizi by injecting her full of venom, but that concern seemed unfounded since the Sand Stalker failed to even penetrate her scaly hide.


    [Dhizi has slain {Sand Stalker: 3 } +1200 Exp]


    Apparently not put off by the taste in the least, Dhizi began gorging herself on the dead spider¡¯s ruined limbs.


    Turning my attention to the warriors, I felt a hot surge of anger. ¡°Bring me to your Chief!¡± I demanded, making it clear this was not a request.


    One of the warriors was ¡®volunteered¡¯ by his companions and led me back to the Chief¡¯s home.


    Dhizi followed us, dragging along her prize through the open street.


    While initially furious with the Chief, once I gave him the opportunity to explain himself, he admitted that their Shaman had been kidnapped during an attempted peace negotiation after the first year of the drought. The Shaman¡¯s apprentice had been killed during the kidnapping, leaving the village without a Ward.


    Negotiations with the nomad tribes to ¡®borrow¡¯ one of their Shamans had revealed that they were in similarly dire straits, having lost their Shamans as well.


    While no one knew for sure, it was assumed that Gargant, Chief of the Iron Hills tribe was responsible. After all, it was his tribe of Mountain Orc¡¯s that was actively predating on the nomads and Stone Well village.


    Chief Uday seemed far more tired than he had been when we met earlier, and not just because of the late hour.


    ¡°Since the drought started...How many have you lost to the Slavers and Stalkers?¡± I asked firmly, already having a rough idea just from observing the village during the day but wanting confirmation.


    Uday Clenched his fists and glared at his feet, ¡°Half...Half of village dead or slaves...¡± He croaked.


    ¡°The wanton predation of your people ends today!¡± I snarled and left the Chief¡¯s home.


    Leading Dhizi back to our living quarters, I wasn¡¯t surprised to find that Kestrel, Clarice and Nadine were up and about.


    I did my best to calm down and explain Stone Well and the nomads'' situation. Furthermore, I went on to explain what exactly we were going to do about it. ¡°Kestrel, Overseer Klive would have assigned a liaison to Gric to relay messages, right?¡±


    Kestrel nodded and hurriedly rushed up the stairs to retrieve her own communicator.


    ¡°This village needs a proper Ward and better defences before we can risk turning it into a real Settlement. So we need one of Ushu¡¯s apprentices in addition to the Druid I was already intending to have Ril fetch from Sanctuary. Now I am thinking we will need a whole bunch of weapons and food supplies as well. These Orc¡¯s are getting way too close to these damned spiders as it is and their weapons just don¡¯t seem good enough.¡± I explained grimly.


    ¡°We will need medical supplies too! And at least a couple of the more senior Surgeons,¡± Nadine added, ¡°We also need to set aside a defensible yet accessible area for treatment of the wounded. I think the Chief¡¯s house would be about big enough,¡± she suggested optimistically.


    ¡°You should have the tamers provide a bunch of Beast Taming collars too,¡± Clarice suggested with a grin, ¡°Those spiders are pretty big, and I bet they would make brutal mounts for exotic cavalry.¡±


    ¡°Good lookouts too,¡± Kestrel added a little breathlessly as she descended the stairs with a message device in hand.


    Clarice nodded in agreement, ¡°Won¡¯t need nearly as many warriors if they have tamed Beasts filling out their ranks.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± I nodded and then repeated our list to Kestrel, just in case she missed anything while retrieving her communication device.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to get in contact, but I might not get a response till sun up unless they have someone taking off hours,¡± Kestrel warned as she flipped the switch on her communicator, signalling she wanted to establish contact. She would turn it off and then reactivate it every so often, presumably to draw attention to the flashing light on the other end.


    Settling back down again, I tried to sleep but couldn¡¯t quite manage it. My blood was up now and I was anxious to get things started.


    As Kestrel expected, she didn¡¯t get a connection until just before sunrise. It did not change much, since everyone we would be recruiting would still have been asleep anyway. With Gric taking charge of things on his end, we set midday for when Ril would open the portal. There was no telling how long RIl would be able to maintain the connection with her current pool of mana, so the volunteers were warned to pass through the portal as soon as it opened and the sled containing additional supplies would be pushed through after them.


    Since all monsters could sense mana on one level or another, I warned Chief Uday and strongly recommended that he post most of his warriors on the walls and not go out hunting.


    Chief Uday put up some resistance, but changed his mind once I explained that I was bringing a Shaman to train a replacement for their tribe and the materials along with them in order to do so. I made no mention of the Druid, since I still didn¡¯t know what had caused the drought to begin with and the Druid might not be able to fix the problem on their own.


    As the designated hour approached, Kestrel stood on standby atop the roof of the Chief¡¯s home, holding the communication device at the ready in order to give our volunteers on the other side the best warning, and our Ward at her feet just in case.


    Standing in the open street near the well, this was the villagers first look at Toofy and Ril. It was difficult to tell exactly, since most had their faces concealed behind veils of silk, but bewilderment seemed to be the most prominent reaction.


    Dressed in a thoroughly soaked towel wrapped about her body like a robe, Ril raised her hands and extended her fingers, signalling she was ready to attempt opening the portal. A sudden density to the atmosphere made it difficult to breathe as a near-transparent crack formed in the air in front of RIl. Reaching her hands into the crack, Ril seemed to struggle to find a handhold for a few moments before drawing the tear wider.


    A shimmering image of Sanctuary began to form on the other side, the sight of the prolific vegetation driving some of the nearby villagers to their knees in shock.


    The instant the public fountain came into focus, a squat toadlike Daemon and a small crowd of Serpent-Kin rushed through the portal with thick hide ropes drawn taut over their shoulders.


    ¡°GRAB THE ROPES! PULL THROUGH THE SUPPLIES!¡± I roared as I rushed forward to lend a hand doing exactly that. Kestrel had confirmed that there would be five large sleds packed full of supplies, including food and water. The test would be how many we could secure before the portal collapsed.


    Taking a firm hold of the guide ropes, I leveraged my weight and heaved the unseen sled train into motion, allowing the Daemon and Serpent-Kin to get a head start from the momentum. As tempted as I was to watch the portal, I tightened my grip instead and continued dragging the sled train.


    ¡°All through!¡± Nadine called out, ¡°All thr-¡±


    *Pop*


    Nadine''s voice disappeared suddenly as the sudden atmospheric change caused my ears to pop, temporarily deafening me.


    Judging by the reactions of Sanctuary''s recently arrived volunteers, I wasn¡¯t the only one, which was some comfort at least.


    After a couple of minutes, my hearing had just about finished returning to normal and I quickly found out that my earlier concerns regarding the Sand Stalkers seemed to be correct. Three of the giant spiders had already attempted scaling the walls and more could be seen approaching the village in the distance.


    It was a good thing that Clarice and Dhizi were already out there. Even though they hadn¡¯t directly contributed to any kills yet, the spiders seemed much more interested in them as moving targets rather than Stone Well. This was important because it gave Hessin, our volunteer Shaman, more time to build and grow her Ward. It also allowed the other volunteers to begin unloading and distributing supplies.


    By no means an expert, or arguably even all that proficient, with polearms. I still committed to setting an example for the village¡¯s warriors, taking up one of the ten-foot halberds from the weapon supply sled and hurriedly heading for the closest access point to the wall.


    Noncombatants, mostly children, had already been shepherded into the central most buildings and put under heavy guard. The warriors that remained had been divided between defending the wall and waiting to rearm from the recently arrived supplies of weapons.


    The moment I reached the top of the wall I quickly realised that the defenders were going to need more time. There were seven Sand stalkers approaching this flank already and reinforcements wouldn¡¯t arrive for another minute at least.


    Jumping down off the wall, I ignored the brief flash of pain from my knees and lurched forwards into a stiff charge. With the goal of buying time, I altered course for the space between the approaching spiders, forcing the closest spiders to change direction and follow me instead.


    Ignoring the section of my brain that was all but screaming for me to run away and not towards the giant arachnids, I tightened my grip and braced my shoulders to meet the first charge.


    As the Sand Stalker in front of me drew closer, I realised my mistake and changed grip as I continued charging towards it.


    The mistake was one I had made repeatedly in training drills and was the consequence of my own brute strength and limited creativity when my adrenaline was up. When faced with an enemy, I would just try to stab it as hard as I could, and that was about it. Obviously, that posed a problem when training against a thinking opponent, because they knew my attacks in advance. In the case of fighting these spiders though? Stabbing the halberd with this amount of accumulated force would bury it in the spider and leave me without a ready weapon for the two others that were seconds out of striking range themselves.


    Coming to an abrupt halt just short of my originally intended bracing point, I angled the axe-head of the halberd to my right and pivoted hard in the same direction, almost tripping over my own feet as I attempted the last second movements.


    *Crack*


    A shiver ran down the pole of the halberd and reverberated through my hands as the blade of the protruding spike struck and shattered the carapace of one of the spider¡¯s forelegs.


    Gritting my teeth and pivoting hard with my hips, I continued swinging the halberd in a clockwise arc.


    *Crack, Shink, Crack, Crack Crunch*


    The bladed spike and axe-head cut and battered the Sand Striker that had originally been approaching from my right, almost entirely removing one of it¡¯s raised forelimbs. However, my momentum came to an abrupt halt as the axe scythed off the third Sand Stalker¡¯s right forelimb and became embedded in its side, almost shearing off another leg at the base.


    Rather than attacking immediately, As I had expected them to do, the spiders hissed and jerkily attempted to disengage.


    Unwilling to surrender the halberd so easily, I tried to hold my ground and yank it free, but the giant spider was apparently even more determined and I was already off-balance, so I had to let go to avoid falling over.


    Hastily drawing my morningstar from my belt, I waited for the spiders to attack, but they continued their limping retreat, stiffly skittering backwards, seemingly refusing to take their eyes off of me.


    Unfortunately for the spiders, there seemed to be no loyalty or kinship amongst their kind. The second wave of approaching Sand Stalkers leapt onto their wounded with cold disregard for what otherwise could have been their significant numerical advantage.


    More than happy to disengage, I warily backed away towards the wall.


    [Dhizi has slain {Sand Stalker: 2 } +800 Exp]


    Not having a direct line of sight on Clarie and Dhizi, it was a relief to see the kill notification being credited to them.


    Watching the brutal infighting of the spiders, it became even more sickening as I realised that despite having most of their limbs torn off, their kill notifications hadn¡¯t appeared yet. Worse still, the carnage was only drawing more spiders.


    Gratefully accepting a rope from the warriors on the wall, I hastily climbed back up and looked around at the wider battlefield. Seeing that other areas could use my help, I issued a quest to Clarice informing her of my plan to abuse the Sand Stalker¡¯s opportunistic cannibalism and how she could help.


    Hurrying along the wall, I arrived just in time to watch an older tribal warrior deliver a crippling blow to A Sand Stalker¡¯s nervous system.


    Even though it was still alive, I waved the warriors off and then kicked its twitching body off the wall. As I had hoped, Sand Stalkers that had been headed towards the tribal warriors on the wall, now redirected to their paralysed kin.


    ¡°Stay low, try not to let them see you,¡± I warned as I ran off towards the next fight.


    The next group of warriors weren¡¯t faring nearly as well, three warriors were desperately fighting off a giant spider while the fourth was seizing and thrashing a short distance away.


    ¡°MAKE ROOM!¡± I roared, channelling mana into my morning star, I held it wide and low on my right side.


    In no real position to do as I asked, the warriors each disengaged the best they could as I arrived in their midst.


    As I had hoped, the Sand Stalker shifted its attention to me, or more specifically, the concentrated mana I was radiating. However, before it had time to leap or attempt at knocking me down with a forelimb, my morningstar came crashing into its underside.


    *BOOM*


    [You have slain {Sand Stalker: 3 } +1200 Exp]


    The thunderclap was accompanied by an explosion of chitinous gore and splintered iron. The Sand Stalker¡¯s limbs were sent flying in all directions as its abdomen and head tore free of each other and went flying over the wall.


    Covered in bloody spider chitin, I numbly stared down at the splintered shaft of my weapon. The head of my morningstar had exploded and left nothing but a splintered stick. Dropping the ruined shaft of the Morningstar, I stiffly turned to the warriors who were each peppered in light wounds. ¡°Take him to the Chief¡¯s home,¡± I pointed to the prone warrior who had a pair of stab wounds in his back, ¡°Healers will save him and tend your wounds, NOW GO!¡±


    The sharper tone and volume of my final words seemed to draw them out of their dazed state. Taking hold of their downed companion, they rushed towards the nearest descent off the wall. So long as they hurried, there was every chance that the Surgeons could save the downed warrior. The Serpent-Kin could provide a party invite to share their racial resistance through Group Synergy, provided the warrior was conscious. Otherwise, they would be limited to treating it as best they can and using the magic of their class abilities to do the rest.


    No longer able to leave this section of wall without it being comparatively vulnerable, I set myself to work gathering and throwing the spider¡¯s legs and pulped organs off the wall and as far into the rocky waste as I could manage. Stripping off my thoroughly soiled robe and headscarf, I threw those out there too.


    Just like the other locations I had already assisted, the spiders had turned on each other to compete for the otherwise free meal of their dead kin.


    With only my warhammer left, I hunkered down and followed the advice I had given the previous group of warriors, staying out of sight as best I could in order to avoid attracting more spiders. As time slowly passed, I was pleased to see Clarice had accepted the quest for maiming but otherwise moving on from the spiders she was fighting outside the wall.


    Of course, there was a steady stream of kill notifications attributed to her or Dhizi, but it was most likely due to the cannibalism of the spiders delivering killing blows, not Clarice¡¯s recklessness. Not that Clarice wasn¡¯t reckless, she definitely is, just that when Dhizi was involved Clarice demonstrated an otherwise unexpected level of caution that bordered on normal.


    Warriors had begun patrolling the wall in force, the recent addition of the halberds, even though the warriors were not especially familiar with them yet, seemed to provide the much-needed edge in fighting the giant spiders. Considering the increase in reach and the natural heft of the halberds, I was not surprised by how well they had performed so much as how readily the warriors had accepted and began using them.


    While chatting with a trio of warriors sent to replace those who had sought treatment, it was explained to me that they had used to have better weapons. While they did not have much worked iron or steel, they did have spears. However, most of the tribe¡¯s weapons had been lost in the great fire and the wood from the local trees was unfit to shape anything longer than a foot at most.


    When I asked more about the great fire, they had somewhat reluctantly explained that it had been the night when they lost their shaman, his apprentices, their Ward and weapon stockpile. The fires had devastated the village and left them barely able to defend themselves.


    Curious why they weren¡¯t at least using slings and stones to defend themselves against Gargant¡¯s Slavers, the trio of warriors didn¡¯t understand what I was talking about. Before the drought and the fire, some had thrown spears and others had apparently even used bows after copying or trading with adventurers. But none of them recognised a sling when I described it to them.


    Thinking back on it, the Goblins from the first floor had used slings almost to the point of excess, while the Orcs had only used neolithic clubs and axes. Then there were the Deep Orcs and their iron axes. Unlike humans from earth who were born with basically nothing and had to learn everything from scratch, the Labyrinths monsters had prepackaged information in their brains from the moment they drew their first breath. While it had seemed an advantage originally, it was becoming more and more obvious that it heavily stunted their natural inquisitiveness and drive to innovate.


    Realising I still didn¡¯t know which subspecies of Orc these villagers were, and what they specialised in, I made a mental note to speak with Chief Uday. I would have continued asking the warriors, but I had the impression that they would be unwilling or resistant to answering further questions without first reporting to their Chief first anyway. After all, they were without a doubt going to tell him about the questions I had been asking, and why. Just because they weren¡¯t as smart as the average Earthling, didn¡¯t mean the Orcs were completely stupid.


    Close to a half-hour after Ril had first opened the portal, the Ward was now beginning to take effect, the Sand Stalkers began to retreat with their prizes in staggered fighting retreats against their own kind.


    Despite Clarice¡¯s earlier conviction about taming and using Sand Stalkers as mounts, I had grown very sceptical after watching the spiders fight. Firstly, the joint between the cephalothorax and the abdomen seemed about the only logical place you could attach a collar. Secondly, attaching the collar would be borderline suicide without implementing all manner of traps that were almost certain to permanently cripple the spider and make the effort pointless. Thirdly, spiders were creepy as hell and I definitely didn¡¯t want ¡®friendly¡¯ ones skittering around my general vicinity.


    There should be D-Raptors out there somewhere too, assuming what I had observed of the labyrinth so far held true. Each floor introduced another biome and set of monsters while still providing an amalgam of those that came before, or their environmentally altered substitutes.


    Then again, if the D-Raptors were out there, it was entirely possible that the Sand Stalkers were ganking them to extinction with each cycle. The Sand Stalkers moved much faster than the spiders we had seen in the second-floor scrublands. Combine that increase in speed along with the ambush tunnels and camouflaged trapdoors and it could explain why we hadn¡¯t seen any of the mutant emus running around the place. The same was likely true of those spiny lizards as well.


    No longer needed on the wall, I headed to the large well so we could begin the second stage of our plan.


    As I expected, the toad-like Daemon Mors was already waiting for me. Dressed only in the same robes he had worn as a disguise while in Sanctuary, Mors didn¡¯t seem all that bothered by the heat. His skin looked dryer than normal, but not in an unhealthy way. It actually made his otherwise rubbery hide seem more leathery and robust.


    ¡°Overlord,¡± Mors bowed awkwardly, his hybrid humanoid amphibian limbs struggling to conform to the motions.


    ¡°What can you tell me Mors?¡± I asked while glancing down the well.


    ¡°It is very dry, Overlord,¡± Mors replied somewhat jokingly, ¡°Erm, that is, there is no local body of plant life for me to scout the surroundings with. It¡¯s all dead or dormant.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I didn¡¯t mind Mors attempt at humour, it was one of his better and more human qualities that I valued. ¡°So you will have to search while basically blind?¡± I guessed, somewhat understanding how the Druid¡¯s Plant Sense worked.


    Mors nodded, ¡°I am unsure if the immediate area has the water to sustain a lengthy search, we will need to tap into the supplies I am afraid.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, trusting his assessment, ¡°Do it. In fact, have Toofy help. If she empties some of her supply of water into the well, it will give Ril somewhere to recover while you go searching for the water underground.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Overlord,¡± Mors bowed awkwardly again and was about to leave when he stopped and motioned for my attention again, ¡°I should be able to extract moisture from the soil and gather it into one place, even if I cannot make contact with an underground reservoir. But it will take substantially longer to establish...¡±


    ¡°I trust your judgement, Mors. Just do what you think is best. Your progress is our top priority at this stage, but I know there are limits to what you can accomplish in a short time frame. Just do your best, that¡¯s all I¡¯m asking,¡± I reassured him.


    Mors visibly relaxed, ¡°As you command, Overlord.¡± He then waddled over to the Chief¡¯s hut to find Ril and Toofy.


    The bulk of the supplies brought from Sanctuary, especially the water and to a lesser extent the food, had already been stowed away in a heavily guarded supply house. Similarly, the bulk of the weapons had already been claimed and were in the hands of the tribe''s warriors. What supplies remained, mostly crude cooking iron cookware and tools, were being distributed to the tribe''s workers.


    I was actually quite surprised to see how much progress the smiths had made in such a short period of time. I had been aware that soldiers had provided examples of different tools from their own supplies, but to make functional copies in such a short period of time was still impressive.


    After the last of the supplies were unloaded, the sleds were carefully disassembled and remade into doors for the supply building, civilian emergency shelter, and Chief¡¯s house, which was now serving as the hospital. Better than nothing, they would at least give defenders the opportunity to repel attacks with the makeshift barrier of the door, rather than a hide or sheet.


    When Mors returned with Toofy and a very tired Ril in tow, a sizable crowd of tribespeople had begun to gather in anticipation of an announcement from the Chief. When Toofy climbed up onto the rim of the well, it didn¡¯t draw much attention in and of itself. However, when the veritable torrents of water began surging out of her hands, the crowd was stunned into near-immediate silence, shortly followed by absolute chaos.


    Mostly limited to pointing and shouting, the crowd was dumbfounded by Toofy¡¯s ability to seemingly materialise water out of thin air. It wasn¡¯t until the Chief arrived that things quieted down. However, before he had a chance to speak, things quickly erupted into a near riot when Mors began growing a small tree a short distance from the well.


    Moving over to the well, I untied the jug from the end of the rope and tied a sling. After I was sure the knot wouldn''t slip, I helped Ril into the sling and lowered her down in the water pooling at the bottom of the well.


    Unsure of exactly how much water Toofy had stored away, I was surprised when she managed to fill the well about a quarter of the way before running out of stored water. Estimating the diameter of the well to be about ten feet and total depth of the well to be about a couple hundred feet deep, just judging by the length of the rope. Doing some rough math in my head, and then scratching it out in the dirt, I was stunned as I realised Toofy had around sixteen hundred square feet of storage space from her Class Ability.


    Chief Uday had done his best to calm the crowd, but without knowing what was actually going on, his efforts were quite limited.


    A part of me wanted to help. However, the more pragmatic and sleep-deprived parts of me decided it was to my greater advantage, and theirs, to just let things unfold as they may for the time being. Until Mors had results, or unless someone did something stupid, I was content just to watch and wait.


    As time began to drag on, the crowd calmed down and dispersed. There were still some villagers watching from the shadowed alcoves of nearby houses, but for the most part, everyone else seemed to find more productive things to do.


    Retrieving a tarpaulin and some wooden stakes from our personal supplies, I made a tent over the well to give Toofy some shade while she kept watch over Ril.


    With no headscarf or robe, and already feeling tired from a lack of sleep and the rising heat, I hunkered down under the tent myself and tried to get some rest.


    Waking up sometime later with Toofy and her wet towel draped over my stomach, I felt a bit better than when I had woken up early this morning, but still felt a little tired.


    Noticing how dark it had gotten, I guessed that it was now most likely early evening.


    Leaving the tent, I was quickly impressed by the fifteen-foot tall olive tree Mors had grown near the well. However, Mors seemed somewhat frustrated, which was rather concerning.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I took a closer look at the olive tree but didn¡¯t see anything wrong with it.


    Mors sighed and ate an olive. ¡°I have spent almost all my mana, Overlord, and found no reservoirs of water. Worse still, the immediate area is close to barren.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s worse than we expected,¡± I sighed and plucked some olives from the tree. I hadn¡¯t expected things to go smoothly, but I also hadn¡¯t thought that the backup method would have failed either.


    Mors nodded, ¡°I can think of only one way to secure water without relying on repeatedly opening a portal to Sanctuary. But it is somewhat...distasteful,¡± the toad-like Daemon explained apprehensively.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked, intrigued by what solution the Daemon might have come up with.


    ¡°Reclamation,¡± Mors replied with a sidelong glance.


    ¡°You want to reclaim water from corpses?¡± I guessed. The Druids in Sanctuary already stripped vitamins and minerals from monster remains and excrement, so it wasn¡¯t all that much of a leap for Mors to suggest stripping the corpses for their water. But there was a problem, how was he planning on making that water available for drinking?


    Mors nodded and seemed reassured that I knew what he was intending. ¡°I am confident I can effectively seal the ground beneath the village and allow for water to be accumulated over time. Once the water retention net is formed, corpses can be drained of their water in a similar fashion to the fountains of Sanctuary. Albeit at a much slower and more mana intensive rate.¡±


    ¡°Wait...You mean you could still do the water pumping out of the tree?¡± I asked curiously. I had been under the assumption that the water siphon was enabled by the tree serving as an organic pipe and drew water from underground as the result of attempting to equalise pressure.


    Mors shrugged apologetically, ¡°I believe so, although I have yet to actually try...I was also intending to generate a heat resistant dawnmoss, but it seems that may have to wait...¡±


    ¡°Do you have any ideas for the reclamation site?¡± Besides needing to be some distance from the well to avoid contamination, I wasn¡¯t really aware of any other limitations.


    ¡°Somewhere on the outskirts of the village would probably be best. The distance won¡¯t matter so much once the retention net of roots is firmly established,¡± Mors insisted reassuringly.


    ¡°Well, at least you brought shovels,¡± I sighed, ¡°This is gonna take a lot of work before things get better, isn''t it?¡±


    Mors grinned and nodded, ¡°Most likely, Overlord,¡± he agreed supportively.


    ¡°Alright, I''m going to speak with the Chief and try to get a work team together to dig some pits I guess.¡± The prospect of digging the pits myself, even with the extra help, already felt exhausting.


    Every pit would have to be big enough to contain an entire Sand Stalker¡¯s remains, at the least. So assuming we repurposed the tarpaulins to provide shade from the sun to reduce evaporation in the area, each pit would need to be incredibly deep, or incredibly wide. Personally, I would prefer digging a single deep pit and having Mors strangle the all bloody hell out of the spiders for everything they were worth, but even then I doubted we would be finished with just one pit.


    Everything would be so much simpler, and easier, if Ril were able to just open another portal into the river or something and saturate the area to replenish the water table. Assuming Mors was able to stop the water from being leeched elsewhere, and the tribe was careful about avoiding evaporation, then they would gain water over time rather than losing it. But Ril was in no condition for opening another portal, and likely wouldn¡¯t be for a week or more at the earliest. Ignoring the cost in mana, it had taken a severe toll on her mentally.


    Searching for Chief Uday wasn¡¯t hard, villagers were still pestering him with questions, which meant he was still providing loud but rather noncommittal answers. He actually seemed downright relieved when I approached and made it clear I wanted to have a conversation.


    ¡°Chief Uday, is there somewhere we can talk?¡± I asked in as lighthearted a tone as I could manage, not wanting to make his job any more difficult. ¡°There are some things I need to talk to you about, and I am sure you have your own questions as well?¡±


    Chief Uday nodded sternly and motioned to a nearby building, a palpable sense of relief emanating in his wake as he led the way through the small crowd. Once we had both entered the building, and a small contingent of warriors had taken stations at the entrances, the Chief visibly relaxed, although his deep blue eyes continued staring shrewdly at me. Doubtless trying to determine the true reason for requesting the private meeting.


    Deciding to start things on a positive note, I explained everything that had happened since the portal opened in a context that would be easy not just for him, but his people to understand. It wasn¡¯t that complicated to begin with, but the revelation that we all had Classes and special abilities because of them, went a long way in explaining the most fantastical things we had done.


    My none too subtle hint that I intended to share the knowledge of Classes once we were formally allied generated some goodwill as well. Which was a good thing too, since Mors plan and the requisite labour and risks put something of a downer on the whole conversation. Not that they wouldn¡¯t be hunting Sand Stalkers otherwise for food and silk. But the sudden provision of food supplies, the well being partially refilled and the olive tree that sprung up in a single afternoon, had given the impression that the high risks of hunting would be avoided for a long time.


    I sympathized with the old-timer, I really did, but restoring this village was going to take real effort, and unfortunately, no small amount of risk. However, as I saw it, Chief Uday basically had two choices. Either he accepts the proposal and Stone Well would slowly recover, even thrive in the future. Or he could refuse and watch his people succumb.


    Food, water, the Ward, they were all interventions I had provided and they could all be taken away at any time.


    What Chief Uday had been given was not salvation, but a reprieve from desolation and a decision that would decide his people''s future.


    ¡°We can start with the lowest risk elements of the plan first,¡± I suggested helpfully, ¡°Digging a few pits on the outskirts of the village won¡¯t expose anyone to danger, and once my team provides the first Stalker for reclamation, you will be able to see the results for yourself.¡± It was an easy compromise to suggest since Clarice was going to be involved in the hunting of Stalkers either way.


    Chief Uday remained silent and carefully considered his options. Releasing a deep sigh and bowing his head slightly, Chief Uday nodded, ¡°Stone Well must survive. Workers and hunters follow orders,¡± he agreed.


    After taking some time to repeat my explanation for events, with his own spin on events, the Chief set about drafting workers to begin digging the pits. The hunters were put under Jarwal¡¯s command, who was in turn put under mine. I had expected Jergal to be chosen because of his experience, but considering the intense glares he was giving me, I may have been expecting too much.


    Still, as over-eager as Jarwal was, he did seem to have the respect of the younger hunters, and our rescue of the hunters the day before had earned us no small amount of respect from the hunters as a whole as well. This was good, because our hunting methods were going to be more than a little bit unconventional to say the least...


    *****


    Severin quietly picked the lock and then unlatched the back door to the garrison kitchens. Given the late hour, it was currently abandoned and the cooks wouldn¡¯t be expected to return for at least a few hours at the earliest.


    Unsheathing his combat knife, Severin stalked across the room and pressed his ear to the door leading to the barracks mess hall. Judging by the muffled voices beyond, he could confirm there were at least two people, but quite possibly three still lingering after the evening meal, or perhaps standing guard.


    Not outside of his original expectations, Severin limbered up in preparation for combat. His standing orders had been to sow as much discord as possible in the border garrison to lower morale in preparation for the invasion. Murdering a bunch of soldiers in their sleep would very much accomplish the mission''s objectives, and minimise the risks of being injured or killed, which was why Severin had patiently waited for his moment.


    Removing a small pouch of oil from a pouch at his waist, Severin liberally oiled the hinges of the door. While they may have already been suitably greased, only a rookie would make such a mistake as assuming what could be confirmed. Replacing the pouch, Severin once again pressed his ear to the door and listened intently.


    From what he could hear, it sounded like one of the occupants had left. Unwilling to assume the number of targets had decreased, Severin carefully and slowly began inching the door open.


    As he had suspected, there were still three soldiers in the mess hall. Two were standing by the brazier in the middle of the room, while the third was lingering near the primary entrance that led to the street. All three soldiers were wearing the standard issued gambeson, hauberk and padded coifs supplied by the Asrusian army.


    Their armour itself gave Severin little cause for concern, the tempered steel blade in his hand was made from materials sourced from the twentieth floor of the Yul Labyrinth and provided Severin used enough force, would slice through the inferior steel and padded cloth like butter.


    Stalking closer to the soldier by the door, Severin was careful to make the most of the available shadows and his own Concealment Ability. Short of attacking in the open, or the soldiers having a detection Class Ability, Severin was effectively invisible.


    With the soldier now within striking distance, Severin raised his blade and tensed to strike.


    *Shink*


    Like a hot knife through butter, Severins blade cleanly entered the soldier¡¯s back milliseconds after his hand clamped over the soldier''s mouth to prevent him from crying out. Guiding the body to the floor, Severin began stalking towards his next victim, but stopped suddenly as something tugged on his leg.


    ¡°In-tru-der,¡± the dead soldier gurgled, his hand clawing at Severin¡¯s ankle, determination and no small amount of mana burning in his eyes.


    Impossible! Severin snapped a kick at the downed soldier¡¯s temple. Just a lowly grunt, there was no way he should have been high enough level to survive Severin¡¯s Backstab, how the hell had he done it?! Had Severin¡¯s aim been off? Had the blade missed its mark?!


    *Thud*


    Severin¡¯s heel clipped the downed soldier¡¯s temple, momentarily stunning, but not killing him.


    The fuck is going on?! Is he actually one of their Special Forces?!


    The downed intruder vomited a mouthful of blood, confirming that Severin had indeed delivered a fatal blow. However, after emptying his lungs, the soldier promptly refilled and emptied them again, ¡°INTRUDER!¡±


    Severin very nearly froze in horror, but every one of his instincts were screaming at him to run, so he did. Or at least, he attempted to.


    The dying soldier refused to let him go, doggedly clinging to Severin¡¯s cloak, that same determination still burning in his eyes.


    Hearing weapons being drawn, Severin barely managed to unclasp and abandon his cloak in time to avoid a sword arcing through the air his left shoulder had occupied a half-second earlier.


    Staggering backwards, Severin tried to regain his balance but despaired as the otherwise unassuming pair of soldiers charged after him, swords already ready to strike again, the same fixed stares of determination burning in their eyes.


    The hell?! There are more of them?!


    Knowing he had to escape, Severin attempted to tumble over a mess table and sprint for the door to the kitchen.


    *Thwack! Twing, Twank*


    Severin had barely made it onto the table when one of his pursuers delivered an impossibly fast downward stroke against Severin¡¯s thigh. His high-quality leathers saved him from being cut open, but the force of impact still penetrated deep into Severin¡¯s flesh and caused him to gasp in pain. The blow was so powerful that the soldier¡¯s sword had snapped and sent the broken piece flying against the distant wall.


    Continuing his roll, Severin felt his heart nearly explode in his chest as a vice-like grip materialised on his right arm and yanked him back off the table.


    *Wham!*


    Bouncing off the mess hall wall, Severin desperately gasped for air as he tried to ignore the pain from his dislocated shoulder.


    *Thump, Thump, Crack!¡±


    Two brutal kicks to the chest and abdomen landed before Severin could curl into a fetal position to protect himself, which caused the third kick to shatter his left forearm.


    This wasn¡¯t how the mission was supposed to go! He had been betrayed! How was the enemy this powerful?!


    The sound of none too distant voices growing closer made it clear that the soldiers would not be alone for long. Unfortunately, Severin was in no position to escape. Staring pitifully up at the soldiers who had defeated him so easily, Severin felt like he was in the presence of true monsters...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 27 – Stalking the sands – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 27 ¨C Stalking the sands ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 27 - Stalking the sands - Part Two


    In hindsight, the new hunting strategy really wasn¡¯t fair on the Sand Stalkers at all. This was good because reduced risk improved morale, but it was also starting to make the more junior warriors overconfident. Forming two ranks of ten, the hunters would form an inverted crescent to draw in the giant spider. Once it was committed, the flanks would wrap around and block retreat while the hunters hacked and stabbed at the spider with halberds.


    Group Synergy only made the fighting even more one-sided. With access to both Kestrel and Clarice¡¯s Determination and Resilience racial abilities, as well as my own, the veteran hunters we invited into the group became comparatively superhuman compared to those who were not in the group.


    It wasn¡¯t all a one-sided exchange either. Inviting the veteran hunters to our party finally confirmed the Orcs subspecies and shared its unique benefits with us as well. As we had more or less expected given the terrain, they were Desert Orcs, and in place of the Contempt Racial Ability of the Deep Orcs, they had Xerocole. The Xerocole Racial Ability, true to its name, drastically reduced the Desert Orcs need for water, depending on their Toughness, and also gave them a damage-dealing bonus when Dehydrated or give a minor increase to their resistance against extreme temperatures when otherwise hydrated.


    As helpful as the ability was, it did raise the question about what ability the Mountain Orc¡¯s had instead. If they had an ability similar to the Deep Orc¡¯s Contempt, dealing additional damage to those smaller than them, it would explain a lot. In fact, I hadn¡¯t properly thought about it at the time, but only the Mountain Orc I had killed personally registered as a Variant. The rest had been Labyrinth clones...


    Over the course of the first day, we managed to hunt down four Sand Stalkers without issue and spotted no signs of the Mountain Orc Slavers. The hunters explained that the Slavers only made a raid every month or so, but would probably attack again when their previous group was assumed missing.


    With the first pit more or less filled with dead giant spiders, the workers covered them with the excavated dirt and then gathered alongside all but the essential wall guards in the village centre by the well.


    Using the manastones gathered from the spiders to power his ability, Mors began channelling his mana. A single root extended from the olive tree and slowly coiled around the splintered wood of the hanging bar above the well. After coiling back on itself, the end of the root slowly began excreting water. At first, it was one drop every few seconds, then every second, and then a trickle.


    Even after Mors slumped in exhaustion and stopped channelling his mana, the water continued to flow for around ten minutes before gradually tapering off to nothing.


    Initially worried that the villagers wouldn¡¯t be impressed, I was quickly proven wrong when cheers erupted shortly after the last drops descended into the well.


    I suppose, after getting so close to running out of water entirely, being able to proactively generate even this much was seen as a pretty big deal. The meat and vegetable rations, as well as the olives being introduced to the local diet, might have had an effect on morale as well, but it was difficult to tell for sure.


    Rather than soaking in the village¡¯s drinking water, Ril had reluctantly transferred to a large cast-iron cauldron sent through with the supplies. Some of the villagers hadn¡¯t been happy about her special treatment, but most were willing to look the other way or even argue that it was justified given Ril¡¯s connection to Toofy, or ¡®the water bringer¡¯, as they were calling her. Which was a fair point. Even if the cauldron was large enough to fit an average human sitting down, Toofy had provided many times over that amount to the village as a whole.


    Still unable to sleep through the entire night, I spent the final hour before sunrise sitting on the roof and watching the stars and waiting to mark the new day by shifting a day marker on my necklace. In all likelihood, today would be a repeat of yesterday and so would the next month as well barring retaliation for the Slaving party we killed.


    The Mountain Orc Tribe was a wildcard that could cause problems at any time, and I didn¡¯t like it. The longer I was left alone with my thoughts, the more convinced I became that Stone Well needed to be officially founded sooner rather than later. In fact, the enemies drawn by the quest would provide water for the village without requiring us and the hunters to go searching for them, resulting in a substantially greater yield. Furthermore, being officially brought into our alliance would mean being able to extract oaths and teaching them Classes to better defend themselves. Until they were officially members of our alliance, it wasn¡¯t worth the risk.


    With the sun beginning to rise in the distance, I had just about made up my mind when I spotted a familiar-looking disturbance in the distance. A dust cloud in the east was growing larger with each passing moment.


    ¡°KESTREL!¡± I called out and dropped down to the terrace of the second floor.


    A light sleeper, Kestrel had been woken up hours earlier when I climbed up to the roof, and despite having fallen asleep since, she was up on her feet and alert, ¡°What is it?¡± Kestrel asked as she slapped her cheeks to get her adrenaline flowing.


    ¡°Dust clouds to the east,¡± I pointed and gave her an expectant look, ¡°We need to know if they are friend or foe!¡±


    Kestrel nodded and hurriedly retrieved her spyglass before coming out onto the landing.


    I lifted her onto the roof to get a better view, doing my best to ignore the fact that she was dressed only in her underclothes.


    After tracking the movement of the dust cloud for a few moments, Kestrel frowned, ¡°Looks like Wilds,¡± she reported, sounding more than a little confused. ¡°Gimme a sec,¡± Kestrel focused her mana, causing her eyes to emanate a faint silvery light before she closed one eye and looked through her spyglass with the other. ¡°Looks like giant birds being chased by those Sand Stalkers?¡± Kestrel reported somewhat uncertainly, ¡°Can¡¯t see any sign of Variants or Guilders.¡±


    ¡°Giant birds? You''re sure?¡± I demanded.


    Kestrel nodded.


    ¡°Get armed up!¡± I ordered, ¡°We are going to try and catch as many of them as possible! I¡¯m going to go gather the hunters, meet us at the gate with the boars and the taming necklaces!¡±


    ¡°Yessir!¡± Kestrel snapped a salute and began shimmying off the roof.


    Jumping off the landing, I rushed towards the village centre to the Chief¡¯s new dwelling. Jarwal was my primary contact to the hunters and I needed them gathered as fast as possible. While the dust cloud had been headed in this general direction, the spiders and birds would both divert course if they came too close.


    Rousing Jarwal and tagging along as he gathered others, I gave them a rundown of our primary objectives and how we would accomplish them.


    Put simply, we would intercept the fleeing flock of birds and the pursuing spiders at the same time. Those intercepting the birds would be incapacitating as many of them as possible with bola while those intercepting the spiders bought them time to attach taming collars. Stone Well was located in hostile territory and in dire need of fast-moving scouts to accompany their hunting parties. So securing just two or three D-Raptors would make the risks more than worth it for the long term gains.


    While none of the hunters were particularly familiar with bola, I was honestly expecting sheer numbers to carry the day, not skill. Keeping the wagon light, Kestrel would steer while I run with the hunters and Clarice rides Dhizi. Similarly, Clarice, ten most veteran hunters armed with halberds and myself would be intercepting the spiders, while Kestrel and the remaining twenty or so more junior hunters would try to incapacitate as many D-Raptors as possible.


    Rushing out into the morning twilight, I could feel endorphins flooding my system in anticipation of combat, the minor aches and pains fading to the background as we drew closer to the enemy.


    As we drew closer to the oncoming dust cloud, I was somewhat relieved to see that there were only four Sand Stalkers chasing around a dozen D-Raptors. The spiders didn¡¯t seem particularly energetic at this point either and seemed to be slowing down.


    As if on cue, the fleeing flock of D-Raptors split in two, circling back around and falling upon the giant spiders from the rear.


    Raising my arm to signal for everyone to halt their advance, I continued a little further ahead to confirm what I was seeing was really happening.


    The flock of D-Raptors were literally tearing the spiders apart, ripping their legs off and hammering their beaks into the spiders¡¯ bodies.


    ¡°NEW PLAN!¡± I called out, ¡°Swap halberds for bolas! Stick together and focus on non-lethal takedowns!¡± I hurried back to the wagon and swapped out my halberd for four taming collars. There was close to no chance I would land a hit with the bolas, but I was fairly confident I could tackle a D-Raptor long enough to fix a collar around its neck. Worst case scenario, I would collar D-Raptors bola¡¯d by the others.


    With everyone but Clarice Having swapped out their equipment, we began a slow staggered march towards the flock.


    Our approach did not go unnoticed for long. Before coming within a hundred feet, two D-Raptors had left the flocks feasting and began screeching a warning to the others while flapping their surprisingly large wings in an attempt to intimidate us. As we continued drawing closer, more of the flock disengaged from their feasting and joined the intimidation effort. When it became obvious that we wouldn¡¯t be intimidated, four of the large D-Raptors suddenly charged straight for the centre of our formation.


    Standing right at the front, I raised my arm to signal the others to stop and slowly continued alone.


    With the air thrumming from the collective spinning of the bolas, I was reasonably confident that these first four birds would be brought down before they had a chance at bringing their talons or beaks to bear.


    As I had hoped, when the D-Raptors vanguard began closing the final ten feet, a hail of bolas whipped past me on either side and so thoroughly wrapped the D-Raptors legs that there was no way they could escape without our intervention.


    Seizing the moment, I sprinted to close the short distance between us and slugged the closest prone D-Raptor in the side of the head as it attempted to jab me with its beak. As I finished buckling the collar around the dazed bird''s neck, It immediately grew still.


    [You have successfully captured {Desert Razorbeak}]


    Blinking away the notification, I jumped bodily onto the next bird and secured a collar around its neck as well.


    [You have successfully captured {Desert Razorbeak}]


    A second volley of bola¡¯s was the only warning I received as the remaining Razorbeaks charged.


    Scrambling to my feet, I decided to be proactive. Hanging back by the two captured Razorbeaks would likely just make them targets of their former allies. Seeing that only two of the charging Razorbeaks had been successfully intercepted, I grit my teeth and charged. Thus far, the only thing to have successfully pierced my hide was a magical spear, so I was hoping that trend would continue as I deliberately drew the flock''s focus.


    *Thump*


    I landed a lucky punch against the lead Razorbeak¡¯s head and continued charging forwards.


    *Thwack, Thump, Rip*


    Two beaks crashed against my shoulders nearly simultaneously and a talon raked down my front as I staggered and fell backwards.


    With no time to realize how big a mistake I had made, I tucked and rolled to the side, catching another sharp jab to the side from a beak. Continuing to roll I felt a grim sense of satisfaction as I heard another volley of bolas being thrown into my vicinity, although I was very nearly driven deaf by the squeaking and screeching of the Razorbeaks.


    I lost track of time as I desperately shielded my most vulnerable areas by pulling in my knees and wrapping my arms over my head, throwing my weight one way or the other to roll, making myself a more difficult target.


    As the attacks lessened, I risked staggering to my feet and nearly caught a bola to the head.


    Almost all the Razorbeaks were down, but one was still standing and putting up a hell of a fight as seven hunters attempted to interchangeably tackle or bola it to the ground. Unlike the other Razorbeaks, this one had visible scarring on its legs and neck, and had dull grey feathers rather than sandy yellow.


    Glancing down at my tunic and seeing it was practically torn to ribbons, I grunted in irritation as I began stalking towards the last Razorbeak. Seeing that three of the hunters were already sporting a number of shallow cuts, I ripped off the tattered remains of my tunic and stomped into the melee.


    *Thump Thwack*


    The Razorbeak and I exchanged blows near simultaneously. The Razorbeak took a punch to the body, while I took a jab from its beak to the gut.


    Fumbling at first, I wrapped my hands around its throat and began to squeeze. I could feel its thundering heartbeat beneath my fingers, and the surge of its blood each time the Razorbeak attempted a desperate lunge for my face. Feeling myself succumbing to bloodlust, I released my right hand from its throat and throttled it in the side of the head. ¡°COLLAR IT!¡± I roared, smacking it in the head again to keep it dazed and unable to bring its talons to bear.


    ¡°GOT IT!¡± Kestrel came running in from my right and buckled a collar around its neck, bringing the Razorbeak¡¯s resistance to an end.


    [Kestrel has successfully captured {Desert Swiftstrider} 1228-4-2 ]


    Stiffly removing my hand from the bird''s throat, I took a deep breath and tried to calm down.


    I lost track of time while pacing and waiting for my heartbeat to slow down. Making my way over to the wagon, I sat down in the shade cast on its left side and drank some water. I didn¡¯t strictly need to, I wasn¡¯t thirsty, but the ritual itself was calming and helped me calm down.


    Looking down at my chest and arms, I could see light pink scratches standing out against my pale skin. Already fully aware that the Swamp Lurkers couldn¡¯t accomplish as much, it was an obvious sign that my practical invulnerability was becoming less effective by entering higher floors of the Labyrinth and fighting stronger monsters. Soon armour wouldn¡¯t be just for protecting my eyes, ears and groin, but would be necessary for preserving my life. The sombre thought was enough to lower my heart rate down to a relatively normal level again.


    Getting to my feet again, I quickly recognised some confusion amongst the hunters and could guess as to the reason why. They had unlocked one or more Classes and couldn¡¯t read the notifications. Securing oaths of secrecy just became an even higher priority. While I doubted the Chief would agree right now, I suspected his opinion would change after the hunters began securing even larger volumes of reclaimed water.


    Of course, that would mean teaching the hunters how to ride effectively and making the saddles necessary for them to fight effectively while mounted. It was about time I learned how they processed the silk from the spiders.


    The Razorbeaks were relatively unharmed for the most part and capable of walking back to Stone Well unaided. Although a few were moving quite sluggishly or with a bad limp. The worst pair were loaded into the wagon, while the others were kept under careful watch. The hunters secured the mangled remains of the spiders with ropes and then we brought everything back to the village.


    I made a point of inspecting each Razorbeak¡¯s collar before allowing it into the village. To my understanding, a loose collar wouldn¡¯t fall off a bound person or Beast, but an excessively tight one would chafe and cause medical problems down the line. So I made sure that none of the collars were too tight or too loose while having their bonds transferred to myself and placed under my faction¡¯s overall control.


    It was a safety measure and action to ensure that the Razorbeaks would all accept orders and riders. Given that this element was one of the murky areas of intent dictating outcomes, I didn¡¯t feel comfortable with the idea of thirteen giant murder birds potentially flying off the handle and attacking villagers in the street because one of the hunters got in an argument. Once the Chief and I formally forged our alliance and I invited him into the Faction, the riders would be trained and their behaviour would be his problem.


    Directing the hunters to remove the silk glands from the spiders remains, I shifted all of the Razorbeaks and the Swiftstrider to my retinue and directed them to eat. Much more restrained than their earlier feasting, the giant birds still set to the command with gusto, ripping and tearing at the spiders¡¯ soft insides.


    While reclaiming the water from the spiders would have been nice, hydrating, feeding and healing our recently acquired mounts was of more immediate importance. The same went for our own wounded as well, who were given food rations and sent off to the Surgeons for treatment.


    ¡°So when do we start riding lessons?¡± Kestrel asked cheerily.


    ¡°When you convince Clarice to teach you and I find the supplies to make at least one makeshift saddle?¡± I replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°You can make saddles?¡± Kestrel asked with genuine shock in her voice.


    ¡°Sure can,¡± Clarice replied in a bittersweet tone as she brought Dhizi up alongside us. ¡°Was just made of a bedroll, some rope and-¡±


    ¡°My apron!¡± I interrupted, smacking my forehead, ¡°I was wondering where that went...¡±


    Clarice nodded and leaned forward to rest on the horn off Dhizi¡¯s saddle, ¡°You think about what you''re gonna use to make more saddles?¡± She asked somewhat distractedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind giving up my bedroll,¡± Kestrel volunteered eagerly.


    ¡°That¡¯s one down,¡± Clarice grunted with a smirk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted honestly, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen any animals with hide we can use except the Razorbeaks themselves, so I guess that leaves the tents and tarpaulins, unless the villagers have supplies we can use. But beyond silk rope, I don¡¯t think they do.¡±


    Kestrel seemed confused, ¡°What''s wrong with silk? I am pretty sure I remember the army mounts having blankets beneath the saddles...¡±


    I nodded, ¡°They do, and depending on how coarse or fine the silk is, it might be okay for the under blanket. But the top layer needs friction to help the rider from slipping or dislodging it. Without buckles and straps, I will be using ropes as substitutes, and they can be prone to slipping as well if I don¡¯t get it exactly right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Clarice confirmed, ¡°I nearly fell off a few times when a small slip in the ropes caught me by surprise. Fell a few times when I expected them too as well,¡± she muttered and rubbed her arm.


    ¡°If we had the materials for it, I would probably try and make a sort of sled-chariot. Much easier in terms of technical ability for the riders. One person steers and the other attacks. On wide-open terrain like this, chariots with archers for support would be phenomenal.¡± I was of course basing that assumption on a few classic movies featuring Roman coliseums, but the principle seemed sound enough.


    ¡°Wait, you know how to make a chariot?!¡± Kestrel demanded, evidently quite shocked by the implications.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted with a chuckle, ¡°I could probably make everything if I had the right materials and tools. Except for the wheels of course, and maybe the axles,¡± I shrugged helplessly. IF I had known there would come a time where I needed to know how to make perfectly round wheels and low friction axles, I probably would have asked more questions in woodworking class during high school.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Kestrel seemed a little disappointed.


    I just shrugged again, there wasn¡¯t much I could really do about her disappointment right at the moment.


    ¡°But you can make the saddle right?¡± Kestrel asked, perking right back up again.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed, ¡°Once the birds are in decent enough condition to hold a rider,¡± I added.


    ¡°Define, decent enough condition?¡± Kestrel asked slyly.


    ¡°Able to walk in a straight line without limping or signs of distress,¡± I qualified.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kestrel agreed and began making her way over to the flock of giant birds still in the process of chowing down on the giant spider remains.


    ¡°You know she¡¯s planning on taking one to the Surgeons right?¡± Clarice teased with a sly grin.


    I sighed and shrugged, ¡°Then the Surgeons get some more experience,¡± I countered, ¡°Besides, this is assuming I can get all the materials together in the first place,¡± I warned.


    Clarice raised an eyebrow, ¡°Those Slavers had hide gear, has to be something besides spiders and birds around here somewhere,¡± she reasoned.


    ¡°True,¡± I agreed, having overlooked that fact until she reminded me, which reminded me of something else. ¡°Clarice?¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Clarice was rolling her back in the saddle and looked like she was about to head off to relieve herself.


    ¡°That grey one, the Swiftstrider, what does that combination of numbers mean?¡± I asked curiously. At first, I had thought it might have been a Variant, but it showed no more intelligence or independence than the others. If anything, the combination of the weird name and the scars suggested it might have once belonged to someone.


    ¡°Oh that...¡± Clarice rubbed at her eyes somewhat tiredly, ¡°I think that might be Guild ID or something? I didn¡¯t pay much attention to that stuff during recruitment,¡± she admitted with a shrug, ¡°Nadine would know though, she probably read damn near everything they had!¡± Clarice snorted in amusement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to ask her, thanks,'''' I gave Clarice an appreciative smile and nodded in thanks.


    Clarice grinned lazily in return then directed Dhizi towards our quarters.


    Looking over at the flock of Razorbeaks, I could see that Kestrel had her eye on the Swiftstrider we had just been discussing. Not all that surprising really, it was the most unique of the group and the Species implied speed. Maybe Kestrel was a speed junky? She certainly hadn¡¯t minded driving the boars hard when we were moving to intercept earlier.


    Trying to put it from my mind for the time being, I set out to take stock of what materials the village had to offer. I wasn¡¯t holding out hope for anything more than rope at this point, but for all I knew, they might have a whole pile of hides stowed away somewhere.


    As I had expected, there were no secret stashes of Beast hides stowed away, or so the storehouse keeper Fadwa reluctantly showed me.


    ¡°No hides, much silk?¡± The elderly Orc offered placatingly. Fadwa wasn¡¯t wrong, this storehouse was practically packed full of silk trade goods and clothing, the primary exceptions being the supplies we had provided from Sanctuary. The first thing she had done upon my arrival, was insist upon measuring me for replacement clothes and barking out those measurements to the silk workers in the building across the street. While initially somewhat embarrassed, I overall felt more of a grandmotherly vibe from her, so I did my best to look past it.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I hedged and carefully scrutinized a nearby quilted blanket, ¡°Could you come take a look at something?¡±


    Fadwa nodded in agreement and we left the storehouse in the care of her assistant while I showed Fadwa Clarice¡¯s saddle.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have the hide or leather, but most of this can be substituted for rope,¡± I explained while motioning to the different elements of Dhizi¡¯s saddle, ¡°I have some tougher fabric for the main seat to provide grip, but it would be more effective if someone could sew the cords to it.¡±


    Fadwa nodded and took a closer look at the saddle and the buckles in particular.


    Briefly visiting the gate out of the village, I showed Fadwa the Razorbeaks that I intended to use the saddles on and demonstrated how I made the first saddle, using Kestrel¡¯s bedroll as a substitute.


    ¡°Fadwa try?¡± The elderly Orc asked, a hint of youthful excitement in her voice.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed, trying to keep my amusement to myself as I motion the Swiftstrider to the ground to make mounting easier for her.


    With a firm grip on the reins, Fadwa¡¯s feet secured in the stirrups and her thighs snugly hugging its sides, I motioned for the Swiftstrider to rise slowly.


    Explaining the basic commands and what to do with the reins, I watched the old Orc dart to and fro in the main street on the back of the giant bird. To my surprise, the Swiftstrider managed to avoid an untimely collision with a building by jumping at the last second and nimbly landing on the second floor before hopping down again.


    After a quarter-hour or so of riding around on the Swiftstrider, I helped Fadwa dismount and then we headed for the crafting hall across from the storehouse. Kestrel had been patiently waiting, but unfortunately for her, Fadwa wanted to show the saddled bird to the weavers in order to best figure out what could be done with native materials.


    Sitting in on the conversation between the head weaver and Fadwa, most of my attention was focused on the junior weavers spinning and weaving spider silk. Although a little gross, I was still impressed by their ingenuity.


    One weaver would extract a thin line of silk from the spider¡¯s silk gland and attach it to a stick with a crochet-like hook at the top and a circular stone at the bottom. Using gravity, the weaver could slowly draw out more thread, and by spinning the tool like a top, could ensure a near-uniform thickness and torsion strength. While the first weaver handled the tool, the second, made sure to keep the opening of the silk gland remained capped by a carved piece of bone that made me think of an icing piping bag nozzle.


    Once the spinning and drawing tool was full, or a silk gland ran dry, the silk thread would be stored in a clay pot to keep it clean until it was needed later.


    The actual weaving was performed on primitive looms of varying sizes. Mostly made from wooden pegs anchored into the floor and walls, it was incredibly impressive that they could accomplish with so little. While most of the village had gone without, the looms had what looked like repurposed spear shafts for anchoring the thread down either end and for alternating the weave. Not one to judge, I could only assume that they prioritised the weavery over a few spears after the fires that devastated their village.


    After another hour of discussing different sewing techniques, layering methods, and whatnot, Fadwa gave Kestrel the go-ahead to take the Swiftstrider away.


    Only too keen to do so, Kestrel awkwardly mounted the big grey feathered bird and raced it down the street with a big smile on her face as she began her hunt for Clarice.


    The hunters had already left for the daily hunt with the wagon, so I spent the rest of the day with Toofy and Ril, trying to get some rest and conserve energy. Ril seemed to be in a playful mood which was a good sign, although she was still visibly fatigued.


    I wondered if perhaps gathering materials to make a permanent portal structure that could be fueled with manastones might be a better plan than the slow and steady water reclamation project. After considering the fact that Ril would still need to travel back to Sanctuary to establish the anchor on the other side, I was forced to dismiss the idea for the time being.


    I briefly considered tasking Mors with finding an underground cavern we could explore for alternate monsters to hunt, but the prospect of fighting the giant spiders in enclosed spaces was enough to kill all my enthusiasm for that idea.


    When the hunters returned in the afternoon, along with nine Sand Stalker carcases in tow. They brought news that one of the nomad tribes would be arriving sometime in the evening.


    Curious, I went looking for Chief Uday to get more information. Near as I could tell, the tribes wouldn¡¯t have had anything to trade one another before my arrival, but I supposed I could always be wrong. I had only been in the village less than a week, assuming I understood the local economy would be pretty pretentious.


    Finding Chief Uday making preparations to welcome the visiting nomads, I was surprised to see how genuinely excited he was by their prospective arrival. It wasn¡¯t just him either, all the villagers were in a good mood and excitedly talking about the arrival of the nomads.


    Approaching Chief Uday during a lull, I asked for an explanation to indulge my curiosity.


    ¡°Nomads return, trade food, trade water. Soon mothers moon, all nomads return, bond children,¡± Uday explained happily.


    It would make sense under the circumstances. Stone Well was probably the most defensible location available to them and would have had a steady supply of water during better times. ¡°Do you mean bonding the youths like Jarwal?¡± I asked for clarification.


    Uday nodded with a visible level of relief, ¡°Arranged long time, Ezha bond Jarwal, make less reckless,¡± he crowed with fresh life in his eyes.


    I was tempted to ask about Jarwal¡¯s other exploits that had caused his uncle such a high degree of stress, but decided I probably didn¡¯t want to know. ¡°Are all bonds arranged so far in advance?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about the idea of arranged marriages and wanted to learn how prolific it was before making trouble over nothing.


    Uday shook his head, ¡°Chief family¡¯s only. Keep ties strong.¡± He paused and stopped to consider something before speaking again, ¡°Elders interfere sometimes,¡± he admitted with a shrug.


    That made sense and was what I had generally expected. ¡°What do you trade with the nomads? Silk goods?¡± It was all I could think of given the previously depleted state of the well. Then again, the nomads would likely have silk production of their own, assumingly having no shortage of enemies to provide the materials.


    ¡°Silk mostly,¡± Uday agreed, ¡°Nomads trade water.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? The nomads give you water in exchange?¡± I asked, wanting to make sure I was understanding him correctly.


    Uday nodded, ¡°Take silks, give humans silk, take water, give Stone Well water,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± While it made sense to trade for what they needed, I was fairly certain the Adventurers Guild were the ones supporting the northern Slavers. So the thought of the nomads effectively funding their own enslavement left a bitter taste in my mouth.


    Uday seemed worried by my reaction, so I did my best to explain things as I understood them. This more or less boiled down to the fact that the Adventurers Guild on this floor was buying Orc slaves regularly and that thus far, the Mountain Orcs had been the only Slavers I had seen or heard any of the locals talk about.


    Equal parts horrified and sickened, Chief Uday was unable to speak for a long time. ¡°Soulless! Evil! Betraying! Egg-smashers!¡± Although only whispering the words, the older Orc was trembling with rage and had tears welling in his eyes.


    I could only assume that Chief Uday had thought the Mountain Orcs were keeping his people prisoner as a labour force. It was the only way I could explain his reaction.


    ¡°Leave¡­¡± Chief Uday rasped and motioned to the door, ¡°Others must know...Must prepare¡­¡±


    Leaving the Chief alone, I wondered if perhaps I had done the right thing. While I had no intentions of letting the Slavery continue and planned on taking the fight to the Mountain Orc Slavers at some point, I did not intend to do so until I was well and truly ready. But now I felt like war was just around the corner, which was at odds with the otherwise festive mood in the air.


    While trying to imagine what a war in this drought locked floor would be like, I made my way back to our quarters.


    Taking a look at my battered warhammer, I wondered how much abuse it would be able to take before shattering like my morningstar did. ¡°How the hell are we going to fight a war without real weapons?¡± I muttered irritably while massaging my temples. I had no one else to blame, I could have kept my mouth shut and waited for a better time, but I didn''t.


    ¡°Slingers?¡± Assuming the warriors had time to train, slings could be a viable ranged weapon. The slings could be made from silk and there were stones practically everywhere¡­


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± I knew next to nothing about the Mountain Orcs capabilities, or even their general numbers. The only thing I could assume is that they were capable of bulking their numbers with near-infinite amounts of Enslaved Wild Orcs. That of course also meant that they had Slavers and most likely Taskmasters as well.


    This meant that in order to compete on even close to an equal footing, I would need to provide combat Classes to the warriors of Stone Well and the nomad tribes. And the problem with doing that would of course be convincing them to join my alliance in good faith.


    As easy as it would be to coax them under the pretense of providing the tools for their war of vengeance, there would be no assurances to guarantee any sort of long-lasting goodwill like I had been attempting to build by solving their water problem.


    I was so busy blaming myself and getting swept up in my own thoughts that I lost track of time. So when I took a break from my ultimately pointless worrying, I was surprised to see that the sun was close to setting and it was beginning to grow dark outside.


    What was even more surprising was the procession of Orcs passing my door that I didn¡¯t recognise. Unlike the locals, whose silks were dyed light brown and otherwise stained reinforcing the colour, the newcomers wore silks with blue panels or stripes. They also wore their head scarfs in a more uniform fashion compared to how the locals who wore theirs in as many as eight different styles that I had seen. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite my initial confusion, a part of me recognised that these strangers had to be the nomads the hunters had been talking about earlier. The fact that they were making themselves at home, literally, moving into the nearby buildings, demonstrated that they were expected guests.


    Walking up the stairs to the landing on the second floor, I could see that the recently arrived nomads were mostly keeping to themselves and had claimed buildings next to one another. Each residence was marked by a silk curtain taking the place of the missing door. Interestingly, each curtain I could see from my vantage point had a different pattern, although some were similar.


    Seeing a procession of sorts headed towards the village centre, I was somewhat surprised to see that the nomad warriors had iron, or perhaps even steel, weapons.


    The fact that the nomads had been able to trade for, or otherwise acquire decent weapons, was actually something of a relief at this point. After all, if they could get those, then there was a decent chance they could get more.


    Without my headscarf and robe to otherwise conceal my appearance, the nomads who saw me on the terrace warily backed away or hid in their borrowed homes, a familiar fear reflected in their eyes.


    Clarice and Kestrel were treated much differently, being actively approached by what looked like merchants interested in selling them one thing or another. The merchants seemed particularly interested in trying to trade for one of the Razorbeaks, but showed no interest in the boars, perhaps being familiar with their original owners and not wanting to be associated with them.


    Assuming my presence would only continue to agitate things, I returned to the ground floor to keep Ril and Toofy company. This turned into an impromptu rubdown with a damp towel for Toofy since she was beginning to smell a little rank. Turnaround being fair play, Ril splashed me good while I was distracted and pointed out I didn¡¯t smell all that good either.


    I would have argued back, but I knew she was right. Running around in the desert and getting covered in spider guts will do heinous things to anyone''s hygiene. Making sparing use of our dwindling supply of dawnmoss, I made sure to clean the trouble areas before changing into clean clothes upstairs.


    Feeling in a much better mood, I laid out my clothes on the terrace and weighed them down with a rock to stop them from flying away. The sun and fresh air would kill off the bugs and make them perfectly wearable again in a couple of days. Returning downstairs I gave the girls some rations for dinner and caved to their repeated requests to tell a bedtime story. Considering Toofy and Ril spent most of every day sleeping or otherwise doing as little as possible, I figured it might be funny to tell them the story of sleeping beauty.


    The joke was on me, since neither of them had really left this room, and Sanctuary hadn¡¯t had one, neither of them knew what a spinning wheel was, or what it was for. So that required a lengthy explanation and a hurried drawing on the wall to explain it before being able to move on to the actual story. However, just as I was getting into the rhythm of the story again, I was interrupted by Jarwal bursting in uninvited.


    ¡°S-Sorry,¡± Jarwal apologised, his cheeks more than a little flushed, although not from exertion, ¡°Chief Izsa wants meeting.¡±


    ¡°Izsa is the nomad Chief? I asked for confirmation.


    Jarwal stiffly nodded.


    ¡°Do you know why she wants to see me?¡± I asked while getting to my feet and dusting myself off.


    Jarwal shook his head nervously while glancing towards the door.


    ¡°Alright, just give me a minute okay?¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jarwal agreed hastily and ducked back out of the house.


    ¡°Sorry girls, I can continue the story later if you want.¡± I offered.


    Toofy waved me off nonchalantly and picked up the stone I had been using to draw on the wall. ¡°Toofy tell story,¡± she declared and began scribbling on the wall. ¡°Princess thinks spinny wheel dumb, goes down to kitchen for food!¡± Toofy exclaimed, drawing a wavy line on the wall and then scribbling something else.


    Ril seemed captivated and leaned closer.


    Feeling betrayed and a little inadequate as a storyteller, I left the house and followed Jarwal into the section of the village now occupied by the nomads.


    Just like before, despite the recent addition of my tunic, the nomads shied away from me.


    Trying not to take it personally, I concentrated on following Jarwal.


    Arriving at a larger three-story building with guards posted outside, it was obvious that we had reached our destination.


    Clearly expecting us, the guards stepped aside and allowed us to enter.


    Two women, one slighter than the other, were waiting for us on silk cushions next to a brass tray stacked high with olives.


    ¡°Please, sit,¡± the slighter woman motioned to the two empty cushions by the tray. There was a familiar breathiness to her words and a slight lisp that I felt like I should recognise but couldn¡¯t quite place.


    Carefully lowering myself onto the cushion to avoid tearing it open, I waited to see what it was that the nomads Chief wanted.


    The nervous energy between Jarwal and the other woman was pretty distracting, so it took me a few moments to realise that the Chief¡¯s eyes were at least a full shade lighter, and had slitted pupils...


    Smiling behind her veil, Chief Izsa made it clear that she knew I knew. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you Chieftain Tim,¡± she placed her right hand lightly over her heart and bowed her head, ¡°As I am sure Jarwal has told you already, I am Izsa-¡± The pronunciation of her name was less drawn out than the Serpent-Kin of Sanctuary, but still distinctly recognisable, ¡°-Chief of the Flowing Water tribe. I was told you are looking for partners to join your alliance, and I would like to express my most fervent interest!¡±


    I decided to test Chief Izsa¡¯s resolve, unwilling to take her sudden interest at face value given her tribe''s potential loyalties to the Adventurers Guild. ¡°Joining will require oaths of loyalty and secrecy on pain of death,¡± I warned, paying careful attention to her body language.


    Perhaps mistaking the reason for my scrutiny, or maybe to throw me off, Chief Izsa shifted her posture to more prominently display her chest. But I hadn¡¯t been separated from Lash nearly long enough for such a cheap ploy to work. Briefly narrowing her eyes in irritation, it was clear Chief Izsa didn¡¯t get the reaction she wanted. ¡°I am familiar with the workings of oaths and would be willing to take those that are deemed necessary,¡± she replied with a somewhat strained tone.


    ¡°Why do you want to join my alliance?¡± I asked calmly, ignoring Izsa¡¯s minor emotional slip.


    Chief Izsa took a moment to compose herself, restoring her previous smile. ¡°Conditions are growing worse and I wish a future for my people outside of slavery,¡± she replied with surprising bluntness.


    ¡°And what can you bring to my alliance?¡± I determinedly maintained eye contact and waited for her reply.


    After giving me a cold calculating stare for a few moments, Chief Izsa smiled and her eyes flashed dangerously, ¡°Because I have contacts with the humans who can expose the Slavers movements.¡±


    Of all the possible answers she could have given, that was not what I had expected.


    ¡°So?¡± Chief Izsa hissed, ¡°Can Flowing Water join your alliance?¡±


    *****


    Standing before the grand table festooned with maps, Francis Asrus, reluctant Lord Regent of the Asrusian kingdom tried to keep his mind on the military matters at hand and not the self customising Master tier Leadership Class Field Marshal Klive had assisted in unlocking just an hour prior.


    ¡°-multiple reports of attempted insurgencies and assassinations on our western flank,¡± Marshal Regis continued, marking the fortifications in question, ¡°Thus far, casualties have been kept to a minimum thanks to the special troops being cycled through to our most exposed bases. But I fear it will not be enough,¡± The cantankerous eighty-year-old waved forward one of his attending aides who laid out another more detailed map, ¡°Early reports suggest the empire is deploying their elite war slaves to the Mistfall pass to secure it for invasion. Repelling these forces will be bloody, but we have no other alternatives. I recommend briefly withdrawing our elite forces from the southernmost front, completing their conversion and then deploying them alongside two companies of freshly converted recruits to deny the empire the pass as long as possible.¡±


    Three other Marshals, including Klive, reluctantly agreed.


    The human conversion to monster status, or ascendency as some soldiers were calling it, had proven to be an incredibly powerful tool in the ongoing war effort. Even the greenest of recruits had become many times more dangerous than they had been before, capable of temporarily going toe to toe with elite forces with decades more accumulated combat experience and Class levels.


    Francis had felt it himself and seen it in the otherwise venerable cadre of Marshals now heartily arguing tactics about the campaign. The ascension had changed them on a fundamentally basic level, remade them into something more than they had been before.


    A man of nearly forty years, Francis had never been particularly athletic in spite of intense and rigorous training in his childhood and youth. That had always been his younger brother Gidian¡¯s gift. Francis¡¯s gift had always been his mind and he prided himself on his intelligence. When undergoing the initial change to qualify for unlocking Classes, being able to see a number literally reinforce that fact had been one of the happiest days of his life. Abdicating from the succession had been a close second. Father had been furious, of course, but had accepted it in time.


    ¡°-Lord Regent?¡± Marshal Hughes prompted, motioning to a detailed blueprint of port Gidian¡¯s projected expansion expectantly.


    Rapidly assessing the context and drawing the relevant facts and figures to mind, Francis nodded, ¡°I will personally see to the approval of the necessary funds,¡± he affirmed, understanding that the biggest hurdle in establishing this final bastion was financing it without their enemies noticing.


    ¡°Aherm, my K-Lord Regent,¡± Field Marshal Klive presented another report, ¡°We have confirmation that Chieftain Tim has access to independent portal capabilities. Several eyewitnesses confirm seeing the portal opening and supplies as well as numerous personnel being moved to another floor of the Labyrinth.¡±


    Francis nodded in understanding, ¡°We need that,¡± he agreed and mentally checked the list of Classes being provided to all members of ¡®Tim¡¯s Faction¡¯. ¡°Do we know why it is not currently available like the others?¡±


    The attending Marshals and their aides all shook their heads, except one.


    ¡°Sir, I believe it''s because he doesn¡¯t quite trust us yet, or the unlock requirement is incredibly niche,¡± Francis recognised the woman''s voice almost immediately.


    ¡°You have insights Lt. Rooke?¡± Francis asked, unperturbed as the middle-aged woman suddenly materialised from the shadows. She was one of many elite soldiers on his temporary protection detail while visiting the port. There were probably close to a dozen men and women currently lurking unseen in the room at this very moment, let alone the small army outside.


    Lt. Rooke grinned, ¡°Aye, that I do sir,¡± She agreed, ¡°Reports say Tim took four people with him, our erstwhile liaison officer, the reformed Adventurers Clarice and Nadine, as well as his adopted daughter Toofy and her daughter Ril,¡± Lt. Rooke drummed off the facts with a near malicious sense of superiority, ¡°Now, we know the Classes, more or less, of everyone but the two short ones, although I highly suspect Toofy has the Thief or Scavenger Class by way of explaining how she kept making off with things without anyone noticing,¡± she sounded more than a little aggrieved by that, ¡°So that just leaves Ril-¡±


    ¡°You think a mere Goblin is capable of making portals?!¡± Marshal Hughes demanded, his finely combed moustache bristling indignantly.


    ¡°Never said Ril was a Goblin, sir,¡± Lt. Rooke replied dryly, ¡°Although I would hold my tongue before insulting them all the same. The big guy is very protective of his family and could mash us into paste in a heartbeat, ascension or no.¡±


    ¡°So what is she then?¡± Francis asked, denying Marshal Hughes the opportunity to retort, ¡°Some sort of hybrid or Subspecies?¡±


    Lt. Rooke grinned and shook her head, ¡°No, she¡¯s something different entirely, and there are more of them in Sanctuary too. They even helped us build the road and the earliest defences for the port,¡± she pulled a tattered page from a pouch on her belt and threw it to the table, ¡°They are Daemons, sir.¡±


    All eyes in the room became fixed on the dated illustration on the page. A caricature with blood-red skin, two black horns protruding from its forehead, the legs of a boar or deer and arms like snakes, glared balefully back at them.


    Francis raised his hand in warning, forestalling the otherwise inevitable outbursts of those present. ¡°You are certain of this?¡± He demanded, reluctantly activating one of his recently acquired Class Abilities.


    ¡°As I can be,¡± Lt. Rooke admitted truthfully.


    ¡°Yet you are not disturbed by their presence, why?¡± Francis watched her closely, after all, so much now relied upon project Bastion that it would be almost impossible to take alternative measures now.


    ¡°Firstly, sir, that old scripture stuff killed more people than any Daemon I ever heard of,¡± Lt. Rooke noted with evident disgust, referencing the holy crusades declared every few decades by the Grand Theocracy of Gelt in the name of the divine Angels. ¡°Secondly, their leader, or deputy to Chieftain Tim anyway, Gric, has superior authority to Klive and could really fuck us over if he wanted to. But he hasn¡¯t, and won¡¯t so long as we don¡¯t give him a reason to-¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Hughes aide interrupted, ¡°We are losing out on literally as many Underlord positions in tribute as we earn! What would you call that if not-¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Francis glared at the aide before returning his attention to Lt. Rooke, ¡°Can you explain this in relation to your insights Lieutenant?¡±


    Lt. Rooke nodded, ¡°Of course, sir. Our Underlord Tax is because Tim doesn¡¯t trust us. Gric is just following his lead. We probably wouldn¡¯t even have this chance at all if Klive hadn¡¯t ¡®dealt with¡¯ some bad apples early on.¡±


    ¡°Bad apples?¡± Francis asked, willing the relevant reports to mind. ¡°Yes, the wounding of a refugee under the Chieftain¡¯s protection, the delay in returning missing children under an issued quest, and an incident involving a Slaver and his hired Mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Lt. Rooke nodded in confirmation, ¡°If Klive had hesitated, we probably wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now. If we can prove ourselves genuinely trustworthy allies,¡± she glared at the aide who had interrupted her earlier, ¡°Then I don¡¯t doubt the restrictions will lessen or perhaps even be removed over time. You want my advice on potentially making that happen sooner?¡± Lt. Rooke offered sincerely.


    Francis nodded and motioned for her to continue. Lt. Rooke¡¯s candour was one of the reasons her advice and insights were so valuable.


    ¡°Make a backdoor deal with the Midnight Caravan, make sure our guards and magistrates look the other way. There was one of them amongst the refugees that we escorted to Sanctuary, and I don¡¯t doubt for a minute that he approached Tim or one of his advisors already. If we can show that we are on board with rescuing and freeing Enslaved Variants, I don¡¯t doubt it will buy us some goodwill in the form of auxiliaries at the least, perhaps a renegotiation on the Underlord Tax if you ask nicely.¡± Lt. Rooke was direct and to the point, and most importantly believed every word of what she had said was true.


    ¡°Baron Klive, your thoughts?¡± Francis asked, wanting a second opinion for additional perspective.


    ¡°The Chieftain Tim has proven an honourable ally, and I believe that these Daemons especially follow his example. They are immensely powerful and talented in their specialties, and I do not doubt that if they had wished us harm that we would already be dead,¡± Field Marshal Klive scratched at his day-old stubble while considering something, ¡°If Lt. Rooke is correct and the Daemons are capable of opening portals independently of magic items and artefacts, then it is in our best interests not to go making demands. Tim has demonstrated that he will at least loan resources and personnel to allies as needed. So I believe generating additional goodwill would be necessary before even considering making such a request. Looking the other way and offering under the table assistance to the Midnight Caravan will help with this, but does not seem to fit the scale of our own request and potential time frame.¡±


    Francis considered his old friend''s advice and had to agree. The Midnight Caravan operated discreetly and in small groups. The Variant slaves they freed in a year would rarely crest a hundred at most. The primary cause was, of course, because Asrus did not practice the enslavement of Variants on a meaningful scale. Their neighbours on the other hand¡­


    Francis tented his fingers and began carefully considering his options. They had already made it clear that Asrus¡¯s neutrality in their conflict would not be respected, so why not? All long term political repercussions were close to meaningless given the severity of the threat and anticipated devastation. So why not weaken their enemies'' war efforts while doing a good deed and reaping benefits?


    ¡°Scribe,¡± Francis waited for his retainer to ready the paper and ink, ¡°Draft a letter to the highest-ranking member of the Midnight Caravan our spy network knows of in the kingdom. Ahem, as Lord Regent of Asrus I am granting amnesty for all members'' crimes pertaining to the unlawful freeing of slaves, past, present, and future. Furthermore, I am offering specialized training for recruits and members, as well as financial support. Should this be agreeable, negotiations may be made with Baron Klive, house name pending-¡± He gave the Marshal weighty look,¡±-as a trusted representative of the crown in these matters.¡±


    Untenting his fingers, Francis removed his signet ring and pressed it to the hot wax seal on the letter. With that simple action, they were now committed. Already drafting the official law for the emancipation of Variants, Francis had to suppress a smile as he considered the enraged responses he would no doubt receive from those already pressing at their borders once the official emancipation law was drafted and announced to the public.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 28 – Bonds in blood – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 28 ¨C Bonds in blood ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 28 - Bonds in blood - Part One


    My original intention had been to invite all tribes to my alliance, regardless of what they had to offer. Provided they would be willing to support the greater whole, there would be a place for them. But there was something about Izsa that reminded me of the Daemons early days. She was ambitious, but more than that, Izsa was clearly highly motivated on seeing those ambitions to fruition.


    Ambition wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. So long as it served a greater purpose and wasn¡¯t destructive in nature. The problem was that I didn¡¯t know Izsa well enough to determine if her ambition would serve the greater good, or destroy everything I was trying to build.


    There was another problem as well. Izsa had information I wanted. Not just the possibility of the Mountain Orc Slavers movements, but about half breeds as well. It was one of the things I had noticed about Izsa rather early into our discussion. She had the mixed features of a Serpent-Kin and Orc. Which made her the first example of interspecies breeding I had seen, and presented a unique opportunity in understanding more about it.


    I had told Izsa I would take some time to consider her request, mostly so I could try and disentangle my personal interests from the decision. It backfired. The more time I had to think about it, the more worried I became about Lash and our potential children.


    Izsa wasn¡¯t the only one in her tribe either. Now that I knew what to look for, it was obvious that at least a full third of the Flowing Water tribe of nomads were half breeds. This was profoundly odd since the impression I had received from Chief Udwe was that each new generation that came of age would be paired off into other tribes. Yet there were no signs of and half breeds in the Stone Well tribe. How was that possible? Was Flowing Water the exception? And if so, why?


    Jarwal was arranged to be bonded to Izsa¡¯s daughter Ezha, who had seemed like she was at least somewhat mixed herself, although not nearly so much as her mother.


    Were monster genetics so cut and dry that their child would be expected to be a full-blooded Desert Orc like Jarwal? Or was there something else I was missing?


    I wasted most of the day working myself into knots over it. It was getting so bad that when the storehouse keeper Fadwa came calling, I was genuinely glad for the distraction.


    As Fadwa and I entered the weavery, all work came to a halt and two of the younger women quickly ducked into a side room. Those who remained cleared the middle of the room and waited patiently for the two young women to return. When they returned a few moments later, I very nearly did a double-take.


    Somehow, the weavers had managed to put together what looked like a perfectly serviceable saddle. A hell of an achievement given they only had Dhizi¡¯s saddle and the makeshift one I had made for the Swiftstrider.


    To solve the buckle problem, they just made a toggle system instead. Cinch the saddle straps to the correct tightness and then slot the toggle through the closest loop. Running my hand over the primary seat and the straps, I was genuinely surprised by the amount of friction they were generating compared to the rest of the silk.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡± I asked, thoroughly impressed by their achievement.


    ¡°Stalker hair,¡± one of the younger women beamed, ¡°Weave into silk, make rough, won¡¯t slip.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s damn impressive,¡± I praised the weavers, ¡°Do you think you could make more?¡±


    There was a general murmuring of assent from the group in reply.


    ¡°Will need more Stalker hair,¡± Fadwa warned, ¡°No harvest last hunt.¡±


    ¡°You just had the hairs stowed away already?¡± That was a weird thing to do. Then against the hairs were quite bristly and could probably be used to make brushes.


    Fadwa shook her head and pointed to the young woman who had spoken earlier, ¡°Jana gathered, try blending alone. Show head weaver, make more.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s Jana we have to thank for the saddles then?¡± I asked for confirmation.


    Fadwa nodded.


    Our conversation had not exactly been private, so everyone had heard what we had said.


    ¡°Jana, I want to reward you for your ingenuity. Is there something I can give you, or do for you?¡± I asked sincerely.


    Jana seemed stunned, like a kangaroo staring into oncoming headlights.


    ¡°Sand Strider as bonding gift?¡± The young woman next to Jana volunteered, much to Jana¡¯s apparent horror.


    ¡°Bonding gift?¡± I asked Fadwa for clarification.


    ¡°Bonded give gifts, show feelings, make family proud,¡± Fadwa explained with a thoughtful expression, ¡°Seif? Dune Walker tribe?¡± She queried Jana and her friend.


    The friend nodded vigorously and laughed good-naturedly.


    ¡°Seif, hunter, youngest son. Good match,¡± Fadwa informed me while nodding her head in approval.


    As much as it pained me to lose one of the Razorbeaks, Jana¡¯s innovative thinking was what made riding them possible. ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°Jana, you can pick one of the Razorbeaks for your bonding gift. Just be aware that the grey one is already taken.¡± Once we had adequately trained riders, there would always be the chance for catching more, I reminded myself to better soften the blow. Besides, maybe the gift would make inviting the Dune Walker tribe into the alliance that much easier.


    ¡°Much thanks¡­¡± Jana mumbled shyly as her friend practically dragged her out the door along with the saddle.


    ¡°Generous,¡± Fadwa noted approvingly.


    After leaving the weavery, I headed for the village centre to speak with Hessin, the Serpent-Kin Shaman that had volunteered to provide the ward for Stone Well.


    As I had expected, Hessin was under two layers of guards. The first was those provided by Stone Well, a sort of honour guard despite their fierce intent to keep her safe. The second was composed of Serpent-Kin warriors with Classes brought from Sanctuary with the explicit purpose of ensuring Hessin¡¯s safety.


    Maintaining a Ward of sufficient size to encompass Stone Well required Hessin to concentrate, so I was expecting a protracted conversation in order to have my questions answered.


    Hessin had been provided with every creature comfort the villagers could think of. Her room was festooned with silk rugs, pillows, jars of food, water and a pleasant smelling incense. Large silk fans had even been given to her personal guards to circulate air in the room if it grew too stuffy or the smell of incense became distracting or too intense.


    Sitting down opposite Hessin, I settled in for a very long conversation. ¡°Good evening Hessin, I have come to ask you some questions on your status and that of the Ward, if you are up to it.¡±


    A minute passed by. Hessin¡¯s eyelids flickered, ¡°Over-lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Tim,¡± I replied slowly, ¡°How are you holding up?¡±


    Another minute passed. ¡°Ss-train, gro-wing. Presss-ure, buil-ding¡­¡± Hessin slurred, confirming my suspicions.


    ¡°How much longer can you hold it?¡± I asked, making sure not to speak too quickly and overwhelm her.


    Two minutes passed. Hessin seemed aggrieved and shied her face away, ¡°Three, day-ss. No, longer. Ss-orry...Not, ss-trong, e-nough...¡±


    ¡°You are doing fine Hessin,¡± I reassured her, careful not to speak too quickly, or raise my voice, ¡°You have helped a great deal already. I had just wanted to know how long we had until I needed to claim the Settlement.¡±


    Hessin slowly relaxed and smiled shyly, ¡°Thank-you, Over-lord¡­¡±


    After giving Hessin a gentle reassuring pat on the shoulder, I saw myself out. ¡°Three days, at most,¡± I muttered thoughtfully. Waiting for more of the nomad tribes to arrive would ensure more warriors, but it would also likely increase the degree of difficulty as well. There was also the matter of choosing who to assign as Overseer. Promoting a local was pretty much out of the question. There were no guarantees that they would look past their own tribe¡¯s best interests, let alone support those of the alliance.


    Mors would be an ¡®okay¡¯ choice, but I didn¡¯t want to strand him here forever, especially if the locals could be convinced to take the Pact Binder Class and summon the specialised Daemons as they needed them. Technically everything Mors was doing now could be accomplished by his own copy, it would just cost more manastones.


    Hessin might be worth approaching, although I didn¡¯t know if she would be willing to live on the fourth floor long term or not.


    Bringing a list of the volunteers to the forefront of my mind, I carefully considered each of them while walking back to our borrowed home. One volunteer stood out in particular, but I would have to speak with them to determine if they would be willing to stay behind on the fourth floor as an Overseer.


    Arriving home, I had to suppress a snort when I saw the state of the inside walls. Toofy and possibly Ril as well, had gone bananas and covered just about every square inch in scribbles. Showing them how to draw was beginning to feel like a mistake.


    Going upstairs I waited on the terrace until Clarice, Nadine and Kestrel returned. Choosing the Overseer was an important decision, and with our limited time frame, I would feel more comfortable with their input.


    Nadine was first to return home, but I gave her some time to unwind and freshen up first. She had been busy trying to source alternative materials for filling out emergency medical supply kits alongside the other Surgeons.


    After getting changed, Nadine brought her other clothes outside to air out. ¡°So what did you want to talk about?¡±


    I stopped leaning against the wall and sat straighter, ¡°The Overseer position,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°I need to promote someone before we try to officially claim the village and make it a Settlement.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nadine sat down and pressed her back to the wall as well, ¡°Any candidates?¡± She asked curiously.


    I nodded, ¡°Osa and Nisi.¡±


    ¡°Nisi?¡± Nadine asked for confirmation, pronouncing the name with noticeable familiarity.


    ¡°The Surgeon, yeah,¡± I figured Nadine would be at least somewhat familiar with her after training together and then working closely together more recently.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Osa Nisi¡¯s mate?¡± Nadine asked uncertainly.


    I nodded, ¡°According to the records,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Just like Clarice, Osa unlocked multiple Basic combat Classes and managed to unlock the Advanced Knight Class. He was the first, but Clarice had been only one Class off before being promoted. With the improvements after Sanctuary was upgraded to a capital, he has made it possible for anyone else to pursue the same path too.¡±


    Nadine smiled and hugged her knees, ¡°I don¡¯t think the minions really understand just how much time you spend thinking about them, you know? Some of them even seem convinced you are some sort of god.¡±


    ¡°Me? A god?¡± I snorted in derisive amusement, ¡°Those are some pretty lax standards then.¡±


    Nadine kept smiling and shrugged, ¡°You do have this habit of showing up just when people need you.¡±


    ¡°Not always¡­¡± I muttered, suddenly losing my sense of humour.


    Nadine cringed and turned her head to look out over the village wall instead, obviously not sure what to say. ¡°I think...I think Osa would probably be a better fit,¡± Nadine insisted and tried injecting some levity into her tone, ¡°Nisi is a good Hospice Surgeon, but she seems to prefer taking others lead rather than stepping up herself. Leaving Nisi in charge of Stone Well or the alliance on this floor would probably be too much for her right now.¡±


    I nodded and made a mental note of her assessment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have considered leadership classes?¡± Nadine asked curiously, ¡°That is, teaching leadership skills to those who want to take on extra responsibilities. I mean, not everyone who is outspoken is good leadership material, and some of the more timid people might just need a bit of a push or boost in confidence, you know?¡±


    ¡°Why would you think I would know how to teach leadership classes?¡± I asked incredulously.


    Nadine seemed confused, ¡°I just meant like passing on some of your tips.¡±


    ¡°Tips?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe Nadine was being serious. What the hell did I know about leadership? That is besides the fact that it¡¯s enormously stressful and that I am not cut out for it. There was a reason why I delegate as much responsibility to others as possible, as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Well, you always seem to have an idea of what to do,¡± Nadine pointed out, ¡°And you don¡¯t seem to hesitate when seizing opportunities like capturing all those Razorbeaks¡­¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Being in charge for a long time...It changes the way you think, and not just for the better¡­¡± I stared up at the stars to try and clear my head, focusing less on depressing lines of thought. ¡±If you want to try and encourage leadership skills and qualities, then I would suggest focusing on team-building exercises when they are young. Teaching adults is probably better accomplished through a sort of officer training. Kestrel probably knows more about that sort of thing. The problem is though, if you rely on people volunteering, you are going to get egomaniacs and bastards as often as genuinely worthwhile candidates.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you would prefer to pick people rather than asking for volunteers?¡± Nadine asked, although it was more of an observation.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± I agreed.


    We passed about a half hour not really talking about anything in particular, just waiting for Clarice and Kestrel to finish their riding practice.


    ¡°I¡¯d pick Osa,¡± Clarice called out from the bedroom while getting changed, ¡°Guy¡¯s gotta be tenacious to unlock an Advanced Class.¡±


    Nadine rolled her eyes, ¡°She¡¯s just saying that because he reminds her of herself.¡±


    ¡°Heard that!¡± Clarice barked in amusement.


    ¡°And?¡± Nadine called back.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Clarice laughed, ¡°But Tim needs a real warrior in charge out here. There¡¯s a fight coming and then there is the Guild to deal with after-¡± She came out onto the terrace in some clean clothes and took a seat, ¡°-Peace doesn¡¯t seem like an option here, not without making the Guild bleed first anyway,¡± Clarice insisted.


    Kestrel came out a few moments later and was nodding her head in agreement, ¡°If the Adventurers Guild is responsible for orchestrating the conflict between the Mountain Orcs and their desert kin, then you can expect a violent response when that revenue stream dries up,¡± she cringed a little at her poor choice in words. ¡°Never underestimate what the Guilds will do for a profit,¡± Kestrel cautioned.


    ¡°So, to buy time, we need to prove that leaving Stone Well and the nomads alone is more profitable than their slave trade,¡± Nadine sighed and rubbed at her temples, ¡°That isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡±


    ¡°And we don¡¯t want them making a bunch of money off us anyway,¡± Clarice hissed bitterly, ¡°That would just bite us in the ass later. Stone Well might not be on the receiving end, but you can bet your ass feeding the Guild all that coin will hurt us on other floors and in the long term.¡±


    Kestrel nodded in agreement, ¡°Better to always consider the Guild as a greater whole when bargaining,¡± she cautioned, ¡°Trading them iron is a good way to supply the knife that stabs you in the back.¡±


    ¡°Izsa, chief of the Flowing Water nomads, claims to have contacts in the Foothold that can relay the Slavers'' movements. Do you think we can trust her?¡± I asked the group as a whole, making it clear I wanted everyone¡¯s opinion on the matter.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s that or kick her out, right?¡± Clarice replied reductively, ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, her people are having almost as rough a time of it as the villagers were. Every time I refused an offer on a Razorbeak, they would come back with a higher one. I think that could be your leverage.¡±


    ¡°Mounts for loyalty, you mean?¡± I clarified.


    Clarice nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point actually,¡± Nadine chimed in, ¡°If the Flowing Water considers themselves traders, gaining access to mounts would not just increase their safety by deploying fast-moving scouts, but using them as beasts of burden would assumedly increase their potential profits by being able to carry more trade goods. In a sense, greed would keep them loyal. Especially considering the Guild seems to have no intention of trading even the cheapest mounts to them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Adventurer Guild policy,¡± Kestrel explained, ¡°Selling food, water, commodities and even tools is fine. Trading force multipliers such as weapons, armour and beasts, are all prohibited. The fact that the Slavers have a contact for their boars is a little concerning, but should be taken as the exception, not the rule.¡±


    ¡°There is something else as well,¡± I decided I might as well bring it up since we were now on a tight deadline, ¡°Hessin, our volunteer Shaman, believes she can maintain the Ward another three days at most before needing to recover. So we need to decide when during the three days to initiate the conquest to found Stone Well as a Settlement.¡±


    ¡°The hunters were not expecting the next nomad tribe for another week,¡± Clarice hedged, ¡°Unlikely we will catch friendlies in the crossfire.¡±


    Kestrel nodded, ¡°If we wait the full three days, focused on training mounted riders and maybe unlocking a few Classes from both tribes warriors, I think that would give us our best shot.¡±


    Nadine shrugged, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. Waiting for more warriors might be better, but the ones we already have would probably be tired out from enduring night attacks...Yeah, I guess taking the three days to prepare and starting the quest when Hessin¡¯s Ward fails is our best bet.¡±


    ¡°I think so too,¡± I agreed, ¡°Of course, promoting more Underlords will help those that manage to unlock combat Classes. After all, power levelling them during the fight could make a huge difference. Especially since a whole mess of Stone Well¡¯s hunters already qualify for the Beast Trainer and Wrangler Advanced Classes after our skirmish with the Razorbeaks.¡±


    Clarice grinned, ¡°I forgot about that!¡± She crowed, ¡°Maybe we might be able to tame some spiders of our own after all!¡±


    Early the next morning, I approached Osa about the prospective promotion. Besides his immense surprise, as apparently the general assumption was only the Daemons would be allowed to occupy positions as Overseer, Osa seemed genuinely appreciative of his efforts being recognised. Of course, this was also under the condition that he complete his literacy training with Mors before the month was out. An illiterate Overseer would lack access to most of the functions and be more of a liability than a benefit to our alliance.


    As Overseer, I would be issuing Osa with the quest to claim Stone Well as a Settlement. This meant that it would be his responsibility to make sure the warriors were up to the task. Having already unlocked a number of Basic combat Classes, teaching them was well within Osa¡¯s ability. However, I also made sure to impress upon him the fact that anyone he was going to teach had to be recruited to the alliance, and be bound by the oaths of loyalty and secrecy.


    Osa swore he would do his best and make sure to regularly consult with Mors until he was able to read Status¡¯s on his own.


    Impressed that he was not immediately going on a power trip, I gave Osa his promotion to Overseer and then explained how each of his new Class Abilities for the Serpent-Kin Commander worked.


    [(Class Ability: Eminence): Monsters slain by your minions within range of a Settlement Totem generate bonus EXP that may be awarded through {Quests}. {Willpower} increases the range of Effect. Stored EXP:(0)]


    [(Class Ability: Training Drills {Rank 0}): Minions have reduced unlock requirements for Basic Classes. Minion group members with {Basic Classes} may substitute {Training Drills: Rank 0} in place of {Class Abilities} of lower rank.]


    [(Class Ability: Retribution {Rank 0}): Expend MP to return damage taken against an enemy within range. {Willpower} increases the range and damage of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Serpent¡¯s Strike {Rank 0}): Expend MP to apply the [Poisoned} Condition to attacks made with a {Light} or [Piercing} weapons for a moderate duration. {Agility} increases the duration of the effect.] Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Heading off to join the hunters, I made sure to send those with the Wrangler and Beast Trainer Advanced Classes unlocked to Osa so he could recruit them and secure their oaths. I could have just done it myself, but establishing Osa¡¯s position was important.


    Unsurprisingly, the hunters from Flowing Water insisted on joining us, no doubt hoping that we would capture more Razorbeaks and be able to claim a few for their participation. Well, the joke was on them, because we were going to try and catch some Stalkers today.


    Unlike the taming collars, a Beast Trainer only required their target to be a beast and be wounded enough to dominate it through force of will.


    So the plan was still very similar to how we had been hunting them. Two rows of hunters with halberds would make the Spiders keep their distance, while the Beast Trainer would try and dominate the most wounded spider.


    Clarice graciously decided to stay behind today, agreeing to teach a host of prospective riders later in exchange for more sleep. It seemed like a fair trade given her temperament. Clarice was not a teacher and didn¡¯t pretend to be. She found teaching people, to be frustrating and made sure everyone knew about it. So letting her have a few extra hours of sleep was in everyone''s best interests.


    With Kestrel roving ahead on the Swiftstrider, it didn¡¯t take us long to find our first Sand Stalker. Tiring the spider out, Kestrel bought us time to form the defensive formation and get our designated Beast Trainer in position.


    Whatever primal instinct drove this spider, they did not seem to extend to its self-preservation. Upon spotting our formation, which took some doing considering most spiders rather ironically have terrible vision, it redoubled its flagging speed and charged.


    Stone Well¡¯s hunters were used to this sight by now and held firm, which was unfortunate for the spider as it attempted to barrel right through our formation, lost three eyes in the process and quite possible took some brain damage.


    Still, I urged the Beast Trainer to activate his ability. At worst, this would be practice and we could use the blinded spider to grapple with other spiders later.


    Watching the Beast Trainer channel her mana like I taught them all before leaving, I was surprised when she succeeded on her first try. The Sand Stalker was immediately rendered docile and raised another issue. We would need to feed spiders as we caught them in order to heal their wounds.


    After allowing the Stone Well hunters the opportunity to celebrate their first successful capture, we went on the hunt again. The limiting factor on how many spiders we could capture, was determined by the hunter¡¯s Presence stat. The taming Ability only allowed one Bonded Beast per five Presence. We could circumvent the ability after custom taming collars were made, but in the meantime, it basically equated to the seven Beast Trainers taming one spider each. Levelling up would increase their Presence and Willpower stats, but that was more long term.


    The second Sand Stalker almost killed itself when performing a suicidal charge like the first. Rather than try to tame it, we killed it and took a short break while Kestrel continued scouting and the first spider fed on the second¡¯s remains.


    Similar to spiders from Earth, the Sand Stalker injected its prey with liquifying venom and drained the resulting fluids. Different from Earth spiders, the Sand Stalker had a functioning mouth full of sharp teeth that could rend flesh and dissolve it in its mouth. I was not a fan.


    By the time Kestrel began leading the third spider to our position, the second was little more than a desiccated husk.


    This process more or less repeated around twelve more times before we called it a day. Dragging two corpses and another three desiccated husks back to the village, it was disconcerting to watch the parade of giant spiders diligently scuttling behind us.


    The guards on duty, who had known what we had left to do, seemed just as nervous about allowing the spiders in as I did. However, a few harsh words from some of the hunters was enough to see the gates open without my involvement. Not that the spiders needed to go through the gate in the first place.


    As expected, the Flowing Water hunters quickly began making a fuss over ¡®dividing the spoils¡¯. While they had helped, somewhat, I was glad when the Stone Well hunters immediately shut them down, flat out refusing to hand over any Stalkers or Razorbeaks until the Flowing Water tribe officially joined the alliance and pulled their own weight in the hunt.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising in the least when Izsa sought me out a little later. As I expected, she wasn¡¯t mad and was likely using the incident as an excuse to have her tribe formally accepted into the alliance.


    ¡°Have you made your decision?¡± Chief Izsa asked, cutting straight to the chase.


    ¡°? have,¡± I replied somewhat stiffly. ¡°On the provision that you and your people swear oaths of loyalty and secrecy to my designated Overseer, and that you do not cause harm to the alliance or its people, then am willing to accept your entry to the alliance.¡±


    Izsa bridled again at the mention of the oaths, but considering she was the first leader not beholden to me for her and her people''s survival, it was somewhat understandable she would have reservations about soul binding oaths. ¡°I agree to these terms,¡± she placed her hand over her heart and bowed her head slightly. ¡°Once they are oath sworn, my warriors and hunters will be treated as equals?¡± Izsa asked, ¡°Allowed to learn these Classes?¡± Her eyes flashed avariciously, broadcasting her greed so brightly a blind man would see it.


    ¡°Yes, and more besides,¡± I agreed, deciding that appealing to Izsa¡¯s greed and ambition may actually make her easier to control rather than less. ¡°Leadership titles empower those promoted to the highest tier of Classes. Prove your loyalty and ability, and you will qualify for promotion. Fail or harm the alliance in any way, and it will be revoked. Understand?¡±


    Izsa was visibly stunned, a flurry of thoughts taking place behind her wide eyes.


    ¡°Are you literate?¡± I asked, somewhat condescendingly, ¡°Able to read the humans language?¡±


    Izsa slowly nodded.


    ¡°Invite,¡± I held out my arm.


    Izsa nervously extended her own and clasped my forearm, ¡°Accept.¡±


    I relaxed and revealed my entire Status.


    Izsa¡¯s eyes slowly panned downwards, alternating from side to side before shifting downward again. As she continued reading, Izsa¡¯a eyes grew wider and wider in shock and disbelief. Reaching my list of qualified classes, Izsa¡¯s eyes grew wider still. ¡°I am ready to swear the oaths,¡± she croaked, shaking her head and cradling her face in her hands.


    After accepting Izsa¡¯s oaths, I invited her into the alliance. With her loyalties secured, for the time being at least, I pressed Izsa on how she would receive information from her Guild contacts. In hindsight, I really should have guessed it when she admitted to being literate. Izsa had a communication device that was almost identical to Kestrel¡¯s, as well as the codebook to go with it and a durable grid marked map of the fourth floor bearing notable landmarks.


    Izsa explained that the Slavers would always stop in at the Guild fortress when headed into the deeper southern regions. In exchange for providing silk goods ¡®under the table¡¯ to her contacts, they would notify her which direction the Slavers were headed when leaving into the southern regions. Most of the time, the warning in and of itself was enough to avoid conflict, allowing the tribe to bunker down until the Slaver party was reported to have returned to the Guild fortress and headed north again.


    It was a defensive strategy only the Flowing Water tribe could accomplish, as they were the only ones, besides the slavers, who traded directly with the humans. They were the go-between for every other tribe, trading water for the tribes collective silk goods and accepting water from the Guild in trade in turn.


    It was pretty obvious that the Guild would want to maintain the status quo. Paying water for silk? It was basically like paying nothing at all. Similarly, I could only assume the local Guild manager and his toadies were trading water for the captured Variant slaves, then muddling some paperwork to claim reward payments for themselves.


    Well, the Guild and the Slavers were going to get a very rude awakening in the coming weeks, I would make sure of it.


    On the subject of her mixed parentage, Izsa had been genuinely surprised by my interest. Given monsters inspecies preferences, half breeds are normally quite rare. Flowing Water was an exception that was founded in necessity. On the verge of desolation after feuding with a now extinct Mountain Orc tribe, Flowing Water¡¯s ancestors were taken in by a Serpent-Kin tribe that used to live on the old riverways. Politics was the primary motivator for the first generation of hybrids. The young and unbonded were paired together to stave off internal division, and in time they had children which would be bonded to others and so on.


    So far as Izsa understood it, relying heavily on anecdotal evidence she had been able to confirm with her own eyes, the higher evolved partner was the one whose traits would be dominant, while the other would be expressed to a much lesser degree. In terms of appearance, Izsa described herself dominant representation of Serpent-Kin with a lesser representation of Desert Orc. Which was another subject regarding inherited genetics. Children conceived in particular environments had a small chance of undergoing environmental evolution. For example, an Orc baby could become a Desert or Deep Orc depending on the environment of its conception. It was one of the primary reasons the surviving tribes were still around.


    While the drought had officially existed for close to three years, the water shortages had begun long before that. Without environmental evolutions in the up and coming generations, the collective strain of the drought would have wiped the tribes out long ago.


    Of course, one of the most interesting things about hybrid bloodlines was the alternate combinations of Racial Abilities and stats. As Izsa put it, bluntly, Orcs are as stupid as they are strong, while Serpent-Kin are as clever and agile as they are frail. Combining the two made something that was greater than the sum of its parts. The only downside was the element of randomness with which traits were chosen for dominance. Izsa¡¯s previous mate had been approximately two-thirds Serpent-kin, like her, but their daughter had been born very nearly their opposite.


    To my immense relief, so far as Izsa knew, there had been no known instances of hybrid eggs failing to hatch, assuming they were provided with enough manastones.


    With my immediate curiosity sated, I instructed Izsa to send her people to Osa in an orderly fashion so he could receive their oaths and invite them into the alliance. There were only around a hundred people in her tribe, so was going to withhold her promotion to Underlord until after the Settlement was founded and there were three ¡®free¡¯ Underlord positions to hand out. In the meantime, I was thinking of having Osa choose his first Underlord from amongst the warriors of Stone Well and Flowing Water. After all, the Leadership Classes were designed for combat, and Osa would need a capable second in command.


    Stopping by briefly to inform Osa of what had happened, and my expectations for him to choose and groom a second in command, I then headed to the weavery to see if they could make saddles for giant spiders¡­


    It took a great deal of persuading and no small amount of promises to convince the weavers to approach the tamed Sand Stalkers currently being held by the reclamation pits. Even then, they refused to approach without an armed escort, in spite of the fact that each spider¡¯s tamer was standing beside or sitting on top of their prospective mount.


    While the Sand Stalkers low endurance made them pretty piss poor mounts for long-distance travel or intense skirmishing, they were otherwise perfect for short distance ambushes and maneuvering through urban or rocky terrain. They could even be used for domestic production silk, which the Desert Orcs used for pretty much everything they could get away with. Feeding a large number might prove difficult, but seven or so would be quite manageable under the circumstances. Besides, their webs would be incredibly valuable in the fighting that was soon to come.


    Having overcome the worst of their fears, the weavers took measurements, of both riders and mounts, before retreating back to their weavery.


    Honestly, I couldn¡¯t blame them for being so frightened. The fact that these giant spiders had been assaulting and infiltrating their village for years, and killed who knows how many people...It was enough to give anyone a healthy fear of the things.


    As I understood it, the hunters had been forced to overcome their own fear as part of their job. If you couldn¡¯t fight back your fear and charge the spider, then it would charge you.


    Having something of an epiphany, I tasked two of the soon to be ¡®spider riders¡¯ to see if they could have the giant spiders weave a thick shade-cloth-like web bridging the wall and the closest buildings, covering the reclamation pits and the spiders¡¯ current home. If it worked, then the spiders would be kept cooler during the day and require fewer fluids to cool off. Digging them a burrow would probably be a better long term solution, but for now, this would be the best we could do.


    Somewhat ironically, I slept better than I had in days. I could only think of crediting the near-immediate presence of the giant car-sized spiders keeping my mind off other things. Walking outside to see whether the hunters had followed through with my instructions, I was somewhat saddened by how the shade-cloth web appeared to be in tatters.


    Strangely enough, the hunters were rather excited and quite happy in comparison.


    Moving in for a closer look, I could see that the spiders themselves were responsible for tearing apart the web. They were eating it, using their pedipalps to draw large chunks into their mouths. As for why, it quickly became obvious, and I felt stupid for not having thought of it sooner. The webs were covered in morning dew.


    The villagers had small scale dew catchers that they set out each night to collect small amounts of water to subsidise their reliance on the failing well and filtered wastewater. However, they had nothing on the scale the spiders had formed the previous evening, although there was admittedly little to show for it now.


    With the successful Beast Trainers having described their experiences with those still yet to prove themselves, it was decided to leave the former behind and give them a chance to practice riding their mounts with the surprisingly simple and effective saddles the weavers had worked on overnight. While there were not enough to go around, they could share and get some much-needed experience before tomorrow evening.


    In addition to the spider saddles, the weavers managed to make another pair of Razorbeak saddles, allowing two more hunters to get some practice as scouts for the main hunting party.


    Hoping to find more Razorbeaks, we loaded the wagon with the remaining taming supplies. I took the opportunity to borrow a robe and headscarf from the storehouse as well before we set off into the morning twilight. However, just as we were leaving, A Flowing Water warriors came running after us with important news.


    A large group of Slavers was headed southeast out of the Foothold, which meant we could avoid them, or potentially set a trap. Given the options, and that the Slavers were most likely hunting for one of the nomad tribes headed for Stone Well, it wasn¡¯t difficult to convince the hunting party that dealing with the potential threat was more important.


    Having so many experienced scouts roving around the main body of hunters provided an unfamiliar feeling of security to the otherwise dangerous landscape. However, seven hours into our hunt, with two tamed Sand Stalkers and the desiccated husk of a third to show for our efforts, one of the Stone Well scouts came racing back to the group with an obviously urgent report. She had spotted the Slavers and confirmed that they were still headed southeast.


    According to the scout¡¯s report, the Slavers had three large caged wagons covered in rough cloth, and a fourth open bed wagon with ten Mountain Orc Slavers in it. Even though the scout couldn¡¯t confirm it, it would be safe to assume that the cages probably had similar amounts of manpower inside them as well, bringing the enemies total force to about forty or so combatants.


    Not willing to give them anything resembling a fair fight, I tasked the scouts with locating a potential ambush site ahead of the Slavers. With Razorbeak mounts, the scouts quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving the rest of us to slog after them at a steady march.


    The scouts returned within a half-hour and began leading us to a rocky valley. It was already occupied by a pair of Sand Stalkers, but we managed to tame one of them and kill the other with enough time to better scout out the immediate surroundings.


    The valley looked like it could have once been a riverbed. The ground was littered with smooth rocks of all sizes and even a few small twigs that looked like petrified fish bones. The stone shelves on either side were most likely the result of the erosion boring and shaping the larger rocks in the path of the river. The curving path through the dead river provided a near-limitless number of potential ambush sites, both above and below, and I was going to use them to make this dead river the Slavers grave.


    *****


    Gronn hated the heat of the lowlands outside of their mountain home. If it weren¡¯t for Gargant¡¯s direct command to increase slave sales to the humans, Gronn would have taken his sweet time about leaving the mountain. But since Gronn liked his head remaining attached to his neck, he left the mountain fortress with his subordinates and their assigned soulless shock troops.


    Like the rest of the tribe, Gronn despised the soulless. He made a point of getting as many of them killed on his return trips to the mountain as he could get away with without compromising his own safety and Gargant¡¯s tribute. Gronn wasn¡¯t the only one either. It was a common secret that the Slaver teams would pit their soulless against one another for entertainment and wagers of their collected tribute.


    *Baroooo! Baroooooooo! Baroooo!*


    The horn call pulled Gronn from his musings and into a state of alert readiness, prey had been spotted.


    Scanning the horizon, Gronn followed the excited pointing of their trackers and spotted the telltale dust cloud and small humanoid figures in the distance. ¡°CHASE THEM!¡± Gronn roared, cracking his whip against the backs of his boars to spur them to greater speeds.


    *Crack, Snap, Snap, Crack*


    ¡°Chase them!¡± Echoed Gronn¡¯s subordinates.


    *Baroooo!*


    The tracker blew his horn again jumping onto the side of a passing wagon''s cage and then climbing to its top for a better view. ¡°Gronn! Whole hunting team!¡± The tracker called out excitedly, ¡°Flowing Water!¡± He jeered with contemptuous joy.


    Gronn grinned. Flowing Water was the weakest of the remaining tribes, snatching up their entire hunting team would be easy and the humans would pay just as much for them as the Fire Dancers or Crag Fists. Better still, the presence of the Flowing Water hunters meant that their main camp would be nearby. Once Gronn Enslaved the hunters, it would be all too easy to have them betray their camp''s location, allowing Gronn to capture even more slaves!


    ¡°Gah!¡± Gronn now regretted not bringing his entire team on this expedition. Another four or five wagons and he could have made off with the entire tribe! Gronn could always have the extras bound and pulled along behind the wagons, but past experience had taught him it was far more economical to just let the extras go and raid them again later. Slaves tied to the back of wagons tended to die or escape far too often to make it worth the risks.


    As the chase wore on, the Flowing River hunters began to slow. However, after spotting a rocky outcropping nearby, they temporarily regained speed and desperately sprinted for what they must have hoped would be their salvation.


    Gronn couldn¡¯t help but laugh. After chasing them for the past twenty minutes, he knew for a fact that the Flowing River were more than likely on their last legs and that they would probably collapse the moment they found a cave to hide in. If anything, they were doing Gronn a favour right now. He just hoped there weren¡¯t any Stalkers too close by. Gronn would hate to lose out on such a plentiful bounty of tribute when he was so close to having it all.


    Drawing closer to the fleeing hunters with every passing second, Gronn pulled hard on the reins and brought his wagon to a stop. The path ahead was littered with rocks that could break his boar''s legs if he wasn¡¯t careful, or worse, the sled runners on the bottom of his wagon.


    Gronn¡¯s subordinates did the same and eagerly looked to him for orders.


    ¡°MEAT BAGS! OUT NOW!¡± Gronn roared, the command echoed seconds later by his subordinates.


    The lead tracker jumped off the wagon, drawing his horn and cudgel as he took up position by Gronn¡¯s side.


    The soulless poured out of the caged wagons and formed up in front of Gronn.


    ¡°FOLLOW TRACKER!¡± Gronn grabbed the tracker¡¯s shoulder and shook him for good measure. Soulless were incredibly stupid and often needed things explained in minute detail to avoid painfully obvious mistakes and misunderstandings. Sometimes it felt like they were misinterpreting orders on purpose just to piss him off. ¡°CAPTURE ENEMIES! OBEY TRACKER! FOLLOW TRACKER!¡± Gronn roared commandingly and then jerked his head at the tracker to signal he should get a move on.


    The tracker wasted no time in joining the chase, pumping his legs hard, blowing his horn as the small tide of soulless charged along behind him.


    As the minutes began to tick by, Gronn took shelter from the heat in the shade cast by his wagon.


    *BOOM!*


    A rolling thunderclap echoed down the rocky channel, causing a cloud of dirt and debris to pelt into Gronn¡¯s face, forcing him to cover his face with his arm.


    Lowering his arm again, Gronn tried to think of what could have happened. As best he could figure, there must have been a rockslide further down the pass.


    Seeing a cascade of black panels appearing in front of his eyes, but unable to read their contents, Gronn felt like his assessment had been correct. All he could do now was hope that the merchandise and his tracker had gotten off lightly.


    ¡°Jakel!¡± Gronn called out to his most junior subordinate. There was a pecking order to be observed when it came to danger work, and Gronn intended to send Jakel out to check on the tracker.


    When Jakel failed to reply, Gronn did his best to suppress his smile. Breaking in unruly subordinates was one of his favourite indulgences back on the mountain. Stalking over to Jakel¡¯s assigned wagon, Gronn was confused when he found no sign of him. ¡°Jakel?¡± Gronn called out again, ¡°Frag? Mukka?¡± he began dashing around the wagons now, frantically pulling aside the sheets to check the insides of the cages.


    Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to tingle, Gronn felt like someone, or something, was watching him. Throat suddenly dry, Gronn tightened his grip on the whip in his right hand and reached down with his left hand for the water skin on his hip. Pure chance revealed the slight shift in the shadows cast by the sheet of the wagon.


    Ducking and rolling on pure instinct, Gronn was forced to let go of his water skin as he rolled hard over the stone covered ground.


    Glancing back to where he had just been standing, Gronn came face to fangs with a Sand Stalker.


    Cursing his luck, Gronn pulled the horn from his waist and pressed it to his lips. Upon hearing it, all soulless under his command were required to return to his position immediately or slowly die.


    *Baroo-ttt*


    Something hard slammed Gronn in the back, driving the air from his lungs and slamming him to the ground.


    *Hiss*


    The telltale hiss of a second Sand Stalker from behind Gronn made it obvious what had knocked him down. Trying to pull himself out from beneath the Stalker¡¯s leg pinned in the small of his back, Gronn braced himself for the sharp pain of its fangs piercing his flesh.


    Only it didn¡¯t come. With the fleeting hope that the Stalkers were engaging in a territorial dispute, Gronn dared to look up and was surprised to see two Desert Orcs and a human staring down at him.


    ¡°You have a choice,¡± The human explained casually, her southern dialect understandable but grating on Gronn¡¯s ears, ¡°You surrender, let go of your weapons, get tied up and come with us peacefully, or these two boys beat the shit out of you, inject some Stalker venom into your system to make it really hurt, then we take you anyway.¡± The human knelt down next to him and gave Gronn an expectant look, ¡°So? What¡¯s it going to be?¡±


    Gronn scowled and considered how he could best play for time. ¡°Gargant kill you,¡± he growled threateningly, knowing the fearsome reputation of his chieftain gave even the humans inside the fortress cause for fear.


    The woman shook her head and laughed, ¡°Hard way it is,¡± She stood up and turned her back on him, ¡°Just remember, we want him alive. So if you are going to cut something off, make damn sure to cut off the blood supply first.¡±


    Gronn felt his insides turn to water. This human was crazy! Only the insane wouldn¡¯t fear Gargant!


    The pair of Desert Orcs grinned maliciously as one brought out silk rope and the other drew a pair of Stalker knives.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Gronn breathed in horror. What had he ever done to deserve such a fate as this?!

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 28 – Bonds in blood – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 28 ¨C Bonds in blood ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 28 - Bonds in blood - Part Two


    Hauling the Slavers corpses to the wagons proved quite the exercise in the intense heat of the midday sun. All the same, morale was high. The hunters of Stone Well were happy about striking another blow against the Slavers. Flowing Water¡¯s hunters were ecstatic about earning two Razorbeaks for serving as bait for the ambush.


    All told, it was a fair trade. Flowing Water still had no interest in the boars, which meant that Stone Well just gained another sixteen boars as well as the wagons they were pulling. The boars were large enough to serve as mounts, so once we brought them back to Stone Well it would mean another visit to the weary would be in order. While they were less water-efficient than the Stalkers and Razorbeaks, we had far more of them, and it would be incredibly stupid not to take advantage of it. Worst-case scenario, I planned on releasing them en masse to tear enemies to pieces. Boars were savage animals on Earth, so I had no doubts as to the carnage they could inflict if given half the chance.


    Besides, the boars could gain the water efficiency by being grouped with the Stalkers, Razorbeaks, or even the hunters themselves. It was basically a non-issue. I mean, sure, they were slower, but they were far stronger in terms of endurance and carry weight. I was seriously considering power feeding one at the first opportunity so I could have a mount of my own.


    Kestrel was keeping guard over the four Variant Slavers she had managed to capture with the assistance of the two Beast Trainer¡¯s and their recently acquired Sand Stalkers.


    The Slavers were heavily bound in webbing, leaving only their pale faces exposed. Stalker venom apparently had a strong paralytic effect on the nervous system, putting the Slavers in a waking coma-like state where they were aware of events around them but unable to react to them.


    Judging by the bloodstains, and pile of meat that included a few fingers and toes, one of the Slavers must have put up a fight.


    ¡°He chose the hard way,¡± Kestrel shrugged and kicked a piece of meat to her Swiftstrider. Judging by the crimson spatter on the bird''s beak, it wasn¡¯t the first treat it had eaten recently.


    ¡°Otherwise, no problems?¡± I asked, looking over the Sand Stalkers for signs of fresh injuries.


    ¡°None,¡± Kestrel replied happily. ¡°This is a good haul,¡± she pointed out cheerily, ¡°I took a look at how the cages are put together, and it looks like we should be able to take them apart and reinforce the civilian boltholes, keep the bigger monsters from being able to get inside without a real fight.¡±


    Taking a look at the construction of the cages, I was of the mind to agree. The flat iron crossbar walls and ceiling were each connected by bolted beams of wood on the inner ceiling and the wagon bed below. Even without a forge and tools, the crossbars could be strapped over the most suitable buildings with thick silk rope to serve as added protection. Even if a monster knew to cut or bite through the ropes, it would still take time and allow defenders the chance to intervene.


    With all the bodies loaded, we began our slow march back to Stone Well. By the time we make it back, we will have stayed out far longer than I initially intended, but the rewards were totally worth it. With close to fifty chunky Mountain Orc bodies to reclaim water from, or feed the boars, and all their equipment, sixteen boars, two more Sand Stalkers, and four Slaver prisoners, things were looking up.


    It was evening by the time we made it back to Stone Well. A scout on a Razorbeak had been sent ahead to let the villagers know we would be arriving late, so we received quite the reception when we eventually arrived at the gates.


    Far from congratulatory, it seemed like the mob had come out to exact ¡®justice¡¯ on our prisoners. Unwilling to forfeit the information contained inside their heads, I was forced to call out Osa to impose something somewhat equating to martial law.


    Stashing the prisoners away under watch by those who could be most trusted, which was basically the girls and myself, Mors was brought in to perform the interrogation itself. While telepathy in and of itself didn¡¯t grant him mind-reading per se, through sleep deprivation and leading questions, the Daemons could extract a great deal of information just through ¡®conversation¡¯. While I was not in favour of torture as a general principle, there were people I felt deserved it, or at least who I could justify it happening to. Unfortunately for the Slavers, they were on that list.


    Leaving the Daemon to his work, I visited the weavers, who were not at all surprised by my unannounced arrival.


    ¡°Boar saddle?¡± The head weaver asked with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Boar saddle,¡± I confirmed with a grin.


    Tutting to herself, the head weaver looked over the boar I had brought for the weavers to take measurements.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you all dislike them so much,¡± I commented goadingly, ¡°They have impressive stats and a Good racial ability for combat.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± The head weaver asked somewhat sceptically.


    ¡°Really,¡± I agreed, ¡°Savage Ferocity prevents you from falling unconscious from blood loss and trauma, and increases how hard you hit while in that state,¡± I paraphrased. The ability actually stated that it keeps you conscious while in negative HP and increases your damage while in negative HP too. The exact sort of Ability you would expect a pony-sized boar to have.


    The weavery went quiet for all of a second and then exploded into a dozen different conversations competing with one another.


    ¡°Drink much water,¡± The head weaver complained warily, eyeing me expectantly.


    ¡°Depends,¡± I countered with a grin, ¡°Group Synergy from Desert Orcs, like yourself, or from Stalkers, or Razorbeaks, means they don¡¯t need nearly as much water,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Group...Synergy?¡± The head weaver asked, her wrinkled face contorted in confusion.


    I spent the next two hours explaining how Group Synergy worked, and how the beasts brought into the village made Stone Well so much stronger than it had been before our arrival. Explaining the ins and outs of the Desert Orcs own Racial Abilities and those of my own group were what had taken up most of the two hours. However, once I was finished I was confident that the weavers would see to it that the entire village understood the intricate ins and outs before midday tomorrow.


    Just like that, the perceived value of the boars had skyrocketed. I promised the weavers ten boars in exchange for pulling an allnighter and getting as many saddles for the Razorbeaks, Stalkers and Boars completed before midday tomorrow.


    The idea was to have as many warriors practising mounted combat from dawn till late afternoon tomorrow in preparation for the Ward going down in the evening. Even if they weren¡¯t the most proficient riders, being familiar with their mounts capabilities and being able to fight alongside it on foot would have a significant effect on the overall outcome of the night.


    Since we weren¡¯t personally responsible for the battle plans, all Clarice and I had to do was invite the warriors and hunters into our retinues that Osa requested. My retinue was now packed full of level 0 Spearman, Swordsman, and curiously, Slingers. I made a mental note to reward whoever managed to figure out what was needed for that one.


    Watching the slingers practice in the evening twilight, I was damned impressed with the arm on them. The slingers were practising by pelting stones at piles of rocks set at varying distances from the wall. That wasn¡¯t the only form of practice they were participating in either. Alongside the Spearmen and Swordsmen, small groups were each dressed in different colours and patrolling through webbed off sections of the village. Being hit removed a team member from the wargame and had them sent to the chief Uday¡¯s former residence, which was now turned into a hospital and emergency shelter.


    Nadine and the other Surgeons were busy teaching new students and helping them unlock the Surgeon Class at a minimum so they could serve as combat medics. The wargames were providing no shortage of minor injuries for them to tend to, which was actually rather brilliant on Osa¡¯s part if it was deliberate.


    Thankfully, the spider silk clothing made the combatants fairly resistant to piercing and slashing attacks. Although it did little to cushion against the pelting attacks of the Slingers.


    Having the weavers make padded gambesons for the warriors would take time. However, there were some creative botch jobs that had been made by cutting holes in smaller rugs for a neck hole, which were then cinched tight around the waist to provide odd-looking, but otherwise effective armour. There was no creative solution for helmets yet, but I was kind of assuming at this point that someone would do something with spider chitin or something.


    Wanting to be as well-rested as possible before the Ward fails, I made a point of staying up as long as I could manage. I kept myself busy by watching the preparations being made by the villagers. Assuming things went well, their lives would change for the better very soon, and I would be one step closer to making Sanctuary that much safer.


    Waking up in the late afternoon, there was a palpable tension of expectation in the air. Kestrel and Mors had spent the night retrieving what information they could from our prisoners, and it was time the mob had its pound of flesh.


    The Slavers were hung from the olive tree under careful watch by Stone Well warriors. Rather than hanging them by the neck, which I had expected, ropes were instead fastened around their ankles, leaving them hanging upside down.


    The most senior warrior stepped into the crowd and offered an elderly woman what looked like an incredibly thin foot-long spike.


    The elderly woman accepted it and determinedly stalked towards the four Slavers. Without hesitation, she drove the spike hard into the lead Slaver¡¯s abdomen and just as quickly withdrew the spike again.


    Gasping in pain, the Slaver couldn¡¯t see the blood welling from the wound and running down his torso.


    The elderly woman handed the spike to another person in the crowd and the attack was repeated. Over and over again, the spike would be handed off to another person, who would then drive it into one of the Slavers bodies before handing it off to someone else.


    As best I could rationalise it, this was the only way they could fairly divide their individual needs for personal vengeance. On a primal level, I understood their desire for revenge, but it was still difficult to accept it considering how badly it conflicted with my more modern sensibilities that had survived thus far. Of course, I knew I would be thinking very differently if someone had done something to someone I cared about.


    The execution lasted just over an hour, and then Slavers bodies were taken down and dragged to the reclamation pits. As a final offence to their memory, the bodies were fed to the Beasts rather than have their water reclaimed and their bodies left intact in the pit.


    The warriors were all given extra rations for their midday meal and provided parcelled rations to eat after the first wave and before the midnight respawn.


    Scouts had spent most of the day luring what Stalkers they could from the immediate surroundings of the village, a couple of Stalkers had been captured, but the rest had to be put down. With evening quickly approaching, there would be no further opportunities for prematurely culling the wave.


    Standing beside Osa atop the tallest vantage in the village, the decision for when I would issue the conquest quest would be his.


    The combined forces of both tribes warriors and hunters totalled roughly a hundred and fifty or so combatants, with another twenty volunteers serving as emergency combat medics. The profound lack of quality weapons to go around had resulted in just about everyone carrying a sling in addition to their primary weapon. Given the prolific availability of ammunition, it didn¡¯t matter so much if they were a good shot or not. Just contributing to a concentrated barrage or volley would be enough.


    Stalker carapaces were thick, but a well placed or lucky shot could blind or otherwise impair a Stalker long before it had the chance to retaliate.


    Feeling the Ward fall, I looked expectantly at Osa.


    Osa nodded determinedly, ¡°I am ready, Overlord!¡±


    ¡°Then claim this land in my name!¡± I proclaimed loudly, knowing that just about every eye in the village was upon us and wanting to ham it up a bit.


    ¡°I accept this honour!¡± Osa replied.


    [Insufficient resistance detected.]


    [Assigning {Nemesis} commander to {???} forces.]


    [Nemesis: {Harut ¡®The Nightwalker¡¯} has been given direct command over {???} forces.]


    In addition to the previous quest Status Alerts I had expected, three more I had not seen before appeared in rapid succession.


    ¡°Overlord?¡± Osa asked worriedly. He had evidently seen the additional text but didn¡¯t understand what it meant.


    ¡°The Labyrinth just spawned an enemy commander,¡± I paraphrased, ¡°Apparently that¡¯s something that can happen if there aren¡¯t enough enemies around.¡± Considering how new all of this was, I was actually disappointed that things hadn¡¯t been allowed to go so smoothly.


    Scanning beyond the walls, I looked for a sign of the enemy commander. Part of me was afraid it would be another Awakened, but for whatever reason, It didn¡¯t quite feel right.


    Minutes began to pass by while Osa made rounds and inspected Stone Well¡¯s defences.


    After a half-hour of waiting, the attack began as we had expected it to. Small dust clouds appeared in the distance and began slowly approaching Stone Well.


    Just as we had originally expected, Sand Stalkers began racing towards the walls in an attempt to attack the well at the centre of the village.


    As we had hoped, the concentrated fire from the slingers took a heavy toll on the giant spiders, drastically reducing their movement and even incapacitating a few with lucky strikes.


    With all of the mounted warriors and hunters still in reserve, things were looking up. The spiders were arriving in too much of a piecemeal and haphazard fashion to tire out any individual group of defenders.


    All the same, I kept a wary eye on the open plains of cracked dirt. I had no idea how strong this enemy commander was, or what they were capable of.


    Without meaning to, I found myself looking northward and into the rocky terrain beyond the village. A lone figure was standing atop a pile of stones, their black body nearly invisible in the evening gloom.


    Perhaps realising they had been seen, the figure stood up and revealed itself fully in the moonlight.


    Similar to the Gnolls, the stranger looked like a hybrid cross between a jackal and a man rather than that of a hyena. Dressed in an armoured kilt reinforced with what might be bronze or gold, he had thick vambraces and a heavy torque that covered most of his chest. Stalking along the rocky ridge, the stranger revealed a large hooked blade in each hand. There were two things I was now certain of, first, that this monster was definitely the enemy commander Harut, and second, that he would not have looked at all out of place in a movie featuring Egyptian mythology. The look was slightly off, but it was still strikingly similar to what I could recall from mainstream cinema and displays at the museum.


    ¡°****! **** ** ** *****! ****** ***** ***** *** *** ***** ** *** *******!¡± The snarling bark of Harut''s voice reverberated through the village, no doubt magically amplified in some way. However, that was of far less concern than the dense dust cloud beginning to surround Stone Well.


    Stalkers caught in the dust storm disappeared within seconds, leaving no sign of their passing or of their presence at all.


    I could see small traces of mana in the storm begin to coagulate into familiar humanoid shapes. One by one, black-skinned jackal-men stepped out from the howling dust storm, hooked blades, crescent axes, spears and even bows clutched tight in their clawed hands.


    The newly arrived jackal-men did not rush the wall, instead, they began forming themselves into small squads and then larger platoons, each of which was led by the largest of their kind.


    Even after forming into platoons and encircling Stone Well, the Jackal-men still refused to draw closer. Whether it was because they knew the effective range of the Slingers, or because of some other tactical design, it was impossible to say.


    The dark stranger, Harut, was standing still again, both arms crossed to display the hooks of the curved blades like mirrored crescent moons on his shoulders.


    <You-command-here?> The voice was quiet and controlled, cold.


    Despite the distance between us, I could swear I saw Harut¡¯s eyes flicker with dark mana.


    <I do.> I confirmed, using all my practice with the Daemons to exert a powerful and confident presence in the telepathic link.


    <Good.> Harut raised and then lowered his right blade in the direction of Stone Well.


    As one, the largest of the Jackal-men released savage war cries and led their less kin in a charge against the walls.


    <Why are you doing this?!> I demanded, snatching hold of the telepathic link and refusing to let go. This was my best chance to get some answers and I wasn¡¯t going to let it go so easily. Besides, there was every possibility that forcing the enemy commander to maintain the link would disrupt his troops and give us an advantage.


    <Will-not.> The cold voice warmed somewhat, sounding almost amused. <Creator-wills. Harut-obeys.> There was an unmistakable bitterness in the tone that verged on anger but didn¡¯t quite commit.


    <Creator? Do you mean the Labyrinth?> I asked hurriedly, hoping to keep him talking as long as possible.


    <Is-one-name-of-many.> The voice replied in the same tone, <Liberator-named-them-our-Keepers.> A profound sense of loss spilled over the connection, along with images of a different place. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a large town built on what looked like a sprawling savannah. The streets were filled with jackal-men of all shapes and sizes, men, women and children, bakers, farmers, soldiers...The image changed and showed the blackened streets littered with burned corpses.


    <What...What was that place?> I asked numbly, so shocked by what I had seen that I almost lost the connection.


    The presence on the other side seemed genuinely surprised. <Home.> The single word carried immense grief and bitterness. <Liberator-guided-us. Built-much. All-gone. All-ash.> The voice had become cold again and I could feel the connection beginning to unravel.


    <Your Liberator, who were they?> I asked hurriedly.


    There was a brief flicker of a crude carving of a man''s face quickly replaced by that of a jackal-man. <He-found-us. Freed-us. Doomed-us.> There was no anger or judgment in those words, only intense regret.


    The connection suddenly severed before I could try and ask another question.


    From my vantage point, I could see the slingers exacting a heavy toll on the jackal-men. However, two things gave me cause for concern. First, The jackal-men did not provide Status Alerts for being killed, or Exp. Second, they seemed to disintegrate into dark coloured sand on their apparent ¡®death¡¯, suggesting they were mostly or perhaps even entirely made of mana, which meant they could just as easily be replaced.


    True enough, while our warriors seemed to have no problems fending the jackal-men off the walls, the same was not true for the village gate, and a second wave of jackal-men were already in the process of stalking out of the dust cloud.


    Attempting to project my thoughts was like screaming into the wind, and I had no telling whether they would even reach their target. <Why are you doing this?> I demanded, wanting some form of explanation beyond, ¡°The Labyrinth made me do it.¡±


    <...> The familiar presence made itself known, but made no form of reply.


    <Why are you doing this?> I repeated, <Is this what your Liberator would want? More death and destruction?> I tried recreating the image of the burned bodies scattered in the open streets but had middling success at best.


    <!!!> An overwhelming outpouring of rage surged through the connection. <You-dare?!>


    I pushed back in an image of my own home, the people I had fought to protect, <I DARE!>


    I felt the presence falter, its rage turning to confusion.


    <Leave the minions out of it!> I challenged, <Fight me!>


    The confusion ebbed and was replaced by resolve. A ripple passed through the ranks of the jackal-men, causing them to grow still.


    The defenders had no idea what was going on, so they continued taking as many out as they could.


    <Accept-challenge!> A fierce wave of determination passed through the link before being severed.


    Knowing I was going to need a real edge in this fight, I briefly considered summoning my magical spear. But after weighing the pros and cons of the mana cost, I was forced to play it safe.


    From what I had seen thus far, Harut had to be a Summoner or other type of spellcaster, and probably a high level one too. However, from what I understood of the Class progression mechanics I had seen thus far, spellcasters in particular suffered from low physical stat progression. So assuming I could goad Harut into melee combat, I would be the one with a definitive advantage. Even if I couldn¡¯t, his mana pool had to be limited, and there was no telling how much he had already spent on summoning his soldiers like that.


    Concentrating on an image of Shiverfang in my mind, I channelled my mana to my right and waited. One moment my hand was empty, the next it was holding the cool shaft of the magical spear. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it had depleted nearly my entire mana supply, it would have been a neat trick to pull in the middle of combat.


    As I began making my way towards the gate, both Kestrel and Clarice attempted to intercept me, but a quick glare directed to each of their mounts saw me making headway again.


    ¡°Tim, you¡¯re not seriously going to go out there?!¡± Clarice demanded incredulously.


    ¡°I am,¡± I replied coolly.


    ¡°WHY?!¡± Clarice demanded exasperatedly, ¡°This is a job for a Shaman, not for you! It won¡¯t matter how many you cut down if they just keep coming back!¡±


    ¡°I am not going to fight the summons,¡± I corrected her, ¡°I am going to fight the Commander that is summoning them.¡±


    That gave Clarice pause for a moment. ¡°You''re serious?¡± She asked sceptically, ¡°Why would they come out and fight you? They obviously have the upper hand here. The gate was just one more push away from being turned to kindling!¡±


    ¡°I issued a challenge, like on the first floor,¡± I answered evasively. While technically true, I didn¡¯t think there was anything binding Harut to fight me honourably, just his pride.


    ¡°What will stop them from using summons during your challenge?¡± Kestrel asked worriedly, obviously out of her depth and flustered by my apparent calm.


    ¡°A finite supply of mana?¡± I shrugged and tried to play it off like it didn¡¯t matter. It actually wouldn¡¯t be much of an advantage for Harut if he did. Shiverfang could carve through flesh like a white-hot knife through butter. The main cause for concern I felt right now, was the distinct possibility that Harut¡¯s curved swords had a similar property.


    Clarice seemed to recognise the spear and grew more conflicted, ¡°You sure you can do this? We could just get everyone mounted up and gank the hell out of them!¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t think that would work. Did you see what happened to the Sand Stalkers when the Commander first arrived? That dust storm shredded them to nothing, or did something to make them disappear outright.¡±


    ¡°And it won¡¯t do that to you, because?¡± Clarice asked irritably.


    I didn¡¯t have an answer for that beyond a general gut feeling, which I decided was best to keep to myself. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t think he can,¡± I lied confidently, ¡°I think the spell is designed to wipe out lots of weaker enemies, not...an Ogre¡­¡±


    Both women seemed mostly unco convinced but also realised that if they wanted to stop me, they would need to do it by force.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting Nadine,¡± Clarice scowled, ¡°Y¡¯know, ¡®just in case¡¯¡± As she turned Dhizi away, I could see Clarice looked profoundly upset, angry and afraid in nearly equal measure.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Kestrel asked seriously, ¡°Why risk everything?¡±


    It was a good question, and one I wasn''t sure I could answer to any real degree that would truly satisfy either of us. I already had Sanctuary and Lash waiting for me. But in order to keep them safe, I needed to be stronger, and I couldn''t do that by letting others constantly fight battles for me. If I was being truly honest with myself, there was a part of me that revelled in the violence, a beast finally let loose of its chains and set free to indulge its primal instincts. Reflecting on who I had been only two months ago, I could barely recognise myself anymore. I have changed, and continue to change, but whether it is for the better or worse? I don¡¯t know.


    In my communications with Harut, I had managed to make a primal estimation of our relative strength, and found I was still the greater of us both in spite of his more overt demonstrations of ability. The Labyrinth had intervened as a means of making the deck less one-sided, but by no means even or ¡®fair¡¯. If I was understanding its motivations, the Labyrinth desired ¡®struggle and hardship¡¯ in order to promote growth and development.


    With that understanding, Harut was intended as an obstacle, but by no means an impassable one. Unlike The Destroyer, a psychotic Earthling hellbent on destruction for fulfilling some perverse personal desire, Harut was effectively being coerced, controlled in some way to guarantee our conflict. That I had been able to reason with him at all was beyond my expectations.


    ¡°I need to get stronger,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°It¡¯s the only way to guarantee that what I am building will persevere.¡±


    Kestrel looked like she wanted to argue, but we had already reached the gate.


    Just as they had described, the barricades more closely resembled haphazardly cut firewood at this point rather than a defensive bulwark.


    All the same, in order to maintain what structural integrity remained, I climbed up and over the wall instead, much to the shock of the nearby defenders.


    <Your-delay-will-not-aid-you.> There was a profound sense of weariness and suspicion revealed through the connection.


    <It wasn¡¯t deliberate.> I countered, sending glimpses of my interactions with Kestrel and Clarice back at Harut in rebuke.


    Confusion and suspicion intensified. <You-have-a-Vanguard-Beast, yet-you-still-come-alone?>


    <Dhizi? I won¡¯t risk her, not for something like this. Losing her would crush Clarice.> I replied while continuing my advance towards the rocks.


    <You-reduced-a-Vanguard-Beast-to-the-status-of-a-pet?!> The sheer degree of condescension was borderline sickening.


    <Where I am from, where your Liberator is from, pets are considered family.> I rebuked firmly while wondering if maybe Harut¡¯s old master just hadn¡¯t been all that keen on pets. Some people were like that.


    Fleeting images of a jackal-man lovingly tending to what looked like a pair of roided out giant hyenas tethered to a war chariot were accompanied by a new sense of understanding. <He-mourned-their-passing.> Harut observed, <So-many-dead. Still-he-mourned-them.>


    Harut gracefully began marching down from his rocky vantage point, arms crossed and sickle swords held out to either side as if he was part of an ancient ritual, which I suppose we probably were. Harut came to a halt roughly twenty feet away and then unfolded his arms, pointing one sickle-sword towards the sky and the second towards the ground.


    Taking a firm grip on Shiverfang, I was somewhat glad that Harut wasn¡¯t wearing any armour. With almost no mana left, I would not be able to activate Shiverfang¡¯s armour sundering ability.


    ¡°You have an artefact?¡± Harut barked, his speech similar to the Gnolls yet different enough that I almost hadn¡¯t understood what he said.


    ¡°I do,¡± I admitted, seeing nothing to gain by lying.


    Harut nodded and squinted appraisingly at the spear, ¡°Wyrmbane?¡± He muttered incredulously and began to laugh bitterly. ¡°My people destroyed on the rumour of possessing such a weapon, while you wield it openly. Our Jailors truly love irony!¡± Harut snarled angrily.


    Sensing an attack was imminent, I raised my spear and prepared to make a quick swipe at his legs.


    Instead of attacking immediately, Harut began circling me like a predator, his sickle-blades now both held at the ready and prepared to strike.


    Knowing he had superior maneuverability, I attempted a feint towards Harut¡¯s legs.


    *Tang*


    Using one of his sickle swords to ¡®guide¡¯ and accelerate his own defensive dodge, Harut easily avoided the attack.


    Even though the feint ultimately failed, it did make clear that while I was strong enough to bat Harut around, he was also skilled enough to use my own strength to his advantage.


    Trying a thrust, I wasn¡¯t surprised when Harut used his swords to guide the attack away from himself and nimbly dodge away just like before.


    Apparently dissatisfied by my efforts thus far, Harut shifted onto the offensive. With practised ease, his two swords blurred into motion as Harut leapt forward and to my right.


    Even though I expected the blow to be parried like the others, I reversed my grip and swung the butt end of the spear towards his legs.


    Rather than parry the blow, Harut leapt over it and scythed his right blade across my chest before quickly leaping away.


    Looking down at my chest, I was surprised to see no signs of damage beyond the borrowed robe now having a horizontal slash in it. It had only been a glancing blow, feeling more like Harut had literally dragged the blade over my chest rather than make an attempt at actually dealing meaningful damage. Then again, considering what I knew of Gnoll Racial Abilities, Harut was actually at a severe disadvantage. Provided I didn¡¯t give him free momentum to work with, I was beginning to doubt whether he could deliver a strong enough blow to penetrate my thick hide.


    Harut looked reasonably muscular, but it was more of a low body fat physique. While it left him very light on his rear jointed legs and wide padded feet, just in terms of relative mass, Harut seemed very much like a featherweight boxer going up against the national sumo wrestling champion.


    To make things worse, I had five different sets of Racial Abilities amplifying my attack or defence in one meaningful way or another. Harut only had his own.


    Perhaps reading my mind, Harut released a low growl, ¡°******** **** *****!¡± The words sounded similar to middle-eastern languages I had heard on the news, but it was also somehow entirely different at the same time. A dark crimson crescent of mana formed along the striking edge of each blade, adding a new and immediate danger to the fight.


    Without warning, Harut swung both blades in a downward arc, sending the crimson crescents of mana howling through the air in my direction.


    With so little space between us, I didn¡¯t have time to dodge both attacks. Awkwardly turning side-on, I used the motion to try and slap the second mana crescent aside with Shiverfang.


    To both Harut¡¯s surprise, and my own, it worked. The crimson crescent was knocked off course and continued for another ten feet before fading and then disappearing altogether.


    Snarling in anger, Harut returned to the offensive, releasing multiple crescents in rapid succession, his swords remaining in a constant blur of motion as he steadily closed the ground between us.


    Still unsure whether the mana based attack could hurt me, I was in no hurry to find out and tried to stay calm while slowly backing away and circling Harut, batting away his attacks that would otherwise still hit me.


    Too late, I realised that I had made a mistake.


    Harut had deliberately maneuvered me into rough terrain. Given how I was struggling to defend effectively on relatively flat ground, it was obvious that things were going to get much more difficult.


    Nearly tripping as I tried to evade another pair of attacks, I felt a sharp sting on my left arm and could see a dark patch slowly spreading through the robe. With the confirmation that he could in fact hurt me, I was surprised by how indifferent I felt about it. A quick glance at my HP told me why. I had taken only one point of damage. Whatever Harut¡¯s Ability was, it obviously didn¡¯t ignore Toughness like Shiverfang, meaning it had to go through all of my accumulated defences first.


    Feeling a fresh surge in confidence, I decided to take the fight to Harut instead.


    Weathering three of his attacks in order to quickly close the distance between us, I managed to deliver a glancing blow to his right thigh.


    To my surprise, black and grey sand began slowly spilling from the wound.


    Similarly, Harut stared down at the wound and seemed confused. Gathering crimson mana around the wound, he managed to slow the passage of sand, but not stop it entirely.


    Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, I stuffed a handful of dried roasted meat rations into my mouth and gulped it all down without hardly chewing it at all. If Harut was going to try and heal himself mid-battle, then it was only fair I do the same.


    With that exchange of blows, the tempo of our fight changed as Harut was driven onto the defensive and I took up the offensive with renewed confidence.


    Focusing on keeping the head of my spear as far away from himself as possible, Harut became increasingly more predictable.


    *Ting, Tang, Clang, Whump*


    A flurry of frenzied exchanges brought me close enough that I was able to risk attempting a left-handed straight and caught Harut in the side of the head.


    Stunned, Harut staggered backwards and tried to raise his blades in a defensive stance.


    *Crunch, Shink*


    Accepting a weak blow from his left blade, I took a firm hold of Harut¡¯s right arm with my left hand and squeezed hard. I felt the humerus in his right arm snap as I drove Shiverfang into his undefended midsection, half the pole passed through his back before I threw him back and off my spear.


    Tumbling over the rocky ground, Harut lost his right blade as his arm twisted in a direction it shouldn¡¯t have been able to. With his concentration thoroughly broken, sand was pouring out of the wound on his thigh again, as well as around the bone protruding from his right arm and the hole driven in his midsection.


    Struggling to try and regain his feet, Harut did not seem to be in pain. Instead, he seemed profoundly frustrated. ¡°****!!!¡± Even though I didn''t understand the language, I recognised a curse when I heard one. ¡°How?!¡± Harut demanded angrily, ¡°How did you defeat me so effortlessly?! You have less skill with that spear than a child! Yet still you beat me?! I am, Harut, Slayer of Tyrants, The Night Walker, Master of the Forbidden Army! Somehow you defeated me?!¡± He snarled, his anger giving way to despair. ¡°It is The Doom all over again! The Jailors pitting the strong against the weak for their own petty amusement!¡± Seemingly on the verge of death, Harut glared at me hatefully, ¡°How?!¡± He barked with the last of his strength.


    ¡°Because I was never alone,¡± I pointed back to the village, ¡°I fought you with the strengths of five different species, while you only fought with one.¡± I didn¡¯t mean to be cruel, but I also felt like it needed to be said all the same, ¡°The Doom of your people. Did you ever wonder if perhaps it would have turned out differently if you had brought more people under your banner? Shared with them your prosperity and protection?¡± I sighed and shook my head. I was beginning to sound like an eighties Saturday morning cartoon. ¡°I was stronger than you from the start. But you were right, I don¡¯t have nearly the same degree of combat experience or training you do. But in the end, the only thing that mattered was the fact that you could only deal one damage per hit against me, and I took you down with three.¡±


    Harut slumped in defeat, making no moves to stop the dark sand from flowing out of his body. With each passing moment, Harut¡¯s body continued to wither until it was little more than a desiccated corpse. Then, after a few moments, the withered remains crumbled to dust.


    During Harut¡¯s passing, the jackal-men and sandstorm had disappeared. All that remained was Harut¡¯s equipment, which I assumed was intended as part of a consolation prize for the additional challenge.


    A blinding flash of golden light from the village caused me to blink and miss Harut¡¯s death notification. Somehow that made the victory feel more hollow.


    Ignoring the blood drying into my robe, I collected Harut''s equipment and began walking back towards the village. There had been no notifications of the Settlement being founded, and midnight would still be a couple of hours away. So as much as I wanted to sit in a dark corner and brood over the things Harut had told me, there was work that needed doing and now every reason not to let time go to waste.


    *****


    Securely bound and manacled to a robust chair, which was in turn bolted to the thick stone floor, Jacque listlessly stared at her captors through swollen eyelids. They had stripped her of all clothing and been incredibly thorough in ensuring Jacque had no hidden weapons or other items on her person. Already outed as a shapeshifter, Jacque had made a point of making the process as uncomfortable for her captors as possible, emulating the appearance of the one observing the frisking and moaning suggestively. Of course, that had only made her subsequent treatment that much worse, but Jacque had standards and a reputation to uphold.


    The only problem was that her captors were not so easily rattled. Which in and of itself was rather telling. Guards watching over prisoners who were being interrogated for information, were very different to those watching over prisoners condemned to death. Jacque had learned the difference a long time ago and could differentiate them with a glance. But there was more to it this time.


    Humans were always afraid when they discovered her true identity, always. It didn¡¯t matter if she was impersonating a busty buxom madame or a frail limbed street urchin, the fear was always there.


    These guards were not afraid of Jacque in the slightest, which was quite a feat considering her handlers of close to a decade were still afraid of her.


    Skimming their surface thoughts for answers hadn¡¯t worked well either. Upon capturing Jacque, the first thing they did was buckle an expensive Slave Collar around her neck and begin rattling off commands. Commands such as, no shapeshifting and no mind-reading. Both of which she had frequently broken at the cost of intense pain. The fact that they had captured and killed her yet, gave Jacque a general idea of what she was in for. They wanted her to work for them, most likely to do an incredibly dangerous, stupid, ill moraled job they knew just about any human would refuse. With precious few exceptions, Jacque had lost her faith in humanity long ago.


    More or less as Jacque had expected, a weasley looking man in painfully plain clothes and who seemed to be in his late seventies was escorted into the room and another pair of guards, one of whom was carrying a chair.


    The guard carrying the chair set it down five feet away from Jacque and then took a step back while the second guard took up a position behind her.


    With both guards in place, the elderly man tottered over to the bare chair and sat himself down with a relieved grunt. Taking a moment to slick back his wispy white hair, the elderly man, who was definitely not a spymaster, gave Jacque a piercing and appraising look. ¡°Why?¡± The old man asked simply.


    Jacque did her best to meet the old man¡¯s gaze, although it was difficult because of the swelling around her eyes. <Why what?>


    Her attempt at unsettling the old man by using her telepathy failed. The elderly man leaned forward slightly and crossed his knobbly hands in his lap. ¡°We have been able to confirm that you had replaced Miss Donna for the better part of three and a half days,¡± the old man explained, ¡°During which time four separate poisoning attempts were thwarted through divine grace and infernal luck.¡±


    Jacque remained silent.


    The old man continued to smile, ¡°Similarly, an assassin was intercepted and later caught outside of the royal apartments thanks in no small part due to a junior squire''s report of seeing someone scaling the interior castle walls.¡± The Elderly man released a short sigh and leaned forward expectantly, ¡°So I will ask again, why?¡±


    Jacque considered remaining silent, but saw little reason to continue doing so. Enduring the pain, she formed a mouth to make the reply aloud, ¡°I don¡¯t kill kids!¡± Jacque croaked accusingly.


    For the briefest moment, the elderly man¡¯s eyes betrayed a hint of guilt before the facade was hastily restored. ¡°And yet all evidence suggests that is exactly why you infiltrated the Crowned Prince¡¯s chambers,¡± he retorted. ¡°By taking the place of the royal maid, you became an indispensable agent to facilitate the assassination attempts on the Crowned Prince¡¯s life.¡±


    Jacque said nothing, the mounting pain in her head making it difficult to think clearly.


    ¡°Only, Miss Donna reports that besides the kidnapping and incarceration against her will, you were nothing but gentle and considerate of her needs. Even after more than a dozen failed escape attempts,¡± The elderly man¡¯s expression changed, ¡°The squire later admitted to having no knowledge of witnessing the assassin. He was confirmed abed with one of the scullery maids that evening. And as desperately as I would wish to believe that heavenly or infernal intervention was responsible for the thwarted poisonings, I believe the accidents of those responsible can safely be laid at the feet of someone else,¡± he gave Jacque another penetrating and knowing look. ¡°You were tasked with killing the Crowned Prince, do you deny this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jacque croaked, wincing from the mounting pain.


    ¡°Yet instead you thwarted every attempt that would accomplish your task.¡± The elderly man leaned back in his chair and tented his fingers, ¡°Why not flee when your nerve failed?¡± he asked, ¡°Why linger and risk detection? Why continue to thwart the assassination attempts?¡±


    Jacque remained silent, the skin of her mouth smoothing over and disappearing, bringing near-instant relief from the pain.


    Cocking his head slightly to one side, the old man stared at Jacque for a short while, allowing the silence between them to linger. ¡°The Crowned Prince mentioned the stories you told of Miss Donna¡¯s son with great fondness,¡± he prompted.


    Jacque said nothing.


    ¡°A brave little boy close to the prince¡¯s own age, so full of wonder and mischief,¡± the elderly man continued with a wistful tone, ¡°Only, Miss Donna has no children, illegitimate, adopted, or otherwise. It was what gave you away in the end,¡± he explained, ¡°One of his highness guards overheard one such story and later deemed it suspicious enough to be brought to the attention of one of my subordinates. Within the hour we had discovered Miss Donna and secured a reasonable account of her side of events while the guards had you apprehended.¡± Untenting his fingers, the old man tutted regretfully and shook his head, ¡°Betrayed for comforting a lonely child¡­¡±


    A long silence passed and then the elderly man motioned to the guard behind Jacque, ¡°Remove the collar. I need answers untainted by its influence.¡±


    Without protest, the guard obeyed, promptly unbuckling the Slave Collar from around Jacque¡¯s neck and then stepping away again.


    Free of the stifling effects of the collar¡¯s commands, Jacque relaxed somewhat in spite of herself.


    ¡°The boy in the story, Michael, he is real?¡± The elderly man guessed.


    <Michelle.> Jacque corrected bitterly, looking down at her lap and growing waist-length hair to hide her tears.


    ¡°Michelle,¡± the elderly man amended, replicating the correct pronunciation near perfectly. ¡°He is your son?¡±


    Veins protruded from Jacque¡¯s neck and forehead as she narrowly managed to avoid violating an oath.


    The violent reaction wasn¡¯t lost on the old man, who waved back the guards that likely thought she had ingested a suicide pill.


    ¡°I think it is safe to assume that wherever your son is now, and whoever is keeping him, is responsible these assassination attempts,¡± the old man mused aloud, ¡°Which means I am in a position to offer an exchanging of favours.¡±


    Jacque raised her head and retracted the screen of hair. <Why?>


    The elderly man¡¯s lips curled in a faint smile, ¡°A recently formed alliance has had some unintended effects on certain state policies. Most pertinent of which is a focus upon ¡®diversity¡¯ hiring of talented and motivated individuals,¡± he sighed and gave Jacque something of a wry grin. ¡°In exchange for your unique services, the Lord Regent is prepared to offer a pardon for all crimes committed and plotted whilst under duress, and offer unique protection for your son.¡±


    <How?!> Jacque snapped bitterly, <You cannot even keep your own princeling safe!>


    The old man maintained his composure, as if having expected her outburst to begin with. ¡°There is a place far safer than the palace, but only so long as the Crowned Prince is not seen to be missing.¡±


    Jacque narrowed her eyes suspiciously and began rifling through the man¡¯s surface thoughts.


    ¡°Oh, by all means,¡± the old man¡¯s resistance decreased substantially, ¡°Although I would warn you against certain things best kept private,¡± he warned.


    Jacque delved into memories of reviewed documents for troop movements, resource allocations, personnel transfers, budget reports, and every other documentation ever conceived by the bureaucracy. The same places kept being repeated over and over again. Sanctuary and Port Gidian. Following the trail of memories, Jacque stumbled upon one report in particular, a familiar name and unfamiliar description at odds with one another.


    [-the monster settlement known as Sanctuary is governed by a suspected Labyrinthine Lord, an Ogre Chieftain of uncanny intelligence and learning, known as Tim. Diplomatic efforts have revealed an unexpectedly high willingness to trade and negotiate with humans.-]


    <Tim?> Jacque projected an image of the depressed Awakened into the old man¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Ah, my apologies, but I have not seen him in the flesh, although¡­¡± The elderly man turned on his seat to look at the guard behind him, ¡°You were part of the diplomatic envoy, weren''t you peter?¡±


    The guard nodded stiffly.


    ¡°Relax for a moment, would you? This is very important,¡± the old man advised.


    With visible reluctance, the guard took several deep breaths and slowly opened his mind.


    Jacque projected an image of when she had first met Tim at the bar.


    The guard gasped in shock, ¡°It¡¯s him, sir,¡± he confirmed, ¡°The goblin is there too.¡±


    The elderly man looked surprised, ¡°This may change things,¡± he admitted awkwardly. ¡°Might I ask what your relationship with Chieftain is?¡± The old man asked carefully.


    Jacque smirked and altered her appearance as she recognised the tables turning further in her favour, ¡°Tim knows what I am, just ask him.¡±


    The old man pressed his lips together and nodded in understanding, ¡°You were the Synergist, Jacque.¡±


    Judging by the uneasy glances being shared by everyone else in the room, Jacque felt like things might begin finally going her way.


    ¡°Our offer still stands,¡± The old man reiterated. ¡°If you are willing to perform a service similar to that which you have been doing for the past few days, then agents of the crown will be dispatched to rescue Michelle this very evening.¡±


    Jacque sobered up almost immediately.


    ¡°Assuming there are clues that fall beyond the scope of your oaths?¡± The elderly man prompted.


    Jacque grinned maliciously, there had been few other thoughts on her mind for the past three days besides her son and subverting her oaths. ¡°Do you have a pen?¡± She asked eagerly.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 29 – Space and Time – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 29 ¨C Space and Time ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 29 - Space and Time - Part One


    My brief exchange with Harut had changed my perspective on matters somewhat. While I had intended to resolve all the issues on the fourth floor before moving on to the fifth, I now realised a glaring flaw in my plan. The Settlements I leave behind would be isolated and vulnerable.


    How would Stone Well defend itself against an assault by a dedicated enemy? It was far too isolated and lacked enough defenders to put up a fight long enough for reinforcements to make the long trek to the third-floor portal. Furthermore, unlike the second floor, which had plentiful resources, convincing the Asarusian government to establish their own settlement on this floor was incredibly unrealistic. I would need to be able to guarantee a number of vital resources to make it worth their while, most notably water.


    So that got me thinking about portals, specifically, making our own. Technically, as a Nexus Binder, Ril could already open temporary portals herself, as well as teleport just about anywhere she has already been before. But so far, Ril¡¯s modest set of Abilities did not include anything permanent.


    Still, it was worth talking to her about it. Like the other Daemons, Ril might just be waiting for permission before attempting it.


    Both Chief Uday and Chief Izsa had gathered their people to the village centre and were explaining what changes the Settlement meant for their respective peoples moving forward. Taking particular care to mention that Stone Well now effectively had a much more powerful and incredibly permanent Ward that would maintain itself without the maintenance of dedicated Shamans. Furthermore, once sufficiently literate, the Settlement¡¯s Totem would provide individual prompts to help each member of the greater Clan learn one of the many Basic and Advanced Classes known throughout the alliance.


    Not that I wanted to force anyone, but I made it known to Izsa that having at least one Pact Binder per tribe would be a very smart idea. After I explained what the Advanced Class did, she was of very much of the same mind and promised to personally scout the undecided villagers for potential interest.


    To no one''s particular surprise, there were close to twenty people who wanted to become Shamans. Even if their Wards would not be of much use in the village, they still had other useful Abilities against Summoners and Spirits. With Mors on hand, and the manaflower seeds brought over from Sanctuary, unlocking the Shaman Class would actually be one of the most simple and straightforward options. Similarly, it would follow the same process for anyone wanting to unlock the Summoner and Pact Binder as well, so I told Mors to hold off for at least a day or two in order to give Izsa time to find volunteers.


    The hunters had been spending just about the entire morning retrieving Stalker corpses while most of the warriors were diligently digging fresh reclamation pits. A rough estimate held the number of Sand Stalkers at only around a hundred at most. When I heard that reported estimate, I found I had to agree with the Labyrinth¡¯s decision, there had been far too few enemies to represent a decent challenge.


    The absence of razorbeaks also made it pretty clear that we had been lucky to find them at all. They had most likely migrated southward over time, or without the safety of numbers, it was entirely possible that they were being spawn killed by the giant spiders. In either case, it only served to make them more valuable.


    Somewhat greedily, I commandeered thirty Stalker manastones and fed them one by one to the boar I had elected to serve as my personal mount in the future. The evolution process drew a decent crowd from the mounted warriors and hunters, which was good since it was a nice learning experience for them in investing in force multipliers.


    Since the boar wasn¡¯t a variant, it had no intermediary evolutions to go through. This meant that it would have fewer stats and be unable to evolve again, but would also have a new variation on its Abilities according to the chosen evolution.


    [Razortusk Boar: +1 Strength, +1 Toughness, +1 Willpower. (Common)]


    [(Racial Ability: Vicious): Deals additional damage to fallen enemies and those with {Negative Status Conditions}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Primal Ferocity): Remains conscious while reduced to {Negative HP}. Gains the {Enraged} Condition, dealing additional damage when reduced to {Negative HP}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage ]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Razortusk Boar} (Accept/decline}]


    [Hulking Boar: +2 Strength, +3 Toughness, -2 Agility. (Common)]


    [(Racial Ability: Primal Ferocity): Remains conscious while reduced to {Negative HP}. Gains the {Enraged} Condition, dealing additional damage when reduced to {Negative HP}. {Willpower} increases the amount of bonus damage ]


    [(Racial Ability: Ironside): Takes less damage from {Piercing} and {Ranged} attacks. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Hulking Boar} (Accept/decline}]


    Comparing both evolutions, and confident I could just pick another boar and start over if necessary, i decided to choose the Hulking Boar evolution. Razortusk sounded cool, but we already had a relatively high ranked Vicious from Toofy. Loosening the collar to its widest setting, just in case, I confirmed the evolution and shielded my eyes.


    In the span of a couple of seconds, the boar had close to doubled in size, its hunched back now roughly the same height as my shoulders. Despite still being covered in bristly fur, the boar¡¯s muscles seemed ridiculously well pronounced. It was like someone had taken the broken genes from the Belgian Blue cow and spliced them into the boar. After leading it around by the tusk for a couple of minutes, It was easy to see why its Agility had taken such a heavy hit. The boar was just too big to coordinate sudden turns. While it didn¡¯t fall over, the boar would slow way down before attempting anything greater than a thirty-degree angle turn.


    As much as I wanted to test ride it, I couldn¡¯t. The weavers hadn¡¯t expected such a radical increase in size, so the toggled straps weren¡¯t even remotely close to fitting properly and had to be altered.


    Stepping back from aptly named Hulking Boar, It seemed to me that it should be capable of pulling one of the wagons all on its own without any real trouble. In fact, its poor turning pretty much locked it into such a role. Well, that or a heavy cavalry charge¡­


    Wanting to have a conversation with Ril about the viability of portals anyway, I went looking for her. Unsurprisingly, she was still dozing in the cast iron cauldron and Toofy was doodling on a fresh section of wall. To her credit, Toofy¡¯s drawings were getting much better with practice.


    After describing to Ril what I wanted, she seemed far more confident than I would have expected, simply replying, ¡°Kay,¡± before lounging back into her cauldron again. Recognising Ril had entered one of her meditative states, rather than just sleeping, I just had to assume she knew what she was doing.


    Seeing off the hunters who were setting out late, I made a point of formalising the ownership of certain mounts to hunters that had proven themselves during the protracted fighting during the night. I had authorised Osa to do the same for anyone he felt particularly deserved recognition. Most of the remaining mounts were given to the weavers in recognition of their work in making the saddles but were on loan to the hunters and warriors in the meantime.


    There would be more opportunities for capturing new mounts, but the demonstration of wealth to the remaining nomad tribes would go a long way towards securing their interest and participation in the alliance. Gaining access to Classes and a position of assured safety would go a long way to doing the rest.


    With more hands at the task, it would only be a matter of time before Stone Well becomes a veritable oasis amidst the otherwise barren landscape. But that only made establishing a direct route for reinforcements all the more important. The more Stone Well recovered, the more appealing a target it would become. Attacks wouldn¡¯t be limited to the Slavers either. I did not doubt that Mercenaries of different merchant enterprises would attempt to use force to secure favourable trade deals, or outright commit outright theft if they could manage it.


    That was one of the reasons for my visiting Osa. Stone Well needed to be fortified as much as was possible. Having given him that overarching objective, the best I could think of was digging a deep moat around the village and making outward spiralling tunnels for the spiders to make their dens in. Assuming the moat was dug deep and wide enough, it would strongly discourage anyone from attempting to cross it. Anyone ¡®clever¡¯ enough to rappel down and attempt climbing the other opposite side would be easy pickings for the spiders.


    With little else to do, I volunteered for moat digging duty. As an afterthought, I brought the Hulking Boar with me. At worst, I figured I could use it to haul away the extra dirt with one of the wagons.


    Using a mattock I hacked out a decent sized outline for a section of the moat and then got to work.


    To my immense surprise, while the giant boar didn¡¯t seem able to dig all that well, it proved an adept shoveler with its wide snout. By digging its face into the earth I was loosening with the mattock, the Hulking Boar would then jerk its head up and to the side, flinging the dirt clear of the area. While amusing to watch, I had to be careful to get too close to its tusks for fear of being gored.


    Working in the evening and morning probably would have been smarter, but I was trying to make the best use of my time, not make myself comfortable.


    Osa had organised several work details that came and went throughout the day, taking shifts to help loosen the dry-packed dirt and remove the larger stones from the worksite. By the late evening, we had managed to reach half the depth and the full width I wanted, but excluding the work ramp, it was only about fifty feet long. Considering the number of rocks and how densely packed the ground was, it wasn''t a bad effort. All the same, it still felt disappointing.


    Waking up early, I set to digging again, and the same the next day.


    I hadn¡¯t spoken with Nadine and Clarice since successfully claiming the Settlement. I had seen Kestrel shadowing me though, and could only assume they had asked her to keep an eye on me. Besides feeling more restless than usual, I didn¡¯t think their concern was warranted.


    Or, that was what I thought until I checked the necklace Lash had given me. ¡°Fifty days?¡± I muttered aloud and began doing some quick math in my head. Try as I might, there was still a disconcertingly large segment of time unaccounted for. Having just started working for the day, I set down the mattock and approached the watchtower Kestrel had been using to keep an eye on me. Climbing the wall, I sat down on the outer ramparts and waited.


    As I expected, Kestrel made her way down from the watchtower shortly afterwards and sat down a short distance away.in the shade. ¡°You stopped digging,¡± Kestrel commented, the inflection in her voice suggesting she was both surprised and a little relieved.


    ¡°How long?¡± I asked quietly. Staring down at my hands, I could see they were shaking but couldn¡¯t make them stop.


    ¡°Since you last ate something?¡± Kestrel asked with a mildly exasperated tone, ¡°Maybe three days?¡± She replied uncertainly, ¡°Since you last slept?¡± Kestrel now sounded very worried, ¡°About five¡­¡± She took a moment to look at my necklace and nodded, ¡°Five days,¡± she confirmed, the dark rings under her eyes making it clear that she had likely been awake most of that time in order to keep an eye on me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel tired,¡± I commented, clenching and unclenching my hands to try and stop them from shaking.


    Kestrel looked surprised, ¡°You¡¯re joking?¡± She insisted.


    I shook my head, ¡°Besides losing track of time, I feel fine,¡± I replied defensively.


    Kestrel made a point of looking down at my hands before meeting my eyes again, the expression on her face was like ¡®really?¡¯


    ¡°They¡¯ll stop on their own,¡± I insisted dismissively, ¡°I just need to...to¡­¡±


    ¡°Sleep?¡± Kestrel suggested worriedly.


    I grunted noncommittally and got to my feet. With the choice between returning to work on the moat, which was showing real signs of progress, or going to bed, which honestly seemed like a waste of time. I chose a compromise instead and headed home to see if Ril had come up with a solution or at least made progress on the whole portal problem.


    To my immense surprise, she had.


    Ril was outside of her cauldron and wearing a damp towel like a robe. Two very small arches had been put together from spider silk and flat stones. One arch was plastered onto the side of the stairs, and the other on the wall opposite.


    Running between them with a manic grin on her face, and a small skillet on her head, was Toofy.


    Wincing as Toofy ran headlong into the wall, I was stunned when the only sound I heard was Toofy¡¯s laughter coming from the other side of the room.


    ¡°Again!¡± Toofy squealed in delight as she sprinted at the opposite wall.


    This process repeated three more times before Toofy seemed to tire out and acknowledge my presence, ¡°Tim!¡± She tiredly scrambled across the room and grabbed my hand, dragging me towards the archway under the stairs, ¡°Come! Portals fun!¡± Toofy insisted, disappearing as she made contact with the stone contained within the archway. ¡®Tim try!¡± Toofy called out supportively from the other side of the room.


    Standing this close to the ¡®portal¡¯ I could see dozens of divots in the brickwork, and glancing back at Toofy¡¯s improvised helmet, there were noticeable signs of it having recently impacted stone.


    Experimentally pressing my hand against the chipped brickwork, I suddenly felt lightheaded and immensely tired.


    ¡°-mana exhaustion,¡± Nadine whispered, ¡°Why isn¡¯t it recovering above that level?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me!¡± Clarice sniped back, ¡°Nearly lost my fingers putting those manastones in his mouth!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the spear,¡± Ril interjected quietly, her speaking voice somehow quieter than Nadine''s whispering.


    ¡°But it¡¯s in the other room-¡± Nadine sounded confused.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Clarice cursed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nadine demanded.


    There were the muffled sounds of someone leaving and then coming back, ¡°Did you ever read the description on this thing?¡± Clarice asked nervously.


    ¡°Uh-¡± Nadine didn¡¯t get the chance to answer and was interrupted.


    ¡°Mana reservation,¡± Ril answered in a level tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s why his mana shows as zero?¡± Nadine asked worriedly.


    There was the sound of rustling fabric, ¡°Not zero, close, but not zero,¡± Ril corrected.


    ¡°Right, doesn¡¯t show fractional progress¡­¡± Nadine murmured in agreement, sounding somewhat relieved. ¡°So how do we get his reserved mana back? Do we just need to take it further away? Or?...¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t work,¡± Clarice grunted, ¡°He has to ¡®give¡¯ it to you. It¡¯s how powerful artefacts work. You either kill the owner or have them pass it on voluntarily.¡±


    ¡°Then how did it get here?¡± Nadine demanded, ¡°I was certain he left it in Sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± Clarice confirmed, ¡°But we are his minions. When he gives us things, it isn¡¯t the same as giving it away forever. It¡¯s like a loan, and that spear has an ability that specifically returns when he calls it.¡±


    ¡°Great¡­¡± Nadine grunted in frustration, ¡°So how do we convince him to hand it off to someone else in his coma?¡±


    ¡°Not sleeping,¡± Ril interjected, ¡°Resting, listening,¡± I felt a smooth, damp scaly hand press against my forehead momentarily.


    ¡°So Tim can hear us?¡± Nadine asked with a mounting sense of relief.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ril replied, ¡°Can¡¯t speak, can¡¯t move, but can hear us.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Clarice demanded, shoving me for good measure, ¡°Handoff the damn spear already Tim! You''re upsetting Nadine!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you''re the one wh-OW!¡± Nadine yelped in pain, ¡°Damnit Clarice! That hurt!¡±


    Already feeling exhausted just trying to follow the conversation, I tried to visualise Shiverfang in my mind.


    *Clang*


    ¡°Bloody hell!¡± Nadine cursed.


    ¡°Told you,¡± Clarice snickered.


    ¡°Figures you would pay attention if it had something to do with weapons,¡± Nadine grumbled defensively.


    Trying to shift the bonded link, I wasn¡¯t sure who exactly I was tethering  it to, struggling to maintain my current level of awareness as it was.


    ¡°Careful!¡± Clarice warned anxiously, ¡°Don¡¯t touch the blade! It will take your damn fingers off!¡±


    There was a muffled reply and then nothing, only silence.


    Feeling a chill wind pass over my skin, I opened my eyes and found I was outside. Only, I didn¡¯t recognise my surroundings.


    I was standing on a crested dune in a sea of sand beneath a bright crescent moon so large that I felt I could almost reach out and touch it if I really tried. Looking around the silvery landscape, I was not surprised to find I was alone. After all, this was a dream.


    The absence of otherwise omnipresent irritants and minor pains was a bit of a dead giveaway.


    It was easily one of the most lucid dreams I have ever had, but thus far it seemed rather devoid of meaning or purpose. It was just, empty.


    ¡°Only if you want it to be,¡± Ril had appeared by my side, still wrapped in the damp towel as she stared up at me with her pitch-black eyes.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked, understanding that the place I was dreaming of was a reflection of somewhere real.


    Ril shrugged, ¡°I am just visiting. How would I know?¡± She replied and took a deep breath of the cold air, ¡°Mmm, water¡­¡± Ril murmured and began walking away.


    Breathing deeply, I smelled it too, the saltwater of the ocean. I knew where we were.


    In less than six steps, the entire landscape changed. Dunes rolled away revealing a rocky beach and rolling silvery waves.


    Ril was already waiting for me, staring at her reflection in a tidepool.


    ¡°This will be our special place¡­¡± A barely audible voice whispered, manifested from a half-forgotten memory.


    My eyes were drawn to the rocky shelf just on the edge of the dunes and I slowly walked over for a closer look.


    ¡®Our place¡¯ was crudely scratched into the stone, and was so badly worn that it was almost gone entirely.


    Sitting down on the large flat rock, I numbly watched Ril continue poking about in the tide pool. ¡°Why am I dreaming this?¡± My voice sounded tired.


    Seeming to find what she was looking for, Ril walked over and sat down next to me. Opening her hand, she held it out to me expectantly. A painfully ordinary shell was laid out on her palm, ¡°For when you want to come back,¡± Ril explained as she pushed it into my hand.


    Accepting the shell, my eyes drifted to the waves again, and I quickly became lost in the soft crash of the surf on the sand and rocks. I barely noticed when Ril leaned onto my arm.


    Blinking my eyes, I found I was sitting against the wall inside our borrowed house on the fourth floor of the Labyrinth. I saw no sign of Ril, but opening my right hand I found the shell she had given me in the dream. Retrieving a length of hide cord from my pack, I bound the shell securely and made it into a necklace which I then tied around my neck alongside the other necklace given to me by Lash.


    Someone had adjusted the beads and I could see that I had been asleep for another two days, leaving only forty-eight days at most until I would return to Sanctuary.


    Looking for Ril and Toofy, I couldn¡¯t find them anywhere in the house.


    <Overlord! You are awake?> Recognising Mors¡¯s presence and that he was somewhat distracted, I tethered our connection on my end to make sure we wouldn¡¯t be interrupted.


    <I am. Where are Ril and Toofy?> I asked bluntly.


    There was a telling pause. <They have returned to Sanctuary to direct construction of the portal, as you requested¡­> sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Severing the connection, I walked outside and made my way towards the centre of the village. The olive tree was now joined by two others, their roots and branches entwining a large stone archway approximately fifteen feet wide and roughly just as tall at the highest point. Each stone of the archway had a manastone held tight on the inner side of the arch by the thick gnarled branches and roots. Furthermore, the entire archway as well as the lower trunk and roots of the trees were covered in the special manaflowers.


    Just looking at the archway, I could feel the concentrated mana coming off of it. However, considering how few manastones were involved, I doubted it would be capable of activating independently.


    Turning my attention to the village centre at large, I was a little surprised to see that Mors appeared to be teaching a class of around thirty people of varying ages. Each person had two pots in front of them. The first seemed to be taking the place of an incense burner and was kept shut the majority of the time. Every so often, a student would remove the lid, inhale deeply and then replace the lid again, confirming my assumption. The purpose of the second pot was even more obvious. Filled with loose moist soil, each of these pots had a small number of small green shoots that would sporadically experience accelerated growth.


    Just by judging the ambient mana at play, I could see Mors¡¯s influence on each of the plants. But what was more surprising was that some students seemed capable of keeping the growth going for very short periods of time after Mors¡¯s influence was removed. Considering the inherent difficulty of manipulating mana inside of external sources, and the students limited ability to see said mana, I was very impressed with Mors¡¯s teaching method. All the more so since it seemed like a quarter of his students were already Apprentice Druids.


    For the apprentices, the Plant Sense Ability would improve as they levelled up and it increased in Rank. But it was also important to practice their sensitivity and control while they were comparatively weak in order to assure they could control their power properly later.


    Checking in on Hessin, I very nearly had a coughing fit. Teaching a much larger scale class than Mors, Hessin had covered all the doors and windows with sheets and had been hotboxing incense to such an extreme degree that it made my head hurt from all the mana aura¡¯s suddenly brought into painful focus.


    To my immense surprise, Wraithe was present and keeping a watchful eye on proceedings, or a summoned copy of her was. It had taken me a moment to reconcile the difference in the different intensity of her mana. Making sure to give the rat-like Daemon a thumbs up, not wanting to breathe in any more incense, I ducked out of the house.


    Checking the village records, I could see that in addition to a number of Apprentice Shamans, there  were also four Summoners and a Pact Binder. Although I had not seen her through the smoke, it was Izsa¡¯s daughter who had unlocked the Pact Binder Advanced Class and likely made the summoning that brought Wraithe.


    Reminded that Izsa would likely be gunning for a promotion, I was surprised to find that she had already unlocked the Warlock Advanced Class. That made her the first Warlock in the entire alliance, which piqued my curiosity.


    [(Class Ability: Daemonic Pact): Expend MP to attempt forge a {Pact} with a Daemon. Gain extreme resistance to hostile {Telepathy}. {Borrow} or {Loan} MP in accordance to the {Pact}. {Angels} and their {Celestial Champions} become hostile and will attempt to kill the Warlock on sight.]


    [(Class Ability: Daemonic Boon 0): {Daemonic Pact} generates a permanent {Boon} in accordance with the established {Daemonic Pact}. {Restored Youth} maintains the {Warlock¡¯s} peak physical condition and reduces the negative effects of ageing.]


    [(Class Ability: Daemonic Manifestation 0): Expend MP to take on {Daemonic} Characteristics. Reserve MP to gain {Daemonic Vigour}.]


    Reading through the starting Class Abilities, I was actually a little disappointed. Having spent a great deal of time around Daemons, I had shed the majority of my initial prejudices, but I still expected something a bit more nefarious from a Class named Warlock. Near as I could tell, it was literally just an exchange of services. Already very much aware that the Daemons used MP gained through the Pact Binder summons to fuel their own growth, I couldn¡¯t see this arrangement as anything other than symbiotic in nature. By the looks of it, Izsa¡¯s vanity was ensuring the Daemon she made the Pact with was probably getting a slightly better deal, but that was on her, not the Daemon.


    Having thought about it some more, I was curious which Daemon she had made the Pact with. I was well aware that Gric¡¯s Daemon Overseer Class gave him final say over Summonings of the Daemons, and while I hadn¡¯t asked, it would be safe to assume he regulated potential Pacts too. Fudging the rules of the quest system a little, I issued Gric with a quest to provide me with the answer.


    Within a few minutes, Mors established telepathic contact. <Overlord, I have the information you requested. Chief Izsa made her Pact with Senn> He provided a mental image along with the name to provide better context.


    Senn was one of the female one-horned Daemons. Taking heavy influences from the reptiles in the swamp, Senn was covered in emerald scales, four lithe arms and a long serpentine tail accented with hidden barbs. Judging by the snake-like facial features, I wondered if Senn had been chosen by Gric because of appearance rather than her competence or abilities to fulfil the role.


    <What is your impression of Senn?> I asked candidly.


    <...> Mors hesitated. <Senn is not as motivated as Overseer Gric would like¡­> He admitted with embarrassment.


    <So this Pact is an attempt to make her take more responsibility?> I asked, trying to keep my amusement to myself. Being useful was a pretty big deal to the Daemons. To have a hatch-mate discovered to be striving for anything less was probably mortifying.


    <I believe so¡­> Mors replied morosely.


    <You disapprove?> I commented.


    There was a very, very, long and telling pause. <No¡­>


    <It backfired, didn''t it?¡± I wasn¡¯t entirely surprised. Gric had basically given Senn a blank cheque.


    <She hasn¡¯t gone hunting since they forged the Pact¡­> Mors admitted with embarrassment. <It is making some of the other ¡®unproductives¡¯ to begin asking for Pacts too.> His shame was almost palpable.


    <Then we need to set better examples on the benefits of hard work and diligence.> I replied and quickly checked available promotions. Seeing we had unlocked a Lord title that was currently empty, I sent Gric a quest to promote Qreet and further instructions to promote Mors when the humans provided us another Underlord promotion.


    Somewhat privy to what I was doing because of the mind link still being active, Mors seemed incredibly shocked and excited.


    It wasn¡¯t entirely for merit, but if I was going to use the same strategy of fortifying locations using the Druids, it would be better if they could help handle administrative and combat-related duties as well. Making sure they had the authority to make those jobs happen was important. Also, I was curious whether Qreet and Mors could unlock a sort of Leadership Druid Class. If they could, that would be a great step forwards for the alliance.


    <I won¡¯t let you down Overlord!> Mors gushed, the impression through the link suggesting he was crying tears of joy.


    Severing the connection, I visited Chief Uday¡¯s previous dwelling, which was now serving as the village¡¯s hospital, or at least until a suitable building could be built. As I expected, Nadine was teaching and quizzing the latest Surgeon recruits.


    Deciding to help Nadine out, I sat in on her classes and provided what additional insights I could. There wasn¡¯t all that much for me to do though, Nadine was a gifted teacher. She had managed to take my ¡®by rote¡¯ regurgitated information and turned it into easily digestible segmented lessons. There were still some areas Nadine was less confident in, but on the whole, I had no doubts that any of my nursing professors would have loved to have her as their teaching assistant.


    The Mountain Orc Slavers had provided a convenient source for intact skeleton teaching aids. While there were some obvious differences in height and build, the visual references definitely had a positive impact on the retention of otherwise abstract information. Mors had stripped them of all flesh and tendons, but had also replaced them with minimally invasive roots. While not as maneuverable as a wired skeleton, it was probably the best we could expect under the circumstances. Nadine was a little uncomfortable handling the bones at first, but grew used to it over time.


    Nadine¡¯s classes ended in the early evening and she made sure to catch me for a chat before leaving for dinner.


    ¡°What did you think?¡± Nadine asked anxiously.


    ¡°I think you did very well,¡± I replied honestly, ¡°You¡¯re better at teaching than I am. Although you could be a bit less squeamish with the bones,¡± I admitted.


    Nadine blushed a little and nodded, ¡°It was my first time seeing them like that,¡± she admitted nervously, ¡°I mean, without all the blood and meat on them, they look...weird.¡±


    ¡°There were other students in my classes that would react very differently,¡± I chuckled, ¡°Handling replica¡¯s of the human skeleton was considered pretty normal. What people really struggled with were assisting in autopsies and minor medical procedures requiring inflicting certain degrees of harm.¡±


    ¡°Autopsies?¡± Nadine asked, obviously unfamiliar with the word.


    ¡°It¡¯s the name for when you investigate the body to determine a person''s cause of death. Cutting them open in order to check their organs was pretty common practice,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Why?¡± Nadine asked curiously.


    ¡°Well, depending on the cause of death, organs can show signs of damage, discolouration or even displacement. An otherwise odourless poison might inflame the insides or cause internal hemorrhaging. There were thousands upon thousands of potential things to check for depending on the circumstances of the death,¡± I explained with a wry smile, ¡°As advanced as our medical science was, there were always innovative and crazy people pushing the boundaries trying to get away with things. Without even the most routine autopsies, a lot of them would get away with it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think we will have to do any, right?¡± Nadine really didn¡¯t like the picture I was painting of Earth and wasn¡¯t shy about it.


    ¡°Hopefully not,¡± I reassured her. Besides basic postmortem identifiers, I wouldn¡¯t be able to provide much insight anyway. ¡°Oh, Chief Izsa¡¯s daughter unlocked the Pact Binder Class. She summoned Wraithe earlier in Hessin¡¯s Shamanism class earlier, so you can probably have her summoned again if you want a teaching assistant or need to take a break,¡± I suggested.


    Nadine had seemed on board right up until I suggested taking a break. ¡°Really?¡± She asked exasperatedly, ¡°You''re giving me suggestions about taking a break?¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± I conceded.


    Nadine still seemed annoyed, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have fought that commander by your own Tim, that was incredibly stupid and reckless.¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± I insisted, ¡°The reason the commander stalled the wider fight was only because we were going to fight one on one, and because he thought he had the advantage. I took a risk, sure, but it was a calculated one that paid off.¡±


    Nadine looked like she was about to say something else, but stopped and looked down the street as Dhizi came slinking into view with Clarice beside her.


    Seeing both of us had noticed her, Clarice smiled, waved and began jogging her way over. ¡°Did you talk to Tim about the magic items?¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°Magic items?¡± I vaguely recalled Barut collapsing into dark sand and leaving his equipment behind. ¡°How much of it was magical?¡±


    ¡°All of it,¡± Clarice grinned. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s all pretty basic stuff for the most part,¡± she conceded, ¡°But hey, magic gear is way better than the standard stuff.¡± Clarice opened one of Dhizi¡¯s saddlebags and pulled out Barut¡¯s armoured kilt, ¡°Yeah, that might be a bit short¡­¡± She admitted sheepishly, ¡°Shame too, seems to have an impact dampening enchantment.¡± Clarice took the bracers and torque out for all of a second before putting them back, ¡°Nooope.¡± Lastly, she removed the pair of sickle swords, ¡°Maybe?¡± Clarice offered me one of the blades, ¡°Try that out,¡± She suggested.


    Accepting the blade, I gave it a few practice swings. It was balanced very differently to the western style swords I had tried training with back in Sanctuary. The problem was how light the sword felt in my hand, like it would go flying the moment my hand got slippery. ¡°Not for me, too light,¡± I conceded reluctantly. Made of iron or steel rather than bronze like the bracers, torque and armoured components of the kilt, having a pair of quality blades would have been a real step up from my battered warhammer.


    Clarice sighed and nodded, ¡°Thought so,¡± she agreed, ¡°They are too short to use from Dhizi¡¯s saddle too, and Nadine can¡¯t get used to the weird weight distribution¡±


    ¡°Is the whole kilt enchanted? Or just the armoured parts?¡± I asked curiously.


    Clarice made as if to reply, closed her mouth and then pulled out the armoured kilt again, ¡°Doesn¡¯t say...¡± She muttered and began unclasping the armoured flap. ¡°Oh! You''re right! It¡¯s the metal bits and beads with the enchantment,¡± Clarice confirmed happily, ¡°Should work with whatever pants you attach¡®em to.¡±


    Accepting the armoured flap, I found it had a large brooch-like hoop and pin to attach and anchor it in place. With some finagling, I managed to work the pin through both my belt and the bronze loop. Taking a moment to see if I could feel anything different, all I really noticed was a faint pressure against my groin.


    [Armoured Kilt: Provides targeted protection to the wearer¡¯s groin. Attacks that specifically target the wearer¡¯s groin are affected by minor deflection.]


    Clarice sniggered as she rattled off the description from memory.


    I wasn¡¯t even mad. It was pretty funny, but also a very practical item to have. ¡°What do the other items do?¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Well, like I said, mostly standard stuff,¡± Clarice repeated with a grin, ¡°The hoodless bronze coif just acts as armour,¡± She pulled out the torque and shook a bit with a shrug before putting it back, ¡°The swords are enchanted to keep their edge, which is kinda cool, but also pretty standard so far as magic swords go. And the bracers attract arrows-¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I interrupted, ¡°They do what?¡± I wasn''t sure I had heard her right.


    ¡°They attract arrows, oh, well, all sorts of projectiles really, so long as it is as big or smaller than an arrow. That¡¯s usually how it works,¡± Clarice shrugged noncommittally.


    ¡°Why would you want bracers that ATTRACT arrows?!¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Clarice shared a sympathetic look with Nadine, making me feel incredibly stupid without knowing why.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s much better to have an arrow flying for your arm rather than your face Tim,¡± Clarice explained exasperatedly, ¡°Not everyone can take an arrow to the face and walk it off like you do. Besides, You obviously want to use a shield too!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± That made a great deal more sense.


    ¡°They are too big for Nadine and me, and by the looks of it, a bit too small for you. So what do you want to do with them?¡± Clarice asked.


    ¡°Can I take a closer look?¡± I asked and held out my hand expectantly.


    Clarice shrugged and handed them over.


    As she had guessed, my arms were a little too large to allow the clasps to close properly. But that did give me an idea. ¡°I¡¯ll hold onto them,¡± I confirmed, immediately piquing Nadine and Clarice¡¯s curiosity. ¡°I was thinking they would make a good gift for Lash,¡± I explained, trying my best not to sound like an awkward teenager.


    ¡°Aww, I bet she will love them!¡± Nadine agreed supportively.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to regret turning you down,¡± Clarice sniggered.


    Nadine laughed a little as well but not maliciously. ¡°At least Tim is bringing her something nice,¡± she sighed wistfully.


    ¡°I keep telling you, if you want to date someone, the soldiers live right down the road now,¡± Clarice suggested with a grin.


    Nadine pulled a sour face, ¡°Ugh, no thanks,¡± she declined politely, ¡°I have ¡®some¡¯ standards.¡±


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°You''re missing out, some of them are totally your type.¡±


    Nadine looked unconvinced.


    ¡°You are being pretty judgy,¡± Clarice reprimanded her with a grin, ¡°You oughta know that not everyone can pick what they want to do for a living.¡±


    Nadine flinched, ¡°Right¡­¡± She sighed.


    Leaving Nadine and Clarice to their debate on what exactly made a guy ¡®dating material¡¯, I began making my way back to our borrowed home. On the way, I was stopped by a trio of weavers and presented with a long silk tunic and robe to replace those I had lost almost a week ago. Just as I was giving my thanks and about to continue on my way home, I stopped and awkwardly approached the head weaver again.


    ¡°Everything good, yes?¡± The elderly weaver asked with only a hint of concern and no small amount of challenge in her cloudy eyes.


    ¡°The clothes are fine,¡± I hastily reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s just-¡±


    ¡°Just?¡± The weaver asked, her voice becoming low and threatening.


    ¡°I was wondering if you could make some clothes for my wife, erm, mate, Lash,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Oh,¡± The elderly woman¡¯s expression brightened considerably, ¡°You know measurements?¡± She enquired carefully.


    I nodded, ¡°I do.¡± I had discovered that villagers used a system of measurement for clothing somewhat similar to the metric system in both scale and increments. So I was relatively confident in approximating Lash¡¯s measurements to their system.


    ¡°Robe? Dress? Underclothes?¡± The elderly woman enquired.


    I blushed profusely and tried to remind myself I was an adult and there was nothing to be ashamed of. This should be no different to buying her clothes at the mall...A certain part of the mall you don¡¯t want to be found by or find your friends or their parents¡­ ¡°Ah, a bit of a combination of the last two,¡± I replied awkwardly.


    The elderly weaver looked intrigued and took a firm hold of my elbow as she guided me into the weavery, ¡°Come come, explain all, we make,¡± the old woman reassured me with a grin on her face.


    Trying not to die of embarrassment, I forced myself to consider the end result that would make it all worth it. Facing a room full of women, a full third of whom were doubtless half my age, I began the delicate mental gymnastics on how best to describe a harem dancer¡¯s outfit without coming across as a complete degenerate scumbag.


    *****


    When she was first assigned to form a Pact with a Warlock on the fourth floor, Senn had been reluctant, to say the least. After finalizing the Pact with the Warlock and then accepting a Summons from a Pact Binder on the same floor, Senn was not inclined to change her mind. However, after briefly exchanging pleasantries with her hatch-mate Mors, Senn recognised an opportunity to assist her development.


    A predator named the Sand Stalker, while largely useless to Mors, had an otherwise unique nervous system that suited Senn¡¯s intended progression perfectly.


    Senn¡¯s Pactbound Warlock was only too happy to accommodate her request for an intact specimen in exchange for ¡®borrowing¡¯ additional maximum mana. With mana to spare, Senn made the trade gladly. Part of their Pact granted Senn half the raw mana each time the Warlock consumed a manastone, so her maximum capacity would grow with time anyway.


    To appease her Pactbound Warlock¡¯s sensibilities, Senn had accepted an altered tunic that accommodated her four arms and felt smooth to the touch. She truly regretted that the Pact Binder was too low a level to allow equipment to travel through the summoning. Losing her armour and weapons had been tolerable, given that Senn had armoured scales for skin, and no shortage of natural weaponry. But the prospect of going without the soft textured garment was unacceptable


    Attending the hunt as much out of boredom as general curiosity, Senn found she preferred the drier climate and how it influenced her metabolism. Soaking in the heat through the large surface area of her tail, Senn felt positively brimming with energy.


    Using her ability to sense mana, Senn had no problem pointing out the hiding place of the first Sand Stalker. Curious to see how the giant invertebrate would fight, Senn watched as six of the warriors from her escort formed a spear wall with halberds, while the Pactbound Warlock manifested a limited transformation to enhance her combat capabilities.


    Because of the Warlock¡¯s low level, the transformation was mostly limited to emulating Senn¡¯s armoured scales and reinforcing the Warlock¡¯s muscles. All the same, the Warlock seemed overwhelmed by the extent of the changes. ¡°Give me a weapon!¡± The warlock demanded, holding an outstretched hand towards her minions.


    With visible worry, a minion handed over an axe made by the Deep Orcs of Sanctuary.


    Taking a long hafted grip on the axe with just her right hand, the Warlock smiled at the ease with which she could handle the otherwise unwieldy weapon. Striding into the combat with supreme confidence in her new abilities, the Warlock began hacking the Sand Stalker¡¯s spindly limbs apart with relatively little difficulty.


    The Warlock¡¯s minions panicked when she was knocked down by one of the Sand Stalker¡¯s broken thrashing limbs. Before they could intervene, the Sand Stalker bodily tacked the Warlock with its fangs bared and dripping with venom.


    Unconcerned, Senn watched as her Pact Bonded Warlock disappeared from sight beneath the thrashing form of the Sand Stalker. When the death notification appeared a few moments later, Senn appeared to be the only one that had expected the Warlock¡¯s triumph, and that annoyed her. Daemonic Vigour aside, Senn¡¯s scales were harder than steel, which of course meant that the Warlock¡¯s imitation would be at least as strong as iron. A wounded Sand Stalker would lack the required leverage to penetrate the Warlock¡¯s scales.


    As the Warlock clawed her way out from beneath the shuddering corpse of the Sand Stalker, Senn could see a newfound sense of respect from the minions and found that she liked it.


    Was this what Overseer Gric had intended?


    Forward-thinking had not been one of Senn¡¯s strengths. As a one-horn, it was all but expected of her. Primal instincts that were woven into every fibre of her being told Senn she was a follower, not a leader. That disobeying those stronger than herself was the greatest sin Senn could commit.


    But what if that was wrong? Or a test of sorts?


    Straining her limited higher thought processes, Senn began to doubt her instincts.


    Why would Overseer Gric provide Senn with a path to greater strength through a Pact Bond when he could have taken it himself? Why not offer it to his Lieutenants the two-horns Qreet and Dar?


    Getting nowhere, Senn decided she needed to improve her critical reasoning ability.


    Approaching the Sand Stalker, Senn knew she wouldn¡¯t get what she wanted from it. But she would be able to improve her ability to simultaneously and independently coordinate her limbs, which would significantly improve her future combat capabilities.


    Sampling the Sand Stalker¡¯s nervous system directly, Senn was pleased to confirm her assessment had been correct. Manipulating each of her arms and tail independently had just become significantly easier and much smoother. Unexpectedly, Senn found herself able to think somewhat more clearly, and felt like the answers to her questions were just ever so slightly out of her reach.


    Feeling the increase in her evolutionary potential increase as the Warlock consumed the Sand Stalker¡¯s manastone, Senn realised that the means to achieving her answers was standing right in front of her.


    ¡°I demand blood as payment,¡± Senn commanded.


    The Warlock seemed surprised but not unwilling. ¡°In exchange for more power?¡± She asked greedily.


    Senn smiled, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Without hesitation, the Warlock removed her Daemonic Manifestation and slashed her left hand with a long knife normally carried on her hip.


    The Warlock extended her bleeding palm towards Senn who graciously accepted the offer.


    After ingesting a small portion of the Warlock¡¯s blood, Senn directed her remaining potential towards developing her mind¡¯s critical reasoning abilities. Improving cognitive functions without compromising her existing nervous systems advantages meant Senn had to take it slow. However, with each passing moment, Sen could better appreciate its benefits.


    Only halfway into her intended improvements, Senn already understood what the Overseer Gric had to gain by arranging Senn¡¯s Pact to the Warlock. As the officiator of all Daemonic Pacts, Overseer Gric received a portion of all raw mana that would be awarded from summons and Pacts. Meaning, Overseer Gric could pursue his own development without actively engaging in the activities himself.


    Rather than feeling angry, Senn realised that she had, in fact, been given a golden opportunity. Just as Overseer Gric was benefiting off of her, Senn could benefit off of others by forming more Pacts. In order to do that, Senn would need more Warlocks¡­

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 29 – Space and time – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 29 ¨C Space and time ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 29 - Space and time - Part Two


    Looking at the changes to the village, I was reminded of the good I could accomplish with my position as a leader. Granted, there would be more violence in the near future, barring the Slavers unconditional surrender or sudden and complete disappearance. But that violence could be controlled, restricted to those most deserving.


    I had spent many hours over the past few days establishing acceptable codes of conduct for war with Osa. All of which was under the expectation that as Stone Well¡¯s Overseer, Osa would be responsible for those under his command. The code of conduct would be considered loose and potentially open to abuse by modern Earth standards, but considering the brutality of the conflicts, I didn¡¯t see much of a choice. If I was too strict, our enemies would abuse our code of conduct to inflict greater casualties or escape judgement altogether.


    At its most simple, children and civilians were entirely off-limits for lethal violence and were to be taken alive wherever possible. Adult civilians who were committed to violence would be left to the discretion and best judgement of the warriors involved. Enemy warriors were only to be taken prisoner if they surrendered, discarded all weapons, and submitted to being bound.


    None of the girls knew much about the inner diplomatic workings of Variant tribes and clans, but from conversing with the villagers I was under the impression that the conflict would very likely end with Gargant and his inner circle being put to death. Some had extended the requirement to anyone actively participating in slavery, while others would be content with just the death of Gargant. As best I could tell, those who had lost immediate family members were the more zealous, while those relatively unaffected, mostly the Flowing Water tribe, were content to just see an end to the conflict.


    My primary reason for establishing the code of conduct was that I couldn¡¯t risk getting personally involved in subjugating the Ironhills tribe. Another Commander being generated like last time was liable to generate far more casualties than my presence would otherwise prevent. I didn¡¯t want to give the Labyrinth an excuse to make a quest out of it. So far as I was concerned, after all the nomad tribes were inducted into the alliance, and their warriors sufficiently trained, a combined force would bring down the Iron Hills tribe and absorb those who remained into their own ranks.


    Osa had sent hunters on the backs of Razorbeaks as emissaries to the remaining tribes, offering Ward¡¯s and the hunters as escorts to see them travel to Stone Well that much sooner than they would otherwise. The first of the remaining nomad tribes were expected to arrive in the next couple of days, assuming they accepted the offer, and the next a couple days after.


    The lower floors of the Labyrinth didn¡¯t seem particularly large without natural obstacles delaying and dragging out travel. By Izsa¡¯s own account, Stone Well was a single day¡¯s journey from the Guild¡¯s foothold on the back of a Razorbeak, and the Iron Hills were only two more beyond that. Of course, on foot and encumbered, the trip would be much longer, and more so without a Ward to secure relative safety.


    What no one had been able to explain, to my satisfaction at least, was why exactly the nomads hadn¡¯t just settled in Stone Well or made their own fortified villages. The best explanation I could think of, was that the nomads had access to hidden caches of water of their own, or preferred staying mobile to try and avoid the Slavers.


    Uncovering the information I had managed thus far was largely due to my time spent at the weavery. Not so much for the prospect of Beast mounts as rewards, as the ¡®exotic¡¯ clothing designs contained in my memories. While describing and sketching articles of clothing was mortifying at first, it wasn¡¯t so bad once I resigned myself to it. Or it wasn¡¯t until Clarice found out about the murals in the weavery and made it her life¡¯s mission to make me feel like a lecherous perv.


    Amongst other things, my Mum had taught me to sew and tried to teach me dressmaking as a vain attempt at trying to enable a reverse Cinderella story scenario. I wondered how she would feel about my relationship with Lash and whether she would approve of her.


    My Mum had been a pretty down to earth person in most respects, but she had spent a great deal of time ¡®polishing¡¯ me in an attempt to make me ¡®marriage material¡¯. Dance and cooking classes, women¡¯s clothes shopping, community culture night events, anything she thought might get me across the line. Not that she would have ever admitted to it. Taking some time to reflect, I realised that she had been preparing me to live on my own as well.


    I was distracted from my musings when Kestrel stopped by to provide a report from Sanctuary.


    ¡°The gateway seems to be going well on their end, but Ril is demanding a lot of manastones to complete it. Overseer gric estimates it will take another five days before the gateway is completed,¡± reported, rattling off the information off the top of her head before she could forget anything. ¡°Trade with the merchants is going well and the army has begun commissioning armour and weapons to equip the Port Gidian militia and reservists. Baron, erm, Field Marshal Klive, is requesting permission to extend Port Gidian¡¯s boundaries to accept another wave of settlers-¡±


    ¡°Why not form another Settlement?¡± I asked curiously.


    Kestrel nearly choked and gave me a surprised look, ¡°You would let us form other Settlements?¡± She asked incredulously.


    ¡°Depending on who is put in charge of them, I was under the impression that the army wanted other military bases from the beginning,¡± I explained, ¡°Not just on the third floor, but on higher floors as well. ¡®For training purposes¡¯,¡± I quoted somewhat ironically. Given how gungho they were about rapidly expanding their first Settlement, and filling it with civilians, I could only imagine that the coming war was not projected to go in their favour.


    Kestrel gulped dryly and had trouble looking me in the eyes, somewhat confirming my assumptions. ¡°Aherm, uh, is there a procedure we should follow for requesting new Settlements?¡± Kestrel asked a little awkwardly.


    ¡°For the third floor?¡± I clarified, ¡°Do you have a map?¡±


    Kestrel nodded and quickly retrieved a rough map of the third floor from a case on her belt.


    Using a nub of charcoal, I marked off the entire swamp a day¡¯s travel north of Port Gidian and along the river. ¡°No settling within a day''s travel, by road, from that border. Sanctuary will grow in time, and so will the other Settlements. Best to keep a respectable buffer as a contingency for the future. Otherwise, I will need to vet your candidates for Overseer personally, be provided a marked map with planned Settlement locations and have assurances that any form of banditry be dealt with severely.¡± The more humans that were brought into the area, the more difficult it would be for the army to keep an eye on them. It would only be a matter of time before ¡®opportunists¡¯ arrived on the scene.


    Kestrel nodded and was jotting down notes on a nearby wall with a piece of charcoal, likely intending to remove it once she relayed the message to her superiors. ¡°Uh, we haven¡¯t managed to unlock any Druids of our own yet,¡± Kestrel hedged, ¡°Would we be able to borrow Druids from Sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°Have your superiors considered using Pact Binders?¡± I asked, knowing full well they hadn¡¯t.


    Kestrel furrowed her brow in intense thought for a moment, ¡°The Advanced summoning Class?¡± She asked uncertainty, ¡°How would that help?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at Kestrel sceptically, ¡°I think your superiors will have figured it out by now,¡± I replied dryly. There had been rough slip-ups that at least one of the more perceptive soldiers would have reported their suspicions by now.


    Kestrel flushed a little and averted her eyes as she made another note on the wall, confirming that they at least had their suspicions.


    While I wanted Sanctuary to maintain a relative monopoly on the spice trade, I had no problems with the humans competing for cereal crop production. All the more so if they funneled raw mana towards the Druid Daemons development. It only seemed fair considering how the Druids were almost constantly tied to Sanctuary.


    ¡°Making sure each Settlement has at least one Pact Binder is a good safety measure in case of emergencies,¡± I insisted.


    Kestrel nodded and hurriedly wet her dry lips, ¡°Ah, command wants to know if you intend to allow access to your private portal network¡­¡±


    Knowing I should have expected this question, I was still a little surprised all the same. ¡°Perhaps,¡± I hedged, not having given it much thought yet.


    ¡°Perhaps a limited connection from Port Gidian to a secure location in Hurst?¡± Kestrel pressed awkwardly, signalling this was very likely a high priority for the Asrusian leadership. ¡°Hurst is the city outside of this Labyrinth,¡± she babbled nervously when I didn''t reply immediately.


    ¡°I know,¡± I replied somewhat dryly. The army already had some means of teleporting their people into the Labyrinth. They had revealed as much on a number of occasions. So their request meant that their current method had problems. Considering the issue, as best I could tell, they were using magic items dropped as rewards by the Labyrinth. If they were, then they probably had finite charges for daily or weekly use.


    Considering a potential trade, the biggest problem I saw with the prospective arrangement was Ril¡¯s safety. Her perceived value only made her that much more of a target. There wasn¡¯t anything I could think of at the moment that would be valuable enough to compensate for the risks.


    No doubt interpreting my thoughts through my souring expression, Kestrel held up her hands placatingly, ¡°Just something to think about,¡± she tried to reassure me, ¡°If you think of something you want in trade, I¡¯ll see if the higher-ups agree.¡±


    Just as I was considering moving on to do something else, I realised there was one thing they had that could be valuable enough to risk Ril¡¯s safety. Knowledge. Specifically, the aggregated knowledge of civilization itself. ¡°Your capital city has a library right?¡± I asked rhetorically.


    Kestrel nodded uncertainly, apparently not seeing where I was going with the question.


    ¡°I want it,¡± I stated concisely.


    Kestrel¡¯s eyes grew wide and her mouth slackened in surprise.


    ¡°Books, scrolls, manuscripts, tomes, grimoires, treatises and bookmarks, I want all of it,¡± I insisted. ¡°You give me the library and I will give you a two way portal to Hurst.¡±


    Kestrel gulped hard and nodded anxiously.


    ¡°I want stone masons too,¡± I added, ¡°Experienced masters who can train others while building my library.¡±


    Kestrel swallowed again and nodded with more energy, shakily noting my demands on the wall.


    ¡°I assume the library has custodians? Men and women in charge of sorting and looking after the books? I want those who can be trusted and won¡¯t cause ¡®problems¡¯,¡± I added, remembering that someone would have to show the volunteers how to care for my library.


    Unsurprisingly, Kestrel returned with an answer less than two hours later. Their Lord Regent had agreed to the exchange of the capital library in exchange for the two-way portal from Port Gidian to the city of Hurst. The requested stonemasons, and more besides, would be sent to Sanctuary from Port Gidian with the next wave of settlers. Once the library was finished, or deemed suitable, the contents of the capital library would be transferred.


    In regards to my allowance of further Settlements to be established, the army had made a list of potential candidates, with more to follow, to be considered for potential travelling companions or liaisons so I could evaluate them personally.


    Most of the names Kestrel read aloud were completely unfamiliar, and the attached ranks predictably high. I did notice a couple of names that were familiar though.


    ¡°Are Kristof and Felix the same officers I met in Sanctuary?¡± I asked for confirmation.


    Kestrel checked a note next to the name on the list and nodded, ¡°They are,¡± she confirmed, ¡°Are they disqualified?¡± Kestrel asked nervously.


    I shook my head, ¡°No, but Felix has impressed me with his efforts to keep the peace. He is a suitable candidate for Overseer of a settlement near the border. Likewise, Kristof has proven himself an honourable man and I would be willing to give him the opportunity to serve as a Settlement Overseer further south.¡± Felix had damn near bent over backwards to be accomodating during our early exchanges, so it was pretty much a given that he would preserve the peace. Similarly, Kristof was disciplined and even though he may not be loyal to me, he was well-liked by his men and had Klive''s confidence. Considering I was vetting people by the quality of their character, this was enough.


    Kestrel nodded and began scribbling notes to send back to her superiors.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any women on this list?¡± I asked curiously.


    Kestrel gave me a weird look, ¡°Cpt. Rivers, Lt. Taylor and Ash are all women,¡± she explained awkwardly.


    Feeling a little embarrassed, I was still annoyed at the naming conventions of this world. ¡°Not that it will help with this particular problem, but you might want to consider assigning families a second name to identify by when resettling them,¡± I advised, ¡°It will make finding people in the Totem¡¯s registry that much easier being able to reference where they come from, their first name, second name and the same for their parents if you want to be double sure.¡±


    Kestrel quietly made a note of my suggestion, ¡°The reformists have been pushing for something similar,¡± she explained, ¡°But on the grounds for tax accountability and military service.¡±


    That sounded about right.


    ¡°Did Klive make this list, or was it a compilation?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°I believe it was a collaboration,¡± Kestrel replied a little uncertainly, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Have Klive look over the list and remove anyone he wouldn¡¯t personally vouch for. These Overseer positions can cause a great deal of misery in the hands of the undeserving, and I won¡¯t hesitate to revoke them all if the wrong people are suggested for the sake of appeasement.¡± An irony that wasn¡¯t lost on me as I was basically establishing the double standard for them to appease me, while also selecting qualified candidates whose selection wasn¡¯t motivated by appeasing someone else.


    Kestrel seemed to have noticed this inconsistency herself, but remained silent as she noted down my demands.


    ¡°The Settlements arranged a day south of the border will be entitled to all their unlocked Underlord promotions. Port Gidian¡¯s Underlord title taxation will be reduced to a quarter, along with any Settlements established by the river, under the expectation that ships with competent crews patrol the length of the river. Interior Settlements south of Port Gidian will have an expected title tax of half of all Underlord titles. Overseer Klive will be directly responsible for all Settlements south of Port Gidian, while those Overseers stringing the border will be held responsible for themselves.¡± I felt like rewriting the deal like this would really drive home that I wanted quality people put in charge, not placeholders with fancy titles.


    With all their Underlord titles intact, the Settlements just south of the border would be ideal for garrisoning and training soldiers. Which would better assist with keeping that border secure in the future. Keeping them independent of Klive¡¯s authority would provide a potential safeguard against any potential rogue elements further south. I had similar intentions for the port Settlements and patrolling the riverway, but I still wanted to keep bargaining leverage for later. As for putting the interior under Klive¡¯s responsibility, it was a none too subtle reminder that precious few of the Asrusians had actually earned my trust and that anyone wanting to rock the metaphorical boat would be Klive¡¯s responsibility to handle.


    Technically, they would all come under Gric¡¯s purview, but it was better not to make waves by pointing it out.


    Leaving Kestrel to message her superiors and inform them of the unofficial amendment to our deal that was now on the table, I decided to see whether Mors¡¯s students had made much progress.


    None of them had unlocked the Druid Class, but rather surprisingly, they had all managed to unlock Apprentice Druid and seemed to be doing reasonably well at the different tasks Mors had set them to.


    Some were growing olives, others were shaping branches and roots into small chairs and tables, and the most talented appeared to be collaborating on growing a fuzzy orange coloured patch of dawnmoss in the shade of the olive tree.


    Despite the lack of Advanced Class Druids, Mors still seemed proud of his students'' progress and was spending most of his attention and focus on those who were struggling.


    ¡°You look happy,¡± I commented with a grin.


    Thoroughly absorbed in his mentoring, Mors hadn''t noticed my approach, so was momentarily startled. ¡°Overlord!¡± Having overcome his surprise, Mors grinned wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth inside of his toad-like mouth. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°No, I just wanted to see how your students were coming along,¡± I explained.


    Mors nodded in understanding, ¡°They no longer need the manaflower to control their mana inside the plants!¡± He explained excitedly, ¡°Some of the most talented are almost ready to begin acquiring Exp and level up.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, ¡°Can¡¯t they just level up now? What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°Practice while their perception is weaker compensates for not being hatched able to see mana,¡± Mors explained excitedly, ¡°It is much better this way!¡±


    Taking a few moments to think about it, that made a great deal of sense. Without Hana providing a high synergy bonus to sensing plants, the manaflowers properties were too weak to jump straight to Druid like the Daemons did. So drilling them to work better with what they have just made sense. ¡°Do you think they will still be able to become Druids?¡± I asked.


    Mors became pensive for a few moments and then shook his head, ¡°With much more practice, and more levels, it is possible. But not for a long time. This is why training is important.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I agreed, ¡°What are they working on?¡± I pointed to the orange moss.


    Mors smiled again, ¡°I call it dewmoss,¡± he croaked in what I assumed was his approximation of laughter, ¡°Because it still sounds like...ahern,¡± Mors cleared his throat sheepishly, ¡°I made it from dawnmoss, but it is drought-resistant and draws in moisture-¡±


    ¡°-Like morning dew,¡± I smiled and patted Mors on the back, ¡°Good job Mors. I¡¯ll be looking forward to seeing your progress.¡±


    Checking in on Hessin and her Shamans, I was surprised to see a number of small spectral orbs floating around the smoke-filled room. Taking a closer look, the spectral orbs looked like eggs, each of them no larger than my thumb. Within each egg was a spark or concentrated mana.


    After taking a few minutes to think about what I was seeing, I came to the conclusion that the eggs had to be Spirits of some kind, which was weird in and of itself. I guess I had just sort of assumed that the Bleak-Fang¡¯s serpent spirit had just sort of always existed.


    Looking over at Hessin, I could see an ephemeral snake no longer than her arm draped lazily over her neck like a scarf.


    Noticing my presence, Hessin motioned to the doorway leading to another room and quietly made her way over. Drawing the thick curtains aside, she waited for me to enter and then followed. ¡°How may I asssisst you Overlord?¡± Hessin asked anxiously.


    ¡°I was just curious about the Spirits,¡± I motioned back to the other room for context, ¡°I didn¡¯t know they hatched from eggs.¡±


    Hessin relaxed and smiled, ¡°Inheriting a Sspirit iss rare. Not many have the sstrength to ssurvive the death of the Shaman they are bound to.¡±


    I was with her so far, but that still didn¡¯t answer my intended question, ¡°Where did the eggs come from?¡±


    Hessin took on a thoughtful expression and took a moment to consider her answer, ¡°The Sspiritss come from within each Shaman, formed from thought, emotion and mana. They are consstant companionss and help power our magic.¡±


    ¡°So they are sort of like your child?¡± I asked curiously. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hessin hesitated in answering and then shook her head, ¡°It iss not the ssame.¡±


    Waiting for Hessin to explain herself, all I received was an apologetic shrug. ¡°How are you students doing?¡± I asked, deciding to change the topic.


    ¡°They are making progresss,¡± Hessin hissed happily, then her smile faltered, ¡°Ssome were impatient,¡± she confessed with a hint of embarrassment.


    ¡°Impatient? In what way?¡± I asked, worried that we might be wasting resources on people who would be better off taking more time to consider their potential Class choices.


    ¡°They all wanted to be Warlockss,¡± Hessin explained, ¡°They just wanted to the smoke so they could complete the minimum unlock requirementss.¡±


    Frowning slightly, I checked Stone Well¡¯s registry and was surprised to see that there were now more than fifty Warlocks. A drastic increase over the single Warlock from a few days ago. While Warlock was not a bad Class, it was still surprising to see so many of a single Class appear at the same time, and that all of them appeared to be from the Flowing Water tribe.


    ¡°I will look into this,¡± I assured Hessin and then saw myself out.


    Walking around the village, I found no sign of the Warlocks. Concluding that they were likely out hunting, I decided to visit Mors again and see if he could provide any insights.


    ¡°Fifty?¡± Mors seemed just as shocked as I had been. Becoming unfocused for a moment, Mors extended a mental invitation to an existing mind link.


    <Tell our Overlord what you have done!> Mors croaked irritably.


    An unfamiliar presence recoiled at Mor¡¯s rebuke before making itself known, <Overlord?> A mental image of a woman with the body of a snake from the waist down, four arms and covered in scales formed in my mind alongside her true name, Senn. <I am only doing my best to be productive¡­>


    <What did you do Senn?> I pressed, wanting an explanation for what was going on.


    <...Overlord...I encouraged my Pact Bound to recruit more Warlocks so I could forge additional Pacts and fulfil my greater purpose¡­> Senn¡¯s overwhelming sense of sincerity made it obvious that she wasn¡¯t lying, but the mention of a greater purpose was a little unnerving.


    <What greater purpose? And why does forming more Pacts help you in reaching that goal?> I demanded.


    <I believe I understand, Overlord¡­> Mors volunteered exasperatedly. <Senn is confusing her personal pursuit of power with making herself useful...And Overseer Gric is encouraging it because¡­> Mors seemed to lose steam and almost sounded sympathetic, <Because managing the Warlock Pacts can be demanding, and Senn hadn¡¯t show interest in doing anything productive¡­>


    Recalling what I had seen in Izsa¡¯s Pact, I didn¡¯t remember seeing anything particularly troubling. <Demanding how?>


    <Well, loaning her mana in accordance to each Pact can leave Senn weakened and vulnerable depending on the timing. Leaching raw mana for personal development will help, but being bound to so many means it will be dangerous for Senn to hunt alone. Even more so when the Warlocks level up and become capable of summoning lesser copies of her to aid them in battle¡­> Mors shook his head and inflated his throat in frustration.


    <More Warlocks isn¡¯t better?> Senn asked in confusion.


    <Not for you it isn¡¯t.> Mors confirmed. <Not unless you unlock one of the Daemon Lord Classes, or earn the position of Overseer.>


    <Why is that?> I asked curiously.


    Mors had apparently gotten a little carried away and forgotten I was part of the conversation, saying more than he perhaps intended to. <Uh...Well...A Daemon Overseer is responsible for all the Pacts of Daemons under their authority¡­And entitled to half their raw mana obtained through Summons and Pacts.>


    That certainly helped explain why Gric was able to spend so much time administrating and still maintain his lead as the most evolved Daemon. So as best I could understand the issue, Senn was effectively running a small loans bank and had taken on more customers assuming it would automatically generate additional profit. Unfortunately for her, Senn also had to pay a tax on what she earned, resulting in large amounts of work, but little personal gain after considering the risks of the loans.


    <What about lesser promotions?> I asked curiously. <Do they lessen the amount taxed by the Overseer?>


    Mors seemed reluctant to answer. <Yes, Overlord. Each tier reduces the ¡®tax¡¯ by a nominal amount. An Underlord would lose twenty-five per hundred, a Lord would lose fifteen per hundred, and an Overlord would lose five per hundred serving an Overseer sworn to a Tyrant.>


    <Tyrant? Is that the next Lordship tier?> It was the first I had heard of it and I was curious to learn more.


    Mors seemed only too happy to oblige, apparently relieved to be leaving the more unpleasant business behind. <Yes, Overlord. Tyrant is the supreme title of authority above all others!>


    It was almost disappointing to learn that there was only one level of title higher to go. But after stopping to think about my priorities, my disappointment soon turned to relief. Evolving and levelling were meant to be my current priorities, not titles. Even Stone Well was just a detour in the overall scheme of things, and once Ril succeeded or failed at establishing a portal, we would be moving on.


    This was why I was focusing so much on delegating responsibilities. I wanted to try and establish a standard procedure for securing Settlements. Although from what I had been told, the Variants of the fifth floor shouldn¡¯t be expected to play nice like the others. Then again, the possibility of challenging a chieftain for leadership of an existing tribe could make things much faster. Of course, this was assuming Ril could create a viable portal network. Otherwise, the extra settlements would be difficult to take advantage of and become more of a liability than a benefit.


    As much as I wanted to help Senn out of her predicament, I decided that she needed to live with the consequences for a while before I would consider intervening. Besides, I was more concerned by Gric¡¯s callous behaviour than Senn''s overeagerness. I could understand that he was trying to be efficient, but there were limits to what I would tolerate. When I returned to Sanctuary, I would need to sit him down for a long chat about abusing the trust his hatch mates have placed in him.


    After severing the connection with Mors and Senn, I spent the rest of the day trying to get used to riding the Hulking Boar. As it turned out, the board¡¯s limited turning capabilities became an advantage for me, since my early attempts at using the reins one-handed would have sent me flying from the saddle and into the dirt. As is, my fumbling with the reins only caused the Hulking Boar to slow the heck down and attempt the turn it thought I was asking for.


    The key problem I was facing was balance, and more specifically, its absence the moment I sat in the saddle. While I was showing very small signs of improvement as the hours passed by, my greatest accomplishment was the confidence boost the other people practising gained by watching my spectacular failures. Even so, I stuck at it. Riding would be an important skill for travelling places quickly and fighting faster or larger enemies.


    Before stopping for the day, Clarice grudgingly allowed me the opportunity to ride Dhizi. The difference was like night and day. Whether it was because Dhizi already was familiar with everything already, or perhaps because of her Intelligence, she seemed to anticipate just about every move I was going to make and made sure to assist in helping me keep my balance.


    Thoroughly convinced that Clarice had been coasting on Dhizi¡¯s efforts, I was disappointed when Clarice hopped into the boar''s saddle and rode it through the obstacle course without any real issues. Making things worse, even Nadine had a try and did far better than I had.


    When I returned to the house we were staying in, Kestrel was already waiting for me. ¡°Do you have a minute? High command made contact again.¡±


    ¡°Might as well,¡± I grunted and removed my robe before going upstairs and sitting against the wall on the terrace.


    Kestrel followed, nodding her head as she worked to recall all the information. ¡°They have agreed to the official border arrangement as well as the revised Underlord taxation, and the border Settlements each being independent of Baron Klive¡¯s authority. Lt. Felix and Cpt. Kristof have agreed to serve as border town governors independent of Baron Klive¡¯s authority and jurisdiction, and have requested permission to recruit auxiliaries for support in establishing their Settlements.¡± Kestrel paused to take a small drink to wet her throat, ¡°Baron Klive has provided a revised list of potential Settlement Overseer candidates,¡± she patted a pouch at her waist and took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°Your recommendation for each Settlement to have at least one dedicated Pact Binder was given serious consideration and Baron Klive has requested access to someone capable of training them as needed. Lastly, the Lord Regent wanted you to be informed that a law banning the enslavement of Variants within the kingdom of Asrus has been decreed and the Midnight Caravan unofficially granted perpetual amnesty for crimes committed in the pursuit of freeing Enslaved Variants.¡±


    Pretty much everything had been what I had expected. But then the Regent¡¯s Emancipation Proclamation blindsided me. Considering how invested he was in colonising the Labyrinth, it made a sort of sense to formally ban enslaving Variants. Especially if he planned for his people to get along with Variants long term. Then again, it just might represent how poorly things were going outside of the Labyrinth. Likewise, pardoning the Midnight Caravan was obviously to get in my good graces, but I wondered how long other kingdoms would take to crack down on them.


    ¡°Klive¡¯s candidates, how many are there?¡± I asked, trying to put aside everything else for the time being and focus on being productive.


    Kestrel removed a small piece of paper from the pouch on her waist and took a moment to count off the candidates¡¯ ranks, ¡°Five. One Colonel, One Captain, Two Lieutenants and a sergeant,¡± Kestrel replied, ¡°Three men and two women, in case you were wondering,¡± she added with a smirk.


    I stifled a snort of amusement and took a few moments to think about how best to approach things. Adding five more Humans to the group could be asking for trouble, but more Settlements secured by the Asrusians on the third floor meant more Underlords for Sanctuary and more allies between Sanctuary and potential threats. ¡°What order did Klive recommend them in?¡± I asked.


    Kestrel frowned a little, ¡°Not in order of rank¡­Or by name...Sorry, there doesn''t seem to be an order?¡±


    ¡°Or it is in order of his personal recommendation,¡± I guessed, ¡°Either way, I think we could only bring two more people to the fifth floor.¡±


    Kestrel nodded in agreement, ¡°Any more and we will risk being seen from a much greater distance. With so many mounts already, we will be quite visible.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much,¡± I agreed. I was already somewhat concerned about our maneuverability in regards to the forested terrain. The fact that we would stand out like a sore thumb in the open was just begging for trouble.


    ¡°So who will you take?¡± Kestrel asked, although she seemed distracted and was bringing out her spyglass.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± I tried looking in the same direction as Kestrel, but saw nothing.


    ¡°I think the first of your expected tribals are arriving,¡± Kestrel explained and pointed to a blank space on the evening horizon. ¡°Should probably reach Stone Well in an hour or so...They are bigger than I expected...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I still couldn¡¯t see anything and being fed information in dribs and drabs was frustrating.


    Kestrel seemed to pick up on my tone and spent a bit longer to confirm her suspicions rather than giving play by play observations. ¡°There are two tribes travelling together,¡± Kestrel reported, ¡°Or at least that is what it looks like.¡±


    The Sand Walkers were the tribe we had been expecting, but to continue travelling so late in the evening and in the company of another tribe, was not something anyone had expected.


    When the Sand Walkers and Fire Dancers arrived outside the gate, it became obvious why they had risked a forced march and united forces. They were being followed. Or, more accurately, they were being chased.


    Large dust clouds had appeared on the horizon and were continuing to grow closer.


    That no warning had been provided by Izsa suggested that the pursuers had taken a circuitous route and avoided the Foothold. Whether they were human or Orcs had yet to be seen, but the desperate relief shown by the nomads as they entered the protection of the village was telling enough on its own.


    ¡°¡­¡± Kestrel nearly dropped her spyglass in surprise, her skin paling as an expression of horror settled on her face, ¡°The ground is collapsing¡­¡± Kestrel gasped and pointed to the widening dust cloud.


    Heading to the village centre, I was glad to see the well was intact and seemed to be fine despite the minor vibrations I was beginning to feel through the ground.


    Mors was in a deep meditative state, surrounded by both his own and Hessin¡¯s students, his toad-like body wreathed in emerald mana. Realising the vibrations were originating from Mors and not approaching dust clouds, I allowed myself a moment to relax and try to see what was going on.


    Despite the sheer volume of mana Mors was burning through, none of it was directed above ground.


    A crowd of Flowing Water¡¯s hunters and warriors rushed into the village centre and joined Mors¡¯s and Hessin¡¯s students in coma-like meditation.


    Like petrol on a bonfire, Mors¡¯s mana flared momentarily, intensifying the vibrations for a few moments before dying down again.


    Aware that I could distract Mors, I decided to keep my distance. However, as I began to move away, the ground began to violently shake and I stumbled, falling on my hands and knees.


    People began crying out in fear as the shaking grew worse, running to find shelter in the largest and sturdiest buildings they could find.


    The distant sound of falling stones was growing closer with each passing moment, matching the intensity of the quakes.


    With exactly zero experience on what to do during an earthquake, I felt heavily conflicted watching people pack into the nearby buildings. Just a single collapse would be injuring dozens of people, and if the ground opened up...I felt my stomach turn at the thought.


    Sparing a glance towards Ril¡¯s gate, I wondered if perhaps it would spring to life at any moment and provide a last-minute escape.


    Pushing such thoughts from my mind and labelling them childish and unhelpful, I shakily got to my feet and began staggering back to Kestrel. While the portal may not provide an emergency escape from the disaster, it might be able to provide relief to the survivors. The best way to guarantee that, was by alerting Sanctuary now and trying to keep them updated throughout.


    I felt like an idiot for not telling Kestrel to do so sooner.


    Reaching our borrowed residence, I could see Kestrel lying prone on our roof and panning her spyglass over the wall.


    ¡°-SHOULD MISS US!¡± Kestrel shouted to Clarice who had just scaled the opposite side of the building. ¡°SEE?!¡± She motioned along a section of the wall with her free hand and made an axing motion to emphasize the cut off points.


    ¡°YOU SURE?!¡± Clarice, ¡°THAT DUST CLOUD IS FUCKING HUGE!¡±


    Not willing to risk the integrity of any of the nearby buildings, I rushed towards the gate to get a look for myself.


    True enough, the collapse was stirring up a gigantic dust cloud. Not just that, but all the displaced earth and rock was driving the dust outwards at ever greater speeds as the air pressure continued to build in the vicinity of the collapse''s inexorable advance.


    Too low to confirm whether the yawning pit consuming the horizon would in fact miss us, I forced my mind back onto productive matters I could control. Rushing back to Clarice and Kestrel, I gave the former the job of making sure everyone had found shelter and warning of the approaching dust storm, and the latter the responsibility of keeping Sanctuary informed of the disaster approaching our doorstep.


    Pulling a large tarpaulin, rope, and tent stakes from our supplies, I cried out a simple warning of my own as I made my way towards the well. While most had expected the storm, or were incidentally prepared, I was relieved when people began dividing themselves more evenly into different buildings.


    Arriving at the village centre, I found it empty except for Mors who was still sitting beneath the olive tree, the faintest flickering remnants of emerald mana still barely visible against his skin.


    Pulling the tarpaulin over the mouth of the well, I wrapped the excess and corners around the sides as best I could manage and then tied it all together with the rope. Anchoring as many of the eyelets in the tarpaulin¡¯s corners as I could, using my fist as the hammer I looked worriedly back at the darkening sky and felt a mounting sense of worry with each star that disappeared.


    Having secured the well and its water as best I could, I was left unsure what to do with Mors. For all I knew, Mors was eking out the final changes that would see them through the imminent disaster.


    My choice became much easier a few moments later when Mors crumpled to the ground unconscious, having depleted the final dregs of his mana.


    Lifting the spent Daemon onto my shoulder, I went looking for a shelter to wait out the storm and did my best not to think about the ground opening beneath us in the dark and swallowing us whole.


    *****


    Having recently depleted most of her mana, Ril assessed the progress of the portal. Forged from solid iron, the giant archway was wrapped in thick roots and vines from the towering trees of Grove. The mana conductive foliage was intended to draw away excess mana or recharge that embedded manastones as required. While the process would take hours, or perhaps days if used too frequently, it was far better than the unsupported prototype Ril had left behind on the fourth floor.


    Tim¡¯s desire for a functional portal network was very much in line with Ril¡¯s own thinking, although perhaps for different reasons.


    While the portal network would improve the defensive capabilities of Tim¡¯s forces as a whole, the true advantage would come from subverting the existing network. Assuming Ril became strong enough, she could redirect the permanent portals of the Labyrinth into locations of her choosing, or shut them down entirely. So long as her control was uncontested, Ril would be able to guarantee Tim¡¯s maneuverability advantage within the Hurst Labyrinth.


    Gently caressing the ironwork of the gate, Ril smiled as she imagined dozens of copies being deployed throughout the Labyrinth. Every nascent memory of her past incarnations defeats confirmed that the Daemons were unable to survive alone. No matter how strong they became, the Labyrinth would disgorge something stronger and eliminate them.


    Unlike the weaker Daemons, Ril remembered everything. Her previous selves, Daemon Lords, Overlords and Tyrants each in their own right, they each experienced the fall of their species and took great pains to leave records for future incarnations in an attempt to secure eventual victory. Only things were very different this time.


    According to her memories, Ril would first establish dominance over the weaker Daemons and establish her position at the top of the hierarchy. Second, Ril would choose the strongest to be her lieutenants and guide their evolution in cunning and intelligence so they could serve as commanders of the great army. Third, Ril would set her kin upon hunting down viable female breeding stock so they could swell their ranks with Hybrid Daemons.


    The breeders wouldn¡¯t be mistreated in any way and would be secured through voluntary means only. A number of incarnations had failed specifically because of hybrids siding with their mothers and instigating rebellions at inopportune times.


    Once their forces were adequately established, Ril would order the beginning of what her past selves all tactlessly named, the death march. The Daemon and hybrid host would march ever upwards through the Labyrinth in search of...Ril wasn¡¯t exactly sure. Some of her past selves were convinced that the topmost floor had a means of controlling the entire Labyrinth, and that securing it would be equivalent to achieving godhood. Others made the push with the assumption that the Daemons would be untouchable once they conquered the top floor monsters and assimilated their superior genetics. In either case, it had always been enough to sway those undecided.


    Only, things were not going according to plan. In fact, things had never been so different since Ril¡¯s first known incarnation. Ril had never had a mother¡­


    Turning her attention from the cast-iron gateway to the smelting pits, Ril smiled wanly as she watched her mother transmute a mountain of iron ingots into another prefabricated gateway. The Scavenger Class Ability seemed to have roughly an eight in ten chance of failure, but iron ingots were plentiful and could be rapidly resupplied if necessary. Eight such gates were already completed and had passed the smiths inspections. Although they had initially grumbled about their work being ¡®copied¡¯ so effortlessly, witnessing the failure rate had gone a long way to balming their bruised pride. Assigning them to assure the quality of successful transmutations had done the rest, allowing the smiths to quibble over minor imaginary flaws to assuage their egos.


    Taking a step, Ril folded the space between herself and her mother and appeared beside her.


    Reflexively, her mother drew Ril into a light embrace and gently patted Ril¡¯s damp seaweed-like hair.


    Affection. This was Ril¡¯s first incarnation having known genuine unconditional affection. She had countless lovers, mates and even diplomatic consorts, but they had always wanted something from Ril in exchange, always had a personal agenda, an ulterior motive.


    However, this time, before Ril had even hatched, before her memories had time to find her, Ril had been chosen and showered with unconditional affection from her mother. She understood now why the hybrids had betrayed her cause all those many incarnations ago. There wasn¡¯t anything Ril wouldn¡¯t do in order to protect her mother.


    In a similar sense, Ril felt a connection to Tim as well. While not bonded to him directly, she couldn¡¯t help but feel thankful for his part in bringing Ril her mother. Tim had also accomplished something Ril had never seen before, he had almost completely derailed the Daemons from their primary directives.


    Ril had served under Lords of the Labyrinth before. Many were maladjusted and self-destructive, allowing Ril to seize control with relative ease. Others had been so traumatised that Ril had been in command in all but name since hatching. There was only one other Lord Ril had served that had been close to Tim¡¯s level of mental and emotional stability. Crowley.


    Incarnated as a Daemon himself, Crowley was the one who had first set Ril on her path to conquering the Labyrinth. Mental and emotional stability was where the similarities ended. Crowley wanted to conquer the Labyrinth for the godhood he convinced himself was waiting for him. Tim wanted to keep his people safe by giving them the strength to defend themselves.


    ¡°Baby hungry?¡± Ril¡¯s mother asked, materialising a haunch of roasted reptile meat in her free hand and offering it to Ril.


    Rill nodded and took a bite. She was more mana depleted than hungry, but bonding with her mother always filled Ril with a sense of contentment that had been absent in her previous incarnations and Ril wanted to make the most of it.


    ¡°Metal doors will make TIm happy, right?¡± Ril¡¯s mother asked uncertainly.


    Ril nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Yes Mama.¡±


    Ril¡¯s mother chewed thoughtfully for a while and then shrugged. While incredibly smart by Goblin standards, Ril¡¯s mother hadn¡¯t quite grasped what the gates were for. She understood that they were for confining and controlling a portal''s energy to allow for interdimensional travel, but not why that mattered. It wasn¡¯t her fault. Unlike Ril, she didn¡¯t have a host of past lives to draw information from, instead, Ril¡¯s mother was doing the best she could with what she had learned in a single lifetime of experiences.


    Besides, Ril couldn¡¯t quite remember exactly which of herselves had discovered the means to execute the great convergence, but she knew that the incarnation in question had been too immature to understand it at the time. Assuming sufficient control was established over the Labyrinth¡¯s portal network, entire floors of the labyrinth could be forced to cohabitate in the same dimension alongside one another. The hexagonal shape of each floor was designed with this in mind, or at least Ril assumed so since there was no other reason for it. The individual pairing of Labyrinth floors was referred to as Convergence and so far as Ril knew, it was permanent.


    Opening portals across dimensions would be more difficult with each degree of separation. However, Converging the floors together would make travel between those same portals drastically more sustainable. It would also make the converged floors higher level monsters available for harvesting materials or Exp. In a way, it was exactly what Tim wanted. Access to high-level monsters to serve as both a deterrent to the hostile humans, and a means for making his people powerful enough to defend themselves.


    Savouring the taste of the roasted meat in her mouth, Ril began contemplating exactly how many gates they would need in order to subvert control of the portal network and how best to instruct Gric on ¡®negotiating¡¯ with the Humans in order to accomplish it.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 30 – Opportunity in disaster – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 30 ¨C Opportunity in disaster ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 30 - Opportunity in disaster - Part One


    The tremors continued well into the night. However, by dawn, the world had grown quiet and still once more. As bad as the tremors had seemed, the dust storm was worse. To avoid breathing in the dust that billowed in through the open doorway, I had to double wrap my lower face with my headscarf and improvise something similar for Mors. Making sure Mors¡¯s was both protected and still capable of breathing was an especially difficult task due to his unique physiology.


    With only two thin slits for a nose, Mors¡¯s large head had an almost fishlike lower jaw and a large sagging sack devoid of muscle in place of his throat. The latter was what caused me the most grief. Tying the cloth too tight and I would choke the unconscious Daemon to death, tie it too loose and it would slip right off. By the time I was finished, I had just about wrapped his entire head just to ensure the cloth wouldn¡¯t slip.


    I felt a profound sense of relief when the light of the sun began filtering through the doorway. Getting to my feet, I warily made my way outside to assess the damage to the village.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one up and about either. Stone Well warriors were patrolling the village and checking in on the barricaded homes. Some were resolved with a simple exchange of words, others with a quick inspection, and in a few rare instances, the unconscious residents were hurriedly carried to the hospital.


    After doing my rounds, I was surprised to find that none of Stone Well¡¯s buildings had collapsed. A few showed signs of mild to severe cracking, but were otherwise intact. Similarly, the well was just as I had left it, albeit covered in loose sand.


    The scene outside of Stone Well¡¯s walls was much different. While not as severe as I had expected or imagined, the landscape had changed drastically. Stone Well was now isolated atop an almost perfectly circular mesa that had to be at least a couple of hundred feet off the ground. There were other mesas farther out in the distance, but none nearly so unnaturally perfect as Stone Well.


    The moat around the village was still intact, although the far wall of packed dirt and stone had all broken away, leaving the moat exposed on its outermost side. Reluctant to take credit for saving the village, I found exposed roots on the outermost edges and realised that Mors was very likely the only reason the village was still standing.


    Returning to the well, I cleared away all the dust and debris and then removed the ropes and tarpaulin. As I had expected, the well¡¯s water had been drained dry, most likely to fuel the expansive growth of the root system that now held the mesa together and prevented it from collapsing during the earthquake.


    With no water in reserve and nearly twice as many more people to care for than yesterday, there was no room for hesitation or procrastination. Decisiveness was required in order to stave off a panic.


    Knowing that Izsa¡¯s daughter, Ezha, was a Pact Binder, I made heading for their dwelling my first priority. With Mors out of commission, we needed another Druid in order to reclaim water from dead monsters.


    Making my way to the Flowing Water¡¯s quarter of the village, I sent a quick quest to Gric so he was made aware of the Daemon we would need and the importance of the summoning being made.


    Izsa did not need much convincing, even volunteering herself and her warriors to serve as escorts for her daughter while securing the monsters for reclamation.


    Accepting Izsa¡¯s offer, I made my way to the storehouse next and appropriated all the rope they had. While I assumed the spiders could probably climb up and down the face of the mesa with their riders, I sincerely doubted they would have the stamina for making the trip with any more weight than that. Besides, we needed the spiders in prime condition since we wouldn¡¯t be able to bring the boars or birds without considerably greater effort. Rappelling down the side of the mesa was already going to be hazardous, there was no need to risk even more lives than absolutely necessary.


    With one of Izsa¡¯s warriors, a Warlock, volunteering to go first, I tied a serviceable harness around his legs and waist and then replicated the harness on myself to then show how to untie it once he reached the bottom.


    Confident that the warrior wouldn¡¯t break his neck, we lowered him over the side and continued feeding him rope until it fell slack. After receiving the signal, a loud trumpeting on one of the slavers horns, I tied a large knot in the rope to mark the length, and then we drew the rope back up.


    As I had guessed, the drop to the ground was about two hundred feet, which meant we had enough rope for five volunteers to be lowered at a time.


    While we measured out the ropes, the Beast Trainers and their spiders began scaling the mesa, although not as I had expected them to. Rather than climb, the Sand Stalkers simply attached an anchoring line of webbing and then slowly descended to the ground. The webs did present a hazard to those who would be rappelling down, so we had to gather them up before anyone else could descend, but it was good to know how quickly the spiders could reach the ground in relatively peak condition.


    Using the hulking boar as an anchoring point, we began lowering warriors in groups of five, including Osa so he could begin organising the hunting of monsters on the ground. After lowering eighty warriors in total, it was now Izsa, Ezha, and Kestrel¡¯s turn.


    ¡°You''re sure?¡± I asked Kestrel for the final time as I tied the harness around her waist, giving her one final out.


    Kestrel set her jaw determinedly, ¡°I need to check it out,¡± she insisted, ¡°I haven¡¯t read of any instances of collapse that even come close to this sort of scale. The higher-ups will definitely want to know more about what is happening.¡±


    Clarice snorted and rolled her eyes as she continued wiping down Dhizi¡¯s scales. Clarice had wanted to go exploring as well, but Dhizi had adamantly refused to approach the ledge, making it clear she wasn¡¯t capable of a sheer downward vertical climb. In fact, the more Clarice had tried insisting, the more vocal Dhizi had made her objections, hissing and roaring in a mixture of panic and anger. This behaviour was another sign of the Beast¡¯s relatively high intelligence and independence. Unlike the boars and spiders, Dhizi still exercised a certain level of autonomy despite her bond to Clarice.


    The final slot for the trip downward was taken by Osa¡¯s mate. As a Surgeon, she would be responsible for providing first-aid to anyone injured during the hunt.


    Clarice and I had both packed our retinues full of warriors and hunters at Osa¡¯s request. The general idea was that even if we were out of Exp sharing range of the group, they would still level up much faster than otherwise.


    After lowering the final group, I left Clarice in charge of keeping an ear out for the Slavers horns which would signal that the hunters and warriors wanted to return. I would have preferred to stay on standby myself, but I needed to make myself known to the Chiefs of the Sand Walker¡¯s and Fire Dancer¡¯s.


    With enough time having passed for people to overcome the worst of their fears, the streets were now relatively crowded as everyone began seeking out and checking on their relatives.


    A large crowd had gathered around the well and olive tree, which I could already tell was going to cause trouble. After drawing closer, I could see the familiar form of Jergal standing before the well and viciously emptying the water jug above his head with dramatic flair as dust poured out of it. ¡°SEE?! SEE?! OGRE BRINGS DEATH! DROUGHT WORSE! WE DIE IF HE STAY!¡± Jergal roared instantly.


    A half dozen warriors with hate-filled expressions on their faces nodded in agreement and joined his side, ¡°OGRE NO STAY!¡± They chanted in a ragged chorus, much to Jergal¡¯s relief and excitement.


    However, despite some murmuring from the crowd, no one else seemed willing to join Jergal¡¯s side. The recently arrived nomads didn¡¯t understand enough to choose a side and were warily keeping out of it altogether, slowly disappearing into nearby alleys or disappearing into nearby houses.


    To my surprise, the core resistance to Jergal seemed centred around the elderly storehouse keeper, Fadwa. Other elders and warriors alike made a point of gravitating to her side as she squared up against Jergal. ¡°UNGRATEFUL!¡±


    *Slap*


    Jergal staggered.


    ¡°SPITEFUL!¡± Fadwa¡¯s accusing shout carried far in the silence.


    *Slap*


    ¡°IDIOTIC!¡± Fadwa swung her hand again but Jergal intercepted her arm and held it tight.


    *Slap*


    Fadwa caught Jergal in the ear with her other hand, much to the crowd and Jergal¡¯s surprise. ¡°Chieftain Tim brings water, hope, LIBERATION!¡± She all but screamed into the warrior¡¯s face, ¡°Jergal? Jergal brings lies! Treachery! ENSLAVEMENT! Jergal desired Kelal, suddenly Abul enslaved?! TRAITOR!¡± Fadwa screamed and raked the nails of her free hand down Jergal¡¯s face.


    Staggering backwards, Jergal nearly fell into the well. ¡°You challenge Jergal?!¡± He roared incredulously, throwing the old woman backwards. ¡°Choose champion! Jergal no want kill crazy elder!¡± Although the naked hate in his eyes begged to differ.


    As much as it reassured me to see the warriors by Fadwa¡¯s side standing by her, this was better not left to chance. I was only halfway through the crowd when both Jergal and Fadwa spotted me at roughly the same time. ¡°I will be your champion elder Fadwa,¡± I offered, my words carrying far in the relative silence of my sudden appearance.


    Jergal paled and the warriors beside him began to edge away towards the crowd.


    ¡°I will fight as your champion against Jergal and those warriors who side with him!¡± I declared more loudly, making it crystal clear that the opportunists wouldn¡¯t be getting out of it so easily.


    ¡°I accept!¡± Fadwa declared hoarsely, her eyes filled with righteous anger.


    Upon hearing Fadwa¡¯s acceptance, the crowd began clearing the village centre and packing into the side roads and climbing atop the buildings to secure vantage points to witness the confrontation.


    Making my way over to Fadwa, I stripped down to my pants, not wanting my new clothes to be damaged or stained. ¡°What are the rules?¡± I asked while stretching and limbering up.


    ¡°Fight, fight until dead or surrender,¡± Fadwa hissed as she continued to glare at Jergal.


    I was a little surprised by that, ¡°You would let him just surrender?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Surrender exiled,¡± one of the other elders explained grimly.


    That seemed more fitting of a brutal monster society.


    ¡°Need weapon?¡± One of Fadwa¡¯s supporters asked, offering me one of his sharp curved knives.


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m fine,¡± I graciously refused the weapon and cracked my knuckles for dramatic effect. I wouldn¡¯t need a weapon for a fight this one-sided. Even seven on one, I wasn¡¯t expecting more than scratches or some shallow cuts.


    Huddled up on the opposite side of the village centre, it was obvious that Jergal was trying to put together some sort of plan.


    Walking out into the cleared space, I waited for some sort of signal that would begin the duel. Seeing that I had the time, I decided to take the opportunity to try to provide some reassurances to the villagers and any nomads who might still be close enough to listen.


    ¡°The well is currently dry,¡± I admitted truthfully, ¡°Mors used the water within to save our lives, to spare Stone Well from the disaster that came so close to consuming it during the darkest hours of the night.¡± I tried to project my voice as best I could manage without actually shouting and I at least appeared to have everyone''s attention. ¡°Hunters and warriors from the Stone Well and Flowing Water tribes are hunting monsters for water reclamation even now! Soon, the water will begin to flow and refill the well again! I swear to you!¡± I vowed.


    The crowd all turned their attention to the well expectantly.


    Surprised that I could inspire such trust, I found myself looking towards the well too, but more because everyone else was doing it rather than expecting anything to happen. However, to my immense surprise, water was slowly trickling from the root overhanging the well. Wondering at the timing of it all, I felt Mors attempting to bridge a connection with myself and two other Daemons.


    <Was that you Mors?> I asked with a hint of amusement at his choice in dramatic timing.


    There was a sense of amusement from the other participants in the link. <No Overlord. I am still too overdrawn. It was Lord Qreet who redirected the water.>


    <Minion Mors informed me of the ¡®situation¡¯ in the village, Overlord. And I thought it would be best to consolidate your authority given the fortuitous opportunity.> Qreet¡¯s reply was accompanied by the same sense of amusement shared by the other Daemons, making it obvious that they were all aware of what had been accomplished in regards to timing the waters return. <The root network has many redundancies. Do not worry, fresh meat is expected soon.>


    <Wait...You are draining the tree¡¯s roots right now?> I asked for clarification.


    <Oh yes, Overlord.> Qreet replied sincerely. <Minion Mors efforts were exemplary given the unknown extent of the danger, but there was a substantial amount of...wastage in redundant supports.> She seemed genuinely impressed with Mors, which was rare to see from Qreet and Gric, they usually adhered strictly to the hierarchy and only paid compliments upwards.


    Mors seemed equally surprised, and more than a little embarrassed.


    <Overlord!> Senn announced her greeting excitedly. <My Pact Bound¡¯ have secured many soulless and are directing more towards the Settlement! There will be food and water in abundance!>


    <How are there so many monsters?> I asked and then almost immediately realised the answer.


    <There seems to be no underground for the soulless to occupy, so the Labyrinth is spawning them above ground!> Senn replied excitedly. <Such interesting gene sequences¡­> The female Daemon added almost dazedly.


    <Overlord! Your ritual combat is starting!> Mors abruptly severed the connection.


    The mental link hadn¡¯t robbed me of my senses, but it had dulled them somewhat, so I appreciated Mors cutting the connection for me. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jergal and his supporters were on the move, three stalking to either side while Jergal slowly approached from the middle. It was obvious that he wanted me surrounded and that made sense as a general hunting strategy. However, I suspected Jergal was underestimating me due to the fact that I chose to fight them all unarmed.


    While I was not looking forward to harming or killing them, I knew that dissension would cost more lives down the line, and outright traitors would cost even more. Recalling how displeased Jergal had been when we rescued the hunters and the chief¡¯s nephew, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine him as an opportunistic traitor whose schemes we had foiled with our untimely arrival.


    Wanting to make an example of Jergal, and hoping that it would make the others surrender without the need for further violence, I calmly walked right into Jergal¡¯s trap.


    To his credit, Jergal seemed to suspect something was wrong and slowed his pace, his expression of concern mounting with each step closer we came to one another.


    ¡°RAA-¡± A warrior came charging from the left flank, leaping into the air with his knives held in a traverse grip, intending to drive the blades into my chest, back or neck.


    *Thump*


    I casually backhanded him in the gut, winding and sending him flying back towards his companions. Landing prone, he attempted to push himself to his feet but collapsed to the ground again and began hacking up blood. With how hard I had hit him, there was every chance I had ruptured his stomach, liver or one of his kidneys. But the immediate appearance of blood suggested that I had probably broken a rib and punctured a lung. In either case, he would now die without treatment he was no longer entitled to.


    Marking all seven as traitors, I ejected them from the alliance and blinked away the crimson notifications.


    I began walking towards Jergal again, grim determination mounting in my mind as I reconciled the violence against the man''s foul deeds. Jergal had made no attempts at refuting Fadwa¡¯s claims, immediately attempting to resolve the issue through a violent confrontation he believed he could not lose. He couldn¡¯t have made himself seem more guilty short of confessing outright. I had no sympathy for a traitor who would sell his own people into slavery.


    Jergal faltered and began to back away, ¡°KILL NOW!¡± He barked anxiously to his remaining supporters.


    After hesitating for a moment, four of his five remaining supporters rushed me more or less at the same time.


    Deliberately turning my back on the three lunging from my right, I threw a right-handed jab at the rightmost warrior now in front of me.


    *Crunch*


    My jab was lower than I intended and caused my fist to impact against his chin and collapse his lower mandible, spilling broken teeth into his throat and all but guaranteeing his death and my fists momentum continued into his trachea. Thrown backwards and onto the ground, the warrior gagged, gurgled and gasped as blood and broken teeth spattered out of his broken mouth.


    The warrior on my left awkwardly leapt backwards as I clumsily attempted an uppercut as a follow-up. My right elbow still hit something behind me as the pivoting motion jackknifed my elbow backwards.


    Almost immediately afterwards, I felt a cascade of light impacts against my back, each accompanied by a lingering caress before being withdrawn. Assuming they were the knives, I was almost disappointed by the fact that they didn¡¯t seem capable of even inflicting so much as a paper cut.


    Raising my left arm to shield my eyes I spun to my right and lashed out with my right arm.


    *Crack*


    The closest warrior had attempted to leap backwards out of range, but my knuckles caught him in the side of the head and crumpled him to the floor like a ragdoll.


    Blinking away the kill notification, I lowered my left arm and began stalking towards the other two warriors who had successfully managed to disengage.


    I could see the terror in their eyes, smell their fear.


    ¡°Exile!¡± One howled and threw down his knives.


    ¡°E-Ex-¡± The second began to stammer.


    *Thump, Crunch*


    I rushed forward and kicked him in the stomach before he even came close to dropping his knives, sending him crashing backwards and into a wall. I needed to establish a precedent, one no one would forget.


    ¡°Exile!¡± Shrieked the warrior from somewhere behind me, his surrender accompanied by two soft impacts against the ground.


    Turning my attention to Jargal again, I found him staring wide-eyed at the bloody ruin of the warrior I had kicked into the wall. He didn¡¯t register my presence until it was too late.


    Taking a firm grip on his throat with my right hand, I took hold of his right arm just below the elbow and began to pull.


    As much as Jergal wanted to cry out, to scream, beg for mercy, or surrender, he couldn¡¯t.


    *Thump, Thump Thump Thump, Thump*


    Jergal tried slamming the knife in his left hand into my abdomen over and over, accomplishing nothing more than making me feel a little uncomfortable or ticklish.


    *Riiiipop*


    Jergal¡¯s right arm came free at the shoulder and I threw it to the ground.


    Seeing a desperate swing of his knife coming for my right eye, I dropped Jergal to the ground. However, before he had the chance to surrender, I coldly stomped his right thigh.


    *Crack*


    Feeling Jergal¡¯s femur break underfoot and judging by the sheer volume of blood loss from his shoulder, I could tell he didn¡¯t have long to live, whether he surrendered or not was largely irrelevant now.


    ¡°Ex-Exile¡­¡± Jergal panted weakly, his face contorted in pain as he pulled a small vial from his clothing and downed the contents. The blood loss from his shoulder lessened considerably, and then stopped.


    A healing potion? That sort of thing existed in this world?


    Roughly patting Jergal down, I found three more small glass vials and took them as my prize alongside the near completely empty vial, which I carefully restoppered. ¡°I accept your surrender,¡± I growled menacingly and then turned my attention to the crowd, ¡°They will be lowered out of the village and are never to return! If they attempt to return they will be put to death!¡± I barked savagely and pointed back towards the ropes we had already set up earlier.


    A number of eager volunteers gathered up the surviving exiles and began stripping them of all belongings while dragging them towards the ropes.


    ¡°You allow Jergal life?!¡± Fadwa demanded bitterly once she traversed the crowd.


    I shook my head and motioned for her to follow as I ducked into her storehouse. Refusing to speak, I pointed to the open door and waited until the incensed elderly woman lowered a heavy rug over the entrance. ¡°They will not survive the hour,¡± I promised coldly, much to Fadwa¡¯s surprise.


    I had seen it happen far too many times in movies and T.V., and wasn¡¯t going to make that same mistake, not when it was basically guaranteed to result in even more innocent people being killed and caused to suffer.


    Mentally reaching out for Mors, he readily invited me back into the mind link with Senn and Qreet. <Can you invite Fadwa as well Mors? She is the elder who runs the storehouse.>


    <Of course, Overlord.> Mors agreed happily and a few moments later Fadwa nearly jumped in surprise.


    <This is a mind link. A means of speaking with your mind rather than your mouth.> I explained patiently while miming along to show it was me who was talking. <The mind link is one of the ways the Daemons like Mors communicate over long distances.>


    <Hello, elder Fadwa.> Mors transmitted a feeling of welcome and assurance.


    <Mind talk?> Fadwa experimented, moving her lips along with the words.


    I nodded. <Just like that.>


    <Why say Jergal will not survive?> Fadwa asked. Feeling somewhat intimidated by the alien connection to her mind, Fadwa didn¡¯t feel confident in being as insistent as she was in person, although I could plainly see the distress on her face.


    <Senn. Three traitors are being lowered to the staging area below Stone Well. Make sure every one of them dies. If possible, make an example of them while keeping our part in it a secret.> The order made me feel dirty, but letting the traitors live was far too great a risk. Far better to be ruthless now than mourn innocents later.


    <As you command, Overlord!> Senn replied eagerly.


    <Overlord?> Qreet effortlessly parted the mind link to give us relative privacy. <The hunters have secured a number of flying soulless that would prove useful to the roles of other Daemons. May I have your permission to have them summoned? Garn¡¯s activities as Scout would benefit from the alternative form of movement in particular.>


    <I will inform gric to allow them one summon each.> I conceded, knowing that granting some of the Daemons the ability to fly could prove incredibly useful in the future. <But make sure securing water and reinforcing our position takes priority where necessary.>


    <As you command, Overlord.> Qreet agreed obediently and then severed the connection.


    ¡°I am not a fool, Fadwa. I know that letting those exiles go exposes the village to needless risk. They had a chance to deny your allegations, but they wanted to subvert justice through their assumed superior strength, and once that failed, exile,¡± I explained coldly, knowing that she would at the very least inform a few of the other elders of the truth, or something close to it.


    Fadwa had overcome her shock and nodded in agreement, ¡°Better dead,¡± she agreed bluntly. A few moments later though, her expression wavered, ¡°Exiled leave mates, leave children¡­Bonds broken.¡±


    ¡°What is done for them normally?¡± I asked, unsure of what point she was trying to make.


    ¡°Challenge winner, take mates. Other families take children,¡± Fadwa explained a little hesitantly.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I refused point-blank. While the concept of a harem might appeal to some, Lash was all I needed and wanted. ¡°Find them new mates, and make sure the children stay with their mothers.¡± Allowing the children and spouses of traitors to live was another risk, but it was a line I wouldn''t cross. As of this moment, I had no way of knowing or proving their complicity in the traitors¡¯ actions. So they would be carefully watched to mitigate the risks.


    Leaving the storehouse, I stopped by our borrowed house to stow the potions and then headed for Uday¡¯s temporary residence. The village centre was packed with people again, only now they were boisterously discussing the trial by combat and miraculous refilling of the well currently in progress.


    A pair of Stone Well warriors had taken it upon themselves to impose a sense of order around the well, making sure that people took turns filling their small drinking pots of water and moved along in a timely fashion. Far from abusing their authority, I was pleased to see one of the warriors fill a drinking pot for a bow-backed elder who would otherwise struggle to reach the water streaming from the root over the well.


    The nomads occupied the majority of the queue to the well. Which made sense given that Stone Well and Flowing Water had steady access to water right up until the catastrophic collapse and were likely well watered. On the other hand, the Sand Walkers and Fire Dancers had almost certainly been travelling hard for who knew how long before reaching Stone Well as they desperately outran the quakes.


    Delaying my visit to the chief, I conscripted some warriors and had them hang sheets above the street to shield those waiting in line from the sun. It wasn¡¯t much, but it would help keep people a bit more level headed for longer.


    Chief Uday¡¯s temporary residence was smaller than the one we had commandeered as a hospital, but was still quite large. There were six warriors posted outside of the front door and judging by their comparatively strange clothing, I assumed four of them were from the recently arrived nomads. The Stone Well warriors recognised me immediately and opened the heavy carpets hanging over the large entrance so I could enter. The nomad warriors stared warily at me as I passed, but otherwise made no hostile actions.


    Chief Uday was sitting atop a small pile of cushions on the far side of the room and was joined by what looked like five Fire Dancers and two Sand Walkers. A large plate with olives was set in the middle of the gathering with four large pots of water and smaller drinking cups set nearby. Engaged in quiet conversation amongst themselves, they did not immediately notice my presence.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim!¡± Uday straightened on his pillows but did not get up, ¡°Join us, sit!¡± he motioned to a particularly large pile of larger pillows beside him.


    Not wanting to be rude or needlessly make a poor impression, I bowed my head in recognition of the invitation and patted down my pants before crossing the room to take a seat on the bed of pillows. Despite being made of silk, the pillows were not particularly comfortable due to limited options for stuffing. Still, they were more comfortable than sitting on the bare floor or rug, so I was grateful for the consideration.


    Now seated, and not as light blind, I could clearly make out that the two Sand Walkers were a man and woman, and that the Fire Dancers were all women save for one large pot-bellied Desert Orc with a great bushy grey beard.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim, introducing Chief Forgut Fire Dancer,¡± Chief Uday pointed to the elderly orc with the bushy beard.


    ¡°Is now like Far-Gut, yes?¡± The elderly bearded Orc joked and playfully slapped his belly to the combined tittering and dithering of the surprisingly age-appropriate women by his sides.


    Chief Uday waved his hand dismissively and then motioned to the Sand Walker, ¡°Introducing Chief Aisha Sand walker.¡±


    The female Sand Walker, Aisha, bowed her head respectfully and then the gesture was then repeated by her male companion.


    ¡°Everyone, eat, drink, talk,¡± Chief Uday clapped his hands and motioned to the olives and large pots of water.


    ¡°Is very manners for Ogre, yes?¡± Chief Forgut commented loudly as he gratefully accepted a small bowl of olives from one of the women I assumed were his wives. ¡°Mmm, is good, is interesting flavour!¡± He declared as he chewed an olive.


    The word made me flinch and I did my best to keep my reaction to a minimum, although I was quite certain just about everyone had noticed except Forgut himself.


    ¡°Chief Uday say Chieftain Tim gifts Classes, food, water, safety for joining clan?¡± Chief Aisha asked pointedly


    ¡°That is true,¡± I confirmed, ¡°So long as you and your people do not break our laws and swear the oaths of secrecy and loyalty, I will do my utmost to provide for you and your people in return. Some of my people have already been teaching the Stone Well Classes so they can better care for themselves.¡±


    ¡°I have seen,¡± Chief Aisha confirmed, ¡°Shamans have returned to Stone Well, provide great safety from disaster.¡±


    ¡°Actually, while Hessin is teaching new Shamans as best she can, this Ward protecting Stone Well is special. It is provided and maintained by myself and the Labyrinth and will persist indefinitely so long as enemy tribes are denied entry and the people within live.¡± I tried to explain the Settlement system in an easy to understand way that would be more accessible than the half-hour lecture I had given Uday.


    Despite my intentions, it still took close to a half-hour of explanations to satisfy both nomad Chiefs.


    ¡°Why share?¡± Chief Aisha insisted suspiciously.


    ¡°Strength in numbers,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°I am strong enough that most people would simply wait for me to leave first, then cause trouble. But if there are more people as strong as I am, then the trouble makers, thieves, Slavers...they will never get their chance.¡±


    My deliberate reference to the Slavers struck a nerve, as I had hoped it would. Even though both the nomad tribes had much larger numbers than Flowing Water, the broken families had still been easy enough to spot. Whether they were lost to the Slavers directly or as a result of losing their Shaman, the nomads were scarred.


    ¡°My terms are not unreasonable, and my laws are almost identical to your own in spirit. Should you wish to continue your nomadic lifestyle, I will not stop you, but I will insist that you take what innovations and advantages I can offer you to better keep your people safe. You have seen our beasts and I am sure I don¡¯t need to explain the many advantages they offer to the life of a nomad or living in the village. I want a future for our children, so if you have any misgivings, then speak them out loud so I can set them to rest.¡± Lash had been on my mind a lot lately, not least of which was because I missed her, but also because of anxiety over becoming a parent with our first child.


    ¡°Sons, daughters, grandchildren¡­¡± Chief Forgut¡¯s voice ached with grief, ¡°Many lost¡­¡± The elderly Orc¡¯s wrinkled hands began to tremble violently, ¡°Never again!¡± Chief Forgut growled into his beard.


    Chief Forgut¡¯s vow was mirrored in the intense and mournful gazes of his wives as they held one another for support.


    ¡°Fire Dancers join with you!¡± Chief Forgut swore, ¡°For children¡¯s future!¡±


    Chief Uday nodded, ¡°For vengeance,¡± he added grimly.


    Everyone¡¯s attention turned to Chief Aisha, impatiently waiting for her answer. Unphased, the young Chief remained deep in thought. ¡°All Classes shared?¡± Chief Aisha queried critically.


    I nodded, ¡°There are specific conditions for unlocking a number of Classes that can make them difficult,¡± I cautioned, ¡°But with the exception of three, which we don¡¯t have the means to unlock, and the Slaver Classes, which are forbidden, all other Classes will be made available to whoever wants to learn them.¡±


    Chief Aisha carefully considered her options again and then nodded, ¡°Sand Walkers join you,¡± she agreed, ¡°Grow strong again, return to sands.¡±


    I had figured at least one of the nomad tribes would want to return to their traditional lifestyle at some point, so eventually losing the Sand Walkers static force wasn¡¯t something we couldn¡¯t plan around. In fact, if we could construct robust sand sleds for the Sand Walkers and train a decent amount of their warriors and hunters to become Beast Trainers, they might become a solid contributor for the elusive Sand Striders.


    After all, the Sand Walkers would just be returning to their nomadic lifestyle, not leaving the alliance. So they would continue returning to Stone Well for trade and the mothers moon. Or I assumed they would.


    I spent another three hours doing my best to explain how the promoted positions and Settlement worked. I made sure to specifically mention how important literacy was for making the most of what the Settlement had to offer, specifically for unlocking Classes without being mentored.


    Unsurprisingly, all three Chiefs wanted the promotion to Underlord, but I had to disappoint them for the time being by explaining how Osa was promoting military leaders to better protect the village in the transition period. Depending on how many people each tribe brought into the alliance, the Chiefs would have the opportunity to earn those promotions after choosing and unlocking their own base Class or Classes first. This seemed to calm them somewhat, especially when I pointed out the additional unlocking requirements the custom Classes required in order to activate.


    Leaving the Chiefs to their discussion on arranging long term accommodations for each tribe and expected contributions towards the village, I decided to spend the rest of the day exercising.


    Reflecting on the trial by combat against Jergal and his collaborators, it occurred to me that my proficiency with most weapons wasn¡¯t as big a problem as my low Agility and poor flexibility. Somewhat fortunately for me, I remembered a number of exercises my wrestling coach had taught me that would probably do the trick if I kept at them long enough.


    Deciding to take it a little easy to begin with, I shortened a rope and spent an hour getting into the rhythm of jumping rope again. I was too preoccupied with avoiding tripping over my own feet at the time, but once I finished up I realised I had accumulated a small crowd of young adults, teenagers and kids.


    Some were trying to copy what I had been doing but were having problems due to their ropes being too long.


    Tying a couple of their ropes together and adding my own, I had two of the young adults begin swinging the rope and jumped in for a few spins before jumping out again. The kids were bright enough to pick up on the game and took it from there. I regretted having commandeered so much rope earlier.


    Balancing out my jump-rope exercise with pushups and squats, I went for a run around the village, making sure to retrieve my clothes from where I had left them earlier. Finishing the run back at our borrowed home, I changed clothes and set my sweaty ones out on the terrace to let the sun kill off the worst bacteria.


    Exercising spontaneously has always been easy for me, especially weight or strength training. What was hard was sticking with it long term. Being huge had never been a personal goal of mine and being able to maintain a high level of muscle without needing to exercise hadn¡¯t helped my motivation. Dislodging the blubber covering that muscle had been the priority, which meant dieting, which tanked my desire to exercise even further.


    Waiting by the ropes to the staging area, I grew restless and decided to get a closer look at the situation down below.


    Tying a harness around my waist, I had the warriors on watch take hold of the rope while I climbed down.


    Reaching the bottom, I was a little disappointed to only find Qreet and Kestrel in the immediate area.


    The staging area itself was dominated by an immense pit of vegetation at the bottom of the mesa. I could see the constricted and desiccated remains of different monsters, but was unable to identify any of them for certain.


    ¡°Overlord,¡± Qreet bowed in deference, ¡°Do you have need of me?¡±


    ¡°Just curious,¡± I reassured her, ¡°I wanted to see how things had changed for myself.¡± Despite the fact that Stone Well was now on top of a mesa and a few hills and other mesas in the distance, I actually didn¡¯t see much of a difference. ¡°Has Osa discussed plans for a more accessible route to the village?¡± I asked curiously.


    Qreet nodded, ¡°Several, Overlord. He wanted your advice before making a final decision. I can summon Overseer Osa if you wish,¡± she offered.


    ¡°Let Osa know I am here, but not to rush,¡± I agreed, ¡° I¡¯m not going anywhere any time soon.¡±


    Kestrel lowered her spyglass and waved in greeting as she jogged over, ¡°Another group of hunters is on their way with another drop-off,¡± she warned Qreet. ¡°Besides those giant bats and spike-covered lizards, not much has changed,¡± Kestrel observed with a hint of concern.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad thing?¡± I asked.


    Kestrel shrugged, ¡°The bats are big, but not big enough to be a threat unless they swarm. The spiked lizards are tough, but the hunters don¡¯t seem to have problems taking them out either, and some Beast Trainers have already caught a couple for corpse hauling duty and face tanking the Sand Stalkers.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s bugging you then?¡± I insisted.


    Kestrel let out a long sigh and looked out over the horizon, ¡°There still isn¡¯t any sign of something that could have caused that collapse, which means it could happen again, or worse.¡±


    While I doubted the collapse could happen again, Kestrel had a point in that whatever caused it could still cause damage to Stone Well. ¡°The lizards might be responsible,¡± I suggested, ¡°I have seen them tunnelling on the third floor, and with this drought, there is no vegetation holding the soil together. Given enough time, the lizards may have dangerously hollowed the underground out until something triggered a mass collapse.¡±


    Kestrel shrugged but didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    With the return of the hunters Kestrel had spotted earlier, I got my first look at one of the giant bats. Unsure of what I had really expected, the giant bats looked almost identical to flying foxes, a breed of fruit bat. Only, they had a more feral, mangy appearance and a mouth full of sharp teeth. As a monster, I didn¡¯t think the giant bats were all that dangerous. Without particularly sharp claws on its feet or wing gripping fingers, the damage it could inflict would be minimal.


    With the sun beginning to set, the teams of hunters remained in the staging area after delivering their kills. I tied harnesses for anyone who wanted to return to the village and blew the horn so they would be pulled back up, but most hunters remained below. Most hunters seemed content to socialise with the other hunters in the meantime.


    Noticing a change in how Qreet handled the corpses compared to Mors, I decided to take a look at her status to see if it was a result of her personalised Leadership Class Daemon Fenlord. True enough, it seemed to be the case.


    [(Class Ability: Preeminent Domain): Siphon mana from enemy Spells and Abilities within range. Must be within the boundaries of an Allied Settlement for the Ability to activate. {Willpower} increases the intensity of Effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Environmental Superiority {Swamp}): Within {Swamp} environments, MP expenditures are made more efficient and stats are increased. Passive MP regeneration is increased while within {Swamp} environments.]


    [(Class Ability: Vegetative Awareness): Gain limited perception through plantlife in an extreme radius. Expending MP temporarily increases the range of effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Rampant Plant-Growth): Expend MP to significantly accelerate the growth of plants in an extreme radius. {Willpower} allows greater control over the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Summon Swarm): Expend MP to create a swarm of invertebrates under your control. Size, stats and complexity of the organism dictate cost. {Willpower} allows greater control over the effect and reduces MP cost.]


    [(Class Ability: Cursed Fetishes): Expend MP to impose a Curse on the immediate area or enemies who interact with or come within range of the {Focus Item}. {Willpower} makes the Curse more difficult to dispel. Maximum number of {Cursed Fetishes} is determined by {Willpower} (0:3)]


    [(Class Ability: Booned Fetishes): Expend MP to bestow a Boon on the immediate area or allies who interact with or come within range of the {Focus Item}. {Willpower} makes the Boon more difficult to dispel. Maximum number of {Booned Fetishes} is determined by {Willpower} (0:3)]


    Compared to Mors, Qreet was definitely working on a noticeably larger scale, although she seemed to struggle somewhat with her control. This wasn¡¯t an issue for reclaiming water and nutrients from the monster corpses, but it did raise the question of whether Mors might be a better candidate for any undertakings requiring more precision.


    My overall impression of the Daemon Fenlord was more in line with a swamp witch or hag than a Druid at this point. Bestowing curses and summoning swarms of insects was pretty different, but I had to admit that the Class overall seemed quite versatile. I sure as hell didn¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of any of those Abilities.


    ¡°Overlord!¡± Osa was with one of the last groups of hunters to return, ¡°Our hunt proved mosst bountiful!¡± He declared happily.


    ¡°I noticed,¡± I replied with a smile and gave him an approving pat on the shoulder. ¡°Have you decided on a more permanent means of access to the village?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Osa rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Do you have some options you have narrowed it down to at least?¡± I pressed.


    Osa nodded uncertainly, his lack of confidence lowering my expectations further. Crouching down, Osa began sketching out a rough cross-section and top-down view of the mesa side by side. ¡°Wallss down below come later,¡± he hissed and sketched out a skirting wall below the mesa. ¡°Ramp is too big, ladders too tall¡­¡± Osa continued listing off his ideas and sketching them out in the dirt. His best suggestion was a ramp that circled the mesa in a gradual decline from top to bottom like a corkscrew. But even that solution would be very time consuming to implement and to use. Osa even suggested the idea of rebuilding the village below, but surrendering the high ground so easily seemed like a waste. Especially since the Totem¡¯s protective radius was centred from the well up on the mesa, leaving little room below for a sturdy wall and a replacement village.


    Impressed that Osa had at least given the issue a great deal of thought, I offered a more practical solution. Elevators.


    *****


    Tired from the long walk, Jacob still didn¡¯t understand why the tax and registry officials had been so anal about him selecting a second name. After all the fuss, he had allowed his wife Jena to choose for them, so now Jacob, Jena and their four-year-old son Sam now had the second name Meadows. While not a particularly Masculine name, Jacob found he rather liked its association with his being a beekeeper.


    Ten full wagons were allocated for their bees and their hives, demonstrating the importance the village held for Jacob¡¯s profession. After all, without bees there would be no flowers, which would mean no crops to balance out the villagers¡¯ diet, or stave off starvation in lean years. There also wouldn¡¯t be any honey or wax for candles, but those were products typically reserved for the nobility.


    When his village had been ordered to evacuate, Jacob and his neighbours had done so with the reluctant enthusiasm of those who knew full well what the alternatives would mean. With the rumours of war growing ever more frequent, nameless villages like theirs would inevitably be razed by one side or the other attempting to deny resources or some perceived advantage or another. So evacuating early was both a blessing and a curse. Blessing, in that they would keep their lives, a curse in that almost everything would be left behind and put to the torch to deny the enemy.


    Jacob had experienced four evacuations in his lifetime, so he had recognised the differences early on. The soldiers overseeing the evacuation had all been children of farmers or were from small villages like theirs and knew exactly what the villagers did and did not need. Despite this familiarity with what was necessary, the soldiers and their commanding officers had demonstrated extreme leniency in allowing each family a certain portion of allocated space for mementos, keepsakes and other family heirlooms that otherwise had no other practical value.


    The most profound difference was how each man, woman and child, regardless of how old or how young they were, were taken aside and made to swear oaths of loyalty and secrecy. It had not made much sense until the officers began disappearing people and wagons en masse. Although initially panicked and disoriented, by the sudden change in location, Jacob was relieved that whatever had happened, his son and wife were still by his side.


    Officers had called for silence and that was when Governor Felix, a dashing figure of a man in well-kept armour and a reassuring smile had explained where they were and exactly what would be expected of them. Jacob and his neighbours would be the first colonists of his colony located deeper in the swamp.


    As the governor had explained it to them, efforts were already being made to turn the swamplands into rich farmland and a protective barrier was already in place to drive away wild monsters. Every man and woman of enlistment age would be expected to participate in militia exercises during the week, but would otherwise be allowed to do as they please within the confines of the law. Schooling would be provided for all children at no cost to parents, with the bill to be paid by the governor himself. Literacy classes for adults would be offered once a week as well at no cost.


    Each villager had then been provided with a small vial of silvery liquid and then been told to drink it. After doing so, they were each then handed a strange pebble and told to eat it. When they hesitated, the governor reassured them that this was the standard procedure for all colonists to help them acclimate to the nascent dangers of the labyrinth. Put at ease, Jacob had volunteered to go first and was surprised when strange coloured pages of writing appeared in front of his eyes.


    A nearby officer helped coach Jacob through what he was seeing and what it meant. Days later, Jacob still couldn¡¯t quite believe it. Ascended, made superior to regular men. As much as he wanted to doubt it, Jacob had felt the difference on the long journey.


    ¡°Do you think they will have the right flowers?¡± Jena asked worriedly for the umpteenth time since they left Port Gidian.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know love, we¡¯ll have to wait¡¯n see,¡± Jacob replied almost mechanically, although it was a concern he shared as well. The wildflowers they had convinced the soldiers to bring with them for the bees were far too few to sustain them over a full season, even assuming that the flowers transplanted into the soil without issues.


    ¡°Heard the soldiers say they have a witch or some such that can grow anythin,¡± Jacob¡¯s elderly neighbour Dale commented from the back of the wagon ahead of them. ¡°Makes whole orchards o¡¯ trees spring up overnight!¡± He barked with a near manic zeal.


    Jacob didn¡¯t blame old Dale for his desperate belief in the rumours, after all, his family had been hit the hardest. Dale, his sons and their wives had cared for the village¡¯s apple orchards for generations. Each time old Dale evacuated the village, he would just about entirely lose his livelihood. Trees took years to grow and only cuttings could be taken with them. The soldiers had been incredibly accommodating in allowing Dale¡¯s family as much space as they needed for the cuttings, but Jacob could tell it was more out of sympathy than anything else. They even converted two wagons into seedbeds for the cuttings.


    Jacob felt bad for old Dale and his family. Not just because of what they had lost, but because of how interconnected their livelihoods were. Dale needed Jacob''s bees to pollinate his apple trees to bring them to fruit, and Jacob¡¯s bees needed Dale¡¯s apple flowers to help them make enough honey to last the winter.


    Although trees had seemed a little sparse in the swamplands on either side of the road, Jacob wasn¡¯t nearly as worried for the foresters as he was Dale¡¯s family. The one upside of the village being evacuated to form a new colony together, was that at least they could come together as a community and make sure Dale¡¯s family had work and food to put on the table until their trees had a chance to grow again.


    The convoy arrived at the outskirts of the colony in the late afternoon, and Jacob could hardly believe his eyes.


    After days of monotonous travel through the swamp interspersed with the soldiers putting down wild monsters, the rolling grasslands ahead of them seemed like a dream. Or it would have been if Jacob hadn¡¯t rather quickly noticed the absence of flowers.


    Leaving the reins with Jena, Jacob hopped down from the wagon and was about to go looking on foot when Sergeant waved him down.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± The Sergeant asked helpfully.


    ¡°They said there would be flowers,¡± Jacob explained, trying his best to remain calm and not think about the mass starvation of his bees.


    The Sergeant stared incomprehensibly back at him for a moment before seeming to realise something, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the Meadows family, right? The beekeepers?¡±


    Jacob nodded.


    ¡°Not to worry sir, a special parcel of land has been set aside for your family and the...Rubygrove? Family?¡± The Sergeant paused to think for a moment and shook his head, ¡°The apple farmers,¡± he amended apologetically. ¡°I can lead you there now if you like? Just make sure to stay within the marked areas at all times and stay clear of the briar walls. The barrier keeps the wild monsters out, but it can¡¯t protect you if you stray outside.¡±


    ¡°Lead away m¡¯boy!¡± Dale cheered excitedly from his wagon, having apparently overheard the conversation.


    Jacob agreed as well and then Sergeant arranged for a detail of soldiers to accompany them off the road and away from the convoy. They weren¡¯t the only ones either, groups of soldiers were forming up next to other families'' wagons and leading them off in different directions, although most continued on the road for the time being.


    After travelling for around ten minutes, the sergeant called them to a halt and pointed to the distant briar walls separating the grassy fields from the swamp beyond. He repeated his earlier warning with the addition that militia drills would involve patrolling the inner periphery of the settlement and occasionally require fighting monsters under the supervision of soldiers.


    The area had been staked out with rough approximations matching the dimensions occupied by Jacob¡¯s old house and the field they had stored their hives in. Similarly, the open space beside theirs was marked out for Dale¡¯s family home and their orchards.


    The Sergeant made it clear that the soldiers were there to help and that they only needed instructions on how to do so.


    Dale immediately set most of the soldiers to work digging holes at fixed intervals for his orchards, while his sons and their wives began pitching the tents that would serve as their homes for the immediate future.


    The Sergeant reassured them that wooden sleepers would be provided for temporary flooring within the next couple of days after the mill was up and running, and carpenters would be arriving later in the week to assist with building permanent residences. He stressed that the homes the carpenters would help build did not need to be as conservative as those Jacob and his neighbours had left behind. The Sergeant insisted that the governor wanted the first wave of colonists to build larger homes that could be both fortified and temporarily house other families. The first was a precaution erring on the side of safety, while the second was stressed as being neighbourly for those who would follow.


    Neither Jacob nor his wife Jena saw a problem with this since the governor was covering the expense and providing the majority of the labour. After all, for a little more work they would have a better-made home than the one they had left behind.


    While directing the soldiers how best to move the canvas and linen-covered hives, Jacob¡¯s heart nearly broke when he realised half the hives were silent. The best spin he could put on the situation now was that the remaining hives would have that much more food to go between them.


    ¡°Hrm...Weak¡­¡± A feminine voice growled from somewhere behind Jacob.


    *Crunch, Crunch, Crunch*


    To Jacob¡¯s horror, a dark-robed and cowled woman with long claw-like fingers was picking at the dead bees stuck to the outside of a hive and eating them.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Jacob cried out in horror. Did this person have a death wish? Very few people would get more than a welt if stung by a bee, but eating them was pathologically insane.


    ¡°Sir!¡± The Sergeant called out in warning and ran hard to place himself between jacob and the crazy bee eating woman, ¡°Please just step back, everything will be fine, just give me a chance to explain-¡±


    ¡°Needs?...Flowers? Hrm....¡± The woman picked up another dead bee between her sharp nails and put it in her mouth.


    *Crunch*


    ¡°Efficient...Could be better¡­¡± The robed woman tapped the hive thoughtfully and then began making her way towards one of the wagons containing the wildflowers.


    *Crunch, Munch, Crunch*


    Jacob turned his attention to the Sergeant and tried to find the words to express his outrage and concern that such a crazy woman was being given free rein without the soldiers taking so much as the least amount of effort to stop her.


    ¡°Sir, everything will be fine,¡± The Sergeant assured him, ¡°Our esteemed guest has a special Class and insights that will see you and your neighbours back on your feet, you have my personal guarantee! You just need to remain calm.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean stay ca-¡± Jacob¡¯s voice caught in his throat as vibrant wildflowers began gracefully erupting out of the ground from around the robed woman, and bees the size of his knuckle began flooding out from beneath the hood of her robe.


    It seemed like Dale was right. The army had a witch after all...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 30 – Opportunity in disaster – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 30 ¨C Opportunity in disaster ¨C Part Two


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 30 - Opportunity in disaster - Part Two


    It took about four days to put together an elevator strong enough to securely carry loads of tamed monsters up and down the mesa.


    As much as I would have liked to take credit for it, most of the actual work was done by the village¡¯s craftsmen and Mors. My contributions had been limited to sketching out the different parts and deciding on compromises for anything too sophisticated or difficult to manufacture. Pulleys seemed simple right up until it came to carving perfect circles out of hardwood without the right tools. And as much as I would have preferred a custom made elevator, I had to settle for the partially reconstructed and amalgamated abomination of a Slaver wagon instead.


    By the time we were finished, the only element I was genuinely proud of was the most simple and straightforward part of the whole project, the winch mechanism. All told, it was basically a giant log half-buried in a reinforced pit with a crossbeam set through the portion above ground so Hulking Boars could be used to wind and unwind the rope of the elevator. The combined weight of four Hulking Boars was roughly something along the lines of twelve tons, so a ratchet mechanism wasn¡¯t necessary to prevent slippage since the elevator itself had the space to fit one Hulking Boar inside of it anyway.


    All four of the previous rope lines had been spliced with new rope to make the elevator¡¯s drawline three inches thick. Striking a test piece with an axe barely dented the rope when I was testing its durability, so I was confident it would tolerate a decent level of punishment for the foreseeable future.


    The twin trees overhanging the side of the mesa and providing the overhang for the elevator were the part that had taken the longest to get right. Growing something that was resistant to heat, abrasion and drought, and while also being capable of supporting multiple tons of weight without bowing, had proven almost impossible for his current level of skill. So we compromised and now had two trees instead of one, their arching boughs interlocking together over the edge of the mesa while their roots spanned half the ground beneath the village.


    While some villagers had been sceptical about the elevator, especially in terms of the time and resources it was consuming compared to the already serviceably rope system that was in place. That sentiment only intensified when the ropes were appropriated for the elevator.


    However, once the elevator was completed, and had been thoroughly tested for safety to the best of Clarice¡¯s ability, the elevator saw a day of constant use by the villagers as they took turns riding it up and down the mesa while the hunters continued bringing in monsters for reclamation.


    It had taken less than a day before there was talk of making a second elevator to better handle the traffic.


    The hunters mounted on Sand Stalkers had been diligently working the whole time the elevator was being constructed, and about two days in had decided that climbing the mesa every evening was too demanding for their mounts. So they had already established a small home base of tents at the foot of the mesa near the reclamation pit.


    Osa had been busy inviting all the nomads into the alliance, and later holding meetings with the Chiefs to lay out his plans for Stone Well¡¯s future, particularly its defences.


    After describing my own plans for a large shade awning for the Hulking Boars working the elevator, I was ambushed by Nadine just outside of the weavery.


    ¡°Having more clothes made for Lash?¡± Nadine asked innocently.


    Like a kangaroo caught in headlights, I froze. Someone had talked¡­


    Nadine grinned, ¡°Oh lighten up Tim! I think it¡¯s cute that you are bringing your girl back a present.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been gone for half a month so far¡­¡± I explained awkwardly, ¡°Figured a present was the least I could do¡­¡±


    Nadine¡¯s grin shifted into a smirk, ¡°Ah yes, the kind of present that is as much for you as her?¡± She barbed.


    ¡°There are other clothes!¡± I snapped defensively and quickly realized my mistake.


    ¡°So the rumours are true!¡± Nadine crowed triumphantly. ¡°I thought you were a stand-up kind of guy Tim, not some perv. I mean, to think up designs like that-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± I insisted, ¡°I just sort of knew about them¡­¡± I stated lamely.


    ¡°Riiiight,¡± Nadine agreed sarcastically and then patted my arm reassuringly. ¡°Wait,¡± her expression became serious, ¡°Are you being serious right now Tim?¡± Nadine demanded.


    I nodded but said nothing, refusing to incriminate myself further.


    ¡°So you know designs for other clothes too?¡± Nadine pressed, ¡°Not just...You know¡­¡±


    ¡°Some,¡± I admitted defensively. The shopping trips with my mother were so phenomenally embarrassing that I doubted the memories would ever truly fade.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Nadine awkwardly cleared her throat, ¡°Because you know, half the village is talking about how much more comfortable that br-brazier? Is then just wrapping them, you know?¡±


    I blushed and shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s called a brassiere,¡± I croaked, ¡°Just about everyone wears them where I come from...Girls! Uh! Women! I mean!¡± I explained in a panic.


    A long awkward silence passed between us.


    ¡°Can we not talk about this?¡± I asked uncomfortably, ¡°I already talked about all this with the weavers¡­¡± I shuddered as I recalled how phenomenally awkward it had been explaining the concept of not just women¡¯s dress sizes, but bra sizes as well, and why the clasp was more convenient and so on¡­ As much of a favour as requesting the clothes for Lash had been, after answering so many questions I truly felt like I paid the price for my lecherousness.


    ¡°Oh, uh, right¡­¡± Nadine blushed, perhaps having just realised how awkward this subject was for me. ¡°Right, so, uh, we, that is Clarice, Kestrel too, the weavers have a waiting list and uh, we were hoping you could maybe talk to them?¡± She asked, now quite flustered.


    If it meant an end to this conversation, then I was just about ready to agree to anything. ¡°Sure.¡± As I turned to enter the weavery again, I saw Clarice and Kestrel conspicuously kicking up dust in a deliberate show of nonchalance a short distance down the road.


    Explaining the situation to the weavers, they proved far more accommodating than I had expected, especially considering half the village was purportedly clamouring for their services.


    ¡°Tim say spindle worse,¡± the head weaver waved the drop spindle they used for making silk thread in front of my nose, ¡°Tim say wheel good. Tim give wheel, girls get clothes,¡± she bargained.


    I had drawn what I remembered of traditional spinning wheels, which wasn¡¯t much, as part of a larger discussion about the drop spindle. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising that the weavers wanted one after how fast I made it sound in comparison. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± I agreed. Short of requesting Toofy bring one back with her when she and Ril returned, I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how this issue was going to be solved.


    Leaving the weavery again, I found all three girls huddled nearby, Clarice and Kestrel having apparently given up all pretence of uninvolvement.


    Clarice was first to notice me and shamelessly jumped straight to the point, ¡°They say yes?!¡± She asked earnestly.


    Kestrel was only half-step behind but besides an expression of hopeful expectation, she remained silent, apparently willing to let Clarice head the inquiry.


    ¡°They want a spinning wheel in exchange,¡± I explained and then paused, ¡°You do know what a spinning wheel is, right?¡±


    All three women nodded.


    ¡°The hell are we gonna get one of those?¡± Clarice whined.


    ¡°We could make one,¡± Nadine suggested.


    ¡°You know how?¡± Clarice asked dubiously.


    ¡°I do!¡± Kestrel chimed in eagerly, ¡°My brother makes them for the village.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Nadine seemed surprised.


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have the right tools, so it might not look pretty,¡± Kestrel admitted, ¡°But I reckon we could make one in a couple of days if you plan on helping.¡±


    ¡°Could probably make Mors grow some of the more fiddly bits,¡± Clarice suggested with a grin, ¡°Hell, he might be able to grow the damn wheel!¡±


    The three of them hurried off to the village centre to track down Mors.


    Glad for the awkwardness to be over, I burnt off the nervous energy with some exercise and then took the elevator down to the tagging area below. Besides the ongoing moat and earthworks projects. Osa was using the relatively open space to train villagers so they could unlock their Classes. Besides use of correct form with the wooden practice weapons, and marked out distances for cardio training, there was also a designated combat field for the real combat requirements required for different Classes.


    The combat field had become the new hub for the Surgeons and those still in training, generating an interesting synergy for unlocking Classes and earning Exp. Since the majority of emergencies would be involving the hunters and those in training, it made sense for most of the Surgeons to gravitate towards the training grounds and staging area in general during the day.


    Besides my new exercise regimen, I had been making the most of this downtime to practice fighting and work on limited flexibility. The only problem was that I was almost exclusively limited to practising with each tribe''s most experienced veterans. Not so much because of their higher skill level and combat awareness, but because those warriors were the only ones with a high enough Toughness to go multiple rounds after taking a solid hit.


    My sparring with the veterans helped me realise I had been making problems for myself in regards to fighting with a spear. Not because they helped me with advice so much as I could see my own mistakes being mirrored back at me. The veterans were either incredibly out of practice using anything besides knives, or never had the opportunity to practice with anything else.


    My most common mistake was aggressively closing the distance between myself and my target, leaving little room to maneuver or retaliate if the target decided to move closer. Another was my overreliance on just stabbing at my target rather than using slashing or otherwise sweeping strikes using both the edges of the spears blade and the stave itself. I did have to give myself a little credit for doing better with the halberd, but I figured it was because the design of the weapon pushed me into using it more appropriately than I had done with spears in the past.


    Understanding my mistakes was relatively easy but correcting them quickly reached a bottleneck. Without an actual instructor to coach me through proper technique, I didn¡¯t think there was much more I could accomplish without risking ingraining worse habits.


    Unsurprisingly, I performed best in practising with a padded club. This was partly because I was more familiar with the brutish motions, but mostly because I could really cut loose. When using the padded club, I only had to avoid striking my sparring partner on the head, which was easy enough to accomplish since the veterans had become very familiar with my movements as we trained.


    The padded club I was using still hurt like a bastard coated bastard when I landed even a glancing blow. However, the padding turned injuries that would have otherwise been broken bones into large bruises instead. I had realised that jabbing with the club was almost as dangerous since I only did it when aiming for the chest or face to drive my opponent backwards.


    Something I appreciated about the sparring was how comfortable I had become with interchanging improvised attacks with my free hand or my feet, although I had to be careful not to overdo it while sparring.


    Chief Uday¡¯s nephew, Jarwal, had taken to sparring like his life depended on it, which actually seemed like an appropriate attitude all things considered. The only problem was that he was proving too aggressive for partners around his own age and experience. This was a problem because the veterans preferred sparring with me for similar reasons to why Jarwal wanted to spar with them. No matter how hard the veterans came at me, I would shrug it off and keep fighting.


    So we reached a sort of compromise where I would beat Jarwal black and blue with a padded club in a sparring match, while he did his best to snatch loosely tied strips of cloth off my legs and arms. The general idea was that in doing my best to drive Jarwal off and keep the strips of cloth where they were, I would be training my combat awareness in a way sparring with the veterans was eroding. Because I could weather attacks to non-vital areas almost indefinitely, I was growing prone to deliberately taking an attack in order to improve my chances of landing one in return. Since that habit was liable to get me killed on higher floors, I took this training very seriously.


    Thus far, Jarwal¡¯s record stood at snatching one cloth strip before being battered senseless. The primary reason for his lack of progress was partly because of how hard I was hitting him, but mostly because he lacked any sense of subtlety and was incredibly easy to counter.


    I spent another four days more or less following the same routine but I was growing restless and a profound loneliness had begun settling on my mind. Nadine and Clarice were still busy trying to make a functional spinning wheel with Kestrel, so I had been spending my free time with Mors. Even though he was a Daemon and technically my minion, not my therapist, it helped to give voice to my problems.


    For his part, Mors was a good listener and seemed to understand where I was coming from, albeit for different reasons. It never stopped surprising me how alien the Daemons could be sometimes, yet be so profoundly human at the same time.


    With the reclamation far exceeding the village¡¯s needs, Mors had been experimenting with growing all manner of hardy vegetation. Some, like the trees with large sweeping branches, served a practical purpose of providing shade for the village. Others, like the herbs and spices in his private garden, were far more aesthetic oriented but also served as practice for fine-tuning his control. I didn¡¯t quite understand until trying two different chillies grown from the same plant and being blindsided by the heat of the second after tasting the utter mildness of the first.


    Watching the courting rituals of the younger and single villagers did little to address my loneliness, and rejecting the advances of several potential suitors only made me miss Lash more. As painful and confusing as it had been in the moment, I found myself tracing the scar she had given me whenever my mind began to wander.


    In a state of persistent melancholy, I began sketching little doodles on the walls between those drawn by Toofy close to a week ago. As time wore on, my drawings got larger and began covering Toofy¡¯s. I was never cut out to be an artist. I lacked the talent and finger dexterity required to make anything beyond intermediate sketches. All the same, I was feeling somewhat better by the time I headed to bed.


    A primal part of my brain recognised someone or something was in my immediate vicinity and woke me up from my emotionally exhausted slumber. Warily eyeing my surroundings as I sat up in bed, it only took a moment to spot the intruder looming over me, but for whatever reason, my brain seemed to freeze in spite of the potential danger.


    However, as the intruder¡¯s pair of amethyst eyes locked onto my own, I realised I had to be dreaming. ¡°Lash?¡± I croaked, a painful longing swelling in my chest. After thinking of her for so long, it was only a matter of time before I would begin dreaming of her too.


    Without saying a word, the apparition cast aside the sheet I had been using as a blanket and sat on my lap, straddling my waist with her thighs as she arched her back and rested her forehead against mine.


    Even if it was just a dream, I missed Lash so much I was willing to take whatever I could get. Resting my hands on her head, I gently began pulling her in for a kiss only for the apparition to shove me back into the bed and deliver a fierce kiss of her own. As much as I wanted the dream to last, it promptly ended and I found myself staring at the ceiling with a splitting headache.


    Slowly sitting up I began stretching my neck in the hope that I just slept wrong, but I quickly realised that the pain was radiating front the back of my head and not my neck. After gingerly feeling my way towards the source of the pain, I found a large lump that could safely be attributed to be the source of not just my immediate pain but also the strange dream I had last night.


    Staggering to my feet, I crossed the room. I dampened a cloth in the water pot and then pressed it to the bump on my head. Short of triggering my healing through eating, there wasn¡¯t much else I could do for the injury. Lacking access to anti-inflammatory and painkiller medication was beginning to seem like a higher priority issue than I had initially credited it. Trying to think of a remedy that didn¡¯t involve a chemistry set was surprisingly difficult until I remembered I had access to a Druid who could grow just about anything.


    Feeling like spending time pulling on my tunic and robe would be a waste of time, I grit my teeth and made my way towards the centre of town to find Mors. My state of half dress was a common enough occurrence that it drew little attention from those already awake and preparing for the day.


    A persistent series of itches on my upper back made me regret not spending the time to put on my tunic or wipe down my back with the damp cloth to remove any sand I might have slept on.


    Now that I was in a thoroughly irritated mood, I found Mors meditating beneath the first olive tree he planted in the village.


    ¡°Mors, I need you to grow a tree for me,¡± I hissed while kneading my temples to manage the pain.


    Mors large amphibian eyes snapped open at the sound of my voice. ¡°Of course Overlord!¡± He croaked cheerily. ¡°Is it for timber or-¡±


    ¡°Do you remember those trees from the swamp with the wide hanging branches and thin leaves?¡± I interrupted impatiently.


    Mors nodded and now seemed concerned, ¡°You are unwell?¡± He asked anxiously.


    ¡°Just pain,¡± I waved my hand dismissively, ¡°That tree is called a willow. I need you to grow one for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Overlord,¡± Mors agreed and began rummaging through the large leather sack of seeds kept on his belt. After finding the correct seed, Mors planted it on the periphery of the village centre where it would supposedly cause the least obstruction.


    Sitting down on a nearby bench, I worked my way through the throbbing pain with breathing exercises. I briefly considered returning to the house and trying one of the potions I had confiscated from Jergal but dismissed the idea on the grounds of not being sure what the long term effects may be. Similarly, with the storehouse now open, I considered asking Fadwa for something to eat, but memories of the weird spider preserves lent me fresh patience.


    Growing impatient, I snapped a branch off the sapling, put the broken end in my mouth and began to chew. The expected bitter taste of salicylic acid made me scrunch my face in disgust, but I kept chewing and then swallowed the mangled bark along with my now thoroughly bitter saliva. Within moments the pain in my head began to recede. After letting out a deep sigh of relief, I tore off a long strip of bark from the small branch and chewed on that instead. The wood of the branch was young enough that it hadn¡¯t given me splinters, but it was much harder to chew than just the bark.


    Mors had of course seen everything and plucked a twig from the tiny tree to taste it for himself. Rather than being revolted by the bitterness, he only grew more curious as he chewed the twig. After a minute of chewing, Mors swallowed whatever remained in his mouth and nodded determinedly before channelling his mana once more.


    The mangled sapling began to grow anew, effortlessly replacing the missing limb and slowly growing up into the sky. After reaching approximately thirty to forty feet in height, the hanging branches of the weeping willow tree began to sprout small olive-shaped fruits with white fuzzy skins.


    ¡°Mors...What are you doing?¡± I asked suspiciously.


    Mors stopped channelling and smiled with self-satisfaction, ¡°I believe I have emulated the pain-relieving properties present in the tree,¡± he explained excitedly, ¡°Please try one!¡± Mors insisted eagerly, pointing to the fuzzy fruits hanging on a nearby branch.


    With my jaw already beginning to tire from chewing the bark, I decided to give Mors Frankenstein fruit a try. Picking a fuzzy olive from the branch, I cautiously took a small bite and was immediately glad for being so reserved. Judging by the intense taste alone, I had to assume that Mors had managed to concentrate the level of salicylic acid by a factor of ten or maybe even twenty times the amount I was getting from the bark. Spitting out the fruit and the oily juice still in my mouth, the trace amounts absorbed by my mouth and that I had reflexively swallowed after spitting had reduced my headache to the point I could barely feel it anymore.


    ¡°Too strong Mors,¡± I gasped and began staggering towards the well, ¡°Way too strong.¡± Willow bark, or rather, the salicylic acid that provided the painkiller and anti-inflammatory effects was the progenitor of earth¡¯s modern-day Aspirin. Taking too much Aspirin could cause brain and liver problems, so I wanted to make damn sure to wash the persistent oily residue out of my mouth.


    Thankfully, someone had filled the communal drinking pot and I was able to quickly wash out my mouth and drink a few cups of water to dilute and delay the absorption of anything I had already swallowed.


    Gingerly checking the bump on the back of my head, I was relieved that the swelling was going down but concerned by how quickly it had happened. With incredibly limited means of detecting, let alone treating, a potential bleed in my brain or liver, I found myself resorting to my earlier breathing exercises to try and stay calm.


    After making sure I had my nerves properly under control, I took another drink of water and made my way back over to Mors. ¡°Look, Mors¡­¡± I was impressed by his creativity and initiative, but the potentially near-death experience had frayed my nerves, ¡°The active compound you concentrated in those fruits becomes dangerous in that volume and is even more so for children. You can¡¯t grow them anywhere children might find them and they can¡¯t look like food. I...I am impressed that you were able to do this, I really am, but if you are going to experiment like this, please do so incrementally in future, alright?¡±


    Mors nodded, his shoulders slumped and head bowed, ¡°My apologies Overlord. As you say, I was too hasty¡­¡± Mors meditated and withered the fruits from the weeping willow tree, reabsorbing them back into the branches. ¡°I removed its ability to produce fruit, but should I relocate the tree as well?¡± The chastised Daemon inquired meekly. Mors¡¯s cowed behaviour was a reminder of how much the Daemons valued my opinion and how seriously they took my criticism.


    ¡°It should be fine, just make sure kids don''t chew on the branches or bark,¡± I advised. Feeling like a dick despite my restrained rebuke, I really didn¡¯t want to stifle Mors¡¯s creativity or innovative spirit. ¡°The fruits were a good idea Mors, but as I said, you need to grow them somewhere kids won''t be able to get at them and make sure they don¡¯t look like regular food, alright?¡± The potential utility of edible low dosage Aspirin, with its natural inhibitors intact, was definitely something that would prove useful in the Surgeons medic kits. The more I thought about how beneficial the Aspirin would be, the more I regretted not seeking it out earlier.


    There were not many willow trees in the third-floor swamp, or at least I hadn¡¯t seen many. But that excuse didn¡¯t account for much when I had access to druids who not only relocate the trees but replicate them as needed. It was a reminder that my decisions mattered and that my medical knowledge in particular shouldn¡¯t be taken for granted. Did this world have antibiotics? Could I grow penicillin? What about other drugs?


    I spent the rest of the day scouring my brain writing out potential plants to investigate for medicinal properties. Just because this world had apothecaries, it did not mean they knew the true potential of the base ingredients, or if they were even using them at all. An obvious but dangerous painkiller was the poppy plant. As an opioid it was highly addictive, but the relief it would provide a patient could prevent them from further injuring themselves or stop them from entering a state of stress-induced shock. Unfortunately, most of my knowledge of plants was limited to the easily accessible herbs of holistic medicine. Older people were always wanting to try alternative medicine, so my teachers had been very thorough on which of these plants had any proven effects and what those intended effects were.


    Hemp oil and other cannabis derivative products were a subject of interest for the class, but more out of personal curiosity and personal interest than the multitude of benefits the heavily regulated drug had for the elderly and terminally ill. Struggling to overcome a lifetime of anti-drug campaigns, I reluctantly added both hemp and cannabis to the list. While Surgeons could provide temporary relief to the elderly, it was unrealistic to expect the number of limited Surgeons to be able to keep up with the population. All the more so since I was doing my best to keep as many people alive as possible.


    After completing my list, I went looking for Kestrel. I wanted her to transmit the list to the apothecary the Asrusians had loaned Sanctuary. Doubtless, many of the names of the plants would be different, but it would still save me the trouble of remembering them between now and when I return. I had also written descriptions of each plant¡¯s appearance, what it was known to do, and what it actually was proven to do in roughly approximated concentrations. This also required an explanation of a standard unit of measurement, but the apothecary was meant to be a sort of proto-chemist, I was sure they could handle it.


    After searching fruitlessly for close to three hours, checking the staging grounds twice, I reluctantly made my way to the weavery. Considering how hard the three of them had been working on that spinning wheel, it only makes sense that they would badger the weavers and seamstresses to hold up their end of the bargain.


    True enough, Kestrel, Clarice and Nadine, along with what felt like a quarter of the village''s women, were packed into the otherwise spacious weavery.


    ¡°-just like that,¡± Kestrel explained loudly over the quiet murmuring of the crowd. ¡°Alternating pedals keep the wheel spinning and can even reverse its direction if you give it a quick flick and alternate the pedals to the new rhythm.¡±


    Assuming Kestrel was in the middle of a demonstration, I cautiously left the weavery and took a seat outside on a carved stone bench.


    Nadine peeked out from the weavery doorway, ¡°I thought I saw you skulking around the back.¡± She smiled and took a seat next to me, ¡°It is a bit much in there isn¡¯t it?¡± Nadine giggled and then gave me a coy look, ¡°Did you have fun last night?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I hadn''t expected the question and it didn¡¯t help that it didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed and she awkwardly turned her attention to the road, ¡°Y-you know!¡± She insisted.


    I furrowed my brow and frowned, ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I woke up with a bump the size of your fist on the back of my head and-¡±


    Nadine¡¯s attitude immediately changed at the mention of my injury. Springing to her feet, she manhandled my head so she could get a better look. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something!¡± Nadine scolded, ¡°You said people aren¡¯t meant to sleep when they might have a concussion! I know you wanted to spend time with Lash, but this incredibly reck-¡±


    ¡°Wait, what was that about Lash?¡± I demanded.


    Nadine took a step back and matched my expression, ¡°What do you mean by what do I mean? Lash came through the Portal sometime in the late evening. She had us leave the house to give you both some privacy¡­¡± She blushed and avoided eye contact.


    ¡°That was real?... She was actually here?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but press at the bruise on the back of my head. ¡°Wait, if Lash used the portal, then where is she?!¡± I felt a sudden surge of panic and stood up.


    ¡°She left¡­¡± Nadine answered quietly, ¡°Sometime before sunrise I think...Tim, did you really have a lump that big on the back of your head?¡± She asked with mounting concern. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I nodded numbly, ¡°I thought I had laid down too hard last night and smacked my head on something¡­ guess I did, but...Why didn¡¯t she stay?¡± My legs felt weak, so I sat back down. A host of depressing thoughts began worming their way into the darkest reaches of my mind. Did Lash not realise I was injured? Did she hurt me on purpose?


    ¡°Tim? Are you alright? You look pale,¡± Nadine pressed the back of her hand against my forehead to try and gauge my temperature.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m fine,¡± I pushed away Nadine¡¯s hand and rubbed my head. ¡°So, the gateway works?¡± I asked somewhat distractedly.


    ¡°Uhhh, sort of,¡± Nadine hedged and sat down next to me again, likely in order to get a closer look at the bruise on the back of my head. ¡°The portal part itself isn¡¯t working on this end, but it seems if you have enough mana you can still transport yourself back to Sanctuary. Assuming you have the way stones as Lash did,¡± Nadine sounded quite excited but tempered her enthusiasm when mentioning Lash.


    ¡°Mana huh? Well¡­ That figures¡­¡± I sighed and darkly eyed the single-digit MP listed in my periphery.


    ¡°Lash did mention RIl and Toofy would be coming back in a couple of days,¡± Nadine mentioned supportively, ¡°Maybe she will come to visit with them?¡±


    I nodded but didn¡¯t get my hopes up. I needed more mana, but to accomplish that, I needed to fight stronger monsters. But I couldn¡¯t move on to fight those monsters until Ril and Toofy returned. Even with the increased numbers of the monsters spawning above ground, they were still comparatively few and far between due to the different species fighting one another almost immediately after spawning at midnight.


    The others were too fragile to bring out during the respawn period, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask them to risk their lives, let alone order them to do so, just so I could feel better. That did not mean I was entirely out of options.


    Heading to bed for an early night, I began making a mental list for what I would need to bring on my midnight Exp harvesting expedition.


    I woke up in the late evening, as I had planned. After stocking my pack with fresh medical supplies, and albeit reluctantly, dried spider meat, I headed for the elevator.


    There would still be warriors and villagers below either finishing their training for the day or pushing to make one final effort towards unlocking their chosen Class, so my arrival wouldn¡¯t raise much notice on that account. When the time came to take my Hulking boar out of the ¡®stable¡¯ that would be a different story entirely.


    With so many Beast Trainers amongst the villagers, there was a surplus of Beast taming ¡®collars¡¯ made from silk with manastones set inside of small bones. My intent was not just to wander indiscriminately and hope I encountered monsters. I wanted to catch one of these bats, evolve it and either have it draw monsters to me, or lead me to them. It would also prove a distraction for any other airborne monsters that might otherwise remain out of reach.


    Pretty much as I had expected, the only attention I drew front he gathered warriors, hunters and villagers, was a result of my relative celebrity status. It was not until I sat on my Hulking Boar¡¯s saddle, took up the reins and crossed the barrier, that a small number of hunters raced after me to ask where I was going. To which I had simply replied, ¡°Hunting.¡±


    Of the five hunters who had chased after me, two had insisted on accompanying me. I forbid it. But in order to assuage their pride, I compromised by telling them that anyone who wanted to accompany me on my next hunt would need to have an evolved mount of their own. be at least level five, and have four companions who meet the same requirements. It wasn¡¯t a particularly difficult standard, but it would ensure that whoever tried tagging along next time would be better prepared to defend themselves. After all, the whole point of my hunt was to farm Exp, not babysit.


    I was attacked only ten minutes after leaving the protection of the Settlement barrier. As near as I could tell, the flock of bats had known I was coming and waited until I had left the barrier far enough behind that I couldn¡¯t retreat. Considering the heightened cunning of the Beasts within the labyrinth, it wasn¡¯t all that difficult to believe.


    Because I wanted one of them alive, I dismounted the Hulking Boar as fast as I could manage and pulled out the taming collar.


    There were seven giant bats in total, although only three were descending to immediately attack.


    Keeping my right hand free and slowly spinning the collar in my left, I waited for my chance to try and knock one of the bats out of the sky.


    Contrary to my expectations, the three giant bats landed in a crude flanking position a short distance away, roughly an equal distance from one another as they bared their teeth and prepared to charge.


    Knowing I only needed one bat, for the time being, I readied myself for bloodshed.


    The largest of the three bats snarled with its fox-like head and lurched into an ambling charge as if using its furled winged forelimbs to swim across the open ground.


    Hearing the other two bats seemingly doing the same, I focused my attention on the largest bat, assuming it would be the most evolved, which would save me some time later.


    The body of the fox headed bat was proportional to what I would have expected for a dog with the same sized head, putting it roughly in the same category as a german shepherd. However, the long forelimbs that served as its wings gave the bat a sort of dysmorphic property that made the head and body seem withered or otherwise deformed.


    ¡°Kill!¡± I pointed behind myself and began trotting forwards to meet the bat partway.


    The hulking boar released a feral squeal and charged towards one of the smaller bats, eliciting a pair of surprised and uncertain shrieks in reply.


    Assuming that the bat''s primary and preferred means of attack would be its bite, I deliberately held my right forearm in a blocking position and readied the taming collar.


    True enough, the bat lunged forward and snapped its canine jaws onto my exposed forearm and began shaking its head to try and shred my flesh. Unfortunately for the bat, and very much as I had hoped would be the case, it failed to penetrate my skin entirely and was only capable of making my arm feel somewhat uncomfortable.


    Flicking the collar over the bat¡¯s neck, the four-foot length of weighted rope circled the bat¡¯s neck twice and immediately caused the mutant mammal to stiffen as a contest of wills played out inside of its mind.


    *Crunch, Crack, Crunch Crunch Crunch*


    [Hulking Boar has slain {Vulpine Bat: 2} +800 Exp]


    Judging by status alert and wet crunching noises coming from behind me, it seemed the hulking Boar had things well in hand for the time being.


    Taking advantage of the large Vulpine Bat¡¯s paralysis, I properly corded the rope of the collar around its neck and slipped the bone toggle through the provided loop at the other end of the rope. Wary of its resistance to the collar, I gave it a light thump on the head with my fist.


    *Thump*


    [You have successfully captured {Vulpine Bat}]


    ¡°Of course that had to be the deciding factor¡­¡± I grumbled.


    The Hulking Boar released another squeal of rage.


    *Crunch*


    [Hulking Boar has slain {Vulpine Bat: 1} +400 Exp]


    Against my better judgement, I turned to look at the Hulking Boar¡¯s handiwork.


    Both Vulpine Bats had been reduced to a mangled mess, and the second bat, which was missing its head, was flopping and twitching feebly in the sand as blood gushed out of the ragged stump of its neck.


    The Hulking Boar itself was now evilly eyeing the four bats still circling above us in the night sky. Trotting this way and that, the hulking boar continued releasing quiet grunts of what I couldn¡¯t help but interpret as irritable complaints at the bats¡¯ cowardice for remaining in the air.


    Shifting my attention back to the recently captured Vulpine Bat, I removed a small collection of manastones from my pack and threw them into the sand in front of it. ¡°Eat,¡± I commanded impatiently, aware that the bats overhead were likely attracting others of their kind in order to launch a more massed assault.


    As commanded, the Vulpine Bat scarfed down the manastones and began growing larger.


    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t quite gain enough mana to evolve, so I pointed to the mutilated remains of its former companions and did my best not to consider the moral ramifications of what I was making the bat do. Animals in the world on Earth committed cannibalism all the time for a myriad of reasons, so I was determined that I wasn¡¯t going to feel bad about this.


    Besides, there would be plenty of reasons to consider myself a bastard in a couple of minutes when I set it loose on its friends after eating.


    *****


    Governor Felix slumped into his recently delivered armchair and released a long drawn out sigh.


    Another convoy of villagers had arrived earlier that morning, and it had taken no small amount of micro-managing to ensure the smooth integration of the newcomers with their already established neighbours. There had been a number of minor grudges and long-standing grievances between the villagers that needed to be publicly resolved before key members in both communities agreed to bury the metaphorical hatchet.


    The likelihood of the remaining seven villages expected to be relocated to Sweetwaters causing as much or more trouble was quite high. Despite the villages all being roughly approximated as neighbours, the powers that be had overlooked the potential feuds that were relatively commonplace to such rural communities far from the law offices of the larger towns and cities. Sharing a wider culture often seemed secondary to such people when weighed against the insult laid against their great grandfather¡¯s prized hunting dog and every other aggregated sin since.


    Curiously, the Daemon loaned by Sanctuary played a pivotal role in settling the worst feud. Both families involved were foresters and reliant on mature trees for their livelihoods. The Birches, the forester family that arrived with the first group of colonists, had already witnessed first-hand as the Daemon grew a small forest of pines, birches, cedars and all other manner of raw timber on the northern territory over the course of a single day. The Birch¡¯s fear of upsetting the Daemon and losing the forest was so sincere that their rivals, the Maples, soon became fearful themselves and promptly settled the matter by accepting a gifted hatchet in place of the one allegedly stolen generations ago.


    It wasn¡¯t the only instance either. All manner of petty grievances were buried by the farming families as well after the Daemon¡¯s foremost spokesman, Dale Rubygrove, made a point of telling anyone who would listen that losing the Daemon¡¯s favour, or ¡®Lady of the Wood¡¯ as he called her, would deny them her favour. More specifically, Dale was incredibly vocal in expressing The Lady of the Wood¡¯s extreme distaste towards disunity and pettiness.


    For men and women who largely lived and died according to good and poor seasons that were outside of their control, the idea of keeping the Daemon ¡®happy¡¯ was not so much a decision as it was considered mandatory.


    It was of course worth noting that Dale had been ¡®hand picked¡¯ by the Daemon to become a Pact Binder and would be responsible for summoning herself and other Daemons to Sweetwaters when needed. Judging by the sheer proliferation of apples being provided for public consumption, it was obvious that Dale and his family were making the most of his connection to the Daemon.


    Felix didn¡¯t see a problem with this so long as it did not evolve into deific worship. Most rural communities, especially those who lived farther from the towns and cities, had all sorts of superstitions involved with the celebration of the seasons and in a small way, attempting to control crop yields.


    With the rather static environment provided by the Labyrinth, Felix didn¡¯t think he would be all that surprised if the farming families were to decide upon festival days and make some sort of reverement of the Daemon part of it. He also didn''t think it would be wrong to do so.


    Felix¡¯s extended family were farmers, and he had experienced more than a few summer, spring and even winter festivals during his childhood. Stories of folk heroes or benevolent spirits were used to explain different aspects of a festival, and Felix had enjoyed that. In fact, he could just about imagine that choosing a young man to serve as the Lady of the wood¡¯s guide or something of that ilk would likely become a part of the harvest festival. Or perhaps choosing a young woman to serve as the Lady¡¯s handmaiden and officiate via proxy? There were all manner of possibilities.


    Of course, there was the matter of the Daemon taking payment in manastones for its services to be considered as well. Given the lack of coins amongst villagers to begin with, it did not take long for the citizens of Sweetwaters to begin trading in manastones bartered from the soldiers. The choice for taking manastones over coins was not difficult to understand after considering Dale required the manastones as payment for summoning the Daemon, making the coins conceptually far weaker in value compared to what could be gained from manastones.


    Again, Felix didn¡¯t see a problem with this at all. If anything, he was glad for it. All of his soldiers approached exterior patrol duty with a zeal and thoroughness Felix had yet to witness outside of the immediate gaze of a cantankerous drill instructor. While the soldiers had not been nearly as keen on a tenth of all manastones being kept by the treasury in case of emergency, it was a negligible grievance compared to the relative comforts being bought with the manastones retained beyond the tax.


    All things considered, Felix knew he was experiencing the golden age of his governorship. As time-consuming as the problems may be to resolve, they were much lower stakes compared to the life or death decisions that would soon be upon them. So Felix made a point of looking on the bright side of things. After all, the ability to resettle otherwise vulnerable citizens in the Hurst Labyrinth was so inconceivable he could only call it god sent.


    Although thinking of it as such did raise some uncomfortable philosophical questions. Namely, if this opportunity was god sent, why was all the aid coming in the form of monsters and Daemons and not the celebrated Angels?

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 31 – Fight Club Experience – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 31 ¨C Fight Club Experience ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 31 - Fight Club Experience - Part One


    Stalking amidst a field of corpses, I lashed out at anything that moved. With the Hulking Boar keeping its distance and the disappointingly small evolution of the Vulpine Bat battling for its life in the sky above, I didn¡¯t have to worry about accidentally striking an ally.


    All the respawned monsters in the immediate vicinity were already dead. Those that remained were being drawn by the scent of blood and the evolved bat¡¯s agitating shrieks.


    The giant spiders were too large to properly gang up on me, getting in each other''s way more often than not and falling to infighting. The spiked lizards were a little better, but they spent more time gorging on the fallen than actively looking for a fight.


    Meanwhile, the protracted battle above was only growing worse. There were close to a hundred or more bats shrieking and yelping in the sky as they attempted to swarm the much smaller Chiropteran Hunter in their midst. Lacking any sort of ranged weapon, and unwilling to part with my hammer, I could only pick up a rock every so often and pelt it upwards into the swarm between mashing spiders.


    Admittedly, there were so many bats that they were not hard to hit. So, as often as not, I would injure one sufficiently to send it crashing down to the ground where it would either die on impact or be finished off by other monsters. In either case, it earned me Exp, although only half the original amount if they were left for the opportunistic wild monsters to deliver the killing blow. Given that the whole reason I was out here was to earn enough Exp to level up and increase my maximum mana so I could use the portal, I was extremely thorough with the spiders and lizards, relenting only after receiving a kill notification.


    The near mindless violence reminded me of when I was culling V-Rabbits on the first floor. The primary difference was that I now had to pay attention to my surroundings and at the same time ignore the thickening layers of gore soaking into my clothing.


    The longer I fought, the more I came to realise my mistake. Farming Exp on my own was not just more dangerous, it was also painfully inefficient. Besides the bats above, the spiders and lizards were skirmishing farther afield with one another, leaving only a relative few for me to kill for Exp.


    Granted, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to handle so many all at once, but it still irked me all the same.


    The closest I had come to injury thus far was when a spider''s pulped abdomen splashed its foul ichor into my eyes. But even then I was only momentarily blinded as the Sand Stalker¡¯s blood was absorbed in a matter of seconds through a combination of my own Iron Gut ability and the otherwise useless Chiropteran Hunter¡¯s Hemophage Ability. I didn¡¯t know that at the time of course, but once I had some time to think about it there was really no other explanation I could come up with.


    *Whap, Thump*


    Drawn to the sound of the impact, I found a Vulpine Bat with a crushed chest thrashing atop a small mound of corpses.


    *Crunch*


    I made sure to claim the Exp for my own first and then looked around for what was responsible.


    Eight more bats fell from the sky before I realised which direction the attacks were coming from and who was responsible.


    At first, I thought it was the hunters who had approached me earlier when I first set out. However, the unmistakable sight of Senn, or more likely a projection of her, meant that the twenty hunters headed my way were most likely from the Flowing Waters tribe. With half their number armed with slings as backup weapons and the rest armed with long wooden spears, they were cautiously approaching my hunting ground in a roughly circular formation. In the centre of their formation was Chief Izsa and her daughter Ezha, and at the head, leading the way, was Senn.


    <Overlord?> Senn seemed surprised. <What are you doing out here alone?> A hint of panic entered her thoughts and within a couple of moments the Flowing Waters formation sped up into a light run.


    <Farming experience.> I replied somewhat flatly, my mind more than a little fatigued by the protracted state of wariness.


    <You did all of this?...> Senn seemed profoundly shocked.


    I took a moment to consider the mounds of corpses littering the landscape. What had seemed insufficient in terms of my goals for farming more experience now seemed more ghoulish and destructive. <What are you and the Flowing Waters doing out here?> I demanded somewhat defensively.


    <Farming experience and manastones¡­> Senn replied meekly. <The monsters are much easier to find in the early morning and the Pact Bound do not tire so quickly in the cold.>


    I was going to ask a follow-up question but the Flowing Waters were now halted a short distance away and appeared to be waiting for me to join them.


    <Chief Izsa wishes to speak with you, Overlord.> Senn confirmed a few moments later.


    The slingers continued pelting at the swarming bats in the sky while I made my approach. Even though they did not seem to deliver a killing strike with each blow, the wounds delivered were almost universally fatal. Not wanting to miss out on the experience, I took a moment and used my position as Overlord to force invitations upon the Flowing Waters hunters into my party and retinue. Pleased by the stream of experience now coming my way, I passed through the perimeter of hunters and stood before Senn, Izsa and Ezha directly.


    Izsa and Ezha bowed respectfully at my approach and seemed genuinely surprised to see me.


    ¡°Chieftain Tim, this is a surprise,¡± Chief Izsa confirmed diplomatically, ¡°Although a most welcome one I am certain,¡± she smiled. Izsa''s slightly wavering pupils suggested she was following the kill notifications like I was.


    I nodded and considered her hunting party. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring a wagon or a sled for retrieving carcasses for reclamation?¡± I asked curiously. I was actually a little peeved at myself for not considering this earlier. Without a team to harvest and haul off the carcasses, all of this meat was going to go to waste, not to mention the manastones¡­


    Izsa winced slightly but recovered quickly, ¡°An oversight my Chieftain. One we will correct momentarily,¡± she insisted and then gave her daughter an insistent and expectant look.


    Ezha nodded quickly in agreement and hastily began concentrating her mana. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A shimmering translucent tear appeared on the ground nearby. After a couple of moments, two clawed hands reached up through the rift and anchored themselves on either side. Simultaneously pushing the rift to widen the available space and drawing itself out, a spindly bodied Daemon with giant bat-like wings crawled free of the rift and a few moments later the rift sealed itself shut.


    Largely resembling a gargoyle statue found on old cathedrals and church rooftops, Garn had otherwise taken a more practical approach in regards to both his body and wings in order to allow flight. Like Senn, Garn technically had four arms. Unlike a bat, he had retained his original arms and had canine-like rear jointed legs like the Gnolls. Similarly, Garn¡¯s body was covered in mottled dark blue fur and the membrane of his wings were deep purple. However, both his hands and feet sported inch long hooked claws like a cat, and his whip-like tail ended with a curved blade of bone.


    <Overlord!> Garn seemed just as surprised as Senn had been, although he was also noticeably happier about the surprise. Garn looked upwards towards the swarming bats hungrily and flexed his claws.


    ¡°Daemon! You will bear a message to the storekeeper Kedra to dispatch wagons and hunters for carcass recovery!¡± Ezha ordered with unexpected authority and intensity.


    Garn bowed his head and placed one spindly clawed hand over his heart, ¡°It will be done,¡± he chittered, revealing sharp rodent-like teeth. Walking a short distance from the hunters¡¯ circle, Garn bunched his legs and sprang into the air. As he unfurled his wings, Garn opportunistically whipped his tail at a nearby bat and severed its head. Swooping back down, Garn caught the severed head with a clawed hand and then began flapping madly as he headed for Stonewell.


    At least a quarter of the bats attempted to follow Garn, but they gave up quickly when he proved too fast to catch.


    ¡°Will you be staying much longer, Chieftain Tim?¡± Izsa inquired. The bare ambition in her eyes made it obvious that she had realised the potential of the retinue I had formed.


    ¡°I will,¡± I confirmed.


    Izsa¡¯s eyes flashed as she turned to her hunters and made a signal with her hand.


    The hunters grunted in near unison and broke away into four-member kill teams. These kill teams then began cautiously stalking the periphery of corpse piles in search of fresh prey while the slingers continued hurling stones into the swarm of bats above.


    For her part, Senn remained behind with Izsa and Ezha, although it was unclear if she was doing so in order to serve as a bodyguard or to stay in my company.


    <What do you think of Ezha?> I asked Senn. Her earlier display of authority had taken me by surprise and made me realise I had been working off an initial impression alone and knew practically nothing about her.


    Senn seemed contemplative as she continued scanning our surroundings for threats. <Soft...But determined.> She replied somewhat cagily. <She has none of her mother¡¯s raw ambition...Yet she has her own motivations for pursuing power. I believe¡­> Senn was momentarily distracted by a bat falling nearby. <I believe she is much like you, Overlord. She wants strength in order to protect her people, and to a greater degree, her intended mate and future children.>


    <Has she participated in weapon training?> I asked curiously.


    Senn shook her head. <Not beyond the knife fighting they all seem obsessed with.> She clarified disdainfully.


    <Do you think Ezha has better leadership potential than her mother?> I knew this question would be difficult for Senn to answer considering her own vested interests.


    As expected, Senn took much longer to answer. <In line with your goals, Overlord? Yes, I believe the daughter holds greater potential than her mother¡­>


    <You seem disappointed?> I observed.


    Senn stiffened slightly and then relaxed. <No, Overlord. I just...I see more of myself in the mother¡­>


    <And you think that will disqualify you from promotion?> I asked, trying not to let my amusement bleed through the mental link.


    Senn nodded dejectedly.


    <Even ambition like Izsa¡¯s has a place and purpose, so long as it is bent to a greater purpose.> I reassured her. I meant it too. Ambitious people could accomplish great things, and so long as they were given a suitable direction to exercise their ambitions, everyone could benefit from it.


    A sudden influx of Human settlers had made an ever-rising number of Underlord promotions available through Sanctuary. While I had no intention of putting others in excessive danger in order to facilitate my plans for power levelling, I had few problems with making use of those already taking on such risks. Furthermore, I was curious to see what Custom Classes the Warlock and Pact Binder could unlock.


    How Izsa reacted to what would come next would determine her own worthiness of promotion. Focusing on Ezha, I mentally confirmed her promotion and waited to see the change to her Status.


    Ezha gasped in surprise and stared at me with wide eyes.


    Izsa¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to look at her daughter while still keeping sight of me in the corner of her eye. She quietly asked a question, but her words were lost amidst the flapping of leathery wings and intermittent shrieks.


    Ezha said something in reply, but her voice was lost in the same noise pollution as her mother¡¯s had been.


    Izsa¡¯s back straightened and her eyes widened in surprise as she hastily whispered another question.


    Ezha shrugged numbly and shook her head.


    Izsa was quiet for a while, the visible portion of her face going through a number of mixed emotions before seeming to calm down and settle on one of support. Izsa nodded and rested her hand reassuringly on her daughter¡¯s shoulder.


    Ezha accepted the promotion and her Status began to change. Pact Binder was removed and momentarily replaced by Imperator. Then, as I had come to expect, Imperator was replaced with the word Pending.


    Ezha seemed worried by this turn of events, so I gave her a small smile motioned for her to be patient. ¡°It always does this,¡± I explained reassuringly.


    Ezha relaxed a little but still seemed tense.


    Senn was somewhat tense as well, and perhaps for good reason. This was the first time we had experimented with active summons being present while their summoner changed Classes. Theoretically, Both Senn and Garn would have already been sustained for a predetermined period according to the conditions of their original summoning, and this appeared to be the case. So regardless of Ezha losing her summoning Ability, they were effectively permitted to run the course of that summons until the supplied mana ran out.


    If Ezha didn¡¯t unlock a similar Ability again, I wanted to see if Senn could prolong that summoning duration by consuming manastones. After all, it could prove important in the future.


    Unfortunately, my desire to test prolonging summons would need to wait. Ezha¡¯s custom Leadership Class was another strange one that exceeded my expectations.


    Hybrid Soul Binder Lord


    [(Class Ability: Mana Syphon): Manastones consumed by your minions within range generate bonus MP that can be used to power extended Summons. Increases hostility of all unaffiliated monsters within range. {Willpower} increases the range of Effects. Stored MP:(0).]


    [(Class Ability: True Binding): Daemons, Angels and Spirits can be summoned by speaking their True Name and expending MP proportional to the desired power level. {Willpower} reduces the MP required to summon unwilling participants.]


    [(Class Ability: Hybrid Binding): Summoned monsters can be combined by expending additional MP while performing their summons. {Intelligence} increases the number of potentially bound monsters. Limit:(0/3)]


    [(Class Ability: Forbiddance): Summoned monsters may be forbidden from certain activities or actions, requiring them to make a contested {Willpower} test. {Willpower} determines the maximum number of summoned monsters that can be affected by Forbiddance. Limit:(0/3)]


    True Binding and Forbiddance were both carryovers from the Pact Binder Advanced Class, but the Mana Syphon and Hybrid binding were completely new. Besides the rather ominous name, Ezha¡¯s new Class certainly seemed interesting. Of course, she was now level zero and had to begin from scratch, but at least Ezha could form a retinue of her own in order to quickly replace the levels she had managed to gain in the past few days.


    Putting off promoting Izsa for the time being, I decided to treat the delay as another test. I wanted to promote all the Chief¡¯s, or their designated heirs, sometime later in the day.


    A black notification briefly flickered in front of my eyes and announced that the Chiropteran Hunter was dead. For such a weak monster, it had survived an incredibly long time despite being surrounded by so many enemies. All the same, I regretted evolving it.


    A brief glimpse at the Hulking Boar¡¯s HP revealed it was doing just fine. This was hardly surprising given its penchant for using bite attacks and swallowing anything that came loose in the process. Combining that habit and the synergy from my own Iron Gut Ability made it unlikely the boar would take damage long enough for it to matter.


    Ezha¡¯s Mana Syphon Ability had an immediately noticeable effect on the swarming bats. No longer chasing and encircling the Chiropteran Hunter, the swarm had shifted targets to Ezha.


    ¡°They are coming!¡± Senn hissed eagerly, materialising crude iron blades into her hands and a leather helmet onto her head that shielded her eyes while leaving her mouth completely unobstructed.


    Izsa briefly flared her mana and took on some minor changes in her appearance. Most notably, Izsa¡¯s nails on her hands thickened into claws and her visible skin grew shimmering scales to match Senn¡¯s own.


    Ezha tightly clutched her wooden spear and stared determinedly at the bats that had begun landing atop the mounds of nearby corpses.


    Giving my hammer a few practice swings, I began moving towards the closest cluster of bats. Despite baring their fangs and rearing up on their hind legs in order to look larger, the bats did not seem eager to advance or attack me in any way.


    *Crunch, Crack, Crunch*


    I didn¡¯t care and dashed their brains out with my hammer, making sure to use enough force to make sure my weapon wouldn¡¯t become stuck. It was one of the drawbacks to the weapon that I was growing annoyed with.


    Avoiding looking back towards the others, I moved on to the next group of bats.


    *Crunch*


    I drove a bat backwards with my foot and bore my weight down on its chest, collapsing its fragile ribs and piercing its vital organs.


    *Thwack*


    I instinctively swatted a bat out of the sky as it came careening towards my face. A half-second later, a bright flash of light illuminated the immediate area and elicited a discordant chorus of alarmed shrieks from the swarm of bats.


    Many bats crashed into one another and tumbled to the ground, making them easy prey.


    Sparing my back, I stomped or kicked any bats I found that were lying stunned on the ground. I was so thoroughly covered in gore at this point that I honestly didn¡¯t care anymore.


    A constant stream of notifications bearing Senn¡¯s name revealed just how in her element the Daemon was right now. I was tempted to turn around and watch her fight, but I knew Ezha was due for another level and didn¡¯t want to risk being blinded.


    Sure enough, a handful of seconds later the mounds of corpses were illuminated by another flash of golden light.


    The violence entered a familiar rhythm and it didn¡¯t take me long to lose myself in it again. Apparently rendered blind, the Vulpine Bats struggled to reorient themselves and present even a token defence.


    It was the persistent radiance of the rising sun that brought me back to my senses. I wasn¡¯t sure when the last status alert had signalled the death of a monster, but I was fairly certain that the frequency had dropped off almost entirely. Without saying a word, I ignored the retrieval teams that had appeared in the meantime and sent a mental command to the hulking boar.


    The saddle on the Hulking Boar¡¯s back showed some sign of minor damage, but nothing serious. After readjusting the cords, I awkwardly climbed into the saddle and began making my way back to Stone Well. I felt beyond mentally exhausted like I was running on the last fumes left in the tank. I didn¡¯t feel bad about what I had done, but the sense of accomplishment I had hoped to feel was absent too.


    All that death and violence had equated to a single level gained, increasing my maximum mana by one.


    Objectively, I knew that adventurers spent months or even years in order to level up Basic and Advanced Classes. So to make so much progress, literally overnight, was unbelievably fast. All the same, it irked me and I felt thoroughly unsatisfied.


    Leaving the Hulking Boar for hunters in the staging area to take care of, I took the elevator up to Stone Well and began stripping off my soiled clothes. Just a cursory glance told me that the robe and pants were beyond saving and would forever be stained brown from the drying blood. The Tunic had a few questionable splotches and my boxers seemed fine, so I casually balled up and threw the tunic onto the terrace of our lodgings as I passed it on the street.


    Heading for the well in the centre of the village, my intention was to scrub the worst of the gore loose with Mors¡¯s moss and then hopefully wash most of it off with one single pot of water. Even as I sat down and began laboriously scrubbing at my arms and legs, I knew that it was going to take at least two to three pots of water minimum in order to wash all the blood off. Scrubbing my head, this was perhaps the first time I had been glad to be bald. I could only imagine how difficult it would be to scrub fragments of bone, chitin and guts out of even relatively short hair.


    Mors offered to help me scrub down, but I waved him off. I was in no mood to talk and even less enthusiastic about sharing company with anyone.


    Wetting a fresh patch of moss with water from the pot, I did my best to remove the worst of the blood as well and had moderate success. I repeated this process until I felt confident the remaining water in the pot would wash off the remaining blood. Thankfully, only Mors had been witness to my heinous waste of water. Not that any of the villagers would complain about it. Especially if they knew how much water was going to be reclaimed from my midnight of butchery.


    All the same, I felt guilty about it. It didn¡¯t matter that I earned it, it still felt in poor taste to be so frivolous when so many had been on the brink of fatal dehydration when I first arrived.


    Stumbling into bed wearing only my boxers and the dangling magic crotch protector I fell asleep almost immediately.


    I woke up sometime in the afternoon. Carefully stretching, I was surprised that I couldn¡¯t find any pulled muscles or sore joints. From what little I recalled of my midnight activities, I had gotten quite reckless towards the end and frequently overextended myself. Factoring in that I hadn¡¯t eaten since before midnight, I couldn¡¯t think of a satisfactory explanation for my disturbingly peak condition.


    While getting dressed in a spare change of clothes, the loud complaints coming from my stomach were a reminder that I had barely eaten anything over the past week. That realisation slowly gave way to another as I walked down the street to the storehouse. I was almost certain that I was depressed and that my violent episode last night was an expression of that fact.


    Not being able to spend time with Lash had been disappointing and upsetting, but the fact that she had left me there with what could have been a severe head wound...On some level, I felt betrayed, that she had let me down when I needed her most...All the same, I missed her and was hoping she would accompany Ril and Toofy when they returned tonight.


    Accepting the dried meat Fadwa offered without question, I decided to visit the hospital and inform Hessin of Mors¡¯s innovation with the altered olives. As head Surgeon for the village, it would be her responsibility to spread the knowledge to others and enforce use in moderation.


    Osa was waiting outside the hospital, supposedly in order to take a lunch break or something similar with his wife. Making the most of the opportunity, I roughly outlined my plan for power levelling the warriors and hunters of the village in stages. I also made sure to mention that I was going to meet with the Chiefs later to promote some of them to better accommodate the power levelling with retinues.


    Osa had some reservations, which was good, I didn¡¯t want him blindly agreeing with everything I happened to suggest. Leaving the details of the operation to Osa, I killed some time grazing on olives to balance out the dry and fatless meat. We would not begin the power levelling until midnight on the following day, so Osa technically had one and a half days to get things as organised as he could manage.


    After waiting close to an hour, I made my way to Chief Uday¡¯s home and asked one of the warriors stationed outside to gather the Chiefs for an important meeting.


    Uday was currently out, so I decided to wait on a nearby bench in the shade. Just like on Earth, it was considered incredibly rude to just enter other peoples homes and behave as if you owned it. Besides, I could use this time to better consider how I was going to approach suggesting the Chiefs place the promotions in the hands of their heirs rather than themselves. I didn¡¯t honestly expect anyone besides Chief Forgut to go along with the idea, or maybe Chief Uday. Izsa was far too ambitious to leave a potential promotion on the table, and I honestly didn¡¯t know enough about Chief Aisha to even guess at how she would react.


    Just like last time, Chief Forgut brought his four wives and Chief Aisha brought her husband. Izsa and Uday each arrived alone.


    Chief Uday took a few minutes to get his house in order before sending one of his warriors to allow us inside. Besides the addition of what looked like strips of cooked lizard meat, everything appeared just about the same as last time.


    Once everyone was seated I gave a brief explanation of my intentions and made sure to make it clear Osa could and would rescind promotions from anyone he deemed unworthy or uncooperative.


    ¡°The promised promotions have conditions,¡± Chief Aisha observed dryly, the corners of her eyes wrinkling as she smirked beneath her veil.


    ¡°I told you that these promotions would have additional responsibilities, and my expectations are not unreasonable considering the power and influence that the available Classes hold,¡± I countered just as dryly.


    Chief Forgut rested his hands on his knees and leaned forward with a keen look in his otherwise slightly cloudy eyes, ¡°You believe this is true?¡± The elderly Desert Orc asked, ¡°Classes and promotions are really powerful? Even to you?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°They are, or at least have the potential to be.¡±


    Apparently satisfied, Chief Forgut leaned back in his cushions again and quietly took counsel with his wives.


    ¡°Promotions are limited and made available through the population of the Settlement. So I do not have enough promotions to go around if you also intend for your designated heirs to be promoted.as well. It will have to be one or the other until the Settlement¡¯s numbers grow,¡± I explained again in an attempt to drive the point home that the elders would each need to make a difficult decision for the future of their respective tribe¡¯s.


    ¡°Forgut is too old for fighting anymore,¡± Forgut admitted, ¡°Futures will be fought, won by warriors,¡± he made a show of struggling to make a fist, his inflamed arthritic knuckles making the attempted action painful.


    Aisha snorted and deftly interlocked her fingers in her lap, ¡°Not all are so old,¡± she commented.


    Chief Uday nodded but was looking down at his hands as he slowly opened and closed them. Not as old as Forgut or as young as Aisha, he was stuck somewhere in between.


    ¡°I think there has been a misunderstanding here. Just because you will be passing up the promotion and its formal status does not mean your position as an advisor will be cast aside. The young need the accumulated experience of those who came before them in order to make educated and well-considered decisions,¡± I explained wryly. ¡°Just because a son or daughter find¡¯s their mate, becomes bonded and moves out, it doesn¡¯t stop them from being your child and doesn¡¯t stop you from being their parents. Some of you have heirs who are already adults with responsibilities and have been prepared for the mantle of your responsibilities for years,¡± I looked pointedly at Forgut and Izsa, ¡°Others may not feel like their children are ready for the burden,¡± I glanced briefly at Uday and Aisha, ¡°But the longer you put it off, the longer it will take for them to grow their own power. The promoted Classes require the recipient to begin levelling from scratch, so the sooner they make the transition, the more secure they will be in the future.¡±


    Chief Forgut and his wives seemed to have made up their minds already but were now far more confident in their choice.


    Chief Izsa looked like she now had a better understanding of why I had promoted Ezha and not her. It was hard not to smile as I considered her own imminent promotion to sate my curiosity. Stone Well needed a Summoner of some description in order to have access to the Daemons, so I hadn¡¯t intended to count Ezha¡¯s promotion from the start.


    Chief Uday seemed like he was on the brink of making his final decision, which would supposedly be passing up the promotion and allowing Jarwal to have it instead.


    Where she had been so certain a few minutes earlier, Chief Aisha was now visibly conflicted, and for good reason. Taking power for herself now would make it that much harder for her heir to establish themselves later and leave them comparatively vulnerable during the transition. The hushed argument with her husband was a testament to different issues to consider on both sides of the decision. A unified front was easy when the decision was kept simple, it was much more difficult when problematic details changed the scope of the issue entirely.


    ¡°You have until dawn tomorrow to inform Osa of your decision. He will make sure whomever you choose receives the required training in order to unlock the Leadership Class and make the most of the promotion.¡± I stood up and gave each Chief a weighted look and then left. With any luck they would come to a unified agreement. Stone Well would be much safer with the elders providing advice to more combat capable leaders.


    Returning to Mors I made a special request for a knobbly club similar to what Nadine had bought for me back on the first floor. Of course, I wanted more than one this time and for them to be stronger and capable of taking a great deal more punishment.


    My hammer was an alright weapon, but it was far more difficult to use effectively against unarmoured enemies than my morningstar had been, which was in turn slightly more difficult than the large club had been. Practising with different weapons had given me a reasonably good idea about what suited my build, temperament and admittedly novice skill level. The sheer versatility of the club was very forgiving and allowed me to better leverage my strength without having to worry about the weapon becoming stuck or any otherwise distracting considerations.


    Mors and I spent hours trying to find the best balance between the prototype¡¯s weight and length. Eventually, we settled on a six-foot long stave with the general appearance of a long-handled baseball bat covered in knobbled studs. The longer handle allowed me to shift my grip higher up the club for a more controlled swing, or farther downward to really cut loose. It also allowed me to use it with both hands if I wanted to, but I would need a lot more practice before I could move as confidently with a two-handed grip. It wasn¡¯t the fault of the weapon so much as I had grown far too accustomed to only using weapons one-handed and felt awkward when using both hands.


    Once we finalised the weapon design, Mors spent a solid hour doing his best to make the wood as strong as possible before removing it from the host tree. After repeating the process so I would have spares, I asked Mors to try and provide thick sheets of bark we could use for crude wooden body armour. I wanted to take my weapon practice to the next level, and that required my sparring partners to be well protected from heavy blows. I hoped that the combination of inch thick bark and layers of silk clothing beneath would prove sufficient to allow my sparring partners to take multiple heavy blows in rapid succession without being fatally injured. I also wanted a helmet for my own protection as well.


    Mors didn¡¯t have much trouble growing a large thick tree we could harvest for bark, but the best compromise we could find for a helmet was weaving a basket from the extra hard roots and making it larger on one side to provide a slitted visor that protected the eyes. After making a half dozen of these prototype helmets, I left Mors to it and visited the weavers to ask them to make a thick padded cap to wear underneath. The combination of the padded cap and the wicker helmet should do a decent job of not just absorbing impacts, but also deflecting potential blows as well. So I was becoming more than a little excited at the prospect of being able to train for real in a situation that would roughly approximate real combat.


    I planned on making a real event of it all too. I had racked up huge amounts of Exp killing monsters last night and Eminence had harvested a decent amount that could be awarded through quests. While I didn¡¯t exactly plan on receiving much of that Exp from the impromptu tournament, I knew it would go a long way towards preparing the weaker warriors and hunters for our Exp farming cull in two nights time.


    With the plentiful availability of Aspirin to facilitate the Surgeons healing abilities on bruises and inflammation, it was very unlikely that any participants in my impromptu competition would be out of the fight for long. In fact, the plentiful injuries would give the Surgeons more Exp to better prepare them for emergencies as well.


    The only downside I could see with holding a tournament like this was the comparatively heightened vulnerability it would place on the Settlement. However, Stone Well¡¯s sheer elevation was a substantial defence unto itself, and access was limited through using the guarded elevator.


    The armour provided for participants would be objectively crude and primitive, but it would be sufficient for warding off the worst of the blunt impacts. Making it more difficult to actually injure one another would make the fights take longer to be resolved, but would also raise far more Exp when a participant was knocked out.


    Unlike the points-based training game I enacted in Sanctuary, I intended for this tournament to be more realistic and test competitors'' endurance and fighting ability to award Exp not only to the winners, but to the losers of each bout as well. The Sanctuary sparring game was too low stakes to make the Exp worth awarding to the loser. However, by setting the winning condition to whoever reduced their opponent to half of their maximum HP, the Exp reward for losing seemed to be roughly two-thirds of the potential of the winner assuming they were more or less evenly matched.


    This would make my intended King of the Hill challenge at the end of the tournament all the more rewarding for veterans and novices alike. With a fourteenth level Master Class and as a tenth tier evolution monster, the internal workings of the quest Exp calculator had me designated as an ¡®almost¡¯ unbeatable opponent. Just by attempting to fight me under ¡®realistic¡¯ battle conditions, the novices were likely to gain at least a single level, perhaps two or three if they were progressing with a Basic Class.


    That was a disparity I had noticed between the Quest system reward structure and that of just killing a monster. Killing monsters did not seem to factor Classes into the Exp reward at all, while quests Exp rewards seemed to attempt reflecting the actual challenge involved in its entirety. This was interesting because theoretically, I could gain a lot of Exp fighting dedicated opponents in the future that were cultivated to be roughly similar in calculated difficulty to myself and level faster than just fighting wild monsters.


    After manically putting together the tournament in my mind, I realised that I had neglected to inform Osa. Besides being somewhat disrespectful of the authority I had given him, it also meant that I had likely fed who knows what rumours to the weavers just by making my requests. In order to set things right, I went hunting for Osa to inform him of my decision to hold a tournament.


    *****


    Escorting the sticky-fingered Goblin and its pale-skinned progeny through the royal palace was a trying experience for Captain Desmond. He was under explicit orders to make them both feel welcome for the duration of their stay and to protect them with his life as well as those of his men if necessary.


    Privy to a number of reports from the Hurst Labyrinth, Captain Desmond understood that the two Goblins were important to the Regent¡¯s plans and to realm security. However, it was still a trying experience witnessing the older Goblin leave a trail of crumbs through the royal armoury while her offspring directed the Regent himself to the magic items she required to fulfil the purpose of their visit.


    Unlike its parent, the pale-skinned aquatic variant was polite and conducted itself with a disturbingly keen level of awareness and intelligence. Upon entering the armoury and being given leave to take the items required to complete the project for the Regent, she beelined straight for the most powerful relics hidden behind an ornate tapestry and display case.


    Casually pushing the large display case aside and yanking the tapestry free of its anchorings, the Aquatic Goblin paused and carefully considered the steel combination safe. ¡°Mama,¡± she called out childishly and pointed to the safe, ¡°Help.¡±


    The other Goblin stopped chewing on its fifth loaf of bread and hurried over to its progeny¡¯s side.


    *Clang, Tik, Tak, Clatter*


    Captain Desmond¡¯s breath caught in his throat as the half-ton safe disappeared beneath the Goblin¡¯s touch and its former contents fell to the ground.


    ¡°I had wondered if you would find them on your own,¡± The Regent chuckled in amusement, ¡°But I had not believed you would be able to circumvent my security measures.¡±


    The Aquatic Goblin smiled and revealed a mouth full of thin needle-like teeth, ¡°Mama is resourceful,¡± she stated proudly and briefly snuggled affectionately with her mother. ¡°These will suffice,¡± the Goblin insisted and pointed to the small pile of wands and short staves that had fallen to the ground.


    The Regent nodded and motioned for one of Captain Desmond¡¯s men to collect them. ¡°Now, I was led to believe that the gate will require a comparatively large area to function efficiently. Is that correct?¡± The Regent inquired conversationally.


    The black-eyed Goblin nodded and began leading her mother out of the armoury and back the way they had come. ¡°It is best to have too much space than too little when dealing with spatial manipulation,¡± she explained matter of factly, unfazed as Captain Desmond and his men rushed to take up flanking and lead positions.


    The Regent caught up to them with little apparent effort, his long stride mincing the distance in moments, ¡°Behind the old guard barracks would serve best I think. There is plenty of open space for wagons and enough room to easily maneuver them. Don¡¯t you agree Captain?¡±


    ¡°Yes Regent,¡± Captain Desmond replied automatically, his mind taking a moment to fully process the Regent¡¯s words. Of course, he knew the place the Regent was referring to and agreed that the comparatively open space was more than suitable for stowing as many as a couple of dozen wagons and more if necessary.


    The Goblin had returned to chewing on her loaf of bread and leaving a fresh trail of crumbs on the castle floor.


    With the state of heightened security in effect, Captain Desmond knew he would be expected to assign one or more of his own men to clean up the mess.


    Arriving at the Regent¡¯s designated location, the Goblin scarfed down the last crust of the bread loaf and casually waved her hand.


    *CLANG*


    A giant ironwork gate crashed against the cobblestones and sent chips of stone and loose dirt flying.


    ¡°AH!¡± The Goblin covered her ears and shrieked irritably, ¡°LOUD!¡± She stomped her foot on the gate reproachfully and hissed, baring her sharp teeth.


    Captain Desmond felt a cold shiver run down his spine and his mouth turned dry. Disappearing the steel safe had been one thing, materialising a giant gate like that out of thin air...It was something else entirely.


    ¡°Alright!¡± The Regent slapped his hands together eagerly, ¡°Captain, have your men raise the Gate if you will, and send someone to fetch the stonemasons put up with the Quartermaster. We are working to a tight schedule and I do not want to keep our esteemed guests longer than is absolutely necessary!¡±


    Captain Desmond quickly set his men to work in following the Regent¡¯s commands. Captain Desmond was forced to admit he had drastically underestimated the danger presented by the underwhelming appearance of the Goblins, and he was now more eager than ever to be rid of them.


    ¡°The spatial wands should be enough for this side of the gateway,¡± the Aquatic Goblin commented conversationally. ¡°That is if you still intend for the port gateway to serve as the primary connection?¡± She directed this question to the Regent with cold unreadable eyes.


    The Regent nodded, ¡°Yes, that is still our preferred staging point in the Hurst Labyrinth. Am I to assume the staves will be used to power the Port Gidian gateway then?¡±


    The Aquatic Goblin nodded and pointed to the sconces worked into the iron gate, ¡°The spatial wands should fit into those mounts with minimal pressure,¡± she explained confidently, ¡°Once the gate is adequately anchored to the ground I will establish a tether to the other side and take the staves to power the connection.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± The Regent agreed and waved forward Sergeant Hagen who had picked up the contents of the safe. ¡°I know that there are likely a number of factors involved,¡± he hedged, ¡°But do you know how long the connection can be maintained and how frequently we can make use of it?¡±


    The Aquatic Goblin didn¡¯t even bat an eye, ¡°One hour of continuous operation will be possible every twenty-four hours when the connection is established from this gateway. Or any number of shorter activations provided they do not exceed that duration during the recharge period,¡± she replied as casually as if commenting on the weather.


    The Regent seemed surprised, ¡°The duration would be different when activated from elsewhere?¡± he asked curiously.


    The Goblin fixed the Regent with a black-eyed stare, ¡°Of course,¡± she replied casually, ¡°Your capital is intended to have the stronger connection in order to accept higher traffic. So naturally, it requires a greater ability to renew its mana reserves to reliably accept and support those connections.¡±


    ¡°How long could the gateway on Port Gidian¡¯s side support the connection to this gateway?¡± The Regent asked with keen interest.


    This time the Aquatic Goblin had to stop and think about it for a while before answering. ¡°Perhaps one hour of continuous activation every six hours? Maybe more?¡± She seemed uncertain and was now curiously engaged.


    ¡°You seem less certain?¡± The Regent prompted.


    ¡°The connection to...the outside, is easier, but the mana is also much thinner,¡± the black-eyed Goblin seemed distracted as she answered the question.


    Seeing the masons approach, the Regent decided to hold his questions for later.


    Shielding the pair of Goblins from the curious eyes of the masons, Captain Desmond tried to get a grip on how much more efficient the Regent¡¯s relocation efforts would become with access to the gateways as described. Assuming the Goblin wasn¡¯t lying, which he doubted was the case after all he had witnessed thus far, it might be possible for the Rangers to relocate as many as five entire villages each day.


    Giving up the lesser teleportation wands seemed a ludicrous price to pay for that capability. The wands themselves were incredibly rare and expensive, but the possible distance each activation would provide was only a few miles or so and could only be activated three to four times a day. They also have the distinct possibility of going off course if the user didn¡¯t carry a beacon to keep them on target.


    That last point made Captain Desmond nervous enough that he planned to have a word with the Regent once their guests were otherwise occupied.


    The Aquatic Goblin turned her pitch-black eyes on him and smirked.


    The otherwise innocuous gesture sent a fresh chill down Captain Desmon¡¯s spine, although he didn¡¯t know for the life of him why.


    Leaning in to whisper something to her mother, the black-eyed Goblin gave the Captain another brief smirk before turning her attention to the Regent.


    The Aquatic Goblin¡¯s mother nodded and waved her hand.


    Captain Desmond involuntarily flinched.


    *Clack Clack Tak Clack Tik Clack Tak Clack Tik*


    A mound of wooden tokens each the size of his thumb rained out of the air in front of the Goblins.


    ¡°The gateways will be anchored and not need these tokens,¡± the Aquatic Goblin explained with a faint grin, ¡°But those amongst your minions with sufficient mana reserves may be capable of fueling individual access through the gateways without activating them. If they are to attempt it, I strongly suggest they have one of these tokens on their person to ensure safe arrival at their intended destination.¡±


    Visibly shocked, the Regent took a moment to collect himself. ¡°Do you mean one of my soldiers could travel to Port Gidian under their own power without activating the gateways at all?¡± He asked in surprise.


    The aquatic goblins grinned wide, revealing her needle-like teeth again, ¡°Of course. Although you will find the cost of such travel increases depending on such factors as carried items, intended destination and the minion¡¯s tier of evolution.¡± After considering her words, the Goblin giggled to herself, ¡°You are lucky in a way,¡± she commented with a wide smile, ¡°You are all still so weak that the cost could prove quite low. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if even your most novice minions would be capable of making the journey after consuming only a handful of manastones.¡±


    The Regent was about to ask a follow-up question but the masons had finished anchoring the giant gateway by driving tall spikes of steel through the base of the gateway and into the ground below.


    As Sergeant Hagen had already mounted the wands as instructed, the Aquatic Goblin abruptly ended her conversation with the Regent and went to stand before the gate.


    Nothing seemed to happen for a very long time. A half-hour or more passed in relative silence as the black-eyed Goblin just stood there, her scaly finned tail slowly waving back and forth along the ground.


    The long wait seemed to do little for the other Goblin¡¯s patience, and she made a point of advertising it by huffing and kicking dejectedly at the ground while pacing behind her daughter. Every so often, she would give Captain Desmond or one of his men an appraising look before shaking her head and renewing her pacing.


    Unsure of what the Goblin was thinking, Captain Desmond was just thankful that she decided against acting on her impulses. The last he wanted at this point was to jeopardize the Regent¡¯s plans by retaliating before being able to stop himself. After all, there were far too many lives at stake.


    After a full hour had passed, the Aquatic Goblin slumped slightly and released a loud sigh, ¡°It is done,¡± she declared and turned to face Sergeant Hagen, ¡°The staves,¡± the goblin held out her hands expectantly.


    Sergeant Hagen looked to Captain Desmond, who in turn looked to the Regent for confirmation.


    The Regent nodded and motioned for them to be quick about it.


    Sergeant Hagen hastily handed over the two staves.


    ¡°Once I finish attuning the staves to the other gate, the gateway will become active and allow both limited activation and personal travel,¡± The Aquatic Goblin stated loudly to make sure they all heard her, ¡°I will need to rest first, as the return will drain my mana further, so do not attempt either until your minions confirm the completion on the other side.¡±


    The Regent nodded in understanding, ¡°Indeed, I am grateful for your assistance and hope your brief stay in our kingdom was not otherwise too draining. Ah, but before you leave, might you impart knowledge of how to use the gateway?¡±


    The Goblin narrowed its black eyes at the Regent and cocked her head slightly to one side as she smiled faintly, ¡°Traversing the gateway on one''s own is the same as activating the wands or staves, while continuous activation is...more complicated. I will need to explain to one of your minions once I recover.¡±


    The Regent bowed his head and placed his hand over his heart, ¡°You have my deepest thanks Lady Ril. We will make sure to prioritise sending additional materials for the construction of the library as agreed, but if there is anything else we can do to return this favour, please contact me.¡±


    The Aquatic Goblin, Lady Ril, nodded, took her mothers hand and then disappeared.


    The Regent released a long sigh of relief before composing himself again. ¡°Captain! I want this gate under constant surveillance. No one approaches without explicit orders from myself, one of the governors or Baron Klive. Am I clear?!¡±


    Captain Desmond snapped a rigid salute, ¡°Sir!¡± He barked in reply almost automatically.


    ¡°Good man!¡± The Regent clapped him on the shoulder and then made as if to leave before stopping in his tracks, ¡°Oh, and send one of your men for the Quartermaster. Make it clear that I expect every one of these tokens to be catalogued and accounted for. And be sure to keep an eye out while the counting takes place! These tokens may very well be the very lifeblood of our people! We cannot afford to err when the stakes are so very high!¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Captain Desmond barked again and did his best to engrave the words in his heart. He had read other reports besides those of the goings-on in the Labyrinths and knew that the empire was already on the move. Open war was only months away at the latest and every day of peace from now until then was a precious resource that they had to make the most of if they intended for their people to remain free of foreign tyranny.


    Captain Desmond was thankful that his own family had been transferred to Port Gidian already, but he still felt a responsibility to the citizens of Asrus that had not yet been afforded the opportunity to escape the war.


    Barking orders to his men, Captain Desmond cast an eye to the darkening sky and approaching storm clouds while doing his best not to wonder what sort of ill omen it might hold for his people.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 31 – Fight Club Experience – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 31 ¨C Fight Club Experience ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 31 - Fight Club Experience - Part Two


    I made a point of waking up before midnight and waiting beneath the olive tree in the centre of the village. I kept the majority of my attention on the looming gateway woven from tree roots and branches. The girls had said Lash might be coming back tonight, and I didn¡¯t want to miss her.


    The remainder of my attention was diverted towards more fully exploring the capabilities unlocked through the Capital Settlement Totem. Most of the functions remained the same or had progressed in a predictable linear fashion. A good example was the expansion of the promotion hierarchy. The increase in my own title allowed for potential promotions to my previously occupied title. This would continue until I occupied the highest possible title aptly named Tyrant.


    As with the other lesser titles, the Tyrant title only required that I surpassed a predetermined number of minions. However, I still had no idea how many minions it would require, but I wasn¡¯t overly fussed about it either. The waves of Asrusian citizens being inducted as minions removed any sense of pressure I might have otherwise felt regarding pursuing the prerequisites of my own promotion. However, the introduction of Factions upon achieving the title of Overlord may pose a problem in the future.


    The rules and applications for Factions were one of the non-linear progressions that had required dedicated study in order to properly understand. Functionally, each Faction has a completely isolated command structure and hierarchy to every other Faction. This would mean granting the Humans their own Faction or Factions would leave only myself as each Faction Leader''s literal superior in the hierarchy. This mattered because once I became Tyrant, Gric would lose his literal authority over the other Overseers in different Factions.


    I could still advocate Gric as my prime minister or something and make it known that he could make decisions in my name, but it would require the other Factions members and leaders to recognise those decisions and comply of their own volition.


    It took me a moment to realise how much my mindset had shifted during my comparatively short time living in this world. I had been born and raised in a comparatively corruption-free democracy where voting is mandatory and the queen is recognised as the technical head of state were the only real quirks of the system. Now I was stressing over losing control by giving small levels of self-determination to people I was already benefiting heavily from.


    After taking some time to think about it, I decided that if the Humans asked for their own Faction, I would give them two or more instead. I figured that if I had to rely on the rule of law and voluntary engagement not supported by the Settlement Totems, then the Humans would have to as well. The settlements on the border would be granted a Faction all their own to ensure their continued independence of the central Asrusian authority¡¯s commands and potential abuse in politics. Depending on how the Regent and high ranking officers reacted, I might divide the southern Settlements into their own Factions as well in order to limit their enforceable authority.


    There was also the distinct possibility that any pre-existing communities of monsters I encountered and annexed would want their own comparative independence as well, and the more I thought about it, the more I was inclined to agree with the general sentiment. In a similar sense to how the American war of independence was fought for representation, I could easily imagine different groups going to war over abuses of authority by ¡®outsiders¡¯.


    Because all Overseers in my Faction held authority just a half step under my own, there was currently nothing stopping the Human Overseer from making demands and enforcing laws on the villagers of Stonewell or from Osa doing the same to any of the Humans in return. Dividing everyone into Factions would sever that official and magically enforced authority. From that point of view, the Faction system wasn¡¯t all that bad, and after considering things for a while longer I realised I could still give Gric enforceable authority but had to do it in a more roundabout way.


    Basing the framework off of the Australian Commonwealth, I could require the other Faction leaders swear oaths to recognise Gric¡¯s authority as my proxy. Effectively this would make him my prime minister and allow him to keep managing things while I was otherwise occupied. This wouldn¡¯t be so bad for the Factions either, since they would officially be able to take their grievances and requests to Gric to settle rather than just passing the buck onto me.


    Feeling mana emanating from the gateway, I stopped my musings and waited for something to happen.


    After about ten seconds the clusters of manastones bound to the gateway flashed and revealed the shadowy silhouettes of Ril and Toofy who were now standing before the gate.


    I was disappointed Lash wasn¡¯t with them, but it was good to see them both again.


    *Thump Clang*


    Momentarily taken aback, it took a few seconds for me to realize that the huge cast-iron arch that had suddenly materialized out of thin air must have come from Toofy¡¯s extradimensional space.


    ¡°Hi, Tim!¡± Toofy called out loudly and hopped over the prone arch before leaping up into my waiting arms for a hug.


    ¡°Hi Toofy,¡± I gave her a playful squeeze, ¡°I missed you.¡±


    Toofy smiled wider, ¡°Toofy miss Tim too!¡±


    Ril was still standing by the gateway and I assumed she was communicating with Mors judging by her relative immobility.


    Shifting Toofy onto my shoulders, I made my way over to Ril and took a closer look at the cast-iron arch. Obviously intended to serve as a portal gateway, the arch had hemispherical bowls recessed into its surface to hold manastones and a crude yet recognisable image of a stone well imprinted on the large iron plate connecting the two feet of the arch.


    ¡°Is this going to be the new gate?¡± I asked Ril.


    Ril nodded tiredly, ¡°Mors is coming to remove this temporary one shortly-¡± She yawned and rubbed at her eyelids, ¡°-Won¡¯t be able to connect until tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can¡¯t we leave this gate active until then?¡± I asked hopefully.


    Ril blinked blankly back at me with a vague look of confusion on her face. ¡°It isn¡¯t working properly,¡± she explained cautiously.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I felt a sudden rush of panic at the thought of something having happened to Lash.


    Ril yawned quietly again, revealing her mouth of needle-like teeth. ¡°Return connection to Sanctuary was unstable, very inefficient mana cost.¡±


    ¡°Which is the reason for the new gate,¡± I realised.


    Ril nodded.


    That could explain why Lash hadn¡¯t returned like I had hoped she would. Depending on how depleted her mana had been, Lash may have even required a day to recuperate.


    I picked up Ril and held her while we waited for Mors. apparently otherwise occupied at the reclamation pits below, waiting for the elevator and riding back up was the cause for his late arrival.


    After Mors removed the old gateway, I helped lift the new iron one into position and held it in place while Mors anchored it to the ground with thick roots looped through holes provided in the large iron base plate.


    Leaving Mors to shift the manastones into the new gateway, I took Toofy and Ril to our borrowed accommodations and made a temporary bed for them before settling down for the night myself.


    It was difficult to get to sleep at first because I still thought Lash might arrive at any moment. The fact that the old gateway was gone and the new one was effectively just an inanimate chunk of iron was irrelevant. All the same, I eventually fell asleep.


    Waking up early, I visited Fadwa to borrow a large clay pot for Ril to sleep and recuperate in. Next, I took the pot to the well and filled it from the close to overflowing well.


    The village centre had practically changed overnight and was now carpeted with Mors¡¯s drought-resistant moss. It was even making steady progress in creeping over the nearby buildings as well. The trees Mors had already established around the periphery had grown significantly larger as well, their interweaving branches providing a decent amount of shade for the entire village centre. These changes weren¡¯t lost on the villagers either, many of whom were staring at the lush vegetation in awe and with a similar degree of reverence to the restored water reserves in the well.


    I was distracted enough that I didn''t notice Mors until he was practically standing next to me. The Toad-like Daemon looked understandably pleased with himself. ¡°Overlord! We have officially reached surplus!¡± He croaked excitedly, the large sack beneath his lower jaw expanding and contracting with each syllable. ¡°I introduced a wooden grating to the well in order to prevent accidental drownings as well,¡± he added a little less excitedly, ¡°There were a couple of close accidents earlier this morning¡­¡±


    Looking into the well again, I realised that he was right. A thick mesh of interwoven roots with only inch wide gaps had grown just below ground level, leaving roughly two and a half feet of water to draw from. The constant stream of water flowing into the well from above made the well more of a drain or storage tank than well, so the limited volume of immediately available water was largely irrelevant.


    ¡°Have you considered making a bathing or recreational pool?¡± I asked with a grin. Imagining the looks on the villagers'' faces when they realised what the purpose of the bodies of water was intended for would certainly be interesting to say the least.


    ¡°Really?¡± Mors had become excited again, ¡°You think I could make a relaxation pool?¡± He croaked greedily.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I confirmed, Mors had earned it. Besides, Ril would probably use it too if she needed it.


    After carrying the large pot filled with water back to the house, I set it down in a corner and woke up Ril and Toofy.


    Ril staggered over to the large pot of water and tumbled in with a splash which caused Toofy to snicker.


    ¡°Silly baby,¡± Toofy materialised a chunk of meat into her hand and unceremoniously dropped it into the water.


    Without even opening her eyes, Ril opened her mouth wide and inhaled the meat into her mouth while ejecting water through the gills on her neck and chest.


    Trading Toofy my spider jerky for what looked suspiciously like frog legs, I tried not to think about it too much and scarfed them down. Surprisingly, besides being a little rubbery, I really enjoyed the taste.


    Voices filtering down the stairs made it clear that the girls were awake.


    Yawning and tying her hair back while walking down the stairs, Nadine splashed her face with water from the basin in the corner and then dried off with the nearby cloth. ¡°Morning Tim,¡± she mumbled while drowsily kneeling down by our bag of supplies. ¡°Ugh...Spider meat¡­¡± Nadine seemed just as sick of it as I was.


    ¡®Want food?¡± Toofy asked cheerily while chewing a half-eaten red-skinned apple.


    My stomach gurgled and I realised I hadn¡¯t seen an apple in who knows how long.


    Nadine licked her lips and nodded, ¡°I would love one, Toofy.¡±


    Toofy grinned and materialised a pile of apples beside her on the bed and then threw one to Nadine.


    Deftly catching the apple, Nadine briefly polished it on her tunic and then took a bite. ¡°MMMMH! SHO GUD!¡± She exclaimed and chewed vigorously before taking another big bite.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s in a good mood,¡± Clarice snickered as she slouched down the stairs and threw her arms wide to stretch. Upon seeing what was in Nadine¡¯s hand, Clarice stiffened and then suddenly charged her, ¡°Oi! Where did you get an apple?!¡±


    Toofy grinned wickedly and drew her arm back.


    *Thump*


    ¡°OW!¡± Clarice spun around in confusion to look for her assailant and saw Toofy sitting next to a pile of apples matching the one on the floor nearby.


    Nadine and I shared a knowing look.


    Now the picture of innocence, Toofy picked up an apple from the pile and held it out to Clarice, ¡°Yummy ball?¡± She offered innocently.


    Apparently, over the blow to the head, Clarice lowered her arms and licked her lips, ¡°Love one!¡± She replied and held out her hand.


    Toofy lobbed the apple in an underhanded throw this time, and Clarice effortlessly snatched it out of the air.


    Taking a large bite of the apple, Clarice smiled with a wide goofy grin before chewing swallowing and taking another massive bite.


    ¡°Where did you get the apples, Toofy?¡± I asked curiously.


    Toofy cocked her head to one side, ¡°Aplz? Qreet give Toofy and Ril tasty balls to eat. Everyone eats at home, so tasty!¡± She licked her lips and picked up another apple.


    Nadine sighed happily, ¡°You mean We can finally have fresh fruit to balance out all the dry meat?¡± She exclaimed in relief.


    Apparently not quite understanding the question, Toofy shrugged and bit off half her apple in one go, ¡°Babies eating most tasty balls before collectors get them. So Toofy tell Qreet to give tasty balls for Tim-¡± She swallowed and was about to take another bite but paused, ¡°-And Nadine,¡± Toofy smiled sweetly before snapping up the other half of the apple into her mouth. Licking her lips Toofy contently rubbed her stomach, ¡°No eat many,¡± she cautioned with a wagging finger, ¡°Make inside hurt.¡±


    That made me laugh. Picking up the apple off the floor, I dusted it off and took a bite. The berries and other fruits we were growing in Sanctuary before I left had nothing on the sweetness of these apples. Whoever had cultivated the trees they came from knew what they were doing. ¡°Where did Qreet get the apples from?¡±


    Nadine finished her apple and licked her fingers clean. ¡°The Regent is relocating villages into the swamp on the third floor, right? Qreet probably regrew one of the immigrated farmers'' orchards and grew the apples from some seeds...Hey! Do you think Mors could grow apples here?!¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°Probably,¡± I hedged, ¡°But he would probably need to make them heat resistant to avoid burning in the sun.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s expression became determined, ¡°Toofy can I have another one please?¡± She asked sweetly.


    ¡°Kay,¡± Toofy threw Nadine another apple, ¡°No more till next time,¡± she warned sternly while reaching for and biting into another apple, ¡°Inshides will hurt!¡±


    Nadine stifled a laugh and nodded, ¡°As you say Toofy,¡± she agreed with feigned seriousness.


    Toofy nodded seriously in return, ¡°Good.¡±


    Nadine left the house with a smile on her face as she briskly headed off in the direction of the village centre.


    Fully dressed and prepared for the day, Kestrel descended the stairs two at a time, ¡°Did I hear someone say we have apples?¡±


    After Toofy somewhat reluctantly shared an apple with Kestrel, Clarice tore her way through a piece of dried meat and then with typical tact raised the subject of the tournament.


    ¡°Finally saw sense and decided I was right?¡± Clarice goaded with a grin, ¡°These sand stompers are fast, I¡¯ll give them that, but Dhizi and I are gonna clean up!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one on one bouts, Clarice. No mounts or Beast companions,¡± I clarified.


    ¡°What?!¡± Clarice demanded, ¡°That aint fair! How are you expecting the Beast Trainers to compete?!¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not fair,¡± I agreed, ¡°But answer this for me, Clarice. Who is going to heal the Beasts that get crippled in the fighting? Dhizi and the spiked lizards might come out relatively unscathed and be able to regenerate lost digits or limbs, but what about the spiders and birds? One mistake could see them permanently crippled or dead.¡±


    Clarice visibly deflated and avoided eye contact, although it was obvious she was still upset about it.


    ¡°The point of these fights isn¡¯t to be fair, it¡¯s to farm experience. The more challenging the opposition, the more Exp the quest will allow to be awarded for winning AND losing,¡± I explained.


    Clarice looked surprised, ¡°We get Exp for losing too?¡± She asked sceptically.


    I nodded, ¡°So long as the quest deems your effort as genuine, you would still be awarded Exp for ¡®failing¡¯ the quest.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Clarice seemed somewhat mollified.


    ¡°So why not do team battles?¡± Kestrel asked curiously


    I took a moment to consider the question before replying. I think I had overlooked it because I planned on competing alone, but Kestrel had a good point. ¡°I think I will allow it,¡± I answered, ¡°But I will not be teaming up with anyone. I am already determined to be far too powerful in comparison to everyone else as it is. Taking teammates would award those we defeat with more Exp, but we would get very little if anything.¡±


    Kestrel slowly nodded her head in understanding, ¡°What about ranged weapons?¡±


    ¡°No deliberate attacks to the head or groin, otherwise anything goes. The same goes for melee,¡± I explained. ¡°You will probably want to see Mors and have him make some alternative wooden arrows so you don¡¯t damage your good ones,¡± I suggested as an afterthought. ¡°The idea is to keep the fights as realistic as possible to maximise the Exp gains, but anyone who is brought down to zero HP would immediately fail the quest, even if their teammates later win the round.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh,¡± Clarice hissed through her teeth but nodded all the same, ¡°So even if you lose, you can still move on to the next round if your team does well. Hrm¡­¡±


    ¡°In fact¡­¡± After considering the possibilities of the group fight dynamic further, I realised there was something I had overlooked. ¡°As the fight goes on, and assuming it is reasonably close, the last person left standing will earn a lot more Exp than the first person to fall. Especially if they have to down multiple members of the enemy team on their own to do it.¡±


    Kestrel¡¯s eyes widened as she came to grips with what I was saying, ¡°So, theoretically, the most efficient way to go about this would be to have larger teams in order to generate the most Exp for the most people, right?¡±


    I nodded, and realised I was making things significantly more difficult for myself. ¡°We can use the retinue functions to share team synergies and keep an eye on people''s condition¡­¡± I mused aloud while trying to think of ways to better keep a handle on what was quickly shaping into a chaotic slugfest.


    ¡°How many can we have on a team?¡± Clarice called out as she raced up the stairs to get her boots.


    ¡°No more than ten!¡± I called back and tried to think of ways we could make the terrain discourage a straight-up brawl in the middle without incurring a loss of Exp from the quest mechanics. Theoretically, making the terrain more difficult to fight in would improve the overall Exp gains if it presented a degree of inherent danger. So long as it didn¡¯t favour one side or the other, or any particular individual, the Exp gains would be available for everyone.


    By the time Clarice came back downstairs, I had made my decision. I was going to have Mors or maybe Qreet, grow some rudimentary obstacles in the middle of the intended battlefield as well as some serviceable fortifications on both sides and smaller strong points throughout. Making the external surfaces covered in thorns should increase the danger Exp, and the potential ambush and chokepoints would hopefully discourage a massed charge.


    While a massed charge in an open field would probably be the most efficient use of time, it would be a recipe for disaster as well and could easily result in someone''s accidental death. By dispersing the violence it would give the Surgeon¡¯s time to reach someone if they became critically injured. In fact, I wanted to have surgeons assigned to shadow each team as well, just in case. Interestingly, the presence of the Surgeon¡¯s didn¡¯t seem to impact the expected Exp. Best as I could figure, this was because anyone they were intended to help would already have ¡®failed¡¯.


    However, even more interestingly, I discovered that framing a quest for the Surgeons doing the shadowing and otherwise on standby would earn them a decent amount due to the assumed danger they would be in when retrieving downed combatants.


    Heading off to Mors to have him quote a timeline for the prospective arena, I was joined by Kestrel a few moments later.


    As I suspected, Mors doubted he would be able to grow everything before tomorrow at the earliest, but reassured me that he could create enough raw materials for the additional armour and armaments by midday if Qreet could handle the Arena.


    Having Ezha summon a manifestation of Qreet, I explained the general idea of the arena I wanted and what it was for. Qreet actually seemed rather excited at the prospect and promised to have it done by midday.


    Both Ezha and her mother had hurried off after hearing about the change in the tournament¡¯s rules. Most likely, they were hastily putting their own team like Clarice.


    ¡°You seem pretty calm considering you are wasting your head start to form a team,¡± I commented while walking with Kestrel to find Osa.


    ¡°Clarice already invited me onto her team,¡± Kestrel replied with a smile and a nonchalant shrug. ¡°Besides, there is a sensitive request from the Lord Regent,¡± she added quietly and nervously glanced around to make sure no one had heard her.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I honestly hadn¡¯t expected another request so soon after the last one. Especially considering the scale of that particular request.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Kestrel cleared her throat quietly and leaned in close, making sure to shield her lips from view conspiratorially. ¡°It is a request to shelter a V.I.P in Sanctuary.¡±


    That was not what I had been expecting at all. I furrowed my brow and scrutinised Kestrel¡¯s expression and body language for clues but came up empty. ¡°Who?¡± I asked bluntly, unwilling to beat about the bush over something like this.


    Kestrel licked her lips and nervously looked around again before leaning in closer, ¡°I was only told that a mutual acquaintance by the name of Jacque would vouch for their good behaviour,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Jacque?¡± Thoroughly blindsided again, I had not been expecting her to be involved with the Asrusian government and royal family. Recalling my time spent with Jacque on the first floor, I knew that I owed her something in exchange for her help, but sheltering a complete stranger was inviting an unknown level of danger towards Sanctuary. This was a potentially huge favour, and I currently lacked any ideas on how best to capitalize on it besides¡­ ¡±I want one hundred tenth tier manastones in exchange for the V.I.P¡¯s entry and protection in Sanctuary.¡±


    Kestrel paled but immediately nodded.


    ¡°A week,¡± I amended hurriedly, determined to see how far she was permitted to bargain.


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± Kestrel agreed. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And I want a free trade agreement,¡± I pressed, ¡°And manastone vendors and merchants to be vetted so they can sell to Sanctuary.¡±


    Again, without any hesitation whatsoever, Kestrel nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Bloody hell¡­¡± I muttered, starting to feel incredibly concerned that I hadn¡¯t managed to phase her at all and knowing what that meant. The prospective V.I.P was genuinely an incredibly important person and was assumed to bring Sanctuary a considerable degree of danger.


    ¡°Can I send your response?¡± Kestrel asked nervously.


    I nodded but made a point of staring Kestrel straight in the eyes, ¡°I want this to be painfully clear Kestrel, this V,I.P is expected to observe ALL of Sanctuary¡¯s laws and be on their best damned behaviour. If anything happens, I will hold your Regent responsible.¡±


    Kestrel gulped and nodded before taking out her messaging device.


    Leaving her behind, I headed for the elevator so I could watch Qreet¡¯s progress and maybe get some exercise in before the tournament. I couldn¡¯t make up my mind which prospect had me more worried, fighting a team of ten in a serious fight all on my own, or the trouble this V.I.P was going to bring to Sanctuary.


    True to her word, Qreet did quick work and was liberal with creating minor dangerous obstacles to obstruct the midfield and promote alternate routes that would encourage ambushes and holdout actions in equal measure. By the time the sun was just about at its highest Qreet was just about done, only dithering over minor details that now required much more of her concentration since her class change.


    Since we still had time, more or less, I set Qreet to work creating a raised spectator pavilion on the side of the mesa that would give the villagers and waiting competitors a good view of events transpiring below. Despite some very vocal protests from Clarice, the general consensus was that the viewing platform was worth the wait. Especially as the more clever participants realised they could scope out the strategies of their potential opposition from the vantage point while waiting their turn.


    Still holding true to my desire for a round-robin tournament, every team would fight every other team at least once, and potentially twice in order to settle a tie in wins vs losses that would otherwise determine the overall winner. Depending on how much time was left afterwards, if any, there would also be a staggered series of free for all matches to end the day¡¯s competition.


    At Nadine¡¯s request, and to make it ultimately more challenging for me, my team would face all eighteen of the other teams consecutively, one after the other. Nadine¡¯s general line of thinking was that she and the other Surgeons could get each team into peak condition again before they needed to fight their next opponents, and that by fighting them all consecutively, I would tire out, making it more challenging for me and earning more Exp.


    Unable to refute her logic, I agreed and felt a fresh wave of nervous energy as I donned my protective gear and strapped a spare studded club to my back. ¡°This is what I wanted,¡± I reminded myself as I rolled my neck and shoulders causing them to pop loudly in an intimidating fashion.


    My first opponents were all warriors from the Fire Dancer tribe and otherwise complete strangers to me. A blend of older and younger men, they carried a medley of wooden axes, hatchets, curved swords and large clubs like mine, but otherwise seemed to have no ranged weapons.


    Losing sight of them once I entered the fort on my side of the arena, which was one of the two agreed-upon starting points for each team for the competition, I decided that heading for the bramble thicket farthest from the mesa would be my best bet strategically. It was narrow enough that only one person would be able to come at me from either side without pressing into the brambles on either side and catching their exposed clothing or being scratched by the thorns Qreet assured were only ¡®mildly¡¯ poisonous.


    *Brooot*


    Hearing the starting horn blow, I immediately jogged off towards the northern bramble thicket.


    Perhaps having guessed my intentions, or maybe only happening upon me by accident, a younger Fire Dancer with a large club similar to my own entered the west side of the thicket moments after I entered the east.


    Wanting to lure him in to knock one opponent out early, I feigned shock and just stood there without raising my weapon or otherwise making a move.


    Falling for my bluff, the young orc released a confident roar and charged, raising his weapon high so he could bring it down on my mostly exposed arms or on my shoulders. Crude pauldrons had been provided to protect the shoulders from overhead blows, but I found they restricted my already limited motions too much, so I went without.


    As the young Fire Dancer came rushing towards me I took a deep calming breath and waited for my moment.


    *Thump Clack*


    As his club came crashing down, I ducked and pivoted to my right, slapping my left hand against his relatively exposed side and throwing him sideways into the brambles. I wasn¡¯t able to stop his club from hitting me, but it lost almost all of its momentum, so I lost no HP.


    Now standing side-on, I could see the Fire Dancer with twin hatchets quietly dashing towards me from behind a nearby obstruction. If the now panicked younger Fire Dancer had waited only a little longer, they could have caught me in a pincer attack.


    Abandoning the bramble thicket, for the time being, I tightened my grip on my studded club and slowly moved towards the rapidly approaching Fire Dancer. Wanting to test how much strength I could get away with when using my new club, I held it at the ready and suddenly leapt forward.


    Reaching forward with my left hand, I goaded the twin hatchet user to attempt to exploit the perceived opening of my exposed hand.


    Just like his fellow tribesman, the Fire Dancer fell for the feint.


    *CRACK*


    Quickly stepping to the right, I brought my studded club crashing into the back left his chest armour and briefly sent him tumbling forward and face-first into the brambles. Lining up a follow-up strike, I brought my club down on his exposed back.


    *CRACK*


    Despite the Fire Dancer groaning weakly and rolling onto his side, a status notification made it clear that he was out for the count.


    [{Quest Objective Completed} +2100 Exp]


    The prone Fire Dancer released a burst of bright golden light, temporarily obstructing my vision.


    The amount of Exp was somewhat surprising considering the Fire Dancer¡¯s levels and evolution tier were so low. This only confirmed my belief that short of fighting a horde of monsters regularly, the most efficient means of levelling would be through semi-lethal tournaments against competitively evolved and levelled opponents. Although that would only last as long as the accumulated Exp for quest rewards held out.


    Seeing no sign of any other Fire Dancer¡¯s I pulled the younger Orc out of the brambles and threw him to the ground hard. The brambles poison had a numbing effect and the Orc was already so badly scratched up that he could barely move. Once the quest determined he could no longer fight, he would lose regardless of how much Hp he had left.


    *THUMP*


    A sudden blow to my upper left arm sent a shiver of pain up the remainder of my arm. Hunching my back, I spun on the spot and swung my right arm and club wide.


    *THWACK*


    My ambushing assailant, one of the older Fire Dancer¡¯s with a large curved wooden sword, had attempted to catch my club with his blade but underestimated my strength and momentum. His blade had been driven back and smashed his hands into his helmet. The jarring pain of the blow to his hands caused the Fire Dancer to drop his sword, but he remained mobile, quickly ducking backwards and out of reach. So long as he didn''t get disqualified or eliminated, he would still get Exp for my potential defeat. ¡°HERE! HERE!¡± The old warrior hollered while continuing to warily back away, demonstrating the difference in experience between the older and younger warriors.


    The old Orc had managed to reduce my HP by one point, serving as a reminder that even though I outclassed them significantly individually, they could still bring me down through accumulated effort.


    [{Quest Objective Completed} +2400 Exp]


    The appearance of the second notification and the second burst of golden light confirmed my suspicions regarding the young orc I pulled out of the brambles.


    Quickly confirming that at least one Surgeon was headed in this direction, I considered retreating towards my fortress before the Fire Dancer¡¯s had a chance to swarm me with their remaining members. But I decided to snatch up one of the abandoned hatchets instead and try to take the old Orc first.


    Knowing my chances of actually hitting him were close to zero, I felt little qualms in hurling the hatchet hard in his general direction.


    *Thwack*


    Predictably, I missed him and the hatchet went shearing through a patch of brambles and struck something out of sight.


    Visibly shaken, the old Orc bolted.


    Wanting to get out of the two Surgeon¡¯s way, I ran towards the Mesa and tried to spot one of the remaining seven Fire Dancer¡¯s, content to leave the old man be for the time being. If he succumbed to his injuries and was deemed unable to fight, the quest might deem him defeated anyway. Although He could always try headbutting or kicking me.


    ¡°THERE! NOW!¡± The booming call unexpectedly came from my left and I saw four of the middle-aged warriors fanning out as they charged towards me from the direction of my starting location.


    ¡°Did they really think I would stay there?¡± I muttered incredulously. I decided that maybe some regular wargames like capture the flag might be in order if this proved to be a recurring trend. Then again, wargames would probably be a good source of Exp if I combined them with the Arena rules as well anyway.


    Instead of coming to a halt and facing them head-on like they probably expected I would, I decided to continue towards the mesa. There was a large Bramble bush I felt confident that could hold my left flank while the mesa protected my back.


    Arriving at the intended position of my last stand, I found two Fire Dancer¡¯s had beaten me to it and had the wherewithal to hold their ground rather than charge me head-on and lose their perceived strategic advantage.


    Knowing I might take a glancing blow from one of their axes, I decided to risk it and barrelled forward, lowering my body into a running crouch. I lunged the final distance and wrapped my left arm around the leftmost warrior and used my shoulder to drive him into the rocky mesa wall.


    *Clack clunk, CLUNK*


    I felt the wooden armour compress the warrior¡¯s chest and stomach as we impacted the wall and felt him go limp in my arm.


    [{Quest Objective Completed} +3200 Exp]


    Knowing that four more warriors were still hot on my heels and that I had to get rid of this other warrior to avoid being outnumbered four on one, I jabbed at his exposed knee with the butt end of my club to buy myself some room.


    Apparently wise to my tricks, the warrior didn¡¯t back away but instead sidestepped my attempted blow and prepared to swing at my exposed right arm. Feeling a little sorry for the stunned Orc still slumped on my shoulder, I turned to the right and heaved him at his companion.


    As expected the warrior cancelled his strike and freed his left hand in order to catch his companion with his now freed arm. Realising his mistake too late, he was too slow in raising his axe one-handed to ward off my club as it came crashing down towards his right pauldron.


    *Clack CRACK*


    The pauldron split and he cried out in pain as he was driven to the ground.


    Seeing the others were only seconds away, I stomped his chest and then ran off again. With at least one Surgeon headed this way, I could no longer use the bramble bush as I had intended.


    ¡°COWARD!¡± Roared the Fire Dancer¡¯s leader as he continued chasing behind me.


    Figuring that they still hadn¡¯t learned their lesson on tactics just yet, I raced towards their starting fortification, buying myself time by jumping through gaps in the briar walls or over smaller bushes. My skin was thick enough to just weather the thorns, which was why I wasn¡¯t earning more Exp for each of the Fire Dancer¡¯s. However, the Fire Dancer¡¯s were likely making a killing. Both of the other Fire Dancer¡¯s had completed at least one level up just from being defeated. So I didn¡¯t feel nearly as guilty as I would have otherwise.


    Charging up the thick woven root ramp to the second floor of their fortification, I was surprised again to find that one of the Fire Dancer¡¯s was there waiting for me. Or so I thought.


    The youngest of the Fire Dancer¡¯s I had seen so far, he couldn¡¯t have been more than sixteen. Realising that I had forgotten to apply the same age restriction on the modified tournament rules as the original, it only made sense that someone would try to make the most of the situation.


    Knocking the young Orc¡¯s staff aside with my club, I decided to try and make the experience as painless as possible for him and snatched his throat with my left hand. Careful to apply just enough pressure to momentarily block blood flow, and by extension oxygen, to his brain. I weathered the boy¡¯s kicks and punches, ineffectual though they were until he went limp.


    Shielding my eyes, I lowered him to the ground and looked towards the stairs.


    [{Quest Objective Completed} +13100 Exp]


    The Gold Flash came as I expected it would, but this time it came from me as well.


    Momentarily stunned, I glanced back towards the boy and mentally reviewed his position in the hierarchy.


    With the cries of the four warriors coming from just down the stairs now, everything began to make sense. The boy was Forgut¡¯s chosen heir, Barget, which meant the warriors I was fighting were very likely The Fire Dancer¡¯s most elite or Forgut¡¯s most trusted warriors and hunters. Judging by their performance thus far, I was leaning towards the latter. It also explained why he had given so much more Exp than the others had. Just like me, Barget had a Master Tier Leadership Class. Even if it was ¡®just¡¯ Desert Orc Chieftain, the fact that he had the high tier Class was what determined the Exp reward.


    Knowing that Clarice was also participating in this tournament, and that she was much closer to my level than the other recently promoted heirs and Osa¡¯s officers were, I felt conflicted. On the one hand, beating her would be a huge Exp reward, but on the other, I still didn¡¯t feel particularly comfortable hitting or otherwise injuring a woman. This was bad, because I knew Clarice wouldn¡¯t hold back one bit and would try every trick she could think of in order to bring me down.


    Releasing a deep sigh, I squared up my shoulders and swung my club into the unprepared arms of the first warrior to clear the ramp, sending him crashing into those racing up the ramp behind him. Stomping after them, I continued my silent deliberation on how exactly I was going to eliminate Clarice from the competition without feeling like a piece of shit afterwards.


    ¡°I could always throw her into one of the briar bushes,¡± I muttered skeptically and gave one of the prone warriors a stomp to the chest. Shielding my eyes and blinking away the quest notification, I sighed again and stepped back into the wider space of the room. ¡°Whose stupid idea was it to farm Exp through a tournament like this anyway?¡± I grumbled and raised my club, ¡°I should have just stuck to spawn camping¡­¡±


    *****


    Mortimer lazily glanced over towards the dark cage in the corner of the basement and released a long stream of scruff smoke while making sure to keep his pipe firmly in place with his remaining teeth. There had once been a time when Mortimer worked hands-on for Dukes and Duchesses, but as he had aged, Mortimer found he actually preferred the quiet work acquired through the various middlemen of the continent far more. All too often it amounted to nothing more than what he was doing right now, being paid to sit on his bony arse and smoke scruff to relieve the pain from his swollen joints.


    Of course, these cushy jobs were only made available because of the reputation he had earned during his younger years. So Mortimer didn¡¯t think of those years so much wasted as laying the groundwork for his pseudo retirement.


    Feeling the ache in his knees lessen, Mortimer removed the pipe from his mouth and decided to take a short walk around the basement. He never stopped marveling at the effects age had on the body. Reflecting on how he had once been a strapping knave of six feet and more with muscles like oak, Mortimer chuckled as he considered his bent and withered frame. Time was a bitch, and she always took her due.


    Stopping by the cage, Mortimer removed a short strip of salted jerky from his pocket and tossed it through the bars. ¡°Eat up kid,¡± he barked quietly, ¡°Jus don¡¯t go tellin no one I gave it to yer.¡±


    The piece of meat remained where it was until Mortimer sat down on his chair again. Then, quick as a flash, a small pale grey hand snatched it and disappeared into the dark shadows on the far side of the cage.


    Mortimer replaced the pipe in his mouth and took a fresh puff. He had been the kid¡¯s keeper for close to five years now. Never having had any siblings, nor any children of his own, that he knew of, Mortimer often came at a loss on how he should be treating his charge. The employer had insisted that he never be let out of his cage but had otherwise left the boy¡¯s feeding to Vernon, another contractor in his employ.


    Vernon was a real piece of work. Obviously skimming the funds their employer was providing for feeding the kid, Vernon only gave the kid a thin cold gruel once each evening. Sometimes Vernon would deliberately spill most of it outside of the cage just to get a rise out of the kid, but besides prompting a scowl from Mortimer, Vernon¡¯s cruel jokes never amounted to anything.


    The kid had never spoken a word within Mortimer¡¯s hearing and hadn¡¯t cried after the first year of being kept in the cage. He didn¡¯t even make a sound whenever his mother was brought in to see him. However, these visits were the only time Mortimer had ever gotten a good look at him.


    Apparently born with some sort of deformity, the kid had palid grey skin, shock white hair and milky white eyes. Mortimer had never seen the boy¡¯s lips, but he had heard him nibbling quietly on the dried meat or drinking down the gruel, so Mortimer had settled on a gash like mouth in his mind to fill in the gaps. On the whole, the kid made Mortimer feel bad for him and his mother.


    It took a special sort of woman to love a child like that, let alone allow themselves to be blackmailed to spare its life. The kid¡¯s mother was young too, more than capable of having a dozen or more children if she wanted to be free of all this, and yet she returned every two months like clockwork. Always bound in chains and pillory to restrain her hands and head, she would lean as close to the cage bars as she could manage to spend the entirety of the allotted time in near silence with her son.


    Knowing his employer was a real piece of work, Mortimer thought it best not to think about what exactly she was being blackmailed into doing.


    Taking note of how low the candle was burning on the table, Mortimer cursed Vernon¡¯s lazy ass under his breath and somewhat stiffly got to his feet. Pulling the remaining strips of jerky from his pocket, Mortimer hobbled over to the cage and dropped them through the bars. ¡°Be quick now,¡± he warned, ¡°That fat sack of shit might be back any moment, and see if¡¯n he don¡¯t stop feedin yer cuz he sees the meat.¡± Mortimer turned back to his chair and began hobbling across the room again.


    <Wait¡­>


    Mortimer froze and slowly turned back to look at the cage.


    The pale boy was kneeling on the other side of the bars and looking straight at him with those milky white eyes.


    Mortimer moved a little closer to the boy, ¡°Yer talkin now?¡± He asked uncertainty.


    The boy said nothing and there was still no sign of his mouth.


    Knowing he wasn¡¯t nearly that senile, Mortimer scratched at the insides of his hairy ears to make sure he wasn¡¯t being deafened by earwax again.


    *Dingling*


    Mortimer froze. He had heard the delicate bell chime perfectly and was worried by what it meant. The bell was connected to a perimeter trap and served as an advanced warning of intruders. Reminded of Vernon¡¯s absence, Mortimer knew that he now had precious time to come to a decision. Technically, Mortimer was bound by no oaths to his ¡®employer¡¯ and was surprised to find that by testing the limits of the oaths to his go-between that they had been cancelled on their end.


    Realising he had a choice to make, and that he had no idea who the intruders were, Mortimer decided that the secret passage would be their best bet for escape. Hobbling back to the cage, he pressed his hand against the lock mechanism and inserted the yellowed nail of his pinky finger inside. ¡°Breach,¡± Mortimer muttered quietly and sighed as the mana left his body.


    The advanced mechanism inside the lock clinked to life but deliberately consumed precious seconds before finally freeing the cage door.


    ¡°C''mon kid,¡± Mortimer croaked while pulling a hidden stiletto from his boot, ¡°We don¡¯t wanna be here when whoever that is shows up.¡± With no official ties to his now former employer, Mortimer wanted to see the poor kid out of this basement and returned to his mother if possible. Few knew it, but he had done this before in secret. While not above taking certain jobs, Mortimer still needed a code to live by, and this was part of it. This small pittance in balancing the scale was enough to let him sleep at night.


    The grey boy shakily crawled out of the cage and tried to climb to his feet.


    Seeing the boy was too weak to stand, closed his eyes and sighed.


    *Chingaling*


    Hearing the second perimeter bell sound, Mortimer opened his eyes and looked towards the far stairs. His joints were too far gone to carry the boy and move fast enough to outpace whoever was coming. Glancing back at the boy, Mortimer was confused to see the boy¡¯s milky eyes slowly tracking along the basement ceiling, as if following someone¡¯s movements.


    Realizing they still might have a chance, Mortimer swapped the stiletto for three small razor-thin throwing knives now held between his swollen knuckles and fingers. The one upside of having certain Class Abilities was knowing they were capable of exerting their own force and corrected aiming within certain margins for error. So in spite of his advanced age, Mortimer could make use of most of his more effective combat Abilities if necessary.


    ¡°Just tug my trousers or something¡¯ when you see¡¯em reach the stairs,¡± Mortimer breathed. Lucky enough not to have cataracts bad enough to badly obscure his vision, he still needed the head start to make sure the razors would reach their target before they could react.


    Resisting the urge to look back at the boy, Mortimer took a steadying breath of scruff and kept his focus fixed on the stairs.


    <Now.> The boy¡¯s voice was as crisp and clear as it had been the first time.


    ¡°Hemorrhaging Razors!¡± Mortimer wheezed and threw the razors backhand towards the stairs. Almost invisible to the naked eye while in flight, he immediately lost track of them. However, as the dark hooded individual cleared the first step, Mortimer found them again as the figure made a wet gurgling noise and collapsed, tumbling down the stairs, and pooling blood at the bottom.


    Carefully drawing three more razors, Mortimer took another steadying breath. ¡°Good work kid, we might see yer to yer mother yet.¡±


    *Clang, Shing, Thwack, Shin, Thunk*


    To Mortimer¡¯s surprise, what sounded like a battle had broken out upstairs. ¡°Can¡¯t be the watch¡­¡± Mortimer muttered in confusion. His former employer was far too well connected to have the town guard trespassing. Perhaps it was agents of one of the former employer¡¯s rivals?


    Another dark-cloaked body tumbled down the stairs, and to Mortimer¡¯s surprise, he recognised him. ¡°Barry?¡± He was almost certain it was one of his former employer¡¯s new young hotshot assassins. Or had been.


    Barry¡¯s chest had an arrow in it right where his heart would be, and it was buried almost fletching deep.


    Figuring he now had a better understanding of the altercation upstairs, Mortimer tried to think of what he would need to say in order to explain the boy¡¯s reason for being outside of his cage. Assuming the agents of his former employer won of course. If they lost, well, Mortimer would need to think real fast about what to do about that.


    As the fighting died down, Mortimer took what he figured might be his last puff of scruff and focused on the top steps of the stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you know who won that little scrap upstairs? Eh?¡± Mortimer chuckled dryly.


    Hearing footfalls approaching the stairs, Mortimer wondered if there was enough left of his meagre soul for any of the gods to be bothered claiming it. He had done so much bad throughout his life that the infrequent acts of nobility and kindness only served to make the contrast all the more profound.


    <Wait.> The boy called out just as Mortimer was about to throw his razors.


    The name of the skill had been on the tip of Mortimer¡¯s tongue, and his mana had almost passed the point of execution. But somehow he managed to stop just as the boy gave his warning.


    Five men and women wearing nondescript civilian clothes spattered with stray blood warily descended the stairs. Two of the first three held maces and another had a pair of long daggers, while the two who remained at the top held short recurve bows at the ready.


    ¡°Step away from the boy,¡± the ginger-haired man holding the twin daggers demanded.


    Mortimer knew killers when he saw them, and these men and women were killers to tee. They were the kind of people who killed someone, not because they wanted to, but because someone told them to. They were the king¡¯s soldiers. ¡°What are ye gonna do with him?¡± Mortimer asked warily, doing his best to edge himself in front of the boy without giving the archers reason to shoot.


    ¡°That is none of your concern,¡± The ginger-haired soldier snapped and halved the distance between them almost instantly.


    Mortimer wasn¡¯t phased by the scare tactic. He had been on both the giving and receiving end of such things far too many times to count and wasn¡¯t impressed. ¡°And if¡¯n I say it is?¡± Mortimer snapped defiantly.


    The ginger-haired soldier''s scowl deepened and he was about to say something else when his attention suddenly shifted to the boy. A very long and very awkward silence followed. ¡°Lower your weapons,¡± the ginger soldier commanded. But the command wasn¡¯t directed towards Mortimer, but his own men.


    The other soldiers did as they were told and lowered their weapons.


    ¡°You are going to come with us, quietly, and you will be well treated in return,¡± The ginger soldier explained, sheathing his twin knives behind his back. ¡°So long as you comply, you will receive leniency for your crimes-¡±


    ¡°What about the boy?!¡± Mortimer croaked angrily, ¡°What¡¯re ye gonna do with him?!¡±


    The ginger-haired soldier smirked slightly at Mortimer''s loss of temper. ¡°We are going to return him to his mother, of course.¡±


    ¡°Describe¡¯er!¡± Mortimer demanded, raising his backhand threateningly, provoking a return to the readied position for the other soldiers¡¯ weapons.


    The ginger soldier waved them down again, ¡°Young, short chestnut hair, blue-green eyes, dark eyebrows, small nose-¡± he continued the description, but Mortimer had stopped listening.


    He was profoundly surprised that the soldier appeared to be telling the truth. ¡°Is she noble or something?¡± Mortimer muttered distractedly, ¡°Gotta be connected for soldiers to do something like this¡­¡±


    The ginger-haired soldier grinned and moved closer, ¡°You could say that,¡± he agreed and then punched Mortimer square in the face before he could so much as blink.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 32 – One must fall – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 32 ¨C One must fall ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 32 - One must fall - Part One


    After defeating the first Fire Dancer team, I was surprised and disappointed by the poor performance of the next two teams. While they seemed to recognise the tricks and basic ploys I had used against the Fire Dancer¡¯s, they showed no noticeable attempts at countering them.


    Given the superior number advantage every team had over me, I was doing my best to avoid being bogged down in any protracted fights. Not only did my running away seem to enrage the Fire Dancers and Sand Walkers, making it easier to lure them into disadvantageous positions, their teams also seemed to be formed with only talent, raw ability or reputation as the determining factor. Unlike the first Fire Dancer team that was at least somewhat cohesive, the next two teams were only a pack of individuals.


    With another team descending from the viewing platform and preparing to take their positions in the arena, I finished stretching and tried to reorient my thinking towards the fight ahead. All of my accumulated damage had already been restored, but I could feel a nascent hunger building in exchange.


    Waiting for the horn to signal the beginning of the match, I decided to take a far more aggressive approach to this round. The bark and wood armour combined with padded layers of cloth had proven sufficient to prevent fatal injuries to the body, so I wanted to see how far I could push myself before it would become dangerous for my opponents.


    *Broo!*


    While jogging towards the middle ground, I noticed two of the Sand Walker team had scaled their fortification and were preparing their slings. With no shield to block the stones they would begin pelting in my direction, I had little choice but to divert to the relative cover of the northern thicket.


    ¡°OWOO! OWOO!¡± One of the slingers made a strange animal call in response to my change in direction and was pointing towards me with his free hand.


    ¡°WOOP! WOOP!¡± Another strange animal call was made in response and seemed to be headed in my general direction.


    Somewhat relieved to see tactics being used, I was also somewhat worried by what that could entail for the fight headed my way.


    Entering the east end of the thicket, I quickly realised my mistake. Four of the Sand Walker tribe¡¯s team were slowly approaching from the opposite side. Two hunters at the front were already spinning bola¡¯s above their heads and preparing to release.


    *Fwip Fwip*


    With no way to dodge, I widened my stance and hoped my shins were wide enough apart to prevent the bolas from binding my legs together.


    *Thwap Clack Clack Clack, Thwap Clack Clack Clack*


    For whatever reason, both hunters had targeted my right leg and now my right shin was bound tightly by both bolas which slightly restricted my movement.


    Backing out of the thicket, I could see the other four hunters and warriors were almost halfway around the outside of the thicket.


    *Thwack*


    A hastily thrown stone from a slinger glanced off my bark breastplate and left a tiny but noticeable impact dent in the surface.


    Seeing the other slinger preparing to take his shot I did my best to remain calm and make sure my club stayed in a position that could help protect my head if the slinger missed his mark.


    *Thump*


    The second slinger¡¯s stone went wide and hit the dirt somewhere behind me, so I ignored it and began a countercharge against the four warriors already charging towards me.


    *BROOBROOBROO!*


    I stopped midcharge and looked towards the hornblower while the Sand Walkers did the same.


    The hornblower was pointing frantically to the north, but because of the briar walls of the arena Tim and most of the other Sand Walker¡¯s couldn¡¯t see what was going on.


    ¡°GARGANT! GARGANT IS HERE!¡± One of the slingers roared in anger.


    Similar cries descended from the viewing platform and chaos quickly took hold of the arena.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°QUIET!¡± I roared angrily, more than a little irritated that my quick levelling scheme had been derailed after so little progress.


    As I had commanded, everyone grew deathly quiet.


    ¡°OSA! GATHER YOUR WARRIORS!¡± I commanded, ¡°EVERYONE ELSE, RETURN TO STONE WELL!¡±


    Hunters and warriors began streaming towards mustering grounds while the civilians headed for the elevator.


    I blinked away the quest completion notification for the Sand Walker¡¯s forfeit and made a mental note to make it up to them later. They had been closer to the exit than I was, so they had unintentionally forfeited when their last member left the arena grounds before I did.


    Head and shoulders above most of the crowd, I could see why the hornblower had been so concerned. A dust cloud wider than Stone Well was fast approaching, and at its head was a towering figure atop a Hulking Boar. Assuming this figure was Gargant, leader of the Slavers from the Iron Hills tribe, then the dust cloud was more than likely his accumulated force of tribesmen and slaves alike. Just as the Bleak-Fang, the Sun Rock, and Lash¡¯s people had done, Gargant¡¯s Shamans had probably followed the expended mana of Stone Well after the collapse in hope of finding shelter they could claim for themselves.


    Making my way to the front and standing before the lone landbridge that allowed access into the grounds beneath the mesa, I waited to see what the Slavers would do.


    Osa and his lieutenants were hurriedly forming the warriors and hunters into groups, positioning slingers on the flanks and securing shields for the warriors that would be tasked with holding the landbridge.


    ¡°RAAAAAAGH!¡± The ragged warcry from the dust cloud was accompanied by a faint rumbling front he ground underfoot. Dozens and then hundreds of figures began charging out of the dust cloud and towards Stone Well. Beginning as a wave, the enemy battle line quickly tapered as they realised the landbridge was the only available crossing point.


    Hunters on spider-back had now moved into position on the slingers'' flanks and hunters and warriors with avian and boar mounts held back at the rear in reserve.


    Clarice had mounted Dhizi and was rushing to take her place with the other cavalry while Kestrel scrambled for a higher vantage point in the bramble fort and pulled out her spyglass.


    Nadine and the other Surgeons had remained behind in their first aid tents and were hastily erecting additional shelters in preparation for casualties.


    With all of my recent battle experience against Orcs, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold the twenty-foot wide strip of packed earth on my own. However, Until the bulk of the enemy force drew closer, I didn¡¯t see much point in stepping back. Scoring some early hits would do good for Osa¡¯s warriors¡¯ morale, and besides, the enemy was almost certainly on the brink of exhaustion after travelling who knows how far and then running to close the distance like this.


    ¡®TIM!¡± Kestrel called out in order to get my attention. She pointed animatedly to the centre-left of the approaching horde, ¡°TRIBAL SLAVES!¡± Kestrel warned.


    Following the direction of Kestrel¡¯s arm, I could see otherwise unmistakable shapes of women and adolescents in the crowd.


    Suppressing my disgust, I turned back to Osa. ¡°The enemy is using Variant prisoners as shock troops,¡± I informed him, ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡±


    Osa briefly looked in the direction of the approaching horde to confirm it for himself before becoming absorbed in his own thoughts. ¡°Sspiderss! We can usse the Ssand Sstalkerss, my Overlord!¡± Osa stated confidently. He turned to his lieutenants and sent them rushing off to the Sand Stalkers on the flanks. ¡°We will usse their webbing to catch those who fall and paralysse them with venom,¡± Osa explained before turning his attention to the assembled warriors, ¡°Gargant ssendss ensslaved women and children to fight!¡±


    The warriors all wore expressions of anger and disgust, but their comments were lost amidst the rumbling of the approaching enemy.


    ¡°You ssee an Ensslaved tribal, pull them through the line!¡± Osa cried, wedging himself into the formation and miming the motion of dragging someone from in front of him and shoving them back into the warriors behind. ¡°Bring tribal Sslavess to Overlord Tim! THE OVERLORD WILL SSET THEM FREE!¡± Osa roared and took his original position ahead of the warriors and raised his hooked blade high.


    ¡°OVERLORD FREES!¡± The warriors cried in return and quickly began reorganising themselves. Some warriors shed their shields and weapons entirely, forming second and third ranks in the formation with the intent to do just as Osa said and snatch slaves straight from the middle of the melee.


    The spider riders had all descended into the moat and their mounts were busy weaving thick webs that would catch anyone who fell off the bridge or attempted leaping across either side.


    The moat was twenty feet wide, but jumping diagonally off the bridge could shorten that distance considerably depending on how far across they made it.


    No longer confident in being able to differentiate the Variants from the Soulless in the heat of the moment, I reluctantly passed through the warriors and took up a position a short distance behind them. Unless they were wearing different clothing, I would honestly not be able to tell an adult male from any of the others, especially if their face was covered.


    I hurriedly formed a general quest for rescuing Variants from the Iron Hill tribe Slavers. Given the scale, I was able to secure two sources of reward for participants. The first reward was based on each Variant someone rescued by bringing them to me. The second would reward everyone involved after the quest was deemed completed overall. The second reward would apply to literally everyone involved in saving the Variants, from the warriors on the frontline to the Surgeons providing support in the rear.


    As expected, the Slaves momentum had begun to flag before reaching the bridge, making it abundantly clear that Gargant didn¡¯t expect them to survive the melee. Slaver¡¯s riding boars behind the main host were clacking whips and flogging those at that rear. A temporary shift in the horde¡¯s formation revealed much smaller forms at the rear which could only belong to children or tall Goblins.


    Unable to suppress my anger, I snatched a spear off a nearby warrior, infused it with a portion of my mana and then hurled it over the horde. I already knew my chances of hitting any of the Slavers were abysmal, but hitting them wasn¡¯t my intention.


    *BOOM!*


    The spear missed, landing some distance behind the closest Slaver, but the thunderclap and sudden rush of air that accompanied its impact sent the Slavers into a panic and impromptu retreat back towards the slowly approaching Slaver force which was still much farther back. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The front of the slave horde had begun crossing the land bridge and I could see at least three women amidst the first ragged wave.


    In a fashion reminiscent of the Roman legionnaires I had seen depicted in movies and T.V. The front rank of Osa¡¯s warriors had locked their large square shields but deliberately formed a v-like funnel. Most of the unarmed warriors were congregated towards the point of the V, presumably to better perform their snatch and rescue attempts from the melee.


    True enough, the visibly tired front runners of the horde drove down the funnel formation before slamming into the shields and trying to land blows with their bare hands.


    Although nowhere near as disciplined as the romanesque formation had led me to expect, the warriors at the front made space for those behind and seven Orcs in total were snatched and bodily dragged back through the formation before the shields closed up again.


    Biting my thumb I pressed the welling blood against the crude collar of the first slave brought within reach. The slave froze for a moment before seeming to return to their senses. With no time to waste, I waved the warrior on and pointed to the Surgeons while reaching for the next slave collar.


    Glancing towards the bridge revealed the fighting intensifying, but the bottleneck of the bridge had brought the horde to a standstill.


    Repeatedly reopening the wound on my thumb was becoming irritating, but I did my best to suppress the negative thoughts while trying to keep up with the high volume of slaves the warriors were bringing over to be freed.


    [Conditions have been met for the Master Class: {Slave Master}]


    [Class advancement: {In Progress}]


    [Class advancement: {Pending Review}]


    [Class advancement: {Pending}]


    [Class advancement: {Review Completed}]


    [Class advancement: {Approved}]


    [Class advancement: {Complete}]


    [Class: Ogre Slave-Breaker 15. +4 Strength, +2 Toughness, +5 Willpower, +5 HP +16MP.] [Exp: 29350/225000]


    [(Class Ability: Warlord¡¯s Banner): {Replaced}]


    [(Class Ability: Heart of the Clan): {Replaced}]


    [(Class Ability: Herd the Chattel): All Slaves obey your will or suffer for it. All Slaves within range are compelled to follow your Commands. Conflicting Commands are resolved by a contest of {Willpower} {Willpower} and {Presence} increases the range of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Dominating Will): Slaves and Beasts have only one true master, you. Expending MP contests the control of all Slaves and Tamed Beasts within range. Succeeding the contest of {Willpower} transfers ownership of each Slave and Tamed Beast to you. {Willpower} reduces the MP expended. The tier of monster relative to your own increases or decreases MP expended.]


    Reading through the golden notification panels, I felt my blood pressure rising and had to concentrate in order to stop myself from cursing out loud. Despite my feelings on the Enslavement Abilities in general, and as much as I loathed the alteration to my existing Class, the new Abilities could make a substantial difference in the current situation.


    Suppressing my mounting sense of revulsion, I activated the Herd the Chattel Ability. ¡°STOP!¡± I commanded and nearly blacked out as an intense migraine nearly drove me to my knees. I could feel blood rolling down my cheeks, lips and neck, but did my best to ignore it and keep the Ability activated.


    A stream of kill notifications and changes in ownership began streaming in front of my eyes, but I could barely make out what they each were before another would take its place a half-second later.


    Unsure of how much time had passed, I was shaken by the quiet that had taken the place of the savage cries of battle. Looking towards the bridge, I was shocked to find the Slaves, to a man, were all standing completely still. Wiping away the blood from my mouth I waved back Osa and Clarice and Nadine, each of whom had made their way to my side while I was indisposed. ¡°MOVE!¡± I barked and pointed to an open space of the mustering grounds.


    ¡°MOVE ASSIDE!¡± Osa commanded, ¡°MOVE ASSIDE! LET THEM THROUGH!¡±


    The warriors somewhat stiffly made way for the Slaves to pass through. Visibly confused by what was transpiring, very few of them seemed to realise it was my doing, for which I was grateful.


    As the Slaves passed me by, I could intuitively tell which Slaves still had owners and which didn¡¯t. My best guess was close to three-quarters of the two hundred or so Slaves no longer had owners. Unfortunately, there were a large number of Soulless amongst the Slaves, so I couldn¡¯t just free them without risking the Soulless causing problems.


    ¡°Need to separate the Variants,¡± I croaked and tried to take a deep breath to clear my head. I raised my hand to stop Osa as he prepared to issue orders to his men. I had a much faster and more efficient way of doing it. ¡°Women and children, move to the clearing in front of the tents!¡± I barked, ¡°Men of the Stone Well, Sand Dancer, Flowing Water, Sand Walker and Crag Fist tribes, do the same!¡±


    All but four Orcs began stiffly making their way to the place I had indicated, leaving me more than a little confused.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one either. A full group of hunters left their positions and went to investigate both those who had moved as well as those who had remained.


    Just from casual observation, I could see that the remaining male Orcs were also Variants, but in poor shape. Judging just by their larger frames, I could only assume they were mountain Orcs from the Iron Hill tribe that had fallen from Gargant¡¯s favour and been enslaved. Which meant that there were quite possibly Iron Hill women and children amongst the others.


    ¡°TAKE POSSTIONSS!¡± Osa commanded and pointed back to the bridge.


    The dust clouds had grown closer and revealed lines of slave wagons now headed towards the moat.


    I realised that I had underestimated Gargant. That first wave of Slaves was likely intended to just lower morale by forcing our warriors to kill distant relatives, or perhaps tie our forces down while Gargant moved his own warriors into the positions he wanted.


    Large Orcs had begun disembarking the wagons and roughly forming into their own battleline. Unlike the earlier wave of Variants, these Orcs had crude weapons and armour fashioned from stone and bone. Their force dwarfed ours by at least two to one, and that was excluding their reserves that were forming up around Gargant himself, which numbered at least another hundred or so Orcs.


    I took some small consolation in the fact that there were dead Slavers scattered around the path of the wagons. The battle of wills to command the Slaves had been difficult and painful for me, but it had proven fatal for no small amount of Slavers in return. Wanting to strike another blow against their morale, and sow chaos in the ranks of their slaves, I began channelling my mana in preparation to seize control of the remaining slaves still technically owned by the Slavers.


    Gratefully accepting a waterskin pushed into my shaking hand by Nadine, I tilted my head back and gulped down the cool water greedily. My skin had begun to grow uncomfortably warm beneath the unrelenting rays of the sun, and I couldn¡¯t shake a general sense of lightheadedness. After slaking my thirst, I emptied the waterskin down my front and back, shivering at the sudden shift in temperature as the water spread across my skin. Now recognising the onset of a bad fever, I withdrew one of Mors¡¯ weaker olives from Nadine¡¯s medicine bag, bit down to release the juices and swallowed.


    Nadine watched on in relative silence and activated one of her own Class Abilities which caused me to momentarily glow with a faint golden light. The feverishness that was taking hold in my extremities abated and so did the majority of my lightheadedness. ¡°You were bleeding internally,¡± Nadine chastised me quietly enough that no one else would hear her. The deep concern in her eyes belied suspicion and a small amount of anger, ¡°What you did nearly killed you¡­and it still might¡­¡±


    I nodded in understanding and removed my helmet, revealing the crusting lines of blood on my face and the sides of my neck.


    Nadine¡¯s eyes grew wide and she stifled a gasp before pulling out another waterskin and a large piece of clean scrap cloth.


    *Brooo!*


    The horn call came from our side, but the renewed rumbling in the ground made it clear what they were warning against. Gargant¡¯s second wave of Slaves was advancing.


    Looking away from Nadine, I was surprised by the enemy''s decision to advance slowly towards the bridge. The enslaved Orcs had no shields, so once they came into range, the slingers began pelting them stones as fast as they could reload and bring their slings back to speed again. The enslaved Orcs also lacked substantial ranged weapons to retaliate with, although some were picking up large stones as they marched, perhaps intending to lob them into the massed warriors once close enough to guarantee a hit.


    All of Osa¡¯s warriors had taken up their weapons and shields again, forming a straight and uninterrupted line of shields on our side of the bridge. With the thick defensive formation, it was obvious that Osa intended for the slingers to do the bulk of the offensive fighting while the warriors focused on holding the enemy back. It wasn¡¯t a bad plan considering our relative under-preparedness, but we only had around fifty slingers, including additions from amongst the Beast cavalry still waiting in reserve.


    Nadine was struggling to find a balance between gentleness and brevity as she scrubbed at the drying blood beneath my eyes. She knew I was up to something but wasn¡¯t sure what. Rather than trying to stop me, Nadine was doing her best not to get in the way. It was one of the quirks of her nature. Nadine would give a dozen reasons not to do something, but she would back you once you made up your mind. That didn¡¯t mean she wouldn¡¯t hold you to account afterwards, but she would do her best to make the most of what you were trying to do.


    Gently pushing Nadine back, I replaced my helmet and approached the statuelike figures of the enslaved nomads.


    Nadine trailed on my heels with a determined expression and steely focus in her eyes.


    Standing before the enslaved Orc nomads, I braced myself for the anticipated pain and activated Dominating Will.


    A migraine almost as intense as the first erupted in my mind and I felt fresh blood running down my lips. However, the pain began abating almost immediately as a string of death notifications and change in ownership notification flew past my eyes. Gasping for air, I used my club as a walking stick and clung to it in order to prevent myself from falling.


    Perhaps accessing my previous established Enslavement settings, the enslaved nomads immediately came to life upon transferring to my ownership. Many collapsed and lay panting on the ground, physically and mentally exhausted. Some managed to remain standing but only long enough to totter towards friends or family before collapsing, hugging one another and crying bitter dry tears.


    There was an uproar from the direction of the advancing wave of Orcs, but I didn¡¯t need to look in order to understand what was happening. Soulless that had shared Slavers with the tribesmen were now freed and disrupting the enemy advance.


    Removing my helmet again, I accepted the waterskin from Nadine and gulped down its entire contents in one pull. ¡°Food?¡± I grunted breathlessly and gratefully accepted the ash coloured dried meat Nadine offered in response. Aggressively ripping the dried largely tasteless meat apart, I greedily gulped it down and nearly snatched the next handful from Nadine before getting a grip and carefully taking a single piece to chew on. ¡°Slaves. Need. Food. Water¡­¡± I grunted between chewing. I invited Nadine and the other Surgeons to my retinue.


    Nadine nodded and was about to get to work when her eyes grew wide in shock, ¡°They''re all in your party?!¡± She exclaimed incredulously.


    Sluggishly going through the mental motions to view my own party, I was surprised to find Nadine was right. I had two hundred and forty-seven Slaves in my extended retinue. Concentrating and actively ignoring the approaching force of Orcs, the answer slowly made itself known to me. Just like how the party was limited to a certain number of Slaves and Tamed Beasts, retinue tiers multiplied this base number depending on the tier of the Lord. Apparently, an Overlord could have an absurd number of Slaves In addition to their own party and retinue. Assuming, of course, that he or she could control them.


    ¡°PORTERS!¡± Nadine¡¯s voice cut through the surrounding shouts like a knife through butter, ¡°CARRY THE INFIRM TO THE ELEVATOR AND BEGIN EVACUATING THEM TO THE HOSPITAL AND VILLAGE CENTRE! SEE THAT EVERYONE IN YOUR CHARGE RECEIVES A SMALL POT OF WATER BEFORE RETURNING FOR OTHERS!¡±


    A full half of the crowding tribespeople I had mistaken for Surgeons nodded vigorously and began bodily lifting the enslaved onto their shoulders before briskly making their way to the elevator.


    Shifting my attention back to the fighting, I was a little surprised to see that a few dozen Orc Slaves were stoically standing still only a couple dozen feet from the bridge. Almost certainly the Orcs that I had incidentally freed by killing their masters, I was surprised that the slingers had the discipline to focus their anger and attention on those trying to access the bridge, rather than take shots at the otherwise vulnerable targets.


    Replacing my helmet and fitting it into place, I decided to do my part and help repel the latest wave of attackers. Shifting my club to my left hand, I picked up a rock and pelted it over the frontline and into the Orc Slaves trying to cross the bridge. Seeing no sign of a kill notification, I picked up another stone and threw that too. My second throw hit an entirely different section of the Orc column and didn¡¯t provide a kill notification either. Reaching for a third stone, I tried not to think about the fact that these Orcs were being compelled to fight. The fact that they were Soulless, clones replicated by the labyrinth, did little to temper their cries of anguish and pain as they were bludgeoned with stones while attempting to follow orders and avoid mind-melting pain.


    Gargant and his remaining reserve forces were creeping forwards. I couldn¡¯t be sure from this distance, but it looked like some of the Slavers may have slings of their own. They certainly had a daunting amount of iron or steel weapons to go along with metal banded shields, so it raised the question, why they hadn¡¯t better armed their slaves that were going to do the bulk of the fighting?


    ¡°PUSH!¡± Osa commanded.


    Orc slaves on the edge of the bridge were shoved over the side and into the pits and webs below, but their places were quickly filled again resuming the status quo.


    Briefly considering infusing a stone with mana to make an improvised grenade, I dismissed the idea as wasteful. There was no need to spend any more of my mana just yet and there was still Gargant to contend with.


    Clarice was grinning ear to ear as she pelted stone after stone into the massed Mountain Orc Slaves. While she didn¡¯t have any particular benefits from her Class, Clarice was a good enough shot to consistently hit her intended target and was deliberately hobbling those on the periphery in order to provoke their falling over the edge when unbalanced by shoving allies.


    For her part, Kestrel wasn¡¯t actually fighting at all. Instead, she was keeping a close eye on Gargant with her spyglass. Even though kestrel had proved herself a good shot with a bow, I preferred her keeping an eye out for trouble, especially since we were currently winning. Kestrel suddenly shifted her focus to the rearmost lines of the Slavers, ¡°THEY ARE BRINGING UP BRIDGES!¡± She shouted while still motioning in the same direction.


    *Brooo!*


    As one, the Mountain Orc Slaves turned and ran, limped and crawled back towards the advancing Slavers.


    The presumably empty slave wagons were racing backwards towards two different flanks of the moat, a section on the northeastern side and the northwestern side. With a dozen wagons in each group, there was a decent chance that they could establish a wide landing to cross with.


    Osa was already dividing his forces and had recalled the spider riders from the moat. Which was just as well, since the spiders would easily be crushed or crippled by that much weight if they were hit.


    It finally looked like the Beast cavalry would have their chance to show what they were capable of.


    <Overlord! We are on our way!> The mental link was somewhat frayed, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of my own mental exhaustion or a consequence of something on Mors¡¯ end.


    Only able to muster a simple confirmation, I felt the link sever shortly afterwards.


    A sudden surge in mana from above tore my attention from the approaching wagons and up to the top of the mesa. The surge lasted a full thirty seconds before rapidly tapering off.


    In the meantime, the first wagons, pushed by teams of orc Slaves that had apparently been held in reserve, crashed into the moat, their hapless crews toppling in after them. As I had suspected, a single wagon was insufficient, but as the next wagons careened into the moat, they began forming an almost functional passage. The Advantage still very much remained with our forces as the defenders, but dividing our forces seemed to be the primary objective of the gambit.


    The horde of Mountain Orc Slaves had now been divided and was rushing back to the bridge as well as the two new improved crossings.


    Osa had diverted the slingers to the improvised crossings. With the precarious footing afforded by the cage bars and haphazard angles of the wagons, he likely wanted to make the most of easily toppling enemies into the moat.


    Clarice herself had ridden Dhizi to the northeast crossing and had her spear at the ready. With a fairly good idea of Dhizi¡¯s combat capabilities, it was safe to assume that the Mountain Orc Slaves didn¡¯t stand much of a chance in getting past them.


    Isza and her daughter Ezha had arrived on the latest descent of the elevator along with a small band of Flowing Waters warriors, and they were now headed to the northwest crossing alongside a surprisingly large manifestation of the four-armed serpentine Daemon, Senn.


    Rather than ascending, the elevator remained stationary as a small horde of figures began sliding down the ropes. A mix of lightly armoured Serpent-Kin and Goblins began streaming from the direction of the elevator and headed towards the three defensive locations. Bearing iron weapons, the newcomers handed their weapons off to the bewildered Desert Orc warriors before forming ragtag squads and filling open pouches hanging from their shoulders with stones.


    As the Mountain Orc Slaves drew closer, two members of each group rushed off to the nearest crossing and pulled out their slings.


    With more Goblins arriving with each passing moment, the numerical advantage of the Iron Hills tribe quickly disappeared.


    The first slaves to attempt crossing any of the bridges were pelted with so many stones they were dead before even hitting the ground. Despite Gargant¡¯s gambit to divide Stone Well¡¯s forces, the arrival of reinforcements from Sanctuary now prevented his Slaves from even gaining a foothold, pelting them to death beneath hails of stones.


    To make things worse, the recently arrived Sanctuary Goblins were far more accurate than the Stone Well Orcs, so despite doing less raw damage per strike, they compensated by striking more vital areas. Factoring in the Vicious Racial Ability of the Goblins, their sheer numbers ensured an orc injured by the first four strikes would be killed outright by the fifth.


    Tangled bodies had begun piling up on the crashed wagons making the crossing even more difficult as new arrivals tripped over the dead bodies of those who had come before them.


    The turnaround had apparently given Gargant pause. His force of Slavers had come to a complete halt and showed no signs of coming closer.


    Close to a hundred or more Goblins and forty or so Serpent-Kin had joined the fight, including the one-armed Sunrock Goblin elder Skrit, who was painted head to toe in warpaint and brandishing an axe that should have been too large for his meagre frame to hold two-handed, let alone one-handed. The presence of the elder drove nearby Goblins into a frenzied fervour, lending strength to their throwing arms and speed to their steps as they scour the ground for fresh ammunition.


    The elevator was once again transporting Enslaved tribals up the mesa, signaling an end to the unexpected but thoroughly welcome reinforcements.


    *Brooo*


    The Mountain Orc Slaves were called back again, although now collectively reduced to less than a quarter of their original numbers.


    The Goblins surged after them, but stopped on the other side of each crossing, taking the opportunity to retrieve as much ammunition as they could. I made a mental note to reward whoever had done such a good job training them. It certainly wasn¡¯t something I would have thought to tell them to do in my mentally exhausted state.


    Gargant¡¯s forces were now retreating in their entirety and seemed to be headed to the rocky shelf an hour''s travel roughly north of Stone Well.


    ¡°SSCOUTS!¡± Osa was standing atop a shield held aloft by two warriors to better make himself seen, ¡°Pursue! Do not engage!¡± He commanded, a surge mana signalling that he had activated an ability to ensure his orders were followed.


    Kestrel, amongst others, raced their birds out and across the land bridge, fanning out and then splitting into two pursuit teams as they flanked and followed Gargant¡¯s retreating forces.


    As intimidating as Gargant¡¯s force had been, there was every possibility that the chief of the Iron Hills still had other cards to play. For all we knew, he might have another force of enslaved Soulless twice the size of the first.


    I supported Osa¡¯s decision to only send out the scouts. Since they were all mounted, there was very little chance of Gargant¡¯s forces capturing or killing them so long as they remained vigilant.


    Besides, I was finding it increasingly difficult to remain awake and needed to get at least some form of rest before Gargant returned. While I may not have been integral to winning today''s skirmish, it was dubious whether so many civilians would have survived without my direct intervention. Far from being reassuring, it only intensified the burden I felt in ensuring I was able to do what was necessary should the need call for it again.


    Sitting on a large stone and staring out of the field of corpses, the famous lines outlining great power and the responsibility it held for the wielder continued repeating in my mind. There was no higher authority than mine. Everything my army did was my responsibility. How I choose to use my own Class Abilities was another. I ¡®could¡¯ attempt to turn Gargant¡¯s own Slaves right back on him, but I doubted I would be able to reconcile the act without having exhausted just about every other option. Even then, I knew it would change me if I did it. This was another one of those lines that could not be taken back once crossed over.


    Gargant¡¯s forces didn¡¯t return, but the first messengers sent by the scouts confirmed that they had made camp an hour to the north at the stone shelf. Early observations confirmed that Gargant seemed to have many more Slaves, and some of them were human.


    The news didn¡¯t surprise me. If the foothold had been hit as hard as everything else, then there would have been no shortage of adventurers and Guild staff attempting to reach the portals in order to leave. With the significant lowering of the fourth floor¡¯s ground level, there was every possibility that the portals were both hundreds of feet in the air, effectively stranding the humans on this floor.


    As much as I wanted to take the elevator back to the village, I couldn¡¯t justify taking the place of three malnourished Slaves and cut the line. Nadine and Osa both had the good sense to organise supplies to be brought down during the return trips, and tents were being erected to house the reinforcements as well as most of Stone Well¡¯s warriors. Food and water were being arranged as well, but it would be some time before any substantial amount would be available.


    Osa wanted to keep the warriors close and ready in case Gargant¡¯s forces returned and they had to redeploy in a hurry. This of course intensified the sentiment that additional elevators should be constructed so Stone Well could more effectively deploy warriors, scouts and hunters when necessary, and I was inclined to agree. Not everyone was as nimble as Goblin or Serpent-kin and would be able to reliably descend a rope as they had done. Although once I began thinking about it, it did raise the question of how Skrit had managed it with only one arm and his overly large axe¡­


    *****


    Nadine tried to push the memory of Tim¡¯s bloodied grim visage from her mind, finding small comfort is replacing it with the gaunt malnourished and dehydrated faces of the freed Iron Hill Slaves. Tim had reduced his HP to minus seventeen before arresting its deterioration. He had accumulated a half dozen Conditions in the span of a number of seconds, some of which Nadine hadn¡¯t even known existed until seeing them on his party information.


    What had made the situation all the more surreal was how calmly Tim was handling the situation in spite of his rapid approach towards death. He had known what he was doing, and that was what unnerved Nadine the most. He knew what was going to happen and did it anyway.


    Nadine accompanied the last of the freed Slaves up to Stone Well and helped take care of them personally before seeing to her dinner and changing clothes.


    While not particularly thrilled with Clarice and Tim¡¯s tournament idea originally, Nadine was certainly beginning to come around on the idea. The level cap, or maximum level obtainable on this floor, was fifty, and Tim was still only level fifteen. Another five levels would either increase Tim¡¯s MP by five or his HP by depending on the archetype of his Class, and in either case, it could have made a significant difference in the risk he took during the battle.


    Wearing relatively clean clothes and having washed her face to freshen up, Nadine parted the curtain that served as the door to their house and nearly bumped into someone waiting just outside.


    ¡°Tim is not here?¡± Lash asked while stepping back to make room for Nadine to pass her.


    Momentarily stunned, Nadine didn¡¯t immediately reply.


    ¡°Nadine?¡± Lash pressed curiously, poking Nadine¡¯s exposed forehead to try and get her attention.


    ¡°Ah, Tim, right,¡± Nadine stammered, ¡°He uh-¡± She made as if to point towards the elevator but paused as she saw Tim¡¯s armoured form lumbering down the street and dragging his club behind him.


    Lash followed her gaze and smiled broadly upon seeing Tim. ¡°Thanks,¡± she breathed gratefully while stalking down the road towards Tim.


    Considering the negative Conditions Tim was still suffering from that impaired his thinking, Nadine wasn¡¯t all that surprised when he failed to notice Lash until she was literally shoving off his helmet and mauling his face with her mouth.


    More than capable of guessing where things were headed, Nadine decided to make herself scarce. While Toby and Emelia were relatively discrete, Lash and most Orcs for that matter, were not.


    Heading to the village centre to try and make herself useful, as well as getting well and truly out of earshot, Nadine set herself to work helping direct the Crag Fist¡¯s to available housing and organised Porters to check on them. Given the sheer number of people needing to be housed and cared for, Nadine was busy till late into the night and took the opportunity to sleep at Hessin and Osa¡¯s house to give Lash and Tim more privacy.


    After refreshing herself in the morning and getting something to eat, Nadine set about checking on the freed Slaves again before heading back to their borrowed lodgings to check on Tim¡¯s Conditions.


    Despite a number of light scratches, which Nadine chose to ignore, Tim seemed to be in a much better mood despite the persistence of a final negative Condition. Mental Fatigue seemed benign enough, so Nadine was cautiously optimistic about his recovery.


    Tim cooperated with her assessment but still seemed a little worn out and had dark rings under his eyes. ¡°Has there been any movement from the Iron Hills tribe?¡± Tim asked while stiffly getting to his feet and heading for the wash pot kept in the corner.


    Nadine shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I haven¡¯t been actively trying to find out either,¡± she admitted.


    Tim grunted in reply and quickly washed himself down with a damp cloth.


    Nadine couldn¡¯t help but notice Tim had lost a concerning amount of weight since they had first met. He still had a gut, but there was much less of it than before. For the time being she decided to just keep it in mind and try to make sure Tim was eating enough. After all, hungry Ogres had quite a fearsome reputation.


    Tim pulled on the clothes from yesterday and bundled his scattered armour into a sheet which he then tied into the end of his club. ¡°Look like a damned hobo¡­¡± Tim snickered and balanced the club on his shoulder before walking outside.


    Glad to see Tim smiling, Nadine followed him outside. ¡°What¡¯s a hobo?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°Hrm? Oh¡­¡± Tim scratched at the back of his head with a goofy smile, ¡°It¡¯s a name for homeless people,¡± he explained, ¡°Homeless people that travelled around, a long time ago, would put their belongings in a sheet like this and carry it with a stick¡­I don''t¡¯ think anyone actually did it for a long time¡­But the look is pretty iconic and recognisable¡­¡± Tim let out a deep sigh, ¡°none of this is making any sense is it?¡± He asked with a tired smile.


    Nadine shrugged, ¡°I think I got a general idea.¡±


    Tim shrugged as well and they continued towards the elevator.


    New work was underway preparing for the construction of two more elevators, although Nadine wondered who would be surrendering their boar¡¯s to power them. The Iron Hills tribe certainly had more of them, but they wouldn¡¯t have access to them until defeating Gargant at the least, so she hoped they weren¡¯t being unrealistic with their expectations.


    Tim seemed similarly dubious of the preparations but said nothing while they waited for the elevator.


    Descending the mesa, Nadine was surprised by the scale of the tent city below. Of course, after recalling just how many Goblins and Serpent-Kin reinforcements had come to their aid, she realised that she should have expected as much.


    The Goblins had made their own cooking fires with fuel scavenged from Tim¡¯s arena, but Tim didn''t seem to mind.


    The mood amongst the Desert Orcs changed dramatically upon Tim¡¯s arrival. While they had been grateful and demonstrated respect and acceptance of Tim before, there had also been a certain amount of veiled distrust and scepticism whenever his back was turned. That seemed to be gone now and was replaced by a certain degree of awe.


    Tim didn¡¯t seem to notice, or if he did, he made no sign of it. After arriving at Osa¡¯s command tent, Tim settled himself down and listened to the reports on the Iron Hills encampment. Most of the reports were incredibly similar and boiled down to noting the movements of small supply teams hunting for food, or the enemy¡¯s own scouts being picked off or scared back to the main camp.


    What Nadine found unsettling was the repeated mentioning of human slaves in the enemy camp and how callously they seemed to be treated. Once she stopped to consider it, Nadine had to admit that the situation of the Enslaved humans was probably the most ideal outcome for them, all things considered.


    What worried Nadine was what Tim might do once Gargant was defeated, or when Gargant deployed the humans to try and kill them. While originally human himself, Tim had proven incredibly callous towards people he deemed had wronged him in some way. It wasn¡¯t entirely unrealistic to expect Tim to associate the enslaved humans guilty by association with the Adventurers Guild, or gods help them, a mercenary Guild. It really didn¡¯t help that Tim bore no moral or legal obligation to even attempt saving them, let alone take risks as he had done for the Desert Orcs.


    Nadine could tell Tim was thinking about it, but the set of his brow didn¡¯t make Nadine optimistic about the outcome. Feeling somewhat pressured to serve as an advocate of her species, and genuinely afraid of what would happen if Tim began crossing certain moral thresholds, Nadine waited until Tim was finished listening to scouting reports before attempting to broach the subject.


    ¡°Tim, do you think you could free the Enslaved humans?¡± Nadine asked bluntly, wanting to get a proper gauge on where he currently stood in regards to their lives.


    Tim remained silent for a short while as they walked towards the moat, ¡°I could¡­¡± He agreed apprehensively, ¡°But you need to understand that no matter the outcome, saving them is inviting a great deal of trouble.¡±


    Nadine was surprised by the nature of Tim¡¯s dilemma. Having expected she would need to convince him to let go of certain prejudices, it was a profound relief. ¡°You could always have the Human Overseers imprison or keep them under house arrest in the swamp?¡± Nadine suggested.


    Tim nodded thoughtfully and stared out at the distant horizon. Every so often he would rub at his chin or scratch the back of his head, but Tim genuinely seemed to be coming around to the idea of making an effort to rescue the Enslaved humans.


    ¡°You could always have them swear oaths to behave themselves too,¡± Nadine added optimistically, ¡°Make them integrate into the new communities.¡±


    Tim nodded and smiled, ¡°And have them invited into the Faction.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­What?¡± Nadine wasn¡¯t sure she had heard him right.


    ¡°Oaths don''t matter,¡± Tim continued, speaking more to himself than her, ¡°once they join the Faction the quest system can extrapolate their Class unlock requirements and make the Classes available to everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Nadine now understood what Tim was getting at and felt conflicted. On the one hand, she felt a great deal better now that Tim was quite motivated to save their lives, but on the other, Nadine was a little concerned by his ulterior motives. After considering Tim¡¯s position and the risks involved, Nadine decided that this was probably the best she could realistically hope for in the circumstances.


    When the new quest notification appeared requiring the rescue of human Slaves, Nadine made an effort to look on the bright side. ¡°At least they won¡¯t be Enslaved or dead. That¡¯s still better than most,¡± she reasoned, taking care to avoid looking too long at the scattered bodies of the Enslaved Orcs covering the crashed wagons and the opposite bank of the moat.


    ¡°They certainly could,¡± Tim agreed dourly.


    Knowing not to push her luck, Nadine decided to change the subject, ¡°Have you and Lash decided on a name yet?¡±


    The sudden change in subject caught Tim off guard, ¡°Uh, what? A name?¡±


    Nadine grinned, ¡°For your firstborn¡­hatched? For your first child,¡± she explained.


    Tim¡¯s mood seemed to lighten again but he shook his head, ¡°I think Lash is just expecting to use the name they are born with.¡± He shrugged somewhat helplessly and then became quite thoughtful again, ¡°Hang on, how the hell do they know what their name is if none of them could read?¡±


    Nadine took a breath in order to reply, but quickly found she had no answer to give. ¡°You''re right¡­¡± She agreed, ¡°How do they know?¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 32 – One must fall – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 32 ¨C One must fall ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 32 - One must fall - Part Two


    The new dawn had brought two new faces to Stone Well. Apparently having arrived in Sanctuary slightly too late to accompany the Goblins and Serpent-Kin, Captain Gaile and Sergeant Drake had been forced to wait for the Stone Well gateway to recharge and accompany the scheduled delivery of relief supplies.


    Sergeant Drake looked to be around fifty or sixty years old, although he showed no signs of letting it slow him down. Relatively short, Drake had a robust wide frame and ropy muscles. Armed and armoured as a rank and file soldier, bearing a shield, spear and shortsword in reserve, the Sergeant was also carrying a large pack practically stuffed full of additional equipment and supplies. The most defining feature of the grizzled old Sergeant was the claw-like scars running down his top lip to the bottom of his chin.


    ¡°SIR!¡± Sergeant Drake snapped a crisp salute and stood at attention once he became aware of my approach.


    Alerted by the Sergeant¡¯s cry, Captain Gaile left her own pack on the bench where she had been rearranging its contents and turned about-face to deliver a salute of her own. Although less fervent than Drake, Gaile¡¯s salute had been accompanied by a great deal more curiosity.


    Looking to be about forty, Captain Gaile was just about Sergeant Drake¡¯s opposite. She was tall but incredibly lean, almost willowy and perhaps would be without her layers of armour. The only thing the pair had in common was that their hair was clipped short like most other Asrusian soldiers. Scouts like Kestrel and Rooke seemed to be allowed to grow their hair long or were otherwise less motivated in keeping it so.


    Like Sergeant Drake, Gaile also carried a spear and had a shortsword as a backup weapon. However, Gaile¡¯s spear was longer and the shaft was thicker, suggesting that it was intended for more distant engagement and being exclusively wielded two-handed.


    Both officers had already been promoted to Underlords in preparation for promotion to Overseer. It was a smart move on the part of whoever had made the decision. With their Leadership Classes already active, they wouldn¡¯t waste Exp that otherwise would have gone towards their previous Classes.


    A quick inspection revealed they were both level three, something that would change very quickly in the ongoing conflict. Recognising the Sergeant¡¯s Warden Class I almost skipped checking his Class Abilities since I had already seen them before on Lash. Against my better judgement, I spared a moment to check anyway and was profoundly surprised to see that the Retribution Ability had been replaced by Cohesion, an Ability I had not seen yet.


    [(Class Ability: Cohesion): {Group} members within range fight with increased awareness of one another''s actions regardless of mundane and magical obstructions. {Presence} increases the range of the effect.]


    Captain Gaile¡¯s Human Commander Class was a little more interesting. The absence of the Eminence Ability was an interesting development but not unique. On the whole, the Human Commander Class seemed relatively straightforward, and Gaile¡¯s high Presence made the Abilities even more effective.


    [(Class Ability: Commander¡¯s Banner): Requires a suitable object to serve as a banner. The effect will end if the banner falls or is claimed by an enemy. The Commander¡¯s Banner grants {Allies} additional Toughness while within range. Maximum number of {Banners} is determined by {Presence} (0:5)]


    [(Class Ability: Field Promotion): {Faction} members within range can be awarded one or more {Class Abilities}. Maximum number of {Class Abilities} is determined by {Presence} (0:5).]


    [(Class Ability: Brace!): Expend MP to empower nearby {Group} members to deal additional damage based on the enemy¡¯s momentum. {Presence} increases the range and damage of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Charge!): Expend MP to empower nearby {Group} members with additional momentum. {Presence} increases the range and momentum of the effect.]


    ¡°I would prefer to keep things informal outside of official duties,¡± I waved them both down and waited for them to return to a more casual stance. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you both until we were ready to move on to the fifth floor,¡± I explained curiously, ¡°What changed?¡±


    ¡°I felt it would be best to make ourselves useful,¡± Captain Gaile replied crisply, ¡°If we are going to work together Sir, I believe it would be best if we were more familiar with one another¡¯s capabilities.¡±


    Sergeant Drake nodded, ¡°We had orders to provide support, Sir,¡± he agreed in a gravelly tone, ¡°If we get in the way, just know you can tell us where to go, Sir.¡±


    Gaile briefly scowled at Drake¡¯s final remark, suggesting that it was perhaps a form of military slang.


    ¡°Well, as I said, I prefer to keep things casual. While accompanying me, your rank does not entitle you to command others. You are all warriors and nothing more without my endorsement otherwise. Understood?¡± I demanded sternly. The last thing I wanted was for the officers to cause problems trying to assert and pull rank on one another and the locals.


    Gaile and Drake both nodded solemnly.


    ¡°In my absence, Osa commands this floor. He is an Overseer and capable of stripping your titles, so be respectful,¡± I insisted, ¡°However, Osa lacks knowledge of sophisticated military tactics and has limited experience deploying large numbers of warriors. I want you to seek overseer Osa out in the staging grounds below the mesa and provide what advice you can in order to prepare for the Iron Hills tribe¡¯s next assault.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Both officers snapped salutes and after gathering their belongings headed for the elevator.


    Slowly following along behind them, I planned on spending most of my day helping to construct the second elevator.


    The Slavers wagons had been excavated from the moat during the night and repurposed mostly towards providing improvised mobile cover that could be deployed if the Iron Hills used slingers of their own. The most intact wagons had been set aside to serve as the cabs for the new elevators.


    Mostly participating in a supervisory role, I was able to direct the work efficiently enough to have the second elevator completed by the early afternoon. Since no boars had been donated, I had to improvise a primitive locking mechanism that would hold the elevator in place while fully raised. Otherwise, the elevator was entirely reliant on manpower to raise and lower the second elevator.


    Still very much preferring to use the first elevator, I descended to the staging grounds to review the scout reports. Somewhat unsurprisingly, a dense hedge of thorny briars now encircled the inner ring of the moat. Only a few feet tall, it was obviously intended to serve as an improvised source of cover and to disrupt enemy crossings.


    The land bridge had been removed and was replaced by a gatehouse tree that had been grown over the nearest side of the moat and a makeshift drawbridge that could be lowered to allow access across the moat. The planks for the drawbridge had been recycled from a deconstructed wagon bed and were liberally lashed together by thick ropes.


    The gatehouse wasn¡¯t the only tree being grown beside the moat. From my vantage on the elevator, I could see at least four others roughly spaced along the moat to serve as watchtowers. I could also feel both Mors¡¯ and Qreet¡¯s mana emanating from beyond my line of sight, so there were likely more trees or other developments being made.


    Reaching the bottom of the elevator, I made my way to Osa¡¯s command tent and was surprised for the second time upon finding a number of maps now hanging from the tent walls and draped over a makeshift table. The maps were admittedly quite crude, but they were of a much larger scale than Kestrel¡¯s and focused on the immediate area surrounding Stone Well and the rocky shelf the Iron Hills tribe was taking refuge in.


    Assuming that the crude tokens made from carved wood or coloured stones arrayed on the map on the table were likely to depict troop locations, it was curious to see how securely hemmed in the iron Hills appeared to be.


    ¡°Overlord!¡± Osa smiled nervously and made his way around the table, ¡°Iss there something I can do for you?¡±


    Alongside Osa¡¯s Lieutenants were Gaile and Drake. The Human officers had been quietly discussing something when I entered but had now grown silent alongside the others.


    ¡°Are there any signs of what the Iron Hills tribe are up to?¡± I asked bluntly.


    Osa shook his head, ¡°Sscoutss report only minimal efforts at defencsess, and enemy scouts die before they can be quesstioned.¡±


    ¡°They are using the Soulless as scouts?¡± I asked if only to confirm my assumptions.


    Osa nodded.


    ¡°Urgent news!¡± Kestrel called out from a short distance away, a slight strain in her voice lending credence to her sense of urgency.


    Opening the tent flaps, I found Kestrel dismounting her weirdly named bird and dragging off a bound prisoner.


    Contrary to my expectations, Kestrel¡¯s prisoner was a Variant. Thoroughly bound and gagged, the Mountain Orc could do nothing but cower in fear as he looked into the faces of the angry warriors gathering nearby.


    Grabbing the prisoner by a rope handhold, I dragged him into the tent. After allowing Kestrel into the tent, I gave the warriors outside a displeased glare as a warning before closing the tent flaps. Depositing the prisoner against one of the large beams holding up the tent, I motioned to Kestrel to handle the rest.


    Kestrel nodded and set about securely tying the prisoner to the beam. Once she was finished, Kestrel pulled out the prisoner¡¯s gag, ¡°Speak!¡± She commanded and lowered her right hand slowly towards her backup knife.


    The Mountain Orc blanched, ¡°No hurt! Bring message!¡± The Orc pleaded, ¡°Gargant send message!¡± He looked insistently down at his rough vest and sash belt.


    Without needing to be asked, Kestrel knelt down and patted the Orc down before reaching into his sash and pulling out a crumpled roll of paper. Unrolling the paper, Kestrel quickly scanned the contents before laying it out on the table. ¡°It seems Gargant had one of his Guild prisoners write the message. There is a plea for help from the writer in the corner.¡±


    ¡°What does he want?¡± I asked sceptically. Best I could guess, Gargant was going to try and leverage his Slaves for some sort of benefit or ceasefire.


    Kestrel cleared her throat and quickly read through the message again. ¡°Gargant, undisputed Chief of Iron Hills tribe, offers greetings, great Chief of Stone Well. Strength is wasted in this conflict. Withdraw your warriors, and Gargant will leave your lands. Gargant offers Slaves and females as price. That¡¯s all for that message,¡± she added before turning her attention to the second message scribbled in the corner. ¡°Please! I beg of you! By all that is good and by all the gods! I don¡¯t want to¡­ And it cuts off there,¡± Kestrel explained with a grimace.


    Drake and Gaile had similar expressions of disgust, but they quickly suppressed them.


    I turned my attention to our prisoner, ¡°Which Slaves is Gargant offering?¡± I asked with a stern expression.


    The prisoner gulped, ¡°Gargant have many Slaves. Give Chief many females!¡± He didn¡¯t seem to understand the question and was just ad libbing from the message.


    ¡°Thiss iss a trap,¡± Osa declared dourly, ¡°Gargant jusst wantss to lure you out! Ensslave you, Overlord!¡±


    That seemed about right. I turned my attention to the bound messenger, ¡°Will Gargant be making this trade himself?¡±


    The messenger trembled and shrugged uncertainly, too scared to speak.


    I took a couple of minutes to think things over before coming to a decision and turning my attention back to the messenger, ¡°Tell your master Gargant that I will meet with him.¡± I expected this to be a trap of some kind, but it also presented an opportunity to eliminate the Iron Hills tribe¡¯s leader. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Gargant planned on challenging me for leadership of Stone Well, because I was planning on challenging him myself anyway.


    Motioning for Kestrel to take the messenger away, I waited until they were well and truly gone before answering the questioning stares of those who remained. ¡°He will try to kill me, I know that,¡± I admitted aloud, ¡°The only real question is whether he will attempt it through a challenge for my position, or by ambush. In either case, this is an opportunity to deal with the Iron Hills threat for good. Either way, Gargant will die and the Iron Hills tribe will be left at our mercy.¡±


    Osa nodded in understanding, but he still seemed incredibly nervous.


    Gaile seemed much more reserved, ¡°That you are so confident in victory, might be part of this, Gargant¡¯s, trap,¡± she warned thoughtfully.


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed, ¡°He is up to something, and all I am sure of is the intended outcome.¡± I looked to Gaile and Drake for their opinions on the matter, a test of their commitment to my cause.


    Drake nodded slowly in agreement, ¡°It is definitely a trap, Sir. But this could work to our advantage,¡± he looked to Gaile to elaborate, apparently trusting her judgement


    Gaile remained quiet for a few moments before nodding in agreement, ¡°The potential gains justify the risks. Attending the negotiations on suitable mounts would be the best means of limiting the risk of being caught in an ambush. In a worst-case scenario, the scouts will be able to provide limited support as well as provide early warning of enemy troop movements. So long as your bodyguards can be trusted, the risks to your person should be quite low.¡±


    ¡±Are you confident of this?¡± I asked somewhat sceptically, wanting to provoke the Captain a little and test her mettle.


    Gaile was quiet and contemplative for a few moments before she met my eyes and nodded determinedly, ¡°As much as I can be with the information provided.¡± It sounded somewhat like the groundwork for an excuse for if things went wrong, but I had the impression that Gaile was only being honest.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I drummed my fingers on the table and carefully regarded the map, ¡°Gargant, if he attends this meeting in person, will likely have bodyguards of his own. Perhaps even an entire band of Slaves intended to masquerade as part of a good faith ¡®payment¡¯ while actually serving as an ambush force¡­¡± I wrinkled my brow and tried to make a decision on who I would bring to the meeting.


    Osa was out of the question. He was too important for maintaining order in Stone Well. There were a few Warriors that had gained a number of levels in the tournament, but in all likelihood, Gargant¡¯s Taskmasters would be much higher level. Adding to the fact that the Mountain Orcs seemed to be broader and taller than the Desert Orcs, I didn¡¯t particularly like the idea of such a one-sided showing. But then I had another idea.


    Gargant would almost certainly look down on humans after enslaving them so easily, and there was no reason for him to be aware of the difference between the monsterfied Humans and those already enslaved. Dhizi would certainly be a welcome addition regardless, which meant bringing Clarice anyway. So why not deliberately tempt Gargant¡¯s machinations with a seemingly weak showing?


    ¡°Drake, Gaile, Clarice and Kestrel will serve as myattending bodyguards,¡± I stated calmly, ¡°If Gargant is planning a trap, he will likely be overconfident after confirming that I am being escorted by ¡®humans¡¯,¡± I air quoted the word to emphasize my meaning.


    Osa¡¯s expression immediately reflected his conflicted emotions, but he remained silent.


    ¡°We aint got the levels to compensate for much yet, Sir,¡± Drake advised somewhat cagily, although there was a burning gleam in his eyes that belied a fierce eagerness for the challenge.


    ¡°Synergies should help level the playing field, so to speak,¡± Gaile countered thoughtfully while tapping her chin, ¡°yes, this could work quite well,¡± she agreed, ¡°The Slaver and Taskmaster Classes are not offensively focused beyond the scope of acquiring and punishing Slaves. So the primary obstacle is the difference in raw physical ability, and they are not so high a tiered monster to have become impervious to skilled counters.¡±


    Drake grunted in agreement.


    Clarice wasn¡¯t hard to find. After hearing of the captured prisoner, she had taken a vigil outside in the shade of a nearby tent.


    Securing mounts for Drake and Gaile was more difficult and time-consuming. Where just about any of the warriors were eager to allow me to borrow a Hulking Boar for my own use, they were far more leary and downright mutinous over lending them to a Human. In the end, I settled on a compromise, borrowing two Hulking Boars and hitching them to a stripped-down wagon. The owners of the boars weren¡¯t thrilled, but they would have their mounts back by late evening at the latest anyway.


    Before setting out, I changed my mind and decided to have Nadine join us as well. There was always the off chance someone would be badly injured, and early treatment of the wounds could make the difference between life and death.


    ¡°You are sure about this, right?¡± Nadine called out from behind Clarice.


    ¡°As much as I can be,¡± I called back and made an effort not to shrug.


    We were all dressed for battle and steadily approaching the scouts established perimeter. The general idea was that Gargant¡¯s own scouts would spot our incursion and relay that information to their master.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t talk,¡± Clarice warned seriously, ¡°Could bite your tongue!¡±


    Nadine frowned but held her tongue.


    Unlike riding a horse, which would jostle the rider up and down, Dhizi predominantly swayed side to side because of her scrambling gait. The direction of the momentum was different, but I could still imagine someone biting their tongue if they weren¡¯t careful.


    Drake had insisted upon driving the wagon, so that left Gaile and I sitting in the bed of the wagon and staring off to the west and east respectively. The Sergeant seemed to enjoy the implacable, yet comparatively slow march of the boars. I made a mental note to try and make sure he would receive one of the tamed boars from the Iron Hills tribe after we defeated Gargant.


    However, Gaile didn¡¯t seem particularly impressed by the boars at all. In fact, she seemed somewhat queasy and was staring at a fixed point over my shoulder. I could only assume Captain Gaile was experiencing motion sickness, which was something of a surprise given her high rank in the Asrusian military. Historical dramas had me convinced that senior officers would be required to be proficient in riding in order to oversee their troops on the battlefield, so it was somewhat jarring to reconcile with.


    As we approached the approximate perimeter maintained by Stone Well¡¯s scouts, Kestrel joined our procession.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t sent out anyone since the messenger was taken,¡± Kestrel reported tensely, ¡°They are definitely up to something.¡±


    ¡°We figured as much,¡± I agreed and cast a wary eye towards the rocky shelf in the distance, ¡°For all we know, this meeting might be a ploy to allow his forces to break out and assault Stone Well in our absence. But I still think that Gargant is trying to lure me out specifically¡­¡± It was a feeling that had grown since leaving the command tent. So far as I knew, Gargant had no true confirmations of my personal strength or intelligence, so it was entirely possible he was plotting under the assumption I was a brutish and stupid Ogre. I had to keep reminding myself not to underestimate him in turn, which only served to justify my mounting paranoia.


    There was one thing I was certain of, Gargant was a Slave Master. Somehow the chief of the Iron Hills tribe had acquired the means of Enslaving others and unlocked the Slaver Class. He had then spread it amongst his people and accumulated enough Slaves to unlock the Master tier Class. The only clues I had regarding the Class Abilities of the Slave Master came from the two Abilities that had accompanied transitioning to the Ogre Slave-Breaker Leadership Class.


    With that in mind, I assumed Gargant would specialize in massed assaults involving hordes of Slaves under his personal control. Or perhaps have lessened requirements or greater proficiency in Enslaving his targets. In all likelihood, it could even be both. I just had no way of knowing for certain.


    ¡°Is there a plan?¡± Kestrel asked optimistically.


    Clarice snickered and adjusted her helmet but otherwise made no comment.


    Kestrel sighed dejectedly and warily eyed the surrounding area.


    I dismounted the wagon and Gaile followed shortly afterwards, breathing a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief as her feet made contact with the ground.


    While we waited for some response to our presence, Nadine made sure everyone drank regularly to avoid overheating in their armour.


    After waiting for about an hour, a small procession left the shelter of the rocky shelf and began heading in our direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s Gargant,¡± Kestrel confirmed while looking through her spyglass, ¡°And there are three other large Orcs with him besides.¡±


    ¡°Variants?¡± I asked, assuming it to be the case but wanting to be sure.


    Kestrel frowned, ¡°I think so?¡± She replied uncertainly, ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell. They all have a similar build and are wearing the same Iron Hills clothing.¡±


    I sighed and decided not to make a big deal out of it. This was my idea, and besides, the silk head wraps and general clothing of the Orcs on this floor made it difficult to tell people apart I was already familiar with, so I couldn¡¯t blame Kestrel for not being able to differentiate three strangers at this distance.


    As they drew closer, it was impossible not to notice Gargant¡¯s confidence. He alone sat astride a Hulking Boar while the three other Orcs followed behind him in a short ragged line. Gargant was taking his time, seemingly unconcerned by his earlier request to be allowed to leave in peace and now attempting to establish dominance through delaying our meeting as much as possible. This only further raised my suspicions regarding his motives, and I found I wasn¡¯t the only one furtively checking the nearby surroundings for signs of a trap.


    The fact that we had chosen the meeting ground was not as comforting as it should have been in the circumstances. The longer I watched Gargant, the more certain I became that he was deliberately delaying in order to allow for an unseen ally to move into position. Yet the only signs of movement on the horizon came from our own fast-moving scouts.


    Dhizi gave the first warning, suddenly growing anxious and shifting her footing.


    Feeling a faint vibration coming from the ground beneath my bare feet, I pulled out my club without hesitating. ¡°FROM BELOW!¡± I roared.


    The ground in front of the Hulking Boars erupted in a cascade of sand, dirt and stones, partially concealing the giant armoured lizard¡¯s maw that darted forward to bite the boars.


    Unfortunately for the giant lizard, the boars knew no fear and leapt forward in a counter-charge of their own, tusks and teeth ripping viciously into the lizard¡¯s neck and jaw.


    Bleeding profusely and stunned by the onslaught, the lizard reacted too slowly to defend itself and was quickly savaged into submission. However, two more giant lizards, each as large as the Hulking Boars, clambered over their shuddering kin to take their turn at pressing the attack.


    Still seated on the wagon, Drake drove his spear into one of the lizard¡¯s eyes, buying the left boar enough time to counter-attack.


    A flash of mana from Gaile washed over our party and I felt an energizing effect settle into my body. Leaping forward, I brought my club crashing down the rightmost lizard¡¯s neck.


    *Crack*


    The thick armoured scales cracked and shattered beneath the force of the blow while the giant lizard spasmed.


    Feeling a number of familiar presences on the periphery of my senses, I brought my full will bearing down on them.


    Gargant¡¯s procession came to an abrupt halt as an intense pain took hold of my mind. Gargant had brought slaves for his ambush, and they seemed to be under his personal control.


    As the pain settled on my mind, I stepped back towards the relative safety of the group.


    While our battle of wills continued, another giant lizard climbed out of the hole and into the ongoing melee.


    All at once, the pressure and pain in my mind evaporated and ten Slaves entered my control. Momentarily unbalanced, I sent a mental command demanding the Slaves halt their attack.


    The giant lizards immediately grew still, providing only token ineffectual resistance to Drake and the pair of boar¡¯s attacks.


    <Leave the hole. Bring your Tamed Beasts.> I sent a second more coherent command.


    Sections of ground on our other flanks gave way to more giant lizards that meekly grouped a short distance away. Shortly afterwards, disheveled human men and women climbed out of the holes. Their clothes were torn and filthy, and there was a telling haunted look in their eyes.


    Not even waiting to confirm if it was safe to do so, Nadine hurriedly dismounted Dhizi and rushed towards the closest group so she could provide them aid.


    <Form a line before her. Make no attempts to harm her, or else.> The mental command was immediately followed and saw the humans wordlessly scurry to obey.


    Gargant had renewed his approach, only now he seemed far more eager to attend our meeting and was moving quite quickly with his accompanying entourage. They stopped a short distance away and Gargant continued the approach alone.


    Fairly certain I understood how this was going to go, I made my way forward in order to meet him halfway. Something was wrong, different than what I had expected, and as we drew closer to one another I soon realized what it was. Gargant made no signs of hiding it and even gave a small surprised reaction when he noticed the focus of my attention.


    We both came to a halt with less than five feet of ground left between us.


    Gargant was large by Orc standards, but he was still a half-head shorter than me, and that seemed to irk him somewhat.


    ¡°So¡­¡± I pointed to the thick iron shackle clasped around Gargant¡¯s right hand, ¡°How long have you been a slave?¡±


    The skin around Gargant¡¯s eyes wrinkled and I had the impression he was grimacing beneath his face covering, ¡°Years¡­¡± Gargant¡¯s voice sounded far older than I had expected given his otherwise comparatively youthful appearance, but I understood that being bound to someone''s will would do that to you. Gargant narrowed his eyes at me, perhaps because of my own reaction to his voice, ¡°Pity the weak,¡± he spat, ¡°I am no innocent in this! A choice was given, a bargain struck¡­¡±


    I had already determined as much. Gargant might be someone¡¯s pet, but he hadn¡¯t given the impression of being remorseful over his actions. There was every chance that he had gone above and beyond what his master expected and demanded of him.


    ¡°Why did you want to meet?¡± I asked, fairly certain I knew who we would find holding Gargant¡¯s leash.


    Gargant remained silent for a moment. ¡°To kill you,¡± he replied honestly, ¡°Or be killed by you¡­¡± There was a hint of regret in Gargant¡¯s voice, perhaps because he understood the raw power difference between us, or for other reasons I could only guess at. ¡°You broke free, they didn¡¯t like that,¡± Gargant continued, a faint tone of jealousy in his voice, ¡°They want you dead before you cause more trouble, disrupt their grand design.¡± Blood began staining Gargant¡¯s veil and he paused to touch it with his fingers before grunting and falling silent.


    ¡°With your ambush having failed, I guess that only leaves us one option, doesn''t it?¡± I tightened my grip on my club and stretched my neck.


    Gargant nodded but raised a hand to stall any further action. Curiously, he seemed to angle the action deliberately to avoid his entourage from seeing. ¡°They serve my master as well,¡± Gargant explained, ¡°Should they survive, one will be chosen to replace me.¡±


    I felt no signs of domination from the trio of Orcs, ¡°They aren¡¯t Slaves?¡± I questioned suspiciously.


    Gargant chuckled dryly, ¡°Not bound by magic, but by greed,¡± he clarified, ¡°Few of my people are truly Enslaved by the Labyrinth¡¯s magic, but many succumbed to the temptation of power as I did¡­¡±


    ¡°So, this is a suicide run?¡± I asked warily, ¡°You lead your prime rivals out to fight me and just assume I won¡¯t show mercy and allow them to live?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± Gargant snickered contemptuously, ¡°I see it in your eyes, we disgust you. Don¡¯t try to deny it.¡± He was right, so I didn¡¯t. ¡°I do this¡­I am making it easy for you, because I want something in return¡­¡± Gargant¡¯s voice had gone deathly quiet, ¡°The innocent amongst my people¡­You will spare them,¡± it wasn¡¯t a question, sounding far more like a threat than anything else.


    ¡°Only the Slavers and the truly deserving will die,¡± I agreed, having already come to that decision long before our meeting in person.


    Gargant stared intensely into my eyes and seemed satisfied by my genuine sincerity. ¡°Yet their suffering has only begun¡­¡± He grunted grimly and slowly drew a large curved blade from his hip.


    ¡°Your sins won¡¯t be theirs,¡± I insisted, ¡°The genuinely innocent will leave this place with me and be given another chance at life.¡±


    Gargant¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise.


    ¡°I know the nomads and villagers of Stone Well want blood. So they will have it from the guilty,¡± I explained while limbering up for our now imminent confrontation, ¡°The only way to give the innocent a future free of vengeance fueled reprisal is to take them away from here to begin anew somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Ahahahaha!¡± Gargant¡¯s dry throaty laugh put his own followers as well as mine on edge, prompting them to draw weapons of their own. ¡°Such an idealist¡­¡± The subtle hint of remorse in his tone was genuinely surprising.


    ¡°If you want to repay me for my generosity, there is something you can do for me,¡± I suggested and issued a quest to my own group.


    Gargant narrowed his eyes suspiciously for a moment before relaxing, ¡°Name it,¡± he agreed.


    ¡°Your rivals against my escort, while you and I fight one on one,¡± I offered.


    Gargant seemed surprised, but he nodded in agreement anyway before turning to his rivals, ¡°THIS FILTH HAS CHALLENGED OUR HONOR!¡± Gargant roared with feigned incredulity, ¡°I WILL FIGHT HIM ALONE! YOU WILL FIGHT HIS COWERING MINIONS!¡±


    ¡°RAGH!!!¡± Gargant¡¯s trio of rivals drew their weapons and charged.


    Thankfully, the quest had already alerted the others of my intentions, so they were not caught unawares.


    *Swoosh*


    I backstepped to avoid the scything arc of Gargant¡¯s blade and then swung my club in from the right to try and catch his arm as he brought it back for another strike.


    *Tak*


    Gargant sidestepped and caught my club against his blade.


    We pressed our weapons against each other for a moment, each testing the other¡¯s strength before stepping back.


    Feeling another surge of energy in my limbs, I leapt forward and brought my club crashing down towards Gargant¡¯s left shoulder.


    *Tak THUMP*


    Gargant stepped to the side, redirecting my club and preparing a counter-strike of his own, but my left fist crashed into his chest and sent him reeling.


    Wheezing and coughing, Gargant¡¯s veil was spattered with fresh blood. ¡°Underhanded¡­¡± He croaked gleefully, ¡°Not¡­As¡­Stupid as¡­You¡­Look¡­¡± He shakily brought his blade back up into a guard stance in preparation for receiving my next attack


    As I had figured, Gargant¡¯s Class had improved his mental faculties, but done little to improve his physical abilities. Very likely, Gargant was only benefiting from increased HP.


    A quick glance towards the others revealed that they seemed to have their fight well in hand. One of the Orcs was already as good as dead, being shaken this way and that by Dhizi and spraying blood over the dry ground.


    Seeing no reason to prolong my own fight against Gargant, I channeled a small amount of mana into my club and hoped Mors¡¯ craftsmanship would stop it from breaking as the morningstar had done.


    Likely sensing something was different, Gargant shifted from his defensive stance and held his blade high over his head with both hands. Before I could charge, Gargant rushed at me instead.


    *BOOM twang*


    I used one hand on either end of the bat to block the overhead strike, and as the weapons connected Gargant¡¯s blade shattered on impact. Four inches of the blade shattered into tiny pieces and flew back into Gargant¡¯s face while the topmost section of the blade ricocheted off my helmet and the blade still remaining on the hill scraped down the front of my chest armour.


    Gargant staggered backwards in a daze, the hilt of his destroyed weapon slipping from his fingers and landing in the dirt. Blood was running freely down Gargant¡¯s front, staining his clothes a deep crimson. Shaking his head, Gargant gurgled something incomprehensible and raised his fists before slowly staggering forward.


    Dropping my bat, I raised my fists and moved to meet him halfway.


    *Thump, Crack, Whump, Crunch, Crunch, Crack, Crunch¡±


    Releasing a flurry of attacks, I ignored Gargant¡¯s own feeble attacks and pressed for the kill, wanting it to be over with while my blood was up, afraid I would lack the nerve if I allowed the adrenaline rush to end. Driving Gargant to the ground, I straddled his body and bludgeoned his head into a bloody ruin.


    Still somehow alive, Gargant gurgled something from his shattered jaw and mouth full of broken teeth before growing still.


    [You have slain {Primeval Mountain Orc Drudge: 5 } +4000 Exp]


    [{Optional Quest} Slay Iron Hills Chief Gargant: {Complete} +300,000 Exp]


    A bright flash of light emanated from my body and I somewhat absently noted that my MP had increased by another point.


    [Dhizi has slain {Primeval Mountain Orc Runt: 5 } +3500 Exp]


    The ragged and bloody torso of a Mountain Orc landed nearby, the intestines trailing along the severed spinal column and mingling with the dirt.


    Getting to my feet, I watched as Clarice pressed Dhizi into the fight against the remaining Orcs, driving her spear into the back of an Orc right as it was preparing an overhead strike against Drake.


    Kestrel was aiming and firing an arrow every other second, rendering the Orc already driven back by Gaile exhausted as he struggled to deflect the lethal projectiles and failed as often as not.


    With a sudden surge of speed, Gaile drove the head of her spear through the harried Orc¡¯s eye socket and into his brain. Just as quickly, she twisted the spear and yanked it free of the Orc¡¯s skull while gaining as much distance from his collapsing body as possible.


    [Gaile has slain {Primeval Mountain Orc Runt: 5 } +3500 Exp]


    ¡°AAAERGH!¡± The final Orc screamed in pain and surprise as Dhizi bit down on his lower left leg and pulled away leaving only the exposed end of the thigh bone and a rapidly exsanguinating ragged chunk of flesh behind. Falling to the ground, the Orc shuddered briefly before growing deathly still.


    [Dhizi has slain {Primeval Mountain Orc Runt: 5 } +3500 Exp]


    [{Optional Quest} Slay Iron Hills Leadership: {Complete}]


    Averted my eyes just in time, I saw the bright flashes of golden light emanating from the others as they received their Exp from completing the quest.


    The fact that Dhizi had been instrumental in killing two of the three higher evolved Mountain Orcs reinforced my suspicions that she was likely much closer to my own tier of evolution than the Orcs. This was interesting because the evolved state of Gargant and his intended successors meant they were at least tier five monsters themselves.


    However, before I could think about it in more detail, Kestrel hurried to my side and anxiously motioned for my attention. ¡°There is a commotion over at the Iron Hills camp! We need to assert your position as their new leader before the hostages get caught up in the violence!¡±


    Not feeling up to the effort of talking right now, I nodded and began dragging the body of Gargant and the severed torso to the wagon.


    Following my lead, Gaile and Drake loaded the other two corpses. After loading the corpses, Drake returned to his position driving the wagon while Gaile pulled back to Nadine and the Slaves we had already recovered. Understanding that she was intending to serve as Nadine¡¯s escort back to Stone Well, I made no complaint.


    After loading the two corpses into the wagon, I decided to claim Gargant¡¯s former Hulking Boar mount for myself.


    Leaving Nadine and Gaile behind, Drake, Kestrel, Clarice and myself raced towards the Iron Hill¡¯s camp as fast as the wagon would allow. Without the bodies of Gargant and his intended successors, our sudden appearance would likely spark an escalation to whatever was happening inside of the camp, so despite the cries on the wind, we continued matching pace with the wagon.


    Even from a distance, I could see the camp was in a state of chaos, although it seemed oddly restricted to the westmost side of the camp. My best guess was that Gargant¡¯s personally controlled Slaves were running amock and getting revenge as best they were able. As justified as their revenge may be, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to put any of the Soulless down if they attempted harm on the women and children.


    As we approached the southern edge of the camp there was no immediate sign of any guards. A crude wall of wagons was the only obstacle to our entry, and it took very little effort to push a couple out of alignment and enter. The inside of the encampment was a maze of tents and haphazardly aligned paths into the interior.


    Following the paths northward, I took the lead position while Kestrel and Clarice took the rear. The chaos from the west sounded like it was headed east now and I could hear panicked shouting from up ahead of us.


    The tents gave way to a large clearing and a frightened crowd of female Orcs and their children rushing into what looked like a large cave that was being protected by a small number of Variant males and a larger number of Soulless Slaves. There was currently no sign of the human Slaves, so I decided now would be as good a time as any to announce our presence and bring an end to the chaos¡­


    *****


    Franklin tightly held the large gash in his arm and tried not to faint. However, days of starvation and dehydration while traversing the blighted and collapsed ruin of the fourth floor had left him weak and barely capable of following the orders of his captors. Only the pain had kept Franklin moving, pushing him beyond what he had thought himself capable of.


    The brutal infighting amongst the Orcs had come to a sudden and abrupt halt. The apparent cause was the arrival of a truly terrifyingly large hulking brute that put the savage Orc¡¯s leader to shame. With a single word the bloody melee had seemingly frozen in time, and for the first time in days, Franklin felt the shackles on his mind loosen.


    A small number of the Orc Slaves were unaffected, their masters more than likely dead or otherwise incapacitated. One amongst their number shouted something in challenge, stepping up before the armoured brute. There had been a deafening thunderclap, a strong rush of moist air, and when Franklin opened his eyes, the challenger was gone, replaced by glistening chunks of bloody bones and meat.


    Feeling a surprisingly gentle yet firm command take form in his mind, Franklin obeyed without thinking, turning back to the centre of the camp and following the other Slaves.


    Already struggling to comprehend what was happening, the sight of armoured human soldiers almost had Franklin convinced he was hallucinating, causing him to instinctively flinch in anticipation of disobeying his master¡¯s commands from leaving his post. But the expected pain didn¡¯t come.


    Instead, a gruff-looking soldier bound Franklin¡¯s arm and then loaded him into one of the slave wagons with a shade awning, a privilege he had not enjoyed since his enslavement.


    Franklin was joined by other enslaved Guild officials and adventurers. He could see the same confusion and bewilderment he was feeling reflected in their eyes.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the wagon began to move.


    Watching the camp disappear behind them, Franklin could only assume the wagon was headed south.


    Another command woke Franklin from his dazed state. The wagon had come to a halt. Obeying the command, Franklin stiffly left the cover of the wagon and lined up alongside the other Slaves. Finding himself in another tent city, Franklin was almost convinced that he was hallucinating. Despite the presence of Orcs amidst the tents, the Orcs themselves were noticeably different. More slight and a full foot shorter, it was the bright blue eyes that gave them away as the Desert Orc subspecies. Seeing the hatred and contempt in their eyes, Franklin felt a fresh wave of fear settle on his soul.


    It made sense now. They were not being rescued, only acquired to serve new Masters.


    Franklin wasn¡¯t the only one to come to this realization. He could hear other Slaves dryly sobbing amidst the growing crowd emptying from the wagons.


    A young woman had begun walking amongst them, trailed by scaly humanoid monsters Franklin was not familiar with. They were handing out small scraps of food and what looked like cups with small amounts of water.


    What Franklin did not understand was the continued presence of the soldiers and the role this young woman played in all of this. Was the kingdom finally making its move and purging the Guild from the Labyrinth? Selling them off into slavery to the Variants to cover their tracks?


    ¡°Here,¡± the young woman pressed the clay cup into Franklin¡¯s hand and made sure to wrap his fingers around it securely before doing the same with a piece of smoked meat in his other hand. ¡°Take small sips only, try to count to a hundred in between sips to give your body a chance to adjust. The same goes for the meat, just take small bites. More food and water will be available once your body has a chance to recover.¡± Then just like that, she moved on to someone else.


    Feeling the same gentle compulsion in his mind, Franklin took a trembling sip of water from the cup. Contrary to his expectations, the water was not foul or warm but was instead crisp and cool, tasting far better than the reserves they had kept in the foothold. The smoked meat was nothing special, but after going without food for three straight days it certainly placed the true value of the meal into perspective.


    Having been given the same advice as Franklin, and compelled to obey by the compulsion in their minds, some Slaves had begun whispering to themselves, counting down until they could take their next sip of water or bite of meat.


    While whispering his own countdown, Franklin nearly lost his count when the hulking armoured figure came into view and began speaking with the soldiers. Slightly recovered from the precious fluids now circulating through his body, Franklin realized he had been mistaken. The soldiers were not rank and file as he had assumed they would be, they were officers. The implications of that difference almost stole Franklin¡¯s appetite.


    As if able to sense his thoughts, the armoured brute turned his attention towards Franklin and pointed him out amidst the crowd. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Immediately feeling a compulsion to obey, Franklin whimpered as he stiffly shuffled towards the blood-spattered brute.


    ¡°He knows something,¡± the brute growled, sending fresh waves of panic down Franklin¡¯s spine and terrifying his empty bladder.


    ¡°How do you wish to proceed?¡± The tall female officer asked callously, seemingly quite content with Franklin¡¯s Enslaved state.


    The brute was quiet for a few moments. ¡°Take him into Stone Well and take turns keeping watch on him. I¡¯ll send Nadine or one of the Surgeons to take a closer look at him soon.¡±


    Confused, Franklin stiffly walked between the two officers as they escorted him into a terrifyingly ramshackle looking wagon. Unsure of what to expect, Franklin was nearly frightened out of his wits when the wagon¡¯s frame creaked and groaned momentarily before carrying them up into the sky.


    The shorter stocky looking officer held a firm grip on Franklin¡¯s arm to keep him upright, ¡°Takes getting used to,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Wh-what is¡­going to¡­h-happen to me?¡± Franklin croaked, his withered throat still unused to forming words.


    The officers shared a bemused look with one another before turning their attending back to Franklin again.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy, aint it?¡± The stocky officer answered unhelpfully.


    ¡°You are going to help explain what in the hells the Adventurers Guild was trying to accomplish by keeping its own pet Chief and instigating a cull amongst the Variants,¡± the lithe female officer elaborated with a grimace while resting a hand on her stomach.


    As dry as his throat was already, it somehow managed to dry out further. Franklin felt a leaden weight take hold in his guts as the Orc village at the top of the mountain came into view. What little he knew, or could guess at already crossed the boundaries of treason. Knowing he would die if he tried to resist questions enforced by the compulsion, Franklin realized he was doomed after all. Either executed for his assumed complicity or succumbing to the mounting pain of the compulsion, Franklin would die either way. Given the limited options available, it made Franklin¡¯s choice relatively simple. He just hoped that in being as forthcoming as possible that the interrogators would prove gentler than disobeying the compulsion.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 33 – Stirring up trouble – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 33 ¨C Stirring up trouble ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 33 - Stirring up trouble - Part One


    Watching the last of the humans herded through the gateway, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to relax until the manager was found and we gained our answers. Unfortunately, the interrogation of the bookkeeper had revealed that the manager had left shortly before the collapse. Under Oath and Enslavement, it was incredibly unlikely that the bookkeeper had lied. Furthermore, he was able to allegorically support his claims by citing the manager¡¯s departure time in addition to witnesses who could corroborate the information to varying degrees.


    With Gargant dead, I had given the Soulless an ultimatum, a single chance at peaceful coexistence. They could use the Iron Hills camp and keep its Ward, and even engage in trade with Stone Well and the other tribes. However, Osa would rescind the pardon if the Soulless committed any form of violence against Stone Well¡¯s people.


    I held no delusions regarding the deal. I had offered them a peaceful and managed path to extinction in exchange for their immediate and violent execution. With no females, the Soulless Mountain Orcs, as a collective, would need to migrate back to their spawn point in order to recoup their numbers. But if they strayed from Stone Well, they would lose all access to water and become susceptible to blood diseases and dehydration before dying painful deaths.


    With the complexity of the moral questions involved, I had decided to procrastinate the most radical options until I could better acclimate to the moral climate. I didn¡¯t want to risk everyone else just on the off chance that some of the Soulless might be trusted to integrate. Similarly, I didn¡¯t want to just slaughter them all without cause. Hence the procrastination¡­


    My offer to the Iron Hill survivors had been just as straightforward. The formerly enslaved would be allowed, under Oath, to name their abusers and seek retribution they deemed commensurate to the offences. In exchange, the innocent would be allowed to relocate to Sanctuary.


    It had not taken long for mob rule to subdue the remaining Slavers and subject themselves to accusations of the formerly enslaved.


    As I had assumed would be the case, the overwhelming number of accusations were leveraged towards surviving male Mountain Orcs with the Taskmaster Class, although there were a few females as well. The victims were not just restricted to those kidnapped from the nomads and Stone Well, but from within the Iron Hills tribe itself as well.


    As I had feared would be the case, slavery had been deeply rooted in their culture, normalised to the point that most of the enslaved Iron Hills tribespeople refused to nominate their abusers. This only made me feel even worse as the accusations continued throughout the day. Sexual assault and abuse had been commonplace, something I should have expected but perhaps hoped wouldn¡¯t be the case.


    The overwhelming number of accusers that would step forward wanted blood, and by the time I was done listening to the final accusation, I held no regrets in giving it to them.


    Those who remained, predominantly women and older children, numbered two hundred and seven in all. Surprisingly, a single Slaver had survived unaccused and even vouched for by a number of the erstwhile accusers despite a prevailing negative reputation being held by most of the former Slaves. To hear the excuses made on the Slaver¡¯s behalf, the opinions of both sides made sense.


    The SlaverTargan, like most of the males in his tribe, had been pressed into taking the Taskmaster Class and serving under a senior Slaver. This form of apprenticeship actually involved Targan himself being Enslaved to his master and bound to the same obedience as the other Slaves. To hear the Slaves in support of pardoning his involvement, it boiled down to an unlikely character trait. Targan was a habitual liar.


    If Targan was told to enact a punishment on a Slave and was not under observation, he would do the barest minimum to qualify the action being taken and then report the task fulfilled. Deliberately cultivating a reputation for excessively violent compliance, Targan was often given free rein to enact punishments as he saw fit. Those punishments in turn were changed by Targan to have the intended victim or victims howl and scream as if dying, only to then tear and stain their clothes with his own blood to complete the illusion of unrelenting brutality.


    During these retellings, Targan made no attempts to defend or explain himself, remaining silent throughout. No larger than average for a Mountain Orc, Targan seemed quite young beneath the scarred tattoos common to all the Slavers. However, despite positive testimonies on his behalf, Targan gave the overall impression of acceptance and detachment that left me thinking that perhaps he was still expecting to be killed.


    As the only surviving Iron Hills tribesman with an Advanced Class, Targan presented a unique problem. Whereas the surviving Taskmasters can be retrained into Advanced Classes to eliminate their Enslavement Abilities, Targan would need to be taught to unlock a Master Class to accomplish the same. The problem is that the few known Master Classes would be almost impossible to unlock, or would be off-limits anyway.


    Ultimately, the only real solution was to ask the humans for the Class abolishing elixir and see if it worked on a Mountain Orc, or even monsters in general. I didn¡¯t even know if they had tested its effects since converting to full monster status themselves.


    Kestrel agreed to make the request and seemed somewhat subdued when I voiced my concerns regarding the Elixir.


    ¡°So you¡¯re letting him live then?¡± Clarice asked curiously, ¡°I mean, you weren¡¯t exactly forgiving towards the others.¡± Despite her laid back attitude, there was an intensity to Clarice¡¯s gaze that made it clear she was more invested in the answer than she was otherwise letting on.


    ¡°For now,¡± I agreed, ¡°It seems like most of the Slavers didn¡¯t really have much choice in what they were made to do-¡±


    ¡°Just like the others,¡± Clarice interjected with a nod and motioned for me to continue.


    ¡°Right-¡± I agreed but was interrupted by Nadine before I could elaborate.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that the mob didn¡¯t want to tear him apart?¡± Nadine demanded uncomfortably, ¡°They said he didn¡¯t abuse them unless he had no other choice-¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s still a crime!¡± Clarice snapped, ¡°Someone blackmailing you doesn¡¯t excuse you fucking up their life!¡±


    Nadine balked.


    ¡°Do you think Targan should die?¡± I asked warily, hoping to gain more insight into what was upsetting Clarice.


    Clarice scowled, eliciting an empathic response from Dhizi.


    ¡°There is every chance the reset elixir will prove fatal,¡± I explained patiently, ¡°So think of this as a reprieve or probation.¡±


    Targan¡¯s uncaring emotionless mask faltered, a momentary flash of confusion and perhaps even anger passing through his eyes before returning to stoic indifference.


    A quick glance back at Nadine told me that she had caught the momentary lapse as well.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Clarice snapped, hauling herself up and into Dhizi¡¯s saddle in a single practiced motion, ¡°Nothing good will come of this,¡± she hissed bitterly and headed for the elevator.


    ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, I¡¯ll go see what¡¯s wrong,¡± Nadine volunteered.


    I nodded supportively and watched Nadine run after Clarice. Recalling the previous discussions I had with Clarice regarding her life before becoming an adventurer, an unsettling theory began taking shape in my mind. All the same, I pushed it away. There was too much to do right now, and confirming the theory could prove more damaging than letting it lie.


    All of the surviving Iron Hill¡¯s tribesmen needed to be recruited and sent to Sanctuary before the locals began reforming the mob for another session of ¡®justice¡¯.


    Using the gateway was not particularly different to using mana for my Class Abilities, but it had an alien presence to it that left me feeling like I was in the middle of a vast ocean and clinging to a piece of driftwood. Even with a return token borrowed from one of the Goblins, it only lent the sensation of spying something on the otherwise empty and distant horizon. Activating the mana inside of the gate and directing it towards the specified location initially felt like I was being drawn by the tide, and I felt a small amount of my mana, as well as that within the gateway flowing outwards. However, moments later, a wave of mana came rushing back, flooding into the gateway beneath my fingers and saturating the manastones to their full capacity.


    Momentarily lost in the sensations, I barely noticed as the Iron Hill¡¯s refugees were herded into the gateway. Each person that entered the gateway caused its mana to briefly flare before shooting a surge of mana back down the connection to the distant gateway. At first, the mana levels on Stone Well¡¯s gateway remained relatively steady, being refilled almost as quickly as it was drained. However, after a hundred or so people passed through, the replenishment rate began to noticeably slow down.


    When the mana of the Stone Well gateway had roughly ten percent left, I gave the signal to stop herding the refugees through the gateway¡¯s portal. With roughly fifty refugees remaining, I decided to house them below the mesa, and have Skrit and the other warriors from Sanctuary stay a day longer to keep watch on them and serve as peacekeepers.


    While all this was being organised, a casual review of Faction invitations informed me that the original settlements along Sanctuary¡¯s southern border had inflated their populations by an average of five or more times their original numbers. Port Gidian had also swollen close to ten times its original numbers, but the shifting numbers amongst the Settlement registries suggested that this was only the case because Port Gidian was serving as a registration and logistics redistribution hub. All told, there were now close to twenty-five thousand Humans in my faction, positively dwarfing the relatively small number of citizens in Sanctuary itself.


    I could feel that I was growing closer to my own promotion to Tyrant with every passing moment, a sort of sixth sense I couldn¡¯t otherwise justify whispering the information in the edges of my conscious mind.


    Wondering how many people the Asrusian Regent intended to shelter inside of the Hurst Labyrinth, I made a point of organizing a meeting with Kestrel, Drake and Gaile.


    The moment I breached the subject, two newcomers immediately took on defensive body language and shot each other worried glances.


    ¡°It depends¡­¡± Kestrel hedged, immediately earning somewhat panicked glances from her fellow officers.


    ¡°Depends on what?¡± I pressed, a multitude of possibilities running through my mind, few of them being benign.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kestrel briefly looked towards Drake and Gaile before sighing and averting her eyes, ¡°It depends on a few different things¡­¡± She delayed awkwardly before taking a steadying breath and renewing eye contact. ¡°All of the villages, and the towns too, if the army can relocate them fast enough,¡± Kestrel explained apologetically, ¡°In open war, the villages are raided for supplies and most of the people are killed¡­¡±


    I nodded to show I understood and then motioned for Kestrel to continue.


    ¡°Evacuating the towns means our soldiers can abandon them before being overrun, saving their strength without losing men and women in delaying actions to hold off the enemy,¡± Kestrel added somewhat hurriedly, ¡°Besides the cities, only the castles can stand up to sieges for any real amount of time. So if we can relocate all of the people outside of the cities into the Labyrinth, we can make it that much easier to protect them since they are essentially all in the same place.¡±


    ¡°You mean that the enemy would have to go through Hurst first?¡± I asked for clarification.


    Kestrel nodded.


    ¡°How many people,¡± I asked bluntly, envisioning the third floor of the Hurst Labyrinth in my mind.


    Kestrel licked her lips nervously and briefly looked to the others for support, ¡°Conservative estimates, based on the last tax census¡­Excluding the fortress cities¡­¡± She gulped and struggled to maintain eye contact, ¡°Approximately one million citizens are to be relocated to the Hurst Labyrinth¡­¡±


    The absurdly high number left me stunned for a few moments as my brain began vigorously processing the number into recognisable increments. Despite not being all that into sports, the best comparison my brain arrived at was the equivalent of twenty of my home city¡¯s sports stadiums being sold out for a football or cricket match. The only problem was that these people needed more than a cheap plastic seat.


    ¡°One million¡­¡± I muttered, still trying to get my head around it. There was nowhere near enough room on the third floor to accommodate so many people. To say nothing of the space requirement, food would quickly become a real issue. Even though the labyrinth would supposedly replace food stocks indefinitely, there would only be so much to go around on any given day.


    The three Human officers remained silent, cautiously waiting to see how I would react next.


    There was no way a million people would be capable of cohabiting in such a small space, unless¡­ ¡°Your Regent wants to colonize other floors of the Labyrinth.¡± The awkward attempts at avoiding eye contact with one another were confirmation enough. In hindsight, I should have expected it. I had not exactly been discreet about my intentions to explore the other floors of the Labyrinth and bring more Variants into the fold. It only made sense that the Regent would try and gain an advantage from it. ¡°Regarding this new information, I have an amendment to the existing agreement,¡± I stated cagily.


    Kestrel paled somewhat, but nodded and took out her communicator.


    ¡°The conditions and taxation for all Settlements within the third-floor swamp will mirror those of the border Settlements, with the exception of Port Gidian. The previous agreement will extend to new Settlements on the opposite side of the river, and non-capital Settlements on other floors.¡± I wasn¡¯t negotiating and I wanted that to be painfully clear. If my own forces were going to be outnumbered, then I was going to be damned sure that I secured our position with a higher concentration of promotions.


    Gaile and Drake had grown pale as well but seemed somewhat relieved at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the Lord Regent know,¡± Kestrel agreed.


    ¡°Do you have a general idea¡­¡± Gaile momentarily lost her nerve as my attention shifted to rest solely on her, ¡°Ahem, is there a timeframe on your expedition moving to the fifth floor?¡± Although pale, Gaile had seemingly recovered her nerve quite quickly or was incredibly adept at masking her distress at short notice.


    ¡°The portal is probably inaccessible¡­¡± I hedged, momentarily allowing my attention to drift out towards the horizon.


    Gaile licked her lips and took a half step forwards, ¡°There is always the option of using the primary portal¡­¡± She suggested somewhat surreptitiously.


    Even before fully realizing what Gaile meant, I couldn¡¯t help but scowl. ¡°The portal monopolized by the Adventurers Guild?¡± I demanded.


    To her credit, Gaile held her ground. ¡°Not in such a direct manner,¡± she amended diplomatically. ¡°If we borrow one of the stronger teleportation items, then it would be possible to infiltrate a small team into the fifth floor. All we would need is someone who has been there before. So long as the specialist capable of establishing gateways is part of the team, then the portal to the fifth floor being inaccessible no longer matters.¡±


    ¡°And you have ready access to someone who has been to the fifth floor, and the required teleportation item?¡± I asked somewhat sceptically.


    Gaile flinched ever so slightly but was beaten to the punch by Drake, ¡°Aye, both can be guaranteed if you agree to it,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± I agreed glibly, ¡°The refugees will be settled in Sanctuary, then we will take the alternate route to the fifth floor. How many people will we be able to take?¡±


    ¡°Excluding the Gateway specialist and yourself?¡± Gaile asked somewhat uncertainly, ¡°Perhaps two others?¡±


    That seemed painfully inadequate considering a Settlement would need to be established on the other side, requiring a solid day of fending off incursions by wild monsters. ¡°Why not settle the first two floors? If they were willing to risk discovery by the Adventurers Guild, why not begin with the weaker locations?¡±


    ¡°We are not privy to that information,¡± Gaile replied suspiciously quickly.


    I turned back to Kestrel, ¡°I want answers.¡± Unwilling to back down, I was committed to waiting until the Asrusians explained themselves.


    After a half-hour of communicating back and forth with her superiors, Kestrel finally had an answer. ¡°The Guilds are suspected of high treason. Specifically, collaborating with the empire to undermine crown authority,¡± She fidgeted anxiously and sighed. ¡°An open move on any of the footholds would trigger a realm wide response that would consume resources we need for the war. Preparations are being made to excise the Guilds from the Labyrinths, but they aren¡¯t ready yet.¡±


    ¡°So on top of everything else, I am being used for cover?¡± I asked, already convinced now that it was the case.


    Kestrel meekly nodded, ¡°I think that is the general idea.¡±


    It now made a lot of sense why the Asrusians were so keen on living in the swamp. It was such a hostile location that everything short of Port Gidian itself would be hidden by the dangerous environment alone, let alone the monsters that lived inside of it. But that raised another question, ¡°What about Port Gidian? Won¡¯t adventurers see the Settlement and report it to the Guild?¡±


    ¡°The Regent already announced his intentions to establish military bases in the Labyrinth to help support the Adventurers Guild in the wake of the first-floor massacre,¡± Gaile rattled off loyally, ¡°If it is discovered, then it will not be entirely unexpected. But until then, our enemies expect that the crown would focus on the easiest regions, just as you have.¡±


    Already in something of a bad mood, it took me a moment to calm down and fully process what she was saying. If what Gaile was saying was true, it made sense as a basic strategy of deception. However, there was every chance that they would be discovered on higher floors in the meantime anyway. The only true advantage I could recognise was the possibility of ¡®disappearing¡¯ adventurers and mercs in the meantime to weaken the Guild¡¯s positions in the Labyrinth. That gave me an idea, ¡±Why not take out the footholds?¡± I asked quietly.


    Kestrel, Gaile and Drake all stared back at me in shock.


    ¡°If the Foothold for a floor is taken out, just like this one, it provides more time to build up the Settlements without interference or the risk of being discovered, right?¡± I pressed determinedly.


    Drake scratched worriedly at his scarred chin, ¡°That¡¯s true, but stoppin¡¯ word gettin¡¯ out-¡±


    ¡°Assuming it begins like any other raid?¡± I countered, immediately eliciting confused and worried expressions from the trio.


    ¡°Assuming they believe it is a normal raid,¡± Gaile agreed, ¡°Then once the portal is locked down, it would only be a matter of securing the foothold and taking everyone prisoner. The Adventurers Guild would take at least a week or two to investigate properly, potentially months to rebuild¡­¡±


    Kestrel remained silent, no doubt understanding that I was not simply indulging in wishful thinking but seriously suggesting an attack against her own people.


    ¡°The attacks would need to be staggered to better avoid suspicion,¡± Gaile muttered, now slowly pacing back and forth. She continued muttering and mumbling to herself until eventually coming to a halt, a conflicted expression taking shape on her face. ¡°What ends a Raid?¡± Gaile asked stiffly.


    Drake seemed profoundly uncomfortable with the discussion but made no signs of leaving.


    I actually wasn¡¯t sure. The labyrinth had issued a life or death mandatory quest when founding Sanctuary, but the raid on the first-floor foothold had been completely different. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted.


    Gaile remained quiet for some time, her brow furrowed in concentration. ¡°Could you try the Ability on the third floor?¡± Gaile asked somewhat hesitantly.


    I hadn¡¯t thought of that, ¡°Yes, I probably can.¡± Just the act of seriously considering the Raid was enough to initiate a small tug against my mana. Concentrating on cutting the flow of mana, I was surprised to find that I could envision what seemed like a barbed iron circlet anchored around my brain. Like crude barbed wire, a small shard of concentrated mana was anchored roughly in the centre of my forehead. Intuitively, I understood the shard of contracted mana was my own manastone, and the immaterial barbed crown circling my brain was a powerful artifact.


    Considering Gaile¡¯s question a little further, I realized I could probably attempt a raid against the abandoned foothold here on the fourth floor as well. However, I was rather sick of this floor and its problems and was ready to take the excuse to go back to Sanctuary.


    Leaving the soldiers behind, I went looking for Clarice and Nadine in order to let them know of our imminent return to Sanctuary. As I had expected, Clarice still seemed quite ticked off that Targan was being allowed to live. However, as angry as Clarice was, she seemed just as keen to leave the fourth floor as I was.


    With Nadine and Clarice locked in a bitter silent stalemate, and Ril and Toofy absent outright, I did not expect to be woken up in the middle of the night.


    Staring blankly at the pair of black notifications, it took a few moments for the words to sink in. Targan was dead. He had killed himself.


    Getting dressed, I made my way to the elevators and then descended to the staging grounds below and the refugee tents. On my way to the tents, I found Targan¡¯s stiff lifeless body kneeling in the dirt.


    A closer inspection revealed a slave collar drawn tight and biting into the flesh of his throat, the buckle latched through a ragged custom hole punched in the leather. There were no signs of a struggle, no scratch marks or other defensive wounds of any kind.


    Kneeling beside Targan¡¯s body as I did my best to confirm the notifications assessment regarding his death. After about an hour or so, I was forced to accept that the notifications had been right. Lifting Targan¡¯s body onto my shoulder, I carried him to the reclamation pits and left him there alongside the other dead Slavers. I tried not to think too much about it while returning to my bed, but the fact that I could so easily put Targan¡¯s suicide out of mind was in and of itself somewhat disturbing.


    While gathering the refugees in preparation for activating the migration to Sanctuary, I noticed Clarice balefully scanning the crowd.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead Clarice,¡± I told her impassively.


    Clarice looked confused, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Targan, the Slaver I spared, he¡¯s dead,¡± I explained.


    Clarice only grew more confused, and more than a little angry. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Her expression changed to a cruel sneer, ¡°Did one of the women gut him in his sleep?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°He killed himself.¡±


    Clarice¡¯s eyes grew wide and she opened and closed her mouth in stunned shock.


    ¡°He fixed a slave collar around his own neck and suffocated to death,¡± I left Clarice behind and took my position in front of the gateway.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Nadine had just finished having a brief yet intense exchange with Clarice, who was now sulking beside Dhizi. ¡°Is it true? Did the Orc kill himself?¡± The blend of optimism and scepticism in her voice made it clear Nadine was expecting me to deny it.


    I shook my head and sighed, ¡°Targan choked himself to death with a slave colar some time after midnight,¡± I explained quietly, ¡°I was woken up by a pair of notifications when it happened. He broke the oath, broke the first law, so I figure that¡¯s why it woke me up.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s expression turned grey, ¡°Oh¡­I¡­I¡¯m sorry you had to see that Tim¡­Are you alright? Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied somewhat offhandedly, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I need to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Nadine agreed reluctantly and purposefully made her way back over to Clarice. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With everyone ready for the crossing, I activated the gateway and waited for everyone else to pass through before stepping through the portal myself.


    After a momentary sense of overwhelming existential dread, reality reasserted itself and I found myself standing outside of the Grove in Sanctuary.


    Unused to the moisture in the air, I suffered a few moments of hesitation trying to convince my lungs that the air was safe to breathe.


    The Mountain Orcs had it far worse than I did, some of them falling to their knees and entering states of extreme distress.


    Thankfully, Wraithe and a number of other Surgeons had been on standby in case of potential injuries.


    Still somewhat lightheaded, I left the refugees in Wraithe¡¯s care and headed for the Grove. In returning to Sanctuary I had two primary objectives. Firstly, Spending quality time with Lash, and secondly, beginning my new diet of tier ten manastones.


    I was halfway up the stairs to the storage room when I suddenly stopped and turned to look back at the fountain.


    The Dryads, Hana and her sister Kohana, were both sitting side by side in the shallows of the fountain. The contrast in their appearance was like spring and autumn respectively. Hana was positively brimming with vitality and had long willowy green hair. Kohana¡¯s movements were stiff and filled with hesitation, her hair a tangled mess of thorny briars.


    Catching Hana¡¯s eye, she motioned for me to leave, so I nodded to show I understood and then continued on to the storage room.


    I could sense the manastones location before even clearing the stairs, that same sixth sense from the previous day homing in on them like a shark scenting blood in the water.


    Untying the cord on the satchel, I struggled to stop my hands from shaking. A deep hunger began manifesting itself in the edges of my mind, slowly yet inexorably increasing its pressure on my mental defenses.


    Taking one manastone, I all but threw the satchel away, managing the feat only by focusing my attention on the stone in my hand in order to momentarily forget about the others. In the time it took to blink, the manastone was gone. It had disappeared down my throat in one rapid gulp, landed in my stomach and then dissolved.


    As the raw mana flooding my system began to recede, the hunger took its place.


    Staggering out of the storeroom I tried to focus on getting as far from the remaining stones as possible, to do anything in order to take my mind off of them.


    When I came to my senses, I found myself completely out of breath, slathered in sweat and feeling like I had participated in the ironman challenge. If it weren''t for Lash¡¯s muscular body beneath me, I would have struggled to understand how I could feel so exhausted. Surrendering to the exhaustion and familiar comfort Lash¡¯s presence provided, I drifted into a dreamless sleep.


    Our bodies were so thoroughly entwined that Lash apparently had no choice but to wake me up in order to begin her day.


    Blushing profusely as I took in her dishevelled state, Lash grinned lasciviously and made sure to pose as evocatively as possible, flexing her muscles while retrieving her towel and heading for the door.


    Accepting the silent invitation, I snatched a towel from beside our bed and hurriedly wrapped it around my waist while following Lash downstairs to the fountain.


    Helping each other wash, I hadn¡¯t realized how much I missed bathing until this moment. Minimalist sponge baths might fend off infection and disease, but a bath, even a cold one, provided an opportunity to relax.


    ¡°Your stomach is less big,¡± Lash commented while rubbing her hand over my midsection for emphasis, ¡°But is stronger!¡± She purred happily, perhaps finding muscles as attractive as I do.


    ¡°You think so?¡± I asked somewhat embarrassed. I wasn¡¯t used to genuine compliments, and sometimes Lash¡¯s broken speech sounded dangerously close to sarcasm.


    Lash nodded with an intense look of longing, ¡°You keep growing stronger?¡± She asked somewhat vacantly, her fingers probing deeper.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I agreed eagerly, feeling more than a little intoxicated by the praise and overt attraction.


    As clean as we were going to get, we helped towel each other down and headed back to our room in order to get dressed. While Lash seemed unphased, the stench of our room nearly brought tears to my eyes. Lingering only long enough to pull on a set of clothes, I removed the courtesy curtains to our room, almost tore the curtains off the window, and then rushed back outside for fresh air.


    Thoroughly amused, Lash leaned in for a kiss before descending the stairs ahead of me, donning a much more form-fitting suit of iron armour than I remembered seeing her in last.


    Following Lash outside of the Grove revealed a number of other changes. Many of the monsters were now living in trees like ours, with large networks of rope bridges and walkways connecting the higher floors and providing alternate thoroughfares to the large winding staircases.


    Somewhat primitive water wheels were built alongside a new lake, each fed with powerful streams of water from large trees grown for that explicit purpose.


    Even the promised library showed signs of progress with teams of monsters working under the instruction of grey-haired masons and architects.


    As significant as these changes were to Sanctuary, I didn¡¯t find them nearly as interesting as the fact that my MP had risen by a full point since yesterday. Once I noticed that change it immediately directed my thoughts to the satchel of manastones in the storeroom. I tried distracting myself by visiting the smiths and being fitted for a new suit of armour. The combined effects of the noise and smoke helped for a time, but I still found my thoughts returning to the manastones without provocation.


    By midday, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    I came back to my senses in increments. Every nerve in my body was on edge and my breathing was ragged and uneven. The satchel with the remaining manastones was clutched tight in my right hand.


    ¡°Put. It. Down,¡± I hissed through clenched teeth. My hand trembled for a moment before suddenly letting the satchel go. Staggering back to the stairs, I felt the compulsion lessen with each inch of distance I gained between myself and the manastones.


    Stripping to my underclothes, I settled into the fountain and did my best to clear my mind of all thoughts.


    Just like the last time, the cool waters of the fountain slowly dulled and then began stripping away the desperate need for more manastones. For whatever reason, the fountain waters clearly acted as a balm against my mana addiction, perhaps even so far as a detoxing effect. I really had no way of knowing besides the effects I could feel it having on my body.


    With a great deal of time on my hands to think things over, I quickly realized that there was no real need for me to do everything on my own. Issuing the quest, I patiently waited and used each passing moment to better centre my thoughts.


    ¡°Ahem, er, uh, y-you sent for me?¡± A young man asked timidly.


    Opening my eyes, I found a tall lanky man in his early twenties with short ginger hair and a wispy moustache nervously clutching at a strange wooden backpack. ¡°You are the apothecary,¡± I reasoned, eliciting a very nervous nod from the young man.


    ¡°M-My name is P-Peter¡­¡± The apothecary stammered nervously, thrusting out a hand suddenly only to retract it again and awkwardly bow one and a half times instead. ¡°W-What c-can I do f-f-f-f. I-Is there s-something I c-can do? For you! I mean!¡± Thoroughly pale and perspiring heavily, the poor guy looked like he was on the verge of having a heart attack.


    ¡°You can calm down Peter,¡± I reassured him, ¡°I have some questions for you, and possibly a task as well, depending on the answers.¡±


    Peter nodded stiffly but didn¡¯t seem to calm down all that much.


    ¡°What do you know about addiction?¡± I asked, deciding to keep things simple to begin with.


    To my surprise, Peter knew a great deal. Far more familiar with addiction both as an abstract and a consequence of actions, it turned out that apothecaries¡¯ training required them to master a number of treatments to counter addiction of different degrees. Once Peter explained the reason for this requirement, it felt incredibly obvious. Most of the rough and ready combat drugs used by soldiers and adventurers had medleys of addictive ingredients and compounds that would otherwise render the combat drugs worthless without available antidotes to dramatically lessen or break the addictive properties.


    Unfortunately, after explaining the nature of my problem as best I could without revealing the fact that I was an Awakened, Peter was initially at a loss as to where to even begin treating my otherwise unique condition. It wasn¡¯t until explaining the effects the fountain had on combating the compulsive effects of the addiction that Peter seemed somewhat optimistic.


    ¡°It is possible that the manastones contain certain impurities,¡± Peter mumbled, frantically writing notes in a small notepad, ¡°And you said that the compulsive behaviour was triggered with weaker manastones?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t nearly so bad, unless I take more of them,¡± I clarified, ¡°But otherwise yes,¡± I agreed.


    Peter nodded and continued scribbling away. ¡°It is rare, but sometimes an underlying condition causes different reactions¡­¡± He mumbled to himself while making additions to earlier notes.


    Staring somewhat blankly in Peter¡¯s general direction, I realized that he was almost certainly onto something. Just the same as how someone might not produce the correct enzyme due to a birth defect or evolutionary quirk, it was entirely possible that Awakened lacked a regulatory hormone to enable healthy ingestion of manastones. Without it they would be almost guaranteed to enter a brutal cycle of addiction, predation and violent mood swings.


    This raised a couple of very uncomfortable questions. Were Awakened made defective on purpose? Or did the defect make them into something they were never intended to be?


    Tasking Peter with finding a way for me to compensate for the assumed defect, I decided that I would take my next manastone along with copious amounts of the Grove¡¯s mana infused waters.


    Peter promised to do his best and made sure to take large samples of the fountain water as well as an armful of mana flowers before leaving the Grove with a manic grin on his face and a literal spring in his step.


    Once I was sure the last of the manastone¡¯s lingering effects had abated, I left the fountain and joined in on a training exercise taking place on the training fields. Just like the tournament grounds of Stone Well, Sanctuary¡¯s training grounds had been changed to represent a more varied environment so the warriors could engage in more effective wargames.


    After watching and participating in one such wargame, which fundamentally equated to capturing the enemy flag and returning it to a specified location, I decided to enact a competitive tournament that would pit four teams against one another simultaneously. I wanted to know if the relative safety of the game could be offset with more substantial odds.


    In addition to capture the flag, I began putting together the rules for a last man standing battle royale. Since technically each participant would be fighting every other participant still remaining in the competition, everyone involved should technically be awarded a decent chunk of Exp. The problem was whether the Exp earned was worth the beating, and that would vary wildly based on the combat capabilities of those involved. Theoretically, weaker participants stood to gain much more than those who were stronger, which was weird but made sense in that the stronger participant could just go on a hunting expedition and spend a whole day killing monsters rather than getting beaten down and then spending an entire day recovering.


    I was still lost in my musings when I returned to the grove. And just like the previous evening, Hana and her sister were sitting in the shallows of the fountain.


    Not wanting to intrude if I wasn¡¯t wanted, I waited until I was sure Hana had noticed me and was certain I hadn''t missed any signals telling me to back off.


    ¡°Hello Tim, it has been quite some time since we last talked,¡± Hana motioned to place a short distance away in the fountain.


    ¡°It has been,¡± I agreed and sat on the edge of the fountain by where she had indicated, ¡°Are you both alright?¡± The question felt inadequate to express the dozen or so questions I would have preferred to ask instead, but Hana was somewhat tense and had an aura of fragility that I found worrying.


    ¡°We will recover,¡± Hana sighed, ¡°In time¡­¡±


    ¡°If there is anything I can do to help,¡± Tim offered, ¡°Just let me know.¡±


    Hana nodded before taking a deep breath and locking her eyes with mine, ¡°The Destroyer is dead and gone, destroyed,¡± she sighed and shook her head at the unintended pun, ¡°My sister lives, but her scars run deeper than my own. We just need somewhere quiet so we can grow strong again.¡±


    ¡°You made the Grove Hana. So far as I am concerned, you and your sister are entitled to stay here as long as you wish,¡± I insisted.


    Hana nodded and the corners of her lips tilted into a small smile, ¡°Thank you, Tim, we will not forget this.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± I grinned and then got to my feet.


    Hana gave me a curious and slightly perplexed look.


    ¡°Just something we used to say back where I am from,¡± I explained with a chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s like saying you''re welcome or think nothing of it.¡±


    Hana nodded in understanding but still smiled when I left.


    Careful to guard my thoughts while passing the storehouse while making my way up the stairs to my room, I sincerely hoped it wouldn¡¯t take long for Peter the apothecary to devise something to lessen the effects of the compulsions.


    Not at all comfortable with the idea of losing control again, I sincerely hoped that Peter would be able to find at least some small means of tipping the balance in my favour. Then again, if he could counter the addictive qualities entirely, that would change just about everything¡­


    *****


    Excitedly clearing his workbench, Peter then very carefully deposited the container of Grove water and the pile of mana flowers onto the open surface and then sent one of his assistants to request manastones for the experiments.


    Wanting to keep things simple at first, Peter then brought out his best mortar and pestle and very carefully rendered a small portion of the mana flowers, stem and all, into a fine paste. Transferring the paste into a glass vessel, Peter then filled a second glass vessel with Grove water and set aside a third for the manastones.


    While waiting on the manastones, Peter began preparing more specific variations, taking special care to thoroughly clean the mortar and pestle between each use. Possessing no other inherently magical ingredients, Peter set about preparing the remedies and antidotes used to counter other known addictions, as well as laying out the active ingredients to further experiment with later.


    ¡°Maester, I have the manastones!¡± Zix called from the entry hall, her clawed feet marking her progress towards the preparation room. Like the entire situation Peter found himself in, the Daemon had taken some getting used to, but had proven truly advantageous to his work. Covered in scales like those of the Swamp Lurkers, Zix¡¯s otherwise slight frame was heavily resistant to exterior harm. Combined with her ability to hold her breath for up to an hour at a time and shield her eyes with translucent eyelids, Zix made for the perfect research assistant.


    In Peter¡¯s relatively short time within Sanctuary, Zix had already saved his life by carrying him to the Surgeons when an experiment produced a poisonous gas and nearly killed him. Seemingly unphased, Zix had reportedly just picked him up and ran him to the hospital before returning to the lab and cleansing the room.


    The Goblins and Serpent-Kin were better than Peter had expected them to be, but they were nowhere near as indispensable as Zix. For the most part, Peter had them making soap and simple remedies for the Surgeons, not that they were complaining. In fact, they were incredibly grateful to Peter for the privilege. It had taken some time for Peter to properly adjust his expectations from the competitive world he had left behind and properly consider the meaningfulness of the tedious tasks he once despised.


    Already fluent in the continental script, Zix was writing temporary labels for each of the glass vessels so they would not be confused for one another throughout the experiments. ¡°This is to help the Overlord, yes?¡± The scaly Daemon asked excitedly, apparently already familiar with the Ogre¡¯s condition.


    Peter nodded, ¡°He has spoken of this before?¡± He asked curiously.


    Zix nodded enthusiastically, ¡°It is the reason for the rule.¡±


    It took Peter a few moments to realize what the Daemon was referring to. ¡°Wait¡­That rule? You mean the one where you aren¡¯t allowed to take more than one manastone a day without express exemption by himself or a designated representative?¡± He asked incredulously.


    Zix gave him a warning look that lasted all of a fraction of a second, easily more than long enough for Peter to realize he was straying out into dangerous territory. ¡°It is not without reason,¡± she added, ¡°my kind who have been testing the limits, deliberately and otherwise, have felt similar urges. But this involved many times more manastones.¡±


    Forgetting the earlier warning as his curiosity got the better of him, Peter pulled out his notebook and quickly jotted down Zix¡¯s anecdotal evidence. If it was possible for anyone to become addicted to manastones even without a preexisting sensitivity or vulnerability, then it was perhaps quite prudent to enforce the rule in order to avoid a tragedy. Peter¡¯s apprenticeship had involved memorizing the horrors of untreated addiction, and he was in no hurry to see what an addict of manastones would do when the nearest sources of their fix lay inside the heads of those around them.


    With the experiments all prepared, Peter, Zix and two of the most trusted assistants began carefully combining the various ingredients into small batches, With only low-grade chemical reactions taking place, Peter found everything rather anticlimactic.


    The two simplest experiments could be excused, consisting only of a whole mana stone submerged in Grove water and the same again with the single variation of the manastone being crushed first. Neither manastone showed signs of reacting with the Grove water, which Peter found quite disappointing. A part of him had expected a similar chemical reaction to lime being introduced to water, but he supposed the manastones hadn¡¯t been heated, so that had been an unrealistic expectation to begin with.


    Contrary to Peter¡¯s own dissatisfaction, Zix seemed quite excited. ¡°The two sources of mana are blending together!¡± She pointed emphatically at the crushed manastone fragments sitting at the bottom of the vessel of Grove water.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Peter asked curiously, pulling out a special magnifying lens normally restricted to jewellers and gem carvers, so he could get a closer look. Aware that the Daemons could sense mana in a way he could only dream of, Peter still held out hope that he might catch a glimpse of something. After staring intensely for a full minute, he finally saw it. Or, at least, Peter saw the consequence of the reaction. One of the small fragments had shed an even smaller particle into the surrounding grove water.


    Repeating the experiment with the myriad of other combinations had similar results regardless of additives. That was until the addition of the pulped mana flower was added to the grove water and mostly dissolved manastone. As Peter slowly stirred the strange coloured slurry, he noticed a slow change in the consistency and Zix confirmed that the mana inside of the flower pulp was being broken apart in a similar fashion to the manastones. Wanting a closer look, Peter leaned down and pulled out his jeweller¡¯s monocle. However, moving his face so close to the vessel made Peter suddenly feel lightheaded, and before he could react, his head slammed into the vessel and sent sheds of broken glass flying as the liquid inside splashed over the table and onto his clothes.


    Dazed, Peter was only vaguely aware of Zix pulling him away from the table and pulling off his contaminated apron, clothes and mask.


    ¡°Call a Surgeon! Quick! Peter has a bad cut on his forehead!¡± Zix called out worriedly to the attending assistants.


    Despite the blood running down his face and almost rendering him blind in one eye, Peter was still too shocked at what he was seeing to be able to react. The world had become a rainbow of ever-shifting colours, and at their centre, blocking the majority of his remaining vision was a small list of notifications. Unable to focus, Peter couldn¡¯t read them, and he was in no state to ask Zix to do it either.


    Drifting into unconsciousness, it took all of Peter¡¯s flagging willpower to make out a single word before succumbing to the darkness. Alchemist. With no idea what the word meant, Peter felt somewhat cheated.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 33 – Stirring up trouble – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 33 ¨C Stirring up trouble ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 33 - Stirring up trouble - Part Two


    With near-instantaneous travel available through the gateway, I intended to travel to port Gidian once Kestrel confirmed that a boat or ship was available to take us to the ruined remains of the Foothold. This alternate form of travel arrangements meant I had more time to spend with Lash.


    Tagging along through her daily routine revealed the increased difficulties brought on by introducing the Mountain Orc refugees to the much smaller but more established Deep Orc community. With the Mothers Moon less than a month away, the near exclusively female adult population of the Mountain Orcs were making overt passes at already ¡®claimed¡¯ Deep Orc males, resulting in confrontations with their understandably irate spouses. A lot of Lash¡¯s time seemed to be spent arbitrating these confrontations. Serving more as a referee than a negotiator, Lash made sure to end the fights before they turned lethal, using force liberally when required.


    Interestingly, once rejected, the Mountain Orcs began turning their attention to potential partners outside of their species. Given the uneven gender disparities of the Goblins and Serpent-Kin, I decided that it might be a good idea to expedite the process.


    Issuing an optional quest for all single men who might be interested in a relationship with a Mountain Orc woman to gather at the training grounds in the evening, I made sure to have the Daemons and other messengers spread the word around. Thankfully, after hearing about the quest the Mountain Orc women stopped harassing already taken men, allowing Lash to move on to her other duties.


    Needing to prepare the training grounds for the event later in the evening, I conscripted everyone in the immediate vicinity to help turn a section of the training grounds into a competitive sports arena. My general idea was to have the men compete against one another in a series of different competitive sports and exercises, then have the women do the same, and then have a late-night dinner to allow everyone to mingle. Depending on how well it worked out, it may become my go-to option for resolving other species Mothers Moon gender disparities.


    As the evening began drawing closer, I realized that through word of mouth the original quest parameters had been somewhat altered. Rather than just unbonded Mountain Orc women, it was now an invitation for all unbonded women. I was considering setting the record straight, but after noticing some new faces I didn¡¯t recognise and checking their registry details, I realized that the Midnight Caravan had kept to their word.


    Most subspecies were incredibly similar in appearance to their primary species to the point that barring a few exceptions I didn¡¯t notice unless explicitly looking for the differences. Forest Subspecies had longer arms and slightly larger ears, Mountain Subspecies had stockier but less agile builds, Deep and Cave Subspecies had paler skin with luminescent eyes and significantly larger ears. Of course, I had seen the Desert Subspecies on the fourth floor too, which seemed to have a much lankier build and universal luminescence to the eyes like the Deep Subspecies.


    There was every chance I wouldn¡¯t have known how many new Goblins and Orcs were wandering around Sanctuary if I hadn¡¯t cheated and looked into it directly through the registry. There were close to four hundred Orcs and Goblins that I had not originally accounted for, and another twenty Gnolls that had otherwise flown under my radar.


    Nadine hurriedly broke off her conversation with a small group of soldiers just outside of the Grove when she saw me headed for the cooking fires. ¡°Tim! Wait up!¡± Nadine jogged for a few moments to catch up.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°The competition you are holding tonight. You made it an open invitation on purpose right?¡± Nadine asked curiously and with a hint of embarrassment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, but it is now,¡± I agreed, ¡°The Orc Mothers Moon is soon, and I was trying to give the Mountain Orcs from the Iron Hills tribe a chance to find spouses without hunting those already spoken for. It¡¯s been a whole thing this-¡±


    ¡°So¡­Erm, did you think about changing that law then?¡± Nadine interrupted, a touch more colour flaring in her cheeks.


    ¡°That law?¡± I was drawing a blank and could only stare helplessly back at her.


    ¡°You know,¡± Nadine insisted awkwardly, ¡°The interspecies one?¡± She prompted with a fresh wave of colour flushing her cheeks.


    ¡°Interspecies¡­¡± Tired of guessing, I brought up the laws and reviewed them directly. ¡°Oh¡­That one¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Nadine agreed quietly.


    ¡°Why though?¡± I asked curiously, now feeling a similar sense of awkward embarrassment.


    Nadine shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Some of the uh¡­The soldiers, the Human soldiers, were asking if they were meant to be invited¡­¡± She explained while actively avoiding eye contact.


    ¡°What?...¡± I blinked and shook my head a little to try and process what I was hearing. ¡°I would have thought most humans wouldn¡¯t be interested¡­¡± It took only a few moments to realize the hypocrisy in my own logic.


    Nadine was obviously not impressed either and was giving me a shrewd look.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I just thought about it a bit more¡­¡± I agreed defensively, ¡°I¡¯ll change it.¡± Mentally reviewing the laws, I realized that not only did I not need to do so, but it would be dangerous if I did. ¡°Nadine, the law doesn¡¯t need to change¡­¡±


    Nadine frowned disapprovingly at me and was about to say something before her expression turned contemplative for a moment and then shifted to one of surprise, ¡°Oh! Right!¡±


    *Thwap*


    Nadine slapped her forehead and shook her head as she chuckled nervously, ¡°We are monsters now¡­I forgot about that!¡±


    ¡°To be fair, so had I,¡± I agreed supportively.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t have a problem with Humans c-coupling with the other monsters?¡± Nadine asked brusquely, desperately attempting to remain professional despite the deep red colour of her cheeks.


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t,¡± I shrugged. It would be pretty hypocritical of me if I did at this point. I was functionally human and found Lash profoundly attractive, so who was I to judge?


    ¡°G-good!¡± Nadine insisted and then made her leave.


    It took me a few minutes to shake off the weirdness of the conversation and continue with the preparations. However, now that it had been brought to my attention, I couldn¡¯t help but recall a number of otherwise innocent interactions that were now cast in a very different light.


    All told, there were one hundred soldiers within Sanctuary¡¯s borders. Half of them were dedicated to patrolling and guarding the trading district and its immediate access areas, and the rest were serving as instructors, training partners and bodyguards for the loaned craftsmen. Thanks to the efficient Asrusian bureaucracy, and their insistence that soldiers families be integrated early, I knew for a fact that a full third of the Humans in Sanctuary was unmarried and that roughly two-thirds of them were men.


    Hunting down Drake, so I could get another man¡¯s perspective, I was surprised to find him at the communal fountain in the residential area fastidious washing his clothes. He wasn¡¯t the only one either, close to a dozen young men and women wore serious and determined expressions as they rigorously scrubbed their civilian clothes.


    ¡°Is it a washing day?¡± I asked curiously while glancing over the Sergeant¡¯s wet pile of laundry.


    To his credit, Drake held his ground and kept his nerve, ¡°Aye, of a kind,¡± he agreed, stopping only long enough to snap a casual salute.


    Sitting down on a nearby split log, I tried not to smile too much at the panic my presence was causing the more junior recruits. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother with the long-sleeved one,¡± I pointed out casually as Drake moved on to his next article of clothing.


    Pausing mid-stroke on his washboard, Drake eyed me cautiously as he straightened his back, ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± He asked, trying and failing to feign indifference.


    ¡°You are intending to attend the singles mingling event tonight, right?¡± I asked casually.


    Drake¡¯s lips pursed together determinedly as he picked out a different piece of clothing, ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He conceded quietly.


    ¡°A particular lady you have your eye on?¡± I was invested now and genuinely curious.


    Drake silently shook his head and began aggressively throttling his pants against the washboard like they owed him money.


    ¡°Particular type?¡± I pressed, unwilling to let this go. ¡°You are passing up a good opportunity for intel,¡± I goaded after receiving no answer.


    That particular barb seemed to have gotten not just Drake¡¯s attention, but all of his juniors as well.


    ¡°What, uh, I mean, my Lord!¡± A young woman blushed and fumbled through an attempt at a formal salute, ¡°What do the uh,¡± the red of her cheeks grew five times deeper and she cast her eyes downward, apparently too embarrassed to continue.


    ¡°What do the Orc guys like?¡± Another woman asked unabashedly.


    ¡°Determination, directness and thighs,¡± I rattled off almost immediately. I had spent more than enough time around Orc men to know what drew the most interest.


    ¡°Thighs?¡± The first woman squeaked awkwardly.


    ¡°Seeing them, to be more specific,¡± I agreed, ¡°I would wear something like boxer shorts.¡±


    ¡°Boxer shorts?¡± The other woman asked curiously.


    ¡°A men''s undergarment,¡± I clarified, ¡°They are like trousers but only go partway down the thigh.¡±


    The two women quickly ducked their heads together and began pulling apart their pile of clothes.


    ¡°Ah, uhm, what about the snake girls?!¡± A young man asked nervously, his voice pitching awkwardly as a small group of female Serpent-Kin passed by.


    ¡°Overt expressions of interest, close proximity, small meaningful gifts with a story to them,¡± This was an easy enough answer since the Serpent-Kin were incredibly open about their desires in a partner, ¡°This goes for the men too,¡± I added, saving myself a little time in repeating the short list.


    ¡°O-Orc women?¡± An older soldier asked directly.


    ¡°Muscles, strength and endurance are the baseline expectation, more is better. Defeating a rival goes a long way, but otherwise, genuine flattery is pretty good. Even though Orc men don¡¯t have the same expectations, Orc women compete for their attention in similar contests of strength.¡± I had seen plenty of this already and it was easy enough for anyone else to confirm.


    ¡°And Goblins?¡± Gaile had arrived with her own washing basket of laundry but didn¡¯t seem to be embarrassed in the slightest.


    ¡°Shiny objects, good tasting food and expressive hands,¡± Goblins were rather materialistic when it came to surface level attraction. They were a great deal like birds.


    Gaile looked surprised, perhaps not having expected an answer. ¡°And are the females as materialistic as their male counterparts?¡± She asked, recovering quickly.


    ¡°More so,¡± I agreed, dreading the day when Toofy would be entertaining suitors.


    Gaile nodded thoughtfully and began washing her clothes in a relaxed manner that made it clear she wasn¡¯t going to be attending the evening''s activities.


    I stayed a while longer, answering the questions in more depth and providing some advice for bridging the syntax gap.


    Most of the activities I had arranged were predominantly group-oriented in order to allow different people to shine during different parts of the evening. My favourite was the Tug¡¯o¡¯war. Requiring more than just brute strength, the winners would need coordination, leadership and a small amount of cunning in order to come out ahead. The upside was that a close competition would work in both sides'' favour too, since the losers could still have demonstrated many desirable qualities before their eventual defeat.


    The evening''s festivities went off without a hitch, but I still found the attempted Human and monster pairings to be a little strange. All the same, it was a relief to see so many of the Mountain Orc refugees pairing off with potential partners and getting to know one another. Lash was quite pleased as well and seemed relieved that the drama would be coming to an end. The approaching Mothers Moon had her stressed out already, so I was glad to be of help.


    As I had expected, Kestrel was waiting in the Grove the following morning, stiffly pacing back and forth in the way she did when bearing news. ¡°A ship and crew have been prepared,¡± Kestrel reported anxiously, ¡°And the Lord Regent would like to know if it is acceptable to attempt settling the Foothold¡¯s ruins if this experiment is successful.¡±


    ¡°Assuming everything goes ahead without any real problems?¡± I clarified, ¡°Then he is free to colonize the rest of the floor in accordance with our modified agreement.¡±


    Kestrel nodded and conveyed my response through her communicator. ¡°The Lord Regent has also expressed interest in settling the fourth floor and wants to know if it will follow the same agreement.¡±


    ¡°You told him about the desolated landscape right?¡± I asked sceptically.


    Kestrel nodded, ¡°There was talk of transporting large volumes of water to rehabilitate sections of land for settlement.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work, not for a long time anyway,¡± I warned her, ¡°Someone or something depleted the water table, that¡¯s why the well had just about entirely run dry. Reclamation is just about the only sustainable method for any community wanting to stay alive long term.¡±


    ¡°I told them that too,¡± Kestrel admitted, ¡°But the ¡®powers that be¡¯ assumed they could put the Druids to work in a similar fashion to the other Settlements.¡±


    ¡°And you told them how resource-intensive the startup was for the reclamation in Stone Well?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°I did,¡± Kestrel sighed, ¡°But things are coming to a head outside and the Lord Regent is scrambling to relocate as many people as possible before the war is officially declared and our enemies begin attacking in force.¡±


    ¡°He is welcome to try, but with the unknown situation of the fourth-floor portals, that only really leaves Stone Well¡¯s gateway to allow entry,¡± I pointed out impassively, ¡°And I doubt they would be keen on seeing humans return to the fourth floor. It would be far better to just seize the second and first floors.¡±


    Kestrel let out a defeated sigh and nodded, ¡°I know,¡± she agreed quietly, ¡°I will make sure the Lord Regent is informed of your reservations.¡±


    Proceeding to the gateway, we were joined by Ril, Toofy, Drake and Gaile.


    Since the trip was going to take less than a single day, assuming everything went to plan, Nadine and Clarice had been more than happy to stay in Sanctuary while I spent a day out on the river. Toofy¡¯s reason for joining seemed largely motivated by boredom and the fact that Ril wanted to go. As near as I could tell, Ril was aware of what I was going to attempt and was curious to see it happen in person.


    Traversing the gateway, I was surprised by how developed port Gidian was in spite of its relative infancy. The roads were straight and paved, the buildings organized and clean. If it weren¡¯t for the soldiers lining the sides of the streets and the curious people peering out from their windows, the port would have seemed far too clean and well organized to be inhabited.


    Escorted by Klive and a number of high ranking officers, we soon arrived at the docks. A dozen greek and roman style oar and sail ships were under construction in large open air sheds, and three completed vessels were tied off at the dock. Each of these ships looked large enough to carry fifty to a hundred men, so I was under few illusions as to the implicit size of our escort.


    Sure enough, around seventy men had been assigned to the ¡®Fortitude¡¯, the largest of the completed ships, and would be responsible for seeing us safely to the ruined port of the Foothold. Then, depending on how things went, they would almost certainly claim the area as the first Settlement of the eastern bank.


    Boarding the ship was a rather straightforward affair, and despite Klive¡¯s repeated attempts at formality, I made sure that we set out as quickly as possible. Being so readily outnumbered was putting me on edge and I wanted this expedition to be as short as possible.


    Thankfully, although the crew of the ship seemed inexperienced, they were able to make up for it with general excitement and enthusiasm that lent itself well to making good time under oar power. With fifty men and women at the oars, and a decent wind in the sail, the Foothold came into view shortly after midday.


    It wasn¡¯t until the Fortitude was docked and our expedition passed through the broken port gates that the extent of the damage to the Foothold became evident. Just about every scrap of timber was charred to a crisp, leaving only a handful of gutted stone buildings in the middle of the town.


    The Captain in charge of the expedition began sending off teams of soldiers to begin checking the ruins for signs of monsters. Besides the river lurkers outside, there had been no signs of any Soulless, which was in and of itself somewhat unnerving.


    Walking through the scorch marked streets, I tried not to look at the blackened bones and flash burned silhouettes on the ruins of the buildings.


    <I sense magic.> Ril¡¯s thoughts so seamlessly took place alongside my own that I almost didn¡¯t realize it. Ril was pointing towards a collapsed pile of blackened timbers two streets back from the main road.


    Diverting from the main force with just our group, we headed over to investigate.


    I was able to clear away the larger charred beams with minimal effort, and Toofy had since gotten the scent of treasure and was shamelessly digging through the loose piles of burnt debris. Between the two of us, we soon uncovered the burned and ashen remains of a half preserved adventurer. The splintered shaft of wood wedged through his ribcage, combined with the dark stain on his surrounding clothes, made it obvious what had killed him.


    All the same, the bow at his side and the boots on his feet both appeared to be in immaculate condition, albeit covered in a fine layer of ash.


    ¡°Shiny¡­¡± Toofy¡¯s eyes were wide with hunger, her fingers wiggling eagerly as she inched closer.


    Besides retrieving the adventurer¡¯s identification, Drake and Gaile seemed to find the idea of looting the dead distasteful, so I left Toofy to it.


    While walking to rejoin the primary group in the middle of town, I found I could sense the presence of the portal in the middle of the plaza without really trying.


    Taking a few moments to concentrate, I envisioned a tether forming between myself and the portal. Feeling a remarkably high amount of resistance, I channelled more mana and concentrated harder. All at once, I felt the resistance collapse and was met with a pair of notification panels.


    [{Nexus Anchor #H3a} is uncontested.]


    [{Nexus Anchor #H3a} is now controlled by {Tim¡¯s Faction}.]


    ¡°Is that it?¡± I muttered hesitantly, unsure of what exactly I had been expecting.


    ¡°Was it a success?¡± Gaile asked, sounding quite surprised herself.


    I nodded and turned my attention back to the portal. Just by looking at it, I understood that it served as a heavily subsidized link to both the primary portal located outside of the Labyrinth, as well as the portal from the second floor. I also understood that I could rescind roughly half that subsidy if I wanted to, making the travel from outside the Labyrinth or from the second floor, cost the traveler half the mana cost of traversing the gateways. Gaining control over the Anchor responsible for travel from the second floor to the third would allow me to rescind the subsidized travel entirely and enforce a mandatory teleportation location, which was rather appealing given the possibility of invasion.


    The additional security afforded by controlling the Nexus Anchors had basically determined that it would now become a mandatory part of my further explorations. This in turn meant that avoiding the Adventurers Guild would no longer be such a high priority. If anything, I was willing to bet the Asrusian army would take the active role of subjugating the Footholds on my behalf if it meant that they could have ready access to the land afterwards.


    After a short discussion with Captain Hughes, Gaile returned to the group, ¡°The Captain wants to know if we will be staying to secure a Settlement or returning to Port Gidian.¡±


    With what I now knew about the Portals, I didn¡¯t want it left alone. ¡°We will stay long enough to secure the Settlement, but I want to head back straight afterwards.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Gaile pressed unabashedly, ¡°We want another gateway. The requisite manastones are in the hold of the Fortitude, so assuming you are willing?¡± She turned her attention to Toofy and pulled a crumbed, spiced and fried piece of meat from a small leather sack at her waist and wafted it a little to spread its pleasant aroma.


    Toofy began drooling almost immediately, her eyes burning with primal hunger. However, just as she was about to snatch the bribe, Toofy stopped herself and stiffly withdrew her hands, tucking them tightly under her armpits as she gave me a questioning pleading look.


    ¡°Ril? Will a gateway conflict with the Portal?¡± I was still new to teleportation, so I was willing to defer to her greater experience and first-hand knowledge on the subject.


    Ril remained quiet for a short while, carefully considering the Portal and then the ruined surroundings at large. ¡°Provided they are kept separate, there should be no problem.¡±


    *Crunch*


    ¡°Mmmh! Sho mmyummy!¡± Toofy had struck with the speed of a striking cobra, her teeth biting deep and coming within a hair''s breadth of Gaile¡¯s gloved fingers. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I guess that answers that,¡± I sighed.


    Toofy waved a free hand dismissively, causing an iron gateway to spring into existence next to Gaile and Drake, who both immediately sprang into action to prevent it from crashing against the ground.


    With the Settlement conquest quest actively aggroing everything within a gigantic radius, Ril binding a gateway at the same time probably wouldn¡¯t amount to much difference. But it did raise some concerns, ¡°I want a rotating ten-man team protecting Ril at all times,¡± I demanded.


    Understanding Ril¡¯s importance, it wasn¡¯t exactly a hard ask, Gaile and Drake agreed almost immediately, and Captain Hughes made it the highest priority.


    Between the three of us, the entire expedition was part of my extended retinue. This was somewhat exciting since I would be funneled Exp from every monster our expedition managed to kill, albeit at a fifty percent penalty rate. With that in mind, while clearing away rubble and helping build up barricades, I was secretly hoping for a truly monumental wave of wild monsters to attack our position.


    The biggest upside of conquering the foothold was its existing defenses and chokepoints. With only two gates, monsters incapable of scaling the walls would be funnelled to those two points. With those natural choke points in mind, Captain Hughes assigned ten men to hold each gate and held another ten in reserve to keep watch around the now barricaded plaza outside of the gutted Guild office that was serving as a command HQ. Another ten soldiers were assigned as guards specifically for the far end of the plaza opposite the HQ where Ril would soon begin binding the gateway. All other soldiers would be held in reserve, replacing those on active combat duty as needs arose. Witnessing the sheer amount of prepared food being unloaded from the ship, it was apparent that the Asrusians had been hoping I would stay and provide my accelerated healing synergy, and the others besides.


    As expected, moments after Ril began channeling her mana, the port gate came under attack by the crocodiles from the river. Wanting the soldiers to be fresh for when more agile enemies appear, I decided to join in the melee, leaving Ril under Toofy¡¯s watchful care. Easily scaling the plaza¡¯s barricade, I charged down the main road and arrived at the port gate in under a couple of minutes.


    The soldiers assigned to holding the gate were a combination of Spearmen, Swordsmen and Archers, and they worked well together under the stern eye of the Lieutenant and Sergeant. All the same, they seemed relieved by my sudden arrival.


    With dozens of crocs racing up the banks and scrambling onto the paved ground just outside of the dock gate, it was an understandable sentiment.


    Needing room to fight effectively, I wasn¡¯t shy about claiming the forward centre position and waving the soldiers off to either side.


    *Crunch*


    Dashing my first croc¡¯s brains out and staving in its skull, I began repeating the simple motion of raising and lowering my arm in rapid succession.


    *Crunch, Crack, Crack, Crunch, Thump, Crack*


    Like a more dangerous and bloody game of whack-a-mole, I brought my club down hard on every croc who drew near. Even though I was prioritizing their heads in order to deliver killing blows, I placed a higher priority in maintaining a sustainable rhythm, content with breaking a spine or crushing a leg if it meant I could keep my momentum going.


    Eventually, the tide of River Lurkers slowed to a trickle, so I stepped back to let the Asrusians take care of them on their own.


    Returning to the barricaded plaza, I stayed just long enough to make sure Toofy and Ril were alright, before heading for the east gate.


    Drake and Gaile were already assisting the soldiers stationed at the gate, and it seemed just as well since they were under attack by enemies with a little more coordination and intelligence. Naked Orcs and Goblins were skirmishing against the soldiers holding the gate, probing the barricades with sudden charges but then disengaging before losing more than a couple of their fighters. All the while, Orcs and Goblins farther back in the open plain would pelt stones, covering their allies'' retreat.


    However, my appearance at the gate immediately broke the cycle. The Goblins fled immediately, leaving their Orc allies for dead. The Orcs stopped skirmishing and committed to trying to breach the barricade, slamming their bodies into the piled stones and then desperately scrambling against the soldiers'' spears as the Asrusian Spearman took overhead grips on their spears and skewered the Orcs from above. All the while, the Archers made the best of their elevated flanking positions and timed their strikes to make the most of their enemies exposed nakedness, catching the Orcs in the ribs and felling them with only a couple of arrows each.


    Originally numbering around seventeen, the six Orcs still left standing bolted out into the plains, leaving their wounded for dead. Scaling the barricade, I looked over the dead and dying Orcs for one to interrogate for information. It was a strange experience to have men with bodies like bodybuilders shy away from me in fear. Unfortunately, their heightened state of fear only made them bleed out all the faster and I was unable to get even a single piece of information out of them.


    While scaling the barricade again, I spied movement on the north side of town and decided to investigate. Winding my way through the blackened and collapsed buildings, I heard signs of more movement headed south but couldn¡¯t see what was causing it.


    ¡°Breach!¡± A soldier up ahead called out in warning and was soon joined by a chorus of other soldiers.


    Rushing ahead, I didn¡¯t realize I was already in the thick of it until I nearly lost my footing.


    [You have slain {Webspinner Drone 1} +200 Exp]


    Small housecat-sized spiders bearing a striking resemblance to black widows were skittering over the cobblestones and rushing towards the centre of town and Ril¡¯s gateway. Accidentally crushing one of these spiders underfoot was what very nearly caused me to lose my footing.


    Unlike during a Settlement Conquest, the spiders did not seem to be single-minded when it came to pursuing their original objective. The moment they realized I was amongst them, half the swarm of spiders turned around and charged right at me instead, releasing aggressive hissing sounds and clacking their mandibles in agitation.


    If ever I had been arachnophobic, fighting tank sized spiders on the fourth floor had long since driven that particular fear out of me. Seeing only a carpet of weak fragile sources of Exp headed my way, I stepped out into the open and began sweeping my club back and forth, dashing their chitinous bodies with enough force to dash them apart or at least cripple them.


    Taking my lead, the soldiers with spears moved forward and aggressively slashed their spears through the approaching carpet of irate arachnids.


    ¡°Contact!¡± The call came from the portside gate and was joined by the sounds of steel striking stone.


    Not even halfway through the veritable tide of spiders, I was forced to begin using my free hand to swat away spiders that had begun jumping at me from the tops of ruined walls and buildings.


    ¡°Contact! We have contact!¡± This time the call came from the eastern gate.


    ¡°BEHIND YOU!¡± One of the Archers defending the plaza pointed in my direction briefly before drawing and firing an arrow that flew a foot above my head.


    *Thunk*


    Gathering a small amount of mana into my club, I shifted to a two-handed grip and swung high as I sharply pivoted on the spot.


    A spider half the size of a Sand Stalker was perched on the building just behind me, an arrow embedded in one of its eyes responsible for temporarily delaying its attempted ambush.


    *Crunch BOOM!*


    The thunderclap and resulting shockwave tore apart the spider and sent its ichorous viscera and spasming legs flying in all directions as the wall it was standing on collapsed.


    [You have slain {Webspinner Matriarch 5} +1500 Exp]


    Quickly blinking away the kill notification, I was surprised by the amount of Exp the larger spider had provided compared to its smaller kin.


    With the death of their matriarch, the smaller spiders devolved into chaos, scattering every which way and scrambling over one another in their attempts to escape.


    I did my best to kill as many as possible, knowing full well that once the Conquest began all of these spiders would return again and make a beeline straight for the Totem. Unfortunately, their ability to traverse the ruined terrain and scale the wall meant that inevitably a few did in fact manage to escape.


    With the last of the spiders now thoroughly out of reach, I headed for the portside gate¡¯s barricade where I could still hear sounds of fighting.


    The soldiers were in the process of putting down a giant snake with the same size jaws as the River Lurkers. Two other snakes of similar proportions lay dead nearby, their bodies damn near hacked to pieces.


    Skirting the melee, I made for the snake''s coiling tail and raised my club.


    *Whack Crunch*


    Feeling the snake''s bones shatter from the attack, I immediately stepped back and readied my club to strike again. Sure enough, the snake hissed in anger and lunged towards me, giving the Archers the clear shot they had been waiting for.


    *Thwip Thwack*


    One arrow smacked into the snake¡¯s right eye, burying itself to the fletching. The other arrow struck the snake in the neck, barely missing the thicker scales on its back and cutting into the softer scales of its belly.


    *Crack Splat*


    Having lost its momentum from the arrow lodged in its brain, the giant snake was an easy target and I had no problems making sure my club would land true and rupture its skull open.


    [You have slain {Shivercoil 3} +900 Exp]


    Heading back to the eastern gate, I was just in time to catch the tail end of their fight against what looked like badly made scarecrows. Made entirely of splintered wood and held together by magic, the aptly named Kindling didn¡¯t seem to be particularly difficult to fight and reminded me a great deal of the mud dolls we had fought in the swamp. All the same, the apparent reason for the fight taking so long was the sheer number of Kindlings that had rushed the barricade.


    With so much wood lying everywhere, it was impossible to come to an exact count, but I estimated that Drake, Gaile and the ten expedition soldiers assigned to the eastern gate, must have killed something along the lines of fifty or so Kindlings.


    Helping the soldiers stack as much of the wood as possible, I was pleased to hear the officers discussing the using of the materials to reinforce their barricades with spikes, or even soaking a ball or two in oil so they could make fiery obstructions to better fight off the monsters during the midnight respawn rush. Impressed by their initiative, I made a few suggestions of my own to better fight against the Orcs and Goblins. By requesting another ten soldiers at the minimum and then scouring the immediate area outside of the gate for rocks and stones and bringing them back inside, they would be denying the Orcs and Goblins access to meaningful ammunition to harass them with.


    Knowing my presence would serve as an agitant for any Orcs and Goblins in the area, I decided to stay and oversee the stone gathering effort. On more than a few occasions, I caught sight of movement in the distant treeline, but nothing came of it.


    Assisting with reinforcing the barricade to compensate for the collapsed structure of the gate itself, the addition of the braced wooden spikes in the barricades, and the hammered stakes leading up to the barricades, meant that crossing over was now far too dangerous to undertake for the sake of it. With nothing else to do, I made my way back to the central plaza while Gaile made her way to the HQ to make a report.


    With the first wave of agitated monsters defeated, it was very likely that I would be asked to initiate the Conquest event at any moment.


    In my absence, Toofy had removed what looked like a large tent-sized woven basket from her extradimensional space and was quietly chatting away to Kestrel to the accompaniment of quiet splashing sounds. Peeking through the woven doorway, just to make sure everything was alright, I found Ril still sitting in the same place as earlier, only now Toofy was wetting strips of cloth from Ril¡¯s favourite clay pot and loosely wrapping her up like a soggy mummy while Kestrel did her best not to laugh.


    Confident that they were both alright, and that the wicker hut would afford them at least some protection, I spent the next half hour carefully stacking broken bricks and stones around the sides of the hut to afford it a little more protection.


    ¡°Captain Hughes is ready now,¡± Gaile reported and pointed to the robust flagpole that had been erected outside of the command HQ.


    It had taken a team of soldiers the better part of two hours to dig deep enough and anchor it to their Captain¡¯s exacting standards. This was fair enough, considering the destruction of the flagpole would have dire consequences not just during the event, but in the future as well.


    Making my way over to the flagpole, it was a reminder that I had been letting a few things slide that may not be giving the best impression. Tim¡¯s Faction being the name of my Faction was a good example of that. Releasing a deep sigh, I promised myself that I would take naming things a little more seriously.


    Going through the motions and activating the Conquest Event, I was a little surprised by the formality of not just the Asrusian officers, but the rank and file soldiers as well. Everyone not on assigned duties had formed ranks before the flagpole and saluted as a Lieutenant pulled the flag of the royal family into position to fly defiantly over the ruined Foothold.


    The flag was more detailed than other examples I had seen thus far and depicted a male lion with a pair of bat-like wings sprouting from its back and a chitinous scorpion tail, rearing up on its hind legs and grappling with an unseen adversary. It had a similar art style to feudal european crests, but there was also a general sense of an artist having immortalized a moment in time. That somehow, the monster depicted on the flag had once been a living breathing creature.


    As the soldiers returned to their posts, I stopped Gaile and pointed up to the flag, ¡°What¡¯s the significance of the crest?¡± I asked curiously.


    Gaile seemed surprised, ¡°It is Asrus, the legendary protector and companion to the first king of our people.¡±


    Gaile¡¯s answer caught me by surprise.


    ¡°In the chaos caused by the arrival of the Labyrinths, the world was slipping inexorably to eternal destruction. Wild and bloodthirsty monsters ravaged the lands and humankind was disappearing like smoke¡­¡± Gaile was not the best storyteller, but there was a certain quality to her voice that lent itself well to the dire subject matter, ¡°Asrus, and others, began keeping humans as pets, sheltering them from the devastation and allowing us to rebuild. Asrus waged an unending war to drive the wild monsters back and¡­and he fell fighting a dragon thrice his own size, but not before delivering as many crippling blows to the dragon in turn!¡± Gaile¡¯s eyes burned like bonfires, ¡°It is in his memory that we proudly bear his name to continue his legacy!¡±


    Unsure of how much the national origins story could be trusted, It still raised the question as to why Asrus and the other monsters had allegedly taken the humans as pets in the first place. Was it a misunderstood demonstration of dominance? Were the monsters simply preserving the humans on a whim? Or had their motivations been far more¡­human?...


    *****


    Finished reading the official messages delivered by the delegations of the empire and confederation of independent city-states, Francis cast them into the fire. Making no attempts whatsoever to conceal their collusion, both delegations had arrived within moments of one another and expressed their deepest regrets that war could not be avoided any further, and that the Lord Regent would be wise to cede all requested territories if he knew what was best for his people, and his nephew.


    It was the parting barb that guaranteed the empire¡¯s delegation would meet with a most unfortunate accident while returning to their quarters. Francis tolerated no threats against his remaining family, regardless of the form they happened to take, he would always see the instigator chastised.


    Leaving his quarters, Francis and his attending guards headed for the war room.


    As expected, the war room was a hive of barely organized chaos. Senior officers crowded the central table and argued with one another while placing small wooden figurines that represented enemy and allied forces on an expansive map of the Asrus kingdom and the surrounding territories. The positions of these figurines would quickly change as runners and junior officers arrived with fresh reports and new information. Meanwhile, military aides pored through registries and inventory records to determine precisely how many soldiers, how much equipment and food they had available, and precisely where it was located.


    Taking his seat at the head of the table, Francis watched the figurines move this way and that for another ten minutes before they grew quite still. As he had expected, the empire had amassed a force on the northeastern border that outnumbered Asrus¡¯s total standing army four to one. The southern front was a little better. The confederacy¡¯s army had gone for close to a full mobilization and outnumbered them three to one. Collectively outnumbered roughly seven to one, Francis knew that they stood little to no chance at winning any meaningful open field engagements. This was one of the reasons why he had been so adamant about securing refuge for the common folk. Abandoning them would have seen desertion en masse from the rank and file, but with their families and extended families safely tucked away, Francis and his generals could at the very least rely on their soldiers to maintain basic discipline in the face of these overwhelming odds.


    More or less as Francis and his advisors had anticipated, three cities had been lost through betrayal and internal strife. Count Otto had been murdered and the city of Khal handed over to the empire. Thankfully, most of the Count¡¯s family had escaped and a rescue team had been deployed to retrieve them. Earl Linus and his traitorous brood had declared secession and joined the confederacy, and Mournbrent had been lost to a monstrous horde that had already gutted the city.


    Knowing the Adventurers Guild was behind the massacre, but lacking proof, Francis now felt fully vindicated in accepting Chieftain Tim¡¯s proposal for annexing the Guild¡¯s Footholds through subterfuge and force. Loyal operatives were already being deployed into the Hurst Labyrinth to better accommodate the transition.


    With so many people to see to safety and so little time, it only made sense to expand more aggressively. So it was a profound relief to find Chieftain Tim was so amenable to altering existing agreements without predating on their desperation. That wasn¡¯t to say his counter-demands had not shown token resistance to demonstrate his displeasure or better represent his own preferences for the cooperative relationship, but it was nothing compared to dealing with the Harad merchant republic. Harad negotiators were notoriously ruthless.


    All the same, Tim¡¯s continued demonstration of unnaturally high intelligence and ability to extrapolate Francis¡¯s desires through otherwise simple requests was more than a little unnerving. If it weren¡¯t for his repeated and unsolicited demonstrations of benevolence and ready acceptance of Human companions, Francis would have long since considered alternate means of securing what his people needed.


    As it stood, Francis understood that he was bargaining away his nephew¡¯s crown in return for their peoples¡¯ safety. So from that particular point of view, his detractors at court had finally been vindicated in their long-standing accusations, although not quite in the way that they insisted. But Francis knew he was making the right choice. He knew that if he could ask his brother Gidian or his wife Brita, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate in trading the crown for so many lives, even to a monster.


    If the empire was not so single-minded on enslaving its own people, or the confederacy not so transparently riddled with corrupt nobility, then Francis may have considered surrendering the kingdom and the crown to either of them instead.


    It was quite depressing when a monster notorious for its cruelty and brutality was the better candidate by such an insurmountable margin. Francis still struggled to believe that Tim was in fact an Ogre at all. Despite all descriptions of his appearance and first-hand confirmations of his Status information, no evidence had been uncovered to resolve the dichotomy of Tim¡¯s appearance and his behaviour. Possessing a genius-level intelligence by Ogre standards was the best anyone had been able to justify it.


    ¡°Lord Regent!¡± One of the messengers hurried to the table and placed a hastily written note on the table before stepping back and standing at attention, ¡°A message from Lieutenant Kestrel.¡±


    Quickly scanning the message, Francis released a deep sigh of relief. Captain Hughes had successfully conquered the Foothold and taken it as a Settlement. Furthermore, the requested gateway to support the Settlement and colonization efforts on the east bank of Hurst Labyrinth¡¯s third floor had been approved and was now active.


    ¡°I want our mass mobilization for the third floor of the Hurst Labyrinth to begin at once!¡± Francis declared, ¡°Have the Scouts issued standardized maps of the east forest, I want every one of those sites colonized within the week!¡± Francis knew it was an absurdly ambitious ask of his men, but he also knew that they had very little choice if they wanted their people to survive.


    ¡°Lord Regent!¡± Another messenger hurried over to the table and deposited a much shorter message.


    Snatching up the second message, it only took Francis a moment to read through the contents.


    Another attempt had been made on his nephew''s life. Thwarted by his previous removal from the castle and monstrous replacement taking his form, a trio of skilled assassins had been led into an ambush by the shapeshifter wearing his nephew¡¯s face. Unfortunately, the assassins had committed suicide in order to prevent themselves from being caught. However, the identities hidden beneath their masks made it obvious who was responsible for the attempt.


    Gritting his teeth, Francis made an effort to remain calm. The empire''s delegation had turned out to be serpents in disguise after all. Assassins to a man. One small piece of good news was that the shapechanger had discovered the name of a conspirator from one of the dying assassins and refused to share who it was outside of a personal meeting and exchange of favours.


    With the shapechangers¡¯ child already headed to Sanctuary alongside Francis¡¯s own nephew, he was at a loss as to what the shapechanger might want. All the same, Francis summoned his private guard and headed for the royal apartments. The shapechanger had demonstrated a rather cavalier attitude thus far regarding her own safety, so her sudden change in behaviour was justifiable cause to fuel Francis¡¯s own paranoia.


    Clearing the top steps, Francis barely registered the faint whisper of steel leaving a scabbard behind him and immediately dropped to the ground and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a strike from his personal guard.


    *Clunk*


    A crossbow bolt materialized in the guard¡¯s visor and he wobbled uncertainly for a moment before crashing to the ground.


    The shapechanger materialized from behind the curtained portrait of Francis¡¯s late parents. ¡°That was close,¡± she snickered, casually casting aside a crossbow and taking on the appearance of one of the castle¡¯s maids.


    ¡°How long?¡± Francis demanded shakily as he got to his feet, profoundly thankful for the Paranoid Defense Ability afforded by his special Class.


    ¡°A few hours at most,¡± the shapechanger replied glibly, ¡°I know, because I read his mind after lunch.¡± She took a firm grip on the shaft of the bolt and yanked it out of the dead guard''s head with one smooth practiced motion. ¡°Couldn¡¯t read him when he walked past earlier¡­Or, I could have, but-¡± The shapechanger paused and pulled off the guard''s helmet, revealing a smooth white face remarkably similar to her own, ¡°-he would have sensed it.¡±


    Francis groaned, ¡°Another shapechanger¡­¡±


    Taking no offence, the female shapechanger removed the imposter¡¯s coif and made sure he could get a clear look at the advanced slave collar around its neck. ¡°Soulless and following strict commands,¡± she shrugged and sighed, ¡°Could be a lot worse.¡±


    Francis nodded in understanding. Things would have been far worse with a free agent like her instead of a slave. ¡°What do you want in exchange for this favour?¡±


    The shapechanger smiled demurely and wiped her hands clean on the imposter¡¯s cloak, ¡°Well, now that you mention it¡­¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 34 – An evolving situation – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 34 ¨C An evolving situation ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 34 - An evolving situation - Part One


    Over the past two days, I had personally witnessed thousands of soldiers pass through the gateway of the recently acquired ruins of the riverside Settlement. Since founding the Settlement, dozens of notifications had informed me of attempts to found other Settlements across the third floor. Furthermore, fresh waves of notification appeared roughly every twelve hours.


    The Asrusian military was pushing hard to conquer as much of the third floor of the Hurst Labyrinth as they could, and for the first time since founding Sanctuary, black notifications had begun appearing in my peripheral vision informing me of individual lives lost in the attempt. The aggressive expansion was coming at a cost in the soldiers¡¯ lives, although none of them seemed afraid to make that sacrifice. Not openly anyway.


    Michael, Douglas, Vick, George, Nicholas, Bert¡­The names began blending together in my mind and I found myself actively staring ahead in order to avoid reading more names. While I could disable the notifications entirely, I decided against it. Painfully aware of how hypocritical I was being, it felt like a betrayal to dispel their deaths from my sight entirely.


    While the actions of the Asrusians were not directly my fault, I believed myself to be responsible regardless. At any point, I could bar them from attempting to found new Settlements, but I didn¡¯t, I haven¡¯t, and I won''t.


    Sacrifices¡­The actions and deaths of these soldiers were laying the foundation for the safety and prosperity of my¡­our¡­people.


    History classes in high school had provided a romanticised sort of veneration for the Australian soldiers who died fighting overseas during the great world wars. But it hadn¡¯t shied away from the horrors the great wars wrought on the civilian populations either. Murder, suicide, rape, torture¡­The collateral damage of war hadn¡¯t changed much at all since the dark ages, only growing more efficient over time.


    With this in mind, I held no illusions as to why the Asrusian soldiers were so desperate to see their countrymen sequestered away and hidden from the otherwise inevitable predations of war. Having been told the scale of forces arrayed against them outside of the Labyrinth, and although they would not admit it, how otherwise hopeless their position was, sacrifices, willing or otherwise, were now what would determine the future of their people.


    Six days after having left Sanctuary, Ril recovered enough mana to open a portal and allow the six of us to return.


    Sanctuary was more or less just as I had left it, only now seeming somewhat more peaceful. Wanting to relax and generally unwind after the events of the past couple of days, I made my way to the Grove and took a long bath.


    I didn¡¯t notice right away, but after an hour of soaking in the mana rich waters of the well, I realized that Hana and her sister were strangely absent.


    Just as I was leaving the Grove in order to go looking for them, I felt a familiar nudge in my mind. Aware that this was most likely one of the Daemons trying to establish communications, I relaxed and lowered my mental defences enough to allow the connection.


    <Overlord! I have the most important news!> The excited Daemon¡¯s mental signature was unfamiliar to me, so I was not sure which of the one-horned Daemons I was in contact with. <I am Zix, my Overlord! I am tasked with protecting and learning the secrets of Peter, the Human apothecary.¡±


    The introduction and otherwise unsolicited explanation was likely a result of having sensed my hesitation and confusion, so I let it slide. <What is the news Zix?> I asked somewhat hesitantly.


    <A breakthrough! No, wait¡­TWO breakthroughs!> The Daemon¡¯s positivity and energy were contagious.


    I quickly began making my way towards the workshop set aside for the apothecary and his experiments. <What breakthroughs?>


    <New Classes!> Zix replied excitedly. <Classes for combining raw ingredients into Elixirs and Potions!> She gave the impression that she was close to bouncing off the walls in excitement. <Using the new Advanced Class, Peter has concocted an Elixir to progress evolution while drastically reducing the addictive elements!!!>


    The shock of what I had just been told caused me to nearly trip over my own feet. I had to awkwardly half-crash into a tree to stay standing. <You are certain?!> I demanded earnestly.


    <As certain as possible Overlord!> The sincerity impressed through a connection made it clear that Zix was not deliberately exaggerating or massaging the truth.


    Jogging the last of the way, I found Zix and Peter¡¯s other apprentices all excitedly gathered outside of the workshop.


    ¡°Overlord!¡± Although wearing a heavy leather apron, Zix¡¯s scaly arms and face were marred by what looked like soot and ash. ¡°Peter is busy, but here!¡± The Daemon excitedly held out a large glass bottle filled with a faintly glowing cyan liquid, ¡°This is the Evolution Elixir!¡± Zix all but forced the bottle into my hands before taking a step back and eagerly dividing her attention between the Elixir and myself.


    ¡°How much can I drink?¡± I asked somewhat breathlessly while raising the bottle so I could inspect the contents.


    Zix¡¯s smile extended from ear to ear in a wide toothy crescent, ¡°All of it!¡±


    ¡°Are you certain? Have you tested it?¡± As much as I wanted to try it, I wanted to be somewhat certain it wasn¡¯t going to begin a protracted spiral of devastating addiction.


    ¡°Yes, Overlord! We have all tested it, many times!¡± Zix insisted while nodding manically.


    The other apprentices nodded eagerly in agreement.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± The glow emanating from the bottle inserted the unwanted idea of radioactive isotopes in my imagination, and I was having a hard time dispelling it.


    Zix furrowed her brow thoughtfully and closed her eyes, ¡°Manastones, Grove water, silver oak root, copper sage, and licorice leaves,¡± she counted each off in turn on her clawed fingers before opening her eyes again and glancing back to the gathered apprentices for confirmation. ¡°There is much preparation required for each dose, but we have been working very hard!¡± Zix insisted, earning determined nods from the other apprentices.


    ¡°How many level ten mana stones does this equate to?¡± I asked with mounting anticipation.


    ¡°The whole bottle?¡± Zix asked for clarification, a goading smile on her lipless face.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Ten,¡± Zix replied slyly in an understated tone before becoming incredibly excited again, ¡°It is the strongest batch we have been able to make so far!¡±


    ¡°We ran out of high-level sstoness,¡± a Serpent-Kin supplied apologetically.


    ¡°All I need to do is just drink it, right?¡± I uncorked the bottle and tried not to cry as the intense fumes burned my eyes and nose. I had never been a serious drinker but was almost certain this Elixir had a high proof alcohol base.


    Zix nodded so animatedly that I was worried she would break her own neck.


    Just about unable to smell anything but licorice, I pinched my nose, tilted my head back and pressed the mouth of the bottle to my lips. Feeling more frightened than I had in a long time, it took all my nerve to jerk the bottle upright and allow the burning oily liquid to pass over my tongue and flood down my throat without gagging.


    Expecting the familiar rush of manic energy and the pervasive need for more that I had come to associate with consuming manastones, I was profoundly relieved to find those feelings were completely absent. The only real change I was feeling was the early signs of inebriation. This feeling only intensified as I continued downing the Elixir.


    Feeling somewhat invincible and supremely confident, I tossed the empty bottle back to Zix, ¡°I want more,¡± I demanded with a grin while doing my best to ignore my stomach¡¯s roars of protest, ¡°And something to eat!¡±


    Zix and the apprentices were only too happy to comply, hurriedly dividing tasks amongst themselves before dashing off in all directions.


    ¡°AND LASH!¡± I roared after them before somewhat clumsily sitting myself down on the thick grass.


    Zix returned first, her arms positively brimming with more of the bottles of glowing cyan Elixir.


    In that short span of time, my metabolism had already kicked into high gear and begun processing the alcohol out of my bloodstream. While pulling the cork from a fresh bottle of Elixir I wondered if my Iron Gut Ability would make genuine drunkenness a profoundly fleeting experience. As I lifted the mouth of the bottle to my lips I realised the briefly diminished element of my mental faculties were rapidly returning with a vengeance, and I realised I had my answer.


    The second bottle was nowhere near the same potency, and as a result made it far more tolerable to drink down in one go. Setting the bottle down in the grass, I waved off Zix''s offer for another and waited in order to test if the addiction was truly gone.


    One minute passed, and then another, and another after that. Still nothing.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± a profound sense of relief washed over me as I realised another barrier to becoming stronger was removed from my path. While I had no desire for strength for its own sake, I had many who depended on me for their protection, and I refused to let them down.


    By the time Lash arrived, a full spread of assorted foods had been arranged on a large woven mat.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Lash cried out happily, removing her helmet and tossing it to the ground as she leapt into my waiting arms and drove us both to the ground. Pressing her lips fiercely against mine, she suddenly recoiled, ¡°Eurgh!¡± With an expression of disgust, Lash stuck out her tongue and tried wiping her lips with the back of her gauntlet to little apparent success.


    I tried not to laugh at her extreme reaction but was finding it difficult with so much alcohol still impairing my judgement.


    Lash noticed my smirk and curled her lips in a snarl, ¡°Why smell?!¡± She demanded angrily, ¡°Taste bad!¡±


    ¡°Acquired taste I guess,¡± I chuckled as I uncorked my fifth bottle.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Lash leaned closer for a moment and then snorted in disgust, ¡°Foul!¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± I nodded, pinching my nose and gulping the cyan liquid down.


    Lash just stared at me with confused incredulity, ¡°Why drink?¡± She demanded exasperatedly.


    ¡°Because-¡± I paused as I felt a different tingling sensation settle into my bones. Staring down at my hand I found that the empty bottle looked slightly smaller than a couple of moments ago. ¡°Did I just?¡­¡± I was struggling to muster the concentration necessary to read my own Status, so I looked to Zix who was hovering nearby.


    Zix nodded excitedly, ¡°Yes Overlord, you are growing!¡±


    Lash stared blankly at the enthusiastic Daemon for a couple of moments before turning her attention back to me and then to the empty bottle in my hand. I saw the thought process working its way through her mind in real-time as Lash put the clues together on her own. Suddenly snatching up a bottle off the ground, Lash tore the cork out with her teeth, and after only a moment''s hesitation upended the contents into her mouth.


    Wincing as the burning liquid spilled over her tongue, Lash determinedly continued drinking, just as I had done, refusing to lower the bottle until it was completely empty. Dropping the empty bottle to the grass with an expression of mixed disgust and triumph, Lash opened her mouth to speak but seemed to decide against it. Wobbling on my lap, her armour clanked and clattered as Lash reached for another bottle.


    ¡°No! Wait!¡± Zix dashed forward and snatched the bottle away, ¡°Mistress needs to absorb more of the first bottle before having more!¡± She warned anxiously, ¡°Too much mana too quickly makes you mana-sick.¡±


    Feeling mildly annoyed for not being warned sooner, I was about to give Zix a piece of my mind but she seemed to have anticipated the reaction.


    ¡°You will be fine, Overlord!¡± Zix hurriedly insisted, ¡°You would need to drink thirty or more Elixirs of that strength! And we don¡¯t have that many!¡±


    Something about the maths seemed off, but I couldn¡¯t quite figure it out off the top of my head. Besides the alcohol, Lash was becoming increasingly more distracting as she seemed to be outgrowing her armour.


    Prioritising Lash¡¯s safety over my concerns, I grabbed one of the nearest pieces of food and pressed it to her mouth, ¡°You need to eat,¡± I insisted while turning my attention to unstrapping her armour.


    Lash groggily accepted the half mangled loaf of bread and loosely took a bite before snickering and shaking her chest as I attempted to unstrap her breastplate before the next growth spurt had them digging into her flesh.


    Lacking the dexterity and with Lash¡¯s muscles already straining against the straps, I wedged my fingers in between the front of the breastplate and took a firm grip on the backplates before yanking them apart.


    ¡°Urrfff,¡± Lash groaned in relief, rolling her back and spilling chunks of bread down the front of her now ruined armour. Without warning, and with an alarmingly high level of coordination considering her inebriated state, Lash snatched up another bottle ripped the cork out and then pushed the bottle into my face, ¡°Driiiink!¡± She demanded with a grin, ¡°Beee biggerrrr!¡±


    As much to get the Elixir away from Lash as indulging her request, I gulped it down as quickly as I could and then wrested the bottle from her.


    Apparently quite pleased with herself, Lash grinned and then slumped forward before loosely draping her arms over my shoulders. Lash opened her mouth to speak but grew distracted and began working her jaw instead.


    Deciding to end things before they got out of hand, I had Zix help me remove the rest of Lash¡¯s armour by cutting the straps with her claws and then very carefully carried Lash over my shoulder and back to the Grove.


    Stumbling awkwardly out of bed and heading for the stairs to the Grove I tried to remember how exactly I managed to climb the stairs.


    *Thump*


    Stifling a curse, I cast a withering glare at the topmost section of the doorway but lost most of my conviction when I realised that it was now almost on level with my chin. If the privacy curtain didn¡¯t require me to duck my head there was a chance I might have dislocated my jaw or broken some teeth. Taking a full minute to assess the situation, my brain sluggishly determined that I was roughly fourteen inches taller than the last time I remembered ducking through the hide curtains, which in turn caused me to smack my head into the arch.


    Sobered by the pain, I panicked for a moment until I heard the reassuring sound of Lash¡¯s snoring. Stripped to her underclothes, Lash was covered in welts from where the straps of her armour had pressed hard into her flesh before either snapping under the strain or being removed by myself or Zix. I would have considered her underclothes too small as well if it didn¡¯t manage to frame her figure so well. Although I supposed Lash might take a different view for comfort reasons.


    Well and truly awake, I carefully made my way downstairs, stopping briefly in the storage room to collect some coins before heading down into Gric¡¯s warren and pseudo prison.


    Even without the evil spirit possessing it, the Tailor was still incredibly off-putting. Purchasing replacement underwear for myself, I decided to do the same for Lash but ran into a problem at the prospect of replacing her chest bindings. Technically, I didn''t need to, she would get by just fine with her current length of softened hide. But thinking that way made me feel like a dick. The Tailor was capable of custom orders, so after buying a few changes in underwear, I made a round trip to deposit them in our room and bring the special gift I had prepared for Lash back downstairs to the Tailor.


    Somewhat guesstimating the change in dimensions, I decided that it would probably be best to accommodate a number of incremental increases in overall size anyway and spent most of the coins from the storage room on them. I figured that since we were more than capable of producing our own fabric at this point that keeping the comparatively negligible level of coins we had in reserve was now somewhat pointless and better spent to be of use.


    I was ambushed by Kestrel on my way back through the Grove and heading for the stairs.


    ¡°The Lord Regent wants to know when you plan on-¡± Kestrel cringed somewhat distastefully, ¡°-claiming the first and second floors.¡± She took a deep breath to calm herself and held up a hand placatingly, ¡°I know that the mating ritual is approaching, and I made sure to let the Lord Regent know how important it is, but taking those floors will help immensely not only with the relocations efforts but our logistical support structure as well.¡±


    ¡°I need time to think about it,¡± I replied sincerely, ¡°Give me an hour.¡±


    Kestrel nodded appreciatively before defaulting to her business-like manner again, ¡°Grand Marshal Rivers¡­¡± Kestrel released a long-suffering sigh as she recognised my look of incomprehension, ¡°Formerly Colonel Klive, wants to know if Gaile and Drake are working out. Governors that meet your approval are desperately needed in order to make the most of the southern swamplands.¡±


    I briefly considered it and then nodded reluctantly, ¡°I would prefer to know more about them and take my time to be sure, but they meet my minimum standards.¡± Neither officer was openly xenophobic, and during our brief journeying together, they had not only obeyed the letter of my demands but the spirit in which they were given. All told, I could do much worse. ¡°If you are that desperate to fill the remaining positions, have Klive and the other governors already serving on the border interview or debate the placement of new candidates. Just make your Lord Regent and Klive aware that I will hold their choices against them if the candidates they choose are found wanting.¡±


    Not in the least intimidated, Kestrel nodded and began taking notes. ¡°Um, there is also the matter of mixed-species residency¡­¡±


    Now that got my attention.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t from Klive or the Lord Regent. So far as I know, neither of them have seriously brought this up for considerations just yet but-¡± Kestrel paused to take a few deep breaths, ¡°There has been certain¡­fraternising between the locals of Sanctuary and soldiers deployed here on active duty¡­Some of this fraternising has apparently gotten quite serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Asrus has formal marriage ceremonies and laws? Yes?¡± I asked with a sigh, more than capable of understanding where this was going.


    Kestrel nodded.


    ¡°Now that you are monsters, there is another layer to it,¡± I explained, ¡°The Mate-Bond is part of your Status-¡± I blinked the Status screen away subconsciously, ¡°-and most of your married citizens likely have the bond formalised in their stats already. Anyone with a mixed-species bond is welcome to stay in Sanctuary, and I would be sorely disappointed if they were not welcome within other Settlements under my banner.¡±


    ¡°So you would allow m-I mean, other species of monsters, to leave Sanctuary and live amongst us Humans?¡± Kestrel asked, diplomatically correcting herself partway through her question without skipping a beat.


    ¡°Until there is such a reason for me not to, yes,¡± I agreed conditionally, which at this point Kestrel honestly probably just assumed would be the case anyway. ¡°However, this should not be considered a tactic for recruiting other species to bolster the garrison¡¯s Synergies,¡± I warned sombrely.


    Kestrel paused in her note-taking and waited for me to elaborate.


    I sighed and splashed my face with some water from the well to refresh myself. ¡°The bond is exactly that, it draws you closer together. It intensifies your feelings for the other person or persons you share it with¡­¡± I had come to realise this on my own, but I found I didn¡¯t mind the trade-off. In a sense, knowing that the same applied to her as well as reassuring.


    Kestrel cocked her head slightly to one side and raised an eyebrow inquisitively, ¡°Is that true?¡± She asked quietly.


    I nodded sombrely, ¡°This has just been based on my own experiences and observations, but even Kirt and Rose, the couple who run the inn, seem¡­closer, more affectionate and in sync than when I first met them. Not to say they weren¡¯t those things before, just that they now seem more so. Do you understand what I mean?¡±


    Kestrel slowly nodded, ¡°There are some married soldiers I have spoken to already that seemed¡­off, different from their usual selves. It¡¯s actually something of a relief if this is the cause for it.¡±


    ¡°There is actually a little more to it as well, although I am uncertain if it only applies to those with the leadership titles or not.¡± I sat down on the edge of the well so I could better collect my thoughts for a moment.


    Kestrel, ever curious, waited patiently, knowing I would only elaborate in my own time.


    ¡°There is something called Bloodlines,¡± I explained, ¡°Once Mate-Bonded, it establishes a Bloodline that itself seems capable of making its own progression. The Bloodline appears to provide additional stats, but this is relatively early days, so I am unsure if there is going to be more to it or not. Although¡­¡± I smiled and chuckled, ¡°I guess I will know more after the Mothers Moon¡­¡±


    Kestrel just nodded, apparently somewhat desensitised to the implications at this point.


    Thinking of children reminded me of something, ¡°Who are the two unregistered children being escorted by Human soldiers around Sanctuary?¡± I hadn¡¯t noticed them until returning from my last trip.


    Recalling I had made an agreement with the Lord Regent to provide protection for someone important, I assumed they must be scions set to inherit powerful noble families. But that was only a guess.


    Kestrel stiffened and rather than answering straight away, she seemed to be very carefully considering her next choice in words, ¡°One of the children reportedly belongs to a former acquaintance of yours, she said you would know her as Jack?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean Jacque?¡± I asked curiously.


    Kestrel¡¯s cheeks flushed somewhat in embarrassment, ¡°I think so. I have only seen it written, not heard it spoken aloud,¡± she apologised, ¡°The woman was described as having red hair and a brusque manner?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s Jacque. Although¡­I didn¡¯t know she had a kid.¡± Then again, we had not exactly spent much time together either. It was fairly understandable that she didn¡¯t feel the need to divulge everything to a stranger she had just met, except¡­She had admitted to being from Earth, arguably a far more dangerous secret than admitting to being a parent. That is unless she was worried I would harm her kid¡­But then why send them to me for protection?


    I shook my head to try and focus on my original question, ¡°And the other child?¡±


    Kestrel stiffened again, ¡°I¡­I am not allowed to volunteer that information¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized.


    That answer in and of itself was rather telling, greatly reinforcing my earlier assumption of the child¡¯s relation to a powerful noble house.


    Perhaps wanting to avoid further questions, or maybe turn my attention to her superior''s request, Kestrel hastily begged her to leave and promised to return in an hour.


    Truthfully, I didn¡¯t need the hour in order to think things over. I could avoid most, if not all, risks by delegating the magical spear Shiverfang to one of the Daemons and having them seize portals on my behalf. A quick review of the Daemons capabilities made it clear that one, in particular, would be well suited for the task. Assuming the Asrusians were going to handle the Footholds themselves, the Daemon would just need to initiate the seizure of the incoming portal to block the Guild¡¯s route of escape. Once that was accomplished, the Asrusians would just need to found a Settlement to protect the Outgoing portal site while the Daemon seized control of the outgoing portal in order to establish control over the floor and partial control over external attempts to skip to the next floor of the labyrinth.


    ¡°Do you have an answer?¡± Kestrel asked patiently. She had waited longer than the requested hour, but not by much. It was a nice gesture but it was also obvious that it had caused her no small amount of stress. Given the events outside of Labyrinth, it was more than understandable.


    I nodded sombrely, ¡°Garn, he will go in my place.¡±


    Kestrel seemed at a loss for a moment, ¡°Garn is one of the Daemons?¡± She guessed hesitantly.


    ¡°He is, and a Scout as well,¡± I added.


    ¡°And¡­Garn? He will be able to seize the portals?¡± Kestrel asked with a hint of scepticism.


    ¡°He will,¡± I replied confidently, ¡°And can leave for the second floor when you are ready.¡±


    Kestrel seemed profoundly relieved, ¡°I will let the Lord Regent know of the proposed changes.¡±


    ¡°I will need to have a short discussion with Garn first, but I will have him find you when we are finished.¡± Despite what I had said, I made my way upstairs to mine and Lash¡¯s room first to deposit the changes in underwear. Finding Garn would be accomplished far more efficiently through communicating with his fraternal siblings than hunting him down myself.


    After a short back and forth through a telepathic conversation with Gric, outlining my intentions and what I expected of Garn, I waited outside at the top of the stairs for Garn¡¯s arrival.


    Thus far, Garn was the only Daemon to pursue adaptations to allow flight. He had achieved this by consuming the monstrous bats on the fourth floor and emulating bat-like wings. Incredibly lithe and lean, Garn¡¯s landing on the stairs was very nearly silent. ¡°Overlord,¡± Garn chittered, subserviently and bowed low.


    ¡°Gric told you of your mission?¡± I asked warmly. The collective loyalty of the Daemons was endearing and tried not to take advantage of it without making an effort to show I appreciated it.


    Gric bobbed his head eagerly and chittered his teeth again, ¡°Yes, Overlord.¡±


    I concentrated for a moment and felt a sudden but relatively minor loss in mana as Shiverfang materialised in my hand. ¡°It is never to leave your possession. Is that understood?¡± I held the shaft of the spear out to Garn, ¡°No one will be given my permission to take it from you. If someone tries, you have my permission to do whatever is necessary to keep it from them. But you are not expendable Garn, do you understand?¡±


    Garn nodded soberly and graciously accepted the magical spear, ¡°I will not let you down, Overlord.¡±


    ¡°Come home in one piece Garn,¡± I patted the gaunt Daemon¡¯s furry shoulder reassuringly, ¡°Good luck.¡±


    Garn bowed low and then leapt off the stairs, his leathery wings catching the air and slowing his descent before rapidly beating his wings and ascending into the sky. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though I knew Garn was unlikely to be in any real danger, I still felt bad for sending him in my place. All the same, I hoped for the best and turned my attention to more productive matters.


    The introduction of the Evolution Elixir changed things, presenting an opportunity to rapidly progress not just my own evolution, but that of others as well. Combining the use of the Elixir and aggressive competition against other Master Tier Classes would provide a significant and rapid degree of progress in both Evolution and Class progression.


    With a plan taking shape in my mind, I spent the rest of the morning sitting on the edge of the stairs and waiting for Lash to wake up.


    Explaining my inventions to the girls, Nadine was understandably reluctant to directly compete, and so was Emelia. They agreed to try some of the Elixir but made no promises about participating in daily mock battles. Toby tried to avoid joining in as well, but I made him a compromise instead. I needed more practice against conventional projectiles, so Toby would begin helping me with my afternoon training.


    Clarice was all for it, although a little less enthusiastic when she learned that she would be repeatedly paired against Lash and not myself. While getting over my mental hangup on hitting women was something I would need to work on at some point, the need for Lash¡¯s own progress served as a good enough reason to delay it for the time being.


    Gric had been dutifully promoting residents of Sanctuary to Underlord and making sure they unlocked their Master Tier Leadership Classes as well. This meant there was no shortage of potential opponents to aggressively train against for the most Exp possible.


    It was midday before Lash finally began to stir and stiffly rolled out of our bed and onto the floor. ¡°Ow¡­¡± She hissed grumpily and tried staggering to her feet.


    Hurrying back into our room, I helped Lash take a seat on the bed, ¡°Are you alright? Is there any pain in your head?¡± Easily less than half my total mass, I wasn¡¯t sure how bad the effects of the alcohol content of the Elixir had on her body.


    Lash tiredly shook her head, ¡°Stiff,¡± she grumbled and demonstrated by shakily opening and closing her hand.


    ¡°Probably a result of your growth spurt,¡± I reasoned reassuringly.


    Lash blinked blankly at me for a few moments before recognition flashed in her eyes, ¡°I grew,¡± she looked down at her hands and tightly clenched her fists while grinning like a madwoman.


    ¡°You did,¡± I agreed supportively, ¡°That¡¯s why your armour doesn¡¯t fit anymore.¡±


    Lash¡¯s smile faded and was replaced with a look of regret, ¡°Sacrifices¡­¡±


    ¡°We can always make you new armour, or adjust the old one,¡± I consoled her.


    Lash sighed and nodded.


    However, explaining my plans for spending what remained of the next three weeks leading up to the Mothers Moon quickly put a smile on her face.


    ¡°Really?¡± Lash asked eagerly, ¡°Contests of strength? Showing everyone?¡±


    I nodded and pulled her in for a hug, ¡°We will show everyone how strong we are, and why we belong to each other, why our child will be the strongest.¡±


    Lash shivered with excitement, ¡°Yesssss,¡± she growled, baring her teeth and grinning savagely.


    As I understood it, competitions similar to the one I was organising were commonplace amongst the Orcs for establishing a leadership structure and social status. As I was deemed otherwise unassailable, these competitions had been all but dropped. But by making the challenge myself, it changed everything. To challenge and lose was incredibly dishonourable, but to be challenged and meet the same fate was perfectly acceptable, maybe even an honourable act depending on the presumed difference in strength. What I had done was offer every male Orc in Sanctuary a chance at proving their mettle with nothing to lose for the attempt.


    Word spread quickly through Sanctuary, and Qreet eagerly set about terraforming the training grounds into something reminiscent of a football stadium. While I only planned on fighting those with Master Tier Classes for largest Exp payouts, Lash had intentions of being far more open to challengers. The primary difference between us was that I was intending on fighting three or more opponents at the same time, while Lash would only fight one on one.


    The same rules from the fourth floor would apply, but with the proclivity of iron armour and weapons, it was likely to be far more violent. While this would make it more dangerous for those participating, it would also give the Surgeons plenty of Exp of their own.


    According to Zix, the apothecary¡¯s workshop could produce batches equivalent to ten bottles of tier three Evolution Elixir every two days, and one tier ten Evolution Elixir once a week when the manastones were delivered. However, they lacked the means to store excess beyond a few dozen bottles of Elixir at a time.


    Seeing only one real solution, I struck a deal with the Sunrock Goblin potters to provide storage vessels in exchange for some Evolution Elixirs for themselves. Rumours had already been spreading about the Elixirs, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to convince them. Amending my law to allow an Evolution Elixir in place of the daily consumption of a manastone only served to increase the spread of the rumours. It also earned me yet another visit from Kestrel.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Kestrel asked bluntly.


    I chuckled and waved away the Orc smiths that were fitting me for a suit of adjustable armour, ¡°The same as the manastones, only without the mana addiction. Although it seems to also be VERY alcoholic.¡±


    Kestrel seemed shocked at first, and then bemusedly surprised, ¡°Really?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­Have you been taking them?¡± Kestrel asked in surprise.


    ¡°I have been,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°I thought you looked taller¡­¡± Kestrel mumbled.


    ¡°About a foot,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Are they available for trade?¡± Kestrel asked hopefully.


    I thought about it for a moment before nodding, ¡°They could be¡­¡±


    Kestrel adopted a more formal posture and braced herself, knowing from experience that I was liable to ask for something¡­excessive. ¡®What do you want in exchange?¡±


    ¡°More apothecaries, knowledgeable ones, at least as much as Peter. A new Class has been discovered and it relies on the knowledge of chemical processes and herblore. You provide me with men and women who can be trusted, and I will provide an even share of what they produce,¡± I offered graciously.


    Kestrel was surprised, ¡°A new Class? One that makes consumable items?¡± it took her a moment to come to her senses, but when she did, she positively leapt at the opportunity, ¡°Done!¡± There was likely no need to run it by her superiors since it was entirely dependent on them supplying the apothecaries in the first place.


    Another thought occurred to me and I decided I might as well ask since Kestrel was already here, ¡°I want a barrel maker to teach how to make them.¡±


    ¡°A cooper?¡± Kestrel asked, somewhat surprised by the finality of the request, ¡°O-Okay! That¡¯s doable.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t know if this is as viable, but a glassblower that wouldn¡¯t mind teaching Desert Orcs how to blow glass would be good too,¡± I had no real idea what the world outside looked like, so they might import all their glassware for all I knew.


    ¡°Glassblowers?¡± Kestrel looked thoughtful, ¡°That might be possible¡­¡± She didn¡¯t sound incredibly optimistic. ¡°Is there anything else? In case I-we can¡¯t find any volunteers.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­Higher tier manastones make higher tier Elixirs. So, just the same as providing the labour, providing the manastones will earn you a half share, but both will earn a three-quarter share. I think that is more than fair,¡± I offered.


    ¡°I can agree to those terms,¡± Kestrel nodded eagerly but grew more reserved after a few moments as she quickly realised something, ¡°We, uh, may not be able to provide so many high-level manastones now that the war has broken out and the Guilds are restricting sales.¡±


    ¡°These are the same Guilds that are turning traitor?¡± I questioned sardonically.


    Kestrel made no reply.


    ¡°This is an open offer,¡± I reassured her, ¡°And besides, I am sure your Regent is going to engage in aggressive asset seizures of the Guilds at some point or another.¡±


    Kestrel¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise and she even smiled a little, ¡°I¡¯m sure you are right,¡± She agreed, ¡°I will make sure to pass along the conditions of your offer and make sure your requests are given a high priority.¡± Kestrel bowed and began walking away while sending messages on her communicator.


    With Kestrel gone, the smiths returned to going about the steps to fit me for an adjustable breastplate. It didn¡¯t take long before they began making none too subtle inquiries of their own as to how they might acquire Evolution Elixirs. Even though they were making steady progress on a single manastone a day, it was obvious that this was still an important issue for them. At the moment, there was no particularly easy answer I could provide them. The Elixirs would need to enter production on an industrial scale in order for everyone to have ready access to them.


    Then again, it probably wasn¡¯t a great idea if everyone would become unproductive alcoholics¡­


    *****


    First Commander Gregorovitch surveyed the open countryside with suspicion and contempt. Since overrunning the Asrusian skirmishing forces in the northern pass, his forces had met with no resistance whatsoever. Not a single attempt had been made at slowing their advance.


    Even though his superiors in the capitol might chastise him for his caution, Gregorovitch had been delaying dividing his forces out of concern for potential ambushes. It was the nature of things, but he had a responsibility to his men, and the battle slaves certainly were not cheap. Gregorovitch had experienced enough campaigns to know when something was too good to be true, and for the invasion to have made such progress was exactly that.


    ¡°First commander!¡± One of the advance scouts had returned. Taking a moment to catch his breath, the scout snapped a formal salute, ¡°First Commander, the four nearby villages are empty!¡±


    Gregorovitch frowned in annoyance. He had hoped to use the villagers to smoke out the enemy and disrupt their plans. Or at the least demoralise their men if he could not provoke the hotheads amongst them into action.


    ¡°There is more First Commander,¡± the scout continued, ¡°The buildings and fields have all been burnt down and destroyed.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Gregorovitch snapped irritably, ¡°Are the Special Recon Forces operating in this region?! I was told I would have full operational control! Somebody draft a missive for high command to demand what that shit is doing in MY warzone!¡± Gregorovitch was pissed. He had spent far too much influence to be allowed to lead the invasion of Asrus, and he was not going to share the glory with that young punk! The sale of the Slaves he was going to take on this campaign was meant to pay for his next bid at advancement in the parliament.


    Throwing caution to the wind, Gregorovitch turned to his seconds, ¡°Divide our forces and scour the region! Anyone not bearing our banner is to be considered hostile! Enslave those who submit, kill any who resist!¡± He snapped angrily.


    Unwilling to earn his displeasure, each of the ten commanders peeled off ten thousand men and began marching in a different direction.


    Left with thirty-thousand imperial soldiers and seventy thousand slave levies, Gregorovitch continued along the paved road to his original target.


    Erast was the only town within striking distance of the northern pass. Little more than a border trading town, it would not put up much more than a token defence at most. In fact, Gregorovitch had been making overtures to the local merchants for months and was expecting them to open the gates in exchange for some small amount of riches. Of course, Gregorovitch would be sacking their rivals to make the payments, but he doubted the turncoats cared about that little detail.


    As they continued marching through the day and reports continued returning with news of empty destroyed villages, Gregorovitch¡¯s mood continued to sour.


    ¡°First Commander?¡± Gregorovitch¡¯s aide, Petr grimly held out a transcribed report, ¡°It¡¯s a return message from high command, sir.¡±


    Worried by his faithful aide¡¯s grim expression, Gregorovitch snatched the report and quickly began reading its contents. Gregorovitch reread the message five more times before handing it back to Petr, ¡°Burn it,¡± he growled darkly.


    Petr obediently withdrew a tinderbox from his jacket and touched the manastone against the message. Smouldering for just a moment, the paper quickly caught alight and turned to embers and ash. Silently returning the tinderbox to his jacket, Petr awaited further instructions.


    The message from high command had been blunt, and the intent painfully clear. Gregorovitch¡¯s forces were indeed the only imperial forces currently deployed in the northern region. However, if he failed to produce results, then that would quickly change.


    High command was already worried about a premature betrayal from the southern rabble, and looking weak would only serve to make it a reality.


    ¡°Have the drummers increase the pace!¡± Gregorovitch barked commandingly, ¡°I want to be dining inside of Erast¡¯s walls by sundown!¡±


    As instructed, the drummers began increasing the marching speed of the army. Although their buffs were weak, the drummers made enough of a difference that Gregorovitch wasn¡¯t too worried about the condition his men would be in once they arrived outside of Erest. With no sign of enemy forces, and half of his army scouring the countryside around them, Gregorovitch was growing to suspect that Asrus may have been facing more internal strife than the prospective turncoats amongst their nobility had been letting on.


    Far from good news, it could very well spell ruin for Gregorovitch¡¯s political aspirations and he was incensed.


    Arriving outside of Erest¡¯s northern gate in the early hours of the evening, Gregorovitch glared at the closed gates and irritably waited for them to open. Riding all day on horseback had done a number of his groin and thighs, and he was well and truly ready for a bath.


    As time wore on and the evening sky grew darker, Gregorovitch lost his patience. ¡°Tell those simpering fools to open the damned gate RIGHT NOW! If they resist, shoot them! Then break it down!¡±


    Junior officers hurried to follow his commands, quickly joining the group of soldiers and other officers arguing animatedly with someone standing above the gate. Too far away to hear anything they were saying, Gregorovitch wished they would just hurry up and shoot the man already and be done with it.


    Watching the archers line up and point their bows towards the man atop the gate, Gregorovitch snickered with contempt. The bastards should have stuck to the deal and been made wealthier men.


    ¡°Wine? First Commander?¡± Petr offered, holding out an intricately embroidered and inlaid wineskin.


    Gregorovitch gratefully accepted the wine and took a long pull.


    *Thrthrrrthrrrthrrr*


    Hearing the familiar hum of bowstrings in the distance, Gregorovitch gulped down a mouthful of wine and gave a throaty laugh, ¡°That will teach those¡­bas¡­tards¡­¡±


    Cries of pain began ringing out from the direction of the gate, and to Gregorovitch¡¯s horror, not one of the fifty or so men were left standing. He was just in time to see a multitude of figures duck down behind the battlements atop the wood and stone town wall.


    The wineskin fell from Gregorovitch¡¯s hand and spilled its contents onto the dirt. Positively trembling with rage, he could feel the veins protruding from his neck and forehead. ¡°I want them all dead!¡± He seethed, ¡°Make a fucking example of them! Do you hear me?! No Slaves! Just corpses!¡±


    Gregorovitch¡¯s senior staff immediately began issuing orders and within less than a minute the drummers were calling the men to action.


    Gregorovitch had intended on keeping his word if the merchants had just opened the gates as they had agreed. But now? No fucking way! Not only did they renege on the already incredibly generous deal, but they also had the gall to then attack HIS men! And to make things worse, some of those officers had relatives in places that could give Gregorovitch all manner of headaches politically.


    Seeing the gates open, Gregorovitch¡¯s mouth twisted into a snarl, ¡°Too little too late you fat fucking bastards!¡± He growled. ¡°Have the Slaves secure the gate!¡± Gregorovitch commanded.


    Obeying his command, a thousand slaves were sent rushing towards the gate. A combination of low-level monsters and humans in light armour and armed with spears, they would overwhelm forces half their size through dogged determination alone if necessary. It was the true advantage of using Slaves, they would obey the order to the letter and die doing it if necessary. The only troops he had seen do it better were the undead, but fielding large numbers of undead had its own logistical problems.


    *Brooooot*


    A horn call signalled that the gate had been taken just as Gregorovitch had known it would be.


    ¡°Occupy the town!¡± Gregorovitch ordered, ¡°Teach them what it means to defy his most Holy Emperor!¡±


    As one, Gregorovitch¡¯s army lurched into motion and headed for the gate. Surrounded by his honour guard, Gregorovitch slowly trailed behind. In no hurry to be shot by a stray arrow, he was likewise unwilling to make himself a target by remaining behind.


    Passing by his massacred junior officers and the soldiers that had accompanied them, Gregorovitch felt a fresh surge of rage. He was confident Petyr would remind him to have their bodies prepared for transport back to their families, so he indulged in his emotions perhaps more than he should have.


    It wasn¡¯t until passing through the gate that Gregorovitch realised something was very wrong. The air was full of shouting voices, but there was a near-complete absence of screams. Gregorovitch had participated in sacking no fewer than seven towns and cities, he was incredibly well versed on what to expect from the ambience, and this wasn¡¯t it.


    *Rrrrg-Clunk!*


    Swivelling in the saddle, Gregorovitch looked back towards the now closed gates and felt a chill run down his spine. ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± He gasped and quickly took a deeper breath to begin issuing commands, ¡°IT¡¯S A TRAP!¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 34 – An evolving situation – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 34 ¨C An evolving situation ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 34 - An evolving situation - Part Two


    Two weeks had passed since I first started taking the Exp potions to progress my evolution. The Asrusian military had initiated and successfully orchestrated Raids on the second and first floor with the help of Garn and the artefact spear Shiverfang, flooding those floors with refugees and hastily fortified Settlements. The Asrusians had also brokered a treaty with the Desert Orcs of Stone Well and were in the process of establishing Settlements on the fourth floor in cooperation with Stone Well¡¯s warriors.


    Rather than the villages and small towns established on the third floor, the Asrusians now seemed to be making a compromise, attempting to hastily establish the equivalent of sprawling cities on the first and second floor. At least that is what the Settlement population index was indicating. There were apparently far more people than the Asrusian government could realistically hope to accommodate under the previous low-density town model.


    This was in part because I stopped my progression through the Labyrinth. However, Klive had made a request in person all but begging to lend Garn and Shiverfang to allow for the conquest of the fifth-floor Foothold. True to their word thus far, Garn had been kept far from danger, so I reluctantly agreed on the condition that Klive would personally serve as guarantor and that all of the guild¡¯s fifth-floor assets serve as payment.


    With no guaranteed staging area, and no Shamans of their own, Klive also made some trades to secure a number of powerful Wards. To avoid alerting the Guilds of what they were up to, the Asrusian military only sent enough operatives directly into the Foothold through the primary portal to ensure acts of sabotage once the raid timer was ready. The remaining forces would wait in a concealed location while specially formed teams of scouts picked off any Adventurers or Mercenaries that might uncover the soldiers camp. When the raid timer runs down, the soldiers would move on the Foothold en masse while the saboteurs distracted or harried the defenders. An ultimatum would be given, terms negotiated, and provided the defenders weren''t suicidal, the Foothold would be taken without any deaths.


    So many Asrusian refugees had been recruited that I earned the final title of Tyrant and unlocked the ability to establish Factions that could be independently ruled under my overarching banner. Surprisingly, the Asrusians had made no such request despite Kestrel informing them of the possibility. However, I made a point of promoting Klive to be faction head of the Asrusian Settlements within the swamp, ensuring that he would be capable of rejecting any orders made by the Regent or other troublemakers in the future.


    Klive¡¯s promotion to Overlord and Faction Leader, allowed him to assign Port Gidian as his Capital, conferring additional benefits on its residents. It also allowed Klive to tax Exp from the Settlements to award through quests. Once this fact became known, Kestrel was quick to make a request that the Regent be made a Faction Leader as well so they could assign a Capital to better train their soldiers.


    Having expected it from the beginning, I made the regent a Faction leader and put those Asrusians not under Klive already, into his Faction. Within minutes the Regent¡¯s Faction was renamed the Kingdom of Asrus and the Settlement of Asrus Peak on the first floor was nominated as its Capital.


    The loss of Exp to the Faction Capitals didn¡¯t bother me. Sanctuary was now the Tyrant¡¯s Capital and I could take as much Exp from any Settlement, Capital or Faction that I wanted to. Unfortunately, I could only assign it to another Eminence pool and not take the Exp for myself


    Every Settlement and Capital under my overarching authority as Tyrant now benefitted from my Iron Gut Racial Ability in addition to the Racial Abilities chosen by their respective Overseers and Overlords.


    Although technically left without a Capital, for now, I made sure to promote Wraithe to Overlord and assign her a Faction to ensure she would have complete autonomy from outside control. Furthermore, I gave her permission to recruit anyone she deemed worthy to assist her, again as a means to ensure Wraithe and her staff would be able to make necessary but unpopular medical decisions should the need arise.


    After promoting Wraithe it was only natural to promote Grick and establish Sanctuary under its own Faction. Technically a form of demotion, I shifted Stone Well into the Sanctuary Faction as well. Gric seemed happy enough now that he had an Overseer beneath his authority.


    The streams of death notifications each time the Asrusian soldiers outside of the Labyrinth engaged in a battle was wearing on me. With no small amount of reluctance, I disabled death notifications from the Kingdom of Asrus and the Asrus Covenant Factions. Klive¡¯s choice in naming his Factions was initially something of a surprise, but it made sense when considering the role he was expected to play between his Species and Sanctuary.


    Close to two straight weeks of violent competition in Sanctuary¡¯s arena was dangerously close to depleting the Eminence Exp pool. Partially due to the imminent arrival of the Mothers Moon, and the Orcs desire to prove themselves and establish a hierarchy of combat prowess. The primary cause was my own desire to rapidly increase my levels while also progressing my evolution.


    The more I progressed my evolution, the greater the determined power difference between myself and the competitors, meant the more Exp those competitors received. Now that I was on the brink of tier sixteen, my Orc competitors were earning more Exp being bludgeoned unconscious than I was receiving for doing it. The upside was that the Orcs brave enough to risk broken bones and concussions had managed to raise their Basic and Advanced Classes to levels that made them incredibly difficult to deal with. Meanwhile, those with Lordship titles and master tier Classes were roughly progressing at the same rate as myself and had plateaued at roughly level forty.


    Clarice and Lash had both been competing against a league of equally driven and enthusiastic Orc warriors and hunters. Considering her natural disadvantages in both Racial Abilities and that her Class Abilities heavily involved a Beast Companion she was not allowed to use, Clarice did a spectacular job consistently eking out third place in the rankings. This was even more impressive considering Lash held the first position.


    Second place was held by a Mountain Orc Warden named Skye who was something of a mix between a rival and Lash¡¯s protege. Curiously, Skye was one of the Mountain Orc¡¯s who had not only chosen a mate outside her general species, but for a Human soldier, a young Lieutenant named Jeff.


    Jeff had valiantly attempted competing as well but didn¡¯t rank very highly. It didn¡¯t seem to bother Skye all that much, so it wasn¡¯t surprising when Jeff bowed out of further competitions.


    Jeff and Clarice were not the only humans who made an effort to compete but most limited themselves to a single competition per day. Somewhat ironically, the injuries inflicted in the lower ranks were far worse than those in the higher ranks of the competition. This was due to the relatively low defensive statistics and absence of powerful Class and Racial Abilities to mitigate damage. Low rankers often eliminated one another with a small number of decisive blows. High rankers, with the exception of myself, engaged in gruelling battles of attrition wearing down both HP and MP before finally securing a win. Combined with the fact that the soldiers were all posted to Sanctuary for specific duties, it meant the soldiers could only compete in their downtime which also had to include enough time to make a full recovery.


    With the Eminence Exp in dire need of replenishment, I was sorely tempted to ¡®appropriate¡¯ Exp from the Asrusians Factions. However, I restrained myself and decided to be more proactive instead. One of the reasons so many of the Orcs had been competing so fiercely to rank high in the past couple of weeks of competition was due to the Evolution Elixirs being awarded to the ten highest-ranking competitors of each sex. While this did admittedly play a part in keeping the top ten positions somewhat fixed, it had also been increasing the Exp earned by lower-ranked rivals.


    With new apothecaries and their apprentices arriving in Sanctuary each day, the number of Apprentice Alchemists and Alchemists was beginning to reach critical mass relative to the possible production of the Evolution Elixir. Even with waggons loaded with barrels of Elixir being exported back to the Asrusian¡¯s, it still left an ever-growing supply in Sanctuary. The overwhelming majority of the supply was tier-three only and had very little benefit for myself unless consumed in prolific quantities. However, the lure of the Elixirs and their potency served as a fantastic motivator and reward.


    As Tyrant, I now had an unprecedented degree of control over the quest system, including functions that were previously unavailable. One such function was the ability to award physical rewards as part of the quest. Successfully completing such a quest would have the objects in question teleported to the participant¡¯s location, or even their extradimensional space if they had one.


    It was this quest feature that I was intending to exploit right now. Broadcasting the quest to all of my subordinates, the quest would track Exp earned by each individual and tax ten Exp of every hundred. That taxed amount would be determined as that individual''s score while the Exp itself was sent to Sanctuary. The twenty-five participants with the top scores would each receive a tier 3 Exp Elixir, while the first, second and third-ranked participants would receive an additional Exp Elixir each. The quest would repeat daily and have bonus rewards determined from weekly results. Announced today, it would not begin until tomorrow, ensuring that those who were not literate had a decent amount of time to learn of the event before it would begin.


    As Tyrant, technically EVERYTHING within the boundaries of every Settlement and Capital was deemed to be my property. This meant I had to be somewhat pedantic regarding where the reward could be taken from. I also then had to organise for someone to make sure that sufficient Elixirs would be stored in that location at all times. Both were easy enough to solve, but it was something I would need to remember in order to avoid making more problems.


    With no Exp remaining to support the evening competitions, I opted for a quiet evening with Lash. Despite evolving a few times herself, my own evolutions had left me almost a couple of feet taller, not that Lash seemed to mind.


    Settling on a good spot to watch the sunset, I picked us some fruit from the nearby orchard for our dinner. A large round citrus fruit of Qreet¡¯s own devising had become a Sanctuary favourite. It tasted like an orange crossed with a peach. Lacking the peel of the former and the stone of the latter, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising that it had gained such rapid popularity. The fact that they were as large as a mango had a part in it too no doubt.


    ¡°Ish good,¡± Lash sighed contentedly, leaning her head on my shoulder as went to take another big bite of fruit.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed, wrapping my arm around her waist.


    Lash glanced at me briefly before returning to her fruit, snuggling closer as she did so.


    As much as I wanted to relax I was finding it difficult to do so. I had a needling feeling that something wasn¡¯t quite right. It was a feeling that weeks of combat in the arena had honed into a sense of imminent danger. Specifically, it was the feeling I got when someone was standing in my blind spot and preparing to strike.


    Hearing nothing out of place, I could still feel the sense of danger growing.


    Perhaps sensing something herself, or just reacting to my change in mood, Lash suddenly grew tense as well.


    Slowly drawing Lash protectively onto my lap, I strained my ears for any sign of what the danger may be. Again all I managed to hear was the faint scraping of Lash¡¯s breastplate.


    ¡°Smell death,¡± Lash grunted in warning, snorting quietly with her nose.


    *THWACK!!!*


    Even with Lash¡¯s warning and my own paranoia, it was too slow to react and caught a hard blow to the back of the head. Barely fazed by the blow, I leapt to my feet and caught another blow against my back, but it skidded off at an angle and did no real damage. Balling my right fist, I spun on the spot and extended my arm in the same practice motion.


    *Clang Clank Clang*


    I caught an armoured figure in the chest with my forearm and sent him flying into the briar wall.


    Faced with five more targets, two wearing heavy armour and wielding large blades, what looked like a mage in dark robes cowering in the rear with two lightly armoured companions with twin shortswords.


    ¡°Subdue him!¡± The dark mage barked with audible panic, a thick belt clutched tightly in his left hand while he fumbled for something in the folds of his robes.


    Without making a sound, the armoured figures lurched forward, raising their swords and preparing to strike while those with shortswords similarly jerked into sudden motion, moving to cover the flanks.


    ¡°INVADERS!!!¡± Lash cried as I heard her draw the backup knife from behind her back. The size of a machete, the backup weapon was not to be underestimated.


    Feeling a primal rage well up inside of me as I realised that I was not the only one in danger, but Lash was as well, I charged at the armoured enemies in front of me.


    *Thwack Chink Thump*


    Completely unarmoured, wearing only my boxers, I caught the first large sword on my right collarbone, barely registering the hit as the blade snapped and threw its owner off balance. The second blade struck the meat of my shoulder and bounced off, forcing my attacker to adjust their footing to prepare a follow-up strike.


    ¡°RAAAAGH!!!¡± Channelling mana into my fists, I drew them both close to my chest and then threw them out to either side as I passed the heavily armoured enemies.


    *BOOOOOM!!!*


    Both enemies exploded in a shower of broken metal, disappearing from my peripheral vision as I closed in on the mage.


    In a visible panic, the dark mage projected bolts of dark energy at my chest.


    [Spell has been mitigated by Toughness.] [Spell has been mitigated by Toughness.] [Spell has been mitigated by Toughness.] [Spell has been mitigated by Toughness.] [Spell has been mitigated by Toughness.]


    The string of notifications streamed through my peripheral vision as the bolts of dark energy impacted against my chest one after the other. Feeling nothing more than a faint chill normally associated with an evening breeze, I ignored the attack and continued my charge.


    Trusting Lash to hold the skirmishers with shortswords at bay, or kill them outright, I lunged for the dark mage and managed to grab a hold of his left arm, breaking his bones like kindling just as he drew a wand from inside of his robes. Even in my enraged state, I could tell that the polished stick in the mage¡¯s hand was important, so I made to snatch it before he could release whatever magic was inside.


    *Crunch CRACK!!!*


    Mere moments before my meaty fist closed around the mage¡¯s hand and the wand he was holding, it began to emit large amounts of mana. Too slow to stop me, I crushed the mage''s hand and wand together, shattering both and releasing a near-deafening explosion.


    Thrown backwards by the blast and momentarily disoriented, I was even more confused when I found paved stones beneath my hands and not grass. A quaint old-timey village road had seemingly appeared from nowhere.


    Pushing myself to my feet, I was even more confused at finding the road I was standing on was flanked by row upon row of equally quaint wood and brick houses.


    ¡°TIM!¡± Lash¡¯s voice echoed from a small side street nearby and was shortly followed by the sounds of combat.


    Instincts took over again, circumventing my state of escalating confusion and propelling me down the side street and towards the direction of Lash¡¯s voice.


    ¡°DIE! DIE!¡± Lash barked viciously, her epithets accompanied by heavy impacts from her machete. Retreating into the back alley I had just entered, Lash was being pursued by what looked like an angry mob of humans. However, As confused as I was, I had seen more than enough zombie movies to recognise the awkward stagger when I saw it. To make things worse though, the zombies were not limited exclusively to nerve dead shamblers, hosting at least four spritely and surprisingly survival-oriented runners in their midst as well.


    ¡°LASH!¡± I roared and barrelled straight into the thick of the mob lashing out in all directions with complete abandon and madly stomping my feet on anything unfortunate enough to fall over. Sweeping chunks out of the nearby buildings flung pieces of brick and timber into the ever-thinning crowd, disrupting any attempts at a coordinated attempt to regroup.


    To make things worse for the undead, their broken fingers and teeth proved incapable of even scratching my skin which made the fight entirely one-sided.


    *Whoosh Thwack*


    The last of the runners left standing caught Lash¡¯s machete to the back as it attempted to flee and was pinned to a nearby building.


    Stalking after her machete, and the still writhing runner it was inside of, lash was incredibly careful to avoid the corpses littering the alleyway. It was just as well since some of them were still moving.


    Stomping out the last signs of resistance while Lash retrieved her weapon, I glanced at the combat log¡¯s kill notifications and frowned.


    [You have slain {Plague Zombie: 1 } +0 Exp]


    [You have slain {Zombie: 1 } +0 Exp]


    [You have slain {Crypt Stalker: 1 } +0 Exp]


    Comparing the names to the carnage, I slowly began puzzling out which was which. The Crypt Stalkers were easiest to identify, being the intelligent runners of the group. The Plague Zombies seemed to be the Zombies wearing rotten tattered rags, while the Zombies were the ones bearing bite marks and bloodstained clothing. Both were equally decomposed, so there really wasn''t any other means of differentiating them.


    [You have slain {Crypt Stalker: 1 } +0 Exp]


    Lash returned with her machete in hand and seemed incredibly nervous. More than understandable after what her people had been through, I pulled Lash close with one arm and gave her a reassuring squeeze while keeping a wary eye out for danger. I had been nothing if not loud when dealing with the undead, and their presence combined with the relative silence of our surroundings did not bode well.


    Still piloted by instincts, I led Lash away from the alley and back towards the road, having vaguely recalled seeing a distant gate and large wall in the distance. Unfortunately, the sun was close to setting and I could no longer make out either the gate or wall by the time we returned to the road.


    Knowing that we needed shelter, I turned my attention to a large building in the centre of a crossroads down the road that looked to be mostly made of brick and stone. Apparently sturdy enough to keep the undead out, the building appeared to be in the midst of a siege. Hordes of undead milled about on the road, some of them concentrating around the large gate-like door while others pressed against the walls.


    With instincts fading and reason slowly asserting dominance again, I cringed as I recalled having charged a mob of infectious zombies without protection. Pushing back against the urge to vomit, I looked around for a potential weapon.


    Understanding what I was doing, Lash started looking as well. ¡°There,¡± she pointed to a wooden beam supporting a wood awning.


    Nodding my thanks I pulled the beam free of the awning and dislodged it from the flagstones beneath. Roughly six inches thick and eight feet long, Lash used her machete to round the lower third of the beam and then pulled the length of cord from her hair to try and make a sort of grip. By no means optimal, it was far better than the alternative.


    Gratefully accepting the improvised club, I hugged lash tightly to reassure myself as much as her. ¡°Just trail behind me, if things start to look bad, just run. I¡¯ll be right behind you. No matter what happens, don¡¯t let them touch you. Some of them seem to carry disease.¡±


    Lash nodded and buried her face in my chest for a moment before stepping away. By no means an innocent damsel in distress, Lash seemed to understand the true danger presented by the undead. With far higher Toughness and both of our collective defensive Racial Abilities, I was in far less danger than she was, and it would be best not to risk more than we had to.


    Most buildings we passed while carefully making our way down the road had broken doors and damaged or missing window shutters. The closer we came to the fortified stone building, the louder the sounds of the undead became.


    With the sun having set, Lash and I were forced to wait a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the reduced lighting before pressing forward. Able to see better in the dark than when I first awakened in the Labyrinth, my eyesight was still nowhere close to Lash¡¯s level. All the same, I could still make out the individual members of the horde once we drew closer.


    Seemingly mindless, the undead didn¡¯t notice our approach until we came within a hundred or so feet of those on the periphery. However, the hollow moans and rasping growls of those few were like a call to arms, quickly drawing a large force of the force in our direction.


    Rolling my shoulders to limber up, I did my best to try and stay calm as a hundred or so shambling corpses headed my way with an unholy hunger in their cold dead eyes.


    *Whump Crunch Thwack Thump Crunch*


    Sweeping my club into the first rank of zombies sent their broken rotting bodies flying and dashing against the nearby buildings. The impacts barely fazed me at all and had little slowing power on the swing itself either. Seeing all five kill notifications stream through my peripheral vision gave me a boost in confidence as I readied my next swing.


    My hours of ceaseless fighting in the arena had taught me an important lesson about fighting. That lesson was the importance of maintaining momentum. Single attacks were serviceable, but stringing alternating attacks together was far more efficient when it came to expending energy and tiring muscles.


    With that in mind, I took a deep breath and began my advance. With large amounts of my striking force coming from my hips, it was important to move while making my attacks in order to avoid pulling a muscle and add as much momentum to a strike as possible.


    Battering aside the shambling corpses with near impunity, I grew concerned as my club began to show signs of splintering. All the same, I continued pushing forward, drawing more and more undead from the horde as I did so.


    The constant assault of zombies was slowly taking a toll on my nerves and grew worse each time I was forced to dispatch one with my bare fist or feet. The smell was growing close to unbearable and was making me lightheaded, intensifying with each of the undead bodies broken apart in the vicinity.


    The large stone building was close now, but far more undead was approaching from an ever-widening arc.


    *Crunch Thud CRACK*


    While batting away another wave of zombies, the improvised club finally gave out, losing close to half its length as a large chunk and a long strip of wood splintered away. Left with a much shorter club and far more enemies than I had originally anticipated, I quickly glanced back at Lash and considered a retreat.


    As I had asked, Lash was taking great pains to avoid all contact with the undead, warily winding her way through the corridor of relatively clear ground between the scattered corpses. Wearing only half of her armour, there were a multitude of exposed sections of skin on her legs and arms as well as her completely uncovered head. Pushing our way through the horde and scaling the building was therefore not an acceptable risk.


    ¡°Pull back!¡± I called out and began slowly backing up.


    ¡°Retreating!¡± Lash called back, the sounds of her armour growing more distance confirming her retreat.


    Braining any zombies that drew too close, the closer proximity only served to worsen the effect on both my nerves and nausea. Coming close to my breaking point, I turned away and began to run, slowing only so Lash could fall into stride beside me and set our pace. ¡°Head for the gate and the wall!¡± I pointed ahead of us and down the road.


    ¡°No!¡± Lash insisted, ¡°Many more ahead!¡±


    Trusting in her eyesight, I did my best to suppress the sudden urge to panic. ¡°We will try to loop back!¡± I suggested, pointing to a smaller but still quite large road coming up on our right.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Lash slowed our pace considerably and in doing so became much quieter. Smelling the unmistakable rot of the undead on the wind, it was obviously a contributing factor to her decision.


    Moving at a fast pace, we were both tall enough that we still managed to cover ground incredibly quickly. Arriving at the road I had suggested, I winced upon seeing a dozen or so shambling undead wandering about in the near-immediate vicinity.


    Unlike the main road, the smaller road had upturned and overturned carts of all sizes scattered along its length. Some of the nearest carts'' contents appeared to be clothes and ruptured parcels of food. Trying not to think too much about it, I motioned to one of the carts that appeared to be undamaged and then moved to intercept the undead that had now noticed us.


    Lash nodded in understanding and headed for the cart.


    Despite having lost most of its length, the club was still incredibly effective at dashing open zombies rotting skulls. The possibility of their heads being a universal weak point briefly registered in my mind, but given my stats and Racial Ability bonuses, I quickly dismissed it as irrelevant.


    Having retrieved the cart and its contents, Lash cautiously began pulling it along with one arm while keeping a firm grip on her machete as she maintained a few paces distance behind me. Clothes and food,¡± Lash reported quietly, wanting to avoid drawing more attention to us than necessary.


    Knowing nothing would fit me anyway, I nodded and continued pushing ahead, making sure to check each of the smaller branching streets we passed just in case they had Crypt Stalkers or other faster-moving undead that would be able to catch up to us. As is, we had already accumulated a small pack of zombies lagging behind us, having either drifted out from the side roads or abandoned buildings.


    The road ended in a right turn but had smaller side roads that would otherwise allow us to continue forwards or head to the left. Wanting to try and reach the fortified stone building, I signalled right and we continued on our way again.


    Just like the previous road, this one was festooned with damaged carts and abandoned belongings, most of them stained with blood or marred by claw marks. There was also a minor presence of undead, but there were so few that it was almost insignificant.


    Continuing down the road, it soon became apparent why. An almost rhythmic thumping noise could be heard from down the street and seemed to be drawing the undead to it. Reaching a crossroads but still not having doubled back far enough to connect to the large stone building, I could see a squat two-story stone building with perhaps a hundred zombies gathered outside of its large ironbound door.


    The source of the thumping noise soon became evident as I witnessed a small wooden crane on the top of the building lift what looked to be a rather sizable boulder up into the air before releasing and dropping the same boulder into the gathered ranks of the undead. This process is repeated roughly every twenty seconds, sometimes taking longer or shorter with no real rhyme or reason to it.


    ¡°Humans,¡± Lash hissed quietly, pointing her machete to the roof of the building.


    ¡°How many?¡± I asked, coming to a stop and motioning for Lash to do the same.


    Lash shrugged apologetically, ¡°See four?¡± She didn¡¯t seem particularly confident in her observation. Not that I blamed her, Lash had a little trouble telling humans apart without significant identifying features. Given that I had the same problem with just about every monstrous Species, I was more than happy to let it slide.


    Seeing a light appear on the roof of the building, I was wondering what the people trapped inside were up to when the light began to flash in an incredibly familiar pattern. ¡°They are trying to signal us,¡± I explained for Lash¡¯s benefit.


    With no means of lighting an improvised torch, we had no real means of communicating back in the same manner, even if I understood what they were trying to say.


    Lash seemed quite aware of this problem as well. ¡°Soldier with them,¡± she commented, pointing with her machete to the source of the light, ¡°Silver wings.¡±


    ¡°You''re sure?¡± I asked, a little surprised she was able to make out the soldier so well with the interference of the light.


    Lash nodded.


    Silver wings meant that the soldier was actually a lieutenant or a captain, depending on their size. With the presence of a commissioned officer, there was a much greater chance that Tim would be able to negotiate peacefully with the humans. There might even be a chance that the officer knew of him already, although Tim found that possibility unlikely given the secrecy with which the Asrusian government had been operating thus far.


    ¡°Let''s try approaching from the side,¡± I suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll lift you up onto the roof and then climb up after you.¡±


    Lash didn¡¯t seem particularly thrilled by that idea, but she showed a great deal of trust in me by nodding her head in agreement.


    Tying together a number of articles of clothing to form a pair of sashes for me to wear over each shoulder and a makeshift belt to hold them in place, we then tied the small bags of food to the sashes. We then used torn scraps of fabric to wedge between the plates of Lash¡¯s armour in an attempt to reduce the amount of noise produced whenever she moved about. Lastly, I tore off the arms of the cart to serve as a fresh pair of improvised clubs.


    Giving one of the new clubs to Lash, I switched the broken club to my left hand and used the new one in my right. Even though we were intending to skirt the hoard, I still wanted to play things as safe as possible.


    Thankfully the rags dampened the noise made by Lash¡¯s armour considerably. However, as we drew closer to the horde and began skirting around, it became apparent that the zombies seemed to become aware of our presence regardless.


    Now able to hear the warning cries of the humans, and no small number of expletives, I chose to ignore them and focus on getting Lash to the building with as few undead around as possible. With far fewer undead around than the building on the main road, it was much easier to hold my nerve and deal with the piecemeal assault of the zombies.


    In fact, the zombies in the immediate area approached in such a staggered formation that I just continued killing them instead. Perhaps understanding that it would be best to be rid of them rather than just getting out of their reach, Lash made no complaints and diligently shadowed me as we slowly made our way towards the wall of the stone building.


    Close enough now to see arrow slits on the second story and taking note of the absence of windows on the first floor, I quickly realised that this building was likely a guard or army watch station of some kind. This served as some sort of explanation for why an enlisted officer was present on the top of the building since he was very likely working when everything went to shit.


    Having taken care of the zombies in the immediate area and noting that the closest stragglers were more than a few minutes away, I decided that it was probably time to start paying attention to the angry conversations taking place above us.


    ¡°-care if it killed those fucking undead! There is no way I am letting that monster inside!¡± A male voice argued belligerent, his voice cracking under stress, ¡°Let it keep killing undead out there!¡±


    There were general rumblings of assent.


    ¡°Quiet!¡± An authoritative voice demanded in a tone that made it absolutely clear that this man was more than happy to have someone whipped for not obeying him. ¡°Whether they are the slaves of an Adventurer or not, I don¡¯t care. The gods saw fit to grant a bloody miracle and I am not going to allow ignorance and thickheaded thinking to allow this opportunity to pass us by. Have I made myself clear?!¡±


    There was a short silence and then the sound of booted heels clicking on hardwood.


    As expected, the officer appeared at the low wall of the roof above them, his helmet and breastplate both dented and bearing deep scratches that were made more obvious by the moonlight. Seeing Tim, and to a lesser extent Lash apparently gave him pause in spite of his earlier words. ¡°Ahem,¡± The officer somewhat nervously cleared his throat before seeming to settle into a familiar and rather stiff posture. ¡°Gree-ee-tings, man-ny tha-anks o-or kill-ling thee un-de-ead,¡± he was speaking like a stereotypical American tourist, dragging out each syllable.


    ¡°I speak Asrusian, and you''re welcome,¡± I replied while checking the progress of the slowly approaching undead.


    The officer was taken aback for a moment, ¡°Yes, It appears you do indeed¡­¡± There was another short pause, ¡°Mayhaps it would be better if we were to parlay out of the reach of the undead?¡± He suggested, his attention similarly focused on the zombies that were now only a minute or so away. ¡°I shall have ropes lowered yourself and your companion momentarily,¡± he promised before stepping away from the wall, ¡°Higgins! Two lengths of thick rope! On the double!¡±


    ¡°Up you go,¡± I knelt down and lifted Lash onto my shoulders.


    Carefully standing on my shoulders, Lash used one of the arrow slits as a temporary foothold and used her other foot to propel herself off my shoulder and scramble high enough to grab the low wall on the roof. Cautiously pulling herself over the wall, Lash¡¯s appearance nonetheless provoked a number of cries of alarm.


    Roughly half as tall as the building, I took a short jog back for a run-up and jumped. Rather easily grabbing hold of the low wall, I was still grateful for Lash¡¯s help in pulling myself up. My gains in muscle had made me quite heavy and I was not at all used to lifting my own body weight.


    Now standing on the roof, I could see that in addition to the officer, there were a dozen men and women in what looked to be leather armour and caps all bearing a sigil I was unfamiliar with. None of them seemed particularly pleased to see us.


    The officer, who I could now see had a finely trimmed pencil moustache and was walking with a noticeable limp, briefly turned his attention to one of the men standing beside the makeshift crane, ¡°It seems, Private Stibbons, that it was not up to you or me to decide after all.¡±


    *****


    Forced to crane his neck to make eye contact with even the pale-skinned and incredibly tall female Orc, Watch Captain Morris ignored the pain from his broken foot and made the effort to meet the giant¡¯s gaze. Having already witnessed firsthand how the monster could destroy the undead with apparent ease, he was in no rush to insult him in any way. This was one of the reasons Morris had banished Private Stibbons to the second floor with the civilians. The short conversation Morris and the monster had shared already made it painfully obvious that it was of at least human intelligence.


    ¡°I am Captain Morris of the Mournbrent City watch, acting Commander of the western districts,¡± Morris cited politely, taking only a minor liberty with the self-appointed responsibility of acting Commander. With no reply from the central command and only sporadic communications with the West Guard Headquarters, Morris knew enough to assume he was the most senior ranking officer in the western districts.


    The giant nodded to itself as if he had assumed as much, ¡°You were right,¡± he told his companion before turning his attention back to Morris, ¡°I am Tim, you might have heard of me?¡±


    Intrigued, Morris politely shook his head, ¡°I am sorry, I don¡¯t believe I have.¡±


    The giant nodded again, showing no true signs of irritation or anger, just mild disappointment. ¡°I have dealings with your Regent and Military,¡± he explained with deliberate and telling vagueness, ¡°If you have a communicator and contact¡­Damnit, what was Klive¡¯s promotion again? Some sort of marshal¡­They made him a Baron, I know that. There can¡¯t be too many Barons named Klive-¡±


    With a wife who was something of a social climber, Morris knew exactly who the giant was talking about, ¡°Field Marshal Klive? The Baron and Lord Governor of territories in the Hurst Labyrinth?¡± Morris suggested with no small amount of surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Tim confirmed happily, ¡°Although it would probably be safe to assume all the marshals know about me too,¡± he conceded thoughtfully.


    Morris gulped down the lump forming in his throat and tried his best to remain calm. For a monster to be so well connected he had to be some sort of secret operative, there was no other explanation Morris could think of.


    ¡°Oh, and this is my wife, Lash,¡± Tim leaned down and gave the female orc a gentle kiss, ¡°And I will give you only one warning. Anyone who tries to harm her dies.¡±


    A shiver ran down Morris¡¯s spine at the sudden shift in tone and the deadly seriousness in the giant¡¯s gaze, his suddenly cold eyes promising a violent end at the least. ¡°I will make sure everyone is on their best behaviour,¡± Morris promised, glancing back at his men and not at all surprised to find them all quite thoroughly cowed. ¡°As for contacting the military, I am sorry to say that we lack the means to do so. Short of stumbling upon a communicator from an officer on leave, the best bet would be central command¡¯s headquarters, but they have been thoroughly overrun. Attempting to retrieve a communicator would be incredibly dangerous, That is, for us humans I mean,¡± Morris added somewhat apologetically, not wanting to have the giant mistake the assessment for an insult.


    ¡°That¡¯s not great¡­¡± Tim conceded with surprising reasonableness. ¡°What exactly happened here? Why are there Zombies and other undead everywhere?¡±


    Morris fought hard to maintain his composure as he remembered the events of a little over two weeks prior. ¡°They came from the Labyrinth¡­¡± Morris clasped his hands behind his back to stop them from trembling, and when that failed, to keep them out of sight, ¡°Much more powerful undead were reported to have led the charge. Contracted personal security forces of the Guilds failed to react swiftly and¡­and the undead began butchering their way through the streets. Guards and civilians alike were caught up in the bloodbath. We had lost the central district before any sort of warning reached the outer districts. The central district''s gates have all been closed but at great cost. The Strongest undead are locked inside and the gates stop new waves of undead from entering the rest of the city, but there were already too many lesser undead running rampant in the outer districts¡­We have tried to protect as many civilians as we can, but we are under siege. The undead can sense life and are drawn to it like moths to a flame. I do not know how else to describe it, but we are under siege in our own city.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­¡± The giant rumbled thoughtfully, ¡°So the large stone building I saw over that way,¡± Tim pointed to the northeast, roughly in the direction of the western districts promenade cathedral ¡°Must have survivors, right?¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Morris nodded, his heart somewhat eased by the news of other survivors, ¡°I would believe so,¡± he agreed.


    ¡°Which building would be more defensible?¡± Tim asked curiously, ¡°This one, or that one?¡±


    Normally, this may have taken some serious consideration, but this particular cathedral was built to withstand prolonged sieges, specifically sieges by the undead. The martial devotees of the cathedral were all high levelled and experienced with fighting the undead. If anywhere in the western district was going to be safe, it would be there. ¡±Definitely the cathedral,¡± Morris insisted, ¡°The other building I mean,¡± he corrected hastily.


    ¡°A cathedral? Hrm, I didn¡¯t see any stained glass windows¡­¡± Tim muttered with vague interest, displaying a surprisingly high degree of familiarity with the clergy''s typical preference in architecture. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you want to come with us?¡± The giant inquired with some degree of interest, ¡°It would be nice to have someone around who can talk down any trigger happy crossbowmen.¡±


    As badly as Morris was tempted by the safety that would be afforded by the monastery, he would not abandon his duty, nor his men or the civilians under his care. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot abandon my post, not while my people still need me,¡± Morris apologised with no small amount of regret but also a welcome sense of pride.


    Tim nodded as if he had expected as much and had just offered the invitation as a courtesy. ¡°You won¡¯t leave people behind, I can respect that.¡±


    The female Orc¡¯s ears twitched and her attention shifted to the stairs momentarily before returning to the giant that was her husband, ¡°Children,¡± she stated bluntly with expectation in her amethyst coloured eyes and a genuinely surprising degree of empathy.


    ¡°I figured there would be,¡± Tim replied with a small smile, ¡°I wasn¡¯t intending to take just you, Captain. If we can find a waggon or something for the women and children, I would very much prefer to take all of you.¡±


    Morris very nearly lost his composure entirely, unable to understand what exactly he was hearing, ¡°You would take everyone with you?¡±


    Tim nodded, ¡°Of course,¡± he agreed adamantly, earning an admiring look from his wife, ¡°Although I would very much prefer a decently made weapon first. These improvised clubs just can¡¯t take the sustained abuse.¡±


    Morris recalled the clubs he had seen the giant using earlier and was inclined to agree, they certainly weren¡¯t solid enough to handle the sheer force behind the blows they were delivering. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but I don¡¯t think there would be anything your size anywhere in the city,¡± Morris apologised.


    Tim looked down at his huge fists and sighed before nodding in agreement, ¡°Figures¡­¡± Eyes widening as seemed to have something of an epiphany, the giant grinned as he lumbered over to the crane and stared down at the small host of Zombies that had gathered below.


    Curious to see what the giant was up to, Morris hobbled after him and peered over the edge. Just as he had assumed, a couple of dozen Zombies had gathered outside the main door and were mindlessly trying to club it down with their mangled fists.


    Lifting the rope connected to the large rock with only the strength in his arm, the giant aimed and dropped it on the unsuspecting head of one of the zombies. The zombie in question crumpled instantly. The giant waited for a moment before repeating the process ten more times in rapid succession.


    *Pop Clunk*


    Thinking he must be hearing things, Morris turned around to try and see what had caused the noise.


    ¡°My axe!¡± The female Orc called out excitedly, picking up a solid looking iron axe off the rooftop and sheathing her crude blade behind her back.


    Quite sure there had been no such axe only a few moments ago, Morris was about to ask one of his men where it had come from but stopped as he heard the same popping noise and witnessed yet another axe seemingly materialise out of thin air and clatter onto the rooftop.


    ¡°Mind if I borrow the old one?¡± Tim asked, lumbering over to the newly arrived axe and looking to his wife for permission before picking it up. ¡°I¡¯d honestly like my clubs, but the amount of Zombies the quest was demanding is outrageous!¡±


    ¡°Axe better,¡± the female Orc replied somewhat dismissively as she lovingly cleaned the head of her axe with a rag.


    ¡°Does the military use different codes?¡± Tim asked, suddenly directing all of his attention to Morris.


    Morris nodded and tried to find his voice.


    ¡°Well that sucks¡­¡± Tim muttered somewhat dejectedly before quickly becoming optimistic again, ¡°Would the military recognise guard codes?¡±


    ¡°Th-Aherm!¡± Morris was forced to clear his throat in order to speak, ¡°I believe they would, the codes are very distinctive,¡± he explained while doing his best not to become overwhelmed.


    ¡°Do the communicators have a maximum range?¡± Tim pressed, apparently having come up with a plan and only requiring confirmations before putting it into motion.


    Morris nodded, momentarily losing his composure and forced to lean on the low wall for support.


    ¡°Hopefully Kestrel won¡¯t get too mad,¡± the giant chuckled to himself in amusement as he returned to the crane.


    For the first time in his life, Morris was happy to feel so profoundly out of his depth. With two literal monsters of such a calibre on their side, how could he not feel like events were finally beginning to turn in his favour?

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 35 – Advent of providence – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 35 ¨C Advent of providence ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 35 - Advent of providence - Part One


    The state of the survivors taking refuge in the guard station was worse than I had initially anticipated. Food and water supplies were running desperately low and the guardsmen had no independent means of securing more without venturing out into the city that was overrun with undead.


    They initially had stockpiles of food and water in a cellar beneath the guard station. However, the fifty or so civilians combined with the thirty-ish guardsmen themselves had gradually depleted it over the course of two weeks. Not starving quite yet, it would otherwise only be a matter of time.


    Borrowing Kestrel¡¯s communication device was intended to be the first step to rectifying this problem.


    The guardsmen themselves each possessed a basic combat Class, which meant I could invite them into a party but not much else. Unfortunately, my quest functions outside of the Labyrinth were restricted to my subjects only. I doubted any of the guardsmen would swear the required oaths and accept an invitation to vassalage without substantial pressure or assurances either. Which was a problem.


    Watch Captain Morris was patiently waiting for a reply signal on the communication device while another guardsman waited alongside him with a pencil and clipboard ready to take down dictation.


    Wanting to speed the process along, I issued a mandatory quest to the Regent requiring him to attempt contact through Kestrel¡¯s communication device. Making sure to specifically list the device and not just Kestrel herself, I was hoping the Regent would take the hint. It was already somewhat strange that communication hadn¡¯t been established almost immediately. Kestrel had led me to believe that there was a rotating team of operators on the other end that could ensure she could send messages twenty-four seven.


    Settling down on the roof and taking care to distribute my weight as evenly as I could, I hugged Lash close as she made to do the same.


    After about five minutes, Morris suddenly grew incredibly excited, ¡°It¡¯s one of the Lord Regent¡¯s aides! We have contact with the capital!¡± He exclaimed, bringing a quiet yet enthusiastic cheer from the guardsmen still standing watch on the roof.


    Lash had already begun to snore, so I did my best to angle and support her head as best I could in order to make it quieter. Zombies may not be able to scale the walls of the guard station but I didn¡¯t doubt the Crypt Stalkers would take a crack at it if they could.


    Morris used the communicator for close to two solid hours before he looked to be finished. Looking terrified, determined and awed in equal measure, Morris limped over with the clipboard of dictated notes clutched in a white-knuckled grip. Wetting his dry lips and clearing his throat, it became obvious that he was moments away from having a panic attack.


    ¡°Just sit,¡± I suggested helpfully.


    The Watch Captain nodded nervously and awkwardly lowered himself into a sitting position, bowing his head several times as he did so.


    ¡°What did the Regent tell you?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Th-that, hrm, that your safety is to be our top priority, your, uh, Lordship,¡± Morris bowed his head yet again.


    ¡°What else?¡± That first part hadn¡¯t been all that unexpected considering how the Asrusians had come to rely on my Abilities and Titles.


    Morris wet his lips again, ¡°A rescue force is being mustered as we speak, but...but...¡± His hands trembled as he tried to control his emotions, ¡°An invading army is stationed outside of the city and controls access to the gates...¡±


    That was interesting, but not altogether unexpected. ¡°What else?¡± I repeated.


    Morris seemed surprised that I wasn¡¯t more affected by the news of the occupying force outside of the walls. I probably would have been if I didn''t already have something of an alternate plan in mind.


    ¡°The Lord Regent¡¯s orders are to follow your commands without question as if they had been spoken by himself or the Prince,¡± Morris seemed somewhat faint as he spoke the words aloud, rereading the dictated notes over and over again as he did so.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I reassured him, ¡°The Regent just dramatically increased everyone''s chances of survival.¡±


    Morris didn¡¯t seem to know what to say.


    ¡°Tell the Regent that I have a list of items I need to be both stored and maintained in Port Gidian, specifically in Klive¡¯s dining room,¡± I took a few moments to think of what we would need, ¡°Arrows, bows, bolts, crossbows, halberds, axes, armour, food, water, Ascendency Elixirs, low-level mana stones, one of those teleportation wands-¡±


    Morris hastily began taking notes on a fresh piece of paper, doing his best to catch up when I showed no signs of stopping.


    ¡°-Ropes, basic clothing, blankets, medical supplies, someone keeping track of inventory levels and replacing them in real-time...and...hrm, that¡¯s all I can really think of right now,¡± I took a few moments to try and think if there was anything else we might need but came up blank.


    ¡°I...I will inform the Lord Regent,¡± Morris confirmed, stiffly getting to his feet while still scribbling down the final items on the list.


    Mentally reviewing the list again, I began composing the quest in such a way that it would function similarly to an arcade ticket system. Participants in the quest would earn points from their kills and in turn, could spend those points on rewards from the list. The problem with this method would be the number of points awarded, which was out of my control and calculated automatically, against the value of the items in question, which was also determined automatically.


    Using the Undead Hunt voluntary quest to secure common things like food and water would probably be no problem. However, after learning that my clubs were each equivalent to four hundred Zombies each, I found the chances of being able to secure the wand of teleportation to be little more than a pipedream. All the same, I had to include it to account for the off chance of getting Lash to safety. As an additional measure, I issued a second optional quest for killing the undead in Mournbrent for bonus Exp. The quests were at odds with one another, so each individual would need to alternate their participation based on their own circumstances.


    With the Mothers Moon approaching, I had something of a backup plan in mind as well. The Central District would contain the portal to the first floor of the Mournbrent Labyrinth. Presumably, the first floor would still have the remains of a Foothold that I could claim and fortify long enough for Lash to conceive. The more warm bodies I could bring along for the ride, the safer we would all be.


    Of course, this would mean fighting through the more powerful undead in the Central District, but that was why I had no intentions of fighting fair. After gathering as many survivors as possible, and levelling and gearing them up, we would push for the Labyrinth. The fact that the more powerful undead had not broken down any gates suggested that they were not actually that powerful. Most likely they were just fifth tier monsters that overwhelmed the defenders and caused enough panic to prevent organised resistance. Or at least those were my assumptions.


    Before going to sleep for the night, I recruited Morris and promoted him to an Underlord before ordering him to recruit the other survivors. Joining wasn¡¯t mandatory, but I made a point of emphasising that it would dramatically increase not just individual survival, but that of the group. Already off-balance from his own promotion to Underlord and the myriad of information that entitled him to, Morris could only manage to silently bow his head before taking a break to collect himself before addressing his guardsmen.


    Waking up early, I groaned as I caught the rays of the rising sun straight to the face. At some point during the night, Lash had buried her face in my chest and managed to avoid being so rudely awakened as I had been.


    It quickly became apparent that more Zombies had crowded around the guard station during the night. The chorus of wet growls and guttural moans of the undead was impossible to block out once I became aware of them, so I carefully sat myself up to see what was going on.


    The first thing I noticed was the absence of the makeshift crane, and the second was the veritable horde of undead that appeared to be surrounding the guard station. Hundreds of Zombies had gathered against the walls and were slapping their arms and broken hands against the unrelenting stone, accomplishing nothing besides further damaging themselves.


    The ten guardsmen on duty stood at least five feet back from the low walls and seemed to be avoiding looking over the walls. Given what was below them, I could understand the motivation in not wanting to look. All the same, time was wasting and I had places I would very much rather be.


    Issuing the quests gave the guardsmen something of a shock. Again, this was perfectly understandable due to how large the list of potential rewards and obligatory description on what precisely constitutes participation in the quest.


    Removing the small parcels of food from the makeshift sashes on my chest, I set them aside and waited to see what the guardsmen would do.


    Their reactions were mixed, to say the least.


    One guardsman rushed downstairs, most likely to inform Morris. Three others huddled together and began whispering heatedly with one another. One particularly nervous looking guardsman loaded his crossbow and aimed over the side while the remaining guardsmen watched with expressions of doubt and derision.


    *Tunk*


    The guardsman fired his crossbow and a couple of moments later very nearly jumped in fright. Judging by how he was staring upwards at nothing, it was likely that he had managed to earn redemption points for the quest. ¡°It worked,¡± the guardsman croaked, ¡°It worked! I got points just like it said!¡± Without waiting for comments or questions from his fellows, the guardsman hurriedly loaded his crossbow and took another shot. He repeated this four more times, growing more excited with each shot fired.


    This was apparently enough to anger one of the guardsmen who also had a crossbow, ¡°Nollan! Stop wasting our ammunition! We barely have any left as it is!¡±


    The first guardsman, apparently named Nollan, fired his next shot as if he hadn¡¯t heard.


    ¡°Nollan!¡± The guardsman hissed angrily, ¡°I told you-¡±


    ¡°Bolts,¡± Nollan exclaimed excitedly, ¡°Confirm!¡±


    *Pop Clatter*


    A bundle of crossbow bolts materialised next to Nollan and landed on the roof, corded bindings preventing what looked to be twenty crossbow bolts from scattering from the minor fall.


    All eyes turned to the pile of bolts.


    Positively shaking with excitement and tears streaming down his face, Nollan knelt down beside the bundle of bolts and worked at untying the cord.


    All at once the other guardsmen began scrambling and shoving past one another in order to take a closer look.


    Less than a minute later, all guardsmen on duty were actively taking shots at the horde of undead below. Some were noticeably less proficient than others, but that was fine for the time being.


    Judging Nollan to be the most receptive, I waited until he was accepting a second supply of bolts before trying to get his attention. ¡°Can you go fetch your Captain? I want to speak with him.¡±


    Nollan nodded determinedly and hurriedly made his way down the stairs.


    At first, the other guardsmen prioritised restocking their ammunition, but by the time Morris came limping up the stairs, there was a plethora of small food parcels and even a barrel of water.


    Morris was just as stupefied as the other guardsmen had been. Not trusting his eyes, he made a point of touching just about everything before hurriedly limping over to see what I wanted.


    ¡°You need to organise your men,¡± I explained, ¡°Have them form into party¡¯s to get the most Exp from their kills. Also, and this is very important, make sure that enough Ascension Elixirs are earned for the civilians and make sure that they drink them. Also, you may want to take a look at your stats.¡±


    Morris seemed a little perplexed by my final request but did as I asked. In the meantime, the mound of earned supplies continued to grow. Furrowing his brow in confusion, Morris¡¯s eyes were transfixed on a single point, ¡°How?...¡±


    I moved Morris into my party and then pointed to one of the parcels of food, ¡°Eat,¡± I encouraged him with a smile.


    Blinking away his status, Morris limped over to the pile and stiffly retrieved a parcel of food. Nervously untying the cord he glanced back at me a number of times before placing a few pieces of what looked like smoked fish into his mouth. Chewing slowly and still sneaking glances, he didn¡¯t seem to understand what was the point of the exercise. Finishing the small parcel of food, Morris began making his way back towards me but suddenly stopped as he gingerly put weight on his injured foot.


    Eyes wide with surprise, Morris stared down at his foot in shock. Putting more weight on his foot, he nearly fell over as one of the guardsmen hurried past to deposit more supplies on the pile while Morris was balancing on just that foot. Far from upset, Morris quickly made his way over.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my Racial Abilities,¡± I explained, ¡°Even though the synergy version is a little weaker it¡¯s still enough to heal a minor injury like your foot in no time.¡±


    ¡°B-but synergies are only shared between monsters?¡± Morris stated uncertainty. However, before I could elaborate, his eyes grew wide as he seemed to put things together for himself. ¡°S-status,¡± Morris stammered, his eyes immediately scrolling through his personal information and assumedly ending on the list of Synergies now afforded from myself and Lash. Eyes boggling, his face turned quite pale as he glanced away from his status and back to me for a few moments before staring once more at the Synergy list.


    Giving Morris the time he needed in order to adjust, I looked out over the walls and was glad to see that the number of Zombies had begun to thin out quite noticeably.


    ¡°This is why you are so valuable...¡± Morris croaked in a hoarse whisper, ¡°Why the Lord Regent demanded you be protected at all costs...¡± Not strictly correct, it was close enough to the truth that I was willing to let it slide for the time being. Better to be considered a unique, irreplaceable and incredibly valuable monster than just about any other alternative. ¡°And the civilians?¡± He queried hesitantly, ¡°The Synergies alone...¡±


    ¡°Once they consume an Ascendency Elixir, then they will benefit from Synergies as well,¡± I confirmed.


    Morris staggered and nearly fell, ¡°By the gods...You really are a miracle...¡±


    I shrugged impartially. I had yet to see signs of any gods being real, except for maybe Orphiel the Fallen Angel, but that was a tenuous connection at best. All the more so since I had never heard him speak of any gods either.


    Morris was so excited and flustered that he hurried away without any of his usual bowing. Ordering the guardsmen on duty to spend their points on ammunition and Ascendency Elixirs, Morris headed downstairs and began loudly waking up more guardsmen, panicking more than a few civilians in the process.


    Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t take long for the guardsmen to begin accruing a decent stock of Ascendency Elixirs, making it clear that the labyrinth didn¡¯t value them very highly at all. It wasn¡¯t until I took a closer look at one of the Elixirs that I began to understand why. Smelling of cherry wine, a tiny rounded flake of manastone was suspended in what looked like red jelly. The jelly itself gave off a faint sense of mana, but the polished flake of manastone seemed dead.


    Normally used to allow a regular human to gain access to the Labyrinths Status mechanics, the Elixir seemed downright primitive in comparison to what I was expecting. Somehow cherry jelly and a dead manastone allowed humans to backdoor into whatever magic governed the labyrinths. It was so downright absurd that I found myself beginning to agree with the simplicity of the approach. Who would think to protect against something so basic?


    Allocating the civilians to my retinue, I continued keeping an eye on the surrounding streets.


    More Zombies were slowly shambling towards the guard station and there did not seem to be any sign of that ending any time soon. I had initially hoped that the Zombies gathered around the station might have been the total number within range, but apparently, that was not the case.


    This meant that getting the guardsmen and civilians to the cathedral was going to require transportation. Which meant I was going to have to go out into the city to get it. I had seen plenty of handcarts and food carts while Lash and I were travelling the roads the previous evening, but no waggons or carriages. There was a very real possibility that the carriages had been fast enough to leave the city in time to avoid being closed inside, but my impression of the slow-moving waggons still left me curious as to where they all might be.


    With all thirty guardsmen firing bows and crossbows into the horde outside, the number of gathered Zombies began to fall dramatically. For the most part, the guardsmen seemed to be targeting the Zombies'' heads which somewhat validated my earlier theory on their weak point. Then again, it may just be that comparative safety and elevation of their firing position made it more economical to prioritise aiming for a head rather than a body.


    Waiting until the watch Captain returned, I waved to let him know I wanted to talk.


    ¡°Is there something I can assist you with your Lordship?¡± Morris asked, doing his best to restrain his excitement over their dramatic change in fortunes.


    ¡°We need to secure transport for the women and children, but I didn¡¯t see any waggons on the roads,¡± I explained bluntly, ¡°Do you know where I could find one?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± Morris seemed momentarily conflicted before giving the question some serious thought. ¡°In the initial panic, I think most may have been driven to the outer gates of the city and would now be destroyed or otherwise surrounded by the undead. But...¡± He hesitated, clearly conflicted over whether he should speak further.


    ¡°This is the safest way of ensuring the civilians make it to the cathedral,¡± I reminded him, deliberately adding emotional weight to tip the scales of his internal conflict.


    Watch Captain Morris nodded and seemed to come to a decision. ¡°The tannery on the southwestern edge of the city. They have large waggons for accepting monster hides from the Guilds and making their own deliveries...Only...There are no horses...¡±


    ¡°Then I will pull it,¡± I stated confidently. I had plenty of experience drawing sleds by this point and doubted pulling a waggon would be particularly different.


    Morris seemed less confident, or perhaps was apprehensive about his VIP being in harm''s way. ¡°They are large waggons of your Lordship, intended to be drawn by large horses...¡±


    ¡°Worst case, Lash will help me,¡± I insisted stubbornly, ¡°Do you have a map?¡±


    The watch Captain grew somewhat pale and seemed to be actively engaged in another internal debate. ¡°There is a map in the briefing room, but it would be best if you were escorted instead,¡± Morris countered diplomatically.


    I considered his proposal for a few moments but ultimately rejected it, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous to walk the streets in a small group. The Crypt Stalkers looked fast, and I can¡¯t fight effectively if I have to keep worrying about friendlies getting in the way. I won¡¯t be risking Lash either.¡±


    Lash narrowed her eyes in annoyance but nodded to show she understood my unspoken reasoning behind the decision. The Plague Zombies were too much of an unknown at this point and it was not worth taking otherwise avoidable risks whenever they would be present.


    Morris blanched but quickly rallied, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders, ¡°Then I will guide you there myself!¡± He insisted.


    Carefully weighing the pros and cons of only having to look out for one person, I reluctantly agreed and nodded, ¡°Alright, but you need to bring a heavy weapon for your own protection,¡± I countered.


    Morris gulped hard and nodded before bowing his head and retrieving a halberd from the now somewhat organised pile of supplies. In addition to the halberd, the watch Captain replaced pieces of his damaged armour with suitable segments from the accrued supplies. Lastly, he filled a small pack with food and a waterskin before strapping it to his back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± I promised Lash, taking a few moments to share a kiss before giving her a reassuring hug.


    Lash nodded and put on a brave front, ¡°Return soon,¡± she insisted, wringing her hands in frustration at being left behind.


    Taking a firm hold on Lash¡¯s old axe and a few deep breaths, I surveyed the wall beneath me and steeled my nerves. There were still plenty of Zombies left, and a growing pile of their dead besides. Aware that my hide was too tough for them to peirce was little comfort when contemplating deliberately dropping in amongst them, the primal monkey part of my brain practically screaming at me not to do it.


    *Clang*


    I threw down the axe about ten feet from the wall of the watch station and psyched myself up to make the jump.


    *Whump Crunch*


    Leaping over the short wall and increasing the prospective height of my fall was nerve-wracking at the moment, but rapidly falling towards the ground took precedence. Doing my best to roll on impact, I felt a Zombie¡¯s body break beneath me as I barrelled over it.


    Seeing no death notification, I awkwardly scrambled to my feet and was a little embarrassed to find that I had rolled hard to one side and was much further from where I had intended to end my landing. As a result, I had rolled over one of the already dead bodies scattered farther out from the watch station.


    Stifling my embarrassment, I quickly leapt over to where the axe had landed and snatched it up.


    The Zombies had all apparently taken notice of my descent and seemed keen for a fight.


    Ironically, this made them easier targets for the guardsmen on the roof, allowing them to take pot shots into the gathering crowd without having to lean so far over the low wall.


    Somewhat familiar with how to use an axe due to my training, I was still lacking in practical combat experience. Seeing the slow-moving Zombies as something of an opportunity, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself before stepping forward and taking my first swing.


    *Shunk*


    Exceeding my initial expectations, the head of the axe sheared straight through the Zombie¡¯s neck and sent the body tumbling a few feet to the side. Incredibly used to my club sending enemies flying or pulping their limbs, it was a different experience entirely to feel the initial impact of the edge bite into flesh and then continue hewing through additional flesh and bone before erupting out the opposite side.


    Limiting myself to horizontal strikes seemed to be the most effective means of compensating for the height difference. Even longhafting the axe still resulted in vertically angled cuts. But it made striking additional bones in the back and shoulders less frequent which helped to maintain momentum through multiple targets.


    The more I swung the axe back and forth, and the more comfortable I became with the motion, the more I realised its similarities with the club. I was certain that there were better techniques to use with it as a weapon, but in terms of fighting waves of slow-moving Zombies, the axe was incredibly simple to use effectively.


    On a personal quest I had issued to myself, I tried not to leave too many Zombies to the guardsmen. By my estimation, I was roughly three or four Evolution Elixirs from my first major evolution, and each of those Elixirs was valued at roughly seventy five Zombies a piece, for a total of three hundred Zombies.


    While evolving would tank my available mana, it would also make my mana more potent, increasing the effect of Class Abilities that used it as a consumable resource. The Evolution would also hopefully provide stat increases that would increase Lash¡¯s and my own chances of survival. It would also theoretically result in our child being that much more evolved as well, which was a nice side benefit.


    Once all the Zombies in the immediate area were dealt with, Watch Captain Morris carefully climbed down the wall on a rope ladder before retrieving his recently claimed halberd. The halberd was roughly ten feet long and would afford him a decent distance from any potential enemies, so it was one of the better choices available. Furthermore, I already knew from experience that the halberd qualified as a Heavy weapon for the purposes of Racial Abilities, so the fact that Morris was a level twenty-three Swordsman was largely redundant.


    With Morris leading the way, we began a brisk pace down the western road. Although doing his best to contribute, the first five encounters with Zombies required Morris to retreat after miscalculating a swing or thrust that resulted in his weapon becoming stuck. However, he didn¡¯t complain and quickly seemed to get the hang of it.


    The problem, I assumed, was very likely that the bonus damage was responsible. The bonus damage seemed just enough to make running the bladed head of the halberd through a Zombie¡¯s chest and out its back an almost guaranteed outcome if he wasn¡¯t careful. However, it did demonstrate that sufficient damage to the body also killed Zombies, so that was a plus.


    As we left the larger road and began winding through the equivalent of two-laned streets without sidewalks, the Zombies became more difficult to deal with at a distance. For the most part, this was because the Zombies were coming at us from the narrow alleys and from the much closer buildings on either side of the road. However, they were also grouped up in much larger numbers. Rather than one or two at a time, instances of seven to fifteen quickly became the norm. This required Morris to actively manoeuvre through an ever-changing battlefield as he was retreating from one group or giving me space to attack another.


    I could smell the tannery long before I saw it. The pungent aroma was actually something of a relief after being subjected to the everpresent rot and filth of the Zombies. At the very least it was different, and that counted for something.


    The tannery itself looked like a series of connected warehouses and had a stone wall skirting the property and a large iron gate out front.


    Two things very quickly became apparent. First, there was a horde of Zombies gathered outside of the gate. Second, there appeared to be survivors inside of the tannery grounds on the other side of the gate and were potentially attempting to thin out the Zombies'' numbers.


    Morris seemed to have noticed as well and seemed genuinely surprised.


    However, as we drew closer to the tannery, I realised why the survivors had likely been able to hold out as long as they had. They were monsters. Or at least some of them were.


    Gnolls had a very distinct way of speaking and it only became more pronounced when they became excited. So it was not difficult at all to pick out at least a dozen different Gnoll voices barking at one another from the other side of the gate.


    The Gnolls¡¯ voices weren¡¯t the only evidence of monsters either. I could feel the Enslavement effects through my own Class Ability and had to resist the urge to break it. There were potentially other survivors taking shelter inside of the tannery, and I had no idea what the temperament of these Gnolls was like. For all I knew, they might immediately turn on any humans and rip them to pieces before we could negotiate a truce.


    ¡°The gnolls in the tannery, do you know if they are variants?¡± I asked Morris while moving to intercept a pack of approaching undead.


    Morris took a few moments to think and drove his halberd through the eye socket of a Zombie staggering out a nearby alley. ¡°Legally, they shouldn¡¯t be,¡± he hedged, ¡°But there were rumours...¡±


    ¡°Rumours?¡± I pressed, scything my axe through one Zombie¡¯s chest and obliterating the skull of a second.


    ¡°Variants do better work, and are generally more productive!¡± Morris grunted as he brought the blade of his halberd down on another Zombie''s head, causing it to burst like an overripe melon.


    ¡°So it¡¯s possible,¡± I grunted, kicking a Zombie in the chest and sending it catapulting backwards and through the wall of a nearby building.


    ¡°Possible? Yes!¡± Morris replied, stepping away from another group of Zombies to make room for me.


    The wall around the tannery grounds was only ten feet tall, so I figured I would most likely be able to scale it with little difficulty. Similarly, I would be able to lift Morris over easy enough, or at least give him a boost if it came to it.


    ¡°We are going to push hard to the section of wall over there!¡± I indicated a section of the wall closer to the northern side away from the horde massed by the gate. ¡°I¡¯ll lift you over when we get there, so stay close. Just knock Zombies away if you have to, alright?!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Morris answered determinedly, goring one last Zombie with the spike of his halberd before falling into step behind me.


    Technically in just about the safest position he could be, Morris shadowed me as I hacked and swatted away any Zombies that got in our way. As I assumed they would, a large section of the horde disengaged from the gate and began heading towards us, but they were too slow and got left behind.


    Reaching the wall, I threw my axe over the side and grabbed Morris by the back of his breastplate heaving him up and onto the wall in one admittedly rough shove. Tipping his halberd over the edge, I scrambled up onto the wall and unceremoniously rolled over and into the yard.


    Morris fell next to me shortly afterwards, his fall arrested partway by landing on my back.


    ¡°Intruders!¡± A gnoll barked in warning, ¡°Intruders inside wall!¡±


    The Gnoll¡¯s warning was followed by an echoing series of barks and snarls that rather quickly turned to whimpers and nervous giggles.


    ¡°Intruder big!¡± Another Gnoll, ¡°Too big! No fight!¡±


    Getting to my feet and retrieving my axe, I could see a large pack of Gnolls gathered near the gate with long poles crudely affixed with blades to make makeshift spears. Similarly, the Gnolls were bedecked in crude but undoubtedly effective leather and hide armour.


    ¡°I am not here to fight you!¡± I called out, keeping my axe lowered and raising my free hand to try and demonstrate my peaceful intentions.


    ¡°Not dead walkers?!¡± one of the Gnolls near the back demanded, although it was unclear whether he was directing the question to one of his packmates or at me.


    This mystery quickly resolved itself as the smallest Gnoll was elected by his fellows to ¡®investigate¡¯.


    ¡°Go! See!¡± one of the biggest snarls in an immediately recognisable female voice.


    The smaller Gnoll whimpered and giggled nervously before cautiously and with great reluctance began approaching myself and Morris.


    All the while the Zombies kept desperately reaching through the gate as Gnolls drove spears into the horde with vicious abandon.


    The smaller Gnoll, still inches taller than Morris, sniffed the air nervously for a few moments while brandishing his spear as a warning. Carefully backing away to a safe distance, the Gnoll then turned and ran back his pack, ¡°Not dead walker! Alive!¡± He confirmed.


    A larger Gnoll, the largest in the group, stepped forward and made her way towards us with four others tagging along behind, all of them female. Stopping just five feet away, the Gnoll leader was forced to crane her neck upwards to look me in the eyes. She looked incredibly tired as if she hadn¡¯t slept in days. ¡°Why you here?¡± She barked irritably, ¡°No food, you go!¡±


    ¡°I came here to rescue survivors, I needed a waggon but didn¡¯t expect to find more survivors,¡± I explained slowly. Gnolls weren¡¯t stupid, but speaking too quickly was prone to creating misunderstandings.


    The Gnoll leader seemed confused, ¡°You rescue?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Rescue us?¡± She added curiously.


    ¡°If I can,¡± I agreed.


    Taken aback, the Gnoll leader looked to her entourage for a moment before renewing eye contact, ¡°You rescue, we serve?¡± She asked, her tone making it obvious she was trying to clarify the terms of their rescue.


    ¡°If you want to, but our chances of survival are higher as a pack,¡± I clarified.


    Surprised again, the leader looked to her entourage and they exchanged a series of intricate whines and giggles before the leader turned back to me again but deliberately looked down to avoid all eye contact and demonstrate submission. ¡°Rikit pack serve,¡± she stated submissively.


    ¡°My name is Tim, and I accept your pack,¡± I declared in what I hoped was an authoritative tone of voice. ¡°Now, tell me Rikit, are there any other survivors? And is the one who enslaves you still alive?¡± While I was quite aware that their Enslavement was active, it didn¡¯t mean their master was on the property.


    ¡°Survivors, yes. Human cubs and matriarchs,¡± Rikit replied eagerly, ¡°Master gone, still alive.¡± She growled in anger, eliciting an echoed sympathetic response from her entourage.


    Deciding that was enough justification to seize control of their Enslavement, I began ¡®gently¡¯ directing my mana to do just that. Meeting some initial resistance, the pushback very quickly gave way to outright abandoning the fourteen Enslaved Gnolls. With the Gnolls automatically shifted into my party and retinue, I began cancelling their Enslavement condition en masse, having had more than enough practice on the fourth floor.


    As their enslavement collars unbuckled and fell to the ground, the female Gnolls stared down at them in surprise.


    ¡°We serve?¡± Rikit asked in confusion.


    ¡°You serve me, but by choice,¡± I corrected, ¡°No slaves.¡±


    Excited whoops and heckling came from over by the gate as the male Gnolls realised they were no longer Enslaved. Many of them even stepped back from the gate and sat down in the dirt, looking positively exhausted.


    ¡°Rikit choose, Rikit serve,¡± Rikit vowed, her entourage repeating the same vow with each of their own respective names, Werut, Lish, Tresh and Rrer.


    Exacting equivocal oaths for citizenship was relatively easy since Gric had devised simplified versions specifically for recruiting less sophisticated monsters.


    Just as I had done with Morris, I promoted Rikit to Underlord and had her recruit the rest of her packmates. However, a cursory observation of her status revealed that she had the Taskmaster Class which meant Rikit qualified for the Master tier Leadership Classes.


    Guiding Rikit through the process of accepting the Class promotion was simple enough despite her non literacy, just requiring that she parrot my words. Unsurprisingly, Rikit¡¯s final Class was determined as Gnoll Chieftain. So after explaining what her Class Abilities did and how best to use them, I began explaining how the quest I had issued worked and how the Gnolls could all benefit from it.


    While I was preoccupied, Morris had gone in search of the women and children Rikit had mentioned earlier.


    Rikit was the first of the Gnolls to earn herself a halberd from the quest, but it didn¡¯t stop her from earning more for the exhausted males. I dropped the Gnolls which were still in fighting condition out of my retinue for the time being and moved them into Rikit¡¯s. This would help her power level a few easy levels.


    Borrowing one of the halberds I did my part in helping thin out the horde as well. Waggon or no, we wouldn¡¯t have a great time leaving until the Zombies were all dealt with anyway.


    As Rikit and her small core of fighters finished earning enough halberds to arm their pack, they immediately switched to food and hungrily scarfed it down as quickly as they could earn it. If I weren¡¯t gunning for my Evolution Elixirs I would have contributed to helping feed them too.


    When Morris returned he had a surprisingly old woman supported on his arm. Just judging by her dark overly modest clothes, she looked like someone in mourning or a house servant.


    The old woman''s eyes grew incredibly wide as she drew closer and seemed to notice me for the first time.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is the Lord Regent¡¯s emissary that I was telling you about,¡± Morris explained gently yet instantly, clearly doing his best to try and convince her. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You said Lord Timothy was tall!¡± The old woman scolded, demonstrating a surprising lack of fear, ¡°You most certainly did not mention that he was a giant!¡±


    The watch Captain shrunk back a little defensively, ¡°I believe I made the comparison,¡± he insisted weakly.


    The old woman stared Morris down with a prolonged glare before turning her attention to me. ¡°My Lord-¡± She looked sharply back at Morris, ¡°-He is a Lord? You weren¡¯t fibbing just to make fun at the expense of an old woman?¡± She demanded crossly.


    ¡°Lord Tim¡¯s title is recognised by the Lord Regent and highest military officers of the realm-¡± Morris replied but was abruptly cut off as the old woman raised her hand in front of his face to signal for silence.


    ¡°My Lord Timothy, it is with great relief that we welcome your belated efforts at rescue,¡± The old woman¡¯s tone held far more emphasis on the latter than the former, earning a worried look from Morris. ¡°I am Ms Ester, head matron of the Western Mournbrent Orphanage for Children, and I must insist that you see to raising the living conditions for those under my care or provide me with the resources to do so immediately!¡± She demanded sternly.


    It was easy to see why the matriarchal Gnolls had respect for the woman, she was like a battleaxe personified.


    ¡°Ms Ester, improving the living conditions of yourself and the orphans under your charge is one of my highest priorities,¡± I tried to reassure her, but only earned a doubting scowl, ¡°My plan is to bring survivors to the cathedral where they will be better cared for.¡±


    ¡°My charges are in desperate need of food and clean water,¡± Ms Ester snapped grumpily, changing the subject, ¡°What do you intend to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Captain? Would you please?¡± I gestured to the gate.


    Understanding what I intended Morris vigorously set his halberd to task alongside the few Gnolls still thinning the horde¡¯s numbers.


    Still looking thoroughly unimpressed, Ms Ester surprisingly demonstrated a great deal of patience while the watch Captain stabbed away at the Zombies.


    ¡°That should do it,¡± Morris groaned as he trotted back a short distance from the gate.


    ¡°Do what exactly, pray tell?...¡± Ms Ester demanded, her voice trailing off and eyes growing wide and Morris dropped his halberd and caught a small barrel that seemed to appear from nowhere.


    ¡°Why, it¡¯s the fresh drinking water you were asking for, Ms Ester,¡± Morris replied with great satisfaction.


    Ms Ester rallied quickly, ¡°And the food?¡± She demanded haughtily, ¡°Or do you expect the orphans to starve?¡±


    Morris sighed and retrieved his halberd, giving me a world-weary look as he headed back to the gate.


    ¡°And I do hope you are not expecting someone of my advanced years to carry such a heavy load unassisted!¡± Ms Ester added, waggling her finger damningly at Morris¡¯s back.


    The Gnolls, whether out of nervousness or being entertained, began to giggle and snicker, which only served to draw Mis Esters attention to them instead.


    ¡°Oh, you think that is funny do you?¡± Ms Ester asked in a dangerously sweet tone, ¡°Well perhaps it would be best to find work for you to do for you layabouts? Hrm? If you have enough energy to laugh at the hard work of others, then you have enough to work yourselves. Go on, get to it!¡± She demanded, glaring the pack of males down.


    Giggling nervously, the Gnolls got to their feet and joined Morris at the gate, glancing back at Ms Ester anxiously as they gored Zombies through the gate bars.


    Glancing back at the elderly matron, I wondered if she didn¡¯t secretly possess the Taskmaster Class as well. In no mood to find out, I decided to go looking for one of the waggons Morris had told me about.


    *****


    Dante made the most of old matron Ester¡¯s absence, and the other matrons'' distraction to sneak out of their hiding place in the central offices and investigate what was going on outside. Unafraid of being caught by the dog-people monsters in the yard, as they would just shepherd him back to the others, Dante still kept a wary eye out for old Ester.


    *Thump Thump, Thump, Bump*


    Dante grew quite still as he felt more than heard sounds and heavy vibrations coming from the large shed next to the factory. Quietly creeping closer, Dante pulled over an empty crate and then climbed on top of it so he could peek through the adjoining window.


    Besides the waggons and piles of smelly monster skin he had seen a dozen times before, Dante found the source of the noise and could do little more than stare as the giant wandered past the window.


    ¡°Ropes...¡± The giant muttered and shook his large bald head, ¡°Forgot the bloody ropes...¡± Wearing little besides a pair of surprisingly well-made undershorts, the giant continued wandering around the shed and rifling through piles of the abandoned hides.


    Heart racing and keenly aware he was far too curious for his own good, Dante carefully slipped through the window and then quickly dashed under one of the waggons for cover. With the shed door closed, and the only light coming from unshuttered windows near the roof, Dante needed to creep closer to get a better look at the giant. So he did.


    Following the giant around the room as it continued searching the shed and grumbling to itself, Dante was almost disappointed by how ¡®normal¡¯ it seemed to be. Besides discoloured skin and perhaps one of the uglier adult faces he had ever seen, the giant almost looked human. Perhaps ugly wasn¡¯t the right word, Dante mused thoughtfully as he got another brief look at the giant¡¯s face. Blunt or rough seemed a better fit. There just wasn¡¯t much that stood out about the giant¡¯s face besides his thick hairless brow and slightly sunken eyes.


    *Creeeek*


    Dante nearly cried out in alarm, barely managing to stop himself in time as the giant effortlessly threw the shed doors open.


    Now able to see into the yard, Dante could see the dog-people piling up supplies under old Ester¡¯s icy stare. To his surprise, there were no signs of any moving undead near the gate, just a pile of their bodies.


    Even though the sight of the undead sent a nervous flutter through his bladder, Dante grit his teeth and continued watching.


    In addition to the giant, which now seemed much bigger when standing beside the incredibly tall dog-people, there was also a guardsman that was keeping a close eye on the street through the gate.


    The giant stopped and spoke with the guardsman for a few moments and then headed for the pile of supplies. After rummaging around for a little less than a minute, the giant smiled as he pulled out a thick length of rope, ¡°Finally!¡± The giant roared in triumph and began making his way back to the shed. Then, for seemingly no reason, the giant stopped.


    Incredibly confident in his hiding skills, Dante still felt worried enough to double check his hiding place under the smaller waggon. Cloaked in shadows, Dante could barely make out his own hands, so he decided that he was just being paranoid.


    Whatever had caused the giant to stop seemed to have passed and the giant was now tying the newly acquired rope onto the front of the largest waggon. Doubling the rope onto itself and tying knots to make it thicker, the giant seemed to be making a large rope handle. Sure enough, when the giant looked to be finished, he gave the waggon an experimental tug, inching it forwards across the floor of the shed.


    From his vantage point, Dante saw that the two rear wheels seemed to be frozen in their axles and were quite rusty.


    ¡°Bloody hell...¡± The giant swore and released a deep sigh, ¡°Now I need to find some damn oil or grease or something...¡±


    Dante was surprised. Not just that the giant had apparently noticed the rear wheels seizing up, but that he was smart enough to know how to fix it. Dante knew without needing to look that the shed didn¡¯t have any oil or grease for the axles. This was partly due to the fact that the dog-men had eaten all the rancid barrels of animal fat they could find over a week ago, and since moved onto the hides. Dante also knew because he had explored the shed many times before when he was bored.


    However, Dante was aware of a vat in the factory that looked like it was full of something that might be oil. It smelled grosser than just about everything else, so he had never inspected it too closely.


    Quite certain that the giant was otherwise occupied, Dante only made it two steps out of his hiding place before his instincts informed him that he had been spotted. Slowly turning his head, Dante reflexively shrank back and he realised that the giant was looking right at him.


    ¡°I was wondering when you would come out of hiding,¡± the giant chuckled in amusement before sighing, shaking his head and turning back to the jumbled piles of hides and empty barrels, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have seen some axle grease or something?¡± The giant asked with low expectations.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Dante¡¯s mind had gone blank momentarily and was taking its time to begin working again, ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± the giant sighed with mild frustration as yet another barrel came up empty, ¡°You¡¯re just a kid. I¡¯m the adult here, I should be able to figure something out.¡±


    ¡°Just a kid?¡± Dante muttered irritably, his wounded pride quickly setting his mind on track again. ¡°I know where some oil is!¡± He countered rudely, annoyed at being underestimated just because he was a little small for his age.


    ¡°Oh?¡± The giant sounded impressed, ¡°Could you show me?¡± He picked up one of the barrels and slowly began making his way over.


    Dante felt a fresh surge of fear but did his best to look brave, which was made much easier by the non-threatening movements of the giant. ¡°It¡¯s in one of the factory vats,¡± Dante declared proudly, finding his courage in boasting his achievement, ¡°I found it while exploring.¡±


    The giant looked impressed, ¡°You are much braver than I would be in your position,¡± he praised, ¡°The Zombies still freak me out and I¡¯m pretty certain they can¡¯t even hurt me.¡±


    Dante¡¯s eyes grew wide, ¡°Really? Someone as big as you gets afraid?!¡±


    The giant nodded, ¡°Not just for myself either...There are people I am responsible for, that I need to protect...¡±


    Dante didn¡¯t know what to say. As one of the oldest kids and the biggest by a couple of inches, he thought that it meant he was meant to be the brave one and not be scared of anything. But the undead scared him, they scared him a lot. The thought of the other kids seeing his fear and assuming he was weak drove Dante into exploring the tannery alone. But if even the giant could be afraid, maybe it was okay for Dante to be afraid too?


    Dante quietly led the giant through the factory to the foul-smelling vat of oily liquid.


    Just as repulsed as Dante was, the giant used the barrel to collect some of the oil and began heading back to the waggon. ¡°Thanks for the help kid, it would have taken me ages to find it,¡± the giant praised.


    ¡°Dante!¡± Dante shouted back irritably, ¡°My name is Dante! Not kid!¡± He insisted a little angrily.


    The giant stopped and gave him a bemused smile, ¡°Much braver than I would be,¡± he chuckled, ¡°Well, Dante, my name is Tim and I am grateful for your help.¡±


    ¡°Tim?¡± Dante muttered incredulously, that didn¡¯t sound like a giant¡¯s name at all.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 35 – Advent of providence – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 35 ¨C Advent of providence ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 35 - Advent of providence - Part Two


    Dragging the waggon out into the yard required more effort than I had initially expected, but the freshly lubricated axles made it much easier than it would have been otherwise. The waggon itself smelled abominable, like rancid meat and offal left to rot in the sun. However, the tall sides, the rear panel that doubled as a ramp, and the relatively high elevation of the waggon bed all made the weight of the waggon worthwhile.


    Assigning the Gnolls to reinforce the sides of the slatted waggon panels with whatever leather they could find in the factory, I did my best to further lubricate the wheels.


    Having already spent the better part of an hour clearing out the undead horde outside of the gate, Morris was taking a well-deserved rest and collecting the Enslavement Collars so they could be stored away and disposed of later. While intrigued that he could unlock a Master tier Class just by snapping one of the collars on a subordinates neck, it was good to learn that he found the idea morally repugnant.


    With all the modifications to the waggon completed, I moved all of the Gnolls back into my retinue and gave them an hour of rest, encouraging them to eat and drink to better recover from their malnourished state. Morris made much the same request of the orphans and their carers, providing them with enough food and water to sate their hunger, but not so much that they would vomit it back up again if exposed to the stench of the undead.


    The Gnolls demolished their supply of food in minutes. Already half-starved from surviving off the leather and putrid hides in the tannery, their metabolisms were kicked into high gear from my Iron Gut Ability. Thankfully, the food they consumed quickly showed noticeable signs of restoring muscle to the Gnolls'' previously wiry frames.


    Curious as to why the child I had spoken with was not nearly as malnourished as the Gnolls, I approached Rikit for an explanation.


    ¡°Give cubs rations,¡± Rikit replied simply before cupping her hands and drinking down more water with understandable relish, ¡°Master forbid eat, forbid enter ration tent. Rikit tell matriarchs, feed cubs.¡±


    While my appreciation for Rikit increased, my opinion of the tannery owner drastically depreciated. Not only were the Gnolls left to die, but they had been forbidden from being able to feed themselves. No doubt a carryover from when they were just workers, it was still very telling of the mindset regarding the slave workforce being less than...human... sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the allocated hour almost over, matrons and children loaded into the waggon, I approached Rikit again with the intention of giving her an individually assigned quest similar to my own. ¡°Rikit, do you know what a Ward is?¡± I asked, doing my best to avoid sounding condescending.


    Momentarily surprised, Rikit nodded, ¡°Shaman magic, protect pack,¡± she replied obediently.


    I nodded, ¡°I am going to give you a special quest to retrieve a powerful Ward from my home. It will take many kills to earn but I believe you are capable of the challenge. Do you accept?¡±


    Still avoiding eye contact as a means of respect, Rikit giggled nervously even as her tail began to wag, ¡°Rikit do! Rikit bring protection to pack!¡± The large Gnoll matriarch agreed eagerly.


    Assigning Rikit the quest, I was a little surprised by how cheap the body count was determined to be. ¡°Killing one hundred and fifty Zombies will earn the Ward,¡± I explained, ¡°A little less if you kill the Plague Zombies and Crypt Stalkers as well.¡±


    Rikit didn¡¯t seem to fully understand what I meant, but that was fine for the time being. Not adding Wards to the reward table had been something of an oversight since it would have required collaboration with Sanctuary in order to accommodate. This was all the more pressing since the cathedral had been under siege the last Lash and I saw it. Far better to have the undead driven back from the walls entirely than let them gradually wear down your defences.


    With Morris in the waggon to serve as a last line of defence, myself pulling the waggon, and the Gnolls circling the waggon¡¯s flanks, the plan was to head for the road to the north that would allow for almost a straight run back to the guard station. Snapping the locking mechanism of the large iron gate was relatively simple and soon saw us on our way.


    As they had been waiting for this very moment, Zombies began shambling out from the nearby alleys while I leveraged my strength and size to heave the waggon ninety degrees and onto a new facing. Already prepared for this eventuality, the Gnolls on the right flank yipped and cackled as they gored and dashed apart the slow-moving Zombies with their halberds. Buffed by my Racial Abilities and Rikit¡¯s Class Abilities, the Gnolls seemed to have the Zombies completely outmatched.


    Straining my muscles against the weight of the waggon and its cargo, I soon achieved enough momentum to comfortably maintain a brisk walking pace.


    While the waggon was already quite heavy, and would only grow more so as women and children were added from the guard station, I would also have Lash helping me achieve and maintain momentum while fighting our way to the cathedral. Having Lash help with the waggon was partially for selfish reasons since it would keep her at the centre of an armed formation. But I was definitely going to need help getting the waggon started at the very least, so she might as well remain as support just in case.


    Rikit was taking my request to heart and aggressively stalking ahead of the formation in order to secure as many personal kills as possible. Her original entourage had attempted to provide assistance twice but had been angrily rebuked both times.


    Reaching the larger road had a similar effect to kicking an anthill. Zombies began piling out of the buildings on the far sides of the road, the overwhelming majority wearing clothing soiled with dried blood.


    Thankfully, the Gnolls kept their nerve and held their rough formation as we pressed onward down the road. Just by a rough running headcount, I had been keeping to pass the time, Rikit had already killed fifty or so Zombies while serving as the vanguard. Judging by the number headed in our direction from the direction of the guard station, Rikit was all but guaranteed to reach her kill count to complete the quest, and then some.


    The strange behaviour of the Zombies was making me a little paranoid. To simultaneously lay siege but also hold forces in reserve to trigger ambushes should not be something a Zombie would be capable of doing. Scanning the rooftops and alleyways revealed nothing out of the ordinary, but I still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was very much amiss.


    ¡°We are going to increase the pace!¡± I called out loudly so everyone could hear me. Focusing more strength into my thighs, I gradually began building speed so now the waggon was moving at the speed of a slow run.


    The faster pace disrupted the Gnolls cohesion somewhat, but the extra reach afforded by the halberds kept them out of harm''s way from the piecemeal assault by the Zombies they passed. The loping gait of the Gnolls made maintaining the pace easy enough from an endurance perspective. Most seemed to be enjoying the exercise, yipping boisterously to one another and lolling their tongues while cleaving Zombies in two.


    With a small horde straggling behind them, the guard station soon came into view and revealed that it was under siege by more undead. Hundreds of corpses impaled by bolts and arrows riddled the open spaces around the guard station while maybe fifty Zombies were grouped around the main door. Just like the roadside ambush, Zombies were wandering in from all directions and the guardsmen on the roof didn¡¯t seem capable of killing them fast enough.


    Knowing I could handle the Zombies at the base of the guard station if need be, I slowed my pace a little so I would avoid biting my own tongue. ¡°Morris! We will have to evacuate while under attack! Do you understand?!¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡± Morris called back.


    ¡°Women and children in the waggon! Everyone else is to escort with a weapon!¡± I insisted. This would be non-negotiable. Although the waggon was very large, the collective weight would only slow us down. Moving all guardsmen into my retinue to share Synergies and Class Ability buffs, I doggedly continued straight for the front of the guard station.


    ¡°Look away!¡± I roared, letting go of the rope I had been using to draw the waggon. Gathering mana into my right arm, I held my arm up in front like a shield and charged the massed Zombies by the door.


    *BOOOOOM!!!*


    Pieces of rotten meat and broken bone erupted outwards like shrapnel from a clamour as the zombies struck by my arm exploded upon impact and shredded through the packed ranks of the small Zombie horde. The pressure generated from the detonations was enough to send nearby corpses tumbling a dozen feet away and to momentarily knockdown Zombies within thirty feet.


    ¡°MORRIS!¡± I hollered, a little hard of hearing after the explosion, ¡°GET YOUR PEOPLE MOVING!¡±


    Morris didn¡¯t immediately reply, but when he did I couldn¡¯t make it out.


    ¡°LASH?!¡± I flicked my arm to dislodge the putrid pieces of flesh and rotten fluids off as best I could while walking back to the waggon.


    *Thump*


    Lash jumped off the roof and made a kneeling landing like a superhero. Although no doubt bad for her knees, it was a better method than my earlier rolling technique, especially with so many corpses around.


    ¡°YOU WILL PUSH WHILE I PULL,¡± I explained while pointing at the waggon and rolling my neck in an attempt to make my ears pop.


    Lash nodded and gave the Gnolls a meaningful and curious look.


    ¡°FOUND THEM. SLAVES AT THE TANNERY,¡± I explained, ¡°RIKIT¡¯S THE LEADER!¡± I pointed to Rikit who was viciously hunting Zombies on the southern flank, ¡°SHE¡¯S QUESTING FOR A WARD!¡±


    Lash looked surprised and gave Rikit a new appraising look before nodding and heading over to the waggon.


    The door to the guard station opened and a half dozen guardsmen warily descended the steps. After confirming that there were no Zombies in the immediate area, the guardsmen hurried out to form a screening formation while one of their number returned inside. A few moments later, more guardsmen joined the screening formation as the first civilians fearfully took their first steps outside.


    One of the guardsmen vigorously waved in the direction of the waggon while repeating the same words over and over. Even though I couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying, it was clear that the guardsman was doing his best to try and keep the civilians moving in the right direction.


    Lash lifted women and children into the waggon while the men were given weapons from the stockpile on the roof and moved into position by the waggon¡¯s flanks. The remaining guardsmen not already standing in formation were hurriedly lowering bundles of supplies from the roof using ropes, while others used the elevated position to continue picking off more distant undead.


    *Pop*


    All at once, my hearing returned and I could fully appreciate the sheer amount of noise I had been missing out on. Despite appearances, things sounded like they were on the brink of chaos. Guardsmen were shouting over one another, calling out newly arrived enemies, the next delivery of supplies or making requests for ammunition. Mothers were desperately trying to calm terrified children. Men were doing their best to bolster one another¡¯s confidence while donning gambesons, greaves, padded gauntlets and padded coifs. The gnolls were barking, snarling and snickering as they continued to hold a loose outer formation against increasing numbers of Zombies.


    However, one voice very quickly rose above everyone else and brought a momentary silence. ¡°RIKIT DO!¡± Rikit declared victoriously, running from her distant hunting ground beyond the formation lines, ¡°RIKIT HAVE WARD!¡± Pushing past the guardsmen, Rikit paused for a moment and shouldered her halberd while cupping her hands together, ¡°Give reward!¡± She demanded.


    *Pop*


    An ash coloured wooden carving of a snake coiled around a branch and baring its fangs at the sky fell into Rikit¡¯s outstretched hands. Without hesitation, Rikit offered me to the Ward.


    Although it was the first time I had seen it up close, the Ward itself had no small amount of emotional significance. The Ward had belonged to Ushu. I wasn¡¯t sure if he had been the one to make it, or if he had just inherited it, but to me, it was his all the same. Similar to the communication devices used by the military, the Wards were designed to be easy to use. In this instance, it was rather obvious that the manastones required to power it would need to be deposited in the snake''s mouth and stored in its belly.


    ¡°Give it to Lash, my mate,¡± I pointed to Lash standing by the waggon, ¡°Make a strap so she can wear it and keep it safe. I¡¯ll have the humans provide manastones to activate it.¡±


    ¡°Rikit do,¡± Rikit agreed obediently, yanking a pair of cords from around her own neck and tying them together as she made her way over to Lash.


    I turned my attention to the guardsmen in the screening formation that were taking potshots at distant Zombies, ¡°You lot!¡± I barked to get their attention.


    Startled, the guardsmen still half turned their heads to show they were listening without letting the undead out of their sight.


    ¡°We need manastones to activate a protective Ward that will slow the undead in our way to the cathedral. If you have points saved, buy them now and give them to Lash before we set out!¡± I ordered.


    Visibly shocked, the guardsmen looked at one another in confusion for a moment before one of the female guardsmen spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s like the Footholds!¡± She declared excitedly, ¡°My cousin told me it¡¯s what the variants use to keep the regular monsters out of their camps!¡± Her words had an immediate effect on the beleaguered guardsmen who very quickly began organising who would keep a reserve for ammunition.


    With all the civilian women and children loaded into the waggon, and the supplies secured, Morris hurriedly established the formation of the guardsmen and impromptu militia. With the Gnolls serving as vanguard halberdiers, most of the guardsmen would provide ranged support with crossbows and bows, while those with the Spearman Class would assist the Gnolls. The improvised militia would flank the left and right sides of the waggon and stay close as a form of final defence to hold off any Zombies that might slip through the cracks. Far from being expected to kill the Zombies, the militia was only expected to delay the Zombies long enough for Guardsmen or Gnolls to deal with them. This was why Morris had emphasised the militia wear so much protection and use the available shields from the guard station.


    Just as before, Morris would ride in the waggon and serve as the absolute final line of defence. The absence of Crypt Stalkers thus far had not gone unnoticed and was more than enough motivation to quell the Guard Captains pride and convince him to accept the otherwise cushy post.


    As I had expected, the increased weight of the waggon made Lash¡¯s assistance mandatory in getting the waggon moving from a full stop. Even with her help, the best we could collectively sustain was a walking pace. Thankfully, the weak effects of the mobile Ward were enough to make the slow pace viable, visibly sapping the strength from Zombies as they drew closer to the waggon and Lash specifically.


    It was an altogether different experience of anxiety to constantly be under attack and not be one of the people in a position to attack back. Even though I was most likely in no real danger myself, my moral obligation to the civilians in the waggon and the dangers that were very real for them only increased my anxiety via proxy.


    Instead of taking the route Lash and I had originally used, Morris had suggested trying to make the approach from the northern side to better allow the guardsmen to thin the zombie horde from a more advantageous angle. Having performed a similar approach on the guard Station itself originally, I had been inclined to agree.


    It wasn¡¯t until turning at a crossroads and the distant cathedral came into sight that my paranoia seemed to prove itself justified.


    Another horde had gathered down the far end of the road and blocked our path to the Cathedral. At its head was a small group of black-cloaked figures and a pack of Crypt Stalkers. As one, the horde of Zombies began shambling forward.


    Still being pressed from the flanks by sporadic attacks and with a ragged horde following behind them, stopping and changing direction was not exactly a viable option.


    Apparently having arrived at a similar conclusion, Morris climbed up into the driver''s seat and stood tall so everyone could see him. ¡°Archers to the front and loose at will!¡± He ordered.


    Only too happy to oblige, the Archers all readied their crossbows and bows while on the move and began sending bolts and arrows downrange.


    To everyone''s surprise, Zombies began falling after taking only a single hit. Chest, head, leg or arm, it didn¡¯t seem to matter, one hit and the Zombie would collapse onto the street and be trampled by the horde behind them.


    Unfortunately, the Archers¡¯ rate of fire quickly began to slow, the strain of drawing the bows was particularly telling as the bowmen succumbed to fatigue.


    However, Rikit and six of the larger Gnolls took this as an opportunity to ¡®borrow¡¯ their equipment, leaving the guardsmen to fall back closer to the waggon and recuperate.


    With natural grace, the Gnolls loosed arrow after arrow in rapid succession, holding several arrows and the bow in one hand while drawing back the string with the other. Deliberately targeting the centre, the number of Zombies between the Gnolls and the dark-robed figures began to drastically decrease with each passing moment.


    With the Zombies still more than a couple of hundred feet away, it became obvious that the horde would not be able to survive the sustained onslaught. This was only reinforced as one of the crossbowmen hurriedly explained to the Gnoll archers that they could redeem kill points for arrows, giving them a theoretically near-infinite supply.


    This must have become just as obvious to the dark-robed figures because the pack of Crypt Stalkers broke into two groups and disappeared into the side streets and out of sight. A few moments later, dozens of roiling black bolts of energy volleyed from behind the ranks of the Zombie horde and towards the Waggon.


    ¡°LASH!¡± I called out a warning as much to ease my fraying nerves as to provide advanced warning.


    ¡°I SEE!¡± Lash replied confidently.


    The civilians cried out in fear as the dark bolts of mana drew closer, understandably terrified by the obvious malicious intent. However, before the black bolts of energy could draw closer than a dozen feet of the waggon, they were intercepted by a translucent amethyst barrier and guttered into nothingness.


    Stunned by what they had witnessed, or by the lack of impact, The militia momentarily fell behind and had to be pushed and prodded by the guardsmen in the rear to keep them moving and get back into formation.


    The Zombie horde reorganised itself and began bunching together in the centre to replace the meatshield between the Gnoll¡¯s arrows and the enemy spellcasters. However, it didn¡¯t seem to amount to much as the Gnolls continued near effortlessly whittling away at their numbers.


    More dark bolts of energy arced out from behind the horde in a near-continuous stream. Unfortunately for the enemy spellcasters, it only took one amethyst barrier to render their spells worthless. Lash had increased her Abilities rank and her stats sufficiently to maintain the barrier as long as ten whole seconds provided she had the mana to sustain it. To make things worse for the enemy spell casters, the Ward weakened their spells slightly as well, so they would not have been nearly as effective if they managed to get through.


    Just like that, the dark-robed spellcasters disappeared. The approaching horde of zombies rapidly lost cohesion but continued forward, apparently close enough to sense their collective life force or otherwise drawn by the noise.


    As the final Zombies began to fall, one of the Gnolls on the right flank barked a warning and cleaved an ambushing Crypt Stalker in two.


    As if that had been their signal to attack, twenty or so Crypt Stalkers leapt out of the shadowed alleyways and bolted towards the outer ranks of halberdiers.


    *Thunk Thunk Thunk Thunk Thunk Thunk*


    Without missing a beat, the Gnoll archers shifted targets and rapidly whittled down the Crypt Stalkers numbers to a handful.


    Working together, the Gnoll halberdiers shifted positions to make it seem like there was an opening in their formation.


    Taking the bait, the Crypt Stalkers changed targets and headed for the waggon instead.


    *Shunk Shunk Shunk Shunk*


    Before the Crypt Stalkers could react, the Gnolls pounced. With the Crypt Stalkers distracted, they had no trouble goring the spikes and blades of their halberds through the flanks of the undead and throwing their mangled bodies back and away from the waggon.


    Despite the effectiveness of the Gnolls strategy, it had still caused a minor panic in the militia posted on that flank.


    With no more immediate threats in the vicinity and only a ragged horde trailing behind us, we continued down the road. Detouring slightly to avoid the larger clusters of corpses as a precautionary measure, the Rikit and the other Gnoll archers proved invaluable in keeping the road ahead clear of any stray and wandering undead.


    Collectively, the Gnolls had to have fired hundreds of arrows, but they showed no signs of exhaustion or fatigue. In fact, Rikit and her entourage seemed to be engaging in a sort of game. One Gnoll would name a body part and then the next Gnoll would try and make the shot on the next Zombie. If they failed to strike the named body part, the next Gnoll would try and so on until it was hit. Shooting targets close to a couple of hundred feet away added a whole new layer of difficulty and skill to the game, although Rikit seemed to win more often than not.


    Entering the wide roads surrounding the cathedral, it was something of a pleasant surprise to find that the horde of undead that they had just defeated had apparently been previously sieging the cathedral. While there were still a number of zombies gathered near the large gated entrance, there didn¡¯t seem to be nearly as many as I remembered seeing when Lash and I first arrived in the city.


    ¡°Do we have a way to let the people inside know we are here?¡± I called back to Morris, ¡°I don¡¯t want to linger outside the door any longer than we have to.¡±


    Morris didn¡¯t reply immediately and was quiet for a moment before replying, ¡°The belltower seems to have a lookout, but accounting for present company...we will very likely need to negotiate in order to gain entry,¡± he explained apologetically.


    The cathedral was similar to those I had seen on television, being made of stone and incredibly large. While also sporting fanciful crenellations and small statues housed in recessed alcoves, the cathedral also had many arrow slits worked into the higher walls and a number of boiling oil sleuces besides.


    Bearing this in mind, it was curious then that the only corpses bearing arrows were from the Gnolls in our vanguard.


    Looking up at one of the four bell towers, I confirmed that Morris indeed seemed to be right. A lone figure was kneeling in the shadow of the bell and appeared to be tracking our progress towards the front of the cathedral.


    The bodies from my initial attempt at reaching the cathedral were still littering the road. It brought me a small measure of comfort in knowing that the undead wasn¡¯t just being brought back to unlife in an endlessly repeating cycle.


    Coming to a halt next to the cathedral¡¯s large reinforced doors, the Gnolls and guardsmen fanned out to form a screening formation against any undead that might otherwise try and sneak up on the waggon.


    With no guarantee of being allowed in, the women and children were kept inside of the waggon in case we had to leave again.


    Guard Captain Morris waited patiently by the large doors for an opportunity to negotiate. The rightmost door had what looked like a small rectangular recessed area behind steel grating. Judging by how Morris kept nervously staring at it, I figured it had to be something like a sliding viewing port of some kind.


    The longer we waited, the more restless the civilians became. Far from sounding grateful, some of the men and women were not so quietly whispering that coming to the cathedral was a mistake and that they should have made a break for one of the city gates instead.


    Doing my best to ignore the malcontents, I checked in on Lash instead. Like me, she seemed a little tired from pushing the waggon around but seemed relatively alright. However, Lash did not seem to like standing out in the open under the watch of so many arrow ports, and it was a sentiment I shared.


    The Gnolls were taking turns on watch, allowing three of their pack to rest and recuperate for a few minutes at a time before letting others have a turn. Turning in their quest to kill points for food and water seemed to be just as entertaining to them as their pin the arrow in the Zombie game.


    Quite suddenly, Morris gave a start as the wooden panel in the door was slid aside.


    A muted voice from the other side of the door said something I couldn¡¯t quite make out, although it did not sound particularly welcoming.


    ¡°I am Captain Morris of the Mournbrent City watch, acting Commander of the western distri-¡± Morris stopped abruptly as the person on the other side of the door interrupted him. ¡°Wel, yes,¡± he admitted defensively, ¡°But that is hardly reason enough to-¡± He stopped again and grew somewhat flustered, ¡°Now see here! I am acting under the Lord Regent¡¯s authority!¡±


    A lengthy silence ensued before the muted voice spoke again.


    Captain Morris crossed his arms and looked like he had just about enough of whoever was on the other side of the door, ¡°When I speak with your abbot, I will be sure to mention you by name!¡± Morris growled, ¡°And I will have you know that we bring far more than just more mouths to feed, we have more than enough sufficient supplies as well. Now, are you going to do your duty? Or will you break your oaths and be struck down in your god¡¯s own sanctum!¡±


    The viewing port slammed shut.


    ¡°Right!¡± Captain Morris clapped his hands crisply and stepped away from the door with a look of hard won satisfaction on his face. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get the women and children out of the waggon and form an orderly line by the door!¡± He called out brusquely, ¡°Militia unload the supplies to the side! Guardsmen maintain formation and await my signal for a withdrawal!¡±


    Morris was vindicated shortly afterwards as the large doors opened and a half dozen militant looking priests exited the cathedral. Each holding a weapon and wearing a grey surcoat bearing the symbol of what looked like a silhouette of two scythes forming a sort of silvery M shape with a small gap in the middle.


    The warrior priests looked haggard and in almost as poor a condition as the Gnolls had been when I first found them. ¡°I thought you said they were meant to be prepared for a siege?¡± I asked Morris.


    Morris seemed just as surprised as I was, but was interrupted before he could speak.


    ¡°The abbot would have words with you,¡± one of the priests insisted with a hint of hostility, ¡°Your...Pets... can wait outside.¡± His eyes drifted to the large pile of supplies hungrily, ¡°Those under your care are of course, most welcome,¡± he smiled somewhat disingenuously and mentioned the other priests forwards.


    Morris¡¯s eye twitched but he otherwise maintained a sense of calm as he gave the civilians the signal to enter the cathedral. ¡°I will sort things out with the abbot,¡± Morris promised adamantly, ¡°I¡¯ll leave my guardsmen here for your protection in the meantime.¡±


    The rude priest overheard this and scowled at Morris, ¡°You would risk human lives in defence of a monster?¡± he demanded in an accusing tone.


    Morris glared at the priest, his moustache quivering in anger, ¡°I would!¡± He replied with absolute conviction. ¡°The very supplies you are so eager to lay hands on were only able to be acquired from his Lordship¡¯s direct intervention!¡±


    ¡°His Lordship?¡± The priest sneered, ¡°Have you gone insane? That¡¯s a monster! Not a man!¡±


    Morris turned his back on the priest in order to address his men instead, ¡°I want volunteers to provide a protection detail for his Lordship while I have words with the abbot. I want to be very clear that I will not think any less of any man or woman who refuses. Those last two weeks have been hard on all of us, and I have never been more proud to serve our city alongside each and every one of you.¡± Morris snapped a salute and took a step to the side to invite the guardsmen to leave. When none of the men or women made to leave I could see a tear form in the corner of his eye. ¡°Very well! Protect his Lordship with your lives! I will return as soon as possible!¡± Morris declared proudly and marched into the cathedral behind the ragged group of civilians, stopping briefly to have a word with Ms Ester before they both pressed determinedly deeper into the building.


    Just as soon as the supplies were brought inside of the threshold, the priests retreated and closed the doors once more.


    Hardly the reception I had hoped for, I sighed and retrieved my axe from the waggon. ¡°I have to complete a quest,¡± I informed everyone still outside, ¡°I need to kill eighty-seven more Zombies on my own. I won¡¯t stray out of sight, but please don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    Rikit and the other Gnolls seemed curious, while the guardsmen all seemed somewhat perplexed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will be careful,¡± I assured them, having no intentions of running face-first into another horde of undead any time soon.


    The horde that had been trailing us was exactly what I needed and approaching in a loose enough formation that I would be able to dispatch most at a relative distance.


    Taking a long-handled grip on my axe, I took several deep breaths before stepping past the Gnolls perimeter and heading for the approaching Zombies.


    Still posing no real challenge, I caught myself tuning out on multiple occasions. Less to do with the difficulty and more to do with attempts at blocking out the smells and sounds of the undead, it was still a very stupid thing to do. However, as I drew closer to my goal I couldn¡¯t help but become more involved in living and experiencing each passing moment.


    *Shunk, Thwack, Crunch, Crack*


    ¡°-Four, three, two, one,¡± Counting down the final ten kills had helped temper my nerves somewhat as I began getting overly excited. Hurrying back to the group, I couldn¡¯t keep myself from smiling ear to ear. Now more than ever I needed greater strength to better keep those I cared about safe, and the Evolution Elixirs now waiting for redemption from the completed quest would do just that.


    Lash gave me a curious look before realising what I was up to and grinning just as broadly as I was.


    ¡°Accept reward,¡± I barked happily, cupping my hands together so the clay jugs wouldn¡¯t fall to the ground and shatter.


    *Pop, Clink Clink Clunk Clink*


    The four Evolution Elixirs fell a short distance into my waiting hands. ¡°Help me hold them?¡± I asked Lash excitedly, not wanting to risk dropping them.


    Lash nodded eagerly, ¡°Yes,¡± she hurried to my side and took two of the jugs.


    ¡°Once we are somewhere safe, and if there is any leftover, it¡¯s yours,¡± I promised and then removed the cork from the first jug with my teeth and upended its contents into my mouth. Swallowing the mildly burning liquid down, I could feel the concentrated mana being absorbed into my body. I downed the second and then accepted the third from Lash. With less than a single digit to go, I decided to only drink half of the third Elixir and then waited a few minutes just in case. When it proved to not be enough, I downed the rest and waited again.


    I could feel my body thrumming with power and instinctively knew that I had to be at the brink of my evolution. Sure enough, golden status alerts appeared in front of my eyes one after another.


    [Swamp Ogre Stonejaw Runt: +2 Strength, +1 Toughness. (Common*)]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]


    [(Racial Ability: Rock Brain): Blows to the head deal less damage and have a chance to damage enemy weapons. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance. Attacks with weapons that fail to deal damage against the skull result in the weapon taking damage instead.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Swamp Ogre Stonejaw Runt} (Accept/decline}]


    [Swamp Ogre Vilegut Runt: +1 Strength, +3 Toughness. (Rare*)]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]


    [(Racial Ability: Caustic Bile): Discharge projectile vomit capable of melting stone and corroding. {Toughness} increases the potency of the {Acid} and increases damage resistance against {Acid}.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Ogre Vilegut Runt} (Accept/decline}]


    [Swamp Ogre Lord Runt: +2 Strength, +2 Toughness, +1 Presence. (Unique*)]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]


    [(Racial Ability: Savage Nobility): You are a paragon of primal might and authority. {Strength} increases the effect of {Racial Abilities} and {Class Abilities} modified by {Presence} when targeting {Allies} and members of the same {Species}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Birthright {1}): Your genes are superior and create superior offspring. Sired offspring will always match your Species and Tier of Evolution. Sired Half-Breed offspring will always match your Species when determining Primary Species and Racial Abilities.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Swamp Ogre Lord Runt} (Accept/decline}]


    Carefully reading through the three selections made the choice rather obvious, even if Birthright seemed a little too much like eugenics for my taste. ¡°Swamp Ogre Lord, accept.¡±


    The world turned white as the mana inside of my body began surging with new purpose, reshaping and strengthening bone, muscle and sinew to match an unknowable design.


    As my vision began to return, I found that I had been driven to my knees and that Lash was determinedly supporting me so I wouldn¡¯t fall to the ground. My lesser evolutions had not come close to what I had just experienced. My entire body felt sore and tender like someone had viciously worked me over with a rolling pin and then thrown me off a cliff.


    With Lash¡¯s help, I stiffly got to my feet and very carefully stretched my arms and legs, feeling somewhat like a stranger in my own skin as I tried to reduce the numbness in my extremities.


    ¡°You are alright?¡± Lash asked with a mixture of concern and excitement.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Feeling was slowly but steadily returning to my fingers and toes, but a headache had taken their place as my primary concern. Gingerly applying pressure to my right temple, I was surprised by the displacement of some of my fingers. Shifting from my temple and onto my forehead, it quickly became obvious why I had such a headache.


    My brow had originally been quite pronounced, but now it was far more so. What felt like a large plate of bone or dense cartilage beneath my skin had replaced my brow and effectively deepened the recess of my eyes. Similarly, my cheekbones have been altered to form large ridges of bone beneath my eyes.


    Using my hands to continue exploring my face revealed that my underbite had gotten significantly more pronounced, but rather than my jaw slipping forwards it seems to have grown larger instead. The increased size of my jaw appeared to be in order to support two new canines that now flanked the primary existing canines which had nearly doubled in size. By no means the same calibre of those protruding from Lash¡¯s lips, they still felt quite sharp under pressure.


    Besides the changes to my face, my skin had developed thicker discoloured and darker patches of skin on my outer arms, legs and back. Cursory experimentation led me to believe that these sections of skin were possibly twice as thick as those that remained unchanged. A rough guess based on our new difference in height revealed that I had grown at least another six inches, putting my overall height at somewhere around eleven feet tall to Lash¡¯s nine feet and change. This increase in size made my boxers snugger than I would have liked, which in turn made me annoyed that I had removed the Egyptian style crotch protector in order to make the arena more dangerous and rewarding.


    Even though I was more than capable of doing the maths myself, I was still feeling somewhat overwhelmed and wanted to know the state of my stats relative to my physical changes. ¡°Status,¡± I yawned tiredly and resisted the urge to blink as I brought my eyes into focus. This urge quickly receded as the shock of what I was looking at demanded my full attention.


    [Tim - Swamp Ogre Lord Runt: 0 ] [HP: 78/78 (+20) ] [MP: 46/46 (+20,+26) ]


    [Class: Swamp Ogre Lord Noble 43. +7 Strength, +9 Toughness, +2 Willpower, Presence +2, +20 HP, +20 MP.] [Exp: 56050/660000 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Lash¡¯s Mate]


    [Bloodline: {Tyrant 0} +1 Willpower.] [Bloodline Progeny: None.]


    [Strength: 20* (27*) {+7} ]


    [Agility: 9 ]


    [Toughness: 24* (33*) {+9} ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 16* (19*) {+2, +1} ]


    [Presence: 8 (10*) {+2} ]


    [(Racial Abilities.)]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide {Rank 5}): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength {Rank 3}): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut {Rank 6}): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]


    [(Racial Ability: Savage Nobility): You are a paragon of primal might and authority. {Strength} increases the effect of {Racial Abilities} and {Class Abilities} modified by {Presence} when targeting {Allies}, subordinates, and members of the same {Species}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Birthright {1}): Your genes are superior and create superior offspring. Sired offspring will always match your Species and Tier of Evolution. Sired Half-Breed offspring will always match your Species when determining Primary Species and Racial Abilities.]


    [(Class Abilities)]


    [(Class Ability: Takesation): The strong take from the weak, and you will take your due. Subordinates receive a bonus to special item drop chance relative to the degree of sacrificed Exp from their kills, maximum of {Presence} in every hundred Exp earned. (1-38 Per hundred Exp). {Takesation} deducts a minimum of one in every hundred Exp earned and awards it to you.]


    [(Class Ability: Thundering Strikes {Rank 5}): The roar of thunder announces your presence on the battlefield and serves as a final warning to your enemies. Expend MP to imbue your attacks with additional {Concussive} damage on impact. {Strength} increases the area of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Dominating Will {Rank 5}): Slaves and Beasts have only one true master, you. Expending MP contests the control of all Slaves and Tamed Beasts within range. Succeeding the contest of {Willpower} transfers ownership of each Slave and Tamed Beast to you. {Willpower} reduces the MP expended. The tier of monster relative to your own increases or decreases MP expended.]


    [(Class Ability: Warlord¡¯s Will {Rank 3}): Subordinates place their fate in your hands, requiring Enemies Abilities that target them to contend with your {WIllpower} first. {Willpower/Presence} increases the range of effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Honour Guard {i}): It is their privilege and honour to serve and lay down their life for you. A number of subordinates determined by your {Presence} gain the {Bodyguard} Class Ability. (0/38)]


    [(Class Ability: Summon Servant ): A true servant is ever at their master''s beck and call. Expend MP to temporarily {Summon} a subordinate to your location. MP cost is increased by distance and Tier of Evolution. Additional MP may be expended to extend the duration of the effect. {Presence} reduces the MP cost of the effect.]


    [(Class Ability: Inspiring Presence {i}): Your presence on the battlefield inspires your Allies subordinates to greater feats of bravery and heroism. Allies and subordinates within line of sight gain resistance to {Fear} and {Terror} relative to your {Presence}. Being witnessed personally dealing a killing blow grants bonus {Momentum} to Allies and subordinates.


    Besides the dramatic increase in stats, the fact that the Labyrinth had changed my Class AGAIN left me feeling conflicted to say the least. Sighing and reading through the Abilities again, I took what solace I could in the fact that we were not quite possibly not as stranded as I had initially feared.


    *****


    Amalda tented her fingers and stared up at the vaulted ceiling in annoyance. The stench of the living irritated her at the best of times, and the failure of her erstwhile human allies only served to exacerbate her ire.


    ¡°I have no patience for excuses,¡± Amalda stated quietly, her gaze still firmly locked on the ceiling. ¡°If you do not achieve results as promised, then you are little more than food.:


    *Click*


    At the click of her fingers, the dark figure of Elizabet leapt out of the shadows behind her and disappeared from view.


    ¡°NO! PLEASE! I-AEEIIEII!!!¡± The human mage screamed as Elizabet sated her hunger on his lifeblood, draining him dry before letting his lifeless body hit the floor, now just an empty sack of meat.


    With a dismissive flick of her right wrist, Amalda drew the dead man''s soul before her, and with a minor gesture from her left hand, the corpse staggered to its feet. ¡°I warned your masters of the price of failure,¡± she purred softly, gently caressing the incorporeal face of the mage¡¯s disembodied soul, ¡°And perhaps now they will take our bargain more seriously!¡± Opening her mouth, Amalda inhaled the soul in a single breath. ¡°You may leave us!¡± She snapped, glaring hungrily at the two remaining mages as they bolted from the opulently decorated room.


    ¡°I could bring you another from the larder mistress?¡± Elizabet offered, forever a slave to her thirst, ¡°Perhaps one of the younger ones? Oh, the sweetness of their unsoiled blood....¡± The pale-skinned beauty lolled her tongue and drooled freely.


    ¡°Not now,¡± Amalda replied reluctantly, ¡°I may have need of them soon...¡± The combination of Elizabet¡¯s disappointment and her own roused hunger managed to get the better of her, ¡°Perhaps one of our allies soldiers might go missing tonight?¡± Amalda suggested as a compromise.


    Patting down her form-fitting leather armour, Elizabet¡¯s eyes flashed crimson in understanding, ¡°They are such disloyal and clumsy brutes!¡± She laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll bet I find one no less than an hour after sunset!¡±


    Returning her gaze to the ceiling, Amalda tented her fingers once more and continued to wait. Eroding the protective barriers containing her forces to the centre of the city would take time, she had been aware of that since the beginning. However, the blundering actions of her allies had introduced an unanticipated variable that threatened to render all of her patience moot.


    The arrival of the Ogre did not bode well at all. Impervious to the attacks of the most numerous and expendable minions, Amalda was loath to risk her more valuable and considerably rarer minions against such a brute. To make matters worse, the Ogre had demonstrated considerable cunning in rallying survivors to improve his own defences. And that Orc...


    *Crack*


    Amalda glanced indifferently at her broken finger and restored it with just a thought and a slight touch of mana. That Ogre¡¯s Orc BITCH Could counter magical attacks!


    When Amalda found the idiot that brought the Ogre into the city, she was going to flay their soul until even the humans¡¯ gods wouldn¡¯t be able to recognise it!

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 36 – A godless city – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 36 ¨C A godless city ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 36 - A godless city - Part One


    Watching the stream of numbers and attached names stream rapidly across my vision, it took only a brief glance at my status screen in order to confirm that Takesation was no joke. Initially, the numbers were low, ranging from one to four and occasionally interspersed with a zero or two. However, it only took a few minutes before far larger numbers began joining the stream. It wasn¡¯t until I read through Takesation¡¯s description again that I began to understand why this was the case. They were voluntarily sacrificing larger amounts of Exp to benefit from the increased drop chance awarded by the ability.


    Besides the Stone Dolls beneath the ground surrounding Sanctuary, I wasn¡¯t aware of any other monsters that magically generated rewards after being killed. The best explanation I could think of was that those sacrificing larger amounts of their Exp were either experimenting or were targeting monsters that could generate a bonus reward.


    Unsure whether Morris would be able to convince the abbot to allow us entry, I decided to put together a backup plan that might change his mind. Of course, there was an element of risk to the assumptions I was making. Firstly, the Angels served a role as messengers of the gods. Secondly, the abbot and priests wouldn¡¯t recognise the difference between a Fallen Angel and a regular one. And thirdly, that the gods wouldn¡¯t intervene and smite my ass for my presumption.


    All the same, I packed as much information as I had available into the quest information before sending it to Orphiel. Hopefully, as an Angel himself, Orphiel would know the best approach to take.


    As an additional backup plan, assuming the first backup failed or that the abbot was delayed for more than an hour, I planned on temporarily summoning Ril. Hopefully, that would allow her to then teleport to our location and at the very least return Lash to Sanctuary before nightfall. The Ward would stop the Zombies from attacking us, so it might be possible to evacuate Morris and the guardsmen, as well as Rikit¡¯s pack and myself.


    It almost came as a disappointment when the large doors were opened a few minutes shy of my self-imposed deadline.


    A priest in slightly finer clothes than those who had previously opened the door now stood to the side and motioned for everyone to enter a long passageway with barred windows set along its length. ¡°Please, do not linger, the doors must be held fast against further incursion!¡±


    Waving the guardsmen through first, partly as a gift for their loyalty, partly to discourage any funny business from the priests, Lash and myself entered next and were then followed by Rikit and her pack.


    Once everyone was inside, the priest heaved the doors shut and four heavy beams slid into the steel brackets anchored onto the back of the doors. Looking through the windows revealed a ragged militia of priests with spears and crossbows that could easily turn the passageway into a bloodbath if they had a mind to. It also revealed rather primitive mechanisms that the priests had used to move the bars that now held fast the door.


    The priest who had encouraged our entry hurriedly made his way to the front and began leading us to the far end of the passageway. After waiting a few moments, the large doors opened to reveal a large courtyard that was currently serving as a sort of checking station for the refugees we had rescued.


    By the looks of things, each of them was being checked for bite marks or other injuries behind a number of privacy screens. Once they were deemed to be uninfected, the refugees were given simple garments to replace those they had removed. After dressing in clean clothes, they were free to wait for family or friends before being escorted deeper into the monastery.


    The gender disparity from the clergy¡¯s initial showing was no longer present. There seemed to be just as many women as men filling the lower ranks of their monastery. Although now that I was thinking about it, there was a distinct possibility that I may have confused some of the more militant priests from earlier due to their severe and almost uniform haircuts.


    So far as I could tell, their religious order had two distinct branches. The first was the militant branch we had encountered earlier. The second seemed to be a more traditional scholarly jack of all trades type of role. Besides the weapons, one of the biggest differences was in their clothing. The militant priests wore padded armour like a soldier and had a shortened religious scapular tied off at the waist. The other priests wore light grey robes and a full-length scapular.


    The scapulars worn by both priests had a large jagged hook-like symbol embroidered on the front and back. It wasn¡¯t until after staring at them for a while that I realised they were meant to be an artistic representation of fire.


    ¡°The abbot requests your presence,¡± the priest discreetly informed me, pointing to the far end of the courtyard and a large set of double doors that had thus far remained firmly closed.


    Taking Lash¡¯s hand, we followed the priest to the far doors.


    ¡°You will need to leave your weapons here,¡± the priest insisted, ¡°You can take them back when we return, but outsiders are forbidden to take weapons beyond this point.¡±


    Seeing Morris¡¯s weapon laid on a crate off to the side, and under the watch of three of the militant priests, I disarmed and motioned for Lash to do the same.


    Having only recovered her axe comparatively recently, Lash let out a reluctant sigh as she handed it over to the priests.


    Now that we were disarmed as requested, the doors opened and the priest led us deeper into the monastery.


    Entering what looked like a huge chapel, the priest led us past the pews which held a scattering of priests and common refugees that looked to be in deep prayer. Behind the altar was a raised pulpit and elaborately embroidered tapestry that depicted what could only be an angel. Above each of the angel¡¯s outstretched hands hovered mirrored flames that matched the embroidery on the priests'' scapulars.


    The next door requires Lash and I to duck in order to avoid striking our heads. Noticing doors farther down the new passageway that would very likely loop around to the courtyard from earlier, I realised that the priest was most likely trying his best to make use of the larger doorways that were available. Passing through three more large doors and winding corridors all but proved my point as my internal sense of direction insisted that we had pulled a U-turn and doubled back towards the chapel again. Only this time, we seemed to be on the opposite side.


    Thankfully, the next set of doors were much larger and allowed myself and Lash to pass through while only stooping a little.


    We had entered what looked like a grand library. The walls were firmly packed with bookcases, which were, in turn, overflowing with books of all shapes and sizes. Dozens of sturdy ladders of a myriad of sizes were propped against the walls, the tallest allowing access to the shelves that were more than thirty feet off the ground.


    Large tables and small writing desks were arranged in neat rows and separated by thick rugs that lined the walkways into and out of the room. I didn¡¯t envy the poor priest that would be tasked with cleaning the rugs after we left.


    Morris was standing opposite a tall austere looking man in the garb of a militant priest with the notable addition of a chain hauberk and hood, that was currently lowered. With hair white and thin enough to be in his eighties, the man still carried himself with a certain stubbornness that compensated for the loss of youthful vigour.


    ¡°The monster...¡± The old man grunted, the tensing of his jaw revealing a scar spanning his upper and lower lip.


    Morris flinched and glanced my way before directing his full attention back at the old priest, ¡°Abbot, I must insist that the correct level of propriety be observed! The Lord Regent was very clear on this matter!¡±


    The abbot seemed unimpressed. ¡°While our most holy order has a divinely appointed edict to combat the undead, the presence of monsters rankles my aged hide most poorly,¡± he stated dourly. ¡°However, in these, our darkest days, I would not dare turn away such direly needed assistance awarded by providence.¡± The abbot¡¯s expression gave the impression that he had bitten into a particularly sour lemon but was otherwise committed to finishing it regardless. ¡°So long as you and yours do not give me a reason otherwise, I will permit your presence within these walls, monster.¡±


    More than a little irritated by the abbot¡¯s arrogance and tone, I very nearly Summoned Orphiel on the spot, just to see the look on his face. Choosing to move past it, for now, I turned my attention to our guide. ¡°Can you show us where we will be staying?¡± I asked politely, earning looks of surprise from all three humans that were present.


    ¡°Ah, of course...¡± The priest replied in a friendly tone and began leading us back to the door. ¡°You speak Asrusian very well,¡± he complimented quietly.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied amiably.


    Waiting until the doors closed again, the priest began leading us back through the maze of corridors.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask a question?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Ah, by all means, but do you mind if I ask some of my own in exchange?¡± The priest asked with a barely restrained curiosity of his own.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± I agreed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this is meant to be a secret or something, but why isn¡¯t the cathedral consecrated against the undead?¡±


    The priest winced, ¡°Not a secret, but shameful nonetheless...¡± The priest was quiet for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts, ¡°When the undead first attacked, we were betrayed from within. The consecration was...defiled...¡± He shivered and pulled his robes closer as if warding off a bitter winter breeze.


    ¡°So why not renew the consecration?¡± In my mind, the effect was just a more specific Ward, so leaving it inactive was asking for trouble. ¡°Did the person with the Class that performs the Consecration die in the attack?¡±


    The priest shook his head and looked thoroughly dispirited. ¡°We have not had the required Class for performing Consecrations in more than five hundred years...Our order lacks the means of unlocking the required Classes...¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask what the requirements are?¡± Learning a new Class or two that had specialties in dealing with the undead would be a nice consolation prize for everything that had happened thus far.


    ¡°Divinity...¡± The priest replied dejectedly, ¡°Contact with the messengers of our god...¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡± I stopped and made sure that the priest was being serious, ¡°You haven''t had any sort of contact with your god for more than five hundred years? Why haven¡¯t you shifted your worship to another god instead?¡± In a world where the gods were real, I would have thought it prudent to worship the god that actually gives the best benefits.


    ¡°The gods are...territorial...They will not answer the prayers of those who belong to another, and sacred oaths bind us to those we worship,¡± the priest seemed resigned to his fate.


    ¡°So you joined knowing this would be the case?¡± I asked, still more than a little confused as to why someone would swear oaths to worship a silent god on pain of death.


    ¡°We are recruited as children...¡± The priest replied quietly, ¡°Most of us were orphans, although some are from families too large to support them. It beats being homeless and living on the streets...¡±


    With a better understanding of what was going on, I answered the priest¡¯s questions in turn. Most of the priest¡¯s questions focused on where we had come from and why we were helping the refugees. I was honest for the most part but kept my true origins out of it. There was no real benefit in telling him, and Jacque had warned against telling too many people.


    The priest led Lash and myself to a large stone room that looked like it had once been used for general storage. Our weapons were returned and blankets were provided a short while afterwards before Lash and myself were left to our own devices. The storage room wasn¡¯t far from the first courtyard we entered and I could hear Rikit and her pack being moved into a number of smaller rooms down the hall.


    While some might view our separation from the humans as being motivated by fear, I was actually glad to have the Gnolls nearby. In the event of an emergency, we could form a comparatively elite fighting force after only a few moments'' notice.


    ¡°Do you mind blocking the door?¡± I asked Lash quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk anyone overhearing us.¡±


    Lash nodded and dragged the blankets over to the door before bundling herself up and laying down to rest against the door.


    Concentrating my mana, I formed an image of the Fallen Angel in my mind and then spoke his name aloud, ¡°Orphiel.¡±


    *Tingalinging* sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was the sound of a faintly ringing bell, then a half-naked man with waist-length golden hair and wearing a loose toga-like robe appeared in front of me. Strumming a lyre, he lazily opened his eyes and began slowly taking in the room. ¡°Who calls upon the holy messenger of Sabriel?...EH?! There¡¯s no one here...¡± Orphiel¡¯s shoulders slumped, ¡°Awww, I practised a whole speech and everything...¡±


    ¡°Our reception was not exactly stellar, but they have allowed us to stay,¡± I explained.


    Orphiel nodded but made no reply.


    ¡°Sabriel? Is that the name of this holy orders god? Or did you make it up?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Hrm?¡± Orphiel seemed to have recovered, ¡°Sabriel? OH! No, she died ages ago. The humans just kept on worshipping her anyway.¡±


    ¡°Gods can die?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Orphiel shrugged, ¡°Huh? OH! Sabriel was a Principle Arch-Angel, not a god. It¡¯s the same with all the human¡¯s ¡®gods¡¯ or most of them anyway,¡± he waved dismissively as if it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°So the priests worship Angels?¡± I asked uncertainly.


    Orphiel nodded and struck a pose like a runway model, ¡°Is it really that difficult to believe? We are perfection personified.¡±


    ¡°So why did you choose Sabriel as your made up patron? Weren¡¯t you worried you would be found out?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°Hrm?¡± Orphiel stopped modelling and gave me a wry smile, ¡°Because this is Sabriel¡¯s former territory, or still is I suppose since no one has claimed it. Belief is a powerful thing, just as it can strengthen a warrior''s arm, it can blind them to truths that should otherwise be incredibly obvious. Their god is dead, but the priests still haven¡¯t abandoned the temple after all this time,¡± he shrugged and shook his head, ¡°Desperation and tradition are powerful motivators. So when I say I am Sabriel¡¯s messenger, they don¡¯t really have much of a choice but to believe me.¡± Orphiel grinned contemptuously and nodded his head in agreement with himself, ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡±


    ¡°And you wondered why you became a Fallen Angel,¡± I scolded him.


    Orphiel¡¯s brittle ego deflated almost immediately, ¡°She was a Daemon...That was an ordained strike...¡± He moped with tears forming in his eyes.


    ¡°If Sabriel is dead, then does that mean you could....¡± I tried to think of the right words.


    ¡°Take over?¡± Orphiel suggested, clearly able to see what I was driving at. He shook his head, then paused thoughtfully. ¡°Actually...¡± Orphiel sat down on the floor and seemed to seriously give it some thought.


    Feeling the mana supporting his summons running low, I fed more mana into the connection.


    ¡°I would need to study the oaths in question, but...It¡¯s technically possible,¡± Orphiel admitted tentatively, ¡°Since Sabriel is dead and all...But, I would need to evolve first,¡± he glanced slyly at me from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Would a title influence your potential evolution?¡± I asked, ignoring the sly look for now. Not truly a traditional promotion, I would be making Orphiel responsible for the religious organisation. Besides having seen the effects my own title had on my evolution, I wasn¡¯t going to pass up the opportunity for another potential unique evolution.


    ¡°A title?¡± Orphiel seemed shocked. ¡°You mean like an Underlord?¡± He asked excitedly.


    ¡°For starters,¡± I agreed, ¡°If you succeed, I will promote you to Overlord of your own Faction.¡±


    Orphiel¡¯s amber eyes grew wide, ¡°Overlord?! My own Faction?!¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Then I will definitely do it!¡± Orphiel swore, suddenly becoming incredibly serious and kneeling with his head bowed and hand over his heart.


    Even if his motivation was primarily to gain the Overlord title, it would only make Orphiel that much easier to control in the future. Fear of losing his title would make treachery that much more unlikely since it would require an enemy to offer something of equal or greater value.


    ¡°You have until tomorrow,¡± I warned Orphiel before severing the flow of mana.


    Just like that, Orphiel disappeared.


    Summoning Orphiel had taken about a quarter of my mana, and I had spent close to a third killing Zombies. Deciding it would at least be worth a try summoning Ril, I repeated the process I had used for Orphiel and felt my mana drain close to empty.


    *Tingalinging*


    Ril appeared in the middle of the room and passively looked around her surroundings before settling her eyes on me. ¡°Mama has been worried,¡± she stated somewhat coldly while narrowing her inky black eyes, ¡°But it is good to see you are safe.¡±


    Unsure how long Ril¡¯s Summons would last, I did my best to quickly explain what had happened and where we were. She seemed quite surprised by our current location but agreed to try and return when the summons ended. The distance was not inconsiderable, but it still roughly equated to less than traversing from the first floor to the third in terms of mana expenditure.


    Sure enough, Ril¡¯s Summons lasted only a few minutes before running out of mana.


    After around twenty minutes or so, Ril reappeared in the room with both Toofy and Kestrel in tow.


    ¡°TIM!¡± Toofy scrambled up my leg and chest before firmly wrapping her arms around my neck, ¡°No run away!¡± She scolded tearfully, ¡°No scare Toofy!¡±


    ¡°Sorry Toofy,¡± I apologised and hugged her back gently, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to leave, I promise.¡±


    Toofy mumbled something unintelligible while wiping snot on my neck.


    Ril just watched with a look on her face that seemed to say, ¡°It¡¯s your fault, so bear with it.¡±


    Kestrel was uncomfortably making a point of looking just about anywhere else, settling on staring at an empty corner of the room.


    Toofy quickly tired herself out and I carefully handed her over to Lash so she could snuggle beneath the blankets.


    ¡°Do you think you can take us back with you?¡± I asked Rill a little nervously.


    ¡°I could,¡± Ril replied somewhat impassively, ¡°By stopping at the royal castle and using the gateway there, it makes the gateways bear the load. Travelling between the human cities here on the outside is not very draining at all.¡±


    ¡°Um, about that,¡± Kestrel interjected awkwardly, ¡°High command was hoping you might stay and allow Ril to establish another Gateway, here in the city I mean.¡±


    I turned back to Ril, ¡°How long would that take?¡±


    ¡°Depending on materials...¡± Ril rubbed her chin with her webbed fingers, ¡°Maybe two days as long I am allowed to concentrate. There is too little ambient mana to recharge as I normally would...¡±


    ¡°And you will need to recover afterwards as well?¡± I assumed based on previous experience.


    Ril nodded.


    With the Mothers Moon growing ever closer, I was inclined to tell the Regent he could suck it. However, I had a responsibility to Rikit¡¯s pack and the other refugees.


    The timeline would be tight, but it would work so long as nothing went horribly wrong. Unfortunately, the gathering mana would serve as a beacon for the undead and draw them in greater numbers as time passed. The Ward would be able to protect most of the Cathedral, but not all of it. Then there was the possibility of Variants invading the cathedral as well. It stood to reason that there would be Variants amongst the undead, albeit in much smaller numbers than the living. Although that raised an uncomfortable question. Would a conversion type of undead, like a Plague Zombie, make Variant Zombies of itself a Variant?


    Making the gateway would now require the cooperation of the priests, so if Orphiel was unable to bring them onto our side then the plan would be scrapped outright.


    After unblocking the door again, Kestrel excused herself under the pretence of contacting Morris and relaying further orders from the Regent.


    Briefly leaving the room myself, I did my best to explain to Rikit that we would be making a gateway to evacuate the city. She didn¡¯t quite understand what I was talking about but seemed excited by the prospect of leaving the city.


    When I returned to our room I found Toofy was already asleep and Ril was dozing in a large barrel of Grove water that Toofy must have been keeping in her extradimensional space. Lightly dozing herself and with Toofy in her arms, Lash¡¯s eyes flashed as I opened the door and made my way inside.


    Laying down beside them, I kept one foot pressed against the door. If anyone tried to enter while we slept, they would need to make quite a bit of noise displacing my weight first.


    I slept little but didn¡¯t dream at all, so I considered it a plus overall. Better to have no dreams and no nightmares after hacking apart Zombies all day. Briefly checking my status, I was not particularly surprised to find I had only regenerated two points of mana for each hour of sleep, leaving me with twelve in mana total.


    Getting up, I quietly made my way outside and headed for the temporary latrines they had built over a grating that connected to the sewer. Besides myself and a few guardsmen, no one else seemed to be awake yet. However, on my way back to our room I heard what sounded like gregorian chanting coming from the large doors to the chapel. Waiting and listening outside of the door for a while, I figured that the priests were likely engaging in the equivalent of midnight mass.


    My mother had never been a particularly religious person, but she had made sure I was at least aware of them in case I ever decided it was something I wanted to participate in. It hadn¡¯t, of course, but it still left me with a general idea of what to expect.


    Returning to our room, I laid back down next to Lash and tried to think of how I could make best use of this new information. While my initial intention had been to Summon Orphiel into the priest''s presence, it also involved me taking credit for doing so. The general idea being to set myself up as a sort of messenger of the messenger to the gods. Involved enough not to be messed with, but not involved enough for people''s expectations to get crazy. However, I now believed it would be more effective in the long term to try and limit my perceived involvement.


    My general thinking was that by having Orphiel seemingly appear of his own accord, that it would pander into the unrequited faith of the priests. This in turn would give Orphiel a better shot at hijacking Sabriel¡¯s already established network of militant priests.


    With the established hostility between Angels and Daemons, I wanted a buffer against future hostilities that would almost certainly break out by virtue of association. Sabriel¡¯s rudderless and unbacked Azure Order just about perfectly fit that bill. Granted, some restructuring might be in order to make sure the new leadership was more pliable, but that would be Orphiel¡¯s responsibility.


    As the hours began passing by, I carefully kept an eye on my mana and waited. If my assumptions were correct, then the priests would engage in morning mass and allow another opportunity to introduce Orphiel. If I was wrong, then I would need to be more creative.


    Hearing voices coming from outside, I got up and decided to investigate.


    Some of Rikit¡¯s pack had left their rooms and were investigating their surroundings. Judging by the distressed looks on their faces and how they were whimpering, I could only assume that they needed to relieve themselves.


    Convincing the Gnolls to follow me to the latrine was simple enough but I had to insist that they use a bucket of water from a barrel to wash away their excrement afterwards. Their prolonged diet of leather and rotten hides had done them no favours, and the last thing I wanted was to give the priests an excuse to try and kick us out.


    Confident that the Gnolls would be able to take care of themselves for a little longer, I decided to wait in the courtyard so I could see when the priests gathered in the chapel again.


    After about a half-hour of waiting, the bells in the belltowers began ringing to signal the dawn. Shortly afterwards, refugees began trailing in from the surrounding passageways and heading for the chapel. From what I could see, the priests had already gathered and were engaged in prayer, occupying the frontmost pews while the abbot waited atop the pulpit.


    Waiting until the doors to the chapel were closed, I moved closer and began concentrating my mana.


    The priests had begun chanting a hymn, so I decided to wait until they stopped in order to have the greatest dramatic effect. Assuming I would need line of sight in order to perform the summoning, I peeked through the gap between the chapel doors and waited. As the chanting died down and the abbot raised his hands to address the congregation, I realised that this would be my best opportunity.


    *Tingalinging*


    Seeing the look of shock and surprise on the abbot¡¯s face was priceless, but I quietly made my way back to our room so as to avoid any suspicion of my involvement. Not all of the priests attended the morning mass, some of them were still on guard by the main doors and who knows where else that I wasn''t aware of. So playing it safe was definitely the way to go.


    I funnelled Orphiel as much mana as I could spare, but it wasn¡¯t much. Orphiel had progressed his evolution slightly but hadn¡¯t managed to reach his next major evolution yet. I was not particularly concerned since Orphiel was likely to recruit a number of Pact Binders or Summoners as a result of our little stunt in the chapel. As such, he would be able to leach raw mana in a similar fashion to the Daemons. Or at least that is what I assumed would happen.


    Shortly after Orphiel¡¯s summons was terminated, the bells of the cathedral began ringing in earnest. Unlike the mournful calls to mass, the tune had a certain excitement and air of celebration to it.


    The ringing of the bells continued for almost an hour and all but guaranteed just about every Zombie in the city would be headed this way. In a sense, that wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. Culling the lesser undead would mean greater safety for the district overall. The problems would come from dealing with so many at once.


    Leaving Lash to keep an eye on Toofy and Ril, I made my way back outside to the courtyard.


    The refugees had tears of joy in their eyes as they spoke of the Angel that had appeared amongst them to answer their prayers.


    Despite the general atmosphere of celebration, I noticed that the militant priests were hurrying about with worried looks in their eyes.


    Wanting to confirm the situation for myself, I carefully climbed up and out of the courtyard before heading for the northern wall. Even before reaching the wall, I could hear the droning moans and ragged growls of the undead gathered outside. What was worse was the smell.


    Standing atop the wall and looking down at the road below, I found so many undead milling about the road that I was unable to catch more than brief glimpses of the flagstones beneath their rotten ragged feet. There were so many Zombies that it seemed pointless to attempt counting them. There had to be tens of thousands of them at least, very likely more.


    On the upside, I was no longer worried about the Gateway luring large numbers of Undead to the cathedral. At this point, it would be practically impossible to notice any real difference. However, the hordes of Zombies made it extremely difficult to follow the movements of the Crypt Stalkers lurking in their ranks, and culling the undead by the walls would inevitably provide a putrid ramp for the Crypt Stalkers to climb up onto the walls.


    I made a mental note to instruct the Gnolls not to target any Zombies close to the walls. I was reasonably confident that the guardsmen would know better without the need to be told, but Gnolls were rather excitable and could get carried away sometimes.


    All the same, it would be better to have Rikit¡¯s pack begin thinning the ranks of undead sooner rather than later. With the Crypt Stalkers already making the most of the cover provided by the Zombie hordes, it was entirely possible for something more powerful to do the same.


    Carefully climbing back to the courtyard, I realised that my climb had garnered more attention than I was comfortable with. Specifically, it was the militant priests that seemed particularly displeased by my clambering up and down the walls of the cathedral.


    However, Morris hurried over to speak with me before any of them was able to work up the nerve to do anything more than glare.


    ¡°My Lord! There has been a great miracle! An Angel has descended to answer our prayers!¡± Despite not being on good terms with the abbot, it didn¡¯t seem to dampen Morris¡¯s excitement over Orphiel¡¯s sudden appearance.


    ¡°I have heard as much,¡± I hedged tactfully.


    ¡°Some of the novitiates have even unlocked special Classes! They are testing them inside of the training hall right now!¡± Given the sheer rarity of Class availability outside of the Guilds and military, it was understandable that Morris would be so excited. ¡°In fact-¡± He leaned in conspiratorially, ¡°Those of us who attended morning mass have unlocked Classes as well!¡± Morris whispered excitedly.


    For some reason, I hadn¡¯t expected that. Orphiel had never unlocked any Classes for the monsters in Sanctuary before, so it was a little odd that he would be able to do so now.


    Bringing up Captain Morris¡¯s list of unlocked classes, I confirmed that he now qualified for the Summoner, Pact Binder, Acolyte and Paladin in addition to those he had unlocked already.


    ¡°Ah, so...I was wondering, your Lordship, if it would be alright if you could issue another quest so the men can quickly level up their new Classes,¡± Morris asked quietly.


    ¡°I thought I already told you that you could administer quests on your own?¡± I replied with a little uncertainty before trying to think back on what exactly I had told Captain Morris before promoting him.


    Morris¡¯s eyes grew wide for a moment before he respectfully shook his head, ¡°Apologies, I must have forgotten, my Lord,¡± he lied tactfully.


    Captain Morris, and all of his subordinates, were members of the Kingdom of Asrus Faction, specifically their Capital. So the Regent was technically able to deny any quests Morris might try to create, not that I thought he would in the present circumstances.


    Sparing a few minutes to quietly explain how the quests worked and how to distribute them, I also let Morris know about the sheer numbers of undead now waiting outside of the cathedral. News of the undead soon sent him running to gather his guardsmen and begin thinning the hordes. However, I made sure to stop him and convince him to wait for Rikit and her pack before heading for the walls.


    Without Morris¡¯s help, they would have a hard time being granted permission to access the battlements that would give them the best positions to attack the undead. Despite his concerns over the undead, Morris agreed to wait.


    This was, of course, for the best given the sheer number of undead that needed to be culled. The fact that Ril¡¯s binding of the gateway was going to agitate the hell out of them only made it even more important to have as many watchful eyes up on the walls as possible.


    Convincing Rikit and her pack to cull the undead from atop the walls was not difficult at all. In fact, the only compromise Rikit negotiated for was to keep the besieged resource quest active. Given that I had no intentions of cancelling the quest anytime soon, it was an easy enough promise to make.


    The Gnolls'' protracted starvation had left them understandably anxious regarding sourcing their future meals. This only intensified when the supplies were taken by the priests upon our arrival at the cathedral.


    Besides reassuring Rikit that the quest would remain active, I also did my best to explain that we would be leaving using magic in a couple of days and headed for Sanctuary. This left Rikit understandably curious, but she didn¡¯t press for more details.


    Returning to our room, I found Ril concentrating on a neatly aligned circle of mana stones. Just by looking at the general layout, I assumed that she was doing prep work for establishing the Gateway. Or rather, I hoped it was.


    Even though Lash had not said anything, I suspected that she had given up on our chances of returning to Sanctuary in time for the Mothers Moon. The possessive way Lash was holding Toofy and stroking her hair made it rather obvious that children were on her mind, so her lack of anger and anxiety made me feel that much more irritable.


    With so many undead outside, being personally involved in the cull was just impractical. Similarly, with Morris leading the Guardsmen in his own retinue, and with Rikit in my own, there wasn¡¯t much else I could do to indirectly help either. All the same, my Exp continued to climb higher with every passing moment. So long as a kill qualified that subordinate to an Exp reward, I would receive a portion of that Exp. This meant that Zombies outside were contributing to my Exp despite the fact that if I killed them myself I would otherwise receive nothing.


    While I enjoyed spending time with Lash, Toofy being uncharacteristically well behaved left me surprisingly desperate for a distraction or some form of entertainment. Toofy seemed content enough with using Lash¡¯s chest as a pillow while drowsily chewing on dried meat. However, the narrow-eyed glances she was giving me every so often suggested an ulterior motive than comfort.


    All the same, it was something of a relief when Kestrel returned. Judging by the deeply conflicted and sceptical look on her face, I could tell that the Regent¡¯s latest batch of requests was bound to be whoppers.


    ¡°Um...Tim...¡± Kestrel seemed to be really struggling with whatever she was here to say. ¡°The Lord Regent, he wants to know if...That is...¡± Kestrel rapidly lost steam and let out a deep sigh before shaking her head, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s impossible, but...¡± She resignedly forced herself to make eye contact, ¡°The Lord Regent asked me to confirm whether you were responsible for summoning an Angel.¡±


    Of all the questions I expected her to ask, that was not one of them. Although in hindsight I realised that I should have expected it. The Regent wasn¡¯t a complete idiot, and his position in Sanctuary¡¯s overall hierarchy entitled him to certain information. Knowing this, it wasn¡¯t completely unrealistic for him to make an assumption like this. ¡°I did,¡± I admitted somewhat dismissively, trying to play it off as if it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kestrel nodded sighed in relief, ¡°To be able to summon an Angel? That would...be...¡± Her eyes grew wide, ¡°Wait...I think I didn¡¯t quite hear you properly...Did you just say you summoned the Angel?!¡±


    *****


    Lounging in his ¡®throne¡¯ above the canopy of the Grove, Orphiel¡¯s smug sense of accomplishment in diverting his fallen kin¡¯s worshipers began to fade as new memories began flooding his mind. Orphiel was not a fighter, and to make things worse, the Pact Binders were not high enough level to replicate any of his painstakingly designed equipment. Naturally, this meant that his summoned copies did not perform well in combat against the overwhelming numbers of undead.


    While his believers did not feel disappointed, they had begun coming up with excuses on his behalf, which was not a particularly good sign either.


    Gulping down another Elixir eased the mounting burden of the negative emotions aggregating in his mind. All the same, Orphiel suspected that more drastic measures were now necessary in order to cement his control over his new believers.


    Stripping his breastplate and robes, Orphiel drew his dagger and traced it along his chest. Guided as much by instinct as imprinted memories, he still winced in pain as the blade bit into his flesh and sent shimmering copper coloured blood streaming down his side.


    Dropping the knife, Orphiel gulped down another Elixir to numb his pain as he inched his fingers closer to the open wound. Taking one final deep breath, Orphiel plunged his hand inside of his own rib cage and took a firm hold of his second-lowest rib.


    *Crunch*


    Pulling the broken rib free of his chest, Orphiel channelled what little Divinity he had gathered thus far into performing a pair of very limited Miracles. First, the wound in Orphiel¡¯s side stitched itself closed and left a bright amber scar. Second, the rib removed from his chest began regenerating a whole new body.


    Unfortunately, in addition to depleting all of his limited supply of Divinity, the second Miracle had exacted a price from his Evolution as well, all but reversing his progress over the past twenty-four hours.


    In under a minute, Orphiel found a near-perfect copy of himself staring back at him. With the primary exception that his copy was female and lacked his recently acquired scar, the second Fallen Angel was otherwise a perfect copy.


    Very much aware that his copy was in a deeply impressionable state, Orphiel decided it would be best to strike while the iron was hot. Establishing a mental link, Orphiel laid the groundwork for his copy¡¯s personality, emphasising an intense desire and enjoyment of combat while encouraging rigid obedience to hierarchy. After all, the last thing Orphiel wanted was to be supplanted by his own copy.


    With the window of opportunity to finalise her primary motivations closing, Orphiel hastily made a few finishing touches before assigning her a name and severing the mental connection.


    Orphiel¡¯s copy, Ophelia, slowly opened her eyes and rose to a sitting position. Looking her body over with intense curiosity, Ophelia briefly closed her eyes and replaced her nakedness with a long knee-length shimmering copper coloured tunic and belt. Shakily getting to her feet like a newborn deer, Ophelia turned her large doe-like eyes to Orphiel.


    ¡°Weak,¡± Ophelia stated forlornly with tears gathering in her eyes, ¡°I am too weak...¡±


    Orphiel¡¯s prepared speech momentarily slipped his mind in the wake of his creation¡¯s unexpected emotional breakdown.


    ¡°Father!¡± Ophelia took a trembling step towards him and then lost her balance, tripping and falling to her knees, ¡°Why am I so weak?! Am I not created to serve as thine righteous sword of vengeance?! So why?! Why?! Why curse my body with such fragility and anemicy?!¡±


    Orphiel couldn¡¯t help but feel a little insulted. Ophelia had his exact same stats barring those afforded by his Class. ¡°Weakness is a path to true strength!¡± Orphiel declared, brazenly lying to his not even hour old daughter¡¯s face, ¡°Those who are born strong have no appreciation for the strength they gain! But you! My dearest daughter, will become stronger than them all!¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Ophelia bowed her head in respectful reverence, ¡°I won¡¯t let you down!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Orphiel rose off his throne and helped raise Ophelia to her feet, ¡°Come with me child, there is one I would have you meet.¡±


    Holding Ophelia¡¯s hand, he guided her through the process of manifesting her wings and then began their descent into the Grove.


    As expected, the red-haired battlejunky was taking a break by the fountain after performing her morning exercises. However, neither she nor her giant lizard looked particularly happy to see them. Actually, that wasn¡¯t strictly true, the redhead was very nearly ambivalent to Ophelia¡¯s presence, if somewhat curious. ¡°What do you want?¡± She demanded curtly, crossing her tanned mannish arms over her chest.


    ¡°You da-¡± Ophelia stiffened and her beautiful face contorted in rage.


    ¡°Be silent,¡± Orphiel chastised her, before turning back to the human and keeping a wary eye on the lizard, ¡°I would ask a favour of you,¡± he admitted bluntly, ¡°Although I am inclined to believe you will no doubt enjoy it all the same.¡±


    The redhead raised an eyebrow sceptically, ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Training,¡± Orphiel replied simply, ¡°Ophelia wishes to become stronger, and I could think of no one more experienced in increasing their own strength through training.¡± It was less a compliment and more a statement of fact. Other humans exercised, but none of them pushed themselves as hard as the redhead did.


    ¡°Ophelia?¡± The redhead briefly glanced at Ophelia before scowling at Orphiel again, ¡°And where did, Ophelia, come from?¡± She asked warily.


    Orphiel decided things would progress more smoothly if he kept things simple. ¡°Ophelia is my daughter, and she wishes to train in order to become stronger.¡±


    The redhead eyed Ophelia sceptically, ¡°What will you give me as payment?¡±


    Orphiel was silent for a few moments as he considered what would be an acceptable bribe. ¡°What about an Exp Elixir?¡±


    The redhead stiffened, ¡°You have access to those?¡± She asked warily.


    Orphiel grinned and nodded. While they were technically meant to be for his personal use in order to evolve into a more powerful form, tithing the mana offerings made to Ophelia would be much more efficient in the long term. ¡°I was given permission by Tim himself.¡±


    Licking her lips the red head¡¯s expression turned downright predatory, ¡°One Elixir per point of Strength and Toughness,¡± she demanded, ¡°And five more if I help her unlock an Advanced Class!¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± Orphiel agreed and nudged Ophelia forwards. ¡°We can settle the payment at the same time each morning.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± the redhead agreed, shoving Ophelia roughly to the ground, ¡°We¡¯ll start with pushups!¡±


    Orphiel stepped back and glided up onto a branch that was well out of the way but otherwise afforded a clear vantage of the Grove below.


    Grimacing as another summoned instance of himself asserted its memories in his mind, Orphiel made sure to prioritise awarding future summons to Ophelia. With half of all tributes taken as a tithe for himself, Orphiel was relatively confident that the arrangement combined with Ophelia¡¯s loyalty conditioning would ensure his continued primacy.


    With his position in the new hierarchy assured, Orphiel turned his attention to expanding his influence. With an Overlord title and Faction came the expectation of subordinates. While Tim had not stated as such, it was painfully obvious to Orphiel that he was expected to formally recruit his newly acquired followers into the fold. In doing so, he would increase Tim¡¯s influence over them, but also provide Orphiel with another indirect means of communicating with his followers through the quest interface.


    All things considered, it was now his highest priority. Sensing an incoming summons, Orphiel accepted it himself rather than deferring it to Ophelia. If possible, he would use this summons as an opportunity to begin formally recruiting to his Faction and laying the groundwork for Ophelia¡¯s future interventions.


    Diminished while his avatar answered the summons, Orphiel retreated to his throne above the canopy. Creating Ophelia had been necessary, but weakening himself left Orphiel feeling incredibly vulnerable. This feeling only intensified whenever he recalled the fact that the Daemons had him significantly outnumbered. While they made a show of obeying Tim¡¯s every command to the letter, Orphiel could feel their hatred every time they crossed paths with one another.


    Orphiel could only hope that as Ophelia grew stronger the Daemons would be forced to think twice before picking a fight when Tim wasn¡¯t looking.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 36 – A godless city – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 36 ¨C A godless city ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 36 - A godless city - Part Two


    The addition of a second Fallen Angel to Orphiel¡¯s Faction had not gone unnoticed. Just as soon as I could comfortably accommodate the expense, I Summoned Orphiel to the storage room I had been calling home for the past couple of days.


    *Tingling*


    The golden-haired youth appeared in his usual romanesque toga while levitating a few feet off the ground. ¡°Ah...My Tyrant...I can explain!¡± Orphiel insisted weakly, ¡°My new believers kept summoning me to do battle with the undead, but I am not a frontline combatant!¡± He made a point of showing off his thin arms and delicate hands, ¡°So I used what was left of Sabriel¡¯s Divinity to ¡®ahem¡¯ recruit a sibling that would be better suited to the role...¡±


    ¡°Sibling?¡± I demanded, ¡°Under Bloodline, it shows Ophelia is your daughter.¡±


    Orphiel¡¯s already pale skin somehow managed to grow a shade paler, ¡°Well...It¡¯s not an altogether inaccurate assessment of the situation...She was made from a piece of me...¡±


    ¡°What? No, let me guess. You plucked out one of your own ribs and used the ¡®Divinity¡¯ to make another Fallen Angel in your own image?¡± I snickered sarcastically.


    Orphiel grew incredibly still and subconsciously moved his right arm to shield his ribs.


    ¡°Seriously?!¡± I demanded incredulously.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Orphiel asked weakly.


    ¡°Lucky guess,¡± I muttered, surprised that the Orphiel had somewhat mimicked the creation story for Adam and Eve and been completely unaware of it. ¡°So why is your copy going to do any better than you did?¡± I pressed.


    Orphiel perked up and regained some of his usual confidence, ¡°Actually, that is well in hand at the moment. I solicited the services of a trainer to toughen Ophelia up and assist in her training.¡±


    I sighed and rubbed at my temples in frustration, ¡°And the reason YOU didn¡¯t submit yourself to that training is?¡±


    Orphiel shrunk back slightly and nervously wet his lips, ¡°I uh...My Class is better suited to inspiring and leading now,¡± he insisted weakly, ¡°It would be far better to have a loyal subordinate fill the role for close-quarters combat.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t consider that perhaps some training would help you better survive combat in general? That your ¡®leadership¡¯ and ¡®inspiration¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be beneficial in combat situations?¡± I demanded dryly.


    Orphiel winced but said nothing in reply.


    ¡°Whatever training you signed Ophelia up for, you are going to match it for the next month,¡± I commanded, issuing a mandatory quest to enforce it, ¡°If you don¡¯t, Ophelia will be granted your title and leadership of your Faction.¡±


    Orphiel looked horrified, ¡°My Tyrant! Please! I-¡± His pleas ended abruptly as I ended the Summons.


    Ril snickered in amusement in spite of her deep concentration.


    ¡°How much longer until you can bind the stones to the gateway?¡± I asked anxiously. We were running out of time. The Mothers Moon would be arriving soon, and if Lash and I missed it then it would be three years before we would have another chance at having children.


    I honestly didn¡¯t know if I was ready to have kids. However, I was pretty sure that if I waited until I was absolutely certain I was ready, it would mean forcing Lash to wait a decade or more for her chance to be a mother. Seeing Lash happy was something I treasured about my new life, and I would do just about anything to see her smile.


    ¡°Half a day?¡± Ril replied uncertainly, ¡°Maybe a little longer...In either case, I will need the anchor soon.¡±


    ¡°Kestrel?¡± She had been so quiet that I had momentarily forgotten she was there, ¡°I need you to inform guard Captain Morris that I need his guardsmen to provide protection in the courtyard.¡±


    Kestrel just stared blankly at me for a few moments before shaking her head, ¡°I uh...¡± She shook her head again, this time with more force, ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it...¡± Kestrel insisted, her tone conveying a lingering sense of shock. As she got up to leave and took hold of the door handle, Kestrel paused, ¡°Was that really an Angel?¡± She asked quietly.


    I nodded, ¡°It was,¡± I confirmed somewhat ambivalently. I had long since lost my sense of awe over the existence of Daemons and Angels. In just about every respect, they were little different from any other monsters of the labyrinths.


    Kestrel¡¯s eyes grew wider for a moment before she hurriedly looked away and began opening the door.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t much of a secret for the time being,¡± I continued, ¡°So you have my permission to inform the Regent.¡± Kestrel was liable to inform him anyway, so I figured I would set her conscience at ease. The Regent wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to blab anything important to those who couldn¡¯t be trusted anyway.


    Kestrel quietly nodded and left the room, closing the door behind herself as she hurried off down the hall.


    ¡°Better to get started sooner rather than later then,¡± I grunted and opened the door again and used a rope to make a carrying handle for Ril¡¯s barrel. ¡°Are you coming?¡± I asked Lash.


    Lash nodded and swept up the blankets we had been using for bedding and slung them over one shoulder while cradling toofy against her chest with the other.


    ¡°Might as well wait by the gateway until it is finished,¡± I agreed with her assumed train of thought. Minutes might make all the difference considering the degree of uncertainty in traversing the gateway exchanges necessary to allow our combined return.


    Proceeding to the courtyard, we found it almost empty. Besides a few civilians washing clothes and some of the orphans playing tag, there was no one else around. Most likely, the militant priests were all fighting the undead from atop the walls while the majority of the rescued civilians prayed in the chapel or hid away in their assigned quarters.


    Recognising Dante from the small pack of orphans, I gave him a small smile and waved as I brought Ril over to the location I thought would provide the best access for those exiting the gateway without obstructing any of the prominent entrances to the covered passages surrounding the courtyard. I vaguely recalled a teacher from high school referring to the veranda-like passages as an arcade but saw little benefit in the trivia to my current situation.


    After receiving my acknowledgement, Dante quickly became the collective centre of the gathered orphans¡¯ attention.


    *CLANG*


    However, this attention immediately shifted when the huge cast-iron gateway materialised from thin air and crashed to the ground in the corner of the courtyard.


    They weren¡¯t the only ones who were surprised either. The few civilians in the immediate area cried out in alarm and ran a short distance away before becoming confused by the lack of activity taking place around them. Besides the appearance of the crude piece of ironwork, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything that warranted being afraid of.


    All the same, the civilians were thoroughly relieved when Captain Morris and his guardsmen arrived a short while later.


    By the time they had arrived, I had already driven the long iron anchoring stakes through the feet of the gateway and firmly locked it in place.


    ¡°When fully enchanted, this gateway will connect to its twin in the capital,¡± I explained gravely, ¡°Once the gateway becomes active, civilians will be able to be evacuated and soldiers will be able to reinforce and retake the city.¡±


    The guardsmens¡¯ eyes grew wide with surprise and they began murmuring amongst one another.


    ¡°However,¡± I let that word sink in for a few moments just to make sure it carried the correct amount of weight, ¡°Activating the gateway will fail if you do not maintain ¡®her¡¯ absolute safety!¡± I pointed at Ril who was peeking out of the top of her barrel, ¡°She is the only one able to activate the gateway! Without ¡®her¡¯ there is no evacuation and no reinforcements! Do you understand me?!¡±


    Morris responded immediately, having the advantage of being somewhat aware of my plans. ¡°Sir!¡± He snapped a crisp salute, triggering a trained reaction from his men.


    ¡°Sir!¡± The guardsmen echoed with varying degrees of awareness.


    Captain Morris immediately set about establishing a rotating guard detail, posting guardsmen at the entrances to the courtyard as well as the surrounding roof. Morris even assigned the largest guardsmen to be Ril¡¯s bodyguards, the glorified body blockers intended to serve as literal meat shields should the situation demand it.


    ¡°The ritual for the enchantment draws large amounts of mana and serves as a powerful beacon for monsters,¡± I explained to Morris, ¡°With so many undead drawn to this location already, there is a very real possibility that the final stage of the ritual will trigger more powerful undead to make an attack on the cathedral.¡±


    Morris nodded in understanding, ¡°My men and I had noticed the horde was growing somewhat restless,¡± he admitted, ¡°But we will do our best should the worst occur,¡± he promised solemnly.


    ¡°A DOLLY!¡± The little girl¡¯s scream immediately drew everyone''s attention.


    Toofy was besieged on all sides by a small swarm of children, one of which was a small girl tightly hugging a crude cloth doll with pointed ears.


    ¡°Can I have a dolly?¡± Another little girl asked eagerly, triggering a host of requests from the other children.


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Toofy made a show of dramatically crossing her arms over her chest and scratching her chin, ¡°You all good babies?¡± Toofy asked with painfully transparently obvious faux seriousness.


    Some of the older boys grumbled and looked uncertainly at one another.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been good!¡± One of the little girls called out earnestly, ¡°I brushed my hair, and, and, I didn¡¯t start no fights.¡±


    As one, the children all turned to take a look at the little girl and then back to Toofy again, waiting to see how she would react.


    Toofy grinned and a second stuffed doll materialised in her hands. Walking through the crowd of awestruck children, Toofy handed the little girl the doll and then patted her head while nodding solemnly, ¡°Good baby.¡±


    All at once, the remaining children began clamouring for Toofy¡¯s attention while the two girls with dolls shied away and began to play.


    One of the boys that had been playing with Dante ran off towards the chapel and returned a few minutes later with a concerned-looking mother carrying a toddler in tow. Briefly slipping free of his mother''s grip, the boy pressed through the mass of children and pointed back to his mother while saying something that was drowned out by the voices of the other children.


    Toofy nodded and handed the boy a pair of simple puppets, ruffling his hair before sending him back to his mother. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leading the boy back to the chapel, the mother seemed conflicted as she glanced back towards Toofy and the growing crowd of children.


    As the hours slowly passed, Toofy continued giving away knick-knacks and little toys to any children that asked for them. The parents of those children who were lucky enough to have them were initially reluctant to allow their offspring anywhere near Toofy. However, that reluctance gave way to passive acceptance when it required literally locking their children away in order to prevent it. There was another reason for their rather significant shift in opinions, Toofy had food.


    The rations being provided through my quest were serviceable. Mainly consisting of dried, smoked, and salted fish meat as well as hard crackers, the rations would keep you going in a crisis. However, Toofy had fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and even boiled sausages. All it took was a little boy complaining about being hungry before Toofy began sharing her secret stash. Her extradimensional space prevented food from rotting and even prevented cross-contamination between items.


    As Ril¡¯s ritual continued making progress, I placed the mana stones she had prepared previously into each of the respective receptacles on the gateway. Beyond that minor assistance, there wasn¡¯t much else I could do, so I sat down beside Lash and did my best to wait patiently while keeping an eye out for trouble.


    With each passing moment, I felt a mounting sense of dread, expecting a rotting colossus or even some sort of bone dragon to come looming over the rooftops. However, as Ril¡¯s ritual began to draw to a close in the late evening, nothing had yet to materialise.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one being paranoid either. Morris had brought all of his guardsmen on duty for the final stretch of the ritual.


    The Gnolls remained vigilant on the walls. Their keener senses and ability to see in the poor illumination detect nothing amiss beyond the horde¡¯s gradually increasing restlessness.


    Rikit reported that she felt like they were being watched by a hidden enemy, but she had no evidence to support it beyond intuition.


    ¡°It is done,¡± Ril declared with an exhausted sigh before slipping down beneath the water.


    ¡°She¡¯s drowning!¡± One of the guardsmen cried in a panic as she and the other guardsmen on duty quickly dropped their shields and weapons to try and pull Ril out of the water.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I ordered, ¡°She breathes water, leave her alone.¡±


    The two guardsmen sheepishly bowed in apology and stepped back when I moved Ril¡¯s barrel over beside Lash and Toofy, who had long since worn herself out playing with the children.


    ¡°Ahem, Tim?¡± Kestrel cleared her throat to get my attention, ¡°The Lord Regent would like to know if you will be leaving Mournbrent now. The capital is ready to activate the gateway on their end and are just waiting for confirmation.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer right away and turned to the guard Captain Morris instead, ¡°Are you and your men alright with staying behind until there are enough reinforcements to cover the watch on the walls?¡± I asked while doing my best not to inadvertently pressure him into accepting the role just to try and appease me.


    ¡°We will stay,¡± Morris replied stoically, ¡°There has been talk of attempting to make contact with the other guard posts and rescuing possible survivors once the horde is broken. We want to be a part of that. This is our city and we want to see this through to the end.¡±


    I nodded to show I accepted his decision and was glad to see my faith in the man was not misplaced. He was going to make a loyal Overseer. ¡°RIKIT! WE ARE LEAVING!¡± I called out loudly, certain that she would hear me and rally her pack.


    True enough, a number of heckling cries echoed over the rooftops and soon saw the hunched forms of the Gnolls scaling the inner walls and leaping down into the courtyard. The Gnolls not on guard came loping out of the adjoining corridor awaiting commands from their pack leader, Rikit.


    ¡°We are leaving,¡± I repeated, ¡°But the gateway will only be active for a fixed amount of time, so make sure your pack moves as a group and that no one is left behind.¡±


    ¡°Rikit do! Hehehe, Rikit Do!¡± Rikit agreed excitedly.


    I turned my attention back to Captain Morris, ¡°Morris. Can you gather all the civilians together? If we are fast enough, everyone should be able to pass through and still give the army enough time to send a reasonable amount of reinforcements before the gateway needs to recharge.¡± It gnawed at me that I was delaying mine and Lash¡¯s return, even if it was only by a matter of minutes, but I did my best to resist succumbing to my selfish impulses.


    ¡°I will get right on it sir!¡± Morris promised and immediately hurried off to do just that, hastily organising his men into teams to fill the Gnolls place on the walls and to gather the civilians in the courtyard for evacuation.


    Forming a tight line in front of the gateway, with Lash carrying Toofy and myself carrying Ril in her barrel, the Gnolls obediently formed up behind us.


    Morris and his men didn¡¯t take long to rouse the civilians who had been preparing for an evening Mass in the chapel.


    Expecting the abbot to be upset by the interruption of a religious service, I was surprised when he actively encouraged the civilians to leave through the gateway. There was a manic energy to the man that had not been present before Orphiel¡¯s arrival and it was incredibly strange to witness his transition to a near zealot-like state.


    Then again, for someone who had dedicated their life to a faith expecting nothing to come of it, the revitalization of its very foundations in its darkest hour sounded like just the sort of thing to change a man. Well, that and meeting your new god in person. That alone would be enough of an excuse for the abbot¡¯s change in attitude.


    When the last of the civilians were lined up, and the children were securely held in the arms of the adults, I gave Kestrel the signal to have the capital activate the connection between the gateways.


    Firmly holding Lash¡¯s hand I nervously kept an eye on the surrounding rooftops. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was being watched. I could feel a profound sense of malice, but no desire for immediate violence. Whoever it was seemed content to simply watch, for the time being at least anyway.


    As gateway came to life, I didn¡¯t hesitate in stepping forward and pulling Lash alongside me.


    Momentarily disoriented, a combination of forward momentum, muscle memory and no small amount of bodyweight kept me walking forwards until Lash tugged on my arm and caused me to change direction.


    It was just as well she did. I very nearly crashed into the Asrusian soldiers that had been waiting on the other side of the gateway.


    We had entered what looked like the inner grounds of a castle¡¯s walls, standing upon carefully laid flagstones in the shadow of an intimidating fortress.


    Rikit and her pack eyed the soldiers nervously but followed us all the same.


    Kestrel hurried to my side and motioned to an open area nearby, ¡°We can wait there until the soldiers are done passing through,¡± she suggested helpfully. ¡°Ah, but the Lord Regent has also requested to meet you in person if you would accept a minor delay?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Unless he is already here, I will not wait.¡±


    Kestrel nodded and her resigned body language made it obvious that she had expected as much.


    While we waited, the civilians were taken away by what looked like the royal family''s personal soldiers. They had more expensive-looking equipment than the soldiers I was used to seeing, so assumed they had to be more important to justify the expense.


    The number of reinforcements prepared for the cathedral drastically exceeded my expectations. By the time the gateway was rendered inactive, more than four hundred soldiers had passed through and left behind nearly as many. Best I could figure, the commander¡¯s intention was to try and get as many soldiers through as possible and just stand down those who remained behind. It¡¯s what I would do.


    When the soldiers made way again, I issued a quest to Gric to open a connection to Sanctuary and then led the others forward.


    Returning to Sanctuary was like a breath of fresh air, and I was even more relieved to find an organised militia guarding the area of our arrival. Similar to the humans, Gric had fortified the immediate area around the gateway and turned it into a kill zone. Thick trunks of briar formed knotted walls with natural arrow slits and funnelled all traffic towards the waiting ranks of halberdiers and archers at the far end of the tunnel. After we left the tunnel, a spiked chain net was lowered around the entrance and staked in place.


    The majority of the militia was Goblins and Serpent-Kin, although the presence of a male Gnoll almost immediately drew the attention of Rikit and her pack.


    Releasing a rather distinctive cry into the night sky, Rikit waited eagerly for a reply.


    The male gnoll giggled nervously and warily eyed Rikit¡¯s pack.


    When a similar cry echoed in reply, Rikit began to move towards the direction of the sound but stopped herself. Looking to me for permission, she released a low pleading whine while tucking her tail between her legs and lowering her head.


    ¡°Go,¡± I waved my hand dismissively, ¡°Just be sure to obey my laws,¡± I emphasised the last part to serve as a reminder that even if she was going to engage in some sort of hierarch infighting, it would ultimately need to be nonlethal.


    Rikit bobbed her head excitedly and bounded off into the darkness, headed for the crafting quarter. Her pack followed a short distance behind her, giggling and whining nervously.


    Sanctuary had changed since I saw it last. Large luminescent fungi now adored the lower trunks of the trees in what I could only interpret as festive patterns. Similarly, large clusters of fragrant exotic flowers bloomed just about everywhere they could manage. Thoroughfares had been left alone, as well as a number of smaller winding paths, but they didn¡¯t show any signs of trampling.


    Careful to follow one of the larger winding paths, Lash and I made our way back to the Grove.


    My expectations of the Grove being a peaceful and altogether tranquil retreat were immediately shattered as Clarice¡¯s familiar voice loudly barked out barely intelligible, and profoundly loud, orders like an army drill instructor stereotype.


    Entering the Grove soon revealed why.


    Orphiel and his twin daughter were doing pushups. Or to put it more accurately, Ophelia was doing pushups with copper tinted sweat beading her brow, and Orphiel was crumpled in an exhausted heap in the grass.


    Although somewhat ironically it wasn¡¯t Orphiel that was drawing Clarice¡¯s ire, as I had expected. It was Ophelia.


    ¡°Did I say you could stop?! Keep going! No slacking! Back straight!¡± Clarice was shouting herself hoarse and was even beginning to repeat herself.


    Despite the verbal abuse, Ophelia continued determinedly eking out one more pushup after another.


    ¡°Tim, I thought that was you,¡± a familiar lilting voice commented from behind us.


    Turning around, I was pleasantly surprised to find Hana and her sister standing patiently behind us, most likely having just returned to the Grove themselves.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Hana, and even better seeing your sister up and about,¡± I admitted with some relief. A part of me had been wondering if her sister, Kohana, would ever make any progress in her recovery after what happened to her.


    Hana smiled, although her badly scarred sister ducked behind her like a shield. ¡°We were just taking an evening stroll to appreciate the damp soil. But Kohana likes to listen to Orphiel''s singing, so-¡± Kohana pressed her lips tightly together and glared at her sister, but Hana continued on regardless, ¡°-we were hoping to catch one last song before retiring for the evening. Bumping into yourself and Lash was just a pleasant surprise.¡±


    Glancing back at Orphiel, he didn¡¯t look like he was in good enough shape for anything. Then again...


    I issued Orphiel a mandatory quest with very explicit instructions.


    *Tingling*


    ¡°Yeah-eh-ah, a second Orphiel materialised in the air and began crooning with a simple musical accompaniment from an impressively large harp, every syllable and note thrumming with infused magic, ¡°You are, my flower. My source, of power. Don¡¯t leave, when I say, I, want you, to, stay.¡± Orphiel¡¯s copy took on a pouty face. ¡°That we, are two floors apart. Can''t reach with my ha-arp...When you say, I, am, too, a-frai-d,¡±


    *Tingling Tingling Tingling Tingling*


    ¡°Tell me why?!¡± Four new copies joined the first in perfect harmony for the chorus.


    Unfortunately, I had drawn too much mana and was barely clinging to consciousness. Even so, as the darkness swallowed up my vision, I couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Worth it,¡± I muttered as everything turned black.


    Feeling the faint familiar burn of the Elixir running down my throat, I did my best not to choke on it as I concentrated on trying to will my eyes to open themselves.


    I was propped up on a bed of thick moss in a cavernous room that I was not familiar with. Nearly every square inch was covered with a faintly glowing moss that slowly alternated colours seemingly at random. A recess in the wall near the bed had a stone basin that caught a slow stream of water delivered by a small root protruding from the wall. A huge thick curtain at the far end of the room rustled from a draft I couldn¡¯t feel. Most importantly, Lash was straddled on top of me and had my chest pinned to the bed between her powerful thighs.


    ¡°Drink,¡± Lash insisted, pressing a fresh Elixir to my lips. Her eyes flashed like stars and I could smell Elixir on her breath. ¡°Drink!¡± Lash repeated, prying my jaw open with her free hand and tipping the liquid into my mouth with the other.


    Gulping down the Elixir, I tried to speak but between the mild numbing effect on my tongue, and Lash¡¯s fingers jammed in my mouth, I couldn¡¯t manage much more than an unintelligible grunt.


    It wasn¡¯t until the fifth Elixir was sloshing down my gullet that I realised why Lash was so worked up. Tonight was the night of the Orc¡¯ Mothers Moon, and its arrival was growing closer with each passing moment. Still somewhat addled, I felt an added wave of confusion as I realised that I had lost a not-insignificant amount of time.


    The fuzzy sensation in my head only intensified as I tried to account for the lost time. However, all my effort amounted to nothing more than a vague sense of being unconscious for a long time. IF that was true, then I had probably spent more mana than I intended, and Lash could hardly be blamed for taking things into her own hands.


    All the same, I was struggling to piece my thoughts together and Lash was demanding more of my attention, growling dangerously as she held me in place with brightly burning eyes. As she fumbled for another Elixir, I used the momentary lapse in her concentration to try and pull her closer.


    Perhaps having anticipated my ambush, Lash knocked my arms away and bowed down of her accord and fiercely pressed her lips against mine. Staring into her eyes, I felt the last vestiges of my self-control give way and seized her in an embrace that threatened to crush Lash¡¯s ribs and spine. Pressing her closer and wrapped my arms tighter, waiting for her to yield.


    A sharp pain in my neck momentarily eclipsed everything, rendering everything that came afterwards into a blur of emotions and sensations that came so hard and fast that I was unable to regain my grip on reality for quite some time. In the moment, it felt like the passage of eternity.


    However, staring up at the faintly glowing moss on the ceiling I knew that less than a day had passed.


    With Lash¡¯s content snoring deafening me to the world and a lingering sense of fatigued pleasantly burning in my core, it took me a moment to recognise that something was horribly wrong.


    I could feel an imminent sense of danger, and trespassers skulking on my territory.


    Willing the tiredness from my limbs, I gently settled Lash onto the bed and staggered to my feet.


    <Gric? Do you feel it?> I repeated the words over and over again while I fumbled for a pair of pants and headed for the curtain.


    <Tyrant! Yes! I sense the interlopers as well! We are searching for them now!> Gric answered in a slight panic. <Guards have been warned, but still no sign!>


    Pushing aside the curtain, I discovered a tunnel reinforced by thick tree roots making it obvious that I was underground. Following the winding tunnel, I stepped out from beneath a yawning opening in the trunk of a tree and found myself in the Grove. The sun had yet to rise and cast the surroundings in an eerie gloom.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Hana rushed over from the fountain, ¡°There are intruders within Sanctuary! I am trying to slow them down but their magic sickens the soil!¡±


    ¡°Where are they?!¡± I demanded, all vestiges of fatigue now forgotten.


    Hana pointed to the East, ¡°They just entered the orchard!¡±


    <The Orchard!> I repeated in my mind, hoping that Gric or the other Daemons were listening.


    Issuing a call to arms quest, I sprinted out of the Grove and headed for the orchard. Even though there would be almost no one besides the Asrusian garrison and workers who would understand it, I still made the effort in hopes that the silent communication would potentially allow us to catch the invaders unawares.


    Running past a pair of patrolling Serpent-Kin guards, I waved for them to follow me towards the orchard.


    Without making a sound, they obeyed and fell into step behind me.


    The next patrol, a group of seven Goblins, didn¡¯t even need to be asked, immediately joining our ragtag force and making strange croaking noises like the giant toads of the swamp beyond the briar wall.


    More Goblins began streaming out of the nearby houses, a scattered chorus of croaks spreading both ahead of and behind us.


    With the orchards now in sight, I could see a rolling fog creeping over the roots of the trees and causing the trunks and branches to wither. Looking deeper into the fog, I could sense rather than see the enemy that had triggered my self-preservation instincts earlier and woken me from a lust-filled stupor.


    With the enemy hiding behind a toxic fog, they clearly held an advantage. However, I had no intention of letting them keep it.


    Sprinting ahead of the mustering force at my back, I beelined straight for the heart of the approaching fog. Taking a deep breath before crossing over, I gathered mana into my hands and prepared myself for the enemy¡¯s attack. The fog was so thick I couldn''t see more than a few feet in front of my own face.


    [Spell has been mitigated by Toughness.]


    *Crunch*


    ¡°AAAEEIII!!!¡± A lightly armoured figure had sprung up out of nowhere, their twin knives lightly cutting my abdomen before I accidentally trampled the figure underfoot.


    I very nearly lost my concentration, so I decided that now was most likely the best time to make an attack of my own.


    *BOOOOOOM!!!*


    The crash of thunder was deafening, dissipating the fog instantly and sending dozens of dark figures flying.


    The only one left standing was a tall woman in tight form fitting leather armour. Skin as pale as the moon, with eyes and lips simmering a blood red, she had somehow managed to keep her feathered tricorn hat atop her head in spite of the blast.


    Holding what looked like a religious censor in her left hand, the tall woman smiled wryly as she raised it up to her eyes and then shook her head, ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate,¡± she cackled in amusement, ¡°Guess we do this the hard way!¡± In a blur of motion too fast for my eyes to follow, a cutlass appeared in her right hand and a hunting knife appeared in her left.


    The woman¡¯s minions had begun slowly getting to their feet, although those closest to me were staggering badly and were almost certainly deaf.


    The man pinned beneath my foot tried to weakly stab at my leg, but he lacked the strength to accomplish much of anything.


    A hailstorm of stones began showering down as the slingers found their distance.


    ¡°RAAAAAGH!!!¡± The ground shook and shuddered as a scaly croc-tailed gorilla the size of an elephant erupted out of the ground and leapt onto an unsuspecting opponent.


    A forest of vines erupted from the ground and began binding any of the enemy not quick enough to leap away.


    The tall woman seemed unfazed by these developments and avoided the vines with minimal effort, either hacking them down or nimbly leaping away. It was a feat that became that much more impressive as she managed to avoid being struck by the stones thrown by the slingers as well and still showed no signs of exertion.


    *Crunch*


    [You have slain {Vampyr Thinblood: 1 } +0 Exp]


    The body beneath my foot turned to ash and collapsed in on itself, leaving only the Vampyr¡¯s knives.


    The tall woman, almost definitely another Vampyre, didn¡¯t seem bothered by the loss of her subordinate in the slightest. ¡°Now you decide to be ruthless?¡± She sniggered, ¡°Pick a lane!¡± She disappeared and I felt a blade run along the back of my right knee, too shallow to do any real harm, I could still feel blood beginning to well along the cut.


    The accumulated damage so far hadn¡¯t even equalled a single lost hitpoint, but bleeding around Vampyres was not a fantastic feeling either. It was obvious that whoever this Vampyre was, she was too fast for me to hit without her making a mistake. However, she didn¡¯t seem capable of hurting me either. No one would deliver an attack as she had without at least hoping to try and cripple their opponent.


    Why would she want to slow me down if I am already not fast enough to catch her?


    I looked at the scale of the battle taking place around us as more and more of Sanctuary¡¯s defenders arrived to drive off the invaders.


    ¡°Whatcha doing?¡± The strike came again, landing in almost the exact same place. Unfortunately for the Vampyre, the scratch had already closed, so she only accomplished reopening it again.


    ¡°DAR!!! BODYGUARD!¡± I had no time to try and figure out how to use the ability properly.


    I issued a new quest to the Asrusians, Daemons and Angels, everyone I expected to be able to understand it.


    ¡°DAR DO!!!¡± The giant scaly gorilla immediately disengaged and began thundering towards the Grove.


    Staring back towards the Grove, my heart caught in my chest as an amethyst sphere of light radiated through the trees.


    ¡°I guess the cat¡¯s outta the bag now,¡± the Vampyre chuckled nonchalantly. ¡°I totally expected her to be out for the count after that epic shagging you gave her though,¡± she shrugged, ¡®Guess Orcs are just built differently.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± I snarled.


    The Vampyre looked surprised, ¡°I thought you already realised I was the distraction?¡± She smiled wickedly and swatted aside a fist-sized stone that otherwise would have struck her between the eyes, ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal, really. It¡¯s just, you chose the wrong side, and now you''re in the way.¡± She shrugged as if there was nothing else to it. The Vampyre opened her mouth to say something else but then stopped abruptly. ¡°Sunova!¡± She sheathed her swords and raised her middle finger in my direction with a snarl before reaching into her pouch and immediately disappearing into thin air.


    Sensing that the Vampyre had left, for now, I left the remaining minions to everyone else and sprinted towards the Grove as fast as my legs would carry me. I hadn¡¯t received any death notifications, so I could only hope that the Vampyre¡¯s partner had been driven off without severe injuries.


    As I drew closer I heard wailing and cries of anguish, and as I passed through the entrance to the Grove I nearly fell to my knees as the lion''s share of my strength suddenly abandoned me.


    Orphiel and Ophelia were unconscious and looked half-dead, their bodies appearing drained of nearly all their vitality. In addition to the withering, Orphiel was heavily scarred and looked like he had been rolled around in a bonfire.


    The explanation quickly became obvious as I spotted Hana cradling her sister in the shelter of a massive blackened tree root. Both Hana and her sister bore signs of the same withering, although only Hana herself was conscious. Given both Angel¡¯s close proximity, I could only assume they had taken the same attacks themselves and quite possibly offered their own form of limited healing.


    With the cries coming from the hatchery, I felt my heart grow heavy inside of my chest. At that moment, I remembered that not all citizens of Sanctuary would provide a death notification.


    I barely noticed as Daemons began swarming into the Grove. I felt numb.


    Hana, Kohana, Orphiel and Ophelia were all hastily carried away. I almost didn¡¯t recognise Clarice, Tobi and Emelia as they were retrieved from the hatchery. Emelia looked like a corpse, and her left arm was gone entirely. When Nadine was carried past a few moments later, I didn¡¯t immediately recognise that she appeared to be unharmed. Or rather, she was so comparatively healthy compared to the others, that it had to have skewed my perception.


    With no sign of Lash, Toofy or Ril, I forced myself to begin slowly approaching the hatchery.


    *****


    Francis Asrus, the Lord Regent and current leader of the Kingdom of Asrus Faction, very nearly collapsed outright, barely managing to stagger backwards and slump into a nearby chair. Despite the prevailing chill of his study, Francis found himself drenched in sweat as a series of events unfolded themselves in his memory. Far too alert to be able to dismiss the events as a dream, the mandatory quest that had woken him from his earlier slumber gained much-needed context.


    Francis had appeared fully clothed in a woodland grove that bore the scars of dark magic. The giant trees had hollowed insides formed inside of them to provide rudimentary shelter, although only one of them seemed truly large enough to accommodate the Ogre that was standing before him.


    Recent reports had not done justice to the drastic changes in the Tyrant¡¯s physique. Where once his Species had been in doubt, Francis could confidently agree that by appearances alone, Tim was most certainly an Ogre.


    The Tyrant had just stared at his own reflection in a nearby fountain that appeared to have been grown to purpose rather than built. His expression had been oddly passive, bordering on indifference, or so Francis had initially thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill them all for what they did...And you are going to help me do it...¡± The memory of the Tyrant¡¯s deadpan delivery sent a fresh shiver down the Regent''s spine.


    It was only now, sitting in his chair, that the regent recognized the haunted look in the Ogre¡¯s eyes for what it was.


    Lacking the strength to rise from the chair, Francis issued a quest to the officers posted in Sanctuary to relay word of what motivated the Tyrant¡¯s distress. Even as he was marvelling at the convenience the one-sided communication allowed, the on-duty military scribe arrived with a hastily written report. Making it clear that the officers in question were aware of the situation already and had likely been in the process of providing the report when Francis asked for it.


    Just by looking at the scribe¡¯s agitated body language, Francis could tell that the report held the answers he was looking for. Quickly scanning the page, Francis¡¯s eyes grew wide with surprise, ¡°Oh...I see...Yes, I think that would about do it...¡± He lowered the report to his lap and bowed his head.


    A powerful undead spellcaster, a Liche, had somehow invaded Sanctuary along with a number of lesser Vampyres and caused some collateral damage before being forced to retreat. Beyond a number of the Tyrant¡¯s trusted companions, which alone likely would have warranted violent reprisal, was the deaths of several unhatched eggs that were undergoing incubation at the time of the attack.


    If there was one that was taboo amongst Variants, it was the killing of children. By all accounts the eggs had belonged to Serpent-Kin and Goblins, who were by far the most prolific of the Tyrant¡¯s subjects besides the Asrusians themselves. Francis took a morbid degree of appreciation in the fact that the Tyrant would just as likely have reacted the same if it had been Humans in the Goblins and Serpent-Kins place.


    As loath as he was to admit it, a part of Francis couldn¡¯t help but rejoice in spite of the tragedy. The Tyrant¡¯s unwillingness to involve himself in the ongoing war taking place outside of the Labyrinth had been frustrating, to say the least. That wasn¡¯t to say he and his generals had not deeply appreciated the considerable advantages already afforded by their alliance, but the presence of the Tyrant during a decisive battle could be exactly what they needed in order to turn the tide of the war.


    Certain officers had suggested as much shortly before being stripped of their commissions. While he and his core of advisors agreed with the sentiment, Francis was profoundly relieved to discover he had made the right choice in refusing those officers suggestions in provoking the Tyrant through false flag operations. The oaths they had all sworn had enough loopholes that such an attempt would have been possible, but the Tyrant¡¯s reaction proved the risk would not have been worth it.


    What they had been given was a golden opportunity, and Francis was not going to waste it. The Tyrant was out for blood, and he would make sure the Tyrant got it.


    The fall of Mournbrent had been too quick and far too precise for even the variant monsters to be capable of. They would have needed far more than just information in order to overcome the inner city¡¯s considerable defences. The monsters would have required human allies to sabotage siege engines and garrisons, to open fortifications in their path.


    At the very least, Francis could be certain that one or more of the Guilds would be involved. They had been far too active in scratching away at the crown''s power and authority for far too long not to be. The real question was whether he could link the actions of the Guilds to the Empire or the Confederacy. Incriminating both of Asrus¡¯ enemies would be ideal, but the Tyrant¡¯s active involvement in prosecuting a war against the forces of either invader would be a considerable boon.


    The trouble would be locating sufficient evidence of either party''s involvement. Attempting to interrogate the undead would almost certainly prove fruitless as any undead strong enough to privy to worthwhile information would almost certainly be compelled to secrecy by its sire. Worse even than extracting information from a slave, the spawn of greater undead can be compelled to ignorance in addition to self-destruction when caught.


    Then again, it was possible that the higher-ranked officers of the Empire''s army laying siege to the city might know something sufficiently incriminating. Even if they don¡¯t, they almost certainly held monsters as slaves, and that was a sore subject with the Tyrant already...Assuming that at least some of them were Variants, of course.


    Contemplating the nature of their enemies'' alliance, Francis couldn¡¯t help but notice the similarities of opportunism between the Confederacy and Empire. They had coordinated well in the beginning but had since begun pursuing personal objectives, likely waiting for the first excuse to just dissolve the arrangement altogether.


    The attack on Sanctuary didn¡¯t seem planned with any greater objectives in mind. By all accounts, all it had managed to accomplish was the culling of unhatched eggs, injury of the Tyrant¡¯s inner circle, and guaranteed that the Tyrant would be seeking revenge for it.


    Undead were strange creatures, almost always lacking the empathy of living beings, but that had a tendency to make them more rational, not less. Provoking the Tyrant didn¡¯t seem to fulfil any greater objective than the act itself.


    There was the slightest chance that it may have been a reprisal for the Tyrant¡¯s actions in Mournbrent, but that didn¡¯t make much sense either. Besides culling a few hundred low tier undead and saving some civilians... ¡±Oh...¡± The Regent¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    The Tyrant had returned a god to a long-vacant seat of power. He even has an Angel under his own command, if Lt. Kestrel was to be believed, and Francis had little reason to doubt her. Considering the Tyrant¡¯s existing command over Daemons, adding Angels beneath his banner shed a very different light on why those powerful undead would view him as a threat.


    In fact, antagonising the Tyrant may very well be an attempt to lure him into a trap. Everything seemed to indicate this was the only viable cause for provoking the Tyrant, but it still didn¡¯t seem quite right.


    Rubbing his temple to try and keep the mounting stress migraine at bay, Francis realised that the enemies motivations were somewhat redundant at this point. Regardless of their motive, he now had no real choice but to assign their most elite soldiers to the Tyrant¡¯s side. Whether this was all a trap or not, the Tyrant would be headed back to Mournbrent. The best Francis could do now was support the Tyrant¡¯s vengeance and make the most of the opportunities provided in the process.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 37 – Issues with anger – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 37 ¨C Issues with anger ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 37 - Issues with anger - Part One


    Staring down at the pair of Fallen Angels barely clinging to life, a lingering doubt briefly flitted through my mind before it was ruthlessly extinguished.


    With Orphiel¡¯s veins on prominent display, it was easy to find the one I needed. Inserting the sterilised needle into an arterial vein in Orphiel¡¯s arm, I firmly fixed it in place with a bandage while watching the faintly flowing liquid pass through the needle and into Orphiel¡¯s bloodstream.


    Creating a primitive IV had been simple enough. The needles had been the most difficult part while repurposing glass bottles had been the easiest. Rubber tubing had seemed like it would initially be out of reach, but despite her debilitating injuries, Hana had been able to grow something that Qreet was then able to further alter to purpose.


    It was Orphiel¡¯s fourth simultaneous IV of Evolution Elixir.


    The life-draining effects of the Liche¡¯s spells were beyond the ability of the Surgeons to heal, leaving the special Racial Abilities of Orphiel and Ophelia as the only viable option for providing treatment. Daemons and Angels both presented a comparatively weak ability to recover from the life-drain, Naturally, this presented only one viable option for treatment.


    Unlike their true selves, the summoned copies of the Fallen Angels were created in pristine condition, bearing none of the original¡¯s existing damage from life-drain. Unfortunately, the damage to the original''s Toughness drastically reduced the summoned copy''s ability to meaningfully heal that damage. Most frustrating of all, the summoned copies could not heal Fallen Angels, summoned or otherwise.


    This left only one real alternative, healing and strengthening the Fallen Angels through Evolution.


    As the Fallen Angels evolved, the Summoners and Pact Binders would be able to summon more powerful copies of the originals. This would allow the copies to heal more damage before succumbing to the life-drain themselves. For what it was worth, Orphiel and Ophelia were both under heavy sedation as a side effect of the intravenous injections of the Elixir.


    Wraithe had watched me administer the procedures in silence.


    For her benefit, and to remind me of what I needed to do, I had repeated my mentor¡¯s instructions on best practises, or as best as I could remember them while inserting each of the IVs.


    ¡°Refill the bottles as needed, and readminister the IVs if they evolve and the needles come loose,¡± I ordered while cleaning my hands on a clean cloth, ¡°And make sure to feed them using the tube and funnel at least once a day.¡±


    Wraithe nodded and continued observing me in silence. I could tell she did not approve of what I was doing, but I chose to ignore that and continue with what was needed.


    Ophelia, or rather, a summoned copy of Ophelia summoned by Sanctuary¡¯s highest level Pact Binder, had volunteered herself for everything I had requested of her. Orphiel had taken some convincing. The bottom line was that both of them had provided consent, and for me, that was enough.


    On my way out of the hospital, I briefly stopped by the entrance to the long term care ward.


    Hana and Kohana were the only ones awake, and with the exception of Nadine, bore the least visible damage from the Liche¡¯s attack.


    Despite appearing unharmed, Nadine was under the effects of a powerful curse inflicted by the Liche. Plagued by unceasing nightmares, her only defence was the telepathic link being maintained with Ril.


    Leaving the hospital, I made my way to the forges to collect my newly commissioned weapons. Using my clubs as a base, the Deep Orc smiths had attached a flanged mace head onto the end of each club. Designed for crumpling armour, crushing bone and mauling flesh, the new maces were exactly the weapons I needed in order to play to my strengths.


    My armour had been reforged and refitted, prioritising manoeuvrability over protecting otherwise exposed joints. Adding the magical beaded crotch protector as something of an afterthought, I briefly considered and promptly rejected using Shiverfang. The maces would be sufficient.


    For the Liche and Vampyre to invade Sanctuary, twice, in spite of my dominance enforced over the connecting rifts, meant that they likely had a labyrinth key of their own. Perhaps even more than one. For their attacks to end, and to ensure the safety of Sanctuary and my unborn child, I had to put an end to both of them and seize their key for myself. With a room full of injured friends and subordinates to serve as proof of what would happen if I continued allowing enemies to take the initiative.


    Barely injured by the attack, Dhizi had been pining for Clarice and wearing trails in the grounds surrounding the hospital as she restlessly paced its perimeter.


    In stark contrast, Shady appeared to be completely unharmed and had been trailing me for the better part of the day. Bearing in mind my earlier theory that the Shadow Cat was in fact a Variant, I briefly wondered if his degree of sentience could fully comprehend what had happened and what I was preparing to do.


    I decided it would be best to eliminate all doubt and be direct. ¡°Do you want revenge?¡± I asked quietly.


    In an all too human gesture, Shady looked me in the eyes and nodded his head before releasing a low growl and baring his fangs.


    As is, Shady was likely to be a liability. However, the fact that he had escaped the Liche¡¯s attack without permanent harm and could share a short-range teleportation ability, were both marks in favour of bringing him along. After all, there was nothing stopping me from sponsoring Shady¡¯s Evolution into a more durable form.


    Kneeling down to bring us closer to the same eye level, I motioned for the large black feline to approach. After removing Shady¡¯s collar, I invited him into my party. I already knew from experience that my Racial Abilities synergised incredibly well with Beast monsters, so Shady wouldn¡¯t be as much of a liability as he would be otherwise.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± I commanded and returned to the Grove.


    I wanted to see Lash one more time before leaving, but I knew that if I did, I might not have the strength remaining to leave at all. With all instances of the Bodyguard Ability active, Lash would be surrounded by protectors to keep her safe while I was away. Chief amongst them was Dar, who I knew wouldn''t hesitate to activate the Ability and intercept any attack intended for Lash.


    Passing the grove, I headed for the gateway.


    As I had expected, red puffy-eyed Goblins and Serpent-Kin were gathered nearby, their faces contorted in pain and grief. They all bore minor signs of the withering effects of the life-drain, but it wasn¡¯t the source of their pain. Each of them had been expectant parents engaged in hatching their eggs inside of the hatchery during the Liche attack.


    A fresh wave of rage flooded through my mind and renewed my sense of purpose. I wouldn¡¯t return to Sanctuary until the Liche and Vampyre were destroyed, and whatever artefact allowed them into Sanctuary was destroyed or in my possession.


    Too weak to enact their revenge, the grieving parents would be left behind. I wouldn¡¯t allow those I failed to protect once already to be sacrificed. Surviving would have to be the limits of their revenge.


    In the wake of the attack, many of Sanctuary¡¯s citizens had volunteered, even begged, to be allowed to join me. I refused them all. Although the Humans were comparatively weak, they were the only ones with a military structure that would suffice for the type of war I wanted to wage against the undead.


    Stopping before the gateway, I knelt down and took a firm hold of the scruff of Shady¡¯s neck before pressing my other palm against the cold iron of the gateway. Establishing a firm image of the cathedral¡¯s courtyard, I channelled my mana and let it build until I felt a strong pulling sensation. Leaning into the sensation, I ignored a sudden sense of panic as the ground momentarily disappeared from beneath my feet. Just as quickly, the cold flagstones of the cathedral courtyard replaced them.


    The courtyard was bustling with soldiers and low ranking officers as they unpacked sleds of supplies that had likely been delivered through the gateway.


    My arrival had prompted a strange state of organised chaos to take hold of the courtyard as runners were sent to alert higher-ranking officers. It was obvious that they had been expecting me but were unsure of when exactly I would arrive.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long for seven officers to present themselves. Each of them wore armour that bore scars of reforging and sectional repair. In addition to the battle-tested state of their equipment, each man and woman wore a helmet styled in the appearance of a lion. The highest-ranking amongst them, a Colonel, was on the older side of middle-age, with shock white hair and a mass of scars in place of his right eye. The Colonel wasn¡¯t the only one with scars, all of the assembled officers in lion helmets had them.


    As one, the officers removed their helmets and knelt down on one knee, ¡°Majesty!¡± They declared in one voice and were echoed moments later by those soldiers still in the vicinity.


    ¡°The Lord Regent has placed the Pride of Asrus regiment at your disposal!¡± The Colonel rumbled slamming his free fist against his chest and bowing his scar streaked head, ¡°What is your command?!¡± The Colonel''s officers followed suit and repeated his gesture.


    ¡°We are going to destroy the Liche,¡± I growled hatefully without raising my voice. A quick scan of the group revealed that every one of the officers had a rank of Underlord. ¡°Are you aware of how Group Synergy works?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, Majesty!¡± The Colonel replied.


    ¡°And you are familiar with the Retinue function your titles allow?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Yes, Majesty!¡± The Colonel repeated with the same intense energy.


    ¡°Good. Assemble every one of your junior officers and sergeants for inspection,¡± I growled before climbing onto the roof surrounding the courtyard and then climbing up onto the wall.


    There was smoke everywhere. Towering piles of human corpses smouldered as soldiers threw more dead Zombies and fresh torches onto the pyres. The immediate vicinity around the cathedral was now a swarm of activity with soldiers running to and fro as they delivered fresh corpses or moved to reinforce a battle line that was obscured by the smoke.


    A sudden flash of gold emanating from my body signalled that I had levelled up again, but a cursory scan revealed no skills so I didn¡¯t bother reading anymore into it.


    Shady had joined me on the wall and stared out at the smoke just as I had done.


    Seeing the Colonel had returned with all of his officers and that they were all standing in parade readiness, I scooped up Shady and jumped back down to the courtyard.


    *Boom!*


    The force from my landing was enough to break the flagstones but the mortar held them firmly in place.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± The junior officers fell to one knee just as quickly as their superiors. With their helmets removed, it was obvious that the Pride of Asrus didn¡¯t discriminate based on age or sex. Similarly, the junior officers bore just as many visible scars as their seniors.


    Provided a visual reference, which made the process much simpler, I promoted every one of the officers at least once. I promoted the Colonel to an Overlord and promoted the Majors and Captains to Lords.


    ¡°Spears, clubs, maces, hammers, bows, slings! Fists! FEET! AND TEETH!¡± Clenching my jaw I reigned in my mounting anger, ¡°You and your men are to use only Primitive and Heavy weapons.¡± I wanted them to be dealing the most possible damage with the Group Synergy, increasing their chances of destroying the undead with as few strikes as possible. I didn¡¯t want a single one of those filthy, disgusting, ABOMINATIONS!!! Getting away...


    ¡°As you command, Majesty!¡± The Colonel agreed immediately, ¡°Your Majesty! Measures have been taken for rearmament, the men will be ready within the hour!¡±


    Looking at the nearby crates, I could tell that the Colonel wasn¡¯t lying. Even though I couldn¡¯t read the language, I recognised stencilled symbols denoting their contents.


    I nodded and then motioned to Shady, ¡°This is Shady. A friend, treat him with respect.¡±


    Shady growled for a moment before settling on his haunches and eyeing the officers warily.


    ¡°Make a list of supplies you and your men will need for long term deployment in the field. Send a copy to whoever handles your logistics and make it crystal clear to them that a designated space will be required to maintain those listed items AT ALL TIMES,¡± the delays, as necessary as they were, made my brain itch. Every second of inaction was another second that the enemy might use to harm my people. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I let it out as slowly as I could manage, attempting to bring my mind back into a semblance of balance. ¡°The copy of the list will then be read to me so I can establish the long term quest. Once the quest is active, we will depart for the closest gate to the centre of the city AND HUNT THOSE ABOMINATIONS DOWN!¡±


    The Colonel had everything arranged within the hour and the thousand men and women under his command were waiting outside of the cathedral. There was one minor upset. The abbot, and a couple of dozen militant priests, wanted to join my little crusade.


    With the explicit understanding that they would be responsible for their own safety, I agreed. Having a few Pact Binders and Warlocks could prove useful.


    With an army now marching at my back, I began pushing for the closest gate to Mournbrent¡¯s interior.


    The regular army had been pushing back the straggling horde of the lesser undead street by street. Unfortunately, they had to proceed carefully to avoid exposing themselves to infection and lacked the bonus damage to make quick efficient kills.


    Pulling the pair of flanged maces from my belt, I passed through the forward defensive line and evaporated the upper body from the first Zombie to come staggering in my direction. The second crumpled like a wet bag of meat, spattering the corpse across the road. Their deaths did nothing to scratch the itch in my brain, only making it worse. The weak undead were nothing but fodder, I needed the elites.


    I set a fast pace, the percussive echoes of my maces ringing up and down the road, drawing more weak undead.


    I didn¡¯t stop until I reached the gate to the interior. Even at a distance, I could feel the mana emanating from inside of the steel-banded gate doors. The mana felt familiar, similar to the Fallen Angels¡¯ only weaker. I could feel it growing weaker with each passing moment. Whatever magic was keeping the undead contained, it was failing.


    Assuming that the enchantment on the gates was designed to keep the undead inside and not out, I wondered if Shady¡¯s limited teleportation would allow entry. Able to see the open road through a gap between the gates, there were no immediate signs of undead presence.


    Concentrating on a space on the other side of the gate, I gathered my mana and imagined myself stepping forwards.


    As I had suspected, I met no resistance entering the central district with Shadow Step.


    The buildings in the central district were much nicer than those in the western district. The buildings were also a full story higher on average, making three-story buildings the norm. There were also a great deal more windows, although most of them I could see had broken shutters.


    Having expected the more powerful undead to be gathered towards the gate and attempting to break their way out, I was both disappointed and considerably irritated.


    *Tingling*


    A Ranger wearing hardened leather, a lion helmet and carrying a recurve bow appeared in front of me. ¡°Majesty!¡± The ranger growled hoarsely, falling to one knee, ¡°How may I serve?¡±


    ¡°Scout the way ahead, find the enemy,¡± I replied, motioning down the street.


    ¡°Thy will be done!¡± The Ranger agreed. Rising to his feet, the Ranger jogged towards the side of one of the nearest buildings and adeptly began climbing to the rooftop. After reaching the rooftop, the Ranger spent a few moments carefully scanning his surroundings before jogging across the roof and leaping to the next.


    Shady suddenly appeared at my side, giving me a strange look before sniffing at the air and panning his feline eyes over the shadows cast by the buildings.


    [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thinblood 2} +0 Exp]


    [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thinblood 1} +0 Exp]


    [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thinblood 2} +0 Exp]


    The trio of kills ended with a burning white flare streaking into the sky from a short distance away, perhaps no more than a block or two from my position by the gate.


    Doing my best not to rush headlong towards the enemy, I patiently waited to see if the scout would uncover more hidden enemies.


    [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thrall 1} +0 Exp], [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thrall 1} +0 Exp], [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thrall 1} +0 Exp], [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thrall 1} +0 Exp], [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thrall 1} +0 Exp], [Gavin* has slain {Vampyr Thrall 1} +0 Exp]


    The Alerts came much faster this time, with barely a handful of seconds between them.


    [Summoned {Gavin*} has been terminated by {Vampyre Trueblood}]


    Carefully reading the Summoned Ranger¡¯s termination notification, I scowled as I remembered the Vampyre that had lured me out of the Grove. However, I had only managed to take a few steps forward before the Colonel and a handful of officers materialised a short distance behind me. Apparently, they had figured out the trick to traversing the gate.


    Alongside the officers was the Ranger I had used as a base for my Summons.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± The Colonel and accompanying officers dropped to one knee.


    I raised my hand as the Ranger moved to copy them, signalling him to remain standing. He had already died once today, he had earned this. He had also earned a considerable number of recognition points to spend on Elixir as compensation for his Summons and subsequent death.


    ¡°The undead have revealed themselves to be hiding within the more fortified residences of the district, and they appear to have taken civilian hostages. How shall we proceed?¡± The Colonel asked obediently.


    The news of the hostages was a surprise considering the duration of the undead occupation. Yet the conditions they were likely living in would be far from enviable.


    ¡°Is there a fortified structure we can seize in order to safeguard rescued hostages?¡± I inquired while doing my best to keep my anger in check.


    The Colonel nodded, ¡°Several, Majesty. It is almost guaranteed that the undead have laid claim to them, but any of the former Guild headquarters, the grand cathedral, the Count¡¯s keep, or central city guard headquarters would serve as defensible locations while we prosecute the campaign.¡±


    I briefly considered the options before settling on the cathedral. There was a chance that it contained more lingering Divinity that Orphiel and Ophelia could put to good use either in their own recovery or that of others. ¡°Take the grand cathedral,¡± I ordered.


    The colonel nodded, ¡°As you command, Majesty!¡± He turned to one of the other officers and gave her a weighty nod.


    Within minutes, the thousand-strong regiment, and the small band of militant priests, had Shadow Stepped past the gate and were now headed towards the centre of the city.


    There was a very real possibility that the Liche was holed up inside of one of the buildings in the city centre, which would make us neighbours at worst and provoke a confrontation if we were lucky. In fact, I was hoping the Liche was hiding inside of the grand cathedral. It would go a long way towards narrowing the search and dramatically lowering my assumed timetable for destroying it.


    In stark contrast to the outer districts, the central district seemed completely empty. Without Zombies to break the monotony, the sense of emptiness only intensified.


    The wealthier homes hadn¡¯t fared any better than those of the working class. Doors and window shutters were broken, shattered or otherwise torn off their hinges.


    Despite the occasional shot fired by one of the Archers or Rangers and the accompanying kill notification, the march proceeded with no real interruptions.


    Entering the centre of the city had required passing through a heavily damaged set of gates. Similar to my home city back home on Earth, the centre of the city was developed into a number of small parks. The centre of the city also had a number of fountains featuring artistic statues, although all but one of them was heavily damaged or otherwise defaced. The damage resulted in the surrounding plaza being an inch or more underwater as storm drains further out drained away the overflowing water into the sewers.


    Each of the buildings ringing the central plaza and parks was a fortress unto itself. The only real difference I could determine between the Count¡¯s Keep and the grand cathedral was that the keep didn¡¯t have a colossal bell tower on top of it. I had a general sense for the location and distance of the portal to the Labyrinth, placing it within the fortified grounds of what I assumed would be the Adventurers Guild¡¯s former property.


    Curiously, despite the outer gates to the grounds of the grand cathedral being heavily damaged and compromised, the large doors to the cathedral itself looked remarkably intact.


    With a couple of dozen Rangers scouting ahead, I moved forwards to investigate things for myself.


    I could feel the same protective enchantment and mana emanating from the large pair of iron banded doors that I had felt on the gate barring entry to the outer districts. However, the mana level in the doors was not weakening and seemed to be holding strong.


    Curious, I tried drawing open one of the doors by pulling on the large handle. Meeting with resistance, I realised the door was most likely barred from the other side. Lacking a significant gap to see into the space beyond, Shadow Step was out of the question. Or rather, it was, until I shifted my attention to the arrow slits flanking the doorway.


    *Tingling*


    ¡°Open the doors and then investigate the interior,¡± I commanded.


    ¡°As you command, Majesty!¡± The ranger growled from the other side of the wall.


    A few moments later, the doors to the cathedral opened and revealed that my guess regarding the bar was correct. Similar to the cathedral in the western district, the entry hall was festooned with arrow slits leading to another pair of doors allowing entrance to the greater interior.


    The Ranger was already using Shadow Step to manoeuvre through the arrow slits and move deeper into the cathedral. After a minute, the Ranger opened the far doors and began quickly and quietly pressing deeper into the interior.


    Slowly following behind, I warily eyed each of the arrow slits as I passed them on my way through the hallway and into a large courtyard that seemed almost identical to the one found in the western cathedral, with the exception that this courtyard was considerably larger and featured an artistic fountain.


    Feeling the mana of the Summoned Ranger growing critically low, I considered extending the Summons but ultimately decided against it. I hadn¡¯t smelt any of the telltale stench of decay since entering the cathedral, so it seemed unlikely that the soldiers wouldn¡¯t be able to handle anything that might otherwise be skulking about.


    Allowing the Summons to terminate, I left through the front doors before waving through the Rangers to perform their own sweep.


    The Colonel had already moved most of the soldiers into the open grounds and gardens surrounding the grand cathedral.


    ¡°Colonel!¡± A Lieutenant hurried over and whispered something into the Colonel¡¯s ear.


    Unfazed as always, the Colonel turned to me, ¡°Majesty, survivors have been found within the chapel, and the High Matriarch is amongst them. What are your orders?¡±


    ¡°Who is the High Matriarch?¡± I asked, unclear on the hierarchy within the dead god¡¯s religion.


    The Colonel turned his head to one of the Captains and motioned him forward.


    ¡°The High Matriarch is the religious head of the Sleeping God Sabriel¡¯s organised faith,¡± the Captain explained in a hoarse rasping voice, ¡°Born of the people, her appointment to High matriarch was unpopular with the more politically involved Abbots of the kingdom. Some used the excuse of her appointment to secede from the faith altogether, aligning their cathedrals and churches with foriegn gods. Some say...¡± The Captain stopped himself, ¡°Pardon Majesty, it is just a rumour...¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± I pressed, wanting as much information about the woman as possible before deciding her fate.


    The Captain took a moment to clear his throat and nodded, ¡°Some say that the High Matriarch performed miracles in spite of the Sleeping God¡¯s absence. She never displayed those miracles to Lords or powerful merchants, so it remained rumours amongst the common folk. But...¡± The Captain took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°My boy, my eldest, Tommon, he swears he saw a woman matching the High Matriarch¡¯s description in the southern district removing plague from the poor during the outbreak five years ago.¡±


    The Colonel motioned for the Captain to step back, ¡°Majesty, it is uncertain how the High Matriarch will react to your reorganisation and revival of the faith. Perhaps it would be best to send the Abbot to inform the high matriarch of these changes before-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head and glanced up at the slowly retreating sun. ¡°Have all of your men moved inside and prepared to fight once the sun goes down. See to it that the survivors are given food and water as well as anything else we can reasonably provide. I want to meet with this High Matriarch myself.¡±


    The gathered officers bowed as I left and headed back inside the cathedral.


    Headed for the chapel and passing by the fountain, I paused for a moment as I felt the presence of saturated mana. Similar to the water of the fountain in the Grove, the waters of the courtyard fountain possessed mana many times greater than the otherwise thin amounts present in the air.


    Cupping my hands and raising the water to my lips, I found it possessed an almost silver-like shimmering quality. Tasting it revealed nothing besides a clean if somewhat mineral-like taste likely leached from the stone and mortar of the fountain. With no alerts triggering and announcing the presence of Poison or Disease, I gulped down the remaining water in my hands before continuing towards the chapel.


    Featuring large statues of Angels in recessed alcoves, the chapel had six different lines of pews on the ground floor and two stories of private galleries on either side. If it wasn''t for the raised pulpit on the far side I would have probably mistaken the chapel for a playhouse.


    Around two hundred or so civilians were seated on the pews closest to the pulpit and the elderly woman in pale grey robes standing behind it. Fat candles were suspended on simple iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The chandeliers drew my attention predominantly because they hung above the most direct path between the pews and the pulpit.


    Warily taking a more circuitous route, I made my way towards the elderly woman standing atop the pulpit.


    My presence was detected almost immediately. However, rather than panicking as I had expected, the civilians just silently watched my approach with expressions of confusion and mild surprise. Some of the civilians even looked curiously between the High Matriarch and myself while quietly whispering with one another.


    ¡°And so the Champion arrives in our darkest hour.¡± The High Matriarch¡¯s voice was quiet but carried thanks to favourable acoustics and years of practice. ¡°Is it not always the way of things?¡± She raised her cowled head to reveal a wizened and frail face of an incredibly old woman. Eyes milky white from cataracts, she was almost certainly blind. Yet I couldn¡¯t help but shake the feeling that she could see me clearly.


    ¡°No prophecy?¡± I joked sarcastically, emotionally drained from resisting my more violent impulses for the past few hours, ¡°Isn''t there usually a prophecy about events like this?¡±


    The old woman¡¯s wrinkled mouth crinkled into a crooked smile, ¡°Oh there are prophecies that might suit the situation,¡± she laughed lightly, ¡°But that is more thanks to the creativity of the scribe than the seer I would think. Do you want to hear one of my favourites?¡±


    ¡°Please?¡± I stopped a few feet shy of the old woman and slouched to make us roughly at eye level with one another.


    ¡°As nations fall and darkness rises, love will determine humanities final fate,¡± the high Matriarch smiled wanly and lowered her eyes for a moment before meeting my gaze again, ¡°Having the fate of the world determined by love is a little silly and naive, but I find it to be one of the more tolerable apocalyptic prophecies all the same. It is not the slaying of some great enemy, the culling of a people or toppling of a great monument, but love that will determine our fate...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice sentiment,¡± I agreed while keeping my reservations to myself, seeing no point in taking out my frustrations on the old woman.


    The High Matriarch tilted her head slightly at my reply before slowly shaking her head, ¡°Are you here to evacuate my flock? Or to prosecute a war against the dead?¡±


    ¡°Both, and more if possible,¡± I replied, my curiosity piqued by her choice in phrasing. ¡°The undead have hostages, prisoners, that are in need of rescue,¡± I fought down a sudden flare of anger at the absence of children from the outer district.


    The High Matriarch smiled wryly and nodded, ¡°I suspected as much. Regarding the prisoners I mean...The attack was just too coordinated...¡±


    ¡°Why was the cathedral spared?¡± I had some theories but wanted to see if the High Matriarch could provide the answer.


    ¡°When so many other fortresses around us have fallen?¡± The High Matriarch nodded in understanding, ¡°The cathedral is protected by a consecrated relic residing in the crypts below. Whoever was responsible for the attack attempted to seek out the relic, but they failed to defeat the guardian. The faith militant sacrificed themselves to ensure that none escaped.¡± The old woman¡¯s features sagged and her eyes lost their lustre, ¡°Only the living servants of the undead can enter the cathedral without being unravelled by the relic¡¯s power. Even the grounds surrounding the cathedral will unravel the undead if they linger, so whatever maligned force drives them has decided to starve us into submission and be done with it. Or so I believe.¡±


    ¡°The relic was made by your goddess?¡± I asked curiously, eager to know if Orphiel would be able to replicate the feat with enough Divinity.


    The High Matriarch gave me a curious look before shaking her head, ¡°No. The relic was a gift from Rioshans in much better times. It was likely blessed by their gods as thanks for the Kingdom¡¯s aid in sheltering their crowned princess during the succession crisis at the time.¡± She shrugged lightly, ¡°The library no doubt has records pertaining to the exact series of events. But may I ask a question of you in turn?¡±


    ¡°Seems fair,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Why would you need to know if the relic was made by the gods? Forgive me for my candour, but you gave the impression that you intended to replicate the feat,¡± the High Matriarch¡¯s tone made it clear that a lie would bring a very abrupt halt to our conversation.


    ¡°If I can, I will see it done,¡± I agreed, circling the question slightly, ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°A problem?¡± The old woman¡¯s eyes widened slightly, ¡°No, for you, I don¡¯t think it would be...Although my goddess may sleep eternally, I still have eyes enough to see the Divinity suffusing our aura...¡± She seemed much warier after having made that declaration, fumbling for the handrails to help steady herself. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Divinity in my aura?¡± This was the first I was hearing of such a thing.


    The High Matriarch smiled wryly, ¡°I see that it is the element involving your aura that surprises you, and not the presence of the Divinity itself,¡± she observed before pressing her lips together firmly, ¡°Who do you serve? What is your true purpose for this city?¡± There was an edge to the old woman¡¯s voice now, an unspoken threat of violent retribution that transcended her otherwise frail exterior.


    ¡°I serve myself and my people,¡± I replied honestly, ¡°And that includes the people of the Asrus Kingdom. I intend to purge EVERY undead ABOMINATION from the city, hunt down the Liche and her Lieutenants and DESTROY THEM!¡±


    The High Matriarch seemed confused and slightly taken aback by my angry outbursts, ¡°You truly hate them...¡± She murmured while wrinkling her brow further in confusion, ¡°But your aura-¡±


    ¡°I speak with Angels and Gods,¡± I replied tersely, technically speaking the truth according to the strange realities of this world.


    The old woman¡¯s eyes grew wide and her knuckles grew white as she clutched hard at the railing to support herself, ¡°You have spoken with Gods and their messengers?¡± The High Matriarch whispered in awe.


    I nodded and turned to leave. I wanted the High Matriarch to stew in that bit of information for a bit before sending in the Abbot. With any luck, she would convert to the reorganised faith, or at worst not get in its way. Converting the current head of the religion would make transitioning the faithful of other cities much easier, so I was hoping for the former.


    Leaving the chapel, I made my way over to the fountain to take another drink. Pondering over the alleged Divinity in my ¡®aura¡¯ I could only assume that interacting with Orphiel¡¯s and Ophelia¡¯s true selves had somehow rubbed off some Divinity. What bothered me about that theory was that I had been in close proximity to far more Daemons for much longer. Shouldn¡¯t that have left a mark as well? Was the Divinity only recently acquired? Or was it a native element to the Angels and Fallen Angels as a species?


    Following my orders, the soldiers were busily exploring the cathedral and stowing away equipment.


    Bearing in mind what the High Matriarch had told me regarding the effects of the relic, I was now far more inclined to draw the enemy into a fight on the grounds outside rather than turtling inside of the cathedral itself. Weakening the forces of the undead would be an important step in preparing to fight the Liche, and if the Liche decided to take to the field herself, all the better.


    After sending my new instructions to the Colonel, I turned in my quest requisition points for a pile of manastones and urged Shady to eat them. While not enough for evolution, they bolstered Shady¡¯s maximum mana and increased the rank of Shadow Step.


    ¡°Stay inside for now,¡± I insisted, ¡°You need to evolve before joining an open battle, alright?¡±


    Shady growled irritably and laid down by the fountain.


    Washing off some of the grime accumulated from marching through the city, I was surprised to find the water stripped off the dried blood off my maces like a potent acid. It took me all of a second to make the connection between the relic, the cathedral and the fountain.


    With a wicked grin on my face, I sent a runner to fetch the Colonel. I was going to need a lot of barrels.


    *****


    Liz irritably paced back and forth while waiting for the sun to set. While not as flammable as the movies would have had her believe, she was still considerably weakened when out in broad daylight. It practically made her human in all the worst ways. Smirking and opening her mouth to tell a joke, Liz stopped herself and frowned as she recalled how Amalda had been smashed into pieces by the turbo hulk Orc bitch.


    ¡°Gonna enjoy plucking out her eyes!¡± Liz swore angrily.


    Amalda cooed, her voice a soothing balm on Liz¡¯s otherwise frantic and addled mind. <We will get them both, in due time.>


    ¡°Right,¡± Liz hissed and irritably nodded her head in acquiescence.


    <Just focus on pinning down the Ogre for now. It was incredibly foolish for him to leave his stronghold and pursue us into our territory.> Amalda continued with her usual air of amusement.


    ¡°But he''s shacked up in that fucking church!¡± Liz spat bitterly, ¡°Even I can¡¯t last more than a minute in there!¡±


    <So lure him out?> Amalda replied simply, <Taunts will almost certainly prove sufficient, but I suppose dangling some of your blood bags in prominent display would serve well as a backup.>


    Liz instinctively cringed, a primal need making her loathe the idea of risking her precious blood supply, ¡°yeah, taunting should work,¡± she agreed hastily.


    Liz could picture Amalda smirking at her despite her disembodied state.


    ¡°The Ogre¡¯s hide is thick,¡± Liz complained exasperatedly, throwing herself backwards onto an opulent sofa, ¡°I could barely make him bleed at all!¡± Mentioning blood, she licked her lips subconsciously.


    <So wear him down.> Amalda advised sagely, <A death by a thousand cuts and all that.>


    Liz smirked, ¡°That was meant to be a way to torture people you know? Although I guess if I throw enough of the fodder at him, it could work...¡± She detested the weaker Vampyres, even those she had personally created. Their presence and dark hunger disgusted her. Very much aware of those faults in herself, Liz did not like her flaws being held up to the proverbial mirror.


    She had been a heroin addict in life and was a plasma addict in death. Liz had lost track of the number of people she had killed in order to get her fix. It wasn¡¯t until she met Amalda that she gained some semblance of control over her new addiction. Partly because of her personal charisma, but mostly because Amalda had an Ability to sway the emotional state of undead in her presence.


    Tapping her foot irritably on the arm of the sofa, Liz sighed and stared at the slowly receding sunlight filtering through the heavy curtains on the window.


    With Amalda, temporarily indisposed, Liz only had immediate control over a third of the greater undead within the city. Most of which were Vampyres like herself and their respective Thralls. She was not particularly comfortable with the idea of their army sharing the same weaknesses. One of the reasons Liz tolerated the foul-smelling Crypt Stalkers and Night Haunters, was because their presence forced the enemy to use a more diverse range of tactics.


    <Don¡¯t worry, the Bone and Flesh Golems will do their part.> Amalda reassured her. <You can even ride Bonedaddy into battle like you keep swearing you will.>


    Liz¡¯s cheeks flushed, ¡°It was a joke!¡± she choked out defensively, ¡°And if you also recall, I mentioned something about a pair of machine guns! And I don¡¯t see any of those lying around! Do you?!¡±


    Amalda said nothing in reply but Liz could sense her laughter all the same.


    ¡°Sire?¡± A young male voice purred from the distant doorway.


    Liz¡¯s mood immediately soured, ¡°What is it, Justin?!¡± She snapped irritably.


    A young man with short dark hair and pouty bedroom eyes slouched into the room, ¡°The other covens are refusing to act without Lady Amalda¡¯s support. Fielding all of our-¡±


    Liz curled her lips and revealed her fangs in displeasure.


    ¡°-your forces,¡± Justin corrected without missing a beat, ¡°Will leave your holdings vulnerable and amount to only a couple of thousand bodies. Furthermore, while most of those bodies would be Thralls and Thin Bloods, little more than fodder, we won¡¯t be able to replenish those losses on consecrated ground and there isn''t enough livestock to replace them either.¡±


    Liz glared coldly at him for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll sacrifice every damned one of you if it means killing that Ogre.¡±


    Justin maintained a calm facade, but she could feel his hatred of her intensifying.


    Grinning maliciously at Justin, fully aware that he couldn¡¯t raise a finger against her in retaliation, Liz threw an empty wine bottle at his face.


    As Justin attempted to dodge out of the way, Liz paralyzed his body with a single thought. The bottle smashed against his face, momentarily marring his handsome face with a multitude of small cuts before accelerated regeneration closed the wounds. Dark eyes flashing in anger, it took Justin a few moments to bring his anger back under control.


    <That was petty.> Amalda mused.


    Liz shrugged, ¡°He deserves it, trust me, I¡¯ve been inside his head and seen all the bad shit he got up to before I turned him. Justin was a real piece of work.¡±


    Justin struggled against her control but failed to break free.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it, do you?¡± Liz taunted, ¡°That someone knows all your dirty little secrets? Not that they matter anymore.¡± She quickly lost interest as the final shreds of daylight disappeared. ¡°Gather the troops, we have an Ogre to kill!¡± Liz removed Justin¡¯s paralysis and shooed him from the room with a backhanded gesture.


    Gathering their forces wouldn¡¯t take long. The fodder would do whatever they were told, and the heavy hitters knew better than to cross her or test her patience.


    Cinching on her sword belt, Liz drew her cutlass and gave it a few practice swings, ¡°Death by a thousand cuts eh? I reckon I can do that!¡± She grinned and hungrily ran her tongue over her lips.


    Strutting into the centre of the city, Liz could feel Justin and her other Lieutenants gathering their minions in the deeper shadows of their respective fortresses. Within a half-hour, the sodden parklands were packed with the hunched and skulking bodies of the living dead.


    Much to her surprise, Liz had watched the living take up formations of their own in the open grounds surrounding the towering cathedral. Either they were ignorant of the protection afforded by the cathedral¡¯s walls or foolishly believed they could take her forces in a straight-up fight at night.


    If it weren¡¯t for the lesser debilitating effects inflicted on the grounds of the cathedral, Liz would have believed it was the former, but something didn¡¯t feel quite right. As much as she was spoiling for a fight, Liz couldn¡¯t shake the impression that the enemy wanted one more. It should have made her happy, but Liz only felt more nervous.


    Liz and her forces outnumbered the soldiers three times over and had Abilities that made their effective numbers twice that. The only advantage the human soldiers had going for them was the mild damaging effect of the consecrated ground, and Liz had no intentions of the fight lasting long enough for it to be a real factor. The degeneration caused by the consecrated ground wasn¡¯t strong enough to counteract the full effects of her Lieutenants'' regeneration let alone her¡¯s. So in the worst-case scenario, the battle would be determined by a matter of attrition well in their favour.


    Even so, Liz didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°Send in the fodder,¡± she waved her hand dismissively and slowly began walking forward.


    Releasing inhuman shrieks and wailing like banshees, the Thin Bloods and Thralls rushed forward towards the cathedral.


    ¡°You too boys,¡± Liz waved her hand again to signal the misshapen Flesh Golems and Bone Golems forward. The sight of their distended stitches and deformed bodies disgusted Liz, but Amalda liked them so Liz made an effort to keep it to herself.


    <And I appreciate it.> Amalda chuckled. <And they are beautiful, in their own way.>


    ¡°Mhm...¡± Liz began to roll her eyes and stiffened as she caught Justin eyeing her, ¡°You too Justin!¡± Liz snarled threateningly, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare think about skulking back here without my permission!¡±


    ¡°As you say...¡± Justin¡¯s calm outer demeanour was directly at odds with the anger raging beneath his skin. However, he obediently began charging forward all the same.


    Smirking in self-satisfaction, Liz turned her attention back towards the cathedral.


    Curiously, the Thin Bloods and Thralls were falling in droves from the soldiers'' arrows. This was odd since Liz had witnessed Thralls take a half dozen arrows and crossbow bolts at point-blank range and continue fighting. ¡°Do they have magical arrows?¡± Liz wondered aloud, ¡°Or are they just really high-level Archers?¡±


    The losses weren''t enough to slow the horde by much, but it forced the Thin Bloods and Thralls to begin scaling the walls to avoid the concentrated fire directed towards the broken gate.


    Liz snapped out of her musings when she noticed movement up on the roof of the cathedral.


    Hunched over and standing beside the belltower was the Ogre, his brutish body and crude armour illuminated by the moonlight. In one smooth motion, the Ogre raised his arms and threw something in the direction of the horde.


    With her superior senses, Liz could see that the projectile was an iron banded barrel. Suspecting some sort of explosive or perhaps flammable liquid, she was surprised when all she could smell was water. The trailing liquid leaking from the barrel was perfectly clear as well, confirming her assessment that it was just water.


    *Crunch*


    The barrel was blown apart as Justin intercepted it with his fist rather than dodge or alter course.


    Continuing his charge, Justin bayed like a madman, his rapidly pumping arms and legs displacing splinters of wood lodged in his clothes. However, after only a few steps, Justin¡¯s laughter turned to howls of pain as smoke began streaming off his body. In a matter of seconds, Justin fell to the ground screaming in agony, thrashing in the shallow water as his flesh melted off his bones.


    Justin wasn¡¯t the only one, those who had been caught in the initial blast of the barrel¡¯s contents had crumpled and were little more than half dissolved puddles of smouldering goo.


    Watching as another barrel crashed into the horde of her minions, Liz finally realised what was happening. ¡°That Donkey Kong son of a bitch is throwing barrels of holy water!¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 37 – Issues with anger – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 37 ¨C Issues with anger ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 37 - Issues with anger - Part Two


    Throwing one barrel after another from atop the roof of the cathedral, I took a perverse sense of satisfaction in hearing the horrified screams of the undead as they were burned and dissolved by the holy water within. They deserved it.


    Aware that at least some of the undead were relatively intelligent, I made sure to lob a dozen or so barrels past the battlefield and into the pooling water generated by the broken fountains in the parklands. I laughed with grim satisfaction as a small number of undead attempted to retreat from the battle, only to slip and fall into the holy water.


    Not nearly as potent as the undiluted source, the diluted holy water was still brutally effective. Less than half a minute was all it took to dissolve any undead that slipped or collapsed into the mire.


    Spotting a familiar figure lurking near the gates to the cathedral grounds, I felt a hot surge of rage rising in the forefront of my mind.


    The female Vampyr that had played the role of decoy and distraction during the attack on Sanctuary, she was standing at the back of the battlefield silently staring back at me.


    Seeing the Vampyr again, the wailing cries of the devastated mothers and fathers and the images of the broken blackened eggs flooded into my mind. The raw pain accompanied by my mounting mental fatigue weakened the barrier I had erected in my mind after witnessing the atrocities of Sunrock. I could feel the weight of it bearing down on me, promises of justice and retribution for the innocent lives lost...


    The Vampyr looked away, her attention drawn to a subordinate that had fallen into a patch of muddy holy water. Rather than backing away or offering aid, the Vampyr flung back her head and laughed.


    I felt something inside of my mind suddenly begin to give way...


    Stepping off the roof, I found myself standing behind the female Vampyr. Bringing the final barrel of holy water crashing down with both hands, I could feel every fibre of my being focused on ending the undead abomination¡¯s existence.


    She wasn¡¯t allowed to smile, to laugh, to feel any sense of happiness, not after what they had done...


    Sensing my presence, the Vampyr turned her head in a fraction of a second, her lone eye growing wide with surprise. The Vampyr¡¯s eye swivelled upwards and grew wider still as she recognised the barrel now less than a finger''s breadth from her head.


    With impossible speed, the Vampyr began to duck, maintaining the distance between herself and the barrel.


    Enraged, I gathered mana into my arms and hands, driving it into the barrel and willing my muscles to strike faster, the buckets of adrenaline burning in my veins and slowing the passing of each second to a crawl.


    The Vampyr began rolling to the side and towards one of her minions currently engaged in a life or death struggle against an Asrusian soldier.


    Seeing she was going to escape, an explosion of pain erupted in my mind.


    Willing myself to move, my vision momentarily blurred as I occupied two places at once.


    The Vampyr¡¯s surprise turned to abject horror as she now found herself looking into my eyes, the barrel now pressing into her skull.


    *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!*


    Chunks of broken flagstone, dirt, shredded pieces of iron and a hail of splinters washed over me as the mana invested into the barrel reached critical instability and exploded.


    Barely aware of my own actions, I pulled the maces from my belt and ran off into the waterlogged parklands. I was heavy enough that my feet sheared through the mud and made contact with the rough flagstones beneath. This made it much easier to keep my footing as I followed the largest mass of muddy tracks and charged towards a large manor house across the way.


    Streams of kill notifications passed before my eyes, but a primal instinct recognised that the Vampyr¡¯s would not be amongst them.


    No kill notification...


    Swatting aside or ploughing straight through any of the trees that got in my way, opened my mouth and roared in fury. However, besides the air erupting from my lungs and vibrating through my head, I heard nothing.


    Charging through the destroyed outer gate and entering the open grounds surrounding the keep, I continued towards the main building itself. Brick, plaster and mortar went flying as I crashed through the manor¡¯s open doorway. Making it considerably larger in the process.


    Forced to a stooped posture, I indiscriminately lashed out at the walls in my search for the Vampyr.


    Sections of the manor began to collapse as load-bearing walls were pulverised in my increasingly manic search for the elusive undead. Every fibre of my being insisted that the Vampyr was hiding somewhere in the building. However, my ruptured eardrums were only partially healed, so I couldn¡¯t hear anything besides a muffled crackling sound and the thundering pulse of my own heartbeat.


    Crashing through what looked like a dining room, I lost my footing and crashed to the floor as the wooden floor beneath my right leg gave way. Before I had time to react, the floor I was laying on gave out as well.


    Landing on cold hard stone, I immediately attempted to climb to my feet. My back, neck and shoulders met minor resistance as I began to tear an even larger hole in the floor.


    Although I lacked the ability to see in complete darkness like Lash, my evolution had considerably improved my night vision. It was thanks to this improvement in my physiology, and the partially collapsed roof, that I was able to determine I was not alone.


    The pungent aroma of raw sewage dominated my sense of smell, but it wasn''t strong enough to mask the scent of freshly spilled blood.


    A crowd of small figures were huddled in the far corner, shrinking their bodies back in an obvious display of fear. Those in front desperately attempted to worm their way deeper into the group and to a position of relative safety.


    Children...


    The thought felt sluggishly slow and confusing, seeming to take an impossibly long time to properly register its meaning in relation to the cowering forms in the corner.


    All the same, the tiniest movement spotted from the corner of my eye had my body moving on its own.


    The twitching body of a small child...A dirty shift stained with fresh blood...The child¡¯s pale face and terrified half-closed eyes...


    The child, a small boy with short raven black hair and pale blue eyes feebly attempted to raise his right hand, trembling lips whispering words I couldn¡¯t hear but echoed in my mind all the same. ¡°Help...¡±


    As the little boy tumbled to the ground, my eyes recognised the true focus of the huddled children¡¯s terror.


    ABOMINATION!!!...


    Face caked with blood, the Vampyr grinned and shrugged, licking her lips hungrily before leaping backwards and towards a set of stairs.


    The child...The boy...


    KILL!!!...


    Save...


    Stunned into momentary inaction, my eyes drifted back to the boy on the floor.


    A full third of the flesh on the boy¡¯s neck and shoulder had been torn away, exposing his collarbone and creating a widening pool of blood around his pale body.


    The boy¡¯s ashen face stared vacantly up at me, the faintest traces of hope still lingering in his now cold dead eyes.


    Kill...


    Unable to continue facing the child I had failed to save, I stepped back and used Shadow Step to leave the manor. Searching the darkness for the Vampyr, I issued a quest to the soldiers to retrieve the children and shepherd them to the cathedral.


    Brimming with impotent rage I struggled to maintain a semblance of control over my own mind. With adrenaline flooding my system, it only served to fray my nerves even further and left me literally shaking with fury.


    The last holdout of my rational thinking mind ¡®knew¡¯ that the Vampyre was almost certainly long gone, very likely having fled into the Labyrinth or sewers. Somewhere she could hide and would frustrate any attempts to find her.


    Unfortunately, this only served to make me more upset. Making it that much more difficult to maintain control.


    Irritated that the soldiers hadn¡¯t arrived yet, I looked back towards the cathedral and found a ragged procession of soldiers limping determinedly in my direction.


    ¡°EAT SOMETHING AND THEN SAVE THOSE FUCKING KIDS!!!¡± I roared impatiently, arms twitching as I suppressed another sudden urge to do violence.


    Seemingly obeying the command, the soldiers paused briefly before continuing their way across the parklands.


    Every second that passed guaranteed the Vampyr would be that much harder to find again and that much more difficult to run down. She was undead, and assumedly that meant the Vampyr would be able to run near indefinitely without any form of rest.


    ¡°FUCK!!!¡± I backhanded a nearby tree with a mace, sending an arc of splinters streaking across the parklands. Feeling the mildest iota of relief from the violent outburst, I stalked determinedly towards another tree.


    In the time it took the soldiers to fully search and rescue the prisoners being held in the fortified buildings of the city centre, I had managed to completely destroy every tree in the waterlogged parklands. My guilt over what Hana would think of my actions was fleeting, offset considerably by the faint sense of relief I found in indulging my need for violence and retribution.


    Watching the soldiers carry prisoners, both young and old, from each of the buildings, I tried to calm down, and tried to focus on the lives that had been saved.


    Seeing the second wave of soldiers leaving the buildings carrying more prisoners, I was momentarily surprised by how many children we had managed to save. However, as the soldiers began laying the children down in neat rows on the road, that brief flicker of hope was snuffed out.


    More bodies...


    More dead kids...


    As the soldiers continued their grim task, all I could do was watch as new rows were added and those that already existed grew longer.


    I had saved practically no one...


    As the adrenaline faded my anger and fury webbed alongside it until I was left feeling nothing but a familiar ache in my chest.


    ¡°What am I doing?...¡± I whispered while sliding to my knees and then into an awkward sitting position. ¡°I''m not a soldier...I¡¯m not a hero...I¡¯m just a freak, a monster! I can¡¯t save anyone!¡± drawing in my knees, hugged them tight and buried my head. Closing my eyes, I could still see the little boy¡¯s face. I watched the desperate hope in his eyes die over and over again as his frail body struck the floor.


    If I was a true leader, I would have acted sooner, gone looking for prisoners first...


    The Vampyr and the Liche needed to be destroyed. Left to their own devices, it was inevitable that they would commit further atrocities. I just didn¡¯t know if I had it in me to continue the pursuit. The prospect of bearing further witness to their evil deeds repulsed me, and I didn¡¯t think there was any more I could take without collapsing entirely. Assuming I hadn¡¯t already. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When my mum died, it was an entirely different experience. I had felt considerable pain from her sudden absence and a profound sense of loss. However, I had begun grieving for my mum months before she actually died, seen therapists and been coached through the transition in order to lessen the control the pain would have over my life. My mum had insisted on it.


    The deaths of these children...


    I didn¡¯t...


    I couldn¡¯t...


    I was intimately familiar with pain, but the children, somehow it changed everything. It bypassed every emotional callus and coping mechanism, striking at the core of my being. I didn¡¯t know why it had such a profound effect on my emotional and mental state, but the pain was enough to ruin me.


    The pain had opened a festering wound that could be closed with time but never truly heal, festering silently until the wound could be torn open and inflict fresh waves of cultivated pain against my psyche.


    What I had seen at the Sunrock Settlement had broken me. The callous cruelty and violence exacted against those who had been unable to flee their enemies fast enough, there was nothing that could have prepared me for it. That''s what I had thought after eventually piecing myself back together again.


    I had learned of the holocaust as part of history class in high school, but it only gave a general frame of reference for the capacity for evil required for the crimes. The only other general frame of reference I had known of was the alien derangement of serial killers depicted on television or in movies.


    The emotional damage I had experienced from a lifetime of bullying was nothing in comparison to the pain and despair I felt in Sunrock, what I felt now...


    I was unsure when I had started crying, but raising my head and looking towards the fortress of the Adventurers Guild, I could feel the cold breeze cool the warm tears running down my face. Stiffly rising to my feet, I was vaguely aware of Shady lurking within the deep shadows of my periphery.


    Shady wasn¡¯t the only one. The Colonel and his most senior officers were standing a short distance behind me and were awaiting fresh orders.


    Numbly glancing towards the rows of dead bodies lining the road, I winced as I anticipated a fresh assault against my psyche, the final push I needed to escape forever into manic insanity. Yet I felt nothing but a vague sense of sadness.


    As something of a depressing epiphany, I realised that I had reached my limit, and in a bid of self-preservation I was now in a state of emotional shutdown. Years of therapy sessions left me painfully aware of the dangerous position I was in, but the effects of the emotional lobotomy made it difficult to care enough to do anything about it.


    ¡°Colonel,¡± I stated coldly, turning my head slightly to bring the man into my peripheral vision. ¡°The target has escaped into the Labyrinth... Have your men scour the city for any other nests of Vampyrs that might remain, and make sure to take prisoners for interrogation.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Majesty!¡± The Colonel agreed immediately and began turning towards his officers.


    ¡°And Colonel,¡± the breath caught in my throat for a moment as the lingering remnants of my morals desperately fought, and lost, its call for reconsideration against brutal pragmatism. ¡°Make sure to use the collars. I want to know EXACTLY where the ringleaders are hiding...¡±


    The Colonel didn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment, ¡°Yes! Majesty!¡± he barked confidently, bowing and then marching away alongside his senior officers.


    I had just crossed a line that I had never expected to cross. Expecting a wave of revulsion and disgust at my own behaviour, I was again surprised as I felt very little of anything beyond the same vague sense of sadness. On some level, I was disappointed in myself. I had thought myself above such a brutal ends justifying the means philosophy. I had believed I would never, could never, justify or condone slavery.


    ¡°I am not the man I thought I was,¡± I admitted quietly with only Shady close enough to hear my confession. ¡°I am not the man I was raised to become...¡± Once again, I expected to feel a wave of shame and guilt as I thought of my mum, but I felt nothing.


    Somewhat ironically, it was the absence of an emotional response that prompted the stirrings of another emotional response. Anger.


    Most of my life had been spent denying my anger at the injustices of day to day life and being ruthlessly tormented on a daily basis at school. Before arriving in the labyrinth I had only thrown a single punch in anger. I was nine when it happened and had snapped when a much older bully had said something vile about my mum. I had thrown my clenched fist into his chest and broken four of his ribs, driving those broken ribs into his right lung and very nearly killing him. The ambulance had barely arrived in time to rush him to the hospital and save his life.


    I remembered how vindicated I had felt in that moment of triumph, how the fear of my other tormentors had made me feel powerful, invincible. I remembered my mum¡¯s disappointment, the way she had looked at me after hearing about what I had done...The pain and depression from embracing nonviolence were nothing compared to that profound sense of disappointment from the one person who truly loved me.


    But now? Now...I could barely remember my mum¡¯s face without the breathing and feeding tubes, her flesh ravaged and withered by her protracted fight against a terminal prognosis.


    ¡°How would you look at me now?¡± I asked quietly, ¡°I have killed people, and not just in anger or self-defence...I guess I am who I was always bound to become...¡± I impassively regarded my thickly callused hands before a subtle shift in my stunted emotional state shifted my train of thought. ¡°I found someone...Just like you said I would...I think you would like her, Lash is a fighter too...We¡¯re married, or close enough to it, and she is pregnant...I am going to be a father...¡±


    With only Shady for company, I spent the rest of the night recounting the changes that had taken place in my life, pretending, hoping, that in some way my mum might hear my words.


    While I felt a mild sense of shame in resorting to Enslavement to ensure the safety of my family, friends and people, the one-sided conversation with my mother had galvanised my resolve regarding its necessity. If my enemies would stoop to harming the most truly innocent, then the gloves needed to come off. There was nothing I wouldn''t do to protect Lash and our unborn child.


    Following my command, the Colonel and his men had been scouring the inner city all night and had taken dozens of prisoners. Securing the first Vampyr had dramatically increased the rate with which the soldiers began capturing others. This was almost entirely due to the Sense Living Racial Ability of the Vampyrs allowing the soldiers operating under Racial Synergy to hone in on the buildings containing the prisoners being kept by the Vampyrs


    The second reason was the slave-like control Vampyr sires had over their progeny. With none of them powerful enough to put up a fight against my Willpower, a single sire being enslaved could pacify an entire nest of the blood-sucking abominations. However, since only those with pertinent information were being temporarily spared for questioning, most of each nest was put down without a fight and dissolved with holy water to prevent any form of self-healing or regeneration.


    Although I wasn¡¯t in much of a mood to truly appreciate it, the soldiers had been turning their leather canteens and wine sacks into improvised water guns to fight the Vampyrs by spraying them with holy water.


    I had even overheard one of the Lieutenants actively discussing plans with a pair of engineers on the potential viability of fitting a large barrel to a waggon and attaching a pump and hose to the barrel so they could literally hose down the undead. What surprised me further was when one of the engineers suggested a modified nozzle for the hose to help provide pressure and a wider arc of effect, functionally describing an intent to create a holy water flame-thrower. An idea that the Abbot and militant priests were incredibly excited about seeing deployed in the field.


    Adding the materials to the redemption list, I made it clear and in no uncertain terms that I wanted the military engineers to make it their highest priority. I also encouraged them to consider more portable options in case an undead outbreak occurred inside of another city.


    Curiously, although the fountain itself had a finite reservoir of water in an underground cistern, an enterprising Ranger had already taken the initiative and decided to conduct a series of tests between deployments into the city. By her account, she left her waterskin full of regular water by the fountain for a short period of time before taking it with her and testing the contents on a downed Crypt Stalker. Although not as potent as the water from the fountain itself, the water from the waterskin had still been strong enough to dissolve the fallen undead¡¯s corpse in what she claimed was about three times the amount of time another Crypt Stalker had taken with water from the fountain.


    It was an important discovery and had already resulted in barrels of water being carefully arranged around the fountain, and a grizzled Quartermaster placed in charge of directing soldiers to draw water from the most potent barrels. He was also in charge of refilling the fountain¡¯s cistern and preventing soldiers and civilians from touching it. The intention being in order to maintain a strategic reserve of the most potent holy water for potential special missions and emergencies.


    That was actually something I found quite odd. Despite the significant speed and strength advantage possessed by the more powerful Vampyrs, not a single soldier had died, so far. There were a lot of injuries, the worst being deep gashes and broken bones, but it seemed like the combination of their armour and synergies from my Racial Abilities was currently enough to see them through each engagement with an objectively superior species.


    With the sun now high in the sky, the soldiers were hitting the city hard and making the most of their advantage. While Vampyrs did not burst into flames in sunlight, they were reported to grow dramatically weaker, the most powerful becoming not much stronger than a regular soldier.


    Although I did not personally participate due to my own concerns that I would be somehow goaded into doing something stupid, the Colonel and his Captains spent the better part of the day ruthlessly and stringently interrogating our prisoners.


    Even though I was not directly participating, each time a Vampyr attempted to resist a Command to answer a given question, a contest of wills would begin and trigger the Labyrinth key, Pyrrhic Will, and multiply the base level of pain normally inflicted by Command. Just judging by how brief these contests were, I could only assume that the Vampyrs were not used to being on the receiving end of extreme pain. Although the same could be said of humans, they didn¡¯t enjoy the rapid healing and robust durability afforded to even the weakest of the Vampyrs, the Vampyr Thinbloods.


    Not strictly a part of the information gleaned through interrogating the Vampyrs, The Colonel had explained to me the unfortunate role a Vampyr Thrall played in the Vampyr hierarchy. Essentially, they were food. However, the reality was even more brutal.


    Similar to most vampires from movies and television, Vampyrs did not produce natural offspring but instead formed ¡®familial¡¯ bonds and reproduced by feeding their blood to a non-Beast monster. The Elixir that turned regular humans into Adventurers also made Adventurers viable and preferred candidates, due to possessing potentially powerful Classes.


    However, most attempts at creating more Vampyrs failed and resulted only in transforming their captive into a Thrall. Possessing nothing but slavish obedience to their sire, the Thrall remained a living being who did not gain the undead ¡®template¡¯, meaning they were a loyal and ready food source for the nest of Vampyrs.


    What had come as a surprise to the Colonel was that the Thralls were not rendered sterile by their transformation. This was an important detail because apparently the Thralls were not bound to breeding exclusively during the Mothers Moon and an army of them was being marshalled beneath the Liche, Amalda and her Vampyr Pureblood partner, Elizabet.


    Invading and overwhelming the city with lesser undead had been intended as a probing strike intended to test defences and the veracity of their allies'' claims and assurances of assistance.


    ¡°It was confirmed independently by all but one of the captives, Majesty,¡± The Colonel sounded grim and the features beneath his helm hardened, ¡°The Liche and Confederacy are engaged in a formal alliance intended to divide the lands of Asrus between them and defeat the Empire¡¯s forces in a decisive pincer attack once the truce between the Confederacy and Empire has run its course. Although dressed in the colours of the Empire, the enemy soldiers holding the outer walls of the city are claimed to be Confederacy soldiers belonging to Duke Irving whose grandfather is the High Chancellor of the Confederacy. Majesty, I have sent word to the Lord Regent, and Rangers have been deployed to infiltrate the enemy¡¯s camp outside of the walls. What would you have us do?¡±


    I looked towards the Adventurers Guild building, my eye unerringly homing in on the entrance to the labyrinth hidden behind the walls. ¡°Once all the nests are confirmed to be purged, we will have the survivors escorted to the western cathedral and evacuated from the city. Once the civilians are clear of the city, we will go to war inside of the Mournbrent Labyrinth,¡± I replied quietly, ¡°Inform the Regent that soldiers will require additional soldiers...¡±


    ¡°As you command, Majesty!¡± The Colonel replied with a grim sense of satisfaction, the trace of a hard smile on his lips visible beneath his helmet.


    ¡°I will be allowing Auxiliaries from Sanctuary¡±, I added. ¡°An opportunity for vengeance against the ones who have defiled our home...¡± I had thought it over and was convinced I at least owed them that much. ¡°Have the Regent¡¯s quartermasters revise their lists with the prospective additional forces in mind...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Majesty!¡± The Colonel dutifully bowed his head before rising to his feet again and purposefully striding away alongside his officers.


    ¡°A Goblin might have been able to shank her, preventing her from escaping...¡± I told Shady absently, ¡°Or a Gnoll''s arrow could have pinned her foot to the ground...¡±


    ¡°Rweaor,¡± Shady yowled irritably before rubbing himself against my legs and giving me a strange look.


    ¡°Hrmph?¡± I vaguely recalled something Tobi had mentioned shortly after we first met one another, ¡°I guess this will be a going home, of sorts, for you hey?¡± I commented without expecting a reply.


    ¡°Reow!¡± Shady stopped rubbing himself against my legs and nodded his head while making a threatening yowling noise and baring his teeth.


    ¡°Do you have family inside?¡± I asked quietly, not quite sure why I felt the need to ask the question.


    Shady¡¯s eyes drooped slightly and he avoided looking me in the eye while making a nearly inaudible whimpering sound.


    Lifting Shady up out of the mud, I carried him over to one of the broken fountains before sitting down and laying the black-furred jaguar on my lap. Despite my earlier hypothesis assuming Shady was a Variant, it hadn¡¯t clicked that this would quite possibly entail siblings, parents or even extended family members.


    I had never had a pet before, but there had been a wild cat that drank from our birdbath when I was a kid. Sometimes he would let me scratch his ears or chin, but other times he would try and claw my hand.


    Absentmindedly alternating between rubbing the fur on Shady¡¯s back and scratching behind his ears, I composed a quest allowing volunteers who met certain conditions to join the auxiliary forces for the Mournbrent Labyrinth invasion.


    The auxiliaries would not just be limited to monsters from Sanctuary. It was an open invitation for anyone from any Faction to join the invasion after receiving permission from someone with sufficient authority within their Faction. Naturally, this made the Abbot and his militant priests the first of the official auxiliaries.


    To my surprise, large numbers of young Human men and women began signing up as auxiliaries.


    ¡°The Regent is offering militia wages in addition to keeping requisitioned supplies, Majesty,¡± the Colonel explained upon his return, ¡°And with the situation of the war with the Confederacy and Empire, many see this as their opportunity to gain much-needed experience in case they are later required to officially enlist.¡±


    I nodded in understanding. It made sense. With the auxiliary forces being purely voluntary, they would be allowed to leave largely whenever they wanted, barring a few exceptions. Given that this invasion of the Mournbrent Labyrinth was going to push at least to the eighth floor, it also presented the auxiliaries with the opportunity to gain significantly higher levels than was possible on the floor of their home Settlement. It also presented the opportunity for accelerated Evolution from more potent manastones.


    While older generations not employed in the military were somewhat leery of consuming manastones, the younger generations had taken to them with zeal. The prospect of earning Evolution Elixirs in exchange for merits had reportedly resulted in huge crowds of young people chasing down their nearest Underlord, Lord or Overseer.


    Keenly aware that I would have normally found this quite amusing, my somewhat apathetic interest made me worried that this state of emotional exhaustion would be permanent. The fact that I wasn''t more worried about it, was in itself, even more worrying. Or, at least, it should have been...


    By nightfall, the military engineers had completed their first proof of concept prototype. Having, ¡®appropriated¡¯ three huge barrels from an alehouse that produced its own product in better times, and a number of pumps from the same establishment. Meanwhile, other soldiers serving as their assistants had rounded up a number of different wagons and handcarts from around the city.


    It was an interesting prototype visually, but with the weight of the waggon, the current absence of draft animals, and lacking a versatile fire arc because there was no hose, it would be difficult to find instances where it would be useful. The engineers promised that they were working on making a hose, but finding the required materials had been more time consuming than they had intended.


    With soldiers scouring the city around the clock for any more undead that might have been hiding, a patrol sent into the sewers returned with interesting news.


    ¡°Majesty, my patrol discovered a number of seemingly abandoned nests while patrolling the central sewers. In addition, an attempted ambush by Crypt Stalkers was thwarted by seeming happenstance as they attempted to catch us in a pincer attack only for those fording the open canal to begin crying out in pain and disappear beneath the, herm, effluence,¡± the Sergeant sounded excited and seemed to be having trouble remaining still while kneeling, ¡°We believe that the diluted runoff from the parklands was sufficient to debilitate and later destroy the Crypt Stalkers in question. Majesty, with your permission, I would like to deliberately flood the sewers in order to purge them of any other undead that may be lurking beneath our feet!¡±


    ¡°How will you flood the sewers?¡± I asked curiously, doubting that the sewer system was sophisticated enough to have a means of readily doing so.


    The Sergeant grinned eagerly and pointed to the north. ¡°Majesty, there are special reserves of water held in water towers in the Northern district for relief during lengthy sieges and assisting, aherm, flow, during hot summers. I believe that by spiking the water towers supply with holy water and releasing the water from the towers at the same time, we can eliminate all the undead attempting to hide inside of the sewers and quite possibly flood the enemy camp outside of the walls with raw sewage! Arm, aherm, I mean-¡±


    ¡°Are you sure the sewage would reach their camp? I asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Yes! Majesty!¡± The Sergeant insisted, ¡° My father was a custodian of the city¡¯s bowels, erm, I mean sewers. I have already referenced reports by the Rangers against the exterior release ports of the city. While the enemy has avoided the main release passage, they are actually encamped downhill from one of the secondary emergency overflow passages!¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± I agreed darkly, ¡°After the horrors they let loose on Mournbrent, it seems only fair that they face horrors of their own in turn.¡±


    The Sergeant¡¯s grin broadened and his eyes twinkled with malicious glee, ¡°A reckoning indeed, Majesty!¡± With a determined stride and what might have even been a literal spring in his step, the Sergeant led his men towards the Northern district of the city.


    The elevation of my mood was short-lived as another group of soldiers began arranging the bodies of the Vampyrs prisoners atop a number of funeral pyres constructed from recycled wood harvested from the nearby buildings. A few of the bodies had been taken away earlier in the day along with the survivors. As near as I could tell, those who had been taken were being returned to still-living relatives so they could perform final rites or other funeral services.


    In a perverse sort of way, the number of remaining bodies was a sort of comfort. The bodies of the children who remained had no one still amongst the living that would otherwise be saddened by their passing. And maybe... Maybe they were already reunited alongside their loved ones in the afterlife.


    The fact that I was currently experiencing a far from idyllic afterlife myself turned that otherwise positive train of thought into one of irritation and aggravation instead.


    I was growing restless and wanted to see progress being made in pursuit of the murderous Liche and Vampyr.


    Entering the Adventurers'' Guild headquarters, I wandered through the large open halls with Shady padding silently along at my side. The sounds of patrolling soldiers echoed all about as other work teams ransacked the building for anything that might be useful.


    Wanting to storm and seize the Foothold to serve as its namesake for our invasion, securing as many homing markers for the first floor as possible was of the highest priority.


    While I was confident I could face just about anything that was waiting on the first floor, bringing more allies increased the chances of denying enemies the opportunity to escape.


    It was basically guaranteed that the Lich and Vampyr would be holed up in some fortress or secret bolthole on the eighth floor or possibly even the ninth. So despite the fact that I could head to that floor right here and now, I was keenly aware that I would not have the luxury of an army at my back. Even if there were enough tokens, I sincerely doubted my soldiers were high enough to level be of much use besides serving as meat shields.


    Furthermore, I had to assume that the Lich¡¯s army of Thralls possessed at least basic combat Classes as a minimum standard and was decently high levelled.


    With no concrete numbers on how many tens of thousands of Thralls the Lich commanded, I was reasonably confident that it was far more likely to be more than I would otherwise have cause to expect.


    However, the prospect that daunted me most, the true reason I was procrastinating my entry of the Mournbrent Labyrinth, was because all those Thralls would not be able to survive in a vacuum. The fact that they were being bred to form an army meant that they would all have families, and I had no idea what I was going to do in regards to any non-combatants.


    The prospect of ordering any children to be put to death made me feel physically ill. All the same, after all I had been told by the Colonel in regards to what to expect from the Thralls, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would have much of a choice.


    Just like the genocidal rebel warlords of Africa, there was nothing stopping the Lich and her Vampyr minions from deploying child soldiers. The possibility of facing a child on the battlefield filled me with such dread that I could barely think of anything else, and the feeling only intensified as the same question kept repeating in my mind.


    What wouldn¡¯t I do if it was necessary to protect my family?


    *****


    Sevarj stalked through the human camp with practised ease, making sure to walk in the shadows cast by the rows of tents to minimise the debilitating effects of the rays cast by the waning sun.


    Tasked with the important position of spying on the Empress¡¯s allies, Sevarj took his job very seriously. Ever vigilant for any useful gossip or early signs of betrayal, he maintained a state of constant vigilance.


    It wasn¡¯t that spying on humans was particularly difficult. They were slow, dull-witted livestock barely more intelligent than Thralls. Sevarj had taken on the identity of their human allies'' messenger after draining the original messenger dry and burying his body in a shallow grave. It had been a week since then and still not a single human suspected the deception. Sevarj was beginning to doubt whether a spy was even necessary at all.


    All the same, tonight it would be five nights since he last took the opportunity to feed, so Sevarj was not just prowling for information this evening, but the opportunity to sate his thirst as well. While being a messenger gave Sevarj a good excuse for roaming the camp, it could make things difficult whenever he attempted to leave the perimeter during daylight hours. This meant that all his hunts were required to take place at night.


    Unfortunately, while darkness renewed Sevarj¡¯s strength, it also made the humans considerably more paranoid. While quite docile during the day, the humans would attack their own shadow with little provocation after listening to the rumours that the deserters hadn¡¯t run away but were actually dead after falling victim to the undead. Despite the rumours being completely true, it still annoyed Sevarj that the humans had so decisively determined the truth. Making things worse, all of Sevarj¡¯s attempts to dissuade the rumour mongers had only made him a particular person of interest during night time patrols. Even though most were only treating it as a joke, there were some who seemed to be taking it quite seriously.


    Continuing to pass messages around the camp until nightfall, Sevaj was somewhat relieved when the Commander called him to the command tent. When another soldier was sent to find him by name, it meant orders needed to be dispatched to the soldiers atop the walls of the city. This was good news for Sevaj as it offered both an opportunity to feed and the excuse to be late back to camp.


    Entering the Commander''s tent, Sevaj straightened his back and saluted the old human sagging under the weight of his largely ineffective armour. ¡°Sir!¡±


    ¡°At ease!¡± the commander grumbled, barely looking up from a sheaf of papers arranged on his improvised table. ¡°Ah, Goodwin, just who I was looking for,¡± the Commander relaxed and motioned to a stack of folded papers each bound by string and sealed with wax bearing an imprint of some sort of multi-headed snake-lizard monster. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t bother you much Goodwin, but I need these dispatches delivered to my Lieutenants atop the wall as soon as possible, do you think you can manage it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir!¡± Sevarj agreed with an enthusiastic smile.


    ¡°Good man!¡± The Commander smiled proudly and beckoned Sevarj closer so he could retrieve the dispatches. ¡°I am glad to have a runner with a spine and stomach such as your Goodwin! These dispatches might not change the course of the war on their own, but they are important all the same. It is crucial to maintain communication channels during an operation, and I have been given cause to believe that our communication network might be compromised by our...allies...within the walls. So keep your head on a swivel Goodwin and make sure to check whether they have any messages for me before coming back.¡±


    ¡®Sir!¡± Sevarj repeated, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Collecting the bound and wax stamped pieces of paper, he made a show of carefully stowing them away in his satchel before saluting one final time and leaving the Commander¡¯s tend.


    The Commander had good reason to be concerned. Not just because Sevarj was his messenger, but because the Empress had long since compromised their allies'' magical communication network. Sevarj wasn¡¯t sure how exactly, but he knew better than to question it either. The Empress did not tolerate doubt from her subjects and had a particular fondness for making examples of anyone who did.


    Striding confidently out of the Commander¡¯s tent and towards the edge of the camp, Sevarj was only slightly disappointed that the Commander hadn¡¯t assigned him a soldier or two as escorts. They provided both convenient meals and the opportunity to discourage other soldiers from their dangerous talk of patrolling the actual streets of the city. Nothing put the fear in them more than Sevarj retelling fearful and false accounts of previous escorts being dragged off the wall by starving Crypt Stalkers. It was something that had actually happened on one of Sevarj¡¯s first missions to the wall, but the lesser undead had been incredibly easy to defeat all the same.


    Unfortunately, that incident was also the reason some of the soldiers were so insistent upon him not being who he seemed to be. It was absurd. All because two other soldiers had died and he had survived. It was absurd because soldiers rotated from duty on the wall actively and vigorously supported Sevarj¡¯s version of events.


    The Crypt Stalker ambush had taken place only a short distance from one of the watch stations, allowing no less than twelve soldiers on duty to see the battle first hand, and another two dozen or so to witness the aftermath.


    Sevarj couldn¡¯t help but think the witnesses'' retellings of his competence in battle was why the Commander was so confident in sending him alone despite the guarantee that it would be well and truly dark by the time he returned to camp.


    Leaving the human camp behind, Sevarj used the dwindling light as an excuse to run to one of the great ladders allowing access to the wall of the city. Although quite capable of climbing the wall with just his claws, Sevarj was familiar with the fact that guards were posted by the ladders and would note his comings and goings.


    ¡®You¡¯re joking?¡± One of the humans demanded exasperatedly as Sevarj came to a halt by the ladders and pretended to catch his breath, ¡®The Commander is sending you up there again?! There has to be less than an hour of daylight left at most!¡±


    Twelve minutes, Sevarj corrected internally, but who was counting.


    ¡°Unfortunately so,¡± Sevarj mimicked a well-practised expression of world-weary exasperation of his own and shrugged, ¡°Orders are orders.¡±


    The human sighed and nodded in return, ¡°Too right,¡± he agreed, ¡°Just try to be safe alright? I got twelve silver on you lasting at least another week!¡±


    Sevarj knew it was intended as a joke, but he was also aware that the soldiers rotated from duty on the wall were holding some sort of speculative game on when his ¡®luck¡¯ would run out.


    Sevarj snorted and shook his head, ¡°And yet I am the one that would be doing all the work?¡±


    The soldier grinned, ¡°Tell you what, last three weeks and I¡¯ll give you a cut of the profits, promise!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it,¡± Sevarj agreed while hoping he wouldn¡¯t have to remain with the humans nearly so much longer.


    After climbing the ladder, Sevarj shared a similar conversation with the soldiers at the top as well before running off in the direction of the guardhouse they were using as shelter.


    Delivering messages wasn¡¯t difficult. Fully capable of running indefinitely for days if needed, the primary concern was how expending the energy aggravated his thirst. All the same, completing the task faster at this point would allow him the opportunity to pick off a straggling patrol and blame it on Crypt Stalkers.


    With that cheerful thought in mind, Sevarj managed to hold his thirst in check until finishing his circuit of the wall and heading for the ladders again. He had timed his departure from the final guardpost to coincide with a patrol that had left just a few minutes before.


    Unfortunately, after leaving the guard post Sevarj was infuriated to find that the trio of soldiers seemed to have similar ideas regarding completing their rounds as fast as possible and were already halfway towards the ladders. Barely suppressing his rage, Sevarj set out from the guardpost at a run. Unlike the soldiers, he had an excuse for doing so and was going to make the most of it.


    It wasn¡¯t enough. Forced to carry a torch to maintain his disguise, Sevarj cursed himself for having given the patrol a head start. Not only had they reached the ladders before he could catch up to them, now they were malingering!


    Glaring reproachfully at his escaped meal, Sevarj had no choice but to descend the ladder and return to camp.


    Attempting to console himself as he stalked down the hill and away from the city walls, Sevarj began planning how he would make his approach to try and snatch away one of the soldiers on guard duty on the camp¡¯s periphery.


    Having returned to camp, Sevarj barely kept it together while saluting and depositing the return messages from the officers on the wall. He was growing more thirsty by the minute and needed to feed!


    Stalking between the tents, Sevarj¡¯s nose rankled at the foul state of hygiene maintained by the soldiers in the camp. With his heightened sense of smell, it was enough to make him gag when he didn¡¯t actively suppress it. Assuming his concentration had slipped, Sevarj was surprised to discover that his sense of smell had already been reduced past even human levels of sensitivity. Furthermore, he could have sworn he heard the sound of rushing water coming from the direction of the city...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 38 – Sins of apathy – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 38 ¨C Sins of apathy ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 38 - Sins of apathy - Part One


    As I had suspected would be the case, initial attempts to pass through the doorway to the Mournbrent Labyrinth were unsuccessful. The failure by the Rangers recon squad confirmed that the Liche controlled at least the first five floors of the Labyrinth and was denying entry to anyone not bearing the correct marker or meeting some other requirement.


    Unfortunately for her, I possessed Keys of my own and could contest the Liche¡¯s control directly.


    With no minions in the vicinity to contest the claim, the entrance to the Mournbrent Labyrinth came under my control after twenty-four hours.


    The delay allowed the first wave of auxiliaries to begin arriving through the gateway in the western district. However, the necessity for organising the volunteers introduced further delays.


    In the meantime, three squads of Rangers, accompanied by qualified Goblin Scouts, entered the first floor of the Labyrinth to begin performing reconnaissance.


    When the Colonel began relaying the first reports, it came as no real surprise that the Liche¡¯s forces were in the process of digging in and doing their best to fortify around both of the first floor¡¯s portals. Almost exclusively limited to dirt and felled trees to create the fortifications, the defences were primitive but deliberately exaggerated to the point of becoming robust despite the limitations of the base materials.


    Most of the first floor¡¯s vegetation had been harvested for one means or another. This left the floor desolate with the exception of the Giant Rats and packs of Hungry Wolves that stalked the open ground in search of food, tearing apart the Zombies and Skeletons that normally formed the undead element of the ecosystem.


    Contrary to all expectations, the Zombies and Skeletons showed no signs of being controlled by the Liche¡¯s forces. The Colonel had two primary theories on the matter. Either the Liche felt no need for controlling them, knowing they would fight anyone who provoked them and serve as a passive defence. Or more likely, the Liche¡¯s minions felt no need to waste their Abilities controlling such weak undead when they had access to those spawned on higher floors or through Class Abilities.


    In either case, it didn¡¯t change the overall plan much. The tokens taken from the Adventurers¡¯ Guild headquarters were rendered useless due to the exit portal being controlled by the Liche. This meant that the invasion of the first floor, and each floor thereafter, would be attempted in a far more random and scattered fashion than I had otherwise anticipated.


    In some respects, it would be like a large-scale paratrooper invasion behind enemy lines. With allied forces scattered to the winds, regrouping and attempting to form battle groups of sufficient force to avoid being wiped out by enemy search parties. The upside, of course, was that the soldiers wouldn¡¯t be facing anti-air and flak batteries. The downside was that there was every possibility of appearing next to an already hostile enemy and being cut down before being able to react.


    Unlike the portals inside of the Labyrinth, there was no telling when the designated location on the other side would change. There was every possibility that any or even every one of the Colonel¡¯s carefully formed units would be divided into two or more groups after walking through the portal.


    Two dozen Serpent-Kin¡¯ and Forest Goblins all painted in dark grey, black and white warpaint had silently begun following me as I wandered the former headquarters of the Adventruers¡¯ Guild. There was no need to ask them who they were, even through the warpaint I could recognise their faces despite not knowing their names. The burning hatred in their eyes and hunger for vengeance made it obvious.


    Wearing armour similar to my own, it prioritised mobility of movement over protection. A few of the Goblins wore leather armour, but the rest wore segmented plates of iron. Their weapons were a medley of javelins, bows, slings, maces and spears, although none of them appeared to be carrying shields.


    Fully aware of what choice in armament entailed, I was somewhat disappointed in myself that I approved of the decision. It made no sense to forgo the added protection, but the significance of the choice itself...


    ¡°ENEMY ATTACK!!!¡± I roared and began running towards the fortified hall containing the portal.


    My call to arms was answered a few moments later by the shouts of Human soldiers and cries of injured enemies.


    Bursting into the hall containing the portal, I found the soldiers¡¯ barricades under assault by pale-skinned, reddened eyed, men and women in crude leathers and iron breastplates.


    With the benefit of a running start, I leapt up and over the barricades crashing bodily into pressed ranks of the enemy. Thrashing my arms and fists as I struggled to my feet, I felt a sick sense of gratification as I felt their bones break.


    With no room to draw my weapons, and more enemies spilling through the portal with each passing moment, I continued thrashing and throttling them with my bare fists.


    Soldiers behind the barricade continued firing their bows into the disorganised mass of enemies, either confident that they were unable to harm me, or confident their aim wouldn¡¯t fail.


    Howling like crazed madmen, the Goblins and Serpent-Kin scaled the barricades and joined the melee.


    Not wanting to crush them by accident, I was left with little choice but to press forward towards the portal.


    Taking hold of an enemy by their arm, I began thrashing them to and fro like a flail, their broken body crashing into the thick pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling as often as the enemy. When their arm tore apart I grabbed another enemy by the leg and renewed my assault.


    Visibly panicking under the onslaught, it looked like the enemy forces were going to try and flee back through the portal. However, the sudden appearance of a tall Vampyr with a feathered tricorn hat instantly renewed their morale. Rather than trying to flee, the pale-skinned enemies began trying to swarm me like ants.


    Letting go of my improvised weapons, I began bodily ripping the enemy off of myself by any handhold I could manage. With those I removed immediately attempting to return to the fray, I began deliberately dashing them against nearby pillars before letting go.


    ¡°I suppose quantity has a quality all of its own, eh?¡± The Vampyr chuckled, now standing horizontally on a nearby pillar while lazily clapping his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t see what everyone is so worried about,¡± he sneered contemptuously, ¡°To be bogged down by a bunch of lowly Thralls is downright embarrassing!¡± For all his bluster, the Vampyr was forced to retreat when a hail of projectiles arced through the space he had been occupying a half-second before.


    One of the Thralls reached into my mouth with a clawed hand and tried to take a hold of my tongue.


    Without even thinking, I bit down hard and severed the limb at the forearm and swallowed it whole.


    Frustrated by the mass of bodies trying to weigh me down, I gathered mana into my fists and then forced it into a pair of thralls.


    *Boom! BOOOM!*


    Moments later, a pair of explosions rocked the hall and sent the thralls toppling to the ground.


    A scattered hail of arrows and stones ricocheted off my exposed hide and chest armour, but I paid it no mind. It wasn¡¯t as if I had coordinated with the auxiliaries and soldiers to let them know what I was doing.


    Using the momentary lull in the fighting to draw a mace with my left hand, I spared a moment to look for the Vampyr who had seemingly gone into hiding.


    ¡°GAH!!! YOU FOUL LOATHSOME CREATURE!!!¡± The Vampyr howled in a combination of pain and disgust.


    Turning towards the defensive line, I was just in time to see the Vampyr discard a Forest Goblin auxiliary back behind the barricades. He had obviously intended to impale the Goblin on one of the protruding stakes, but the Goblin bounced off with no visible sign of injury.


    Leaping back from the barricade, the Vampyr was clutching at its now smoking face and seemingly blind to events taking place around it.


    Activating the Human Racial Ability to amplify my own stats, took hold of my mace in both hands and carefully lined up the Vampyr¡¯s trajectory.


    *CRACK!!! CRUNCH!!!*


    The flanged head of the mace connected with the Vampyr¡¯s back, shattering his spine and pulping the nerves and muscles before sending him flying back into the far wall. He struck the wall with enough force to send spiderwebs of cracks through the solid block of granite.


    Before the Vampyr had the chance to scream, the soldiers and auxiliaries were upon him, dousing his mangled body with buckets of holy water.


    Stronger than most of the Vampyr¡¯s I had encountered thus far, he made one final desperate bid at freedom. With his lower body reduced to nothing but a smouldering stump and his skin ragged and raw, the Vampyr clawed its way up the wall and out of the reach of its would-be pursuers.


    Or at least that is what the Vampyr had intended.


    The moment the Vampyr cleared the heads of its original executioners, a volley of arrows fired point-blank into his back and sent him toppling to the ground again.


    Pinned in place by spears, the Vampyr was pushed into an impromptu well that had been created by removing flagstones from the floor and digging a hole in the bedrock beneath. With insufficient mass to leverage another escape and rapidly losing strength by the millisecond, the Vampyr couldn¡¯t even scream to express its pain and frustration as it was burned alive.


    All the while, the Thralls had continued their assault, although they were much easier to deal with now that I had a weapon at hand. Having expected the Liche to make the most of the Labyrinth and increase the levels of her forces, I was confused by the fact that none of the Thralls had even demonstrated they possessed a Class at all. They were worse than the Orcs I encountered on the first floor, seemingly content with rushing in with crudely fashioned weapons.


    This was unfortunate for the Thralls because they didn¡¯t seem particularly strong at all, barely above what I presumed was the unaltered human average.


    Laying into the Thralls with my mace, I killed them in droves.


    All the same, the Thralls tried rushing the barricades, swarming forwards like a hive of ants. Then quite suddenly, they lost their motivation and coordination, faltering and falling back under the withering hail of projectiles.


    Wailing and seemingly quite terrified, the Thralls began fleeing towards the portal back into the Labyrinth. Unfortunately for them, only those already within arms reach of the portal managed to escape as the archers began aiming to incapacitate rather than wound and kill.


    Assuming the archers were attempting to secure prisoners for interrogation, I stowed my mace and began throwing the crippled Thralls back towards the barricades. Impassively watching the first pair of relocated Thralls as they were executed by the auxiliaries, I sighed. ¡°TAKE AT LEAST SEVEN OF THEM ALIVE FOR INTERROGATION!¡± I commanded irritably.


    Somewhat cowed, the auxiliaries stopped lynching the Thralls and focused on the task of crippling them instead, breaking hands and feet before dragging them over the barricades.


    For their part, the Thralls began gibbering in a language all their own and some of them even attempted suicide or began slitting the throats of their fellows.


    Had they understood me? Or was this just a cruel contingency command of their masters?


    In either case, it didn¡¯t matter. The combined efforts of the auxiliaries and soldiers still managed to secure nine Thralls in relatively stable condition and the latter had already sent a runner to inform the Colonel of the skirmish.


    Deeming another assault to be unlikely, I picked up one of the dead Thralls to take a closer look at what we were dealing with.


    Besides the reddened eyes and sharp teeth, the Thrall had incredibly pale skin that seemed dangerously close to becoming transparent. As such, the Thrall¡¯s veins and arteries stood out like deep blue tattoos against its skin. With the exception of those otherwise obvious differences, the Thralls appeared to be more or less human.


    Dropping the body unceremoniously to the floor, I scaled the barricades and headed for the exit. However, I paused when something held by one of the soldiers caught my eye. ¡°Let me see,¡± I ordered and held out my hand expectantly.


    The soldier obeyed without question, bowing his head and depositing a palm-sized silver medallion in my hand.


    [Holy Symbol {Orphiel/Ophelia}: Wards against hostile {Spirits} and {Undead} when visible. Hostile {Spirits} and {Undead} are driven away as if under the influence of a {Minor Ward}. (Special Condition): Casting a {Ward} Ability through the Holy Symbol deals damage to hostile {Spirits} and {Undead} within the {Warded} area.]


    Reading through the item description, I was slightly surprised to find that each face of the medallion bore a romanticised likeness of each of the Fallen Angels.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± I demanded curiously.


    ¡°Majesty, it appeared shortly after we defeated the Vampyr Pureblood,¡± the soldier replied earnestly, briefly pressing his lips together and furrowing his brow as he concentrated, ¡°Takesation reward, Holy Symbol. Accept reward, yes or no. That is what the message said, Majesty. I said yes and the silver medallion appeared in my hands, just like that! Beggin your pardon, Majesty.¡±


    I nodded and considered the medallion for a few moments longer, ¡°Do you know what it does?¡±


    The soldier nodded and was about to speak again but I held up my free hand to stop him.


    ¡°You may have it back,¡± I handed the medallion back to the thoroughly surprised soldier. Given the weight of the medallion and that it seemed to be pure silver, it wasn''t too hard to understand why. ¡°Do you know of anyone else receiving a reward from Takesation?¡± I asked intently.


    The soldier shook his head regretfully, ¡°Sorry, Majesty, but I have not heard of anyone receiving such a prize as this.¡±


    I nodded thoughtfully, ¡°You may inform your superiors that you have my permission to keep the medallion. Try to put it to good use.¡± I continued on my way out of the hall and made my way through the building to the Guild¡¯s auction hall. Already outfitted with all manner of restraints and cages, the auction hall served as a suitable dungeon and interrogation space.


    An enslaved Vampyr was bound to a chair and in a miserable state, its overdeveloped canines were torn free of its mouth and scattered on the ground. Tears running down its face and blood dribbling from its mouth, the Vampyr was sobbing quietly while the Colonel and a Sergeant wearing a butcher¡¯s apron and gloves conversed quietly nearby.


    The Vampyr was one of seven still being held prisoner in the auction hall. I knew this without looking because they were all under my personal control. Three were Purebloods while the remaining four were Mixedbloods, a transitory evolution between the Thinbloods and Purebloods.


    ¡°Colonel,¡± I called out to make my presence known as I walked across the blood-caked floor. The undead had not spared the occupants of the cages when invading the city and left a charnel house in their wake. ¡°Are you finished with the prisoners?¡±


    The Colonel and Sergeant both knelt down on one knee and bowed, ¡°Majesty!¡±


    ¡°I believe we have extracted all the information we can, Majesty,¡± the Colonel replied with forthright sincerity, eliciting a sobbing moan from the bound Vampyr.


    I nodded and looked towards the cages, ¡°I have an experiment I want you to conduct for me,¡± I elaborated, ¡°A Pureblood attempted a skirmish on the portal room and was slain by a soldier manning the barricades. He claims to have received a magic item as a reward from Takesation, and I want to learn more about the factors at play.¡±


    The Colonel looked pleasantly surprised and nodded eagerly, ¡°How should we proceed Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Set Takesation to the highest value and put down one of the Purebloods,¡± I replied somewhat coldly, scowling as the Vampyr in the chair whimpered again.


    The Colonel nodded, rising to his feet and drawing his backup shortsword before stalking towards the Vampyr bound to the chair.


    ¡°N-n-no!¡± The Vampyr wailed pitiably attempting to recoil away from the Colonel but convulsing in pain as he defied the standing orders to remain still.


    As the Colonel descended upon the Vampyr, he suddenly came up short as Shady materialised atop the chair and bared his fangs while releasing a low threatening growl.


    Frowning, I stared at Shady for a moment and then at the Vampyre cowering beneath him.


    ¡°Marco, Archer, Pureblood Vampyr...¡± None of it sounded particularly relevant, but Shady gave me a brief pleading look before aggressively warning away the Colonel.


    For his part, the Colonel seemed inclined to wait while I made a decision.


    ¡°They made me this way...¡± The Vampyr sobbed.


    ¡°Shady...move aside...¡± There was something familiar about the Vampyr¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Shady?¡± The Vampyr moaned weakly.


    Shady reluctantly hopped down off of the chair, making sure to place himself between the Vampyr and the Colonel.


    Moving closer, I took a proper look at the Vampyr.


    With dark hair and distorted feral features, I didn¡¯t know what I had expected to discover with my investigation. All the same, there was something familiar about him.


    ¡°Vampyrs are made, not born, we know that already,¡± I explained slowly, ¡°So who were you before you became one of them?¡±


    The Vampyr flinched. ¡°My name is Marco...¡± He insisted weakly, ¡°I was an adventurer, I lived here in the city...¡±


    I looked to the Colonel.


    ¡°We can check the registry of adventurers against the city registry of citizens, Majesty,¡± The Colonel suggested.


    ¡°Do it,¡± I replied before turning my attention back to the Vampyr.


    The Colonel motioned to the Sergeant who then promptly left the room.


    ¡°Commoners lack last names, so they are going to need more information,¡± I growled, irritated that the Vampyr should be so familiar and that the reason remains unknown.


    The Vampyr nodded feverishly, ¡°Yes, yes, of course! Ah, um, my mother, she worked in the bakery on shepherd street, and my father was a guard in the east district fifth patrol squad-¡±


    ¡°Names!¡± I snapped, ¡°Their NAMES!¡±


    The Vampyr flinched, fresh tears running down his face, ¡°L-Lauretta and C-Carlos!¡± He stammered meekly, before falling silent.


    ¡°Carry out the test on one of the others!¡± I ordered while wracking my brain and trying to remember why this Vampyr seemed familiar.


    The Colonel nodded and approached one of the cages.


    Unlike the Vampyr in the chair, the Vampyr chained up inside of the cage snarled defiantly as the Colonel unlocked the cage door and stepped inside.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill your whole fucking family for this!¡± The enraged Vampyr swore, ¡°Every single one of them! See if I-GURK!¡± The caged Vampyr stiffened as the Colonel¡¯s shortsword impaled its heart. Gasping as if out of breath, the Vampyr¡¯s body began to rapidly age.


    Removing a waterskin from his belt, the Colonel removed the plug and upended the contents over the gasping and increasingly frail Vampyr.


    Eyes bulging, the Vampyr thrashed against its chains in silent agony as the holy water burned through its flesh and bones, leaving nothing but smoke and ash in its wake.


    When the Vampyr expired, the Colonel retrieved his sword and cleaned it with a rag tucked in his belt. ¡°Majesty, I regrettably did not receive a notification. Shall I try again?¡±


    I nodded.


    The Colonel dispatched the second Pureblood in a similar fashion to the first, only this time he seemed much more excited with the results. ¡°Majesty! I have been rewarded with a Ring of Enervation Resistance!¡± The Colonel hurriedly approached with a thin silver ring in his hand.


    Composed of a thin silver band and a delicate clasp containing what looked like a tiny pearl, the ring didn¡¯t look particularly special. However, my opinion quickly changed upon taking a hold of it myself. Growing significantly larger, the ring would now be able to fit around any of my fingers without difficulty. Recalling how the jackal-man¡¯s items had done much the same, resizing to suit the user''s needs, I wondered if it was the nature of all magic items to do so.


    [Ring of Resistance {Enervation}: While worn, increases effective {Toughness} against {Enervation} Spells, Abilities and Effects depending on wearers Level. (Special): Increases effective Toughness by {1} against {Undead} and {Spirit} Abilities.]


    Reminded of the withering effects that had been left in the wake of the Liche¡¯s attack, the ring immediately skyrocketed in value. ¡°Have this sent to my wife immediately!¡± I ordered, pressing the ring back into the Colonel¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± The Colonel proudly saluted with his free hand and then left the room at a brisk jog.


    I needed more of those rings...


    Subconsciously, my attention drifted back to the remaining Pureblood in our custody. Determining why he was familiar was just an indulgence of my curiosity, if nothing came of it, he would be put to death just like the others.


    The Colonel returned a short while later with the Sergeant in tow.


    ¡°A runner under guard has been dispatched to deliver the package, Majesty,¡± the Colonel reported proudly, ¡°And the identity of our prisoner appears to match our records.¡±


    ¡°What else can you tell me about him?¡± I asked dryly, still wondering if putting the Vampyr to death might be the more prudent decision regardless of why he was familiar.


    ¡°Aherm,¡± the Sergeant cleared his throat and raised a piece of paper, with scribbled writing on it that served as a reminder that I still hadn¡¯t made a serious effort at learning to read this world¡¯s language. ¡°Firstborn son of Carlos and Lauretta, Marco joined the Mournbrent branch of the Adventurers Guild six years ago, and was pronounced dead three years ago after exploring the sixth floor of the Mournbrent Labyrinth-¡±


    ¡°That would be when he was turned presumably,¡± I muttered and motioned for the Sergeant to continue.


    ¡°Appeals by the family for the retrieval of his body were denied by the Mournbrent branch of the Adventurers Guild on several occasions, claiming unacceptably high risk despite substantial rewards having been offered to the Adventurers Guild and Mercenary Guild.¡± The Sergeant paused for a moment to flip the page over. ¡°Both Carlos and Lauretta are being questioned by the local authorities in their new Settlement and their answers are expected within the hour-¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± I held up my hand signalling the Sergeant to stop, ¡°His parents survived the invasion? Both of them?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    The devastation had been almost entirely indiscriminate, how had they both managed to survive?


    ¡°Were they amongst those I rescued at the guard station in the Western District? Or the Western Cathedral?¡± I asked distractedly while trying to remember faces from amongst the crowds of civilians.


    The Sergeant shook his head, but before he could reply the Colonel beat him to it.


    ¡°They were amongst those we rescued here in the central district of the city, Majesty,¡± the Colonel explained, ¡°Rescued from the same nest we captured the Vampyr.¡±


    Now that was interesting.


    I could tell the Vampyr had been listening so I wandered over so I could see his reactions.


    ¡°I-I-I d-did w-what I c-could t-to s-spare them,¡± the Vampyr stammered weakly while averting his eyes guiltily.


    ¡°Whenever your masters wanted someone to feed on, you would just give them someone else?¡± I guessed with disgust.


    The Vampyr hung his head lower in shame, his silence as damning as any confession.


    ¡°Should I continue, Majesty?¡± The Sergeant asked respectfully.


    ¡°Go on!¡± I waved dismissively and began pacing to try and work off my sudden flare in aggression.


    ¡°The city registry has a record of a younger sibling, another adventurer, by the name of Tobi. he is currently in an, aherm, undisclosed location and unable to-¡± The Sergeant fell silent as I raised my hand.


    ¡°Did you say Tobi?¡± I asked quietly.


    The Sergeant nodded.


    ¡°Reow!¡± Shady yowled and looked purposefully at the Vampyr.


    ¡°Tobi...¡± The Vampyr looked up, an expression of stark surprise and disbelief on his face, ¡°Tobi is alive?!...Ahahahah! He¡¯s alive! He¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Barely alive,¡± I corrected dourly, the revelation that this abomination used to be Tobi¡¯s brother hardly seemed worth the effort.


    ¡°Barely?¡± The Vampyr¡¯s exuberance over his former sibling¡¯s survival choked and died in an instant.


    ¡°Your Liche master almost killed him,¡± a part of me enjoyed seeing the despair take root in the Vampyr¡¯s eyes as I twisted the metaphorical knife, ¡°Drained his lifeforce to the point his arm blackened and turned to ash,¡± I wasn¡¯t sure whether that was actually what happened, but seemed about right.


    The Vampyr¡¯s mood took a sudden turn, despair turning to anger, and then anger to fury, ¡°I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL THEM!!! NOBODY HURTS MY BABY BROTHER!!!¡±


    I could feel him testing his will against mine and felt little real cause for concern. He was accomplishing nothing besides harming himself. Tuning out his enraged cries of pain, I wondered if it would perhaps be better to put him out of his family''s misery. Then I remembered Tobi, the marks of the withering on his body. He had shielded one or more of the others with his body and lost an arm for the effort. Nearly lost his life.


    Accounts of the battle were scattered and disjointed, and most of the witnesses were in trauma-induced comas. Tobi might have been injured shielding Lash, there was no way of knowing at the moment. Would Tobi see it as a kindness if I put his Undead sibling to rest? Or would it be like spitting in his face? I couldn¡¯t come up with a good answer.


    Crying tears of blood, the Vampyr, Marco, continued struggling against my control.


    ¡°You want revenge?¡± I asked rhetorically.


    Teeth firmly clenched together with veins protruding from his neck and forehead, the Vampyr stiffly nodded, ¡°YESSS!!!¡± He hissed.


    ¡°Then I have a use for you,¡± I turned to the Sergeant and Colonel, ¡°Cut him loose, he¡¯s going to help us hunt Vampyrs and destroy that fucking Liche!¡±


    No doubt shocked by what I had said, Marco¡¯s struggles against my control abruptly halted. ¡°W-What?¡± He gasped breathlessly, shaking from the lingering pain or exertion generated from his attempts at resistance.


    ¡°You''re going to be our spy,¡± I explained grimly, ¡°Feed the enemy bad information, sabotage their defences from the inside! Help clear the way so I can hunt down the fucking Liche and DESTROY HER!!!¡±


    The confusion quickly disappeared from Marco¡¯s eyes, ¡°I can do that!¡± He agreed hungrily, ¡°I¡¯ll make them pay for harming my family!¡±


    So long as Marco remained useful I decided I would forestall his judgement. ¡°Beat him and make it look convincing. We want the enemy to think he barely escaped in the chaos caused by that last skirmish. Losing his token will explain the time discrepancy.¡±


    Marco stiffened for a moment and then nodded determinedly at the Colonel and Sergeant as they approached, ¡°Do it,¡± he agreed grimly, perhaps unaware of the fact that the officers weren''t looking for his permission. Or perhaps he knew that and was denying them a small sense of satisfaction by going along with it. In either case, it didn¡¯t really matter.


    Reduced to a handful of hitpoints, Marco was then dragged through to the portal and allowed to stumble through under his own power, toppling face-first through to the other side.


    With the BDSM fetishwear adjacent wardrobes of the Vampyrs collective accessories, it was unlikely Marco¡¯s Slavery Collar would draw much if any attention. Even if it did, and its true nature was discovered, there was a very real possibility that the sadistic Vampyrs would just assume another stronger Vampyr had managed to collar him.


    Unfortunately, Enslaving Vampyrs provided no synergies.


    The Colonel provided the theory that perhaps the undead held a separate series of internal qualifiers to the living, preventing their Abilities from being synergised. With my own special Racial Abilities remaining exclusive to myself, it made enough sense that I was willing to let the issue go for the time being.


    Unfortunately for the remaining Mixedblood Vampyrs, this meant that they no longer had any use.


    The Colonel and Sergeant put the four Mixedbloods to death and managed to earn a single reward in exchange.


    ¡°A Magic Dagger, Majesty,¡± the Sergeant explained, offering a rather plain-looking stiletto hilt first.


    Knowing very little about effective weapon design, I was only mildly impressed by the dagger resizing to fit my hand.


    [Magic Dagger: Resistant to damage.]


    ¡°Is that sort of thing common?¡± I asked curiously, lacking a personal frame of reference.


    The Colonel nodded, ¡°Amongst magic items, this is considered the most common kind of enchantment, although magic items themselves are exceptionally rare.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I found that a little surprising in the current circumstances.


    ¡°Yes, Majesty. It would be considered fortunate to find a lesser magic item such as this after killing a few hundred monsters of the fifth tier and higher,¡± The Colonel explained.


    ¡°Why fifth tier?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Do lower-tier monsters not drop magic items?¡±


    The Colonel nodded, ¡°That is the accepted wisdom, Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Still...Three kills out of seven produced magic items...That seems far too high, doesn''t it?¡± I mused aloud, ¡°Unless...Unless the percentage increase is additive rather than multiplicative...¡±


    The Colonel looked confused.


    ¡°I mean, that the thirty-eight per cent increase in drop chance from Takesation isn''t one times one point thirty eighty, but is instead one plus thirty-eight. Meaning roughly thirty-nine out of every hundred or so monsters should drop some form of magical item.¡± It seemed way too good to be true. To say nothing about tanking any existing economy that relied on the sale and resale of such items, it made pushing to the fifth floor the best chance of allowing my people to better defend themselves.


    The Colonel and Sergeant both looked profoundly shocked.


    ¡°Majesty! With your permission, I must inform the Lord Regent of this development immediately!¡±


    ¡°Go,¡± I motioned for the Colonel to leave and continued considering the dagger. ¡°Sergeant, what would you say is the prime benefit of weaker magic items like this one?¡± I asked curiously while holding up the dagger.


    Shaking off his earlier surprise, the Sergeant straightened his back and squared his shoulders, ¡°May I speak plainly, Majesty?¡± He asked with some uncertainty.


    ¡°You may,¡± I agreed, growing more curious.


    ¡°For a soldier like myself, Majesty? Peace of mind,¡± he replied sincerely, ¡°The confidence in knowing that blocking an enemy¡¯s blade or striking their shield won''t make the blade of my sword snap and leave me in a compromised position. That isn¡¯t to say there aren''t other benefits, because there are, but I think the added durability in and of itself is profoundly powerful.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I think I see what you mean,¡± I agreed, ¡°But what other benefits come to mind?¡±


    The Sergeant was thoughtful for a moment before pointing to the dagger in my hand, ¡°Because the blade is reinforced by magic, you can sharpen the blade to a sharper edge without losing that edge nearly as quickly. It can make a big difference when fighting stronger monsters with thick hides. The durability, and knowing the blade can take more punishment means you can use a weapon in ways you otherwise shouldn¡¯t. Such as deliberately striking an enemy¡¯s shield or armoured limb in order to throw them off balance. Likewise, magical armour can be relied upon to take a real beating without becoming compromised, Majesty.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I agreed thoughtfully and returned the dagger. ¡°One final question before I leave you to your duties Sergeant. Is the style...the appearance of the magic items...is it random? Or is it related to the monster that was killed?¡±


    The Sergeant shifted his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably, ¡°Forgive me, Majesty, but I don''t know the answer to that question,¡± he admitted humbly, ¡°Ah, but Quartermaster Gerbits might. Should I fetch him, Majesty?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°It¡¯s not that important. If you bump into him later, then by all means ask, but otherwise go about your duties. Thank you, Sergeant.¡±


    Leaving the auction hall, I made my way to one of the empty offices I had claimed as my sleeping quarters. It was big enough that the auxiliaries and Shady easily had enough room to themselves and left me enough space to think without feeling crowded.


    The issue regarding the Thralls still bugged me. Why had the Liche left them without Classes and levels? It could have made them so much stronger, made their earlier skirmish stand a chance of inflicting actual damage.


    The Vampyr Pureblood had been so confident in spite of the Thralls¡¯ comparative weakness. Surely they didn¡¯t believe that outnumbering their enemies would be enough to win the war?


    That particular thought reminded me that I hadn¡¯t seen what happened to the Pureblood that convinced him to try and retreat.


    ¡°Which one of you injured the Pureblood, made him try to run?¡± I demanded, eyeing the huddle of Goblin in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Me do,¡± Jeek claimed boldly, thrusting out her chest and grinning savagely, ¡°Choke me, try bite me! Me hurk face!¡± Jeek¡¯s grin widened briefly before mimicking puffing up her cheeks before opening her mouth wide and sticking out her tongue.


    ¡°Right,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin in response, ¡°You ¡®hurked¡¯ on his face, after drinking nothing but holy water all day. No wonder he was terrified.¡±


    It was just another reason not to underestimate Goblins. With little to no shame, nothing was off-limits if they thought it would improve their chances of winning. With nothing left to lose, Jeek was as dangerous as they come.


    Settling in to rest, I continued puzzling over the Liche¡¯s decisions. There was something I was missing, something that would make everything begin to make sense. I could feel it.


    Why attack Sanctuary? Why murder innocent children?!


    Jacque¡¯s explanation seemed profoundly hollow in the wake of all I had seen. Choosing bad people and making them worse? Hardly. So far, the Awakened I had encountered seemed to be using this world as their excuse to be as fucked up as possible. Living out their sick fantasies at the expense of everyone and everything around them.


    Was that all this was? Was that why the Liche had attacked Sanctuary? Just another item to cross off the psycho bucket list?


    Or was there a method to this madness that I just couldn¡¯t see yet?


    Or was it because of my title?...


    I felt a familiar tug at the edge of my mind, ¡°PORTAL!!! ENEMY ATTACK!!!¡± I roared and burned mana to Shadow Step to my feet outside in the hallway.


    The auxiliaries were right behind me, scrambling to keep up, snarling and howling like feral dogs. In a sense, I supposed that is exactly what they were.


    Entering the hall behind the barricades, I was surprised to see that the enemy was forgoing the use of Thralls and sending Skeletons instead.


    Supposedly fearless, the Skeletons charged in waves, some of them breaking their bodies against the barricades as those coming from behind pressed into those in front. Unfortunately, the tangle of limbs only slowed the Skeletons for so long before they formed a ramp leading to the top of the barricades.


    Worse luck for the mindless Skeletons, soldiers began bucketing holy water onto them and causing the ramp to rapidly collapse. With larger pools of holy water forming on the other side of the barricade with each passing second, the Skeletons rapidly devolved into an almost non-threat. If it weren¡¯t for the scattered presence of archers amongst them, then they would have ceased being a threat entirely.


    Drawing a mace into my right hand, I used Shadow Step to move to the other side of the barrier and began swiping through the Skeletons like brittle twigs. Pushing through them with sheer bodyweight alone and crushing them underfoot brought me to the mouth of the portal. Ignoring the stragglers gathering on my flanks, I began determinedly swinging my mace back and forth in controlled arcs.


    No sooner would a Skeleton step through the portal then it would be dashed apart by my mace or the ensuing impact with the wall. The pooling of holy water on the ground made short work of the remains, dissolving the bones like a sugar cube in hot water.


    Losing myself to the rhythm, I almost didn¡¯t notice as my mace struck something much more solid and sent it crashing into the wall. Before my brain even had time to process what it was that I had hit, the auxiliaries had pounced on top of it and were tearing it apart as they pressed it down into the holy water.


    Listening to the creatures'' screams, I felt no pity, I barely felt anything at all. Just one more rabbit after another...


    *****


    Having difficulty finding sleep, Lash eased herself into a sitting position and tried to resist the sadness she felt when her eyes lingered on the empty space beside her. Despite Tim having been gone less than a few days, Lash felt especially vulnerable with the egg growing inside of her.


    The near-constant presence of Tim¡¯s loyal Daemons and her own guards meant little when compared against the Liche¡¯s ability to kill the unborn with its mere presence. It was only through a miracle that her child was still alive at all. Lash didn¡¯t quite understand it herself, but the Daemons had insisted that her own body had acted as a shield against the Liche¡¯s life-draining presence.


    All the same, Lash couldn¡¯t quite shake the feeling that something was wrong.


    Getting up off the bed, Lash dressed in her best armour, taking special care to adjust the straps to accommodate her swelling abdomen.


    The multi-armed snakelike Daemon, Senn, stirred from her position by the door. Never truly asleep, the Daemon cycled through periods of wakefulness and a trancelike state that seemed to rely purely on instinct. ¡°Misstresss? Where are we going?¡± Since Tim left, Senn had appointed herself Lash¡¯s head guard and was never more than a few feet from her side.


    ¡°The healing house,¡± Lash replied, groaning slightly as she used a thick low hanging root provided by the Dryad sisters to pull herself to her feet. Heading out the tunnel to the surface, Lash was still slightly bothered by the fact that Senn was considerably taller than her, and more than that if she felt threatened.


    It was a stark contrast to her feelings for Dar who was close to Tim''s size in terms of sheer bulk. With thick tree trunk-like arms and heavily muscled back, Dar was too heavy to stand upright and walked on all fours while using his knuckles to keep his claws sharp.


    Between the two Daemons, Lash was literally covered from all potential avenues of attack barring the sky, although she was very much aware of an emaciated looking Daemon with wings that would trail her from above as well. Garn, Lash thought he was called, bearer of Tim¡¯s magical spear.


    There was a strange energy to Sanctuary and it had grown stranger since the grieving families had left. Caught between wanting to celebrate the new lives that would soon join the tribe, and mourning those who had been lost. Without the families present, it felt wrong to mourn their losses, to steal their grief. But it also felt wrong to celebrate so soon after such a tragedy without giving the dead their due.


    Tim was the most intelligent and cunning man Lash had ever known, but despite his fierce loyalty and love for those close to him, Tim was poorly socialised at best. He missed more basic social cues than he recognised, and if he weren¡¯t so huge it might have sparked a conflict for leadership. It was an oddity considering how well his female companion Clarice had adapted to tribe life, and even the quiet Emelia showed more social adeptness. Yet Tim was like his other companion, the healer, Nadine, intelligent but borderline socially incompetent.


    Lash knew that if Tim were properly socialised he wouldn¡¯t have given the grieving families the excuse to leave Sanctuary, not before they had a chance to publicly grieve their losses with the tribe.


    Even so, Lash couldn¡¯t bring herself to blame him for it. Tim was doing what he believed was necessary for the tribe¡¯s survival, for the survival of their child. What frightened her was how emotionally unstable Tim had been when he left. Calm one moment, shouting the next, Lash could tell he was hurting but didn¡¯t know how to make it stop.


    It only made things worse when Lash was reminded that Tim had managed the feat for her when grieving her sister. Lash wondered if it was because Tim hadn¡¯t lost a family member in the attack, but she knew she was just trying to find an excuse for her own failings. If anything, the death of the unborn had wounded Tim deeper than Lash had expected, much deeper by far.


    When they were alone, Tim had spoken often of his mother, Mum. He had been abandoned as a child, unwanted by his birth mother and left for dead. Tim would have died had Mum not taken pity on him and raised him as her own. Bizarrely, Tim had been an outcast due to his size and strength, ostracised and isolated at every turn. Lash hadn¡¯t understood that part of his story very well, and the best he had been able to explain was that humans were different. They had hated him for being different.


    Having spent a great deal of time around Tim¡¯s companions, Lash wasn¡¯t sure she understood what he had meant by that. The humans all had an immense amount of respect for him. Even the chieftain of the Asrus tribe bowed to Tim¡¯s leadership. They had such profound respect for Tim that the warriors of the Asrus tribe extended that respect to all who dwelled within Sanctuary. Again, Tim had explained that the humans where he was from were not quite the same and that he suspected other human tribes would not be so friendly or respectful.


    True enough, the Asrus tribe was at war with two of its neighbours and had been losing before taking shelter beneath Tim¡¯s banner. That they had proven themselves worthy of such trust when she and Tim had been displaced by magic, it eased Lash¡¯s worry that he was now so completely in their midst. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Entering the healing house meant Dar was left waiting outside, his immense bulk too great to fit through the large entrances. Senna was far more agile and followed Lash inside.


    ¡°Vissiting the Humanss again?¡± The Daemon asked with feigned annoyance.


    Lash nodded, ignoring the Daemon¡¯s tone, ¡°They deserve respect,¡± she met Senn¡¯s gaze and held it until the Daemon backed down and looked away.


    ¡°Ass you ssay, misstresss,¡± Senn agreed obediently while making sure to enter the room ahead of her and scan for threats.


    ¡°Ah, mistress!¡± The skittish rodent-like Daemon Wraithe hurried over from the bedside of the human male, Tobi, in order to greet Lash at the door. ¡°You will be happy to hear that Ril believes the curse laid upon Nadine is weakening and might be able to break it soon with some assistance!¡± She seemed incredibly excited by the news, so lash took it as a good sign.


    Walking over to Nadine¡¯s bedside, she couldn¡¯t help but stare at the strange thing embedded in her arm. The other humans had them as well, but Lash felt particularly concerned because Nadine had bodily intercepted one of the Liche¡¯s attacks intended for Lash herself. It was a little strange that Nadine was the only one besides Lash herself to survive the fight unscathed.


    ¡°Ah, yes, the IVs,¡± Wraithe nodded and scurried over to prevent Lash from touching anything. ¡°It slowly delivers Evolution Elixir into their body, steadily improving their mana so they can Evolve! It is our hope that in encouraging their Evolution that they will recover from the effects of the Liche¡¯s enervative spells!¡±


    Lash wasn¡¯t sure what the Daemon had said, but she trusted the level of optimism and enthusiasm in her body language and tone. Brushing the stray hair from Nadine¡¯s face, Lash trailed her hand down to the young woman¡¯s hand and gave it an appreciative squeeze, ¡°Fight hard,¡± Lash encouraged her before letting go and checking on Clarice.


    ¡°Nng...¡± Clarice stirred slightly at Lash¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Back! Please stay back!¡± Wraithe insisted, gently pushing past Lash and urging her further back with her whip-like tail.


    ¡°Wha?...Where?...Nng...¡± Clarice was struggling to open her eyes, struggling to move at all.


    ¡°Stay still!¡± Wraithe insisted firmly, somehow managing to make her command sound gentle at the same time, ¡°Your skin is...Fragile...It needs time to heal, and you need to recover your strength.¡±


    ¡°You''re fragile...¡± Clarice wheezed feebly.


    ¡°This is a good sign,¡± Wraithe declared optimistically, ¡°Tim says if they can make jokes, then they are on the mend!... Or on the way out...¡± Wraithe grew more serious and fussed over Clarice for a few minutes before growing confident again, ¡°She¡¯s mending,¡± she insisted.


    ¡°You''re...Alright?¡± Clarice asked, looking determinedly at Lash through half-lidded eyes.


    Lash nodded, ¡°I am fine.¡±


    Clarice sighed in relief before growing worked up again, ¡°The...Baby?¡±


    ¡°Safe,¡± Lash reassured Clarice and took hold of her less withered hand.


    ¡°Dhizi?¡± Clarice asked quietly, sounding incredibly tired.


    ¡°Fed every day,¡± Lash replied with a small smile, ¡°Feeding after you rest.¡±


    ¡°Nnn...Timmm?...¡± Clarice mumbled, barely keeping her eyelids open.


    Lash wasn¡¯t sure how to answer, and thankfully Clarice fell asleep before Lash was pressed to do so.


    After spending a few minutes with Emelia and Tobi, Lash finished her visit by thanking the unconscious Fallen Angels. While they had not contributed much to the fight directly, they were both directly responsible for the four humans and two Dryads surviving the attack. Now understanding that the strange things attached to their arms were intended to help them get stronger, Lash could see the improvements it had made since her first visit. Lash had been worried that Tim had done something impulsive and out of character before leaving, so she was profoundly relieved to discover that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    Leaving the healing house, Lash headed for the cooking fires to secure food for Dhizi, just as she had promised she would.


    Expecting Lash¡¯s return, the giant lizard hungrily eyed her from the roof before settling down again.


    Knowing she would encounter Toofy by the cooking fires, Lash was glad that the Goblin was making herself useful. After Toofy had spent a full day and night in the hospital alongside her daughter RIl, seeing her up and about was a vast improvement. The fact that Toofy was hanging around the pair of Gnoll matriarchs was a sacrifice Lash was willing to accept. For now...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 38 – Sins of apathy – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 38 ¨C Sins of apathy ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 38 - Sins of apathy - Part Two


    Standing before the portal, I felt a momentary flicker of fear and subtle tremor pass through my chest. All the same, I felt no inclination to step away.


    Preliminary reports by the Rangers and Scouts confirmed that the original foothold had been heavily fortified with crude high stone walls and siege engines. Smaller fortresses flanked the foothold and a larger fortress blocked off the portal to the second floor. Wild or otherwise uncontrolled packs of undead monsters roamed the largely desolate landscape endlessly, their sixth sense allowing them to gradually home in on living prey.


    Four Scouts had already died, hunted down and killed by Vampyrs, making it abundantly clear that delaying the invasion would only allow the enemy to inflict further casualties. It was why the Colonel wanted to initiate the first assault and secure a beachhead that could serve as a rallying point.


    Taking a deep breath, I straightened my back, squared my shoulders, and then stepped forward through the portal.


    Continuing forwards to make room for Shady, the Serpent-Kin and Goblins following in my wake, I barely managed to take in the drab and dreary surroundings of the foggy moor before a high pitched whistling sound drew my attention to the right.


    *Shink*


    My head snapped back to my left as something struck the side of my helmet and left a trailing sheet of sparks before lodging itself in the boggy ground a dozen or so feet away.


    Taking a few moments to overcome my surprise, I slowly recognised the wooden shaft for what it was. Either a spear or javelin, it was the ammunition from one of the enemy''s siege engines.


    *Thunk*


    Another steel-tipped wooden shaft passed a few feet by my head.


    Turning back to the right, a dark tower loomed atop a nearby hill, surrounded by a relatively low stone wall and entrenched earthworks.


    Without really thinking, I began to move, slowly at first but increasing my stride with each new step. Cutting diagonally towards the tower, it became obvious that I was the primary target when another pair of javelins whipped through the gloomy twilight, narrowly missing my chest and legs.


    Glancing over my shoulder, I could only make out the thinned fog marking my progress towards the tower. With no sign of the Goblins or Serpent-Kin, I could only assume that they were either sensibly laying low or remaining still to avoid attracting the siege gunners'' attention.


    My assumption was disproven as I caught a brief glimpse of a Goblin sprinting full tilt through the fog and towards the tower. However, the Goblin disappeared without a trace a fraction of a second later, leaving the fog seemingly undisturbed.


    I could now make out shadowy figures rushing to and fro behind the earthworks, and a familiar buzzing sound.


    Raising my right arm to shield my eyes, arrows began clattering against my armour like hail. Unable to clearly make out the tower past the bulk of my arm, I somewhat blindly adjusted course to make a more direct approach, confident I had given Shady, the Goblins and Serpent-Kin enough distance to reduce their chances of being caught by stray arrows and javelins.


    *Broooooot!*


    A horn sounded from the direction of the tower and was answered a handful of seconds later by another horn somewhere far to my left out in the fog. Three more horns gave staggered answers of their own shortly afterwards, making it abundantly clear that all of the enemy camps were not on high alert. Not particularly concerned, I had expected as much from the beginning.


    *Slick*


    I nearly tripped as a javelin impacted against an exposed section of my thigh and sent a jolt of pain racing through my nervous system. Feeling a faint throbbing from my thigh and warm wet sensation spreading down my knee, I was surprised to see that a gash had been opened in my thigh.


    Almost impervious to harm until now, it took a few moments to accept what had happened. Feeling a familiar hunger taking hold in the depths of my stomach, I knew that the wound would soon close on its own. However, the fact that the javelins were a legitimate threat awakened atrophied survival instincts and forced me to begin questioning my recent choices.


    I had ignored the Colonel¡¯s requests and volunteered myself to serve as the tip of the spear, leading our invasion from the front. I had left my shield behind after convincing myself I wouldn¡¯t need it. I was charging headlong towards siege engines that appeared to have no difficulties targeting me in spite of my speed or the dense fog.


    I flinched as an arrow scraped the still closing wound.


    Pushing forward, I resisted the urge to use Shadow Step and continued charging forward while doing my best not to stumble over the sodden ground.


    Close enough now to hear angry shouting from up ahead, I redoubled my efforts and shielded my eyes with my left forearm while drawing a mace with my right.


    With large wooden spikes protruding from the low earthwork walls and ditches, the recent reminder of my mortality made me think better of trying to plough straight through. Raising my arm slightly to increase my field of view, I scanned the earthwork defences for a sign of entry. Unable to find one, I realised that I would have to bypass them through other means.


    ¡°AAEEIAARGH-¡± A terrifying cry came from behind the low earthen wall, ending abruptly with a wet throaty gurgle.


    More cries came from behind the wall, some made in fear, others in anger.


    ¡°REOOOOWR!¡± A feline roar preceded another terrified scream, making it clear that Shady had already breached the first layer of enemy defences.


    Waiting until my foot was hovering over the open space of the outer trench, I gathered my mana and focused on the outer stone wall and braced myself for the short fall to the ground on the other side.


    *Thump*


    Landing on muddy wooden beams embedded in the ground, it took me only a few moments to realise that I was surrounded. However, it was also obvious that the Thralls were already too preoccupied with trying to form a defensive line against Shady to take advantage of my momentary state of imbalance.


    *CRUNCH*


    I brought my flanged mace down on the head of the closest Thrall, crushing his iron helmet, spattering its fellows with blood, bone and brain matter as my mace permanently fused his head and abdomen together.


    Obviously in shock, the Thralls just stared back at me as I raised my mace again and then swept it through their ranks. The first Thrall was ripped in half, her crude breastplate ripping apart like wet cardboard as the wings of my mace pulped and tore through flesh and bone. The next Thrall fared little better, ruptured organs vomiting out of his mouth and spilling out of the gaping wound exposing his hip and spine.


    The next two Thralls were thrown out and over the earthen wall, either tumbling down the hill or landing in one of the trenches.


    ¡°The Ogre!...¡± A Thrall further along the earthworks called out in surprise, ¡°THE OGRE HAS BREACHED THE OUTER DEFENCES!!!¡±


    Turning to face the Thrall, I felt a scattered hail of arrows clatter against the back of my helmet and breastplate. Ignoring them, I lumbered towards the Thrall and raised my mace for a backhanded blow.


    The Thrall staggered backwards, fumbling to draw a shortsword from the sheath at his waist.


    *Crunch*


    The Thralls headless corpse fell to the ground, the shortsword only partially removed from the sheath.


    Following along the wall, I was intercepted by a trio of more heavily armoured Thralls baring halberd-like polearms. They attacked without hesitation, thrusting the pointed blades of their weapons towards the exposed sections of my body.


    *Clack, Clack*


    I managed to knock two of the halberds aside with my mace, but my attempt at catching the shaft of the third halberd failed. Unfortunately for the Thralls it seemed they were not strong enough to pierce my hide. The pointed blade of the halberd scraped along my skin but failed to penetrate, succeeding only in ripping my tunic.


    Faster than I anticipated, the trio of halberdiers leapt backwards, retracting their weapons out of my reach before suddenly charging forwards again. This time the blades of their weapons shone with shimmering white light.


    Sensing an immense concentration of mana, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine the implied danger the weapons now represented. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Crunch*


    Before the halberdiers had a chance to land an attack, I delivered a counterattack of my own, using Shadow Step to suddenly appear behind them and cave in the breastplate of the rightmost halberdier.


    To their credit, the remaining pair of halberdiers seemed to take the shift of circumstances in stride, continuing their charge to get out of reach before suddenly reversing their grip and turning the blades of their halberds back in my direction.


    *Crunch*


    Staring the pair of halberdiers down, I stomped my booted foot through the midsection of their fallen companion and caused blood to erupt through the visor of their helmet and stain their britches.


    One of the halberdiers kept his cool, slowly distancing himself from his remaining companion in order to prepare for a pincer attack. However, the second halberdier was visibly shaking, the tip of their halberd wavering as the white light intensified.


    ¡°FUCK YOU!!!¡± The halberdier screamed, charging recklessly straight towards me, ¡°I¡¯LL KILL Y-¡±


    *Thunk*


    The halberdier staggered and nearly fell as a dark feathered shaft appeared in his throat, ¡°Y-YOUU-URGH...¡± Staggering forwards, the halberdier only managed a few steps before falling to his hands and knees, ¡°You...¡± His red eyes glared balefully through the visor of his helmet.


    *Shunk*


    Another dark feathered shaft suddenly appeared in the halberdier¡¯s right eye, snapping his head backwards and knocking him down onto the muddy sleepers.


    ¡°On your left, Sire,¡± a voice hissed quietly, a section of the nearby wall blurring unnaturally as the twilight refracted light around someone that was otherwise hidden from sight. ¡°The beacon is activated and all forces are converging on this position.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± I rumbled in reply before warily approaching the remaining halberdier.


    No doubt aware he was outmatched, the Halberdier surprised me when he decided to hold his ground. Angling himself in such a way to put the earthwork wall at his back so I wouldn¡¯t be able to easily appear behind him, he held his halberd steady and waited.


    Unfortunately, this left him blind to the pair of Goblins silently cresting the earthwork wall, and their knives inching towards his throat and visor.


    The first Goblin drove its knife through the surprised halberdier¡¯s visor, burying it in his left eye as the second Goblin began manically punching its own knife into the halberdier¡¯s neck over and over again in feverish succession.


    More Goblins crested the wall and helped drive the halberdier to the ground through sheer collective bodyweight, each bearing knives of their own and driving them into any gap or crevice in the halberdier''s armour they could find.


    Remembering the arrows that had been peppering me only a few moments before, I began making my way back around the earthworks to prevent any archers from gaining a clear line of sight against the tangled mass of Goblins.


    I needn¡¯t have bothered.


    A half dozen Serpent-Kin and a pair of Rangers were already engaged in a bloody melee against a thinning crowd of Thrall archers. Receiving only minor injuries, the otherwise outnumbered Serpent-Kin and Rangers ignored their wounds and continued pressing hard into the collapsing ranks of the archers.


    Shifting my attention to the squat tower at the top of the hill, I squinted suspiciously at the crenellated roof where the ballistae had grown silent and still. The angle of the hill was gradual enough that the ballistae should have been able to continue firing even after I entered the earthwork defences.


    Leaving the earthworks, I approached the low stone wall ringing the tower. Standing beside the wall, I now understood why the ballistae had gone silent. The tower¡¯s defenders were all dead. Thrall archers and swordsmen lay crumpled, torn and bloody against the inner wall and upon the ground.


    Crouched low amongst the carnage, Shady tore hungrily at the spilled innards of a fallen Thrall. Covered in shallow wounds, and sporting a pair of broken arrow shafts lodged in his right shoulder, it was obvious that Shady was succumbing to the ravenous hunger of the Iron Gut synergy.


    Scaling the wall, I moved to Shady¡¯s side and assessed the state of the broken arrows lodged in his shoulder. Noting the teeth marks on the broken shafts, it suggested that Shady had perhaps attempted to remove them himself, but only succeeded in snapping the shafts.


    ¡°Steady,¡± I growled in warning, ¡°This will hurt.¡±


    Shady stopped his gorging for only a moment, his eyes staring back at me briefly before returning to his meal.


    Taking a firm grip on the first broken shaft, I ignored Shady¡¯s low rumbling growl of warning, pulling the shaft and reopening the wound as a broadhead arrowhead slipped free of Shady¡¯s shoulder.


    *Shkriek*


    Shady¡¯s body lurched to one side, hooking and allowing his other forepaw to slash across the abdominal plates of my breastplate.


    Ignoring the enraged Shadowcat¡¯s bared fangs, I took hold of the second broken arrow shaft and removed it like the first.


    Shady took another feral swing, hissing and spitting as he hurriedly limped away and towards another corpse to feed upon.


    Reminded of my own hunger, I absently pulled dried strips of jerky from a pouch on my belt, lifted my visor and then stuffed them in my mouth. Chewing absently, I looked out from the vintage afforded by the hilltop and could vaguely make out two other towers in the distance in addition to a much larger tall walled fortress.


    Unable to see farther than a couple of dozen feet from the outermost earthworks because of the fog, I could still make out distant movements as the fog was disturbed. Unfortunately, there was no way of telling which approaching forces were friend or foe.


    Too large to enter the tower, I patrolled the inner wall to find signs of any lingering resistance. There wasn¡¯t any.


    The combined forces of the Rangers, Goblins and Serpent-Kin had methodically culled all Thralls from the earthworks below and were in the process of scaling the hill to do the same with the tower.


    Opening the gate to allow them entry, I needn¡¯t have bothered. The wall was low enough that they were able to nimbly scramble up and over without any real trouble. Even the Goblins managed by using one another as living ladders, climbing atop one another¡¯s shoulders.


    Lacking a specific item to serve as a suitable Totem, I decided to improvise in a similar fashion to when claiming Sanctuary. Focusing my attention on the tower itself, I felt a faint pain in the front of my brain as the Pyrrhic Will Labyrinth Key activated and initiated my claim upon the surrounding territory.


    To my initial surprise, the expected mandatory quest and countdown did not appear, instead, the pain in my head began to gradually intensify. Gradually overcoming my surprise, I realised what was wrong. The Liche held claim over the entire first floor, and a battle of wills was required before I would even be allowed the opportunity to claim territory of my own. I wasn''t sure if contesting an existing settlement would require the same contest first, so I clenched my teeth, set my jaw and braced myself against the intensifying pain.


    As my hands began to shake and blood ran freely from my nose and eyes, I took a grim sense of satisfaction in that the key of Pyrrhic Will was inflicting pain upon the Liche in turn. As the pain began to dominate my thoughts, a part of me hoped the Liche wouldn¡¯t back down, that she would stick it out and be destroyed.


    Slowly drowning in the pain, struggling to breathe, I refused to back down, committed to dragging the Liche into the looming abyss.


    Vision fading, I felt the resistance suddenly disappear, an unfamiliar message appearing before my eyes as everything turned black.


    [Mournbrent Labyrinth Settlement: East Watch (1st floor), has been {Captured} and will remain {Contested} for (24h) if not {Recaptured}.]


    [Reconquest: 23h 59m 59s]


    [Reconquest: 19h 24m 33s]


    Focusing on the countdown in front of my eyes, I ignored the splitting migraine that was threatening to tear my head apart and willed myself into full awareness.


    I was propped up against the outer wall of the tower, a makeshift barricade constructed from barrels, broken furniture, rope and Asrusian shields forming a crude shelter from both harm and prying eyes. To my surprise, Shady was draped protectively over my legs and a mound of Goblins and Serpent-kin formed a living barrier over my arms and chest.


    It was only then that I realised how cold I was and how weak I felt. Lacking the strength to move, I could still hear the muffled shouting and cries of human soldiers and Thralls from outside.


    A sudden flash of golden light proved too much for my already abused eyes and I passed out.


    [Reconquest: 16h 13m 11s]


    In addition to the number counting down in front of my eyes, the fearsome face of a Goblin matted in thick warpaint hovered just inches away from my own as small pieces of wet softened jerky were teased into my mouth.


    Feeling considerably better than before, I realised that the efforts of the Goblin were almost certainly responsible.


    ¡°Eat,¡± the Goblin insisted, teasing more jerky between my lips and past my teeth.


    Unable to quite manage to string the necessary words together, I stiffly opened my aching jaw and hoped the Goblin would understand.


    The Goblin piled more jerky into my mouth and then waited until I swallowed before it began slowly emptying a waterskin into my mouth to wash it all down.


    The cool water provided near-immediate relief, somewhat clearing my mind and making me aware of my fever. ¡°More,¡± I croaked, wrinkling my nose in irritation as I became aware of my inflamed sinuses.


    The Goblin nodded and continued feeding me more water until I closed my mouth and gently shook my throbbing head.


    ¡°Bark...From my pouch,¡± I tried to indicate the pouch on my right hip, but it hurt to move my eyes.


    After fumbling through different pouches and sniffing diligently at different sticks of jerky, the Goblin discovered the folded strips of bark and held one up in front of my face, ¡°This?¡± She asked uncertainly.


    I tried to nod but winced as a fresh flash of pain lanced through my head, ¡°Yes. put, in, my mouth,¡± I sighed, trying to keep my thoughts straight.


    The Goblin obediently placed the folded bark into my mouth and patiently waited for another order.


    I positioned the bark between my molars with my tongue and gathered as much saliva to that side of my mouth as I could manage and winced as I chewed the bark. Bearing with the pain, I continued to chew. Impatient for relief, I swallowed the willow infused saliva before repeating the process anew.


    Relief came slowly at first but made it much more bearable to remain awake. All the same, the barricaded shelter had been added upon during my last bout of unconsciousness and I couldn¡¯t hear much of anything besides my own partially obstructed breathing and the pounding in my head.


    Trying to remember the exact phrasing of the message that had appeared before I first lost consciousness, I took some small measure of comfort in the fact that it had made no mention of wild monsters participating in the counterattack. Confident that a fight limited to the weaker Vampyrs and Thralls could be won with the synergies provided to the Asrusian soldiers, I closed my eyes and allowed my body the opportunity to heal in peace.


    [Reconquest: 3h 13m 15s]


    Only vaguely aware of a faint headache as I opened my eyes, I sighed in relief and began carefully moving my arms and legs as a signal that I was preparing to move and would need space.


    The Serpent-Kin¡¯ and Goblins hesitated for a moment before extricating themselves from the barricade and giving me space to move, albeit with some difficulty.


    Stripped of most of my armour, probably to prevent the iron from leaching all my body heat, only my helmet had been left in place. Removing my helmet, I brushed the crusted blood from my face, faking particular care not to scratch my eyes. Still absently chewing the now pulped willow bark, I considered replacing it with a fresh piece but thought better of it after considering the potentially significant dosage of the painkiller I had already consumed.


    Stiffly strapping on my armour, my eyes lingered on the new scar above my knee. Larger than I had expected, the scar was roughly the same length as my index finger and half as wide. The small amount of pain I had felt didn¡¯t reconcile with the size of the scar and it irked me for reasons I didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Having replaced all of my armour and gulped down the contents of my waterskin, I was forced to wait while nearby soldiers and the Goblins dismantled one side of the improvised shelter so I could leave.


    Leaving the shelter, I was surprised to find that the sky looked just the same as when I had first arrived, a perpetual twilight of gloom and overcast clouds.


    The greater surprise came from looking out over the wall. The entire hillside and surrounding area had become entrenched and now resembled cinematic scenes from the first world war. Only instead of bolt action rifles and machine guns, the Asrusian soldiers and Thralls were exchanging scattered volleys of arrows, bolts and javelins.


    From what I could see, which admittedly wasn¡¯t much due to the pervasive fog, the Thralls were abandoning their own trenches en masse in concerted attempts to rush across no man''s land and overrun the Asrusian trenches. Dead and dying Thralls formed mounds of improvised cover for each new wave of arrivals.


    I could only imagine the shock and despair the enemy commander would feel if they knew the Asrusian soldiers had access to a near-infinite supply of ammunition. Then again, it was just as likely a Vampyr wouldn¡¯t care in the slightest and would just continue sending the Thralls out to die all the same.


    Curiously, the fog was showing signs of thinning out, but the absence of the sun left me scratching my head as to why. The fog''s recession had now begun to reveal the collapsed forms of the deformed undead hulks the Liche had previously deployed against the Mournbrent grand cathedral. Comprised of multiple bodies stitched, wired, stapled and bolted into a single form, the tortured monstrosities were painful to look at in death but worse to look upon in unlife.


    Dozens of these hulking monstrosities were already scattered around no man''s land, sporting so many javelins and arrows that they almost resembled porcupines or echidnas.


    The fighting had not been altogether one-sided. I could see four neat and almost complete rows of bodies, each contained in a large canvas sack, thoroughly bound and staked to the ground. I could only assume these additional steps for the fallen were some form of precaution against the Liche and her Necromancers, or perhaps even the Mournbrent Labyrinth, animating the corpses. At least with them bagged and bound, their former comrades would not need to look them in the face when they put them down for good.


    An explanation for the scattered nature of the Thralls assaults soon revealed itself as Crypt Lurkers and other undead began wandering into no man¡¯s land from the direction of the enemy fortress. All of the bloodshed was attracting the more cunning and opportunistic wild undead. Each new assault by the Thralls now required them to fight through the gathering undead in addition to the withering hail of arrows.


    With the abundant prey in no man¡¯s land, very few undead attempted approaching the tower, and those that did were promptly executed.


    The enemy¡¯s lack of control over the wild undead was somewhat confusing. Given the nature of the city of Mournbrent¡¯s invasion, I had been led to expect that the Liche¡¯s forces had some widespread means of controlling the mindless or feral undead. Yet the number of Necromancers, or even dark mages in general that I had encountered thus far could be counted on both hands, and that was including the Liche herself.


    ¡°Was it all her then?¡± I muttered gruffly, furrowing my brow thoughtfully. If it was true, then it made destroying her all the more important, justifying greater sacrifices in the pursuit.


    Still feeling somewhat weak, I impatiently continued observing the ongoing conflict from behind the stone wall.


    The Thralls continued their suicidal charges towards the trenches with ever-increasing numbers, but each passing hour had allowed the Asrusian soldiers to further fortify their trenches with rows of spikes and shielded ballistae emplacements.


    As if to taunt the Liche¡¯s commanders, the Colonel had Asrusian flags prominently flown atop the tower and all around the hillside. He went even so far to have a much larger flag draped around the tower and facing the distant fortress.


    With less than an hour left on the timer, it was not at all surprising that the distant fortress showed signs of frantic activity.


    In anticipation of a final desperate assault, all soldiers were called into active duty and patrols were tripled.


    Most auxiliaries were still in reserve alongside the majority of the Asrusian soldiers, so it was strange to see the abbot and his small cadre of militant priests had managed to join the first wave of the invasion force. Wearing the standard-issue Asrusian armour I hadn¡¯t noticed them until the abbot actively began drawing attention to himself near the frontmost trenches.


    Not close enough to quite make out what he was saying, his impassioned and heavily emotive body language bore an unsettling resemblance to famous speeches given by charismatic dictators or late night televangelists. All the same, it seemed to have a bolstering effect on the frontline soldiers, so I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.


    With so many soldiers already occupying the trenches and the majority of the fighting being resolved at a distance, I remained atop the hill and continued recovering my strength. Strangely enough, the Goblins and Serpent-Kin remained as well. With my understanding that they had joined me for their revenge, I found it odd that they were not taking advantage of the entrenched position to vent their anger on the enemy.


    Reflecting on how they had remained by my side and literally shielded my unconscious body from harm, I wondered if perhaps I had misunderstood them. I could still see raw anger and pain reflected in their eyes, but they showed no signs of wanting to join the front lines.


    Noting the widespread disturbance of the fog in the distance, I was going to alert a nearby soldier but a Scout had noticed as well and was already trumpeting a warning.


    Just judging by the disturbance in the fog compared to previous assaults, the Thrall force appeared to be four or five times larger than those that had come before. Likely numbering close to five hundred or more, it was almost guaranteed that at least one or two of the more powerful Vampyrs would be tagging along to spearhead the assault or otherwise create a breach for the Thralls to break through to the tower.


    Knowing the enemy''s primary target would be the tower made me feel somewhat better about skulking so far back from the fight. It made me a sort of final boss rather than a simpering coward.


    As the front ranks of the enemy left the dense fog banks behind, they were revealed to be just more of the same generic Thrall infantry. The frontmost ranks were armed with shields and already had them held and braced in an interlocked shield wall.


    Far from deterred, the Asrusian archers loosed arrows against the approaching Thralls with objectively foolish bravado. Accomplishing little more than slightly weighing down the Thralls shields, it wasn¡¯t until the ballistae began firing javelins that the Thralls formation began taking any actual damage.


    Lancing through the front rank of the shield wall, a javelin would gore the first two Thralls into the third Thrall down the line. Even so, the Thralls would silently close ranks again before more than a handful of arrows could take advantage of the temporary breach.


    It wasn¡¯t until the shield wall drew closer that I was able to notice the wounded Thralls left in the main forces'' wake. Left for dead, they were soon prey for the wild undead. The combination of the unified approach and abandonment of the wounded worked to the Thralls advantage. Rather than harassing the approaching forces, all of the uncontrolled undead were either brushed aside or drawn to vulnerable Thralls left behind.


    Even though I had no way of confirming it, it seemed obvious to me that at least one and very probably more Vampyrs had joined the assault. I was the only thing I could think of besides Enslavement that could cause someone to so stoically march like that to their death.


    With a dozen ballistae firing javelins into their ranks, the Thralls numbers had more than halved by the time they had reached the charging distance of the outermost trenches. Despite their losses, this meant that they still maintained a numerical advantage of more than two to one over the Asrusian soldiers defending the tower.


    The soldiers in the outer trenches changed to swords, shields and spears in anticipation of repelling the Thrall shield wall. However, just as the Thralls reached the spiked earthwork defences, the twelve closest Asrusian soldiers lost their heads in rapid succession before tumbling lifelessly to the ground.


    A tall thin man brandishing a sabre and armoured in impossibly form-fitting black plate armour appeared in the trench amidst the fallen bodies. Even though he was too far away for me to be certain, and there was no way I could make out his eyes beneath his helmet, it looked like he was staring right back at me.


    A scattered hail of arrows turned to splinters as the black armoured figure¡¯s right arm and sabre blurred into motion. A pair of soldiers that had tried to take advantage of the distraction toppled to the ground as they each lost their respective heads before landing a blow of their own.


    Casually sauntering down the length of the trench and towards the next cluster of soldiers, the figure suddenly paused and turned back the way it had come.


    The Thralls were still attempting to clear a path through the spikes, but that did not seem to be the focus of his attention.


    Following the black armoured Vampyr¡¯s gaze down the trench, I was confused for a moment when I saw a soldier that had fallen to his knees, seemingly pleading for the Vampyre to spare his life. Bobbing his head and rocking back and pressing his clasped hand tightly against his forehead.


    Apparently, I wasn¡¯t the only one who had noticed. The trenches grew eerily quiet, allowing the soldier¡¯s voice to carry much farther.


    ¡°-in this our darkest hour of need, as we face the great enemy! We beg thee intervene on our behalf-¡± I could feel the familiar mana concentrating on the speaker and now recognised the abbot¡¯s voice, ¡°-and though I am unworthy, I am your most faithful and willing vessel-¡±


    The Vampyr ceased his advance as if unsure of how he should proceed.


    ¡°Goddess of war! Grant me your divine blessing so I might smite down the heathens with righteous wrath! In your holy name! AMEN!¡± The abbot¡¯s voice rose to a crescendo and a golden amber light erupted from his body.


    The light grew so intense that I had no choice but to look away.


    As I opened my eyes, I was disturbed to find that while the light had diminished, it was still painful to attempt to look at the abbot directly. Shining with the same golden amber light, the abbot now seemed to have four scythe-like wings of mana protruding from his back, causing him to hover above the trench. In his hands was a large two-handed blade, or a club with a crossguard. I couldn¡¯t be sure without risking going blind.


    The Vampyr began backing away for a moment before suddenly appearing in front of the abbot.


    *Clang*


    The pair met blade to blade before the Vampyr hurriedly disengaged, dropping down into the trench.


    Immediately pouncing back up at the abbot, the Vampyr suddenly curled and twisted his body like a falling cat, narrowly missing the abbot''s blade as he appeared behind him and attempted to drive his sword through the Vampyr¡¯s exposed back.


    Swiping at the abbot to gain some space, the Vampyr briefly disappeared before appearing in the abbot''s blindspot. Scything his sabre at the abbot''s neck, the Vampyr was thwarted at the last moment as the abbot¡¯s topmost wings intercepted the blade. Attempting to disengage, the Vampyr reacted too slowly and was pierced in each side of his abdomen by the abbot¡¯s lower pair of wings.


    Seemingly pinned in place, the Vampyr was unable to escape or avoid the penetrating strikes of the topmost wings into his chest. Dropping his sabre, the Vampyr tried to take hold of the abbot¡¯s wings and free himself, but it didn¡¯t seem to do any good.


    With each passing moment, the abbot¡¯s wings grew larger and the Vampyr¡¯s resistance grew weaker.


    Rotating in place, the abbot turned to face his adversary, the golden amber wings remaining firmly anchored in the Vampyr¡¯s body. It was obvious that the abbot had to be saying something to the Vampyr, but he wasn¡¯t loud enough to hear the distance between us. However, when the abbot raised his sword and pressed it against the Vampyr¡¯s neck, it became obvious that the fight would soon be coming to an end.


    ¡°-the Labyrinths have mercy on you, for the gods will not! AMEN!¡± With one smooth motion, the abbot removed the Vampyr¡¯s head.


    Unlike the soldiers, the Vampyr¡¯s armour clattered to the ground in individual pieces as a fine ash blew away in a breeze I was not aware existed and couldn¡¯t feel.


    Just as suddenly the abbot descended to the ground, his golden-amber wings flickering for a few moments before disappearing entirely. Falling to his knees the abbot looked up towards the sky and then toppled and slumped over in the trench.


    Confused and panicked cries from the ranks of the Thralls suddenly broke the silence and seemed to snap everyone out of their collective trance. Already so close to their goal, some Thralls began piling into the outermost trench while others dithered at the remaining spikes still obstructing the way through. A full quarter of the surviving Thralls dropped their weapons and fled back towards the distant fortress.


    No longer presenting a unified defence, the Thralls lingering outside of the trench were quickly cut down by concentrated fire from the nearby archers. While reinforcements swarmed towards the Thralls and the breach in the trench, rangers used their elevated positions on the hill to snipe at the exposed flanks of Thralls in the outermost trench.


    In under twenty minutes, the last of the Thralls had been driven from the trench, killed, or taken prisoner.


    I was actually impressed that the soldiers on the frontline had the wherewithal and inclination for taking prisoners at all. Noting fifteen more dead soldiers'' bodies joining the formation on the side of the hill, I wondered if it was the soldiers'' discipline or trust in their commanders that proved the decisive factor in determining that they would obey orders and take prisoners.


    Sensing the Thrall prisoners'' fleeting attempts at resisting the Enslavement effect of their new collars, I felt a momentary flicker of shame in betraying a principle I had once considered to be amongst the most unshakable of my core values. What felt worse was how a list of arguments immediately came to mind to justify its continued practice.


    Staring at the distant fortress, I began to wonder what other compromises I would need to make in order to see through my vengeance against the Liche, and whether I would recognise myself afterwards.


    *****


    Staggering along the cobbled street with bare and bloodied feet, Nadine ducked into an alley to try and catch her breath, her small frame shuddering beneath her patched and fraying shift. Struggling to breathe because of the smoke polluting the air, Nadine squatted as low to the ground as she could manage and still remain ready to run.


    *BOOM!*


    A nearby explosion signalled that Ril had intercepted yet another one of their pursuers.


    *Clack, Clack, Clack*


    Nadine immediately recognised the sound of Ril¡¯s talons and relaxed in spite of the ever-present danger.


    Sure enough, a tall pale-skinned woman of terrifying beauty entered the alley and stood before Nadine, staring down at her with pitiless inky black eyes. A crown of jagged glass horns ringed Ril¡¯s head and caused her raven-black hair to fall in haphazard tresses. ¡°That is the last one for now,¡± Ril explained quietly, her voice somehow managing to sound both soft and incredibly cold at the same time. Long-limbed and with short hooked claws on the ends of her fingers and toes, Ril looked almost completely unlike her physical self.


    Then again, Nadine was quite certain her real body wasn¡¯t that of a ten-year-old girl either.


    ¡°Psychological perception and imprintation,¡± Ril explained absently, reminding Nadine that she was literally able to read her mind. ¡°While locked within the dreamscape, you take the truest form of yourself.¡±


    Nadine frowned but said nothing, wondering instead when she would be free of the seemingly endless nightmare.


    ¡°Soon,¡± Ril answered in a surprisingly upbeat tone. The Spirits protected by the curse are growing few in number, and for whatever reason, the curse is no longer being supported and maintained.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking?¡± Nadine demanded, nearly collapsing entirely at the prospect of the unexpectedly good news.


    Ril smirked, revealing her sharp teeth, ¡°I do not joke.¡±


    Nadine felt a shiver run down her spine and remembered that she was very much surviving thanks to the Daemon¡¯s continued benevolence. A benevolence that seemed incredibly contrary to its core nature.


    Ril¡¯s smirk widened into a crescent smile displaying far too many teeth. ¡°You have no idea of what I am capable of,¡± she sneered derisively, her voice impossibly cold and devoid of emotion in spite of her displayed mirth. Then, quite suddenly, her expression changed, becoming melancholic and listless.


    For all of the Daemon¡¯s bluster, Nadine would wager anything that she was missing Toofy. For whatever reason, the pair seemed to share a genuinely profound bond.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mother,¡± Ril stated quietly, ¡°I would think that you would appreciate more than most how much value that affords her.¡±


    Orphaned at a young age, Nadine would have given anything for a mother and had wished as much many times before and after coming of age.


    Ril nodded, ¡°Good. perhaps you will be more fortunate next time...¡± She observed cryptically.


    Nadine frowned, ¡°Next time?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Although...I am sure Wraithe or Senna would adopt you, assuming you ignore the age discrepancy,¡± Ril suggested, ¡°It is no secret that Wraithe admires your intelligence and discipline, and Senna...Well, she is the most prone to irrational emotional attachment.¡±


    Nadine didn¡¯t know what to say. Thankfully, she managed to avoid laughing on reflex at the absurdity of the suggestion.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all about you,¡± Ril commented dryly, her inky black eyes sending fresh shivers down Nadine¡¯s spine as the weight of aeons settled upon her. ¡°The bonds between a parent and their child can change far more than you realise.¡±


    A scene of rampaging Daemon armies flashed through Nadine''s mind, a familiar cruel pale-skinned Daemon at their head leading the slaughter. As much as she wanted to believe the contrary, Nadine intuitively understood that what she had just seen was real. All the same, the behaviour of the Daemons in her vision was directly at odds with the behaviour of the Daemons that she had witnessed with her own eyes. The Daemons of Sanctuary were eccentric, but only ever violent when required to be. Dar was practically a giant scaly teddy bear.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Ril asked smugly before stepping out of the alley and lowering herself into a predatory crouch. A particularly embarrassing position for Nadine to witness given the Daemon¡¯s insistence on wearing nothing at all. Then again, Nadine was also forced to admit that a spare change of clothes was exactly particularly forthcoming either.


    Nadine prepared herself to run. Lacking Ril¡¯s natural weaponry, she was in a particularly disadvantageous position to confront the evil spirits that were hunting her.


    <RUN!> Ril¡¯s disembodied voice demanded urgently. <WE NEED TO RUN! I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO FIGHT THIS ONE!>


    Before Nadine had any time to think, Ril pivoted on the spot and snatched her up in her under one arm. Sprinting down the alleyway in the same smooth motion, the Daemon moved impossibly fast, the dirty brick and mortar buildings on either side of them becoming nothing more than a distorted blur. Then, just as suddenly, Ril stopped.


    Unsure of what was happening, and more than a little disoriented, her eyes settled on a tall gangly limbed creature standing at the entrance to the alleyway they had been headed towards only moments before.


    The creature was twitching as if in the grips of a seizure, yet its movements were so fast they seemed to leave after images in their wake. Then all at once, it appeared twelve feet closer without having taken any visible steps to do so.


    It was close enough now that Nadine could determine that just like Ril, the creature was female and that its impractically large and long-fingered hands ended in equally impractically long claws. Beady pale white eyes stared back at them with an unnerving intensity and hunger as a mouth filled with needle-like teeth trembled open and close giving the creature¡¯s breathing a maddening imitation of speech.


    Ril crouched and leapt clear of the alley altogether, sending them flying into the billowing clouds of smoke above and then even more surprisingly, into the clear night sky above it. Rather than falling, pale transparent wings shimmered into existence beneath the moonlight.


    <That Spirit should not be here!> Ril¡¯s head twitched quite suddenly from staring at one section of the smoking city to another in much the same pattern as the creature¡¯s movement. <Your curse has left you vulnerable to incursion, but to think such a powerful Spirit was in the vicinity...>


    Shivering, Nadine was profoundly glad that the Daemon was on her side and had elected to take her with her when fleeing the creature.


    That goodwill evaporated as the creature suddenly appeared just a few feet in front of them, its milky white eyes staring ravenously at RIl, not Nadine. ¡°S-ss-ss-o-o, HUNGRY!¡± it exclaimed with a rattling stammering hiss and gulping rasp. Lifting one of its emaciated palms up towards Ril like a starving beggar, its sunken eyes flickered between the Daemon and Nadine, ¡°J-jj-jj-UST! W-ww-ww-ONE!¡± It offered desperately, its feet and legs hanging limply in the open air.


    Ril¡¯s grip on Nadine tightened. <It is lying. It intends to consume us both.>


    Seeing no answer was forthcoming, the creature¡¯s hands flickered and returned to its side as it snarled in obvious disappointment and anger.


    Quite suddenly, Ril let Nadine go, and before she could even realise what was happening, she was snatched up by something else that suddenly dived or fell through the curtain of smoke. <Help is c-o-m-i-n-g.> Ril¡¯s voice in her mind was disrupted by an inhuman howl of rage from somewhere above.


    Holding tight to whatever had caught and taken hold of her, blinded by the smoke, Nadine struggled to find the handholds she had expected. Finding only thick short fur that was too sparse to grab a hold of with her numb fingers, and altogether spindly arms holding onto her in turn, she was terrified of falling through the smoke at any given moment. Struggling to breathe, Nadine panicked as she realised she had no means of communicating her distress.


    An image took shape in her mind of descending beneath the smoke and towards the street below.


    Confused, Nadine could only watch as the mental image became reality and whatever was carrying her descended beneath the smoke and landed on the streets. However, rather than coming to a stop, they kept moving in a jilting loping gait.


    Seemingly propelling them forwards with its long yet spindly pair of extra arms, it took all of Nadine¡¯s waning courage to turn her eyes upon her would-be rescuer or captor. With profound relief, she realised that she recognised him as another one of Sanctuary¡¯s Daemons, but not one she was particularly familiar with.


    The Daemon¡¯s body, and by extension Nadine, were both held aloft by the Daemon¡¯s furled wings turned arms. It was perhaps just as well since the Daemon¡¯s body was emaciated to the point of seeming fragility. Although Nadine could feel that appearances were somewhat deceptive. While not as powerful as the other Daemons, her bat-winged rescuer¡¯s ropy muscles and tendons were a veritable powerhouse for their size.


    ¡°Others coming,¡± the Daemon chittered nervously, turning its head and huge ears this way and that for signs of danger, ¡°Buy time while curse-¡± Suddenly they were propelled into the air and the Daemon¡¯s large spindly arms once more unfurled into giant leathery wings.


    Another image projected into Nadine¡¯s mind. The creature that was hunting her leapt out at them from an alley and snatched Nadine away, drawing her towards its gaping maw.


    With mounting horror, Nadine suddenly realised that she had seen the monster before. It was The Tailor from the first floor. Or more accurately, the thing that had lived inside of it.


    Terrified, Nadine could feel The Tailor gaining on them, its hunger manifesting as dark slavering jaws in the smoke and shadows.


    Swooping down out of the sky, the bat-winged Daemon was breathing hard, but its efforts seemed to have paid off.


    Gathered in the street in front of them were all but one of Sanctuary¡¯s Daemons, and every one of them looked primed and ready for a fight. Yet curiously, only Ril appeared different to her physical self.


    ¡°N-nn-nn-EED! T-tt-tt-o-FEED!¡± The Tailor howled from an uncomfortably close distance behind her.


    Not needing to be asked, the bat-winged Daemon rushed towards its siblings and deposited Nadine in the eagerly waiting arms of Wraithe, who seemed just as terrified as she was. Joined by the apothecary¡¯s assistant Nadine realised that it was these three Daemons that would be her dedicated protectors while the rest of the Daemons fought off The Tailor.


    Wraithe¡¯s hold on Nadine tightened, but not uncomfortably so, simply becoming more secure and manoeuvring her arms to better shield Nadine from potential harm. ¡°I won¡¯t let any harm come to you,¡± Wraithe promised, her whiskers twitching nervously as she backed away from the sounds of vicious and bloody melee.


    Pressed against the Daemon¡¯s chest, Nadine could hear Wraithe¡¯s heart beating like a smith''s anvil in her chest. It was then that Nadine realised that Wraithe had to be as terrified as she was...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 39 – Command and Conquer – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 39 ¨C Command and Conquer ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 39 - Command and Conquer - Part One


    With the tower now officially under our control, the wild undead were forced away from the outer trenches allowing the soldiers to begin erecting further defences in relative peace. Even the Thralls and Vampyrs seemed to have called off their attempts at retaking the tower.


    Already recovered and growing increasingly restless, I wondered if whoever was tasked with maintaining the sovereignty of the fortified foothold would be the same person that had been responsible for the tower. It had been a long time since I had last faced such a profoundly brutal backlash in a battle of wills.


    Instead of feeling hesitant, the memory of the pain only made me more eager to assault the fortified foothold. If they were that resistant, then they had to be important to the Liche, and if they were important to the Liche, then I wanted them destroyed. Unfortunately, there was every possibility that the target in question was located in the distant fortress guarding the portal to the second floor.


    Some of the Asrusian flags and banners surrounding the tower had been replaced with flags bearing the evil toothy grin of Sanctuary. It was in direct response to my most recently acquired Class Ability and the Colonel wanted to make the most of it.


    [(Class Ability: Noble Heraldry {Rank 0}): The men and women who tirelessly serve your noble house are inspired and filled with pride by the knowledge that their meagre contributions support your greatness. Subordinates receive the {Endurance} Ability while within line of sight of your {House Sigil}. {Presence} extends the duration of {Endurance} after breaking the line of sight. The rank of {Endurance} is equal to the Rank of Noble Heraldry.]


    According to the Colonel, Endurance was a high-level Class Ability shared by the Scout and Ranger Classes that delayed the onset of fatigue and exhaustion. This was why the Colonel was posting the flags in such a way that the rank and file soldiers could easily keep at least one flag within their line of sight at any given moment.


    Looking back towards the distant fortress, I wondered if it would be any harder to capture than the tower had been. It would almost certainly have many more defenders and siege engines, but with Shadow Step eliminating the need to breach the walls, the static defences wouldn¡¯t count for much.


    The lack of Synergies present in the enemy¡¯s forces thus far was their most prominent flaw, and it made no logical sense that it existed in the first place. The only remotely justifiable reason I could think of to not have at least a few other monstrous species as part of their army was that they were hoarding them all on another floor or saving them for a more critical engagement. That or the Liche had a problem with other monsters.


    Hearing a commotion coming from the tower, I didn¡¯t have to wait long to find out the cause.


    A solitary green flare arced up into the sky far to the south and was almost immediately followed by a dozen black death notifications. All the soldiers'' deaths were attributed to Bloodbound Thralls, an evolution of their species I had yet to encounter in person. A few moments later, scattered death notifications began appearing as what was most likely the remainder of the soldiers in the squad were finished off. However, unlike the initial surge of deaths, two of the most recent deaths were inflicted by a new monster, a Blighted Drake.


    Unable to shake the disgusting images of diseased ducks from my mind, the sight of a determined Lieutenant rushing from the tower and down towards the trenches proved to be a worthy distraction. Leaving the wall, and with my entourage trailing behind me, I followed the Lieutenant to find out what she had been ordered to do.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± A grizzled Sergeant snapped a salute, informing the Lieutenant of my arrival.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± The Lieutenant didn¡¯t skip a beat, pivoting and saluting as if she had known I was standing there the whole time.


    ¡°What are your orders,¡± I asked curiously, ¡°And what is a Blighted Drake?¡±


    ¡°I am mustering a relief strike team to assist with escorting the remaining platoon of reinforcements still traversing the lowlands,¡± the Lieutenant replied while motioning for the Sergeant to continue gathering soldiers and supplies, ¡°As for the Blighted Drake? We are not exactly certain, but we believe it is an Environmental Evolution of the Drake, which is a large reptilian ambush predator.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I muttered, replacing the image of a diseased duck with a zombified Trex. ¡°How strong are they?¡±


    The Lieutenant paused for a moment, ¡°We aren¡¯t sure, Majesty. If it is just an Environmental Evolution, then the Blighted Drake is most likely Tier eight or nine...¡±


    ¡°Tier eight?¡± I looked at the soldiers falling into formation and frowned, ¡°What if there is more than one? Can you still defeat them?¡±


    The Lieutenant nodded, her expression hidden beneath her helmet, ¡°We can defeat them,¡± she replied confidently.


    The Pride of Asrus were meant to be the elite, so I couldn¡¯t dismiss her confidence out of hand, but the sudden arrival of the Blighted Drake was a definite sign of escalation. There was another issue as well. They would almost certainly be leaving the Synergy range of my Racial Abilities, which would weaken them quite considerably.


    Leaving the soldiers to their work, I returned to the tower wall to brood. As uneasy as I felt, joining the relief team would cause the same problem for the tower. Stalled by indecision, I began contemplating an assault on the fortified former foothold. Once it was captured, reinforcements, specifically the auxiliaries, would then be free to begin supplementing the existing forces without running a gauntlet of enemy forces and the wild wandering undead.


    The Lieutenant left with close to forty men. A blend of Spearman, Swordsman, and Archers, as well as a few Scouts.


    Unsure how exactly the relief force was going to locate the reinforcements, I decided that I would add it to the list of questions I would ask the Colonel when we next spoke.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± One of the Colonel¡¯s aides, an older man of about sixty, stood at attention a short distance away and was waiting for approval to approach.


    I raised my hand slightly and returned to watching the distant fortress.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± the elderly aide moved closer but maintained a respectful distance, ¡°Colonel Maxwell would like to enquire after your opinion in joining a probing assault on the central fortress in approximately eight and a half hours time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I agreed, ¡°But why wait so long?¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Majesty. I am not at liberty to say,¡± the aide politely apologises, ¡°If your Majesty wishes, I can request Colonel Maxwell inform you in person?¡± He offered helpfully. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± I replied, already losing my interest as the bleak landscape continued feeding my apathy.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± the Colonel¡¯s aide bowed and then reentered the tower.


    An hour or so passed and the sky began to grow darker. Having slept through the previous night, I was somewhat intrigued by the scarcity of stars in the sky. Combined with the heavy cloud cover, only a handful of stars were visible with each passing moment.


    It made it that much more obvious when the amber coloured flares began arcing into the sky.


    Less than a minute after the first flare appeared, Asrusian soldiers began running out of the fog and headed straight for the trenches. Those in front stopped running after clearing fifty or so feet, holding their positions as more soldiers began stumbling out of the fog, many of them leaning on another for support.


    With imminent violence at hand, I was already halfway through gathering the necessary mana before I realised I was about to Shadow Step.


    Suddenly appearing in the midst of the soldiers preparing to hold their ground, I felt a momentary wave of dizziness from depleting so much mana all at once.


    ¡°Majesty....¡± One of the soldiers barked hoarsely.


    ¡°His Majesty!¡± Another soldier repeated, louder than the first.


    ¡°FORM UP! CEASE RETREAT!¡± A Sergeant hollered while holding a bloodied hand over a bolt lodged in his shoulder.


    ¡°SHIELD THE WOUNDED!¡± Another Sergeant roared, shoving one of the less wounded soldiers towards the screening line that was forming in response to the first Sergeant¡¯s orders.


    As soldiers continued streaming past, I almost missed the Lieutenant who was being carried over the shoulder of one of the large soldiers. Her helmet was missing, revealing short blonde hair and dried blood crusting over half her face.


    Drawing both maces from my belt, I took a few swings to try and limber myself up before I would need to begin moving in earnest.


    *Broot! Broot!*


    The horn calls came from the fog and I could see dark shapes moving in the distance.


    Looking back at the gathered Asrusian soldiers, it took a few moments but I realised that some of them were missing. The Rangers and Scouts were still unaccounted for.


    ¡°AAAAA-¡± A wounded cry was immediately cut short as one of the dark shapes suddenly came to a halt.


    [(Minion: Kirin Honeyfield) has been slain by (Blighted Drake)]


    Charging into the fog, I only made it slightly more than a dozen steps before a familiar feeling entered the periphery of my mind. Abruptly coming to a halt, I ignored the shouts from the soldiers behind me and instead focused on the large dark shapes now barrelling through the fog in my direction.


    Recognising three high tiered Enslaved monsters entering the range of my Ability, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would have enough mana to challenge them all. Deciding to play it safe, I concentrated my attention on the most powerful and would try for another if I had enough mana afterwards.


    Expecting the pain, I let it pass through me like water, refusing to allow it purchase. Initiating the connection cost me a third of my total mana, making it clear that I would not be getting another chance.


    *Thump Thump Thump Thump*


    The Blighted Drakes footfalls were somewhat dampened by the boggy terrain, but their sheer weight caused them to remain relatively audible now that they were at a full sprint.


    *Twing, Twang, Thwip Ching*


    Bolts began pelting against my armour and disappearing into the fog, but it was clear that the Thralls were struggling to line up their shots with as many whistling past as those striking my armour.


    With the distance between us disappearing fast, it was only now that I had no chance of retreating that I began to wonder if fighting meat-eating dinosaurs while half-blind was a good idea. The sheer absurdity of the situation prevented the worst of it from really taking hold, but I felt a considerable degree of anger towards myself for being so profoundly stupid.


    Even so, I had only moments to react when the bipedal reptile suddenly loomed into view. Roughly two thirds its height, it was a strange experience to be striking upwards against a taller opponent.


    *Thump, Clack*


    My mace managed to knock its jaws aside and gave me enough time to move out of the Blighted Drake¡¯s path. However, it didn¡¯t stop the giant reptile from taking a swipe at me with the three large claws on its forearm or another swipe with its thick tail.


    I could hear it circling around for another pass, and took a scattered hail of bolts to the back, confirming that there were riders mounted on its back. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t spare time to see what was happening. The second Blighted Drake was closing in and preparing to attack just as the first had done.


    Deciding that I couldn¡¯t take on two of them at once, I gathered half my remaining mana into my left hand, and through it, into my second mace. Charging towards the Blighted Drake returned a semblance of initiative and allowed me to strafe past its waiting jaws.


    *


    The Blighted Drake cried out in pain and rage as my mace collided with its left shin, causing the bone to buckle and break beneath the beast''s weight, driving it to the ground. Five Thralls were thrown from the strange saddle mounted on its back, although their landings were somewhat cushioned by the bog.


    Even collapsed on its side, the Blighted Drake posed a significant threat, so I left it alone and tried to get my bearings on the first and third Blighted Drakes instead.


    The third Drake was still nowhere in sight and surprisingly the first had stalled its return.


    The Thralls mounted atop the first Blighted Drakess saddle were taking arrows from the Archers waiting just beyond the fog. Despite most of the arrows missing their mark, a few had managed to land and deal some damage, including an arrow lodged in the primary rider¡¯s neck.


    The rider was hanging by the reins from off the Drake¡¯s back and seemed to be confusing it as he continued trying to pull himself back up with minimal success.


    More than happy to let the Archers continue harassing the first Drake, I turned my attention to the Thralls that had been thrown from the first.


    *Crunch*


    The Thrall had just managed to stagger to his feet when my mace caved in his chest and sent him flying into the fog.


    The next closest Thrall was scrambling for its crossbow instead of drawing its shortsword.


    *Crunch*


    I crushed his back and continued towards the next Thrall.


    Smarter than her companion, the Thrall had drawn her shortsword and was hurriedly backing away towards her two remaining companions. However, rather than help them, she stabbed her blade through the thigh of the less wounded of the two and then bolted off into the fog.


    The pair of remaining Thralls could only watch their fleeing companion with disbelief as I closed the distance between us and prepared to execute them.


    A jolt of pain in my head gave me pause, allowing one of the Thralls to scramble to their feet and run, while the other desperately hobbled after him. The owner of the third Drake was still putting up a fight and the pain was steadily beginning to escalate.


    Briefly eyeing the giant collar hanging off the fallen Drake¡¯s neck, I considered and then promptly discarded the idea of trying to take control of the Drake directly through its collar. Approaching its neck would mean moving within reach of its mouth and arms, making it an incredibly stupid idea. Then again, if the same person was controlling all three of the Drakes, and I made use of a distraction, it could somewhat justify the risk.


    The Drake in question was glaring at me in such a way that it almost looked like it was daring me to move closer.


    *


    The vibrations and heavy breathing from the first Drake were too little warning too late.


    *


    A hard blow to my back knocked me down and left me sprawling in the bog. I barely managed to get my arms and knees beneath me when a weaker blow caught me from the side and sent me tumbling again. Scrambling to move before the Drake had a chance to knock me down again.


    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t fast enough and was bowled over again, only this time one of the Drake¡¯s claws managed to find its way through my armour and pierced my side. Worse still, the claw tore the wound wide as I was knocked aside.


    I could feel the blood spilling down my side, soaking my tunic and running down my leg. Only vaguely able to determine the location of the wound, I could only hope that I wasn¡¯t bleeding nearly so badly internally.


    The Drake had begun pacing to my left, its nostrils flaring and jaws drooling over the scent of my blood. It was obvious that the giant reptile was waiting for me to bleed out, although I wasn¡¯t sure why after it had managed to manhandle me thus far. Then again, waiting for its prey to bleed out was a much safer strategy than risking a potentially debilitating injury.


    Unfortunately for the waiting Drake, my wound was already clotting shut and stirring a ravenous hunger that in turn was ramping up my aggression.


    Even with my maces lost somewhere in the fog, the idea of charging the Drake with only my fists and teeth was beginning to hold a certain appeal. The mounting pain in my head only stoked the fire of my rising rage even further.


    The Drake seemed to grow warier, baring its fangs and slowly creating more distance between us as it continued circling.


    The pain in my head ratcheted up a step further, officially transitioning from a bad headache to a full-blown migraine. Suddenly charging at the Drake began to look like a very good idea. With so much meat it could fill the gaping hole I could feel in my gut.


    I couldn¡¯t think straight, I was so hungry...


    [You have slain {Vampyr Scion; 4} +4000 Exp]


    [You have Enslaved {Blighted Drake Patriarch}]


    **


    I could vaguely make out the voices of panicked Thralls growing closer, but it was heavy footsteps that drew my attention.


    The wounded Drake let out a pitiable cry and shrieked in pain as it tried to stand. Meanwhile, the Drake that was preoccupied with waiting for me to succumb to blood loss had grown nervous, engaging in a quick back and forth with the wounded Drake.


    Both Drakes were interrupted as the third Drake, almost half again as large as they were, came charging out of the fog with a dozen confused and terrified Thralls clinging to its saddle.


    *


    The Blighted Drake Patriarch slammed into the first Drake and latched onto its back with its forearm claws, raking down its side and ripping through its scaly hide. The Patriarch didn¡¯t give the smaller Drake the opportunity to recover, clamping its jaws around the back of the smaller Drake¡¯s neck and giving it a vicious twisting jerk.


    *


    [{Night Terror} has slain {Blighted Drake; 3} +3200 Exp]


    *


    The Patriarch viciously bit down on the fallen Drake¡¯s neck again in order to secure a better grip before partially opening its jaws and biting down again and jerking its neck to saw through the fallen Drake¡¯s throat.


    A crossbow bolt ricocheted off my helmet, drawing my attention to the Thralls still mounted on the Patriarch¡¯s saddle.


    ¡°Kill them,¡± I growled angrily and began looking for my lost maces, doing my best to try and suppress my ever-growing hunger.


    The Patriarch snarled and wasted no time in following my order, bucking and shaking to and fro in an attempt to dislodge the Thralls mounted on its back.


    *


    The first Thrall to fall was immediately silenced as the Patriarch stomped him deep into the bog. The next Thrall was less fortunate, losing both his legs as the Patriarch caught him in the air and shook him hard enough to shear through his thighs.


    Frustrated by the hunks of iron eluding my best efforts to locate them, I ripped the pouch off my belt and shoved it in my mouth, no longer able to restrain myself. I tore through the leather-like it was jerky, swallowing the pouch, container and all.


    Like a drop of water on a sunbaked sidewalk, the pouch of emergency food accomplished very little. I was already five mouthfuls through gorging on the exposed flesh of the dead Drake¡¯s neck. Part of me was revolted by the reality of what I was doing, but a much larger and far more aggressive part of me refused to surrender control.


    Gradually, the aching and formerly bottomless hunger ebbed away, leaving only a lingering dull pain in my head and a vague recollection of what I had just done.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± A white-faced Sergeant asked, standing a short distance beyond my reach. Realising he had my attention, the Sergeant made a visible effort to avoid flinching and barely succeeded. ¡°Majesty, you need to be taken to safety. Undead are closing in on our position-¡± He stiffened as the Patriarch hissed threateningly at a trio of soldiers that had drawn too close.


    Most likely having intended to put down the crippled Drake, the Blighted Patriarch appeared to be having none of it.


    In direct contrast to the other Drake it had killed, the Patriarch seemed to be incredibly protective of its crippled kin, resting beside the Drake and settled on its haunches.


    For its part, the crippled Drake made no signs of aggression towards the patriarch, mewling weakly and shakily attempting to shift itself onto its belly.


    ¡°Majesty-¡± The Sergeant repeated earnestly, but I ignored him.


    ¡°Bring over the enemy dead,¡± I growled hoarsely, my throat itching uncomfortably from the foul-tasting blood drying inside of it. ¡°And find my weapons!¡± The fact that I had lost them irked me for reasons I initially didn¡¯t realise until I remembered who had given them to me in the first place and what they signified.


    The Patriarch reacted to my approach just as it had done with the soldiers.


    ¡°Restrain it,¡± I commanded, pointing to the crippled Drake¡¯s neck.


    The Patriarch bared its teeth menacingly and I felt it attempting to resist the command. Visibly shuddering, the Patriarch pressed its forearms down on the crippled Drake¡¯s back and settled its jaws around the Drake¡¯s neck.


    The crippled Drake attempted to struggle but grew still as the Patriarch, with visible reluctance and fury, tightened its grip on the smaller Drake¡¯s neck.


    Satisfied that the Drake would be unable to move without risking breaking its neck, I warily approached the chain collar hanging at the base of its neck. Noting the twitching of its foreclaws and feeling a pang of pain in my side, I clenched my jaw and pressed forward.


    Rotating the chain, I found the manastone crudely yet securely set into a chunk of solid steel. Clenching my jaw in anticipation of the pain, I pressed my thumb hard against the sealed but far from healed wound inflicted by the first Drake. With my thumb now wet with my own blood, I smeared it over the mana stone and stepped back.


    [You have Enslaved {Blighted Drake}]


    ¡°Release,¡± I commanded, my lips curling into a snarl as I felt the Drake attempt to break free of my control.


    The Patriarch removed its jaws from around the smaller Drake¡¯s neck and settled back into its previous resting-state settling on its haunches.


    ¡°I NEED SOMETHING FOR A LEG SPLINT!¡± I ordered while moving around the Drake¡¯s forelimbs and approaching its legs.


    Vaguely aware of soldiers shouting in the general vicinity, I assumed they were following my orders and instead focused on the Drake¡¯s broken leg. The Drake¡¯s shin was poking through its hide, making it clear that its shin or reptilian equivalent was truly broken. If it was Earth, then the Drake would be put down, the wound deemed unrecoverable.


    However, this was not Earth, and a number of means existed that could restore the Drake to fighting form depending on the effort. It would cause the Drake no small measure of pain, but the throbbing pain in my side was making it difficult to be empathetic. Fortunately for the Drake, that would make setting the bone that much easier as I focused on the treatment rather than catering to its pain.


    A pair of soldiers had already assembled a small pile of Thrall corpses nearby, and having presumably guessed my intentions, were in the process of stripping their armour.


    ¡°Feed them to the Drake!¡± I ordered, ¡°Just don¡¯t get too close!¡±


    The soldiers nodded to show they had heard me and took hold of a dead Thrall, one of them taking the arms, and the other taking the legs. Following my order, the soldiers swung the Thrall back and forth to build enough momentum before tossing it a few feet from the Drake¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I commanded the Drake, earning a pained snarl in response as the Drake huffed and settled its head back onto the ground. I was the reason it was in pain, and despite initially feeling vindictive for the actions of its kin, that anger had already begun converting to guilt.


    Removing the waterskin and the pouch containing willow bark from my belt, I stuffed all the remaining bark into the waterskin, recapped it and then wrung the bejesus out of it , ripping the seams and popping the cap in the process. ¡°Eat,¡± I commanded, stuffing the waterskin into the Thrall¡¯s belt before stepping away.


    *


    The Drake didn¡¯t hesitate for even a millisecond, lunging forward and snapping up the Thrall¡¯s corpse, flipping it around in its mouth as it crushed and severed the body into more manageable and easily digestible pieces.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how much the willow bark would help, but it quieted my conscience to the point that I was able to ignore it again. ¡°WHERE ARE MY SPLINTS?!¡± I called out irritably.


    ¡°On my way Highness! Urg! Back!¡± A woman''s voice called back somewhat distractedly, prompting me to take a few moments to pay more attention to our surroundings.


    We were under attack.


    Zombies, Skeletons and Crypt Stalkers were being held at bay by small teams of soldiers while other soldiers were busy searching through the bog and retrieving Thrall corpses.


    One of the female soldiers was jogging in my direction, dodging past the slower moving undead while carrying a bundle of spears under one arm and a large coil of thick rope over the other. ¡°Majesty! Huff huff. Your, splint,¡± she shrugged off the rope and laid down the spears.


    Taking six spearshafts in one hand, I snapped the shafts to roughly the correct length. I repeated the process with the other half. Taking up the whole bundle of broken shafts, I motioned to the rope and then jerked my head towards the Drake¡¯s hind limbs, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    To her credit, the soldier didn¡¯t baulk at the command, taking up the rope and following me without complaint.


    ¡°We are not going to have much time,¡± I explained brusquely while setting down the spear shafts within easy reach, ¡°I don¡¯t have the mana for what is needed, so this needs to be done quickly. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The soldier replied immediately, ¡°I mean, yes Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Before I set the bone, we will need ropes tied and ready for splints to keep it set in place, so get to it,¡± I ordered, taking her shortsword and using it to cut the rope into the necessary lengths so she could handle the knots. ¡°Stay still!¡± I commanded the Drake somewhat absently, not wanting to take the chance that it would suddenly lash out and disembowel the soldier helping provide it aid.


    An angry hiss from the Drake made it clear that I had made the right choice.


    The sounds of combat had intensified, joined now by the whooping shrieks of Goblins and the snarls of a large feline.


    ¡°You are forbidden to deliberately harm allies,¡± I commanded, almost immediately feeling pushback in my mind from the pair of Drakes.


    My assistant began gingerly looping and loosely preparing ropes down the length of the Drake¡¯s shin, taking a moment to test the cinching knot before moving on to the next.


    ¡°Slot some of the shafts into the slack,¡± I ordered while doing the same, ¡°And once I set the bone, add the rest and pull the ropes tight.¡±


    The soldier nodded and obediently set to work.


    *


    The Drake bellowed in pain as I realigned and set the bone as best I could manage, pushing one side with my knees while pulling back the other with both arms, ¡°NOW!¡± I ordered, struggling against the now thrashing Drake and its spasming muscles.


    Again, to her credit, the soldier did as she was ordered, or as best she could, slotting in the shafts as best she could before cinching the ropes tight, ¡°That¡¯s all of them!¡± She called out, prudently stepping back but remaining close enough to assist further if needed.


    Doing my best to hold the Drake¡¯s leg still while gathering my mana, I pushed through the waves of weakness and willed my battered mind to focus.


    *


    ¡°You have need of-OH!¡± Wraithe squeaked in surprise, leaping backwards and baring her sharp rodent teeth.


    ¡°Heal it!¡± I ordered somewhat breathlessly, ¡°I know you don¡¯t have enough mana, just do what you can!¡±


    Wraithe scurried forward and placed her long spindly fingers against the Drake¡¯s scaly hide. There was a brief golden flash and then Wraithe disappeared.


    The Drake stopped resisting, so I let it go. Its toes and foot were still twitching, and the Drake was breathing hard, making it clear that it was in an immense amount of pain.


    ¡°Keep an eye on the splint, let me know if the bone shows signs of slipping,¡± I ordered my assistant while moving to bring more food supplies for the Drake.


    Far from being the soldiers'' fault, they had run out of Thralls to feed the Drake and were doing their best to butcher the dead Drake for large chunks of meat.


    ¡°Bring it closer!¡± I ordered the patriarch, ¡°Bring it here!¡± I pointed in front of the smaller Drake.


    The Blighted Drake Patriarch gave me a calculating look accompanied by a fresh test against my control. Slowly rising to a standing position, the Patriarch gave me one final glare before moving towards the body of the dead Drake.


    The fighting had intensified and the rough circle of screening forces were retreating and tightening that formation every few seconds. It wasn¡¯t because the undead were particularly dangerous. It was because the badly wounded soldiers in the centre were being deliberately targeted by the more intelligent amongst the undead, or the lucky fodder that managed to slip through the cracks.


    The Patriarch unceremoniously deposited the carcass of its dead kin as commanded and then hunkered back down onto its haunches.


    The injured Drake needed time before its leg would be able to support its immense weight. With no real basis for how effective my Iron Gut Ability assisted in healing broken bones, I was far more inclined to air on the side of caution. Or at least I would have liked to. It was becoming increasingly apparent that time was becoming a difficult commodity to come by. Besides the wild undead, there was an increasing risk of the Vampyrs or Thralls joining the attack in order to take advantage of our compromised state.


    Then again, there was a workable solution literally glaring me in the face. ¡°Hunt the undead,¡± I commanded, ¡°thin their numbers so they pose less of a threat,¡± I looked pointedly at the injured Drake before returning the Drake¡¯s gaze.


    As I expected, the Patriarch tested me again, although it wasn¡¯t nearly to the same degree as it had done previously. Rising to its feet the Patriarch slowly made its way towards the defensive encirclement and then stepped over it. Initially seeming to disobey my command the Patriarch continued into the fog for a full forty feet before very suddenly erupting into a maelstrom of violence.


    Ripping, tearing, biting, stomping and dashing apart anything that came into reach. I couldn''t be sure, but it looked like it managed to blast a skeleton to pieces just by bellowing at it point blank.


    ¡°Majesty! Your weapons!¡± A soldier was standing close by and was struggling to support both maces by curling his arms and holding them to his chest. He seemed profoundly relieved when I retrieved them.


    Giving the soldier a nod in thanks, I began walking towards the defensive line. I was low on mana, and the wound in my side was still healing, but we needed more time.


    Stepping out and into danger, I felt a sudden thrill at the prospect of letting loose, retribution for the pain radiating from the wound on my left side.


    Time quickly lost meaning as the shambling corpses appearing from the fog quickly came to demand almost all of my attention. Even so, the violence was dissatisfying. Incapable of feeling pain, the undead continued throwing themselves into harm''s way with impunity. Similarly, with the exception of the left upper side of my abdomen, I had no fear of receiving an injury in turn.


    Five times a pack of Crypt Stalkers attempted to ambush and overrun my meandering defensive position, drawn by the scent of blood. Each time, I dashed the boldest amongst them into rotting pieces, scattering their pack back into the fog.


    I continued until the hunger became too strong to ignore. Clutching at my side, I staggered back to the defensive encirclement, which was barely larger than a few feet around the injured Drake¡¯s extremities and the mutilated corpse of its fallen kin.


    Ignoring the soldiers, I beelined straight for the Drake¡¯s head and gave it a good thump to get its attention away from the spilled innards of the dead Drake.


    Of course, this earned an aggravated snarl from the Drake and a blood speckled snort.


    ¡°Stand,¡± I commanded firmly, anticipating the challenge and immediately crushing it.


    The Drake flinched, lowering its eyes submissively and snorting in pain as it began attempting to rise to its feet. Unlike the Patriarch, the Blighted Drake was attempting to distribute its weight with its forelimbs, baring its teeth or hissing in pain each time it attempted to place more weight on its damaged leg.


    I decided that it would have to do. ¡°FALL BACK TO THE TOWER!¡± I ordered, bellowing as loudly as I could manage in order to make sure everyone heard me and that no one would be left behind.


    ¡°You!¡± I pointed to the female soldier who had served as my assistant, ¡°Take the reins and lead the Drake back to the trenches!¡±


    The soldier nodded and hurried over to grab ahold of the dangling chain that served as the Drake¡¯s reins.


    Moving to the Drake¡¯s side, I began snapping the thick studded leather straps holding the saddle in place on its back. Not especially heavy compared to the Drake¡¯s body weight, every little bit would help the Drake move that much faster and see them all back at the Tower that much sooner.


    ¡°Return!¡± I commanded, directing my thoughts towards the Patriarch that was still running amok out in the fog.


    The Patriarch issued a trumpeting roar of displeasure in response but did not challenge the command or delay its return.


    The retreat back towards the tower was slow. With so many wounded to protect, and the undead arriving in ever greater numbers, it was made easier once the fog was left behind. However, it still took another ten minutes to reach the intangible barrier that would keep the wld undead from following any further.


    After passing through the barrier, progress slowed even further as the need to push the ambulatory wounded was no longer a priority.


    With no place to keep the Drakes out of harm''s way, my assistant and I led the Drake around to the north side of the tower, removing them from the most direct route of approach to the central fortress. It was the best that could be managed for the time being.


    Or so I thought.


    When it became obvious that I intended for the pair of Drakes to be left in that location, the Blighted Drake Patriarch eyed the immediate surroundings and then got to work. Supporting itself with its smaller forelimbs, the Patriarch dislodged huge mounds of dirt, moss and tangled roots with powerful strokes of its hind claws.


    After creating a large recessed space roughly half as deep as it was tall, the Patriarch stepped out of the ditch and then began shouldering the wounded Drake inside. In spite of pained snarls and angry hissing from the smaller Drake, the Patriarch didn¡¯t stop until its wounded kin was safely inside. Instead of making another hole, the Patriarch just settled back on its haunches and stared at me with barely contained rage.


    Clear of the fog and no longer distracted by hordes of ravenous undead, I could now see the crude hooks anchored into its scales and flesh that connected to the chains and saddle still mounted on its back. Eyes now opened to the Patriarch¡¯s foul treatment at the hands of its former masters, I couldn¡¯t blame it for hating me in anticipation of more abuse.


    I hadn¡¯t exactly given it any reason to expect otherwise either...


    *****


    Nila set aside her helmet on a nearby crate and used water from a barrel to wash some of the sweat and grime from her face. She knew that she was just going to get dirty again in under a few minutes, but the ritual gave her some small measure of comfort and reassurance. Something Nila knew she was certainly going to need considering her latest assignment.


    Nila could feel the giant scaled beast¡¯s eyes on her, watching her, always watching.


    His Majesty, with some minor assistance from herself, had spent the better part of two hours carefully removing hooks, barbs, and ingrown scales from each of the respective Drakes¡¯ hides. Even before they started, the Drakes were littered with angry infected wounds.


    Despite the immense danger, his Majesty didn¡¯t falter, fearlessly and methodically treating each injury with what medical supplies could be spared from the original reserve.


    To say Nila was in awe would be an understatement. She had witnessed experienced grooms baulk at treating the Silver Forks used by the Scouts and cavalry, and they couldn¡¯t hurt you unless you were stupid enough to approach them from behind or stood within reach of their antlers. Both of which were usually offset by the stables equipment.


    It worried her that his Majesty had left the smaller of the two Drakes in her prolonged care. Although not nearly as aggressive as the larger Drake, the smaller Drake was in obvious pain and its recovery was slow. There was only so much food it could eat before risking tearing open its stomach, which meant the Synergy would take longer to see the scaly beast to full health.


    While some of the other soldiers were uncomfortable with the prospect of potentially fighting alongside the Drakes, Nila was more inclined to wait and see. It was clear that his majesty had both Drakes firmly under control, which had truly been put to the test when the Drakes were being treated earlier.


    Returning to her previous task, Nila stoked her personal campfire and diligently stirred the cauldron hanging above it. Wrinkling her nose at the smell, Nila emptied another pouch of bark strips into the cauldron and gave it a vigorous stir. It was the second batch of medicine she was ordered to administer to the Drakes.


    After stirring for around ten minutes, Nila donned a pair of thick leather gloves and lifted the cauldron off the fire. Setting it on the ground, she took a few moments to prepare herself for the prolonged carry and then set about doing just that.


    A makeshift water trough had been put together by one of the engineers and although ugly to look at, it served its purpose well enough. Setting down the cauldron out of reach of the smaller Drake, Nila retrieved a barrel from the supplies stored nearby and rolled it over to the trough.


    Thoroughly glad that the engineer had the presence of mind to recess the trough in the ground, Nila used a pry bar to remove the lid of the barrel and emptied it into the trough. She repeated this routine with another four barrels, making sure to set them aside for collection before tipping the contents of the cauldron into the trough.


    The entire time she was doing this, Nila was keenly aware of the interest and attention the Drakes were directing toward her. She knew that it was likely just basic instinct that associated her actions with the pain relief they had experienced with the first batch, but their delay in consuming the medicinal brew left Nila feeling uncertain.


    ¡°Go on, drink up,¡± she insisted, motioning to the trough and then carefully backing away with the cauldron, making sure to well and truly out of striking distance before turning her back on them. Even if the Drakes were ¡®tamed¡¯ it was just common sense not to so readily turn your back on an injured beast.


    With nothing else to do right at the moment, Nila loosened the straps on her breastplate and took a seat on top of one of the crates. Picking up a stray strip of jerky, Nila nibbled on it while observing the Drakes.


    Similar to birds, the Drakes dipped their heads into the water so water could pool into their lower jaw and then they lifted their neck while tilting back their head in order to swallow. It was interesting to watch in a bizarre sort of way.


    Looking past their obvious signs of neglect and abuse, their sword-like teeth, scythe-like claws and generally irritable disposition, Nila was actually somewhat surprised that she found the Drakes beautiful, in their own way. Dangerous? Certainly, but beautiful all the same.


    The Drake¡¯s healthier scales were a mottled grey with a variety of darker grey or black speckles. It made their vibrant eyes stand out all the more prominently, heightening the intensity of their gaze and amplifying the sense of danger.


    They were built like a cross between a large feline, some sort of bird and a ferocious reptile. The Drakes seemed to prefer walking on just their hind legs, but their bodies were balanced so far forward that their forelimbs nearly touched the ground. To her eyes, Nila could only assume that the Drake¡¯s long, thick and pointed tail was responsible for keeping the long-necked beasts balanced.


    It was still the Drake¡¯s eyes that Nila liked most. Although they were not particularly large for the Drake¡¯s size, Nila still found them incredibly expressive. It was impressive that they could communicate so much depth of emotion.


    Once the Drakes had drunk their fill, Nila began setting up her new tent, making the best use of the lumber left behind by the engineer to make a floor that would resist the mud. She found it humorous that it had taken a work detail caring for two giant murderous reptiles to secure a private tent. To add insult to injury, it was larger than the majority of officer tents as well.


    Granted, it was intended to store at least some of the crates and barrels of supplies, but Nila was an efficient packer and figured she could probably keep as much as half the tent space to herself. More than enough to put together a proper cot to sleep on and still have room left over for her personal effects.


    Unable to keep a smile off her face, Nila lit a lantern to better illuminate her surroundings and then began hammering in stakes.


    It was well and truly dark by the time Nila finished raising her tent, so she was more than ready to strip her armour and get some sleep.


    Waking up and feeling stiff and sore in all the wrong places, the power of ingrained routine saw Nila dressed and presentable in under a few minutes. Bracing against the chill, she decided that lighting the campfire to prepare the Drakes¡¯ medicine would be a perfectly serviceable excuse to ensure a warm meal for herself at the same time.


    With the cauldron boiling and field ration stew simmering in a small pot, Nila decided that the attention she was receiving from the Drakes was most likely more than idle curiosity. Dragging one of the crates out of her tent, Nila was certain she saw a look of recognition in the larger Drake¡¯s eyes. Hardly blaming him, Nila lamented the fact that she was implicitly expected not to share the Drake¡¯s food.


    It was by far the worst part of her new work detail. To be so close to such well seasoned and delicious food, yet not to be allowed any of it. Worse still, Nila had to throw the contents of the barrel to the Drakes because they were too large to eat it off the ground without consuming a considerable part of the ground as well.


    Prying open the barrel, Nila tried not to breathe through her nose in order to lessen the effects of the torture. She failed almost immediately.


    Lifting the lid of the barrel revealed dozens of boiled Vrabbits soaking in brine. After eating heavily salted field rations for the better part of the past few months, the brined boiled Vrabbits could almost be considered downright civilian faire. So it was with a heavy heart that Nila began tossing them to the Drakes.


    Nila petulantly watched on as four barrels of prime meat disappeared down their gullets, hating the fact that it had all been delivered by her own hand.


    However, after settling down to her own breakfast, Nila remembered that someone like herself could just as easily suit the Drake¡¯s palate. So she decided that it wasn¡¯t perhaps the worst idea to get them used to a higher quality range of food that didn¡¯t include Humans. Accidentally making eye contact with the larger Drake while quickly eating her own breakfast, Nila could have sworn she saw its tongue lick its lips.


    It bothered her enough that Nila marched right off to the quartermaster and requested another half dozen barrels of edible meat be delivered as soon as possible.


    However, upon returning to the Drakes¡¯ holding area, Nila was surprised to find that his Majesty was tending to the larger Drake¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Your name is Nila? Yes?¡± His majesty asked, projecting his voice while rubbing a thick ointment into one of the larger Drake¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Y-Yes! Majesty!¡± Nila stammered, caught more than a little off balance by the special attention.


    ¡°Your superiors speak highly of you,¡± he commented, briefly staring down the Drake in response to an angry hiss before moving on to another wound. ¡°I am told you have some experience with riding as part of your application for promotion to serving in the Asrusian cavalry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Majesty,¡± Nila answered nervously while trying to determine if whoever had volunteered the information was doing her a favour or setting her up for disaster. She had plenty of experience being thrown from the saddle during mounted combat training, but little else besides.


    ¡°Good,¡± his Majesty stated and then moved on from the large Drake to check on the smaller one, ¡°Consider this your promotion.¡±


    ¡°P-Promotion?¡± Nila stammered incredulously.


    His Majesty nodded and then focused his attention on the Drake¡¯s splints. Applying pressure to the area, he nodded in satisfaction and then began tearing free the ropes binding the splint in place. ¡°He still shouldn¡¯t walk, but the splint is pretty much useless now.¡±


    *


    Nila nearly jumped out of her skin as the impossibly tall Rat-Kin from the night suddenly appeared beside his Majesty.


    ¡°I know, not enough mana. Just do your best *******¡± His Majesty ordered, the tail-end of his words distorting incomprehensibly.


    The Rat-kin nodded and laid its long spindly fingers on the Drake¡¯s injured leg. Then it disappeared, leaving only a faint golden glow on the Drake¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Such an edgelord name,¡± his Majesty muttered with disgust before turning to Nila, ¡°What would you call him?¡± He gingerly patted the Drake¡¯s flank.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Nila wasn¡¯t sure what to say. She looked the Drake over for a distinguishing feature but quickly realised the flaw in her methodology. Any distinguishing feature the Drake had would either be shared by every one of its kind, or would reference the signs of its abuse. Knowing she was expected to give an answer and was running out of time Nila wracked her brain to try and think of a name. ¡°Cooper?¡± she blurted out anxiously, realising too late what she had said.


    ¡°Cooper?¡± His Majesty asked curiously and then shrugged, ¡°Better than Dawn Slayer...Oh, because of the barrels,¡± he observed, nodding towards the empty Barrels awaiting collection.


    Nila wished she had taken the time to don her helmet, cold morning be damned. ¡°Uhm, yes, Majesty,¡± she admitted with embarrassment.


    His majesty shrugged, ¡°As I said, Cooper is an improvement...¡±


    The smaller Drake, or Cooper as his Majesty had now named him, snorted as if in agreement and let out a tired sounding huff.


    ¡°From today onwards, Cooper is your responsibility,¡± his Majesty declared matter of factly, ¡°Your new armour will arrive in the next couple of days, sooner if we take the central fortress. Congratulations, you are the first member of the Asrusian heavy cavalry.¡±


    Nila froze, ¡°Wait...What?¡±


    ¡°Riding lessons will start tomorrow,¡± His majesty informed her, apparently not having heard what she had said, ¡°Just as soon as I design a damned saddle that doesn¡¯t look like it belongs in a Vegas Lord of the Rings and BDSM expo...¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 39 – Command and Conquer – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 39 ¨C Command and Conquer ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 39 - Command and Conquer - Part Two


    The Colonel had called off the morning assault on the central fortress. I hadn¡¯t asked him to do so, but his original plan had required my attendance in order to guarantee both offensive and defensive synergies that would reduce friendly casualties. I had spent almost all of my mana rescuing the reinforcements and the relief force sent to escort them to the tower. The rest I had spent capturing the Drake¡¯s and summoning Wraithe.


    Without a reserve of mana, I would not be able to use any of my active Abilities and would be comparatively vulnerable. Summoning Wraithe earlier this morning, tapping out my mana again, had basically forced the Colonel¡¯s hand.


    Not that he appeared to mind. The Drake¡¯s Racial Abilities were incompatible with Humans, with a singular exception. Primal Rage. The Ability increased Strength proportionate to the amount of HP they were missing. It was the reason the Drakes had been kept in a perpetual state of agony.


    The Goblins and I were in a similar position to the Humans, gaining Primal Rage but no other Synergies. However, the Serpent-Kin¡¯ qualified for a second Synergy. Hardened Scales provided both a chance to deflect projectiles and reduce projectile damage taken.


    With Nila¡¯s help keeping an eye on the Drakes, it gave me the opportunity to settle down for another long rest to restore my mana. However, before settling down, I passed along instructions to the Colonel to in turn pass along orders to provide more substantial food reserves for the Drakes. Specifically, Swamp Lurkers or Spiked Lizards. Their size would make feeding far less tedious, and their tier of evolution would make Healing far more effective.


    It was past midday when I woke up. Descending the hill, I could see that the Thralls had attempted another push in an attempt to breach the outermost earthworks. Unfortunately for the Thralls, every passing hour, and each new offensive, provided the engineers with more time and materials to further fortify the army¡¯s position.


    Most of the engineers¡¯ materials were acquired indirectly, breaking down empty crates acquired through the ongoing Quest and point redemption system. This was in spite of the fact that raw building materials were also available on the point redemption list. The Colonel or one of his Captains must have had enough of their thrift because a large wooden fortification was being built at the base of the hill and a pair of large wooden towers were being built near the outermost trenches.


    There wasn¡¯t really anything the Thralls could do to stop them either. Not attacking would slow construction by denying redemption points, but the soldiers could acquire those through killing the wild undead too. With so many wild undead drawn to the general area in their desire to feast on the living or otherwise snuff them out, there would never not be a ready supply close to hand.


    Of course, this was only possible due to the efforts of logistics and a robust labour force making those materials available.


    Checking in on the Drakes, I found Nila in the process of sweeping the smaller Drake¡¯s back with a thatch broom. Just judging by the amount of debris I could see being dislodged from Cooper¡¯s scales, it was obviously a worthwhile use of her time.


    Approaching the Patriarch earned a rumbling growl and angry glare, which I summarily ignored, earning a probing challenge, which I ruthlessly crushed. Pretending as if nothing had happened, I inspected each of the Drake¡¯s wounds for signs of fresh infection. Although dissatisfied with the slow rate of recovery, I was pleased to find that the existing infections were on the way out.


    Making use of the supplies already located in the nearby pit where Nila had made her camp, I spent the better part of an hour brewing and mixing a salve that would continue to assist in fighting off the infections and provide a measure of pain relief. It annoyed me somewhat that the Colonel hadn¡¯t brought any Surgeons.


    While the most common and prevalent injuries thus far could be healed through Synergy with my Iron Gut Ability, which was also provided through the Totem, a team of Surgeons would be incredibly useful for situations like the one I now found myself in.


    Blight, the pair of Drake¡¯s namesake, was a healing inhibitor. It appeared to make them carriers of a supernatural pathogen that interfered with the Healing of both themselves and those they injured. It explained why my side was still not fully healed in spite of gorging myself and engaging in protracted sessions of rest.


    Being so incredibly large, the Drakes would almost certainly draw the brunt of the heavy-hitting attacks the enemy could send their way, and Blight made that a real problem. It made them even more vulnerable to attrition and poor luck. Without a dedicated team of Surgeons to treat their wounds, the Drakes recuperation periods would be that much longer and resource-intensive.


    In just about any other environment, the expenditure of resources would be considered minimal. However, consuming rotting corpses when their ability to recover from disease and infection was already compromised, was asking for trouble.


    Applying the fresh salve earned a reluctant tolerance of my presence from the Patriarch as the reduction in pain allowed him to relax.


    Cooper was far more neutral from the beginning, seemingly content to watch me as I worked.


    With both Drakes freshly tended to, I began using a long length of rope to take measurements of the patriarch for a very basic saddle. The task was made more difficult because any anchoring ropes would need to avoid the raw exposed sections of the Drake¡¯s hide that were left by the Thrall¡¯s sadist saddle.


    After close to an hour of considering different options, I settled on a cargo net design to minimise the abrasive force that would be applied to any given area. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would do. The saddle itself was far tricker. Accommodating a regular human was more difficult than designing it to suit myself. The Drakes were simply too large.


    Repurposing the recumbent throne used by the Thralls seemed to be the only viable option. However, making sure the throne saddle wouldn¡¯t slip was going to require additional planning. The Thralls had made liberal use of meat hooks and barbed spikes anchored into the Drakes¡¯ flesh to hold their saddle secure. I was not going to do that.


    Putting the Goblins and Serpent-Kin to work making the necessary netting, I began breaking down the Drakes original saddles for materials and parts.


    While agitated by the arrival of the saddles, both Drakes calmed down as the saddles were slowly dismantled.


    Designing the new saddles, I leaned towards a platform design that would have the rider¡¯s seating area connected to the front of it. Smaller than the Thralls saddle, the platform would still allow a certain degree of customisation.


    Considered far more of a structure than a traditional saddle at this point, I decided to bring in the engineers to have them make improvements on the general concept. With plenty of materials to work with, the engineers set to work and promptly began drafting soldiers to provide the bulk of the labour under their direction.


    The final design turned into something similar to a wagon bed and drivers seat that would be braced on the Drakes back. The saddle designed for Cooper would allow enough space for up to three passengers of roughly Human size. The Patriarch¡¯s saddle would be able to accommodate almost three times as many due to the increased surface area. However, unless the Drakes were committed to remaining still, allies with ranged weapons would not have secure enough footing to reliably engage.


    Still, there was a certain utility all the same. The Drakes could carry supplies, deliver or retrieve soldiers from the thick of battle, and prominently display my banner. Spellcasters such as the Shamans or Summoners could hunker down safe from harm while using their Abilities in relative safety...


    At the very least, the wooden saddle would provide obstruction and shield some of the Drakes most heinous wounds.


    While the engineers worked, I finalised my decision for the Patriarch¡¯s name and then assessed his stats in more detail.


    I stood next to the patriarch¡¯s head, looking it straight in the eye. He was intelligent enough to understand speech, and perhaps more besides. ¡°In the Bleakfang, children were named for the ideal desired by their parents...¡±


    The Patriarch¡¯s glare changed to confusion.


    ¡°Ushu...¡± I felt a pang of regret, ¡°Ushu, was named for determination and resilience, quite prophetic given the events that brought us together...and later separated us...¡± I carefully regarded the Drake and could see that it was thinking over what I was saying, ¡°You need a new name, because I am not using the one the Thralls and Vampyrs gave you-¡±


    The Patriarch bared its teeth and growled in what seemed like his agreement.


    ¡°-So, I thought Ushu would be rather fitting,¡± I explained, ¡°I think it is rather obvious that you are resilient, and with how persistently you keep challenging me, you''re certainly determined.¡±


    The Patriarch huffed through his nostrils and rolled his eyes dismissively. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ushu it is,¡± I confirmed, taking the Drake¡¯s indifference as a sign of approval.


    [Ushu - Blighted Drake Patriarch Newt: 3 ] [HP: 41/56 ] [MP: 15/16 (+16) ]


    [Class: ???] [Exp: 0/0 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party]


    [Strength: 25* (30*) {+5} ]


    [Agility: 10 ]


    [Toughness: 28* ]


    [Intelligence: 7 ]


    [Willpower: 12* ]


    [Presence: 8* ]


    [(Racial Abilities.)]


    [(Racial Ability: Blight {Rank 5}): Decelerates {Healing}. Decelerates {Healing} of enemies exposed to attacks carrying {Blight}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Rigid Scales {Rank 5}): Increased Chance to {Deflect} {Projectiles}. {Toughness} reduces damage taken from {Projectiles}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Primal Rage {Rank 3}): Increases [Strength} proportionate to missing {HP}. {Willpower} increases the damage threshold before involuntarily gaining the {Berserk} Condition. {Willpower} decreases the mandatory minimum duration of the {Berserk} Condition.]


    [(Racial Ability: Pack Leader {Rank 3}): Inspire {Allies} of the same {Species} while within line of sight, Increasing {Coordination}. {Presence} increases the duration of the effect.]


    [(Racial Ability: Savage Nobility): A paragon of primal might and authority. {Strength} increases the effect of {Racial Abilities} and {Class Abilities} modified by {Presence} when targeting {Allies}, subordinates, and members of the same {Species}.]


    Ushu¡¯s stats were more or less what I had expected after having seen Cooper¡¯s. He had a higher Intelligence and Willpower as well as Toughness and Strength, but not so much that it was strange considering their difference in Evolution.


    It was Ushu¡¯s missing HP that gave me the most concern. With no clear idea of what the Berserk threshold was, or what exactly it would do, it was for the best to accelerate his recovery as much as possible.


    True to my word, Nila¡¯s riding lessons started in the early evening. Taking one of the engineers as a passenger, she took Ushu on a slow walk around the periphery of the tower¡¯s trench network. Intended as both an opportunity to familiarise herself with riding the Drakes and afford the engineers with potential insights into changes for the saddle design, Nila continued until the late evening.


    In part, this had been because of a minor oversight, providing a means of removing the saddle. So, while Nila walked Ushu in a slow circle, a team of soldiers busily dug and reinforced a deep narrow trench. The trench had a ballast crane that would allow the weight of the saddle to be taken by the crane, so once the toggles were removed, Ushu would be able to walk free of the saddle. The Saddle could then be moved to the side in readiness for its next deployment.


    It was a rather elegant solution given the time constraints involved, and I was glad to see it work with minimal fuss. However, it now meant that Nila¡¯s heavy cavalry would need an official support team in order to function. Vets, labourers, saddlemakers, just to name a few, it was a team she would not have access to until the central fortress was under our control.


    With this in mind, I informed the Colonel of my intention to test the enemy fortress in the morning, and if possible, claim it. The Colonel had provided only what felt like a token resistance to my demands before submitting and then presenting a battle plan for taking the fortress.


    The former Foothold had been expanded to two or three times its original size, making it a small town rather than a village. Assuming the majority of buildings were used as storage and barracks, the Colonel estimated the enemy''s numbers to be roughly three to five thousand strong.


    The probe would be one hundred and fifty soldiers at most initially. If a foothold could be secured inside of the fortress, more soldiers would be committed to taking the central fortress, otherwise the Captain in charge would be required to retreat.


    Under normal circumstances, the sheer difference in numbers would have made such a plan completely insane. Under ¡®normal¡¯ circumstances. However, the absence of Synergies amongst the enemy left them at a similar rate of stat progression to the Humans. Furthermore, the Asrusian soldiers would be benefiting from a host of Synergies that collectively afforded profound combat advantages, and lastly, we had an insurgent on the inside.


    All the same, the fighting would be fierce even after reinforcements arrived from the tower. This was why reinforcements would begin arriving en masse from Mournebrent city as well. Assuming a foothold in the fortress could be secured, guaranteeing a means of entry that wouldn¡¯t require expanding copious amounts of mana.


    Logically, this would mean capturing one of the gates, but they would be almost guaranteed to be under the careful watch of ballistae and ranks of crossbowmen.


    Breaching a section of the wall would reduce the number of prepared defences they would need to face initially, but if they couldn¡¯t hold it, it would quickly turn into a killing field.


    It was also assumed that a powerful Vampyr would be commander of the fortress, if not assigned as a key defender. There was every chance that there would be others as well.


    I tried to sleep but couldn¡¯t. I spent most of the night staring at the sky and vacantly wondering why the Labyrinths, or whoever made them, went through the trouble to fill the sky with stars. It seemed so...unnecessary. All the death, all the killing and suffering...But hey, there are pretty stars to look at,,,


    I spent the final couple of hours feeding and treating the Drakes in order to pass the time. As I had suspected, the Swamp Lurkers and Spiked Lizards made feeding the Drakes much easier. They basically fed themselves once they learned the knack for manoeuvring the bodies without cutting them into pieces prematurely.


    When Ushu was fitted into his modified saddle, he seemed to understand that we were not just going for a walk around the perimeter of the base.


    The Serpent-Kin¡¯ and Goblins made themselves at home in the semi-enclosed platform of the saddle. They no doubt intended to disperse the moment we entered the grounds of the fortress but having so many combatants available to swarm a section of the defences wasn¡¯t a bad idea.


    Despite her desire to protest, Nila was left behind to continue caring for Cooper. Officially transferring ownership over Cooper was as much a safety precaution as it was to prepare her for gaining a new mounted Class.


    With the intense resistance presented when I attempted to claim the tower, I could only assume that the central fortress would be just as bad, if not worse. Cooper¡¯s leg was still healing and he seemed to have bonded with Nila enough that I doubted he would attempt breaking free, if only in order to take advantage of free food while recuperating.


    Ushu was quite the opposite. I knew he would test me if I left him behind, and I couldn¡¯t risk it. At least bringing him to fight the Thralls would redirect his attention and aggression away from me and towards them. So long as I didn¡¯t attempt to bar him from his revenge, Ushu should be too distracted to take advantage of my overtaxed Willpower. Or so I assumed.


    The soldiers were divided into two groups and would make the approach some distance to either side of Ushu, predicting that he and I would attract the majority of the Thralls'' attention. They were probably right, which was why I was carrying a shield made from crude thick planks and banded with recycled iron and steel.


    Just as we were preparing to leave, the abbot and his militant priests silently fell into line a short distance behind Ushu. Approached twice by the Captain in charge, they refused to return to the tower and were reluctantly accepted.


    The journey over the bog was largely uneventful, the more intelligent undead kept their distance and the mindless were executed with minimal effort. For his part, Ushu ignored them all, crushing them underfoot or leaving them in his wake. The tortured Drake had caught the scent of his intended prey and nothing else mattered.


    *


    Still some distance from the fortress, a horn called out in warning. Most likely, Ushu had been spotted, his huge body disturbing the thickening fog in a way that was easy to spot from an elevated vantage point.


    The fog was beginning to clear as we drew closer to the fortress, providing a relatively unobstructed view of the walls and one of the gates. Almost eye level from my position on Ushu¡¯s back, the wall had to be close to twenty-five feet tall. The gate was much shorter, only about half the same height and made of wood rather than stone.


    ¡°We are taking the gate!¡± I called out and redirected Ushu to head in the right direction.


    Even from this distance, I could make out the raised towers along the wall that would hold massed crossbowmen or ballistae. They were far more concentrated by the gate than anywhere else I could currently see, which made sense. They were no doubt intended to whittle down the forces of anyone attempting to break their way in, buying time for more defenders to reinforce the gate from the other side and draw out the fighting into an even bloodier melee while the crossbowmen continued exacting their heavy toll.


    I was close enough to the fortress now that I could feel Marco¡¯s Slave Collar. Directing my attention to the gate, I impressed upon him the order to sabotage the defences as best he could manage to allow our entry within.


    Continuing towards the gate, a number of smaller horns had begun sounding throughout the grounds of the fortress. I had no real way of knowing what they were, so I largely ignored them. However, as we began our final approach to the gate, I felt the presence of an enemy slave quite suddenly enter my sphere of influence. Then another, and another, ten, twenty, thirty, a hundred, I couldn¡¯t keep track of them all...


    Able to feel out their general direction with my mind, I quickly found myself scanning the length of the fortress wall ahead of me. I couldn¡¯t believe it, it made no sense. If my Ability was correct, then close to a quarter of the nearby fortress wall was defended by Slaves.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± The Captain enquired somewhat restlessly, ¡°Are we to proceed?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Wait for my signal, and do not attack the defending forces without checking their allegiance first...¡± Gathering my mana, I began to latch onto one Slave after another, challenging their Master for control, amplifying the pain in my head with each additional contest.


    [You have Enslaved {Thrall}], [You have Enslaved {Thrall}], [You have Enslaved {Thrall}], [You have Enslaved {Thrall}], [You have Enslaved {Thrall}], [You have Enslaved {Thrall}], [You have Enslaved {Thrall}], [You have Enslaved {Thrall}].....


    It quickly became obvious that the Slaves I was stealing were not controlled by a powerful Slave Master, just weak Taskmasters. Realising this, I pushed harder, deliberately overwhelming the Taskmasters and either killing them in the process or leaving them vulnerable to the Slaves formerly under their control.


    ¡°NOW!¡± I roared, trying to drown out the pain in my head, ¡°TAKE THE GATE!¡±


    ¡°SHIELDS UP!¡± The Captain commanded, ¡°CHARGE!¡±


    Ushu began charging towards the gate almost immediately, opening his mouth and bellowing in rage.


    I very nearly lost myself in the tide of contested Enslavement, and I probably would have if it weren¡¯t for Pyrrhic Will melting the brains of my enemies in return.


    As Ushu entered the final stretch, the gate doors swung open and revealed an open path.


    The sounds of battle were already well underway and I could feel my new slaves beginning to push outward in an attempt to overrun other sections of the wall. Feeling vulnerable after expending so much mana, I ordered them all to retreat, to dig in and take a defensive position so the gate would be held against the inevitable counterattack.


    I had stolen control over a couple of hundred slaves, but the Fortress was defended by thousands of Thralls and their Vampyr Masters. Synergies were going to help, but we needed reinforcements.


    ¡°No attacking allies,¡± I reminded Ushu before jumping down off his back. After giving Shady, the Goblins and Serpent-Kin¡¯ an opportunity to disembark, I let Ushu loose under the condition that he would return if reduced to half his HP.


    With arrows raining down from the inner wall and castle within, I staggered to the relative shelter provided by one of the nearby buildings.


    So many kill notifications were streaming across my vision that I had no choice but to disable them just so I could see.


    ¡°PHALANX ATTEMPTING TO RETAKE THE GATE!¡± A deep throaty voice cried in warning, ¡°EAST SIDE!¡±


    There was a momentary lull in the battle as crossbowmen redirected their attention to the east. A few moments later, the ballistae joined in as well.


    Able to see the forty strong phalanx of spears and shields headed in my general direction, I watched with morbid fascination as hails of bolts broke their shields and turned them into pincushions. The ballistae only intensified the carnage, boring through shields and impaling the men that held them.


    Attacks from the inner defences were slowly taking their toll, driving the Slaves into more defensive but less effective firing positions of their own. It was very likely only due to Synergies that the crossbowmen had been able to attack so brazenly in the first place.


    Enemy Thralls were taking to the walls and forming shield walls to drive the crossbowmen back further. If it weren¡¯t for Ushu running amok elsewhere, the crossbowmen would almost certainly be in an even worse state than they were now.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± The Captain ran to my side with his shield raised to ward off stray bolts, ¡°What is happening? The enemy appears to be at war with itself!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s going on,¡± I replied with a grunt, kneading my temple as I fumbled for my pouch of willow bark.


    The captain seemed momentarily taken aback for a few moments before slowly nodding in understanding, ¡°I see,¡± he replied decisively, ¡°I will inform the Colonel and begin deploying our men to best effect!¡±


    I nodded and waved him off while stuffing strips of bark into my mouth.


    The Captain briskly walked out into the street, still making sure to keep his shield raised as he cupped his other hand around his mouth, ¡°RANGERS! DEPLOY THE TRAPS! INFANTRY! I WANT BLOCKADE AND I WANT IT YESTERDAY! ARCHERS! GET INTO COVER AND MAKE THOSE SONS OF BITCHES REGRET PEEKING OUT FROM THEIR WALLS!¡±


    Asrusian soldiers began to scatter, running this way and that. Long rough planks of timber began to appear as reserved points were exchanged for resources, and the infantry wasted no time in dragging out other materials from the nearby buildings to help subsidise their makeshift walls.


    With no immediate sign of the abbot or his priests, it was something of a surprise when a dozen Angels all bearing a striking resemblance to Ophelia flew up and over the outer wall and plunged into melee combat against the Thralls attempting to clear the wall of the Slaves. Enemies cut down by the Fallen Angels¡¯ blades had an amber light erupt from every orifice of their bodies.


    I was able to feel the transference of mana and was somewhat surprised by how brutally the Fallen Angels conducted their harvesting of raw mana. Still somewhat influenced by the pop culture and religiously historical portrayals of Earth, I kept expecting the Angels to be polar opposites of the Daemons. Except the more time I spent around them, the more similar they were revealed to be.


    The Pact Binders were wasting no efforts in ¡®power levelling¡¯, Ophelia and by proxy, Orphiel as head of the pantheon, a role similar to Grick¡¯s. Rather than risking their summons against stronger enemies, the Pact Binders had clearly given them commands to hunt the rank and file as a pack while the Pact Binders themselves remained hidden from sight, preparing to summon a fresh wave of Angels into the fray.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± The Captain raised his shield high and darted over from the cover of a nearby building, ¡°Reinforcements are passing through the Mournbrent City Portal as we speak! The Colonel is also leading a relief force to help hold the gate! Please remain in cover!¡± He snapped a quick salute and ran off towards another building.


    Taking control of the Thrall Slaves had taken almost three-quarters of my mana, so I was not in a rush to do anything reckless when the soldiers still seemed to have things in hand. Then again, if the commander of the fortress decided to come out of hiding, I wasn¡¯t going to back down from a fight either.


    Expending my own accrued points to redeem an Evolution Elixir, I gulped it down and felt a little more like myself again as fresh mana began circulating through my body. Similarly, the willow bark was slowly pushing back my migraine and allowing me to perceive events with a clearer head.


    Despite the fighting having only lasted no more than ten minutes so far, an uneasy stalemate appeared to have taken hold of the battlefield. With the exception of the summoned Angels and Ushu rampaging somewhere in the outer wall, no one was pushing to attack the other side, seemingly content with exchanging bolts, arrows, javelins, and a plethora of creative curses at a distance.


    This was to our advantage, given that we were waiting for reinforcements. Which made it strange that the enemy would be so willing to behave so defensively. Granted, the Thralls commanders had made a number of tactical blunders before now, but with their control over the first floor in direct jeopardy, it didn¡¯t make sense that they would choose now as the time to abandon their Russian-esque rushes against defensive positions. The Thralls had enough men that they could at the very least contest control over the gate, and that was ignoring the Vampyrs amongst their number that could wreak all sorts of havoc with only minimal risks of personal injury.


    Deeply concerned, I willed Marco to find out what was going on and then report to me with what he could uncover.


    I felt an external challenge for control over Ushu. However, the challenge was aborted shortly afterwards, accomplishing little more than momentarily redirecting my attention towards a section of the outer fortress I couldn¡¯t see. It happened again shortly afterwards and just as quickly ended. Unsure of what was going on, the best I could assume was that Thralls or perhaps even a Vampyr was attempting to seize control of Ushu, only to be torn to pieces for their effort. Or perhaps cancelling the attempt when the pain was revealed to be more than they had bargained for.


    Reinforcements from the city arrived shortly afterwards, having apparently been transported just a short distance from the fortress¡¯s barrier and moved double-time in order to reinforce our position. It came as something of a surprise to the Lieutenant in charge that our position was not in fact on the brink of being overrun, and that, no he may not lead an assault against the enemy.


    The Lieutenant''s men were instead put to work establishing a large bonfire outside of the gate to serve as a beacon for other reinforcements.


    Still waiting on Marco, the Colonel and his relief force arrived next, requiring a minor offensive to take place in order to seize enough territory to shelter all the soldiers from opportunistic ranged attacks.


    The battle of attrition appeared to be firmly in our favour, but there was still no sign of the Vampyrs, only their Thralls.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± The Colonel snapped a salute as he stepped into the shelter of the building alongside me. ¡°By your leave I-¡± His voice caught in his throat as Marco suddenly appeared between us. Either not recognising the Vampyr, or recognising him and not trusting him, the Colonel¡¯s blade appeared against Marco¡¯s throat only a half-second later.


    Eyes wide in surprise, Marco pressed himself back into the wall of the building so hard that the rough planks groaned in protest. ¡°I-I have news!¡± Marco hissed defensively, baring his elongated and sharpened canines in the process.


    I waved the Colonel down and motioned for Marco to continue.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± Marco exclaimed emphatically, ¡°The commander is calling in reinforcements to surround the fortress and prevent your escape! You need to flee back to the tower! No...Back to the city!¡±


    ¡°How many men?¡± The Colonel demanded, seemingly unphased by the prospect of being surrounded and caught in a trap.


    ¡°Thousands! And not just infantry! The commander has been given permission to field Blood Wights and Fel Bats! You need to retreat!¡± Marco insisted for the second time.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± the Colonel sheathed his sword and fixed me with a stern but almost pleading expression, ¡°I know I have not done much to warrant your confidence in my abilities. However, I beg of you to heed my advice now...¡± He took a deep breath and briefly bowed his head before staring me determinedly in the eyes, ¡°We can hold this position! We can use the enemy¡¯s own trap to our advantage, crushing their commander and seizing the fortress in one decisive blow! Our informant claims that the commander intends to surround and destroy us! Moving that many men takes time! If your Majesty would activate one of your artefacts and begin the conquest of the fortress, the enemy commander¡¯s reinforcements will be cut off while the territory is disputed! And when we prevail, we will match their forces, man to man, until they are broken and forced to retreat!¡± An inner fire burned bright in the Colonel¡¯s eyes and I was aware that he had activated at least one of his inspirational Class Abilities, but he had a point.


    Grimacing against the pain, I looked up towards the near-transparent barrier and pushed.


    Cracks began spreading like spider webs across the surface of the barrier until it became too much and collapsed entirely.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: Locate and destroy the {Enemy} {Totem}. You must complete this task within 3d. {Success} will bind the territory to your will and unlock the next stage of the quest. {Failure} will result in your death. All {Teleportation} is disabled until the Quest is resolved. Good luck!]


    The black panel disappeared the moment I finished reading it and was replaced with another much smaller panel at the top of my peripheral vision.


    [ 2d : 23h : 59m ]


    Precisely what the Colonel wanted, he gave me a determined and grateful nod before donning his helmet and barking new orders to his soldiers.


    ¡°Marco, what is this fortress¡¯s Totem?¡± I asked while making sure to keep my voice even and steady.


    Somewhat shell shocked, Marco just stared blankly back at me until I introduced an element of command to the question. ¡°The commander¡¯s coffin...¡± He replied quietly, ¡°It¡¯s located deep in the bowels of the castle dungeons...Alongside his subordinates and the Guardian left by the Liche.¡±


    That was going to be inconvenient since I doubted the castle would be any more accommodating than the tower had been.


    ¡°See if you can stir some discontent amongst the ranks or something,¡± I told Marco, ¡°But make sure to keep your cover intact. This is just one battle of the many to come before the Liche is put down for good.¡±


    Marco nodded uncertainly and then disappeared in a burst of shadows.


    The Colonel was not messing about and already had two assault teams preparing to annex the rest of the outer wall territory. Controlling both gates would make receiving reinforcements easier, but it would also deny the same opportunity to the enemy. This was now doubly important since the wild undead were now able to approach the fortress with impunity.


    The change in tactics had unsurprisingly resulted in the abbot and his militant priests seeking shelter inside of the walls near the gate. However, they did not flee any further, instead, the summoned angels were redirected against the approaching undead. This had a twofold benefit, as Ophelia was seemingly without fear and could handily dispatch even the fastest Crypt Stalkers, and her luminous presence served as a secondary beacon for allied reinforcements.


    The abbot himself engaged in the fighting with a two-handed shining copper sword I was quite certain he had not originally possessed. Similar to the Angels, any undead cut down by the blade would briefly emit a rich amber light before falling truly lifeless to the ground.


    Curious, I concentrated on the weapon to bring up its information. Impeded by the distance, it took the better part of five minutes before the information appeared in front of me.


    [Holy Sword {Orphiel/Ophelia}: Deals additional damage against {Spirits} and {Undead}, and allows attacks against {Incorporeal} targets. {Spirits} and {Undead} slain by the blade are {Consecrated}. (Special Condition): The {Consecration} Class Ability allows a portion of the {Consecrated} mana to be retained by the wielder.]


    I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the abbot, ¡°That seems about right,¡± I muttered incredulously, but then I changed my mind as I remembered the abbot¡¯s former exploits against a Vampyr that had attacked the tower. Maybe this was for the best after all.


    I was drawn from my musings when Ushu returned and hunkered down in the street, making it that much more difficult for friendly soldiers to move around, but also providing a substantial amount of cover in the process. Able to see a couple of javelins protruding from his side, and a few dozen new cuts along his belly, I could tell Ushu was in pain, and not at all happy about obeying my conditional command to return.


    Leaving cover, I did my best to remove the Javelins without causing Ushu further harm, a difficult process given that the enemy javelins were barbed.


    Ordering the enemy fallen to be gathered and stripped so Ushu could recover some HP, I searched through the enemy supplies for some water and then began pulverising my remaining willow bark between a pair of rocks. Bruising and then shredding the bark to a veritable paste, I mixed it with a barrel of water and upended it into Ushu¡¯s gullet.


    Conditioned enough at this point to not complain over the bitter taste, Ushu almost seemed grateful as he began tearing up the road to better hide from the remaining active enemy ballistae atop the inner wall and castle.


    Reinforcements continued arriving in staggered waves, every one of them now having fought through a slowly tightening ring of wild undead closing in on the fortress. Eventually, the wild undead would be depleted, but because they were drawn from much farther distances than regular monsters, it would be unlikely that the undead would cease their ongoing attack until the late afternoon. This added a sense of urgency to those doing their best to not only provide support to their besieged comrades but to find shelter from the wild monster respawn at midnight.


    Despite the arrival of a half dozen Field Surgeons, I was determined to keep Ushu out of the fight for the time being. Content to have him slowly regain HP by consuming the corpses of Thralls while the Rangers continued their personal war of attrition burning down the enemy ballistae.


    For his part, Ushu seemed content to maul the enemy corpses, for the time being at least.


    *


    A horn call I was entirely unfamiliar with came from somewhere to the north, perhaps signalling the arrival of some of the enemy commander¡¯s reinforcements. The sudden redeployment of so many soldiers seemed to support that assumption.


    *


    The next horn call was interrupted by an explosion powerful enough to cause the ground to tremble.


    ¡°DAR SMASH YOU!!!¡± A familiar voice bellowed from somewhere to the north.


    *


    ¡°DAR EAT YOU!!!¡± The voice was unmistakable, but it took me a few moments to accept that the hulking Daemon was actually here.


    Ushu shifted uncomfortably, perhaps worried that he was no longer in fact the largest or more deadly predator in the vicinity. Which actually reminded me of something important.


    Snatching up one of the bloody barbed javelins I had removed from Ushu¡¯s hide, I began running towards the north side of the fortress. If Dar was really here, then a sample of Ushu¡¯s DNA could make him that much stronger.


    Rushing past surprised soldiers, I made good time in spite of the ground shaking every half dozen seconds.


    With the gate shut against whatever was outside, I opted for climbing the wall instead.


    A massive army was in a state of disarray as a green-scaled behemoth thrashed, smashed and crashed through its ranks with reckless abandon.


    Thrall crossbowmen and Asrusian Archers were firing at the enemy as quickly as they could manage, but it was clear that without Dar¡¯s interference, they would not have been able to slow let alone stem the tide of enemy soldiers approaching the gate.


    Even with all his success, Dar was visibly wounded, the broken shafts of javelins, spears and bolts could be seen scattered across his scaly hide.


    ¡°DAR!!!¡± I roared and pulled back my arm as I took a dozen steps back.


    For a moment, Dar¡¯s carnage came to a halt, a dozen reptilian eyes falling upon me before returning to track his most immediate threats.


    ¡°CATCH!!!¡± I ran along the wall and threw the barbed javelin with all my might.


    As the javelin arced towards Dar, I felt a cold rush of anxiety as Dar failed to move to intercept it. However, just as the javelin was about to impale itself in his back, Dar whipped his crocodilian tail, smacking the butt of the javelin and causing it to spin towards his waiting jaws.


    *


    Dar didn¡¯t stop moving. Using his accrued momentum, the hulking Daemon barrelled over a mess of Thralls that had drawn too close, crushing them to death through sheer bodyweight.


    A golden flash to my left momentarily blinded me in one eye, but as I turned to regard the source of the light, I realised that the soldier furtively glancing past the battlements, and who had just levelled up, was almost certainly the one responsible for bringing Dar to the battlefield.


    The soldier looked back at me with a hint of surprise before staggering and falling on his ass.


    More than familiar with mana exhaustion, I extended a private invitation of my own personal quest reward system to the struggling soldier. Dar was too important to the battle, if this soldier had to go into renal failure to keep Dar in the fight, it was a sacrifice he was going to need to make.


    *****


    Joshua tried to stand but immediately thought better of it.


    ¡°Try not to drink too much at once,¡± the towering form of his Majesty commanded, pushing a low tier Evolution Elixir into Joshua¡¯s trembling hands.


    Trying to protest, Joshua was struggling to find the right words.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t about you,¡± his Majesty reminded him coldly, ¡°It¡¯s about everyone else and how Dar is one of the only things standing between them and being overrun. So drink.¡±


    Joshua cursed himself for being selfish and gulped down a mouthful of the burning liquid before cradling the jar to his chest.


    Between the steady drain of mana supporting his summoned Daemon and the gradual replenishment provided by the Elixir, Joshua found himself in a limbo-like state of consciousness. Drifting between extreme focus and a waking stupor, Joshua continued to do as he commanded, drinking from the jar at fixed intervals while trying to stave off a mounting sense of dizziness.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t going to last,¡± his Majesty stated with concern, ¡°You! Go fetch me one of the priests! No! Fetch them all!¡± He commanded.


    Unable to fully understand what was going on, Joshua was vaguely aware that he spilled sick down his front and that his abdomen felt like someone had stuck him with a knife and was twisting the blade for good measure.


    It took him a while to realise, but instinctively Joshua understood he had arrived at the correct conclusion. He was dying.


    Although not particularly religious, Joshua appreciated his Majesty¡¯s efforts to provide him with last rites.


    Accepting a fresh jar of Elixir, Joshua took a long slow pull before settling back into the dizzying haze.


    He was an only child and hadn¡¯t quite gotten around to getting married despite coming up hard in his forties. Joshua had always thought there would be more time. The army was all he knew and Joshua just sort of figured things would be arranged for him. As embarrassed as he was to admit it, he distinctly remembered his drill instructor promising that the army would issue him with a wife if he needed one. It was only now that he was on death¡¯s door that Joshua allowed himself to accept the promise as a joke.


    He had done his best to live a good life. Obeyed the law, obeyed his superiors, volunteered for the worst details so his married friends could spend time with their families...


    Joshua took another long pull of Elixir. It felt like he was drinking fire, but he did as he was ordered, understanding that his sacrifice would save the lives of his comrades.


    Joshua was one of the first volunteers to become a Pact Binder, in the days before Asrus fully accepted his majesty¡¯s mantle of protection. Although initially exciting due to the unknown dangers, it had very quickly devolved into Joshua¡¯s life being dominated by slaying monsters for EXP and summoning the rat-like Daemon Wraithe to perform healing on his wounded comrades.


    Until today, Joshua had been oblivious to what the Daemons were truly capable of. In truth, he had attempted to summon a far weaker combat Daemon, but something had gone...awry. The Daemon Joshua had called for, was not the one that appeared. Presumably named Dar, Jushua had not even known a Daemon like that even existed. However, as troubling as that revelation had been, Joshua was profoundly thankful that the Daemon was at the very least nominally on their side.


    Unfortunately, the behemoth consumed more mana than Wraithe in a triage tent. As grizzly as it was to consider, the primary reason the Daemon had managed to last as long as it had before his Majesty¡¯s intervention was because the Daemon was consuming mana stones from the fallen. Lessening the immediate burden on Joshua himself, the majority of enemies were too weak to provide little more than a moment of reprieve.


    Just as Joshua was resigning himself to the darkness, he felt the pain suddenly lessen and the fog clouding his eyes recede.


    With the visage of a beautiful woman kneeling over him, Joshua felt tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. ¡°I-Is that heaven?¡± He asked tentatively.


    The woman gave Joshua a bemused look before pressing a fresh jar of Elixir into his hands, ¡°Drink,¡± she insisted, her eyes boring into his soul and filling him with hope.


    Joshua did as he was told, drinking deep while trying to show he was enjoying the woman¡¯s touch too much.


    *


    Joshua was literally shaken to his senses as the wall he was sitting upon shook violently, reminding Joshua of where he was and what he had been doing.


    The beautiful woman came into focus and revealed her inhuman nature through the six shimmering scythe-like wings of amber coloured mana protruding from her back. ¡°Drink,¡± she repeated insistently, a profound yet fleeting expression of empathy in her eyes.


    Joshua did as he was told, but this time he noticed the woman flinch ever so slightly in response.


    Not nearly as worse off as he had felt earlier, Joshua still felt pretty bad. However, looking into the yellowing eyes of the woman kneeling over him, he only now realised that whatever she was doing in order to prolong his life was taking a toll on her in turn.


    ¡°Drink,¡± her voice was sweet like honey and Joshua obeyed without resistance, earning a sad smile from her in return as she collapsed to the ground and faded away.


    Joshua nearly dropped the Elixir in shock but froze when he recognised the woman approaching from his right side, her face splattered with blood and eyes fiercely boring into his own.


    ¡°Drink...¡± She commanded, her tone making it clear that she would not tolerate disobedience.


    Joshua quailed under her scrutiny, choking down the Elixir as best he could manage while wondering if he was indeed truly dead and this was his eternal punishment...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 40 – Freedom is earned – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 40 ¨C Freedom is earned ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 40 - Freedom is earned - Part One


    Thanks to Dar¡¯s prolonged intervention, the enemy¡¯s offensive stalled and slowly turned into a rout.


    Through a combination of enemy troop movements and barrels of holy water being upended over the outer walls, the surrounding bog was quickly devolving into an outright swamp. The weaker wild undead dissolved into nothingness before managing a handful of futile swipes at the outer walls and gates.


    The undead amongst the enemy reinforcements had refrained from committing to an attack, instead mustering outside of the range of the siege engines while small squads of Thralls tested our control over the outer walls. Largely ignored by the wild undead still streaming towards the walls, the Thralls were nonetheless inevitably picked off by Archers whenever the former grew too cocky.


    All the while, our forces directed the majority of their attention inwards and towards the quest objective.


    With a full complement of Synergies and a platoon of Spearmen and Swordsmen as support, three Rangers captured and opened the gate of the inner wall and allowed a second major offensive to purge the battlements and seize control of the firing positions that had been harassing everyone moving about the lower walls.


    Heavily outnumbered, the Thralls on top of the castle walls were picked off in short order, leaving only a handful of fast-moving combatants to haunt the shadows atop the castle. Fast but incredibly inaccurate, the Vampyrs quickly became a subject of loud and joyously maintained mockery by the Archers and Rangers as they exchanged attacks from a distance.


    Suspecting that this mockery would almost certainly translate to Vampyrs waiting in ambush so they could settle the score, I decided to take a more proactive approach and began battering down the outer castle gate myself.


    Testing the iron-banded gate doors with a few practice swings of my mace, I was surprised to find that I was able to leave deep indentations in the wood and even cause it to splinter after a couple of strikes.


    *


    Suddenly wet and thoroughly confused, the stench of rancid meat was my only warning as a guttering torch fell in front of my eyes.


    *


    Staggering away from the gate in shock, I felt my skin begin to burn as I was enveloped in flames. Panicking, I dropped to the ground to try and rolled to try and smother the flames, but it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect. Driven by fear and desperation, I began clawing at myself with reckless abandon, only vaguely aware of heavy impacts landing against my arms, chest and legs.


    Continuing to roll, I lost track of time. Forced to experience each terrifying moment in excruciating detail as I felt burns growing more intense and my skin melting away.


    While trashing, I felt my right foot connect with something hard, when my foot kicked out in the same place again, I felt nothing.


    Prompted by a desperation fueled epiphany, I gathered mana into my hands and slapped them together as hard as I could manage.


    The rushing air stung my burns horribly and caused them to throb painfully in its absence, but I was relieved to find I felt no worsening of the burns themselves. Which was good, or incredibly bad.


    *


    Something hard impacted my right shin and left a fresh throbbing ache in its wake.


    Snarling in anger, I risked opening my eyes and grimaced at the sight of my burned sickly green flesh. Having lost less than a handful of HP, I felt ashamed of how I had been driven into a panic so easily.


    Shame quickly gave way to anger.


    Taking up my mace, I stomped back towards the gate doors, doing my best to ignore the concerned shouts of the Asrusian soldiers in the immediate vicinity and the falling rocks thrown by the Vampyrs up above.


    Gathering a full quarter of my mana into my mace, I changed my mind at close to the last moment and struck the wall instead.


    *


    A hail of broken stones erupted from the castle wall prompting a minor collapse in the surrounding area and the exposed large empty room on the other side.


    ¡°PURGE THE CASTLE!¡± I snarled bitterly, ¡°AND FLOOD THE DUNGEON WITH HOLY WATER!!¡±


    I was in no mood for a fair fight and was eager to repay the Vampyrs for my humiliation, it was only as an afterthought that I gave Marco permission to leave the castle.


    Stomping back down to the building I had claimed as my temporary home, I waved away the Surgeons that wanted to treat my burns. I had already healed half the damage inflicted by the burning oil, and after having spent so much mana I was in no mood for wasting more. Besides, the Surgeons¡¯ mana could be put to much better use healing the soldiers.


    Scrubbing myself to some semblance of cleanliness required boiling fresh clean water and making use of it while it was still at least warm enough to help dissolve the putrid animal fat still coating my skin. Splitting my time between eating and washing, I did my best to ignore the new darker patches of skin that took the place of the burns.


    My armour and Thick Hide Racial ability had prevented all but a handful of ultimately mild burns. Despite the initial pain, which had perhaps been exacerbated by bacteria in the rancid fat, the damage itself had been quite minimal.


    A crisp knock came from the ruined wall beside the canvas tarpaulin-covered hole that served as the door to my residence, ¡°Majesty?¡± Called the Colonel deferentially, ¡°There is a matter of importance I would like to discuss when it is convenient.¡±


    ¡°Come in,¡± I grunted. By no means ¡®decent¡¯ by Earth standards, my underwear and magical beaded loincloth had escaped my immolation and panic stripping undamaged and would have to do.


    One of the junior officers accompanying the Colonel lifted the tarpaulin so the Colonel could enter.


    Entering my abode, the Colonel took a moment to scan its near emptiness before wrinkling his face disapprovingly, ¡°Majesty, more suitable accommodations can be-¡±


    ¡°I am fine with what I have,¡± I interrupted, scowling as I continued sorting through my armour assessing the damage I had done to it.


    ¡°As you say Majesty,¡± the Colonel acquiesced, ¡°Majesty, how should the captured Thralls be handled in relation to the existing military hierarchy?¡±


    I honestly hadn¡¯t given any real thought to it. A part of me sort of hoped that everything involving the Thralls would just resolve itself. ¡°Do you have a proposal?¡± I asked stiffly.


    ¡°Several, Majesty,¡± the Colonel confirmed, ¡°Extensive observations have confirmed that the majority of Thrall combatants have been given at least basic combat training. Temporary integration of the Thralls as recruits in the existing hierarchy and promotion based on merit and ability would be the most optimal solution if the Thralls are to later integrate as free subjects of your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Subjects?...¡± Seizing control over the Thralls'' Enslavement had been convenient in the moment, and the atrocities of their masters had made it easy to justify using the Thralls to exact vengeance on their masters in turn. However, the reality of the Thralls'' pre-existing relationship with the Vampyrs had made putting them in harm''s way that much easier.


    It was fucked up and I knew it, there was no moral justification for what I was doing.


    ¡°Full integration and assimilation for those who earn it,¡± I agreed. A maelstrom of conflicting emotions threatened to dominate my thoughts, so I cut them off with a question of my own, ¡°Why were the Thralls wearing Slave Collars?¡±


    The Colonel nodded grimly in understanding, ¡°Your Majesty suspects a trap?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t but I motioned for him to continue.


    ¡°To the best of our understanding, Thralls are bound to the Vampyr that created them. When that Vampyr dies their Thralls are divided amongst the Vampyr¡¯s progeny. This process could repeat several times, but if there is no Vampyr to inherit them then the Thralls are released,¡± the Colonel explained before growing somewhat hesitant, ¡°We have interviewed a number of Thralls using your Majesty¡¯s authority to compel truthful answers and have learned that Thralls without a master are executed...¡± He shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Harvested-¡± The Colonel amended, ¡°-However without guaranteed reinforcements, the commander of the central fortress had the masterless Thralls enslaved with Slave Collars to avoid undesirable attrition in the short term.¡±


    ¡°So they were going to die anyway...¡± I observed dourly.


    ¡°That is our current understanding, Majesty,¡± the Colonel agreed.


    Rather than providing comfort, the Colonel¡¯s confirmation only made things more complicated. There was also still the issue of Ushu. Far more intelligent than I would have expected, it was still uncertain if Ushu was a Variant. Without a second Blighted Drake Patriarch for a comparison, I only had the minor differences with Cooper to support Ushu¡¯s assumed Variant status.


    To make matters more complicated, removing Ushu¡¯s Slave Collar wouldn¡¯t guarantee confirmation either. Already profoundly aggressive in response to his treatment at the hands of the Vampyrs, Variant or not, there was a very high chance Ushu would go on a rampage. However, his rage may actually be a sort of confirmation. From my limited observations, Cooper was far more docile under the influence of the collar, resembling the wild monsters the military reserved for use as cavalry, albeit with occasional flare-ups.


    ¡°Has there been progress in flooding the dungeon?¡± I asked, trying to focus on something more productive.


    The Colonel firmly nodded, ¡°Several weaker Vampyrs have been intercepted attempting to flee the dungeon. However, there are concerns that flooding the dungeon might render the coffin inaccessible. Are you certain we should continue, Majesty?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head distractedly, ¡°I trust your judgement.¡±


    The Colonel bowed and saw himself out.


    With the allotted time for seizing the fortress slowly passing by, I decided to be more proactive in gauging the Vampyr commander¡¯s capabilities.


    Ascending the hill and questioning some of the soldiers about the location of the dungeon, I began gathering almost all of my remaining mana together.


    *


    Appearing on bent knee, Ophelia¡¯s most recent minor Evolutions were more prominent. Exposed slits in the back of her copper breastplate allowed her six opaque scythe-like wings freedom of movement. Similarly, Ophelia¡¯s copper spiked crown exposed an almost completely translucent halo beginning to form around the crown of her head.


    Deciding to keep it brief due to mana constraints, I pointed to the castle beside us. ¡°The Vampyr commander has a coffin located in the dungeon below the castle. You will be summoned again to deal with the threat, so if you believe you are outmatched, focus on reconnaissance. Do you understand, Ophelia?¡±


    Ophelia bowed her head lower, causing tresses of her hair to fall down the sides of her face, ¡°I understand,¡± Ophelia replied quietly before getting to her feet and revealing her recently adjusted height. Close to eight and a half feet tall, Ophelia had come to dwarf even the tallest of the Asrusian soldiers.


    Entering the castle with long predatory strides, Ophelia¡¯s presence caused many of the on duty soldiers to avert their eyes. The fallen Angel radiated a sense of otherwise unexplainable danger that caused lesser beings to shy away from her.


    Although it was interesting to see that a number of soldiers were making steady progress through their own minor Evolutions. Their progress had been less pronounced than I initially expected, gaining less height in favour of seemingly more robust constitutions overall.


    Determined to wait outside of the castle, I found myself staring at the distant enemy encampment. They had no fires or other lights, but dark fortifications drew my attention all the same. With no truly accurate numbers to work with, the current estimate on enemy forces outside of the central fortress was holding at roughly twelve thousand strong.


    It was a sort of worst-case guesstimation the Colonel and his advisors had arrived at by assuming the enemy had made as efficient use of the portal as he would have done. Looking upon the scale of the defences being erected and reconciling it against the small amount of time that had passed, I was inclined to agree with the Colonel¡¯s reasoning. In spite of Dar driving back a major offensive, the enemy still had no shortage of men, and endlessly throwing Dar and Ophelia into the meatgrinder was not a sustainable battle plan.


    Each death they experienced would bring them one step closer to a coma or irreconcilable insanity as their memories erode and become corrupted. It was why I was giving Ophelia her best chance at surviving each summons by flooding her true self with mana to push her Evolution beyond the scale of her potential enemies. Even so, it was clearly taking a toll all on its own.


    I made a mental note to have Wraithe remove Ophelia and Orphiel from their enforced stay at the hospital.


    I wanted to keep the people I cared about safe, and the same extended to the people who placed their faith in me. However, I was making a lot of decisions that continued demanding sacrifices of those same people, and I felt like I was going insane trying to justify my actions.


    My excuse of the Asrusians being too weak was countered easily enough by my presence. Seizing control of the Drakes and Thralls had been ¡®necessary¡¯ in the moment, and keeping them Enslaved was far safer and ¡®convenient¡¯. There was a line somewhere amidst the mess of decisions I had been making, and I had crossed it without even thinking about it.


    What concerned me most was that it didn¡¯t bother me as much as I thought it would, or as I had originally believed it should.


    It was obvious that I had a number of decisions to make, and that procrastinating those decisions was creating messy and emotionally draining compromises after the fact.


    The more I thought about it, the more I believed the Colonel had the right idea. Integration in exchange for service. I had already made a similar compromise with the Wild formerly Enslaved Mountain Orcs. So why not take it a step further and have those serving the enemy prove themselves before earning a peaceful retirement.


    Serving the enemy might not have been their choice, but without some form of investment and proof of character it would be too easy for a spy or worse to inflict harm on those I wanted to protect. So long as I wasn¡¯t actively pursuing beings to Enslave, it was a compromise my conscience could live with.


    Beast-type Variants were a more complicated matter. Possessing an intelligence part-way between human and animal, it felt just as wrong to hold them in slavery as it did with any other person. The problem was whether the Variants would abide law and order, or feral instinct.


    Failing to arrive at an acceptable solution, I was drawn from my internal debate by the sudden dispersal of Ophelia¡¯s mana.


    No doubt far from a coincidence, the Abbot and militant priests arrived less than a few minutes later and began making their way toward the dungeon.


    The soldiers on duty moved to block them, but I waved the soldiers down so the Abbot could take his followers below.


    There was something off-putting about them, and I wouldn¡¯t be profoundly disappointed if they didn¡¯t survive.


    Leaving the castle behind, I returned to my dwelling and prepared medical treatment for Ushu. Washing down the huge Drake as best as I could manage, I began removing the barbed javelins anchored in his hide and dressing the wounds so Ushu could rest in relative peace. Thoroughly tired from expending most of my mana, I made sure Ushu was fed before retiring to my improvised bed.


    Little more than a pile of straw with a canvas sheet thrown over it, the small amount of comfort it provided was enough to allow me to fall asleep without problems.


    [ 2d : 2h : 59m ]


    Waking up sometime later, the presence of the timer confirmed that the Abbot and his priests had failed.


    Thinking somewhat more clearly now that I was well-rested, I realised that the Abbot¡¯s failure was a bad sign.


    Capable of temporarily taking on Ophelia¡¯s characteristics through the Warlock Class, the Abbot also possessed a magical weapon that specialised in fighting the Vampyr. Similarly, the priests that had accompanied the Abbot were a mix of Summoners and Pact Binders. With such force multipliers, and the foreknowledge of the environment afforded by Ophelia, the Abbot and his priests should have had the best chances of anyone defeating the Vampyr and destroying his coffin. That they hadn¡¯t was the cause for my unease.


    In the best case scenario, they had defeated the Vampyr commander and retreated after being unable to destroy the coffin. Or perhaps retreating after incurring a couple of losses. Losing the Abbot¡¯s magical sword would be nothing short of problematic at this stage in the siege.


    Hearing shouts coming from the nearby section of the outer wall and the distant flapping of leathery wings. With the majority of my armour too badly damaged to serve its purpose, I quickly donned my helmet and snatched up the closest of my maces before rushing outside.


    A dark shifting cloud was gathering in the distance, releasing squeaking chitters that reminded me of the Vrabbits from the Hurst Labyrinth¡¯s first floor.


    Somewhat familiar with fruit bat migrations that had passed near my old home on Earth, I could tell that the distant bats were far larger than they otherwise seemed. At least the size of a small child, the bats were more likely closer in size to an adult human, excluding their wings.


    Climbing the wall, I was confused to find that there were no immediate signs of other enemies. The enemy was still focused near the northern gate and the bats were gathering to the southwest.


    Climbing down from the wall, I hurried over to Ushu and removed his saddle. I had no immediate intentions of riding him, and the saddle would just restrict his movements.


    Having also heard the bats, Ushu remained hunkered down in the street. Only instead of resting, the giant Drake looked ready to pounce.


    Soldiers and Thralls alike had begun taking up positions atop the inner and outer wall.


    The bat swarm was now headed towards us at incredible speed, surging through the sky and forming a thick blanket of bodies as the swarm headed directly for battlements of the outer wall.


    Standing exposed on the outer wall, I took a moment to check the strap holding my helmet in place but paused as I felt hundreds of enslaved beings suddenly enter my sphere of influence. I hesitated for a handful of seconds as I debated whether or not I could remain in control of Ushu even after shifting the Thralls to the Asrusian officers.


    That hesitation allowed close to a thousand more bats to enter my range, and more were still coming. Almost too late, I now realised that this had most likely been intended as a trap directed specifically towards me. That, or the enemy was attempting some form of confirmation for why the collared Thralls had all turned.


    Dispersing the mana I had been subconsciously gathering, I shifted my weight to ensure my footing and waited.


    The efforts of the Archers and Crossbowmen felled a multitude of the man-sized bats, but it wasn¡¯t nearly enough to break their suicidal charge.


    *


    I only managed to hit a single bat before a tide of bodies began crashing into me one after the other. Each impact against my exposed chest or stomach would drive a little more air from my lungs and make me that much more anxious to take a breath I was not being allowed the opportunity to take.


    Even so, dozens of the giant bats had maimed or outright killed themselves by recklessly crashing into me. So far as I could tell between flinching, I had lost less than three HP by simply letting them hit me.


    That revelation gave me the confidence to try and gauge the effects the swarm was having on the other defenders.


    It wasn¡¯t looking good, besides Ushu, who was gleefully snapping at any bats who drew too close, the majority of defenders were hunkered down or had taken cover and were now only taking opportunistic snapshots.


    Worse still the enemy appeared to be on the move and headed for the north gate.


    Slowly moving along the wall towards the north gate, I could now see a ragged line of enemies breaking free from the main host and sprinting towards the gate on all fours.


    Knowing there would be no way the Colonel would be able to hear me above the chittering and screeching of the giant bats, I began gathering my mana and crossed my arms protectively over my chest as I took a deep breath. ¡°THE ENEMY APPROACHES THE NORTH GATE!!!¡± I roared, my voice cracking like thunder and leaving me deafened with blood running down my ears.


    As an unintended side effect, the bats appeared to be similarly distressed, swarming with no coherent purpose and haemorrhaging members to the stone walls.


    To my immense relief, Asrusian soldiers began streaming towards the north gate. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a little too late.


    Pale bodied hulking corpses with thick claws and distended jaws had begun tackling soldiers off the wall and into the street below.


    Most soldiers seemed to possess the wherewithal to Shadow Step out of immediate danger and buy enough time to defend themselves, but others were not so lucky and had their jugular torn out before being repeatedly dashed against the ground.


    The pale bodied hulks who lost their intended prey immediately shifted targets to overwhelm and rip apart the prey of their peers.


    Disgusted, I leapt down off the wall and charged.


    Far faster than they looked, the first pale hulk swiped at my exposed chest with a bloodcaked claw.


    [You have successfully resisted {Paralysis} effect]


    My mace turned the hulk¡¯s head into a nearby building into a Jason Pollock painting and drew the attention of the growing number of pale hulks in the vicinity. Somewhat thankful I couldn¡¯t hear their retaliatory howling or gurgling roars, I took a calming breath and swatted a hulk aside before it had the chance to claw at my exposed arm.


    However, a flurry of alerts streamed through my peripheral vision as something struck me from behind and was joined by an ally before I had the chance to even glance over my shoulder.


    Increasingly concerned that I wouldn¡¯t be able to resist the paralysis indefinitely, and what would happen once it took effect, I stiffly lurched to the side and slammed my mace into the chest of another hulk.


    Barely phased by the blow, the pale hulk with a concave chest leapt up towards my throat with its tooth-filled maw opened wide.


    I slammed my helmet into its face as much on instinct as pragmatism and felt its skull crack before the hulk was thrown to the ground. However, fleeting contact with its body still elicited a fresh set of alerts informing me of having resisted the paralysis.


    Swatting aside the other hulk, I had no time to follow up the attack with a lethal blow. I was now fully engaged against a dozen or more of the pale hulks put firmly on the defensive.


    Arrows and bolts would sporadically enter the melee, but for the most part, I was on my own. Any soldiers who attempted to intervene would either be driven off or torn apart after succumbing to paralysis.


    Barely injured, I was growing increasingly anxious as the hulks continued outflanking me and grappling me from behind, triggering streams of notifications that reminded me my luck could run out at any moment.


    I felt it before I saw it, as heavy familiar vibrations passed through the ground.


    My mace had been torn from my sweaty grip and I was wrestling with three of the pale hulks in order to keep them away from my throat. That was when a pale scaled pair of jaws descended and chomped one of the recovering hulks in two.


    A wet intense series of vibrations passed over my skin and was even powerful enough to knock loose one of the hulks.


    Lunging forwards, Ushu crushed one pale hulk underfoot while dashing apart another with his foreclaws and decapitating a third. The fortress was still inundated with giant bats, but Ushu paid them little mind, casually swatting a couple of dozen to death with a swipe of his tail, and collapsing a few buildings in the process.


    Pulping a pale hulk with bare fists I threw the other beneath Ushu¡¯s left foot as he continued stalking forwards, feeling a profound sense of relief as the undead monster was turned to gristle.


    After recovering my mace, I was even more relieved to find that Ushu had cleared out the remaining pale hulks or otherwise driven them into hiding.


    For his part, Ushu was in the process of regurgitating the contents of his stomach, and I couldn¡¯t blame him. Apparently thoroughly famished after emptying his belly, Ushu continued along the road and renewed his earlier activity of opportunistically seizing bats in his jaws and swallowing them whole.


    Noticing movement out of the corner of my eye, I was drawn towards the north gate. Seeing the doors shudder, I realised that the enemy must be attempting to batter it down. Rushing over to the gate, I did my best to brace my full weight against the doors, pressing hard against the iron banded beam.


    Another blow crashed into the other side of the gate and sent intense vibrations through my entire body. A few moments later, another blow crashed into the gate, and then another, and another.


    With no idea how the greater battle was going, I could only hold fast against the gate and hope that the enemy or at least their siege engine was destroyed before the gate gave out. While the bar was holding strong, the banded wood of the gate doors themselves was showing signs of cracking.


    Bracing my back against the beam so I could give my arms a rest, I was surprised to see the Abbot and five of his priests making their way over with a makeshift sled of what appeared to be building supplies. However, there was something more off about them than usual. They were far too calm given the degree of chaos taking place around us and as I continued to observe them. They seemed to be immune to the attention of the bats, which would swoop and dive past them but never close enough to land even an indirect attack.


    Looking at each of them in turn, I realised what had triggered my paranoia, one of the priests was not registered as my subordinate and I was unable to review the information of the other priests or Abbot.


    Reaching out to Ushu, I directed him to attack the imposter.


    Ushu halted his extended ambush of the giant bats and slowly turned around. His large nostrils huffed at the air and his eyes narrowed as they locked in on the target. Baring his teeth, Ushu lowered into a predatory crouch and began his approach.


    Given Ushu was about as subtle as a brick thrown through a window in the middle of the night, the imposter almost immediately recognised something was up. The procession came to a halt and the imposter stared at the approaching Drake for a handful of seconds before turning to look at me.


    A stream of bats momentarily obstructed the space between us, and in the time it took me to blink, the imposter was standing in front of me with a mocking smile on his lips. Stolen robes flapping as he lunged towards me with a cruel barbed dagger, I barely had time to wince as the tip of the dagger raced towards my groin. However, time seemed to slow as the blade of the dagger grew closer to its goal, before coming to a shaking stop less than an inch from the beads of my loincloth.


    The imposter looked confused and angry, his lips curling in a snarl as he muttered a curse I couldn¡¯t hear.


    Intending only to buy some space so I could think, I swatted at the imposter with the back of my right hand, unintentionally knocking his head off of his shoulders and dashing it against a nearby wall.


    Blinking in surprise, I failed to read the kill notification that appeared as the imposter¡¯s body collapsed to the ground.


    Ushu continued towards the Abbot and priests, his baleful eyes locked on the sled of building supplies. The Abbot and priests moved to intercept the giant Drake, but he ignored them. For whatever reason, the holy men were not using their Class Abilities. Ushu bowed his head and smashed the horn on his snout into the sled, sending wooden debris flying and a large stone coffin tumbling down the street.


    The Abbot and priests scrambled to chase after the stone coffin, but Ushu was significantly faster. Chasing after the coffin, Ushu brought the entire weight of his right hindfoot down on the coffin, causing the stone surface to crack. Repeating the action a couple more times, Ushu casually swatted the panicked holy men away and snapped up the coffin in his jaws. After a few seconds of concentrated effort, the coffin broke apart and blood erupted out and over Ushu¡¯s teeth and jaws.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: {Success}.]


    [Conquest! {Stage 2}: Designate a {Totem} to officially claim the disputed territory and receive a reward. You must complete this task within 1h. All {Teleportation} will be enabled once the Quest is resolved. Good luck!]


    [ 0h : 59m : 59s ]


    The impacts against the gate came to an abrupt halt.


    Ushu continued pulverising the broken chunks of stone between his jaws, gashing his mouth and tongue in the process but didn¡¯t seem to care.


    The bats began to flee in all directions, and Asrusian soldiers began reclaiming the streets, culling any crippled bats that were unable to flee over the walls.


    Still uncertain if I could leave the gate, I decided to make the most of the reprieve and rest while still leaning on the bar bracing the gate. Knowing from previous experience that I would need to clean out my ears before my eardrums would have the proper opportunity to recover, I settled in for a long wait and picked up the barbed dagger so I could take a closer look at it.


    [Cruel Barbed Dagger: Deals additional damage and applies additional {Bleed} when striking an opponent¡¯s weak point. Requires Agility:18.]


    I frowned and thought about the magical sword. It didn¡¯t make sense to me that this dagger had a stat requirement while the other items did not. As best I could figure, the sword had a different requirement to balance it out, requiring faith in Ophelia or Orphiel in order to activate the item.


    [ 0h : 47m : 22s ]


    The Colonel, looking somewhat worse for wear and sporting a bandage over one eye, was accompanied by a Captain and Lieutenant when he arrived to provide some sort of report or make a request, I couldn''t be sure due to my profound deafness.


    I waved my arms to interrupt the Colonel, ¡°I¡¯m, deaf,¡± I said slowly, my tongue feeling several sizes too large. ¡°We, need, a, Totem. Bring, one, to, me,¡± I pointed to myself and then to the castle before stiffly making my way up the hill.


    The Captain followed me at a respectful distance, warily eyeing anyone who drew close. Given the unexplained betrayal of the Abbot and his priests, it was probably for the best, and I appreciated a pair of functioning ears being present.


    Stopping outside of the castle gate, I somewhat reluctantly removed my helmet and began carefully dislodging dry crusty blood from my ear canals.


    The Captain graciously offered his waterskin.


    I nodded in thanks and flushed out my ears with the contents of the waterskin, only briefly entertaining the thought that the contents might have been a potent poison. The lack of odour or unfamiliar consistency made the thought largely pointless to pursue further. At some point I would need to clean out my ears so they could heal, which meant trusting the water I was given was in fact water. Better to have it over with now before paranoia amplified my stress into causing me harm through a perversion of the placebo effect.


    The Colonel returned a few minutes later with a large block of stone being carried between a dozen soldiers. Clearly taking a leaf from the Vampyr commander¡¯s playbook, it was obvious that the Colonel wanted the large block of stone to become the Totem of the fortress.


    Approaching the large block of stone, I smirked as I saw that some effort had been made to carve the toothy smile into the large face of the stone. Mentally designating the stone as the target for the Totem, I became aware that I needed to choose a name for the Settlement. Uncomfortable with the idea of crowdsourcing a name with my impaired hearing, I tried to think of historical references from Earth that would fit the circumstance of securing the Foothold.


    Drawing a blank for a few moments, two prime examples came to mind. Although neither truly fit as a direct comparison, A vague sense of latent patriotism compelled me to choose Gallipoli over Normandy.


    [Mandatory Quest: Conquest! {Active}]


    [Conquest! {Stage 1}: {Success}.]


    [Conquest! {Stage 2}: {Success}.]


    [Determining degree of success...]


    [Acquiring rewards...]


    [Congratulations! You have completed {Conquest!} and will now receive x1 {Settlement Overseer} and x13 {Minions}. Standby for immediate delivery!]


    A somewhat rotten looking chest appeared at my feet with a pale-skinned man in dark robes sitting atop it. With the majority of his features hidden beneath a shifting veil of shadows, his corpse-like appearance immediately registered him as an undead in both mine and the gathered soldiers¡¯ eyes.


    Even so, I felt no overt hostility, only calm acceptance and patience.


    Bowing his head, the dark-robed figure slowly removed himself from the chest and stood on his own two feet. Enough of my hearing had returned that I was able to tell he had not spoken, but it did little to alleviate my nerves.


    Holding both hands up as a placating gesture, the dark-robed man gathered a small amount of mana and coalesced nearby shadows into the form of a small white-feathered raven. The raven flapped up onto his shoulder and turned one of its beady eyes to face me directly. ¡°My Tyrant,¡± the raven croaked, ¡°I have no ill will towards you and your servants, and endeavour only to serve you to the best of my capabilities.¡±


    ¡°A familiar?¡± One of the soldiers guessed hesitantly.


    ¡°Of a kind,¡± the raven replied with a hint of amusement, the dark-robed man¡¯s shoulders rising and falling slightly as if silently chuckling to himself.


    ¡°Who and what are you,¡± I demanded, deciding to test the creature with something I could easily check for myself.


    The dark-robed figure pointed to himself with one long thin finger, ¡°I am a Lesser Wisp my Tyrant. You would perhaps better recognise my kind as a possessive Spirit of the dead?¡± The raven croaked, ¡°I am unable to control this borrowed body sufficiently to allow speech, so my Shadow Servant speaks on my behalf.¡± The white raven bobbed its head curiously for a moment and eyed the crate before returning its attention to me.


    I narrowed my eyes at the robed figure, ¡°You are an undead Necromancer,¡± I observed coldly, earning widened eyes from the soldiers.


    The robed man¡¯s head nodded in agreement. ¡°I am, my Tyrant,¡± the raven stated unremorsefully, ¡°But I must insist that I am in fact a Grand Necromancer thanks to your patronage.


    The rising anger inside of me was making it difficult to think clearly, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I destroy you?¡± I demanded quietly, infuriated that the Mournbrent Labyrinth seemed just as keen to mess with me as the Hurst labyrinth had done.


    The dark-robed figure shrugged. ¡°I have no defence for my existence or choice in vocation,¡± the Raven drawled while hopping on his shoulder, ¡°But if I am correct, I can assume you have a reserved hatred for undead my Tyrant?¡±


    I curled my upper lip in a snarl and growled.


    The robed figure nodded, ¡°Then it should provide my Tyrant with the consolation that a number of Abilities unique to my Class can in fact be leveraged to great effect against the undead rather than creating them. It should also come as some small measure of comfort to my Tyrant that Wisps do not prey upon the living. It is the souls of the foul and corrupted that give us succour.¡±


    [(Racial Ability: Ethereal Being): Immune to physical and {Environmental} attacks and effects when in {Ethereal Form}. Can engage with other Ethereal Beings at will.}]


    [(Racial Ability: Soul Essence {Rank 3}): Can recover MP from the {Souls} of the dead. Special: {Attuned to Darkness}: Feeding upon {Impure Souls} increases MP recovery relative to the {Soul/s} degree of {Corruption}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Limited Possession {Rank 5}): Allows the {Possession} of a {Soulless} corpse at the expense of persistent {Mana Drain}. {Willpower} reduces the persistent {Mana Drain}.]


    While technically not a lie, the Wisp hadn¡¯t exactly told the full truth about its soul-consuming ability. It was incentivised to go after the corrupt, but appeared to have no reason not to go after the innocent if it was convenient to do so. However, it did have one Class ability that could prove useful in fighting the undead.


    [(Class Ability: Lesser Cowl of Undeath {Rank 0}): Expend MP to render a designated target undetectable to {Lesser Undead} up to {Short} distances. {Intelligence} reduces the persistent {Mana Drain} on the allotted mana.]


    Just the same as Hana, the Wisp, named Wisp according to his Status, was level zero, apparently having accepted a free Class Promotion as part of its bargain for being assigned as an Overseer.


    ¡°There are other more combative Abilities,¡± the raven continued, ¡°But I will need time to earn them anew.¡±


    As much as I hated undead, I was forced to concede that Wisp might in fact be useful. ¡°You will not serve as Overseer, not until I am confident you can be trusted,¡± I insisted, wanting to gauge how Whisp would react to the sudden demotion.


    ¡°Most acceptable,¡± the raven cawed as Wisp¡¯s borrowed body bowed its head respectfully, ¡°I agree that I have not earned such a privilege and responsibility, my Tyrant.¡±


    ¡°This is your campaign Colonel,¡± I pointed to the Colonel for extra emphasis, ¡°Nominate someone you trust to serve as Overseer over Gallipoli while we press deeper into the Labyrinth.¡±


    The Colonel nodded and remained silently thoughtful for a few moments before nodding confidently, ¡°Captain Spiers, Majesty. I believe she will prove equal to the task of serving as both administrator and Commander of Gallipoli.¡±


    Taking a few moments to cycle through the Pride of Asrus registry, I promoted the Captain and then turned to Wisp, ¡°You are to serve at the Colonel¡¯s direction until I say otherwise, understood?¡±


    The robed figure nodded and so did the white-feathered raven.


    ¡°Good,¡± I grunted and turned my attention to the crate. Already aware that there would be eggs inside, I opted for seeking out some privacy before opening it. Lifting the chest up and cradling it in one arm, I was a little surprised that the chest was sturdier than it looked.


    Ushu was still patrolling the main road and scavenging an easy meal, but Shady, the Goblins and Serpent-Kin¡¯ had all returned and were in the process of licking their wounds.


    A little annoyed that they weren¡¯t seeking treatment from the Surgeons, I made a mental note to Summon Wraithe and request she pay a personal visit to make sure no one was going to die of a hidden infection. Two Goblins and one of the Serpent-Kin had died since arriving in the Mournbrent Labyrinth. While it may have been what they said they wanted, I was still hoping that I would be able to bring the rest of them back alive after destroying the Liche.


    Removing the lid of the chest and exposing the eggs inside had an immediate effect on the formerly despondent crowd. With all eyes drawn to the chest, the Goblins and Serpent-Kin scooted closer and stared wide-eyed at the eggs in a similar fashion to how a homeless person might stare at a brick of gold bullion. Caught between disbelief and a deep-seated desire for possession, the Goblins and Serpent-Kin couldn¡¯t bring themselves to look away.


    Recognising I had an opportunity to send the revenge-driven mob home to Sanctuary, or at the very least keep them farther from danger, I slowly pointed to the small earth coloured eggs in the chest, ¡°They will require parents to care for them,¡± I stated bluntly and tried not to grin as paternal instincts openly began warring against the mobs desire for revenge.


    One by one, the mob capitulated, wiping the warpaint from their faces and meekly waiting to see how I would proceed.


    After having the existing mated pairs separate from the group, I allowed them to each claim and imprint upon one of the eggs before allowing the others to do the same. Because some of the single members had elected for joint custody to better protect their charge, one egg remained.


    Just as I was wondering what should be done with the final egg, I realised that the Captain who had been serving as my protective escort was standing guard outside of the door. ¡°Captain?¡± I called quietly, drawing the attention of the newly expectant parents as they joyously caressed their eggs with unreserved affection.


    With visible embarrassment, the captain entered, his helmet held under his arm and a guilty grimace on his face as he stared determinedly at his feet, ¡°Majesty?¡±


    Actively searching for the Captain¡¯s records, I discovered that his name was Morgan Willowbrook, named for the Settlement he had likely chosen for his eventual retirement. Married, with no children, and looking to be closer to seventy than sixty, it was rather obvious why he had followed me to my temporary home.


    Wondering if perhaps the conversion into a monster had somehow awoken the same paternal instincts as the Variants, I decided to test the Captain with a question, ¡°Captain Morgan, would you raise a child of another species as if it was truly your own?¡±


    Captain Morgan looked surprised and momentarily taken aback. Quickly gathering his wits, he nodded fervently, ¡°It has been the dearest wish of my wife and I to raise a family, but...¡± He cringed, ¡°I...I failed her, and adoption laws prevent soldiers from adopting...I am close to retirement now, but my wife has informed me that orphans have become a scarcity of late...¡± perhaps realising he had gotten off track, the Captain blushed before nodding firmly, ¡°Ah, yes, I would, Majesty.¡±


    With no real idea what was inside of the eggs, it would be a true test of the Captain and his wife¡¯s resolve. There was every possibility the egg might contain a wart covered troll or something. How would they react to that?


    ¡°Very well,¡± I nodded with exaggerated self-importance, ¡°For services to the crown, I grant you the boon of adopting a ward of the state and an early retirement into the reserves,¡± I carefully lifted the muddy brown egg from the mouldy straw and held it out towards the captain, ¡°Just gather mana io the tips of your fingers, or your hand if you can¡¯t quite manage, and then gently press against the egg,¡± I instructed.


    Almost on the verge of tears, which I chose to assume were in gratitude rather than just anxiety, Captain Morgan shakily reached out with his free hand and pressed it against the egg. Taking on an almost pregnant glow in his cheeks, Morgan smiled broadly and scooped the eggs from my palm before cradling it close to his armoured chest.


    Practically swarmed by the other expecting parents who were offering strips of rag and segments of blanket to help protect and incubate the egg, it gave me something of an idea. The Regent already wanted to integrate Settlements with other monsters, both for social as well as military reasons. So why not use this as the opportunity to do so? In the best case scenario, the Captain¡¯s military background would curb the worst of any prejudice towards the Goblins and Serpent-Kin¡¯ due to their shared interest in raising and protecting children of the same species. All while promoting better cross-species relations.


    Since Willowbrook was a Settlement on the southern Sanctuary border and possessed a fully functional gateway, it would be easy enough to change the living arrangements if truly necessary. So with that in mind, I left the Captain behind and began looking for the Colonel to inform him that the Captain would be retiring from the campaign a little earlier than expected. Given the nature of today¡¯s victory, and the current number of reinforcements flooding the Foothold, I doubted he would mind all that much.


    *****


    Thrikit sniffed at the air and continued stalking through the grass, his every instinct finely tuned to subconsciously cycle his movements through the most effective motions to enhance his stealth. Although somewhat inhibited by his baggy tunic and pants, Thrikit was more than able to compensate with his long dexterous fingers and toes, even generating misleading rustles in the grass at a relative distance with his whip-like tail.


    Filtering out the polite chattering of the guardians posted nearby, Rikin twitched his large ears for any hint of sound that might give away his opponents. Unfortunately, they were almost as talented as Thrikit himself, so he heard no sign of them. Similarly, they had also smothered their scent by exerting tight control over their pheromone glands. It was a trick they had all stolen from Thrikit the day before.


    All the same, Thrikit had a new trick up his baggy sleeves and only needed to wait in order to take advantage of it.


    *


    ¡°Eek!¡± The cry came from a short distance ahead and to Thrikit¡¯s right, signalling that one of his opponents, most likely Grelin, had fallen for one of Thrikit¡¯s traps. Almost always hungry himself, Thrikit knew his opponents would not be able to surrender the opportunity for additional food. All Thrikit had needed to do was allow his thick wiry black fur to be brushed without resisting, earning an additional delectable hard sweet thing before being allowed outside.


    It was the broken pieces of the hard sweet thing that Thrikit used to bait his traps. Slowly closing in on the sounds of distress, Thrikit¡¯s whispers twitched in amusement as he witnessed Skrill taunting the ensnared Grelin by slowly eating the hard sweet thing in front of him.


    Much like himself, Skrill had dark but not quite black fur and beady black eyes. Smaller than Thrikit by a full third, she was slightly more nimble than he was, and her guardians allowance for her to wear tighter fitting coverings made Skrill Thrikit¡¯s primary opponent. However, due to her indulgence in taunting Grelin and savouring the hard sweet thing, Skrill didn¡¯t sense Thrikit until it was too late.


    *


    Thrikit¡¯s tiny stone bounced off the back of Skrill¡¯s furry head and eliminated her, much to Grelin¡¯s apparent amusement. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Y-y-y-you g-g-g-g-get!¡± Grelin stammered excitedly, overjoyed at accidentally not being the first eliminated.


    *


    Thrikit threw another small stone to shut him up, accidentally revealing his position to Skrill in the process.


    Rather than give his position away to any of the others that might be lingering nearby, Skrill twitched whispers, bobbed her head and then dashed for the watching wall with the piece of sweet hard thing clutched in her sharp teeth.


    Grelin was left to free himself.


    A simple snare trap Thrikit had learned by watching the clan hunters in the morning, he had just needed to scale the trap to a size more appropriate for his opponents.


    One by one, Thrikit eliminated his opponents in silence, finishing with Rhess, who was usually Skrill¡¯s rival but had lasted much longer due to Skrill being eliminated early.


    Although somewhat irritated at losing, Thrikit noted that his twelve opponents were much less angry with him after eating the hard sweet thing. So he decided to keep it in mind for the next time he was able to get more.


    Engaging in some wrestling to maintain his dominance, Thrikit made sure not to beat the others too badly. Already somewhat disliked for being better at hide and find, the others would lose respect if he didn¡¯t allow the others to sometimes come close to winning. It was a delicate balance and it wasn¡¯t lost on Thrikit that Skrill behaved much the same.


    So long as they all avoided using their claws and sharp pair of front teeth, the guardians would content themselves with watching. It made their contests for dominance and rank much more complicated and initially quite difficult to enforce. Foose had refused to accept defeat many times, disrupting hide and find until he was taught a lesson and forced to swallow sick sap while the guardians were distracted.


    From then on collective retribution served as the default enforcement for their contests rules and was why Thrikit was incredibly careful to avoid going too far in any given contest. As big and strong as he was, Thrikit knew he could not win if two or more of the others committed to fighting him. However, this was also what made the contests so important. Every day, Thrikit was growing bigger, stronger, and faster, his ability to think and learn was increasing rapidly as well. The contests helped him grow andkept Thrikit sharp, and more than that, it made his guardians proud of him.


    Sitting on top of the watching wall, Thrikit patted down his tunic and pants, retying the knot of his cord belt to make it less baggy. With his coverings settled, Thrikit wet his fingers with his tongue and ran them through the longer fur on his head, coaxing it into a uniform direction.


    Skrill watched in silence and gave him a curious look, her own much longer head fur hanging like a scraggly mane.


    ¡°B-Be g-good, g-get h-hard s-sweet th-thing,¡± Thrikit chittered quietly, earning a surprised look from Skrill in return.


    Skrill looked to the gathering of guardians and then back to Thrikit before trying to emulate what he had done. Unfortunately, her longer head fur refused to stay in place.


    Removing his cord belt, Thrikit cut a length free with his teeth before retying the larger piece to hold together his coverings. Gathering Skrill¡¯s head fur together, he managed to tie back most of it in a way he had seen smaller females of the clan wear their much longer and lighter head fur.


    Skrill experimentally twisted her head this way and that, her elongated snout sniffing at the air as she twitched her whispers and ears.


    Thrikit realised too late that he had inadvertently increased the performance of his chief rival. Without her head fur shrouding her eyes and interfering with her ears and whiskers, Skrill was going to become that much more difficult to both hide from and sneak up on.


    Able to push back the remainder of her head fur by wetting her fingers with her tongue, Skrill had now completely negated her previous disadvantage. Worse still, it revealed that Skrill actually had ears slightly larger than Thrikit¡¯s own, making her that much more perceptive while being so much harder to detect herself.


    Despite not having thrown a tantrum in days, Thrikit was incredibly angry at himself. Terrified that Skrill would now begin beating him in the contests, he felt terrified of losing his guardians'' pride and praise. However, before Thrikit could brood on the matter further, he noticed his guardians separating from the group and headed their way.


    Refusing to miss out on a sweet hard thing in addition to his guardians¡¯ praise, Thrikit excitedly swung his tail to show he was glad to see them. Much older than the other guardians, they seemed to struggle with detecting pheromones and subtle cues. All the same, Thrikit cared for them deeply.


    Skrill awkwardly tried to copy him, but Thrikit tried not to let her bother him.


    ¡°Thrikit!¡± His female guardian exclaimed with pride, ¡°You managed to keep your clothes all nice and tidy! And after rolling about in the dirt all morning too!¡± She scratched the softer fur behind Thrikit¡¯s ears just the way he liked. ¡°Oh, and who is this?¡± She asked with exaggerated curiosity, ¡°This is little Skrill, yes? And doesn¡¯t she look lovely today!¡± In an act of unfathomable betrayal, his guardian scratched Skrill behind her ears.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t be sour lad,¡± his male guardian chided kindly, ¡°Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see you were the one to tie her hair.¡± He pointed to Thrikit¡¯s significantly shorter belt, ¡°You¡¯re growing fast, that''s for certain, but not so fast as to lose half your belt overnight,¡± he chuckled again and ruffled Thrikit¡¯s head fur affectionately, ¡°You made your mother happy and just see if you don¡¯t get a reward for it after dinner.¡±


    Thrikit perked up almost immediately. His guardian was right, seeing his other guardian happy was a good thing and made his act of self sabotage more than worth it. However, watching as Skrill received a sweet hard thing retrieved from his guardian¡¯s coverings, Thrikit¡¯s restraint was sorely tested.


    ¡°I think you have had enough sweet things for one day,¡± his guardian apologised sympathetically, ¡°But see if I don¡¯t give you one tomorrow with breakfast for being so sweet with your little friend.¡±


    Thrikit nodded to show he understood, ¡°Th-thank,¡± he affectionately nuzzled his guardian¡¯s hand before the pair of them returned to the other guardians to say their temporary goodbyes. Guardians had many chores to do throughout the day, so they often took turns watching Thrikit and the others.


    Nudged from behind, Thrikit prepared himself to put on a brave face while Skrill gloated and ate her hard sweet thing in front of him. However, much to his surprise, Skrill had split the hard sweet thing in half and was offering him the larger piece.


    ¡°T-T-Take,¡± Skrill chittered nervously, making sure to avoid eye contact to make it clear this was not a challenge for dominance.


    Somewhat perplexed, Thrikit accepted the piece of hard sweet thing and began to gnaw at it with relish. Made specifically by his guardian to test his teeth, the hard sweet thing was almost as ahrd as rock and tasted sweeter than tree food. His guardian had called it something else, but changed the name after Thrikit asked for another hard sweet thing.


    After making sure to share some large crumbs with the others, Thrikit was about to lead them to their next contest when a female many times larger than himself and the others approached them from down the grassless path.


    Instinctively aware that he stood no chance against a female of that size, Thrikit nervously waited in order to see what she wanted.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t run, good,¡± the large female chittered approvingly, ¡°Now hop off that fence and follow me. As of today, you will receive daily lessons so I can determine your aptitude and help direct your development.¡±


    The others chittered nervously to one another and weren¡¯t subtle with their pheromones either.


    Thrikit had heard some of the words before but didn¡¯t quite understand what they meant. However, listening to how the large female spoke like the guardians, he could only imagine how proud his guardians would be if he managed to replicate the feat.


    Hopping off the watching wall only served to make it even more clear how much terrifyingly larger the pale furred female was. Before he could get too overwhelmed, Skrill boldly leapt down next to him, and after a faint trace of pheromones expressed the large female¡¯s impatience, the other nine joined them.


    ¡°Initial results aren¡¯t all that surprising,¡± the large female muttered to herself before glancing at Thrikit and Skrill, ¡°For the most part. How many of you can speak?¡± She asked curiously.


    Thrikit and Skrill raised their hands and a short while later the others did as well.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the large female noted, sounding rather impressed, ¡°Well then, you will refer to me as Wraithe. Now repeat after me, ¡°I will always wash my front paws before I eat.¡±


    Thrikit just stared blankly up at the large female, earning a terrifying glare.


    ¡°Every time you eat without washing your front paws, you are inviting enemies beyond counting into your body, any one of which could make you sick and die!¡± The Large female snapped, ¡°Worse, you could make others around you sick as well! So wash your hands!¡±


    Thrikit froze and stared at his forepaws, the unbidden image of his guardians collapsing in the street in front of his eyes repeating over and over. ¡°H-How w-wash?! N-Not m-make s-sick?!¡± Thrikit demanded in a panic, horrified that he had been putting his guardians at risk.


    Wraithe nodded sagely in approval, ¡°Let me show you, you all have so much to learn.¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 40 – Freedom is earned – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 40 ¨C Freedom is earned ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 40 - Freedom is earned - Part Two


    The Vampyr commander had survived and fled the fortress when their ruse for sneaking out the stone coffin was discovered. Interrogating the Thralls revealed that the most powerful Vampyrs all had special coffins that would allow a limited form of resurrection so long as their coffin remained intact. With their coffin destroyed, the Vampyr commander would not only be denied resurrection, they would also be weakened until they could claim a new coffin in a few months'' time.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly the victory I had wanted, but it was far better than the alternative.


    With the guaranteed arrival point secured, the Colonel had initiated an aggressive reinforcement strategy to prepare for the inevitable counterattack.


    Once again able to call in reinforcements of their own, the enemy made a point of testing the slowly expanding network of trenches around Gallipoli.


    Similar to the Hurst Labyrinth, the Colonel wanted to eventually build the area around the exit portal to the outside world into a sprawling fortress city. Rather than just keeping rival states out of the Labyrinth, the fortress city would serve as a bulwark to prevent or at least delay any attempts by enemies within the Labyrinth from getting out. The premise, of course, would rely on eventually defeating the Liche to prevent others from teleporting in and out of the Labyrinth at will.


    How the Liche had been able to circumvent a lockdown and teleport to Sanctuary was still unknown. I hoped it was just another overpowered artefact that could be taken and locked away, but I had no way of being certain until confronting the Liche.


    Auxiliary forces had begun arriving alongside the Asrusian army, providing a medley of Synergies that lessened the requirement for my presence and bolstered the efforts to conquer the surrounding towers.


    Now free to move more freely, and with ample access to Surgeons, I raised the priority of Cooper and Ushu¡¯s recovery as well as Nila¡¯s riding training. While I attended the former, a volunteer from the recently arrived cavalry forces provided assistance with the latter.


    Ushu¡¯s anger was always lurking just beneath the surface, requiring frequent jaunts into the surrounding bog in order to vent that anger by hunting the undead. Keenly intelligent and terrifyingly powerful, the shielding I provided against Enslavement by others shored up what could be considered one of Ushu¡¯s few weaknesses.


    It was a little disconcerting that the alleged Hypnosis the Vampyr commander had used on the Abbot and his priests was not categorised as Enslavement. Theoretically, it would mean anyone could be a spy for the enemy. I could only hope that the MP required was prohibitive enough to limit its use.


    Testing the straps and buckles of my recently repaired armour, I watched a mixed squad of Thrall, auxiliaries and Human soldiers pass down the road.


    The Colonel was spreading the Thralls out amongst the existing rank and file as much as possible, matching them with auxiliaries in order to spread combat Synergies as wide as possible.


    Satisfied that the new straps and buckles were up to the task, I kept a wary eye on Ushu while passing him by on the way towards the new shooting range erected for testing Class Abilities. The Colonel had diplomatically offered the services of an instructor so I could learn how to use my choice of ranged weaponry. Aware that if I was to have any hope of obtaining decent proficiency I would need to practice, I agreed.


    The practice range was not a particularly impressive sight. Predominantly consisting of a section of open ground outside of the original outer walls of the fortress, the practice range was intended to allow a few dozen men and women at any given time. The instructor was already waiting and appeared to have reserved half of the range for our personal use. However, contrary to my expectations there was no sign of any enlarged weaponry laid out on the nearby makeshift table.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± the instructor bowed and was joined in the gesture by an ivory haired young man wearing a slave collar. The Instructor was roughly middle-aged and had a tanned weathered complexion and a bristly red goatee.


    In direct comparison, the young man at his side was nearly as pale as a corpse. Combined with his crimson eyes and off-white hair, it gave the impression that he was an albino rather than his true nature as a Thrall.


    ¡°If it pleases you Majesty, you may call me Edmund. I shall be serving as your instructor for as long as you will have me,¡± the instructor bowed again and then motioned to the Thrall, ¡°And this is Fesk. Fesk is one of the Thralls participating in the alternative work program to earn his freedom.¡±


    The Thrall, Fesk, bowed again but said nothing.


    ¡°Erm, Fesk is a mute, your Majesty,¡± Edmund explained apologetically, ¡°But he should have no issues serving as a retriever during your lessons.¡±


    ¡°A retriever?¡± I asked curiously and followed Edmund¡¯s vague gesture out across the field towards the roughly humanoid targets made of straw and scavenged armour, ¡°Ah...¡± It seemed pretty self-evident after considering the number of errant projectiles I was bound to send down the range.


    Fesk bowed again, his long hair casting his narrow and fine features with sinister shadows despite the young man¡¯s impassive expression.


    ¡°I have been informed that your Majesty already has some degree of proficiency in slinging stones and throwing javelins, so I would like to take the opportunity to determine your Majesty¡¯s aptitude with the bow.¡± Edmund turned to the makeshift table and motioned to two bows that had escaped my notice until now. The first was smaller, and oddly curved, reminding me of the bows often used by the Mongols in documentaries. The second bow was much larger and looked pretty much like I had come to expect of movies and T.V. Unfortunately, both of them were much too small. ¡°Ah, sorry Majesty, I wanted to see if you had an existing preference before having the delivery made from the royal treasure hall.¡±


    Somewhat surprised, I took a few moments to consider the two bows. I had no true idea what advantages either had over its competition. ¡°Which do you think would suit me best?¡± I asked curiously while gingerly handling the Mongol bow.


    ¡°With consideration to your prodigious height and build Majesty? I believe a longbow would serve best in most circumstances,¡± Edmund answered in a measured tone, ¡°If you are to make a habit of riding your giant lizard, then I would be inclined to suggest the recurve bow in its stead.¡±


    It made sense, the recurve bow looked like it was about half the length of the longbow. However, I was now quite curious as to how they had come upon a bow that would fit my size.


    Edmund held up the recurve bow and signalled to a soldier standing guard at the entrance to the shooting range. ¡°While the bow is being delivered, I will provide some basic instruction through demonstration,¡± he insisted amiably and began stringing the bow.


    Not overly familiar with archery, to begin with, it was still something of a shock to see a number of things done differently from what I had taken for granted from assorted media. In particular, Edmund demonstrated he could rather effortlessly send five arrows accurately into a dummy roughly fifty feet down the range in under as many seconds. I had the impression that he could have gone faster but was deliberately holding himself back for the demonstration. Drawing and firing another arrow in a single fluid motion, Edmund landed a sixth arrow into a target close to a hundred feet away at the far end of the range.


    The explanations themselves were quite minimal, mostly referencing practice and the importance of maintaining good form. In fact, Edmund was most insistent about never practising alone, a sentiment shared by my nursing professor and for similar reasons. Practising alone was a very easy way to learn and reinforce bad habits. Apparently, that was to be one of Fesk¡¯s duties going forward.


    To reinforce the point, and prove Fesk¡¯s credentials, he was given the recurve bow and a handful of arrows to send downrange. Sure enough, he matched Edmund''s arrow for arrow before returning the bow and jogging down range to retrieve all of the arrows.


    ¡°He was something of a special find,¡± Edmund explained conversationally, ¡°One of their elites, trained since birth. We wouldn¡¯t have known if one of the other Thralls hadn¡¯t mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°You have that much confidence in the collars?¡± I asked warily, somewhat unsettled by the revelation that I was expected to keep a former elite of the enemy as a personal retainer.


    ¡°Hrm? Oh! By no means your Majesty!¡± Edmund apologised, ¡°Fesk is such a special find because he has no loyalty to the Vampyrs whatsoever. He apparently killed two dozen loyal Thralls before being beaten down and collared. What''s more, he was rumoured to have gone on a killing spree the moment his former master died,¡± he explained conspiratorially, ¡°It was supposedly at just about the same time your Highness acquired a pair of powerful Drakes.¡±


    ¡°Why would he turn on his masters like that?¡± I asked sceptically, finding it difficult to believe that a soldier raised from birth could so easily betray everything they were raised to believe in.


    Edmund shrugged apologetically, ¡°Sorry Majesty, but I don¡¯t know, and he isn¡¯t telling.¡±


    Fesk returned with all the arrows and laid them out on the table before standing aside with the same impassive expression he had maintained throughout.


    After about twenty minutes of demonstrations and basic instruction on the theory of archery, a soldier entered the shooting range with an, unfortunately, small looking recurve bow. I could tell it was magic just by looking at it, but I still couldn¡¯t help but feel a little confused.


    [Bow of the Outrider: Provides minor {Healing} to a {Bound} {Mount} with each enemy slain. (Special Ability) Bind Mount: Designate a willing or {Enslaved} {Beast} as a mount. Increases the rank of the {Class Ability} if already known.]


    The utility of the magical Abilities wasn¡¯t bad, but it wasn¡¯t what I was expecting either. Thinking about it a little, I realised that this was most likely another roundabout way of positioning me farther from immediate harm. Either that or it was to encourage me to keep the giant murder lizard close for my protection.


    ¡°Let me assure you Majesty, there has not been a mistake. More powerful magical weapons and armour can be resized by channelling mana through them over a short period of time,¡± Edmund explained hastily while accepting the bow and bowstring from the soldier.


    [Heartstring: Inflicted injuries from projectiles apply {Fatigue} and {Exhaustion}. Stored MP charges projectiles to apply additional {Bleed}. (0/100)]


    The bowstring in particular held my attention as I immediately recognised it for what it was. Heartstring was a Labyrinth key. The fact that they were giving it to me now after having all but begged for the use of a key to secure the Hurst Labyrinth meant that they probably couldn¡¯t identify the keys for what they were. In other circumstances that might be an advantage. However, the fact that the Asrusians might be sitting on a stockpile that could put everything we had worked for at risk was a sobering thought.


    ¡°I need to speak with the Colonel,¡± I demanded urgently, ¡°NOW!¡±


    The soldier facilitating the delivery looked surprised and took a moment to react, ¡°Majesty!¡± He saluted and hurried out of the shooting range.


    Edmund was just as surprised as the soldier, reinforcing my opinion that the Asrusians had no idea that they had just given me a key, or at least the piece of one.


    Fesk showed no signs of reacting one way or the other.


    After ten minutes, the Colonel arrived with his small retinue of senior and junior officers in tow. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Taking the Colonel aside, I quietly explained the situation and expressed my concerns.


    Thankfully, the Colonel appeared to share those concerns and promised to speak with the Regent in person about additional security measures. Which I hoped meant that they would be consulting Jacque since she would be the only ally besides myself who could presumably identify them.


    Returning to my archery lesson, I tried to focus on following Edmund¡¯s advice and put the potentially cataclysmic oversight of the Labyrinth key out of mind. Just as he had claimed, channelling mana into the bow and string caused it to gradually adjust in scale, and after reaching what I assumed was the right size, it stopped. It was a shame that securing correctly sized arrows were going to be more difficult.


    Edmund promised to have arrows prepared by tomorrow, but in the meantime he had me practice stringing and unstringing the bow. It turned out for the best since despite appearing quite simple my beaded loincloth downgraded a number of potentially painful failures into mere embarrassments.


    Once I had the hang of it and could reliably string and unstring the bow, I made myself a sling from some rope and practised hurling stones at the targets.


    After three hours of practice, I hadn¡¯t managed to hit a single target. I had managed to knock over a few of the targets by displacing the ground around them, but that was all.


    All the same, Edmund showed no signs of disappointment or contempt, promising instead to change the layout of the range in order to enhance my training.


    I took a short break and Fesk set about retrieving any stones that could be thrown a second time.


    Expecting Edmund to bring the targets closer or draw them closer together, I felt a little angry when I noticed what he was actually doing.


    Under Edmund¡¯s direction, barricades and trenches were added to the shooting range. The targets were spread out in positions that gave them the most cover, even going so far as to hide some of them from sight.


    ¡°You are thinking about your contribution all wrong Majesty,¡± Edmund explained supportively, ¡°If you will excuse the comparison, your Majesty is basically a mobile siege engine. You don¡¯t need to hit anyone in order to be effective, you just need to come close to make them piss themselves.¡±


    There was a certain logic to what Edmund was saying. Even though I was by no means so incredibly large that I took the role of artillery, there was still enough of a size and the mass difference that already lethal projectiles would take on a whole new element of terror when rescaled for my use.


    After the archery range was renovated, I tried to keep a more grounded set of expectations. Which was just as well, because I wasn¡¯t showing any real improvement. A few dummies had been wiped out by flying debris from the barricades, but nothing I could claim had been accomplished deliberately.


    Wanting to shake things up a little bit, I tried hurling a handful of smaller stones in hopes of emulating the equivalent of grapeshot. Unfortunately, the cover provided by the barricades soaked the majority of the impacts while the others went wide. Eventually, the barricades became sufficiently compromised to allow the scattershot to begin hitting the dummies. It would have been cause for a morale boost if it hadn¡¯t taken so long and required functionally leaning into the skid. I was only hitting the dummies because I was deliberately sacrificing accuracy, which largely defied the point of the exercise in the first place.


    ¡°I will personally ensure that an excess of arrows will be available for tomorrow''s instruction, Majesty,¡± Edmund promised while filling out a form.


    My enthusiasm was all but gone, so I just nodded and began heading for my quarters. I was so focused on my failures that I didn''t notice Fesk¡¯s presence until I was lifting the cloth curtain that served as my door.


    Behaving just the same as he had at the archery range, Fesk stared at me without expectation, anticipation or malice. In his arms was the magical bow and bowstring. Reacting to my shift in focus, Fesk held out his arms to offer the items.


    Rather than taking them from him, I motioned for Fesk to enter and then followed him inside. ¡°You can put them down by the table,¡± I ordered dismissively while unbuckling my armour.


    Fesk silently obeyed, giving Shady a wide berth.


    On the verge of evolving, Shady was a little larger than a full-grown tiger and curled up beside a small brazier in the middle of the room. Seemingly dozing, I could see him watching Fesk through barely opened eyelids.


    After stripping my armour, I ducked outside to make sure Ushu was behaving himself. I hadn¡¯t felt any challenges from him at all throughout the day and it had me a little worried.


    For his part, Ushu seemed to be in a deep sleep, so I left him alone.


    Reentering my room I was surprised to find Shady rolling on the floor like a kitten while Fesk vigorously scratched the giant cat¡¯s belly.


    Fesk stopped shortly after realising I had returned, standing himself back up and determinedly ignoring the none too subtle prompts from Shady to continue.


    ¡°There is a brush on the table if you are so inclined,¡± I informed him, pointing to a makeshift table down the far end of the room.


    Fesk bowed at the waist and made his way over to the indicated table with Shady in tow.


    Confident that Fesk would be far easier to defeat in a challenge than Ushu, I didn¡¯t pay him much mind while I set out a simple dinner of preserved meat and freshwater. Better varieties of food were now available with a portal guaranteeing a supply line, but I didn''t really feel up to making anything complicated or bothering someone else to do it on my behalf.


    Setting aside a brace of pickled sausages for Shady on the back of the shield that served as his plate, I briefly considered reading the language primer the Regent had sent as a gift, but ultimately didn¡¯t feel up to it.


    Settling down beneath a large canvas sheet that served as my blanket, I thought of Lash and worried whether she was alright. I was worried for the others as well, but not in the same way. Tobi, Emelia and Clarice were all badly injured, and awaiting treatment from Ophelia and Orphiel. Nadine was very likely still...


    I blinked. Reviewing people''s information had become something of a second habit, and I immediately noticed that Nadine¡¯s information had changed.


    *


    It was an accident, but I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Nadine!¡± Crouching on my knees I pulled her in close for a hug.


    ¡°Tim? What? Where?...¡± Nadine sounded confused, ¡°I am wearing armour?¡±


    After a few moments, Nadine began to pull away and I let her go. She had never looked better, very clearly in the peak of health. Similar to Ophelia, Nadine was wearing a form-fitting plate and boiled leather armour that maximised her range of motion while providing as much protection as possible.


    ¡°Sorry, Nadine...I didn¡¯t mean to summon you...I just needed to confirm you were alright...¡± I tried to explain.


    Nadine remained silent for a good minute while taking in her surroundings, ¡°Where are we?¡± She asked nervously while eyeing Fesk and Shady.


    ¡°The Mournbrent Labyrinth,¡± I answered honestly, ¡°This is the former Foothold of the first floor.¡±


    Nadine froze for a moment and then gave me her undivided attention, ¡°No one would tell me where you had gone,¡± she explained a little agitatedly, ¡°Just that you were hunting down ¡®the Liche¡¯ in order to keep Sanctuary safe.¡± It was hard to make out Nadine¡¯s expression beneath her helmet, but it was obvious that she was upset. Balling her fists Nadine looked down towards the floor, ¡°I...I Don¡¯t blame you, Tim...¡± She stated quietly, ¡°After What that thing did to Emelia...to Clarice...¡± Nadine¡¯s voice broke and she lifted her hand to cover her mouth, ¡°But this isn¡¯t going to make them whole again, you''re just going to get yourself killed!¡±


    ¡°The Liche¡¯s spells didn¡¯t work on me,¡± I countered stiffly, choosing to ignore the handful of times I had recklessly placed my life in danger and almost died.


    ¡°Those spells,¡± Nadine emphasised, ¡°Didn¡¯t work on you,¡± she countered, ¡°A monster that powerful, with Class levels, has to have a couple of dozen Abilities at least!¡±


    ¡°AND ONE OF THEM LETS HER POP INTO SANCTUARY WHENEVER SHE FEELS LIKE IT!¡± I snarled in agreement, ¡°I can¡¯t, I won''t! Just sit back and wait for that thing to kill even more people!¡±


    Nadine staggered back a step as if she had been struck, ¡°I...I didn¡¯t know that...¡± She admitted quietly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Tim, I should have known you wouldn¡¯t just run off like that...¡±


    A long awkward silence passed between us and I could feel the small amount of mana binding this summoned copy of her beginning to unravel.


    ¡°Lash misses you Tim, and I know she won¡¯t admit it, but she is scared,¡± Nadine sounded tired, defeated, ¡°Just...Don¡¯t get yourself killed, alright?¡±


    Nadine disappeared before I could make a reply. However, the immense guilt and anxiety I felt left little room for logical reparte anyway.


    *


    All curves and plated iron, Lash appeared in the space Nadine had just left. Slightly taller than when I had last seen her, it was Lash¡¯s swollen belly that drew the majority of my attention. Covered in a large rounded plate, I couldn¡¯t help but reach for her belly all the same.


    *


    Lash pushed free her helmet and stared at me with surprise, numbly pressing my hand against the armoured plate protecting her belly, ¡°Is a dream?¡± She asked uncertainty while sniffing the air and twitching her ears.


    I shook my head and tried to find my voice as I looked deeply into her amethyst eyes.


    ¡°Is safe?¡± Lash asked warily, protectively wrapping her arms over her armoured belly.


    I nodded, ¡°For you at least,¡± I tried to explain.


    Lash seemed to consider my words for a moment before giving me a soft smile and leaning in close to nuzzle against my neck, ¡°Miss you,¡± Lash whispered in my ear.


    ¡°I miss you too,¡± I wrapped my arms around Lash¡¯s armoured back and hugged her gingerly while trying not to put pressure on her belly.


    Lash chuckled and nibbled playfully at the scar on my neck and shoulder before pulling away and stripping off more of her armour.


    Fesk saw himself out or was seen out by Shady. It was difficult to tell who was leading whom.


    Helping Lash down onto the most comfortable section of my straw bed, I settled down next to her and felt more alive than I had in days. Just being able to hold her again, to smell the scent of her hair, feel her taut muscles...


    Having spent more mana than I intended, I fought hard to ward off exhaustion and spend as much time with Lash as possible. The fact that she wasn¡¯t truly here was relevant. Wrapping my arms around her protectively, I gradually fell asleep with Lash¡¯s belly cradled safely between us.


    Waking up early, I felt a surge of panic upon realising Lash was gone. It wasn¡¯t until my sleep-addled brain recalled that I had Summoned her that I began to calm down. In the wake of the panic, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and determination.


    At some point during the night, Fesk and Shady had returned and settled down to sleep by the brazier.


    After warming some breakfast, I donned my armour and began making my way to the archery range with Fesk and Shady in tow.


    Edmund had kept to his word and had a selection of large arrows to choose from. Broadheads for haemorrhaging an enemy to death, winged arrowheads to anchor it in their flesh, wedge tipped for piercing armour plates, needle-tipped for penetrating mail, and lastly the traditional triangle-headed arrow as a general all-rounder.


    ¡°Just focus on drawing and loosing as I showed you, Majesty,¡± Edmund insisted encouragingly, ¡°Accuracy will come with practice and familiarity. It is important that you go through the motions and become comfortable with the idea of taking only a split second to aim.¡±


    I nodded to show I understood and loaded my hip quiver with traditional arrows. The barricades from yesterday were gone, replaced with targets placed at staggered distances.


    After a few hours of clumsily sending arrows downrange and missing the closest target by almost comical degrees, I took a short break to allow my arms, chest and back to recover. While munching on a snack of dried salted meat, I vaguely recalled a documentary on the hundred-year war. It mentioned how the English longbowmen were required to train from six or seven years old, and that it visibly altered the bone structure of their shoulders and back. Rolling my sore shoulders, I was no longer sceptical of the claims.


    It was something of a given at this point that Iron Gut facilitated accelerated recovery in just about all forms. It was also something of a fitness cheat. So long as food was available to facilitate the accelerated recovery and someone was willing to tolerate the discomfort and pain, it was possible to visibly develop and build muscle in real-time. This was important because I could feel underused muscles being shored up and adapting to purpose. It was no wonder Ogres were considered to be so terrifying. It also explained why the Asrusians insisted on Iron Gut being chosen as the aura for every Settlement.


    After giving Fesk enough time to retrieve a number of arrows, I returned to practising in relative silence.


    Besides occasionally calling out a correction to my stance or draw technique, Edmund was content to watch me continue sending arrows down the range.


    I was no more accurate than before, but the strain of drawing and firing the bow had grown considerably easier to bear.


    Taking another break after a few more hours, I wondered how long it would take before I would begin showing signs of progress. I was still unable to hit a target at fifty feet.


    As tempted as I was to switch to using my sling, I stuck it out and continued practising with the bow. Despite my hopes that I would be rewarded by hitting the target, it simply wasn¡¯t to be. However, I did show some small amount of improvement, I was no longer sending arrows quite so wide of the target. If I kept at it, I might manage to hit the target in a week and hit it consistently in a month.


    Taking a final rest while Fesk set about the daunting task of retrieving the hundreds of arrows that had gone wide of the target. Edmund had a small work detail to clean the arrows Fesk retrieve and store them away for next time.


    Despite having done nothing besides warm himself by a brazier in the archery range all day, Shady somehow gave off an air of profound tiredness all the same.


    Upon returning to my dwelling, Fesk lit the brazier and Shady settled himself down for another nap.


    Ushu was still in a self-induced recovery coma so I decided to leave him be.


    While taking a mental tally of Ushu¡¯s diet, I realised that I hadn¡¯t seen Fesk eat anything over the past two days.


    Already quite lithe and sinewy of build, Fesk¡¯s complexion made it even more difficult to determine his condition. However, after observing him for a few minutes, I was convinced that Fesk was in the early stages of starvation.


    ¡°Eat,¡± I insisted and held a brace of pickled sausages in front of his face.


    Fesk bowed his head and accepted the sausages. Doing as he was told, Fesk began gnawing at the edge of one of the sausages. Far from the ravenous hunger, I would have anticipated of a starving man, Fesk ate with almost detached indifference.


    A quick glance at Fesk¡¯s status confirmed his HP was in fact full, but it was lower than I otherwise would have expected given his alleged elite status. It wasn¡¯t until I began skimming through his status in its entirety that I believed I had found the source of the problem.


    [(Racial Ability: Unto Death): Reduces penalties from negative {Conditions} while following orders and {Commands}. Damage taken while acting under orders and {Commands} is reduced.]


    I grimaced and turned my attention back to Fesk, ¡°Strip to your underclothes,¡± I ordered while bracing myself against the worst.


    Fesk obeyed, shedding his padded cloth armour and immediately losing a third or more of his total mass.


    Sinewy was the most positive way of describing the Thrall¡¯s build. An odd blend of defined muscle and emaciation that reminded me of crucifixes, it was clear to me that Fesk had almost no body fat whatsoever. Worse still, his body was littered with scars. Some were red and raw, while many more were differing degrees of pale white.


    Fesk¡¯s empty stare made it painfully obvious that his state of starvation was no accident, he was trying to kill himself.


    ¡°Fesk, you are required to eat meals of sufficient size to keep yourself healthy,¡± I ordered in a level tone.


    Fesk narrowed his eyes ever so slightly in response before bowing his head.


    I sent a patrolling soldier to have spare clothes and armour delivered for Fesk, and sent a message to the Colonel to have the Surgeons inspect the Thralls for malnutrition and starvation.


    Sending a mental command to the other Thralls along the same lines as I had for Fesk, I felt a few flickering challenges confirming my concerns. With the Thralls under my control and a plan for their ¡®rehabilitation¡¯ already in progress, the possibility of an existing command or order driving them to suicide under my ¡®care¡¯ was sickening.


    When the new clothes arrived, I had Fesk dress himself and then pointed to his new belt, ¡°You are going to eat and exercise until you fit the fourth loop of that belt with an empty stomach, understood?¡±


    Fesk nodded.


    While it was convenient to lay the blame for Fesk¡¯s attempted starvation at the hands of the Vampyrs, for whatever reason, it didn¡¯t strike me as being the truth. However, limited to asking yes or no questions, there was only a limited capacity to get the truth out of Fesk himself.


    Waving down another patrolling soldier, I had a message sent to Edmund this time, making it known that I wanted to know as much about Fesk as could be uncovered. To immediately turn on his masters the moment he was free of control, there had to be more to it than casual cruelty or other Thralls would have done the same.


    Fesk was diligently, if somewhat reluctantly, working his way through the brace of sausages I had given him earlier.


    Deciding that the malnourished Thrall would need more than just sausages to return to peak health, I made a trip to the quartermaster and left with a half dozen crates of fresh vegetables and a barrel of flour in addition to a large cooking pot and large bowls.


    Making a stew from some of the vegetables and a few handfuls of salted jerky for flavour, I left it to simmer over the brazier and doggedly renewed my attempts at progress through the language primer. More akin to an advanced picture book, finding a grip on the written language was difficult due to words being spelt entirely differently than I was used to, causing my preconceptions to get in the way far more often than not.


    All the same, I could feel a distant method to the madness and kept at it, occasionally stirring the stew to break the sensation of squeezing my brain through a tiny keyhole.


    Serving out the stew, I made sure to watch Fesk closely until his second bowl was empty.


    Keeping the remaining stew for an easy breakfast, I left Fesk to his own devices and set about making my bedding more comfortable so I could study more comfortably.


    While I was tempted to Summon Lash again so we could spend some time together, I was worried that the environment of the Mournbrent Labyrinth would negatively influence her health or that of our unborn child. It took the better part of an hour to shake the memory of the cracked, withered and weeping eggs the Liche had left in its wake.


    I decided to take an early night instead.


    The better part of a week passed more or less with the same routine.


    In contrast to my mediocre progress in archery, Fesk had shown significant improvement in his recovery. Now possessing the build I had assumed he had in the first place, Fesk¡¯s padded armour gave him a similar physique to most of the younger female Asrusian soldiers. Favouring flexibility and a compact build over the bulging biceps and barrel-chestedness that the younger men strained for in private training.


    I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. Many of the Thralls appeared to have a similarly slim build regardless of their sex, making it seem like a genetically expressed trait of their Species. In fact, given that the Thralls were created by the Vampyrs, I realised that the slimmer Thralls like Fesk were, most likely, second-generation or greater while the outliers were almost certainly those converted by the Vampyrs.


    Ushu had finally awoken and was positively itching for battle, and as his lug would have it, the Vampyr commanders were on the verge of attempting another major offensive.


    Both sides had been probing each other with scouts for the better part of the morning, skirmishing at a distance while trying to provoke the other into making a move. In possession of a well-entrenched position, the Colonel apparently felt no need to take the bait and just needled the enemy commander right back.


    Having witnessed this exchange a couple of times already, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before hordes of shambling undead would be unleashed towards the outermost defences to serve as a buffer for ranks of Thrall infantry and weaker Vampyrs hoping to prove themselves and achieve some sort of advancement.


    Curiously, the elite undead such as the Blood Wights were no longer deployed in the conflict. This was odd since I would have thought the Vampyrs themselves would be considered more valuable.


    With the assistance of Fesk and a small team of soldiers, we fitted Ushu¡¯s saddle and stocked it with ammunition. After all the hours of practice, I wanted to at least fire a few arrows in an actual combat situation.


    Fesk had a bow of his own and seemed fully capable of keeping his footing in spite of the significant swaying of Ushu¡¯s saddle.


    Riding Ushu out of the existing wall of defences, we headed out towards what was shaping up to be the front lines.


    Settling down four trench lines back from the outermost defences, I could feel Ushu¡¯s mounting excitement as the first Zombies and Skeletons began shambling out of the distant fog. Crypt Stalkers skulked in the midst of the horde, an unusual addition in recent days. The cowardly undead were faster and more nimble than the Skeletons and Zombies, but they fared poorly in open combat.


    The best I could figure was that the enemy was making the most of locally available assets in the hopes of grinding the local Asrusian garrison into submission through sheer attrition. But that didn¡¯t make sense unless...


    ¡°Unless they are waiting for allies of their own to turn the war in their favour...¡± Speaking the words aloud, I felt a chill settle in the pit of my stomach. Far from a tactical genius myself, I could only hope that the Colonel could provide an alternate explanation once I sought him out after the battle.


    *****


    Accepting the transcribed orders from his aide, Captain Samson couldn¡¯t help but frown. After delaying the enemy for just over a week, his planned retreat had been denied at what was basically the last minute, replaced with orders to hold until further notice.


    Even with the enhancements made to his men, they were so severely outnumbered that it would hardly make a difference. Laine city would make a much better location to stage a final defence. With fresh supplies secured from the Laine Labyrinth and the thick sturdy walls of the city, it would be possible for them to hold near indefinitely against all but the most dedicated siege.


    The empire had brought many slaves, but few siege engines, and the majority of their soldiers and officers were inexperienced. The only true advantage they held was in their sheer numbers and pigheaded stubbornness to try and solve just about every problem by throwing more slaves at it.


    ¡°Cancel the retreat,¡± Samson hissed to his second in command, making every effort to keep the irritation and anger from his voice.


    ¡°There is another message Captain,¡± the aide stated quietly, ¡°But it is top secret.¡±


    Captain Samson frowned and accepted the message device. Waiting until the aide left the room, he then transmitted his personal code to identify that he was in fact the one on this end of the connection. After correctly answering a number of challenges to his identity, Samson was informed that the preceding order came from the Lord Regent himself and that Captain Samson was to expect the arrival of a VIP who was to be personally escorted to the Laine Labyrinth under the heaviest possible guard.


    Grimacing, Captain Samson accepted his orders. As much as he loathed the idea of his men dying so a wealthy merchant or influential noble could escape the fighting, orders were orders. He took some small consolation in the fact that the defence of Laine did not rely upon him alone. His fellow Captains would already be headed to the city and shoring up the defences under the supervision of Colonel Patrick.


    The town was already empty save for the soldiers under his command, and the scorched earth directive had been abundantly clear in emphasising leaving nothing behind for the enemy to make use of. This of course now presented a problem since they were now required to stay longer than they had planned for.


    Many buildings that could have been used as strategic bottlenecks and shelter were now mounds of rubble and kindling waiting to be set alight. With no way of reversing what had been done already, the best they could manage was to make the most of what was left.


    The news of their retreat being delayed was already having a negative effect on morale.


    Despite the still unexplained quest system providing on-demand supplies in the field, and the conversion of soldiers into ascendant beings that could evolve like the Labyrinths monsters, being denied a tactical withdrawal at the last moment was always a bitter draft to swallow.


    With the enemy due for reinforcements, Samson sincerely hoped that the VIP would be arriving sooner rather than later.


    Making a point of being seen and speaking with his junior officers, Samson implied but refused to outright admit that they were still going to retreat from the town. Impressing on the rank and file via proxy that the situation was just as likely to change again at a moment''s notice,


    Allowing additional rations to be taken from the redemption quest as a move to improve morale, Captain Samson watched the enemy releasing their contingent of slaves from their shackles and whip them into a battle line beneath the afternoon sun.


    Mostly comprised of low-tier monsters in cheap armour, the five-hundred or so slaves were all directly under the Command of a cabal of Slavers. By Enslaving the monsters directly, it ensured that the Asrusian army was denied the ability to scavenge Slave Collars and send monsters of their own back at them. Not that they were allowed to since the Lord Regent amended the rules of engagement.


    ¡°READY ARROWS!!¡± The Sergeants barked up and down the wall.


    The soldiers on the wall did as they were told and nocked their arrows in preparation to fire.


    The ragged formations of Enslaved monsters began trudging towards the wall.


    ¡°CEASE FIRE!!! STAND DOWN IN THE NAME OF THE LORD REGENT!!!¡± An authoritative voice demanded, drawing all eyes towards the crumbling remains of one of the evacuated merchant manor houses and the Ranger that was now sprinting towards Captain Samson. Through use of an Ability Samson was not familiar with, the Ranger suddenly disappeared in a burst of black smoke only to appear right in front of him.


    ¡®


    Fearing an assassination, Samson reached for his sword but paused in confusion as the ranger hurriedly took a knee and held up a writ of identification bearing the royal seal.


    ¡°Captain Samson!¡± In spite of the sprint, the Ranger¡¯s voice was crisp and clear, ¡°By the order of the Lord Regent, Francis Asrus, you and your men are to treat Tim of Sanctuary with the utmost respect and civility at all times. Failure to do so will result in demotion to a penal platoon and redeployment. As a member of high royalty, you are to refer to him as Highness, Majesty or by similar affectation of deference unless explicitly told otherwise,¡± the Ranger paused for a moment and looked up to he could fix Samson with a menacing glare, ¡°If at any point yourself or one of your men makes the fatal mistake of referring to his Imperial Highness as an Ogre, the perpetrator will be charged with high treason and summarily executed,¡± the Ranger purred, his eyes flashing menacingly, ¡°Are the Lord Regent¡¯s orders understood?¡±


    Captain Samson slowly nodded.


    A number of things were suddenly making sense. Somehow, the Lord Regent had managed to ally the kingdom with a distant empire, and for whatever reason, perhaps teleportation failure or something similar, had resulted in said Emperor requiring...


    Captain Samson¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock as a hulking heavily armoured giant began lumbering down the street towards them. Almost as tall as the few remaining buildings, he was impossible to miss, so the fact that he had infiltrated the town without being spotted did not bode well. Even more strangely, there was an Asrusian soldier and a large black feline following a half step behind him.


    ¡°His Imperial Highness, Tim of Sanctuary,¡± the Ranger explained with a hard edge of warning in his tone and a hand on the hilt of a dagger.


    Captain Samson could only stare, frozen into inaction as the giant and its escort drew closer.


    This wasn¡¯t right, it couldn¡¯t be. The Lord Regent had made an alliance with a powerful nation to save the realm, to ally with monsters was madness.


    The giant stopped just shy of the wall, and in spite of the height advantage the wall afforded him, Samson was very nearly on eye level with him and was terrified by the determined and intelligent gaze hidden beneath the giant¡¯s helmet. ¡°You will not fire upon the slaves,¡± he demanded coldly, ¡°Do as you wish with the others.¡±


    As if to punctuate his point, horns signalling the call to battle began sounding from the enemy camp.


    ¡°I was told-¡± Samson noticed the glare from the Ranger, ¡°-Majesty, that your safety was my primary concern. Would it not be more prudent to retreat and leave the burning town as a distraction?¡±


    ¡°I am not leaving without them,¡± the giant replied bluntly


    Samson frowned and glanced towards the Ranger, hoping that he would provide some form of clarification.


    The ranger simply stared back with an almost mocking air about him.


    ¡°Pass the order along,¡± Captain Samson relented, ¡°No firing on the slaves.¡±


    The gathered Lieutenants and Sergeants nodded grimly and began hurrying away to inform the rank and file.


    Watching the enemy take formation outside of bow range, Captain Samson felt his stomach clench as he was proven right and the enemy stayed true to form by amassing a horde of slaves ahead of their core forces. Predominantly composed of weaker monsters, there were a number of humans as well, but all of them were under the control of Slavers and their assigned Taskmasters.


    The northern Empire never used Slave Collars in military operations. It was a basic form of resource denial to prevent their enemies from salvaging and using the Collars against them. It also made the expenditure of slaves considerably cheaper.


    Wearing nothing but filthy rags, or even nothing at all, the slaves began stiffly marching towards them accross open ground, carrying crude ladders intended to allow the soldiers behind them to scale the town wall.


    The enemy infantry and archers maintained a rather significant distance from the Slaves, no doubt wanting to make absolutely certain that the slaves would be the ones doing as much of the fighting and dying as possible.


    The giant shifted his attention towards the Ranger, ¡°You said the Slavers would have bodyguards protecting them in the camp?¡±


    The Ranger nodded respectfully, ¡°Yes Majesty.¡±


    ¡°And that they are the most likely to be Variants?¡± The giant continued.


    ¡°Indeed Majesty,¡± the Ranger agreed.


    ¡°Take some men, and make sure they have the best chance at escape,¡± the giant ordered.


    ¡°As you command Majesty!¡± The Ranger turned to Captain Samson with a predatory grin, ¡°Captain, by the authority vested in me by the Lord Regent, I am commandeering a dozen of your Scouts.¡± Without waiting for any form of response, the Ranger jogged unerringly towards the supply train where the Scouts were waiting to serve as the vanguard for the retreat.


    When the slaves were not fired upon, it seemed to throw the enemy commander off on his timing or perception of distance. Instead of charging once they entered the range of the Asrusians bows, they continued stiffly marching at the same pace. Nearly a full half of the distance between the enemy camp and the town was covered before the Slaves began transitioning into a staggering jog.


    With the Slaves now at the base of the wall and clattering their ladders into position, Captain Samson drew his sword and prepared for the worst. But nothing happened.


    Peering cautiously over the wall, Captain Samson was surprised to see the slaves were all standing motionless.


    Cries of pain began echoing over the field from the advancing ranks of the enemy and from the more distant enemy camp.


    ¡°Let...them...in...¡± The giant growled.


    Slaves began weakly trailing around the wall and towards the gate, some even knocked over the ladders on their way past.


    ¡°What?-¡± Captain Samson felt the breath catch in his throat as he saw fresh blood dribbling down the giant¡¯s breastplate.


    ¡°LET...THEM...IN!!!¡± The giant repeated angrily, his hot breath thick with the scent of blood.


    Taking the initiative, Lieutenant Mayer ran off towards the gate.


    ¡°ENEMY INFANTRY IN RANGE! FIRE!!!¡± Bellowed a Sergeant from further down the wall and was answered by a scattered hail of loosed arrows. ¡°FIRE AT WILL!!!¡± The Sergeant bellowed, this time earning a chorus of affirmations from up and down the wall as Archers and other soldiers began firing arrows into the disorganised ranks of the enemy infantry.


    Expecting the enemy to regroup and retreat under a shield wall, Captain Samson could only watch in silent incredulity as the enemy infantry and archers scattered, running around like headless chickens. Scanning the field for enemy officers, he was surprised to find no sign of them. That was until he began looking amongst the dead littering the field. Although he couldn¡¯t be sure, Samson was fairly certain he could see the imperial purple cloak of the enemy commander amidst a small pile of other bodies.


    With the slaves now pouring into the town, Samson was forced to let the mystery slide for the time being.


    ¡°Give them food and water!¡± The giant barked hoarsely while making his own way towards the supply train.


    Lieutenant Mayer began barking orders of his own, directing the soldiers guarding the supply train to distribute food water and clothing to the slaves.


    The giant stiffly sat himself down by the gate and removed his helmet to reveal thick trails of blood running from his eyes, nose and ears.


    His throat suddenly quite dry, Captain Samson looked back out over the wall towards the fluttering purple cloak of the enemy commander. Even though he wasn¡¯t precisely sure how, Captain Samson couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that somehow the giant had managed to murder the enemy commander and seize control over their slaves in one fell swoop.


    The very idea filled him with dread as he considered the possibilities and was reminded of the Ranger¡¯s rude but thorough warnings. Captain Samson could now understand why the Lord Regent was so determined to keep the giant appeased. As valuable as an ally the giant may be, he would make a terrifying enemy.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 41 – Cause for violence – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 41 ¨C Cause for violence ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 41 - Cause for violence - Part One


    Leaving the town behind and marching along the seemingly endless paved road, I was given plenty of time alone with my own thoughts and the dull ache in my head. Having already recovered from the damage sustained in seizing control over so many Slaves at once by self-medicating with willow bark, the arrival of Gerard and the personal Slaves taken from the enemy camp had ignited a cold fury that amplified the pain all over again.


    If I was honest, truly honest, with myself, I had expected worse. However, that expectation had itself only been an abstract concept, and facing the reality was so much worse.


    Battered, bruised, scarred and staring with hollow eyes, the Slaves freed from the enemy camp now huddled beneath blankets in the emptied supply wagons. They were painful to look at, but looking away only filled that void with shame.


    Most of the former personal Slaves were human, mostly young women, but I had noticed a few young men as well. Three Elves, one female and two male, and a female Halfling I had originally mistaken for a short malnourished teen, kept to themselves, the only ones actively taking note of what was going on around them.


    The personal Slaves were the only ones bound by Slave Collars, and for the most part, they were the only ones who continued to test my control. Given their higher state of awareness, and their former experiences in Enslavement, I didn¡¯t blame them for it and did my best to avoid lashing out in reprisal for each prick of pain in my head.


    What surprised me most of all was Ushu¡¯s continued dormancy. There had been a very real chance that he would have been able to break my control if he had timed the attempt alongside my mass Enslavement of the enemy¡¯s army of Slaves. As best I could figure, Ushu had been and was most likely still in a deep state of stasis-like sleep. Not that I was complaining.


    While it worried me that the giant murder dino was left behind in the Mournbrent Labyrinth, the limitations of Gerard¡¯s teleportation item and the distance we had been required to traverse, made leaving Ushu behind the only real option. Even after leaving Ushu behind, Gerard had still only been able to deliver himself, Fesk and myself to a village that he insisted was only a few days from our original destination.


    Originally annoyed by the detour, I had since made my peace with it. Joining up with the Captain and his men had originally been intended so they could serve as our escort to the city of Laine. With the city projected to soon come under heavy siege, the Asrusians needed the city to be linked to Ril¡¯s network of gateways if they wanted any real hope of holding the city.


    Maintaining the advantage in Mournbrent¡¯s internal siege was dependent on the Liche¡¯s allies being kept at bay and the Asrusians at least maintaining relative parity in combat effectiveness to their enemies. With the Daemons protecting Lash and Sanctuary, Ril refusing to accept summons from anyone but myself, and my altogether unique position for countering the empire¡¯s slave heavy forces, my direct involvement was the only real option for the time being. However, once the Asrusians had conducted a thorough inventory of their royal treasures, perhaps that would change.


    With the very real possibility of the enemy army being close on their heels, the Captain elected to continue the march through the night.


    With physical fatigue being minimised through a combination of Synergies, the mental fatigue accumulated from the monotonous travel was a far more pressing concern.


    Marching until sometime past midnight, guards were set to keep watch for the enemy while the remaining soldiers made camp with limited assistance from the combat slaves. The sudden activity somewhat ironically brought the small army back to life as they shook off the accumulated mental fatigue.


    I opted to spend my own time making crude modifications to the supply wagons so they would provide better protection from the elements and a measure of collective privacy.


    I was pleasantly surprised when a pair of soldiers joined in and provided advice. Apparently having some degree of experience with jerry-rigging aid wagons for the wounded, they made nails and pegs from whittled branches and used simple hand drills to bore the necessary holes.


    After erecting simple wooden frames and tying on canvas to provide a fabric shell, the pair of soldiers surprised me further when they began spending their redemption points on bedrolls. The pair of soldiers laid out the bedrolls in such a way that they overlapped one another and provided a measure of padding for the sides and bed of the wagon. Lastly, they set aside a few bedrolls per wagon to be used as pillows, cushions or blankets.


    While the modifications were being made to the wagons, the combat slaves were given time to relieve themselves and wash with cold water.


    Aware of the possibility of Variants amongst the Slaves, I tried to think of ways to identify them instead of just by their appearance and sex. The best I could come up with was issuing a command for those who had parents, past or present, to identify themselves. However, even then, some Variants would slip through the cracks because of the fact that they were created by the Labyrinths in place of the generic clones.


    The more I thought about it, the more I realised that differentiating between the two was more akin to establishing an arbitrary line in sand. So long as the monster in question was capable of understanding the rule of law and willing to voluntarily obey those laws, then everything else was largely secondary.


    However, it was clear that not all species of monster would be able to make that transition without an intermediate step in between to acclimate them to a more modern rule of law. In the Labyrinths, all the clones understood and experienced was the rule of the strong, where the most powerful or most dangerous ruled through fear and violence. That needed to change.


    Even so, actively recruiting from the existing ¡®wild¡¯ populations of clones still seemed like it was asking for trouble. As is, rehabilitating and accepting so many freed slaves would introduce a whole mess of problems associated with the disproportionate ratio of men to women. Even accounting for interspecies coupling with the Asrusians, it wasn¡¯t going to be enough to offset the sheer number of male Slaves being fielded by the enemy.


    The Colonel¡¯s proposal to the Regent was somewhat callous, but ultimately the only real workable solution. Citizenship through military service. Originally intended for the captured Thralls, the principle worked slightly better for captured Slaves.


    At its most simple, the majority of male Slaves would be offered two choices, citizenship through military service, or peaceful resettlement on the designated floor of a Labyrinth assigned for that purpose. Slaves who chose resettlement would be free to form their own societies and live how they wished so long as they demonstrated no hostility towards the fortifications guarding the portals. Eventually, they would die of an injury, infighting, or old age, just as they would have done if they had not been Enslaved in the first place.


    The Colonel had been rather lenient in suggesting only five years of military service. Professional Asrusian soldiers signed on for ten years at a time, earning additional pensions for each time they reenlisted. The Slaves who chose military service would also be entitled to the proportionate pension, but I doubted it would prove much of a motivation for the overwhelming majority of Slaves until they had experience with currency-based transactions.


    Unfortunately, this all presented a rather unique problem. Controlling so many Slaves to ensure compliance during their adjustment period meant either mass production of Enslavement Collars, or trusted and honourable individuals deliberately taking the Slave taking Classes. Having only met a handful of people I would remotely consider trusting with that responsibility, it really didn¡¯t help that I didn¡¯t count myself amongst them.


    As the saying goes, power corrupts, and I had yet to witness or experience a power so profound and pervasive as that provided by the Labyrinths'' magically enforced Enslavement.


    I continued rehashing, discarding and then revisiting the same arguments over and over again while marching to the city. Ultimately, the solution I arrived at would require the Slavers themselves to submit to Enslavement in order to enforce an acceptable and moral code of behaviour. Not wanting, or trusting, myself with the responsibility, I had decided that leaning into the skid might be the better solution.


    Gric had proven himself an uncompromising and ruthless executor of the law, seemingly taking a great deal of personal fulfilment from exercising his authority to the fullest extent it allowed. What made the Daemon a viable option as a governing intermediary was that while Gric desired more authority and control, he made no attempts at securing through any other means than acknowledged merit from a superior. Given that I was Gric¡¯s only official superior in the chain of command, he could be trusted to rebuff all external requests to abuse the Enslavement for personal gain.


    After marching for almost two straight days across the hills, the road ahead began growing gradually steeper, winding up into a small mountain range. A sprawling city was built into the eastern slope of the smallest mountain and was divided by five huge walls. The largest of the walls was located at the base of the mountain and assuming my eyesight and sense of scale could be trusted, the gate was large enough that even Ushu could pass through with relative ease.


    As close as the city appeared to have been, we did not reach the gates until the early morning of the fourth day after leaving the village.


    Expecting to be hassled by the city guards or the soldiers stationed at the gates, I was surprised when the gates were opened in advance and that we were allowed to enter the lowest tier of the city uncontested. After passing through the gates, it didn¡¯t take long to realise why. The entire lower section of the city was one big kill zone.


    Completely devoid of all civilian structures, the road continued a winding path that doubled back on itself five times before reaching the next wall and gate. The lowest wall didn¡¯t have any stairs to allow access, so I could only assume that there were tunnels in the mountain that the soldiers used in order to gain access to the top of the wall.


    The Captain and his senior officers pushed ahead and were waiting alongside a Colonel and a handful of other Captains outside of the next gate.


    Aware that they were most likely waiting for me specifically, I left Fesk and Shady behind to keep an eye on the wagons.


    Without being asked, Gregory took it upon himself to accompany me. As the Regent¡¯s official representative, he had every reason to do so. However, I was fairly certain that Gregory was secretly hoping for another opportunity to break rank and exercise his authority on another unsuspecting officer.


    Choosing to ignore the nervous looks from the soldiers stationed on top of the wall, I directed my attention towards the Colonel and gathered officers. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Colonel and officers saluted at our approach and then all but the Colonel himself stood at attention.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Allow me to introduce myself, I am Colonel Patrick. It is my pleasure to welcome you to Laine city! We have been eagerly anticipating your arrival and have accommodations prepared so you may recuperate from your journey,¡± the Colonel gushed eagerly, his well-trimmed moustache twitching like a rabbit¡¯s whiskers, ¡°If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask!¡±


    I nodded noncommittally, ¡°The Regent has told you why I am here?¡± I guessed.


    The Colonel nodded cheerily, ¡°Yes, your Majesty, the Lord Regent¡¯s orders were quite clear that your mission is of the highest priority and that myself and those under my command are to provide you with the utmost support!¡± Despite his advanced age and use of a walking cane, the Colonel seemed positively brimming with energy and enthusiasm.


    ¡°Good,¡± I stated neutrally, ¡°I had originally intended to borrow the use of a hundred or so of your men in order to secure the Labyrinth. However, as I have recently obtained an adequate force of my own, I will only require a cadre of Scouts for reconnaissance duties,¡± I then nodded towards Gerard, ¡°The Regent¡¯s representative will require a detachment of men to place the inhabitants of the Adventurers Guild headquarters and first floor foothold under arrest in order to maintain operational security.¡±


    The Colonel¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise before furrowing maliciously, ¡°As you command your Majesty!¡± He declared happily, ¡°It will be our pleasure to see the disloyal blighters from the premises!¡± The Colonel turned to one of his Captains, ¡°Captain Fenix, be a good man and see to it that the Lord Regent¡¯s representative has enough men to carry out his duty!¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± The Captain saluted and smiled with malicious anticipation as he motioned towards the open gate and then fell into step alongside Gerard.


    Under any other circumstances, the creepy smiles on the officers'' faces would have been considerably more off-putting. However, having spent enough time around the Asrusian military, I was quite familiar with their dislike of the Adventurers Guild, whom they considered just shy of being traitors to the realm. After factoring in my own experiences with the guild, I was not overly keen on them either and could appreciate the sentiment.


    ¡°I need a space for my men to recuperate from their march while the Guild is dealt with,¡± I added, ¡°Assuming you have the space, I would prefer we weren¡¯t separated.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Majesty!¡± The Colonel exclaimed happily, ¡°Captain Samson made sure to make contact before your arrival and we have endeavoured to provide an adequate space for both yourself and your...er...host.¡± His cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment, ¡°Unfortunately, the only structures we could make available on short notice are storage warehouses located a short distance from here in the third ring of the city. But! I can assure you that every measure has been taken to make the accommodations as comfortable as possible!¡±


    It actually wasn¡¯t a bad solution, all things considered. Expecting buildings to accommodate my size was unrealistic, and getting upset over it would be petty.


    Accepting the Colonel¡¯s generosity, I waited for the wagons and slaves to catch up before allowing te Colonel and his officers to lead the way to the warehouses.


    True to his word, the warehouses weren¡¯t that far away and were located alongside one another.


    There were very few people out on the streets beside the squads of soldiers who appeared to be performing routine patrols.


    Considering that the civilians of the city had not yet been evacuated, it was strange for what I assumed was the low-income area of the city to be so empty.


    The warehouses were huge and even had enough clearance that I could stand without smacking my head on the rafters. The first warehouse had a couple of hundred cots laid out at even intervals across the floor and stacks of barrels and crates against the far wall. It looked incredibly similar to the homeless shelters or emergency disaster shelters I had seen in the United States depicted on T.V. With the additional amendment of a curtained off grate in the centre of the room that I could only assume was meant to serve as both toilet and shower facilities. Checking the second Warehouse revealed it was much the same, so I had the empire''s former combat slaves choose their own sleeping arrangement from between the cots of the two warehouses and then moved on to the third.


    A serious attempt had been made to convert a pair of low sided wagons into a large bed. Featuring an extremely large quilt amalgamated from a multitude of smaller quilts, and a feather pillow made from a half dozen regular-sized pillows, I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be impressed or find the method of upscaling amusing.


    A huge makeshift table had been formed from the flatbed of a wagon on stilts, and the accompanying chair was made from four large crates formed into a square and lashed together tightly with rope. They were both covered with deep blue dyed canvas, and someone had even attempted some rudimentary tailoring to add some small gatherings of stitched flowers.


    Unlike the other warehouses, this one also had a thoroughly nervous-looking chef, a half dozen of what I assumed were his apprentices, and three very large cast iron wood stoves.


    Allowing the soldiers to take the draft beasts from the wagons, I dragged the wagons into the third warehouse so I could keep a better eye on the Slaves resting within. Twenty-three in all, the slaves wouldn¡¯t take up much space, even after shifting in some of the cots to give them a more comfortable option.


    I was pleasantly surprised to find not just Fesk helping move cots without being asked, but also the pair of soldiers who had made the conversions for the wagons.


    ¡°Beggin yer pardon, Majesty,¡± the older of the pair apologised, ¡°But me an my brother¡¯s gran¡¯da were saved by a scaped slave, an¡¯ we think it only right we pay back a bit o¡¯what¡¯s owed.¡±


    The younger brother nodded determinedly, ¡°S¡¯right,¡± he agreed.


    Both brothers were tall and had a build that could be best described as beefy. Built like lumberjacks, they both had thick but shortly cropped ginger beards and pale green eyes. The older brother had a large crooked nose, while the younger¡¯s nose was somewhat smaller and flatter. Neither of them looked much older than twenty at the most, but their respective builds made it obvious that they were used to hard labour or had incredibly favourable genetics.


    ¡°You can stay,¡± I replied appreciatively, glad for the example of basic decency.


    The brothers seemed surprised. After glancing at one another, they both awkwardly attempted a rough approximation of a bow and then returned to work.


    ¡°See, jus¡¯ as da¡¯ says,¡± the younger brother whispered not so quietly, ¡°Do good¡¯n good¡¯ll get done.¡±


    ¡°Tha¡¯s not what it means,¡± the older brother grumbled back argumentatively, apparently oblivious that I could hear him just as well as his sibling.


    ¡°Bobby and Billy,¡± I muttered after a brief moment of concentration, ¡°Sounds about right.¡±


    ¡°Um, ah, excuse me?¡± A nervous voice quavered.


    I turned around and looked down.


    One of the chef¡¯s apprentices was nervously cowering a half dozen feet away and doing his best to attempt some semblance of eye contact from behind the safety of his raised apron.


    Glancing toward the stoves and seeing that the fires had been lit and the containers of raw ingredients had been opened, I could only assume the poor soul had been volunteered to ask me what I wanted for dinner. Most likely, he had the misplaced idea in his head that I would use the opportunity to select him, rather than a much more preferable sack of what looked like carrots.


    ¡°You want to know if I am ready to eat?¡± I stated rhetorically, ¡°Yes, I am, and I would like a hearty stew made from whatever the chef would recommend.¡±


    The chef¡¯s apprentice sighed with profound relief before tensing up again, ¡°And, uh, the quantity?...¡±


    ¡°Enough to feed three hundred and twenty-eight people,¡± I replied calmly.


    Shady yowled hungrily from where he was sunning himself outside.


    ¡°And a bucket of meat for the large cat outside,¡± I added, figuring it would be better for Shady to eat food better suited to his dietary requirements.


    The young chef¡¯s apprentice looked shocked for a moment before shakily bowing and retreating to the array of stoves.


    A short and very quiet argument ensued before the chef¡¯s apprentice returned, ¡°D-Did y-y-you s-say-¡± He stuttered fiercely, very nearly on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I interrupted loudly, removing my helmet and fixing the chef with a baleful glare.


    The chef¡¯s apprentice retreated, and the chef himself hurriedly got to work, hissing orders under his breath to his other apprentices.


    Opting to ignore the ensuing organised chaos of the improvised kitchen, I set about removing the rest of my armour and setting it all aside by the bed. While I wanted a quick washdown, the lack of immediate privacy made me think better of it for the time being.


    Instead, I waited until Bobby and Billy had finished moving enough cots and offered the slaves in the wagons the opportunity to rest with a greater amount fo space and comfort.


    The humans silently agreed, treating the offer as if it was a command and refusing to raise their eyes.


    The Elves were far less accepting of the offer and the diminutive Halfling was nowhere to be seen.


    The most confident of the three, or perhaps the bravest, stood protectively in front of the others. Badly scarred by burns on the right side of his head, face and neck, missing his right eye, ear and the hair on his right side, he glared defiantly up at me with his amber shaded left eye. ¡°I won¡¯t let you harm them,¡± he croaked hoarsely, his lips curling in anger and pain as he attempted to challenge my control.


    ¡°That was never my intention,¡± I replied honestly, ¡°While I do expect those who are sufficiently able-bodied to perform a service, freedom through one means or another is what I offer in exchange.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re...lying!¡± The Elf hissed through clenched teeth, his burned lips pulling taught and giving him also a rictus grin as blood began dribbling from his nose.


    Believing the Elf would kill himself if I didn¡¯t intervene, I removed the command that otherwise prevented him from attempting to take steps to cause me harm.


    Staggering the Elf clutched at the side of the wagon to steady himself. Then in a blur of motion, he leapt from the wagon and lunged towards my face with a sharpened piece of bone clutched in his left hand.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Fesk leap to his feet from outside the warehouse doors and draw a throwing knife from his belt.


    Fully aware that I wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge out of the way or otherwise intercept the Elf¡¯s attack, I gathered my mana Shadow Stepped four feet in a clockwise motion, interposing myself between Fesk¡¯s knife and the Elf.


    Watching the surprised elf sail past, and feeling the light impact of Fesk¡¯s knife on my back, I took a half step back and planted my foot on the small blade to keep it out of reach for the Elf. ¡°I told you, I have no intention of subjecting you to the same abuse you suffered at the hands of your former masters.¡±


    Breathing hard, the one-eyed Elf glared hatefully back at me and very suddenly disappeared.


    With every instinct in my brain screaming that danger was coming from above and that I needed to look up and face it, I instead closed my eyes and waited.


    Less than a half-second later, I felt a flash of pain as something hard hit my left eye and then scraped down my cheek. It was shortly followed by a blunt blow to my right ear and left cheek.


    Opening my eyes, I saw the one-eyed Elf landing on the ground in a ready combat stance and preparing to pounce. I uninvited Shady from my party.


    The Elf¡¯s eye widened in surprise as he leapt directly towards my waiting arms. However, overcoming his surprise, he twisted in the air with catlike grace delivering a kick to my chest and then used the momentum to propel himself out of reach.


    ¡°Fesk, don¡¯t interfere,¡± I ordered, just in time for the Thrall to stop at my side with a sword drawn at the ready. ¡°Stay with Shady,¡± I added more gently, making sure it wasn¡¯t an order, but just a suggested action.


    Fesk stared at the elf for a moment, then at me. Tilting his head slightly with an expression of curiosity, he sheathed his sword and slowly retreated.


    The Elf had now turned his attention towards the makeshift kitchen and was making a dash for the chef¡¯s knives.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to harm them,¡± I commanded bluntly, causing the Elf to stagger slightly before regaining his footing. They had already been protected by other similar commands, but the contingency for allowing self-defence, and a particularly frightened chef¡¯s apprentice wielding a deboning knife had provided a loophole.


    Snatching up a cleaver and a filleting knife, the Elf snarled at the frightened humans before stalking back towards me with hatred in his one remaining eye. ¡°Never...again!¡± He snarled, charging and ducking low to put himself at an uncomfortably low angle for potential retaliation.


    Knowing neither of the blades was a Primitive or Heavy weapon, I knew that my own Racial Ability Synergies would not work in his favour. Somewhat ironically, he would have been better off sticking with his fists and the bone shiv.


    ¡°Enough...¡± I sighed and reinitiated the command preventing him from attempting to harm me.


    Attempting to resist the command, the Elf staggered and collapsed to his knees as he attempted to keep hold of his pilfered knives. ¡°Nnng-ARGH!¡± The elf screamed in fury and pain as he struggled to his feet.


    ¡°Fesk, knock him out before he kills himself...¡± I sighed defeatedly while reinviting Shady to the party.


    A half-second later, Fesk materialised beside the Elf and laid him low with a solid blow to the head.


    ¡°Give the chef back his knives, I¡¯ll see what can be done with the Elf,¡± I lifted the Elf and began walking towards one of the open cots.


    ¡°P-Please...no...¡± A soft trembling voice called out quietly from the wagon.


    Shifting the one-eyed elf onto my shoulder, I looked back towards the wagon.


    The female Elf was struggling and being held back by the remaining male. Despite the former having the build of a teen gymnast and the latter the build of an olympian swimmer, the female Elf was barely being held back.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t...I¡¯ll d-do what y-you want...¡± She winced and began trying to lift her baggy tunic with trembling arms, ¡°J-Just d-don¡¯t..¡±


    My stomach turned in revulsion as I realised what was happening, ¡°STOP,¡± I commanded, ¡°Just...stop.¡± I took a minute to clear my head. ¡°I want you both to listen very carefully. I, do not, want, to, hurt, you. Why is that so hard to understand?¡±


    The pair of Elves stared back at me with distrustful eyes.


    Any faith in goodness and decency Bobby and Billy had brought back into my life swiftly evaporated.


    Turning my back on them, I laid the unconscious Elf down in a free cot and then commandeered a cooking pan to begin boiling some water. After boiling some willow bark, I seriously considered whether it would be a good idea to reduce the Elf¡¯s pain and risk him waking up sooner only to half kill himself by defying commands.


    After an intense internal moral debate, I waited for the willow infused water to cool and then had Fesk slowly feed the Elf roughly a half a cup while not drowning him in the process.


    Deciding to wait outside until the food was ready and get some distance from the Elves at the same time, I sat down in the sun beside Shady and absently scratched his head.


    Despite distancing myself from them, I still couldn¡¯t help but wonder if everything that had happened was because of how I looked, or because I was their Master. As best I could figure, it was almost definitely both.


    Thoroughly depressed, I tried to take my mind off things by looking at the buildings up and down the street. Most of the other buildings were smaller warehouses, but there were a few residential buildings as well, although most of them looked much shabbier than those on the main road.


    Close to an hour passed before I realised I wasn¡¯t alone. Besides Shady, the small Halfling was hiding in the space between the jammed open door and the warehouse''s outer wall. Sitting in the deepest shadows, her waist length raven black hair, and the muted tones of the cinched tunic serving as her dress, allowed her to almost completely disappear. If it weren¡¯t for my ability to see through certain degrees of darkness, I probably wouldn¡¯t have seen her at all.


    Deciding it would probably be best not to antagonise or stress her out, I gave Shady a final scratch behind the ears and then got to my feet in preparation to leave. Not sure where exactly I would go, I figured I would just wander the nearby streets for an hour or so before returning and taking a nap.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go...¡± The Halfling stated quietly, ¡°Not if you don¡¯t want to...¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid of me?¡± I asked bitterly, ¡°Afraid of what I might do?¡±


    The Halfling stared back at me with milky white eyes, ¡°No...¡± She answered and shook her head, ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I could have been lying,¡± I challenged, hesitantly, unsure why exactly I wanted the one person who believed me to change their mind.


    The halfing shook her head again, causing the loose tresses of her hair to fall over face, ¡°You don¡¯t sound like a liar...¡±


    It took me a few moments to realise that she was very likely severely visually impaired, or possibly even blind. Worse still, the minor scarring I could make out on her eyelids meant it was almost definitely the result of deliberately inflicted injury. Someone had blinded her on purpose.


    ¡°Is that food really for us?...¡± She asked quietly while sniffing her small pointed nose in the air, causing her hair to fall back away from her face again.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± I asked back, ¡°I thought you said I wasn''t a liar?¡±


    The halfling lowered her head and smiled faintly, ¡°You never said the food was for us...¡± She replied honestly, ¡°And you have fed us better than most already...¡±


    It hurt to hear that and I needed a moment to process it.


    ¡°Ah...I upset you....I¡¯m sorry...¡± She apologised.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I lied, ¡°It¡¯s fine...¡±


    The halfling tilted her head like a bird and revealed a small goblin-like ear. ¡°No...It isn¡¯t...¡± She countered quietly, ¡°But you don¡¯t have to talk to me if you don¡¯t want to...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this place...¡± I admitted, ¡°Every time I feel like I am getting a handle on things, that I can get over what I have done, what other people have done...A whole new mess of fucked up shit sweeps my legs out from underneath me and I begin drowning all over again...¡± I shook my head and laughed wryly at my fucked up metaphor and overdramatised problems. In the present company, it was like complaining about a cold to a terminal cancer patient.


    ¡°Drowning...¡± She murmured and nodded in approval, ¡°Two choices...Stop swimming...struggling...suffering...and you drown...Or don¡¯t...¡± She smiled faintly again.


    A long silence passed between us.


    ¡°You want to know how I managed to hide...Aren¡¯t you?...¡± The Halfling asked with a small smirk.


    I actually hadn¡¯t been, but that she brought it to my attention was just about all I could think about. ¡°How did you find your hiding place?¡±


    ¡°Shadows are cooler...¡± She replied simply, motioning to the surrounding darkness with one hand.


    She had a point. It wasn¡¯t all that inconceivable that she had navigated her way to a hiding place through a sense of touch alone.


    The halfling shifted on the spot slightly and looked towards Shady, ¡°Can I pet your cat?...¡±


    Taken off guard by the question, it took me a few moments to formulate an answer. ¡°Ah, sure, if you want. I¡¯m sure Shady won¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Shady...¡± The halfling silently got to her feet and walked over to Shady with what seemed like absolute confidence in her surroundings. ¡°He is a Shadowcat, isn''t he?¡±


    I nodded before managing to catch myself, ¡°Yes, he is,¡± I confirmed, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?...¡± She had begun gently rubbing Shady¡¯s side, ¡°It¡¯s what the Identifier says...¡± The Halfling replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Wait a minute...You can read?¡± I asked with surprise.


    She nodded and gently pushed back against Shady¡¯s head as he nuzzled against her.


    ¡°How? I thought you were...well...blind...¡± I felt like a jackass for pressing the issue, but my curiosity got the better of me. It was just too bizarre to leave unanswered.


    ¡°After...¡± She shivered and closed her eyes, recoiling her face from something only she could see, ¡°The Identifier is all I see...¡±


    ¡°The Status system works even if you lose your sight?¡± It was intended as a rhetorical question, but the halfling nodded all the same.


    Mulling over the potential ramifications, I was actually glad for the minor shift in topics.


    A while later, Fesk returned and briefly mimed eating before pointing back into the warehouse.


    Unsure if he was asking permission to eat, or letting me know the food was ready, I opted to hedge my bet and nodded before turning to the halfling and realising I still didn¡¯t know her name. Feeling too awkward to just ask her, I took a moment to retrieve her name from her Status instead. ¡°Anette...huh...¡± I muttered, unused to a relatively human name being attributed to someone who was functionally still a monster.


    ¡°Yes?...¡± Anette asked curiously, apparently unperturbed that I knew her name without asking.


    ¡°Ah, it seems like the food is just about ready if you want to come inside and eat,¡± I deflected.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Anette fidgetted uncomfortably for a few moments and then nodded, ¡°Okay...¡±


    With Anette holding onto Shady¡¯s fur while walking beside him, we reentered the warehouse and headed towards the makeshift table. After having Anette wait a couple of minutes while I made a much taller chair, I lifted her up and sat her down at the table.


    While appearing somewhat nervous at first, Anette grew more confident after I walked in her crate seat by stacking more crates to either side of her, effectively creating a shadowy alcove for her to skulk in.


    ¡°Can I really eat this?...¡± Anette asked anxiously after the bowl of thick stew was placed in front of her.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I insisted, ¡°Just make sure to blow on it so you don¡¯t burn your mouth. Vegetables carry a lot of moisture, so they retain a lot of heat.¡±


    Anette nodded and raised a spoonful of stew to her lips. Holding a regular sized spoon, it was difficult not to think of Anette as a child. At the same time, I was fairly certain that the absurd difference in scale between us made our belated breakfast look much more like a child''s bizarre tea party.


    At Anette¡¯s request, I built a small fort around one of the cots, not that it was particularly necessary when Shady all but hid her from view anyway.


    Emotionally exhausted, I laid down in my cot and debated whether it was worth the risk to Summon Lash so at least I wouldn¡¯t have to fall asleep alone.


    *****


    When the Lord Regent had ordered him to serve as an escort for their benefactor, the Tyrant, Gregory had not anticipated he would be given free reign to raid the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, but he had secretly hoped he could convince the Tyrant if given the opportunity. However, being handed a relatively open mandate to prosecute and incarcerate the guild was on a whole other level.


    Commandeering a full five hundred soldiers, Gregory was not subtle.


    Storming the guild building, they left no avenues for retreat and manacled anyone remotely associated with the guild that they encountered.


    Trusting his instincts, Gregory opted for personally leading a strike force to the guild¡¯s holding cells where they stored their Enslaved monsters. Knowing that the presence of any humanoid Slaves would only anger the Tyrant further, Gregory figured he would be able to leverage that anger into a wider scope of arrests.


    While it did strike Gregory as odd that the Tyrant was so sentimental towards humans and weaker monsters, he was not above making the most of the opportunities it provided. After all, the kingdom would have collapsed if not for the Tyrant¡¯s choice to intervene, so Gregory decided it would be best not to think too much about it.


    Even if the worst of the rumours were true, and the Tyrant was actually hoarding a harem of young human women, it would be a small price to pay for saving so many lives.


    Marching down a garishly opulent corridor, Gregory rounded on a large iron banded pair of doors that barred entry to the vaulted hall that housed the holding cells.


    After testing the doors and confirming they were locked, Gregory gave the signal for the accompanying soldiers to break the wall down.


    Knocking a stone bust to the ground, the soldiers used the wooden pedestal as an improvised battering ram and laid siege to the door.


    Technically capable of using the Shadow Step Synergy provided by the Tyrant¡¯s pet, Gregory opted for the safer route of ensuring he would have a backup. The guild had been known to store all manner of monsters in their holding room and were rumoured to host black market auctions. Just judging by the number of carriages that had been parked outside of the guild, Gregory was rather certain a number of the wealthier merchants and nobles of the city would be in attendance.


    It was curious that the defences would be so lax if there was indeed a significant illegal event taking place, but Gregory figured that the guild¡¯s defence might hinge upon appearing as much akin to ¡®business as usual¡¯ as possible in order to go undetected. Either that or the penny pinchers at the guild had gotten greedy or negligent.


    With each strike against the doors, Gregory could hear cries of panic rising. He took it as a good sign that those in the room beyond were most likely trapped. So even if the guild officials and operatives had escaped, a good number of their customers likely hadn¡¯t.


    Sending some of his men for reinforcements, Gregory had the battering of the door halted until they returned. Just in case.


    His instincts had begun warning him that something incredibly dangerous was on the other side of the door.


    Shedding his cloak and drawing his shortsword with his left hand in order to keep his dominant hand free, Gregory signalled for the battering to continue.


    With a final creaking groan, the leftmost door sagged inwards as the hooks and bar were torn from the splintering wood.


    ¡°Shields!¡± Gregory called suspiciously, perturbed by the lack of noise from the other side of the door.


    Swordsmen moved to the front and raised their shields.


    Motioning the first two ranks forwards, Gregory made sure to take cover off to the side of the door.


    A handful of crossbow bolts impacted with the soldiers'' shields and a few more went wide and clattered off the floor and walls.


    Vindicated, Gregory glanced around the corner and found a ragged line of crossbowmen standing out in the middle of the hall hastily reloading while a fairly sizable gathering of the town''s wealthy elite cowered by the wall and out of the potential line of fire.


    ¡°S-Stop right there!¡± One of the crossbowmen barked nervously, waving his reloaded crossbow towards the line of the wealthy and connected, ¡°You take one more step and we will shoot them!¡±


    A couple of the other crossbowmen nodded while nervously eyeing the soldiers and glancing towards those gathered against the wall.


    Taking careful note of the fact that most of the crossbowmen wore the house colours of the town¡¯s Baron, Gregory doubted the hostage situation was what it seemed. It was all too convenient. The ragged scraps of cloth obscuring their faces looked hastily improvised at best. Doubtless, someone had suggested the idea to stage their presence in this room as a result of being taken hostage, and the crossbowmen, almost certainly the escorts of a member of the Baron¡¯s family, had been bribed or threatened in some way to provide the necessary cover to sell the lie. Either that or at least make the lie plausible enough to allow those who attended the auction sufficiently ambiguous wiggle room to escape serious consequences for their actions.


    Gregory wasn¡¯t Having any of it. Turning back to the Archers taking cover in the alcoves further back in the hall, he signalled for them to fire when ready. ¡°Disperse!¡± Gregory barked.


    ¡°I-I alread-URK!¡± The spokesman of the crossbowmen caught an arrow to the throat as the shield wall parted and a volley of arrows mercilessly tore into him and his men.


    ¡°Advance!¡± Gregory barked, waving the shield wall forwards and then motioning to the waiting ranks of Swordsmen and Spearmen waiting further back down the corridor.


    Warily peeking around the corner, Gregory glanced at the supposed reaction of the hostages. With many of them appearing quite smug and pleased with themselves, he only became more convinced that this had all been hastily staged. Unfortunately for them, Gregory knew something that they didn¡¯t.


    After deciding that there were no more crossbowmen or enemy combatants in hiding, just those hiding amongst the crowd, Gregory decided it was safe enough to enter the room.


    Scanning the neatly arranged cages, they were more or less what he had expected, with one very important exception. While the majority of the cages contained low tier Beasts and humanoid monsters, the exception was what made all the difference in how Gregory was now allowed to execute his duties.


    Suppressing a grin, Gregory almost barked in laughter as a guild official affecting an approximation of an expression of gratitude left the gathered crowd and slowly made his way towards him. ¡°Thank you for your timely aid, good sir! Who knows what these ruffians might have done if it were not for your timely arrival and swift intervention!¡±


    Gregory glanced towards the crowd and spotted a particularly smug and arrogant looking young man with more fat than good sense talking quietly with a pair of very nervous looking merchants.


    ¡°Uh, good sir?¡± The guild official swallowed nervously, ¡°I believe it is understandable that we are all quite upset by these events, so if you would kindly ask your-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gregory replied bluntly, fighting hard not to smirk as the confident smugness of the portly noble wavered and his merchant companions grew all the more nervous.


    ¡°N-No?¡± The guild official stammered anxiously, his eyes darting to the blacked doorway and then back to Gregory.


    ¡°By the authority of the Lord Regent Francis Asrus, you are all under arrest under suspicion of treason,¡± Gregory declared loud enough to be sure everyone present would hear it. ¡°You will surrender yourselves peacefully, or be taken by force.¡±


    ¡°B-But g-good sir!¡± The guild official stammered in a panic, ¡°W-We are the vict-urk!¡± He staggered and fell to the floor as Gregory drove his fist into the weasley man¡¯s left kidney.


    The atmosphere in the room changed almost immediately. The wealthy and connected no longer seemed nearly as confident or smug, with one notable exception.


    ¡°Hey!¡± A painfully entitled voice demanded nasally, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± The portly noble demanded as he stepped forward from the crowd with thoroughly undeserving confidence, ¡°Do you know who my father is?¡± He sneered with condescending glee, ¡°Just one word from me and we will see who is the one being charged with treason,¡± he threatened arrogantly.


    Reasonably certain he had confirmed the member of the Baron¡¯s family, Gregory decided to indulge a more petty aspect of his nature, ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe I do know. Who are you supposed to be?¡±


    The portly noble¡¯s smile faltered for a moment before intensifying, likely as a result of the noble believing he had just secured the upper hand. ¡°I am Ruphus Karaticus, heir to the barony of Laine!¡± He sneered domineeringly, ¡°So if you kneel down right now and lick my boots and beg for forgiveness, I just might-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gregory replied flatly with a smile.


    Ruphus¡¯s face began to turn red, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?! I said I am the son of the Baron!¡± He jabbed his pudgy ring encased finger into Gregory''s chest, but was too weak to come close to compromising Gregory¡¯s balance, ¡°So you better start grovelling-¡±


    *


    ¡°Or...or...¡± The portly noble blinked and stared at the bleeding stump where his finger had been a moment earlier. Shrieking like a pig, Ruphus staggered backwards and lost his balance, tripping over his own feet and falling to the ground.


    Gregory grinned and waved his shortsword mockingly, ¡°You made that a little too easy,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Do you even-¡± Ruphus wheezed in a panic while clutching at his bleeding hand.


    ¡°Oh I very much am aware of my actions,¡± gregory admitted with a broad smile, ¡°But I don¡¯t think you quite understand just how much your actions have contributed towards dooming your House.¡±


    Ruphus paled, but it was unclear whether it was out of shock, a genuine understanding of the situation, or as a result of the bleeding.


    ¡°Do you know what that is?¡± Gregory asked, making sure to point with his free hand and not his sword towards one of the cages.


    Sweating profusely, Ruphus turned to the cage and blinked several times as watery tears began rolling down his cheeks and snot dripped from his nose, ¡°It-It¡¯s just a mongrel pup,¡± he stammered.


    Gregory couldn¡¯t help but bark in laughter and was somewhat ironically joined by a chorus of nervous barking laughter in return, including a quieter whimpering giggle from the cage in question. ¡°That,¡± Gregory qualified, ¡°Is all the proof I needed in order to justify executing everyone present. Your right to trial is forfeit as you are now all charged with high treason for breaking several inviolate laws of the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°We broke no laws...¡± The guild official protested weakly, ¡°The Gnoll whelp was purchased legally...¡±


    Gregory couldn¡¯t help it and let out another barking laugh, and was again joined by a chorus of nervous barking laughter from the imprisoned Gnolls. ¡°You just...Oh boy...Keep on digging that hole why don¡¯t you? You just admitted to one count of high treason while failing to convince me you didn''t commit another. Bravo, really well done!¡± Gregory applauded.


    ¡°B-B-But they¡¯re just monsters!¡± Ruphus wailed incredulously as he truly began to panic, ¡°Who cares about what we do with them?!¡±


    Gregory¡¯s eyes glittered with unreserved joy, ¡°Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to have heard you say that in front of so many witnesses,¡± he purred dangerously, ¡°Any chance you may have had to weasel out of this by appealing to his sentimental side is well and truly gone now.¡±


    Ruphus and the guild official both seemed confused. After all, the Lord Regent was not exactly renowned for his sentimentality, few rulers were. At least by circles outside of their confidence at any rate.


    ¡°Shackle them all up, and make sure to gag the pig and bind the wound, I don¡¯t want him spoiling before we have had the chance for a nice, long, chat,¡± Gregory ordered as he made his way towards the cages against the far wall.


    ¡°Y-You c-can¡¯t d-do th-this!!!¡± Ruphus squealed in a panic while trying to back away from the approaching soldiers.


    Unable to shake his smile, Gregory knelt down by an altogether excessively large cage and exchanged some redemption points for a small parcel of boiled sausages.


    The small furry form of the shackled Gnoll cub stirred and giggled anxiously.


    Tossing the pair of large sausages through the bars, Gregory did his best to not focus on how the poor thing flinched in fear.


    After carefully sniffing the sausages, the Gnoll cub set upon them like a starving dog, which Gregory supposed it very likely was. The guild wasn¡¯t exactly renowned for its compassion, so the monsters were fed enough not to impact their sale price and not much more besides.


    Withdrawing a set of lockpicks from a pouch at his waist, Gregory turned his attention to the cage door¡¯s lock. ¡°You have been a great help,¡± he admitted thankfully, ¡°So I think it¡¯s only fair that I return the favour to getting you out of that cage filling your belly eh?¡±


    The Gnoll cub made a muffled giggle through a mouthful of sausage.


    Gregory grinned, ¡°Yup, there is no way in hell the Tyrant won''t see red after he hears about what they did to a cute little furball like you.¡± It was days like these that made all the nights sleeping in cold mud worthwhile.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 41 – Cause for violence – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 41 ¨C Cause for violence ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 41 - Cause for violence - Part Two


    Massaging my face, I decided that two hours of sleep was enough for the time being. Forcing myself to rest any longer was likely to make me more tired, not less. I began a simple exercise routine of pushups and situps to get my blood pumping and banish the lingering fuzziness in my head.


    By the time I finished exercising, Fesk had stirred from his cot and begun an odd exercise routine of his own. With the sheath of his sword bound to the sword by the guard, Fesk shifted through a series of offensive and defensive motions as if fighting an imaginary opponent. He had performed these exercises before, so I wasn¡¯t all that surprised, but it was still a little odd to watch.


    When Fesk finished, he washed his upper body off with a rag and some water from one of the barrels before dressing himself and standing by the main door to the warehouse. As with everything else, he did it all in near-complete silence.


    I had given Fesk an examination in Mournbrent, as best I could manage, in an attempt to diagnose the cause for his being mute. It had revealed nothing relevant, and even outright Commands had failed to coax anything more than grunts of pain.


    I was unable to read proper sentences and couldn¡¯t write the local language worth a damn, and this left us with a distinctly one-way means of communicating with one another. It had not been a particular problem thus far, but that could change at any moment. While persisting in teaching myself the written form of the language, there was a possible somewhat short term solution to the problem. I could try and teach Fesk sign language.


    I had learned Auslan, Australia¡¯s official sign language, as part of an elective course in disability care. While I hadn¡¯t practised much since passing the course, I figured I probably remembered enough to at least try and teach Fesk some basic signs to help us communicate. I didn¡¯t want to enter the Labyrinth until the guild¡¯s building was thoroughly secured anyway, so this left us with a reasonable amount of time to work with for the time being.


    Staying decidedly clear of the alphabet, I decided to first make a list of the words and short phrases I thought would be the most useful. Using a piece of charcoal for writing with, I wrote the list down on the warehouse wall so I could keep track and mentally review the signs or amend the word to one that was similar but for which I knew the sign.


    After twenty minutes, I felt like I had a decent list to get started with and waved for Fesk to join me by my cot. ¡°Fesk, this is going to ultimately be your choice, but I would like to teach you how to speak with your hands. Is that something you would be interested in doing?¡± I asked while doing my best not to pressure him.


    Fesk¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he stared down at his hands before looking back up at me.


    ¡°Yes, your hands,¡± I repeated while slowly making the signs as a demonstration and explanation.


    Fesk did his best to mimic the signs while nodding his head.


    #Hands# ¡°Hands,¡± I repeated and waited for Fesk to copy the sign.


    Fesk slowly repeated the gesture, #Hands.# He looked up at me for confirmation.


    I smiled and nodded.


    Fesk learned the first few signs easily enough, but as we continued, it began requiring more and more repetition to get the signs to stick. It was a common enough problem with signing that I didn¡¯t worry about it much. Proper memorisation was going to take time and repetition. It helped that most of the words I focused on were rather intuitive in how they were visually represented in signing.


    After a couple of hours of repetition, I decided to take a break outside.


    Gregory had added a new Slave to his Party, a Gnoll named Khibi. Investigating further, I felt my pulse quicken as I scanned through the low single-digit stats. The Gnoll was a child, I was almost certain of it. The presence of the child in Gregory¡¯s party was most likely to serve as an improvised form of evidence against the guild. After all, he would have to be profoundly stupid to think I wouldn¡¯t notice a Slave being added to a Party under my authority.


    Sure enough, after waiting for about ten to twenty minutes, I felt a slave enter my sphere of influence. The challenge for control was immediately surrendered and Khibi was added to my party. A few minutes later, a procession of slaves began entering my influence in scattered groups of three to five. Unlike Khibi, these Slaves were not under control by anyone but were wearing Slave Collars. Taking control was almost effortless, simply draining mana to establish control.


    It took another hour before a procession of caged wagons stopped on the main road a short distance from the warehouse.


    Gregory soon came into view holding a bundle of black and grey fur to his chest with his left hand and holding a handful of documents in his right, ¡°Majesty, the raid upon the guild building has revealed deep-seeded treachery, and their deeds serve as proof!¡± Gregory waved the documents to prove the former and jostled the furry bundle slightly to prove the latter.


    The spotted ash-grey bundle giggled nervously and tucked itself tighter against Gregory¡¯s chest.


    ¡°This is Khibi, I presume?¡± I asked while fighting to keep my voice level, not wanting to scare the poor thing but livid at the implications of its presence.


    Gregory nodded, ¡°She was one of the lots being sold at an illegal auction on the guild¡¯s premises. There are other Variants as well, and I don¡¯t think you are going to like how the guild came into possession of them,¡± he warned while waving the handful of documents slightly.


    The news of the illegal black market auction was in itself not all that different to if it had been a public auction. The primary difference was whether or not the crown was paid its due in taxes, and those rarer specimens, which were more valuable, were saved for the black market auction.


    However, the means of obtaining their stock was something else entirely.


    ¡°How?¡± I demanded, fighting to keep my breathing steady.


    ¡°To paraphrase,¡± Gregory excused himself, ¡°The guild claims that its Foothold on the third floor was attacked by a Variant Tribe of Gnolls, the Ashfurs. Repelling the attack, guild officials ¡®purchased¡¯ captured combatants from the adventurers and then prepared them for sale. That¡¯s the official record.¡±


    ¡°And the unofficial record?¡± I asked angrily.


    ¡°Firsthand accounts from the Enslaved Gnolls in question-¡± Gregory waved back towards the wagons, ¡°-says that humans have been raiding their camps for the better part of a month. The attack did take place, but they were provoked, and it was obvious that the treaty was no longer being honoured. After some convincing, one of the guild officials confirmed this version of events.¡±


    ¡°Then the third floor is where we are going to start,¡± I growled.


    Gregory nodded, ¡°I thought your Majesty might say as much and have already dispatched men to arrest guild members and officials from the second and third floors in addition to the first, as originally planned.¡±


    ¡°Good...¡± somewhat mollified. I turned my attention back to Khibi, ¡°What are their projected casualties?¡±


    ¡°The Ashfur?¡± Gregory asked, ¡°Not good. The survivors weren¡¯t particularly trusting, but the guild officials believe they have gutted the tribe. Just about what¡¯s left of their warriors and hunters is in the wagons, and besides their Matriarch, Gnolls only send their females to fight as a last resort. I didn¡¯t see any besides Khibi, so I think that the survivors might be fighting to establish a new Matriarch. Which is almost guaranteed to take a toll all its own,¡± he explained wryly.


    I understood what he meant. The female Gnolls were vicious in establishing their hierarchy. Even with Surgeons standing by, the fighting was bloody and left prominent scars. Rikit had become the Gnoll Matriarch of Sanctuary¡¯s resident Gnolls after fighting her way through every one of her rivals, losing half an ear and gaining a plethora of nasty scars in the process.


    To prevent that fight from being rehashed again, I had given Rikit permission to take Evolution Elixir four times a week. After pulling suitably ahead of her competition, the fighting had died out. Unlike the Daemons, the Gnolls only had the one coveted leadership position, it was Matriarch or nothing. They didn¡¯t seem to particularly care who was second or third strongest at all.


    ¡°I Want the guild removed from the Labyrinth outright,¡± I grunted, ¡°I know the higher floors will have higher level adventurers, so I don¡¯t care how long it takes, just that it gets done.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Majesty,¡± Gregory agreed.


    ¡°Are these all the Slaves in the city?¡± I asked despite feeling quite certain I knew what the answer would be.


    Gregory shook his head regretfully, ¡°I am sorry Majesty, but no. Besides commercial interests, a number of wealthy citizens will most likely own a number of Slaves to serve as servants.¡±


    Reminded of the living conditions of Rikit and her pack, I wrinkled my nose in disgust, ¡°Use the money, the coins, confiscated from the guild to buy up all the privately owned Slaves in the city. IF they want workers, then they can pay a wage for them,¡± I grunted irritably.


    Gregory nodded in understanding, ¡°I will have a proclamation to that effect made and pay off some informants to identify anyone who seeks to defy the order.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I looked towards the wagons and the slow procession of monsters now headed in our general direction. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the grey-furred Gnolls comprising the overwhelming majority, a handful of green-scaled and bipedal lizard people kept a wary distance while trailing along behind.


    ¡°Lizardmen?¡± I muttered curiously as the name of the species came to mind. It seemed a bit on the nose.


    Gregory looked towards the crowd and nodded, ¡°They are from the fifth floor and upwards in the Laine Labyrinth, Majesty. Favouring ambushes and skirmish tactics in the swamplands and rivers, it is actually impressive that the adventurers managed to capture so many without direct guild involvement. All the more so since they appear to be Variants.¡±


    ¡°So there are variants on the fifth floor as well?¡± I asked while making a point to look towards the documents in Gregory¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Officially? There is no record of them being there,¡± Gregory replied thoughtfully, ¡°So it is possible that they are a relatively recent addition to the Labyrinth and were unfortunate enough to get caught at this formative stage. As much as it pains me to admit it, the guilds prefer to have long term dealings with Variants for the greater profits trade provides. So unless this is related to the activities against the Ashfur, then it is probably just bad luck.¡±


    As the lizardmen drew closer it became obvious that they were a sexually dimorphic Species. Although, if I didn¡¯t have access to their Status I may have mistaken them for two different Species entirely. The males were heavily muscled to the point that gravity caused them to hunch forwards, if it weren¡¯t for their large crocodilian tails, it was doubtful they would have been able to stand upright at all.


    Males and females both had flat wedge-like heads that reminded me of bluetongue lizards, but with the addition of crocodile-like teeth protruding from their upper and lower jaws. The Lizardmen also had the same raised ankle and elongated toes as Ushu, giving them the appearance of a perpetual crouch,


    The female Lizardmen were considerably lighter in build, and despite being shorter still managed to stand head and shoulders above the males'' thanks to being able to stand upright. Similar to the Serpent-Kin, the females had pronounced chests and hips that lent them a more recognizably female appearance despite the former most likely lacking any true breast tissue. Finally, the females had more muted colouration to their scales.


    With five males and six females, the male Lizardmen were making a point of doing their best to shelter the females as best they could, while the females did their best to hide from sight. All the same, the group of Lizardmen had diverted from their direct approach to the second warehouse and were headed for Gregory and myself.


    ¡°There is another potential complication,¡± Gregory warned, ¡°However, after conferring with the Lord Regent, I was instructed to inform your Majesty that the Lord Regent and high command will support any decision you deem appropriate.¡±


    Before I had the chance to ask him what he was talking about, the Lizardmen had arrived in front of the warehouse and the males had parted to allow a slightly older looking female to step forwards.


    Dressed only in rags that provided a minimum level of modesty, the female Lizardman lowered her head and bowed low against the ground, ¡°Great one,¡± she raised herself up by the waist and then bowed again, her raised hands returning to the ground in front of her, ¡°We will obey...serve always...Ask only...return eggs!¡± The female Lizardman begged.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t find the eggs at the guild,¡± I stated flatly.


    ¡°No, Majesty,¡± Gregory replied.


    ¡°But you know where they are, or have a good idea, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked while doing my best to repress my resurging anger.


    ¡°A strong suspicion, Majesty,¡± Gregory replied evenly.


    ¡°Which is why you contacted the Regent,¡± I reasoned aloud, ¡°Where are they?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I believe,¡± Gregory qualified, ¡°That they were purchased through an intermediary and intended for Baron Reynold Karaticus. Although I have no proof to this effect. Unlike his son, the Baron has enough sense not to attend an illegal auction in person, and they had the good sense not to linger after making the intended purchase.¡±


    All but the spokeswoman of the Lizardmen followed my conversation with Gregory intensely. The monsters of the Labyrinths were primitive, not stupid, and it was clear that the Lizardmen had a general idea of what was going on.


    ¡°The Baron¡¯s son has already been apprehended while attending the illegal auction, and act of treason as the auction intended sale of Variants, further worsened to high treason in accordance to your laws in the trafficking of children,¡± Gregory explained with mounting excitement, ¡°This provides just cause to search the Baron¡¯s holdings with impunity, and arrest him should he or his staff attempt to bar our investigation. A count which may very well apply to the father as well as the son, if my hunch holds true.¡±


    ¡°Fesk!¡± I snapped and waved him over. #Stay. Watch. Female# I signed and then pointed to Khibi huddled in the crook of Gregory¡¯s arm.


    Fesk nodded, #Agree. Understand.# Walking over to Gregory, Fesk gently took Khibi in his own arms and allowed the scared little fluff ball to bury herself in the front of his tunic.


    Gregory watched the silent exchange with interest but said nothing.


    I turned back to the female Lizardman, ¡°I accept your oath, but you will need to wait here while I search for your eggs,¡± I warned the group at large. I would have considered bringing them along, or maybe one of the males to provide Racial Synergies, but their Racial Abilities were too insularly oriented, similar to Ushu.


    The male Liizardmen hissed in disapproval, and I felt a couple of them test my control before falling silent. The Females were more visibly distressed, twitching their heads and making strange squeaking noises.


    The female representative turned her head while still pressed to the ground and hissed aggressively back at the others, quieting them almost immediately. ¡°We accept...We obey...¡± The representative insisted as she turned her head back in my direction. Rising back into a full standing position, the female led the others into the warehouse and towards one of the open water barrels.


    ¡°Fesk,¡± I waited until I had his full attention, then pointed to the Lizardmen and then towards the wagon. #Show. Food. Later.#


    Fesk nodded to show he understood, but with his hands occupied he couldn¡¯t sign back.


    Going back to my cot, I began strapping on my armour while Gregory waited by the door.


    Rejoining Gregory a couple of minutes later, I briefly considered leaving Shady behind but thought better of it. Shadow Step was too useful not to have access to in the event of an emergency.


    The road up to the next gate wasn¡¯t nearly as long as the winding path from the first gate to the second, but knowing that a straight line would have cut the travel time considerably managed to serve as a near-constant source of irritation. That irritation only intensified when we repeated the march through what appeared to be the primary residential and manufacturing district.


    Dozens of large wagons were drawn by small teams of large hairy goat looking Beasts with wolf-like teeth. Serving as something approximating a public transportation service, payment seemed to be a single copper coin regardless of the distance travelled. By the time Gregory and I reached the gate to the noble and merchant quarter, I had figured out that the wooden signs hanging off the sides of the wagon denoted the route it would take through the district.


    I had felt a number of other Slaves present in general vicinity of the manufacturing areas, but I was willing to allow their current owners the opportunity to do the right thing and accept compensation in exchange. All the same, it still irked me to leave them like that.


    I had been attracting a great deal of attention thus far, but passing through the next gate and entering the upscale merchant and noble residential district amplified that attention tenfold. If it weren¡¯t for the large sigil of house Asrus on Gregory¡¯s padded armour, I would have had no doubt that someone with more money than sense would have attempted to ¡®buy¡¯ me. As it was, a number of gaudily dressed merchants, quite possibly foreigners, had looked as if they wanted to approach as we had passed. However, Gregory had given them a dead-eyed stare and grinned as if daring them to do it. The merchants had rather quickly remembered that they had business elsewhere.


    ¡°They were Deroma traders,¡± Gregory explained warily, ¡°They will buy and sell anything for a profit. They would sell you their own grandmother if their father hadn¡¯t already beat them to it.¡±


    Despite the approaching enemy army, there were a surprising number of foreign merchants still in the city. When I asked Gregory why they hadn¡¯t left, he gave me a strange look in response.


    ¡°I believe, Majesty, that they have zero qualms about who precisely controls the city,¡± Gregory¡¯s demeanour darkened, ¡°And that a number of our foreign visitors very likely intend to buy up as many of our citizens as Slaves to sell on for a profit. Assuming we lose, of course, and assuming the empire¡¯s Commander decides to share.¡±


    The thought of men, women and children being dragged off in chains, to who knew what hell, left me in a thoroughly dark mood as we passed through the final gate. Similar to Mournbrent, the final section of the city was heavily fortified. The Adventurers Guild¡¯s offices were a constant flurry of activity as the military appeared to be in the process of moving into the building.


    Private guards of the other walled-off estates appeared incredibly nervous despite gathering in objectively excessive numbers. Once they noticed me, their nervousness evolved into overt fear. A number of guards dropped their weapons and fled back towards the gate to the lower districts, confirming that they were at least in some part familiar with their master''s actions.


    Waiting outside of the guild offices while Gregory gathered men for the search, I noticed more guards being sent from within the largest of the fortress estates to muster in the front yard behind their large brick and cast iron-barred wall. Many of them were holding crossbows already primed and loaded. At their head was a small group of adventurers.


    The intense focus from the adventurers was unsettling. They were the only ones that didn¡¯t seem concerned by my presence. Instead, they were focusing on the soldiers, pointing and speaking with one another as if planning something.


    Runners began moving from one estate to the next and a full quarter or more of those estates guards would then migrate towards the forces of the largest estate. The only estate to send no guards at all was somewhat rundown and closest to the gates. The estate was also the only one with what I would have considered to be a normal number of guards, with only three standing watch by the front gate. Instead of sending guards to the largest manor, a pair of grey-haired guards emerged from within the estate and were dragging the panicking messenger towards the guild offices, drawing the attention of the soldiers.


    ¡°Conspiracy sir,¡± one of the guards grunted to a nearby Sergeant while fighting to maintain a hold of the messenger.


    ¡°The Baron conspires to repel his Majesty¡¯s army,¡± the other added.


    ¡°Lies!¡± The messenger squealed in a panic, ¡°Slanderous and baseless lies!¡±


    ¡°The letter is in my belt, sir,¡± the first guard explained while motioning to his hip with his eyes.


    The Sergeant nodded and pulled the slightly rumpled letter from the guard''s belt before giving it a cursory glance, ¡°Follow me,¡± the Sergeant ordered and led them into the guild building.


    The messenger wailed in terror as he was dragged across the threshold. Whipping his head about in search of a potential ally or means of escape, all he found was the icy cold glare of the Asrusian soldiers that now surrounded him.


    Fearing the worst for the Slaves I had detected while passing the estates, I decided that it wasn¡¯t worth risking their lives in the impending conflict. One by one, I began challenging the masters of the Slaves for control. As I had suspected might happen, the resistance was minor at best, making it obvious that none of the slaves'' masters intended to risk pain and death for their ¡®property¡¯. That is, with a single exception.


    It was the estate located closest to the estate of the Baron, and with the second largest contingent of guards. Whoever controlled the Slaves in that estate had held out longer than the rest combined, and it seemed to be with good cause.


    [Celeste - HP: 3/18 - Diseased, Poisoned, Starving, Dehydrated ]


    Besides her Toughness, the stats were what I had come to expect of children, that she was human was largely beside the point.


    Entering the guild building, I ducked into the first room that would accommodate my size and banished the soldiers before closing the door.


    *


    Ril appeared on top of a large stack of papers on a nearby desk, her inky black eyes regarding me curiously.


    ¡°I need Nadine, now,¡± I stated bluntly. Wraithe would have been better, but there were too many witnesses, and as loath as I was to place Nadine in harm''s way, I didn¡¯t have much of a real choice.


    Ril took a few moments to take in her surroundings and then disappeared.


    A few minutes passed and Ril returned, this time in the flesh and joined by Nadine, who was herself carrying a First-Aid bag and wearing her old armour.


    ¡°Ril said there was an emergency?¡± Nadine asked warily while talking in the empty room.


    I nodded and shifted Nadine and Celeste into the same party.


    ¡°Status,¡± Nadine mumbled hurriedly and began darting her eyes back and forth to navigate the Party Status. Suddenly growing quite still, Nadine¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Where...¡± She croaked before roughly clearing her throat, ¡°Where is she?¡± Nadine asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain,¡± I admitted, ¡°Somewhere below a nearby estate, but that¡¯s all I know.¡±


    ¡°An estate?¡± Nadine asked in confusion before looking around again, ¡°Tim, where are we?¡±


    ¡°The city of Laine,¡± I replied without hesitation, knowing there was no point in lying to her.


    ¡°I thought you were chasing the Liche in Mournbrent?¡± Nadine seemed even more confused.


    ¡°The Liche is stalling for time so its allies can intervene,¡± I explained, ¡°So, I am helping reinforce Laine against its impending siege.¡±


    ¡°Which will buy more time to hunt the Liche,¡± Nadine guessed, ¡°But how did you find so many Slaves? I thought you weren¡¯t going to do that anymore?¡±


    ¡°They were the empire¡¯s combat Slaves, for the most part. I hadn¡¯t exactly planned on taking them,¡± I explained defensively, ¡°Besides, it was this or watch them be slaughtered...and there are others that wouldn¡¯t have been freed if I hadn¡¯t.¡±


    Nadine sighed and shook her head, ¡°No, your right Tim, it¡¯s just a little shocking to see how much you have changed since we first met, or even since the last time we spoke more than a handful of words to one another,¡± she explained apologetically, ¡°What you have doing couldn¡¯t have been easy.¡±


    I grunted in reply and did my best not to think about it. My degenerating moral compass was not something I felt comfortable discussing right at the moment, not when it was becoming more likely by the minute that I would be a party to killing a number of humans.


    ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± Ril asked quietly, her mature voice and tone very much at odds with her diminutive appearance, ¡°Mama will be wondering where I have gone.¡±


    ¡°Not right now, but in a few days I will Summon you again to establish another Waygate,¡± I replied with a deep sigh, ¡°Tell Toofy that I miss her, alright?¡±


    Ril nodded and then disappeared.


    Nadine gave me another strange look, ¡°Toofy but not Lash?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°I spoke with Lash less than a week ago,¡± I answered defensively.


    Nadine seemed confused for a moment before nodding to herself, ¡°You summoned her...You summoned her!¡± She grew incredibly excited, ¡°Tim, you could summon Celeste and we could ask her where she is being held!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be much help,¡± I countered, ¡°Based on what I felt just before taking control from her captor, It¡¯s obvious that she is being held in a basement or dungeon of some kind. I doubt she would have been conscious when they took her down there...or that she would remember even if she had been conscious.¡±


    Nadine glared at me for a moment before shaking her head, ¡°No, you''re probably right...¡± She agreed apologetically, ¡°So what do we do?¡±


    ¡°We need Gregory,¡± I replied thoughtfully, ¡°He has, talents, that will come in useful,¡± I explained while shifting uncomfortably. Gregory¡¯s aggressive interrogation techniques were something of a necessary evil I had come to grudgingly accept. Unable to ¡®rough someone up¡¯ for information myself without risk of killing them by accident, Enslavement was just as risky, since a determined resistance would kill them. Gregory¡¯s unique training and skills had been vouched for by the Regent himself. It was quite a compliment considering he was barely in his early thirties.


    Opening the door, I waved over a nearby soldier, ¡°Tell Gregory, the Ranger, that I need him, now,¡± I ordered.


    The soldier snapped a solute and went running down the grand hallway and towards the main offices.


    Gregory came running out of one of the distant offices and upon spotting Nadine he gave her a wary look.


    ¡°Nadine isn¡¯t the problem,¡± I growled and rearranged Gregory¡¯s party to now have both Nadine and Celeste as members.


    Gregory¡¯s eyes darted downward for a moment and then forward again, ¡°Another slave?¡± He asked with a confused frown, ¡°Status,¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes widened slightly, ¡°A human child...¡±


    ¡°Kept somewhere below that big estate next to the Baron¡¯s small castle,¡± I explained.


    Gregory¡¯s eyes widened further and he glanced in the general direction of the estate before narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. ¡°I will make enquiries, Majesty,¡± Gregory promised and headed for a large and recently repaired set of iron banded doors at the end of a long corridor.


    ¡°Do we really have time for this?¡± Nadine asked, ¡°That poor girl could be dying as we speak!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I shifted uncomfortably again and popped my knuckles without meaning to, ¡°But going in without a clear idea of where to find her could be worse.¡±


    Nadine winced, ¡°I...I hadn¡¯t thought of that...¡± She admitted, ¡°But isn¡¯t there something you can do? Maybe if you Summoned Celeste, she could tell us if she is being watched by any guards?¡± Nadine anxiously suggested a little louder than she had probably intended.


    The pair of old guards from earlier had been lingering by the main entrance to the guild building for who knows what reason, but Nadine¡¯s words had a similar effect on them to being struck by lightning. One of the old men collapsed, and the other barely managed to catch him in time to stop him from hitting the hard floor. Both of the elderly men stared fixedly at Nadine, sparing only a moment to glance at one another before stiffly rushing towards her.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am did you say Celeste?!¡± The first demanded with a strained voice.


    ¡°A little girl, no more than seven!¡± The second added insistently, ¡°Brown hair like yours, but a little darker, and pale blue eyes!¡±


    ¡°I, uh...¡± Nadine looked to me for help.


    ¡°Our master will pay you for any information you might have!¡± The first added, jabbing a knobbly finger into his own chest and the house sigil emblazoned on the left side.


    Shifting my weight while I tried to decide how best to enter the conversation, the rattling and clanking of my armour silenced the old men almost instantly.


    With wide eyes and open mouths, their heads slowly tilted upwards and towards my face before the blood drained from their faces.


    Before I could say a word, Gregory had returned and was wiping his hands with a rag, ¡°Well, this is perhaps just as well,¡± Gregory observed cheerily, ¡°You both serve Lord Janis, yes?¡±


    The pair of old guards nodded, still too shell shocked to speak.


    ¡°Then you may inform your Lord that his missing grand-niece Celeste is being held in a hidden dungeon beneath Sumire manor,¡± Gregory declared with an excited grin, ¡°As a representative of the Lord Regent Francis Asrus, I am also empowering Lord Janis with the authority to prosecute her rescue by any means he deems appropriate to the circumstance.¡±


    The pair of elderly guards appeared as if they might keel over at any moment, but quite suddenly they both began to tremble and shake with rage. Eyes bloodshot and brimming with tears, the old men raced from the building as fast as their knobbly knees would allow.


    ¡°So, you are Nadine,¡± Gregory observed with a smile, ¡°Am I safe in assuming you are ¡®that¡¯ Nadine as well?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It depends on what you mean by ¡®that¡¯ Nadine,¡± Nadine replied a little testily, ¡°Do we really have time for this? We need to rescue that little girl!¡±


    ¡°Definitely ¡®that¡¯ Nadine,¡± Gregory commented and nodded to himself, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am planning on doing just that once the good Lord Janis provides the necessary distraction.¡±


    Leaving the guild building, Nadine was given her first look at the Sumire estate and its assembled guards.


    ¡°Why not just have the military arrest them?¡± Nadine demanded, ¡°You have enough manpower don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Gregory agreed, ¡°But the Colonel would prefer to proceed differently, and so would I.¡±


    ¡°Tim?¡± Nadine looked at me expectantly.


    I shook my head, ¡°I trust Gregory¡¯s judgement.¡±


    Nadine deflated dejectedly, and looked away.


    ¡°Well, I had best move into position,¡± Gregory said cheerily, grinning widely as he began walking out into the street. He continued past the Sumire estate and instead proceeded to skirt around the wall of the next estate over.


    A few minutes later, the front gates of the Janis estate burst open and a horde of grey-haired and bent-backed guards, chefs, maids, butlers and all manner of servants began surging down the street. Each and every one of them tightly clutching at a weapon, improvised or otherwise. Vastly outnumbering the guards standing outside the Sumire estate¡¯s gate, the tide of enraged elderly servants was led by a tall man in a brightly polished breastplate and feather plumed helmet.


    Some of the Sumire guards opted to flee, throwing their weapons into the street before running in the opposite direction. No doubt intending to circle around the Adventurers Guild building and around the back of the horde to the gate to the lower districts. Those who remained formed tight ranks in order to better weather the inevitable charge.


    However, just before the two forces clashed, a lanky groundskeeper from the Janis ranks hurled a lantern into the midst of the Sumire guards. Crashing against the paved street, the spilled oil erupted into flames and caused the Sumire centre to scatter just as the Janis closed the final few feet.


    With their centre lost, the guards were overrun and disappeared beneath a furious tide of withered liver-spotted fists clutching candlesticks, rolling pins and brooms.


    A cry rang out from the guards posted in front of the Baron¡¯s estate, prompting a full half of the guards to begin charging towards the melee.


    Almost equal in number to the mob of elderly servants, they formed ranks with halberds and spears in front, intending to make full use of their superior reach to drive the elderly horde back.


    Arrows and bolts had begun peppering the Janis force from the vantage of the estate, but the old servants continued their attack on the gate.


    Just as the Baron¡¯s guard began to charge, they collapsed into a heap as hidden Archers scythed them down. Their arrows punctured the guards'' armour with ease. The guards by the Baron¡¯s gate fared little better, turned into porcupines before they even realised what was going on.


    Soldiers began pouring out of the guild building and roughly taking formation as they surged towards the Baron¡¯s estate, shields held high to ward off incoming arrows.


    Guards protecting the other noble estates fled rather than risk the soldiers coming for them next. Those inside the safety of the estates were no different, throwing open the doors and gates and fleeing towards the lower sections of the city.


    ¡°We...We need to help!¡± Nadine insisted and began running towards the elderly Janis forces which were still laying siege to the gate with minimal success.


    ¡°Stay here!¡± I barked and began moving towards the Sumire gate, ¡°GATHER THE WOUNDED!!!¡± I roared and pointed back towards Nadine, ¡°BRING THE WOUNDED TO THE GUILD!!!¡±


    Soldiers still leaving the guild building diverted towards the Sumire estate.


    Doing my best not to tread on any of the fallen, I waded through the flagging ranks of the elderly servants and guards, giving no small number of them a fight in the process. Pressing my full weight against the gate. The hinges groaned in protest and then shrieked as the steel tore free of the surrounding stone.


    *


    I continued forward towards the main doors to the estate and made it about halfway across the open ground before arrows began pelting against my armour.


    ¡°FOR CELESTE!¡± A voice cried from somewhere behind me.


    ¡°FOR THE LITTLE MISS!!!¡± Cried another, inspiring a ragged roar as close to a hundred old men and women began charging towards the fortified estate.


    Balling my right hand into a fist, I began to charge. Arrows continued pelting against my armour, growing more frequent and accompanied by muted frantic curses from within the rapidly approaching building. As splintering shafts whipped past my visor, I was reminded of the importance of wearing a helmet.


    With the doors now only moments away, I gathered mana into my fist. Reeling my arm back, I pivoted and swung my hips as I launched my fist towards the rightmost door.


    *


    *****


    Nadine was surprised by how few wounded there were to tend to. With the majority of injuries involving minor cuts and projectiles, she was rather unnerved by the bloodthirsty ruthlessness of her geriatric patients. Not a single one of the guards had been spared. Nadine had even witnessed one of the maids, a woman old enough to be her grandmother, bash in a fallen guard¡¯s head with a fire poker while ignoring the arrow protruding from her left shoulder.


    A dozen soldiers had remained behind in order to discourage the elderly berserkers from retaking the field.


    Doing the best she could with what she had on hand, Nadine didn¡¯t feel nearly as panicked as she thought she ought to be, considering she was technically on a battlefield performing triage. All the same, the arrows were thankfully not barbed, so removing them and stitching shut the wounds was a relatively straightforward affair.


    Holding back on healing all but the most life-threatening wounds in order to conserve her mana, Nadine couldn¡¯t help but continue glancing towards the Sumire estate.


    *


    Another explosion from the grounds of the Baron¡¯s estate echoed down the street.


    With only the reports of passing soldiers to piece together what was going on, Nadine had learned that a team of adventurers was trying, and failing, to subdue Tim. Three of their five-man team had already been disabled and captured, leaving only two others. By all accounts, the adventurers had drastically underestimated Tim¡¯s intelligence, even going so far as to discuss their plans of attack openly in front of him.


    Nadine couldn¡¯t help but cringe as she recalled a time when she herself had done something similar.


    Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Nadine looked back towards the Sumire estate and saw the arrogant Ranger Gregory hurrying across the open ground with a small figure bundled in blankets in his arms.


    Just as he cleared the Sumire estate gate, Gregory staggered as an arrow from the direction of the Baron¡¯s estate caught him in the left thigh. Somehow managing to keep his footing, Gregory continued a limping jog across the street, heading straight for Nadine. ¡°Inside!¡± He called out with a warning tone, ¡°We need to do this inside!¡±


    Only halfway through stitching shut an old butler''s arrow wound, Nadine was pushed away by the same old butler, ¡°I can handle this seem,¡± he insisted weakly, ¡°Attend the little miss!¡±


    Grabbing up her bag of supplies, Nadine chased Gregory inside and then followed him into an empty room.


    Gregory set the bundled figure down on the top of a desk, grunting in pain as he accidentally broke the shaft of the arrow in his thigh. Grimacing, he waved Nadine towards the desk, ¡°She¡¯s having trouble breathing and has a bad fever,¡± Gregory stated sharply while hopping around to a more open space in the room.


    Feeling a flush of anxiety, Nadine carefully unbundled the blankets to reveal a deathly thin little girl in a ragged filthy shift. Already informed by her Status that she was starving and dehydrated, Nadine withdrew a small flask of fresh clean water from her bag, removed the stopper and did her best to cradle the poor girl¡¯s head and dribble water past her cracked weeping lips.


    *


    Nadine glanced irritably towards Gregory, intending to tell him to be quiet, but the words died on her lips.


    Gregory was materialising crates, barrels, cookware and blankets seemingly from thin air. ¡°Right,¡± he grunted determinedly and limped from the room, taking care to close the door behind himself, ¡°Which one of you old biddies can cook?!¡± Gregory shouted from somewhere outside.


    There was a short pause.


    ¡°Good! A thin broth if you please! And you! Boiling water!¡± Gregory ordered sharply


    *


    ¡°You!¡± Gregory barked, ¡°Gimme your belt for a minute, I need to take care of something.¡±


    There was a longer pause and the smell of smoke.


    ¡°Gah! Damnit!¡± Gregory cursed loudly. A few moments later he reentered the room, ¡°So, besides boiling water and broth, what do you need?¡± He asked calmly and bit into a large boiled sausage.


    Nadine¡¯s nose wrinkled at the smell of burning meat and her eyes drifted down to Gregory¡¯s smouldering bloodstained trouser leg. ¡°I need the willow bark extract from my bag, and a cup or a bowl to mix it with water,¡± she replied hesitantly, ¡°Did you just rip the arrow out of your leg and cauterise it?¡± Nadine demanded incredulously.


    ¡°Sure did,¡± Gregory replied distractedly, only limping slightly while untoping one of the barrels to reveal it was full of water. Materialising a simple ceramic bowl in his hand, Gregory scooped it full of water from the barrel and then put it down next to her back. ¡°Which jar has the extract?¡± He asked, ¡°The one with the willow leaf on it?¡±


    Nadine nodded, ¡°The small bottle. We won''t be able to give her much at all, even with Tim¡¯s Ability. I need half of one of the pellets, but try not to crush it,¡± she insisted.


    Gregory unstoppered the ceramic bottle and rolled a small white sphere onto his hand before setting down the bottle and drawing his knife. Using his knife to carefully cut the pellet, he still turned a quarter of the pellet into a crumbly mess.


    Nadine gently shook her flask to see how much water was left inside before handing it to Gregory, ¡°Take all the crushed parts, put them into the flask and shake it together,¡± she ordered while checking the poor girl¡¯s eyes. Finding them bloodshot and jaundiced, Nadine hoped that her system would be able to handle the medication long enough for Nadine to cure her.


    Gregory did as he was told and handed back the flask.


    Nadine carefully dribbled it into the girl¡¯s mouth, pausing every so often to massage her throat the way Tim taught her to in order to ensure that she swallowed. After depleting the flask, Nadine turned her attention to the weeping sores on the girl¡¯s skin, flinching slightly at the sight of the ragged and raw angry flesh around her right ankle.


    ¡°Paste next,¡± Nadine muttered, ¡°She won¡¯t be able to handle the pain,¡± she removed another jar from the bag and scooped out a thick dollop of paste with her fingers. Now wasn''t the time to be stingy.


    Smearing the paste of Celeste¡¯s wounds initially prompted whimpers of pain, but as the numbing paste did its work, she began to relax.


    Banishing Gregory from the room for what came next, Nadine carefully cut away the filthy shift and recoiled as she discovered the layers of filth beneath. Retreating into the lessons Tim had taught her, Nadine worked without thinking, running through the list of steps in her mind to prevent the scene from overwhelming her.


    Breaking Celeste¡¯s fever cost Nadine most of her remaining mana, taking several attempts before finally winning out. This left very little for the girl¡¯s injuries, but Nadine was more concerned by Celeste¡¯s persistent Poisoned condition. Unfortunately, with no mana left, Nadine could no longer attempt to cure it and had to hope that Tim¡¯s accelerated recovery Synergy would now be enough to do the rest.


    Waking up with her eyes aching, Nadine groaned weakly as she slowly took in her surroundings. Instead of the stone walls of the Adventurers Guild, she seemed to be in a sort of warehouse. Taking note of the improvised table, chairs and enormous bed, Nadine relaxed slightly upon realising that at the very least Tim had stayed in the same place.


    She wasn¡¯t alone either.


    A trio of pointy-eared human-like monsters were staring daggers at her from the opposite side of the warehouse.


    The albino Nadine remembered from Mournbrent was here as well, feeding loose meat to something that was hiding beneath a blanket.


    Lastly, there was a rather large group of anxious Lizardmen which Nadine was surprised to realise were Variants.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Nadine waved her hand to get the albino¡¯s attention.


    The albino waved back.


    Gritting her teeth and suppressing the urge to say something unpleasant, Nadine took a deep breath and tried again, ¡°Do you know where Tim is?¡±


    The albino nodded and pointed towards the warehouse door.


    Nadine¡¯s right eye twitched, ¡°I mean, where is he? I assumed he wasn''t in here, because I can¡¯t see him.¡±


    The albino pointed to the door again.


    Massaging her temples, Nadine prepared to try again.


    ¡°He can¡¯t talk...¡± A quiet voice said softly.


    Nadine looked around but found no sign of who had spoken.


    The albino pointed to the stack of crates at the foot of Nadine¡¯s cot.


    Getting to her feet and walking barefoot to take a closer look, Nadine was surprised to find a girl with long black hair sitting on another cot hidden amongst the crates. Wearing one of the army tunic as a dress and with her knees tucked against her chest, it was difficult to tell how old the girl was. There was also something unnerving about her that Nadine couldn¡¯t quite explain.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nadine asked, doing her best to inject a softness into her tone.


    The girl shrugged, ¡°For now...¡±


    Nadine didn¡¯t like the sound of that at all. ¡°Has someone been hurting you?¡± She pressed.


    The girl raised her head to look back at Nadine. ¡°Not anymore...¡± She replied, her black hair falling away to reveal two milky white eyes, ¡°He¡¯s dead now...¡±


    The breath caught in Nadine¡¯s throat as she recoiled and raised her arms to defend herself. Fearing an attack by another possession Spirit, Nadine was surprised when the Girl made no attempts to follow her. After calming down slightly, she noticed the scarring around the girl¡¯s eyes and realised that she was just blind, not possessed.


    ¡°Afraid?...¡± The girl sounded amused, ¡°Of me?...¡±


    ¡°Sorry...I just wasn¡¯t expecting...Sorry...¡± Nadine apologised awkwardly, feeling awful for reacting like that towards a poor blind girl.


    The blind girl shrugged and lowered her head, hiding her face again behind a curtain of hair.


    Thoroughly embarrassed, Nadine¡¯s pride took another blow when she realised the albino had seen everything, and so had everyone else. Mortified, Nadine mumbled another apology, walked stiffly back to her bed and hoped that somebody would have the decency to smother her in her sleep.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 42 – Out of sight – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 42 ¨C Out of sight ¨C Part OneI know, I know, very late xD


    A second chapter will be uploaded around eight hours from now, bringing RR and SH back into alignment with my schedule.


    Apologies to anyone that works their reading schedule around punctual releases.


    TLDR: Mana Soul is being scaled back to every other week so it doesn''t negatively impact Ogre Tyrant''s release schedule anymore. Thanks for continuing to read my story :)


    The more extended version: As Mana Soul gets closer to its planned ending, it has been taking longer and longer to write. This is due to a  number of factors, but mainly because I want to make sure things are referenced correctly and play out like I originally intended. This leads to a lot of crosschecking that takes up a large amount of time due to my poor eyesight. This in turn left less time for writing Ogre Tyrant each week.


    After a great deal of consideration, I decided to scale back Mana Soul and remove it from my Patreon so I could give both stories the time they deserve and avoid burning myself out. I made my Patreon cheaper to reflect some of the changes I was making as well, and to just generally make it more accessible.


    Once Mana Soul finishes, I was thinking that an Ogre Tyrant chapter would take its place, meaning 3 chapters a fortnight instead of 2. This would give me some extra time for different projects while keeping a steady stream of content. This isn''t set in stone, but it is my general plan.


    Thanks for your continued support in reading my story, :)


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 42 - Out of sight - Part One


    The Baron and his core forces had attempted to escape through a secret passage that would have taken them from the castle and out a secret entrance at the bottom of the mountain. The personal sacrifice of a pair of Enslaved Orcs had turned the escape attempt into a bloodbath.


    As best as Gregory could piece together by observing the aftermath, the Orcs had feigned obedience until a situation developed where my condition of self-defence allowed them to go on the offensive. Badly outnumbered, the Orcs had still managed to panic the Baron¡¯s personal guard and carve their way through to the Baron himself by using the weapons of their fallen former masters.


    It was unclear if the Mountain Orcs had been Variants or Wild, and whether their motivations had been for vengeance or otherwise. In any case, their sacrifice had not only thwarted the Baron¡¯s attempted escape but had also prevented the smuggling of close to one hundred and forty eggs from the city.


    Evidence that the Baron had been investing a great deal of money to establish his collection. As to why he had been collecting them, the reasons were currently unclear. Gregory and the soldiers were in the process of ransacking the Baron¡¯s small castle for information, but he had been rather pessimistic about finding anything given the Baron was likely to have burned anything that might have incriminated himself.


    With my general proximity tied to the rescued girl¡¯s recovery, I commandeered the service of a platoon of soldiers and a train of wagons to begin ferrying the slaves from the warehouses up and into the emptied noble estates.


    To avoid accidentally wandering out of Synergy range, I had spent the night sleeping in the great uncle¡¯s stables. Despite most of the elderly staff expressing one degree of reluctance or another, inviting Lord Janis into my Party, explaining to him how the iron Gut Synergy worked and that Celeste only had access to it due to her continued Enslavement, was enough to have the old nobleman quiet the concerns of his employees.


    All the same, it was only Lord Janis¡¯ house guards that seemed to fully understand what I had meant. Or at least they had understood enough that they left me well enough alone and would tip their helmets whenever they happened to pass by.


    A part of me was impressed that the ageing aristocrat had retained so many elderly servants rather than replacing them. Economic circumstances might play a role, given that the fortified manor seemed somewhat rundown, but that might be a tradeoff for employing older workers.


    By midday, the wagon train had returned and offloaded its first passengers. Unsurprisingly, the Lizardmen were amongst the first to disembark and it didn¡¯t take them long at all to begin excitedly motioning in my direction.


    Taking a moment to confirm that Celeste had indeed lost the Starvation and Dehydration Conditions, I left the grounds of the Janis estate and made my way over to the Lizardmen.


    After waiting for the wagon train to pass back towards the gate, I was immediately approached by the Lizardmen and their female representative.


    ¡°Great one...¡± The female Lizardman prostrated herself in deference, just as she had last time we spoke, ¡°Our eggs?...¡± She hissed anxiously.


    ¡°The eggs have been found-¡± I began to reply evenly but was interrupted by cries of relief, disbelief and joy from the other Lizardmen. ¡°-but I am unsure of how many of them belong to your people. There were other eggs taken and stored in the same place as well. I will have someone take you to the eggs in just a moment.¡±


    ¡°As mand...Great one...¡± The Lizardman spokesperson agreed happily.


    ¡°So that is what you were up to,¡± Nadine commented with a smile while shouldering her first-aid bag.


    ¡°Well, that and the girl¡¯s rehabilitation,¡± I replied happily while removing my helmet.


    Nadine grew more serious, ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but she seems to be improving if her stats are anything to go by,¡± I shrugged, ¡°I thought it might scare her if she found a giant monster looming outside her window.¡±


    Nadine smiled wryly and nodded, ¡°I guess,¡± she agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on her now unless you need my help with anything else first?¡±


    I shook my head and waved her off, ¡°Not particularly, although I was thinking you might provide some training for some of the Slaves later and as an ongoing project.¡±


    Nadine looked surprised but nodded in agreement, ¡°Alright, we can talk about it later,¡± she agreed and then began briskly making her way down the street towards the Janis estate.


    Shady wandered into the open garden of the abandoned noble estate and settled himself down beneath a tree.


    Fesk was standing by the gate to the estate while holding the small Gnoll child in his arms. The little Gnoll, Khibi, had been dressed up in a slightly adjusted tunic that bore much more of a resemblance to a long dress than a shirt. With the two of them together, it looked like they were posing for a photo advertising an old-timey freakshow¡¯s albino and wolf girl.


    #Here. Come.# I signed and motioned for Fesk to approach.


    Fesk nodded and made his way over.


    #Stay. Organise. Rest.# I signed and then pointed back to the fortified manor.


    Fesk nodded to show he understood and then walked back over to the gate. Clicking his fingers with his free hand to get the gathered Slaves'' attention, Fesk waved them towards the manor and then shepherded them through the gate.


    I waved over one of the soldiers guarding the gate to the lower levels.


    ¡°Sir?¡± The young soldier asked uncertainly.


    ¡°I want you to escort-¡± I concentrated on the lizardman to learn her name, ¡°-Cheh, to Captain Gordon in the former Adventurer Guild building. You will then be free to return to your post.¡±


    The soldier gave a crisp nod, ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    I looked down at Cheh who was still lying prostrate on the street, ¡°Cheh, this soldier will escort you to the man who will show you to your peoples'' eggs.¡±


    ¡°Gratitude!...Great One!¡± Cheh bowed several times before rising to a standing position. However, she still made a point of avoiding eye contact and lowering her head as she moved to follow the soldier.


    Waving the other Lizardmen past the gate so they wouldn¡¯t obstruct the street, I decided that Shady probably had the right idea, so I sat down beneath a tree and enjoyed the relative tranquillity while it lasted.


    After about a half hour, Cheh returned on the back of a wagon accompanied by a half dozen soldiers. Under her anxious gaze, the soldiers unloaded six large shallow crates packed with straw. Once the crates were unloaded, the soldiers continued towards the gate to the lower district instead of returning to the Adventurers Guild building.


    The Lizardmen surged forwards as a group and surrounded the crates with nervous excitement. Each of the females claimed a crate and began uncovering small clutches of eggs before covering them with the straw again. When the females seemed satisfied with inspecting the contents of the crates, the Lizardmen began carefully carrying the crates inside of the fortified manor.


    The next delivery of Slaves was accompanied by collared Slaves from the second district, delivered by the same soldiers that had assisted Cheh. With Fesk handling the assignment of sleeping spaces, I didn¡¯t really have to do anything. Although I was forced to admit that Fesk seemed to be doing a good job despite being mute. It was a testament to basic universal body language.


    Once Slaves were assigned a cot to sleep in, they were free to wander the grounds if they wanted to, and just about every Slave except for the Lizardmen took advantage of the opportunity. Even if the carefully trimmed lawn wasn¡¯t quite like the grasslands of the Labyrinth, it was peaceful, and that seemed to be enough.


    Nadine returned sometime later and looked optimistically upbeat. ¡°Hey. Celeste is doing much better. That Synergy of yours is working wonders, she has a healthy appetite and is putting on weight. And I tried your poison treatment, the one with activated charcoal? It seemed to work well enough for my Ability to do the rest.¡±


    ¡°That''s good to know,¡± I agreed, ¡°Judging by the blisters on her lips, it might have been a poison designed to upset her stomach, inducing vomiting and diarrhoea. It would explain why she was so dehydrated and covered in filth.¡±


    Nadine shivered, ¡°Ugh, to do that to a child...¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°It¡¯s a wonder that she survived. Cholera has similar symptoms and in my world, it has killed millions of people. They would literally shit themselves to death because they would lose the salt their body needs for important bodily functions.¡±


    ¡°I remember you talking about that,¡± Nadine commented, ¡°It was in the water, right?¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Right, and that¡¯s why it¡¯s important to make sure sewage doesn¡¯t contaminate drinking water, and to boil water that you don¡¯t one hundred per cent trust,¡± I added, ¡°Contaminated water and food was a leading cause for deaths outside of injuries sustained from conflict in a time period comparable to the technology of this world. But cooking things thoroughly, and washing your hands, eliminated the biggest risks quite simply.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned that a few times as well,¡± Nadine replied with a smirk, ¡°I think you have given Wraithe a bit of a complex about it.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Surgeons, that is to say, anyone who is cutting someone else open with the intention of stitching them back together again, should be borderline obsessive-compulsive about cleaning their hands. The Healing Abilities have spared your patients the worst of it, but infections are no joke. Foreign contamination was a major issue where I was from, it¡¯s taken VERY seriously. If you think Wraithe is compulsive, it might bother you to know that she is the closest to meeting the bare minimum standard for required cleanliness for a surgeon or surgical staff team member in my world.¡±


    ¡°Really? You aren¡¯t joking?¡± Nadine asked in surprise.


    ¡°Really,¡± I confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing injuries can be healed so quickly, denying infections a proper chance to do any real damage.¡±


    Nadine sat down beside me, ¡°You don¡¯t talk about your world much, beyond how it relates to something you''re trying to teach, that is. Why is that?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s no going back, and no one that¡¯s missing me.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of it like that,¡± Nadine admitted, ¡°So...So your mother was the only person in your life?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°The only one who would care if I went missing. I had a lot of trouble making friends. Partly because of how I look, or looked, at the time, but also because the few people who didn¡¯t mind my appearance just wanted me to do stuff for them,¡± I snorted bitterly and shook my head, ¡°Everyone would immediately assume I was a thug, just because of how I looked. So they assumed I would be fine with getting violent and shaking people down for money, err, coins. Nobody cared about who I really was. Nobody even tried to get to know me...¡±


    Nadine was quiet for a while. ¡°That sounds lonely,¡± she observed quietly.


    ¡°It was,¡± I agreed, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t so bad with Mum around. We would talk all the time.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t really talk about her, why is that?¡± Nadine asked.


    I let out a deep sigh and rubbed at my forehead, ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I am afraid of tainting the good memories I have of her,¡± I admitted bluntly.


    Nadine seemed confused, ¡°How do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Who my Mum was when she was healthy, and who she was...at the end...¡± I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, ¡°They were two very different people...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so bizarre to learn that your people have so much medical knowledge, but still haven''t defeated illnesses,¡± Nadine observed uncomfortably.


    I used my forearm to wipe away the tears that had begun to gather in the corners of my eyes, ¡°We didn¡¯t have the shortcuts, so each generation built on the knowledge of the one before. What I have taught you is just a fragment of that accumulated knowledge.¡±


    Nadine looked surprised, ¡°really?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°In order to become a doctor, someone that treats illness for a living, it takes seven years of study and mentoring before you have the absolute minimum level of medical knowledge to leave what is functionally an apprenticeship. Even then, doctors would still reference special medical books to diagnose what was wrong with people. Doctors would specialise in specific areas of treatment, and even they would not remember everything related to that specialty off the top of their head-¡±


    ¡°Seven years?!¡± Nadine demanded incredulously.


    ¡°And that is assuming you pass all the tests and the mandatory internship,¡± I added, ¡°My own nursing degree was still going to take five years, including the electives I wanted to specialise with.¡±


    Nadine baulked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot more study than a one day lecture and some sewing practice, huh?¡± I commented wryly.


    Nadine nodded, ¡°Days rather than years? Yeah, I don¡¯t think you will ever hear me complaining.¡±


    A long silence passed between us.


    ¡°Did you mean what you said earlier?¡± Nadine asked a little awkwardly, ¡°About teaching the Slaves to become Surgeons, I mean.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°It¡¯s an important skillset, and there are probably some prime candidates in a group this large.¡±


    ¡°Oh...'''' Nadine deflated somewhat and seemed embarrassed, ¡°I just thought...forget it.¡±


    ¡°I trust you to do a good job Nadine,¡± I reassured her, ¡°While I ¡®could¡¯ teach them myself, I think you are the better teacher between the two of us. You¡¯re a much more engaging teacher, at the very least.¡±


    Nadine blushed, ¡°Thanks,¡± she hugged her first-aid bag tightly to her chest.


    ¡°Credit where it¡¯s due,¡± I shrugged, ¡°You are good at teaching the basics, which we both know is very important. Wraithe is a little better at the intermediate skills and knowledge, but she practices and reviews daily, so it¡¯s hardly surprising.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Nadine conceded, ¡°She teaches refresher lessons in the evening and regular lessons early in the mornings. I don¡¯t think I have ever actually seen Wraithe sleep.¡±


    ¡°Well, there was when they were all a lot smaller,¡± I pointed out with a smile as I recalled the little Daemons scampering around and gorging on everything we could feed them.


    ¡°Oh yeah...¡± Nadine slowly nodded with a thoughtful expression on her face, ¡°I keep forgetting that they are the same people, you know? They grew up so fast!¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I agreed, ¡°But I think that¡¯s unique to Daemons, a result of their Racial Ability.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°I hadn¡¯t really thought about that.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me. Did you have a chance to look at Khibi?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°The little fluff ball was too frightened of me to get a good look at her.¡±


    ¡°Khibi?¡± Nadine concentrated for a moment before seeming to realise who I was talking about, ¡°Oh, the baby Gnoll?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°She seemed alright,¡± Nadine commented with a shrug, ¡°She seemed rather afraid of me as well, to be honest. Your Albino seems to be doing a good job taking care of her though, so I don¡¯t think there is anything to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Fesk seems reliable,¡± I agreed, ¡°What do you think of him?¡±


    Nadine raised her palms and shrugged non-committaly, ¡°He seems alright. Especially since he was an enemy combatant less than a week ago,¡± she jibed while giving me a stern look, ¡°You have put a lot of trust in him, Tim.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Not really. Besides the Enslavement Commands-¡± I shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Fesk was always much more of a neutral party, not an enemy. He went on a killing spree against his former masters when I inadvertently killed his Vampire Master. He was only serving the enemy afterwards because of the collar. When I took control and turned the collared Thralls against the others, Fesk made no challenge to free himself, and he still hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Well...It¡¯s not like you really treat them like Slaves,¡± Nadine pointed out.


    I shrugged, ¡°It depends on your definition of slavery,¡± I countered.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Nadine conceded, ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t find anyone treating Slaves as well as you do. At least, not without expecting special services in exchange,¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± I agreed, ¡°But are you aware of the service for citizenship law that is being enacted?¡±


    Nadine slowly shook her head, ¡°No...What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Basically, five years of military service and you become an Asrusian citizen, and earn a pension for years served,¡± I explained.


    Nadine frowned, ¡°But I¡¯m already a citizen?¡± She insisted with a hint of uncertainty.


    ¡°It¡¯s intended for Slaves and enemy combatants like Fesk,¡± I added, ¡°And that includes Enslaved wild monsters as well.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re okay with this?¡± Nadine asked warily.


    ¡°More or less, yeah. There is an alternative for the wild monsters,¡± I added with a sigh, ¡°They will be given a choice between military service or release into a designated floor of a Labyrinth to live their life as they see fit, or as best they are able.¡±


    ¡°Which is basically a death sentence once Species rivalries flare-up,¡± Nadine commented disapprovingly.


    ¡°But that is what they would otherwise be dealing with if they hadn¡¯t been Enslaved in the first place,¡± I countered, ¡°It¡¯s no different to how we treated the wild Mountain Orcs.¡±


    ¡°I suppose...¡± Nadine agreed reluctantly, ¡°But why military service? I know the military would love having combat Synergies, but why are you so in favour of the idea?¡±


    ¡°Socialisation,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°Wild monsters have shown they ¡®can¡¯ be reasoned with if given enough time to be socialised to the point that they don¡¯t just attack anything that doesn''t look exactly like themselves. That might not take five years for most, but it''s also an opportunity to acclimate to human civilization and culture, as well as working alongside other Species. Synergies are great, but sharing a fundamental level of cultural values is insanely important. Without it, you just end up tearing your country apart.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Nadine admitted, ¡°And they would have combat skills they could fall back on to earn an income or provide for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Not just combat skills,¡± I corrected, ¡°Medical skills, engineering skills, carpentry skills, and so on. Those with the aptitude and desire, will be positioned in roles where they can learn skills that both the military and civilian sector both need.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Nadine seemed genuinely surprised, ¡°Which is why you want me to teach them to be Surgeons,¡± she realised.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I replied, ¡°The army needs more Surgeons to serve as combat medics. People who are on the frontlines and giving fallen soldiers a fighting chance to make it to the field hospital. It will be a very easy way to earn acceptance and trust from their Asrusian counterparts.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand what You mean,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°It¡¯s hard not to feel grateful when someone saves your life.¡±


    ¡°There is one problem though,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nadine asked curiously.


    ¡°Ensuring compliance during the initial socialising period. The only way to make absolutely sure that wild monsters or foriegn combatants obey the rules long enough for them to become second nature, is to maintain their Enslavement,¡± I explained uncomfortably, ¡°However, since I can¡¯t be everywhere at once, and my Slave retinue has limits-¡±


    ¡°You will need Slavers to keep them in line,¡± Nadine interjected distastefully.


    I nodded, ¡°A Master Tier equivalent from the Lordship title Classes, or the Slave Master, yes.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s going to stop them from just abusing their power?¡± Nadine asked warily, ¡°I know most of the soldiers seem alright, but some of them are downright dodgy.¡±


    ¡°Which is why they will be Enslaved by and report to, Gric,¡± I explained a little hesitantly.


    Nadine opened her mouth to comment, closed it again, frowned thoughtfully and then slowly nodded in agreement, ¡°That could work,¡± she admitted, ¡°There¡¯s no one more rigid and rule-abiding than he is. It¡¯s like he was born to be an administrator.¡±


    I nodded my head and grunted in agreement.


    Another long silence passed between us while just sitting and enjoying the tranquillity.


    ¡°Tim? Do you have a list of Slaves for teaching to become Surgeons? Or should I work through them all myself to find good candidates?¡± Nadine asked.


    ¡°The start of one, but I hadn¡¯t accounted for the most recent additions from the military buyout.¡± I had made a group of the most promising candidates by Species, making sure to have at least one of each Species represented to better demonstrate the Class to others of their Species down the line. After placing them all into a group with Nadine, I waited for her to look through the candidates.


    ¡°There are quite a few of them,¡± Nadine observed nervously.


    ¡°There is,¡± I agreed, ¡°But remember, you can explain the broader concepts to a large group all at once, and then provide more targeted teaching with smaller groups afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nadine nodded and appeared a little less nervous.


    ¡°You can wave down any of the soldiers and have them deliver you supplies as well,¡± I added, ¡°The military desperately wants more Surgeons, so I would be incredibly surprised if they refused to accommodate your requests.¡±


    ¡°I guess it also doesn¡¯t hurt that I know the big guy in charge either,¡± Nadine grinned.


    ¡°That too,¡± I agreed with an amused smile of my own.


    ¡°I guess I should probably get started with seeing who on the list is actually interested,¡± Nadine sighed as she got to her feet.


    ¡°Just make sure they understand what you are offering,¡± I insisted, ¡°You might need to provide a demonstration or two to win them over.¡±


    Nadine nodded determinedly, ¡°Right,¡± she agreed before taking a deep breath, determinedly setting her brow and heading off towards the closest of the candidates.


    As Nadine left, Fesk got up from his seat on the front steps of the manor and made his way over. Sitting himself down a dozen feet in front of me, Fesk transferred Khibi onto his lap. #Give. More. Signs.¡± He signed with a hopeful expression.


    #Yes.# I signed back and shifted around a little to become more comfortable.


    I practised signing with Fesk for the rest of the day, pausing with each batch of new arrivals so Fesk could direct them to their accommodations. Every so often, he would remove a strip of dried meat from a pouch on his belt and feed it to Khibi while also making sure to offer the water skin to avoid dehydrating her.


    Painfully shy, Khibi would giggle and whine whenever she realised anyone, including Fesk, was looking at her. A far cry from the assertive and confident adult female Gnolls I was familiar with, it was interesting to consider that the Matriarchal position and its associated competition might be the result of their drives and instincts being artificially redirected. Either that or Khibi¡¯s timidness might be the result of the fact that she was a small vulnerable child and was surrounded by strangers.


    Expecting a child of my own in the near future, I was a little disappointed that I couldn¡¯t get closer to Khibi and learn more about what I should expect from a baby monster. The Daemons'' childhood had been far too brief and bizarre to be of much help at all.


    Granted, parenthood wouldn¡¯t seem nearly as daunting if my children grew up so quickly, but I sincerely doubted they would be nearly as obedient as the Daemons.


    Fesk and I continued practising signs well into the evening before calling it a night once the last wagonload of Slaves was delivered and the deadline for the proclamation was now due. Leaving Fesk to keep an eye on things, I accompanied two platoons of soldiers and a pair of large wagons down into the lower districts.


    Capable of sensing all Slaves held by other people within a large radius, so long as I was thorough enough, I would be able to tell if anyone was attempting to hide any Slaves regardless of obstructions. Sensing only Beasts initially, I was tempted to believe that my paranoia was unwarranted. However, as we were approaching the large marketplace that had been used by the military earlier in the day, I detected a cluster of two dozen Slaves beneath what looked like an upscale tavern.


    ¡°Twenty-four Slaves beneath ground level,¡± I pointed to the tavern and waited as orders were issued and the building was somewhat discreetly surrounded.


    With the majority of citizens worried about the inevitable siege, few people were out and about beyond the soldiers on patrol. This worked to our advantage, making it that much easier to isolate the building without drawing too much attention. Even then, most of the attention was directed towards myself and not the soldiers gathered around me.


    I supposed it made sense, given my size and appearance. It probably even worked to our advantage, justifying the reason so many soldiers were on the street because they were needed to ¡®keep me in line¡¯.


    With the tavern and nearby buildings surrounded, ten soldiers, including a Sergeant, entered the tavern.


    Bracing myself, I began challenging for control of the two dozen Slaves. Four separate wills pushed back, but three of them crumpled almost immediately. The final holdout lasted almost thirty seconds before capitulating and surrendering control of the final three Slaves.


    Mentally, issuing the standard commands, and allowing the Slaves to defend themselves, I turned to the two Lieutenants and gave them a nod to indicate that the Slaves wouldn¡¯t be a threat.


    Another soldier was sent into the tavern to pass along the information to the ten soldiers already inside.


    A little over ten minutes passed before the first of the soldiers left the tavern, dragging an unconscious and badly beaten man into the street. Bare-chested and covered in odd tattoos, the bald-headed man looked a lot like the bikeys I used to see on T.V. In his late forties or early fifties, he had as much flab as muscle and a strangely immaculately groomed horseshoe moustache that was currently crusted with blood.


    Eight more men of similar appearance were dragged out of the tavern and hogtied to prevent their escape, then gagged to prevent them from causing a scene. All but three of them looked like they had taken a severe beating, and those three thugs had blood caking their lower faces.


    With the nine thugs securely bound and gagged, they were thrown into the back of one of the large wagons and kept under careful watch.


    ¡°An obvious gang affiliation, your Majesty,¡± one of the Lieutenants explained, ¡°Organised criminals. The Lord Regent¡¯s representative will want to question them.¡±


    I nodded to show I understood. With the death penalty in effect, that wagon was originally intended for corpses, not prisoners.


    After a few more minutes, three men in military-issued clothing were escorted out of the building by a pair of male soldiers that were deliberately keeping a respectful distance. Appearing to be in their twenties, they were objectively attractive if somewhat androgynous, like members of a boy band targeting a female teen demographic. With a darker skin tone similar to Clarice, I wondered where they had originally come from.


    The soldiers that had brought out the three young men, passed along a request from their Sergeant for female soldiers to provide assistance with the other Slaves.


    Nine female soldiers obediently entered the tavern while a majority of their male counterparts took the opportunity to leave.


    ¡°Sir. The barman and the barmaids didn¡¯t seem to be in on it,¡± the Sergeant reported gruffly, ¡°The Barman even tipped us off about the hidden door in the cellar. We probably would have found it eventually, but his description, and warning about the trap, saved us a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Leave them be, for now,¡± I agreed, ¡°But first, find out what they know and make sure to forward the report to Gregory. It will probably help with his investigation into the gang and its activities.¡±


    ¡°Yessir!¡± The Sergeant saluted and then made his way back into the tavern.


    After about twenty minutes, a huddled group of young women were shepherded out into the street by the female soldiers who had entered the tavern earlier. Wearing the same military-issued clothing as the men who had been brought out earlier, the women had also been provided with cloaks to help keep them warm and ward against shock.


    A couple of the young women had the same, or similar skin tones as the men, and a few looked like they could pass as locals. However, the remaining women were divided into more exotic appearances. One woman looked like she could have been Russian, while another looked like an incredibly tall Filipino. Given the location, the dull look in the men''s and women''s eyes and the gang element, I felt confident, and disgusted, in assuming that this had been an underground prostitution racket.


    Using human Slaves was a risk, but it also meant that the profits would all, presumably, go to the gang. Loading the Slaves into the other wagon, the soldiers provided them with some food and water before we continued our sweep of the city.


    As we were nearing the gate to the second district, I sensed another cluster of Slaves that spanned a small block of buildings. I sensed fifty-seven Slaves in total.


    The Lieutenants began stopping passing patrols and used them to help establish a wide perimeter while messaging for reinforcements. With a dozen or more buildings that would need to be searched, they were going to need a lot more men in order to prevent any potential suspects from escaping.


    Most of the buildings looked like they were storefronts and workshops, but there were a few multi-story residential buildings as well.


    One of the Slaves¡¯ presence suddenly disappeared, and before I had time to consider what that might mean, another disappeared as well. As the third Slave¡¯s presence disappeared, I felt my stomach turn as I guessed at what was happening, ¡°They are killing the Slaves!¡± I snarled and activated my Ability before snarling again, only this time in pain.


    I wasn¡¯t prepared for someone to resist me so fiercely and it was like a white-hot iron spike in my brain. A dozen or so other sources of resistance collapsed in the periphery, leaving just myself, the iron spike and someone else.


    Ignoring the chaos breaking out around me, I pushed hard to break the third wheel in our struggle for dominance. Rather abruptly, the challenge ended as the third party folded, immediately ending the fierce resistance from my primary opposition.


    Confused and breathing hard, I staggered and braced myself against a nearby building to stop myself from toppling over.


    Now aware of events transpiring around me, I could see the soldiers had come under attack by more tattooed thugs. Currently outnumbered three to one, the soldiers didn¡¯t seem to be in much trouble, savagely beating the thugs down with wooden cudgels while fending off long knives and spiked clubs.


    I also couldn¡¯t help but notice that the thugs were giving me a wide berth, which the soldiers were making the most of in order to secure some breathing room before charging back into the chaotic melee.


    [(Slave: Clara) has been slain by (???: ???)]


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed and issued commands enabling the Slaves to defend themselves and one another.


    A few moments later, I felt the ground shudder beneath my feet.


    [{Mortax} has slain {???: ???} +0 Exp], [{Mortax} has slain {???: ???} +0 Exp], [{Mortax} has slain {???: ???} +0 Exp]...


    The kill notifications continued for another couple of minutes before stopping abruptly.


    The soldiers had put down the last of the thugs and were tying them up or wolfing down rations while recuperating.


    Some of the thugs had run when it had become clear that the fight had turned against them. Unfortunately, without the reinforcements that were still on the way, the  soldiers had no choice but to let them go.


    ¡°It appears to be the same criminal organisation, Majesty,¡± one of the Lieutenant explained while pointing to a horned bull tattoo on the chest of one of the thugs, ¡°They all have that same marking.¡±


    While waiting for the reinforcements to arrive, one of the Sergeants and a few soldiers began working their way through the residential buildings that the thugs had been occupying. By the time the reinforcements arrived, every one of the residences had been thoroughly searched, so the search was expanded to the nearby businesses as well.


    ¡°Found it! It¡¯s over here!¡± A soldier cried out from behind what looked like a carpentry workshop and store. The alleyways between the buildings were too small for me to fit through, so I had no real choice but to sit back and wait as some of the other soldiers went to investigate.


    There was the muffled sound of something collapsing accompanied by excited chatter from the soldiers before they grew quiet again.


    A long silence passed uneventfully.


    ¡°MROOOO!!!¡± A bellowing roar boomed from behind the workshop and I felt the vibrations through the street beneath my feet.


    Clamping down on the commands of the Slaves int he immediate area, I denied their ability to defend themselves.


    ¡°MROO-¡±ughrmmm,¡± A second bellowing roar was interrupted mid roar, devolving into a loud whimper.


    Remembering the name I had seen appear during the battle with the thugs, I had just begun searching through the stats of the recently acquired Slaves and located the one in question when a large hulking figure appeared down the far end of the alleyway.


    With the head, legs and tail of a bull, covered in short fur and shorting large bloody horns atop its head, there was only one creature it could be. Yet as I read the monster''s stats it was like the proverbial wind was immediately stripped from my sails.


    ¡°Lesser Aurochian?¡± I muttered in bewilderment before turning back to look at what could only be considered a minotaur.


    ¡°An Aurochian?!¡± One of the Lieutenants exclaimed in surprise and concern.


    Gauging the reaction of the other soldiers, I wondered why such a fierce reputation was not currently being earned by the monster in front of us,


    At the urging of the soldiers behind it in the alley, the Lesser Aurochian began to scramble up onto the roof of the carpentry workshop and across the roof.


    Now close to eye level with the creature, I was even more surprised to find that as he looked down at the ground below, he looked absolutely terrified and was even anxiously making what sounded like mooing sounds. Still prone on the rooftop, the Lesser Aurochian was trembling like a leaf and seemed to be beginning to cry. ¡°Mhhh, mhhh, Mortax, mhhh, want ground, mhhh.¡±


    Glancing at Mortax¡¯s stats, my eyes widened in shock and I blinked several times to confirm that I wasn¡¯t just seeing things. The Lesser Aurochian had almost half the Intelligence of the child we had rescued the day before.


    Mortax had now clenched his eyes shut and was holding the edge of the brick building''s sloped roof so tightly that it was crumbling in his hands.


    Stepping forwards, I offered the terrified creature my hands, ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help you down.¡±


    Mortax opened his eyelids and stared at me with tear-filled eyes, ¡°Mhhh, p-p-promise? Mhhh, Mortax, mhhh, no want die, mhhh!¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± I insisted reassuringly and offered my hands again.


    ¡°Mhhh, mhhh,¡± Mortax took a moment to look to either side before reluctantly holding out his arms.


    Taking hold of him below the armpits, I slowly began dragging Mortax off of the roof. Easily the heaviest thing I had ever lifted in my life, I somehow still managed to lower Mortax to the ground without dropping him.


    ¡°You save Mortax!¡± The Lesser Aurochian declared in amazement while looking at the rooftop he had been dragged off of only a few moments before. It was an odd choice of words, not least of which because Mortax was only a couple of feet shorter than myself, and would be much closer if he wasn¡¯t hunched over and slouching. ¡°Mortax serve! Mortax be good!¡± Mortax insisted happily.


    Standing so close to Mortax, I could now see faint white stripes in his otherwise raven-black fur. After taking a closer look at his face and finding a handful of old scars, I realised that the white stripes were most likely concealing more scars as well. Dressed only in a leather loincloth, there wasn¡¯t any place for Mortax¡¯s scars to hide.


    Comparable to myself in almost every respect in terms of his raw attributes, I didn¡¯t understand why he was so incredibly compliant and meek. As best I could determine, someone had to have used violence to condition him to be this way. Whether it was this gang or someone else, I couldn¡¯t be certain.


    Determining Mortax to not be a threat, I reinstated the self-defence commands.


    Almost immediately, Mortax¡¯s blank, almost vacant happy expression turned to unbridled fury. ¡°MROOOO!!!¡± He bellowed and charged toward the line of prone thugs. Snatching up one man by his shin, Mortax raised the thug high like a club and brought the man¡¯s head crashing down against the paved street, rupturing his skull like a rotten peach. ¡°YOU HURT LUCY!!¡± Mortax roared before raising his right leg and bringing it down on another thug¡¯s chest, immediately turning it into a bloody broken pulp and spattering blood everywhere, ¡°YOU HURT SUZY!!¡± Mortax lifted his next terrified victim by the hip and shoulder and then pulled. With muffled screams, the thug was near effortlessly ripped in two, spilling intestines and other organs onto the street. ¡°YOU HURT PAMMY!!¡± Mortax roared into the dying man''s face before casting away the torn pieces of the dying thug with disgust and turning to his next intended victim.


    Overcoming my surprise, I revoked Mortax¡¯s self-defence command and replaced it with an unconditional command of non-violence.


    Already reaching for his intended target, Mortax calmed down almost immediately, but he continued to glare at the thugs. Even so, I felt no challenge from him whatsoever. However, I could certainly understand why the soldiers had been apprehensive regarding his presence.


    In a similar situation to the tavern, female soldiers were requested and began escorting women from the hidden subterranean base. The majority of the women were in their late teens to early thirties with one notable exception. A much older woman, perhaps in her sixties, wearing a lot of foundation and rouge, was the only one of the women not blankly staring at the ground or deliberately avoiding eye contact.


    Instead, the older woman was staring at the mutilated corpses of the dead thugs with grim satisfaction, ¡°Good boy, Mortax,¡± she muttered vindictively before giving me a wary look from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Miss? Would you mind answering some questions about these thugs?¡± I asked politely, convinced that if anyone could give us information without requiring some degree of torture, it would be her.


    The older woman stared back at me in shock for a few moments before masking her emotions, ¡°What is in it for me?¡± She asked in a far more feminine tone of voice than she had used earlier, ¡°Will I be allowed to go free?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°You will go free regardless, should you wish. Depending on how useful your information proves to be, you will be compensated with money-err, coins, or their value in goods or services.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± the older woman stated doubtfully, ¡°So if I could tell you how this gang is involved in a kingdom-wide conspiracy, you just hand over a fistful of gold? Just like that?¡± She shook her head, ¡°More is like you give me a few silvers and send me on my way, insisting I be grateful for keeping my neck and knickers intact!¡±


    ¡°If what you are claiming is true, then I can guarantee one of the nobles'' fortified manors as part of your compensation,¡± I replied evenly, refusing to rise to her taunt. The possibility of more places like this one existing in other cities was very real, and it wouldn¡¯t be the first time a criminal empire was funded by prostitution. Handing over one of the emptied manors was nothing, especially if the Baron had been somehow involved.


    The older woman¡¯s mask slipped for a moment and she stared back up at me in shock. Looking at the pair of Lieutenants at my side she roughly cleared her throat before pointing at me, ¡°Can he really promise that?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± One Lieutenant replied firmly.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Replied the other.


    Looking as if her entire world had been turned upside down, the older woman looked back up at me uncertainly, ¡°What if I can only point you to the one who has that information?¡± She asked nervously.


    ¡°It counts as the same. Assuming they have the information and spill enough of it for the investigator to work with,¡± I answered while making sure to emphasise the conditional element so there would be no misunderstandings later.


    The older woman nodded to show she understood, ¡°And we all still go free?¡± She asked warily.


    I nodded, ¡°Your freedom is not reliant on the information you provide.¡±


    The older woman grinned maliciously and rubbed her wrinkled hands together eagerly. ¡°Right!¡± She declared, ¡°I believe we have a deal!¡±


    *****


    As the wagon passed through the gate into the uppermost section of the city, Betty could hardly believe her eyes. The feeling only intensified when the wagon entered the grounds of a noble estate and came to a halt by the entrance to the manor itself.


    The other wagons came to a halt as well and their escorts, entirely composed of female soldiers, began assisting Betty¡¯s recently rescued girls from the wagons.


    Just like Betty herself, her girls were all in awe of the fine stone worked building in front of them.


    ¡°Are we really going to live here?¡± Little Hestia asked nervously while running her hands over her long blonde hair, ¡°It¡¯s really alright? We won¡¯t be thrown out or beaten or anything?¡±


    ¡°Who cares?¡± Maria barked darkly, her emerald green eyes flashing in the light of the lanterns, ¡°This is the longest I have been outside in months! And this is grass!¡± She declared excitedly while wiggling her toes on the lawn, ¡°Real grass! When was the last time any of us saw it, let alone had a chance to feel it?¡±


    Betty was forced to admit that Maria had a point.


    ¡°Cots and bedding have been prepared in the larger rooms, and food and water can be found in the main dining room,¡± one of the female soldiers, a Sergeant, explained while unlocking and opening the doors to the manor with a large set of keys, ¡°A Surgeon will visit tomorrow morning and do her best to treat any maladies or injuries. We request and must insist that you treat her with all due respect. Moving on, I am Sergeant Winter, I am responsible for your protection for the immediate future. Myself and those under my command will patrol the grounds at all hours. But if you need personal assistance, we can be found in either of these rooms off of the entrance hallway. Are there any questions?¡±


    ¡°What about clothes?¡± Kendra asked hesitantly while fiddling with the drab soldier''s attire she and the rest of Betty¡¯s girls had changed into before leaving on the wagons.


    ¡°A local seamstress has offered her services, and is willing to teach anyone who wishes to learn. Spare clothing is available in a storage room that is connected to the primary dining room. Any other questions?¡± The Sergeant asked.


    ¡°What if we want to go home?¡± Sandra, one of Betty¡¯s youngest, asked quietly.


    ¡°If you wish, we will assist with re-connecting you with any family members and see to it that you are returned home,¡± The Sergeant replied sympathetically.


    ¡°What if our parents sold us off in the first place?¡± Maria demanded somewhat angrily.


    ¡°Provided it can be proven, then those who are guilty will be imprisoned and then executed,¡± The Sergeant answered with righteous indignation.


    ¡°Are we allowed outside?¡± Lenore asked anxiously, ¡°Like, whenever we want?¡±


    The Sergeant nodded, ¡°While I must insist you remain on the grounds of the estate for the time being in order to ensure your safety, you are permitted full use of the grounds so long as you do not endanger yourself or others with your actions.¡±


    ¡°What about training?¡± Brenda, another one of Betty¡¯s youngest, asked eagerly, ¡°What if I wanna sign up and become a soldier?¡±


    The Sergeant sized Brenda up, looking her over and nodding approvingly, ¡°Arrangements can be made. See me in the morning if you are still interested.¡±


    Brenda nodded and cracked her knuckles eagerly. Something of a street thug herself, she was no doubt looking for some payback and the skills she would need to make sure she got it.


    Once the Sergeant had finished answering everyone¡¯s questions, she assigned a guard detail at the gate and a patrol schedule for the grounds before retiring to one of the rooms she had indicated earlier.


    Left to their own devices for the first time in years, most of Betty¡¯s girls didn¡¯t know what to do with themselves and just stood in the entry hall like a herd of nervous sheep.


    As loath as Betty was to continue in her role as madame, she swallowed her pride and began assigning her girls to their beds, making sure to keep in mind any long-standing feuds or arguments and separating those involved.


    With everyone assigned a bed, Betty began to wander the manor. It all felt so surreal, almost like she was dreaming. For the simple act of naming her nemesis and where he was hiding, Betty had been given a manor of a noble house. Granted, it was completely devoid of its original furniture, but with rumours of an upcoming siege, Betty could think of no better place to keep herself and her girls safe.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 42 – Out of sight – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 42 ¨C Out of sight ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 42 - Out of sight - Part Two


    The ¡®not a minotaur¡¯ was something of an odd duck. Possessing an almost childlike Intelligence and ability to articulate his thoughts, Mortax was the second most violent and sapient monster I had seen so far. What made it all the stranger was how quickly he had switched from dopey gratitude to homicidal rage and back again. Like there was a switch in his brain.


    Despite not initially wanting to believe it, Mortax had also been responsible for giving me such a hard time when taking control of the Enslaved women in the criminal hideout. As best I could determine, the Slaver amongst the thugs'' ranks must have performed some sort of psychological conditioning on Mortax. There was no other real explanation for why he would be so unconditionally subservient with such a high Willpower, unless he was biding his time, watching, listening, learning, as I had done.


    When freed of the Slaver¡¯s immediate control, Mortax had surrendered to my control immediately. There had been no struggle, no resistance, just acceptance. Yet at every opportunity presented under the self-defence command, Mortax had committed acts of brutal violence without hesitation.


    That was the part that has kept me up most of the night. He was clearly capable of not only holding grudges but also of establishing bonds of empathy with humans. Mortax also seemed to have an intuitive sense of what any given command would allow him to do.


    I had come to believe that Mortax had been enacting proactive self-defence against the bound thugs on the street. Because he believed the thugs would be capable of repeating acts of violence against himself, or the others, Mortax had sidestepped the intended reactionary nature of the command.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a result of his low Intelligence, high Willpower, a potential genetic trait of his Species, his protracted Enslavement, or the fact that Mortax was Taskmaster. Quite possibly it could have been the result of any combination of factors.


    In any case, I was planning on taking Mortax with me into the Labyrinth so I could keep an eye on him and maybe gain a better understanding of what makes him tick. If I was ever to encounter another one of his Species I wanted to have a better idea of what I would need to expect. Besides, with Ushu being too large to enter the fortress in Mournbrent¡¯s Labyrinth, Mortax would be my only heavy hitter to assist with countering any other large monsters. Stats were nice, but sheer size and bulk counted for a great deal when fighting the larger monsters. It was simple physics really, a larger weapon deals more damage and a larger body takes less damage.


    I didn¡¯t get much sleep, but after spending most of the day before resting, I didn¡¯t really need it either.


    The plan was to enter the third floor of Laine¡¯s Labyrinth around midday and begin the official claim on the abandoned Foothold almost immediately. With a twenty-four-hour claim time, beginning and ending during daylight hours was important for ensuring the humans were able to contribute during the initial period of the fighting and then hold watch during the day after the midnight respawn period.


    Nadine was going to spend the morning giving the women and men we had rescued medical checkups while Gregory continued interrogating the thugs for information.


    Unlike the human combat Slaves, I wanted to free the gang¡¯s former captives as soon as possible. With the overwhelming majority appearing to be Asrusian, I planned on freeing them just as soon as Nadine was done making the most of the group status information and Synergies to provide them treatment.


    Fesk was only too eager to take advantage of the opportunity and practice signing. The nature of sign language was somewhat antithetical to regular sentence structure and grammar, which made it rather easy to string together sentences from basic words. As much about context as the choice of words themselves, conversations with signing required more analytical engagement than just talking.


    Fesk¡¯s vocabulary was slowly increasing, but retention was still our primary focus. Theoretically, if I managed to do a good enough job teaching Fesk Auslan, he would be able to teach it to others, albeit in a more restricted fashion.


    In preparation for entering the Labyrinth, I summoned Ril and requested she bring Rikit to my location. Negotiating with the surviving Ashfurs was far more likely to succeed with a strong Gnoll matriarch on our side, and at worst, Rikit could dominate the existing Matriarch and annex the tribe.


    Just as I had asked, Ril delivered Rikit a few minutes later.


    ¡°You sent for Rikit, my Tyrant?¡± Rikit asked somewhat nervously, cackling slightly and earning a whimpering chorus from Khibi. Drawn to the whimpers of the little Gnoll, Rikit abruptly turned her back on me and approached Fesk and Khibi. ¡°Is a cub!¡± She barked excitedly, earning a fresh whimpering giggle from Khibi, ¡°Give Rikit cub!¡± Rikit insisted, reaching for Khibi with one large clawed hand.


    Fesk protectively wrapped his arms around Khibi in response to the demand and gave me a questioning look.


    #Safe. Trust. Give.# I signed and pointed first to Khibi and then to Rikit.


    Still appearing somewhat uncertain, Fesk unfolded his arms and handed Khibi over to Rikit.


    Handling the little Gnoll with surprising gentleness despite her ferocious appearance, Rikit looked Khibi over from top to bottom licking Khibi¡¯s face. ¡°Am Rikit,¡± she stated warmly, ¡°You?¡±


    Khibi whimpered anxiously but said nothing.


    ¡°Her name is Khibi,¡± I explained.


    Rikit bobbed her head in acknowledgement, ¡°Khibi,¡± she repeated, the name sounding more like a barking growl by her means of pronunciation. All the Gnoll names had strange pronunciations, combining growls, barks, heckles and whines to achieve an entirely strange accent all their own. ¡°Khibi is...orphan?¡± Rikit asked, struggling with the unfamiliar word.


    ¡°Uncertain,¡± I replied, ¡°We have managed to rescue a large number of eggs I think might belong to the tribe, but the survivors of the attack haven¡¯t been very talkative so I can¡¯t trust them near the eggs to be sure.¡±


    Rikit snipped at the air before snorting hard and shaking her head, ¡°Males,¡± she acknowledged without elaborating further. ¡°Rikit has scent, can judge eggs,¡± she declared confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but we will be entering the Labyrinth to find the rest of the tribe. It¡¯s quite likely that they lost their matriarch in the attack and I want you to take control of the tribe to avoid further bloodshed,¡± I explained patiently, ¡°There were some Gnolls amongst one of our enemies'' combat Slaves as well. If you want to take responsibility for them, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Rikit seemed curious but bowed her head obediently, ¡°Rikit do,¡± she promised.


    The Gnolls were something of a unique case. Depending on how they would react to Rikit, I would know whether they could be integrated into Sanctuary, or whether they would need to go through the citizenship or resettlement process.


    Still holding Khibi, Rikit began hunting down the Ashfur males.


    Fesk deflated somewhat and watched Rikit leave with a pained look in his eyes.


    It was a reminder that I still didn¡¯t know much about Fesk and the life he had led before I entered the Mournbrent Labyrinth. Even so, Fesk was still a long way off being able to communicate to a degree that would make prying anything but disappointing.


    With Nadine¡¯s examinations taking longer than expected, Fesk and I continued practising signing to one another while waiting for her to finish. Fesk¡¯s enthusiasm had taken a rather noticeable decline, but Gregory¡¯s arrival prevented me from dwelling on it.


    ¡°Majesty, a vast host of imperial forces have been spotted approaching the city, and the siege is expected to begin within the next thirty-six hours,¡± Gregory stated gravely, ¡°We are aware that you intended to visit the third floor first, but the Lord Regent and high command are hoping that you might reconsider seizing the first floor and establish the gateway first.¡±


    I furrowed my brow and frowned, ¡°How many qualify as vast?¡± I asked warily.


    Gregory fidgetted somewhat uncomfortably, ¡°Rough estimates place the enemy forces at approximately two hundred thousand...¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem ¡®too¡¯ bad.


    ¡°And four times as many slaves...¡± Gregory added, gulping dryly, ¡°Including their elite combat slaves...¡±


    ¡°A million?¡± I demanded somewhat incredulously, unsure I had heard Gregory correctly, or that perhaps he had miscounted.


    Gregory stiffly nodded, ¡°The empire¡¯s entire invasion force has shifted to target this city. The more distant elements won¡¯t be in a position to engage for another twelve days, but without reinforcements, Laine city will have long since been overrun. So on behalf of the Lord Regent and high command, I beg that you reconsider,¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°Why are they sending so many men?¡± I asked warily, still struggling to understand why the city was so important to the empire.


    ¡°With Mournbrent so heavily compromised and Kerdan embroiled in asinine infighting, besides a few trading towns, Laine is the only city standing between the empire and our capitol. If we lose the seat of the crown, morale will plummet,¡± Gregory explained anxiously, ¡°Without a stronghold on their flank, the siege of the capitol will become a horrific meat grinder, and when the walls are turned to rubble, the losses will become truly apocalyptic! So please, Majesty, reconsider.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed reluctantly. This was why I was here, and why I was involved with Mournbrent. Keeping the wars away from Sanctuary.


    Gregory looked profoundly relieved.


    ¡°Fesk, fetch Rikit, there has been a change in plans,¡± I ordered, unwilling to risk signing for fear I might be misunderstood.


    Fesk nodded diligently and went running off to find Rikit.


    ¡°We will leave just as soon as Nadine is ready,¡± I informed Gregory while donning my armour, ¡°And tell your Regent that I will be allowing Gric to draft soldiers for facilitating the Citizenship through Service initiative.¡±


    Caught somewhat off guard Gregory gave me a curious look while seeming to debate whether it would be best if he should ask what I meant.


    ¡°Slavers, for enforcing compliance during the adjustment period,¡± I explained dryly, uncomfortable with the necessity of the role and my part in suggesting it, ¡°Men and women Gric will hold to account to ensure they do not abuse their authority and position of power.¡±


    Gregory looked surprised, ¡°Ah...,how many Slavers did your Majesty have in mind?¡± He asked nervously.


    ¡°How large is the Asrusian army?¡± I countered, ¡°And how many enemy Slaves will accept the the deal in place of resettlement?¡±


    Gregory slowly nodded as he appeared to concede the point.


    ¡°Depending on how many Slaves a Slave Master or a Lord eqivilent can control, it¡¯s very likely that a hundred or so will be the bare minimum required in order to meet original demand,¡± I explained uncomfortably, ¡°And your command structures will need to be adjusted to account for their pressence. The Slavers can use Commands, to ensure the Slaves obey reasonable orders and the chain of command. However, I will not tolerate Slaves being used as fodder. So long as they uphold their end of the agreement, they are to be treated the same as any other soldier.¡±


    Gregory nodded stiffly, ¡°I understand, Majesty, but may I ask when this training will occur?¡±


    I sighed and pulled on my helmet, ¡°Just as soon as the Gateway is connected to the network,¡± I grunted while getting to my feet, ¡°So at least a couple of days.¡±


    Gregory grimaced but nodded to show he understood, ¡°I shall inform the Lord Regent and high command. Good luck, Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You too, Gregory, you too,¡± I replied while trying not to dwell on the scale of the rapidly approaching conflict.


    Fesk and Rikit soon returned with close to eighty male Gnolls in tow. Varying greatly in size and build, all of the males followed Rikit with child-like obedience.


    ¡°Rikit, come here,¡± I waved her forward and picked up my recently acquired bow. It was time to test whether the bowstring was a complete artefact.


    Rikit obediently approached with her head lowered.


    ¡°Take this bow and claim the third-floor Foothold in my name,¡± I ordered, ¡°Gather the Ashfur survivors under your banner and offer them resettlement in Sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°Tyrant commands, Rikit obeys!¡± Rikit snarled proudly, accepting the large bow with her free hand. Without being told the trick, she resized the bow to better suit her size. I wondered if it was a trick all monsters knew intuitively, and only Awakened were required to learn.


    ¡°Gregory will give you and your warriors tokens that will take you to the third-floor Foothold, and the weapons you will need in order to hold it. Whether you seek out the Ashfurs first or seize the Foothold, I will leave it at your discretion. But remember Rikit, time is working against us,¡± I warned.


    Rikit bobbed her head, ¡°Rikit understands, Tyrant. Rikit go now!¡± She turned to Gregory, ¡°Take Rikit to Labyrinth!¡± She barked eagerly, earning a chorus of eager barks from the male Gnolls.


    Gregory glanced at me and then nodded, hurrying away towards the former guild building.


    I turned my attention towards Fesk, ¡°Fesk, we won¡¯t be leaving anyone behind. It¡¯s too great a risk. We will also be bringing the eggs with us. Protecting the eggs will be your highest priority. The guild will have an administration building of some kind, made of stone and fortified, that will be where you will protect the eggs and keep the noncombatants. Understood?¡±


    #Understand. Obey.# Fesk signed with a serious expression.


    ¡°The Lizardmen will assist with protecting the building and will store their eggs inside as well. But besides them and the noncombatants, no one else is allowed inside. Understand?¡±I briefly glanced towards the manor and wondered how well the Lizardmen would take the deliberate endangerment of their eggs.


    #Understand. Obey.# Fesk signed again.


    #Good.# I signed back, ¡°Don your armour and prepare to move out.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a reply, instead approaching a group of Orcs that were wrestling on the grass.


    Noticing my approach, the Orcs very quickly ceased their roughhousing and warily crowded together, ¡°Tell the Lizardmen I need to speak with them, and tell everyone else that we will be entering the Labyrinth very soon,¡± I ordered.


    The orcs looked at one another and then ran off in different directions.


    It did not take long for Cheh, the Lizardmens¡¯ leader, to make her way out of the manor, and I more or less gave her the same explanation as I had done with Fesk. With one notable exception. ¡±-and once the territory is claimed, a Gateway will be created to transport yourselves and your eggs to Sanctuary. It is a home safe from human predation, where your people can raise your young in relative peace. Understood?¡±


    Cheh, already laying prostrate on the ground, bobbed her head, ¡°We obey...Great One,¡± She answered without hesitation.


    ¡°Good. Prepare the rest of your people for travel,¡± I ordered, ¡°We are leaving soon.¡±


    ¡°Obedience...Great One,¡± Cheh stood herself back up and hurried back inside of the manor.


    The Slaves had begun filtering out of the manor and were roughly assemlbing in the open space afforded by the grounds. The combat Slaves had crude weapons provided by their former masters, while the Slaves appropriated from Laine¡¯s citizens were largely barehanded.


    They were not to know, but weapons and light armour would be provided from what was essentially the army¡¯s surplus. Once the Slaves began racking up redemption points, they would also be able to use them to purchase all sorts of equipment.


    With roughly two hundred or so Slaves and their associated Synergies, I was inclined to believe that the first floor was not going to be any sort of challenge. However, that was precisely the situation I wanted. With low to no literacy amongst the general population of Slaves, they were unable to engagewith and accept custom quests designed to teach them how to unlock different Classes. So the general idea was to hold the territory through sheer weight of numbers and combined Synergies.


    The female Lizardmen had made large slings from the sheets and straw of their bedding to allow them to safely carry their eggs. Other Slaves had taken note of the simple design and after making their own, were using them to carry food.


    Only waiting on Nadine, I directed the Slaves to begin forming up in front of the former Adventurers Guild building so the soldiers inside could begin issuing them surplus equipment. Sending Fesk to fetch the Elves and Anette, I kept a wary eye on Mortax while worrying whether the scarred Elf would cause problems again.


    The human Slaves seemed profoundly relieved when they realised that they would be given proper weapons and armour to fight with. Apparently, many had suspected I would treat them the same as their former masters. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising really. It would probably take months before even the most optimistic Slaves would allow themselves to accept the difference in their circumstances and treatment.


    To my immense surprise, the Elves were not putting up a fight at all, seemingly content to follow Fesk and stand at the rear of the assembled Slaves. Anette was anxiously standing behind the Elves in turn, doing her best to remain out of sight.


    When the Quartermaster made his way to the Elves, the scarred Elf just stared at him blankly until the quartermaster pushed a suit of quilted armour and a sheathed shortsword into the Elf¡¯s arms before turning to the others. Even Anette was given a dagger to defend herself with.


    It was obvious that the Quartermaster was taking his job very seriously.


    Nadine arrived shortly afterwards and looked quite tired, most likely as a result of spending so much of her mana. The Slaves who had accepted Nadine¡¯s offer to learn the Surgeon Class migrated towards her as a group.


    Waving over the Quartermaster, I had him provide the prospective Surgeons with bandages, needles and thread portioned into bags, sacks or whatever he had on hand.


    Rikit and her Gnolls had already passed through the portal to the third floor. So once the tokens were distributed, I led the Slaves through to the first-floor Foothold.


    More or less what I had expected, the Foothold itself was close to identical in appearance to the First-floor Foothold from the Hurst labyrinth. Laid out like a small village, the administration building and the inn were the only buildings made from stone.


    A cursory exploration of the Foothold revealed that while the people had been removed, the tools and equipment of each enterprise had been left behind.


    ¡°Nadine, the inn is reserved for the Surgeons and patients. The administration building is off-limits to everyone I have not given explicit permission to enter. The same applies to the apothecary!¡± I declared loudly while altering Commands en masse, ¡°Otherwise, you are free to make camp or use any of the remaining buildings for shelter when not on duty. Humans will be taking the first shift and will be further divided into active duty, patrol duty and reserve duty. Form up into groups of five with others who have the same general weapon type, then pair with another group!¡±


    The human Slaves began obediently, if somewhat uncertainly forming up into groups while the monsters began claiming living spaces inside of the remaining buildings.


    Similarly, once the Lizardmen were told which of the two stone buildings was the administration building, they wasted no time in moving themselves in and then assisted Fesk with moving the eggs rescued from the guild inside. Anette and two of the three Elves moved themselves in as well, but the scarred Elf lingered by the doorway and made a point of glaring at me.


    Choosing to ignore the Elf, for the time being, I divided the human Slaves into their three roles and made sure to take a look outside to gain a better understanding of what we would be in for.


    The surrounding area was a mostly desolate and arid shrubland littered with large rocks and boulders. A distant mountain range loomed on the horizon. But there was no sign of any monsters.


    According to the Guild¡¯s records, the first floor had no intelligent humanoid monsters, only golem-like constructs formed from different resources. Rather than wandering the floor at random, the monsters would settle in and camouflage with their environment. Normally only territorial and reactive in nature, they would still be actively provoked by the Conquest of the Foothold.


    After confirming that I couldn¡¯t spot any of the monsters, I returned to the Foothold and activated my Artefact. Ignoring the familiar Quest details for the most part, I took only a moment to confirm that there was a twenty-four-hour countdown now in progress.


    Standing beside the north gate, I witnessed low clouds of dirt and debris beginning to encircle the foothold from a distance.


    After a half-hour, the first of the monsters slowly began lumbering into view. Just as described, they were made from packed earth, branches and stones. Vaguely humanoid in appearance, their proportions were deformed at best and barely functional at worst. Perhaps three feet tall on average, they were painfully slow-moving and uncoordinated, and I was almost tempted to write them off entirely.


    Further back, I could see larger constructs of stone gradually making their way closer. Similar to the monsters found beneath Sanctuary, I wondered if they would yield iron ingots as well.


    Strange scatterings of spindly bushes had begun outpacing the amalgams, using their roots like strange hooking tentacles to drag themselves forward like bizarrely camouflaged octopuses. Having seen Qreet and Hana both use Druid Abilities to crush or infest enemies to death with roots, I was far more leery of these small bushes than the lumbering stone golems.


    Retreating to the administration building, I patrolled the outside of the building to make sure that Fesk had followed through with barricading all the windows. The scarred Elf was still outside and glared at me suspiciously as I finished my security review of the building.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He demanded suspiciously.


    ¡°Making sure the wild monsters won¡¯t be able to break in without making at least some noise,¡± I replied absently while moving on to do the same with the inn.


    I saw the scarred elf scowl from the corner of my eye and he began to trail along behind me, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± he stated irritably.


    ¡°Then you will have to be specific,¡± I replied glibly, ¡°I am busy and the majority of my attention is elsewhere.¡±


    I felt a momentary flicker of contested control as the scarred Elf¡¯s scowl deepened, ¡°The lizards are under the impression that you will be taking them to some sort of paradise,¡± he snickered scornfully.


    ¡°As near as any I know of,¡± I admitted while testing a barricaded window.


    The scarred Elf stared at me incredulously before snorting or shaking his head, ¡°It¡¯s a trap, or a lie,¡± he insisted.


    I stopped inspecting the inn, turned and looked down at the Elf, ¡°I have no reason for either,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°I have control over every one of you already. Why would I need to trick you? Besides, I never said you and the other Elves would be allowed,¡± I countered.


    The scarred Elf looked confused and quite surprised.


    ¡°I can trust the Lizardmen to keep the peace, because they have children they want to raise and protect in relative safety and security. Enslavement won¡¯t be necessary to ensure they follow the rules of the greater community. Similarly, Anette has proven to me that she would be able to integrate into the wider community, so she will be allowed the opportunity to accept or reject the offer of settling in Sanctuary,¡± I explained somewhat impatiently, ¡°While you in particular have not made a favourable impression at all. You challenged my control and attacked me without considering the consequences of failure. If I was really as bad as you thought I was, what do you think would have happened once I put you down for attempting to harm me?¡±


    The scarred Elf¡¯s surprise turned to shock.


    ¡°Your lack of restraint and impulsive violent tendencies would make you a poor fit for Sanctuary. If the others are like you, then I will have no choice but to find a place for you amongst the Humans or resettle you alongside any of the wild monsters who opt out of service in exchange for citizenship,¡± I felt a small sense of satisfaction as a sense of panic began to be expressed on the more intact half of his face.


    ¡°B-But they haven¡¯t done anything!¡± The scarred elf protested angrily.


    I shrugged, ¡°I won¡¯t risk my family by taking a chance like that. Not without some sort of guarantee. However, Enslavement is, as much as current appearances beg to the contrary, taboo in my realm and those under my dominion. I will not ensure compliance of any citizen through Enslavement. It is a line I refuse to cross.¡±


    The scarred Elf¡¯s shoulders slumped and the unblemished half of his face twisted in an expression of regret.


    I turned back to my inspection of the inn.


    ¡°Wait!¡± The scarred Elf insisted, ¡°What if you took them and I stayed behind?¡± He bargained in a panic, ¡°Talia is as gentle as they come, and Renan is harmless!¡±


    ¡°Or so you claim,¡± I countered somewhat callously, but stopped as I reviewed the behaviour of the other two Elves. Neither of them had made an attempt at violence while the scarred one had made his own play at freedom, or while I had been sleeping. Provided Anette and Fesk could vouch for their good behaviour, and they were given a chaperon for a few months, just to be safe, letting them inside of Sanctuary wasn¡¯t completely out of the question.


    The scarred Elf¡¯s panic began to escalate, ¡°What...¡± His voice broke and he clenched his hands into fists as he looked down and away to hide his face, ¡°What if I swore to serve you for the rest of my life?¡± The scarred elf croaked, ¡°Would that be enough?¡±


    I mulled over his offer and decided to test his resolve by pointing out the problem with his offer. ¡°I already have your obedience through Enslavement, and while breaking a vow could kill you, so would defying a Command I might give you right now.¡±


    ¡°I...I have nothing else...¡± The scarred elf croaked defeatedly.


    ¡°Obedience, collaboration, and cooperation,¡± I countered, ¡°To put it bluntly, they are the most numerous of my subjects. This means, if your vows were to be worth anything at all, you have to use the next twenty-four hours to prove to me that you can work and fight effectively alongside humans.¡±


    The scarred Elf nodded but didn¡¯t say a word as he began making his way towards the southern gate.


    Having not been explicitly told what to do, Mortax had been curiously wandering around the Foothold and was currently poking through the different items in the administration building''s shed. Lacking a suitable weapon for his size, I wondered how long it would take for the Orc smiths to make him a large machete, mace, or hammer.


    Content to leave Mortax be, for the time being at least, I continued circling the inn until I was confident that the barricaded windows would hold.


    The monsters still hadn¡¯t made it more than halfway towards the Foothold, but the closer they came, the tighter and more complete their encirclement became. The more paranoid part of my mind was concerned that the encirclement itself was more deliberate than just happenstance. Even so, there wasn¡¯t really anything I could do about it for the time being.


    Returning to the storage shed, I cut off a length of rope and turned it into a sling. Turning a large canvas sheet and some more rope into a crude carrying bag, I put it across my chest and then headed out of the southern gate to collect stones to use as ammunition.


    The approaching monsters were still moving just as slowly as they had been earlier, but the shrubs were now only a few minutes away from reaching the gates and walls.


    Loading a stone into my sling, I hurled it in the general direction of the approaching shrubs. I missed, which was as I had expected. Trying again, I came closer to hitting my target. However, rather than wasting my ammunition further, I decided to go back inside of the Foothold and wait until the monsters were closer and clustered more tightly together.


    In the meantime, Mortax had either found, or been given, a large wooden hammer. Comprising a large, short, thick, squared-off log and a long thick stave, the hammer looked like it was most likely originally intended as a ground tamping tool or used in conjunction with a wedge for splitting timber. However, given Mortax¡¯s size, he was easily capable of using the strange hammer one-handed.


    There had been no armour, besides my own, that would have fit Mortax, so he was still dressed only in a loincloth.


    It was very likely that neither of us would actually need armour to weather the attacks of the first floor monsters. However, I did find the weight of my armour to be reassuring during moments of impending violence.


    Cries of anger, fear and courage echoed from the north and south, signalling the arrival of the shrub monsters. A few moments later, cries erupted from the patrols guarding the walls, confirming my suspicions that the scrub monsters were capable of climbing the crude palisade style walls.


    For their part, the human combat Slaves seemed fully capable of dispatching the strange shrub monsters. With brittle upper extremities and overly soft roots, it didn¡¯t seem to matter which type of weapon was used so long as the shrubs were prevented from swarming any one person.


    Just like every other Conquest, the monsters were less interested in fighting and focused on trying to reach the large stone pillar that would serve as the future Settlement¡¯s Totem. This was why the reserves were deployed seven ranks deep around the Totem. Even if the other positions were overrun, the Totem would remain the highest priority.


    This was also the reason why I had committed so many of the humans to patrol duty as well. Theoretically, they would be able to intercept and further disrupt the approach of any monsters that bypassed the primary defences and defenders. This would then allow the reserves to remain in relatively peak condition throughout their shift.


    The scarred Elf seemed to be giving it his all and was taking what I had said seriously. He really seemed to be making an effort to fight alongside the humans, rather than just fighting in the same general vicinity.


    Named Shrublings, the shrub-like monsters were defeated without any casualties, but that had been a more dangerous adversary than I had first thought. Several humans had torn boots and lacerated shins from thorns on the Shrublings¡¯ roots.


    Not a complete loss, the wounded were assisted to the inn and would provide combat experience for Nadine¡¯s aspiring Surgeons. Having already performed the required stitching on themselves to unlock the Class, treating the combat Slaves was much more about the application of what they had learned thus far.


    The curious thing about Healing Exp was that it didn¡¯t appear to scale by the Evolutionary Tier of the person being Healed, just the scale of the injury itself. So, theoretically, a team of Surgeons would never actually need to see combat in order to advance their level. Granted, earning Exp through Healing was a far slower enterprise than through combat against competitively Tiered monsters, but it was still something that could be of significant use.


    The Regent had already been sending Human candidates to Sanctuary to learn from Wraithe, but they had all been soldiers and would be sent to support the ongoing war. If Surgeons were recruited and returned to the Human settlements, a healthy reserve of slowly levelling Surgeons would be available in the event of an emergency.


    The need for Surgeons was offset to a certain degree by my Iron Gut Ability, but severe injuries, infections, and diseases would require medical intervention. As of this moment, I was doubtful that more than a handful of Settlements had that sort of access without the use of a Pact Binder summoning Wraithe.


    The approach of the amalgams and stone golems was just as slow as before, but a second staggering wave of Shrublings looked like it would hit just before their arrival, leaving no time to rest before facing off against the presumably stronger monsters. All the same, I was curious to see what the Classless humans were capable of.


    Lacking the military discipline of the Asrusian soldiers, and the benefit of formal training and complementary Abilities from even Basic Classes, the human combat Slaves were still handling the situation better than I would have done in their place. Whether it was out of base survival instincts, or the promise of eventual citizenship, I was unsure, but there was certainly something that could be said for the sheer weight of numbers.


    With his self-defence Commands replaced with ones of non-violence, Mortax didn¡¯t really have anything to do besides wander around. I had considered changing his Commands back again, but the risk of inadvertently harming the humans was just too high. If he was needed, then I would probably let him loose, but I doubted it would be necessary.


    Despite their relative size, the stone and brush amalgams, or as the kill notifications labelled them, Gulch Elementals, were uncoordinated. Worse still, the branches that served as connective sinew for the rocks and boulders comprising the rest of their body were exposed and under immense strain from the monster''s own weight. Even glancing blows against the branches could result in an arm or leg snapping free of the body, destabilising the Gulch Elemental even further and drastically reducing its combat effectiveness.


    The Rock Elementals were a different matter entirely. Composed entirely of stone and loose chunks of packed dirt, they lacked the inherent weaknesses of the other two monsters, with the notable exception of very slow movement. Heavily resistant to blades and spears, only the Slaves with clubs, hammers and maces pilfered from the Foothold store had any real degree of success in bringing the Rock Elementals down.


    As a result of most of their weapons being ineffective, the Rock Elementals began pushing their way through the Slaves garrisoned at the gates and were making their way towards the Totem.


    Somewhat irritated, I gave Mortax a conditional Command to attack the Rock Elementals.


    Almost immediately, Mortax turned towards the north gate and the slowly approaching Rock Elementals. ¡°MROOOOO!!! MORTAX SMASH!!!¡± The Aurochian bellowed and charged the nearest Rock Elemental, lowering his head and dashing its crude body to pieces as he ploughed through to the next Rock Elemental and dashed it apart with his wooden hammer. Without stopping, Mortax continued smashing his way through the Rock Elementals one after another until he took a right turn outside of the gate and disappeared.


    While no longer directly visible, the near clatter of debris against the Foothold walls and the enraged roars made it easy to roughly approximate where Mortax was.


    Removing a mace from my belt, I sighed and turned to face the slowly approaching column of Rock Elementals that had broken through the southern garrison. Resisting the urge to charge, I calmly approached the nearest Rock Elemental and made an underhanded swing at its torso.


    The Rock Elemental broke apart on impact. Its composite body creating difficult terrain for those attempting to take its place.


    Reminded that the monsters were first Tier at best, I sighed again and began sweeping my mace from side to side while doing my best to avoid rolling my ankle on a loose chunk of rock.


    By the time I reached the gate, Mortax had already made a pass on the outside, stemming the tide as he continued his clockwise massacre back towards the north gate.


    No longer divided by the Rock Elementals, the scarred Elf and humans were able to regroup and repel the Gulch Elementals that had been taking advantage of their more durable cousins'' distraction and had almost broken through.


    My intervention had also given the Slaves a combat buff which made it that much easier for them to turn the tide.


    After a second lap of the Foothold, Mortax brushed aside the Gulch Elementals still fighting at the north gate and began randomly wandering around the Foothold again as if nothing had happened. Unsure if his compartmentalisation of violent acts was admirable or disturbing, I wondered if Rikit was handling things any better on the third floor, and whether the city outside would be able to hold long enough for Ril to link a Gateway.


    *****


    First Commander Gregorovitch traced the eyepatch that now covered his empty right eye socket and trembled with rage as he recalled the ambush that had cost him his eye and the majority of his forces. Left with a little over thirty thousand troops, most of which were Slaves, Gregorovitch had been forced to retreat and wait for reinforcements from the empire.


    Gregorovitch might have even lost his own life in the ambush if it hadn''t been for his quick thinking in using Petyr as a human shield to intercept the majority of the enemy arrows.


    The humiliation of having lost so many men with no real prize to show for it had cost Gregorovitch a great deal of prestige amongst his fellow Commanders. At best, Gregorovitch intended to break even by the end of the war, which was why he had agreed to the mustering call to siege the city of Laine.


    While not privy to the precise details, Gregorovitch was well connected enough to learn that one or more of the noble houses within the city had been making plans to defect in exchange for keeping their titles. Gregorovitch found the situation rather amusing. There was a much greater chance that the traitorous nobles would be disposed of the moment they were no longer useful than for them to keep their titles and privileges. After all, why would the empire want to deliberately accept traitors into their ranks? And foreigners at that.


    Each participating Commander was entitled to claim Slaves in accordance with their rank and contributions. As such, Gregorovitch was not going to pass the prime opportunity by, even if it meant working alongside a number of his long-time rivals.


    It had been a surprise to Gregorovitch that a number of his fellow commanders, albeit of lower rank and prestige, had also been ambushed. The most devastated by these ambushes had been a Fifth Commander barely out of the academy and nephew of one of Gregorovitch¡¯s rivals. It was a source of comfort to Gregorovitch¡¯s blackened soul to learn that Fifth Commander Sokolov¡¯s force had been entirely gutted.


    Sokolov had somehow managed to lose every one of his Slave Masters, Slavers and Taskmasters in a single engagement, resulting in the complete loss of every one of his Slaves. The loss of prestige alone, without even considering the loss of his force¡¯s combat effectiveness, had all but guaranteed the bumbling fool¡¯s inevitable expulsion from the imperial military once the campaign was over.


    As a close relation of Second Commander Sokolov, the Fifth Commander¡¯s actions were almost certainly guaranteed to reflect poorly on his uncle¡¯s campaign contributions as well. Such were the risks of allowing incompetent family members to take the field while hunting for profit and prestige for oneself.


    Staring at the walls of the city from the vantage afforded by his mount, Gregorovitch wondered how much longer they would have to wait before storming the city. Surely, if the traitorous nobles inside were to serve as the means of entering the city relatively unscathed, it would not particularly matter how many Commanders were to gather for the siege. So long as they had atleast one soldier or Slave per twenty or so citizens, they would have more than enough men to keep the populace in line during the first stages of their Enslavement. Once the Enslavement of the populace had begun, then the remainder would be unable to defend against the overwhelming tide of Slaves dragging them to their own Enslavement.


    It was a well-practised tactic that had withstood the test of time, originally developed and perfected in the empire¡¯s original rise to power many centuries ago. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sokolov had only made things worse for himself by claiming that his Slaves had been ¡®stolen¡¯ and that his Slavers had all died en masse. He even claimed that someone had nearly killed him with some sort of mental attack, and used the opportunity to steal his personal Slaves in the process.


    It was, of course, preposterous. The Asrusians were notoriously weak-willed when it came to the divinely appointed right to take and use Slaves. As such, they had no Slavers or Slave Masters, making it impossible to have the Ability that would be required to ¡®steal¡¯ Slaves.


    There was a chance that another rival of Sokolov¡¯s uncle had made a disguised attempt at humiliating the boy, but it was incredibly unlikely. Committing so many forces to such a task would inevitably lead to rumours outing those involved, making it not worth the inevitable loss in prestige.


    It was far more likely that Sokolov had been ambushed, and that his Slavers had been targetted in order to free the Slaves and generate chaos. Sokolov¡¯s carelessness was to blame, not a phantom platoon of Asrusian Slave Masters.


    Using the Asrusians'' own road, they were making good time towards the distant city. Not in a particular rush, the soldiers were kept in prime condition while the Recon Teams screened against potential ambushes.


    The lack of ambushes was a good sign that the traitorous nobles were acting in good faith. No doubt, they were actively threatening or otherwise disrupting the garrisoned enemy Commanders¡¯ ability to effectively defend the city. Or, perhaps they had brought the poor fools in on their conspiracy under false pretences. Gregorovitch found that idea rather amusing in an ironic fashion, given that the nobles no doubt intended to dispose of the enemy Commanders in a similar fashion to how they themselves would be disposed of in turn.


    As evening approached, the order to make camp was given by less zealous Commanders further back in the column. Unwilling to risk being ambushed, Gregorovitch had his newly appointed aide bring his own forces to a halt and begin setting up camp.


    So far from his wife, Gregorovitch withdrew one of her parting letters from the satchel on his hip and took a moment to savour the sweet and familiar scent of her perfume before stowing it safely back in the satchel. Unlike other, lesser, Commanders, Gregorovitch did not take his deployment in enemy territory as an excuse for freely indulging carnal desires with Slaves.


    Gregorovitch had several mistresses waiting for him back home, each personally selected by his wife. Going without baser pleasures for up to a year was a small price to pay in order to remain in his wife, and her father¡¯s, good graces. Besides, a particularly willful Slave could inflict a fatal injury to the careless, and was known to happen from time to time while on the campaign.


    It wasn¡¯t always the pleasure Slave that inflicted the wound either, sometimes it was a combat Slave that had grown tired of living and just happened to be in the right place at the right time.


    Like all Slave Masters, Gregorovitch had endured the pain of defying Commands as part of his training to develop the necessary Willpower to control others. With no desire to feel that pain again, it had still left a lasting impression of what WIllpower would be required to take advantage of such an opportunity. Even with the commitment to die in the attempt, a Slavers laziness or incompetence would be to blame for allowing a Slave with such high Willpower to live.


    Culling Slaves was one of the Slavers duties that often got overlooked while on the campaign. The losses amongst combat Slaves usually made it redundant. However, every so often, ¡®accidents¡¯ would occur and serve as a reminder, for a time, that the duty existed for a reason.


    Watching the Slaves and soldiers erect his camp, Gregorovitch himself felt the same sense of apathy. All the same, he sent his aide to order the Slavers and Taskmasters to perform a thorough check of their inventory. If any Slaves possessed a dangerously high Willpower, Gregorovitch would make sure that they would be the first to probe for enemy ambushes on the morrow.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 43 – Violence solves everything – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 43 ¨C Violence solves everything ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 43 - Violence solves everything - Part One


    The Conquest was completed without any surprises. The mandatory quest had awarded another chest of eggs. The chest itself was made of intertwined branches in a wicker style and the five eggs inside were nestled inside of what looked like dusty bundles of loose hair. The eggs themselves were pale off-white and each had vibrantly coloured speckles across their surface.


    With how much the chest and its interior resembled a birds-nest, it came as less of a shock than it otherwise may have done. I was able to identify the Species of the eggs as belonging to a type of monster called a Harpy. Besides the general concept of being part bird and part human, I was unsure of what exactly the Harpies would look like, and how they would behave. So decided to see if Nadine could provide some clarification.


    Nadine had been up since an hour or so before midnight in anticipation of treating the wounded, but she had also slept through the better part of the evening and appeared to still be relatively well-rested.


    ¡°Harpies?¡± Nadine asked warily, ¡°You''re sure?¡±


    I nodded, and opened the chest, revealing the five eggs.


    Nadine glanced at the eggs, then back to me, ¡°Well...I don¡¯t really know much about them besides the fact that they are allegedly able to nearly perfectly mimic voices. It¡¯s supposedly how they lure prey into ambushes. Well, that and they have a penchant for collecting shiny objects,¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°So they are intelligent then?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°The same as a Goblin, or so I hear,¡± Nadine agreed with another shrug, ¡°Harpies don¡¯t spawn in any of the Asrus Labyrinths, so it is hard to be sure.¡±


    ¡°I guess we will be able to see for ourselves once they are adopted and hatch,¡± I mused somewhat distractedly as I remembered the urgency of establishing the Gateway.


    *


    Ril appeared for all of a second, just long enough to quickly glance at her surroundings before disappearing. However, she rather abruptly appears again a few seconds later, only this time with Toofy at her side.


    ¡°That really is a winning combination of Ability synergy,¡± Nadine commented with approval, ¡®If you weren''t so paranoid, I bet the army would just love to Summon Ril to every city and have her connect them all through the Gateways.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not paranoia,¡± I countered, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to risk her being stranded somewhere and taken advantage of.¡±


    Ril gave me an appreciative and approving glance.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Toofy cried happily and threw herself against my right leg, hugging it tightly.


    ¡°Hi, Toofy. I missed you too,¡± I gently removed her from my leg and lifted her up for a hug. We had not been apart very long, but her conditionless appreciation for my presence was refreshing. ¡°Have you been keeping Lash safe for me?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Toofy mumbled happily.


    ¡°Where are you going to put the Gateway?¡± Nadine asked curiously while making a point of scanning the open spaces of the Foothold.


    I pointed to the opposite end of the foothold, ¡°Somewhere over there. Every other Gateway has been positioned opposite of the portal exiting the Labyrinth or to the previous floor so guards have a better opportunity at maintaining some semblance of order,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I see, so you can¡¯t just run through one and then straight through the other,¡± Nadine agreed approvingly.


    I nodded, ¡°The army will most likely expand the Foothold into a fortress of some kind anyway, but in the meantime, it¡¯s a basic level of added security.


    After moving our conversation to the location in question, Toofy deposited a large cast iron gate and I did my best to anchor it in place with the accompanying hooked stakes. Toofy then provided Ril with her large cauldron of water while I erected a crude tent to keep them shielded from view and provide shade from the sun.


    Besides a visit from a very nervous squad of soldiers and their grizzled Sergeant, the rest of the day passed rather uneventfully. Despite the natural resources provided by the defeated monsters, the city of Laine didn¡¯t have enough of the required resources to begin fortifying the Foothold. Or, more accurately, didn¡¯t want to deplete their reserves with the siege of the city just about set to begin in earnest.


    With no trees to speak of, and the wood scavenged from the fallen monster¡¯s remains ill-suited for burning, the first floor didn¡¯t seem as valuable as anything besides a military staging point. With that in mind, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising that the local branch of the military was content to wait until more resources were made available before fortifying it.


    It was now our third day in the Laine Labyrinth. I was beginning to grow concerned that I still hadn¡¯t received a notification from Rikit beginning the conquest of the third-floor Foothold. Rather than wait and find out what the problem might be, I decided to Summon Rikit and ask her what was wrong instead.


    Immediately crouching low and anxiously scanning her surroundings, Rikit¡¯s behaviour was not exactly reassuring.


    ¡°Rikit, what¡¯s going on?¡± I demanded, injecting just enough authority to seize her attention.


    ¡°Tyrant?¡± Rikit seemed momentarily confused before figuratively and literally shaking it off, ¡°Humans ambush us!¡± She snarled, ¡°Use Gnolls for Slaves! Rikit take pack, hide, stalk them!¡±


    ¡°Humans? Were they Asrusian?¡± I asked before realising Rikit¡¯s generalisation had probably been deliberate. ¡°Were they soldiers? Wearing the same clothes and armour?¡±


    Rikit shook her head uncertainly and used the claw of her forefinger to draw a crude depiction of what looked like a side on profile of a boar¡¯s head. ¡°Not same, not different, all have this,¡± Rikit insisted and pointed to her drawing.


    ¡°Probably mercenaries,¡± Nadine chimed in, ¡°They could also be a group of high-level adventurers. Using matching insignia is more common at the high levels.¡±


    ¡°Not strong, is weak,¡± Rikit growled irritably, ¡°Weak but many.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Nadine and I asked near simultaneously.


    Rikit shifted uncomfortably and scratched her head, ¡°Large tribe,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°So probably a few hundred,¡± I reasoned aloud, ¡°Are they Enslaving anyone else besides the Gnolls?¡±


    Rikit shook her head, ¡°No. Merseries-¡± She grimaced while trying to pronounce the unfamiliar word, ¡°-take many males, more every moon.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Enslaving the wild ones as well,¡± Nadine interjected with concern, ¡°That¡¯s what you are saying, right?¡±


    Rikit nodded, ¡°Many wild males, slaves now.¡±


    ¡°How many have they Enslaved?¡± I asked hesitantly, afraid I already knew the answer.


    Rikit looked me straight in the eye, a profound gesture given the great lengths she usually made in avoiding eye contact with me under normal circumstances, ¡°Many tribes,¡± Rikit replied with a snarl, exposing her large teeth and growling in anger.


    It was one of the curiosities of Gnoll culture. Even though a female would lead in the role of a Matriarch with supreme authority, the males were judged on their suitability as a mate and not whether they were ¡®hatched¡¯ or ¡®spawned''. The downside, of course, was that the males were driven to ever more extreme lengths to prove themselves against a much greater number of rivals.


    ¡°We will rescue them,¡± I stated calmly while trying to think of how I would accomplish the deed, ¡°Is the arrival point safe?¡±


    Rikit shook her head, ¡°Not safe, ambush, traps.¡±


    ¡°What kind of traps? I asked critically, ¡°Nets? Pits?¡±


    Rikit shook her head and snorted derisively, ¡°Den is trap. Way out, blocked. Merseries ambush from high places.¡±


    ¡°And they use bows and arrows?¡± I asked warily.


    Rikit nodded.


    ¡°If I sprung the trap on purpose, could your pack take out the ambushers?¡± I wasn¡¯t particularly comfortable with using myself as bait and a distraction, but the alternatives were just as unpalatable.


    Rikit looked surprised, ¡°Tyrant not being endangered,¡± she protested.


    ¡°Could your pack do it?¡± I repeated.


    Still looking profoundly uncomfortable, Rikit nodded.


    ¡°I will give your pack time to move into position and Summon you again when I am ready to trigger the trap,¡± I warned her, ¡°Be safe Rikit.¡± The mana of sustaining her projection depleted before Rikit had a chance to reply. I had not anticipated the need for such a lengthy conversation, but spending more mana now would be a waste.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to walk straight into an ambush?¡± Nadine demanded incredulously.


    ¡°Barring any real alternatives, yes,¡± I countered while stretching my back and shoulders, ¡°So long as I have my armour, the danger is minimal.¡±


    Nadine furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously, ¡°You¡¯ve done this before, haven¡¯t you?!¡± She demanded incredulously.


    I nodded, ¡°Something similar,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Tim, I know you like to think you are invincible, but... If any of these mercs are of a high level...It won¡¯t matter how much armour you are wearing, or how thick it is!¡± Nadine warned.


    ¡°I know,¡± I replied soberly, ¡°Which is why I don¡¯t plan on making it easy for them, or to go alone,¡± I pointed to Mortax who was snoring loudly from his sleeping place beneath a crude vastly insufficient shelter for his bulk and overall size. ¡°I am taking Mortax with me.¡±


    The Aurochian was almost as tough as I was. So, assuming I could scrounge up a helmet, or at least a visor to protect his eyes, we would be in a roughly equal degree of danger. Or to put things in a slightly less sociopathic context, the danger would be split evenly between the two of us.


    Raiding the abandoned armour store, I found it a little disheartening that so many helmets had been left on the racks and shelves. As if driven to be the star in their own action movie, just about every helmet that would in any way obstruct someone''s face or field of view was abandoned. Some of them had even gone so far as to snap, bend or otherwise remove the visors and had left them on the floor.


    On the upside, this left a wide selection of pre-removed visors to choose from. Since my primary concern was arrows and other projectiles, I decided on a pin marked band of steel. After testing to make sure that I could see through it with few difficulties, I flattened it out further so it would better fit Mortax¡¯s face and then tied a length of cord around either end.


    It wasn¡¯t until I was just about finished that I realised I had overlooked another glaring weakness. Mortax had no protection for his groyne beyond his foul, badly stained, loincloth. In no way inclined to donate my own magical protective armour, I was somewhat inspired to provide something similar, if mundane.


    Sacrificing a canvas tarp for raw materials, I hurriedly crafted a serviceable loincloth for Mortax and repurposed a number of discarded visors and a length of rope to make something approximating an armoured skirt. By no means the best possible protection that could be accomplished by the concept, I still thought it wasn¡¯t bad for a rushed effort with recycled materials.


    The look of pure dumbfounded surprise and joy on Mortax¡¯s face when I presented him with the loincloth was downright depressing. To be so overjoyed at such a simple gift, and to so thoroughly believe he was undeserving of it, it really caused me to wonder how the gang had treated him in order to become this way.


    The armoured skirt barely covered halfway down Mortax¡¯s thighs, but it was the best I could do in such limited circumstances. If he proved loyal and worth the investment, I would have the Orcs of Sanctuary make him some armour after the Gateway was established.


    ¡°Nadine, I am going to leave Fesk and the others with you,¡± I explained while fitting Mortax with a crude poncho and tying it off with rope to prevent it from billowing about in combat. With any luck, it would help staunch any bleeding if he was badly injured.


    ¡°So let me get this straight,¡± Nadine stated crossly, ¡°You are walking into an ambush, on purpose, with the intention of deliberately drawing the attention of enemy archers, and you are choosing to not take a Surgeon? Did I get that right?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Thanks for the reminder,¡± I muttered and pulled off the door to the weapon store and began tying a length of rope to try and make a serviceable pair of hoops, ¡°Almost forgot to make shields.¡±


    ¡°Tim, this is serious!¡± Nadine insisted, ¡°What would Lash think if she knew you were doing this? This is reckless and you know it!¡±


    ¡°You''re right!¡± I snapped irritably, catching Nadine unawares and causing her to backpedal a few steps in fright. ¡°This is reckless, but it¡¯s also the method least likely to cause otherwise avoidable deaths of those I am responsible for! I don¡¯t want to fight, Nadine! I truly don¡¯t. If left completely to my own devices, I would be with Lash in Sanctuary right now! But life isn¡¯t so simple, and I am being pushed to do things I never would have thought myself capable of...I have killed people...and while that may not mean much to you, it means everything to me...The only conceivable way I can justify it to myself is because I am doing what is necessary to protect MY people. I can¡¯t sustain that justification if I am not willing to place myself in the same danger I send others into or are sent into on my behalf, do you understand?¡±


    Nadine stared at me for a handful of moments before looking away and nodding her head.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sighed tiredly, ¡°Now, Fesk already has his orders, and the Slaves all have Commands to obey your requests. Obviously, keeping an eye on Ril and Toofy is the highest priority right now, but if you think you can continue your lessons, then feel free to do so.¡± I pretended not to notice that Nadine was remaining silent and continued my side of the conversation as I repurposed another door into a shield.


    Loaning Mortax one of my maces, I did my best to show him how to carry the shield and use it to protect his head in particular.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± I promised Toofy, ¡°I just need to help Rikit and then I will be right back, okay?¡±


    Toofy glared up at me for a short while before softening her expression and nodding, ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed reluctantly and gave me a tight hug, ¡°Come back to Toofy soon!¡±


    ¡°As soon as I can,¡± I agreed and gave her a relatively tight hug in return.


    After our hug, Toofy turned on Mortax, her stern expression from earlier returning with a vengeance, ¡°Tim comes back to Toofy, or Toofy eat you!¡± She threatened, her dark eyes glinting with the promise of violence.


    Despite being close to four times Toofy¡¯s height, and twenty times her weight, Mortax looked positively terrified, ¡°Mrh, Mortax do this! Mrh!¡± He promised fearfully while awkwardly backing away from the goblin.


    As Mortax and myself made our way towards the exit portal, we found the scarred Elf waiting for us. Clearly, one of the few Slaves to take his personal safety seriously, the Elf was wearing boiled leather armour in addition to a more minimalist suit of padded armour that afforded a greater range of movement, and a visored helmet.


    ¡°I want to go with you,¡± the scarred Elf insisted while on bent knee and staring determinedly at my feet.


    He had fought during both massed waves under the pretence of proving himself, and I had been impressed by his commitment despite his relative ineffectiveness in most engagements. Not that it was his fault. The scarred Elf¡¯s compromised depth perception made slinging stones an endeavour that was just begging for friendly fire in the close-quarters fighting, and his nimbleness and speed were wasted on such durable opponents.


    His sword had broken sometime during the midnight wave, and whether it was deliberate or not, he had managed to unlock the Pugilist Basic Class when resorting to using his hands and fists to defend himself. Punching solid stone would normally have been an incredibly stupid idea, but while under the effects of both mine and the Orcs respective Synergies, bare-knuckle brawling the golems had been a relatively viable alternative.


    Of course, this had also resulted in the Elf needing healing after the fighting was over with, but that was to be expected.


    Considering the scarred Elf¡¯s request, I pointed back towards the armour store, ¡°You will need a shield,¡± I replied as a tacit acceptance of his request, ¡°As big a shield as you can carry. We are walking into an ambush after all.¡±


    The scarred Elf almost seemed surprised, but he nodded determinedly and ran off towards the armour store to find a shield.


    I already knew that there wasn¡¯t much of a selection to choose from. Most of the larger and better made shields had been taken already. But I figured that so long as he stuck close to myself and Mortax, or kept as far from us as possible, that he would be relatively safe regardless of his own shield¡¯s size.


    Sure enough, the scarred Elf returned with a rather dejected look in his eyes, carrying a small steel buckler barely bigger than his hand.


    ¡°You can probably ¡®borrow¡¯ one on our way through,¡± I chuckled in amusement and then motioned for the three of us to leave through the portal.


    Making a brief stop to retrieve the necessary tokens for the third floor, I sent a soldier to fetch Gregory so I could explain what was going on.


    ¡°Majesty, I beg you, please reconsider...¡± Gregory pleaded, ¡°The mercenaries should not be underestimated!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any information on them?¡± I asked, still willing to accept any advice he had to offer.


    ¡°The problem, Majesty, is that a boar''s head emblem is not altogether uncommon. It could belong to any number of different mercenary bands, and the respective levels of their members vary wildly,¡± Gregory explained, ¡°Let me retask the elite soldiers in the city to serve as your escort,¡± he insisted.


    I shook my head and stared Gregory down, ¡°They effectively have an army of hostages, and even if I didn¡¯t care about the wild monsters they have Enslaved, they have the remnants of the Ashfur tribe Enslaved as well. I am not going to pick an open fight, Gregory. I want to assist Rikit in infiltrating their camp and taking out the Slavers. But I am not stupid either, the Foothold needs to be clear in case things go wrong. The fact that Rikit hadn¡¯t managed to clear the Foothold with her pack, tells me that they have entrenched positions. So she needs a distraction. It¡¯s precisely because we don¡¯t know how strong they are that I am going. If one of your Human soldiers was tough enough to take my place, I would reconsider, but without my Abilities, I sincerely doubt such an individual will exist in the near future. Do you understand?¡±


    Gregory recoiled slightly and reluctantly nodded in agreement, ¡°But you could take others with you,¡± he insisted, looking pointedly at the scarred Elf as an example of someone who wasn¡¯t meeting my standards of Toughness.


    ¡°I might need a scout, or someone to infiltrate the enemy camp,¡± I hedged, having already tried to think of a few different scenarios of what to expect.


    ¡°I can get you a whole team!¡± Gregory pushed insistently, ¡°The best in the city!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I relented, ¡°Just make sure they all bring shields.¡±


    Gregory seemed to relax ever so slightly, ¡°Thank you, Majesty. I will see to it at once.¡± He bowed respectfully and then all but ran from the portal chamber while furiously manipulating his communicator.


    The existence of the communicators was a possible complication that I didn¡¯t really have a solution for. If the mercenaries had communicators, and the ambushers were able to give a coherent warning to their main force, things would become increasingly more complicated.


    Then again, if their code could be broken, and one of their communicators was acquired, it would be possible to sow some chaos in the enemy ranks. Either that, or learn more about their intentions.


    The amassing of Slaves seemed like a blatant attempt to ¡®backdoor¡¯ the city, but without sufficient tokens, or some means of mass teleportation, they would need to fight their way clear through to the first floor. Their seeming absence from the first floor suggested that if this was their plan, that they had not moved on to its final stages just yet.


    While Gregory put together the team of scouts, the scarred Elf, went hunting for a shield he could ¡®borrow¡¯.


    It was growing irritating referring to him as ¡®the scarred Elf while organising my thoughts, but his former masters had a cruel sense of humour. They had literally altered his name to Candle. No doubt as an attempt to degrade him further by constantly reminding him of his burnt flesh, it was decidedly more intolerable than my alternative.


    My initial dislike of the Elf had made it easy to ignore the issue, but the risk it represented in the coming operation made my continued apathy intolerable.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I demanded bluntly once the Elf returned with his ¡®borrowed¡¯ shield.


    Even with the majority of his face covered by his helmet, the Elf seemed visibly reluctant to answer, ¡°Can¡¯t you read?¡± He replied evasively.


    ¡°I can,¡± I replied flatly, ¡°And I doubt that what¡¯s written on your stats is your actual name. I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± I reminded him.


    The Elf was quiet for a time and seemed to be deeply considering the question, ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± he replied quietly, ¡°I was young when...this-¡± he motioned to the burned side of his face, ¡°-was done to me, and the name I had before was not my own either...¡± Having seen the scars up close, I knew that it was unlikely that he was lying in order to gain sympathy.


    The revelation that the Slavers took away their Slave¡¯s names was not all that surprising. Committing atrocities often involved, even required, dehumanising the intended targets. Stripping them of their names in one form or another was practically mandatory.


    ¡°So, what would you like your name to be?¡± I asked bluntly, ¡°Unless you would like me to choose for you?¡± I threatened.


    The elf seemed to be at a loss, fidgeting and anxiously looking around our surroundings for potential inspiration. After a while, his shoulders sagged dejectedly and he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then your name is Keith,¡± I declared with a sigh, ¡°At least until you can think of something else.¡±


    ¡°Keith?¡± The Elf now named Keith asked with palpable reluctance and disapproval.


    ¡°I warned you,¡± I reminded him.


    Keith hissed in frustration but didn¡¯t appear to have a comeback, and still did not have one when Gregory returned with ten dour, yet somehow also eager men and women in tow.


    ¡°The scouts, I presume?¡± I commented.


    Gregory nodded, ¡°Sergeant Brian is their leader, and Jane is his second,¡± he pointed to a tall lanky man with a scraggly beard and deep blue eyes, then to a short stocky woman with an abundance of freckles. They were both in their mid-thirties or forties, but carried their age very differently from one another. ¡°They are under strict instructions to follow any order you give them, Majesty, but please bear in mind that our scouts are chosen based upon their ability to improvise-¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s important to give them the opportunity to do their own thing, I get it,¡± I interjected, ¡°So long as those improvisations work towards the spirit of the order or objective, I doubt we will have a problem.¡±


    The mention of my official title had prompted a low muttering amongst the scouts, but my follow-up comment seemed to have earned some goodwill as well.


    I usually avoided thinking about how strange it must be for the Asrusian soldiers to take orders from, and rationalise being ruled over by a literal monster. But sometimes it was impossible not to think about it when I could see the thought process taking place in real-time in front of me. Most soldiers accepted it to a reasonable degree, or made a good job of hiding their feelings to the contrary.


    However, there were a few, for whatever reason, that rankled under the reality of the situation. While not openly hostile, I was aware that a number of such individuals had been given punishments for their ¡®seditious¡¯ views and conversations behind closed doors. For the most part, I had pretended not to be aware of it, allowing our working relationship to remain more pleasant.


    However, the thinly veiled contempt and disgust held by one of the scouts was a colossal red flag. ¡°Not him,¡± I declared and pointed to the scout in question, a balding man with a sharp nose and ragged red beard.


    The scout looked surprised and then made an active effort to look innocent. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Liam, you''re out,¡± Gregory commanded without hesitation, ¡°Return to your regular duties.¡±


    This earned a fresh wave of murmuring from the other scouts, but a hard glance from their Sergeant quieted them almost immediately.


    ¡°Might I ask why I am being dismissed?¡± Liam demanded with strained politeness.


    ¡°Because his Majesty insists upon it,¡± Gregory replied dispassionately, ¡°You heard his order yourself.¡±


    Liam¡¯s facade of wounded innocence fell almost immediately, ¡°Are you all really okay with this?!¡± He hissed angrily at the gathered humans, ¡°Taking orders from a monster like him?! I swore to serve King and country! Not some filthy fucking Og-urk!...¡± Liam¡¯s rant was cut short as Gregory¡¯s hand closed around his throat and squeezed.


    ¡°Disobeying a direct order is a court-martial offence soldier,¡± Gregory hissed quietly, ¡°And your blatant attempt at inspiring sedition is to be considered outright treason!¡±


    Liam paled and desperately attempted to dislodge Gregory¡¯s iron grip from his throat.


    ¡°War is upon us you spiteful little cretin, and you dare to question the Lord Regent¡¯s most valuable ally?! Worse! You seek to drive a wedge with your disgusting and misguided hate!¡± Gregory¡¯s leather glove creaked in response to his tightening grip, ¡°Your acts of treason are noted and will disqualify your service pension,¡± he hissed quietly, ¡°In light of your years of service, you will be offered a chance at redemption in a penal regiment. Should your attempts at rehabilitation be found wanting, your suspended execution will be carried out by anyone willing and able. Do you understand?¡±


    Liam weakly nodded as his face began to turn beet red.


    ¡°Take him to an open cell,¡± Gregory ordered a pair of nearby soldiers before tossing Liam to the ground, ¡°And make sure to thoroughly disarm him first.¡±


    The soldiers snapped crisp salutes and wasted no time in stripping Liam to his underclothes before dragging him away.


    ¡°I am sorry, Majesty,¡± Gregory apologised sincerely, ¡°I would not have selected him if I had known-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Gregory,¡± I stated wearily, ¡°I know people like him are in the minority.¡±


    Gregory smiled gratefully and bowed, ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Majesty.¡±


    Summoning Rikit, I spent enough mana to allow Brian and Jane to ask some questions before her projection dissipated. Rikit wasn¡¯t able to answer their questions as well as they would have liked, but they apparently decided that strapping shields to their backs and going in with their bows at the ready was a better strategy.


    With that strategy in mind, I decided to take a quiver of javelins as well. I probably wouldn¡¯t hit anyone, but it might prove enough to force a mercenary or two to keep their heads down.


    With Mortax covering the left and myself on the right, we passed through the portal and appeared in a wide-open space completely devoid of any form of cover.


    ¡°Firing!¡± One of the scouts hissed and loosed an arrow towards the encircling walls roughly forty feet from our position. She was immediately followed by the other scouts who made a point of positioning themselves to make use of their shields and those carried by myself and Mortax.


    [ Henry has slain {Determined Human: 2} +0 Exp]


    I normally ignored kill notifications, but this one caught me somewhat by surprise. Glancing back at the scout in question, I then looked towards the distant wall and scowled. Somehow, the enemy mercenaries had managed to evolve and become monsters.


    A hail of arrows began streaking across the open ground. I felt dozens of them strike my improvised shield and more still clattering and shattering against my breastplate, pauldrons, chausses and greaves.


    Sparing a glance towards Mortax, I was relieved to see that the arrows missing his shield were not finding purchase on his otherwise exposed legs. The discordant clanging sound of stray arrows striking his armoured skirt was a strangely relieving weight off of my mind.


    For his part, Mortax was holding up better than I had expected him to under the circumstances. Despite quietly mooing to himself nervously, he did as he was told and continued to stand firm and hold his shield to intercept the majority of the arrows that would otherwise strike the scouts loosely gathered between us.


    Keith was determinedly doing his part as well, holding up his shield with two arms to better weather the torrent of incoming missiles.


    As near as I could tell, the scouts were entirely focused on purging the distant mercenaries from a single section of the wall, relying on the cover we were providing and the shields on their backs to take the worst of the remaining enemy fire. Their plan seemed to be working, for the most part, and the number of arrows being returned from that section of the wall was comparatively few. However, it was painfully obvious that we were badly outnumbered.


    However, cries of alarm began to echo from the encircling wall, and was quickly drowned out by the familiar laughter of Gnolls.


    Rikit was true to her word and her pack was surging across the crenellated wall hacking and stabbing at every mercenary they could get their claws on.


    The number of arrows being fired at us fell dramatically and very nearly fell off entirely.


    ¡°To the wall!¡± I barked and began purposefully heading towards the eastern wall, the farthest point from Rikit¡¯s counterattack. ¡°Mortax! Charge!¡± I mentally shifted his Commands from passive to self-defence.


    ¡°MROOOOO!!!¡± Mortax shattered his shield against his thigh and lurched into a furious charge.


    Keith and the scouts began trailing behind me, the latter taking potshots to discourage the mercenaries from raising their heads while we crossed the open ground.


    *


    Mortax leapt up and onto the wall, sending a cluster of mercenaries flying and a string of kill notifications flashed across my vision.


    The wall was only about fifteen feet tall, so I began lifting the scouts up onto the wall to begin a concentrated counterattack of their own. After lifting Keith, I removed my improvised shield and began clambering my own way up onto the wall.


    The larger I became, the more difficult it was to climb or pull myself up over sheer surfaces. So by the time I managed to haul myself up onto the top of the wall, the fighting was very nearly finished.


    A small group of mercenaries had tried to make a run for it, but Rikit herself emerged from behind the cover of some ragged shrubs and shot each of them down with her borrowed magical bow.


    Making sure to shift Mortax¡¯s commands back to a passive state, I retrieved my shield from the inner side of the wall and then leapt down to the outside.


    The third floor looked quite similar to the first, but the ground was riddled with weblike cracks that split the ground from horizon to horizon. Inspecting one of the closest cracks revealed that a deep wide ravine lay beneath, and that I was very likely standing on a comparatively thin sheet of hardened clay or dirt.


    Carefully backing away, I took note of a number of ropes staked back near the walls, and what looked like a collapsed section of the overhanging ceiling of the ravine.


    Rikit seemed entirely unconcerned by the danger and lea[t over a three-foot wide crack with practised ease. ¡°Tyrant!¡± She barked excitedly while closing the remaining distance between us, ¡°The ambush is broken!¡± Rikit giggled happily.


    ¡°How did you escape the ambush when you first arrived?¡± I asked, thoroughly impressed that both she and her pack had escaped without casualties.


    Rikit scratched at her neck and shrugged, ¡°Rikit say run, pack ran,¡± she replied matter of factly, Pack was injured, but Rikit no leave behind.¡±


    ¡°Is Khibi alright? Is a member of your pack holding her somewhere?¡± I asked with concern.


    Rikit shook her head and shrugged the crude basket pack off her back. Lifting the lid, she revealed Khibi tucked safely away in a pouch made from a suit of padded cloth armour and a steel breastplate. ¡°Keep safe, safe with Rikit,¡± she explained.


    I sighed in relief, ¡°Good job Rikit.¡± I had been dreading that perhaps Khibi had been lost in the initial ambush, so it was a relief to know she was safe. ¡°All the same, I think it would be best if Khibi was taken somewhere safer,¡± I suggested.


    Rikit shifted uncomfortably but nodded in general agreement.


    With the portal now secure, or at least for the time being, it would be best to make the most of the opportunity. Returning to the wall, I was surprised by the ease with which Rikit was able to climb the nearly sheer surface using just her clawed hands.


    ¡°You can leave Khibi with Fesk again,¡± I told Rikit and gave her a marker that would allow her to teleport directly from the main Laine portal to the first-floor foothold. ¡°We will be waiting for your return,¡± I promised, very much aware that this had become quite a personal undertaking for Rikit after being ambushed.


    Rikit nodded obediently before leaping down from the wall and barking orders to her pack, who themselves were in the process of looting the dead mercenaries.


    ¡°Sir, erm, Majesty...¡± Sergeant Brian called out respectfully, if somewhat awkwardly while jogging along the wall towards me, ¡°As we suspected, the enemy forces are indeed mercenaries. They belong to the band of the Golden Boar, an entirely foriegn outfit from Marcelia to the far east. They have a reputation for charging extortionate amounts for their services, but also for seeing contracts through to the bitter end-¡±


    ¡°Which is why they are called the golden boar,¡± I surmised and motioned for the Sergeant to continue.


    ¡°-We are lucky, Majesty, they do not appear to have sent one of their elite cadres, just a fringe element of their aspirants,¡± Brian explained with visible relief, ¡°Some of their officers may be high level, but the majority of their forces should be comparatively low level.¡±


    ¡°What about communicators?¡± I asked nervously, ¡°Did you manage to find any on their bodies?¡±


    Sergeant Brian grinned wolfishly, ¡°We found more than that, Majesty,¡± he declared happily, ¡°There are training manuals amongst the fallen officers'' effects! We don¡¯t just have their communicators, we have their codes as well!¡±


    *****


    Keith watched the humans run too and fro with manic excitement as they continued looting the dead men that had ambushed them almost an hour before. Besides a slightly darker, tanned skin colour, there was little difference between the living and dead. So Keith found it incredibly strange that they were so pleased by what should have been considered a tragedy.


    It was one of the many things about humans that had always seemed profoundly wrong and unnatural about them. Even as a child, Keith had known this to be true. Unlike every other monster of the Labyrinths, it was the humans who had the most divergent nature and proclivity for violence. Worse still, their presence was oftentimes contagious, driving kin against kin for trinkets and baubles.


    Yet for all their insanity, the Ogre had conquered them, imposing order and taming their baser more violent and chaotic instincts.


    Despite his position of dominance, the Ogre had not abused that position for personal gain, at least so far as Keith could tell. With the possible exception of the Aurochian, there was no one who could be deemed a credible or immediate threat to his might, yet he had gone out of his way to fashion protections for his chief rival.


    ¡°Keith,¡± Keith spoke his new name aloud for what felt like the hundredth time. It still felt strange to him. It was a significant improvement over his last name, and even the one before, but it was strange nonetheless.


    Keith picked up a rock off the ground and tensed his muscles experimentally, marvelling at how easily the stone had cracked in his fist. Far from being a result of his own Strength, Keith knew that the Ogre¡¯s Synergy was responsible.


    That was another thing that had bugged him. The Ogre had seemingly completely overlooked the fact that Keith had tried to kill him, and even gone so far as to recommend the means to make himself more of a threat. All Keith had done was fight some of the near mindless monsters that were attacking the camp, so it was incredibly strange to think that was all it took to gain the Ogre¡¯s trust.


    Only, Keith knew that there had to be more to it than that. The Ogre seemed far too intelligent to do such a thing without good cause.


    The more Keith thought about it, the more worried he became. The Ogre had little to fear from him, and Keith slowly realised just how far beneath the Ogre¡¯s thumb he truly was.


    Not only did the Ogre have a host of innate advantages that made him practically invulnerable to harm, but the Ogre had already demonstrated that he could retract his own and others'' Synergies at a moments notice, drastically weakening Keith in the process. Furthermore, it had been made painfully obvious that it wasn¡¯t just the humans, but a number of powerful monsters who were profoundly loyal to him and would have no problems brutally putting Keith down should he rebel. Worst of all, whether he intended to take advantage of the fact or not, the Ogre had hostages.


    Keith warily glanced at the Ogre from the corner of his eye and shivered.


    For all his thoughts of doom and gloom, Keith had to admit that serving under the Ogre presented him with a number of opportunities he had never dared to expect while Enslaved by his former Masters. Most notably, advancement.


    He had overheard the Ogre and the Healer discuss the matter a number of times, and the presence of the free Gnolls in their midst was proof of it. Those who served the Ogre willingly were rewarded and afforded the same privileges as free men and women.


    The proclaimed service in exchange for citizenship, now seemed far less dubious. Furthermore, the Ogre had also shown he was willing to make exceptions. The Lizardmen had been given freedom with the sole condition that they obey the Ogre¡¯s laws. Just like that, both they and their unhatched offspring were free. It was the same with the Gnolls, so far as he could tell, and more besides. What freed Slaves could expect their former Master to wage war on the Slaves'' behalf to reunite their families?


    The more he considered his options, the more Keith became convinced that he needed to prove his value. Clearly, already at war with his former Masters, Keith almost dared to hope that the Ogre could somehow be convinced to free the tribe he only remembered in his dreams.


    More humans had arrived through the portal, accompanying the towering Gnoll Matriarch that had left earlier.


    Unable to hear particularly well with his good ear stuffed inside of his helmet, Keith cautiously approached the gathering of humans to listen to what they were saying.


    ¡°-garrison the wall and make regular contact with the mercenaries to stop them from becoming suspicious,¡± the scraggly bearded human named Brian ordered while handing over a satchel to a slightly shorter and younger woman, ¡°Do what you can to wash the blood out, but you are expected to be wearing those uniforms within the next hour. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± The gathered humans declared in unison, straightening their backs and saluting Brian.


    ¡°And make sure to keep those strips of blue fabric visible, unless you want to risk an arrow in the back,¡± Brian warned sternly before leaving the new arrivals behind.


    ¡°Can smell merseries, know not Srusians,¡± the large Gnoll Matriarch grumbled.


    ¡°Really?¡± Brian seemed surprised, ¡°Well, we can¡¯t, so it¡¯s for peace of mind as much as anything else,¡± he added.


    The Gnoll Matriarch nodded eagerly, ¡°Merseries smell of spices!¡± She licked her lips in a thoroughly unnerving manner, making it obvious that she had most likely done far more than ¡®smell¡¯ the mercenaries.


    Following Brian and the Gnoll Matriarch, Keith wasn¡¯t particularly surprised when they led him over to the Ogre, who was still waiting on the outside of the wall.


    ¡°Where is the mercenaries'' camp?¡± The Ogre asked.


    The Gnoll Matriarch pointed off into the distance, ¡°Hidden, many watchers,¡± she snarled in irritation, ¡°Hiding in large dry river.¡±


    ¡°That would limit the means of approaching their camp,¡± Brian commented dourly, ¡°And sentries posted above would be relatively unseen if we traversed the ravine below. So dealing with those sentries-¡±


    ¡°Slaves,¡± the Gnoll Matriarch barked angrily, ¡°No sentirees, Gnoll SLAVES!¡±


    The Ogre raised his hand, motioning for her to be silent. ¡°In this instance, they are one and the same, Rikit. The Sergeant is simply trying to explain his point.¡±


    The Gnoll matriarch, Rikit, fidgeted uncomfortably but nodded to show she understood.


    ¡°The Slaves being used as sentries,¡± Brian amended, ¡°Makes removing them a high priority, but will very likely leave us a very small window of opportunity before something is detected as amiss.¡±


    ¡°So what is your recommendation?¡± The Ogre asked respectfully.


    Brian shifted a little uncomfortably and glanced towards Rikit, ¡°I think infiltrating the enemy camp in disguise, might be our best option.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± the Ogre insisted curiously.


    ¡°Well...If we take the place of one of their enslavement teams, and use their uniforms to serve as a disguise, we might be able to take out their leadership in a surprise attack. Or identify and quietly eliminate those who have control over the Slave Collars.¡± The Sergeant¡¯s plan was lacking in details, but there wasn¡¯t much information to work with in the first place.


    The Gnoll Matriarch didn¡¯t seem to like the plan and eyed the Sergeant distrustfully, ¡°Tyrant, free Gnolls, Gnolls fight,¡± she insisted.


    ¡°There are too many...¡± The Ogre stated reluctantly, ¡°Unless...unless you can trigger a sort of chain reaction...¡± He mused thoughtfully. ¡°I might be able to seize control over enough Collars if I don¡¯t have to fight for that control. But you would need to be in the thick of the fighting Rikit. Every Gnoll that resists is another ten or so I won¡¯t be able to free during the fight.¡±


    ¡°Rikit understands! Rikit fight!¡± Rikit replied enthusiastically, her teeth bared in feral anticipation.


    ¡°Bringing her in as a ¡®prisoner¡¯ might work,¡± Brian agreed, ¡°But any Gnolls we bring with us would need to acquire weapons inside of the camp.¡±


    ¡°Rikit no need weapons,¡± Rikit barked derisively and flexed her claws.


    ¡°Fair point,¡± Brian agreed, ¡°And I suppose that as long as they rely solely on Slave Collars, and forgo restraints, this could be relatively straightforward.¡±


    ¡°In theory,¡± the Ogre qualified while nodding in agreement, ¡°They might even be used to losing a few men here and there already. So we might be able to thin their numbers a little.¡±


    Brian slowly nodded but seemed apprehensive, ¡°It would be better to not risk it unless we are certain,¡± he cautioned diplomatically.


    The Ogre shrugged, ¡°I trust your expertise and experience.¡±


    After listening for a while longer, Keith realised that this was probably the best opportunity he would get in order to prove himself. If he could play an instrumental role in freeing the Gnoll Slaves, then Keith was certain he would be all but guaranteed to enter the Ogre¡¯s confidence. Or, at the very least, demonstrate that he was capable enough to warrant further opportunities and potential considerations for special treatment.


    Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, Keith stepped forward and raised his right arm, ¡°I want to volunteer...¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 43 – Violence solves everything – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 43 ¨C Violence solves everything ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 43 - Violence solves everything - Part Two


    The ravine floor was deeper than I initially expected. Close to a hundred feet deep, this immediately presented a number of problems. Most notably was Mortax¡¯s crippling fear of heights. Assisting the terrified Aurochian down from the wall had been a labour all unto itself.


    With no time to spare, the decision was made to leave Mortax behind as a sort of elite reserve should the return Portal come under attack. In reality, Mortax would spend most of his time demolishing the gateways of the Foothold walls that the mercenaries had crudely barricaded for their ambushes. The Aurochian would also be assisting the soldiers with anchoring more climbing ropes as well.


    Listening to Rikit¡¯s rough description of what to expect while we travelled towards the mercenary camp, I came to understand that the majority of the flesh and blood monsters lived down in the ravine and the tunnels that branched off of it into caverns below the ground.


    Travelling through the ravine a short while later, I was surprised that the golem-like monsters of the surface were far rarer as well. There were plenty enough of their scattered remains, so I could only assume that they had fallen from up above and dashed themselves to pieces.


    The Scouts and Rikit¡¯s pack had a curious dynamic in play. The Gnolls were technically leading the way, using their powerful sense of smell to follow their earlier passage through the area. Meanwhile, the Scouts were doing their best to keep up with the Gnolls'' brisk pace while keeping a wary eye on the overhanging ceiling of the ravine.


    The scattered formation left Rikit, Keith and myself trailing behind in the rear. Even with a deliberately clay and mud-stained poncho to somewhat camouflage my appearance, my sheer size and weight were liable to reveal our collective movements if I strayed too far forwards. Keith lacked the Scouts'' training for traversing the rocky terrain, and the Gnolls'' primal survival instincts, so he had retreated to my side where his occasional scuffles on the loose rocks would be almost unnoticeable.


    Rikit¡¯s reason for joining us was equally pragmatic. She was observing and judging the males of her pack. One of her responsibilities as Matriarch, especially while ¡®at war¡¯ and ¡®on the hunt¡¯, was to track each of the male¡¯s achievements. It was a role that could also be performed by her mate, but it wouldn¡¯t carry the same weight in the tribe, and Rikit had yet to choose her mate.


    Given how important these accumulated achievements were for the males risking their lives, and for the females in selecting a mate, it was a role Rikit was taking very seriously. Quietly chatting while we travelled, I learned that the piercings I had seen worn by the Gnolls in Sanctuary had something to do with this observed level of performance.


    Basically, if a male did good enough to warrant it, Rikit would award them a piercing that matched or referenced the achievement in some way. The piercing would be awarded in front of the tribe, or a large gathering of witnesses, so there wasn¡¯t really a way to cheat the system with fake accolades. Additionally, the tribe wouldn¡¯t accept another tribe¡¯s accolades without a suitable number of credible witnesses, which Rikit simplified in a rather misandric fashion. Either the tribe¡¯s matriarch vouched for the male, or at least five of their tribe¡¯s females would have to.


    It made a sort of sense, given that the males would have the most to gain by lying, but it was still weird to listen to Rikit state it all so matter of factly.


    It actually made me rather glad that the Orcs seemed to be far more egalitarian. Granted, women were discouraged from becoming warriors of the tribe or clan, but they weren¡¯t pressured into having children either. Not by external forces anyway. Similar to early civilisations of humans, it seemed to be the prevailing opinion that so long as the women and children of the tribe survived, then so would the tribe. Losing a few men here and there, or even an entire generation in conflict, could be recouped through the survivors.


    The Gnoll¡¯s society took that to its logical extreme, which is what made them so strange in a greater social context.


    With so many Species living in close proximity within Sanctuary, I was actually rather surprised at how well they all got along. There was a very real possibility that this was a sort of honeymoon phase generated by each group''s gratitude for their respective rescue, but I still hoped that there was more to it than that.


    Besides a few traps that Rikit¡¯s pack had left behind them originally, and a handful of dog-sized scarab looking beetle monsters, our march through the winding and branching ravine was almost entirely uneventful. However, this came to an abrupt end when a large body of water and an open section of the sky was spotted up ahead.


    ¡°Merseries,¡± Rikit growled quietly and then moved forward to address her pack.


    Brian quietly made his way back towards me. ¡°Majesty, if we are to attempt the disguised infiltration of the mercenary camp, I would suggest the use of blunted weapons,¡± he made a deliberate glance towards the Gnolls and their bladed weaponry.


    ¡°You can discuss it with Rikit then,¡± I replied, ¡°I think you will find her quite amenable, provided you explain your reasoning.¡±


    Brian looked a little surprised, but bowed his head and returned to his men and the gathering of Gnolls.


    With no way in hell of being able to sneak close enough to participate without ruining the intended sneak attack, I didn¡¯t have much of a choice but to stand back and wait.


    The combined force of Gnolls and Scouts crept down the ravine in near perfect silence and left my line of sight a while afterwards.


    Once the kill notifications began streaming across my vision, I took that as a sign that I could now follow and catch the advance forces up again.


    Keith could now move up as well, but his issues with depth perception made traversing the rough terrain at a fast pace visibly difficult.


    Rather than leaving him behind, I slowed my pace back down to walk. While I was a little annoyed that it was going to take that much longer to catch up to the group, it was also somewhat reassuring to know that the mercenaries probably weren¡¯t very capable of traversing the rocky terrain either.


    Sure enough, the fighting was completely over by the time Keith and myself reached the others.


    Fifteen mercenaries were laid out on the ground and the Scouts were in the process of stripping them to make their disguises. The small fire and scattered belongings suggested that they had likely been making camp just before we had arrived.


    As an added safeguard to Rikit¡¯s role in the infiltration, I made sure to claim her through the Slave Collar. Any Slaver that would attempt to take her from my control would suffer lethal levels of feedback and probably fall unconscious before they had an opportunity to cancel their attempt.


    Unwilling to risk the bow falling into enemy hands, I took it back from Rikit and stowed it in a sling on my back.


    Disarmed of her weapons, Rikit didn¡¯t seem at all worried about the prospect of entering the enemy camp. If anything, she was growing somewhat impatient about waiting, and couldn¡¯t seem to stop flexing her claws and working her jaw in anticipation.


    Disposing of the bodies was a task the Gnolls took to with savage eagerness, ripping and tearing the dead mercenaries limb from limb and scattering their entrails.


    Aware that the intent was to generate misdirection if another group of mercenaries passed by the area, it was no easier to watch or listen to. I could have looked away and covered my ears, but I forced myself not to. This was my life now, and I had to accept it if I was going to become strong enough to protect those who depended on me.


    The Scouts, Keith and Rikit, were given a ten-minute head start before the pack of Gnolls and myself began following behind.


    Without Rikit to keep an eye on them, the Gnolls were not nearly as focused as they had been earlier. While they weren¡¯t nearly as loud as I was, their occasional bouts of hysterical nervous giggling still made me nervous that we might be discovered by sentries posted somewhere above us and out of sight.


    After walking for the better part of the day, I began to feel Slaves entering my sphere of influence, and shortly afterwards the Gnolls came to an abrupt halt.


    ¡°Hide,¡± one of the larger Gnolls insisted, snorting his nose while shoving another Gnoll towards a recessed section of the ravine wall.


    The other Gnolls began doing the same, hunkering down in whatever cover they could find.


    Noticing the distinct acrid odour of ammonia, and a darkly stained patch of rocks in the middle of the path, I realised that Rikit must have left a scent marker of some kind that the Gnolls recognised as a signal to stop following and take cover.


    I had to resort to digging out a section of the wall in order for my poncho to stand a chance at hiding my presence. However, the extra stains made the camouflage that much more effective, so I wasn¡¯t really complaining about it either.


    Taking my lead, a number of the Gnolls worked together to dig out a small cave they could share. Moving some of the smaller boulders and larger rocks to obscure the entrance with practised ease, it was clear that they were quite used to making camp in the winding passages of the ravine.


    The deep shadows would normally have me convinced that we were all quite well hidden, but the problem was that the other side had Gnolls of their own, even if they were otherwise unwilling. Through scent or heightened night vision, the Enslaved Gnolls serving as the mercenaries'' sentries evened the playing field to a profoundly uncomfortable degree. I realised that it was worse than that. With the Mercenaries having turned themselves into monsters, they were now benefitting from the Gnolls Synergies as well, making them much more dangerous.


    Growing increasingly nervous as time passed, I couldn¡¯t help but fret over the plan falling apart and having sat back and done nothing while it happened.


    A kill notification snapped me out of my thoughts and I hastily established control over a handful of now uncontrolled Slaves. Mentally issuing the order to continue with their formerly assigned tasks, but not to raise any alarms, I also added a provision to obey Rikit and not to harm the Scouts. Even if the Gnolls weren¡¯t aware of the commands, they would still be bound by them. So I hoped that they would take the pain as disincentive to act against our infiltration mission.


    More kill notifications began sporadically appearing in front of my eyes, and an increasingly larger number of Gnolls were made available to control.


    While seizing control of the Slave Collars was much easier and cost less mana when it was uncontested, I was still losing a lot of mana. To try and offset the loss, I began spending redemption points to chug Evolution Elixir as fast I could manage. Unfortunately, it still wasn¡¯t enough, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to mentally issue the necessary commands and partition the Slaves into an increasingly intricate web of smaller partys that were in turn a part of my Retinue.


    My struggle wasn¡¯t lost on the free Gnolls in my immediate vicinity, who began warily eyeing one another and myself in turn, whining or faintly giggling to one another anxiously. Without them to serve as party Leaders, I wouldn¡¯t have had the mental wherewithal to keep up with demand as the alcohol and unrelenting waves of uncontrolled Slaves dominated my mental energy.


    Uncorking and guzzling the Elixir was becoming too much for my impaired motor skills to handle, forcing me to resort to crushing the clay bottles with my fist over my open mouth and swallowing the contents before throwing the broken shards of pottery away.


    *


    Reduced to less than a twentieth of my mana, inebriated, and profoundly tired, I didn¡¯t immediately understand what I had heard. However, as a string of death notifications appeared in front of my eyes, I felt a wave of anger rush through my veins and acted without really thinking.


    I sent a mental Command to the Enslaved Gnolls and lurched to my feet, staggering as I tried to fend off a sudden wave of dizziness and secure my footing on the rough stones.


    The Gnolls around me began giggling in earnest, clutching at their weapons and leaving their hiding places, looking to me for orders.


    Unable to readily articulate my thoughts, I boiled the order down to one word, ¡°KILL.¡±


    The Gnolls excitement reached a fever pitch and they began charging down the ravine towards the mercenaries'' camp.


    Barely able to see past the death and kill notifications, I dismissed them both with a thought as I lumbered after the Gnolls. I did my best to scoop up as many of the Collared Gnolls as I could, but once I reached my capacity, I was forced to begin ejecting large numbers from the group in order to accept others.


    As the outer perimeter of the mercenaries'' camp came into view, I was so depleted of mana that I couldn¡¯t risk taking Control over any more Gnolls without risking falling unconscious. However, more Gnolls continued spilling into my retinue, albeit at a much slower rate than before.


    Unable to understand what was happening, it wasn¡¯t until I passed through the crude stone wall and witnessed a trio of Gnolls bearing another to the ground that I began to realise what was happening. In the midst of the pitched fighting with the mercenaries and their Gnoll Slaves, the ¡®freed¡¯ Gnolls were tackling their Enslaved brethren to the ground and contesting their Masters for control. If the Gnoll¡¯s master was already dead, the Gnoll would immediately stop resisting and join the small pack in tackling another Enslaved Gnoll.


    In my inebriated state, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the situation as being very similar to a zombie movie.


    Standing taller than the tents, crude shelters, and cages that dominated the camp, I was able to see that the mercenaries were pulling back into the centre of the camp to make their final stand. I was also able to confirm that Rikit hadn¡¯t been exaggerating, there were hundreds of them.


    For every mercenary the Gnolls caught in their retreat, four more were able to slip past. This was almost entirely due to the still Enslaved Gnolls under their Command being used as complete fodder, and the Gnolls'' collective unwillingness to kill their own unless absolutely necessary.


    Here and there, I saw mercenaries stab their fellows in the back, or trip one another up in their desperation to escape. But I didn¡¯t realise that it was the work of the Scouts until one of them gave me a crisp salute before sprinting off after another group of fleeing mercenaries. I then began noticing how certain attacks by the Gnolls would fall just short of one mercenary only to land on the man next to them instead.


    True to Rikit¡¯s word, the Gnolls didn¡¯t ¡®need¡¯ weapons. Their claws, teeth and sheer brute force were more than sufficient to carry the surprise attack forward. However, this didn¡¯t prevent them from snatching up the weapons of their fallen enemies and using them to devastating effect.


    Armoured in chainmail and padded cloth armour, the mercenaries were still seemingly caught unawares and on the back foot. Worse still, they were surrounded and appeared to have no way out. However, those who made it to the safety of the larger group were formed into ranks and were repelling each impromptu attack made in their direction, butchering dozens of Gnolls in the process.


    Removing a javelin from the quiver hanging off my hip, I lobbed it in the general direction of the mercenaries. Despite having no real expectations of hitting anything or anyone, my javelin gored through two men and firmly lodged itself in the thigh of a third.


    Without really thinking, I continued lobbing javelins while awkwardly ploughing through the tents that got in my way.


    Arrows, bolts and even a few javelins began pelting against my armour and poncho, but I just ignored them and continued throwing whatever came to hand once I had run out of javelins.


    As I continued to draw closer, the mercenaries began taking me more seriously, becoming much more organised and presenting a more unified defence against my improvised projectiles.


    ¡°SPEARS AND ANY OTHER FUCKING POLEARM TO THE FRONT! TO! THE! FRONT!¡± A mercenary officer shouted shrilly, his voice seemingly on the verge of breaking.


    All the same, the command was obeyed and dozens of mercenaries with all manner of polearms took a bristling formation in anticipation of my continued advance.


    A part of my brain was still sufficiently aware to realise that charging face first into a wall of braced spikes was not a good idea. So I began to slow my approach and consider my options. Angling my helmet so the enemy projectiles and splinters were directed away from my eyes I remembered that I could just use my redemption points to summon more javelins, and that there was technically no reason why I should enter striking distance in the first place.


    ¡°BRING THAT FUCKING OGRE DOWN ALREADY!!!¡± The officer shrieked as the javelin I had aimed at him tore through a mercenary two feet to his left.


    The javelin in my hand shattered into splinters and I had already closed half the distance between myself and the formation of braced polearms before I realised what I was doing. Already gripping one of the fifteen-foot long pikes with my right hand, I lifted the pike with little effort despite the mercenary on the other end refusing to let go.


    Ignoring the scrapes and jabs of the other pikes against my chest, I brought the pike, mercenary and all, crashing down on the formation again and again. When the pike cracked, I began reaching for another.


    The mercenaries'' formation had fractured, and nearly half their surviving number had fled to the next line of defence.


    ¡°KILL IT!¡± The officer continued to shriek while turning to flee, ¡°KILL THE OGRE!!!¡±


    Swatting aside the pikes, I lurched into a lumbering charge, ignoring the tugs as spearheads tore through my poncho. Feeling no pain, I continued towards the now fleeing officer, running down a number of mercenaries that didn¡¯t get out of the way fast enough.


    The officer kept tripping over the uneven ground as he stared back at me, his eyes wide with terror.


    Driven by a sudden surge of rage, I lashed out at the officer and caught his left arm. Without hesitating, I whipped his arm and smashed his body against the ground with a satisfying crunch.


    Rather than kill him, the officer¡¯s legs, arm and pelvis were crushed.


    Screaming, the officer drew a knife from his belt and stabbed it at my hand.


    Despite being unharmed, I let go out of reflex.


    Refusing to drop his knife, the officer began dragging himself towards the not too distant formation gathering mercenaries in the true centre of the camp.


    Taking note of their brandished pikes and spears, I snatched up the crippled and whimpering officer by his broken right leg. Taking care to take a firm grip, shattering the already broken bones in the process, I hurled his body towards the mercenaries.


    The officer¡¯s body was impaled upon and broke a number of pikes as the mercenaries instinctively tried to intercept the improvised projectile.


    A wave of furred bodies rushed past me and crashed into the mercenaries, overrunning them within seconds in a tide of savagery and violence.


    Struggling to stay awake, I staggered towards the wall of the ravine and slumped into a sitting position before slowly blacking out.


    Not sure how much time had passed, I woke up with a splitting headache and my mouth as dry as a desert. Trying to move, I realised that I was practically covered by the bodies of a dozen or so sleeping Gnolls piled on top of one another, leaving only my helmeted head exposed to the surprisingly frigid air.


    Awkwardly extricating an arm, I removed my helmet and massaged my head to try to alleviate the pain. Using redemption points to purchase a waterskin, I downed its contents almost immediately and then purchased another, and another. I would have purchased a barrel of water instead, but sacrificing the comforting buzz I was feeling from being warm while it was so objectively cold out was not worth the price.


    However, once I began purchasing food, the situation changed rather dramatically. By the time I was moving on to my second helping of the depressingly small food parcels, the Gnolls serving as my improvised blanket had well and truly begun to stir.


    Having now treated my intense dehydration to the point that I could now open my eyes more than a few millimetres, I realised that the Gnolls surrounding me looked visibly under fed. It was harder to tell because of how each Gnoll was curled up on themselves as much as possible to retain warmth, but it was impossible not to notice once I knew what to look for.


    A part of me was genuinely surprised that they hadn¡¯t cannibalised the dead mercenaries. As sickening as the thought was, the sheer pragmatism of it seemed very much like something the Gnolls would otherwise do.


    Despite the lack of bodies in the vicinity, I still had a distinct impression that the mercenaries'' bodies had not been consumed.


    With the Gnolls around me already awakened by the smell of food, I gently, and not so gently, shifted them to either side so I had some free space to work with.


    Purchasing barrels of food and water, I realised that perhaps the absence of sufficient water supplies had been the determining factor for why the mercenaries¡¯ remains had been passed over. Unlike the Scouts, or even Lords like Rikit, I accrued redemption points from my subordinates'' actions, and not just my own. It was a sort of cheat to the quest system that didn¡¯t make much sense besides the fact that I was technically only allowing myself more limited access to things that were already determined to be ¡®my property¡¯.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the other bundles of Gnolls to begin investigating what the fuss was about, and I was very quickly surrounded by a slowly moving procession that resembled the colonies of penguins I had seen once in a nature documentary. Open crates and barrels of preserved meats and fresh drinking water were lined up by a small group of Gnolls to form a semicircle. These same Gnolls served as a sort of cafeteria staff, using ladles and simple wooden tongs to dole out water and food into simple clay bowls and cups.


    The portions were deliberately small initially, because I wasn¡¯t sure if the supply depot would be able to handle a sudden surge in demand without warning, and that it would be better for everyone to get a little, than for some to go entirely without.


    Not that the Gnolls themselves were complaining. The press of bodies was more than enough to warm the immediate vicinity, making waiting in the winding queue not much worse than sleeping with an empty stomach.


    A heckling cry from the rear of the massed queue parted the gathered Gnolls to either side almost immediately and without complaint, revealing Rikit, Brian, and close to a hundred grey-furred Gnolls in tow. Despite being unnecessary, Rikit made a point of snarling and growling at the gathered Males to drive them back further.


    I didn¡¯t quite understand until I realised that the Gnolls immediately behind Rikit didn¡¯t have collars and weren¡¯t wearing the Asrusians'' padded armour. They were the remnants of the Ashfur tribe that had not been captured.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Brian bowed his head, ¡°My apologies for leaving you unattended, but Rikit requested our services in tracking down the Ashfur-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I interrupted, only now realising that Rikit had reclaimed her borrowed bow while I was unconscious. ¡°What did you do with the bodies of the mercenaries?¡± It had been bugging me for the past hour and I was ready for a definitive answer.


    Brian seemed somewhat uncomfortable. ¡°Ahem, after...harvesting their mana stones... We used them as a diversion to keep the wild monsters away,¡± he explained carefully.


    ¡°Males need sleep,¡± Rikit added matter of factly, ¡°Other males stay away if getting easy food.¡±


    ¡°Which gave you time to look for the remaining Ashfurs,¡± I nodded in understanding while motioning for my assistants to continue doling out food and water, prioritising the new arrivals. ¡°I need you to contact someone that can pass along the warning of increased demand for field rations,¡± I told the Sergeant while making a point of motioning to the hundreds of Gnolls around us.


    Brian nodded in understanding, ¡°I will do so immediately, Majesty. However, I don''t think that there will be any immediate problems. Speaking with the Lord Regent¡¯s representative led me to believe that a stockpile of sorts is deliberately maintained and rotated with occasions, somewhat similar to these in mind.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡± Especially considering Rikit was technically going to be moving around with a small army for the immediately foreseeable future, at least until the Gnolls could be resettled.


    ¡°There is one other thing, Majesty...¡± Brian stated nervously, ¡°The mercenaries Commander and senior officers managed to escape...¡±


    Even though I struggled to recall the exact events of the attack, I distinctly recalled the mercenaries'' position being absolutely swarmed, ¡®How?¡± I demanded flatly.


    ¡°They had a Wand of Teleportation, or something similar...We did our best, but the Commander must have had it hidden on his person,¡± Brian explained apologetically while bowing his head low.


    I shifted uncomfortably and turned to Rikit, ¡°I need you to stay behind a while longer and help lock down a few more floors of the labyrinth,¡± I explained in a somewhat irritated tone.


    Rikit nodded obediently, ¡°Rikit do!¡±


    Brian didn''t seem to quite understand.


    ¡°If enough consecutive floors are controlled, most forms of teleportation can be blocked,¡± I explained while grinding my teeth over the need to use the word, most. ¡°Since I assume there is no way of knowing for certain if this Commander or one of his subordinates has not been to any of the earlier floors either, the first through third floors will need their inbound and outbound portals seized and put under garrison. As will the fourth floor¡¯s portal to the third floor, to prevent circumventing the blockade.¡±


    Technically the blockade wouldn¡¯t work without the fourth floor¡¯s portal, but the Sergeant and surrounding Gnolls didn¡¯t need to know that.


    I was actually surprised by how many of the Ashfurs had survived, although a little disappointed when I learned that their surviving females had in fact fought to determine their new Matriarch. I was actually a little surprised to learn that the badly wounded, but very much alive, female limping behind Rikit was that Matriarch. I had expected Rikit to kill her, so it was a relief to see that Rikit was demonstrating greater signs of restraint in conjunction with her continued Evolution.


    On the surface, the division of sexes was now roughly equal, and I could feel a definite shift in the energy of the group. Despite the newly arrived females¡¯, and the few males accompanying them, being far more interested in food and water, the formerly wild males were now attempting to distinguish themselves from their compatriots by flaunting scars and recently acquired wounds from the battle.


    A snarl from Rikit saw the majority of the preening ended, but a few of the larger males near the back of the queue didn¡¯t stop until Rikit began determinedly stalking toward them. Without the other Gnolls between them to serve as a buffer, the holdouts scattered.


    I was actually somewhat relieved at the prospect of locking down this floor of the Labyrinth. The idea of Rikit being forced to kill the wild elements of her kind while securing the Foothold was rather uncomfortable to think about. At least after securing the floor, I could block the wild Gnolls from spawning, just as I had been doing for all the humanoid and sapient monsters in the other Labyrinths.


    It took hours to fully distribute the food and water, and the Gnolls had settled into two large carpets of fur once they were all well fed. The segregation had been enforced by Rikit, separating the Ashfurs from the wild males.


    It wasn¡¯t until the Scouts began erecting a couple of the trampled tents that I realised some of them were missing, and a few moments after that revelation to realise that they were not missing at all. They were dead. Four Scouts had died during the chaotic melee, including Brian¡¯s stocky second in command, Jane.


    The soldiers¡¯ collective business as usual demeanour was both inspiring and profoundly depressing. With the grim realities of war, it made a sort of sense that they weren¡¯t being overly emotional over the loss of their comrades, but I felt a profound sense of guilt all the same. I was the reason they were here, so ultimately, I was the reason those men and women were dead.


    I would have made a terrible soldier in my former life, and my opinion on the matter had only grown worse with each new day. I could still feel the way the bones had broken beneath my fingers, and the feral satisfaction I had felt, that now nauseated me.


    It wasn¡¯t until the early morning that I managed to find Keith. He had shed the mercenary chainmail, likely to avoid freezing to death and to better conserve body heat during the night. From what I could tell, just by judging the lack of stains on his padded cloth armour, Keith had most likely erected a makeshift tent of some kind after the battle. It made a sort of sense that the half-blind Elf wouldn¡¯t risk antagonising the Gnolls for a bite to eat, especially since he would have still had rations of his own.


    All the same, I was more relieved to see him intact than I would otherwise like to admit. Especially with the deaths of the Scouts weighing so heavily on my conscience.


    I had spent most of the rest of the night counting the dead, both theirs and ours, by going through the long list of notifications. In addition to our Asrusian Human Scouts, seventy-nine Gnolls had died, two of which had been male Ashfur survivors. In a way, I was thankful that the mercenaries had turned themselves into monsters. It made it easier to distance myself from their deaths when the notification read as Human, instead of a name. However, that same emphasis on Human disturbed me on a whole other level as well.


    Three hundred and eighty-seven Human¡¯s had been killed, and I was the one who ordered it.


    While travelling back to the Foothold, I tried not to think too much, and focused on walking instead.


    Climbing out of the ravine proved to be a more difficult exercise than I had been willing to think about. Even with the overhanging ceiling collapsed to allow climbing and bracing against the wall of the ravine, I had to resort to half climbing and half being pulled out by Mortax and a team of soldiers. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Gnolls climbed the same ravine wall with little visible effort using just their hands and claws.


    Providing a large volume of food, water, weapons and other supplies, large tents were erected inside of the walls to serve as shelters while Rikit and her now significantly larger pack seized control over the Foothold. Ril¡¯s Gateway would presumably be connected to the greater network once Rikit was finished, so the Asrusian military would provide support for fortifying the other area around the other portal.


    Leaving Rikit and the Gnolls behind, Keith, Mortax, myself, and all but one of the surviving Scouts passed through the portal and returned to the city of Laine. The lone Scout was left behind to maintain communication with the military in case of an emergency, or to signal once the Conquest was over.


    It was a little strange that the Ashfurs would go along with Rikit¡¯s plan, considering that their lost and stolen eggs were not in their possession. However, as best I could understand, the Ashfurs were taking Rikit, and her original pack of survivors from the auction, at their word that the eggs were indeed safe. There was no other explanation I could think of that would explain why they were so willing to stay behind.


    Leaving the Sergeant and his Scouts to be debriefed by Gregory and their respective superiors, I left the building and wandered the road outside.


    Far from being the relaxing walk I hoped it would be, I quickly became aware of a tension in the air that I didn¡¯t remember feeling when I was last in the city.


    Walking over to the gate to the lower levels of the city, I was afforded a view that explained the reason for the tension I was feeling. The empire¡¯s army had arrived while I was away, and they had established a camp outside of the city as well as a row of earthworks that would inhibit any attempts at fleeing the city.


    Worse still, more imperial armies could be seen approaching along the roads leading to the city. With every passing moment, the enemy''s numbers were growing, and even without doing an official count, I could tell that they already outnumbered the Asrusian soldiers within the city by a substantial margin.


    ¡°I have never seen it from this side before,¡± Keith muttered, surprising me a little when I realised that both he and Mortax had followed me to the gate. Keith looked like he wanted to say something else, but he remained silent.


    Asrusian soldiers were patrolling the streets in force, perhaps as a means of reassuring the population by reminding them of their presence. All the same, the streets seemed mostly empty.


    Heading back to the Labyrinth Portal, I found Gregory waiting for me with a worried expression on his face.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Gregory bowed his head as he approached, ¡°It is a relief to learn of your success against the Golden Boar mercenaries. Unfortunately, I have yet to acquire evidence that would implicate the local nobility or criminal elements with their activities.¡±


    ¡°Which means there is possibly another traitor in the city?¡± I guess with a tired sigh.


    Gregory nodded, ¡°Quite so, Majesty. I suspect the mercenaries may in fact support a third party in all of this. The absence of Slavers and prolific use of Collars makes any sort of connection to the empire unlikely, but not impossible. However, it is far more likely that the mercenaries were acting under orders from a mutual enemy of both ourselves and the empire.¡±


    ¡°The confederacy?¡± I guessed uncertainly, unable to recall exactly what the coalition of independent cities names themselves.


    Apparently unwilling to contradict me, Gregory nodded again, ¡°That is my thoughts on the matter,¡± he agreed, ¡°It is against their interests for the empire to seize an easy victory in this war, as they would be the ones to face the empire next after their facade of an alliance is discarded. If the-¡± Gregory paused for a handful of heartbeats, ¡°-confederacy...are responsible for this, then it would be safe to suspect other cities might have similar contingencies in play.¡± Gregory looked at me expectantly, perhaps hoping that I would volunteer to aggressively lock down the lower floors of the Labyrinths in other cities.


    It wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    Unless there was proof of more Variants being Enslaved or killed, I wasn¡¯t interested. I already had a war of my own to continue against the Liche, and the time spent in Laine and its Labyrinth was a part of that.


    Gregory backed down quickly, altering his expression with deceptive ease. ¡°You must be tired, Majesty. I will leave you to your recuperation in peace,¡± he stated apologetically before bowing and leaving the building.


    Despite having seen through Gregory¡¯s attempted manipulation, I couldn''t bring myself to blame him for it. As near as I could tell, Gregory, and by extension, the Regent, were just doing whatever they could in order to keep their people safe and out of literal Slavery. However, I was emotionally drained and already struggling to reconcile my role in how the mercenaries had been defeated. I needed time to decompress and get my head straight again, and I wouldn¡¯t get that opportunity while actively seeking out more violence.


    Then again, sparring might be exactly what I needed. The opportunity for venting my frustration and anger without compounding the root cause.


    Glancing sidelong at Mortax, I wondered what bribery, if any, would be required to coax him into accepting the role as my sparring partner.


    *****


    Taking deep even breaths, Clarice did her best to relax and allow the special water of her bath to do its work. Taken from the fountain of a temple, or some such thing, touching the water with her with red flesh was like reaching into a bonfire.


    Relatively familiar with pain, Clarice had been told by the Daemon Wraithe, multiple times, that the pain she was feeling was ¡®a good sign¡¯, and that it meant Clarice¡¯s nerves and muscles were recovering. Wraithe had mentioned a whole mess of other things Clarice didn¡¯t understand, but Clarice had been in too much pain to bother trying to remember.


    Silently enduring the bath, Clarice glanced guiltily at Toby and Emelia. Wraithe was binding their unconscious bodies with bandages soaked in the special water. However, in spite of the medicines Wraithe administered to dull their pain and keep them unconscious, both Emelia and Toby would shudder or flinch as fresh bandages were applied to their withered flesh.


    Keenly aware that she had gotten off relatively unscathed, Clarice felt somewhat guilty for being so childish.


    After having spent the better part of three days in the special water, Clarice was actually feeling much better, and the pain, although initially intense, was bearable so long she didn¡¯t think about it too much.


    Accepting the assistance of one of the Serpent-Kin attendants, Clarice left her bath and awkwardly towled herself down before getting dressed. Already exhausted by that minor amount of activity, Clarice groaned as she braced herself for Wraithe¡¯s recommended rehabilitation exercises.


    Slowly descending the ramps to the ground floor while clutching tightly to one of the handrails, Clarice knew she was not truly at risk of falling despite her legs shaking and requiring a short break partway down.


    Walking over relatively flat ground was less taxing, and Clarice eschewed her normal laps around the hospital in favour of hunting down Dhizi. Fully capable of sensing the giant lizard¡¯s location at will, she already knew that Dhizi was going to be basking in the sun by the orchards.


    After several stops to recover her strength, Clarice finally arrived in front of Dhizi and gave her an annoyed thump with her fist, ¡°Why do you have to hang out so far from the hospital?¡± Clarice grumbled half-heartedly before affectionately stroking the scaly beast''s scales in place of an apology.


    Dhizi flicked her tongue lazily before returning to basking in the sun.


    Awkwardly lowering herself into a sitting position against Dhizi¡¯s back, Clarice let out a tired sigh and watched the children climbing the orchard trees for a midday snack. The orchard keepers turned a blind eye so long as the children weren¡¯t greedy, even going so far as to use their Druid powers to secretly assist the smaller children with climbing and descending the trees.


    It was a far cry from what Clarice remembered of her own childhood. Born in the empire, her family had been pit fighters for generations, fighting and dying for the entertainment of the crowds. Denied any form of social advancement, Clarice had been given three choices. Birth the next generation, fight in the pits, or struggle to eke out a life on her back.


    Clarice had chosen a fourth option, leaving her family behind to try and forge her own destiny. She had bribed a merchant with coins stolen from one of his rivals, saving just enough to join the Guild once she had crossed the border.


    Joining the Adventurers Guild had been something of a last resort after Clarice realised that she lacked the skills to do much else besides fight or fuck for a living. Since she was not a natural-born citizen, Clarice was unable to become a soldier or guard, which really only left two options. Clarice had originally intended to join the Mercenary Guild, but the recruiter had made...advances, so Clarice broke his fingers and scarpered, fleeing into the Adventurers Guild and signing up to gain their protection.


    Things had not exactly gotten much better after that. Clarice would be the first to admit that she wasn¡¯t good with fitting in, making friends, keeping friends, talking to people...


    Clarice scowled and stared at her hands, wringing them anxiously for a time before releasing a deep sigh.


    Meeting Nadine and Emelia had originally been because of another act of Clarice¡¯s impulsiveness and anti-social nature. Thrown out of four other Guild assigned Partys¡¯ because she couldn¡¯t ¡®play nice¡¯, Clarice had only been extended an offer by Nadine because she was too new to have learned of Clarice¡¯s reputation. Nadine¡¯s rigid ¡®by the book¡¯ nature had meant she offered Clarice a legally binding contract alongside the offer.


    Somewhat aware that Nadine would be her last chance to join a Party, Clarice had signed before Nadine had a chance to realise her mistake.


    Nadine learned of Clarice¡¯s reputation less than an hour later, but rather than trying to invalidate the contract, she had continued canvasing the other fresh recruits for a third member.


    In a way, Nadine had taken advantage of Clarice as well, but she hadn¡¯t realised that until they were in the Labyrinth hunting down Vrabbits with Emelia.


    As a non-damage dealing spellcaster, Nadine had proven only marginally more useful than Emelia in a fight. This had meant that Clarice was doing the majority of the fighting while splitting a disproportionate amount of their earnings with the others.


    Clarice grimaced as she recalled how much she had resented them for not pulling their weight. She remembered how close she had been to terminating the contract and paying out a penalty fee so she could strike out on her own. The very next day, Emelia had gone chasing after a Goblin and nearly gotten herself killed. But it was also how they had met Tim and changed their fortunes almost overnight.


    Clarice regretted how she had treated him in those early days, viewing him only as a piece of meat. It was only after having time to reflect on her actions that Clarice realised she had treated Tim just like the imperial elites had treated her.


    She still marvelled at Tim¡¯s restraint. In his place, with his strength, Clarice would have killed them all. The idea of being someone''s literal Slave turned her stomach. Clarice knew this made her something of an unempathetic hypocrite considering her willingness to take advantage of Tim for profit and easy levels.


    For whatever reason, Tim had forgiven them, or was somehow able to look past it all. Time and again, he had demonstrated how he was the better man, looking past himself and helping others, even complete strangers. Sanctuary was a testament to Tim¡¯s humanity and generous spirit, a second chance for the broken.


    Clarice hadn¡¯t really realised it until she was forced to slow down and was finally able to take in the day to day activities of the Settlement. Liberated Slaves were arriving every couple of days and greeted with open arms by Species that should have been their natural rivals.


    Clarice sniffled and then hurriedly palmed away the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Tim had created the home Clarice had been dreaming of since childhood, she just hadn¡¯t taken the time to appreciate it.


    ¡°Sweet, give, you?¡± A little Goblin girl asked, offering Clarice a juicy apple with both hands.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Clarice gratefully accepted the apple and took a bite, savouring the sweet juice as it rolled over her tongue before she began to chew the flesh.


    ¡°Can, touch?¡± The Goblin child asked curiously while pointing to Dhizi


    ¡°Sure,¡± Clarice agreed, earning a bright excited smile in return.


    The little Goblin girl tenatatively patted Dhizi¡¯s nose, ¡°Is pretty!¡± She declared happily while tracing her finger around one of Dhizi¡¯s larger scales.


    Dhizi gave a throaty rumble in appreciation, nuzzling the Goblin¡¯s chest before settling back down again.


    The excited Goblin¡¯s cries attracted the other children. Within minutes Dhizi was being inundated with tiny scraps of meat from the children¡¯s pockets while other children climbed over her back or hung tight to her lazily wagging tail while shrieking in excitement.


    Even though she was past due to return to the hospital, Clarice decided to stay a while longer. The childrens¡¯ laughter was helping with her melancholic mood. Deciding that it would do her more good to be an active participant, Clarice sent one of the older children to have an adult fetch Dhizi¡¯s saddle and a sled so she could give the children rides around the orchard.


    The chorus of eager and excited cries from the children was enough to make Clarice seriously consider making the rides a part of her rehabilitation routine.


    After being thoroughly brushed down by the horde of children afterwards, and having her scales sparkling like a pile of treasure in the sun, Clarice could tell that Dhizi was inclined to agree.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 44 – Mustering for battle – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 44 ¨C Mustering for battle ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 44 - Mustering for battle - Part One


    Upon entering the second floor of the Laine Labyrinth, I immediately came to a halt when I quickly realised it was not the same as I had left it.


    The existing central European-styled buildings were gone, replaced with the flat-roofed and somewhat middle-eastern style buildings I had seen the Orcs use in the barren desert. Made from what looked like hardened and thoroughly dried clay, I was still struggling to understand how so many buildings had been built so quickly. Even the doors to the houses looked like they were made of the same sunbaked clay.


    The Slaves I had left behind seemed to find nothing particularly out of the ordinary, which only made the situation seem all the stranger.


    Wandering the Settlement with Keith and Mortax trailing along behind me, I found Ril¡¯s tent had been replaced with another one of the flat-roofed buildings. However, the scale of the building was almost half that of the others, and the door and windows were considerably smaller.


    Trying to open the door, I found that not only was the door locked, but the door handle was considerably more durable than its appearance suggested.


    ¡°Toofy? Are you in there?¡± I asked while trying to peer through one of the windows on the second floor. It was decorated with rough approximations of furniture I would have otherwise expected to find in the inn, except that they were all made of the same hardened clay.


    ¡°Tim?!¡± Toofy exclaimed in surprise from somewhere inside the building. There were hurried footsteps and a scraping sound from the door before it suddenly flew open and revealed Toofy standing on the other side, ¡°TIM!¡± She leapt up and wrapped my neck in a hug, easily covering the necessary distance due to my heavily stooped posture from checking the window.


    I hugged Toofy back with one arm before gently lowering her to the ground, ¡°Toofy, where did all these buildings come from?¡± I asked curiously.


    Toofy looked back at the building she had just left and then nodded to herself, ¡°Terry did it,¡± she replied happily.


    ¡°Terry?¡± I muttered uncertainly, ¡°Who¡¯s Terry?¡±


    Toofy seemed confused for a moment and then became contemplative before seeming to come to a decision of some kind. Taking a deep breath, Toofy cupped her hands around her mouth, ¡°TERRY! BE HERE!¡± She shouted commandingly before settling her hands on her hips and smiling expectantly.


    After a few moments, I began to feel tremors through the ground beneath my feet, and a few moments after that I was able to make out heavy footsteps growing closer from the direction of the nearby gate.


    After about a minute of waiting, a thick and incredibly blunt featured man wearing only a loincloth lumbered into view. Only six feet or so tall, the sheer weight of his footfalls was not proportional to his admittedly heavily muscled build. As the man drew closer, this discrepancy began to make more sense.


    Clothed with only a loincloth, the man¡¯s large muscular build was on full display, as were his physiological quirks. His deeply tanned skin was oddly inconsistent, possessing darker and lighter blotches like a host of unfortunately inherited birthmarks. Furthermore, what I had originally mistaken for a short-cropped beard was in fact a dark purple-coloured moss. Judging by the dark shadow on his bare head and chest, it was probably safe to assume the moss normally grew there as well.


    His broad smile revealed a mouth full of iron-grey teeth that otherwise appeared quite normal. Similarly, his dark brown eyes seemed human enough, although the whites of his eyes seemed somewhat odd for a reason I couldn''t quite place.


    ¡°You called for me?¡± The man asked with a deep gravelly voice.


    ¡°This Terry,¡± Toofy declared happily while pointing at the new arrival.


    Terry, looked slowly from Toofy, to me, and then back to Toofy again, chuckling to himself before bodily turning towards me, ¡°I have answered the call, and have sworn to serve,¡± Terry stated matter of factly, as if it somehow explained everything.


    I had initially assumed that the labyrinth had withheld the Overseer I had expected to accompany the Harpy eggs. The knowledge that he had somehow been delayed in his arrival was not exactly reassuring either.


    Toofy nodded vigorously, ¡°Nadine make Terry build, so Toofy make Terry build more,¡± she declared proudly.


    The ochre coloured skin of Terry''s cheeks darkened in what might approximate a blush. ¡°I apologise, Master, but I was quite famished when I arrived and had not known the provisions were serving as shelters for your minions.¡±


    ¡°Wait...What?¡± I asked while looking up and down the street, trying to make sense of what he was saying.


    ¡°Terry eat, Nadine say Terry build,¡± Toofy explained with a giggle.


    ¡°He ate the stones!¡± Keith exclaimed and slapped his forehead, as if it were all obvious, ¡°He¡¯s a Terraphage!¡±


    Terry¡¯s cheeks darkened a shade further.


    ¡°Terry the Terraphage...That can¡¯t be an accident,¡± I muttered while trying to wrap my head around how someone so relatively small had been able to eat nearly two entire buildings'' worth of stone.


    Terry fidgetted somewhat nervously, ¡°With due respect, Master, my name is not Terry.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± I asked without really thinking, still trying to puzzle out the latest deviation of physics'' supposedly immutable laws.


    ¡°My name is Ochram, Master. But I can change my name if it suits you,¡± Ochram offered amiably, his somewhat embarrassed tone of voice sounding quite strange when combined with his deep gravelly baseline.


    ¡°Ochram?¡± Toofy seemed confused and was scratching her head uncertainly, ¡°No Terry? Is Ochram?¡±


    Ochram nodded.


    I held up my hand and took a deep breath to align my thoughts, ¡°Just so I have this straight, you ate the stone from the two largest buildings? And then you replaced not just those two buildings, but the others as well?¡± I asked a little sceptically.


    Ochram nodded, ¡°The minion named Nadine made it clear that you would not be pleased, so I followed her instructions to replace the dwellings I destroyed in my state of extreme hunger.¡±


    I felt a surge of panic as I realised that the Lizardmen, Fesk and Khibi had been in the former guild office building, ¡°You didn¡¯t damage any of the eggs did you?!¡± I demanded.


    Ochram staggered back a step and looked as if I had struck him across the face. ¡°I-I most certainly did not!¡± He breathed horsley.


    Somewhat relieved, I still made a mental note to check on the Lizardmen later to make sure everything was fine. ¡°Why replace the other buildings?¡± I pressed, not seeing why exactly Nadine would have asked for such a thing. The buildings had all been in a state of relatively good repair, so it didn¡¯t make sense to replace them so flippantly.


    ¡°The minion known as Nadine expressed concerns over the dwellings being insufficient for the minions occupying your territory,¡± Ochram explained somewhat anxiously.


    That sounded like something Nadine might have done, but I had been overlooking something incredibly important. ¡°How did you make these buildings?¡± I asked while quickly searching for his Status information.


    Before Ochram had a chance to answer, I found it on my own. He was a Master Earth Mage. ¡°You¡¯re an Earth Mage,¡± I stated, answering my own question for the benefit of the others.


    Ochram shifted somewhat uncomfortably, ¡°Erm, Master Earth Mage, Master,¡± he corrected somewhat pridefully, ¡°It was a decisive factor in my accepting the calling.¡±


    Aware that Hanna had accepted a similar offer, I wasn¡¯t inclined to hold the incentive against him. However, I still wanted to know why his arrival had been so delayed. ¡°Why did you take so long to arrive?¡± I asked somewhat warily.


    Ochram blushed again, ¡°I believe I was asleep when the offer was made,¡± he replied awkwardly, ¡°I had been practising my art but overdrew my mana...¡±


    I had done that myself a number of times already, so I knew that his explanation wasn¡¯t entirely unreasonable. Part of the blame was my own as well. I had not kept track of the notifications like I should have done and had assumed there would be no Overseer provided.


    Continuing to look through Ochram¡¯s Status information, I realised that his Species was similar to the Dryads, possessing both Earth Sense and Shape Earth, which roughly correlated to Hanna¡¯s own Racial Abilities with plants. However, Geophagia was something entirely new.


    [(Racial Ability: Geophagia {Rank 7}): Consuming minerals enhances the {Toughness} Attribute but deteriorates over time. Volume of minerals consumed, quality of minerals consumed, and existing {Toughness} determine the maximum potential {Toughness} gained.]


    Ochram had a Toughness value close to my own, but a full third was provided by a bonus besides his Class. With no other explanation for it, I could only assume it was because of his Geophagia Ability.


    ¡°You eat rocks and dirt,¡± I commented thoughtfully while nodding my head in understanding, having realised that the Iron Gut Ability provided by the Settlement would have only exacerbated his hunger. This made me also realise that I was more responsible for his behaviour than I had been a few moments ago.


    Ochram nodded, ¡°I can eat other things as well, but-¡± his expression soured, ¡°They just don¡¯t taste as good.¡±


    Shifting Ochram into the group, I was only a little disappointed to find that his Geophagia wasn¡¯t suitable for Synergy, and neither was his Shape Earth Racial Ability. However, Sense Earth was a different matter entirely.


    Almost immediately, Mortax began to stagger and moaned in distress while waving and flailing his arms. Keith¡¯s reaction was more controlled but he still wavered and had to firmly plant his feet to avoid staggering.


    It had been some time since I had last interacted with Hanna¡¯s plant sensing Ability but the general principle seemed similar. However, most likely due to Ochram¡¯s Rank in the Ability being considerably higher, and the core ability itself being passive rather than activated with mana, even I found the sudden rush of information to be fairly disorienting.


    In my mind, I was suddenly aware of every building in the settlement, and to a lesser degree, what was transpiring within them. I could also ¡®see¡¯ the empty soil below the Settlement and feel the small clusters of natural minerals and large pockets of clay.


    Shifting Ochram out of the group again, I wasn¡¯t entirely surprised to find that I had unlocked the Apprentice Earth Mage Basic Class. However, thinking it over for a few moments more, I was actually rather shocked. I had not been able to unlock the Druid Classes at all, so why was I able to unlock the Earth Mage? Was it because of my ¡®Species¡¯? Or was there some other explanation I hadn¡¯t encountered yet?


    Ochram seemed equally surprised, ¡°Master! To have such affinity for the earth! I felt your presence moving with such purpose and confidence!¡±


    That wasn¡¯t how I would have explained the experience from my perspective, but I grudgingly accepted the compliment.


    Mortax and Keith both seemed profoundly relieved to be free of the Earth Sense, with the former crashing down onto his haunches and breathing heavily.


    Dismissing Ochram and leaving Keith and Mortax to their own devices, I let Toofy climb up onto my shoulder and then went looking for Nadine.


    It didn¡¯t take long to find her. After passing through the nearby gate, I found a rough approximation of Sanctuary¡¯s hospital, only made of baked clay rather than trees. It wasn¡¯t the only recent addition on the outside of the walls either. Dozens of large buildings were built around the existing wall and were at least twice the scale of those inside of the wall.


    Investigating one of these buildings, I was only slightly surprised to find that they were entirely empty. They didn¡¯t have doors either, so I could only assume that Ochram was prioritising the shells of the buildings over everything else. Considering the relatively small amount of time that had been at his disposal, it was still very impressive.


    From what I could observe, the large buildings all had large pillars and ribbed bracing along the ceilings of each floor. As best I could tell, this was probably to provide the necessary support the buildings needed in order to remain standing.


    Since Nadine was teaching a lesson to her students, I decided to check on the Lizardmen instead.


    Fesk was waiting by the door when I arrived, and the little fluff-ball Khibi was peeking out from behind his legs.


    #Everything. Good.# I signed while raising my eyebrow to show that it was a question.


    Fesk nodded, #Everything. Good.# He signed back and added, #Everyone. Healthy.#


    #You. Have. Practised.# I signed back with interest. His fluency with the gestures had grown noticeably better and he was making fewer mistakes.


    Toofy watched our exchange with unfeigned curiosity, ¡°Why waving fingers and hands?¡±


    #Practice. With. Brown. Hair. Female.# Fesk signed back before crouching down to reassure Khibi who had begun to giggle anxiously.


    ¡°We are talking with our hands,¡± I explained to Toofy while Fesk attended to Khibi.


    ¡°Hand talking?¡± Toofy asked warily, making it clear that she thought I might very well be lying or making a joke at her expense.


    I nodded and turned away from Fesk, this is how you say hello, #Hello.# ¡°If you make that sign for Fesk, he will say hello back to you,¡± I insisted before turning around again.


    Fesk had lifted Khibi into a sling on his chest in the meantime and seemed to have calmed her down.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Toofy barked to get Fesk¡¯s attention, #Hello.# She signed with alarmingly accurate dexterity.


    Fesk smiled, #Hello.# He signed back.


    Toofy giggled, ¡°More! Teach Toofy more hand talking!¡±


    Originally planning on practising with Fesk at some point during the day, I shrugged and sat down on the road so we could start. Toofy continued sitting on my shoulder while Fesk fetched and overturned a bucket to use as a seat.


    Toofy was an incredibly fast learner and was quickly outstripping both Fesk and myself in her ability to form actual sentences with the words she was learning. Granted, Toofy¡¯s sentences were more or less the same grammatical minefield as her spoken sentences, but that was a shortcoming inherent to sign language in the first place.


    #Me good at hand talking.# Toofy signed happily, deliberately avoiding the use of the sign for signing in favour of her own diction.


    #Yes.# Fesk agreed with a small smile of his own, #You. Good at. Hand talking.# His own proficiency seemed better when practising with Toofy, and I suspected this was because Toofy was able to push him to sign faster than I could, better representing a more organic conversation.


    Far from being put out by being worse at the subject I was teaching them, I accepted my natural limitations and continued introducing new words to their signing vocabulary.


    This was where Toofy¡¯s seeming talent for signing began to lag. While fully capable of learning new words, Toofy was very selective with whether she would actually decide to use them in a sentence. Her desire for minimalism meant that most of the words I was teaching them would be left unused.


    All the same, Toofy was still quite happy to continue ¡®hand talking¡¯ with Fesk as he experimented with the new words and worked on correcting his technique.


    After practising for an indeterminate number of hours, Nadine joined us during our meal break and confirmed that she had been the one Fesk had been practising with.


    ¡°I just thought it was interesting,¡± Nadine confessed while setting down a small chest to use as a seat, ¡°Speaking without talking, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Hand talking,¡± Toofy agreed, nodding while pulling a strip of boiled spider meat from its chitin casing.


    ¡°Hand talking,¡± Nadine repeated with a bemused expression before nodding in agreement, ¡°I suppose that is a less confusing way of putting it.¡±


    ¡°Well, the common term for it was sign language,¡± I commented, ¡°But even then I suppose there were always some people that didn¡¯t quite understand that it referred to making signs with your hands to use as language.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impressive that someone even made the language at all,¡± Nadine added while tearing off a small strip of smoked Vrabbit and feeding it to Khibi who was still hiding in Fesk¡¯s sling.


    ¡°There are actually a number of variations on it as well, and they can be as different as spoken languages,¡± I explained while trying to think of why that had been the case. While it was possible to spell words out using the signing alphabet, it was rather uncommon to use it in day-to-day activities unless it was somehow part of your job.


    #Me need to take care of baby.# Toofy signed after another shorter practice session. She then gave me another hug before hopping down from my shoulder and running off to rejoin Ril in their temporary home.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how she can be so good at this,¡± Nadine sighed with a mildly frustrated expression and massaged her hands.


    ¡°Well, Toofy really is quite clever,¡± I countered, ¡°So long as it¡¯s related to something she is interested in.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Nadine sighed.


    #She has, Fast hands.# Fesk added, #Easier. To talk.#


    Nadine was silent for a moment while translating, ¡°I guess that¡¯s true as well,¡± she agreed, ¡°But it still surprises me that ¡®hand talking¡¯ is possible at all.¡±


    ¡°I think it was originally developed as a means of speaking with the deaf,¡± I explained, ¡°In a similar justification for why braille was invented for the blind. Human ingenuity is capable of great and truly remarkable things when there is the motivation for it.¡±


    ¡°For the deaf?¡± Nadine challenged uncertainty before taking a few moments to think it through for herself, ¡°Oh...Because they can¡¯t hear what you are saying...¡± She realised with some embarrassment.


    ¡°How are your students doing?¡± I asked, changing the subject to spare her some embarrassment.


    We spoke for a while longer but Gregory¡¯s sudden arrival brought the conversation to an abrupt halt.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Gregory seemed profoundly troubled as he bowed his head, ¡°The city has just repelled the first attempt at sieging the outermost walls. Morale is beginning to slip...and...¡± He paused and looked around with an expression of concerned confusion, ¡°What happened to the administration building?... And the...Everything else...¡±


    ¡°An Earth Mage,¡± I replied glibly, more interested in what Gregory had been intending to say earlier, ¡°You were saying?¡± I prompted.


    Gregory looked at me with an air of confusion for a moment before quickly rallying, ¡°Morale is slipping as more enemy forces join the siege. Is there any way of knowing how long until the Gateway will allow reinforcements to become available to the city?¡±


    I almost said no out of reflex, but it wasn¡¯t strictly true. As the Gateway grew closer to activating, the general feeling of the mana building inside of it would change. I had felt this change a number of times already while observing other Gateways Ril had created and then connected to the greater network. I wasn¡¯t sure I could determine the remaining time precisely, but I could probably make a guesstimation in terms of hours vs days.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I may be able to find out,¡± I replied evenly, making sure not to oversell my own intuition. Getting to my feet, I left Fesk, Nadine and Gregory behind so I could move closer to the Gateway.


    Even without touching it, I could feel that the physical vessel of the Gateway was brimming with mana and nearing its completion. Depending more upon Ril than anything else at this stage, I returned to others to deliver my news.


    ¡°It¡¯s close,¡± I stated with the same even tone as before, ¡°A matter of hours, not days. Does that help?¡±


    Gregory took a deep breath, sighed and nodded, ¡°It will have to, and could have been worse besides. Thank you, Majesty.¡± Rather than leave immediately, Gregory motioned toward Nadine and Fesk with an expression of curiosity, ¡°What is it they are doing with their hands?¡± The tone of his voice implied that Gregory was confident he knew already, but wanted to be certain.


    ¡°Talking with their hands,¡± I replied, ¡°It¡¯s called sign language.¡±


    Gregory nodded to himself, confirming my suspicions. ¡°Is it a simple language? Or?...¡±


    ¡°As sophisticated as the language we are speaking now, with a few obvious limitations,¡± I answered honestly.


    ¡°Remarkable...¡± Gregory breathed, a fresh glint of eager excitement now in his otherwise tired eyes.


    ¡°You are welcome to join Fesk and I during our practice sessions when you have the time,¡± I offered, assuming that Gregory would use the sign language for productive purposes. More specifically, for the shady business of the Regent and the Asrusian military¡¯s high command.


    My original trepidation regarding the potential for betrayal from the Asrusian government was now thoroughly outweighed by the risks posed by the nations invading them and the Liche still skulking in the Mournbrent Labyrinth. Providing tools to the Asrusians was functionally in my own best interest so long as I wanted Sanctuary to remain a safe haven where I would, eventually, be able to live in peace.


    ¡°Thank you, Majesty,¡± Gregory replied grateful before briefly looking towards the nearby buildings, ¡°Would the Earth Mage possibly be able to teach others how to unlock the Class and its Basic counterpart?¡±


    I realised I had made a mistake in generalising by using the label of Earth Mage instead of Ochram¡¯s true Class title. ¡°I will have them added to the list,¡± I commented, referring to the openly accessible training quests any Citizen, or Slave, could access in order to learn Classes in a structured and efficient manner. ¡°But I think this is a similar situation to the Druids, requiring direct apprenticeship and the mana flowers.¡±


    ¡°All the same, thank you again for your generosity, Majesty!¡± Gregory exclaimed with markedly more excitement than before. ¡°Earth Mages could make all the difference during this siege!¡±


    Given the difficulty of learning the Druid Class, I wasn¡¯t nearly as optimistic. Then again, even if only a handful of soldiers were able to learn the Apprentice level of the Class, that might be enough to repair the city walls. At worst there wouldn¡¯t be much lost even if the soldiers proved incapable of unlocking the Class at all.


    Gregory didn¡¯t seem to mind, and he left in far greater spirits than when he first arrived. All things considered, I couldn¡¯t blame him for it either.


    I decided to spend the rest of the day exercising, focusing on jogging and running in an attempt to maintain my level of coordination while at speed. The increased effects of gravity due to my size made running in particular rather difficult to adjust to.


    However, as much as I hoped to be proven wrong, I was anticipating Gregory to make another request on behalf of his Regent. Specifically, I was expecting a request to intervene directly in the siege in some capacity, and that''s why I was exercising. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if Gregory didn¡¯t ask, circumstances all but demanded it anyway. A meatgrinder of attrition here would mean drastically reduced support for my pursuit of the Liche. This was because the Asrusian army, in its entirety, would be outnumbered by the forces laying siege to this single city.


    The Asrusians couldn¡¯t divert their entire army to this city even if they wanted to. They had more than one opposing nation to fight, and presumably more than a handful of different armies to contend with. Furthermore, the number of cities connected by Ril''s network could be counted on one hand and wasn¡¯t anywhere near comprehensive enough to allow the redeployment of so many soldiers from their scattered postings around the embattled kingdom.


    I had no intentions of doing any direct fighting, not if I could avoid it. I wasn¡¯t a soldier, and in spite of my advantages over normal humans and weaker Species of monsters, the flaming oil incident had served as a powerful reminder that I was prone to making poor decisions in the heat of battle. Besides, even a spider could be killed by ants if they were numerous enough.


    Worse still, I didn¡¯t have the necessary bloodlust or tolerance for violence in order to proactively engage in battle without being threatened or provoked in some way first. Training made it easier in some respects, reducing my subconscious hesitancy, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    My observation regarding the Gateway proved true, and it became active sometime around midnight. However, the anticipated reinforcements didn¡¯t begin appearing until an hour or so later.


    It was difficult to be absolutely certain, but I was reasonably confident that my earlier assumption was correct. Despite thousands of soldiers arriving through the gateway, the Asrusian defenders would still be significantly outnumbered.


    Without waiting to be asked, I hunted down Ochram and took him through the Gateway to Mournbrent¡¯s Labyrinth. After briefly explaining the situation to soldiers on watch, I left Ochram to modify the Vampyr fortress and descended to my former quarters.


    To my surprise, Ushu seemed to have been waiting for me. Nila and a team of her Squires were in the process of strapping an upgraded and refined version of his former saddle onto Ushu¡¯s back. With padded cloth and chain barding now covering his underside, and iron plates shielding his flanks and snout, Ushu seemed dramatically more imposing and dangerous.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± Nila called out in surprise upon noticing my approach, hurriedly assigning one of her assistants to finish strapping the buckle she had been working on and then jumping down from her arming stool. ¡°We were just going through an arming drill with Ushu¡¯s new armour,¡± Nila explained somewhat nervously, ¡°As you can see, it is far more substantial than the improvised saddles we were working with before! AH! Not that there was anything wrong with them!¡±


    ¡°Is that a flag pole?¡± I asked curiously, pointing to the ten-foot-tall pole being erected on top of the saddle.


    ¡°Ah, yes?¡± Nila replied nervously, ¡°It can be raised or lowered depending on the need though!¡± She insisted, moving her arm from being upright, to a forty-five-degree angle, and then full horizontal. ¡°The engineers thought it would make the best use of your Ability if your banners were deployed from the highest points possible on a battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Banners?¡± I asked uncertainty for a moment before realising what she meant, ¡°Oh, right.¡± Nila of course meant the Asrusian flag, and the sigil Toofy and I had made for Sanctuary.


    I was proven correct shortly afterwards when a deep blood red banner with a boned white fanged maw was raised up the flagpole above the slightly modified Asrusian royal banner. The absence of wind made them seem less impressive than they otherwise would have, but I supposed that would be quite different in circumstances where Ushu was charging or thrashing his way across a battlefield.


    ¡°Are you back to begin the next major offensive or?...¡± Nila asked quietly.


    ¡°Not here,¡± I shook my head and sighed, ¡°Laine city, it¡¯s under siege and we won¡¯t have the support we need for an offensive without breaking that siege first. Well...not if we want to keep any land we take,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nila fidgeted uncomfortably, ¡°Is it bad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admitted, ¡°The city has many layers of defence, and the Gateway for providing reinforcements and supplies, but the empire seems to be really invested in taking the city.¡±


    As much as I trusted Nila to care for Cooper and Ushu, the high command probably wouldn¡¯t appreciate a relatively low-ranking officer being privy to the details of a separate theatre of war. Of course, this would change once I brought her with me, but for now, I would keep the information deliberately mainstream. The knowledge that nearly every Laine noble had turned traitor was not likely to go down very well, and could only hurt morale.


    ¡°Cooper has one of these saddles as well?¡± I asked, trying to keep my voice even.


    Nila nodded, ¡°Cooper isn¡¯t as bulky-¡±


    Ushu huffed angrily, displacing a wave of dirt and debris.


    ¡°-Ah, I mean, isn¡¯t as muscular?¡± Nila waited a moment and then seemed to take Ushu¡¯s silence as permission to continue, ¡°So his saddle and barding are somewhat lighter to prioritise speed and manoeuvrability. Not that there is much of a difference!¡± She hastily added while warily glancing at Ushu, who seemed to have narrowed his eyes at her.


    Ushu had grown slightly in my absence, but not by much, and it was obvious that Nila had been making sure he got daily exercise.


    ¡°Then it would be best if you saw that Cooper was fitted for battle as well,¡± I stated bluntly, ¡°You and your team are coming with me back to Laine once the fortress has been modified to accommodate their passage.


    Nila looked surprised but quickly rallied, ¡°Yes! Majesty!¡± She snapped a salute and ran back over to her team of Squires and began directing some of them over to the next stall to begin arming Cooper.


    Ochram¡¯s ¡®modifications¡¯ to the fortress were rather crude. However, he regained some goodwill by erecting a large barracks in the lowermost defences. Despite the lack of doors or windows, the ranking officers seemed content with the trade-off. A new portcullis and gate doors would need to be made for the fortress, but the materials could all be provided through their existing supply chains.


    It was a better compromise by far than the required modification of the Mournbrent grand cathedral. Rather than adjust the existing architecture, Ochram had agreed to ¡®reinforce¡¯ the hallways that passed between the outer walls and the central courtyard. This would allow the Drakes to ¡®scramble¡¯ or climb over without collapsing the hallways in question, but he also left those hallways temporarily packed with clay.


    The modifications to the Mournbrent Guild office had been far less subtle and would be repeated in Laine. Ochram had reinforced certain walls and the ceiling and then deliberately collapsed a path to the Labyrinth portal big enough for the Drakes to pass through. These passages would need to be defended and have gates and portcullis of their own as well, but it wasn¡¯t a priority just at the moment.


    Shady was left with the commander in the fortress to provide them with the Shadow Step Synergy just in case the Liche¡¯s forces attempted another massed assault while Cooper and Ushu were absent. I wasn¡¯t happy about leaving him behind, but I didn¡¯t see much choice after leaving a giant hole in the side of the fortress.


    Returning to Laine¡¯s Labyrinth with Ushu and Cooper in tow initially drew cries of alarm. However, once Nila raised the Asrusian banner, things seemed to quiet down rather quickly. Settling the Drakes down by the portal, I sent Ochram ahead to make the changes to the Laine Guild building.


    The passage of the soldiers, and to a greater extent, the Drakes, had attracted the attention of the Lizardmen who were tentatively gathered outside of their dwelling with expressions of what could only be interpreted as awe and fear.


    Cheh meekly approached on her own while nervously eyeing the pair of Drakes, who was curiously eyeing her in turn. ¡°Great One,¡± she lowered herself and bowed at the waist, ¡°Iss it...time?...¡± Cheh asked anxiously.


    I nodded, ¡°Soon. I would like to send you ahead with Ril and Toofy first, so the council can assist with settling your people and transporting the other eggs.¡± It was a partial lie since I was actually referring to the Daemons, specifically Gric, who managed Sanctuary in my absence. I was also still waiting on the Regent¡¯s candidates for managing the Slaves who wanted to become citizens.


    Cheh made an excited hissing noise and bowed again, ¡°I will...obey...Great One!¡± She rose to her feet and slowly backed away towards her people, who had all overheard our brief conversation and were understandably quite excited.


    ¡°Clarice will lose her mind when she gets a look at these Drakes, you know that right?¡± Nadine commented with obvious awe as she circled Cooper. ¡°They''re truly massive!¡±


    Ushu huffed but didn¡¯t open his eyes, apparently content to prioritise resting for the time being.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like Dhizi is small either,¡± I observed, ¡° In fact, if she was built like a theropod, legs straight down to the ground I mean, Dhizi would be perhaps half as tall as Cooper.¡±


    ¡°And half the size even then,¡± Nadine replied with amusement before pausing, ¡°Cooper?¡±


    ¡°Nila named him,¡± I shrugged, ¡°Clarice might have liked the names the Vampyrs gave them, but I think Cooper is a definite improvement.¡±


    Nadine elected to say nothing to that, but Nila seemed appreciative of the support, smiling to herself while continuing to direct her team through a series of weapon drills.


    Armed with crossbows, the Squires wore special harnesses that were each latched to a separate hoop of iron on the platform. So long as the Squires each remained in their designated space of the platform to avoid tangling their lines, the harnesses would prevent them from falling off of the platform.


    The Squires also had access to javelins, spears and long pikes that were braced along the special hooks on the flagpole to provide access but also keep them out of the way until needed.


    Under Nila¡¯s direction, Cooper would buck or shake in an attempt to simulate conditions the Squires were likely to experience in combat.


    Ushu¡¯s saddle had all of these same armaments, but I didn¡¯t have a team of Squires to use them, so I passed the time by feeding him instead.


    After a few hours of waiting, Toofy waddled over while carrying Ril on her back. Obviously still tired, Ril seemed to have decided she was ready to return to Sanctuary to rest in greater safety. After explaining the message I would like them to pass along to Gric, and giving Toofy a hug, I waved over Cheh and introduced her to Toofy and Ril. After I gave Toofy another hug, they made their way towards the Gateway and left for Sanctuary.


    Fifty men and women appeared through the gateway shortly afterwards, each and every one of them bearing an ornate steel gorget with the manticore crest of the Asrus royal family and the nation etched into its surface. No doubt intended to serve as an alternative to the markings born by other officers and to make them easier to differentiate, every one of the fifty men and women wore them with pride.


    Unsure of how I felt about that, I sent for a runner to fetch the Slave Collars locked away in the former Guild building in the city.


    Once the collars were retrieved, I instructed each of the men and women to fasten a collar around their own neck. Once they had done so, I activated the Collars through my own Ability and seized control over them all with only minimal resistance.


    I then ordered them to walk in single file back towards the Gateway and then wait until someone was sent to fetch them.


    I did this because I wanted to ingrain in their minds at least some semblance of what it was like to be a Slave. Hoping that the experience would serve as a motivation not to find ways to potentially abuse the power and authority that would be entrusted to them later.


    Shifting all fifty men and women under Gric¡¯s immediate control let him know that I was ready to proceed with our plan.


    Sure enough, Cheh and a large group of Serpent-Kin arrived shortly afterwards, and while most of the Serpent-Kin followed Cheh with a large sled to transport the eggs, several stayed behind and began ferrying the Human volunteers through the Gateway.


    Technically, I could have simply Summoned Gric and had them swear their oaths to his projection. But besides the potential information leak of Gric¡¯s true identity, it would have made the process too easy for the volunteers. This was one particular point where Gric and I were in firm agreement.


    While the Lizardmen opted for carrying their eggs themselves, the Serpent-Kin carefully loaded the remaining eggs into small compartments of packed straw on the back of the sled. Watching the process, I was a little surprised to find that the Serpent-Kin were taking care to segregate the eggs by Species.


    ¡°It iss incasse they hatch prematurely, my Tyrant,¡± one of the Serpent-Kin explained, pointing out matted partitions they had set aside for the moment but obviously intended to use later.


    Presumably, hatchlings were less likely to attack their own Species and more likely to attack others, so the matted partitions would serve as a means of buying enough time to remove any hatchlings from the sled.


    The Ashfur eggs contributed the majority, and the harpy¡¯s made a close second. The remainder appeared to be subspecies of Goblins and Orcs, and the Serpent-Kin made sure to separate each of those subspecies accordingly.


    ¡°The Gnolls are already accounted for and surviving parents will be joining them in Sanctuary within the next few days,¡± I explained while the Serpent-Kin continued to work, addressing the group at large rather than a single individual, ¡°The remaining eggs are open for adoption, but make sure those without children are given priority. This includes Humans who have expressed an interest in adoption and have passed the required inspections.¡±


    The Serpent-Kin in the immediate vicinity nodded obediently before continuing their work.


    Keith, as well as the two other Elves and Anette, had slowly made their way outside as well.


    ¡°You are welcome to go with them to Sanctuary, if it is still what you want,¡± I told them, ¡°And you can go with them to see for yourself that I am a man of my word,¡± I added for Keith¡¯s benefit, ¡°If you want to remain there or return, then that is also your choice to make.¡±


    All three Elves looked surprised but Keith seemed far more so than the others, ¡°You would let me go?¡± He asked uncertainly, ¡°Just like that?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°You have sworn the oaths I required to guarantee your good behaviour, and your Species is a rarity in Sanctuary. If you choose to remain there, it would be under the expectation you would help integrate those who follow and contribute to Sanctuary¡¯s immediate defence in times of crisis. You swore to serve me in a martial capacity, but not where that service would take place.¡± I added, providing him with a convenient loophole should he choose to remain with his own kind.


    ¡°I...I will consider it, Majesty,¡± Keith replied uncertainly before looking to his compatriots.


    Keith had sworn to serve because he wanted vengeance against those who had Enslaved him, an emotional and impulsive decision at best. If Keith was going to fight alongside me going forwards, I wanted it to be because he recognised what I was fighting for was worth protecting, not just because he wanted revenge.


    Looking towards Mortax sleeping beneath an improvised canopy between buildings, I considered how best to present the Aurochian with the same option and choice. However, Mortax¡¯s limited intelligence and subservient nature presented problems. With the Serpent-Kin almost finished with their task and preparing to depart, I opted for sending Mortax with them so he could at least experience Sanctuary for himself before I confronted him with a choice.


    If I hadn¡¯t brought the Drakes along with Nila and her Squires, I would have thought twice about sending away so many fighters. However, the scale of the conflict outside of the Labyrinth made such losses relatively negligible. Even more so after considering the return of the sanctioned Slavers that would allow willing Slaves to fight for a chance at citizenship.


    With any luck, a sizeable number of the empire¡¯s Slaves could be wrested away and given their own chances at freedom as well. Even so, I wasn¡¯t particularly optimistic...


    *****


    Anette followed the sounds of the others'' footsteps and tried not to flinch as a scaled hand gently rested on her shoulder.


    ¡°Do you require sspecial care?¡± A gentle hissing voice asked kindly, ¡°There iss no need to be afraid. Ssancuary iss for all.¡±


    Anette wasn¡¯t sure what to say.


    ¡°A companion could be asssigned to help you navigate the colony,¡± the voice offered helpfully.


    Anette considered the offer and nodded, forced to admit that she would be in an entirely foreign environment and that there would be no guarantee of being able to move freely on her own.


    When the procession stopped, Anette felt a momentary sense of vertigo before the air grew slightly thicker, smelling of flowers and fresh grass.


    Anette heard a sharp intake of breath from one of the Elves, but she wasn¡¯t certain who.


    ¡°Welcome to Ssanctuary,¡± the hissing voice sad warmly, ¡°If you are able to move, I can take you to a temporary dwelling sso you may resst until dawn and a companion can be chossen to accompany you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Anette replied, doing her best to sound more confident than she felt.


    Allowing the hand on her shoulder to direct her steps, Anette heard other hissing voices quietly leading the Elves and Lizardmen in other directions.


    ¡°Sspecial accomodationss have been prepared due to your losss of ssight,¡± the voice explained, ¡°The otherss need no ssuch asssisstance and are being taken to more permanant dwellingss.¡±


    Anette nodded, detecting no signs that whoever the voice belonged to was attempting to deceive her. However, that didn¡¯t make her feel any less nervous.


    After walking across some of the softest grass Anette had ever had the pleasure of resting her feet upon, she was led into space where the grass gave way to moss and the air smelled of rich earth. Judging that she was underground, it came as less of a surprise when the voice described the immediate surroundings to her, taking care to pass Anette by each noteworthy feature so she could acclimate to her environment.


    Somewhat overwhelmed by the person¡¯s kindness, Anette only realised she had failed to ask for their name once they had left and it was too late.


    Crawling onto the raised surface that served as a bed, Anette found that it too was covered in moss, only it was thicker and softer than the moss growing on the floor. In contrast to her expectations, she also found a large linen blanket.


    Settling down to sleep, Anette tried to picture her surroundings in her mind, but it was all so bizarre and fantastical that she couldn¡¯t believe it. Somehow, she was in a large room underground, with a private stream and small fountain. But the walls and ceiling of the room were made from interwoven tree roots to such a consistent degree that should have been impossible.


    Waking to the sound of voices outside, Anette felt a momentary surge of panic before she remembered where she was. After listening a little longer, she also began to recognise the excited chatter of children as well.


    Cautiously leaving the bed, Anette slowly made her way towards the direction of the door and nearly yelped as her outstretched hands met with unexpected resistance. Gathering her courage, Anette reached out her hands again and ran her fingers along the surface. Feeling no real resistance, Anette realised that she had most likely walked into a sort of tent flap or other covering that afforded the underground home with privacy and some degree of protection from the elements.


    Taking a steadying breath, Anette stepped through to the other side and pushed away the tent flap. The voices were much louder and seemed to be coming from all directions, reminding Anette that she had been specially placed within convenient distances of the colony¡¯s services and protections.


    ¡°Who you?¡± A curious voice asked. Sounding vaguely feminine and originating only slightly higher than her ear level, Anette assumed the voice belonged to one of the many children she had heard earlier.


    Anette swallowed and tried to seem more confident than she felt, ¡°I¡¯m Anette, and you are?¡± She very nearly repeated her mistake from earlier despite a resolution to become more proactive about seeking out the names of those she was speaking with.


    ¡°Me Toofy,¡± the child replied happily, ¡°Hello Nnet, you hungry?¡±


    Anette¡¯s stomach growled before she had a chance to reply.


    ¡°Is okay, come with Toofy!¡± Toofy insisted, taking Anette firmly by the hand and dragging her out and away from her temporary home.


    With a surge of panic, Anette remembered that she was meant to wait for someone to show her around the colony, and she worried that they wouldn¡¯t be able to find her if she just wandered off.


    ¡°You okay Nnet?¡± Toofy asked with concern and stopped rather abruptly.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m meant to stay at the ah...at the house?¡± Anette wasn¡¯t sure what to call the place she had just left, ¡°Someone was meant to come get me.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Toofy exclaimed in understanding, ¡°It okay, Toofy take Nnet back after food,¡± she stated cheerily, ¡°Come.¡±


    Anette reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled along in the child¡¯s wake, her stomach growling again as her nose caught the scent of roasted meats and rich exotic spices.


    ¡°Who Nnet waiting for?¡± Toofy asked conversationally while leading Anette past increasingly larger gatherings of people, and sometimes through them.


    ¡°I uh, I don¡¯t know, they didn¡¯t say,¡± Anette admitted, ¡°They just said someone would come and show me around...¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Toofy made some humming noises that suggested she understood what Anette was talking about, although it wasn¡¯t certain. ¡°Toofy do that, Baby sleeping now, so Toofy bored.¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡± Anette didn¡¯t know what to say. Feeling quite thoroughly lost already, she didn¡¯t want to risk upsetting the child and becoming stranded.


    ¡°Is kay, Toofy know everything in Sanctuary,¡± Toofy stated confidently.


    Anette was about to tactfully ask if she might speak with Toofy¡¯s parents, but they had come to an abrupt halt in what had to be the immediate vicinity of roasted meat she had smelled earlier.


    ¡°Morning Toofy!¡± A deep loud male voice called out cheerily from high above Anette¡¯s head, marking him as an adult, ¡°What can I get yer today?¡±


    ¡°Hrmmm,¡± Toofy made an exaggerated hum and swung her arm with surprising strength, swinging Anette¡¯s in the process, ¡°Is this?¡± She asked, no doubt pointing at something.


    ¡°Ah! New recipe! I calls it Finn¡¯s cakes!¡± The man explained excitedly, ¡°A bready outsides with meat fillings!¡±


    ¡°Is like pie?¡± Toofy asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Well...Sort of,¡± the man admitted, ¡°It has meat in the middle, but its bread, not pastry on the outsides, see whats I mean?¡±


    There was a sudden burst of herby and meaty fragrance from the direction of the man.


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Toofy didn¡¯t seem fully convinced by what she was looking at, ¡°Nnet want Finn cake?¡± She asked.


    Anette¡¯s mouth was watering so profusely she had to gulp down her saliva just to speak, ¡°I would like to try it, if that¡¯s alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± The man exclaimed excitedly.


    There was the sound of clattering dishware and then a small clay plate was pushed into Anette¡¯s waiting free hand.


    Toofy let go of Anette¡¯s other hand, allowing her to fumble for a small wooden spoon on the plate. Awkwardly cutting the moist bread and its contents with the spoon, she carefully raised a portion to her mouth and blew on it vigorously before putting it in her mouth.


    Despite only getting a mouthful of the bread, Anette nearly wept as she slowly began to chew what was easily the best thing she had ever tasted.


    ¡°Finn...¡± Toofy growled dangerously, surprising Anette with its intensity, ¡°You make Nnet sad...¡±


    ¡°I er...¡± Finn, the owner of the male voice, stammered awkwardly, ¡°Perhaps it were too hot? Meat juices gets real hot,¡± he suggested meekly.


    ¡°N-No!¡± Anette stammered, regretfully gulping down the delightfully flavourful mouthful of delicious bread so she could defend its creator, ¡°I was just overwhelmed by how good it tasted! I haven¡¯t ever had anything so good!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± all the malice had left Toofy¡¯s voice, ¡°Okay, Toofy want some too.¡±


    ¡°Right away!¡± Finn replied with near palpable relief, fumbling for more dishware and sending a fresh wave of flavourful aromas washing over Anette.


    Taking great care to get a piece of the diced meat on her next spoonful, Anette moaned in pleasure as the aggressively spiced meat tumbled onto her tongue and released a more intense flavour after being pressed between her teeth. ¡°Sho good,¡± Anette muttered contentedly while trying to locate another spoonful on her plate.


    ¡°What wrong with Nnet?¡± Toofy asked with concern, and Anette felt the girl¡¯s face draw alarmingly close to her own.


    Anette blushed and fought the urge to recoil, ¡°I uh...I¡¯m blind...¡± She explained quietly.


    There was a quiet pause.


    ¡°What blind?¡± Toofy asked, sounding confused.


    ¡°Means she can¡¯t see,¡± Finn explained sympathetically, sounding somewhat surprised as if he hadn¡¯t noticed Anette¡¯s...


    Anette realised that her hair was still in its customary position covering her face, and she felt a wave of embarrassment.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Toofy sounded sad, ¡°Poor baby,¡± she stroked the back of Anette¡¯s head, ¡°Toofy take care of Nnet!¡± She declared reassuringly, ¡°Finn! More Finn cake!¡± Toofy ordered.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Anette was feeling overwhelmed again and wasn¡¯t exactly sure what was happening. However, before she could protest, Anette felt more food being piled onto her plate, and Toofy had begun excitedly listing all the exciting places she would show Anette after they had finished breakfast.


    Hoping that she could clear up the situation with a clearer head and a full stomach later, Anette resolved to remain quiet and wait. After all, things could be far worse, and the unfamiliar feeling of having someone care so selflessly for her wellbeing was touching. Besides, Anette had no other places to be and had all the time in the world. For the first time in her life, Anette¡¯s decisions would truly be her own.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 44 – Mustering for battle – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 44 ¨C Mustering for battle ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 44 - Mustering for battle - Part Two


    In order to shore up the metaphorical flank, Rikit had agreed to continue Conquering territories in the Laine Labyrinth with the bulk of the male Gnolls under her command. She had been insistent about sending the Ashfur females to Sanctuary, and since I saw no reason to refuse, Rikit was allowed half the day to settle them in before returning to the Laine Labyrinth.


    A small garrison of soldiers was stationed at the Conquered Foothold. Due to a lack of available manpower, this would be the case for any additional Footholds and territories Rikit captured in the future.


    With one exception.


    Gregory had made a proposal of his own. As most Slaves would be poorly trained at best, he suggested that these Conquered territories be used as training locations for Slaves taken from the ongoing siege.


    Since this would give the Slaves some respite from the fighting and provide a sort of reserve force in case of an emergency, I agreed.


    Military instructors and drill Sergeants had begun arriving en masse to begin training the Slaves already under my control. The Quest system was capable of coaching literate Slaves through unlocking each of their desired Classes, but most were illiterate and needed focused instruction.


    Recruiters had not been far behind, each man and woman amongst their number eagerly engaging in setting up their office in the building that had replaced the original guild office on the first floor. Once the office was adequately refurbished, the more junior recruiters began actively approaching the Slaves and directing them towards the newly opened recruiting office. The instructors were heavily involved as well, performing demonstrations of their Class¡¯ capabilities in a large open space for the gathering crowds of Slaves, and then ceding the floor to a recruiter to then list the benefits of joining the military.


    To be fair, most of the Slaves didn¡¯t need much convincing. The overwhelming majority of the monsters had rushed to the recruitment office the moment they understood what the recruiters were offering. The humans had been comparatively reluctant, but the opportunity for reintegration into society in an equal standing was too tempting an offer. This made sense when the handful of years was compared against the anticipated continued lifetime of servitude. The fact that both groups were somewhat motivated by a desire for vengeance was not to be ignored either.


    I had been thinking of what to call the Slavers that would be monitoring the recruited Slaves and ensuring compliance. Calling them Slavers was already straining my sensibilities, and I hadn¡¯t even spoken the word aloud yet.


    Parole officers¡¯ seemed somewhat appropriate and would be unlikely to be confused with any existing civilian or military titles. It still had the association of the Slaves having done something wrong, and I was forced to admit that some of them may have done if the empire was using Slavery as a punishment. However, compared to Slaver or Slave Master, Parole Officer was far more neutral and prompted fewer pangs of guilt from my conscience.


    I had progressed to another minor stage in my Evolution while fighting the mercenaries and guzzling Elixir. I had gained a small amount of height, but the adjustments in muscle mass and slight thickening of my bones meant my armour needed readjusting.


    The Orc smiths in Sanctuary had done a good job in regard to forward planning. My chest armour had enough general coverage from the iron plates that some modifications to the harness underneath would be sufficient. The leg and arm armour would need adjusting as well, and I would need a new helmet.


    It bothered me that I needed an excuse to return to Sanctuary. Sanctuary was meant to be my home, but the thought of returning filled me with intense anxiety. The Liche¡¯s invasion had been a violation as much as it had been a wake-up call to the reality of outside threats. Leaving this theatre of war for a few hours, or even a day or so, would make very little difference. But it ¡®would¡¯ make a difference, and that knowledge piled guilt on top of my anxiety, creating a sort of paralysis.


    ¡°Lash misses you, you know,¡± Nadine commented quietly, having approached me from behind while I stood a few feet away from the Gateway.


    It seemed obvious, but the knowledge surprised me all the same.


    Nadine must have noticed because she gave me a strange look, ¡°You didn¡¯t think she would miss you?¡±


    I looked away and tried to settle my thoughts. ¡°I know she does,¡± I admitted, ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t used to thinking that way,¡± Nadine commented with a slight nod, ¡°That people would not only notice your absence but care.¡±


    I nodded.


    A long silence passed between us.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Clarice would like to see you as well,¡± Nadine added hopefully, ¡°In fact, I¡¯m sure it would be difficult to actually find someone in Sanctuary that wouldn¡¯t be glad to see you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed flatly, understanding that for many of Sanctuary¡¯s residents, I was rapidly becoming something of a saviour.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s keeping you here?¡± Nadine asked cautiously, ¡°The war will still be here when you get back.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I replied with a frustrated sigh, clenching and unclenching my hands to try and dissipate some of the stress.


    Nadine¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment before she quietly cleared her throat, ¡°You know, Tim, visiting Sanctuary, even for a little while, would help the war effort.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s comment caught me off guard, and I couldn¡¯t resist the baiting tone in her voice. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked dubiously.


    ¡°It is a reminder of what you are fighting for,¡± Nadine stated matter of factly, ¡°A reminder of who you are fighting to protect.¡±


    Nadine had a point. I had spent more time away from Sanctuary than living in it, only seeming to visit rather than truly settle in. But it was my home, and it was the home of everyone I cared about. I had an image of Sanctuary in my mind, but it had grown difficult to recall and many details had slipped from my memory.


    Even Lash took conscious effort to clearly picture in my mind, and I had seen a projection of her relatively recently while in Mournbrent¡¯s Labyrinth.


    Thinking of Lash prompted a fresh spike of anxiety.


    She was due to deliver her egg sometime soon, and I began to panic as I realised I wasn¡¯t sure precisely when Lash was actually due. I very nearly Summoned a projection so i could ask her, before realising I was being impulsive and reckless, not to mention stupid. The Gateway was right in front of me, and Lash was on the other side. All I had to do was touch the Gateway and think of home.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Nadine asked with concern, apparently having noticed my momentary panic attack.


    ¡°Lash is pregnant,¡± I whispered hoarsely.


    Nadine gave me a strange look and her cheeks coloured somewhat, ¡°Uh, yes, she is?¡± Nadine agreed with uncertainty, obviously unclear why that was cause for concern.


    ¡°Egg...Soon,¡± I gasped, ¡°Baby....Father...¡± A terror unlike any other I had ever felt in my life firmly settled in my chest.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nadine¡¯s embarrassment dissipated and her expression became more sympathetic, ¡°I think I overheard some of the other Orc women who, erm...Anyway, I think I overheard them saying they weren''t expecting for another...¡± She paused and stared at nothing in particular while silently counting and then abruptly looking somewhat concerned, ¡°Uh, maybe it would be best to go see Lash now?¡± Nadine suggested nervously.


    I nodded and stiffly grabbed the cold iron of the Gateway.


    Doing my best to form an image of Sanctuary in my mind, I almost didn¡¯t notice as Nadine suddenly grabbed a pair of fingers on my free hand.


    I felt a small amount of mana pass through my hand and into the Gateway. After a moment of dizzying inertia, I found myself standing beneath the canopy of a towering swamp willow. The Sanctuary gateway was very nearly covered with mana flowers. Hana, her sister, or perhaps even Qreet, had enhanced the normally thin stalked and singular blooming flower to instead grow like a vine with hundreds of blooming flowers.


    The guard detail of Orcs, Goblins and Serpent-Kin looked profoundly surprised to see me. The multiarmed serpent-like Daemon, Senn, was stationed in the limbs of a hollow tree that served as a checkpoint into the greater territory of Sanctuary. Unlike the others, Senn was not at all surprised to see me but was apparently excited nonetheless.


    ¡°My Tyrant!¡± Senn hissed in greeting while lowering herself from the hollow tree, ¡°Wraithe iss with the Tyrantesss,¡± Senn explained hurriedly, her eyes growing unfocused for a moment as she telepathically communicated with her hatch-mate. ¡°Wraithe inssisstss the Tyrantesss iss well but iss ssuffering from...¡± The Daemon paused, ¡°Con-track-shons?...¡±


    My mind ignored everything else Senn had said and focused on the last word she had awkwardly attempted to sound out. My guts clenched in panic and my body lurched into a stiff run.


    Inhibited by gravity and a general degree of poor coordination my ¡®running¡¯ was more like awkward jogging. Thankfully, people had the good sense to clear out of the way, allowing me to generally maintain my forward momentum and avoid risking a tumble from attempting a sudden course correction.


    Passing by the upper windows of the hospital, I heard muted sounds of pain and nearly tripped as my guts somehow managed to clench even tighter. However, even in my panic, I could see Orc women with swollen bellies still going about their daily lives with minimal discomfort. Rather than providing reassurance, my panic ratcheted up another level.


    Did monster children have the same issues with premature births? It was an area of knowledge that was completely alien to my accumulated training and peripheral knowledge from Earth. The eggs weren¡¯t like any instance I was aware of on Earth. Then again, I had never been particularly interested in the reproductive cycles of terrestrial Earth species.


    The entrance to the Grove was bodily blocked by a giant hulking mass of muscle, bony spines and amber scales.


    As I drew closer, the mound of scaly flesh stirred and rose to its feet. Sort of. Still hunched over like a gorilla, Dar¡¯s increase in size and weight had made his slouching more pronounced and gave him an almost bear-like posture instead.


    Dar did his best to move out of the way, but his dramatic increase in bulk made reversing difficult, so he had to move forward and off to the side. This also then required that his thick crocodilian tail needed to be vacated from the vicinity as well. To his credit, once Dar deemed himself to be sufficiently out of the way, he simply fell over onto his side and retracted his tail to clear a path.


    Dar¡¯s quiet nature and size often made me underestimate his intelligence, which was somewhat ironic considering how often other people had done the same to me. Objectively, Dar wasn¡¯t even the ¡®dumbest¡¯ Daemon. He was actually one of the smartest in terms of the raw and unmodified Intelligence stat. Dar was just, quiet.


    I tried to give Dar a smile in thanks as I lurched past, but all I could manage was a strained grimace.


    Entering the Grove, I found more Daemons standing warily around the internal perimeter, each of them clutching weapons and warily eyeing the open space of the grove with tireless vigilance. A brief shadow passing by overhead revealed the emaciated bat-winged Daemon Garn circling the canopy before landing on a branch opposite of Ophelia and Orphiel who appeared to be armed just like the Daemons and warily scanning the Grove. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°My Tyrant,¡± Gric¡¯s voice rumbled with deference as he stepped out from the tunnel leading to his den. Contrary to my expectations after seeing Dar, Gric¡¯s change in appearance caught me off guard. He looked...Human...ish.


    Definitely, on the larger side, Gric stood close to seven and a half feet tall and was dressed in finely tailored clothing. If it weren¡¯t for his pointed teeth, knife-shaped ears, absence of fingernails, and the green tinge to his dark tanned skin, Dar would have passed for Human. Somewhat similar to the appearance of the Elves, Dar was far too robust to pass as a pure-breed, or even as a half-breed. There was also a strange alien intelligence and intensity in his eyes, but I had known some people that were like that back on Earth.


    ¡°The Tyrantess and Wraith await you below,¡± Dar explained respectfully, motioning towards the reinforced entrance to the tunnel leading to my home. ¡°The Tyrantess is doing well and is expected to deliver her eggs soon-¡±


    ¡°Eggs?!...¡± My knees felt weak and I had to grab at a nearby tree in order to remain standing.


    Nadine had managed to catch up, but her front was covered with dirt and loose debris. With a pang of guilt, I vaguely recalled having dragged Nadine off her feet while running away from the gateway.


    For her part, Nadine didn¡¯t seem all that bothered, ¡°Eggs?!¡± Nadine demanded, ¡°As in, more than one?¡±


    Gric nodded, ¡°The Tyrantess bears two eggs,¡± the Daemon clarified for my benefit, ¡°This is a rare occasion indeed.¡±


    My knees buckled, but Gric stepped forward and caught me under one shoulder to stop me from falling to the ground. To my surprise, he didn¡¯t so much as grunt from the effort, proving Gric was, in fact, far stronger than he appeared.


    ¡°Wraithe insists the Tyrantess and the eggs are healthy, my Tyrant,¡± Gric insisted respectfully.


    A long-drawn-out grunt of pain echoed from the tunnel.


    ¡°Wraithe also wishes to inform you that the Tyrantess has been informed of your arrival and is requesting your presence,¡± Gric added glibly.


    Mouth and throat too dry to speak, I nodded and staggered towards the tunnel down to my home.


    Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that had Gric remained behind in the Grove, hooked cat-like claws protruding from his fingers where his nails should have been.


    Nadine had slipped past him and was following close behind me while nervously smiling supportively.


    After parting the thick curtains at the end of the tunnel, I was surprised to find my home far more crowded than I had expected.


    The bipedal rodent-like Daemon Wraithe was leaning over Lash and dabbing away sweat from her heavily perspiring brow with a damp cloth. Both Dryads, Hana and her sister Kohana were standing quietly off to the side and had been looking towards the curtains expectantly when I entered.


    Clarice, despite looking profoundly haggard, was sitting on top of my nightstand and wringing Wraithe¡¯s discarded cloths out in a basin of water.


    Ril was neck-deep in my bath, and like the Dryads, she had already been looking towards the curtains when I arrived. Toofy was sitting near the bath and yawning tiredly, but she was not as close to the edge of the body of water as I had come to expect. The reason why quickly became obvious when I noticed the Halfling Anette sitting beside her.


    ¡°T-im?¡± Lash grunted with obvious discomfort, attempting to sit up in our bed but grimaced and reluctantly returned to her recumbent position.


    Still unable to speak, I hurriedly crossed the room and awkwardly knelt down beside our bed and took her proffered hand in mine.


    Lash did not appear to be in as much pain as I had feared, but she was profoundly uncomfortable. With a general idea of how comparatively small monster eggs were in comparison to human babies, this made a sort of sense. All the same, it did little to settle my nerves. Humans weren¡¯t the only species to have complications in pregnancy and delivery.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I croaked, giving her hand a brief squeeze.


    Lash¡¯s firm and tightening grip on my hand may have made the gesture redundant. If my bones were less dense, she might have broken a couple of them before her grip began to ease a few moments later.


    ¡°I have given her a ¡®mild¡¯ sedative and administered painkillers,¡± Wraithe explained to Nadine across the bedroom while the latter washed herself with water from the bath.


    The unfocused look in Lash¡¯s bright amethyst eyes confirmed Wraithe¡¯s claims, but it was clearly insufficient for dealing with the worst of Lash¡¯s contractions. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t really much that could be done about it.


    Once Nadine had cleaned herself up, she joined Wraithe in trying to keep lash as comfortable as possible and coached her through her delivery. The fact that neither woman had any practical experience seemed to be irrelevant.


    Lash¡¯s discomfort and pain steadily increased for close to an hour before quite suddenly going into full labour.


    I felt the bones in my hand creak under the strain of Lash¡¯s vice-like grip, but I elected to ignore it. After all, it could have been worse.


    Nadine was nursing a recently healed broken arm. She had the misfortune of being within arms reach of Lash¡¯s free hand right as Full labour had begun, and it had been difficult to tell who had been crying louder.


    Still wearing the makeshift splint, Nadine didn¡¯t appear to be holding a grudge, but she was very tactfully standing out of arm''s reach of Lash.


    Just as Gric had said she would, Lash had delivered two nearly identical eggs each roughly the size of a soccer ball and with mottled dark green and black patches over their exterior. Nadine, Wraithe, and everyone else in attendance had been very careful to keep their distance while I retrieved the eggs and placed them beside Lash on the bed.


    Imprinting the eggs through skin contact and passing along a portion of my mana, I helped guide Lash¡¯s hand so she could do the same.


    Lash was tired but wore an expression of triumph and contentment as I helped her into a semi sitting position so she could get a better look at the eggs she had so painstakingly brought into the world. Lash caressed the eggs with motherly affection.


    ¡°The mana saturation in the vicinity is high enough to allow for them to hatch, but it will take several days,¡± Wraithe explained quietly.


    Lash shook her head and made as if to try and sit up fully, ¡°No, now,¡± she insisted bluntly while grimacing in pain.


    Wraithe looked to me for support, ¡°She needs to rest,¡± the Daemon insisted expectantly.


    ¡°Here,¡± I moved the eggs into Lash¡¯s arms, eliminating her leverage and forcing Lash to settle back down so she could keep a hold on them.


    Lash¡¯s shoulders slumped in defeat. However, she quickly cried out in surprise when I hooked my arms beneath her knees and back.


    Carefully lifting Lash up in my arms, I took great care to make sure the eggs would more easily remain in lash¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°My Tyrant...¡± Wraithe pleaded.


    ¡°Tim, wait!¡± Nadine demanded just as I was beginning to turn towards the curtain to the tunnel.


    Wraithe looked at Nadine with hope in her eyes.


    Nadine rushed forward and hastily wrapped a fresh blanket around Lash¡¯s bare waist and thighs, ¡®There!¡± She nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Now you won''t be brutishly exposing her privates for everyone to see!¡±


    Wraithe crumpled, ¡°But...My Tyrant...¡±


    Clarice snickered but fell on her ass when casually attempting to hop down off of the nightstand. Clarice was forced to sheepishly accept Nadine¡¯s assistance so she could get back on her feet.


    Taking special care on the way to the nursery, it afforded everyone else ample opportunity to follow along behind us and no one seemed willing to stay behind. Even the Daemons on guard in the grove seemed to give Ril and Wraithe envious glances.


    The nursery was empty so Lash had free reign to choose which of the partitioned cribs she wanted to incubate their eggs. The ambient mana in the nursery was higher than in our home, so Lash was quick in making her choice despite growing increasingly drowsy.


    Sitting beside a large crib with Lash cradled in my arms, both we and our gathered audience waited in tense silence.


    Wraithe managed to convince Lash to drink a large waterskin to rehydrate, but only after insisting I test it first. To her credit, Wraithe did not attempt to sedate Lash, and the contents of the waterskin only contained a crude combination of juice and a small amount of salt to help replenish electrolytes. Not that lash particularly appreciated the taste.


    After about two hours, Lash was really struggling to remain awake, and the others had begun to chat amongst themselves. With the exception of Toofy, who insisted on standing by the crib and eagerly staring at the eggs while excitedly bouncing on the balls of her feet.


    In Toofy¡¯s absence, Ril was huddled in a wet blanket by the door and chatting quietly with Anette. She seemed to be giving Anette a surprisingly detailed history of Sanctuary.


    ¡°Hatching! Hatching!¡± Toofy exclaimed excitedly, drawing my attention back to the cot and jolting Lash out of her light slumber.


    One of the eggs had begun to rock slightly from side to side and shortly afterwards the second egg began doing the same.


    A section of shell on the first egg cracked and distended outwards briefly before retracting again. More cracks appeared shortly afterwards, deforming the egg shell and coming close to breaking open entirely. A few moments later, another flurry of activity caused the membrane inside of the egg shell to tear and amniotic liquid to spill out into the crib.


    Another burst of movement broke away another section of shell and revealed a pale-green-skinned baby girl with webbed fingers and toes, and gills on either side of her chest.


    My daughter.


    Before she even had a chance to cry, Toofy snatched my daughter out of the crib and thrust her into Lash¡¯s arms, ¡°BABY GIRL!¡± She declared excitedly.


    Worried that Toofy¡¯s recklessness may have harmed her in some way, I was profoundly relieved to find that my daughter¡¯s cries were a result of jarring surprise and not injury.


    ¡°Cute little baby!¡± Toofy exclaimed while wagging her clawed finger an inch from my daughter¡¯s face, not that my daughter seemed to mind.


    Expressing uncanny intelligence, my daughter stopped crying and began to laugh while flailing her arms and legs in an uncoordinated attempt at seizing Toofy¡¯s finger.


    Lash didn¡¯t seem to mind and was most likely just as profoundly relieved as I was that our daughter seemed to be healthy. ¡°Little one,¡± Lash cooed, jostling our daughter slightly and craning her own neck to try and get her attention.


    With a surprising level of tact, Toofy backed off to eliminate Lash¡¯s competition. She turned back to the crib instead and watched the gently rocking egg like a hawk, barely able to contain her excitement and bouncing up and down again.


    Our daughter had Lash¡¯s eyes, but were perhaps a few shades darker. She had the same mottled pattern of thicker skin on her shoulder and upper arms as me and her nose was something of a strange cross between Lash¡¯ and my own. Her ears looked more like Toofy¡¯s than either of us, bearing a striking resemblance to the shape of a fat leaf. Thankfully, for Lash¡¯s sake, she didn¡¯t appear to have any teeth, but she did have thick claw-like fingernails and toenails.


    With the second egg still in the process of hatching, everyone but Toofy had managed to restrain themselves and give us some space. However, this hadn¡¯t stopped Clarice and Nadine from getting creative and standing on top of a pair of unused cribs on the other side of the room to get a better look.


    Lash leaned her head against my chest tiredly but was determined to stay awake. ¡°Tim, how to say?...¡± She asked quietly while allowing our daughter to gum excitedly on her fingers.


    ¡°Soo-zee,¡± I breathed back quietly so no one else would hear, immediately earning our daughter¡¯s attention as she recognised her name.


    It was another one of the strange elements of Variant children. Somehow, they knew the name they were born with. Normally, the Goblins, Orcs, Gnolls, and Serpent-Kin would simply wait until their children could speak in order to provide their own names, but because Lash and myself were both literate and could read the Status information, we already knew our daughter¡¯s name. The odd name assigned to little Suzy was a different can of worms altogether, and it wasn¡¯t really Lash¡¯s fault she hadn¡¯t known how to pronounce it.


    ¡°My little Suzy,¡± Lash cooed, smiling broadly in spite of her weariness and Suzy shifted her attention to her instead and gave a gurgling babble of delight.


    ¡°Did she say, Suzy?¡± Clarice asked incredulously before being shushed by Nadine.


    Wraithe had apparently ducked out at some point and had returned with a pile of small blankets. After receiving Lash¡¯s permission, she loosely swaddled Suzy in one of the blankets before settling her back down with Lash.


    ¡°BOY! BABY BOY!¡± Toofy declared excitedly, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to the crib.


    Compared to his sister, my son had somehow managed to hatch without drawing attention to himself. Rather than casting the pieces of the eggshell asunder, he seemed to have made a hole and simply crawled out of it before being noticed by Toofy.


    Just like with Suzy, Toofy snatched him up and gingerly deposited him on Lash¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Pete,¡± I said quietly, as much for Lash¡¯s benefit as to see how my son would react.


    Pete considered me with relative stoicism, but after a few moments, he began to smile and burble just as Suzy had done. The two of them were very similar in general appearance, but Pete looked noticeably larger than his sister despite hatching from nearly identically sized eggs.


    After Wraithe swaddled Pete in a blanket and stepped back, that seemed to be the signal that everyone else could come in closer for a look at the twins.


    Suzy seemed to love the attention almost as much as Toofy enjoyed providing it, but it quickly became obvious that Pete was not so keen. While Suzy would gurgle and burble, and wave her chubby legs and feet for attention, Pete seemed perfectly content to snuggle himself between Lash¡¯s breasts and take a nap.


    Holding Lash and my two children in my arms, I couldn¡¯t remember a time when I had ever felt so happy. Right here in this moment I felt a sense of contentment and belonging that I had been pining for my entire life. I also understood what Nadine had meant when we had spoken earlier. There was nothing I wouldn¡¯t do to keep my family safe.


    Despite appearances, Pete wasn¡¯t actually sleeping. However, he absolutely refused to react to the mentioning of his name by anyone but Lash and myself. Even then, Pete would only open his eyes slightly at first as if to confirm whether or not it was important before closing them again. Thankfully, for Lash¡¯s sake, Pete seemed committed to giving her a nuzzle at the very least, even if he wouldn¡¯t make the effort to perform like Suzy.


    ¡°Uh, should she have that?¡± Nadine asked warily while pointing to the strip of smoked meat Suzy was giving a thorough gumming.


    It was far too big for Suzy to fit into her mouth, so she was only able to gum and slobber over the edges. ¡°It should be okay for now,¡± I replied somewhat apprehensively, ¡°But if it gets too wet someone will have to take it away from her.¡±


    Suzy suddenly clutched at the strip of meat possessively as Clarice made a feint at taking it away from her.


    Toofy gave Clarice a hard jab to the thigh with her elbow and a stern glare before returning to playing with Suzy.


    Nadine navigated her way around the group, surrendering her prime viewing position to Hana and her sister. ¡°Are those gills?¡± Nadine asked curiously while pointing to the side of Suzy¡¯s exposed chest.


    I nodded, ¡°Pretty sure.¡±


    ¡°But...Neither you nor Lash has gills...¡± Nadine commented with uncertainty, ¡°I would have seen them.¡±


    I nodded again and shifted Nadine into my Party so she could view the twins'' Status¡¯ information. I had briefly had similar thoughts myself, but the Status had put my mind at ease.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Nadine exclaimed with surprise, ¡°I see.¡±


    Both Suzy and Pete had experienced Transitionary Environmental Evolutions. Rather than being half Deep Orc like Lash, they had Evolved sideways into a different Environmental Subspecies, the Swamp Orc. It was also very likely that Lash and myself wouldn¡¯t be the only parents to experience the phenomenon.


    Every monster egg had the chance of adapting the child within to its environmentally associated Subspecies where applicable. It was very likely how Lash¡¯s clan had first adapted to living underground in the first place. After enough generations managed to survive, the clan reached a tipping point and the subsequent generations eventually all became Deep Orcs. With how much of an advantage the Deep Orcs would have had over their daylight-dwelling cousins, it probably wouldn¡¯t have taken all that long to outbreed and out hunt them.


    Besides the gills, webbed fingers and toes, and a second translucent set of translucent eyelids, both of my children had failed to inherit any of Lash¡¯s Racial Abilities at all, and instead had all of my own Racial abilities and Aquatic Predator. Aquatic Predator was rather straightforward and was presumably a Racial Ability obtained by being a Swamp Orc. The Lizardmen also possessed this Ability, so it was interesting to see that my children had the Ability as well.


    Pete and Suzy both possessing gills and Aquatic Predator meant that I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about either of my children drowning in the bath or accidentally falling into the lake. Gills would allow them to breathe underwater, more or less, and Aquatic Predator would render wild monsters smaller than themselves to remain ambivalent to their presence or flee outright instead of attacking.


    Of course, unlike regular parents on Earth, these advantages came with a price, the Labyrinth itself being chief amongst them.


    Lash fell asleep before the twins did, so I quietly sent Wraithe to put together a baby mush that we would feed them if they got hungry before Lash had gotten at least a few hours of sleep. Bearing in mind a general sense of scale, both Pete and Suzy seemed unequivocally developed to seven or eight months old. I was reasonably confident that they would be able to digest simple foods without any real problems. This was partly because of their comparable development, but mostly because of the Iron Gut Racial Ability.


    With all my ranks in Iron Gut, the twins'' metabolism would probably be able to handle roasted steaks if they were cut into small enough pieces for them to swallow. It was a good thing too, because contrary to my initial observation, both twins'' teeth were already beginning to push through their gums.


    It was perhaps for the best that Lash hadn¡¯t attempted nursing either of them before falling asleep.


    It was a little odd that neither Pete nor Suzy seemed bothered by the protrusion of their teeth, each seemingly content with their elected activity, or Pete''s lack thereof. If Pete¡¯s chest wasn¡¯t steadily rising and falling with each breath, his relative stillness probably would have given me a heart attack.


    In Wraithe¡¯s absence, the Daemons outside began taking turns to come inside and take a look at the twins. Unfortunately, Dar was too large to do more than peek through the nursery door, but I allowed Nadine and Clarice to take a twin each to give him a better look while I awkwardly got to my feet.


    Once both twins were returned, I took the four of us back down to our home and gratefully accepted Nadine''s help in setting down the twins while I set down Lash.


    In our absence, the room had been cleaned and the soiled sheets had been taken away. It was unclear, but I felt confident that either Hana, Kohana, or Qreet had been responsible for the cleanup. The moss just looked too fresh to have been simply wiped down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you guys alone,¡± Nadine whispered and saw herself out.


    Suzy was still gumming at the strip of meat and was beginning to show signs of progress when Wraithe arrived with a tall clay jar of what smelled like pumpkin soup. The contents was thick and orange with tiny pieces of cooked fish meat scattered throughout.


    Wraithe immediately drew the attention of both twins, although Suzy seemed markedly less eager than Pete due to already possessing her own prize.


    Pete seemed perfectly content to be fed first, smacking his lips happily while waiting for each fresh spoonful of pumpkin soup. Pete ate the entire jar before yawning and snuggling in beside Lash and falling asleep, forcing Wraithe to go refill the jar for Suzy who seemed put out in spite of her slowly eroding strip of meat.


    I washed Pete with a damp cloth and tied a square piece of fabric into a crude diaper before nestling him in Lash¡¯s arms. She had rolled onto her side to make herself more comfortable and instinctively hugged Pete closer to her chest.


    Suzy was voracious. While Wraithe continued feeding her, I did my best to clean Suzy with another damp cloth and made her a diaper like Pete¡¯s. Suzy¡¯s seemingly limitless energy didn¡¯t begin to flag until she was halfway through a second jar of soup and had managed to finish her strip of meat.


    Worried that Suzy might throw up and choke in her sleep, I laid down on the bed beside Lash and Pete and then rested Suzy in the crook of my arm. Taking care to make sure she was laying on her side and that any throw-up would land on me rather than Pete or Lash and risk waking them up.


    Wraithe delivered another couple of lidded jars of soup, setting them down on the nightstand before taking her leave.


    As much as I wanted to stay, the Daemons stationed outside served as a reminder of why I couldn¡¯t. If I wanted my family to be safe, to grow in safety and happiness, I would have to return to the fight.


    As something of a delaying tactic, I resolved to at least wait until I could speak with Lash before I would leave. My armour still needed to be adjusted, so it was unlikely that I would be leaving until tomorrow. After all, the smiths had families of their own, and many of them would be expecting children.


    When Wraithe returned about a half-hour later, I sent her to deliver my armour to the smiths¡¯ workshop area along with general instructions so anyone that was still working would be able to make some of the necessary changes.


    Human smiths had been allowed into Sanctuary to both teach the Deep Orc smiths, and learn from them. The Orcs had a great deal of intuitive knowledge that the Asrusian smiths found incredibly interesting, and the Asrusians obviously had generations of established smithing techniques and knowledge to offer the Orcs in exchange.


    Similar exchanges were being made with the Gnolls, but it was considerably more one-sided since humans had apparently been taking advantage of the Gnolls for a long time and seemed to know just about all there was to learn from them.


    Lash woke up briefly in the late evening, but only long enough to gulp down one of the jars of cold pumpkin soup Wraithe had left on the nightstand, and then check on Pete and Suzy before falling asleep again.


    Expecting the twins to wake up during the night, I was surprised when Wraithe arrived with a fresh delivery of food and water and informed me that it was now a little past dawn. Pete and Suzy hadn¡¯t woken up during the night at all. Similar to my experience with raising the Daemons, neither of them had soiled themselves either. Although I was fairly certain that was because of monster metabolisms and the combination with the Iron Gut Ability reducing waste to an absolute minimum. As their intake exceeded growth requirements, that was likely to change. Not that I was complaining, and I was sure Lash wouldn¡¯t be either.


    As it turns out, I had been overly optimistic. Suzy needed changing and consoling less than a half-hour later. However, Suzy settled back down to sleep readily enough once she had a fresh diaper.


    Lash had briefly woken up again while I was tending to Suzy, but she had fallen asleep again once she realised Suzy was being taken care of. Lash still seemed quite uncomfortable, so I had Wraithe bring some of the crudely fashioned pills the apothecaries had been making from concentrated willow bark extracts.


    While Lash was a little grumpy at being woken up, she didn¡¯t hesitate in gulping down the bitter white pills and a long draw of water. Lash did seem to rest a great deal easier afterwards and Wraithe and I agreed that it was probably safe to use Healing on her now that she had been given a decent chance at recovering on her own.


    We seemed to be correct, and Lash was resting much more peacefully. Without X-Rays or even diagrams of monster anatomy, a great deal of guesswork still went into which injuries were safe to use magical Healing to fix. Broken bones needing to be set properly first or healing crooked was already a very obvious example. The same generally applies to stitches. The Surgeons¡¯ Healing from their Class Abilities was an accelerator, so it was possible to do objective harm without intending to.


    The Iron Gut Ability itself was also an accelerator, but it was considerably slower and seemed to allow the body enough time to do what it would normally do on its own. Without it, neither Wraithe nor myself would have risked Healing on Lash.


    Wraithe seemed pleased by the results. Which wasn¡¯t particularly surprising. Apparently, close to a third of the pregnant Orcs, and a couple of interspecies expecting mothers, had gone into full labour around the same time as Lash had, and more were going into labour with each passing hour. Having precedents to work with, and hands-on experience was giving Wraithe some much-appreciated confidence in leading the other Surgeons and interacting with the handful of tribal midwives.


    This brief conversation with Wraithe also served as a reminder that other families would want to use the nursery and that I would need to come to some sort of decision. Without my direct order, the Daemons wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to pass. It wasn¡¯t just for the safety of my family, but for everyone else as well. It was clear that Gric didn¡¯t want a repeat of the disaster experienced with the Liche.


    After roughly another hour, both twins had seemingly decided that they were hungry and weren¡¯t shy about advertising the fact. Of course, this woke up Lash, and she seemed just as hungry as they were. Lash also showed no signs of intending to go back to sleep, which meant it was time for us to talk...


    *****


    Tim had not been gone long, but Lash could already feel a familiar sense of loneliness take hold as a result of his absence. She understood that he had immense responsibility in protecting his people, and as proud as Lash was that he accepted that burden without complaint, a part of her wished Tim would have stayed with her and their children instead.


    Tim was the most powerful man she had ever met, and she understood that the enemies he was fighting would struggle to harm him in any meaningful way. However, Lash had also become aware of a scattering of scars that had not existed the last time she had seen him. For all of his strength, Tim was not invulnerable.


    It was a small comfort that Tim wasn¡¯t overly reckless like many of her original clan that had seen themselves as great warriors. His comparative timidness, while perhaps undesirable for prestige, would greatly increase Tim¡¯s chances of returning home to them again in one piece and with his heart still beating in his chest.


    Lash had taught herself to understand the human letters and words specifically so she could confirm Tim was alive and in good health.


    Pete¡¯s cry of pain and surprise immediately caught Lash¡¯s attention. She released a sigh of relief after realising that Suzy must have ¡®accidentally¡¯ smacked him in the face and given him a scare.


    Gently stroking Pete¡¯s head, Lash lifted him off of the bed and kissed his chubby cheek while rocking him in the crook of her arm.


    Pete calmed down quickly and gave Lash a string of dribbling burbles while reaching for her hair.


    Too short to really allow for a proper handhold, Lash carefully lowered herself to the bed and let Pete awkwardly flail his chubby hands and fingers through her hair.


    All the while, Suzy continued to entertain herself by attempting to pull one of her feet towards her mouth.


    It didn¡¯t seem like much time had passed at all before the Goblin Toofy invited herself over for a visit. Of course, this also meant that she brought her daughters Ril and Net with her. While Lash knew Ril was one of the Daemons, she didn¡¯t quite know what Net was. She looked like a small human, but Lash had never seen a human with pointed ears.


    Net was also very quiet and kept much to herself, seemingly content to stand or sit by the wall while whispering with her sister Ril. Lash could only assume the odd behaviour was due to the poor thing''s blindness, so she resolved to leave the issue alone.


    Suzy seemed overjoyed to receive Toofy¡¯s undivided attention, so Lash decided she and her daughters could stay. Besides, Lash had questions that she hoped Toofy¡¯s daughter Ril could help answer and set her mind at ease.


    Taking Pete with her, Lash sat down beside the bathing pool where Ril was lazily swimming.


    The Daemon bobbed her head respectfully, ¡°Tyrantess.¡±


    ¡°Tim says, Pete and Suzy breathe water?¡± She explained uncertainty while trying to emphasise that it was also a question. Tim had tried to explain it to her, but he had been somewhat rushed and Lash wanted reassurances. Just in case.


    Ril nodded and pointed to the hardened cartilaginous plates that now covered the sides of Pete¡¯s ribcage. ¡°They have gills, like fish, like me,¡± she explained and pulled herself out of the bathing pool to expose similar flaps on the sides of her neck and rib cage.


    Lash nodded in uncertainty. Tim had made that comparison as well. ¡°How?¡± She pressed.


    Ril was quiet for a few moments. ¡°Water has air in it,¡± the Daemon explained slowly, ¡°But it also had water. Gills pull out air from the water and the rest of the water to push through.¡± Rill cupped her hands in the bathing pool, brought it to her lips and then swallowed. The flaps on the sides of her neck opened and the same water began running down her neck.


    Watching the process in action, Lash felt like she understood it a little better.


    ¡°The gills need to be kept moist. Drying out can be painful or cause infection,¡± Ril added, ¡°Swimming a couple of times a day makes it easy, but drinking and breathing water works as well.¡±


    Lash nodded in understanding before carefully considering Pete, ¡°Pete should swim?¡± She asked warily.


    Ril took a few moments to consider her answer before slowly shaking her head. ¡°While they can breathe water, learning to swim will be important. I don¡¯t think they can do that on their own yet. But you could go into the water with them so they can get used to it,¡± she suggested helpfully.


    Noticing that Pete was already staring curiously at the light reflecting off the water in the bathing pool, Lash carefully eased herself into the pool, making sure to keep Pete dry for just the moment.


    Pete kicked at the water''s surface with his chubby webbed toes and burbled excitedly.


    Taking that as a good sign, Lash slowly lowered Pete into the water.


    Once the water reached his chest, the plates on Pete¡¯s sides opened and began to excitedly wave in the water. Initially surprised, Pete quickly began excitedly wriggling soon afterwards.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Suzy to notice her brother having fun without her and she began making grunting demands while trying to wriggle off of the bed.


    ¡°Bring Suzy,¡± Lash told Toofy.


    Only too happy to obey, Toofy, picked up Suzy and brought her over to the bathing pool. Instead of handing Suzy to Lash, Toofy handed Suzy over to Ril instead.


    Ril had the good sense to look to Lash first for permission before sliding back into the bathing pool with Suzy in her arms.


    Far more energetic than Pete, Suzy very nearly broke free the moment she hit the water.


    Ril demonstrated sound judgement in trading Suzy to Lash in exchange for Pete, who really didn¡¯t seem to mind one way or the other.


    ¡°The webbing, the skin, between their fingers and toes is like the fins on a fish, it helps them swim,¡± Ril explained while Pete slapped at the water and burbled in amusement. ¡°They won¡¯t swim as well as Lizardmen or fish, but they will swim better than humans and most Orcs.¡±


    ¡°Not Ogres?¡± Lash asked curiously. Wondering why the Daemon would make a comparison to only one half of their ancestry and not the other.


    Ril gave her a blank stare for a moment. ¡°Ogres don¡¯t swim, they sink and drown.¡±


    Lash felt a momentary surge of panic before calming down and becoming confused again, ¡°Suzy and Pete won''t sink?¡±


    Ril nodded, ¡°They are special, and so is Tim. ¡®Most¡¯ Ogres would sink and drown. They are too heavy and don¡¯t learn to swim until it is too late. Tim knows how to swim already, and your children have gills.


    Lash shifted uncomfortably as she realised that she didn¡¯t know how to swim either.


    Ril must have guessed at her cause for distress because took on a pensive look for a few moments before seeming to come to her senses again. ¡°I have made a request for Qreet to work with the Dryads to create a safe freshwater pool of water for training purposes. It will most likely be ready by this late afternoon,¡± the little Daemon stated matter of factly.


    Lash nodded in thanks and very nearly lost her grip on Suzy when she made a sudden lurching dive for the water. Releasing a sigh, Lash could only smile as Suzy released a cry of excitement and made another lunge for the water. Clearly, learning to swim would need to become one of Lash¡¯s top priorities if she wanted to keep up with her children.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 45 – The meat grinder – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 45 ¨C The meat grinder ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 45 - The meat grinder - Part One


    Rikit had secured the second portal in my absence and the females of her pack had briefly visited the first floor of the Laine Labyrinth. They had lingered just long enough to retrieve Khibi before being shepherded to Sanctuary by Rikit.


    Fesk was wearing a suit of Asrusian armour. With a combination of padded cloth armour and steel plates, Fesk¡¯s face was completely hidden beneath his helmet. However, despite the special articulation allowed by his gauntlets, Fesk¡¯s signing was clipped and lacking in effort. As much as I wanted to attribute his standoffishness to nerves, it was obvious that losing the Gnoll cub Khibi had upset him.


    Nila had already left the first floor before my return. Both she, her team, and Cooper, were no doubt shoring up morale by making a point of being seen by the defenders. The Drakes were large, but the walls of the city were taller. Neither Drake would see actual combat until the outermost wall was lost.


    This was perhaps for the best.


    The overwhelming majority of the empire¡¯s army was comprised of Slaves. Most of the Slaves were humans and comparatively weak low-tier monsters, little more than fodder and given very little in the way of equipment.


    Under normal circumstances, the low-tier monsters would be enough to overwhelm opposing forces of human soldiers through sheer brute strength. The Enslaved humans were likely just present to pad out the numbers.


    The Slaves would be nothing to the Drakes but an easy meal. If the Slaves managed to scale the wall or breach the gate, it would be an unmitigated slaughter.


    There would be only so many Slaves the Parole Officers and I would be able to ¡®save¡¯ from the empire. It was an unfortunate truth, and I had too much to lose to make risking my life for theirs a viable option.


    The abundance of Taskmasters, Slavers and Slave Masters in the empire¡¯s ranks was an indication of how easy the Classes were to unlock. Having unlocked all three myself, I knew that the primary means of unlocking all three boiled down to the number of Slaves under your control and the number of Slaves obeying your commands. It was pathetically easy to turn the Parole Officers from unclassed men and women into Slave Masters.


    Already controlling hundreds of Slaves, all I had to do was shift progressively more Slaves under each Parole Officer, who would in turn issue them commands. However, becoming Slave Masters was not enough. Once each Parole Officer unlocked the Slave Master Class they were then promoted to Underlord to provide a dramatically increased capacity for Slaves in a personal retinue.


    The promotion also gave each Parole Officer a modified Class, although rather unsurprisingly the fifty men and women were divided into only two such Classes. Human Thrall Herder and Human Dominator respectively.


    The Dominators were in the minority. Only three men and two women had diverged into this particular Class. I didn¡¯t know enough about the candidates to determine if it was a result of temperament or personality traits, but a commonality in both Intelligence and Willpower being unusually high might be the cause.


    This wasn¡¯t to say that the Thrall Herders had low Willpower, far from it. They simply didn¡¯t have nearly as high an Intelligence stat to go along with that Willpower. Conversely, the Thrall Herders had a higher Presence stat.


    This made a sort of sense when it came to the difference in their Class Abilities. With a name like Dominator, it was hardly surprising that its Abilities focused on dominating enemies. Dominate, its first and primary Ability was like Enslavement on steroids, inflicting both paralysis and pain until the target submits or dies. The second Ability, Sin Eater, redirected all negative Conditions from the Dominator to a Dominated Slave at the cost of the Slave¡¯s mana.


    The remaining Abilities of the Dominator were shared with the Thrall Herder. Obedience, enhanced Slaves'' endurance and gave them resistance to Fatigue and Exhaustion while obeying Orders and Commands. Beneath the Whip, drained the Slaves of their mana to replenish a portion of the Thrall Herder or Dominator¡¯s own while also inflicting damage on the Slaves.


    Besides Enslavement, the Thrall Herders had the Herding Chattel Ability which greatly expanded the number of Slaves they could hold in their group, party, retinue, or otherwise. The Master¡¯s Favourite Ability allowed the Thrall Herders to select a handful of Slaves to function as Taskmasters without actually awarding or unlocking the Class. More or less, this Ability seemed designed to allow the Thrall Herders a more adaptive combat style in battle, with the Master¡¯s Favourites redirecting the herd of Slaves on the fly.


    I wondered if the higher level Slave Masters from the empire had such an Ability as well. It seemed likely.


    Unfortunately, neither Class had the ability to steal Slaves in the same manner that I did. I could only hope that one of them would gain the Ability as the Parole Officers levelled up their respective Classes.


    While I unlocked the Parole Officers Classes, Nadine was no less busy organising volunteers from the Slaves to serve as porters to collect the wounded and bring them to the field hospital. With my permission, Nadine was allowed to offer dramatic reductions in required service to receive citizenship. Even so, she struggled to recruit candidates.


    The Asrusian soldiers, and perhaps even elements of the citizenry would likely assist Nadine and the other Surgeons as well, but I could tell Nadine was disappointed at not being able to rally a sizable labour force on her own.


    The badly scarred Elf, Keith, hadn¡¯t accompanied me when I left Sanctuary, so it was just Fesk and myself that would be riding on Ushu¡¯s back. However, in order to save time, and get Nadine and her Surgeons to the field hospital sooner, they were assisted onto the platform by Fesk and given instruction to hold onto the central bars.


    Ushu seemed to know what was going on, taking slow deliberate steps while shaking his neck and tail before releasing a deafening roar and stepping through the portal.


    No doubt having seen Cooper pass through to the lower city already, it didn¡¯t stop the soldiers and citizens of the city from staring at Ushu in wide-eyed terror and awe as the giant reptile stomped his way through the city. It was obvious by the way Ushu would huff and release guttural roars while passing the larger crowds, that he enjoyed the attention and more specifically, the admiration his parade through the city was attracting.


    Relieved that I didn¡¯t have to waste mental energy reining in any potential violent impulses, I was more than content to allow the albino dino to preen in front of his adoring public. So long as Ushu considered citizens and soldiers as a source of worship to prop up his ego, and not as a source of easy food, I was willing to encourage the behaviour.


    I would make mention of it the next time I spoke with Gregory. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a dedicated cast of sycophants to support the Drakes'' respective egos when passing through populated areas.


    Just as I had expected, the warehouses of the lowest district of the city had been taken for military housing. Noticing more than a few civilians peeking through broken shutters, I was disappointed that the poorest and most vulnerable citizens hadn¡¯t been given the opportunity to evacuate and resettle.


    Another subject to raise with Gregory when I next saw him.


    The military had converted a number of the larger warehouses into a field hospital and they were already close to capacity. Wagon Loads of wounded soldiers were delivered from the outermost wall dozens at a time before being sent back to repeat the trip all over again.


    Dropping off Nadine and her students to do what they could, I continued with Fesk to the long path leading down to the outer walls. After passing through the gate, Fesk raised the banners on Ushu¡¯s platform so they could be caught in the updraft.


    From atop Ushu¡¯s saddle and the connected platform, we had an unobstructed view of the enemy forces streaming towards the walls of the city. Like a carpet of fire ants, it was almost impossible to see the ground for the Slaves and soldiers surging around the city.


    The enemy had erected fortifications of their own. A ragged wall of stone, timber and dirt cut off the city from all potential avenues of escape. It was clear that the empire wanted no one to escape their clutches.


    Slaves were streaming onto the outer wall from crude ladders braced against the outer side of the wall.


    As fast as the Asrusian soldiers could destroy or disengage a ladder, another would take its place. Near constantly surrounded on their own defensive ground, the soldiers fought with disciplined ferocity against the endless horde.


    Contrary to my expectations, Nila, her squires and Cooper were very much a part of the fighting. The ebb and flow of battle forced ground to be given before being retaken again, and in those instances, the empire¡¯s slaves surged past the embattled Asrusian soldiers and shimmied down large thick ropes that had been arced over the wall.


    That was where Cooper wrought bloody havoc, ripping and tearing bodies apart with ease and gorging on their corpses. Ushu¡¯s imminent arrival had apparently not gone unnoticed and Cooper¡¯s savagery only intensified.


    My own expectation of survivors from amongst the Slaves had been woefully optimistic. It was perhaps for the best that the Parole Officers were making their own way through the city. There would be no Slaves for them to seize even if they had the Ability for it.


    Similarly, a ragged cheer rose from the embattled soldiers atop the wall.


    I had already inserted myself into the commander''s Party and my Synergies and Class Abilities asserted themselves the moment I came into range.


    Before Ushu had taken more than a handful of steps, the soldiers had begun bodily battering their way through the Slaves and retaking the wall.


    A bellowing roar from Ushu brought a brief moment of silence to battle before the clamour began anew.


    Signing for Fesk to take the reins, I prepared to join the fighting atop the wall. As strange as the logic was, I found the idea of killing the Slaves myself to be far more tolerable than watching Ushu and Cooper do the same.


    Leaving the saddle, I took a moment to steady my nerves before using one of the empire¡¯s ropes to begin scaling the wall. The rope had slipped slightly when I was a third of the way up the wall and it took a few moments before I built up the nerve to begin climbing anew.


    It was a testament to the smiths¡¯ and leather workers'' skill that the most uncomfortable aspect of my climb was the sound of the thick iron plates scraping against the stone of the wall. One of the benefits of growing larger was that the iron plates were now spaced farther apart and allowed greater freedom of movement than when I had first been gifted with the original armour. This had the downside of being slightly less protective, but I appreciated the increased mobility more than the minor loss in protection. Anything strong enough to worry about wouldn¡¯t be deterred by the crude iron plates anyway.


    As I crested the parapets I came under attack almost immediately.


    Without helmets to protect their heads, or conceal their faces, I could see absolute terror in the eyes of the human Slaves, but panicked anger from a small gang of scarred Orcs.


    Just like in the Hurst Labyrinth, the Orcs were immediately triggered into a strange fearful rage by my presence. Easily more than twice their size, I swatted the first Orc off the wall and in the general direction of Ushu, who was waiting below.


    The two remaining Orcs struck ineffectively at my armoured shoulders and head as I clambered onto the wall.


    Catching the large club of the next Orc, I kicked him in the midsection and sent him flying off the wall and crashing into another slave that had just reached the top of one of the ladders. They both fell out of sight and very likely to their deaths.


    The remaining Orc and nearby human Slaves rushed me, the former eagerly while the latter reeked of spilled bowels.


    I did my best to ignore their terrified faces and hefted a thick machete from my belt.


    Memories of Lash and our children flashed before my eyes.


    I closed my heart to the Slaves and cleaved through the Orc¡¯s right shoulder and out the left side of his chest, spattering the wall with blood.


    The Orc fell into two pieces, his body spilling enough blood to cause the approaching human Slaves to lose their footing.


    ¡°For Suzy...¡± I whispered to myself, hewing down two desperate men in rags with one backhanded swing, ¡°And for Pete...¡± I decapitated an old woman.


    One of the Slaves attempted to run but made it only two steps before buckling to the ground and convulsing in a deadly seizure.


    I swept aside the three remaining Slaves with effortless ease, the Slaves tumbling over the side of the wall and to Ushu¡¯s waiting jaws.


    Asrusian soldiers further down the line on either side were pushing back and slowly reclaiming the wall thanks to a fresh wave of reinforcements. Rather than cutting the ropes, they were burning them instead.


    I buried my machete navel deep in the next Slave to attempt climbing the closest ladder, splitting the top couple of rungs in the process.


    Arrows, javelins and stones had begun pelting my general vicinity, however, a recent addition to my chest armour made the threat of these projectiles negligible. It was a cross between something the human smiths had called a bevor and a gorget. Composed of a crude iron plate bent lengthways from corner to corner and riveted to a thick sheet of leather attached to my upper chest armour, it deflected and intercepted any projectiles that otherwise would have made it to my face.


    The protection worked against other attacks as well. Unfortunately, while it made it almost impossible for regular-sized opponents to strike at my head at all, the hollow wedge of thick iron created a blind spot against those same opponents.


    While I already had a visored helmet, it was a profound relief to not have to rely on the visor to protect my eyes.


    A balding man attempted to grasp at the gap in the parapet to pull himself up onto the wall while balancing on the too-low rung of the ladder.


    I kicked him in the head and turned away. He had died instantly, an end to his suffering.


    Three more Slaves scaled the wall at roughly the same time, two from newly braced ladders, and a third from a ladder a little further down the wall.


    Suppressing a sigh, I firmed my grip on my machete and began moving toward them.


    One slave collapsed, another froze, and the third closed his eyes before jumping off the wall.


    Hacking down the frozen Slave, I spared a moment to look down at the unconscious Slave on the ground. I ¡®could¡¯ seize control over him and give him the same choice as the others once he was awakened. Unfortunately for him, my mana was a relatively finite resource and the off chance that he would be worth the expenditure wasn¡¯t worth the risk.


    All the same, I decided to leave the Slave where he was. There was a chance that the soldiers would take him prisoner. It wouldn¡¯t do him much good unless his master was slain as well, but that was unlikely.


    A blunt blow rebounded off the back of my knee, alerting me to the presence of an enemy.


    Turning around, I took a number of similarly ineffectual attacks against my legs before looking down at a half-starved teenager that was frantically batting at my legs with a crude club. Boy or girl, it was hard to tell with such poor nutrition.


    I raised my machete.


    The teenager opened their mouth to say something, but a stone crested the wall and caught them in the side of the head, felling them on the spot.


    I lowered my machete and stared down at the blood pooling from the side of the teenager¡¯s head.


    ¡°I could have saved you...¡± I muttered quietly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    I hacked down a red-skinned Orc that came screaming at me from further down the wall, carving him from clavicle to navel. I would have cut the Orc fully in half if I was a little shorter and my angle of attack wasn¡¯t as heavily angled.


    The Orc tried to grab at my arm even as his lifeblood pumped out onto the wall.


    Yanking my machete free, I backhanded it through the Orc¡¯s head, dashing his brains out and killing him.


    A small swarm of goblins came up the ladders next, but the soldiers had managed to retake this portion of the wall and engaged the Goblins so I didn¡¯t have to.


    Killing the Orcs had driven the nearby soldiers into a frenzy of violence as the passive effects of my Ability increased their combat potential. Combined with my Racial Synergies and their own professional skills, the soldiers up and down the wall managed to regain and maintain full control over the wall.


    The silent siege engines had begun firing on the empire again, and the combined efforts of the archers and siege engines mowed down Slaves in droves.


    Burning oil was poured down the ladders, burning flesh and wood in equal measure.


    Unable to stop themselves, Slaves continued attempting to climb the burning ladders while their flesh melted off their bones.


    I refused to look away, to try and ignore what was happening. I chose this, and if I wanted to protect my family, I had to accept the consequences.


    *


    A trumpeting horn call echoed over the battlefield from the direction of the distant enemy camp.


    At first, nothing seemed to change. The Slaves were continuing to press in against the wall and attempt to climb the burning ladders, smothering the pools of burning oil beneath the bodies of the dead and dying.


    A large column of beasts of burden began dragging siege engines out of the enemy camp and out onto the open field. Other beasts of burden drew carts of what I assumed were the siege engines'' ammunition stores.


    Initially outside of the range of the Asrusian siege engine emplacements, the weapon teams had recognised the threat the empire''s siege engines posed and had changed targets. Killing a few dozen Slaves was nothing compared to the risk of the walls being breached or compromised.


    Within minutes, the siege engines began exchanging blows. Fortunately, the Asrusians had a distinct height advantage that afforded them greater range. Unfortunately, the empire seemed to have no problems with replacing the siege engines that were damaged or destroyed while moving into position.


    When the empire¡¯s siege engines began their assault in earnest, the wall began to tremble.


    To make things worse, a huge battering ram was headed for the first gate. Already occupied with taking out catapults and trebuchets, only the ballista mounted near the gate were able to redirect their fire towards the approaching battering ram.


    Pushed onward by a hoard of slaves, it didn¡¯t seem to matter how many were killed by the archers or siege engineers, more would immediately move to take their place.


    Gnolls and strange ape-like monsters had begun scaling the walls directly, but the soldiers had no trouble knocking them off or cutting down any that came within weapon range. Some of them had even been killed by friendly fire from the empire¡¯s siege engines and archers. All the same, they continued attempting to scale the wall.


    Eighty-one...Eighty-two...


    A part of my subconscious had been keeping count of the Slaves I had killed since climbing the wall, going so far as to somehow alter my Status to make it a prominent display in my upper peripheral vision. As much as I tried to ignore it, I couldn¡¯t help but keep a mental count.


    ¡°For my family...¡± I muttered over and over again, reminding myself that the Slaves¡¯ deaths were not for my own pleasure or gratification.


    I hacked down another terrified human Slave attempting to scramble onto the wall.


    Eighty-three...


    Boulders had begun arcing over the wall as the Asrusian siege engines were overwhelmed by their imperial counterparts, allowing the empire¡¯s siege engines to creep forward and press their advantage.


    One of the Asrusian defensive trebuchets had already been obliterated by a lucky shot that damaged a support strut just as the arm was drawn into motion, ripping and tearing itself apart in the process.


    While the Asrusian siege teams could use the Quest system to secure a near-infinite supply of ammunition, replacing the damaged and destroyed siege engines themselves was another matter entirely. The more complex an item was, the more valuable the Quest determined it to be, and that value escalated disproportionately to rational expectations.


    Because the base materials were drastically cheaper to transport with the Quest system, the military had completely scrapped the concept of stockpiling complete engines for use by the Quest system. Instead, they intended to use the Gateways to transport them from place to place as needed.


    The battering ram had now reached the gate. However, the archers and ballista crews on the surrounding wall were determined to deny the empire the opportunity to use it. Hundreds of Slaves lay dead in piled heaps around the battering ram, and the crude wooden roof of the siege engine was set ablaze by burning arrows.


    Even so, the Slaves kept coming, swarming towards the battering ram with near complete abandon.


    Eighty-four...Eighty five...Eighty-six...


    A soldier to my left was struck by a boulder and thrown off the wall.


    Even with the Asrusian Faction¡¯s death notifications disabled I was surprised to find that he had survived. A glance over my shoulder confirmed that while he might have preferred it, the soldier was indeed alive.


    Cooper had caught the soldier in his mouth and Nila appeared to be doing her best to convince the Drake to spit him out. Unfortunately, the soldier appeared to slip and proceeded to slide down the Drake¡¯s gullet.


    Even more unfortunately, the soldier was regurgitated a few moments later. The unfortunate soldier now lay in a pool of bloody bile and partially digested body parts.


    A team of soldiers on the ground rushed to help their comrade, but traversing the bloody bile was treacherous.


    Eighty-seven...


    I had crushed the Orc¡¯s neck, spine and collarbone with my left hand without paying attention. I let his bulky body fall down amongst the others.


    Bright flashes of light down the eastern side of the wall signalled the arrival of the Parole Officers. Having travelled through the reinforcement tunnels that served as the legitimate means of accessing the top of the wall, they had taken much longer to arrive than I had.


    The low-level monsters in the enemy army would not be worth much Exp, and the retinue penalty would reduce that amount by half. However, the sheer number of the monsters would allow the parole Officers a prime opportunity to receive large volumes of Exp for very little personal effort. After all, the entire Asrusian army present on the wall was sharing Exp with every monster they killed.


    While the parapets were showing signs of damage, the wall itself still felt solid as ever. Given the sheer thickness of the wall, I doubted the enemy siege engines would be able to do any meaningful damage if they battered it for the better part of a year. The enemy commander seemed to have come to a similar conclusion and the majority of their siege engines now targeted the general vicinity of the gate.


    Then again, this change in targets might have been because all but two catapults on the wall had been destroyed or rendered inoperable. The siege engines on the next interior wall were still firing, but their range was not great enough to strike at the enemy siege engines.


    The gate was far weaker than the wall, but it was by no means fragile. Even under the concentrated assault of dozens of catapults and trebuchets, the gate held firm. However, it would only be a matter of time before it was compromised and cast asunder.


    Things only grew worse as the empire¡¯s archers concentrated on suppressing the defenders of the gate. Between the boulders and arrows, there was almost no opportunity for the defenders to return fire at all.


    Ninety-four...


    With less friendly fire thinning their numbers, the number of Slaves assaulting the wall had increased dramatically. Better ladders made with banded iron were deployed against the wall, each of them allowing up to five Slaves to climb abreast at any stage of their climb. Worse still, armoured Slaves had begun to appear amidst the rabble. Almost exclusively composed of Orcs, the armoured Slaves moved together with purpose and coordination rather than the desperation and fear of the other Slaves.


    However, just like every other Orc, the moment they caught sight of me, I would become their target.


    The Orc heavy infantry was probably intended to tie up the defenders of the wall to prevent them from assisting those defending the gate. They were also very likely controlled by a much smaller group of Slavers. This was an opportunity I had been waiting for.


    Targeting the heavily armoured Orcs already on the wall and those attempting to climb, I gathered my mana and activated my Class Ability.


    The pain was minimal. Whoever had been controlling this first wave of heavy infantry had died almost immediately. Since they had taken the brunt of forty-seven challenges at once, their pain from my artefact had been multiplied by just as much. Even so, I had the impression that Slaver had been inexperienced and a comparatively low level.


    Issuing the Orcs an order to lower their weapons and retreat down the wall to the parole Officers, I then divided them amongst the Thrall Herders. As much to allow the Parole Officers the ability to more actively defend themselves as remove the Orcs from the line of sight of the enemy.


    If the empire had one group of elite slaves, I figured that it would only make sense that they would have another. So I waited and scanned the tide of Slaves for the enemy commander¡¯s next play.


    One hundred and six...


    Sure enough, two more groups of heavily armoured Orcs were rapidly approaching the wall.


    ¡°IGNORE THE ARMOURED ONES!¡± I called out, hoping the archers would shift targets.


    One hundred and ten.


    I waited until the armoured Orcs had begun to climb before gathering my mana. As I expected, the pain was much worse this time and lasted much longer.


    However, both Slavers ceded their control rather than fight me to the bitter end.


    I gave the ninety-eight orcs the same orders as those that had come before and divided them amongst the Parole Officers.


    With two survivors, the enemy commander would very likely be informed of what was going on. Worse, with how familiar the empire had to be with Enslavement, they would know exactly what was going on and take measures against further attempts at stealing their Slaves.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± A runner from the east came to an abrupt halt and snapped a salute while breathing heavily.


    I turned to face the runner and rested my machete on my pauldron to shield my visor from any potential arrows that might arc over the wall.


    ¡°The, uh, Parole Officers?-¡± The runner seemed uncertain of himself, ¡°-They have requested permission to involve themselves in the battle.¡±


    I frowned and looked towards the far end of the wall.


    ¡°Parole Officer Gravis said to tell your Majesty that your Majesty¡¯s expectations were correct,¡± the runner added with equal uncertainty, ducking behind his light shield as a stone arced past his head.


    ¡°Gravis...¡± I muttered, scanning through his Status information with practised ease. As I had observed earlier, he had been increasing in level, and as I had hoped, Gravis had obtained the Dominating Will Class Ability. It was the exact Same Class Ability I was using to steal Slaves from the imperials, and a quick check revealed that both the other Dominators had gained the ability as well.


    While the Thrall Herders had not been so lucky, they had gained a useful Ability of their own, Herd Mentality. It pitted the collective will of their controlled Slaves against any that attempted to rebel, taking a portion of each Slave¡¯s Willpower to form a gestalt proxy for maintaining obedience. The same Ability also functioned against anyone attempting to steal those same Slaves, making me glad that the empire¡¯s Slavers didn¡¯t seem to have that Ability.


    ¡°They may engage,¡± I told the runner while piecing together the framework for a unique quest.


    Warlords Will. It was one of my defensive Class Abilities that forced enemies to contend with my Willpower before a targeted subordinate. If I understood the Ability correctly, it could be abused to our immediate benefit.


    I began stiffly moving into a run, moving quickly towards the eastern tunnel at the end of the wall.


    I could handle pain. However, I only had so much mana, and if I depleted my mana, I would fall into a coma until I recovered enough to regain consciousness. The Evolution Elixirs were a stop gap measure at best, and I was too highly evolved to recover much mana from them. But the Dominators weren''t...


    If I was right about Warlords Will, then the trio of Dominators could supply the mana, while I fought for control. The Dominators would inevitably succumb to mana exhaustion or inebriation, but there was the possibility of saving hundreds of lives. The Humans evolving and becoming more formidable would be an added bonus.


    The wall was slick with blood, so I had to slow myself to avoid slipping and losing my balance.


    The runner seemed used to it, diverting his route slightly every so often to make the best use of relatively clean sections of the wall.


    I completed the quest before making it more than halfway and activated it right away. Similar to the existing Quest available to the rank and file, the Dominators would earn Exp and redemption points based on their contributions in acquiring Slaves. Unlike the other Quest, the Dominators would only have access to the Evolution Elixirs.


    While I was tempted to give them mana stones, the potential for them growing addicted was not worth the risks.


    Almost immediately after they had been issued the quest, I felt small picks of pain take root in my mind. Little more than a mild headache, I ignored it and continued towards the tunnel.


    ¡°DO NOT STRIKE THOSE WHO RAISE THEIR HANDS IN SURRENDER!¡± An authoritative voice boomed from the east.


    Some of the soldiers I passed spared a moment to look at one another and shrug before returning to the slaughter.


    The pain in my head was building, but it was still far beneath the limits I was used to bearing.


    The far end of the wall was held not by soldiers, but by the armoured Orcs I had seized earlier. With cruel methodical efficiency, the Orcs hacked apart Slave after Slave as they attemtped to scale the wall. Only, they didn¡¯t kill everyone. Every so often a man or woman would be assisted onto the wall and allowed to meekly pass through the ranks and Orcs and head through to the tunnel.


    The Dominators were not acting as aggressively as I had anticipated, nor as much as I wanted.


    I pushed past the Orcs and through to the tunnel.


    The Parole Officers had been huddled in small groups and animatedly discussing something, but they all fell silent as they noticed my arrival.


    ¡°Push harder!¡± I growled dangerously, glaring at the trio of Dominators, ¡°You don¡¯t stop until you fall into a coma or they run out of Slaves!¡±


    The three Dominators bowed stiffly and the pain in my head exploded.


    ¡°Apologies, Majesty,¡± Gravis stated apologetically, ¡°We were attempting to understand how the Ability functions. We will do as you say.¡±


    I grunted in affirmation before stomping back out onto the wall.


    The ratio had shifted dramatically, but time would tell how many the Dominators could save.


    Fesk and Ushu were waiting below, the later feasting on corpses of dead slaves the Orcs dumped over the side of the wall.


    With the pain in my head gradually increasing further, I walked down the wall until I reached an intact rope and then slid myself down the inside of the wall.


    Perhaps guessing at my intentions, Fesk coaxed Ushu away from the pile of corpses and met me halfway.


    With only a small huff of annoyance, Ushu lowered himself so I could climb into the throne-like saddle at the base of his neck.


    Fesk had already retreated to the platform behind and was tying off his harness.


    As tempted as I was to find a hole to hide in and nurse my slowly intensifying headache, The Dominators needed my Warlords Will, and the rank and file soldiers could only benefit from Inspirational Presence so long as I remained visible.


    So, for better or worse, I was tied to the immediate area until the current battle ended.


    Ushu began wandering along the wall again to feast on the broken corpses. It wasn¡¯t just the Orcs disposing of corpses, the Asrusians were doing it as well in order to keep the wall clear enough to continue fighting upon. Of course, they did not discard the bodies of their own dead in such a way. Instead, runners would carry the fallen from the wall and out through the tunnels on the eastern or western side. Of the wall.


    Only the most grievously wounded were taken from the wall. The majority of injured soldiers would temporarily retreat to one of the towers to gorge themselves in order to heal through the Iron Gut Synergy. Once their wounds were sufficiently recovered, the soldiers would return to their original position or wherever their commanders directed.


    Even with the Synergies to give them an edge, the Asrusians were taking significant casualties fighting off the unrelenting assault. As easy as the slaves assaulting the wall were to repel, the professional imperial soldiers firing arrows up onto the wall didn¡¯t care about friendly fire and exacted a fatal toll on the Asrusian soldiers.


    The catapults and trebuchets had taken a toll as well, but it was almost negligible in comparison.


    I briefly wondered how Nadine and the other Surgeons were handling the more severely injured soldiers. At least with my continued presence here in general proximity to the battlefield, the soldiers would continue benefiting from my synergies.


    I pulled a large strip of willow bark from an iron-plated pouch on my belt and stuffed it into my mouth. Chewing on the bark, I concentrated on taking slow even breaths.


    The pain in my head had plateaued. Whether it was because the trio of Dominators had decided to air on the side of caution, or they had reached their own limits, it made little difference. Every second of pain I endured would be that many more people that wouldn¡¯t have to die. That many more people I wouldn¡¯t have to kill.


    Defending Laine city was a necessity for ensuring my family¡¯s safety. The people I had killed were an unfortunate part of that same cause.


    ¡°One hundred and ten people...¡± I muttered quietly, ¡°One hundred and ten people so I could protect my family...¡± In stark contrast to the pain in my head, my body was completely unscathed. Not a single one of those one hundred and ten, desperate, terrified, and starving people had managed to so much as scratch me. I knew I should feel guilty, ashamed of my actions, of the lives I had taken, but I couldn¡¯t. I felt nothing but the throbbing pain in my head, and a dull ache in my heart.


    The dark storm clouds in the distance rumbled ominously.


    Cooper reared up and hissed at the sky angrily before continuing to prowl along the length of the wall.


    Ushu just huffed and shook his thick scaly neck before continuing to feed.


    A booming crash from the direction of the gate pulled me from my melancholic musings and focused my attention on the cascade of tumbling boulders crashing through the now open gateway.


    *


    A long deep horn call sounded from the other side of the wall and was met with excited and eager cheers.


    Nila retreated Cooper back towards Ushu, ¡°What do we do?!¡± She called out while angling Cooper so they would be prepared to retreat further or return to their previous position.


    ¡°We fight!¡± I called back without hesitation. The Asrusian soldiers on the ground would need time to retreat. Whether that was up the winding slope, or climbing up the wall, both would need time.


    Ushu roared, spraying bloody spittle and small scraps of flesh over the path as he began shaking himself and clawing at the ground in anticipation of combat.


    A ragged cry from thousands of voices rose up as the Slaves on the other side of the wall began charging towards the gate. They weren¡¯t to know, but they were headed straight into a kill zone.


    *****


    Vlaad clenched tightly at the reins of his nervous mount. In his twenty years of service, this was the first time he had ever seen an adult Ironfur in such an agitated state. No matter how he coaxed his mount, the Ironfur refused to willingly approach the city.


    Looking at the other skirmishers, Vlaad was both relieved and unsettled that everyone else seemed to be having the same problem.


    ¡°Fucking useless pile of gristle!¡± Captain Dimitriy cursed while driving his spurs into his Ironfur¡¯s sides, ¡°MOVE!¡±


    Their superiors wanted to know why the next wall of the city had not yet been besieged and to investigate the veracity of the reports that claimed an armoured Ogre or small Giant had been seen atop the wall fighting for the Asrusian defenders.


    While both Ogres and Giants were understandably quite terrifying, Vlaad didn¡¯t know of an instance where Ironfurs would baulk from just being in their general vicinity.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Captain Dimitriy cursed again before turning to address his subordinates, ¡°We are going to have to fucking force them then. If your mount still refuses to obey, mark it for execution and take another from the stables.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Vlaad and his twenty-four comrades shouted obediently. Dimitriy was a cruel son of a bitch and meant every word of what he had said. So as much as Vlaad loathed using the Command function of the Ironfur¡¯s Collar, he didn¡¯t have much choice.


    The problem with using the collars Command function was rather simple and profoundly obvious to anyone whose life ever depended on the instincts of their mount in order to survive. Essentially, issuing Commands would narrow the scope of a mount¡¯s obedience to the state of immediate pain avoidance over long-term thinking and survival. If a mount was ordered to attempt to jump over a chasm it objectively knew it couldn¡¯t, it would still do so in order to avoid the pain inflicted by refusal. Mounts had a far better understanding of their own capabilities, so it was in a rider¡¯s best interest to make the most of it.


    With great reluctance, Vlaad mentally issued the Command for his Ironfur to obey its training. Testing the reins, he sighed when the Ironfur obediently, albeit reluctantly, moved forwards.


    Unfortunately, four Ironfurs attempted to endure the pain rather than obey, and true to his word, Captain Dimitriy had them sent off for slaughter.


    ¡°Such a waste,¡± Igor muttered quietly, shaking his head while their comrades led away their mounts.


    Vlaad nodded in agreement. The Ironfurs had a substantial investment in man-hours spent training them. To butcher them so frivolously was very likely to get their platoon in serious trouble later, especially if the siege was drawn out longer than anticipated.


    The supply trains from the empire were constantly being harassed and waylaid by the Asrusian Rangers. Losing a few Ironfurs right now might not mean much, but they would significantly increase in value if the supply situation were to worsen and mobile screening forces were required to escort the supply caravans to the encampment.


    With everyone now mounted on a compliant Ironfur, Dimitriy readied his shield and signalled for them to leave the camp.


    Wearing plate and mail, and carrying his own thick shield, Vlaad knew that he had little to fear from the archers doggedly dug in on the city¡¯s outer wall. Similarly, the siege engines had all been destroyed, so he would just need to be careful of the siege engines mounted on top of the next defensive wall. However, even those catapults would struggle to hit a moving target, so Vlaad would still be relatively safe.


    All the same, the whimpering and fearful reluctance of the Ironfurs bothered him on a deeply primal level. If something was nasty enough to scare one and a half tons of fur, fangs, and claws, it made sense that Vlaad should be scared as well.


    An Ironfur could kill a man with one swipe of one of its powerful forepaws, crushing half the bones in their body through standard-issue plate and mail. A small pack of Ironfurs could also rather easily kill an Ogre on foot without sustaining any lasting injuries themselves. So the fact that twenty-five Ironfurs were equally fearful of approaching the city gave Vlaad a number of serious concerns.


    Unfortunately, were Vlaad to voice any of his concerns to his commanding officer, he knew that he would be labelled a coward and very likely be demoted and sentenced to menial duties. Dimitriy was petty like that. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bringing the Ironfurs into an ambling run, they made good time traversing the field of corpses, pushing aside any of the latest waves of combat Slaves that were too slow or too stupid to have the sense to get out of the way.


    As expected, the archers began targeting them the moment Vlaad and his comrades entered their effective range. Unfortunately for the archers, Vlaad¡¯s plate and mail made easy work of their arrows, and his Ironfurs hide proved far too dense for the arrows to penetrate. This was one of the reasons the army favoured Ironfurs as mounts. While not the fastest, Ironfur''s natural characteristics made them perfect killing machines as well as serviceable scouting mounts. Their relative lack of mobility or speed, when compared to other Beasts, was negligible compared to their relative abundance and suitability for deployment in just about any major campaign.


    Closing in on the gate, Vlaad heard Petrov and Fyodor curse from somewhere behind him. Fearing they might have been shot, he adjusted his grip on the reins and looked back over his shoulder.


    Both men appeared fine, but their mounts had come to an abrupt halt and were pawing at their heads while slowly attempting to back away.


    ¡°GET IN FORMATION!¡± Dimitriy cried angrily, ¡°GET IN FORMATION NOW OR YOU WILL BE WHIPPED!¡±


    Threats of whipping was Dimiriy¡¯s go-to punishment when a mission was underway. The fact that he had a custom made minotaur hide whip looped through his belt was a testament to how much Dimitriy enjoyed backing up his threats.


    Dimitriy was first to clear the ruined battering ram and pass through the gate, officially entering the city.


    *


    Something hard hit the inside of the wall and gave off a muted metallic crashing sound.


    Igor¡¯s Ironfur skidded to a halt just as Igor was about to clear the gate, ¡°OH F-¡±


    *


    A huge pair of reptilian jaws snapped down and tore Igor from his saddle. Only, Igor¡¯s hands were still holding the reins, and a mess of bowels and intestines sitting atop Igor¡¯s hips was still sitting on the saddle.


    Before the Ironfur could retreat, A second set of jaws descended and clamped down on the Ironfur, effortlessly throwing it up into the air and out of sight before disappearing from view.


    A wet crunching sound came from the other side of the gate.


    The twenty one remaining Ironfurs made sounds of panic and pain as they began backing away.


    ¡°Fuck this!¡± Josef grunted shrilly, turning his Ironfur about and racing away back towards their camp.


    Vlaad couldn¡¯t agree more, mentally Commanding his mount to do the same.


    As his Ironfur was hurriedly turning back towards their camp, Vlaad¡¯s heart froze.


    A pair of giant grey scaled reptiles were leaning down and passing through the gate, their jaws caked with blood and trailing human intestines.


    Vlaad dug his heels into the sides of his Ironfur and cast away his shield in a panic. The primal part of his brain knew that he would only survive the coming danger if he could move faster or out manoeuvre his own comrades. A shield would impede that effort, so it had to go.


    *


    Boris and his Ironfur were impaled by a javelin and tumbled a dozen feet end over end.


    Looking over his shoulder, Vlaad¡¯s heart froze.


    The giant bipedal reptiles were not alone, they had riders. Worse still, the nearest rider was no less than the armoured Ogre they had been sent to investigate. And he was preparing to throw another javelin...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 45 – The meat grinder – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 45 ¨C The meat grinder ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 45 - The meat grinder - Part Two


    The outermost wall was lost. When the enemy realised they couldn¡¯t take it, they resorted to making it completely inhospitable. Instead of boulders, the trebuchets and catapults launched burning pots of oil and tar.


    As tenacious as the Asrusian soldiers and officers were, they weren¡¯t suicidal. Unable to continue fighting while dying from smoke inhalation or burning alive, the majority of the soldiers retreated and were evacuated. The rest weren¡¯t so lucky.


    I had cleared my nose and mouth out with salinated water close to a dozen times and I still couldn¡¯t get rid of the smell and taste of burning flesh and hair. I couldn¡¯t eat or sleep, so I returned to the second wall to passively contribute to maintaining morale.


    The winding path leading from the first gate to the second was littered with bodies. Most of the dead were Slaves, but some of the bodies belonged to imperial soldiers.


    The enemy seemed to have concluded that throwing Slaves at the problem wasn''t working. On the upside, the assaults against the city had slowed, becoming less frequent. Unfortunately, those same assaults were far more organised and better equipped. Even their Slaves were now given shields to increase their chances of reaching the next wall.


    To a limited extent, the strategy was working. Arming the Slaves with shields had more than tripled the distance they cleared before succumbing to withering hails of arrows.


    The design of the ramp tempted the invaders to attempt to take shortcuts by scaling the aggressive incline, but slowing for even a few moments at a time was a death sentence, and the shields of the Slaves provided no cover while they were struggling to keep their balance.


    The Dominators were still in recovery from excessive consumption of Evolution Elixirs. Before blacking out from the alcohol, the Dominators managed to collectively seize control over close to a  thousand Slaves. I was still chewing willow bark to dull the pain.


    Losing the outer wall had dealt a severe blow to Asrusian morale. The civilians were more terrified than ever and seemed to be on the verge of rioting in the streets. The military was a different beast altogether.


    I had overheard more than one group of soldiers quietly complaining about the lengths being taken to save ¡®the enemy¡¯. Nadine had very nearly been assaulted by a grieving soldier before other soldiers had intervened to drag the offender away.


    Nadine was just doing her best to preserve life, specifically human life, regardless of who they had been sworn to serve hours before.


    The Parole Officers were not faring much better. From the perspective of the soldiers, they were traitors. The majority of the rescued slaves were ethnically imperial, and someone seemed to be deliberately misleading the soldiers with stories of Asrusian soldiers being killed by those Slaves shortly before the Slaves were ¡®forced¡¯ to change sides.


    Bizarrely, the monsters were given a free pass despite being many times more likely to have earned the enmity being leveled against the human Slaves. As best I could understand it, the liberated imperials were being judged guilty by association, and their role as unwilling Slaves was being deliberately ignored or downplayed by the rumour monger to incite chaos.


    Fesk struck my breastplate with his fist and motioned towards the sky. #Enemy is above.#


    I looked up into the night sky following the direction Fesk had indicated. Something large and dark was blotting out the stars and circling above the city. #I. See. It.# I signed back.


    Fesk nodded and pointed towards the enemy camp. #Came from this.#


    #Certain?# I signed hesitantly.


    Fesk nodded determinedly, #Certain.#


    Whatever it was, it was outside of my range of influence and too far away to see anything besides a dark vague outline.


    #I see light.# Fesk signed urgently, pointing to the dark shape in the sky.


    After staring for a few moments longer, I could see that Fesk was right. There was a small pinprick of light above the dark shape in the sky, but it disappeared shortly after I spotted it. As best I could figure, the dark shape was a tamed flying monster, and the person on top of it was human. Otherwise, there would be no reason for risking a light source since most humanoid monsters I had encountered could see in the dark to one degree or another.


    ¡°Can you see what the monster looks like?¡± I asked, too impatient to think of the signs required to articulate my concerns.


    Fesk nodded.


    ¡°Can you draw it out on something? I doubt anyone besides us has even noticed it, and it might be important,¡± I explained sourly while continuing to track the flying monster with my eyes as it circled the city.


    Fesk nodded again before hurrying towards a nearby brazier and retrieving a burnt piece of charcoal from the edge. Hurrying back, Fesk wasted no time in sketching out a crude depiction of the monster on the parapet.


    Fesk was by no means an artist, his sketch was crude and the proportions seemed...off. However, each key feature of the monster was readily recognisable. It was some sort of giant bird of prey, an owl, as best I could tell.


    ¡°We need to find Gregory,¡± I announced and pointed towards the former nobles'' district up the mountain while heading for the closest set of stairs.


    With Ushu and Cooper recovering inside of the Labyrinth, I didn¡¯t have much choice in how I would proceed up the mountain. So while I did my best to proceed on foot, Fesk ¡®borrowed¡¯ one of the carnivorous goats so he could keep up with me.


    I tried to keep the giant owl in my sights, but it became difficult as I was forced to navigate the winding roads of the city. By the time I made it to the final district, I was thoroughly convinced that the rider was going to begin dropping burning jars of oil onto the city.


    Thankfully, they didn¡¯t. However, by the time I reached the former adventurers guild building, the giant owl had disappeared while heading south-east of the city.


    ¡°I need to see Gregory, now!¡± I commanded the sentries outside before seeing myself into the building and heading for the former holding cells. It was the only room with any degree of privacy that I could fit inside of anymore.


    The commanding officer of the sentries sent a runner that sprinted past me in the main hall before diverting along a different passageway.


    The doors to the room had been replaced with a much larger singular iron-banded door. The guards posted in the corridor saluted as I passed them by but didn¡¯t say a word. One of their faces was vaguely familiar, and while I could place a name to the face, it was only due to the nature of being the Tyrant, not because I remembered it of my own accord.


    A pile of partially disassembled cages was stacked in one corner of the room. A range of pry bars, axes and large hammers were neatly laid out against the nearby wall. No doubt the Asrusians were recycling the materials to continue fuelling their war effort. The Hurst Labyrinth could supply a sizable amount of iron, but it required strong teams with the right equipment to destroy the wild monsters that dropped the iron bars upon their death.


    Fesk stared at the cages and curled his lips in contempt. He had yet to volunteer information regarding his life beneath the rule of the Liche, but it was obvious that there was more to it than I had originally expected.


    ¡°Majesty, you sent for me?¡± Gregory called out in greeting while closing the door.


    ¡°Fesk spotted a giant owl, a bird, with a rider flying above the city. He said it came from the direction of the imperial war camp, but I saw it fly off to the south-east while making my way here,¡± I explained tersely, hoping Gregory would be able to provide some answers.


    Fesk had drawn another crude approximation of an owl while I was speaking, and Gregory grimaced.


    ¡°A Night Haunter, or an Evolution similar enough to it,¡± he explained with barely suppressed irritation, ¡°A favourite reconnaissance Beast used by the core families of the confederacy. They were likely gathering information before sending the command to their hired muscle to let loose the Gnolls on the imperials. We have been feeding them false information using the communication devices seized from the Golden Boar leadership that fell in the Labyrinth. However, it has now been made clear that the confederacy is planning something else.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I pressed, deeply concerned that things would somehow get worse.


    Gregory took a moment to wet his lips with his tongue, ¡°I can¡¯t be absolutely certain, but I suspect the confederacy is going to attempt an ambush on the imperials, just not in the way we originally expected. A final accounting of the Slave collars from the Golden Boar camp, including those that had been in use, has been settled at two thousand and seventeen.¡±


    ¡°That would do some damage, but not as much as we thought,¡± I agreed before suddenly realising that there was a problem with our original assumption.


    Gregory grimaced and nodded, no doubt assuming I had come to the same realisation that he had, ¡°The imperials would have lost a few soldiers and Slaves, but they would have then seized control over the remaining Gnolls with comparatively little effort, and having left the ambush with more resources than they lost.¡±


    ¡°The Gnolls were never intended to ambush the imperials,¡± I agreed, ¡°They were to ambush the remaining defenders of the city.¡±


    Gregory nodded dourly, ¡°I have received reports from our Rangers that enemy supply trains have been found already pillaged, and have not been able to determine who is responsible. We had believed that it may have been adventurers that had turned to banditry, but the Night Haunter changes things.¡±


    ¡°You think the confederacy is waiting for us to bloody up the imperials so they can ambush them from behind?¡± I guessed while wincing slightly. This intervention action was going to drag on much longer than I had originally expected.


    ¡°I believe so, Majesty,¡± Gregory agreed sourly, ¡°The imperial expeditionary force is concentrated here outside of the city. If the confederates can hit them hard enough, the blow will signal the end of imperial involvement in the region. Allowing the confederates free rein to attack our cities at will with little to no fear of interference.¡± His eyes burned with anger and a profound weariness that transcended the need for sleep, ¡°We may have to consider abandoning the city.¡±


    The Confederates¡¯ army wasn¡¯t as large as the imperials, but it had far more professional soldiers than Slaves. In many respects, it represented a far greater danger to the city than the Imperials¡¯ swarming tactics.


    ¡°Evacuating the civilians should be made a priority,¡± I agreed, ¡°Starting with those in the lower district.¡±


    Gregory nodded in agreement but remained silent. He was very likely going to receive a great deal of pushback from those living higher in the city. At least he wouldn¡¯t need to deal with any nobles'' interference through their influence. After all, there was only one noble house left in the city, and they were very much indebted to Gregory via proxy.


    ¡°Also, I think it might be best to try and think of a way we can bloody both our enemies at the same time. Ril can sever the connection to the Gateway, but it won¡¯t be difficult for them to figure out what it does. Someone would have to be left behind to destroy it,¡± I cautioned with great reluctance, ¡°Even then, they still might figure it out. It would be best not to lose the city at all. Even if it means losing thousands of our men...The moment they figure out that troops can be moved at will from one point to another, they will just divide their army and hit you hard in enough places that you can¡¯t defend more than one or two without committing to an eventual defeat.¡±


    Gregory¡¯s shoulders slumped and he looked away with a dejected expression in his eyes, ¡°I believe you are right, Majesty. The now tamed Labyrinths provide shelter for our people, and your presence bolsters the courage of the civilians and soldiers alike, but the Gateways are our most crucial advantage. If our enemies can confirm its existence, the war might very well be over, our kingdom lost.¡±


    I shook my head and sighed. Gregory was definitely on my side, but I couldn¡¯t help but think he was over-dramatising the fall of their kingdom. ¡°What makes this a kingdom?¡± I asked patiently, ¡°The land? The ruler? Its laws? Or its people?¡±


    Gregory stiffened momentarily and then shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I believe it is all of them, Majesty,¡± he replied hesitantly.


    That was a good point, but not the one I was trying to make. ¡°True, it is all of them, to one degree or another. But if we lost this city, and the people were taken. Do you think they would stop considering themselves as Asrusian?¡±


    Gregory froze and blinked several times as he tried to come up with an answer.


    ¡°They have no land, they no longer have your laws or king to protect them, just themselves and one another,¡± I pressed on ruthlessly, ¡°By ruling of your earlier statement, they would be vagabonds only, no longer entitled to the protection and attention of the king and laws of your ancestors, their rights to surviving property stripped and left bare for anyone to take. Abandoned by those they had once identified as his own people, because they are no longer Asrusian, and they no longer belong.¡±


    Gregory winced, ¡°I see your point, Majesty,¡± he conceded quietly, ¡°Our kingdom is its people. So long as they endure, so too does the kingdom.¡±


    I nodded with satisfaction. Of course, everything was far more complicated than that, but I wanted the civilians out of the city and harm''s way. If the imperials and confederates wanted the city, they were going to need to pay for every stone in blood.


    ¡°There have been rumours spreading amongst the soldiers. Someone is trying to stir up trouble,¡± I commented, having very nearly forgotten my original intentions of warning Gregory, ¡°Nadine was almost assaulted, and several of my Parole Officers have had to discipline soldiers attempting to assault former imperial Slaves being shepherded to the Labyrinth for potential recruitment.¡±


    Gregory¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°I am aware of this problem, Majesty, and I am looking into it. I believe there may be imperial insurgents in the city. It was the primary reason I have been so reluctant in allowing the civilians into the Labyrinth thus far.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t taking the oaths prevent insurgents from being able to function effectively?¡± I asked, concerned by the news that there might be sleeper agents in the civilian population.


    ¡°They should,¡± Gregory agreed reluctantly, ¡°But oaths are not infallible, and an insurgent with a death wish might manage to communicate a message before succumbing to the effects of breaking their oath. The only way to control that risk is by adding additional oaths, which will slow evacuation efforts considerably. But I suppose we don¡¯t have much choice.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed with some dissatisfaction. The possibility of insurgents being allowed even adjacent access to Sanctuary was unnerving.


    ¡°There is something else, Majesty. I received a message forwarded from Sanctuary. The Alchemists believe they have discovered the means to create Healing and Rejuvenation potions,¡± Gregory¡¯s spirits seemed to ease somewhat upon delivering the news.


    ¡°I can assume that Healing potions restore HP and magically heal injuries,¡± I stated warily, ¡°But what do Rejuvenation potions do?¡±


    Gregory managed to find the energy to smile, ¡°They restore mana, Majesty,¡± he replied eagerly, ¡°Production seems to have hit a bottleneck due to limited ingredients required for each potion, but their ability to create them at all is good news indeed.¡±


    ¡°They can restore mana?¡± I repeated in shock, ¡°You are sure?¡±


    Gregory nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Indeed, Majesty. They are only the lesser variants of the potions, but they are certainly better than nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I agreed, already in the process of drafting a separate quest for the Surgeons to allow them access to the new potions.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t making them available to the rank and file, are you?¡± Gregory asked while giving me an appraising look.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I confirmed, ¡°Giving the Surgeons priority will save more lives.¡±


    Gregory looked like he was about to argue, but he paused for a few moments and then slowly nodded in agreement, ¡°You are probably correct Majesty. I defer to your judgement.¡±


    This wouldn¡¯t stop other soldiers from having access to the potions. It would just mean that they would need to go through the Surgeons, and I think that Gregory must have realised that on his own. If anything, it would make distributing the potions easier since the majority of redemption items for Surgeons were incredibly low cost when compared to those consumed by regular and specialised soldiers.


    ¡°The ingredient shortage, is it something your Regent can fix through trade? Or is this an issue of extreme rarity?¡± I asked, curious to determine if there was a way I could resolve the issue, or if it would just need to be left to someone else.


    Gregory shifted a little uncomfortably, ¡°I am not privy to the list of specific ingredients, but my understanding is that they are specialties of Sanctuary and are profoundly rare beyond its borders. Some of the ingredients might be available for sale, but not in the quantities we would require. Assuming we would be able to conduct the trade in the first place. Our former trade network is in shambles, and we cannot be sure who we can trust,¡± he explained with an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°It would have to be the mana flowers...¡± I muttered while trying to think of what was truly unique to Sanctuary.


    Gregory had clearly overheard me and didn¡¯t seem to be at all surprised.


    Fesk looked curious but remained still.


    There was a relatively simple solution, but I wasn¡¯t going to force the issue without the input of an expert.


    * sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A tall lithe bodied woman with long flowing green grass-like hair and pale yellow-green skin appeared in the space between Gregory and Fesk. Wearing a wooden mask with stag-like antlers and thick segments of bark in place of body armour, I recognised Hana immediately, even without seeing her face.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Hana asked curiously, the mask somehow distorting her voice to sound ominous and ancient, ¡°Just a moment,¡± Hana held up one hand to the mask and pressed her palm flat against it. The mask evaporated like water on hot pavement. ¡°Is that better?¡± She asked somewhat sheepishly with her normal voice.


    ¡°You sound like yourself,¡± I corrected with a small smile, ¡°That mask was interesting though.¡±


    Hana shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s your ability, not mine,¡± she smiled briefly before looking around and taking note of the dismantled cages in the corner.


    ¡°Hana, is it possible to grow more Groves?¡± I asked respectfully, unsure of what to expect. Besides gathering and condensing mana, there wasn¡¯t much more I knew about them.


    Hana stiffened and turned back towards me while eyeing Gregory suspiciously, ¡°It is possible,¡± she agreed hesitantly.


    ¡°But there is a problem?¡± I guessed.


    Hana nodded, ¡°A grove isn¡¯t meant to be exclusive,¡± she explained patiently, ¡°It is meant to be shared. The Grove draws mana from a large area, condensing it, making it easier to be absorbed. One Grove cannot exist in competition with another for long before the greater will starve the lesser into submission and entropy.¡±


    ¡°The Grove can grow larger?¡± I asked in surprise. I hadn¡¯t been aware of that.


    Hana nodded with a serious expression in her eyes, ¡°The Grove in Sanctuary will grow over time on its own because it is mine. I am a part of it, and it is a part of me. As I grow, so will the Grove.¡±


    Gregory¡¯s eyes widened with shock, ¡°You are the Dryad,¡± he whispered almost breathlessly.


    Hana gave Gregory another critical glance before looking back at me again, ¡°Why do you need more Groves?¡± She asked curiously, ¡°Are the guardians not enough?¡± Hana was obviously unsure whether she could trust Gregory and probably Fesk as well, so she was being deliberately vague in avoiding mention of the Daemons and Angels guarding the Grove.


    ¡°The mana potions being made by the Alchemists, they are using mana flowers and the water from the well aren¡¯t they?¡± I asked, rephrasing my answer in the form of a question that would likely allow her to arrive at the conclusion for herself.


    ¡°They do,¡± Hana agreed with a knowing smile on her lips, ¡°And you wish to create more Groves to cultivate more flowers,¡± she nodded in understanding before slowly shaking her head, ¡°Without a Dryad, or a sufficiently powerful and skilled Druid to tend to them, the flowers will not grow in the numbers you require.¡±


    ¡°I figured that might be the case,¡± I admitted. It was why I had summoned her rather than making promises to Gregory I knew I might not be able to honour.


    ¡°Honoured Dryad,¡± Gregory bowed and placed a hand over his heart, ¡°You said the Grove will grow as you do. Does that mean the Grove would be able to grow if we provided you with the necessary resources?¡±


    Hana looked sidelong at me with obvious uncertainty and hesitation in her almond-shaped eyes. No doubt unsure whether Gregory could be trusted.


    I gave Hana a small nod and she grew visibly more relaxed.


    ¡°I would need powerful mana stones,¡± Hana admitted with slight hesitation, ¡°Or many weak Elixirs. The weaker mana stones wouldn¡¯t be worth the time it takes to consume them.¡±


    Gregory mulled this information over before eventually coming to some sort of decision and nodding to himself. ¡°My people would be willing to sacrifice a portion of our share of Evolution Elixir to provide for your growth and the growth of Sanctuary¡¯s Grove. Assuming this offer is agreeable to you honoured Dryad?¡±


    Hana coked her head slightly to one side while considering the offer before looking to me again for permission.


    ¡°It¡¯s your deal to make, Hana. If you believe it is in your and Sanctuary¡¯s best interests then I won¡¯t interfere or second guess you,¡± I reassured her.


    Hana nodded in thanks before turning back to Gregory, ¡°We have a deal, and Tim will be our witness,¡± she added as a not too subtle threat.


    Gregory bowed again, ¡°I will make the arrangements. Thank you.¡± He saw himself out while pulling out his communication device.


    ¡°He was one of the Asrusians,¡± Hana guessed, stating the obvious.


    ¡°Yeah, one of the few with a direct line of communication with their regent, the man in charge of their people,¡± I added the extra explanation in case Hana wasn¡¯t aware of what a regent was, as well as adding some additional context to his bargaining position.


    Hana nodded slightly before focusing her attention on Fesk, ¡°This is the mute,¡± she stated, ¡°One of the Liche¡¯s former minions.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°He is, and was.¡±


    Hana seemed troubled by his presence, ¡°I won''t let my sister strike out on her own until I am certain she will be safe,¡± she insisted adamantly.


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed supportively, ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t ask her to, or you for that matter. I summoned you so we could talk, not so I could issue commands. I wanted to learn more about our options, and you are the best expert we have on the subject.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Hana looked a little embarrassed, ¡°I mean, I knew you wouldn''t, but still...¡±


    ¡°I never had any siblings, but she¡¯s your sister, and I respect that relationship. Besides, she has been through enough,¡± I sighed, removing my helmet and running my free hand over my face to rub some feeling back into it.


    Hana grew more embarrassed.


    ¡°How did you know Fesk was the mute?¡± I asked as a means of changing the subject.


    Hana looked mildly surprised, ¡°Oh, Qreet tells me just about everything she learns from her ¡®explorations¡¯ after our mediation sessions. I think she might be a few months from becoming an Arch Druid herself.¡±


    Explorations was obviously referring to the integrated memories of Qreet¡¯s experiences while summoned, but the news of Qreet approaching a Master tier Class through her own effort was huge. ¡°Really?¡± It was impossible to keep the excitement from my voice.


    Hana nodded enthusiastically, ¡°She is very dedicated. If she wasn¡¯t interrupted so often, she might have unlocked the Class already.¡±


    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much that could be done about that. Qreet was the backbone of the Asrusian resettlement effort, although...That burden could be lessened significantly if one of the Daemons could learn the Earth Mage Class. With another Daemon providing the shelters and defensive walls, Qreet would only be needed for assisting with crops.


    ¡°Hana, when you return, or remember, whatever,¡±I waved my hand dismissively before pressing on, ¡°Ask the Daemons if any of them would be interested in becoming an Earth Mage.¡±


    Hana looked surprised for a moment and then nodded in agreement, ¡°Alright. A couple of them are still uncertain of their path, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if at least one of them considers it.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s hoping,¡± I agreed just as Hana disappeared.


    There would be little doubt that the army would be tripping over itself to summon a Daemon Earth Mage. Erecting a traditional defensive structure in a matter of moments was the sort of thing they were hoping for in training their own Earth Mages.


    #Break is over.# I signed before leaving the room and heading towards the Labyrinth to fetch Ushu. He needed to be fed and watered before taking him through the city, so it was better to get started sooner rather than later. If Ushu was tired, he could just rest beside the wall.


    Contrary to my expectations, Ushu was already awake. This saved some time as I was able to set out some food while a team of former Slaves assisted me in saddling him.


    The walk back down to the warehouse and low-income district was almost entirely uneventful. Ushu was capable of being disconcertingly quiet when he had a mind to be, and without the allure of impressing a crowd, he apparently saw no need to be any louder than was necessary. It was oddly considerate of him, in a narcissistic self-serving sort of way.


    Of course, Ushu¡¯s behaviour changed quite dramatically once we reached the lower district. With so many soldiers moving about in spite of the late hour, Ushu had found his audience.


    Huffing in anticipation, Ushu lurched into a more dramatic and much louder stalking gate, hissing, growling and snapping his jaws to seize the attention of the soldiers as he passed them by. All of which was completely unnecessary since Ushu¡¯s presence alone was more than enough to draw every eye in the vicinity.


    Ushu didn¡¯t stop preening once we reached the wall again, so I left the reins to Fesk so I could see if anything had changed in our absence.


    No man''s land was just as it had been when we left. Some minor steps had been taken towards moving the enemy camp closer to the outermost walls, but that had stopped when the sun set. As much as the imperials relied upon Enslaved monsters, they did not make particularly efficient use of their natural advantages. No doubt unable to bring themselves to trust Slaves, the watch duties were reportedly held entirely by the human professional soldiers.


    That was an opportunity.


    I looked to the sky before turning my attention to one of the nearby soldiers, ¡°You, Dennis, how far can you see beyond the wall?¡±


    The soldier nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise, no doubt alarmed at how I knew his name without asking for it. ¡°Uh, I um, I can see just past the first turn your lordship, Ah! I mean s-sir! Ah! I mean your Majesty!¡±


    That was about the distance I figured, but it was good to have confirmation.


    There was no real cover to be found in no man¡¯s land, but Ushu¡¯s natural stalking abilities might be enough to close the distance to the enemy camp without being spotted. Provided Ushu had some form of cover, such as the cover of night, he would be near invisible to his prey at certain distances.


    Monsters with improved night vision would be able to see Ushu from a long way off, but the humans were a different story. I had been on the receiving end of his stalking abilities when I first encountered the Drakes in the Mournbrent Labyrinth. The mist had been all the Drakes had needed to launch devastating ambushes, so I was hoping the darkness would be enough against the imperial soldiers.


    For what I was planning, I could have made the trip completely on my own, but that was a completely unacceptable level of risk. As is, the imperials had already learned about the Drakes when Cooper and Ushu had countered a formation of cavalry entering the outermost walls. However, it was unlikely that they had managed to erect sufficient defences so quickly in order to counter what I was planning.


    Returning to Ushu, I drank several Elixirs to restore my mana. The mild buzz from the alcohol would pass within minutes, and I didn¡¯t want to deplete the mana potions when they could do good elsewhere.


    ¡°Fesk, you are going to want at least a couple of spare shields, we are going on a raid,¡± I informed him while doing my best suppress a sudden surge of nervous energy.


    Fesk looked quite surprised for a moment before nodding enthusiastically and tethering himself to the platform. A few moments later, a half dozen shields clattered onto the deck of the platform. Fesk mounted the shields on special hooks that would allow them to provide additional cover while not in use.  He already had his crossbow and a spare similarly mounted near the front of the platform along with quarrels of bolts arranged for easy access.


    I spent a few moments replenishing my supply of javelins. Technically, they were spears by human standards. I also made sure to firmly strap my shield to my left arm. The raid was already risky enough and I didn¡¯t want to chance getting struck through a gap in my armour.


    Ushu would very likely be fine. He had a second set of eyelids that were both transparent and seemingly impervious to most mundane attacks. However, a javelin fired by a ballista at close range might do the trick, so I had no intention of giving the enemy time to mount a proper counterattack.


    I leaned sideways in the saddle and pulled the reins to force Ushu to look at me, ¡°You see us through this raid in one piece, I¡¯ll make sure you get a special reward for your trouble,¡± I promised.


    Ushu''s large eye stared at me for a few moments before he dipped his head slightly to show he understood. Ushu huffed in irritation as I slackened the reins again. It was rather obvious that he didn¡¯t like the fact that I could ¡®manhandle¡¯ him like that, but I wanted to be sure I had his attention, so it was an unfortunately unavoidable grievance. Besides, the brute would be more than happy once he was feasting on his rewards.


    Without needing to be directed, Ushu began heading for the gate.


    Opening the gate was a slow time-consuming process. In order not to give away what was happening, all braziers within a certain distance of the gate had to be extinguished, and the gate itself had to be opened in increments so anyone that happened to be watching from the enemy camp would be less likely to notice.


    The outermost wall was still burning and curtained by smoke, so it was incredibly unlikely Ushu would be seen while descending the winding path.


    Ushu was a deceptively stealthy beast for his size, and had no problems navigating the darkness.


    ¡°When we reach the camp, I want you to find the enemy commander''s tent and take him out. You can kill any soldiers you see along the way, but leave the Slaves alone, understand?¡± I waited patiently for Ushu¡¯s reply.


    Close to a minute passed before Ushu huffed irritably and bobbed his head. He obviously wasn¡¯t keen on the idea of discriminating target selection in the heat of battle.


    ¡°He will probably be in one of the biggest tents or buildings,¡± I added, ¡°You know what those are?¡±


    Ushu growled irritably and I decided to take that as a yes.


    We made our approach so we would arrive at the left-most side of the enemy camp¡¯s defences with the intention of continuing along those defences until Ushu could find a weak point and break through or climb over. I had seen several areas of their wall that looked weak enough for Ushu to break through, but I wouldn¡¯t know for sure until we were much closer. For all I knew, those weak points might be deliberately staged that way to lure someone into a trap.


    This was why my plan didn¡¯t hinge upon successfully breaching the wall at all. Although, I would still very much prefer it if I could manage it.


    As I had hoped, the human sentries posted along their makeshift wall showed no signs of having noticed Ushu¡¯s presence, and the view afforded by the saddle gave me a decent layout of the camp.


    As I somewhat expected to be the case, huge cages full of Slaves dominated the far ends of the camp with the professional army holding the centre. The camp itself was patrolled by small squads of soldiers.


    The imperials had boxed themselves in with earthworks and makeshift walls on all sides of their elongated encampment. This made it rather obvious that their commanders would most likely be in the dead centre of the encampment.


    Unfortunately, that was where the wall was more fortified and had the most guards on watch.


    Wooden palisades had been erected in front of their walls, most likely to prevent a cavalry charge or a concerted assault trying to break the siege. Unfortunately for the imperials, Ushu had no problems pushing through the gaps between the palisades. Moving too slowly and carefully to give the palisades the opportunity to cause him harm.


    Without warning, Ushu took on a burst of speed, charging at a section of the earthworks. Despite the sudden increase in speed, Ushu remained relatively silent. Unfortunately, relatively silent was still more than loud enough for the closest sentries to notice the towering reptile bearing down on them.


    With muted terror, the sentries scrambled away from the earthworks just in time to move out of reach of Ushu¡¯s snapping jaws.


    Huffing in irritation, Ushu scaled the earthworks with minimal effort, his sheer weight causing a collapse as his forelimbs clawed out huge chunks of the packed earth.


    *


    We were already halfway through the enemy camp when the first official warning was given, and Ushu had already killed three dozen soldiers by trampling them in their sleep.


    Cries of alarm were rising from all directions as the imperials slowly began to mobilise


    It was already too late.


    I gathered the lion''s share of my mana and initiated the final step in my plan.


    *


    Another Drake materialised next to Ushu, his exact twin, the only difference being that the copy had no saddle and was armoured in ghost white steel plated barding.


    Ushu and his copy stared at one another for a handful of heartbeats before determinedly ignoring one another.


    With Ushu¡¯s summoned projection now headed for the centre of the enemy encampment, I decided that it would be best to withdraw before the enemy could coordinate a counterattack or effective defence.


    An arrow wreathed in crackling electricity glanced off of my shield, sending a small jolt of pain through my left arm and a series of minor spasms. Four more followed in rapid succession, rendering my left arm entirely numb.


    Ushu made as if to change course, but I held tight to the reins and continued directing him to the eastern side of the camp.


    Screams of terror echoed in our wake as Ushu¡¯s projection reached the command tent.


    Ushu roared in anger as a javelin smacked into his side, splintering as it expended its force against the thick iron plates of his barding.


    As we drew closer to the wall, a ballista crew ahead of us was desperately scrambling to winch the drawstring into place when one of their number caught a crossbow bolt to the neck.


    Still holding the reins with my numb left hand, I hurled a javelin with my right. I missed the member of the ballista crew I had aimed at but impaled another soldier through the chest that had been rushing over to take the fallen crew member¡¯s place.


    A second crossbow bolt caught another crew member in the thigh, causing him to collapse to the ground and scream in agony.


    Most of the soldiers streaming out of their tents were holding weapons, but almost none of them had armour on.


    A third crossbow bolt struck a soldier in the eye, dropping him on the spot.


    I threw another javelin, not really aiming at anyone in particular. I managed to impale one soldier through the stomach and a second through the thigh.


    Ushu continued crushing soldiers underfoot and scything them down with his talons, taking the opportunity to snap up anyone slow enough to not get out of his way.


    Just as we were clearing the earthworks, there was the screeching of metal as something hit me hard from my left side and nearly caused me to pitch out of the saddle. I nearly fell off a few moments later as Ushu leapt off the barrier and landed on the other side.


    The persistent pain in my arm and the scraping and clattering sounds against my breastplate did not bode well, but I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to stop and investigate. Staying in the saddle with only one good hand to keep hold of the reins was difficult enough already, and despite having lost ten HP during the raid, whatever was causing the pain didn¡¯t seem particularly urgent. If it was, I was certain I would have the Bleeding Condition or something similar besides Lesser Paralysis...


    *****


    Lash did her best to stay calm and relaxed. It was a far more difficult prospect than she had initially expected. Unable to breathe water like her children, Lash was learning from Toofy and her Daughter Ril how to adapt to the water.


    The first step was learning how to relax while underwater. Toofy had given Lash a hollow reed that allowed her to breathe without returning to the surface so Lash could acclimate to the feeling of being submerged in the water.


    Although initially quite proud, Lash became thankful for the consideration as time wore on. At the very least, the reed gave her the opportunity to watch her children as they played with Ril in the deeper section of the large pool.


    Not graceful by any stretch of the imagination, especially when compared to the aquatic Daemon, Suzy and Pete were nothing if not enthusiastic swimmers. Just as Ril had warned her, both of Lash¡¯s children had a tendency to sink to the bottom whenever they stopped actively trying to catch Ril¡¯s shimmering tail. It was in those moments that Lash was profoundly grateful that they could breathe water.


    After a while, Pete kicked, squirmed and crawled his way over to Lash and nestled himself against her breast before taking a nap. Lash used her arm to support Pete and stop him from drifting away.


    Toofy had joined the game with Ril and Suzy, propelling herself through the water with practised strokes of her arms and legs, all these while releasing a small stream of bubbles from nose or mouth. In direct contrast to her own children, Toofy seemed to float whenever she wasn¡¯t actively making an effort to move towards the bottom of the large pool. She took advantage of this to quickly return to the surface every so often to breathe before descending into the depths again to rejoin the game.


    Eventually, even Suzy grew tired and settled in alongside her brother.


    Toofy and Ril returned to the surface and Lash moved far enough into the shallows to bring her head above the water, but keep the twins below. They seemed to prefer being wet, and Lash didn¡¯t want to wake them when they were sleeping so peacefully.


    Toofy looked quite tired herself, so Lash could only assume that moving through the water must require a great deal of strength and endurance. Lash had felt that herself to a certain degree, so she wondered if it would be able to serve as a substitute for at least some of her regular training exercises. Raising the twins was going to take up most of her time, so it would be a welcome advantage if it proved true.


    Toofy¡¯s other daughter, Net, was sitting in the shallowest section of the pool and seemed content with running her hands and fingers through the water and smelling the flowers that grew on top of the large flat leaves.


    Lash felt sympathy for the poor child, and a deep seething hatred after learning that her blindness was the result of malicious violence, and not an accident. It was very likely that she would never be able to move beyond those shallows without her sister or mother by her side.


    *


    Lash turned around but saw no sign of Ril or Toofy, just ripples and a small wave of water.


    Very abruptly, the water disappeared and Lash found herself sitting on a wet stone floor. Immediately looking down, Lash released a ragged sigh of relief upon finding Pete and Suzy were still both still held firmly in her arms,


    Toofy was on her hands and knees a short distance away coughing up water onto the floor.


    Net was waving her arms around herself in confusion, ¡°What happened?!¡± She cried out with increasing panic, ¡°Where are we?!¡±


    Ril was laying flat on the ground, panting heavily as the plates on the side of her neck and chest fluttered feverishly for a few moments before snapping themselves shut. Ril¡¯s pale scaly skin had become paler still, and her arms trembled as she attempted to push herself up into a sitting position.


    Still hacking up water, Toofy doggedly crawled across the room to cradle Ril.


    *


    A cooking pot large enough to fit a Swamp Lurker appeared from nowhere and slammed into the ground beside Toofy and Ril, frightening Net and waking the twins.


    Toofy heaved Ril up and into the cooking pot, dislodging a large amount of water in the process and spilling it across the floor. Toofy briefly flopped onto the floor in exhaustion before grunting something unintelligible and crawling over to Net, who seemed to be on the verge of tears.


    Lash turned her attention to her own children, gently rocking them and making soothing noises in the hope that they would return to sleep. Both Suzy and Pete seemed determined to remain awake but thankfully seemed to be more excited than upset.


    ¡°Nnet is safe,¡± Toofy croaked while gently stroking Net¡¯s hair, pressing her daughter¡¯s head to her chest and hugging her tightly, ¡°No be scared, Toofy here.¡±


    Net hugged Toofy back and her trembling slowly began to lessen.


    ¡°Brrrrv!¡± Suzy exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°Mbbbmbmm!¡± Pete agreed.


    Both wins were flailing their chubby hands and arms towards the cloth curtain hanging over the door.


    Momentarily dividing her attention, Lash was surprised to find she could hear footsteps headed in their direction. More than that, she could feel them through the floor. Lash released a sigh of relief and relaxed as she recognised who was approaching.


    A large pale green hand pushed aside the curtain over the door and a few moments later Tim¡¯s familiar thick browed face peered into the room. His eyes locked onto hers almost immediately, sparing a moment to flick down towards their children before releasing a deep sigh and heading inside.


    Without saying a word, Tim spared a few moments to look over at the cooking pot and then at Ril and Net, before sitting down beside Lash and bodily pulling her onto his lap. Tim was trembling and Lash noticed a new pair of scars on his left arm as he embraced her and their children. ¡°I was worried...I thought...I am just glad you are all safe...¡± Tim hugged them tighter, his trembling only intensifying with each passing moment. ¡°Sanctuary was attacked,¡± he croaked with barely contained rage, ¡°The Liche came for you and our children!¡±


    Lash¡¯s blood turned to ice water as Tim¡¯s words settled into her mind. She still remembered the fear she had felt when in the Liche¡¯s presence, the numbing entropy that had attacked her senses. Lash felt Suzy and Pete squirm as they tried to climb over her and towards Tim. The ice water in her veins evaporated and was replaced with whie hot rage. No one was going to harm her children! Not while Lash still drew breath!


    Feeling a deep rumbling growl in Tim¡¯s chest, Lash knew that he felt the same.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 46 – As needs must – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 46 ¨C As needs must ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 46 - As needs must - Part One


    It had been one of the longest nights of my life. Gric¡¯s telepathic updates had been frequent but unsettling. The Liche¡¯s second invasion of Sanctuary was reported to have followed the same playbook as the first. While expendable undead and the Vampyr sought to create chaos and draw attention to themselves, the Liche and an elite cadre of powerful Vampyrs had appeared inside of the Grove without warning.


    Only this time, the Liche had attempted to head straight for the tunnel that led to my home. She was coming for me and my family. It was only through good fortune that Lash had taken the children out of the Grove.


    As best I could piece together events from the perspectives of Gric, Lash, and Toofy, since Ril was in a mana fatigue coma. Ril had been warned of the attack by Gric, and then immediately acted to move herself, Toofy, Anette, and my family from harm''s way.


    Figuring out why she had chosen to flee to the Laine Labyrinth had required some assumptions on my part, but I believed I had arrived at the most likely answer.


    The Liche had already demonstrated that she could move through the Hurst Labyrinth with seeming impunity, so nowhere could be relied upon to be safe from her reach. The Mournbrent Labyrinth was the Liche¡¯s home territory and going there would be begging for trouble. This left the Laine Labyrinth as the only available location theoretically outside of the Liche¡¯s immediate reach. Of course, that would change if the Liche became aware of the Gateways and managed to bypass the control measures, but even that was preferable to having the Liche appear directly inside of the Grove without warning.


    The fact that the Liche would now have to spend some time reconstituting her body before making another attempt was the only silver lining I could find. Dozens of militia had been wounded while fending off the undead, and several had been killed by the Vampyr before she had made her escape.


    I had failed to protect them.


    With the Liche temporarily destroyed, Gric and I had agreed that the Nursery would be open at all hours for the next couple of days. With the Liche temporarily out of commission, it would be best to make the most of the situation.


    Gregory quietly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, the sudden movement drawing me from my dark thoughts.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked somewhat irritably, making an effort to lower my voice. Lash and our children were sleeping in the house behind me, and I was sitting in front of the doorway. This also made it so Gregory and I were very nearly at eye level with one another.


    Gregory had already explained what he wanted, but I had forgotten after becoming distracted by my previous conversation with Gric.


    If he was in any way put out for having to wait so long for an answer only to then have to repeat himself, Gregory made no signs of it. ¡°Our Scouts have confirmed that your raid on the enemy camp appears to be having a greater impact than initially expected. Several smaller elements of the enemy force seem to be preparing to abandon the siege. The high command would respectfully wish to borrow the talents of your Majesty¡¯s Earth Mage to enlarge the secret escape tunnel out of the city.¡±


    ¡°Why do they need the tunnel made larger?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°High command wants to harry the fragmenting elements with our cavalry, but sallying out the front gate would largely defy the point and result in unacceptable casualties. However, if the escape tunnel were sufficiently enlarged, then it would be possible for our cavalry to manoeuvre without being detected by those maintaining the siege,¡± Gregory explained patiently.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°You can have Ochram return from Mournbrent so he can modify the tunnel. But I want the Dominators to accompany your cavalry so they can seize control over any Slaves.¡±


    Gregory bobbed his head respectfully, but shifted somewhat uneasily, ¡°That may not be the most effective use of their talents, Majesty. It is common practice in Imperial warfare to sell Slaves to other armies already deployed in the field rather than bring them back to the empire. This saves them the trouble of feeding and watering the Slaves, as well as allowing them to return to the empire that much sooner.¡±


    ¡°So they would only keep their personal Slaves and sell the rest?¡± I ground my teeth in irritation, ¡°Fine, the Dominators stay here. But I want Nila and her team to join the hunt. I need someone I can trust to make every effort to save any Slaves they come across.¡±


    Gregory looked surprised and made as if to glance over his shoulder before catching himself, ¡°Ah, does that mean that-¡±


    ¡°Cooper will be going as well?¡± I interrupted, ¡°Yes, he will. I doubt the splinter elements will go down without a fight, and this is a good opportunity for Nila and her team to get experience fighting out in the open.¡±


    Gregory seemed at a loss for words. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising considering how powerful Ushu and Cooper were when compared to the mounts used by the Asrusians and the Imperials.


    ¡°Ask Nadine to send one of her most promising students with Nila for field experience,¡± I added, not wanting to risk losing Cooper to an otherwise treatable injury. It would be downright embarrassing if Cooper was disabled by another blow to the ankle or shin.


    ¡°Ah, of course!¡± Gregory agreed, almost falling over himself in his eagerness to make the most of the opportunity, ¡°I will make the arrangements right away!¡± Gregory turned to leave but stopped himself at the last moment, ¡°Ah, but the matter of Her Majesty¡¯s protection?¡±


    ¡°Handled,¡± I grunted, nodding towards the armoured Orcs surrounding the immediate area, ¡°For now.¡±


    Gregory considered my answer for a moment before apparently deciding he wasn¡¯t going to risk his unexpected gains in a fight he was not going to win.


    Watching Gregory leave, I released a deep sigh. I had made a deal with the Orcs that imposed a number of additional enforced requirements in exchange for a fast track to citizenship. Lash¡¯s brief appearance had been more than sufficient to earn unanimous participation.


    I had thought about the situation a number of times and realised that the deal was actually skewed rather heavily in their favour. Similar to the Gnolls, there were a number of attributes and qualities that Orcs considered when choosing their mate. Height, build, skills, ability to provide, combat prowess, and prestige.


    It was that final quality that the assembled Orcs would accrue in abundance. Personally serving their Tyrant, his Tyrantess and their children. For lack of a better term, they would be our royal guards, a unique position of status within Sanctuary. This was quite fortunate for them since they would only experience a single Evolution in their lifetime and would otherwise lose out as Variant Orcs dominated the competition for partners through bulk obtained through accumulated Evolutions.


    The Humans would all be facing a similar bottleneck of Evolution. The next generation would be something different entirely. Many soldiers had already reached the limits of their Evolution, and no small number of civilians in the Hurst Labyrinth had as well. A handful of Human and Orc Hybrids would be hatched in the next couple of days, and they would be the first examples of what Human Evolution was capable of.


    As a means of sweetening the deal with the armoured Orcs, I had guaranteed them each the means to Evolve within the next couple of days. It wouldn¡¯t take many resources and would make them all the better suited at their intended role. Of course, I had made the offer before realising how valuable the prestige of their position would be, so I was a little annoyed at myself for not having better business sense.


    I very likely would have still evolved the Orcs anyway. After all, their effectiveness in protecting my family would only stand to be improved by Evolving. However, I would have also asked for more in exchange. Each Orc had taken vows to die protecting my family if necessary, but I had felt too guilty to push that vow into specifics. Knowing now the value of what I had offered in exchange, I would have stipulated actively intercepting attacks upon my family with their own bodies if needed, something akin to the trope from action movies.


    I ¡®could¡¯ still make them take another vow, or force them to the act through Command, but it felt wrong. I just had to take the loss and do better when negotiating in the future.


    The scars on my left forearm itched as the cold night air brushed over my skin. The scars were twins left over from the same injury. While retreating from the enemy camp, a javelin fired by a ballista penetrated my shield and tore through my arm.


    Nadine had insisted on tending the wound herself, but after we confirmed that there was no arterial damage, I resolved to let the wound heal on its own after being sewn shut. Nadine hadn¡¯t been happy about it, but the wound had closed entirely within an hour, and I didn¡¯t even have to pull out the stitches.


    My mysterious biology seemed just as capable of breaking down foreign matter as it was breaking down food. After the wound had healed, the stitches on the outside of my body had simply brushed away at the touch.


    Receiving the stitches revealed a potential problem. Nadine had struggled to push the needle through my skin and had to resort to a larger needle just so she could apply more force. As I continued to Evolve, this problem would only grow more difficult. Other monsters would have similar issues as well, as their Racial Abilities defences hindered the application of first aid and minor surgery.


    Thankfully, a solution to that problem was already in the works. The push to have as many different Species trained in the Surgeon Classes and in the necessary medical practices would allow each Species to tend to their own in emergencies. Even in a worst-case situation, a Surgeon could direct someone stronger to make the stitches, although it likely wouldn¡¯t be as effective due to a lower level of skill.


    I wasn¡¯t sure when I fell asleep, but waking with the sun on my face, I felt a sudden surge of panic as I recalled what had happened during the night. My heart didn¡¯t stop hammering in my chest until I made sure Lash and our children were alright.


    Lash had swaddled Pete and Suzy in soaked cloth from Ril¡¯s cauldron. Lash cradled them both to her chest while she slept, ignoring the discomfort imposed by the damp. I wanted to stay, but I had to check on Fesk.


    Fesk had taken two arrows and a crossbow bolt to the back while we were retreating from the enemy camp. None of the injuries had been life-threatening, but they had been severe enough to require Nadine¡¯s expertise and supervision.


    Ushu was still waiting by the portal, just as I had left him. He stirred at my approach, huffing irritably and shaking himself to cause the armoured plates of his barding to clunk and rattle noisily. A pit beside Ushu was stained with blood and littered with stray scraps of flesh. It was the remnants of the feast I had rewarded him with for so zealously assaulting the enemy camp.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have them remove your armour so you can rest in peace,¡± I promised before heading for the portal.


    Ushu huffed loudly in irritation, displacing a cloud of dust in my wake before closing his eyes.


    I sent one of the guards posted on the other side of the portal to rouse a team of Ushu¡¯s handlers to remove his barding. The guard was profoundly relieved upon realising he would only be serving as a messenger and not approaching Ushu himself.


    I set out for the field hospitals on foot, and it didn¡¯t take long for a patrol to fall into line behind me. I could only figure that soldiers were under orders to follow me if they ever found me travelling the city alone.


    The field hospitals weren¡¯t seeing much traffic, which was reassuring. Not only because there were fewer soldiers requiring treatment for injuries, but because it meant that the enemy offensive had continued to stall.


    I found Fesk sitting on a cot and conversing with Nadine in sign language.


    #-maybe once the war is over.# Nadine signed before pausing briefly. #I am needed here.#


    Fesk nodded in understanding, but his hands remained still as he looked towards the entrance to the warehouse and found me ¡®eavesdropping¡¯ on their conversation.


    Following Fesk¡¯s shift in focus, Nadine gave a small start as she noticed me as well.


    ¡°Uh, Fesk is doing better?¡± I asked somewhat awkwardly, wanting to defuse the situation but unable to think of something else to say.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, he is,¡± Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly, ¡°There were some minor complications, so it was for the best that we kept him under observation...¡±


    ¡°Complications?¡± I was relieved that Fesk was healthy, but learning that not everything had gone as expected was somewhat disconcerting.


    Nadine nodded, rapidly regaining her composure as she manhandled Fesk to expose his back.


    Fesk¡¯s body was littered with scars, both large and small. Some of them were from burns, others from cuts, and a few looked reminiscent of frost burn. I had seen these scars before, so I wasn''t particularly shocked or surprised.


    Nadine pointed to a fresh scar near Fesk¡¯s spine and above his right shoulder blade, ¡°There was a piece of corroded iron lodged in the bone of his shoulder blade,¡± she explained and pulled a small object out of her pocket.


    It looked like a small arrowhead.


    ¡°Fesk said that it is probably from a training exercise when he was younger,¡± Nadine grimaced and shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Training exercise, not accident,¡± she repeated sourly, ¡°Apparently, the Liche has the Thralls train with lethal force...Most of those scars are from...training...Fesk...He¡¯s been in pain for years...¡±


    ¡°But he couldn¡¯t tell anyone, or no one cared enough to remove the source of pain,¡± I guessed sourly.


    We used similar training methods in Sanctuary, but participation was optional, and healing was made available on the spot to avoid complications and dramatically reduce the chances of death and maiming. The combat experience was entirely different and far more valuable than traditional sparring, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that the Liche forced her minions to engage in the practice.


    ¡°Have you checked for other shrapnel?¡± I asked, concerned that Fesk might have more pieces of rusting metal causing him pain.


    Nadine blushed again and nodded, ¡°There were a couple of other pieces, but nothing bigger than a splinter...¡±


    I nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Scar tissue can encapsulate foreign objects to prevent them from causing more damage, but metals and organic material will be broken down over time. Those splinters might have once been several times larger.¡±


    Nadine just nodded, while avoiding eye contact and returning the corroded piece of metal to her pocket.


    ¡°The Liche attacked Sanctuary again,¡± I stated bluntly, both as a means of changing the subject and informing Nadine of what had happened.


    Nadine¡¯s face paled and her eyes grew wide as she took in a sharp breath of surprise.


    ¡°The attack was put down before the Liche could do any damage, but several guards were killed fighting off the Vampyr and her vanguard of sacrificial undead...¡±


    ¡°But Lash and your kids are fine?!¡± Nadine pressed with intense concern. It came as a surprise to me that she hadn¡¯t asked after Clarice or Emelia first, but I was also touched by her concern.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t there when the attack happened,¡± I replied carefully, unsure of who I could fully trust with the details of what had happened, ¡°They are being kept out of the Liche¡¯s reach.¡±


    Nadine gave me a curious look before briefly glancing at the soldiers waiting outside on the street and the small number of soldiers resting in cots on the far side of the warehouse. Nadine nodded in understanding, quite obviously having realised I couldn¡¯t speak freely.


    ¡°If you want to accompany Fesk back to the Labyrinth, we can discuss his recovery plan further,¡± I suggested.


    Nadine tightened her lips and nodded, ¡°He will recover faster with the Settlement buff anyway,¡± she commented slightly louder than was necessary before getting up off of Fesk¡¯s cot and heading to the rear of the warehouse where a small number of her students were gathered.


    #Sanctuary is safe?# Fesk signed with a look of concern before stiffly getting to his feet and revealing that he was stripped to his loincloth.


    #Complicated.# I signed back.


    Fesk nodded in understanding as he pulled on a fresh pair of pants and a tunic. Instead of his old padded armour, Fesk materialised a coat of dark padded silk. He seemed just as surprised as I was. The Asrusian royal crest was still emblazoned over the heart, but the toothy smiling face of Sanctuary was boldly stitched over the back from the collar to the waist.


    ¡°Spider silk,¡± I explained, suddenly realising where the materials had come from, ¡°The weavers must be sourcing a supply from the Desert Orcs.¡±


    Fesk wasn¡¯t to know who the Desert Orcs were, or perhaps even what a spider was, but he seemed to trust me enough not to make a fuss over it.


    ¡°It should be much stronger than your padded armour,¡± I added, trying to reassure him.


    Fesk just nodded and did his best to don the rest of his armour, drawing attention to the hole in the back of his breastplate.


    ¡°That¡¯s from the arrow that hit you?¡± I asked, pointing to the hole.


    Fesk nodded as he forced the spurred metal flat again with the heel of his boot, #Archer Class Ability.# He signed. #Armour Piercing Arrow.#


    I scratched the scar on my left forearm and realised that I must have been hit by the same attack made by a ballista. ¡°Does it require an arrow?¡± I asked, already suspecting the answer but wanting confirmation.


    Fesk shook his head, #Could be a rock. Could be a knife. Could be anything hard.# He had finished flattening the spurs and moved on to strapping his breastplate into place.


    ¡°You will need new armour,¡± I pointed out, earning another silent nod from Fesk. He wasn¡¯t the only one. My vambrace would need to be replaced as well.


    By the time Fesk had finished donning his armour, Nadine had made her arrangements with her students and was prepared to leave.


    Fesk and Nadine struck up another conversation in sign language while we walked through the city, but I decided to give them some privacy and paid more attention to our surroundings instead.


    Upon returning to the topmost district of the city, my escort returned to their duties, leaving us in relative privacy as we entered the Labyrinth shortly afterwards.


    ¡°-aren''t you just the cutest!¡± A familiar voice exclaimed, drawing my attention to our right and towards Ushu.


    Clarice was running a hand along Ushu¡¯s pale scales with a look of intense admiration, earning a prideful rumble from Ushu in response.


    Dhizi was keeping her distance and prowling the edge of Ushu¡¯s feeding pit for scraps.


    ¡°Clarice!¡± Nadine cried in surprise, ¡°What are you doing here?! You should be resting!¡±


    Clarice staggered away from Ushu in surprise, clutching at her chest, sweating and breathing hard as she looked towards Nadine, ¡°Bloody hell! Give me a heart attack, why don¡¯t you?!¡± Clarice exclaimed exasperatedly, earning a sympathetic hiss from Dhizi.


    Ushu huffed with impatience, nudging Clarice from behind and nearly bowling her over.


    ¡°Ushu is rather vain,¡± I explained with a smirk, recalling how Ushu had relished basking in the awe of the city¡¯s citizens.


    ¡°Ushu?¡± Clarice was quiet for a moment and then nodded solemnly, ¡°I think it¡¯s a good name,¡± she agreed while returning to running her hand over Ushu¡¯s scales.


    #In memory of a hero. Who sacrificed themselves. For Sanctuary,# Nadine signed to Fesk with the same solemn expression as Clarice.


    The reminder of the Bleak-Fang¡¯s abandonment by their guardian Spirit and Ushu¡¯s sacrifice dominated my thoughts for a short while before I was able to find my voice again. ¡°You loo


    k like you are doing better,¡± I commented, ¡°You aren¡¯t nearly so pale and thin as before.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± Clarice agreed awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better too. Ophelia insisted on helping me get back into shape so I could rejoin the fight.¡± This almost certainly meant that Ophelia had used her own Ability as a Fallen Angel to take the last of Clarice¡¯s persistent damage from the Liche into herself, allowing Clarice to begin recovering in earnest.


    Dhizi hissed excitedly in agreement but suddenly grew quiet as she drew Ushu¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Where did you find him anyway?¡± Clarice asked while examining one of Ushu¡¯s scars, ¡°Drakes are damned rare! And super intelligent!¡±


    Ushu huffed with pride, sending a small cloud of debris flying over Fesk and Nadine.


    ¡°I found Ushu and Cooper in the Mournbrent labyrinth-¡± I began to explain before stopping abruptly as Clarice gave me an even more curious look than before.


    ¡°Who is Cooper?¡± Clarice asked warily while eyeing Fesk.


    ¡°The other Drake,¡± I replied, ¡°I allowed Nila, his rider, to name him,¡± I explained quickly, wanting to distance myself from the blame.


    ¡°Cooper?¡± Clarice demanded, her voice laden with justifiable incredulity, ¡°You named a Drake, Cooper?...¡±


    ¡°Nila did,¡± I corrected somewhat defensively, ¡°And besides, it''s a far better name than the Vampyrs gave him anyway.¡±


    Without saying a word, Clarice made it clear that she highly doubted it. ¡°So who is this then?¡± Clarice demanded, nodding her head towards Fesk.


    ¡°His name is Fesk,¡± Nadine replied quite suddenly before I had the chance.


    ¡°Fesk?¡± Clarice didn¡¯t seem particularly impressed with his name either.


    #Hello.# Fesk signed, but his face was hidden beneath his helmet.


    ¡°Uh hi?¡± Clarice waved her free hand back at Fesk before looking back to Nadine, ¡°What¡¯s with all the waving?¡±


    ¡°Fesk is a mute,¡± Nadine replied somewhat heatedly, ¡°And that waving is how he talks!¡±


    ¡°Ehhhhh? Ooookay,¡± Clarice didn¡¯t seem convinced but also didn¡¯t seem to want to fight over it either.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Nadine insisted, ¡°Tim knows this whole language that can be spoken by using just your hands!¡±


    Clarice looked even less convinced than before.


    #You are being stupid!# Nadine signed emphatically.


    Clarice narrowed her eyes warily at Nadine, ¡°What did you call me?¡± She demanded quietly, her free hand tensing into a fist as her lips curled into a snarl.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t believe I could speak with my hands?¡± Nadine demanded in return.


    Clarice¡¯s eyes narrowed further, ¡°I know when someone is slagging me off!¡± She growled threateningly, ¡°Even if it¡¯s made up!¡±


    I imposed myself between them and then directed my attention towards Clarice, ¡°It¡¯s called sign language, Clarice. There were multiple kinds of it used back where I came from. This is the version I learned and taught to the others. How you move your hands and fingers signifies what you are trying to say. Some signs are obvious, but others are more nuanced. Toofy calls it hand talking, which is a good way of putting it I suppose.¡± I tried to end the explanation on a more humorous note to try and dissipate the tension.


    ¡°Hand talking?¡± Clarice seemed less doubtful than before and was less angry, but she seemed convinced not to let the insult go.


    ¡°Nadine just said you were being stupid, and you kind of were,¡± I added, ¡°Or at least, you were being excessively dismissive.¡±


    ¡°Hrmf,¡± Clarice huffed and turned her attention back to Ushu,


    Nadine and Fesk excused themselves and moved off towards one of the benches down the main road.


    ¡°Is sign language really real?¡± Clarice asked quietly, the anger in her voice replaced with uncertainty and regret.


    ¡°It is,¡± I replied honestly.


    Clarice sighed and shook her head, ¡°Figures,¡± she muttered bitterly, ¡°I just...I don¡¯t like it when people mess with me...¡± Clarice admitted defensively, ¡°I don¡¯t like it when they call me stupid either...I¡¯m not stupid...¡±


    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t,¡± I agreed supportively. Clarice was impulsive, abrasive, and prone to reckless confrontation, but not stupid.


    Still looking determinedly at Ushu¡¯s scales, Clarice gave a small smile, ¡°Thanks, Tim.¡±


    ¡°Are you really in good enough shape to fight?¡± I asked after a while. I was uncomfortable with the idea of Clarice joining the fighting if she was in less than her prime condition.


    Clarice shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Good enough,¡± she hedged, ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on fighting in the thick of it anyway, Dhizi wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡±


    Dhizi hissed in agreement.


    Reminded that Clarice shared a link with Dhizi, I was a little less apprehensive about Clarice joining any potential fighting. Dhizi would not indulge Clarice¡¯s recklessness if she thought it would put Clarice in mortal danger.


    ¡°I just...I figured it was about time I helped end this war already,¡± Clarice insisted, ¡°The Liche can¡¯t be allowed to keep attacking our home!¡± She slammed her fist against Ushu¡¯s side, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°It will be nice to have someone else I can trust watching my back,¡± I admitted honestly. Despite my steadily increasing combat experience, I was still painfully ignorant when it came to elements of common knowledge the natives took for granted. Like the fact that an Archer was not limited to using a bow and arrow to use their Class Abilities.


    Clarice¡¯s smile widened and she glanced briefly in my direction before looking away again, ¡°You do have a big back,¡± she joked somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Did you really let someone name a Drake after a barrel maker?¡±


    ¡°I did, but I still think it is far better than the edgy names the Vampyrs gave him,¡± I chuckled.


    Low growls and nervous giggling came from a short distance behind me, and looking over my shoulder I found loose packs of Gnolls appearing from the portal. I would have been concerned if they didn¡¯t have crude approximations of Sanctuary¡¯s sigil stained into their padded armour.


    The Gnolls'' arrival meant that the other floor was locked down and Rikit was ready to consolidate her position.


    Sure enough, Rikit appeared shortly after the first hundred or so males had passed through the portal, her borrowed bow held tightly in her left hand. ¡°Tyrant!¡± Rikit growled eagerly, shoving aside any of the other Gnolls that didn¡¯t get out of her way fast enough, ¡°Rikit ready for next task! Warriors need blooding!¡±


    ¡°You mean they need to be tested?¡± I asked, wanting to make sure I was understanding correctly.


    Rikit nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Rikit find fresh meat!¡± She pointed determinedly at a small group of Gnolls that were slightly larger than the others, but far less confident and lacking the padded armour of the others.


    ¡°They joined freely?¡± I pressed, carefully looking the Gnolls over for signs of Slave Collars.


    ¡°Yes, males join Rikit¡¯s pack,¡± she agreed emphatically, ¡°Still need blooding to prove strength!¡±


    ¡°The other portal still needs to be taken,¡± I pondered aloud, ¡°But I want Ochram to go with you. The portals need to be properly fortified and defended, and I doubt the Asrusians have the manpower to spare at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Rikit obey Tyrant,¡± Rikti bowed her head, ¡°Pack rest, gather strength,¡± She turned away and raised herself up to her full height, ¡°PACK RESTS!¡± Rikit barked, immediately quieting the smaller males, ¡°FOLLOW RIKIT!¡± She then began stalking off down the main street towards the distant gate, and the armoured encirclement of Orcs.


    ¡°I better go with her,¡± I hurriedly explained to Clarice, ¡°try not to feed Ushu too much, he had a large dinner last night.¡±


    Clarice was about to make a reply but was cut off by an angry growl from Ushu who no doubt disagreed with my request.


    To their credit, the Orcs didn¡¯t back down an inch, even after Rikit threatened to gut them with her impressively sharp claws.


    ¡°Rikit, they are guards tasked with protecting my family,¡± I explained patiently.


    Rikit paused and sniffed at the air for a moment before cocking her head curiously to one side, ¡°Tyrantess here?¡± She muttered quietly in confusion before looking at me, and then back towards the large stone house. Rikit¡¯s eyes widened and she grinned maniacally, ¡°Tyrant pups!¡± She exclaimed excitedly, giggling happily and making to press past the wall of armoured bodies still blocking her path.


    ¡°Rikit may pass, but you will also need to clear a path so the rest of her pack can leave the Settlement,¡± I explained while motioning first to Rikit and then to the hundreds of nervously giggling Gnolls packing the street behind us.


    Rikit paused at the mention of her pack, ¡°Pack wait!¡± She snarled impatiently before turning back to the house.


    Before Rikit could make it to the door, the curtains parted and Lash came outside, both twins squirming and wiggling in an attempt to free themselves from her embrace. ¡°Rikit,¡± Lash looked surprised but rather abruptly pushed Suzy into Rikit¡¯s chest.


    Without missing a beat, Rikit took a firm hold on Suzy.


    Left with only Pete to look after, Lash quickly regained the upper hand. Not that Pete seemed to mind. In fact, without Suzy clawing and kicking him, Pete settled down almost immediately.


    ¡°Bwa!¡± Suzy cried incredulously at her sibling¡¯s betrayal of the cause. However, Suzy¡¯s attention quickly turned from her brother and mother to Rikit. She patted Rikit¡¯s fur awkwardly, slapping Rikit¡¯s neck hard in the process.


    Rather than becoming upset, Rikit gave Suzy a lick across the face, leaving a thick streak of drool and surprising Suzy into momentary silence. Moments later, Suzy began burbling and giggling hysterically while flailing her arms towards Rikit¡¯s face.


    Pete had already nestled himself against Lash¡¯s chest and was yawning like he was about to go back to sleep. Not that Lash seemed to mind.


    Rikit lost two whiskers before Toofy came outside and provided a second cauldron full of water for Suzy to play in. ¡°Vigorous!¡± Rikit declared approvingly while wagging her finger over the cauldron.


    Lash beamed with pride, her fatigue banished by the compliment.


    There were murmurs of approval from the Orcs, which only served to make Lash stand all the taller.


    I found the absence of criticism against Pete''s sedentary nature to be somewhat surprising given the praise Suzy was being given for the opposite behaviour. However, I was happy that no one had criticised him. After all, there was no real telling what Pete¡¯s temperament would be like as he grew older.


    I fished Suzy out of the cauldron long enough to give her a hug and play with her a little before returning her to the water. While it was clear the twins didn¡¯t need water, they were prone to aggressively expressing their discomfort, so it was best to avoid irritating their gills or drying out their skin.


    Pete actually woke up long enough to give me a curious stare before returning to his nap. Not that I blamed him. With Suzy as a sister, he might not have gotten enough undisturbed sleep and was instead attempting to replace the shortfall in quality with quantity.


    Ochram arrived sometime after midday, and Suzy had long since tired herself out. Ochram appeared quite tired himself, slouching his shoulders and dragging his feet as he came down the street.


    Leaving the encirclement, I gave Ochram a rough idea of what I wanted but stressed that he could take his time and recover first.


    I wanted Ochram to build a fortress around the portal to the next floor. Not only that, but I wanted it to be able to accommodate someone of my size. I was getting annoyed by all the small doorways and having to duck under gateways. Furthermore, I wanted him to build another fortress in place of the sprawling Settlement we were currently standing in.


    Sending Ochram off with Rikit, I had the expectation that they would continue claiming and fortifying the Laine Labyrinth until given cause to do otherwise. After all, the civilian evacuation of the city was likely to begin at any moment, and there wasn¡¯t exactly an abundance of Settlements that could readily accommodate such a huge influx of people.


    The Settlements in the Hurst Labyrinth were the size of small towns. The city of Laine had a population that would likely number in the high hundreds of thousands.


    The only sensible solution seemed to be in resettling them as close to their original homes as possible and maintaining comparative isolation from the other Settlements in case of spies or saboteurs. Once the siege was broken, or the war ended, the civilians would have the opportunity to return to their original homes. But I doubted most would have any practical reasons for doing so.


    In many respects, living inside of the Labyrinths seemed easier than living outside of them. The primary reason for this was due to most resources originating from the Labyrinths in the first place. Furthermore, with the barrier size determined by the native population of the Settlement, there was no risk of attack barring extenuating circumstances. Invaders like the Imperials would be scattered to the winds and be forced to fight monsters while attempting to regroup their forces, leaving them exposed and vulnerable.


    So long as the civilians weren¡¯t left in subpar accommodations for too long at the beginning, I felt confident that most would adapt to life inside of the Labyrinths in a similar fashion to the soldiers and adventurers.


    In anticipation of the civilians'' arrival, I had Ochram move a few of his buildings to make a new road leading out of the Settlement and fill in the old gate so no one would have cause to approach the Gateway and my family. I had to give Ochram a number of the new mana potions to accomplish it, but it was a price I felt justified in paying all the same.


    The armoured Orc bodyguards were now free to occupy all the surrounding buildings and outright barricade off this section of the settlement, making it that much easier to defend.


    After making sure the Orcs would recognise and allow Fesk, Nadine and Clarice to move freely, I decided to relocate Ushu closer to the Gateway. After all, the civilians probably wouldn¡¯t react well if they came face to face with Ushu immediately after arriving in the Labyrinth.


    ¡°MAJESTY!¡± A hoarse voice called, from the direction of the Orc blockade, ¡°Let me through! I have news for his Majesty!¡±


    Leaving Ushu to settle himself in, I quickly made my way over towards the direction of the voice which was now arguing with the Orcs.


    The voice belonged to a young woman, a runner for the army. She had seen, or felt, me coming and had stopped arguing with the Orcs. Instead, she was now fumbling for the latch of the satchel hanging at her side, ¡°Majesty! I have news from the front!¡± She bowed her head briefly before pulling a letter written on a thick cardstock from the satchel. The letter was tied shut and bore a wax seal over the knot. ¡°For you, Majesty,¡± the young woman nervously held up the letter with both hands.


    She wasn¡¯t to know that I couldn¡¯t read their language, but the commotion had drawn Nadine and Clarice, and I knew for a fact that Nadine was profoundly literate.


    I accepted the letter and handed it to Nadine.


    Nadine wasted no time in cracking the wax seal, pulling away the string and opening the letter. Her eyes rapidly darted back and forth as absorbed its contents before abruptly coming to a halt. ¡°The Imperials have requested a temporary truce...¡± Nadine raised the latter and pointed to the lower portion of indecipherable sigils, ¡°They want to mourn the death of their Consul Isaak Aleskeevich...¡±


    ¡°Why would they need to ask for a truce?¡± I demanded, ¡°They are the ones laying siege to the city. They could just choose to not attack.¡±


    Nadine shifted uncomfortably, ¡°The death of a Consul is a big deal Tim. It¡¯s like the death of a king or other member of the royal family...¡±


    ¡°Why send me this letter?¡± I pressed, still not quite understanding the situation, ¡°I assume that isn¡¯t from the Imperials themselves,¡± I poked at the letter.


    Nadine slowly nodded, ¡°This is from the Lord Regent...Only he has the authority to use the royal seal. I think he wants you to honour the truce...¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but scowl as images of the aftermath of the Liche¡¯s first ambush against Sanctuary came to the forefront of my mind. ¡°How long is the truce?¡± I hissed between my teeth.


    Nadine avoided eye contact, ¡°It doesn¡¯t say. But it could be as long as a week or more...The Imperials do things a little differently, and it''s not like the Emperor died...¡±


    I fought to push back against my rising anger and frustration, ¡°Is this truce universal? Will it extend to the entire war? Or just this siege?¡±


    ¡°It would be the entire war...¡± Nadine replied hesitantly while looking through a gap in the barricade towards the runner for confirmation.


    The runner silently nodded.


    I clenched my fists and forced myself to take several deep breaths, ¡°Fine!¡± I grunted irritably, ¡°You can go,¡± I waved dismissively at the runner who was only too keen to leave.


    Scaling the barricade, I made my way towards the gate out of the Settlement. I was not going to waste the unanticipated downtime. After clearing the gate and scattered buildings, I gathered my mana and quickly reviewed the list of Daemons and their current Classes before making my decision.


    *


    A maroon skinned and Orc-like Daemon appeared before me. Her muscular frame was protected by thick plates of steel but left exposed the single horn protruding from her left temple.


    ¡°Cin, we are currently on the first floor of the Laine Labyrinth. I know that you have been trying to unlock the Earth Mage Class, so I want you to catch up to Rikit¡¯s pack and learn from Ochram in person,¡± I ordered while pointing towards the portal to the second floor of the Laine Labyrinth, ¡°The Asrusians have an Elixir that can reset your Class choice. I will make a custom redemption quest for you to earn one as part of your training in case you need it or think it will accelerate your training.¡±


    Cin fell to one knee and bowed her head, ¡°I will do as you command, my Tyrant!¡± She swore passionately, slamming her fist over her heart, ¡°I will not fail you!¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t,¡± I softened my tone after being reminded of the Daemons'' fanatical devotion and that I shouldn¡¯t take advantage of it, ¡°Once you become an Earth Mage, you will become responsible for working with Hana, Kohana and Qreet to fortify Sanctuary, and to answer the summons of the Asrusian army to do the same for our other holdings. Your role is crucial to our ongoing survival, so you will be allowed five of the strongest Evolution Elixirs to give you a headstart. This is important Cin, but I know you can do it!¡±


    Cin bowed her head further and then her projection suddenly disappeared. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I felt a small portion of the mana I had used to activate the ability return into my body. This was surprising because it was the first time I could recall it having happened. Usually, any excess mana I committed to a Summoning was lost entirely.


    Still thinking over the ramifications of the unexpected mana return, I gathered my mana for a second Summoning.


    *


    A pale grey orb of flickering flames appeared in the space Cin had just left. I could only assume that this was Wisp¡¯s true form, the immaterial soul that otherwise occupied the corpses of the fallen.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Wisp would be able to speak, so I decided to forgo any semblance of pleasantries and be as blunt as possible. ¡°Wisp, I have a task for you, and I need it to be your highest priority.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Tyrant,¡± Wisp replied, his disembodied voice carrying the same hoarseness as the one I had heard while he occupied a corpse, ¡°You command and I will obey to the best of my prodigious abilities!¡± He insisted loyally, but there was an unmistakable hunger in his tone as well.


    ¡°I want you to become strong enough to ward against the Liche,¡± I commanded, ¡°Leave the Mournebrent Labyrinth and temporarily relocate to the Hurst Labyrinth instead. Make sure to have the Asrusians provide you with an appropriately high-level marker so you can make the most of your temporary hiatus. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Tyrant,¡± Wisp agreed excitedly, the pale flames flickering more quickly and excitedly than before.


    I found Wisp¡¯s eagerness unnerving so I decided to make something absolutely crystal clear, ¡°And Wisp, you are absolutely forbidden from harming or being responsible for harming any Variants,¡± I growled, ¡°If you encounter any Variants, make a note of their location and move on. You are only allowed to harm a Variant if your existence is in immediate danger. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Of course, My Tyrant,¡± Wisp replied obediently, ¡°I will do no harm to those you classify as Variants unless my very existence is in imminent peril of eternal destruction.¡±


    I still didn¡¯t fully trust Wisp¡¯s answer, but it wasn¡¯t like I could send a team of soldiers or volunteers with him either. The most efficient means of Wisp increasing both his level and Evolution was to raise the corpses of his enemies to do the fighting for him. My campaign against the Liche would lose a great deal of its moral authority if people found out what Wisp was doing. Especially since it was becoming increasingly obvious that he may just be my only means of putting the Liche down for good.


    *****


    Wisp stopped his borrowed body mid step and grinned wide behind his cloth veil. While he had no particular grievances against not making the full use of his Abilities, being presented with the opportunity to test his limits to the fullest was an unexpected gift, to say the least.


    With the attacks against the fortress coming few and far between, Wisp had very little opportunity to gain Exp or Essence to any meaningful degree. Being set loose in the Hurst Labyrinth would change that.


    Wisp was well aware that his Tyrant had a not insubstantial number of Daemons serving beneath him, and seemed quite aware himself that their projections could be Summoned for a mutually beneficial fee. Unfortunately, Wisp was also aware that his choice in vocation was not particularly well received by the majority of the Tyrant¡¯s subjects, thus limiting his own potential benefits from such an arrangement.


    Worse still, Wisp knew that he would need his Tyrant¡¯s explicit permission before engaging in such arrangements. While not as clever or knowledgeable as himself, Wisp knew his Tyrant was not to be underestimated, not least of which because the Tyrant had demonstrated an awareness of his own shortcomings. A fool who believed themselves a scholar and a genius could be manipulated through flattery, large words, or a glib tongue. A man who believed himself ignorant was much more difficult to deceive, as they would seek the advice of those who had experience and learning in the subject in question.


    Besides, Wisp didn¡¯t want to ruin the good thing he had going for him. His Tyrant was going places! And Wisp would be taken along for the ride so long as he remained loyal and demonstrated his value.


    The conditions pertaining to avoiding harm against the so-called Variants were not of much concern to Wisp at all. If it came down to it, Wisp would be happy to sacrifice any of his mindless undead minions in droves in order to avoid direct hostilities, even shedding his borrowed body. It was somewhat ironic, but outside of his home Labyrinth, there was bound to be precious little that could actually harm him in any meaningful way.


    Wisp suspected that this was very likely the cause for his Tyrant being so pedantic with the conditions of his foray into another Labyrinth. Lesser servants had most likely been put in similar positions before and been found wanting, thus requiring the explicit conditions of engagement.


    Turning on his heel, Wisp headed for the portal out of the Labyrinth.


    Explaining the cause for his prolonged absence was unsurprisingly easy. Wisp¡¯s position as an Overseer, even a relatively newly instated one, carried a great deal of weight. The Human colonel had only insisted on being allowed to communicate Wisp¡¯s imminent arrival in the Hurst Labyrinth so the other Humans would not mistake Wisp for a minion of their enemy.


    It was a fair request, so Wisp insisted that the tokens his Tyrant and mentioned be made available upon his arrival as well. After all, Wisp wanted to enter the highest floor available without having to travel through each of the weaker floors first.


    The Colonel had been kind enough to provide Wisp with an escort to accompany him through the abandoned human city outside of the Labyrinth as well.


    Passing through the city to the Gateway had set Wisp¡¯s borrowed teeth on edge and caused his true self a small degree of truly unique irritation. The grounds of the building surrounding the Gateway had been imbued with the energy of Angels, and if it had been stronger, or wisp had been weaker, it would have caused his true self actual harm.


    Wisp was profoundly relieved to leave that place behind.


    After passing through the Gateway, Wisp had a few minutes to look around the immediate area while his Human escorts explained the situation to their superiors and that information was corroborated.


    Similar to the city Wisp had briefly travelled through minutes before, the Human Settlement was neat and orderly with buildings erected in straight lines that allowed efficient movement from one place to another. Most of the buildings were made of wood rather than stone, but the streets were well paved and kept relatively clean.


    A large river passed by the Settlement on one side, and the Humans had built strange wooden craft to navigate the water out of reach of the monsters below. Propelled by the current, the wind, or broad ended wooden staves, the wooden craft could move at great speeds when they desired it. Wisp was actually disappointed when the time came to leave. He would have liked to continue watching the wooden craft and perhaps ask about their construction.


    Knowing that there would be time enough to investigate them later, Wisp passed through the portal, accepted a small wooden token, listened to the explanation of its use, and then stepped back through the portal.


    Wisp had been told that the token would take him to a Human Settlement on a much higher floor of the Labyrinth, but unlike the previous Settlement, this one was considerably smaller, in a state of severe disrepair, and completely devoid of Humans.


    The tip of a wooden spear erupted through Wisp¡¯s back and out of his chest. Wisp briefly lamented the damage to his robe but remembered that clothing could be purchased from the ongoing War quest in exchange for killing monsters.


    Whoever owned the spear lifted Wisp into the air for a moment before throwing him off the spear and against the crumbling stone wall of the nearby building.


    Wisp chuckled to himself and decided it was probably time to take the situation seriously. He could feel that his borrowed body was just about to fall apart, so Wisp abandoned it.


    Free of his material shell, Wisp had no trouble in detecting the life force of the owner of the spear. Unfortunately, in his natural state, Wisp couldn¡¯t exactly ¡®see¡¯ who or what it was. Not that it mattered much anyway.


    Gathering his mana, Wisp floated towards the concentration of life force and let loose a stream of negative energy.


    Like a fire in a hurricane, the monster¡¯s life force flickered for a few moments as the monster howled in pain and terror and then its lifeforce was snuffed out.


    Settling into the now unoccupied body, Wisp felt a surge of mana enter his system as his spirit consumed the host¡¯s mana stone. His borrowed lips split into a wide toothy grin and a crackling chuckle sounded from his throat. Wisp was going to enjoy this assignment a great deal indeed.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 46 – As needs must – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 46 ¨C As needs must ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 46 - As needs must - Part Two


    Four days had passed with only minimal changes in the Werrian Empire¡¯s siege camp. Some attempts had been made at fortifying their walls, but the primary change was the steady stream of enemy combatants leaving the camp and returning in the direction of the Empire¡¯s closest border. It was unclear if these soldiers were leaving under orders or their own volition, but enemy commanders seemed to be making no attempts at stopping them.


    Of greater note was the stream of Exp that had increased my level seven times. Wisp had apparently taken my command to heart and was generating more Exp in a single hour than everyone else combined could manage in a week. I wasn¡¯t sure what ratio of Exp Wisp was ¡®donating¡¯ through Takesation, but I wasn¡¯t exactly in a hurry to find out either.


    Rikit had gained control over another floor of the Laine Labyrinth after conquering territory around the first floor¡¯s portal to the second floor. With the truce still holding with the Empire, the Asrusians were wasting no time in evacuating the population of Laine¡¯s slum and warehouse district.


    I had mixed feelings about the evacuation as a whole. Evacuating the civilians removed them from harm¡¯s way and freed up more space for the defending army to manoeuvre and establish barracks close to the fighting. However, it was also considered to be highly likely that an Imperial spy would be hiding amongst the same civilians.


    Pact Binders had been Summoning projections of Cin as frequently as they could manage in order to house the civilians and establish curtain walls around the rapidly growing sprawl of buildings. In order to provide the raw materials required for Cin to make the buildings, the enlisted Slaves engaged in rotating shifts to hunt down rock and dirt monsters, carting back the remains for both building materials and fuel for cooking fires.


    The Parole Officers spent most of their waking hours joining these monster hunts so they could increase their levels. Unfortunately for them, the low level of the monsters made progress slow going.


    Over the course of several Summonings, Cin¡¯s projection had managed to create a rather large traditional well. Unlike Hana¡¯s wells which used the trees to syphon water up and out of the ground like a pump, Cin¡¯s well simply burrowed down towards the water table and then relied on pressure imbalance for the well to then fill itself.


    A number of smaller wells and even a rudimentary sewer system had followed in the days afterwards, with new projects becoming ever more frequent as Cin¡¯s mana pool increased by leaps and bounds.


    Having lash and our children close at hand was equal parts blessing and curse.  Being able to hold them and spend time with them had silenced doubts that had begun to linger in the wake of killing so many people. But their proximity to danger was ratcheting up my stress levels with each passing day.


    The fact that the Laine Labyrinth was objectively safer than Sanctuary right at this moment was largely redundant. The fear that lay at the heart of my stress wasn¡¯t entirely rational, so I couldn¡¯t just dispel it with objective reasoning.


    ¡°Still no signs of enemy mobilisation,¡± Gregory reported while doing his best to stay out of reach of Suzy¡¯s eagerly wiggling fingers, ¡°Sorties against the Imperials retreating from our territory has been officially postponed as well. There are simply too many potential witnesses, and the Lord Regent is hoping that their political crisis might signal an end to the war with the Werrian Empire.¡±


    ¡°Freeing your soldiers to fight the Confederates instead,¡± I commented with general approval.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Gregory agreed but then hesitated, ¡°There has been talk of ceding the territories already lost in order to buy time for a chance at a meaningful period of peace. An opportunity for rearmament and consolidation of strength-¡±


    ¡°A chance to power level and exploit the Labyrinths?¡± I interjected, following the general train of thought.


    Gregory nodded in agreement without a hint of shame, ¡°As you say, Majesty. We are reaching a tipping point, but it is only through a steep cost in blood and the surrendering of all peripheral holdings. Every town and village has been evacuated, and all we continue to hold are a handful of cities. Even those cities are only held because of your intervention.¡± Gregory paused and appeared to be taking a few moments to collect his thoughts. ¡°There is a general consensus that so long as the populace of any given city can be evacuated, that abandoning those cities would be preferable to prolonging the conflict.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked warily, ¡°Why now?¡±


    Gregory fidgetted uncomfortably, ¡°There are state secrets that I have very recently been informed of,¡± he replied somewhat evasively while warily looking around the room.


    Besides Gregory and myself, there was only Lash and our children. Toofy had taken Ril into the house next door so she could rest more soundly, and Anette had gone with them.


    ¡°We do not know if other kingdoms know of this, but it is entirely possible that they might,¡± Gregory prefaced quietly, ¡°All the same, the Lord Regent has entrusted only a handful of his most trusted retainers with this information, and wishes that you will hold it in similar confidence.¡±


    I nodded and motioned for Gregory to continue.


    ¡°Our earliest legends told of how Asrus protected our people and sheltered them from harm in the Labyrinth. Most children will know the tale, and many other kingdoms have similar stories. However, there is more to it than that,¡± Gregory moved closer, doing his best to ignore the handful of fabric now torn from his sleeve by Suzy, ¡°As a Lord of the Labyrinth, Asrus ruled over a vast realm known as a Demi-Plane, and had absolute control over its boundaries. No one and nothing could enter or leave without his express consent, or so the secret record insists to be true.¡±


    ¡°And you think I can make a Demi-Plane?¡± I asked sceptically, a quick mental review of my authority as Tyrant returning no such indication.


    ¡°Yes, we do,¡± Gregory replied bluntly, ¡°The record has...diagrams, which depict ten discs merging into a larger single disc. The royal scholar believes that this is a visual representation of the process that creates a Demi-Plane. We believe that once you have complete control over the entry and exit portals of ten floors, you will be able to create a Demi-Plane of your own.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t manage more than just staring at Gregory for the better part of a minute as my brain struggled to process what he was telling me. ¡°Why are you only telling me this now?¡± I demanded, irritated that I hadn¡¯t been told of such a thing much sooner.


    Gregory glanced at Suzy, ¡°The records diagrams suggest that the Demi-Plane will collapse upon the death of the owner. The original historical account held by the royal family confirms this interpretation. Asrus¡¯ Demi-Plane was destroyed when he eventually died. However, there is something else. The royal scholar believes that the Demi-Plane is only destroyed if it can¡¯t be inherited by a descendent. Asrus never produced any offspring, so his theory holds some merit.¡±


    ¡°But why tell me now?¡± I insisted again, this time with greater intensity.


    Gregory flinched, ¡°The Lord regent believed that you would uncover the means to create a Demi-Plane on your own, and that once you had done so, a decision could be made whether it was a viable long term solution...¡±


    There was nothing strictly wrong with their reasons for withholding the information, but I felt a hot rush of anger as I realised that if I could create a Demi-Plane, then there was a very real possibility that I could stop the Liche¡¯s attacks on Sanctuary outright. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. I had been nothing but benevolent to these people, and they had withheld information that was crucial for protecting my family.


    Gregory paled, but he didn¡¯t shy away.


    Forcing down my anger, I took several deep breaths. Now was not the time for venting my frustration, I needed to be practical. Protecting my family was my highest priority.


    ¡°The floors, do they have to be from the same Labyrinth?¡± I hissed while slowly clenching and unclenching my fists to stay calm.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know for certain,¡± Gregory admitted, ¡°But there is nothing that states says they have to be either.¡±


    ¡°And what happens to the Labyrinth or Labyrinths after the floors are taken away?¡± I pressed, ¡°Will the Labyrinth just connect to another floor instead? And how do you enter the Demi-Plane?¡±


    Gregory remained silent until I raised my final question, ¡°Ah! We believe that the entrance to the Demi-Plane is created at the location of the creator''s choice,¡± he seemed profoundly relieved to have at least one of the answers I had asked for. The fact that the answer was almost completely unhelpful seemed to be beside the point.


    ¡°So I won¡¯t know until I do it...¡± I stated bluntly before letting out a long drawn-out sigh of frustration.


    I took a few moments to calm down and do a quick property census. Ignoring the Mournbrent Labyrinth, I had four floors completely locked down in the Hurst Labyrinth and four more in the Laine Labyrinth. So if the location of the floors didn¡¯t matter, then I would only need two more floors, a total of four more portal locations, under my control.


    With Rikit already on the move, I decided that I would prefer to resolve the issue sooner rather than later.


    *


    A tall emaciated-looking bat-winged Daemon with short dark fur appeared beside Suzy. Armoured in dark boiled leather, Garn made an effort to keep his spear out of Suzy¡¯s reach. This was for the best since it was a copy of Shiverfang and the prime cause for my having Summoned him.


    ¡°Garn, I need you to seize the fifth floor of the Hurst Labyrinth,¡± I commanded bluntly, aware that Daemons did not take it personally, ¡°I¡¯ll be sending a few hundred of our enlisted and their Parole Officers with you so they can gain Exp, understood?¡±


    Garn made to bow, realised Suzy was eyeing the butt of his spear, thought better of it, and then nodded his head instead, ¡°I obey, my Tyrant,¡± Garn replied obediently in his pitchy squeaking voice before abruptly disappearing.


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you ferried the enlisted to Hurst,¡± I told Gregory flatly, making it clear that he was still on my shit list.


    ¡°As you command, Majesty,¡± Gregory bowed, lost another sizable chunk of fabric from his sleeve, and then left.


    ¡°Bwa!¡± Suzy slapped the edge of her cauldron in frustration upon realising her prey had gotten away.


    ¡°You are angry,¡± Lash commented quietly while stroking the downy dark hair that had begun to grow on the back of Pete¡¯s head. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Frustrated,¡± I agreed while making an effort to try and properly calm down. I didn¡¯t want to be a father and husband that was angry around his wife and kids.


    Suzy watched our exchange with interest while chewing on the sleeve of Gregory¡¯s coat. A reminder that they were far more developed than regular human babies would have been.


    ¡°It just seems like they waited until they had no other choice, or decided that it was now to their best benefit,¡± I explained bitterly, ¡°I thought I would have earned more trust than that by now, especially after all I have done for them.¡±


    Lash just quietly nodded in general agreement while I continued to vent for another ten to twenty minutes.


    Feeling somewhat better, I spent some time playing with Suzy while discussing our potential future plans with Lash.


    ¡°I know I asked you to stop taking the mana stones and not to drink Elixir while you were pregnant, but so long as you keep the Elixir away from Pete and Suzy, I don¡¯t see a problem with you drinking one every now and then,¡± I admitted after confirming that Lash had no desire to breastfeed our kids, not now that their teeth were coming in.


    Lash grinned, ¡°Tim thinks Lash is too small?¡± She teased, flexing her muscles while tickling Suzy¡¯s chin.


    I grinned back at her, ¡°You could be bigger,¡± I agreed lightheartedly, ¡°But mostly it would help give me peace of mind knowing that you can protect yourself, Pete and Suzy while I am away. It¡¯s just a shame the twins can¡¯t drink Elixir-¡± I held up a hand as I moved to correct myself, ¡°-shouldn¡¯t drink Elixir. Alcohol will disrupt their brain¡¯s development and cause dependency issues.¡±


    Lash gave me a strange look but nodded in agreement, trusting that I knew what I was talking about. ¡°Special water makes them stronger,¡± Lash added, ¡°Don¡¯t need Elixir.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± I asked curiously.


    Lash pointed to Pete¡¯s cauldron, ¡°Grove water, not normal.¡±


    It took me a moment, but I realised what Lash was getting at. ¡°They soak in the mana-infused water all the time, so they don¡¯t really need Elixir.¡±


    Lash nodded and smiled smugly, ¡°Ril does too.¡±


    I knew that I had already known that, but for whatever reason, I just hadn¡¯t put two and two together. I decided to blame it on stress and let the matter go.


    ¡°If this whole Demi-Plane thing works out, we might actually have a truly safe place to raise Suzy and Pete,¡± I commented hopefully, ¡°And after the fighting stops, we can spend more time together as a family.¡±


    Lash smiled and rested her head against my shoulder while sighing contentedly, ¡°Will be good,¡± she agreed quietly.


    I had been allowing Clarice to take Ushu out with Dhizi in the mornings and afternoons so they could get their exercise. So I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised when Clarice let herself in.


    ¡°You need to work on evolving Ushu,¡± Clarice insisted while taking a seat beside Suzy¡¯s cauldron and waving a large strip of meat enticingly, ¡°If we get lucky, you might be able to Evolve him into a true Dragon, or maybe a Wyvern!¡±


    ¡°Lucky?¡± I asked, somewhat confused while emotionally shifting gears, ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain Ushu is a Variant.¡±


    Clarice froze, and Suzy snatched the strip of meat from her hand before descending to the depths of her cauldron with her prize. ¡°A Variant? You''re sure?¡± Clarie asked in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Fairly sure,¡± I agreed, ¡°The same goes for Shady. I  can¡¯t be absolutely certain, but there is a look in their eyes and a feeling I get that they aren¡¯t like the mass-produced clones, you know?¡±


    Clarice slowly shook her head and then shrugged, ¡°I mean, I was pretty slow on the uptake with you, Tim. So if what you''re saying is true, it¡¯s not like I would notice. Or maybe it¡¯s because you''re kinda like them? Maybe that gives you a special Ability or an edge.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I agreed with a noncommittal shrug of my own.


    ¡°But wow! Now you have to work at Evolving him! Evolving into a Dragon is just a matter of time!¡± Clarice declared excitedly, ¡°Imagine flying into battle on the back of a Dragon!¡±


    ¡°What about Dhizi?¡± I asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Clarice exclaimed with mounting enthusiasm and excitement, ¡°We could breed Ushu with Dhizi and have a whole mess of Dragons!¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I meant...¡± I stated flatly, although I was fairly certain Clarice wasn¡¯t listening.


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe Dhizi will Evolve into something with wings too?¡± She mused with a wistful sigh.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bit of a size difference,¡± I noted tactfully, ¡°Ushu is easily at least three times Dhizi¡¯s size...¡±


    Clarice didn¡¯t seem to hear me and continued ruminating on hypotheticals.


    Lash chuckled quietly while continuing to lean on my shoulder.


    ¡°Ushu still has four sub Evolutions to go before his next major Evolution, Clarice,¡± I reminded her, ¡°It''s going to be quite some time before that happens.¡±


    Clarice considered this for a moment and then grinned, ¡°Nah, I reckon you could push it through if you have that weirdo Wisp share the mana stones he¡¯s farming.¡±


    I was momentarily taken aback, ¡°How do you know what Wisp is up to?¡± I asked warily.


    Clarice snickered and shook her head, ¡°You made me an Underlord, Tim. I might not be the fastest reader but I can still read. No way he could have levelled so quickly on the lower floors. He¡¯s already close to twice your level and doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s slowing down any time soon.¡±


    That gave me pause. I mentally reviewed Wisp¡¯s Status and was surprised to find that Clarice was right. Wisp was already Level fifty-seven, but he had not taken his next major Evolution.


    ¡°One moment,¡± I muttered, gathering my mana in preparation for a potentially lengthy conversation.


    *


    A tall black-robed figure with long arms and spindly clawed fingers appeared a short distance from Clarice. Clad in armour made from bones lashed together with dried tendons, Wisp¡¯s glowing eyes peered out from behind the eye sockets of an elk-like skull worn over the cowl of his robes. ¡°You have need of me, my Tyrant?¡± Wisp inquired with his dry crackling voice.


    Lash shifted uncomfortably and pulled both cauldrons away from Master Necromancer.


    If Wisp was offended by the action, he showed no signs of it.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you Evolved yet?¡± I asked bluntly, ¡°At the rate you have been gaining Exp, you should have been able to progress at least once.¡±


    Wisp bowed his head, ¡°This is true, my Tyrant,¡± he admitted freely, ¡°I was given orders to advance so I could counter fend off the Liche that continues to contest control of your territory, not to indulge in the personal progression of my own Evolution. My advancement has been a byproduct of acquiring new hosts and nothing more. I have a specific path of advancement in mind, but will require time away from the ongoing conflict in order to make this transition.¡±


    ¡°What path of Evolution?¡± I asked curiously. Wisp was the first true monster I had heard mention a specific plan of their own Evolution. Most monsters just seemed content with the prospect of managing to achieve a single major Evolution in their lifetime.


    ¡°I wish to become a true spirit,¡± Wisp replied with longing, ¡°To no longer be bound by the insatiable hunger of my current nature as an undead. To feed upon souls is intoxicating, but that indulgence inevitably leads to madness. A yawning pit that grows ever wider, demanding more souls ever more frequently to be momentarily satisfied...¡± Wisp¡¯s already quiet voice had become little more than a whisper and his eyes flickered dangerously, ¡°I wish to survive and to serve. Not be put down like a rabid Beast when the madness inevitably claims me. I thought...I thought I could control it, and I can, but I can already see my limits...I need a new path.¡±


    ¡°And being a Spirit would change that?¡± Clarice asked, sounding equally sceptical and curious at the same time.


    Wisp divided his attention between myself and Clarice, ¡°To a certain degree. As I am now, I am a weed strangling the crops others need in order to survive, destined to be uprooted and burned. I wish to become a tree, with roots deep enough to care for myself and provide boons for those who assist in my growth. It is an odd metaphor, but my knowledge of humanoid values is limited to what I have learned while serving beside the soldiers in the Mournbrent Labyrinth,¡± Wisp apologised quietly.


    ¡°How does becoming a spirit make you a tree?¡± Clarice asked, making no attempts at hiding or disguising her confusion.


    ¡°Because Spirits can be sustained through worship and sacrifice,¡± I interjected before Wisp had a chance to reply, ¡°Just like the Fallen Angels and the Daemons, that can accept Summons in exchange for mana stones.¡±


    ¡°My Tyrant is correct,¡± Wisp agreed with a hint of surprise, ¡°But there is more. Not only do true Spirits not hunger as the undead Spirits do, but they can provide boons in exchange for the mana stones that provide them sustenance.¡±


    ¡°But what does that mean exactly?¡± Clarice demanded warily.


    ¡°To reference my former role in defence of the fortress on the first floor of the Mournebrent Labyrinth, a suitable effigy or totem provided with sufficient mana stones, could be infused with my Ability to ward against the undead,¡± Wisp explained patiently, ¡°Without requiring my active presence to do so.¡±


    ¡°You can already infuse that Ability into objects to make magic items, but I can see how outsourcing could be a benefit,¡± I agreed thoughtfully before shifting my attention to another one of Wisp¡¯s Master Necromancer Class Abilities, ¡°Preserve Dead would see a great deal of use amongst civilians. There is no refrigeration that I am aware of, so increasing the longevity of meat in exchange for mana stones seems like an easy niche role to fill. Just like how Qreet increases crop yields or create new breeds of plants to fit the farmers'' needs or wants.¡±


    ¡°These were my thoughts as well,¡± Wisp agreed.


    ¡°You would be fine spending the rest of eternity as a god of preserving meat?¡± Clarice demanded incredulously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wisp replied sincerely, ¡°My service would be acknowledged by all, and I would have time enough to indulge in scholarly pursuits. The soldiers referred to this as a, win-win.¡±


    If Wisp transitioned to what he referred to as a true Spirit, that would effectively create a third separate branch of servants that would be passively accruing power and influence under my banner. With so many Daemons already engaging in the practice, I would be some kind of hypocrite to deny Wisp¡¯s desire to abandon undeath and enter a life of relative leisure while performing a valuable service.


    ¡°Alright Wisp, you have my blessing,¡± I agreed supportively, ¡°How long would you need in order to Evolve?¡±


    ¡°A few days, my Tyrant,¡± Wisp replied with gratitude, ¡°I believe I must confront and master my hunger before the Evolution is made available to me.¡±


    ¡°So you would need to be truly isolated...¡± I realised with a pang of concern.


    ¡°Indeed. But I believe the city outside of the Mournebrent Labyrinth will suit such a purpose. There is a place antithetical to undeath that surrounds the Gateway,¡± Wisp explained slowly, ¡°I believe that the aura of the place will ensure favourable options in Evolution if I am able to defeat my hunger.¡±


    ¡°The grand cathedral in Mournebrent serves as a supply line to the Labyrinth for reinforcements,¡± I reminded Wisp, ¡°Shutting it down for even a single day could lose our foothold.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am aware, my Tyrant,¡± Wisp admitted, ¡°I intend to shed my current shell and swear oaths that would deny my leaving a specific location within the aura or using any Abilities until I have Evolved. If I succumb and fall to madness, then the aura and my oath will destroy me.¡±


    ¡°And you would be okay with that?¡± I asked sceptically.


    ¡°Well, no...¡± Wisp admitted, ¡°I would very much prefer to live. But I won¡¯t have much of a future at all if I do not take risks now to change my path. I doubt I would live past a thousand years before going truly insane.¡±


    Clarice choked on her own spit, ¡°A thousand fucking years?!¡± She demanded, ¡°You''re complaining about only getting to live a thousand years?!¡±


    ¡°At my current rate of estimated deterioration, yes,¡± Wisp replied stiffly, ¡°But the sharp decline would likely begin at around four hundred or so.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me...¡± Clarice cursed and massaged her temples, ¡°You¡¯re going to throw away five hundred years, for the chance to be an immortal cold box?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wisp agreed enthusiastically, ¡°I would rather burn out now than slowly fade away! That would be torture!¡±


    I could kind of see where Wisp was coming from now. It was like learning your family has a long history of Parkinsons and that you have far less time to truly live like everyone else than you originally planned. Wisp was choosing an experimental treatment that might kill him in preference to a guaranteed decline in his faculties.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone meet you outside of the Cathedral so you can swear your oaths,¡± I agreed with some reluctance. Wisp had been generating a great deal of Exp on my behalf, so losing that source of Exp was going to stall my own progression again. Which reminded me of my original reason for contacting Wisp in the first place. ¡°Wisp, I want you to deliver the mana stones you have collected to Sanctuary first so the Alchemists can make more Elixirs. And Ophelia will be the one to accompany you to the grand cathedral and accept your vows.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Tyrant,¡± Wisp agreed, ¡°I will make all haste towards the portal back to the city.¡±


    Wisp disappeared, returning a small amount of mana back to me in the process.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t get it...¡± Clarice muttered, kicking her heel against the floor, ¡°He¡¯s practically immortal already anyway.¡±


    ¡°I think it''s a matter of perspective Clarice. There were a lot of people like that in my world as well. What would you do if you found out you only had another twenty years to live?¡± I asked rhetorically, ¡°Most otherwise sane people scramble for any sort of cure they can find. The sure thing of another twenty years of relatively good health means little in the face of a rapid decline afterwards. People have thrown their lives away on bogus treatments because they desperately want to be whole again. I don¡¯t think there was a week that would go by without the news reporting on some scam or another taking advantage of people in that situation.¡±


    Clarice let out a long irritated sigh and slowly nodded, ¡°I think I get what you mean. But still, five hundred years!¡±


    ¡°What is news?¡± Lash asked curiously.


    I felt my cheeks redden slightly in embarrassment from my presumption that everyone would know what I meant. ¡°It¡¯s like someone who comes to you and tells you what is going on in other places, like a messenger. But they would tell you all sorts of things, not just the things you think you want to know about. It was a sort of entertainment for some people that were just curious about what was going on around the world.¡±


    Lash shrugged and returned to playing with Suzy.


    ¡°So we are going to give Ushu a whole mess of Elixir, right?!¡± Clarice insisted with renewed enthusiasm.


    ¡°Why not Dhizi?¡± I countered, ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t appreciate the attention you''re lavishing on Ushu instead of her.¡±


    Clarice flinched, ¡°Eh...yeah, your probably right,¡± she admitted, ¡°Dhizi has been a bit more bitey than usual...¡±


    ¡°And you said there was a chance she might be able to Evolve into a Wyvern or something like a Dragon anyway, so why focus on Ushu?¡± I pressed, ¡°Especially if you were serious about trying to pair them up.¡±


    Clarice silently nodded in agreement before growing excited again, ¡°Wait, so you would be fine with me feeding Dhizi a whole bunch of Elixirs so she can Evolve?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°So long as you earn it.¡±


    Clarice slumped slightly in disappointment before perking up again, ¡°Well, maybe there is a special quest you can give me? Something that would let me earn those Elixirs?¡±


    I was about to dismiss Clarice¡¯s request out of hand, but reconsidered as I thought of something Clarice could do for me. ¡°If you can hunt down the Imperial spy or spies, I¡¯ll give you high strength Elixirs in exchange. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Spies?¡± Clarice scratched her head for a few moments and then nodded in agreement, ¡°Yeah, alright, I¡¯ll give it a shot. But to be clear, I just have to help uncover the spies, right? I don¡¯t have to actually catch them?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed, willing to compromise if it meant that the problem would be actively addressed sooner rather than later.


    Clarice grinned, ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m probably going to have to say some nasty shit about you to try and draw them out,¡± she cackled while eagerly rubbing her hands together.


    ¡°So long as you get results, I don¡¯t think I really care,¡± I replied with a shrug, ¡°I doubt most people would put up any resistance to what you say anyway. It¡¯s not like they know me.¡±


    Clarice shrugged and sauntered out of the house, ¡°just make sure to make that quest official! I don¡¯t want you weaselling out of this!¡±


    Whether Clarice would manage to flush out the spies or not, I took some peace of mind in the fact that at least someone would be trying.


    Making the quest official, I added a provision that would automatically share the quest with anyone who assisted in flushing out the spies.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Clarice cried out from just outside of the doorway, and I was inclined to agree with her.


    Someone named Percy had just completed four separate iterations of the quest.


    ¡°Still counts!¡± Clarice cried as she sprinted away from the door and towards Dhizi.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± I grunted while hurrying towards the door. This was too strange not to investigate.


    Cross-referencing the quest completion notification against the census, I began making my way directly toward Percy. Clarice was riding Dhizi and caught up to me in no time.


    ¡°You know where he is?¡± Clarice asked, taking great care not to bite her tongue.


    ¡°That way!¡± I pointed towards one of the larger buildings in the newly created urban sprawl.


    ¡°On it!¡± Dhizi picked up speed and began leaping from rooftop to rooftop in order to avoid the confused pedestrians on the main road.


    By the time I arrived, a large crowd of more than a few hundred people had gathered around the building. Specifically, they were gathered around the alleyways leading up to the building. They only seemed to keep any degree of distance because of Dhizi looming over them from the rooftop and a sparse number of Asrusian soldiers attempting to maintain a sense of order.


    The crowd parted at my approach. Faces stared up at me with fear and awe as everyone reflexively backed away.


    Clarice and a small group of soldiers were standing beside four bodies strewn about the alley seemingly at random. However, my attention was drawn toward a small boy hiding amongst the gathered crowd of onlookers.


    Before I could signal for Clarice or one of the soldiers to approach, the crowd seemed to sense the focus of my attention and backed away from the boy. An old man and woman young enough to be the boy¡¯s mother, all wearing dirty ragged clothing, were now isolated by a ring of bodies.


    Clarice realised what was happening and moved over to investigate, elbowing a few less than cooperative civilians to move them out of her way.


    The old man and the woman did their best to shield the body behind them, but their defiance didn¡¯t amount to much with all things considered.


    ¡°Your Percy?¡± Clarice guessed, looking past the old man and the woman and down at the small boy.


    The small boy nodded timidly, his eyes wide with fear.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t do nothing!¡± The old man protested, manoeuvring himself to place himself in front of the woman and Percy.


    ¡°Four bodies say otherwise,¡± Clarice countered with a smirk, ¡°He¡¯s not in trouble by the way.¡±


    The old man hesitated, a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes, ¡°He¡¯s not?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. There¡¯s no way a kid that small could take out four grown men,¡± Clarice barked incredulously, earning a wave of muttering from the crowd. ¡°We just need to talk to Percy about what he saw. That¡¯s all.¡±


    The old man nearly collapsed with relief, and probably would have if the woman hadn¡¯t caught him by the shoulder.


    ¡°You are with the soldiers?¡± The woman asked with a quiet voice, a hint of distrust in her tone.


    Clarice wavered her hand, ¡°Sort of. I mean, technically I outrank them because I work for the big boss,¡± she pointed a thumb over her shoulder and back towards me.


    The crowd followed Clarice¡¯s movements and edged slightly further away while their murmurings increased in volume and intensity.


    Clarice¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem to reassure the woman much at all.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reward,¡± Clarice added slyly, and all we need is a few moments with Percy to confirm what happened. Those men are criminals you know, and if my guess is right, they tried to kill Percy.¡±


    The woman paled visibly before glancing down at Percy with the degree of concern only a mother could muster, ¡°We will go with you,¡± she agreed quietly, her voice nearly drowned out by the cries of anger and outrage from the crowd.


    It was obvious that Clarice had already guessed what had happened, but I was curious as to why Percy had been attacked in the first place. The vows against attempting murder and harming children were almost definitely the reason why the four men had died, but they should have known that would happen. So why did they do it?


    *****


    Amalda did her best to ignore Liz¡¯ incessant pacing and mumbling while trying to think of a way out of their current predicament. The carefully laid plan that had taken the better part of a decade in careful political manoeuvrings and extortionate bribery was now well and truly in tatters.


    The unexpected arrival and intervention of the Ogre had ruined everything. Working hand in hand with the human kingdom that lay directly outside of the Mournbrent Labyrinth, the Ogre had purged all of Amalda¡¯s minions from the overrun human city. Then, to make things worse, he had also trapped her forces inside of the Labyrinth by seizing the fortress controlling access to the portal that provided the only means of exiting the Labyrinth en masse.


    Amalda¡¯s lifeless fist clenched tight around her sceptre.


    ¡°We should just leg it,¡± Liz muttered for the hundredth time that evening, ¡°Order all these idiots to swarm the fortress and scarper using your wand.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that,¡± Amalda replied icily, immediately regretting her choice in tone as Liz staggered slightly and flinched away from her, ¡°The Pale Council will hunt us down like rats,¡± Amalda explained in a more neutral tone.


    Liz fidgetted uncomfortably and refused to look at Amalda, choosing instead to focus on the remains of a broken chair she had thrown at the wall an hour earlier, ¡°That¡¯s the thing though, sometimes rats get away...¡±


    ¡°We made a deal, Liz, and if we try to back out of it, we''re as good as true dead and you know it,¡± Amalda countered firmly, ¡°We just need to get more creative.¡±


    ¡°He turned them into fucking monsters!¡± Liz snapped in frustration, ¡°That was meant to be our major advantage! And now he had fucking demons and angels and shit! That bitch with the wings nearly killed me!¡± She waved the blackened stump of her left bicep for emphasis. ¡°We can¡¯t win this war! We need to run!¡±


    Amalda shifted uncomfortably and rested her free hand over her abdomen. She had felt the hellish bite of the angel¡¯s blade as well and felt genuine fear at the prospect of facing it again.


    ¡°I can petition the Pale Council to let us access the higher floors for Exp,¡± Amalda insisted, ¡°Or ask for more elite troops.¡± The words sounded hollow, even to herself. The greatest monsters the council had loaned them were the least amongst the council''s respective hosts, but they had not been given over lightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth it!¡± Liz hissed, her canines elongating as her anger sympathetically triggered her hunger, ¡°The game was already up when they sent that last messenger! You think she didn¡¯t take a good long look at how thin our ranks have become? Or how almost all of those elite monsters they loaned us are missing?!¡±


    Amalda knew all this already, but unlike Liz, she knew that the council had means far beyond what Liz and Amalda had been allowed to witness. Choosing to run away was the same as committing suicide, only with more steps.


    Facing off against the Ogre and its allies was proving to be little better, but it was not the same guarantee of failure. The Ogre wasn¡¯t invincible, just profoundly resistant to Amalda¡¯s magic and Liz¡¯s physical attacks. They needed to create a situation where they could isolate the Ogre from its allies and minions. Wear him down by throwing everything they had at him, and then and only then, move in for the kill themselves.


    Amalda now understood that attacking the Ogre¡¯s home had been a monumentally stupid mistake. She should have told her human allies to fuck right off when they made the proposition. In all likelihood, all of Amalda¡¯s plans would have been right on schedule if she hadn¡¯t agreed to kick the proverbial hornet''s nest.


    In attacking the Ogre¡¯s home, and killing his minions, Amalda had made it personal. She understood that now. Even if the Ogre¡¯s alliance with the humans collapsed immediately after Liz and herself were dead, that wouldn¡¯t help Amalda and Liz at all.


    To make things worse, the Ogre was just like ¡®them¡¯. A human from Earth stuck inside of a monster¡¯s body. The Ogre also had at least one completed artefact. He had proven as much when stealing Amalda¡¯s territory.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t run, then we need to shift tactics,¡± Liz muttered irritably, ¡°Get outside and sow some terror amongst the humans, cut off his support and replenish our ranks.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to bring more than a handful of undead back into the Labyrinth,¡± Amalda reminded her, ¡°But sowing some discord might be precisely what we need...We could just leave the undead to ravage the countryside instead and retreat if we get caught by a credible threat...¡±


    ¡°We could let loose some vamps,¡± Liz agreed, ¡°Let them make as many spawn as they want. At this point, who cares if the chain of control is broken? I sure don¡¯t. If we win, we can just cull those that don¡¯t fall in line. If we lose...Who fucking cares?! It¡¯s not our problem anymore!¡±


    ¡°That could work,¡± Amalda agreed, feeling rather vindictive herself at this point. Distracting the Ogre¡¯s human allies would also help improve their chances of isolating the Ogre outright. However, there was a problem. ¡°We will need to make our way out from the city outside, I don¡¯t have any other viable teleportation locations in the human world.¡±


    Liz shrugged, wincing as she raised her blackened stump, ¡°So long as we avoid that big church, then we should be fine. You still have that spell that can block out the sun, yeah?¡±


    Amalda nodded. It cost a fair bit of mana to maintain over long periods of time, but since Liz would be the only recipient, the mana cost would be manageable. ¡°We will need to find another city or a big town, otherwise, I don¡¯t think there will be enough destruction to get their attention.¡±


    Liz paused mid-step and swivelled on her heel to face Amalda with a wide manic grin on her face, ¡°Hey! What if we turned on those bloody Russians?! Turned their army into a horde of vamps and zombies?!¡±


    Liz and Amalda had originally planned to betray the Werrian Empire after gaining complete control over the region around the city. Then again, they had also intended to betray the Confederation of Independent City States in much the same manner. Converting both armies into undead would have allowed them to sweep across the continent with minimal real opposition. That had been the plan...


    ¡°Do you still have that emissary they sent us?¡± Amalda asked, rising from her throne with practised grace and feigning at straightening her perfectly unruffled gown.


    ¡°Sure do!¡± Liz cackled eagerly, growing still for a moment and closing her eyes while issuing a silent command to her Thrall. ¡°I''ve had him continuing to send those false reports of our activities, just like you suggested,¡± Liz commented conversationally, ¡°Pretty sure they think I have him under mind control though.¡±


    Amalda arched an eyebrow, ¡°Well, provided they aren¡¯t complete idiots, they would have to at least entertain the possibility. Expecting them to do otherwise is rather childish.¡±


    Liz shrugged, ¡°We should be able to find out where one of their larger armies is and then hit em hard while they are sleeping!¡± She insisted while hungrily licking her blood-red lips.


    Amalda was generally aware of Liz¡¯ outright addiction to drinking blood and the bouts of psychosis that accompanied it. What she did not appreciate was the danger within which Liz would place herself in order to satisfy that addiction. The loss of her arm was as much a testament to the danger of Liz¡¯ addiction as it was the angel who had struck the blow.


    The angels serving the Ogre were faster than humans but painfully slow by Vampyr standards. All the same, the angels had wracked up a horrific body count amongst the strongest of Liz¡¯ progeny. The reason for this was simple. The angels weren¡¯t afraid to die.


    Nothing more than flawed copies of the originals, the angels would accept fatal blows in order to land a strike against a Vampyr. And that single strike was all too often enough to destroy the Vampyr on the spot.


    While reconstituting her body, Amalda had spent a great deal of time watching the efforts made to retake the fortress leading to the outside of the Labyrinth. The angels were fearless, but it was the demons that scared her.


    The projection of a single large scaly demon had nearly single-handedly annihilated an entire division of elite minions awarded to Amalda from the Pale Council. They hadn¡¯t even managed to kill the demon either. They had delivered a number of small wounds and insignificant Conditions, but in the end, its summoning had run its course and the demon just disappeared.


    Amalda had come face to face with that same demon while attempting to assassinate the Ogre. It was even larger in person and had shrugged off her Necrotic Blasts like they were nothing more than cool air. What Amalda had not expected was for a cadre of equally powerful demons to spring out of the shadows. She had been torn limb from limb before the angel drove its sword into her belly, but Amalda still felt the pain from its touch.


    It was to their good fortune that the Ogre seemed determined to keep his most powerful servants in reserve, far away from the battlefield. The Summoned copies were a problem, but nothing compared to the originals. Besides, a Summoner could be killed with far greater ease.


    A middle-aged man with a balding head and haggard face shuffled into the room before prostrating himself before Liz. Pale and sickly, there was no doubt that he was the Thrall Liz had sent for.


    ¡°You told your former bosses to send an emissary, right?¡± Liz demanded, planting her foot squarely on the Thrall¡¯s back and leaning forward on her knee to make a show applying additional pressure. This was entirely unnecessary. Amalda knew for a fact that Liz could push her foot through the Thrall¡¯s ribcage without expending any real amount of effort.


    ¡°Yes, mistress...¡± The Thrall replied in a horse simpering tone.


    ¡°Good,¡± Liz removed her booted heel from the Thrall¡¯s back and then kicked him hard enough to send him flying back out the open doorway and into the adjoining hall, ¡°Filthy cockroach,¡± Liz muttered with disgust. ¡°You think they will appear in that same rundown tower?¡± She asked conversationally while walking over to the coat rack.


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Amalda replied, ¡°They don¡¯t have my sceptre, so they wouldn¡¯t be able to teleport inside of the fortress even if they wanted to.¡±


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s bullshit that the sceptre lets you break the rules like that,¡± Liz snickered, ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining,¡± she chuckled to herself while reaching for her cloak. Liz froze, her expression darkening as she realised she had just tried to lift her cloak off the rack with a hand that was no longer there, ¡°Maybe I should be complaining,¡± Liz muttered quietly before reaching for her cloak with her left hand instead.


    Amalda pretended not to have noticed. Liz had a point, but admitting that would only cause her to ignore her own failings that caused her injury in the first place.


    Besides, the Sovereign''s Sceptre required a large amount of mana to make the most of its ability to bypass the Settlement Barriers. More so when the territory was properly locked down against interdimensional travel.


    Amalda strongly suspected that even if she had not given up on attacking the Ogre¡¯s home directly, she probably wouldn''t have been able to if she tried. It was obvious that the Ogre was consolidating his control over his captured territories in his native Labyrinth. So it was entirely possible that he had already triggered a convergence, amalgamating the floors under his control into a singular Demi-Plane. If he had, then Amalda would not have nearly enough mana to invade even if she left Liz and their minions behind.


    Leaving the fortress behind them, Amalda and Liz had nothing to fear from the intelligent and mindless undead that stalked the blackened forest that now surrounded them. The mindless undead did not register their existence unless overtly provoked, and the intelligent undead knew better than to provoke Liz or Amalda.


    Of course, they weren¡¯t the only ones stalking the Darkwood, as they had both come to call it over the years. There would be spies of the Pale Council scuttling about, keeping tabs on their progress, or lack thereof, and reporting back to each of their respective masters. There would also be a small number of Amalda¡¯s own minions culling the mindless undead for mana stones and Exp.


    They made the trip to the rundown tower in near silence that was only broken by Liz¡¯ muttering under her breath or kicking stones off of their path and into the woods. While she couldn¡¯t pretend that the temporary loss of her arm was a relatively big deal, Liz was more than capable of fighting using her feet if she wanted to.


    It was what had earned her ticket to this place in the first place.


    Both Liz and Amalda were something of a rarity amongst the Awakened, as everyone else referred to themselves and each other. They had both known each other while they were still alive on Earth. Amalda had even witnessed the murder that earned Liz her ticket. After all, it was where Amalda had earned her own.


    They had been on a date, their fifth, in some dingy dive bar in London. Liz had gotten into a fight with some drunk football supporters watching the T.V. One of the bigger men had grabbed her, trying to crush Liz against his chest. Liz didn¡¯t even hesitate as she leaned in and bit down hard into his neck.


    Attempting to throw Liz away had only succeeded in ripping free a bloody chunk of the man¡¯s neck.


    The resulting brawl had been chaotic, and Amalda struggled to remember most of the details. However, she distinctly recalled seeing Liz slam her steel-capped boot into the man¡¯s temple and how the crunch momentarily silenced the room as the man collapsed to the ground. The other men and women had swarmed Liz and were beating her mercilessly. Amalda vaguely remembered breaking a bottle over someone''s head and stabbing someone else with the broken neck of the bottle.


    Amalda didn¡¯t remember what happened next, but could only assume that both Liz and herself had been beaten to death, or died of complications before reaching a hospital. Liz had arrived first and was partially deranged by the time they found one another. The rarity of blood in the Labyrinth at the time was the primary contributor to her derangement, but apparently, Liz remembered enough of the fight to realise that she had likely gotten Amalda killed as well.


    As true as that realisation was, Amalda had done her best to downplay it as much as possible. After all, they were together again, and that was all that mattered.


    Not once in the decade since their deaths had Amalda blamed Liz for what had happened. She had known what she was signing up for when they had first started dating. At any given point, Amalda could have bailed and would have still been alive. But she hadn¡¯t. Then again, if she hadn¡¯t pushed Liz into getting clean, she probably wouldn¡¯t have started the confrontation that killed them. The way Amalda saw it, she was far more to blame than Liz had been for what happened to them.


    As the crumbling ruins of the tower grew closer, Amalda ceased her reminiscing and concentrated her senses. In a similar way to how a wolf or other predator could smell its prey over long distances, and snakes could see their prey in the ultraviolet spectrum, Amalda could sense the living or partially living, such as the Vampyrs, when they entered a certain range. She could also see their life force, depending on the number of obstructions between them.


    Sensing a dozen living targets within the crumbling tower, Amalda decided that this would ultimately be to their benefit.


    <I will approach them directly, while you determine who has the wands of teleportation.> Amalda explained telepathically.


    Liz nodded and disappeared into the shadows of the trees.


    Amalda could still sense her general location, but only because Liz allowed it.


    Approaching the Imperial¡¯s lapdogs on her own, Amalda was somewhat surprised to find that only one amongst their number was a Necromancer. After doing some quick maths in her head, she realised that after accounting for those already killed in action against the Ogre, this still left four Necromancers unaccounted for. That was not ideal, but Amalda would cross that bridge once it came to it.


    Now standing before the tower, Amalda waited patiently for the Imperials to send out their designated negotiator.


    The negotiator was almost guaranteed not to possess a wand of teleportation, but their dialogue would hopefully keep the negotiator''s companions sufficiently distracted for Liz to do her thing.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± a vaguely Russian accented voice called out in greeting as a short middle aged man in fine clothes and armour stepped out of the tower under the careful watch of a half dozen heavily armoured soldiers.


    ¡°Emissary,¡± Amalda replied cordially, fixing the emissary with an unblinking stare.


    The emissary fidgeted uncomfortably and began to sweat, ¡°My Lady, as you are the party to request this meeting, perhaps it would be best if you were to go first?¡±


    Amalda smiled coldly, ¡°Very well. I was considering the possibility for another exchange of resources.¡±


    The emissary seemed surprised, ¡°You would be willing to train more Necromancers?¡± He asked with barely suppressed excitement.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Amalda lied, ¡°Provided the exchange is favourable to my interests.¡±


    ¡°How many?!¡± The emissary asked eagerly before becoming embarrassed and reigning in his eagerness, ¡°How many Slaves do you require? And how many Necromancers may we expect in exchange?¡±


    <Two of them have wands. What do you want to do?> Liz asked impatiently, her bloodlust seeping through their telepathic connection.


    <Can you get them both?> Amalda asked while making a show of considering the emissary¡¯s request.


    Amalda felt one of the nearby sources of lifeforce begin to rapidly fade. ¡°I will require greater materials this time,¡± She explained slowly, doing her best to deliberately dominate the attention of the emissary and his guards.


    The emissary seemed confused for a moment but rallied almost immediately, ¡°I am sure it can be arranged. My Lady needs only tell me what it is you require, and I shall endeavour to secure it for you.¡±


    Amalda smiled coldly as two more lives were snuffed out, ¡°I think there has been a misunderstanding. No, I know that there has been,¡± she activated her Necrotic Aura and made a show of stepping back from the emissary.


    ¡°Wh-What are you doing?!¡± The emissary shrieked as his pale flesh began to wither away.


    His guards cursed and took a firm hold of him while hurrying back towards the ruined tower.


    Amalda deactivated her Necrotic Aura and waited patiently as the cries of alarm and terror erupted from the tower.


    After less than a minute, the emissary and all of his guards filed obediently out of the broken tower behind Liz, each and every one of them turned into lesser Vampyrs. Creating them would have cost a decent amount of her mana, but making them so weak to begin with would have saved her a great deal.


    ¡°Figured we should go in with some relatively elite fodder before you let loose some zombies,¡± Liz explained with a bloody grin. ¡°If we hit them in the middle of the night, there won¡¯t be anything they can do to stop us!¡±


    Amalda nodded, ¡°Perhaps we could widen the scope of our original plan slightly?¡± She suggested while considering the former emissary now turned Vampyr, ¡°Since we are betraying the Werrian Empire anyway, why not make sure they won¡¯t be able to retaliate?¡±


    Liz¡¯ grin grew unnaturally wide, her dark eyes taking on a reddish hue, ¡°You mean like unleashing a real zombie apocalypse?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean,¡± Amalda agreed, a deep hunger of her own growing at the prospect of devouring so many souls.


    ¡°Fuckem, let''s do it!¡± Liz agreed eagerly, ¡°Where do we hit first?¡±


    Amalda turned to the former emissary, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t we ask your new pet?¡±


    Amalda and Liz both stared expectantly at the former emissary of the Werrian Empire. Far from being offended, the newly reborn Vampyr appeared overjoyed to serve.


    And why shouldn¡¯t he be? Amalda mused to herself, he had just been elevated from the bottom of a very violent food chain.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 47 – Limited Dimensional Authority – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 47 ¨C Limited Dimensional Authority ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 47 - Limited Dimensional Authority - Part One


    The boy, Percy, didn¡¯t know anything. Or, more specifically, he didn¡¯t realise that he knew something until Gregory was called upon to question him more thoroughly. The second round of questioning uncovered a single word that had been omitted for the first round of questioning because Percy wasn¡¯t sure he had even heard it correctly. However, that one word made all the difference depending on the context.


    That word was ¡®others¡¯, and the fact that Percy had overheard it from a group of confirmed spies or saboteurs meant there was a distinct possibility of more spies lying low amongst the Laine population of civilians. It also may have been a reference to spies elsewhere, but paranoia at this stage seemed warranted.


    Percy, his mother and his great uncle were given quarters within the inner wall as an additional reward for Percy¡¯s assistance. Additionally, Clarice immediately began haggling with Percy for the Elixirs he had earned from the Quest.


    The high tier Elixirs didn¡¯t technically exist yet, but Clarice was hellbent on getting her hands on them.


    Despite his young age, Percy quickly proved that he wasn¡¯t an idiot. He had something Clarice wanted, or he soon would, and he seemed more than willing to push his luck and see what he could get for it.


    ¡°I want to ride Beast monsters, just like you!¡± Percy insisted adamantly, ignoring the enormous pile of redeemed equipment and supplies Clarice had already promised in exchange.


    Clarice fidgeted uncomfortably and appeared to be straining herself to remain civil, ¡°Look, kid, Percy. I can¡¯t just teach you the Class for Taming your own Beast, it''s incredibly dangerous. There is no way Tim would allow it...¡± She paused and took a moment to look at me for confirmation, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.


    I shook my head, ¡°Not unless we find something like a toothless Vrabbit,¡± I warned.


    Clarice fidgetted again while working her jaw, ¡°See? If it was up to me, I would have just shown you how to do it. But Tim has rules about this sort of thing.¡±


    Percy frowned, scrunching up his small face in frustration, ¡°Then promise to teach me when I¡¯m old enough!¡± He insisted.


    Clarice winced. Although Percy had said promise, it was clear that he was expecting an oath.


    Percy¡¯s mother and great uncle both shifted uneasily. They had not been comfortable with Percy''s hardline bargaining tactics to begin with, and it was obvious that attempting to extract an oath from Clarice was pushing them to breaking point.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Clarice hissed, ¡°I swear to assist you in unlocking a suitable Class in exchange for the rewards of your participation in the spy hunting quest,¡± she took a breath, ¡°In such a time as Tim deems appropriate.¡±


    Percy frowned, gnawed at his lip for a moment then nodded, ¡°Deal.¡±


    Clarice grinned maliciously, ¡°Ahahaha!¡±


    It took me a moment to realise why Clarice was so pleased, ¡°Percy, can you read?¡± I asked calmly.


    Thoroughly confused and a little suspicious, Percy looked away from Clarice and up at me instead, ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I tried to teach him letters,¡± his mother apologised quietly.


    ¡°The boy¡¯s got too much vinegar in him,¡± his great uncle added, ¡°Erm, your Majesty,¡± he added hastily, bobbing his head and wringing his leather cap between his knobbly fingers.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?!¡± Percy demanded.


    ¡°If you learn to read, then you will be able to interact with a quest that teaches you one of the approved Classes. You can also earn Exp without putting yourself in danger by accepting the Reservist quest and fulfilling the daily objectives,¡± I explained carefully, ¡°The quest is sort of like a teacher that explains different ways of unlocking the Class you want. It¡¯s possible that you might have been able to unlock the Class you wanted without requiring Clarice¡¯s help at all. You just need to learn how to read so you can follow the instructions.¡±


    Clarice¡¯s grin widened.


    There was a very real possibility that she had just managed to con Percy out of the Elixirs in exchange for the Asrusian government''s property and a largely redundant oath.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Clarice won¡¯t mind giving you personal riding lessons,¡± I added flatly while narrowing my eyes at Clarice, ¡°A good faith payment on her oath.¡±


    Still grinning, Clarice shrugged, ¡°Sure, why not? But I''ll need to feed Dhizi first so she doesn¡¯t mistake him for a snack.¡±


    Percy¡¯s expression brightened, ¡°I get to ride one of the giant Beasts?!¡± He asked excitedly, earning fresh looks of concern from his mother and great uncle.


    ¡°It would be hard to teach you to ride if you didn¡¯t,¡± Clarice scoffed, acting as if she herself hadn¡¯t become accustomed to riding relatively recently.


    Leaving them to it, I returned to my temporary lodgings and found Lash playing with Pete and Suzy on the floor. The cauldrons had been knocked over, or fallen over, leaving the floor three inches under water. Not that the twins seemed to mind in the least, crawling and splashing around the large room while Lash made a show of snarling and chasing after them.


    Giggling and squealing in delight, the twins scrambled into one of the overturned cauldrons in order to hide.


    Lash gave me a broad smile before making an exaggerated show of looking for Pete and Suzy beneath a pile of soaked blankets.


    ¡°I wonder where they could be?¡± I chuckled, walking past their hiding place and looking inside of the other cauldron, earning a fit of not at all stealthy giggling laughter from the twins hiding place.


    By the time Lash ¡®found¡¯ them, Pete was thoroughly worn out by the excitement and seemed ready to take a nap. Suzy was on her second wind, but she seemed content with rolling around on the floor and attempting to drag her left foot into her mouth.


    Both twins were now beginning to grow dark greenish and brown hair, which was something of a relief. The last thing I would have wanted was for them to inherit my Alopecia.


    ¡°So lively,¡± Lash cooed proudly while settling Pete into a wet blanket on her lap.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where Suzy gets all her energy from,¡± I chuckled in agreement.


    ¡°Bwa!¡± Suzy exclaimed, wiggling her tongue in an attempt to close the remaining distance to her toes.


    Lash smiled, but her expression quickly turned contemplative instead, ¡°Tim?¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡± I could tell something was on her mind, so I made a point of showing she had my mostly undivided attention.


    ¡°You love Suzy and Pete...¡± Lash stated slowly, ¡°If I change, you will love me?¡± She asked somewhat awkwardly, a hint of embarrassment and anxiety in her voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Evolution,¡± I realised, following her line of sight to Suzy, ¡°A specific Evolution.¡±


    Lash nodded.


    ¡°Well, you already answered your own question,¡± I smiled reassuringly, ¡°I love our kids, so I think it would be impossible for me to stop loving you for becoming more like them. Even if your appearance changed to be more like something else, I can answer that with a question of my own.¡±


    Lash stared back at me expectantly, and I was relieved to see that most of the anxiety from earlier had left her features.


    ¡°Do you love me any less for changing?¡± I asked sincerely, nearly choking up as I felt a sudden rush of anxiety over having forced an issue that would have otherwise remained dormant.


    Lash shook her head and smiled, ¡°No. I like you bigger,¡± she admitted, blushing slightly as her smile momentarily turned into a lascivious grin.


    ¡°And the webbed fingers and toes?¡± I pressed, grinning back at her.


    Lash shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t notice mostly,¡± she admitted. Lash¡¯s eyes widened as she realised she had her answer.


    ¡°Having gills will probably take some getting used to though, and you would need to change the design of your armour,¡± I pointed out supportively.


    Lash nodded, ¡°I have plans,¡± she stated confidently, ¡°Was for Suzy and Pete,¡± Lash admitted a little sheepishly, ¡°Will work for me also.¡±


    ¡°A little young for armour aren¡¯t they?¡± I asked in a half-joking tone.


    Lash shrugged, ¡°Maybe, for now,¡± she replied noncommittally.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of training armour?¡± I guessed, recalling how the children in Sanctuary wore crude approximations of armour made from peeled bark.


    Lash shrugged again, but her nonchalance was more exaggerated this time, ¡°Maybe.¡±


    I honestly couldn¡¯t blame her. If I was more familiar with armour crafting I might have been obsessing over plating our children in steel as well.


    ¡°So a Swamp Orc then?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Or are there others? Like a More Orc, or River Orc? Maybe a Lake Orc?¡±


    ¡°Swamp is our home,¡± Lash declared decisively, ¡°Would choose Swamp Orc.¡±


    ¡°Or whatever its higher evolution is,¡± I added supportively, ¡°I mean, you are already an environmental Evolution. So it would make sense that when you reach your next Major Evolution, it would be a progression plus the environmental Evolution tacked on top. Or at least that¡¯s how I understand it.¡±


    Lash was listening with keen interest, so it was somewhat unfortunate that my knowledge on the subject was very nearly tapped out.


    ¡°Nadine probably knows more about it,¡± I admitted, ¡°However, I am fairly certain that so long as we spend enough time in our swamp, it is more a matter of time than anything else whether you will have the chance to achieve the more advanced form of Swamp Orc Evolution. Does that make sense?¡±


    Lash nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Maybe not this time, or next time, but eventually,¡± she summarised succinctly, demonstrating the results of her widening vocabulary.


    ¡°The chances seem quite high,¡± I commented thoughtfully, ¡°Close to half the children born in Sanctuary have the Swamp environmental Evolution. About a quarter of the adults that have Evolved are Swamp Subspecies as well, and that doesn¡¯t account for those who had the choice but chose something else.¡±


    Lash seemed pleased by that particular tidbit of information. While she had managed to achieve literacy through her own hard work and dedication, Lash probably wasn¡¯t nearly proficient enough to indulge in casual reading like I was prone to doing.


    Of course, directed Evolution was an interesting subject that I hadn¡¯t actually given that much thought to before now. Depending on how the Demi-Plane plan worked out, it might become a very important issue.


    Was the environmental evolution of an unborn child decided by the environment of their conception? Or by their hatching? With only a single Grove to guarantee egg hatching in a timely fashion, the entire population would begin skewing towards swamp adaptations regardless of their parent''s home environment. This would be bad for a number of obvious reasons.


    However, requiring a monster be present in the environment in question in order to select that environmental Evolution also presented a number of potential issues. Just because someone was in one place when they became able to Evolve, doesn¡¯t mean that it was their intended destination.


    Unfortunately, Wisp¡¯s behaviour seemed to suggest that this was indeed the case and that if an alternate Evolution was desired, then steps had to be made to force the issue. Only time would tell if it was the same situation with the egg hatchings, but I suspected that it was the same situation.


    Steps would need to be undertaken to create hatcheries in other locations so parents would at least have some degree of choice and autonomy. After all, a Swamp Orc being raised in the desert, or his parents having to live in a swamp, seemed like a lousy compromise for everyone involved.


    With Rikit and Garn both racing to seize control over their respective floors of the Labyrinth, and the Imperial¡¯s camp remaining silent, I didn¡¯t have much else to do besides engage in basic exercise and spend time with my family.


    Judging by the noise coming from the house next door, Ril had recovered from her mana exhaustion and Toofy was making an event of it.


    Even though there were questions I wanted Ril to answer, I decided to give her some space as a sign of respect for her quick thinking in removing my family from danger.


    Without soldiers in need of treatment, Nadine had begun treating civilians in the upper quarters of the city. The Surgeon¡¯s Guild had begun lodging complaints with the army, claiming that Nadine wasn¡¯t certified and was a risk to public health. However, the army had rejected and dismissed all their complaints, demonstrating that they were keenly aware of who was contributing to the greater war effort, and who was not.


    A full day passed before the first of the new Elixirs were completed. Unfortunately, Clarice snatched them up first as the reward for her quest. While I could have claimed them anyway and reimbursed Clarice later, I didn¡¯t realise the exchange had been made until it was too late.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Clarice apologised sincerely, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you wanted one for Lash...I just got excited. I¡¯ll hold off and let you know when the next batch is ready!¡± She promised.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed with a sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t think Lash is in a hurry, since we will need to know how this Demi-Plane thing will pan out before returning to Sanctuary. But she still has a number of intermediary Evolutions to complete before then as well.¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± Clarice agreed apologetically, ¡°But there is some good news too!¡± She insisted, pointing to Dhizi who was soundly asleep. ¡°Those manastones the Elixirs are made from must be really high level! Dhizi breezed through all those intermediary Evolutions and is on the brink of her next major one!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I was more than a little surprised to hear that.


    Dhizi was already a high-tier monster, so to make any large degree of progress was a shock to say the least.


    ¡°Do you know what floor the Adventurers Guild reached in Hurst?¡± I asked somewhat apprehensively, only now realising that the large volumes of Exp I had been receiving from Wisp had likely been at the minimum Takesation level.


    Clarice was thoughtful for a few moments, ¡°Thirty or forty-something, I think?¡± She replied with some degree of uncertainty, ¡°Nadine would probably know, or you could ask Gregory. He¡¯s probably gone through all their secret books and all that. Why?...Oh...¡± Clarice¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Blood hell! Is that why you have been levelling like crazy?!¡± She demanded excitedly.


    ¡°I think so...¡± I admitted, ¡°I told Wisp to go hunting to level up, but I didn¡¯t expect him to go to such extreme lengths to do it.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s basically untouchable. So it¡¯s not like he was in any real danger...Damn! I should have gone with him!¡± Clarice cursed again.


    ¡°It probably wouldn''t have been pleasant,¡± I reminded her, ¡°Wisp¡¯s a Necromancer, remember?¡±


    ¡°Ah...Right...¡± Clarice conceded, deflating somewhat, ¡°But I guess it¡¯s still just a matter of time before we can go there on our own anyway, right?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°I guess,¡± I conceded and then remembered something else, ¡°Hana needs at least a few of the Elixirs as well. The Grove, and the water inside of its boundaries can provide passive progress for Evolution-¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Clarice exclaimed, staggering slightly as she struggled to scan my face for signs of deception.


    ¡°It¡¯s how Ril had been progressing without consuming any mana stones. By living inside of the mana-saturated water, absorbing it through her skin, and breathing it in through her gills, Ril has been steadily progressing her own Evolution at a comparatively competitive pace,¡± I explained with unrestrained interest, ¡°I was hoping to do the same with Pete and Suzy, and I think Lash would benefit as well, especially if she remains behind to take care of the twins. It would mean Lash would continue growing stronger without needing to rely on Elixirs or mana stones.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.....¡± Clarice ran her hands through her short red hair in frustration, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I have been born a monster?!¡± She lamented, ¡°That sounds so amazing!...Wait...¡± Clarice turned to look at Dhizi who was still sleeping in a drunken stupor, ¡°So if Dhizi had gills so she could breathe water, she would be able to benefit from the Grove water too, right?¡±


    ¡°Should do,¡± I agreed, ¡°She might even progress faster than a smaller monster due to surface area,¡± I could tell Clarice didn¡¯t quite understand, so I adjusted my thinking slightly, ¡°Because Dhizi is bigger, she would be exposed to more water, which means more mana. Although, there is a possibility that there might be limits on mana absorption rates...¡± I scratched my head for a few moments while trying to think of any precedents but came up dry.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me!¡± Clarice grinned happily, ¡°What do you plan to do with Ushu?¡±


    I actually hadn¡¯t given it much thought beyond helping him Evolve out of the Blighted environmental Evolution. ¡°I suppose, depending on how substantial Hana¡¯s improvements to the Grove turn out to be, and depending on his own preference, a swamp environmental Evolution wouldn¡¯t be the worst in the world.¡±


    ¡°You mean, like a Swamp Dragon?¡± Clarice asked excitedly, once more defaulting to her unrestrained obsession with dragons.


    ¡°I guess?¡± I shrugged, ¡°But bear in mind that depending on how radical the transformations from the Evolution might be, riding Ushu or Dhizi might become impractical.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Clarice asked, visibly confused.


    ¡°Well, what if they looked more like Ril and had fins in places you would otherwise want to set the saddle?¡± Ril wasn¡¯t necessarily the best example of what might happen, but her physiology fit the point I was trying to make.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Clarice nodded and became contemplative for a short while before shrugging it off, ¡°We will just have to see, I guess.¡±


    When the next Elixir became available, Lash mistakenly downed it in one go, confusing the relatively small size of the Elixir¡¯s vessel with a lesser degree of potency. She collapsed into a drunken stupor almost immediately. As concerning as this was, Lash¡¯s status only displayed the Inebriated and Unconscious Conditions, so it seemed like there wasn¡¯t anything else to worry about for the time being.


    Just in case, I made a point of checking Lash¡¯s eyes and skin for signs of jaundice. Unfortunately, the twins demanded most of my attention at any given moment, and I wasn¡¯t sure what jaundice would look like given Lash¡¯s odd eye and skin pigmentations.


    Ultimately, I had to be content with no news being good news. A lack of visible change would strongly suggest that Lash was still healthy and in no immediate danger. On the contrary, Lash had successfully brute-forced her way through to the threshold of her next major Evolution. Considering how relatively low tier she had been before, I supposed it was inevitable.


    Initially concerned over the cumulative effects of alcohol consumption causing cirrhosis of the liver, I was worried that the Grove might become the only viable long-term source of Evolution. Then I had something of an epiphany that radically changed my perspective. The liver regenerates. So long as the liver wasn¡¯t too badly damaged, its own regenerative properties would be accelerated by my iron Gut Ability, functionally eliminating cirrhosis of the liver as a medical concern.


    This still required the lethal doses of alcohol to be metabolised and excreted before they could do lasting damage to other organs. Technically, with the liver kept in peak fighting form, and Iron Gut treating alcohol as a poison, that wouldn¡¯t be as big an issue as I initially feared.


    As if to prove my point, Lash regained consciousness roughly fourteen hours after downing the Elixir.


    I had been keeping her as hydrated as the twins had allowed, but I was still genuinely impressed that Lash showed no signs of being hungover.


    Lash grinned and gingerly flexed her muscles as she adjusted to her more reinforced frame. Lash had grown four inches taller since drinking the Elixir. While it was not a particularly drastic change in proportions, it would still feel like she had months worth of growth spurts overnight.


    Sure enough, Lash¡¯s first attempt at standing unassisted brought her crashing to the ground and splashing water everywhere, much to the twins'' delight.


    ¡°So clumsy,¡± Lash chuckled, giving Suzy a deliberate splash while settling on her haunches.


    Even though they were only a handful of days old, both Suzy and Pete were becoming increasingly mobile, half crawling and half flinging themselves forward through the shallow water.


    Lash swept them up into her arms and settled back down into a sitting position to avoid losing her balance again, ¡°Missed you too!¡± She gave each of them a fierce kiss that earned more burbling cries of happy excitement in return.


    ¡°Maybe we should have a small feast to celebrate?¡± I suggested, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have got to be hungry, right?¡±


    ¡°Grrr!¡± Suzy growled and bared the teeth beginning to poke through her gums.


    ¡°Mmmbuh,¡± Pete burbled, clumsily slapping his belly.


    ¡°They say yes,¡± Lash chuckled.


    With the dubious cleanliness of the waterlogged floor, I opted for conjuring the food rations onto the raised surface of the bed instead. With a relatively wide selection of food to choose from, it really was like our own private feast.


    Lash set the twins onto the bed next to the food and then began helping herself to a small slatted crate of what looked like crab apples.


    I began setting out some of the food so I could feed the twins, but they began helping themselves the moment things came into reach.


    Suzy gleefully set to tearing her way through a pale sausage and Pete seemed content with pulverising smoked fish in his meaty fists before stuffing it into his mouth with stoic satisfaction. Of course, they only succeeded in delivering half of what they snatched to their mouths. The rest was scattered down the front of their bellies or across the bed. Not that either of the twins seemed to mind.


    Sitting down beside Lash, I wrapped one arm around her waist and held her close while reaching for one of the small apples she seemed to have taken a liking to.


    Crisp, slightly sour and sickeningly sweet, the apples tasted more like candied cherries than any apple I had ever tasted. It was no wonder Lash liked them so much, they were packed full of natural sugars.


    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t feed any to Suzy,¡± I warned quietly, unsure that I wanted to find out what Suzy was like on a sugar rush.


    Lash shrugged happily, ¡°More for me,¡± she chuckled quietly, biting another apple in half, core and all.


    Eventually, Suzy and Pete managed to eat their fill and settled down to sleep amidst the carnage generated by their feasting. I fell asleep with Lash resting in my arms and felt a profound sense of contentment.


    I woke up early, but the twins were both already awake and tearing their way through the food leftover from the night before. This would have been fine, but Suzy had found the apples and was shoving them into her mouth as fast as she could manage.


    While I attempted to wrangle Suzy, Pete looked on with mild interest and chewed on his fingers.


    I had just managed to get a hold of Suzy when my vision was abruptly obstructed by a block of white text against a black background. This was promptly followed by a second, then a third and then finally a fourth.


    [Conditions for {Lesser Dimensional Authority} have been met. Candidate {Tim} is now bestowed with {Lesser Dimensional Authority} and qualified to {Converge} {Dimensional Assets and Territories}.]


    [Lesser Dimensional Convergence: {Dimensional Assets and Territories} may be integrated into a singular {Lesser Dimensional Plane}. {Dimensional Assets and Territories} must be under your control and must remain uncontested in order to qualify for integration.]


    [Lesser Dimensional Plane: Integrated {Dimensional Assets and Territories} must be positioned and anchored to other {Dimensional Assets and Territories} in order to prevent {Dimensional Entropy} and {Dimensional Instability}. {Dimensional Assets and Territories} may be positioned in correlation to the {Lesser Dimensional Plane Integration Interface}.]


    [Minimum number of {Dimensional Assets and Territories} qualified for {Lesser Dimensional Convergence} has been met. Proceed: Y/N ]


    Reading through the mass of information, I realised that Rikit and Garn must have only just finished achieving their respective objectives.


    ¡°Something is wrong?¡± Lash asked warily, having woken up while I was distracted.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt, ¡°But Rikit and Garn just finished with their assignments. I can now create the Demi-Plane Gregory was talking about a few days ago.¡±


    Lash shifted to make herself more comfortable, ¡°This is the safe place?¡± She asked for confirmation.


    I nodded while biting my tongue. A part of me had wanted to make an offhanded sarcastic remark, but I couldn¡¯t quite bring myself to do it. ¡°I need to let Gregory know about this development so we can plan for what comes next. Will you be alright looking after Suzy and Pete on your own for a few hours?¡±


    ¡°We will be fine,¡± Lash insisted supportively while taking Suzy.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I carefully got to my feet and stretched the stiffness from my legs and back. Sleeping on the wet floor hadn¡¯t been nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± I promised, planting a kiss on Lash¡¯s forehead before heading out through the thick curtain covering the doorway.


    Looking over the heads of the armoured Orc guards on watch, I scanned the immediate area for potential threats before passing through their ranks and heading for the portal to the city of Laine. I could have sent one of the enlisted Slaves, but they were already working a demanding schedule as it was.


    Crossing through the portal, I tasked one of the soldiers on the other side to let Gregory know I wanted to speak with him about something urgent.


    Unsure if Gregory was present in the former guild building or one of the fortified mansions nearby, I walked out onto the mostly empty street outside. The dark clouds above gave an ominous tone to the largely abandoned district. If the Regent followed through on what Gregory had suggested, it was entirely possible that the city might fall entirely into ruin.


    Again, this raised the question of what would happen to the Labyrinth once I cannibalised its territory to create the Demi-Plane. Would the portals on the planes I removed cease to function? Or would they remain linked to the Labyrinth they were taken from?


    I was still musing over the possibilities when Gregory came jogging down the street from the direction of the heavily fortified estate of the former Baron. ¡°Majesty, you sent for me?¡± Gregory asked while giving the nearby soldiers a paranoid glance.


    I nodded, ¡°We need to talk. There are decisions that need to be made.¡±


    Gregory gave a nearly imperceptible nod to confirm that he knew or had guessed what I was talking about. ¡°We should relocate to a more secure location,¡± Gregory suggested, motioning back to the former guild building.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a surprise when Gregory led the way back to the portal into the Labyrinth, and it was even less so when he pulled out his communication device and began rapidly signalling a message to whoever was on the other end.


    ¡°Do you have a location in mind?¡± I asked while not particularly expecting an answer.


    ¡°Apologies, I am awaiting the Lord Regent¡¯s reply,¡± Gregory apologised while keeping his attention focused on the communication device.


    A number of minutes passed in relative silence before Gregory began receiving his reply.


    Gregory¡¯s expression quickly turned from apprehension to outright concern.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I demanded warily.


    ¡°The Lord Regent would like to discuss matters in person,¡± Gregory replied somewhat stiffly with a grimace, ¡°And he would like to do it here.¡±


    Now I could understand Gregory¡¯s cause for concern, ¡°There is only one building, excluding the hospital, that I can fit inside of,¡± I pointed out as a warning.


    Gregory nodded, ¡°I know...But the Lord Regent is being...Insistent...¡± The way he said it made it seem like there were a few other less than pleasant words he would have preferred to use instead. ¡°The Lord Regent will be arriving presently...¡± Gregory couldn¡¯t have sounded less enthusiastic if he had tried.


    We made our way over to the gateway to await the Regent¡¯s arrival.


    After a few minutes of waiting, A tall man with a wiry build and immaculately groomed goatee appeared before the Gateway in the midst of a huddle of heavily armoured bodies. For his part, the Regent was dressed in a manner I subconsciously associated with a conquistador. Wearing fine courtly clothes beneath a ceremonial breastplate and with a sword at his hip.


    There was a middle-aged woman with him as well. With the same dark hair that seemed commonplace in the people of the Asrus kingdom, it was streaked with lines of grey around her temples. However, her delicately featured face was more youthful than her hair had led me to expect. Similarly, her porcelain skin was immaculate and unblemished. Despite having never met her before, there was something about the playfulness in her hazel eyes that made the woman seem familiar.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the regent bowed and his guards parted to either side.


    The woman at his side pinched her dress and curtsied, smiling in amusement all the while.


    ¡°I know this is an imposition, Majesty, but is there somewhere we may speak in private?¡± The regent asked politely but also in a tone of urgency that made it clear he wasn¡¯t going to accept a refusal without a fight.


    ¡°There is,¡± I replied, fighting down an amused smirk of my own, ¡°But you might not enjoy the ambience.¡±


    ¡°I am sure I will walk away the better for the experience,¡± the regent insisted in an upbeat tone.


    ¡°Your guards won¡¯t be allowed inside, and you can¡¯t bring that sword either,¡± I added prudently. It wasn¡¯t that I thought the regent might go on a genocidal rampage against my family, but I wasn¡¯t willing to risk letting a weapon like that within arms reach of Suzy.


    ¡°But of course,¡± the regent agreed amiably, promptly unbuckling his sword belt and handing it to one of the guards, ¡°It is largely ceremonial anyway,¡± he chuckled in good humour.


    The guards didn¡¯t seem particularly thrilled at the condition of being left behind, but I didn¡¯t really care what they thought about the arrangement. In such a confined space, it wasn¡¯t like they would be able to do anything if things turned bad anyway.


    ¡°I should probably surrender the knives hidden on my person as well,¡± the woman volunteered in a breathy voice, removing two knives from the sleeves of her dress, another from each shin, and a fifth from the concealment of her cleavage.


    I felt that same sense of familiarity hearing her voice that I had felt about looking into her eyes, but I was profoundly confident I had never met this woman before in my life.


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t want Suzy getting her hands on them,¡± the woman said quietly, her eyes flashing with amusement.


    <Jacque?> I had formed the thought without truly meaning to, but it now seemed obvious.


    The woman¡¯s delicate lips drew back into an amused grin, <Of course,> Jacque replied in the same breathy voice.


    <Why do you look like...this?> I asked curiously, <And why are you with the regent?>


    <Oh, well that actually saves us some time,> Jacque commented, <It¡¯s for largely the same reason. You see, Francis has a thing for women that look like his wife, and I like silver foxes that look like Bond villains. He also treats me like a queen, so there is that as well,> she added with another smirk, <But what¡¯s this about children?! I knew you weren¡¯t a monk!¡±


    I fought the urge to blush as I led our small party through the outer perimeter. <I never said I was celibate.>


    <But you weren¡¯t exactly making an effort not to be,> Jacque countered with amusement, <I can only assume that if your children are here, then their mother is as well?>


    I made no reply.


    <I can¡¯t wait to see what your type is!> Jacque continued excitedly, <I have been avoiding spoilers, and have some theories.>


    I parted the thick curtain and entered first, leaving Gregory scrambling to hold it open for the regent and Jacque.


    Lash looked surprised to see me back so soon. However, she must have determined from my expression that something wasn¡¯t quite right, because she immediately grabbed Suzy from off the bed. Pete was already sitting in her lap, so Lash just had to cross her legs to cage him in. Not that Pete seemed to care in the slightest, continuing to slap at a small apple floating on the water.


    I conjured two empty crates while I crossed the room before sitting down on the edge of the bed.


    The regent was next to enter, but he paused at the threshold for a moment before stepping into the shallow water, ¡°I beg your pardon, Majesty, but I am not acclimated to the darkness and for the sake of expediency request permission to activate a magic item to provide temporary illumination.¡±


    I looked to Lash to make sure she would be okay with it.


    Lash nodded and narrowed her eyelids to brace against any abrupt exposure to bright light.


    ¡°You may,¡± I replied, waving at the regent to continue.


    The regent accepted an iron rod the length of his forearm from Gregory who was still outside holding back the curtain. The rod had a seam roughly halfway down its length that divided the rod in two. Taking a firm hold on either end, the regent twisted the two halves in opposing directions. Almost immediately, the half of the rod in his left hand began to glow. As the regent continued to turn the rod further, the light increased in fixed increments.


    The regent handed the rod back to Gregory, who then awkwardly entered the room while holding up the rod and continuing to hold open the curtain.


    With his hands free, the regent offered a hand to Jacque while bowing slightly at his waist.


    Jacque accepted his hand and entered the room in a manner befitting a Lady, with the noted exception of her surprised stare at Lash and the twins.


    The regent made a point of bowing to Lash and Jacque followed his lead with a respectful curtsy. ¡°I must apologise for the imposition, your Majesty, but there is a need for both secrecy and expediency that made this venue more preferable than the alternatives. All the same, I apologise for the intrusion,¡± the regent insisted apologetically, ¡°If I may introduce myself and my Lady companion, I am the Lord Regent of the Asrus kingdom, Francis Asrus, and this is Lady-¡±


    ¡°Jacque,¡± Jacque interrupted, sparing a moment to give Francis an apologetic smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Tim already knows anyway.¡±


    Francis took the interruption in stride, nodding in agreement, ¡°Quite so, but it is to be expected. I hope your Majesty does not consider this imprudent, but Lady Jacque has given me firsthand accounts of your time together so I might better understand the quality of your character. I do not wish for there to be any misunderstandings.¡±


    ¡°You''ve come a long way,¡± Jacque noted, nodding towards Lash and the twins, ¡°Amazonian huh? I guess this makes sense, now that I can see it for myself.¡±


    Lash shifted uncomfortably, the hint of a scowl on her lips.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Jacque apologised, ¡°I was just saying how perfect you are for Tim, and I have been inside his head, so believe me when I tell you that he adores you. I mean, here I am, easily a solid nine, nine and half, and he barely gives me the time of day.¡±


    Lash looked surprised and gave me a questioning glance.


    I nodded, ¡°Jacque can read people¡¯s surface thoughts. It¡¯s like you are talking to her without meaning to, and usually without you knowing.¡±


    Lash nodded in understanding, smiling slightly as she took a firmer grip on Suzy, who was attempting to leap out of her arms and towards their visitors.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Francis agreed, ¡°Her assistance has been invaluable in ousting traitorous influences from the royal court. Alas, there are only so many hours in the day, and servants are as vulnerable to bribery and blackmail as the nobility.¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Can¡¯t spy on everyone,¡± Jacque shrugged, ¡°There literally aren¡¯t enough hours in the day. But we should get on with this before your daughter starts trying to escape for real.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± Suzy exclaimed, expressing outrage and betrayal.


    Jacque just smirked and briefly stuck her tongue out at Suzy.


    ¡°Ghehe,¡± Pete burbled in amusement and slapped the water.


    ¡°Hey, this kid gets it,¡± Jacque grinned and gave Pete a thumbs up.


    ¡°I guess I should start then,¡± I grunted, ¡°It¡¯s like Gregory told me. After claiming complete control over ten floors, by conquering territory surrounding each of the portals for each floor, I unlocked the Ability to create a Demi-Plane. Only, the accompanying message called it a Lesser Dimensional Plane.¡±


    The regent removed a small book from a pouch at his waist and what looked like a fountain pen before hurriedly taking notes.


    ¡°The way the Ability was explained suggests that I can add to it over time, but the new additions would need to follow the same rules as those that came before. Furthermore, it also suggested that I will have some sort of control over how the floors of the Labyrinths will be integrated in terms of how they will be connected to one another. If I am understanding this correctly, it might mean that I can only place them on a two-dimensional plane, side by side. But it might also mean that I can replicate a smaller approximation of a planet, connecting them spherically,¡± I paused to take a few breaths and gather my thoughts again. ¡°The information mentioned Dimensional Entropy and Instability in reference to determining the relative placement of the respective territories. I think this means that any territories that are placed too far from the others will deteriorate over time, or are more vulnerable to whatever causes those effects. There was no mention of an access portal or anything like that, but it¡¯s possible that it won¡¯t provide that information until it¡¯s relevant. Similar to how the Conquest quest only provided information incrementally.¡±


    Francis continued bobbing his head and scribbling notes as fast as he could manage.


    ¡°So, bearing in mind that you and your people would have the most to lose if something doesn¡¯t go quite the way we want,¡± I stated bluntly, ¡°How do you want to Proceed?¡±


    *****


    Francis paced the length of the street while doing his best not to seem too perturbed. This was particularly difficult given the monumental importance of the decision he was now expected to make. This was precisely why he had never wanted the throne in the first place. It was far too much responsibility and the pressure was sometimes so great that he would forget to breathe.


    Jacque, or Lady Sabine, as she was known to the court, had remained behind in the Tyrant¡¯s temporary accommodations to socialise with the Tyrant, his wife, and their children.


    While Francis would have appreciated her input, he also understood why she had left him to his own devices. This was a decision that Francis had to make on his own. Jacque had some degree of vested interest, but no more than the Tyrant himself. It was Francis and his people that had the most to lose, so a Human needed to make the decision.


    In and of itself, being allowed to make the decision had come as a profound surprise. Francis had expected to perform an advisory role at most while advocating for his people''s best interests. Being responsible for the decision of when and where to proceed was quickly becoming a living nightmare as possible eventualities continued streaming through his consciousness.


    If the Tyrant were to proceed an hour from now, and the only means of entering the Demi-Plane, no, the Lesser Dimensional Plane, and the only means of access was placed in the city of Laine...It would create a logistical nightmare unless the Tyrant and his Daemon intervened.


    But what if there was no access portal at all? What if the Gateways ceased to function?


    Every Asrusian citizen left behind would be doomed to Slavery, oppressive servitude, or death.


    The Kingdom outside of the Labyrinths was crumbling. Only five cities remained, including Laine. The preempted evacuation of the rural villages and towns was something at least, but nearly eight million souls remained outside of the relative safety now afforded by the Labyrinths.


    It was one of life¡¯s many ironies that living inside of the Labyrinths was quickly becoming preferable to living in the real world. In many respects, the Tyrant had subjugated the Labyrinths and brought them to heel, allowing ordinary, or now altered, humans to thrive. Granted, the economy had evolved due to a shift in priorities and rise in self-sufficiency, but it wasn¡¯t an entirely bad thing either.


    There were more than enough perks to incentivise military and administrative service, and the quest issuing function seemed more than adequate for rallying public assistance for any problems or projects that might arise.


    Exp and mana stones were somewhat interchangeable as currency due to the repeatable quest templates that awarded Exp for donated mana stones. While Humans were limited to a single Evolution, the Summoning of Sanctuary¡¯s Daemons and Angels meant that there was always a strong demand for mana stones to secure the services they provided.


    Knowing that he had to make a decision and that every moment wasted in dithering was liable to be paid in lives later, Francis settled upon doing the most possible good with the greatest possible degree of success.


    Returning to the Tyrant¡¯s dwelling, Francis bowed respectfully and waited until he had the Tyrant¡¯s undivided attention. ¡°Majesty, I have come to a decision,¡± he announced with far more confidence than he had felt less than a few minutes earlier, ¡°If your Majesty is willing, I would like to commit a full evacuation of the cities of Laine and Hurst into their respective Labyrinths,¡± This would leave the citizens of the capital, Riyal and Genos behind in the worst case scenario, but Francis didn¡¯t think he had much of a choice.


    The soldiers garrisoned in the capital, along with its stockpiled resources, would be needed to assist Riyal and Genos should the worst come to pass. Francis was sorely tempted to evacuate the capital through the Gateway as well. However, he realised that so long as the Tyrant¡¯s Daemon could deliver the Tyrant or his Lieutenants outside of the Lesser Dimensional Plane, then the remaining civilians could be shepherded to safety by annexing more floors of each city''s respective Labyrinths.


    The Tyrant considered Francis¡¯s initial proposal and then nodded in agreement, ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Three days, if the truce with the Werrian Empire holds and the majority of the soldiers can be spared to assist with the evacuation and relocation efforts,¡± Francis answered confidently. It was a subject he had been giving a great deal of attention to lately, making him quite familiar with the logistics involved.


    ¡°What about the other cities?¡± The Tyrant asked warily.


    Francis had anticipated this, but the Tyrant¡¯s sheer size lent an air of intimidation to his every word, no matter how well intentioned it might be. ¡°In the event of the Lesser Dimensional Plane cutting off contact, soldiers from the kingdom''s capital city will provide assistance to the two other cities that remain under our control. That is, until such a time as they too can be evacuated.¡±


    The Tyrant didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°Your cheeks are so chubby!¡± Jacque cooed, pinching the cheeks of the Tyrant¡¯s daughter affectionately, completely ignoring the sodden state of her otherwise exquisite and profoundly expensive dress.


    ¡°Gregory said you wanted to try and keep your capital as a sort of foothold, but why not evacuate the two other cities?¡± The Tyrant asked with a hint of accusation in his tone.


    ¡°Forgiveness, Majesty, but despite our best efforts, we have not been able to locate any additional artefacts that would allow us to contest the ousted Adventurers Guild¡¯s claims over the territories in the Riyal and Genos Labyrinths,¡± Francis explained carefully, keenly aware that he was standing on thin ice, ¡°Without Settlements, we would only be able to relocate a few thousand at most, and it would be far from safe.¡±


    The Tyrant shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable, his expression suggesting that he was considering something. ¡°Regent, tell me, what would you give in order to save your people?¡±


    Francis froze. Afraid that his assessment of the Tyrant had been wrong.


    <He¡¯s testing you,> Jacque reassured him, her voice remaining unheard by everyone else in their vicinity, <Tim¡¯s a big softie, he just wants to know he can trust you.>


    Francis took comfort in her absolute confidence, ¡°I would give my life, if necessary,¡± he replied boldly.


    ¡°And you, Gregory?¡± The tyrant shifted his attention to the elite Ranger still standing beside the door.


    ¡±Everything,¡± Gregory replied without a moment''s hesitation.


    Childless, and born into a family that took immense pride in their centuries of service to the crown and its people, Gregory¡¯s loyalty and dedication was never in question.


    In the time it took Francis to blink, a pair of weapons had appeared in the Tyrant¡¯s hands. In his left hand was the bow Francis had plundered from the royal treasury, and in his right hand was a spear.


    ¡°I will give you the means to secure evacuation for the other two cities,¡± the Tyrant stated ominously, ¡°But you will both need to swear oaths to me, here and now that you will die before surrendering these weapons to anyone but myself!¡±


    Again, Gregory didn¡¯t hesitate for even a moment, falling to one knee and bowing his head in deference, ¡°I swear, upon my life, that I will not surrender the treasure entrusted to my safekeeping. Only to return it to his Majesty at the time of his choosing.¡±


    The Tyrant grunted in satisfaction and offered Gregory the bow.


    The bow shrank slightly in Gregory''s hands, perfectly matching the specifications for his height and build.


    The Tyrant turned to Francis.


    Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Francis lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head, ignoring the water soaking his pants and seeping into his boots. All things considered, this was a small price to pay to keep his promise to his late brother and their parents.


    ¡°I, Francis Asrus, Lord Regent of the Asrus Kingdom, so swear, to safeguard the treasure entrusted to my keeping, even at the cost of my own life. At the time of his Majesty¡¯s choosing, I shall return the treasure without complaint, delay or malice. This, I swear.¡± For a brief moment, Francis felt an immense pressure around his heart as the conditions of the oath settled into his soul.


    The Tyrant held out the spear with visible reluctance, making it obvious that he was not parting with it lightly.


    Gingerly accepting the spear, Francis felt a surge of insight as he injected a small amount of mana into the artefact. The spear was named Shiverfang, and Francis very nearly dropped it in astonishment as he began to read through the magical properties it possessed. He now understood precisely why the Tyrant had demanded their lives as collateral...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 47 – Limited Dimensional Authority – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 47 ¨C Limited Dimensional Authority ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 47 - Limited Dimensional Authority - Part Two


    Staring up at the ceiling, with Lash, Suzy and Pete cradled in my arms, I couldn¡¯t help but second guess my decision to entrust the Artefacts to Gregory and the Regent Francis. Granted, I could snatch them back at any time regardless of the distance between us, so long as I had the mana. However, what worried me was the potential harm they could inflict with those weapons before I learned of it.


    Rikit and Garn¡¯s loyalty had been beyond question, each of them having proven their loyalty to me and our shared cause in their own ways. With the Asrusians, it was different. Everything was always with their own self-interest in mind. Both myself and the people of Sanctuary benefited as often as not, but it was only incidentally.


    A part of me wondered if this was simply the honeymoon period, and that the Asrusians attitudes would shift the moment they felt like they were no longer receiving the lion''s share of benefits from our arrangement. History on Earth was rife with betrayals over far less and in equally precarious situations, so I couldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility out of hand.


    The oaths both men had sworn, both previously and more recently, were of some comfort. Any attempts at betrayal would have to be attempted through circuitous means, making them more likely to be discovered. Similarly, the longer the common people lived under our alliance, or what I supposed was actually closer to a tributary or protectorate arrangement, the more they would come to accept it as the new normal.


    Continuing that line of thought, I realised that it wasn¡¯t the existing leadership I needed to watch out for, it was the average citizenry themselves.


    I needed to give them something they could engage with and positively associate that engagement with my rule. Allowing them to live in the Lesser Dimensional Plane seemed like the sort of thing people would take for granted after adapting to the Labyrinth lifestyle. In many respects, the Labyrinths provided abundance, and my role in their day-to-day lives, and the benefits I provided them, were incredibly passive in nature.


    After an hour of brainstorming, I still hadn¡¯t come up with anything definitive. I kept circling back to the mana stone donation quest and how incredibly popular it was. Spending another two to three hours trawling through the notifications of quest completion and the Status of the participants, I began to notice a pattern.


    The majority of participants engaging with the quest were not the ones killing monsters to acquire them. The maths simply didn¡¯t support it. However, the maths made a great deal more sense when I realised that the participants were accepting mana stones from others and then donating them to complete the quest for the Exp.


    In most cases, the quest participant had a listed relative with enough levels to have hunted the monsters that provided the mana stones. Family members were gaming the system to earn their relatives Exp without requiring them to face the danger required to earn it. The Exp rewards from the mana stone donation quest were leaps and bounds higher than the Exp awarded from the majority of the reservist and Class progression quests.


    With the number of potential participants now set to increase dramatically, altering the aesthetics or perhaps even a core function of the quest might be precisely what I was looking for. Of course, I couldn¡¯t just alter the aesthetics without adding or otherwise changing the quest in some fashion to justify it.


    Brainstorming a little while longer, I arrived at my solution. Versatility. I would alter the quest to allow division of the reward amongst predefined categories of participants, such as an entire Party or retinue.


    With the justification for the change now determined, I had to consider how I was going to influence public perception through the quest. I could take the blatant propaganda approach, requiring the quest participants to recite a message affirming their loyalty in some way.


    Perhaps something along the lines of long live the King, but substitute King for Tyrant?


    Assuming Pete or Suzy would one day inherit whatever this proto-empire was I making, they wouldn¡¯t really need to change it. Suzy might have to change it to Tyrantess, but that wasn¡¯t really that much of a difference.


    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have been so keen on blatant propaganda, but I had to consider my children¡¯s safety and security. Besides, it was comparatively unobtrusive compared to what certain regimes had demanded on Earth, so I decided that it was something I could learn to live with.


    Less than a half hour after the quest went live, notifications began rolling in as people completed the quest.


    In my haste, I realised that I had neglected to provide a title for the quest and I could now see that a title had been automatically generated from my intentions.


    [The Tyrant¡¯s Benevolence: {Repeatable}]


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s what I wanted,¡± I sighed, unable to think of another justification for changing the quest again.


    I was just falling asleep when I realised there was another potential oversight. I hadn¡¯t designated where the donated mana stones would be deposited.


    I woke up late and was surprised to find the twins were both still asleep.


    Lash was cleaning off the bed and seemed to have already removed most of the water from the floor. It didn¡¯t take her long to realise I was awake.


    ¡°You slept late,¡± she stated with a small smile, ¡°I let you sleep longer, expecting Suzy to wake you up.¡±


    Right on cue, Suzy began to squirm beneath the wet blanket.


    Pete wriggled out of reach of his sister and then settled right back down again.


    Seeing that Suzy was only a few moments away from waking up completely, Lash hurriedly extricated her from the blanket and popped a strip of meat in Suzy¡¯s mouth before setting her back down on my chest.


    Suzy grinned happily down at me while flailing her arms in an uncoordinated attempt to get a grip of the meat sticking out of her mouth.


    ¡°Good morning Suzy,¡± I took a small breath, pursed my lips and blew back her short downy hair.


    Suzy giggled and slapped my neck while trying to smack my mouth.


    Pete determinedly turned his head away and continued drooling from his partially open mouth.


    ¡°Babies!¡± Toofy came charging into the house and ran up beside me before trying to pick up Suzy. Far heavier than she looked, Toofy struggled to drag Suzy off of my chest and promptly fell to the floor with Suzy on top of her, ¡°Oops...¡± Toofy groaned breathlessly.


    ¡°Ghehehe!¡± Suzy seemed to find her abrupt descent hysterical, and since Toofy had taken the brunt of the fall, I didn¡¯t see anything to be worried about.


    Wiggling her way back into a sitting position, Toofy produced a number of small toys the twins hadn¡¯t managed to destroy during her last visit.


    Suzy¡¯s eyes lit up immediately and she vigorously set to the task of shaking a crude doll until it tore itself apart.


    ¡°Baby so strong!¡± Toofy cheered approvingly, ¡°Suzy is like Tim!¡±


    Rather than being offended, Lash nodded in agreement.


    If I was truly honest about it, Suzy reminded me more of Toofy than she did Lash or myself. But that was related more to temperament than anything else.


    ¡°Suzy is certainly enthusiastic,¡± I observed with a slight shrug, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what she will be like if she manages to keep that same energy as a teenager, let alone an adult.¡±


    Toofy just smiled and nodded vigorously in approval while surrendering another doll to the slaughter.


    ¡°Teen-ager?¡± Lash asked slowly, taking great care to emulate the unfamiliar word, ¡°I don¡¯t know this word.¡±


    ¡°Its a term roughly approximating adolescence,¡± I explained, keenly aware that I might have to reexplain myself due to using larger words, ¡°Humans where I am originally from would begin to be called teenagers after reaching thirteen years old and would continue to be called teenagers usually until they are seventeen. Technically, calling them teenagers would still be correct until they turn twenty years old. Does that make sense?¡±


    Lash slowly nodded, but it was obvious that she didn¡¯t seem fully convinced. ¡°Why name them teenagers?¡± Lash asked curiously, ¡°You said adolescence. That is youths, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a rough approximation of it,¡± I agreed and realised why Lash was having a problem with the designation. ¡°Where I am from. You aren¡¯t considered an adult until you are eighteen years old. Some places were a little lower and some a little higher.¡±


    Lash¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, revealing more of her beautiful amethyst eyes, ¡°How old are you?¡± She asked with unrestrained curiosity.


    Feeling somewhat self-conscious, I took a moment to clear my throat. ¡°I¡¯m twenty and turning twenty-one in...I¡¯m not sure...A few months?¡± I only just realised that I had lost track of the date and a general sense of time, ¡°I would have to ask Nadine or one of the others how long I have been here...¡±


    ¡°Twenty?...¡± Lash¡¯s eyes widened further still, ¡°You are twenty YEARS old?!¡± The emphasis she placed on years widened the sinking feeling that had appeared in my gut.


    I nodded, ¡°Seven thousand four hundred days, give or take a few months...¡± I clarified quietly.


    ¡°Twenty years...¡± Lash repeated, sinking to the floor.


    ¡°I...I uh...I assume Orcs don¡¯t usually live that long?¡± I asked, trying to suppress the terrifying prospect of outliving Lash by a factor of decades.


    Lash slowly shook her head, ¡°No...No...It is not common,¡± she noticed I was upset and became concerned, ¡°Was not common,¡± Lash corrected, ¡°Warriors and hunters fell from fighting, elders fell from sickness...Twenty was...rare.¡±


    ¡°How...How old was your oldest elder?¡± I asked with great apprehension, already convinced I didn¡¯t want to know the answer.


    Lash remained silent and silently began counting on her fingers. Long pauses came and went between extending or retracting one of her fingers, so I was relatively confident that I had a decent approximation of her count by the time she was done.


    ¡°Sixty-two,¡± Lash stated somewhat reluctantly and didn¡¯t seem particularly pleased by her own answer.


    ¡°They were very sick for a long time when they died, weren¡¯t they?¡± I asked with a small degree of relief in spite of the news.


    Lash nodded.


    I felt the tension in my neck slowly release and took comfort in the prospect of being able to push that number higher.


    Lash noticed my change in mood and seemed confused.


    ¡°People, humans, where I am from had similar lives and life expectancies,¡± I began to explain while doing my best not to disturb Pete, ¡°A good diet, exercise, clean living, and medical care, all help people live longer and better lives.¡±


    Lash looked the room over and blanched, ¡°Not clean...¡±


    I raised a hand to get Lash¡¯s attention again, ¡°This is fine. I mean, yes the foodscraps will need to be disposed of before they go bad, but on the whole, this is fine. Especially for Pete and Suzy. Swamps are usually quite dirty and muddy, and so long as they don¡¯t have any open wounds, it would stand to reason that they are equipped to handle the same general conditions.


    Lash let out a deep sigh of relief,


    ¡°Lash...¡± I struggled with deciding if I wanted to know the answer to my next question, and what it would entail.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Lash asked curiously, now smiling again and getting to her feet.


    I decided to bite the bullet. It was already way too late ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Lash paused and began to count on her fingers again, ¡°Fifteen,¡± she replied with relative confidence.


    That was not as bad as I thought the difference would be. ¡°How old are most Orcs when they choose a mate?¡± I asked curiously, now trying to determine some sort of conversion metric for the unaltered human to Orc ages of maturity.


    ¡°Thirteen,¡± Lash replied confidently without having to count, ¡°Mothers¡¯ Moon won''t touch younger Orcs.¡±


    Just like that, I returned to feeling like a creep again. ¡°When would young Orcs be trusted to join the hunters or warriors of the clan?¡±


    ¡°Fourteen,¡± Lash answered while pulling aside the curtain to air out the house.


    ¡°So you were only with the warriors for a year?¡± That didn¡¯t seem quite right to me.


    Lash chuckled and shook her head, ¡°Was not allowed.¡±


    It took the better part of a minute for my brain to process that statement. It just seemed bizarre. Orc men and women were far closer in muscular and skeletal parity than humans, so it just didn¡¯t make sense that they wouldn¡¯t have allowed Lash to fight. That is until I realised I was overlooking how brutal their fight for continued survival must have been before they were driven from their home.


    Recalling how dangerous hunting in the caverns below Sanctuary had been, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine hunting parties being wiped out due to the slightest mistakes and poor luck. With limited numbers to begin with, the clan would have been wiped in no time if the females of the clan were allowed to join the hunting parties.


    I supposed that the physical parity in the sexes was to their advantage as well. In an emergency, the females of the clan weren¡¯t defenceless. Quite the opposite, Lash¡¯s armour demonstrated that they placed a high priority on everyone being able to defend themselves.


    Deciding I would address the whole age issue later, I gently patted Pete¡¯s head and watched Toofy play with Suzy. Lash joined them a short while later and seemed just as pleased by Suzy¡¯s destructive enthusiasm as Toofy.


    Pete was awake, but he seemed perfectly content to continue lying on my chest like a lazy slug. Not that I was complaining.


    ¡°Mbuh brrrbbbb,¡± Pete burbled, smiling happily as more drool ran down his chin.


    After a couple of hours, Toofy had just about worn Suzy out and had now come for Pete, offering him another one of the dolls she had recreated with one of her Scavenger Abilities.


    Expecting Pete to reject the doll, I was surprised when he snatched it and pulled it into a tight hug. However, unlike Suzy, Pete made no attempts at damaging the doll.


    ¡°Are you ready to play with Toofy?¡± I asked Pete rhetorically, more than ready to begin my daily exercise routine.


    Pete continued hugging his new toy, bobbed his head and lurched into Toofy¡¯s waiting arms.


    Which would have sent them both crashing to the floor if Lash hadn¡¯t been waiting to catch Toofy in turn.


    The degree of language recognition in the twins was kind of crazy. They always left me with the impression that they understood just about everything I was saying. Given how the Labyrinths Settlement mechanics worked, I suppose it was possible that they did understand everything but weren¡¯t quite developed enough to speak back.


    Carefully getting to my feet, I set Pete¡¯s damp blanket on the floor and took a few moments to stretch the stiffness from my joints. I felt none the worse for having slept on the floor besides a little stiffness, so I gave Lash a kiss goodbye and set out to take a jog around the perimeter of the Settlement.


    Leaving the house, I encountered a slight problem with my plan. A thick column of civilians was slowly marching from the portal and down the main road out of the inner walls of the Settlement.


    Soldiers were standing at fixed intervals and guiding the civilians along while a Sergeant standing atop a building overlooking the crossroads barked the same information in a semi continuous loop with the help of a primitive megaphone to amplify the volume of his voice. I had heard the distorted echoes for the better part of the past few hours, but now I could actually make out what he was saying.


    ¡°-AKE SURE TO PRESENT YOUR FAMILY¡¯S TICKET TO THE ADMINISTRATION COUNTER. YOU WILL THEN BE DIRECTED TO A TEMPORARY HOUSING DISTRICT. THE NUMBER AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR TICKET WILL MATCH THE NUMBER ON THE DOOR OF YOUR TEMPORARY HOME. CIVILIANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ASSIST IN DIRECTING THEIR NEIGHBOURS TO THEIR NEW TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATIONS, BUT ARE TO REMAIN WITHIN THEIR ASSIGNED DISTRICT UNTIL THE EVACUATION OF THE CITY IS COMPLETED. FOOD WILL BE DISTRIBUTED FROM THE STOREHOUSE OF YOUR ASSIGNED DISTRICT AND WATER IS AVAILABLE FROM THE WELLS WITHIN YOUR ASSIGNED DISTRICT. THOSE WHO WISH TO MAKE THEIR TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMANENT MAY MAKE AN APPLICATION ONCE THE EVACUATION IS COMPLETED. THOSE WITH SPECIAL WORK PASSES MUST MAKE SURE TO KEEP THEIR WORK PASS CLEARLY VISIBLE ON THEIR PERSON AT ALL TIMES. EACH DISTRICT WILL HOST A DISTRICT MEETING EVERY FIFTH DAY IN THE DISTRICT¡¯S DESIGNATED ASSEMBLY AND MARKET AREA.¡± The Sergeant took a short break to gulp down the contents of a waterskin, ¡°ALL CITIZENS ARE TO MAKE SURE TO PRESENT YOUR FAMILY¡¯S TICKET-¡± I was thoroughly impressed by the man¡¯s commitment to his assigned role. Even with the momentary pauses between sentences to steal a breath or two, keeping it up for so long and remaining consistent was a true achievement.


    ¡°Yeah...Only having one gate out of the inner city doesn¡¯t seem like such a good idea anymore, does it?¡± Clarice called out as she made her way over from Ushu and Dhizi¡¯s holding area.


    ¡°I never said it was,¡± I countered with a shrug, ¡°Whoever designed the foothold in the first place only left one gate to the outside. I just had it moved.¡±


    ¡°That line¡¯s been moving since yesterday evening you know,¡± Clarice pointed out conversationally, ¡°Seems like the moment those engineers figured out a layout for a district, they just started copying it over and over again. You should go take a look, it¡¯s actually pretty impressive. I don¡¯t think I have ever seen a city that was so neat and tidy.¡±


    Clarice led me back over to Ushu and towards the wall.


    While Clarice made use of a conveniently stacked pile of empty crates, I pulled myself up onto the top of the wall.


    Clarice was right, the army engineers had taken a very boring and predictable approach to their civic planning. Every district was close to identical to its immediate neighbours, fanning out around the inner walls and each successive ring of districts.


    Far smaller than before, each district encompassed about a hundred houses and a dozen larger buildings. At the centre was what looked like a market square with a large administrative building off to one side. Every district was connected by significantly larger roads and surrounded by thick walls of stone, requiring entry to each district through one of four different gates.


    The major intersections at the corners of the districts had tall robust towers requiring the traffic of people and wagons to pass around them to either side. Unsurprisingly, this was causing a few problems.


    While it was obvious that the engineers wanted lookout posts at fixed intervals, they had not accounted for the congestion that would be caused by civilian traffic. The engineers were obviously far too used to military discipline streamlining movement through their camps.


    I felt a pang of sympathy for the engineers, ¡°Clarice, I¡¯ll personally award you another high grade Elixir if you can find one of those engineers and have them start making signs requiring traffic to stick to one side of the road.¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Clarice gave me an incredulous but eager look, ¡°What do you mean? How would that help anything?¡±


    I sighed and pointed to the road below us on the other side of the wall. ¡°If everyone sticks to one side, let¡¯s say the left while travelling on the road, this allows traffic to flow more smoothly.¡±


    ¡°But everyone would still be trying to push past everyone else heading the other way. Wouldn''t they?¡± Clarice seemed confused and hopped down off the wall.


    ¡°Try it,¡± I suggested, pointing to the street right outside of Ushu and Dhizi¡¯s holding area.


    Clarice shrugged and proceeded to make her way to the other side of the street before beginning to walk down the street.


    ¡°Now come back,¡± I called after a few moments, ¡°And remember, on your left side.¡±


    Clarice paused for a moment, crossed the street and walked back to her starting point. Clarice stared at the street for a few moments and then looked back towards me, ¡°I think you might be onto something,¡± she called out in amusement before briskly jogging off towards the gate.


    I could hardly take credit for Earth¡¯s basic traffic laws, and besides, the guards of the city would probably need to be trained as traffic police for the major thoroughfares in order to avoid congestion from all the wagons. Or maybe they could make magical traffic lights using the same sort of magic as the communication devices.


    I was sure someone would be able to make a rotating switch of some kind that could activate up to four separate sets of lights at the same time. Then they would just need one guard per major intersection to control it.


    A made a mental note to pass it along to one of the engineers later. I had seen a clocktower in the city, so that meant that there was presumably a clockmaker somewhere as well.


    I decided to spend a half hour running hard on the spot as a substitute for my originally intended jog before doing as many pushups as I could manage before my arms gave out. To push myself further, I began challenging the armoured Orcs not on guard duty to bare-knuckle boxing. They were allowed to wear their armour and even use clubs if they felt like it, but deliberately striking the head or groyne was off limits.


    The former was to avoid complications from accumulated brain injuries, and the latter was to even the playing field. After all, I had a magical item that would redirect any attempts at a cheap shot.


    Establishing a proto tournament quest similar to what was undertaken in the desert, the guards would earn Exp just for competing, even if they were defeated. However, with Nadine and all of her students otherwise occupied, Iron Gut and cold compresses would be the only assistance provided for injuries received while participating.


    I also decided to offer a special prize to the Orc who gave me the most challenging fight. To make things fair, I agreed to repeat the competition during the two other shifts as well, deciding that it would be good for my combat conditioning by fighting hard more than once on any given day.


    Most of the younger Orcs were rather straightforward and crude, attempting head-on charges and initiating brawls while relying on their armour to absorb my counterattacks. None of them lasted more than three punches at most before being dragged out of our sparring space.


    The old Orcs were craftier, attempting feints to then allow them to land more telling blows. Unfortunately, none of them was fast enough to deliver more than a handful of strikes before I managed to land a telling blow of my own.


    Hrolk was different. Neither the oldest nor the youngest, he was the only Orc amongst them brave or crazy enough to remove his armour. Hrolk had watched every fight with keen interest, and now he stood in front of me with a long thick stave. By a loose definition, it was technically a club, so I decided to let it slide. One end of the stave was carved into a blunted point, and a cursory glance at Hrolk¡¯s Status confirmed that this was intended to allow the use of his Spearman Class Abilities.


    Just like all the others, Hrolk showed no fear, just a general sense of barely contained excitement and anticipation.


    ¡°Begin,¡± I grunted and lifted my fists into a ready position.


    Expecting Hrolk to advance as the others had done, I was surprised when he immediately began circling around me instead.


    No doubt assuming the prolonged fighting had worn down my joints, Hrolk would be disappointed to learn that I was actually in peak condition thanks to Iron Gut.


    However, Hrolk didn¡¯t seem disappointed or the slightest bit surprised when I matched his movements. Instead, Hrolk began circling closer with his staff at the ready.


    Doing my best to take the situation as seriously as if the match was a real fight, I hunkered my shoulders and switched direction, pacing in the opposite direction with the intention of creating an intercept course with Hrolk.


    Tightening his grip on his staff, Hrolk didn¡¯t back down, continuing his side on approach towards me.


    *


    In a blur of movement, Hrolk¡¯s staff had suddenly extended three additional feet and swept in hard from my right, crashing against my knee with enough force to shatter the staff at the point of impact.


    I felt a flash of pain but ignored it, lurching closer and swinging my left fist down towards his chest.


    Hrolk ducked beneath the blow and stabbed the broken end of his staff towards my exposed armpit.


    The force behind the attack pushed my left arm slightly wider, but the staff continued to splinter under the strain and lost another foot of its length without leaving any signs of visible injury.


    All the same, Hrolk was already on the move, using the momentum of his strike to aid in a desperate leap out of my reach.


    Instead of immediately chasing after him, I lowered myself closer to the ground, running my left hand over the bare street and collecting a fistful of loose debris. Ignoring the dull ache in my right leg, I pressed forward and made as if to jab Hrolk with my right fist. As he ducked away to my right, I hurled the debris straight in his face.


    Hrolk¡¯s eyes widened in surprise but he continued with his own attack ramming the splintered remnants of his staff into my chest as dirt and grit caught him in the eyes. Blinded, Hrolk staggered backwards a half step and was unable to see my next attack coming.


    I punched Hrolk square in the chest, driving him to the ground and sending him tumbling backwards and towards the crowd of Orcs. Not allowing him time to recover, I followed after Hrolk and snatched him up by his long greasy hair, ¡°You are meant to protect my family,¡± I growled menacingly, lifting Hrolk until we were eye to eye with one another and ignoring the blind flailing of his arms and legs as he tried to land whatever blows he could. ¡°That means you do whatever it takes!¡± I snarled, ¡°If some prize is more important to you than my family, then you are useless to me!¡±


    Panting heavily, Hrolk¡¯s arms and legs, still trembling, fell to his sides.


    ¡°That goes for the rest of you too!¡± I made a point of glaring at each and every one of them in the eyes,


    ¡°.....¡± Hrolk muttered something but it was too quiet for me to make out clearly enough to understand. Without meaning to, I drew him closer to try and hear him better. Pursing his lips Hrolk spat a gobbet of sizzling phlegm at my face and then spun his body hard, delivering a kick to the side of my neck and biting down hard on my exposed wrist.


    Letting go of Hrolk out of reflex, my arm sagged towards the ground now that it wasn¡¯t tensed to properly hold his weight. Swatting at my face with my right hand, I flinched as my nose was filled with the stench of burning flesh.


    Staring at my hand in surprise, I could see faint wisps of smoke curling up from where my palm had wiped at the spit from my face. No, not spit, acid. I scolded myself for being an idiot and taking a brief glance at Hrolk¡¯s Status confirmed it.


    There was more to Hrolk than I had realised.


    The overwhelming majority of the Orcs seized from the Empire had Evolved into Ironskulls or Savages, making them larger and generally more brutish in appearance. Hrolk had evolved as well...but not like the others. Hrolk was a Vileblood, and he was also a Variant.


    Taking note of the thin trails of smoke snaking from between Hrolk¡¯s lips, I wrapped the fingers on my free hand around his neck and applied pressure. Ignoring the pain beginning to radiate up my arm, I did my best to remain calm.


    No doubt realising what I was doing, Hrolk renewed his frantic assault by awkwardly clubbing me with his fists, elbows, knees and feet.


    I ignored it and continued to choke him out, making sure to keep my eyes narrowed to slits in case he attempted to spit more of his corrosive blood into my face. All The while I wondered why Hrolk hadn¡¯t outed himself. I had made no secret of offering immediate citizenship to all Variants. So his choice to go through military service to receive that same privilege was confusing.


    Unless I was looking at it from the wrong angle.


    Hrolk could have outed himself at a time, his tiered Evolution would have proven he was a Variant. So he must have decided to scope things out first. At which point I had made my first offer to the Orcs as a group, rewarding them with status and Elixirs as motivations for higher service. Just now, Hrolk had taken two calculated risks to further his pursuit of power. Biding his time to try and face me after I would be worn down by the other Orcs, and then spit me in the face after I made an example of him.


    Feeling Hrolk go limp, I counted down from ten and then dropped him to the ground. Walking over to an open barrel of water, I cupped some of it into my hands and splashed my face before scrubbing at my arm.


    A little worried that he might have left tooth marks I would need to explain to Lash, I soon grew more concerned over the blotchy patch of raw skin. I could see it healing in real-time, layers of new skin slowly creeping across the damaged area and displacing flecks of dead skin.


    Picking up the barrel, I upended it over Hrolk¡¯s unconscious body and then used my foot to nudge him over onto his side so he wouldn¡¯t drown.


    Hrolk had technically won the contest, managing to deal four points of damage with his staff before dealing another point of damage with his corrosive blood. He would have done more damage, but I had been benefiting from his Acid Resistance Synergy without realising it.


    Gingerly checking Hrolk¡¯s ribs for signs of damage, I frowned as dirt and grime ran off his face in dirty streaks, partially revealing the pale sickly looking skin beneath. Taking it as another confirmation that Hrolk had been concealing his true identity, I took hold of his limp right arm and dragged him over to rest in the shade of one of the nearby houses.


    ¡°This contest is over,¡± I declared, making sure to close my eyes in anticipation of the sudden burst of light, ¡°I am undefeated, and Hrolk delivered the most damage.¡±


    ¡°Tiiiiiiim!¡± Toofy called out through cupped hands over her mouth, looking down the road towards the endless procession of humans before looking towards the training area and craning her neck upwards ¡°Tim!¡± Toofy called out again, this time more excitedly while pushing her way through the loose throng of Orcs, ¡°Lash says Toofy watch babies and she fight with Tim,¡± she said eagerly before looking down at Hrolk, ¡°Who this?¡± Toofy asked curiously, leaning closer and giving Hrolk a inquisitive sniff.


    ¡°His name is-¡± I began to answer but was abruptly interrupted.


    ¡°Him?¡± Toofy asked in confusion, giving the Ork a hard poke to the chest.


    ¡°Yes, him,¡± I replied patiently, ¡°His name is-¡±


    ¡°Her,¡± Toofy stated somewhat absently while prying Hrolk¡¯s jaws open and baring her own teeth in a crude imitation.


    ¡°Her? Toofy, what are you talking about?¡± I asked warily, nervously checking my wrist for signs of bite marks as a queasy tension began to build in my guts.


    ¡°Is she, like Toofy, like Lash,¡± Toofy replied matter of factly while patting Hrolk down for hidden trinkets, ¡°No shiny...¡± She muttered with distaste and disappointment in equal measure.


    ¡°Toofy, you can watch Suzy and Pete so long as Ril and Annette help you,¡± I agreed nervously, ¡°But I need you to go to Lash, I need to talk with her. Okay?¡±


    Toofy grinned happily, ¡°Kay!¡± She sprinted off back towards her house, disappeared for a handful of seconds and then reemerged carrying Ril on her back and dragging Annette along behind her.


    After a couple of minutes, Lash left our house, already wearing her armour, and began walking over.


    The Orks backed out of her way respectfully and made an effort to become busy elsewhere.


    Grinning with her helmet held under her arm, Lash looked like she might burst the leather straps beneath the iron plates at any moment. ¡°Armour is getting small,¡± she chuckled, flexing to a chorus of protesting leather and shrieking plates.


    Distracted by Lash¡¯s performance, I almost didn¡¯t notice Hrolk stirring at my feet. Almost.


    ¡°Ah, Lash I need you to confirm something for me,¡± I explained somewhat hesitantly.


    My tone alone sparked lash¡¯s curiosity and I immediately regretted not having a stronger handle on my emotions.


    ¡°Well, Toofy thinks Hrolk-¡± I pointed down at Hrolk for clarification, ¡°Is uh...Well, Toofy¡¯ thinks he''s a she,¡± I explained lamely.


    Lash glanced down for just a moment before looking back at me again, her eyes narrowing slightly, ¡°Hrolk IS a she,¡± Lash replied confidently with a hint of wariness.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Things just got very dangerous. Not that I was particularly concerned for my own safety so much as Hrolk¡¯s. If Lash found out she tried to-


    Lash grabbed my forearm and twisted it so my wrist was facing skyward. She leaned in close and narrowed her eyes with murderously cold eyes. Then she shrugged and let go of my arm, apparently no longer worried.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let her bite me,¡± I insisted somewhat guiltily, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know she was a she...¡±


    Lash shrugged, ¡°No mark, no rival,¡± she explained simply before squatting down beside Hrolk and opening Hrolk¡¯s mouth just as Toofy had done. Hrolk blinked several times in obvious panic, but made no attempts to resist as Lash inspected her teeth, ¡°Only eleven, too young!¡± She rapped her gauntletted knuckles on the crown of Hrolk¡¯s head, causing the smaller ork female to wince in pain.


    ¡°Eleven?!¡± my brain struggled to adjust to the blatant absurdity of the assertion vs the physical reality and failed.


    Lash nodded, ¡°Her teeth are still growing,¡± she commented as if that clarified things in the slightest.


    To my eyes, Hrolk¡¯s teeth looked no different to Lash¡¯s after accounting for the overall scale.


    Lash poked a finger hard into Hrolk¡¯s chest, ¡°Tim is mine,¡± she stated calmly, ¡°Tim wants no more mates.¡±


    Hrolk visibly sagged in disappointment, casting her eyes down to the ground.


    ¡°You want a strong mate,¡± Lash continued, taking on a sympathetic and congenial tone, ¡°Sanctuary will have many, in time. I will train you, make you strong for when Mothers Moon returns.¡±


    There was no suggestion of a question in Lash¡¯s statement, but Hrolk cautiously looked up into Lash¡¯s eyes and nodded, ¡°Hrolk train, serve, Tyrantess,¡± she agreed in a chalky gruff voice.


    Far from how I expected the situation to resolve itself, I still wasn¡¯t sure if I was happy about it or not. The revelation that the Ork Species had tomboy body types was a little unnerving. While I had grown used to the general concept of fighting women as the situations presented themselves, a part of me still rankled at how I had manhandled Hrolk. It disturbed me, even more, knowing that she had attempted to mark me in an equivocal sense to an engagement while she was even younger than Lash...


    *****


    Hrolk spat the bloody phlegm from her mouth and onto the ground while pushing herself up to her feet. Keeping a firm grip on her raining spear, Hrolk warily eyes her opponent with newfound respect.


    The red-haired Human the Tyrantess had named Clarice was far stronger and more capable than she first appeared. Wearing a fierce grin, she had forgone the use of most of her armour and settled for a thick padded cloth bound around her forehead. Intended to dull any strikes against the weak points of the skull and prevent cuts to the forehead, Hrolk had been ordered to wear one just like it.


    ¡°Again,¡± the Tyrantess commanded from her place beside the Tyrant.


    Clarice¡¯s grin widened. Rather than waiting for Hrolk to advance, Clarice dashed forward and swatted aside the shaft of Hrolk¡¯s spear with her own wooden training sword. Before Hrolk could react, pain erupted from her abdomen as Clarice¡¯s knee slammed into her gut.


    With her enemy already inside of her guard, Hrolk tried not to panic. Jumping backwards, she braced her spear expecting Clarice to follow right behind her.


    Clarice watched her retreat and then backed away, swinging her long wooden blade up and onto her right shoulder, ¡°You gonna keep running away all day?¡± Clarice snickered contemptuously, :Or are you gonna fight me like a true warrior?¡± She nodded her head towards the Tyrantess without breaking eye contact with Hrolk, ¡°Lash seems to think you might have potential. Are you really okay with making her a liar?¡±


    Hrolk winced. It was obvious that the red-haired human held the Tyrant and Tyrantess¡¯ favour. But until now, Hrolk had not understood why. Clarice was stronger than her, and that was a bitter draught for Hrolk to swallow.


    Hrolk shifted her right hand to the rear of her spear and charged.


    At the last moment, Clarice stepped back and to the side to dodge the blunted point of Hrolk¡¯s spear.


    Hrolk loosened the grip of her left hand then thrust her spear forwards two additional feet and pushed downward with her right. The head of her spear snapped up under Clarice¡¯s chin and was about to connect when Clarice abruptly turned her head to the side, causing the spear to pass by the side of her head without making contact


    Clarice had avoided the blow, but it had left her momentarily off balance.


    Hrolk hurriedly shifted her grip and swept the spear back down and towards Clarice.


    Falling onto her back to avoid the blow, Clarice rolled to the side and leapt back to her feet again, grinning all the while, ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡±


    Hrolk grimace in frustration and fought the urge to close the distance between them. Thrusting her spear seven times in rapid succession, Hrolk pressed the offensive while doing her best to keep her distance.


    Unfortunately, Clarice seemed to have little problem dodging or deflecting the spear thrusts without actually giving any ground.


    All the same, Grolk kept up her assault, hoping that her endurance would win out against the comparatively frail-looking Human.


    Despite being unnecessary, Clarice shifted to deflecting the blows rather than dodging them, sending shivers down the shaft with each impact. If they had been using real weapons, Hrolk knew her spear would have a number of compromising chunks hacked out of it by now. However, since they were not using real weapons, Hrolk was confident that her spear would remain in serviceable condition.


    Hrolk dug deep and increased the momentum of her assault, burning mana to make her spear move faster and faster.


    Infuriatingly, Clarice matched her speed, continuing to swat or knock aside Hrolk¡¯s spear thrusts while grinning back at her.


    Gritting her teeth, Hrolk made a sweeping strike intended to strike Clarice in the left side just below her ribcage.


    To Hrolk¡¯s disbelief, Clarice leapt over the spear and came charging straight for her, sweeping her wooden blade along the shaft of Hrolk¡¯s spear.


    Dropping her spear in a panic, Hrolk immediately realised her mistake but could do nothing to prevent the consequences as Clarice¡¯s wooden blade smacked into her unprotected stomach. Staggering backwards, Hrolk attempted to put some distance between them. However, Clarice was relentless, moving in closer and delivering a swift kick to Hrolk¡¯s thigh before punching Hrolk square in the face.


    Hrolk fell to the ground stunned.


    Clarice loomed above her.


    It took a few moments, but much to Hrolk¡¯s shock, she realised Clarice was offering her a hand to help her up. Humbled by her most recent defeat, Hrolk accepted Clarice¡¯s assistance and stiffly got to her feet.


    ¡°You did much better that time,¡± Clarice praised, ¡°I had to use some mana to Parry those attacks just now, so that¡¯s definitely an improvement.¡± She turned to the Tyrantess, ¡°What do you think, Lash?¡±


    ¡°Better,¡± the Tyrantess agreed impartially, ¡°Still much room to grow.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, we should hunt down one of those spear instructors,¡± Clarice agreed, ¡°Assuming she wants to just be a Spearman?¡± She looked back at Hrolk, ¡°Is that what you want?¡±


    Hrolk shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I...¡± She had never given this much thought. Her old master had insisted Hrolk would learn the spear. But he had only done so because it was easy. When he had died, and Hrolk had been sold to the army, she had stopped thinking about it entirely. That was until the Tyrant rescued her and offered freedom.


    ¡°Maybe we should have one of those fancy Knights come give her some lessons?¡± Clarice suggested, ¡°Let her get a taste of what¡¯s on offer before settling down on Spearman just because she has it already. I mean, if you are gonna make her an Underlord or something, the Classes she learns now will change what she gets, right?¡±


    Hrolk¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The Tyrant was considering making her Underlord?


    ¡°True,¡± the Tyrant grunted with agreement.


    ¡°A Knight?¡± Hrolk muttered quietly, unsure what Clarice and the Tyrant were talking about.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Class that specialises in mastering all kinds of different weapons,¡± Clarice explained, nodding towards the racks of training weapons and shields, ¡°They also get some mounted combat Abilities too,¡± She pointed to the pair of huge scaly Beasts that were basking in the sun just beyond the training grounds.


    ¡°I could ride a beast like those?...¡± Hrolk gasped in awe.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Clarice shrugged, ¡°So long as you find your own or Tim Doesn¡¯t mind lending you Ushu, cause I am telling you right now, Dhizi is off limits.¡±


    The smaller of the two scaled beasts made a throaty chattering sound of agreement.


    ¡°I want to ride Beasts!¡± Hrolk declared eagerly.


    ¡°Thought you might,¡± Clarice grinned savagely, ¡°So I¡¯ll tell you what. If you can knock me on my ass, I¡¯ll-¡±


    Hrolk didn¡¯t hesitate, throwing her right fist hard at Clarice¡¯s face.


    Eyes widening slightly in surprise, Clarice almost managed to dodge the blow in spite of being caught off guard. Almost, but not quite.


    The knuckles of Hrolk¡¯s fist caught Clarice on the jaw and knocked her to the ground.


    There was a long silence.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± Clarice grunted, rubbing at her jaw, ¡°That¡¯s not a great way to make friends you know?¡±


    Hrolk felt a pang of regret, she had misunderstood the situation and-


    ¡°Yeah...That¡¯s probably my fault,¡± the Tyrant grunted uncomfortably, ¡°I made this whole speech about doing whatever it takes to win...and Hrolk was the one I made an example out of...¡±


    Clarice shook her head and laughed while somewhat shakily getting to her feet, ¡°I thought I was gonna have to teach her that one myself.¡± She turned to face Hrolk again and gave her a sly grin, ¡°A deals a deal, but I¡¯m gonna make you pay for that,¡± Clarice promised with a savage grin.


    Hrolk did her best to stand her ground and mask how intimidated she felt by that promise.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Clarice spun on her heel and waved for Hrolk to follow her, ¡°It¡¯s about time Ushu And Dhizi got some exercise anyway.¡±


    ¡°Hang on, where are you taking them?¡± the Tyrant asked warily, ¡°There are too many civilians in the way.¡±


    Clarice paused, ¡°I was thinking about a quick trip to Sanctuary,¡± she explained casually, ¡°The swamp will give Ushu and Dhizi a chance to hunt for their food and get some real exercise. Can also teach Hrolk how to unlock a couple of Beast Classes while we are at it.¡±


    ¡°That''s...actually not a bad idea,¡± the Tyrant agreed supportively, ¡°But be careful, got it?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Clarice agreed with a broad grin.


    ¡°We will obey your command!¡± Hrolk promised, bowing her head in deference to the Tyrant and Tyrantess.


    Clarice rolled her eyes, ¡°We¡¯re gonna work on that too,¡± she added to Hrolk¡¯s immense surprise, ¡°You probably get enough of that bowing and scraping when Gregory is around. No need to put up with it at home too, right?¡±


    The Tyrant grunted in agreement.


    Shadowing Clarice, Hrolk leaned in closer once they were out of earshot, ¡°Why disrespect the Tyrant?¡± She hissed uncomfortably.


    Clarice gave her a pitying look in return, ¡°Because Tim doesn¡¯t like being the Tyrant, not all the time anyway. When he¡¯s not doing official stuff, he wants to relax, and he can¡¯t do that with people carrying on and calling him Tyrant every other minute. That goes for Lash too. She might like the title and authority, but she loves Tim, get it? So you can kiss her ass all you want, but not when Tim¡¯s around and it isn¡¯t official business.¡±


    ¡°Hrolk understands...¡± Hrolk bowed her head respectfully, earning a long-suffering sigh from Clarice.


    ¡°And Hrolk? Never pull that shit with me. I ain''t your boss. If you and me are gonna get along, you need to cut that shit out right now, got it?¡± Clarice grunted while lifting a pile of tangled leather straps and metal buckles.


    Hrolk nodded, trying to look more confident than she felt. The Tyrantess had to have chosen Clarice to be her sparring partner for a reason.


    ¡°Good!¡± Clarice grunted happily, ¡°Now help me with Dhizi¡¯s saddle. It¡¯s a bitch and a half to put on her by myself.¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 48 – A new world – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 48 ¨C A new world ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 48 - A new world - Part One


    Now that Lash had someone she could train with, we took turns looking after the kids with Toofy. It wasn¡¯t that we didn¡¯t trust her, so much as Toofy had proven to be a soft touch and caved to the twins every whim.


    With Nadine otherwise occupied supervising her students, and Fesk accompanying her as a bodyguard, it left a painfully small list of people Lash and I could trust around our kids. Clarice was fine with ¡®helping¡¯ but she had made it painfully clear that she didn¡¯t want to be the one in charge.


    Nila had returned with Cooper and settled him down near Ushu. Both she and her team took on the more mundane duties of his care while Nila herself also provided me with updates on Gregory and the Regent¡¯s progress.


    Unsurprisingly, Gregory and the Regent had hit their respective targets hard. I had received confirmations through Settlement Alerts when they each seized the existing Guild Footholds after approximately twenty-five hours since their departure. However, on the second day, they each seized a second Guild Foothold.


    Relaying their reasoning through Nila, I was able to see the method to the madness. Footholds and any previously Conquered territory required ¡®keys¡¯ to challenge, but unclaimed territory only required an Underlord or greater Title. So, they each divided their forces in two. One to secure the Foothold, while another rushed to the portal granting access to the next floor. After seizing the Foothold, the force with the key would leave and reenter their respective Labyrinth at the next Foothold and begin the Conquest anew.


    With the first floors of their respective Labyrinths already taken, the evacuation effort was already underway. What they were both doing now, was attempting to seize as much additional land as possible to add to the Lesser Dimensional Plane.


    It wasn¡¯t a bad plan at all considering they were effectively surrendering the overwhelming majority of their kingdom to their hostile neighbours. People would need land to settle when the cities became overcrowded. The Labyrinths provided an abundance of resources, so there was little fear of scarcity contributing to civil unrest. Overpopulation and crowding in urban centres were another issue entirely.


    With the existing economy set to enter a relative state of freefall, there was almost guaranteed to be at least a little grumbling about the abrupt change in circumstances. Uprooting people from their homes could be somewhat justified by necessity, but I doubted everyone was nearly so thankful as those being relocated from the slums.


    The Daemon-built buildings were painfully simple but were also robust and clean. Each home was equivalent to a small fortress. After rumours had begun to spread of Mournbrent, even those of the middle-class seemed incredibly grateful for the additional protection. Or so Nila and Clarice had told me.


    Four days had passed since the beginning of the evacuation of Laine and the civilian traffic had winnowed down to wagons and carts carrying non-essential supplies and more personal belongings. Shop owners had been granted permission to retrieve the remaining contents of their businesses, under the agreement that they accept a military escort and would abandon those goods in the event of an emergency.


    The tools essential to each person''s trade had been allowed during the initial evacuation. So the goods in question were mostly creature comforts and luxury items. All the same, it was reportedly having a beneficial effect on morale, so I saw no reason to intervene while the two other cities continued their primary evacuation efforts.


    The more entrepreneurial civilians had already begun paying for Pact Binders and Summoners to have additional floors built for their homes and businesses. I didn¡¯t mind this either, since it made the city seem less painfully symmetrical and more lived in.


    The city itself had been provided as a temporary housing solution, but I seriously doubted many people would choose to leave. With the future being uncertain enough as it was, relocating again so soon after abandoning their homes would be unlikely.


    I was interrupted from my musings by Nila¡¯s abrupt arrival in my temporary home.


    ¡°Majesty, I have just been informed that the Empire¡¯s army is in full retreat. They have completely abandoned their siege of the city,¡± Nila looked decidedly ill at ease despite what was objectively good news.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± I asked warily while burping Pete on my knee.


    Nila shook her head and winced slightly, ¡°The Confederation army is chasing them out and is set to take their place by nightfall. The Lord Regent¡¯s forces aren¡¯t due to complete their Conquest for-¡±


    ¡°Another twelve and a half hours,¡± I interjected, fully capable of reviewing the elapsed time of Conquests in progress.


    Nila nodded, ¡°Senior officers are already organising soldiers to defend the innermost walls to buy time if necessary, but they thought it prudent to ensure you were made aware of the situation.¡±


    I could see the reasoning in that. After all, there was no guarantee that creating the Lesser Dimensional Plane would be an instantaneous process. However, there was a distinct possibility it might follow the same general rules as Conquest. ¡°You can tell them that I will wait until everyone is accounted for before attempting to create the Demi-Plane. I am not intending to leave anyone behind on purpose.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they were insinuating you would,¡± Nila replied somewhat awkwardly, ¡°I believe they were just making sure you were aware of the overall situation.¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°All the same.¡± I had noticed a number of strange names amidst the stream of newly recruited minions and decided to see if Nila knew anything about it. ¡°Do you know if Gregory or the Regent have found any Variants?¡±


    Nila slowly shook her head, ¡°Not that I am aware of, but command hasn¡¯t been telling me much beyond what I have been telling you already. I could ask?¡± She offered helpfully, ¡°I sincerely doubt they would refuse your personal request.¡±


    ¡°I have been noticing some strange names,¡± I explained, ¡°So if you could find out what¡¯s going on, I would appreciate it.¡±


    Nila nodded and took a seat on a crate in the corner while engaging in the lengthy back and forth communication process with her communication device. ¡°OH!¡± Nila exclaimed abruptly without taking her eyes off the device, ¡°The engineers have put together a prototype of the traffic lighting you suggested. Head Engineer Davos would like you to inspect it when you have the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°That was fast,¡± I muttered curiously. I had sketched a few basic pictures to help explain the concept, so it would be interesting to see what the engineers actually came up with. I was already rather surprised that everyone had accepted the principle of organised traffic so readily. But I supposed that had more to do with it being demonstrably more effective from the onset.


    Nila was silent for the better part of an hour before getting up off of her seat, ¡°No new Variant communities have been reported in either Labyrinth. However, the Midnight Caravan¡¯s operatives have delivered a few hundred liberated Slaves to Port Gidian over the past week.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably it then. Thanks, Nila.¡± I chose one of the names at random and took a look at their Status. Although I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I had expected, I was still surprised when I didn¡¯t recognise the Species. ¡°Nila, what¡¯s a Dwergi?¡± I asked curiously, before realising that an abstract description was unlikely to satiate my curiosity.


    Nila scrunched up her face for a moment and seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have ever seen one before, but I think I overheard some of the engineers joking about how all the best tools were originally stolen from the Dwergi,¡± She shrugged apologetically, ¡°I might be misremembering though.¡±


    I decided it might be best to kill two birds with one stone and ask the engineers myself. ¡°Nila, would you be able to help Toofy keep an eye on Pete and Suzy?¡±


    ¡°Uh, me? Majesty? I uh, of course! But, uh, you are sure?¡± Nila couldn¡¯t seem to make up her mind whether it was a promotion of confidence or a major lapse in my own judgement. However, given that the twins were, more or less, able to take care of their own immediate needs, Nila¡¯s babysitting would apply more to Toofy and reining in her more eccentric impulses. Toofy would never Hurt Suzy or Pete on purpose, but there had been a couple of near misses involving choking hazards.


    Making sure to give Pet and Suzy each a kiss goodbye before I left the house, I began making my way out of the inner wall and towards the closest watchtower.


    To my surprise, the soldiers and city guardsmen had already taken upon themselves the role of traffic officers. Standing atop a large crate in the middle of the road between the opposing gates of two districts, a guardsman was directing traffic to allow each lane their chance to continue towards their intended destination. This was definitely for the best since the engineers hadn¡¯t provided anything like footpaths to allow for foot traffic.


    I supposed that would be another thing I could talk to them about. The roads were plenty wide enough to allow for it, and people on foot already gravitated to the side to avoid carts or wagons that might be coming up behind them.


    Approaching the watchtower, I was glad I had guessed correctly and didn¡¯t have to send a soldier to hunt down an engineer for directions.


    It was difficult not to laugh at the simplified design of the traffic lights, especially when they objectively made sense in the context of available materials. Instead of a singular box with all three lights hanging from a pole for each lane of traffic, the engineers had hung three sets of coloured glass lanterns on each side of the tower.


    Standing beneath the tower, I watched as the lanterns I was facing slowly cycled from green to yellow to red. Yellow seemed to last twice as long as either of the other two colours and after watching the soldiers directing traffic, I began to understand why. Instead of serving as a warning that the light was soon to turn red, it was instead indicating that the pedestrians and drivers were to proceed with caution.


    Very few of the civilians seemed to understand the meaning of the lights, but the soldiers directing the traffic seemed quite pleased to have an empirical reference point to work off of. I supposed that was more of a soldier thing than anything else.


    The large doors to the watchtower were locked, and possibly barred on the inside, but after I knocked on the door, a panel on the door opened to reveal a very surprised-looking soldier. The doors were opened very shortly afterwards.


    Entering the watchtower and leaving behind the noise of the streets outside, I found myself looking down at a very nervous-looking soldier.


    ¡°What, erm, uh. How can we assist you, your majesty?¡± The soldier asked nervously.


    I took a moment to look around, but found no one else on the ground floor, ¡°I wanted to speak with one of the senior engineers and take a look at the traffic control device.¡±


    ¡°A-A s-senior engineer?¡± The soldier stammered nervously, ¡°Ah, right! I¡¯ll be right back Majesty!¡± He bolted towards the stairs, stopped short, turned around, bowed low, and then continued up the stairs. ¡°Dougan! Dougan! His Majesty is downstairs! He wants to talk to you!¡±


    There was a muffled response I couldn¡¯t quite make out.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious! You''re going to get me in trouble!¡± The soldier complained in a panic, ¡°Just go down there and see for yourself!¡±


    A few moments passed and then a middle-aged man wearing a toolbelt and apron began descending the stairs before stopping abruptly as he noticed my presence, ¡°Oh...¡± He half turned back to the upper floor before nervously turning back towards the ground floor, ¡°Greetings, your Majesty,¡± he made an attempt at a bow, but abruptly aborted the action when a half dozen tools threatened to escape his belt and apron.


    ¡°You are a military engineer?¡± I guessed, already quite certain since the apron and belt were basically inseparable elements of their uniform.


    ¡°Ah, yes, Majesty. Lieutenant Dougan, senior engineer, if it pleases you, Majesty,¡± Dougan almost bowed again but thought better of it at the last moment, ¡°Is there a way I can be of assistance?


    ¡°A couple of things,¡± I agreed lightheartedly, ¡°If possible, I wanted to see a copy of the device that controls the traffic lights. But I was told you might be able to provide me with a description of the Dwergi?¡±


    The engineer looked surprised, ¡°The Dwergi? I mean, I must apologise, Majesty. I have only heard the rumours, idle camp gossip and the like.¡±


    ¡°Even so,¡± I insisted, ¡°What are they like?¡±


    The engineer was thoughtful for a few moments, ¡°Much shorter than a man, but quick on their feet and with their hands. If you will excuse the joke, Majesty. It is said that leaving a Dwergi alone in a workshop overnight would see your work done by morning,¡± he blushed and bowed his head, ¡°It¡¯s just soldiers'' gossip, Majesty, I do not know if it has even a grain of truth to it.¡±


    ¡°And the traffic control device?¡± I asked, shifting the subject to my other area of interest.


    ¡°Ah, it is just upstairs, Majesty. We keep it on the second floor to afford a view of the traffic for testing purposes,¡± Dougan replied excitedly, pointing back up the stairs and waving for me to follow him.


    Unfortunately, the staircase was not designed to accommodate someone of my size. Remaining on the first floor, I patiently waited for the engineer to realise this oversight of his own accord.


    Sure enough, Dougan began creeping down the stairs a few minutes later. ¡°Apologies, Majesty, I hadn''t realised the stairs would not accommodate your...erm...magnificent girth...¡± The engineer apologised awkwardly.


    That was enough for me to shift my priorities and decide that I could always have another prototype brought for my private viewing at another time. Seeing myself out, I headed back home again.


    I was tempted to choose one of the Dwergi at random and Summon a projection just to sate my curiosity, but I decided that could wait as well.


    I elected instead to go to bed far earlier than usual in anticipation of the long night ahead.


    When I woke up, Lash had settled onto the bed beside me with Pete and Suzy cradled in her arms. I considered waking her, but thought better of it. Passing the Orcs standing guard outside, I found a small detachment of soldiers who were each staring intently at their communication devices. Nila was amongst them and was the first to notice my arrival.


    ¡°Majesty, the Confederates have taken up the siege in the Empire¡¯s place, just as we anticipated,¡± Nila explained hastily, ¡°They have not made any attempts at establishing negotiations, but it is expected that they will make an attempt sometime after daybreak.¡±


    I nodded in acknowledgement and glanced at the counter for the Regent¡¯s Conquest, ¡°There is still an hour and forty minutes to go until the Regent¡¯s Conquest is completed.¡±


    Nila pressed her lips together and nodded tersely, ¡°There...There is other news,¡± she seemed uncertain of herself and motioned back towards my house, ¡°I was instructed to pass along news of the Mournbrent front.¡±


    I stepped aside and waved Nila forwards, following closely behind as the Orcs parted to allow her entry.


    ¡°The enemy lines have collapsed,¡± Nila whispered, her expression of excitement at odds with her tone of deep concern, ¡°Four hours ago, the enemy fortress emptied onto the field and pushed hard to take control over the portal. The high command had myself and a few others on standby to wake you if it was deemed necessary,¡± Nila explained in a rush, ¡°But your Overseer, Wisp, stalled their offensive long enough for our forces to rally...The reports made comparisons to rats fleeing a burning building...And there is more...¡± Nila looked like she really didn¡¯t want to be the one to pass along what came next, her eyes glancing longingly towards the door as she licked her dry lips, ¡°The spy has reported that the Liche and her Vampyr commander are gone...¡±


    I stared blankly at Nila for a full minute as I tried to process the magnitude of what she was saying.


    ¡°Th-They have been m-missing for a few d-days,¡± Nila stammered nervously, sweating hard beneath her armour. She took several deep calming breaths before pressing on, ¡°High Command is pulling out our forces from Mournbrent and...and they want to know what you want done with the spy...¡±


    ¡°Where has the Liche gone?¡± I grunted quietly, doing my best to suppress my steadily building rage.


    ¡°We...The High Command is unsure...B-But they b-believe it is likely th-they are taking sh-shelter with their allies!¡± Nila glanced worriedly towards the bed and clamped a gauntletted palm over her mouth after realising she had been raising her voice.


    ¡°The Settlement will be abandoned?¡± I stated, more a given than a question of intent.


    Nila nodded.


    ¡°I want to see the spy,¡± I growled, ¡°Now.¡± I waved Nila out the door and took several minutes to get myself under control.


    In hindsight, I should have realised that the Liche would prove more difficult to hunt down. Anyone with the ability to Teleport at will would be like a leaf in the wind. There would be only so many places the Liche would be able to hide without exposing itself, but I realised that I needed to become powerful enough and gather the means to initiate ambushes of my own. Only then would the Liche be dealt with for good.


    If the Lesser Dimensional Plane could be my family¡¯s shield, then I would forge myself and others into the weapons that would destroy the Liche.


    Sacrifices would need to be made...


    The Vampyr Marco was still technically my Slave, and unlike everyone else, I had no intentions of changing that fact. His dependence on blood to provide sustenance was a liability. Oaths could be taken to kill him if he attacked the innocent, but his role as a spy had required looser restrictions. If Marco was to continue being of use, as limited as it may be, then he would need to continue under that same flexibility. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a few minutes, a dark cloaked figure arrived through the Gateway. Recognising Marco on sight due to my position as Tyrant, I pointed towards Ushu¡¯s resting area and then began making my own way over.


    ¡°I am placing you under Wisp¡¯s immediate control,¡± I growled quietly, doing my best to try not to blame Marco for an eventuality I should have accounted for, ¡°Your combined duties will be to focus on locating the Liche and her Vampyr Commander. To that end, Wisp is allowed and encouraged to put you through the training he deems necessary for this task. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Marco replied quietly, his shoulders and cloak''s cowl shaking with barely suppressed rage.


    ¡°Then go,¡± I commanded, dismissing him with a wave of my hand.


    ¡°I obey,¡± Marco replied, bowing his head and retreating back through the gateway.


    I spent the next few minutes issuing a quest to both Wisp and Marco to the same effect. Intended more as a means of passing along my command without expending mana, the quest itself likely wouldn¡¯t provide much assistance beyond that role.


    Determined not to disturb Lash or our children, I remained with Ushu, Cooper and Dhizi, methodically brushing down their scales and rubbing in an oil Clarice had brought with her from Sanctuary.


    ¡°The Conquest is complete!¡± I stated loudly for the benefit of Nila and the other soldiers assigned with relaying messages, earning an irritated huff from Ushu who was only halfway through having his scales oiled, ¡°If the High Command is still intending to withdraw from the city, now is the time!¡±


    Three of the messengers went running for their mounts while those who remained began furiously, manipulating their communication devices.


    Twenty floors of the Labyrinths were now under my uncontested control, and yet I still didn¡¯t know if I would be able to keep them all. Ten had been the minimum, but there had been no mention of a maximum. I could only hope that I would be in control over which floors would be abandoned if it became necessary.


    ¡°Complete evacuation estimated at thirty-seven minutes!¡± Nila called back after a few minutes, ¡°No signs of movement from the Confederates!¡±


    I continued oiling Ushu¡¯s scales to try and keep myself calm and was soon joined by Clarice, Nadine and Fesk. Both of the former had wanted to ¡®witness¡¯ whatever was supposed to transpire, and Fesk had followed out of duty.


    Soldiers streamed through the portal on foot and continued through the gate and into the wider city to make room for those that would follow.


    As Nila¡¯s deadline approached, wagons and carts carrying soldiers became more frequent, presumably because there were no further soldiers to collect further afield.


    All the while a large cadre of officers and quartermasters were taking the names of every soldier who passed through the portal on their way to the gate, cross-referencing against prepared lists in order to ensure no one was left behind.


    A runner was sent to Nila, who hurriedly made her own way to me in turn. The wagons and carts were all gone now and no soldiers had passed through the portal on foot for at least five minutes.


    ¡°A team of Rangers is staying behind,¡± Nila explained quickly while pointing back to the portal, ¡°Preparations have been made to collapse the former Guildhall on the other side if necessary, and they will escape using the secret tunnel.¡±


    I nodded to show I understood, ¡°Everyone is ready then?¡± I asked, now worried that the Lesser Dimensional Plane¡¯s Convergence might behave similarly to a Conquest and agitate monsters for miles around each Settlement.


    Nila nodded determinedly, ¡°All forces are standing by and militia have been given warnings to stay on high alert. We...We are ready.¡±


    ¡°Proceed with Lesser Dimensional Plane Convergence,¡± I commanded, doing my best to sound confident and self-assured.


    Within moments, a fresh stream of text appeared in the centre of my vision.


    [ Tallying viable {Dimensional Assets and Territories}..... ]


    [ Viable {Dimensional Assets and Territories}: 20 ]


    [ Calculating {Lesser Dimensional Convergence} variables..... ]


    [ {Lesser Dimensional Convergence} requirements have been met. ]


    [ {Lesser Dimensional Convergence} estimated duration: 2d ; 12h ; 0m ]


    [ Designate desired relationship of {Dimensional Assets and Territories} ]


    Outlined images took the place of the text, depicting different ways in which the individual floors could be connected to one another. It surprised me, although I am not sure exactly why, that the floors could be linked exactly as they had been in the Labyrinths they came from. Stacking one atop another and separated by a field that rendered each invisible to one another.


    Similarly, they could also occupy the same horizontal plane while remaining invisible to those surrounding them.


    As I had previously theorised, it was also possible to create a globe, and every step in between, or just to meld all the floors together into a large disc.


    With gravity and solar radiation seemingly replicated through some unknowable force, just about any design seemed conceptually viable. Existing Settlements were highlighted in each potential iteration and were proven to be as mobile as I desired them to be.


    With what seemed to be free control over the landscape, and bearing in mind what Hana had said about the Grove, I experimented with transplanting Sanctuary in the dead centre of a large disc. Changing each floor''s worth of space was as straightforward as concentrating on making it so, allowing one of the most recently acquired, and barren, floors to serve as the new home for Sanctuary. Similarly, I surrounded that floor tile with five others that were not yet inhabited to any meaningful degree, shifting the existing Settlements elsewhere. With Sanctuary comparatively isolated and guaranteed space to grow, I placed the floors with the most similar environments closest to one another while trying to distribute the most populated areas far enough apart to discourage unhealthy competition for resources.


    Borrowing subterranean material from each floor, I created a tall mountain range around the periphery of the disc. It would serve as a visual reference for where the Lesser Dimensional Plane ended and perhaps as a reference for its expansion at a future date.


    I encircled the floor Sanctuary used to occupy with water, effectively landlocking the two existing port Settlements and their respective farming communities. However, I also positioned the mountain range from Hurst¡¯s first floor to provide a directional current from its creeks feeding into the forked river. I then somewhat haphazardly forked the river further to allow for potential routes for trade or travel at a later date.


    With migration more or less available across the Lesser Dimensional Plane on foot, I figured anyone who didn¡¯t like their new home could just move somewhere else. Barring an arctic tundra, there was a reasonable selection of environments to live in.


    No doubt sensing my intentions, the image of my intended world was duplicated and one copy was reduced in scale before being set aside in my periphery.


    [ Desired Threat Level {Lesser Dimensional Plane}: {High} {Moderate} {Low} {Adaptive} {Fluctuating} {Null} {Custom} ]


    As I considered each option, I came to an intuitive understanding of what each Threat Level intended. At its most basic explanation, Low, Moderate, and High would spawn monsters based on the minimum level of monsters of any of the Converged floors. High would do the opposite, and Moderate would attempt some sort of average. None of these was particularly desirable for a myriad of different reasons.


    Null was out of the question. Without monsters to serve as food, and without livestock to take their place, carnivorous monsters would starve. Similarly, the population at large and the evolving economy would stagnate.


    Adaptive was interesting but also had some problems. The difficulty would base wild monster generation on the average Evolution Tier of my minions. The major problem being that the humans would drag down the average, making the monsters easier for everyone else, while still too difficult to fight on their own.


    Fluctuating was pure chaos, and I wanted nothing to do with it.


    Investigating Custom rather quickly proved to be more or less what I wanted. I could set the standard monster spawn tier range to zero through to two for just about everywhere outside of the Settlements, allowing for entry-level progression for those of low level or hunting for food. I could also set aside an entire floor¡¯s worth of territory to provide stronger monsters.


    With dedicated territory set aside at a specific range of difficulty, it would be possible to allow the greater population to go about their lives while those willing to take on the risks would reap rewards of their own. Essentially, I was reintroducing the Labyrinth, in my own Labyrinth, and the irony wasn¡¯t lost on me.


    To that end, I decided to keep the single-floor Labyrinth separate, isolating it ¡®above¡¯ the remaining disc of the amalgamated nineteen floors.


    I realised that I had the option to link the separate territory with portals just like the Labyrinths had done, but there were also other options. I could make access based upon preset requirements, literally locking out those I deemed too low level. There was also the choice to make entry accessible anywhere from the Lesser Dimensional Plane at the cost of mana.


    Combining all three, I left a single, currently uninhabited, Settlement as a receiving point on the Tyrant¡¯s Labyrinth, deciding that applying my title would be another not-so-subtle reminder to the general populace of my authority. A single portal in the Settlement would serve as both the entry and exit point to that floor of the Labyrinth. A designated point in each Settlement would serve as a catalyst for travelling to the Labyrinth, provided they meet the level requirements and a returning point for that same individual.


    I decided to let the Overseers and Lords handle how the Labyrinth Settlements would be run, aware that I could change things at relatively short notice if I didn¡¯t agree with what they were doing.


    As we had more or less feared, Ril¡¯s Gateways inside of the Lesser Dimensional Plane would cease to function until she manually reactivated them in person. However, curiously enough, I found that I could latch onto the Gateways outside of the Lesser Dimensional Plane and direct them to anywhere inside of the Lesser Dimensional Plane that I wanted. So as best I could determine, the calibration for determining linked locations had been scrambled by the Convergence, but I could still brute force it on my end.


    The same was true with the floors next in line from their respective Labyrinths. However, the last thing I wanted was another potential means of entry from those Labyrinths, so I elected to connect Ril¡¯s Gateway in the Asrusian Capital to the Gateway located only a dozen feet from my temporary home in the new city of Laine.


    With everything decided, a wave of text passed through my vision faster than I could read, reminding me of a profoundly fast computer¡¯s operating system. When the waves of text abruptly ended, I felt a vague numbing sensation pass through my body.


    Growing increasingly tired by the moment, I barely noticed the timer slowly beginning to countdown in my lower periphery, and the new block of text that had appeared in my uppermost periphery.


    [ Lesser Dimensional Plane Convergence will begin in: 0d 0h 0m 10s. Any Dimensional Territory that fails to maintain control over its Settlements will be expunged from the Convergence. Have a nice day. ]


    I had only just managed to read the last portion before collapsing to the ground, and less than two seconds before my mind began to drift. The last words were repeated over and over again as I faded into unconsciousness.


    I woke in a daze that made it difficult to string my thoughts together. Beyond recognising that I was in a place of shelter, I was only vaguely aware of the fact that I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Feeling a fierce pressure on my lips, I felt a sudden jolt of adrenaline that began forcing my surroundings into greater clarity.


    Finding myself staring into a pair of luminous amethyst eyes, I felt another rush of adrenaline.


    The pressure against my lips ebbed for a moment and the eyes drew a short distance away. As I attempted to form the thoughts to complain, I felt a mildly burning liquid spill over my tongue and down my throat. Choking down the liquid, I felt a semblance of clarity wash over my thoughts and realised that I was suffering from extreme mana exhaustion.


    Feeling more of the liquid passing over my tongue, I gulped it down greedily and was relieved to find my senses returning at a rapid rate.


    Although somewhat jarring to go from a state of minimal consciousness to a near-complete awareness of my surroundings, I was profoundly relieved to find Lash straddling my waist and eagerly pouring more of what I assumed to be Evolution Elixir or mana potion down my throat.


    After downing the entire contents of what I now learned was an entire barrel of Evolution Elixir, I felt a different sort of lightheadedness.


    Not at all phased, Lash threw the empty barrel aside and once more fiercely and possessively pressed her lips against mine, leveraging her entire body weight to keep me pinned to the bed.


    I woke up for the second time sometime later with Lash laying beside me on our bed with her arms wrapped possessively around my neck and shoulders.


    Panicking for a moment, I reviewed Pete and Suzy¡¯s Status¡¯ before allowing myself to relax. In hindsight, I knew Lash would not have been so calm if our children were in danger, but it was still strange not to find them within arm¡¯s reach.


    Deciding that they must be next door with Toofy and Hrolk, I looked towards the curtain blocking the doorway and noticed that it was dark outside. Finding no timers or messages in my peripheral vision, I could only assume that the Convergence was complete and that the better part of three days or more had passed while I was unconscious.


    Just thinking of the Demi-Plane was enough to bring a detailed rendering of the disc-shaped world into my primary field of view. Furthermore, I was able to confirm the location of Pete and Suzy with a single thought, generating pips on the map to mark their location. Another thought enlarged the map, focusing on their location and adding another pip to mark my own position in relation to theirs. As I had assumed, they were right next door.


    Testing my new Abilities over the next few hours, I learned that I could in fact continue to make alterations to the Demi-Plane in real-time. Unfortunately, those changes cost prohibitive amounts of mana to accomplish anything of real significance. I would not be replacing any Druids or Earth Mages any time soon.


    Before settling down to sleep, I decided to compose a quest that would explain the entry requirements for the Tyrant¡¯s Labyrinth. However, I rather abruptly became aware of the fact that I could issue messages to anyone within the Demi-Plane, furthermore, I have the message appear when certain conditions are met rather than just issuing it the moment I was finished composing it.


    Bearing that in mind, I spent a few minutes creating a message that would be delivered just before midday, explaining the entry requirements for the Labyrinth. Then I spent a minute or so longer adding the condition to repeat the message to anyone once they met that requirement.


    I was about to go to sleep but decided to compose one last message. To be given to all arrivals in the Tyrant¡¯s labyrinth, they would be informed of their ability to manipulate Exp lost for greater chances at magical equipment through Takesation. By default, everyone would be operating at one per cent, and since very few people knew of the Ability and the fact that they could control it on their end, I figured a helpful reminder wouldn¡¯t go amiss.


    I overslept.


    Lash was already awake and helped me get dressed in preparation to face a large gathering of impossibly polite senior officers and the Asrusian Regent. I had snuck a peak at them while getting dressed and could see that they had the barely repressed terror of men keenly aware of the fact they were standing on a thin sheet of ice that could give way at any moment. Similarly, just by judging the look of the medals and the age of those wearing them, I could assume that at least a few members of the high Command must be amongst them.


    Besides the Regent, I recognised Gregory skulking near the back alongside another familiar face.


    In hindsight, I shouldn¡¯t have found Klive¡¯s presence all that surprising considering he was promoted to a Marshal last I knew of. Still sporting the same short back and sides haircut and his neatly trimmed moustache. Perhaps a little more salt than pepper in his hair than when I last saw him, Klive still looked to be in great shape despite being a man of fifty or sixty years old.


    I made sure to give Klive a nod in greeting as I began making my way toward the gathering.


    Rather than accompanying me, Lash made her way next door, not that I blamed her.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± My arrival was met with a unanimous chorus of respectful deference as the gathered officers bowed low at the waist.


    Rather than reply, I looked to the Regent to provide an explanation for their unannounced visit.


    ¡°Majesty, I believe I speak for us all when I express my most profound relief to find you in good health,¡± the Regent declared to vigorous nods of agreement from the gathered officers. ¡°Furthermore, It is my absolute honour to report that the evacuation was completed in its entirety,¡± this met with more nods and quiet affirmations of agreement. The Regent took a moment to consider what he was about to say next, ¡°I am also profoundly grateful that you have elected to establish a connection to the outside world. We all appreciate that this is an otherwise inexcusable vulnerability, but swear we shall do our best to maintain the security of your realm.¡±


    Feeling somewhat awkward as the recipient of so much diplomatic praise, I nodded vaguely in acknowledgement and waited for the true reason they were here to present themselves.


    ¡°My Lord Regent,¡± Klive called out and began none too carefully making his way through the small crowd, ¡°I believe his Majesty would prefer to be spending this time with his family rather than us, so maybe we should cut to the chase?¡±


    The Regent smiled slightly and nodded in acquiescence and took a step back, ¡°I fear you likely have the right of it. Please, proceed.¡±


    Craning his neck to do his best to look me in the eye, Klive folded both arms behind his back, ¡°Majesty, the land inside of the Labyrinths is far more valuable than those without, and the safety of the Settlements has proven greater and more reliable in recent weeks also. To this end, we would like to know your opinion on the continued expansion of the Demi-Plane.¡±


    Several of the senior officers shifted uncomfortably, but whether it was because of Klive¡¯s bluntness or the objective greediness of the requests, was unclear.


    I took a moment to consider things before nodding in agreement, ¡°Adding further territory should be easier than creating the Demi-Plane in the first place. But I think we should take a moment so I can explain how things are different than you might expect them to be.¡± I took that as an opportunity to release the message to everyone in the Demi-plane early.


    Everyone, including the Regent, looked profoundly surprised.


    ¡°A Labyrinth?!¡± One of the white-haired officers exclaimed.


    ¡°But where is it?!¡± Another demanded, looking around the immediate area for signs of a portal.


    ¡°That was one of the more simple additions,¡± I explained with more amusement than was honestly warranted. ¡°However, on that subject, I intend to continue adding to the Tyrant¡¯s Labyrinth. However, I will be compressing more tiers of monsters into each floor, making them both more dangerous but far more efficient in terms of making the best use of available real estate. Packing five tiers of monsters together would probably have been an unacceptable risk for humans before, but I think Synergies will change that rather significantly.¡±


    Gregory nodded to himself and seemed to be in deep thought. Not that anyone besides me was in a position to notice.


    ¡°Tier zero, one and two will continue spawning in the Demi-Plane at large in the same manner as they did in the Labyrinths,¡± I continued, ¡°This is to provide food, but also to make the transition into the first floor of my Labyrinth that much easier. Ensuring no one will be allowed to enter without a minimum degree of combat experience and raw stats to give them a proper fighting chance.¡±


    ¡°So, if I am understanding this all correctly,¡± Gregory interrupted loudly enough to quell the senior officers, ¡°In addition to providing a safe haven, your Majesty has also given us a Labyrinth that we can exponentially improve by plundering other Labyrinths?¡±


    That had not been my primary intention, but it was certainly rather close to the mark. Before I could confirm or deny the question, with the exception of Klive and the Regent, the senior officers immediately began calling out for messengers to make contact with their subordinates.


    *****


    The Tyrant¡¯s Labyrinth staging area was bustling with activity. A full day had already passed since the proclamation had been delivered to every registered citizen within the Tyrant¡¯s Demi-Plane. Even so, the number of people frequenting the Labyrinth had only increased despite the currently limited choice in staging areas.


    Of course, Tanis knew full well that a significant factor in the Labyrinth¡¯s popularity was due to the competitive quests being issued both daily and by the hour. The quests had conditions such as most Exp earned or most monsters of a particular species slain, and qualifying conditions varied for a wide range of different candidates to compete for similar rewards.


    This was why, in spite of his relative inexperience, Tanis was hoping he could join a group around his own level. The lower bracket quests had more competition overall, but it wasn¡¯t as fiercely contested as the middle and higher tier.


    ¡°INVITING TWO WITH MELEE SYNERGIES!¡± Someone called out from somewhere up ahead.


    ¡°ONE SPOT OPEN FOR A RANGED SPELLCASTER!¡± Cried another.


    ¡°ARROWS, JAVELINS, BOLTS AND BULLETS! ALL THE AMMUNITION YOU NEED! CHEAPEST PRICES!¡± Barked a merchant from behind his stall.


    ¡°RECRUITING SOMEONE WITH A SHIELD TO TAKE POINT! EXPERIENCE PREFERRED!¡± A young woman cried from atop a barrel nearby.


    Tanis tried to make his way over to her as fast as he could manage. ¡°Uh, excuse me?¡± He hurriedly unslung the shield from his back and waved it slightly to get her attention.


    ¡°Class?¡± She asked, cutting straight to the point, her amber eyes flashing in challenge from behind her helmet.


    ¡°Ah, Pact Binder,¡± Tanis replied somewhat timidly, ¡°I can distract enemies with Summons if needed.¡±


    The young woman looked behind her towards a small group a short distance away. Consisting of a Gnoll with scruffy orange fur holding a bow and two other young women each carrying javelins and shields, Tanis quickly realised he had something else to contribute.


    ¡°I have the bonus party member Synergy,¡± Tanis hastily added, ¡°We can bring one more with us.¡±


    The young woman with amber eyes glanced back at Tanis for a moment and then extended her arm, ¡°Party Invite.¡±


    Tanis tried his best to look confident as he clasped her forearm, ¡°Accept.¡±


    ¡°Hrm, okay,¡± the young woman, Gina, the party leader grunted before turning back to her other companions, Groof, Violet and Vivianne, ¡°Just see what we get?¡± She asked.


    Groof, the Gnoll, shrugged his shaggy shoulders and said nothing.


    ¡°Maybe try for a Goblin?¡± One of the young women suggested, ¡°If we keep the party together long term, a Goblin¡¯s Synergies will really help in the higher levels.¡±


    ¡°OOH! Or maybe an Orc?¡± The other insisted excitedly, ¡°I hear some of their Synergies can be brutal!¡±


    ¡°Um...Hello?¡± A timid voice spoke up from behind Tanis.


    Turning around, Tanis was very nearly scared witless as he came face to face with eight pitiless black eyes and a pair of nervously clacking mandibles.


    ¡°Oh, um, do not be scared, Sand Shadow is good,¡± the lithe Orc female sitting atop the arachnids back insisted, earning more clacking of the arachnid¡¯s mandibles in agreement.


    ¡°You are a Desert Orc?¡± Gina asked, ¡°And a Beast Trainer?¡±


    ¡°Kaili is Desert Orc, yes,¡± the tan-skinned Orc in thick silk robes replied before hesitating slightly, ¡°Kaili is Venomancer, Sand Shadow is companion, friend.¡±


    Gina was quiet for a few moments and then shrugged, ¡°A new Class? And it has a combat pet? Works for me,¡± she extended her arm towards Kaili, ¡°Party Invite.¡±


    Kaili¡¯s expression brightened immediately, ¡°Accept Invitation.¡±


    ¡°We were going to wait a bit before heading out,¡± Gina explained to the two of them, ¡°Catch the next hourly kill quest and make a play for placing high enough for some of the rewards. Groups on the second floor have been donating magic gear like crazy, so the Tyrant has been adding it to the quest rewards.¡±


    ¡°Woah, really?!¡± Tanis asked excitedly.


    Gina nodded confidently, ¡°It¡¯s all to do with that Takesation Ability. Apparently, it¡¯s really easy to get low grade magic items if you max it out as a party. It hurts your Exp gain, but some of the items have been kind of crazy. My cousin was telling me earlier this morning that he saw a sword that can shoot arcs of lightning!¡±


    ¡°Do you have much experience with this?¡± Tanis asked, trying not to sound too judgemental.


    Gina shrugged, ¡°Not as much as some,¡± she admitted, ¡°But I have gotten a lot of advice from my cousin, and he was a proper adventurer before the war.¡±


    ¡°Should wait outside,¡± the Gnoll interjected, ¡°Choose hunting ground,¡± he eyed the bustling crowd warily.


    ¡°Groof has a point,¡± one of the young women agreed, ¡°We should get away from the crowd and pick a nice launching point.¡±


    ¡°Hang on, let¡¯s do a gear check first,¡± Gina insisted, ¡°Better to grab anything you''re missing now because we won''t rank if we have to go back for anything later.¡±


    Following the others out of the overcrowded staging area, Tanis felt a thrill of excitement as he got his first clear look at the Labyrinth.


    Contrary to his expectations, simple roads with stone markers branched out into the wider Labyrinth providing easy travel to the apparent multitude of diverse hunting grounds.


    ¡°I reckon the Night Howlers will be our best bet,¡± Gina suggested, pointing to a stone marker with a crude etching of a wolf, ¡°They can call in reinforcements from long distances, but so long as we keep a steady momentum and don¡¯t let them build up in too great a numbers, we should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Sand Shadow will give webs to snare them,¡± Kaili offered, struggling somewhat to express her intentions.


    ¡°And I can Summon a Daemon if we need it,¡± Tanis added in agreement.


    Groof shrugged, ¡°Groof nose good, lead hunt.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going,¡± Gina ordered, ¡°Make sure to keep an eye out! The road is safer, but it¡¯s still a long way from actually being safe!¡±


    Tanis nodded determinedly and moved towards the front of the group, intending to both make a good impression, but also put as much distance between himself and the giant spider...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 48 – A new world – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 48 ¨C A new world ¨C Part TwoCan''t remember if I announced it here on Scribble Hub or not. The planned Rewrites for the first nineteen chapters is on track to be finished by the end of the month. I haven''t looked into SH''s chapter rearrangement and order situation yet, but I appologise in advance for any screwups. When the Rewrites go live, I will updating the original chapter to be the first half and then inserting the partitioned second half as the next chapter. Basically they will match the current chapter naming scheme and sequence. Thanks for your time and thanks for reading :)


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 48 - A new world - Part Two


    Sanctuary had changed. More heavily populated than when I had left it, the Daemons had taken it upon themselves to expand Sanctuary¡¯s physical borders to accommodate the new arrivals and those who would follow in the coming days. Permanent dwellings that combined the natural aesthetics of the vegetation with stone and earth were far more common than not.


    The Dwergi had made their own mark as well. Despite being roughly the size of eight-year-old human children, the scope of their imagination and ingenuity was disconcertingly impressive.


    Above ground, the only sign of their presence was the goods they created in collaboration with the Orcs, Goblins, and Gnolls. However, below ground was a different matter entirely. Making use of the high-pressure currents in the caverns beneath Sanctuary, and with the help of their allies, the Dwergi erected giant water wheels that now served to automate certain means of production.


    Initially limited to the grinding of grains, pressing oils, and spinning potters'' wheels, it had taken less than a day for the Dwergi to turn the power of their water mills to pumping the bellows of the Orcs forges and spinning their grinding wheels. Lathes for shaping wood had come a day after, and a sawing mill two days after that.


    With the Druids and Earth Mage¡¯s ability to shape the environment to accommodate the water-powered technology, the Dwergi had gone big with every venture, pushing the limits of what I thought was even possible. With no shortage of raw materials to work with, and a horde of eager allies to assist them, the Dwergi were drawing Sanctuary into a water-driven industrial revolution.


    Of course, it had all come at a cost. Or rather, it had come with expectations. In exchange for the force multipliers they were providing for Sanctuary¡¯s production capabilities, the Dwergi wanted the liberation of their people from the Werrian Empire. A perfectly reasonable request that I intended to honour once I was certain Sanctuary and the Dem-plane were both truly secure. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A war council, for lack of a better word, was due to be held in the next few days. That would be where the elected leader of the Dwergi, Johan Shaleheart, would be permitted to present his case before the Regent of the Asrus Kingdom. Without the Human army, or at the very least their tactical expertise, any rescue effort would be doomed to accepting otherwise avoidable casualties.


    Sitting in the shallows of the lake that now dominated the greatly increased territory of the Grove. I felt a profound sense of peace as the mana-enriched water was slowly absorbed through my skin. Looking out over the lake, my eyes were momentarily drawn to the great willow in the centre of the lake.


    Hana and her sister Kohana were sitting on one of the larger branches and chatting with Ophelia and Orphiel, who was hovering in the air beside them.


    Orphiel had been serenading Kohana with his original ballads for the better part of an hour and was now evidently taking a break. The Fallen Angel¡¯s interest in the Dryad raised some interesting questions regarding Angel¡¯s and Daemons'' reproduction and half breeds.


    I was interrupted from my musings as Lash erupted from the water and landed beside me in the shallows. She had been swimming in the lake at every possible opportunity since we had returned to Sanctuary. Lash refused to Evolve until she could unlock the means to breathe underwater like our children.


    Ushu¡¯s Evolution had only forced the issue further. Lurking somewhere at the bottom of the lake, Ushu had Evolved shortly after our return to Sanctuary. Not only had he taken on the Swamp Environmental Evolution, as I had been personally hoping for, but Ushu had proven Clarice right as well.


    As Lash sat herself down beside me, I pulled her in closer and wrapped my arm around her waist, ¡°Are Pete and Suzy having fun?¡± I asked, avoiding the issue of her Evolution.


    Lash pushed the wet hair away from her face and nodded as she sighed contentedly, ¡°Cheh¡¯s brood is curious and fast. Good playmates,¡± Lash stated approvingly.


    In exchange for helping to keep an eye on Pete and Suzy while they were in the lake, Cheh, her mate, and their recently hatched children were allowed to use the lake as they pleased. While not technically able to breathe underwater, the Lizardmen were capable of holding their breath for prodigious amounts of time in a similar manner to crocodilians.


    ¡°Ushu hasn¡¯t been giving them trouble?¡± I asked curiously.


    Lash shook her head, ¡°No, just sleeps like a sunken log.¡±


    That had more or less been what I had expected. Ushu had only left the bottom of the lake at meal times since his Evolution. I had seen him swimming about in the late evenings, so I just assumed Ushu was just adjusting to the changes in his body. That, or he was just enjoying the freedom of doing what he wanted when he wanted.


    I was about to ask something else, but Lash suddenly flashed with golden light, momentarily blinding me and causing me to forget what I was going to ask her.


    ¡°Another level,¡± Lash chuckled before kissing my cheek, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I chuckled back, shaking my head slightly, ¡°It¡¯s my fault anyway.¡±


    The sudden surge in Exp generated from the Tyrant¡¯s Labyrinth had unlocked another interesting Class Ability, Keys to Power.


    [(Class Ability: Keys to Power): The strong know which wheels to grease to maintain dominance. Qualified* Subordinates may be selected to receive a predetermined portion of Exp from {Takesation}. {Keys to Power} must be divided amongst three or more Qualified* Subordinates minimum in order to function. {Qualified Subordinates}: Overseer, Underlord, Lord, Overlord.]


    Naturally, Lash had been the first person I marked for the Ability, then Gric, Cin, Qreet, Orphiel, Ophelia, and Wisp, making promotions as needed. Each of them possessed a set of skills or combination of Abilities that I deemed essential for the continued safety of Sanctuary and the Demi-Plane as a whole.


    I had set Lash¡¯s Portion at twenty-five percent, and divided a further twenty-five percent to the others, leaving myself with the lion¡¯s share. However, because the majority of the Exp I was currently receiving was heavily reduced due to my relative level compared to the monsters being slain, I decided to divide a further portion of the remainder.


    I assigned a single percent each to Nadine, Clarice, Fesk, and Hrolk.


    The promotions had prompted Fesk and Hrolk to all obtain Leadership Classes to unlock custom classes. Unsurprisingly, they had both elected to take Beast Trainer due to the comparative ease of meeting its requirements.


    Nadine already had Taskmaster, so the promotion had immediately taken effect in combining her qualified Classes and her Species into a Master tier Class. I had not spoken to her about it beforehand, so it had been something of an awkward conversation explaining why I had done it. However, Nadine seemed pleased enough with the changes once the Keys of Power began rapidly surging her back to her original level and then beyond.


    The changes I had made for my Labyrinth were to explicitly encourage the growth of those who entered, putting it in direct opposition to the existing Labyrinths. Besides the torrent of Exp generated by Takesation, magic items had begun flooding the market and the Alchemists were being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of mana stones being donated for Exp.


    These were, of course, all very good problems to have.


    Many Asrusian entrepreneurs were only too eager to begin construction on distilleries to fill both the needs of the public and the ever-expanding workshops of Sanctuary¡¯s Alchemists. Similarly, the sheer volume of magic items entering the market was reducing the demand for mundane weapons and armour, but freeing up more raw resources for everyday commercial items.


    Similarly, crop yields were higher than ever, generating a surplus for experimentation and creating much higher availability across all economic demographics. Combined with the plentiful availability of housing and surge in gainful self-employment, I didn¡¯t doubt that the Humans would soon become far healthier than they had been less than a week ago.


    However, with everything seemingly settled, for the time being, and no news of the Liche, it raised the question of what I should do next. There had been an overwhelming and unanimous push from the Daemons, Fallen Angels, council members, the Asrusians, as well as Clarice, Nadine, and Toofy, that I should focus on Evolving as much as possible.


    I had agreed and proceeded to demolish the remaining stores of the high-powered Evolution Elixir leftover from Wisp¡¯s original culling effort. As a result, I was now on the verge of my next major Evolution. Which was why I was sitting in the lake to absorb as much mana as I could naturally.


    A huge rush of bubbles broke the surface near the willow in the centre of the lake and a few moments later Toofy began scrambling up the bark of the willow¡¯s trunk. She had been using large iron cauldrons trapped under the willow¡¯s roots as diving bells, similarly replenishing their stocks of air to how she stored water.


    Unlike Lash, Toofy didn¡¯t seem particularly motivated in Evolving at all. She has definitely been making small amounts of progress, but nothing active. She seemed perfectly content with remaining as she was.


    Lash had been using Toofy¡¯s diving bells as well, but she wasn¡¯t a particularly confident swimmer. So, every so often, she would come to the shallows and spend some time with me instead.


    I would have joined her in the deep, but I had lost a great deal of buoyancy after shedding so much fat. To make things worse, I was fairly certain that my bones had been growing considerably denser, making me heavier and more prone to sinking.


    If I was honest with myself, it bugged me that I couldn¡¯t spend more time with Pete and Suzy, but I knew that ultimately, this was in their best interests. It would be years before they could learn and unlock Classes of their own, so their best protection was Evolution. The more they Evolved, the less of a threat the world and our enemies would become.


    A part of me also knew that it would be better if I grew used to being apart from them, even if it was just a little. After all, the war wasn¡¯t over and the Liche was still out there somewhere. As an undead, she wouldn¡¯t die of old age and would persist until destroyed for good.


    Lash took a small breath and was about to say something, but stopped abruptly, her eyes widening in surprise.


    The sudden shift in her behaviour drew my attention, but before I could say anything, Lash spoke first.


    ¡°Swamp Orc Lord,¡± Lash breathed, suddenly looking up at me with a fierce grin, ¡°I did it!¡±


    Already somewhat melancholic about being separated from our children, I stamped the feeling down and did my best to be happy for her, ¡°I knew you would be able to,¡± I confirmed supportively, ¡°It was just a matter of time.¡± At least now she would be able to spend more quality time with our children.


    Accepting her Evolution, Lash¡¯s body was briefly obscured by a green glowing light. When the light receded, I was a little surprised by how little Lash had changed. She had grown perhaps a half foot taller and her skin had taken on a faint greenish hue. Her hair had grown thicker and had mottled patterns of brown and green that shifted with the light. Besides the plated gills now lining the sides of Lash¡¯s ribcage and a very minor refinement of her facial features, it seemed to be the limit of her transformation.


    Lash gave me a nervous smile and brushed the hair from her face, revealing that she had webbed fingers like the twins.


    Assuming that Lash was feeling self-conscious, I leaned down and kissed her as a sign that nothing had changed between us.


    Lash eagerly returned my affection before settling her head on my shoulder again and sighing contentedly.


    Glancing at Lash¡¯s Status, I found that she had gained both the Savage Nobility and Birthright Racial Abilities. This confirmed my suspicions that certain suffixes in Evolution were likely to yield identical or very similar Abilities in the same way that the prefixes like the Environmental Evolutions provided predictable modifications to anatomy.


    Lash¡¯s Class had changed to somewhat match my own as well. Gaining the Takesation and Keys to Power. However, Takesation was ¡®Inactive¡¯ supposedly because Lash was technically my subordinate, and her Keys to Power only allowed Underlords, Lords, and Overlords. That was a more interesting development because Lash was technically an Overlord herself, so I could only assume that her position as my mate afforded greater seniority in some way.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing really stopping you from Evolving again, you know?¡± I prompted Lash, feeling somewhat curious about what the next major Evolution would hold.


    Lash nodded, ¡°Was considering,¡± she confessed with a hint of embarrassment.


    If she wanted to, Lash could get another two Major Evolutions under her belt from the Elixirs before suffering from the dramatically reduced returns I was dealing with.


    ¡°You won¡¯t mind?¡± Lash asked somewhat self-consciously, wringing her hands in her lap.


    ¡°Why would I?¡± I countered supportively, ¡°The stronger you are, the better you can protect yourself and our children,¡± I explained earnestly.


    Lash looked at me for a few moments, her amethyst eyes searching mine for, something, before smiling and nodding in agreement, ¡°I will do it.¡±


    I had meant what I had said, but I was also curious to see what Evolutions became available to her.


    We spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying a picnic while Lash somewhat aggressively pursued her next major Evolution by getting tipsy on Elixirs. My own metabolism had become far too aggressive and made it impossible to feel anything but a faint buzz from the most potent alcohol and Elixirs we had on hand. All the same, Lash didn¡¯t feel comfortable drinking alone, so I did my best to match her.


    Due to her intoxicated state, it wasn¡¯t until the late evening that Lash managed to coherently explain her Evolution options.


    As I had suspected might be the case, each of her presented Evolutions had the Lord suffix replaced with Tyrant. However, the Swamp Environmental Evolution Prefix was absent from all but one of her options as well.


    Unable to see them myself, I had to rely on Lash reading them to me aloud.


    Like Toofy, the rarest Evolution was the Primaeval Swamp Orc Tyrant, adding a second Prefix and the Lurk and Sovereign Racial Abilities. As described by Lash, Lurk was a passive sort of camouflage that could be activated at any time while partially submerged in water.


    Sovereign was slightly more interesting. Similar to Nadine¡¯s original Class Ability Soothe, it would allow Lash to expend mana to ease tension and reduce the effects of certain negative Conditions. However, the Ability was specifically limited to Lash¡¯s Species but was described as encompassing a large area. Presumably, while it would be limited to affecting Orcs, it would cover a significantly larger area than most other Abilities.


    The only other options were, Hag Tyrant, Boggling Tyrant, and Grendel Tyrant. I was somewhat relieved by Lash¡¯s choice to go with the Primaeval Swamp Orc Tyrant.


    Just as before, Lash¡¯s body was bathed in a green glow. However, as it receded, Lash was revealed to be almost exactly as she had been before, with the exception of some minor refinements to her facial features and gaining a few inches of height.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lash somewhat unsteadily got to her feet that I noticed a more visible change. Already a statuesque beauty of honed and toned muscle, Lash¡¯s skin held an almost shimmering oiled quality under the rays of the setting sun.


    Unable to help myself, I ran the back of my fingers along the side of Lash¡¯s thigh and was surprised to find that her skin felt somewhat slick to the touch. ¡°A protective mucus?¡± I muttered curiously, ¡°Or perhaps it absorbs and transmits oxygen?¡±


    Lash blushed, ¡°My skin is not dry like before,¡± she commented in agreement, running her hands over her arms with open and unashamed curiosity.


    ¡°I guess that kind of makes sense. If Primaeval is the Labyrinths original copy, it would make sense that it has the most Racial Abilities and the characteristics the Species would otherwise have needed in order to thrive in the first place,¡± I reasoned aloud, trying to make sense of the changes as best as i could.


    Lash was about to make a reply, but Cheh and her mate had crested the surface nearby, each holding one of the twins who were fast asleep while their three children swam lazily around them.


    ¡°Great ones,¡± Cheh bowed her head and her mate copied the gesture a moment later, ¡°The hatchlings...are resting...as requested...¡± The twins were both passed over to Lash with quiet reverence.


    Even the baby Lizardmen seemed to keep their clicking squeaks and hisses to a minimum.


    I was fairly certain that the twins had been tired out sooner, but the decision had been made to give Lash and myself some privacy. ¡°Thank you. Feel free to approach someone if you need assistance selecting your rewards,¡± I thanked them quietly, not wanting to wake the twins.


    Cheh and her mate bowed low at the waist and then after holding the position for a handful of seconds, transitioned the low bow into a shallow dive while turning back towards the centre of the lake and the far shore. Most likely intending to continue making the most use of the lake, I couldn¡¯t fault them for their decision. Besides, the stronger both they and their children became, the safer my children would be while under their care.


    Carefully lifting Lash while getting to my feet, I carried her and the sleeping twins to a large moss and bush-covered building that had replaced our old cave. Designed for amphibious occupation, the floor was a full foot under water and that same water was cycled with a slow current from the lake to keep it relatively clean.


    Barrels, pots and jars containing food were kept on high shelves out of the twins'' reach along with a raised fire pit for cooking meals. A larger and deeper portion of the floor had originally been intended as a bath, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Lash and the twins slept in it whenever I was away on business. The bed had been done away with entirely and replaced with a thick carpet of aquatic moss on a gradual incline that would ensure my head would remain above water.


    Settling down to sleep I gave Lash another kiss before closing my eyes.


    The twins had settled in a more predictable routine since coming to Sanctuary and being allowed to tire themselves out exploring the Grove¡¯s lake. So I was not surprised when I woke up to Suzy slapping my face.


    ¡°Bwawawawa,¡± Suzy burbled in a singsong rhythm that was completely out of time with the slaps on my cheek.


    Cautiously opening my eyes, I froze as I realised that I had a notification currently occupying my primary vision.


    [Swamp Ogre Tyrant Runt: +2 Strength, +2 Toughness, +1 Presence. (Unique*)]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]


    [(Racial Ability: Savage Nobility): You are a paragon of primal might and authority. {Strength} increases the effect of {Racial Abilities} and {Class Abilities} modified by {Presence} when targeting {Allies} and members of the same {Species}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Birthright {2}): Your genes are superior and create superior offspring. Sired offspring will always match your Species and Tier of Evolution. Sired Half-Breed offspring will always match your Species when determining Primary Species and Racial Abilities.]


    [(Racial Ability: Sovereign): Your right to rule is unquestionable and is recognised by your entire {Species}. Expending MP will purge subordinates of the same {Species} within a {Large Area} of negative morale {Conditions} and emotions if desired. Effectiveness is increased by {Presence}. Range of the effect is increased by {Willpower}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Empire of Weakness): The weak cower and take shelter in your shadow, swearing fealty in exchange for your mercy. Subordinates, regardless of {Species}, are affected by the Racial Ability {Sovereign}. Executing a subordinate will not incur morale penalties unless desired.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Swamp Ogre Tyrant Runt} (Accept/decline}]


    Contrary to my expectations, I only had a single option for Evolution. All The same, I doubted I would have chosen anything differently if the options had been the same as the last time. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I understood why I hadn¡¯t been given options at all. I was THE Tyrant. Lash had been given options because she was my Mate. I was the one with the Bloodline, the Demi-Plane and an overarching control over just about everything.


    I flinched and narrowly avoided blinking as Suzy¡¯s fat fingers narrowly missed my right eye.


    Shifting Suzy onto Lash¡¯s stomach, I sat up and cautiously shimmied away to give myself some space before accepting the Evolution.


    Expecting nothing to have changed, I was surprised to find that my reflection showed a number of knobby protrusions along my brow. Gingerly feeling along my brow, I realised that the protrusions were actually spurred from my brow, and they continued all the way around each of my eyes and along my cheekbones. The only reason I couldn¡¯t see the others was due to the muscles still currently drawn over and concealing them.


    Deeming the changes largely aesthetic and benign, I noticed that my skin felt somewhat thicker than it had before. Pinching at a few different areas soon confirmed it. The mottled patches had thickened considerably, almost by a factor of four as near as I could tell, and outer-facing surfaces had thickened closer by a factor of two.


    Lash stirred shortly afterwards and stared at me for a moment before smiling, ¡°You Evolved,¡± she observed happily while scooping up Pete and Suzy.


    ¡°Just now, yeah,¡± I replied with a grin.


    Lash was about to say something else, but we were interrupted by someone knocking on the hollow log hanging by the door that served as a primitive doorbell.


    ¡°Tim, you up?¡± Clarice called out from the other side of the thick vegetation hanging over the doorway.


    I gave Lash an apologetic look and headed for the door, ¡°I am, what is it?¡± I asked while making my way outside.


    ¡°One of the Regent¡¯s...¡± Clarice stared at my face for a few moments, ¡°Did you Evolve? Or have you always had those bumps above your eyes?¡±


    ¡°I just Evolved this morning,¡± I explained with a hint of amusement.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Clarice looked like she was going to ask something else, but shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s a messenger from the Regent that says he has important news. Seems pretty urgent given how he almost risked barging past the Daemons.¡±


    The Daemons all had caves and nests spread around the inner side of the Grove beside the only gate that allowed entrance. They took turns guarding it alongside the Orcs I had taken from the Werrian army.


    ¡°You were training with Hrolk I assume?¡± I asked with a sigh.


    Clarice nodded, ¡°We were just about to kick off our morning training session when the messenger came running over.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be along in a minute,¡± I stepped back into the house and gave Lash an apologetic smile, ¡°I need to go handle something. It would probably be best if the twins had their breakfast now rather than waiting for me to come back.¡±


    Lash nodded and made her way over with Suzy and Pete so I could give them each a kiss before I left.


    Leaving the Grove, I found the messenger waiting for me just as Clarice had said I would. He was a short, nervous-looking man who was probably in his late twenties. ¡°Ah, ahem, his most supreme Majesty, I have been sent by the Lord Regent of the Asrus Kingdom to request your presence in regards to a most urgent matter to be discussed in Port Gidian at your Majesty¡¯s earliest convenience.¡±


    I briefly considered my rather plain attire before deciding that perhaps I could make a better impression. ¡°I will leave within the hour,¡± I told the messenger, doing my best to repress the irritation I felt at getting dressed up for the occasion. Inside of Sanctuary, I had resolved to wear what I wanted, but while outside, it would be best to make a more favourable impression.


    Waving over Hrolk and Clarice from their sparring practice, I had them help me adjust a mail hauberk and thick surcoat into a presentable condition. I could manage the boots and gauntlets well enough on my own. Thanks to the magical properties of the armour, it was able to resize to fit my frame after being injected with sufficient levels of mana. Rather than forgoing a helmet entirely, I carried it under my arm.


    Making my way to the Gateway, I focused on creating a firm image of Port Gidian in my mind and stepped through. Technically, I could have simply willed myself to any location I wanted inside of the Demi-Plane, but it was far more mana efficient to use Ril¡¯s Gateways.


    Given the early hour, very few civilians were up and about, but there were still plenty of soldiers heading to and fro following orders for who knew what.


    The Settlement looked nothing like what I remembered. The military engineer''s influence was apparent almost immediately. The roads and buildings were all straight and in perfect alignment with one another, allowing large amounts of traffic to pass freely and with minimal congestion. Similarly, the overwhelming majority of buildings were largely identical, possessing a couple floors more or less than one another but still looking the same. If it weren¡¯t for large signs set onto the sides of certain buildings, it would have been difficult to tell if they were a place of business or someone''s home.


    ¡°Ahem, Majesty?¡± A tall broad-shouldered sergeant was standing to my left and had apparently been expecting my arrival. ¡°With your Majesty¡¯s permission, I am to escort your Majesty to the keep,¡± she pointed to the huge fortress looming in the distance.¡±


    I was fully capable of making my own way there but decided to indulge the Sergeant anyway. It wasn¡¯t like we could get lost.


    To my amusement, the Sergeant led the way along the left side of the road, and I noticed that other soldiers were all doing the same. It hadn¡¯t taken much at all for the Asrusians to adopt the basic traffic law.


    As we drew closer to the keep, the motivations for its size soon became self-evident. It was built with the function of accommodating my size as the primary consideration. The absurdity of the scale meant that humans passing through the entranceway and halls looked like small children. The ceilings were crosshatched with ribbed supports and large columns helped spread the load of the immense structure.


    The Sergeant led me through to a large hall with rows of tables and chairs arranged in a similar fashion to a session of parliament. A whole host of men and women, most of whom were military officers in dress uniforms, were chatting quietly on the far sides of the hall. The Regent and a small gathering of familiar faces were similarly chatting amongst themselves on the far side of the hall where a huge stone throne currently stood empty.


    I assumed the throne was intended for me since no one else would come close to filling a quarter of the seat.


    As I entered the hall and began making my way toward the throne, all conversations came to an abrupt halt, bringing silence to the hall.


    For a moment, I had expected a herald to announce my arrival, but a quick glance confirmed that there was no such person in attendance. Only slightly disappointed, I continued towards my throne.


    The men and women on either side of the room began hurriedly making their way towards their respective tables, but only once I had passed them by. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was some form of courtly etiquette or just a precaution against drawing undue attention to themselves.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± the Regent bowed and motioned towards the throne as I passed, the officers gathered around him bowing in turn.


    The throne had a large somewhat flat cushion, but I doubted I would be able to appreciate it through the mail hauberk.


    Once I was seated, everyone else in attendance began to take their own seats, having waited patiently up until this moment to do so.


    The tables were arranged in a rough horseshoe that would allow everyone to more or less see and hear one another at any given moment. A single table was kept separate and positioned ahead and to my left, with the occupants, most notably the Regent, sitting facing everyone else.


    The Regent motioned to the soldiers by the main entrance to the hall and the doors were pulled shut. He turned and bowed to me once the doors had closed, ¡°Majesty, with your permission, I would like to address the court.¡±


    ¡°You may proceed, Lord Regent,¡± I made an effort to use his proper title so I wouldn¡¯t weaken his political position. I was confident that the Regent was an ally, but I wasn¡¯t nearly as certain about most of the other Humans in attendance.


    ¡°Thank you, Majesty,¡± The Regent turned to the assembled nobles and senior military officers, ¡°Lords and Ladies of the court, loyal servants of the realm, in the early hours of this morning, our petition for conditional surrender was formally rejected by the Confederation of Independent City-States.¡± He paused while a swell of murmuring passed through the assembly, after a few moments he raised his hand for silence and waited until the murmuring came to a stop. ¡°It is our firm belief that they intend to dismantle the monarchy in its entirety.¡±


    This time there were cries of outrage and a number of men and women angrily got to their feet, shaking their fists at the ceiling.


    ¡°Indeed, it should not come as a surprise that I share your outrage,¡± the Regent paused for a moment as if collecting himself, ¡°As many of you know, I have made no attempts at hiding my lack of desire for the crown. My brother was a man and ruler whom I could never hope to match. However, I have earnestly sought to do my utmost in preserving his legacy so my nephew, the true hier, will inherit a land and people who are more than ash and Slaves.¡±


    Some of the older men and women in attendance openly wept, dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs.


    ¡°My brother and our royal father often spoke of our royal duty to our people,¡± the Regent¡¯s voice was low but driven by passion, carefully articulated motions of his hands and arms serving to further express his emotions, ¡°Land can be retaken, castles can be rebuilt, and crops resown. But our people!... Those we love! Our families! They cannot be replaced!¡± The Regent slammed his fist down hard on the table, the blow echoing around the hall as he made a point of looking each man and woman in the eyes, ¡°Our people are all that matters. To this end, I petition the court to support the nomination of Field Marshal Baron Klive Rivers, as Steward of the realm so we may sue for peace under the pretence of implied regicide-¡±


    The hall erupted in angry shouting as almost everyone present began to argue or express profound anger at the Regent¡¯s suggestion. Considering the political purges that had taken place over the past couple of months, it was hardly surprising. The men and women currently present in the hall almost certainly represented those most in support of the royal family.


    The Regent patiently waited for the voices to subside before raising his hands for silence, ¡°Lords, Ladies, and loyal servants of the realm. I believe you misunderstand my intentions. I merely suggest an act of subterfuge and political theatre to buy time for my nephew to come of age and inherit his birthright,¡± the Regent explained patiently, ¡°I will endeavour to continue serving our people as best I am able from the shadows, while Baron Rivers claims credit for my staged assassination. By presenting Baron Rivers as an opportunist and social climber, I believe the Confederation of Independent City-States will prove far more receptive to our terms of surrender.¡±


    ¡°Baron Rivers is a known hardline loyalist of the crown!¡± An elderly Baron interjected, ¡°They would never fall for such a ruse!¡±


    A middle-aged nobleman in a military parade uniform raised his hand, ¡°But Baron Rivers does have the loyalty of the military, and his elevation to the peerage was very recent and under ¡®questionable¡¯ circumstances,¡± he smiled slightly and nodded approvingly to the Regent.


    ¡°We could spread rumours of his dissatisfaction, a rift between himself and the Lord Regent,¡± a young noblewoman sitting beside him suggested, ¡°Perhaps frame the assassination as a regretful necessity and the Lord Regent as a knaveful cad?¡±


    ¡°We could bribe some of the lesser members,¡± A somewhat portly officer suggested hesitantly, ¡°Coin no longer holds value as it once did, and we have rather substantial reserves that could be put to task.¡±


    ¡°We could make a show of impoverishing ourselves,¡± another officer agreed, ¡°Make the perceived gains not worth what it would take to acquire them.¡±


    Arguments and debates began to circulate around the hall, only this time it was in a far more civil fashion than previously.


    It was an interesting experience witnessing a room full of people all arguing for the same end result but through different means. I had watched parliament question time on the public broadcast station ABC a number of times, but this was something else entirely. As best I could tell, there were almost no outside interests being pushed whatsoever.


    The debates eventually turned to discussions on how best to implement a modified version of the Regent¡¯s intended plan.


    I had come to suspect that at least a third of the men and women in the room were already informed of the Regent¡¯s plan and were being sued to convince the others without the Regent¡¯s direct involvement. It was a clever trick if it was true. However, I still didn¡¯t understand why I had been invited to attend. A one-on-one conversation, or even just a message would have been good enough to explain the change in the political situation.


    Unless, of course, there was more to it than I had realised.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± The Regent had left his seat and was now standing beside my throne.


    I nodded to show he had my attention.


    ¡°I have a request. We have previously discussed the possibility of setting aside the floor of a Labyrinth to serve as a place of exile,¡± The Regent paused for a moment to give me time to recall what he was talking about.


    It was unnecessary, so I motioned for him to continue.


    ¡°I would have your Majesty consider such an action again. If possible, set aside a dominion that cannot be left once entered. A prison of exile, as it were,¡± the Regent explained quietly.


    ¡°Why do you need it now?¡± I asked somewhat warily, a little perturbed that I had actually been considering the issue the day before.


    ¡°If our ruse is successful, it is guaranteed that all manner of inspectors, spies, and a host of naer-doo-wells will attempt to subvert and destroy the capital from within. I would like the option of removing them without necessarily resorting to violence,¡± the Regent explained diplomatically, ¡°And there is still the issue of enemy combatants and monstrous humanoids who refuse to accept your laws and swear oaths of loyalty. Setting aside even a single floor at least provides nonlethal and nonviolent alternatives.¡±


    I had to admit, the Regent had a point. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult either. In fact, I could probably make something of a trap by using Ril¡¯s Gateways. ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°But I won¡¯t be creating any literal prisons. It will serve as a place of exile, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Just as you say, Majesty,¡± The Regent agreed.


    Gregory was subjugating the capital¡¯s Labyrinth with a sizable force, allowing him to Conquer the footholds directly, while a second supporting force Conquered the secondary portals. The next floor wouldn¡¯t be available for integration for another seven hours, but there was nothing stopping me from planning out the prison.


    Clearing away the existing infrastructure of the foothold would allow Cin to construct a large town for the exiles to take shelter in. Ril¡¯s gateways would be linked to deliver any non-citizens that attempted to use them to the prison.


    Perhaps contrary to the Regent¡¯s intentions, I also began planning a second prison that would allow those in the Plains of Exile to be given the opportunity to become citizens. More or less the same as the first prison, it would serve as a space reserved for parole. Moving from the first prison to the second would require swearing the oaths, making it much easier to survive as a community while waiting out their parole.


    Low-tier beasts would provide for the majority of the prisoners'' diet, but I decided I would add farming equipment and seeds for various vegetables and grains to the second prison as something of a reward.


    While I was distracted, the assembled nobles and senior officers seemed to have come to a consensus. It was perhaps just as well since I had arrived at some conclusions of my own. Most importantly, it was time I began seizing territory in earnest to increase both my Evolution and level.


    *****


    Ushu was roused from his slumber as he felt the call. By no means a command, it was more of a polite invitation requesting his presence. It was just as well, because Ushu suffered no commands, not anymore.


    Opening his eyes, Ushu¡¯s secondary eyelids remained closed, protecting his eyes from the stray debris floating in the lake.


    Small scaly humanoids were swimming nearby, propelling themselves about in the water with their tails. Two larger scaly humanoids followed along behind them at a more leisurely pace. They gave Ushu a wide berth out of respect and maybe fear, which was sensible.


    However, two pudgy pale green humanoid hatchlings were currently rolling about on top of Ushu¡¯s head and disturbing his dorsal crests. Their mother, a far larger and more formidable humanoid was treading water nearby. Unlike her hatchlings, she had noticed Ushu was awake and there was the hint of a warning in her eyes.


    Ushu huffed, releasing a stream of bubbles that dislodged the two hatchlings, sending them spiralling through the water, much to their apparent amusement. They were the offspring of his liberator, Ushu would not dare repay such kindness with ingratitude and evil.


    Ushu waited until the hatchlings¡¯ mother, The Liberator¡¯s mate, had secured their offspring before slowly kicking off the bottom of the lake. Keeping his wings tight against his sides, Ushu used powerful strokes of his tail to propel him to the surface.


    Cresting the surface, Ushu made sure the bank was clear before clawing his way up onto land. Ushu was aware that a special cave near the lake served as a hatchery, so he made absolutely certain his path was clear before setting down his claws.


    Sunning himself for a moment and shaking his scaly hide to promote the warming of his blood and muscles, Ushu carefully unfurled his wings and gave them a few practice flaps before drawing them back against his sides.


    Ushu had always dreamt of flight. It was an oddity he had never understood until he possessed the means of doing so. It was another gift Ushu owed to The Liberator. Even so, there was a time and place.


    Passing through the arching entrance between the trees, Ushu spared a wary glance for the sleepless watchers that skulked in the shadows before passing the metal covered humanoids standing beyond.


    The scaled humanoids bowed their heads as Ushu passed them on the path, filling him with a sense of deserved pride. Scaly humanoids bowing and worshipping him just felt so right.


    The Liberator was waiting for Ushu beside a large ring of metal and smiled at his approach. ¡°How would you like to go on a hunt, Ushu?¡±


    Ushu felt a sudden surge of excitement, ¡°Hunnnnt?¡± Forming words was hard and Ushu couldn¡¯t express himself as well as he would like to, but The Liberator seemed to understand.


    ¡°A long hunt, and you can eat what you kill,¡± The Liberator explained with a broad toothy smile.


    Ushu huffed in excitement, thick rivulets of saliva running over his tongue, teeth and lips as he imagined ripping and tearing his way through a field of meat.


    ¡°Do you want to come with me?¡± The Liberator asked.


    ¡°Yesssss,¡± Ushu hissed, shaking his scaly hide in excitement and briefly flapping his wings.


    ¡°I thought you might,¡± The Liberator stated happily, ¡°Cin is just clearing the way for our arrival. He would have been finished by now, but the architects are being picky about making the building appear cosmetically functional,¡± he sighed and shook his head.


    Ushu didn¡¯t fully understand what The Liberator was talking about but knew he was being asked to be patient. Settling down on the path to conserve his energy, Ushu found certain contentment from warming his scales in the sun. He didn¡¯t mind the cool water at the bottom of the lake, in fact, he quite liked it because of how easy it made it to sleep, but sunbathing was another pleasure all its own.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in just a little while when it is time to leave, I just want to say goodbye to my family before we go,¡± The Liberator explained before heading off towards the lake.


    Perfectly content with continuing to doze in the sun, Ushu gave himself a light shake and settled in to wait.


    Sometime later, Ushu wasn¡¯t exactly certain how long The Liberator returned, and he came with a gift.


    ¡°Theoretically, this should resize if you can infuse it with enough mana,¡± The Liberator held up a small ring of shining gold.


    Ushu felt a sudden powerful and primal need to possess the small ring of metal.


    ¡°Ah, I was wondering if Dragons might be like that,¡± The Liberator commented while approaching Ushu¡¯s left foreclaw, ¡°I¡¯ll try to resize it a bit first, but your claws are bigger than my wrist, so we are gonna have to figure something out.¡±


    His entire attention focused on the shining metal ring, Ushu felt an inner reservoir of energy slowly begin to ebb as The Liberator gradually worked the slowly growing ring onto his middle claw. Once the ring was settled into place, the drain on his inner energy ceased and Ushu felt a profound sense of contentment. The shining ring of metal was now his, and that thought made him incredibly happy.


    ¡°So long as the magic works as it should, that ring¡¯s effect will stack with your scales'' Ability to deflect ranged attacks,¡± The Liberator explained patiently, ¡°I figured that if we get in trouble, you are far more likely to be targeted by volleys of arrows or whatever than I am. An Ogre is scary and all, but you¡¯re a Dragon, hehe.¡±


    Ushu wasn¡¯t paying much attention, so most of what The Liberator said wasn¡¯t making much sense, but he recognised The Liberator¡¯s concern and appreciated the gift all the same.


    ¡°You really like gold huh?¡± The Liberator asked with a hint of amusement.


    ¡°Gollllld,¡± Ushu rumbled happily, the word sending shivers up and down his spine as he moved his claw to make it glint in the light of the sun, ¡°Miiiiine.¡±

 Chapter 49 – Shock and awe – Part One

    Chapter 49 ¨C Shock and awe ¨C Part OneThe birds-eye view afforded from the saddle on Ushu¡¯s back made surveilling the fifth floor of the Mordran Labyrinth a straightforward affair. The terrain was hilly with small copse¡¯ of trees, small streams, and patches of hard exposed dirt.


    According to the Guild¡¯s records, three independent tribes of Variants claimed territories across the fifth floor. Two of the tribes had been on good terms and traded with the guild, while the third was openly hostile.


    It was the third tribe that Ushu and I were looking for. According to the mercenary Guild¡¯s records, the Stonepaw tribe had a small fortress in the southern hills of the floor. Nestled atop the largest of the hills in the general area, Ushu had no trouble spotting it from miles away and was flying us straight toward it.


    Ushu circled above the fortress at a safe altitude while I did my best to determine if the Stonepaw had any siege engines. Or, more accurately, waiting for Gregory to determine if there were any siege engines.


    #Archers. Only.# Gregory signed, exaggerating the motions to make them clearer.


    I nodded and gave Ushu¡¯s neck two hard slaps to signal for him to land.


    With so much open ground available, Ushu landed atop a nearby hill, gouging the earth and stones with his claws as his hindquarters unintentionally pivoted ninety degrees. Ushu wasn¡¯t quite used to landing and had a tendency to just anchor his foreclaws to generate traction while his hind claws raked through the ground to generate drag for deceleration. All things considered, he was actually doing a very good job.


    I summoned a roasted and spiced Swamp Lurker from Sanctuary¡¯s special storage as a sign of my appreciation, and so Ushu could regain a little energy.


    ¡°They certainly know we are here,¡± Gregory commented, nodding towards the not-too-distant fortress.


    He was right.


    Small armoured figures had begun running to and fro atop the walls and towers of the fortress.


    ¡°Ambassador, it might be best if you remain with his Majesty¡¯s companion while we attempt to open diplomatic channels,¡± Gregory suggested in a tone that made it abundantly clear that he was, in fact, not asking at all.


    The Asrusian ambassador, a somewhat chubby noble youth, was still struggling to dismount but coloured somewhat in the cheeks all the same. To his credit, Byron had volunteered, ignoring several not particularly subtle recommendations from his own parents in the process. ¡°Ah, well...If you think it would be best,¡± Byron agreed reluctantly, finally freeing his right boot from the stirrup that had been holding him prisoner.


    Byron¡¯s position as ambassador was something of a formality. It was abundantly clear, at least to me, that Gregory was the one expected to conduct all meaningful negotiations with the Variant tribes that would be annexed into my Demi-Plane.


    If Variant tribes refused to peacefully coexist, they would be relegated to the Prison Labyrinth. If they wanted to be left alone, I would relocate them to the Parole Labyrinth. As much as I would have preferred to leave them alone entirely, it wasn¡¯t really an option if I wanted to take the remaining territory of any given floor.


    After strapping a large shield to my left arm, I slipped a winged mace into my belt and strapped the sword belt holding my machete onto my waist. There was a strong likelihood that negotiations would devolve into violence, and I wanted to be prepared.


    Gregory was in the process of donning a steel breastplate over his chain hauberk and padded armour, apparently taking the situation as serious as I was. Of course, Gregory was far more vulnerable than I was in the first place.


    Once Gregory was ready, we began our slow approach towards the main entrance to the fortress.


    The fortress walls looked like they were made from stones stacked on top of one another and bound by dried and hardened mud. All things considered, it seemed surprisingly durable and stable. Judging just by the size alone, constructing the fortress had likely been the effort of multiple generations.


    ¡°They have tunnels and escape routes all over the hillside,¡± Gregory warned, nodding his head toward an otherwise innocuous shaggy hump of grass, ¡°They will likely attempt to ambush us from behind, but a show of force should scatter them.¡±


    I nodded but kept my attention focused on the gate to the fortress up ahead.


    Contrary to our expectations, a band of Stonepaw marched out of the fortress before we had even made it halfway up the hill. Close to fifty in all, the small stature of the Stonepaw made it tempting to dismiss them out of hand. However, having experienced what Goblins were capable of when playing to their strengths, I was quick to readjust my expectations.


    Kobolds were an oddity amongst oddities by Labyrinth standards. Two Species shared the same name and were close to identical in all but appearance. The difference in appearance was because one Species of Kobold were reptiles and the other were mammals. The Stonepaw were the latter.


    In most respects, mammalian kobolds were like much smaller Gnolls only with wolf-like features instead of hyenas. The tallest amongst them seemed to be only three and a half feet tall. However, they seemed incredibly well disciplined, keeping a tight formation with the frontmost rows bearing long spears at the ready to deter Gregory and myself from just charging into them.


    However, it was the armaments of the rear of their formation that gave me pause. Armed with slings and small shields, the Kobolds could probably deal some real damage to Gregory and perhaps even myself if we weren¡¯t careful.


    Commanding the high ground, there would be nothing stopping the slingers from pelting the both of us while the spearmen did their best to hold us back. The formation and choice of location very much played to their strengths, which in spite of everything I found somewhat reassuring. Remaining inside of their fortress would have been the better tactical decision if they wanted a fight, so I could only assume that we would have a chance to talk before any hostilities broke out.


    Unless they were only buying time to outflank us with their spider-holes.


    The slingers of the kobold formation came to a halt about fifty feet away and the spearman at thirty feet.


    Just like their larger Gnoll cousins, the Kobolds were armoured in patchworks of bones, hide and boiled leather. Their spearheads looked like they were forged exclusively from recycled metal, which gave me an idea for how we could buy some goodwill.


    ¡°***** ** *** ****?!¡± A larger dark-furred Kobold in the rear ranks of the spearman formation barked what might have been a question or a demand, but it was difficult to tell.


    ¡°We come in peace!¡± I called back, hoping that someone amongst their ranks knew more than just their own Species'' language. Seeing no immediate response I decided to take a small risk. Summoning an iron ingot from Sanctuary¡¯s communal storage into my hand, I tossed it underhand up the hill and it landed a few feet short of the front rank of spearman.


    To their credit, the spearman didn¡¯t so much as flinch. However, the slingers were a different story entirely. The moment I began to throw the ingot, the slingers began spinning their slings in response.


    ¡°****!¡± The larger Kobold barked in response to the ingot falling short of the front rank of spearmen, and the slingers cautiously stilled their slings. ¡°**** ** ** **!¡± The dark-furred Kobold pointed emphatically towards the ingot while barking what was almost certainly an order for someone to retrieve it for him.


    A Kobold from the left rear flank set his spear down on the ground and then hurriedly moved around the formation, easily passing beneath the front row of spears before retrieving the ingot. ¡°****! **¡¯* ****!¡± The smaller Kobold yipped excitedly and ran back around the formation to present the ingot to the larger Kobold.


    A hurried exchange of yips, yelps, snarls and growls took place before the same smaller Kobold was sent back up the hill with the iron ingot.


    A short while later, a larger but much older-looking Kobold with greying fur was escorted down the hill by another formation of fifty Kobolds and what looked like a small elite retinue of ten more Kobolds with halberds.


    The two large formations took up angled flanking positions on the left and right while the older Kobold and his retinue approached down the centre.


    The arrival of the older Kobold appeared to make the younger Kobolds nervous, so I assumed that he was most likely an important member of their tribe.


    The older Kobold and his retinue stopped twenty feet away up the hill. ¡°What. You. Want?¡± The greying Kobold demanded, each word accented with a nervous growl.


    ¡°Peace, trade, and cooperation,¡± I replied, deciding that Gregory¡¯s position as a Human would probably complicate things if he took the lead on this occasion.


    The older Kobold¡¯s ears flattened against his helmet nervously, ¡°Trade?¡± He repeated back to me, ¡°Trade. What?¡±


    I conjured a stack of iron ingots into my right hand and then dropped them to the ground for dramatic effect, ¡°Iron, for peace and loyalty.¡±


    The eyes of the scarred veterans in the elder¡¯s retinue grew wide in surprise as the ingots fell to the ground.


    The Kobold elder was far more reserved, ¡°Iron. For. Peace?¡± He asked warily.


    I nodded, ¡°I know that you were at war with two human tribes,¡± I paused so the Kobold would have time to translate what I had said, ¡°But I have defeated them and now rule in their place.¡±


    The Kobold elder looked incredibly nervous.


    ¡°So, I offer peace, and payment for crimes against your people,¡± I summoned a stream of ingots onto the hillside, ¡°I offer your people a chance to trade with those who wish to be your allies, a chance to harvest iron ingots at their source and other treasures besides,¡± I summoned a handful of magical spears and dropped them alongside the large pile of iron ingots, ¡°We will return in three days for your decision.¡±


    With the Kobolds collectively reeling in shock, Gregory and I made our way back to Ushu and Byron.


    ¡°That was an interesting approach,¡± Gregory observed with amusement, ¡°And it just might work. They seemed desperate for iron, let alone steel.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I figured that since they are a low-tier Evolution on a relatively high floor, they can¡¯t just make do like the Orcs do. What¡¯s more, without the Guilds to poach iron and steel off of anymore, good iron has to be at a premium in terms of perceived value.¡±


    ¡°So your Majesty showed them tangible benefits for becoming your subjects,¡± Gregory smiled shrewdly, ¡°And the three days is to have them convince themselves and one another so we don¡¯t have to?¡±


    ¡°Ideally,¡± I agreed with a sigh, ¡°Gregory, I want people to want to be my subjects, I don¡¯t want to force them just because I can. If they weren¡¯t on land I wanted, I would have just left them alone.¡±


    We continued walking in silence until we returned to Ushu and Byron.


    ¡°Uh, is it my turn now Majesty?¡± Byron asked nervously, abandoning his attempt at strapping on his breastplate.


    ¡°We are giving them three days to think things over first,¡± Gregory explained while removing his own breastplate and stowing it away.


    Byron looked disappointed, ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°But you will be taking point with the Chiefs of the Shalehoof and Windrunners when we return to the foothold,¡± Gregory added to help lift the young man¡¯s spirits.


    ¡°For true?¡± Byron asked excitedly.


    I nodded in confirmation while removing my own breastplate.


    The Shalehoof and Windrunners were not expected to put up much resistance. No less fierce than any other monsters, they had not traded with the Guilds out of a desire for material goods so much as an awareness that it provided a limited form of security and protection. It was part of the reason why the two tribes traded with one another as well.


    The Shalehoof and Windrunners were a Satyr-like monster called Braymen. Their collective Species was known as Goatmen and the fifth floor had large nomadic war parties of the wild Goatmen prowling the hillsides. The Shalehoof and Windrunners were the first examples of Variant communities I was aware of that had managed to Evolve past their wild counterparts on the same floor.


    As I understood it. The sheer number of manastones required to hatch each successive generation often outstripped the available supply. So the adults would Evolve a few minor steps at best throughout their lives and it would be up to chance whether the next generation would inherit that progress or not. Somehow, the two tribes had clawed their way up a full Evolutionary tier, and I was curious to find out how.


    <Trouble. Enemies.> Gregory signed and pointed to the East.


    Following his outstretched arm, I didn¡¯t see anything at first. Coaxing Ushu Eastward, it took a while before I managed to see what Gregory was warning about. A large warband of Goatmen was headed to the South-West.


    <Five. Hundreds.> Gregory signed while gripping the saddle tight with his thighs.


    <Weapons?> I signed back, wary of putting Ushu in unnecessary danger.


    Gregory signed quickly, <Dangerous. Ability.>


    Engaging the Goatmen in a ¡®fair fight¡¯ was off the table. However, we couldn¡¯t just leave the warband to attack the Stonepaw either. It was practically guaranteed that anyone in opposition to becoming my subject would use it as an excuse to convince others that I wasn¡¯t to be trusted.


    Without being asked, Ushu began adjusting course towards the warband. Just like that, the decision was made.


    ¡°MASKS!¡± I roared in warning, ¡°WET YOUR MASKS!¡± With the wind whipping past my helmet, I had to look over my shoulder to make sure Byron and Gregory were obeying the command. We were already wearing bandanas to help protect our faces from the wind, but they were actually intended for a different purpose entirely.


    I pulled the waterskin from my belt, uncorked it, and squeezed the contents over my face to soak the bandana. My secondary pair of eyelids snapped shut to protect my eyes, distorting my vision slightly but otherwise allowing me to see.


    A deep rumbling growl began to grow in Ushu¡¯s chest, vibrating up my thighs and through the rest of my body.


    With little warning, Ushu began to dive, rapidly taking on speed and evaporating the distance between us and the Goatmen warband.


    ¡°BRACE!!!¡± I roared in warning, clutching at the specially made handles on the saddle.


    Just a few moments later, Ushu unfurled his wings and abruptly arrested his descent while maintaining the majority of his original momentum. Arching his neck back for a moment, Ushu appeared to take in a deep breath, then, just before reaching the space above the closest Goatmen, Ushu lowered his head again.


    Ushu¡¯s muscles contracted and a billowing cloud of near-transparent gas erupted from his mouth. The stream of gas didn¡¯t stop until Ushu flew clear of the now fleeing stragglers at the tail end of the warband.


    Banking to the right, Ushu began flapping his wings to regain altitude. This afforded me a largely unrestricted vantage point for the carnage below.


    The entire hillside was bathed in a faint haze. The Goatmen were staggering about, their weapons now discarded on the ground as they began to suffocate. After only a few moments, the weakest amongst them began to collapse as their blistered airways and lungs succumbed to the gas still saturating the air.


    Ushu continued circling the massacre from above, although I wasn¡¯t sure why. Goatmen on the periphery had been allowed to flee, so he did not seem motivated by bloodlust. It wasn¡¯t until the gas began to disperse and Ushu began making his way down to the ground that I understood why the massacre had taken place.


    Ushu wanted what I had promised, he wanted to feed. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sure enough, Ushu landed a short distance away from the carnage before fiercely beating his wings to further disperse the gas.


    Once Ushu settled down, I took the opportunity to dismount and get some distance. Gregory assisted Byron in doing the same before the latter emptied his guts on the hillside.


    I empathised with the sentiment.


    In less than a minute, Ushu had killed close to five hundred people in one of the most heinous ways imaginable. It had not been conducted on my order, but I hadn¡¯t attempted to stop Ushu either.


    If I was honest with myself, I saw their deaths as inevitable, which made it that much harder to feel for their passing.


    According to the reports Gregory had provided, the three tribes had no Shamans to create Wards against wild monsters. So the warband Ushu had killed was almost certainly on their way to siege the Stonepaw.


    So far as I was concerned, if we had not intervened, or if I had prevented Ushu from intervening, any deaths amongst the Kobolds would have been my fault.


    The nature of the Labyrinths blurred the lines, making it difficult to establish what acts were acceptable and against whom. However, at a certain point, choices had to be made, and I would have to find a way to live with them.


    Short of using Enslavement to break the Labyrinth¡¯s conditioning, the wild clones could not be reasoned with. With both acts being evil, death was the simpler solution. I would continue to endeavour to free Slaves where possible and offer them a chance at life, but my pity was all that remained for the wild monsters who attempted violence upon my people.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Gregory asked quietly, his voice muffled slightly by the damp cloth covering his lower face.


    ¡°A poisonous gas, or something like it,¡± I replied somewhat numbly, ¡°Most of the Goatmen probably suffocated from the concentration alone...¡±


    Ushu¡¯s poisonous breath was not a Racial Ability, so it was difficult to be certain what it was exactly. However, after observing a number of the corpses from a distance and smelling the stench on the wind, I was inclined to think it was a lethal concentration of ammonia gas.


    ¡°Reeks of piss,¡± Gregory croaked uncomfortably.


    I nodded, ¡°Ammonia, your piss and shit have small amounts in it. Only, this is a gas, not a liquid.¡±


    ¡°And this is fatal?!¡± Gregory had begun fanning his cloak in front of his face to disperse the smell.


    ¡°In high enough concentrations,¡± I agreed. ¡°We should move upwind,¡± I warned, unsure of where that would be and requiring Gregory¡¯s expertise.


    Gregory nodded and began dragging Byron by the arm.


    Following behind them, I kept an eye on Ushu as he stalked the hillside, messily gorging himself on the fallen.


    It was interesting to note that, unlike most predators, Ushu didn¡¯t seem to find the smell of ammonia unpleasant. As best I could figure, this was most likely due to his Swamp Environmental Evolution. It would also explain why it didn¡¯t particularly bother me either.


    I didn¡¯t believe that I would be any less susceptible to the gas in high enough concentrations, but it was interesting to note all the same. After all, Ushu was still actively disturbing the air with his wings, so I could only assume that he wasn¡¯t immune either.


    ¡°Bwah, forgive me,¡± Byron apologised while wiping at his mouth with a new scrap of cloth, ¡°Congratulations on your level, Majesty.¡±


    I had disabled the majority of notifications a while ago since they often proved to be a liability. It was still odd that I hadn¡¯t noticed the flash of golden light, but I could only assume that I had been too focused on the war crime taking place below to have noticed it.


    A quick glance revealed that I had gained three levels, not one. Further investigation revealed that it was almost certainly because Ushu¡¯s kills generated one-hundred per cent Exp owing to the fact that he had no Class.


    For a moment, I considered the benefits, then I looked down at the field of corpses and put that particular train of thought on hold.


    ¡°Gregory, why can¡¯t Beast monsters have Classes?¡± I asked somewhat absently.


    Gregory didn¡¯t reply immediately. ¡°I do not know, Majesty,¡± he admitted.


    I frowned as I considered the matter further, ¡°Ushu is intelligent enough to understand advanced concepts and he can speak, so it seems arbitrary that he shouldn¡¯t be able to unlock a Class of some kind. Right?¡±


    Gregory slowly nodded his head in agreement, ¡°I think I understand what your Majesty means.¡±


    ¡°Do Beasts ever Evolve into Evolutions that aren¡¯t classified as Beasts?¡± I asked curiously.


    Gregory was silent for a short while before shrugging apologetically, ¡°Sorry, majesty, I do not know. I can have a team of scribes look into it if you wish?¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± I agreed, finding the distraction somewhat comforting given the alternatives.


    Contrary to my expectations, Ushu was still fully capable of flight after gorging on the lion''s share of the corpses. It was most likely due to Iron Gut, but partially because Ushu began specifically biting off heads for their manastones and ignoring the bodies.


    We made it back to the foothold in the late afternoon and Ushu settled in for a nap shortly after his saddle was removed.


    Byron seemed particularly eager to negotiate with the chiefs of the Shalehoof and Windrunner tribes that were being entertained in the former guild office. Not that I could blame him.


    For the sake of appearances, and as a general distraction, I decided to observe the proceedings.


    For the most part, it was largely what I expected.


    I gave Gorn, chief of the Shalehoof, and Ferin, chief of the Windrunners, guarantees that they would be allowed to continue representing their people independently of my other vassals so long as they refrained from acts of violence. Any degree of cooperation with the other tribes would be of their own volition.


    Once that was established, the two chiefs, and their advisors, began negotiating with Byron to formalise a prospective alliance between themselves and the Asrus kingdom.


    It was the late evening before both chiefs were comfortable with swearing oaths of allegiance and peaceful conduct. It was the latter that had given them pause initially until one of their advisors pointed out that the humans were under the same restrictions.


    That had changed things very quickly.


    In acknowledgement of their respective positions of leadership, I promoted the chiefs to Lords and their advisors to Underlords. Neither had seemed particularly interested in a Faction, so I left it at that. In addition to the promotions, each of the chiefs and advisors was given some generic magical equipment to serve as a temporary sign of status and provided Wards that could protect their villages during the transition.


    I was actually somewhat surprised when one of the Windrunners advisors approached me afterwards.


    Around five feet tall and with grey fur, Eris had a scraggly beard and thick wrinkles around his strange eyes. Largely human from the waist up, Braymen still had horns of varying sizes and shapes as well as cervid pupils and a large degree of thick fur. Dressed in simple leathers, there was a certain air about Eris that gave the impression of hard-earned wisdom that largely superseded raw intelligence.


    ¡°M-Majesty,¡± Eris bowed his head, emulating the Humans, ¡°M-May we speak?¡± He asked politely.


    I motioned towards the large opening in the wall that now served as a door, ¡°Of course, but outside would be better.¡±


    Eris eagerly nodded in understanding and trotted outside.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± I asked curiously after joining him outside.


    Eris worked his jaw nervously for a few moments and shifted his hooves, ¡°Why ask?¡± He asked simply.


    ¡°Instead of just taking over?¡± I clarified.


    Eris nodded nervously, no doubt terrified that he had crossed a line.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little complicated, but in the simplest terms, I need this land to help keep my family safe,¡± I explained carefully, ¡°As strange as this seems, I won''t be taking land from you, but making your land a part of something larger. Your people will be able to live in peace and have opportunities you never dreamed of. But that¡¯s only possible if I ask. Slaves are only loyal so long as the master has the whip in hand, and I don¡¯t want to make enemies for my children. Does that make sense?¡±


    Eris stared at me with his strange eyes for a few moments and nodded, ¡°Long peace is good,¡± he agreed with far less nervousness than before.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed, glad that he seemed to understand. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have a few questions of my own.¡±


    Eris looked slightly surprised for a moment before quickly rallying, ¡°I will answer,¡± he insisted helpfully while trotting eagerly in place.


    ¡°What is your opinion of the Stonepaw tribe?¡± I asked curiously. If the tribe of Kobolds had been attacking the Guilds for resources, then it was also likely that they had hostile or strained relations with the Windrunners and Shalehoof.


    Eris¡¯ excitement ebbed noticeably, ¡°The Stonepaw?¡± He asked warily.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Stonepaw made much trouble with humans. Stonepaw leaves Windrunners alone. Only attack humans. Humans blame Windrunners. Made unfair trades...¡± Eris shifted uncomfortably, ¡°More unfair trades,¡± he corrected while eyeing some of the nearby soldiers warily.


    ¡°I think I understand, but what about now?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Without humans to raid for iron and other materials, have they attacked your tribe or the Shalehoof?¡±


    Eris shook his head, ¡°N-No,¡± he bleated somewhat reluctantly.


    ¡°So the bad blood is limited to the humans punishing your people for their actions?¡± I pressed, wanting to be absolutely sure I wasn¡¯t going to get blindsided by a blood feud.


    Eris slowly nodded.


    I sighed in relief. ¡°Okay, what items did you actually want from the Guilds?¡± I figured that I could just pay off the tribes on the Stonepaw¡¯s behalf and end the enmity here and now, allowing them to start over with a metaphorical blank-slate in the Demi-Plane.


    Eris shook his head, ¡°Nothing, just peace.¡±


    His answer wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected, so I was glad that I had a rather universal alternative. ¡°Just to clarify, you can read, can¡¯t you Elder Eris?¡± I asked politely.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Eris confirmed slowly.


    I smiled, ¡°Then I would like you to try something and tell me what you think,¡± I summoned an Evolution Elixir into my hand and offered it to Eris. The Elixir was made from tier five manastones, so I expected it to have noticeable results despite the Brayman being at least tier six.


    Eris politely accepted the Elixir and unstoppered the clay flask, wrinkling his nose at the smell, ¡°Firewater?¡± He guessed somewhat disappointedly.


    ¡°That is just an ingredient,¡± I agreed reassuringly, ¡°Please, try some and tell me what you think.¡±


    Eris shifted uncomfortably and cast a wary eye towards the other Braymen as he raised the flask to his lips and took a cautious sip. Trotting on the spot, the Brayman Elder sneezed and shook his head, ¡°Stro-ong,¡± he bleated.


    I nodded in agreement and shifted Eris into my retinue to help him metabolise the alcohol faster. ¡°Unfortunately, strong alcohol seems to be the only substance the manaflowers and manastones will bind to.¡±


    Eris¡¯s eyes widened in shock and surprise, ¡°M-Manastones?¡± He asked nervously, taking a moment to peer inside of the clay flask before taking a long pull. Eris smacked his lips thoughtfully and nodded, ¡°I feel it,¡± he nodded excitedly to himself for a moment and blinked in surprise as he watched his hands grow slightly larger.


    I was about to recommend Eris check his status to confirm things for himself, but he went running to his chief before I had the chance.


    After only a short explanation, the Windrunners¡¯ chief downed the remaining Elixir. Shortly after being shifted into my retinue, he rapidly grew a half inch in height.


    As a group, the Braymen excitedly charged outside.


    ¡°You will trade?!¡± Gorn, chief of the Shalehoof asked eagerly, ¡°Shalehoof have many hides!¡±


    ¡°Trade with Windrunners!¡± Ferin, chief of the Windrunners insisted, ¡°Windrunners swear loyalty first!¡±


    I raised my hands for silence, hoping to cut the two chieftains off before they said something they might regret or would otherwise damage their tribe''s relationship with one another. ¡°If you are willing to set aside your grudge with the Stonepaw tribe, I will gift Elixirs to both of your tribes.¡±


    The Brayman muttered quietly amongst themselves.


    ¡°How much?¡± An Elder of the Shalehoof asked hesitantly.


    I still only had a general idea of each tribe¡¯s size, so I opted for a somewhat conservative figure, ¡°Fifty Elixirs for each tribe, and the opportunity to trade for more,¡± I added, more as a reminder of the possibility than an intended bribe.


    ¡°Windrunners accept!¡± Ferin declared eagerly, much to my relief.


    ¡°Shalehoof accepts too!¡± Gorn declared a half second later, much to the relief of his advisors.


    ¡°I am glad to hear that we can put this feud behind us,¡± I stated magnanimously, ¡°And to keep things fair, I would like to offer each of you an Elixir for being so reasonable.¡± Considering I had been willing to go fifty higher for each tribe, another six Elixirs wasn¡¯t all that much to worry about.


    One of the Shalehoof¡¯s advisors looked like he was about to complain, perhaps intending to point out how the Windrunners had already been given an Elixir. However, he was preemptively silenced by his fellow advisor via a none-too-subtle thwack on the head with a walking stick. With three free Elixirs on the line, and fifty more besides, it probably didn¡¯t seem worth rocking the boat over.


    I gave each of the Braymen an Elixir and promised to have the remaining Elixirs delivered later.


    Thanks to the wagons and Beasts provided by the Asrusian government, the delegation from each tribe would be able to return to their respective territories by midday. Assuming they left in the early morning.


    I could have commandeered the Elixirs in full just as easily as the several others. However, unlike the iron ingots, the Elixirs, especially the higher tier Elixirs, were a relatively rare commodity. So, I wanted to give Gregory and Byron the opportunity to pass along the word to their respective superiors first, before springing the bill on them.


    I could have taken the Elixirs from Sanctuary¡¯s share, but I was confident that the Asrusians would take the hit without complaints. Between the two of us, we had a monopoly on the Evolution Elixirs, and the Humans had barely touched their ever-growing supply due to their limited Evolution potential.


    Even now, I was confident that Byron would be negotiating early trade agreements for more of the Elixirs. If he wasn¡¯t, he would be after contacting his superiors.


    I turned in for an early night, electing to sleep outside so I could keep an eye on Ushu.


    Waking up early, it turned out that I needn¡¯t have bothered. Ushu was just as fast asleep as he had been the evening before.


    Just as I had promised, I gave the Shalehoof and Windrunners the Elixirs before they left the foothold.


    Expecting a long day ahead, I went back to sleep again.


    Waking up for the second time, I found the foothold in a state of organised chaos as soldiers prepared the defences in anticipation of the waves of wild monsters that would be drawn by the Conquest.


    Archers were posted on the rooftops and mixed teams of Swordsmen and Spearmen were posted at each gate and barricaded strongpoints. The few non-military persons in the foothold, such as Byron, were holed up on the top floor of the former inn under guard.


    I gave Ushu a thump on the neck, ¡°It¡¯s almost time buddy.¡±


    Ushu¡¯s two sets of eyelids flashed open and his rapidly contracting pupil focused on me warily before he blinked and let out a huff of annoyance. Rising to his feet, Ushu very nearly demolished a nearby building with his tail while shaking himself awake. ¡°Fooooooood?¡± Ushu¡¯s nostrils flared as he raised his snout to the sky and scented the air.


    I hesitated for a moment as the remnants of a moral dilemma attempted, and failed, to assert itself. ¡°Soon Ushu,¡± I promised, ¡°As much as you can eat.¡±


    Ushu growled disappointedly before settling himself down on his haunches like a dog or cat. Lifting his left foreclaw, he lowered his head to stare at the golden ring on his middle claw. Rumbling in satisfaction, Ushu slowly turned his claw one way and then another to inspect the ring from different angles.


    I found Ushu¡¯s fascination with the ring, interesting. After all, it wasn¡¯t his first exposure to gold, silver or jewels. As best I could tell, his obsessive fascination seemed to play into ownership of the objects in question. It was the only way I could explain why Ushu all but ignored the gold tracings and ornaments that accompanied Byron¡¯s armour and clothing.


    It was perhaps just as well, since a covetous dragon prowling for treasure would create all sorts of problems. Thankfully, not as many problems with how devalued the Labyrinths coins had recently become.


    ¡°All preparations are in order, Majesty,¡± Gregory reported, his borrowed bow at the ready.


    I closed my eyes and concentrated, ¡°This land is mine!¡± I growled, immediately prompting and initiating the Conquest. I would have left it to Gregory, but an Overseer wouldn¡¯t be awarded unless I captured a territory in person. Even if it was limited to one per Labyrinth, the benefits thus far spoke for themselves.


    Ushu¡¯s nostrils flared and his dorsal rests fluttered eagerly, ¡°Fooooood!¡± He growled in anticipation.


    A chorus of shouts from the Scouts atop the walls confirmed it.


    The monsters were coming.


    ¡°Ushu!¡± I gave his left hindquarters a hard thump to get his attention, ¡°No gas! You can use your teeth, claws and tail, but no gas! Understand?!¡±


    Ushu cocked his head slightly to one side before looking out over the wall again. Thick rivulets of drool had begun to run down his lower jaw and spatter on the ground. ¡°Unnnnnderrrrrrsssstaaaaand,¡± Ushu echoed before running his tongue over his lips hungrily.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably as good an answer as I¡¯ll get,¡± I muttered before turning back to Gregory, ¡°Make sure no one strays outside of the walls while Ushu¡¯s out there. We don¡¯t want any accidents.¡±


    Gregory nodded, tightening his jaw slightly as he glanced up at Ushu, ¡°Orders have already been given to that effect, Majesty. But I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give a reminder all the same.¡± He bowed and then set off at a brisk jog towards the wall.


    I could feel the ground beginning to vibrate and figured that the wild monsters were probably less than a few minutes away from the gate. ¡°Remember Ushu! No gas!¡± I gave him another thump and waved him on his way.


    Like a dog let off his leash, Ushu went bounding off towards the wall, easily overtaking Gregory before frightening a Scout half to death when he leapt up and over the wall.


    Climbing the outside of the former Guild office, I could see a ragged wave of monsters headed towards the foothold. The largest concentrations were made up of Goatmen, but large bear-like felines, shaggy yaks with four horns, bloated-looking vultures and more could be seen amidst the approaching horde.


    If any of the monsters were afraid of Ushu, they showed no signs of it. However, just like every other Conquest, the monsters paid Ushu no attention whatsoever until he made a point of being in their way or entering their reach.


    Unfortunately for the wild monsters, this left them woefully unprepared when Ushu decided they were his next targets.


    As deadly as Ushu¡¯s gas attack had been, it was nothing compared to the raw carnage being wrought by his claws, teeth and tail.


    Cracking his tail like a whip, Ushu blew two of the large shaggy yaks, Ironhorns, to pieces, dashing their organs over the hillside while casually beheading another with a swipe of his claws.


    The wild monsters were overwhelmingly outclassed and didn¡¯t stand a chance without some semblance of teamwork or cooperation.


    The Goatmen seemed to be the only humanoid Species present, and they showed no signs of going out of their way to attack Ushu. If anything, they seemed to be making all the greater effort to reach the walls of the foothold.


    Unfortunately for the Goatmen, their relatively clustered formations drew Ushu to them like a shark to chum.


    In a maelstrom of bloody violence, Ushu turned a dozen Goatmen into a ragged scattered pile of entrails and limbs within moments. A literal living weapon, the Dragon seemed impervious to anything beyond momentary harm. Any injuries the wild monsters managed to inflict would heal in seconds as Ushu gorged himself on fresh meat.


    Again and again, Ushu launched himself towards the largest concentrations of monsters.


    Unable to retreat, the monsters were torn to pieces and devoured.


    In many respects, watching Ushu rip and tear his way through a group of Goatmen was more confronting than his ammonia gassing of the warband from the day before. It occurred to me once more that I could try to rein in Ushu¡¯s destructive impulses and instincts.


    I could, but I wouldn¡¯t.


    The violence was necessary. An otherwise unavoidable evil to fulfil my desire of circumventing evils of a far greater magnitude.


    So, I forced myself to watch. I refused to allow myself the excuse of ignorance. I knew what I was allowing Ushu to do. I had brought him to do it. I would not look away and blame someone else for my choices.


    I chose this.


    *****


    Rolf and his pack carefully picked their way across the hillside while making sure to cover the sled teams and their cargo of sticks, bark and branches.


    The giant human¡¯s arrival and gifts had sent the tribe into something of a frenzy. The Stonepaw had never had so much metal at one time and they lacked the raw materials necessary to work even a portion of it before the giant human¡¯s return.


    This was why Rolf and a dozen other packs were scouring the surrounding hills for any resources they could find to fuel to the shaper¡¯s firepits.


    Wary of Goatmen that would be prowling the area, Rolf was surprised to find a flock of Guzzards circling a hillside in his pack¡¯s intended path.


    ¡°Grrr! Scouts!¡± Rolf barked warily while scanning the nearby hills for potential threats.


    Brof and Ref hurried to the front of the column. Older than most of the pack, Rolf knew that they could be trusted to stay out of trouble.


    Rolf pointed to the circling Guzzards, ¡°Go see! Rrrruf! Come back! Tell Rolf!¡± He ordered.


    Brof and Ref scurried away to do as they were told.


    In the meantime, Rolf directed the pack towards a patch of scraggly bushes that the workers could harvest while they waited for the scouts'' to return.


    Sometime later, Brof and Ref came running back to the pack.


    ¡°Much death!¡± Ref whined anxiously with his tail between his legs.


    ¡°Many Goatmen!¡± Brof added fearfully, ¡°All dead! Torn pieces!¡±


    The entire pack began to shift uneasily


    Rolf had a responsibility to the tribe, to ensure that the pack returned safely above all else. He stood himself up as tall as he could and whuffed authoritatively in order to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Finish harvest!¡± He pointed to the remaining bushes, ¡°Then home!¡± Rolf commanded determinedly, ¡°Scouts patrol! Now! Rrruf!¡±


    The workers redoubled their efforts clawing away at the earth to excavate the remaining bushes, roots and all.


    The scouts hurried to nearby vantage points in small groups and Rolf¡¯s fighters formed a tight wall of bodies around the sleds and workers.


    The moment the last bush was tied down in the sleds, Rolf called back the scouts and marched his pack back to the tribe¡¯s den at double time.


    Unsurprisingly, Rolf¡¯s pack and assigned workers were the first to return. They had not been expected back until the early evening, so their early return received a great deal of attention.


    Rolf smelled Grolf before he saw him and did his best to mentally prepare himself for his public shaming.


    ¡°You. Grrrr. Rolf! Return early!¡± Grolf snarled angrily from the mouth of a nearby tunnel.


    In spite of himself, Rolf¡¯s ears flattened and his tail tucked itself between his legs.


    Grolf emerged from the tunnel and stalked straight towards Rolf, the dark fur of his hackles raised in anger, ¡°Grolf tribe¡¯s den pack leader! Rah! Rolf obey!¡±


    Rolf whined and lowered his head and shoulders in submission, ¡°Rolf obey,¡± he whined meekly, ¡°Not safe. Scouts find many dead Goatmen. Rolf bring pack home...¡± Rolf sincerely hoped that Grolf was in a listening mood. The last member of the tribe who openly defied him had lost an ear.


    Grolf¡¯s snarl deepened. However, contrary to Rolf¡¯s expectations, Grolf did not attack him. Instead, Grolf took a firm hold of the scruff of Rolf¡¯s neck and began to drag him across the upper den, ¡°Hrmph! Rolf will tell chief!¡± Grolf declared irritably.


    Rolf did his best not to resist, scampering as best he could so Grolf did not have to actually drag him. The last thing he wanted to do was give Grolf an excuse to exact additional punishments. Grolf may be Rolf¡¯s father, but he knew better than to expect favours or leniency. Grolf held all pack leaders to the same high standards and meted out punishments accordingly.


    Entering the tunnel down to the chief¡¯s den, Rolf¡¯s eyes adjusted almost instantly, giving him a clear view of the sloping and winding path beneath his paws.


    Arriving at the bottom of the tunnel, Rolf was dragged past the chief¡¯s personal guards and into the chief¡¯s den proper.


    Like the other dens of the tribe, the chief¡¯s den had walls of stacked stones and the ceiling was supported by thick logs to prevent a collapse. Unlike the other dens, the chief¡¯s den had all manner of strange objects that the chief and his predecessors had collected since the beginning of the tribe.


    ¡°Chief!¡± Grolf barked deferentially and threw Rolf forward, ¡°Rolf brings warning!¡±


    There was a long silence while Rolf stared at the floor and did his best to look as small as possible.


    ¡°Warning?¡± The chief asked, sounding both curious and apprehensive, ¡°Tell chief. What is warning?¡± He demanded quietly with only the hint of a growl.


    Rolf had the good sense to keep his head lowered to the floor, ¡°Rolf see many Guzzards. Send scouts. Scouts tell many dead Goatmen. Scouts old. No scare easy. Scouts scared!¡± He whined while doing his best not to name the scouts. Leadership was his burden and responsibility. Rolf had decided to return to the tribe''s den, not the scouts.


    ¡°Rolf sent which way?¡± The chief asked warily. By his tone, Rolf could tell that the chief was addressing someone else.


    ¡°Second arrow,¡± a female voice replied quietly.


    There was a long silence.


    ¡°Flying beast flew toward second arrow...¡± The chief grumbled worriedly, ¡°Big beast. Many dead Goatmen?¡±


    There was another lengthy silence.


    ¡°Rolf serve tribe well,¡± the chief declared, ¡°Rolf go. Grolf stay.¡±


    ¡°Rolf go!¡± Rolf agreed hurriedly, rising just enough so he could scamper out of the chief¡¯s den.


    Heart pounding as he scurried up the path and out of the tunnel, Rolf felt a surge of happiness as he realised that he had made the right decision in returning to the tribe¡¯s den. The importance of the warning worried him, but Rolf was confident that the chief would know what to do.


    Rolf found his pack waiting for him, or at least waiting for someone with the chief¡¯s authority. ¡°Guard tribe den!¡± Rolf barked energetically, struggling to suppress his happiness after proving himself to the chief.


    Rolf¡¯s pack scampered off obediently, forming themselves into smaller packs with the more senior members leading their juniors.


    Brof and Ref had remained behind, and Rolf could tell that they seemed anxious about what had happened.


    ¡°Brof, Ref, do good!¡± Rolf encouraged them, ¡°Warning good! Chief no punish Rolf!¡±


    The scouts tails began to wag.


    ¡°Rolf no punished?¡± Ref asked hesitantly.


    ¡°No punished!¡± Rolf replied happily, jumping a little on the spot.


    ¡°We do good!¡± Bref cheered happily, doing a little dance of his own.


    As much as he would have liked to indulge in the moment, Rolf didn¡¯t want the scouts to get in trouble, so he shooed them away before Grolf could find them standing idle. Wanting to keep himself out of trouble, Rolf scampered off to find something to do as well. The last thing he wanted was to give Grolf an excuse to rip off one of his ears.


    After all, Rolf only had two ears, and he wanted to keep them both firmly attached to his head for as long as possible.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 49 – Shock and awe – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 49 ¨C Shock and awe ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 49 - Shock and awe - Part Two


    Another Guzzard attempted a swooping dive on the squat stone marker that served as the Totem for the ongoing Conquest. Breathing heavily, I struck its engorged belly and disembowelled it with my machete. Ignoring the foul stench of its ruptured organs, I slammed my shield into a pair of Guzzards that had approached from the left flank while I was dispatching the first.


    Arrows buzzed past my helmet and caught four more Guzzards, sending them tumbling and crashing into the street.


    Few in number at first, the putrid bloated vulture-like Guzzards had begun arriving in their hundreds during the night and were now swarming in their thousands with the rising of the sun. As best I could figure, the stench of death and decay was drawing them from miles beyond the call of the Conquest only to then have the Conquest seize control of them.


    Several dozen Guzzards, some bristling with arrows, others not, dove at Gregory who was standing a short distance from myself in the open street.


    Slamming my machete end first into a pile of corpses by my feet, I summoned a large club into my right hand and drew back my arm while flooding the club with mana. ¡°DOWN!¡± I roared, raising and angling my shield to provide cover for my eyes.


    Leaping backwards, Gregory shot down two more circling Guzzards before skidding and sliding into cover behind my shield.


    Following their prey, the Guzzards now swarmed towards me.


    Swinging the club forwards, I could feel the wood begin to warp and crack beneath my fingers as the mana inside began to tear it apart. Narrowly missing the first Guzzard, I lowered my head and injected another sliver of mana into the club.


    *


    With a deafening crack of thunder, I felt the club violently disintegrate in hand. Milliseconds later, I felt a hail of splinters rain against my helmet, shield and armour.


    Raising my head, I fumbled for my machete and grimly surveyed the surrounding carnage.


    The force of the explosion had blown away the corpses in the immediate vicinity. Some of the swarming Guzzards had been killed outright, but those farthest from the blast were only stunned or otherwise grounded with broken wings.


    Gregory, despite being spattered with bloody gore, seemed none the worse for wear as he ducked out of the cover of my shield and began taking pot shots into the cloud of Guzzards overhead.


    Soldiers not defending the gates themselves had long since fallen back and were now grimly executing the wounded land bound Guzzards.


    A deafening roar drew all eyes to the sky as Ushu carved a bloody swath of destruction through the swarm. Dashing apart the Guzzards with his sheer bulk and momentum, Ushu killed more Guzzards in a single pass than the soldiers had managed in a half hour. Unfortunately, the brute force tactic took a unique toll.


    Not only did it consume large amounts of energy to gain the height necessary in order to make the doves so devastating, but the Guzzards had enough mass to injure Ushu slightly as he slammed into them.


    Sure enough, Ushu made no attempts at ascending again, instead landing on the plains outside so he could gorge himself and renew his strength.


    All the same, Ushu¡¯s efforts made a substantial difference to the ongoing battle as a whole. Despite being a non-humanoid, he still qualified as a target for a recently acquired Class Ability called Favoured Servants.


    In its simplest terms, the Ability allowed me to elect a small number of Underlords or higher to serve as triggers for my other Class Abilities. Not every Class Ability qualified, but the two most prominent were Inspiring Presence and Demoralising Presence. Inspiring made allies within line of sight more resistant to Fear and Terror while within line of sight, and provided bonus Momentum to allies that witnessed personally delivered killing blows. Demoralising Presence did the opposite and effected enemies instead of allies, making them more susceptible to Fear and Terror, and leaching their Momentum after witnessing personally delivered killing blows.


    As a Dragon, Ushu was an obvious choice. I had to promote him to an Underlord, but the benefits seemed more than worth it. I would have promoted Gregory as well, but we were concerned it might cause a change to many of his own Class Abilities. It came as little surprise to me, but Gregory had accumulated a large collection of unlocked Classes.


    A ragged cheer rose from the soldiers as they began fighting with renewed vigour and determination. Even Gregory had begun moving and attacking with greater determination and speed.


    I slapped the spine of my machete against my shield to bring some more feeling back to my fingers.


    The fighting was still far from over.


    Thoroughly grounded, I briefly entertained the idea of hurling javelins into the larger swarm and detonating them Thundering Strikes. However, I quickly realised that there was a much better alternative.


    ¡°Gregory! To me!¡± I sheathed my bloody machete and summoned an arrow into my hand.


    Gregory obediently strafed across the street while continuously firing arrows up into the swarm, focusing on any Guzzards that broke away and headed towards the ground. ¡°Majesty?¡± Gregory kept his attention skywards and continued firing.


    Concentrating on the arrow in my hand, I channelled a small amount of mana into it and offered it to Gregory, ¡°Try this,¡± I ordered.


    Barely breaking rhythm, Gregory nodded and snatched the arrow, nocking and firing it in one smooth motion.


    The arrow flew true and struck a Guzzard in its bloated underbelly.


    The Guzzard exploded into chunks of bloody meat and feathers.


    Definitely lethal, it was not nearly as destructive as I had wanted.


    I summoned another arrow and channelled considerably more mana into it.


    Gregory nocked and fired the second arrow just like the first.


    *


    Unfortunately, the arrow only made it halfway towards its intended target before ripping itself apart and exploding prematurely.


    Gregory¡¯s eyes narrowed beneath his helmet and he stopped firing. ¡°A suggestion, Majesty?!¡± He offered more loudly than he would have otherwise, due to the shots of the nearby soldiers, ¡°Magical arrows!¡±


    Concentrating for a moment in order to mentally peruse the donated stockpile, I was a little surprised to find a slowly growing cache of magical arrows. Summoning one of the arrows into my hand, It took slightly more effort and concentration to ensure the mana was reserved for the destructive Ability and not co opted for adjusting its size.


    Finding the magical arrow to be far sturdier, I risked injecting an even larger amount of mana than the previous arrow before handing it off to Gregory.


    Accepting the arrow, Gregory paused for a moment and stared at it as it released a faint humming sound and a whiff of ozone briefly filled the air. Very carefully nocking the arrow, Gregory selected his target, drew back the bowstring and loosed the arrow into the heart of the swarm.


    Instead of immediately drawing another arrow, Gregory and I watched the arrow race into the sky with anticipation.


    The arrow tore through two Guzzards in its path before striking a third.


    *


    With a blinding bright flash of white light, the arrow exploded.


    Damn near deafened by the explosion and blinded by the light, I felt a torrent of wind crash into me from above.


    As my vision returned, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the sky in surprise.


    The swarm of Guzzards were in chaos. The core of the swarm was missing outright, and those that remained were scattered in the periphery. Shrieking and crashing into one another as they flew about in a panic, the Guzzards quickly proved to be a greater danger to one another than the recovering archers.


    Even with more Guzzards being drawn in from the surrounding regions, the archers were now making definitive headway in thinning out the swarm.


    Holding my remaining mana in reserve, I continued watching the sky for signs of trouble while considering strategies for the second Conquest.


    With no existing infrastructure in the prospective location, Cin, the Daemon Earth Mage would need to be Summoned to create a properly defensible location. If that was the case, then I wanted to have the Totem located indoors, denying the Guzzards their prime aerial advantage and forcing them into ground combat. I would need to seriously consider making such practices the standard from here on out. After all, there were no real reasons not to do so.


    As the final seconds counted down, I climbed atop the former Guild office to survey the state of the surrounding area. Mounds of corpses, mostly Guzzards, littered the landscape and would need to be cleared away in order to avoid the rampant proliferation of disease.


    The moment the timer struck zero, the archers stationed on the rooftops all but collapsed. Given the immense strain involved in firing so many arrows over such a long period of time, I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. There was only so much physical recovery Iron Gut could provide before the accumulated mental strain and psychological fatigue became overwhelming.


    Even Gregory was staggering, fighting to stay upright and on his feet.


    As expected, with the Conquest at an end, a chest appeared beside me on the rooftop. However, just like with Ochram, the selection and arrival of an Overseer was listed as Pending.


    Deciding to put the absent Overseer out of my mind for the time being, I picked up the chest and carefully climbed back down to the ground so I could investigate the contents without risking damaging the contents.


    More or less as I had expected, the chest contained three pale blue and silver eggs. Gently resting a couple of fingers against one of the eggs, I felt a strange sense of familiarity that I couldn¡¯t quite place.


    Still standing through a force of will and pure grit, Gregory stiffly made his way over to investigate. Judging by the look on his face, I assumed that he had a similar sense of familiarity.


    After staring at the eggs for a few minutes I finally realised why the sensation was so familiar.


    *


    Clad in golden armour and holding a large silver blade, Ophelia, Orphiel''s female clone, appeared beside the chest with a corona of pale golden light shimmering above her head. ¡°My Tyrant?¡± Ophelia inclined her head politely but paused as she caught sight of the eggs, ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°A reward from the Conquest,¡± I explained, ¡°They made me think of yourself and Orphiel.¡±


    Ophelia nodded without taking her eyes off of the eggs, ¡°I sense traces of Divinity in them,¡± she confirmed, ¡°yet they are not Angels as we are...Strange.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked curiously.


    Ophelia removed her helmet, allowing it to disintegrate into nothingness so she could look at the eggs more clearly, ¡°I sense, a hunger for battle not unlike my own,¡± Ophelia explained slowly with a bemused expression on her face, ¡°But I sense death as well...Strange....They remind me of Wisp.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the mana for another lengthy Summoning,¡± I sighed regretfully, ¡°Could you please inform Wisp that I wish to speak with him?¡±


    Ophelia nodded obediently, ¡°Of course.¡± She spared one final look at the eggs before disintegrating into nothingness.


    Gregory sighed quietly while shaking his head, ¡°My mother would not have believed that I regularly meet with Angels as part of my job...¡± He muttered softly with a wry grin on his face.


    I elected to remain silent.


    Many Asrusians were reasonably devout despite their former pantheon having disappeared a long time ago. Orphiel and Ophelia had started something of a religious revival, and not without good reason.


    Divinity seemed capable of doing just about anything, provided there was enough of it on hand. Passively accumulated through the power of belief, Orphiel and Ophelia had only managed to accumulate a small amount in spite of having close to the entire nation praying to them. As best as I could discern, this was because the volume of Divinity passively generated through belief was quite small.


    I had a theory that active worship likely generated more Divinity. This was why places like the grand cathedral had been comparatively saturated with leftover Divinity. Of course, if this was true, then constructing shrines and the like would probably serve as similarly suitable focal points.


    Fresh soldiers entered the newly created Settlement to relieve those who had fought during the Conquest. Many had to be carried or supported in some way, but the overall mood was surprisingly upbeat. Bragging, boasting and even flexing were commonplace as the soldiers were assisted out of the Labyrinth.


    Given the effects the hectic fighting had on the average soldier¡¯s physique, I couldn¡¯t really blame them. Even the older soldiers were rocking six packs after iron Gut cannibalised their fat reserves to keep them in the fight.


    A commotion by the portal revealed Ophelia had arrived in the Settlement in person, and at her side was Wisp. Although it was admittedly difficult to recognise him at first.


    Used to the idea of Wisp ¡®borrowing¡¯ corpses to facilitate his locomotion, seeing him ¡®in the flesh¡¯, specifically, his own, was something of a surprise. Wearing a black robe but otherwise barefoot and unarmed, Wisp had deathly pale skin that shone with an inner silver light. Unconventionally attractive with short jet black hair and a roguish beard, his mismatched blue and white, and white and blue, eyes twinkled with amusement as he observed the soldiers falling to their knees in reaction to Ophelia¡¯s presence.


    Slowly making their way through the crowd, Ophelia smiled and made a point of singling out female soldiers for praise. Not that the other soldiers seemed to mind.


    A full ten minutes passed before Ophelia and Wisp managed to make their way over to where I was waiting beside the Settlement¡¯s Totem.


    ¡°These are the eggs,¡± Ophelia explained rather unnecessarily, pointing at the tree egs in the chest.


    Wisp crouched down on his haunches and nodded as he looked them over, ¡°I definitely sense death,¡± he commented in a deep voice, ¡°Divinity too...Curious...Not Angels...Nor Spirits...Something...Something in between...Interesting.¡± Wisp looked up at me inquisitively, ¡°Have arrangements for guardianship been made?¡± He asked with unmasked interest.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I replied, ¡°Why? Are you considering becoming a parent?¡± The very idea had seemed bizarre until just a few moments ago, so I didn¡¯t understand why I wasn¡¯t particularly shocked with the development.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Wisp replied thoughtfully, running the back of a crooked finger down the length of one of the eggs, ¡°Although, certainly not alone...¡± He looked at Ophelia with cold calculating eyes, ¡°Would you be interested in sharing guardianship responsibilities with me Ophelia?¡± Wisp asked bluntly, ¡°I fear I may lack a certain warmth that could result in undesirable personality traits and behaviours being fostered and exacerbated should I attempt to do so alone.¡±


    Far from offended, Ophelia seemed to give Wisp¡¯s offer serious thought. ¡°We would be sharing paternal duties only?¡± She pressed shrewdly.


    Wisp nodded, ¡°Our relationship will encompass only what is necessary for their development,¡± he clarified.


    Ophelia considered the eggs for a few moments and nodded, ¡°Alright,¡± she agreed and squatted down beside the chest.


    If there had been better alternative fostering arrangements available, I would have seriously considered intervening. However, so far as I could tell, Wisp and Ophelia were probably the best people for the job, for the time being at least.


    The pair took turns imprinting on each of the eggs, making the decision permanent.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I have mana to spare?¡± Wisp offered Ophelia.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ophelia agreed, leaning in closer so she would have a better look at what he was doing.


    Placing his hands above the eggs, it took me a few moments to realise what Wisp was doing. Just barely able to feel the mana radiating out of his hands, it quickly became obvious that Wisp intended to hatch the eggs here and now in the street.


    Huffing somewhat disapprovingly, I summoned a number of empty crates and then summoned a pile of small blankets on top of them.


    After a few minutes, the eggs began to move.


    One after the other, the eggs began to crack and pudgy pink fists began flailing away at the shattering shells.


    The wailing babies had what seemed to be large twitching wings protruding from their backs. Covered in downy feathers like a duckling, the babies seemed to have about as much control over their wings as their arms and legs and had to be removed from the chest to avoid hurting themselves.


    Swaddled into the blankets I had prepared earlier, Gregory, Ophelia and Wisp each held one of the babies while I mentally reviewed the stockpile for viable food options.


    It was only after I had provided a large jar of vegetable mush that I realised all three of the winged babies were girls. It seemed strange to me until I reviewed their Status¡¯ and could place a Species to go with their strange appearance and the characteristics Ophelia and Wisp had pointed out earlier.


    They were valkyries. Or, more accurately, they were Lesser Valkyrja. Despite the slightly different name, their Racial Abilities made it abundantly clear what they were.


    Worthy Dead allowed the Valkyrja to convert the dead into Divinity so long as they met an unspecified standard of ¡®worthiness¡¯. With no mention of humanoid, Beast, ally or enemy, there seemed to be no limit for potential targets beyond being found worthy.


    Martial Intuition was a little more straightforward. It imbued the Valkyrja with an intuitive understanding of the qualities of any armour and weapons within their line of sight. It also provided increased Damage Reduction and increased Damage and momentum with armour and weapons of higher objective quality.


    What came as a surprise was that Martial Intuition was also available as a Synergy. I wasn¡¯t the only one who had noticed either. However before anyone had the opportunity to make a big deal out of it, the abrupt arrival of the Overseer drew everyone¡¯s attention.


    A full foot taller than Gregory, the new arrival also had a large pair of wings that made her seem much larger than she actually was. With a similar appearance to an elf, she had bird-like legs and talons instead of feet. Her short black hair matched the dark feathers on her wings and legs, and she wore crude hide armour over what looked like primitive clothing made from softer hide.


    ¡°My Tyrant,¡± the new arrival bowed her head and fanned her wings slightly before settling down again, ¡°I beg forgiveness. My flock needed an explanation.¡±


    ¡°You are a Harpy,¡± I guessed, not so much a question as an observation. I had seen smaller Harpys in Sanctuary before I left. They had all been children, but it was easy enough to believe that they would grow up to be close to her size with enough time.


    The Harpy nodded obediently, ¡°Yes, my Tyrant,¡± she agreed somewhat apprehensively, ¡°This is not a problem?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t see a particular problem with it. But I will give you the same warning as the others. Bewitching or use of any other forms of mind control on allies, superiors and subordinates without my express permission to do so is otherwise universally forbidden. Am I clear?¡±


    The Harpy, Skreia, nodded her head hurriedly.


    Harpies were dangerous to the weak-willed because their song could cloud the mind and make people highly suggestible to the power of suggestion. It was like auditory hypnosis and could be used to devastating effect.


    ¡°Good,¡± I grunted in relief but was already circling back to her reason for being late, ¡°You came from an existing community? Your flock?¡±


    Skreia nodded, ¡°Yes, my Tyrant.¡±


    ¡°You left them on good terms?¡± I pressed.


    Skreia nodded again without hesitation, ¡°Yes, my Tyrant. My brother, Talos, rules the roost.¡±


    ¡°Would you be adverse to them becoming my subordinates also?¡± I asked, raising my hand to stall a reply until I was finished, ¡°They would have to abide by my laws, but would be afforded near complete autonomy otherwise. They would also be provided with a home far safer than they have now.¡±


    Skreia did not respond right away and seemed conflicted, ¡°I am unsure, my Tyrant,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°According to the Guilds records, the Harpys first appear on the eighth floor. So there is plenty of time for your new Overseer to see how the way you do things will benefit her people,¡± Gregory interjected diplomatically.


    Skreia frowned somewhat uncertainly at Gregory¡¯s suggestion, ¡°Minions are permitted to speak freely?¡±


    ¡°Promotion and rank aren¡¯t everything, Skreia,¡± I warned her neutrally, ¡°Gregory is an important advisor, but there are others who provide valuable insights as well. Many are not promoted for one reason or another, but in Gregory¡¯s case it is to preserve his Class Abilities for the work ahead.¡±


    Suitably cowed, Skreia bowed her head to Gregory in apology.


    ¡°Perhaps it would be best if we returned to Sanctuary so you can see things for yourself,¡± I sighed somewhat tiredly. I was no more immune to mental fatigue than the Human Soldiers, and there was the meeting requested by the Dwergi to consider as well.


    Wisp and Ophelia donned cloaks and hoods to conceal their true nature, and Ushu was saddled in order to prevent panic.


    Leading the procession through the portal and into the restructured grand hall of the former Guild building. Now capable of supporting two or even three monsters of Ushu¡¯s immense size, the grand hall was lined with soldiers and ballistae.


    Creating a larger, more open space was more convenient, but it was also a weakness that the kingdom had to account for as well. What''s more, there was the illusion of containing the Labyrinth¡¯s monsters to maintain as well.


    To that end, a platoon of garrisoned elite soldiers formed up to provide our escort to the grounds of the royal castle.


    The intention was to convince spies from rival nations that Ushu and myself, as well as any other monsters in our company, were servants or Slaves of the state.


    For his part, Ushu didn¡¯t really care. He seemed perfectly content to bask in the general public''s admiration, awe and fear in equal measure. Not that Ushu made a point of scaring anyone on purpose. If anything, Ushu seemed to go out of his way to posture and preen for the children amongst the small crowds that gathered ahead of us.


    The three Valkyrja were surprisingly subdued during the long walk through the capital, only fussing when the noise of the crowds grew too loud.


    Skreia¡¯s initial arrogance had well and truly faded by the time we reached Ril¡¯s gateway in the royal castle¡¯s grounds. ¡°There are so many Humans...and most of them are your minions...¡± She breathed in awe.


    Gregory hid a knowing smirk.


    ¡°The dwellers of the city?¡± Ophelia asked somewhat distractedly while rocking her charge, ¡°The humans have cities like this one all over.¡±


    Skreia¡¯s eyes widened still further in shock.


    ¡°His Majesty has the fealty of the entire kingdom,¡± Gregory added, ¡°No less than five such cities and their surrounding towns, villages and hamlets. Most have been relocated, for their safety and to provide better opportunities for themselves and their children.¡±


    Skreia stared at Gregory for a few moments and shifted uncomfortably, ¡°You aren¡¯t lying...¡± She whispered, her eyes growing somewhat unfocused as she accessed the management functions afforded by her rank, ¡°Millions...¡± Skreia gasped.


    ¡°You will find that traditional monsters are in the minority,¡± I replied quietly, ¡°But because of Synergies, cooperation is sought at a premium. Just in case you were wondering what yourself or your people had to offer,¡± I clarified before shifting everyone into the proximity of Sanctuary¡¯s Gateway.


    Skreia¡¯s eyes widened still further as she mutely surveyed the forest of towering trees around us.


    ¡°This is Sanctuary, my home, and the home of those who need its support,¡± I began unstrapping Ushu¡¯s saddle, ¡°There is a small flock of Harpies whose parents would be glad to speak with you, I¡¯m sure. But perhaps it would be best if Orphiel or one of the Daemons gave you a tour?¡±


    ¡°I am available, my Tyrant,¡± a pitchy voice chittered from the branches somewhere overhead.


    ¡°Garn?¡± I looked up and found the bat-like Daemon Garn cautiously leaving his hiding place amidst the shadows in the large tree¡¯s branches. ¡°You heard everything I said?¡± I confirmed.


    Garn nodded and leapt down from the tree, arresting his fall by energetically flapping his leathery wings.


    ¡°Alright Garn,¡± I agreed, ¡°And maybe ask Qreet for some assistance in making a home better suited for Harpies.¡±


    ¡°By your will, my Tyrant,¡± Garn agreed obediently before taking Skreia¡¯s hand and leading her out into Sanctuary proper before she had a chance to voice an objection.


    ¡°I think he fancies her,¡± Gregory chuckled.


    I paused my work on the saddle and looked at Gregory, ¡°You think so?¡± I asked somewhat sceptically.


    The Daemons had been practically A-sexual for as long as I had known them. Which made sense to me since they weren¡¯t even a year old. Although it was hard to remember that sometimes due to how rapidly they grew and outright changed themselves. Then again, for all I knew, Daemons might mature in months and not years, and events like this one might become far more frequent.


    ¡°Well, he fancies her, or he is glad to have a friend to fly around with?¡± Gregory suggested, nodding his head towards the Garn and Skreia who were slowly flying through the oldest residential trees of Sanctuary.


    ¡°Excuse us, my Tyrant, but we have preparations to make,¡± Wisp apologised while discarding a soiled blanket and deftly wrapping the loose folds of his robe around the Valkyrja to keep her arm.


    Gregory passed the infant Valkyrja left in his care over to Ophelia.


    With the three Valkyrja now in their possession, Ophelia and Wisp began ascending into the air on immaterial wings of copper and silver light respectively.


    Although he wasn¡¯t an Angel, it was interesting that Wisp had taken to imitating them.


    ¡°After Ushu is free of his saddle, I intend to spend the rest of the day with my family,¡± I explained for Gregory¡¯s benefit, ¡°We can meet up tomorrow at Port Gidian for the council meeting, then head back to the Labyrinth for the Stonepaw¡¯s decision. Assuming we have time.¡±


    Gregory smirked slightly and nodded in understanding, ¡°As you wish Majesty.¡±


    Gregory lingered long enough to help me unstrap Ushu¡¯s saddle before disappearing through the Gateway.


    Free of his saddle, Ushu made a beeline for the Grove and I followed along behind in his wake.


    We passed several large gatherings on our way to the Grove. One was a celebration of some kind, but the other two were outdoor lessons on the native human alphabet. With access to the custom labyrinth contingent on a minimum standard of literacy, it didn¡¯t seem particularly surprising that so many people were interested in the lessons. Especially since literacy would allow them access to their own status information as well.


    Entering the Grove, I was just in time to watch Ushu¡¯s tail disappear beneath the surface of the lake.


    Clarice, Hrolk, Nadine and Fesk were sitting on a large rock near the shallows, the former engaged in animated discussion, while Fesk quietly listened.


    It wasn¡¯t until I was halfway through circling around the lake that I realised that I hadn¡¯t seen Dhizi since returning to Sanctuary. It didn¡¯t make much sense to me that Dhizi and Clarice would be voluntarily separated considering her obsession with the scaly Beast


    However, my concerns were very abruptly reprioritised as a blue-green scaly beast erupted from the water with Ushu appearing only a few moments later with his teeth bared and snarling angrily.


    Too surprised to properly take everything in, it took me a while to realise that the first Beast was Dhizi, and a little while longer to reconcile that fact against her change in appearance.


    Just as Clarice had hoped, Dhizi had evolved into what a layman might approximate to a dragon. However, with only four limbs, not six, Dhizi was technically a wyvern. Using her retracted wings to lope about like a grounded bat, and only a third of Ushu¡¯s size at most, Dhizi was unquestionably at Ushu¡¯s mercy.


    ¡°HEY! BACK OFF!¡± Clarice demanded angrily, stomping barefoot towards Ushu through the churned-up mud.


    As suicidal as her approach seemed, Clarice did manage to convince Ushu to back off, even if it would only prove temporarily.


    Ushu glared at Clarice and then back at Dhizi, who was now part way up one of the trees ringing the Grove, ¡°MIIIINE!¡± He growled irritably before lunging back into the lake.


    Dhizi hissed angrily towards the lake before warily clambering down the tree.


    ¡°Poor baby,come to mama,¡± Clarice cooed sympathetically and rubbed the giant Beast¡¯s neck.


    Dhizi let out a chittering hiss that might have approximated a whimper.


    ¡°That big meanie didn¡¯t hurt you did he?¡± Clarice stepped back and gave Dhizi a quick look over before hugging her neck again.


    ¡°I see Dhizi Evolved while we were gone,¡± I commented somewhat awkwardly, drawing everyone''s attention toward me in the process.


    ¡°What the hell was that about?!¡± Clarice demanded, ¡°I thought that bloody lizard would have been happy to have another Dragon around!¡±


    ¡°You mean a Wyvern.¡± I corrected her without fully thinking it through.


    ¡°What?¡± Clarice glared.


    Realising I was already committed, I let out a long sigh. ¡°Dragons have four legs and one or more pairs of wings, Wyverns just have one pair of legs...¡±


    Clarice just stared back at me incredulously.


    ¡°Look, so far as I can tell, Ushu is just protecting his claim over his territory,¡± I explained with a shrug, ¡°Finding Dhizi, and probably not recognising her, in his territory, it probably just set him off. Imagine how you would react if you found someone you didn¡¯t recognise in your room?¡±


    Clarice¡¯s conviction faltered.


    ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t help either that Ushu has been straight up murdering monsters for the past twenty-four hours,¡± I added, ¡°He¡¯s probably still on edge. I¡¯d give him a few hours before trying to reintroduce Dhizi to the lake. Well...That and bribing him with gold would probably do the trick.¡±


    ¡°Gold?¡± Clarice looked at me as if I were crazy, ¡°What¡¯s a Dragon gonna do with gold?¡±


    ¡°Hoard it,¡± I replied matter-of-factly while looking to Nadine for support.


    Unfortunately, Nadine seemed just as confused as Clarice.


    ¡°Hoard it?¡± Clarice parroted, ¡°You mean like, just dumping it somewhere?¡±


    I shifted uncomfortably, ¡°More or less. He certainly likes the ring I gave him.¡±


    Clarice looked at the lake and frowned thoughtfully.


    I took the opportunity to get a better look at Dhizi.


    Contrary to my expectations, Dhizi hadn¡¯t actually changed all that much. Her chest and ribs had close to doubled in overall size, and her thighs had thickened somewhat to better support herself on land. Dhizi¡¯s neck had nearly doubled in length but still held its original proportionate thickness. As near as I could tell, Dhizi¡¯s forelimbs had elongated in almost every respect in order to facilitate their change into leathery wings. It was actually a little disconcerting that I hadn¡¯t recognised her sooner, especially since her colouration hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    Gently stroking Dhizi¡¯s neck, I could still feel her pulse racing. ¡°Maybe we should ask Cin to make Dhizi her own little grotto or something?¡± I suggested guiltily, ¡°That way she will have access to the mana-rich lake without agitating Ushu. Perhaps even allow them to get used to sharing the space in the long term.¡±


    Clarice nodded, but she still didn¡¯t seem happy, ¡°You could also just make him share,¡± she stated flatly.


    I wasn''t so sure about that. I was under the impression that Ushu did as I asked because I made very few demands of him. He was not so much a subordinate as a motivated ally. Making demands related to his living arrangements would be asking for trouble.


    ¡°Maybe Cin can make another grotto for Ushu after making one for Dhizi?¡± I suggested diplomatically, ¡°It would probably be better for the both of them anyway, especially if Ushu establishes a hoard.¡±


    Clarice grunted and led Dhizi away. She seemed more than a little disappointed, but whether it was with how events had played out, or my reaction to them, was unclear.


    ¡°Clarice has been just about bragging non-stop since Dhizi Evolved that she would be setting her up with Ushu,¡± Nadine explained with some apparent embarrassment, ¡°So you can see how this is something of a setback,¡± she smiled wryly and tucked a loose lock of her auburn hair back behind her ear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why she is pushing so hard for it,¡± I muttered, ¡°Dhizi is barely a couple of months old, and I have no idea how old Ushu is...And so far as we know, the Dragon and Wyvern mating cycles could be decades away.¡±


    Nadine blushed slightly and shrugged, ¡°Believe me, I tried telling her, but Clarice was having none of it.¡±


    ¡°Well...Like I told her, Ushu¡¯s going to need time to get used to Dhizi being in ¡®his¡¯ territory,¡± I explained, ¡°Before Dhizi Evolved, she didn¡¯t seem like much of a threat. But now? Her wingspan alone makes her seem much larger than she actually is, and Ushu doesn¡¯t fully appreciate how much bigger he is by that same method of comparison. So he is treating her like a threat. Or at least that¡¯s my best guess.¡±


    ¡°You''re probably right,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°Ushu is probably juuuust smart enough now to overthink things like that.¡±


    Fesk nodded in agreement but made no comment.


    A short silence passed between us.


    ¡°Are Lash and the twins in the lake? Or?...¡± I glanced back toward the cave that served as our home.


    ¡°With mothers,¡± Hrolk explained hurriedly and pointed back the way I had come. Without being asked, she began moving to show me the way.


    I followed Hrolk back into Sanctuary proper and toward the orchards.


    Hordes of small children were swarming the lower branches of the fruit trees and shrieking happily as they gorged themselves on literally low-hanging fruit.


    For the most part, the children were left to their own devices while a select few guardians prowled amongst them and broke up any fights that became too serious.


    On the periphery, mothers with younger children, like Lash, were sitting in small groups while their children rolled and crawled about in the grass. Or in Pete¡¯s case, sunbathed like a beached walrus.


    Just so happening to look up at the right moment, Lash smiled and waved me over before rearranging her social group to make room.


    The moment I sat down, Suzy stopped chasing a Goblin a third of her size and hurriedly crawled over to me instead, ¡°Da!¡± She exclaimed excitedly while climbing over my shins and pulling herself up my surcoat.


    Just as I began to lift Suzy up into a hug, Pete flopped into my lap before and promptly fell asleep again. ¡°Well, at least they are happy to see me,¡± I chuckled before blowing a raspberry on Suzy¡¯s belly.


    Suzy shrieked in surprise and flailed her arms and legs wildly. Realising she wasn¡¯t in danger, Suzy¡¯s shrieks of surprise quickly turned into laughter.


    Lash smiled and stroked Pete¡¯s hair, ¡°We are all happy to see you,¡± she amended, ¡°They are too young to understand where you go and why. They will understand when they are older.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I sighed and nodded in agreement, hoping that Lash was right. Every floor I added to my own Labyrinth helped raise the collective strength and security of everyone sheltered within my Demi-Plane. I sincerely hoped that my immediate involvement would only be necessary for another ten floors before the Asrusian army would become capable of snowballing the gains by out-levelling the next prospective floors in the capital¡¯s Labyrinth.


    Progress would very likely become slower. However, with access to both Synergies and a relatively safe training space, it would only be a matter of time before the entire Mordran Labyrinth was Conquered and Assimilated. The next time I faced the Liche and its minions, things would be set to go very differently.


    *****


    Pachcov wearily crested the heavily forested hilltop and released a sigh of relief as his tired eyes fell upon the trading border town of Kogalensk.


    Pachcov wasn¡¯t the only one in his platoon that was glad for the reprieve. The Asrusians had not been the complete pushovers that Pachcov¡¯s superiors had insisted they would be. Having spent over a month skirmishing with the Asrusian Rangers, Pachcov was looking forward to hot food, a hot bath and whatever woman he convinced to share a warm bed with him for the night.


    Despite the hardships they had been through, Pachcov was profoundly grateful that his platoon had been sent on reconnaissance in force.


    As brutal as the Asrusian Rangers had been on their home turf, Pachcov could rest easy in the knowledge that the Asrusians wouldn¡¯t dare cross the border while their country was in a protracted state of collapse. So far as Pachcov was concerned, the Rangers would all be dead or turned bandit by the time Pachcov was ordered to cross the border again.


    After losing so many comrades to ambushes and traps in the Asrusian wildlands, Pachcov took grim satisfaction in the knowledge that their sacrifices had ultimately been worth it. The Werrian Empire would ultimately prevail.


    Unable to completely shake his paranoia, Pachcov continued towards the town through the woods instead of taking the road with the main army. Falling into bad habits could prove fatal, especially if the new Legate was chosen as quickly as the last.


    As best as Pachcov could figure, the high command were most likely attempting to goad the Confederates into overextending their supply lines and shoulder the losses from confronting the remaining forces of the Asrusian military and whatever militias they could rally.


    When the Empire returned in force, Pachcov was confident that they would be able to deliver the Confederates a decisive blow and grind their army down through an otherwise gruelling war of attrition. As brutal as skirmishing against the Rangers had been, Pachcov was glad that he would not be involved in much of the fighting going forward.


    The Confederates prescribed similar military doctrines as the Empire, and the Empire had a significantly larger army. With the price of Slaves being what they were, the question wasn¡¯t if the Empire would win, but when.


    ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± Dolahov muttered grumpily, eyeing the late afternoon sky suspiciously.


    ¡°Afraid the Rangers are waiting for you to close your eyes?¡± Chernikov taunted maliciously, his sneer of contempt twisting the ugly ragged scar that dominated the right side of his face.


    Pachcov sighed and did his best to tune out the bickering. He felt like voicing a few complaints of his own, but thought better of it. Women loved a man with scars, but Chernicov had the detestable trait of escalating minor conflicts to matters of life or death, and Pachcov figured his chances of finding a willing woman to share his bed would be greater if he still had a pulse.


    The regular army reached the gates of Kogalensk well ahead of Pachcov and the other scouts, having moved with much greater speed along the trade road than scrambling through the woodlands. Keenly aware that the best inns, taverns and bunkhouses would be packed to the rafters by the time he made it into the city, Pachcov consoled himself with the knowledge that he wouldn¡¯t have wasted his coins on those establishments in the first place.


    Pachcov¡¯s parents were getting on in years, and with Yuri still missing and presumed dead, Pachcov intended to buy a Slave to take care of his parents in his absence. Slaves were generally quite cheap, but Pachcov refused to settle for a vagrant debtor or savage taking care of his parents. Unfortunately, that raised the expected price considerably. Even with four months of active duty wages, and the bounties his platoon had collected, Pachcov knew it was going to be close enough already to require some hardline haggling on his end.


    By the time Pachcov and the other scouts arrived at the gate, the guards on watch duty seemed to have had enough of things already and just waved them through in silence. Although profoundly lax and lazy, Pachcov wasn¡¯t going to look a gift Thror in the maw and continued into the town.


    The townsfolk were all bundled up in light or heavy furs to ward against the chill winds blowing down from the mountains, but a handful here and there gave ragged cheers as the regular soldiers passed through the streets.


    Seeing his chance, and glad for the local townspeople''s patriotism, Pachcov retrieved his Sergeant¡¯s insignia from his belt pouch and pinned it to the fur cap peeking out from beneath his helmet. Pachcov¡¯s dress uniform was still in his pack, so he hoped that bearing the insignia on his cap would draw a few nibbles of interest.


    Wetting the end of his scarf with water from his canteen, Pachcov improved his odds by giving his face and neck a quick but thorough cleaning before crushing a flower and rubbing its thin oils behind his ears.


    Pachcov didn¡¯t care what the others thought, women had never passed him over for smelling more of flowers than sweat and spoiled grease.


    Feeling considerably more confident, Pachcov began brazenly searching the crowds of the townspeople for unescorted women as he made his way towards the local garrison. Not expecting to have much luck until he had made a better effort of washing himself down, Pachcov nearly had a heart attack upon realising he had secured the undivided attention of two young beauties.


    Standing beneath the porch of what had to be their parents'' home, the two women had dark black hair, piercing intense blue eyes and fair pale skin. With only a small height difference between them and no sign of wrinkles, Pachcov could only assume they were sisters. The smaller, and Pachcov assumed to be the younger sister, blushed coyly while the older sister smiled brazenly at Pachcov and licked her lips seductively.


    Crediting his good fortune to the Sergeant''s insignia boldly displayed on his cap, Pachcov approached the pair of young women with a spring in his step. Well past thirty, he had not expected to draw the attention of a woman a handful of years younger than himself at most and had admittedly been prepared to settle for far older.


    ¡°Ladies,¡± Pachcov bowed roguishly, removing his cap and helmet with practised ease.


    The younger woman tittered and blushed harder, hiding her face behind her hands and peeking at Pachcov from between her fingers.


    ¡°Sergeant,¡± the older sister inclined her head slightly and gave a small curtsy, ¡°Are you staying in town long?¡± She asked breathily, tracing her finger down from her rich red lips, down her neck and drawing Pachcov¡¯s focus to her heaving and ample cleavage exposed through her fur coat.


    ¡°At least for the night,¡± Pachcov replied, doing his best to keep the nervousness from his voice.


    ¡°I am Anna Vichenko, and this is my sister Mira,¡± Anna motioned to her sister without breaking eye contact, her intense blue eyes staring hungrily into Pachcov¡¯s own.


    ¡°Sergeant Pachcov Timuovich,¡± Pachcov replied eagerly, taking several steps closer.


    ¡°My dear Mira and I have been so lonely since our parents passed,¡± Anna pouted sadly while batting her eyelashes, ¡°It would be nice if a strong man such as yourself would join us for dinner, Sergeant Pachcov.¡±


    Pachcov ver nearly fainted but managed to stay standing through an act of sheer will. ¡°M-My condolences, ah, but of course, I will join you!¡± Pachcov agreed eagerly.


    Anna smiled in delight and opened the door to their home.


    Mira, still hiding her face behind her hands, raced inside, much to her sister¡¯s apparent amusement.


    ¡°Mira will set a bath for you Sergeant,¡± Ana explained with a lascivious smirk, ¡°After all, we do so like the smell of flowers.¡±


    Cursing his companions for fools, Pachcov eagerly crossed the threshold.


    With the sky overcast as it was, the sisters had resorted to illuminating each room of the house with mana-lamps. It was just as well since the chill would have passed through the open windows otherwise.


    Pachcov followed Anna through to the kitchen where her sister Mira was busily setting a fire beneath a large kettle in the fireplace.


    Wanting to show off his muscles, and some of his more attractive and impressive scars, Pachcov stripped down to his britches in anticipation of his bath.


    No doubt encouraged by his state of undress, Anna pawed at his chest and back with her delicate yet firm fingers. ¡°So manly,¡± she cooed breathily.


    Pachcov did his best to flex without making it too obvious that he was doing it on purpose.


    It wasn¡¯t until Mira began pouring the boiling hot water from the kettle into the lukewarm water of a tub that Pachcov realised he had gotten somewhat carried away and lost track of time.


    ¡°We will leave you to get ready,¡± Anna insisted with an obvious reluctance that threatened to overwhelm Pachcov¡¯s waning sense of reason and restraint. ¡°And we will get ready for you,¡± she smirked and took her sister by the shoulder, ¡°Come Mira...¡±


    Stripping down, Pachcov felt certain he could probably have boiled the water in the tub all on his own. Making liberal use of the pale bar of washing soap left on a stool by the tub, and aggressively applying a thick bristle brush, Pachcov risked scrubbing himself raw just to make sure he wouldn¡¯t disappoint. If the sisters rejected him now, Pachcov wasn¡¯t sure he could live with himself.


    It was only after leaving the tub that Pachcov realised that there wasn¡¯t a blanket or sheet for him to dry himself with. However, after thinking about it for a hundredth of a second, he realised that it was most likely by design.


    Sure enough, a few moments later, the two sisters, now equally undressed as he was, made their way into the kitchen.


    Mira was still covering her face in embarrassment, but Anna owned her nakedness with confidence that beggared belief.


    Before Pachcov realised what he was doing, he lunged at Anna and pressed her lips against his. Anna nibbled his lower lip in turn and Pachcov felt Mira pressing herself up against him from behind. Preparing to take things further, Pachcov froze as ice-cold pain radiated through his neck.


    From the corner of his eye, Pachcov could see the top of Mira¡¯s head.


    All at once, Anna¡¯s playful nibbling ended and she smiled at Pachcov hungrily.


    Feeling profoundly weak, Pachcov¡¯s vision began to fail.


    ¡°You¡¯re so greedy Mira!¡± Anna scolded, still smiling and now baring inch-long canines, ¡°This is why mother and father aren¡¯t around to take care of us anymore, you just don''t know when to stop!¡±


    The pressure on Pachcov¡¯s neck abruptly disappeared and he fell into Anna¡¯s waiting arms. Unable to defend himself, Pachcov weakly moaned in terror as Anna¡¯s mouth descended towards his unprotected neck.


    ¡°I do so love the smell of flowers,¡± Anna whispered in amusement. Then her teeth sank into Pachcov''s throat and everything turned black.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 50 – A cultural exchange – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 50 ¨C A cultural exchange ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 50 - A cultural exchange - Part One


    Strictly speaking, the war council was an autonomous action of the Kingdom of Asrus Faction. However, deliberately missing a vassal¡¯s war council when I could otherwise easily attend said meeting seemed like it would be asking for trouble.


    I recognised many of the Asrusian officers and nobles from the last gathering, but there were new faces as well. It wasn¡¯t particularly surprising given the nature of the negotiation that was soon to take place.


    Johan Shaleheart was considered tall for a Dwergi but was only three and a half feet tall. His coal-black skin was also darker than most and contrasted sharply against his wiry shock-white hair and moustache. Johan¡¯s eyes looked disproportionately large due to the thick glasses balanced on his large nose and hooked over his drooping hairy ears.


    When the last of the expected nobles and officers arrived, everyone moved to the throne room and Johan took the floor by standing atop his seat.


    ¡°I will be blunt,¡± Johan stated in a deep nasally tone as he stared down the assembled Asrusians, ¡°As a respected representative of the Shaleheart Clan, I am prepared to negotiate future services rendered in exchange for armed intervention in the cause of freeing my Clan from Slavery.¡± He took a moment to let his words settle. ¡°Refusal, no matter how eloquently phrased, will, be, remembered,¡± Johan scowled as he very deliberately enunciated the last, ¡°If the goodwill and services of my Clan are deemed insufficient, I am prepared to negotiate terms. But do not think for a moment that taking undue advantage will be forgotten!¡± He warned while shaking the knobby knuckled forefinger of his right hand accusingly at the Asrusians.


    While the Asrusian nobles and officers began to speak quietly amongst themselves, Johan sat himself down on his chair and waited.


    While informal discussions were taking place, an assortment of maps was distributed by a small cadre of comparatively junior officers.


    Gregory provided me with a set of larger-scale maps shortly afterwards.


    The largest map, topographically, represented the known borders of the Werrian Empire in relation to its neighbours and displayed the major Werrian military installations and cities. A city somewhat on the eastern side of the Werrian Empire had an arrow drawn and pointed towards the city with a small note beneath it.


    ¡°This city,¡± Gregory translated quietly, ¡°Weylan.¡±


    I nodded and moved on to the next map.


    As best as I could tell, it was an inconsistently detailed map of a large sprawling city. The majority of the details were centred around the Labyrinth in the centre of the city, and a heavily fortified district in the outermost limits of the city, while the remainder of the city was represented with far less detail. I assumed the map was provided by the Dwergi and represented their limited knowledge of the city beyond the district within which they were confined.


    The third map displayed a larger and more detailed representation of the district. A full third of the map was reserved for the legend that explained the multitude of markings scattered across the district. Even without Gregory¡¯s assistance, the symbols denoting the military presence in and around the district were incredibly clear.


    What I didn¡¯t understand initially was the purpose of a wall dividing the district. The markings made it clear that the wall was occupied by soldiers or some form of guards, but the wall was far smaller in scale than the wall that otherwise encircled the district. The symbols denoting the multitude of Species confined within the district were present on both sides as well, which only complicated the issue further.


    ¡°They have separated the children from the adults,¡± Gregory explained quietly with a scowl of distaste, ¡°See? This side has workshops and factories for low-skilled crafts,¡± he tapped the southeastern side of the district, ¡°And there are far too few guards for the number of residential buildings. This must be how they keep the Slaves productive and docile.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. The Dwergi had already mentioned previously that their children were kept hostage to ensure compliance. However, what they had neglected to mention, to me at least, was that a whole host of other Species were stuck in the same situation.


    ¡°Which Species are these?¡± I asked, pointing to the legend on the side of the map.


    Gregory took a moment to glance at the map, ¡°Orcs, Gnolls, Elves, Arachne, and the Dwergi,¡± he ran his finger down the list as he announced each species.


    ¡°Arachne?¡± I gave Gregory a curious look.


    ¡°An interesting Species of monster, Majesty. Depending on the Subspecies, they look more or less human from the waist up and have the lower body of a multi-legged chitinous monster. I would presume that this is most likely a Subspecies that produces silk, otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t make much sense to keep them,¡± Gregory explained thoughtfully, ¡°It would also explain the presence of so many weavers workshops.¡± He shifted focus and tapped the large area near the Labyrinth, ¡°This is what concerns me,¡± he stated dourly, ¡°It¡¯s an imperial arena, so there are probably thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of Slaves kept below its grounds. Most would be wild monsters of one description or another, but I wouldn¡¯t doubt that a number of Variants could be found in the dark cells and cages either. Any dissenters or trouble makers, if they weren¡¯t executed on the spot, would be sold to the arena so their owner could make a little more coin off of their investment.¡±


    ¡°So we can¡¯t just storm the district and be done with it,¡± I agreed.


    Gregory nodded, ¡°That isn¡¯t all. If we are serious about this, storming this district, then we might as well hit the rest of the city. The arena and the Slave workshops have the largest conentrations of Slaves, but they are not the only Slaves in the city. It¡¯s common for even the poorest Werrian families to own at least one Slave, human or otherwise,¡± he paused and carefully considered the previous map, ¡°Most of those Slaves are either human or wild monsters, but the wealthier citizens will have Variants as a sign of status if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting a full-scale invasion?¡± I prompted,


    Gregory slowly nodded, ¡°That is one possibility,¡± he admitted, ¡°But even so, the Probation Officers we have now would be insufficient to reasonably minimise losses amongst those we are endeavouring to liberate.¡±


    ¡°We would need at least a hundred or so,¡± I agreed, ¡°Probably more.¡±


    ¡°Probably more,¡± Gregory agreed, ¡°The more of them there are, the faster they would be able to scour the city.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lower the standards for recruitment,¡± I warned preemptively, anticipating a request along those lines.


    Gregory nodded, ¡°A list of potential candidates has been underway since the evacuation of Laine. Of course, they will still require final vetting, and they will need to be put through accelerated training to achieve the levels necessary to maximise their utility-¡±


    ¡°Like taking them to the capital¡¯s Labyrinth and participating in Conquests?¡± I interrupted, guessing at his train of thought.


    ¡°Or something similar,¡± Gregory agreed, ¡°The more time we have to prepare, the greater our chances of succeeding with fewer casualties.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t have the Abilities necessary to compete against higher level monsters, not on their own...¡± I muttered thoughtfully, ¡°But we could offer the probationary soldiers accelerated citizenship for participation. Sheer numbers would initially bridge the gap, and accumulated Exp and levels in their own Classes would keep them competitively matched against the wild monsters...¡±


    Nobles and officers took turns expressing opinions on what could or couldn¡¯t be done within the scope of their respective expertise and knowledge. The general consensus was surprisingly in favour of taking some form of action. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t quite decide what that action should be.


    The military wanted a small-scale invasion, while the nobles were largely divided in preference between bribing and buying the Slaves¡¯ freedom through one means or another, and rescuing the Slaves piecemeal through small covert operations.


    Johan seemed relieved that the Asrusians were being so receptive, but it was difficult to say what he had actually expected in the first place.


    When the war council took a break for more informal discussions in the adjoining rooms, I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised when Johan took the opportunity to address me directly.


    Climbing up onto the table in front of him, Johan turned toward me and bowed somewhat stiffly, ¡°Majesty, might I speak with you?¡± He asked with a determined set to his jaw.


    ¡°You may, Johan,¡± I motioned for him to continue.


    ¡°Thank you, Majesty,¡± Johan bowed again, ¡°I must first insist that I am immensely grateful for the shelter you have provided for myself and the lucky few of my people currently residing within Sanctuary. I must also thank your majesty for the opportunity to gather allies to pursue the freedom of my people that are still Enslaved.¡± He paused and glanced toward Gregorybefore returning his attention to me again. ¡°Majesty, I am old and long hours overseeing the forge have left me hard of hearing, but I believe I heard your Majesty and your Majesty¡¯s advisor discussing a potential means of rescuing my Clansmen. I apologise for my impertinence, but might I hear your Majesty¡¯s plan?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t really a plan so much as hypothetical preparations and speculation, but I repeated the main points of consensus I had reached with Gregory.


    ¡°A full-scale invasion...¡± Johan¡¯s legs trembled and he was forced to sit down, ¡°Your Majesty would commit to a full-scale invasion?...¡± He asked weakly.


    ¡°It¡¯s the most efficient means of performing the operation,¡± I replied flatly, ¡°And If I am going to intervene, I am not going to knowingly leave others in the same position behind.¡± Of course, this would mean soldiers would be put into positions of greater danger and there was a very real chance for targeted reprisals...unless... ¡°Gregory, what if we outfitted our soldiers to look like mercenaries?¡±


    Gregory was silent for a few moments. ¡°As a means of infiltrating the city? Or redirecting blame?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°Both,¡± I replied with a grin, ¡°We could arm the soldiers in magic equipment for the most part and just use sashes or tabards or something for the insignias.¡±


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Gregory quietly considered the suggestion. ¡°We would need to gather more intel, and more equipment. Which will take time, but we can use that time to continue Conquering the Labyrinth for more territory and earn Exp for the parole officers at the same time...there is something there, Majesty,¡± he agreed tentatively.


    ¡°Of course...If we could level a Pact Binder to a sufficiently high enough level, Ril might be able to establish a Gateway through the use of a projection,¡± I suggested with a hint of hesitation, ¡°Retreating through a Gateway would be far safer and faster than the alternatives.¡±


    ¡°That is true, Majesty,¡± Gregory agreed, ¡°And we might leverage that Pact Binder¡¯s capabilities to assist in creating more Gateways within or in the vicinity of other Labyrinths. Seizing the lowermost floors of the Labyrinths under our enemies'' control will substantially weaken their economic and military capabilities.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that...¡± I admitted honestly, ¡°But that sounds like a good idea.¡±


    In spite of the Asrusians¡¯ best efforts, they had yet to unlock the Nexus Binder Class. They had a sizable collection of teleportation items, but Humans just seemed to lack the basic mana sense that was required for unlocking certain classes.


    When the war council reconvened, I had Gregory put forward the initiatives that we had discussed earlier and during the short recess.


    Unsurprisingly, there was unanimous support for ¡®acquiring more territory and potentially sticking it to the Werrians without risking an escalation of renewal of open conflict.


    The war council continued deliberations for another two hours before the discussions came to a close in the early afternoon. Informal planning and discussions would continue, but I left with Gregory so we could prepare for our return to the capital¡¯s Labyrinth.


    Gregory began hurriedly organising and making arrangements for the Parole Officer candidates to present themselves in Sanctuary for the most important stage of their vetting process. Messages and runners were sent to gather the existing Parole Officers and extend offers of accelerated citizenship to the Thralls and former Werrian Slaves currently on probation and participating in the citizenship through service program.


    If Gregory was fast enough, the latter would be able to join us for the second Conquest and gain some valuable Exp.


    Leaving Gregory behind, I returned to Sanctuary so I could collect Ushu and Byron for the second round of negotiations with the Stonepaw.


    I found Ushu waiting for me when I arrived, as well as Clarice who was busy strapping on his saddle while Dhizi watched from a short distance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this as a sign that you want to come on the next Conquest?¡± I guessed with a smirk.


    Clarice grinned but kept her attention on the task at hand, ¡°Pretty much,¡± she agreed, ¡°But I was thinking about what you said. I think Dhizi and Ushu need a chance to get to know one another, and I figured if they got into a fight with one another it would be better to have it happen outside of Sanctuary, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly considerate of you,¡± I observed warily.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°Dhizi also needs flying practice, and I figured she would learn faster by watching Ushu.¡±


    I was about to say something else, but was interrupted by Byron¡¯s abrupt arrival. Not important enough to attend the war council, Byron had very likely been contacted by Gregory to let him know that the council had adjourned.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± Byron bowed, panting slightly and red-cheeked, reinforcing my earlier assumptions.


    ¡°Who''s this?¡± Clarice snorted with amusement.


    ¡°Byron, he¡¯s our negotiator,¡± I replied while helping with Ushu¡¯s saddle, ¡°He will be taking the lead in negotiating with the Stonepaw Kobolds.¡±


    Byron stood a little straighter and puffed out his chest, or tried to.


    Clarice gave me a dubious look but said nothing.


    Apparently too nervous to approach Clarice directly, Byron busied himself with adjusting his arming belt and hauberk in a vain attempt to make himself look less pudgy. As someone who used to have the same general problem, I sympathised with his plight.


    In order to keep the peace with Dhizi and Ushu, I passed through the Gateway with Ushu and Byron first, and Clarice gave us a half-minute head start before following with Dhizi.


    It worked out more or less as expected, but our staggered formation required many more soldiers to serve as our escort from the palace grounds to the Labyrinth.


    Just like last time, Ushu seemed to immensely enjoy the awe and low-scale fear his presence elicited from the populace.


    From what I could tell by glancing behind us, Dhizi seemed particularly enamoured with the scale of attention she was receiving.


    Passing through the portal and into the Labyrinth, Ushu immediately began snorting and huffing at the air. It almost caused an incident when Clarice led Dhizi through a short while later, startling Ushu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything fine Dhizi,¡± Clarice cooed while hugging the Wyvern''s neck, ¡°Ushu¡¯s just being a big meanie, it¡¯s not your fault.


    Fully capable of understanding what Clarice was saying, Ushu gave Clarice a dangerous hiss in warning before ambling away.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t provoke Ushu,¡± I reminded Clarice, ¡°One swipe of his claws could dash out your insides.¡± I felt a twinge of sympathetic pain as I recalled the sensation of thick claws penetrating my side.


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°He needs taking down a peg, and you were holding his reins anyway.¡±


    ¡°These reins?¡± I asked dryly, holding up the end of a long length of chain.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clarice insisted, ¡°Those chains...¡± She paused and then looked over at Ushu who was now outside of the walls.


    ¡°That bit in Ushu¡¯s mouth is for show, Clarice,¡± I pointed down at the long bar of iron with small lumpy spurs along its length, ¡°Ushu tolerates it because he likes scraping his tongue on those spurs. But there is nothing stopping him from spitting it out the moment he feels like it. Ushu is an intelligent sentient being, and I won¡¯t treat him like an animal unless he makes it absolutely necessary.¡±


    Clarice had paled considerably, ¡°Could have sworn those rings were connected to something...¡± She muttered.


    I nodded. That was part of the optical illusion. It was also why people hadn¡¯t run screaming for their lives when Ushu was walking through the city. The reins gave the illusion of control.


    In comparison, Dhizi¡¯s neck-mounted reins were adequate considering her much smaller size. So long as Ushu was available for active comparison, Dhizi¡¯s neck-mounted reins would be enough.


    That was also another difference between Clarice and myself. Clarice was a rider and Dhizi was her mount. I was a passenger and was provided transportation by Ushu.


    With Byron in tow, I set aside the faux reins and began making my way toward Ushu.


    He was still sniffing and huffing at the air, but didn¡¯t seem agitated in the same way he had been during the Conquest. ¡°What are you searching for?¡± I curiously asked Ushu.


    The ground was still stained with the blood of the monsters slain during the Conquest, and a mass grave on the east side of the Settlement was being slowly filled as hundreds of soldiers dumped monster carcasses gathered from the surrounding area. A butchering station near the gate was extracting manastones as well and was carefully sorting them into barrels in preparation for transport.


    Ushu paused and turned to look at me with his large reptilian eyes, ¡°Coo-perrrr,¡± he rumbled in reply before beginning to turn away again.


    ¡°Cooper?¡± I looked at the deep claw marks in the ground and realised that I had just assumed they were all Ushu¡¯s. I concentrated for a moment and pointed somewhat toward the south, ¡°That way.¡±


    Ushu followed the direction I was pointing and inhaled deeply through his nostrils, ¡°Coo-perrr,¡± he rumbled again, only this time with a sense of vindication.


    ¡°We could stop and see Cooper on the way to our visit with the Stonepaw?¡± I suggested.


    Ushu seemed to consider things for a few moments and then lowered himself so Byron and I could climb onto the saddle.


    Clarice was already mounted on Dhizi but was keeping her distance.


    After casting a wary eye at Dhizi, Ushu launched himself up into the air and began flying southward.


    Ushu seemed to have spotted Cooper almost immediately, because he changed course and began making a slow descent.


    After a few minutes, Cooper¡¯s albino scaly hide came into view. He seemed to be headed westward, so I assumed Nila and her team had most likely been sent on some sort of patrol in preparation for the second Conquest.


    While the wild monsters would respawn before our troops arrived at the second Conquest site, standard practice thus far had been to eliminate or sabotage organised sources of resistance to make the Conquests more manageable.


    Cooper had come to a halt by the time Ushu caught him up and landed.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± Nila called out excitedly and waved from her position atop the throne segment of Cooper¡¯s saddle.


    I raised a hand in greeting but waited for Ushu to settle down before making a reply. ¡°Are you on patrol?¡±


    Nila nodded and motioned back towards her team standing on the platform behind her, ¡°Yes, Majesty! We arrived last evening to assist with the cleanup operation.¡±


    That made sense. Moving all the bodies by hand to the mass grave site would have been brutal. Although I wondered if they had Cooper feeding on the corpses rather than transporting them. I still didn¡¯t know if Cooper was a Variant or a domesticated Wild Beast.


    ¡°Will you be a part of the second Conquest?¡± I asked conversationally while Ushu and Cooper grunted, huffed and hissed at one another.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been given orders to that effect. Or, at least not yet,¡± Nila amended hopefully, ¡°I am still rostered for active duty and my next scheduled leave isn''t for another two weeks. If I can¡¯t spend time with my kids and my husband, then I want to spend that time getting stronger so I can protect them!¡±


    Intimately familiar with the feeling, I felt somewhat guilty due to my position allowing me to return home whenever I wanted. ¡°You can tell your superiors you and your team are drafted. I doubt they will complain. In fact, if you want to be proactive, tell them to send you the designated Pact Binder so you can get started on the defences. They should know what you mean. If they don''t, tell them to bring it up with Gregory.¡±


    Nila grinned behind her helmet, ¡°As you command, Majesty!¡±


    Ushu and Cooper hissed their goodbyes before Nila directed Cooper back toward the Settlement. However, she quite suddenly pulled Cooper up short and brought him back around again. ¡°Majesty! There is something else!¡± Nila called out somewhat nervously.


    I waved at her to proceed and wondered what would make her so nervous.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Cooper, Majesty,¡± Nila fidgeted nervously with her reins, ¡°The Bond I share, it gives me impressions on Cooper¡¯s thoughts and the like,¡± she explained, ¡°And, uh...Well...¡±


    ¡°Cooper is a girl!¡± Clarice called out with barking laughter.


    Nila¡¯s hands slumped.


    ¡°...¡± I looked toward Cooper¡¯s hindquarters without thinking, then back to Nila. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± I asked neutrally. I was the one who had just assumed the Drakes were male. Unlike mammals, reptiles were considerably more difficult to identify by sex.


    Nila nodded.


    I sighed and shook my head. ¡°Alright, we will figure out how this changes things later. But for now, you can tell your superiors that Cooper isn¡¯t to be deployed in isolation.¡±


    Nila nodded far more energetically, ¡°As you command, Majesty!¡± She directed Cooper back towards the Settlement and left.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± I asked Clarice.


    Clarice grinned beneath her helmet, ¡°It wasn¡¯t super obvious,¡± she admitted, ¡°But it was the way they were talking with one another, and Dhizi really didn¡¯t seem to like her. So I figured that with as clueless as you are sometimes, there was a decent chance that Cooper would be a girl,¡± Clarice shrugged, ¡°That and it explains why he was so hostile to poor Dhizi,¡± she firmly patted Dhizi¡¯s neck consolingly.


    I sighed and shook my head.


    Silent throughout the protracted exchange, Byron cleared his throat self-consciously, ¡°Ah, does this mean the kingdom should expect more Dragons in the future?¡± He asked with restrained excitement.


    ¡°Maybe?¡± I shrugged. Unlike Clarice, I had no intentions of turning Ushu into a breeding stud. Ushu was free to do what he wanted. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Taking to the air again, we cut back toward the south and the Stonepaw fortress.


    Landing on the same hill as last time, I remained mounted in the saddle while Byron nervously waited for the Kobolds to take note of our presence and send out a representative.


    After perhaps twenty minutes, three regimented formations of spearmen and slingers left the fortress and took positions on the hill. Shortly afterwards, the same elderly Kobold from our previous visit descended the hill with his personal guards.


    ¡°Now¡¯s your chance to shine,¡± I encouraged Byron supportively, ¡°If you feel like your life is in danger, you have my permission to run, and I won¡¯t think any less of you for it.¡±


    Byron nodded nervously and fidgeted with the strap of his helmet for the umpteenth time. Taking a deep breath, Byron descended the hill and began making his way toward the elderly Kobold.


    ¡°You do know that he¡¯s basically dead if they start slinging stones at him, right?¡± Clarice commented, ¡°He hasn¡¯t even taken his shield off of his back.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed with a sigh, ¡°But I am fairly certain that the shield staying on his back is deliberate. If he runs, the shield will intercept far more rocks on his back than his arm.


    Clarice snorted with amusement.


    Too far away to hear anything that was said between Byron and the elderly Kobold, I was surprised when their conversation lasted all of ten seconds and didn¡¯t result in Byron running for his life. Instead, Byron slowly made his way back up the hill to report what had happened.


    ¡°They, uh, they surrendered?¡± Byron reported, slightly out of breath and apparently as confused as I was.


    ¡°Surrendered?¡± I repeated.


    Byron nodded and looked confused, ¡°They, uh, they want to know what you want them to do?¡± he scratched at the strap beneath his chin.


    ¡°Recruit the elder, or a volunteer, then repeat what you told them,¡± I suggested, ¡°Make sure they properly understand what we are here for. At the very least, you should be able to understand their response more clearly.¡±


    Byron bowed, ¡°As you will, Majesty.¡± He briskly made his way back down the hill again.


    A short conversation ensued before Byron returned with the Kobold Elder, Chief, and his retinue in tow.


    I dismounted Ushu and waited while the small procession made its way up the hill.


    ¡°Aherm, Majesty, this is the Chief of the Stonepaw, ah, Chief,¡± Byron stepped to the side and bowed slightly as he motioned to the elderly Kobold.


    ¡°Most big, Majesty!¡± Chief barked nervously and with obvious fear, ¡°Stonepaw no fight! Serve Majesty!¡± Chief and his retinue fell to their knees and whimpered as they bowed their heads and tucked their tails between their legs.


    Byron gave me a confused and apologetic shrug.


    I sighed and decided that ultimately, things would sort themselves out over time. ¡°Chief, I accept your oath. You shall rule the Stonepaw in my name and enforce my laws. So long as you and your people are loyal, I will do my utmost to ensure your opportunity for prosperity.¡±


    ¡°Chief obeys!¡± Chief yipped eagerly while still grovelling in the dirt.


    The one-sidedness of the exchange was making me uncomfortable and I was beginning to feel bad for the poor Kobolds. ¡°Chief, as a reward for your reward for your subservience, I want to gift to you and your people a territory that will free you from attacks by the wild monsters.¡±¡±


    Chief grew deathly still.


    ¡°Are you familiar with the human village?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°Yes...¡± Chief whined quietly.


    ¡°It is now yours,¡± I declared magnanimously, ¡°The protective barrier has been strengthened and will grow alongside your people.¡±


    Chief looked up at me with watery eyes, ¡°Most big Majesty, generous! Generous and kind! Stonepaw accept safe den! We go now!¡± Chief jumped to his feet and yipped excitedly, prompting the other Kobolds in his retinue to jump to their feet as well.


    A little surprised by Chief¡¯s abrupt shift in emotions and intensity, the Elderly Kobold and his retinue were already at the base of the hill by the time it occurred to me that I should have said something. ¡°Well...I guess this will give you an opportunity to discuss a formal alliance,¡± I told Byron, who seemed just as surprised as I was.


    ¡°So are we leaving him behind or?...¡± Clarice asked antagonistically.


    Just for that, I decided to issue Clarice with a quest.


    ¡°Huh?...OH COME ON! Tim?! What the hell?!¡± Clarice demanded irritably, ¡°An escort quest?! Really?!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want the Exp, I guess I could rescind it-¡± I replied calmly.


    ¡°Hang on!¡± Clarice barked warily, ¡°Just gimme a minute to read this damn thing...¡± There was a short pause. ¡°What does TBD mean?¡±


    ¡°To be determined,¡± I replied with amusement, ¡°The reward will scale with the total difficulty and your contributions.¡±


    Clarice was pensive for a few moments as she thought it over, ¡°This is the floor where you earned all that Exp, right?¡± She asked warily.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed with a small smile.


    ¡°Hrm,¡± Clarice glanced over at the stone fortress, ¡°Part of the quest reward is determined by the number of people I would be escorting, right?¡±


    ¡°That would be part of the difficulty, yes,¡± I agreed.


    Clarice began counting off on her fingers, ¡°Lots of enemies, lots of escorts, decent distance...Hrm...You think kids will increase the Exp? Being so small and defenceless?¡±


    ¡°Very likely,¡± I replied while observing the frantic energy take hold of the Kobolds in the fortress.


    ¡°Ugh, but that means their warriors will reduce it too...¡± Clarice complained.


    ¡°There are a lot of them though,¡± Byron chimed in.


    ¡°I guess we will have to wait and see,¡± Clarice sighed irritably.


    ¡°We?¡± I countered with a smirk.


    Clarice narrowed her eyes and glared, ¡°You are planning on leaving me behind?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Maybe?¡± I chuckled and shook my head, ¡°You made that too easy. Of course, I am not going to just leave you behind to deal with this.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny,¡± Clarice grumbled irritably.


    We waited in silence for about a half hour.


    ¡°Do we even know when they will be leaving?¡± Clarice asked with concern.


    That was a good point, so I sent Byron to go investigate.


    When Byron returned a short while later, we learned that the Stonepaw intended to leave some time in the following morning. Clarice reluctantly decided to remain behind under the pretence of accumulating a larger quest reward.


    I returned to the Settlement with Byron and Ushu. I had intended to return to Sanctuary to spend the rest of the night with my family, but the portal was so busy with troops and supplies arriving for the second conquest that I decided to hunker down beside Ushu and take an early night.


    Returning to the Stonepaw fortress in the twilight hours of the morning, I found Clarice and Dhizi waiting outside of the fortress gates amidst hundreds of small ramshackle sleds.


    The sleds were made from cordage. roughly split timber and gnarled dried branches. For the most part, the sleds were empty, but that quickly changed when Kobolds began scurrying out of the fortress carrying all manner of belongings. Stonepaw warriors held defensive positions around the sleds and kept watch on the surrounding area.


    More sleds were assembled as the first sleds were claimed by the first wave of Kobolds and a second wave of unarmed Kobolds joined the packing frenzy.


    It wasn¡¯t until the fourth wave of Kobolds left the fortress that I began to appreciate just how large the Stonepaw tribe were. At a rough count, I estimated that there were around two thousand Kobolds on the hillside.


    I was surprised to find that the warriors were outnumbered close to four to one by the other members of their tribe. While this afforded them a great deal of manpower for drawing sleds, it presented a less than ideal situation for screening against any potential threats.


    Ushu and Dhizi would allow us to spot threats from a great distance, but there was also a distinct possibility of drawing undue attention in the process. As something of a compromise, Clarice would scout the periphery with Dhizi while Ushu would lead the procession from the front.


    Before setting out, Byron explained how the promotion system worked and how the number of promotions was calculated. Given the population of his tribe, I promoted Chief to Overlord, allowing him to Promote his own subordinates to Lords and Underlords as he deemed appropriate.


    After some additional explanations from Byron, Chief began recruiting and promoting his people en masse. The promotions were not just limited to the tribe¡¯s warriors either and seemed to be fairly evenly distributed throughout their population as a whole. Although the highest promotions did seem to be reserved for the warrior caste.


    Chief surprised me when he began emulating the retinue abuse party structuring techniques employed by the Asrusian Military. Only the Spearmen had unlocked their respective Class, but it was a promising development to see how readily they adopted the strategy. Moving Chief and his party into my own retinue initially caused a small panic before Chief realised what had happened.


    To their credit, the Stonepaw Kobolds did their best to set and maintain a comparatively brisk pace. Through somewhat frequent rest stops and alternating hauling duties amongst the civilians, they managed to maintain a consistent marching speed as we wound our way through the small valleys beneath the surrounding hills.


    Iron Gut was partially responsible, but the heavy lifting seemed to be thanks to one of the Kobold¡¯s own Racial Abilities, Dogged Determination. Similar to the Human Racial Ability Determination, Dogged Determination allowed the Kobolds to temporarily boost their Toughness and Strength stats specifically as well as becoming resistant to Exhaustion and Fatigue with the option to extend or reactivate the effect at the expense of MP or HP.


    Granted, they were consuming inordinately large amounts of food in order to maintain their breakneck pace, but for the time being, it seemed to be working. I had few doubts that the Asrusian military would be champing at the bit to recruit a few Kobold Auxiliaries to allow for protracted forced marches.


    The first sign of trouble didn¡¯t appear until well after midday.


    Whether it was just bad luck or Dhizi and Clarice drawing their attention, a pair of Goatmen warbands were headed in our general direction.


    As much as the general concept of cannibalism turned my stomach, the nature of humanoid monsters made the issue more complicated and nuanced than I would have liked. Each Species seemed to consider ¡®cannibalism¡¯ as a concept to be restricted to eating one of their own immediate Species or Subspecies. Any other humanoid monsters were fair game.


    With so few alternatives for food on this particular floor, it would have been profoundly naive for me to assume that a large volume of the Kobolds'' dried and smoked meat rations didn¡¯t come from Goatmen.


    I intended to summon a reasonable stockpile of food for the Stonepaw once we reached the Settlement, and sooner if needed. But I also wanted to use the warbands as an opportunity to express my own views on cannibalism and gauge the Stonepaw''s reaction. Ideally, I wanted the Species that served under me to not look at one another as potential sources of field or winter rations.


    With Chief¡¯s assistance, we manoeuvred the column so both warbands would approach from the same direction


    According to Clarice¡¯s rough estimate, the closest warband was the larger of the two and had a couple of hundred Goatmen in total. The second warband was roughly half the same size but was gaining on the first and appeared to have scavenged equipment and not just stone weapons.


    As the Stonepaw established their screening formations on the top of the hill and prepared for battle, I wondered if the Goatmen would even commit to an engagement with Ushu so prominently positioned on the hillside.


    The wild humanoid monsters of the Labyrinths always seemed to be at odds with themselves. Like the Beasts, they were driven to attack anything that wasn¡¯t like themselves, but for better and worse, they seemed fully capable of reasoning out how they would go about it.


    Most of the Orcs from the first floor of the Hurst Labyrinth would run at the sight of me. However, those who had reached a particular stage of Evolution were the complete opposite and had attacked me until they were killed, regardless of their injuries or becoming outnumbered.


    The Goblins had behaved entirely differently, fleeing from my immediate vicinity when few in number, but were only too keen to join a melee if they had objectively overwhelming numbers.


    So as best I could tell, fear was still as motivating a factor as the rage instilled within the monsters by the Labyrinths. The respective ratios just varied from Species to Species and seemed somewhat linked to Intelligence.


    Sure enough, when the first warband came to a rather abrupt halt after cresting a nearby hill.


    A long tense standoff ensued until the arrival of the second warband, which proceeded to crash into the flank of the first with murderous intensity.


    The members of the first warband quickly buckled under the assault and scattered, leaving the second warband in possession of the hilltop.


    They were too far away to make out clearly, but they seemed just as hesitant as the first warband. Right up until a heavily armoured Goatman pushed his way to the front of the warband, raised his bloody axe high and charged. Like a dam breaking, the warband surged forward in the first Goatman¡¯s wake.


    Snarling with anticipation, Ushu began stalking down the hill, zeroing in on the large Goatman that had initiated the charge.


    However, before anyone had a chance to react, Dhizi came sweeping out of the sky and drove the Goatman bodily into the ground beneath her powerful talons before launching herself back up into the sky.


    Ushu stared at the mutilated remains of the Goatman and huffed indignantly, ¡°Wasss, mmmmine!¡± He hissed irritably before launching himself bodily into the fray, dashing apart three Goatmen with a single swipe of his claw. Ushu¡¯s focus abruptly shifted back to the mangled remains of the fallen Goatman. Ploughing through the ranks of the Goatmen with ease, Ushu came to a sudden halt next to the large Goatman¡¯s corpse, ¡°GOOOOLD!!!¡± He roared possessively, whipping his tail eagerly and killing a dozen more Goatmen in the process.


    *****


    Having recently departed a formal luncheon with local nobility and merchants to gauge the authenticity of the recently elevated Baron Rivers¡¯ bloody coup, Cassius Ivante wandered the city of Mordran under the watchful eyes of his personal bodyguards and a small detachment of Baron Rivers¡¯ loyal soldiers.


    The large number of soldiers patrolling the streets and stationed at key infrastructure was in line with Casius¡¯ experience with military coups. However, it was also easily explained by the nation¡¯s drastically diminished territory.


    Cassius already had agents attempting to verify the rumours of the Baron¡¯s regicide, but Cassius himself needed to determine if the coup was legitimate. Baron Rivers¡¯ fit the profile of most military commanders who defected to the Confederacy. An otherwise loyal man who had risen through the ranks and held the respect and loyalty of the lower rank and file, he turned traitor when the Lord Regent demanded his men be thrown into the meat grinder to drag out an unwinnable war.


    Several nobles of the former Asrusian kingdom had seceded at the onset of the war, but that had been the result of lengthy negotiations and intrigue. All the same, Cassius dared to hope that the Confederacy might amalgamate Mordran without much resistance.


    With the former kingdom''s territories now up for grabs, it would be a race between the forces of the Confederated City-States and the Werrian Empire to see who came out better off for their temporary alliance.


    Considering the Empire¡¯s current withdrawal from the field, there was a very real possibility that the Confederacy might seize all but a handful of cities and reinforce them before the Empire had an opportunity to contest their ownership.


    There was also the matter of maintaining the Confederacy¡¯s armies. The daily costs in soldiers'' wages alone were staggering. If Baron Rivers¡¯ was sincere in his desire to join the Confederacy, not only would the Grand Council be spared the burden of paying to fortify and rebuild the city, but the Baron would be expected to begin contributing to the war chest.


    Passing through a Market square, Cassius was forced to stand aside while three thoroughly beaten men wearing crimson sashes across their chests were dragged away by a squad of soldiers.


    ¡°Royalists,¡± one of the Baron¡¯s men noted with disgust before spitting at the ground with contempt.


    Cassius noted that the sentiment was shared by the other soldiers in his escort as well.


    The general populace seemed confused, but with so many soldiers in the vicinity, they kept their questions and opinions very much to themselves.


    ¡°Have there been many arrests?¡± Cassius asked curiously, carefully scrutinising the soldier¡¯s eyes for signs of deception.


    The soldier nodded, ¡°We caught most of them early, now we are just mopping up what¡¯s left.¡± There was a grim satisfaction in his words.


    ¡°It seems to have been good for law and order,¡± Cassius noted with interest, ¡°I haven''t witnessed a single theft since I entered the city.¡±


    ¡°The Baron rounded up the criminals along with the royalists,¡± another guard grunted with a grin, ¡°They got military trials before we marched them into the Labyrinth to serve as meat shields.¡±


    Cassius shivered at the soldier¡¯s cold indifference to the slaughter of his own people.


    ¡°Better than what they deserved!¡± Another soldier chimed in with a sneer, ¡°Should have fed them to the Ogre or the Baron¡¯s Dragons!¡±


    Cassius felt his heart skip a beat, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did you say?¡± He asked weakly.


    ¡°Should have fed them to the Ogre or the Dragons!¡± The soldier repeated emphatically, ¡°Scum like that won¡¯t learn otherwise!¡±


    There were grunts of agreement from the other soldiers.


    ¡°Dragons?...¡± Cassius''s mouth and throat felt bone dry, ¡°The Barons has Dragons?...¡± He croaked nervously.


    ¡°Farming for treasure since yesterday,¡± the first guard interjected, ¡°Gotta keep the coins flowing after the Guilds turned traitor.¡±


    Cassius was reasonably certain that the former Lord Regent had purged the Guilds, but he thought it prudent to keep that to himself for the time being.


    ¡°I hear some of the higher-ups are getting paid in magic items,¡± the second soldier added in agreement, ¡°Those Dragons have a nose for treasure!¡±


    ¡°Magic items?¡± Cassius asked after spending a few moments moistening his throat.


    ¡°Sure, the independent merchants can¡¯t buy enough of them,¡± the first soldier answered helpfully, ¡°I¡¯ll bet the Baron probably set some aside just for you sir. A goodwill gift and all that.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Cassius wasn¡¯t willing to get his hopes up, but even the weakest magic items were still considered quite valuable.


    As they continued through the city, Cassius made a point of paying much more attention to the conversations of the commoners around them. Having expected the soldiers to have been exaggerating, Cassius was surprised to learn that they might have been underselling events instead.


    According to the commoners, the Baron was lavishing magic items on even the rank and file soldiers of those who were loyal to him. The Baron had become so wealthy through the sale of magic items that the collection of taxes had been suspended outright.


    Cassius was more inclined to believe that looting the Guilds¡¯ coffers was bound to have a larger influence on any potential reduction in taxes. At least for the time being. However, if the Baron was acquiring a larger volume of magic items, any house that could secure trading interests with Baron and his city, would make a killing in the larger regional markets.


    ¡°I think I would like to seek an audience with Baron Rivers,¡± Cassius announced while trying not to sound over-eager.


    Casius¡¯ instincts were telling him that there was much more going on than he was being allowed to see. However, Cassius was willing to accept a significant degree of risk if it meant his house would get an early edge over their competition, and improve his own standing in the family in the process. Cassius was so focused on how to turn the situation to his advantage, that he barely noticed as another group of royalists were rounded up and dragged away,


    So long as both he and his house benefitted, Cassius didn¡¯t really care what the Baron did with his detractors.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 50 – A cultural exchange – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 50 ¨C A cultural exchange ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 50 - A cultural exchange - Part Two


    It was close to midnight by the time we arrived at the former Guild foothold, and the Kobolds had burned through their entire stockpile of food and water in order to maintain their breakneck pace.


    I suspected that the push had initially been made out of fear of disappointing me in some way. However, once the Settlement¡¯s barrier had been spotted in the distance, it seemed like it was all the chief could manage to stop his tribe from attempting the final leg of the journey in one desperate sprint.


    Byron had sent ahead word of our arrival, but it was obvious by the looks on the faces of the soldiers on watch duty, that there had been some sort of misunderstanding.


    A second wall had been raised around the Settlement, encircling a sprawling encampment of tents that housed the soldiers that would soon be marching for the portal at daybreak.


    Leading the Kobolds through to what was now the inner wall of the Settlement, I left Ushu to admire his ill-gotten earring in peace and set about summoning supplies from Sanctuary¡¯s storehouse.


    As small as they were, and having brought a significant volume of sundry supplies of their own, the Kobolds seemed more than content to erect small improvised tents against the innermost facing of the inner wall while Chief allocated food and water.


    I was somewhat surprised by how well the Kobolds seemed to take the presence of the soldiers in stride. Granted, only the night patrols and those on watch were up and about, but I had expected a greater degree of mistrust given their previous relationship with the Guilds.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like the Kobolds had gone so far as to not set their own patrols and establish a rotating watch, but it seemed to be motivated more out of common sense and habit than suspicion.


    After making sure Dhizi and Ushu were both well fed and removing their saddles, I had a rather large meal of smoked meat and dried fruit before settling down beside Ushu and falling asleep.


    **


    Abruptly awoken as much by the horn call as Ushu¡¯s irritated growling and Dhizi¡¯s nervous shrieks, It took me a few moments to realise that the musician was not signalling an alarm, just waking the soldiers in preparation for breaking camp. All the same, Ushu didn¡¯t seem at all happy about it.


    Of course, the commotion woke up the Kobolds as well. So despite the temptation to try and get a few more minutes of sleep, I forced myself to get up and go looking for Chief.


    Contrary to my expectations, the Kobolds didn¡¯t seem particularly worried. After I spotted some of their scouts hiding out on the roof of the former Guild office and standing on the inner wall, I began to understand why. They already had a first-hand look at what the soldiers were doing.


    The soldiers had begun packing down their tents and stowing them away in wagons while the cooks prepared the morning meal. With the officers otherwise engaged in overseeing the packing down of the camp, the inner wall was left almost entirely to the Kobolds.


    ¡°Large Majesty! Hruf!¡± The black-furred leader of a trio of Kobolds barked nervously and dipped his head submissively, ¡°Chief want¡¯ speak!¡±


    ¡°Take me to him,¡± I replied and waved for the Kobolds to lead the way.


    The Kobolds were only too happy to obey, eagerly scurrying off towards the inner wall.


    With officers otherwise engaged with overseeing the packing down of the tents and stowing of equipment and supplies, the now vacated buildings were being claimed by the Kobolds. Far from being greedy or inconsiderate, anything that had been left behind was being stacked neatly in front of the former inn.


    In all fairness, I had told the Kobolds that the Settlement was theirs, and the soldiers were in the process of leaving. It would have been weird if they hadn¡¯t taken it as a sign to start moving in.


    Chief was standing on top of a large crate and barking directions amidst the organised chaos.Even from his raised vantage point, he still fell short of reaching my knees.


    ¡°Biggest Majesty!¡± Chief yipped excitedly in greeting while frantically wagging his tail, ¡°Stonepaw happy! New den very safe! Stonepaw have much happiness!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± I replied, and meant it. ¡°Did Byron let you know about your neighbours?¡±


    Chief nodded vigorously, ¡°Shalehoof, Windrunners, Goatmen. Stonepaw no attack, Stonepaw give peace.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± it was a relief to hear the Chief confirm as much aloud. ¡°I think both tribes will be visiting soon in preparation for moving to their new homes, so it is important that no one provokes another feud. I have bought peace for your people once already, and would like to be able to trust you all not to require my intervention for a second time.¡±


    ¡°Stonepaw give peace, not fight Windrunners, not fight Shalehoof,¡± Chief agreed solemnly. His expression shifted to mild curiosity as a Lieutenant began looking through the pile of assorted items outside of the inn, ¡°Where humans going?¡±He muttered to himself so faintly that I almost missed it.


    I briefly considered pretending I hadn¡¯t heard him but decided that it might be a good opportunity to breach the subject of collaborating with the army in conquering the Labyrinth. ¡°We are going to a place far away from here to fight monsters. There will be a lot of fighting, but once the fighting is finished, your people, and your new home, will be brought to a much safer place.¡±


    Chief stared at me with wide eyes full of awe. ¡°Biggest Majesty can doing?¡± He gasped.


    ¡°I can,¡± I confirmed, ¡°What I have given to your people, I have also given to others, like the Asrusians,¡± I pointed to the Lieutenant for clarification, ¡°They decided to help me, so I can help more people, more tribes like yours. The fighting also helps to make them stronger. They are the warriors of their tribe.¡±


    Chief looked at the Lieutenant and slowly nodded in understanding.


    ¡°They could teach your warriors the Classes to be like them, scouts too,¡± I added, deciding that Chief didn¡¯t seem opposed to the idea, ¡°Your warriors would have the special powers of the humans that served the Guilds.¡±


    Chief¡¯s eyes widened in surprise again, ¡°Stonepaw can have?¡± He asked slowly and with slight apprehension as if expecting me to suddenly sweep the rug out from under him.


    I nodded, and waved the Lieutenant over, ¡°The Asrusians would be very happy to train your people so long as they help around the camp and fight when needed. Isn¡¯t that right-¡± I glanced at the Lieutenant for a moment to determine his name, ¡°-Lieutenant Vaile?¡±


    Lieutenant Vaile¡¯s pale blue eyes widened in surprise, but she didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°That¡¯s right, Majesty!¡± Lieutenant Vaile agreed eagerly, ¡°We have many instructors who can teach the more basic combat Classes.¡±


    ¡°Like the Spearman,¡± I prompted, ¡°And Scouts¡±


    Lieutenant Vaile nodded vigorously in agreement.


    ¡°The leaders amongst your warriors can even unlock special Classes that help them lead your Warriors so they all grow stronger faster,¡± I added, trying not to snicker as Chief hopped up and down on the crate and madly wagged his tail.


    ¡°Stone go! Ruff!¡± Chief insisted excitedly, ¡°Ruff, packs go! Ruff! Chief do!¡± He leapt down from the crate and went racing off toward a small gathering of slightly grey-furred Kobolds.


    ¡°Thank you! Majesty!¡± Lieutenant Vaile grinned broadly and saluted.


    I nodded my head in a manner I hoped seemed magnanimous and not overly smug, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Lieutenant. But perhaps it would be a good idea if your superiors were informed of this development?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Majesty!¡± Lieutenant Vaile saluted again and then jogged off towards the outer wall.


    Within minutes, two hundred Kobold warriors had assembled in front of the inn behind Chief and ten slightly larger looking Kobolds I assumed were their commanders.


    ¡°Stonepaw packs follow, fight!¡± Chief declared, earning growls and barks from the gathered Kobolds, ¡°Make strong! Protect den!¡±


    The Kobolds stomped their feet and thumped their spears against the ground, yipping, barking, snarling and growling in agreement. Only the commanders remained relatively quiet.


    It took me a few moments to realise, but the commanders were all wearing the magical armour I had offered as gifts during our first meeting at the Stonepaw¡¯s fortress. A testament to the extreme resizing capabilities the armour was capable of.


    Six of the Kobold commanders held spears, while the four others held slings and had short narrow knives hanging from their belts. The Kobolds assembled behind each of them were more or less armed the same.


    When the Kobolds calmed down, I led them out the inner gates and toward the wagon train where an excited Major and his senior officers were already waiting.


    The corners of Major Fitz¡¯s mouth twitched in excitement at the sight of the host of Kobolds. With close to five hundred soldiers under his command, the two hundred or so Kobolds represented the largest auxiliary force to date, both numerically and proportionately. Moreover, the Kobolds Racial Abilities provided Synergies that played to the Humans'' strengths as much as the Kobolds themselves.


    ¡°This is Major Fitz,¡± I explained while pointing to the Major, ¡°He is in charge of all of the Human warriors that are here today,¡± These are his Captains,¡± I pointed to each of the three Captains in turn and lingered on the last Captain¡¯s insignia and chevrons, ¡°Their rank can be identified by these symbols on their helmets or shoulder.¡±


    I repeated the process with Lieutenant Vaile and then waved over a Sergeant so the Kobold commanders had the opportunity to have a look at each rank and become more familiar with them.


    ¡°Who is the most senior pack leader,¡± I asked the Kobold commanders, despite already having my suspicions.


    The nine other commanders all turned to a larger black and grey-furred Kobold.


    Having guessed correctly, I pointed to the Black and grey-furred Kobold and his name popped into my mind almost instantly, ¡°Grolf will hold the provisional rank of Captain and the other pack leaders will be his Lieutenants.¡± I turned my attention back toward Major Fitz, ¡°I will leave you to work out the other details amongst yourselves.¡±


    ¡°As you command Majesty!¡± Major Fitz snapped a crisp salute and was joined by his officers.


    Making my way over to Ushu, I found Clarice already in the process of giving Dhizi a thorough scrub down with a thick bristled broom. ¡°Are we going to head out with the army? Catch them up on the way? Or just fly straight to the other portal?¡± She asked somewhat distractedly.


    ¡°I thought it might be a good idea to go with them so we could help the Kobold¡¯s commanders capture some Beasts for their Leadership Class requirements,¡± I replied while retrieving a huge brush to begin scrubbing down Ushu.


    Clarice paused for a few moments and nodded, ¡°Makes sense,¡± she agreed and was about to begin working again but stopped, ¡°Hey, Tim?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I replied somewhat distractedly while vigorously displacing dirt, dust and dried crusted blood from Ushu¡¯s scales.


    ¡°Do you think those Kobolds are small enough to ride those Guzzards?¡± Clarice asked curiously.


    I frowned and compared the dimensions of each monster in my head, ¡°I think the Kobolds would be too heavy to fly long distances, but yeah, they probably can.¡±


    ¡°That kinda sucks,¡± Clarice grumbled in disappointment.


    I shrugged, ¡°I was planning on helping them tame this other kind of Beast that¡¯s out there. Even after the Labyrinth grows too strong for them, they can just be sent back to pull wagons or something.¡±


    ¡°Assuming we find any,¡± Clarice interjected, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any on our way over here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought that was a little strange,¡± I agreed, ¡°I can only assume they might have been scared off because of our numbers or something.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Clarice agreed with an exaggerated shrug of her own. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s that earring even do?¡± She asked, nodding her head toward the plain golden ring pierced through the leathery membrane and around the base of the frontmost spine in Ushu¡¯s dorsal crest.


    I did my best not to laugh, ¡°It plays music when you feed mana into it, but only the person wearing it can hear it.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Clarice snickered, ¡°That sounds worse than useless.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°It does seem to keep Ushu entertained though,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°More like distracted,¡± Clarice corrected, ¡°What music does it even play anyway?¡±


    ¡°I think it changes depending on what you want,¡± I replied uncertainly, ¡°I actually wouldn¡¯t mind trading Ushu something for it, but he seems quite taken with it.¡± The earring was essentially an MP3player, and if I was right about how it functioned, my own memories would provide the playlist.


    ¡°Yeah, about that. Would you mind snapping up some magic armour for me? Especially some boots?¡± Clarice asked with earnest sincerity, ¡°Dhizi¡¯s scales are doing all sorts of damage to my boots,¡± she motioned down to her right boot.


    The inner facing of the boot looked positively thrashed from where it had rubbed against Dhizi¡¯s rigid overlapping scales. It was a problem I shared in regard to my pants, but I largely ignored it.


    Concentrating, I mentally reviewed the stockpile of assorted magic items and summoned the first pair of boots I found.


    Clarice gratefully kicked off her old pair and pulled on the new ones.


    I had no idea if magic boots would need breaking in or not, but I figured it was now Clarice¡¯s problem.


    After brushing Ushu down, I saddled him up and then browsed the magic item stockpile while Iwaited for the army to begin moving out. More or less as I had expected, no one was exchanging any more magic items with unique effects. No matter how strange they may be.


    Once the army began its march, Clarice and Dhizi took to the sky, while Ushu seemed content with ambling along the flank of the wagon train.


    Without the sleds to bog them down, the Kobolds seemed to have no trouble matching the speed of the wagons. They outpaced the Asrusians while on screening manoeuvres and scouting as well. Whether they were actively burning MP or HP to maintain that speed, I was unsure, but I also figured that it didn¡¯t really matter. The soldiers and officers would have no doubt explained the ongoing war quest objectives and redemption points system to the Kobolds. So all they needed was a good fight to earn some points for supplies to replenish their HP.


    Major Fitz¡¯s battalion was something of an oddity. First of all, because Fitz himself was the first Major of the Asrusian Military that I had met. Secondly, because the soldiers under his command had the most diverse representation of Classes I had seen thus far.


    Very much aware that I would need to speak to someone in order to confirm my suspicions, I still felt like I had already determined the cause. The army was taking advantage of my little crusade to power level the ¡®new¡¯ Classes so they could catalogue the Abilities and make plans for retraining the rest of the army. Considering the fact that Changing Class required starting over from level zero, retaining soldiers was a very serious affair.


    Noticing Dhizi suddenly shifting course and angling toward the ground nearby, I urged Ushu to come to a halt.


    Dhizi came to a skipping halt a few dozen feet away, clawing into the earth to arrest her momentum in a similar fashion to Ushu and leaving deep furrows in the ground.


    ¡°I think I spotted one of those Beasts you were talking about!¡± Clarice called out after pinching down her bandana, ¡°It¡¯s only a short distance over that way!¡± She pointed to the right of the column, ¡°It looked like it was trying to hide amongst a large cluster of boulders!¡±


    I gave Clarice a thumbs up and urged Ushu to quickly push to the front of the column.


    ¡°Is there a problem, Majesty?¡± Major Fitz asked respectfully as I dismounted, leaning in his saddle so he could angle himself to make eye contact.


    ¡°We have located a Beast, and I would like to give the Stonepaw commanders a chance to unlock a Leadership Class,¡± I explained, looking toward Grolf who had left the column alongside the Major at my approach.


    Major Fitz nodded in understanding, ¡°Ah, of course. Do you require any assistance, Majesty?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°If it becomes dangerous, I¡¯ll just kill it.¡±


    Major Fitz bobbed his head, no doubt having expected as much.


    ¡°If we are successful, riding lessons might be in order,¡± I conceded, ¡°But we shall see how things pan out.¡± I turned my attention to Grolf, ¡°As the most senior ranking of the Stonepaw commanders, would you like to go first?¡± I asked.


    Shielding his eyes against the sun so he could look up at me, Grlof nodded respectfully, ¡°Grolf leads, pack follows,¡± he replied with a weighty sense of solemn responsibility.


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied and turned back to Ushu, ¡°If you follow the Major and avoid causing trouble, I will give you a nice snack when I come back. Deal?¡±


    Drool ran dribbled over Ushu¡¯s scaly lips, ¡°Boooooar Fleshhh,¡± he rumbled in response, spraying spittle over the ground.


    ¡°Roast boar?¡± I Mentally reviewed the stockpile, ¡°Deal. But I want you to be on your best behaviour.¡±


    Ushu huffed indignantly and I decided to take that as a confirmation.


    ¡°This way,¡± I pointed in the direction Clarice had indicated and cut across the column, allowing Grolf to pass through alongside me. ¡°Do you have a name for the big furry Beasts here on the hills?¡± I asked, having long since forgotten their name myself.


    Grolf nodded soberly, ¡°Hill-King Carnivorous,¡± he stated darkly, flattening his ears and slightly tucking his tail between his legs before growling and forcing himself to a state of strained normalcy.


    I frowned, finding the name familiar, but also keenly aware that it wasn¡¯t quite right. ¡°Right, well, when we find the Hill-King, the ultimate goal is for you to buckle this-¡± I summoned a large leather collar into my hand, ¡°-around its neck. If you can manage it on your own, it will unlock the Wrangler Advanced Class as well as the Beast Trainer Advanced Class. If I have to restrain it for you, you will only get the second one, understand?¡±


    Grolf nodded.


    I handed Grolf the collar and couldn¡¯t help but notice that it was just about as long as he was tall. ¡°You might want to practise with the buckle first,¡± I suggested, ¡°I have found the buckles to be rather fiddly.¡±


    Grolf nodded again and began fiddling with the buckle.


    ¡°When the collar goes around its neck, you need to put some of your blood on that manastone to establish the Bond and assert your dominance,¡± I continued, briefly glancing at the sky as Dhizi passed by overhead, ¡°Normally, the contest is a battle of wills between the Beast and whoever is trying to tame it. But I have a Class Ability that should make it much easier. So long as you get the collar around its neck and mark the mana stone with your blood, that should be enough.¡±


    Grolf nodded, but I could tell by the strange slant of his ears that something was up.


    ¡°You have a question?¡± I prompted.


    Grolf nodded, ¡°Biggest Majesty, saying buckle. Binding no working?¡± He asked hesitantly.


    I took a moment to puzzle out his meaning and then thought it best to clarify, just in case, ¡°You want to know if you can just tie the collar instead?¡± I asked.


    Grolf nodded.


    ¡°You could tie it instead,¡± I confirmed, ¡°And you could technically put your blood on the mana stone in advance, but if the blood gets rubbed off before you manage to tie the collar on, you would be in a lot of danger.¡±


    Grolf remained silent, his fuzzy wolf-like tail slowly wagging from one side to another while we walked.


    Realistically, I didn¡¯t expect Grolf to be able to unlock the Wrangler Advanced Class. Not by taming a Hill-King. Easily the size of a tiger, and built like a bear, the damn things probably had close to eight times or more bodyweight on any given Kobold.


    ¡°Largest Majesty?¡± Grolf held up the collar, ¡°Grolf can having more?¡± He asked shrewdly.


    I shrugged and summoned another collar that was close to identical to the first.


    Grolf eagerly accepted the second collar and buckled them together, forming a single very long collar. Picking up a stone the size of his fist, Grolf then tied the end without the buckle around the rock. Taking a firm grip on the leather with both hands, Grolf used the weight of the stone to begin spinning the collar like a sling,


    ¡°You want to try and Bola it,¡± I muttered in surprise, finally having realised what he was up to.


    ¡°Bow-la?¡± Grolf seemed confused.


    ¡°A corded thing with stones, you throw it to bind an enemy''s legs or arms,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Grolf tilted his head slightly, regarded the collar for a moment and then nodded.


    We continued walking in silence


    ¡°I am fairly certain I can daze it a little without compromising the Class unlock conditions,¡± I commented, ¡°So the plan is to have it focus its attention on me so you can try to get the collar around its neck. Agreed?¡±


    ¡°Grolf obey,¡± Grolf replied obediently.


    The prospect of slugging it out against a Hill-King was surprisingly invigorating. With magical items protecting my vitals, and digits, I had an overwhelming combination of advantages against what was functionally a wild animal.


    Pitched fighting during Conquests, against the Werrian Imperials, and the undead had dulled the more civilised section of my brain. Anything or anyone that was not an ally, was a potential food source or an enemy. I couldn¡¯t afford sympathy, let alone empathy, for an enemy. Iron Gut had a unique means all its own of dictating what was deserving of empathy.


    To protect my family, I needed food to survive. For all the joy Lash, Pete and Suzy brought into my life, they had revealed a depth of moral bedrock far below what I had thought myself capable of.


    If push came to shove, I was willing to make things abominably simple.


    The thought chilled me, but I made no attempts to deny it.


    Dhizi had begun wheeling about in a slow circle, indicating that the hiding place of the Hill-King was very likely just a short distance further ahead.


    ¡°Do you track by sense of smell?¡± I asked curiously, unsure if Kobolds shared a canine''s keen sense of smell.


    ¡°Grolf smells Hill-King,¡± Grolf replied with the hint of nervous whine and slight flattening of his ears.


    ¡°Just remember what I said earlier,¡± I reminded him reassuringly, ¡°Let it come for me and choose your moment. If I think I am in danger, I will kill it. So don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Grolf¡¯s right ear twitched as he nodded obediently.


    After a few minutes, the boulders Clarice had described earlier came into view.


    I spent a few moments stretching to limber up and then headed directly toward the boulders on the hillside.


    ¡°Grrrrrrr,¡± Grolf came to an abrupt halt, bared his teeth and flattened his ears against his head, ¡°No alone!¡± He warned while slowly backing away.


    ¡°There is more than one?¡± I asked warily, ¡°Do you know how many?¡± I spent some mana to amplify the effects of my inspiring presence.


    Grolf calmed down almost immediately but was still understandably wary of the danger, ¡°Two,¡± Grolf stated confidently, ¡°Hiding under hill, hiding behind rocks,¡± He pointed to the boulders.


    ¡°They have a hole? I guess that makes sense...¡± I muttered, ¡°And that would be why Clarice is having trouble finding them.¡±


    ¡°Okay, new plan,¡± I summoned a steel club from Sanctuary¡¯s stockpile of magic items and gingerly bled mana into it. With a core of wood and banded by rings of steel, I was curious how much abuse the magical weapon would be able to take before being destroyed. ¡°I am going to try and disable one outright, while pinning the other. Once there is one left, you can try and capture it with the collar,¡± I ordered while stomping toward the boulders.


    As I came within two dozen feet of the boulders, the first Hill-King came leaping out and onto the hillside. It cleared half the distance between us in moments and was already leaping into the air before it seemed to realise its trajectory would send it crashing headfirst into my knees.


    *


    Despite being prepared for the Hill-King, I had also misjudged its expected trajectory. My fist caught the Hill-King in the side of the head and sent it tumbling down the Hill as I fumbled the club from the poorly placed blow.


    I had to abandon retrieving the club when the second Hill-King came scrambling out from behind the boulders amidst a cloud of loose dirt.


    Roaring savagely, the second Hill-King came to an abrupt halt as it laid eyes on me. No longer the alpha predator, and not driven to a frenzy by a Conquest, the Hill-King seemed at a loss on what to do. Baring its teeth and raising its hackles, the Hill-King seemed at a loss on how it should approach.


    ¡°Reowr!¡± The second Hill-King yowled down the hill toward the first Hill-King.


    I glanced down the hill and was relieved to see that the first Hill-King was very still. I looked back at the second Hill-King, and he stared back at me.


    I could see the anger building in his eyes as he came to terms with his new position in the food chain. Then his eyes suddenly flicked to my right. Before I could properly register what was happening, the Hill-King leapt into motion.


    Skidding below my fist, the Hill-King scrambled down the hill toward Grolf.


    Seemingly unafraid, with teeth bared and hackles raised, Grolf stood his ground. Still spinning the collar, Grolf leapt aside just in time to narrowly avoid being disempowered by the Kill-King¡¯s right paw. In the process, Grolf¡¯s grip slackened and the stone sailed under the Hill-King¡¯s open jaws.


    In the instant the Hill-King landed and began correcting its course to lunge at Grolf again, Grolf tightened his grip on the collar with his left hand, and pulled it with his right.


    The Hill-King¡¯s left claw came swiping in toward Grolf¡¯s head, but came to a lurching halt as it depressed the fur on the side of his head and a Status Alert popped into view.


    [ Grolf has Tamed Hulking Carnifex ]


    Grolf looked like he was standing completely still, but as I leaned down to check on him, and make sure the collar was secure, I realised that he was actually trembling in terror. Grolf¡¯s distress, and my apparent overestimation of his courage, reframed the events of the battle in an uncomfortable light.


    ¡°Grolf, are you okay?¡± I asked with concern. The Kobolds'' morale would no doubt take a serious hit if we returned to the column and Grolf was still frightened half to death.


    ¡°Grolf alive?¡± Grolf released a keening whine and lowered his ears as he began to breathe and look around with wide eyes.


    ¡°You are alive,¡± I confirmed, and scratched his furry ears, ¡°You managed to tame the Beast just in time. I don¡¯t think I have ever seen such supreme timing and skill.¡±


    Grolf¡¯s keening lessened and his tail came out from his legs, Grolf¡¯s tail began to wag, ¡°Grolf defeating Hill-King?!¡±


    The Hulking Carnifex huffed but remained otherwise immobile.


    Grolf began hopping about and barking in celebration.


    Considering how close to death, or significant disfigurement, he had been, I decided to let him have his moment while I investigated the other Carnifex.


    It was still breathing but seemed to be unconscious. The side of its head was already swollen and was continuing to swell further.


    Grabbing the unconscious Carnifex by the scruff of its neck, I began dragging it back the way we had come from while adjusting somewhat to account for the battalion¡¯s progress. While initially unwilling to trust his tamed Carnifex, Grolf seemed to have come to a decision when we were halfway back and sat himself down on the Canrifex¡¯s large back. Holding onto the collar instead of reins and just about constantly jostled about, he didn¡¯t seem particularly comfortable.


    However, upon our return, Grolf''s sacrifices immediately began to pay off as his juniors and peers began lavishing him with praise. Objectively, taming a Carnifex was a herculean feat of daring and skill for a monster as small and comparatively frail as a Kobold.


    So it cheapened it somewhat when Grolf¡¯s second, Hruf, Unlocked the Beast trainer Advanced Class by putting a collar on the unconscious Carnifex I had dragged back to the battalion.


    Rather than being upset, Grolf seemed to take it in stride. No doubt because Hruf¡¯s Carnifex needed to be carried in a wagon, while his own Carnifex was being fitted with a modified saddle.


    Contrary to my expectations, Grolf spent more time and energy regaling the other Kobolds of my part in the capture than his own. Misrepresenting my poorly placed blow against the side of its head as a carefully calculated and controlled strike to immobilise but not kill the first Carnifex. And how I intimidated the second Carnifex to buy enough time for Grolf to prepare his gambit.


    ¡°None of that¡¯s true is it?¡± Clarice gave me a bemused grin.


    I nodded and couldn¡¯t help but grin back, ¡°It jumped lower than I expected, so my fist hit it instead of the club, and the second one just seemed to have more time to judge the situation than the first one did¡±


    ¡°Figures,¡± Clarice snickered, ¡°Still though, not bad.¡±


    ¡°Could definitely have gone worse,¡± I agreed, ¡°Sticking to Guzzards might just be the way to go after all.¡±


    Clarice shrugged and wavered her palm, ¡°Eh? There isn¡¯t really anything stopping you from just clobbering some more of them unconscious for the other Kobolds. Wrangler is ¡®okay¡¯ but they don¡¯t really need it, you know?¡±


    Clarice had a point.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed thoughtfully, ¡°And even if they did, there are easier Beasts to target...¡± I sighed as I realised I had placed the poor Kobold in danger almost completely unnecessarily ¡°Oh well, at least no one was injured.¡±


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°I dunno, it¡¯s not bad that you helped secure the guy¡¯s reputation either. I¡¯m just saying that there''s easier ways of going about things. No need to make things harder than they need to be, you know?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°I know.¡±


    Clarice gave my hip a light thump with her fist and then made her way back over to Dhizi.


    Ushu had already demolished the entire smoked Hulking Boar carcass I had rewarded him with, but I decided to continue walking on foot for a while longer.


    Despite the best efforts of the battalion Surgeons, the Carnifex died after a few hours. I assumed it was most likely due to its brain swelling from the blow it took to the head, but there wasn¡¯t any need to actually check.


    Ushu was more than happy to dispose of the corpse, and Hruf didn¡¯t seem particularly put out. So I did my best to just not think about it.


    The absence of monsters during the long march was strange, but it allowed the battalion to move at an unnaturally brisk pace without interruption.


    However, in the early evening, Lieutenant Vaile hurriedly made her way down the column with disturbing news. Goatmen warbands had gathered around the second portal and were attempting to lay siege to the established defences.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have any siege engines, but their numbers allowed them to overrun the outermost defences,¡± Lieutenant Vaile reported with concern. ¡°However, Captain Nila insists that the interior defences will hold. The Major strongly requests your Majesty remain with the battalion so we can reinforce Captain Nila in force.¡±


    ¡°I will stay with the battalion,¡± I agreed, ¡°But you can tell the Major that I want to send Clarice ahead with at least one of your Surgeons.¡±


    Lieutenant Vaile nodded in understanding, snapped a salute and briskly jogged back up the column to the Major¡¯s position.


    ¡°Can you get Clarice¡¯s attention for me bud?¡± I asked Ushu, ¡°There¡¯s another treat in it for you if you do.¡±


    Ushu huffed and shook his scaly neck before taking a deep breath. Lifting his head up into the sky, Ushu opened his mouth slightly and released a high-pitched clicking chirp.


    The Kobolds in the column barked and yipped in confusion, staring warily at Ushu and glancing up at the sky.


    Ushu ignored their stares and continued ambling forward while keeping an eye on Dhizi, who had begun slowly descending toward the column.


    Dhizi managed to land with minimal skidding, showing a marked improvement from her frequent practice. Clarice was showing her own growing familiarity with the exotic saddle, unseating herself and hopping off of Dhizi¡¯s back in a single fluid motion.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Clarice asked as she pulled down the bandana covering her mouth.


    ¡°Goatmen are swarming around the portal, I want you to take a Surgeon over to Nila, just in case,¡± I explained while glancing off toward the Major, ¡°Vaile is discussing it with the Major now.¡±


    ¡°No shit?¡± Clarice cursed lightly in surprise, ¡°I was wondering where all the damn monsters were hiding...How many of them are there? Do we know?¡±


    ¡°At least a thousand,¡± I replied, ¡°But that¡¯s only Goatmen. The moment the killing starts, the place will be swarmed with Guzzards.¡±


    The top half of Clarice¡¯s face was hidden beneath her helmet, but her lips twisted into an expression of disgust, ¡°Yeah...That¡¯s not going to be fun...¡± Clarice kicked at the dirt and sighed, ¡°Am I just dropping off the Surgeon? Or am I hanging around after?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you,¡± I replied sympathetically, ¡°You might not even have room for Dhizi to land. But I assume you will, since Cooper is presumably inside of the said defences.¡±


    Clarice nodded in understanding but looked toward the Kobolds, ¡°What if I took one of the puppies with me for the Synergies?¡± She asked thoughtfully, ¡°Even with the Synergy, the army isn¡¯t going to make it any time soon.¡±


    I nodded and waved toward the nearest group of Kobolds, ¡°So long as you can find a volunteer and Dhizi has enough room.¡±


    Clarice shrugged and grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll just need to pick a smaller Surgeon.¡±


    There were at least a couple of female Surgeons, so it wasn¡¯t an entirely unrealistic option.


    I was interrupted from my musings as Ushu nudged his snout into the small of my back and nearly bowled me over.


    ¡°Sssnaaaack,¡± Ushu growled hungrily as a reminder of our agreement.


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed with a sigh, ¡°Do you want the usual? Or something different?¡±


    Ushu contemplated the issue for a few moments and was about to answer when I interrupted him.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t any more boar, so don¡¯t even ask,¡± I warned him.


    Ushu huffed disappointedly, ¡°Lurrrrkerrrr,¡± he rumbled with visible disappointment.


    I summoned the stiff blackened corpse of a roasted Swamp Lurker and tried not to smile as Ushu snapped the Swamp Lurker up and raised his head and neck so he could gulp it down whole.


    Knowing that Dhizi was going to need energy for her trip, I summoned another roasted Swamp Lurker in front of Ushu so he couldn¡¯t get jealous and then made my way over to Dhizi. ¡°How are you doing Dhizi?¡± I asked while scratching under her chin.


    Dhizi angled her chin to allow me better access and gave a chittering hiss in reply that I interpreted as sounding generally positive. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do you want some frog?¡± I asked playfully, reviewing the stockpile, and summoning a giant roasted frog into my free hand and waving it side to side.


    Dhizi made a rumbling whimper and nodded her snout toward the frog.


    ¡°Let me see your teeth first,¡± I insisted, wanting to take the opportunity to make sure Clarice was taking good care of her.


    Dhizi obediently opened her wedge-shaped jaws and exposed her serrated teeth.


    Ignoring the smell, I carefully looked over each of her teeth and inspected her gums for signs of potential damage. Finding no obvious problems, I angled Dhizi¡¯s mouth toward the light so I could look into her throat. Satisfied that there was no sign of infection and no bones lodged in her throat, I released her mouth and flipped the giant frog into the air.


    Dhizi caught it with an audible crunch, crushing the fragile frog bones easily. Worrying at the carcass with the clawed fingers on her wings to reposition the frog in her mouth, Dhizi grunted and growled in satisfaction. She had just about finished when Clarice returned with her Kobold volunteer.


    ¡°Did you just feed Dhizi one of those Bull-Frogs?¡± Clarice asked curiously.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied while patting Dhizi¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Probably just as well,¡± Clarice commented, ¡°Anything heavier and we might have been in trouble.¡±


    I looked down at the Kobold in confusion, ¡°You have second doubts?¡±


    Clarice followed my gaze and snorted derisively, ¡°About him? Nah. It¡¯s the Surgeon I¡¯m worried about,¡± she nodded her head in the direction of the tall broad-shouldered man hastily approaching alongside Lieutenant Vaile. ¡°I figure he¡¯s gotta be close to twice the weight I was originally expecting.¡±


    Looking the man over, I was inclined to agree with her and now worried that I might have to send Clarice with Ushu instead.


    *****


    Count Streigr frowned as he finished reading through the report provided by his trusted aide for the fifth time in as many minutes. Reclining in his seat, he stared at the parchment for a solid minute further without uttering a single word as he collected his thoughts.


    ¡°Has this been verified?¡± Count Streigr demanded neutrally.


    ¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± Manfred replied respectfully, remaining still as a statue and staring straight ahead at nothing in particular.


    Count Streigr scrutinised his aide for a few moments and then scowled, ¡°And you made sure to eliminate the possibility of mimics, changelings and the like?¡± He pressed, staring down his large aquiline nose at the craggy-faced servant.


    ¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± Manfred repeated in a carefully balanced and respectful tone, ¡°I witnessed the tests administered myself, my Lord.¡±


    Count Streigr¡¯s scowl deepened and his grey eyes narrowed. ¡°Has the feat been replicated?¡± He demanded, motioning to the report without breaking eye contact.


    ¡°Several times, my Lord,¡± Manfred answered without hesitation or guile, ¡°All individuals are under Heavy guard by your Lordship¡¯s personal house guard.¡±


    ¡°Good man,¡± Count Streigr gave Manfred a perfunctory nod and rose from his seat before he slowly began to pace the length of the room.


    Completely bare except for the chair and desk Count Streigr himself had supplied, the otherwise barren study was much like the rest of the noble estate. Suspiciously empty.


    Every other estate in the topmost district of the city was the same. There were signs of furniture being moved from the premises, but no signs of said furniture within the city itself.


    There had been rumours of a secret tunnel out of the city, but Count Streigr¡¯s men hadn¡¯t found any signs of said tunnel either. And there was the matter of the missing citizenry to consider also.


    If close to a million people had used a secret tunnel, Count Streigr was certain that there would be signs left of their passing. Yet the only such signs of heavy traffic led to the Labyrinth itself.


    Count Streigr¡¯s frown deepened.


    A staunch believer in the undeniable merits afforded by rulership and governance by talented members of the established aristocracy, it galled him to consider that the Baron Karaticus might very well have marched the city''s population into the Labyrinth at sword point out of spite. Yet as much as it galled him, Count Streigr could not deny that it aligned with what he had heard of the man through mutual acquaintances.


    However, the contents of the report afforded another distinct possibility.


    ¡°There are still no signs of the Baron Karaticus or his family?¡± Count Streigr asked, already knowing the answer but wanting confirmation.


    ¡°No, my Lord,¡± Manfred replied dutifully, ¡°Every Adventurer Guild foothold in the Laine Labyrinth has been searched with the exception of those mentioned in the report.¡±


    Count Streigr spared a few moments to glare at the report.


    Its contents, by all known logic, should have been impossible.


    The whole city was disgorging one mystery after another, and offering no definitive answers.


    ¡°Have Captain Wiken attempt to enter the firstmost floor of the Labyrinth again,¡± Count Streigr ordered, ¡°Make sure it is made absolutely clear that I expect them to be as thorough as possible. It has very nearly been twenty-four hours since their first attempt, and there is a distinct possibility that the Asrusians somehow managed to leverage a Raid to their advantage in order to conceal themselves.¡±


    ¡°As you command, my Lord,¡± Manfred bowed and saw himself out, walking quickly but not so fast as to be unseemly.


    Left alone once more, Count Streigr turned to face the window and glared out over the promenade.


    Seizing the city of Laine had been far easier and a great deal less costly than initially anticipated. What¡¯s more, the Werrian¡¯s army had been dealt catastrophic losses before Count Streigr¡¯s arrival, retreating immediately rather than engaging in open battle. At the time, the Count had been pleased with how everything had exceeded his wildest expectations. However, that euphoria dissipated upon learning that the entire civilian population had disappeared.


    Count Streigr¡¯s mood had only worsened upon the revelation that the first five floors of the Laine Labyrinth had somehow also disappeared.


    Complicating things still further, Count Streigr had now learned that the Laine Labyrinth could very literally turn all men who entered it into monsters.


    Lesser men, of greater ambition and feeble morals, would no doubt rejoice at the lattermost news and ignore the former as they lowered the common man still further into the role of savage beasts. Count Streigr was no such man, and he would do his utmost to delay said men from learning of the temptation. He had volunteered to lead the army in order to minimise the suffering and depravity of war, not to encourage its escalation.


    Count Streigr clenched his fists and fought back the almost overwhelming urge to curse and give voice to his frustrations.


    Fists trembling, and blood pooling beneath his fingernails, Count Streigr curled his lips in contempt and glowered in the direction of the Labyrinth. ¡°How much easier would it be to rein in man''s baser nature without your presence tempting them to their base most selves?¡± He whispered darkly.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 51 – Cooperation is key – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 51 ¨C Cooperation is key ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 51 - Cooperation is key - Part One


    The sky was beginning to darken as the large and incomplete curtain walls appeared in the distance. Practically swarming with dark humanoid figures, it wasn¡¯t until the battalion drew closer that I began to make out the squat tower in the centre of the incomplete defences.


    However, the arrival of the battalion generated a similar reaction to kicking over an anthill. Warhorns, feral screams and discordant shouts filled the air as the Goatmen abandoned their siege of the tower and began swarming out of the valley.


    The Asrusian soldiers took up defensive formations that made the best use of the rugged terrain and the Kobold auxiliaries did much the same.


    Archers, crossbowmen, slingers and skirmishers hurling javelins exacted a punishing toll on the Goatmens centremost mass, causing the horde to splinter before the Goatmen reached the braced Asrusian and Kobold spears.


    With little to no armour, the Goatmen were prime targets for every strike of opportunity. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Conversely, the Asrusians and Kobold spearmen were able to shrug off glancing blows entirely and weather direct hits while taking minimal damage.


    The traditional nature of the engagement quickly changed as the exotic Class Abilities of the Asrusians were deployed to devastating effect.


    A portly-looking middle-aged Sergeant raised two thick sticks and began belting out an aggressive and highly repetitive series of notes on the large drum anchored to his midsection. Alternating and combining strikes against the rim, the side and the skin of the drum, the Sergeant¡¯s aggressive tempo brought a whole new dimension of excitement and anticipation to the imminent violence.


    I felt a fuzzy sensation take hold of my chest and noticed a visible change in the soldiers and Kobolds as well. Instead of nervously anticipating the approach of the enemy, they had grown markedly restless instead.


    Banners bearing crests of both the Asrusian Royal family and Sanctuary erupted to life and fluttered vibrantly in the otherwise still air, propelled into motion by the mana of the soldiers that bore them.


    Leaving his spear impaled in the bowels of a staggering Goatman, a large Asrusian soldier stepped forward from the formation and kicked another Goatman in the chest, causing a torrent of bloody viscera to erupt out of the Goatman¡¯s back.


    A shorter woman released an inhuman howl as an extra pair of arms materialised on her back. Each of the new clawed hands held thick ridged shortswords and seemed to move independently of the soldier¡¯s immediate perception, blocking and deflecting incoming strikes while the soldier pushed into the scattered ranks of the Goatmen.


    An otherwise unassuming soldier on the leftmost flank became shrouded in a cloak of darkness, levitating slightly off the ground. His longsword became sheathed in ephemeral pale blue light and visibly drained the strength from any Goatmen he struck. At the same time, he shrugged off any attacks he received in turn.


    ¡°WITNESS!¡± A female soldier shrieked with determination, breaking ranks and rushing toward the enemy, ¡°Witness!¡± The five other soldiers from her immediate vicinity cried in unison as charged after her a moment later. Each blow they delivered against the Goatmen was accompanied by the cawing of ravens, and every Goatman slain in their vicinity generated a sparse cloud of near translucent grey feathers.


    Every kill drove the six soldiers into a greater frenzy, hacking and hewing through limbs with bestial vigour and speed.


    A trio of soldiers followed in the six soldiers'' wake, pale nearly invisible wings of copper light flickering upon their backs and over their shoulders. Besides following the other soldiers, they themselves made no attempts at actively engaging the enemy.


    Up and down the formation, other soldiers activated their Abilities to unexpected and violent effect.


    Bright flashes of golden light sporadically erupted from the ranks of the soldiers as the Goatman warband was massacred in a ruthlessly bloody melee. Any Goatmen that attempted to flee were mowed down by an unrelenting hail of missiles.


    All told, the battle lasted less than a couple of minutes.


    While many of the soldiers had expended great amounts of mana, they had also probably gained more by levelling up than they had lost.


    The Kobolds had done their part and done it well, but they wore expressions of awe and deep respect as they considered the Humans in their midst. The mixed showcasing of Classes had apparently impressed them a great deal, and they weren¡¯t the only ones.


    The sheer one-sided brutality of the battle had been beyond my wildest expectations. While I had not expected to lose, I had expected the battle to drag out as the Goatmen¡¯s sheer numbers were brought to bear. Furthermore, I hadn¡¯t anticipated the luxury of simply watching from behind the battle.


    The Major wasted no time in ordering the wagons forward and issuing work details for harvesting mana stones and disposing of the corpses. Ushu happily volunteered himself for both duties and set to gorging on the bodies of the dead Goatmen. The Kobolds volunteered as well, proving remarkably adept at retrieving the manastones while leaving the corpses for the Asrusian work details to haul away.


    Wandering amidst the field of carnage, I found Grolf busily harvesting manastones as part of a small team. The Sergeant with the drum harness was shadowing Grolf and explaining how the redemption points worked and how manastones could be donated for Exp. Which in turn led to a discussion regarding the superiority of the Evolution Elixirs to the raw manastones.


    To prove his point, the Sergeant gave Grolf an Evolution Elixir purchased from his own contribution points.


    Heeding the Sergeant¡¯s warnings, Grolf took small sips of the Elixir and made sure to take some time in between.


    Within less than a minute, Grolf grew a full inch in height, sparking immediate excitement from the other Kobolds in his immediate vicinity.


    Before passing out of earshot, I overheard the Sergeant detailing the finder points of how Evolution progression worked, and the literacy lessons the Asrusian army would be providing them in the coming weeks.


    I made a mental note to make a point of sitting in on any lessons that would help me with learning to read the local language. It was getting frustrating relying on other people to read official reports and notices for me.


    Proceeding to the tower at the centre of the incomplete defences, I had to step aside rather hurriedly when Dhizi leapt down from the second-story battlements and eagerly rushed toward the field of corpses.


    The large pair of doors on the front of the tower were scaled to accommodate my size. However, as best as I could tell from the outside, there would only be a foot or so in headroom once I made my way inside. The doors themselves were made of solid stone and bore all manner of light scratches from where the Goatmen had attempted to force their way inside.


    With no handles on the outside, I briefly considered climbing the wall of the tower to the battlements of the second floor. The embrasures would have made the effort somewhat easier, but I decided against it after a large section of the ground a short distance from the tower suddenly collapsed.


    A few moments later, Cooper began slowly making her way out of the hole, climbing a ramp I hadn¡¯t noticed originally.


    Glancing back toward the tower, I realised that Cooper would not have fit inside it, let alone been able to use the doors. ¡°The fortress is below us,¡± I realised.


    ¡°Pardon, Majesty?¡± Nila asked politely while walking alongside Cooper.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I shook my head and snorted derisively, ¡°Just, for some reason, I thought Cooper would be in the tower,¡± I explained with another shake of my head.


    Nila briefly looked over at the tower and then made a visible effort to control her expression.


    ¡°Am I to assume that the barracks, supply stations and other spaces are all down below?¡± I asked with a slight grin.


    Nila nodded and was making an effort not to smile, ¡°Aye, Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Where is the Pact Binder?¡± I asked, taking on a more serious tone, ¡°With all the Goatmen from the immediate area already dead, and Guzzards soon to begin swarming the carcasses, the Conquest needs to be initiated before the monsters can reset. Which means we need the walls sealed up.¡±


    Nila nodded and motioned back toward the hole, ¡°Engineer Visili is on his way out now.¡±


    ¡°Visili?¡±I frowned slightly as I tried to place the name.


    ¡°He is one of the Werrian prisoners that agreed to join the citizenship program,¡± Nila explained as a thin wiry man with a pointed beard climbed up the ramp and out of the hole.


    Visili¡¯s dark eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of me, and his lips pressed into a pale thin line, disappearing beneath his thick black and grey beard. Visili bowed stiffly, ¡°Majesty,¡± he stated hoarsely in a vaguely Slavic accent I otherwise couldn¡¯t place.


    ¡°Engineer Visili,¡± I replied evenly, ¡°Do you believe you have enough mana for Cin to complete the walls before midnight?¡±


    Visili stared up at me, doing his best to look me in the eye, ¡°Yes,¡± he replied bluntly.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t keep you,¡± I stepped aside and motioned for him to continue on his way.


    Visili nodded curtly and began making his way over toward the nearest section of incomplete wall. After inspecting the wall for a few moments, a small clay bottle appeared in his hand. Uncorking the bottle with his teeth, he downed the contents in one long pull. The bottle then disappeared into thin air, donated as part of a recycling initiative to lessen the strain on the limited supply of bottles.


    Reaching into his pocket, Visili removed a small fisful of manastones which also disappeared very abruptly. However, the familiar Orc-like form of Cin appeared beside the wall only a fraction of a second later.


    I gave Cin a friendly wave before leaving her to her work.


    Cin smiled back and seemed glad for the attention, however brief it had been. As her attention returned to the walls, Cin began gathering large amounts of mana. At first, nothing seemed to happen. However, a few seconds later, thick sheets of stone began erupting out of the ground and crudely blocking the gaps between the incomplete walls.


    With all the openings now closed, Cin took a few moments to gather still more mana before actively reshaping and moulding the sheets of stone. After ten minutes of continuous work, Cin had managed to join the new stone into the existing segments of the wall and replicate the battlements. After another three minutes, she added four separate sets of stairs. With one final effort, Cin transformed an entire thirty-foot section of wall into a pair of stone doors to serve as the gate. Having likely expended the last of her borrowed mana, Cin disappeared.


    Visili stared at the wall for a while longer before slowly making his way back toward the ramp heading underground.


    Cooper was growing restless, so Nila excused herself and led the excited Drake out through the new gate.


    With the wall now completed, soldiers were hurriedly deploying lanterns at fixed intervals atop the walls and the tower.


    Descending the ramp, I found more lanterns illuminating a large winding passage that seemed to loop around and back toward the tower.


    Following the passage, I soon found myself in a colossal stone cavern. Huge pillars of dense stone supported the ceiling with thick interconnected arches.


    The far side of the cavern had another ramp that curved upward and presumably into the bottommost floor of the tower.


    A large simple fountain was set into the wall to my right and drained its overflow into a deeply recessed channel that ran the length of the cavern before disappearing through a long horizontal hole in the cavern wall. Covered by a stone grate, I was inclined to believe that it had to serve as a sort of primitive sewage and drainage system for the cavern.


    A stone monolith bearing the sigil of Sanctuary stood in the centre of the cavern. No doubt intended to serve as the Totem for the Conquest, I was thoroughly impressed by the implied difficulty any monsters would have in attempting to destroy it. Assuming the tower, monolith and cavern became staples of our strategy going forward, Conquests would be that much easier and considerably less risky.


    The train of wagons soon began entering the cavern and disgorging a portion of their contents. The tents would not be needed for shelter, but the large panels of canvas would provide certain degrees of privacy and allow the soldiers to divide up sleeping spaces more readily.


    I was still waiting for the disposal and harvesting efforts to be completed topside, so I passed the time by watching the engineers and soldiers making camp in the cavern.


    With food playing an important role in our overall strategy, it wasn¡¯t surprising at all when the cooks began setting out large makeshift tables in a designated mess area. They wasted no time in starting cooking fires in special alcoves along the wall and preparing more readily digestible food than the dried rations.


    Even if the majority of the soldiers wouldn¡¯t have a chance to eat the food while it was hot, the fresh ingredients alone would make the meals many times better than the standard rations.


    As something of an added luxury, the fountain would allow soldiers to bathe between shifts if they so desired. Small bricks of ash soap had been provided to help maintain basic hygiene and stem the potential spread of any diseases.


    A team of ten Surgeons and twenty supporting staff from amongst the regular soldiers serving as orderlies were busily walling off a sizable area closest to the ramp leading outside. Taking the advice I had given Nadine during the Raid in the Hurst Labyrinth, the Surgeons and Orderlies were setting out tables rather than beds in their designated treatment areas, and long benches instead of individual chairs in their receiving area.


    The cots they did set out were elevated on top of crates, no doubt to allow the Surgeons easier means of observing their patients. If it was the case, I had to agree that it was a good idea.


    As the minutes passed by, more soldiers began passing through the cavern. Some of the soldiers lingered just long enough to claim a sleeping space before going back outside, while others moved along to take up positions in the tower.


    The first Kobolds to descend the ramp stared at the cavern in stunned silence for a couple of minutes before slowly working up the nerve to explore.


    While exploring, the Kobolds were given ropes and sheets of canvas by the Asrusian soldiers so they could make their own living spaces.


    Watching the Kobolds work, I didn''t quite understand what they were doing until they had just about finished.


    The Asrusians were using short lengths of rope to tie the corners of the canvas to the pillars to form walls of canvas.


    The kobolds started by tying long lengths of rope between pillars, then hanging canvas over the ropes. Only, instead of leaving it like that, the Kobolds then pulled the canvas over another length of rope on the other side, forming a cloth tunnel. The loose corners at the bottom were tied off to the pillars, and the entrance was narrowed by borrowing a few crates. The cloth tunnel expanded further as more Kobolds entered the cavern to claim their sleeping spaces.


    By the time the Kobolds were finished, I was just about convinced that they had managed to build their own blanket fort. Things only grew more interesting when an enterprising Kobold raised one of the internal sections to create a sort of watchtower that allowed him to look out over the wider cavern around them.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Lieutenant Vaile had approached while I was distracted and seemed to be doing her best to remain patient.


    ¡°Yes, Lieutenant?¡± I replied with mounting excitement.


    Lieutenant Vale¡¯s attention flicked toward the monolith for a split second before returning toward me again, ¡°The Major has decided that sufficient preparations have been made to fortify our position. The Conquest is to begin at your discretion, Majesty.¡±


    I nodded and placed one hand on the Monolith, ¡°Very well. Let us begin.¡±


    Initiating the Conquest came as easily as breathing.


    My increasing familiarity with the Labyrinths¡¯ controls had allowed many of the more irritating aspects to be done away with on a conditional basis. All Status Alerts were automatically blocked from impeding my vision unless they met predetermined criteria, and the small timer only appeared in my upper peripheral vision as I required it.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± Lieutenant Vaile snapped a crisp salute and went running to report to the Major.


    In addition to the support staff, a small reserve of soldiers were left behind to guard the monolith now turned Totem.


    Very much aware that my presence would be needed to impose a certain degree of control over Ushu, I slowly began making my way out of the tunnel and back up the ramp again.


    As I had expected, Guzzards were already in the process of swarming our position. Initially drawn by the corpses, they were now Enslaved by the will of the Labyrinth to destroy the Totem or die trying.


    Unlike the previous Conquest, but similar to the battle from an hour prior, the soldiers employed their Class Abilities with a near reckless abandon. Only this time, it was the ranged Classes turn to stand in the limelight.


    A smaller male soldier standing on the southern wall broke into a blur of frenzied motion as a flock of Guzzards dove over his position and headed for the tunnel. Ten hatchets flew out of his hands one after another, hacking, cracking and biting into the Guzzards. Shearing off wings, cleaving into their bloated bellies, and severing talons.


    Clearly abusing the ability to requisition equipment from the repeatable quest to facilitate accessing so many hatchets in so little time, I was still in awe of his skill. Of all the hatchets he had thrown, only one had missed its mark entirely.


    A lone bowman patrolling the open ground near the tunnel snapped quick shots off into the sky every few seconds. Despite possessing a quiver full of arrows, the archer was utilising the same trick as the hatchet thrower, simply materialising the next arrow into her hand as she had need of it.


    In stark contrast, a nearby soldier with a crossbow was far more reserved, taking his time to choose a target and line up his shots before firing. Initially, his attacks seemed no more effective than the archer¡¯s had been, and took considerably longer breaks in between. However, the chaos generated by the projectiles swarming through the late evening sky had caused me to overlook something important.


    Each Guzzard struck by the crossbowman would fall out of the sky no less than ten seconds later, regardless of injuries inflicted before or after the crossbow bolt. The crossbowman himself seemed quite aware of this fact and gave his targets no further attention after landing a successful hit.


    The Kobold slingers were putting up a good showing, and even the soldiers who didn¡¯t specialise in ranged combat were doing their best to thin the Guzzard¡¯s numbers to prevent them from forming a proper swarm.


    Bannermen stood on the highest battlements of the tower and waved their banners while shouting encouragement to the soldiers below. The Sergeant¡¯s drum rumbled like thunder as he hammered away on the roof of the tower.


    The intermittent bright golden flashes as the soldiers levelled up was somewhat dangerous, temporarily blinding me whenever I caught the flash directly.


    Blinded by what felt like the thirtieth flash in less than three minutes, I snarled bitterly and had to restrain myself to avoid cursing aloud. The golden flash seemed designed to give away the position of anyone with a Class. Irritated, I halfheartedly attempted to disable the feature outright.


    Having expected no reaction whatsoever, it took me a moment to realise that two Status Alerts were waiting for my attention.


    [ Visual notifications of {Personal} {Class Progression} has been {Disabled} ]


    [ Visual notifications of {Subordinates} {Class Progression} has been {Disabled} ]


    ¡°Seriously...¡± I muttered incredulously, ¡°Just like that?...¡±


    A dead Guzzard crashed into the ground a short distance in front of me, rupturing on impact and spilling its foul guts across the stones.


    Taking it as a reminder to keep my wits about myself, I proceeded towards the wall and Ushu¡¯s general location. Climbing onto the wall, much to the surprise of the soldiers in the immediate vicinity, I spotted Ushu rather quickly.


    Ushu was still gorging himself on the remaining Goatmen corpses a comparatively short distance from the wall. Cooper and Dhizi were in his general vicinity as well, which meant Nila and Clarice had to be nearby too.


    Unhappy with the risk they were taking, Iput my thumb and forefinger in my mouth and belted out as loud a whistle as I could manage to try and get Ushu¡¯s attention.


    It worked a little too well and brought the ongoing battle to an abrupt momentary halt. Even the Sergeant¡¯s drumming missed a beat, amplifying the silence.


    Thankfully, Ushu took notice.


    Ignoring the stares from the soldiers, I waved at Ushu and pointed back toward the tower. I knew he was smart enough to understand the gesture, so I refused to move from my place on the wall until he moved inside of the walls.


    For half a minute or so, Ushu just stared back at me. However, as Dhizi and Cooper, led by Clarice and Nila, began returning to the fortress, Ushu reluctantly followed after them.


    ¡°You will have another chance to eat later,¡± I consoled Ushu, earning a minor unfurling of his wings in return that I interpreted as somewhat equivalent to a shrug.


    Clarice sent Dhizi down the ramp along with Nila and Cooper but opted to stay above ground, sheltering beneath the battlements of the tower.


    Hopping down off the wall, I made my way over to Clarice to make sure everything was alright. As I drew closer, I found that while Clarice was more than a little distracted, she seemed more or less fine.


    ¡°Something you want?¡± Clarice asked distractedly.


    ¡°Just checking on you,¡± I admitted, watching another Guzzard plummet out of the sky and dash itself against the wall.


    ¡°Hrm? Why?¡± Clarice asked curiously, looking up at me with an expression of mild surprise.


    I shrugged, ¡°You seemed a little out of it, you know? I just wanted to make sure you were alright. This is technically a warzone,¡± I motioned to the Guzzards being shot out of the sky.


    Clarice glanced toward the sky and frowned, ¡°Just thinking is all.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± I pressed.


    Clarice sighed and shifted her attention back toward me again, ¡°It¡¯s just, at the current rate you are going. Clearing this Labyrinth I mean. We might just reach the end of it in less than a couple of years.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I didn¡¯t really see the problem, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you guys wanted? To see things no one else has seen before?¡±


    Clarice gave me a weird look, ¡°No, not really. I wanted to get strong enough so I could change some things. Make things better for people who grew up like I did, who didn¡¯t just have the good things in life handed to them. You know?¡±


    ¡°I understand the sentiment,¡± I agreed, ¡°So what¡¯s changed? Do you think you¡¯re strong enough to change things for the better?¡±


    ¡°Pfft no!¡± Clarice snorted in a combination of self-derision and condescension, ¡°I was just trying to think about how strong I would have to actually become. It¡¯s not just some dream anymore, it¡¯s real. You are making it real, Tim, and it¡¯s kind of scaring the shit out of me.¡±


    I could appreciate the sentiment.


    It was easy enough to promise yourself you would do something that otherwise required impossible intervention or means outside of your abilities. Because, if you failed, it wouldn¡¯t be your fault. However, when you possess the means and opportunity, the blame would fall squarely at your own feet for not putting in enough effort or making poor decisions.


    ¡°Welcome to my life,¡± I grunted with a smirk.


    ¡°It fucking sucks man,¡± Clarice grinned in spite of her sour tone, ¡°Hey Tim? Did you really disable the flash from levelling up?¡±


    I nodded and sighed, ¡°I did, and I wish I had realised I could have done it sooner. These Conquests would have gone much smoother if I had.¡±


    ¡°But the flash was half the fun of the damn thing,¡± Clarice complained but was still smiling.


    ¡°Just call it out then, like you did in Hurst?¡± I suggested.


    Clarice opened her mouth as if to respond, closed it, considered my recommendation and then grinned, ¡°You might have something there,¡± she agreed eagerly.


    ¡°It would be in poor taste though, considering I am feeding you Exp directly,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°Hehe...¡± Clarice¡¯s grin faded as she realised I was serious, ¡°Aw come on!¡±


    ¡°You can brag, or you can have the free Exp. Not both,¡± I confirmed indifferently.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Clarice kicked her heel at the wall of the tower in irritation, ¡°Fine, whatever...¡± She dejectedly slouched off toward the ramp and headed down into the tunnel.


    Not wanting to waste my time doing nothing, I recalled the artefact bow from Gregory and summoned a brace of magical arrows.


    With both the bow and arrows requiring mana to resize, I patiently channelled mana into each item while choosing to search for a firing position where a misfire would be less likely to harm anyone.


    With no such place immediately available, I climbed onto the wall, summoned a barrel to hold the arrows, and waited for a Carnifex or Goatman to present themself. I had briefly considered firing at the Guzzards, but I was too worried about accidentally whiffing an arrow straight into the air and hitting a soldier or Kobold when it returned to the ground.


    ¡°I would appreciate any advice you can give me,¡± I told the archer on the wall beside me, ¡°I haven¡¯t had much practice, and I wasn¡¯t a very good shot to begin with.¡±


    The soldier looked up at me in surprise, ¡°Erm, ah, of course, yer Majesty. I¡¯ll be sure to keep an eye out.¡± He stared at the six foot long arrows in the barrel for a moment and then looked at the regular sized arrows clutched in his fist before clenching his jaw and scanning the nearby hills for targets.


    I couldn¡¯t blame him. The arrows I was going to be firing were closer to spears than traditional arrows. However, testing the draw strength on the bow confirmed that it should be able to handle the arrows¡¯ weight.


    ¡°Majesty, a furry bugger coming in fast!¡± The soldier, Burt, called out, pointing to a nearby hill.


    Sure enough, a Goatman had just crested the hilltop and was baying a warcry as he charged toward the ravine at the bottom of the hill.


    ¡°If¡¯n yer Majesty aims ahead, ye should catch¡¯im afore he can dodge!¡± Burt instructed supportively.


    I nodded and nocked my first arrow. Drawing back the bowstring in one smooth motion, just as Gregory had shown me, I was about to loose the arrow, but hesitated.


    ¡°A little lower Majesty,¡± Burt used his free hand to pull down the lower arm of my bow to adjust my aim, ¡°Now!¡±


    I released the arrow and nearly dropped the bow as I felt the force surge through the arms of the bow.


    The Goatman was ripped off his feet and impaled against the hillside as my arrow drove though his gut, burying itself to a handspan or so before the fletching.


    ¡°Nice shot Majesty!¡± Burt cheered excitedly, pumping his fist animatedly.


    Reviewing Burt¡¯s Status to determine his Class, I wasn¡¯t surprised to learn he was in fact not ¡®just¡¯ an Archer, he was a Marksman.


    ¡°Burt, I want you to teach me properly,¡± I told him, ¡°And I am going to reward you for it properly.¡± I whipped together a training quest and issued it before Burt even had the chance to react.


    Burt¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°I uh, um, uh...¡±


    Despite his initial confusion, Burt spent the next hour doing his best to cover basic theory while coaching me on proper form. Shortly after the reset, his advice became largely redundant.


    Goatmen and Carnifexes had begun rushing across the surrounding hillsides in sufficient numbers that made it difficult to miss so long as I waited until they began making their final approach toward the wall.


    All the same, Burt continued calling out advice while picking off targets of his own.


    Ushu had left the cavern and was actively hunting prey on the opposite side of the fortress alongside Cooper and Dhizi. With Clarice, Nila and her team keeping an eye on him, I tried to maintain my concentration and follow Burt¡¯s advice.


    Keeping my breathing steady, I selected a target, lined up my shot, and fired.


    I missed my intended target, but two Goatmen were critically injured as collateral damage as the arrow tore through the abdomen of one Goatman and into the leg of another.


    Drawing and firing again, I missed my target again but caught a Carnifex to its right through its neck.


    I sighed, took several breaths and tried again, and again, and again.


    Running out of arrows, I took a momentary break to summon more arrows, slowly resize them with mana, and drink a mana potion.


    Watching Burt while I replenished my mana, I felt embarrassed by the monumental divide in our skill levels and ability.


    Each shot Burt took struck a critical location on his target without fail. While not universally lethal, the instances of his targets being able to continue toward our defences after being shot were few and far between. Combined with the fact that Burst was firing an arrow a second without breaking a visible sweat, it only served to make my pisspoor performance all the more obvious.


    ¡°You are improving, Majesty,¡± Burt insisted encouragingly, dropping four Goatman in rapid succession as they crested a distant hill.


    I decided to just not respectfully continue preparing my next batch of arrows.


    Burt wasn¡¯t wrong. I had noticed a slight improvement in my accuracy since I had first started. However, there was still that part of me that expected unrealistic progress and results, and it was souring my mood by focusing on my perceived failures.


    Once the brace of arrows were adequately resized, I carefully selected my next target and tried again.


    I continued practising through the night and well into the morning. Targets had become rarer, making my missed shots all the more obvious. However, I had managed two grazing strikes against the same Carnifex. I also landed a solid shot to a Goatman¡¯s chest a few minutes later. Without other targets in the immediate area at the time, it made it clear that they had in fact been my intended targets.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal for the soldiers who hit as often as not, but it was a marked improvement over my initial starting point.


    I had come to realise that actively thinking about the hows of shooting with the bow was part of my problem. I was literally overthinking things and getting in my own way. Selecting a target was fine, but lining up the shot had far more to do with letting your body and subconscious do the heavy lifting. When a shot was lined up correctly, you would just ¡®know¡¯. It would feel like everything was in the right place.


    Burt¡¯s advice was incredibly valuable, but ultimately the majority of the improvements came from developing a proper feel for what I was doing, trusting in those instincts, and, of course, developing the muscle memory to feed into those instincts.


    Spotting another Carnifex charging into the ravine, I took a steadying breath, drew an arrow from the bucket, nocked it, drew back the bowstring and as I exhaled I released the arrow.


    Several moments passed before I realised what I had done.


    ¡°Ye did it Majesty!¡¯ Burt cheered excitedly, slapping at my arm and pointing excitedly to the Carnifex which was crumpled at a weird angle.


    The arrow, my arrow, had punctured its skull and staked the Beast¡¯s head into the ground, causing its body to bizarrely twist and spin as its neck was snapped by the Carnifex¡¯s existing momentum, throwing its body forward and onto the ground before coming to a halt.


    A solitary Status Alert had also appeared in my lower periphery.


    [You have qualified to unlock the {Archer} Basic Class.]


    I stared blankly at it for a handful of seconds before realising what it said.


    ¡°Huh...¡± I muttered in surprise, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought Archer would be a Class I could Unlock...¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t doubt for a moment, Majesty,¡± Burt declared happily, ¡°S¡¯all about feelin¡¯ it out. Long distance can be right tricky, but that¡¯s as much practice and experience as anything.¡±


    I slowly nodded in understanding, ¡°I think I get it now,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Bein¡¯ able to keep sendin¡¯ arrows out like that, I knew you could do it, Majesty,¡± Burt repeated happily, ¡°I felt it myself. Might be able to beat my Da¡¯ when my service is up. Bet he never got to shoot a thousan¡¯ arrows in a single night!¡±


    Burt had a serious point. Iron Gut, and the Kobold¡¯s Dogged Determination created a vicious feedback loop that could be abused so long as there was enough food.Muscle memory came down to repetition, and that would normally have limits based on fatigue. But stalling fatigue with Dogged Determination at the expense of HP allowed for more practice, and HP could be recovered with food.


    My Agility stat hadn¡¯t changed at all, but that wasn¡¯t all that surprising. I had come to realise that Agility didn¡¯t reflect hand-eye coordination at all. It was actually a representation of how flexible and manoeuvrable you were. This explained why the majority of the Archer Class Abilities benefitted from Strength. Only its defensive Abilities benefitted from Agility.


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance Burt,¡± I gently clapped him on the shoulder, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have made such progress without your assistance.¡±


    Burt blushed and self-consciously kicked at the ground, ¡°Gosh, Majesty, ain¡¯t nothin¡¯, really.¡±


    ¡°All the same, I¡¯ll be sure to commend your actions to your superiors,¡± I insisted. It was just about the least I could do beyond the Exp awarded by the Quest.


    With a certain degree of visible reluctance, Burt held his tongue.


    I hopped down from the wall and walked past the tower so I could check on Ushu and the others.


    It came as little surprise that the small pack of murderous reptiles were thoroughly enjoying themselves and appeared to be in peak condition.


    Alternating between gorging themselves, prowling the hillsides, and actively hunting down prey, the three reptiles seemed well enough entertained that I felt I could leave them be for a while longer.


    With the worst of the danger now far behind us, most of the defenders were relieved by the reserves and allowed to recuperate in the cavern or otherwise entertain themselves. Many had opted for training with the Kobold Auxiliaries, and I was going to join them.


    Finding Grolf was easy enough, and convincing his fellow commanders to join us to unlock the Beast Trainer Class was only slightly more difficult. What I hadn¡¯t anticipated, was for a whole pack of Kobolds to volunteer as well. Given Grolf¡¯s increase in status since taming the Carnifex, I realised that it probably should have been expected.


    After all, who didn¡¯t like racing around on giant murderous Beasts?


    *****


    Captain Dario fought back the urge to panic as another small horde of shambling corpses lurched out of the surrounding alleyways and toward himself and his men.


    ¡°Spears up front!¡± Captain Dario barked and waved his remaining Spearmen forward, ¡°Archers! Headshots only!¡±


    Spearman rushed forward to form a defensive line two ranks deep, supported by Swordsmen and with Archers in the middle.


    ¡°Sir, we are running short on ammunition,¡± Lieutenant Weise whispered, ¡°Given the severity of the threat, we should strongly consider falling back to a more defensible position.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Lieutenant Georgio chimed in quietly, earning nods from the other officers.


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Captain Dario muttered, ¡°We will continue pushing forward. The Labyrinth must be contained.¡± Under other circumstances, he would have agreed with his junior officers, but Captain Dario knew something they did not. Of the three companies sent into the city of Mournbrent to lock down the Labyrinth, theirs was the last still standing.


    The undead threat had proved more dangerous than initially reported. Worse still, the undead had Conversion archetypes in their midst, turning every fallen soldier into another undead monster to replenish their ranks.


    Already reduced to half strength, Captain Dario knew the only chance at survival the remaining soldiers in his company had, was to collapse the Guild office to stem the tide of undead. They were already too deep in the city to retreat, and too far to expect a relief force to reach them in time. But if the Labyrinth was sealed, even temporarily, then Captain Dario could lead his men to a more defensible location and wait for reinforcements.


    ¡°We continue pushing to the Labyrinth,¡± Captain Dario stated adamantly, ¡°Our only chance is to seal the portal and bunker down in one of the estates in the central district.¡± He did his best to project a sense of confidence, but it was undermined by one of his soldiers being dragged out of formation and torn to pieces by the undead horde.


    Despite the fatality, the remaining soldiers held firm and pushed the undead back. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t fast enough to save their comrade.


    Another soldier fell on the right flank as a Stealth archetype undead leapt down from a nearby rooftop and tore the poor soldier¡¯s throat out before he had time to scream.


    Sergeant Mayar stunned the creature by smashing its head with his shield, and three of their soldiers hacked it to pieces with their swords.


    Another Stealth archetype attempted to repeat the success of the first but was impaled by chance by an unwitting Spearman and then hewn apart by two nearby Swordsmen.


    ¡°Tighten the ranks!¡± Captain Dario barked, ¡°Prepare to advance! We are pushing for the Labyrinth!¡±


    To their credit, his men did as they were told.


    With the small clusters of slow-moving undead still pressing in from all directions, what remained of the company began pushing hard down the main road.


    The undead continued appearing in ever greater numbers, slowing the progress of the company until it was little more than a crawl.


    With the undead pressing in from all sides, Captain Dario could feel the panic beginning to take hold of his men. ¡°Keep fighting! Don¡¯t let up! We will get through this!¡± He barked adamantly, injecting as much confidence as he was able.


    ¡°Sir!¡± Lieutenant Weise pulled back from the rearguard and pointed down the road behind them, ¡°Somethings coming up on our rear!¡±


    Captain Dario looked toward the rear of their formation.


    Something was indeed coming up on their rear.


    ¡°Sergeant Humphry! Report!¡± Captain Dario ordered.


    Sergeant Humphry disengaged from the fighting at the rear and looked back toward Captain Dario with an expression of profound surprise, ¡°There¡¯s a small group of survivors!¡± Sergeant Humphry exclaimed, ¡°They are headed in our direction!¡±


    ¡°What?...¡± Captain Dario¡¯s mind stalled for a moment as he attempted to rationalise what he was being told, ¡°Survivors?¡±


    ¡°Sir! They are destroying the undead!...¡± Sergeant Humphry¡¯s tone made it clear that he didn¡¯t quite believe what he was saying.


    However, before Captain Dario could ask the Sergeant to repeat himself, an unfamiliar voice cut him off.


    ¡°AND IN THE LADY¡¯S GRACE! ALL THE UNLIVING WILL BURN!¡± A man cried from beyond the rear guard in a thick Asrusian accent, ¡°FOR THEY ARE UNCLEAN! UNNATURAL! ABOMINATIONS! AMEN!!!¡±


    ¡°AMEN!!!¡± came a small but fanatical chorus of replies from men and women alike, all with Asrusian accents.


    The smell of burning flesh was carried by the wind and bright flashes of shimmering orange light splashed across the buildings on either side of the street and past the legs of the soldiers.


    Within moments, the shambling undead swarming against the rearguard were cut down from behind as twenty men and women in copper plate armour, carrying wide-bladed two-handed swords, appeared behind them.


    ¡°PURGE THE UNCLEAN!¡± One of the armoured figures cried, shoving his way through the ranks of the rear guard and striding towards the front, completely ignoring Captain Dario. He thrust his left hand forward, palm flat and facing outward, ¡°PURGE THE ABOMINATION!¡±


    The undead pressing against the frontline caught fire, burning with bright orange flames before turning to ash.


    ¡°FOR THE LADY HAS DECREED OUR CAUSE IS JUST!¡± The armoured figure continued through the frontline, now holding his sword at the ready in both hands.


    The other armoured figures were now striding freely through Captain Dario¡¯s formation and approaching the front.


    ¡°AMEN!!!¡± The lead figure roared and launched himself headlong into the waiting horde without fear or hesitation. Undead struck by his blade turned to ash and those who attempted to lay hands on him burned as they laid hands on his armour.


    As the other armoured figures passed him by, Captain Dario was surprised when one of them remained behind.


    ¡°You are Confederate soldiers,¡± the man asked bluntly.


    Even though it was not a question, Captain Dario found himself nodding in confirmation, too overwhelmed by the sudden change in events to fully realise what he was doing.


    ¡°You need not fear,¡± the man stated in a tone one would use when trying to reassure a small child, ¡°The Lady offers shelter for all living souls from the predation of the unclean. Come, we will lead the way.¡± Without waiting for Captain Dario to reply, the man strode forward to rejoin his companions in their one sided butchering of the undead.


    ¡°Sir?¡± Lieutenant Georgio asked uncertainly while glancing back toward the opposite end of the street and the undead that were slowly regrouping behind them.


    ¡°Follow the fanatics!¡± Captain Dario ordered, unwilling to pass up the opportunity for a reprieve and steady progress toward the Labyrinth.


    Clearly in possession of powerful magic items, the Asrusian fanatics showed no fear whatsoever in bodily charging into the ranks of the undead, even allowing themselves to become separated from one another and surrounded.


    Following in their wake, Captain Dario¡¯s company could do little but watch as the fanatics scythed through the undead like wheat.


    ¡°Sir, can we trust them?¡± Lieutenant Weise asked quietly, although Captain Dario was quite certain he needn''t have bothered. The fanatics were so loud and self absorbed in their prosecution of the undead that they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear anything.


    Captain Dario worked his jaw uncomfortably, ¡°We don¡¯t have much of a choice,¡± he replied, ¡°Besides, if we can secure their assistance in sealing the Labyrinth, the chances of all of us all living long enough to return home are that much higher.¡±


    Lieutenant Weise was about to say something else but paused as the distant sounds of battle echoed from down the road ahead of them.


    As the fanatics carved through another wave of undead it revealed the open expanse of a wartorn plaza.


    ¡°WITNESS!!!¡± A distant woman¡¯s voice roared, drawing Captain Dario¡¯s attention to two dozen more fanatics violently carving their way through the plaza in small groups similar to the one escorting them now.


    The fanatic who had addressed Captain Dario earlier casually retreated from the fighting and approached him directly, ¡°You may seek shelter in the grand cathedral,¡± without explaining himself further or waiting for a response, the fanatic turned away and headed back toward the fighting.


    Staring toward the building the fanatic had indicated, Captain Dario was shocked to see that there were no undead within a dozen feet of its gated surroundings. ¡°Fuck me...¡± Captain Dario cursed and couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°They have consecrated ground!¡±


    Some of his men looked confused by the outburst, but it didn¡¯t take long for those in the know to explain things for them.


    ¡°Push on to the grand cathedral!¡± Captain Dario ordered giddily, barely able to contain himself and restrict his movement to a brisk trot. Ignoring the fanatics fighting in the plaza, he led his men straight toward the grand cathedral.


    Despite the damaged and rundown appearance of the structure, Captain Dario felt the effects of the consecrated ground the moment he came within a dozen feet of the outer gate. However, with the immediate threat of the undead now put on hold, Captain Dario was forced to consider how he should proceed with dealing with the fanatics.


    As clearly deranged as the fanatics were, it was equally clear that their god was on their side. Which raised a profoundly uncomfortable question.


    How did they lose the city in the first place?

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 51 – Cooperation is key – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 51 ¨C Cooperation is key ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 51 - Cooperation is key - Part Two


    Massaging my bony brow to alleviate some of the accumulated tension, I couldn¡¯t help myself from smiling in satisfaction.


    Contrary to my initial expectations and understanding, the local alphabet was mostly comparable to a crude system of braille. The epiphany had required sitting in on four separate instruction sessions covering the exact same lessons before something clicked and I was able to make the leap.


    In its written form, Asrusian used similar strokes to the Chinese and Japanese alphabet. However, the use of the strokes followed the same general principles as braille, using a combination of up to seven strokes for each character. Not all letters from the English alphabet were represented, but this was because their language was spelt phonetically, and the complex sound combinations had specific characters in their written form.


    With the Conquest still well in hand, and access to a steady supply of food, I spent over a dozen hours slowly translating a treatise on Asrusian warfare. Despite the dry nature of the subject matter, I found the repetition of certain words and consistency in structure to allow for steady gains in character and word recognition.


    Ignoring and dissipating the physical fatigue was easy enough, but the accumulated mental fatigue was another matter entirely.


    After eight straight hours of self-inflicted translation homework, I set the borrowed military treatise aside and set about partitioning a private area of my own to rest. With mana to spare, and the success of the Conquest functionally a foregone conclusion, I decided it would be worth the risk to Summon Lash, Pete and Suzy.


    I had intended to just play with the twins a little and spend some time with Lash before going to bed, but Suzy seemed determined on exploring the cavern.


    With Lash carrying Pete, we followed Suzy around the cavern while chatting quietly about nothing in particular, content with enjoying one another''s company.


    Despite being limited to her hands and knees, Suzy covered a great deal of ground before her projection depleted its mana and disappeared. Pete lasted much longer, having expended very little mana on providing his projection energy at the expense of mana. Lash¡¯s projection lasted the longest due to being allocated the lion¡¯s share of my mana.


    I fell asleep with Lash in my arms and while I slept, the Conquest was completed.


    With direct access to the foothold on the next floor, the battalion was given a half-day for recuperation while Visili and a small team were sent ahead to renovate the foothold on the seventh floor.


    Most soldiers seemed content with resting, gambling or scouring the battlefield to acquire points for returning manastones, expended ammunition, and magic items.


    Already equipped with the best magical armour and weapons that had been made available through public donations, I expected most of the magic items acquired from the Conquest would no doubt be donated as well.


    Thankfully, none of the magic items seemed to pique Ushu¡¯s interest.


    After the midday meal, the Major began sending soldiers and supplies through the portal to prepare for the next Conquest.


    Taking responsibility for Ushu, I led him through the portal to the next floor myself.


    Somewhat similar to the sixth floor, the immediate surroundings on the seventh floor was a combination of rolling hills above woodland valleys. The foothold itself was located in the basin of a particularly large valley.


    The foothold was surrounded by old stumps and saplings, making it clear that the Guild had taken at least some precautions in regard to the foothold¡¯s security. However, the Major did not seem to think they had done nearly enough and sent out work details to strip back the trees even further.


    With the seventh floor possessing most of the same monsters as the sixth floor, each team tasked with cutting down trees was accompanied by three others who would be on the lookout for danger.


    The Kobold Beast Trainers, now almost exclusively mounted on Carnifexes, had leapt at the opportunity to volunteer. Many of the Kobolds seemed excited by the possibilities of mounted combat, but there were not enough Carnifexes to go around. Learning that there were Classes like the Cavalier had only increased their interest still further.


    Of course, this had the downside of exacerbating the shortage of Beasts currently capable of serving as mounts. However, it only motivated the Beast Tamers to be all the more vigilant for fear of missing an opportunity to acquire more Beasts.


    ¡°Hey Tim,¡± Clarice sat herself down on a nearby stump while Dhizi kept a wary distance from Ushu, ¡°Cooper looks like she is close to Evolving, so it might be a good idea to push it now rather than having it happen during the Conquest.¡±


    ¡°Hrm? Really?¡± I hadn¡¯t given the matter much thought, so it came as something of a surprise.


    ¡°Well yeah,¡± Clarice snorted derisively, ¡°These scalies have been eating monsters whole as often as not, and decapitating the rest. It was only a matter of time.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°Makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Sooo, that¡¯s a yes then?¡± Clarice pressed.


    ¡°To Cooper Evolving?¡± I clarified, ¡°Sure, I guess.¡±


    Clarice grinned, ¡°Great! Could you lend us a couple of higher-end Elixirs then?¡±


    It figured that Clarice had other motives besides seeking my permission or advice, ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed and conjured three tier six Elixirs from the stockpile, ¡°But you owe me a favour,¡± I warned before handing the Elixirs over.


    Clarice almost hesitated, almost. ¡°Sure!¡± She greedily accepted the Elixirs and went sprinting off to find Cooper.


    ¡°How are you doing, Dhizi?¡± I asked conversationally without really expecting a reply.


    Dhizi huffed and made a low warbling screech before turning her head to watch Clarice disappear behind the newly erected walls of the foothold.


    ¡°Well, you are doing a good job looking after her for me,¡± I consoled the giant flying lizard, ¡°And I appreciate it.¡±


    Dhizi chittered in surprise before lifting herself up on her batlike wings and raising her head proudly.


    ¡°For your trouble,¡± I conjured the roasted, thoroughly disassembled, but otherwise complete remains of a giant Sand Stalker, ¡°It¡¯s all yours.¡±


    Dhizi screeched in anticipation before chomping her way through the first chitin-covered limb.


    I personally found the idea of eating spiders nauseating, but the Desert Orcs couldn¡¯t get enough of it, and I had a hunch that Dhizi had a fondness for venomous Beasts.


    Ushu, still sunbathing, growled at a nearly imperceptible volume, momentarily frightening Dhizi.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I gave Ushu¡¯s shoulder a hard thump with my fist to let him know I was serious, ¡°That¡¯s enough of that! It¡¯s her food! And if you want another treat or a present, then you have to start playing nice while we are away from home. Got it?¡±


    Ushu huffed indignantly and closed his eyes.


    I removed a thick bristle brush from my belt and gave the scales behind Dhizi¡¯s jaw a hard scrubbing.


    The fallout from Ushu¡¯s territorial hissy fit was getting on my nerves and I had just about had enough of it.


    I reviewed the stockpile of donated magical items while continuing to brush Dhizi¡¯s scales. Limiting my criteria solely to aesthetics, it didn¡¯t take long to find another gold ring. Conjuring the item into my hand and investigating it more closely, it was easy to see why the plain gold band had been donated.


    Temporary Poison and Venom Resistance was no doubt considered a low value item because of the plentiful supply of Serpent-Kin as potential party members and the current rarity of venomous and poisonous monsters in my Labyrinth. However, the ring was still magical, and that was the important part.


    Concentrating, I pushed mana into the ring to increase its size.


    Dhizi stared at me like a curious bird, cocking her head to one side and staring intently with a single eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift so you can settle things with Ushu for good,¡± I muttered quietly, ¡°Here, open your mouth. Good girl,¡± I rested the bangle-sized ring on her lower lip and then gently but firmly closed her mouth to hold it in place while I increased its size further.


    Once I finished increasing the size of the ring as much as I was able, I pointed toward Ushu and gave Dhizi a supportive nudge.


    Dhizi made a small whining hiss and looked like she would rather swallow acid.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s worth a try,¡± I encouraged her.


    Dhizi growled quietly and shook her head.


    ¡°Dhizi...¡± I sighed and stared her straight in the eye.


    Before I could say anything more, Dhizi¡¯s attention suddenly shifted.


    Ushu was awake and was staring intently at the ring held in Dhizi¡¯s mouth, ¡°Gooolllld,¡± he rumbled with possessive hunger.


    Dhizi slowly began backing away but I took a firm hold of a bony ridge on her jaw, stopping her in her tracks. Dhizi grew more distressed as Ushu slowly made his approach, but stood her ground when it became obvious that she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.


    Ushu leaned in close and flared his nostrils.


    Dhizi chittered nervously and shifted her weight from one wing to the other, conveniently dropping the ring in the process.


    Ushu followed the ring with magpie-like fascination as it clinked against the the stony ground, ¡°Miiiiiiine!¡± He rumbled greedily, reaching forward with his left foreclaw and hooking the ring with his middle claw before drawing it back toward himself.


    ¡°Yours,¡± I agreed, deliberately drawing Ushu¡¯s attention, ¡°Because Dhizi gave it to you.¡±


    Ushu eyed me warily for a moment and then stared at Dhizi.


    To her credit, Dhizi stood her ground and matched Ushu¡¯s gaze.


    Ushu glanced at the ring beneath his claw and then looked back at Dhizi. ¡°Hrmph,¡± Ushu huffed indignantly before calming himself and slowly shaking his head down toward Dhizi. He stared at her for a while longer and then abruptly licked her snout.


    Dhizi seemed just as surprised as I was and blinked in astonishment as Ushu backed away with his prize.


    ¡°Are you alright, Dhizi?¡± I asked, somewhat bemused by her sudden lack of fear.


    Dhizi blinked several times before shifting her attention away from Ushu and toward me instead. She chittered uncertainly and then slowly backed away while keeping a wary eye on Ushu.


    ¡°That¡¯s progress...¡± I muttered while watching Ushu toy with the ring.


    The ring was still several sizes too small, so it wouldn¡¯t pass over his first knuckle. However, before I made it more than a couple of steps the ring began to slowly enlarge itself and slip down his upturned claw.


    ¡°Clever boy.¡± I was genuinely impressed that Ushu had picked up the trick so quickly.


    ¡°Uh, Majesty?¡± A familiar male voice asked, drawing my attention away from the giant scaly magpie and toward the pudgy form of ambassador Byron. ¡°I have reviewed the records of the Guilds and couldn¡¯t find a credible reference to any existing communities of Variants on this floor. How, ah, how would your Majesty wish to proceed?¡± Byron asked somewhat nervously.


    The act of integrating the floors of the Labyrinths into my Demi-Plane was inherently destructive. At least, it had been according to the methods I had employed thus far.


    ¡°Clarice and I will do a few scouting flights to see if we can find anything from the air,¡± I decided, thinking the solution through aloud, ¡°If we can¡¯t find anything, then we will proceed as planned. The territory will be partitioned off in the Demi-Plane until a more thorough search is completed. The military can use it as an opportunity for a training exercise or something.¡±


    ¡°As you say, Majesty,¡± Byron bowed respectfully, ¡°I shall inform the Major of your decision so he can prepare accordingly,¡± he bowed again and retreated back toward the tower at the centre of the foothold.


    Once the floor was a part of my Demi-Plane, the wild monsters would cease to respawn. It would make exploring the otherwise open territory considerably easier if performed slowly and carefully. The territory was not immediately required, so it wasn¡¯t a terrible option.


    Of course, that was assuming I couldn¡¯t find signs of Variants on the floor.


    If the Conquests weren¡¯t so destructive, I would have seriously considered making isolation the standard procedure for annexing territory.


    While I had the time, I began the slow process of absorbing the sixth floor and transplanting the Stonepaw¡¯s new home. I used the remainder of the sixth floor to form the basis of my reform and recruitment territory. Isolated by the same means as the prison, the territory would be where all Variant tribes and clans would be sent if they refused to accept my authority but agreed to live in peace.


    The territory would need to be expanded down the line, but for the time being at least the former sixth floor would be more than sufficient. The same was true of the prison, but I wouldn¡¯t prioritise it to the same degree. While the prison wasn¡¯t meant to be a hellhole, it wasn''t meant to be overly pleasant either.


    All the same, I felt like labelling the locations would make things easier for documentation and discussions regarding potential reforms down the line. After some thought, I decided that Tartarus would serve for the prison and Acheron for the reform and recruitment territory. If I remembered my Greek mythology correctly, and there was no degree of certainty that I had, there was a certain poetry to the naming scheme and purpose of the two territories.


    I left the former sixth floor largely as it had been, but replaced the monsters with much lower-tier alternatives. The fortifications we had left behind would serve as a permanent safe zone and operating base for the recruiters. The Stonepaw¡¯s former fortress would have similar protections but would be left for whoever found it first. I marked out several other locations with stone monoliths bearing Sanctuary¡¯s sigil to denote locations of safety and barred the wild monsters from approaching those locations as well.


    Acheron was not intended as a punishment. At worst, it was a forcible relocation program. With alternatives involving violence, I considered it to be the least of many possible evils.


    With everything settled, I wasn¡¯t surprised to find that a number of hours had passed while I was otherwise occupied. Judging by the height of the ¡®sun¡¯ I estimated that roughly three hours or so had passed. While not insignificant, it was still far less time than I had otherwise expected.


    I made a mental note to have someone actively monitor the passage of time when the seventh floor was ready to be integrated.


    Waving over a soldier standing guard nearby, I sent them off to find a Scout so I could go searching for Variants.


    ¡°You ready for some exercise?¡± I called out to Ushu while giving his saddle a quick once over to dislodge some dirt and debris.


    ¡°Huuuunnnt?¡± Ushu growled hopefully.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied, ¡°We can make time so you can do some hunting, but we are looking for tribes of Variants who might be hiding out there. So keep that in mind.¡±


    Ushu stared at me for a few moments before blinking and nodding his head to show he understood.


    Partway through buckling on Ushu¡¯s saddle, a young man with a jagged scar down his chin came jogging over from the tower. Judging by the mottled brown and green of his cloak, I assumed he was the Scout I had sent for.


    ¡°Sir! Uh, Majesty!¡± The Scout, Thomas, snapped a nervous and excited salute.


    ¡°You''re my Scout?¡± I asked, intended as a confirmation rather than a question.


    ¡°A Pathfinder,¡± Thomas corrected with a broad grin, ¡°Uh, but yes, I will be your scout Majesty!¡± He hastily corrected.


    ¡°Pathfinder?¡± I hadn¡¯t heard of that Class before, ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± I asked while looking at his Status so I could see for myself.


    ¡°Mostly the same,¡± Thomas replied eagerly, ¡°But the passives are better for long-distance travel and avoiding pursuit.¡±


    From what I could tell, it was an accurate enough description. The Abilities all looked the same or incredibly similar to the Scouts. But one Ability in particular piqued my interest.


    ¡°Does Predatory Senses work like I think it does?¡± I asked curiously.


    Thomas grinned broadly and nodded, ¡°Spending mana, I can see the recent paths taken by any monsters.¡±


    ¡°And how far does that Ability go exactly?¡± I pressed, ¡°I didn¡¯t see a range enhancing component in the phrasing of the Ability.¡±


    ¡°As far as I can see, Majesty!¡± Thomas declared proudly, twisting his scar as his grin grew broader still.


    ¡°Which is passively enhanced by the same Ability,¡± I snorted softly and shook my head, ¡°How far can you make out the tracks reliably?¡±


    Thomas narrowed his eyes slightly and looked toward the nearby forest, and then continued panning over the treeline until he settled on a distant hill, ¡°Most of the way to the hill over there, Majesty,¡± he replied honestly, ¡°No further than that small pile of rocks before I start having trouble.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see the rocks he was talking about, but the hill itself looked like it was perhaps a few hundred feet away. I didn¡¯t want Ushu flying more than a hundred or so feet off the ground anyway, so it was more than good enough for our purposes.


    ¡°Find Clarice and let her know that I won''t be needing her help after all. Dhizi wouldn¡¯t be able to support the weight of another full-grown adult over the distances your Ability will allow us to cover anyway.¡± I waved Thomas off and continued strapping on Ushu¡¯s saddle.


    Thomas snapped a quick salute and went jogging off to find Clarice.


    Despite his voracious appetite, Ushu remained as lean as ever. However, the shrinking length of the straps also made it clear that he was continuing to grow in overall size. Ushu was already close to thirty feet tall at the shoulder and fifty feet long excluding his neck and tail. His continued growth was a little terrifying because he was still very much a cold-blooded predator.


    By the time Thomas returned, Ushu was well and truly awake.


    After fitting Thomas with a pair of crude flight goggles and going over a few basic signs we took to the air.


    With no real clue where to start looking, I encouraged Ushu to fly us in a gradually expanding spiral with the foothold and portal at our centre.


    Four hours passed without anything to show for it. I was about to give Ushu the go-ahead to indulge in some hunting but stopped when I noticed Thomas was trying to get my attention.


    #Found. Tracks.# Thomas signed emphatically before pointing down to the wooded valley below.


    I nodded to show I had understood and then directed Ushu toward a nearby hill that would afford us a view of the woodland.


    ¡°Beasts! Majesty!¡± Thomas exclaimed excitedly the moment Ushu landed, very likely coming close to biting his tongue in his recklessness, ¡°So many tracks! All headed into the woods!¡± He waved excitedly toward the woodland.


    ¡°Carnifexes?¡± I asked warily, more concerned with his safety than that of myself or Ushu.


    ¡°I am not completely certain,¡± Thomas readily admitted, ¡°But the tracks I can see in the general area are at least partial matches,¡± he jogged a dozen feet and knelt down by a section of disturbed earth, ¡°See?¡±


    I had no idea what we were looking at but decided to defer to his expertise, ¡°How many of them do you think there are?¡±


    ¡°A few dozen at least,¡± Thomas insisted thoughtfully while scanning the immediate area, ¡°Definitely,¡± he nodded to himself while continuing to look around the area.


    The news unsettled me somewhat.


    On the sixth floor, Carnifexes had been found in pairs or on their own. The Conquests had disrupted that behaviour somewhat, but even afterwards the Carnifexes had been too territorial to form larger groups.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± Thomas pointed to another section of ground closer to the woodland, ¡°I can see smaller tracks.¡±


    ¡°Another Species?¡± I asked warily.


    It wasn¡¯t unheard of for multiple Species to occupy the same spaces, provided each Species was capable of retreating to a space otherwise out of the reach of their competition. The swampland around Sanctuary was a prime example.


    Thomas slowly shook his head, ¡°I would have to get closer to be absolutely certain, but I don¡¯t think so, Majesty...I think they belong to a much smaller Carnifex.¡±


    Ushu was growing restless, flaring his nostrils and scanning our surroundings with predatory intent, ¡°Meeeeeat,¡± thick rivulets of saliva began running down Ushu¡¯s scaly jaw and spattering against the ground.


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± I warned Ushu, conjuring a pair of uncooked Swamp Lurker carcasses to satiate his appetite.


    Shaking the scales on his neck, Ushu snarled and snapped up the Swamp Lurkers without hesitation, crushing their bones in his powerful jaws.


    Thomas flinched and made a point of looking elsewhere.


    Given he was quite similar in size to the Swamp Lurkers, I couldn¡¯t fault him for being unsettled.


    ¡°Majesty! I see movement!¡± Thomas pointed down at the woodland and toward a large black furred Beast standing in the shadows of the trees.


    Perhaps half again as large as the largest Carnifex I had seen on the sixth floor, there was something about it that didn¡¯t seem quite right.


    Five more Carnifexes joined the first, each similar in appearance to one another but by no means identical.


    The immediate comparison was enough to confirm that the Carnifexes were almost certainly Variants. However, their collective appearance didn¡¯t quite match the carnifexes from the sixth floor either. Chalking the difference up to an Environmental Evolution, I waved Thomas back to take shelter with Ushu.


    Moving slightly downhill, I did my best to hold my fear in check. If the Carnifexes were indeed Variants then there was the possibility that we might be able to reach some sort of understanding. Shady had demonstrated close to human-level comprehension in spite of an objectively low Intelligence stat.


    Conjuring another Swamp Lurker carcass, I threw it down the hill and in the general direction of the gathered Carnifexes.


    Unsurprisingly, all but the largest Carnifex retreated to varying degrees, no doubt expecting some sort of foul play. However, the largest Carnifex simply snarled and moved closer to the carcass, investigating it while making sure not to let me out of its sight.


    Seemingly satisfied with its investigation, the dark-furred Carnifex growled at one of the smaller Carnifexes who then moved forward and dragged away the carcass.


    ¡°This complicates things,¡± I muttered wryly, somewhat annoyed at myself for not having anticipated such a scenario.


    Wanting to establish a favourable impression, I conjured more meat from Sanctuary¡¯s stockpile and left it on the hill before mounting Ushu¡¯s saddle.


    Once Thomas was secure, Ushu reluctantly flew us back to base.


    ¡°Sorry buddy, but until we have a better idea of their numbers, I don¡¯t want to risk you eating any Variants,¡± I apologised to Ushu while conjuring him his own little feast.


    Ushu paid me little mind, opting to focus on his meal instead.


    I had already sent Thomas off to make a report to the Major, so I had little to do besides wait for the final preparations for the Conquest to be completed.


    The Carnifex Variants complicated things considerably.


    As Variants, they were not prevented from entering the protected area generated by a foothold or a Settlement. The Subspecies also seemed to have overcome the extreme territorial nature demonstrated by their kin from the sixth floor. This meant that they were also potentially capable of launching an attack as a pack.


    Lone Carnifexes were already a substantial threat to the average human soldier, and a pair attacking in unison was even more so. I didn¡¯t like to think about what a pack of the things would be capable of in close quarters. I had seen more than enough articles on zoo handlers injuries to know that it wouldn¡¯t be pretty.


    I was interrupted from my musings as Cooper excitedly ambled out from behind the walls.


    Cooper had Evolved just as Clarice had said she would, and unsurprisingly, she had evolved into a western Dragon not too different in appearance from Ushu. Cooper lacked Ushu¡¯s flexible finned-crests, but she had short thick spines in their place. Cooper¡¯s scales and the leathery membrane of her wings seemed to be thicker as well and were now muted shades of brown instead of a sickly off-white.


    Cooper slowed as she drew closer, making loud mewling noises as she drew Ushu¡¯s attention.


    Ushu¡¯s eyes narrowed and he released a low growling hiss as he looked her over.


    Just as I became worried that he might do something violent, Ushu relaxxed and made a strange whooping noise while bobbing his head and undulating his neck.


    Cooper chittered happily and then copied Ushu, repeating the whooping noise and bobbing her neck before making her approach.


    As the pair paced in circles around one another, it drove home just how much larger Ushu was. Even after her Evolution, Cooper still looked like a child.


    Not sure exactly why, I reviewed Ushu¡¯s Status on a whim.


    I found nothing new and certainly nothing I hadn¡¯t expected. All the same, something continued to gnaw at me. There was something I was missing.


    Glancing at Clarice and Nila as they made their way over, I felt a faint tug in my subconcious. There was something about the pair that seemed important.


    Silently reviewing what I knew about each of them, the biggest difference I could think of was that Nila was married with children, and Clarice wasn¡¯t otherwise, they both rode giant lizards, they both had lordship titles and Custom Classes, they...


    I came to an abrupt halt as I felt a chill run down my spine.


    ¡°That¡¯s it...¡± I muttered, looking back toward Ushu and Cooper.


    Clarice had no Bloodline because she wasn¡¯t mate-bonded, and so far as I was aware, she had no children. Nila¡¯s husband, Maurice, was listed on her Status, and so were her two children, Bret and Dilia, under Nila¡¯s Adaptive Bloodline. Both of Nila¡¯s children had predated the mass integration into the Asrusian Kingdom¡¯s Faction, but the Status had listed them all the same. Doublechecking their own respective Status confirmed that they each had the Bloodline listed and were benefiting from its effects.


    I winced as I looked back toward Ushu and Cooper. Even knowing I would be able to reverse the action if needed, I felt a profound degree of reluctance. If my suspicions were correct, I had murdered one of Ushu¡¯s children and forced Cooper to feed on her sibling¡¯s corpse.


    Already revolted with myself, I promoted Ushu and braced myself for the worst.


    Ushu¡¯s promotion to Underlord went through without resistance, and as I had feared, his Status updated almost immediately.


    [ Bloodline: {Indomitable} +1 Toughness. ] [ Bloodline Progeny: Cooper. ]


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Clarice asked jokingly.


    I shifted uncomfortably and considered whether I should tell her. Ultimately, my guilt won out. ¡°I think I made Ushu kill one of his own kids and made Cooper eat her sibling...¡± I explained quietly, feeling a hot wave of shame settle in my gut and displace the numbing fear and hesitation from earlier.


    Clarice¡¯s grin slipped, ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡±


    I slowly shook my head.


    Clarice¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Fuck me...¡± She looked over at Ushu and Cooper, ¡°You sure? They haven¡¯t exactly tried attacking since their collars were removed.¡±


    I was tempted to take the easy way out, but shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m quite sure...¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Clarice vehemently shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. If you killed his kid, Ushu would have made a run at Pete and Suzy long before now in retribution.¡±


    ¡°...¡± I had been preparing myself to argue with Clarice but was surprised to find she made a very good point. As terrifying as the thought was, Ushu had ample opportunity to ¡®even the score¡¯ if he wanted to.


    All the same, not knowing for certain was a risk I could not live with.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± I waved Clarice and Nila back before approaching Ushu and Cooper.


    Ushu and Cooper paused what they were doing as I drew closer but there was a definite sense of familiarity between the two that I couldn¡¯t deny.


    ¡°Ushu...Do you remember when we first met in the Mournbrent Labyrinth?¡± I asked stiffly, trying and failing to ignore just how much potential danger I invited by broaching the subject.


    Ushu was quiet for a few moments and then slowly nodded his head, ¡°Yessss.¡±


    ¡°I... just wanted to know...¡± Self-preservation instincts warred against my guilt and lost by a narrow margin, ¡°The other Drake that was with you...was that another one of your children?...¡±


    Ushu stared at me intensely and I found it hard to breathe. ¡°Daaaarksssstaaaar,¡± he rumbled dourly and then hissed revealing his fangs, ¡°Nnnnoooo! Nnnnoooot miiiine!¡± Ushu calmed himself and took a few moments to nuzzle Cooper affectionately, ¡°Oooonly Coooperrrr.¡±


    Cooper chittered happily in response and nuzzled against Ushu¡¯s neck.


    ¡°The other Drake, Darkstar, he wasn¡¯t one of yours?¡± I was relieved but also confused.


    ¡°Nnnno, nnnot mmmine,¡± Ushu repeated more quietly this time, ¡°Foooorced toooo breeed, toooo fiiight, toooo diiiiiie. Nnnot mmmine,¡± he stated with dismissive finality.


    As cold as his stance seemed to be, I could understand the sentiment. If the Vampyrs had been engaging the Drakes in a forced breeding program, then it made sense that Ushu would have little concern for Darkstar¡¯s passing and subsequent consumption by himself and his daughter. Family came first.


    Under the circumstances, it was a little surprising that Ushu cared for Cooper at all.


    ¡°Thank you for answering my questions, Ushu. I¡¯ll leave you two alone.¡± I wandered back over to Clarice and Nila.


    They both looked as surprised as I was.


    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± Clarice cursed, ¡°I mean, I knew I should have expected something pretty fucked up, but this something else...¡±


    Nila stiffly nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed dourly, ¡°But it¡¯s about what I should have expected from the Vampyrs. If they can murder children, then the forced breeding of otherwise intelligent Beasts wouldn¡¯t be beyond them.¡±


    I considered raising the subject of how we more or less facilitated the same process under better circumstances on Earth, but there was a very real chance it would do more harm than good.


    So far as I had been able to gather, animal husbandry was a complete unknown in this world. As hunter gatherers, they had never made the leap to domestication. Or if they had, then the knowledge had been lost when the Labyrinths outproduced all forms of competition and flooded the market with readily available meat, hide, and fertiliser.


    ¡°How did your scouting go?¡± Clarice asked, eager to change the subject, ¡°Find any hidden Variant villages?¡±


    ¡°Kind of,¡± I admitted, ¡°I¡¯m quite certain we found a pack of Variant Beasts, some sort of Subspecies of the Carnifex.¡±


    Clarice seemed surprised, ¡°Really? How could you tell?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°They don¡¯t quite look the same as the Carnifexes from the sixth floor,¡± I explained while trying to bring an image of the large dark-furred Carnifex to mind, ¡°They were stockier and had larger teeth.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Clarice seemed confused for a moment before shaking her head, ¡°No, I meant how did you know they were Variants?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, they had different coloured fur, from one to another, and slightly different patterns,¡± I explained slowly, ¡°And Thomas, the pathfinder who went with me, he saw tracks belonging to much smaller Carnifexes in the area.¡±


    ¡°Different coloured fur?¡± Clarice didn¡¯t seem convinced, ¡°You¡¯re sure that makes them Variants?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°It might not,¡± I admitted, ¡°But I¡¯m reasonably confident that it does. All the Carnifexes have the same coloured fur in the same pattern because they are just copies of the same Carnifex. Fur is like hair, it¡¯s an inherited trait,¡± I pointed at Clarice and then Nila, ¡°For the most part, you will probably inherit a combination of your parents'' and grandparents'' hair types and colours, and it¡¯s the same with animals and Beasts. There are, admittedly, a few things that can cause changes in hair colour. Like dyes, bleach, scarring, ageing or mineral overdoses, but it wouldn¡¯t explain the number of patterns I saw in their fur.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand, Majesty,¡± Nila nodded slowly, earning a sceptical glance from Clarice.


    ¡°But what are we gonna do then?¡± Clarice asked, ¡°Does your no Slave rule apply to Beasts too?¡±


    ¡°The intelligent ones at least?¡± I qualified, ¡°Yes, I think it has to. For Variants in any case.¡±


    Clarice shrugged, ¡°I kind of figured that would be the case,¡± she commented, ¡°But what are you going to do about cases where people do it accidentally?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted with a sigh, ¡°I suppose there will need to be an agency or something to check on Beasts to make sure they aren¡¯t being mistreated. They could check for Variants while they are at it. Your Class already shows that you don¡¯t need to Enslave the Beast to establish a Bond, and I promoted Ushu just a minute ago. So theor-¡±


    ¡°Wait! You did what?!¡± Clarice demanded.


    I had forgotten that I hadn¡¯t told anyone yet. ¡°I did it to try and confirm if Cooper was Ushu¡¯s daughter,¡± I explained somewhat awkwardly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure it would work, but there hasn¡¯t been any evidence to suggest it wouldn¡¯t either...so...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even...¡± Clarice ran her hands through her hair and began energetically pacing back and forth, ¡°Why do you always leave the biggest part until last?!¡± She demanded in a frustrated tone.


    I shrugged defensively, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was particularly important, and for the most part, it isn''t. It¡¯s only in this specific circumstance that it particularly matters. Because I figured If Ushu is capable of receiving a promotion and title, then it stands to reason that he might be able to unlock some sort of Class as well.¡±


    Clarice¡¯s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth several times without managing to speak before taking a deep breath, ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Clarice stated flatly.


    ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m sorry, Majesty, but what do you mean?¡± Nila asked with palpable uncertainty.


    Clarice rolled her eyes, ¡°Tim said Beasts can probably have Classes. What¡¯s so hard about that to understand?¡± She insisted rudely.


    Nila¡¯s lips pressed together and her right eye twitched slightly as she bit back a response. Unlike Clarice, Nila had higher expectations of her conduct. ¡°I see,¡± Nila replied tersely.


    ¡°They might be able to,¡± I corrected in a warning tone, making it clear that Clarice had crossed the line.


    Clarice winced and fell silent, although she appeared far from apologetic.


    ¡°I think there ¡®might¡¯ be some Classes exclusive to Beasts, or they ¡®might¡¯ be able to unlock certain Classes with a little assistance,¡± I continued, thinking aloud to better maintain my train of thought, ¡°The Combat Classes would be out, for obvious reasons, but I don¡¯t see a particular reason why a Beast of sufficient Intelligence couldn¡¯t be a Warlock. All it requires is knowledge of a True Name. So a personal introduction by one of the Daemons or Angels would, theoretically, be sufficient for a Beast like Ushu.¡±


    Clarice frowned, ¡°But Ushu¡¯s been around Gric and the others before, and last I checked, he didn¡¯t have the Warlock Class unlocked.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I agreed, ¡°And it¡¯s true for Shady as well. But you are missing an important point.¡±


    Clarice¡¯s frown lightened somewhat and gave way to a more curious and open expression, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t unlocked the Warlock Class, or any of the others, either,¡± I replied, doing my best to appear overly smug.


    Clarice¡¯s eyes slowly widened and her brows rose in surprise, ¡°Oh...Wow, I...Wow...How did I not notice this until now?¡±


    ¡°The true names have an encryption, a special defence, that replaces the names of the Daemons and Angels in the ears of anyone who doesn¡¯t know their true name already,¡± I explained slowly, ¡°Whenever you use their name, it¡¯s like there is a piece missing. However, I can still understand what you are saying and who you are talking about in the same way that we can magically understand one another in the first place.¡±


    Nila nodded in understanding, ¡°The Labyrinths¡¯ translation magic.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed, ¡°Except the true names twist that magic to conceal themselves instead of making themselves understood.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so...¡± Clarice rubbed at her temples, ¡°I have been calling Gric, Gric, this whole time. What the hell have you been calling him?¡±


    ¡°Gric,¡± I replied and raised my hand, ¡°Clarice, I know their true names, all of them, but I can¡¯t reveal them, not without real effort.¡±


    ¡°Huh...¡± Clarice narrowed her eyes and stared at the ground for a few moments, ¡°Okay, yeah, I think I get what you are saying now. It¡¯s like if I called Nadine Dina or something but you still hear Nadine?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Well that''s...weird...¡± Clarice sighed with a mildly confused expression on her face. She shook her head and looked thoughtful for a moment, ¡°So wait, you think Dhizi could unlock the Warlock Class too?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± I shrugged, ¡°I haven¡¯t really tested anything at this point. I was just saying that it might be possible.¡±


    ¡°What about Pact Binder?¡± Nila asked curiously, ¡°I am not overly familiar, but as I understand it, they are very similar in nature. Furthermore, being able to Summon Daemons and Angels while also being incredibly mobile would be an incredible strategic advantage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a very good point,¡± I agreed thoughtfully, ¡°I hadn¡¯t really considered that.¡±


    If Ushu, Cooper or Dhizi were capable of Summoning Cin or Qreet of their own accord, then it would save the need for flying out Visili. Or alternatively, it would allow the fortifications to be erected that much faster.


    ¡°Hang on a minute...¡± I muttered, surprising both Clarice and Nila who had been caught up in musings of their own, ¡°Clarice, Nila, Don¡¯t you both have a Class Ability that shares access to Class Abilities with your Bonded mounts?¡±


    Clarice and Nila both stared at me with mouths gaping open in complete surprise.


    Clarice recovered almost immediately and grinned so wide she could have given the Grinch a run for his money, ¡°Yeah, we totally can!¡± Clarice agreed eagerly and went sprinting off. No doubt going to find Dhizi.


    ¡°Uh, Majesty, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Nila apologised, ¡°But the phrasing of the Ability doesn¡¯t match what you said. It only says the Beast gains access to the Class Abilities of the rider, not the other way...OH!...¡± her eyes widened in shock as she reached the same conclusion as Clarice.


    ¡°The Beast gains access to ALL of the Class Abilities of the rider,¡± I stated with a broad grin, ¡°This includes the Bonded Class Ability itself.¡±


    *****


    Ushu stared at his liberator for a long while, taking his time to digest what he had been told. It wasn¡¯t particularly difficult to understand, but his liberator had insisted that he think it over thoroughly before making a decision.


    The fact that he was being offered a choice in the first place meant a great deal to Ushu. His liberator seemed to always take great pains to present Ushu with choices instead of commands where possible. The only commands Ushu recalled being given after his immediate capture was to facilitate coordination in combat. So Ushu didn¡¯t think they counted.


    Cooper, his offspring, had been presented a similar choice, although her small mammalian caretaker seemed more interested in keeping Cooper out of the thick of the fighting. It was a sentiment Ushu shared.


    On a primal instinctive level, Ushu knew that Cooper needed to engage in conflict to become strong enough to not just survive, but thrive. However, Ushu had seen enough fighting to know that there was a large difference between fighting in a battle and desperately trying to survive in the thick of the fighting.


    The former afforded less life-or-death experience and was less valuable. However, the latter meant that you likely wouldn¡¯t survive long enough to make use of it.


    This was why Ushu made no attempts at influencing Cooper¡¯s decision. The ability to call upon allies at a moment''s notice, even if they were weaker than herself, would greatly improve Cooper¡¯s chances of survival in the long term.


    Ushu was leaning toward a different path.


    After everything he had experienced while at the mercy of his former masters, Ushu wasn¡¯t keen on the idea of relying on allies weaker than himself. However, if their strength could be added to his own, that was a different matter entirely. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides The Liberator and Cooper, Ushu felt he only had one true rival from the ranks of The Liberator¡¯s followers.


    Dar.


    By no means as large as himself, Ushu was not foolish enough to allow size alone to measure the strength of his rival. Dar was smaller but his bones and tendons were thicker, his muscles more compact. Just as capable of inflicting harm as Ushu himself, Dar had the added advantage of weathering those same attacks in turn without risk of critical injury. Not being able to fly was one of the few weaknesses Ushu had been able to attribute to the thick-limbed reptile.


    Only, Ushu also knew that there was more to Dar than he appeared, and that was the point.


    ¡°Darrrrr,¡± Ushu growled with absolute certainty, ¡°Shoooow meee Darrrr.¡±


    The Liberator settled his lips into a position Ushu recognised as expressing happiness or enjoyment, ¡°I thought you might lean toward the Warlock, and Dar in particular.¡±


    *Tingling*


    A quiet chime sounded and was immediately drowned out by deep Rasping breaths as a giant scaly figure materialised beside The Liberator.


    In spite of his own recent growth, Ushu realised that Dar had grown as well.


    Dar stared back at Ushu with his six brightly coloured eyes from beneath a pair of horned brows, slowly waving his thick scaly tail over the ground and ripping up the earth in the process without conscious effort. There was no malice or challenge in his eyes, only curiosity and a wary and respectful consideration that Ushu himself reciprocated.


    ¡°I want you to share with Ushu your True name,¡± The Liberator explained, drawing the majority of Dar¡¯s attention in the process, ¡°I want to know if he can become a Warlock.¡±


    Dar seemed surprised, shifting his prodigious weight as he shifted his attention back toward Ushu. The imprints left by Dar¡¯s foreclaws in the dirt were far deeper than Ushu¡¯s own, serving as another reminder that his smaller stature was not to be trusted when comparing their capabilities.


    As Dar¡¯s eyes locked onto his own, Ushu felt ¡®something¡¯ inside of his consciousness that had not been there before.


    <Hello.>


    Ushu very nearly baulked as his senses were thrown into confusion. His ears had heard nothing and neither Dar nor The Liberator had made any sign of having spoken.


    <You are Ushu.> The deep voice stated calmly. <I am Dar.>


    Ushu shook his head, snorting, blinking and huffing as he tried to process something he hadn¡¯t heard but now knew.


    ¡°It¡¯s a strange sensation,¡± The Liberator said sympathetically, ¡°Like when someone says your name just out of earshot. You know someone has said something, but you don¡¯t know exactly what. You get used to it. Also, Dar was speaking with you telepathically, I assume, which means he was communicating with you mind to mind. It¡¯s another weird thing to get used to, but it¡¯s probably easier for you than talking.¡±


    <Concentrate thoughts and push.> The deep voice in Ushu¡¯s head agreed.


    Unwilling to back down from a challenge, Ushu did as the voice suggested and pushed.


    Dar hissed and rolled his head slowly from side to side.


    <Concentrate. Then push.> The voice amended.


    Ushu concentrated. <Irritation.> Ge snorted in surprise before realising that the new voice he had heard inside of his head had been his own. <Strange.> Ushu shifted nervously and wondered if he was making the correct decision.


    Cooper keened with concern.


    Ushu¡¯s protective instincts surged as memories of his Enslavement were dredged from the dark corners of his mind. <Never again.> Ushu felt newfound confidence in his decision. <Together. Protect Cooper.>


    <Agreed.>


    The reply sent shivers down Ushu¡¯s spine and large walls bearing strange scratch marks appeared in front of his eyes. He had been around the Humans long enough to recognise the markings as words given form, but he could not read them.


    ¡°Oh wow...¡± The Liberator exclaimed in surprise, ¡°This is...a lot better than I expected...¡±


    Recalling part of what The Liberator had explained to him before they started, Ushu realised that things must have gone according to plan. Adjusting the muscles in his throat, Ushu took a deep breath, ¡°Acccept.¡±


    The wall and its scratching marks disappeared and was replaced by another. Only this time, Ushu understood the meaning of each collection of scratches. To his own amazement, Ushu realised that he could now read.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 52 – Pacts with Patrons – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 52 ¨C Pacts with Patrons ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 52 - Pacts with Patrons - Part One


    Daemonhost. It sounded markedly more ominous than Warlock despite the core similarities in their Class Abilities. Technically, Ushu was a Swamp Dragon Daemonhost but I hadn¡¯t noticed anything, in particular, that was influenced by Ushu¡¯s environmental Evolution or Species.


    All the same, the Abilities themselves were as curious as they were disconcerting.


    Daemonic Manifestation was a more specific version of the Warlock¡¯s catchall Manifestation, and Contact Patron was a more engaging two-way form of long-distance telepathy afforded by Beseech Patron.


    Redirecting Exp toward Ushu quickly granted him a number of levels and unlocked more Abilities that were somewhat stranger than I had expected.


    The foremost in this regard was Patron¡¯s Conduit. While first reading through the Ability, I wasn''t sure I quite understood its intention due to sharing a similar function of the Daemonic manifestation and Manifestation Abilities. Raw mana stones could be consumed by the Manifestation Abilities to substitute the mana cost of maintaining the Manifestation¡¯s effects, with a portion of all raw mana being sent to the Patron. Patron¡¯s Conduit allowed raw mana stones in their proximity to be consumed and converted into mana with the patron taking a sizable chunk for themself. Furthermore, Patron¡¯s Conduit¡¯s secondary effect was passive activation while Daemonic Manifestation was active.


    So if I understood the synergy of Abilities correctly, Ushu could theoretically maintain Daemonic Manifestation indefinitely provided he had enough enemies to fight and was able to kill them at a fast enough rate.


    Daemonic Presence was more straightforward but had a number of potential downsides. Most prominently, Daemonic Presence would potentially Enrage any enemy Angels and Spirits who entered a radius determined by the maximum MP of the owner of the Ability. Similarly, enemy Beasts would be Terrified or Frightened, and all other enemies would be potentially Frightened. So long as Ushu had half or more of his maximum mana, or had Daemonic Manifestation Active, Daemonic presence would remain active as well.


    Things became even more interesting with the Vested Patronage Ability allowing the Patron, Dar, to quite literally loan Ushu mana through their Pact, and vice versa. On its own, the ability to borrow additional mana wasn¡¯t particularly alarming or impressive considering Ushu¡¯s existing means of rapidly regaining mana. However, Ushu¡¯s promotion and gaining the Daemonhost Leadership Class had caused a number of my own more recent Class Abilities to change as well, and the possibilities were incredibly destructive.


    A small part of me regretted not using the opportunity to direct Ushu toward making a Pact with Ophelia instead. As his Patron, Ophelia would have made Ushu anathema to the undead, and by extension, myself as well.


    The weight of the blow was lessened considerably by the knowledge that more Warlocks, Beast or otherwise, would form Pacts with Ophelia, given sufficient time and motivation. I just needed to make a point of expressing my willingness to support those willing to take that particular focus.


    Drafting a sequence of quests to that effect was relatively simple. Setting aggressive milestones for progress allowed for greater Exp rewards, but the problem remained that higher tier monsters were required in order to prevent level stagnation.


    Already faced with a dilemma regarding what to do with the current floor due to its Variant Beast population, I resisted the urge to become frustrated. Instead, my attention focused on the possibilities.


    The Variant Carnifexes were an opportunity, and I already had a large number of potential recruits who were as motivated as I was, perhaps more so, in seeking the destruction of the Liche.


    *


    A figure of middling height and wearing a suit of pale-grey plate and mail appeared before me. Dismissing his helmet and padded coif revealed a scarred and deathly pale face with pinkish-red eyes and shock-white hair.


    #Majesty.# Fesk signed before bowing his head respectfully.


    #What would you give for revenge on your former masters?# I signed in reply, not wanting to waste time and mana.


    #Almost anything.# Fesk signed back almost immediately, his albino eyes staring up at me fiercely.


    #Almost anything?# It hadn¡¯t been the exact answer I had expected.


    Fesk nodded solemnly, #I would not betray you or those you protect.#


    I had the sense that Fesk wasn¡¯t giving me the whole truth but also meant every word. #I have a path I wish for you to follow.# I issued Fesk with the questline I had worked on earlier. #The choice is still yours. Read it through and decide if the sacrifice is worth it.#


    I dismissed Fesk¡¯s Summoned projection and Summoned Ophelia to outline her role in my proposed plan. Unsurprisingly, she had no objections.


    The Thralls taken prisoner during the temporary occupation of the Mournbrent Labyrinth had been the Slaves of the Liche and her Vampyr minions. With the exception of the citizens rescued from the city itself, I doubted few others would need so little prompting to pursue a Pact with Ophelia.


    Provided Fesk followed through with acquiring Ophelia¡¯s true name and unlocked the Warlock Class, a promotion would theoretically unlock a special Racial Leadership Class with the ability to claim Ushu as his Bonded Beast. In so doing, both Ushu and Fesk would possess overlapping access to the powers of one another¡¯s patrons. Of course, that was assuming Dar and Ophelia¡¯s powers were compatible in the first place.


    Of course, I wouldn¡¯t be giving Ushu up in either case. Not for the foreseeable future at any rate. With the exception of Cooper Ushu was the only Beast large enough to effectively serve the role of my mount. Until I could source a replacement, Fesk would fill the default role of a chauffeur as needed.


    Assuming he accepted.


    After initiating the Conquest, I found Fesk and Nadine slowly making their way down the tunnel and into the cavern. Wearing little besides their armour, Fesk and Nadine curiously wandered around the cavern while signing to one another.


    With the centre space of the cavern deliberately kept clear to allow the reservists clean lines of access to the monolith that served as the Totem, I had no doubts that the pair had already seen me. For whatever reason, seeking me out did not seem to be an immediate priority.


    Despite being more than capable of eavesdropping on their conversation, I elected to spend my time somewhat more productively instead and continued my studies.


    With only Beasts to contend with, the Conquest was very likely to be a straightforward affair. Furthermore, with Ushu, Dhizi and Cooper already available to provide active support, I sincerely doubted my presence would be necessary.


    The faint tremors I felt through the floor only served to reinforce my opinion that things would be kept well in hand.


    I was part way through a reading exercise when I realised Nadine and Fesk had finished their tour of the cavern and had begun observing me instead.


    Upon noticing that they had my attention, Nadine and Fesk made their way over to my makeshift table.


    #When did you learn how to read?!# Nadine signed excitedly before becoming embarrassed, ¡°I mean, sorry, I have been spending a bit too much time with Fesk-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I insisted, ¡°I get it.¡±


    Nadine blushed but nodded in acceptance.


    ¡°As for your question? I was reviewing a copy of the local alphabet and realised that it had a number of structural similarities to braille, that written language for the deaf I told you about,¡± I explained, earning a mixed expression of surprise and recognition from Nadine, ¡°I wasn¡¯t exactly fluent in braille, so I have been working on transcribing different words to help with both fluency and recognising the different symbols.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s still impressive that you can teach yourself,¡± Nadine commented, ¡°I have been trying to help Fesk because his written vocabulary is quite limited.¡±


    Fesk nodded in agreement, which came as little surprise since I had already assumed his former masters had placed a low priority on his and other Thralls'' literacy.


    ¡°Well, from what I can tell, Asrusian is mostly phonetic,¡± I explained slowly while pointing to a few of the words I was most familiar with, ¡°Or at least that is how it comes across to me when spoken aloud. So I am not sure if it is an inherent property of the language, or if it is because of the Labyrinths translation magic.¡±


    ¡°Hrm, I hadn¡¯t considered that,¡± Nadine admitted thoughtfully, ¡°I think you might be onto something because I always thought some of the spelling was rather...counterintuitive...but-¡± She picked up one of the nearby books and snorted softly to herself before grinning slightly, ¡°-I can see what you mean. When I actively think about the word I want to say and then consider writing it down, there is a sort of shift in my train of thought and the spelling ¡®makes sense¡¯ phonetically. But just as quickly, it doesn¡¯t fit again. I hadn¡¯t stopped to consider that the Labyrinths¡¯ translation magic might interfere with things like that.¡±


    ¡°Especially since it doesn¡¯t translate written communication,¡± I added in agreement.


    ¡°Why do you think that is?¡± Nadine asked curiously, ¡°What purpose could it serve in doing one but not another?¡±


    I shifted uncomfortably as several ideas came to mind all at once. ¡°Isolation and paranoia,¡± I stated coldly, ¡°I can think of a number of reasons why the Labyrinth would limit communication, but they all boil down to fostering isolation and paranoia. Which in turn makes them more unstable and prone to lashing out. Being able to reliably communicate across large distances is also important for maintaining order and benign control. The more unreliable communication becomes, the more draconian the measures that are required to maintain control.¡±


    Nadine frowned slightly, furrowed her brow and then nodded, ¡°I think I understand what you mean. But, you seem more than able to teach yourself, so doesn¡¯t that sort of make it pointless?¡±


    I shrugged, not completely convinced of our assumptions myself, ¡°Maybe, but not everyone in my situation would have the right skills, or perhaps even the opportunity and time, to try. Others might refuse on general principle or won¡¯t even recognise it as an option without prompting. Where I am from, there are places where being multilingual is a given, but other places are more entrenched in a singular language.¡±


    Nadine slowly nodded, ¡°I think I understand what you mean. It¡¯s like how most of the continent uses the western trade language in addition to their own national language, but the Dromian Collective refuses to speak anything besides Dromian.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed while making a mental note to take a look at a map later, ¡°Does the western trade language use the same alphabet as Asrusian?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Hrm? Oh,¡± Nadine had been momentarily distracted by a particularly heavy tremor, ¡°All of the countries on the western continent use this alphabet,¡± she confirmed somewhat distractedly, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the eastern isles or southern continent though.¡±


    ¡°I should probably learn the western trade language as well then,¡± I sighed somewhat disappointedly. Braille and Auslan had been the extent of my multilingual aspirations on Earth after showing zero aptitude for learning Mandarin or Japanese in primary school.


    ¡°What¡¯s making the ground shake?¡± Nadine asked with a hint of worry in her voice.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just Ushu, and maybe Cooper as well,¡± I replied somewhat distractedly before realising it was as good a segue as any for changing the subject toward my intentions for Fesk. ¡°Has Fesk told you about my request?¡±


    ¡°Unlocking a special Warlock Class?¡± Nadine clarified.


    I nodded.


    ¡°We talked about it while travelling through the capital,¡± Nadine elaborated with nods of agreement from Fesk, ¡°Making a Pact with Ophelia to turn him into champion against the undead seems like it should work, but I don¡¯t really understand why you suggested it so suddenly out of nowhere. Isn¡¯t the army running trials on the Classes already?¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± I confirmed, ¡°They are actually doing a great deal of that testing in this company.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Nadine looked around in surprise, ¡°Besides being underground, nothing really seems all that different.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin a little at that, ¡°Maybe we should head back above ground so you can see for yourself? You probably didn¡¯t get a good look since the fighting wouldn¡¯t have started in earnest before you both descended the tunnel.¡±


    Nadine shifted her attention to Fesk. #What do you think?#


    #I think we should go take a look.# Fesk signed back with obvious curiosity and more than a little excitement.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Nadine agreed.


    Leaving the books and papers on the table, I led Nadine and Fesk back up the tunnel.


    Similar to the previous floor, the majority of the fighting was performed by the ranged Classes and those with ranged weapons. However, the most prominent fighting was undertaken by Ushu and Cooper.


    Of the two Dragons, Ushu was visibly more striking and drew the eye like a moth to an open flame.


    Having activated his Manifestation Ability, Ushu¡¯s scales and muscles had thickened considerably, taking on an amber hue. This served to increase his overall size by close to ten or twenty per cent, depending on the muscle groups in question.


    Besides the increase in bulk and colouration, the most striking change was the second set of eyes paired along with the first, and the black hooked horn hovering a short distance from his brow.


    Ushu¡¯s second pair of eyes seemed capable of independently tracking movement, but I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much they improved or increased his total field of vision.


    The horn was what interested me most. Jagged amber marks that looked similar to lightning strikes flashed across the surface of the horn in time with every kill notification I otherwise would have received for our location. As best I could tell, it was most likely a visual cue that represented the activation of Patron¡¯s Conduit since I hadn¡¯t seen anything similar from the other Warlocks thus far.


    ¡°Is that...Is that really Ushu?!¡± Nadine demanded with a sense of awe.


    ¡°It is,¡± I replied while watching as Ushu whipped his tail and dashed apart half a dozen Guzzards, reducing them to nothing more than a red mist.


    ¡°What?...how?....¡± Nadine shook her head but didn¡¯t seem able to look away.


    I shared Ushu¡¯s Status with Nadine and Fesk so they would have a chance to figure it out for themselves.


    #Like this. For me?# Fesk signed excitedly a few moments later. He probably hadn¡¯t read much but seemed to have a general idea.


    I nodded. #Similar. Angel, not Daemon. Maybe both.#


    Fesk tilted his head curiously to one side and raised his pale eyebrows at me. #Both?#


    #Maybe both.# I corrected him. #There is an Ability used for Bonding with a mount. That Ability shares all the Class Abilities of the rider and their Bonded mount.#


    Fesk didn¡¯t quite seem to grasp what I was getting at, but before I could elaborate, he looked back toward Ushu again and furrowed his brow in thought.


    ¡°This is...just...wow...¡± Nadine stated somewhat breathlessly, ¡°It¡¯s similar to the Warlock but so much more...Is this what you wanted to do with Fesk?¡±


    ¡°At the minimum,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Minimum?¡± Nadine snorted incredulously.


    ¡°Have you checked Clarice¡¯s Class Abilities recently?¡± I asked, dodging the question slightly.


    Nadine frowned before taking a moment to think, ¡°What do Clarice¡¯s Class Abilities have to do with it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one Ability in particular,¡± I specified, ¡°And it¡¯s not exclusive to her Class either.¡±


    Still frowning, Nadine took some more time to think.


    Fesk nudged Nadine to get her attention. #Bonded with mount?# He signed with a curious expression. #Ushu and I will have both?#


    Nadine¡¯s eyes grew wide with surprise, ¡°Both?...¡± She gasped and looked up at me with disbelieving eyes.


    ¡°Both,¡± I confirmed with a smirk, ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know if the powers of Daemons and Angels would even mix. Fesk and Ushu might only gain access to both, but have to choose which to Activate. Not that it would be the worst thing in the world either.¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± Nadine repeated incredulously, visibly struggling to accept the idea.


    Despite his otherwise reserved nature, Fesk¡¯s eyes burned with excitement. #Want.# Was all he could manage due to how hard his hands and arms were shaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± I replied happily.


    ¡°Does Clarice know about this?¡± Nadine asked warily.


    ¡°This specifically? No. But Clarice knows about Ushu, so I wouldn¡¯t expect her to take long before figuring it all out,¡± I replied honestly.


    Nadine sighed and nodded before giving me a strange look, ¡°So why didn¡¯t you ask her to do the experiment? This is exactly the sort of thing she would go crazy over!¡±


    I shifted somewhat uncomfortably while deciding just how honest I would be with my answer. ¡°There wasn¡¯t a guarantee Clarice would agree with choosing Ophelia as her Patron,¡± I explained slowly, ¡°And I¡¯m not sure about Dhizi either.¡±


    Nadine frowned slightly as she thought it over but nodded her head in agreement afterwards, ¡°I see your point. Knowing Clarice, she will no doubt try to form a Pact with Senn or maybe Dar as well.¡±


    I sighed and nodded in agreement, ¡°That sounds exactly like what she would do.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what else does Fesk need to do exactly?¡± Nadine asked curiously, ¡°He visited Ophelia before we left and has unlocked the Warlock Class, amongst others, so what¡¯s next?¡±


    Fesk looked up at me expectantly.


    ¡°Promotion is a part of it,¡± I explained, ¡°But Fesk needs to unlock one of the mounted Classes as well. So I was thinking that saddling one of the goat monsters and getting some instruction from Nila or one of her team might do the trick. I¡¯m not sure if promoting you now might make it more difficult to unlock one of the mounted Classes, so I¡¯ll wait until you do, alright?¡± I had yet to unlock any of the mounted Classes myself, so I worried promoting Fesk too soon might limit his options later.


    Fesk nodded animatedly. #I understand.#


    Most of Nila¡¯s team were in reserve since there wasn¡¯t much to actually do while on the back of a Dragon. Enemies were well out of reach of spears and wings tended to get in the way of any attempts at using projectiles, as often as not.


    Those left in reserve were only too keen to participate in the experiment. This wasn¡¯t all that surprising since Nila had selected her team based on their open-mindedness and willingness to engage in activities beyond the established norm. At the end of the day, they had as much to gain as Fesk since they were no doubt already on a shortlist for promotions to Underlord. That list would no doubt grow considerably shorter once they informed their superiors of my discovery that Variant Beasts were capable of unlocking at least a small number of Classes.


    If my predictions were correct, mounted Classes and those with a similar Bond Ability would become a high priority for the military.


    This was good, since it would incentivise the military to expend far more effort and maintain a higher state of diligence when searching for Variant Beasts during our Conquests. However, it also meant that my musings for establishing a Beast welfare organisation needed to be ironed out much sooner than I had anticipated.


    With Fesk undergoing his training, I returned to my studies.


    Sometime in the early morning, I Summoned projections of Lash and our children so I could spend some time with them before going to sleep. I had decided that so long as the stronghold was safe enough and I had the mana to spare, I would make it part of my daily routine.


    It wasn¡¯t especially fair for the soldiers who no doubt missed their own families, but I had little doubt that any of them would do differently if they had the means. However, to prevent negatively influencing morale, or stoking resentment against myself, I made a proposal to the Major.


    Given that the mana cost was entirely dependent on the Evolutionary Tier of the subject and their actions taken while Summoned, I was prepared to set aside a half hour of my time each morning and evening to facilitate short visits by projections of the soldiers¡¯ family members.


    Depending on the number of soldiers who would take me up on the offer, I would be reserving close to three-quarters of my mana each day. Most of that mana was for Lash, Pete and Suzy, but I also had to account for organically regenerating my mana and maintaining combat effectiveness.


    Word got around quickly and the soldiers scheduled for rest were making formal inquiries with the Major¡¯s aides.


    Accompanied by one of the aides, the first group of soldiers were brought over to my study area not long afterwards.


    I made sure to explain that each of them would be allotted a total of ten minutes each, assuming the desired target or targets were Human. If unwanted advances or lechery was directed toward their designated projection, they would be blacklisted. I had no problems with people in consensual relationships making the best of the opportunity and spending it how they see fit, but I was not a human-trafficking pimp.


    Most of the soldiers seemed to understand well enough, but a couple looked somewhat embarrassed. Whether they had intended to attempt predatory lechery or were embarrassed that I had given the green light for consensual bedroom shenanigans, it was anyone¡¯s guess.


    Of course, the Major¡¯s aide made a point of noting that any such activities would need to take place in a suitably walled-off and soundproofed area. Not for the sake of modesty per se, his intentions seemed to stem from maintaining general order and eliminating the worst distractions for the soldiers in reserve duty. This was fair enough since a walled-off area had already been established nearby so soldiers could catch up with family or friends in relative peace. What the aide was proposing would only take a few additional steps beyond what had been done already.


    For the most part, the soldiers seemed to be unmarried, so they opted for Summoning projections of their parents and siblings. A younger woman tested the waters by requesting her boyfriend, which was trickier to facilitate. It would have been impossible if the common folk hadn¡¯t taken the rules for adopting last names seriously. My ability to navigate the registry of my subordinates at will was only limited by available information used to narrow the search. I could locate anyone with a glance, but working by name alone slowed things considerably and invited an element of error unless I was able to cross reference through other individuals.


    Fesk¡¯s training seemed to be going well enough. Despite initial difficulties with remaining in the saddle when trying to make turns while at speed, Fesk got the hang of it eventually. With Nadine cheering him on and healing his injuries, Fesk maintained the same intensity from start to finish, refusing to let up until he met the requirements for the Cavalier Class.


    With all the preparations completed, Fesk eagerly sought me out after returning his borrowed mount.


    #You are sure?# I signed, giving him one last chance to back out.


    Fesk nodded determinedly, #Certain!#


    After only a moment''s hesitation, I gave Fesk his promotion to Underlord. Using my authority as Tyrant I accepted the Class upgrade on his behalf and then waited while the promotion resolved Fesk¡¯s new Class.


    ¡°Thrall Sin Eater?¡± I squatted down to take a closer look at him.


    Fesk looked back at me expectantly.


    He was completely unchanged.


    Reviewing his Status, I ignored Nadine¡¯s sudden appearance and skimmed through Fesk¡¯s Class Abilities.


    Manifestation of Corruption. Functionally identical to Ushu¡¯s Daemonic Manifestation, the only difference was that the Ability specified a Fallen One instead of a Daemon when referencing the Pact¡¯s Patron. It was something of a blunt reminder that Orphiel and Ophelia were not ¡®pure¡¯ Angels and the Labyrinth had a clear distinction regarding their true nature.


    Grace of the Fallen was somewhat more interesting than Daemonic Presence. Besides Enraging Angels, which was probably going to cause problems at some point. Grace of the Fallen added Fesk¡¯s Presence to his Agility, or his Agility to his presence, for the purposes of determining the bonus effects of his Abilities. It also allowed Fesk to spend mana to attempt to Charm an enemy.


    Martial Mastery was a carryover from Fesk¡¯s original Class and provided passive benefits to Momentum and reaction speed while using a weapon associated with the Ability.


    Unfortunately, Fesk¡¯s Sin Eater Class did not begin with the Ability to Bond to a mount but he did have the apparent namesake of his custom Class, Sin Eater.


    Similar to Orphiel and Ophelia, Sin Eater allowed Fesk to Heal others by taking on their wounds and negative Conditions at the cost of mana. However, taking damage and Conditions through the use of the Ability would temporarily provide stacking levels of resistance against Negative damage, Fatigue, Exhaustion, Life Drain, Diseases, Poisons and Venoms. On the whole, Sin Eater wasn¡¯t a bad Class Ability at all.


    Diverting the bonus Exp from Nadine temporarily toward Fesk, I was relieved when an upgraded equivalent of Bonded Mount was added to the list of his Abilities.


    Bonded Warbeast was functionally the same Ability, it just added Fear Resistance based on Fesk¡¯s Presence. Ushu probably wouldn¡¯t benefit much from the increased Resistance, but it was better to have it than not.


    Curiously, and somewhat disappointedly, Fesk didn¡¯t unlock the Vested Patronage or Patron¡¯s Conduit Abilities. As best as I could tell, the underlying reason was most likely due to the sheer number of Classes being drawn on by Sin Eater.


    Fesk and Nadine didn¡¯t seem to be disappointed and were actively signing back and forth as they discussed his new Abilities.


    With the possibility that the Abilities would be made available through Bonding with Ushu, I decided to wait and see before expressing any disappointment.


    #-don¡¯t think it would look so bad.# Nadine signed in response to something Fesk had signed while I wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    Fesk looked conflicted.


    #Go on, try it.# Nadine insisted.


    Fesk worriedly worked his jaw for a few moments before nodding his head. #Okay.#


    At first, nothing seemed to have happened. However, after a few moments, six scythe-like translucent copper-coloured wings materialised behind Fesk¡¯s back and a glowing copper-coloured halo appeared above his head.


    Fesk tilted his chin upward in an attempt to look at his halo but was immediately distracted after noticing his wings.


    I pressed Nadine back, just in case.


    I had seen the wings on another Warlock penetrate a Vampyr with no apparent effort, so I felt it would be best to demonstrate some degree of caution.


    In the name of scientific inquiry, and sating my own curiosity, I gingerly attempted to touch the bladed section of one of the upper wings. To my surprise, relief, and no small measure of disappointment, I felt nothing. My fingers just passed harmlessly through the coppery translucent as if it was air.


    ¡°Seems safe,¡± I told Nadine, who seemed just as curious as I had been, ¡°Couldn¡¯t even feel anything.¡±


    Nadine was about to reach forward for herself but stopped abruptly as the bladed segments of Fesk¡¯s wings suddenly turned solid and shone with a dangerous sharpness. ¡°Uh, care to try again?¡± Nadine asked with a small grin.


    ¡°Not particularly,¡± I replied honestly, ¡°But I will anyway, for science.¡± I reached out and pressed my thumb against the edge of one of the blades. Or I intended to do so but stopped as I felt no resistance from the blade and a pang of pain shoot up my arm.


    Carefully retracting my hand, I raised my thumb so I could take a closer look and frowned.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nadine asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any blood. Did it even break the skin?¡±


    ¡°It cut to the bone,¡± I replied dryly, ¡°The edge was too sharp and fine to leave room for my thumb to bleed before the wound closed on its own.¡± I lowered my hand again so Nadine could take a look at the thin scar that now ran the width of my thumb.


    ¡°Woah! That would probably have taken someone''s hand off!¡± Nadine exclaimed.


    Fesk silently transformed the blades back into light again. #What was that like?# Nadine signed hurriedly at Fesk.


    Fesk shrugged. #Light touch. Lost mana.#


    Glancing at Fesk¡¯s Status I confirmed that he had in fact lost mana, but I wasn¡¯t sure how much was from the experiment with the blade and how much was from maintaining his Manifestation.


    #Can you do anything else?# Nadine signed with avid curiosity.


    Fesk shrugged and was about to sign something but I interrupted him.


    ¡°He should be able to fly,¡± I stated confidently, ¡°Although I am not sure how exactly beyond using the wings in some way.¡±


    Fesk looked surprised. #Fly? Really?#


    I nodded, ¡°Ophelia and Orphiel can fly without effort, but I think it drains mana when one of the Warlocks tries it. So maybe concentrate on the idea of flying or floating while gathering mana?¡±


    Fesk seemed uncertain but nodded his head before closing his eyes.


    Close to a full minute passed before Fesk¡¯s booted feet gently lifted off the ground. Unfortunately, the sudden shift in sensation seemed to have rattled Fesk and caused him to lose concentration and fall to the ground.


    Fesk closed his eyes and tried again, managing to float off the ground after only a few moments of concentration. However, he only managed to rise a few inches off the ground.


    Nadine squatted on the ground and passed her hand beneath his feet, ¡°You¡¯re right, he''s definitely flying, erm, floating I mean.¡±


    ¡°Fesk probably just needs more practice,¡± I replied thoughtfully, ¡°Maybe try concentrating on the tower and think about moving toward it?¡± I suggested helpfully.


    Fesk nodded and then stared at the tower. Almost immediately, Fesk began to drift toward the tower. Then, without warning, he closed the remaining distance in less than a second and crashed into the tower¡¯s wall.


    ¡°FESK!¡± Nadine cried out in alarm as Fesk fell to the ground.


    Still looking at Fesk¡¯s Status, I could see that he had lost only a handful of HP and hadn¡¯t gained any negative Conditions. Relatively confident that Fesk would be fine, I slowly began making my own way toward the tower.


    Already sitting up and shaking his head, Fesk had begun animatedly signing in response to signs made by Nadine. Unable to clearly make out what Nadine was signing with her back turned toward me, I stopped walking without meaning to as I tried to puzzle out her half of their conversation based on what Fesk was signing.


    #I am fine.# Fesk repeated several times. #I promise.# He tried to rest his hand reassuringly on her arm but hesitated because Nadine was still signing. #I would tell you.# Fesk signed with a serious expression. #You have said it many times. Blows to the head are bad.# He waited while Nadine signed something in response. #I know, but I didn¡¯t hit my head. My hands hit the wall and my butt hit the ground.# Fesk smiled as he signed the last.


    Nadine punched Fesk¡¯s breastplate and then recoiled her hand while hissing in pain.


    Fesk¡¯s smile disappeared and was replaced with concern as reached out toward her hand.


    There was a bright flash of copper light.


    Fesk smiled but his hands were otherwise occupied so he remained silent.


    ¡°Idiot, you didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± Nadine said quietly.


    Fesk raised an eyebrow in exaggerated scepticism and then made a point of looking down at his breastplate before lookback at Nadine and grinning.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Nadine hissed with embarrassment, pulling away her hands and deliberately looking away while crossing her arms over her chest.


    Fesk opened his mouth and made a clicking sound with his tongue before grinning at her again.


    ¡°OH! You know what I meant!¡± Nadine huffed crossly, but I could see she was beginning to smile.


    Lost in my own thoughts momentarily as I processed everything, I didn¡¯t immediately react when Nadine tried to get my attention. ¡°Sorry what?¡± I asked apologetically.


    Nadine and Fesk had both gotten to their feet and seemed to be making an effort to stand apart from one another.


    Nadine looked slightly confused and more than a little embarrassed, ¡°You said, that makes sense,¡± she stated with a little pitchiness in her voice and blushing slightly.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Now it was my turn to feel embarrassed as I tried to decide whether or not to tell the truth.


    Perhaps mistaking my silence for deliberate intimidation, Nadine and Fesk began to fidget uneasily and sneak glances with one another.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed exasperatedly, ¡°It¡¯s not like I can pretend that I haven''t noticed. Not now anyway.¡±


    Nadine flinched.


    ¡°You two are dating, aren¡¯t you?¡± After reflecting on their behaviour, I figured that they were either dating or very close to starting to.


    #What is?# Fesk signed somewhat awkwardly while trying not to look guilty.


    #Dating, courting, romantic relationship.# I signed back.


    Fesk¡¯s hands stiffly fell to his sides.


    ¡°W-Well, it¡¯s not like we planned it!¡± Nadine insisted defensively with a hint of worry in her voice.


    ¡°So?¡± I replied bluntly.


    Nadine flinched and visibly deflated, actively looking away to avoid eye contact. ¡°We are courting,¡± she admitted, ¡°But we aren¡¯t sleeping together...¡±


    #Separate beds!# Fesk signed emphatically while his wings twitched nervously. It was incredibly strange to see someone with a halo above their head with an expression of such profound guilt.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really any of my business...¡± I replied awkwardly.


    ¡°Huh?...¡± Nadine stared up at me in confusion.


    ¡°What you do in your relationship is none of my business,¡± I repeated, making an effort to add additional clarification.


    Nadine only seemed to become more confused and Fesk looked completely lost.


    ¡°You mean, you don¡¯t mind?¡± Nadine asked dubiously.


    ¡®Why should I?¡± I countered, ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure we cleared up the whole harem thing ages ago. I¡¯m not interested in a polygamous relationship.¡±


    Nadine stared at me with an expression of dumbfounded confusion, ¡°Harem?¡±


    ¡°Why else would you think I would be upset?¡± I countered somewhat defensively.


    Nadine glanced back at Fesk for a moment before warily looking up at me again, ¡°Because Fesk is meant to be your prisoner?¡± Nadine replied with mounting uncertainty.


    ¡°Oh...¡± I had kind of forgotten about that particular detail. Fesk had made no attempts at harming anyone and his agreeableness, or I supposed his silence, meant he hadn¡¯t really made any waves up until now. So it had been only too easy to focus on the positives in his behaviour. The fact that he was technically meant to be a prisoner under strict conditions of parole hadn¡¯t crossed my mind in a long time.


    Fesk shifted uneasily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with it,¡± I stated, ¡°To be honest, I kind of forgot,¡± I admitted, ¡°If I was to write out a list of people I would expect to stab me in my sleep, Clarice would definitely be higher on the list then Fesk would be.¡±


    Nadine took a breath and was about to reply but fell silent, took on a thoughtful expression, sighed and nodded in agreement, ¡°I could see that,¡± she admitted tiredly before focusing on me again, ¡°You really don¡¯t have a problem with it, with us, I mean?¡± Nadine reached for Fesk¡¯s hand without breaking eye contact.


    I watched as Fesk firmly rook hold her hand and stared up at me with an odd expression. It was a strange combination of hope, defiance, obedience and expectation all rolled into one. It left me with the impression that Fesk would accept my decision, but it would probably have consequences a long way down the road.


    ¡°I have no problems with it,¡± I replied with a sigh, ¡°You¡¯re both consenting adults, so far as I¡¯m aware, and Fesk hasn¡¯t given me any reasons to think he¡¯ll switch back to serving his old masters. If you want to pursue a romantic relationship with one another, it¡¯s really none of my business.¡± I shrugged to express just how much of a non-issue it was for me.


    The sky was blue, the grass was green, and Fesk and Nadine were dating.


    *****


    Clarice sighed in disappointment as she watched Tim retreat back down underground. While she had not expected him to lose his temper, Clarice had thought that Nadine would, at the very least, be given a stern talking to.


    ¡°Tch,¡± Clarice spat the accumulated dust and grit from her lips and returned to watching Dhizi stalk a nearby hillside from her own vantage point atop the wall.


    Tim had been right when he pointed out the dangers of accumulated mental fatigue, so she was taking care not to overextend herself. The Conquest only had a few hours left, but Clarice wanted to give Dhizi as much time to enjoy herself as possible before it came to an end.


    When the Conquest came to an end, Dhizi seemed to have well and truly tired herself out, putting up no fight whatsoever as Clarice began removing her saddle.


    Only partway through removing Dhizi¡¯s saddle, Clarice was surprised when Ushu, completely unattended, settled himself down only a few feet away from Dhizi.


    Expecting another low-scale conflict, Clarice was almost disappointed when Ushu made no signs of hostility whatsoever. Still altered by the Daemon''s influences on his appearance, Clarice wondered if Dar somehow had a tempering influence on Ushu¡¯s aggression.


    For her part, Dhizi was nervous at first but calmed down quickly after Ushu made it clear that he wasn¡¯t going to start a fight.


    Unwilling to leave the two alone together for fear of the peace being broken in her absence, Clarice borrowed a bedroll from one of the soldiers and began setting up a sleeping space beside Dhizi.


    Nila and Cooper arrived shortly after Clarice had finished and was stripping her armour.


    Cooper arrived shortly afterwards and settled herself down beside Ushu while Nila and her team removed her saddle. Partway through her saddle being removed, Tim arrived with Nadine and Fesk in tow.


    ¡°Well, this looks like progress,¡± Tim commented approvingly while nodding toward Dhizi and Ushu.


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t do anything else besides bribe him?¡± Clarice asked sceptically. The change in behaviour had been too quick and happened all at once, making it difficult for her to believe that it was genuinely a shift in behaviour and not an act.


    ¡°I suppose some of what I said could have been interpreted as a threat,¡± Tim mused thoughtfully, ¡°But I think you are radically underestimating just how profound an issue treasure addiction is for Dragons.¡±


    Clarice frowned, ¡°Dhizi¡¯s not like that,¡± she countered.


    ¡°Dhizi¡¯s technically not a Dragon,¡± Tim countered before raising his hands placatingly, ¡°Wyverns are like cousins, so it would make sense that she wouldn¡¯t share all the same strengths and weaknesses to the same degrees.¡±


    Clarice had to admit that made a certain degree of sense. ¡°So what are you doing now? Just stopping by to remove his saddle?¡± She hadn¡¯t intended to make it sound like an accusation, but Clarice would have been lying if she said she wasn¡¯t annoyed by how long Ushu had been left waiting. Sleeping and resting in a saddle was comparable to sleeping in armour, and Clarice doubted Ushu enjoyed it.


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons,¡± Tim agreed as he began loosening some of Ushu¡¯s straps, ¡°I think this saddle is probably on the way out, so I would like you take some measurements and pass them along,¡± he directed the last toward Nila, who nodded before continuing to remove Cooper¡¯s saddle. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What¡¯s the other reason?¡± Clarice asked curiously.


    ¡°An experiment,¡± Tim stated with his typical infuriating vagueness.


    Before Clarice could ask a follow-up question, Fesk stepped forward and positioned himself in front of Ushu.


    Ushu shifted his attention from Cooper to Fesk and stared down at him with a domineering intensity.


    Fesk held his ground and stared defiantly back at Ushu.


    The tension was immediately broken as Fesk extended his hand palm facing upward toward Ushu¡¯s snout.


    Ushu¡¯s nostrils flared and he turned his head to one side to inspect Fesk¡¯s hand. ¡°Sssilverrrrr!¡± Ushu growled possessively.


    Fesk nodded and closed his hand into a fist before pointing at Ushu, then at the saddle on ushu¡¯s back, and finally back at himself.


    ¡°Crazy bastard,¡± Clarice chuckled, glancing briefly toward Tim before returning her attention to Fesk and Ushu.


    ¡°Miiiiine!¡± Ushu growled, curling his scaly lips and revealing two rows of serrated teeth.


    Fesk repeated the motions again.


    Ushu exposed more of his teeth.


    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± Nadine asked warily, ¡°Can¡¯t you just transfer the Bond or something?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± Tim replied glibly, ¡°We don¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Nadine¡¯s face turned white with fright and she slowly backed away from Ushu, ¡°Then what has been stopping him from-¡±


    ¡°Mutual respect,¡± Tim interjected seriously and then grinned, ¡°And a fair bit of bribery to keep him on his best behaviour.¡±


    Clarice frowned. She had been under the impression that Ushu was still Enslaved.


    Given the Dragon¡¯s temperament, it seemed incredibly dangerous not to maintain some degree of control.


    Clarice¡¯s frown deepened as she recalled the incident in Sanctuary¡¯s Grove. Realising that Dhizi could have been badly hurt or even killed, Clarice was about to give Tim a piece of her mind but stopped abruptly as something else drew her attention.


    Fesk had opened his hand again, revealing a slowly expanding disk of silver. As the disk continued to grow, Clarice was able to make out more details.


    The silver disk was covered by intricate etchings of curious symbols that resembled the pictures Clarice had seen drawn on rare high-level potions. A single hole punched near the edge of the disk held a pair of silver links, one of which had a small bar and screw on its far end.


    ¡°An earring?!¡± Clarice demanded incredulously.


    Much to her irritation, Ushu had visibly calmed down and was even presenting Fesk with the ribbed fan-like crest on the right side of his head.


    Fesk looked back toward Tim for confirmation before unscrewing the earring while Tim used a sword to make a small incision in the leathery membrane of the crest to make space for the earring.


    Once the earring was locked in place, Ushu made a series of satisfying huffing sounds as he slowly shook his head back and forth to agitate the earring.


    ¡°Why are you acting like a little girl who was given her first earring?¡± Clarice muttered quietly, ¡°It¡¯s not even your first one-¡± Her eyes widened in surprise as Fesk¡¯s body began to swell, ¡°What the fuck?...¡±


    Segments of Fesk¡¯s armour were destroyed as Fesk¡¯s muscles swelled to absurd size. His pale white skin shimmered with amber hues and revealed orange-tinged scales that now covered every inch of his exposed body. Fesk¡¯s slender frame had been substantially reinforced and his lower jaw had grown thick bony ridges and spikes. However, what drew Clarice¡¯s attention most of all was the large shimmering obsidian horn hovering a fingerbreadth from Fesk¡¯s forehead.


    Before Clarice was even certain of what she was seeing, a shimmering copper ring appeared above Fesk¡¯s head and six scythe-like copper wings appeared on his back.


    Clarice¡¯s eyes ached as she tried to take everything in. ¡°H-Hey-¡± The words died in her throat as a far larger but otherwise identical copper ring appeared above Ushu¡¯s head. ¡®What...the...fuck?...¡± Clarice desperately struggled with her shell-shocked mind and tried to get a grip on what was going on.


    What she was seeing should have been impossible, or, at least, that is what her mind kept repeating over and over again.


    The translucent copper wings and halos were obviously Manifestations of the Angels, but the obsidian horns and amber scales were from one of the Daemons. Possessing both characteristics simultaneously seemed...wrong...Not just impossible, but something that should be punished for even having attempted.


    Pulling off his ruined gauntlets, Fesk revealed thick boney claws and more amber-scaled flesh. A second pair of eyes had formed alongside the first, and a thick Swamp-lurker-like tail materialised on his back. Far from afraid, Fesk looked down at his altered hands and gave a savage smile that revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth.


    Clarice¡¯s thoughts proclaiming abomination and blasphemy were silenced almost immediately and completely as Clarice felt a familiar pang of jealousy. Narrowing her eyes, Clarice focused her attention on Tim. Whatever was going on, Clarice was certain Tim would be at the centre of it.


    ¡°I want it too!¡± Clarice growled quietly, ¡°I want to become stronger!¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 52 – Pacts with Patrons – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 52 ¨C Pacts with Patrons ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 52 - Pacts with Patrons - Part Two


    The remainder of the Conquest passed uneventfully. However, Clarice had begun interrogating the Warlocks for details on the different powers granted by their Patrons through the Manifestation Ability. I had known from the beginning that she would begin gunning for the Warlocks the moment we discovered sufficiently intelligent Beasts. Whether it was because of their Intelligence or nature as Variants was still unclear.


    The Asrusian high command had taken a keen interest in the discovery as well, which didn¡¯t surprise me either. Their interest made it that much easier to raise the subject of my intentions for a Beast protection agency and regulatory body. The presence of the Variant Carnifexes had already guaranteed that the floor would need to be quarantined until one of the Daemons could make an attempt at inducting the Variant Carnifex population through telepathy.


    I spent the majority of my free time studying and reviewing proposals from a number of high ranked officers. The Asrusians wanted to enact something of a scorched earth campaign against the Confederacy.


    In so many words, they wanted to steal the lowest level floors of the Confederacy¡¯s Labyrinths.


    The first five floors of most Labyrinths provided almost the entirety of any given city¡¯s meat supply and raw resources for various industries. Of course, it varied depending upon the nature of each Labyrinth, but stealing those floors from a city¡¯s Labyrinth would functionally cripple the city, and in turn, the nobleman who claimed ownership over it.


    The way the war had ended had left a bitter taste in the mouths of most of the military. In the most technical terms, they had lost. Surrendering and joining the ranks of a former aggressor had delivered a serious blow to general morale in spite of saving the overwhelming majority of the civilian population.


    The high command wanted to target the cities under the dominion of nobles that had turned traitor at the outset of the war. Objectively, it presented no risk to Sanctuary beyond the loan of an Artefact. The logistics were a different matter entirely.


    With only one Artefact, only one floor could be taken at a time. The enemy wouldn¡¯t just allow their territory to be stolen without a fight either. Conquests could be enacted simultaneously, but the moment they ended, the Guilds, at the very least, would begin to investigate.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± a familiar voice drew me from my musings and toward Gregory who was standing respectfully to one side of my table.


    ¡°How long have you been there?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Not long,¡± Gregory admitted, ¡°I have news regarding the Mournbrent Labyrinth and movements of the Liche¡¯s forces.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± I pressed, giving Gregory my full attention and setting aside my learning materials.


    ¡°Confederate forces have begun investigating Mournbrent and its Labyrinth. Thus far, they have limited their actions to barricading the entrance to the Labyrinth. Or trying to,¡± Gregory furrowed his brow slightly, ¡°The grand cathedral and its occupants have not gone unnoticed, but their strange Abilities have been attributed to zealotry and not third-party intervention. Unfortunately, that¡¯s where the good news ends I am afraid,¡± he sighed and rolled his shoulders before reinitiating eye contact, ¡°The Werrian Empire is in the early stages of a crisis. The sporadic reports from our spies suggest that when the Liche fled, she took her forces north and has been carving a bloody swathe through the countryside since. The Werrians don¡¯t seem to realise the extent of the threat, and likely won¡¯t until it is too late,¡± Gregory paused and gave me a look that made it abundantly clear that I was expected to make a decision, ¡°The Lord Regent wishes to know what you will do regarding this information, Majesty.¡±


    The Werrians were or had been, the Asrusian¡¯s enemies. So far as I was aware, their motivation for invading the Asrusians was driven by expansionism. The fact that they were prolific slavers was a mark against their current moral character, but it wasn¡¯t irreconcilable. Earth¡¯s history was a bloated mess of different cultures enslaving and subjugating one another. But there were also many instances of slavers becoming liberators. Damning the Werrians for the choices of a relative minority in positions of power and influence would make me an accessory to the slaughter.


    ¡°I won¡¯t abandon my humanity for the sake of spite,¡± I replied grimly, ¡°What do you suggest as a course of action?¡±


    Gregory slowly nodded in agreement but seemed far more conflicted, ¡°Direct intervention would be impossible. Going to the Werrians'' aid in the field would cause Morale to plummet. The Werrians wouldn¡¯t allow an army to roam uncontested either. Even if they did allow it, their bureaucratic excesses would hobble any meaningful actions the army might take.¡±


    ¡°So we need to send individuals, or small teams instead?¡± I guessed.


    ¡°Indeed, Majesty. Specifically, the Warlocks and Summoners and Pact Binders associated with the Angels would be best,¡± Gregory clarified, ¡°I have no doubt that the Werrians'' sacred church will act once they are aware of the threat, so I believe that this may present an opportunity for our reformed church to establish itself on the international stage.¡±


    ¡°All while the Dwergi are made to disappear throughout their empire?¡± I sighed, recalling the council¡¯s commitment to rescuing the Dwergi from Enslavement.


    ¡°The current circumstances may in fact play to our advantage, Majesty,¡± Gregory replied optimistically, ¡°With some preparation, disappearances and collateral damage could be attributed to the undead. Leaving our involvement unknown to the Werrians.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I agreed, ¡°However, on the subject of Angels, we might have a problem.¡±


    Gregory waited patiently for an explanation while I gathered my thoughts.


    ¡°Ophelia and Orphiel are Fallen Angels,¡± I cautioned, ¡°And the addition of that particular prefix makes a considerable difference. Apparently, regular Angels attack The Fallen on sight. I wasn¡¯t aware of this until reading through some of the Class Abilities. However, I have personally witnessed how quickly Angels react when making contact with Daemons, and I imagine it can¡¯t be much different with The Fallen.¡±


    Gregory frowned thoughtfully, ¡°I was unaware of this animosity, Majesty, and I can understand how it presents a number of potential problems.¡±


    ¡°The Warlocks and Pact Binders associated with Wisp and Valkyrja might be alright,¡± I suggested after some thought, ¡°In fact, Wisp in particular is somewhat better suited than Ophelia in regards to dealing with a macro-level threat. Discussing the matter with him might reveal a number of potential intervention measures that could be used by motivated laymen as well.¡±


    ¡°With your permission, Majesty, I shall seek Wisp¡¯s council at the earliest opportunity,¡± Gregory promised.


    ¡°You have my permission,¡± I agreed, ¡°And I will let Wisp know you¡¯re coming.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Majesty,¡± Gregory bowed low at the waist.


    ¡°Before you leave, what do you think of the high command¡¯s proposition to take territory from the Labyrinths in the Confederate cities?¡± I asked, curious to see where Gregory¡¯s opinions lay on the subject.


    I appreciated it when Gregory took a few moments to think about it rather than answering right away. ¡°I understand the motives behind seeking vengeance on a traitor, but the changes made to the Labyrinths are already quite suspicious. Striking further afield and spreading rumours of the Labyrinths undergoing a sort of Evolution would provide better coverage over the long term. The monsterification of anyone who enters the Laine Labyrinth is already beginning to leak, and the last thing we want are more nations eyeing our holdings. Far better that we exact tolls now and reap benefits while they count their blessings.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I agreed, ¡°You can tell the high command that-¡± I felt a tug from my self-conscious, ¡°-Seven intruders just attempted to enter the Demi-Plane!¡±


    Quick as a flash, Gregory began running for the tunnel to the surface.


    *


    Clad in robes as black as midnight, Wisp materialised on the other side of the table.


    ¡°Seven people just attempted to invade the Demi-Plane!¡± I growled angrily, ¡°Take a team to investigate the Gateway and then isolate and subdue the invaders for questioning! You will find them in Tartarus! Now go!¡±


    Wisp bowed his cowled head and disappeared.


    The hours passed and the fortress was undergoing the final stages of the initial pack down when Gregory returned. None the worse for his traversing the city outside, Gregory still appeared troubled.


    ¡°A Confederate spy and his team,¡± Gregory reported solemnly, ¡°Four royal guards were fatally wounded, but they were given aid before succumbing to their injuries, so they are expected to make a full recovery.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I hadn¡¯t considered that the guards posted to keep watch over the Gateway might become targets themselves, and the oversight gnawed at me. ¡°What of the spy?¡±


    ¡°Still undergoing interrogation, Majesty,¡± Gregory replied neutrally, ¡°They are all bound under oaths, so it will be slow going if we manage to extract any useful information at all.¡±


    ¡°You have my permission to approach one of the Daemons to see if they can glean anything through telepathy,¡± I sighed and ran a hand exasperatedly over my scalp, ¡°I want to know if this was an unfortunate accident driven by curiosity, or if they had known what was on the other side.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure to get to the bottom of this, Majesty!¡± Gregory swore and began to head back toward the tunnel again when he stopped himself, ¡°Majesty, why were the invaders already in cages?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°That part¡¯s simple really,¡± I replied nonchalantly, ¡°Tartarus is meant to be a prison. Anyone who attempts to use a Gateway to enter my Demi-Plane without at least my general permission is deposited into one of those cells. I figured it would make finding and interrogating them much easier that way.¡±


    Gregory looked profoundly surprised, ¡°Your Majesty can do that?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Amongst other things.¡±


    ¡°If I may ask, Majesty? If such a precautionary measure was already in place, what was the cause for your panic?¡± Gregory asked respectfully.


    ¡°Gregory, I knew seven individuals had invaded my Demi-Plane,¡± I explained slowly, ¡°But I didn''t know who or why. I was somewhat iffy on the how as well. They could have come from Mournbrent instead of the capital. It could have been undead instead of nosy spies. It could have been...someone like me...¡±


    Gregory nodded in understanding, ¡°I see. I Will do better to trust your Majesty¡¯s insights in the future,¡± he apologised.


    ¡°No, Gregory, You are right to question me. I¡¯m not infallible, and my actions shouldn¡¯t be above reproach solely because of my position,¡± I corrected him, ¡°This is all as new to me as it is to you.¡±


    I spent some time explaining what I knew and what I had guessed at in relation to Demi-Planes. I also made a point of mentioning that it was very likely that others like myself already had Demi-Planes of their own. The security measures available would make it almost impossible to confirm a Demi-Plane¡¯s existence in the first place. However, it was something to remain wary of going forward.


    For all we knew, I was breaking some taboo of secrecy by pilfering the lower floors of the Labyrinths. With how comparatively weak humans were to begin with, it¡¯s doubtful they would notice a power creep after the eightieth floor of any given labyrinth. Being felled in one hit made it difficult to determine objective differences in power.


    My discussion with Gregory did reveal something I hadn¡¯t been initially aware of. I had somewhat limited access to tools for population control.


    The subject had arisen when Gregory had somewhat offhandedly inquired when the Mothers Moon for Humans would be expected to arrive. The answer had been six months and four days, but what had been interesting was that the timing, scale and scope were all subject to change within the Demi-Plane.


    My degree of control was objectively limited. However, with overpopulation in the future being a serious issue, it was not something I would just ignore. With fertility already bound to partners within a Mate Bond, there was already a certain degree of population control in play. Furthermore, the infrequency of the Mothers Moon for each Species created a much larger artificial gap between potential births than would normally be possible. However, with enough time and a low mortality rate, the population of each Species would continue to grow exponentially. The safety of the Demi-Plane would all but ensure an overcrowding crisis in the future.


    I could allow a smaller scale Mothers Moon event to be triggered at the cost of a lot of mana, derailing participants from the Labyrinths independently timed system. The benefit would be represented in a more voluntary engagement process involving less pressure due to the ritual being available whenever a couple was ready for it. Removing the artificial deadline would probably generate an initial boom in population amongst the monsters from the Labyrinths, and to a certain degree from the Humans as well. However, I was confident that once the concept of the service being available on demand was understood, parents would opt to spend more resources on their existing children rather than rushing to have more because of a fear of missing out.


    Time would tell, but I was interested in trial-running the experiment to confirm things would function as I believed they would. Leaving Gregory to select a number of the more rural communities to keep the individual sample sizes low, just in case. I drafted special requirements for initiating and participating in the Altered Mothers Moon so it would be a purely opt-in scenario.


    With the looming crisis temporarily off my plate, I went to bed. After spending some time with Pete and Suzy, I explained the idea to Lash so she could provide some insight that I might not have considered. Unsurprisingly, Lash was very supportive and provided a number of additional reasons as to why the ritual alternative might be better.


    The most prominent reason Lash provided in favour of the Altered Mothers Moon was pre-battle population maintenance. Although she phrased it considerably more romantically. A lesser reason was preventing the undue stress on mixed species couples. I had experienced the Orc¡¯s Mothers Moon already, and I had no idea when the Ogre¡¯s Mothers Moon would arrive, but Lash would be just as affected by it as I was. It would be far better to have some degree of control over the matter.


    The second Conquest passed as uneventfully as the first, and with the assistance of the Harpy Overseer Skreia and her former flock, the eighth floor was annexed a couple of days later.


    However, upon arriving on the ninth floor, things immediately became more complicated.


    Hulking anthropomorphic boar people, Boarmen, had laid claim to the abandoned Foothold in the Adventurer Guild¡¯s absence. The scouts had been permitted to leave peacefully in exchange for their equipment and had returned unharmed.


    Rather than skipping the ninth floor, I decided to take the opportunity to be more proactive.


    Peaceful annexation was possible so long as I accepted a certain degree of risk and that my hands would be irreversibly bloodied regardless of the outcome.


    Leaving the army behind. I permitted Gregory and a small squad of soldiers to accompany me as witnesses.


    Passing through the portal, I found myself standing inside a crude bulwark formed from rough-hewn trees. Two raised platforms on either side of the bulwark provided four Boarmen with an elevated position to throw their spears without obstruction. A heavy wooden gate blocked the only means of leaving the bulwark and entering the Foothold itself, but it was barred from the opposite side.


    The moment we arrived, the Boarmen atop the raised platforms began squealing in warning and waving their weapons in an attempt to intimidate us. The squeals of warning quickly turned to surprise and fear once they seemed to internalise my presence.


    Ignoring the guards, I made my way over to the gate.


    Clenching my right fist, I gathered some mana and aimed for the middle of the tree barring the gate from the other side.


    *


    The gates flew open amidst a hail of splinters and clouds of dirt and debris, revealing the wider Foothold.


    Boarmen warriors were calling out in alarm and mustering from the nearby buildings while smaller Boarmen, who I presumed to be women and children, actively fled toward the periphery.


    Two spears struck my back but dealt no damage, so I ignored them.


    Moving forward I took up a position a short distance in front of the bulwark¡¯s gate and waited.


    ¡°Hugh-man! Weee! Hugh-man stay! Hugh-man give up! ¡± Shrieked the bulwark guards while waving their weapons threateningly in my direction.


    A ring of partially armoured and armed Boarmen formed a short distance away, squealing and grunting in their own language. The largest amongst them was only half my height but roughly two-thirds as wide. Many were covered in vicious scars, some of which looked comparatively recent.


    Most of their weapons and armour were primitive and fashioned from bone, but a few of the larger Boarmen had metal weapons.


    All of the Foothold¡¯s original buildings had been removed and replaced with large long huts made from logs, thatch and bark. Located primarily around the periphery, the central stretch of the Foothold, leading from the portal to the gate, was kept clear.


    I didn''t have to wait long before an even larger, and wider, Boarman arrived and began pushing his way through the other warriors. Roughly nine feet tall, the Boarman had beefy arms and a prodigious gut. His thick bristled ebony mohawk added another foot to his height and directed attention toward his bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Hugh-man!¡± The large Boarman shrieked in anger, ¡°Hugh-man dare invade Blackmane?!¡±


    I looked at the other Boarmen and realised that they all had the same black mohawks. ¡°Yes!¡± I called back bluntly.


    The large Boarman seemed confused, perhaps having expected me to lie. However, he quickly worked himself up into a fury again, ¡°WHY?!¡± The large Boarman demanded with a rabid shriek.


    ¡°I am Tim! And I am here to challenge your chieftain!¡± I cried in reply, ¡°The Blackmane will serve me!¡±


    The large Boarman looked stunned for all of a microsecond before rallying once more, ¡°YOU CHALLENGE MORT?!?!?! REEEEEE?!?!?!¡±


    I drew my machete and rolled my shoulders in preparation for combat.


    The large Boarman, whom I assumed was called Mort, released a frenzied squeal and charged. Armed with a large axe and armoured in furry hides, it was difficult to determine how much of a threat the Boarman presented.


    Rushing forward to break Mort¡¯s momentum, I caught the shaft of his axe with a sweeping backhanded blow from my machete, snapping the shaft of the axe and sending the head flying into the unprepared crowd of warriors.


    Instead of abandoning the shaft, Mort delivered a backhanded blow to my hip as he struggled to arrest his charge.


    While I took no actual damage from the blow, it was somewhat unsettling that so much force had managed to carry through the chain hauberk.


    I punched Mort with my free hand to try and keep him off balance, but cut myself on one of ihs tusks as he was driven to the ground. The wound was minor and had already begun to heal, but the sharpness of his tusks had taken me unawares.


    Swiping at Mort¡¯s back while he attempted to scramble to his feet, I succeeded in cutting through the hides and opening a shallow gash just below his right shoulder.


    Scrambling to his feet, Mort shrieked something unintelligible and threw a clump of what I hoped was only dirt toward my face.


    Stepping back and shielding the visor of my helmet with my left arm, I braced myself for Mort¡¯s counterattack.


    A flash of dull pain erupted from my right thigh as Mort attempted to tackle me to the ground, driving his tusks deep into the meat of my upper thigh in the process.


    Lifting my left arm back I hammered down on the back of Mort¡¯s unprotected neck with as much force as I could muster while trying to move my leg clear of his flailing arms.


    Mort gave a yelping squeal of surprise as he was sent crashing to the ground for a second time.


    I ignored the pain in my leg and stomped on Mort¡¯s back, ¡°YIELD!¡± I demanded before following up the stomp with a vicious kick to his chest.


    Mort regained his feet with deceptive speed and glowered at me defiantly while rubbing his neck and accepting a donated spear from one of his warriors.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if I have to,¡± I warned while swapping the machete to my left hand and summoning a heavy flanged mace to take its place in my right.


    ¡°BLACKMANE MORT¡¯S!!!¡± Mort shrieked and charged with his spear aimed toward the ragged puncture wounds in my upper thigh.


    Gathering mana into the mace I resolved myself to make it quick.


    Sidestepping Mort¡¯s charge, I slapped away his spear with my machete and brought the head of the flanged mace crashing into the back of his skull.


    *


    Blood, bone and brain matter exploded from the point of impact as Mort crashed into the ground.


    Instead of spasms and death throes, Mort roared in rage and began pushing himself to his feet while pulped tissues and blood pouring down his back. Staggering on the spot, Mort screamed in fury as he stared at his surroundings with hollow bleeding eye sockets.


    The fight was clearly over, but Mort refused to die, still holding fast to his spear and wildly thrashing it in all directions.


    Releasing the mace, I conjured a magical bow and brace of magical arrows. Slowly bringing them up to the correct size, I continued watching in astonishment as Mort thrashed his way around the clearing. Just as I was taking aim to try and place an arrow in his heart, I received a kill notification and Mort collapsed to the ground.


    The Boarmen all stared at Mort¡¯s carcass in shock. Then, one by one, beginning with the largest, the Boarmen began bowing their heads and prostrating themselves on the ground.


    ¡°You!¡± I pointed to one of the largest Boarmen I could see, ¡°Come here!¡±


    The Boarman in question did a double-take before meekly rising to his feet and making his approach.


    ¡°Your tribe is mine now, you understand this?¡± I asked grimly.


    The Boarman nodded, ¡°Tusker, know, you, say,¡± he grunted nervously, clearly struggling to form the sentence.


    ¡°You serve me now, Tusker!¡± I sheathed my machete and rested my left hand on his head, electing to ignore the fear in his eyes as I did so.


    Tusker shivered in fear for a good minute before realising he was expected to make a choice. ¡°Tusker serve!¡± He squealed fearfully, relaxing only after I removed my hand from his head.


    Having added Tusker as a minion, I could now understand the low and high-pitched grunts and squealing from the assembled crowd of warriors. More importantly, they could now understand me.


    ¡°The Blackmane serves me now!¡± I declared, leaving no room for doubt, ¡°You will swear oaths of loyalty! Those who swear oaths will be rewarded! Those who refuse will be banished!¡±


    The assembled warriors stirred at the mention of rewards and seemed to ignore the demand for oaths of loyalty and the threat of banishment. It was an interesting insight into Boarmen psychology.


    Guiding Tusker through the simple version of Sanctuary¡¯s oaths, I promoted him to Underlord and then set him to recruiting the rest of the tribe.


    With things now taking care of themselves, I began snacking on dried meat rations while cleaning out the two puncture wounds in my thigh. I had only taken a handful of hitpoints in damage, but the wounds were deep and could have easily nicked a femoral artery if I had been unlucky.


    With our position cemented, Gregory had sent his men back through the portal before hurrying to my side, ¡°Are you alright Majesty? I have sent for a Surgeon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I was lucky he didn¡¯t hit anything important,¡± I gestured vaguely toward Mort¡¯s corpse without looking at it. ¡°I was a little surprised that the mail was punctured so easily,¡± I motioned to the patch of broken mail links that I had expected to protect my thigh.


    Gregory gave me a wry smile, ¡°Unfortunately, Majesty, mail is best against slashing attacks, not puncturing or piercing attacks. That is why it is typically worn over padded armour such as a gambeson,¡± he thumped his own padded sleeves. ¡°I doubt a gambeson would have stopped such a blow, but it may have blunted it somewhat. I fear anything short of a plate of hardened steel would not have stopped the blow entirely.¡±


    I sighed and nodded in understanding. I was avoiding the use of heavier armour partially because I preferred the mobility afforded by wearing the hauberk. The primary reason was that no one had donated any magical plate armour, and the Asrusian treasury had styles I had been informed were far better suited for mounted combat or were far too ostentatious.


    A commotion from amidst the warriors drew our attention away from the mangled chain links of my hauberk and toward two large warriors dragging a considerably smaller warrior in my direction. The smaller warrior had pale grey fur in contrast to the browns and black of the other Boarmen. His mohawk was a dark black like the others, but as he was brought closer, I realised how they had managed such uniformity. They were using hair dye.


    ¡°Chieftain!-¡± The larger of the two warriors announced.


    ¡°Tyrant,¡± I corrected before motioning for him to continue.


    ¡°Tyrant,¡± the warrior corrected humbly, ¡°What should we do with runt?¡± The warrior asked gravely, as if the smaller Boarman was a dead man walking.


    ¡°What do you normally do with runts?¡± I asked warily, suspecting I already knew the answer.


    ¡°Runts banished from tribe, Tyrant. Runts make tribe weak,¡± the warrior explained matter of factly while trying to remain respectful.


    ¡°He was born in your tribe?¡± I asked with mounting curiosity, noticing a number of aesthetic differences.


    Both warriors made contradictory motions with their heads, one nodding while the other shook his head.


    ¡°Mother from conquered tribe,¡± the larger warrior explained, ¡°Father Blackmane.¡±


    ¡°Mort, the former chieftain, was his father, right?¡± I guessed, now understanding why the runt had been brought to my attention.


    The warriors nodded meekly.


    ¡°Does Mort have any other children in the tribe?¡± I asked shrewdly.


    To my surprise, the warriors shook their heads, ¡°Old chieftain¡¯s children strong, make more tribes,¡± they explained.


    I studied the runt for signs of potential animosity but found only fear and curiosity in equal measure. Shifting my attention to his Status, I compared his stats against the warriors beside him and realised that he had abnormally high Intelligence and presence but was also lacking in Strength and Toughness.


    Of greater immediate interest was the Boarmen Racial Abilities that explained why my duel against Mort had gone so awry.


    Besides possessing Primal Rage like Ushu and Cooper, the Boarmen also had Indomitable and Boundless Gluttony.


    At the cost of mana, Indomitable could temporarily stave off unconsciousness or death. The former being far cheaper than the latter. It was unclear whether bodily functions would be retained during the grace period, so I was inclined to believe that Mort had been well and truly beyond saving despite his extended bodily autonomy. However, it was still unclear whether Primal Rage was responsible for his devolution into mindless thrashing, or it was because I pulped his brain. It was entirely possible both were to blame, but I couldn¡¯t envision a scenario where such an instance could be tested and disproven without killing the subject.


    Boundless Gluttony seemed somewhat similar to Iron Gut, increasing the rate of Healing from consuming food. However, it also increased resistance against Diseases and specifically mentioned the capability of expending mana to increase the power of digestion. If I understood the last part correctly, it meant that the Boarmen could theoretically eat just about anything provided they had the available mana to do so.


    ¡°Grunty, are you willing to swear the oaths?¡± I asked while staring down at him.


    ¡°Grunty will swear!¡± Grunty agreed with the same enthusiasm as a drowning man offered a place aboard a life raft.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± I ordered and offered Grunty my hand, ¡°On pain of death, do you swear to obey and uphold my laws and the right of my bloodline to rule?¡± Technically, regicide was prevented through the laws against murder and knowingly engaging in seditious activities. However, having killed his father, I decided to be slightly more pedantic with Grunty.


    ¡°Grunty swears,¡± Grunty agreed, flinching as the oaths settled on his soul.


    ¡°You can leave us now,¡± I waved away the two warriors while keeping my attention focused on Grunty.


    The warriors did as they were told, bowing and scraping as they left my presence.


    ¡°Grunty, I want you to go with Gregory and answer his questions while I attend to other business,¡± I ordered, ¡°And understand that he speaks with my voice and deserves respect. Gregory will also inform you of your obligations and the opportunities afforded by being my subject.¡±


    ¡°As Tyrant commands, Grunty obeys!¡± Grunty agreed emphatically, eagerly following a short distance away to afford me some privacy while I saw to the puncture wounds in my leg.


    As I expected would be the case, Nadine arrived shortly afterwards under heavy guard.


    ¡°What happened to your leg?¡± Nadine demanded rhetorically while pulling out a large needle and thick thread from her satchel.


    ¡°Gored by a Boarman,¡± I replied somewhat distractedly, trying not to look while Nadine prepared alcohol to sterilise the wound.


    Nadine paused for a moment and looked at Mort¡¯s corpse, ¡°Well, at least, it looks like you gave worse than you got,¡± she commented quietly while getting to work, ¡°Are you okay? With what happened I mean?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± I grunted as Nadine tied off her first set of stitches. ¡°I mean, I tried giving him an out, but he refused to take it.¡±


    Nadine nodded, but whether it was in support or agreement was unclear.


    ¡°When you have a moment, I want you to take a look at the Indomitable Ability,¡± I requested, ¡°I¡¯ll need to let Wraithe know as well.¡±


    Nadine nodded again and finished her second set of stitches, ¡°I think that will do it. You were well on your way before I got here.¡± She pressed her hand onto my thigh and consumed the stitches with golden light.


    After a brief moment of intense itching, the sensation faded and the stitches disappeared.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this about an Ability?¡± Nadine asked curiously while packing away her supplies.


    ¡°Indomitable, it can stave off unconsciousness and death at the expense of mana,¡± I explained, immediately earning Nadine¡¯s intense interest.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure? You didn¡¯t just read it wrong?¡± Nadine asked somewhat warily.


    ¡°I saw it in action,¡± I replied and motioned toward Mort¡¯s corpse, ¡°I don¡¯t mutilate corpses.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You dashed his brains out and he was left alive?¡±


    ¡°And swinging,¡± I added with a sigh, ¡°But I don¡¯t know how much of him was still present. The Boarmen all have Primal Rage like Ushu and Cooper, forcing them into an Enraged state when critically low on health.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you wanted me to take a look at Indomitable...¡± Nadine realised, ¡°We might be able to save some lives thanks to the Ability, but we will have to contend with the patients themselves to make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I suppose we could focus on recruiting porters with the Grappler Class,¡± Nadine reasoned thoughtfully, ¡°But they would have to be as big as an Orc to be of any use for just the rank and file of the army. Enraged is a scary buff.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, recalling videos I had seen that showed patients on illicit narcotics ripping off bed railings, throwing orderlies across a room and breaking out of restraints. Adrenaline was not something to underestimate.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Berserkers and Reavers find it hard to get into regular adventuring groups or even mercenary companies,¡± Nadine commented, ¡°The possibility that an ally might turn on you at the worst possible moment is bad enough, but with them, it¡¯s that basically a matter of when it will happen, not if.¡±


    ¡°Still, Indomitable isn¡¯t something I am willing to pass up. Depending on the circumstances, it could be a lifeline for people we might not have been able to save otherwise,¡± I insisted.


    ¡°I know,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°But it¡¯s going to make things that much more complicated because of the other Abilities that are part of the package. With Cooper and Ushu, they could always be removed from the group to drop the synergy, but we would lose Indomitable if we did it to the Boarmen.¡±


    We continued rehashing the same point from slightly different perspectives for a half an hour before deciding to leave the matter.


    The cavern¡¯s excavation was well underway, but wouldn¡¯t be ready for another hour or so. New walls would take another three hours or more.


    To pass the time, I handed out magical weapons to the warriors who had sworn oaths of loyalty and fealty, demonstrating how to resize them through the injection of mana. The reaction I received from the veterans in particular seemed somewhat disproportionate to the value of the gifts. Even after I explained how common such weapons were and how the warriors would have plenty of opportunities to acquire them.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Gregory waited until he had my full attention, ¡°I believe that there is an opportunity to gather the remaining Variant tribes beneath your banner with minimal bloodshed.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t keen on the fact that bloodshed seemed to be a given but I motioned for Gregory to continue.


    ¡°Grunty¡¯s three brothers, the chieftains of the Redmane, Bluemane and Yellowmane tribes respectively, control the three most powerful and largest of the remaining tribes. If your Majesty can convince those three chieftains to bend the knee, the remaining tribes will join without resistance,¡± Gregory explained with all seriousness.


    ¡°They name their tribes by colour?¡± I asked while contemplating the potentially disastrous possibilities of three more duels.


    ¡°It seems to work for them,¡± Gregory replied with a somewhat dismissive shrug, ¡°When a tribe is defeated and absorbed into a rival, the warriors'' manes are shaved. They are forbidden by tribal law from participating in warfare until their mane regrows enough to take in the dye corresponding to the namesake of the tribe. The women and children, more or less, continue as before. The women remarry if necessary, and the children perform menial tasks according to the tribe¡¯s needs.¡±


    ¡°How does Grunty feel about the potential death of his siblings?¡± I asked while glancing at Grunty who was admiring a magical crossbow gifted to one of the other warriors.


    ¡°He appears indifferent, Majesty,¡± Gregory shrugged, ¡°Fratricide and patricide seem to be culturally acceptable for those in positions of leadership. The most powerful chieftains in turn create the most powerful offspring, who in turn either break away and form their own tribes or challenge their father for control over theirs. Whether it is through warfare or attempted coup, fathers, nephews, uncles and sons face off against one another frequently enough for it to be considered commonplace.¡±


    ¡°If they aren¡¯t fighting over vengeance-driven grudges, then why are they fighting?¡± I demanded irritably. Uncomfortable with the idea of potentially killing three more people and no one batting an eye.


    ¡°Access to food and shelter,¡± Gregory replied solemnly, ¡°Or so Grunty tells me. The Foothold was the most valuable location due to the Barrier preventing wild monsters from attacking the women and children. This means more warriors can be sent out to hunt, bringing in more food. The other tribal holds don¡¯t have the Barrier but have varying degrees of terrain advantage and access to different food sources while being exposed to different dangers.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you recommend we do?¡± I sighed, accepting the idea that violence would continue to be our best tool for saving a greater number of lives.


    ¡°Send the oldest and most trusted warriors of the tribe to inform the three major tribes chieftains that the Blackmane have a new chieftain,¡± Gregory explained, ¡°When they arrive to confirm the chieftains death for themselves, demand that they become your subordinates. If they refuse, then I have absolute confidence that your majesty will be more than a match for them. If they accept, all the better.¡±


    ¡°See to it,¡± I agreed and began summoning supplies to bribe the Blackmane populace. I hoped that seeing the Blackmanes happy with the transition would make the chieftains that much more likely to accept a peaceful transition themselves.


    As the day wore on, spices, salt and other seasonings proved immensely popular. The wives, sisters and daughters of the Boarmen warriors sent their male relatives to beg for more, offering up anything of value they could lay their hands on.


    For the time being, I refused all forms of payment. Being known as a bringer of gifts seemed more preferable to me than being seen as a merchant. Besides, I was reasonably certain that Gregory was already formulating a payment scheme for securing Boarmen mercenaries in exchange for spices. I could hand out free samples all day and it wouldn¡¯t make a difference, but the moment I accepted something in exchange it would dictate an actual value.


    The most senior warriors were given Evolution Elixirs before being sent on their diplomatic expedition. Partly to make them more formidable against the wildlife, but mostly to make them that much more intimidating to the tribes they were visiting.


    The Boarmen of the village watched on in awe as towering walls were erected further afield and surrounded the village. Technically raised beyond the protective influence of the Barrier, it wasn¡¯t really that big of a concern. The wall was intended to serve as a buffer against concerted efforts at attacking the Blackmane village, not to stop the scattered wild monsters wandering the periphery.


    The walls actually made it that much easier for the Blackmane warriors to surround and butcher the wild monsters as the walls denied an actual escape.


    Having decided that the village would serve as the major population centre for the Boarmen, I had two more sets of walls erected around the village. Rather than letting the engineers run amok with civic design, I decided it would be best if the Boarmen resolved the planning for themselves.


    As something of a consolation prize, I asked the engineers to design an embassy. So, naturally, they erected a sprawling fortress instead...


    *****


    Reek glared warily at his brothers from the corner of his beady little eyes. As the smallest of the trio, Reek knew that his brothers would almost certainly underestimate him in a direct confrontation. However, Grotten was prone to taking any and all perceived slights as a challenge, so it was best not to give him any excuses.


    Ivar was a different beast altogether. By far the largest of the three siblings, he was exceptionally dimwitted and proud of it. By no means any more violent than the next warrior, Ivar had an uncanny ability for scenting out trouble and crushing it into submission. As chieftain of the Bluemane tribe, Ivar had been expected to challenge their father within the next couple of years and assimilate the Blackmane tribe and its holdings.


    So it came as a profound surprise when their father¡¯s most venerable and respected warriors brought news of their father¡¯s defeat and subsequent demise. As if the tale was not difficult enough to believe already, Tusker claimed that their father Mort had been slain by a Hugh-man. Every other warrior had sworn the same, describing the honour duel in terms as if it were an execution.


    If the Blackmane warriors were to be believed, the chieftain known as Tyrant had slain their father with a single powerful blow to the back of the head.


    No stranger to cranial blunt force trauma, and aware of how thick-headed his father was, Reek couldn¡¯t comprehend how the feat could be possible. He strongly suspected that the warriors were exaggerating on behalf of their new chieftain. It was not altogether uncommon for newly risen chieftains to indulge in exaggeration to bolster their position.


    Unfortunately, part of the warriors¡¯ tale could not be cast into doubt so easily.


    Reek and his brothers had known Tusker all their lives, and Reek had never seen the warrior nearly so cowed as when he spoke the new chieftain¡¯s name. His accomplishments might have been exaggerated, but Reek had no doubts that he must be a formidable foe.


    The second part of Tusker¡¯s claims added credence to Reek¡¯s suspicions. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The new chieftain had a special brew that Tusker and the other warriors swore accelerated their Evolution many times over. Accomplishing the accumulated effort of years in a matter of seconds. Despite the temptation to disregard the claims as dubious efforts at bragging, Reek could see the results for himself.


    Tusker was now larger than Reek himself, and the other warriors were not that much smaller than Reek. Their lack of aggression toward Reek in spite of their increased size made it abundantly clear that they were far too afraid of their new chieftain to attempt striking out on their own without his express permission.


    This made Reek feel profoundly uncomfortable.


    Reek had been resolved to endure the indignities inflicted upon him by his older brothers and father only because he believed that they would one day kill one another. The introduction of the newcomer changed things, and Reek did not like where things seemed to be headed.


    ¡°What that?¡± Ivar demanded, pointing a thick-knuckled hand toward a large grey shape in the distance.


    ¡°Smell dirt,¡± Grotten replied, after sniffing and snorting at the air and scratching at his red mane.


    Reek made a conscious effort to suppress the condescension in his voice. ¡°It is wall,¡± he insisted, ¡°New wall.¡±


    His brothers stared at him for a few moments before returning their attention to the distant wall.


    ¡°Big wall...¡± Grotten grunted with interest.


    ¡°Big wall,¡± Ivar agreed greedily.


    Despite having travelled for nearly a day straight, they all felt a renewed sense of vigour after realising that the large wall surrounded Blackmane village. Already a treasure beyond measure, the village had become exponentially more valuable.


    Drawing closer to the village, they began encountering more Blackmane warriors engaging in gathering moss and thatch.


    Reek and his brothers had all made sure to bring their own respective honour guards to deny the new chieftain any opportunities for mischief. However, Reek found it perplexing how the majority of the warriors they passed seemed to give them no mind at all.


    The sheer size of the walls left them speechless as they passed through a large opening and discovered a second equally large set of walls. Made from stone, Reek could not find a single seam or crack to show how they were built.


    Passing through the second archway revealed the original village much the same as it had always been. Only now there was a colossal tower looming over the village like the shaft of a mighty spear.


    Making the final approach to the village gates, Reek felt a thrill of fear as he recognised movement from behind the walls. Something incredibly large was headed their way.


    Tusker and the other Blackmane warriors fell to one knee and bowed their heads low in respect.


    A few moments later, the largest Hugh-man Reek had ever laid eyes upon passed through the gateway and stared down at them all from behind a shiny metal helmet that hid his face.


    ¡°I am Tim, Tyrant of the Blackmane tribe.¡± the giant Hugh-man growled, ¡°Those who swear oaths of loyalty and fealty to me will remain chieftains over their own tribes. Any who refuse will face the same fate as Mort, the former chieftain of the Blackmane tribe.¡±


    Reek had sensed no inherent animosity in the giant Hugh-man¡¯s voice, but there was no deception either.


    Before Reek could begin to consider his options, a litter born by several Blackmane warriors delivered the still-fresh remains of their former chieftain.


    Just as Tusker and the other veterans had claimed, the entire rear of their father¡¯s skull was missing. Furthermore, the skull itself was covered in cracks and smaller fractures.


    Grotten was the first to act, falling to one knee and grimacing as he lowered his head in defeat.


    Ivar shook the ground as he joined Grotten a few moments later.


    Keenly aware that all eyes were now turned toward him, Reek very nearly froze in terror. Thankfully, his knees had the good sense to buckle, sending Reek headfirst toward the ground of their own accord.


    ¡°Good,¡± Tyrant stated flatly, ¡°You made the right choice. Tusker, you can extract their oaths and explain the rules,¡± the large Hugh-man commanded before ambling away.


    Reek felt a chill run down his spine and gasped for breath as the panic slowly released its hold on his body. Never had he felt so close to death in all his life.


    However, Reek¡¯s existential dread was quickly replaced by pangs of hunger as his snout began detecting the most delectable aroma¡¯s coming from the village.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 – The darkest dungeon – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 ¨C The darkest dungeon ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 53 - The darkest dungeon - Part One


    With the capitulation and successful recruitment of the Redmane, Bluemane, and Yellowmane chieftains, the chieftains were sent back to their tribes with the original envoys. Given orders to recruit their tribesmen and lead them back to the new Boarman capital, Hamburg, the chieftains were also ordered to extend invitations to the other chieftains in their respective areas of influence.


    The conservative expectation was that the initial migration would take the better part of a week and that the secondary migration would take at least another week longer.


    With the knowledge that the closest tribe would begin ferrying its members to their new home within the next couple of days, the Major and I were in agreement that the Conquest needed to begin as soon as possible.


    The Blackmane warriors were given reserve status and positioned to defend the innermost walls of the village. Initially upset by the assignment, the senior warriors changed their minds when they realised that I wasn¡¯t taking a position on the frontlines either. Ushu, Cooper, and Dhizi¡¯s arrival quieted any further dissent as they took to the field, roaring and shrieking enthusiastically to one another as they moved to their assigned areas.


    Pressing my hand against the monolith that would serve as Hamburg¡¯s Totem, I initiated the Conquest. As I was removing my hand from the Totem, I felt a momentary sense of unease.


    Something didn¡¯t feel right.


    Carefully scanning my recent notifications, I found nothing out of place. All the same, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of unease.


    I sent a nearby soldier to fetch Lieutenant Laine while I made my way above ground.


    I would have sent for Gregory, but he had returned to the capital before the Conquest.


    Laine caught me up before I reached the surface. ¡°You sent for me, Majesty?¡± She asked without judgement despite having been rostered off duty.


    ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± I explained while trying not to sound self-conscious, ¡°When I initiated the Conquest, something felt...off.¡±


    Lieutenant Laine¡¯s expression was hidden behind her helmet, but her body language betrayed no signs that she wasn¡¯t taking my concerns seriously.


    ¡°I want you to pass the word around to keep an eye out for anything strange or out of place,¡± I ordered, ¡°It might be nothing, but we lose nothing by being on alert.¡±


    Lieutenant Laine nodded in agreement, ¡°As you say, Majesty. I will inform the garrison commanders and spread the word.¡± She snapped a crisp salute before briskly jogging back down the ramp.


    *


    ¡°Yeah! Rip it to bits! Yea-...Huh?¡± Clarice looked around in surprise, ¡°This is weird...¡±


    ¡°Clarice, I need you to focus for a minute,¡± I insisted, ¡°Something about the Conquest didn¡¯t feel right and-¡±


    ¡°You want me to check things out with Dhizi?¡± Clarice guessed with a grin.


    ¡°Basically, yeah,¡± I agreed, assuming my intentions had been rather obvious.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Clarice agreed with a shrug, catching me off guard.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I asked warily, ¡°No arguments? No complaining?¡±


    ¡°You want me to?¡± Clarice threatened with a grin.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted bluntly, ¡°You just surprised me is all.¡±


    Clarice shrugged and disappeared.


    A few moments later, Dhizi leapt up into the sky and began slowly circling the village.


    Minutes dragged on and Dhizi made no signs of returning to the ground.


    Too anxious to study, I decided to make myself useful and practised my archery on the Pigmen and bear-like Iron Paws attacking the outer walls.


    ¡°Is something wrong with your shoulder?¡± Nadine¡¯s question and presence caught me unawares.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked out of reflex.


    ¡°Your shoulder?¡± Nadine repeated, ¡°You keep scratching it,¡± she pointed just shy of my right shoulder.


    I stared at Nadine for a few moments before raising my left hand and resting it on my left trapezius muscle, ¡°Here?¡± I asked with a mounting sense of dread.


    Nadine nodded but didn¡¯t seem to understand the cause for my concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked, ¡°Do you need me to check it out? I have my tools right here.¡±


    I shook my head and swallowed to try and wet my mouth, ¡°I know why something doesn¡¯t feel right...¡±


    Nadine seemed just as confused as before, ¡°Something is wrong?¡±


    ¡°This floor has a dungeon in it,¡± I replied quietly, ¡°And the Conquest just woke it up.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she seized control over herself almost immediately, ¡°You are sure?¡±


    ¡°As much as I can be...¡± I replied somewhat evasively.


    Nadine narrowed her eyes critically, ¡°What does your shoulder have to do with there being a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the scar, not my shoulder,¡± I corrected nervously, ¡°When you left to try and rescue Kirk, Rose, and their daughter Millie, we found a dungeon by chance while exploring the underground. Inside, the Angel, Orphiel, he did something to Lash...¡± I shuddered as I recalled how Lash had immediately fallen into a deep coma.


    ¡°Oh...That scar...¡± Nadine¡¯s expression grew sympathetic for a moment before becoming deeply concerned, ¡°Last time, the guardian was a Hydra right? I¡¯ve spoken to Toofy about it before and I¡¯m pretty sure it was the same Hydra that attacked us on the river...But why would a dungeon on this floor be any different?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I didn¡¯t understand the question.


    ¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t that Hydra have tried to attack us while we were doing that Conquest?¡± Nadine asked critically, ¡°It should have had enough time to attempt the trip.¡±


    ¡°It may have attempted it,¡± I admitted, ¡°But its only way out of the cavern we found it in was by water. If it had to spend time swimming out to the river first before backtracking, that might be why we were lucky enough not to encounter it. The Hydra also seemed far more suited to water than overland travel.¡±


    ¡°I would have to take your word for it,¡± Nadine sighed, ¡°Truthfully, I didn¡¯t even get a look at it when it attacked the ship, I was too busy trying to stitch people back together...¡±


    A pained screech from the south immediately seized my attention.


    To my horror and surprise, Dhizi was corkscrewing toward the ground half a mile or more from the walls of Hamburg.


    Dropping the generic magical bow and arrows, I prepared to jump off the wall.


    ¡°WAIT! TAKE ME WITH YOU!¡± Nadine demanded while fastening her helmet.


    With no time to argue, I snatched Nadine up and awkwardly slung her over my shoulder before jumping off the wall. ¡°USHU!!! COOPER!!!¡± I roared and began charging across the open ground.


    Knowing that every second might count, I did my best to make small course corrections or otherwise trample the monsters in my way.


    Feeling Ushu coming up behind me, I summoned a magical staff and flooded it with mana to adjust its size. Roughly holding the staff in the centre, I held it above my head while continuing to run as fast as I was able.


    Ushu¡¯s foreclaws passed overhead, providing the first and only warning I would receive as his right hind claw seized the magical staff and yanked me off of the ground.


    Ignoring the wind whipping through the slits of my helmet thanks to my second set of eyelids, I was both relieved and terrified by how quickly we were coming up on Clarice and Dhizi¡¯s position.


    Awkwardly shifting Nadine toward my chest, I tried to tell her what I was planning to do, but my voice was stolen by the wind. So I didn¡¯t blame her as she fought me like a drowning cat.


    Just as I was about to let go of the staff, Ushu let go first.


    Fumbling to form my arms into a crude roll cage while still maintaining my hold on Nadine, I raised my knees and braced for my inevitable impact against the sparse woodland below.


    The fall was only about thirty feet, which was theoretically comparable to falling off a single-story roof for a regular human. However, that knowledge provided little comfort as I crashed bodily through several trees before reaching the ground.


    Stiffly unclasping my arm, I felt a flash of panic over Nadine¡¯s potential condition. Those concerns passed a few moments later as Nadine scrambled over me and went running off into the sparse woodland.


    Ears still ringing and body aching, I snarled and forced myself to my feet to follow after Nadine.


    Before I managed even a couple of steps, the ground shook violently and I nearly fell to my knees. Scrambling forward I somehow managed to regain my momentum. Snatching up Nadine, who had not been so lucky, I continued forward, cresting the hill and skidding down the comparatively short sheer drop on the other side.


    *


    I was forced to brace against the cliffside as a torrent of splinters and compressed air momentarily pinned me in place.


    In the space of a second, the woodland ahead of us was reduced to a dishevelled and broken wasteland. The bushes had all been uprooted and disappeared, and the trees had lost all but their thickest branches.


    In the epicentre of the destruction was Cooper, and beneath her was Dhizi.


    Rushing forward again, I was somewhat relieved to see Clarice standing at Dhizi¡¯s side. However, that sense of relief quickly gave way to fresh waves of anxiety as I noticed the monsters groggily pressing forward through the devastated woodland.


    Members of Nila¡¯s team were already dismounting Cooper¡¯s saddle and taking defensive positions around Dhizi, but the sheer mass of the monsters would make the fighting incredibly dangerous.


    Trampling and swatting at the monsters that got in my way, I came to an awkward stop as I passed the defensive perimeter.


    Letting Nadine go, I caught a glimpse of Dhizi¡¯s right-wing and winced.


    Bones were piercing the primary flying muscles and a number of the finger bones in the wing membrane were crumpled in painfully unnatural angles. However, the biggest cause for concern was the ten-foot-long stone shaft impaled in her right shoulder.


    ¡°Nila! Do what you can to thin out the monsters!¡± I called out, still unable to hear anything properly and hoping that Nila would have the sense to take measures at her own initiative.


    Cooper stalked toward the closest cluster of monsters and set upon them like a fox in a henhouse, ripping and tearing with savage abandon.


    ¡°We need to set the bones before you use any magical healing!¡± I insisted while pointing to Dhizi¡¯s wing, ¡°And we can¡¯t remove, that-¡± I pointed to the stone shaft, ¡°-until we are prepared to deal with the bleeding! So bones first!¡±


    Nadine and Clarice were arguing or shouting something at one another, but I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying.


    Recognising the danger we were in, I made a choice.


    Staggering slightly as my mana dipped to dangerously low levels, I pointed to Dhizi, ¡°Wing first!¡± I ordered Wraithe while conjuring a mana potion.


    Wraithe nodded obediently and immediately set to work, appropriating Nadine¡¯s medical supplies. Her sudden arrival seemed to shock Nadine and Clarice into action.


    Nadine began assisting Wraithe while Clarice did her best to keep Dhizi calm.


    Able to think somewhat more clearly after drinking the mana potion, I began conjuring supplies Wraithe and Nadine might use to treat Dhizi. Standard field kits wouldn¡¯t cut it, so I went wholesale, appropriating a barrel of high-proof alcohol, tent staves for splints, canvas sheets for sanitary work surfaces, and bolts of spider silk for bandages.


    Downing several more mana potions, I anxiously scanned the brutalised treeline for signs of Ushu but saw nothing.


    <My Tyrant, we require your assistance to set the bones.> Wraithe¡¯s telepathy caught me off guard and gave me a small fright.


    Awkwardly making my way to Dhizi¡¯s side, I took several steadying breaths before taking a moment to make sure Wraithe and Nadine were ready. After confirming that they were ready, I did my best to ignore Dhizi¡¯s trembling and set the first break. Expecting Dhizi to thrash or yank her wing away to stop the pain, I became concerned when she managed only a faint tug.


    ¡°We need to work faster!¡± I insisted, ¡°That thing might have nicked an artery!¡±


    Nadine and Wraithe both nodded animatedly while setting the splint and tying it in place with thick silk thread sewn through the wing membrane in order to encircle the bone thoroughly. We repeated the procedure four more times before I set the finger bones on my own.


    ¡°Do it now!¡± I ordered, trying not to panic as Dhizi¡¯s HP slowly continued to drop.


    The staves and thread disappeared in the midst of a golden glow that spread through Dhizi¡¯s entire injured wing.


    Feeling the thin finger bones become whole again, I immediately turned my attention toward trying to stabilise Dhizi.


    There was no shortage of food in our vicinity, but Dhizi looked too weak to feed herself.


    Bearing that in mind, I decided to get creative.


    Mentally apologising, I conjured a giant cauldron and its contents from Sanctuary¡¯s cooking fires. Next I conjured a barrel of drinking water and poured as much of the cold water into the steaming stew as possible.


    ¡°Open her mouth!¡± I ordered Wraithe while taking a firm hold on the cauldron.


    Wraithe quickly sprang into movement, anchoring her long fingers under Dhizi¡¯s upper lip and heaving to raise her head and open her mouth.


    ¡°Hold your breath Dhizi!¡± I carefully began upending the contents of the cauldron into Dhizi¡¯s mouth. Opening my second pair of eyelids to regain my full vision, I carefully watched Dhizi¡¯s throat for signs of movement.


    To my immense relief, her throat began undergoing rhythmic contractions. With proof that she was able to swallow food on her own, I continued upending the cauldron into her mouth, taking care not to release too much at once.


    ¡°If we can get her healthy enough to regain an appetite, the danger should pass on its own!¡± I reasoned aloud, ¡°We can then remove the spike once she¡¯s stable!¡±


    Clarice nodded emphatically and continued stroking Dhizi while speaking words I couldn¡¯t make out.


    <My Tyrant! Danger approaches!> Wraithe warned, pointing her tail and snout toward the north west.


    Following her directions, I found Ushu locked in a ferocious battle against someone or something a little larger than myself a few hundred feet away.


    Far from being a one-sided fight, Ushu was steadily being driven back in our direction with a number of smaller but familiar-looking spikes embedded in his flanks.


    ¡°Clarice! Use your helmet or whatever! Keep feeding Dhizi!¡± I dropped the cauldron, conjured a barrel of pickled sausages and began running to help Ushu.


    As Ushu was driven back after another unsuccessful charge, I got my first clear look at our enemy. It took several more moments before my mind was able to fully comprehend what I was looking at.


    Close to twenty feet tall, armed and armoured like an ancient Greek hoplite, the enemy was some kind of giant stone golem. Thick claw marks on its body and shield closed before my eyes as I rushed to Ushu aid.


    Changing tactics, I slowed down and conjured one mana potion after another and emptied them down my gullet.


    Armoured in plate armour, the Earth Mage Daemon, Cin, appeared at my side.


    ¡°Support us as best as you are able!¡± I ordered, unsure of how exactly the living statue was healing itself or how to stop it.


    <I will not fail you, my Tyrant!> Cin replied fervently.


    Summoning Cin had taken most of my recently replenished mana, and I was already feeling ill from consuming so many mana potions. Bearing that in mind, I hoped that my instincts regarding the golem were on point.


    Riding a fresh rush of adrenaline, I renewed my charge, conjuring a magical two-handed hammer from Sanctuary¡¯s stockpile and resizing it with my dwindling supply of mana.


    Gripping the shaft of the hammer with both hands, I held the head of the hammer off to my right side and fought hard to keep my balance while charging over the uneven terrain.


    As Ushu was knocked back by the living statue¡¯s shield yet again, its helmed head shifted focus toward me instead. Pulling back its spear and setting it into a special crescent-shaped space on the shield¡¯s side, the living statue angled the head of its spear in my direction.


    Realising that the living statue wanted me to continue my charge so it could impale me on its braced spear, I fought against the panic trying to take root in my subconscious.


    Gathering a small amount of my dwindling supply of mana, I prepared myself to close the final stretch of the distance between myself and the living statue.


    As I anticipated, the moment I came within reach, the living statue thrust forth its spear with incredible speed.


    Before the pointed tip of the spear could bore through my flesh, a shaft of stone as thick as my arm erupted out of the ground, driving the spear up and over my shoulder.


    Closing the last dozen feet before the living statue could react, I slammed the head of my hammer directly into the centre of the living statue¡¯s shield.


    Shards of black stone went flying in all directions, exposing the living statue¡¯s shattered arm.


    ¡°USHU!¡± I roared, letting go of my hammer and grappling with the living statue¡¯s remaining arm to keep its spear aimed away from Ushu.


    Mostly blinded by my helmet, I didn¡¯t notice the living statue¡¯s shattered arm take a new form until it was almost too late.


    Formed into a fist holding a shortsword, the living statue¡¯s new weapon was thrust toward my exposed right side.


    For the second time, a pillar of stone erupted from the ground and drove the sneak attack wide.


    Before the living statue could prepare for another strike, Ushu tackled us both to the ground.


    Still trying to keep the living statue¡¯s right arm out of the fight, I did my best to ignore Ushu¡¯s jaws and talons as they slammed into the living statue only inches from my back and right arm.


    Unfortunately, for all his fury, Ushu didn¡¯t seem capable of inflicting serious harm on the living statue. The deep scratches and gouges repaired themselves faster than Ushu could inflict them, and the shortsword was inflicting no small amount of damage in exchange.


    Even in his Manifested state, Ushu was beginning to tire.


    ¡°FESK!¡± I roared in desperation and for an agonising handful of seconds left myself completely vulnerable as I recalled the artefact Shiverfang from its secret hiding place in Sanctuary. ¡°SEND USHU AWAY!¡± I could feel the bladed head of Shiverfang cutting into my right forefinger as its undersized form materialised in my meaty fist.


    <Get it to Fesk!> I practically threw the words at Cin as I dropped Shiverfang to the ground and grabbed hold of the living statue¡¯s left arm to stop it from shivving me to death.


    Ushu bellowed in rage but retreated.


    Straining my muscles against the solid stone of the living statues arms, I felt a dull thud land against my crotch. The blow was repeated several more times to no effect before I realised what the living statue was attempting to do.


    Snarling in fury, I redoubled my efforts on restraining the living statue''s arms and keeping it pinned to the ground.


    Crude hands of stone rose from the ground and joined in my struggle.


    *


    Without warning, the living statue slammed its head into mine, ringing my helmet like a bell and cracking its head slightly. As the living statue drew its head back for another strike, the cracks disappeared.


    *


    I endured several more blows in somewhat rapid succession and lost half of my field of view as my helmet deformed under the onslaught.


    Through the combination and the crumpling of my helmet, I very nearly missed it. There had been a faint red light within one of the deeper cracks in the living statue¡¯s head, and it had made sure to seal the crack before attacking again.


    Too heavily concussed to read the group status, I wasn¡¯t even sure Cin or Wraithe¡¯s projections were still active, so I settled for the telepathic equivalent of screaming into the void. <THE HEAD! THE HEAD IS ITS WEAK POINT!> I wasn¡¯t even sure if that was true but I didn¡¯t have the mental resources to spare in order to think it through.


    Between the concussion and staving off Primal Rage, it was becoming increasingly difficult to think at all.


    *


    Through pure destructive happenstance, the living statue¡¯s destructive assault restored my vision as the riveted seam of my helmet split apart.


    Blearily watching the living statue retract its head for another strike, I braced myself for the blow and suppressed the rage welling up inside of me.


    Something hit the square of my back but was too light to deal any damage so I ignored it.


    *


    The living statue¡¯s stone helmet crashed into my largely unprotected brow, drawing blood. However, instead of retracting its head for another strike, the living statue began to convulse as if it was in the grips of a violent seizure.


    Suddenly bathed in crimson light, I struggled to keep the living statue pinned in place.


    Through the mangled mess of my helmet, I saw Fesk struggling to maintain a hold of Shiverfang¡¯s shaft as the living statue¡¯s head jerked from one side to another. In its efforts to dislodge Fesk and Shiverfang, the living statue only succeeded in driving Shiverfang¡¯s blade deeper, intensifying the crimson light spilling out of the cracks in its head.


    Cracks began spreading across the living statue¡¯s entire body and its limbs lost their structural integrity, snapping free as the living statue continued its attempts to free itself.


    Without warning the living statue suddenly grew still and the crimson light began to fade.


    Too out of it to make out the contents of the kill notification, I took a few moments to try and clear my head. Unfortunately, it made little difference.


    Shakily getting to my feet, I snapped the strap of my helmet and pushed the mangled metal remains off of my head and took several deep breaths.


    Still unable to concentrate I staggered and tripped over the now dormant statue¡¯s body, falling to the ground.


    A part of me wanted to just lay there, close my eyes, and let the darkness claim me. However, the memory that I had brought Nadine into immediate danger was enough to needle at my sense of duty and drive me to my feet again. At the very least, I had to see Nadine back to safety.


    Staggering for a moment as I tried to get my bearings, I felt a tug on my right forefinger. Looking down, I found Fesk urgently pulling on my finger with the claws of his right hand.


    In the span of a millisecond, the fog clouding my mind cleared and my consciousness was brought crashing into full awareness.


    Ushu and Cooper had established and were maintaining a defensive perimeter in the ruins of the woodlands, actively stalking and ripping apart all monsters that dared approach. A second defensive perimeter was held by Nila, her team, Clarice, and Nadine, who encircled Dhizi directly.


    The stone shaft had been removed from Dhizi¡¯s right shoulder, but she still looked like she was in rough shape, unable to place weight on her right wing.


    Fesk staggered and would have fallen if the claws from his Manifested form weren¡¯t hooked in my finger. It was a good thing too because Fesk was still holding Shiverfang in his free hand, and flailing the artefact around in a panic was guaranteed to end poorly.


    Dangerously low on mana, I resisted the urge to recall Shiverfang through magical means. Instead, I took hold of Fesk with my left hand and pulled my finger free from his claws. Instead of leaving him be, I lifted Fesk off the ground and held him against my chest as if I was nursing a sprain.


    Thankfully, Fesk took the initiative to take hold of Shiverfang with both hands and pointed the blade out and to my left, out of harm''s way.


    With a clear head, but still profoundly tired, I determinedly made my way back over toward Dhizi.


    What had taken only moments to accomplish while under the influence of adrenaline took far longer in my current state of lethargy. Two full minutes passed before I was able to lower Fesk to the ground beside Nadine.


    ¡°He has a concussion,¡± I grunted before Nadine had a chance to say a word, ¡°The only thing we have for it is the powdered willow bark.¡±


    Nadine nodded emphatically while removing Fesk¡¯s helmet, ¡°I need mana potions! I¡¯m almost out of mana!¡±


    I nodded and conjured several mana potions from Sanctuary¡¯s storage. Intending to kneel down and hand them to her, I found myself sitting instead.


    ¡°We need more food for Dhizi!¡± Clarice demanded, ¡°But we aren¡¯t big enough to drag back anything Cooper and Ushu leave behind!¡±


    Thoroughly famished myself, I nodded and pulled more supplies from Sanctuary¡¯s storage. Lifting a barrel, I broke the capping lid like the tab of a soda can and handed it off to Clarice.


    Struggling slightly under the weight, Clarice grit her teeth and grunted in appreciation before staggering back toward Dhizi.


    Compared to when I had last seen her, Dhizi was doing considerably better. The crash landing had taken a great deal out of her, and the subsequent internal bleeding wouldn¡¯t have helped either. So I was glad that there did not appear to be any further complications.


    Upending another barrel¡¯s contents down my throat, I felt the lingering aches and pains in my arms and forehead begin to recede. I was still profoundly tired due to my low mana, but the sensation of my physical recovery was accompanied by a dopamine rush that helped take the edge off.


    No longer needing to push back against Primal Rage, I focused my attention on how best to see us all back to safety. It only took me a few moments to realise what needed to be done.


    ¡°USHU!¡± I bellowed with as much urgency and authority as I could muster, causing Nadine to nearly leap out of her skin in fright. Making a mental note to apologise to her later, I forced myself to my feet. If I wanted to stand a chance at successfully ordering Ushu to do anything, I needed to present strength, confidence and authority.


    After dashing apart another group of Wild Pigmen, Ushu swiftly cut back from the outer defensive perimeter before skidding to an abrupt halt that left his serrated fangs a handspan from my face.


    ¡°I need you to use Sin Eater on Dhizi!¡± I stated boldly while making sure not to phrase it as a request or as an order.


    Ushu turned his head slightly to one side and stared at me with his Daemon Manifested eyes.


    ¡°The sooner she can fly, the sooner we can return to the Settlement!¡± I pressed, refusing to back down or be intimidated.


    Technically, Fesk was probably capable of the same feat, but I had a number of concerns regarding the Sin Eater¡¯s Ability to proportionately distribute incoming damage. My greatest fear was that Dhizi¡¯s fractured wing bones would translate to Fesk¡¯s entire right arm, hand, and finger bones shattering and initiating an unstoppable cascade of internal haemorrhaging and infections.


    Ushu bared his twin rows of teeth in a bloody snarl and crimson gobbets of saliva spattered around me as he let out a low hiss. Then Ushu abruptly turned his focus away from me and toward Dhizi and Clarice. His pupils narrowed.


    Dhizi chittered in a supplicating tone while Clarice stood defiantly between them with a scowl on her lips and a burning resolve in her eyes.


    The three eyes on the right side of Ushu¡¯s face rolled in their sunken armoured sockets and Ushu released another low hiss, only this time it sounded more put out than irritated or annoyed. Snaking his neck forward, Ushu knocked Clarice aside with effortless ease and pressed his snout against Dhizi¡¯s right side. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An audible crackling noise came from Ushu¡¯s right wing and was accompanied by a low rumbling from Ushu''s chest.


    The crackling noises persisted for the better part of a minute and all the while Ushu continued flexing, extending and contracting his right wing.


    As the seconds passed, Dhizi¡¯s breathing became more regular.


    Drawing away from Dhizi, Ushu shook his head and snorted while gingerly opening his wings to their full extension.


    Dhizi made a strange chirping noise and nudged Ushu¡¯s neck with her horned snout before carefully backing away.


    For her part, Clarice had remained silent all throughout, even after Ushu knocked her down. Now, with Ushu backing away, Clarice seemed determined to make up for it by animatedly hugging Dhizi and doting on her in a tone other women would have reserved for infants.


    ¡°We need to leave,¡± I told Nila, ¡°Nadine and Fesk will mount up on Ushu, and Clarice will take Dhizi. Once they are mounted up, they can cover you and your team while you mount up in turn.¡±


    Nila nodded apprehensively in agreement, ¡°But what of you, Majesty?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to walk,¡± I sighed tiredly and raised a hand to forestall any complaints, ¡°You can have Cooper accompany me on the ground. I said you had to mount up, not fly.¡±


    Nila nodded again, this time somewhat sheepishly.


    Whether it was because of lingering pain, or anxiety over leaving Cooper behind, Ushu remained landbound.


    Clarice left with Dhizi the moment she settled into the saddle, headed directly back toward Hamburg at a somewhat leisurely speed.


    My own journey on foot was an odd combination of intermittent anxiety generated by Ushu and Cooper crashing around my immediate vicinity as they intercepted wild monsters, and mind numbing monotony as I struggled to stave off mana fatigue and continue putting one foot in front of the other.


    Eventually, we made it to the relative safety of the outermost walls.


    Fesk and Nadine dismounted Ushu before leaving him to his own devices, while Nila sent away half of her team to report on what had happened.


    Dhizi and Clarice retreated all the wall back to the village, settling down in the open space beneath the tower.


    Once I made it down to the cavern below, I downed one of the highest-tier Evolution Elixirs available in the stockpile and collapsed into my bed. I hoped that the Elixir would take the edge off of the accumulated impurities from the mana potions, but I wasn''t particularly optimistic. Closing my eyes I surrendered to the fatigue and let my mind drift into unconsciousness.


    Waking abruptly to the foul odour of ammonia and a painfully intense headache, I felt an intense wave of panic. Afraid that Ushu had gone rogue and gassed the cavern, my panic only abated when I noticed Nadine awkwardly crawling off of my bed with a large pouch that I quickly identified as the source of the ammonia.


    I waved my bed sheet vigorously to try and disperse the smell while I mentally lamented ever having taught Nadine about smelling salts.


    Listening but not really processing what Nadine was saying, I latched onto the two words, ¡°Pain relief,¡± and began to follow her suggestions on autopilot.


    I conjured a handful of low-tier Evolution Elixirs and a barrel of Grove water. After emptying the Elixirs into the barrel, I downed the combined contents in one pull. Similar to how water alleviates a headache brought on by dehydration, the Grove water took the edge off the pain in my head while the alcohol in the Elixirs dampened the pain overall.


    ¡°It¡¯s proven quite popular in Sanctuary amongst the junior Surgeons,¡± Nadine explained with a small smile, ¡°The Grove water dilutes the accumulated impurities and gives a little mana in the process, so it didn¡¯t take long for people to figure that part out. I think the Elixir component was largely accidental. Like, maybe someone was trying to medicate the pain with alcohol or something?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± I sighed while massaging my temples, ¡°Especially after the willow bark failed to work.¡±


    Nadine seemed surprised, ¡°How did you know they tried willow bark? Oh...¡± She slapped her forehead and snickered, ¡°Of course, you would know, you were the one that told us about how to use it in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Qreet, or maybe Hana or Kohana might be able to create a strain of willow with high volumes of mana in it,¡± I suggested with a groan, ¡°But it would still be debatable whether the chemicals in the bark would contribute toward lessening the pain to any meaningful degree.¡±


    ¡°I hadn''t thought of that...¡± Nadine admitted, ¡°Do you think something like that might work?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I replied with a snort, ¡°But I doubt it. The best cure is probably just drinking as much as you can stand, and then taking a very long bath in Grove water.¡±


    ¡°Or getting very drunk,¡± Nadine agreed, ¡°People have done that too.¡±


    ¡°Sleeping it off, in general, is probably a good recommendation,¡± I agreed wistfully, wishing I could do exactly that. ¡°How long until midnight?¡± I grunted.


    ¡°Less than an hour,¡± Nadine admitted somewhat apologetically, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have used the smelling salts, but you seemed pretty integral to fighting the dungeon guardian the first time...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine...¡± I sighed and summoned another barrel of Grove water and turned my attention toward Fesk.


    No longer maintaining his Manifested form, his change in appearance could only be attributed to an Evolution. Slightly taller, Fesk now stood eye to eye with Nadine. His skin had lost its slight translucency and had taken on a chalky white tone instead. Fesk¡¯s hair had yellowed considerably, and the crimson tips had lengthened toward the roots giving him the appearance of someone who irregularly dyed their hair. Fesk¡¯s fingernails had become short thick claws that matched the same colour as his hair.


    Having expected more radical differences in Fesk¡¯s appearance for undergoing a major Evolution, I was about to check what Abilities he might have gained but was interrupted by a comment from Nadine.


    ¡°He¡¯s Evolved three times,¡± Nadine stated with a broad grin that only grew wider as I stared at her incredulously.


    ¡°What?!¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Fesk¡¯s evolved three times since you had him messing around with the Warlock business,¡± Nadine elaborated, still grinning.


    #It is true.# Fesk signed with a somewhat worried expression on his face.


    ¡°Lesser Dhampyr Thinblood...¡± I narrowed my eyes at Fesk and waited for an explanation.


    ¡°It was the best available option!¡± Nadine interjected heatedly with a hint of embarrassment, ¡°It was this or some disgusting undead creature!¡± She insisted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not judging...¡± I sighed, ¡°I just want an explanation. Where I am from, what Fesk has chosen to become is a variation on a vampire, sort of. With how similar Vampyrs have behaved to the vampires I know of, I believed it warranted at least some degree of explanation.¡± The headache generated from mana fatigue was making it difficult to keep my temper, but I refused to let my frustration get the better of me.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nadine deflated somewhat.


    Fesk seemed confused, raising and lowering his hands several times without committing to signing a word.


    ¡°Blood Is Strength seems...fine,¡± I grunted while reviewing his status, ¡°There is no shortage of wild monsters, so acquiring blood isn¡¯t an issue. Call Of Blood is far more concerning but manageable. You will need access to-¡± I glanced at Nadine, sighed, and rolled my eyes, ¡°-whatever...I can only assume that my own Ability not activating means that you haven¡¯t been leveraging Predatory Charm against unwilling subjects...¡±


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed bright red and she made a point of avoiding eye contact.


    ¡°Which naturally means that Nadine is your Familiar?¡± I prompted, refusing to let the matter drop until it was confirmed or denied.


    Fesk nodded timidly. #Yes.#


    I massaged my brow and then rubbed at my eyes, ¡°My head hurts too much to think about all this,¡± I complained irritably, ¡°So I am going to make things incredibly simple. Fesk, if Nadine ever wants out, that¡¯s all there is to it. Got it?¡±


    #Yes# Fesk signed hurriedly.


    ¡°There are several layers of questionable consent going here and I don¡¯t have the patience to sort through it right now,¡± I groaned and got to my feet, ¡°If Ushu runs amok, he¡¯s your responsibility.¡±


    It was impossible for Fesk¡¯s skin to grow paler than it was already, but I derived a small perverse sense of satisfaction in pretending the threat had that effect. However, so far as I was aware, Ushu had been behaving no more violently than usual. So there seemed to be no real cause for concern.


    Fesk nodded solemnly and removed Shiverfang from its resting position couched against his shoulder. He then carefully offered to return it to me.


    Resisting the temptation to refuse, I silently took hold of the shaft of the spear and slowly increased its size to better avoid cutting my fingers on the blade. ¡°Before, with the statue, you did good, Fesk.¡± If ever there had been a point to express disloyalty it had been while I was grappling with the living statue.


    Fesk could have driven Shiverfang through the back of my head and killed me with little effort. He also could have stabbed me to death in my sleep as well, I supposed. Even if he hadn¡¯t understood how powerful Shiverfang was when fighting the living statue, Fesk would have had a relatively good idea afterwards.


    It was one of the reasons why I had Shiverfang hidden away in the first place. Its passive property of ignoring damage mitigation from Toughness made it too dangerous to keep in my presence. A single mistake in battle could lead to Shiverfang being turned on me instead. With the overwhelming majority of my defence coming from my Toughness, such an incident could easily prove fatal.


    All the same, with so little mana on hand and the living statue due to respawn soon, I felt like I didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Besides, with the Conquest still ongoing, there was no way to send Shiverfang back to Sanctuary. I had no choice but to make the most of the situation.


    Worse still, I was being forced into a position where I was almost guaranteed to have to use Shiverfang in front of a large number of witnesses. The last thing I wanted was for Shiverfang¡¯s capabilities to become common knowledge, but I couldn¡¯t justify the risks presented by not using it.


    Grinding my teeth in aggravation, I stomped my way toward the tunnel that would take me to the surface, hoping that the fresh air would somehow lessen my pounding headache.


    ***** Nila - Asrusian Capital Labyrinth ~ Eighth Floor *****


    Having taken a break from the fighting, Nila was giving Cooper¡¯s saddle a once-over to make sure that none of the straps had received serious damage. During her downtime, Nila had time to reflect on the role she played in fighting the dungeon guardian.


    If she was being objectively honest, Nila didn¡¯t think she came close to living up to her potential at all. Cooper¡¯s status as a Pact Binder had completely slipped her mind, and it wasn¡¯t until his Majesty had Summoned projections of two Daemons into the battle that Nila even considered them an option.


    Granted, Nila was fairly certain Cooper was only capable of Summoning projections of the one Daemon, Cin. However, there had also been nothing stopping Cooper from Summoning multiple copies of Cin¡¯s projection. Worse still, Cin had been his Majesty¡¯s go-to choice for combat support against the dungeon guardian.


    It was a small consolation that none of her superiors or peers were knowledgeable enough on the subject to recognise her mistake. All the same, Nila was expecting his majesty to chastise her once the Conquest was completed. Her incompetence had led to his Majesty enduring a vicious beating so they could emerge victorious.


    Nila¡¯s shoulders slumped dejectedly. She had known from the beginning that her promotion had been a mistake. His Majesty had only chosen her by chance. Literally, anyone else could have been chosen if they had happened to be standing in his Majesty¡¯s vicinity at the time, and Nila was dreading when someone else would realise it.


    As something of a silver lining, Cooper had learned the true name to the towering rodent-like Surgeon Daemon during the battle. Nila wasn¡¯t exactly certain how or when it had happened, only that it had. This gave her cause to tentatively raise her spirits somewhat. Nila figured that if she escaped with only a moderate reprimand, she would make a point of acquiring other true names and adding them to Cooper¡¯s repertoire.


    Nila was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice Cooper¡¯s shift in attention until it was too late.


    ¡°How are you doing Cooper?¡± His Majesty grunted from the darkness beyond Nila¡¯s torchlight.


    Cooper made a playful keening noise she normally reserved for when it was feeding time.


    ¡°You are doing alright? That¡¯s good,¡± His Majesty continued conversationally, ¡°Here you go.¡±


    A bloody Swamp Lurker carcass materialised in the shadows and fell a couple of feet before Cooper¡¯s jaws materialised out of the darkness and snapped it up.


    ¡°Hrmph, you''re just like Ushu,¡± his Majesty muttered with exaggerated scorn, earning an impatient huff from Cooper in response. ¡°Fine.¡±


    A second Swamp Lurker fell toward the ground. This time, Cooper wasn¡¯t fast enough and had to scoop it up off the ground, digging thick grooves in the dirt with her teeth as she did so.


    Cooper merrily crunched away, enjoying her treat while an awkward silence settled on Nila¡¯s shoulders.


    Knowing that this was the moment she had been waiting for and dreading, Nila took comfort in the fact that one way or the other, it would be over.


    Only, nothing happened.


    The silence continued to drag on longer and longer with no signs of ending.


    Unable to take the suspense anymore, Nila decided to take the initiative. ¡°Majesty, I know that I-¡±


    ¡°Hrm? Sorry, I was miles away,¡± his Majesty apologised, ¡°I drank too many mana potions and the headache is killing me.¡±


    Nila lost track of what she was saying and fell into an awkward silence.


    ¡°What were you saying?¡± His majesty prompted apologetically, although there was a hint of impatience in his tone as well.


    ¡°The battle against the dungeon guardian,¡± Nila replied hastily, ¡°I didn¡¯t make the best use of the Abilities at my disposal. I failed to Summon additional aid through Cooper¡¯s Summoning Ability and-¡±


    ¡°I forgot she could do that...¡± His Majesty interrupted with an annoyed sigh, ¡°Not that Cin was particularly helpful in restraining the damn thing...Although it wasn¡¯t really her fault...It¡¯s not like she had the mana she needed...¡±


    Nila stared up at the darkness in confusion, unsure of whether his Majesty was speaking to her or just thinking aloud. Unable to see his face without raising her torch dangerously and disrespectfully close to his Majesty¡¯s face, there was no way to tell for certain.


    ¡°Nila? Remind me to have Gric introduce everyone to Cooper after the Conquest ends,¡± his Majesty grunted somewhat distractedly, ¡°Should have at least had Wraithe introduce herself at the time...Oh...You should have that guy they brought in for the reconstruction work Summon Qreet. I¡¯d do it, but I¡¯m low enough on mana as it is...¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, Majesty...¡± Nila agreed obediently despite her confusion over his train of thought, ¡°I, uh, I will see to it right away...¡± She gulped nervously and steeled her nerve, ¡°Ah, but, what about my punishment?¡± Nila struggled not to flinch.


    ¡°Punishment?¡± His Majesty repeated, ¡°What punishment? Huh? No, Nila, I¡¯m not going to punish you for not having the wherewithal to make the most of a second set of Abilities you just gained access to. I¡¯m not a-¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°Well, I am a Tyrant, but I like to think I¡¯m not a dick about it...¡±


    Nila didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I¡¯m pretty sure Gregory told me that responsibility lies with the senior most officer or military official in attendance,¡± his Majesty stated somewhat distractedly, ¡°Which would have been me, not you, Nila. After taking so many blows to the head, I¡¯m willing to call the whole thing a wash. There''s definitely room for improvement, but I¡¯m not going to punish anyone over it.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nila didn¡¯t really know what to say, ¡°Thank you, Majesty?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± his Majesty replied and began to walk away, ¡°Now, if you want to go see that guy about the thing, I¡¯m going to try and think of how to make our next confrontation with the dungeon guardian as skewed in our favour as possible.¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 – The darkest dungeon – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 ¨C The darkest dungeon ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 53 - The darkest dungeon - Part Two


    Watching the living statue slowly draw closer, I hissed in irritation at the reminder that our plan essentially boiled down to hitting it until it stopped moving. The living statue was too dangerous for Humans and Kobolds to fight directly, and the Boarmen were still too much of an unknown to risk as my support in melee.


    Ushu was incredibly keen on a rematch. However, the limited effectiveness of his attacks during the first confrontation gave me little confidence in how helpful he would prove to be the second time around.


    All the same, I needed someone to buy time for me to close into melee with the living statue. With Summoned Daemons providing distractions, Ushu¡¯s involvement wasn¡¯t strictly necessary, but I elected to allow it for the sake of maintaining our amicable relationship.


    Multiple copies of Cin and Qreet stood ready atop the otherwise abandoned outermost wall. The Daemons'' projections had created a number of hidden pitfall traps along the ground the living statue was expected to take during its approach.


    Ushu was hunkered down behind the wall, making opportunistic swipes at any monsters that drew too close but otherwise remaining incredibly still and quiet.


    Similarly, I used the monsters passing through the open gateway as practice while remaining out of sight. However, with the living statue growing closer, I grew increasingly nervous. I was a novice, at best, when it came to spears. After repeated failures and fumbles in the swamp, I had all but abandoned the idea of using a spear ever again.


    It seemed natural that the Labyrinths would orchestrate a situation where I would be all but forced to take up a spear that was as dangerous to myself as it would be to my enemy. The precision required by spears seemed completely unnecessary when compared to the crude machete on my belt. Worse still, Shiverfang wasn¡¯t even a Primitive or Heavy weapon-


    I frowned as a thought frantically worked its way through the pain clouding my mind. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it a heavy weapon?¡± I muttered aloud.


    I stared at Shiverfang accusingly for a few moments without fully understanding why I was doing so. Compelled by the lingering influence of the train of thought, I ceded a fraction of my regenerated mana into Shiverfang.


    Expecting the mana to return once the artefact confirmed that it had already met my size requirements for scale, I was surprised when Shiverfang absorbed the mana instead. Having been in the wrong frame of mind to properly observe any reaction, I spent a few moments to calm my mind before feeding Shiverfang three points of mana.


    Shiverfang¡¯s shaft expanded, becoming a full third thicker and twice as heavy. Similarly, Shiverfang¡¯s blade grew a full third larger in every dimension.


    *


    A loud crashing sound from beyond the wall drew me from my musings just in time to witness Ushu leap up and over the wall.


    Running out of the gateway, I found Ushu in his Manifested form worrying at the neck of the living statue with his powerful jaws.


    Half buried in the ground and immobilised by thick roots and animated stone hands, the living statue could do nothing as Ushu slowly but steadily sheared through its neck.


    Warily making my own approach through the field of hidden pitfalls, I felt a worrying sense of dread and expectation. Worrying that, At any moment, the living statue would break free and deal a crippling blow to ushu, perhaps even killing him by driving its spear through his eye socket and into his brain.


    However, in stark contrast to my expectations, the living statue¡¯s neck suddenly snapped free of its body, rendering its body completely inert. Then, to my horror, Ushu swallowed the Living Statue¡¯s head.


    ¡°USHU! NO!¡± An image formed in my mind of the living statue tearing Ushu apart from the inside as it regenerated its body.


    Ushu stared at me for a moment with three of his six eyes, then he blinked. The Manifested horn floating upon his forehead began to glow with a rich orange light, signalling that Ushu was channelling his mana.


    Unable to do more than wait and see what would happen, I became confused when Ushu calmly sat himself down like a cat and stared back at me.


    A full minute passed in awkward silence and stillness before Ushu¡¯s horn gave off a brilliant flash of orange light and a kill notification appeared in front of my eyes.


    The Ancient Stone Guardian was dead.


    Ushu slowly got to his feet again and made his way toward me. Opening his mouth, Ushu flicked something off of his tongue that landed at my feet with a wet splat. He looked at me expectantly for a moment and then down at the object.


    Still confused by what had happened, I knelt down to take a closer look at the object.


    It looked like a mass of wet brown cloth, but spending a few moments examining it revealed that it was also a magical item. I couldn¡¯t be sure without touching it, so I set aside my lingering squeamishness and picked it up with my free hand.


    ¡°Hood of the Hedge Mage,¡± I murmured distractedly while glancing over the item''s description.


    ¡°Traaaaade!¡± Ushu rumbled quietly, nodding his snout toward the sodden brown hood and making it clear that it was not intended as a gift.


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked warily, despite already having a reasonably good idea what Ushu would want.


    ¡°Gooooold!¡± Ushu replied almost immediately, huffing early through his nostrils.


    I chose a ring at random from Sanctuary¡¯s stockpile of donated magical items and tossed it into the ground at Ushu¡¯s feet, ¡°I don¡¯t have the mana to resize it for you,¡± I explained apologetically.


    Ushu didn¡¯t seem to be listening, instead focusing intently on the tiny ring while slowly lowering one of his foreclaws toward it.


    Relieved that Ushu was suitably satisfied with our trade, I turned my attention back toward the Hood of Hedge Mage. The magical aura I could feel radiating from the hood was orders of magnitudes greater than the ring I had traded to Ushu. However, the description of the hood¡¯s magical properties seemed to be impossibly more valuable than even its magical aura had suggested.


    My issues with rationing mana would soon be at an end.


    The hood possessed two Abilities, for lack of a better word. The first was active and allowed mana to be spent in order to mimic a lesser version of a witnessed Spell. Spells were a difficult classification to pin down. While all Spells required expending mana to activate, not all Abilities that met those same criteria were Spells.


    Thundering Strikes and Summon Servant were both Spells. Manifestation and Cleaving Strike were not.


    The Lesser condition itself implied that the Spell would be weakened in some fashion, but I didn¡¯t really mind. I would much rather have a Lesser version of Ril¡¯s ability to create Gateways, or Fesk¡¯s Sin Eater, than nothing at all.


    However, as exciting as the prospect of gaining an extra Ability for free was, the ability to generate mana at the cost of gaining Fatigue and Exhaustion was on another level entirely.


    It had taken my mind less than a second to latch onto the possibility of potentially infinite mana. By incurring Fatigue in exchange for mana, I stood a decent chance of resisting the Fatigue outright so long as I had a Kobold¡¯s Dogged Determination Ability for Synergy. In turn, by paying HP as the cost for maintaining the Dogged Determination Ability, I just had to eat food to trigger Iron Gut¡¯s accelerated Healing.


    It wasn¡¯t perfect by any means, but if it meant avoiding headaches like the one I was currently experiencing, then I was all for giving it a shot.


    Resisting the urge to don the saliva-soaked hood then and there, I returned to the cavern. After having a Sergeant swear an oath to wash the hood and protect it with his life, in exchange for the promise of a full day of visitation to use as he saw fit, I collapsed into my bed and fell asleep almost instantly.


    My first thought upon waking up was how incredibly stupid and dangerous it had been to take Shiverfang into bed with me. This was closely followed by how monumentally reckless it had been to have Shiverfang in the vicinity of my unconscious body. Not only could I have harmed myself in my sleep, anyone with a mind to do me harm would have had the perfect means at their disposal.


    Scowling at Shiverfang, I felt an immense degree of envy for Toofy¡¯s extra-dimensional Storage Ability. However, that sense of envy shifted quite suddenly as I was reminded of the hood I had left in a Sergeants safekeeping. I didn¡¯t know whether Toofy¡¯s Storage Ability was a Spell or not, but I had the means to find out and nothing to lose by trying.


    The Sergeant and his men had kept to their Oath and maintained a constant vigil over the hood as well as making sure it was thoroughly cleaned. True to my word, I had the Major¡¯s staff credit twenty-four hours of visitation to each soldier.


    Once the soldiers explained the cause for their boon, the Major himself would likely come up with some other commendation or reward for their service.


    Returning to my bed, I slowly fed mana into the hood until it reached a sufficient size to comfortably fit over my head and settled on my shoulders. Similar to the chain and padded hoods worn by some of the soldiers beneath their helmets, the Hood of the Hedge Mage was made of a thick cloth that covered my head and a large ring of fabric that covered part of my chest, shoulders and back.


    While some people might not like the dull brown colour of the fabric, I was of the opinion that it complimented my pale green skin rather nicely. Similarly, the damaged edges of the fabric added a sense of character that many of the other magical items lacked.


    Setting aside Shiverfang, I took several steadying breaths and activated the hood¡¯s passive mana restoration Ability.


    I managed to recover ten mana before feeling a faint sense of tiredness, and I regained another twenty before gaining the Fatigued Condition.


    Before sacrificing HP to activate Dogged Determination, I read through the Ability again on a whim and realised that the self-feeding loop might be even more overpowered than I had first realised. Dogged Determination could be maintained through HP ¡®or¡¯ MP. I had focused on the HP cost because of the greater synergy it had been providing the army as a whole.


    Activating Dogged Determination, I felt the Fatigue slip away and the Condition quickly disappeared. As I had hoped might be the case, my mana, albeit incredibly slowly, continued to rejuvenate.


    I needed to spend my mana in order to continue testing, I began engaging in Summoned visitations for any soldiers that were off duty and had scheduled time on the books. Due to the low costs involved in Summoning Humans, I decided to Summon Toofy so i could try and emulate a Lesser version of Storage.


    *


    Appearing beside the two soldiers still waiting in line, Toofy eyes curiously wandered over the sea of canvas walls occupying the cavern. It had been a long time since I had last spoken to Toofy in the company of Humans, so I was surprised to realise how tall she had grown.


    Easily close to five feet or so tall, Toofy was still as quick on her feet as ever. After taking in the sights in less than a handful of seconds, Toofy grinned madly as her eyes settled on me, ¡°TIM!¡± She exclaimed excitedly, rushing forward and wrapping her arms around my right thigh.


    ¡°Hi Toofy,¡± I carefully patted her head with my free hand, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too.¡±


    Toofy looked up at me and grinned, ¡°Tim miss Toofy?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± I admitted, somewhat disappointed in myself that I hadn¡¯t Summoned her for a social visit sooner.


    ¡°Toofy missed Tim too!¡± Toofy exclaimed, giving my thigh a squeeze, ¡°Toofy watch Tim¡¯s babies, keep them safe!¡± She declared proudly, ¡°Just like Tim said!¡±


    ¡°I know, Lash has told me,¡± I replied thankfully, ¡°You have been very helpful.¡±


    It was the truth so far as I knew. Lash had commented offhandedly how Suzy in particular enjoyed playing with Toofy, while Ril would sit alongside Pete and watch.


    Toofy¡¯s grin widened, exposing more of her sharp teeth as she excitedly bobbed up and down.


    Lifting Toofy up with my free hand, I settled her down on my left shoulder and felt a pang of nostalgia for simpler times. It was a strange sensation given that I had only known Toofy for a number of months. I could only reason that the intensity of the experiences we had shared played a large part in my warped perception of time.


    After performing the Summons for the last couple of soldiers, I went on a walkabout with Toofy, giving her an improvised tour of the cavern and then of the village above.


    The Conquest was close to being over, but the women, children, and elderly were still kept under close guard in their homes.


    Toofy didn¡¯t seem to mind, seemingly content to explore someplace new.


    It was while Toofy was exploring the village that I attempted to copy her Storage Ability. Unfortunately, Storage was not a Spell. However, Toofy unerringly provided a solution to my problem when she claimed ownership over a discarded fang necklace and vanished the necklace into her extradimensional space.


    At first, I didn¡¯t truly understand what had happened. I couldn¡¯t accept that Toofy¡¯s Storage Ability had been allowed to function when activated by her projection. However, the longer I thought about it, the more my initial expectations were revealed to be lacking in merit. There were no reasons I knew of that should have prevented her from doing so, I had just assumed it would be impossible.


    Ending Toofy¡¯s Summon prematurely, I gathered my mana and Summoned her again a couple of moments later.


    *


    As Toofy materialised, she looked around herself in confusion.


    ¡°Tooofy, can you show me the necklace you picked up?¡± I asked while trying to supress my excitement.


    Toofy gave me a confused look but nodded helpfully. A few moments later, the fang necklace appeared in her right hand, ¡°Tim want?¡± She asked curiously.


    I shook my head and smiled, ¡°No, I was just testing something,¡± I explained, ¡°I was hoping you would keep this spear safe for me,¡± I tapped the butt of shiverfang on the ground. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Toofy looked at Shiverfang and shrugged, ¡°Okay,¡± she reached out and pressed her forefinger against the shaft.


    I felt a faint tug inside the core of my being and through a force of will made no effort to resist.


    Shiverfang disappeared and Toofy smiled, ¡°Toofy do,¡± she declared with satisfaction.


    A wave of profound relief passed through my being as the bane of my existence left my immediate vicinity.


    ¡°Thank you Toofy!¡± I squatted down and ruffled her hair playfully, ¡°It means a lot to me that you will be keeping the spear locked away. So don¡¯t let anyone know you have it, okay?¡±


    Toofy gingerly nodded her head while grinning maniacally.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I praised and lifted Toofy onto my shoulder again.


    Toofy cackled with glee and self-satisfaction.


    I spent a while longer showing Toofy around before her projection ran out of mana and disappeared.


    Continuing my experiments with the Hood of the Hedge Mage, I was very nearly overwhelmed by how much it accelerated my mana regeneration. Hour after hour I spent my mana to avoid reaching my cap, trying to find the upper limits of the self-feeding cycle. After four hours of constant use, the process was still holding strong and showed no signs of generating fatigue.


    Of course, this was all in a very controlled setting. I felt certain that any strenuous activities would most likely immediately tip the scales and cause me to begin accruing Fatigue.


    I would have tested the theory, but the monsters drawn by the Conquest had grown few and far between, and then the Conquest was finished, ending the arrival of new monsters outright.


    While taking another look at the Hood of the Hedge Mage¡¯s Abilities, I was surprised to find that a list of compatible Spells had been gathered while I was entertaining Toofy. Unsurprisingly, the Summoning Abilities were all represented, including my own Summon Servant Ability.


    Curious to see what the difference between the two Abilities would be, I mentally selected Summon Servant as the designated Spell and received a confirmation notice. To my surprise, the confirmation included a description of the Lesser Summon Servant Ability.


    Essentially, instead of Summoning copies of the person in question, I would instead create generic approximations of them instead. This meant that when the Summon ran out of mana and disappeared, the individual the summon was based upon as a reference wouldn¡¯t receive any memories of what transpired. It was functionally identical to the Summon Ally Class Ability of the Summoner Class.


    After making the confirmation, I decided to run another test. Removing myself from the group at large to remove all Synergies, I concentrated on forming an image in my mind of one of Kobold scouts.


    *


    Although somewhat difficult to differentiate at first, I quickly realised that the Kobold I had Summoned was indeed profoundly generic. What gave it away first was the unnaturally perfect symmetrical patterns in its fur. Upon closer inspection, there also seemed to be something missing in its eyes. If I were more spiritually inclined, I would have assumed it was missing a soul. However, in a more practical sense, I was convinced it was because the Kobold lacked any form of free will.


    Shifting my attention from the Kobold¡¯s dead soulless eyes to my own status, I was pleased to find that I had gained the Kobold¡¯s Synergies. After performing a rigorous comparison to the living Kobolds accompanying the army, I realised that the Summoned Kobold¡¯s stats and Abilities didn¡¯t quite match any of the Kobold Scouts, or any of the other Kobolds for that matter.


    The Summoned Kobold was, for lack of a better word, average. It had average Evolution progression, Class progression, and stat progression. The Summoned Kobold possessing a Class was an unexpected boon and reinforced my assumption that Summon Servant¡¯s lesser form was functionally similar but still superior to Summon Ally.


    Lesser Summon Ally made the Hood of the Hedge Mage something of a game-changer. Summoning projections of my trusted allies was a tried and true option. However, accumulated psychological trauma was a very real risk.


    To a certain extent, the Daemons had a natural filter for violence, providing them with a buffer against certain forms of injury and death inherited from their projections. It still wasn¡¯t a good idea for them to engage in repeated kamikaze assaults. Still, it gave them a distinct psychological advantage over other Species that were not adapted to be Summoned.


    To put it bluntly, Lesser Summon Servant provided the solution to my ethical crisis. Allowing me to Summon any ally I required into a combat zone without fear of psychologically scarring them for life if things turned ugly. It also opened possibilities for lethal combat training against an incredibly wide range of opponents. The only true downside was that I was still unable to Summon copies of myself.


    I was tempted to perform a Lesser Summoning of Ushu or Cooper so I could determine the relative costs in mana against objectively weaker options but ultimately decided against it. Without warning Ushu first, there was a relatively high chance that Ushu¡¯s territorial instincts would compel him toward violence. Which was something I would prefer to avoid.


    I was interrupted from my musings by the arrival of Lieutenant Laine.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Lieutenant Laine bowed respectfully, ¡°The Major is curious whether your Majesty has plans for the dungeon.¡±


    I had actually somewhat forgotten about it in my excitement over the Hood of the Hedge Mage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any immediate plans,¡± I admitted, ¡°Why? Does the Major have plans of his own?¡±


    Lieutenant Laine slowly shook her head, ¡°No, Majesty. I believe the general consensus was to wait and see what your Majesty¡¯s intentions were before choosing to act.¡±


    I was forced to admit that it made sense. Especially since the soldiers under the Major¡¯s command were probably not strong enough to handle a dungeon yet without overwhelming numbers. Or so I assumed, since I had only ever entered one dungeon before, and it had not exactly gone to plan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll enter with a team,¡± I mused aloud, ¡°A small team,¡± I clarified before there could be any misunderstandings. ¡°If things go wrong, I want to be able to leave in a hurry. I don¡¯t know if the last dungeon I entered was a fair representation, but things went downhill very quickly.¡±


    Lieutenant Laine nodded crisply in agreement, ¡°Does your Majesty have a list of candidates?¡±


    ¡°I am working on it,¡± I replied evasively, ¡°But Nila and her team will be part of my escort.¡±


    As I had expected, Lieutenant Laine relaxed after learning of the military''s involvement.


    ¡°The final team will depend on what I can learn about the risks presented by the dungeons,¡± I took a moment to concentrate.


    *


    The familiar form of Gregory took shape beside the Lieutenant.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Gregory bowed, apparently unsurprised by the summons.


    ¡°Gregory,¡± I nodded my head in greeting, ¡°This matter is somewhat time sensitive, so I will be brief. There is a dungeon located on this floor and the dungeon¡¯s Guardian is currently defeated. Before I make any attempt at entering the dungeon, I want to know if there is some sort of dungeon expert or something who can provide me with some advice and information.¡±


    Gregory furrowed his brow thoughtfully, ¡°There are numerous records kept by the Adventurers Guild, and they would have had a specialist keeping those records. I can provide you with a name within a couple of hours?¡± He offered confidently.


    ¡°Please do,¡± I replied before dismissing Gregory¡¯s projection and immediately Summoning him again.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± Gregory seemed confused, ¡°Was there something else?¡±


    ¡°I need to put together a team,¡± I replied, ¡°But I also needed you working on finding the specialist.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Gregory nodded in understanding before growing contemplative. ¡°To the best of my limited knowledge, dungeons often require a combination of wit, agility, strength and perseverance to overcome. To this end, I would like to volunteer myself, Majesty.¡±


    I had expected this, ¡°I will be forming a team of Summoned projections and copies,¡± I warned, ¡°And if the dungeon proves too dangerous, I will have Cin or Qreet bury it.¡±


    ¡°Projections?¡± Gregory asked curiously.


    ¡°A Summon like yourself that has your memories, personality, and delivers its memories to your true self after its destruction,¡± I explained, ¡°Regular summons are just generic copies. Completely self-contained.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Gregory grew thoughtful for a few moments before nodding his head, ¡°I think I understand. But, if I may ask?¡±


    I motioned for him to continue.


    ¡°Why have you not used Summoned projections more extensively?¡± Gregory asked curiously.


    ¡°Well, I have used it a fair bit actually,¡± I countered, ¡°The only issue was rationing my mana. Summon Servant¡¯s cost is dependent on the Evolution Tier of the subject and how far away from me they are. Although, the second factor doesn¡¯t seem to increase the cost by much.¡±


    ¡°Is this why your Majesty Summons me so casually?¡± Gregory asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Humans are quite cheap, relatively speaking,¡± I replied with a smirk of my own.


    ¡°Another question, Majesty? Won¡¯t a team of projections leave yourself vulnerable due to being low on mana?¡± Gregory asked with a combination of concern and curiosity.


    I wavered my hand, ¡°Not really. Ushu received a magic item after defeating the dungeon Guardian. I am currently abusing a feedback loop-a strong synergy, between a Kobold Racial Ability and an Ability granted by the item itself to considerably increase my mana regeneration.¡±


    ¡°And this will be enough to maintain an entire team while exploring a dungeon?¡± Gregory asked.


    ¡°It might be,¡± I replied with a shrug, ¡°Depending on how dangerous the dungeon proves itself to be. The thing you need to understand is that Summoned creatures use the mana they were Summoned with in place of not just the mana to power their own Abilities, but as energy for their body. The more running and strenuous activity a Summon performs, the shorter its effective duration.¡±


    ¡°I see, Gregory grew silent again as he considered something.


    ¡°If the dungeon is dangerous, but not so much that I need to retreat, I will shift to using regular Summons instead of Projections,¡± I continued to explain, ¡°The risk in using projections comes from accumulated stress and negative experiences. There are only so many times someone would be able to experience death before their mind begins to slip.¡±


    ¡°I had not considered that,¡± Gregory admitted with visible disappointment.


    I could only imagine that Gregory had been envisioning what clandestine activities a team of elite soldiers could accomplish without risk of permanent injury, death, or capture.


    Then Gregory¡¯s eyes lit up again, ¡°Majesty, what about for the purposes of training? Surely the rigours of combat in such circumstances would be acceptable?¡±


    I had similar thoughts earlier, so I wasn''t particularly surprised Gregory had arrived at such a grey area so quickly, ¡°Quite possibly,¡± I agreed, ¡°Accidents in training are always a possibility, and a living intact soldier is far preferable to a dead or maimed one. After all, there are currently limits to what the Surgeons are capable of fixing.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, the matter of the dungeon, Majesty?¡± Lieutenant Laine interjected politely.


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Gregory roughly cleared his throat in embarrassment, ¡°Besides a dungeon expert, I would suggest taking someone who has extensive experience with hidden traps. Assuming your Majesty does not intend to place yourself in undue danger, regular Summons could feasibly take the combined roles of damage dealing and establishing combat perimeters.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a recommendation for the trap expert?¡± I asked somewhat lightheartedly, expecting Gregory to use the opportunity to volunteer himself.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes, I do know of such an individual,¡± Gregory agreed, although he seemed somewhat uncomfortable about it for some reason.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I pressed.


    Gregory shifted uncomfortably, ¡°A freelancer by the name of Mortimer. His allegiance to the crown, and your Majesty, is minimal. He is an incredibly old man in a profession where almost all die young. While he did not reject taking your Majesty¡¯s oaths, he holds no loyalty to anyone beyond himself. We have had him under constant observation since he took his oaths, so finding him will not be a problem-¡±


    ¡°Projections, Gregory, remember?¡± I reminded him. The only living person entering the dungeon would be myself.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, of course,¡± Gregory snorted his nose quietly and shook his head, ¡°Then my final suggestion would be a projection of myself, Majesty. I am more than capable of engaging in an intense melee or striking from a distance, and my tracking and detection Abilities may prove useful.¡±


    I suppress a smile, ¡°You were already on the list Gregory.¡±


    Gregory straightened his shoulders and stood a little taller at the news, ¡°By your command, Majesty.¡±


    ¡°So about this Mortimer character, I need more information to find him in the registry,¡± I insisted patiently, not wanting to ruin the moment for Gregory.


    ¡°Of course, Majesty,¡± Gregory closed his eyes and wore a thoughtful expression for a few moments, ¡°Unfortunately, Mortimer has not taken on a second name, but he has a daughter within the registry as well, Phoebe Willowcreek, of the Willowcreek Settlement. So far as we are aware, they are estranged from another-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I interjected, ¡°The name is enough to narrow it down.¡±


    *


    A cantankerous-looking old man of perhaps seventy or so with white wispy unkempt hair, a bowed back and large swollen knuckles appeared at Gregory¡¯s side.


    ¡°Eh?!¡± The old man, Mortimer, gave a start and stiffly backpedalled away from Gregory, and in the process caused a wicked-looking dagger to appear in his right hand, ¡°Was¡¯ goin on?!¡± his eyes widened further as he noticed the leather bracers on his forearms, and then the padded tunic and specialised steel cuirass on is chest, ¡°Wha¡¯ the?...¡±


    ¡°You stand in the presence of his Majesty!¡± Lieutenant Laine barked stiffly, ¡°Show some respect!¡±


    ¡°Majesty?¡± Mortimer scoffed incredulously before seeming to think better of it and following Lieutenant Laine¡¯s focus. ¡°...¡± He stumbled backward, mouth agape and eyes wide with fear, ¡°Thas¡¯ no¡¯ the prince!...¡±


    ¡°No, he is not,¡± Gregory interjected curtly, ¡°His Majesty is the one to whom we all owe fealty, whose laws you swore under oath to uphold.¡±


    Recognition passed behind Mortimer¡¯s eyes, ¡°He¡¯s the Og-¡±


    ¡°Your Tyrant and Majesty!¡± Lieutenant Laine snapped, drawing three inches of steel from her scabbard.


    Mortimer eyed the bared steel from the corner of his eye and licked his lips nervously, ¡°Uh...Well...I haven¡¯t broken my oaths...So...Why am I here?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty-¡± Gregory began to explain but I waved him down.


    ¡°I have a need for your skills,¡± I replied directly, managing to somehow cause the old man¡¯s eyes to widen still further. ¡°I have been told that you possess a strong affinity for traps and general skullduggery,¡± I tried not to laugh at the use of the word.


    ¡°Ah, well, yes, many would consider me as a master of the craft...¡± Mortimer replied meekly.


    ¡°I am forming a team to explore a dungeon inside of a Labyrinth,¡± I explained carefully, allowing him time to internalise what I was saying, ¡°While I can guarantee you will not die, I cannot guarantee your well-being. Under these conditions, what do you require in compensation for your participation?¡±


    ¡°Guarantee I won¡¯t croak?¡± Mortimer spluttered incredulously before growing cowed again, ¡°I erm...If¡¯n I were to take a job like that, I would want somethin¡¯ big,¡± he stated warily while giving me the impression that he was testing the waters.


    ¡°What is your price?¡± I repeated patiently, ¡°Time is a factor, and if you drag out proceedings unnecessarily then I will be inclined to be far less generous.¡±


    The old man paled, ¡°I...erm...tha¡¯ is...¡± He closed his eyes and took several rattling breaths before opening them again, ¡°I heard tha¡¯ some toffs got access to secret Classes, I want tha¡¯ fer me grandson Callum,¡± Mortimer stated hurriedly and winced in anticipation of violent rejection.


    ¡°A Promotion and access to the special Classes?¡± I clarified, ¡°That¡¯s your price?¡±


    White as a sheet, Mortimer nodded.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°Depending on how well you perform your role, your grandson, Callum, will receive a Promotion and access to special training. Agreed?¡±


    ¡°Erm...The training provides the Classes?¡± Mortimer asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Assuming Callum hasn¡¯t met certain conditions on his own?¡± I clarified, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then I agree, erm, yer¡¯ Majesty!¡± Mortimer bowed his head and pulled at the hood of his cloak in lieu of a hat.


    ¡°I will send for you when we are ready to begin,¡± I announced and then dismissed Mortimer¡¯s projection.


    ¡°A Promotion?¡± Despite Gregory asking the question, I could tell Lieutenant Laine was the more interested of the pair.


    ¡°An Underlord Promotion isn¡¯t a particularly high price to pay for my peace of mind,¡± I replied with a smirk, ¡°Besides, having another Underlord entering my Labyrinth regularly is in my own best interests.¡±


    Gregory had already conceded the first point so he didn¡¯t contest the second.


    ¡°If the Asrusian Faction wants to Promote military officers and the nobility, that is their right. I didn¡¯t give your leaders such a large degree of autonomy just so I could trample all over it,¡± I stated in a warning tone, ¡°As such, I would appreciate a certain consideration for how I handle my own affairs.¡±


    Laine and Gregory both hung their heads slightly and remained silent. It was just as well, because I wasn¡¯t fishing for an apology.


    I dismissed Gregory¡¯s projection a few moments later and then set about organising my guard detail and transportation. With both Dragons serving as transportation, it didn¡¯t take long for Clarice and Nadine to catch wind of my expedition. Naturally, they both demanded to tag along. Not wanting to waste any more time, we agreed upon a compromise.


    Clarice, Nadine, and the guard detail would hold down the entrance to the dungeon, and if I got into any trouble, I would contact them Summoning a projection.


    Clarice had wanted to tag along in person but had relented when Nadine reminded her that someone would need to keep an eye on Dhizi.


    Making the trip by air was considerably faster than walking, but the dungeon itself wasn¡¯t particularly far from Hamburg, to begin with.


    My concerns over finding the dungeon entrance had proven unfounded when Dhizi led the way toward a rocky mound only nominally hidden by the surrounding woodlands.


    A giant stone archway loomed above the treeline and revealed a dark carved stone passageway beyond its threshold. This was particularly strange since the stone archway stood freely in the middle of the clearing, utterly devoid of mundane connections to a conventional structure of any kind.


    I wanted the core members of my expedition to have as much available mana as possible, so I made a point of Summoning them individually and waiting for my mana to fully recover in between Summons.


    I was already familiar with Gregory and Mortimer, but the third member of our team came as something of a surprise.


    Teressa Honeywood, a young woman of no more than twenty, was introduced by Gregory as our dungeon expert. Short and with mousy brown hair and large glasses, she fit my expectations for a librarian or scholar well enough. Just like Mortimer and Gregory, Teressa¡¯s projection had been provided with padded armour and a helmet as a base and a shaped breastplate for additional protection.


    Unlike Mortimer, Teressa had apparently leapt at the opportunity to explore a dungeon ¡®in person¡¯.


    With the core team formed from projections, I Summoned Lesser copies of five Asrusian Swordsmen and five Archers.


    I stored the Summoned Kobold I was using as part of my mana regeneration exploit inside of an open barrel worn on my back. The barrel had been reinforced with additional bands of steel and converted into something reminiscent of a backpack so I could keep the Summoned Kobold out of harm''s way.


    Entering the dungeon, the Summoned soldiers took point and the projections of Mortimer, Gregory and Teressa held the centre while I lagged behind in the rear.


    The dungeon itself was remarkably similar to the previous dungeon I had entered in the Hurst Labyrinth. The floor was paved with large stone tiles and the walls and ceiling were formed from worked stone that was cool to the touch.


    As abandoned as it appeared, there was no trace of dust or debris in the opening passage. However, past the illumination of Teressa and Mortimer¡¯s lanterns, and down the far end of the passageway, I could see scattered bones and garbage piled against a large pair of doors.


    ¡°Definitely trapped,¡± Mortimer grunted confidently when the door became illuminated by the lanterns, ¡°Set of spears from the floor I reckon.¡±


    ¡°Really? How can you tell?¡± Teressa asked with excited enthusiasm, seemingly oblivious to the danger.


    ¡°There¡¯s holes in the floor,¡± Gregory pointed to the tiles in front of the door.


    Mortimer nodded in agreement.


    Upon reaching the door, I was able to confirm the presence of the holes for myself.


    ¡°How do we proceed?¡± I asked, curious to see what the expert would recommend.


    ¡°Er, well, we jus¡¯ need to avoid steppin¡¯ on the trigger plate,¡± Mortimer replied while pointing to a tile beneath the door, ¡°No trigger, no trap.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s magical in nature?¡± I asked, ¡°The trigger I mean.¡±


    Mortimer took a moment to consider the question before giving a nonchalant shrug, ¡°Then I say it pays to be last in line, yer Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± He had a point, but it was far from reassuring.


    The Summoned Swordsmen went first, pairing up in order to push open both doors at roughly the same time.


    The open door revealed more skeletal remains, most of which looked too large for a human but were about the right size for a Boarman or Pigman.


    The Summoned Swordsmen had crossed the threshold without incident and were soon followed by the Archers.


    ¡°It¡¯s the centre left tile,¡± Mortimer grunted and pointed to the offending tile beneath the doorway, ¡°Should mark it in case we need ter scarper,¡± he advised.


    I attempted to conjure a stick of charcoal and was momentarily stunned when it failed to appear. As best I could guess, the dungeon had somehow blocked my authority as Sanctuary¡¯s Tyrant.


    In the meantime, Mortimer had taken a broken femur and carefully placed it on the tile.


    Moving on, we found ourselves in a large room with two doors, one placed on the left side of the room, and one on the right. The far wall was adorned with dozens of gilded bird cages. Even without the light of the lanterns, I could make out small, still, humanoid figures occupying most of the cages. However, as the light was cast upon the cages, the occupants of the cages became restless.


    ¡°Oh wow!¡± Teressa exclaimed excitedly, ¡°This appears to be a classic ¡®Guide¡¯ station for the dungeon!¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Huh? Oh! Well, the more difficult and dangerous dungeons provide guides as a sort of handicap,¡± Teressa explained cheerily, ¡°Of course, guides aren¡¯t to be trusted. They will provide invaluable assistance, at first, but as you make more progress, the guide will become less reliable and attempt acts of sabotage. The creators of the dungeons don¡¯t actually want anyone to defeat them, but they seem to have their own twisted rules they need to abide by as well.¡±


    ¡°So, choosing a guide isn¡¯t necessarily the way to go then?¡± I clarified.


    ¡°Well...I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± Teressa gazed longingly toward the rows of haphazardly hung cages and their exotic occupants, ¡°There is nothing stopping us from benefiting from their advice in the beginning and then ignoring it later.¡±


    ¡°And it won¡¯t just attack us when it figures out it can¡¯t trick us?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°There have been reports of guide-type monsters attempting violence,¡± Teressa conceded, ¡°But it¡¯s exceedingly rare.¡±


    ¡°In your expert opinion, do you believe the benefits outweigh the risks?¡± I insisted, making it clear that I wanted a yes or no answer.


    Teressa took a few moments to consider the question. Just as she seemed prepared to answer, a small squeaky voice echoed throughout the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pick me!¡± It demanded shrilly, immediately drawing our collective attention toward the tiny occupant of the cage on the lower left-hand side of the wall. ¡°Picking me is against your best interests! I will definitely betray and murder you! I will not offer sexual favours for freedom! Everything is off limits!¡±


    With the bodily proportions of a young woman, albeit one foot tall, I initially mistook the pale-skinned creature for a fairy. However, while crossing the room for a close look, I noticed the bat-like wings she had been trying to hide through careful posturing.


    Once I had noticed the wings, a number of other previously hidden details came into focus. Pointed canines, black sclera, claws, and a pair of tiny pointe horns hidden in her hair. The longer I watched her, the less human she became. Even her skin changed under observation, turning a rich violet to match to contrast against her now shock-white hair.


    As if it realised I could see its true form, the monster gave me an awkward apologetic smile, ¡°It¡¯s exactly what it looks like?...¡± The monster claimed hopefully, ¡°This doesn¡¯t look bad, and I can¡¯t explain anything...¡±


    Keenly aware of the monster¡¯s blatant Bizarro-esque nature of her speech patterns, I squatted down in front of the cage and stared down at the monster, ¡°Try me,¡± I challenged.


    ***** Sebet - Asrusian Capital Labyrinth ~ Eighth Floor ~ Dungeon *****


    Sebet stared up at the Ogre in shock and disbelief. If she had not witnessed it speak with her own two eyes and ears, she would not have believed what was happening.


    ¡°You can¡¯t understand?¡± Sebet asked nervously, afraid of being disappointed.


    After all, the last person she would have expected to see through the contrarian curse would be an Ogre. They were, somehow, supposed to be even stupider than Boarmen. After so many humans had failed to see through her curse, even after Sebet took great care in phrasing her sentences to make it as obvious as possible, she had all but given up hope.


    ¡°I do,¡± the Ogre replied calmly with a faint hint of amusement in his voice.


    Sebet didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°So, why are you in that cage?¡± The Ogre asked with a hint of impatience, shocking Sebet out of her state of confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a punishment,¡± Sebet replied, struggling to keep the bitterness from her voice.


    ¡°Enforced by who?¡± The ogre asked curiously, ¡°The dungeon?¡±


    Sebet shook her head animatedly, ¡°Yes! And I can tell you who and what they are!¡±


    The Ogre frowned and Sebet became worried that she had lost him. ¡°Is it Angels?¡± He asked quietly.


    Sebet stared at the blunt guileless face of the Ogre in surprise, ¡°N-No...¡±


    The Ogre grunted unintelligibly and nodded to itself, ¡°Figures.¡± He turned his attention back to Sebet, ¡°Why are you being punished?¡± The tone of his voice had a hint of danger to it now and Sebet realised that she needed to choose her next words VERY carefully.


    As much as Sebet desired her freedom, there was precious little stopping the Ogre from viciously shaking her cage until Sebet was throttled to death.


    ¡°I am not a prisoner of war,¡± Sebet stated carefully.


    ¡°Figures they would torture prisoners,¡± the Ogre muttered to himself, ¡°But that still doesn¡¯t explain why you are in the cage I am fairly certain you aren¡¯t a Daemon,¡± he continued while eyeing her critically, ¡°Which begs the question, what are you?¡±


    Sebet¡¯s survival instincts flared in reaction to the mentioning of a second mortal enemy to her Species, ¡°I am a Daemon,¡± she shook her head vehemently, ¡°I am a primitive savage that prowls about like a Beast!¡±


    ¡°Then what are you?¡± The Ogre challenged with a subtle but unmistakable promise of violence.


    Knowing she could no longer dodge the question, Sebet gathered her will and prayed to the depths that the Ogre wouldn¡¯t be able to resist her Charm and Seduction. His ability to see through the curse meant that he could be manipulated provided-


    PAIN.


    Sebet¡¯s knees buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the floor of her cage as white-hot pain lanced through her mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s strike one,¡± the Ogre rumbled dangerously.


    Sweating profusely, Sebet struggled into a sitting position and tried to slow her panicked breathing. She had attempted and failed to influence targets before, but Sebet had never experienced such intense, immediate and excruciating agony.


    ¡°And before you even think about attempting the same with my companions, you should know that I have an Ability that requires you go through me first,¡± the Ogre growled, ¡°So don¡¯t even try it.¡±


    Sebet couldn¡¯t stop herself from shaking.


    Who in the Hells was this Ogre?! There should have been no way he was capable of even the most basic problem solving let alone resisting Sebet so strongly! Unless...


    Sebet cautiously activated her second sight.


    Eyes widening as she took in the Ogre¡¯s aura, Sebet would have been driven to her knees if she had not been sitting already. Primal irresistible instincts immediately warred against one another in her conscious and subconscious as they attempted to determine a course of action. All the while Sebet continued to stare at the Ogre¡¯s domination aura.


    Leaps and bounds more powerful than those she had served in the uppermost reaches of Hell, Sebet realised that the Ogre possessed a fraction of the absolute authority of the Labyrinths. More than that, she now recognised the Ogre for what he was, a seed of destruction sown by the Labyrinths to bring ruin and death to all.


    Realising she was hyperventilating and her heart was racing, Sebet desperately tried to slow her breathing. It immediately proved an almost impossible task.


    One of the many shortcomings of her caste was the attraction to power and authority, and while power could take many forms, the literal authority of the Labyrinths was without equal.


    All thoughts of misleading or manipulating the Ogre were abandoned completely.


    To serve a Lord of the Labyrinths became Sebet¡¯s sole overwhelming desire. Whatever that form may take.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 – The darkest dungeon – Part Three

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 ¨C The darkest dungeon ¨C Part ThreeOgre Tyrant: Chapter 53 - The darkest dungeon - Part Three


    I continued to stare at the small female creature with mounting impatience. Since her attempts at testing my will had failed, she had rapidly become unresponsive. However, I was uncomfortably familiar with the expression she now wore.


    It was exactly the same as the Daemons.


    ¡°Who and what are you?¡± I demanded in a tone that made it clear my patience was at its end.


    ¡°Hey!¡± A small voice called out from my right, ¡°Yeah, you! The big guy!¡±


    Without thinking about it, I turned my attention away from the bat-winged creature and searched for the origin of the new voice.


    ¡°Are you an Aussie?¡± The voice called out with wary curiosity, ¡°Kangaroos, koalas, Vegemite and shit?¡±


    It took a moment for the words to fully register. It was only after I had located the owner of the voice that I realised what had been said.


    ¡°Take that as a yes,¡± the grizzled-looking fairy announced with exaggerated indifference. Smoothcheeked and clean-limbed, the fairy was naked with the exception of a crude sarong worn about his waist.


    ¡°You¡¯re speaking English,¡± I commented while making my way over to his iron cage.


    ¡°You mean we are,¡± the fairy corrected somewhat irritably before wincing and taking several deep breaths, ¡°Sorry...I haven¡¯t spoken with another person in...I don¡¯t know how long...¡± There was a profound sense of loneliness in his voice that persuaded me to believe him.


    ¡°You¡¯re an American?¡± I asked warily, guessing at his familiar yet odd-sounding accent. I was no stranger to American television programming, but the fairy¡¯s size added a pitchiness to his voice that made the otherwise familiar pronunciations sound strange.


    The fairy nodded silently, drawing my attention to his slightly overgrown crew cut. ¡°Do you know where we are?¡± He asked after an uncomfortably long silence, ¡°Is this...Is this hell?¡± His diaphanous butterfly wings drooped in reaction to his darkening mood.


    I hesitated. A part of me had already recognised the fairy as another Awakened, making him a very real threat.


    The fairy narrowed his eyes in confusion and he pointed an accusing finger toward me, ¡°You know something.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we are in hell,¡± I replied somewhat guardedly, ¡°At least, not a version of it that I am familiar with,¡± I conceded. ¡°Something, what the locals call the Labyrinths, brought us here to spread suffering and destruction. Or, at least, that is what I was told by someone I trust.¡±


    I had the fairy¡¯s full undivided attention.


    ¡°The form we take, it¡¯s meant to represent our greatest insecurities, something the Labyrinths can leverage to upset us...¡± I shifted uncomfortably and took a few moments to settle my mind.


    ¡°So these, Labyrinths? They made you a giant because you were insecure about being tall?¡± The fairy asked with obvious scepticism.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied quietly, resisting the urge to lash out, ¡°It made me...¡± I took a deep breath to find my voice again, ¡°It changed nothing about me, it just applied a label.¡±


    The fairy¡¯s expression made it clear he didn¡¯t believe me.


    ¡°On Earth, I looked like this,¡± I poked a finger against my chest and removed my helmet, ¡°I wasn¡¯t as big as I am now, but I was big enough. When people looked at me, I could see the disgust and fear in their eyes. So far as they were concerned, I was an Ogre in all but name...¡±


    The fairy averted his eyes, ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry...I just thought...¡± He shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking...It¡¯s just that it''s been so long since I was able to talk to someone...Everyone else who came through was speaking gibberish and...I thought I had gone insane...¡± He gave me a peculiar look with his disproportionately large eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not even sure you¡¯re here right now...¡± The fairy muttered so quietly I almost didn¡¯t hear it.


    ¡°You were a soldier?¡± I asked, pretending not to have heard him and motioning to his shaggy crew cut.


    The fairy gave a small start and stared at me for a few moments before slowly nodding his head, ¡°Yeah...Four years, not including basic...How did you?-¡± He moved to scratch his head and stopped as his fingers touched his pale blonde hair, ¡°-Oh...¡±


    ¡°To the best of my knowledge, the Labyrinths only choose killers...¡± I explained hesitantly, ¡°Your being a soldier is admittedly not much of a surprise, all things considered...¡±


    The fairy slowly nodded but stopped abruptly, ¡°You were a soldier?¡± He asked uncertainly.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied hurriedly, having no intention of participating in acts of stolen valour, ¡°I...I was attacked in my own home and was defending myself...I can¡¯t remember clearly, but I think I fell down the stairs and...¡± I felt a surge of bile rising up from my gut and decided to leave the rest to the fairy¡¯s imagination.


    ¡°An accident...¡± The fairy muttered quietly, ¡°Maybe...Maybe that¡¯s why you are out there and I am in here...¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied flatly, unable to keep the bitterness and anger from my voice, ¡°Bar one, you are the first one of us I have encountered that hasn¡¯t immediately tried to murder me or the people around me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that has more to do with this cage than you think,¡± the fairy replied darkly, ¡°You don¡¯t know me, you don¡¯t know what I have done!¡± Tears welled in his overly large eyes and he looked away, ¡°I belong in here! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!-Urk!¡± The fairy stiffened and spat up blood as I felt something skitter across my mental defences. He collapsed moments later, falling onto a thin bed of straw on the bottom of his cage.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that,¡± I warned him before turning toward the dungeon expert, Teressa, ¡°Are we allowed more than one guide?¡± The fairy was another Awakened, and I wasn¡¯t going to risk leaving him where a potential enemy could find him. It would be only too easy to Enslave him and become a Lord by proxy, making him far too dangerous to leave behind.


    ¡°There are no trustworthy accounts suggesting it cannot be done,¡± Teressa replied enthusiastically, apparently very happy to be useful, ¡°There are several unconfirmed instances of several guides being deployed simultaneously, but the final outcomes are unknown.¡±


    ¡°I WON¡¯T SERVE!¡± The bat-winged creature in the other cage called out pleadingly, ¡°DON''T TAKE ME WITH YOU! I WILL BETRAY YOU! ¡±


    I unhooked the iron cage and handed it off to Teressa before making my way back over to the bat-winged creature.


    ¡°What is your name,¡± I demanded as I crouched down to reduce the distance between us.


    The bat-winged creature hesitated for a fraction of a second before clenching her tiny clawed hands into fists, ¡°Sebet,¡± She answered just loud enough for me to hear. I felt a familiar resonance accompanying the name and recognised it for what it was almost immediately.


    ¡°Sebet,¡± the bat-winged creature, Sebet, flinched as I repeated her true name back to her, ¡°Tell me, what are you?¡±


    ¡°I am NOT a Devil, Lord,¡± Sebet answered quietly and reached through the bars of her cage. Tiny tendrils of smoke began curling from her arm and hand, suggesting that the cage was as much a magical prison as it was mundane.


    *


    An impossibly large scroll appeared in Sebet¡¯s tiny outstretched hand. Just as quickly as the scroll appeared, it was allowed to fall to the ground.


    ¡°Gregory,¡± I motioned toward the scroll, unwilling to touch it myself until I was certain of its nature.


    Gregory obediently moved forward and investigated the scroll. ¡°Apologies, Majesty, but I don¡¯t understand this language...¡± He apologised and continued scanning the contents.


    ¡°Show me,¡± I insisted, mentally bracing myself, just in case.


    Gregory shifted his grip and held out the scroll with both hands.


    The scroll was covered in writing that alternated between several different font sizes and two different styles. The majority of the writing was in a careful even print, but several sections were crossed out and had what looked like scrawled index notations in the margins.


    While I could not understand the language the document was written in, I recognised Sebet¡¯s name referenced many times throughout despite taking on a few different forms of spelling. Upon recognising her name was most prominently displayed in a swooping signature at the bottom of the document, I realised that the scroll was almost certainly some kind of contract. I also realised that the alphabet of jagged runes looked incredibly familiar.


    It was the same alphabet used by the Daemons.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I demanded flatly, pointing toward the contract.


    ¡°It is NOT a contract of conditional subservience,¡± Sebet replied with a whimper while cradling her injured hand, ¡°It does NOT guarantee my loyalty contingent on several conditions. This does NOT include freeing me from my eternal confinement at the first available opportunity, and does NOT include an offer of continued subservience. This is NOT a standardised contract with a number of minor alterations due to my powers being limited...¡±


    ¡°As much as I would like to trust you, I can¡¯t.¡± I was surprised when Sebet didn¡¯t question my decision.


    Instead, Sebet seemed genuinely saddened by the rejection. Which made sense if her bargaining for her freedom was not a ploy but a desperate bid at escape. It was a sentiment I could empathise with.


    *Tingling*


    ¡°I need my own legal council to look it over first,¡± I amended, motioning to the heavily muscled green-skinned elf now standing at my side.


    Gric had gone out of his way to model himself after the Elves who had settled in Sanctuary. Only, he hadn¡¯t seemed particularly content with their willowy frame and build. To that end, Gric had packed on as much dense muscle as his reinforced bones could support without compromising his mobility and agility.


    The end results, when combined with his refusal to sacrifice his natural weaponry, left Gric with the appearance of some sort of wild elven demi-god. A comparison I knew he secretly found pleasing.


    Unlike his hatch mates, Gric had prioritised developing his mind above all else. Given his role as the literal leader of all Daemons under my banner, with the exception of Ril, it made sense that Gric specialised in administration over immediate confrontation. Although that was actually something of a misconception itself.


    Gric¡¯s mana pool was immense. After achieving his own specialised Evolution and completing its progression, his mana pool just continued growing instead of being directed toward another Evolution.


    Nadine and the other Humans had called it his Evolutionary cap, but the Daemons had explained it differently. To the Daemons, Gric had reached his true form. Beyond semantics, the cap referenced by the Humans was meant to stop all further gains toward a higher maximum mana value. The Humans themselves were experiencing their current Evolutionary cap. So I had to figure that the Daemons knew what they were talking about.


    ¡°Devil,¡± Gric sneered contemptuously before shifting his attention toward the contract in Gregory¡¯s hands. Gric frowned. A few moments later, his frown turned into a scowl. ¡°You would bind my Tyrant to such a bargain?!¡± Gric snarled, exposing a mouth full of fang-like teeth and causing neon-green energy to pulse through the trio of horns anchored to his brow.


    Sebet shrunk away from the verbal assault and began to tremble in fear, ¡°Daemon King?!¡± She squeaked in terror.


    Gric snorted in disgust and contempt, ¡°Should I end this foul creature, my Tyrant?¡± Despite his cold exterior, it was clear by the tone of his voice alone that Gric was not bluffing or presenting an intimidating front. He wanted Sebet dead.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied and stared Gric down for good measure, ¡°I want you to read the contract out to me, word for word.¡±


    Gric bowed his head and his features relaxed almost immediately, ¡°As you command, my Tyrant.¡±


    Gric then spent ten straight minutes slowly and carefully reading aloud the contents of the contract. Taking particular care to read out the redacted portions and then amended contents intended to replace them.


    I felt a certain sense of vindication when Gric finished.


    The contract¡¯s intentions were rather simple, but the phrasing was painfully deliberate in obfuscating certain liabilities, contingencies and preparations. Most of these had been redacted and were replaced with ¡®-Waived by {Participating Signatory} Sebet-¡¯ but the major penalty for a willful breach of the contract remained fully intact.


    ¡°It is non-enforceable,¡± Gric stated reassuringly, ¡°The little Devil has no backing, no ties to a more powerful authority to enforce the contract. You would experience a moment of weakness or discomfort, but no more, my Tyrant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± I insisted sceptically.


    ¡°Other Devils would know you have broken a contract, but that is all,¡± Gric explained with a nonchalant shrug.


    ¡°What about this Curse of hers?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Can we break that?¡±


    Gric frowned slightly and worked his lower jaw in what I assumed was thoughtful irritation, ¡°Yes, I believe so, my Tyrant.¡±


    I motioned for him to continue.


    Gric hissed in irritation before swiftly marshalling his emotions, ¡°Underlord Fesk has an Ability suited to this task, but it requires that the target is an ally.¡±


    ¡°Would signing this contract facilitate that requirement?¡± I asked, ¡°Assuming I cannot recruit Sebet through the cage.¡±


    Gric glanced at the cage and nodded, ¡°My Tyrant can destroy the cage with certain ¡®tools¡¯, but the occupant would be culled,¡± he didn¡¯t seem at all opposed to the idea, ¡°The Imprisonment otherwise prevents recruitment, as my Tyrant has already realised.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I could try to contest control?¡± I pressed curiously, wondering if there was a potential loophole.


    Gric shook his head, ¡°This is...different, my Tyrant. There is no enemy to contend with, so a contest may not take place.¡±


    ¡°Figures,¡± I muttered while taking a moment to look around at the other potential guides.


    Besides Sebet and the fairy, none of them had attempted to gain my attention at all. For all I knew, they were mindless constructs.


    ¡°Tell me more about Devils,¡± I ordered, ¡°And why you hold them in such contempt.¡±


    Gric silently stared at Sebet for a few moments and then nodded. ¡°We are enemies and rivals,¡± Gric stated matter of factly, ¡°Daemons conquer through force and obedience to the hierarchy,¡± he said with a small measure of pride, ¡°While Devils seek dominion through treachery and cunning, serving only when compelled to do so and only so long as they are bound,¡± the level of Gric¡¯s contempt was palpable, ¡°Devils are only rejected by the Angels because they are more proficient negotiators and mediators of contracts. It stings the Angels'' pride to be considered inferior in the dealing of souls.¡±


    Sebet appeared to be fighting hard not to challenge Gric¡¯s assertions, so I was left wondering how accurate his explanation was in relation to a more unbiased perspective.


    ¡°The contracts are the Devils primary means of accumulating power and establishing a semblance of a cohesive hierarchy,¡± Gric continued, ¡°However, the power a Devil can obtain is limited. A Devil can never rise above their station. So they plot and scheme and betray one another to exert influence.¡±


    Sebet was biting her lip so hard it had begun to bleed.


    ¡°They are further limited by their caste,¡± Gric stated contemptuously, ¡°Daemons adapt, overcome and empower themselves to suit their role. A Devil''s caste dictates who they are and all they will ever be,¡± he looked down at Sebet and sneered, ¡°A Lust Devil will never amount to more than a deceitful, manipulative parasite.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Gric,¡± I warned coldly. I was not happy about how much pleasure he was deriving from antagonising Sebet. ¡°You said the Angels deal in souls. What did you mean by that?¡±


    Gric seemed somewhat surprised by the question, ¡°The relationship is not dissimilar to the loathsome Vampyrs and those they feed upon, my Tyrant. All living things generate mana, and through concerted effort can manipulate that mana. The Angels have a talent for not only directing that mana toward themselves but dictating the flow,¡± he paused for a moment and seemed to be considering something, ¡°I believe Orphiel and Ophelia have forgone such feasting so as to remain in your good graces. That, or they do so to remain compliant with your laws. Instincts insist that the process can be decidedly unpleasant should the Angels wish it.¡±


    ¡°And the Valkyrja?¡± I pressed, keenly aware of the behaviour of their Warlocks.


    ¡°The truly dead do not suffer from their feasting, and the undead are undeserving of pity,¡± Gric replied indifferently.


    ¡°What about Spirits?¡± I had a suspicion that I already knew the answer, but I wanted confirmation.


    Gric shrugged uncertainly, ¡°Less control than the Angels, but not nearly as predatory.¡±


    Unless they fed upon their worshipers in order to strengthen themselves and keep their worshipers weak. The sorry state of the Bleak-Fang¡¯ had seemed too strange for how established they should have been.


    The Black-Mane and other tribes of Boarmen had all Evolved collectively from Pigmen over many generations. So far, the only explanation I could see for why they had managed such a feat was due to a lack of effectively leveraged outside interference.


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance Gric, it was quite illuminating,¡± I dismissed his projection and turned my full attention back toward the contract.


    ¡°A Daemon King...¡± Sebet repeated in disbelief and horror.


    ¡°Yes, that was Gric,¡± I replied offhandedly while looking over the contract for what felt like the hundredth time, ¡°Now, I am willing to sign, but I want some additional amendments first.¡±


    Sebet just stared up at me in shocked silence.


    ¡°I want an allowance to forgo this potential penalty for breach of contract on the condition that I remove your Curse,¡± I insisted, ¡°I think that exchange in and of itself is more than fair. I also can¡¯t guarantee your freedom since the usual means at my disposal won''t work,¡± I motioned for Gregory to return the scroll.


    Gregory nodded in agreement while professionally rewinding the scroll before pushing it through the bars of Sebet¡¯s cage.


    It was only after the contract fell upon the floor of her cage that Sebet suddenly appeared to come to her senses, ¡°Amendments...¡± She stammered nervously, ¡°No, absolutely not possible. I definitely can¡¯t do that...¡± Sebet muttered to herself, dismissing the previous contract with a wave of her injured hand and materialising a new one.


    Gregory took the initiative, taking hold of the contract as it poked through the cage bars rather than waiting for Sebet to deliver it herself.


    ¡°I hope you understand, but I need to make sure everything is as specified,¡± I cautioned Sebet somewhat apologetically.


    Sebet nodded and shrunk away toward the opposite side of her cage.


    Aware that Summoning Gric again would be needlessly cruel, I opted for Wraithe instead.


    *


    Wraithe¡¯s attention immediately fixated on Sebet, and I realised that Gric had very likely already informed every other Daemon about her existence. ¡°She is injured,¡± Wraithe stated somewhat accusingly, ¡°What steps have been taken for her recovery?¡± She turned on Gregory, staring him down with the cold confidence and intimidation that reminded me of the Indonesian Head Nurse who had spoken at several of my nursing lectures.


    ¡°Ah, nothing?¡± Gregory replied uncertainly before quickly regaining his confidence, ¡°Nothing yet, that is,¡± he amended.


    Wraithe narrowed her eyes at Gregory and twitched her whiskers before turning her attention back toward Sebet.


    ¡°Daemon Overlord!...¡± Sebet squeaked.


    ¡°Yes yes,¡± Wraithe acknowledged, dismissing the observation with a busy wave of her long fingered hand. ¡°The Imprisonment is artificially supporting all mundane needs, so a simple bandage is the only real option-¡± Impressively tall herself, standing at about eight feet tall, Wraithe casually reached up beneath my hauberk and tore off a strip of my tunic, ¡°-give me your hand,¡± she reached into the cage with her long dextrous fingers and began wrapping Sebet¡¯s hand, ignoring the little Devil¡¯s cries of surprise and terror, as well as the tendrils of smoke trailing off of her own fingers. ¡°There!¡± Wraithe declared with satisfaction as the improvised bandage glowed with golden light and slowly began to disintegrate.


    ¡°Wraithe, I need you to look at-¡± I was about to point to the contract in Gregory¡¯s hand but was interrupted as Wraithe noticed the unconscious fairy.


    ¡°Ack! Careless!¡± Wraithe whipped herself on the back of the head with her own tail, ¡°Always evaluate first!¡± Wraithe reprimanded herself before glancing up at me and determinedly looking away, ¡°Subject appears to be unconscious...Blood on the lips and nasal cavities suggest internal trauma...¡±


    ¡°I think he challenged me to a contest of will,¡± I explained helpfully, ¡°The reaction was very abrupt and intense.¡±


    Wraithe nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Do you have a medical kit, my Tyrant?¡±


    I nodded and unbuckled the small iron-banded chest that was hanging off my hip before handing it off to Wraithe.


    With the intensity and volume usually directed toward me, I couldn¡¯t ¡®just¡¯ carry a satchel like the Surgeons. I also couldn¡¯t rely on them to have the right supplies to treat my injuries in an emergency. So it was a matter of prudence to carry my own.


    Wraithe carefully scanned the contents before using the empty cup and some of the bottled water from a large clay jug to dissolve the edge of a willow bark tablet. Wraithe then used some leftover fabric from my shirt to soak up the liquid and then wrung it out into the fairy¡¯s mouth while massaging his throat. While thin the confines of the cage, Wraithe¡¯s fingers smouldered just like before.


    Whatever enchantments lay upon the cages were clearly intended to keep people out and their charges imprisoned.


    Before Wraithe depleted her limited mana, I had her quickly read aloud the altered contract.


    To my surprise, it was exactly as I had demanded.


    After biting my thumb, I pressed the small bead of blood against the open space in the bottom right of the contract. I probably could have signed it if I had a pen or quill, but the partial bloody thumbprint seemed to prove sufficient.


    I felt a sensation similar to the experience of giving an oath, only it was far weaker. Where giving an oath felt like someone taking a firm hold on your heart, the contract was nothing more than the faintest and most hesitant caress.


    When Wraithe¡¯s projection disappeared, I Summoned Fesk to help facilitate more direct communication with Sebet.


    I had not given Fesk¡¯s projection much mana, but he lingered long enough to confirm that he had not only lifted Sebet¡¯s Curse, but resisted the Curse when it attempted to latch onto him instead.


    With Sebet¡¯s Curse removed, I felt the connection between us shift to become entirely one-sided. I had fulfilled my side of the bargain, and now it was her turn.


    Removing Sebet¡¯s cage from the wall, I gave it to Teressa for safekeeping. She was already holding the fairy¡¯s cage and was a non-combatant to begin with, so I figured it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    You have my profound gratitude, great one!¡± Sebet declared earnestly, ¡°I will do my best to uphold my end of our contract!¡±


    ¡°Then you can start by telling us what¡¯s up ahead,¡± I replied and motioned to the two doors.


    Sebet¡¯s enthusiasm dampened somewhat, ¡°Apologies, great one, but I fear I must explain myself?¡±


    I sighed and motioned for Sebet to continue.


    ¡°Gratitude, great one,¡± Sebet released a sigh of her own, apparently quite relieved by my patience, ¡°As a guide, I have a rudimentary knowledge of the components that comprise the dungeon, but-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a puzzle,¡± I interrupted, ¡°The rooms are the same, but they are set in different places each time the dungeon is formed. Or something to that effect right? So guides can¡¯t give away the best route, even if they wanted to.¡±


    Sebet looked surprised, ¡°Ah, yes, indeed, great one...¡±


    ¡°So what exactly can you do in your role as a guide?¡± I asked with waning patience.


    Sebet began to visibly sweat, ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°What about the riddles? Or the puzzles?¡± Teressa asked curiously.


    ¡°Or th¡¯ traps,¡± Mortimer added somewhat crankily while stretching his stiff fingers and swollen knuckles.


    Sebet perked up, ¡°Yes! I know of many of the riddles and puzzles! Even some of the more deadly traps!¡±


    ¡°Just not until we reach them,¡± I reiterated with a sigh, ¡°Alright then. What about the doors? Are we just going to pick at random? Or is there some sort of trick to it?¡±


    Sebet deflated slightly again, ¡°At least, in the beginning, the possibilities make choosing practically random...B-But there are far fewer possibilities further in!¡± She added hastily, ¡°And that¡¯s when the dungeon is the most dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I shrugged and pointed to the left door, ¡°Then let¡¯s take the left door.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Mortimer grouched as he gingerly made his way across the room and toward the left most door. After scrutinising the floor and the large ringed door handle, Mortimer shrugged and stepped aside, ¡°Seems safe,¡± he declared dubiously, ¡°No traps I could find.¡±


    Pulling open the door revealed another passageway that ended in a sudden left hand turn after forty feet.


    ¡°Other door jus¡¯ locked i¡¯self,¡± Mortimer declared in mild surprise. I hadn¡¯t heard anything, so I could only assume he had felt something or had some sort of Class Ability that detected locked doors.


    ¡°It¡¯s a common dungeon trap,¡± Teressa chimed in happily, ¡°So you can¡¯t just pick the more favourable direction when given multiple choices. This door will most likely lock behind us as well.¡±


    ¡°Why is the front gate left open then?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°It provides the illusion of an easy escape,¡± Teressa replied helpfully, ¡°So long as you think the doors will stay open, you are less likely to think twice about pushing on ahead.¡±


    ¡°And then it¡¯s too late. Right, I think I get it,¡± I sighed and motioned for the soldiers to begin slowly advancing down the passageway.


    Mortimer seemed perfectly content to use the soldiers as fodder, hanging a good ten feet back from the front while scanning the walls, ceiling and floor for traps.


    *


    Mortimer¡¯s caution was vindicated when the lead soldier cleared the corner and was immediately impaled by a javelin originating from the adjoining passageway.


    Rather than allowing the Summoned soldier to suffer, I dismissed it and replaced it with another generic clone.


    ¡°Big pair o¡¯ crossbow traps up ahead,¡± Mortimer announced somewhat casually, seemingly unphased by the soldier that had been launched off of its feet right in front of him, ¡°Trigger plate was tricky this time...Think I got it...¡±


    Mortimer spent ten whole minutes slowly crawling down the second passageway and scratching up the floor around a dozen or so ¡®suspicious¡¯ tiles with a spare dagger.


    When the all-clear was given, and the Summoned soldiers had made several trips back and forth down the passageway, we moved up toward the door barring entry to what I assumed would be another room. Two large holes, one on either side of the door, marked the firing location for the ¡®large crossbows¡¯.


    ¡°Door seems safe,¡± Mortimer shrugged.


    ¡°The doors, in the beginning, are not trapped,¡± Sebet called out from beside Teressa, ¡°It¡¯s a sort of trap in and of itself, lulling you into a false sense of security.¡±


    ¡°Very common,¡± Teressa agreed matter of factly.


    ¡°What about that other door?¡± I challenged, ¡°The one with the spikes.¡±


    ¡°That was technically the floor,¡± Teressa replied before Sebet had a chance.


    All the same, I had the soldiers open the door rather than doing it myself.


    I felt only minimal relief when the door was opened without evidence of triggering another trap.


    The large room beyond was much the same as the first. Instead of cages on the walls, the central expanse of the floor was dominated by three large concentric rings of dark marble inlaid with gold, silver and platinum respectively.


    Each ring had several large symbols each surrounded by a ring of the same precious metal of the larger ring to which it belonged.


    An isosceles trapezoid of burnished bronze hovered over the three large rings and near perfectly framed one symbol from each.


    ¡°It¡¯s a combination puzzle,¡± I pointed to the three symbols beneath the isosceles trapezoid, ¡°There are probably three symbols hidden around the room somewhere-¡±


    ¡°My cage...¡± Sebet called out awkwardly, ¡°The combination is on the bottom of my cage...¡±


    Teressa lifted the cage and peered underneath, ¡°There is something here, but I need light.¡±


    While Teressa set about confirming Sebet¡¯s claims, I continued investigating the room from the safety of the doorway. The door on the opposite wall had three smaller levers and one large lever built into its surface, reinforcing my assumption that the symbols on the floor were some sort of locking mechanism.


    ¡°What happens if the wrong combination is attempted?¡± I asked warily despite already assuming the worst.


    ¡°It depends on the combination, great one,¡± Sebet replied respectfully while trying to keep her balance as Teressa and Gregory quietly discussed the combination on the bottom of her cage.


    ¡°Assuming the worst?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°The dungeon Guardian would be Summoned,¡± Sebet replied flatly, ¡°You do not want that, great one.¡±


    I had been expecting the room to flood or be filled with toxic gas, but facing the Guardian again, in close quarters such as these, wasn''t particularly appealing either.


    After a few minutes, the correct symbols were rotated into position using the levers on the door and the final lever was pulled to lock them in place. All of this was performed by the Summoned soldiers, but if Sebet was telling the truth, it didn¡¯t seem to matter who performed the unlocking procedure.


    ¡°Do you know what the symbols mean?¡± Teressa asked Sebet curiously, ¡°They look similar to the symbols used in your contract.¡±


    I paused and took another look at the symbols. It took me a few moments but I began to see what Teressa meant. The core structure was similar, if not the same, while the external components were completely different.


    ¡°Unlock, The, Door,¡± Sebet explained slowly, pointing to each of the three symbols in turn, ¡°It is a cheat for their devout followers...¡± She sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°This is the Angels¡¯ language?¡± I guessed from context.


    ¡°Yes, great one,¡± Sebet replied nervously, fluttering her bat wings slightly.


    ¡°Is this common in this dungeon?¡± I asked, ¡°Using their own language as part of the puzzles and riddles to leave clues?¡±


    Sebet nodded, ¡°Common enough, Great One.


    ¡°One last question before we move on,¡± I pointed to the symbols on the floor, ¡°Why are your two languages so similar?¡±


    Sebet fidgetted nervously, ¡°I do not know for certain,¡± she admitted quietly, ¡°But a master I once served claimed that we were once one and the same...Now we simply mirror one another...¡±


    ¡°You mean like the seven cardinal sins and virtues?¡± I asked before realising my mistake, ¡°Pride, envy, greed, lust etcetera mirrored against humility-¡±


    ¡°No, great one,¡± Sebet grew increasingly uncomfortable, ¡°We mirror the same desires, we simply pursue them...differently...¡±


    That seemed to fit what I knew of Orphiel. In the months I had known him, Orphiel had never exemplified any of the seven virtues in any meaningful capacity, and Ophelia was prone to intense anger under the right conditions. Then again, neither of them were true Angels, and were in fact classified as Fallen. Not that I was sure that made much of a difference.


    For some reason, the revelation bothered me and I wasn¡¯t sure why. I already considered Angels to be just another breed of monster, so learning that they were essentially wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing wasn¡¯t a surprise.


    Then it clicked.


    One of the nearby countries was a theocracy. Given that the gods the locals worshipped were in fact Angels, they would pose a serious problem in the future.


    Moving on to the next room, we encountered several more traps, one of which required Summoning a new soldier after its predecessor was scythed in half by a giant blade that swept out through the wall.


    Mortimer had made a point of checking the door over three times before I had the soldiers open it.


    The room beyond the door was different to the previous rooms we had encountered. It had three doors on the opposite wall and two huge pools of oil dominated the floor, leaving only a small walkway to the other side. A large lever was placed an equal distance between the two pools and had a single rune carved into its base.


    As we entered the room, I felt a familiar pressure build inside of my mind and my eyes were drawn toward the ceiling.


    The stone roof parted to reveal two large empty cages held aloft by thick steel chains that disappeared into the shadows above them.


    ¡°What is the point of empty cages?¡± Gregory asked warily.


    ¡°They are-¡± Sebet began to speak but was cut off as the fairy released a pitiable wail.


    ¡°MICHAEL?!¡± The fairy rushed to the limits of his cage and screamed as his skin blackened and burned upon making contact with the bars.


    I hadn¡¯t been aware that the fairy had regained consciousness, so his outburst came as quite a surprise to myself as well.


    ¡°WE HAVE TO GET HIM DOWN! CAN¡¯T YOU SEE HE¡¯S HURT?!¡± The fairy¡¯s voice had reached a pitch that made my ears itch, ¡®MICHAEL! HOLD ON! I¡¯M COMING TO GET YOU!¡± His screams intensified as his skin continued to blister and burn.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone up there, do you?¡± Teressa asked Mortimer, who simply shrugged in return.


    ¡°It¡¯s an illusion,¡± Sebet stated somewhat distractedly while covering her long tapered ears, ¡°The trap scours your mind for suitable targets and populates the cages-¡±


    Gregory grimaced, ¡°And then we must choose which cage descends into the boiling oil.¡±


    Sebet nodded.


    ¡°Does it matter which cage is lowered?¡± Gregory asked while eyeing the smouldering fairy with an expression that on anyone else might have approximated pity.


    ¡°Either cage can be lowered to unlock the doors,¡± Sebet replied, her tone devoid of the deference she seemed content to reserve for me alone.


    Gregory nodded and began moving toward the lever.


    ¡°HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!¡± The fairy shrieked, ¡°STAY AWAY! I-¡±


    The pressure in my mind briefly flared in intensity before abruptly receding.


    ¡°-Urk...¡± The fairy spat up a mouthful of blood and collapsed against the bars of his cage.


    Teressa watched the fairy burn for a handful of moments with an expression of morbid curiosity before jostling the cage to knock the fairy roughly into the centre of the cage.


    Gregory pulled the lever experimentally and watched as the leftmost cage slowly began to descend from the ceiling. He let go and we all watched as the lever ever so slowly reset to its original position. All the while, the cage continued descending toward the oil below, albeit at a gradually decreasing pace.


    ¡°Slow enough to keep the group fighting for a long time,¡± Gregory grunted appreciatively, ¡°And the maintained momentum only encourages an escalation in confrontation. Not bad.¡±


    Mortimer nodded in agreement, ¡°Saw somethin¡¯ like this about...twenty-ish years ago. Only there was one cage, not two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m familiar, ¡° Gregory replied conversationally before pausing, ¡°Baron Kershal? On the Randly estate?¡±


    Mortimer seemed somewhat surprised but nodded, ¡°Yeh¡¯, I think so. Big ol¡¯ dead tree in th¡¯ yard by th¡¯ window.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Gregory replied with wry amusement before casting a critical eye toward Sebet and Teressa, ¡°We should get a drink sometime, exchange work stories,¡± Gregory insisted.


    Mortimer shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m retired, so long as you¡¯re buying, and the client is ¡®gone¡¯, I have all the time in th¡¯ world.¡±


    The sorry state of the fairy continued to irk me as the cage continued its glacial descent.


    With profound reluctance, I summoned Wraithe for the second time and sacrificed a small portion of the contents of my emergency medical supplies. The fairy was proving to be far more effort than he was worth.


    His status as another Awakened made him a potential threat. A threat that I couldn¡¯t ultimately afford.


    Jacque had proven herself to be something of an exception and had shown that I could trust her. Her personal ambitions seemed to begin and end with ensuring the safety of her son. It was a sentiment I could understand and appreciate.


    The fairy had attempted some form of mind manipulation on me twice already, so I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that he would attempt to do so again. Even if his attempts were unintentional, that only supported the argument that he shouldn¡¯t be trusted.


    All the same, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to just abandon him either. After all, he knew what I was. Worse than that, he seemed unstable. Even if we were to part on good terms, there would be no telling if that would matter even ten seconds later. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Don¡¯t restore him completely,¡± I cautioned Wraithe, earning a narrow-eyed glare in response, ¡°He will just hurt himself again if you do. It would be better if he remains unconscious and has a chance to settle down.¡±


    Wraithe slowly nodded in agreement, ¡°Failing another contest of will could prove permanently fatal. Prolonged rest is perhaps the best option.¡± Her long whip-like tail twitched uneasily, ¡°He is a threat,¡± Wraithe stated bluntly, ¡°But he is also my patient. I...I don''t know what I should do, my Tyrant.¡±


    ¡°That makes two of us,¡± I sighed dejectedly, ¡°That makes two of us...¡±


    ***** Sebet - Asrusian Capital Labyrinth ~ Eighth Floor ~ Dungeon *****


    Sebet carefully and silently observed the interaction between the Tyrant and his subordinate Daemon Overlord, Wraithe.


    Just like before, the conversation seemed closer to one held between equals rather than a subordinate and their master. This was incredibly strange considering the Daemon King, Gric, had deferred to him at every turn.


    Sebet wanted to chalk it up to internal politics, but her instincts told her that it didn¡¯t quite fit.


    She was broken from her musings as the human female, Teressa, began carrying Sebet¡¯s cage across the room.


    The Tyrant¡¯s party chose the middle door and continued cautiously onward.


    Sebet recognised the next room almost immediately.


    The room itself was nothing special and was more or less identical to the rough dimensions of the others. Two doors on the far wall each had a sullen Envy Devil trapped inside of a cage mounted halfway up each door.


    Beyond belonging to a different caste, Sebet loathed Demus and Reale with a fiery passion.


    The feeling was mutual. Upon spotting Sebet, both Demus and Reale made grotesque faces, stuck out their warty tongues and spat raspberries at her from across the room.


    Before Sebet had a chance to give away the nature of the challenge out of spite, the Tyrant beat her to it.


    ¡°Let me guess, this is going to be one of those, one tells the truth and other lies kind of deals?¡± The Tyrant sighed irritably.


    Sebet grinned as Reale curled his misshapen lips into a feral snarl and Demus rubbed at his tiny eyes with spindly fingers.


    ¡°Two doors,¡± a disembodied feminine voice cooed, ¡°Two paths to tread. One with danger, and the other, death. Two keepers, to point the way. One to trust, and other betrays.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not even a true rhyme,¡± the Tyrant grunted, ¡°But fine, I know this one.¡±


    The group entered the room and the Tyrant approached the two doors, ¡°You,¡± he pointed to Reale, ¡°Which road would-¡± he pointed his finger at Demus, ¡°-he tell me is safe?¡±


    Reale and Demus looked at one another and then both visibly deflated with disappointment, ¡°This door,¡± Reale grunted dejectedly and pointed at his own door.


    ¡°Mhm, easy,¡± the Tyrant grunted as he looked toward his followers and shrugged.


    Reale and Demus began to grin.


    ¡°It¡¯s the other door,¡± the Tyrant confidently pointed to Demus¡¯ door instead.


    Demus and Reale collapsed into hysterics as the Tyrant opened the door and led his party into the passageway beyond, and Sebet had to fight not to revel too greatly at their expense.


    Three of the Tyrant¡¯s expandable minions were destroyed by traps as they approached the next door, but he seemed to have no difficulty in replacing them.


    Sebet¡¯s amusement died as the next room was revealed.


    Row upon row of six foot tall statues stood between the Tyrant¡¯s party and the door on the opposite side of the room. For the most part, they looked like petrified versions of the Tyrant¡¯s human minions. They were not what worried her. It was the two giant statues shaped like Angels flanking the opposite door that terrified her.


    A foot or so taller than the Tyrant, each of the Angel statues held a forked spear affording them considerable reach.


    Before Sebet could shout a warning, the smaller statues began rumbling into motion.


    Without hesitation, the Tyrant¡¯s minions surged forward on the offensive and drove several statues to the ground.


    Unsure why she had expected otherwise, Sebet stared in surprise as the Tyrant stepped forward into the melee, snatching up one of the statues and then hurling it into several others deeper in the room.


    In response to the Tyrant¡¯s actions, the Tyrant¡¯s minions entered an almost frenzied state of battle lust, bodily tackling statues to the ground and snapping off their limbs barehanded.


    Sebet could feel it herself. Several potent Abilities reinforced her otherwise painfully mediocre combat prowess. If she hadn¡¯t known better, Sebet would have attempted to break out of her cage then and there.


    ¡°Cover!¡± The Tyrant snarled, and Teressa dragged Sebet behind a clustered wall formed from the other minions.


    *


    Sebet screamed in fright as an explosion sent shards of stone flying in all directions.


    Expecting the battle to be over, Sebet was surprised yet again when Teressa brought her out of cover and found the Tyrant battling against the two giant statues. One of them was very badly damaged, missing both forearms and one of its wings.


    The smaller statues had suffered a similar fate, missing one or more limbs and desperately struggling to engage with the minions or the Tyrant.


    The smaller statues that approached the Tyrant were destroyed as they were knocked down or struck by the Tyrant or giant statues¡¯ errant blows.


    The fight was over almost as quickly as it had begun. The Tyrant used a brutal heavy flanged mace to take the giant statues apart piece by piece and in rapid succession. All the while, he ignored their retaliatory strikes, soaking their blunt blows while knocking the spear strikes wide.


    Of course, Sebet knew that the danger was still far from over. ¡°THEY WILL REGENERATE!¡± She cried as loudly as she could manage, hoping that the Tyrant could hear her. Sebet would have attempted telepathy, but she was on thin ice already and didn¡¯t want to tempt the wrath of the Tyrant in his current state of battle lust.


    ¡°MAJESTY! WE MUST PRESS ON!¡± The minion named Gregory roared over the cacophonous din while motioning the other minions forward.


    *


    The Tyrant blew apart the remaining giant statue with a vicious backhand, sending chunks of stone flying against the wall with incredible speed. Two smaller statues were destroyed by the ricochet and one of the expendable minions disappeared.


    Ignoring the mangled statues gathering around his legs, the Tyrant took hold of the large door handle and heaved the door open, ¡°MOVE!¡± He roared savagely, stomping one of the statues into pieces under foot.


    Teressa scrambled across the rubble-strewn floor, and Sebet did her best to avoid making contact with the bars of her cage, hissing in pain each time she failed.


    Of course, Sebet knew she could have had it much worse. She could be unconscious and smouldering against the bars of her cage like the Pixie.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 – The darkest dungeon – Part Four

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 ¨C The darkest dungeon ¨C Part FourOgre Tyrant: Chapter 53 - The darkest dungeon - Part Four


    Gritting my teeth, I pulled the javelin out of my right thigh and dropped it to the floor.


    Another hidden trap had been triggered during our hurried flight from the room of statues and I had been unlucky enough to be caught in its path. The wound wasn¡¯t deep, but it served as a reminder that I could still be harmed despite the dangers possessing a scale better suited for human targets.


    Pushing through the next door, I closed it behind us and took in our new environment.


    Just like every other room thus far, the dimensions and base construction were almost identical. However, this time each wall held a door, offering three new directions to pursue. The floor itself gave immediate cause for concern. Each tile had a two-inch hole at its centre, and a handful of tiles closest to us had old blood stains impregnated in the stone.


    ¡°Safe ta¡¯ say this is a trap,¡± Mortimer grumbled and waved expansively at the room with his left hand.


    ¡°A hidden pathway trap!¡± Teressa added excitedly while deliberately shifting the unconscious fairy away from the bars of his cage by shaking them both.


    ¡°Only one door has a complete path,¡± Sebet interjected hurriedly, ¡°The other two are incomplete and would require immense skill to traverse without flight or a knowledge of the route.¡±


    I looked down at Sebet, ¡°Do you know the routes?¡± I asked curiously.


    Sebet shook her head, ¡°Unfortunately, no, Great One. Just knowledge of the trap and truth of the paths.¡±


    I turned my attention to the tiles and frowned. They were too small for me to traverse without hanging out in every direction. Depending on how the triggering mechanisms worked, I might get impaled regardless of following the correct path or not.


    ¡°The other doors are viable pathways though?¡± I pressed warily while considering an alternate route, ¡°They would let us continue deeper into the dungeon?¡±


    Sebet was quiet for a moment. ¡°Yes, I believe so,¡± she replied confidently, ¡°It is just the route-¡±


    ¡°And you said flying was an acceptable means of circumventing the trap?¡± I pressed again.


    ¡°Well yes,¡± Sebet answered with a small degree of confusion that turned to irritation, ¡°The Angels servants would simply be able to skip the traps outright. So long as they were powerful enough.¡±


    ¡°Interesting...¡± I picked up one of the Swordsmen and took a few moments to get a good feel for his weight.


    ¡°Ah, if I might volunteer Majesty?¡± Gregory interjected tactfully, ¡°I believe I would have a much greater chance of success in adjusting course if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed somewhat reluctantly and put down the Swordsmen.


    ¡°If I might stand on your Majesty¡¯s hand as you throw me underhand, I believe I should be able to land beside the leftmost door,¡± Gregory added while taking a few moments to stretch and adjust the buckles of his armour.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I knelt down and flattened my palm face up toward the ceiling.


    Gregory wasted no time in gingerly walking onto my hand, squatting down and taking a hold of my fingers to help keep his balance while I rose back into a standing position.


    After a few practice swings, I counted down from three and lobbed Gregory underarm toward the leftmost door.


    Springing off my hand at the last moment, Gregory vaulted through the air, twisting and arching his back like a cat before seizing hold of the leftmost door¡¯s handle and arresting his momentum.


    Teressa gave a hearty cheer in celebration while Mortimer grumbled quietly about taking his chances at finding a path across the open floor.


    Gregory gingerly eased himself down to the floor and tested the blank tiles surrounding him. ¡°They appear to be safe, Majesty!¡± He called out supportively, ¡°I should be able to assist those who follow!¡±


    I nodded and gave Gregory a thumbs-up before picking up one of the Archers. I wanted to send over the expendable blanks first so they could all just catch Teressa and Mortimer at the end.


    It was probably just as well that I used the blanks for practice. Even with Gregory¡¯s assistance, one of the Archer¡¯s almost lost his head after stumbling and triggering a trap which made a thick spike erupt from the floor less than an inch from his head.


    Next, I sent Sebet over with Mortimer and the fairy with Teressa.


    There was precious little room left afterwards, so we had no choice but to open the door and have everyone else migrate through before I could attempt leaping over to the safe landing space on my own. Stretching my legs, I was profoundly grateful for the time I had spent exercising. The door was only about twenty feet away, so I knew I should be able to make that distance without any real trouble.


    It was stopping that concerned me.


    Moving as far back as I could, I took two quick steps forward and jumped.


    It immediately became obvious that I had overestimated my capabilities. I was considerably stronger and larger than I used to be, but my increased mass gave gravity that much more of hold over me in turn.


    I landed prematurely and narrowly avoided impaling my groyne as a thick spike shot up and between my legs, briefly grazing my stomach before retracting back into the floor. In my uncoordinated state, I resorted to crashing into the doorway to arrest my forward momentum.


    Only missing a couple of HP for the mistake, I decided to take the shortcut as a win and a warning not to be so cocky. I was still uncertain how far healing in this world could go, and didn¡¯t feel like testing it by reversing an accidental gelding.


    The corridor we now found ourselves in was positively riddled with traps, causing our forward progress to stall outright. It felt like close to an hour before Mortimer signalled that the way was clear enough to risk moving forward again.


    It looked like a full third of the tiles were involved in triggering one or more of the traps. Assuming Mortimer had found them all, and that those he found were in fact not false positives.


    Mortimer had barely avoided a pair of scything blades that sprang from the walls and ran half the length of the corridor before disappearing again. Crouching to mark one of the traps had caused the blades to sweep a few inches above his head.


    ¡°Must be a timed trap o¡¯ some kind,¡± Mortimer complained loudly, ¡°Stops yer from takin¡¯ it nice an¡¯ slow, makes yer rush an¡¯ make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Then we have to go faster then,¡± I sighed in irritation.


    Sure enough, the Swordsmen managed to make it to the far door intact. However, the pair of blades swept down the passageway a few moments later, making it clear that there was not much of a buffer.


    ¡°Do you think I can damage the blades?¡± I asked the group at large.


    ¡°Even if they are magical, they should still be susceptible to damage,¡± Teressa commented thoughtfully, ¡°And they did not appear to be particularly thick...¡±


    ¡°It could be worth a try,¡± Gregory agreed, ¡°But we might be able to avoid the risk altogether by moving faster. If we opened the door, then your Majesty would just be able to run straight through.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I agreed, ¡°Assuming the next room isn¡¯t like the statue room.¡±


    Gregory frowned, ¡°That¡¯s a valid consideration,¡± he agreed worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try damaging the blades first,¡± I decided and unsheathed my machete.


    Taking several calming breaths and gathering some mana, I made my way down the passageway. Bracing the far end of my machete with my left hand, I knelt down and angled my machete to match the trap blade to blade. I was hoping that the superior thickness of my machete combined with the momentum of the trap would snap the trap''s blade, but I would settle for stopping the blade¡¯s internal mechanism.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the blades erupted from the wall and began racing toward me.


    *


    The rightmost blade impacted against my machete with the force of an Orc charge. I held my ground and warily pushed back, testing the integrity of the blade and the strength of the trap¡¯s mechanisms.


    Meanwhile, the left blade sheared past me and then retracted into the wall.


    The blade continued to shudder against my machete and I could hear a faint groaning noise coming from the long thin hole in the right wall beside me. After holding the blade back for a couple of minutes, I pushed it back about a foot and heard a dull thunk sound that was then followed by a high-pitched whine. The blade lost all of its resistance and I watched it slide back several feet away from my machete.


    I held my position long enough for the other blade to make two more passes before deciding that the mechanism was derailed or badly damaged enough to prevent it from reactivating.


    I repeated the exercise on the left blade, only this time taking a more aggressive approach and pushing back against the blade from the beginning. The blade skidded backwards after only a few seconds of concerted pushing.


    Once I was sure the blades were out of commission for good, I set them at two different points along the passage and made my way over to the door to the next room.


    ¡°Tha¡¯ doors trapped...¡± Mortimer declared in surprise and pointed to a small needle attached to the door handle that would have otherwise been hidden from view, ¡°Probably poisoned...¡± He eyed the needle closely and nodded, ¡°Definitely poisoned.¡±


    For the sake of safety, I had two of the Swordsmen open the door.


    ¡°Uh oh...¡± Sebet exclaimed nervously as the door swung wide and revealed a large crystal orb mounted on a pedestal in the centre of the room.


    I felt a familiar pressure begin to build in my head and was momentarily distracted.


    ¡°We need to proceed with haste!¡± Sebet demanded insistently.


    I took a step forward and paused in confusion as the room became much smaller and chillingly familiar. I could still see the cold dark stone floor, walls and ceiling of the dungeon, but there was an afterimage superimposed over the top of it.


    A room with swirling waves and large untamed dunes painted on the walls and a large four poster bed set against one wall. The bed was empty but the sheets and blanket were disturbed in such a way that it was obvious it had been occupied only moments before.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t real,¡± Gregory stated flatly.


    ¡°It¡¯s another illusion trap,¡± Sebet confirmed, ¡°We need to leave!¡±


    Beneath the superimposed image of the bedroom, I could see desiccated corpses abandoned in the corners of the room.


    I felt the pressure on my mind grow in intensity.


    The corpses momentarily flickered out of existence but reappeared moments later.


    Looking for the door that would let us out of the room, I froze as I smelled a faint trace of lavender.


    ¡°Tim? Is that you honey?¡± A familiar voice called out happily.


    My eyes were drawn toward a normal-sized wooden door with a worn brass handle. It was slightly ajar and revealed a familiar-looking hallway beyond.


    ¡°If you wanna get changed, I¡¯m making us a picnic to take down to the beach,¡± the voice continued despite my lack of a response.


    The pressure intensified.


    I turned my attention toward the crystal orb and scowled.


    The image of the room fluctuated and grew darker.


    The bed was no longer empty, but I refused to look at the occupant directly.


    ¡°Majesty? We-¡± Gregory¡¯s voice trailed off abruptly as the knuckles in my hands crackled ominously.


    I stalked toward the crystal orb with my teeth bared, ¡°How dare you...¡± I hissed while gathering mana into my right hand.


    The pressure intensified for a moment before dipping again.


    The crystal orb and pedestal were replaced with the image of a frail middle-aged woman in a worn nightgown, robe and straw sun hat. ¡°Tim? What are you doing?¡± She asked fearfully, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where are we?¡±


    I felt a cold wave of unbridled rage sweep through my body and abruptly alleviate the pressure in my mind.


    *


    The woman and the false image of the room disappeared and revealed the broken remains of the crystal orb sitting on the pedestal and scattered around it.


    It took several minutes before I was able to calm myself down and pay attention to what the others were doing.


    The Summoned blanks were standing around with listless expressions on their faces, while Gregory was staring at me with great concern.


    ¡°It was another illusion trap,¡± Gregory explained in a somewhat subdued tone, ¡°Besides our guide, Teressa was the only one unaffected...¡±


    ¡°Nasty piece of work,¡± Mortimer hissed and spat at the ground in disgust.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Gregory agreed before seeming to struggle with what he wanted to say next. ¡°Majesty, are you alright?¡±


    I grunted in the affirmative, but only because I didn¡¯t trust myself to speak. The trap had tried, and failed, to replicate a phantom of my deceased mother and a room from her house. Reflecting on what had transpired, I realised that all semblance of detail had been outright missing.


    ¡°Why use such a flawed illusion?...¡± I muttered rhetorically, not expecting an answer and only trying to vent my feelings.


    ¡°That was the most powerful illusion trap in the dungeon...¡± Sebet squeaked in what sounded like a combination of fear and awe.


    ¡°Indeed, Majesty,¡± Gregory agreed, ¡°I have not felt such a powerful and aggressive illusion before in my life.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s protection likely left no options besides aggression,¡± Teressa commented with a thoughtful expression, ¡°Illusions aren¡¯t intended to compete against so many targets simultaneously,¡± she looked pointedly toward the Summoned Swordsmen and Archers, ¡°Normally Summoned creatures aren¡¯t targeted, but I think the trap wasn¡¯t smart enough to differentiate.¡±


    ¡°What was it trying to do?¡± I still didn¡¯t understand how the trap was meant to hurt us.


    ¡°It¡¯s meant to keep you here,¡± Sebet explained somewhat hesitantly and pointed toward the desiccated remains in one of the corners of the room, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have had to do anything else if it had worked. You would eventually starve to death or be slain when the Guardian returns...or anyone else would have been,¡± Sebet amended hurriedly.


    ¡°We should get moving,¡± I sighed, uncomfortable with the idea of the Guardian respawning and hunting us. I felt confident that I could defeat the Guardian in a fair fight, even without Shiverfang, but I doubted the dungeon would allow for a fair fight.


    ¡°The door¡¯s trapped,¡± Mortimer chuckled and scratched at his chin thoughtfully while nodding toward the lower section of the door, ¡°Somethin¡¯s behind a hidden panel.¡±


    ¡°Best guess?¡± Gregory asked, all business again.


    ¡°Nother blade trap maybe?¡± Mortimer hedged dubiously, ¡°Seems right enough.¡±


    ¡°We should try and open it from the side then,¡± I suggested, volunteering myself in the process since I would be the only one capable of still reaching the handle and being able to open the door.


    With no one else able to provide a better alternative besides treating the Swordsmen like red shirts, which I was opposed to on general principle, I proceeded to open the door as planned.


    Contrary to all our expectations, the hidden panel only Mortimer had been able to see, lunged out of the door and launched itself across the room with enough force to shatter against the wall.


    Inspecting the now concave segment of the door revealed nothing to explain how or why the stone panel could have been triggered or launched, leaving the thoroughly dissatisfying assumption that it had to have been magic.


    Even more disconcerting was learning that that passage beyond did not appear to be trapped at all.


    Mortimer shrugged it off, ¡°Might jus¡¯ be to throw us off an¡¯ lower our guard,¡± he suggested sceptically from the far end of the passageway.


    Even after catching him up, I still couldn¡¯t believe that the passage had been entirely bereft of traps. Most likely, we had simply failed to detect and trigger it.


    My paranoia only heightened upon Mortimer announcing that the door appeared to be devoid of traps as well.


    Opening the door revealed the potential reason why the designer of the dungeon felt it necessary to trap the corridor and door.


    The room beyond was nothing particularly special either. It was furnished like a lounge, with a number of large chairs set around a lit brazier in the centre of the room.


    ¡°Another trap?¡± Gregory asked, directing the question toward Sebet in particular.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Sebet replied, ¡°It¡¯s a recuperation space for regaining your strength.¡±


    ¡°How is that a trap?¡± Gregory demanded incredulously.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather well documented that adventurers'' fatalities increase dramatically after encountering a rest stop such as this,¡± Teressa chimed in happily, ¡°In our instance, there is the Guardian¡¯s respawn to worry about as well. Time spent recuperating is time not spent clearing the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Gregory agreed with a sigh, ¡°So what, this is a checkpoint of some kind?¡±


    Teressa shook her head, ¡°Not necessarily. Most dungeons follow their own rules-¡±


    ¡°We are near the end,¡± Sebet interjected, ¡°The Angel that built this dungeon always has the recuperation room a couple of rooms away from the end.¡±


    ¡°So the traps and the rooms are going to become more dangerous?¡± I asked, repeating what Sebet had mentioned at the beginning but wanted confirmation.


    ¡°Just so, Great One,¡± Sebet replied respectfully, ¡°And there is something else. I do not know what form the final chamber will take, but the challenge will involve some form of sacrifice. The Angels had been very particular on that point...¡±


    ¡°What kind of sacrifice?¡± I pressed warily.


    Sebet fidgeted nervously inside of her cage, ¡°I do not know for certain...¡± She hedged anxiously.


    I motioned for her to continue.


    ¡°Living sacrifice wouldn¡¯t be beyond them...¡± Sebet admitted, ¡°It¡¯s what the dungeons are for, after all...The humans are nothing but food and entertainment to them.¡±


    ¡°As opposed to how Devils see humans?¡± I countered curiously.


    Sebet looked mortified, ¡°We are upfront about what we are! Contracts are sacred! An exchange deemed fair by both parties! Those pretentious chickens will lie and manipulate you for no other reason than to satiate their ego! We are nothing alike!¡± Her anger abated quite suddenly and turned to fear, ¡°I uh...that is to say...With all due respect, Great One...¡±


    I waved away the apology, it wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need a break. So we should probably keep going.¡±


    With only one door presenting a way of moving forward, Mortimer grouchily set to work searching for possible traps.


    *


    ¡°Bugger-¡± Mortimer¡¯s headless body fell to the ground and disintegrated as a pair of scything blades slowly retracted back into the door.


    ¡°Did anyone see what triggered the trap?¡± Gregory asked calmly.


    Teressa shook her head, ¡°I did hear a clicking noise though,¡± she provided helpfully.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I agreed. Concentrating I gathered most of my mana to re-Summon Mortimer¡¯s projection. I would have been opposed to subjecting him to such a violent death for a second time, but he had accepted the risks.


    *


    Mortimer materialised with a sheepish expression on his face, ¡°I uh...might have gotten a little ahead of myself there,¡± he admitted before cautiously moving toward the door for a second time.


    I sat down on the floor to relax while my mana regenerated. ¡°We can probably circumvent the trap the same way as the last one, right?¡± I asked warily, ¡°Assuming there aren¡¯t other traps.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Gregory agreed somewhat reluctantly. No doubt uncomfortable with the idea of placing myself in harm''s way.


    ¡°Quiet!¡± Mortimer growled while cautiously creeping toward the door on his hands and knees.


    Ten minutes passed before Mortimer identified the trigger for the scissoring blade trap. Instead of a single tile serving as a pressure plate, six tiles collectively shared the load and triggered the blades on a short delay.


    Furthermore, the door handle had several small needles worked into its inner edge. Each of which was poisoned.


    After some consideration, I hooked my machete through the iron loop of the door handle and used it to open the door without touching any part of it myself.


    The moment the door was opened to the point of fully revealing the passage beyond, a hail of darts flew past the door and clattered into the wall opposite the passage.


    Tempted to see where the darts had come from, I was about to peek around the door when several javelins whistled past my face and shattered against the far wall.


    ¡°Definitely trapped,¡± Mortimer commented dryly before cautiously peeking into the passageway for himself, ¡°Oh...Yeah...Definitely trapped...¡± He scuttled away from the passage before getting to his feet, ¡°Yeah, so, we can¡¯t go down that way,¡± Mortimer stated bluntly with absolute conviction.


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± I asked somewhat sceptically in spite of trusting his abilities.


    Mortimer nodded emphatically, ¡°Too many traps,¡± he shrugged, ¡°We should just backtrack-¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Sebet interjected anxiously, ¡°You literally can¡¯t. The doors have been locking behind you. The only way forward is...well...forward.¡±


    ¡°If there are too many to avoid, then we may have to trigger them deliberately and move forward while the traps reset,¡± Gregory suggested dourly while approaching the passageway to take a look for himself. ¡°Only your Majesty needs to make it to the other side,¡± he stated flatly, ¡°We can all just be re-Summoned on the other side. After our current projections are dismissed,¡± Gregory added after catching my disapproving stare.


    Redshirt attrition was bad enough, but I really didn¡¯t want to normalise Zerg rushing as a go to strategy every time things became difficult.


    ¡°Sebet would need to be accounted for as well,¡± I reminded Gregory, ¡°Despite Gric¡¯s insistence that I can break our contract without repercussions, I have no intention of breaking my promises.¡±


    Gregory bowed his head in deference, ¡°Then perhaps there is another way forward, assuming your Majesty can Summon additional projections?¡±


    I nodded and waved for Gregory to continue.


    ¡°Assuming the environs of the dungeon cannot be manipulated directly?¡± Gregory looked to Teressa for confirmation.


    Teressa nodded emphatically, ¡°All known attempts at altering or damaging the form of a dungeon have met with failure.¡±


    ¡°Then what about teleportation?¡± Gregory asked warily, ¡°Short range, just to the other end of the passageway?¡±


    Teressa frowned and her expression turned thoughtful for a few moments, ¡°I don¡¯t recall any records of such an attempt,¡± she replied hesitantly, ¡°But teleportation in general has a poor track record where dungeons are concerned. The use of teleportation in the general vicinity of a dungeon has been known to result in all manner of anomalous outcomes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so no teleportation,¡± Gregory agreed, ¡°What about Quick Step and its equivalents?¡±


    Teressa frowned again before smiling, ¡°Actually, there are several accounts of Quick Step equivalents functioning as intended. Although, the mana expenditure was reported to be several degrees of magnitude greater than in other circumstances.¡±


    Gregory smiled and turned back toward me again, ¡°Majesty I recommend-¡±


    ¡°Summoning a projection of Shady?¡± I guessed, having followed his train of thought.


    Gregory didn¡¯t seem put out in the least and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Just so, Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Quick Step?¡± Mortimer grunted and peeked around the corner again. A half second later, Mortimer disappeared.


    Looking around the corner, I was just in time to witness Gregory disintegrate as his body collapsed in two halves at the waist.


    ¡°And there is another door trap to deal with...¡± I sighed with a grimace.


    *


    Shady looked just about the same as the last time I saw him. Roughly the size of a tiger, the black-furred Shadowcat had still abstained from Evolving. That line of thought served as a reminder that Tobi and Emelia were both still in a comatose state and were being kept alive through literal divine intervention.


    Shady stared at me inquisitively with his bright yellow eyes before casually taking in his new surroundings.


    ¡°I just need to borrow your Shadow Step Ability,¡± I explained and motioned toward the passageway, ¡°I¡¯ll just dismiss you afterwards, alright?¡±


    Shady stared at me again before huffing noncommittally and settling himself down on the floor.


    Because the doors all opened inward, it was almost guaranteed that I would still be hit by at least one trap while attempting to open the door at the end of the passageway. Avoiding the second scissoring trap seemed the most prudent, but the javelin and dart traps were almost guaranteed to be positioned around the door. So I had a choice. Take the scissor trap head on, or an indeterminate number of projectiles.


    ¡°Who is going to carry the cages?¡± I sighed uncomfortably, rolling my shoulders while eyeing the furniture.


    ¡°I am familiar with Shadow Step, Majesty,¡± Gregory volunteered dutifully, ¡°I am confident in travelling such a distance-¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡± I held up my hand and grimaced, ¡°You probably won''t have enough mana. Teressa said the dungeon amplifies the cost, and bringing passengers and equipment increases the cost all on its own.¡±


    Gregory¡¯s brow furrowed in thought, ¡°Perhaps some testing is in order?¡± He suggested.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I agreed while making my way over to the brazier and the assorted chairs.


    So far as I could tell, the furniture was not particularly sturdy, which was disappointing. However, investigating the brazier revealed that the fire was some sort of aesthetic magic and didn¡¯t produce any heat.


    Unfortunately, my plans for using some of the furniture as an improvised shield were simply not to be. It was all too fragile or small to provide any meaningful defence.


    Making matters worse, Gregory¡¯s projections disappeared after attempting to Shadow Step across the room while carrying Sebet¡¯s cage, causing Sebet to shriek in pain as she slammed against the bars of her cage.


    ¡°Mortimer, would you be willing to trip the trap again?¡± I asked hesitantly.


    Mortimer stared at me in surprise for a few moments and then frowned, ¡°Ye¡¯ want me to set it off on purpose?!¡± He demanded quietly.


    I nodded, ¡°You don¡¯t have to get hit, and I¡¯ll try to dismiss your projection immediately afterward. But I need a window of opportunity to try and open the door., and we aren¡¯t sure how big the pressure plate is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that all,¡± Mortimer began to roll his eyes but stopped abruptly as his attention fell upon the brazier, ¡°Ye¡¯ jus¡¯ need the trap to go off, right?¡± He asked while nervously licking his lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Throwin¡¯ some of that junk should just about do it,¡± Mortimer suggested, pointing to the chairs and brazier.


    There was enough space in the passageway on either side of the door that I could afford to throw most of the furniture without blocking the door from opening. So it was a decent enough plan in theory.


    Where Gregory had failed, I was confident I could succeed. The potency of one''s mana was largely dependent on their tier of Evolution, which meant my own mana was close to eight times as potent as Gregory¡¯s. Of course, I would be transporting not just myself, but Sebet as well, at least.


    Ordering the Summoned Kobold out of my improvised pack, I loaded Sebet¡¯s cage into the iron banded chest instead. There wasn¡¯t quite enough room for the fairy¡¯s cage, so I decided I would carry it in my left hand. I used a couple of cushions from the chairs to pad the inside of the chest to stop Sebet¡¯s cage from rocking about once the chest was on my back again.


    I still hadn¡¯t made up my mind on what to do with the currently unconscious fairy, but I decided that it wouldn¡¯t be my fault if he was killed by a trap. There was only so much I could be expected to do for a potential enemy, and there were too many traps in our path to realistically protect him from all of them.


    Justifying Sebet¡¯s position of relative safety was easy enough. We had made a deal and I intended to fulfil my end of it.


    Keeping all the Summons active, just in case, I piled up the furniture beside the door and prepared myself to do something incredibly reckless.


    Taking several deep breaths, I lifted the cast iron brazier and lobbed it down the passageway.


    Several spears, blades and even a harpoon whooshed through the air as the brazier clattered down the length of the passageway. Thrown off course repeatedly and injected with fresh momentum the brazier cashed against the walls and triggered more traps which sent it ricocheting down the passageway.


    Just as I felt certain that the brazier was doomed to an eternal existence as a pinball, a vertical blade trap swung out from the floor and smacked the brazier straight toward the door to the next room. Unfortunately, the brazier was still carrying too much momentum and struck just below the door handle before bouncing back into the passageway and triggering a trio of spear traps.


    ¡°GOGOGO!¡± Mortimer yelled excitedly.


    Two blades sheared out of the door and met only empty air.


    I gathered my mana and concentrated as hard as I could while envisioning myself standing next to the distant door.


    For a moment, everything turned black. I felt my mana drop to dangerously low levels and staggered as everything came into focus again.


    Reaching for the door handle with my right hand, I grimaced in pain as several projectiles slammed into my left arm and chest. Ignoring the pain, I pulled hard on the door handle and threw the door wide before stumbling into the room beyond. I yelped in pain as something on my left side caught on the door frame.


    Looking at my right arm, I flinched as I found a mess of darts and two javelins with broken shafts sticking out of my arm and chain hauberk. Reaching for one of the broken javelins, I froze as I noticed the blood running from my right hand.


    ¡°LOOK OUT!¡± Teressa cried out in alarm.


    I looked up just in time to catch the spiked head of a morningstar to the chest and be knocked back toward the open door.


    Wheezing in pain, I grit my teeth and glared at the trio of large stone statues that began stepping down from a large plinth in the centre of the room. One of the statues was unarmed and presumably the owner of the morningstar. One of the two remaining statues carried a trident, and the other had a crescent two-handed axe.


    I barely managed to stagger out of the way as the second statue threw its trident, further damaging the shafts of the javelins and dislodging two of the darts embedded in my arm.


    Ignoring the blood welling in my right palm, I pulled out my mace and dropped the fairy¡¯s cage against the wall.


    Thankfully, the statues appeared to be prioritising retrieving their weapons instead of coordinating as a group.


    Rushing forward, I batted aside the third statue¡¯s axe with my mace and tried to knock it over, violently driving the air from my lungs in the process.


    The statue wobbled but didn¡¯t fall, righting itself with ponderous grace and shoving me backward again with the butt of its axe.


    ¡°Damnit...¡± I muttered breathlessly and resisted the urge to draw on my mana. Thanks to the Kobold in the other room my mana was regenerating at a comparatively breakneck pace. Unfortunately, Shadow Stepping across the passageway had nearly tapped me out and I needed to establish a reserve again to avoid falling unconscious.


    Keenly aware that I only had a few more moments before the other two statues would be finish retrieving their weapons, I did my best to ignore the pain and stepped forward to challenge the axe-wielding statue for a second time.


    ¡°H-HEY!¡± Teressa shouted, suddenly appearing in the doorway and waving her arms emphatically at the statue trying to retrieve its morningstar, ¡°L-LOOK AT M-ME!¡± She stammered before throwing a broken chair leg at the statue and running deeper into the room.


    The golem snatched up its morningstar and stalked after Teressa with violent intent, arm raised and tracking her movements.


    I struck at the shaft of the statue''s axe with a heavy backhanded swing to try and damage it or drive the statue back.


    The statue met my strike halfway and drove me back into the wall, pinning my right arm high against the wall and trying to press down on my jugular.


    Thanks to the chest on my back, I was angled oddly against the wall and was able to avoid being pinned outright. Taking hold of the shaft of the axe with my left hand I flinched as fresh waves of pain radiated up my arm. Ignoring the pain as best I could manage, I pushed back hard enough to knock the statue off balance.


    The statue fell to the ground and shattered its stone wings. However, instead of flailing like an overturned tortoise, the statue lay still as a pale golden liquid pooled out of its back and across the floor. The pieces of the statue¡¯s broken wings touched by the liquid were crudely drawn together again as the liquid webbed across their surface.


    In less than a couple of seconds, the statue¡¯s wings had reformed on the back of the statue and pushed it up onto its feet. Crude and misshapen, the individual pieces shuddered and trembled with each of the statue¡¯s steps.


    Spying the second statue taking aim with its trident, I staggered into motion while trying to think of a plan.


    Teressa was playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the first statue, baiting it into throwing its morningstar, narrowly dodging the meteoric projectile, and then running away while the statue moved to retrieve it.


    Several Swordsmen and Archers attempted to Shadow Step into the room but disappeared within moments of their arrival, accomplishing little more than momentarily distracting the second statue.


    Then Mortimer appeared.


    He seemed to take in the room with a single glance before quickly charging the second statue. Armed only with a dagger, I had no idea what he intended to accomplish, if anything at all.


    The second statue shifted targets almost immediately, redirecting its trident toward Mortimer and driving the three barbed prongs down toward his midsection.


    With impossible agility and poise, Mortimer performed a twirling sidestep around the trident, abandoning and wrapping his cloak around it in the process.


    I narrowly avoided the head of the third statue¡¯s axe and backed away to buy myself more time to regenerate my mana. As I had suspected, fighting and rapidly regenerating mana at the same time was incredibly tiring, but so long as I didn¡¯t overextend myself, it seemed manageable enough.


    The second statue attempted to swat Mortimer like a bug, smashing the flat of its trident against the floor. Despite the poor angle and force of the blow, the trident remained intact.


    Teressa hopped up onto the plinth in the middle of the room and awkwardly tumbled over the opposite side just in time for the first statue¡¯s morning star to whistle overhead and smash into the wall a few feet to my left.


    Taking the initiative, I continued backing away from the third statue and snatched up the first statue¡¯s morningstar, intending to use it as a projectile of my own.


    The first and second statue immediately shifted their combined attention toward me.


    ¡°Of course...¡± I muttered bitterly, it only made sense that they wouldn¡¯t like someone else playing with their toys.


    Flooding mana into the morningstar, I threw it at the first statue as hard as I could manage.


    Unfortunately, the morning star rapidly lost its momentum and glided the final few feet into the first statue¡¯s patiently outstretched hand.


    ¡°COVER!¡± I roared and did my best to angle my helmet¡¯s visor downward.


    *


    A wave of pressurised air crashed into me and nearly knocked me back into the wall as shards of stone whipped at my arms and legs.


    Looking up, I was only slightly relieved to find that the first statue was scattered across the floor. The golden liquid pooling between the pieces dampened my excitement considerably.


    Teressa seemed to be unharmed but was struggling to regain her feet. Surprisingly, Mortimer was still very much on the move, actively attempting to antagonise the second statue which had strangely decided to begin targeting Mortimer again.


    Momentarily losing focus allowed the second statue¡¯s axe to bite through the chains of my hauberk and cut the meat of my right shoulder before I managed to lurch out of the way.


    Ignoring the intense hunger beginning to build in my stomach, I snarled, dropped my mace grabbed at the third statue¡¯s axe while drawing on more mana. ¡°COVER!¡± I roared for the second time while forcing my mana into the statue¡¯s axe.


    Momentarily meeting with resistance, I bore down on it with all the will I could muster while physically wrestling with the statue and trying to throw or knock it over.


    *


    I roared in pain as finger-sized shards of stone ripped through my hauberk and embedded themselves in my arms, chest, abdomen and thighs.


    The statue was at least as unlucky, losing both of its hands and half of each arm.


    More of the gold fluid spattered onto the ground from the hollow space inside of what remained of the statue¡¯s arms.


    Panting in pain and in the early stages of exhaustion, I groaned while retrieving my mace from the ground and prepared myself for taking the offensive.


    Thankfully, the first statue still appeared to be out for the count. However, its golden liquid appeared to be slowly pooling across the room and toward the third statue.


    Guessing that it wouldn¡¯t lead to anything good, I mustered what strength I could and brought my mace crashing down on the third statue¡¯s head.


    Far from the definitive blow I had desired, a third of the statue¡¯s head crumbled under the impact and spilled more of the golden liquid down its bare chest.


    Fighting through the pain I delivered a vicious backhand to the right side of the statue¡¯s face, shearing away its nose, mouth and chin and spattering more of the golden liquid across the floor.


    ¡°Just...go...down...¡± I panted, fumbling with my mace as my right hand began to twitch.


    To my immense confusion, the statue backed away.


    Too late, I realised why.


    Stepping back into the approaching pool of golden liquid, the statue trembled as the broken pieces of its fallen companion rolled across the floor and attached themselves to its broken body and formed a crude amalgam of a multi-tendrilled thing. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Fuuuck...¡± I cursed defeatedly and made to reach for my mace again. Noticing my fingers were still twitching, I realised that there was a deep throbbing coming from my right palm. Opening my hand to see what was the cause, I recoiled in horror at the sight of my blackened swollen flesh.


    A single glance at my Group Status revealed the cause. I was Envenomed.


    My attention immediately shifted toward the door I had opened and I cursed myself silently for my negligence.


    Bracing myself against the pain, I swept my right forearm down the length of my left arm to dislodge the darts and javelins still embedded in my flesh.


    All but two of the darts came free on the first try and they came free on the second.


    Hissing in pain I awkwardly picked up my mace with my left hand and gave it a couple of quick experimental swings. Ready or not, I needed to act.


    ***** Daniel - Asrusian Capital Labyrinth ~ Eighth Floor ~ Dungeon *****


    Dan shivered in fear and hugged his knees tight to his chest as another round of mortar shells detonated around him. High-pitched keening and whistling accompanied each blast as shrapnel tore through the air and anyone unlucky enough to be caught out in the open.


    Too afraid to even open his eyes, Dan tried to block out the cries of pain from the wounded and the cursing of his Sergeant. Volunteering had been a mistake and he wanted to go home.


    *


    A particularly loud and forceful explosion threatened to rip Dan out of his foxhole as a hail of shrapnel flew over his head.


    Trembling, Dan braced himself for another explosion.


    Seconds passed by in almost complete silence before it was broken by the cursing of his Sergeant, ¡°FUCK! JUST! STAY! DOWN! FUCKING! GAH!¡± Something about the Sarge seemed off, and without meaning to, Dan opened his eyes.


    Vision spinning and nearly blinded by a splitting migraine, it took Dan several moments to realise that he wasn¡¯t cowering inside of a muddy foxhole, but an all too familiar cage.


    A flea in a world of giants, Dan watched in mute terror as the bloodied giant, Tim, battled savagely against some sort of rock monster.


    Meanwhile, the old man and young woman from his party took shelter behind some sort of stone altar.


    A writhing stone tendril smashed into Tim¡¯s chest and sent him staggering backward several steps before he snarled and charged back into the fray. This sequence repeated three more times before Tim began backing away instead of charging back into combat.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Tim growled spitefully, ¡°And fuck fighting fair!¡±


    *


    A delicate bell chime echoed through the cold dark room.


    A second giant armoured with thick steel plates appeared in front of Tim just in time to raise its shield and intercept a blow aimed at his head. Screaming in fury, the second giant charged forward with a thick-bladed axe and brought it smashing down on one of the stone tendrils, snapping it apart from the main body of the rock monster.


    ¡°Lash! A Barrier!¡± Tim called out while leaning hard against the wall beside him.


    A luminescent sphere of purple light exploded from the second giant and swept over the room.


    The rock monster shivered and several small pieces of its body fell to the floor.


    As the light passed over him, Dan felt like someone had doused him in arctic ice water.


    The second giant didn¡¯t let up for a single moment, bashing and bludgeoning the rock monster with its shield while hacking and prying at it with its axe.


    Each time the rock monster attempted to regain the initiative, the giant would send another explosion of purple light cascading over the room and diminishing the rock monster¡¯s form that much more.


    After one final pulse of purple light, the rock monster collapsed completely, and the second giant disappeared only moments later.


    A few moments later, a grinding sound came from the direction of the strange altar in the centre of the room. A second much smaller altar had appeared on top of the first and held some sort of archaic spiked ball-headed mace.


    ¡°Someone help me get this chest off!¡± Tim grunted wearily, struggling to remove one of the rope straps from his right shoulder. For a moment, their eyes met from across the room and Tim was surprised to find that he was under intense scrutiny.


    Was he angry because I didn¡¯t help him?


    What could I have done?


    What did he expect me to-?


    ¡°Oh...¡± Dan shivered. He vaguely recalled having done...something...earlier, something the giant didn¡¯t like. Something that Dan felt was intimately related to the mind-shattering migraine he was experiencing at that very moment.


    Dan did his best to concentrate on not doing anything in particular.


    Tim, the giant-. Dan couldn¡¯t help but tack on the suffix. -was free of the huge iron banded chest he had been carrying on his back and was in the process of stripping his chain link jacket.


    Dan¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he took in the giant¡¯s wounds. His upper body was littered with perforations and dark bruises and had a couple of long cuts on his chest and right arm.


    Pulling a large satchel off of his belt, Dan expected Tim, the giant, to be retrieving medical supplies to treat his wounds. Instead, Dan was confused to find the giant¡¯s fist contained what looked an awful lot like the tails of several alligators.


    Dan could only watch as Tim stuffed the gator tails into his mouth and began to chew.


    The distinct muffled crunch and crackle of breaking bones echoed through the room while Tim continued to chew.


    It came as a small comfort to Dan that the old man and young woman seemed just as disturbed by the giant¡¯s meal as he was. However, shortly after the giant swallowed, Dan realised that he had mistaken the cause for their intense interest.


    The giant¡¯s wounds were healing right in front of their eyes.


    Before Dan had the opportunity to take a proper look, another delicate bell chimed and he was nearly scared to death as a rat-like monster appeared in front of him and crouched down to stare at him.


    ¡°Tsk tsk,¡± the rat monster hissed irritably, ¡°This patient¡¯s care leaves much to be desired!¡± The rat monster tutted in disapproval, ¡°Fresh burns replacing the old, a damaged wing! I shall lodge a complaint! See if I don¡¯t!¡±


    Dan didn¡¯t quite know what to say, it was all too bizarre.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get you cleaned up,¡± the rat monster insisted cheerily while carefully lifting his cage and making its way across the room toward the giant, ¡°My Tyrant, I would have a word with you about patient care!¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 – The darkest dungeon – Part Five

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 ¨C The darkest dungeon ¨C Part FiveOgre Tyrant: Chapter 53 - The darkest dungeon - Part Five


    I endured Wraithe¡¯s well-intentioned lecture as best as I was able to manage while removing small shards and splinters of stone from my knees. Enduring the lecture was made that much easier by knowing Wraithe was taking her position seriously. If she was willing to stand up to me with such vigour, then I could only imagine how she would tear anyone else a new one.


    Which was exactly what I wanted from her.


    The whole point in promoting Wraithe and assigning her a Faction all of her own was to ensure Wraithe could stand up to whoever she needed to.


    However, it irked me on a deeper level watching her enduring disintegration while tending to the fairy. I had no idea how much pain disintegration caused, but I imagined it would be similar to dissolving in acid.


    I had terminated Shady¡¯s projection shortly after the fight had ended, seeing little point in having him linger for another minute or so doing nothing.


    Teressa¡¯s projection was in rough shape. Rather than drawing out her pain, I dismissed her and then re-Summoned her projection. As close as we seemed to be to the end of the dungeon, I couldn¡¯t take the chance that Teressa might be able to provide a deeper insight into any of the remaining challenges ahead.


    In stark contrast, Mortimer¡¯s projection was completely unharmed. However, he was also almost completely out of mana. As best I could figure, he had been burning mana to avoid being hit. All the same, I had to dismiss his projection and re-Summon it after doing the same for Gregory.


    Sebet had sustained a number of light burns from bouncing around inside of her cage, but otherwise seemed to be fine. Which was more than I could say for the chest itself.


    It was still largely intact, but the joins in the corners were loose and on the verge of coming apart. Making matters worse, one of the hinges had snapped and I doubted that the chest would remain closed without some repairs.


    The Sanctified Statues and Sanctified Amalgam naming scheme made a sort of sense in hindsight. I hadn¡¯t had time to identify them during the battle, but reviewing the kill record after the fact made it simple. Similarly, Sebet had been only too eager to lay blame at the feet of the Angels. Much like the treasure they were guarding, the Sanctified Statues, and the Amalgam they became, were a product of divine creation.


    The Angels literally created them out of collected divinity. This particular discovery made me profoundly uncomfortable because the black morningstar on the altar was an artefact.


    I had felt its presence since the moment it appeared and was currently waiting for Mortimer to finish his inspection of the dias and altar. With all the traps we had experienced and witnessed thus far, I figured not doing so would be incredibly foolish.


    Dipping into my limited food rations was not a great idea either, but I consoled myself with the knowledge that I had to eat anyway. My body had begun healing itself all on its own, and starving myself would just lead to erratic decision-making.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t find any traps...¡± Mortimer declared with notable hesitation, ¡°Which makes no sense since jus¡¯ lookin¡¯ at it makes me knuckles ache.¡±


    ¡°Hrm,¡± I stared at the morningstar for a few moments and then began approaching the altar.


    ¡°Majesty, wait!¡± Gregory rushed forward, ¡°Allow me! I insist!¡± Leaping up onto the plinth he grabbed the shaft of the morningstar and froze. ¡°Grrrkgggrrrr,¡± Gregory began to violently shudder, falling onto his side but still managing to keep a hold of the morningstar.


    Without thinking, I yanked the morningstar from Gregory¡¯s hand, cutting the palm of my hand in the process. Upon realising what I had done, I braced myself for the worst.


    Nothing happened.


    Shaking, pale-faced, and breathing hard, Gregory pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, ¡°That. Was. Un-pleas-ant.¡± He wheezed.


    I concentrated on the artefact and willed my mana into it for good measure.


    [Identifying {Key of Awakening (???)}...]


    [Identified {Key of Awakening}. {Blackthorn} Lesser Mace of Conquest: Drains the {Core} of a defeated enemy to empower itself and its wielder. Immunity to {Poison}. Can expend MP to impregnate {Barbed Thorns} with {Poison: Mage Bane}. Reserves (5 MP) to become {Bonded}. When {Bonded} the Master may summon or dismiss {Blackthorn} at will. Core Progress: 1/100000]


    Opening my fist and taking a closer look at the head of the morningstar, I realised that the spikes were indeed shaped like large wicked thorns. Furthermore, the thorns had an oily rainbow sheen to them that I hadn¡¯t noticed earlier. The dark leather grip had a strange scent to it as well, but if it was poisoned it didn¡¯t seem to be affecting me.


    Similarly, the cuts made by the thorns hadn¡¯t transferred the poison either. Or perhaps it had, but my high Toughness had negated it. In either case, it seemed Gregory had not been so fortunate.


    ¡°What is Mage Bane poison?¡± I asked warily.


    Gregory seemed to be at a loss, but Mortimer looked at me with a strange expression on his face.


    ¡°Mage Bane?¡± Mortimer repeated cautiously, ¡°Yer¡¯ sure?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Mortimer fidgeted nervously, ¡°I have that protection from the law, right?¡± He asked Gregory.


    ¡°You have legal immunity for past crimes committed, yes,¡± Gregory qualified.


    ¡°Right...¡± Mortimer closed his eyes and took several slow breaths. ¡°Mage Bane is...¡± He paused and seemed to struggle with his choice of words.


    ¡°Rare?¡± Teressa volunteered helpfully.


    ¡°No, well yes, but that¡¯s not what I was gettin¡¯ at,¡± Mortimer waved his hands dismissively, ¡°More common name is Widow''s Tears it¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Incredibly dangerous!¡± Gregory interjected while feverishly trying to wash his hand against his pant leg, ¡°It burns the mana right out of your veins!¡±


    Mortimer nodded, ¡°Pretty much. One good stab from a knife coated in Widow¡¯s Tears would kill a royal guard in less than a minute,¡± he replied confidently before coughing awkwardly and avoiding eye contact with Gregory, ¡°Or so I been told.¡±


    ¡°What makes it so lethal?¡± I asked out of a combined sense of morbid curiosity and a need to know what I was dealing with


    ¡°It burns the mana out of its victims while dealing damage to health at the same rate,¡± Gregory explained slowly while eyeing Mortimer suspiciously, ¡°As your Majesty is already familiar, depleting one¡¯s mana induces a coma until a certain amount of mana is recovered. However, there is more to it than that. If your mana is drained beyond your maximum capacity, you will die.¡±


    ¡°The mana damage is probably why your projection experienced a seizure,¡± I reasoned aloud while eyeing Blackthorn warily.


    Gregory shrugged, ¡°Perhaps?¡±


    With no other explanation forthcoming, I decided to leave the matter be for the time being. After all, it could just have easily been the Ability to drain ¡®Cores¡¯ that was responsible. As far as that reference itself was concerned, I was fairly certain Cores was just another name for manastones.


    Filtering more mana into Blackthorn, I was forced to change my grip as the weapon grew larger and larger. As I stopped the rescaling process, I found small black droplets of condensation on the thorns that shimmered with the same shifting rainbow pattern I had noted on the thorns earlier.


    Tapping Blackthorn against the ground displaced the droplets and drew looks of alarm from Gregory and Mortimer.


    ¡°It creates the poison in exchange for mana,¡± I explained before frowning slightly, ¡°I would have thought it would disappear after losing contact with the weapon.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t make a very good poison then would it?¡± Mortimer observed. ¡°It will prob¡¯ly lose potency soon enough though. Tha¡¯s why yer meant ter store it in glass.¡±


    Gregory nodded warily in agreement.


    Mortimer pottered over to the only available exit and began searching for traps again. He seemed to be exaggerating the ailments of his old age now that Gregory was keeping a keen eye on him.


    Teressa retrieved the fairy¡¯s cage from the far side of the room and set it down beside Sebet¡¯s cage while I re-Summoned a Kobold to facilitate my rapid mana regeneration.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The fairy shouted and waved his tiny arms to get my attention.


    I picked up the fairy¡¯s cage and held it at eye level, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I...I was going to ask you the same thing...¡± The fairy replied somewhat apprehensively, ¡°With me I mean...¡± He amended hurriedly.


    I thought the question over, but couldn¡¯t arrive at a satisfactory answer, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The fairy seemed as dissatisfied with the answer as I was, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± He scowled.


    ¡°I am not a murderer,¡± I stated bluntly, causing the fairy to momentarily avert his eyes in what I assumed was shame, ¡°I told you the how and why I believe we came to this world. Despite your...outbursts...you are still less deranged and far less violent than most Awakened I have encountered up to this point.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t thrilled over the idea of discussing such matters in front of Mortimer and Teressa, but I figured that so long as I kept to generalities rather than specifics, things would be alright. They were already bound to an oath of secrecy, so there didn¡¯t seem to be much damage they would be able to cause with anything they learned.


    ¡°So long as you do not give me cause to act differently, I have no intention of seeking harm against you,¡± I added, ¡°I refuse to be like the others.¡±


    The fairy stared at me for several moments in silence. ¡°You don¡¯t know me,¡± he stated coldly, ¡°I could be exactly like them, or worse! You have no idea what things I¡¯ve done! How much blood is on my hands!-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know your name,¡± I interrupted in agreement, ¡°But I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding between us.¡±


    The fairy angrily narrowed his eyes at me, but remained silent.


    ¡°I have killed and am responsible for the deaths of thousands,¡± I stated coldly, ¡°Tens of thousands even,¡± I closed my eyes and took a steadying breath, ¡°Protecting those I care for, those I have sworn to shelter from the mindless violence, it requires sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°You would sacrifice others just to-¡± The fairy began to demand.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I interrupted with a snarl, ¡°So long as there are weak men in positions of power, war and violence are inevitable! The world outside, an entire country, and millions of people, were being put to the sword because two rival powers desired their territory. Worse than that, they wanted to make Slaves of those who called the land home. Is it just to allow millions of innocent people to be slaughtered and pressed into Slavery?!¡±


    The fairy flinched but there was still anger in his eyes.


    ¡°I have slain no innocents! Only soldiers and monsters!¡± I growled bitterly, ¡°And it pains me that I have done it...That I must continue to do it...But I will not allow that pain to prevent me from doing what I believe is right.¡±


    ¡°Well, my hands aren¡¯t nearly so clean!¡± The fairy replied angrily, ¡°I killed innocent people! Women! Children!...¡± His voice broke, ¡°Maybe I am no different than the rest of them?!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied flatly.


    ¡°No?!¡± The fairy demanded incredulously, ¡°You have no idea what-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I repeated with a feral snarl, ¡°YOU have no idea what they have done! They kill for Sport! Revelling in the pain and destruction! They have no guilt! No remorse! They just keep killing until someone puts them down!¡±


    The fairy shrunk back under my tirade and refused to look me in the eyes.


    ¡°The fact that you feel bad about what you have done puts you leaps and bounds ahead of them,¡± I qualified with an effort in a more measured tone, ¡°You feel so bad about what you have done that you want me to kill you for it. Don¡¯t deny it.¡±


    The fairy lowered his head in shame.


    ¡°Well, tough luck, I¡¯m not going to unless you force me to,¡± I stated coldly, ¡°You¡¯re trying to take the easy way out to escape the pain, I get it. But I won¡¯t willingly be a party to it.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?...¡± The fairy croaked, ¡°Their faces...Their screams...¡±


    ¡°Be better,¡± I insisted, ¡°Make their deaths, their suffering, have meaning and dignity. Bring light out of the darkness.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Tears were running freely down the fairy¡¯s face, ¡°How am I supposed to do that?¡±


    ¡°Live,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°You can¡¯t repay what you owe if you¡¯re dead. Look beyond yourself for opportunities to improve the lives of those around you. It won¡¯t erase what you did, but it will prove to yourself that you can be more than what you were yesterday.¡±


    I was leaning hard on the lessons taught to me by my own psychologist, so I wasn¡¯t sure how effective the coping tools for my depression would translate to what seemed like suicidal tendencies brought on by untreated post traumatic stress disorder. It wasn¡¯t a condition limited to soldiers, but the inherent stress of the occupation made it far more prevalent.


    Even if I could talk him down from his suicidal mindset, the fairy wold most likely continue to suffer from mental and emotional breakdowns when triggered by events connected to the root of his trauma. Without medications and a qualified and experienced therapist, I didn¡¯t see what positive changeI could enforce in the long term.


    However, I had meant what I had said. I didn¡¯t want to have to kill him unless I absolutely had to. More than anything, he just seemed broken inside, and abandoning someone in that position seemed wrong to me on so many levels. Especially after all I had been through.


    The fairy was quiet for a long time and was refusing to look at me. I was about to put his cage back down but paused as he showed signs of movement.


    ¡°Dan,¡± the fairy croaked quietly, ¡°My name is Dan...¡±


    The fairy, Dan, didn¡¯t seem any more talkative than before, so I set his cage back down beside Teressa.


    *


    A stone panel ricocheted off of the stone altar before crashing against the far wall.


    ¡°Oops...¡± Mortimer muttered sheepishly from beside the exit door which was now missing a stone panel.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to disarm the traps I suppose,¡± I sighed while trying to shake off the lingering adrenaline.


    After a few more minutes of inspection, Mortimer declared his inability to locate any additional traps.


    For the sake of caution, I opened the door from the side.


    Contrary to my expectations, nothing seemed to happen. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Peeking around the corner, I was surprised to find a cavernous expanse supported by huge stone pillars. ¡°Sebet, what can you tell us about this room?¡± I asked warily, lifting her cage and positioning it so she could see what I was talking about.


    Sebet frowned in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know this place...But to be so large, it must mean that we are close to the end of the dungeon. It might even be the very next room.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take a minute to prepare, just in case,¡± I handed her cage back to Teressa. There was something familiar about the cavern, but I couldn¡¯t quite figure out what it was.


    I took my time to Summon ten Swordsmen and ten Archers.


    While I was loath to admit as much to myself, they would serve as additional screening for any traps we might encounter while crossing the cavern.


    In stark contrast to the dungeon thus far, the cavern had no magical ambient lighting. I had brought a couple of dozen regular-sized torches in a satchel on my belt, but half of them were broken during my fight against the Amalgam. I gave a pair of undamaged torches to Mortimer and Gregory and left the remainder in my satchel for safekeeping.


    With Mortimer taking the lead, the Swordsmen and Archers followed a short distance behind in a staggered chevron with five or more feet between them to ensure that no two Summons would be hit by the same trap.


    I followed about ten feet behind with Gregory on my left and Teressa on my right.


    We had been walking for over a minute when Gregory suddenly came to an abrupt halt and raised his free hand.


    I sent a mental command on reflex, bringing everyone else to a jerking stop.


    Gregory silently looked to the left, then the right, ahead and behind, all while growing increasingly nervous, ¡°I think I can hear something...¡± He muttered anxiously.


    ¡°Cover your torches, or put them out,¡± I ordered. I had incredibly good lowlight and dark vision, but the brightness of the torches in my immediate vicinity cut it down by a significant margin.


    Once the torches were extinguished, I closed my eyes for a few moments to allow them time to adjust and then opened them again.


    Almost immediately, I could see that Gregory was right, there was something out there. Many things. They were too far away to make out clearly, but the stiff, poorly coordinated movements were familiar enough that I felt confident in identifying them all the same.


    ¡°Undead,¡± I growled bitterly.


    The undead were sweeping in from directly ahead of us and the only exit appeared to be ahead and to our left. Unless we were exceptionally fast, we would need to fight our way through the undead in order to reach the exit.


    I was immediately tempted to Summon Ophelia or Wisp to handle the situation on our behalf. Somehow, I managed to resist the impulse and think things through. There was a very real chance that the Angel responsible for creating the dungeon was lurking somewhere within, just as Orphiel had done.


    Summoning Gric in the entrance to the dungeon had been a risk, but it was possible that I had gotten lucky or the Angel had not been paying attention. However, I could only assume that the Angel would pay more attention as we made progress toward the end of the dungeon. So Summoning Fallen Angels, Daemons, or Purified Spirits could backfire as spectacularly as the last time in the Hurst Labyrinth.


    That didn¡¯t mean I was out of options entirely.


    Dumping two-thirds of my maximum mana, I summoned a pair of Hulking Boars and sent them charging off into the darkness. With a mental command, the Swordsmen and archers formed a ragged line formation on our right flank as we began moving in earnest towards the exit.


    With the search for traps abandoned, Gregory seemed only too happy to fall back toward the core of the group while furiously relighting his torch with a manic gleam in his eyes.


    Having faced hordes of zombies before, I couldn¡¯t blame him for his fear.


    If it came to it, I would dismiss them all rather than allow them to experience the gruesome death only the undead could inflict upon the living.


    Besides my heavy footfalls and the distant squealing of the Hulking Boars, the cavern remained as silent as before.


    The Archers were the first to begin skirmishing with the undead, loosing arrows while on the run. Unfortunately, their arrows did not seem to be having much of an effect, and once the undead drew closer, it became rather obvious why.


    Bearing a striking resemblance to the corpses from the previous room, the undead were little more than desiccated husks. Dried petrified skin and tendons were drawn over their skeletal remains. Without pliant flesh for the arrows to anchor into, and a circulatory system to compromise, the undead proved incredibly resilient to the Archer¡¯s piercing attacks. Arrows would ricochet off harmlessly or chip at petrified bones to little or no effect.


    For all the noise they were making, the Hulking Boars had not managed to destroy any of the undead either. Despite watching the Status Kill alerts like a hawk, I only grew increasingly worried as it continued to remain empty.


    Despite our mad dash, the undead had beat us to the exit and were sweeping in from two directions.


    Despite Mortimer¡¯s advanced age and Linette¡¯s encumbrance from carrying the two cages, they both seemed to have little difficulty in matching Gregory¡¯s pace by burning additional mana.


    The Swordsmen were fighting hard to delay or redirect the desiccated undead from our path. Two Swordsmen had been lost in less than a couple of seconds when the animated remains of a Boarman deliberately collapsed on top of them, pinning them to the ground.


    I had to dismiss the two Swordsmen before they were torn apart.


    The undead could only move at the speed of a brisk walk, but it was enough to establish and maintain a constant pressure. They were now ahead of us, behind us and on our right. If we were to slow down, then those behind would bury us beneath a pile of bodies. This was a problem because we had less than a couple of minutes at most before we would meet the undead blocking our path to the exit.


    The Hulking Boars died within moments of one another and gave a name to the undead.


    An Archer charged out of formation and tackled one of the undead that slipped past the Swordsmen. Within moments he was buried beneath a mountain of petrified skin and dusty bones.


    Dismissing the Archer, I realised that we wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the exit at our current rate of attrition.


    Opening the satchel containing the remaining torches, I grabbed as many as I was able with my free hand and began filling them with as much mana as I dared.


    ¡°Gregory! Take the cages and get behind me!¡± I barked while dismissing Mortimer and tossing the broken torches toward the exit.


    Teressa awkwardly handed off the cages to Gregory as he dropped his torch.


    I dismissed Teressa a moment later and grabbed Gregory, slinging him over my left shoulder and holding him there as I tightened my grip on Blackthorn.


    Closing my second set of eyelids, I was just in time to witness several explosions of magical energy erupted from the ranks of the undead in my path.


    Dismissing the remaining Archers and Swordsmen, I began charging toward the exit, swinging Blackthorn back and forth to thin the horde still further before trampling those that remained.


    Bony fingers clawed at my legs and feet while skulls, ribs and spines were crushed underfoot by my immense weight. Despite the pain radiating from my feet, I continued toward the exit with single-minded abandon. To stop now would mean a slow and gruesome death. A little pain was nothing compared to the horror of being eaten alive and dying alone in the dark.


    Despite thinning their numbers in advance, the horde had no problems filling the spaces of their fallen. By the time I reached the final stretch to the exit, I was practically wading through a sea of corpses. Only making forward progress thanks to my sheer size and aggressive approach to crowd control.


    Thankfully, the only undead large enough to attempt to make a play for Gregory and the cages he was holding were the undead Boarmen, and I was already smacking them first to save my own skin. I couldn¡¯t risk two or more of them grouping together for fear they might be able to stall my charge outright.


    Finally reaching the exit, I was both relieved and thoroughly concerned that it didn¡¯t have a door and led straight into another passageway.


    With no time to hesitate, I continued forward into the passageway and mentally braced myself for the pain I believed to be waiting for me up ahead.


    Seconds passed by and I continued running forward, anticipating hosts of spears to impale me from below or a volley of javelins and darts to strike my chest.


    Only, nothing happened.


    I quickly realised that the opposite end of the passageway didn¡¯t have a door either and that the room beyond had the same dim illumination that had been prevalent in the other sections of the dungeon. I could still hear the undead chasing us, so I continued as fast as I dared.


    Clearing the doorway, I was surprised to find a portcullis mounted above the doorway and a lever beside the door. Without thinking, I awkwardly slammed my right fist down on the lever, freeing the portcullis and allowing it to anchor itself three feet deep into the floor.


    Breathing hard, I tried to calm myself down. However, watching the undead rush toward the portcullis was making it all but impossible. Backing away from the portcullis, I had to fight hard not to start running again. The mindless hunger of the weaker undead had a way of unnerving me in a way that the more powerful undead couldn¡¯t, and I had no way of properly rationalising it to myself so I could get over it.


    ¡°Great One!¡± Sebet called out anxiously, ¡°We have reached the end!¡±


    It took a few moments for Sebet¡¯s voice to sink in, but when it did, I began to slowly turn my back on the passageway and the undead.


    Easily five times the size of the previous rooms we had encountered in the dungeon, the walls were heaped high with what I could only rationalise as ¡®loot¡¯.


    Far from a typical treasure hoard, the majority of the items appeared to be personal possessions, weapons, and armour. There were coins scattered here and there, but I felt no need or semblance of greed regarding them. Sanctuary¡¯s economy operated around barter and manastones, making traditional currency almost completely devoid of value.


    Setting Gregory down, I warily eyed the room for potential threats but found nothing.


    Besides the loot piled high against the left and right walls, the far end of the room had a three-foot-tall silver altar with a large golden hammer sitting on top of it. The altar was encircled by engravings on the floor that I couldn¡¯t quite make out without getting considerably closer.


    Lastly, a ten-foot-tall statue of a robed angel carved from white marble stood atop a deliberately rugged cliff top that protruded from the wall. Holding a runed black marble staff inlaid with gold in one hand and staring down in such a way that his gaze fell upon the entire room with judgemental disdain, I felt an immediate dislike for the Angel the statue was intended to represent.


    ¡°How are we meant to leave the dungeon?¡± I asked cautiously while staring up at the statue of the Angel.


    ¡°I...Don¡¯t know...¡± Sebet replied awkwardly, ¡°But it probably has something to do with that altar!¡± She offered helpfully.


    I waved Gregory forward and then began making my own way toward the altar.


    As we drew closer to the statue, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that we were being watched. Gathering my mana, I decided to prepare part of a contingency plan.


    *


    Toofy appeared atop my right shoulder with a big grin on her face, ¡°Tim!¡± With a twitch of her right index finger, my helmet disappeared and Toofy lunged for a hug, ¡°Toofy was waiting! Lash is so mad with Tim!¡±


    ¡°Mad?¡± I was about to ask why and realised that I had taken for granted that Wraithe would let her know how I was doing after the battle ended. ¡°Mmm, you''re probably right,¡± I agreed quietly, ¡°So how about we bring Lash some presents?¡± I nodded toward the piles of loot suggestively.


    Toofy grinned greedily, ¡°Some for Ril too? And Nnet?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I agreed in an exaggerated conspiratorial tone, ¡°And for Toofy as well.¡±


    ¡°Heehee,¡± Toofy eagerly rubbed her hands together and was about to slide off my shoulder but stopped and gave me another hug first, ¡°Tim be safe!¡± Toofy warned and wagged her clawed finger less than an inch from my left eye.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be safe,¡± I agreed before kneeling down and watching Toofy dive into a nearby pile of loot.


    Gregory had set down Dan¡¯s cage and was holding Sebet¡¯s cage aloft while slowly pacing the periphery of the rune markings surrounding the altar. He repeated two more complete revolutions before I finished making my own way across the room.


    I could have moved faster, but I was playing for time to allow my mana to regenerate.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± I asked bluntly, earning a worried and disapproving look from Gregory when he noticed my missing helmet.


    ¡°To earn your own freedom, you must make a sacrifice upon the altar,¡± Sebet answered with heavy suspicion.


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± I looked pointedly at the hammer and then back to Sebet, ¡°It¡¯s a trap or some sort of trick. Right?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Sebet replied irritably.


    ¡°The hammer is definitely magical though,¡± I could feel it. What bothered me was that the altar itself didn¡¯t seem to be magical at all. However, the runes engraved on the floor were practically pulsing with mana. ¡°Definitely a trap,¡± I decided.


    ¡°What about opening the cages?¡± Gregory asked curiously, ¡°Or is that meant to be performed with the-oh...Okay, I think I understand.¡±


    The guides were meant to serve as the sacrifice.


    Assuming a group of Adventurers managed to make it to the final room and deciphered the meaning of glyphs on the floor, they would be far more inclined to sacrifice an outsider than one of their own. However, there seemed to be more to it than that.


    If the trap intended for the Adventurers to kill the guides, why choose a hammer instead of a dagger, sword or spear, that could reach through the bars? Unless...


    I knelt down and ran my fingers over the nearest engravings.


    I could feel power, but more than that, I could feel potential.


    ¡°Is that the game?...¡± I muttered suspiciously while eyeing the statue.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± Gregory looked concerned, ¡°Perhaps we should seek our own means of leaving the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°If it comes to it,¡± I replied quietly, ¡°But there is something I wish to try first.¡± I took Sebet¡¯s cage from Gregory and took a few steps back away from the circle. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I asked quietly.


    Sebet gulped nervously and gave a nearly imperceptible nod.


    Gripping the cage tightly, I began to squeeze. As unrelenting as solid stone, the bars refused to bend. In feigned frustration, I shook the cage and felt Sebet¡¯s body and limbs make contact with my hand.


    <Swear loyalty to me!> I demanded, forcing communication past the enchanted cage through our physical contact. <Swear an oath to obey my laws!>


    My hand began to ache and tendrils of black smoke began curling from the space between my fingers.


    <Swear it! And I will free you!> I could feel Sebet¡¯s hesitation and shifted my focus toward our contract.


    Sebet relented. <I. So. Swear.> Her words were heavily distorted and barely legible, like an old radio struggling to maintain the frequency of the desired station.


    I extended an invitation immediately to allow Sebet to become my minion.


    There was another moment of hesitation and then acceptance.


    <Be ready!> I relaxed my fist and carefully placed Sebet¡¯s cage on the ground.


    Gregory remained silent, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he had noticed Sebet had joined our party.


    I tried not to flinch as I looked down at the raw eroded flesh of my left hand and fingers. The flesh was reknitting itself in real-time, but it looked like it was going to take the better part of a minute to fully heal.


    I felt like I now had a solid understanding of how the cage and its Imprisonment Condition were maintained. It appeared to be some sort of Curse that drained health and converted it to mana in order to maintain the integrity of the cage. Anything entering the cage would be cannibalised for mana in the same fashion as anything trying to leave. Touching the cage was also enough to harm the creature inside.


    I had a gut feeling that the hammer ¡®could¡¯ indeed break the cage, but that didn¡¯t guarantee the occupant would survive.


    Furthermore, the runed circle¡¯s familiarity took a new shape in my mind after understanding the functionality of the cage.


    Sebet had been right in saying that it called for sacrifice. But the sacrifice wasn¡¯t to provide an escape from the dungeon. The sacrifice was to Summon something else to finish us off. The hammer, cage and circle were all part of a single trap, and the guides served as the magical power source, little more than batteries.


    Dan didn¡¯t seem to be paying much attention to anything else besides the pale bony arms reaching through the gaps in the portcullis. I could only imagine what must be going through his mind after the mad dash I had made to bring us to safety. Surrounded by the ravenous undead in the dark.


    Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I motioned for Gregory to take up the cages and move away from the circle. As a Summoned being, I was able to impart a basic impression for him to ready himself for combat as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time to face the true boss of the dungeon,¡± I muttered and gathered my mana.


    *


    Gric appeared on bended knee and head bowed in deference, ¡°My Tyrant.¡±


    ¡°Gric, prepare for combat,¡± I commanded while turning to face the statue of the Angel.


    Gric bowed his head and then rose to his feet.


    <A spear. Part of a plan.> I ordered through our telepathic link and formed an image of Shiverfang in my mind.


    ¡°As you command, my Tyrant,¡± Gric agreed obediently. Extending his right hand to one side, Gric beckoned toward the pile of discarded weapons and armour. A pronged fork flew out of the pile and Gric snatched it out of the air. ¡°Empower Weapon,¡± Gric¡¯s mana dropped slightly and the fork began emitting a faint magical aura.


    I had expected the Angel to attack immediately, just as Orphiel had, but I wasn¡¯t going to begrudge the extra time to regenerate my mana. After all, I wanted to make the fight as one-sided as possible.


    ¡°TCH!¡± A hiss came from the mouth of the statue as a thin crust of stone fell away to reveal a cruel and impossible beautiful face beneath. ¡°I thought I smelled Daemon on you!¡± The Angel spat disparagingly as the rest of his body was freed from the thin marble shell.


    ¡°Prey must have a strong nose to know when predators approach,¡± Gric replied calmly with a wolfish smile.


    ¡°Prey, am I?!¡± The Angel demanded, his unearthly beautiful features distorting in rage.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gric agreed, taking great delight in the Angel¡¯s anger.


    ¡°You had better listen to me, and listen well you lowly cur!¡± The Angel snarled, stepping off the cliff and expanding his pale silvery wings of mana for dramatic effect, ¡°I am going to enjoy beating you within an inch of your wretched life! And if you beg for what remains, I MIGHT consider Imprisoning you!¡±


    Gric shook his head condescendingly at the Angel, ¡°You think a lowly Princept such as yourself stands a chance against a Daemon King? Ridiculous!¡±


    The Angel¡¯s confidence wavered, ¡°Daemon King...¡± His golden eyes brightened for a moment and faded almost just as quickly, ¡°Pathetic! Trying to pass yourself as a Daemon King with such pitiful mana!¡±


    Gric shrugged, his smile unwavering, ¡°I have told no lies, yet it is in the nature of prey to seek refuge in doubt when no hope remains.¡±


    The Angel bared his perfect teeth in a snarl, ¡°I¡¯m going to carve your face off and mount it on my wall!¡±


    ¡°Hrmph,¡± Gric scoffed arrogantly, shaking his head, ¡°A weakling like you would struggle mounting a human.¡±


    ¡°............!?!?!?!?!?!?!¡± The Angel¡¯s features spasmed in rage as he lunged toward Gric with his black marble staff.


    Gric parried the blow with the shaft of his fork and knocked the Angel back.


    I cautiously retreated back toward the other side of the room while trying not to draw undue attention to myself.


    Although it quickly became obvious that I needn''t have bothered.


    Gric and the Angel had eyes only for one another and were exchanging fierce, albeit short, bursts of frenzied attacks against one another.


    For his part, Gric seemed content with goading and enraging the Angel while expending only the minimum amount of energy to avoid taking damage.


    However, the pulsing golden runes on the Angel¡¯s staff made it clear that there was more to worry about than just the Angel himself.


    A full minute passed before the first blow found its mark, and despite his intentions, Gric had been the one to land it. While parrying an overhead swing to the side, Gric had feinted to the Angel¡¯s left with the butt of his fork. The Angel either hadn¡¯t seen it coming or didn¡¯t deem it a significant enough threat and was struck hard in the side.


    Taking the hit seemed to douse the Angel¡¯s anger and make him far more cautious. Even going so far as to retreat away from Gric and toward the ceiling.


    Then, quite suddenly, the Angel was no longer alone. Seven exact copies flew shoulder to shoulder with one another and glared contemptuously down at Gric. ¡°The real battle begins now!¡± The Angels stated coldly and in perfect unison before swooping down toward Gric.


    Staying true to his role, Gric retreated toward the far wall while dodging the attacks made by the Angels.


    Confident in Gric¡¯s ability to take care of himself, I switched the mana regeneration to burn HP instead of MP and began gulping down the last of my emergency rations. Instead of recalling Toofy, I Summoned a second projection of her, only with less mana.


    ¡°Tim?!¡± Toofy materialised on my shoulder, grinned happily and gave my head a tight squeeze. ¡°Lash mad at Tim,¡± she warned with a sly smile, ¡°Tim give Lash gift, make not mad!¡± Toofy suggested sagely with the unmistakable glitter of greed in her eyes.


    ¡°Gifts for Toofy too,¡± I agreed, ¡°And for Ril and Nnet,¡± I added.


    Toofy¡¯s smile grew wider, exposing her sharp teeth as she began to shiver with excitement.


    I pointed to the piles of loot on the right side of the room, ¡°I thought you could take what you want from there,¡± I suggested, ¡°But first, I need some food. I¡¯m REALLY hungry.¡±


    It made me happy that despite all her greed, Toofy¡¯s priorities shifted the moment I made my request.


    ¡°Tim hungry?¡± Toofy repeated with sympathy and concern, Tim no worry, Toofy has food! Tim have!¡± With a wave of her hand, roasted Beasts began tumbling out of thin air and piling up on the floor. Within moments Toofy had created a mound of meat that was almost as large as myself. ¡°Is enough?¡± Toofy asked hesitantly, ¡°Toofy has more?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough, thank you Toofy,¡± I gingerly rubbed her head with two of my fingers.


    Toofy grinned happily.


    ¡°Gric might want your help too, but try not to be seen, okay?¡± I told her and nodded toward the fight taking place on the other side of the room.


    Toofy nodded solemnly, ¡°Ahuh.¡±


    ¡°Until he asks, you can pick anything you want from that side of the room,¡± I nodded toward the loot on the right side of the room again.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Toofy asked slyly.


    ¡°Any and all the things,¡± I qualified while reaching for a roasted Swamp Lurker.


    ¡°Tim is best!¡± Toofy squealed, taking only a moment to give me another hug before leaping off my shoulder, skidding down the pile of food and then disappearing in the piles of abandoned equipment haphazardly stacked against the wall.


    The price for rapidly regenerating my mana had opened a yawning pit in my stomach and it was steadily dominating my every thought. Seizing a roasted Swamp Luker from the pile of food provided by Toofy, I released the reins on my hunger and began tearing into flesh and bones with savage abandon.


    ***** Solariel - Asrusian Capital Labyrinth ~ Eighth Floor ~ Dungeon *****


    Solariel scowled.


    The Daemon before him was no King, but he was not a Daemonling either. Somehow a new infestation had taken root while he and his kin had indulged their interests.


    Watching the Daemon slowly lose ground against his illusions gave Solariel considerable peace of mind. Currently invisible, he toyed with the idea of positioning himself behind the Daemon and stabbing it in the back.


    Solariel was forced to dismiss the idea when he considered that the Daemon¡¯s hide was almost certainly too tough to pierce with a blunt object like his staff. Of course, it would make Solriel feel that much better for trying.


    The very presence of the Daemon rubbed Solariel¡¯s nerves bloody and made it difficult to think rationally. Making things worse, each of Solariel¡¯s attempts to directly confuse and deceive the Daemon¡¯s senses was met with unprecedented resistance and a sensation Solariel had long since grown unaccustomed to experiencing.


    Pain.


    In resisting Solariel the Daemon was somehow inflicting pain upon him in kind.


    A dozen different possibilities passed through Solariel¡¯s mind and he dismissed almost all of them due to the sheer unlikelihood of their existence.


    The most probable explanation lay with the Ogre Solariel had thus far elected to ignore. After all, the Daemon was the only true threat present.


    Observing the Ogre rapaciously gorge itself on a mound of assorted Beasts body parts, Solariel was forced to fight back a wave of nausea. Were it not for a lack of alternatives, he would have dismissed the Ogre as a threat then and there on principle.


    Of course, the Ogre did not require Intelligence to be of use to the Daemon, it only had to be pliable.


    Extending his will toward the Ogre, Solariel felt a shiver of apprehension run down his perfectly proportioned spine. Dismissing the sensation for the weakness it was, Solariel drove his will forward and latched into the mind of the Ogre.


    On reflex, Solariel¡¯s will recoiled as fresh waves of pain erupted through the connection and rampaged through his mind.


    Stunned by the intensity of the pain, it took Solariel several moments before he managed to sever the connection.


    Breathing hard, Solariel evaluated his earlier assessment.


    The Daemon was not the greater threat.


    *


    Solariel looked on in horror and rage as the corrupted form of one of the Fallen appeared before the Ogre.


    Bathed in bright amber light, the Fallen¡¯s feminine form was accentuated by tightly fitted copper plate armour.


    Of course! It all made sense! Only one of the Fallen could orchestrate such a plot! Fashioning unholy servants to hunt down one as pure himself was no doubt one of the Fallen¡¯s greatest priorities.


    Bracing himself for the fight of his life, Solariel was surprised when the Fallen retreated instead of pursuing him directly. Lingering at the entrance to the chamber, the Fallen reached out toward the animated husks desperately failing through the spaces in the portcullis.


    Before Solariel could guess at what the Fallen was up to, a radiant sword appeared in the Fallen¡¯s hand and incinerated the husks closest to the entrance.


    Thoroughly confused, Solariel barely managed to parry the Daemon¡¯s fork as the Daemon lunged straight for his heart. Using his wings to put immediate distance between them, Solariel was frustrated further as the Daemon unfurled its leathery Beast wings and gave chase.


    Pushing back against his rage and confusion, Solariel now understood that the Daemon had simply been toying with him. The Daemon had been able to see Solariel¡¯s true self since the beginning and was now paying his illusory copies no mind whatsoever.


    With the threat of the Fallen looming, Solariel channelled mana into his runestaff and performed a vicious swing at the Daemon¡¯s centre mass. He had to suppress a smirk as the Daemon moved its fork to parry the blow.


    *


    The instant the two weapons collided, the stored mana inside of Solariel¡¯s staff ignited and engulfed the Daemon in righteous fire.


    ¡°AHAHAHA! HOW''S THAT TASTE DAEMON FILTH?!¡± Solariel howled in joy as the stench of the Daemon¡¯s burning flesh filled his nostrils.


    Completely immolated, the Daemon fell from the air with a soundless scream on his lips, striking one of the many piles of discarded trinkets that covered the floor of the chamber.


    Despite his outburst, Solariel was surprised to find that the Fallen was still ignoring him.


    As much as that rankled his pride, Solariel decided to make the most of the opportunity and followed after the Daemon. Better to eliminate the lesser threat while he had the chance.


    Channelling more mana into his runestaff, Solariel prepared to lance the incapacitated Daemon with superheated plasma. Daemons were many things, but they were not fireproof.


    Detecting a burst of corrupted Divinity from the Fallen, Solariel hesitated and reflexively retreated. While scanning the far end of the chamber, he stifled a gasp as the Imprisoned Devil leapt free of the ruined remains of her cage.


    ¡°FREEEEEDOM!!!¡± The lesser Devil screamed in ecstasy while making a point of touching itself in a vulgar and suggestive manner.


    Redirecting the point of his runestaff toward the lesser Devil, Solariel was barely aware of his own actions as the primordial instincts he had been warring up until that moment overwhelmed his control and began dictating his actions.


    Devil, Daemon and Fallen, they all needed to die. NOW.


    The lesser Devil¡¯s cry of ecstasy became pain and terror as the superheated plasma washed over its tiny body.


    Solariel followed the Devil¡¯s collapse to the floor with his runestaff, unwilling to let up the assault until all traces of the abomination were thoroughly destroyed.


    ¡°No,¡± the voice of the Fallen cut through the Devil¡¯s screams and brought an immediate silence to the chamber.


    The stream of plasma from Solariel¡¯s runestaff began to gutter and then died entirely, revealing the feminine figure of the Fallen standing over the blackened remains of the Devil.


    Despite its features being hidden beneath a helmet, Solariel could feel the Fallen¡¯s contempt for him.


    ¡°Sebet...¡± The deep rumbling voice of the Ogre filled the silence of the chamber, drawing Solariel¡¯s attention from the Fallen, if only for a moment.


    The Devil¡¯s charred limbs twitched in response.


    Driven by instinct, Solariel began channelling more mana into his runestaff in earnest. Something wasn¡¯t right, something was very-


    ¡°Gah!¡± Solariel¡¯s concentration was shattered as a giant polearm materialised a foot in front of him and scythed through his right arm like water before shearing into the wall behind him.


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡± The Daemon¡¯s cackle from below made it clear that he had been the one to strike the blow, although Solariel knew not how.


    Just as quickly as it appeared, the giant polearm disappeared.


    Staring at the bleeding stump where his elbow used to be, Solariel followed a flicker of movement below and witnessed a small creature lay hands on his severed limb and runestaff. However, Before he could act, the creature, his arm and his runestaff disappeared.


    Brutally maimed, Solariel reconstructed his severed limb with mana and manifested his armaments of war. Surrendering to his rage and shame, Solariel pointed his newly constructed blade toward The Fallen and charged.


    The enemies of Paradise would fall, even if he had to sacrifice himself to make it happen. Solariel swore it upon his eternal soul.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 – The darkest dungeon – Part Six

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 53 ¨C The darkest dungeon ¨C Part SixOgre Tyrant: Chapter 53 - The darkest dungeon - Part Six


    Things were not going quite as I had hoped they would. My plan to enrage the Angel and compromise its ability to think rationally had backfired spectacularly. Having Ophelia drain the Divinity from Sebet¡¯s cage and free the little Devil had been a step too far.


    ¡°DIE FOR YOUR SINS!¡± The Angel howled, his eyes flashing with righteous anger and bathing the chamber in golden light.


    Blinded, my breath caught in my throat as a pain unlike anything I had yet experienced exploded inside of my mind.


    Everything went dark and I felt myself slipping


    ¡°No,¡± Ophelia¡¯s voice was accompanied by tendrils of shimmering amber that lanced through the inky blackness of the void.


    The light, such as it was, returned a sense of awareness to my surroundings.


    One by one, my senses returned.


    A ravenous hunger asserted itself almost immediately. Unable to resist, I retained only a vague sense of awareness as my body moved through the motions of sating it¡¯s desperate need. Biting, ripping, tearing, crunching and otherwise gorging through whatever lay within reach.


    Although heavily distorted and dampened, my hearing returned without warning and was dominated by desperate screaming. Unable to place the voice, I continued to feed. Hoping that my sight would fully return and get me into the fight.


    As if guided by my own perception of need, my vision slowly began to return. The void and amber light gave way to resplendent silver and gold.


    Pulling away with a fresh mouthful of meat and bones, I realised that I was holding my food with both hands despite being unable to feel either of them. Bringing the food toward my mouth, I recognised parts of the food were in fact my own arms and hands. The mangled heap of meat was struggling hard to free itself from my grip, spattering my arms with its silver and gold blood and viscera.


    After taking another bite, I realised that the meat was also the source of the screaming. Its cries would intensify and rise in pitch each time I readied myself for another bite. Contrary to my former expectations, discovering the source of the screams lessened my sense of urgency. There was still a present sense of danger, but not as I had expected there to be.


    Feeling in my limbs gradually began to return, and with it, pain.


    The meat was fighting back.


    Tendrils of gold and silver light were arcing from the meat and raking at my arms, chest and face. For whatever reason, the pain they inflicted wasn¡¯t nearly enough to stop me from feeding. If anything, the momentary flashes of pain only served to temporarily intensify my hunger.


    No matter how much I continued to feed, the meat remained more or less the same size. However, its resistance eventually began to wane, and with its absence higher levels of awareness slowly began returning to my mind.


    I was in a dungeon.


    I had been injured, badly, and was feeding to try and recover.


    I was not alone. I could now see Gric and Ophelia hovering just out of arm''s reach.


    Ophelia¡¯s face was matted with bright copper blood and it made me angry.


    I felt the bones inside of the meat buckle and break as my fists tightened.


    Lifting the meat toward my mouth for another bite, I paused as I recognised a humanoid shape.


    After staring for what felt like an eternity, my vision slowly brought the shape into focus and revealed its identity.


    The Angel stared back at me with listless eyes. The Angel¡¯s gold and silver blood matted the remains of his savaged armour. The entire upper right side of the Angel¡¯s armour was missing entirely and left bare his pale unsullied flesh.


    Before I realised what I was doing, I had already brought the Angel¡¯s exposed shoulder up to my mouth.


    *


    The Angel whimpered as I pulled him away, ripping and scraping the muscles off of his bones before shearing through the cartilage and bone of his shoulder.


    Working my jaw, I began to chew, breaking the bones and drawing in more of his severed arm in the process. As horrified as I felt, I couldn¡¯t stop myself.


    The Angel¡¯s wound glowed briefly and sealed itself shut as the Angel fell unconscious.


    My hands began to shake as I fought against the compulsion to continue feeding.


    ¡°Take...away...from...me...¡± I groaned nauseously.


    Gric was quick to obey, bodily taking hold of the Angel and viciously yanking him free of my trembling hands.


    ¡°S-Sebet?¡± I slurred while stiffly retracting my hands and hugging them tight under my armpits in an attempt to restrain them.


    ¡°Wounded, my Tyrant,¡± Ophelia replied calmly, ¡°But alive,¡± she moved aside to reveal Sebet¡¯s badly burned form soaking in a large saucepan of water.


    Shifting my attention back to Ophelia, I became aware of the blisters and burns beneath the blood letting her face. ¡°Thank...you...Oph-elia...¡± I had given her no such order to heal Sebet and appreciated the demonstration of initiative and sacrifice.


    Ophelia humbly bowed her head.


    ¡°My Tyrant,¡± Gric¡¯s clawed fingers tightened their hold on the enemy Angel, ¡°I believe Ophelia¡¯s decisive actions in saving your life deserve a boon.¡±


    I stared at Gric uncomprehendingly for a few moments before recalling the pain that had briefly rendered me senseless.


    ¡°The Angel attempted to pass Judgement upon us,¡± Gric elaborated, no doubt guessing at my momentary confusion, ¡°Your Ability allowed us to resist, but at a heavy cost to yourself, my Tyrant.¡±


    It took a few more moments, but I recalled Lash being targeted by a similar Ability when we faced off against Orphiel.


    ¡°Ophelia immediately moved to render aid, even as the Angel pursued her. Ignoring the Angel¡¯s attack, she restored your strength sufficiently to allow you to reenter the fight,¡± Gric motioned to the weeping hole in Ophelia¡¯s breastplate, ¡°If I might be so bold, my Tyrant, I would propose Ophelia be allowed the remainder of the Angel¡¯s Divinity.¡±


    Ophelia gave Gric a curious glance, apparently just as surprised by the suggestion as myself.


    Still fighting hard against my hunger, it was becoming increasingly difficult to think. ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed somewhat dismissively, ¡°But I...Urk...I need...¡± I grimaced in pain as my hands began to claw at my armpits.


    A sudden movement drew my attention to Toofy as she cautiously emerged from beneath a pile of discarded equipment. After briefly glancing at the unconscious Angel, Toofy wasted no further time in racing in my direction. However, Ophelia snatched hold of Toofy¡¯s tunic just as she was about to cross the blood-spattered tiles that roughly approximated my reach.


    ¡°Why?!¡± Toofy scowled at Ophelia and bared her teeth menacingly.


    Ophelia simply shook her head, pointed to the ground and then to the maimed Angel, ¡°It is not safe.¡±


    Toofy¡¯s scowl deepened and she was about to say something else but grew very still as my stomach violently and urgently expressed its displeasure. Slowly backing away behind Ophelia, her eyes wide with fear, Toofy waved her hand and they both disappeared behind a mountain of fruits, vegetables and roasted meat.


    Unable to hold back my hunger any longer, I began gorging myself on the small mountain of food.


    By the time I regained a proper degree of control over myself, the mountain of food had all but disappeared. This was particularly disconcerting since I vaguely recalled Toofy replenishing the pile at least four times.


    Ophelia was hunched over the prostrate remains of the maimed Angel while Gric watched with an expression of malicious glee. With each passing moment, the Angel¡¯s skin grew increasingly dull and lifeless.


    Toofy seemed to be feeding Sebet some sort of mushy paste while she remained mostly submerged in the large saucepan.


    Despite my hunger, I had no shortage of mana and decided to do something about Sebet¡¯s condition.


    *


    Wraithe lingered by my side just long enough to cut free my belt and appropriate the satchel of medical supplies before hurrying over to Sebet¡¯s side. ¡°Not good,¡± Wraithe hissed loudly while shoving Toofy away with her tail. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Gric...¡± My mind ached and made it difficult to concentrate but I forced myself to focus.


    ¡°Yes, my Tyrant?¡± Gric abandoned his position beside Ophelia and the dying Angel to stand before me instead.


    ¡°Sebet...would promotion...¡± I grimaced as the pain inside of my head momentarily intensified, ¡°Would it help her?...¡±


    Gric stiffened for a moment but otherwise betrayed no signs of irritation and aggravation, ¡°A promotion would render most of the damage irrelevant,¡± he admitted coldly, ¡°As would Wraithe¡¯s ministrations.¡±


    ¡°Gric,¡± I made a point of staring him straight in the eyes, ¡°I have...plans...for...her. Work that...needs...her skills...¡±


    Gric lowered his gaze and glanced briefly over his shoulder in Sebet¡¯s general direction before nodding his head obediently. ¡°As you say, my Tyrant.¡±


    After taking a minute to concentrate, I assigned Sebet her own Faction and promoted her to Overlord.


    The reaction was immediate.


    The moment I confirmed the promotion, Sebet¡¯s body began contorting and growing in size.


    As best I could tell from my vantage point, Gric was right. Sebet¡¯s charred skin was grown anew, reborn a bloody crimson tinged with flecks of black that intensified and concentrated around her extremities. This left her hands, feet, ears, and the fingers of her wings in a dark contrast to the rest of her body, but somehow it seemed to suit Sebet just fine.


    The small horns on her forehead had migrated to the nape of her skull and had grown large and twisted like the horns of a ram, effectively shielding the back and both sides of her head. Similarly, Sebet¡¯s wings had grown considerably larger in proportion to her size.


    ¡°You could have waited!¡± Wraithe chastised irritably, ¡°Treating her will be that much more costly now!¡±


    Before I had time to properly consider a response, the chamber began to shudder.


    ¡°The dungeon is collapsing,¡± Gric declared matter of factly while casually looking around the chamber.


    ¡°I will create a path,¡± Ophelia replied grimly as she stared down at the disintegrating remains of the Angel beneath her, ¡°My control is limited, but it should suffice.¡±


    The rumbling and shuddering momentarily intensified as the far wall featuring the sculpted cliffside collapsed to reveal a dark tunnel.


    Grunting and groaning, I forced myself to stand and lost my armour in the process. The hauberk was so badly damaged that most of it fell away the moment I disturbed it, and without my belt to halt it¡¯s descent, it all fell to the floor.


    Gric picked up Blackthorn from where I had dropped it and obediently fell in line beside me as I began slowly making my way across the chamber.


    Toofy appeared a few moments later and began shoving Wraithe, ¡°Go time!¡±


    Wraithe waved Toofy off and pointed vaguely in my direction, ¡°Fetch the other one, then we go.¡±


    Looking over my shoulder, I grimaced as I realised we had left the Fairy, Dan, behind. My conflicted emotions only intensified when I realised he was lying prone and unmoving inside of his cage. The only consolation I could find was that Wraithe did not seem to find his current state to be a higher priority than the lingering damage left by the Angel against Sebet.


    Toofy gave Wraithe a nonplussed scowl and then went running to fetch Dan¡¯s cage.


    Ophelia seemed to be in no hurry, taking her time to make her own way toward the tunnel. She didn¡¯t seem to be particularly distracted either, which left me feeling conflicted regarding how much time we had to vacate the dungeon.


    Despite Sebet¡¯s new body being roughly six feet tall Wraithe seemed to have no problems in bundling Sebet and her large wings up in her arms and making haste toward the tunnel. All while carrying the large satchel of medical supplies with her barbed tail.


    Toofy caught us up in no time at all, but I noticed her hesitate before she approached me directly. However, before I had a chance to dwell on it, Toofy had leapt up onto my left arm and anchored herself in place with her claws. Toofy then proceeded to climb up onto my shoulder and nervously pat my head while giving me a nervous and embarrassed smile of apology.


    I couldn¡¯t blame Toofy for how she had behaved. I wasn¡¯t all that keen on being around myself either.


    It was taking a great deal of concentration not to think about-


    Not to remember-


    I bit down on the inside of my cheek, hoping the pain would provide a distraction.


    It only made things worse.


    Contrary to the aesthetic of the dungeon thus far, the walls, ceiling and floor of the tunnel were rough crudely shaped stone and seemed to be devoid of traps.


    Thanks to her natural agility, Wraithe was able to maintain a sizable lead. It was just as well since it made it that much easier to divert my attention to avoiding disturbing subjects of reflection.


    The absence of traps was greatly appreciated, but a part of me wanted to flinch each time I set one foot down in front of the other. It just seemed so bizarre to be making headway without a deadly trap springing out of nowhere.


    The rumbling gradually intensified and I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder to check on Ophelia¡¯s progress.


    The tunnel was literally collapsing behind her.


    Despite the danger, Ophelia seemed to be unphased and continued at the same sedate pace, remaining a dozen steps ahead of the collapse at any given moment.


    ¡°She is feeding on the dungeon,¡± Gric explained with mild disinterest, ¡°Controlling its collapse.¡±


    I didn¡¯t quite know what to say. However, watching the collapse more closely I could see that it was following a repeating pattern that should have been impossible for a natural collapse.


    I was so preoccupied with paying attention to what lay behind me that I almost crossed the threshold without realising it. Which was just as well, since the exit looked like a dead end. I would have stopped dead in my tracks if I hadn¡¯t blundered straight into it.


    Expecting to be blinded by the sudden transition to daylight, I was somewhat relieved and concerned to find that it was late evening and the sun was close to setting.


    So far as I could tell, we had left through the same gateway we entered through in the first place. Although it was hard to be certain since the moment Ophelia crossed the threshold, both she and the gate disappeared.


    ¡°-needs proper rest to recuperate,¡± Wraithe insisted while tying Sebet to Dhizi¡¯s saddle with Nadine¡¯s assistance.


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t tell me who she is,¡± Clarice groused, ¡°And where is Tim?¡±


    Wraithe pointed in my direction with her tail but otherwise remained focused on her task.


    ¡°Hrm?...¡± Clarice followed Wraithe¡¯s tail and jumped back a step, ¡°Bloody hell!¡±


    Even without a mirror, I knew my appearance was bound to be disturbing, so Clarice¡¯s reaction was not at all surprising.


    Ignoring Clarice¡¯s outburst, I stiffly sat myself down, conjured some food, and began to eat.


    ¡°We were worried about you,¡± Nadine admitted as she cautiously made her way over, ¡°Your HP got really low for a while there...¡±


    I wasn¡¯t really sure what to say to that, so I nodded and continued eating.


    ¡°Most of that blood doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s yours,¡± Nadine prompted, ¡°But are you sure you are alright?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I grunted uncomfortably, ¡°And I don¡¯t want to talk about it...¡±


    Nadine looked conflicted but remained silent as she began circling me to assess potential sources of damage. ¡°Most of this blood isn¡¯t yours,¡± Nadine commented neutrally.


    Anticipating a wave of nausea in response to the reminder, I was surprised when the moment came and went without any noticeable reaction. The lapse in concentration was enough for the remaining thoughts to tumble loose with the same lack of fanfare and active reaction.


    I had gorged myself on another living being, someone who looked human, and that fact failed to disgust or horrify me. However, that thought in and of itself was profoundly disconcerting. A well-adjusted person would be mentally disturbed over engaging in cannibalism, yet I felt nothing.


    ¡°My time grows short,¡± Gric announced and offered me Blackthorn¡¯s handle, ¡°Returning to Sanctuary for a time might prove wise for yourself as well, my Tyrant.¡±


    I nodded noncommittally and accepted Blackthorn.


    ¡°Toofy is gone soon too,¡± Toofy added with notable disappointment and reluctance while hugging the side of my head, ¡°Tim will come home?¡±


    Before I could answer, Toofy¡¯s projection disappeared. Wraithe caught Dan¡¯s cage before he hit the ground and then made her way back over to Dhizi to secure it somewhere out of sight.


    With a depressed sigh, I conjured several barrels of water and made an attempt at scrubbing the dried blood from my face and chest. To my surprise, the gold and silver blood of the Angel was already gone, so all that remained was my own.


    I now understood why Nadine¡¯s reaction had not been more intense.


    There was still a great deal of blood, but without the luminescent glow of the Angel¡¯s blood to draw focus, only the densest concentrations of my own blood were particularly visible.


    Clarice and Dhizi had left by the time I finished, and Wraithe¡¯s projection along with them. This left Nadine, Fesk and Ushu to accompany me back to Hamburg. Instead of riding back, I chose to walk, which incidentally forced them to do the same.


    The simple exercise helped distract my thoughts somewhat but not as much as I had hoped it would.


    Upon arriving at Hamburg, I handed Blackthorn off to Fesk and decided to follow Toofy¡¯s suggestion in returning to Sanctuary.


    My sudden decision would have caused the Asrusians some trouble if they hadn¡¯t already been preparing an escort for Clarice, Dhizi and Sebet to pass through the capital. All I had to do was tag along. It wasn¡¯t like anyone could stop me.


    The city was surprisingly active despite the imminent curfew, or perhaps because of it. Men and women hurried about their business with an intense urgency and purpose that would have given me pause if the soldiers serving as my escort failed to clear a path.


    Of course, Dhizi earned no small amount of awed stares, but most seemed to originate from children peeking out from windows overlooking the main road. Clarice was only too happy to wave at the children as she passed them by, which, in a fashion, reminded me of the annual Christmas pageant back home.


    Sebet would have drawn attention, but Wraithe had bundled her otherwise naked form quite thoroughly before tying her to Dhizi¡¯s saddle. She looked no different from the other bundled supplies attached to Dhizi¡¯s saddle, which I supposed was the whole point.


    After passing through the Gateway, I made my own way to The Grove while Clarice and Dhizi took a detour to the hospital where Wraithe was no doubt already waiting for them.


    The lake was larger than I remembered and the trees growing in the centre were much taller. Both were bustling with activity despite the late hour.


    Lizardmen hatchlings were darting to and fro in the water while their adult caretakers slowly patrolled the periphery. Similarly, a couple of dozen small dark-scaled and snake-tailed humanoids I assumed were Evolutions of the Serpent-Kin, were likewise playing in the shallows under the observation of their Serpent-Kin parents.


    The adults and adolescents of each group made a point of demonstrating respect as I passed them by but didn¡¯t pay them much attention since my focus was elsewhere.


    Lash was chasing Pete and Suzy around the shallows near the cave that led to our home, making an exaggerated show of coming up short as the twins madly scrambled to escape.


    The twins had grown at least a few inches since I had last seen them and were moving about with far more confidence. The moment they spotted me the game was abandoned as Pete and Suzy began excitedly splashing their way in my direction.


    Following our children¡¯s sudden shift in focus, Lash seemed surprised to see me. She went so far as to rub her eyes and stare for a moment before chasing after Suzy and Pete with a big smile on her face.


    In stark contrast to their game, Lash had no trouble snatching up the twins while sprinting through the shallows. She slowed somewhat as she came within arms reach, no doubt to avoid crushing the twins, but I swept them all up into a tight hug anyway, easily absorbing the energy from her established momentum.


    Holding my family close, I didn¡¯t care that they were positively filthy and caked in mud, I was just glad that they were safe.


    Contrary to my expectations, I slept through the entire night and found myself incredibly refreshed.


    A part of me wanted to fixate on how bad I should be feeling. However, I decided that I wasn¡¯t going to go out of my way to make myself miserable, so I focused on other things instead. Like spending time with my family.


    I spent close to a full day just walking around Sanctuary with Lash and retelling what had happened since I left. Lash, in turn, pointed out the number of small changes that had cropped up in my absence.


    The most notable change in Sanctuary was the outsiders'' ward. Completely walled off from the rest of Sanctuary proper, the outsiders'' ward contained a second Gateway that was linked to the other major cities and towns. It served as a sort of trade district and processing centre for the goods involved in ongoing cooperative projects like the Evolution Elixirs. It also held a security office, of sorts, that vetted anyone seeking entry to Sanctuary proper.


    The security office was established by Gric but was overseen by another Daemon, Jinn, who took the role very seriously. Jinn¡¯s staff were almost exclusively Humans.


    This had seemed odd to me until Jinn had explained that the Humans all had spouses with full Sanctuary citizenship, which meant that they were all married to monsters who lived within Sanctuary.


    Although that was something of a weird qualification, given that Humans were technically monsters as well.


    Jinn had over fifty Humans and a dozen other monsters working under him in the security office and expected that number to double within the coming weeks. His expectations were based on the projected growth of the outsiders'' ward itself.


    To hear Jinn explain it, the outsiders'' ward had become the unofficial trading hub for the Demi-Plane thanks to the Gateways it was connected to and its immediate proximity to Sanctuary. Most trade goods were capable of being produced en masse anywhere in the Demi-Plane, but the most sought-after goods, such as the mana potions and Evolution Elixirs, were only available in Sanctuary due to its intense ambient mana.


    Similarly, Hana and her sister Kohana had begun selling their services to create tailored crops and vegetation to suit clients'' needs. The costs were extravagant, but once planted, the seeds provided could be trusted to perform as requested.


    Qreet was a powerful Druid herself, but she didn¡¯t quite have the same intuitive knack for genetic engineering vegetation that the Dryads had. Although she had shown promising superiority in regard to Fungi. Which I could only assume was due to the aberrant nature of Fungi themselves, being neither plant nor animal, but also a bit of both.


    Sanctuary itself was growing as well, albeit vertically rather than horizontally. Harpies had taken to living in the topmost branches of the trees, but a sudden influx of Dwergi had led to extreme renovations and terraforming belowground.


    The Asrusians were taking their pledge to free the Enslaved Dwergi of the Empire quite seriously and had already freed hundreds of them through covert means. It was initially difficult to understand how until one of the Dwergi elders mentioned using Gateways.


    Apparently, Ril had been producing magical items the Dwergi called Waystones. Functionally similar to Gateways, the Waystones were linked to the Gateways network, with the exception that they could only allow teleportation to a single specified Gateway. They could be activated from any distance provided those holding the Waystone had enough mana between them to cover the distance.


    Through the combined use of the Waystones and the Rangers coordinating with the Dominators amongst the Parole Officers, the Asrusian and Dwergi alliance had made laudable progress with only a few unfortunate losses.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t doubt that the Asrusian military would be clamouring for more Waystones for other projects, but I decided to leave that up to Ril¡¯s best judgement. I was already rather surprised that she had involved herself at all since Ril seemed perfectly content with swimming in The Grove¡¯s lake all day.


    Contrary to my expectations, three days passed before Gregory decided to pay me a visit. Which was just as well, given that I had been enjoying spending time with my family and hadn¡¯t been in a particularly receptive frame of mind.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Gregory bowed respectfully, as usual, ¡°May I have a few moments of your time?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled at the prospect of going back to work so soon, but I nodded and motioned for him to continue while I dropped another apple into the twin''s play pool.


    Pete and Suzy immediately began thrashing at the water as they each struggled to claim the prize for themself.


    Momentarily distracted by the twins, it took Gregory a few moments to regain his former focus. ¡°High command would like to request your Majesty''s assistance with sabotaging the Labyrinths of the Confederacy.¡±


    ¡°And by assistance, you mean you want to borrow Artefacts,¡± I qualified neutrally.


    Gregory nodded determinedly, apparently unafraid of addressing the issue head on. ¡°Even if your Majesty is willing to part with only a single Artefact, the high command would be profoundly grateful.¡±


    Considering I had only just acquired another Artefact, the timing of the request was somewhat suspect. However, seizing more territory for the Demi-Plane was a high priority in my plans to confront and destroy the Liche. So it wasn¡¯t like the Asrusians'' retribution wouldn¡¯t serve my own interests and the greater good.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, ¡°Vet a list of candidates and those who would serve as their immediate support. If I am satisfied with your selection, I am willing to temporarily loan up to two Artefacts.¡±


    Gregory seemed to be slightly surprised, ¡°Two Artefacts, Majesty?¡± Judging by the inflection in his voice, Gregory sounded like he had expected a single Artefact at most.


    ¡°I am not sure if the bow counts, being only half of the complete Artefact, but it is your people¡¯s property to begin with. So I don¡¯t mind risking it in this endeavour,¡± I explained carefully, ¡°Blackthorn is a powerful weapon, but I am curious to see how its special effects will influence a Human.¡±


    ¡°Special effects?¡± Gregory asked curiously.


    ¡°One moment,¡± I focused my attention on the empty space next to Gregory and gathered my mana.


    *


    Fesk¡¯s armoured form appeared in the empty space on bended knee, the projection of Blackthorn held in both hands with its head pressed into the ground.


    ¡°I will be taking Blackthorn back,¡± I explained, opting to give him the warning rather than simply snatching it right away. It seemed like the right thing to do, considering he might be engaged in a deadly battle.


    Fesk silently nodded to show he understood, and then his projection disappeared.


    ¡°If only I had such an Ability,¡± Gregory sighed wistfully, ¡°Some parts of my job would be so much easier...¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± I agreed and then willed Blackthorn to appear in my right hand. Requiring only a slight tug and a small expenditure of mana, the cruel thorn-barbed mace appeared a fraction of a second later. I offered Blackthorn to Gregory so he could inspect it for himself.


    Gregory graciously accepted and made a point of avoiding the thorns.


    While Gregory inspected the Artefact, I dropped a couple more apples into the play pool for Pete and Suzy.


    Lash gave me a somewhat disapproving look but made no attempts at removing the apples. ¡°Too many fruits is no good for them,¡± she chastised with a quiet sigh.


    ¡°Pretty sure I¡¯m the one who told you that,¡± I chuckled as I sat down next to her.


    Lash shrugged and gave me a contented smile, ¡°You did,¡± she agreed and leaned into me, ¡°So no more fruit. They need meat.¡±


    Given the twin''s rapid growth, it was a fair statement to make. The last thing we wanted was for their development to be impacted by poor nutrition.


    ¡°I think I understand what your Majesty means,¡± Gregory announced somewhat warily.


    ¡°It might do nothing for Humans, but I figured it would be worth investigating,¡± I elaborated in reply.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Gregory agreed tactfully, ¡°Then I will see myself out, Majesty.¡± He set Blackthorn down on a crate out of the immediate reach of the twins and then saw himself out.


    ¡°Seizing more land is important?¡± Lash asked curiously.


    ¡°For the Humans?¡± I qualified, ¡°Definitely. Many are content to live in cities, but even cities need to grow as the population increases with each generation. There are a lot of Humans already and I suspect that there are some amongst them that are beginning to feel claustrophobic. Ah, that means, they are feeling anxious because they feel there isn''t enough space.¡±


    Lash gave me a strange look, ¡°There is much-unclaimed land already...¡±


    I shifted somewhat uncomfortably as I tried to think of how best to explain it. ¡°Do you remember when we were in Mournbrent? That human city overrun with the undead?¡±


    Lash stiffened slightly and nodded, ¡°I remember.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how tightly packed all the buildings were?¡± I continued.


    Lash frowned and furrowed her brow in thought.


    ¡°Well, most of those buildings were people''s homes. As many as twenty or so people could be living in some of those larger houses,¡± I explained slowly while Suzy clawed her way out of the play pool and up my leg.


    Lash stared at me incredulously, ¡°So many people...Is not possible...¡±


    I sighed and pulled Suzy up onto my lap, ¡°The city was most likely home to close to a million people...I mean...I don¡¯t know how to explain to you how many people that is...¡±


    Lash¡¯s expression slowly changed and became more disturbed, ¡°So many died...¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± I replied lamely, feeling guilty for my part in magnifying the horror of the memory.


    ¡°All the Human cities are this large?¡± Lash asked hesitantly.


    ¡°They seem to be,¡± I replied while wavering my hand to express my small degree of uncertainty, ¡°The capital city for the Asrusians is close to five times as large as Mournbrent, but it has many more of the large houses and manors for wealthier citizens and the nobility. There were also towns that are as large as Sanctuary, but they have all migrated into the Demi-Plane due to the war.¡±


    ¡°I want to see a human city,¡± Lash stated determinedly, ¡°A living city.¡±


    ¡°We can do that,¡± I agreed readily, ¡°The Humans have been busy rebuilding their cities in the Demi-Plane. Thanks to the Earth Mages, the buildings themselves won¡¯t take long to build, but we should wait a few weeks if you want to experience a city in its true state.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lash agreed and fished Pete out of the water, ¡°Someone is here,¡± she nodded her head toward the thick curtains at the mouth of our cave.


    Lash was half right.


    From my vantage, I could see Clarice nervously lingering by the curtain as well as the tall pale-skinned woman in tribal dress that had entered unannounced.


    ¡°Sebet,¡± I guessed and confirmed as much a moment later.


    The tall woman approached several paces and then prostrated herself on the ground, spilling her long dark hair into the shallow water that covered the floor. ¡°Great One, I have come to offer my gratitude for your generosity and benevolence.¡±


    Lash tensed and bared her teeth, although I wasn¡¯t precisely sure why.


    ¡°I told you before. I am not interested in taking a concubine or further wives. Lash is all I want and need,¡± I stated coldly, wanting to make my position crystal clear for Lash¡¯s peace of mind.


    Lash straightened her back and sat up a little taller, her anger shifting into smug confidence.


    ¡°I remember well, Great One,¡± Sebet replied in the same supplicating tone, ¡°I offer other means of repayment if I am allowed to explain myself?¡±


    I glanced at Clarice for some sort of clue, but she just shrugged and shifted uncomfortably on the spot.


    ¡°Go on,¡± I agreed provisionally.


    Sebet remained kneeling but sat up so she could look me in the eyes.


    Ironically, the shapely form Sebet had chosen only served to put Lash further at ease now that she had an opportunity to take it in. While Sebet would objectively meet the criteria for many men''s preferences, she was far too short and lacking in build for my tastes and Lash knew it.


    ¡°It was explained to me that you are training warriors for a great battle, using a Labyrinth of your own making,¡± Sebet began to explain, ¡°While the loss of life is...minimal...I believe I can eliminate these losses entirely. Provided I receive your consent and authority to act, Great One.¡±


    ¡°Explain.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to dismiss Sebet¡¯s offer out of hand, but I had suspicions regarding her potential methods.


    ¡°Of course, Great One,¡± Sebet agreed obediently, ¡°Depending upon your degree of support and coordination with your other subjects, I could broker Contracts that could provide emergency assistance under certain conditions.¡±


    ¡°At what price?¡± I pressed, suspecting that the payment or exchange for the service would be the part that would make or break the deal.


    ¡°Soulstuff,¡± Sebet replied rather bluntly, ¡°The core mana of one''s being,¡± she elaborated slightly, ¡°A Soul will recuperate with sufficient time and care. The smaller the portion lost, the faster the recovery.¡±


    ¡°Then why ask for it in payment?¡± I asked curiously.


    Sebet gave a slight shrug, ¡°It is a universal currency for exchange, making it the most flexible in terms of what can be offered and how it can be delivered.¡±


    ¡°So these contracts would do what exactly?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°All manner of things-¡± Sebet flinched, ¡°Apologies, Great One, old habits...¡± She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths before establishing eye contact again. ¡°So long as they are within your pocket dimension, it would not be unrealistic to have a fatally wounded warrior placed in Stasis and immediately relocated to your house of healing.¡±


    ¡°Why not offer contracts just for relocation then?¡± I countered, ¡°Most of the deaths, so far as I am aware, are due to overconfidence and then being unable to retreat.¡±


    Sebet furrowed her delicate eyebrows in contemplation, ¡°That is another possibility,¡± she admitted, ¡°However, it would depend on the willingness to endure the Soul Sickness that would accompany activating the Contract.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t they pay in manastones or something instead?¡± I asked curiously.


    Sebet sighed and seemed to be making a conscious effort to remain polite, ¡°To broker such a Contract, I would need access to someone with the Ability to perform such an action-¡±


    ¡°Like Ril,¡± Lash interjected smugly.


    Sebet frowned for a moment before policing her expression back into a neutral smile, ¡°I am unfamiliar with this, Ril? Are they another Fallen Angel? A Spirit? Or-¡±


    ¡°Ril is a Daemon,¡± I interjected, ¡°She is the one who made the Gateways.¡±


    Sebet¡¯s crimson eyes widened in surprise, ¡°A Rift Binder?¡± She asked with tempered excitement, ¡°Yes, I could certainly broker such a contract with a Daemon Rift Binder,¡± Sebet agreed enthusiastically, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t even need to be within the pocket dimension for the Contract to work efficiently.¡±


    Now that was interesting. ¡°Sebet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Great One?¡± Sebet replied with keen anticipation.


    ¡°Can your Contracts break the Enslaved Condition?¡± I asked with guarded optimism.


    Sebet cocked her head curiously to one side for a moment and the sclera of her eyes flickered at impossible speeds for several seconds, ¡°Yes, yes they can, Great One,¡± Sebet replied with a small degree of surprise.


    ¡°Why do you sound surprised?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Well...I knew my Contracts could break Enslavement in exchange for a certain price, Great One,¡± Sebet explained carefully, ¡°But I had not anticipated the cost to be so...small...¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Now I was truly curious.


    ¡°A combination of factors, Great One,¡± Sebet replied almost automatically before flinching again, ¡°Apologies...A significant factor in the discretion of Contract negotiation is determined by negotiating authority. Ruling over my own Faction...It is a powerful asset in this regard. As is my elevation to Overlord and my Evolution, Great One.¡±


    I nodded and motioned for Sebet to continue.


    ¡°And of course, this hypothetical contract would be negotiated with your direct approval and support?¡± Sebet assumed, ¡°Allowing access to a form of your own Abilities to facilitate the Contract.¡±


    ¡°What about breaking Enslavement and teleporting the signatories over large distances?¡± I asked, earning a shocked gasp from Lash.


    Lash was just as aware of the Dwergi¡¯ plight as I was, perhaps more so, and she had been privy to the same conversation I had been. It would have been strange if she hadn¡¯t guessed at my intentions when I all but spelled it out.


    ¡°The costs would increase depending on distance...¡± Sebet hedged warily, ¡°Assuming I have the cooperation of the Daemon Ril, the cost could be kept manageable...¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I ignored Suzy¡¯s energetic but futile attempts at mauling my finger with her teeth, ¡°One last thing though, Sebet. Can Contracts be paid in advance?¡±


    ***** Clarice - Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Sanctuary *****


    Tasked by Wraithe to keep an eye on the strange shapechanger, Clarice had spent a couple of days showing Sebet around Sanctuary and explaining things. She normally wouldn¡¯t have been so forthcoming, but Clarice found Sebet surprisingly easy to get along with.


    However, Sebet¡¯s sudden request to meet with Tim had thrown Clarice somewhat. Not because she had requested a meeting, but because Tim had accepted despite spending time with his family.


    Tim¡¯s tone throughout the meeting had been...dangerous...like Sebet had been treading on thin ice from the moment she intruded upon Tim¡¯s private time. Clarice could tell Tim wasn¡¯t pleased by her grovelling either and made a point of telling Sebet so afterwards.


    Clarice was painfully aware sometimes of how much of a charmed position she held with Tim in regards to the whole Empire thing. As a friend, she knew she could get away with basically whatever she wanted, within certain limits, and that Tim preferred it that she used that privilege to remain informal.


    However, Clarice could also understand that Tim couldn¡¯t just forgo the formalities entirely either. All the pomp and ceremony were annoying, but the co-opted and cannibalised traditions provided a certain level of defence for his family.


    ¡°You believe I am too formal with the Great One in private?¡± Sebet asked in response to Clarice¡¯s earlier criticisms.


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Clarice agreed, relieved that Sebet finally seemed to understand, ¡°All that Great One and Majesty stuff is fine, just don¡¯t overdo it in private, yeah?¡±


    Sebet gnawed at her pouty lips for a moment and then nodded, ¡°I will take your advice,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°Good,¡± Clarice sighed, ¡°Tim hates that stuff, gets him all wound up. You will see that he¡¯s pretty relaxed about it here, even with the stuffed shirts from the Asrus Kingdom.¡±


    Sebet frowned slightly, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Clarice confirmed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t do away with it entirely, but he reserves all that formal nonsense for out there where the fancy pants can see it.¡±


    Sebet stared at her sidelong with her crimson eyes for a handful of seconds before sighing and shaking her head, ¡°I suppose that makes sense. It¡¯s just...he¡¯s not quite what I expected...¡± Sebet admitted quietly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Clarice asked curiously and then abruptly narrowed her eyes accusingly, ¡°This isn¡¯t about the whole Ogre thing, is it?! Because you can stop that shit right now! Tim HATES that.¡±


    Sebet seemed confused, ¡°What? No, not that, although that was...unexpected...¡±


    ¡°Then what are you talking about?¡± Clarice demanded, unwilling to let her off the hook so easily.


    ¡°Well...¡± Sebet shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I was speaking of his true nature...¡±


    Clarice stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Sebet warily, ¡°True nature? What do you mean?¡± She asked guardedly.


    Sebet pursed her lips for a moment and seemed unsure of herself. She made a show of looking around them before leaning in close to Clarice¡¯s ear. ¡°His position as a Lord of the Labyrinths, and all that entails,¡± Sebet whispered, her hot breath and close proximity causing Clarice to become somewhat flustered.


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Clarice lied, unwilling to divulge Tim¡¯s complicated position as a human in a monster¡¯s body.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Sebet observed with mild amusement.


    ¡°W-What?!¡± Clarice stammered in surprise, ¡°H-How-urk, no I¡¯m not.¡±


    Sebet looked thoroughly unconvinced. ¡°The Great One, Tim, is an instrument of great change,¡± she explained quietly, ¡°And I thought that meant a campaign of death and destruction to create something new from the ashes...However, as I said, he is not what I expected.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± Clarice swore and felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she realised how great an impact her past decisions had shaped the present.


    Sebet¡¯s expression shifted again and grew curious, ¡°Interesting...¡± She stepped back out of Clarice¡¯s personal space and appeared to carefully consider the entrance to Tim¡¯s cave.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Clarice barked uncomfortably, ¡°You are not barging in on them again!¡±


    Sebet raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at her in reply but said nothing.


    Clarice scowled and pointed to the lake, ¡°You need to speak with Ril, right? Well, she¡¯s probably down at the bottom of the lake amongst the tangled tree roots.¡±


    Sebet seemed surprised, ¡°In the lake? You are certain?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely,¡± Clarice replied, ¡°She rarely leaves the water so long as she can help it.¡±


    Sebet nodded her head thoughtfully, ¡°Yes, I can see why,¡± she agreed with an amused smirk, ¡°The air is positively brimming with mana, but the water is saturated in it. Assuming one had the patience, all they would need to do is wait in order to grow in power.¡±


    ¡°Wait...what?¡± Clarice asked nervously, ¡°You can get stronger just from being around mana?¡±


    Sebet gave her an amused look and tilted her head so her long dark hair shifted away from the shaved left side, exposing an intricate tattoo in the process, ¡°Of course,¡± Sebet replied with a hint of incredulity, ¡°Why would consuming manastones be so different?¡±


    Clarice had never really thought about it, so she didn¡¯t have an answer.


    Sebet drew closer again and leaned uncomfortably close, ¡°There are many means to take in mana,¡± she purred, locking with Clarice, ¡°Some are faster, others more painful and dangerous...¡± Sebet paused and smirked as she narrowed her eyes in a predatory fashion, ¡°I could show you...¡± Sebet¡¯s fingers began to slowly wrap themselves around Clarice¡¯s throat and applied the faintest hint of pressure.


    Clarice baulked and stumbled backward, tripping over her own feet and landing arse first in the shallows. Drenched from head to toe, Clarice¡¯s cheeks remained flushed in spite of the cooling effects of the water. Angry and confused, Clarice staggered awkwardly to her feet and glared at Sebet while nervously rubbing at her neck. The shapechanger had done something to her, Clarice was sure of it. She just didn¡¯t know what.


    Sebet stared at her with hungry, downright predatory eyes, and Clarice felt a sudden rush of excitement and a medley of other emotions too complicated to process. ¡°Is this a no?¡± Sebet asked breathily, her chest working hard despite a lack of physical activity, ¡°Or is this just part of the game?¡± She licked her lips hungrily.


    Before Clarice could even attempt to form a response, Sebet¡¯s attention abruptly shifted toward the centre of the lake.


    Briefly closing her eyes, Sebet released a deep regretful sigh, ¡°Another time perhaps?¡± She suggested with a grin before striding past Clarice and diving into the lake.


    Dirty, soaking wet, embarrassed and thoroughly confused, it took Clarice several minutes before she felt confident enough to even attempt reflecting upon what had happened, and several more minutes to go looking for a fresh set of clothes.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 54 – Champions of Tyranny – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 54 ¨C Champions of Tyranny ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 54 - Champions of Tyranny - Part One


    True to my expectations, it didn¡¯t take Gregory long to return with the candidates for the Asrusians'' covert annexation initiative. Many of the candidates would likely be part of the overall team or teams involved and would share a certain degree of responsibility for safeguarding Blackthorn. However, somebody would ultimately have to claim responsibility for carrying Blackthorn itself. Which meant I needed to determine how to select the right candidate.


    It was difficult to determine whether acquiring more land or snubbing their enemies was a greater motivating factor, but it ultimately didn¡¯t make much of a difference either way. I was just as interested in acquiring more territory for similar reasons.


    To comfortably accommodate the current Human population, I estimated that I would need another twenty or so floors worth of territory.


    Even if I artificially implemented a two-child per household limit through my authority as Tyrant, the Humans would still likely become discontent over a perceived lack of room to grow. More than that, I wanted enough room so that towns and villages would be seen as viable alternatives to the cities.


    Concentrated populations had their benefits, but there were a number of significant downsides as well. One of my greatest fears was that the cities would generate and spread diseases faster than the Surgeons could viably treat and eliminate them.


    Assuming they could be treated and eliminated...


    Contrary to my initial expectations, half of the soldiers Gregory put forward for my inspection were not intended as candidates for carrying Blackthorn. They weren¡¯t technically soldiers either. They were mercenaries.


    Strictly speaking, they were former adventurers who had agreed to sign on as ¡®cover¡¯ for the actual soldiers in exchange for payment. To me, that made them mercenaries.


    I had to give Gregory credit for going the extra mile. It no doubt would have been rather suspicious for a large number of combat classes associated with soldiers to enter a Labyrinth all at once, let alone a foreign city.


    The wide range of ethnicities represented amongst the adventurers and a few of the soldiers was probably quite deliberate for similar reasons.


    I also assumed that the soldiers would be outfitted with more eclectic equipment to better disguise themselves, but I could understand why they had arrived in uniform.


    Technically, despite the clandestine nature of the operation, the soldiers had an immense degree of pride in representing their military and nation. It was also likely the last time they would have the opportunity to wear their official uniform for a long time.


    ¡°Majesty, these are our most qualified candidates,¡± Gregory pointed to three soldiers who had separated from the larger group.


    The soldiers in question, two men and one woman, all in their late thirties or early forties, each gave a crisp salute and stood at attention. Both men had short cropped dark brown hair that emphasised the gathering grey hairs at their temples while the woman¡¯s pixie cut was streaked with grey throughout.


    All three soldiers were roughly the same height with the woman being only an inch or so shorter and somewhat slimmer in overall build. While most soldiers in the Asrusian army were quite fit and had a strong build, Gregory¡¯s three candidates were all several steps beyond that level.


    A cursory glance at their Status information confirmed my suspicions almost immediately. All three candidates were Knights. The Advanced Class required rigorous training in multiple fields of martial weapons and combat in general. Given their age, and the sheer amount of time and expense involved in training to become a Knight, this meant that the three candidates were all most likely members of the Asrusian nobility or their trusted retainers


    There were younger Knights cropping up with each passing day, thanks to the quests I had constructed to coach the populace on acquiring their desired Classes. However, the quests were functionally full of shortcuts and I could tell just by looking at them that the candidates had done things the hard way and reaped all the benefits for it.


    ¡°Ser Heath Ainsley, Ser Faine Ainsley, and Ser Jayne Ainsley,¡± Gregory announced by means of introduction, motioning to each Knight in turn for the second time, ¡°They are cousins, Majesty,¡± he added with a small smile, ¡°Branch members of House Ainsley, a family of unimpeachable loyalty and commitment to the kingdom.¡±


    I had already seen their information and was aware of the shared family name, but I appreciated the context all the same.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± I ordered, leading the Ainsley''s and Gregory through Sanctuary proper and toward the training grounds.


    As usual, the training grounds were a hive of activity. Sanctuary¡¯s abundance of resources allowed for a large amount of ¡®leisure time¡¯ for most people. It was common for just about everyone to spend at least an hour or two on any given day at the training grounds. Former Slaves frequented the training grounds with particular dedication, and I couldn¡¯t blame them for it.


    Passing by the open training area, it didn¡¯t take long at all for a large crowd to begin following behind us.


    Sanctuary had a number of sources of entertainment, but they were all rather...simple, in nature. The most popular form of public entertainment was the arena.


    Given the trio of strangers in tow and my heading, it hadn¡¯t taken the locals much time at all to figure out what I had in mind. Or a close approximation of it anyway.


    The arena had an unofficial official reservation list, but I wasn¡¯t particularly worried about it. One of the perks of being a Tyrant was that I could have small allowances made without ruffling too many feathers.


    The structure of the arena itself was an odd blend of stone and plant life. A stone ramp encircled the recessed arena floor and spiralled upward, connecting three rings at different levels. The three rings each supported a number of platforms that allowed an unobstructed view of the arena below. The moulded stone of the arena was supported by the twisting branches of a dozen trees that provided shade for spectators and combatants alike.


    Cutting to the front of the queue, I took a few moments to appraise the match currently in progress.


    Four teams of twenty members each were competing in a game of Capture The Flag. Only instead of snatching ribbons to disqualify an opponent, the competitors were following Sanctuary¡¯s rule of five. Taking five direct hits temporarily eliminated a participant from the game. Most gladiatorial-style matches followed the same general rule with the exception that the combatant was eliminated outright instead of temporarily.


    Large-scale matches were the most popular for participants and spectators alike, although for slightly different reasons. The participants received Exp rewards based on difficulty, and the easiest means of increasing difficulty was to increase the number of participants. Levels and Tier of Evolution played a big role as well, but no one particularly seemed to mind competing against stronger opponents due to the difficulty of ramping up the Exp rewards for losing.


    ¡°This is?...¡± Gregory seemed intrigued, watching the progress of a nimble Goblin wearing a Blue bandana ducking, weaving, leaping and scrambling through the obstacle-ridden arena floor with the red team''s flag.


    ¡°Capture The Flag. It¡¯s a wargame, of sorts,¡± I explained casually, ¡°The aim is to seize the enemy flag while keeping your own. Returning the enemy flag to your base earns a point, and the team with the most points, or reaches a predetermined value first, wins.¡±


    ¡°And the ones leaving the field?¡± Gregory asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s the rule to simulate serious injury so they don¡¯t have to beat one another unconscious,¡± I motioned toward two Orcs from opposing teams who were fiercely parrying one another¡¯s blows, ¡°Five solid hits and you have to leave the field for the agreed upon time. Otherwise, you forfeit your share of the Exp.¡±


    ¡°This earns Exp?¡± Now Gregory was really interested.


    ¡°It does,¡± I confirmed with a smirk, ¡°It uses the quest-issuing system to establish rules and dictate rewards based on difficulty.¡±


    The match took a while to reach a conclusion, demonstrating that the teams had been relatively well-balanced from a competitive standpoint. Watching the teams leave the arena floor provided a good opportunity to appreciate how well the different Species were collaborating with one another and integrating into Sanctuary life.


    ¡°Our turn now,¡± I waved Gregory and the Ainsley''s forward and descended onto the arena floor. ¡°Whoever is going to safeguard one of Sanctuary¡¯s Artefacts should understand that I expect them to lay down their life if it means keeping it from our enemies. I don¡¯t doubt that Gregory already told you as much already and that you confirmed you understood.¡±


    The three Ainsleys silently nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the strongest candidate to carry the Artefact,¡± I clarified, earning a curious look from Gregory, ¡°I want the candidate who is best able to keep the Artefact from anyone who would try to take it from them.¡±


    I shifted one of the visiting Kobolds in the crowd into my retinue so I could benefit from the Synergy, and then set about Summoning projections of each of the Ainsley''s. I made sure to take my time, giving the three Knights the opportunity to acclimate to what was happening, as well as ensuring that the projections each had enough mana. By the time I was finished, nine armoured projections stood opposite their original selves.


    Each group of projections wore surcoats of different primary colours to their fellows, clearly dividing them into three different teams.


    ¡°When your projection is destroyed, its accumulated experiences will implant themselves in your mind and become your own memories,¡± I began to explain and could tell by the look in Gregory¡¯s eyes that he had very likely guessed at what I intended to do, ¡°That means every instance of pain, fear and desperation they experience will become your own. Even the experience of death itself...¡± I paused for dramatic effect, ¡°So before we go any further, I will ask you this. Are you prepared to die to protect the Artefact?¡±


    Jayne was the first to react, dropping to one knee and bowing her head, ¡°I would give my life to safeguard Asrus, her people, and Sanctuary!¡± She declared zealously.


    Heath and Faine were only a half second behind their cousin in declaring the same.


    Their projections all stood somewhat taller, somehow managing to square their shoulders more than they already had been.


    ¡°Just to be clear, this test will be unfair by design. I want to see how well you will fare when the deck is stacked against you. After all, our enemies are not likely to play fair.¡± I began Summoning a horde of generic soldiers, lesser versions of the three Knights, and three more projections. ¡°These projections will be tasked with devising strategies to defeat your other projections.¡±


    ¡°To represent an enemy that has performed at least some level of meaningful reconnaissance?¡± Gregory guessed with an appreciative nod of understanding.


    ¡°Or something to that effect, yes,¡± I agreed, ¡°And everyone had the benefits of the combined Synergies since I doubt that particular advantage will remain ours indefinitely. The rules are simple. The owner of the last mace to be returned to the enemy base is the winner. Gregory will ensure the enemy team coordinates and prosecutes its mission to the best of their ability. And leaving the arena grounds is an automatic failure. You are free to make use of the terrain and equipment as you see fit.¡±


    I conjured three magical maces from Sanctuary¡¯s treasury and gave one to a different projection from each team before sending the teams to different bases used in the previous match of Capture The Flag.


    After sending the Gregory and the Summons that would be taking the role of the enemy to the fourth base, I made my way up to the first ring and conjured a large pile of food. With fuel to power more rapid replenishment of my mana, I began Summoning a steady stream of additional soldiers to reinforce the enemy team. I didn¡¯t expect the generic soldiers to last particularly long in a fight, so I didn¡¯t give them much mana, prioritising quantity instead of risking mana when it had a good chance of being wasted.


    Fain, Heath and Jayne had followed Gregory initially but had either been sent away or otherwise decided to follow after me instead.


    Gregory and the fourth team of projections made it abundantly clear from the beginning that they were not messing around. Instead of dividing their forces, they encircled the red team base with their entire force and then began their attack.


    As I had expected, the Knights¡¯ projections battered and carved their way determinedly through the rank-and-file soldiers with brutal efficiency. Glad I had saved the mana, I cut the amount of mana for each new soldier by a full two-thirds. The reinforcements were gathered into squads and thrown at the Knights as readily as they were made available in sufficient numbers.


    Slowly but surely, the Knights were worn down and pressured into giving up the prime defensive ground.


    Despite their similar builds, each of the Knights had different preferences in personal tactics and weaponry.


    At first glance, Randle¡¯s preference for using a large shield and one handed weapon appeared to be to the Red team''s advantage. Unfortunately, as time passed it became apparent that Randle was more offensively inclined than his cousins and that his choice in using a shield was a part of his aggressive combat style.


    While Randle laid about himself with his own flanged mace, not the one he was meant to be protecting, his shield covered his left side as the opposing soldiers attempted to swarm him.


    Weathering scattered volleys of arrows, Randle¡¯s aggression soon proved to be the red team¡¯s downfall.


    While Randle¡¯s shield afforded him the additional protection required to leave cover behind, Faine and Jayne were not so lucky.


    Armed with a halberd and two-handed sword respectively, Randle¡¯s cousins were forced to rely almost entirely on their armour to weather the opportunistic skirmishing of their ranged opponents. As the number of Archers reached a critical mass, all three Knights were forced back into cover but not before an arrow found its way past the armour protecting Jayne¡¯s knee.


    With her mobility severely impaired, Jayne became the weak link of the trio and the enemy leveraged her lack of mobility against the others almost immediately. A mass assault separated Jayne from the others. Unable to efficiently counter so many opponents or retreat, she was brought down by the sheer weight of numbers.


    The real Jayne staggered as the memories of her fallen projection asserted themselves on her mind.


    It was my first time witnessing the phenomenon in someone who wasn¡¯t a Daemon, so I was particularly curious about how it would affect her.


    Contrary to my expectations, although admittedly I should have anticipated it, Jayne shook off the experience of her violent death while expressing nothing more than intense disappointment.


    ¡°I failed, sorry cousin,¡± Jayne apologised ruefully to Randle.


    Randle supportively rested his hand on her shoulder and shook his head, ¡°No, cousin. It was clearly because of my overzealousness...The fault is mine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Faine agreed neutrally without looking away from the ongoing and increasingly desperate melee. ¡°I must say that I am appreciating the unique change in perspective,¡± he continued conversationally, earning curious looks from his cousins. ¡°Well, look,¡± Faine pointed to his projection who was in the process of impaling a Summoned soldier with the spike on the end of his halberd, ¡°You see that? My timing was off and now I¡¯m going to take a hit from that Swordsman rushing me from the rear right flank.¡±


    Sure enough, a Summoned soldier closed behind Faine¡¯s projection and struck Faine on the back before being knocked down a second later as Faine swept about himself with the stave of his halberd.


    ¡°See?¡± Faine repeated, ¡°I should have gone for a sweeping strike to begin with. I¡¯m sure I should have seen him coming, so going for the kill on the first one was a mistake.¡±


    Of the three, Faine¡¯s projection was the one with the least ¡®kills¡¯ due to the limitations of efficiently bringing his polearm to bear while being mobbed from all sides. More often than not, his projection resorted to bludgeoning and battering down his opponents in a desperate attempt to maintain his position and bring the more lethal end of his weapon into play.


    ¡°And now they¡¯ve separated us,¡± Randle sighed irritably as the Summoned soldiers lured and swarmed his projection away and into an ambush.


    Rushed from all sides, Randle briefly disappeared beneath a mass of Summoned limbs before violently reappearing moments later and brutally bludgeoning a half dozen Summoned soldiers out of existence in as many seconds.


    ¡°And now it¡¯s over...¡± Jayne observed with a wince and pointed toward a Summoned Swordsman that was fleeing the carnage at full speed.


    Both Randle and Faine¡¯s projections were too hard-pressed to notice the fleeing soldier, and wouldn¡¯t have been able to pursue him even if they had.


    As the soldier reached the enemy base, I dismissed the red team¡¯s projections.


    ¡°Majesty, we offer our sincere regrets and apology for our failure,¡± Jayne stated bitterly.


    While my attention had been elsewhere, the three Knights had all fallen to one knee and were hanging their heads in shame.


    ¡°Failure was inevitable,¡± I reminded them, ¡°How and why is more important. This test is not to determine your worthiness in and of itself, but to determine who is best suited to safeguard the Artefact.¡±


    The three Knights remained silent but the ominous tension began to dissipate almost immediately.


    Objectively, the red team exceeded my expectations. Between the three of them, they had disabled and dispatched around a hundred Summoned soldiers while being shot at by half as many more Archers, Slingers and Crossbowmen before the trial ended.


    Considering the Summons all had the same Synergies, and that they were all ¡®just¡¯ Humans, they had done far better than I had expected. In fact, they had done better than I would have done in their place.


    One of the distinct disadvantages of growing larger was that it made me an increasingly easy target. While I could, and did, wear thicker armour that would shrug off certain attacks, the inherent weak points in said armour became more obvious and available at a larger scale. There was also the issue of energy generated by concussive force transferring and passing through the armour.


    I winced as I recalled being bludgeoned half to death by stones hurled by Goblin slings.


    In stark contrast to the overall performance of the red team, the blue team exacted a much greater toll on the Summoned soldiers before eventually succumbing to their accumulated wounds.


    Randle¡¯s aggression and defensive armament played to their advantage as he left his cousins behind to launch counterattacks on the otherwise undefended Archers. With the ranged enemies subdued, Jayne was free to viciously execute the approaching soldiers piecemeal, and Faine was able to knock down, delay, or kill any soldiers that made it past her.


    Faine had been the last one left standing. Considering he had been the one charged with holding the stand-in for the Artefact, it was a rather commendable result.


    The yellow team did better than the red team but not quite as well as the blue team. Faine wasn¡¯t quite as well suited to intercepting so many enemies simultaneously as his cousin Jayne had been. He had been able to temporarily incapacitate more of them but had struggled with eliminating them outright. This had eventually resulted in Faine being overwhelmed and leaving Jayne to fend for herself while Randle continued harassing the Archers.


    Randle could have retreated, but it would have probably resulted in them being overwhelmed sooner rather than later. After watching the effects of disrupting the Archers in the previous trial, it was made obvious that it was a rather important component in dragging out the engagement and exacting a higher toll on the enemy.


    Technically, Faine or Jayne could have taken Randle¡¯s place in harassing the enemy Archers, but they just didn¡¯t seem to have the temperament for it. Neither of them were by any means timid, but Faine was rather doggedly territorial and defensive, while Jayne¡¯s temperament seemed to alternate between the two.


    The three Knights seemed to be holding up rather well despite suffering violent deaths multiple times over and were deeply engrossed in a conversation about appropriate tactics and strategy.


    For their part, the audience seemed to have greatly enjoyed the sheer violence doomed defiance of the spectacle. Given the normal limitations imposed upon the combatants and the knowledge that the Romans and other civilisations had long traditions of combat-oriented entertainment for a reason, I didn¡¯t find it all that surprising.


    I could only wonder how long it would take people to realise that they could have combatants face off against wild Beasts without breaking Snactuary¡¯s laws and their sworn oaths. I was actually somewhat surprised someone hadn¡¯t made use of the loophole already.


    Gregory made his way up from the arena floor and joined them shortly afterward. ¡°Was everything as intended, Majesty?¡± He asked somewhat nervously. No doubt worried whether his efforts in prosecuting the Knights had been overzealous and disproven their worthiness as candidates to begin with.


    If I hadn¡¯t deliberately provided the means to abuse the trio¡¯s weaknesses, then Gregory might have had something to worry about.


    ¡°According to my expectations, yes,¡± I agreed while clarifying the question. ¡°As I said before we started, failure was guaranteed. How they failed, and why, was what is important.¡±


    Gregory pursed his lips and nodded.


    ¡°For Humans, I think they did as best as could be expected of them. Better even,¡± I added, trying not to sound speciesist, ¡°You had insider information on how to exploit their weaknesses and they still managed to hold you off for a considerable amount of time.¡±


    ¡°So they have met with your approval then?¡± Gregory asked hesitantly.


    I considered the three Knights for a moment and then nodded, ¡°They proved their willingness to die while protecting the Artefact, and that was my primary concern.¡± It hadn¡¯t been, but it sounded more impressive and a little less psychotic than, ¡°How many people can they take down with them?¡±


    The overwhelming majority of my Class Abilities were passive and oriented toward empowering or lending power to my subordinates. This trend had continued with the latest handful of Abilities, and even the active Ability was still mostly passive in nature.


    Vested Authority already allowed anyone with a Promotion a certain degree of my Authority as a Lord of the Labyrinths. This only really allowed them to assign a storage location for donation quests and for personally retrieving items, since I retained full control over everything else. All the same, it was somewhat convenient logistically, so I hadn¡¯t complained about it taking up one of my Class Abilities.


    A far more recent Ability, that I had gained only after returning to Sanctuary, was The Tyrant¡¯s Fists. The Ability allowed me to share a single Class Ability with a small number of Qualified Subordinates. Basically any Lord or Overseer. It also allowed me to look through their eyes in exchange for a drain in mana that scaled depending on the distance.


    ¡°Are you prepared to begin your journey anew?¡± I asked, directing my focus toward Jayne, Randle and Faine.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± Randle asked, seeming not to understand the question.


    ¡°A Promotion would reset your levels,¡± I explained bluntly.


    The three cousins shared a brief moment to glance at one another before nodding determinedly, ¡°We are ready to serve as your Majesty deems fit,¡± Raine declared stoic determination.


    With their consent confirmed, I bestowed each of them with a Promotion to Underlord and granted each of them one of my own Class Abilities through The Tyrant¡¯s Fists.


    With Faine as my choice for protecting Blackthorn, I gave him the Honour Guard Ability, allowing him to nominate Subordinates as Bodyguards that would receive enhanced Momentum and Reaction Speed when acting to protect him from danger. The Ability had upgraded since the last time I used it to assign Lash¡¯s Bodyguards and now provided increased Damage Reduction as well. Which was a nice upgrade.


    Jayne would receive Noble Heraldry so Faine¡¯s Bodyguards and any other Subordinates in her vicinity would gain the Endurance Ability. Her preference for alternating between offence and defence would ensure that she would be seen by allied forces more often than Randle would be in most instances. Or at least that is how I rationalised it.


    Randle was a somewhat tricky choice. His aggressive combat tendencies would make Thundering Strikes a good choice for personal empowerment, but that would only last as long as he had mana to burn. Keeping in line with the passive selection of the other two candidates, I eventually settled on Inspiring Presence. With the constant benefit of warding all allies against Fear and Terror, Randle¡¯s aggression would generate additional Momentum for any allies or Subordinates that witnessed him deliver a killing blow.


    It wasn¡¯t until I was finished selecting the Abilities that I realised I should have investigated what Abilities they had gained through their new Classes first. Thankfully, the process had all been performed in my head, so no one was any the wiser.


    As I should have expected, all three of the former Knights had unlocked the same new Class.Tyrant¡¯s Champion. I wondered if perhaps my intentions or use of The Tyrant¡¯s Fists had played a role in the selection process. I didn¡¯t notice straight away, but it was also one of the first custom Classes without a Species prefix either.


    Similarly, instead of possessing the Eminence or Pillager Abilities split amongst the other Custom Classes, they all had the Enforcer Ability instead.


    The Enforcer Ability was brutally straightforward. Enforcer allowed the Tyrant¡¯s Champions to make an example of someone as an intimidation tactic, generating negative Conditions in enemies who witnessed the use of the Ability. The Conditions themselves seemed to be left up to the owner¡¯s discretion but encompassed everything from reducing damage dealt, to reducing Momentum, and inspiring Terror. It was functionally the opposite of Inspiring Presence but scaled in correlation to the objective ¡®strength¡¯ of the enemy being made an example of.


    Tyrant¡¯s Will was relatively straightforward as well. Their mental defences against contests of will would be increased relative to the progressive Rank of the Ability and could be increased further by actively draining mana. Draining mana would also allow them to temporarily ignore the damage dealt through the contest of will. This made them somewhat of a counter to the Artefact lodged in my own brain.


    Pyrrhic Will¡¯s Ability to flagellate the mind of anyone I entered into a contest of will with was incredibly powerful. The three Champions being able to temporarily ignore it was entirely unexpected.


    On the upside, it did open the possibility for sharing Warlord¡¯s Will and Dominating Will to proactively free Slaves without needing to train and promote more parole Officers.


    Their final starting Class Ability, Compel Confrontation, was a little strange but also incredibly mean spirited when combined with the other Class Abilities. True to its name, the Ability could be activated to compel a designated enemy to attack the user of the Ability. Anyone targeted by the Ability could engage in a contest of will to resist the Ability, but they would periodically take damage if they failed.


    In a very loose sense, Compel Confrontation was dangerously similar to Enslavement. Only, the Ability was temporary and much more limited in scope.


    Diverting Exp through the Keys of Power Ability, I was somewhat disappointed when the next few Abilities were more or less the same as the passive combat Abilities they had possessed before the abrupt change in Class.


    Making a mental note to check on their progress later, I returned my attention to my immediate surroundings.


    ¡°The Promotions are complete, and I have gifted each of you a Class Ability I feel will best suit your role in keeping Blackthorn out of our enemies¡¯ hands,¡± I explained while conjuring the Artefact into my hand. ¡°I could offer you the Summon Servant Class Ability,¡± I told Gregory, ¡°But you would need to accept a Promotion of your own.¡±


    Gregory looked profoundly conflicted, ¡°Which would mean I could receive a Custom Class if I meet the conditions,¡± he sighed defeatedly, ¡°No, I must regretfully decline, for the time being, at least,¡± Gregory apologised before wincing and straightening his expression.


    I shrugged impassively, it was his decision to make. However, it did remind me of my discussion with Sebet, ¡°Sebet may have an alternative means of rapidly returning to Sanctuary made available in the next few days. The details are still being discussed by those involved, but I would still suggest speaking with her when you have the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Sebet is?¡± Gregory¡¯s eyes glazed over slightly while accessing Sanctuary¡¯s registry, ¡°Oh! Her! Yes...well...I probably should make the time to speak with her,¡± he agreed somewhat awkwardly.


    Randel, Jayne and Faine looked at one another in obvious confusion before seeming to agree that it was not really any of their business. Which was somewhat strange since they now technically outranked Gregory.


    The Asrusians had formally recognised Promoted individuals as lesser nobility. So any Underlords, Lords, Overlords or Overseers in their Faction were afforded certain privileges alongside additional responsibilities and expectations. Many of the old nobility were scrambling to prove their heirs and scions worthy of Promotion.


    Partly to seize relatively low-hanging power, the majority of the nobles seemed genuinely motivated to cement the Kingdom¡¯s new position, and presumably, their place in it. This had created a surge in noble retinues formally joining the military alongside the young hopefuls and established military veterans of the noble houses. The Regent had been very clear on only Promoting those in the military chain of command.


    I needed to catch up with Sebet as well anyway, and the three Ainsleys would need some time to acclimate to their new Class, so I led them out of the arena and into The Grove.


    ¡°The air is so...I can¡¯t think of the words to describe it,¡± Jayne commented quietly.


    Gregory gave me a quick glance for approval before turning his attention to the others, ¡°It¡¯s the high concentration of mana,¡± he explained patiently, ¡°The Dryad¡¯s Grove draws in mana from all around and it saturates everything it comes into contact with, including the air and water.¡±


    ¡°So the Lizardmen?...¡± Faine asked curiously while motioning to the Lizardmen floating nearby in the lake.


    ¡°They are passively accumulating mana toward their next Evolution,¡± I answered before Gregory had the chance.


    All three Ainsley''s stared at the lake in wonder.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as fast as you think,¡± I cautioned them with a small grin, ¡°But it¡¯s certainly special.¡± The Grove was actually growing stronger with each chunk of territory that was added to the Demi-Plane. If it wasn¡¯t for Hana and Kohana actively shaping The Grove to contain its concentrated mana, the mana would have begun spilling out over Sanctuary and causing some minor problems.


    Tracking Sebet¡¯s location through the registry made it a rather simple matter to track her down. She was lounging and conversing with the Dryads and Angels in the knot of trees in the middle of the lake, so it took a couple of minutes for one of the Lizardmen to let Sebet know that I wanted to speak with her.


    I could have attempted to join a telepathic conversation, but doing so successfully was incredibly hit or miss depending on how preoccupied the telepath was at any given moment. With the exception of Gric, of course. He seemed fully capable of holding several separate telepathic conversations simultaneously without particular difficulty.


    Sebet wasted no time in manifesting a large pair of scaled bat-like wings and crossing over the lake. For whatever reason, she had adopted a new physical appearance. Unlike the illusion she had attempted in the dungeon, Sebet¡¯s current Abilities allowed for a similar level of transformation as Jacque¡¯s. Although, I wasn¡¯t fully certain what Jacque¡¯s limits were either.


    Her current appearance, with the exception of the wings, resembled a tall leggy european model with dark auburn hair, a long graceful neck, and pouty lips. All the same, Sebet still hadn¡¯t opted for a change in clothes. Her sarong had managed to remain anchored on her considerably slimmer hips and waist thanks to a number of thoroughly suspicious lengths of silk rope that served as a belt and allowed her to carry a long dark whip.


    Choosing to ignore Sebet¡¯s new accessories, I motioned toward Gregory and the others, ¡°Gregory will want to speak with you about the remote recall project you are working on,¡± I explained bluntly.


    Sebet¡¯s easy smile widened and took on a predatory appearance as she revealed her excessively pointed canines, ¡°Why, this is fantastic news, Great One! We were just discussing the possibility of securing volunteers!¡±


    ¡°Volunteers?¡± I asked warily, ¡°You need to test the Contracts? I thought that you would just ¡®know¡¯ the limitations or whatever.¡± I only realised after I was finished speaking that my expectations had been rather naive.


    ¡°Well...Under normal circumstances, you would be right,¡± Sebet acquiesced demurely, ¡°But it is important to note that such a cooperative effort is...rare,¡± She glanced briefly toward Faine and caught him staring at her whip, ¡°If you want a taste, you need only ask,¡± Sebet purred and suggestively gnawed at her low lip.


    Faine¡¯s right eye twitched but he otherwise managed to maintain his composure, ¡°I must regretfully decline, my Lady...¡±


    ¡°Queen,¡± Sebet corrected softly, manifesting her horns and shaping them into a thorny crown, ¡°I rule over my own Faction and will claim the title to which I am owed.¡±


    Without missing a beat, Faine knelt on one knee and bowed his head, ¡°I must respectfully decline, your Majesty,¡± he amended.


    Gregory looked somewhat concerned but remained silent.


    ¡°This is fine Sebet, but remember that I will not tolerate abuses of authority,¡± I cautioned her sternly.


    Sebet smiled nervously and nodded in understanding, ¡°As you will, Great One.¡±


    ¡°Now, what are the risks?¡± I asked, shifting the conversation back to the original subject.


    ¡°Well...I think the biggest risk is that one of the backers'' Abilities doesn¡¯t cooperate with the others as intended...¡± Sebet paused with a thoughtful expression for a few moments, ¡°The signatory might be removed from their current location, as intended, but not arrive at the desired location afterwards and instead arrive somewhere else. There is also the possibility that the payment was insufficient to cover the trip, or to even replicate the Ability in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ahem,¡± Gregory politely cleared his throat to get Sebet¡¯s attention, ¡°Does this mean that a Gateway could be created through a Contract rather than relying on individual teleportation items?¡±


    Sebet raised an eyebrow and smirked in amusement, ¡°Of course,¡± she replied glibly, ¡°Of course, the costs are appreciated with scale,¡± Sebet¡¯s eyes took on a predatory gleam.


    ¡°Manastones,¡± I interjected for Gregory¡¯s benefit, ¡°Or a temporary lien on your mana. The manastones sound like the less unpleasant option.¡±


    Gregory frowned thoughtfully and stared at Sebet and myself for a few moments before slowly nodding his head, ¡°We would be interested in this if it is possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± Sebet agreed with a smile, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be? But we still need someone brave to test the Contracts to make sure they work as intended. Would you happen to know anyone who could help?¡± She made a point of looking at Faine, Randle and Jayne.


    Jayne stared back at Sebet suspiciously while Randle and Faine looked to Gregory for leadership.


    ¡°We have a number of volunteers available,¡± Gregory hedged, apparently aware that he was in fact participating in a negotiation and had lost a considerable degree of ground that needed to be recovered, ¡°Their participation could be guaranteed for a certain degree of consideration.¡±


    Sebet¡¯s smile widened considerably, ¡°Of course, of course. Please, come join me for a short walk while we negotiate terms.¡± Her wings gave off muted crackling sounds as they folded together and disappeared into her lower back. Curiously enough, Sebet seemed determined to keep her horned crown.


    Gregory gave me an uncertain glance, centred himself, sighed and stiffly joined Sebet as she languidly strolled along the shore of the lake.


    Jayne watched Sebet¡¯s retreating form with open suspicion.


    ¡°Ah, uh, is there anything we can do for your Majesty?¡± Randle asked with a small degree of uncertainty, his attention similarly divided between myself and Sebet.


    Faine straightened his back and squared his shoulders while drifting slightly closer to his cousin, most likely out of familial solidarity.


    ¡°Not right at this moment,¡± I replied with an apologetic smile, ¡°But I think familiarising yourself with your new Abilities, and those I have given you, would be in all our best interest.¡±


    The Ainsley''s took a moment to silently confer with one another before nodding in agreement.


    ¡°However, if you like, you can spend a while here by the lakeside,¡± I offered kindly as a small form of compensation for their service, ¡°All I ask is that you continue to show respect for anyone else who is enjoying the same privilege.¡± I hadn¡¯t originally intended to add the last part, but I noticed Ophelia flying over the lake in our direction and figured a certain degree of prudence wouldn¡¯t go amiss. ¡°And if Ophelia requests a duel, you are allowed, and indeed encouraged, to refuse.¡±


    ***** Ophelia - Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Sanctuary *****


    Ophelia watched in mild disappointment as Tim left the three human soldiers behind and headed toward his cave. Assuming he was intending to spend private time with his wife and children, Ophelia redirected her attention toward the soldiers instead.


    Confident that Orphiel was still completely involved in composing his latest ballad for the scarred Dryad, Ophelia decided she would spend her own time more productively.


    The three Humans had knelt respectfully on one knee in anticipation of her arrival.


    Ophelia had never felt truly comfortable about soldiers and warriors kneeling as a sign of respect. It was entirely too similar to an expression of surrender for her tastes. A true soldier or warrior would never kneel-Unless it was to show complete unreserved support for their Tyrant.


    It took Ophelia a couple of moments to overcome the mental laggardness that accompanied an unbidden expression of her mental conditioning.


    Intended as something of a secret safeguard in case an enemy managed to take control or subvert her mind, Ophelia didn¡¯t mind its presence in her mind. In fact, she found it rather comforting, most of the time.


    Shaking the thoughts of the conditioning from her mind, so as not to accidentally provoke them further, Ophelia focused her attention on the trio of kneeling Humans.


    ¡°Greetings!¡± Ophelia beamed enthusiastically, ¡°You may rise, noble warriors! The worthy need not kneel in my presence!¡± She encouraged them.


    The two men seemed uncertain of themselves and glanced at one another while the woman rose to her feet.


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Ophelia,¡± the woman placed her hand over her heart and bowed.


    ¡°Do you want to practise swordsmanship with me?¡± Ophelia asked excitedly while trying, and failing, not to sound overly keen.


    The two men had regained their feet and looked like they were about to say something, but the woman spoke first.


    ¡°It would be my honour, my Lady,¡± she agreed respectfully, ¡°Only...¡± She hesitated, ¡°I don¡¯t have my sword with me...¡± She explained apologetically.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Ophelia¡¯s enthusiasm momentarily ebbed and then flared to life again as she had an idea, ¡°What style of sword do you prefer?¡± Ophelia asked curiously.


    The woman, Jayne, according to the registry, furrowed her brow in thought for a moment as she conceptualised her weapon of choice. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s something of a custom variation on-¡± Jayne¡¯s voice froze as Ophelia materialised a simulacrum of her weapon and offered it to her.


    Ophelia paid little mind to the small amount of Divinity expended in creating the minor magic item. Perfecting her martial prowess was a far higher priority than hoarding Divinity. ¡°Do you like it?!¡± Ophelia asked with an excited smile, ¡°The blade can regenerate if you feed it your mana! That way we can practise for hours!¡±


    The woman, Jayne, visibly hesitated for a moment, ¡°I uh...I don¡¯t quite know what to say...¡± She admitted apologetically.


    Ophelia¡¯s hopes fell.


    ¡°Such a valuable gift...¡± Jayne continued, still struggling to find the words to express her rejection in full. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ophelia braced herself.


    ¡°It would be my immense honour to accept such a valuable and prestigious gift!¡± Jayne declared loudly and bowed stiffly at the waist.


    Ophelia stared blankly for a moment while her brain struggled to keep up with her ears. ¡°You mean you will accept?¡± She asked uncertainly.


    Jayne vigorously nodded her head while staring at the sword with awe-filled eyes.


    Ophelia offered her the sword.


    Jayne gulped dryly and accepted the sword with trembling hands, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful...¡± She whispered hoarsely.


    Ophelia objectively assessed the sword and realised that she had made a few minor mistakes. It tended to happen when she was excited and didn¡¯t take the time to double-check her work.


    The wide emerald-tinged silvery crossguard was formed from braided branches sporting large thorns that could be angled to catch and lock an inattentive enemy¡¯s blade. The pommel was styled after a flower Ophelia struggled to identify off the top of her head. Lastly, the blade had a wavering edge that would enhance the swords ability to hew through exposed flesh, and the rigid magically reinforced core would ensure the blade wouldn¡¯t snap if used to arrest the charge of a multi-ton assailant.


    ¡°Does...Does it have a name?¡± Jayne asked reverently.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t give it one,¡± Ophelia replied thoughtfully, ¡°But I could, if you like?¡±


    Jayne gulped dryly again and nodded silently.


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Ophelia¡¯s attention lingered on the unidentified flower, ¡°Verdant Wave,¡± she decided, accidentally expending another small mass of Divinity in the process.


    The wavy blade of the sword took on an emerald aura.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Ophelia commented curiously, ¡°I wonder what it does?¡± She stared at it closely for a few moments, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s parasitic,¡± Ophelia declared confidently.


    The three Humans stared at her uncomprehendingly.


    ¡°The sword will feed on mana on its own, that¡¯s what the glow means,¡± Ophelia explained happily, ¡°Oh, but not yours,¡± she reassured Jayne, ¡°Not unless you find yourself on the wrong end, anyway.¡±


    ¡°It can drain an enemy¡¯s mana?...¡± Jayne croaked in shock.


    Ophelia nodded, ¡°So long as they come into contact with the blade,¡± Ophelia agreed, ¡°Right now, it¡¯s feeding on the ambient mana in the air.¡±


    Jayne¡¯s two companions stared enviously at Verdant Wave, but not in a malicious way.


    ¡°I could provide each of you with a weapon as well,¡± Ophelia offered with an inviting smile, ¡°Assuming you want to engage in some friendly sparring.¡±


    The two men shared a brief look with one another and then bowed low at the waist, ¡°It would be our honour!¡± They declared in unison and with absolute sincerity.


    Ophelia floated a few feet off the ground before managing to restrain her excitement. It had been so long since she had anyone besides Clarice to seriously practise with. Everyone else refused to continue after the first few warm-up rounds. Besides, Ophelia had been confined to The Grove after accidentally dismembering a particularly reckless young Orc.


    The fact that Ophelia had reattached the arm didn¡¯t seem to matter much to Wraithe, who had demanded Orphiel confine Ophelia to The Grove as punishment. Of course, the terms of her confinement said nothing about sparring with willing volunteers who entered The Grove.


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 54 – Champions of Tyranny – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 54 ¨C Champions of Tyranny ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 54 - Champions of Tyranny - Part Two


    Even with access to teleportation items, it took the Asrusian strike force the better part of a week to arrive at their intended destination. This was partly due to Faine requiring additional members to be recruited to the strike force as his Bodyguards.


    So long as I was taking advantage of my mana replenishment exploit and sitting in the mana-rich lake, the remote perception through the Tyrant¡¯s Champion Ability could be maintained for about two and a half hours at a time without risking running out of mana.


    The shared perception was exactly that. I couldn¡¯t read their minds or emotions and was restricted to what they could hear, see, smell and touch. This meant that my field of view and ability to hear was often restricted by the three Champion¡¯s helmets.


    Despite dressing up like low-grade adventurers, the older soldiers, including the Champions, had chosen to wear helmets to conceal their age and Asrusian ethnicity.


    I found it difficult to determine individual ethnicities, but apparently, the locals didn¡¯t have much trouble at all.


    With no shortage of Adventurer Guild documents in storage, the Champions and other strike force members had no problems gaining access to the first floor of the Trost Labyrinth.


    To avoid undue suspicion, the hundred strong members of the strike force entered the city of Trost and its Labyrinth in small groups spread out throughout the day.


    Faine, Randle and Jayne holed up inside a private room in the inn while the adventurers serving as their cover wandered around outside.


    ¡°I wish that Scavenger would arrive already,¡± Randle muttered irritably, ¡°I feel practically naked in this flimsy crap,¡± he gave his boiled leather cuirass a disparaging thump for good measure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind the armour so much,¡± Jayne replied with a wistful sigh, ¡°But it felt like I only had Verdant Wave for a few moments before having to give it up...¡±


    Randle nodded in agreement, ¡°Five days didn¡¯t feel like nearly enough.¡±


    ¡°We have a job to do,¡± Faine stated in a strained tone. Most likely intending to signal to his cousins that I was watching everything they were doing.


    Jayne and Randle both stared at Faine for a few moments, shrugged, and returned to waiting in silence.


    Leaving them to their own devices, for the time being, I visited the hospital to check on Emelia and Tobi.


    Physically, the pair had somewhat wasted away during their prolonged vegetative state. The last of the negative energies had been drained from their bodies a few days earlier, allowing them to recuperate to a certain degree. However, Emelia and Tobi had remained comatose for too long and didn¡¯t seem capable of regaining consciousness on their own.


    To that end, Wraithe had conscripted several Daemons to assist her with telepathically invading their minds.


    I had initially been against the idea, but the longer Emelia and Tobi persisted in a comatose state, their risk of developing potentially fatal disorders would exponentially increase.


    They had been making some degree of headway with Emelia, managing to make contact with her subconscious for short periods at a time. Unfortunately, Tobi was not so fortunate. Of all the survivors, Tobi had been hit the hardest and even lost a limb outright to the Liche¡¯s attack.


    ¡°It must have damaged his brain,¡± Wraithe whispered dispiritedly, ¡°We keep searching, but no matter how deep we go, we can¡¯t find anything to latch onto.¡±


    I stared at Tobi¡¯s withered frame and shock-white hair, ¡°Have you tried using bait?¡± I asked with a profound sense of reluctance.


    ¡°Bait?¡± Wraithe asked curiously, her interest piqued.


    ¡°You¡¯re fishing. More or less. So it would make sense that you would be more successful with the right kind of bait,¡± I replied obliquely, ¡°We shall try his parents first.¡±


    I concentrated on my mana and braced myself for the worst.


    *


    A tall middle-aged couple with dark hair materialised in front of me in the hospital hallway. Their heads slowly tilted upward and their eyes grew wide in fear.


    Admittedly, I should have thought things through a little better.


    ¡°Carlos and Lauretta Ashwood, I mean you no harm,¡± I stepped back and revealed the doorway to Emelia and Tobi¡¯s room.


    Before I could say a word, Lauretta bolted through the door, ¡°TOBI!¡±


    The Daemons moved away to give her space and generally attempted to appear less intimidating.


    ¡°Your son was injured fighting a powerful undead,¡± I explained soberly while Tobi¡¯s father slowly staggered after his wife. ¡°He has been provided the best medical care available but-¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t tell us where he was...¡± Carlos stated hoarsely while fighting back tears, ¡°We kept asking after him, but the soldiers just kept saying they were looking into it, or inquiries were being made on our behalf...¡± He looked down at his broken son and began to cry, ¡°With his older brother lost to us...he¡¯s all we have left...¡±


    Lauretta stared at Tobi with almost manic desperation in her eyes as she gently tried to shake him awake with stiff hands and arms, ¡°Tobi, Tobi! It¡¯s time to wake up!¡±


    ¡°Marco isn¡¯t dead,¡± I told them warily.


    Carlos looked shocked, his walrus moustache quivering in trepidation as he attempted to look me in the eye, ¡°Not dead?¡± He choked, ¡°B-b-b-but he¡¯s...¡± His voice failed.


    ¡°One of them? A Vampyr?¡± I hazarded.


    ¡°Dead...¡± Carlos whispered as a host of conflicting emotions warred across his face, ¡°Y-You...Th-the soldiers...¡± He didn¡¯t seem capable of completing his sentence aloud.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t kill him,¡± I answered truthfully, ¡°I owed Tobi that much at the very least. He is searching for the one who did this to Tobi.¡±


    ¡°When they had us tied up in the basement...They made him choose who would be taken...¡± Carlos explained with a haunted expression on his face, ¡°I...I wanted to try and stop him, b-but...¡±He glanced at his wife and then lowered his eyes, ¡°I couldn¡¯t...¡±


    My intense hatred of what Marco paled before the guilt and sympathy I felt for his parents. ¡°He didn¡¯t try to run. Marco wanted to take responsibility for what he did.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie, but it wasn¡¯t the full truth either. The events surrounding Marco¡¯s capture made things almost impossible to reduce down to a simple answer. ¡°It¡¯s like Enslavement, or so I have been told. Creatively...Choosing to interpret his orders the way he did, it likely was all he was able to do.¡± I turned my attention to Wraithe, ¡°Let me know if anything changes.¡±


    Leaving the hospital, I returned to The Grove and set about practising swimming.


    Unlike Lash and the Lizardmen who helped keep an eye on our children, I couldn¡¯t breathe water or hold my breath for particularly long periods. So swimming practice was practically mandatory if I intended to spend more time with my children.


    Most of Lash¡¯s Deep Orc Bodyguards had Evolved into Swamp Orcs solely to make themselves available in an emergency. Those who hadn¡¯t were positioned in hidden observation perches around the periphery of The Grove¡¯s interior.


    Objectively, I knew that the probability of an enemy being capable of invading my Demi-Plane was practically non-existent. However, the added security made me feel much more at ease.


    Late in the evening, the Champions and greater strikeforce began to move.


    Joined by an Apprentice Earth Mage and a Scavenger, Faine, Randle and Jayne had begun swapping out their generic adventuring equipment for recovered armour and weapons from the Golden Boar mercenary company.


    Staring at the communication device in Randle¡¯s free hand, the five of them waited for the signal.


    Minutes passed by in tense silence, and then the light of the communication device began to flicker.


    ¡°We¡¯re on,¡± Randle grunted grimly as he stowed the communication device and withdrew a nasty-looking club from his belt.


    Jayne was holding a large bladed sword by the door and nodded, ¡°Remember, no Asrusian,¡± she insisted in a strange accent and then opened the door.


    Two other teams wearing the same uniform had already left their rooms and were quietly descending the stairs ahead of them.


    Descending the stairs revealed two more teams already in the process of tying up the innkeeper and a host of unconscious adventurers splayed out drunkenly on the floor and their respective tables.


    Without saying a word, the Champions¡¯ team left the inn and headed straight for the guild office where another team of undercover soldiers were waiting for them.


    Randle gave the other team a firm nod and motioned toward the main door to the guild office.


    A tall woman from the other team, most likely their leader, nodded and slowly began turning the door handle. She held up her free hand and began counting down from five with her fingers. The moment she reached zero, the woman yanked the door wide and her team rushed through into the guild office.


    There was a muffled shriek, most likely from one of the counter staff.


    The Champions¡¯ team entered the building shortly afterwards. However, instead of lingering in the lobby and assisting the other team, they headed straight for the back rooms. Passing a pair of terrified staff members, they continued through the back rooms to the stairs and made their way down into the basement.


    Once everyone was clear, the Scavenger retrieved a solid wooden bar from his extradimensional space and fitted it into special mounting hooks. Effectively locking the door firmly shut.


    Continuing into the basement, the Champions passed by rows of empty cages and continued toward a seemingly bare wall.


    ¡°I got this,¡± the Apprentice Earth Mage grunted and pressed both palms against the wall. Closing his eyes and humming loudly, he slowly began moving his hands over the brickwork. ¡°Found it!¡± He gave a perfectly unassuming brick a hard shove with both hands.


    The brick barely moved, but it seemed sufficient enough all the same.


    A large panel of the brick wall slowly began grinding backward, revealing a second set of stairs that descended deeper underground.


    Unlike the basement, the newly revealed stairs were completely unlit, so the Scavenger withdrew a lantern and moved to the front of the group.


    Descending the stairs, the poor air quality made it abundantly clear that no one had entered in a very long time. All the same, the Asrusians continued their descent with absolute confidence.


    Reaching the bottom of the stairs revealed a large door of petrified wood and mildly corroded iron bands and hinges.


    ¡°One moment, ¡°I¡¯ll check for traps,¡± the Apprentice Earth Mage volunteered before repeating his earlier actions used in locating the hidden entrance. Only this time, he pressed both hands against the floor instead. ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything amiss,¡± he declared somewhat disappointedly before backing away from the door, ¡°But our objective is definitely on the other side.¡±


    Randle moved forward and kicked the door in, snapping the bolt of the lock and revealing the chamber beyond.


    Almost completely barren, the chamber held only one object of interest. A statue of a terrified scantily clad young woman stood atop a wide plinth with her head turned aside and arms raised in an attempt to shield herself from an unknown danger.


    ¡°The plinth is what we are after,¡± the Apprentice Earth Mage pointed beneath the statue.


    Approaching the statue revealed an almost impossible degree of detail. Even the woman¡¯s dress had fine threads and seams.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it out of the way,¡± the Scavenger volunteered quietly and placed one hand on the right arm of the statue.


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t understand...¡± The Scavenger whispered hoarsely, ¡°It should have worked!¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s too heavy?¡± the Apprentice Earth Mage suggested, ¡°It has to weigh at least half a ton.¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps you have reached the limit of your Ability?¡± Jayne suggested helpfully.


    ¡°No,¡± the Scavenger determinedly shook his head, ¡°I have loads of space left. The only things that should stop my Ability are when the object is in immediate possession of someone else. Like when they are holding onto it. Or...Oh no...¡± The Scavenger retreated slightly and made a gagging sound.


    ¡°What is it?!¡± Faine demanded while casting his eyes about the room for signs of danger.


    Already quite familiar with the Ability myself, I felt my stomach clench in anger and revulsion.


    ¡°I can¡¯t store a person...¡± The Scavenger explained weakly.


    Muted curses echoed through the chamber as each member of the team expressed their disgust and outrage.


    ¡°Well we still need to remove it-I mean her, so we can destroy the Totem,¡± Randle insisted, stowing his club and setting aside his shield.


    Jayne nodded in agreement and set aside her sword.


    The Scavenger materialised a large pile of canvas and ropes, ¡°You should be able to set her down on this,¡± He hurriedly set about shifting the canvas and ropes to better support the statue.


    Between the two of them, Randle and Jayne managed to dislodge the statue from the plinth and lay it down on the canvas and ropes.


    With the statue now out of the way, the Scavenger gave each member of the team a sledge or splitting chisel.


    I wasn¡¯t fully convinced that the plinth was a Totem. There was still a relatively high chance that it was just a powerful Ward. So far as I was aware, none of the other footholds had reacted similarly to the Goblin Raid when I Conquered them.


    But perhaps that was the difference.


    Thus far, I hadn¡¯t been forced to defend my territory. Furthermore, the territory I had taken from the Liche in Mournbrent¡¯s Labyrinth had been a straightforward affair as well.


    So why were they wasting time removing the enemy Totem? If indeed that is what it was.


    Making a mental note to ask Gregory that very question, I watched the Champions¡¯ team systematically take apart the plinth one blow at a time. Even with the correct tools for the job, it was slow going.


    On a whim, I decided to try something.


    Despite the arduous labour, all five Humans fell silent upon hearing the chime.


    Currently limited to Faine¡¯s perspective, it took a few moments for him to confirm the generic male Mountain Orc Spearman in their midst.


    Without being asked, the Mountain Orc picked up a sledgehammer and began aggressively hammering at the plinth.


    Interesting...


    I had attempted to Summon Gorik, one of the Mountain Orc residents of Sanctuary. As best I could tell, I had only succeeded in using a lesser version of the Ability.


    Momentarily distancing myself from Faine¡¯s perception, I was disappointed to find that the mana cost had been considerably greater than I had anticipated. At a rough guess, the Lesser Summoning had cost five times more than the Summoning I had intended.


    ¡°Did anyone tell you that...ahem, HE, could do that?¡± Jayne asked curiously.


    Faine and Randle both shook their heads and continued watching the Mountain Orc for a few moments before getting back to work.


    ¡°The Synergies make it much easier going,¡± the Apprentice Earth Mage commented happily, ¡°I just wish I was a proper Earth Mage...This sort of thing would be no problem.¡±


    ¡°You found the door,¡± Jayne replied supportively, ¡°That was far more important. Besides, this is nothing a little extra effort won¡¯t solve.


    The Mountain Orc grunted in agreement without breaking his rhythm.


    After about half an hour, the plinth was reduced to a pile of loose rubble and the obelisk Totem of Sanctuary stood in its place.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time we begin, isn¡¯t it?¡± Randle observed impatiently.


    ¡°After we perform one last scouring of the Foothold,¡± Jayne replied evenly, ¡°In any case, it would be best if we secured the holding room above while Faine remains below.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay too,¡± the Scavenger volunteered, ¡°Better to keep our supply line defended, right?¡± He asked somewhat nervously.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Jayne agreed without commenting on his nervousness, ¡°But it would be best if you laid out some emergency supplies in the room above first. Just in case.¡±


    The Scavenger nodded obediently and fell into line as Faine was left on his own with the Mountain Orc.


    ¡°Thank you for your assistance,¡± Faine bowed to the empty air, ¡°We had been unsure of what to expect and will endeavour to be better prepared next time.¡±


    The Mountain Orc stared blankly at Faine for a few moments, shrugged, and then sat down in a corner to conserve his energy.


    I shifted perspective from Faine to Randle just as the Scavenger headed back down the stairs.


    The cages had all disappeared from the holding room and several straw cots now lay in their place alongside barrels of water and crates of preserved food.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check the perimeter,¡± Randle volunteered, ¡°While you check in with the others. Agreed?¡±


    Jayne nodded, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Randle made his way up the stairs and found the guild staff members and manager bound, gagged, and manacled in the sorting room under guard by five members of the strike force.


    ¡°Should we move them to the inn alongside the others?¡± The leader of the team asked in yet another strange accent I hadn¡¯t heard before.


    Randle seemed to consider the prisoners for a few moments before nodding his assent, ¡°Do it,¡± he replied grimly in a clipped version of the same accent.


    Moving on, Randle made a point of checking each building thoroughly before inspecting the prisoners being kept in the inn.


    It was hard to tell how many prisoners had been taken exactly, but it seemed to be somewhere between fifty and a hundred, all told. The overwhelming majority of them were unconscious but seemed to be unharmed. However, a few of the prisoners had the beginnings of nasty bruises on their faces or swelling bumps on their heads.


    Satisfied with what he found, Randle made his way to the Foothold gate where twenty undercover soldiers were waiting for him.


    ¡°Just as planned, your men will take the first shift,¡± Randle told a man with the Golden Boars¡¯ lieutenant insignia, ¡°I will assist, for a time, but I do not think the Felis will pose much of a threat.¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± The Lieutenant snapped a crisp salute and began dividing his men between positions atop the wall and between the open space of the gate.


    Most monsters, especially the Beasts, wouldn¡¯t attempt alternate routes when an obvious and direct path presented itself. So as long as the gate was left open, the Beasts, at the very least, would make pushing through that opening their priority.


    Running low on mana because of the unintended blowout from earlier, I was forced to temporarily drop the connection.


    Upon reestablishing the connection again, I wasn¡¯t surprised to find Randle in the thick of things.


    The Conquest had begun and wild monsters were swarming toward the open gate in droves. Fewer in number thanks to the other Conquest being conducted out in the wilds, the Beasts presented very little threat.


    However, the Felis were another matter altogether.


    Bearing a striking resemblance to Gnolls and Kobolds, the Felis were relatively short anthropomorphic feline humanoids that appeared to be as comfortable running on all four limbs as two. Standing only four and a half feet tall on their hind legs, the Felis were incredibly quick and agile. While moving on all fours, the Felis could all but disappear into the tall grass that surrounded the Foothold.


    Favouring primitive projectiles, such as thrown rocks and spears, the Felis avoided melee with extreme prejudice.


    Frustrated by the hit-and-run tactics of the Felis, Randle left the relative safety of the gate and waded into the tall grass.


    No doubt having waited for this moment, a dozen Felis leapt out of the grass all around Randle and bore down on him with their bared fangs and hooked claws.


    Unfortunately for the Felis, Randle¡¯s seeming recklessness was a trap.


    Arrows scythed through the Felis ambushers mid-leap, felling most of them.


    Stepping to the side, Randle bashed his spiked shield into the chest of one airborne Felis while backhanding another with his club.


    Badly injured, the Felis put up little more than a token resistance as Randle dashed their skulls open.


    With the example set, Randle returned to the front lines and joined in repelling the wild Beasts.


    An occasional rock or spear was thrown from the safety of the tall grass, but none of the surviving Felis seemed willing to shorten the distance enough for such attacks to prove little more than an annoyance.


    With the Summoned Mountain Orc almost out of mana, I decided to try remote Summoning again. This time, I tried to Summon Rikit, the head Matriarch of Sanctuary¡¯s growing Gnoll population.


    Unfortunately, I only succeeded in Summoning another lesser copy.


    However, the Gnoll Pack Frenzy Ability quickly turned the fighting at the gate into an utterly one-sided meat grinder. Thanks to Pack Frenzy, Bloodied Beasts were dispatched in a single blow.


    Low on mana again, I was forced to take another break.


    Instead of checking on the Champions again right away, I decided to Summon Gregory instead so I could get some answers.


    Unfortunately, I had not accounted for the ¡®shallows¡¯ of the lake being deeper than he was tall and had to perform an emergency cancellation on the Summon before making my way to shore and trying again.


    ¡°Sorry about that, Gregory,¡± I apologised somewhat sheepishly, ¡°I forgot how deep it was.¡±


    Wearing a strained smile Gregory bowed, ¡°Not at all, Majesty. There is nothing to apologise for,¡± he insisted somewhat weakly, ¡°I should have anticipated the conditions of my arrival...¡±


    An awkward silence began to build between us.


    ¡°Be that as it may, I will endeavour to be more considerate in the future,¡± I promised. The act of Summoning imprinted a certain degree of expectation on the person being Summoned. If I had recognised how deep it had been and urgently needed to Summon Gregory anyway, he would have known and been prepared for it. ¡°What do you know about the Adventurer Guild¡¯s Footholds?¡± I asked, both as a means of changing the subject and getting to the reason for which I Summoned him in the first place.


    Gregory stared at me for a moment and I got the impression that I had uncovered something that he had been deliberately keeping from me. ¡°Beyond their role as a haven for adventurers?¡± Gregory hazarded with an impressively innocent tone.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I grunted and narrowed my eyes a fraction.


    ¡°Several encoded documents were recovered during the raid on the Adventurers Guild''s main branch of offices in the capitol. Deciphering most of the contents of the documents has been beyond us thus far, but what we have been able to translate has several disturbing implications...¡±


    ¡°Like the Guild having its own Lord of the Labyrinths?¡± I pressed somewhat testily.


    Gregory made as if to flinch but stopped himself, ¡°Yes, Majesty...¡±


    ¡°When were you going to tell me?¡± I asked while silently adjusting the degree to which I would trust Gregory in the future.


    There was an awkward silence.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t going to tell me,¡± I realised and stated as much aloud.


    ¡°Well...We don¡¯t know for certain yet, and there are more pressing matters-¡± Gregory tried to explain before I silenced him with a glare.


    ¡°Have I not been generous?¡± I asked in a cold tone to cover the betrayal I was feeling, ¡°Haven¡¯t I given your people safety, security and prosperity?¡±


    Gregory winced and hung his shoulders guiltily.


    ¡°What conceivable reason could you have for keeping something like this from me?¡± I demanded icily, ¡°If the Guild has its own Lord, then they have to already know what WE have been up to. Given the lack of reprisals, I¡¯m inclined to think the situation is very likely far more complicated-¡± I paused and glared at Gregory accusingly, ¡°Which the Regent already considered!¡± I hissed angrily, ¡°That maybe, just maybe, their Lord is being held against their will!¡±


    Gregory flinched at every syllable but stood his ground.


    I took several deep breaths to calm myself down. ¡°I am inclined to disagree,¡± I stated with exaggerated calm.


    Gregory looked surprised.


    ¡°The strike team uncovered a statue of a terrified young woman in the same chamber where the supposed Totem was hidden,¡± I explained in a more genuine calm tone of voice and temperament, ¡°Except, the statue isn¡¯t a statue at all.¡± I carefully watched Gregory¡¯s face for signs of guilt or surprise but found neither. ¡°It¡¯s not a statue at all, but I think you already knew that.¡±


    ¡°Statue?¡± Contrary to my expectations Gregory seemed to be genuinely confused.


    ¡°A petrified human,¡± I clarified while keenly watching Gregory for signs of deception.


    ¡°Petrification...¡± Gregory grew visibly concerned, ¡°Not many monsters can do that...¡±


    ¡°Can it be reversed?¡± I asked with guarded curiosity.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Gregory replied, ¡°It might depend upon the monster responsible. This isn¡¯t exactly my area of expertise.¡±


    I dismissed Gregory¡¯s projection and Summoned Sebet in his place.


    Initially appearing in her Devil form, Sebet was quick to adopt her Scandinavian supermodel persona. ¡°How may I serve you, Great One?¡±


    ¡°How do you cure Petrification?¡± The question was a shot in the dark, but Sebet had already demonstrated that she knew things I wouldn¡¯t have expected her to know.


    ¡°Petrification? Hrm...¡± Sebet maintained a contemplative silence for a few minutes before slowly nodding her head. ¡°Well, the traditional route would be to kill the individual responsible for the Curse and paint the victim in their blood. Of course, a properly phrased Contract ¡®might¡¯ break the Curse for the right price, and Divinity could break just about any Curse....¡±


    ¡°Sebet, I have decided to extend your authority to include additional responsibilities. Assuming you are willing?¡± On an intellectual level, I had always assumed Gregory would know things I didn¡¯t, and that he would withhold certain information from time to time for one reason or another. However, in this instance, I found the Regent¡¯s justification for compelling Gregory to silence to be profoundly insulting.


    ¡°To serve is my greatest desire!¡± Sebet replied with absolute conviction.


    ¡°I will require an oath of full disclosure as part of this expanded authority,¡± I cautioned, allowing Sebet the opportunity to back out.


    Sebet furrowed her brow slightly but otherwise showed no signs of doubt or reservation, ¡°This oath would only be between us?¡± She clarified warily.


    ¡°Correct. I may ask you to extend the oath to others at a later date, but we will discuss it as the situations arise.¡± I agreed.


    Sebet released a small sigh and nodded determinedly, ¡°Then I swear that I will disclose any information upon request, and will not knowingly omit information deemed pertinent to any request,¡± Sebet swore solemnly. She shuddered as the oath settled into her soul.


    ¡°Sebet, you will be responsible for collecting information from our enemies and allies. In the pursuit of these responsibilities, you are exempted from certain laws on the condition that you seek out and receive my approval first. You are free to recruit subordinates into your Faction as you see fit, but I expect you to maintain a base of operations outside of Sanctuary proper. Am I understood?¡± I watched and waited while Sebet thought through the offer.


    ¡°Great One?¡± Sebet asked with tentative curiosity, ¡°When you spoke about conditional exemption from certain laws, what does that entail exactly?¡±


    ¡°You would be free to use the full scope of your Abilities on our allies, is one such example,¡± I replied grimly, ¡°Of course, you already have free reign to use those Abilities on our enemies,¡± I reminded her.


    Sebet¡¯s eyes widened slightly and her mouth twitched, ¡°And...And my subordinates would be following the same code of conduct?¡±


    ¡°They would,¡± I agreed, ¡°Under the same conditions. Your subordinates will be expected to swear oaths of full disclosure as well. Ultimately, the final responsibility for their actions will be yours.¡±


    Sebet nodded in understanding with a sage-like expression on her face as if she had expected as much.


    ¡°To assist you in your duties, I am going to share the Summon Servant Ability with you,¡± I suppressed a smile as Sebet¡¯s eyes widened to an almost impossible degree, ¡°I know you will make good use of it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Great One!¡± Sebet declared excitedly, ¡°And if I may make a request?¡±


    I motioned for her to continue.


    ¡°I would like to establish my base of operations in the isolated prison Gric has spoken of!¡± Sebet declared eagerly.


    ¡°Prison?...Oh!¡± It took me a few moments to realise what she meant but it made a great deal of sense given the new responsibilities I had assigned to her. ¡°You will need to ask Cin if you want the remodelling done,¡± I cautioned her.


    Sebet shrugged and continued to smile in anticipation, ¡°I am sure we can reach an agreement.¡±


    I decided not to comment. Instead, I assigned Sebet with the Summon Servant Ability. ¡°Your official title will be Tyrant¡¯s Spymaster,¡± I explained with deliberate severity, ¡°However, I expect the knowledge of your title to be limited to Faction leaders, their most trusted subordinates, and your own subordinates. Understood?¡±


    ¡°I understand, Great One,¡± Sebet replied with jarring sobriety.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t keep you any longer. I expect that there is a great deal of work that needs to be done,¡± I waited long enough for Sebet to bow then dismissed her projection.


    Returning to my previous position at the lake, I made myself comfortable. Once my mana was fully recuperated, I cycled through the perspectives of the three Champions before settling on Jayne.


    At some point during my absence, Randle and Jayne had swapped positions.


    The tall grass nearest to the gate was thoroughly trampled, cut short, and riddled with corpses.


    The number of approaching monsters had ebbed considerably, so I cut the connection and decided to spend my time more productively instead.


    Engaging in training held a certain appeal, but a lack of opponents my own size had led to a rather biased set of applicable skills.


    Settling for weight and stamina training instead, I carried large leather bags full of iron ingots while jogging around the inner side of Sanctuary¡¯s walls. I had made almost three complete laps when I realised the solution to my problem.


    All I needed to do was recruit a Species of my own size.


    Recalling how Nadine had mentioned Ogres appearing on the tenth floor, it gave me a general area of inquiry to work with. Still somewhat annoyed at Gregory, I opted for Summoning someone else instead.


    Returning the iron ingots to the warehouse, I made my way back to The Grove so I could compile a list of questions before meeting with Teressa. Even if she couldn¡¯t answer my questions, I was fairly confident she would be able to direct me to someone who could.


    As her reward for assistance rendered in the dungeon, Teressa had asked for and been granted full citizenship in Sanctuary. So far as I was aware, she had bartered with Cin to have a house erected near the library. To the best of my knowledge, Yor, the Daemon librarian, had been the intermediary trading favours in either direction, but I wasn¡¯t sure what those favours were.


    The library itself might contain the answers I wanted anyway, so I elected to visit Teressa in person rather than simply Summoning a projection.


    The library saw a great number of visitors daily. The majority of them were children and adults taking literacy and numeracy classes taught by Yor and her counterpart Besh throughout the day and evenings. However, Wraithe and the other Surgeons were determined to fill as many bookshelves as possible with medical knowledge. So it wasn¡¯t out of place to see a small gaggle of Surgeons harassing the scribes and bookbinders of the library.


    The entrance and internal structure of the library had been altered several times since the library was originally ¡®delivered¡¯ to Sanctuary. Ochram and Cin had made the alterations so easy to perform, that changes were often made on very short notice. If the original architects had lingered in Sanctuary, they would most likely weep tears of blood over how the building had been changed.


    The library looked like a large concrete box with windows.


    The bland exterior of the library made it all the more jarring upon passing through the entranceway. In stark contrast to the exterior, the internal aesthetics had been fanatically maintained and emulated through each successive iteration. Proving that Cin was more than capable of the task but hasn¡¯t seen any need to treat the exterior with similar respect.


    Drawn to movement on the ceiling, I watched as Yor¡¯s spidery lower half descended from the second floor on a thin strand of silk while her thin, mostly Goblin, upper body tightly clutched at an armful of books. Upon reaching the bookshelves below, Yor disappeared into the stacks.


    Approaching the records desk, I was reminded that Yor was not the only librarian. A small number of the library¡¯s original staff had been kept on to teach Yor the ropes. The Human librarians were also most likely responsible for preserving the interior aesthetic of the library as well.


    Technically, they weren¡¯t librarians, they were conservators, historians and archivists. The concept of a modern Earth librarian was alien to them. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising considering the libraries were primarily viewed as status symbols and weren¡¯t open to the general public. With only the occasional visit from a sponsored historian or a nobleman, the libraries of this world probably saw fewer than a hundred visitors in any given year. In such a situation, a modern librarian¡¯s more diverse skill set would have gone to waste.


    ¡°Could you please find Teressa and let her know I wish to speak with her?¡± I asked the librarians at large.


    The most junior amongst them, a man in his late fifties, bowed his head and hurried away into the maze of stacks without saying a word.


    ¡°M-Majesty!¡± The remaining librarians all bowed low at the waist in a panic.


    I was about to say something to calm them down, but my attention was drawn to three leatherbound books laid out on the counter. ¡°What are these?¡± I asked curiously. I could sense that they were magic but couldn¡¯t read the titles.


    ¡°M-Magic Tomes, M-Majesty!¡± One of the librarians explained hurriedly.


    ¡°What do they do?¡± I picked up one of the Tomes at random and tried injecting mana into it to increase its size.


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°I will be with you in a moment, my Tyrant!¡± Yor¡¯s small voice called out from the stacks.


    I returned the Tome and waited.


    After a few minutes, Yor came skittering out of the stacks at an alarming speed. Without breaking stride, she climbed up onto the counter. ¡°How may I help you, my Tyrant?¡± Yor¡¯s small chest heaved beneath her silken half-robes as she fought to catch her breath.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about these books?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°The Tomes?¡± Yor clarified, ¡°Well, simply put, they contain one or more Spells that can be activated by providing sufficient mana. I was actually in the process of thoroughly searching the stacks for other Tomes when you arrived.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what Spells these Tomes contain?¡± I wasn¡¯t averse to adding more utility or firepower to my arsenal.


    Yor nodded and twitched her long thin ears, ¡°This Tome contains a simple Light Spell, that one has a simple Mending Spell, and that one possesses Lesser Antidote.¡±


    ¡°Those Spells don¡¯t sound particularly powerful,¡± I commented in wry amusement, ¡°Although, the Lesser Antidote could be useful. Mending would save me a fortune on armour. Assuming it works on magic armour?¡±


    ¡°It does, my Tyrant,¡± Yor replied with a knowing smile.


    Resting my finger on the Tome Yor had indicated held the Mending Spell, I injected mana into it until I felt a reaction. Not quite sure what to do, I formed a mental image of the mana moving like water from the Tome and washing over my pants.


    Looking down, I watched in amusement as the frayed and tattered hems of my pants darned themselves to form new seams that would resist further fraying. Like syphoning water through a hose, my mana continued to flow into the Spell for another five minutes until it abruptly came to an end.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I commented while shifting my finger to the next Tome.


    Repeating the process of injecting mana into the Tome, I focused my attention on a mundane book sitting further along on the desk.


    Feeling my mana moving through the motions, I continued concentrating on the book.


    The book began to glow a faint greenish colour, but a panel of golden text abruptly cut off my field of view.


    ***** Sebet - Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Tartarus *****


    Gently gliding on the breeze, Sebet couldn¡¯t help but smile as she watched a fortress of black marble erupt out of the ground and claim the open valley.


    Her fortress.


    Small clusters of prisoners dotted the landscape, watching in confusion and awe as Cin erected Sebet¡¯s fortress.


    With prisoners automatically being sent to the cells beneath the foundations of her fortress, Sebet could hardly contain her joy. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, there had been some hurt feelings amongst the Humans who had been tending to those imprisoned in the cells. However, Sebet had exercised her authority to put an immediate end to any arguments over how things would proceed.


    The Great One¡¯s mandate had been quite clear and Sebet would prove she was the perfect candidate for the position.


    Releasing the prisoners while Cin worked on the fortress, had been one such step. She was going to need subordinates, and recruiting from the existing pool of Human cattle following the Great One would prove time-consuming. Most of the best candidates would already have been claimed by their Faction leader. So Sebet would look to their enemies for talents she could mould.


    Their current loyalties were of little concern, so Sebet focused on skills, natural ability, and moral flexibility. She had already earmarked four Humans for consideration. The most promising candidate considered himself to be an accomplished spy. Provided he was even half as competent as he believed himself to be, Sebet wouldn¡¯t be disappointed.


    Of course, there was one problem.


    Sebet had not, in so many words, received permission to exercise the full extent of her Abilities on the prisoners. She hadn¡¯t even asked, believing that her cause might be best served by waiting until her base of operations had the requisite facilities.


    Upon reflection, Sebet decided that was a mistake.


    The longer she went without competent subordinates, the longer it would take for her Faction to grow and fulfil its mandate.


    Using the fading evening light to cover her movements, Sebet decided that it would be in her best interests to begin prepping her targets for initial negotiation.


    After taking on a more unassuming appearance, Sebet changed into worn traveller''s clothing and sheathed a dagger on her hip. Taking care to dirty herself by rolling around on the ground, Sebet decided that some blood wouldn¡¯t go amiss either.


    Hunting one of the fanged rabbits proved more difficult than anticipated. Some primal instinct in the Beasts caused them to flee long before Sebet could get close enough for the kill.


    Changing tactics, Sebet began making her way toward the smallest group of prisoners.


    ¡°Why would they let us out?¡± A short dark-haired man whined, ¡°There¡¯s fucking monsters out here! And all we got for weapons is some sticks and rocks!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all to do with that building, ain''t it?¡± A taller red-haired man replied and pointed in the general direction of the fortress, ¡°Maybe the cells are getting filled up with dirt?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid!¡± A bald man grunted angrily, ¡°They let us loose to get rid of us! No point in giving us weapons if-Gurk!¡±


    Sebet twisted the dagger as she pulled it free of the bald man¡¯s kidney.


    ¡°Wh-What the fuck?!¡± The shorter man cried in a panic, backpedalling away as Sebet knocked the bald man to the ground.


    ¡°The Devil from the tower said she would only let five people back in!¡± Sebet growled, ¡°And I don¡¯t plan on being Beast food!¡±


    The red-haired man tightened his grip on his improvised club, glanced at the shorter man for a moment, and then bolted.


    The shorter man turned and ran too, leaving Sebet and her original victim alone.


    ¡°P-Please,¡± the prone man begged, spittle flying from his mouth as he hissed in pain, ¡°D-Don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to,¡± Sebet replied honestly, ¡°I just needed some help getting things started, that''s all.¡±


    The dying man looked up at her in confusion, ¡°Wh-what?¡± He wheezed.


    ¡°I need to set the right mood,¡± Sebet explained casually, ¡°See how readily the candidates succumb to panic and how they thrive in a crisis.¡±


    ¡°I-I d-don¡¯t n-understand...¡± The dying man¡¯s words began to slur as he was overcome by shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s all right,¡± Sebet squatted down beside him and gently patted his shoulder reassuringly, ¡°You already played your part.¡±


    ¡°I-I? D-Did?¡± The dying man wheezed in confusion.


    Sebet was going to reply, but the man expired before she could say anything further.


    Shifting her appearance, Sebet stood up again and made sure to wipe some blood on her borrowed clothing before stalking off into the evening gloom.


    Using her Soul Sight, Sebet had no trouble selecting her next targets.


    However, before she had even made it halfway, one of the Humans she had marked as a potential candidate for recruitment broke away from his group and began heading straight for her. Curious but otherwise unconcerned, Sebet started to wander instead of continuing toward her targets.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe to go it alone,¡± a cold man¡¯s voice stated grimly from behind her.


    Sebet made a show of being surprised, ¡°Who-¡±


    ¡°Please...Don¡¯t insult my intelligence,¡± the man snickered, ¡°I know you''re working for them.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Sebet made no attempts at defending herself, especially since he did not seem to realise the full truth of the matter, ¡°What gave me away?¡±


    The man, Merrick, was dressed in different shades of dark greys and blues that would make it difficult for Human eyes to make him out in the darkness. Sebet had no such limitations and could see almost as well in complete darkness as she could in daylight. As such, she could easily make out the thin vertical scar marring his lips and his short beard on the right side of his face,


    ¡°The knife,¡± Merrick grunted, ¡°No one else has a real weapon.¡±


    This was true, and a deliberate measure to further test the candidates'' observation skills.


    [And you also killed someone with it a short while ago.] Derek commented in the safety of his own mind.


    That gained Sebet¡¯s attention, ¡°The Mistress is only letting five of you leave the valley alive,¡± she told him with a smile, deciding to alter the script to account for being caught out.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Merrick demanded coldly, ¡°Is this some sort of sick game?¡±


    Sebet had to suppress her amusement as Merrick''s surface thoughts undermined his moral outrage. ¡°It¡¯s more of a job interview,¡± She replied and threw the dagger into the ground at Merrick¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Then why are you helping me?¡± Merrick scowled and cautiously crouched down to retrieve the dagger without letting her out of his sight.


    ¡°The Mistress is looking for some good talent, and I think you might be a good fit,¡± Sebet replied with a smirk, ¡°Assuming you have no objections to helping the selection process along?¡±


    Merrick hesitated for a moment and briefly considered making a play at opening her carotid artery. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± He asked warily.


    ¡°Oh, nothing too difficult,¡± Sebet replied, conjuring a new dagger into her right hand, ¡°You just need to thin the herd.¡±


    Merrick¡¯s icy blue eyes narrowed suspiciously, ¡°Until there are just five of us?¡± He asked warily.


    ¡°Well, if you really want to impress, you will keep your eye out for talent and ensure they make it too,¡± Sebet sheathed the new dagger and deliberately turned her back on Merrick, ¡°The Mistress is sure to reward the most accomplished of the candidates, and as impressive as a skill survival may be, the Mistress places a much higher value on initiative and obedience.¡±


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 55 – Grimoire of Flesh – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 55 ¨C Grimoire of Flesh ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 55 - Grimoire of Flesh - Part One


    I read through the contents of the golden notification pane for what felt like the hundredth time.


    [Congratulations {Tim}! You have qualified for a {Divergent Evolution} that will be made available during your next {Evolution} selection!]


    Redirecting my focus toward the reference to Divergent Evolution, I leveraged my authority as Tyrant to explain what it meant.


    More or less as I should have expected, a Divergent Evolution was an Evolution that diverged from the existing pattern or path. In the most extreme cases, it seemed that an outright change in Species was possible.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that.


    Every Evolution thus far had exacerbated the features I had once hated most about myself. My time in this world, living amongst literal monsters, had tempered those feelings of self-loathing. However, a change in Species could be exactly what the Labyrinths needed to dredge up all of those abandoned insecurities all over again.


    Idly reviewing my Status out of habit, my concerns over the Divergent Evolution took a back seat as my attention focused on a new addition to my list of Unlocked Classes.


    Ogre-Mage


    A vague memory of Nadine mentioning the Class momentarily surfaced in the peripherals of my mind, but I could not recall any details of the context it was mentioned.


    At face value and accounting for my recent actions, the Class made a strange sort of sense. I was an Ogre and I had been casting Spells. Mages cast Spells. Therefore, I unlocked the Ogre-Mage Class.


    With the mounting number of Classes outright denied to me thus far, it was almost reassuring that I had managed to unlock what seemed to be a Species exclusive Spellcasting Class. Until I considered the possibility that the existence of the Class might be the reason the others had been denied to me in the first place.


    Brooding on the possibilities, I didn¡¯t notice Teressa¡¯s presence straight away.


    ¡°Is there something I can assist you with today, Majesty?¡± Teressa asked with notable enthusiasm.


    ¡°A couple of things, actually,¡± I agreed while shifting my mind back toward my reasons for visiting the library in the first place. ¡°On a somewhat esoteric subject, is there a list of monsters that are capable of turning someone to stone?¡±


    Teressa gnawed on her forefinger with a distracted look in her eyes for a few moments before nodding tentatively, ¡°Yes, I believe there should be a reference list in Lord Reynold¡¯s Bestiary, although Ser Albrecht''s treatise on cures for Curses would have more reliable accounts on true Petrification.¡±


    Before I could so much as glance toward Yor, she was already skittering off into the stacks at high speed. ¡°Thank you, Teressa-¡±


    ¡°No thanks are necessary, Majesty!¡± Teressa interrupted excitedly, ¡°Being allowed free access to this wonderful library is thanks enough for a lifetime!¡±


    The elderly librarians straightened their shoulders and puffed out their chests a little at the indirect praise.


    ¡°Indeed...¡± Compared to Mortimer¡¯s payment, Teressa¡¯s request had originally given me cause to be confused. Then I was reminded that access to libraries of any scale was nominally restricted to the wealthy and elite. All the same, I had assigned Teressa a small budget for acquiring more books to satiate my conscience. ¡°Well, I wanted to know if you knew of any tribes or clans of Ogre Variants in the Labyrinths.¡±


    Teressa¡¯s expression of happy enthusiasm froze, ¡°Ah....Um...Well...¡± Her eyes drifted to the stacks, then to the librarians, who made an impressive display of avoiding eye contact and otherwise finding something of profound interest on the floor or ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t have access to the Guild¡¯s records...¡± Teressa hedged with visible discomfort, ¡°So I couldn¡¯t say for certain...¡±


    Able to see the writing on the wall, I braced myself for the worst, ¡°All the same,¡± I insisted.


    ¡°Wild Ogres exist in several former Asrusian territories, but the Guilds...they...uh...they made a point of removing any Variants...¡± Teressa answered nervously, ¡°I would need to check to be certain, but I believe the Variants were all sold to one of the western trade Republics...¡±


    ¡°The Vetmerians-¡± One of the elderly librarians interjected before abruptly slapping his hand over his mouth and trying to hide himself away behind his compatriots.


    Teressa paled and nodded silently.


    ¡°What is the significance of that?¡± I demanded, taking great care to keep my tone even. Keenly aware that intimidation would not get me the answers I wanted any sooner.


    Another librarian anxiously raised his hand, ¡°Majesty, the Vetmerians are major trade partners of the Aldmeri Dominion...And the Aldmeri are famous for...for...¡± He gulped dryly and worried at the hem of his shirt with trembling hands, ¡°They are Slavers Majesty...Of a sort that makes the Werrians seem downright benevolent...man, woman, Beast, monster, freeman, peasant, it makes no difference to them...All are condemned to the mines and quarries of the Dominion...¡±


    ¡°I...¡± I had to take a moment to regain control over my voice. ¡°Why do they buy Variants? Wouldn¡¯t Wild monsters be cheaper?¡± Making the distinction left a foul taste in my mouth but I needed to know the answer.


    One of the other librarians tentatively raised his hand, ¡°I, uh, believe it is because of the belief in the soul...The Aldmeri religion is very particular about executing the, uh, the...Soulless...¡±


    ¡°They believe the Soulless are vessels for the evils of the Labyrinths...¡± Another librarian elaborated quietly.


    From what I knew of the Labyrinths and the awakened, this policy seemed deeply flawed.


    ¡°So...If I want to go looking for Ogre Variants, I would need to go to this Dominion?¡± I asked warily.


    The librarians all shifted awkwardly in place while waiting for someone else to answer.


    ¡°Barring incidental discovery?¡± Teressa worried at the hem of her sleeves, ¡°Ah, y-yes, Majesty. Discovering a Variant Ogre in the wild would be...most uncommon...Ah! But perhaps individuals could be found on the open market?...¡±


    The idea of ¡®purchasing¡¯ intelligent beings caused me to scowl without fully realising it. At the same time, my attention momentarily drifted to thoughts of the Midnight Caravan. Short of speaking with Slavers themselves the members of the vigilante emancipation group would be my best bet for making further enquiries.


    Unable to recall the names of any members of the Midnight caravan off the top of my head, I made a mental note to speak with Sebet and Gric later in the day.


    Yor returned a couple of minutes later with two books clutched protectively against her chest, ¡°I have the requested materials, my Tyrant!¡± She declared excitedly, tapping her spindly chitinous forelegs energetically as she set one book down and began hastily but carefully shifting through the pages of the remaining book.


    There were a surprisingly large number of monsters capable of Petrifying an enemy. However, most forms of Petrification killed their targets or wore off in a matter of hours. According to the literature, only one Species of monster was known to apply a permanent Petrification Curse. The Gorgon.


    Encompassing several different body types, the most familiar example of the Gorgon illustrations resembled a mythical Greek monster, the Medusa. However, several variations were otherwise entirely unfamiliar to me. So I didn¡¯t feel as bad for not thinking of the possibility sooner.


    Unfortunately, a Gorgon¡¯s Curse of Petrification could only be broken with the death of the Gorgon itself. This meant there was little we could do for the poor Petrified woman besides store her somewhere safe to wait down the clock and hope for the demise of her attacker.


    Left with a great deal to think about, I left the Library and returned to The Grove.


    Having had the time to think it over, I realised that Mortax, the Minotaur-Esq Aurochian could stand in as my sparring partner. Except there was a problem. He had the completely wrong temperament for it. Conditioned to be controlled by his former masters, and perhaps in part due to traits of his Species, Mortax was utterly docile until provoked. This would have been more or less alright, but once provoked Mortax had no real semblance of control over his actions.


    I could accept a certain degree of risk in training, but the thought of bludgeoning Mortax unconscious to end a sparring match didn¡¯t sit well with me at all.


    Of course, Pete and Suzy would need peers of their general size to play with. While there was technically nothing stopping them from playing with the other children of Sanctuary, I would very much prefer it if they reserved their rougher play for children as durable as themselves.


    Settling into the shallows, I began to set my mind to Summoning Gric and Sebet but paused as I felt a familiar sensation spreading through my body. Sparing only a moment to confirm it against my Status, I patiently waited for the appearance of the golden Alerts.


    [Swamp Ogre-Mage Tyrant: +2 Strength, +2 Toughness, +2 Presence, +10 MP. (Unique*)]


    [(Racial Ability: Thick Hide): You have an abnormally thick hide that will shrug off minor damage. {Toughness} increases the level of damage resistance.]


    [(Racial Ability: Brute Strength): You deal more damage with {Primitive} and {Heavy} weapons. {Strength} increases the amount of bonus damage.]


    [(Racial Ability: Iron Gut): Consuming food accelerates {Healing}. {Toughness} increases the rate of digestion.]


    [(Racial Ability: Savage Nobility): You are a paragon of primal might and authority. {Strength} increases the effect of {Racial Abilities} and {Class Abilities} modified by {Presence} when targeting {Allies} and members of the same {Species}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Sorcerous Blood): Your very blood is a powerful magical Reagent. Harvested blood can be used to {Empower} {Spells} and {Rituals}.]


    [(Racial Ability: Born to Rule): You were born to rule over your lesser kin and all who lay eyes on your majesty cannot help but bear witness to this absolute truth. Members of the {Ogre*} {Species*} are subjected to {Lesser Domination} while within an {Immense Radius} determined by {Presence}. Suppression of this Ability concentrates its effects and increases the difficulty of any and all {Contests of Will} that attempt to deny or subvert this Ability.]


    [(Racial Ability: Birthright {1}): Your genes are superior and create superior offspring. Sired offspring will always match your Species and Tier of Evolution. Sired Half-Breed offspring will always match your Species when determining Primary Species and Racial Abilities.]


    [Confirm Evolution: {Swamp Ogre-Mage Tyrant} (Accept/decline}]


    Contrary to my expectations, the five Alerts were all identical to one another with the minor exception of the environmental prefix. It appeared that Divergent Evolution was to be my only choice.


    Somewhat confused that the Species had taken on the same name as the Class, the thought soon occurred to me that it might be the other way around.


    Mountain, Hill, Lake, Plains or Swamp, the choices seemed largely irrelevant except for maintaining the connection with my children. A single stat point shifting between Toughness, Strength and Agility didn¡¯t seem particularly important. Of course, there would be minor physical changes as well, but I had grown accustomed to having an armoured pair of secondary eyelids.


    While I did lose a certain degree of visual acuity, they allowed me to see while lessening the risks of being blinded by debris or weaker attacks. A Mountain or Hill Environmental Evolution might make my hide tougher overall, but that hadn¡¯t been a serious problem thus far and could be made redundant by wearing armour.


    A Plains Environmental Evolution might allow me to run faster or something similar, but that wasn¡¯t a problem either. Given I had enough room to build speed, I was already capable of outrunning a horse.


    Ultimately, it was the Lake Environmental Evolution that gave me the most cause for pause. No doubt it would have the same armoured eyelids the Swamp variation provided me already. However, it might also provide something that was otherwise preventing me from spending as much quality time with my family.


    Gills.


    For whatever reason, a Swamp Ogre didn¡¯t gain Gills like most other Species. Like the Lizardmen, I gained a pair of armoured eyelids and a radically increased capacity for processing oxygen. However, going comparatively long periods without breathing was not the same as being able to breathe underwater.


    Unfortunately, there was no guarantee that a Lake Environmental Evolution would provide gills either. On the upside, it was also likely to still provide the same general perks that I had grown accustomed to. But I figured it would probably come at the cost of increased reliance on water.


    Since taking on the Swamp Environmental Evolution, my skin had become noticeably more sensitive to changes in humidity. I could only imagine that a Lake Environmental Evolution would turn the sensitivity into something more akin to dependence. Of course, there was the distinct possibility that nothing would change at all.


    After deliberating for the better part of ten minutes I decided to take the risk. At the absolute worst, I would remain in Sanctuary until I could devise some sort of amphibious wetsuit. I doubted it would come to that though.


    Taking several steadying breaths, I looked out over the lake and made my decision. ¡°Lake Ogre-Mage Tyrant, accept.¡±


    Unlike my previous major Evolution, I didn¡¯t lose sight of my surroundings as my body began to change. My vision blurred briefly but came into focus moments later, revealing the webbing between my fingers as it slowly extended to the second knuckle of each finger on both hands.


    A thin layer of oil was building on my skin and causing it to shine in the sun. Whether it was the oil or the Evolution itself, the dull pale greyish-green pigment of my skin seemed to take on a more blueish-green hue. The change wasn¡¯t particularly striking, but it seized my attention all the same.


    However, a rising discomfort and tightening inside my chest drew my attention. Looking down at my sides, I felt a momentary surge of panic at finding three large crescent slashes weeping blood on either side of my rib cage.


    Before I could give voice to my distress, the ragged flaps of skin drew themselves tight and hard calcified growths began protruding through their surface. Transfixed on the change taking place before my eyes, it took me entirely too long to realise what was happening and calm down.


    Each breath caused the bony plates to raise themselves horizontally to reveal the open gashes between my ribs before sealing themselves again. However, I soon realised that I could control the movement without breathing through my mouth and nose but otherwise going through the motions.


    Wading deeper into the lake, I had to suppress a rush of panic as water began surging in and out of the holes in my chest.


    The sensation of breathing with lungfuls of water felt profoundly disturbing and I couldn¡¯t help myself from dry heaving after every few chest contractions.


    The increased mana flooding into my system made things that much more intense, heightening every sensation and making it that much more difficult to establish a grip on my new circumstances.


    Over an hour passed before I felt confident enough to submerge myself in the lake and attempt breathing through my mouth and nose in conjunction with my gills.


    Every instinct was screaming at the wrongness of it all, flooding my system with wave after wave of adrenaline and demanding I make my way to the surface before I ran out of oxygen and drowned.


    Fighting against the panic, I remained on the lake bed and counted backwards from a thousand in an attempt to try and normalise and otherwise ignore my surroundings.


    All the changes I had experienced had not included any form of swim bladder. I was still less buoyant than a rock. The increased webbing between my fingers and toes did help with catching and displacing more water, but accomplishing any true degree of movement was still through conventional swimming.


    As I had hoped, I retained the second set of eyelids. However, contrary to my expectations, they were somehow more transparent than before. Looking through them still made things somewhat blurry, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as before. After building up the courage to test the toughness of translucent skin, I was surprised by how hard they felt against my finger. My Swamp Ogre eyelids had felt rubbery, but these felt more like glass or bone.


    While not particularly keen to test their resilience with an actual weapon, they gave me considerable peace of mind all the same.


    After calming down somewhat, I realised that nothing else had changed in my outward appearance. Contrary to some of my wilder expectations, I hadn¡¯t grown fins or a tail like Ril, and my teeth were more or less the same as ever.


    Just about ready to leave the lake, I realised that another golden alert was patiently waiting in my lower peripheral vision.


    [Congratulations! You have qualified for a Unique Class Upgrade! The transition will take place immediately!]


    [Congratulations! Your Unique Class Upgrade has been completed! In recognition of your efforts thus far, Legacy versions of previous Class Abilities have been awarded!]


    Feeling a fresh surge of panic I hastily opened my Status to see for myself.


    [Tim - Lake Ogre-Mage Tyrant: 0 ] [HP: 52/52 ] [MP: 40/40 (+15,+25 ]


    [Class: Ogre-Mage-Tyrant 0. +25 MP.] [Exp: 0/100,000 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Lash¡¯s Mate]


    [Bloodline: {Tyrant 3} +1 Willpower.] [Bloodline Progeny: Pete, Suzy.]


    [Strength: 22* ]


    [Agility: 10 ]


    [Toughness: 26* ]


    [Intelligence: 10 ]


    [Willpower: 18* (19*) ]


    [Presence: 6* ]


    [(Racial Abilities: {Hide/Expand})]


    [(Legacy Class Abilities: {Hide/Expand})]


    [(Class Abilities)]


    [(Class Ability: Grimoire of Flesh.): The capacity for Sorcery runs in your veins and the secrets of allies and enemies alike are bound in your flesh. Witnessing the casting of a {Spell} allows the {Spell} to be permanently tattooed into your flesh. The maximum number of {Spell Tattoos} is increased with each {Class Level} gained.]


    [Group Synergies: {Hide/Expand}]


    Unsure how I should feel regarding the abrupt Class change, I was forced to accept a certain degree of responsibility. In hindsight, I should have anticipated it. However, what I had not anticipated, or quite understood, was why my level had reset.


    Curiously, my former Abilities appeared to be inactive. It wasn¡¯t until I reviewed them each one by one that they became active again.


    As the Exp from Takesation began flooding in, I felt the majority of my concerns lessen considerably. They may have disappeared entirely if I hadn¡¯t noticed the 100,000 Exp requirement for my first level.


    The Exp requirement wasn¡¯t the worst thing in the world. Thanks to Takesation taking a certain percentage of Exp from everyone else as they earned it, I would probably earn the five million or so Exp to reach level ten by sundown. The thought of trying to level without it was so depressing that I elected to ignore it outright and focus on the fact that I had been allowed to keep my former Class Abilities.


    The only difference the Legacy label seemed to make was eliminating the Ranks from a couple of the Abilities, making them slightly less effective. Weighing this minor loss of function against the prospect of gaining the ability to cast a theoretically diverse portfolio of Spells, I decided that I could live with the obnoxious Exp requirements.


    Of course, that presented another problem all its own.


    Which Spells would be the most beneficial to learn?


    Reminded of when I had first acquired my magical hood, I decided not to rush anything and take some time to consider my options. After all, the longer I deliberated, the more selections I would be able to make.


    Summoning Gric and Sebet at the shoreline, I immediately appreciated the drastic increase in my mana supply.


    ¡°How goes the rescue of the Dwergi?¡± I asked curiously while wondering if either of them would mention my Evolution.


    ¡°It has not been particularly profitable...¡± Sebet hedged with a slightly defeated sigh and a shrug, ¡°But I understand that was intended to be the point.¡±


    Gric snorted quietly in amusement and very nearly smiled at Sebet before gaining control of himself and turning his full attention toward me instead. ¡°Ninety-eight Dwergi have been recovered and integrated into Sanctuary¡¯s Dwergi Community thus far,¡± Gric declared with appreciable satisfaction.


    ¡°No problems so far?¡± I pressed.


    Sebet slowly shook her head, ¡°Not as such, no. The primary Contract is functioning as intended,¡± she stated defensively.


    ¡°The costs have been less static than originally projected,¡± Gric elaborated smugly before sobering up almost immediately, ¡°This has led to a small number of emergencies involving Dwergi infants...¡±


    ¡°I thought the Contract was meant to function on a prepaid basis?¡± I challenged warily.


    ¡°It does!¡± Sebet insisted, ¡°But it also requires consent! And drooling infants can¡¯t control their bowels, let alone decide to sign a soul-binding Contract! Besides, we enacted a workaround...¡±


    ¡°They are required to be reclassified as ¡®possessions¡¯,¡± Gric elaborated with air quotes.


    When did he learn to do that? And from who?


    ¡°Wait...What?¡± I had been distracted by the origin of the air quotes and realised I had missed something important, ¡°Possessions?¡±


    ¡°Well...Technically, they are all someone''s possessions, right? That¡¯s the underlying reason for rescuing them all?¡± Sebet replied defensively, ¡°They aren¡¯t freed by the Contract until they arrive anyway...I was tasked with making a Contract that would combine several disparate Abilities into a single functional and convenient series of objects that would serve as intermediaries for binding nonverbal agreements. That the Contract is functioning at all is a testament to my efforts in this undertaking!¡± She sniped at Gric angrily.


    Gric scowled but said nothing.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I motioned for silence, ¡°So long as the Contract works, then that is enough. The Dwergi children will recover, right?¡±


    Sebet nodded emphatically.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s fine, for now,¡± I insisted, ¡°I want to speak with a representative of the Midnight Caravan. Specifically a representative with knowledge of the Aldmeri Dominion.¡±


    ¡°Understood, my Tyrant,¡± Gric bowed his head in deference, ¡°I will see it done.¡±


    Sebet Narrowed her eyes dangerously at Gric, ¡°WE, will see it done,¡± she corrected.


    I dismissed them both before the confrontation could escalate and then made a mental note to sit Sebet and Gric down individually and have a talk about their behaviour. A certain degree of competition could be healthy, but I strongly suspected that things would quickly get out of hand if I just stepped back and left them to it.


    Taking the opportunity to further acclimate myself to breathing underwater, I spent another hour exploring the central depths of the lake. Expecting to find Toofy and Ril in one of their air pocket hideaways, I was surprised when the Registry pinged them in the direction of my home instead.


    Leaving the lake, I made my way home.


    I found the entrance passageway spattered and smeared with tiny technicolour handprints, flourishes and swirls.


    Making my way into my home proper, I found Pete and Suzy animatedly slapping and scribbling on the walls under Toofy, Lash, Ril and Cin¡¯s thoroughly amused supervision.


    At just a glance, I could tell that Toofy had introduced Suzy and Pete to the concept of painting and drawing on walls.


    The Goblins in Sanctuary made simple clay paints for decoration and ritual purposes. They also encouraged their children to play with the more common pigments so they could familiarise themselves with finger painting. It wasn¡¯t a stretch at all to think that Toofy would ¡®borrow¡¯ some paints on the twin''s behalf.


    The chalk was a different matter.


    So far as I was aware, the Asrusian army engineers were the only ones with chalk sticks, and those were only a half-inch thick.


    Things quickly fell into place when I witnessed Cin extract a bright purple stick of chalk from the wall and set it down in a basket behind Pete.


    Cin gave me an apologetic smile and shrugged.


    ¡°More!¡± Toofy demanded excitedly, ¡°More pretty sticks!¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± Pete nodded his head determinedly and continued scribbling on the wall.


    Cin slowly began extracting a light green stick of chalk from the wall.


    Ril seemed perfectly content with watching events from her nominally submerged vantage point in the deep pool that served as a bathing area. She had grown somewhat since our last meeting. Perhaps only a foot taller, probably less, Ril¡¯s most striking difference was the lengthening of her fins. They gave her the impression of taking up far more space and made her seem much larger than she was.


    The rigid spines on the ends of the retractable fins on her arms had grown so long that they were no longer able to be hidden by the profile of her limbs. Instead, the barbs extended past her elbows to form footlong spikes.


    Just like many of the other Daemons, Ril had begun to give off a much more mature sense of presence. A nominal amount of baby fat had been lost on her face in particular which heightened the impression of physical and mental maturity.


    As always, her inky-black eyes betrayed nothing beyond the impression that she saw and understood far more than she was letting on.


    The more exotic finger paints seemed to have been made by Qreet. Including luminescent fungi that caused the paint to glow in the dark. They appeared to be Suzy¡¯s favourites by a considerable margin


    For his part, Pete seemed perfectly content to scribble away with the two-inch thick sticks of coloured chalk Cin was adding to the basket.


    My Evolution and gills received only a few moments of polite inquiry before Pete and Suzy became the centre of attention again.


    Lash had been experimenting with the paints and chalk as well, although she was far more accustomed to throwing punches and swinging an axe. Her strokes were aggressive and bold but didn¡¯t seem to quite manage what she wanted.


    Just by general observation, it was clear that she was attempting to sketch a face. However, it became less clear whose face it was intended to be as each sketch was so thoroughly different to the next.


    As Lash grew increasingly upset and disappointed by her failure to make noticeable progress, I took Cin aside so I could speak privately with him in the passageway.


    ¡°I want you to observe Lash¡¯s surface thoughts and give her focus form at the original scale,¡± I ordered, ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°I uh, yes, yes I should be able to do this, my Tyrant!¡± Cin replied with nervous excitement.


    ¡°Good. Be ready,¡± I told him and then returned to the cave.


    I found Lash still sitting dejectedly on our bed. She was watching our children drawing on the opposite wall with a conflicted and melancholic look in her eyes. Lash sighed quietly and rested her head against my chest as I sat down beside her and wrapped my arm around her.


    ¡°I know what you are trying to do,¡± I explained gently.


    Lash stiffened for a moment and gave me a guilty glance before looking away.


    ¡°If you keep practising, you can overcome a lack of talent,¡± I continued in the same gentle tone while trying my hardest to remain as supportive and non-judgemental as possible, ¡°But memory can be a funny thing. Revisiting memories can make it more difficult to remember the details. In extreme cases, memories can become so distorted that you can barely recognise them. But leaving memories alone can be just as harmful...If we don¡¯t actively recall something, it will slowly fade into nothing...So reminders are important.¡±


    Tears began running down Lash¡¯s cheeks and she bowed her head, ¡°Forgetting her...¡± Lash clenched and bared her teeth, ¡°Unfair...¡± She hissed bitterly.


    I hugged Lash tighter and allowed her the opportunity to express her anger and grief. Despite what I had planned, I knew that trampling over Lash¡¯s feelings or trivialising them would only cause more pain. For my plan to work, I needed Lash to be calm and focused, so patience was the best approach.


    After an hour Lash gradually calmed herself down and returned to her previous melancholic state.


    ¡°I have something that might help,¡± I explained quietly in a gentle even tone, ¡°I just need you to trust me and do as I say, alright?¡±


    Lash stared up at me with confused yet hopeful eyes.


    ¡°I want you to think of a memory from before...Before things went bad,¡± I told her quietly, ¡°A memory where you and your sister were happy.¡±


    Lash closed her eyes.


    Several minutes passed as Lash¡¯s expression alternated between anger, sadness and fear. Then, without warning, the hard lines on her face eased and her expression softened.


    ¡°Stay with the memory, but don¡¯t force it,¡± I coached her gently, not wanting to distract her.


    Lash¡¯s lips slowly formed a sad smile, ¡°My first axe,¡± Lash murmured wistfully.


    I slowly nodded my head in understanding.


    Receiving your first real weapon and pieces of armour was a coming-of-age milestone for the Deep Orcs. Beyond the physical aspect of being able to leave the village and experience a much higher degree of personal protection, it signified being recognised as an adult and that you could handle yourself.


    ¡°Hold onto the memory,¡± I encouraged Lash supportively, ¡°Allow yourself to truly experience it.¡±


    The minutes continued to pass us by and Lash grew increasingly more relaxed.


    <It is finished, my Tyrant.> Cin informed me with a small degree of hesitation.


    ¡°There is something I want to show you,¡± I told Lash gently.


    Lash slowly opened her amethyst eyes and curiously stared back at me before slowly nodding her head, ¡°Alright,¡± she agreed quietly before glancing toward Pete and Suzy, who was still painting and drawing on the wall.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be going far,¡± I reassured her and got us both up onto our feet.


    Leading Lash toward the entrance to our cave, the thought occurred to me that Cin¡¯s hesitance might have some bearing on his degree of success. However, I had seen Cin perform similar tasks before and was quite confident in his artistic abilities.


    Exiting our cave, we found Cin just outside of the passageway.


    As the Daemon stepped aside, he revealed the compelling and toothily smiling likeness of a tall broad-shouldered female Deep Orc statue. True to scale, as near as I could tell, the statue was roughly seven and a half feet tall. Armoured in the traditional thick iron plate Deep Orc armour, except for the helmet, the Deep Orc bore a striking resemblance to Lash herself.


    Except for three long recessed scars running down the statue¡¯s left cheek and neck, and the missing left ear, the statue¡¯s face was nearly identical to Lash¡¯s own.


    ¡°Crish...¡± Lash gasped in shock and surprise. Tentatively stepping forward, she reached a shaking hand toward the statue¡¯s face.


    I gave Cin each a firm nod of approval. As best as I could tell, he had done a very good job of capturing the likeness of Lash¡¯s deceased sister. Pulling the details from Lash¡¯s memory through invasive telepathy was ethically questionable, but I doubted Lash would mind in this particular instance.


    Sensing that Lash wanted to be alone, at least for a little while, I waved Cin away and made my way back inside our cave to keep an eye on Pete and Suzy.


    After a short while, Lash returned and bundled up Pete and Suzy into her arms before heading out again.


    Following her back outside, I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised to find Lash trying to introduce the simulacrum of her sister to our children.


    For their part, Pete and Suzy expressed a reasonably large degree of curiosity but didn¡¯t quite seem to understand what Lash was trying to do. Their development had been impressively fast up until now, so I didn¡¯t doubt that they would begin using their first words within a couple of months. However, understanding the exact nature of Crish¡¯s relation to themselves would likely take quite a while longer.


    At least Lash didn¡¯t seem to mind. Just talking to her sister¡¯s statue about her new life appeared to be enough.


    I had no fears that Lash thought of the statue as anything more than an artfully shaped piece of stone. The statue was just the excuse she needed to process her grief. It served a similar purpose to photographs or videos from Earth, providing a socially acceptable subject to project emotions and thoughts onto as needed.


    To that end, I wouldn¡¯t find it surprising if Cin was approached by others for a similar service.


    At my request, Hana and her sister formed a more sheltered area around Crish¡¯s statue to afford Lash a greater degree of privacy whenever she would need it.


    Watching Hana and Kohana form a shaded space near the entrance to the cave, I was reminded that I had the opportunity to gain access to the Plant Growth Spell for myself. However, while the prospect of growing plants on demand held a certain degree of merit, I found myself more interested in Cin¡¯s Shape Stone Spell instead.


    Growing plants with magic had already been demonstrated as something of an art form with strict sensory requirements. Beyond the utility of accelerating the growth process for vegetables, I wasn¡¯t confident I had the right skills to make the most of the Spell.


    In contrast, Shape Stone¡¯s basics seemed far more useful and accessible. Making a large solid wall didn¡¯t seem particularly complicated but could have significant strategic importance. Similarly, Collapsing an enemy wall or making a breach seemed like it should be just as simple. Even if I proved incapable of the more sophisticated or complex applications of the Spell, I figured I would still get my money''s worth, so to speak.


    With Shape Stone serving as a trial run for the Grimoire of Flesh Ability, I mentally acknowledged my selection and waited to see what would happen.


    Almost immediately, an itching sensation erupted from the back of my right hand. Two words written in Daemonic script slowly inched their way across the skin of my hand before coming to an abrupt halt. Despite not understanding the individual letters, I had a sneaking suspicion that the words would be the literal name of the Spell.


    Picking up a stone off the ground, I concentrated on gathering mana into the tattoo, just like I had done with the Tomes in the library. Unsure of what I wanted to do with the stone, I decided to try and flatten it out like a coin.


    The gathered mana in my tattoo began bleeding away and the stone in my hand flattened into a shape roughly resembling a coin. Albeit a misshapen and poorly cast coin.


    Just as I had expected, I had to practise with the Spell if I wanted to gain more control over it. Thankfully, I had Cin and Ochram on hand if I needed advice. However, I decided to continue practising on my own for the time being.


    It just didn¡¯t feel right to ask for help when I hadn¡¯t even made a serious attempt, let alone determined the limits of my abilities.


    I decided that I would try the coin exercise again, only this time with a larger stone. Hoping that going larger would make it easier to determine where I was going wrong.


    Practising on larger rocks seemed to be a step in the right direction. From what I could tell, visualising the final result was an important step, and that was easier to do with a larger subject than a small one.


    Even without Ochram¡¯s Racial Ability to sense minerals, I could still sense the small amounts of mana that permeated the rocks in The Grove. Similar to the training wheels on a bicycle, it made shaping the stones somewhat easier once I allowed myself to trust in the assistance they provided.


    Contrary to my expectations, fusing stones was far too easy. So far as the Spell was concerned, individual objects only continued to exist so long as I took care to keep them that way. If I held two stones in my hand and attempted to shape one while ignoring the other, both stones would meld together and attempt to take the shape in question. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was not entirely a bad thing, since it would make drawing stone from the ground that much easier to do, but it was something to remain wary of in the future. It would be entirely too easy to damage something otherwise irreplaceable if I wasn''t careful.


    Combining and moving all the stones involved in my experiments thus far was an interesting experience to witness. Somewhat reminiscent of watching cement run out of the barrel of a cement truck, the merged stones didn¡¯t quite run like water so much as a horizontal mudslide. Curiously enough, the moment I stopped fueling the movement with mana, the stone slurry would immediately harden into whatever shape it held at that particular moment.


    Far from the sterile but sharp angular forms of Cin and Ochram¡¯s walls and houses, it made me appreciate the sheer difference there had to be in our respective degrees of control.


    Having witnessed the pair erect buildings and walls on multiple occasions, I wasn¡¯t sure just how much practice it would take to achieve that degree of control. Assuming it was even possible.


    All the same, I was confident that I would be able to train to the point that Shape Stone would more or less be up to the tasks I required of it.


    What¡¯s more, practising with Shape Stone gave me cause to reconsider the Plant Growth Spell.


    My initial fixation had been upon fortification and physical means of breaching the fortifications of others. However, I had downplayed the usefulness of one particular element of the Plant Growth Spell.


    It could grow food.


    Natural limitations of my senses would mean that I would never be capable of creating miracle healing herbs like the Dryads. Not without leeching off the Synergy of their Ability anyway. However, there would be nothing to stop me from growing the seeds or saplings of those same plants.


    Similarly, being able to grow enough food to feed an army with the wave of my hand held a certain appeal all its own as well. The more I thought about it, the more I realised how short-sighted I had been in dismissing Plant Growth so out of hand.


    Between Shape Stone and Plant Growth, I would have the capability of becoming a walking siege encampment, and I quite liked the sound of that.


    ***** Denbe - Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Sanctuary *****


    Trailing a respectful distance behind the giant amber reptilian bulk of his Daemon guide, Denbe couldn¡¯t help but stare at their surroundings in muted awe.


    Similar to the lush surroundings of Sanctuary itself, The Grove was practically bursting with exotic and beautiful plant life.


    The central focus of The Grove was a pair of intertwined trees in the middle of a serene lake guarded by ever-watchful Lizardmen.


    Although he could not be certain, Denbe felt he could almost make out a small gathering beneath the twisting boughs of the trees. However, the more he concentrated, the more out of focus they became.


    Reluctantly shifting his attention from the tree, Denbe nearly lost his footing in surprise upon realising two more Daemons had joined their procession. A pale bat-winged Daemon had landed on the amber-scaled Daemon¡¯s back and was staring at Denbe inquisitively while the second Elf-like Daemon with green-tinged skin regarded Denbe with a haughty stare from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°You will address the Tyrant with respect at all times, is that clear?¡± The Elf-like Daemon demanded quietly.


    Denbe hastily nodded his head, ¡°I understand!¡±


    Rumours of the Tyrant''s peculiarities had spread through the members of their organisation with a speed and degree of exaggeration that only rumours were capable of. However, Denbe could tell by the deadly serious tone in the Daemon¡¯s voice that one rumour, in particular, was very likely true.


    The Tyrant was said to possess a particular aversion to being called an Ogre. In any other circumstances, calling someone an Ogre would be rightly considered an insult. Unfortunately, in this instance, matters were complicated by the fact that the Tyrant was known to be a literal Ogre.


    The rumours were unclear on precisely what would happen in the event someone was foolish enough to call the Tyrant an Ogre to his face, but none of the stories was particularly encouraging.


    All the same, there was no doubt that their organisation had never had a patron as powerful and dedicated as the Tyrant. A figurative ocean of wealth had been diverted into the organisation¡¯s coffers alongside the active support of the highest levels of the Asrusian government and military. More than that, Sanctuary itself gave shelter to its members and those they risked their lives to rescue.


    The requirement to observe a single social nicety was nothing in comparison to what the Tyrant was providing their organisation. Especially since the Tyrant had not asked for anything of consequence in return.


    Having witnessed the city of Sanctuary for himself, Denbe could understand why it would be difficult for the Tyrant to place a price on his assistance. As best as Denbe could tell, there was nothing the organisation could offer that the Tyrant couldn¡¯t acquire for himself.


    That particular line of thought was what made Denbe so nervous.


    A representative of the Tyrant had sought Denbe out by name and brought him to the very seat of the Tyrant¡¯s power. Denbe could only hope that their organisation had not offended him in some way and that the Tyrant was just indulging an element of his curiosity.


    Denbe had considered asking the Daemons if they knew the reason for his visit but discarded the idea almost immediately. Barring a small number of exceptions, the Daemons as a whole were notoriously stoic individuals when in the company of humans.


    The bat-winged Daemon looked like he may have been open to at least some form of conversation, but the stern glare of the Elf-like Daemon banished any hope Denbe had of probing for answers. To make matters worse, the subtle shift in the Elf-like Daemon¡¯s eyes gave Denbe the unnerving impression that he could read Denbe¡¯s thoughts and was not amused.


    Their procession came to an abrupt halt, although Denbe wasn¡¯t sure why. So far as he could tell, the surrounding trees and lakeside were as much the same as those they had passed already. However, the Daemons were looking expectantly toward the lake in such a way that Denbe had to trust that they knew something that he did not.


    Sure enough, a dark figure soon appeared in the depths of the lake and began to grow closer with each passing second.


    A few moments later, a savage iron helmet erupted from the surface of the lake and was quickly followed by a pair of hulking pauldrons. A giant armoured body followed as the figure continued toward the lake shore.


    Doing his best to suppress a surge of terror at the sight of the towering figure bearing down on them, Denge realised that the dark figure had to be the Tyrant himself. Larger by half than any Ogre Denbe had ever seen, he felt his heart freeze inside of his chest as the helmet slowly turned and the visor angled downward.


    A pair of large dark eyes stared back at Denbe from the shadows of the helmet, but they were not cold or arrogant like he had expected them to be. Instead, they gave Denbe the impression of expectation, anticipation, and restrained curiosity.


    Quite suddenly, Denbe¡¯s perception of the dark figure changed. While the Daemons themselves continued to give off an aura of imminent yet restrained violence, the dark figure of the Tyrant remained at ease as he left the lake and began nonchalantly stripping his waterlogged armour.


    Only slightly diminished by the absence of his armour, the Ogre was easily three times Denbe¡¯s height and close to five times as wide. Yet just as before, he gave no signs of violent tendencies or intentions, only the same anticipation and curiosity as before.


    ¡°You can leave us. I am in no danger,¡± the Tyrant rumbled with surprising articulation as he sat himself down on a nearby boulder.


    The bat-winged Daemon and the giant amber-scaled Daemon slipped away into the sky and lake respectively while the Elf-like Daemon lingered.


    The Tyrant seemed to have anticipated or intended his presence because he made no signs of repeating himself. ¡°You are Denbe of Thanifar, yes?¡± The Tyrant asked expectantly.


    Denbe Gulped dryly and nodded, ¡°Ah, ahem, y-yes M-Majesty...¡±


    The Tyrant rested his giant hands on his knees and leaned closer, causing Denbe¡¯s body to freeze momentarily in panic. ¡°Good,¡± the Tyrant rumbled appreciatively, ¡°I was made aware, on several occasions, that you are not the most senior member of the Caravan, But I believe you are better suited than the alternatives for my intentions.¡±


    ¡°Y-Your i-intentions?¡± Denbe stammered, entirely too rattled to stop himself in time.


    ¡°I am going to free the Dominion¡¯s Slaves, and you are going to help me do it!¡± The Tyrant declared confidently.


    Denbe¡¯s eyes widened in shock and his body froze in place as the rational parts of his brain warred against primal instincts for control. The Dominion was where members of their organisation went to die. No one had successfully liberated a single soul from the Dominion¡¯s territory since the latest incarnation of their so-called ¡®God King¡¯ had ascended the throne.


    However, the Tyrant was no mere human. If anyone could launch a raid against the territory of the Dominion and return unscathed, it would be him.


    If the rumours were to be believed, the Tyrant had already personally freed hundreds of Slaves. Many were freed during the same battle. No member of their organisation could claim even a tenth of that figure from any single campaign, let alone an active battlefield.


    Denbe¡¯s grandfather had been a Slave in the Dominion¡¯s salt mines and had been freed in the confusion of an enemy raid. Most of what Denbe knew of the Dominion¡¯s slave trade and internal practices were learned from his grandfather¡¯s stories.


    Chief amongst which were the roving bands of heavily armed manhunters that patrolled the countryside in search of escaped Slaves or anyone they could subdue and sell into Slavery. Combined with the ancient obelisks that dotted the landscape and prevented Teleportation, the only way to escape the Dominion on foot was at the head of an army.


    ¡°Or behind a giant wall of violent motivated muscle,¡± Denbe thought hastily as his mind caught up with the opportunity presented before them.


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 55 – Grimoire of Flesh – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 55 ¨C Grimoire of Flesh ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 55 - Grimoire of Flesh - Part Two


    The more I learned of the Dominion, the more I recognised the possibility that I would be invading the territory of another Awakened. Or worse, the territory of an Awakened¡¯s army of descendants.


    There were no Labyrinths within the territory of the Dominion, only the ancient pillars scattered across the landscape. While it was not fully understood how it was common knowledge that the pillars blocked Teleportation into and out of the Dominion¡¯s territory.


    Without Labyrinths to supply resources and a steady supply of cheap food, and excessive slave labour driving wages downward, the average citizen of the Dominion was desperately poor. However, the absence of Labyrinths meant that none of their neighbours was interested in taking their territory either.¡¯


    Subsisting on agriculture, Beast husbandry, fisheries, and raw material exports, most of the Dominion¡¯s wealth was invested into purchasing Variants to prop up the labour market or reinvigorate different bloodlines of ¡®domesticated¡¯ Beasts. Of all their industries, it was Beast husbandry that generated the most wealth.


    While the dominion lacked several resources the other nations otherwise had in abundance, the market for Tamed Beasts was very nearly limitless. Between preparing for war, replenishing losses from war, and a robust domestic market, Tamed Beasts could almost single-handedly support the Dominion¡¯s other industries. This was perhaps just as well since the Beast husbandry industry required substantial ongoing investments of raw resources to maintain itself.


    The prolific availability of trained Beasts allowed the man-catchers to cover large amounts of ground on any given day. Combined with the pillars that blocked Teleportation, it meant escape on foot would rapidly become a bloody affair at best.


    The major ports of the Dominion had stringent procedures for rooting out stowaways and illicit cargo. The cargo sweeps were also performed under the watch of heavy naval siege engines that would sink any ship that failed to comply with said procedures.


    ¡°It has been more than four decades since the last Slave escaped the Dominion alive,¡± Denbe admitted quietly while wringing his hands with a bitter expression on his face, ¡°Not that we haven¡¯t tried...¡±


    ¡°What about buying them their freedom?¡± I asked despite already feeling like I knew what the answer would be.


    ¡°They won¡¯t sell humanoid Slaves to anyone outside of their established network of clients,¡± Denbe replied, ¡°And humanoid Slaves aren¡¯t permitted to be sold outside of the Dominion without written consent and oversight by the Dominion¡¯s high council.¡±


    ¡°So a broker ¡®could¡¯ sell Slaves to another interest in the Dominion?¡± I pressed for clarification, already weighing the price of my morals against the lives of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Slaves.


    Denbe stared at me with a strange look in his eyes for a few moments and then nodded, ¡°Ah, yes, a Dominion citizen ¡®could¡¯ buy Slaves to work their lands or-¡±


    ¡°What about the land? Can anyone buy land for mining or farming? Or is it only available to nobles or established merchants?¡± I continued, more or less thinking aloud while a plan began forming in my mind.


    ¡°Ah...I think anyone technically could buy land, provided they had the funds...¡± Denbe hedged uncertainly.


    ¡°I need a map of the Dominion, do you have one?¡± A plan was taking shape in my mind, but I needed more information.


    Denbe nodded nervously and withdrew a map from the satchel at his side.


    ¡°Right...¡± I sighed disappointedly at the map. While it was quite large, it was scaled for human use. ¡°Ideally, we want a location near the border and an excuse for high turnover in Slaves,¡± I explained while gesturing to the map, ¡°We can then use the pretence of expended lives to liberate Slaves by tunnelling under the border to a Gateway out of the range of the pillars.¡±


    Denbe stared up at me in surprise.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t wholly my idea,¡± I admitted, having borrowed large tracts of it from the numerous strategies of the original Midnight Railroad.


    Denbe slowly nodded and turned his attention to the map, ¡°All the good mining locations have been claimed for generations...but a quarry could justify the need for large numbers of Slaves,¡± he mused aloud while pointing to what looked like a largely uninhabited section of the map, ¡°The desolate conditions could justify the mortality rate...But there would need to be sufficient value to justify the expense...¡±


    ¡°What does the Dominion value then?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Besides Slave labour and food?¡±


    ¡°Well...building materials are always in demand,¡± Denbe hedged, ¡°The well-off are forever building monuments and villas...¡±


    ¡°So, rare metals, jewels, marble, that sort of thing?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Marble is incredibly rare and could sell for a great deal,¡± Denbe agreed, ¡°And raw jewels and rare metals can be sold to merchants for a substantial profit depending on the purity...¡±


    ¡°So, we need to find an unclaimed plot of land with access to one of those resources,¡± I confirmed while pointing back to the map, ¡°Which means we will most likely need to have someone prospect the land beforehand.¡±


    Denbe frowned slightly, creasing his dark-tanned brow, ¡°Forgiveness, my Tyrant, but we have no prospectors in our organisation.¡±


    I waved Denbe off dismissively, ¡°I have an expert already. What I need is the means to disguise him so his true identity is not discovered.¡±


    ¡°Illusion magic?¡± Denbe suggested hopefully, ¡°Depending upon the prospector¡¯s size and the level of scrutiny, a low-level illusion item might be sufficient.¡±


    I mentally reviewed Sanctuary¡¯s treasury but was disappointed when I failed to find a magical item with illusion magic.


    ¡°Do you have access to such an item?¡± I asked with lowered expectations.


    ¡°No,¡± Denbe admitted somewhat awkwardly, ¡°But I know where I can get one!¡± He added hastily, ¡°I will just need some coins to make the trade!¡±


    Sanctuary¡¯s treasury had no coins whatsoever, which presented something of a problem. However, magic items were valuable enough on their own, so I figured Denbe should be able to pawn a few items to make the purchase, or just barter directly for the item.


    With a wave of my hand, I conjured five relatively high-level magical items from the treasury. ¡°These should be enough, right?¡± I asked curiously.


    Denbe looked at the items warily for a couple of moments before staggering backwards in surprise, ¡°Th-these a-are a-all...¡±


    ¡°Magic items from tier twenty-five monsters,¡± I clarified.


    Besides being relatively high level, there was nothing special about the weapons and armour. Those risking their lives in my Labyrinth for Exp and gear used the donation quest to exchange generic magical equipment gained through Taxation for Exp.


    ¡°I-Is this? Ah, are you sure?¡± Denbe asked nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I reassured him, ¡°If you think it¡¯s too much, just save anything left over for our efforts in the Dominion.¡±


    That sobered Denbe up almost immediately, ¡°R-Right!¡± He agreed determinedly and stowed the items away in a sack.


    ¡°We can talk more once you return with the item and we have a better idea of what we are working with,¡± I stated while thinking of what steps to take next.


    Denbe bowed respectfully and was escorted out of The Grove by Gric.


    I was about to Summon Sebet so I could task her with acquiring more information on the Dominion but paused. Summoning Sebet was an opportunity to test the Sorcerous Blood Ability to Empower the Summon and determine what the Empower effect had on the Spell.


    Unsure of what exactly was required, I conjured and resized a magical dagger from Sanctuary¡¯s treasury. Using the dagger, I made a shallow cut in my left palm and focused on the Ability while activating the Spell.


    *


    A church bell rang three times in steady succession and the pooled blood in my hand began trailing through the air into a whirling bloody mass. When the blood available in my hand ran dry, I felt more blood being drawn from the open cut.


    The volume of blood loss would have once alarmed me, but as the final drops left my hand, I estimated that I had lost less than a twentieth of the total volume of blood coursing through my veins.


    The mass of swirling blood slowly formed the rough outline of a humanoid circulatory system. Once the veins, heart and arteries were complete, a female body rapidly formed around them.


    Kneeling on her hands and knees, Sebet released a ragged gasp and looked around herself in surprise.


    Currently, in her Devil form, Sebet¡¯s armoured bat wings fanned out to protect her flanks as she leapt to her feet and away from the perceived threat.


    Unfortunately, this caused Sebet to land in the lake.


    A few moments later, Sebet came charging out of the lake with her fangs and claws bared for a fight. Then she stopped abruptly and looked around the lake shore. ¡°Where? What?¡± Sebet hissed in confusion before looking down at her claws, ¡°I...Well, this is interesting...¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I apologised, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what the Empower function would do.¡±


    Sebet¡¯s eyes widened and her jaw gaped, ¡°Empower?!¡± She unabashedly began scanning her naked body in immense detail, ¡°My mana isn¡¯t deteriorating? And...Yes, but...Why?¡± Sebet¡¯s expression fluctuated moment by moment as fragments of a disjointed conversation spilled over her lips unprovoked.


    Sebet¡¯s self-inspection was interrupted as the original came hurtling out of the sky and made a predatory landing a short distance away.


    ¡°See?!¡± The Summoned Sebet insisted, ¡°No deterioration or anything!¡±


    The original Sebet stalked up to her copy and without warning, gave the Summoned Sebet¡¯s buttocks a whip-like smack with her right hand, ¡°Yep, that¡¯s mine alright,¡± she agreed with a ludicrously serious expression on her face.


    ¡°Told you so!¡± The Summoned Sebet replied haughtily while gingerly rubbing her backside.


    ¡°Explain, please,¡± I demanded with a polite sigh.


    The Summoned and original Sebet reacted in complete unison, ¡°It¡¯s the Empower effect,¡± they replied in perfect synch, ¡°She-I is-am a perfect copy...mostly,¡± they stared at one another, ¡°Her-my mana is still lower than mine-hers though...¡± They admitted, directing fault toward the copy.


    ¡°How much lower?¡± I asked curiously. I hadn¡¯t attempted to designate a specific amount of mana, so I was unsure what to expect.


    ¡°About half,¡± the Sebets¡¯ replied in unison.


    ¡°Half? You¡¯re sure?¡± I asked warily while checking my mana. I had spent precisely ten mana and lost five HP.


    Both Sebets¡¯ nodded, ¡°Roughly half,¡± they agreed.


    ¡°Hrm...And what was with that disjointed conversation earlier?¡± I pressed, interested in learning as much about the Empower effect as possible.


    ¡°Oh, we were just speaking telepathically,¡± the Sebets¡¯ replied nonchalantly while the copy scratched her cheek nervously, ¡°Our Coven Racial Ability allows us to communicate over any distance with blood relatives.¡±


    ¡°So, this counts? Or could you do that with the regular Summons?¡± I asked curiously.


    The two Sebets looked at one another for a moment and then shook their heads, ¡°Not that I remember. That¡¯s why it was so strange-¡±


    ¡°-I thought someone had used illusion magic on me,¡± the copy admitted.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I agreed sympathetically. ¡°But you said you aren¡¯t losing mana?¡±


    The copy nodded vigorously, ¡°It¡¯s regenerating even! Not as quickly as it should...But this is still much better than the alternatives!¡±


    ¡°Is it though?¡± I muttered as the moral complications of what that entailed began to assert themselves in my mind.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The pair asked in unison before sobering almost immediately, ¡°Oh, right...Yeah...that could be a problem,¡± they shared a worried look.


    ¡°But I know I am a copy,¡± the copy insisted, ¡°I mean, sure, I don¡¯t want to die, but I know it¡¯s not the same thing as you dying.¡±


    The original wavered her hand in a display of doubt, ¡°Maybe, maybe not, we both know that we won¡¯t know for sure until a situation arises.¡±


    ¡°I guess...¡± The copy agreed somewhat dejectedly.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t quite what I expected, but we can make it work to our advantage,¡± I decided, ¡°How do you feel about a long-term assignment?¡±


    Both Sebets¡¯ stared at me intently, ¡°A long-term assignment?¡±


    ¡°This will be related to your role as my spymaster,¡± I explained, having come to the realisation just a few moments earlier, ¡°A posting in the Dominion, a country to the far west. I am planning to establish semi-legitimate holdings there to liberate and recruit large volumes of Slaves. But the leader of the country might be an Awakened, a Lord of the Labyrinths, like me.¡±


    ¡°So you want us to keep an eye on things and poke around while running things?¡± The Sebets¡¯ asked enthusiastically.


    ¡°More or less, yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°What about an operational budget?¡± The original asked, ¡°Will we be given funds to make arrangements? Or should we source the funding ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s a good question!¡± The copy agreed, ¡°And what about our rules of engagement?¡±


    ¡°Only one of you, the copy, would be going,¡± I clarified while considering just how much money they would need as startup capital.


    ¡°Ack!¡± The original hissed while baring her fangs at her copy.


    The copy grinned unashamedly wide in reply.


    ¡°I want updates! Daily-NO! Thrice daily!¡± The original demanded savagely.


    ¡°Fine,¡± the copy agreed nonchalantly, ¡°But you know? I¡¯m thinking that this might be a two Succubi job!¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I challenged warily.


    ¡°Well, keeping an eye on the Slaves and all the people keeping an eye on us will be a rather busy job,¡± the copy explained with an entirely all too innocent smile, ¡°Which will leave little time for spying on everyone else. I might get blindsided because of the machinations of some salt baron against one of our Slave vendors!¡±


    ¡°That...might happen...¡± I agreed reluctantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not there being two of us will make things any more morally complicated than they are already,¡± the copy continued, apparently dropping her association with the original in favour of pushing for another copy.


    ¡°Another ¡®copy¡¯ would help with gathering information more readily,¡± the original agreed with visible reluctance, ¡°So long as we all agree that I am in charge!¡±


    The copy nodded, ¡°Of course! Seniority should be respected!¡±


    The original narrowed her eyes briefly before sniffing in contempt, ¡°I have no objections,¡± she stated haughtily, ¡°So long as the hierarchy is observed.¡±


    The copy grinned victoriously, ¡°We shall need unique names as well, for operational security!¡±


    ¡°And my sanity,¡± I muttered while trying to decide if it was truly a good idea to engage in another Empowered Summon.


    ¡°What about...Sabine?¡± The copy asked happily.


    ¡°We were saving that! And you know it!¡± The original snarled dangerously, ¡°Pick something else!¡±


    ¡°Something local might be a good idea, I suppose,¡± the copy admitted with a sigh, ¡°At least we know what they look like, more or less.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± I hadn¡¯t expected that.


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± the pair replied in unison as their bodies began to change into an entirely too familiar shape, and very much naked shape.


    ¡°Clothes!¡± I demanded, raising one hand to cover my eyes while conjuring the first things that came to mind from the treasury. ¡°You are NEVER to take the form of my close companions, friends, acquaintances or family members without their permission!¡± I ordered awkwardly while desperately trying to erase the image of Clarice, her twin standing naked by the lake from my immediate memory.


    ¡°But we had permission,¡± one of the Sebets pouted, earning a lewd snicker from the other.


    I was about to express my displeasure further but paused after realising that the Sebets¡¯ had activated a Spell that qualified for my Grimoire of Flesh.


    ¡°There,¡± one of the pair stated, ¡°That should do it.¡±


    ¡°What Spell did you use?¡± I asked while cautiously opening my eyes.


    Still wearing Clarice¡¯s dark skin with dark red hair, the two Succubi now looked like they could pass as Clarice¡¯s taller statuesque cousins. Rather than wearing the conjured clothing, they had somehow conjured and donned form-fitting leather jackets and pants of slightly different styles.


    ¡°Sculpt Flesh?¡± The pair of transformed Succubi asked in unison.


    I nodded and motioned for them to elaborate.


    ¡°Well...It allows us to make changes to our appearance,¡± the slightly taller Sebet replied, ¡°Our natural Ability plicated...It relies too much on the viewer. Sculpt Flesh gives us more freedom to choose an exact form. Although, the more drastic the changes, the more mana it costs to maintain them.¡±


    So you could look human instead of like a Succubus using this Spell?¡± I asked, intrigued by the possibilities.


    Both succubi nodded.


    ¡°It still has limitations based on mass,¡± the taller of the two continued, potentially guessing at my intentions, ¡°But an Empowered version of the Spell might circumvent that limitation.¡±


    ¡°Or it might just make the changes permanent,¡± the other interjected helpfully.


    ¡°Could you make a magical item with the Sculpt Flesh Spell in it?¡± I asked hopefully. Unsure if I wanted to permanently allocate a Spell slot on the off chance the Spell might be helpful.


    The two Succubi looked at one another and nodded, ¡°We can do that,¡± they agreed, ¡°But it will take a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Then please, make it a priority,¡± I insisted.


    If Denbe failed to source a suitable illusion item, then Sculpt Flesh might serve as a suitable substitute.


    ¡°We could prepare it faster with extra help,¡± the shorter Succubus suggested hopefully in a barely concealed attempt at manipulation.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed, and reopened the wound with my dagger,


    Casting the Empowered Summon for a second time left me mildly lightheaded and served as a reminder that I should have taken the time to eat something after the first time.


    Sebet¡¯s second copy wasted no time in taking on the third variation on Clarice¡¯s appearance. However, whether it was accidental or deliberate, she took on the same height and most of the same features as the other copy.


    ¡°We will just pose as twins,¡± the two copies insisted determinedly, ¡°It will make it that much easier to come and go as we please while being observed. Our enemies will be left guessing at who is who.¡±


    Again, I couldn¡¯t fault them for their logic, but I also doubted it was as deliberate or planned as they made it out to be. They were all functionally the same person, so it made sense that the scope of their collective imagination would be nearly identical.


    That also meant...


    ¡°Nope, not going to think about it,¡± I muttered and made my way back into the lake.


    My tests with wearing conventional armour underwater had not been surprising. The iron plates had restricted the passage of water around and through my new gills, and the weight of the armour itself had made fine movement all but impossible.


    Reflecting upon what I had learned, I decided that a tough hide or scale armour would have to be tailored to my body. Of course, that presented the problem of sourcing the materials. I needed something with a comparable toughness to my skin to make the armour worthwhile. Otherwise, the armour would be prone to becoming a liability rather than an asset.


    Working my way through a link of smoked sausages, I also realised that I would need a certain degree of practice to effectively feed myself while underwater as well.


    As an aside, I also realised that I probably wouldn¡¯t enjoy swimming in the ocean. In the same way that freshwater fish and saltwater fish couldn''t swap habitats, I strongly suspected I would suffer from the same general problems. Unless the Sculpt Flesh Spell allowed for altering internal organs.


    I continued eating at the bottom of the lake while considering the possibilities.


    I decided that until I knew the long-term ramifications of the Empowered Summoning, I wouldn¡¯t use it again outside of an emergency.


    This still left Thundering Strikes, Shape Stone and Plant Growth to test with the Empower effect.


    Unsure of how dangerous practising with the three Spells would be, I left Sanctuary and made my way to the river that surrounded it.


    The problem with practising the Shape Earth Spell was determining how much was the effect of my authority within my Demi-Plane and how much was from the Spell.


    With this in mind, I decided to try the Plant Growth Spell first. To establish a baseline, I wandered the riverside until I found two willow trees of roughly the same size but were a decent distance apart from each other.


    Allocating ten whole mana for the test, I concentrated on the first willow tree and focused on injecting it with mana while picturing an image of the tree growing in my mind. To my immense satisfaction, the willow tree more or less grew as I prompted it to. I hadn¡¯t fully accounted for the influence of gravity on larger tree limbs and denser gatherings of leaves, but that seemed to sort itself out on its own.


    The tree had grown close to three times its original size by the time it finished growing. This was generally what I had expected after watching Qreet and the two Dryads grow so many trees.


    With a baseline sample, I could now compare against, I made my way over to the other tree and considered my options on how best to proceed. Sticking with the tried and true method of simply cutting my hand seemed like the best place to start, so I carefully made a shallow cut in my left hand before targeting the second willow tree with the Plant Growth Spell.


    Right away, blood began trailing from my hand and through the air before running over the bark of the tree. Contrary to my expectations, the second tree¡¯s growth was significantly lesser than the first tree¡¯s had been, barely doubling its size by the time it consumed the same volume of mana. Curiously, the mana flow didn¡¯t seem to want to stop of its own accord. Just like when I conducted the Empowered Summoning of Sebet.


    By the time the Spell came to an end, I had lost roughly twenty points of mana and another ten HP. The tree was roughly three times its original size, but the colouration of its bark had darkened considerably and the leaves and thin branches had taken on a crimson hue.


    ¡°What have you done?!¡± Hana cried out in surprise as she and her sister Kohana came running out of Sanctuary and toward the altered willow.


    Before I could begin to explain myself, the crimson willow began gently waving its branches to and fro.


    The sisters looked confused.


    ¡°Sorry, did you-¡± Kohana began to ask but was interrupted by the willow as it shook its branches more animatedly.


    ¡°Oh...Well...Uh...Are you sure you are alright?¡± Hana asked with a strange expression on her face.


    The crimson willow tree vigorously waved its branches.


    ¡°Well...If you insist,¡± Hana relented.


    ¡°Were you speaking with the tree?¡± I asked curiously.


    Hana narrowed her eyes at me and pursed her lips, ¡°Do you know what you did?¡± She demanded firmly.


    ¡°Uh, no, not really,¡± I admitted, ¡°What did I do?¡±¡¯


    ¡°You woke it up!¡± Kohana complained angrily.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I replied calmly, refusing to be intimidated even though the two sisters could probably bury me alive.


    Kohana waved her arms and motioned to the tree, ¡°It means you...you...You woke it up!¡± She spluttered incredulously.


    ¡°And that¡¯s bad?¡± I was getting the impression that I would be receiving any of the answers I needed any time soon.


    ¡°It can be,¡± Hana replied gravely, ¡°Although this one seems to like you well enough...Some plants don¡¯t react well to becoming aware of things beyond their immediate surroundings.


    The crimson willow rustled its leaves in what I felt was a dismissive huffing motion.


    Hana¡¯s frown deepened, ¡°What, did you do?¡± She asked curiously while looking around at the nearby willow trees.


    Following Hana¡¯s focus, I was surprised to see that the nearby willows were all slowly growing.


    ¡°You can cast Spells?!¡± Kohana demanded incredulously.


    The crimson willow¡¯s trunk groaned condescendingly.


    ¡°HEY!¡± Kohana balled up a fist and shook it at the crimson willow, ¡°You watch it or I''ll change you into a birch!¡±


    The crimson willow rustled its leaves in a sullen and most likely insincere apology.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Hana repeated.


    ¡°I cast an Empowered Plant Growth Spell on it,¡± I admitted somewhat sheepishly, ¡°I was trying to find out what it would do.¡±


    Hana just stared at me for a couple of minutes without saying anything, ¡°That¡¯s all you did? You¡¯re sure?¡± She asked eventually.


    ¡°So far as I know,¡± I replied honestly.


    ¡°Hrm, well, this isn¡¯t as bad as we originally thought then,¡± Hana let out a deep sigh and looked at the crimson willow again, ¡°Trees are like people, in most of the ways that matter anyway. Some are good, some are bad, and most are a combination of the two. But this tree...it seems a lot like you, Tim. Although maybe a bit less mature-hey!¡± Hana had to back away as the crimson willow swatted a thin branch at her.


    I glanced sceptically toward the crimson willow, ¡°Well, so long as it''s not going to hurt anyone, I don¡¯t see a problem.¡±


    ¡°We will definitely be keeping an eye on it,¡± Hana promised, ¡°You can count on it.¡±


    Kohana nervously approached her sister and hissed in her ear while suspiciously avoiding eye contact, ¡°Hana!¡±


    ¡°Hrm?¡± Hana seemed momentarily confused but quickly rallied, ¡°Oh, right, the thing...¡± She looked up at me with a somewhat exasperated expression on her face, ¡°Hey Tim?¡± Hana asked in an excessively casual tone lacking all energy and enthusiasm, ¡°Do you know where those strange flying children came from? And this is totally unrelated, but do you know if Orphiel is seeing anyone? Like, the Harpy woman that keeps hanging around The Grove?¡± She rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly.


    For every ounce of enthusiasm missing in her sister, Kohana seemed to have found it and was staring at me with the intensity of a dog that spotted meat hanging over an attended countertop.


    ¡°Yes, Hana, the Valkyrja was a reward for completing a Conquest quest and have no biological relation to anyone else in Sanctuary, that I know of,¡± I replied in the same robotic tone, ¡°I am also fairly certain that Orphiel has been seeing someone romantically for at least a month now.¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± Hana asked curiously, dropping the robotic emotionless facade.


    ¡°A Dryad, so far as I was aware,¡± I confirmed.


    Kohana''s face twisted in anger, ¡°YOU?!¡± She shrieked trying and failing to bat Hana with her flailing arms.


    The immediate area came alive as roots erupted from the ground and were dragged beneath the soil again by more roots moments later.


    ¡°He was talking about YOU! Lichen brain!¡± Hana cursed while defending her head with her arms.


    The animated vegetation settled almost immediately.


    ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Kohana squeaked.


    ¡°Yes, you!¡± Hana insisted exasperatedly, ¡°Why else do you think he keeps asking after YOU and singing YOU all those awkward ballads?¡±


    I felt somewhat offended on Rick Astley¡¯s behalf. Once you dropped the eighties-nineties accompaniment, the songs were pretty solid. The boybands kind of deserved it though. Most of their music was designed to hit a certain vulnerable demographic hard and fast and make as much money as possible while doing it.


    Kohana blushed an odd shade of green and looked like she was trying to shrink to hide away.


    I left the two Dryad sisters to figure things out on their own.


    Continuing along the riverbank, I decided that I would perform the next test with an expert present.


    Unfortunately, when I had reshaped the borders of Sanctuary, I had not done so with consideration for plentiful access to stone above ground. After close to an hour of wandering, I decided to settle for what I could find, which was essentially a pile of muddy stones.


    Using Summon Servant, without the Empower effect, I Summoned the most qualified Earth Mage I knew of. Ochram.


    Seemingly unchanged from when I had last met him, Ochram was still dressed very simply in a leather soil-stained loincloth. His immense weight caused him to sink a good couple of feet into the muddy river bank, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°I answer the call, Master. How may I serve?¡± Ochram announced brightly as if standing knee-deep in river muck was a good way to start an evening.


    ¡°Do you know how the Empower effect will influence the Shape Stone Spell?¡± I asked bluntly, knowing full well that Ochram preferred matters to be to the point.


    ¡°Empower?¡± Ochram worked his thick jaw as if chewing the word to get a taste of it, or perhaps grind it into submission, ¡°Yes, Empowered Shape Stone, I know of this,¡± he decided with a smile, ¡°To shape stone and bind it without...finesse,¡± Ochram rumbled neutrally.


    ¡°Bind it?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Do you mean I could strengthen the stone? Make it able to withstand greater forces before breaking apart?¡±


    Ochram¡¯s brow slowly creased, dislodging a small amount of dirt and dried clay, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much stronger the stone becomes?¡± It wasn¡¯t as immediately useful as I otherwise would have liked. However, I could think of several uses for it off the top of my head, so I wasn¡¯t complaining either.


    Ochram stared at the small rocks I had gathered and slowly shook his head, ¡°Apologies, Master. Each composition is unique, and would benefit differently from augmentation.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I conceded reluctantly. I supposed I would just have to perform a series of stress tests to find the answers for myself. ¡°Thank you, Ochram,¡± I dismissed his projection and began slowly making my way back into Sanctuary proper.


    Before I reached the Hunters Gate, so named because it was the fortified gate the hunters used to enter and exit Sanctuary, I realised that I had been overlooking an important resource.


    *


    Wreathed in shadowy grey robes instead of his usual midnight black, Wisp took form from the low fog that hung over the surrounding swampland. ¡°My Tyrant, how might I assist you this day?¡± The cleansed Spirit asked in a dry crackling voice that wasn¡¯t nearly as unsettling as it had once been.


    I was almost certain he had been taking lessons from Orphiel. Or that perhaps helping raise the Valkyrja triplets had changed him in some way.


    ¡°I need Spells I can use against the Undead,¡± I stated bluntly, ¡°And I need to know how the Empower Effect would change their function.¡±


    From somewhere deep beneath the shadowed cowl of his grey robe, I imagined Wisp¡¯s non-existent eyes widening in surprise for just a moment. ¡°As you wish, my Tyrant. Bane of Undeath is a powerful enhancement Spell that temporarily enchants nearby weapons of allies, including natural weaponry, to deal increased damage to undead. I have no personal experience with the Empower effect on the Spell, but I believe it makes the Spell semi-permanent in nature.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going on the list then,¡± I agreed appreciatively, ¡°Could you demonstrate the Spell for me?¡±


    Wisp bowed and plucked a small stone from the path. There was a momentary flare of mana and then the stone took on a pale golden light. Then, rather abruptly, it disappeared. ¡°Weapons with the Bane property have been in high demand,¡± Wisp explained with a hint of amusement in his crackling voice, ¡°So I have been allowing such objects to be taken as rewards for those hunting the undead.¡±


    ¡°And you said Empowering the Spell would make it semi-permanent?¡± I asked for clarification.


    Wisp nodded faintly, ¡°That is my understanding, my Tyrant.¡±


    Then perhaps it would be best if we were to make certain?¡± I waved my hand and conjured a small pile of assorted magical weapons from the treasury. Taking the dagger from my belt, I cut my left palm. ¡°If you would do the casting, I would like to see what difference is made by collaboration rather than solo casting.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my Tyrant,¡± Wisp agreed eagerly, ¡°They do enjoy it when I provide them with new toys.¡± Raising the clinging sleeves of his robes, the faintest outline of his immaterial hands could be seen against the gathering fog. Splaying out his long thin fingers, Wisp directed his large palms toward the pile of magical weapons. There was a momentary build of mana and then I felt a faint tug against my left palm.


    This had been the other reason I wanted to attempt casting in collaboration. I wanted to know if someone could use my blood against me while it was still in or on my person. That Wisp seemed incapable of taking it without some form of consent was a considerable load off of my mind.


    Willing the blood in my hand to follow the pull, I did my best to remain calm as my HP slowly began to dip.


    As the Spell settled into place on each weapon, I lost another point of HP. By the time Wisp¡¯s Spell concluded, I had lost twenty-three HP and had to begin eating to stave off my mounting hunger.


    Somewhat light-headed, I elected to sit down once the Spell was complete. Being found sitting in the mud would be far less embarrassing than being found facedown in said mud.


    ¡°Do you mind if I?-¡± Wisp motioned to the pile of weapons that now gave off a faint coppery glow, ¡°-Field testing will benefit us all.¡±


    ¡°By all means,¡± I waved my hand but continued resting my arm on my knee.


    ¡°Thank you, my Tyrant,¡± Wisp bowed his cowled head and the weapons began disappearing one by one. ¡°I have noticed that they seem to watch the reward list quite dutifully,¡± he chuckled in a faint rasping tone of amusement.


    I added the Bane Spell to my Grimoire Of Flesh Ability, making three Spells so far.


    ¡°Do you have any other Spells that would be useful in fighting the Undead?¡± I asked with mounting anticipation.


    Wisp was silent for a few moments as he watched the last of the weapons disappear, ¡°They are not as directly adversarial in nature, but I believe there are a few Spells that could be leveraged to the advantage of the living against the undead.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°Well...Dirge of Undeath is a Spell that is intended to allow a Necromancer to call undead from the surrounding area and concentrate them into one location. A malicious Necromancer could cast the Spell on a target area to soften it up in anticipation of an invasion, or to provide a screening distraction while the Necromancer goes about other business,¡± Wisp explained carefully, ¡°However, the most typical use of the Spell would be so the Necromancer can bind the undead to his will without needing to go searching for them.¡±


    ¡°Is it a compulsion? Or is it like a noise that only the undead can hear?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Or does it depend on how powerful the undead is?¡±


    Wisp gave a throaty crackling laugh and clapped his ethereal hands together, ¡°Good! Very good! Those are precisely the right questions to be asking, my Tyrant!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Wisp was indulging in flattery as a means of preparing for a request, or whether he was just in a good mood. The not knowing made it somewhat unsettling.


    ¡°It is both, my Tyrant,¡± Wisp explained in what might otherwise pass for a cheery tone of voice, ¡°To the weakest undead, they are compelled to seek out the epicentre of the Spell¡¯s focus. At the same time, the most powerful undead find it to be little more than a nuisance, like the rumbling of distant thunder.¡±


    ¡°So, if I understand you correctly, the Spell could be used to lure weaker undead into a trap?¡± I hazarded optimistically, ¡°Say, into a Consecrated area?¡±


    ¡°Exactly so!¡± Wisp cackled.


    ¡°And the Empower effect, does it make the duration longer? Or does it make the Spell more difficult to resist?¡± I continued, all while considering the possibilities.


    ¡°If only it was both,¡± Wisp lamented with feigned sadness, ¡°However, it is fortunate that it is the latter. The stronger the call, the greater the distance the undead will be drawn upon to answer it.¡±


    ¡°Wisp, I want you to cast the Spell,¡± I had decided I would add it to my Grimoire of Flesh. Even if I defeated the Liche tomorrow, I still wanted the means to be able to draw and exterminate undead infestations. The Ability to transmit undeath through a living population was far too dangerous. Two Awakened had used the tactic against me thus far, so it only stood to reason that I should expect another to attempt it in the future.


    ***** Randle - Trost Labyrinth ~ First Floor Foothold *****


    The Conquest was nearly complete, which meant Randle, Faine, and Jayne had a decision to make.


    Stay and wait for the floor of the Labyrinth to be assimilated into the Tyrant¡¯s Demi-Plane, or push to Conquer another floor.


    ¡°We have progressed about as well as we had otherwise hoped,¡± Faine stated reservedly, ¡°I don¡¯t see an immediate need to take further risks...¡±


    ¡°The smart play would be to leave with our guaranteed gains and prepare for our next target,¡± Jayne agreed.


    Randle was about to argue to the contrary but paused as he felt a familiar presence.


    Jayne and Faine perked up the moment they realised something was amiss.


    ¡°The Tyrant is watching,¡± Randle stated bluntly.


    ¡°We are moments away from completing the Conquest, my Tyrant!¡± Faine declared with stoic pride, ¡°We were just discussing what we should do next.¡±


    To their combined surprise a thick indentation appeared on the stone wall and began slowly trailing along the wall. A second line appeared shortly afterwards, then a third and a fourth.


    ¡°It¡¯s writing!¡± Jayne declared in amazement.


    Letters and then full words began to take shape on the wall.


    [ Leave the building. ]


    Randle looked at his cousins and shrugged, ¡°I suppose we should leave the building.¡±


    Faine and Jayne nodded in agreement. It seemed rather obvious what was expected of them.


    Heading up the stairs, the trio paused in surprise when the rearmost steps of the stone staircase behind them began rising and merging into the ceiling of the passageway.


    Giving one another concerned looks, they cautiously continued up the stairs.


    The staircase continued to seal itself shut behind them, walling off the Totem and Cursed statue behind them.


    Leaving the guild administration building, they found new instructions written on the wall. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [ The portal into the Labyrinth will be blocked. Evacuate the building. ]


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Jayne volunteered and hurried back into the building.


    ¡°Could the Tyrant always do this?¡± Randle asked quietly, unsure how much the Tyrant could see or hear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Faine replied with a shrug, ¡°Does it matter though? He obviously can now.¡±


    ¡°True, cousin, true,¡± Randle agreed quietly.


    The ground beneath their feet began to tremble as one of the stone walls began to fall apart and large blocks of stone began rolling across the ground and toward the currently inert portal.


    The removal of the wall made Jayne¡¯s efforts in evacuating the bound prisoners that much faster as the fear of being caught within combined with the new ready access to leave.


    ¡°The building is empty!¡± Jayne called out brusquely as she herded the prisoners toward the inn.


    The administration building collapsed outright and more chunks of stone began rolling and tumbling toward the portal site. After forming a large pile of broken stonework, the stones began to sag and melt like lard in a hot frying pan.


    The liquid stone mass began to writhe and slowly formed into an amorphous bubble of similar size to a small house before slowly settling into a solid again.


    ¡°He¡¯s walling in the portal...¡± Randle gasped, finally understanding what exactly was happening.


    The stone from the nearby stores began tearing free of their foundations and rolling toward the stone dome. Upon reaching the dome, the new arrivals began working themselves underground of their own accord.


    When everything was still again, Randle took a moment to note that half the foothold lay in ruins.


    *


    A small chime sounded and a small canine-like humanoid in boiled leather armour appeared in front of Randle.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Kobold,¡± Faine explained before looking back toward the stone dome, ¡°And that looks like our marching orders,¡± he added determinedly and motioned to the writing on the stone dome.


    [ Leave with haste. ]


    ¡°I guess we can just leave the prisoners,¡± Randle suggested, ¡°They will be picked up with everything else later, right?¡±


    Faine nodded in agreement, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense to take them with us. We do not need hostages.¡±


    The short furry Kobold watched their exchange with apparently little interest but its full attention.


    ¡°The Synergy from the Kobold will let us push hard on the march,¡± Jayne added, ¡°So we can be sure the Tyrant meant what he said. He¡¯s serious about this.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Faine and Randle agreed in near unison.


    ¡°I¡¯ll set the men to pack the last of the supplies,¡± Jayne volunteered and began jogging toward the inn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let the others know about the change in plan,¡± Faine added, already drawing his communicator from the pouch on his hip.


    ¡°I guess, ah, I¡¯ll figure out some way to carry this Kobold so it won-ah!¡± Randle gave a start as the Kobold leapt straight at him. Except, instead of attacking him, the Kobold scrambled up Randle like a ladder and around his shoulders and onto his back where it was now in the process of emptying Randle¡¯s pack.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to carry it I suppose,¡± Faine mused with a stiff smile.


    By the time preparations were completed and they were underway, the Conquest had formally ended and the Kobold was snuggly sitting in Randle¡¯s pack. With three holes in the panels of the leather for the Kobold¡¯s legs and tail respectively, the Kobold¡¯s presence was otherwise quite easy for Randle to ignore. Especially since it weighed less than the original contents of his pack.


    However, Randle caught Jayne snickering on more than one occasion while they were dashing through the open plain. Unsure what she was finding so funny, Randle didn¡¯t discover the truth until taking a relative break running without his helmet on.


    The Kobold was looking to and fro as Randle ran, and all the while it was lolling its huge canine tongue out of the side of its mouth.


    Initially somewhat annoyed, Randle eventually relented and agreed that it was somewhat amusing and endearing, in the same sort of way as an infant child.


    Burning mana to maintain their endurance, they ran practically the entire distance from the Foothold in a single two-hour stint that reminded Randle of his early squire training. Although his squire training hadn¡¯t been nearly so easy.


    The second team had already departed the area, but a small scaly humanoid remained in the middle of the deserted fortified encampment. Standing atop a steel-bound chest and still less than four feet tall, the short reptilian humanoid had crimson scales and a long tail. A heavy bony underbite beneath a Dragon-like snout paired with a horned crest and slitted amber eyes marked the monster as one of the lesser Dragon-Kin Species.


    ¡°I have been expecting you!¡± The crimson-scaled Dragon-Kin announced unhappily and snorted thin trails of smoke from its horned nostrils.


    ¡°This is Overseer Iristrixanthrax,¡± Faine explained while bowing his head slightly, ¡°Did I get that right? Overseer?¡±


    ¡°Hrmph! Near enough!¡± Iristrixanthrax grumbled, ¡°For a soft skin...¡±


    ¡°Grrrrr-¡± The Kobold on Randle¡¯s back disappeared mid-growl, perhaps having run out of mana to sustain itself.


    ¡°You there!¡± Iristrixanthrax pointed to Randle, ¡°You shall carry me while your female carries the eggs,¡± the Dragon-Kin demanded haughtily, ¡°With immense care!¡± Iristrixanthrax added while glaring at Jayne.


    *


    Everyone¡¯s attention shifted as a lithe Serpent-Kin woman appeared in their midst. ¡°Ah, um...¡± The Serpent-Kin mumbled self-consciously and shied away from the intense scrutiny before seeming to discover her nerve, ¡°Ah! On the command of the Tyrant! You are to leave at onsse! THE EGGSS WILL BE LEFT IN MY CARE! SSO GO!¡± No doubt because of her nerves, she had all but shouted the last.


    Without saying a word, Iristrixanthrax humbly descended the chest and scampered off in the direction of the portal to the second floor. An Overseer they may be, but pissing off the Tyrant or his messengers would be a quick way for that to change.


    ¡°Do you think we will be running into more Kobolds like her?¡± Jayne snickered quietly.


    ¡°Kobold? I thought you said she was a Dragon-Kin?¡± Randle accused Faine.


    ¡°A lesser Dragon-Kin, yes,¡± Faine confirmed, ¡°It is one of their most common Evolutions.¡±


    ¡°But if he is a Kobold, then what was I carrying in my pack earlier?¡± Randle demanded.


    ¡°A Kobold,¡± Jayne replied with a grin.


    ¡°Wait...Both Species are called Kobolds?! You¡¯re joking?!¡± Randle demanded incredulously.


    ¡°Honest truth cousin,¡± Jayne insisted, ¡°Now come on, we had best be moving out before the new arrival burns a hole in our necks.¡±


    ¡°Kobolds can breathe fire?!¡± Randle didn¡¯t know what to believe anymore.


    ¡°I was talking about the Serpent-Kin!¡± Jayne replied and thumbed toward the admittedly irate-looking female Serpent-Kin that was staring daggers at them.


    ¡°Best get moving,¡± Randle agreed, earning fresh snickering from Faine and Jayne.


    What did they expect?


    Jayne and Faine may have forgotten, but Randle was still painfully aware that the Tyrant was watching them and judging them.


    Why else would the Serpent-Kin have appeared so suddenly?!


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 56 – Among the people – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 56 ¨C Among the people ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 56 - Amongst the people - Part One


    Observing and assisting my champions served as a wake-up call. I was wasting their potential by limiting them to the initial Abilities I chose for them. The smart play was to give them the Grimoire of Flesh.


    I had been limiting my selections based on my own personal and perceived immediate needs. However, if I planned on sharing Grimoire of Flesh, my choices would need to reflect a more utilitarian selection to account for a greater number of potential scenarios.


    One of the first examples that came to mind was the Ward Spell. The Spell was practically useless to me the majority of the time. However, assuming I was keeping my champions busy, there would be several opportunities for them to drive wild monsters while on the move.


    Similarly, Summon Servant and Thundering Strike were known to me already, so I dismissed them as potential candidates immediately out of hand. However, not sharing them with my champions seemed like an incredibly poor decision. Losing out on a few personal empowerment options in exchange for making my champions that much stronger and more capable seemed like a worthwhile investment.


    Especially since my number of champions would increase as my stats improved, making those Spell selections even more valuable.


    Before annexing the first floor of the Trost Labyrinth, I changed out the Ability Selection for Randle, Jayne and Faine to the Grimoire of Flesh. Half expecting the selection to be rejected, I was surprised when the change went through without an issue.


    After making the change, I realised that I had taken for granted that my champions would receive a copy of my Spells selected for my copy of the Ability. I had just assumed that would be the case, which perhaps might be responsible for the outcome.


    It was difficult to be certain. My authority as Tyrant made certain information available without my actively noticing or realising it. Simultaneously, it also allowed me to shape certain options otherwise presented to my subordinates.


    Taking great care to separate the second team¡¯s base camp implant the ground just outside of the Hunters Gate. With the unidentified eggs secured, I extended the opportunity for Promotion to Underlord to Jesset as thanks for her service. Her projection hadn¡¯t been in any true danger, but it was the sentiment that mattered.


    I would have sent one of the Daemons, but the sheer distance involved made Summon Servant incredibly expensive. So I needed a ¡®weak¡¯ volunteer that would otherwise be recognised on sight as a citizen of Sanctuary.


    There had been several volunteers amongst the younger Serpent-Kin and Goblins who had yet to Evolve, but I was pressed for time and Jesset had won the random selection.


    Separating the Foothold next, I temporarily transplanted it beside Sebet¡¯s semi-completed fortress. I was still waiting on Sebet and her clones to return with the promised Shape Flesh Spell in magic item form, but I wasn¡¯t particularly worried about them taking longer than originally estimated.


    To accommodate their absence, I sent Garn to transfer the captured adventurers, guild employees, and shopkeepers to alternate accommodations. I wasn¡¯t sure if Sebet had better accommodations than the original prison cells, but I gave Garn special instructions not to treat them too poorly.


    So far as I knew, the storekeepers and adventurers had done nothing wrong. The staff of the Adventurers Guild held a higher degree of potential responsibility, but I was willing to wait for Sebet to get to the truth of it before doling out punishments.


    Returning my focus to vetting Spells for my Grimoire of Flesh, I began trawling through the Registry to try and spot any Classes that might have Spells I could look into.


    For the most part, I was disappointed.


    A fairly large number of Spells were directly linked to their respective Class and were functionally Class Abilities outright as a result. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Mage Classes had surprisingly few Spells to pilfer. Most of their Abilities were oriented toward improving their Spells or altering mana efficiency. However, my focus on the Mages, Druids and Necromancers included, reminded me of Lash¡¯s Barrier. Overlooking the nullification Spell was incredibly foolish.


    In a fight against a Master Necromancer like the Liche, Barrier would be invaluable for countering and outright negating the Liche¡¯s aggressively destructive Spells.


    Wisp¡¯s personal recommendations had already been added to the Grimoire or were written down on a stone tablet stowed away in a pouch on my hip.


    I outright refused to learn the Spells that would spread disease, damage the soul, or raise the dead. I also outright refused to learn the Ensnare Soul Spell. However, after discussing the potential complications involved with fighting the Liche, Wisp convinced me that we needed a way to prevent her from reviving herself after falling in battle. Otherwise, the Liche would simply return over and over again.


    Barring exceptional luck in locating and destroying the vessel that stored and protected her soul after each defeat, creating a trap with the Ensnare Soul Spell was the only real option available to us.


    Without access to the correct recess to Entropy Resistance or an incredibly high Toughness, any living spellcaster would be damaged by using the Spells.


    A second concession was the Drain Life Spell. Intended for use only in emergencies, I hoped I would never have a cause or need to use it.


    I was just about ready to turn in for the evening when Sebet returned. Having shed her earlier disguise, Sebet had assumed her European supermodel form instead.


    ¡°Great one! I have returned as I have promised!¡± Sebet called out eagerly as she hurried to close the remaining distance between us. Sebet held up what looked like a large steel bracelet, ¡°For you! A ring to provide a Human disguise!¡±


    Graciously accepting the ring, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the five manastones prominently arranged on its surface. I also couldn¡¯t help but notice the pair of spikes on the inner surface of the ring.


    ¡°They will ensure the ring can only be taken by force!¡± Sebet declared excitedly, ¡°And so you can use your blood without cutting open your palm for every spell!¡±


    Experimentally pressing against the spikes, I was relieved to see the two manastones on either side of the central stone rise from the surface of the ring to a certain point before they could go no further. Channelling mana into the ring as a whole, the ring began to slowly expand in size.


    ¡°I assume the Sculpt Flesh Spell is stored in the ring?¡± I asked warily while considering which finger to test the ring on.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet replied eagerly, ¡°We took great care in preparing a Human body!¡±


    I was about to slip the ring onto my left index finger but paused, ¡°On a scale of one to ten, how much does the Sculpt Flesh Spell hurt?¡±


    Sebet appeared to give it some serious thought, ¡°About a three,¡± she decided confidently.


    Sliding the ring onto my finger, I felt the thin spikes assert a mild pressure. ¡°Do you know what Empower will do to the Spell?¡± I asked curiously, unsure if I should try the Spell as is or Empower it.


    Sebet took a few moments to think, ¡°It might make the transition smoother?¡± She suggested uncertainly.


    I wasn¡¯t overly thrilled by her lack of confidence, but I doubted there would be other means of disguising myself to the same degree.


    ¡°The Spell isn¡¯t permanent, right? I will turn back to normal when the mana runs out?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sebet agreed with far more confidence, ¡°And the auxiliary manastones will make sure the ring changes along with your body.¡±


    That was another oversight that made me seriously begin to reconsider my options.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly safe!¡± Sebet insisted in a mildly insulted tone, ¡°We tried it on several other people first!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice she failed to mention the participation of willing volunteers.


    ¡°And there shouldn¡¯t be any problems related to my size?¡± I pressed dubiously.


    ¡°Nothing serious,¡± Sebet countered without batting an eye.


    ¡°Sebet?...¡± I released a long drawn-out sigh.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Sebet asked with a hint of nervousness.


    ¡°How about we make a Contract instead?¡± The song from Disney''s Princess and the Frog came unbidden to my mind.


    ¡°A Contract?¡± Sebet¡¯s eyes flashed and she licked her lips. Then rather abruptly, she shook her head, ¡°The ring is perfectly serviceable! There is nothing wrong with it!¡± Sebet insisted.


    ¡°I want guarantees,¡± I growled, ¡°And I want them in writing.¡±


    Sebet relented and we spent close to an hour discussing the details of the transformation and under which conditions it would take place.


    After signing the Contract, a tattoo of a human skull appeared on the inner side of my left forearm.


    To activate the transformation, I would need to press my right forefinger and index finger against the tattoo, channel mana into the tattoo and call upon Sebet¡¯s True Name. Any one of the safety measures would have sufficed, but I had the impression that I really didn¡¯t want to trigger the effect accidentally.


    With no immediate use for it, I returned the ring to Sebet for the time being.


    ¡°Are you going to give it a try?¡± Sebet pleaded, ¡°We put a lot of work into the body!¡±


    ¡°You seem oddly fixated on it...¡± I scanned Sebet¡¯s face for signs of malicious intent but found nothing besides earnest frustration. ¡°Fine,¡± I relented and pressed my right forefinger and index finger against the skull tattoo.


    ¡°Eeeee!¡± Sebet tensed with excitement.


    Taking a steadying breath, I began gathering my mana, making sure to direct it toward both the tattoo as well as my magic items, ¡°Sebet.¡±


    Everything went dark.


    Anticipating a sudden surge of pain, I was pleasantly disappointed when I felt only a temporary tingling itching sensation. However, the wet crunching and cracking sounds were less than reassuring.


    As my vision slowly returned, I felt a surge of panic upon finding Sebet¡¯s face hovering an inch away from mine and on a larger scale than I had experienced thus far.


    ¡°Are you alright, Great One?¡± Sebet asked nervously, her slitted pupils moving to and fro as she scanned my face, ¡°Did the pain exclusion clause function as intended?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± I paused uncertainly upon realising my voice didn¡¯t quite sound right. My voice was several octaves deeper than it should have been. ¡°You changed my voice,¡± I accused with a scowl.


    Sebet leaned back and squirmed nervously, ¡°Well, it¡¯s part of the Human disguise,¡± she insisted defensively, ¡°You would be recognised if we left the voice the same...¡±


    ¡°Hrmph...¡± I grunted irritably and slowly sat myself up. My arms and legs were splattered with mud, so I wasn¡¯t sure I could trust my eyes. Staggering awkwardly to my feet, I slowly made my way over to the lake and looked at my reflection.


    Of all the changes in my appearance, my eyes were drawn to one change in particular.


    I had eyebrows.


    Walking into the lake, I washed my hands and then gingerly stroked my new eyebrows.


    ¡°You like them?¡± Sebet asked proudly, ¡°Clarice mentioned that you would appreciate the extra hair, and it does help frame your new face-¡±


    ¡°My face?¡± Tearing my attention away from my eyebrows, I looked down at the bald, clean-shaven face of the stranger staring back at me.


    The face was mine only less squashed and blunt like the clay had been given room to cure instead of pressed against the wall. The eyebrows added an appreciable depth and broke up my brow and the deep tan made my skin look like I spent more than a handful of seconds in the sun each year.


    The face was who I could have been, would have been, if I had been born without defects.


    I resisted the urge to begin howling over the unfairness of my previous life. It was over. All that mattered was the here and now. I wasn¡¯t human anymore. That Tim was dead and gone.


    I took a deep breath and sighed.


    This form was for convenience only, it wasn¡¯t me.


    ¡°You will, of course, have noticed that your Racial Abilities and stats have remained untouched!¡± Sebet crowed pridefully, ¡°Proportionalism is something of a hobby of mine!¡±


    Checking my Status, I confirmed that Sebet was indeed correct. My outside appearance had changed, but that was all.


    Leaving the lake, I reverted to my true form. ¡°Thank you, Sebet. Your work exceeded my expectations, but I need time to process things.¡± It was a profound understatement.


    No matter how many times I reasserted that I was, at the very least, content with my new life, dark thoughts would continue to gather. Motivated by pride, jealousy, spite, and envy, these thoughts made fantastical claims of how my life would have been different if I had been more human and less of a monster.


    It didn¡¯t matter who I was on the inside if everyone judged me by my foul exterior...


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet replied brightly, ¡°Adjusting to one¡¯s altered appearance can take time for the morphically challenged. However, it does get easier!¡±


    I gathered up my mundane belongings and returned home to spend time with my family.


    ¡°This is also you?¡± Lash asked slowly as she circled me in the privacy of our cave and indulged her curiosity.


    We had rehashed the question a dozen times already from slightly different angles but the answer never seemed to satisfy her.


    ¡°Just a disguise based on who I could have been,¡± I answered somewhat numbly, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t born defective...¡±


    If I hadn¡¯t been thrown away...


    If I had been born with a face worthy of my birth mother¡¯s love...


    ¡°Do you think our children are ugly?¡± Lash asked bluntly, catching me completely off guard.


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± I sputtered.


    ¡°Do you think our children are ugly?¡± Lash repeated with the same mild tone of challenge in her voice.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t!¡± I replied vehemently, ¡°YOU know I don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°They came from YOU, not me alone,¡± Lash challenged, ¡°OUR children are NOT ugly.¡±


    Even as my brain geared up for a vitriolic retort, I felt something in my subconscious give way as I watched Suzy and Pete drool open-mouthed into our new pillows.


    As much as I hated myself, I loved them.


    Hating myself, and loving them unconditionally couldn¡¯t coexist. Something had to give, and it had. I had been handed a reason, an excuse, a justification, to abandon so much of the negativity that had defined my life.


    So, I let it go.


    I staggered and nearly fell as I felt an immense emotional weight lift from my shoulders. Already tired due to the late hour and thoroughly emotionally exhausted, I didn¡¯t resist when Lash gently guided me to bed.


    Waking up comparatively late, it occurred to me that in all the months of our relationship, this was the first time Lash was larger than I was. Not just taller, but quite literally larger. It was a fact that she seemed determined to take advantage of while she had the opportunity.


    Wrestling someone so much larger than myself was a unique experience on several levels. I was so used to having superior leverage and weight at any given moment, that I had somewhat forgotten how to compensate for their absence.


    However, despite shrinking in size, I still retained most of my strength and durability. Which was just as well considering how aggressively Lash was establishing her holds and locking my joints.


    It felt reinvigorating to experience a true physical challenge after going so long without it. The endorphin rush also helped with settling my somewhat unstable mood.


    For her part, I was quite certain Lash was enjoying the tables turned in her favour.


    Taking care to swear those frequenting the grove to secrecy, I otherwise took care to avoid revealing my human disguise to the residents of Sanctuary at large.


    It was just as well, because readjusting to normal human proportions and decreased gravitational pull took a great deal of active exercise.


    Determined to get some real combat experience in my human form, I donned some basic low-level magic items and then used my authority as Tyrant to relocate into my personal Labyrinth.


    As I had expected, the first floor was bustling with newcomers of all ages. What I did not expect was to find several gathering areas with large signs and even larger crowds.


    [ Defenders ]


    [ Utility ]


    [ Strikers ]


    [ Healing ]


    A large but fast-moving queue of people took turns being seen by a row of clerks who accepted payment from those in the queue and gave them a large wooden token on a rope to wear around their necks in exchange. The tokens had symbols that matched the signs in the gathering areas.


    Every so often, someone would collect people into a group, take them to a different queue, retrieve their tokens and then send them off into the wilderness.


    With the exception of the Healing group, which looked like it was a first aid station, the other three groups had a reasonably high turnover rate. I didn¡¯t know who thought up the idea of paying someone to organise their groups for them, but it certainly seemed to be working out for both sides.


    Of course, not everyone seemed to be paying for the premium matchmaking service. Most of the people I could see coming and going seemed to pay it little mind at all.


    After thinking about it for a little while I realised that the matchmaking service itself was likely responsible. Groups who worked well together had no reason to pay for the service a second time, and anyone who had a group, to begin with, did not need their services either.


    That said, the outdoor triage seemed to be making a tidy profit all on its own. Even though most minor injuries could be healed rather quickly through eating food, time seemed to possess a certain economy all its own and many people were willing to pay to have an injury removed immediately so they could get back into the action again.


    I didn¡¯t recognise any of the Surgeons working at the aid station, but I was impressed to find two Underlords using their retinues to optimise the collective Exp gain of all the Surgeons as a whole. It was a neat trick and to everyone¡¯s obvious benefit, so I had no doubts that they were likely receiving a cut of the profits as well.


    While I had technically donned magical equipment, it amounted to little more than a two-handed axe, an exotic-looking leather cuirass, a slatted leather kilt, and a steel nasal helm. I had intended to look somewhat odd on purpose to play up a sort of exotic mystique. None of that seemed to matter though. I had forgotten just how many monsters were actively participating in my Labyrinth.


    A dark skin tone was about as exotic as mayonnaise when a pack of Gnolls was standing three feet to your left and a Goblin was standing on an Orc¡¯s shoulders five feet to your right.


    ¡°Ah, uhm, exscusse me?¡± A hissing voice asked nervously.


    Looking for the source of the voice, I found a pair of Venomblood youths awkwardly standing a distance behind me.


    A somewhat rare Evolution of the Serpent-Kin, the Venombloods had more pronounced serpentine features and even had tails. True to their name, they had a Racial Ability that made their blood venomous. Unfortunately for them, that fact seemed to be somewhat common knowledge and they were being given a wide berth.


    The owner of the voice had deep midnight blue scales contrasted with a striking inverted tiger-like orange pattern while her companion had a bright yellowish-green. ¡°Um, would you be interessted in joining our group?¡± She asked anxiously, ¡°I am Nassca and thiss iss Hisst.¡± Nassca motioned to herself and then to her companion with her long delicate fingers.


    Accessing Nassca¡¯s and Hisst¡¯s information from the registry, I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised to find that Nassca was a Venomancer. The venom-specialised Spellcasting Class was somewhat common amongst the Bale-Fang since the mana flowers had been made more widely available. What did surprise me was that Hisst was also a Venomancer. However, it now made their predicament that much more serious.


    ¡°Sorry, I hadn¡¯t seen Venombloods in person before,¡± I lied to cover up my delayed response and buy some time to come up with a cover name for my assumed identity, ¡°You can call me Fharad,¡± I extended my right arm in greeting and only realised my mistake as Nassca¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    Before I could retract my arm, Nassca transferred her spear to her left hand and then firmly clasped my presented forearm to seal the greeting.


    Recognising that it was too late to back out now, I returned the arm clasp and held it for a few moments before retracting my arm. Being so gung-ho with an obviously poisonous Species wasn¡¯t necessarily going to break my disguise on its own, but it was a serious blunder all the same.


    ¡°My name is Fharad,¡± I made an affectation of thumping my chest over my heart with my right hand. I wasn¡¯t exactly certain what Clarice¡¯s ancestral ethnic group was like, but I figured I couldn¡¯t go wrong if I played into the general meathead archetype to cover for a lack of cultural identity.


    ¡°Ah, so, will you join uss?¡± Nassca asked with fragile optimism, ¡°You are a mighty warrior, and our Sspellss are powerful. Thiss one and Hesst need only ssomone to hold the enemy at bay!¡± She explained hastily, attempting to cut off a refusal with flattery and completely failing to mention the risks associated with friendly fire.


    They were obviously desperate.


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± I asked curiously.


    Nassca shrank back slightly and Hisst stepped forward, ¡°We musst prove oursselvess before the Motherss Moon,¡± he hissed in a slightly challenging but otherwise reserved tone.


    I took a moment and noticed how the pair naturally gravitated toward one another.


    I hadn¡¯t been aware that the Serpent-Kin¡¯ Mothers Moon was approaching, but it only took a few moments to confirm it.


    ¡°You are proving yourselves to your families,¡± I realised, earning a confirmation as the pair exchanged furtive glances. ¡°I might not be the best fit for your group,¡± I explained and held up a hand to forestall an immediate reaction, ¡°But I will call in a favour so you will not need to go alone.¡±


    Nassca and Hisst briefly exchanged a silent look with one another and then nodded.


    Still intending to maintain the integrity of my disguise, I hid behind one of the buildings and Summoned Gric to pass along a request to Rikit on my behalf.


    After dismissing Gric, I watched Nassca and Hisst from my hiding place.


    To my immense relief, a small group of Gnolls arrived after only a few minutes and made straight for the pair of Venombloods.


    Too far away to overhear their conversation, I was glad to see the two groups come to an agreement and head off into the Labyrinth proper.


    I probably would have joined them myself if things hadn¡¯t worked out, but I was more interested in testing myself against stronger enemies than they were currently prepared to face. My visit to the first floor had been purely to sate my curiosity.


    Using my supreme authority, I transported myself to the highest floor.


    In stark contrast to the first floor, the tenth floor had no formal matchmaking service for finding a group. It was difficult to find anyone that was not in a group already. With only a couple of hundred people in the general vicinity of the safe zone compared to the thousands on the first floor, it made a profoundly noticeable difference in the overall atmosphere.


    There was also an almost unsettling competitive energy in the air and some of the groups openly stared at one another with suspicion.


    I was considering how best to approach one of the groups when I found myself being approached instead.


    ¡°Hi there, brother!¡± A man with a singsong voice called out in greeting as he briskly made his approach, ¡°New to the tenth floor?¡± He asked with a broad smile, ¡°Hehe, no need to answer, brother, we all are! Just appeared yesterday!¡±


    This was true. I had only gotten around to adding the tenth floor sometime around midnight.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Jean, brother!¡± He extended his arm in greeting.


    I clasped Jean¡¯s arm, ¡°Fharad,¡± I replied neutrally.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to meet you, Fharad!¡± Jean waved back toward the way he had come from and toward another man and two women lounging outside of an outdoor restaurant, ¡°We were just looking for another member to round out our team before we begin scouting out the new environments! So? How about it? Wanna join us?!¡±


    Jean¡¯s energy was certainly infectious, so I decided to give his group a shot. ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed and gave his forearm another squeeze as I accepted the party invite, disabled my Racial Abilities from Synergising the party and disabled viewing permissions for my Status. Leaving only group Status information available.


    ¡°Interesting stats you have there, brother!¡± Jean commented as he glanced downward at the Group Status.


    ¡°I have an interesting Class,¡± I replied with a friendly grin.


    ¡°Ah! One of the custom ones I have been hearing so much about?!¡± Jean guessed with a broad grin of his own, ¡°Lucky sod!¡± He gave my left arm a playful jab, only to recoil and hiss while waving his fingers, ¡°Hells bellow brother! Are you made of iron?!¡± He straightened and smiled it off, ¡°Just playing with you brother! But damned if that didn¡¯t hurt! Is that part of your special Class perhaps?¡± Jean asked slyly.


    I shook my head, ¡°Mostly good breeding and strenuous exercise,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Bwahahaha! I¡¯ll bet, brother!¡± Jean slapped me on the arm and motioned for me to follow him toward the other members of his group, ¡°Body like yours I would be getting plenty of both too no doubt, brother!¡±


    It was a bad joke but I still couldn¡¯t help but smile anyway.


    ¡°This the sub for Jake?¡± The taller blonde-haired woman, Sarah, asked with an approving nod.


    ¡°Better be, the shorter dark-haired woman, Fione, interjected and made a show of looking me up and down with keen interest.


    ¡°Keep it in your pants...¡± The older man sitting next to them, Horrace, released a longsuffering groan before glancing over his cup and very nearly doing a spit take, ¡°Bloody hells, what did your parents feed you to get so big?!¡± He demanded incredulously.


    ¡°This is Fharad!¡± Jean announced cheerily, ¡°And yeah, he will be standing in for Jake while he visits family. Unless anyone has any objections?...¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t hear me complaining,¡± Fione replied with a lascivious grin as she hooked her fingers through her belt and made no attempts at disguising her actions as she leaned back for an alternative view, ¡°No complaints at all!¡±


    ¡°He is taken,¡± a gruff voice stated coldly.


    Stooping slightly to look under the shade awning, I found the remaining party member. Tanner, a middle-aged man polishing a crossbow.


    ¡°What do you know?!¡± Fione scoffed dismissively.


    ¡°He¡¯s marked,¡± Tanner commented, sparing a moment to spit some sort of brown juice from his mouth onto the floor before pointing an absent hand in the vague direction of my shoulder, ¡°Look and see for yourself.¡±


    The strap of my cuirass covered part of the scar but not all of it.


    ¡°My Bess has been talking about it just nearly every time I have been home lately,¡± Tanner continued, ¡°Damned hard to miss when you know what to look for. Which I suppose is the point.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re married?¡± Fione asked with evident disappointment.


    ¡°Happily,¡± I amended.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for tall and ripped, just go chasing after an Orc,¡± Tanner groused, ¡°Everything¡¯s the same below the belt, nothing new to learn there.¡±


    Instead of being embarrassed, Fione seemed to seriously take the suggestion under advisement.


    Giving the group a quick once over, I noticed that most of the group carried similar equipment, favouring light or medium armour to move relatively unencumbered. Everyone carried at least one ranged weapon to go along with a primary melee weapon. Fione had several smaller throwing knives in a bandolier, while Sarah had several javelins stowed on the inner side of her light wooden shield.


    ¡°So, Fharad was it? Will you be holding the centre?¡± Tanner asked while pulling on his boots.


    Jean looked at me expectantly.


    I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m fine with being in the thick of it,¡± I replied confidently, surreptitiously adding a brace of throwing axes to the backside of my belt. Depending on the enemy, there was no guarantee I would have the room to use the two handed axe, and I was very out of practice with using two hands to swing a weapon, to begin with. SHorthafting was an option, but having backups was a good idea anyway.


    ¡°I thought you would be, brother!¡± Jean agreed happily and slapped me on the back, ¡°Just look at those scars!¡±


    Except for the scars on my neck and shoulder, Sebet had taken care to remove my most distinguishing and recognisable scars. However, she had also gone to great lengths to replace them in equal quantity and overall volume. I wasn¡¯t complaining, since it was a sort of resume for close-quarters fighting.


    ¡°Right!¡± Jean clapped his hands together eagerly, ¡°I figure if we go north into the open plains and head for the barren hills, we should be able to get a decent vantage on the surrounding glens,¡± he waved expansively toward the north of basecamp, ¡°I already spoke with Brannigan and Tilly¡¯s lot, so we won¡¯t get any trouble from them, but I haven¡¯t got confirmation from Bruno or Gubbins, so we still need to keep an eye out. I paid us up for a retrieval Contract already, so yes Fione, it will be coming out of the total halt before we divvy it up.¡±


    Fione kicked her heel at the dirt and hissed, ¡°What¡¯s so hard about not being beaten half to death?!¡±


    ¡°We are still paid up for the auto loot Contract, so we shouldn¡¯t have any other expenses this time around,¡± Jean continued, actively ignoring Fione¡¯s protests and fishing a necklace out of a pouch on his belt, ¡°Remember to wear your markers! Our Contracts don¡¯t mean shit if you aren¡¯t wearing them!¡± He offered the necklace to me, ¡°This is Jake¡¯s, but it will make splitting loot afterwards much simpler if you wear it and come under our Contracts. It will also save you some coin¡¯ if you haven''t updated your Contracts yet.¡±


    I shrugged and accepted the necklace. It had a simple, but magical leather cord and a rectangular plate of metal attached to it with a stamped identification number on each side. One to identify the floor, the other to identify the person.


    Infusing a small amount of mana to increase the length of the leather cord, I then tied it off around my neck and tucked it away beneath the cuirass as best as I was able.


    It was interesting to see how quickly people had come to accept Sebet¡¯s rescue insurance Contracts, but more than that, how Sebet had taken the initiative to develop a videogame-like looting system. I hadn¡¯t seen it for myself yet but based on how Jean had described it I had some rather high expectations.


    ¡°Before we head out, we should probably all introduce ourselves and our general role in the group!¡± Jean decided, drawing everyone¡¯s attention back to himself as he spent a tiny amount of mana to activate a Spell.


    Draw Focus.


    As the name suggested, the Spell could be used as a one-and-done to draw attention to yourself, or you could leave it active and pay mana by the second. Based on Presence that would dictate the range and contest against the target¡¯s Willpower.


    I wasted no time in adding it to my Grimoire of Flesh.


    Of all the Classes, I hadn¡¯t expected to get such a useful Spell from a Bard.


    Jean theatrically placed one booted foot on an open chair and thumbed the rim of his visor, ¡°As you all know, I am Jean the generous! Scholar, adventurer, and lover! I am the party leader and will try to maintain a position in the middle of the group so I can help where I am needed most and use my Abilities without getting torn to bits!¡± His declarations earned some lighthearted snickering from Fione and Sarah and longsuffering groans from Horrace and Tanner.


    Sarah stepped up next. ¡°Well, I¡¯m Sarah, and this is my sister, Fione, we¡¯re both Skirmishers, so we will be hanging out on the flanks. We don¡¯t go in for trading hits. We prefer to jump in or bloody someone up with some thrown weapons before backing off and finding a new opportunity. So don¡¯t expect us to hold the line for long.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Fione agreed, ¡°We can distract some of them for a bit if you need a breather, but don¡¯t go looking for us to soak hits. You keep them busy and we can cut¡¯em down no problem!¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Horrace cleared his throat somewhat noisily, ¡°I am Horrace, Paladin of the Holy Lady and rear guard of this fine troupe. While we travel, I shall watch our backs and do my best to ward off and provide warning of enemies who may attempt to outflank us! If there is a desperate need, I will join the fray and fight shoulder-to-shoulder alongside you! And should the worst befall us, I shall beseech The Lady on our behalf so she might bestow her miracles. Provided we are worthy, of course.¡± Horrace twitched his walrus-like moustache and donned his helmet.


    I tried not to grin in amusement.


    Horrace was not a Paladin. He was a Warlock, and Ophelia was his Patron.


    Tanner didn¡¯t bother getting up, continuing to double-check his equipment, ¡°Tanner, Sniper, centre. You keep them off me, I make¡¯em dead. Nothing more to it,¡± he gave me a perfunctory nod before spitting out some more of the brown juice onto the floor.


    Everyone looked at me expectantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Fharad, a special guest of Sanctuary.¡± I earned a knowing nod from Tanner as he continued to check his gear. ¡°I have a custom Class, but I am not permitted to disclose what it is.¡± I figured that excuse would hold for a while. The promotions and custom Classes were a special enough subject that people would probably expect some degree of secrecy. ¡°I have several Spells at my disposal, but I am fine holding the front line.¡±


    As I had expected, mentioning the custom Class drew immediate curiosity, but no one seemed overly keen on being the one to try their luck at finding out what it was.


    It was nice to see that even though they had a Contract for being rescued, each member of the group carried a pouch with varying amounts of bandages and even painkillers.


    ¡°It¡¯s part of the Contract brother!¡± Jean explained sagely, ¡°Costs less if you can prove you took certain precautions, and the Surgeons charge less if you bring your own stuff too. You get gouged once for the ¡®sourcing of materials¡¯ and you make a habit of finding your own before you need them!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that, wondering which one of Wraithe¡¯s students had taken the tough-love approach to preventative care. I made a mental note to ask her about it later. It was a damned improvement over the adventurers'' attitude I had witnessed in the Hurst Labyrinth. That was for sure.


    Leaving the base camp, the other members of the group took up their positions just as they said they would. Leaving me in the somewhat awkward position of leading by default until such a time as Jean decided on a definite heading.


    One of the core limitations of my Labyrinth was that the monsters were not able to keep up with the accelerated scale through normal means. With each floor possessing an increased range of five tiers over the floor before, this floor would technically be doing its best to emulate tier forty-six to fifty monsters. Because my Labyrinth could only work off of information from the floors integrated into my Demi-Plane, that meant that most of the monsters would have inflated stats from reapplying the same generic Evolution progression over and over again.


    A wild Orc on the tenth floor of my Labyrinth would be an entirely different degree of danger to an Orc from the first floor. Then there were the Environmental Evolutions to consider as well. Fighting beside a lake would be a good way of tempting any amphibious monsters to take advantage.


    My Labyrinth was limited to spawning wild Beasts to avoid certain ethical issues and potentially encourage certain xenophobic tendencies.


    Fighting wild Beasts had the benefit of giving peace of mind that the monsters wouldn¡¯t have Classes of their own. However, Beasts also had higher base stats and stat progression.


    So, when I spotted a rather ordinary-looking boar in the distance, I made sure to point it out to everyone else. The last thing I wanted was to begin my adventuring debut by having a boar violently root around in my digestive tract. Then again, I needed to establish myself in the group somehow.


    ***** Jean - Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Tim¡¯s Labyrinth ~ Tenth Floor *****


    ¡°Looks like an Ironhide Boar to me,¡± Tanner grunted in mild annoyance, ¡°At this tier, that hide¡¯s gonna be near impenetrable.¡±


    ¡°I am not stabbing a boar up the arse again!¡± Fione stated grimly, ¡°The Exp ain¡¯t worth it.¡±


    ¡°We might want to reconsider our approach to the hills,¡± Sarah suggested, sharing her sister¡¯s grimace of distaste.


    Jean was inclined to agree but found it odd that his new recruit, Fharad, didn¡¯t appear to be particularly phased by the prospect of fighting the Boar.


    The Ironhide looked like it was close to four feet tall at the shoulder, making it a little over half as tall as Fharad himself.


    ¡°Should have brought a club,¡± Jean heard Fharad mutter before glancing back toward Sarah and her spear, ¡°DO you mind if I borrow that?¡± Fharad asked in his deep rumbling voice, nodding toward her spear.


    Sarah, rightly, looked back at Fharad as if he was mad, ¡°You¡¯re our frontliner, you can¡¯t expect us to hold it off while you get in position behind it. You¡¯ve got our roles all mixed around in that bald head of yours!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on stabbing it from the back,¡± Fharad countered, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes dangerously.


    ¡°Fuck it, fine!¡± Sarah held out the shaft of her spear but retracted it slightly when Fharad moved to take it, ¡°But I want your axe as collateral! This spear wasn¡¯t cheap!¡±


    It had been a group item drop, but since the group split all treasure equally after covering costs, Sarah had to go out of pocket to cover what the group could have sold it for.


    Fharad shrugged and offered her his axe without complaint, ¡°It has a minor bleeding effect, nothing overly special.¡±


    ¡°My spear also has bleed...¡± Sarah replied somewhat stiffly as they exchanged weapons.


    Fharad nodded and took a few practice thrusts, ¡°Way easier than last time, go figure,¡± he muttered quietly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to come at it from the southeast or east, depending on how close I can get,¡± Fharad declared and began briskly walking away.


    ¡°Does his axe really have bleed?¡± Fione asked curiously.


    Sarah nodded.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we seen this guy around before?¡± Fione muttered curiously, ¡°He¡¯s pretty distinctive. We should have at least heard of him, right?¡±


    Jean nodded in agreement but continued to watch Fharad as he brazenly continued his casual circuitous approach toward the Board.


    ¡°Might be one of the Tyrant¡¯s chosen men,¡± Tanner suggested conspiratorially, ¡°My cousin was telling me about the muckety mucks sniffing about for recruits for something special.¡±


    ¡°And you think our Fharad might be such a person?¡± Horrace asked with polite but minimal interest as he kept watch behind them.


    ¡°Well, he has a special Class doesn¡¯t he?¡± Tanner tapped the side of his nose and then returned to staring at the Boar.


    ¡°You think maybe we could get special Classes too?¡± Fione wondered aloud, ¡°Like if we show Fharad how good we are, he could put in a word for us?¡±


    ¡°I heard the Tyrant only promotes military, and you need a promotion for a special Class,¡± Sarah replied.


    Fione huffed in disappointment.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Tanner challenged, ¡°The Tyrant¡¯s promoted loads of people, just most of them are monsters.¡±


    ¡°And there was that competition, back when the Tyrant first created this Labyrinth,¡± Jean added thoughtfully.


    Everyone nodded as they recalled how hectic those first few days had been.


    ¡°So there¡¯s a chance?¡± Fione persisted.


    Tanner shrugged, ¡°I¡¯d recommend blowing him to find out, but I doubt you¡¯ll have much luck. You saw how he has just the one bite mark on his shoulder?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Fione answered with baited curiosity.


    ¡°Orcs aren¡¯t civilised like you and me.¡± Tanner earned a derisive snort from Horrace. ¡°Well, Horrace at any rate. Their men take as many wives as they can get, and that¡¯s what their women expect.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you have done entirely too much research into this, Tanner,¡± Jean accused jovially.


    ¡°Well bleed me for wanting companionship!¡± Tanner replied with a grin showing entirely too many stained yellow teeth. ¡°So anyway, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how neither of our fine ladies got so much as a single lecherous glance earlier or since. Which means, he¡¯s either got a thing for thighs that can crush skulls, or-¡±


    ¡°-He¡¯s the kind that doesn¡¯t mess around,¡± Fione interjected glumly, ¡°Fuck, why are all the faithful guys already taken?!¡±


    ¡°Because they didn¡¯t spend all their time shacking up with everyone who so much as glanced their way?¡± Sarah replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Fione objected vehemently, ¡°I said no to Tanner plenty of times! Doesn¡¯t that count for something?!¡±


    ¡°The establishment of otherwise unknown minimum standards, perhaps?¡± Horrace interjected smugly and chuckled to himself.


    ¡°Hehehe!¡± Fione snickered, seeming to decide that the joke was more at Tanner¡¯s expense than hers.


    ¡°Hrmph, and you wonder why I¡¯m looking outside our Species for my soulmate,¡± Tanner grumbled.


    Jean was about to step in and settle things, but there was a sudden development with the Boar. ¡°It¡¯s on the move!¡± He warned everyone.


    The Boar had noticed Fharad and was aggressively digging at the ground in preparation to charge.


    Unphased, Fharad paused his approach and braced his borrowed spear into the ground and angled the head of the spear toward the Boar.


    ¡°No way...¡± Sarah gasped incredulously, ¡°He¡¯s actually going to try and stick it from the front?! That¡¯s fucking suicide! Fucking bastard! I¡¯m going to lose my spear!¡±


    Jean wasn¡¯t so sure.


    Objectively, what Fharad was doing was an incredibly stupid thing to do without a full formation of braced spears to outright halt the Boar¡¯s forward momentum.


    Each passing second seemed to slow until time was barely passing at all. The enraged squealing of the Boar rolled over the plains to the uneven and muffled accompaniment of its charge.


    For a fleeting moment, it looked like Fharad¡¯s aim had been off and that he had missed his mark. Then the Boar began to slow, ever so slightly, and the pitch of its squeals heightened.


    Before the Boar could crash into him and bury its tusks in his chest, Fharad stepped to the side and swung a punch to the Boar¡¯s exposed flank.


    The Boar¡¯s squeals were drowned out by a wet rumble of thunder and a fountain of blood and faeces as the Boar tumbled end over end away from them and across the plain.


    As the kill notification passed before his eyes, Jean could only stare in muted horror at the unholy devastation that had been unleashed across the plains.


    He was so shocked he barely noticed as Sarah fell to her knees and cried out in anguish, ¡°MY SPEAR!!!¡±


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 56 – Amongst the people – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 56 ¨C Amongst the people ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 56 - Amongst the people - Part Two


    Panting heavily to avoid using my nose, I felt a fresh shiver of fear and excitement as the events of the past few moments replayed in my mind.


    ¡°Holy shit...¡± I croaked and stared at the bloody devastation left in the Ironhide¡¯s wake.


    The Thundering Strike against the Boar¡¯s side ruptured its internal organs and sent its bodily contents erupting out of every available orifice.


    Skirting the stained grass, my curiosity was piqued by the abrupt disappearance of the Boar. To my immense relief, I could see Sarah¡¯s spear laying in the upturned earth where the Boar had come to rest before its disappearance.


    Headed straight for the spear, I tried to keep an eye out for more danger.


    I had spent more mana than I intended with Thundering Strike but was glad that things had worked out as well as they had. Although, it did give me an idea. Assuming I had relatively free access to expandable spears. Which I do. I could charge the spearhead with Thundering Strike before burying it in something¡¯s gut or flank and then the spearhead would explode.


    Assuming the impact didn¡¯t cause a premature detonation...


    Picking up Sarah¡¯s spear, I let out a sigh and pulled the waterskin out of my pack. I was about to start emptying water onto the spear to clean the blood off but stopped as another idea began to take shape in my mind.


    Stowing my waterskin again, I channelled an incredibly small amount of mana into the spear, activated Thundering Strike and waited.


    After a few moments, there was a faint rumble and the blood and gore spattered off the spear, leaving it almost as good as new.


    My first warning of the approaching danger was the agitated swaying and rustling of the not-so-distant bushes.


    My second warning was a cry of alarm from the group.


    My final warning came from the twang of Tanner¡¯s crossbow.


    Ducking low, pivoting on the spot and bracing the spear, I was momentarily confused by the lack of immediately visible danger.


    *


    Just as the rodent-featured canine leapt out of the grass, the bolt from Tanner¡¯s crossbow smacked into the side of its skull and killed it instantly.


    Recognising the Beast for what it was, I burned ten mana into forming a Ward on Sarah¡¯s spear.


    Five more paths began trailing through the grass toward me as the remaining members of the Bloodhunter¡¯s pack began their attack.


    Disoriented by the effect of the Ward, the pack lost its cohesion and slowed its approach.


    Berating myself for doubting Ward as a viable selection for Grimoire of Flesh, I resisted the urge to remain on the defensive. There was no telling if there were more Bloodhunters in the immediate area, and I was not going to let them swarm me.


    I had enough nightmares about the Vrabbits as it was.


    Despite being disoriented, the Evolved Bloodhunters looked far more vicious than the ones I remembered from the first floor of Hurst¡¯s Labyrinth.


    Trying to temper aggression with restraint, I elected to worry at the Bloodhunter on the rightmost flank with the spear. Unfortunately, I only managed to land a glancing blow that scraped along the Bloodhunter¡¯s right side before its fellows circled to my left and pounced.


    Pushing mana into the grass I willed the vegetation to bind and pin the Bloodhunters. I managed to bind the wounded Bloodhunter outright and the hind legs of two of the other Bloodhunters just as they were about to attack. However, the final Bloodhunter was fast enough to evade the magically animated vegetation and leap toward my face with its chisel-toothed jaws opened wide.


    Fighting off the urge to flinch, I stepped back and tried to smack the airborne Bloodhunter with the shaft of the spear but missed its centre mass.


    Knocked slightly off course as I struck its legs, the Bloodhunter scrambled frantically in the air as it began to tumble. The Bloodhunter¡¯s clawed feet scraped across my left arm and drew blood before it fell into the grass.


    Refusing to allow the disoriented Bloodhunter to rejoin the fight, I swarmed its body with corded lengths of the coiling long grass and stabbed it in the chest.


    As I twisted the spear and pulled it out of the fallen Bloodhunter¡¯s chest cavity, I sensed the mana holding the bindings on the two uninjured Bloodhunters give out violently as they tore themselves free.


    Sparing only a fleeting glance to confirm the first wounded Bloodhunter was still bound, I was relieved to find it appeared to be firmly constricted by the animated vegetation.


    A javelin flew past my right shoulder and buried itself in the belly of the prone Bloodhunter.


    Reminded that I wasn¡¯t alone, I took a hasty step backward before sweeping the spear wide to buy time and distance from the two healthy Bloodhunters.


    ¡°On your right!¡± Sarah called from nearby.


    I heard the three new arrivals before I saw them and couldn¡¯t react fast enough to do anything besides brace myself for the attack.


    ¡°Woo-up!¡± The strange call forced the two new Bloodhunters to abruptly shift their focus, causing them to crash into my shins and snap at my greaves as they attempted to reorient themselves.


    Gathering mana into my right foot, I gave one of the new arrivals a vicious kick that caught it on the left hip.


    *


    The Bloodhunter screeched in pain as it smacked into one of its fellows and tumbled violently back into the tall grass.


    Another javelin fell just short of the two momentarily distracted Bloodhunters, causing them to backpedal in momentary confusion.


    Catching sight of Sarah in my right periphery and well aware that the Bloodhunter next to me was too close to attack effectively with the spear, I made a decision. Releasing my hold on the spear with my left hand, I threw the spear sideways in the air toward Sarah, ¡°Head¡¯s up!¡±


    Capitalising on my momentary distraction, the Bloodhunter reared up on its hind legs and snapped its jaws onto my left forearm. My bracer held against the Bloodhunter¡¯s foremost chisel-like teeth, but the sharp teeth on the right side of its mouth drew blood as they scraped my flesh.


    With my right hand free, I raised my left arm and grabbed the Bloodhunter by the neck with my right hand and squeezed.


    *


    The Bloodhunter went limp but didn¡¯t die.


    Removing the Bloodhunter from my left forearm, I used its limp body as an improvised club and knocked aside one of the two remaining Bloodhunters as they charged from my flanks.


    The other Bloodhunter was caught unawares as Sarah¡¯s spear returned and caught it in the back, causing it to trip and tumble to the ground.


    I stomped the temporarily downed Bloodhunter¡¯s neck, dropped the Bloodhunter from my right hand and drew a throwing axe from my belt.


    The final Bloodhunter left standing snarled and charged, too overcome by its bloodlust to comprehend the dire situation it now found itself in.


    Widening my stance, I prepared to counter the Bloodhunter¡¯s charge.


    A throwing knife whistled between my legs and buried itself in the left foreleg of the charging Bloodhunter, causing it to lose its balance and tumble.


    Choosing not to think too hard about what just happened, I raised my throwing axe high and brought it down on the fallen Bloodhunter¡¯s skull.


    *


    Glancing over my shoulder, I found Fione laying on her back with another throwing knife at the ready.


    Continuing to choose not to think too much about what had happened, I set about dispatching the remaining Bloodhunters.


    ¡°We need to return to the group!¡± Sarah insisted, while hurriedly retrieving her spear and javelins.


    I nodded in agreement and pulled Tanner¡¯s bolt from the first Bloodhunter¡¯s skull.


    As I did so, the body disappeared.


    Curious about the particulars of the ¡®Autoloot¡¯ Contract, I made a mental note to ask about it later.


    ¡°You gotta admit, that was a damn good throw!¡± Fione boasted while retrieving her throwing knife.


    ¡°Damn risky!¡± Sarah countered, ¡°You could have gelded him!¡±


    ¡°Pffft, I¡¯m not that bad a-¡± Fione began to reply.


    ¡°She couldn¡¯t have,¡± I interrupted, ¡°I have protection,¡± I yanked out some grass and used it to wipe at the blood on my forearm and upper arm while moving to rejoin the rest of the group.


    Fione and Sarah hurried to catch up.


    ¡°What do you mean you have protection?¡± Fione asked curiously.


    ¡°Magic item,¡± I replied glibly, somewhat regretting that I had revealed anything at all. Especially since there was no telling who would learn of it in the future.


    ¡°Where did you get a magic item like that?!¡± Fione demanded incredulously, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, but I¡¯d bet every man-Jack would want one of them.¡±


    ¡°Wedding present from my wife,¡± I lied, deciding to shift the subject slightly and take advantage of it, ¡°She earned it by maxing out the Tyrant¡¯s tax and killing a whole mess of monsters.¡±


    ¡°Takesation?¡± Sarah interjected curiously, ¡°We have been curious about how that works exactly. Jean insists that it''s worth it and that he has done some snooping around the other groups, but it¡¯s hard to take it on faith. You know?¡±


    ¡°Everyone I have spoken to confirmed as much!¡± Jean interjected with feigned disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s an item drop chance multiplier,¡± I stated confidently while handing Tanner back his magical crossbow bolt.


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Fione asked warily.


    ¡°It¡¯s a math-¡± I paused and reconsidered my audience, ¡°-numbers term. In this case, the number you pick is that many more chances to get an item.¡±


    Jean frowned, ¡°Are you sure, brother?¡± He asked uncertainly, ¡°I may not have been the most observant student, brother, but if it works as you say...¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± I insisted confidently.


    ¡°But that would mean...oh my!...¡± Horace wheezed and staggered slightly before raising his visor and flapping his hands in front of his face, ¡°Oh my, I can¡¯t breathe, I can¡¯t breathe!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Tanner demanded, wiping his chin with his wrist to catch a stray dribble of brown juice.


    ¡°It means, brother, that while we have done well thanks to my leadership,¡± Jean earned a cynical scowl from Tanner, ¡°We could have been earning almost three times as many magic items.


    ¡°Gurk!¡± Tanner nearly choked on whatever he was chewing on and violently spat it out, ¡°What?!...¡± He gasped hoarsely.


    ¡°Oh fuck...¡± Fione cursed.


    Sarah just drew her lips together and stared back toward the disappearing corpses of the Bloodhunters.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, brother, but how certain are you that this information is on the up and up?¡± Jean asked while making an effort not to sound overly sceptical.


    ¡°The Tyrant told me,¡± I lied, ¡°And I have observed it firsthand many times.¡±


    Jean stared intently at me for a few moments before slowly nodding his head, ¡°Right. I think it would be best if we all set our Taxation to the highest level from here on out.¡±


    Except for myself, everyone gave murmurs of assent before changing their choices.


    ¡°No wonder he has such a unique magic item,¡± Fione grumbled saltily, ¡°I¡¯d kill to have an item that would protect the girls in the same way!¡± She declared while exaggeratingly adjusting her breasts beneath her armour.


    I was inclined to doubt such a magic item existed since it would presumably also indirectly protect the heart. However, considering the femoral artery protection provided by my item, I had to admit that anything was possible.


    I took my axe back from Jean. Sarah had handed it off when she came running to help me fight the Bloodhunters. Not that I was inclined to complain about it.


    ¡°Well, with Bloodhunters prowling around, we will need to stay doubly alert from now on,¡± Jean ordered as he motioned the group to begin moving again. ¡°Brother, that was impressive what you did with the Ironhide, but I think it would be best if you stuck a little closer to the group next time. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed. The sudden arrival of the Bloodhunters had been a good reminder not to be so cocky.


    ¡°From where I was standing, you looked like you got mauled,¡± Tanner commented idly, ¡°But it looks like your armour took the worst of it.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. My cuirass had shallow scrapes in it from the Bloodhunters'' claws and my braces had a mess of tooth marks in them. The truth of the matter was that the cuts on my upper arm and forearm were still healing but had regrown enough skin that I just looked bruised instead.


    I chewed on a stick of dried meat while we continued travelling.


    The volume of monsters in my Labyrinth was directly linked to the number of people on each floor. With so few people out and about, the monsters seemed to be thin on the ground. Of course, that could also be the result of other groups encountering and otherwise drawing away monsters, so it was difficult to be sure.


    However, as we began our approach to the hills in earnest, I recognised familiar-looking rocky formations and motioned for the group to stop.


    ¡°Carnifexes use those large rocks as ambush locations,¡± I pointed to the large formations of stones scattered over the nearby hill.


    ¡°Carnifex?¡± Jean asked with a mixture of concern and interest.


    Tanner spat on the ground and nervously eyed the hill, ¡°Big furry buggers with jaws big enough to bite a Bloodhunter in two...¡±


    ¡°You have fought a Carnifex before?¡± Jean looked genuinely surprised.


    Tanner shook his head and nodded toward the hill, ¡°Naw, but I can see at least one of the buggers up there and I doubt it¡¯s gonna just let us pass.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see the Carnifex in question, but Tanner¡¯s description fit well enough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them knock you down or establish a hold on your shoulders!¡± I warned from experience, ¡°They will try to rake your guts out with their hind claws!¡±


    ¡°They? Tanner only saw one...¡± Fione grumbled nervously.


    I was about to explain that Carnifexes commonly hunted in pairs, but Tanner was already pointing at a different section of the hill.


    ¡°I see three of them,¡± Tanner grunted anxiously, ¡°One up the middle and two off to the far right.¡±


    ¡°Should we perhaps choose an alternate route?¡± Jean wondered aloud, ¡°You¡¯re the one with the most experience, brother. What do you think?¡± He asked me seriously.


    ¡°It depends...¡± I hedged while considering our options. ¡°If we can stagger their approach and concentrate our attacks on one target at a time, then we should be able to handle them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there is enough grass on the hill to do that trick again,¡± Sarah hesitantly commented. She was guessing since she hadn¡¯t called the Spell by name, but still had a point.


    ¡°If I drive the two from cover, do you think you can land at least a disorienting or blinding shot on one of them?¡± I asked Tanner.


    Tanner looked surprised for a moment, scanned the hill again, and after a few moments slowly nodded, ¡°I reckon so,¡± he agreed tentatively, ¡°Will cost some mana though.¡±


    ¡°This is the kind of fight you want to spend mana on,¡± I replied firmly, ¡°These Beasts are vicious in a melee.¡±


    ¡°So we unleash everything if they get close then?¡± Jean asked cautiously.


    ¡°We should be okay with just one,¡± I hedged again, ¡°But if two look like they are going to make it, then it is better to burn through mana than lose a limb.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Sarah agreed and stabbed the butt end of her spear into the ground before swapping to a javelin.


    ¡°Their bones are big and thick, so you want to strike larger exposed areas,¡± I continued, ¡°Don¡¯t aim for the skull unless you are confident in being able to strike a weak point.¡±


    ¡°Figures...¡± Fione sighed exasperatedly as she drew a fistful of throwing knives.


    ¡°Which rocks did you see the pair of Carnifexes hiding behind?¡± I asked Tanner.


    Tanner pointed to a cluster of rocks on the right side of the hill.


    ¡°Okay...I¡¯ll do a countdown from three, but I¡¯m not sure which direction the Carnifex will jump out from,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Can¡¯t do everything or I¡¯d get no respect,¡± Tanner chuckled nervously, ¡°You do your thing and I¡¯ll do mine.¡±


    I nodded and began gathering my mana. Concentrating, I directed the mana into the stones the Carnifexes were using for cover. When the last of the mana was transferred I willed the stones to violently alter their shape and form long thick spikes in the direction I imagined the Carnifexes to be hiding.


    A pair of startled savage cries echoed up and down the hillside as both Carnifexes leapt out from behind the rocks of their ambush site. Both were bleeding but didn¡¯t seem particularly injured until Tanner¡¯s crossbow bolt slammed into the ribcage of the closer Carnifex.


    While it didn¡¯t seem to be immediately fatal, Tanner¡¯s attack had a visibly slowing effect on the Carnifex.


    The less injured of the two Carnifexes yowled in anger and was joined by the uninjured Carnifex that had been laying in wait further up the hill. Without further warning, they both began charging down the hillside.


    Larger than those I had encountered previously, the Carnifexes were the size of grizzly bears and considerably faster.


    Their increase in size made them easier targets, but I strongly suspected that their hides were likely that much thicker to compensate for it.


    Sarah and Fione were fast off the mark and began their attack the moment the injured Carnifex came into range. Unfortunately, despite burning mana on offensive Abilities their weapons failed to deeply penetrate or land lethal blows.


    Hurling my first throwing axe, I very nearly missed but scored a deep gash on the wounded Carnifex left forelimb.


    The wound almost caused the Carnifex to stumble but it managed to right itself.


    Deciding I didn¡¯t have the time to make another attempt with a throwing axe, I swapped back to holding my axe with both hands and moved forward.


    Instead of firing on the approaching Carnifexes, Tanner sent another bolt into his earlier target, catching it in the neck just as it looked like it was about to rally and join its kin.


    ¡°GO DOWN DAMMIT!¡± Fione cursed as another fistful of daggers slashed across the oncoming Carnfex¡¯s hide.


    ¡°Last javelin!¡± Sarah called out a few moments later as her third and final javelin struck the Carnifex back and stuck there.


    Enraged by its injuries, it was impossible to tell if the Carnifex was affected by the Ward still active on Sarah¡¯s spear. What was obvious was that it had chosen me as the target of its vengeance.


    Bracing myself to make a counterattack, I could only hope that those behind me had the sense to move out of the Carnifex immediate path and off to the side. Even if I killed the Carnifex in one blow, it had built more than enough momentum and possessed enough weight to be a lethal object even in death.


    Slipping my hands down the shaft of my axe, I took a long-hafted grip, stepped wide to the side and swung hard into the jaws of the Carnifex. Assisted by the Beast¡¯s own momentum, the edge of the axe hacked through the side of the Carnifex mouth and into the back of its throat. Unfortunately, I lost my grip on the axe in the process.


    With only seconds until the lone Carnifex from higher on the hill would join the fray, I spared a moment to confirm that everyone had gotten out of the path of the heavily injured and hopefully dying Carnifex.


    Satisfied, I grabbed a throwing axe from off my belt and began a strafing counter charge toward the left of the oncoming Carnifex. Keenly aware that I would only get one opportunity to strike before being overrun, I began channelling mana into the steelhead of the throwing axe.


    As the Carnifex was about to come into melee range, it seemed to reconsider and select a new target.


    Deciding to take a risk, I elected to hurl my throwing axe into the Carnifex side as it passed me by.


    The head of the throwing axe bit deep into the muscle of its right shoulder, but the Carnifex continued its charge.


    Sucked in a deep breath and gathered half of my remaining mana, ¡°HEY!!!¡± I roared, demanding the Carnifex immediate and undivided attention.


    Time slowed and I felt the Carnifex¡¯s will crumble and collapse as it attempted to resist the Compulsion.


    Flailing and scrambling awkwardly with its claws, the Carnifex narrowly avoided tumbling end over end as its head and neck arched violently back in my direction.


    *


    The Carnifex staggered as my throwing axe exploded and sheared bloody chunks of meat and fur from its shoulder.


    Before it could react, Sarah darted forward and stabbed her spear into the Carnifex haunches before quickly leaping back again.


    Tanner fired a third bolt into his target and continued slowly strafing away from the Carnifex with the mutilated shoulder, taking care to match pace with Horrace and Jean.


    Fione was throwing knives at the collapsed Carnifex that had eaten the axehead. Despite being prone, it was still showing signs of trying to get up.


    Left with little choice, the Carnifex I had cast Draw Focus on began scrambling back up the hill and toward me.


    Reaching for another throwing axe, I was surprised to find that I was bleeding from my right thigh. Judging the wound to be relatively minor, I drew the throwing axe and considered my options.


    The Carnifex had lost a considerable amount of speed due to its injuries, and it was currently Compelled to focus on me. Unfortunately, it had also entered an Enraged state. It wasn¡¯t going to stop moving until it was dead or lost the limbs needed to do so.


    Carefully backpedalling away, I allowed the Carnifex to slowly gain on me while Sarah continued to stab at it from the rear. Each strike from Sarah¡¯s spear made the Carnifex wounds bleed a little more freely, accelerating its inevitable death from blood loss.


    I stumbled slightly as my heel rolled in the upturned earth from the Carnifex charge.


    Seeing its chance the Carnifex roared and surged forward.


    ¡°Over here!¡± Jean called, his voice thrumming with mana.


    The Carnifex twitched but remained undeterred.


    I waited for Sarah to dive clear and terminated my Compulsion.


    The Carnifex stumbled to a halt and swiped its left foreclaw as it struggled to maintain its original facing, missing my shins by inches.


    Rolling to the right, I scrambled to my feet and turned back to face the Raging Carnifex.


    Jean was staggering and Fione was retreating to his position to help him.


    The Raging Carnifex continued to roar in frustration and pain as it slowly clawed its way up the hill toward me.


    Knowing that Jean¡¯s Compulsion might break at any moment, I took a deep breath to steady myself and then stalked determinedly toward the Carnifex. Throwing axe at the ready, I viciously hacked at the Carnifex¡¯s right paw as it took an opportunistic swipe toward my waist.


    Taking advantage of the Carnifex inability to properly follow my movements, I continued down the hill and to the left of the Carnifex.


    ¡°We got trouble!-¡± Tanner called out but his voice was drowned out by the Enraged roar of another Carnifex.


    On the other side of the wounded Raging Carnifex, Sarah raised her shield, couched her spear and positively brimming with mana, she surged up the hill with unnatural speed.


    Recognising the danger we were in, I decided to take another risk. As Sarah¡¯s spear thrust toward the Carnifex neck, I momentarily reenabled my Racial Synergies for the group.


    The tip of the spearhead peeked through the opposite side of the Carnifex neck and as it retracted, blood began to slough onto the hillside.


    Even as she backed away, Sarah looked surprised by what had just occurred. No doubt incredibly familiar with her Strength and capabilities, it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand that she would recognise something was amiss.


    Leaving the Carnifex for dead, I continued down the hillside to retrieve my axe.


    The final Carnifex was charging downhill as well, bloody foam gathering at the corners of its muzzle and bloody saliva trailing down its jaw.


    ¡°Need some help!¡± Tanner called anxiously as he slowly backed away and fired another bolt into the rapidly approaching Carnifex shoulder.


    ¡°A champion of The Lady will always answer the call!¡± Horrace roared and positively erupted with mana. Bathed in amber-gold light, Horrace¡¯s plate and mail armour shone like the sun, ¡°In her service! I fear no evil!¡± Scythe-like wings of solid light erupted from Horrace¡¯s back, lifting him a full foot off the ground and propelling him toward the Enraged Carnifex. Orchestral chanting echoed across the hillside as a thorned halo of the same amber-gold light manifested above Horrace¡¯s helmed head. ¡°The Lady is with me! I shall prevail!¡± Horrace roared.


    The Carnifex leapt off the hillside, its jaws wide and claws seeking Horrace¡¯s flesh. However, its movement was halted abruptly as four bladed wings of light impaled its body, pinning it in place.


    ¡°In the name of The Lady! I REMOVE YOUR TAINT FROM THIS WORLD!!!¡± Horrace pointed an accusatory finger toward the Carnifex.


    A bright flash of light momentarily blinded me. Once it passed, I found Horrace slowly descending toward the ground, his mana all but spent, and the Carnifex reduced to a smouldering mass of burnt meat and bones.


    ¡°I...I am spent...¡± Horrace coughed and collapsed to the ground.


    Jean was already staggering toward Horrace with a mana potion in hand and Fione hot on his heels.


    Tanner and Sarah both took on the role of lookout from their respective positions without being asked.


    With everyone else otherwise occupied, and low on mana, I breathed a great deal easier once I had my axe back in hand. For good measure, I hacked at the Carnifex neck and severed its spinal column.


    The Carnifex was already dead, but taking the precaution gave me a sense of profound relief all the same.


    Looking down at the thoroughly dead Carnifex, I noticed a small pendant laying in the grass. Picking it up, I wasn¡¯t surprised to find that it was a magical item.


    Squire¡¯s Salvation.


    The name made me smirk despite myself and my amusement continued as I read the description. In effect, Squire¡¯s Salvation allowed several weapons to be marked. Marked weapons could be magically recalled to hand for a cost in mana based on the weight of the weapon.


    I found the description amusing because it reminded me of the fairs and fates I had attended with my mother as a child. There had always been at least one stall salesman, usually three, who would showcase all manner of plastic boomerangs. A large part of their sales gimmick was to demonstrate the boomerangs in action and under the pretence of their product always coming back. Most salesmen had been rather good with the plastic boomerangs, but I still remembered one salesman in particular who just couldn¡¯t quite get the hang of it. A particularly mean-spirited group of teenagers had been blamed for the unprovoked attack on the cake stalls, and the salesman had rather conveniently disappeared.


    ¡°What ya got there?¡± Fione asked, leaning in to look at the magical pendant.


    ¡°A magic item,¡± I replied bluntly, ¡°You didn¡¯t drop anything, did you?¡± The pendant seemed like the sort of item that would fit her fighting style, so it might have been lost during combat.


    ¡°No,¡± Fione replied honestly, ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Recalls weapons to hand,¡± I explained and offered Fione the pendant.


    ¡°A custom?!¡± Fione exclaimed excitedly only to moan in disappointment when the pendant disappeared a few moments later, ¡°Stupid Auto Loot!¡± She cursed dispiritedly.


    The bloody carcass of the Carnifex had disappeared as well, leaving Fione¡¯s throwing knives scattered on the ground.


    ¡°Oh! You got something sticking out of your leg!¡± Fione insisted urgently and pointed down at my leg.


    Looking down, I saw that she was right. A small piece of steel was peeking through a matted mess of blood in my right thigh. Kneeling so I could take a closer look, I winced as the shifting muscles in my leg shifted and aggravated the foreign object.


    Pulling the waterskin from my pack, I washed away as much of the blood as I was able so I could better inspect the wound. Relieved that the piece of steel seemed to have missed an artery, I gingerly pinched the metal between my forefinger and thumb and then slowly removed it from my thigh. With confirmation that it hadn¡¯t damaged an artery, I dropped the shard of steel onto the ground and pulled a wad of clean cloth from my pack.


    Fione bent down and picked up the shard of steel while I applied pressure on the wound and fished out a piece of dried meat to chew on.


    ¡°What¡¯s this from?¡± Fione asked curiously, ¡°It couldn¡¯t have come from one of the big fuzzies...¡±


    ¡°Broken throwing axe-head,¡± I mumbled while chewing through the dried meat and trying not to feel too embarrassed. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had injured myself with Thundering Strike and I doubted it would be the last.


    ¡°...¡± Fione stared at me blankly for a few moments before narrowing her eyes sceptically, ¡°I was fairly certain your axes were all magical...¡±


    ¡°They are, or were,¡± I confirmed defensively.


    Fione made a point of looking up the hill where the Carnifex with the mangled shoulder had been, ¡°Your Ability can break magic items?...¡± She defensively interposed herself between me and her scattered throwing knives on the ground.


    ¡°Costs more mana, but yeah,¡± I lifted the wadded cloth to check on the puncture wound, ¡°We were in a tight spot, so I figured it was worth the risk.¡±


    ¡°You know the loot split doesn¡¯t cover lost gear, right?¡± Fione asked with a measure of sympathy.


    I shrugged, ¡°Better to lose a basic magic throwing axe than the alternatives,¡± I reasoned.


    ¡°That...Hrm...Yeah, I guess...¡± Fione didn¡¯t seem quite as certain, so I assumed her financial situation probably wasn¡¯t very stable. Of course, it could also be a result of her combat style requiring so many weapons. I could stand to lose a throwing axe without having to worry about it, but for all I knew, Fione might have exactly the right number of throwing knives.


    ¡°I have more at home, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± I reassured her, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m actually somewhat better with a bow.¡± It was somewhat sad but true. My time spent actively practising with the Asrusian army far outweighed my hours of unguided practice with thrown weapons.


    ¡°So why not use a bow then?¡± Fione asked curiously but then rapidly waved her hands, ¡°Wait, I get it, your Abilities don¡¯t work with a bow, right?¡±


    ¡°Well...Actually...They work just as well with a bow as the throwing axes...¡± I admitted with no small degree of embarrassment, ¡°I guess I was just trying something new...¡±


    ¡°Something new?...¡± Fione stared at me like I was crazy, which was fair in the circumstances, ¡°Do you normally use an axe? Or is that...Oh...Wow...¡± Fione looked shell shocked, ¡°Just...I can¡¯t even...¡± She began nervously pacing back and forth, ¡°But I saw you! You smacked it right in the sweet spot!¡±


    I shrugged, not sure what to tell her. Growing more comfortable with violence made me more confident with weapons and going on the offensive. Combining that fact with an enemy I knew wouldn¡¯t try to dodge gave me a relatively prime opportunity so long as I held my nerve.


    ¡°So when you said you should have brought a club...¡± Fione stared exasperatedly at me, ¡°You meant it, didn¡¯t you?!¡± She demanded.


    ¡°A mace would have been better, but yes, some form of bludgeoning weapon would have been better in that circumstance,¡± I agreed. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fione returned to her nervous pacing.


    ¡°Is everything all right?¡± Jean asked somewhat tiredly as he approached with Horrace leaning heavily on his shoulder.


    ¡°The new guy¡¯s been holding out on us!¡± Fione complained bitterly.


    Jean looked sceptical, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be the case from what I saw,¡± he countered in a warning tone before stopping abruptly as he noticed the bloodied wad of fabric on my thigh, ¡°You were injured?¡± Jean began to help Horrace down but stopped as I lifted the bloodied cloth.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I insisted, ¡°Just a simple puncture.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Jean looked at the cloth and then back to the tiny wound.


    ¡°That was in his leg!¡± Fione pointed to the shard of steel lying on the short grass.


    Jean¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re sure you are alright, brother?¡± He asked with genuine concern.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t hit anything important and I heal fast,¡± I poured some more water and wiped at the site of the injury, revealing a raw layer of scar tissue, ¡°See? All good.¡± Admittedly, I should have cleaned the wound with alcohol, but I was fairly confident that my constitution would fend off any minor infections.


    ¡°He did eat a whole strap of meat,¡± Fione grudgingly admitted, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he admitted to squiring!¡±


    Jean looked surprised for a moment but instead of becoming upset, he looked impressed instead, ¡°Is this true, brother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the term, but if it means using different weapons than I usually do? Then I must admit that it¡¯s true,¡± I confessed while rinsing out the cloth before stowing it away. ¡°Oh! Because the squires have to practise with a whole mess of weapons as part of their training...Clever,¡± I chuckled dryly as I got to my feet and brushed myself off.


    ¡°Why would you do that, brother?¡± Jean asked with a hint of awe in his voice. No doubt vastly overestimating my true skills.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the opportunity to try them in a real combat situation,¡± I replied simply. Practising was one thing, fighting monsters that barely reached my knees was another, but I hadn¡¯t faced true danger in any consistent measure until now.


    ¡°Well, as interesting as this subject is, I think we had best retreat and recuperate,¡± Jean decided, ¡°I¡¯m damn near tapped out and Horrace is out completely.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have less than half,¡± Sarah called out as she slowly and carefully made her way back to the group while scanning our surroundings.


    ¡°A quarter, maybe,¡± Tanner joined in, similarly retreating to the group while keeping an eye out for danger.


    Everyone could see one another¡¯s mana, so calling it out wasn¡¯t particularly necessary, but I supposed it was part of their routine.


    ¡°We should wait here for an hour or so then,¡± I insisted firmly, ¡°Give the mana potion a chance to do its work.¡±


    ¡°Too dangerous, brother-¡± Jean slowly shook his head and was going to say more but was interrupted.


    ¡°You cast something on my spear before, what was it?¡± Sarah asked suspiciously.


    I tried not to smirk, ¡°Ward,¡± I replied simply before deciding to strike while the iron was hot, ¡°Which is why we would be better off staying put and recuperating some before heading back.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be safer just for them either. I was low on mana and profoundly confident that the Bloodhunters would catch the scent of blood on my armour the moment we tried cutting back toward the base camp.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Ward?¡± Fione asked with equal parts scepticism and wary curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Shaman Ability,¡± Tanner cut in before anyone else had a chance, ¡°Keeps the wild ones out of their villages.¡± He gave me an appraising look before nodding respectfully, ¡°Checks out,¡± Tanner insisted, ¡°It¡¯s not the sort of thing you lie about out here anyway,¡± he pulled a small pinch of dried leaves from a pouch on his hip and tucked it into his lip, ¡°We would be two down if we got into a fight on the way back. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    ¡°If it truly is a Ward,¡± Jean hedged, ¡°Than taking our time to recover is certainly the better plan,¡± He sighed and scratched at his chin while considering their options. ¡°Alright, we are hunkering down,¡± Jean decided. Rotating watch so we can all get some downtime. Tanner and Fione can go first.¡±


    Fione groaned like a teenager and began collecting her throwing knives.


    Tanner just shrugged and began to slowly wander around their vicinity while keeping an eye out for danger.


    I was sorely tempted to Summon a Kobold so I could accelerate my mana recovery but ultimately decided against it. If the group thought I was holding out on them already, then revealing yet another combat-oriented Spell would only complicate matters further. All the same, I compromised by Conjuring a basic magic bow and a quiver of arrows under the pretence of collecting Quest rewards.


    Now, at the very least, if more monsters attacked before the Ward took root, I would have the opportunity to fight them at a distance first.


    ***** Tanner - Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Tim¡¯s Labyrinth ~ Tenth Floor *****


    Tanner watched the odd newcomer, Fharad, as he marked out a target on the hillside and began loosing arrows from increasingly greater distances. He wasn¡¯t especially gifted, or even talented, so far as Tanner could tell. Just the sort of comfortably proficient people became after enough repetition.


    Tanner could relate. He didn¡¯t have much of a talent for anything either.


    His dependence on magic items and the bitter Sentry leaves just to compete at the same level as the team was a testament to that fact. Tanner was also keenly aware that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to unlock his Advanced Class at all without the detailed guides and alternate routes for progression provided by the Class unlock Quests.


    Tanner had been too focused on his target during the fight to see much of what had been going on with everyone else. However, he had seen Fharad bury his axe in the first Beast and functionally take it out of the fight. So as far as Tanner was concerned, Fharad had done more than his fair share.


    So with that in mind, he didn¡¯t understand why Fione was making such a big deal about his choice in weaponry. Fharad had done his part and done it well, and for Tanner, that was enough. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like Fione had done an exemplary job herself.


    Maybe that¡¯s why she¡¯s so upset.


    Tanner took note that Fione was still scowling in Fharad¡¯s general direction despite the latter paying her no attention at all.


    Fharad¡¯s relaxed attitude made Tanner somewhat uncomfortable, but he had to assume Fharad¡¯s confidence came from his experience with Wards.


    Tanner had heard of Wards before, but knowing the theory behind how they were intended to work and trusting your life to one were two different things entirely. It didn¡¯t help that if you weren''t the Shaman who cast the Ward, the only way to tell if a Ward was working was that nothing bad was happening.


    ¡°Movement to our east!¡± Sarah called out, already on her feet and pointing roughly to their northeast and up the hill.


    Raising his crossbow, Tanner paused as he noticed Fharad casually lining up a shot of his own. Curious to see how the newcomer fared against a living target, Tanner decided to wait.


    ¡°It looks like someone from another group,¡± Fharad called back. Although Tanner was careful to note that he hadn¡¯t returned his arrow to its quiver.


    Spending a small amount of mana, Tanner activated Enhanced Senses. Concentrating on the distant target, he was surprised to find that Fharad was right, ¡°Looks like one of Morgan¡¯s team!¡± Tanner called out warily, pausing for a moment as he spotted a second figure, ¡°And Morgan himself, I think!... It¡¯s hard to tell, but they look like they are in rough shape!¡±


    Everyone but Horrace had gotten to their feet and were preparing for a fight.


    They had no problems with Morgan¡¯s group, but they all knew there weren¡¯t any good reasons for a group to be running like that.


    ¡°Leave the spear!¡± Fharad warned, ¡°Moving it too much will disrupt the Ward¡¯s protection!¡±


    Sarah scowled but firmly planted her spear in the ground.


    ¡°MORGAN! OVER HERE!¡± Jean yelled. The Compulsion carried by his voice made Tanner flinch, but he shook it off easily enough thanks to not being the primary target.


    Morgan and his teammate appeared to have heard him and were now headed in their direction. After a few seconds, it was also revealed that another Carnifex appeared to be right behind them.


    Taking stock of his mana, Tanner estimated that he would have enough for four more Penetrating Shots or two Far Shots without risking unconsciousness.


    *


    Tanner looked over at Fharad in surprise. So far as he knew, Fharad didn¡¯t have any ranged combat Abilities to compensate for the distance. Of course, Tanner knew next to nothing about him, but it still didn¡¯t sit right with him.


    Fharad watched the flight of his arrow with intense and all too familiar focus as it sped toward its target.


    Tanner focused on Fharad¡¯s eyes and recognised the look. He was using Enhanced Senses.


    The arrow fell a few feet or so short of the Carnifex, but Fharad didn¡¯t seem put out over it. Drawing and loosing another arrow, Fharad slowly moved his bow to match the progress of the Carnifex. Before the fate of the arrow was known, he drew and loosed another, then another, and just kept going.


    The arrows were missing more often than not, but the Carnifex had momentarily slowed its pursuit of Morgan and his surviving team member as it tried to locate the new threat.


    In the time it took Fharad to reach for and loose the last arrow in the quiver, a whole brace of arrows had appeared in their place.


    Fharad was slowly strafing across the open ground toward him, pausing only to loose an arrow before moving again. ¡°Can. You. Hit. It. For. Sure?¡± Fharad grunted between draws.


    Tanner nearly choked as some of the Sentry juice went down his airway, ¡°Y-Yeah, I can hit it!¡± Tanner replied, uncertain of what Fharad intended since he seemed to have no trouble sending arrows at the Carnifex himself.


    ¡°A. Head. Shot?¡± Fharad grunted without breaking focus on his target.


    ¡°I can,¡± Tanner replied, this time more cautiously. With their last fight with the Carnifexes as a reference, Tanner knew he would need to use Penetrating Shot to even stand a chance at chipping the Carnifex''s skull, let alone piercing it.


    Fharad tightened his lips and grunted. Instead of reaching for another arrow, he reached for Tanner¡¯s crossbow. More specifically, he reached for the bolt on top of it. Tipping the bolt off Tanner¡¯s crossbow and onto the ground, Fharad replaced the bolt with another that suddenly appeared in his hand. Breathing heavily, Fharad closed his eyes and Tanner felt a dense mass of mana pass through his hand and into the bolt sitting in his crossbow.


    ¡°A. Head. Shot.¡± Fharad panted as a reminder.


    Tanner nodded determinedly and took careful aim. Trying not to stress over losing so much mana all at once, he activated Enhanced Senses and Penetrating Shot, then after a moment¡¯s hesitation activated Guiding Shot for safety.


    *


    The bolt launched from Tanner¡¯s crossbow and raced toward its target. Adjusting its course midflight, Tanner guided it toward the Carnifex right eye socket. Despite the Beast attempting to dodge at the last moment, Tanner still managed to land his shot.


    The Carnifex howled in pain and staggered to a halt, but contrary to Tanner¡¯s expectations, it didn¡¯t die.


    *


    Staggering from critically low mana, Tanner could barely believe his eyes as the Carnifex head exploded.


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 57 – Testing the limits – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 57 ¨C Testing the limits ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 57 - Testing the limits - Part One


    As Tanner began to collapse, I managed to catch him by the scruff of the padded armour beneath the leather straps of his breastplate. The Abilities he had used had taken more out of him than I had anticipated. However, all things considered, it was hard to deny the results.


    Ignoring the mild fatigue in my back and arm, I half-carried and half-dragged Tanner back to the group while Tanner made an admirable but futile attempt to move under his power.


    Still breathing hard, I set Tanner down by the others and waited for the arrival of the newcomers.


    ¡°Help!...¡± The ragged cry came as a surprise given the death of the Carnifex. I was tempted to attribute it to panic and accumulated stress, but for whatever reason, it didn¡¯t quite feel right. ¡°You! You have to!...¡± The lead runner staggered, collapsed, and disappeared.


    Focusing on the man still struggling to cover the remaining distance from our group, I identified him as the Morgan I had heard the others mention earlier. Accessing his group information through my authority as Tyrant, I also confirmed that most of his group was in critical condition.


    With my authority as Tyrant, I confirmed that the remaining five members of the group had been relocated to another section of the Demi-Plane. This included the man who just disappeared.


    ¡°They...They came out of the trees! Out of the trees man!¡± Morgan raved as he fell to his hands and knees and vomited what looked like bloody bile.


    Jean hurried forward while fumbling with his pack, most likely intending to provide medical aid.


    Looking at Morgan from a distance, I couldn¡¯t see any signs of external injuries. However, he was favouring his left side.


    Curious to see what Jean would do, I watched as he pawed through Morgan¡¯s belongings for a short while before giving up and removing a pale ivory stick from his belt pouch. The stick was about four or five inches long and half an inch wide. I could see dark marks on its surface but wasn¡¯t close enough to make out what they were.


    Jean pressed the stick into Morgan¡¯s hands, took a firm grip on his hands, and then broke the stick.


    Morgan disappeared.


    ¡°Damned fool!¡± Jean cursed as he grabbed his pack and rejoined the group.


    ¡°Let me guess. The cheapskate didn¡¯t bring any Salvation Tags?¡± Sarah snickered incredulously.


    Jean scowled and nodded, ¡°Morgan claims he dropped them in the ambush...¡± His tone made it clear that he didn¡¯t believe a word of it.


    ¡°What kind of idiot would explore the latest floor without Salvation Tags?!¡± Fione demanded in disgust.


    Tanner grunted in agreement. ¡±Anyone desperate enough to team up with Morgan, clearly,¡± he replied dryly.


    From the context, I could only assume the Salvation Tags were another one of Sebet¡¯s conditional Contracts. Instead of reaching a certain HP threshold, breaking the item catalysed activating the Contract.


    The group settled down again and Sarah decided she would take a turn on watch. Given the exhausted state of just about everyone else, I volunteered as well.


    Less than two minutes after Morgan¡¯s disappearance, a second Carnifex came prowling over the hillside. However, with the Ward still in effect, it couldn¡¯t approach the group.


    After being hit by three arrows, the Carnifex reluctantly withdrew back the way it had come.


    My sore muscles recovered quickly, but I had been forced to ¡®cheat¡¯ by secretly conjuring additional food supplies while rummaging through my pack.


    I was prepared to classify the outing overall as a failure. The whole point was to test my limits in conditions comparable to what anyone else would face. I had cheated twice already due to my lack of preparedness and I had identified several areas I could improve upon.


    There was nothing I could do about it just at the moment, but it weighed on me all the same.


    After an hour of recuperating, the group decided they were fit enough to make the return trip to base camp.


    We crossed paths with another all-human group on the way back and Jean made a point of warning them about the Carnifexes lurking in the hills. The leader of the other group seemed to take the warning seriously enough but wasn''t deterred.


    The return to base camp was met with audible sighs of relief, and given the danger presented by the Carnifexes on the hill, I couldn¡¯t blame anyone for it.


    While things were in control, the danger seemed no worse than anything I had experienced in the true Labyrinths. However, when that control began to unravel, things went bad far quicker than I expected.


    ¡°Are you planning on heading out again?¡± I asked Jean, earning a truly conflicted expression in return as the group leader scanned my face.


    ¡°It will take the rest of the day for everyone to recover their mana, brother,¡± Jean explained apologetically, ¡°We could probably do some hunting close to the base camp, but that would leave us less ready for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I replied in as non-judgemental a tone as possible but Jean¡¯s odd expression only intensified, ¡°When was your regular group member due to return?¡± I asked, trying to change the subject somewhat, ¡°It slipped my mind in all the excitement.¡±


    ¡°Jake?¡± Jean replied quickly, ¡°Ah, I might not have told you, brother!¡± He grinned good-naturedly, ¡°I doubt he will be back for at least a couple of days. You are more than welcome to stay with us until he returns, brother,¡± Jean offered optimistically, ¡°We might not have made a good showing today, but I¡¯m sure we will do better now that we have a good handle on one another¡¯s capabilities.¡±


    I nodded in agreement since it was more or less my general thoughts as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like our efforts will be for naught either!¡± Jean continued happily, ¡°Such high-tier Beast remains and mana stones will fetch a good price on the open market, and that magic item Fione was drooling over will likely be worth more than the rest combined!¡±


    I had no doubts about that. Depending on the Class and someone¡¯s style of combat, the ability to retrieve a weapon at will could be a real game-changer.


    ¡°Will Fione try and buy it?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°No doubt, brother!¡± Jean chuckled, ¡°Depending on the evaluation, of course!¡±


    ¡°How long will the evaluation take?¡± I hadn¡¯t explored the first floor at all, so I had no idea how much of the Adventurers Guild practices had been adopted. Not that I was particularly familiar with those either.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably completed already,¡± Jean replied offhandedly, ¡°The highest tier stock is always the highest priority for evaluation. We have a signed agreement with the evaluators to sell the materials right away and hold the magic items for a couple of days. It¡¯s pretty standard since organic materials are prone to losing value over time.¡±


    Jean continued explaining the general relative values of certain materials and his perception of how and why the market shifted one way or another.


    As best I could tell, it was always a given that higher-tier meat and materials would be more valuable than lower-tier meat and materials. However, the meat of the predatory Beasts was generally half as valuable as the meat of the grazers. This was due to the texture and taste of the meat. Offal was generally worth very little and barely increased in price by tier.


    Bones, teeth, claws, and hides were the most valuable components by weight. Unfortunately, imperfections and damage could drastically alter the price. Furthermore, not all bones were in demand. Large dense bones sold quite well, while vertebrae rarely sold at all.


    All the while, magic items varied wildly in value due to supply far outstripping demand.


    Unlike the organic materials of the monsters, the magic items weren¡¯t going anywhere. Too durable to efficiently scrap for materials, the more generic magic items were donated to Sanctuary¡¯s treasury in exchange for Exp. The Asrusian Faction had also implemented a similar Quest to arm and armour their soldiers. Even so, the market remained over-saturated.


    ¡°Does this mean you are interested in sticking with us a while longer, brother?¡± Jean asked optimistically, abruptly returning us to our original conversation.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed, seeing no particular reason not to. ¡°But I will take another look at my Abilities to see how best to support the group,¡± I added, allowing me to do things a little differently the next time around.


    Jean seemed curious but didn¡¯t press the matter. Perhaps fearing that he would offend me or otherwise push his luck.


    I agreed to rejoin the group the following morning and then used my authority to return to the first floor so I could take a proper look around.


    Contrary to my initial expectations, the deceased Beasts were not delivered to the first floor.


    After asking around, I learned that the evaluations and sales of all goods were conducted in the largest economic hub of the Demi-Plane. Port Gidian.


    Moving myself to Port Gidian, I found the former town far more populated and busy than the last time I visited. In just under a couple of months, the town had swollen in size to become a sprawling city.


    Nominally aligned with the Asrusian government, the city itself was governed by a comparatively neutral Faction that favoured Sanctuary itself. The Sanctuary Border Lords Faction. Acting as a literal buffer, their Faction held towns and cities on the opposing banks of the river that surrounded Sanctuary and were the only Human Faction permitted to patrol its waters.


    The patrols weren¡¯t intended to ward off piracy or smuggling, since neither currently existed. Instead, the patrols were a means of training sailors, marines and shipbuilders.


    Following the general tide of traffic, I soon found myself standing in the bustling heart of the city. The trade district was the definition of organised chaos. Despite having marked and numbered plots, how each merchant chose to occupy their space varied considerably from one plot to the next.


    Goblin pottery and baskets were sold alongside bolts of silk and crates of fruit.


    To the best of my knowledge, there seemed to be little rhyme or reason to explain why any given merchant occupied their current plot. I could only assume that the plots themselves were rented or leased on a first come first served basis.


    After wandering around for quite some time, I found the assessment company¡¯s office and warehouses on the edge of the market. As large as the market was, the grounds of the assessment company¡¯s warehouses were larger.


    The main office gave me the general impression of a prominent bank. Clerks standing behind large desks were answering questions and finalising sales with merchants and other business owners.


    All the while, a second team of employees served as messengers, to the back rooms and warehouses.


    A large board on the left side of the lobby had the prices for different resources while a second board on the right side of the lobby listed the prices for different tiers of magic items. The second board also listed several custom magic items as well, but the header made it clear that they would only be sold during the evening auction.


    Looking over the list of magic items that would be going to auction, I was disappointed that none of the items seemed suited to my current needs. I still wanted to watch the auction, so I decided to return later.


    Wandering through the market, I couldn¡¯t help but stare as mana stones of various sizes and quantities were exchanged for different goods instead of coins.


    I didn¡¯t know enough about economics to fully understand the change in the preferred currency. However, I suspected the coins would return to use in some capacity if I obtained and made the Labyrinth¡¯s vendors available to the public.


    A faint tug on my consciousness drew me from my musings and put me on alert as I scanned my immediate surroundings.


    It took only a few moments to locate and identify the source.


    Two tall women with red hair and dark tan skin were walking hand in hand toward me from the far end of the market. Wearing predatory smiles and bright flowing short robes beneath dark leather armour, they moved with a confidence and purpose that made it abundantly clear that they not only expected to be seen but demanded it.


    The twins'' aura acted like a magnet, drawing and holding the attention of everyone and holding the attention of anyone who failed to resist.


    Resisting them took no real effort. However, I suspected this was because the aura itself was being actively dampened to comply with my rules.


    The moment I resisted the aura I felt a telepathic link establish itself and connect to my mind.


    With the link established, both clones immediately picked me out of the crowd and began to make their approach.


    <Great One! This is most unexpected!> Their thoughts were impossible to distinguish from one another but held a quality similar to audio reverberation. <We were just making final preparations for our mission!>


    The crowds parted to allow the clones easy passage.


    <Final preparations?> The last time we had spoken, our plans amounted to little more than initial brainstorming. So I was curious to find out what they had decided.


    <We have been exploring the markets to determine how best to gain the funds needed for travel expenses and the acquisition of land.> The clones'' thoughts were accompanied by images of a wagon train and large stretches of land in sprawling semi-arid plains.


    <Selling magic items in Confederate cities would probably be the fastest means.> I suggested as the clones¡¯ made their final approach.


    <Salena-Salene.> The twins insisted alongside images of themselves that used perspective to accentuate their minor differences. <It was decided.>


    ¡°Hello, Daddy!¡± The clones, twins, Salena and Salene, each took a hold of one of my arms and grinned.


    ¡°Girls,¡± I replied dryly, determined not to let them get under my skin.


    One of the twins, I wasn¡¯t sure which, insisted.


    <We are simply trying our intended disguise!> The other added hastily.


    <According to our sources, it is expected for adult men to have several wives-> One of the twins began to explain.


    <However, after a brief discussion with the Tyrantess, it was decided that particular role would be inappropriate...> The other added with a mental shudder.


    <So, we decided upon the next best thing!> They announced in unison and made a show of hugging my arms.


    <Why do you need to pose as my relatives at all?> I challenged, unclear on what strange turns the overall plan had taken in my absence.


    Salena and Salene exchanged confused glances with one another. <We thought you intended to join us, Great One. At least, in the formative stages...>


    <That...> I took a few moments to think things over and realised that they were right. I had been intending to see the Dominion for myself. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realised how bad of an idea my involvement would be.


    To say nothing of whether the Demi-Plane would be inherited and maintained by my children. My authority as Tyrant left me feeling fairly certain it would, or at least, could be. Willfully entering the domain of another Awakened in person was asking for trouble.


    I could justify my activities in my Labyrinth because I was not in true danger thanks to being able to relocate myself within the Demi-Plane at will. However, the more I thought about travelling cross country, the more excessively dangerous it made me feel.


    My thoughts returned to Denbe, my contact with the Midnight Caravan. He wasn¡¯t a subordinate but had taken a prodigious number of oaths to guarantee his loyalty and discretion. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    <You suggest selecting another Hand?> Salena and Salene asked in unison.


    I nodded and allowed my thoughts to continue wandering as they may.


    I had given Sebet a considerable degree of latitude thus far and nearly just as much power and authority. So, on the one hand, it seemed dangerous to entrust her with more of the same for the sake of my immediate safety and convenience. However, Sebet was bound by more oaths than every other Faction leader combined. It was impossible for her to knowingly betray my best interests and those of my family.


    In addition to the oaths, our Contract bound Sebet to a code of conduct that was entirely dependent on explicit permission to entertain the darker aspects of her nature.


    Of course, this meant I was very nearly entirely responsible for Sebet¡¯s actions.


    <...> Salena and Salene looked at one another in surprise. <You would choose us as your Hand?> A third ¡®voice¡¯ joined the others, announcing Sebet¡¯s presence in the conversation.


    <I¡¯m seriously considering it.> I agreed with a sigh, half dragging Salena and Salene as I began making my way out of the market. Holding a mental conversation while being stared at by so many people was making it difficult to think.


    The more I thought it through, the more I realised that granting Sebet access to my Spells wasn¡¯t nearly as dangerous as I first considered it to be. A Succubus Queen, Sebet already had a truly unsettling array of Abilities both from her Class and Species. In comparison, my limited range of Spells added some utility and not much else.


    Of course, I was assuming that Sebet being made a Hand would extend to her clones, and I wasn¡¯t sure what to think of the consequences in either case.


    I had two available slots in the Ability, but if I went through with making Sebet a Hand, then I would need to do the same for Gric if only to reward his tireless loyalty and service in running Sanctuary.


    Offering it to Gric first would have a greater impact, feeling less like a consolation prize and more like the true acknowledgement of his abilities and actions.


    <We have no problems with that!> All three Succubi stated with forced humility and blatant desire.


    <I bet...> I replied dryly.


    After returning to Sanctuary, I Summoned projections of all the Daemons so I wouldn''t disrupt their activities, and then held a short formal ceremony for Gric.


    Despite his protests of unworthiness, I could tell that Gric felt vindicated by the gesture. More than that, the collective morale of the other Daemons rose considerably.


    It was an oddity of their core nature that I had grown somewhat accustomed to but still found strange to witness.


    The promotion or rewarding of a Daemon¡¯s superior was expected, an instinct embedded in their core being.


    Which made Ril even more of an oddity.


    As much as I tried to avoid thinking about it, our limited interactions had begun leaving me with the distinct impression that Ril knew far more than she should. At the very least, she knew far more than Gric and the other Daemons.


    Ril¡¯s behaviour around Toofy seemed genuine enough, but sometimes it felt like her mask would slip and she would say or do something that didn¡¯t fit. Of course, it was hard to prove since Ril¡¯s behaviour would also shift depending on whether or not Toofy was present and paying attention to her.


    I was almost completely certain that Ril wasn¡¯t an Awakened, but short of confronting her about it under oath, I doubted I would ever be truly certain.


    <Great One...You are not aware of what...she...is?> Sebet¡¯s thoughts carried an undercurrent of fear I had not expected to sense from her. Salena and Salene¡¯s thoughts radiated the same fear and a large degree of apprehension. In referencing her, a dark silhouette of a tall monstrous female figure took shape in the connection.


    <What do you know?> I pressed, both curious about Ril and howSebet had information about her.


    <Not here...> I could feel the fear rising. <My domain, please, Great One...> Salena and Salene had already departed and Sebet was unfurling her wings.


    <Fine.> I agreed and used my authority to transport us both to the segregated territory of her domain.


    A dark imposing fortress now stood where the foothold had once been and several men and women in short robes and leathers stood watch outside of the gateway and main entrance.


    ¡°Initiates,¡± Sebet stated dismissively with palpable relief in her voice. Having taken on a hybrid form between her Human and Devil appearance, Sebet made a point of looking out over the yard before inviting me into the fortress proper.


    I was surprised to find that the interior of the fortress was decorated, albeit comparatively sparsely for its size. What didn¡¯t surprise me was Sebet¡¯s choice of decorations.


    Detailed and profoundly suggestive statues and tapestries of young men and women in varying extremes of undress were prominently displayed against the large walls. Most strongly resembled Sebet in some way or another, but not all of them. This was particularly interesting because only half of the art pieces depicted human subjects.


    By the time we reached our destination, I realised that it was Sebet¡¯s eyes that gave her away. No matter which forms she took, there was an unmistakable predatory hunger in her eyes.


    ¡°Did Cin make the statues?¡± I asked curiously, momentarily distracted from the cause of our visit, ¡°And who wove those tapestries?¡±


    Otherwise distracting herself, I seemed to have caught Sebet by surprise. ¡°Erm, what? Oh! Yes, Cin was most helpful,¡± she agreed somewhat distractedly, ¡°A little reluctant at first but dedicated all the same,¡± Sebet surrendered the chair at the head of the meeting table and took a seat one chair further down while motioning to the large elaborate tapestry on the wall opposite her, ¡°The one the Daemons call The Tailor made the tapestries. They lack a certain passion...but will suffice until a true talent can be sourced...¡±


    ¡°The Tailor did this?¡± I challenged sceptically, ¡°The vendor that takes coins in exchange for clothes?¡±


    Sebet nodded, ¡°They weren¡¯t even that expensive, all things considered...I still have a considerable amount of coins left over...¡± She paused and smiled apologetically, ¡°Not nearly enough for our operation in the Dominion, of course, the prisoners of Tartarus were not nearly so wealthy.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I wondered how she had paid for it. Coins had severely depreciated in the local economy, but that might change if I acquired more vendors and made them available to the public.


    Salena and Salene entered the meeting room in hybrid forms of their own. The three Succubi had each taken incredibly similar yet distinct shapes from one another, making certain details more or less prominent to differentiate themselves. They took seats opposite Sebet at the table and nervously glanced at one another.


    I could tell from experience that a telepathic conversation was taking place but had no way of inviting myself into it as the Daemons and Angels could. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a matter of mana affinity I didn¡¯t possess or whether there was a certain trick to it all. In either case, I could only wait or express my displeasure.


    Given that Sebet was already quite nervous over the subject of our imminent conversation, I elected for patience.


    ¡°Great One...¡± Sebet fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair and Salena and Salene did the same, ¡°Tell me...What do you know of the Perpetuals?¡± The trio winced and anxiously eyed the dark corners of the room.


    ¡°Perpetuals?¡± I was fairly certain this was the first I was hearing of it, but I took some time to review my memories so I could be sure. I slowly shook my head, ¡°This is the first I am hearing of it, or them, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°That is...¡± Sebet¡¯s voice trailed away as she looked to her other selves for support.


    ¡°Somewhat unexpected...¡± Salena added.


    ¡°Considering your other servants...¡± Salene elaborated nervously.


    ¡°You mean the Daemons?¡± They were only a few months old, so I wasn¡¯t sure what they were supposed to know. Furthermore, except for Ril herself, I was reasonably confident they would have eagerly volunteered any information they thought I would want to know.


    The three Succubi shared a tentative look with one another.


    ¡°We were speaking of the Fallen, Great One...¡± Sebet clarified, ¡°The Daemons are too young and isolated to know better. But the Fallen, Orphiel, we know that he knows.¡±


    So the Perpetuals, whoever or whatever they were, weren''t part of the Species'' inherited knowledge?


    That was interesting but not particularly surprising. There was a great deal the Daemons didn¡¯t know.


    However, Orphiel withholding information was something I should have anticipated. He had joined my service due to a lack of options, not because he believed in what I was doing.


    In fact...


    ¡°Ril was the one responsible,¡± the memory wasn¡¯t quite as clear as I would have thought it would be, but I still remembered Ril taking an attack from Orphiel intended for Toofy. In doing so, Orphiel had been forced to undergo an immediate Evolution, Becoming the Fallen Sebet and the other Angel had spoken of.


    ¡°Such are the machinations of the Perpetuals...¡± Sebet commented quietly, ¡°They have eternity to shape what will be...¡±


    ¡°You keep saying Perpetuals. What does that mean?¡± I pressed curiously, ¡°I kind of figured Daemons, Devils and Angels were functionally ageless and would live forever. So why is Ril a Perpetual and Gric isn¡¯t?¡±


    The three Succubi shared another long look with one another.


    ¡°You are correct, Great One, in assuming that we are exceptionally long-lived if allowed to indulge our basic needs and are not visited by violence...But death can and will claim us eventually. There is no escaping it...¡±


    Salena and Salene nodded supportively with grim expressions on their monstrous yet beautiful faces.


    ¡°A Perpetual sheds life like a cloak, touched by death only briefly before retaking their seat in the great game...¡± Sebet had begun to visibly tremble, ¡°Grudges earned in one life have felled empires and exterminated bloodlines in the next. To earn the enmity of a perpetual is to mark one¡¯s self and all they know for desolation...¡±


    ¡°That...That doesn¡¯t seem like something Ril would do...¡± I commented uncertainly.


    Sebet¡¯s right eye twitched, ¡°Great One...It is not unheard of for a Perpetual to groom their champions and empires from positions of relative obscurity...¡±


    ¡°Grooming Toofy as a champion?...¡± I challenged dryly, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I never said it was the Goblin she was interested in...¡± Sebet replied ominously.


    That didn¡¯t feel right, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little paranoid. Ril had never asked or demanded I do anything. I had been the one to approach her for assistance with things like the Gateways.


    ¡°Why are you so certain Ril is one of these Perpetuals?¡± I challenged sceptically.


    ¡°Because she admitted it...¡± Sebet replied quietly, ¡°And...and she strongly suggested I keep it to myself...¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± That changed things but I still wasn¡¯t entirely convinced.


    *


    Ril¡¯s projection appeared on the table, her legs slung over the side and her tail languidly undulating behind her.


    ¡°Tim?¡± Ril curiously looked around her surroundings and smirked slightly as her eyes passed over Sebet and her clones. ¡°Ah, this makes more sense,¡± she muttered in an amused tone, ¡°She told you.¡±


    The trio of Succubi cringed and recoiled in their respective seats.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true?¡± I asked neutrally, ¡°You are a Perpetual?¡±


    Ril gave me an amused smirk, ¡°Not the title I would have chosen...but it fits, I suppose,¡± she muttered with a small sigh.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked bluntly. Despite Sebet¡¯s claims, I still wasn¡¯t convinced Ril had any ulterior motives. She had done precious little besides eat and sleep since she hatched.


    Rill raised her scaly brow in a show of exaggerated surprise, ¡°What do I want? You are the one who Summoned me,¡± she replied with a cheeky grin.


    ¡°True,¡± I agreed diplomatically, ¡°But I was referring to your long-term goals, and I believe you already knew that.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Ril mimicked, showing off her mouthful of needle-like teeth in the process, ¡°But would you be so kind as to fetch some water? My skin is beginning to itch,¡± she scratched pointedly at her forearm, dislodging several tiny dried scales.


    With a wave of my hand, a large wooden bath appeared on the table and was filled with lake water from The Grove.


    Nodding in thanks, Ril rolled into the bath and momentarily disappeared from sight before pulling herself up and leaning on the rim. ¡°Much better,¡± she sighed contentedly while flicking the armoured flaps of her gills and preening her fins. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Ril asked after taking some time to get herself settled.


    ¡°Do you have any ulterior motives?¡± I asked bluntly. It was the main issue and skirting around it wouldn¡¯t satisfy my slowly mounting paranoia.


    ¡°For Sanctuary? For you?¡± Ril paused briefly and then shook her head, ¡°No, I have no ill intentions or motivations beyond making the most of things this opportunity provides.¡±


    ¡°Which are?¡± I pressed determinedly.


    Ril smiled slightly and rested her cheek in one hand, ¡°Relaxation and entertainment,¡± she replied glibly, ¡°And Sanctuary provides both in a suitable abundance,¡± she motioned to the room at large with her free hand, ¡°As this improvised interrogation makes clear,¡± Ril¡¯s smile shifted into an amused grin.


    ¡°And what about Toofy?¡± I demanded, ¡°What is her part in all of this?¡±


    Ril¡¯s smile faltered and her eyes narrowed dangerously, ¡°She is my mother,¡± Ril replied coldly, ¡°And I will ruin any who dares to lay a hand on her...¡±


    The temperature in the room dropped and crystals of ice formed on the side of the bath.


    With what looked like deliberate effort, Ril calmed herself and took on a relaxed if somewhat predatory expression. There was weight to her inky black eyes that now gave the small Daemon a truly ancient and dangerous presence. ¡°Of course, I know you wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, Tim,¡± She made a point of emphasising my name, ¡°Mother has told me much about you and what you did for her sake...¡± Her expression softened and her eyes shifted their focus for a moment, ¡°You are different than those that came before...I am...relieved... Relieved that you gave me no cause to remove you,¡± Ril¡¯s impossibly dark eyes stared into mine and I could tell she meant every word.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. I had only done what I had thought was right. ¡°The others, those like you-¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop us,¡± Ril interrupted, ¡°Surely your pet told you as much already?¡±


    I stopped myself from looking over at Sebet, ¡°She implied you were functionally immortal, yes.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Ril smiled, ¡°Then that¡¯s all you really need to know.¡± Her projection vanished along with the wooden bath as she teleported away.


    I could force her Projection to return or even move her original self, but I didn¡¯t see the point.


    ¡°A reincarnating Daemon...fuck me...¡± I grunted and rubbed tiredly at my brow. All things considered, it could have been much worse. If Ril was opting to treat her current incarnation as a mana fuelled booze cruise rather than a bloody rise to power, then I was fine with it. However, the knowledge that other Perpetuals were out there and could become my enemy and that of my descendants was profoundly unsettling.


    I had always felt responsible for Toofy and despite making multiple promises to take her with me on my ¡®adventures¡¯ I often left her behind until things were stable. It was an odd sensation to feel both vindicated in my decision-making and retroactively fearful of what the consequences may have been for behaving otherwise.


    In Ril¡¯s absence, Sebet, Salena, and Salene visibly relaxed, revealing the claw marks they had left on the furniture.


    ¡°How many Perpetuals are there?¡± I asked somewhat numbly, struggling to reorient my mind to face the existential threat.


    Salena and Salene looked to their progenitor.


    ¡°Not many...¡± Sebet sighed and rubbed at her jaw muscles, ¡°Five are known to us...¡±


    ¡°The Pale King, an undead of immense age and believed to be the eldest Perpetual...¡± Salena counted off one of her fingers, prompting the others to do the same.


    ¡°The Grand Archon, an incorruptible Angel that arose from the first war...¡± Salene snarled with an expression of profound distaste as she marked off another finger.


    ¡°The Fallen One, the first Angel to fall from grace...¡± Salena snickered as she marked off another finger.


    ¡°The Silent Queen...¡± Salene whispered fearfully as she marked off another finger, ¡°Ruler of the deepest expanse of Hell...Binder of the Prime Evils...Tempter and consort of The Fallen One...Mother of Dispater and Ezanitel...Supreme Master of the Hellknight order...Head of the Blackfire Council...Mistress of all Succubi...¡±


    It made sense that Sebet and by extension her clones would know more about one of their own kind, but I still found it odd that a Devil was credited with tempting the first Angel to fall.


    ¡°Lastly, The Scourge...The Daemon, currently known as Ril...¡± Sebet marked off her last finger and lowered her trembling hand to the table, causing her bone-plated knuckles to rattle against the wood, ¡°Five times The Scourge led its hordes of Daemons and half breeds into the depths of Hell, and five times The Scourge¡¯s hordes were defeated...Defeated at immense cost...Twice The Scourge assaulted the spires of Heaven...The first gave rise to The Grand Archon...The second The Scourge left of her own accord...¡±


    ¡°So she was a profoundly successful homicidal warlord in her former lives...Got it...¡± The descriptions of the other Perpetuals had hardly been reassuring but learning of Ril¡¯s notable past achievements hammered home the threat she presented.


    It also provided some degree of insight into the behaviour of Daemons. In particular, Sebet¡¯s mentioning of a half-breed army made me wonder whether the Daemons Natural Selection Ability maintained its full strength when inherited by cross Species offspring. If true, then it explained how Ril or, The Scourge, would have been able to form such an unstoppable army.


    Daemon Evolution was profoundly simple and comparatively boring compared to every other Species I currently knew of. Each Evolution, major and minor, simply increased their currently available mana supply. Which was rather misleading because the maximum value on their Status would routinely drop with each major Evolution


    However, their Racial Ability seemed to have an internal tracking element that determined whether it was able to be activated. So, a Daemon that was powered through multiple stages of Evolution could simply activate their Ability afterwards and undergo as much change as a Daemon that used their Ability at every step along the way.


    Natural Selection, in and of itself, was a profoundly powerful Racial Ability. Physically altering their own anatomy to take on the advantages of other Species generated stats they otherwise wouldn¡¯t have.


    In fact. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that the Daemon half-breeds might be stronger than their parents. They probably wouldn¡¯t be as adept at sensing and manipulating mana, but they would have other Racial Abilities that would amplify their heavily altered stats.


    Thoughts from my subconscious directed my attention toward the registry. Reviewing the Bond status of the Daemons revealed that several were already paired off with members of other Species. I vaguely recalled Gric informing me of the unions at the time and I hadn¡¯t thought much about it since. However, in light of what I now knew, I realised that I would likely need to take a more involved approach to the Daemons'' lives.


    I was uncomfortably aware that their more destructive impulses were tempered by the rules I imposed on all citizens of Sanctuary, and that they followed those rules because of a powerful instinct to obey those who outranked them. Only, it wasn¡¯t rank but the internal power hierarchy of their Species.


    Whether it was because I am an Awakened or technically their parents, the Daemons'' instincts seemed to consider me to be one of their own. This in turn meant that my word was law.


    This was all well and good for now, but it raised a rather uncomfortable question.


    What would the Daemons do if I died?


    ***** Amalda (Liche) - Werrian Empire ~ Werrian Empire Capital *****


    The screams of those who had dared to test the curfew had long since subsided. Yet Amalda could still sense the intense fear hanging over the city.


    Seizing the capital had been incredibly easy. Either personally or through her subordinates, Liz had converted the majority of the imperial court and culled the remainder. From there, the senior officers, many of whom were nobility themselves, had willingly undergone the change and cemented their control over the city.


    Of course, the countryside was an absolute mess. Even before the fall of the capital, rebel lords and nobles had been forming their own armies. Granted, most of those armies were intended to fight the hordes of Amalda¡¯s own undead forces that she had left to scour the countryside.


    Rising from her lounge, Amalda looked out the window and over the deathly quiet city. Her Life Sense Ability was such a high rank that she was confident that she could see every living soul trapped within the capital¡¯s walls.


    The moonlight reflecting off the snowy rooftops lent an appropriately eerie atmosphere that accentuated the predatory shadows of the higher forms of undead stalking the streets.


    As tempted as Amalda had been initially, she now recognised that wholesale slaughter without a productive end goal would be meaningless and wasteful. Mindlessly culling the living and rampaging across the world couldn''t save her from the reach of the Pale Council. It would only make it easier for their agents to eliminate her.


    One of the significant flaws of the undead, especially the lesser undead, was recognising an enemy from amongst their own kind.


    In a world of the dead, the council¡¯s agents would have fewer obstacles in reaching her.


    What Amalda needed was a buffer and a steady supply of resources so she could create powerful minions of their own.


    ¡°Still can¡¯t believe you wanted to take over this dump!¡± Liz exclaimed as she sauntered along the rooftop above the window, I mean, the blood is good, great even! But all the crying and snivelling really brings down the mood...¡±


    They had this argument several times already, so Amalda paid it little mind. ¡°You have sent your minions out to seize the nearby towns?¡± She asked, earning an annoyed hiss from Liz.


    ¡°Yeah yeah,¡± Liz stepped over the rooftop and stood on the underside of the support beams, ¡°I sent all the muckety mucks out to make¡¯em all bend the knee or whatever,¡± she stared back at Amalda and grinned, exposing her vampiric canines for a moment before turning around and staring out over the city. ¡°Hey, Malds?¡±


    Amalda hated when Liz used that particular nickname but knew enough to know when Liz wasn¡¯t simply baiting her into a fight. ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, leaning out and over the windowsill so they were standing cheek to cheek, albeit with Liz being upside down.


    ¡°A bunch of my guys are dead,¡± Liz stated with uncharacteristic concern, ¡°Not these new ones,¡± she waved dismissively at the city, ¡°The older ones that were meant to be acting as a speed bump.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Amalda lacked most human sensations, but she felt an unpleasantly familiar moment of fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s not those stuffy dust bunnies though,¡± Liz insisted, ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think it is?¡± She stared blankly out over the city for a moment and then shook her head, ¡°Nah definitely not one of them.¡±


    ¡°Could it be rebels perhaps? Or maybe adventurers?¡± Amalda suggested quietly.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Liz shook her head vigorously, causing her short hair to rustle slightly in the wind, ¡°I felt the way some of them died...It...it burned...¡± She reached toward her chest but stopped herself.


    ¡°They have holy weapons?!¡± Amalda was surprised. Holy weapons were meant to be exceedingly rare. Even after plundering the Werrian treasury, they hadn¡¯t managed to find a single holy weapon. Which was equal parts good news and bad, since it could have been used against the council.


    ¡°Dunno...¡± Liz admitted nervously, ¡°But it hurt like a mother-fucker. I didn¡¯t know those mooks could be used to hurt me like that!¡±


    ¡°Another reason why we need to get stronger!¡± Amalda replied firmly.


    Liz was quiet for a few moments and then hissed in aggravation, ¡°Yeah, I know! It just fucking sucks! Grinding levels is so fucking boring! And those clones taste like shit!¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing we have a city-sized pantry,¡± Amalda smiled and gave Liz a pack on the cheek before returning to her lounge.


    Just like Liz, she had a hunger, of sorts, that needed to be quenched, and the monsters of the Labyrinths didn¡¯t do much to sate it. Well, most of them. Some of the monsters, the ones the locals called Variants, were a different matter altogether.


    If one of the cloned monsters was watery gruel, then a Variant was extra chunky beef stew with extra potatoes, onions, gravy and a herb medley. Of course, then there was the matter of the locals themselves.


    Contrary to Amalda¡¯s expectations, the humans were nothing special at all. More filling than a cloned monster, but less than a tenth of a Variant.


    As someone dependent on souls for sustenance, Amalda felt the differences far more keenly than Liz did but could also be contended by quantity rather than quality. Besides a momentary high, one hundred poor-quality souls meant the same to her as a single high-quality soul.


    A high-pitched scream broke the silence but was cut short half a moment later.


    ¡°Another idiot made a run for the temple,¡± Liz sneered derisively, ¡°You would think they would have learned by now. Besides, it¡¯s not like those priests have enough food for all those idiots hiding in there already. Bet they all make a break for it in less than a week!¡±


    Amalda wasn¡¯t so sure. An average human could go weeks without food before succumbing to death, and the undead lurking outside the temple grounds'' sacred aura was a powerful motivator to stay put.


    She had considered sending some of their living servants to siege the temple, or burn it down, but Amalda ultimately didn¡¯t see much point in it. Especially since she might be able to play the temple to her advantage.


    Already, the temple served as a beacon for the malcontents, gathering them all into one convenient location. All Amalda had to do was maintain the blockade and as Liz was so keen to mention, they would all starve to death.


    Concentrating for a moment, Amalda ordered her mindless minions and their semi-sentient minders into the Labyrinth. She needed levels for peace of mind and there was no time like the present.


    Amalda scowled as she remembered the cause of their current predicament.


    Years of plotting and scheming beneath the heel of the Pale Council had been wasted by the interference of a damned Ogre.


    Amalda had enjoyed torturing the souls of their former allies. It was the least they deserved. If it weren¡¯t for their sheer incompetence and blundering, the Ogre would not have been involved in the first place. Or, at least, by the time the Ogre would have been involved, it would have been far too late.


    With a deep scowl on her face, Amalda self-consciously glanced toward the silver cage on the small table beside the lounge. The chorus of a million trapped and fragmented souls washed through her being as the ethereal vortex of twisted faces pressed themselves desperately against the bars of the cage.


    Like a cold wind, a new soul howled as it flew through the open window and into the silver cage. It was joined a few moments later by another, younger soul. The new fought against the pull of the old but ultimately were submerged beneath the tide. Within moments, two souls became hundreds of barely sentient fragments. Aware enough to feel fear and despair, but not enough to understand why.


    Amalda settled into the lounge, closed her eyes and allowed the tortured screams of the damned wash over her. ¡°I would kill for some decent music,¡± she muttered unironically, prompting Liz to cackle in agreement before disappearing into the night.


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 57 – Testing the limits – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 57 ¨C Testing the limits ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 57 - Testing the limits - Part Two


    I was still in a somewhat paranoid state of mind after learning of the Perpetuals. So I decided to task Gric with touring Sebet¡¯s fortress to make sure everything complied with the guidelines I had laid out for Sebet¡¯s activities.


    Gric¡¯s projections positively vibrated with eagerness for the assignment and wasted no time in getting to business interrogating Sebet and her clones.


    If I understood the context of the threat the Perpetuals represented, stressing over their existence wouldn¡¯t do much good at all. For the time being, Ril¡¯s goals aligned with my own, and if Sebet¡¯s descriptions were accurate I was fairly confident I wouldn¡¯t encounter any others.


    I spent the rest of the evening with my family and did my best to put Ril and the Perpetuals out of my mind.


    The twins were growing quickly. Despite having witnessed the children of other Species grow at roughly the same rate, it still came as something of a surprise.


    My biggest surprise came in the morning as I was preparing to leave and found Pete scrawling his name on the wall. The native language was such that it would have been possible for him to draw his name by accident. However, the letters of Pete¡¯s name were written in the English alphabet.


    Pete looked incredibly proud of himself and burbled excitedly when he realised I had noticed his achievement.


    In hindsight, I now recognised his previous attempts at forming the letters in his older scribblings.


    ¡°This is good?¡± Lash asked with a bemused smile as I tickled Pete¡¯s chin.


    ¡°Very!¡± I replied with a sense of newfound pride, ¡°Pete wrote his name!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Lash looked at the wobbly segment of scrawled letters with renewed interest.


    ¡°He used the language I grew up with,¡± I explained and used another piece of chalk to write out a full example of the alphabet, numbers included.


    ¡°OH!¡± Recognition flashed in Lash¡¯s eyes and she pulled Pete up into a celebratory hug, ¡°So smart!¡± She cooed.


    ¡°Bah!¡± Suzy exclaimed with an expression of incredulous betrayal.


    ¡°Your pictures are nice too, Suzy! Oof!¡± I grunted slightly as I pulled her up into a hug of my own, human-sized muscles straining to accommodate her awkward distribution of weight.


    ¡°Hee!¡± Suzy slapped playfully at my sides and very nearly knocked the wind out of me.


    It was another reminder that the twins needed children their size and strength to play with.


    Since I could just move myself to the tenth-floor base camp instantaneously, I decided to spend more time with my family instead of arriving early.


    Arriving at the base camp, I realised that the confrontation with Ril had caused me to forget about the auction I was going to attend. There hadn¡¯t been any items I was personally interested in, so I decided that I would attend another evening.


    Out of a desire to fight at a level closer to my full potential, I used Lesser Summon to create a generic canine Kobold Spearman. Assuming I had enough time between encounters, I would regenerate mana I wouldn¡¯t otherwise have. Spending mana instead of HP to resist Fatigue, my mana would regenerate slower but I would be in better condition overall.


    The team was already waiting for me when I arrived and except for Fione, no one seemed to mind that I had arrived later than expected.


    Jean in particular seemed more relieved than anything else and had probably been wondering if I would show up at all. ¡°Glad you could join us again brother!¡± He gave my shoulder a companionable pair of slaps before guiding me to a seat at the team¡¯s table, ¡°And who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°A Lesser Summon for Synergies,¡± I explained while taking a seat and accepting the extended group invite.


    Jean looked surprised, ¡°Another Ability of your secret Class, brother?¡± He asked with respectful curiosity.


    ¡°No, another magic item,¡± I replied and then decided to explain the reason for its previous absence, ¡°I visited the markets yesterday.¡± It wasn¡¯t an actual lie, but I certainly intended for it to be misleading.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Jean slapped his knee and grinned after taking his seat, ¡°Your broker must have good connections, brother! I hear only a handful of people can buy the special items outside the auctions!¡±


    That was something I hadn¡¯t considered but would arrange later.


    ¡°It won¡¯t cut into our Exp, will it?¡± Sarah asked neutrally, ¡°Synergies are good, but I would rather level faster.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a Summon, they don¡¯t cost nothin'',¡± Tanner answered before anyone had the chance, ¡°We still got a free slot anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ah, more than the one actually,¡± Jean added with a hint of nervousness.


    ¡°The retinue?¡± Tanner asked curiously and then nodded, ¡°Right, special Class.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to take unfair advantage, brother, but would you be open to expanding the group while we have you here?¡± Jean asked hopefully, ¡°I have spoken with a couple of groups we are on good terms with, and they would be alright with taking the hit to their Exp in exchange for shadowing us as we push for the hills again.¡±


    ¡°Safety in numbers and all that,¡± Horrace nodded approvingly which caused his lightly waxed moustache to wave slightly.


    ¡°But our Exp will remain the same right?¡± Sarah insisted.


    ¡°It should...¡± Tanner replied, but he didn¡¯t look entirely certain.


    I sighed and nodded, uncertain whether I wanted to participate, ¡°Those in the retinue will lose half the Exp compared to the primary group, but all Synergies and group-wide passives are shared.¡±


    ¡°That is what I have heard as well,¡± Jean confirmed with a hint of relief.


    ¡°What about magic items?!¡± Fione interjected urgently, ¡°How does this retinue thing affect the drop rate?!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± I answered flatly.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Fione looked confused, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the magic item drop rate,¡± I explained distractedly while trying to decide if staying with the group would be worth my time, ¡°Magic items will continue to drop according to your Takesation setting.¡±


    ¡°How are we dividing loot then?¡± Fione demanded, shifting her focus to Jean with an expression of intense seriousness.


    ¡°Well...The other group leaders and I discussed it and we think an even split is the only way to go,¡± Jean explained hurriedly, ¡°With the Exp penalty already, potentially losing out on magic items was just too much...¡±


    ¡°Who are we working with?¡± Sarah asked warily.


    ¡°No one we have worked with before,¡± Jean replied neutrally, ¡°But their reps are solid enough and they have the levels...¡±


    Tanner scowled slightly, ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±


    Jean shifted uncomfortably and then sighed, ¡°The groups are both military-¡±


    ¡°Aw come on!¡± Fione slammed her fists down on the table, ¡°Why would you willingly sign us up to work with those control freaks?!¡±


    ¡°Tell me we¡¯re getting some kind of consideration for this?¡± Tanner demanded dryly.


    ¡°Military aren¡¯t that bad,¡± Sarah insisted weakly, ¡°So long as we don¡¯t get lumped with a climber or stickler.¡±


    Horrace remained silent but seemed inclined to agree with Sarah.


    The soldiers in question appeared shortly afterwards and brought an abrupt halt to Sarah and Tanner¡¯s audible complaints. Neither of them seemed happy but were unwilling to complain about the military in their presence.


    ¡°Sergeant Davin and Grant! Good to see you had no trouble finding us in time!¡± Jean declared with what felt like excessive and strained cheer, ¡°We were just discussing strategy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure...¡± Davin replied dryly, his cold blue eyes looking over our group with thinly veiled contempt. He had the refined features and tone of voice I had come to associate with the Asrusian aristocracy, but his low rank was something of a surprise.


    Nepotism was rampant in the ranks of the Asrusian military. Merit would allow commoners to climb the ranks, but the nobility applied a passive pressure that ensured only those commoners with exceptional talent and ability would rise past Lieutenant.


    Davin was the first noble I had seen with the rank of sergeant and I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it.


    ¡°Just following orders,¡± Grant replied, ¡°Commander said to be here, so we¡¯re here.¡± Perhaps in his mid-thirties, Grant carried himself with a confidence and surety that fit his tall but not an overly bulky frame.


    Jean smiled and nodded amicably, ¡°Of course.¡± He glanced at me for a moment and rose from the table, ¡°Our temporary party member has brought an unexpected boon to our arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Davin did not sound particularly convinced.


    ¡°Indeed, Tane can form a retinue that will allow both of your groups to share in half of the Exp from our kills,¡± Jean motioned to me with a wide grin on his face.


    ¡°Useful-¡± Grant replied but was cut off before he could elaborate further.


    ¡°You?!¡± Davin demanded incredulously, ¡°You have the rank of Underlord?!¡± He sneered with thinly veiled contempt, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! He¡¯s clearly lying!¡±


    The Summoned Kobold growled and raised its hackles.


    Without saying a word, I shifted both sergeants groups into my retinue.


    Grant was the first to notice, his eyes slowly panning left to right.


    ¡°Got nothing to say?! Eh?!¡± Davin sneered, ¡°I thought as much!¡±


    Jean looked worried and moved to impose himself between Davin and me, ¡°Come now, there¡¯s no call for insults-¡±


    ¡°We are already in his retinue,¡± Grant stated matter of factly.


    ¡°What?!¡± Davin demanded, his face palling slightly, ¡°Status!¡± Sweat began to dampen his brow.


    ¡°He invited us without asking, you know what that means,¡± Grant continued in the same stoic tone.


    Davin spluttered something incomprehensible.


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Jean asked curiously.


    ¡°He has his Majesty¡¯s personal authority or at least a part of it,¡± Grant replied, ¡°Meaning he was probably promoted in person and for a specific task.¡±


    His comment drew everyone¡¯s attention back to me again.


    ¡°Of course, asking what that task is will probably earn a place in his Majesty¡¯s special jail...¡± Grant shifted uncomfortably, ¡°So it would be best not to ask.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been a question but I nodded at Grant anyway. I was quite happy to take the easy excuse not to explain things further. I was already surprised that he knew so much about promotions and my authority.


    ¡°I...It was all a jape!¡± Davin insisted in a manic tone, ¡°A joke! Yes! A joke! Ahahahaha!¡±


    Leaving Jean to calm things down, I walked away and began checking over my gear. The Summoned Kobold trailed dutifully behind me and helped adjust some of my armour straps. Sergeant Davin¡¯s attitude had irked me and I felt a mounting need to put him in his place.


    Rather than throttling him, which would require creating a new identity to avoid the potential blowback with the Asrusians, I decided to truly test the limits of what I could do.


    Kneeling, I pulled out a clump of the long blades of grass and wove them into tiny cords. Emptying the magic arrows from my quiver, I tightly tied a cord behind the head of each arrow. What I was going to attempt was unproven but even if it didn¡¯t work, no one would be the wiser. Unsure if it would be a factor, I tied an additional cord to three arrows and five extra cords to another arrow.


    Jean and the others joined me shortly after I finished.


    ¡°Sorry about that, brother,¡± Jean apologised with what seemed like genuine sincerity, ¡°I didn¡¯t think the bastard would mouth off like that. Ah well, live and learn.¡±


    ¡°The look on his face!¡± Fione crowed happily, ¡°Never knew how much I wanted to see that!¡±


    ¡°It would perhaps be best to take recent events as an example?¡± Horrace suggested optimistically.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on it,¡± Sarah sighed tiredly, ¡°She¡¯s always happiest when watching someone laid low.¡±


    ¡°It was pretty funny,¡± Tanner chuckled and tucked a wad of the sour brown leaves into his lip, ¡°Doubt he will forget any time soon, hehe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it...¡± Jean sighed, ¡°But we need to put this behind us and focus. I don¡¯t want to lose an arm because you can¡¯t focus!¡±


    Fione let out a long reluctant sigh, ¡°Fine, you¡¯re right...¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Jean nodded appreciatively before turning to face the wider group, ¡°We will take the lead and follow the same path as yesterday while the other groups shadow our flanks.¡±


    ¡°Simple enough,¡± Tanner commented with a grunt.


    ¡°What are our rules of engagement?¡± Horrace asked, ¡°Do we assist? Or?...¡±


    ¡°Only when there is a clean shot,¡± Jean replied seriously, ¡°If they need additional assistance they will ask for it.¡±


    ¡°Suuuure...¡± Fione scoffed incredulously and kicked at the dirt dismissively.


    ¡°We will take the same formation as last time unless you have any objections?¡± Jean looked expectantly at me.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed readily, ¡°But I will use my bow if we spot the enemy at a distance.¡±


    ¡°Looking to move in on my turf eh? Hehe,¡± Tanner chuckled and shouldered his crossbow, ¡°Go ahead, your shoddy aim just makes everyone appreciate me more,¡± he grinned and gave me a friendly thump on the back.


    ¡°What about the little furball?¡± Sarah asked curiously.


    ¡°He will help keep watch, but don¡¯t expect much in a fight,¡± I replied casually, ¡°Lesser Summons can be quite weak in combat, but their senses still work and they give Synergies.¡±


    ¡°Middle of the group then,¡± Sarah shrugged indifferently, ¡°At least it¡¯s another pair of eyes to keep a lookout for those Beasts.¡±


    After a little more preparation we left the base camp and set out for the distant hills.


    We passed through the grassland without incident and began slowly making our way up the first hill. We had barely reached the summit when the Kobold growled low in warning.


    Drawing an arrow and casting Keen Senses, I scanned the surrounding terrain for the threat.


    The Kobold ran forward like a hunting dog and pointed toward a thicket below the hill.


    Spotting faint traces of movement thanks to the enhancement from Keen Senses, I aimed and loosed my first arrow. Watching my arrow race toward its target, I began to draw another arrow.


    The first arrow disappeared into the bushes and a confused and angry roar came from within the thicket.


    The second arrow disappeared like the first but reappeared moments later as a wounded Carnifex came storming out of the thicket.


    Concentrating on the cords of fresh grass that were now buried in Beast¡¯s flesh I cast Plant Growth and surged a tenth of my maximum mana into the Spell.


    The charging Carnifex staggered as blades of grass erupted from its hide around the pair of arrows. It then slowed to crawl and began to gag and wheeze before abruptly collapsing onto the hillside.


    ¡°What the fuck was in those arrows?!¡± Fione swore.


    ¡°It¡¯s not dead yet,¡± Tanner interjected sternly, but his expression made clear he was incredibly uncomfortable.


    Seeing no signs of another Carnifex, I cautiously made my way down the hill and drew another arrow.


    The Carnifex shuddered as I drew closer but otherwise remained immobile. Its eyes glared at me with feral hatred as I drew back the string of my bow and took aim.


    ¡°For my family,¡± I muttered quietly, forcing myself to watch as the arrow bore through the Carnifex eye socket and into its brain, killing it.


    Killing while I was excited, fighting for my life or that of others, was entirely different to killing in cold blood.


    The Carnifex would have died if I left it alone, but taking its life was a self-imposed test.


    Modern sensibilities and a sheltered upbringing had left me unprepared for the violence and indifference of this world. I was aware that I had changed since my arrival, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    As the Carnifex was claimed by the Auto Loot Contract, a tangled mess of bloody grass and my three arrows were left behind.


    Returning the arrows to my quiver, I mentally tasked the Kobold with making three new cords.


    ¡°Are you okay, brother?¡± Jean asked somewhat nervously while eying the pile of bloody grass.


    I nodded but said nothing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any more ammunition like that? Or maybe you could tell me where you got it?¡± Tanner asked hopefully as he took up a sentry position nearby.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Spell,¡± I replied neutrally.


    ¡°No shit?¡± Tanner exclaimed in mild surprise before spitting a small stream of brown juice onto the ground, ¡°So what¡¯s the trick?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Druid¡¯s Plant Growth Spell,¡± Jean answered before I had the chance, ¡°Only, I don¡¯t think I have ever seen anyone use it quite like this... From what I have heard, Druids typically try to crush their enemies with roots and branches or stab them to death from the outside...¡±


    The idea technically wasn¡¯t mine, it belonged to Qreet. Her unique method of fishing involved casting seeds into the water and infesting the fish from within. I had merely adapted it to a more combat-oriented application.


    Infesting the Carnifex organs required more mana than I was comfortable with. However, the inefficiency was likely linked to my use of grass instead of a more aggressively compromising plant. I was sure that I would be able to source one later.


    ¡°Well, it seems more effective than just binding it to the ground,¡± Tanner added appreciatively.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother you that he could do the same with your sentry?¡± Fione scoffed and motioned to Tanner''s lower jaw.


    Tanner seemed to consider it for a few moments and then shrugged, ¡°Druids need living stuff right? So there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Jean withdrew a thick piece of card from a satchel on his belt and used the view afforded by the hill to sketch down some landmarks.


    We continued toward the next hill and had just begun our ascent when Davin¡¯s group came under attack. Expecting a Carnifex, I was surprised when a cluster of boulders revealed itself to be some kind of stone golem.


    Without the right weapons, the soldiers were struggling to deal any damage.


    ¡°That¡¯s another one for the notice board,¡± Jean muttered tensely.


    ¡°Are we just going to watch?¡± Sarah asked indifferently, ¡°We don¡¯t really have the right gear or Abilities, so...¡±


    ¡°Our allies do not have that particular luxury either!¡± Horrace replied urgently, ¡°It looks like I-¡± His voice caught in his throat as I jogged past him.


    I had a theory I wanted to test.


    Gathering mana for another Spell, I cast Shape Stone and directed my will toward the golem¡¯s right arm.


    The rocks and boulders that formed the misshapen limb began to shudder as cracks spread across its surface.


    As if able to identify the source of the danger, the golem ignored the soldiers and began lumbering up the hill.


    I had already spent close to half of my mana but had no real idea how much, if any damage I had dealt to the golem.


    I decided that Shape Stone wasn¡¯t worth the cost and moved purposefully toward the thicket.


    I was confident that the others would watch my back, and if they failed, I could always escape through other means.


    The ground shook under the golem¡¯s immense weight as it noisily clattered and clacked its way across the hillside.


    Placing myself on the far side of the thicket, I patiently waited for the golem to make its final approach. The closer it came, the more pronounced the cracks in its arm became. Its ponderous weight and jarring movements damaged the limb further with each passing moment.


    Just as the golem reached the thicket, its damaged right arm fell into pieces, causing the golem to momentarily stagger as it tried to regain its balance.


    More than happy to take advantage of the opportunity, I cast Plant Growth and pushed my mana through the roots of the small trees. I directed the roots to entangle the golem¡¯s legs and remaining arm. With their growth fuelled by my mana, waves of roots swarmed out of the earth and began to constrict the golem.


    Individually, the roots were no match for the golem¡¯s sheer size and girth, snapping and tearing as the golem fought to free itself. However, by flooding the trees with mana, I was able to make them grow new roots faster than the golem could damage them. The golem was slowly but surely being dragged and pinned to the ground.


    Originally twelve feet or so tall and about as wide, the golem struggled against its bindings with single-minded determination.


    Ignoring its struggle, I raised my axe and brought the rear spike down hard on the rocks that served as the approximation of its head. Ignoring the painful jolt that passed through my fingers, I hammered the spike into its head again and again.


    A cry of warning rose from one of the other groups but I couldn¡¯t make it out over the ringing in my ears.


    In stark contrast to the death of the Carnifex, I felt nothing as the Rock Golem died. Its physiology was just too alien to empathise with on any meaningful level.


    No longer deafened by my attacks on the Rock Golem, I could hear the shouts of the soldiers and the unfamiliar cries of unidentified Beasts on the far side of the hill.


    From my position down by the thicket, I could see that our group had changed positions and was now facing a new threat.


    I couldn¡¯t see Sarah and Fione, but Tanner was firing crossbow colts as fast as he could reload and take aim.


    Jogging around the base of the hill, I came to a halt as I laid eyes on the ongoing melee.


    Three huge cobra-like serpents were aggressively assaulting the four remaining members of Davin¡¯s group and one of them had a suspiciously large bulge in its coils.


    Large enough to swallow a man whole, albeit with some difficulty, engaging the serpents in melee would be a challenge.


    One of the serpents reared up, flared its hood and sprayed a charging soldier with venom.


    The soldier howled in pain, collapsing to the ground and fumbling at their helmet as acrid smoke rose from his armour.


    ¡°Acid?¡± I had expected a conventional venom like an anticoagulant or procoagulant. In hindsight, an outright acid made more sense for a monster. ¡°My bow,¡± I returned my axe to the hook on my back and held out my hand expectantly.


    The Summoned Kobold obediently handed over my bow.


    I was low on mana and had already tried an alternate weaponised Plant Growth Spell, so I opted for something more conventional. Bane, specifically, Bane against Beasts. Curious to see if the Spell¡¯s benefits would pass along to the arrows if I cast it on my bow, I took careful aim and loosed an arrow at the head of the serpent I suspected had swallowed sergeant Davin.


    Due to its erratic movement, my arrow missed my intended target area. However, the serpent was large enough that it still struck the serpent¡¯s hood.


    The serpent hissed savagely and recoiled in pain, wildly undulating its coiled body in a way I would not have anticipated.


    The arrow had very nearly passed through the Serpent¡¯s scaly hood entirely and the steel head and wooden shaft could be seen sticking out of the back.


    Curious, I aimed at the serpent¡¯s head again, patiently waited for the right moment and then loosed a second arrow.


    My aim proved true and the arrow struck the serpent¡¯s horned brow. Even though it seemed to be buried right up to the fletching, it was unclear if the attack had done any actual damage.


    The injured serpent went berserk, whipping its head, body and tail about with reckless abandon, knocking two soldiers prone in the process.


    ¡°Interesting...¡± I muttered and prepared for my next attack.


    With the soldiers keeping the serpents distracted, I was free to take my time and choose my moment.


    Instead of attacking the same serpent again, I waited for an opportunity to make a critical strike against one of the others.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long.


    The wounded soldier became isolated from the group and one of the giant serpents immediately surged forward to attempt to devour him.


    My arrow smacked into the ridge above its right eye but was guided downward and through the serpent¡¯s eye socket as the arrow followed the path of least resistance.


    Just like the other serpent, the second serpent began to wildly thrash about in a frenzy. However, in stark contrast to the first serpent, the second serpent¡¯s thrashing grew visibly weaker with each passing moment.


    The arrow had disappeared entirely into the serpent¡¯s head, so I suspected that it was currently lodged in the poor Beast¡¯s brain and causing intense haemorrhaging.


    The final serpent was forced onto the defensive by the four remaining soldiers and already had a multitude of broken crossbow bolts sticking out of its coils. Badly outnumbered, it put up a desperate fight before a bolt from Tanner¡¯s crossbow flew into its open mouth and buried itself in the serpent¡¯s brain.


    All three of the brain-damaged serpents were culled by the soldiers before the Beasts'' organs had the opportunity to shut down on their own. Which was perhaps for the best considering I could not generate additional magic items through Takesation.


    The sergeant was cut free of the Vilefang¡¯s insides but was already badly burned by its digestive juices. The sergeant had to be magically evacuated along with the other soldier from his group who had been blinded by acid.


    Operating at reduced strength and in need of leadership, the four remaining soldiers were folded into sergeant Grant¡¯s group.


    ¡°I think one of those scaly bastards dropped a magic dagger,¡± Sarah commented neutrally to her sister.


    ¡°It was probably not special though,¡± Fione sighed dispiritedly, ¡°And even if it was, I won¡¯t have the stones for it. I already need to save up for that other item from yesterday!¡±


    ¡°Something bothering you, brother?¡± Jean asked quietly as he stepped up beside me.


    ¡°How did those giant snakes, the Vile Fangs, manage to sneak up on us?¡± The question had been bugging me and I couldn¡¯t come up with a suitable answer.


    Jean shrugged, ¡°They probably have a camouflaging Ability I would expect,¡± he replied.


    The patterns of the Vilefangs scales had been striking contrasts of bright greens, black and orange, but none of that colouration would matter if they had the means to make themselves magically invisible.


    ¡°That¡¯s....disconcerting...¡± I replied with a worried sigh. Even more so since the Kobold hadn¡¯t smelled or heard it coming either.


    Could you detect a snake by a sense of smell? I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Cancelling Enhance Senses on myself, I cast the Spell on the Summoned Kobold instead. In hindsight, I should have cast it on the Kobold in the first place. One of the reasons I had Summoned it was to serve as a scout.


    ¡°This latest floor of the Tyrant¡¯s Labyrinth is certainly living up to expectation, eh?¡± Jean chuckled with a hint of nervous energy, ¡°The monsters might be the same as those we know, but an increase in size can suddenly throw every existing strategy into chaos!¡±


    Technically, I could identify every type of monster on the floor if I wanted to. After all, I had created them. Or rather, I allowed them to be created and exist in this space. The primary reason I hadn¡¯t gone out of my way to identify the dangers through my authority and ownership of the Demi-Plane, was because of the challenge the unknown was meant to provide.


    The Vilefangs made me uncomfortable but served as a reminder of the dangers presented by my unpreparedness and complacency.


    Being so large had instilled a sense of undeserved invincibility and supernatural endurance that was liable to get me killed when a genuine threat presented itself. Losing my fear had dulled my ability to anticipate and react to unknown dangers.


    It had taken less than two days as a human for that fear to return. Despite all the means of immediate escape at my disposal, fighting enemies of such size had reawakened my fear of sudden and violent death.


    I had noticed how much more attention I was paying to my surroundings compared to before and took it as a sign of positive progress.


    By midday, we had managed to reach the foot of the impassable mountain range that marked the edge of the floor. Forging a different path back, we passed through a loose forest and lost another soldier to serious injuries after a section of the forest floor collapsed into a Bloodhunter warren.


    Thankfully, the Carnifex had been too large to hide up in the trees and had been forced to set their ambushes elsewhere.


    When we arrived back at base camp it was agreed that would be all for the day.


    The soldiers had taken the worst of it, but Jean¡¯s group was running low on mana.


    I was somewhat on the fence about rejoining the group but promised I would think it over.


    A part of me wanted to continue exploring the rest of the floor with them. However, other matters required my attention, and I had a feeling that the group was growing increasingly suspicious of my identity.


    After returning to Sanctuary and changing back to my true self, I revisited the market to contract a personal broker for magic items.


    After being relatively ignored for the past couple of days, it felt unnerving to be the absolute centre of attention again. However, I had to admit that it had certain advantages. Since I already had everyone''s attention wherever I went, all I had to do was declare what I wanted and anyone related to that request would present themselves.


    ¡°Majesty!¡± The thin grey-haired merchant bowed stiffly and clutched tightly at his cane. Whether it was out of fear of myself or his weak back was unclear. The younger old man beside him bowed formally in turn. ¡°Majesty, I would like to volunteer the services of my son, Mathias, to fulfil your need for a broker!¡± The elderly merchant insisted determinedly while motioning to the old man beside him, ¡°I know your Majesty appreciates those with experience! So your Majesty can rest at ease knowing we have your best interests at heart!¡±


    Both men had an emblem on the right sleeve of their coats that I recognised from my previous visit to the market.


    ¡°You are from the Ebon Wheel merchant company, yes?¡± I asked curiously.


    Both men nodded.


    From what I knew already, the Ebon Wheel merchant company was quite small in comparison to the other companies that were permitted to operate within my Demi-Plane. Very likely, the enterprise was limited to the Shaws¡¯ immediate family members.


    ¡°What are your qualifications?¡± It was a question intended to test their character more than anything else. I needed someone I could trust, so I was more interested in an honest answer than an answer that made them look good.


    ¡°Our company is small-¡± Mathias began to answer but winced as the tip of his father¡¯s cane pushed down hard on his left foot, ¡°-but we have fostered good relations with our customers and clients-¡±


    ¡°Root merchants!¡± A voice from the crowd called out mockingly.


    ¡°Mud ploughers!¡± Called another.


    ¡°Silence!¡± I growled in warning and eyed the crowd.


    As if it had all been rehearsed earlier, the crowd parted and melted away to reveal two suddenly quite terrified-looking merchants.


    ¡°It is true,¡± Mathias stated calmly while staring down his detractors, ¡°Ebon Wheel has a long history in dealing in vegetables and conducting trade in the more isolated villages of the kingdom. I fail to see why I should be ashamed of that fact. It is, after all, the calling of a merchant to buy and sell goods to turn a profit and facilitate trade across the continent.¡±


    The Shaw family¡¯s detractors remained silent. Which wasn¡¯t particularly surprising given the circumstances.


    Using my authority, I transported the Shaws and myself out of the city walls to discuss terms and the types of items I would be interested in acquiring.


    During our exchange, I learned that the smaller merchant companies had been struggling with the transition from the labyrinths currency standard. To put it bluntly, they lacked the assets to facilitate the change to mana stones as currency for internal trade. They were adapting, but it would take time for things to settle into a true balance.


    After our lengthy discussion, I was left keenly aware that I had been taking several things for granted.


    I had figured that so long as people''s basic needs for food, water, shelter and safety were met, they would be happy.


    I was wrong.


    My blatant cronyism had ruffled a great many feathers amongst the rich and poor alike. Of course, any group I was favouring had made a point of avoiding the subject for obvious reasons. Even Gric.


    The absence of a means to voice said grievances was another problem that needed to be addressed.


    I had originally intended to form a council from the Faction leaders so I wouldn¡¯t have to listen to fifty different people all voice the same complaints or requests. However, I had gotten somewhat sidetracked and it had slipped my mind.


    Establishing the council was easy, but I was now quite aware of the fact that some Factions would be better prepared than others. Furthermore, there were a couple of Factions with only a handful of members.


    After worrying over the issue for the better part of an hour and getting nowhere, I decided to simply found the Faction Council and be done with it. I figured I could always make changes later if I needed to.


    While reflecting upon my earlier performance in the Labyrinth, I realised that using seeds instead of grass would likely yield far more destructive and efficient results. Assuming I could source a viable species of flora for the task. The prospect of generating additional suffering that otherwise wasn¡¯t strictly necessary was somewhat uncomfortable. However, I forced myself to consider that my priority should not be my enemy¡¯s well-being but my own and that of my family, allies, and subjects.


    With thoughts of combat on my mind, I changed back into my human disguise and spent the remainder of the day sparring with Ophelia. With both of us benefiting from my Racial Abilities, we were surprisingly quite evenly matched. Ophelia had a considerable skill advantage, but I had significantly higher Strength and Toughness to even things out.


    Hana had provided us with custom-grown training swords that were capable of clashing full force without splintering. However, despite lacking a cutting edge, Ophelia and I was striking at one another with so much force that we still managed to draw blood through kinetic friction when a slashing blow connected with exposed flesh.


    As an incentive not to simply soak hits, I went without most of my armour during our sparring. After deciding our next bout would be the last session for the day, Ophelia revealed just how much she had been holding back.


    In hindsight, I should have realised Ophelia had been going easy on me. She was a battle fanatic and took every opportunity to train. On top of her training regimen, Ophelia also benefited from multiple projections of herself being Summoned for live combat experience.


    With the assurances I had sworn to before we started, that Ophelia would not be punished for the consequences of our sparring, she held nothing back.


    Not only did I lose, badly, but I was left with what felt like two broken ribs, a broken finger, and three ragged and surprisingly deep cuts on my upper back and abdomen.


    After reassuring Ophelia that she was most definitely not in trouble and that we would spar again tomorrow, I had something of an epiphany. I had been in the process of gathering mana to Summon Wraithe to treat our injuries when the tattoos on my arm caught my eye.


    Instead of Summoning Wraithe as I had intended, I pressed one of my unbroken fingers against the Ogre tattoo and reverted to my true form.


    Upon coming to my senses, I was discouraged to find I still felt like hammered shit. However, it took me only a few moments to realise that my finger was no longer broken. It was rather severely swollen, but the bone that had been broken was set. Gingerly probing my ribs, I confirmed that they seemed to be intact as well. While testing my ribs I also noticed that the open gashes on my abdomen were gone.


    Unable to properly conduct a thorough examination of myself, I wasted no further time in sending for Wraithe.


    ¡°Remarkable!¡± Wraithe chittered excitedly, ¡°Minimal scarring, although the skin seems to have been unevenly drawn...¡± She poked a clawed finger at one of the nearly invisible scars on my abdomen, ¡°Bruising appears to be subsiding?¡± Wraithe commented and gave a hard prod, ¡°And you have taken no medication? Applied no topical ointment or compress?¡±


    ¡°Nothing besides activating the transformation from the contract,¡± I replied while trying hard not to wince as Wraithe poked at another deep bruise.


    ¡°Remarkable!¡± Wraithe repeated.


    ¡°So I¡¯m not imagining things due to a concussion?¡± I asked warily. My HP had not been restored by the change, but I had lost the Bleeding Condition, so I was uncertain about what to believe.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t Heal him?¡± Wraithe asked Ophelia as she unceremoniously climbed up my body and began checking my eyes.


    ¡°No, not yet...¡± Ophelia replied nervously, ¡°And I had express permission for this!¡± She added hastily, ¡°Hana is a witness!¡±


    Wraithe frowned at her for a moment and then hopped back down to the ground, ¡°Besides the bruises, you appear to have already been treated, my Tyrant,¡± Wraithe declared with obvious interest, ¡°And you believe the transformation that was responsible?¡±


    I nodded and realised that it probably should have been a given considering the Spell the Contract for the transformation was based on. ¡°It¡¯s from one of Sebet¡¯s Spells,¡± I explained and was surprised when Wraithe demonstrated none of Gric¡¯s telltale signs of annoyance or hostility at the mention of the Devil.


    ¡°May I ask, which Spell?¡± Wraithe asked eagerly, ¡°Perhaps we may be able to make lesser artifice for use in emergency triage!¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°The Spell is called, Sculpt Flesh,¡± I replied and realised that I should have come to this conclusion much sooner. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sebet¡¯s life insurance Contracts for my Labyrinth made claims that guaranteed survival. I hadn¡¯t considered how it would accomplish that feat beyond magically delivering Contract holders to a waiting Surgeon.


    However, as miraculous as the Sculpt Flesh Spell appeared to be, I still didn¡¯t understand why it failed to restore HP like the Surgeon¡¯s Abilities could. It also seemed strange that the bruising and swelling had persisted through the transformation as well.


    With an ever-increasing number of questions, I decided to address them at their source. I was reasonably confident that even if Sebet didn¡¯t have the answers, she would at least be able to point Wraithe and me in the right direction.


    After all, Sebet was leveraging the Spell far too heavily not to know what it was capable of.


    ***** Hana - Sanctuary ~ Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane *****


    Hana stared back at the man-hungry Succubus and scowled disapprovingly. She didn¡¯t like Sebet particularly much to begin with and her opinion of the Devil had not improved with increased exposure.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like me,¡± Sebet stated bluntly with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s fine, we don¡¯t need to like one another to work together.¡±


    Hana narrowed her eyes slightly and waited to see what the Succubus wanted. Many of Tim¡¯s top lieutenants had been approached by Sebet already, so Hana knew that it had only been a matter of time before it was her turn.


    ¡°I need your expertise to fulfil a mission of utmost importance entrusted to me by our most glorious Tyrant,¡± Sebet explained patiently and smiling slightly wider when she noticed she had piqued Hana¡¯s interest. ¡°I require three specially structured organisms for the greatest chances of success-¡± She was in the process of presenting a handful of seeds of various sizes from her pocket when Hana decided to interrupt her.


    ¡°What mission?¡± Hana demanded flatly, irked that the Devil would assume she would just do whatever she asked just by invoking Tim¡¯s title.


    Sebet took a deliberate step closer, ¡°It would go without saying, but what I am going to tell you is to be shared with no one else,¡± she stated conspiratorially and held a finger against her lips for silence.


    Hana felt a sudden pressure build against the periphery of her will and instinctively drew strength from the plants around her. Memories not her own began flooding Hana¡¯s mind and caught her off guard.


    She was walking across an arid landscape of scraggly bushes and sparse patches of brown grasses. Time accelerated and the surrounding environment changed dramatically, revealing vast fields of green crops and a mighty river that stretched out into the distant horizon.


    Now travelling by boat slowly up the river, Hana watched as teams of Enslaved rowers below her feet toiled to match the gruelling pace set by cruel-faced men and women who patrolled the space between them. Beatings were severe and carried out without mercy or hesitation.


    The memory shifted again and Hana found herself near the front of a large crowd. Before her was a raised stage with a large fat man dressed in gold and vibrant coloured silks. Behind the man, dozens of small dishevelled figures stood perfectly still. Corded plaques hung around the figures'' necks and bore a writing Hana couldn¡¯t read but somehow understood.


    They were children, and the plaques denoted their Species, Age, degree of ¡®training¡¯, and price.


    Hana felt an overwhelming sense of revulsion from the memory and couldn¡¯t help but feel the same.


    The scene changed several times, and each time it showed something strikingly similar. The purchase and sale of living sentient beings.


    Whoever the Slavers were, they appeared to have no qualms over Enslaving and selling those of even their own kind. In fact, Hana was reasonably confident that close to half of the Slaves she had witnessed shared common features with the ruling humans.


    Another memory came to the fore and lingered.


    Hana could do nothing but watch helplessly as a young boy recently bought at auction was dragged away. It was a scene she had now witnessed many times, but it quickly set itself apart as the boy screamed something unintelligible, ran into the path of a Beast-drawn wagon and was crushed beneath the giant hooves of the Beast.


    When the dust settled, the man who had recently bought the boy rushed out into the street. Only, instead of checking to see if the boy was alright, he gave the boy¡¯s broken bleeding body a series of savage kicks in a rage. He cursed the boy for wasting his month¡¯s wages and promised to take his vengeance on his next purchase.


    It took Hana several minutes to begin to process what she had seen. First, she tried to deny that the memories had been real. There was every possibility that the Succubus had fabricated the whole thing and was messing with her mind to get what she wanted. However, Hana could feel on a primal level that what she had witnessed was not of Sebet¡¯s making. As she accepted that truth,


    Hana felt ever-mounting waves of anger and utter hatred toward the Slavers who could abuse the vulnerable with such horrors that suicide was seen as the only means of escape. Hana struggled to keep her anger to herself and prevent it from filtering into the surrounding area.


    The roots and branches of the nearby trees became warped and twisted, resembling claws and talons.


    All the while, Sebet continued to watch her with her intense gaze. She had the good sense to have stopped smiling, but Hana still hated Sebet for forcing those memories into her head.


    Then her anger began to ebb as she realised how cowardly that particular sentiment truly was. Hana felt ashamed of herself for wanting to hide away from what she had seen.


    The more Hana tried to forget, the more vividly the suffering in the memories came to the foreground of her mind. The bodies that lay discarded by the roadside, the wagons and cold-eyed men and women who collected and stacked those corpses high.


    Despair threatened to overwhelm her.


    ¡°So much wanton cruelty and senseless suffering...¡± Hana choked with tears in her eyes.


    Sebet nodded coldly, but for just a moment, Hana witnessed a flicker of intense hatred behind the Devil¡¯s eyes. ¡°So. Will you help me?¡± Sebet asked quietly, ¡°I need a food source that can sustain and replenish the weak. A series of environmental defensive countermeasures that can take the blame for otherwise unexplainable disappearances, and lastly, the means to create a natural barrier to keep unwanted eyes at a significant distance.¡±


    Pushing away her tears with her forearm, Hana sensed the approach of her sister and tried to rein in her emotions. As she calmed herself, Hana became aware of an intense source of anger resonating from Sanctuary¡¯s periphery.


    It took Hana only a fraction of a second to confirm the source of the anger. It was the bloody willow tree Tim had experimented upon days prior. Partially sentient, it seemed to have gained second-hand experiences of the memories Sebet had provided. Reminded of her earlier anger, Hana realised that she was almost certainly to blame.


    The bloody willow tree was aggressively drawing in mana at an alarming rate. Then, without any warning, it stopped. Moments later, a faint call began to echo through the trees with a similar voice to the bloody willow tree.


    ¡°I believe you have a volunteer,¡± Hana whispered and pointed toward the now silent bloody willow tree in the distance, and at the seed demanding involvement in Sebet¡¯s plan.


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 58 – Blood and sweat – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 58 ¨C Blood and sweat ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 58 - Blood and sweat - Part One


    Seeking answers from Sebet revealed that she was already aware of the nature and limitations of the Sculpt Flesh Spell. When pressed for what she knew, Sebet insisted that it was more closely aligned to an art that required experience to master than a science that could be understood with enough study.


    With even my limited experience, I was inclined to agree.


    Sebet¡¯s best guess at why Sculpt Flesh could close wounds but fail to restore lost HP was based on the theory that the motive force inside of each monster was a sort of second mana. The theory seemed strange, but I had already witnessed several incidents of unquestionably fatal wounds failing to kill their recipient while those with a multitude of minor injuries were brought to the brink of death.


    After discussing the subject for a couple of hours and not getting anywhere, I decided that I would just have to settle for the mystery remaining as it was, for the time being at least.


    I ultimately decided against rejoining Jean¡¯s team in the Labyrinth. Sparring with Ophelia had reminded me that I was still desperately lacking in formal combat training. My earliest training with the Deep Orcs equated more closely to brawling and leveraging superior strength against a smaller opponent. While useful in its way, it left me vulnerable to enemies who used superior technique and speed to negate powerful strikes.


    I had no delusions that I would be able to match the speed of the Liche¡¯s Vampyr minions. However, if I continued to allow that gap in technique to exist, it would be the same as giving the Vampyrs permission to take advantage of it.


    I was just in the process of considering how to go about finding an instructor when Clarice and Dhizi landed on the far side of the lakeshore.


    Dhizi wasted no time in launching herself into the lake, which momentarily struck me as odd since I would have thought that her winged forelimbs would be ill-suited to swimming. Regardless of my opinion, Dhizi began swimming around the lake.


    I would have investigated further but Ophelia had descended from the canopy and had begun to excitedly prepare her personal training space.


    Using my authority I relocated myself just outside of the boundary of Ophelia¡¯s training space.


    Despite my being in human form and Ophelia being otherwise occupied, she noticed my appearance almost immediately.


    ¡°Are you going to join us for sparring?!¡± Ophelia asked excitedly while hastily sweeping the compacted earth of the twenty-foot duelling circle.


    ¡°Probably,¡± I agreed amiably, ¡°But I was just thinking that I need a proper tutor or instructor-¡±


    Ophelia nodded vigorously, ¡°Definitely,¡± she agreed, ¡°Your form has many vulnerabilities and weaknesses! I can show you after sparring with Clarice!¡±


    I had no doubts that Ophelia would try, but she had a unique competitive streak that often clouded her judgement and turned temporary demonstrations into outright sparring without her realising.


    I made a noncommittal grunt in reply and began mentally reviewing my options.


    Before I could even get started, I felt several intruders enter my Demi-Plane through the Mournbrent Gateway and become imprisoned within Sebet¡¯s fortress. Another group entered a couple of minutes later and met with the same fate.


    After a few minutes, another group of invaders passed through the gateway. Unlike before, they were accompanied by one of my subjects.


    Mentally following the link my subject had used, I took note that they had arrived through the Gateway in Port Gidian.


    As I considered whether to investigate the matter in person, I felt several simultaneous attempts by the intruders to leave by Demi-Plane. Without my permission, the attempts were quashed immediately.


    Now considerably more concerned than before, I used my authority to move to Sebet¡¯s fortress.


    Intruders were stripped of all belongings except their underclothes on entry. Which meant that one or more of the intruders had a Class that allowed for some form of teleportation.


    I had arrived in the same meeting room from my previous visit and could hear Sebet¡¯s minions moving quickly and calling out to one another deeper in the fortress.


    Conjuring a heavy cloak to somewhat disguise my human form, I carefully made my way down toward the prison beneath the fortress. The main passages, stairways and doorways were large enough that I could have navigated the fortress in my natural form. However, I only had a vague concept of the dimensions of the prison beneath the fortress, so I decided that being human-sized was the better means of approach.


    A heavily fortified and guarded chamber in the centre of the fortress housed a Gateway that allowed anyone with authorisation to move freely between the fortress and the Gateway chamber below.


    Sebet had recruited heavily from the Gnolls of Rikit¡¯s pack to provide security for the fortress. Most of the Gnolls were male Labyrinth copies and served as guards. However, I spotted a couple of females and Variant Males with prominent insignia on their uniforms and assumed they filled an officer or supervisory role.


    Whether it was by a sense of smell or perhaps because of my recent use of my authority, I had a distinct impression that the Gnoll guards seemed to recognise me. At the very least, they made no attempts at stopping me as I moved deeper into the fortress and then entered the Gateway chamber.


    A pair of large female Gnolls in heavy steel and leather armour stood guard in front of the Gateway alongside a dozen Variant males in similar armour.


    Just like the other guards, the Gnolls did not attempt to stop or question me as I passed them by and used the Gateway.


    My abrupt arrival in the prison was met with a momentary surge of interest from the guards, but their attention quickly shifted back toward the entrance to the chamber after I received a quick patdown for weapons and came up clean. It was then that I realised none of the Gnolls guarding the Gateway carried any weapons.


    At first, that seemed insanely reckless. However, after I thought about it for a moment I realised it was rather clever. Gnolls already had teeth and claws if there was a need for lethal force. Provided the enemy was human, they wouldn¡¯t have any problems subduing or killing them.


    Provided they were human...


    With thoughts of the undead on my mind, I hurried out of the chamber and into the prison proper.


    Besides a general knowledge of the giant artificial cavern within which it was located, I had no further knowledge of the prison itself. The cavern was shaped from dark stone and the only source of light came from luminescent moss and fungi that grew on the cavern walls and ceiling.


    The cavern floor was littered with large gaping holes that were each covered by a thick iron grating. Inspecting a nearby hole confirmed that Sebet was very likely using the holes as prison cells.


    The hole I had inspected was empty, but it had a pile of matted straw on one side and a small chute on the other that would readily serve as a toilet.


    Looking back toward the Gateway chamber, I noted that it was recessed into the wall of the cavern and not located in the centre like I had expected it to be. In hindsight, I should have expected that to be the case, to begin with. However, an OCD part of my brain complained that since the Gateway above was in the centre of the fortress, the Gateway in the prison should have been the same. Security and defensive advantages be damned.


    It was a confirmation that I was better off delegating such measures to subordinates and experts. My minor obsession with symmetry would be liable to get people killed in an emergency.


    Then again, the Asrusians¡¯ military engineers were little better...


    With only a flat plane ahead of me, it was incredibly easy to locate Sebet and begin making my way over to her. However, my human eyes were not well suited to the gloom and I had to cast Keen Senses so I could navigate the expanse without worrying about the pits.


    Sebet had taken her hybrid form and was staring down into one pit in particular. She seemed to be aware of my presence but made no attempts at greeting me until I completed my final approach.


    <I need permission...> Sebet''s eyes remained firmly fixed on the interior of the hole.


    <Why?> I edged closer to the hole and tried to look for whomever Sebet was staring at.


    <Resisting basic mind reading...> This time, I recognised the distracted nature of her thoughts. <Need...Leverage...>


    ¡°Granted,¡± I grunted somewhat reluctantly and braced myself for the worst.


    Sebet¡¯s lips slowly curled into a smile and the lines of tension on her face faded.


    A low moan echoed from the shadows of the pit.


    Several long minutes passed before Sebet stepped back from the pit. ¡°I have good news and bad news,¡± Sebet commented with an irritated sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the bad first,¡± I replied grimly.


    ¡°Powerful players from the Confederacy have taken an interest in the Mournbrent Gateway and the cathedral surrounding it,¡± Sebet scowled over in the direction of the pit, ¡°To that end, they appear to have imprisoned the devotees of the cathedral to lay claim to the Gateway. I suspect Orphiel and Ophelia will learn of these events soon if they have not already.¡±


    Ophelia hadn¡¯t seemed upset when I left her. However short of a Warlock using their Commune With Patron Ability, or a Pact Binder Summoning and informing them, I wasn¡¯t sure how Sebet expected them to learn of what happened.


    ¡°They were likely poisoned,¡± Sebet explained callously, ¡°Or drugged. But such effects are difficult to maintain in the long term, and apparently, it has been close to two days since they seized control over the cathedral.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡± I sighed as I considered our options.


    ¡°With a few notable exceptions, our enemies are providing us with several capable assets,¡± Sebet licked her lips hungrily, ¡°Not that I intend to waste any of them, of course.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who is responsible?¡± I pressed while doing my best to ignore what Sebet likely had in mind for those she couldn¡¯t bend to her banner.


    ¡°Not as such...¡± Sebet¡¯s predatory hunger momentarily subsided as she took on a more thoughtful expression, ¡°We have the names of the mercenary companies involved, but no one present-¡± She waved at the cavern at large, ¡°-knows who is paying them.¡±


    ¡°I want those priests and my other subjects freed,¡± I insisted grimly, ¡°Preferably before Ophelia learns of what has happened.¡±


    Sebet nodded in understanding but her expression seemed conflicted, ¡°Might I suggest extracting the prisoners without culling the mercenaries?¡± She requested, ¡°If the priests all happened to escape without an explanation, more talented individuals may be sent to investigate. Perhaps even someone who knows more than they ought?¡±


    ¡°You are confident you can do this without revealing your identity and without casualties amongst the prisoners?¡± I asked warily.


    Sebet nodded, ¡°I believe I have sufficient means under my current code of conduct...¡± For a moment, she looked like she was going to push for a change in her rules of engagement. However, Sebet just sighed and shook her head instead. ¡°I can do this,¡± Sebet stated confidently, ¡°Zero casualties.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± I agreed, somewhat confused by how I had misjudged her. ¡°I felt several attempts at teleportation, do you know what Classes were responsible?¡±


    Sebet was momentarily taken aback, ¡°What?¡± Her expression grew tense and she began slowly panning her eyes around the cavern. ¡°Rift Walkers,¡± Sebet declared confidently with a small satisfied smirk, ¡°They were attempting to activate their Recall Ability to return to the cathedral.¡±


    ¡°Rift walker...¡± It took a few moments to remember why the Class was familiar. Ril had unlocked the Rift Walker alongside the Rift Binder after the accident with the rod of teleportation. Unfortunately, both Classes had not been provided unlock descriptions through the questing system, so no one else had unlocked them. ¡°When you have the time, try and find out how they unlocked their Class,¡± I ordered.


    Sebet grinned and nodded, ¡°I will make it a top priority!¡± She agreed eagerly.


    I nodded approvingly and then used my authority to return to the lake.


    It then occurred to me that I hadn¡¯t asked whether the Recall Ability was a Spell or not.


    Mentally reviewing Ril¡¯s status, I was somewhat surprised to find that large sections were no longer visible. Specifically, everything except Ril¡¯s name, Class Abilities and Synergies were completely hidden. Studying one of the hidden sections, I realised that I could reverse whatever Ril had done. However, I decided against doing so since I was unsure what sort of reaction it might prompt from Ril and I had no immediate need to know the contents anyway.


    Most of Ril¡¯s Rift Binder Class Abilities were focused on establishing Gateways. One Ability reduced the mana cost when using Gateways herself, while another gave Ril a notification whenever someone attempted to use one of her Gateways. Due to her sedentary lifestyle, Ril didn¡¯t have many levels, so reviewing her Abilities didn¡¯t take long at all.


    After confirming that Ril didn¡¯t have anything I could use, I decided to check in on my champions and see how they were getting on. However, just as I was preparing to remotely view their location, I realised that the three knights were a perfect fit for my weapon instructor problem.


    Unsure which of the three would fit the role best, I opted for Summoning a projection of Faine first. If it wasn¡¯t a good fit, I figured I could just alternate to one of the others next time.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Faine bowed respectfully.


    ¡°I want you to teach me how to fight in a melee,¡± I commanded bluntly.


    If Faine was surprised, he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°As You command, Majesty.¡±


    Contrary to my expectations, Faine didn¡¯t begin my training with exercises. Instead, Faine insisted that it was important he gain an understanding of my current skill level through a sparring match. Unfortunately, Faine needed to observe the fight from an outside perspective, so I ended up sparring with Ophelia again. Then, after a recovery period, I sparred with Clarice for a more accurate comparison to human standards.


    For her part, Ophelia was over the moon at having access to a high-level instructor and potential sparring partner.


    Faine seemed only too eager to provide Clarice and Ophelia with drills to practise and keep them occupied. However, he remained cautiously silent concerning Ophelia¡¯s request for a sparring match.


    At Faine¡¯s insistence, I spent the rest of the day running laps around the lake so Faine could judge my unaugmented stamina and how long I would take to recover. Running without distractions or entertainment was mentally draining, but I realised that most of the early training was likely to be more of the same. So I stuck it out as best I could.


    Sure enough, I spent the next week or so repeating specific exercises for hours on end. I had seen enough training montages to understand that I was making a certain degree of progress. However, it became increasingly difficult to stay motivated.


    Sparring with Clarice and Ophelia became a part of my daily routine and helped to constructively break the monotony in a way spending time with Lash and our children couldn¡¯t.


    The Asrusian expedition¡¯s progress through the capital¡¯s Labyrinth had begun to lose momentum, which came as no real surprise. However, the punitive expedition spearheaded by my champions into the Labyrinths of the Confederacy was seeing unexpected gains.


    The original plan had been to claim one or two floors of any given Labyrinth and then move on. However, it was discovered that the Overseer, Iristrixanthrax, was from a Variant community on the fifth floor. Once it was confirmed, the champions decided that acquiring the fifth floor should be a much higher priority.


    At around the same time, the local authorities realised something strange was happening after losing contact with the first and second floors. Fearing a pattern, the Adventurers Guild withdrew their staff up to the tenth floor. Mercenaries were dispatched and adventurers were given orders to look for anything suspicious.


    All of which provided the necessary cover for the punitive expedition force to enter and secure the fifth floor with minimal effort. After some negotiations, they were aided by the reptilian Kobolds in conquering the fifth floor.


    The Kobolds had previously claimed membership to a couple of dozen different clans and tribes. However, it took Iristrixanthrax less than a day to reforge them all into subsidiaries of the Fireheart Kingdom, making them the third most populated Faction within my Demi-Plane overnight.


    Rescue efforts of the Dwergi Slaves from the Werrian Empire had slowed considerably, but thankfully it was due to the majority of slaves being already rescued or otherwise accounted for. Many other Slaves had also been rescued as circumstances allowed.


    By all reports, the Werrian Empire was in a state of extreme chaos. Lesser undead were freely roaming the countryside, cutting off villages and small towns from the outside world while the larger cities fought a vicious civil war over a bizarre range of issues.


    I felt bad for the common folk. From what I knew, which was admittedly little, the farmers of most countries had it pretty rough, to begin with. They were almost always the first targets of enemy nations and bandits due to their isolated locations. To make matters worse, Beasts and Slaves were the only real alternative for draft animals, which otherwise didn¡¯t exist. Most farmers were only fourth or fifth generation due to the high mortality rate during wartime, leading to a severe skills shortage due to the nobility transplanting citizens from the cities to the villages as replacements.


    Several more groups of adventurers and mercenaries had been caught after using the Mournbrent Gateway, but Sebet had still been unable to find out who was paying them.


    The displayed priests had been originally quite upset over losing the cathedral but had mellowed considerably once Orphiel proposed the construction of a new grand cathedral within the Demi-Plane. Shortly afterwards, Orphiel all but begged for a semi-connected plot of land similar to the one I had gifted to Sebet.


    I would have refused, but Wisp made a convincing argument for why I should accept.


    The grand cathedral would serve as an amplifier for Orphiel¡¯s fledgling pantheon and would potentially increase their yield of Divinity by up to twofold. Furthermore, by building the Grand Cathedral in an isolated pocket of the Demi-Plane, it would help lend a greater sense of otherworldliness which would encourage greater depths of faith and devotion, which would generate more Divinity.


    This, of course, assumed the landscaping and environment provided the correct aesthetic. Which meant it would heavily involve collaboration with Hana and her sister, Kohana.


    The displaced priests leveraged their political influence amongst the Asrusian nobility to lay claim to the next floor¡¯s worth of territory from the capital¡¯s Labyrinth. With the rise of Iristrixanthrax¡¯s Faction, the Asrusians had become nervous.


    Up until now, the Asrusians had been able to rest comparatively easy in the knowledge that they held the overwhelming position of majority amongst my subjects. They still held that position, but now they had a contender.


    Granted, it was similarly comparable to the United States being threatened by Australia, but the reptilian Kobolds held an edge the Humans didn¡¯t. All of the Kobolds within Iristrixanthrax¡¯s Faction could Evolve, which would give their next generation an immense advantage over their human counterparts.


    Iristrixanthrax wasted no time in reaching out to the other monstrous Species to establish trade and were aggressively developing their assigned territory.


    I couldn''t blame them for it either. The Kobolds had come from an ecosystem where they were one link from being at the bottom of the food chain and now found themselves very near the topmost link.


    ¡°Great master!¡± Iristrixanthrax prostrated herself in the dirt. As an Overseer, she had the authority to enter The Grove unless otherwise denied by my order.


    Gric had sent warning of Iristrixanthrax¡¯s arrival, so I had put my training on hold and reverted to my true form. It had the unintended effect of dramatically increasing the relative size between us and left me feeling somewhat awkward.


    ¡°On behalf of my people! I humbly request access to the mana flowers!¡± Iristrixanthrax all but shouted her request, likely out of fear I wouldn¡¯t hear her. Which was just as well since I was struggling to consistently understand her clipped and hurried speech.


    ¡°No,¡± I refused her request without needing to think too much into it. The mana flowers of The Grove were already accounted for.


    The dorsal frill on Iristrixanthrax¡¯s head drooped in disappointment.


    ¡°If you want mana sight for unlocking Classes, the alchemists have an Elixir that generates a more potent effect. You may tell them that you have my permission to make bulk purchases of the Elixir.¡± I tried not to smile as Iristrixanthrax stared up at me with large watery eyes.


    ¡°Thank you! Great One!¡± Iristrixanthrax all but slammed her scaly brow against the dirt five times in rapid succession before retreating.


    As much as I would have liked to correct the behaviour because of how uncomfortable it made me feel, I was worried that Iristrixanthrax might react poorly and do something drastic. The reptilian Kobolds were notably more manic and intense than their furry counterparts, and I still hadn¡¯t quite figured out how to handle it.


    Iristrixanthrax''s request for mana flowers had not come as a surprise. Like every tribe and clan of Variants within the Labyrinths, Iristrixanthrax¡¯s clan had relied on Shamans'' Wards to survive. The only exception was that Iristrixanthrax was one of her clan¡¯s Shamans and had received a Class Upgrade after agreeing to become my Overseer.


    A Grand Shaman had several notable improvements and advantages over the Shaman. The most significant difference was the Grand Ward and Spirit Familiar Abilities, which were also Spells.


    The Grand Ward was more expensive to maintain but covered considerably more ground and provided Resistances against hostile Spirits. Spirit Familiar allowed the caster to create and bond with a Spirit that would serve as a loyal companion.


    Spirits were nominally limited to mental and spiritual attacks against living beings but were capable of attacking other Spirits directly. With the very real possibility that I would be fighting undead soon, I added both Spells to my Grimoire of Flesh.


    Iristrixanthrax would probably unlock more Spells at a higher level, but for the time being, I was happy with what I had gotten thus far.


    Another week passed somewhat uneventfully with the sole exception of the return of the punitive expeditionary force. They had successfully conquered five floors during their absence, adding much-needed space to my Demi-Plane.


    Grimoire of Flesh had given Faine, Jayne and Randle an undeniable advantage with utility and combat Spells. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Iristrixanthrax returned, seeking another audience. She had undergone a Major and possibly Divergent Evolution and had become a Lesser Drakenoid. Besides growing about a foot taller and her horns lengthening somewhat, the primary difference was the large pair of leathery wings upon her back.


    Iristrixanthrax had brought another Lesser Drakenoid, a male with obsidian-coloured scales who possessed the rank of Overlord.


    As Iristrixanthrax made her approach, I elected to indulge my curiosity by inspecting her companion¡¯s status information.


    The obsidian-scaled Lesser Drakenoid, Vazzessys, immediately drew my attention with the name of his custom Class.


    Lesser Drakenoid Arcane Wayfarer.


    His first few Class Abilities didn¡¯t seem particularly interesting, possessing a great deal of overlap with most other custom Classes. However, Vazzessys tenth-level Class Ability was something else entirely.


    Pathfinder''s Beacon.


    Pathfinder''s Beacon could be activated to allow allies to Teleport to the position of the caster. Requiring both an initial mana cost for activation and an additional cost for continued upkeep, Pathfinder''s Beacon wasn¡¯t cheap. But it was a Spell.


    Besides being a Spell, what made Pathfinder''s Beacon so interesting was its capability of subsidising the cost of an incoming Teleport. The mana cost still had to be paid in full, but it could be divided between them.


    The possibilities were-


    ¡°Great One!¡± The pair of former Kobolds declared in unison as they prostrated themselves on the ground.


    ¡°We humbly seek an audience!¡± Iristrixanthrax declared with as much humility as possible when practically shouting into the dirt.


    ¡°Granted,¡± I replied with weighted expectations.


    ¡°Gratitude! Great One!¡± Iristrixanthrax settled into a slightly more comfortable position but remained on her knees, ¡°My consort, Vazzessys of the Dark Cavern Clan-¡± She motioned to Vazzessys who fluttered his leathery wings nervously but remained prone, ¡°-has unlocked a Class with Abilities I believe will benefit the defence and expansion of your mighty realm!¡± Iristrixanthrax was panting heavily, but it was unclear if it was from overexertion or fanatical fervour.


    With a thought, I used my authority to relocate the three of us just outside of the aboveground limits of Iristrixanthrax¡¯s fledgling capital.


    If the Drakenoids were surprised they made no signs of it.


    ¡°Show me,¡± I commanded, confident that Iristrixanthrax wouldn¡¯t have brought it to my attention without having considered this general possibility.


    ¡°As you command! Great One!¡± Iristrixanthrax agreed obediently and withdrew an Asrusian communication device from a satchel on her belt. However, instead of engaging in a protracted sequence of morse code, she simply switched the light from off, to on.


    At roughly the same time, Vazzessys cast and activated Pathfinder''s Beacon.


    After a few moments, a grey-scaled Kobold appeared at his side holding a magical staff.


    ¡°Well done!¡± I praised and added Pathfinder''s Beacon to my Grimoire of Flesh. It was too useful a Spell to just let it be. I also couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the Empowered version would differ from the standard.


    ¡°Many thanks for your praise! Great One!¡± Iristrixanthrax declared happily but with a note of hesitation, ¡°Great One?! We know we are unworthy and have yet to prove ourselves!...¡± She squirmed uncomfortably for a few moments before daring to raise her eyes, ¡°Great One! We would seek a boon!¡±


    Iristrixanthrax likely wasn¡¯t aware of my Grimoire of Flesh, so I felt a little awkward after hearing her declaration of unworthiness in asking for a favour.


    I motioned for Iristrixanthrax to continue.


    A palpable sense of relief filled the air and Iristrixanthrax¡¯s wings ceased their shivering, ¡°Great One! We wish to claim more land from the outside so our people may grow!¡±


    I forced myself not to smile. I had suspected that they would ask sooner or later, but it amused me that Iristrixanthrax would consider it a favour to be allowed to do so.


    ¡°I will give you a week to prepare a demonstration that proves your capabilities,¡± I replied evenly, ¡°You must show me your forces can infiltrate a Labyrinth without being detected, arrive in sufficient force to Conquer it and return in a timely and orderly manner if something goes wrong,¡± I counted each of the three conditions off on one hand and then held them up as a warning before lowering my hand again. ¡°If you can meet my conditions, I will grant your boon.¡±


    ¡°To follow your wisdom is our honour!¡± Iristrixanthrax, Vazzessys, and the Kobold volunteer declared in unison.


    I used my authority to return to The Grove. I had been taking a break from training, so I was in my original form.


    I was tempted to experiment with an Empowered Pathfinder''s Beacon then and there but decided against it. Hana hadn¡¯t been particularly pleased with what had happened with my previous tests on the willow, so I decided to move somewhere more isolated instead.


    Acheron was largely unoccupied.


    Home to only a handful of adventurers that were undergoing transitional rehabilitation, it was easy to find an isolated location for my experiment.


    I used a knife to cut my palm and then pushed a full half of my mana into casting the Pathfinder''s Beacon Spell. Feeling the faint pull of the mana in my blood, I relaxed and allowed my blood to serve as the reagent for Empowering the Spell.


    My blood swirled in the air as it passed out of the cut on my hand. After I had lost ten HP, the gathered mass of blood swarmed toward the knife in my left hand.


    Slightly alarmed but mostly curious, I chose to simply watch and see what would happen.


    The knife soaked up my blood like a porous stone and took on a crimson hue. Despite its relatively small size, the knife managed to absorb every last drop of my blood.


    Examining the knife, I could feel the Spell that was now anchored inside of it but still wasn¡¯t sure what the Empowered effect was responsible for. I was already fairly confident that the Spell could be housed in objects like the communication devices or Tomes, so what I had accomplished thus far wasn¡¯t particularly impressive.


    After staring at the knife for an indeterminate amount of time, I decided to activate it to see how long it would last without my assistance.


    I placed the knife on the ground and waited.


    After close to a half hour had passed I was surprised to find that the mana inside of the knife had only deteriorated slightly. That wasn¡¯t bad, but it wasn¡¯t particularly impressive either.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was missing something. Something simple that would seem incredibly obvious once I realised what it was.


    ¡°I need...¡± I felt like I was close to a breakthrough, that the answer was on the tip of my tongue.


    I was momentarily distracted as another batch of intruders was sent to Tartarus.


    The mercenaries had switched to sending captured Werrian refugees instead of their members.


    ¡°I need someone to try teleporting to the Beacon!¡± I roared excitedly and slapped my forehead for being so dense.


    What was the point of the damned Beacon if no one was using it?


    I stabbed the knife into the trunk of a nearby tree and then used my authority to return to The Grove.


    Randle was sparring with Ophelia, and losing despite evidently enjoying himself, while Faine Sparred with Clarice in a more structured teaching setting while Jayne alternated watching the two groups.


    Jayne was the first to notice my approach and began scrambling to her feet so she could bow but I waved her down.


    ¡°Do you still have access to a teleportation item?¡± I asked hastily. Technically, they were all the property of the Asrusian government, my champions had been loaned them for the expedition.


    ¡°...¡± Jayne was about to reply but stopped herself and became contemplative for a few moments before shaking her head, ¡°I am sorry, Majesty, but they were all returned shortly after we arrived in Sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°Can you borrow one?¡± I asked optimistically, having already expected at least a measure of pushback.


    Again, Jayne considered the question for a few moments but this time she seemed to have a more favourable answer prepared, ¡°I believe I may be able to borrow such an item. However, it may require the exchanging of a favour at a later date?¡±


    ¡°A favour you feel uncomfortable reciprocating without permission? Or a favour that sullies your morals or character?¡± I qualified, intending to seek alternative arrangements rather than put her in a bad position.


    Like her cousins, Jayne was already married, but all but one of her children weren¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t put it past some noble or other to push for an engagement in exchange for the admittedly rare item. That I only intended to borrow it probably wouldn¡¯t make much difference.


    ¡°The first, Majesty,¡± Jayne replied uncomfortably, ¡°The Asrusian high command is afraid that they have earned your ire?...¡± The upward inflection in her voice that framed the explanation as a question made it clear that she wasn¡¯t sure of my stance either.


    ¡°It¡¯s...It¡¯s not as bad as all that,¡± I sighed and kneaded my brow with my forefinger and thumb, ¡°I learned that Gregory, and his superiors, had been keeping things from me, things they shouldn¡¯t have. Assuming Gregory is at least half as smart as I think he is, he has already figured that out.¡±


    Jayne slowly nodded in understanding and seemed quite relieved. No doubt glad that my displeasure was limited to a small handful of people rather than the wider population as a whole.


    ¡°I overreacted,¡± I admitted bluntly, ¡°I had come to trust Gregory too much. Not to say that Gregory was and is not deserving of trust, but I had come to trust him blindly in instances where I should have been more cautious and independent,¡± I let out another long sigh, ¡°In hindsight, I now see how people have blindly trusted me as well. Trusted and assumed that I knew more than I was letting on...¡± I levelled my gaze at Jayne, ¡°I did not benefit from a noble education in court politics, that much you have likely observed by now or guessed at.¡±


    Jayne pressed her lips together and said more with her respectful silence than she likely intended.


    ¡°I am learning...¡± I stated bitterly, ¡°But it is slow going. I know who I am and I know who I need to be. However, with every piece of myself I chip away, I grow more fearful of becoming someone...something...I despise...¡±


    I had seen what other Awakened had become, what they had done, just because they were capable of it. I didn¡¯t want to become like them. If remaining human made me weak, then I would embrace that weakness. Far better to be weak than...a monster...


    ¡°Majesty...I...¡± Jayned straightened her back and stood at parade rest, ¡°I believe assurances of your Majesty¡¯s continued goodwill should be sufficient. I will see your request fulfilled within the hour, Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jayne,¡± I stepped to the side and allowed her to leave.


    I spent the better part of the next hour watching Dhizi swim laps around the lake with Lash, Pete and Suzy on her back. The twins screamed in surprise and happiness each time Dhizi dipped below the surface of the lake, their pudgy arms flailing in uncontrollable excitement while Lash did her best to stop them from hitting one another by accident or falling overboard.


    Even knowing that the twins couldn¡¯t drown, their Lizardmen bodyguards trailed after Dhizi like hungry crocodiles. They in turn were joined by their children who would swim about haphazardly for a time before climbing up onto their parents'' backs and sunbathing while regaining their energy.


    The Lizardmen were growing far larger than I had originally expected them to. The largest amongst them was the same height as Lash, but only because he was hunched forward and practically dragged his knuckles on the ground when outside of the water. If he stood up straight, he would gain at least a couple of feet in height. Not all of the Lizardmen were as tall, but they were close enough.


    The safety Sanctuary provided, along with a steady supply of food, had resulted in most Species growing much larger than otherwise expected. The up-and-coming generations were proof of that. Many of the youths who had come to Sanctuary as children were shooting up like weeds. Only time would tell what future generations would be like.


    True to her word, Jayne returned with a magical staff in hand just shy of an hour after her departure.


    After explaining what I wanted her to do, I relocated myself back to Acheron, pulled the knife out of the tree, and waited.


    Two minutes passed and I felt a faint tug from the mana now inside the knife. Then, quite suddenly, Jayne appeared roughly twelve feet behind me and to my left.


    ¡°My staff seems to still contain most of its charge, Majesty,¡± Jayne declared dutifully without moving from her position.


    I nodded to let Jayne know that I had heard her and then directed my attention toward the knife. Its mana had dropped slightly, as I expected it would. Calculating distances within my Demi-Plane could be incredibly inconsistent since Acheron, Tartarus and my Labyrinth all existed above and below everything else and could be moved whenever I felt like it.


    ¡°We will move on to the next test,¡± I announced and waved Jayne over.


    Jayne offered me the staff, and I handed her the knife in return.


    Unfortunately, the sheer size of the knife combined with its poor balance, her receiving it in her less dominant hand, and the awkward angle caused her to fumble the handover. It was an issue I should have accounted for sooner. However, despite the shallow cut on her forearm, Jayne seemed fine.


    I could feel that something had changed.


    ¡°Jayne, run over to that tree,¡± I ordered and pointed to a tree roughly three dozen feet away, ¡°Leave the knife where it is.¡±


    Jayne nodded obediently and immediately set off at a brisk run for the indicated tree.


    I picked the knife up off the ground and stared at it for a few moments. There was no sign of Jayne¡¯s blood on the blade, but that wasn¡¯t unexpected. The cut had happened too quickly and was far too shallow for the blade to be smeared. However, the blade felt different. It was incredibly faint, but I could feel Jayne¡¯s presence.


    I issued Jayne a custom quest and waited.


    Ten minutes passed and I was just beginning to doubt myself when the mana inside of the knife suddenly ebbed and Jayne disappeared from her position beside the distant tree.


    Looking over my shoulders, I found Jayne roughly fourteen feet behind me and on my right flank. She was visibly shaking with excitement and grinning madly from ear to ear.


    Within the span of thirty seconds, Jayne disappeared and reappeared twenty times in somewhat rapid succession. As Jayne grew more proficient with activating the teleport function, the time required to teleport slightly decreased. However, Jayne didn¡¯t seem to be able to control the exact destination of her arrival. This resulted in her reappearing at random within a certain distance of the Beacon.


    ¡°MAJESTY!¡± Jayne exclaimed with unbridled excitement, ¡°THIS IS TRULY INCREDIBLE!¡±


    Staring down at the blade of the knife, I had no doubts that Empowered Pathfinder''s Beacons would be a game changer. There would need to be extensive testing to determine the limits of the Spell and its weaknesses. However, just from what I had seen already, an assassin type of Class would have a field day teleporting around the flanks of a heavily armoured ally.


    At such a short range, I estimated that Jayne would likely be able to make another few hundred teleports before the mana inside the knife would run low. Which at her current rate of consumption would probably be within the next minute.


    Not that I could, or would, blame her. Having the ability to move around my Demi-Plane at will had stripped me of the wonder and joys such fantastical travel provided. But if things were different, and I was in her place, I would probably do the same.


    ***** Talia - Sanctuary ~ Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane *****


    Shivering in a cold sweat, Talia¡¯s heart hammered inside of her chest as the Beast¡¯s shadow lengthened from beneath the curtain at the entrance of her tent. Paralysed by fear and the commands of her master, Talia could only watch in mounting horror as the curtains began to part.


    ¡°Ah, such pretty pointed ears you have!¡± A familiar phlegmy voice cackled from just beyond the curtain, ¡°You will be my good little girl, won¡¯t you Talia? Or do I need to punish you again?¡± The voice grew nearer and the Beast¡¯s human stench grew stronger.


    Talia frantically pulled against the steel ring and length of steel chain that bound her right ankle to the bed, but was too weak to accomplish anything.


    ¡°Eh? Are you trying to run away, my little Elfling?¡± The voice demanded in a mocking tone, ¡°Well, we both know what happens when you¡¯ve been bad, don¡¯t we?¡± The beast¡¯s foul presence stole the remaining light from the tent and plunged them into darkness.


    Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Talia felt fresh hot tears running down her cheeks as she fervently wished for an escape from her nightmare.


    A sudden warm breeze danced across Talia¡¯s skin and caused her to open her eyes and gasp in shock. However, instead of finding herself in her bed, Talia quickly discovered that she was laying on a field of incredibly fine pale golden dirt beneath the midnight moon.


    Quickly rising into a sitting position, Talia wrapped her arms defensively around herself as she attempted to take in her surroundings.


    A far cry from the foul human warcamp of her nightmares, Talia could not believe her eyes. She was sitting before an impossibly large lake whose waters were only a few dozen feet away from her current position.


    The stench of oils, excrement, mud, blood and death were gone and replaced with something Talia could not place but nonetheless found strangely pleasant.


    The expanse of pale golden dirt that separated Talia from the giant lake was riddled with smooth stones of all shapes and sizes. And amongst the stones and dirt were the remains of tiny Beasts Talia couldn¡¯t name.


    ¡°They are called shells,¡± a cold emotionless voice explained, immediately drawing Talia¡¯s attention to her right. A tall powerfully built Elf with green skin and dark horns peeking out of his long dark hair was laying on the pale golden dirt a short distance away. ¡°And it is sand, not dirt,¡± the strange elf added.


    Talia took a few moments to gather her courage. ¡°Do you know where we are?¡± She asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes.¡± the strange Elf replied bluntly but made no further attempts to elaborate.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Too timid to proceed, Talia hugged her legs to her chest and attempted to rally her nearly non-existent nerve.


    The strange green elf released a long drawn-out sigh, ¡°This is, their beach,¡± he stated with a hint of annoyance.


    ¡°Uhm...¡± Talia¡¯s mouth dried before she could even voice her question.


    The strange Elf released another sigh and using his highly developed abdominals alone, drew himself up into a lazy sitting position. He opened his eyes and Talia stifled a cry of surprise. He had the eyes of an aquatic predator. ¡°Their beach,¡± the stranger repeated, nodding his head over his left shoulder.


    Talia nervously looked over her shoulder in the direction indicated but could see large rolling hills of sand and what looked like scraggly weeds. She was about to turn back around but her ears caught the faintest echo of voices carried on the wind.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to see them,¡± the stranger said flatly and stared at her with his predatory eyes.


    Talia stared nervously down at her hands, ¡°This is a dream...right?¡±


    The stranger stared at her in a somewhat distracted manner for a time before eventually shaking his head, ¡°Not quite a dream,¡± he replied, ¡°Something else...Something less...Something more...¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I won¡¯t wake up?¡± Talia squeaked fearfully.


    The stranger seemed surprised, ¡°Why would you think that?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°I...¡± Talia wasn¡¯t quite sure how to put her fears into words.


    ¡°You are free to leave whenever you please,¡± the stranger stated curtly, giving Talia the impression that she had somehow offended him.


    ¡°I...I think I will stay...At least for a little longer...¡± Talia squeaked.


    The stranger¡¯s expression of mild irritation was replaced with cold indifference as he continued to stare out at the impossibly giant lake.


    Talia took a few moments just to try and appreciate the sheer size of it. Even with her keen eyesight, she couldn''t find any signs of the opposite side.


    ¡°It is an ocean,¡± the stranger explained dryly, ¡°It is to a lake what a creek is to a mighty river. It is vast beyond all imagination.¡±


    Talia¡¯s eyes widened in amazement as she attempted to reconcile the sheer scale of the description against what she was seeing with her own eyes. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Talia breathed as she stared out over its shimmering surface.


    She nearly missed it, but the stranger glanced at her briefly and nodded slightly, ¡°It is beautiful,¡± he agreed.


    What seemed like hours passed as Talia did nothing more than stare out over the ocean and run her fingers through the warm sand. Talia had been slowly working up the nerve to ask for an answer to a question she felt she already knew the answer to but needed confirmation.


    ¡°Uhm...¡± Talia¡¯s momentum immediately stalled as she realised she didn¡¯t know the stranger¡¯s name.


    ¡°Gric,¡± the stranger stated in his usual monotone without looking away from the ocean, ¡°And yes, I brought you here,¡± he said the last with a small degree of discomfort.


    ¡°Gric?¡± Talia gulped dry but pressed on before her already failing nerve gave out entirely, ¡°That is your name?¡±


    The stranger, Gric, nodded stiffly.


    ¡°And you brought me here?¡± Talia repeated nervously, struggling not to stammer.


    ¡°That is what I said,¡± Gric replied with a hint of irritation.


    Talia¡¯s nerve buckled and she remained silent for a long while before managing to rally again. ¡°Why?¡± Talia asked quietly. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t like having her there, so Talia couldn¡¯t understand why he brought her there at all.


    Another long silence passed between them and a deep scowl slowly settled on Gric¡¯s face.


    Afraid that she had done something to upset him, Talia tried not to panic as she realised she still had no idea how to leave.


    Gric¡¯s scowl faltered and his expression returned to its formerly impassive and cold state. ¡°Because I could,¡± he said flatly and rolled his shoulders.


    Talia couldn¡¯t be certain, but she was reasonably confident she had detected a hint of embarrassment in his voice.


    ¡°You can leave any time,¡± Gric added with a faint touch of awkwardness in his voice, ¡°You just need to picture yourself waking up in your bed...¡± He glanced in her direction for a fraction of a second and then looked away.


    Despite his intimidating appearance, Talia was forced to admit that Gric had a uniquely calming presence about him. More than that, he had an aura of strength that made Talia feel something she never thought would be possible. In Gric¡¯s presence, she felt safe.


    ¡°I...I want to stay!¡± Talia declared somewhat nervously, ¡°At least...for a little while longer...¡±


    Gric looked at Talia from the corner of his eye and for a moment she was afraid he would send her away. However, Talia quickly realised that Gric wasn¡¯t upset with her. Instead, she had managed to surprise him.


    Gric blinked and returned his focus to the ocean. At least, that''s what he looked like he was doing at first glance. However, the look in his eyes was different than earlier, less focused. ¡°You can stay,¡± Gric said quietly, ¡°And you may return whenever you need to,¡± he added after a short pause.


    Talia felt a subtle but fundamental shift in the world around her. It wasn¡¯t that the world had been overtly hostile or uninviting before, but there had been a feeling in the deep recesses of her mind that she shouldn¡¯t be there. Only now, that feeling had shifted into reverse. The world itself had not only accepted her but was subtly shifting and adjusting itself to make Talia¡¯s stay more pleasant.


    ¡°Thank you, for letting me stay...I...I¡¯ll try not to bother you...¡± Talia didn¡¯t quite know what else to say. Everything she thought of just seemed somehow inadequate.


    ¡°I could show you around,¡± Gric said quietly, the awkwardness from earlier straining his voice more prominently than before, ¡°If you want to, that is...¡±


    For a moment Talia wasn¡¯t sure what to say.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to...¡± added with even more awkwardness than before, ¡°I just thought-¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The reply tumbled over Talia¡¯s lips before she had the chance to restrain herself.


    Gric looked at her with a measure of surprise. As the surprise faded, it was replaced with silent approval, as if Talia had passed some sort of secret test.


    To her surprise, Talia felt a sudden fear of losing his approval. Unable and increasingly unwilling to back out, Talia rose to her feet with all the grace she could muster. Experiencing a moment of uncertainty, Talia briefly entertained the idea of returning to her bed but dismissed the idea as she witnessed the world around her begin to fade.


    Talia was not prepared to leave just yet, but she felt comforted in knowing that she was truly able to leave whenever she pleased. Filled with budding confidence and a sense of wonder she hadn¡¯t felt in decades, Talia looked to the horizon with newfound determination.


    Read weekly releases on and

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 58 – Blood and sweat – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 58 ¨C Blood and sweat ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 58 - Blood and sweat - Part Two


    We spent three days near-constantly testing the Empowered Pathfinder¡¯s Beacon. Becoming attuned to the Empowered Beacon required exposing the beacon to your blood. A single drop or a gallon made no discernible difference. Just like the Gateways, the cost could be paid by the person teleporting or the Empowered Beacon itself.


    Furthermore, the Empowered Beacon could be linked to harvested mana stones through close enough proximity, which allowed the Empowered Beacon to regenerate mana over time. The higher Tier of the mana stones, the greater the mana capacity and regeneration that would be lent to the Empowered Beacon.


    There was, of course, a limitation.


    We discovered early on that someone could only be attuned to a single Empowered Beacon at a time. In hindsight, it made sense. There wouldn¡¯t be much of a point of a Gateway if pairs of Empowered Beacons could replace them.


    Dwergi and Deep Orc smiths had worked tirelessly over the past day to create dozens of hardened steel poles with hollow cores and threaded tops and bottoms. Four-sided spiked caps would be screwed into either end to seal a carefully packed payload of mana stones within. Finally, a pair of small threaded steel hoops anchored near the top end would allow a banner to be attached.


    Attaching the banner had been Randle¡¯s suggestion.


    The vessels for the Empowered Beacons had not been intended to be used as weapons. With that in mind, it made sense to capitalise on their presence as much as possible. Allowing for Banner Bearers and Custom Classes to bring their buffing Abilities to bear.


    We would have begun testing the new Empowered Beacon prototypes but the time of Iristrixanthrax¡¯s challenge had come due.


    I had held the latest floor acquired from the Asrusian capital in reserve for this exact reason.


    The Asrusians had initially expressed their disappointment in my seizure of the hard-won territory. However, the attitude of the Asrusian leadership shifted radically after Jayne informed them of our experiments with the Empowered Beacons.


    Besides, I intended the newly named territory of Valhalla to serve as a military training base with the express purpose of hosting exercises to capture footholds.


    To that end, I manipulated the distant reaches of the territory to host twelve potential sites to emulate the portal site to the second floor.


    It would only be a matter of time before a serious armed response was organised against our Conquests in enemy territory. So it made sense to prepare everyone for that eventuality with high-stakes war games.


    With Sebet providing insurance against fatalities, and a code of conduct to support it, I was optimistic that accidental deaths would be few and far between.


    A special quest was made available for six dozen low-level Humans to fill the roles of the defenders. They would have the advantage of knowing they would be attacked, but not by who or when. Exp and mana stone rewards would be based on how long the foothold held out and would be shared amongst all participants.


    The slots for volunteers were filled within a matter of minutes.


    A second team of volunteers were recruited to serve as guards within the newly constructed Asrusian City of Geralt. The maximum level limit was removed but was restricted to Humans to keep things as true to expectations as possible. They were given the condition of catching insurgents and spies and would collectively earn Exp and mana stones for every spy and insurgent they caught. However, they would be penalised for every false accusation.


    It wasn¡¯t perfect, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything else on relatively short notice.


    The fountain in one of the market squares was designated at the portal that would allow entry to the foothold. It wasn¡¯t a perfect stand-in for an Adventurers Guild headquarters, but it was good enough. I would just need to stress to Iristrixanthrax that her operatives would need to treat the market square as a roofed space to better mimic real conditions.


    After I explained the parameters of the test, Iristrixanthrax seemed somewhat relieved. No doubt, she had expected a real enemy city to be her target.


    For the moment, I withhold knowledge of the Empowered Beacons from Iristrixanthrax and her commanders. I wanted to find out what they could come up with on their own first.


    As curious as I was to watch the wargame unfold, I knew that my presence would only complicate matters.


    To keep myself busy, I returned to Sanctuary to continue my training. However, my training was interrupted by the unexpected return of Fesk, Nadine and Ushu. Admittedly, it was Ushu¡¯s landing in the lake and the resulting waves that proved the most attention-grabbing and disruptive.


    With the training ground thoroughly washed out, it would be hours before it could be used again safely.


    ¡°Sorry about that!¡± Nadine called out as Ushu dropped her and Fesk off at the shore.


    ¡°The muddy ground does help replicate less favourable battle conditions-¡± Ophelia began to suggest optimistically but stopped when she realised no one was paying attention to her.


    ¡°Perhaps a change in training to take better advantage of the environment? Sebet suggested, earning surprised stares from Ophelia, Jayne, Randle and Faine.


    ¡°Such as?!¡± Ophelia asked eagerly.


    ¡°Grappling would seem the most appropriate choice, would it not?¡± Sebet grinned, her dark lips parting in a smile that revealed perfectly aligned and pearly white teeth.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Clarice barked and began to snort and giggle in amusement, ¡°Fucking mud wrestling?!¡±


    ¡°Well, I suggested only the latter...¡± Sebet replied with exaggerated and animated innocence, ¡°However, if the former were to occur, I wouldn¡¯t be averse to it.¡±


    My three champions made a point of pretending that Nadine and Fesk¡¯s approach was of critical importance. Even going so far as to make their way over to the shore to help them out of the lake.


    ¡°Mud wrestling?¡± Ophelia¡¯s curiosity was piqued, ¡°Because the mud makes maintaining a solid hold or gripping one¡¯s opponent difficult, the challenge for both parties is increased...Yes, I see it now!¡± She grinned enthusiastically, ¡°Who wishes to grapple in the mud with me?!¡±


    ¡°Sorry Ophelia, but I¡¯m married. It would be inappropriate,¡± I backed away and began removing my training armour.


    ¡°I will gladly serve as your first opponent,¡± Sebet volunteered, stripping her leathers with the release of a single buckle, exposing her surprisingly modest underclothes.


    ¡°Yes! No need for armour!¡± Ophelia agreed, stripping off her training armour but otherwise remaining fully clothed.


    The pair squared off and began to slowly circle one another.


    ¡°What are the rules?¡± Ophelia asked with barely restrained enthusiasm, ¡°Pinned until the count of five? Until the opponent surrenders? Or until the first broken bone?!¡±


    ¡°Until submission seems appropriate,¡± Sebet smirked and licked her lips. The way she looked at Clarice while she said it made it overtly suggestive. Not that I expected otherwise.


    Clarice¡¯s cheeks flushed in response and I pretended not to notice.


    The mud wrestling match between Sebet and Ophelia went about how I expected it to. Ophelia had Sebet beat in terms of raw strength. However, Sebet was many times more flexible and had evident experience.


    Sebet went out of her way to make it as awkward as possible to watch for any other reason than sexual titillation.


    So I left.


    Unsurprisingly, except for Clarice, everyone else wasn¡¯t far behind me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Fesk seemed confused by what was going on. However, I had no way of knowing why without having an awkward conversation I didn¡¯t feel like having.


    For the time being, I was willing to chalk it up to his draconian upbringing.


    It occurred to me that I may not be able to use that word in public. Draconian would certainly take on a different meaning to the locals in under a few years. What with having actual dragons and dragon-like Species around the place.


    ¡°Sooooo...That was definitely the Succubus, right?¡± Nadine asked her escorts warily.


    Faine, Jayne and Randle all nodded in silence.


    ¡°I figured as much...¡± Nadine sighed and glanced back toward Clarice with a complicated expression on her face, ¡°Tim knows about this, right?¡±


    My champions, to their credit, did not immediately look to me for an answer.


    ¡°Clarice and the Succubus I mean,¡± Nadine clarified before realising no one showed any signs of answering her question.


    ¡°Is it different from your own...situation?...¡± Jayne replied somewhat discreetly before looking pointedly down at Fesk and Nadine¡¯s interlocked fingers.


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed, ¡°This is!... It¡¯s different!¡± She squeaked, earning a nearly imperceptible faint smile from Fesk who then tightened his grip on her hand, ¡°Herm! We have permission!¡± Nadine insisted.


    ¡°His Majesty demanded you seek his permission?¡± Randle asked curiously, seemingly unbothered by Nadine¡¯s discomfort, ¡°I was not aware that was a requirement for mixed Species..erm...couplings...¡± He seemed somewhat dissatisfied with his word choice.


    ¡°Ah, well... No, not as such...¡± Nadine admitted nervously, ¡°But he knew about us and...oh...I¡¯ll shut up now...¡± She had no doubt remembered my deliberately ambivalent stance on mixed Species relationships.


    I would have to be a special kind of hypocrite to be against it when I was in such a relationship myself.


    Randle looked like he would have liked to continue the conversation further but allowed the topic to drop.


    ¡°Hem. Where is Tim anyway?¡± Nadine asked with a forced casual tone as she made an exaggerated show of scanning the area.


    Jayne, Faine and Randle glanced conspicuously at one another.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as further reassurance of Sebet¡¯s craftsmanship and skill,¡± I replied with a smirk.


    Nadine very nearly jumped in fright, ¡°Tim?!¡± She exclaimed incredulously.


    #Hello. Fesk.# I signed, using the unique sign we had decided upon to represent his name.


    Fesk gave a small smile in reply and bobbed his head. #Hello.# His proficiency in signing had now thoroughly outstripped my own and seemed to come to him as easily as breathing.


    ¡°Tim?! But...how? Also, why?¡± Nadine demanded as she looked me over with an expression of utter incomprehension on her face.


    To his credit, Fesk didn¡¯t seem particularly fazed by Human form. If anything, he seemed contemplative. As if he was trying to decide if I had somehow been capable of changing form all along but had only done so in his presence now.


    ¡°A disguise, mostly,¡± I replied casually, trying my best not to be too smug about fooling her, ¡°But it helps with training as well.¡±


    Fesk nodded in understanding.


    #What does he mean?# Nadine signed at Fesk.


    #No one is big enough to fight with when you are that big.# Fesk signed back. #Like fighting children.#


    Nadine settled down somewhat. #You have a point.# She signed and let out a sigh. ¡°What do you need a disguise for?¡± Nadine asked me bluntly, ¡°Have there been attempts on your life?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, not that I¡¯m aware of,¡± I replied, suppressing a sudden flare of paranoia as my subconscious considered the possibilities, ¡°It is just refreshing not being the centre of attention all the time.¡±


    Nadine winced, ¡°Oh...Sorry, Tim. I hadn¡¯t considered what that must have been like for you...¡±


    Fesk stared blankly into the distance for a moment before his eyes regained their focus. #Ushu want¡¯s ****** to return to Sanctuary.#


    #****** ?# I signed back, unfamiliar with the word.


    #Little Ushu. Female. ******.# Fesk kept signing until he was sure I understood.


    #Cooper.# I repeated the sign a few times to increase my chances of remembering it and then directed my attention to Faine, ¡°Contact the Asrusian forces in the capital¡¯s Labyrinth and inform them that Cooper is returning to Sanctuary. Nila and her team may visit Sanctuary, but only Nila is permitted within The Grove.¡±


    ¡°I will see it done, Majesty,¡± Faine bowed his head and stayed behind as we continued circling the lake.


    ¡°You may continue our Empowered Beacon experiments with trusted subordinates,¡± I suggested to Jayne and Randle as a polite means of sending them away.


    Jayne didn¡¯t seem to mind at all and looked quite eager, ¡°Yes majesty!¡± She slapped her hand down on Randle¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Come cousin, you have to see this for yourself!¡±


    Randle grinned, ¡°So I have heard!¡±


    Using my authority, I relocated them both to the storage facility containing the Empowered Beacon prototypes. After a moment''s thought, I relocated Jayne as well, saving him the trip by foot later.


    ¡°What was that?...¡± Nadine gasped and searched our surroundings for signs of the now thoroughly absent knights.


    ¡°Oh, right...I can move things around in my Demi-Plane,¡± I explained somewhat lamely, ¡°People, objects, terrain, anything really...¡± The concept itself didn¡¯t seem particularly alien to me compared to other things I had recently experienced, and I generally didn''t think about it all that much.


    ¡°Okay...¡± Nadine grimaced slightly and closed her eyes before taking several deep breaths, ¡°I guess that sort of makes sense, in its own way.¡±


    Fesk just shrugged, apparently unconcerned by what the ramifications might be.


    ¡°So this disguise...¡± Nadine clumsily changed the topic as an obvious means of distracting herself from the previous subject, ¡°Is it an illusion? Or?...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s real,¡± I offered my left arm and made a point of exposing the pair of tattoos.


    Nadine cautiously poked at my arm like it was some sort of dangerous sleeping Beast, but her curiosity quickly overwhelmed her caution. ¡°It definitely feels real,¡± Nadine commented, ¡°But what are the tattoos for?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of the conditions of the Contract,¡± I explained and resisted the urge for a demonstration, ¡°They let me change without requiring the experience and insane degree of bodily awareness that would otherwise be required by the Spell.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Nadine mumbled and I felt her use one of her Abilities, ¡°And Lash is okay with this?¡± She asked tentatively.


    I nodded, ¡°She seems quite happy about it actually. It shifted the dynamic of our sparring back in her favour.¡±


    Nadine stared blankly at me for a few moments and then slapped her forehead, ¡°Right...She¡¯s as bad as Clarice...I forgot about that...¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but with different motivations,¡± I agreed with a casual shrug.


    ¡°So...What is going on with Clarice?¡± Nadine asked awkwardly, ¡°Is she okay? The Succubus isn¡¯t using its powers on her or anything, right? That was the Succubus, wasn¡¯t it?¡± There was an unmistakable measure of fear to match the concern in her eyes.


    ¡°Sebet-¡± I made the point of using her name, ¡°-has an explicit code of conduct involving her interactions with her fellow subordinates. She has sworn oaths and signed a Contract to that effect and is the most highly regulated being in my service, bar none. So I am confident that her behaviour, as related to her use of Abilities and Spells, is entirely above board.¡±


    Nadine nearly tripped over a loose clump of grass. After regaining her footing, she stared back toward the mud wrestling contest still in progress.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Daemons and Devils are nearly as bad as people think they are,¡± I insisted adamantly, ¡°I think it has a lot to do with who holds the reins and their upbringing. Just like humans. A shitty childhood and bad role models can turn anyone evil. It¡¯s just, for them, they are more vulnerable because of their biological imperatives to obey the higher authority. Can you even imagine what that would be like?¡±


    It was an issue that had been on my mind since my confrontation with Ril. There was a large amount of room for free will, but only if the lesser Daemons were allowed the opportunity to develop a degree of independence first. Somewhat ironically, it was the higher-ranked Daemons that had the most difficult time exercising agency. They seemed to be engineered to transmit orders and extend the reach of authority, but little else.


    It had taken a long time for Qreet and Dar to demonstrate any degree of interest in activities beyond the scope of what they were ordered to do. Even then, they often seemed lost. Reacting to outside stimuli rather than making real decisions.


    Then there was Gric.


    I honestly didn¡¯t know what to do when it came to him. Gric thrived when given instructions to follow and parameters within which to act. But he made no attempts at doing anything else. Worse than that, he seemed to actively avoid it.


    Every attempt I made at trying to encourage other activities failed its purpose because my position made every suggestion an order to be obeyed.


    Even so, Gric¡¯s behaviour showed that nurture could direct Daemon nature to more constructive ends when given the opportunity.


    ¡°I...hadn¡¯t considered that...¡± Nadine admitted guiltily, ¡°But, the way Clarice was just standing there-¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Is probably no different to how you would react if Fesk and I stripped down and started wrestling in the mud in front of you,¡± I interjected with a reserved smirk, ¡°Especially if Fesk was making a deliberate effort to embarrass and excite you.¡±


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed, ¡°I er...that¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°As Randle somewhat alluded to earlier. I distinctly recall having made my stance on your personal lives quite clear,¡± I added for good measure, ¡°So long as it¡¯s consensual, it¡¯s none of my business. You even had me rephrase a certain law and everything. Or have you forgotten that?¡±


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks turned borderline iridescent as she determinedly stared at the ground.


    #What if we had children?# Fesk signed and caught me completely off guard.


    ¡°Do you mean, what will happen to them because they will be cross Species? Or where would they be allowed to live?¡± I asked, uncertain of what exactly Fesk was asking.


    Fesk nodded. #Yes. Both.#


    ¡°Well, the Factions will probably implement their own laws,¡± I hedged briefly, just so Fesk would be aware of the wider picture, ¡°However, citizenship and residency for Sanctuary are allowed by marriage and birth. This means, if you had a child with Nadine, your child would be free to live here. If you married her, you would be allowed as well.¡±


    #What about the other Thralls?# Fesk signed with a curious expression on his face.


    ¡°Assuming they want to live here and not somewhere else?¡± I asked.


    Fesk nodded determinedly.


    ¡°So long as they complete the service for citizenship program, then they will be full citizens of Sanctuary. And so would their children,¡± I added almost as an afterthought. ¡°If they wanted, they would be free to found towns or villages of their own. It doesn¡¯t have to be Sanctuary or bust.¡±


    Many of the Thralls were on the fast track to citizenship, so it wasn¡¯t strange that Fesk would ask. The voluntary activities undertaken by the thralls during their military service were steadily chipping away at the initially substantial term of service requirement. Far from being against it, the Asrusian command structure was going out of their way to accommodate it.


    The Thralls made good soldiers, but they lacked Synergies other Species would otherwise have provided. Unfortunately, the relationship between the Thralls, the Vampires and the undead, in general, had generated a certain degree of discord in the lower ranks of mixed units.


    The majority of the Thralls had been shifted to logistics for those reasons. It presented abundant opportunities for earning time off their required term of service and kept them from negatively impacting morale in the combat units.


    Fesk seemed satisfied and gave me a nod in thanks.


    I was sorely tempted to go against my no-prying policy but ultimately decided against it. If Nadine was going to get married, I figured she would probably let me know. If she became pregnant, that would be obvious all on its own.


    ¡°Is there a reason Ushu wants Cooper to come back to Sanctuary?¡± I asked curiously, having just remembered Fesk¡¯s initial request.


    Fesk stared at nothing in particular again. His expression became complicated to read. #Ushu won''t explain.#


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just ask him myself later.¡± I had initially suspected that Ushu just wanted to spend time with his daughter outside of a battlefield, but now my interest was piqued. ¡°Do you have any plans?¡± I asked conversationally, unwilling to let the silence drag on too long and be dominated by Sebet¡¯s entirely deliberate and highly suggestive grunts and moans.


    #Nadine wants to visit the hospital and learn new things?# Fesk didn¡¯t seem especially confident that he was explaining things well but I smiled and nodded for him to continue. #We want to pick a house to live in.# He added bluntly but with a considerable increase in confidence.


    ¡°Do you have preferences?¡± It felt nice to have a relatively normal conversation.


    Fesk shrugged and pointed to Nadine.


    That seemed about right.


    ¡°Somewhere near the hospital?¡± Nadine seemed quite glad for the shift in focus away from her love life, ¡°A nice view would be good as well!¡±


    ¡°Have you thought about asking Hana or her sister to grow you a house?¡± I suggested and motioned to The Grove at large, ¡°You could have your own tree house here in The Grove if you like.¡±


    Nadine was momentarily taken aback, ¡°You would let us stay here? Permanently, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Why not? You helped found Sanctuary, so it only seems appropriate you would be allowed to live where you would like,¡± I replied honestly.


    If it wasn¡¯t for my having stumbled into the girls on my first day, there was no telling how much darker my path would have been. Even if they had acted out of self-interest in the beginning, I liked to think that we had become friends.


    ¡°So...you wouldn¡¯t mind if we had a big tree house just over there?¡± Nadine pointed over to a large open patch of grass on the opposite side of the lake to the training grounds.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind, but it¡¯s worth asking Hana about things first,¡± I advised positively, ¡°She had all sorts of meadows and things planned out for when we migrate the trees again.¡±


    ¡°Migrates the-¡± Nadine took a moment to look around then gasped in surprise, ¡°I thought this place looked bigger than I remembered...¡±


    #Who is?# Fesk signed with obvious interest.


    ¡°Hana and her sister, Kohana, are usually over by the big tree in the middle of the lake,¡± I pointed over to them and then waved when they happened to notice me pointing at them.


    Fesk waved as well but was probably just joining in for the sake of being polite.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to swim, the large lily pads should be strong enough to support your weight,¡± I motioned toward the giant lily pads on the eastern side of the lake. They were one of Hana¡¯s latest projects to liven up the lake.


    The lillies were quite beautiful on their own, but the pads broke up the otherwise open expanse of the water.


    ¡°One of the Lizardmen could probably ferry the lilypad for you and help out if you fall overboard,¡± I added as it occurred to me that Fesk probably didn¡¯t know how to swim. Neither did Nadine for that matter. ¡°Swimming lessons might be a good idea as well. The Lake is perhaps even more beautiful below the water than above, and knowing how to swim is just good insurance anyway.¡±


    Fesk nodded and considered the lake with a serious look in his eyes.


    I was going to suggest something else but was distracted when I noticed someone dithering near the entrance to The Grove.


    Before I could investigate further, Gric arrived on the scene and escorted the person into The Grove proper.


    Staring at them for a few moments, my authority identified the person as Talia, one of the handful of Elves that lived inside of Sanctuary. The name was vaguely familiar but she was too far away and the memory was too faint to put a face to the name. My curiosity was outweighed by hesitancy and reluctance I struggled to place and recognise that fact only served to make me more hesitant to investigate further.


    ¡°More visitors?¡± Nadine asked curiously as she realised the source of my distraction.


    ¡°Gric seems to have it in hand,¡± I sighed and shrugged.


    Hana saved Fesk and Nadine the trip, traversing the lake to sate her own curiosity.


    Incidentally, the tree Hana began growing to serve as the base for Nadine and Fesk¡¯s home allowed me the opportunity to practise the Plant Growth Spell until the supervision of a master. With a functionally infinite mana supply to draw from, the part I struggled with the most was balancing the needs of the tree against the surrounding environment.


    I could have grown the tree in a tenth of the time, but I would have killed just about everything within The Grove smaller than a bush.


    I lacked Hana¡¯s intuitive sense of the flora around us, so she was forced to guide the roots as I powered their growth.


    Unlike the first tree that served as our original home, Nadine and Fesk would benefit from the services of Dwergi smiths and engineers'' gravity-powered elevator to raise and lower them from their home beneath the canopy. It wouldn¡¯t be installed for a couple of days, but it would be far more convenient than stairs.


    The war game continued for nearly three days before it was brought to an end.


    As I had expected, Iristrixanthrax¡¯s forces succeeded. What surprised me was how they accomplished it.


    Iristrixanthrax paid dozens of people to act conspicuously and draw the attention of the guards. That allowed Kobolds that were hidden inside of supply wagons to enter the city without incident. Taking things a little differently, the Kobolds then left the city shortly afterwards.


    The Kobolds had only intended to scope out the portal site with their own eyes. Passing through the portal took place later.


    More people were paid off to unwittingly deliver Kobolds carrying teleportation wands into the designated portal site and then leave. The Kobolds then retreated to their hidden staging area outside of the city.


    They waited for the wands to recharge and then stormed the Foothold in force. The first Kobold to enter the faux Labyrinth carried a Beacon, allowing the other Kobolds to Teleport to his location. With each wand capable of teleporting dozens of Kobolds before depleting its charge, hundreds of Kobolds overran the Foothold before the defenders ever realised what was happening.


    The transportation of the first Kobold into the faux Labyrinth required my personal intervention. Even so, most of the plan had still come as a complete surprise when I received the rundown from Iristrixanthrax afterwards.


    Some weaknesses would present extreme risks ¡®in the field¡¯, but on the whole, it seemed viable.


    Of course, the Empowered Beacons would streamline things somewhat. Especially if they had willing human collaborators and allies.


    They would need a key to engage in a Conquest. Without it, they would only be able to fortify and engage in a war of attrition.


    To that end, I offered the assistance of my Champions. Capable of serving as intermediaries to hire the necessary cover for entry, as well as safeguarding the key Blackthorn, they would eliminate two barriers to the Kobolds'' desire for additional territory.


    It would also allow me to observe their efforts remotely.


    Iristrixanthrax was ambitious, but I didn¡¯t have a decent measure of any other element of her character. Her respect for me and my position as leader was unquestionable, yet it was profoundly lacking for her peers. Hopefully, that opinion would change over time as Iristrixanthrax¡¯s exposure to the other Species increased. If they didn''t, I would have to consider certain intervention measures.


    Reports pieced together from the first-hand accounts of Werrian refugees made it clear that the empire was in a state of collapse. So it came as no surprise when the Asrusian high command forwarded the announcement by the Confederacy that a new campaign to seize the empire¡¯s territory would begin within the month.


    The urgency of the campaign was described as being for the sake of seizing as much territory as possible before the empire¡¯s neighbours could do the same, not for the sake of saving the civilians.


    To maintain their cover as a compliant city-state, the Asrusian high command would need to send a force under their own banner, or contribute soldiers and supplies to someone else''s.


    As it was explained to me, the wars of expansion, or ¡®liberation¡¯ as the confederates called it, were used as the opportunity for noble families and merchant enclaves to expand their influence. Technically, voting would determine the distribution of new territory. However, the first group to establish an administration in a city had a much greater chance of leveraging that position to keep it.


    The overall weight of one¡¯s vote would be in parallel to their observed contributions to the overall war effort. Not contributing at all wasn''t an option, but many of the weaker cities only sent nominal forces and supplies. This was due to the most powerful families and enclaves dominating the political scene and ensuring that the efforts of those on the fringes would not be formally recognised when the spoils were to be divided.


    The Asrusian high command wanted to know what I thought on the matter before they announced their plans to the Confederacy.


    Perhaps contrary to their expectations, I told them to announce a major mobilisation. The Asrusian turncoats would be marching for the Werrian capitol.


    It was time to put down the undead menace for good.


    Several high-ranking officers had been uncomfortable with the idea of fighting a war to liberate the subjects of their enemy. However, the threat posed by the undead, especially the Liche, could not be ignored forever.


    It had been easy to remain complacent within the safety afforded by Sanctuary. However, with each piece of territory added to my Demi-Plane, my authority would increase a little bit more. Each increase in my authority also increased my access to knowledge previously denied to me.


    Two things, in particular, were of significant importance. The first was that my extradimensional holdings would be inherited by blood relatives upon my death, prioritising my children or potential siblings. The division was able to be manually determined in the form of a spoken will of intent. As insurance, I had nominated Pete to inherit everything. Dividing things would only lead to trouble. I had chosen Pete over Suzy due to their respective temperaments, but there wasn¡¯t telling how that would change in the future. It just seemed like the best choice given the available information.


    The second thing was that my Demi-Plane was only one expression of many. Extradimensional spaces had thresholds for growth, and mine was fast approaching its first major stage of development. I wasn¡¯t precisely sure what that development would change, only that something would change.


    I had another free position to elevate another potential champion through The Tyrant¡¯s Fists Ability. To create a list of candidates I decided to host a Demi-Plane-wide tournament. As an added incentive to maximise the number of participants, I also decided to award Underlord promotions to the finalists.


    The tournament would be open to everyone, but the quest system would pair the weaker contenders against one another first and seed stronger participants later. This would ensure that the lower-level participants would have the opportunity to level up against one another before facing those of higher levels.


    My original plan to create a single grand arena for hosting the selection tournament required architectural and engineering expertise I did not possess. Thankfully, the Dwergi were able to provide experts in both fields. However, in exchange for their services, they made a request I had not expected.


    ¡°You would want to use the site as the grounds for your own city?¡± I asked the Dwergi representative> Despite my best efforts, I couldn¡¯t keep the hesitance from my tone.


    To their credit, only the youngest Dwergi amongst their delegation showed signs of irritation at the perceived slight.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Johan Shaleheart did his best not to lean on his cane, but his old age and the extreme height difference between us made it a doomed effort. ¡°We are few in number, and we do not refute this fact,¡± he stated boldly despite his aged frame, ¡°But we are, in our hearts, a strong and independent people. We must prove we can stand on our own two feet!¡± Johan¡¯s shock white moustache and hairy ears trembled as a burning passion took hold in his eyes, ¡°For the generations that follow, we must show strength so they will have the will to persevere!¡±


    ¡°So you need a symbol with which to rally your people.¡± I could understand where they were coming from. They had been Enslaved for generations. Some more or less than others, but they had all been Slaves, and it left a mark.


    For most of the liberated Slaves, they were happy to live their lives in peace. But not all of them. Some of the former Slaves couldn¡¯t reconcile their anger and resentment, resorting to violent vocations to vent their emotions.


    The Dwergi were different.


    They were, in their hearts, builders and makers. It was a part of who they are. Being Enslaved and performing those tasks had made them no easier to bear. From the accounts I had listened to, it had been its own unique form of torture. There was a part of them that wanted to do things a certain way, no matter what they were told or ordered to do, and suppressing that part of themselves generated a severe depression.


    Sanctuary had been accommodating to the Dwergi, giving them nearly free rein below ground. But it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Unlike the dwarves in modern fantasy and cinema, not all Dwergi preferred living underground. A full third of their current population had a sub-Species specifically adapted to living in the light, and nearly a quarter were half-breeds of the two major groups.


    In hindsight, I should have anticipated the request sooner. Numbering in the thousands, they were one of Sanctuary¡¯s most numerous Species, only falling behind the Orcs and Goblins.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed, surprising the other members of the Dwergi delegation into stunned silence. ¡°Do you intend to have your own Faction?¡± That question seemed to catch Johan off guard. Just judging by his reaction, and those of the other delegates, it became clear that they were going to ask but hadn¡¯t anticipated that I would raise the subject first. ¡°Assuming you didn¡¯t know already, the Faction Leader has the power to assign and revoke promotions within their Faction. That person will also represent your Faction on the Faction Council. So whomever your people choose must remember that the position carries an immense degree of responsibility.¡±


    Johan took a few moments to rally, but his determination had not wavered. ¡°Our council of elders has already held a vote, Majesty, and I have the honour and responsibility of having been chosen to represent my people.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± I gathered my mana and Summoned a projection of Sebet, ¡°You will need to detail the procedures used to decide upon the position of Faction Leader for your people. Sebet will then write up a Contract that will ensure both yourself and your successors abide by that system. You will also need to provide a means for those you represent to peacefully replace you if needed.¡±


    It took me about an hour to explain why the Contracts would be necessary. The Dwergi delegation only relented once I pointed out that every other Faction had been required to do the same to have representation on the Faction Council.


    I wasn¡¯t going to force democracy on everyone, especially since I was occupying the position of supreme monarch. However, I wanted order, and the Contracts would ensure that. I hoped that the provisions for peacefully replacing the Faction Leaders would ensure uneventful transitions down the line, but I wasn¡¯t so naive that I didn''t anticipate intrigue and corruption to rear up eventually.


    I just had to hope that my children and their descendants would be up to the task.


    The news of the formation and official recognition of the Dwergi Faction spread quickly and by the end of the evening, I had received several requests for others to form their own Factions. Most lacked the requisite numbers to have individual representation on the Faction Council but otherwise had legitimate cause for self-governance.


    The Thralls were one such example. They lacked the numbers to stand on their own but were too numerous and culturally alien to fully integrate either. Rikit¡¯s pack, almost numbering in the thousands, was another such group.


    I formed a second council, Sanctuary¡¯s Council, that would preside below Gric, the existing Faction Leader and representative of Sanctuary.


    When the Factions reached sufficient size to strike out on their own, they would receive a seat on the Faction Council. For Rikit¡¯s pack, that would likely arrive during their next Mothers Moon, which made the need for expansion all the more pressing.


    As usual, Gric seemed quite happy with the official expansion of his authority, even if it was mostly only in name and was accompanied by increased responsibilities.


    The following morning, the tauric arachnid Daemon Yor requested on behalf of the library and all of its associated staff for a faction which caught me somewhat off guard. They wanted a Faction similar in nature to Wraithe¡¯s. However, instead of training Surgeons and furthering medical knowledge exclusively, they wanted to train historians, librarians and the like, and gather all kinds of knowledge. It seemed like a noble goal that would provide benefits to all, so I agreed.


    It only later occurred to me that one of their requests in particular would ruffle a great many feathers. To pursue their goal to preserve and gather knowledge, would almost certainly mean they intended to accompany the army when it went on campaign. It was commonplace for libraries to be set ablaze or ransacked during the looting spree after a siege. This meant that only Yor¡¯s librarians would be able to minimise the damage, who would be there in person to make sure of it.


    I did not envy the commanders who would be forced to listen to the anthropologists'' demands nor the poor soldiers who would have to help fulfil them.


    ***** Nila - Sanctuary ~ Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane *****


    The decision to visit Sanctuary with her family had made her husband Giles uncomfortable, to say the least. However, now that they were exploring the bountiful orchards and rolling meadows, Nila could tell that their two children weren¡¯t the only ones enjoying themselves.


    ¡°I thought this place was meant to be in the middle of a swamp?¡± Giles commented with a bemused smile on his lips.


    ¡°Pway?!¡± Beni, their youngest, pleaded, pointing to a mob of small children screaming and giggling atop the back of a giant amber-scaled Beast.


    The Beast moved with deliberate patience that defied its fierce appearance. However, a chance moment of eye contact revealed the unexpected depth of the Beast¡¯s intelligence and true nature.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so...¡± Giles replied in a placating tone, ¡°It looks a little, uh, busy. How about we take a look at the pretty flowers over there?¡± He pointed to a nearby meadow that was covered in exotic flowers that would normally be reserved for the private gardens on a noble¡¯s estate.


    ¡°Pwetty!¡± Beni agreed emphatically.


    ¡°Are we allowed?¡± Vera asked uncertainly and worried at the hem of her tunic. Already a young woman of thirteen years, she had taken more from her father than Nila herself. Not that Nila minded. After all, it tended to keep her out of trouble and harms way.


    Nila took note of the other visitors already touring the meadows, ¡°I think we will be alright,¡± she replied confidently and led the way toward the meadow.


    ¡°It really is beautiful here,¡± Giles noted with a sigh, ¡°And everyone is so...happy...¡±


    ¡°Full bellies will help with that,¡± Nila joked. Sanctuary was an agricultural powerhouse, and so far as she was aware, the food that could be picked off of the trees and bushes was free. ¡°But I understand what you mean.¡± Some of the locals were overtly distrustful of them, but that was true of most places Nila had visited, except for the cities. However, most were either ambivalent toward them or mildly curious.


    Humans were a rarity in Sanctuary, so as strange as the residents of Sanctuary were to Nila and her family, she knew that it cut just as deep the other way around.


    ¡°How much do you think a home costs in the merchant district?¡± Giles asked conversationally, fully aware that their combined income wouldn¡¯t come close to renting such a place without dipping into their savings, let alone buying a home outright. The merchant families were practically champing at the bit to buy even the smallest houses just so they could place orders with Sanctuary¡¯s residents directly.


    The shift to mana stones rather than coins had presented several problems all its own. Thankfully, the government had a standing offer to make the conversions at a competitive rate for all military personnel.


    Giles and Nila weren¡¯t quite sure where the wind was headed just yet, so they kept a reasonable stash of the coins, just in case.


    ¡°Too much,¡± Nila chuckled and briefly knelt down to admire a strange flower with two large overlapping petals.


    ¡°A shame,¡± Giles sighed with a wistful smile, ¡°Custom fitting would do a brisk business here I would imagine,¡± he nodded toward a trio of short Goblin women who were wearing long human-sized tunics cinched at the waist as makeshift dresses.


    ¡°CHOOO!¡± Beni sneezed hard enough to rip the petals off the small flowers she had been playing with. No doubt scared by the sudden noise, and sad because of hurting the flowers, Beni began to cry.


    Giles gently pulled Beni into a bug, ¡°Oh there there, Beni, it¡¯s okay...¡± His voice caught in his throat as new petals bloomed from the injured flowers. ¡°What was?...¡± Giles¡¯ voice failed him again as he noticed Nila¡¯s attention was directed elsewhere.


    A tall lithe woman with dark amethyst skin and a pair of black branch-like horns had been walking by when Beni sneezed. The same woman had restored the flowers with a casual flick of her wrist. Thick keratinous strands hung from the woman¡¯s head like limp spines, and hooked claws adorned her fingers and toes.


    She moved with a predatory grace and absolute confidence in her abilities as she approached them. ¡°Do not fret, little one,¡± The woman of indeterminate Species made as if to pluck a nearby flower, except the stem extended in her grip rather than breaking. Once it had reached a certain length, the stem separated of its own accord. The length in her hand curled around and twisted upon itself many times over before becoming joined end to end. With a flourish, and blurring speed, the horned woman placed the stem crown on Beni¡¯s head, ¡°For you, little one,¡± the woman hissed with a small smile that revealed far too many sharp and pointed teeth.


    The initial shock had stunned Beni into inactivity, but she looked like she was about to start crying anew. Then, quite suddenly, buds erupted from the crown on her head and bloomed into a rainbow of colourful flowers.


    The horned woman¡¯s smile widened at Beni¡¯s obvious surprise. ¡°Be good, little one, and be safe.¡± Without saying anything further, she stood up and walked away.


    ¡°Pwetty! Pwetty!¡± Beni cheered, hopping up and down in Giles¡¯ arms.


    ¡°I, uh, guess you can¡¯t just judge people by what they look like, eh?¡± Giles chuckled nervously.


    ¡°Oh my gosh...¡± Vera was trembling and breathing hard.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Nila asked worriedly and reached out to support her daughter.


    Vera waved her off and pointed toward the retreating figure of the horned woman, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who that was?!¡± She looked like she was on the verge of hyperventilating.


    ¡°Vera, sweetheart-¡± Nila felt a pang of panic at the uncharacteristically assertive behaviour of her daughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s the lady of the harvest!¡± Vera exclaimed excitedly, ¡°She looks different without the robe, but Willum showed me a picture! It¡¯s definitely her! She¡¯s the one that makes all the crops in the villages grow real fast after they perform the special planting ritual!¡±


    Nila wasn¡¯t sure what to do. She had thought Vera was upset, but now she seemed excited more than anything else.


    ¡°I want to go talk to her!¡± Vera declared and began to chase after the horned woman before Nila managed to catch her daughter from behind.


    ¡°Sweety! Vera! She might be busy! It¡¯s not good to just impose on people!¡± Vera¡¯s reference to the special crop-growing ritual had confirmed Nila¡¯s suspicions as to the horned woman¡¯s identity. She was one of his Majesty¡¯s most powerful Daemons and they would do well not to upset or inconvenience her. They were guests, after all.


    ¡°But mom! When am I ever going to have a chance like this again?!¡± Vera pleaded urgently.


    ¡°Pwetty!¡± Beni giggled temporarily drawing everyone¡¯s attention before the illusion broke a moment later.


    ¡°Why thank you!¡± A husky feminine voice purred appreciatively.


    Looking for the source of the voice, Nila instinctively held her daughter tighter as she laid eyes on an impossibly perfectly proportioned pale-skinned and blonde-haired human woman standing behind them. Wearing a dress missing more panels of cloth than were in Nila¡¯s whole tunic, the woman knew exactly how to stand to expose as much flesh as she wanted and not an inch more. A primal instinct in Nila¡¯s brain caused her to position herself between the woman and her husband.


    ¡°Pardon me, but I couldn¡¯t help but overhear you mention your services as a tailor,¡± the woman commented conversationally while looking past Nila and toward Giles, ¡°By chance, are you looking to relocate?¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡± Giles shifted nervously while his eyes stayed firmly locked above the woman¡¯s head.


    ¡°You see, I have been looking for a good tailor,¡± the woman continued unashamedly, ¡°Of course, I would see to it that you are well compensated for your work.¡±


    Giles began sweating profusely, ¡°Uh, well, my wife, Nila, she¡¯s in the army, and we, my wife Nila and me, we, my wife that is-¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sure arrangements could be made,¡± the woman waved away his concerns dismissively, ¡°There is a Gateway for easy transportation to any major staging ground in the Demi-Plane. I doubt your current residence is nearly so convenient.¡±


    That stung Nila¡¯s pride somewhat due to how true it was. Even with the steps the engineers had taken in trying to ensure travel throughout the city would be as fast as possible, it still took Nila the better part of an hour to arrive at muster each morning from their home.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget that living within Sanctuary carries other benefits,¡± the blonde-haired woman added as her penetrating gaze shifted to Vera, ¡°There are advantages and opportunities to be found within Sanctuary that simply do not exist anywhere else. To mention but a handful, there is the teaching hospital and the grand library, both of which are freely available to the public,¡± she smiled and revealed her perfectly white and straight teeth.


    ¡°You could arrange for a house in the merchant district?¡± Giles gasped with a conflicted sense of longing as his desires warred against his hard-earned scepticism.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± the woman replied flippantly before becoming contemplative, ¡°Well, I suppose I could, but why would you want to live in the merchant district when you could live within Sanctuary itself?¡±


    ¡°We could live here?!¡± Vera exclaimed.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the woman replied with absolute surety, ¡°While I have a considerable degree of influence, I don¡¯t doubt that your mother could probably negotiate for such a thing herself. There are not so many people that can claim His Majesty¡¯s confidence, and he does like to keep them close at hand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡± Nila challenged with her metaphorical hackles raised to their limits by the noblewoman¡¯s blatant goading.


    ¡°I am another who claims the honour and privilege of His Majesty¡¯s favour,¡± the woman replied amiably with apparent amusement sparkling in her pale blue eyes, ¡°As of right now, your husband, Giles, may call me his patron if he so wishes. My offer is both genuine and generous, for I am indeed in need of a talented tailor. As for you, Captain Nila, you may call me Overlord, Spymistress, or even Sebet.¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 59 – Tides of undeath – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 59 ¨C Tides of undeath ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 59 - Tides of undeath - Part One


    Honouring the request made by the Dwergi, I terraformed the space for the arena just enough to allow the tournament to function. It would be up to the Dwergi to improve and develop it further over time.


    The tournament would be different to those that had come before.


    After exhaustive debate and testing, Sebet¡¯s Sculpt Flesh Spell was proven to serve as a near-perfect means of stabilising most conventional forms of injury. The Spell itself could reattach limbs, restore organs functionality, and halt bleeding. The only downside was that it prevented Surgeons from applying their form of immediate healing.


    Surgeons could still accelerate the long-term recovery of HP, but the discovery was still somewhat disappointing. However, the Surgeons long-term healing Abilities synergised incredibly well with my own Iron Gut Ability, reducing recovery time from days, weeks or months, into hours or even minutes.


    With Sanctuary¡¯s stockpile of donated mana stones to serve as collateral, participants in the tournament would be covered by a restoration Contract. This would allow the participants to engage in otherwise lethal combat and earn considerably more Exp without an unacceptably high risk of fatalities.


    The tournament was already stratified into tiers that would match the general capabilities of the participants. I was confident that a few solid ground rules combined with the restoration Contract would make the tournament safe enough to satisfy my conscience.


    Sebet wasted no time in advertising the restoration Contract to the major Factions alongside the emergency recall Contract. Playing off their need to preserve both anonymity in the outside world and retain high-level soldiers.


    The costs, so far as I was aware of them, would be many times higher than those within my Demi-Plane. The distance was the primary factor in determining costs, and Sebet wasn¡¯t shy about turning a figurative profit either.


    The raw mana harvested through established Contracts was one of the three methods she could fuel her growth. The traditional absorption of mana stones or Evolution Elixir was a given, but I had barred her from using the third method in all but the direst of circumstances.


    True to the mythos of her namesake, Sebet could literally drain the life from her victims. The same Ability also drained their core mana, causing permanent damage to their future development. Assuming they survived.


    With the preparations complete, I initiated the next stage of the quest and signalled the beginning of the selection tournament.


    As tempted as I was to watch the opening matches of the tournament, I was forced to admit that there would be little reason to do so beyond indulging a desire for violent entertainment. Besides, I had my training to be getting on with anyway.


    With all the second chances to earn reentry to the primary tournament, it took the better part of a fortnight to cycle through the lowest-tier participants and move on to the middle tier.


    The deadline for the Asrusian mobilisation was growing closer and the wargames between the Asrusian and the Fireheart Factions had intensified with every passing day. Besides the obvious element of competition between the two Factions, the leaders on both sides were using the opportunity to issue quests to level up their forces.


    Despite their relative inexperience with conventional warfare, the Kobold forces of the Fireheart Faction were leaps and bounds ahead of the Asrusians when it came to guerrilla tactics. Both Factions seemed to be learning a great deal from one another, but I was concerned that their mutual spirit of competition might devolve into outright hostility.


    My training was progressing slowly but I was showing improvement. Frequent sparring against Ophelia had ingrained an otherwise lacking sense of self-preservation in my training. As skilled as Faine was, he lacked Ophelia¡¯s ruthlessness and single-minded drive to dominate her opponents. Not that the benefits of our sparring were all so one-sided.


    To put it bluntly, I was literally the toughest opponent Ophelia could spar with multiple times in any given day. My mediocre skills were offset by my sheer Strength and Toughness, evening the playing field more than I otherwise would have expected. We were not a perfect match, but our frequent sparring had produced tangible results.


    So long as I was prepared to soak a hit in exchange, I had learned that I would be able to drastically increase my chances of landing a blow in turn. Training with only minimal armour made the exchange painful. However, Ophelia had already begun to devise counters, requiring me to become more creative for the gambit to succeed.


    I had lost count of the number of broken fingers and hairline fractures our sparring had inflicted. At a certain point, keeping count had seemed more like complaining than tracking the destructive effects of our sparring.


    Enduring the pain tested my resolve, but it was made easier with the presence of my family serving as a constant reminder of what I was fighting for. Physical pain was nothing compared to my ever-present fear of losing those I loved.


    ¡°You¡¯re turning into a real battle junky,¡± Clarice barked in amusement from the sidelines, ¡°I can hardly believe you¡¯re the same person from a few months ago.¡±


    ¡°I was in a bad place...¡± I admitted while trying not to recall the intense depression that had preceded my arrival in the Labyrinth. ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything to fight for either,¡± I added and smiled slightly as I looked across the lake.


    The twins were cackling and shrieking as Lash chased them through the shallows on the opposite bank of the lake.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good dad, Tim...¡± Clarice said quietly.


    Looking away from my family, I was surprised to find that Clarice¡¯s earlier amusement had evaporated entirely.


    With a scowl on her lips, Clarice stared at the ground for a handful of seconds before suddenly changing her demeanour. ¡°I mean it,¡± Clarice insisted earnestly, ¡°I can tell, just by the way you look at your kids, you would do anything for them, right?¡±


    I nodded.


    Clarice¡¯s smirk returned, only it was now somewhat forced, ¡°They are lucky to have you. Shit, we all are!¡± A somewhat manic edge had entered her voice and Clarice made a show of keeping her arms away from her sides.


    I had known her long enough to know that something was bothering her. I also knew Clarice well enough to know that asking her what was bothering her would just aggravate her further. I just needed to wait it out and see if she would open up on her own.


    ¡°Tim?...Do you?...¡± Clarice was determinedly avoiding eye contact and had begun clenching and unclenching her fists, ¡°Do you think I would be a good mom?...¡±


    The question caught me off guard. However, it was obvious that Clarice needed an answer and any delay on my part would cast doubt on my answer, regardless of sincerity. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied honestly, startling both Clarice as well as myself. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure I¡¯m a good dad...¡± I continued anxiously, ¡°I want to be with Lash and our children almost more than anything, but it¡¯s so easy to justify being away from them...To keep them safe, there are so many things I have to do and many more that I could be doing. But it means spending less time with them, missing out on being a part of their lives...I-I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean to make this about me,¡± I apologised and tried to gather my thoughts.


    Clarice closed her eyes and nodded stiffly as she let out a long frustrated sigh, ¡°Isn¡¯t that part of what makes you a good dad?¡± She asked bitterly, ¡°You want to be there, but all the shit you have to deal with keeps you away...Fuck! Why did even say anything?! Just forget it!-¡± Clarice turned to leave but I caught her by the arm and held her in place.


    ¡°What¡¯s this all about Clarice?¡± I asked, unable to and willing to conceal my sincere concern.


    Clarice¡¯s bicep flexed for a moment and I felt her attempt to pull away. However, when it became clear that I wasn¡¯t going to let go, and that she couldn¡¯t free herself, Clarice stopped resisting. Her body tensed and her hands balled into fists, ¡°It¡¯s my family...I told you about them before...kind of...We don¡¯t get along...¡± Clarice grunted and shifted uncomfortably, ¡°Even if they are shitheads...Even if I can¡¯t stand them...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still family,¡± I released Clarice¡¯s arm and nodded in understanding. With that piece of the puzzle, I could somewhat guess the motivation that drove Clarice¡¯s earlier question. ¡°You¡¯re afraid those relationships define the future relationship you would have with your children.¡±


    With visible hesitation, Clarice stiffly nodded.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie,¡± I cautioned her, ¡°It¡¯s something to be wary of. However, it¡¯s ultimately up to you whether you allow those relationships to define who you are and how you will live your life.¡±


    Trauma had a way of turning its victims into perpetrators of the same trauma. Like the way bacteria and viruses used an infected host to transmit themselves to others.


    ¡°It¡¯s just...Grrrr!¡± Clarice growled angrily and pulled at her hair, ¡°There¡¯s a reason I left home! I fucking hate them!¡± The anger quickly left her and she stared out over the lake, ¡°But they have kids...And as much as I want to hate them too, I can¡¯t...They haven¡¯t done shit to me or anyone...¡±


    A buried memory of an offhand comment resurfaced in my memory and I felt a cold chill pass through my gut. ¡°Your family, they¡¯re in the empire, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Clarice nodded sullenly.


    ¡°Do you know where?¡± I forced the defeatist thoughts into the background and focused on being productive.


    Clarice shook her head, ¡°The capital, maybe...But they were in the north when I left...¡± Her eyes darkened, ¡°They would go wherever the money is...But the old man has enemies...So...I don¡¯t know...That is...If they are even still alive...¡±


    I tried my best to comfort Clarice, but she quickly became emotionally withdrawn and left without saying a word.


    After sparing a moment to return to my original form, I gathered my mana and Summoned my champions and the Asrusian Regent. ¡°The invasion of the Werrian Empire begins now,¡± I stated bluntly, ¡°I expect all invasion forces to be ready and underway by daybreak.¡±


    ¡°Majesty!¡± Faine, Jayne and Randle saluted in unison and disappeared as I dismissed their projections.


    ¡°Our approach must be made through conventional means,¡± the Regent cautioned, ¡°Marching hard, our foot soldiers will take a week to reach the northern pass-¡±


    ¡°I will provide Kobold auxiliaries,¡± I interjected, trying and failing to suppress a momentary surge of anger, ¡°The Asrusian army WILL move at speed to the northern pass.¡±


    The Regent paled slightly and nodded, ¡°I will see it is so...¡±


    I dismissed his projection with a wave of my hand. ¡°Sebet-¡±


    ¡°I will liberate as many Slaves and commoners as I am able, Great One,¡± Sebet declared fervently, having already read my mind, ¡°And will not limit my efforts to the camp of our enemies.¡±


    I nodded approvingly and then hesitated, if only for a moment, ¡°You have my permission to use whatever means necessary to preserve your true identity from our enemies...¡±


    Sebet¡¯s smile extended a full two inches wider than was humanly possible, forming a shark-toothed crescent. ¡°By your command, Great One, I obey!¡±


    Dismissing Sebet¡¯s projection, I opened my mind and issued a mental call to Gric, and through him, every Daemon within Sanctuary. It took them less than a minute to assemble before me. Most had been in my relative vicinity already, but even those further afield had made impossible good time traversing Sanctuary¡¯s grounds.


    ¡°I am going to war,¡± I stated bluntly, emphasizing myself, ¡°It will be your responsibility to safeguard Sanctuary and my family in my absence-¡±


    The Daemons stared up at me with sycophantic devotion, hanging on my every word with a fanaticism that would have made the most deranged Cthulian cultists rethink their own life choices.


    ¡°-Lash will serve as regent in all respects until my return...or...or until my children come of age and she deems them fit to rule...¡± The thought of widowing Lash and leaving my children fatherless hurt and was immeasurably uncomfortable to think about, but it was a distinct possibility I needed to account for. ¡°I will not return until the Liche is destroyed for good...or my vengeance is satisfied...¡± took a moment to share eye contact with each of them, ¡°I¡¯m so proud of what you all, and who you have chosen to become.¡±


    They were not my biological children, and sometimes I treated them more like tools than people, but I meant every word. The Daemons had proven time and again that they could be more than savage killers if given the chance. Words couldn¡¯t begin to express how proud I was of them.


    The Daemons beamed with pride, releasing pleased guttural hissing and chittering in response to the unexpected praise.


    ¡°I know you all will continue to make me proud in my absence,¡± I reaffirmed before taking my leave and using my authority to visit the Fireheart capital.


    Recruiting volunteers to provide Synergies to the Asrusian army wasn¡¯t particularly difficult. However, it didn¡¯t stop Iristrixanthrax from bargaining hard for every advantage and benefit she could get in exchange.


    I had planned on rewarding those who participated anyway, so I wasn''t particularly annoyed.


    By the time I returned home, Lash had already figured out what was happening, so it didn¡¯t take long to fill her in on my arrangements with the Daemons. It had been an unspoken assumption between us, and no doubt for many others. However, saying it all aloud made it feel far more real.


    Toofy still behaved more or less the same as when we first met. However, she accepted my leaving with far less hesitance than previously, insisting that she would keep Pete and Suzy safe until I made it home again. Adopting Ril and Anette had matured Toofy in ways I hadn¡¯t expected of her, but I appreciated it.


    A small part of me was disappointed that no one, not even Lash, attempted to convince me to stay. I understood that my position came with responsibilities, but it didn¡¯t make me any less afraid. Afraid of not returning home again. Afraid of returning home broken...


    I barely slept, instead, choosing to imprint the faces of my children in my mind. A reminder of why I was leaving, and why I needed to make it home again.


    I left before sunrise, giving Lash and our children one final kill goodbye and telling them each how much I loved them.


    With the almost guaranteed possibility of being spied upon while in the field, I would be using my human disguise to reduce the attention I would personally receive.


    Wisp was waiting just outside of my cave, his pale body cloaked in black billowing robes of shadow. A long length of fine silver chain was tied around his left arm and was linked to a small unlit lantern carried in his left hand. ¡°I have made all the preparations that I am able,¡± Wisp announced in his usual dry crackling whisper, ¡°Should the physical form of the Liche be destroyed within close proximity, the lantern shall imprison her soul...¡± The chain binding Wisp to the lantern made it clear that he would be accompanying it wherever it went.


    I nodded in approval, ¡°And you are confident that the Dirge of Undeath will draw all the lesser undead?¡±


    The hood of Wisp¡¯s robe bobbed briefly as he nodded his assent, ¡°Yes, quite confident.¡±


    ¡°What if I empowered it?¡± I asked hesitantly, ¡°Would that be strong enough to draw the Liche?¡± If I could end the war sooner, I would do it.


    ¡°Unlikely...¡± Wisp replied cautiously, ¡°Although, it would likely draw away most, if not all, of the Liche¡¯s Lieutenants. Depending on their degree of personal autonomy and proximity, of course...¡±


    What about an Empowered Bane Spell?¡± I pressed, ¡°How is it different from the regular version?¡±


    ¡°I am unsure,¡± Wisp admitted apprehensively, ¡°But I suspect the Empowered effect will increase the destructive properties of the Spell, or at the least, increase its duration.¡±


    ¡°I guess we will find out...¡± I muttered disappointedly and began donning my armour.


    A short while later, Ushu surged out of the lake and took flight. Only moments behind him, Cooper and Dhizi did the same, the mana-rich lake water falling like rain in their wake.


    Fesk and Nadine had both begun descending the elevator to their home, engaging in a flurry of conversation that I was too far away to read clearly. Just judging by the fact that they were both wearing their armour, it was clear that Nadine intended to accompany us at least a part of the way.


    After strapping on the third and final layer of my armour, I opted to hang my helmet by its straps from my belt for the time being. With a thought, I recalled Blackthorn into my right hand and then carefully looped it through my belt as well.


    Confident that Fesk and Nadine would be able to catch up with little difficulty, I made my way out of The Grove and began heading for the Gateway. I indulged in the minor exercise to help settle my nerves. Otherwise, I would have just used my authority to move myself and everyone else about.


    Nila and her team were already in the process of strapping on Ushu¡¯s latest saddle when I arrived. They were assisted by ten Thralls whom I assumed were members of Fesk¡¯s team, or soon would be.


    Unlike Cooper¡¯s saddle, Ushu¡¯s saddle had an even larger platform with an oblong dome of reinforced hardened leather with stylised fins running along the top. The saddle was large enough that it could probably shelter the entire team of Thralls in relative comfort. Assuming measures had been taken to allow for abrupt changes in directional orientation.


    Unlike Nila¡¯s team who predominantly used bows, the Thralls all carried Dwergi-made lever action crossbows. I hadn¡¯t seen one in person before and wasn¡¯t sure how the claw was able to avoid generating drag after pulling the drawstring into place. However, the Thralls appeared quite happy with their choice of weapon, so I figured the crossbows had to be worth whatever price they paid for them. Assuming, of course, that they did in fact pay for them.


    Dhizi was positively dwarfed when compared to Ushu¡¯s sheer bulk. If the current disparity in size continued, it wouldn¡¯t be unrealistic to imagine Dhizi riding on Ushu¡¯s back and using him as a sort of living aircraft carrier.


    Clarice and Sebet were seeing to Dhizi¡¯s far more conventional saddle themselves without difficulty.


    Ushu had the greatest weight tolerance, but for the sake of accounting for possible unknowns, I decided that Randle and Jayne would travel with Nila and her team on Cooper. Nadine, Faine and myself would join Fesk and his team on Ushu alongside a Lesser Summoned Kobold. Wisp hunkered down inside of the domed shelter without needing to be asked.


    With Nila¡¯s assistance, I was strapped into a riding harness and shown how to anchor myself to Ushu¡¯s saddle. I could have claimed the rider¡¯s seat in the saddle, but I felt like Fesk had truly earned it at this point. Besides, the platform and outside of the dome featured hundreds of potential anchoring points.


    With Nila being the highest-ranking military officer present, and everyone wearing Asrusian colours, I assigned her the position of acting commander.


    Instead of travelling through the capital city on foot, Ushu, Cooper and Dhizi launched themselves up into the sky from the castle grounds.


    Much to my surprise, Nila quickly demonstrated that she had learned a limited amount of sign language, and so had her team. Her signing was limited to basic observations and directional instructions, but it was interesting all the same.


    It came as far less of a surprise that Fesk¡¯s team of Thralls had a much stronger grasp of signing and weren¡¯t shy about holding lengthy discussions in near-complete silence. Which was just as well since the wind made communicating verbally incredibly unreliable. Although it did alienate Faine somewhat since he was surrounded by conversations he couldn¡¯t understand, let alone take part in.


    With a Summoned Kobold¡¯s Synergy, our vanguard was able to fly for two straight days before landing for a comparatively short rest to recuperate.


    ¡°So...What exactly is the plan?¡± Nadine asked with nervous enthusiasm, ¡°Are we just going to fly to the Werrian capital? Or?...¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied firmly, ¡°As much as I want to take the fight straight to the Liche, fighting the Liche on its home turf would be suicide.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Wisp agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°I want to turn the northern pass into a fortified kill zone and try to lure the Liche into coming to us instead,¡± I insisted adamantly, ¡°From everything I have been told, the pass is our best bet to funnel the undead into a more manageable front. Once it becomes clear that the sheer numbers won''t be able to beat us, the Liche will have to come out and face us or run away again. If the Liche tries to run, we will chase it down. So long as we aren''t fighting the Liche in its own territory, then it''s worth the risk to take it out.¡±


    Nadine frowned slightly in confusion, ¡°But how are-¡±


    [Hush. We are not alone.] Without further warning, Sebet leapt to her feet and sprinted out into the woods.


    Minutes passed and then the silence was broken by a terrified primal scream.


    Sebet returned shortly afterwards, dragging a desiccated lightly armoured corpse behind her. ¡°A Confederate Scout,¡± Sebet explained casually before crouching and stripping the corpse of its belongings. ¡°There is a Confederate camp a few hours to the east. So I guess it¡¯s time for me to get to work,¡± she sighed but was smiling eagerly. However, after stripping and changing into the Scout¡¯s clothing and equipment, her smile waned as she looked over at Clarice. Without saying a word, she walked over to Clarice and gave her a tight hug and a kiss that left both their lips bloody.


    With a half-hearted wave to the camp at large, Sebet stalked off into the woods.


    ¡°That Scout is a man...¡± Randle commented with a blend of confusion and concern, ¡°Won¡¯t they know she¡¯s not the Scout they are missing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s something of a specialist...¡± I answered somewhat awkwardly, making a note to fill in my champions on Sebet¡¯s capabilities.


    In all fairness, despite my relative familiarity with the Sculpt Flesh Spell, I hadn¡¯t considered that Sebet would be able to change her sex. In hindsight, I had been painfully naive.


    It did make her relationship with Clarice more complicated than I had initially thought and added much-needed context to Clarice¡¯s fears on motherhood. It also served as an indicator that their relationship was more serious than I had expected. That, or Clarice had cause to be worried about becoming pregnant...


    ¡°What?!¡± Clarice crossed her arms defensively and glared at the camp at large in an open challenge.


    ¡°I just hadn¡¯t considered that she could do ¡®that¡¯,¡± Nadine replied apologetically before narrowing her eyes at Clarice suspiciously, ¡°Is this why-¡±


    Clarice took a half step back, ¡°Sh-Shut up!¡± She stomped off and hid behind Dhizi until it was time to leave again.


    As we approached the northern pass that marked the former border between the Asrusian Kingdom and the Werrian Empire, we began to spot loose hordes of lesser undead wandering in a generally southward direction.


    Within moments of landing in the mountain pass, zombies, skeletons and other lesser undead began swarming toward our position.


    The moment myself and my champions had dismounted, Ushu and Cooper bounded into battle. Akin to an angry child stomping ants, the pair of Dragons were unstoppable.


    With Faine, Jayne and Randle covering my position, I focused on gathering my mana pulling stone out of the mountains on either side to form a ten-foot-high wall. I tried my best to use as much stone from the foot of the mountains on the other side of the wall as possible. I wanted to make it as difficult as possible for the undead to circle around or otherwise bypass the wall.


    When the wall was completed, I directed my champions southward and took the opportunity to lay into the undead with Blackthorn to accelerate my mana regeneration.


    The trio¡¯s blessed weapons cut through the undead with little perceived effort.


    After allowing my mana to fully regenerate, I began forming a second wall to match the first.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Randle¡¯s warning gave me just enough time to step out of the way as a dark hooded figure swept past with a naked blade.


    ¡°Vampyre!¡± Jayne roared, her voice thrumming with mana and causing the dark figure to stumble as the figure''s head violently snapped toward her.


    Before the Vampyre could react, Faine¡¯s blessed spear tore through its back and erupted from its chest, spraying its foul ichorous blood across the ground.


    The Vampyre spasmed like a dying spider and then collapsed into a mound of blackened ash.


    I nodded grimly to the trio in thanks and redoubled my efforts in creating the wall. It would do little to impede the progress of greater undead like the Vampyres. However, it would make spotting any Vampyres who infiltrated the perimeter that much easier.


    ¡°Establishing a ward would be most wise,¡± Wisp¡¯s advice and sudden appearance in my peripheral vision caught me off guard. As did the struggling Vampyre held high by the throat in his right hand. ¡°It will weaken the lesser undead considerably and compromise whatever Spells are allowing THIS FILTH-¡± A bright silver-white light flashed beneath Wisp¡¯s hood. The struggling Vampyre mouthed a soundless scream as an ephemeral simulacrum was drawn out of its body and into the depths of Wisp¡¯s hood. ¡±-to infiltrate our ranks.¡±


    Whatever Wisp had done to the Vampyre proved fatal. The moment he released it, the Vampyre collapsed into a pile of ash like the first.


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed, trying to force the sheer terror I had witnessed in the Vampyre¡¯s eyes out of my mind and concentrate on the task at hand. Picking a stone up off the ground, I began to gather my mana and raised my helmet¡¯s visor. Biting the inside of my cheek, I spat the blood onto the stone and willed an Empowered Ward Spell to take hold of it.


    Thin tendrils of blood arched out of my open mouth and wrapped themselves around the stone, binding it over and over until its entire surface was covered. Not a single drop fell away from the stone or was left behind on my gauntlet, as if the stone had an intense and specific gravity all of its own.


    The blood surrounding the stone began to harden and took on an obsidian-like semi-transparency and sheen. Beneath the hard outer surface, I could see the blood slowly churning with a life of its own.


    I handed the stone now turned vessel for the Empowered Ward to Wisp, confident that he would be able to watch over it while I continued forming our outermost defences.


    Despite my champions¡¯ most dedicated efforts, a small number of lesser undead had slipped through the remaining gap in our southern defences. However, with the Empowered Ward now active, the lesser undead lost most of their motive force and slowed to a crawl.


    Able to outpace and outmanoeuvre the lesser undead without any effort whatsoever, Jayne, Faine and Randle¡¯s butchery intensified tenfold. The retaliatory attacks of the Zombies and Skeletons were so feeble that the three champions had begun ignoring them outright.


    After the two halves of the southern wall connected and combined into one solid piece of stone, I took a few minutes to quickly sate my hunger and replenish some of my lost fluids.


    Rather than flattening and opening up the winding path of the territory we had claimed, I intended to build our fortifications into and out of the mountains themselves.


    Once my mana had sufficiently regenerated, I turned my attention to the mountain slopes that overlooked the northern wall. I had been considering different options on the flight, and one idea, in particular, stood out.


    I intended to line the slopes with fortified stone bunkers.


    The relatively simple design was well within the scope of my relative inexperience. Furthermore, I was confident that, with some trial and error, I would be able to link each cluster of bunkers with a tunnel network through each mountain.


    With no other immediate means of traversing the mountain, I decided to start by digging a wide trench up the mountainside and forming the sloping ground into steps. The ceiling would remain open for the time being, but I planned on sealing it after I had completed the bunkers.


    Displacing such a prodigious amount of stone took the better part of an hour and caused me to reconsider sealing the stairs and open trenches altogether.


    From the vantage afforded by the mountainside, I could see the undead coming from miles around. There were tens of thousands of them. Most of them seemed to have no clear direction in mind, simply following the largest source of movement and sound. This created a snowball effect where small groups would attract the attention of other undead, increasing the size of their group and drawing in more undead through their collective noise and motion.


    Of course, Ushu and Cooper¡¯s collective bellowing ensured that once the undead were close enough to hear them they would be headed more or less in our general direction.


    Despite its simple design, it took me ten minutes to craft the first bunker. Thankfully, each bunker that came afterwards took a little less mana and time as I became more confident and proficient in my abilities.


    The work would have gone faster if I had had my champions join in. Unfortunately, I needed them to watch my back. Shape Stone required very nearly all of my concentration at any given moment, leaving me vulnerable to ambush and ranged attacks in general. The trenches offset that danger somewhat, but they also made it more difficult to see the enemy coming before it was too late.


    I had nearly completed a dozen bunkers on the north-western slopes of the eastern mountain when the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the mountains.


    Lacking the dark-attuned vision of my true form, I switched focus from the bunkers to increasing the height of the northern wall. With so many undead already headed toward us, I was genuinely afraid that they would form a mountain of bodies and scale the wall.


    Besides, the taller I made the wall, the sheerer I could make the bottommost slopes of the mountains on either side.


    After hours of near-constant concentration, mental fatigue was beginning to get the better of me. And I had to refit one of the bunkers to serve as a rest stop so I could take a break. Sealing the viewing and firing port, I hunkered down in a corner and tried my best to decompress.


    ¡°Above us!¡± Randle cried out in warning.


    What sounded like metal hail echoed through the entrance to the bunker.


    ¡°What the fuck is that thing it''s riding?!¡± Jayne cursed.


    ¡°Does it matter?!¡± Faine shouted in reply as more of the hail pelted against the outside of the bunker, ¡°The Dragons will make short work of it!¡±


    The mountain shook beneath me as Ushu bellowed in rage.


    ¡°-already fleeing!¡± Faine shouted in triumph.


    ¡°I see more enemies in the sky to our west!¡± Jayne called out, ¡°They don¡¯t look nearly as big as that one, but there is a great deal more of them!¡±


    ¡°We need more ranged support!¡± Randle cursed.


    With the prospect of relieving my mental fatigue well and truly ruined, I stiffly got to my feet and left the relative safety of the bunker in order to see things for myself.


    Foot-long spikes were embedded in the mountain slopes on either side of the trench and the roof of the bunker. They looked like they were made of bone, but it was difficult to be sure while investigating my moonlight.


    Whatever had attacked our position had disappeared behind the mountain, or at least I assumed it had done so since Ushu was flying to the southeast.


    Clarice and Dhizi had retreated behind the wall and Cooper was preparing to take to the sky.


    The reality of Dhizi and Clarice being so exposed drove me to begin boring a hole into the mountainside for them to take shelter in. I would have done the same for Cooper and Ushu, but caves of that size would no doubt collapse due to my lack of architectural and engineering experience.


    ¡°Majesty, the more nimble undead are attempting to scale the wall,¡± Faine observed with a scowl and pointed toward the wall.


    Sure enough, Crypt Stalkers and other undead I couldn¡¯t name were slowly inching their way up the wall.


    A shift in the wind carried the stench of the gathering dead up the mountain and made it all the more difficult to think. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While shaking my head in an increasingly desperate attempt to clear my head I received my inspiration on what to do as my scattered focus was drawn to Blackthorn¡¯s barbs.


    Gathering as much mana as I was able, I did my best to picture the north-facing surface of the wall covered in sharp thorns. With the image firmly locked in my mind, I directed my mana to make it a reality.


    The sudden and extreme expenditure of mana, combined with my accumulated mental fatigue left me light headed and I would have collapsed if Faine and Jayne had not taken hold of my arms to keep me upright.


    ¡°Just...I just...need a moment...¡± I muttered dizzily and did my best to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground.


    Vision blurry and already restricted to the slit of my helmet¡¯s visor, I nearly missed Wisp¡¯s approach toward the northern wall. The sudden surge in mana was my only warning before a sudden flash of bright silver light pierced through my eyelids.


    ¡°The undead are falling off the wall...¡± Randle grunted uncertainly, ¡°Whatever that was, it looks like it¡¯s working.¡±


    ¡°The Bane Spell,¡± I muttered distractedly while wishing I could remove my helmet and use the cold mountain air to try and clear my head.


    Little by little, minute by minute, I forced my mind back into a semblance of working order.


    Almost by pure chance, I recognised the danger lurking in the periphery. The intruder¡¯s presence likely would have continued to go unnoticed if I wasn¡¯t so acclimated to engaging in telepathy with the Daemons. It was an entirely unique sensation that required a deliberate, or unwitting, openness between both parties.


    Whoever was probing into my mind had touched things they shouldn¡¯t have, thoughts and memories the Daemons knew to leave well enough alone. Even so, they had nearly gotten away with it thanks to my accumulated fatigue.


    Nearly.


    Enraged by the violation, I seized my mental intruder before they could sever the connection and dragged them into the darkest corner of my mind. Sensing panic, I tightened my grip further and flooded the connection.


    A raw primal scream echoed off the mountains and through my mind.


    The intruder desperately fought to free themself, losing pieces of their own mind in their desperate bid for escape.


    Beyond pity, I tightened my grip further and descended deeper into the depths. The pain at this level was nothing compared to what lurked below, and I knew I could outlast the intruder if needs be. After all, I had survived the worst it could muster already and was still standing.


    I felt the intruder¡¯s mind buckle and begin to collapse.


    Fragmented memories began spilling through the connection but were destroyed before they could form a coherent message.


    The intruder¡¯s mind collapsed entirely and the connection between us was severed.


    I staggered for a second time as an immense psychic pressure was lifted from my mind. My earlier fatigue was still present but was greatly diminished. Whatever and whoever the intruder was, it seemed to be a safe bet that their mental attack had been responsible for my earlier deterioration.


    The absence of a kill notification made it clear that the invader was still alive. Unfortunately, they had all of the mountain range in the immediate area to hide in.


    Unwilling to let the intruder get away, much less survive its trespass in my mind, I gathered my mana and Summoned a projection of Ophelia.


    Borne aloft by her scythe-like wings of condensed divine mana, Ophelia¡¯s copper-plated armour reflected and bathed the surrounding mountainside in amber light.


    ¡°There is a spellcaster hiding somewhere on the mountain,¡± I croaked angrily, ¡°Find and destroy it!¡±


    Ophelia¡¯s projection nodded eagerly and raced up the mountainside.


    I could only hope that she would be able to find her prey before it had a chance to escape. Assuming the intruder was able to recover, there was no telling how much information they had managed to steal from my mind before being discovered. It was a risk I was unwilling to take.


    Ushu had returned from his chase with the mangled rotting remains of a huge bat-winged beast falling from his jaws. Any chance of investigating the defeated undead were lost as the corpse was dashed apart on the slopes of the mountain. Similarly, a quick search through the kill notifications provided only the label of Wight as an explanation to accompany the death of its presumed Vampyr rider.


    The efforts of Nila and her team revealed the flying undead to be Zombies created from some form of Beast. However, there were no further clues as to what those Beasts may have been.


    Cooper was wheeling away from the approaching airborne horde and slowly circling back toward her father.


    Whether it was by Nila¡¯s direction or undertaken by her own prerogative was unclear. However, it was definitely the smart play given the distinct possibility of Plague Zombies being hidden amongst their rotting kin.


    As Nila swept overhead, I prepared to retreat into the bunker. The flying Zombies would lack the coordination to enter the bunker on the wing and would be forced to land before attempting entry. This would give us a key advantage in fighting them off.


    As I was about to give the order to fall back, the frontmost member of the airborne horde began to dive. Only, something didn¡¯t seem quite right. Casting Keen Senses, I got my first good look at the flying Zombies. They were some type of large monstrous bat but had fully developed hind legs with sharp claws.


    I noticed something else as well, something important.


    ¡°INTO THE BUNKER!¡± I roared, shoving the others into motion as I scrambled into motion myself.


    The Zombie bats were not diving toward our position in preparation for a battle. The Empowered Ward had crippled them and turned them into unwitting projectiles...


    ***** Sebet - Northern Asrus Kingdom ~ Confederation of Independent City-States forward base *****


    Sebet moved through the camp with complete confidence and an air of arrogance that gave the soldiers on watch every reason to direct their gaze elsewhere. She had changed forms several times since infiltrating the confederate¡¯s camp to better disguise her true nature.


    The fact that securing her identity had allowed Sebet to devour her targets¡¯ souls was simply a convenient and orgasmically delicious bonus.


    True to her mission, Sebet had already freed a half dozen pleasure Slaves that had been kept by high-ranking officers. She had only needed to mention a passing interest in acquiring a comfort Slave to warm her bed for the night and then the officers had fallen over one another in their eagerness to gain favour.


    Given the identity of the man Sebet was impersonating, it was not really a surprise at all.


    Rahan Delquain had been the scion of a powerful noble house that controlled the twin cities of Calliope and Ashford in the heart of the Confederacy. The camp itself had been placed under his command by his father, making every soldier present a direct subordinate.


    It was a convenient disguise and Sebet intended to make the most of it.


    She was now headed to the edge of the camp where the combat Slaves were being kept.


    Unlike the disappearance of the pleasure Slaves, explaining the sudden absence of the combat Slaves required considerably more cunning. Of course, it had only taken Sebet, genius that she was, a few moments to devise the perfect scheme. Not only would it allow her to explain the disappearance of the current force of combat Slaves, but it would serve as a ready excuse to justify the disappearance of those sent to replace them.


    Sebet would set them loose under the pretence of hunting down the undead threatening to overrun the camp, which had already been one of Rahan¡¯s most vocal concerns. The combat Slaves would be transported safely to Sanctuary after making it a predetermined distance from the camp. Provided they signed Sebet¡¯s Contracts, of course.


    Charming the right guards, sentries and Scouts would ensure that the desired narrative would be corroborated should outside forces make covert inquiries. All the while, Sebet would be free to request greater numbers of replacements for the combat Slaves and pleasure Slaves both.


    The plan was very nearly perfect, even if Sebet did say so herself.


    The only potential letdown lay in the sexual proclivities of her cover identity. Sebet would be the last one to cast aspersions on someone else''s sexual preferences. Especially since she had no trouble in inventing new ones whenever she grew sufficiently bored. However, Rahan Delquain¡¯s diverse interests eliminated the possibility of maintaining a flawless performance while also guaranteeing the delivery of the more valuable Variant females.


    Sebet could specially request all his comfort Slaves to be Variants. However, the humans had all sorts of little tricks they used to fool one another to disguise the ¡®wild¡¯ monsters as their more desirable Variant cousins.


    Unfortunately, it was a wrinkle Sebet would have to ignore in her otherwise flawless plan. She felt confident that the Tyrant would agree that she was making the right decision.


    Just like the guards she had passed earlier, the soldiers on watch accepted their summary dismissal in obedient and fearful silence.


    Sebet could tell at a glance that none of the combat Slaves met the Tyrant¡¯s favoured preference, but she knew better than to discount them out of hand. The Tyrant cared more for those somewhat arbitrarily labelled as Variants, but he was not altogether unsympathetic toward those who weren¡¯t Liberating the current host of combat Slaves would still earn her his favour, just not as much.


    Connecting her mind to the one-hundred and seven combat Slaves locked within the caged wagons, Sebet sent a psychic pulse to gain their collective attention.


    < If you desire freedom, you will listen closely to my words. > Sebet smiled and patiently waited for the Slaves'' anticipation and curiosity to build to make them more receptive to her offer. < Your Masters offer only misery, pain, and a cruel death. I offer you the opportunity to live. To be free of your cruel Masters, free of the destiny they have in store for you. Free to pursue happiness! >


    Sebet could feel the primal yearning building inside of even the most downtrodden and broken amongst them. She filtered preselected images of Sanctuary and its people through the telepathic connection, showing them the possibilities of their future.


    < All of this could be yours! > Sebet promised, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she conjured a large stack of neatly annotated Contracts. <All you need to do is make your mark on the dotted line! >

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 59 – Tides of undeath – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 59 ¨C Tides of undeath ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 59 - Tides of undeath - Part Two


    The Zombified bats fell in such obscene numbers that some of them were able to survive their otherwise deadly descent toward the ground by landing on the haphazardly heaped remains of their unfortunate fellows. However, the effects of the Empowered Ward combined with their injuries left the survivors unable to relocate before those that came after crashed into them in turn.


    The hail of unwitting undead projectiles continued for the better part of an hour and left the mountain pass carpeted in broken rotten bodies. A small number of small furry Zombies were still crawling aimlessly, or at least, they seemed to be. It was just as likely that their broken limbs made it impossible to move in the direction they intended.


    Despite the distraction of the wet muffled crunching sounds coming from outside of the bunker, I kept a keen eye on the kill notification panel. My diligence was rewarded when Ophelia¡¯s Summoned Projection registered a kill. However, it was not what I had expected.


    As the unliving hail of undead projectiles thinned, Ophelia¡¯s projection returned and deposited the corpse of my attacker at my feet.


    He was, or had been, human.


    Bald and of middle but otherwise indeterminate age, his body, what wasn¡¯t covered in short dark robes, prominently featured swirling tattoos. The blood vessels in his eyes had burst and his face was locked in an expression of terror that was at odds with his fearsome facial tattoos.


    His basic armour and robes were both detected as magical but were not anything special. A thorough search of his body uncovered nothing further besides a simple low-tier magical dagger.


    Randle, Faine and Jayne confirmed that the dead man appeared to be of at least partial Werrian ethnicity. However, they admitted that the tattoos made it difficult to be certain.


    ¡°Is it possible he had some sort of item, or had a Class that would allow him to invade my mind?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°Like a Mind Mage?¡± Faine suggested helpfully.


    I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I had been hoping that whatever Ability had allowed the invader access and influence over my mind had been more esoteric in nature.


    ¡°Are Mind Mages common?¡± I asked, trying my best to keep the sense of dread from my voice.


    The three cousins shared uncertain looks with one another before nodding.


    ¡°Incredibly rare,¡± Randle stated confidently, ¡°At least, according to the information released by the guilds...¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± I now understood the cause for their earlier uncertainty in spite of Randle¡¯s confidence in answering my question. ¡°But if they are so rare, why does this one have such weak equipment? Wouldn¡¯t it have made more sense for him to have better protective gear?¡±


    Faine and Randle nodded in agreement but otherwise remained silent.


    ¡°Perhaps his equipment was taken by one of the Liche¡¯s Lieutenants?¡± Jayne suggested, ¡°Sending him out to control or compromise our position was probably not seen as a high-risk assignment. Or, perhaps it was, and they were using this as an opportunity to purge him from their ranks while doing damage to ours?¡±


    ¡°Mind Mages aren¡¯t popular,¡± Randle agreed grimly, ¡°There is no shortage of stories about them turning rulers into puppets and driving thriving countries into the ground...¡±


    Faine nodded in agreement and began scrutinising the corpse for a second time.


    ¡°Assuming, of course, that he was even with the undead to begin with,¡± Jayne observed somewhat distractedly before pointing to the dead man¡¯s tattoos, ¡°Those look like the sort of bizarre markings used by cults.¡±


    Faine and Randle¡¯s expressions and demeanour hardened at the mention of a cult.


    ¡°It would explain the low-tier gear,¡± Faine agreed bitterly, ¡°And depending on what sort of crazy this cult may be, it could explain why he attacked us during the attack by the undead.¡±


    ¡°Some sort of doomsday cult?¡± Randle suggested and scowled down at the dead man, ¡°They might have a hidden base on these mountains and this guy probably figured he could sabotage us enough for the undead to do the rest of the work.¡±


    ¡°Maybe...¡± I agreed with a deep sigh, ¡°We will need to be more diligent moving forward.¡±


    Keenly aware that at least some of the Zombified bats were probably Plague Zombies, I motioned for my champions to stay back while I left the bunker. After surveying the extent of the biohazard, I realised I didn¡¯t have many choices if I wanted to keep our current fortified position. If I couldn¡¯t get rid of the Plague Zombies¡¯ corpses, it was entirely possible that the approaching Asrusian army would become infected.


    A short thorny bush near the bunker caught my attention. A broken Zombie bat was single-mindedly engaged in tearing itself apart as it attempted, rather unsuccessfully, to free itself from the bush¡¯s thorny vines.


    The sight gave me an idea.


    Uprooting the bush with a light tug, I shook the zombie bat free and crushed it beneath my booted heel.


    I bit the inside of my cheek and gathered my mana. Unsure if it would make much of a difference, I focused my thoughts on my absolute loathing of the undead and the destruction they had caused. Spitting my blood onto the roots of the thornbush, I cast the Empowered Plant Growth Spell.


    As I had expected, tendrils of blood streamed out of my mouth and soaked into the root¡¯s vines and small trunk of the thornbush. Already dark brown, almost black in colour, the bark of the thornbush remained much the same as before. However, the pale thorns took on a deep crimson hue.


    With the Spell completed, the roots and vines of the thornbush began to move of their own accord.


    Sensing no immediate hostile intent directed toward myself, I steeled my nerve and began traversing the carpet of broken corpses.


    To my immense relief, the presence of the undead appeared to agitate the newly awakened thorn bush. It made attempts at swiping at any still-moving bats that we passed, albeit unsuccessfully. In its current state, the thornbush was simply too small for its vines and roots to reach the small bats scattered on the ground.


    Surprisingly, the thornbush didn¡¯t attempt to free itself from my grasp. Whether it was because it trusted me, recognised me as its creator, or simply saw no reason to do so, was unclear. Unlike Hana and her sister, I was not able to communicate with vegetation.


    Upon reaching the centre of the pass, I used the Shape Stone Spell to burrow a large hole in the ground and then made a second much smaller but equally deep hole beside it. With both holes completed, I made a small tunnel roughly the same size as the second hole that connected both holes together.


    With a number of broken bat bodies already occupying the larger hole, I carefully lowered the thornbush¡¯s roots and trunk into the smaller hole. The thornbush didn¡¯t seem to understand what I intended, but using the Plant Growth allowed me to fuel its growth and direct its roots down the hole.


    Ignoring the small number of still mobile bats headed toward me, I continued my efforts until the thornbush¡¯s roots were long enough to begin snaking out of the tunnel at the bottom of the hole.


    Fuelled by my mana, the thornbush¡¯s roots began penetrating and entombing the bat corpses of its own accord.


    Reduced to a third of my total mana, I ended the Plant Growth Spell and began kicking broken bat bodies into the large hole.


    To my surprise, the roots of the thornbush continued to grow and seek out new bodies to feed upon. It took me a couple of minutes to realise that the Zombies must have small manastones inside of them and that the thornbush was using them to fuel its continued growth.


    Raising a crescent-shaped wall from the ground with the Shape Stone Spell, I experimented with moving it about as a means to substitute for a shovel. To my immense relief, I found that I could emulate the effects of a snow plough or bulldozer by increasing the scale of the wall. Although mana intensive, the method allowed me to fill the large pit within a very short amount of time and with little real effort.


    Of course, I hadn¡¯t managed to dispose of even a hundredth of the broken bat corpses, but it was a start.


    After boring the larger hole deeper, I focused on clearing a path to the bunker and then to the cave where Dhizi and Clarice were taking refuge.


    Clarice looked profoundly relieved to see us. ¡°That was fucking crazy!¡± She swore nervously and motioned to the mouth of the cave, ¡°I mean, what was the fucking point of all that?! I mean, if they caught us outside, maybe it would have been different-¡±


    ¡°It was the Ward,¡± I interjected guiltily, ¡°Once they entered its range, they couldn¡¯t flap their wings nearly fast enough to stay airborne. I honestly hadn¡¯t expected something like this to happen.¡±


    ¡°Huh...¡± Clarice looked surprised but nodded in understanding, ¡°I wonder if the Ward could do the same to bigger monsters?¡±


    ¡°It depends,¡± I replied thoughtfully, ¡°Bats need to flap their wings a lot in order to fly, so they are particularly vulnerable. However, Ushu, Dhizi and Cooper would be fully capable of gliding out of range before a Ward becomes a real factor.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Clarice nodded again and scratched at her cheek, ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± she admitted. ¡°So...Are we just going to hunker down here for the night?¡± Clarice asked, ¡°Cuz I doubt you lot will get much done with all those bodies everywhere, and I don¡¯t want Dhizi eating any more of that rancid mess.¡±


    Dhizi¡¯s Toughness was high enough to resist the plague, but I was more worried about Clarice.


    ¡°We will take shelter until the sun rises,¡± I decided, ¡°Cooper and Ushu should be able to remain out of reach until then.¡±


    I used Shape Stone to create basic living quarters in the rear of the cave. There was nothing that could be done to suppress the stench of the rotting corpses outside, but it was somewhat less intense inside the cave.


    I stripped down to my padded cloth armour and did my best to try and get some rest while Jayne, Faine and Randle took turns keeping watch alongside Wisp.


    Thanks to Wisp¡¯s magic concealing our presence from the undead, the remainder of the night passed rather uneventfully.


    As we prepared to leave the cave, I was somewhat surprised to catch the thornbush using its thorny vines to drag dozens of the small bat corpses into the large hole. The length and thickness of its core vines had increased considerably, affording the thornbush roughly fifty feet of reach in each direction.


    Using the same strategy as before, I used the Shape Stone Spell to clear a path to the thornbush.


    As the mound of bodies entered its reach, the thornbush eagerly began snatching bundles of bodies at a time.


    ¡°Should we assist in aiding its growth, Majesty?¡± Jayne asked curiously, ¡°Or perhaps gather the bodies of the undead?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I warily eyed the sky and the mountains, ¡°It would be best to keep your mana in reserve.¡±


    Until I acquired more magic items that would allow them to abuse the same feedback loop for generating mana, It was safer that I do the heavy lifting on my own.


    ¡°Just keep a sharp eye out while I work,¡± I ordered and began considering how best to proceed.


    Relocating all the bodies would be painfully inefficient if I relied upon the Shape Stone Spell, which was unfortunately the most risk-averse way of moving the bodies.


    Then the thought occurred to me that I might have been going about things the wrong way. I didn¡¯t need to bring the bodies to the thornbush, I just needed to provide the means for the thornbush to gather them on its own.


    Using the Shape Stone Spell, I began digging a two-foot deep and roughly three-inch wide trench from the thornbush¡¯s hole and up the mountainside. Kicking aside the corpses of the bats so I could see what I was working on.


    While digging the trench, I was deeply concerned to find that many of the undead from the prior evening were now pressed up against and swarming outside of the northern wall. There were so many of them that I became worried that they might become able to scale the wall by climbing over one another.


    Having reached my desired location, I stopped digging the trench and instead bored down into the mountainside to create two holes that would match the first pair in the path below. I swept some of the nearby corpses into the larger hole. Descending the mountain, I sealed the trench beneath an inch of stone.


    Upon reaching the bottom of the mountain, I was pleased to find that some of the thornbush¡¯s roots were already snaking their way through the trench.


    After sealing the trench, I began pouring my mana into the Plant Growth Spell and willing the thornbush¡¯s roots to continue their progress up the mountain. I couldn¡¯t sense the plants like Gana and her sister, so I had to send Faine up the mountain so I would know when the roots arrived at their destination.


    Once I had confirmation that the roots had arrived, I concentrated on the mental image of the roots fusing together and growing a new trunk inside of the second smaller hole. I met some initial resistance, but it quickly evaporated as I redoubled the flow of mana.


    Having depleted my mana to a fifth of its total volume, I decided to stop and evaluate my efforts thus far.


    ¡°There seems to be no end to them,¡± Randle observed dryly while looking out over the northern plain.


    ¡°So much needless suffering and death...¡± Jayne agreed.


    By chance, I noticed the grizzly visage of what had once been a small child now shambling toward the greater horde. I forced myself to look away and continue up the mountain.


    As I had hoped, the roots had formed a second trunk and it was now in the process of growing new vines.


    By the time my mana had fully regenerated, the second growth of the thornbush had begun dragging bodies into its feeding pit. Its reach was less than five feet, but I was glad that the proof of concept seemed to be working out.


    It was more mana intensive than simply ploughing all the corpses toward the primary thornbush site. However, I was hoping that I could expand the concept to create screening walls to delay or outright intercept undead that would attempt to gain entry or outflank our position in the pass by using the mountains.


    Once my mana had fully regenerated, I began boring a trench lengthwise across the mountainside, matching the width and depth of the small hole. It took me close to an hour to dig the first trench, but I was pleased that the thornbush wasted no time in following along behind me. Many more tertiary trunks began sprouting up and out of the trench, but their growth stalled shortly after growing a small complement of vines.


    It took me two hours to dig the feeding trench, but the moment I began expanding the trench, the tertiary thornbush sites began undertaking explosive growth. Within minutes, the secondary trunks and their vines had doubled the size of the primary still located in the centre of the pass. Nets of thorny vines scraped the mountainside clean with gluttonous abandon, scarring and scoring the stone as they sought out every last morsel.


    As I made my way toward the western mountain to start again, the thornbush¡¯s roots eagerly surged through the trench as quickly as I could from it. Given time, I had little doubt that the roots would begin tunnelling through the rock that surrounded them. However, at least for the time being, the thornbush seemed content with following the path of least resistance.


    By midday, I completed the second set of trenches. However, the undead horde gathered beyond the northern wall had reached a critical mass. Those in front were being crushed to death and forming a part of an organic ramp, allowing those behind to come closer to reaching the top of the wall.


    In order to thin the ranks of the undead, I began using Thundering Strikes to turn stones into improvised grenades which my champions then threw over the wall.


    With some breathing room secured, I decided to turn my attention toward further fortifying the northern wall.


    I began remotely digging a trench twenty feet in front of the wall. Roughly ten feet wide and thirty feet deep, the fall would likely kill most lesser undead. Until, of course, the trench was sufficiently packed with bodies that would cushion their fall. However, displacing the stone for the trench provided a substantial amount of material to redirect toward building up the wall.


    To keep the lesser undead from building up again, I saved up my mana and used Lesser Summon Servant to Summon an Orc Slinger to man the wall. The Summoned Orc had enough mana that I hoped he would be able to thin the ranks of the approaching undead for at least a couple of hours.


    Judging the duration of Summons in advance was always tricky. Mana functionally replaced the caloric expenditure of a regular living being. So the very act of existing slowly drained their reserves. Paying for Class and certain Racial Abilities would burn through even more mana, cutting their duration shorter still.


    My guesstimation of the Orc¡¯s duration was based on the drain brought on by physical activity alone. My Racial Ability Synergies paired with the Orc¡¯s high Strength and Racial Abilities would provide a significant damage boost, making Class Abilities complete overkill against Skeletons and Zombies.


    I was just glad that enough Orcs had taken the Slinger Class so that I could make such an economical choice. I couldn¡¯t just pick and mix Lesser versions of Summons willy-nilly. I needed individuals to serve as the reference for the template in order for it to function.


    Cooper and Ushu landed on the western slope of the eastern mountain sometime after midday, allowing their riders to disembark and slowly make their way down to Clarice and Dhizi¡¯s cave. Curiously, the thornbush parted its wall of thorny vines to allow an unobstructed passage down the mountain.


    The thornbush¡¯s behaviour came as a profound relief. While I had not detected overt hostility from the thornbush directed toward myself or my champions, I had not been certain that ambivalence would extend to others. If the worst were to occur, I was prepared to Summon Hana to calm the thornbush down. However, given her reaction to the willow tree, I wanted to avoid revealing the thornbush¡¯s existence unless absolutely necessary.


    Unsure whether the gesture would be interpreted in the way I intended, I conjured a fistful of high-tier manastones from Sanctuary¡¯s treasury. I hesitated for a moment as the long-buried temptations of my manastone addiction fought for purchase in my mind. Taking a deep breath, I dropped the manastones into the central feeding pit beside the primary thornbush.


    At first, nothing happened. As best I could figure, the thornbush was confused by the absence of organic matter. However, its inaction was quickly forgotten when it surged into sudden, almost violent action. The manastones were swarmed and then engulfed by the extensive mass of roots at the bottom of the pit, disappearing from sight before the roots dragged them deeper still.


    The vines on the thornbush waved like tall grass in the wind before retracting and bundling themselves protectively over the feeding pit.


    If the first action was definitely open for interpretation, the intention of the second clearly indicated a possessiveness that seemed oddly fitting for such a rugged plant.


    Very nearly all of the corpses had been claimed and devoured by the thornbush and its subsidiaries, leaving dried patches of crusty blood behind. Ideally, I would have preferred the blood to be cleaned away as well, but it simply didn¡¯t seem possible. I just had to hope that the plague properties of the Plague Zombies would die off over time and without a host to shield it from the sun.


    I spent the rest of the day forming new bunkers and connected resting quarters sheltered inside of the mountains. The Asrusians were due to arrive sometime within the next couple of days and would need shelter in order to rest and regain their strength for the fighting ahead.


    Lacking the need to accommodate my true form, I kept the design of the primary garrisons simple.


    Each garrison featured a large central open space supported by thick pillars for stability. The sleeping quarters were shaped out of the walls of wide passageways that connected to the central garrison. Bored holes in the mountain provided ventilation and basic waste disposal.


    I lacked Hana¡¯s intuitive gifts, and I had no desire to reveal Qreet¡¯s existence to any foreign powers that might be spying on our position. This meant that I was unable to tap into the local water table and provide clean filtered water.


    Unwilling to waste any more time, I continued to expand the fortifications within the eastern mountain throughout the night. I took short rest breaks to recover my mana and delay mental fatigue.


    The stables for the Beasts ridden by the cavalry were profoundly basic by necessity. I lacked the architectural know-how required to create anything better than what amounted to long wide corridors with hollowed-out spaces to serve as open pens for the Beasts. It was certainly better than nothing, but it left much to be desired and made me somewhat embarrassed.


    By the time the first elements of the Asrusian army had arrived, I was very nearly finished with the basic preparations.


    I tasked Faine with the responsibility of explaining things to the Asrusian officers and organising which forces would be deployed where.


    I wasn¡¯t an experienced tactician and was more than happy for someone far more competent to handle such things on my behalf. Besides, so far as the Asrusians would be aware, I was just another one of the Tyrant¡¯s champions, and I would prefer to keep it that way.


    After the Asrusians had taken some time to recuperate, they began preliminary steps in refurbishing the garrisons and bunkers. Most notably, they began installing doors so each of these locations could be secured as required.


    To aid in that effort, I spent an hour creating small holes in the stone for the pins and pegs that would anchor the door hinges. Later, I created slots in the door jambs that allowed for sliding wooden bolts to securely lock doors shut. I would have seen to those tasks earlier, but standardisation was something of a pipedream when a hundred different smiths were commissioned to make the same hinge in a hundred different smithies.


    A single team of soldiers with crossbows had taken up position in one of the forwardmost bunkers on the western mountain and had thinned the ranks of the approaching undead considerably.


    For the most part, the advanced team had taken the presence and role of the thornbush in stride. However, they didn¡¯t seem to believe Randle¡¯s description of events that had required the cultivation of the plant in the first place.


    To be fair, If I hadn¡¯t witnessed it first-hand already, I probably would have had a hard time conceptualising hundreds of thousands of undead raining from the sky if I was in their place.


    In order to secure more space for Ushu and Cooper, I descended the path alongside my champions and began raising a third wall. The number of undead approaching from the south had dwindled to the point that I was able to raise the wall in its entirety before the first of the zombies even came within a hundred feet of our position.


    No doubt, the advance team had culled their way through a number of undead before making their final approach. The remaining undead that had followed behind them were now probably targeting the larger Asrusian army instead.


    Left with nothing else to occupy my time, I continued expanding the trenches to cover the flanks of the newly claimed stretch of the pass. As the sun began to set, I began burrowing into the western mountain to create an experimental feeding chamber.


    The number of bodies outside of the north wall was only going to grow. I hadn¡¯t cast the Dirge of Undeath, but once I did, the number of undead drawn to our location would very likely number in the millions. At a certain point, walls simply wouldn¡¯t cut it. The sheer volume of undead and their remains would allow entry to our fortifications.


    That was ignoring the all-but-guaranteed presence of stronger undead that could probably scale the walls independently.


    I hoped that the thornbush would somewhat alleviate the pressure generated by the lesser undead, freeing up the soldiers and my champions to focus on the true threats. Of course, it was all really a gamble.


    From what I had observed thus far, the thornbush and its subsidiaries were fully capable of stripping every square inch of flesh from a corpse. However, after the roots had broken apart the bones and consumed the marrow, they left the bones be.


    There were upper limits on how much space I could bore out of each mountain, and the more space I created, the higher the risk of collapse would become.


    I was reinforcing the stone surfaces as much as possible by eliminating faults and increasing surface density, but I wasn¡¯t an expert. Eventually, something would go wrong. I had experienced a number of near misses with minor cave-ins and collapses already and truly felt like I was pushing my luck by continuing.


    However, things took a more positive turn when I accidentally tunnelled into a large cavern. Preliminary exploration revealed that the cavern connected to a cave on the southwestern face of the mountain.


    After intense discussion and debate with my champions on how best to proceed, I decided to seal the cave entrance and use the cavern as the thornbush¡¯s collective feeding pit and waste disposal.


    While boring out the shaft that would allow the thornbush access to the passage to the cavern, I discovered that the roots from the feeding trench had already begun pressing their way through the rock of their own accord. Their progress was small, but it was a clear indication that they were capable of expanding on their own.


    Given enough time, I didn¡¯t doubt that the thornbush would eventually cover both mountains in their entirety. With manastones as an accelerant, and its ability to dictate its own growth, all the thornbush lacked was time and nutrients. The latter would be provided in abundance, but I was uncertain whether it would be able to maintain itself long-term.


    The prospect of maintaining an external fortress of my own held a certain appeal, but I didn¡¯t really need it. At least, not beyond this particular set of circumstances.


    The Vampyrs attempted another raid around midnight and despite the warning provided a Kobold auxiliary, managed to ambush one of the sentries before being destroyed by Wisp. The sentry had been critically injured and returned to Sanctuary, but appeared to have otherwise survived the encounter.


    The arrival of the next wave of Asrusian soldiers in the early morning raised morale but brought worrying news. The army had been attacked during the night by the Vampyrs as well. Unlike the sentry, four soldiers had died before their Contracts had time to activate, and thirty-seven others had been badly maimed.


    I entrusted Randle with delivering a second Empowered Ward to the main force that was still on the march. By all reports, they were expected to arrive sometime tomorrow, but the increase in undead activity was making me nervous. I figured it would be better to play it safe and make it that much harder for the Vampyrs to execute a successful raid.


    At the request of the soldiers manning the bunkers, I set iron staves into the firing ports. With the intention of making it that much harder for smaller or more agile undead to squeeze into the bunker, it came at the cost of impairing the lines of sight and firing angles of the soldiers within. However, given that the soldiers were no doubt used to more traditional fortifications, I could understand why they likely felt daunted by such comparatively large firing ports.


    The Vampyrs attempted another raid during the night. However, they aborted their attack when the thornbush temporarily entangled several of their members and gave away their position. None of the Vampyrs had been killed, but we hadn''t lost any soldiers either. So I was inclined to chalk it up as a win.


    The final detachment of soldiers arrived around midday and it took the remainder of the day for the consolidated army to reorganise itself. For the most part, I kept myself and my champions out of things as much as possible. We would soon be under siege, and the soldiers needed a clean and transparent chain of command.


    I did my best to accommodate requests for additional defences and modifications to those I had made already.


    While the higher-ranking officers liked the bunkers in general principle, they preferred the ability to field increased volumes of ranged units where required. To that end, I spent the better part of a day cutting steps and paths across the northern face of both mountains. It was relatively easy and not very mana intensive compared to digging the trenches. However, creating the sheer number of reinforced ledges required for the requested dedicated firing positions took up most of my time.


    As expected, the setting of the sun brought another Vampyr raid. Only this time, it was much larger and was initiated from multiple fronts.


    Seven soldiers were injured badly enough for their Contracts to return them to Sanctuary, and a couple of dozen more required healing from the Surgeons.


    In exchange, three Vampyrs had been killed, and four others had been badly wounded. The wounded Vampyrs would probably recover in time for the next raid. However, the soldiers¡¯ morale was bolstered by the fact that the Empowered Ward was having a noticeable effect in dampening the Vampyrs'' potent combat capabilities.


    Vampyrs had heightened speed, Agility and Strength. Their durability was heavily dependent upon their ability to regenerate. However, a Vampyr¡¯s ability to regenerate was finite. Healing their wounds came at the cost of the stolen blood coursing through their veins. More than that, depleting its blood supply stripped Vampyrs of the lion¡¯s share of their superhuman capabilities.


    Combined blood loss with the dampening effect of the Ward made Vampyrs progressively easier to fight the longer an encounter dragged on.


    With superior numbers, and competitive synergies to somewhat balance the playing field, the Asrusian soldiers were capable of giving worse than they got in an open engagement. Were it not for the Vampyrs'' ability to see in the dark and reliance on ambush tactics, the losses would be firmly in the Asrusians'' favour.


    Of course, that was only in the case of the Lesser Vampyrs. More powerful Vampyrs were still a force to be reckoned with but were comparatively few in number.


    With the rising of the sun, I decided that our defences were as good as they were going to get, for the time being at least. Our delay had already likely cost thousands of lives. I felt no responsibility for those slain by the undead. However, it did not mean I could simply allow it to continue either.


    Under Wisp¡¯s supervision, I cast the Empowered Dirge of Undeath Spell upon a firmly anchored banner set behind the northern wall. Compelled by the Spell, a deep mournful moan passed over my lips, sending bloody rivulets of spittle circling into the air and around the banner.


    A chill wind swept down from the mountains, cutting through my armour and down to my bones. It left me feeling numb and confused. Several moments passed before I realised that the deep mournful moaning echoing through the mountain pass was not my own. Even so, blood continued to trail out of my mouth and showed no signs of stopping.


    Dark clouds began to gather in the sky and block out the sun, casting the world in muted shadow. Thunder rumbled in the distance as darker storm clouds rolled ever closer to the mountains.


    An unnatural silence took hold in the wake of my Spell. A silence so deep and complete that I would have thought myself deaf if I wasn¡¯t so painfully aware of the sound of my own breathing.


    Through a force of will, I forced myself to move.


    As if they had been waiting for permission, the soldiers stationed on the wall stiffly began to stagger about. Cursing under their breath and holding trembling hands before one another¡¯s faces.


    ¡°This...may have been a mistake...¡± Wisp commented, his voice barely above a faint whisper.


    ¡°You think?¡± I muttered nervously, unable to muster the right energy for true sarcasm.


    ¡°The Spell...The call, was stronger than I expected...¡± Wisp admitted in a reflective tone while staring up at the darkening sky, ¡°I felt it, the pull, the need to answer...If I was not your loyal servant, and instead an enemy, I do not believe I could have resisted it...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying, the Liche might be drawn here after all?¡± I pressed urgently while stifling my voice as much as possible so I wouldn¡¯t frighten the soldiers any further.


    ¡°There is a strong possibility,¡± Wisp agreed dourly.


    ¡°Crypt Stalkers!¡± Called a soldier from up on the eastern mountain.


    ¡°Vampyrs!¡± Called out another less than a moment later.


    ¡°BOWMEN!! MAKE READY!!¡± Roared a Sergeant stationed on the wall, and the order was repeated to the east and west as other officers came to their senses.


    The Spell had drained nearly half of my maximum mana, but I knew that I needed to help bolster the troops'' morale. Gathering most of my remaining mana, I Summoned a projection of Ophelia and two Lesser Summons in her likeness.


    Without needing to be told what to do, Ophelia and her lesser entourage rose into the sky and over the wall. ¡°TAKE HEART AND HEED MY WORDS!¡± Ophelia¡¯s voice carried effortlessly over the mountains, drowning out the approaching thunderstorm. With an expression of righteous anger, Ophelia stared down at the soldiers while pointing her naked blade out toward the northeast, ¡°THE VILE AND UNHOLY WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST YOU! SO LONG AS YOU HAVE THE WILL TO STAND AND FIGHT! MY WRATH SHALL BE YOUR STRENGTH!¡± Ophelia raised her sword toward the sky in a two-hand grip and then cast it down to the ground.


    Ophelia¡¯s sword flew over the wall and struck the ground a short distance behind me, burying nearly half the length of its blade in the ground. A pulse of amber light radiated from the sword and then Ophelia and her entourage disappeared.


    Initially puzzled by the lingering presence of Ophelia¡¯s sword, I quickly realised that an amber glow now clung to not only Ophelia¡¯s sword, but Blackthorn as well. Looking to my champions, I found that their weapons had taken on the amber glow as well.


    ¡°A conditional, persistent, and self-perpetuating slayer enchantment,¡± Wisp commented approvingly, ¡°A worthwhile and surprisingly efficient use of Divinity. I am glad our conversations have not been a complete waste.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what?¡± Randle asked before I had the chance to do the same.


    ¡°The sword is serving as a focus for channelled Divinity to provide a localised mass enchantment- Wisp began to explain in his usual dry crackling voice but was interrupted.


    ¡°The sword is making everyone''s weapons enchanted,¡± Faine stated matter-of-factly without a hint of judgement or impatience despite his interruption.


    ¡°But what was that about self-perpetuating?¡± Jayne asked curiously, ¡°Does that mean it will continue to reapply the enchantment? Or?...¡±


    Wisp remained silent for a moment, no doubt to ensure he wouldn¡¯t be interrupted for a second time. ¡°If my observations are correct, the manastones within undead slain by the slayer enchantment will be consumed as a means to fuel the ongoing enchantment projected through the sword...Of course...I could be wrong...¡± Wisp admitted, shrugging the shoulders of his robe, ¡°In any case, the cost in Divinity will have been significantly less than what would have been required to maintain such an enchantment indefinitely or individually bless every weapon in a fashion such as your own,¡± he motioned to the weapons Ophelia had created for each of them, ¡°Truly divine artefacts in their own right,¡± he then turned the hood of his robe toward the sword embedded in the ground, ¡°And so is this,¡± without visible effort, Wisp drew the sword out of the ground and rested the flat of the blade against his chest.


    ¡°You intend to stand vigil with the blade?¡± I asked, impressed by Wisp¡¯s demonstration of initiative.


    ¡°I do,¡± Wisp stated matter of factly and effortlessly leapt up and onto the wall, ¡°A beacon is best served where it can be seen by those who need it most. And of us all, I believe I, by virtue of experience and ability, am best suited to the role!¡± The righteous candour of his statement was slightly undercut by the strikingly appropriate level of amusement in his voice.


    ***** Liz (Vampyr) - Werrian Empire *****


    Droplets of rain splashed against Liz¡¯s face as she raced across the open countryside at breakneck speeds. Her undead eyes ignored the minor sources of irritation outright and remained fixated on the distant horizon.


    Something had roused Liz from her slumber and she could not resist the urge to investigate. Vaguely, Liz was aware that something had a hold of her and that her decisions were not entirely her own. However, attempting to shake the compulsion had proved beyond her capabilities. Resisting, even for a few moments, had proven exhausting.


    Which left Liz in her current state, reduced to a mere passenger in her own body.


    The sole consolation she felt in the current situation, was that the extreme cloud cover blocked out the sun to a high enough degree that her exposed skin didn¡¯t go up in flames.


    The further Liz travelled, the more she found that she was not alone.


    Hundreds of weaker Vampyrs were racing as fast as they were able in the same direction, and all manner of lesser undead were doing the same.


    Liz would have assumed Amalda was responsible, but she would have had the courtesy to let Liz know beforehand and not just sprung it on her like this.


    What Liz found odd was how the shambling hordes of Zombies had suddenly changed horror franchises and were awkwardly sprinting instead of stiffly stumbling about. They were very nearly as fast as some of the stealthier undead who favoured ambushes.


    Upon some self-reflection, Liz realised that she was moving faster than she was normally used to as well. Not that she often had cause to test her limits.


    Liz became vaguely aware that Amalda was trying to get in contact with her, even going so far as to attempt compulsions of her own. Liz wasn¡¯t sure whether to be pissed off or touched. Whatever was calling her, compelling her, made it difficult to think clearly. All she knew for certain was that there was somewhere she needed to be, and she had to get there as quickly as she was able.


    As true darkness descended, Liz took on a sustained burst of speed, outstripping the weaker vampires by leaps and bounds. She felt a perverse satisfaction in demonstrating her superiority over them.


    [ Y?????????o?????????????u??????????????????????r???????????????????????? ??????????????????L?????????????????????????o???r???????????????????????????d??????????? ??????????????h???????????????a????????????????s????????????????? ??????????C????????????o?????????????????m???????m?????????????????a????????????n????d???????????e??????????????d??????????????? ????y????????????????????????????o??????????u??????????????????????? ??????????????????????????t?????????o????????????????????? ??????????r???????????????????e?????????????t??????????????????????????u???????????????????????????r??????????????????????????n?????????????????????????????!???????????????????? ] A panel of garbled text briefly blocked Liz¡¯s line of sight.


    Without a biological requirement to blink and her body basically running on autopilot, Liz spent the better part of what felt like at least an hour trying to puzzle out what it said. In that time, two more panels of garbled text appeared beneath the first, thoroughly impairing Liz¡¯s ability to make out her surroundings.


    Curiously, whatever compulsion had a hold of her, seemed to take Liz¡¯s impaired vision into account and slowed her pace to a brisk walk.


    ¡°Weeeeeirrrrrrrd...¡± Liz¡¯s attempt at a snarky observation was ruined as she found herself struggling to speak.


    <L?????????????i???????????z??????????????!?????????????????? ?????W????????????????????????h????????????????????e?????????????????????????r????????????????e????????????????? ??????????????????t??????????????????????h????????????????e??????? ??????????????????????????f???????????????????u?????????????????????c??????k???? ???????????a?????????????????????????r????????e???????????? ???????????????????????????y?????????????????????????????o????????????????????????u???????????????????????????!????????????> Liz vaguely became aware of a distorted voice buzzing insistently in the back of her mind. Instinctively, Liz recognised that it had to belong to Amalda.


    Gathering her thoughts as best she could, Liz struggled to think of how to go about explaining what was happening. Her struggle was intensified when her attempts at concentration reflexively caused her to blink. With the panels of garbled text no longer blocking her vision, Liz¡¯s body swiftly returned to its original breakneck pace.


    <Running...> Liz tried to communicate back through the mental connection but felt the connection break before she could form more than a single word.


    However, persistent and loyal bitch that she was, Amalda reestablished the connection again a few moments later. <L??????????i????????????????????z?????????????????????????!?????????????????????? ??????????W?????????????????????h??????????????????a???????????t???????????????? ??????????????t??????????????h??????????????????????e??????????????? ????????f???????????????u??????????????????????????????c????????????k????????????????? ???????????w????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????s?????????????????????????? ????????t?????????????????h??????????????a???????????????????????t??????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????W?????????????????????????h?????????????????e?????????????????????r??????????????e??????????????? ?????????????????a????????????????r?????????????????????????e????????????????????????? ????????????????????y???????????????????o????????????????????????u???????????????????????????????????!?????????????> Unfortunately, Liz still couldn¡¯t understand what Amalda was saying.


    <Running...> Liz felt the connection become strained but it managed to hold. <Need...Go...Follow...> The connection collapsed.


    There was a lengthy pause before the connection opened for a third time. <I????????????????????????? ?????????????????c????????a?????????????n????????????''?????????????????????t????????????????? ??????????u???????????????????n???????????????d?????????????????e?????????????????????r???????????????s?????????????????????????????t???????????????????a????????????n??????????????????d??????? ?????????????w????????????h???????????????a???????????t?????????????? ??????????????y???????????????o???????????????u????????????????? ??????????????????????a??????????????????r???????????????????????e????????????? ??????????????????s???????????????????????a??????????????????????y????????????????????????i???????????n??????????????????g??????????????????!???????????????????? ???????????????I???????????????''?????????????????????????m??????????????????? ??????????????c?????????????????o????????????????????m??????i???????????n??????????????????g????????????????????????? ??????????t?????????????????????????????o???????????????????????? ?????????????????????g????????????????????????e????????????????????????????t???????????????????????? ??????????????????> Before Liz could attempt to make a reply, the connection closed.


    As the surrounding landscape gave way to open plains, Liz struggled and ultimately failed to keep track of the passage of time.


    The call had slowly grown in intensity as Liz drew closer to its source, dominating her every thought with a need to answer and obey. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without warning, Liz came to a sudden and unceremonious halt as the compulsion disappeared from her mind.


    Confused and disoriented, Liz found herself surrounded by a shambling horde of rotting half-frozen Zombies. Liz spotted another Vampyr a short distance away who seemed just as confused as she was.


    However, just as Liz was about to make a demand of the weaker Vampyr, a glowing arrow struck the Vampyr in the head.


    Amused by the Vampyr¡¯s bad luck, Liz snickered and gave the Vampyr a moment to remove the projectile from its eye socket.


    However, instead of removing the arrow, the Vampyr just stood there with a surprised and pained expression on its deathly pale face. Then it crumbled into a pile of ash.


    Liz felt a surge of panic and ducked on instinct, barely dodging a trio of arrows that would have struck her in the head and neck. The mindless Zombies behind her collapsed the moment they were struck, their empty clothes collapsing to the ground as their rotten bodies turned to ash.


    ¡°The fuck is going on?!¡± Liz cursed and attempted to crawl through the shuffling horde of Zombies.


    In the distance, Liz could hear the urgent and angry shouts of humans and had to assume that she had been drawn into some sort of ambush. However, as she tried to run away, Liz felt the compulsion take hold of her mind once more and drive her back the way she had come. Reduced to a mere passenger, Liz felt a surge of pure terror as weaker undead were cut down all around her.


    The moment Liz regained control, she dropped straight down to the ground once more and began feverishly digging at the half-frozen dirt with her bare hands. using her unnatural strength and hardened claws, Liz made good time digging out a foxhole to hide in. However, just as she was hunkering down and intending to formulate some sort of plan, her eyes were drawn skyward toward the scaly underbelly of a giant flying reptile.


    ¡°Oh fuck me...¡± Liz cursed, ¡°Things weren¡¯t bad enough already? They got a fucking dragon too?!¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 60 – Marked for death – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 60 ¨C Marked for death ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 60 - Marked for death - Part One


    The effects of the Ward and Dirge of Undeath actively competed against one another. However, it was obvious that the Dirge of Undeath was the stronger Spell overall. The Empowered version of the Spell appeared to provide or otherwise enforce a much higher level of mobility from the undead under its influence. The effects of the Empowered ward dampened the mobility bonus, functionally returning the undead to their original levels of function.


    Despite losing the advantages provided by the Ward, cancelling the Dirge of Undeath was out of the question. Drawing the undead to our fortified position and destroying them was the reason for using the Dirge of Undeath in the first place.


    To offset the loss of the Ward, I Summoned generic Lesser Summons of every Species represented within my Demi-Plane. I kept the Lesser Summons stowed away out of sight and away from danger. Maintaining them would take up most of my considerable means of mana regeneration, and I didn¡¯t want to increase that burden further.


    Ophelia¡¯s blessing had solved one of my most pressing fears regarding the near-limitless numbers of the undead. By turning the corpses of the defeated undead into ash, it prevented the remaining lesser undead from using their fallen as means to scale the northern and southern walls.


    Unfortunately, many of the middling and greater undead did not need the leg up to scale the walls. They possessed inherent advantages that allowed them to climb or jump over the walls under their own power.


    In the fringes of the Ward¡¯s influence, more powerful undead had begun forming a coordinated effort to preserve their own numbers. Rough trenches were carved out of the frozen dirt by hand and claw while the displaced earth was turned into loose low walls intended to break the line of sight of the Asrusian bowmen.


    To better counter the entrenchment effort of the Vampyrs, I began forming towers on the northeast face of the western mountain. Forming bunkers and firing positions higher up the mountain would have been a more efficient use of mana and time. However, it would have dramatically increased the horizontal distance between the bowmen and the Vampyrs'' position, rendering their attacks less effective.


    With so much of my attention dedicated elsewhere, I relied heavily on my champions to intercept undead that managed to outflank our fortifications.


    For the most part, the Asrusians seemed more than capable of culling the endless hordes of lesser undead. Even the middling undead were dispatched without much apparent difficulty.


    However, the longer the fighting continued, the more the Asrusian bowmen began to tire. Targets were so plentiful that the bowmen hardly needed to aim. Unfortunately, drawing back bow strings on their bows and crossbows still exacted a toll on the stamina of the bowmen. The stamina cost could be offset by the Kobold Racial Ability, but it wasn¡¯t a perfect solution since the soldiers had to take time off to eat and recover their lost HP.


    The officers in charge were doing their best to cycle through their troops. However, the overwhelming number of undead had instilled a mild sense of panic in the soldiers, making them resistant to the orders requiring them to take time off to rest and recuperate.


    I understood the feeling all too well.


    The endless hordes of undead rushing toward the wall fostered a mounting sense of urgency in my mind. The need to be doing more to ensure not just our victory, but our survival.


    Adding to that pressure, the more intelligent undead had begun to return ranged attacks against those positioned on the wall. Most of the attacks were made with simple slings hurling rough stones.


    Propelled by the unholy strength of the Vampyrs, the mundane projectiles travelled far faster and further than under the means of a regular man. While not nearly as lethal as the slaying enchantment provided by Ophelia, a lucky strike had the capability of doing severe damage.


    Matters became even more complicated with the arrival of the armoured undead. Most appeared to be unfortunate Werrian soldiers who had been raised as Zombies by the Liche. However, a minority amongst their number moved with purpose and undeniable intelligence.


    As best I could tell, they attempted to probe the fortifications for exploitable weaknesses. That, or they were deliberately drawing attacks to satisfy a nascent death wish. However, given the difficulty of downing the armoured Zombies, the brashness of the more intelligent undead could have been the result of deserved arrogance.


    With each passing moment, greater numbers of armoured undead appeared amongst the ranks of the endless horde.


    To counter the ever-increasing ranks of the armoured undead, the Asrusians deployed ballista. The siege javelins launched from the ballistae proved capable of piercing through several unarmoured undead and still penetrating an armoured undead¡¯s shield and armour.


    The only downside was that the ballistae and their teams needed dedicated space to function correctly. This was a stark contrast to the soldiers using bows and crossbows, who could set up just about anywhere and fight within arm¡¯s length of one another without issue.


    Ushu, Cooper, and Dhizi strafed the battlefield, dashing apart undead by the dozens as their talons crashed into the rotting bodies of the undead and their tails smashed them to pieces. All the while, the teams on their backs rained down death upon the endless hordes.


    With every other pass, the trio of giant flying reptiles disgorged torrents of caustic bile which melted the flesh and corroded the bones of any undead it came into contact with. Dhizi¡¯s bile was particularly potent, liquifying lesser undead in less than a second.


    As near as I could tell, Dhizi¡¯s venom-related Racial Abilities extended to saliva, which was technically venomous. I also had a hunch that the increased rate of digestion from my own Iron Gut¡¯s Racial Ability Synergy was contributing to the rate at which the undead were dissolved.


    The expulsion of bile was not a Species or Class Ability, and after a few dozen torrents each, the trio of giant flying reptiles had depleted their supply.


    Thankfully, their bile retained significant potency and the caustic pools continued exacting a horrific toll on the mindless undead.


    Despite their horrific losses, the undead were slowly gaining ground. Through sheer weight of numbers, the undead hordes crept forward inch by inch, hour by hour. With no end to their ranks in sight, it was becoming a real possibility that the battle would eventually devolve into a desperate melee.


    The battle became even more chaotic as Zombie birds of prey the size of horses began arriving in ever-increasing numbers.


    Destroying the giant zombified birds was relatively easy. However, they drew attention away from the other undead, allowing them to gain more ground.


    The setting of the sun combined with the heavy cloud cover severely reduced visibility and allowed the intelligent undead to perform a series of moderately successful raids. Targeting the soldiers posted on the periphery, the undead employed ranged attacks to deny the Asrusians the opportunity to retaliate.


    It wasn¡¯t until sunrise that I realised how much of a strong role the thorn bush had played in protecting our position throughout the night.


    As the faint light of dawn bled over the mountains, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the masses of thorny vines that now covered the mountains flanking our fortifications. Like the many limbs of a giant eldritch cephalopod, thick vines arched from the mountains and snatched all but a few of the giant Zombie birds from the sky before they even had a chance to approach the pass.


    As more light filtered over the ground to the north, it revealed more thorny growths expanding from the mountains and forming screening walls to the northeast and northwest. However, for whatever reason, the thorn bush gave a wide berth to the Vampyrs'' trenches.


    Even so, the screening walls of thorns tore apart the undead with ruthless abandon, viciously tearing them limb from limb and crushing their bodies into a mangled mess. All the while, smaller vines dragged away the bounty of organic material and mana stones.


    Despite the assistance provided by the thorn bush, it barely dented the ranks of the otherwise limitless hordes of undead.


    A matter of intense concern came from the increasing numbers of undead arriving from the south. As best as anyone could determine, they were coming from the Mournbrent Labyrinth. Small consolation as it was, the undead approaching from the south lacked the numbers of those in the north. However, the increasing frequency of zombified monsters amongst the ranks of the northern hordes suggested the possibility that the Labyrinths of several cities had been turned into Zombie producing factories.


    If that was true, then my plan was very likely to fail without an appropriate degree of escalation.


    The only upside was that the more powerful and intelligent undead had been drawn alongside the mindless hordes. While destroying a few hundred thousand Zombies and Skeletons might not weaken the Liche¡¯s defences, losing her commanders and vanguard would.


    With the towers complete, I shifted my attention from defence to offence. In between maintaining the Lesser Summons, I experimented with casting Thundering Strikes on ballistae javelins. The lethality of the projectiles was notably increased, but it failed to meet my expectations.


    At my request, a catapult was assembled and custom ammunition was prepared. It was hours before the preparations were completed, but I had more than enough things to keep me busy in the meantime.


    Technically, I could have provided the stone ammunition for the catapult myself. However, I had my reasons for not doing so. Conserving mana was the most pressing reason. A lack of geological knowledge and the ability to sense faults in the stone was another.


    The special ammunition I had requested was custom-made by Sen back in Sanctuary. Made from dense but deliberately fault-ridden stone, I intended that the projectile would maintain its integrity long enough to land at its desired destination. Thundering Strikes would then cause the projectile to explode and send shards of stone scything through the ranks of the undead.


    I had no delusions that the injuries would be as fatal to the undead as they would be to living targets. However, the existence of HP and Ophelia¡¯s slayer enchantment meant that it could exact a potentially devastating toll.


    Watching the small boulder arc through the sky, I realised that the effective range of the catapult was far shorter than the movies had led me to expect. This left the trenches of the Vampyr well out of reach.


    The small boulder exploded after ploughing through several lesser undead. The resulting shrapnel scythed through the pressed ranks of the undead, turning them to ash.


    Spending a few minutes to confirm the kill count, I was stunned to discover that one hundred and seven lesser undead, mostly Zombies, had been destroyed by the explosion and shrapnel.


    While I had been sifting through the skill notifications, the catapult¡¯s crew had loaded and fired two large clay jars of burning oil.


    The burning oil did not seem particularly effective. The mindless undead simply ignored the flames and marched straight through the flames.


    Experimenting further, the catapult crew achieved far greater success with loads of stone shrapnel. The slayer enchantment made each individual stone a particularly lethal projectile against the undead. However, it was still less effective than hurling the original small stone boulder, so they switched back again.


    By the early evening, engineers were busy at work assembling a trebuchet. Unfortunately, the engineers would not be finished for quite some time.


    In an attempt to counter the rising numbers of armoured undead, ballistae began replacing the teams of bowmen who were formerly stationed within the bunkers. I was later approached by a Lieutenant who wanted to know if I could make arrow slits in the wall and scale them to allow for ballistae to fire javelins through them and straight into the approaching ranks of the undead.


    I had no particular reason to object, so I did as the Lieutenant asked.


    Despite the mounting losses amongst the Asrusian soldiers and Kobold auxiliary, the battle was steadily turning back in our favour. Another wave of Asrusian reinforcements had been requested and would arrive within a week. Emergency reinforcements could be deployed as well, but they were being kept as a trump card.


    Fesk and Nila¡¯s teams had both spotted Confederate scouts skulking in the mountains to the east and flying on large predatory birds to the south. It was obvious that the Confederate political faction they belonged to had no intention of assisting. They were there only to assess the Asrusians'' strength.


    Ushu, Cooper and Dhizi made the Asrusians a genuine threat. In an open battle, they were each capable of killing thousands of soldiers and breaching all but the most robust of defences. The special teams mounted on their backs made Ushu and Cooper a bane to other airborne monsters. Whatever the special teams couldn¡¯t bring down with projectiles, the Dragons could savagely maul into submission or retreat.


    In my haste and fervour to secure the pass, I hadn¡¯t fully considered how the existence of the thorn bush would be interpreted by our rivals.


    The best solution to the problem I could think of was to somehow transplant the core of the thorn bush into Mournbrent¡¯s Labyrinth after we defeated the Liche. In the Labyrinth, it would have all the undead it could eat and would stop them from leaving the Labyrinth uncontested.


    My line of thinking was that once rumours of the thorn bush occupying the first floor of the Mournbrent Labyrinth spread. Over time, people would simply assume that it was some sort of monster native to that Labyrinth and that the Asrusians had tamed some of them to subjugate the undead rampaging within the Werrian Empire¡¯s borders. Or something like that.


    A small number of the soldiers had already referred to the sentient thorn bush as a Thorn Beast and Bramble Walker. This made me confident that it could be passed off as some sort of monster without much difficulty.


    Although it did raise the issue of how I was going to communicate with it.


    To the best of my knowledge, the sentient thorn bush could understand spoken words. However, it had no vocal cords with which to reply in turn. Hana had shown she could understand the sentient willow, and other flora. The problem with involving Hana rested on how upset she had been when I used the Spell the first time.


    Granted, there were mitigating circumstances this time that would probably dampen her disappointment, but I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the confrontation.


    While preoccupied with my thoughts, I had been standing in front of the thornbush and staring at it. As much as a means to focus my thoughts as anything else.


    The trunk of the original thorn bush was now roughly three feet wide, and the forking vines were roughly a foot thick at their base.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure how, but I had the distinct impression that the thorn bush was staring just as intently at me as I was staring at it. The thorn bush might have had some form of mana sense that approximated the equivalent of sight and hearing, but I had no way of knowing for sure.


    On a whim, I reached out and pressed my hand against the trunk of the thorn bush. Uncertain of what I had expected, I was mildly surprised by just how warm the trunk was to the touch. However, I was far more surprised to recognise the mental link our physical contact formed in my mind.


    [ ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????h???????????????a?????????????????s?????? ?????????????????r??????e?????????????????????q????????????????????u????????????????e?????????s???????????????????t???e??????????????d?????????????? ?????????????t??????????????????o????????????? ???????????????????????????b???????????e?????????????c???????o?????????m???????????????????????e????????????????????????? ????????????????y?????????????????????o???????????????????????????u?????????????????????????r???????????????????????? ????????????m????????????i???????n?????????????????i????????????????????o???????????????n????????????????????.?????????????????????? ??????A??????????????c?????????????????????????c????????????????????????e??????????????p????????t?????????????????????????? ?????????????????(?????????????????????Y????????????????????/?????????????????N?????????)????????????????????? ]


    A gold and black status alert appeared in the centre of my vision. Flickering and shuddering, the gold and black of the panel alternated to inverted neon shades of pink, green, and blue before briefly returning to normal and starting over again.


    Staring at the stuttering panel of broken text, I slowly managed to puzzle out the meaning of the broken text.


    The thornbush wanted to become my minion.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± I muttered dubiously, uncertain of what exactly would happen if I accepted the request.


    I had not encountered anything like the glitch since arriving in this world.


    The consciousness of the thornbush gave off the conflicting sense of being both profoundly distracted and somehow immensely focused. However, after considering the sheer amount of ground the thorn bush covered, it made a weird sort of sense.


    ¡°This world is full of unknowns and ancient secrets,¡± I muttered, earning curious glances from my champions due to a lack of context.


    The longer I considered the consciousness of the thorn bush, the more I realised the true extent of what I had done. The thorn bush did not share my flesh, but it shared my blood. In an incredibly weird sort of way, it made us related. Closer than the connection with my children, but at the same time, it was something else entirely.


    The closest comparison for reference I possessed was how I had managed to create clones of Sebet by using the Empowered Summon Servant Spell. However, I had felt no kinship or familiarity with Sebet¡¯s clones.


    The difference might have laid within the function of the Spell.


    Empowered Summon Servant had used my blood to provide an artificial core, allowing the clones to regenerate mana rather than running at a deficit until disappearing outright. There was also the possibility that Sebet¡¯s ability to change her form may have overwritten any of my blood that was present within her clones.


    As best as I could tell, my blood had not just stained the original trunk and vines. The Empowered Plant Growth Spell had infused my blood into the thorn bush and permanently altered it.


    I felt a pang of guilt.


    If my hypothesis was true, then that meant that the thorn bush likely suffered the same mana stone addiction as me.


    I took what consolation I could in the fact that the consciousness of the thorn bush exhibited flashes of hunger but not the desperate need that would suggest addiction.


    I spent the better part of an hour staring at the glitching status alert before making up my mind.


    ¡°Accept,¡± I hissed quietly and mentally braced myself for the worst.


    A cascade of glitching stuttering status alerts passed before my eyes. However, after a few moments, the glitching status alerts disappeared. In their place was a much smaller black panel with a single line of text.


    [ Integration Status Of New Species: {Pending} ]


    ¡°A blank Status?...¡± Rolland muttered apprehensively, ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who can see this, right?¡± He whispered after double-checking to make sure no one was close enough to overhear.


    Jayne and Faine both nodded, each wearing an expression of mild confusion and intense concern.


    [ ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????h???????????????a?????????????????s?????? ?????????????????r??????e?????????????????????q????????????????????u????????????????e?????????s???????????????????t???e??????????????d?????????????? ?????????????t??????????????????o????????????? ???????????????????????????b???????????e?????????????c???????o?????????m???????????????????????e????????????????????????? ????????????????y?????????????????????o???????????????????????????u?????????????????????????r???????????????????????? ????????????m????????????i???????n?????????????????i????????????????????o???????????????n????????????????????.?????????????????????? ??????A??????????????c?????????????????????????c????????????????????????e??????????????p????????t?????????????????????????? ?????????????????(?????????????????????Y????????????????????/?????????????????N?????????)????????????????????? ]


    I blinked in surprise as the original glitched-out status alert appeared in front of my eyes for a second time.


    I could tell just by looking at the thorn bush that it was not the one making the request.


    The vague image of a crimson-limbed willow tree passed from the consciousness of the thorn bush to mine. Alongside the image of the willow tree came a string of bizarre sensations that I vaguely recognised as a form of two-way communication.


    The willow and thorn bush were communicating with one another.


    I realised that the second appearance of the status alert had to be the result of the willow mirroring the thorn bush¡¯s request.


    Reassured by the fact that whatever powers governed the Labyrinths hadn¡¯t been broken or retaliated against me after accepting the thorn bush, I decided to accept the willow¡¯s request as well.


    [ Integration Status Of New Species: {Pending} ]


    The status alert came immediately after accepting the willow¡¯s request, suggesting that whatever had caused the earlier error had been resolved.


    ¡°Tell no one,¡± I cautioned my champions and then returned to my duties of maintaining the extensive list of Lesser Summons.


    Two days passed without further status alerts or a change in the Status of the thorn bush.


    The number of undead assaulting the fortified pass through the mountains had somewhat plateaued. However, more powerful undead were arriving in greater numbers with each passing hour. Several monstrosities best described as unliving siege engines had attempted to secure positions along the Vampyrs¡¯ trenches before being destroyed.


    Mounted with catapults, the unliving siege engines possessed a multitude of limbs that allowed them to autonomously reload and fire projectiles without outside assistance.


    Thankfully, the Asrusian ballistae crews made a point of culling the abominations with extreme prejudice.


    Battering rams, siege ladders and even a small number of iffy-looking siege towers had all attempted to reach the wall. Despite failing to reach the wall, their broken remains provided cover for the undead that came after them.


    Ushu and Cooper had made several attempts at clearing out the trenches by disgorging their bile. Unfortunately, their efforts failed to kill more than a handful of Vampyr Thinbloods.


    I had made a point of visiting the thorn bush in the morning and late evenings but nothing had changed regarding its Status and integration. On a more positive note, the thorn bush had extended its screening efforts toward the south, creating dense thickets of thorns while leaving the road untouched.


    I still didn¡¯t understand why the thorn bush was unable or reluctant to overrun the Vampyrs'' position.


    My working theory was that one of the Vampyrs had an item, Ability, or Spell, that projected an anti-life aura.


    Suspecting Wisp would have the answers I needed, I sought him out on the northern wall.


    Wisp had not moved from his position on the wall since taking up his vigil with Ophelia¡¯s sword. He had made the occasional flourish with the blade or loudly proclaimed something to the effect of hewing down the desecrated dead to grant them peace, but that was all.


    ¡°Wisp,¡± I nodded in greeting to better mimic the behaviour of my champions.


    Thus far, we had managed to maintain my concealed identity to a certain degree. However, due to keeping the other champions in reserve, it had become increasingly obvious that I was not ¡®just another champion¡¯. Thankfully, the soldiers had predominantly elected to interpret my high level of involvement and activity as a form of higher ranking and ability amongst the champions. However, there was a real possibility of that narrative falling apart if someone got a good look at my equipment hidden beneath my armour.


    ¡°Champion,¡± the cowl of Wisp¡¯s robe bobbed briefly in response.


    ¡°I am concerned that the Vampyrs may have some form of Anti-life magic item or something to that effect,¡± I stated candidly.


    ¡°Several, in fact,¡± Wisp replied confidently, ¡°Although I suspect some are far weaker than others. It is not an altogether uncommon item for sentient undead to possess.¡±


    ¡°How do we counter them?¡± I demanded. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± Wisp stated bluntly. ¡°The anti-life aura, as you put it, is entropy incarnate. Although some would rather foolishly ascribe its properties to corruption, that would be a mistake. Undeath is fuelled by a perversion of the natural order, a subversion of entropy. It becomes a tool to be turned against the living because the undead themselves are immune to its touch...¡± Wisp paused briefly and gave off the impression that he was scowling beneath the hood of his robes. ¡°Corruption, true corruption, affects the undead just like the living. The key difference is that tumorous growths, the suppression of resistance against diseases, and malformed organs will not result in the death of an undead. In most cases, it will not impair their capabilities in the slightest. But it does affect them.¡±


    ¡°What about taking control over the undead and having them destroy the items?¡± My distaste for stripping the free will of others did not extend to the undead. I had seen too much of what they were capable of to consider them ¡®human¡¯.


    ¡°Possible, possible...¡± Wisp replied somewhat distractedly, ¡°Although, I do recall that such an agent may already exist,¡± he commented in a decidedly quieter tone than usual, ¡°An agent they would not suspect until it was far too late to act. If supported with the right Spells and Synergies, a decisive and fatal strike could be dealt to the heart of their resistance.¡±


    My thoughts immediately turned to Fesk, but I quickly realised that he was not the agent Wisp had been referring to.


    Marco, Tobi¡¯s older brother. The Vampyr.


    I had charged Marco with spying on the Liche and her subordinates. He was the reason we knew so much about the Liche¡¯s forces before our invasion. Of course, a great deal of that information was now largely worthless. It was time to set Marco a new task.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I nodded to Wisp and then left the wall.


    Retreating to the private quarters I had carved out of Dhizi¡¯s cave, I stationed Randle, Faine and Jayne outside of the door to make sure I wouldn¡¯t be disturbed or overheard.


    They obeyed without question and established a perimeter.


    Once the door was securely closed, I Summoned Marco¡¯s projection.


    Clad in dark leathers and black quilted cloth armour, Marco looked every part the assassin I intended for him to become. His bright red eyes and sharp overdeveloped canines made his true nature obvious at even a glance. Which would very much play in his favour while infiltrating the Vampyrs'' position.


    Marco was also armed with an assortment of blades from daggers to short sword. A crossbow hung on one shoulder, which he probably wouldn''t be using as it wasn''t suited to stealth or close-range combat within the trenches.


    ¡°I have a new assignment for you,¡± I stated bluntly, disregarding the niceties I may have entertained with someone else.


    "What is it?" Marco asked, unphased by my bluntness.


    "You''re going to infiltrate a Vampyr siege camp and kill their commander,¡± I replied tersely, ¡°You¡¯re also going to destroy every ani-life aura-generating item you can find.¡±


    "How do you expect me to accomplish this?" Marco asked flatly, neither upset nor resistant to the idea of engaging in what he most likely interpreted as a suicide mission.


    "Magic," I stated simply. ¡°You are going to be taken back to Sanctuary first and given your choice of magic items from the treasury. You will also be allowed several of our most potent Evolution Elixirs-¡±


    Marco looked surprised.


    ¡°The Liche¡¯s Lieutenants may be concentrated within the siege camp¡± I explained dryly, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to fail because I was unwilling to look past your...condition...¡±


    Marco licked his lips nervously and looked around his surroundings, ¡°Is the siege camp near here? Because I can sense...something...A sort of call that a part of me feels obliged to answer...¡±


    ¡°That was my doing, and yes, the enemy siege camp is a relatively short distance from this location,¡± I confirmed with a small measure of satisfaction.


    Marco stared at me for a few moments before turning his attention toward the wall, ¡°You called them here? On purpose?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I replied grimly, ¡°And now I want them destroyed before they can do any more harm.¡±


    Marco clenched his fists and nodded obediently. He understood better than most what the Vampyrs were capable of.


    I took out a map from one of the crates stacked against the wall and opened it so Marco could see it. I doubted he would need specific directions since he could feel the Dirge of Undeath, but I wanted to make sure.


    After making a few final preparations, I dismissed Marco¡¯s projection and made further arrangements with my champions.


    Jayne would serve as Marco¡¯s contact and use a wand of teleportation to ferry Marco to and from Sanctuary.


    With the cloud cover allowing Marco to travel without fear of the sun, he would arrive roughly within the same timeframe as the next wave of Asrusian reinforcements.


    While Summoning replacements for the Lesser Summons, I was joined by Nadine.


    Just like the army¡¯s Surgeons, Nadine had been kept increasingly busy as injuries amongst the soldiers became more frequent. She had claimed an empty room beyond where I was storing the Lesser Summons. With the Lesser Summons providing a twenty-four-hour guard service, Nadine could afford to isolate herself and relax in privacy.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know of any other treatments related to blunt force trauma?¡± Nadine asked with forced optimism, ¡°Cold compress¡¯ and those herbal elixirs don¡¯t heal nearly enough to get the soldiers back to full HP.¡±


    ¡°Everything I know, I already taught you and Wraithe already,¡± I replied and shrugged helplessly, ¡°You should be grateful that the alchemists can make those elixirs at all. Pharmaceuticals were not my specialty, not by a long shot. Hana¡¯s experimentation in creating medical-grade concentrations in otherwise commonplace herbs has been huge as well. I think you¡¯re just being greedy...¡±


    Nadine let out a long sigh and hopped up onto one of the storage crates and used it as a seat while resting her back against the smooth stone wall. ¡°Yeah, I know...¡± Nadine admitted and kneaded her forehead with the heels of her palms, ¡°It¡¯s just, if we do it right, we can just about completely heal all the missing HP from a nasty laceration or puncture in one go. Of course, the market costs for the Healing would be insane, but with the army footing the bill-¡± She stopped herself and shook her head, ¡°-Anyway, my remains. It¡¯s annoying to be so lacking in treating those particular injuries...¡± Nadine scowled for a moment and then shook her head again before letting out a tired sigh, ¡°I think I just need some proper sleep to set my mind right again.¡±


    ¡°Mental fatigue can be just as debilitating as physical fatigue. So you need to take it seriously,¡± I commented approvingly.


    ¡°Right...¡± Nadine agreed somewhat awkwardly and nervously scratched at her arm. ¡°Ah, on that subject...Hey Tim? You know how you said you would Summon Lash and your kids so you could sleep better?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I replied hesitantly, already guessing where this conversation was headed.


    ¡°Well...I was wondering, with Fesk needing to stay with Ushu to keep an eye on him, and otherwise being so busy...¡± Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed.


    I diverted the mana I had been gathering for replacing the Swamp Lurker¡¯s Lesser Summon and Summoned a projection of Fesk instead. ¡°Five hours of light activity, maybe up to an hour for anything...intense...¡± I stated bluntly and left the room.


    Rejoining my champions outside, I shifted my mana regeneration exploit to begin burning HP so I could make up for the shortfall and get back on schedule.


    Before I could settle down and begin eating rations to recover my HP, Dhizi made a rough landing on the nearby mountain slope.


    Considering the rough terrain and aggressive angle of the slope it was objectively one of Dhizi¡¯s better landings.


    Dhizi had made herself comfortable in the far end of the cave and conjured a trio of roasted Swamp Lurkers from thin air.


    With the intelligence of Dhizi and the Dragons firmly beyond question, I had issued them a quest that afforded them the means to feed themselves. It required a dedicated team of hunters within Sanctuary to maintain the necessary stocks of food and water, but I considered the trade-off to be more than worth it.


    A happy Wyvern or Dragon would not go looking for food where they otherwise shouldn¡¯t.


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t like they weren¡¯t earning their keep.


    ¡°Replacing the Summons again?¡± Clarice asked conversationally as she discarded her helmet and pulled down her padded hood, ¡°How can it be so cold up there-¡± She hooked her thump up toward the overcast sky, ¡°-and still get so hot under my armour?!¡± Clarice demanded exasperatedly, furiously tussling her damp hair to try and air it out.


    ¡°It¡¯s all the insulation,¡± I replied glibly, having had this particular conversation a few times already.


    ¡°Yeah? Well, it fucking sucks!¡± Clarice complained bitterly as she fumbled with the buckles to her breastplate, ¡°Fucking thing!¡±


    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have been so bold, but my earlier conversation with Nadine had pushed me past the point of embarrassment. ¡°Clarice, I¡¯m going to make you an offer,¡± I picked up my helmet and got to my feet before staring Clarice down.


    Despite her obvious frustration, Clarice remained silent.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Summon Sebet and get an update on the Confederate activity to our south,¡± I announced with deliberate detachment, ¡°After which, Sebet and yourself can spend whatever time remains as you will. But only if you let me regenerate my missing mana in peace. Deal?¡±


    Clarice stared at me in stunned silence.


    ¡°Good,¡± I sighed and walked a short distance down the mountain so I could continue eating in peace.


    Left alone again with my own thoughts, I regretted how I had handled the situation. Discussing the Vampyrs and the Liche had put me on edge and the constant low-level fatigue being generated and removed to fuel my mana regeneration wasn¡¯t helping.


    Objectively, I understood that lashing out was not a healthy way to deal with the accumulated stress. But Clarice had a way of getting under people''s skin, and sometimes confronting her was the only way to vent the accumulated irritation before it had the opportunity to fester.


    Summoning Sebet with four-fifths of my total mana, I decided that was enough to satiate my conscience.


    ¡°Ah, so refreshing to experience my true form again,¡± Sebet purred lustily and stretched her clawed limbs, wings and tail without reservations or consideration for modesty, ¡°And good to see you, of course!¡± She licked her lips hungrily and eyed Clarice like a snake preparing to strike a startled rabbit.


    ¡°Business first,¡± I sighed, trying and failing to keep the irritation from my voice, ¡°I need to know what-¡±


    ¡°The tree?¡± Sebet interjected presumptively with the confidence of a mind reader only to suddenly look surprised, ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t about the tree? Hrm...¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the reason I summoned you,¡± I admitted, ¡°But since you raised the subject, continue.¡±


    Sebet shrugged, shedding her earlier surprise and taking on a business-like demeanour, ¡°Well, the crimson willow has proven quite valuable in our early efforts to establish an agrarian interest within the Dominion¡¯s borders. We have barely begun to establish ourselves, but several hostile elements have been neutralised and cleanly disposed of by the crimson willow.¡± Sebet nodded approvingly, ¡°I would go so far as to say that it has exceeded our expectations. However, as praiseworthy as its actions have been, its request to apply as a minion came as a significant surprise,¡± Sebet took on an amused expression and tapped her chin, ¡°However, I think I now understand. It did not want to be left out.¡±


    ¡°The request only came through after I invited the thorn bush,¡± I confirmed and nodded in agreement with Sebet¡¯s assessment. The fear of being left out or left behind was a sentiment I understood only too well. ¡°Now, what about the Confederates stationed to the south of our position?¡±


    Sebet¡¯s smile split into a wide predatory grin, ¡°Oh, I believe you will be most pleased,¡± she purred, ¡°I have already freed a sizeable number of Variants from the Confederate camp and many more wild monsters besides.¡± Sebet¡¯s smile widened further still and revealed rows of shark-like teeth, ¡°I have seized a position of substantial influence and have arranged for many more Variants and Slaves to replace those I have already freed. I intend to repeat this process as long as possible, but have also made arrangements to purchase a considerable consignment of Slaves that will be intercepted before reaching their intended destination!¡± Her wings twitched and fluttered with suppressed excitement and her tail whipped dangerously from side to side, ¡°I believe I have met and exceeded the mandate so graciously bestowed upon me!¡±


    ¡°You want a reward?¡± I asked brazenly, having expected as much after Sebet went out of her way to make note of her accomplishments.


    ¡°Duty is its own reward...¡± Sebet replied in a thoroughly unconvincing tone.


    ¡°First, tell me, what are the Confederates up to?¡± It was the reason I had Summoned her projection in the first place, and despite being pleased by her other news, I still wanted to know what was happening.


    ¡°Ah, yes, of course,¡± Sebet graciously bowed her head. ¡°Forgiveness, I was simply excited to share my good news,¡± there was something in the tone of her voice that made Sebet sound too honest and caused me to doubt her instead. Not that it mattered. ¡°The Confederate force is engaging in surveillance of your position but has no current orders that extend to any other action. I have taken the liberty of intercepting and altering several reports to better ensure that certain subjects of interest were portrayed in a more mundane light.¡± Sebet bowed at the waist before writing herself again, ¡°I hope my actions have met with your approval.¡±


    I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t relieved at the prospect of Sebet actively sabotaging the Confederates¡¯ intelligence gathering.


    ¡°Disrupting enemy intelligence is part of your established list of responsibilities, but I approve of the extra efforts you have taken of your own initiative,¡± I paused for a moment and noticed Clarice had been making a genuine effort not to say or do anything throughout Sebet¡¯s report. ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed and waved toward Clarice dismissively, ¡°You may spend your remaining mana as you see fit.¡± A series of unpleasant thoughts clamoured for my attention moments later. ¡°Within the parameters of our agreements, Contract and your Oaths,¡± I added hastily.


    ¡°But of course!¡± Sebet replied as she took a firm hold of Clarice¡¯s hand and began leading her toward Clarice¡¯s quarters at the far end of the cave, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare do anything without explicit consent! And besides, I do love it when she begs...¡±


    Blocking the mental image from my mind, I made my way down the mountain and focused my thoughts on how best to increase Marco¡¯s chance of success against the Vampyrs. It was time to repay the undead for all the suffering they had caused and enact my retribution.


    ***** Marco (Vampyr) - Werrian Empire *****


    Because his mission would most likely cost him his life, Marco had been allowed to visit his brother before leaving Sanctuary.


    Despite the devoted care he was receiving from a team of dedicated maids and healers, Tobi had appeared mere inches from death. It had been a fresh reminder of the damage the Liche had inflicted upon their family.


    Marco¡¯s pain and anger had only intensified with the arrival of his parents. Unable to bear the thought of seeing the horror and disgust in their eyes, Marco had fled before they had even noticed he was there.


    However, before the Tyrant¡¯s champion could escort Marco to Sanctuary¡¯s treasury, they were intercepted by Tobi¡¯s pet Shadowcat, Shady. After failing to shoo the Beast away, Marco realised that the Shadowcat intended to accompany him outside of Sanctuary.


    The part of him that still feared death prompted Marco to accept the Shadowcat¡¯s companionship.


    After petitioning the Tyrant¡¯s champion for Elixirs to allow the Shadowcat to Evolve, Marco was granted ten more Elixirs. Consuming the Elixirs, they had both Evolved numerous times within a short period, but Shady had been temporarily incapacitated by the alcoholic content of the Elixirs and required treatment by the healers.


    Marco had been severely chastised by a giant Rat-Kin after she had announced that the former Shadowcat would have died from liver poisoning if it had not drastically increased in size as part of his evolution to become a Shadow Stalker.


    Now armed with weapons bearing powerful Spells cast by the Tyrant¡¯s champions, and clad in light but incredibly durable magical armour, Marco stealthily stalked toward the deep trenches with all the determination he could muster.


    The lesser undead streamed past him but lost their drive and momentum as they passed through an invisible barrier a short distance from his current position. Despite his size, Shady passed amongst them unseen and completely undetected. Whatever Spell had been cast upon his collar shielded the Shadow Stalker from even Marco¡¯s powerful Life Sense ability.


    The trenches were more or less as the champions had described. Haphazardly dug out of the frozen ground by hand, the trenches varied wildly in regards to the cover they would afford to anyone attempting to take shelter within.


    The storm clouds blocking out the moon and the stars in the night sky also concealed the Vampyrs prowling the centremost trenches from the eyes of the living.


    As Marco and Shady approached the centremost trenches, he quickly realised that the Vampyrs had expanded deeper into the frozen dirt. A large tunnel guarded by four Vampyrs of middling strength led underground.


    Bearing the same Spell as Shady, Marco passed the guards and descended into the utter darkness of the tunnels below.


    Despite being otherwise outside of their perception, Marco had to take great care in avoiding contact with any of the Vampyrs they encountered. While he had few doubts that the Spell would continue working afterwards, Marco was rather certain that being jostled by an unseen force would raise an alarm on general principle alone.


    Curiously, Shady¡¯s new body allowed him to pass through most obstacles with ease, and could even phase through the Vampyrs without alerting them to his presence.


    At first, Marco wasn¡¯t sure where he was supposed to be going. The tunnels followed no rhyme or reason in their design and he found himself doubling back to places he had already visited more often than not.


    Then the screaming started.


    It was a sound Marco had heard only a handful of times before. It was the high-pitched wailing of a Vampyr¡¯s protracted death throes. It was the sound A Vampyr made when they became completely blood-starved and would begin feverishly attacking anyone and everything in their vicinity to survive.


    Despite being utterly repulsed by the sound, Marco had no other leads and decided to follow them to their source.


    The majority of the Vampyrs Marco passed in the tunnels were slightly gaunter than they would have been in their prime, but only a relative handful seemed to be approaching true starvation. Furthermore, it was the Thinbloods who looked the most worse for wear, leaving the relative combat potential of the Vampyr coven at close to full strength.


    However, Marco found it strange that he had seen so few Thinbloods while navigating the tunnels. In his rather limited experience, there had usually been ten Thinbloods for every other Vampyr present.


    There was a very real possibility that the Thinbloods had all been killed while assaulting the Tyrant¡¯s fortified position, but Marco had a feeling that wasn¡¯t the case.


    Just as the screams reached their end, Marco turned a corner and found himself standing within a large chamber formed out of the same hard frozen earth as the tunnels.


    Dozens of Purebloods were gathered in small groups and watching the spectacle of a lone Thinblood being forcibly exsanguinated by a far smaller Vampyr.


    The Thinblood¡¯s assailant was taking her time, ignoring the increasingly feeble struggles of the weaker Vampyr.


    Already reduced to a husk, the Thinblood¡¯s extremities slowly began crumbling to ash as the final drops of its essence were stripped from its body.


    A horrified and fearful expression of the small group of Thinbloods huddling in the corner of the chamber made it clear what had happened to the other Thinbloods. The more powerful Vampyrs were feeding on them.


    There was a cruel irony to it that Marco couldn¡¯t help but appreciate.


    Beneath the will of their sires, the Thinbloods were more helpless than the humans they preyed upon not so long ago. Unlike a Slave who could attempt to free themselves by entering a contest of will and enduring pain to earn their freedom. A Vampyr was bound to the will of their sire until either they or their sire were destroyed.


    The compulsion to obey was absolute and utterly without loopholes or exploits. A sire¡¯s commands were enforced by intention, not just by word alone.


    Very likely, the Thinbloods in the corner had all been commanded to remain in place and await their turn.


    ¡°Blech!¡± The short Vampyr threw away the Thinblood¡¯s remains and struck the wall of the chamber, ¡°Tastes fucking disgusting!¡± She snarled and began to shake, ¡°FUCK!¡± The short Vampyr struck the wall with enough force to bury her arm to the elbow before withdrawing it a few moments later. ¡°YOU! Shitferbrains! Tell me that fucking wall had been turned to fucking rubble!¡±


    The Pureblood, the more powerful Vampyr had named Shitferbrains, was hastily abandoned by its fellows and left isolated. ¡°Mistress, the siege continues despite the reinforcements provided by her excellency...¡± Despite being abandoned, the Pureblood held his ground and replied in an even and carefully measured tone.


    ¡°Hrmf!¡± The short Vampyr kicked at the ash on the floor and released a feral snarl, ¡°You''re lucky I like you Shitferbrains!¡± She sneered before turning her ire upon his former companions, ¡°If that wall isn¡¯t gone by daybreak, I¡¯m going to pick one of you next!¡±


    The Purebloods bowed their heads and were about to flee but stopped abruptly as the short Vampyr¡¯s eyes settled on Marco.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?!¡± She demanded, her will momentarily brushing against his mind before being violently repulsed. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± The short Vampyr staggered before almost immediately righting herself again. She glowered at Marco and her claws twitched in irritation and anticipation of violence, ¡°You one of Vlaad¡¯s cocksuckers?!¡± She demanded, her will pressing harder against Marco¡¯s mind before once again being aggressively repulsed before it could attempt to gain purchase.


    ¡°I was,¡± Marco admitted after realising that every Vampyr in the chamber was now staring in his direction. Even if they could not sense him directly, they were most likely being provided with that information second-hand through their sire.


    ¡°One of the strays then...¡± The short Vampyr commented with slightly less hostility and relaxed a little, ¡°You find some magic gear or something?¡± She asked warily, nodding towards his blatantly magical armour and array of weapons.


    Marco nodded, ¡°I did.¡± Again, it would have been pointless to lie, so he didn¡¯t bother trying.


    ¡°At least you don¡¯t have his nasty Euro-trash accent,¡± she muttered loudly, making an obvious attempt at baiting him into a confrontation.


    Marco shrugged, ¡°I wasn¡¯t taken from the Empire,¡± he replied flatly. Despite being uncertain what euro-trash meant, he determined that from the context it was some form of slur referring to the Vampyr Elder Vlaad¡¯s Werrian accent.


    The short Vampyr nodded but continued to eye him warily. ¡°What about the giant cat next to you?¡± She demanded, ¡°You bringing me some sort of gift? Hoping I will take you in?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Marco agreed, testing the waters with a low-stakes lie.


    ¡°I fucking hate cats,¡± the short Vampyr commented flatly, ¡°Everyone fucking knows that...¡± Her eyes grew unfocused for a fraction of a second and she glanced away at something Marco couldn¡¯t see, ¡°Malds likes¡¯em though...¡± She worked her jaw while clenching and unclenching her fingers, echoing popping sounds throughout the chamber. ¡°Fuck¡¯it, it¡¯s not like I have allergies anymore anyway...¡± The small Vampyr raised one hand and motioned for Marco and Shady to approach.


    Provided with the opportunity he needed, Marco looked at Shady and nodded his head toward the Vampyr.


    Marco was now fairly certain that the short Vampyr was one of the Liche¡¯s top commanders. Which would make her an Elder or perhaps even a Primogenitor. Sanctuary¡¯s Elixirs had turned Marco into an Elder, but he could instinctively sense that the Vampyr before him was still many times stronger than he was.


    Marco accepted the reality that he would not be leaving the chamber alive. Even if he somehow managed to kill the Progenitor, which would be a prodigious feat in and of itself, the dozens of Purebloods would overwhelm him and tear him to pieces.


    Accepting his fate lent Marco a sense of confidence in confronting the more powerful Vampyr on its home turf.


    Passing by the ranks of Purebloods, Marco kept his eyes focused on his target.


    As Marco made his final approach toward his target, the short Vampyr snickered contemptuously. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m that stupid?¡± She sneered derisively, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the first hitman those decrepit bedridden old geezers have sent after us?¡± She shook her head and cackled hysterically, ¡°You aren¡¯t even the strongest! I¡¯ve killed cocksuckers ten times stronger than you without breaking a sweat!¡± In a blur of motion, the sabre sheathed on her hip appeared in her right hand. ¡°I¡¯m gonna enjoy draining you dry!¡± She snarled and slowly stalked toward him.


    Obeying a silent command, the Purebloods shied away, backing themselves against the walls of the chamber and blocking the exits.


    ¡°You ready to die?¡± The short Vampyr grinned and bared her fangs as an all too familiar bloodlust took hold in her eyes, ¡°Cuz I¡¯m not gonna make it quick!¡±


    Marco drew his short sword just in time to divert her sabre and deflect the blow with his armour. The strength behind the short Vampyr¡¯s strike gouged through the magical hardened boiled leather like it was wet clay, sparing his flesh by a fraction of an inch.


    Before he could dodge, the short Vampyr initiated a second strike aiming for his legs.


    Reacting on instinct, Marco expended a portion of his mana and disappeared in a burst of shadow just as the edge of the sabre began cutting into his left thigh. Reappearing behind his enemy, Marco thrust his shortsword toward her exposed neck.


    One strike! All I need is-


    Before Marco could finish his thought, the short Vampyr spun about with blurring speed and batted aside his sword with her bare hand and thrust her sabre toward his exposed midsection.


    Just as she was preparing to bury her blade in Marco¡¯s belly, she leapt backward just in time for Shady¡¯s claws to rake through the space she had occupied a fraction of a second before.


    ¡°Tch! Bad pussy!¡± The short Vampyr cackled, leaping forward and slamming her fist into Shady¡¯s side with bone-shattering force before the Shadow Stalker had the opportunity to Shadowstep to safety.


    Shady flew through the air and managed to right himself in time to Shadowstep away before striking the wall.


    Left alone to face off against the Primogeniture Vampyr, Marco drew a dagger from his belt and threw it at her hoping to create an opening. Despite using all the Abilities, Strength and speed at his disposal, the short Vampyr swatted the dagger aside with casual ease.


    However, her bloodlust faltered as her attention was drawn toward the Pureblood who had been struck by the dagger and was now pinned against the wall.


    Eyes wide with terror and mouth agape, the Pureblood collapsed into a pile of ash.


    ¡°The fuck?...¡± The short Vampyr staggered backward and stared at Marco with newfound respect and an unmistakable trace of fear in her eyes, ¡°You some sort of Van Halen mother fucker or some shit?!¡±


    (AN: Yes, I know it¡¯s Van Helsing.)


    Before Marco could overcome his own confusion at her accusation, the short Vampyr drew a knife from her belt and hurled it into Marco¡¯s right shoulder.


    With no time to react, Marco fought back the urge to reach for the knife. He could feel its serrated edges buried in his flesh and knew that he wouldn¡¯t have time to heal the wound before his enemy attacked again.


    Using Shadowstep to buy some distance between them, Marco was relieved to discover that the Ability didn¡¯t carry the serrated knife with him.


    Visibly angered by his evading her trap, the short Vampyr drew several more knives and threw them all in a fraction of a second.


    Marco managed to deflect the second knife and dodge the fourth, but four others managed to bore themselves through his armour and anchor themselves in his flesh. Grimacing in pain, Marco was about to gather his mana and Shadowstep for the third time but froze as the dark spectre of death rose up from behind the short Vampyr.


    Clad in writhing shadows that roiled and writhed like living smoke, the Summoned undead bore a length of coiled silver chain around one arm while holding the handle of a small lantern in the same hand. In its other hand, it held aloft a sword that burned with a deep amber radiance that burned at Marco¡¯s eyes.


    Completely taken off guard by her Ability to Summon such a powerful undead, Marco very nearly surrendered to despair. However, even as a part of him demanded he accept defeat, Marco noticed that he was not the only one that was frightened by the sudden appearance of the Summoned undead.


    Looking over her shoulder, the short Vampyr stared back at her Summon in absolute terror.


    Without saying a word, the Summon scythed its blade down toward the short Vampyr¡¯s collarbone.


    With impossible speed, the short Vampyr leapt backward and away from the blade.


    Just as quickly, the black-robed figure appeared beside her, its blade still descending toward her.


    The Vampyr dodged again and again, but the figure remained ever at her side, its blade drawing closer and closer to her flesh.


    Barely able to follow their movements with his enhanced senses, Marco decided to gamble it all. Gathering his mana for another Shadowstep, he guessed at where the Vampyr would try to dodge next. Dropping his shortsword, Marco prayed to any gods that might be listening and then activated the Shadowstep.


    Clawed fingers already closing the moment he appeared at his new destination, Marco forced his body into overdrive as his brain registered mild resistance against his hardened nails.


    The short Vampyr stared at Marco in shock as she realised he had managed to take a hold of her left forearm. Even with his claws burrowing through her flesh, she began pulling away, bodily yanking Marco off his feet and ripping gouges through her own arm in the process.


    However, Marco¡¯s gambit paid off.


    Slowed by his attack and trying to shake him loose, the short Vampyr was not fast enough to get cleanly away from her pursuer.


    The radiant blade of the shadow-wreathed undead¡¯s sword cleaved through the short Vampyr¡¯s arm without visible effort, amputating it just above her elbow.


    Before Marco fully realised what was happening, the arm clutched in his hands turned to ash as he sailed over the wounded Vampyr and crashed into the wall.


    As the Vampyr staggered backwards and stared in horror at her amputated stump, the black cowled undead released a dry cackle and slowly paced toward her.


    Purebloods leapt into action, some drawing weapons, while others simply bared their fangs and claws.


    The Summoned undead paid them no mind at all, simply releasing a pulse of mana that stopped them dead in their tracks.


    Before the Purebloods could recover, the Tyrant¡¯s champions appeared in their midst and began hewing the Purebloods down in droves. A single strike was all any of the Purebloods could take before collapsing into a scattered pile of ash.


    While three of the champions focused on the Purebloods, one champion closed in on the short Vampyr. Hefting a pitch-black mace adorned with thorns and bathed in the radiant amber light, it was clear that he intended to end her.


    ¡°YOU!!!¡± The champion roared in unbridled rage and raised his mace in a two-handed grip.


    The short Vampyr staggered backwards, cradling the stump of her amputated arm, ¡°Malds! Any fucking second now?!¡± She shrieked in panic, tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground.


    Just as the champion prepared to deliver the deathblow, his stance wavered and he began to stagger.


    The dark-robed figure drew the Tyrant¡¯s champion back just in time to avoid an inky black sphere of impenetrable darkness. It lasted only a moment, but when it disappeared, the short Vampyr was gone.


    ¡°NO!!!¡± The champion rushed forward and searched the immediate area for signs of the Vampyr, completely ignoring the rallying Purebloods in his fervour.


    ¡°She is gone,¡± the dark-robed undead stated matter-of-factly in his dry rasping voice, ¡°But rest assured, she will not survive.¡±


    ¡°Explain!¡± Demanded the champion angrily.


    The undead bowed in deference, ¡°Of course. It is somewhat complicated but can be essentially reduced to a simple principle. What was created from Divinity, can only be destroyed by Divinity,¡± it let out a quiet laugh that sounded like dry summer leaves, ¡°Without Divinity to stall its progress, the slayer enchantment will eat through the host''s body until nothing remains.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re certain of this?!¡± The champion demanded darkly.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± the dark-robed undead replied cheerily, ¡°I am glad I had the opportunity to be of such service!¡±


    The angry champion grunted in aggravation but said nothing more before turning his attention toward Marco. ¡°If she dies, I¡¯ll see to it you get rewarded,¡± he promised, ignoring the Pureblood attempting to strike him down from behind and the billowing ash that followed as one of the other champions intercepted it and impaled it briefly on their spear.


    Too confused by what was happening to properly react, Marco just nodded. It had only just dawned on him that the Tyrant¡¯s champions had never truly intended for him to wipe out the Vampyrs to begin with. He had just been used so they could catch them off guard and launch their own surprise attack.


    Strangely, Marco was surprised to find he didn¡¯t really care. He had expected to die and now found himself very much alive, or at least as alive as he had been earlier. More than that, assuming the Tyrant¡¯s champion could be trusted, Marco would have the opportunity to ask for a reward. The chance to ask for his life, rather, his unlife, to be his own again.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 60 – Marked for death – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 60 ¨C Marked for death ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 60 - Marked for death - Part Two


    With the afterimage of the black void still burned into my retinas, I hung back while Wisp and my champions disposed of the remaining Vampyrs. Except for Marco, of course.


    Using Shady¡¯s Synergy to Shadowstep out of the chamber and return to the surface, we fought our way clear to the wall and used Shadowstep again to return to the relative safety of the fortified pass.


    Shady was in rough shape. The blow he had taken while accompanying Marco had broken one of his ribs and punctured a lung. He had also suffered a severe degree of bruising, but it was negligible when compared to his internal injuries.


    With no other means of setting the bone, I decided to Summon Sebet again and instructed her to set the bone and do her best to reverse the internal injuries. The Sculpt Flesh Spell was incapable of restoring lost HP, but I was more concerned with stopping Shady¡¯s internal bleeding. More than that, wandering bone fragments from the broken rib had the potential to create significant harm down the line. So I couldn¡¯t leave Shady in that state.


    Wisp returned to his position atop the wall and raised Ophelia¡¯s slayer sword high, ¡°A POWERFUL LIEUTENANT OF THE LICHE HAS FALLEN!!! REJOICE!!!¡± His dry rasping voice carried through the mountain pass with the strength of a winter storm.


    A handful of seconds passed in stunned silence before staggered cheers rose from the Asrusian soldiers accompanied by howling from the Kobold Auxiliaries.


    Because of his true nature, Marco was forced to hide his face beneath a cloth mask and a heavily cowled cape.


    I felt somewhat guilty for using Marco as a Trojan horse, but the results we had achieved and my promise to reward him in exchange were enough to satiate my conscience.


    I hollowed out a small room for Marco to stay in and then settled down to rest in my quarters.


    The sudden evacuation of the Vampyr commander left me with several questions and concerns. Not least of which was why the Vampyr commander hadn¡¯t been evacuated sooner. Without a ready blood supply, the Vampyrs had looked like they had been engaging in their unique form of cannibalism.


    With their situation so dire, it didn¡¯t make sense that the Liche would have just left them there like that.


    Unless...


    Unless the Liche hadn¡¯t left them by choice. Perhaps the Liche had been unable to act sooner? Had the effects of the Empowered Ward somehow impaired the Liche¡¯s ability to cast its Spells?


    We didn¡¯t know the full effects of what the Empowered prefix supplied for each Spell. So it was indeed possible that the Empowered Ward could impair or interfere with enemy Spells.


    [ Integration Complete. New Species has been successfully integrated. ]


    [ Species {Sempervivum}: Subspecies have been detected and successfully integrated. ]


    I stared at the pair of alerts in confusion. After my brain had a chance to shift mental gears, the full gravity of the situation settled on my shoulders.


    Leaving my quarters, I descended into the pass and approached the trunk of the thorn bush. Resting the palm of my bare hand against its bark, I was surprised to find that I couldn¡¯t sense its presence.


    Scanning both mountains for signs of movement, I was shocked to find that the sprawling masses of thorn bushes were completely still. However, I could feel a strong and mounting presence of mana coming from the cave I had repurposed into a feeding chamber for the living thorn bush.


    Hiking up the mountain, the intensity of the mana only grew denser as I drew closer to the cave.


    [ Species {Sempervivum}: Subspecies has been detected and successfully integrated. ]


    [ Species {Sempervivum}: Subspecies has been detected and successfully integrated. ]


    [ Species {Sempervivum}: Subspecies has been detected and successfully integrated. ]


    [ Species {Sempervivum}: Subspecies has been detected and successfully integrated. ]


    [ Species {Sempervivum}: Subspecies has been detected and successfully integrated. ]


    [ Species {Sempervivum}: Subspecies has been detected and successfully integrated. ]


    .....


    A stream of identical alerts appeared before my eyes before I made it to the cave entrance. I could only assume that the thorn bush, Sempervivum, had begun consuming its collection of accumulated mana stones.


    The prospect of being around so many mana stones gave me pause. To play things safe, I decided to wait outside of the cave until I could be certain they were all gone.


    Shadowed by my champions, I had Randle investigate while I reviewed the Sempervivum¡¯s Status.


    ¡°Cor Spina Seedling?¡± I recognised the first two words as Latin.


    My medical training had only tangentially involved limited exposure to Latin, specifically what was embedded in medical terminology involved in diagnosis and procedures. It took me a few minutes to puzzle out a few different potential meanings.


    The literal translation, as best I could determine, was Heart Thorn. However, Latin had a way of moving words around to fit certain ¡®romantic¡¯ meanings. This was why I felt far more confident in the interpretation being Thorn Heart, meaning a heart of thorns.


    The crimson willow had a somewhat simpler translation, but it took me much longer to puzzle it out. Custos Salici. The literal translation being, Guardian Willow.


    Sempervivum was both the name of the original Species and a Racial Ability shared by both of the plant monsters. I wasn¡¯t super confident about my translation, but I interpreted it to mean something along the lines of ever living in the context of being a perennial. A plant that grows year-round.


    My translation was largely based upon the description of the Ability itself which gave them Cold Resistance, Heat Resistance and Necrotic Resistance.


    The second Racial Ability they both shared was Arboreal Transmission, an Ability that facilitated a form of passive long-distance communication with plant-based monsters and limited perception through plants in their immediate vicinity.


    Their third and fourth Racial Abilities were where their respective Subspecies diverged from one another.


    Thorn Aura allowed the Thorn Heart to passively inflict minor damage against a melee attacker whenever it received damage. At the cost of its mana, the Thorn Heart could amplify the damage and range to include enemies beyond melee range.


    Briar Infestation was far more sinister. The Ability allowed the Thorn Heart to infest a host from the inside out with a satellite organism known as a Briarling. Converting the host to something akin to a living Zombie, the Briarlings were stated to be capable of moving host to host as needed but were otherwise short-lived without the nutrients a host body could provide. Bound entirely to the will of the Thorn Heart, the Briarlings would have no true will of their own.


    Ironbark was a straightforward Ability. It hardened the main body of the Guardian Willow, making its trunk, roots, and branches resistant to physical forms of damage. The hardness could also be temporarily increased by spending mana.


    Lastly, Blooming Vanguard allowed the Guardian Willow to share its Racial Abilities with plants within a moderate radius in a similar fashion to Synergies. The major exception was that the plants would use the Guardian Willow¡¯s stats when determining the effectiveness of the Abilities. The secondary effect of Blooming Vanguard amplified the Synergies of plant-type monsters within a large range.


    Neither the Thorn Heart nor the Guardian Willow had a name. However, they both possessed the Advanced Druid Class. Assuming they both had similar senses to the Dryads, they would probably qualify for the Arch Druid Master Tier Class with a little assistance.


    ¡°I am not quite certain how to explain what I have seen,¡± Randle admitted quietly, ¡°It wears the same general shape as a man. However, it seems half-formed? Like something a child or particularly clumsy apprentice would shape out of clay,¡± he scratched his chin uncertainly and glanced back toward the passage to the cave, ¡°It is definitely a monster. Of that, at least, I have no doubts...¡±


    ¡°What of the mana stones?¡± Faine asked warily.


    ¡°Gone, now,¡± Randle confirmed confidently, ¡°It was devouring the last of them when I arrived.¡±


    ¡°And it didn¡¯t seem agitated by your presence?¡± I asked, curious to witness the new monster for myself.


    ¡°I do not think so?¡± Randle replied with markedly less confidence, ¡°Forgive me, but it was hard to tell what it felt if anything. With its body made of bundles of thorny vines and gnarled roots, it could have been overjoyed for all I would be able to judge.¡±


    I nodded in understanding. I still struggled somewhat with telling the more subtle expressions of the Gnolls apart. Gods knew whether the former thorn bush would even attempt to use expressions to telegraph its emotions at all. Assuming, of course, that it even had emotions as we understood them in the first place.


    With Randle¡¯s assurance that all the mana stones had been consumed, or at least removed from the vicinity of the cave, with my other champions following behind, I followed Randle back through the passage to take a look for myself.


    Lovecraftian.


    Despite my attempts to categorise the Thorn Heart as anything else, my brain kept insisting that its initial observation was the only one that mattered.


    Easily fifteen feet tall, the Thorn Heart was vaguely humanoid in overall shape. Its lower body was formed from gnarled roots, while its upper body, limbs and the writhing mass that equated to a head, were all formed from thorny vines.


    Thick thorny vines hung from the lower section of its head in a vague likeness that lent the appearance of a barren topiary octopus. Once that image took root in my mind, it was impossible to think of its barely formed hands and feet as anything but additional tentacles. These thoughts were only reinforced by the Thorn Heart¡¯s lack of joints and the constant undulation of its extremities.


    Four ovoid spaces in the mass of the Thorn Heart¡¯s ¡®head¡¯, three on the left and one on the right, glowed with dark crimson light. Despite the Thorn Heart¡¯s passive stance, the ominous lighting lent the Thorn Heart a nightmarish and insidious aura.


    The crimson light in the Thorn Heart¡¯s ovoid sockets contracted and intensified as its head turned to look at me.


    I resisted a minor surge of panic as the tentacles hanging from the Thorn Heart¡¯s head animatedly writhed in what I chose to interpret as excitement. Despite its alien appearance, I knew the Thorn Heart meant me no harm.


    The Thorn Heart hunched downward and slowly extended one of the larger vines from its right arm.


    Stepping forward, I removed the gauntlet from my right hand and took hold of the vine, taking care to avoid the smaller thorns.


    A familiar consciousness made contact with my own and was quite suddenly joined by another.


    Images and emotional impressions passed between the two consciousnesses with dizzying speed.


    What little I could recognise and interpret was an account of their recent activities. However, it was impossible to be certain. Beyond a handful of images depicting the cave around us and an arid orchard of olive trees, the remaining images were too abstract for my mind to interpret without references.


    The images provided by the Guardian Willow had shown Sebet¡¯s clones excitedly smiling at one another while standing in the Guardian Willow¡¯s shade and offering it mana stones.


    Offering HIM mana stones.


    The correction came almost immediately but held no malice.


    Communicating through impressions and images made it difficult to censor or otherwise separate my thoughts from the flow of communication. It was like being telepathic but unable to stop myself from broadcasting my thoughts.


    <Great One!> A trio of thoughts thrummed through the connection. Ever so slightly out of sync, I recognised that they belonged to Sebet and her two clones. Already capable of communicating with one another over immense distances with their innate telepathy and unique connection, it was still quite interesting to learn that Sebet and her clones could hijack others'' connections. <Rest assured, we shall see to the new recruits'' education personally!>


    If Sebet hadn¡¯t sworn a comprehensive coverage of oaths and signed a Contract to ensure her behaviour, her assuming responsibility for the education of the pair of Sempervivum would have been thoroughly disconcerting.


    <Learn.> Thorn Heart and Guardian Willow declared in unison. Their thoughts were somewhat jumbled and staggered.


    I nodded in approval. <Good. I have high expectations.> If given the option between a barely sentient killing machine and a servant that could be entrusted to make educated decisions of their own accord, I would always favour the latter.


    Releasing the Thorn Heart¡¯s vine, I replaced my gauntlet and left the cave.


    ¡°Everything seems fine,¡± I commented for my champions¡¯ benefit, ¡°At least for the time being.¡± I would need to keep an eye on their development, but the pair of Sempervivum appeared to be favourably disposed toward me. At worst, I was confident that I could leverage that goodwill into positive behaviours toward my other subjects.


    With the recent arrival of the second wave of reinforcements, living space had become comparatively scarce. To make up for the shortfall, I began shifting the southernmost wall further south. Using raw materials from the mountains on either side, I emulated my initial methods from when I created the northernmost wall.


    With the prospect of facing reprisal from the Liche at any given moment, I made sure not to allow my mana to dip below half of its maximum value. However, despite my precautions, no reprisal appeared to be forthcoming.


    The reported number of greater undead drawn by the Empowered Dirge of Undeath had tapered off almost entirely and the number of lesser undead had thinned considerably.


    I could only assume that the Liche was most likely attempting to reverse or stall the damage dealt by Ophelia¡¯s slayer enchantment and divine blade. Leaving the Liche too preoccupied to create the greater undead and siege abominations.


    Explaining the waning numbers of the lesser undead were somewhat simpler. Their numbers had always been conditionally finite, to begin with. No longer free to infect the citizenry at will, the lesser undead had been fully committed to the meat grinder.


    Provided we could maintain our position long enough, the lesser undead would be eliminated.


    With the greater undead all but gone, Nila and Fesk had begun taking Cooper and Ushu out on scouting flights to the northwest, north, and northeast. While scouting the rolling plains to the north, Nila¡¯s team spotted several Werrian cavalry formations flying the same banner and running down the lesser undead.


    What Nila and her team found of particular interest was the absence of the imperial Werrian flag. The cavalry had presented the colours of the imperial house, but not the empire itself.


    ¡°If the Liche has seized control over the capital and its nobles, several noble families may have risen in rebellion,¡± Faine observed pensively while motioning to several points on an unfurled map of the Werrian empire. ¡°Although, their rebellion will be short-lived.¡±


    Jayne and Randle both nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Without a leader to unite them, they will all be defeated once the Confederates begin their planned annexation of the empire¡¯s territory,¡± Jayne elaborated for my benefit.


    ¡°Ironic really,¡± Randle sighed, ¡°That they would keep so many Slaves only to become Slaves for others...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think they deserve it?¡± I asked, somewhat surprised by Randle¡¯s subdued tone. Given the animosity the Asrusian high command held for the Werrians, I had assumed that my champions would hold similar sentiments.


    ¡°Many of the nobles probably deserve it,¡± Jayne admitted diplomatically, ¡°But I doubt the commoners have had much of a say in anything. Some of them owned Slaves, I have no doubt. However, I would be livid if I was condemned for the sins of my neighbour or even my brother. So why should I hold them to a different standard?¡±


    Faine grunted in agreement, ¡°If King Damien had been so ruthless in prosecuting the treason of our forebears, we three would not exist to serve you now.¡±


    The three cousins grimaced slightly and gave me wary looks. Perhaps wondering if I would hold them in lower esteem after Faine¡¯s confession of their family¡¯s past sins.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I admitted neutrally, ¡°Punishing the innocent isn¡¯t justice, it¡¯s vengeance, at best.¡± I took a few moments to gather my thoughts. ¡°So, what would you do in my place?¡±


    The question itself was simple enough, but I could see that my champions appreciated the complexity of the issues involved.


    Even if they did not hate the Werrian citizenry, they didn¡¯t owe them anything either. Furthermore, endorsing any degree of support for the Werrians would put them at odds with the Asrusians¡¯ high command and their more entrenched backers amongst the nobility.


    Ultimately, none of them was able to come up with an answer.


    I Summoned a projection of Sebet and Gric and presented them with the same question. They were both also my champions, and I was interested in hearing their perspectives.


    ¡°You should recruit them, of course!¡± Sebet stated confidently, shocking Randle, Faine and Jayne with her boldness. ¡°Of all your servants, the Humans are by far the most numerous and productive! They also account for the majority of your military might!¡± She clenched her fist briefly before pointing toward the soldiers patrolling the mountain pass below, ¡°However, they have allegiances to others besides yourself, and those leaders take their position for granted. It will be generations before another Faction possesses the influence to truly rival the Asrusians. While the Protectorate Faction provides a semblance of balance, it too needs a Faction to provide balance and pressure to guarantee its future generations uphold the tenets of their forebears.¡±


    Randle, Faine and Jayne shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. Their immediate and extended family members were all members of the Kingdom of Asrus Faction.


    ¡°What about the Slave issue?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Judge them for their sins?¡± Sebet suggested with a smirk, ¡°Condemn those that deserve it and welcome those of relative innocence.¡±


    ¡°How would we be certain of who is guilty?¡± Randle demanded with a snort of frustration, ¡°The majority of the Slaves have likely already been turned to ash at our very walls!¡±


    ¡°With immense care,¡± Sebet replied with a fierce grin, ¡°We judge their minds.¡± Her grin slipped somewhat and her brow furrowed as her expression took on a more irritated look, ¡°As much as I loathe to admit it, Gric would excel at processing such volumes...¡±


    Gric stared at Sebet with a blank expression for a moment and then shrugged, ¡°Assuming the subjects present minimal resistance, I do not foresee any difficulties,¡± he agreed flatly. ¡°However, I would raise the question as to what Sebet intends for those who fail to meet the standards of my assessment.¡±


    Sebet¡¯s eyes narrowed at Gric and smiled slyly, ¡°I would, of course, be willing to put them to good use in protecting and representing Sanctuary¡¯s best interests.¡±


    Gric snorted softly and rolled his eyes, ¡°As if it was not your intention from the beginning.¡±


    Sebet¡¯s smile wavered for a moment and her eyes took on a dangerous intensity, ¡°I possess more interests beyond tawdry scheming,¡± she hissed venomously before reestablishing a mask of civility, ¡°Representing the best interests of the Great One is always my highest concern!¡±


    Gric cocked his head curiously to one side, ¡°Interesting,¡± he commented quietly but said nothing further.


    Sebet¡¯s eyes flared and she took a half step away from him.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I commanded, unwilling to allow the situation to deteriorate further. ¡°Sebet has stated her case in favour of accepting refugees from the Werrian Empire. Gric, what do you think?¡±


    Gric turned away from Sebet and took on a pensive expression. ¡°Are we so certain that they will wish to leave? And even then, will they blindly leap into the arms of a former enemy to avoid another?¡± He shrugged noncommittally, ¡°I do not know them, but I know that they would require dedicated space. Space we do not readily possess. Faction Leader Sebet¡¯s assessment of balancing Faction dominance ignores the obvious reality that this would also give Humans yet another dominant Faction. Other Factions would not be pleased to learn of this.¡±


    Jayne vigorously shook her head in disagreement, ¡°It isn¡¯t like that though. We may be of the same Species, but our differences set us apart more readily than the Gnolls and Goblins.¡±


    Gric nodded slightly in acknowledgement, ¡°It is as you say, but I am stating what I know will happen based upon my observations. No doubt, infighting between the Human Factions will dispel concerns from the smaller Factions if given sufficient time. However, that same infighting is cause for concern, not celebration or anticipation.¡±


    ¡°I think I will have to disagree with you there,¡± Faine interjected, ¡°Our oaths leave traditional conflict amongst one another out of the question. As do his Majesty''s laws. However, most of the remaining avenues for conflict are either benign or to Sanctuary¡¯s net benefit.¡±


    Gric narrowed his eyes slightly as he regarded Faine for a moment and then nodded in agreement, ¡°Industrial and economic competition as proxies to determine status? Yes, I have witnessed as much between individuals. I had not considered it in regards to a wider scale...¡±


    ¡°There are the wargames and the future arena as well,¡± Randle added hastily, ¡°I¡¯ll bet Factions will use whoever ranks highly in the tournament as grounds for higher status.¡±


    Gric nodded again, ¡°Quite likely,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°But you¡¯re still not convinced,¡± Sebet observed shrewdly.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Gric agreed, ¡°Integration is only an issue if these other Humans can be convinced to leave,¡± he stated matter of factly, ¡°And I have not been convinced that many would leave without malign coercion.¡±


    I had to admit that Gric had a point. Unless a Confederate army was encamped outside of their city, and the garrison was heavily outnumbered, I doubted more than a handful of people would risk accepting such a dubious offer from their former enemies. Gric¡¯s observation regarding the limited space within my Demi-Plane was disturbingly valid as well.


    ¡°We should at least give them the chance,¡± Randle argued, doing his best to restrain his mounting frustration.


    Gric shrugged, ¡°Such initiatives are beyond the scope of my authority,¡± he stated bluntly, ¡°I was asked to provide my assessment and I have provided it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the rebels could be reasoned with?¡± Sebet suggested coyly, ¡°Approached by a third party unbound by known connections to the Asrusians?¡±


    ¡°You wish to send one of your spies,¡± Gric commented neutrally.


    ¡°Well, there is an idea!¡± Sebet agreed with a wolfish grin, her tone suggesting that it was Gric¡¯s idea and not her own. ¡°As it so happens, I have several servants who would fit such a diplomatic role.¡±


    I was about to ask something else, but Gric held up one hand in warning and nodded toward a soldier that was hurriedly scaling the mountain and headed in our general direction. The soldier was still several minutes away, but given how far our voices could potentially carry on the wind, it was a prudent precaution to take.


    <It appears things may have become more complicated than originally anticipated.> Gric¡¯s telepathic impression seemed strangely amused.


    <It could be in our favour.> Sebet noted while eyeing the approaching soldier with avid interest.


    ¡°My Lords!¡± The soldier snapped a salute, ¡°Vice Commander Dufresne has requested an audience in the fortress headquarters at your earliest convenience!¡± His gaze lingered on Gric and Sebet before snapping another salute and briskly making his way back down the mountain.


    To his credit, Sebet and Gric both looked incredibly out of place. Sebet was wearing her human form as a disguise but lacked armour or protective clothing in any recognisable form, and Gric was not disguised at all. If Gric had not strongly resembled an Elf, and Sebet did not have a stranglehold over the Confederate spies and activities in our region, I would have had cause for concern.


    ¡°A Werrian Commander leading one of the cavalry divisions has made contact with one of your teams of airborne scouts,¡± Sebet explained quietly for everyone else''s benefit.


    ¡°Vice Commander Dufresne desires to pass responsibility to our Tyrant,¡± Gric added neutrally, ¡°He believes that you will pass the responsibility along on his behalf,¡± he added with detached amusement.


    ¡°Or make the related decision for him,¡± Sebet snickered


    Gric nodded in agreement but made a point of masking his earlier amusement. ¡°It is as you say,¡± he confirmed with absolute certainty.


    Faine, Randle and Jayne stared at Gric warily as they shared uncomfortable glances.


    Gric noticed their unease but didn¡¯t seem to care. He most likely believed that if they didn¡¯t have something to hide, they had nothing to worry about in the first place. Gric was rather different in that respect.


    Sebet on the other hand. There were reasons why I had been so ruthless when establishing the terms of our Contract.


    Sebet glanced in my direction with a smirk on her lips but an otherwise wounded expression on her face, proving my point.


    While descending the mountain as a group, I decided that I would need to devise some sort of marker or seal that would identify my champions while they were on official business. Making the identifier a useful magic item with otherwise unique properties would be preferable as well.


    ¡°Perhaps a brooch?¡± Sebet suggested, making no attempts at hiding the fact that she had been observing my surface thoughts. ¡°A brooch or clasp could be pinned to a cloak or even formal attire,¡± she continued helpfully, ¡°They could be custom-made with elaborate engravings bearing your seal and maybe even hosting an Empowered Mending Spell?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what an Empowered Mending Spell does?¡± I asked, genuinely curious whether Sebet knew the answer.


    ¡°I am not completely certain,¡± Sebet admitted with a shrug, ¡°But I am reasonably confident that it would extend the Mending Spell¡¯s effects on the subject¡¯s person.¡±


    ¡°Which would make our damaged armour regenerate?¡± Faine asked, showing keen interest alongside his two cousins who had not been quite so quick to ask the question for themselves.


    ¡°Provided the information I acquired is accurate,¡± Sebet hedged confidently, ¡°Of course, they would need at least one mana stone each to provide a source of mana for the continued availability of the Spell.¡±


    As much as I liked the idea of having self-repairing armour, the constant temptation presented by the mana stone would only increase the rate at which I would accrue mental fatigue. Of course, there would be nothing stopping me from just substituting the mana stone with something else while masquerading as one of my champions.


    At the very least, I fully intended to follow through on the experiment and make such items available to my champions. They seemed far too taken with the idea for me to do otherwise without disappointing them. Regenerating equipment would also improve their combat potential without draining their mana.


    Of course, it would probably require me to learn the Mending Spell, but I had several empty Spell positions available already. So it wouldn¡¯t be that big a deal if I couldn¡¯t just use the Tome to cast the Spell along with my blood.


    Vice Commander Dufresne stiffly saluted as we entered the large chamber that served as the headquarters for the fortress of the mountain pass. ¡°My Lords, we have been contacted by someone that claims to represent the separatist forces of Duke Semenov. A request has been made to discuss our presence in ¡®their¡¯ lands.¡± He stated the last portion with a barely repressed sneer of contempt. ¡°How do my Lords wish to proceed?¡±


    Faine, Jayne and Randle¡¯s body language subtly made it clear that they expected me to make the decision.


    ¡°We will meet with them,¡± I decided, confident that in the event of a trap, we could simply teleport back to Marco again. ¡°Did their representative designate a meeting place?¡± I pressed, somewhat dissatisfied by Vice Commander Dufresne¡¯s attitude.


    ¡°There is a village a half a day¡¯s ride to our north,¡± Vice Commander Dufresne pointed to a marker on the large map laid out on the table. ¡°Our reports have confirmed that the original inhabitants, both living and undead, have long since moved on. A small division of Werrian elite cavalry was spotted making camp within its general proximity shortly before we were approached.¡±


    Looking at the map, I guesstimated that the trip would take less than an hour if we were transported by Ushu.


    ¡°We will take our leave then,¡± I stated confidently, ¡°Assuming there isn¡¯t anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, my Lord,¡± Vice Commander Dufresne replied hurriedly.


    I waited a moment.


    <That is all.> Gric confirmed. <He is simply surprised that you have decided to attend such a meeting personally.> S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I made a mental shrug and gave the Vice Commander a curt nod before seeing myself out.


    Finding Ushu and Fesk was not particularly difficult. The trick was communicating the request for Ushu to return earlier than planned.


    Fesk had a dedicated team member for communications, sending, receiving, and disseminating incoming communications to Fesk and the rest of his team. Unfortunately, the wind rushing past their faces made speech amongst one another incredibly unreliable and inconsistent, and signing required them to already have one another¡¯s attention.


    Fesk¡¯s team had several crude methods for acquiring one another¡¯s attention while in flight, but they were not entirely foolproof.


    To skip all of the hassles, I opted for Summoning a projection of Fesk and expressing my request directly.


    While waiting for Ushu to return, I conjured armour, weapons and clothing for Sebet and Gric before Summoning them again with a much larger amount of mana. With the five of us more or less conforming to a recognisable aesthetic standard, I explained the directions and plan of action to Fesk and we boarded the platform on Ushu¡¯s back.


    Fesk and his team of Thralls wore special leather and glass goggles over their helmets to shield their eyes from the wind. Lacking such protection for myself, at least in my human form, I found it difficult to get a good look at the surrounding area on our way to our destination. I could have conjured a pair of the goggles to avoid discomfort, but without a surplus in a designated area, there was no telling where the goggles would be taken from.


    After a little over what I approximated to be half an hour, Ushu landed a short distance from the blackened remains of a burnt-out village. Large panels of fabric were tied off over the rooftops of some of the less damaged buildings, and piles of debris filled the larger gaps in the wooden palisades.


    To my surprise, half a dozen riders sallied out of the village and headed in our direction at a cautious pace. Riding what looked like giant wolves with snow-white fur, the Werrian cavalry wore helmets that gave them a similar appearance to early cinema¡¯s wolfmen.


    I had originally intended to send Fesk away to watch events from a respectful distance to avoid antagonising the other party. However, given the initiative taken by the Werrians, I signed for Fesk to wait while I determined how best to proceed.


    The lead member of the cavalry formation held a banner with a white wolf¡¯s head and dark grey crossed spears set against a black background.


    As the formation drew closer, it looked like they intended to continue their brisk approach until the last moment in an attempt to startle me and my gathered champions. However, a baleful glare and low rumbling growl from Ushu brought the snow-white wolves to a sudden halt. Given that Ushu was easily large enough to swallow one of the large wolves whole, it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand why.


    However, the wolves¡¯ reaction caught me somewhat off guard. If they were Tamed monsters, then they should have obeyed the Commands of their riders. The fact that they hadn¡¯t, was strange.


    Taking a second look at the giant wolves confirmed my suspicions. There were obvious and expected differences brought about by scarring and weight. However, there were also less obvious but otherwise noticeable differences, such as minor differences in eye colour, ear length and overall musculature. Barding and their saddles did a good job of distracting the eye from their differences, but it wasn¡¯t perfect.


    After giving Ushu a solid thump and a few brisk rubs on the neck to help settle him down, I led my small group over to the Werrian cavalry.


    ¡°You are the Asrus envoys?¡± The lead Werrian carrying the banner asked with a strained show of confidence.


    ¡°We are,¡± I replied readily, feeling no immediate need to complicate matters with discussions relating to how the Kingdom of Asrus had publicly ceased to exist outside of my Demi-Plane.


    The lead Werrian nodded and warily eyed Ushu, ¡°You are willing to meet with our representative?¡± Whether it was because of his nerves or perhaps a shaky grasp of the Asrusian language, he seemed to struggle with forming his words.


    ¡°We are,¡± I repeated, making a conscious effort to use the Werrian language this time.


    The lead Werrian¡¯s eyes widened slightly but he didn¡¯t appear particularly surprised by my use of their language. Considering it was a diplomatic mission, it was probably to be expected. What little surprise there was, probably resulted from my perceived fluency. ¡°Please, follow me,¡± he gestured back toward the village, making no attempts at convincing me to leave my entourage or Ushu behind. Given their relatively weak bargaining position, this wasn¡¯t particularly surprising either.


    All the same, I decided to make a power play of my own as payback for the earlier attempt at intimidation.


    #Return to the sky. Circle the village at a distance where they can still see you.# I signed to Fesk before allowing the Werrians to escort us into the village.


    Ushu launching himself into the air startled the wolves anew, eliciting keening whines from the wolves in our immediate vicinity and muted barking and howls from within the village.


    Entering the village, I suppressed my feelings of sorrow as I bore witness to the ravaged homes of the innocent people who had lost their lives to the unholy predations of the Liche.


    It didn¡¯t take long to arrive at our intended destination, but the deliberate placement of Werrian cavalrymen and their mounts scattered visibly along our path was painfully obvious in its intent. They were trying to present a position of strength despite the ravaged state of their country. Almost all of the cavalry¡¯s armour bore battle damage of one kind or another, and their weapons looked worn and in need of repair.


    If not for the high quality of the cavalry¡¯s equipment and their high level of discipline, the condition of their equipment would have led me to suspect that they were bandits or perhaps even deserters.


    A large half-stone building in the middle of the village was still standing and appeared to be our final destination. As we drew closer to the building, I noticed burnt arrow shafts sticking out of the collapsed remains of nearby buildings with increasing frequency.


    The villagers had not gone down without a fight.


    As we passed by yet another blackened ruin, my eyes were drawn to the abandoned toy of a small child. However, pinned as it was beneath a blackened beam of rough-hewn timber, it took me a moment to recognise the dark stains on the toy.


    With an effort of will, I suppressed the rage that threatened to overwhelm my senses. The child the toy belonged to was almost certainly already dead. The best I could do for them now was seek vengeance against the one responsible.


    Leaving our escorts behind, we entered the large building through the open doorway with torn metal hinges and found three large men and a particularly large white wolf waiting for us.


    Two of the three men stood close to the far wall beside a set of broken stairs while the wolf lay by the hearth on the far right side of the room at the side of the third man.


    The two men by the stairs had gone without their helmets and looked to be on the wrong side of sixty, sporting more white and grey in their hair than black. In stark contrast, the third man looked barely twenty despite obvious attempts at growing out a thick beard.


    With just a glance, it was obvious that despite their superior experience, both older men deferred to their junior. Suggesting that he was likely someone of exceptional ability or connections.


    The wolf growled menacingly but I just stared it down. I had killed bigger Beasts barehanded and refused to be intimidated.


    ¡°Interesting! Very interesting!¡± The young man barked in Werrian at his two older companions, ¡°You see?! I told you!¡±


    The two old soldiers simply grunted in response, neither one of them seeming particularly impressed.


    ¡°Bah!¡± The young man spat dismissively at the older men before turning his attention toward us and opening his hands wide, ¡°Pleased to be meeting you! I am Captain of separatists Semenov!¡± He declared loudly in what I assumed had to be bad Asrusian. ¡°I am being entrusted with negotiation with representatives of Asrus Kingdom!¡±


    ¡°I hold no official military title, but I am qualified to represent the Asrusian leadership in all negotiations,¡± I replied formally in Werrian, catching all three men off guard. ¡°Captain, what exactly do you wish to negotiate?¡±


    The young captain quickly overcame his surprise and rubbed his hands together eagerly, ¡°Your army has a special artefact, yes? Something that calls to the dead?¡±


    ¡°Something to that effect,¡± I replied, deliberately avoiding a definitive answer, ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°Well, we would like to know why you have brought it north,¡± the young captain stated plainly, ¡°If you seek to take territory from the fallen Empire, perhaps we can be allies?¡±


    <My Tyrant, he does not know that the Asrus Kingdom has fallen, only that the Confederation of Independent City-States is surely coming for his family¡¯s land.> Gric¡¯s warning came before I even had a chance to consider the offer.


    <He is not a captain either.> Sebet chimed in with amusement. <He¡¯s Duke Semenov¡¯s son, and he¡¯s on a mission to uncover what¡¯s driving away the undead.>


    Grateful for the new information, I reconsidered my approach. ¡°I think discussing an alliance is perhaps a little premature,¡± I replied glibly, ¡°We were enemies not too long ago, and I haven¡¯t seen anything that would convince me to believe we would benefit nearly as much as you from such an alliance.¡±


    The son of the Duke flinched but quickly rallied, ¡°We were enemies,¡± he readily agreed, ¡°But surely the undead are the enemy of us all? The devastation around us is a witness to this, yes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that,¡± I agreed coldly, ¡°But we have destroyed millions of undead in a mere handful of days. That you were unable to accomplish even a umteenth of that number in a far greater amount of time does not speak favourably of your value as an ally.¡±


    It took the Duke¡¯s son considerably longer to rally. ¡°We know the terrain! We have hunted and fought across this land all of our lives!-¡±


    ¡°And we don¡¯t have to,¡± I interjected firmly, ¡°We have chosen a serviceable location and eliminated the undead piecemeal as they are forced to fight on our terms.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s son clenched his teeth as his face twisted into a bitter expression, ¡°We could pay you!¡± He hissed through his teeth, ¡°Coins, magic items, mercenaries!¡±


    The two older soldiers looked like they were barely able to restrain themselves. However, the fact that they still managed to do so spoke volumes of their character and the desperation of their people.


    ¡°Indulge me a moment,¡± I suggested placatingly, not without sympathy for his position and predicament, ¡°What does the survival of your people mean to you?¡±


    The young man stared back at me uncertainly. ¡°It is...It¡¯s everything...¡± He replied quietly, ¡°My duty, my responsibility, is to protect them...¡±


    I nodded to show that I agreed with his answer but waited on Gric and Sebet¡¯s assessment to prove the veracity of his words. If true, the Duke¡¯s son might provide the introductions and leverage required to save untold numbers of people before the Confederates arrived in force and started butally occupying cities.


    However, eliminating the Liche remained my highest priority. It ultimately didn¡¯t matter how many people I saved. So long as the Liche continued to exist, ever greater levels of death, misery and suffering would follow in its wake.


    ***** Amalda (Liche) ~ Werrian Empire ~ Werrian Empire Capital *****


    The royal apartments of the former Emperor were strewn with the bodies of young women and little girls. The corpses numbered in the hundreds and what little remained of their lifeblood trickled over the tiled floor and into the pool-sized bath in the centre of the room.


    Amalda¡¯s Spell was wringing every last drop from their wretched bodies, but it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Clutching Liz tightly in her arms, Amalda cradled her neck and back like a newborn baby.


    Very nearly entirely submerged in the literal pool of blood, Liz could only gasp in pain as thin cracks webbed across her skin and the edges crumpled to ash.


    Amalda tried to ignore Liz¡¯s missing left arm and the deep craters marring her small delicate frame.


    For what felt like the thousandth time, Amalda gently lowered Liz beneath the surface, willing her to drink her fill of the blood and spark the return of her Vampyric Regeneration Ability. Hoping that despite all their previous failures, that the wound would miraculously heal and make her whole again. However, upon lifting Liz¡¯s head back above the surface, Amalda only discovered fresh cracks creeping across her head, displacing what little remained of Liz¡¯s once beautiful hair.


    ¡°M-Malds?...¡± Liz stuttered and looked up at Amalda with dull cloudy eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Amalda replied firmly and resisted the urge to tighten her grip. Any increase in pressure would slough away pounds of compromised flesh and reduce it to ash.


    ¡°Y-You r-rememb-ber r-right?¡± Liz stammered, her cracked and near skinless lips trying and failing to form a reassuring smile.


    Amalda fought the urge to answer, knowing that if she did, that would mean admitting defeat. ¡°Save your strength Liz, you just need more time for the blood and magic to do its thing, you¡¯ll see!¡± Amalda insisted determinedly.


    ¡°M-Malds...¡± Tears of blood beaded in Liz¡¯s eyes and ran down the cracks in her face, eroding her grey flesh further and exposing blackened bone. ¡°I...I¡¯m s-scared...¡±


    Amalda felt Liz¡¯s entire lower body fall away.


    ¡°Y-You r-rememb-ber r-right M-Malds?¡± Liz croaked desperately, ¡°R-Right M-Malds?¡± Her right arm rose above the surface, reaching for Amalda¡¯s face. However, before it could make it even halfway, Liz¡¯s arm fell into several pieces, scattering sodden ash into the depths.


    ¡°I remember!¡± Amalda replied softly, lifting what remained of Liz into a gentle tender embrace, ¡°Together-¡± Liz¡¯s torso and skull sloughed between Amalda¡¯s fingers, ¡°-now...and forever...¡± She whispered hollowly while staring at the bloody ash still clinging to her hands.


    Amalda stood motionless, waiting so she could seize Liz¡¯s soul before it had time to decay. However, her worst fears were realised when the telltale green glow that always accompanied her Soul Harvest Ability failed to appear.


    Amalda felt something shift inside of her mind.


    As a Liche, Amalda felt no biologically induced emotions due to the particulars of her undead physiology. Contrary to what she had originally expected, it had only intensified her emotions. Without biological processes to shift her emotional state from one to another, Amalda was capable and was, in fact, prone to feeling certain emotions indefinitely. Furthermore, instead of tapering off over time, her emotions would only intensify if she decided to indulge them.


    Hands trembling, Amalda slowly ascended the steps out of the pool, her dark regal dress trailing swathes of blood behind her.


    For a moment, Amalda experienced a state of absolute calm and was entirely aware that she could exist in that state indefinitely if she so chose.


    Amalda clenched her fists, feeling the bloody ashes oozing between her fingers.


    ¡°No...¡± Amalda whispered.


    Having arrived at the balcony and afforded a prime vantage point of the city below, Amalda felt herself teetering on the edge of oblivion and welcomed it. Allowing the rage to flow through every fibre of her being, Amalda lifted her head toward the sky and screamed. A swirling vortex of harvested souls swarmed around her, hungrily drinking in Amalda¡¯s mana before descending toward the homes of the living below.


    They had found each other again once already, they could do it again! But first! She would have her vengeance!

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 61 – Death and misery – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 61 ¨C Death and misery ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 61 - Death and misery - Part One


    Thunder boomed ominously in the distance and a sudden rush of wind howled through the broken doorway and windows.


    Ushu¡¯s bellowing roar drowned out the distant thunder and set the Werrians on edge.


    <We need to leave!> Gric and Sebet¡¯s thoughts crashed into my own with reckless intensity, leaving me momentarily stunned.


    Numbly retreating outside, I ignored the swords of the Werrian soldiers and continued into the middle of the road.


    The grey overcast sky had taken on a dark sickly bright emerald hue and I could sense an overwhelming concentration of mana to the far east.


    With seemingly no regard for the Werrians whatsoever, Ushu landed just outside of the village limits, crushing a wide section of palisades with his tail as he fought to arrest his momentum. Eyeing us with one giant reptilian pupil, Ushu snarled impatiently, curling back his scaly lips and baring his huge teeth.


    With little thought for how our sudden withdrawal would be interpreted, I hurriedly climbed up onto the platform and hooked the safety line through my harness.


    The moment the final harness was secured, Ushu launched himself into a loping run, rapidly gaining speed before leaping up into the sky and becoming airborne. In stark contrast to his economical flying style that made extensive use of air currents and gliding to maintain his energy, Ushu was beating his wings hard, straining his wing muscles to their limits.


    The difference in speed made it almost impossible to see anything without the special goggles. However, the view afforded from atop Ushu¡¯s back made overlooking the source of imminent danger almost impossible.


    A pillar of bright emerald light was flickering far off to the east and was so tall that it pierced the clouds.


    Mournful howls and screams were carried on the wind, waxing and waning in intensity without rhyme or reason.


    Within what must have been ten minutes or less since they departed from the Werrian Village, Ushu made a rushed and destructive landing upon the eastern mountain above the fortified pass. Deep claw marks were gouged into the mountainside which initiated several small rockslides.


    Raising his horned head toward the sky, Ushu released a trumpeting roar while scanning the clouds.


    After a few moments, a returning call came from Cooper in the southwest.


    Dismounting the platform, I found the army in a state of manic activity. The entire force was on high alert. Runners were rushing to and fro, carrying written orders and field reports.


    Untouched by the chaos, Wisp stood resolute atop the northernmost wall. Standing still as a statue, his focus was firmly fixed on the pillar of emerald light to the northeast.


    As Cooper flew into view, she and Ushu exchanged several drawn-out exchanges before Cooper made a final chittering screech and began flying south.


    Ushu had sent his daughter away from the coming danger, and I couldn¡¯t blame him for it.


    It was obvious that the pillar of emerald light was in some way related to the Liche. Furthermore, the sheer volume of mana being expended made it clear that our conflict was about to experience an escalation in a form that we might not be prepared to face.


    Cooper¡¯s departure had an immediately observable effect on the soldiers¡¯ morale. Fighting alongside, or more accurately, behind, the pair of giant Dragons was something they had taken for granted. The survival of the soldiers had not been dependent on the Dragons, but it was an indisputable fact that the Dragons had made massive contributions that the individual soldiers could only dream of making.


    The morale of the special weapon teams responsible for the deployment of the siege engines was less affected than the regular soldiers. However, they were far fewer in number and comparatively isolated. Meaning they could not be relied upon to stabilise the morale of the army. At least, not until the enemy initiated an attack and the siege engines could be brought to bear.


    With so few lesser undead remaining, I decided to end the Empowered Dirge of Undeath. Without the Empowered Dirge of Undeath enhancing their mobility, the lesser undead that remained were reduced to a near catatonic state as the Empowered Ward reasserted its dominance over the surrounding area.


    I spent the better part of an hour slowly recharging the Empowered Ward while waiting for news of any sightings of the Liche or its forces.


    Without Nila and Cooper, long-distance scouting fell to Ushu, Fesk and his team.


    Clarice had wanted to take part in the scouting as well, but Dhizi had adamantly refused to stray far from the mountain pass. No matter how much Clarice begged or cajoled her, Dhizi simply ignored her.


    Gric and Sebet¡¯s projections still had mana left and were doing their best to shore up the soldiers'' flagging morale from behind the scenes.


    On my way to seek out Wisp¡¯s opinion on further preparations, I was intercepted by Marco.


    ¡°I want to fight!¡± Marco demanded, his fists clenched so tightly at his sides that the leather over his knuckles split and revealed his pale skin.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked warily, giving Marco the chance to retract his request and walk away.


    ¡°They!... They took my life! Killed me! Made me a monster!¡± Marco hissed in anger and despair, ¡°After the things I¡¯ve done!... The things they made me do!... My family will never accept me...¡± Tears of blood flashed in his eyes and soaked into the thick scarf that concealed the lower half of his face. ¡°Revenge! For what they did to me-to my brother! That''s all I have left!¡±


    I could tell that Marco was spiralling and had a suspicion that my promised reward was, at least, partially to blame. Unlike most of the Asrusians and adventurers living inside of my Demi-Plane, Marco did not see his conversion into a monster as something to be desired. It was an understandable position to take considering people would be far more accepting and inviting toward an Orc than a Vampyr.


    Even the Thralls would be more popular than Marco once his true nature was discovered or revealed. So what did Marco have to look forward to?


    After what had been done to his younger brother, Tobi, Marco no doubt expected their parents to reject him outright. He was terrified of guilt by association.


    Rejoining his family had been something to keep him going while following my orders. However, without my orders to guide his actions and dictate his life, Marco had become responsible for his own decisions, and his own life, again. Hopes, and dreams for a future that could never be attained, fell apart. Leaving nothing, nothing but revenge and a desire for the termination of his existence.


    No doubt interpreting my silence as some form of refusal, Marco narrowed his eyes dangerously, ¡°Consider this my request! Payment for using me as an expendable tool!¡± He snarled and stomped off toward the northern wall before I could make a reply.


    ¡°Should we do something?¡± Jayne asked quietly.


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head and sighed, ¡°Another specialist will be to our advantage when the time comes to fight the Liche directly. The anti-life aura alone makes fighting the Liche a race against attrition for anyone who lacks an abnormally high Toughness or inherent immunity.¡± I wasn¡¯t against making the most of the situation, but a part of me was angry at myself for not even making a token effort to talk Marco out of it.


    With Marco determinedly stalking in Wisp¡¯s direction, I decided to Summon a projection of Wisp instead.


    Wisp''s suggestions on potential preparations essentially boiled down to determining what degree of personal risk I was willing to accept. Empowered Spells cost my HP, which left me more vulnerable with each casting. Which in turn required downtime to restore that HP to offset the risk of being caught in a relatively vulnerable state.


    The slayer enchantment would theoretically work in tandem with an Empowered Bane Spell cast on a weapon, making its initial damage much higher while also applying the slayer Curse. Furthermore, there was a reasonably high chance that the slayer Curse wouldn¡¯t work on the Liche, or that it might be far less effective. In such a scenario, having the Bane property would ensure that the attack still dealt damage that made the potential risks worthwhile.


    To that end, I cast the Empowered Bane Spell seven times. Once for my weapon, and each of the three blessed weapons of my champions, once for Ophelia¡¯s blessed sword held by wisp, and last of all on a shortsword that I had delivered to Marco.


    Unwilling to risk lowering my Hp below four-fifths of its maximum value, I took a short break to recover my HP between each casting. Because of this, close to an hour had passed before I was ready to move on to my step in preparation.


    Marco¡¯s report from the Vampyr nest had revealed that more powerful undead could see through the Cloak of Undeath Spell. The spell was meant to conceal the target of the Spell from all the senses of the undead, including their passive sense that homed in on the living.


    Wisp was not entirely sure what the Empowered version of the Cloak of Undeath Spell would accomplish. However, he expressed the opinion that he strongly suspected it would extend the Spell''s benefits to other allies within a certain range.


    With the benefits being entirely dependent on the effects of the Empowered element of the Spell, I cast an Empowered Cloak of Undeath Spell on a volunteer. Accompanied by other volunteers, the first soldier travelled south with orders to deliberately antagonise the undead and determine the limits of the Spell.


    While reviewing my Grimoire of Flesh just to make sure I hadn¡¯t overlooked a potentially useful Spell, I noticed that there were two new Spells in the qualified list. Spatial Breach and Dimensional Anchor.


    I could only assume that the Spatial Breach Spell was what the Liche had used to attempt to rescue her Vampyr commander. Similarly, the Dimensional Anchor might suggest that the Spell was somehow less stable than the other forms of teleportation I was currently aware of. A breach certainly sounded more violent than a rift, but that also might just be a matter of semantics. It was also somewhat strange that Spatial Breach was a Spell and other means of teleportation weren¡¯t.


    ¡°Well, this is to be expected of the Great One!¡± Sebet gushed unashamedly, ¡°Such unique and powerful Spells are truly best suited to those that are uniquely powerful!¡±


    Gric narrowed his eyes at Sebet and grunted with displeasure, ¡°If you know their purpose, you are required to tell the Tyrant!¡± He commanded coldly.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet agreed innocently, ¡°I would never dare to fail in my assigned responsibilities!¡±


    Gric snorted derisively and rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I ordered firmly and motioned for Sebet to continue, ¡°What do they do? And do you know how they would be affected by being Empowered?¡±


    ¡°I know a little,¡± Sebet admitted readily, ¡°However, I would strongly urge caution in taking this information as the complete truth...¡± She shrugged helplessly and scratched behind her right ear, ¡°My former master¡¯s servants were in the habit of making grandiose boasts to inflate other opinions on their prowess...¡±


    That seemed true enough based on what I had observed of Sebet¡¯s behaviour. Sucking up to your superiors, and boasting to your peers, all while gaslighting or demeaning your subordinates seemed like Devil-like behaviour as well.


    Sebet¡¯s right eyebrow twitched. ¡°Great One, you were correct in your assumption that the Spatial Breach Spell is a more violent means of translocation. Extremities that are not fully contained within the dimensions of the Spell are said to be left behind when the Spell terminates. Of course, the extremities of potential pursuers could just as easily be taken along for a ride.¡± She indulged in a long pause while making a show of gathering her thoughts, ¡°In fact, I overheard several boasts involving the use of this Spell as a weapon. Maiming or slaying their enemies through the careful or fortuitous placement of the breach.¡± Sebet nodded with a satisfied smile on her lips, ¡°Assuming the Spell works as described, such an outcome would be more than possible.¡±


    ¡°Wait a sec,¡± I interjected and held up my hand, ¡°How big, exactly, can a breach be?¡±


    In her natural form, Sebet was far taller than an average Human Like just about every Species, the higher Sebet Evolved, the larger she became. So it stood to reason that her former superiors would have been anywhere between two to nine feet tall and sporting who knew what appendages.


    ¡°Uh, I am not sure,¡± Sebet replied while smiling apologetically, ¡°Perhaps it is determined by the amount of mana? Some Spells are like that,¡± she suggested helpfully.


    ¡°Can this Spell pierce the effects of a Nascent Demi-Plane?¡± Gric asked warily, catching me somewhat off guard with the unexpected question.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Sebet replied with middling confidence, ¡°It is a Spell specifically designed for intruding into places the caster is not meant to be. Naturally, those places would have some form of protection that would need to be overcome.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that this could have provided the means for the Liche to invade Sanctuary?¡± My skin grew cold as I realised I had asked the wrong question. ¡°Was this Spell how the Liche invaded Sanctuary,¡± I corrected stiffly.


    Sebet was quiet for a few moments and then nodded, ¡°It seems quite likely. However, I don¡¯t think the Liche could invade again without significantly increasing its mana reserves and spending a considerable amount of time.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I demanded impatiently, agitated by the potentially renewed risk to the safety of my family and subjects.


    ¡°The invasion of a Plane, which includes Demi-Planes such as your own, Great one, is no easy feat,¡± Sebet stated with absolute confidence, ¡°In the simplest of terms, and to the best of my somewhat limited scope of knowledge, the larger the Plane, the more powerful its authority becomes. Circumventing Planar authority is like defying gravity. It¡¯s doable, but requires a certain degree of strength and expenditure of energy.¡±


    ¡°Which means our expansion is probably one of the primary reasons why the Liche was unable to initiate another invasion,¡± I commented bitterly. I had been hoping that the Demi-Plane would provide some form of absolute protection from external threats. Learning that was not the case was a bitter pill to swallow.


    ¡°We will need to increase our rate of annexation!¡± Gric declared angrily, earning ready agreement from everyone present.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Sebet agreed wholeheartedly, ¡°And I believe that our enemy has provided us with a powerful tool to be turned toward such an endeavour!¡± Sebet¡¯s already wide smile grew wider still, ¡°A champion would need only to visit a location once for the Great One to then send his legions to enact glorious conquest!¡±


    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t understand,¡± Randle admitted bluntly, ¡°How is that any better than our current plans?¡± He looked to his cousins for answers.


    ¡°It differs in one key respect,¡± Jayne replied with a smirk, ¡°His Majesty will be able to send through the banners to wherever we have been, without the need to leave Sanctuary. Then, when we are done, we can return the exact same way!¡±


    ¡°We could seize multiple floors from the same Labyrinth at the same time!¡± Faine added with an approving nod.


    ¡°We just need to destroy this Liche first...¡± Randle commented dourly but with stubborn determination.


    Randle¡¯s comment summed up our position rather well. I could make all the plans for the future I wanted. However, none of them would mean anything unless I was able to destroy the Liche once and for all.


    Sebet¡¯s description of the Spatial Breach Spell and its potential was enough to convince me it was worth a place in my Grimoire of Flesh. It probably wouldn¡¯t be of much use in fighting the Liche directly. However, it would provide an emergency means of retreat if I still had the mana required to cast it.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it is somewhat countered by the other Spell...¡± Sebet apologised with exaggerated contrition, bowing at the waist and pressing both palms together to beg for forgiveness, ¡°Dimensional Anchor prevents enemies from teleporting out of the area and draws in enemies trying to teleport into the surrounding area. It would make escaping with Spatial Breach quite difficult...¡±


    ¡°We would need both Spells to be certain,¡± Gric countered neutrally, ¡°However, I would suggest taking the Spatial Anchor for another reason.¡±


    ¡°Making sure the Liche does not escape?¡± I knew Gric well enough to know where he was coming from and I was inclined to agree with his assessment.


    Gric nodded, his refined Elven features set in a stern expression, ¡°Even if it is performed by one of your champions, preventing the Liche¡¯s escape should be a high priority.¡±


    Dimensional Anchor would occupy the last of the currently available positions in my Grimoire of Flesh. Persuaded by the need for some form of contingency to prevent the Liche¡¯s escape, I added Dimensional Anchor to my list of Spells.


    Assuming that an Empowered Dimensional Anchor would be stronger than a regular version of the Spell, I figured it would be best to prepare the Spell while I still had my full HP.


    To prepare for the possibility that the Liche might attempt a surprise attack with Spatial Breach, I decided that I would need to centre the Dimensional Anchor a decent distance from the northernmost wall. This would prevent the Liche from immediately damning every soldier present and allow the siege weapon teams to zero in on a prepared position.


    The siege munitions might not do exceptional damage to the Liche, but they would hopefully cull off any of the other undead brought along for the ride.


    As much as it was to test Ochram¡¯s assurances regarding an Empowered Shape Stone Spell, I decided to form the focus for the Dimensional Anchor into a stocky stone altar. On a whim, I engraved a nautical anchor onto the underside of the altar. No one would see it anyway and it brought a smile to my face, even if only for a moment.


    The light grey stone taken from the mountain absorbed my blood like a sponge and took on a dark crimson hue. The original naturally occurring gradient in the stone gave it a bizarre pattern that made me think of waves in an ocean of blood.


    Conjuring a mundane mace from Sanctuary¡¯s treasury, I ordered Randle to use it to strike the stone altar with all of his strength.


    Wielding the mace with both hands, Randle brought the head of the mace crashing down on the surface of the altar. The wooden shaft of the mace splintered from the force of the impact and the head of the mace was sent flying, narrowly missing a passing soldier.


    ¡°Perhaps a magical mace?¡± Randle suggested somewhat awkwardly while avoiding looking at his two snickering cousins.


    I nodded and conjured a relatively high-tier magical mace.


    Unlike the first mace, the magical mace was made entirely of steel.


    ¡°Try this one,¡± I handed the mace to Randle and waited.


    Randle took a firm stance and raised the mace above his head, ¡°Here goes...¡±


    The soldiers in the immediate area fled from the path taken by the head of the previous mace.


    The head of the magical mace crashed down on the altar with a deafening clang before falling from Randle¡¯s hands. ¡°Oof!¡± Randle shook his gauntletted fingers and hissed in pain.


    The altar remained unmarked.


    Picking up and inspecting the magical mace revealed that it too appeared to be undamaged.


    The fact that the simple stone altar had been able to resist an attack from a magical weapon wielded by someone with high Strength and an extensive array of Synergies was impressive.


    Unlike every other Empowered Spell I had cast up until this point, Shape Stone only consumed one point of HP. This suggested that its HP cost was probably influenced by scale. So if I cast an Empowered Shape Stone Spell on a larger object it would cost more HP.


    Unwilling to cast the Empowered Anchor Spell while within the limits of the fortified pass, I dragged the altar behind me on a crude sled. While I moved the altar, my champions intercepted and destroyed any undead that drew close.


    The proposed location for the altar was roughly five hundred feet from the northernmost wall that sealed off the mountain pass. It would leave the anchor firmly within the range of ballistae and catapults, but outside the range of the trebuchets and more than half of the defensive positions of the bowmen.


    The staggered layering of defences would hopefully provide enough destructive power to cull off or severely weaken any of the stronger undead before they had a chance to get close.


    With the anchor firmly planted out in the open, I gathered my mana and cut the inside of my mouth in preparation for the Empowered Anchor Spell. Unlike my other Spells that took effect immediately, the Anchor Spell drained my mana for several minutes before taking effect. Of greater concern was the twenty HP it had also drained in the process.


    I felt quite anaemic and fatigued by the loss of blood and was aware that morale would have taken another hit if I was seen staggering or leaning heavily on my champions for support. So I had to temporarily cease my mana regeneration exploit just so I could return under my power. All the while wolfing down food as fast as I was able to restore my missing HP.


    Waiting for Sebet or Gric to complete tests on the Dimensional Anchor would have been the safer play to make. However, there was no guarantee that we had the time to spare. Furthermore, the costs made it clear that the Spell needed to be established well in advance or run the risk of leaving myself exposed to the same enemy I intended to entrap.


    ¡°HOLD! HOLD!¡± The cries of Sergeants echoed up and down the wall, their straining shouts competing against the groans of siege engines.


    I turned toward the distant anchor just in time to witness a small group of cloaked figures disappear beneath a hail of javelins, boulders and displaced dirt.


    ¡°I think those were Confederates...¡± Faine commented in bewilderment.


    ¡°They must have tried to use a teleportation wand...¡± Jayne made a show of scanning the mountains while slowly shaking her head and snorting incredulously, ¡°Were they trying to escape one of our patrols and were caught by the anchor by happenstance?¡±


    ¡°If they were trying to escape at all,¡± Randle added grimly, ¡°For all we know, the range on this anchor could go for miles around. We may have snared a team carrying dispatches-¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps a high-ranking officer,¡± Faine agreed while staring at the mass of expended projectiles, ¡°Although I doubt there is enough left of them to tell for sure.¡±


    ¡°Technically, they are our enemies,¡± I commented neutrally while doing my best not to overthink things and risk losing myself to the possibilities, ¡°Whoever they are, or were, I suppose...¡± Spells and Abilities were incredibly definitive in that sense.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think it could have been Duke Seminov¡¯s scouts?¡± Jayne asked quietly, lowering her voice so the soldiers stationed on the wall nearby would not overhear. ¡°The Duke¡¯s self-proclaimed representative seemed especially keen on learning more about our capabilities...¡±


    I shook my head dismissively, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Read the description for the Spell. It only targets enemies.¡±


    Whether it was because they perceive themselves to be my enemy, or I considered them as such, was unclear. However, it ultimately didn¡¯t make much of a difference. If someone considered me to be their enemy, then it would be to my benefit for Spells and Abilities to take measures against them.


    Similarly, if I already considered someone an enemy, I would have reasons for holding that belief and would want Spells and Abilities to take measures against them. Or at the least, exclude my enemies from receiving any potential benefits.


    The deaths themselves would have once bothered me to a far greater degree, but I couldn¡¯t afford to allow it. Defeating the Liche and ending the rampage of the undead required sacrifices.


    If those sacrifices were borne by my enemies, the servants of those responsible for unleashing the undead in the first place, it was a far better price than almost every alternative I could think of.


    ¡°M-Erm, my Lord,¡± Jayne directed my attention away from the northern front and toward the Thorn Heart¡¯s cave.


    The Thorn Heart was already slowly ambling down the slope of the mountain before I realised why Jayne had pointed out his presence.


    At some time between our last meeting and the present, the Thorn Heart had appropriated a motley collection of large ragged sheets of cloth, barrels with missing or broken staves or hoops, loose planks and a singularly large cast iron cooking pot.


    In almost every respect, the distant shambling form of discarded and ¡®borrowed¡¯ materials resembled what the Thorn Heart intended. However, in a much more practical respect, the Thorn Heart looked like a child or folk hero playing as a soldier in an illustrated children¡¯s storybook.


    Descending the wall, I slowly made my way over. The sheer strangeness of the sight had gathered a sizable number of soldiers, making the final leg of my approach take somewhat longer.


    Enamoured by all the attention, it took making direct contact with the Thorn Heart to acquire its undivided attention.


    <Follow.> I commanded and pointed back toward the mountain.


    <Obey. Follow.> The Thorn Heart¡¯s lower facial tendrils writhed in a strange accompaniment to each telepathically transmitted syllable.


    Once we achieved a decent distance from the soldiers, I conjured a generic magical helmet and offered it to the Thorn Heart. <Its size can change with mana.> Without changing form, my accompanying demonstration was somewhat limited. All the same, I was confident that the impressions sent through the link were sufficient to convey the core concept.


    The Thorn Heart eagerly accepted the helmet and I could sense its mana circulating as it lifted the helmet toward the mass that served as its head.


    Despite the Thorn Heart¡¯s best efforts, the helmet remained unchanged.


    After trying several other pieces of armour, I suspected that the Thorn Heart¡¯s anatomy was likely too different for the magic items to conform to.


    ¡°It seems...sad?¡± Randle commented with appreciable uncertainty as he stared up at the Thorn Heart attempting to balance the helmet on one of its large thorns.


    The Thorn Heart¡¯s Necrotic Resistance was going to be integral to fighting the Liche. By extension, the Thorn Heart¡¯s protection and survival was an incredibly high priority.


    Similar to the circumstances shared while in my true form, armour wouldn¡¯t provide much additional protection for the Thorn Heart without coming at the expense of mobility, visibility, encumberment and other considerations. However, the Thorn Heart¡¯s bizarre anatomy and Racial Abilities were also capable of offsetting those same considerations, provided they were suitably accounted for.


    Releasing a deep sigh, I gathered a full third of my mana and concentrated.


    The Thorn Heart didn¡¯t need conventional armour to weather enemy attacks. The Thorn Heart just needed barriers it could bring to bear as needed.


    Despite my intentions, the final results of my labour held an entirely familiar collective form.


    ¡°Is that?...¡± Faine¡¯s voice wavered as he glanced at his cousins for support and confirmation.


    ¡°Stone armour...¡± Randle choked incredulously.


    ¡°Looks like it to me...¡± Jayne confirmed with a hint of confusion, ¡°But what I don¡¯t underst-oh...OH!¡±


    Before Jayne had the opportunity to fully explain herself, I bit the inside of my cheek and willed my blood to seek out and bind with the spine and hook-covered stone plates laid out before me on the mountainside.


    By the time I was finished, I had reduced my total HP by half.


    With the uncanny dexterity and fluidity of an octopus, the Thorn Heart pooled its body beneath the dark crimson plates. Vines and roots twisted and knotted themselves through the crude hooks and rings on the rear surfaces as the plates migrated around the Thorn Heart¡¯s body.


    Individually, the stone plates each strongly resembled the rounded kite shields carried by the Asrusian soldiers. However, the Thorn Heart wasted no time in shifting the locations and overlapping matrix of the plates to imitate a rough approximation of conventional plate armour.


    By the time I had recovered my HP, the Thorn Heart was already testing the limits of its newly confined form. Although initially clumsy and prone to temporary collapse when overextending himself, the Thorn Heart quickly proved itself capable of adapting at a truly astonishing rate.


    ¡°Why does it choose to look like us?¡± Jayne asked curiously, ¡°Moving as we do can¡¯t be as efficient as other alternatives...Right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Faine replied warily while watching the Thorn Heart make another lumbering pass across the uneven and debris-scattered plane of the mountainside, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s trying to look like us at all...¡±


    I felt the silent gaze of all three champions shift from the Thorn Heart and onto myself.


    ¡°You¡¯re right...¡± Randle commented quietly, ¡°It reminds me of Dani when she was little-¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± Faine interjected with a nostalgic chuckle, ¡°She would stomp around the courtyard in front of all the servants.¡±


    ¡°Inspecting the troops,¡± Jayne corrected, slowly shaking her head and snickering faintly in amusement.


    Despite the levity of their words, I could feel a mounting tension in the air.


    Looking toward the distant anchor, I felt a sudden surge of expectation and danger.


    The Liche was coming.


    Within less than a fraction of a second, the barren land north of the wall was enveloped within an impenetrable hemisphere of darkness. Before the soldiers atop the wall had the chance to register what was happening, they were blasted by a sudden shift in atmospheric pressure.


    Just as quickly as it had appeared, the darkness receded and the towering remains of a Werrian fortress were left in its wake.


    An inhuman shriek rose from the bowels of the fortress and was joined by a chorus of mournful wails.


    Ephemeral spirits rose from within the fortress and raced through the air and toward the Asrusian soldiers standing upon the wall. Reaching toward the soldiers with hate burning in their eyes, the spirits released mournful keening wails that echoed through the mountain pass.


    ¡°Rest...¡± Wisp¡¯s dry rasping voice cut through the wailing of the spirits, imposing an absolute silence in its wake.


    As if drawn by an impossibly strong current, the spirits flooded toward Wisp and the silver lantern held aloft in his left hand.


    ¡°Shed your burdens and find the peace that was denied to you in life...¡± The lantern in Wisp¡¯s hand flashed with silver light and the spirits faded into formless mist.


    The silence was banished as low gurgling moans echoed off of the walls of the fortress. Shambling misshapen monstrosities spilled out from the broken gateways of the fortress and surged toward the northern wall blocking the pass.


    Seemingly immune to the effects of the Empowered Ward, the malformed hordes of undead charged with single-minded abandon, surging up and over those who came before them and being climbed over by those who came after.


    ¡°LOOSE!!! LOOSE DAMN YOU!!!¡± The ragged cry broke the Asrusian soldiers from their stupor, jumpstarting the entire army into sudden and violent motion.


    Scattered volleys fell upon the undead hordes, turning putrid pale flesh to ash. However, despite all their deformities, the undead from within the fortress proved uncannily resilient against the slayer''s enchantment. Where a single arrow would have felled a Vampyr, several were needed to destroy one such abomination.


    Making matters worse, armoured undead archers loosed volleys of their own from atop the fortress battlements, pressuring the Asrusians to seek cover or risk being struck down.


    Asrusian siege engines groaned to life and sent boulders crashing into the walls of the displaced Werrian fortress. However, the undead standing atop their walls felt no fear and ignored the shaking and shuddering of the walls beneath their feet.


    With the Asrusians forced into taking cover, the expendable undead foot soldiers surged up and over the wall.


    Overrun and incapable of falling back, isolated pockets of Asrusian soldiers fought desperately to hold their positions against the unrelenting tide of undead and impede their progress over the wall.


    The reserve formation of Asrusian infantry stationed behind the wall faltered under the intense onslaught but quickly rallied.


    ¡°Go!¡± I ordered the Thorn Heart forward, motioning toward the embattled Asrusian reserves.


    The Thorn Heart wasted no time in following the command, descending the mountainside in great leaping bounds. Wasting no effort on ceremony, the Thorn Heart ploughed into the ranks of the undead like an enraged ape, flailing his arms and bludgeoning the undead with the armoured plates on his arms.


    Meanwhile, undead caught underfoot quickly became infested as the Thorn Heart¡¯s roots burrowed into their sallow sickly flesh. The infested undead were rapidly rendered immobile as roots and thorny vines ravaged their body from within and without. After only a handful of moments, the first of the infested undead began turning upon their former allies, tackling them bodily to the ground and infesting them in turn.


    Despite the initially desperate fighting of the Asrusian soldiers, the finite numbers of the undead hordes proved incapable of sustaining their initial momentum and had already begun losing ground.


    An Asrusian counterattack took the fight back to the wall and would have pushed further if they had the means to do so.


    Infested undead threw themselves off of the wall and into the ranks of the oncoming undead with suicidal abandon, further sabotaging the attempts by the undead in retaking the wall.


    Conjuring a magical bow, I used Thundering Strikes to begin a counterattack of my own against the armoured undead archers.


    The combined effects of the slayer enchantment, assorted Synergies, and Thundering Strikes made every hit a lethal blow. The difficulty came in adjusting for the relative elevation and strong winds. I was a decent marksman when shooting at stationary targets, but I had almost no experience at all with accounting for environmental variances.


    Minute by minute and inch by bloody inch, the forces of the undead were driven back and destroyed.


    As the ground forces of the undead thinned out, the Asrusian bowmen refocused their efforts against the armoured archers.


    Refusing to give ground or seek cover, the plate and mail armour of the undead archers tumbled over the battlements as their contents were destroyed and turned to ash.


    Boulders launched from behind the walls of the fortress came with decreasing frequency as the Asrusian siege engine operators zeroed in on the positions of their undead counterparts.


    From the beginning, the Asrusians had fought with admirable cohesion and precision. Seizing the initiative and control over the battle at every available opportunity.


    In stark comparison, the undead had been nothing but a mindless mass of violently flailing limbs. There had been no strategy or coordination to anything they had done at all.


    If the Enhanced Anchor hadn¡¯t drawn the Liche¡¯s Dimensional Breach off course, I would have doubted there had been any plan at all.


    A small host of black armoured knights rushed out from the gateway of the fortress and charged into the ranks of the Briarlings. Cloaked in writhing shadows, the knights cut through the Briarlings effortlessly, leaving nothing but withered corpses and blackened broken vines in their wake.


    Drawing a fresh arrow, I charged it with as much mana as it would hold and loosed it into the leader of the formation of black armoured knights.


    At the last possible moment, my arrow was snatched out of the air by a sinewy tendril of shadow. However, the petrification imparted by the tendril¡¯s touch triggered the Thundering Strike which tore apart the shadows and sent the knight crashing backward into its fellows. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With unsettling unity, the knights¡¯ collective attention shifted from the thinning ranks of the Briarlings and toward me instead.


    The momentary distraction was all the Thorn Heart needed.


    Snatching the battered lead knight up in his thorny fists, the Thorn Heart heaved its arms in opposite directions and tore the knight in two.


    Black gore spilled out of the mangled knight¡¯s armour and spattered onto the ground.


    Despite being torn in two, the black knight continued to struggle, battering its sword and fist ineffectually against the Thorn Heart¡¯s stone armour while releasing a keening wail.


    A deafening roar drowned out the undead¡¯s screams as Ushu launched himself off of the eastern mountain and pounced upon the gathered undead knights. Talons crackling with Daemonic energy, Ushu dashed the knights apart with effortless ease.


    Dark tendrils of shadow attempted to intercept and block Ushu¡¯s strikes but collapsed into formless smoke upon contact, leaving the knights entirely at Ushu¡¯s mercy.


    Instead of retreating, the Thorn Heart changed targets. Casting aside the still struggling remains of the lead knight, the Thorn Heart charged the badly battered outermost wall of the Werrian fortress. Tackling the wall like an American linebacker, the vines of the Thorn Heart¡¯s arms swelled in size and burrowed deep into the stone and mortar.


    A series of loud cracking sounds echoed through the pass as great fissures spread across the fortress wall. Chunks of loose masonry tumbled freely and clattered harmlessly off of the Thorn Heart¡¯s armour as thick thorny vines tore the wall apart from within.


    A stray swipe from Ushu¡¯s tail shattered the compromised section of the wall and sent the pieces crashing against and revealing the walls of the fortress beyond.


    As the dust settled, the fallen wall revealed something else.


    Standing atop the battlements of the main fortress was a solitary figure wreathed in sickly emerald light.


    ¡°LOOSE!¡± An Asrusian officer roared.


    A hail of boulders, javelins and arrows sped through the air and the breach.


    A giant ghostly neon green hand appeared before the figure and blocked the incoming attacks with effortless ease while sustaining no signs of damage whatsoever.


    Sickly emerald green lightning flashed from the sky and crashed into three teams of Asrusian bowmen. When the afterimages faded, scorched and blackened husks were all that remained.


    The battle against the Liche had begun.


    ***** Jamie ~ Werrian Empire ~ Displaced Werrian Empire Capital *****


    Blinded by the lightning strike, Jamie fell hard against the mountainside as someone shoved him from behind.


    ¡°GET DOWN!¡± Sergeant Balor roared with an unmistakable and simultaneously alien ring of fear in his otherwise deep and dependable voice.


    Jamie felt a sudden chill sweep through his body. Instead of fading away, the chill only seemed to intensify with every passing moment.


    Blinking away the afterimages burnt into his eyes, Jamie resisted the urge to cry out in alarm as two more arcs of lightning crashed into the opposite side of the pass. Staggering to his feet, Jamie fumbled for an arrow while searching for a target.


    ¡°DOWN!¡± Sergeant Balor roared again, this time appearing in Jamie¡¯s leftmost peripheral vision as he bodily tackled Jamie to the ground.


    A split instant after hitting the ground, Jamie watched in horror as a scything crescent of unearthly emerald light howled through the air and passed through Sergeant Balor¡¯s body.


    Sergeant Balor¡¯s eyes flickered with the same emerald light and then his body grew limp, slumping over Jamie protectively even in death.


    Jamie stared into his Sergeant¡¯s dead lifeless eyes and tried not to scream in horror as what used to be Sergeant Balor stared back at him and began reaching for Jamie¡¯s throat.


    Punching at the thing¡¯s helmet and kicking at it as best as he could, Jamie scrambled backward as fast as he was able without revealing himself above the protection of the low wall. ¡°H-help...¡± Jamie choked out fearfully, too frightened to even consider taking his eyes off of the undead for even a moment.


    A moaning growl from behind gave Jamie his first and only warning regarding the fate of his squad mates.


    Giving the undead a vicious kick to the helm, Jamie rolled hard to his left and narrowly avoided being impaled by the head of a spear and the blade of a shortsword.


    Scrambling to his feet, Jamie found himself facing off against all ten of his former squad mates.


    Cries of alarm from further up the mountain let Jamie know that he wasn¡¯t the only one fending off the reanimated remains of his fallen squad mates. It also let him know that he shouldn¡¯t expect any help either.


    Drawing his shortsword, Jamie lunged at the closest undead. Aiming for the open face of the helmet and the familiar face beneath, he felt a conflicted sense of relief when the divine blessing incinerated the undead and turned it to ash.


    With every member of the punitive expeditionary force equipped with magical armour, Jamie had little choice but to give ground as the undead surged toward him.


    Struck from behind, Jamie fought hard against the urge to panic as he glanced over his shoulder and found several more undead closing in behind him.


    ¡°I NEED SOME HELP!¡± Jamie called out desperately, hoping that someone, anyone, would be able to hear him and was in a position to render aid.


    Shoving back against the undead, Jamie tried to push his way clear to the stairs. Unfortunately, one of the newly arrived undead managed to grab a hold of Jamie¡¯s left arm just long enough to turn him about just as he reached the top of the stairs.


    Off balance and unable to arrest his momentum, Jamie cried out in alarm as he pitched forward and began falling down the stairs. Tumbling down the stairs, through sheer chance alone, Jamie managed to avoid serious injury and keep a hold of his short sword.


    Staggering dizzily to his feet, Jamie lost several precious seconds as he stared blankly back up the stairs and at the stumbling approach of the undead.


    Gathering his wits, Jamie hurriedly sheathed his shortsword and redeemed several hundred quest reward points for a magical bow and a brace of arrows.


    Fumbling with the cord binding the brace of arrows, Jamie fought hard to maintain his nerve as the undead began stalking down the stairs.


    Gathering his mana for a Penetrating Shot, Jamie drew and aimed his arrow at the abdomen of the leading undead. Unable to stop himself from shaking and shivering, he prayed that the arrow would fly true and penetrate the joining seam.


    Loosing the arrow, Jamie¡¯s heart skipped a beat as the arrow flew wide, glancing off of the armour of his intended target. However, whether it was by pure chance or divine intervention, the deflected arrow struck one of the other undead in the shin.


    The wounded undead staggered for just a moment before collapsing into ash and scattering its armour across the steps.


    The near-mindless undead that came after tripped and stumbled over the armour causing them to knock down those in front and collectively tumble down the stairs.


    Realising his danger, Jamie cursed and hurriedly staggered backward so he would not be within arm¡¯s reach of the undead after their shortcut down the stairs.


    Redeeming more points, Jamie threw several flasks of oil onto the stone walkway, scattering broken glass and cooking oil between himself and the dozen or so undead. He doubted the oil would readily catch alight but was optimistic that the slippery substance would buy him more time to thin the ranks of the undead before forcing him to retreat again.


    Reaching for another arrow, Jamie cursed upon noticing the brace of arrows he had left behind and the empty state of his quiver.


    If Sergeant Balor had still been alive, he would have given Jamie an earful over it.


    Bringing up the quest point redemption panel again, Jamie purchased a second smaller brace of arrows and hurriedly slotted them into his quiver. All the while desperately trying to strike a balance between ignoring the approach of the undead and keeping track of their relative position.


    As Jamie had hoped, the undead proved too clumsy to traverse the oily stone path without toppling over one another. Unfortunately, they had no problems whatsoever with crawling instead.


    Slowly pacing backward, Jamie gathered his dwindling supply of mana and loosed several more Penetrating Shots. He destroyed three more of the undead before almost running out of mana entirely.


    Shaking violently, Jamie staggered away along the path as fast as his aching legs could carry him. Teeth chattering he tried not to succumb to despair upon discovering that the limited supply of mana potions provided by the quest had already been claimed by other soldiers.


    Almost out of mana, battered, and half frozen, it was all Jamie could do to keep putting one foot in front of another.


    Panting heavily, Jamie could hear the undead gaining on him and knew he would not escape.


    Reaching for one final arrow, Jamie turned to face his pursuers. His eyes widened in shock upon realising that the numbers of the undead had grown. If it weren¡¯t for the desperate cries and clash of steel carried on the wind, Jamie would have believed himself to be the last living person on the mountain.


    Jamie very nearly fell to his knees as the mountain shuddered beneath his feet.


    ¡°DOWN!!!¡± A woman¡¯s voice cried from somewhere above and behind him.


    Too exhausted to disobey, Jamie numbly fell to his knees.


    If this was his end, so be it. He had done the best he could. Even if he survived, Jamie doubted he would be able to live with the guilt.


    There was a sharp powerful intake of air that made it hard for Jamie to breathe.


    A torrent of bright pink liquid fire streamed down from higher up the mountain, incinerating and dissolving the advancing undead, armour and all.


    Unable to rise to his feet, it was all Jamie could manage to look at the smouldering remains of his squad. He was all that remained, and despite the timely rescue, Jamie sincerely doubted he would survive the battle. With no strength left to fight, no mana to use his Abilities, and a pervasive chill ever intensifying in his bones, Jamie could feel his death creeping closer with every passing moment.


    ¡°So be it...¡± Jamie croaked defiantly.


    He had done his part and fought as best as he was able. No one could have asked more of him and found him wanting. Jamie was certain of it.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 61 – Death and misery – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 61 ¨C Death and misery ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 61 - Death and misery - Part Two


    By pulsing Barriers in time with the Liche¡¯s attacks, I was able to descend the mountain and scale the wall unscathed. However, the Asrusian army was taking heavy casualties. Over a third of the army had already been killed outright by the Liche¡¯s barrage of Spells.


    Making matters worse, the soldiers slain by the Liche¡¯s Spells were rising as undead and preventing the Asrusians from rallying.


    ¡°Signal a full retreat!¡± I ordered, unwilling to allow the slaughter to continue. The soldiers had played their part. Demanding that they remain any longer would only raise the death toll needlessly higher without accomplishing anything in return.


    Faine pulled the horn from his belt and blew several sharp peeling notes in rapid succession.


    ¡°FULL RETREAT!!!¡± Randle and Jayne roared at the closest soldiers, focusing their efforts on directing the commands toward surviving officers.


    The command was picked up and carried by officers further down the pass.


    All the while, Faine repeated the signal for the retreat.


    Soldiers began disappearing into thin air as they teleported directly into an emergency receiving ground within my Demi-Plane. The banners had been left behind for reasons related to secrecy, but I was not above waiving those concerns if it meant saving hundreds or thousands of lives.


    Throughout it all, Wisp had remained steadfast atop the wall.


    The same could not be said for Marco. I could feel that he was somewhere within the general vicinity of the Liche, but I could see no sign of him.


    More pressingly, the Thorn Heart had hunkered down and formed a protective hemispherical shield from its armoured plates but was in rough shape. Blackened and smouldering with emerald flames, it was clear that he had been specifically targeted by several of the Liche¡¯s Spells. Despite being Resistant, the Thorn Heart was not outright invulnerable.


    Ushu and Fesk had made several passes over the fortress, weathering glancing blows from the Liche¡¯s lightning and scything arcs of Necrotic mana. Ushu¡¯s Daemonic manifestation appeared to grant a certain degree of defence. However, it was also possible that his Toughness may simply be high enough to resist the Spells outright as I had once done.


    For whatever reason, Clarice and Dhizi were playing things far more defensively than I would have anticipated. Strafing the ranks of the turned soldiers with neon pink flames, Dhizi had taken on a slightly different form entirely.


    Where Ushu had taken on traits I had come to associate with Daemons, including three large domineering horns. Dhizi¡¯s appearance reminded me somewhat of Sebet. She too had grown a pair of horns. However, despite a discrepancy in scale, they were a perfect match for Sebet¡¯s. Dhizi¡¯s scales had taken on a deep rosy-red lustre and her wings had turned near-entirely pitch black.


    ¡°Is it time?¡± Wisp asked calmly, a slight variance in his inflection revealing his eagerness.


    ¡°It is!¡± I replied tensely, pulsing another Barrier to block an incoming Spell.


    ¡°So be it!¡± Wisp snarled, suddenly adopting an aggressive stance with the blessed blade and taking to the air on ethereal silver wings of light.


    ¡°With me!¡± I commanded and leapt down off of the wall.


    There was a distinct possibility that Wisp could defeat the Liche on his own. He was likely immune to just about every conceivable attack the Liche could throw at him, and he had a sword that was the bane of the undead. However, Wisp was no swordsman, and the Liche was similarly immune to his Abilities and Spells in turn.


    After coming so close to being rid of the Liche forever, I was unwilling to leave anything to chance. Even if it meant putting my life on the line, I would see the destruction of the Liche with my own eyes.


    I used Shape Stone to create a bridge over the trench and then removed it once we had crossed to the other side. There would soon be no one left within the mountain pass. However, the sudden appearance of the black knights had made it clear that the Liche was holding some of its forces in reserve. So leaving a ready-made path to the retreating soldiers would be a bad idea.


    By the time my champions and I arrived at the breach in the outer fortress wall, the Liche had retreated into the fortress proper. No doubt with Wisp hot on its heels.


    Scaling the rubble, we found Marco locked in a pitched battle against an encirclement of a hundred or so armoured undead.


    Despite his superior speed, Strength and Agility, Marco was simply not equipped to fight against what quickly proved to be magically armoured opponents.


    We could easily skirt the periphery of the battle and enter the fortress, leaving Marco behind. Especially if I used a certain Spell to render us invisible to the senses of the undead. However, Marco had all of Wisp¡¯s advantages in fighting the Liche and several additional strengths.


    For those reasons and more, I decided that leaving him behind would be incredibly foolish.


    ¡°MARCO!¡± I called out a warning before tossing Blackthorn through the air.


    The armoured undead were too heavily protected for bladed weapons, but concussive force would carry through the armour and damage the bodies beneath.


    Marco sprang up into the air like a coiled spring and snatched Blackthorn by the shaft. Spinning in the air, Marco delivered a vicious underhanded blow to the head of the nearest of the armoured undead.


    The sheer force of the blow tore the head off of the armoured undead and sent it flying across the open grounds of the fortress.


    Predictably, my sudden outburst had drawn attention from the gathered ranks of the undead. However, the spectacle and noise generated by Marco¡¯s attack had seemingly left the undead confused or otherwise uncertain about who they should attack.


    We made the decision simple for them.


    Conjuring Shiverfang into my hands, I led my champions in a charge against the armoured undead.


    Channelling mana into Shiverfang, I swept the blade of the spear through several of the closest undead. The magical properties of the Artefact drained my mana to cleave through the armour, allowing Ophelia¡¯s slayer enchantment to turn the undead within into ash.


    Randle opted for a brute force approach, smashing his Blessed mace into the armoured undead with brutal vigour and intensity while allowing his armour to soak any retaliatory attacks.


    Faine and Jayne were forced to be more cautious.


    Taking hold of the blade of her sword, Jayne used the hilt and pommel like the head of a mace.


    Similarly, Faine prioritised smacking at the undead with the stave of his spear and tripping as many others as he was able. Once the undead were rendered prone, Faine would attempt to thrust the tip of his spear through a gap in their armour. Unfortunately, even with that particular advantage, it was extremely difficult for Faine to land a strike on the actual body of the undead within.


    Massed fighting while on a human scale was an entirely different experience than I had grown accustomed to. Unable to simply shove enemies out of my way without some form of runup or charge to build momentum, I had to quickly change my fighting style to avoid being mobbed.


    Even so, the combined effect of Shiverfang and my rapid mana regeneration exploit allowed me to hew down the undead with near-absolute confidence. Until, of course, I depleted half of my mana and accumulated a minor level of Fatigue.


    I quickly realised that the last of the Kobold auxiliaries must have retreated from the pass and left me without the necessary Synergy. Spending half of what mana remained on a Lesser Summoned Kobold, I gave it mental instructions to find a hiding place.


    With my mana heavily depleted but quickly regenerating, I backed away from the fiercest fighting and focused on tripping the closest of the remaining undead.


    Fewer than a hundred of the armoured undead remained. However, they maintained their attack with the dogged determination only mindless undead were truly capable of. Pushing forward without fear or hesitation, stepping over their fallen without remorse. Accepting a fatal blow so they could attempt a strike of their own, or so another undead could attempt a strike from the flank.


    However, the single-mindedness made the undead incredibly predictable. It also allowed us to lure them into overextending over and over again, and the undead would fall for the same feints even after witnessing them more than a dozen times.


    Even so, the nearly indestructible nature of magical armour made the undead absolute nightmares to fight by conventional means.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the Liche hadn¡¯t deployed the magically armoured undead earlier. Sheer concentrated volleys might have thinned their numbers slightly, but they would have ultimately seized the northern wall with little difficulty. Especially if their attack had been made in tandem with the abominations who were sent out first.


    Of course, if the Liche had joined the attack, to begin with, things likely would have turned out very differently.


    I still didn¡¯t understand why the Liche¡¯s attack was undertaken so haphazardly. As tempted as I was to attribute the surprise of the Enhanced Dimensional Anchor in disrupting the Liche¡¯s plans, it just didn¡¯t make sense. The Liche could have made very simple changes at the last moment and altered the outcome entirely.


    Cleaving through the neck of another armoured undead, I watched the armour collapse with grim satisfaction. I didn¡¯t like the Werrians to begin with and detested the undead. So destroying what I assumed were the undead remnants of the Werrian army was quite a cathartic experience.


    Despite having come to Marco¡¯s aid, he bailed on the fight against the armoured undead the moment he was able to fight his way free.


    I could have Commanded Marco to stay but decided against it.


    I contented myself with recalling Blackthorn and hanging it from my belt.


    While I was willing to allow Marco to pursue vengeance on his own terms, I was not willing to risk Blackthorn falling into the hands of the Liche.


    Without Marco drawing the primary focus of the armoured undead, we lost the majority of our established momentum.


    Ushu made another pass at the fortress, clawing and gouging at the roof and walls before leaping up and into the sky once more. At a guess, he appeared to be searching for the Liche. But I couldn¡¯t be sure and was too hard-pressed by the armoured undead to consider the matter further.


    ¡°Jayne!¡± I pulled Blackthorn from my belt and waved it briefly before tossing it in her direction.


    Freeing her right hand, Jayne caught Blackthorn by the handle and brought it crashing down on the helmet of the nearest undead.


    Unlike the Blessed weapons, Blackthorn¡¯s namesakes were capable of puncturing the magical armour of the undead if driven by sufficient force.


    Jayne used the thorns touch to restore her own mana while executing prone undead. Free to use her mana liberally in exchange, Jayne interspersed her attacks with Thundering Strikes to disrupt the ragged formation of the undead and destroy those unlucky enough to be struck directly.


    After five minutes of intense fighting, I drove Shiverfange through the chest of the final undead.


    The undead turned to ash almost immediately. The empty armour slid off Shiverfang¡¯s blade, clattering noisily against the cobbles beneath our feet.


    Without needing to be asked, Jayne returned Blackthorn. ¡°Damn if that weapon isn¡¯t heavy,¡± she commented dryly while rolling her right shoulder and conjuring a small handful of dried meat strip rations.


    ¡°You just aren¡¯t used to the weight and balance,¡± Randle quipped, breathing heavily while eyeing the surrounding area for signs of more undead.


    Jayne grunted something unintelligible before stuffing the meat strips into her mouth and washing them down with a long pull of what I assumed to be water.


    ¡°Your form is improving,¡± Faine commented appraisingly.


    It took a few moments before I realised I was the target of his praise. I had no delusions regarding my capabilities. I was an eager novice, at best. However, Faine¡¯s genuine and unsolicited praise gave me a boost in confidence.


    In all honesty, it was actually much easier to flow through the stances and forms when the blade of the spear didn¡¯t catch or become slowed by the target. However, Shiverfang¡¯s abilities could be just as deadly to an ally as an enemy.


    It was one of the primary reasons I preferred to keep it hidden away and under guard. In just about every respect, Shiverfang was my personal bane. It was the perfect counter to my own defensive Racial Abilities.


    But I needed it.


    There was no telling what forces the Liche had held back in reserve, and I couldn¡¯t afford to hold back.


    To that end, I gathered very nearly all of my mana and prepared to Summon a projection of Ophelia.


    Objectively, I realised that I should have Summoned her the moment the Liche first appeared. There was a decent possibility that Ophelia might have been able to launch an attack and disrupt the Liche before it had time to cause so much destruction.


    Yet another reminder that I was not cut out for war and the responsibility of command.


    I felt a surge of pain rush through my nervous system as the Spell attempted and then failed to take form.


    As the pain receded, I realised that I had been profoundly naive in thinking that the Liche wouldn¡¯t have taken precautions of its own.


    Except, I had already performed a Lesser Summon Spell already. This meant that whatever had prevented me from Summoning a projection might have specific requirements or criteria to function. However, I could still only guess what was responsible and how it worked.


    The mana I had attempted to use in Summoning Ophelia was gone.


    While waiting for my mana to regenerate, I explained what had happened. Hoping that one of my champions might have an answer.


    ¡°Maybe there is a Spell that is protecting the fortress?¡± Randle suggested uncertainly. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of anything that behaves as you described, but this is hardly my area of expertise...¡±


    Jayne nodded in agreement while keeping watch on the fortress.


    ¡°Or perhaps another Artefact? This fortress looks...important...almost palatial...¡± Faine sounded seriously concerned. He knelt down by one of the scattered suits of armour and inspected it.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Randle asked worriedly, demonstrating that he knew his cousin far better than I did and had found cause for concern.


    ¡°I think...¡± Faine paused and looked up at the fortress, ¡°I think this is the Werrian¡¯s Imperial palace...¡±


    Faine¡¯s observation caught me momentarily off guard. However, after overcoming my shock, I realised that the walls of the inner fortress were far more ornate and decorative than a military fortress had any right to be.


    In hindsight, the prolific adornment of gargoyles and other statues on the battlements should have been a tipoff. Everything reminded me of the Mournbrent grand cathedral. Focusing on aesthetics at the expense of pure military functionality.


    ¡°Which means it¡¯s possible the Liche found an Artefact within the treasury...¡± I commented bitterly, convinced that the hypothetical Artefact was responsible for blocking my Summon Spell.


    ¡°Perhaps more than one...¡± Jayne agreed before brusquely clearing her throat, ¡°Or maybe not. The royal family only had one Artefact, after all. So there is no guarantee that the Werrians would have had more than one!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Randle agreed with patriotic fervour. ¡°Our kingdom may not have been as large, but our history is much richer and roots are far deeper than the damned Werrians! It¡¯s possible they didn¡¯t even have any Artefacts at all!¡±


    Faine nodded emphatically in agreement.


    It was an interesting experience to be reminded so bluntly of my champions¡¯ allegiances. However, so little time had passed since they had taken their oaths that I figured it was to be expected. It would have been more suspicious and disappointing if they were capable of shifting their allegiances so completely within such a short time.


    Loyalty was earned, not taken.


    After recovering my mana, we approached the main entrance to the palatial fortress and found the gates and portcullis were both left open.


    The flagstones within the fortress were stained with blood.


    As we cautiously made our way through the main passageway, we encountered piles of ash-strewn about with abandoned weapons and armour.


    The particles of ash in the air made it increasingly difficult to breathe. We were forced to stop and make damp masks to wear beneath our helmets. However, the increased obstruction made it difficult to breathe as well, just in a different way. It quickly proved impossible to wear both a mask and our full helms simultaneously.


    Left with little choice, I conjured open helms as replacements.


    The open face of the helm made it much easier to breathe and provided a wider field of view. Unfortunately, the open face of the helm also provided a significantly larger opening for receiving an enemy attack. However, given the choice between slowly suffocating to death by inhaling airborne ash, or risking increased injury to the face, I was inclined to choose the ambiguity of the latter over the near-certainty of the former.


    Navigating our way through the fortress was an altogether unnerving experience. The oppressive silence caused every booted footfall on the bare sections of stone floor to ring through the empty hallways and chambers. All the while, faint sounds of battle echoed in the distance, and every so often the fortress would shake as Ushu continued his assault from the outside.


    Unwilling to drag out our stay within the fortress, I spent a quarter of my mana to render the four of us invisible to the mindless undead.


    There was still the possibility of tripping hidden traps, but I decided that Marco or the mindless undead would have triggered most traps we would otherwise encounter.


    Moving quickly through the fortress, I witnessed the devastation wrought by the Liche¡¯s occupation. Blackened dried blood crusted the walls and floors seemingly at random. The streaks and spatters on the floor suggested that those slain by the Liche¡¯s forces had not remained immobile for long.


    Passing through the main hall, we slipped past a dozen pale-skinned undead in bloody tattered clothing. The situation of the undead was strange. They were each manacled to the leftmost wall and bore several signs of having been savaged by Zombies or other carnivorous undead.


    Trying not to dwell on the depravities of the Liche, we pressed onward and continued following in Marco''s wake.


    No longer concerned with fighting any of the mindless undead, we made good time and I could sense that we were steadily gaining on Marco.


    The situation we encountered in the main hall proved to be far from unique. Nearly half of the apartments we passed by had one or more corpses or undead manacled to the walls and wearing the bloody torn remains of fine clothing.


    Ascending a final set of stairs we found ourselves standing beneath the open sky and surrounded by crumbling walls and the broken remains of the roof.


    Emerald flashes of light bled over the top of the rubble and Marco¡¯s cries of rage and the clash of steel sang through the air.


    ¡°Hang back,¡± I warned before carefully scaling a pile of nearby rubble. I had no intentions of joining the battle directly unless it was strictly necessary. However, to make that decision, I needed to witness the battle with my own eyes.


    Unsure of what I had expected to find, I couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat disappointed by the scene unfolding before me.


    Marco was trying, and largely failing, to engage the Liche in melee with his claws. However, the Liche was easily blocking Marco¡¯s attacks with a long thin staff. Each time the Liche blocked one of Marco¡¯s attacks, the small crystal at the top of the staff would flash with emerald light and blast Marco backward several feet.


    As best as I could tell, the mana signature felt incredibly similar to Thundering Strikes but was slightly different.


    Despite the aristocratic ball gown worn by the Liche, it had no problems matching Marco¡¯s speed and Agility. However, the jerkiness of the Liche¡¯s movements suggested that the speed and reflexes might be the result of a Spell. The Liche didn¡¯t seem nearly as acclimated to the speed of the engagement as Marco. So despite being faster, the Liche wasn¡¯t able to gain the upper hand.


    After knocking Marco away, the Liche would throw arcs of lightning from her free hand but fail to land any direct hits due to Marco¡¯s enhanced Vampyric speed.


    Neither party spoke a word, communicating only through cries of rage and snarls of frustration as they each failed to gain the upper hand over the other.


    After overcoming my initial surprise, I noticed Wisp standing calmly atop a pile of rubble near the edge of the rooftop.


    Realising he had been spotted, the cowl of Wisp¡¯s robes turned in my direction.


    Disappearing in a cloud of shadow, Wisp reappeared at my side. ¡°I am waiting for the Liche¡¯s supply of mana to wane,¡± Wisp stated bluntly, perhaps worried that I was doubting his loyalty or capabilities. ¡°I must also confess...I wanted to give Marco a chance at his vengeance...¡± His dry rasping voice carried a melancholic tone I had not heard before.


    I had never pried or even inquired after Wisp¡¯s personal history, afraid of the potentially distasteful or foul events I would uncover. However, I now realised that I had been incredibly shortsighted, cowardly, and largely self-serving.


    Wisp was a monster, that much I knew for certain. However, he was also a Variant. A Variant undead.


    It occurred to me that I had never questioned that particularly aberrant detail. So far as I was aware, there were two methods for the creation of Variants. The first was through sexual reproduction, and the second was through random creation by the Labyrinths.


    I had simply assumed that since undead lacked the functioning sexual organs to reproduce through regular means, that Wisp had to have been created by the Mournbrent Labyrinth.


    But what if he had once been something else?


    Higher-level adventurers used monster Slaves to add combat power or form expandable frontline support. Which meant that it was possible that Wisp was not originally from the Mournbrent Labyrinth at all. He may have been killed or otherwise abandoned and left for dead, only to rise as an undead.


    I recalled how determined Wisp had been in his desire to ¡®purify¡¯ himself within Mournbrent¡¯s grand cathedral and its consecrated grounds. An act that caused him an immense degree of pain and very likely may have held a high chance of destroying him outright if he failed.


    Why would someone willingly subject themself to such torment and risk of destruction unless their current state of being was somehow worse than not existing at all?


    Wisp was not a good person, but he wasn¡¯t needlessly cruel either. He was obedient and made himself helpful when requested. All the same, he killed without remorse or hesitation and demonstrated no outward feelings of loss over the deaths of allies and enemies alike.


    How much of that detachment is a part of his personality? And how much is due to his existence as an undead?


    As I continued watching Marco''s duel with the Liche, I couldn¡¯t settle on an answer.


    Ushu had ceased his attacks on the fortress but continued circling the rooftop from a distance. Similarly, Dhizi had begun patrolling further out and Nadine appeared to have joined Clarice on Dhizi¡¯s saddle.


    The stalemate between the Liche and Marco took a sudden turn as a bolt of lightning forked down from the sky and struck Marco as he attempted to dodge the lightning cast from the Liche¡¯s hand.


    Sent into uncontrollable spasms, Marco¡¯s leather armour, his clothing, and his skin smouldered as the Liche continued channelling the lightning from her left hand.


    Screaming in rage, Marco could do nothing as his nervous system betrayed him. Completely at the Liche¡¯s mercy, it would only be a matter of time before he would be destroyed.


    Wisp bowed the cowl of his hood briefly before releasing a quiet breathless sigh.


    Disappearing in a burst of shadow, Wisp suddenly reappeared behind the Liche in its blind spot, thrusting Ophelia¡¯s Blessed blade at the small of the Liche¡¯s back.


    Perhaps sensing Wisp¡¯s mana, the Liche spun about with impossible speed and knocked the flat of the blade aside with its staff.


    Undeterred, Wisp repeated the manoeuvre and appeared behind the Liche again, this time using the momentum generated from the Liche¡¯s deflection to perform a sweeping strike.


    Again, the Liche spun about, the ruffles of the large gown twirling with dizzying speed as the staff was struck against the sword for a second time.


    Several dozen attacks were then made in rapid succession and successfully repelled before Wisp broke the rhythm of their engagement. However, rather than appearing behind the Liche, Wisp reappeared ten feet in front of the Liche instead.


    As lightning began to crackle in the Liche¡¯s left hand, the cowl of Wisp¡¯s robe cocked slightly to one side. ¡°You do not know, do you?¡± He asked in his dry rasping voice, a measure of unexpected sympathy in his tone.


    Wisp¡¯s comment appeared to have caught the Liche off guard and it hesitated, the feral anger in her expression taking on a small degree of confusion.


    ¡°It was me,¡± Wisp commented, his posture and tone reminiscent of a funeral director offering neutral condolences to a grieving family. ¡°I am Wisp.¡±


    The Liche¡¯s eyes grew wide and it visibly staggered as if Wisp had struck it a mortal blow.


    ¡°I struck the blow that killed her,¡± Wisp continued in a commiserating tone, ¡°I killed Liz.¡±


    The Liche¡¯s dishevelled hair covered its face as it hung its head. Bare pale shoulders shaking, and fists trembling, the Liche remained silent.


    ¡°Despite her crimes, I did not intend for her to suffer,¡± Wisp¡¯s tone remained neutral but respectful. ¡°However, she and indeed, both of you, cannot be permitted to exist. The path you have chosen is unaccept-¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± The Liche snarled, ¡°YOU THINK I FUCKING CARE WHAT YOU WANT?!¡± The Liche raised its head and glared at Wisp with unmitigated hatred.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t expect you do,¡± Wisp replied casually and lifted the Blessed blade in preparation for combat.


    ¡°RAAAAAAGH!!!¡± The Liche screamed and released a torrent of lightning from her left hand just as a powerful bolt of lightning lanced down from the sky.


    Before either Spell could connect, Wisp disappeared.


    Expecting Wisp to appear in its blind spot, the Liche spun about and swung its staff but struck nothing but empty air.


    Wisp appeared a half second later and severed the Liche¡¯s left arm just below the elbow with Ophelia¡¯s amber glowing blade. Before the Liche could retaliate, Wisp disappeared once more.


    Shrieking in pain and anger, the Liche swung its staff about in a blind rage. The force and speed of the swings distorted the air and I could feel the breeze on my face despite my distant vantage point.


    All the while, the Liche¡¯s amputated arm crumbled to ash and was cast to the wind.


    ¡°SHOW YOURSELF!!!¡± The Liche demanded shrilly, ¡°FIGHT ME YOU FUCKING COWARD!!!¡± As the glowing green eyes of the Liche scanned the rooftop, I felt its attention settle in my direction.


    Releasing a Barrier on reflex, I was just in time to intercept a torrent of toxic emerald light. Despite the colour difference, I recognised it as the Life Drain Spell I had learned from Wisp.


    No doubt desperate, it was unlikely the Liche would end its attempts to heal itself after a single failure.


    Pulsing another Barrier, I leapt up and over the rubble and began charging toward the Liche.


    A second Life Drain Spell spattered against my expanding Barrier. However, unlike the first Life Drain Spell, the second quickly proved to be a sustained effort. This required me to continue funnelling mana into the Barrier or risk being hit by the Spell.


    Now locked in a contest of mana capacity while I closed the distance between us, I conjured several magical javelins and threw them at the Liche one after another in rapid succession. I had no real expectations of hitting the Liche, but I needed to distract the Liche and provide an opportunity for Wisp to land another strike.


    True to my expectations, the Liche easily avoided all but the final javelin. The last would have struck the Liche in its right shoulder but was disintegrated by a lance of bright green light. Unfortunately, none of my attacks seemed to distract the Liche in the slightest. However, the Liche suddenly staggered as something struck it in the back.


    With no sign of Wisp, and Marco still twitching on the floor, I could only stare in surprise as the Liche was struck five more times in rapid succession. Ceasing its Life Drain Spell, the Liche threw itself hard to one side.


    Several arrows skittered against the floor and mounds of rubble. Following the trajectory of the arrows, my gaze settled on a small group of soldiers clustered on the eastern mountainside.


    Screaming in fury the Liche blasted the eastern mountain with bolts of lightning. However, as the afterimages of the lightning faded, it became clear that the Liche had only guessed at the position of the soldiers and had subsequently missed them entirely.


    I vaguely recalled the squad of soldiers that I had sent south with the express purpose of testing the Empowered Veil of Undeath Spell but was surprised that they had disobeyed the order to retreat. That they had given up the opportunity to return home and instead inserted themselves in a confrontation that could see them dead before they even realised what had happened.


    Preparing to cast another barrage of Spells, the Liche staggered and very nearly collapsed as the boundary of my expanding barrier passed over its body. With confirmation that the speed and reaction time from earlier had been provided by a Spell, I redoubled my effort in closing the distance between us.


    I was rapidly running out of mana. However, one more solid strike might very well end the conflict and I was already committed.


    Holding Shiverfang tight with both hands, I lined myself up against the Liche and mentally braced myself to deliver the final blow.


    With each step closer I took, a new alert appeared informing me that I had successfully resisted the Liche¡¯s aura. All the same, I could feel a deep chill sinking into my flesh and settling into my bones. Keenly aware that if we were to fight for an extended period, my movements would only grow slower and more clumsy. I was entirely committed to ending the battle as quickly as possible.


    For all of its rage, the Liche stared at me in surprise. No doubt confused that I would willingly enter its aura of death and entropy. However, its surprise was quickly replaced by bitter determination.


    Opening its jaw open impossibly wide, the Liche disgorged a swarm of flying carrion insects in my direction.


    Without a second set of armoured eyelids or my full helm¡¯s visor to protect my eyes, I had no choice but to very nearly fully close my eyelids, leaving only the narrowest crack so I could continue to track the Liche.


    Almost out of mana, I grit my teeth and ignored the swarm as its countless tiny bodies impacted against my armour and face.


    A host of new alerts sprang up in my peripheral vision, warning me that I had successfully resisted poison and disease.


    Even so, I could feel the mandibles of the insects gnawing, biting and otherwise probing at the exposed skin of my face.


    The Liche¡¯s determination faltered and it took a half step backward while raising its staff to protect itself.


    I felt a surge in tainted mana from the Liche, but nothing happened.


    The Liche¡¯s emerald glowing eyes grew wide in shock as it realised the significance of the maintained Barrier. Realised that it was trapped and had only its staff with which to defend itself.


    Fitting a vertical slash from above and to my right, I waited until the Liche took the bait before turning the slash into a thrust.


    Without its Spells to enhance its strength, speed, or reflexes, the Liche reacted too slowly to deflect the attack in time.


    Shiverfang¡¯s blade passed into the right side of the Liche¡¯s chest with effortless ease, cutting through flesh and bone as if it was air. Without friction to anchor Shiverfang¡¯s blade, the Liche¡¯s attempt at deflecting the blow afforded me an opportune angle to further compromise its ability to defend itself.


    Straining my muscles back into motion, I reignited my initial momentum and heaved, knocking the Liche¡¯s staff down and to my left. I then shifted my stance and pivoted hard to my left.


    Shiverfang¡¯s blade sheared through the Liche¡¯s rib cage, out of its chest cavity, and through its right wrist.


    As the Liche¡¯s right hand and staff fell toward the floor, I began moving my body into the next stance that would allow me to deliver a slashing strike from the left side to the right. If successful, there was a distinct possibility that the Liche could be cleaved in half at the waist. However, I was forced to abort the attack as my mana reached critically low levels and I felt a sudden surge of weariness.


    Staggering backward instinctively attempting to buy space between myself and the imminent danger, by the time I realised my mistake, it was almost too late.


    The Liche¡¯s eyes flashed malevolently as it gathered its mana and pointed the stump of its right hand toward my face.


    The swirling lance of emerald energy raced toward me, closing the gap between us with impossible speed.


    Blood was still rushing in my ears and with my hearing quite heavily impaired by my helmet and coif, I heard cries of alarm from somewhere behind me but couldn¡¯t make out the words.


    At the last possible moment, Wisp reappeared in the direct path of the Liche¡¯s Spell.


    The Spell washed over Wisp¡¯s body but was almost immediately enveloped by the coiling shadows that formed his robes. The shadows devoured and absorbed the Liche¡¯s mana, soaking it in greedily like a ravenous sponge.


    ¡°It is over,¡± Wisp declared calmly, ending the Liche¡¯s Spell with a swing of Ophelia¡¯s Blessed blade.


    Looking past Wisp and toward the Liche, I could see that he was right.


    In less than a handful of seconds, the Liche¡¯s body had severely deteriorated. Deep cracks and fissures were slowly creeping across its pale skin and dislodging clumps of ashen flesh.


    ¡°There is no shame in this defeat,¡± Wisp commented in his earlier strangely supportive tone. ¡°After all, it was inevitable...¡±


    The Liche¡¯s snarl turned into a scowl and then a bitter frown. ¡°It was the attack on that village...The one with the monsters...The one with the Ogre...¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Wisp replied neutrally. ¡°The moment you crossed the line, this outcome became inevitable. Just be thankful for the mercies given to you, for others would not be nearly as just nor as kind.¡±


    ¡°Mercy? Kindness?...¡± The Liche wheezed incredulously, collapsing to its knees and sending a cloud of ash billowing out from beneath its gown.


    ¡°There are worse fates than death...¡± Wisp replied ominously, the finality and absolute certainty of his tone sending chills down my spine.


    The Liche continued to stare at Wisp for a while longer before glancing toward Marco who had begun dragging himself to his feet. ¡°I...I didn''t choose to be this...this thing...¡± The Liche hissed bitterly, ¡°To be a monster...I just did what I had to...I made the best of the shitty lemons life gave me!¡±


    ¡°You could have been different, made different choices,¡± I countered angrily, morally repulsed by the feeble self-justifications for committing wholesale slaughter.


    ¡°What would you know?¡± The Liche sneered contemptuously, ¡°With how shitty this world is, we were doing you all a favour! We would have ended all these stupid wars for good! So what if a few cities of people die?! PEOPLE DIE! It¡¯s what they do! What¡¯s a handful of deaths compared to-¡±


    ¡°MILLIONS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE!!!¡± I roared, pushing past Wisp and glowering at the Liche, ¡°YOU FUCKING BUTCHERED MILLIONS!!!¡±


    Despite its badly eroded features, the Liche seemed taken aback. As if somehow it hadn¡¯t fully considered the actual scale of destruction it had caused. ¡°No...¡± The Liche shook its head, dislodging several clumps of hair and sending them cascading to the floor. ¡°That¡¯s not...No...We just...I just...¡± Its voice trailed off into permanent silence as its lower face and jaw crumbled away.


    Staggering toward the Liche, still twitching and spasming, Marco balled his fist and drove it through the Liche¡¯s head.


    Already heavily compromised by the debilitating effects of Ophelia¡¯s slayer enchantment, the Liche¡¯s head exploded in a cloud of ash.


    Whatever had been holding the Liche together dissipated and the rest of its body collapsed.


    ¡°RAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!¡± Marco howled in rage and frustration, kicking at stomping at the pile of ashes until they were scattered to the wind.


    Picking up the Liche¡¯s staff, I immediately recognised it as an Artefact. Another Key to the Labyrinths. Combined with the Liche¡¯s own words, it confirmed my suspicions that the Liche had been another Awakened. However, the exchange between Wisp and the Liche had opened my eyes to the possibility that there had been a second Awakened working with the Liche.


    Thinking back on my battles against the Liche¡¯s forces, I could only think of one individual who stood out from the others.


    The short Vampyr.


    There had been something about the Vampyr, its clothes, its hair, facial piercings, none of them were unique to earth, but collectively...It was possible.


    If the Vampyr had been the other Awakened, then it was already destroyed. Wisp had seen to that.


    With my thoughts still lingering on the fate of the Vampyr, my eyes were drawn to a small golden pendant and a sapphire brooch that had been dislodged from the Liche¡¯s remains by Marco¡¯s vicious kicking.


    To my immense surprise, the sapphire brooch was another Artefact and Key to the Labyrinths.


    Securing the brooch inside one of my belt pouches, I picked up the pendant and examined it. It was entirely non-magical and looked like it was only gold-plated. The sort of small pendant that would have cost less than twenty dollars back on earth.


    The two faces of the pendant each bore a single capital letter from the English alphabet, with A on one side, and L on the other. Each letter was positioned off-centre in such a way that spinning the pendant created the illusion of both letters being side by side.


    ¡°I am prepared to make your judgement final,¡± Wisp commented neutrally, raising the silver lantern slightly to reveal a host of small shimmering spheres of light trapped within. In stark contrast to the vortex formed by the other lights, a pair, each far larger than the others, slowly circled the inside of the lantern side by side as they orbited one another.


    Any mercy I may have been inclined to feel, any shred of doubt or hesitation had been purged after hearing the Liche¡¯s self-justifications and denial. ¡°Do it,¡± I ordered.


    Wisp nodded and raised the silver lantern to the opening of his cowl. The pair of lights were drawn out of the lantern and disappeared into the shadows of the Wisp¡¯s robes. Consumed by darkness and destroyed as Wisp absorbed their essence to fuel his Evolution.


    ¡°It is done,¡± Wisp confirmed dryly, ¡°They are no more.¡±


    ¡°What about the others?¡± I asked somewhat numbly, my emotions warring between a profound sense of relief, loss, anger, and exhaustion.


    ¡°I cannot release them here,¡± Wisp replied pensively, ¡°However, with your permission, I wish to attempt to purify them on consecrated grounds. If successful, I intend to release them and return them so they may find peace.¡±


    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t work?¡± I pressed, refusing to look away from or ignore what I was party to.


    ¡°Oblivion will be a kindness,¡± Wisp stated bluntly.


    My earlier ruminations on Wisp¡¯s origins left me inclined to agree with his assessment. ¡°You have my permission,¡± I sighed tiredly as I turned my attention toward Marco.


    Marco had fallen still and was staring blankly up at the sky.


    The sickly emerald light was gone and the clouds were slowly melting away.


    Just by looking at Marco, I knew what his intentions were. Despite my appreciation for all he had been through, I owed Tobi a debt.


    ¡°Take him with you,¡± I ordered, shifting Marco into Wisp¡¯s party and giving him control over Marco. ¡°He needs time to reconsider and fully appreciate his options...¡±


    Wisp nodded in understanding and made his way over to Marco.


    Shady appeared from behind a pile of rubble shortly afterwards and slunk his way over to Marco''s side, pressing his head into Marco¡¯s listless hands and rubbing against his legs like a giant housecat.


    Still desperately short on mana, I sat myself down on a pile of nearby rubble and considered how I would repay the debt I owed to the families of those I had led to their doom. Destroying the Liche had been necessary, but that did not absolve me of the consequences.


    I refused to become like them.


    ***** Marquis Daniforth ~ Werrian Empire ~ Displaced Werrian Empire Capital *****


    Keenly aware of the sudden turn in the weather, Marquis Daniforth eyed the figures gathered atop the displaced fortress from his vantage atop a nearby mountain. Despite the extreme distance between them, the Marquis had no difficulties in making out every detail thanks to his highly Evolved senses.


    With the destruction of the runaways confirmed, the Marquis felt a slowly building compulsion to return to his master within the halls of the Pale Court. Marquis Daniforth had originally intended to dispatch the runaways himself, but the intervention by an army of livestock had piqued his interest and he had decided to observe.


    Expecting the assembled livestock to fail miserably, the Marquis had been incredibly surprised when the livestock had defeated the forces of the runaways with only a handful of losses. That alone had been thoroughly disconcerting.


    The seemingly minimal support of the Angels had proven devastatingly effective and was a serious cause for concern.


    The Pale King himself was fully capable of quashing such interference, but the creation of such powerful relics had long since been forbidden. Several ancient treaties had outlawed the practice and stipulated the price for those found in breach.


    The fact that the relic had been created without repercussions was proof that the Angels had not kept to their word. More than that. For the Angels to move so brazenly in the open, was tantamount to a declaration of war.


    A war the Pale Court was not prepared to face.


    Millennia of endless intrigue had left the Pale Court fractured and rife with infighting. The Pale King¡¯s indulgence in such matters for his amusement was his right. However, it left them at serious risk of a concerted attack from the Angels or their Devil servants.


    Making matters worse, the involvement of the middling undead suggested a potential alliance between the Angels and a member of the Pale Court. It all but guaranteed that a surprise attack would signal the beginning of the conflict.


    Withdrawing a scroll from his doublet, the Marquis sent a small pulse of mana into the velum to activate the Spell within. Collecting and carefully structuring his thoughts, the Marquis projected them to his master within the Pale Court.


    The compulsion to return remained, but its strength waned while the Marquis¡¯ master digested the assembled report.


    Despite having served his master for the better part of three centuries, the Marquis knew better than to make assumptions regarding his master¡¯s motives and desires. So it came as little surprise when the compulsion returned to its former intensity, demanding he return immediately.


    Eyeing the Devil-Bound Dragon and Wyvern warily, the Marquis slowly and stealthily worked his way down the south side of the mountain. He would have preferred to simply teleport, but the traitors and Angels had deployed some sort of trap, and the Marquis had no intentions of falling victim to it.


    Taking great care to avoid the briar bushes, the Marquis felt a profound sense of relief after reaching the barren soil of the ground below. While he was not afraid of fighting the briar monster directly, the Marquis would be forced to reveal his position to defend himself without incurring serious injury.


    He had witnessed firsthand the destruction the briar monster could unleash and had no desire to find himself upon the receiving end of an ambush.


    At that moment, an unfamiliar sensation erupted in the Marquis'' chest, stopping him in his tracks and drawing his gaze down toward his chest.


    Staring in bewilderment, the Marquis slowly reached for the thick wooden shaft lodged in his ribcage.


    His eyes widened further still as a second wooden shaft appeared in his abdomen, and a third drove through his right thigh. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Pain tore through the Marquis¡¯ body as he was set ablaze from the inside.


    Struggling to tear the thick wooden shaft from his chest, the Marquis howled as a crimson steel blade appeared protruding from his stomach.


    Somehow pinned in place, the Marquis struggled frantically as he tried to escape. Each passing moment was agony and he could feel his strength rapidly fading away.


    Desperately fumbling at his doublet, the Marquis could only watch in horror as his pale elegant fingers blackened and hardened like charcoal.


    ¡°No! NO!!!¡± The Marquis shrieked, unwilling to accept that he was going to die.


    Wildly flailing his arms in an attempt at striking one of his invisible assailants, the Marquis'' vision suddenly spun into a dizzying spiral. He briefly found himself staring at his own body and the rapidly fading blade of a large two-handed sword passing by just to the right of his now bare and bloody neck.


    Before the Marquis had time to realise what had happened, everything rapidly faded away.


    Staring into the yawning void the Marquis silently whimpered as it embraced and utterly consumed the final remnants of his mind.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 62 – By other means – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 62 ¨C By other means ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 62 - By other means - Part One


    Determining suitable compensation for the families of the fallen proved incredibly difficult. Despite the objective value placed on the Evolution Elixirs and the special Classes unlocked from the Underlord promotion, they still felt inadequate compared to the price the soldiers had paid for my personal vendetta.


    The argument could be made that the Liche was a common enemy that had to be destroyed. However, it didn¡¯t change how I felt about the issue. It didn¡¯t change the thoughts repeating in my mind...


    If I had taken more time to prepare or had experimented a little more...


    The Empowered Veil of Undeath alone could have allowed a small elite team to assassinate the Liche and Vampyr, negating the need for a mass battle...


    With my thoughts only growing darker by the moment, I was surprised when my champions provided an alternate perspective while conversing amongst themselves.


    I had suppressed most of my memories of the city and the events that had transpired within it. However, revisiting those memories reminded me of the sheer scale of destruction the Liche had wrought upon the Asrusians. While I was unsure of the exact figure, between five to ten per cent of the total kingdom¡¯s population had been massacred within the city.


    Destroying the Liche had avenged those who had been murdered within the city of Mournbrent and those lost in the raid of Sanctuary alike. Focusing on one at the exclusion of the other was shameful.


    I also realised that I was not the best person to decide what compensation would be appropriate and meaningful for the fallen soldiers'' families.


    I wasn¡¯t a soldier.


    I wasn¡¯t Asrusian.


    I was a complete outsider with radically different views, experiences, and expectations.


    I cleared my throat loudly and made a point of slowly rising to my feet to signal that I wanted the attention of my three Human champions. ¡°Faine, Randle, Jayne,¡± I looked at each of them in turn with what I felt was a serious and weighty expression. ¡°I am entrusting the three of you to decide upon the compensation for the families of the fallen soldiers, and rewards for those soldiers that survived.¡±


    The last had only occurred to me after I had spoken the first aloud.


    I had been so focused on honouring the memories and sacrifices of the dead that I had forgotten to recognise the contributions of the living.


    ¡°The Liche was an apocalyptic threat,¡± I stated darkly before reining in my anger and frustrations at my failings. ¡°Make sure the compensation and rewards reflect this.¡±


    The three champions bowed their heads respectfully. They probably would have said more if we were within Sanctuary. However, with the Liche destroyed and the undead hordes shattered, there was a real possibility that spies and scouts would begin moving about the remains of the broken empire in earnest.


    As the old saying goes, loose lips sink ships.


    Revealing my true identity and rank, even in passing, might endanger my life. It was far safer to keep things somewhat ambiguous.


    ¡°Are we to return?¡± Faine asked solemnly before pointing at the floor, ¡°And what of the Anchor? Are we to leave it be or take it with us?¡±


    There was no telling how long the mana supply of the Anchor would last if left alone. For all I knew, it might even last indefinitely.


    ¡°We will send it back to Sanctuary,¡± I decided after giving the matter some thought. ¡°Better not to leave it where our enemies or unsavoury opportunists might discover it. As for returning to Sanctuary...¡± I paused.


    Giving the order to return was profoundly tempting and on the tip of my tongue. However, it was the easy way out. A means of leaving the hard choices and unpopular decisions. A choice that would see hundreds of thousands of lives lost. Families destroyed. Men, women, and children pressed into bondage...


    ¡°We have further business before returning to Sanctuary...¡± I decided grimly.


    ¡°We are going to seek out the Werrian survivors,¡± Jayne guessed correctly, her complicated tone accurately representing the conflict I felt within my mind.


    ¡°The high command isn¡¯t going to like that,¡± Randle commented dryly before giving an exaggerated shrug, ¡°Good thing they are not the ones in charge of making that decision.¡±


    ¡°They will just have to live with it,¡± Faine agreed with a surprisingly supportive tone of voice, the wrinkles around his eyes suggesting a scowl beneath the cloth covering his lower face. ¡°If our places had been reversed, and it was the Werrians'' top officers deciding our fate, I am sure the high command would see things somewhat differently.¡±


    Jayne nodded supportively, ¡°Those are my thoughts as well...¡± She agreed with only a hint of reluctance and hesitation. ¡°It will not be a popular decision, but it is the right one,¡± Jayne sighed.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± Randle agreed but sounded far more conflicted. ¡°This is only going to make the debates over territory acquisition and distribution even more heated,¡± he observed distastefully, ¡°And I am plenty irritated with the swamp of intrigue already...Erm, not that there''s anything wrong with swamps!¡± Randle amended hastily, earning muffled chuckles from his two cousins.


    ¡°No offence taken,¡± I reassured him, smiling faintly at the humour I found in the meta of the situation rather than Randle¡¯s distress.


    Sanctuary was only located within a swamp because of luck and circumstance. I hadn¡¯t truly chosen it. Over time, I had simply grown accustomed to it, and it seemed arbitrary to change it without good reason.


    ¡°Acquiring the necessary territory to transplant the potential Werrian refugees will be somewhat faster than expected...¡± I made a point of holding up the staff and the sapphire brooch. ¡°Our potential means have just doubled...¡±


    Technically, I had six Artefacts. However, only four of them could be loaned out to my subordinates. I considered the Asrusian¡¯s bow to be their means of earning territory, and the crystal embedded in my brain couldn¡¯t be loaned out for obvious reasons.


    ¡°So they are both-¡± Jayne made a point of lowering her voice to a muffled whisper, ¡°-Artefacts?¡±


    I nodded and waved the sapphire brooch slightly, ¡°As we feared may have been the case. This one was the troublemaker that gave me issues while making our approach.¡±


    The sapphire brooch, Hexsurge, had two effects that worked in tandem. Detection allowed the wearer to select a Spell that would then be marked as forbidden. Any time an enemy cast the Spell within a ¡®large area¡¯, the wearer would become aware of the caster¡¯s exact position relative to themselves. The second effect, Feedback, would then use the mana spent on the Spell to damage the caster.


    There wasn¡¯t a description for how long it would take to change the Spell Hexsurge would target, but casual experimentation suggested it would take far longer than a few minutes.


    The effects of the staff, Stormcaller, were similarly interconnected. Tempestus allowed the wielder to expend mana to alter the weather. Specifically, it allowed the wielder to gather storm clouds. The rate at which the clouds would gather and how long they would be maintained influenced the ongoing cost of mana. However, the second effect, Escalation, increased the damage of all Spells cast related to the storm being maintained. It also provided the wielder with an alternative version of the Spell.


    Reviewing the potential Spells listed by my Grimoire of Flesh, I immediately identified Fulmination as the lightning Spell cast by the Liche. However, without a free slot to learn the Spell myself, I could only guess that the Palpatine-esque lightning hands had been the original effect of the Spell.


    On our way out of the fortress, I excavated the Anchor and we dragged it back over to our fortified camp in the pass.


    Ushu and Dhizi had both returned ahead of us and there was a small crowd waiting once we arrived.


    Except for Fesk, the Thralls all stood off to one side while the squad of Asrusian soldiers bearing the Empowered Veil of Undeath Spell stood opposite them. There were no signs of hostility or animosity between them, so I could only assume that it was a coincidence.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan now?¡± Clarice asked anxiously.


    ¡°In a moment,¡± I replied, hoping that Clarice would understand my intentions as I turned toward the squad of soldiers. ¡°Sergeant Dale, your intervention was unexpected but appreciated. Thank you,¡± I bowed my head slightly as a sign of respect.


    The soldiers'' intervention during the showdown with the Liche may not have been a pivotal contribution, but it had made a difference.


    ¡°Just doing our duty, sir!¡± Sergeant Dale replied with feigned humility as both he and his subordinates puffed out their chests with pride. ¡°Ah, but there is something else, sir!¡±


    One of Sergeant Dale¡¯s subordinates passed forward a sack to his superior, who offered it to me in turn.


    ¡°There was another undead, a Vampyr, we think, watching the battle from near the peak of the mountain,¡± Sergeant Dale pointed toward the eastern mountain and then to the south, ¡°We followed it when it began to flee towards the south. I decided to put it down when it looked like it would be headed towards Mournbrent.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it was one of the Liche¡¯s subordinates?¡± Faine asked, addressing the group at large rather than just the Sergeant himself.


    One of the soldiers shook her head slowly and bore a somewhat confused expression. ¡°He seemed happy enough that the Liche was taking a beating. At least, that¡¯s what it looked like to me...¡± Under the combined attention of everyone present, the soldier seemed to lose her nerve and defaulted to a parade rest stance.


    The other soldiers appeared to agree with her though.


    ¡°It certainly didn¡¯t seem put out...¡± The Sergeant agreed somewhat hesitantly, ¡°But it certainly looked...annoyed?¡± He scratched at his neck uncertainly and shifted his weight from one foot to the other and back again. ¡°Like things hadn¡¯t worked out just like it wanted...¡±


    ¡°It probably hadn¡¯t accounted for us putting up such a fierce fight,¡± I reasoned aloud and began investigating the sack''s contents.


    ¡°That is probably it,¡± the sergeant agreed readily. Whether it was because he genuinely agreed with me, was just glad to resolve the matter, or deferred to my position as his superior was unclear.


    As best I could tell, the sack contained a strange collection of magic items and a small satchel. Leaving the magic items, for the time being, I removed the satchel from the sack and handed the sack over to Randle for safekeeping. I would have handed it over to Clarice or Nadine, but there was the possibility that the magic items might contain some sort of trap.


    After carefully inspecting the satchel from the outside, I decided to play it safe and Summon an expert to inspect it for traps.


    Just as old and cranky as the last time I employed his services, Mortimer¡¯s projection scowled disapprovingly as he hugged his arms across his chest and tucked his hands into his armpits to stay warm. ¡°What do you want?!¡± Mortimer snapped grouchily. He sniffed contemptuously at the soldiers as they became outraged by his blatant show of disrespect.


    ¡°I want to know if this is trapped or rigged with some sort of failsafe device,¡± I explained neutrally, opting to ignore his cantankerous attitude and chalk it up to his advanced age and the frigid temperature.


    Mortimer glanced at the satchel briefly but began staring at me with a confused look in his eyes. ¡°I know you...¡± He muttered determinedly.


    ¡°We have worked together before,¡± I replied in a tone of voice that made it abundantly clear that he should drop the matter. ¡°I will see to it that you will be suitably rewarded for your time and expertise, provided this task receives your FULL attention.¡±


    Mortimer licked his withered lips nervously and nodded, ¡°So long as I¡¯m compensated,¡± he chuckled nervously, ¡°After all, I¡¯m here already. Might as well earn a few benefits...¡±


    Mortimer moved closer and inspected the satchel. Rather than accepting the satchel and handling it himself, he seemed content with just performing a visual inspection.


    ¡°Anything?¡± I asked curiously.


    Mortimer slowly nodded. ¡°Can¡¯t be sure, but it looks like the latch and maybe even the contents are laced with poison,¡± he commented suspiciously while giving the satchel a faint experimental sniff. ¡°Definitely poisoned,¡± Mortimer confirmed, recoiling and exhaling hard.


    ¡°Best to leave it be, for now,¡± I decided, ¡°Your service is appreciated.¡± I dismissed Mortimer''s projection with a casual wave of my free hand.


    Returning the satchel to the inside of the sack, I made a point of looking at Clarice and slightly shaking my head. We would need more privacy before I was willing to discuss matters further. The others would find out about my intentions soon enough, but for now, I wanted to keep things simple.


    To her credit, Clarice demonstrated a surprising degree of patience. She didn¡¯t seem particularly happy about being forced to wait, but she was doing it.


    ¡°Sergeant, I will be entrusting you and your subordinates to carry word of our victory to the Asrusian high command,¡± I explained while getting my mana. I had not had the opportunity to test the Spatial Breach Spell and now seemed as good a time as any.


    More than that, it was important that the earlier retreat and heavy losses be contextualised by an overall victory.


    The last thing I needed was a widespread panic amongst the Asrusians preceding news of a humanitarian mission to take in Werrian refugees.


    That was, of course, assuming any refugees would be willing to migrate in the first place.


    In my mind, I had been assuming that people would want to leave and take shelter within my Demi-Plane if given the opportunity. However, people were not nearly so simple and predictable.


    Even amongst the Asrusians, there had been holdouts.


    Imminent defeat and mass enslavement had not been sufficient motivation to convince everyone that leaving their homes was in their best interests.


    I had only learned much later that the military had been required to ensure that very nearly everyone was evacuated. Liberal use of deception, in the form of white lies, alongside outright use of force had been applied to guarantee the safety of as many citizens as possible.


    The Asrusian government had done all it could to save as many of their people as possible. But they had been unified in their goal. I was not so certain that the Werrians would be the same.


    Drawing on a memory of the high command¡¯s meeting hall as a reference point, I focused on Sergeant Dale and his subordinates then activated the Spell.


    A ragged black gash appeared in front of the soldiers and slowly grew wider. To my immense surprise, maintaining the breach and enlarging it further was not nearly as draining as I had expected it to be.


    Once the breach had enveloped the squad, I waited a few moments before using my Authority to confirm their arrival on the other side and ending the Spell.


    Despite the comparatively long preparation time involved in casting the Spell, I was confident that Spatial Breach would serve as an invaluable tool. Of course, the ten-minute casting time and required concentration meant that there would be few combat situations where I would be free to cast it. Unless, of course, I was protected or otherwise holed up in a defensible location.


    ¡°We will return to the Werrian village to the north,¡± I announced bluntly, ¡°We will then determine the best course of action from there.¡±


    ¡°Northern village?¡± Clarice scrunched up her face in confusion, ¡°What about...¡± She winced and visibly lost momentum. ¡°What about searching for...Searching for survivors?...¡±


    ¡°A search would be better handled with local assistance,¡± I hedged, not wanting to point out the obvious and crush Clarice¡¯s already waning hope of rescuing her family. ¡°If we fail to secure the assistance required, we will conduct a search by our own means,¡± I added, keenly aware that Clarice¡¯s feelings for her family were complicated and likely to change moment by moment.


    Clarice gnawed at her lip and nodded before grunting something unintelligible.


    We are going to negotiate with Werrian survivors,¡± Nadine commented, astutely summing up the core of my expressed intentions. ¡°Are you sure you will be able to gain an audience with anyone of sufficient influence?¡± She made a point of glancing at the ruined fortress behind me.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly certain of what she intended, but I had a general idea.


    With only the limited knowledge at her disposal, it made sense that Nadine would assume the worst. Fesk hadn¡¯t known who we were meeting with but might have made several guesses before passing along that information to Nadine. Assuming he had done so at all. However, I sincerely doubted those guesses would have included the child of a high-ranking noble, let alone the son of a Duke.


    ¡°We have an established connection to a noble house in open rebellion,¡± I admitted candidly.


    Even if there were spies who were in range to hear this particular detail, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference. The dukedom¡¯s alleged rebellion would presumably be a matter of relatively common knowledge. Perhaps even assumed to be the case given the circumstances of the Empire.


    ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Nadine spluttered, confirming my earlier assumptions.


    ¡°Our meeting was cut short by the imminent arrival of the Liche, but their unofficial representative gave a favourable impression,¡± I explained confidently while trying not to sound overly smug.


    ¡°An unofficial representative?¡± Nadine didn¡¯t sound overly impressed. ¡°I suppose that sort of thing would be considered normal in circumstances like this...¡± Her tone had changed somewhat as she took on a more pensive expression and considered the matter.


    Fesk had followed the conversation but didn''t seem particularly interested beyond a mild element of curiosity.


    This was understandable since he and the other Thralls had very little knowledge of the outside world. I didn¡¯t either, but I had comparable experiences and a rather robust base of general knowledge to draw from to compensate for it.


    While I could use Spatial Breach to transport us all directly to the village, I decided against it. I was not overly concerned by the prospect of our sudden arrival being witnessed by the Werrian rebels. However, as impressive as teleportation was to an Earthling like myself, the locals were not overly fazed by it.


    If I wanted to reinforce my status and prestige, travelling by Dragon would be considered far more impressive.


    Despite the urgency of the overall situation, I figured status and prestige would go further than practicality and pragmatism when dealing with scions of ancient nobility.


    Travelling at a comparatively sedate pace, it only took Ushua little over a half an hour to reach the village. Dhizi had followed closely behind, casually gliding in Ushu¡¯s wake. Both smaller and faster, Clarice could have pushed Dhizi to arrive before the rest of us. However, there was little point in doing so and given Clarice¡¯s talent for aggravating people, it was certainly for the best.


    As we grew closer to the village, I briefly considered Summoning projections of Gric and Sebet but ultimately decided against it. The Duke¡¯s son was not in a position to make any meaningful decisions, so Summoning the Devil and Daemon duo would be mostly pointless.


    Mirroring our previous visit, Ushu landed a short distance from the village walls.


    This time, a larger contingent of soldiers sailed out of the village with the Duke¡¯s son at their head.


    ¡°We have destroyed the Liche,¡± I stated loudly if somewhat arrogantly before any of the Werrians had the opportunity to speak. I wanted to set the tone of our meeting right from the beginning and avoid wasting time on a pointless dick-measuring contest.


    There was also another reason.


    I wanted them to know that the only buffer they had between them and the approaching confederates was now gone. Wasting time would cost them dearly but me and mine not at all.


    The rank-and-file soldiers muttered quietly amongst themselves and a few made a point of looking up at the clear night sky.


    ¡°I...I believe you...¡± The Duke¡¯s son admitted nervously. ¡°We saw parts of the battle, even from here.¡±


    ¡°The storm,¡± one of his seconds corrected somewhat distrustfully to the agreement of his compatriot, ¡°We saw the storm.¡±


    With the aptly named Stormcaller in hand, I gathered my will and expended a large chunk of mana.


    The clear night sky became heavily overcast within moments, blotting out the stars as thunder boomed ominously from the heavens.


    ¡°If you had fought the Liche, you would know that this was responsible for the storms,¡± I growled angrily. ¡°And you would know not to doubt my words.¡±


    ¡°Stormcaller!...¡± The other older soldier whispered hoarsely. ¡±Then it is true...We are truly doomed...¡±


    ¡°The divine weapon of the first emperor...¡± Groaned the other.


    The morale of the lower-ranked soldiers plummeted almost instantly.


    ¡°I had thought as much.¡± the Duke¡¯s son admitted bitterly. ¡°To be truthful, my glorious father had already suspected the imperial family had fallen. Feared that Stormcaller had fallen into the clutches of the undead...¡± He shrugged tiredly and let out a long weary sigh. He then surprised me by smiling broadly. ¡°Now, at least, those simpering confederate dogs will not get their hands on it. Eh?¡±


    ¡°On that count, we are in agreement,¡± I confirmed with a smirk.


    The Duke¡¯s son, who I still didn''t know by name, nodded a few times before growing deadly serious. ¡°You have returned,¡± he stated bluntly.


    ¡°I have,¡± I agreed but was unsure of the significance of his stating the obvious.


    ¡°You have an interest in an alliance then?¡± The Duke¡¯s son asked with an unmistakable and almost pathetically transparent desperation in his ice-blue eyes.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I agreed, electing to exercise a deliberate vagary in my response to make it clear who needed the proposed alliance.


    The Duke¡¯s son winced bitterly but nodded, seemingly understanding my intentions. ¡°You will need to meet with the Duke then,¡± he decided. ¡°The Duke has already been told of the events of our last meeting...¡± There was an unmistakable hesitance in his voice that made it clear that his father no doubt had different opinions on who needed who.


    Assuming the Duke was at least somewhat informed, it wasn¡¯t all that surprising he would hold such an opinion. The Asrusians had been losing the war. Outnumbered and outflanked, their defeat had been inevitable.


    At least, it had been until I intervened.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I shrugged indifferently. ¡°No doubt there will be questions that he will want to be answered before considering an alliance. That is to be expected. However-¡± I lowered the tone of my voice and drew myself up to the full height of my Human form. ¡°-I will make one thing perfectly clear, right now. I will not tolerate threats of any kind against my subordinates,¡± I growled, accentuating the point with deafening crashes of thunder.


    The Duke¡¯s son paled and stiffly nodded to show he understood.


    Ushu alone probably would have served as a sufficient deterrent against any funny business. However, there were no guarantees and it didn¡¯t hurt to add an utterly blatant show of intimidation to lend a distinct and dramatic flair to make the statement more memorable.


    We exchanged a few words afterwards, discussing travel arrangements. The Duke¡¯s son offered teleportation for the sake of expediency and ¡®convenience¡¯, but I refused.


    I had refused for obvious security reasons as well as the distinct probability that my Evolutionary Tier would have made it fail outright. The former provided the excuse to maintain the secrecy of the latter.


    After confirming the Duchy Capital¡¯s location and heading, we ended our meeting.


    The Duke¡¯s son wasted no time at all in teleporting away with one of the older soldiers while leaving the other in command. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With no reason to linger, we remounted the platform on Ushu¡¯s saddle and began making our own way to the Duchy capital.


    At Ushu¡¯s somewhat sedate pace, it would take us approximately half a day to reach our intended destination. This was not an entirely bad thing. Time was certainly a precious commodity, with the confederates drawing closer to the territory of the empire with each passing hour. However, in giving the Duke¡¯s son a head start, and the Duke himself advanced warning, I was hoping that a large degree of unnecessary and unproductive politicking could be avoided.


    If the Duke¡¯s court could hash out their stance ahead of time, it would make things much simpler. I greatly preferred the idea of addressing a set list of concerns. The alternative of being forced onto the backfoot by tackling issues piecemeal and rehashing already settled issues over and over again would likely take far more time than our relatively minor procrastination.


    We passed an utterly devastated town and several villages on our way to the capital. Each of them had been completely abandoned.


    We also spotted several cavalry formations roving across the open plains and patrolling the roads. As we drew closer to the capital, we spotted a ragged line of refugees doggedly trudging along the road under the watch of several much smaller groups of cavalry.


    Ushu had initially gone unnoticed. However, once he was spotted, the news spread like wildfire and the refugees scattered like ants.


    A part of me felt bad for causing the panic. It was a variable I should have accounted for when making my initial preparations.


    As we made our final approach toward the city, the panic only spread further.


    To avoid further risk to Ushu and Dhizi, and potentially stave off inciting a deeper and more dangerous panic in the populace, I signed for Fesk to take us down a relatively moderate distance from the main road on the opposite side of the city.


    Once we had all dismounted, I Summoned projections of Gric and Sebet and conjured armour for Gric that would generally match what was worn by myself and my champions.


    While Gric methodically donned the armour I had provided, Sebet adopted the appearance of her European model persona.


    I had invested very nearly all of my mana between the two of them and felt incredibly tired. However, the insights and balanced perspectives Gric and Sebet could offer far outweighed my momentary discomfort.


    As we prepared to set out for the road, Nadine and Fesk drew everyone¡¯s attention as they erupted into a nearly completely silent argument using sign language.


    Poorly positioned to see half of the signs being made, it took a few moments for me to realise the source of the altercation.


    Fesk didn¡¯t want Nadine to go into the city.


    Nadine was insisting she was perfectly capable of handling herself. Which convinced neither Fesk nor myself, but only served to make her angrier and markedly more stubborn.


    I abruptly ended the argument by ordering Fesk to accompany Nadine as her bodyguard.


    The solution and perhaps the prospect of the long walk ahead of us left Nadine somewhat embarrassed.


    Fesk assigned one of his team to be left in charge in his absence. However, his replacement was not going to take Fesk¡¯s place in the saddle, just assume the position of command. Fesk¡¯s Bond with Ushu had long since eliminated the need for reins, and Ushu wouldn¡¯t tolerate just anyone sitting in the saddle. Which was hardly surprising since he barely tolerated the saddle in the first place.


    As we set out toward the road, Ushu and Dhizi settled themselves down to rest and await our return. They wasted no time at all in conjuring butchered Beasts as quest rewards to sate their seemingly endless appetites.


    It didn¡¯t take long at all for a sizable detachment of cavalry to begin racing toward us from the nearest gate of the city.


    As they drew closer, I could see that they had no weapons drawn. However, a couple of the riders carried banners that could probably serve as improvised spears and deal considerable damage as part of a mounted charge.


    We carried no banners of our own, but the ash-smeared surcoats of Jayne and her two cousins prominently bore the crest of their noble house.


    Each of the Asrusian noble houses bore a different symbol or variation of symbols in their heraldry, but they collectively shared certain aesthetics that set them apart from other nations I had observed thus far.


    No doubt intending to try and intimidate us, the lead elements of the cavalry didn¡¯t slow their mounts until nearly the last possible moment.


    Having already been thoroughly unimpressed when the soldiers serving the Duke¡¯s son had attempted the same trick, I made a point of stepping forward and using Thundering Strikes to shatter a large stone underfoot.


    The roar of thunder and the stinging bite of the tiny stone shards caused the giant wolves to baulk and shy away before their riders had the chance to carry out their bluff.


    I released a low guttural growl and glared into the eyes of the largest of the wolves.


    To the immense shock of its rider, the giant wolf released a keening whine and backed away with its tail between its legs.


    I transferred my glare to the giant wolf¡¯s rider. ¡°You will take us to Duke Semenov,¡± I commanded, leaving no doubt as to who was in charge and who precisely was at the mercy of whom.


    With the wolf-borne Semenovian cavalry as our escorts, our entry to the city went unopposed and without issue.


    Entering the city proper I couldn¡¯t help but notice the oppressive and pervasive aura of despair and dread on the faces of the homeless refugees huddled in the dark alleyways. I could sense the same dread from the soldiers patrolling the streets. However, the soldiers masked their fears with expressions of stoic determination or grim acceptance.


    Many of the infantrymen we passed by looked entirely too young and couldn¡¯t have been older than fourteen at the most. The rest looked far too old, perhaps in their late fifties or sixties.


    The absence of adult fighting-age men became more prevalent as we continued through the city. However, what disturbed me the most was the complete absence of Slaves.


    It was not difficult to put two and two together and determine what had happened.


    At some point in fighting against the undead, someone had pushed for the mobilisation of the Slaves to defend the Duchy. No doubt, the idea had been accepted with very little thought beyond how many human lives might be spared by sacrificing the Slaves in their stead.


    There was a cold logic to it that was undeniable in its brutal efficiency. After all, they probably didn¡¯t consider Slaves to be real people. Even the humans amongst the ranks of the Slaves would have been considered ¡®less than¡¯. Slaves were nothing but a resource to be expended.


    The anger building in my mind stalled as I watched a mother desperately pleading with a small group of soldiers who were taking away her son. The boy looked twelve at the most and was utterly terrified. The soldiers would not be dissuaded, and the mother was left wailing in the street.


    For the Asrusians, it was a glimpse at what could and undoubtedly would have been.


    For all the impact the incident had upon me, Nadine was visibly shaking.


    I had never asked Nadine about her parents or how she came to be an orphan, and she had never raised the subject directly. However, the state of perpetual conflict that I experienced in this world thus far led me to suspect that Nadine was most likely a war orphan.


    Nadine was clutching Fesk¡¯s hand so tightly that I could hear the leather creaking and the armoured plates on his arm rattling.


    We witnessed several more instances of conscription before reaching the central district of the city.


    Contrary to my expectations, even in the heart of the city where the protection was greatest, I could only see despair and fear on the faces of the civilians.


    The fortified estates of the nobility were almost completely defenceless. Most gates were firmly shut, and quite probably locked and barred. Those that weren¡¯t had a single guard at most. One of the estates even appeared to be abandoned outright.


    Passing the Adventurers Guild offices, I was not entirely surprised to find that the military had seized control over the building and the Labyrinth within. The complete absence of adventurers I witnessed thus far had led me to suspect that most had either been drafted into military service and died, or had fled.


    Wagons outside of the building were loaded high with raw foodstuffs and materials before being sent out into the city proper.


    The gate and grounds of the Duke¡¯s keep were a stark contrast to the rest of the district. Dozens of experienced soldiers stood guard at the outer and inner gates, and many more were stationed nearby in reserve.


    Or so I had thought.


    As we passed the reserve soldiers, I realised that the myriad of similar but different coloured and patterned uniforms signified their status as personal retainers or bodyguards.


    I could only assume that some noble custom, or perhaps the Duke¡¯s paranoia, had necessitated that the nobles leave their men outside. Given the desperate state of affairs, I was more inclined to believe it was a security-based measure rather than a matter of noble custom.


    ¡°Sers, you will need to leave your weapons here,¡± the lead officer insisted, motioning to a servant standing before several large reinforced chests.


    ¡°No,¡± I refused flatly. ¡°That request is unacceptable.¡±


    The lead officer¡¯s eyebrow twitched as he struggled to maintain his composure. ¡°Ser, it was not-¡±


    ¡°It WAS a request,¡± I interrupted coldly. ¡°And I have refused it. If your master wishes to see me and mine disarmed before attending a meeting, then you can inform him that we are done here.¡±


    The officer¡¯s face paled and a number of the soldiers and guards reached for their weapons.


    ¡°That would be the last mistake you make!¡± Clarice sneered contemptuously at the officer. Utterly unafraid of the fact that we were outnumbered three to one and surrounded.


    I couldn¡¯t blame her. I doubted we would even break a sweat if it came to an actual fight.


    The officer¡¯s nerves gave out faster than I expected. ¡°H-Hold!¡± He barked, waving down the soldiers and guards before someone initiated a ¡®diplomatic incident¡¯. ¡°Inform his Excellency of these developments!¡± The officer ordered, sending away the servant and keeping the soldiers and guards in place.


    The servant returned a short while later, face sweating from the exertion of running through the halls. ¡°His Excellency commands that they be allowed through and remain unmolested!¡± The servant announced nervously. ¡°His Excellency also wishes for the guard to remain at their posts!¡±


    The officer seemed slightly disappointed, but not particularly surprised. Which I found quite interesting.


    Following the officer through the entry hall of the keep and a large but otherwise empty antechamber, we were then brought into the throne room.


    The throne room was surprisingly crowded. The far sides of the room and the viewing floor above held what looked to be roughly a hundred or so nobles and a small number of children.


    Most of the men were wearing at least a few pieces of ceremonial-looking armour and had swords bound with braided cords on their hips. The braided cords appeared to be tied in such a way that would prevent someone from drawing their sword without first being noticed and providing advance warning. I couldn¡¯t be sure if that was its primary purpose, but I had more important matters on my mind to consider, so I paid them no further mind.


    The Duke sat on a throne set before a large banner bearing the Semenov house crest. He was joined on either side by a small collection of men and women who appeared to be his relatives, advisors, or both.


    I recognised the Duke¡¯s son standing on his father''s right side.


    The Duke had short dark hair with streaks of grey feathering out from around his temples, and his eyes were hard and calculating. A firm authoritative gaze made it absolutely clear that he was a man who was accustomed to making difficult decisions on a large scale. The deep lines and dark rings under his eyes suggested he had been making far too many in recent days and was expecting to make many more.


    Without being asked, Gric advanced past our escorts and waved his hand expansively back in our direction. ¡°Presenting his Majesty¡¯s most trusted envoy, Fharad of Sanctuary!¡± Gric¡¯s deep resonating voice carried effortlessly through the hall and drew every eye in our direction.


    ¡°Fharad of Sanctuary, we are honoured to receive you in our humble hall,¡± the Duke replied somewhat dryly. However, despite the tone of his voice, I could see a measure of uncertainty in his eyes that suggested things were not quite as he had expected. ¡°You will excuse me, but your name, it does not sound Asrusian.¡± His cold eyes narrowed warily.


    I removed my helmet and drew back my coif and hood as I stepped past our escort. ¡°Your Excellency has a keen ear,¡± I commented with feigned humour. ¡°As you can no doubt see, I do not look Asrusian either.¡± I allowed the Duke and the assorted crowd to take in my dark skin. ¡°And yet, I have the authority to speak for the Asrusian Kingdom and its interests. So let us waste no more time with games...¡±


    The Duke¡¯s mouth twitched and I saw a vein near his right temple begin to throb. ¡°That is quite strange to hear,¡± he said loudly in a rousing tone. ¡°We have intelligence that states the Asrusian Kingdom is no more, and that the remnants are nothing more than confederate lap dogs!¡±


    Jeers and cries of outrage rose from the gathered nobles.


    I paid them no mind.


    ¡°You think this is all an elaborate trick?¡± I snickered disparagingly, deliberately dropping my attempts at formal speech. ¡°Do you really think such a deception would be necessary?¡± I scoffed incredulously, shaking my head and chuckling softly to myself at the objective absurdity of it all. ¡°I destroyed the undead hordes!¡± I snarled, dropping any semblance of civility. ¡°I destroyed the Liche!¡±


    I let those words sink in for a few moments.


    ¡°If I wished you and your people harm, there would be no need for tricks,¡± I stated coldly. ¡°I am here for one reason, and one reason only. To give your people the chance to escape death, depredation and Enslavement!¡±


    ¡°Stop this insolence at once!¡± Sneered a nasal voice from amidst the mass of nobles. ¡°Your tricks will not work here you confederate spy!¡± A gaunt man in raised-heeled shoes and wearing a ceremonial breastplate slipped forward through the crowd. ¡°You have trampled upon his Excellency¡¯s honour and I will see you bleed for it! I demand satisfaction!¡± He snapped the chord of a pendant from around his neck and then cast the pendant onto the carpet near my feet.


    A tall broad-shouldered man at arms pushed through the crowd and stood beside the nobleman, making it clear that the nobleman didn¡¯t plan on facing me himself.


    <This is ironic...> Gric¡¯s thoughts gave off an air of amusement as they settled into my mind. <My Tyrant, it is they who are the Confederate spies, and several more besides!>


    ***** Savva Semenov ~ Semenov Duchy ~ Semenovian Duchy Capital *****


    Duke Savva eyed Ser Petrov warily. The minor noble had been causing nothing but trouble of late, so it was incredibly strange that he would take the Duke¡¯s side now.


    ¡°You want a duel?¡± The envoy snickered contemptuously in reply to Petrov''s demands. ¡°But you are too cowardly to fight me yourself? Don¡¯t bark about honour and then cower behind your manservant''s skirt!¡±


    Duke Savva had to fight against the urge to smile as Petrov''s face flushed a bright crimson with anger and embarrassment.


    ¡°If your honour is so valuable-¡± the envoy continued, raising his voice above the clamour of the mob with no visible effort, ¡°-you will fight me yourself, or at least one of my attendants!¡±


    ¡°I volunteer!¡± All eyes, including Savva¡¯s own, were drawn toward a tall statuesque beauty standing amidst the envoy''s gathered attendants. ¡°I will fight the man who doubts my master¡¯s honour and divine right to cast judgement!¡±


    ¡°As will I!¡± The deep voice of the envoy¡¯s lead attendant echoed through the hall and left only silence in its wake.


    ¡°OUTRAGEOUS!¡± Baron Pushkev¡¯s roar drew all eyes as he and his supporters shoved their way through the crowd and made their way toward the envoy. ¡°WHAT WOULD A LOWLY ASRUSIAN WORM KNOW OF HONOUR?!¡± He snarled, spraying spittle with each syllable. ¡°DRAW YOUR BLADE CRETIN! OR I WILL RUN YOU THROUGH WHERE YOU STAND! JUST SEE IF I DON¡¯T!¡± The Baron had already removed the peace-tie from his sword and was aiming the tip of his blade at the envoy¡¯s unprotected face.


    Expecting the envoy to demand he return the hall to a sense of decorum, Duke Savva was surprised when the dark-skinned envoy calmly turned to face Baron Pushkev and his supporters instead.


    ¡°You wish to fight me?¡± The envoy asked coldly. ¡°Even knowing that it could cost you your life?¡±


    ¡°I HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FROM AN ASRUSIAN CUR!¡± Baron Pushkev roared as he lunged forward. ¡°NOW D-¡± The Baron¡¯s cry was interrupted as the bare fist of the envoy¡¯s lead attendant crashed into the Baron¡¯s breastplate.


    A deafening roar of thunder tore through the chamber and the Baron was cast backwards with such speed that it was almost impossible to follow. Baron Pushkev¡¯s flight ended abruptly as he crashed into the wall beside the main doors to the throne room.


    A deathly silence fell upon the assembled nobles.


    ¡°I told you, father, he is more than he appears!¡± Vadim whispered in warning, earning worried glances from his two younger sisters and his uncle.


    Against expectations, Baron Pushkev staggered shakily to his feet. Then, without warning, a torrent of blood heaved out of his mouth and he collapsed to the floor where he proceeded to bloodily void his bowels.


    ¡°With one blow...¡± Katia, Savva¡¯s youngest, whispered incredulously. ¡°With just his fist against magical armour!¡±


    Duke Savva was about to call for the Surgeons but was interrupted as the envoy stared him down.


    ¡°You have traitors in your midst,¡± the envoy commented disapprovingly, earning a low groan from Vadim.


    Savva knew his son well enough to know that he believed the envoy to be telling the truth.


    Thinking on the matter for a few moments, Duke Savva was forced to admit that there was a high possibility of there being a traitor in their midst. There would always be those who placed their own survival above all else. It was basic human nature and would never change.


    ¡°MURDERER!!!¡± Ser Petrov cried in outrage and looked to his peers for support.


    A handful of other nobles pumped their fists and shouted cries of support. However, the majority remained silent.


    ¡°Vladd Romanova, Kuzma Sergeev, Akim Gusev, Foma Sokolov-¡± The envoy¡¯s lead attendant began calling out names and pointing out their owners from amidst the crowd with unerring accuracy.


    As they were named, the accused quickly found themselves isolated from their peers as they were hurriedly shunned to avoid a similar fate to the late Baron.


    Duke Savva felt an intense wave of disgust and outrage as he recognised the expressions of guilt and panic on the faces of the accused.


    If the likes of Ser Petrov and his ilk had been the only ones accused, Savva would not have been nearly so surprised. However, several of the accused numbered amongst the closest allies of his house...


    ¡°Father...¡± Vadim gave him an earnest pleading look and silently motioned toward the main door to the throne room with his eyes. His intentions were clear. None of them should be allowed to escape.


    Duke Savva rose to his feet. ¡°SILENCE!¡± He bellowed, bringing nearly all of the assembled nobles to heel almost immediately. ¡°GUARDS! SEIZE THE ACCUSED!¡± Savva roared, giving voice to his outrage and fury.


    Duke Savva¡¯s elite guards swarmed out of their hidden alcoves and into the ranks of the nobles.


    Some of the accused tried to run and were violently restrained. Others whined, pleaded with, or even threatened the Duke to release them, proving their guilt through their actions.


    Ten men and women screamed and fell to the ground and thrashed violently in the grips of extreme seizures, frothing at the mouth and biting their tongues as they convulsed upon the floor.


    ¡°TELEPORTATION!!!¡± One of the elite guards called out in warning just as four more of the accused fell thrashing to the floor, each of them holding a decorative cane or walking aid in their ever-tightening fists.


    Two more of the accused fell to seizures before Duke Savva realised the connection.


    Those who attempted to flee through means of teleportation were the ones being struck down with convulsions and seizures.


    Throughout it all, the envoy watched with a grim and disappointed expression on his blunt-featured face.


    Duke Savva¡¯s outrage was momentarily extinguished as he realised that the envoy, or perhaps one of his attendants, was responsible.


    They had known the traitors'' identities and seemed to have the means of denying them escape. At the least, the lead attendant was capable of killing a high-level Knight with a single blow from his fist.


    Despite the sigil of his house crest, Duke Savva felt a cold chill sweep down his spine. He had always considered himself to be a wolf amongst sheep. A hard man who made hard choices for the greater good. However, looking into the eyes of the envoy, he was surprised to find that someone so ruthless would be filled with regret.


    Then he remembered what his son Vadim had told him of their first meeting in the devastated village of Yakutsk. The envoy had asked his son a question.


    What does the survival of your people mean to you?


    Duke Savva had originally interpreted the question as an attempt to gauge his son¡¯s receptivity to defection. That the question was intended to determine how open he would be to the enslavement of his people.


    Vadim had insisted and strongly argued otherwise.


    Duke Savva had initially determined Vadim¡¯s assessment to be made out of naive optimism fuelled by desperation. However, he now realised that wasn¡¯t true.


    Despite the envoy¡¯s earlier behaviour, Savva could see much of his younger self in the man¡¯s eyes. They were the eyes of a man struggling to reconcile hard decisions and their consequences against the pursuit of a greater good.


    The eyes of a man who would try to tend the injuries of a wounded wolf despite knowing that it was almost certain to try and tear out his throat for the effort...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 62 – By other means – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 62 ¨C By other means ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 62 - By other means - Part Two


    Even with advance warning, the scale and severity of Gric¡¯s telepathic assault on the Semenovian traitors caught me by surprise. I had expected Gric¡¯s attack to paralyse them or perhaps momentarily stun them at most. Causing severe seizures was far outside of what I had anticipated.


    As surprised as I was, the Duke appeared to be ten times more so. I couldn¡¯t help but think that he was attributing Gric¡¯s actions to premeditated planning and not reactive improvisation.


    The traitors, conscious and unconscious alike, were dragged before the Duke and forced to their knees. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°E-Excellency! There m-must be s-some s-sort of m-misunderstanding!¡± A young nobleman stammered. Thick beads of sweat ran down his brow as he attempted to inch his neck away from the guard¡¯s blade at his throat.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Cried another nobleman to his right. ¡°We have been accused, but there is no proof!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± A noblewoman joined in as she was forced to her knees. ¡°Where is the proof?! Surely your Excellency would not believe outsiders over your liegemen!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Another noblewoman shrieked hysterically, desperately seizing at any opportunity to forestall her fate. ¡°You can¡¯t just accuse-¡±


    ¡°There is a secret compartment hidden behind the painting of a human woman in a red and gold dress. Within the compartment are several articles of correspondence confirming your guilt and complicity,¡± Gric announced with a nearly palpable degree of contempt before turning his eyes towards the other traitors who had demanded proof of their misdeeds.


    The noblewoman¡¯s face paled and she fell limp in the guard¡¯s grip.


    ¡°You,¡± Gric pointed to the first nobleman who demanded proof. ¡°You are the most incompetent of them all,¡± he sneered. ¡°To keep an incriminating correspondence within your jacket pocket while attending your Lord.¡± Gric¡¯s contempt was only matched by his disgust. ¡°Left side,¡± he commented, guiding the guards who had begun pawing at the accused nobleman¡¯s jacket.


    ¡°Excellency!¡± One of the guards called out in warning and triumph, holding aloft a slightly rumbled piece of folded paper.


    ¡°That¡¯s...That¡¯s private!¡± Squealed the nobleman, ¡°A letter from my paramour! You have no right to-¡±


    ¡°No right?¡± The Duke had not raised his voice. However, his words silenced not only the protesting nobleman but the entire hall. ¡°Am I not your liege lord? Your sovereign?¡±


    The nobleman realised his mistake and spluttered incomprehensibly as he attempted to defend his actions and somehow prevent the Duke from reviewing the incriminating evidence simultaneously.


    ¡°Enough,¡± the Duke declared coldly, ¡°Captain, have him gagged while I verify the integrity of the Asrusian¡¯s claims.¡±


    ¡°Excellency!¡± One of the guards standing beside the Duke, presumably the Captain, pulled the stylish linen scarf from the nobleman¡¯s neck and violently stuffed it into the man¡¯s mouth.


    The Duke accepted the folded paper and slowly examined its contents.


    Several minutes of silence interspersed with the fearful whimpering of the accused nobles passed before the Duke lowered the paper.


    The disappointment and mounting stress in the Duke¡¯s strained expression were unmistakable. ¡°Take them away,¡± he ordered gravely. ¡°I want each of them under constant watch while their properties are searched and servants questioned.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Excellency!¡± The guard Captain replied zealously before turning on his men and barking orders.


    The outer garments of the nobles were stripped then and there in full view of everyone. The precaution bore immediate fruit as several wands, potions and small magical items were uncovered.


    ¡°In the interest of acting in good faith and generating goodwill, I am prepared to document a list and otherwise guide your minions to the caches of incriminating evidence,¡± Gric volunteered. The generosity of his offer was somewhat undercut but also strangely supported by the intense animosity in his tone of voice.


    The Duke took a few moments to consider the offer before accepting it with a perfunctory nod, ¡°Captain, the envoy¡¯s attendant shall be in your care.¡±


    Gric smiled ever so faintly in amusement but otherwise said nothing.


    ¡°By your word, Excellency!¡± The Captain agreed obediently before taking a few moments to size Gric up. Given Gric had killed a man with a single blow less than a quarter of an hour earlier, the caution was more than warranted.


    Gric approached the Captain and offered a slight bow of his head in greeting.


    The Captain nodded in reply but said nothing as they both followed the processions of accused traitors out of the hall.


    ¡°A single traitor...¡± The Duke cursed darkly. ¡°It would be too many...¡±


    I had seen the state of the Duke¡¯s military, which was desperate, and had to agree.


    ¡°Is the claim true?¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes bored into my own with unflinching scrutiny. ¡°Are the Asrusians defeated?¡±


    ¡°The answer depends upon your perspective and values,¡± I replied evenly and made a point of looking at the Duke¡¯s son before returning the Duke¡¯s stare. ¡°The Asrusian people have survived and now thrive beyond the reach of the Confederacy.¡±


    ¡°They fled?¡± The Duke looked confused for a moment before reading my expression and slightly shaking his head. ¡°No, that would be impossible...Refugees on that scale would not be able to remain hidden...¡±


    ¡°And yet they managed to do so,¡± I replied glibly.


    ¡°How?¡± The Duke demanded, bringing the full weight of his dignity and desperation to bear.


    I looked over my shoulder and at the assembled nobles. ¡°It is a secret, and only those willing to swear an oath upon their life are permitted to hear it.¡±


    Shocked gasps and murmuring erupted from the crowd but were instantly silenced by a baleful glare from the Duke.


    ¡°An oath...This is what keeps the secret?¡± The Duke rubbed his beard and glanced toward his advisors and family members as he considered the implications and risks involved. ¡°The reports of our spies carried news of entire cities left utterly abandoned. Found empty by the Confederate scouts long before the arrival of their army...You claim this was a planned exodus?¡±


    ¡°For the most part,¡± I agreed grimly. ¡°Mournbrent was the work of the Liche and collaborators from the temporary Imperial and Confederate alliance. The destruction and death wrought by the Liche is why we pursued it north.¡± With an effort, I pushed back the haunting memories of Mournbrent and its scenes of carnage. The memories of the murdered children...Their broken lifeless bodies discarded in the corner like garbage...


    ¡°-your blades!¡± The Duke commanded.


    Returning to my senses, I found several guards now standing between myself and the Duke. The guards had not fully drawn their swords, but each man had several inches of steel bared before submitting to the Duke¡¯s order.


    ¡°Warriors'' sickness comes to us all in time,¡± the Duke commented with a hint of sympathy before lowering his eyes and releasing a deep mournful sigh. ¡°To us all indeed.¡±


    Even if the Semenovians didn¡¯t fight the Confederates, three or more generations had already been scarred by the depredations of the Liche¡¯s campaign of terror.


    I said nothing but nodded in agreement and understanding.


    Contrary to my expectations, the Duke¡¯s impression of me seemed to have increased.


    ¡°An oath of secrecy...Such a price is nothing when weighed against the lives of my people,¡± the Duke reasoned aloud, receiving varying degrees of support from his advisors and family members in response. ¡°It is not a commitment to act,¡± he continued for the benefit of the nobles in the crowd. ¡°We are desperate, we are outnumbered, but we will not be Slaves!¡±


    Grim determined acknowledgements and support came from the most loyal nobles amidst the crowd.


    ¡°Come, we will converse in the council chamber,¡± the Duke offered, stiffly rising from his throne and motioning toward a door in the rear of the hall.


    I was not particularly surprised when the Duke¡¯s entire entourage of family members and advisors insisted upon joining the meeting. Similarly, the Duke was not surprised when my entourage followed me into the adjoining chamber.


    The council chamber held one very large and scarred table strewn with maps of places I did not recognise.


    The Duke and his people settled on one side of the table, while me and mine settled on the other.


    ¡°We-I-¡± The Duke amended, shifting from the royal third person mode of speech. ¡°-swear to maintain the secrecy of all I witness during the events of this meeting, upon my honour and my life.¡±


    The members of his entourage hesitated before relenting and repeating the oath themselves.


    ¡°And the guards?¡± Nadine insisted before I had the chance to do so myself.


    ¡°All palace guards have sworn comprehensive oaths of secrecy and loyalty,¡± one of the older men sniffed pridefully.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Clarice demanded in a disconcertingly reasonable tone. ¡°And you want us to just take your word for it?¡±


    The Duke relented and had the guards standing watch on both sides of the door swear the same oath before returning to their stations.


    Sebet remained silent throughout and seemed somewhat distracted.


    ¡°We have sworn your oath, now will you divulge your secret, emissary Fharad?¡± One of the advisors requested tersely, wrinkled eyes staring intensely while he fought not to frown.


    ¡°The Asrusians struck a bargain with a monster,¡± I replied neutrally, watching the Semenovians to gauge their reactions.


    ¡°The Dragons?¡± The Duke asked warily.


    Dragons, like any other Beast, suffered a poor reputation concerning their perceived Intelligence. Bearing that in mind, I could understand why the Duke would be unsettled by such a prospect.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied flatly. ¡°The Dragons serve the monster.¡±


    An unsettling silence fell upon those on the other side of the table.


    ¡°This monster, it is a Slaver then?¡± Another advisor asked with a bitter expression on his wizened face.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, but no,¡± I replied honestly. I had never taken Slaves with the express purpose of selling, trading or putting them to work. I liberated those that could be trusted and took measures so I could parole those who I could not.


    ¡°He, that is, the monster, is a liberator of Slaves,¡± Nadine added emphatically. ¡°He has freed thousands of Slaves in only a handful of months!¡±


    Several advisors shared uneasy glances.


    ¡°Doubt me if you want,¡± Nadine sighed dispiritedly before quickly rallying. ¡°But if you join us, you will be able to see for yourselves!¡±


    ¡°We would never subordinate ourselves to the Asrusians!¡± The youngest, but still middle-aged, advisor insisted vehemently, much to the agreement of his seniors.


    ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t be!¡± Clarice shot back snarkily without missing a beat. However, she then hissed irritably and bit back what she had intended to say next.


    ¡°You would not be subordinate to the Asrusians,¡± Nadine explained calmly while resting her hand on Clarice¡¯s shoulder as a sign of support. ¡°Not unless you want to,¡± she shrugged. ¡°The monster allows an unprecedented degree of autonomy. You would, of course, need to swear oaths to obey his laws, but that¡¯s the trade-off.¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you are not an Asrusian yourself,¡± one of the advisors accused with unconcealed suspicion.


    ¡°Well...¡± Nadine fidgeted uncomfortably, ¡°I guess I haven¡¯t thought of myself as one for a while...I mean, according to the monster¡¯s customs, I¡¯m not an Asrusian, I¡¯m considered part of a different group.¡±


    ¡°Please, explain this further,¡± the Duke requested.


    ¡°We can choose which group we belong to, and so long as whoever is in charge of that group, you are part of that group...¡± Nadine nervously cleared her throat, ¡°It¡¯s strange to talk about it like this, but I¡¯m not permitted to go into the proper details with outsiders.¡±


    ¡°Is the oath insufficient?¡± The Duke demanded incredulously.


    ¡°The oath doesn¡¯t prevent someone from pulling the memories of these events from your mind,¡± Sebet interjected calmly. ¡°Your willingness to swear the oath, the questions you decide to ask, and how you react to the answers, it¡¯s all part of a test.¡±


    ¡°A test?¡± The Duke scowled with displeasure.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sebet replied cheerily. ¡°Testing one¡¯s potential allies is important.¡±


    ¡°Where did the Asrusians go?¡± The Duke¡¯s son asked curiously, breaking the tense silence that had arisen in the wake of Sebet¡¯s revelation.


    ¡°Another secret I¡¯m afraid,¡± Sebet interjected before I had the chance to reply. ¡°However, I can say that they are completely beyond the reach of their enemies.¡±


    A half-truth, considering the soldiers and civilians still living within the former capital.


    ¡°What does the monster want?¡± The Duke¡¯s son asked, seemingly determined to push on.


    ¡°Peace and prosperity,¡± Sebet replied simply. ¡°Forgive the honesty, but you are something of a charity case. Just as the Asrusians were before you. Because, you see, the monster detests needless suffering. And as I am certain we can all agree, war begets suffering in ready abundance.¡± Sebet¡¯s focus shifted from the Duke¡¯s son toward the eldest of the Duke¡¯s advisors. ¡°Yes, his motivations are that simple, and if you intend on accepting his protection, I would strongly discourage thoughts of promoting divisive bigotry. You will alienate powerful allies and perhaps even risk the monster¡¯s wrath.¡±


    The advisor stared at Sebet with a panicked look in his eyes.


    Sebet smirked back at the advisor but said nothing further.


    ¡°You said you came to offer our people the chance to escape,¡± the Duke¡¯s son insisted, ignoring his father¡¯s advisor while becoming emboldened by Sebet¡¯s words. ¡°To make the Asrusians disappear so quickly...Could we see for ourselves if we swore another oath?¡±


    The request carried an element of risk, but it was far less than speaking of the Demi-Plane¡¯s true nature aloud.


    ¡°Those who are willing can witness the truth for themselves,¡± I agreed, if somewhat reluctantly.


    While the Duke¡¯s people argued amongst themselves, I left my seat and motioned for Faine and Jayne to rise.


    ¡°I will send both of you back,¡± I explained quietly. Wary that some of the Semenovians may not be as preoccupied with the argument as they appeared to be. ¡°Jayne, you will take the special items to the treasury-¡±


    With her face still hidden beneath her helm, Jayne nodded to show she understood.


    ¡°-and Faine, you will escort the Semenovians and extract oaths of compliance to our laws. You can issue a quest to fill out a proper guard detail, but try to make it as diverse as you can manage,¡± I insisted. ¡°I want them to understand that things are different.¡±


    Faine bowed his head, ¡°As you command.¡± He began forming the quest almost immediately.


    I would use my authority to move the successful applicants to the right place once the Semenovians came to their decision.


    ¡°Envoy Fharad, we have made our decision,¡± the Duke announced decisively. ¡°Our son, Vadim, and three of my advisors shall swear the oaths and bear witness. However...¡± The Duke¡¯s expression grew somewhat colder and more intense, ¡°We request that the envoy remains as a guarantee of their safe return.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s ¡®request¡¯ met with near unanimous agreement from his advisors.


    In other circumstances, the request would have been unacceptable. However, the Duke was risking the life of his son and heir. As a father myself, I could understand the desire to exact guarantees for his safety. Although I was not so certain I would have been nearly as polite if I had been in his place.


    I hadn¡¯t intended on leaving so soon in the first place, so playing at being a political hostage didn¡¯t bother me in the slightest.


    The smug expressions on the faces of several of the Duke¡¯s advisors suggested that they thought they had somehow manoeuvred me into an untenable position.


    Doing my best to keep my expression neutral, I took a few moments to provide the illusion of seriously considering the Duke¡¯s offer. ¡°This is acceptable,¡± I agreed.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice Clarice rolling her eyes. Thankfully, the Semenovians¡¯ collective attention was focused on me and hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Two of the advisors became flustered and looked like they wanted to argue. However, before they had the chance, the Duke preemptively silenced them by raising his hand. ¡°We are in agreement then,¡± he agreed, narrowing his eyes slightly as he scanned my face for signs of deception.


    ¡°So long as your envoys abide by our laws and do not antagonise anyone, I guarantee that they will return alive,¡± I swore, hoping to set the Duke¡¯s mind at ease. I would have guaranteed their health, but there was a chance that the Semenovians would fight the wild monsters and become injured. It was unlikely, but it was not a risk I deemed worth taking.


    As I hoped, my words appeared to alleviate a fraction of the Duke¡¯s overt concerns.


    ¡°Envoy Fharad, we are curious. Through which means shall your attendants travel?¡± The Duke asked calmly. Despite the calmness in his voice, the sharp look in the Duke¡¯s eyes made it clear that he was probing for more information.


    No doubt, the Duke had already eliminated Ushu as a means of conveyance. Ushu was far too large and readily identifiable to ferry dignitaries on covert missions. Similarly, the vantage point afforded by flying so high would allow the Duke¡¯s son and his advisors to plot out a course and retrace their movements on a map. In either case, Ushu would unwittingly reveal the location of the Asrusians.


    Or so the Duke no doubt thought.


    ¡°Magic,¡± I replied simply. ¡°I will teleport your chosen representatives and two of my attendants to accompany them. Once safely on the other side, your representatives will be expected to swear oaths to comply with the laws.¡±


    ¡°You have mentioned these laws before,¡± the Duke commented, nodding slightly to Nadine to acknowledge her input, ¡°But you have not elaborated upon their contents.¡±


    Clarice¡¯s eye twitched irritably and she aggressively worked the muscles of her jaw. However, she managed to remain silent.


    Sebet withdrew a roll of parchment from a small messenger satchel hanging from her waist. Or, at least, she appeared to have done so. I could sense the mana radiating off of the document and knew that Sebet had simply willed it into existence on the fly.


    The creation of magical documentation was an Ability that Sebet had insisted all Devil-kind possessed. However, the documents themselves would deteriorate over time unless involved in some form of official Contract.


    Having accepted the roll of parchment, the Duke unfurled it and held it out in such a way that his wife and son would be able to read it as well without leaning over his shoulders or leaving their seats.


    ¡°There are no laws regulating trade?¡± The Duke¡¯s wife asked curiously, one dark eyebrow raised as she addressed Sebet directly.


    ¡°So long as those engaging in trade do not fall under breach of the existing laws?¡± Sebet qualified with a ready smile, ¡°No, there are not.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± The Duke¡¯s wife replied evenly before adopting a deep thoughtful expression and motioning to the document, ¡°Then perhaps you would not mind explaining the need for several laws addressing various forms of violence if indeed they are all superseded by the primacy of another law?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± still smiling, Sebet nodded appreciatively. Few people understood the laws or took a serious interest in them, but they were a subject Sebet enjoyed discussing to no end when given the opportunity. ¡°It is a matter of layered severity to determine the outcome,¡± Sebet explained happily. ¡°Many of the variations carry lethal consequences for a breach because the monster refuses to tolerate such actions. Because oaths judge a breach by intention to act and by the intention behind the intended actions, there is no question regarding their guilt or innocence. However, the monster has allowed for a small degree of leniency regarding acts of intentional violence outside of those instances specifically stated to facilitate the integration of less...civilised peoples, without the need for immediately resorting to lethal punishment.¡±


    ¡°The punishment for these crimes are lethal?¡± The Duke asked, evidently quite surprised that I would take such a firm stance on the worst crimes.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet replied eagerly. ¡°Those that allow for rehabilitation and reintegration are marked with a small star. Otherwise, the remainder carry an immediate consequence of execution.¡±


    ¡°This is impossible...People would revolt...¡± The Duke muttered incredulously.


    ¡°No, they wouldn¡¯t,¡± Sebet countered with a wide smile. ¡°Criminal and depraved elements exist because they hide their worst sins from the public eye, generating plausible deniability. A serial murderer could walk amongst them, and the crowd of innocent men and women would not know it. Of course, most know that such foul people exist, but they lack the means to find and excise them. Even common street thugs are capable of generating sufficient goodwill from their immediate community that it would allow them to indulge in criminal activity against another community with near impunity.¡± Sebet leaned back in her chair and tented her long elegant fingers, ¡°The laws and oaths change all of that,¡± she stated calmly. ¡°They provide the means for the common and innocent men and women to live out their lives safe in the knowledge that anyone who seeks them harm will face swift and utterly impartial justice.¡± Sebet chuckled slightly and leaned forward again. ¡°The only ones with cause to rebel are those who intend to treat their fellows as prey!¡±


    ¡°These laws also happen to ensure that it is utterly impossible to rebel against the monster...¡± The Duke commented dryly. ¡°But I am sure that is just a coincidence...¡±


    Sebet smirked wryly. ¡°As odd as it sounds, you are right. On both counts.¡±


    The Duke and his wife narrowed their eyes in suspicion.


    ¡°If you are so lucky as to be formally introduced, I think you will understand,¡± Sebet continued ambivalently. ¡°The intention was to protect people from each other. All of them. Not just the humans, but everyone else as well. You need to keep that particular fact in mind. Of all his subjects, the humans are easily the weakest and in most need of protection.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Nadine agreed calmly.


    Randle nodded in agreement as well. ¡°Training and levels only get you so far, and they are just as capable of doing the same.¡±


    The Duke frowned slightly. ¡°We would be relegated to a position of inferiority for being human?¡± He asked Randle.


    Randle looked to his cousins for support.


    ¡°Not at all, your Excellency,¡± Faine replied coolly. ¡°My cousin simply acknowledges that if a human and a monster were to fight, and all other concerns were equal, it is the monster that would triumph in nearly every encounter.¡±


    ¡°We are generally more intelligent,¡± Jayne added thoughtfully, ¡°But your Excellency must also consider that not all humans are suited for soldiering. With monsters, those not suited for combat, are the exception, not the rule.¡±


    ¡°Even so, the Asrusians have acclimated quite well,¡± Sebet praised. ¡°Cooperation and trade have benefited all concerned.¡± She looked pointedly at Randle, Faine and Jayne. ¡°The most deserving have surpassed the limits of your greatest heroes, and their power will only grow greater still with time.¡±


    ¡°The Baron...¡± The Duke¡¯s son muttered.


    ¡°Just a small taste of what is possible,¡± Sebet confirmed slyly.


    The Duke¡¯s face paled slightly, but his expression remained the same. ¡°We shall see for ourselves then,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I agreed, slowly rising to my feet and gathering my mana. After a few minutes, I motioned toward the open space on the far side of the room and opened a Breach.


    ¡°This is...¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes widened in shock. However, he still had the piece of mind to wave back the guards approaching from the door.


    ¡°Faine, Jayne,¡± I nodded toward the portal and then handed off the four Artefacts to Jayne¡¯s temporary safekeeping.


    Without hesitation, Faine passed through the Breach.


    After accepting the Artefacts and stowing them as best as she was able, Jayne followed her cousin through the Breach.


    Exercising my authority remotely, I moved Jayne from the other side of the Breach and into Sanctuary¡¯s treasury. After securing the Artefacts, I gathered Faine¡¯s quest recipients and placed them a short distance from Faine and the Breach.


    Maintaining the Spatial Breach to my Demi Plane was just as easy as it had been the last time. However, I was very much aware that this was most likely because of the extreme degree of control I had over my Demi-Plane, to begin with. Connecting two points independently of my Demi-Plane would likely prove far more taxing.


    Vadim proved far braver, or perhaps because he had witnessed the devastation firsthand, was more desperate than the Duke¡¯s advisors. Sparing only a moment to bow to his father and mother, Vadim then strode boldly into the Breach.


    The trio of volunteer advisors followed shortly afterwards but were far more timid and very nearly had to be pushed through the Breach by their peers.


    Vadim returned a few moments later, no doubt sent by Faine to confirm that the Breach was harmless. After sharing a few quiet words with his parents, he passed through the Breach again.


    With no immediate need to continue maintaining the Breach, I cancelled the Spell.


    ¡°I will open the portal again in a few hours so they can share their early impressions,¡± I explained while taking my seat once more. ¡°If you deem it necessary, I can then open the portal again and allow others to witness their claims firsthand. However, my patience is not infinite, and I shouldn¡¯t have to remind you of the Confederate advance.¡±


    ¡°Three hours then,¡± the Duke agreed grimly. ¡°I will have refreshments provided, but I must review the progress of the Captain and his men.¡± He inclined his head respectfully and then led the assembled Semenovians out of the room, leaving only the guards behind.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Clarice swore the moment the door was closed, startling the two guards. ¡°Three hours?!¡± She groaned and kicked at the underside of the table. ¡°What if three hours is too long?!¡± Clarice kicked the table again and pulled at her short red hair.


    ¡°Hush,¡± Sebet cooed soothingly, gently brushing her hand over Clarice¡¯s back.


    Clarice released her hair and glowered at the table instead.


    Fesk removed his riding gloves and began chatting with Nadine, unsure why everyone had been talking about me as if I wasn¡¯t there. The abstract concepts involved took Nadine the better part of an hour to explain and provide the proper context for everything that was going on.


    Now caught up, Fesk didn¡¯t seem particularly interested and began chatting about something more discreetly.


    Wearing armour for long periods was something I was growing increasingly accustomed to. However, the perfect fit of the armour could only do so much. At a certain point, I had to get up and slowly pace the circumference of the room to help ease my back and hips.


    Randle did the same, but I felt it was more out of a sense of solidarity than an immediate personal need.


    Nadine probably could have eased or eliminated the discomfort with one of her Abilities. But it felt like a waste and a needless risk to spend her relatively finite mana on something so frivolous.


    Remotely observing Faine, I was able to watch events unfold as the Duke¡¯s son Vadim, and his advisors were taken on a tour through Port Gidian and then a few of the nearby villages.


    It came as a surprise to learn that Beast-drawn coach services were operating so prolifically in the Human territories.


    I had expected wagons and even carriages. However, several entrepreneurial souls had apparently decided that there was a living to be made in transporting people and not just trade goods.


    Because the wild monsters of my Demi-Plane were literally incapable of approaching the established roads, and the laws forbade and prevented banditry, the coaches were free to travel in safety.


    Of course, Ril could no doubt bankrupt them all overnight if she chose to create Gateways to every city, town and village. But I sincerely doubted she would make the effort. So far as I was aware, despite accepting hefty tributes as advance payment, Ril had a backlog of cities still awaiting their agreed-upon Gateways.


    Resisting the urge to return home was slowly wearing me down.


    To have the means so close to hand and not use it was immensely frustrating. However, the knowledge that my patience could quite probably save hundreds of thousands of lives served as a resilient deterrent.


    The Duke returned just shy of what I estimated to be the third hour. With Gric and the guard Captain in tow, he was otherwise alone.


    Gric peeled away at the first opportunity and took up a sentry position behind me and close to the wall.


    Meanwhile, the guard Captain did the same for the Duke.


    ¡°Even if it is only for the assistance provided by your attendant, we offer our most sincere thanks,¡± the Duke bowed his head in respect and the guard captain bowed low at the waist. ¡°The traitors'' treachery would have brought doom to my people, were it not for your intervention. Unfortunately, the roots run deep, and my reach is shorter than it once was...¡±


    I had witnessed the siege and attempted arrest of several noble families before. Even with all the advantages afforded through Synergies, the fighting had been particularly brutal.


    In choosing to pursue the traitors within the other cities, the Duke would need to decide which soldiers he would send. Casualties would be almost unavoidable if the traitors chose to resist. And they would almost certainly resist given that their necks were due for the hangman¡¯s noose.


    It was simply a matter of whether the Duke would send his already dangerously depleted ranks of elites, or the raw conscripts.


    Not pursuing the traitors at all would mean dooming entire cities of civilians to the Confederates.


    There was no easy choice for the Duke to make.


    Assuming the Duke agreed to become my subordinate, things would work out quite differently.


    With my champions leading the charge, I sincerely doubted that the traitors would manage much of anything before being overrun. The arsenal of Spells at their disposal would make short work of any human defenders, and allow my champions to bypass or otherwise compromise most conventional defences.


    However, my champions would only be made available IF the Duke swore oaths of fealty. There was no real point in doing the Duke favours if he and his people would be overrun and defeated by the Confederates anyway. Leaving the traitors be would quite possibly result in fewer deaths...


    Yet the total amount of suffering would likely be much higher...


    ¡°We wish to speak with our son and advisors,¡± the Duke decided after I failed to reply to his earlier observations.


    I nodded and slowly began gathering my mana again.


    Faine and his charges had finished their tour of one of the comparatively older villages and were observing a minor festival held to commemorate the village¡¯s prosperity.


    Vadim and the advisors looked particularly disappointed when I opened the Breach and Faine signalled that it was time to leave.


    Shepherding the Semenovians through the breach, Faine was the last to return to the council chamber.


    ¡°Father!¡± Vadim called out excitedly as he rushed toward the Duke. ¡°You need to witness it for yourself or you will not believe me!¡±


    The Duke was taken aback by his son¡¯s intensity and unexpected positivity. ¡°They did not lie?¡± He asked while eyeing me with deep suspicion.


    ¡°Excellency,¡± one of the three advisors stepped forward and bowed his head. ¡°To the best of my knowledge, we were given the freedom to explore as we willed. Only one location was denied to us-¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The Duke demanded suspiciously.


    ¡°Excellency, we were denied because that is the seat of the monster¡¯s power. It is the monster¡¯s royal capital,¡± The advisor explained diligently.


    ¡°The locals refer to the monster as their Tyrant, Excellency,¡± Another advisor explained. ¡°And entry to the capital is denied to all but a handful of humans. To the best of my understanding, it is occupied predominantly by monsters. Although they are not restricted to this city by any means.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± The final advisor interjected, ¡°Excellency, we saw many instances of monsters moving freely through the Asrusian port city. More than that, the humans and monsters worked side by side more often than not.¡±


    ¡°A port city?¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes flashed as if the advisor had been allowed to let a crucial detail slip past his oaths.


    The second advisor winced slightly and shook his head. ¡°Excellency...I believe I know your thoughts on this matter and must reluctantly inform you that I failed utterly in attempting to locate our position...That place...It is utterly unique, but is not on any of my maps...¡±


    ¡°You are certain, Gregor?¡± The Duke pressed, his tone conveying a profound degree of disappointment.


    The second advisor, Gregory, bowed his head in defeat but said nothing further.


    All throughout, Vadim¡¯s enthusiasm and excitement had not ebbed in the slightest. ¡°Father, the envoy¡¯s words were true. We cannot procrastinate on this decision!¡±


    ¡°Vadim is right, Excellency,¡± the first advisor agreed. ¡°We witnessed no signs of meddling from the Tyrant in the Asrusians'' affairs. They appeared to be entirely left to their self-governance. I cannot entirely trust the answers provided by the civilians we questioned during our stay, for obvious reasons. However, given the unfettered access we were provided, and the consistency of the responses, there are several key reasons why I believe your Excellency should accept the proposed alliance and enter into the protection of the Tyrant.¡±


    Vadim and the two other advisors nodded vigorously in agreement as the first advisor prepared himself and gathered his thoughts.


    ¡°Continue,¡± the Duke commanded, his interest clear for all to see.


    ¡°I have already mentioned the near complete autonomy afforded to the Tyrant¡¯s subjects, which cannot be understated as it would allow your Excellency to continue guiding our people,¡± the advisor stated with adept diplomacy and due deference. ¡°However, I believe that there is something of far greater consequence.¡±


    The Duke frowned slightly but motioned for the advisor to continue.


    ¡°Quests, Excellency! Somehow the Tyrant is not only able to issue Quests but can also bestow that power upon others!¡± The advisor announced excitedly.


    ¡°Wh-What?!¡± The Duke exclaimed incredulously.


    ¡°It is the truth, Father!¡± Vadim confirmed with barely contained excitement. ¡°We overheard the news by chance, but everyone we asked said the same thing! And there is more! Those who give out the Quests can unlock special Classes!¡±


    The Duke glanced at us from the corner of his eye, and I could tell that he was wondering whether we possessed such Classes.


    ¡°There is more, Excellency,¡± the advisor Gregor insisted, ¡°The Tyrant has Quests that guide his subjects to unlock the Classes of their own choosing! And not just the common soldiering Classes either! There are dozens of them! Advanced and even Master tier Classes as well!¡±


    The Duke could only stare in stunned silence.


    ¡°Impossible...¡± The guard Captain wheezed through his enormous moustache, ¡°Simply...Impossible...¡±


    ¡°What could this Tyrant stand to gain from all of this?¡± The Duke demanded, his suspicions rising as he waited for the metaphorical rug to be pulled out from beneath his feet.


    The three advisors were at a loss and could only bow their heads in apology for their ignorance.


    ¡°Security,¡± I calmly interjected. ¡°Surely you, of all people, should recognise why it would be desirable to have a loyal and formidable populace capable of rising to face an external threat?¡±


    The Duke scowled in disapproval but nodded. ¡°Then it is a means of consolidating power then?¡±


    ¡°As well as incentivising and rewarding loyalty and initiative,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°Your advisors may have overheard news of an upcoming tournament?¡± I looked to the Duke¡¯s advisors and they cautiously nodded.


    ¡°What is its significance?¡± The Duke asked warily.


    ¡°It is partially a means to allow the populace to indulge in observing and participating in violent entertainment,¡± I admitted candidly. ¡°However, the primary purpose is to seek out the worthy for higher responsibilities and power.¡±


    Randle straightened his back and squared his shoulders with pride. After all, he had been amongst the first to be chosen as one of my champions.


    ¡°Then your attendant...¡± The duke eyed Gric with a healthy degree of concern.


    ¡°I am a champion of the Tyrant,¡± Gric replied pridefully, making no attempts at tempering his immense degree of satisfaction.


    The Duke furrowed his brow and silently considered his options. ¡°Would it be possible to meet with this Tyrant before I make my decision?¡± He asked.


    I had suspected that the meeting would be required from the beginning. So I was not at all surprised by the Duke¡¯s request. However, he needed to be the one to ask, and not me. Setting aside the mercurial nature of politics, the Duke would be far more receptive in a face-to-face meeting as the party who initiated the proceedings.


    ¡°I am sure the Tyrant would be open to the idea of meeting face-to-face,¡± I replied in a measured tone. ¡°However, to prove your pure intentions and for the sake of encouraging positive diplomatic ties, the meeting would, of course, need to take place in a more secure location.¡±


    ¡°Of course...¡± The Duke agreed with a forced smile. Given his own court had been riddled with traitors, he lacked the leverage required to contest the matter and knew it.


    ¡°My attendants will remain behind to serve as collateral if required,¡± I offered, confident that I could simply evacuate them through a Breach or other means if necessary. ¡°However, as before, anyone you intend to take with you must swear to abide by the Tyrant¡¯s laws.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s brow wrinkled slightly, ¡°I would not be required to swear these oaths?¡± He asked, somewhat confused by my choice of phrasing.


    I shook my head. ¡°Take it as a show of good faith,¡± I replied. Without the oaths to coerce or guide his behaviour, his actions would remain entirely his own. A minor risk, but one that was required to show the Duke that I was not using the oaths to interfere with people''s minds to alter their judgement and opinions of me.


    ¡°And if I was to bring my wife, the Duchess?¡± The Duke asked, taking me nearly entirely by surprise.


    ¡°I am sure the Tyrant would not expect the Duchess to abide by a ruling to which her husband is exempt.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why the Duke would want to bring his wife into a potentially dangerous encounter, but my response had put him far more at ease than before.


    <Interesting.> Sebet commented telepathically. <It appears that the Duchess is more capable than she appears...>


    <How so?> I asked, my interest piqued.


    <The Duchess is a high-level Water Mage.> Sebet replied distractedly, no doubt preoccupied with sifting through the Duke¡¯s thoughts.


    Now I felt like things made more sense. No doubt, the Duke intended that his wife would provide some degree of insurance in case the meeting went bad. Unfortunately for the Duke and Duchess, Classes and levels meant practically nothing when I could manipulate the very fabric of the Demi-Plane at will...


    ***** Katia Semenov ~ Semenov Duchy / Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Undisclosed Location *****


    Duchess Katia dismissed the servants and made the final adjustments to her husband¡¯s regal outfit herself. The blend of magical ceremonial armour and cultural vestments cut quite the imposing figure. They would also provide a certain degree of insurance if things turned violent.


    Katia was no less prudent, opting for a formal gown several seasons out of fashion and working several elements of magical hard boiled-leather armour into the ensemble. She also had a magical dagger sheathed and strapped to each hip and a traditional promise-blade hanging from her neck and over her bodice by a length of finely braided leather cord.


    It was almost certain that the monster, the self-styled Tyrant, would recognise the cultural significance of the small blade. However, Katia was confident that a calm explanation of its intended function would allow her to keep it on her person.


    Last of all, Katia had three slender wands hidden up the sleeves of each arm.


    Compared to the ceremonial magic sword peace-bound at her husband¡¯s hip, Katia was guaranteed to be the most heavily armed member of their diplomatic mission.


    ¡°Am I a fool, Katia?¡± Savva asked quietly, his dark eyes plagued by doubt.


    The Duchess drew close to her husband and made a show of adjusting the large clasp on his cloak. ¡°I think you are making the right decision,¡± Katia commented supportively. ¡°Is this dangerous? Reckless even? Of course,¡± she stated as a matter of indisputable fact. ¡°But what other options are left? The Confederates will not allow our family to survive. Even if we were to flee, they would never stop hunting us...¡± Katia¡¯s fingers fell from the clasp and formed into tight small fists at her sides. ¡°To say nothing of what would happen to our people...We failed in protecting them from the undead. There Is no denying this. We cannot allow ourselves to fail in protecting them against the Confederates as well.¡±


    Duke Savva nodded grimly in agreement. ¡°We cannot fail again.¡±


    ¡°Assuming this Tyrant is capable of taking even a tenth of our people as refugees and is only half as benevolent as they claim, that will be a far greater victory than we could hope for through strength of arms,¡± Katia continued, forcing herself to face the brutal realities of their impossible situation.


    Savva continued nodding in agreement. They had already discussed the matter at great length and were of one mind on how to proceed. However, Katia knew all too well that it was in her husband¡¯s nature to worry over important decisions. Far from lacking in confidence, the concern came from the desire to make the best possible choice. Once they were fully committed, the worry would disappear and be replaced by absolute surety as they moved forward.


    ¡°For our people,¡± Savva agreed, cementing his resolve and casting one final look at the letter they had left on the table.


    Marked with the ducal seal, the letter contained words of advice and encouragement from both of them for their children. There was a real possibility that one or even both of them might not return.


    Already adults in their own right, Vadim and Irina were capable of making their own decisions. However, having received a similar letter from her own mother who had been claimed by plague, Katia knew that the letter and its intent would provide a measure of comfort even if the advice itself was ignored in its entirety.


    Leaving their chambers, their small contingent of guards fell into step behind them.


    Entering the council chambers, Katia cast a wary eye over the Envoy and his attendants. She still found it incredibly strange that so many fighting women would be a part of such a delegation. Katia knew that Asrusians had a more open mind toward women serving in their military, but it still struck her as odd all the same.


    With a flourish of his gauntleted hand, the dark-skinned envoy of the Tyrant created a pitch-black mass of darkness in the corner of the room. Supposedly a portal to the Tyrant¡¯s domain, Katia couldn¡¯t help but feel a primal surge of fear at the sight of it. Every instinct was telling her to run as far away from it as possible.


    There was a bemused expression on the envoy¡¯s face that stung at Katia¡¯s pride as he confidently entered the black mass and disappeared.


    ¡°Together,¡± Savva discreetly offered her his hand.


    ¡°Together,¡± Katia agreed, taking her husband¡¯s hand and drawing on his resolve to reassert her own.


    Stepping into the darkness, Katia felt a second surge of panic as the ground fell away from beneath her feet before returning a fraction of a second later.


    Still holding Savva¡¯s hand, Katia released a deep sigh of relief as she was drawn out of the darkness and into the light once more.


    They had entered what appeared to be an incredibly large and open-roofed stone chamber approximately twice the size of the Duchy capital¡¯s throne room.


    Katia¡¯s relief was short-lived as she took in their surroundings and almost immediately laid eyes upon their host.


    Looming above them and sitting upon an immense stone throne, a Giant stared down at them with a bemused smile on his face. Wearing finely tailored clothes of impeccable quality and a thick golden band about his head, it was obvious that the Giant was the Tyrant they had come to negotiate with.


    ¡°These humans are?¡± A deep yet feminine voice asked, drawing Katia¡¯s attention to the impossibly large female Orc sitting on a smaller throne at the Giant¡¯s side. Wearing equally fine if somewhat mannish clothes, the Orc wore a crown that matched that of the Giant.


    The female Orc¡¯s bright amethyst eyes stared at Katia with unabashed curiosity and a complete absence of fear.


    It was a look that made it abundantly clear that the Orc considered their entire delegation to amount to a non-threat.


    Returning her attention to the massive form of the Giant and his bemused expression, Katia had no choice but to agree with them.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 63 – Duty and desperation – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 63 ¨C Duty and desperation ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 63 - Duty and desperation - Part One


    The shocked and defeated expressions worn by the Duke and Duchess said it all. Whatever they had expected to find, it hadn¡¯t been me.


    Sebet and Gric had alerted me to their preparations well in advance while I remotely modelled the reception hall in an isolated corner of the Demi-Plane. Their contingencies and trump cards were all accounted for.


    The Duke and Duchess were not to know, but the open roof concept was not an aesthetically motivated design decision. The initial motivation had been driven by necessity. I was not an engineer or architect and was not confident in building large structures. The risk of collapse would be simply far too high. However, the open ceiling served a secondary practical purpose beyond eliminating the possibility of a collapsing roof.


    Eliminating the ceiling allowed ready access to the Daemons waiting outside.


    In stark contrast to the perfectly smooth inner walls, the outer walls were rough and possessed large exposed segments of stratified stone to provide natural anchoring points for climbing. Of course, Dar would most likely just crash through the wall rather than waste time climbing it, and a few of the Daemons with wings would probably fly over, but they were the exceptions.


    The Daemons were intended as a show of force if it proved necessary. Otherwise, if there was a genuine threat, I would simply banish the dangerous elements deep underground.


    ¡°This is the Duke Savva and Duchess Katia of the Semenov Duchy,¡± I explained, answering Lash¡¯s question as I took her hand. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, taking the opportunity to enjoy the feel of her skin.


    Lash squeezed my hand back and gave me a warm smile, missing the formal bow made by the Duke, and the flawless curtsy performed by the Duchess. ¡°They are Asrusians?¡± Lash asked curiously, turning her head slightly so she could look at the gathered Semenovians from the corner of her eye.


    I tried not to smirk as several of the Semenovian guards bristled in response. ¡°No. They were Imperials, another Kingdom that was at war with the Asrusians. But they have sworn independence and are no longer part of the empire.¡±


    ¡°Imp-perials?...Oh...¡± Lash¡¯s grip tightened and she cast a sympathetic glance toward the Semenovians. ¡°They were attacked by the Liche,¡± She stated bluntly, her tone making it clear she now understood the reason for the Semenovians¡¯ visit. ¡°They want your protection.¡±


    Not that the Semenovians were to know, but Lash¡¯s presence was intended to temper any aggravation or frustration I had toward the Werrians as a whole. She and her people had suffered at the hands of another Awakened undead, and I doubted Lash would let them leave without some form of commitment to accept our protection.


    I nodded, confirming that Lash had guessed the core of the situation.


    There hadn¡¯t been enough time to bring Lash up to speed beforehand, so I was glad that she could pick things up so quickly more or less on her own. However, our little back and forth had created a certain degree of tension amongst the Semenovians by stripping all ambiguity from their utterly untenable position.


    Unfortunately for them, I would have ensured it happened by other means anyway. The weaker their bargaining position was, the faster they would arrive at the only sensible decision available to them.


    ¡°You have us at a disadvantage,¡± Duchess Katia declared boldly, making a play at seizing back the initiative. ¡°I must apologise, for we do not know how best to treat with someone possessing such an exotic title.¡±


    ¡°Tyrant will suffice for myself,¡± I replied calmly and then motioned toward Lash with a turn of my head. ¡°My wife, the Tyrantess, is free to choose what suits her.¡±


    Lash¡¯s amethyst eyes flashed with pride and she sat a little taller on her throne. She drew immense satisfaction from public affirmations of our relationship despite rarely raising the subject herself. ¡°Tyrantess is fine,¡± Lash purred, smiling up at me rather than addressing the Semenovians themselves.


    Despite Lash¡¯s throne sitting atop a raised dais, there was still a certain disparity in our height that couldn¡¯t have been eliminated without making her seem somewhat silly or childlike. Neither of which were observations I wanted to be made by the Semenovians.


    ¡°Tyrant and Tyrantess,¡± the Duke bowed and the Duchess curtsied for a second time.


    ¡°I will be blunt,¡± the Duke stated candidly, visibly irking his wife. ¡°I have concerns regarding your motivations.¡±


    Lash frowned and turned to look at the Duke. ¡°You doubt him?¡± She asked quietly, the narrowing of her eyes and slight puffing out of her chest signalling it was not so much a question as a challenge.


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Duchess Katia replied hurriedly, the flourishing of her long wavy sleeves drawing Lash¡¯s attention from her husband and toward herself. Not in an altogether dissimilar fashion to a Spanish matador. ¡°The Duke simply meant that we lack sufficient information to understand why the Tyrantess and Tyrant are offering sanctuary to humans-¡±


    ¡°Sanctuary is not for humans,¡± Lash interjected flatly. ¡°Some may enter, but only a few may stay.¡±


    Quite understandably, the Duchess appeared to be at a loss.


    I struggled hard to keep a straight face. Embarrassing Lash in front of the Semenovians would be cruel. ¡°The meaning is the reason I chose the name,¡± I explained quietly and in as supportive a tone as I could manage.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lash thought it over a few times and then nodded approvingly before waving at the Duchess to continue.


    The Duchess rallied quickly. ¡°That is the name of the capital?¡± She asked with feigned innocence, using the misunderstanding as an opportunity to glean further information.


    ¡°It is,¡± I replied candidly, curious to see how the Duke and Duchess would attempt to leverage the tidbit of information to their advantage.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long.


    ¡°The Tyrantess said Sanctuary is not for humans,¡± Duchess Katia pressed curiously. ¡°May I ask, why is that?¡±


    ¡°It is partially because Sanctuary is ill-suited to human habitation,¡± I admitted truthfully. ¡°There is a wildness that lends itself well to most breeds of monsters, but not to humans.¡±


    The Duchess nodded politely with an expression of carefully balanced curiosity and surprise, no doubt intended to encourage further explanation.


    Not that I minded. I had intended to clarify Sanctuary¡¯s somewhat xenophobic exclusion policy anyway.


    ¡°Many of the monsters who call Sanctuary home are former Slaves,¡± I stated bluntly. ¡°Slaves who suffered at the hands of humans.¡± I paused so the Semenovians could appreciate the gravity of the revelation. ¡°It would be profoundly cruel of me to inflict utterly unnecessary suffering and distress upon those who have already endured so much, would it not?¡±


    ¡°Indeed...¡± The Duke replied sombrely before stealing an uncertain glance toward his wife.


    ¡°But some humans are still allowed,¡± the Duchess pressed, although she too had adopted a more subdued energy. ¡°Would they not be just as distressing?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lash replied before I had the chance. ¡°Earning entry proves they are different.¡±


    I nodded supportively in agreement. It was more or less the core of it. Even if the former Slaves couldn¡¯t bring themselves to trust the few Humans allowed into Sanctuary, they would know that every Human had been thoroughly vetted and had my approval for being there.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± the Duchess nodded in such a way that it was clear she wanted us to believe that the answer was some great revelation and that she had not been capable of discerning as much from my own earlier comment.


    Lash frowned and fixed Duchess Katia with an unimpressed stare. Lash was not an idiot and I could only guess that she had seen through the sycophantry just as I had.


    ¡°Tyrant,¡± Duke Savva stepped forward to draw attention away from his wife and toward himself. ¡°We have concerns regarding the land for resettlement as well. What proof do you have that our people would not be relegated to an inhospitable wasteland or forced to live on charity within a slum?¡±


    Lash and I shared an amused glance that unsettled the Semenovians.


    ¡°To have your concerns answered, you must first accept that the answers will have a steep price,¡± I warned them.


    ¡°You speak of oaths?¡± The Duchess asked expectantly.


    I slowly shook my head, ¡°No. This is too great a secret to trust in oaths.¡±


    ¡°Then what is the price?¡± Duke Savva asked determinedly.


    ¡°Acceptance,¡± I declared ominously and allowed the response to settle in their minds. ¡°If I reveal the answer, you will not be permitted to leave without swearing fealty as my vassals.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s face paled and his guards shifted uneasily. Although I took note that none of the guards seemed foolish enough to reach for their weapons.


    ¡°A moment, Tyrant, please,¡± Duchess Katia requested with a curtsy.


    I nodded and motioned for them to do as they will.


    ¡°Will you return soon?¡± Lash asked quietly, tilting her head to one side so her hair concealed her face from the Semenovians.


    ¡°Soon,¡± I agreed hesitantly. ¡°But I am not sure exactly when...¡±


    Lash nodded in understanding and clasped my hand tighter. ¡°It is your duty,¡± she smiled and then leaned over the space between our two thrones and brought her lips up to my ear. ¡°Just stay a long time when you do return!¡± Lash insisted in a lusty whisper before giving my ear a playful nip and withdrawing to her throne again.


    Flustered, I focused my efforts on maintaining a straight face and ignoring the amused twinkle in Lash¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Tyrant, Tyrantess, we have made our decision,¡± the Duke announced determinedly with his Duchess standing supportively beside him. ¡°We accept the price and want to learn the truth.¡±


    Duchess Katia took the Duke¡¯s hand and together they stared up at me expectantly.


    ¡°Very well.¡± I waved my hand and caused the stone floor between us to rise into a crude simulacrum of the Semenovian Capital.


    The Semenovians gasped and stared at the replica in awe.


    I pointed to the centre of the city, to the Labyrinth. ¡°As large as your city is, its occupied territory pales compared to what is available within its Labyrinth,¡± I smirked slightly as the Duke and Duchess seemed to come to the obvious but wrong conclusion. ¡°We are not inside of a Labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Then, where are we?¡± The Duchess asked warily.


    ¡°Another world, formed from territory seized from the Labyrinths. A world under my absolute authority and control. My Demi-Plane.¡± With another wave of my hand, the replica city dissolved back into the floor. ¡°Using Artefacts, I can absorb territory from the Labyrinths and make my world larger. Accommodating entire cities full of people is simply a matter of harvesting the Labyrinths to provide the necessary space.¡±


    ¡°But my advisors...they saw Asrusians hunting wild monsters...¡± The Duke exclaimed nervously.


    ¡°A means to allow novices to sharpen their skills, and for hunters to feed their communities,¡± I explained somewhat dismissively. ¡°The wild monsters are only permitted to roam in specifically designated areas.¡±


    ¡°If we...¡± The Duchess took a moment to settle her nerves. ¡°If we swear fealty, how would we secure land for our people? To my knowledge, we possess no Artefacts...¡±


    I was glad to see the Semenovians coming around to the inevitable.


    ¡°You were not to know, but I allow worthy petitioners to borrow Artefacts in exchange for a tithe upon the territories it is used to bring into my Demi-Plane. Not for my personal gain, of course, but for public works,¡± I explained patiently. ¡°There are those such as yourselves who arrive like beggars in the night. With nothing of value to bargain with and a desperately long list of needs going unmet.¡±


    ¡°Are there limits to the territory allowed?¡± The Duke asked slowly, fighting back a grimace and no doubt struggling to wrap his mind around the sudden and bizarre shift in his reality.


    ¡°Only the amount of territory you can seize from the Labyrinths themselves,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°The Asrusians have been incredibly industrious in that regard,¡± I added, curious to see how the Semenovians would react.


    ¡°We understand,¡± Duchess Katia replied, nodding slightly as she and her husband shared a meaningful look. ¡°To have an entire kingdom relocated, it makes sense that they have been busy...¡±


    ¡°Not as busy in that particular regard as you might expect,¡± I commented, allowing the Duke and Duchess to come to their own conclusions for the time being. Once they swore fealty, I would provide a more detailed explanation.


    ¡°How would we evacuate our people?¡± The Duke asked, his expression serious and burdened with deep concern. No doubt afraid that columns of refugees would need to travel overland and into former Asrusian territory to enter my Demi-Plane en masse.


    ¡°Portals will suffice for most, especially those within the cities,¡± I stated confidently. ¡°And teleportation items would allow shepherding any stragglers.¡± Having already experienced several mass evacuations, I knew that transporting the refugees would be the easiest and comparatively straightforward task. However, processing and settling the refugees would be an entirely different Beast altogether.


    ¡°And your laws would prevent the Asrusians from seeking vengeance against us?¡± The Duke asked.


    ¡°Only through violent means,¡± I cautioned. ¡°Bullying through trade wars or refusing requests for military cooperation would be entirely possible.¡±


    The Duke nodded, no doubt having expected as much. However, he also seemed quite relieved. Compared to facing the superior numbers and established position of the Asrusians, a little economic pressure and political bullying was probably not even worth mentioning.


    ¡°The Tyrant¡¯s envoy said we would retain our autonomy, is this true?¡± Duchess Katia asked in a carefully measured tone, trying not to appear overly invested in the outcome. All the same, raising the subject so late in our meeting improved my impression of the Duke and Duchess.


    ¡°With few exceptions, you would possess complete autonomy,¡± I agreed and raised my free hand to preempt the follow-up question. ¡°Annexing, integrating or otherwise recruiting additional subjects from the outside world would require express permission. Similarly, if members of your Faction wish to join a different Faction, they are free to do so.¡±


    Duke Savva furrowed his brow and nodded in understanding before looking to his wife expectantly.


    ¡°Tyrant, we have allies, Lords and Ladies of repute who would follow us if given the chance. Would they be permitted to swear fealty if we were to vouch for their character?¡± Duchess Katia implored with intense sincerity.


    I considered the matter for a few moments before nodding in agreement. ¡°They would need to be interviewed first, just as you were. Assuming they pass the test, then they would be permitted the opportunity to make the same choice that has been presented to the both of you.¡±


    Sharing a deep meaningful look with one another, the Duke and Duchess nodded in unison. Supporting his wife while she lowered herself onto a bended knee, the Duke then followed suit afterwards. ¡°We are prepared to swear our fealty,¡± they declared in unison, their eyes burning with conviction and determination.


    After extracting oaths of fealty with only a minimal degree of coaching, I extended invitations to the twelve Semenovians and created their Faction. Under the pretence of recruiting their allies as vassals, and with no one to stop them, Duke Savva and Duchess Katia proclaimed themselves as King and Queen and the founding of the Semenovian Kingdom.


    For the time being, I promoted Savva and Katia to Underlords. Once they had begun recruiting their subjects in earnest, they would be able to promote themselves further.


    The more I explained how the promotions worked and what they allowed, the more overwhelmed the new King and Queen became.


    Just like the Asrusians, they quickly became fixated on the passive pooling of Exp from the custom Classes and issuing of quests to power level their forces or otherwise motivate their subjects. However, the stacking capabilities of the Retinues left them utterly speechless upon realising the potential when combined with Synergies.


    Before they became overly carried away, I followed through on the promise I had made to Clarice.


    With allies and potential allies scattered throughout the fallen Werrian Empire, the Semenovian King and Queen had already intended to send out messengers via teleportation.


    By piggybacking the teleportation of the messengers and sending along at least one of my champions, I would be able to remotely Summon projections of Sebet and Gric to perform comprehensive sweeps of each city. If any members of Clarice¡¯s family were still alive, I could open a Breach and evacuate them directly.


    As I prepared to open a Breach to the council chambers back in the Semenovian capital, I used my authority to summon Gric and Jayne to my location.


    ¡°My Tyrant,¡± Gric immediately knelt on one knee and bowed his head in deference.


    Jayne did the same, but only after overcoming being disoriented.


    ¡°Jayne, the Semenovians are going to send messengers to their allies across the fallen Werrian Empire using wands of teleportation,¡± I explained while motioning toward the King and Queen. ¡°I want you and your cousins to accompany them so I can remotely Summon projections of Sebet and Gric into each city,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°It will be done, Majesty!¡± Jayne slammed her right fist over her heart and bowed her head before getting to her feet and approaching the Semenovians.


    ¡°With Sebet occupied in delaying theConfederates'' advance and liberating Slaves, Gric, I want you to spearhead the registration and vetting of the Semenovian refugees,¡± I commanded, confident that he would somehow find a way to somehow exceed my already high expectations.


    Gric smiled faintly and squared his shoulders as he bowed his head, ¡°As you command, my Tyrant!¡±


    <Senn. Garn. Qreet. Dar. To me, now.> Even with Gric taking the brunt of the mental load, initiating and conducting a five-way telepathic conversation was immensely mentally taxing.


    Garn, spindle-limbed and gothically grotesque, was the first to scale the wall. Propelled by his large bat-like wings, he cleared the wall with a single leap, absorbing the impact with his rubbery retracted wings.


    Senn was next. While her long thick serpentine tail and lack of legs were a significant disadvantage, her two sets of arms and powerful hooked claws seemed more than capable of compensating. Similar to the entry made by Garn, Senn simply leapt off the top of the wall and absorbed the impact with the mass of her lower body.


    Devoid of all subtlety, Dar ploughed straight through the wall, just as I thought he would. His immense scaly bulk battered through the weak points in the stone like a living siege engine. Nearly half Ushu¡¯s size and roughly the same weight, Dar¡¯s limbs made the ground shake with every step.


    Qreet arrived last, swaddled in the dark robes of her adopted persona as the Lady of the Harvest. She made no effort to rush, but her long gait allowed her to match pace with Dar all the same. Incredibly long-limbed with an impossibly long neck, and thorn-like calcified protrusions, Qreet¡¯s true appearance beneath her robes was quite strange.


    The sudden appearance and arrival of the Daemons caught the Semenovians entirely by surprise, and for the first time, the guards drew their weapons.


    ¡°The Semenovians have no experience Conquering the Labyrinths,¡± I stated matter of factly, projecting my voice so the King and Queen would hear me. ¡°And with my champions otherwise occupied, I must call upon you, my Daemons, to show them the way.¡±


    Each of the Daemons, Gric included, puffed out their chests with pride and made a strange chorus of subdued clicking, chittering and hissing noises. With the notable exception of Dar, who exhaled deeply in barely contained excitement, sending fist-sized chunks of stone tumbling across the room.


    I motioned for the Daemons to settle down as I prepared my thoughts. ¡°I will entrust each of you with an Artefact for your safekeeping. However, because of the poor state of the Semenovians, I will issue a quest to recruit qualified volunteers for the Conquests. You will each recruit your forces from the pool of volunteers with an aggressive and sustained pace as the ideal goal. I will not tolerate the volunteers being treated as expendable, understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood, my Tyrant!¡± The Daemons replied in a staggered and profoundly enthusiastic chorus.


    ¡°Good,¡± I grunted approvingly as I conjured Shiverfang, Blackthorn, Stormcaller and Hexsurge from their resting place within Sanctuary¡¯s treasury. ¡°You may choose the Artefact you are most confident in safeguarding.¡±


    Garn and Senn looked to Dar and Qreet to make their choices first.


    Qreet considered the Artefacts carefully before lifting Blackthorn and adjusting its proportions to suit her preferences. Qreet then took Hexsurge and motioned for Sen and Garn to make their own choices. She and Gric tore a clean gash on the back of Dar¡¯s right forearm and buried the brooch in his exposed flesh. The skin and scales resealed themselves within moments and left no trace of Hexsurge whatsoever.


    Senn chose next, snatching up Shiverfang before Garn even had the chance to step forward. She immediately began experimenting with the length and thickness of the stave and blade. With four arms, Senn was capable of using the spear in ways that I simply couldn¡¯t. However, I did have concerns that she might cut her own tail if she wasn¡¯t careful.


    Despite going last, Garn did not seem at all disappointed. Picking up Stormcaller, he made no attempts at increasing its size, seemingly content with its current dimensions. Both he and Dar had Artefacts that provided them with little real benefit, but there was still a chance that they might prove useful beyond the immediate needs of the Conquests.


    Issuing the quest that would provide the volunteers, I took two of our prepared Empowered Beacons and handed one to Qreet and the other to Garn. As the most mobile of the four Daemons, they would be responsible for seizing the ground around the portals leading to the next floors, while Dar and Senn held the portals within the existing footholds.


    The Empowered Beacons would allow Garn and Qreet to rush ahead of their troops and then call them in once they arrived at their intended destinations. Theoretically, it would save considerable amounts of time and allow both Conquests to maintain an incredibly aggressive pace.


    The Asrusian record was close to a day and a half per floor. I was hoping that the Daemons could reduce that time to thirty hours or less.


    Savva and Katia Semenov watched the proceedings with a combination of awe and terror. Although strange and fearsome to look upon, the Daemons were harmless unless provoked or under orders to be otherwise.


    I motioned for the King and Queen to approach and had the Daemons move to one side.


    ¡°Yes, my Tyrant?¡± King Savva asked warily, imposing himself between the Daemons and his wife.


    ¡°You will need to make the guild sigils for the footholds available so the Daemons can work efficiently and independently of inference and observation,¡± I commanded. ¡°Furthermore, the hall containing the entrance to the Labyrinth should be locked down and the highest security put in place to prevent unauthorised entry. The fewer distractions there are, the faster the Daemons will be able to secure the seed territories for your Faction. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I-we, understand,¡± King Savva replied anxiously while glancing furtively at the Daemons.


    ¡°The Daemons and volunteers will seize as much territory as they can from your former capital¡¯s Labyrinth,¡± I informed the Semenovians while placing particular emphasis on the word former to make it clear that the city would ultimately be abandoned. ¡°I strongly suggest that you clean house before contacting your allies. In the interests of expediency, Jayne and her fellow champions will assist as best they are able. However, I will not tolerate wanton murder. If it comes to violence, so be it, but I will not condone the use of force against those who surrender.¡±


    King Semenov¡¯s expression twisted into a grimace.


    ¡°My Tyrant,¡± Queen Katia interjected with a similarly conflicted and concerned expression on her face, ¡°Allowing the traitors to flee could prove disastrous-¡±


    ¡°Then do not allow them to flee,¡± Gric stated coldly. ¡°Taking and holding them prisoner should suffice. And before you claim not to have the means, I will spare us all the tedium of this vacuous back and forth by volunteering myself for the task.¡±


    Queen Katia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but it was unclear whether it was out of shock at the unforeseen boon, or fear that Gric had somehow read her mind.


    ¡°Only the deserving will die,¡± Gric promised with absolute surety. ¡°Those whose guilt is lacking I will send to Tartarus.¡±


    ¡°Tartarus?¡± Despite his obvious hesitation, King Savva didn¡¯t seem quite able to stop himself from asking.


    ¡°An inescapable prison,¡± Gric replied dismissively. As the seat of Sebet¡¯s power, he disliked the place on general principle and wasn¡¯t shy about saying so. Not that he minded the function one bit at all. I knew Gric would just strongly prefer Sebet not to have free run of the place.


    ¡°It¡¯s where spies and would-be intruders go,¡± I elaborated while still leaving out Sebet¡¯s role in administering the place.


    ¡°It¡¯s used for outsiders then?¡± Queen Katia asked with visible relief.


    I nodded and said nothing further on the matter.


    Everything began moving very quickly after I opened a Breach and sent Jayne and the Semenovians back to their capital.


    After conveying my instructions to her cousins and providing Clarice with reassurances on the proposed course of action, Jayne accompanied the now Prince Vadim to the Adventurers Guild building. Once the soldiers were removed from the Labyrinth and the foothold markers were deposited in the main hall, I opened another Breach and sent Senn, Garn, Qreet and Dar through to await their volunteers.


    Using each Daemons list as a reference, I then used my authority to relocate the chosen volunteers to a single location before opening another Breach and sending them through.


    With the Capital¡¯s supply of food temporarily cut off, I decided to create another quest. While the quest was active, the participants would be rewarded for donating food.


    After repairing the damage Dar had done to the faux throne room, I designated it as the quest stockpile location with the intention of having the food delivered at least once per day to stave off mass panic.


    All the while, Lash¡¯s projection remained at my side and we made plans for my eventual return home.


    By remotely observing my champions, I learned that Nadine, Fesk and Ushu would be returning to Sanctuary via the Asrusian capital. However, Clarice, and by extension, Dhizi, would remain behind.


    Short of kidnapping Clarice, I didn¡¯t see a way to make her return. However, that didn¡¯t mean I was just going to allow Dhizi to stick out like a sore thumb either. Like it or not, our actions were being observed, and who knew how many Confederate spies remained in and around the Semenovian capital.


    Bracing myself, I summoned a projection of Clarice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not coming back!¡± Clarice barked accusingly, ¡°Not until I know for sure!¡±


    ¡°I know, and I am not telling you to come back,¡± I replied calmly, refusing to escalate the confrontation.


    ¡°You...You aren¡¯t?¡± Clarice asked warily, evidently surprised by my response but also unwilling to fully trust that I was telling the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I repeated. ¡°But I will strongly suggest that you send Dhizi home alongside Ushu,¡± I insisted firmly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Clarice scowled and folded her arms over her chest defiantly.


    ¡°I have a few reasons, actually,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°Firstly, Dhizi will want to stretch her wings, and is liable to scare the crap out of any of the poor common folk or soldiers that spot her.¡±


    ¡°I guess...¡± Clarice admitted reluctantly.


    ¡°Secondly, the Confederate spies and scouts saw Dhizi flying north. If she doesn¡¯t fly back, rumours will begin to circulate.¡± I held up a hand and motioned for Clarice to wait for my final point before speaking her piece. ¡°Lastly, Dhizi is all alone out there, and I don¡¯t like the idea that some undead remnant or Confederate vanguard could just ambush her!¡±


    Clarice bit her lip in frustration but said nothing as she stared determinedly at the floor. ¡°Fuck it, fine, you¡¯re right!¡± Clarice snapped angrily, ¡°I¡¯ll have Dhizi go back with Nadine and the others...¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sighed gratefully, ¡°It really is a load off of my mind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah whatever...¡± Clarice muttered irritably and self-terminated her projection.


    ¡°Are they alive?¡± Lash asked sombrely.


    ¡°...¡± I hesitated, brutal rationality warring against desperate yet rapidly fading optimism, ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but probably not,¡± I admitted bluntly only to hate myself for saying it aloud. It somehow made it more real.


    ¡°Better she has hope,¡± Lash commented, catching me off guard. Her harrowing experiences with the undead and the losses she had suffered led me to expect a more bleak and brutal preference for insisting upon the grim realities and not dragging out the suffering. ¡°Hope is better than pain,¡± Lash insisted quietly as she sat herself down on my lap and rested her head against my chest.


    I wrapped Lash in my arms and did my best to hold her tight without hurting her.


    I regretted Summoning her projection and realised it had been a mistake...


    Feeling terrible about dredging up her painful memories. I tried to think of words I could say to bring Lash some small measure of comfort. However, all I could manage was to hold her in silence until the mana within her projection ran out and she faded away.


    Recent events would now integrate themselves into Lash¡¯s mind, and what may have otherwise been a perfect day would now become tainted as the new memories asserted themselves. Knowing this, it made me feel like a real bastard.


    I had to fight the urge to stop myself from Summoning another projection or outright moving Lash to my location. I wanted to explain myself, to apologise...However, without a plan, without knowing what I should say, I knew I would only make it worse.


    Instead, I wrote a simple but sincere apology on the stone floor, with a promise to talk about it later. Separating the section of stone from the floor and forming a tablet, I used my authority to leave the tablet on our bed. Delivering the tablet directly to Lash might have alleviated a little of my guilt, but I didn¡¯t want to force my apology onto her.


    Remotely viewing Faine, Randle and Jayne, I found them travelling along a very nearly abandoned city street alongside a small elite squad of Semenovian soldiers.


    At a glance, I was able to determine that they were no longer within the capital.


    Gathering the majority of my mana, I remotely Summoned armoured projections of Gric and Sebet on a nearby rooftop. While Gric¡¯s projection could pass as human with the armour serving as a ready disguise, Sebet¡¯s projection had to use Sculpt Flesh to remove her wings and take on proper human proportions.


    Sebet¡¯s projection took a few moments to gain her bearings and then sped off across the rooftops and out of sight.


    Meanwhile, Gric¡¯s projection descended the roof with a casual superhero landing and joined my other champions, much to the surprise of the Semenovian soldiers.


    Without a word of explanation, my champions continued toward the city centre.


    More or less as I had expected, the soldiers patrolling the city were of an even lower recruitment standard and had far lower morale than those stationed within the capital. The soldiers stationed at key gateways and intersections demonstrated extreme incompetence and inexperience, allowing my champions and the elite soldiers to pass into the central district completely uncontested.


    Just like the capital, many of the fortress estates were unguarded or even abandoned outright. However, the local Baron¡¯s keep had hundreds of experienced soldiers stationed on its grounds and patrolling the nearby streets.


    The already angry expressions of the loyalist soldiers soured at the sight.


    No doubt, the Baron had overstated his losses to hold back so many soldiers for his own personal protection. Or perhaps hadn¡¯t sent out his core forces in the first place.


    It mattered little to Gric.


    A Lieutenant posted at the gate took note of my champions¡¯ approach and moved to intercept with twenty soldiers in tow. ¡°Halt! Declare your bus-nsssszzzzz...¡± The Lieutenant collapsed in a convulsing fit, sending his soldiers into disarray.


    Gric passed the soldiers without sparing the Lieutenant a further glance.


    ¡°Lieutenant!¡± More soldiers ran away from the gate to investigate what had happened. As they closed the distance, three soldiers collapsed onto the cobbled street as they began thrashing and convulsing uncontrollably.


    Concentrating on Gric¡¯s projection, I felt a wave of nausea as millions of images raced through my mind. All the while, I could hear Gric¡¯s internal monologue as he passed and enacted judgement. <-Kill. Kill. Spare. Kill. Spare. Kill. Kill. Parole. Parole. Torture first, kill after. Spare. Spare. Spare. Spare. Spare.->


    With the Baron¡¯s soldiers in complete chaos, Gric continued through the outer gate unopposed and entered the grounds of the keep.


    <Take. The. Baron. And high-ranking traitors alive. The Semenovian Faction will need to pass judgement.> At first, it was incredibly difficult to concentrate and form sentences. However, as Gric shifted his focus toward me instead, the flood of images melted away into the background and I was able to think more clearly.


    <As-Kill-Spare-You-Spare-Spare-Kill-Command-Kill-Parole. My-Spare-Spare-Tyrant.> Despite having Gric¡¯s focus, he had not stopped passing judgement on the Baron¡¯s soldiers and officers.


    With only the context from the few images still lingering in my mind, I felt no guilt over Gric¡¯s actions.


    <Locate the highest-ranking officer not corrupted by the Baron.> I ordered as I formed a new plan. <Order and the rule of law needs to be reinstated before the rot spreads any further.>


    <Agreed. I will do your will.> Gric ceased passing judgement for several seconds as he made his reply and scanned the surrounding city. <There is a resistance, my Tyrant. Sebet is making contact now.> Gric then returned to purging the ranks of the corrupted soldiers by initiating thoroughly one-sided Contests of Will.


    Remotely viewing Sebet, I found her stalking determinedly down a dark alleyway and toward a pair of large-looking men carrying truncheons.


    One of the two men raised his free hand in warning, ¡°Ha-lt...¡± His barking tone raised several octaves as Sebet pulsed her mana and effortlessly Charmed both him and his companion.


    Sebet removed her helmet and allowed the long blond hair of her Euro-model persona to spill out into the night air. ¡°Open the door, would you?¡± She purred seductively and tapped out a hasty rhythm on the armour covering her thigh. ¡°I would speak with Colonel Olek, and Olek will definitely wish to speak with me. The night is brighter with Kusavo. If that helps,¡± Sebet added with a conspiratorial wink.


    The two men nodded and one of them turned to the door.


    One of the men knocked on the door with his truncheon several times in rapid succession, matching the rhythm Sebet had played moments before.


    A viewing port in the door slid open and revealed the dark eyes of another man beyond.


    ¡°The night is brighter with Kusavo,¡± Sebet repeated, adding another conspiratorial wink for her own amusement.


    The man on the other side of the door grunted unintelligibly and the viewing port slid shut.


    There was a muted scraping and thumping noise from the other side of the door, and then the stone wall three feet to the left of the door silently swung open.


    Not at all surprised, Sebet flashed a smile at the two men standing beside the door. She then made a point of smiling and waving nonchalantly at the four men lurking on the nearby rooftops who were following her movements with loaded crossbows. Sebet then calmly proceeded through the secret door and down a set of large wooden stairs, passing by several more large men. However, in stark contrast to those outside, the men in the underground passage were wearing the armour of Semenovian soldiers.


    Sebet paid them little mind, only going so far as to deliberately exaggerate the swaying of her hips as she walked. I wasn¡¯t sure when Sebet had done it, but at some point, she had pulled the concept of armoured heels from my mind. As thoroughly impractical as they would be for any human being, Sebet had modified the structure of her feet and ankles to make them work.


    <Great One, with all due respect, they are not entirely impractical.> Sebet countered defensively. <Besides, I like them.>


    After passing through the dark passage and a large heavy door, Sebet entered a small room dominated by a large desk. An older man with snow-white hair and a ragged beard stood behind the desk and calmly looked Sebet over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± the man commented with absolute surety, narrowing his dark-ringed eyes with suspicion as he made a show of reaching for his sword.


    Sebet smirked and eyed the sword with amusement. ¡°I would be surprised if you did,¡± she replied evenly. ¡°In the interests of the greater good, I will skip to the point.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Please do,¡± the man narrowed his eyes further and scowled at Sebet with mounting suspicion.


    ¡°Your liege lord, Baron Demetriov, has been accused of treason and will face execution for his crimes,¡± Sebet stated calmly, completely aware of the three large men closing in on her from behind, but deliberately ignoring them.


    The old man raised his free hand slightly and motioned for the men to stop. ¡°The Duke is sending men?¡± He asked warily.


    ¡°He already has,¡± Sebet replied, grinning unabashedly at the man¡¯s surprise and confusion. ¡°The Duke will arrive within the hour to pass judgement and see the execution carried out. All he asks is that you come out of retirement and bring order to the city.¡±


    The old man stared intensely at Sebet while trying and ultimately failing to get a read on her.


    Sebet shrugged and took a seat on the desk. ¡°If you do not trust me, send one of your men to investigate the keep,¡± she suggested. ¡°Or don¡¯t,¡± Sebet shrugged. ¡°Although, I suspect word will spread soon enough on its own, and chaos will follow shortly afterwards.¡±


    The old man scowled and closed his eyes. ¡°Damnit...¡± He cursed and looked at the men still gathered in the doorway.


    ¡°Oh, never mind, it seems like the news has arrived on its own,¡± Sebet observed cheerily as she looked past the three large men and toward the door.


    Several long seconds passed by in tense silence.


    The old man¡¯s eye twitched. However, just as he was about to say something, a frantic series of knocks came on the door.


    ¡°Captain! Captain! Open up! The Duke has come to liberate the city!¡± A muffled voice exclaimed from the other side of the door.


    The old man stared at the door briefly before circling his desk and slipping through the door.


    Smiling to herself contentedly, Sebet absently tapped out a high-tempo rhythm on the crown of her helmet. <Great one, Gric is re-> Sebet¡¯s telepathic communication was prematurely cut off.


    <My Tyrant, I have gathered the traitors and await further instructions.> There was an unmistakable smugness in his mental energy that didn¡¯t quite match the scale of his achievement, suggesting that cutting off Sebet¡¯s link had been an entirely deliberate act.


    Making a mental note to address their mounting rivalry later, I prepared myself for what would come next.


    ***** Savva ~ Semenov Duchy ~ Former Semenovian Duchy Capital *****


    Sitting in his private chambers and stealing a moment to relax with his wife, King Savva gasped in surprise.


    ¡°My love?¡± Katia, his Queen, set down the sheaves of parchment she had been reading and looked at him with concern. ¡°Is everyth-¡± Katia¡¯s eyes widened and her voice caught in her throat.


    ¡°You...See them too?¡± Savva asked hoarsely before downing the contents of his goblet to help settle his nerves.


    Pale as a sheet, Katia nodded. ¡°You executed Baron Demetriov and both of his brothers...¡± She looked down at her hands which were both trembling violently. ¡°We...We were in Sakrine city...I recognised the cathedral...¡±


    ¡°But we were here...¡± Savva actively began reviewing his memories of the past couple of hours and froze. ¡°H-How?...¡± He distinctly recalled spending the majority of his time personally recruiting the most important and trusted members of his court in preparation for migrating his people. However, he could also recall a complete set of memories alongside them.


    The second set of memories held just as much detail as the first and Savva knew on a primal level that they were genuine. Of course, Savva couldn¡¯t accept that they were real.


    ¡°You sent Kuzma and his men with the Tyrant¡¯s champions to Sakrine city,¡± Katia observed in a strained tone while clasping her hands together to stop them from shaking. ¡°Kuzma can tell us what happened.¡±


    Savva nodded and reached for the arms of his chair to help him rise to his feet. However, a polite knock came at the door before he could follow through.


    ¡°Majesty?¡± Gregori¡¯s rough voice rumbled respectfully from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Enter!¡± Savva commanded, fighting hard to keep his voice even and under control.


    Despite Kuzma being chosen to bring the traitors to justice, Gregori had made a point of wearing his full combat attire as a reminder of their current war footing. Of course, Savva strongly suspected it was actually more closely related to the handful of winters the old soldier still had to look forward to.


    ¡°Kuzma has reported a complete victory! Sakrine has been brought to heel! And a loyalist commander has been charged with holding the city!¡± Gregori¡¯s large wispy moustache and beard quivered with patriotic zeal as he stiffly presented the written report for inspection.


    ¡°What of Baron Demetriov and the other traitors?¡± Katia asked determinedly. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Publicly executed for their treason!¡± Gregori replied with warring sentiments of satisfaction and contempt.


    Katia snatched the parchment and quickly scanned its contents.


    Savva didn¡¯t mind. As much as he wanted answers, he knew that Katia was a much faster reader and that she would let him know if there was anything important.


    ¡°I see that the report contains several corrections,¡± Katia observed shrewdly, ¡°Alterations appear to have been made to conform with the King¡¯s title.¡±


    Gregori nodded dutifully, ¡°Indeed, my Queen. The royal scribe was most insistent on this matter.¡±


    Katia nodded in understanding.


    Many of Savva¡¯s retainers were in their late fifties or sixties, having been inherited from his parents and grandparents. Their long terms of service generated a great deal of loyalty, but it also made them quite particular regarding certain matters in their care.


    ¡°Can you confirm that these are the only changes made to the report?¡± Katia commanded, returning the parchment to Gregori while she did so.


    ¡°Of course! I shall see it done! Majesties!¡± Gregori made a painfully stiff bow and then practically ran out of the room in his eagerness to be of assistance.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Savva asked warily, keenly aware that his wife would not have been so decisive without cause.


    ¡°The report stated that you ordered Baron Demetriov¡¯s execution,¡± Katia repeated soberly.


    Savva nodded and motioned for his wife to continue. He had already heard as much and failed to see the significance.


    Katia shifted uncomfortably but forced herself to meet his eyes. ¡°It went on to say that you, my dear husband, wielded the blade that slew him...¡±


    Savva¡¯s blood ran cold. ¡°Then...It was all real...I-No! We! We were both!-¡± His manic energy stalled as another tide of memories flooded into his mind. Memories of another city, another execution.


    ¡°What is happening?...¡± Katia whispered, her hands gripping her dress so tightly they had turned as pale as fresh snow.


    Savva wished he had the answer, but he was just as confused as she was. ¡°It has to be something to do with the Tyrant,¡± Savva decided, following his instincts.


    Katia stared at him for a few moments and then made an effort to calm herself by closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths. ¡°We have no means of contacting the Tyrant directly...except...¡± Katia¡¯s eyes flashed determinedly, ¡°We need to speak with the Dragon rider, the one who stayed behind.¡± She took another deep calming breath and got to her feet, ¡°We need to speak with Underlady Clarice!¡±


    It took Savva a moment to place the name. However, Savva trusted his wife¡¯s judgement and was already following her out the door before realising who it was they were going to see.


    While she was not one of the Tyrant¡¯s champions, the red-haired woman, Clarice, had been identified by the Tyrant as one of his closest companions and confidants. The argument could be made, and his wife had, that assisting Clarice in her search for her family was quite likely the Tyrant¡¯s primary motivation in forming an alliance with Savva in the first place.


    As an honoured guest, Clarice had been provided with the finest apartments within the keep. However, she had refused them and stubbornly insisted on remaining within the council chambers until the fate of her family was confirmed. Technically, she held the title and position of Underlord. Despite being the lowest ranked of the five titles that unlocked special Classes, an Underlord was not to be taken lightly or underestimated.


    Entering the council chambers, they found the dark-skinned redhead pacing the far side of the room and muttering irritably to herself.


    ¡°Ahem, Underlady Clarice?¡± Katia led Savva into the room and he closed the door behind them.


    Underlady Clarice made an unintelligible grunt in reply.


    ¡°We have questions, and we were hoping that you might provide us with answers,¡± Katia explained with effortless patience and politeness.


    Underlady Clarice scowled back at Katia and glared at her for several long moments before looking away and snorting through her nose derisively. ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Thank you, Underlady,¡± Katia paused for a moment as if gathering her thoughts. Savva had seen his wife feign such unpreparedness many times before and wasn¡¯t at all surprised. ¡°My husband and I, we have both experienced a strangeness that we otherwise cannot explain.¡±


    Underlady Clarice raised one eyebrow in an exaggerated display of curiosity while continuing to scowl.


    ¡°We have memories, experiences, of being in two places at once,¡± Katia explained patiently with a hint of earnest concern.


    ¡°Oh, is that all,¡± Underlady Clarice snorted dismissively.


    Katia smiled and made a point of eagerly taking a half step forward before stopping herself. ¡°You know the cause?¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°Yeah, it happens whenever he Summons you somewhere,¡± Underlady Clarice replied with disinterest. ¡°Your Summon passes along all of its memories when it dies or runs out of mana. It¡¯s not a big deal, he does it all the time.¡±


    Savva¡¯s mouth felt bone dry. ¡°S-Summons?¡± He croaked.


    Underlady Clarice smirked at him, appearing to find his reaction amusing. ¡°Yeah, he can Summon any of us, he has a special Ability for it.¡±


    Katia grew faint but managed to support herself by taking hold of the back of a chair before Savva could react. ¡°Why...Why would the Tyrant not ask to see us in person?¡±


    Underlady Clarice shrugged, already losing interest in their conversation. ¡°He probably finds it faster than going through the whole mess of sending messages and waiting for replies.¡± She paused and looked at them again. ¡°You aren¡¯t in any real danger if your projection gets hurt or dies, you know.¡±


    ¡°We shall bear that in mind,¡± Katia replied politely. ¡°Many thanks, Underlady, you have given us much to consider.¡±


    Underlady Clarice snorted derisively and rolled her eyes. She then proceeded to ignore them outright.


    As they left the room, Savva shared a weighty look with his wife and could tell she was thinking more or less the same thing.


    ¡°This changes things,¡± Katia observed quietly.


    Savva grunted in agreement, staggering slightly as more memories flooded into his mind.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Katia asked with concern.


    ¡°You...You didn¡¯t?¡± Was all Savva could manage as he sought out the wall to help keep him upright.


    ¡°Not this time...¡± Katia shook her head and unceremoniously guided Savva toward his throne instead of the wall.


    Settling into his throne, Savva was glad for his wife¡¯s assistance. The latest memories were comparatively brief, but their contents were of far greater concern. ¡°I just attended a meeting with the Tyrant and the Asrusian high command...The Confederates'' advance forces have crossed the Yesinev River in the southeast...Their invasion has officially begun...¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 63 – Duty and desperation – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 63 ¨C Duty and desperation ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 63 - Duty and desperation - Part Two


    To say that the Asrusians were upset was a severe understatement. The Asrusians and Werrians had been fierce enemies for generations and hundreds of thousands of lives had been lost on both sides.


    The Asrusians saw no meaningful difference between the Semenovians and the Werrians, and to a certain extent, I had to admit that they had a point.


    The Semenovians had been annexed and integrated into the Werrian Empire before the first official war against the Asrusian Kingdom. The Asrusians openly admitted that the Semenovians made few if any notable contributions in the early days of their annexation. However, the past couple of hundred years were a different matter entirely.


    The relative independence and allowance of divergent cultural identity for the Semenovian people had come at a price. Special privileges demanded special contributions, and the Semenovians paid for it in the blood of the Empire¡¯s enemies.


    I had expected Savva to face down his Asrusian detractors on his own initiative. Unfortunately, Savva opted for a different approach.


    He agreed with them.


    Encircled by wolves, Savva had decided to slather himself with honey and barbeque sauce.


    In any other political assembly, it would have been tantamount to suicide. However, despite all their posturing and threats, the Asrusian high command ultimately answered to the Lord Regent, Francis Asrus.


    With the exception of a choice few, the Lord Regent had remained silent and observed the proceedings with an air of cool detachment.


    When the Lord Regent had risen from his seat, the audience chamber had fallen silent almost immediately.


    Curiously, Francis Asrus sidestepped the matter of the generational blood feud entirely and made Savva an offer. In exchange for twenty Labyrinth floors of territory, the Asrusians would use their advancing army to lay siege to the Semenovian cities.


    Acting under the guise of establishing themselves within the Confederacy, the Asrusians'' false sieges would allow the Semenovians time to retreat in a more organised fashion. Of course, the payment was incredibly steep for an action that would pose only a minimal risk to the Asrusians. A price that only grew steeper through proper context.


    The Lord Regent demanded that the ten floors had to be Conquered by the Semenovians themselves. They could not just surrender territory that I bequeathed to them or was otherwise gained through trade or other bargains.


    The ruthlessness of the Lord Regent¡¯s demands brought the Asrusian high command to heel without the need for a formal or public rebuke. It also positioned the Asrusians to secure a dominant geographical advantage over the Semenovians and Firehearts alike.


    Cornered and left with no other means with which to secure additional aid, King Savva had stoically agreed.


    I had observed the proceedings in my human disguise, so I had been limited to an exclusively observational and advisory role.


    All the same, a part of me was glad that both sides had found a way to achieve some form of mutual benefit. After all, the Asrusians could have simply refused to cooperate at all.


    With the Confederate invasion underway, locating Clarice¡¯s family took a higher priority. Thankfully, the projections of Savva and Katia were already in the process of securing order and executing the final traitors within the last few cities.


    Soon, King Savva¡¯s messengers would begin teleporting to cities across the empire. With my champions divided amongst them, my mana reserves and regeneration would be sorely tested.


    I could remotely view my champions and their projections for a minor cost in mana, but selecting the correct target became increasingly difficult with each additional projection to choose from. With that limitation in mind, I decided that I would begin by Summoning a projection of Gric on his own.


    Sebet had a greater talent and superior active means of obtaining deeper information, but Gric was far better at gathering and processing surface-level information en masse. Of the two, Gric was the better choice to begin the search while I regenerated mana.


    I had been resisting returning to The Grove until my business with the outside world was complete. I knew myself well enough to know that I wouldn¡¯t want to leave for quite some time if I allowed myself to return home. However, to keep my promise to Clarice I needed to increase my mana regeneration, and the mana-rich waters of the lake were the best means I had available.


    Just thinking of the lake brought images of Pete and Suzy rushing to the forefront of my mind.


    They were growing up so fast and I was missing it, missing them...


    A sudden surge of anger rose up from the darkest reaches of my mind and raged at the unfairness of it all. I crushed it, denying it purchase before casting it back where it came from.


    ¡°Life isn¡¯t fair,¡± I muttered bitterly.


    The concept of fairness and its absence in my life had been the obsession of my childhood and early teen years. I had felt like the universe owed me something, anything, to compensate for or balance out the shitty hand I had been dealt.


    Life isn¡¯t fair.


    It was the single point of major contention between myself and my mum. No matter the argument I presented, she would always reply with the same three words.


    I felt shame recalling how angry I had been with her. As if she was the arbiter of the universe and by denying my demands she was denying me what I was due. It wasn¡¯t until quite some time later that I understood what she had been trying to say.


    Life isn¡¯t fair.


    Expecting the universe to balance the books would only make you unhappy. So it is better to focus on what you have instead.


    After taking several deep breaths, I used my authority to relocate myself into the centre of The Grove¡¯s lake beneath the willow tree.


    Assuming my natural form, it took a few moments to fall into the rhythm of breathing water and filtering it through my gills. However, once I had the rhythm down, my mana regeneration increased by roughly twenty per cent. It was a truly impressive feat given the absurd level of regeneration I was operating under already.


    Two hours passed in a blur as I pushed myself to keep pace with the Semenovian messengers. Summoning Sebet¡¯s projections took somewhat longer, but I felt an immense sense of accomplishment once I was finished.


    Each of Gric¡¯s projections had been given enough mana to last roughly six hours, provided they didn¡¯t actively spend any of their mana on unnecessary activities. Sebet¡¯s projections had been given roughly the same volume of mana. However, attempting to directly compete with Gric could reduce her duration to as little as a few minutes depending on how she spent the mana.


    With nothing left to do but wait, I Summoned a projection of the Thorn Heart.


    The Thorn Heart¡¯s projection writhed and twirled across the lake bottom in what I could only interpret as an expression of pleasant surprise. Without the armoured stone plates of the original to weigh it down, the Thorn Heart had to anchor its roots into the lakebed to avoid gradually floating to the surface.


    Walking along the lake bottom, I gingerly took hold of one of the Thorn Heart¡¯s vines. <I will bring you home.>


    <Home?> The Thorn Heart¡¯s mental voice seemed confused.


    <Here. Sanctuary. This is home.> I did my best to form images of Sanctuary in my mind and share them through our connection.


    <Home!> The Thorn Heart¡¯s vines waved and thrashed through the water excitedly. <Clean! Water! Mana! Home!>


    I formed an image of the cave I had used to house Dhizi above the mountain pass. <Go there. I will bring you home.>


    <Home!> The Thorn Heart replied excitedly, sending an image of the same cave but from a different angle.


    Satisfied that the Thorn Heart knew where to go, I cancelled its projection and waited.


    Swimming to the surface, I made a point of putting the willow tree between myself and the cave I called home. I wanted to keep as many potential obstacles between myself and my family as possible. So long as I couldn¡¯t see them, it wouldn¡¯t be nearly so bad when I had to leave again.


    The Lizardmen noted my presence but maintained a respectful distance.


    After waiting for roughly ten minutes I opened a Breach and brought the Thorn Heart into Sanctuary.


    Abandoning its armoured plates on the shore, the Thorn Heart began playing in the shallows like a small child.


    Remotely viewing and cycling through my champions, I found Gric watching the Semenovian King and Queen extracting oaths from the remainder of their court. With the key persons of influence already on their side, recruiting the remaining nobles was a preparatory step for the mass migration and the imminent arrival of the King and Queen¡¯s personal allies.


    Unknown to the nobles themselves, Gric was rifling through their thoughts while assigning them personalised quests and responsibilities. The rewards were somewhat higher than I had expected, but Gric had also included penalties that would punish anyone who failed in their assigned tasks. The quests weren¡¯t mandatory but there was an extreme degree of social pressure for everyone to accept any quests they were given.


    Savva and Katia had barely finished securing oaths from the nobles of their court when the first delegations representing their allies began to arrive.


    Far larger than I had otherwise expected, the first delegation contained a dozen children and nearly as many youths no older than twelve alongside a handful of elderly servants. One of the children, a boy of nine years at most, Borya of House Koslov, was announced as representative and patriarch of his house.


    Despite his young age, Borya carried himself with a near-perfect imitation of the pride and dignity projected by the nobles of the Semenovian court. However, beneath the facade, I could see the fear and desperation in his eyes.


    As more delegations of the Semenovians'' allies arrived, House Koslov¡¯s circumstances quickly proved to be the standard rather than the exception.


    I shifted my remote viewing to Gric instead, curious to learn his perspective on unfolding events.


    <Depending upon the assurances the Semenovian Faction offers, many of their allies intend to use this location to seek exile in neighbouring lands.> Gric commented neutrally before panning his gaze toward the boy of House Koslov. <But not all.> I could sense his respect for the young boy through the telepathic link. <He intends to return, to try and make a difference.>


    <He is just a child...> I realised the hypocrisy almost immediately. I had put Gric and his siblings to work mere hours after they had hatched.


    Gric wasn¡¯t even a year old...


    <I am not a human, my Tyrant.> Gric commented with absolute confidence and pride, mistaking my misgivings for indirect praise. His thoughts became momentarily unreadable. <Underlord Clarice¡¯s blood relatives have been located.> With sheer force of will, Gric guided my consciousness toward one of his active projections.


    Gric¡¯s projection was racing across the rooftops of an unfamiliar city, clearing several buildings in a single bound and tearing out fistfuls of ceramic tiles and wooden beams in the process. <Imminent violence has been confirmed.> The projection arrested its movement and stared intensely into the distance. <Resistance is...Greater than anticipated...>


    <Do it.> A second and unstrained iteration of Gric¡¯s voice commanded.


    Without hesitation, the projection gathered its mana, tore open a Breach and leapt into it.


    Still following the projection, I felt a surge of agony pass through the telepathic connection.


    Gric¡¯s projection lay in mangled pieces upon a rough stone floor determinedly clinging to life as his ichorous blood flowed freely from his severed limbs and torso.


    Terrified screams and confused shouts echoed through the chamber and drew my attention away from the dying projection and toward the room at large.


    Bearing a striking resemblance to a prison, the large stone chamber had two incredibly large cells formed from the stone walls and thick iron bars. A wide corridor down the centre with bars on either side allowed travel through the chamber.


    A ragged line of fighting-aged men occupied the corridor and had spears extended into the leftmost cell, driving back its occupants while a much smaller cadre of men moved about within.


    The men within the cell were calling out orders to those in the corridor while those in the corridor shouted at one another and generally added to the confusion.


    ¡°Ssslavvversss...¡± Gric¡¯s projection declared with a contemptuous gurgle, blood spattering his lips and chin before rapidly disintegrating.


    The cries of the Slavers immediately fell silent as spears of stone lanced from the floor and ceiling, tearing through their skulls and impaling them in place.


    Whether it was the result of mana depletion or his catastrophic injuries, Gric¡¯s projection disappeared and my perception reverted.


    Everything had happened so quickly that it took a few moments for my brain to catch up.


    Hurriedly changing to my human disguise, I gathered my mana and focused on the memory of the stone chamber.


    The Thorn Heart had noticed my distress and was hurriedly swimming back toward me.


    I had lost track of time while forming the Breach and felt a rush of panic upon coming back to my senses. ¡°Follow me!¡± I barked and then stepped through the Breach.


    Something struck my head, causing me to stagger. I would have fallen if the Thorn Heart hadn¡¯t passed through the Breach and arrived right behind me.


    Thrashing its thorny vines, the Thorn Heart charged toward the enemy, leaving me behind.


    Blood ran freely down the right side of my scalp and face, leaving me blind in my right eye.


    Following the movement of the Thorn Heart through the gloom, I found it thrashing, bashing and constricting the members of a small cluster of heavily armed men standing at the bottom of a set of large stairs.


    ¡°OBEY!¡± A deep resonating voice demanded, sending a powerful will crashing into my own. ¡°I SAID-OB-urk!...¡± One of the men in the rear of the formation staggered backward and collapsed onto the stairs.


    The attempted Enslavement of the Thorn Heart filled me with rage. ¡°NO!¡± I roared, casting out my will and viciously contesting every Bond I could find.


    ¡°Vladdi! Shit!¡± One of the men swore in a panic.


    ¡°Get up you useless fuck!¡± Another cursed while frantically fending off one of the Lizardmen. ¡°I¡¯m not dying for you!¡±


    ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± My focus was immediately drawn to a man in boiled leathers reloading a crossbow in the rear of the formation.


    ¡°YOU!¡± I snarled, swiping my left hand and expending a chunk of mana to form a barbed spike of stone out of the wall.


    Taken by surprise, the man was unable to dodge in time and was gored by the spike. The brittle stone shaft of the spike snapped as the man¡¯s body grew limp, sending him tumbling down the stairs and into the flank of his companions.


    Down four members already, one of the men cast down his weapons and fled. The others moved to do the same but were caught by the Thorn Heart and cast to the ground. In a fit of bloodlust, it tore the two men apart, limb from bloody limb.


    As the last of the screams died down, we were left in near absolute silence.


    The dim light cast by the torches of the Slavers left both of the cells near completely shrouded in darkness and deep shadows. Even so, I could sense the Slaves huddled within the darkness of the cells on either side of me, pressing themselves hard against the walls to put as much distance between themselves and the bars as possible. Someone had even gone so far as to extinguish the torches the Slavers had taken inside the cell.


    In my fury, I had lost my concentration and the Breach had collapsed.


    I still had plenty of mana, so opening another Breach wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, I could tell, even without counting, that sending the Slaves I had seized back to Sanctuary would cost more mana than I currently had.


    Pawing away the blood from my brow, I flinched as my fingers made contact with exposed bone.


    Conjuring a first aid kit from Sanctuary¡¯s hospital, I shakily sat down and did my best to apply a pressure bandage to the wound to slow the bleeding. The lightstone within the first-aid kit provided enough illumination to work by but was too weak to make out anything else.


    After binding the wound, I used more bandages and a jar of rubbing alcohol to clean the blood away from around my right eye and restore my vision.


    While I was preoccupied, the Thorn Heart had adopted a defensive position blocking the stairs that the Slavers'' reinforcements had used to enter the chamber.


    Slowly rising to my feet, I faltered as an attempt was made to seize control over one of the Slaves.


    Grimacing from the pain, I allowed myself to fall to my hands and knees so I could direct my entire focus toward contesting the challenge for control.


    Before I could crush the opposition, two more contests of will joined the efforts of the first. Three more contests of will joined only moments afterwards and I barely managed to recognise a telepathic link connecting to my mind through the mounting pressure and pain.


    <Great One! You are within the city?!> Sebet¡¯s voice echoed faintly in the periphery of my mind. <I am only a short distance away!>


    In my peripheral vision, I could see the Thorn Heart fighting to hold the entrance to the stairs and slowly losing ground as blossoms of liquid fire crashed against its body and set it ablaze.


    The mounting pain and increasing demands on my focus made it difficult to think let alone react in any meaningful way. However, I knew that if I continued to surrender the initiative and allow the enemy to dictate the terms of our engagement, we would be overrun.


    ¡°SEBET!¡± I roared, recklessly Summoning the Devil to come to my aid.


    The sudden depletion of mana left me even more lightheaded and my vision began to blur and shift as the pain and pressure inched ever closer to destroying my mind.


    Without warning, the pressure subsided as the strongest contender bowed out and surrendered their challenge.


    Cries of terror and pain echoed through the chamber as I regained awareness of my surroundings.


    The Thorn Heart, its limbs and trunk smoking and smouldering continued its reluctant retreat from the staircase. However, as the Thorn Heart retreated, the light cast by the flickering flames stubbornly clinging to its limbs revealed Sebet in all her infernal glory.


    Armed with only her talons, fangs and whip-like prehensile tail, Sebet launched herself into the armed men on the staircase with furious abandon. With a single beat of her bat-like wings, Sebet extinguished the Thorn Heart and closed the distance between herself and her prey.


    Tall but wiry, Sebet¡¯s superior reach and impossible speed allowed her to slash the armed men in the forefront to bloody ribbons before they had time to react to her presence.


    Disembowelling and then strangling another man with his innards, Sebet released an ear-bloodening screech.


    Several men collapsed on the spot, their eyes rolling up into their skulls as their flesh withered and greyed in under a fraction of a second. Those who survived cast down their weapons in panic and bolted back up the stairs, pushing, shoving and even sacrificing several of their own in their desperation to escape.


    A second identical screech echoed from up the stairs and brought a fresh wave of terrified screams in reply.


    Blood splashed and spattered against the walls and steps as Sebet chased the survivors up the staircase before disappearing from sight.


    Screams of terror and panic echoed down the staircase and were punctuated by more ear-bloodening screeching.


    One by one, the contests of will were abruptly terminated and the pain and pressure in my head abated.


    Sagging with relief, I took several ragged breaths to try and return the strength to my arms and legs.


    Every muscle in my body ached and my head felt like it was throbbing in time with my heartbeat. However, I refused to remain completely idle.


    Ignoring the terrified screams echoing down the stairs, I forced myself to my feet.


    Sensing a surge of mana in my vicinity, I pushed back against the pain and prepared myself for battle.


    The Thorn Heart, despite its severe burns, writhed into motion.


    A ragged black gash formed in the air a few feet away from my position.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I motioned for the Thorn Heart to wait until we could confirm whether the Breach was formed by a friend or foe before launching its attack.


    A short man with rust-red hair and dark cruel eyes stepped out of the Breach. The designs of his armour were unfamiliar, but the fresh blood on his boots and gauntlets made it clear that he had recently participated in violence. Just as the indulgent smile on his lips announced that he had enjoyed it.


    Or rather, it revealed how ¡®she¡¯ had enjoyed it.


    ¡°Sebet,¡± I acknowledged the Devil with a curt nod and waved the Thorn Heart down.


    Sebet¡¯s borrowed face smiled broadly. ¡°I apologise for the delay. I was presented with a prime opportunity and was ill-prepared to abandon it on such short notice,¡± she apologised with remarkable sincerity tinged with a hint of anxiety and distraction as her eyes scanned the darkness of the cells. ¡°Ah, there they are,¡± Sebet sighed with relief and retrieved one of the torches from the floor.


    The screams continued but grew fainter and fewer with each passing moment.


    Sebet appeared to be ignoring them, utterly fixated on the subjects of her interest.


    The flickering light cast by the torch revealed a host of fearful and pitiable faces.


    Men and women in torn filthy clothing subconsciously drew together in response to Sebet¡¯s approach. The alarmingly large number of children were shepherded toward the wall and out of sight as the oldest Slaves moved to the forefront.


    An elderly woman shakily stepped forward and imposed herself between Sebet and the other Slaves. Raising her gnarled fists and glaring defiantly with her one good eye, the old woman looked prepared to go down fighting before allowing Sebet to draw any closer.


    Suddenly, the old woman¡¯s attention shifted from Sebet to her own hands. Wrinkled mouth agape, she appeared confused and extremely disoriented.


    ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sebet chuckled dryly. ¡°To pray every waking moment of every day for the pain to disappear, to regain control over your own body...¡± She strode past the old woman and snorted derisively while shaking her head. It was an expression that suited her stolen face all too well.


    Searching the bodies of the impaled Slavers for keys to the other cell, I made a conscious effort not to look at their faces. Despite their involvement, I couldn¡¯t see them as anything but human. Without the adrenaline blurring my core morals, I struggled to rationalise their deaths against my conscience.


    Gric had killed them, but I had allowed it. The responsibility was mine, not his.


    I knew Gric well enough to know that he wouldn¡¯t break any of my rules or laws. Which meant the Slavers had been committed to imminent violence and murder. However, unlike Gric and Sebet, I couldn¡¯t read minds, and a part of me couldn¡¯t help but harbour doubts.


    Keys in hand, I unlocked the leftmost cell¡¯s door and then opened it wide.


    I could feel the eyes of the Slaves watching me and waiting to see what would happen next.


    My mana was steadily recovering but Summoning Sebet¡¯s projection to drive off the Slavers had set me back considerably. Having had a few moments to think things over, I decided that Summoning one of my Human champions would have been a better alternative. Similarly, closing off the staircase with a wall of stone would have been a far wiser decision by far.


    Taking a few moments to form an actual plan and don my armour would have been even better...


    ¡°Clarithe?!¡± The outburst from the right cell caught me somewhat unawares and snapped my ragged nerves back into a raw state of readiness. ¡°Clarithe really thent you to rethcue uth?!¡± The young girl''s voice sounded equal parts amazed, relieved and profoundly incredulous.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Sebet replied warmly. ¡°Your sister has leveraged her standing with incredibly powerful people to make this rescue possible.¡± The voice of her stolen identity sounded ill-suited for the earnest sincerity Sebet was attempting to convey. It made her words sound sarcastic and ever so slightly condescending.


    ¡°That...That can¡¯t be true...¡± A woman¡¯s voice refuted hesitantly. ¡°Unless... Are...Are you and her?...¡±


    ¡°Exchanging physical gratification for favours?¡± Sebet suggested candidly and with obvious amusement. ¡°No. Not for favours at any rate,¡± she amended. ¡°It is early days,¡± Sebet observed wistfully, ¡°However, I have become quite fond of Clarice and her adorably depraved imagination.¡±


    ¡°So...this is a rescue then?¡± Another woman asked with restrained optimism.


    ¡°If you allow it to be,¡± Sebet replied cheerily.


    Low murmurs rose from the mass of Slaves.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Someone asked warily, immediately silencing the wider crowd as everyone began straining their ears to hear Sebet¡¯s response.


    ¡°Just like everything else, freedom has its price,¡± Sebet replied sagely, grinning all the while.


    The Slaves remained silent, although it was unclear whether they were waiting for Sebet to elaborate or were upset or surprised by her answer.


    Unphased, Sebet took several steps back and opened her arms wide with a flourish. ¡°You desire to be freed from your Enslavement? Completely understandable, laudable even. However, your rescue has been made as a result of substantial expense and the leveraging of favours against powerful individuals...¡±


    The tension in the chamber rose with every passing moment and Sebet made no attempts at disguising her enjoyment at being the centre of their undivided attention.


    ¡°In the bluntest sense, you may exchange one master for another. Trade the shackles within your mind for oaths within your soul...¡± Sebet¡¯s eyes flashed and she released a pulse of mana. ¡°Right here and now, you have a choice. For most of you, this offer not only represents your best chance at survival but your chance to live your life in peace. Even now, the Confederate armies are marching on the crumbling ruins of this decadent Empire. If you choose to reject our offer, and yes, you can refuse-¡± She looked pointedly at a random member of the enthralled Slaves. ¡°-You will become Enslaved and cast into bondage for the remainder of your short miserable lives...The choice is yours...¡±


    ¡°W-We can leave?¡± One of the Slaves asked in surprise, ¡°Just like that?¡±


    Sebet located the speaker with the unerring precision of a telepath. ¡°Of course,¡± she answered sincerely. ¡°However, the means by which you choose to leave will greatly influence your immediate future and potential for anything more besides.¡±


    The crowd shifted uneasily.


    ¡°Just have to swear an oath? Serve a new Master?¡± An elderly man at the front of the crowd asked hesitantly while nervously wringing his hands.


    ¡°You will become citizens of a just and powerful monarch,¡± Sebet corrected in an encouraging tone. ¡°Upon swearing oaths of fealty and compliance to his laws, you will enter into his protection.¡±


    ¡°A-And the Enslavement?¡± The old man pressed anxiously. Glancing several times toward members located deeper within the crowd.


    ¡°Regardless of your choice, the Enslavement will be removed,¡± Sebet stated magnanimously. ¡°As of this moment, it is maintained only to ensure your protection from any of the surviving Slavers.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± The old man worried at the hem of his tattered filthy shirt and stared at the ground. ¡°I will swear fealty...¡± He shuffled a few steps ahead of the crowd then began stiffly lowering himself to the ground.


    ¡°There is no need to debase yourself in such a manner,¡± Sebet stated warmly and assisted the old man back into a standing position. ¡°An oath upon your life to follow the laws is sufficient.¡±


    Sebet then listed the laws in their entirety and provided a simplified oath for the old man to repeat.


    ¡°On my life, I swear to obey these laws and the commands of my Lord,¡± the old man winced as if expecting to be struck down where he stood. Only, of course, nothing happened.


    Sebet patted the old man¡¯s shoulder approvingly. ¡°Albin, it is my sincere privilege to extend to you the offer of the Tyrant''s protection.¡±


    The old man, Albin, stared at Sebet for a few moments with a stunned look of incomprehension on his face. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I soon realised why.


    Sebet had extended an invitation to Albin for him to become my subject. The sudden appearance of the visual component of the invitation had no doubt caught him thoroughly by surprise. As a Slave, Albin had probably expected the notification to represent an alert signalling imminent pain.


    Sebet gave Albin a respectful nod, smiling all the while. ¡°You have made the objectively superior decision.¡± She turned to the crowd at large, ¡°I encourage those who wish to leave and take their chances against the Confederates to leave via the stairs leading to the surface-¡± Sebet motioned dismissively to the bloodsoaked stairs strewn with the mutilated bodies of the dead Slavers. ¡°-Those who wish to leave with us? I ask that you form into groups of no more than ten and form an orderly line in preparation for our departure.¡±


    ¡°With magic?!¡± The young girl with the lisp called out excitedly.


    ¡°With magic!¡± Sebet agreed emphatically. To accentuate her point, Sebet conjured a small mountain of food, water, and basic clothing seemingly out of thin air.


    Despite a measure of initial misgivings, Sebet managed to convince nearly all of the Slaves to accept her offer.


    A number of the holdouts had initially refused because they still had family within the city and wouldn¡¯t leave them behind. However, Sebet had convinced them by making an oath to attempt their evacuation to the best of her ability.


    Of course, the oath hadn¡¯t been made with her life as collateral. Sebet had managed to obfuscate the exact nature of the penalty through flowery language, but I was fairly certain that the holdouts hadn¡¯t noticed that particular detail.


    The humans weren¡¯t the only Slaves I had seized from the Slavers. There were almost as many monsters located deeper within the complex.


    Despite my desire to liberate them personally, I was in no condition to explore the lower levels. Similarly, the Thorn Heart was little better and lacked a viable means of communicating with large crowds without risking a confrontation.


    This left Sebet as the only option that wouldn¡¯t drain my mana and delay our departure even further. Not that Sebet seemed to particularly mind.


    In Sebet¡¯s absence, I focused on accelerating my recovery. Conjuring rations of my own, I worked my way through them without really sparing a thought toward the taste or texture, focused only on staving off the irrational hunger lurking in the back of my mind.


    By the time Sebet returned, the throbbing pain in my head had significantly subsided.


    The memory of Gric¡¯s mutilated projection was still fresh in my mind, so I took my time forming the Spatial Breach that would take us all to my Demi-Plane.


    With the Daemons still hard at work securing the territory for the Werrian and Semenovian refugees, I opted for sending the freed human Slaves to Acheron for the immediate future. Once the Semenovians were established, I would allow them all to choose their factions as they see fit.


    As much to show that the Breach was ¡®safe¡¯ as I was eager to retreat to a position of absolute safety and relax, I entered the Breach first. For the sake of appearances and providing assurances to those that would follow, I decided to linger within Acheron until everyone was settled.


    The monsters we had liberated were not what I had expected...


    Felids.


    The Felids were anthropomorphic humanoids that bore an extreme similarity to Kobolds. However, they resembled feline features rather than those of canines and appeared to share several feline behavioural traits as well.


    The overall cohesion of the Felids as a group gave me the impression that they belonged to a single tribe or perhaps a small handful of neighbouring tribes. Unlike the humans, the Felids male population appeared to be close to intact.


    There was a possibility that they had been underestimated as combatants. However, it was far more likely that the Slavers had kept the Felids a secret to turn a future profit.


    While observing the Felids, I temporarily lost track of Sebet. When I found her again, she had taken on her Human-Devil hybrid form and was conversing with Clarice¡¯s assembled relatives.


    The varying shades of red hair in addition to a dark-tanned complexion made them easy enough to recognise at a distance, but that was where the similarities ended. Each of the five women had strikingly different features from one another and only a passing resemblance to Clarice.


    It occurred to me that Gric had never specified how they were related to Clarice, only the fact that they were her relatives. Given Gric¡¯s personality, it was impossible to know for sure without asking him directly or imposing myself upon them.


    Unless I asked Clarice herself...


    After taking a few minutes to make myself more presentable and donning my armour, I opened a Breach to the council chamber within the Semenovians¡¯ capital.


    Before I could step through the Breach, Clarice crashed into me and nearly sent us both sprawling.


    ¡°FUCKING FUCK!!!¡± Clarice swore and gingerly tented her hands over her nose while staggering backward and toward the Breach.


    I terminated the Breach to prevent yet another accident. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come charging out like that. Sorry,¡± I apologised with feigned sincerity. The mounting stress was getting to me and I knew it had only just started.


    Demonstrating a rare example of good judgement, Clarice chose not to escalate. ¡°Sorry...It just fucking hurts...¡± She muttered.


    ¡°Clarice?!¡± One of the women called out incredulously. ¡°Is that...Is that really Clarice?!¡±


    Clarice winced. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you could take us somewhere else?¡± She asked while leaning to the side slightly and peeking toward her relatives.


    I glared at Clarice and fought hard not to lose my temper.


    ¡°Right..yeah...stupid question...¡± Clarice agitatedly ran a hand through her hair and took several frantic breaths as she tried and failed to calm herself.


    ¡°Clarice...¡± I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. ¡°I just wanted to be sure. Are those the family members you sent us to find?¡±


    Clarice pursed her lips and averted her eyes. ¡°Yeah...I mean, I didn¡¯t expect you to find my cousins and their spawn...¡± She snorted derisively and shook her head with a bemused expression on her face and a conflicted look in her eyes. ¡°Where you found them...You didn¡¯t find anyone else?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I replied bluntly and narrowly avoided adding that we probably wouldn¡¯t find anyone else. The chances of finding a male relative remotely close to fighting age were nearly non-existent.


    I could tell by the look in Clarice¡¯s eyes that she already knew it for herself but couldn¡¯t bring herself to discuss it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go talk to them?¡± I asked, glancing over my shoulder toward Sebet and Clarice¡¯s sisters and cousins.


    ¡°I don¡¯t...¡± Clarice agreed guiltily. ¡°I just needed to see them for myself. To know that they are alive...¡± She grimaced and turned away, ¡°Can you take us somewhere else? I can¡¯t stand the thought of talking to her right now...¡±


    ¡°Sure...¡± The anger in Clarice¡¯s voice caught me off guard and reminded me that she had been incredibly conflicted in seeking my help in the first place. Out of courtesy and cowardice, I hadn¡¯t pressed the issue further. I was now regretting that decision.


    Using my authority, I relocated myself and Clarice to an isolated stretch of road in the middle of nowhere. As isolated as the roads between villages spaced a half day¡¯s travel by foot could be considered to be. With no further need for my armour, I sent it back to Sanctuary¡¯s treasury.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Clarices stated firmly, guessing at my motives. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for what you¡¯ve done, Tim, but I...I really don¡¯t want to talk about it...I...I can¡¯t...¡± Her voice cracked and she backed several steps away, hurriedly hiding her face as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I tried so hard to leave all this shit behind!¡± Clarice hissed bitterly and kicked at a bush by the side of the road.


    ¡°Sebet knows? Have you talked with her about it?¡± I asked while trying to restrain my curiosity.


    Clarice hissed in frustration and scowled at the sky. ¡°Of course she fucking knows!¡± She hissed bitterly in frustration. ¡°She can read my fucking mind! Have you ever tried keeping something from someone that can do that?!¡± Clarice snapped angrily before raising her hands in apology and vigorously shaking her head. ¡°Sorry Tim, it¡¯s just seeing them again, seeing her!...¡± She released a low guttural growl and clenched her fists so tightly that her palms began to bleed.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say and a long silence passed between us.


    ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s like to hate someone, like really hate them with all of your fucking soul?¡± Clarice croaked. ¡°To hate them, but...but you can¡¯t stop loving them...even after all the fucked up shit they did?¡± She shook her head and released a hollow barking laugh.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted honestly. ¡°Before I came to this world, there was only one person I loved, and so far as I know, she was the only one who loved me. I couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like to hate her...¡±


    With her back still facing me, Clarice wiped at her eyes with her forearm.


    ¡°But for a long time, I hated the woman who threw me away. The person who should have loved me and protected me cared for me...¡± Learning the exact nature of my abandonment as an infant had left deep scars in my psyche and a host of questions that continued to fuel doubts after close to a decade of therapy. ¡°On some level, I still hate her. But as fucked up as it sounds, I wouldn¡¯t be the person I am now if she hadn¡¯t done what she did. I wouldn¡¯t be here in this world. I wouldn¡¯t have met any of you. I wouldn¡¯t have Lash, Pete and Suzy...¡± My voice broke and I took a moment to collect myself. ¡°Even now, there is a part of me that wonders how different my life would have been if that person had made a different choice. Which is pretty fucked up considering the very idea of having never met my Mum makes me feel physically ill.¡±


    Clarice looked at me from over her shoulder with tears running freely down her face. She gave me a stiff yet oddly sincere grin. ¡°I¡¯m glad I met you, Tim. Really. I mean it. I...I¡¯m glad you''re here...¡± The grin slipped from her lips and her eyes darkened. ¡°I just...I really want to be alone right now...Could you just send me home?¡±


    I nodded and prepared to use my authority to send Clarice home. ¡°Clarice, you don¡¯t have to talk about it with me. But you should talk about it with someone. I won¡¯t lie to you and promise that it will somehow fix things or that it will make you feel any better. However, no one can help you if you don¡¯t give them the chance.¡±


    Clarice looked away and nodded stiffly,


    Realising that was the best I could hope for, I sent Clarice home and then spent a few minutes processing my feelings before returning to Acheron. There was more work to be done, and I had far too many responsibilities to be standing idle.


    ***** Lash ~ Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Port Gidian *****


    Towering above the Humans and other Species within the market, Lash had no trouble in remotely browsing the merchants¡¯ goods despite the large crowds. Of course, her guards ensured that Lash could move freely through the market without fear of knocking anyone over while she was otherwise distracted.


    While the concept of trade was not unfamiliar to her, Lash found the rapid exchange of goods and manastones to be fascinating.


    The Humans had a true talent for getting what they wanted from one another as efficiently as possible.


    The Goblin merchants appeared to be learning quickly and were emulating their Human competition with varying degrees of success.


    Lash had already traded with the merchants for a handful of interesting items to sate her curiosity and participate in the exchange of goods. However, the outdoor market was not Lash¡¯s true destination.


    Continuing to make her way through the crowd, it didn¡¯t take Lash long at all to enter a smaller and far less crowded market.


    The smaller market did things differently than its larger kin. Instead of using wooden plaques to show what the merchants wanted in exchange for their goods, the trade was performed as a strange form of competition amongst those who wanted the item.


    After watching a couple of competitions over the displayed items, Lash was approached by a Human female who had just successfully bought a small number of items.


    Easily twice her height, Lash had to look down to meet the Human¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Please excuse my presumption, your Ladyship, but are you by chance looking to acquire something specific from the auction?¡± The Human asked politely, bobbing down slightly while pinching at her dark green dress and bowing her head in respect.


    ¡°Auction? The competition to buy the items?¡± Lash asked curiously. She had heard the word used several times already but hadn¡¯t been sure she truly understood its meaning.


    ¡°Yes, your Ladyship has the right of it,¡± the Human replied with a friendly smile on her fangless lips.


    Lash nodded. ¡°I want gifts for my mate and children,¡± she explained matter-of-factly. ¡°Advisors said this place has the strongest items.¡±


    The human nodded in understanding. ¡°I must beg your pardon once more, your Ladyship, but do you by chance have specific items in mind? Weapons with special properties perhaps? Or maybe rings that provide resistance to elemental damage?¡± She blushed slightly and bowed her head in apology. ¡°I only ask because I make a living seeking out such items on behalf of those who might otherwise be too busy to attend these auctions themselves. I also maintain good relations with the auction house and its staff, so I generally know what will be put up for sale before members of the general public who walk in from the market.¡±


    ¡°You are-¡± Lash took a few moments to find the right word. ¡°-compensated manastones for trading for others?¡±


    The Human nodded earnestly. ¡°Indeed, it is just as your Ladyship says.¡± She made the strange squatting and dress-pinching gesture again.


    ¡°Do you have children?¡± Lash asked curiously. She had a difficult time telling how old Humans were sometimes and their conversion into monsters had only made it more complicated.


    The Human female¡¯s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Ah, not yet, your Ladyship. My husband and I have not, ah, had much luck since starting our new life under the protection of the Tyrant...N-Not that we aren¡¯t incredibly grateful!¡± She added hastily.


    ¡°Luck?¡± Lash tilted her head slightly in confusion.


    The Human¡¯s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red and she no longer seemed capable of looking Lash in the eye. ¡°Well, ah, we have been trying...It¡¯s just, we haven¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°The Human Mothers Moon has passed?¡± Lash asked, thoroughly confused and failing to understand how the Human and her Bonded mate could fail to create a child under a Mothers Moon.


    ¡°Mothers moon?¡± The Humans asked hesitantly. ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry, your Ladyship, I don¡¯t know what that is...¡±


    ¡°You want a child, but you don¡¯t know of the Mothers Moon?¡± Lash exclaimed incredulously, taken aback by the Human¡¯s profound degree of ignorance. Lash then recalled a conversation Tim had with one of his Daemons and the Human Nadine. Humans, before they had changed into monsters, had not needed a Mothers Moon to become pregnant, and most bizarre of all, their children were born without the shell of an egg to protect them.


    The Human shifted uneasily in her embarrassment.


    Lash signed and adopted a squatting stance that brought them much closer to being eye-to-eye with one another. There was no telling what the Humans didn¡¯t know, so Lash prepared herself for a long explanation. She just hoped that the Human¡¯s ignorance was an exception. If it wasn¡¯t, then Lash would need to sit all the Human leaders down and find out why they were failing their duty.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 64 – Scions of nobility – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 64 ¨C Scions of nobility ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 64 - Scions of nobility - Part One


    Remotely checking in on Gric, I was relieved to find that he appeared to be alright. The death of his Summoned projection had been particularly gruesome and I had feared that some form of trauma would pass onto Gric himself.


    Reassured, I shifted my focus toward resettling the Felids.


    After taking on my true form and wearing a new set of clean clothes, I used my authority to return to Acheron.


    The Vine Heart had hidden away inside one of the crude huts I had created for the refugees. No doubt to avoid scaring the refugees any more than it already had.


    With a thought, I used my authority to relocate the Thorn Heart to the bank of The Grove¡¯s lake.


    The Felids were still gathered where I had last seen them.


    I was unsure if Sebet had told them I would be coming, but the leaders of the Felids moved to greet me as if they had anticipated my arrival.


    The tallest of the Felids was only three feet tall and roughly six inches of that height came from their large ears, and unlike the Gnolls and canine Kobolds, the Felids didn¡¯t have a single dominant fur pattern or colour.


    To their credit, the Felid leaders did not appear to be openly afraid of me. Or, at least, I didn¡¯t think they were. Their bestial features made it difficult to identify more subtle emotional reactions, so there was a chance that they were just putting on a brave front and I simply couldn¡¯t tell the difference. I didn¡¯t know much about cats either, so the movements of their ears and tails didn¡¯t offer any insight either.


    ¡°We greet Living-Mountain and pay respect,¡± the three Felid leaders declared in unison, lowering their heads briefly before staring up at me with their rich emerald eyes.


    Living-Mountain. It wasn¡¯t an entirely inaccurate name, all things considered.


    ¡°You are welcome in my lands,-¡± I replied before looking at each of them in turn. ¡°-Stalks-Shadows, Spirits-Whispers, and Wind-Dancer.¡± Pulling information from the registry on the fly was almost second nature to me at this point.


    ¡°Many thanks to you, Living-Mountain,¡± the tallest Felid, Spirits-Whispers, bowed his head respectfully again, the milky white pupil of his scarred left eye shimmering slightly as the damaged lens within caught the light.


    All three of the Felid leaders bore a collection of prominently visible scars. Some looked older than others, but most appeared to be comparatively recent.


    ¡°Do you know why the Slavers took you and your people?¡± I asked curiously.


    The three Felids glanced uncertainly at one another.


    ¡°Taken for Slaves, Living-Mountain,¡± Wind-Dancer replied respectfully but also with a clear note of hesitation in her voice.


    I realised the mistake I had made and decided to shift topics.


    ¡°Can you tell me about your old home?¡± I asked. There was a chance that I might be able to Conquer the floor containing their original home and restore it to them. However, my primary concern was matching them with an environment they would be accustomed to.


    ¡°All is ashes...¡± Stalks-Shadows replied hoarsely before taking a long pull from one of the waterskins that had accompanied the rations provided earlier.


    It took a moment for the Felid¡¯s words to properly sink in. ¡°They set fire to your home.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. Now that I knew what to look for, I could see the signs for myself. Each floor of the Labyrinths was finite. If the Felids had been escaping the Slavers by climbing trees or hiding in tall grass, it made sense that the Slavers would simply set those environments ablaze to drive the Felids out of hiding.


    As a whole, the Felids had the numbers to claim a territory of their own. Several other Species had established that precedent already, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Felids wanted the same.


    ¡°What do you want in a new home?¡± I decided to actively steer the conversation toward the primary reason for my visit. ¡°If I can, I will give your people a place to settle that is similar to what you once had.¡± With Hana and Kohana¡¯s help, there was a very real possibility of replicating the plant life as well, but I decided it would be best to keep that to myself for now.


    ¡°Shelter, food, water,¡± Ghost-Whispers answered earnestly. ¡°Lick wounds, grow strong.¡±


    On a certain level, I had expected as much. Most monsters didn¡¯t seem particularly attached to the environment they lived in. Ghost-Whispers had summed it up in three words. Shelter, food, and water. So long as they were accounted for, a tribe of monsters would be reasonably content.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I considered the trio for a moment before deciding. Exerting my will, I transported the tribe from Acheron and into the open meadows of Sanctuary. ¡°This is Sanctuary. My home, and yours as well, if you want it to be.¡±


    Located just beyond the fields and orchards, the meadows were a common destination for children and their minders in the early afternoon. Many of them now looked at the new arrivals with mild curiosity.


    The Felids closed ranks around their children, no doubt expecting some sort of ambush. However, when nothing happened, they slowly began to disperse again.


    ¡°Many children...¡± Ghost-Whispers gasped, turning this way and that.


    ¡°Many different children...¡± Stalks-Shadows rasped incredulously, staring at a small horde of screaming and laughing children as they chased their Gnoll minder through one of the shorter patches of grass.


    ¡°Your people are not the first I have rescued,¡± I commented somewhat absently as I allowed the mana-rich air to assist in regenerating my expended mana. ¡°Take a few days to explore and make up your minds on whether you would like to stay.¡±


    ¡°We are free?¡± Wind-Dancer asked nervously.


    ¡°You are free,¡± I replied and motioned to the iron collar around her neck. ¡°The keys I found during your rescue did not fit the other collars, but I will have someone remove them,¡± I promised.


    Most Slave Collars were made of leather and could simply be cut off once I lifted the Enslavement. However, while simple in design, the locking mechanism built into the iron collars made them a different beast entirely.


    As far as I was aware, the humans had all worn buckled leather collars, so it was strange for the Felids to be treated so differently. The relative harmlessness of the Felids compared to other monsters only made it all the stranger.


    The three Felid leaders bowed their heads in gratitude and one by one the other Felids did the same.


    Our conversation had not been particularly private, and my voice carried a long distance in my natural form. So it wasn¡¯t hard to assume that the other Felids had heard everything.


    I nodded in return and then relocated myself to Sanctuary¡¯s hospital.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait more than a couple of minutes before Wraithe came to investigate the cause of my visit.


    ¡°We have freed a large number of Slaves,¡± I explained somewhat distractedly while looking through the window beside me. ¡°They will all need to be treated. Most will only need the salve, but some of the Felids will need more intensive care.¡±


    ¡°Felids?¡± Wraithe asked curiously, her rat-like tail twitching with interest. Unlike Sebet and Gric, Wraithe was not in the habit of actively attempting to read people''s minds.


    ¡°A lot like the furry Kobolds,¡± I replied, deliberately making the distinction from the scaled Kobolds that were reptilian rather than mammalian.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Wraithe hopped a little in her excitement before settling down again. She was working on a compendium of Species as part of a treatment guide for the other Surgeons and was always excited to add more to its contents.


    ¡°The Felids are in the meadows at the moment, but they probably won''t stay there for too long,¡± I cautioned. ¡°There are a few hundred of them, so make sure to bring enough supplies. Also, they have been ensnared with iron collars, so be sure to bring someone who can remove them,¡± I cautioned while feeling somewhat guilty that I was delegating the entire affair to Wraithe rather than handling it myself. ¡°There are also just as many humans staying in Acheron until I can integrate them elsewhere, so you can take the Gateway when you are ready.¡±


    ¡°I will see it done!¡± Wraithe chittered excitedly. ¡°The junior Surgeons have been itching for a chance to prove themselves! This is just the opportunity for them!¡±


    I nodded approvingly in agreement. ¡°There were no life-threatening injuries that I saw, but make sure to perform a thorough assessment yourself before assigning them to one of your less experienced Surgeons,¡± I cautioned, more out of concern for the former Slaves than doubt in the capabilities of the Surgeons.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Wraithe agreed determinedly, ¡°This is also a good opportunity to have the senior Surgeons test their mentoring skills!¡±


    I nodded again, then motioned toward the window. ¡°Where are Emelia and Tobi?¡± I asked, concerned that their beds were empty and there was no sign of Tobi¡¯s parents.


    Wraithe gave me an odd look. ¡°I thought Gric would have told you, my Tyrant?¡± She shook her head and regained her focus. ¡°The last treatment from Ophelia exceeded our expectations...Emelia and Tobi made a significant recovery. They are still quite weak, but they both insisted on leaving...The remainder of their recovery is best accomplished by rest, so I thought it would be best to let them go.¡± Wraithe shifted somewhat uneasily.


    ¡°That was the right call,¡± I agreed supportively after overcoming my surprise. ¡°Do you think it was because we destroyed the Liche?¡± I asked while considering the implications. ¡°Have you approached Kohana? She was scarred by the Liche¡¯s Spells as well, so there is a chance that she might be restored by Ophelia¡¯s treatment too.¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Wraithe¡¯s energy picked right back up again. ¡°I had much the same thoughts and already made the recommendation!¡± She looked up at me expectantly.


    I smiled approvingly, ¡°Great minds think alike.¡±


    Wraithe chittered happily and hopped from one foot to the other. ¡°I must see to the new arrivals! Excuse me my Tyrant!¡± She sped away and began calling out orders to the nearest Surgeons.


    Leaving her to it, I resisted the urge to return to The Grove. I had no immediate need to rapidly replenish my mana, and being so close to my family would only make things more difficult if or when I needed to leave.


    Instead, I relocated myself somewhere private and then took on my human form in case I needed to move amongst the Werrians and Semenovians.


    Disguise in place and my identity secure, I made myself comfortable and began remotely viewing each of my champions in turn.


    It would have been unfair to say nothing of consequence was happening, but I didn¡¯t see any need for my involvement either. I began taking short naps, sleeping for ten or twenty minutes at a time before checking in on my champions and repeating the cycle.


    Hours passed and I became more familiar with Semenovian politics than I would have liked. I began recognising nobles by their voices as much as their faces or choice of clothing.


    They were scared. Not just of the approaching Confederate armies, but of the Semenovians'' mysterious backer, of me. I was unknown to them, and that caused doubt and uncertainty, which in turn evolved into fear. No doubt, that fear would evolve into terror if they saw my true form.


    The primary concern raised again and again, was the uncertainty regarding the issue of their peerage. Specifically, whether I would acknowledge it and extend the same rights and privileges they had under the now-fallen Empire.


    Political answers that obfuscated the issue under conditional pretences had been attempted but ultimately rejected. The more truthful answers were also rejected. Not because those asking the question believed they were being lied to or fooled in any way, but because they did not like the answer.


    The hard truth that many of them would soon learn, was that I wouldn¡¯t just ¡®grandfather in¡¯ their noble titles and associated privileges. The Semenovian royalty might do, but it would begin and end with them. Once they learned of the titles and the power they provided, perhaps they would understand the reasons why acknowledging social titles wasn¡¯t worth the effort and wouldn¡¯t convey the respect they believed they were entitled to.


    Ultimately, I didn¡¯t particularly care about the nobles'' concerns. They were more than welcome to face the Confederate advance for all I cared. Saving the common folk was already compromising my integrity far more than I was comfortable with.


    However, where I could assume not all Werrian commoners owned Slaves, I couldn¡¯t extend that same assumption to the nobility. There was no way that the nobles hadn¡¯t owned Slaves. So if they wanted to stay behind and die, I wasn¡¯t going to stop them.


    As the hours wore on, it appeared that King Savva was of a similar inclination. He gave the final holdouts an ultimatum. Trust him and fall in line, or be left behind.


    It was generally met with the response I had expected. Nobles were not keen on being told what to do, and several opted out of Savva¡¯s proposed alliance outright. Most of those who left were hangers-on to the Semenovians¡¯ allies, and the Semenovians didn¡¯t seem particularly put out by their absence.


    One by one, and after a thorough vetting by Gric, Savva and the nobles exchanged oaths. Savva swore to respect the status of the nobility and existing titles, but only within the limits of my laws. In return, the nobles swore oaths to abide by my laws.


    Some of the nobles had resisted the idea of swearing oaths with their lives as collateral, but Savva had truly lost his patience and his wife didn¡¯t seem particularly interested in talking him down either.


    Once the oaths were exchanged and the holdouts were removed, King Savva and Queen Katia began the time-consuming process of inviting their newest subjects and explaining their obligations.


    A formal plan of evacuation hadn¡¯t been finalised due to the required territories still undergoing Conquest. However, it hadn¡¯t stopped the Semenovians from establishing evacuation points on their end. It was just as well, given that there was no real telling how long the evacuations would take and under what circumstances.


    The more prepared the evacuation sites were, the better.


    Sebet remained true to her word and was abducting family members of the Slaves to fulfil her oath. While I didn¡¯t approve of her methods, I was glad that Sebet was taking her oath seriously despite avoiding the most extreme consequences through clever wordplay.


    My remote viewing and rest schedule was causing me to lose track of time similar to watching too much television over the weekend in my former life. I had a vague idea of what time it was, but not how much time had passed.


    Contrary to my earlier misgivings, I had not been called upon or required to intervene on my champions¡¯ behalf. Faine, Randle and Jaine had made a point of making themselves available to King Savva and Queen Katia as a courtesy and demonstration of solidarity. However, they outright refused to become involved in the Semenovians¡¯ politics on any meaningful level.


    It was their attendance in what seemed like an endless cycle of planning meetings that influenced my perception of time the most. Relocating hundreds of thousands of people was no easy task, and the Semenovians were struggling to come to grips with that reality. Just as the Asrusians had before them.


    Gric attended every meeting but said little. Whenever he chose to speak, it was almost always to correct a half-truth or face-saving lie told by one of the nobles. I could tell that the arrogance of the nobles and the pride they held for their hollow titles aggravated Gric on a primal level.


    Still concealing his true identity, Gric was not able to directly bring the full weight of his title to bear. However, Gric was not shy about expressing his disdain and displeasure to the King and Queen.


    Unlike his vassals, King Savva ¡®knew¡¯ that Gric was a Faction leader and held a much higher title. As a result, both he and his wife took Gric¡¯s advice and chastisement equally seriously. The fact that Gric had killed a man with a single strike couldn¡¯t be discounted as a factor either.


    The first pair of Conquests were completed without warning and I felt an invisible tether form between my Demi-Plane and the Semenovian Labyrinth.


    I resisted the urge to seize the territory right away and forced myself to be patient.


    The acquisition teams needed time to gather their supplies and relocate to another floor. While I ¡®could¡¯ simply take the territory now, and then send them all back to the Semenovian capital through a Breach, it would only cause disruptions to any sort of momentum the team had worked hard to build.


    Passing the information along through Gric as an intermediary, the news whipped the Semenovians into another frenzy of activity.


    Temporary administrative positions were assigned sparingly despite the impossibly high number of volunteers. With the evacuation so close to being a reality, many nobles who had been putting on a brave front now cast aside much of their pride in the pursuit of skipping the queue to safety.


    Unfortunately for said nobles, the King and Queen were not gentle about refusing and even punishing the nobles that attempted underhanded means to secure a position. However, as a conciliatory measure and a means of maintaining control, the children and youths of the nobility who had not yet reached adulthood would be allowed early access to evacuation.


    The teams of architects, engineers, and their families were added to the list as a matter of course alongside a contingent of soldiers and their families.


    They had not publicly announced as much, but the King and Queen intended to send Vadim and Irina, their children, to oversee the evacuation from within my Demi-Plane. I understood the decision and respected their position as parents. However, I was concerned that Vadim and his sister wouldn¡¯t be up to the task of corralling the nobles, let alone administrating so many displaced people.


    Even with Gric¡¯s assistance, it would all be an uphill battle once people began to realise the reality of their situation.


    While many would be glad just to be alive and safe from harm, there would always be troublemakers and people who would succumb to panic. Strong leadership could mitigate the worst of it, but I wasn¡¯t sure the Semenovian Prince and Princess would be up to the task.


    Then again, I knew very little about them and hoped they would surprise me.


    Gric led the first wave of refugees through the city and into the first floor of the Labyrinth. Partially as a means of saving the mana for a Breach, it also allowed Gric to confirm that Qreet, Dar, and their teams had moved on.


    After confirming their absence, I absorbed the territory into my Demi-Plane.


    Intended as a processing centre, I elected to keep the territory adjacent yet otherwise disconnected to the greater territories of my Demi-Plane similar to Acheron and Tartarus.


    Conveying my intent to Gric, I remotely Summoned a projection of Ochram to assist with erecting any necessary structures while I waited for the next floor of territory to be made available.


    I remotely Summoned twelve more projections of Ochram before Senn and Garn completed their first Conquests.


    Both teams had completed their Conquests within twenty-six hours, soundly breaking the Asrusians'' record.


    After giving their team time to move on, I annexed the territory and added it to the periphery of my Demi-Plane. Resisting the urge to place them beside the core of the Asrusian Kingdom¡¯s Faction, I instead placed the territory to Sanctuary¡¯s west, allowing them the opportunity for a port on the other side of the immense river.


    Making allowances for future trade and travel was important, but I doubted the Semenovians, as a landlocked nation, would take to the water any time soon. In that respect, they would be much like the Asrusians.


    As the territory settled, I relocated myself to the former Foothold at its centre.


    Besides certain aesthetic elements, the Foothold looked just like every other Foothold I had seen within the Asrusian Labyrinths. I wasn¡¯t sure why that bothered me so much, but it did.


    With a thought, I had the ground swallow the Foothold whole and sent it to the depths. Then I relocated myself to the river¡¯s edge.


    Exerting my will, I raised a natural stone harbour from beneath the water. The Goblin merchant navy was small, but they currently held a monopoly on maritime trade. Providing a harbour would encourage trade and travel to begin that much sooner and provide the opportunity to fish for small aquatic Beasts in the river.


    In a similar vein, I erected a long row of large thick-walled, but otherwise roofless and doorless, buildings that could serve as warehouses or emergency shelters. Next, I formed a large wide road of solid stone leading from the harbour to the place where the Foothold had once stood.


    My efforts had only taken a few minutes, but I had found it somewhat mentally taxing to work so far out of my comfort zone. Resisting the urge for perfectionism and absolute symmetry was uniquely tiring.


    Relocating myself to the isolated processing area, I decided it was time I learned how to make a building rather than just hollow boxes.


    Shadowing a group of architects that were tackling the objective of erecting the primary administrative building, I realised that most of my perceived incompetence was rather unfounded.


    Setting aside aesthetic and decorative elements, my biggest mistake was that I was deliberately creating empty spaces instead of buildings with a clearly defined purpose.


    A house is not typically a single large room. The walls dividing the space into multiple rooms would help support the roof''s weight, provided they were sufficiently robust for the task.


    As an experiment, I slowly erected a small apartment complex.


    By the time I was finished, the apartment complex had swollen to many times its original size and drawn a considerable degree of interest. Although, not all of that interest was particularly positive.


    Reminiscent of a utilitarian concrete monstrosity from the sixties, the building appeared to be structurally sound enough, but it had an unmistakably sterile and soulless quality that was impossible to overlook.


    Without access to Dwergi elevators, I had limited the building to ten floors. I felt that any more than that would no doubt cause accidents and incite unrest on general principles.


    In an attempt to correct a certain degree of the offensive blandness of the building, I added a half wall to the roof and extended the stairs to allow access.


    Circling the building, I tried to introduce details from the older historical buildings I had passed regularly in my home city before coming to this world. However, my efforts met with mixed results and were pale imitations of what I remembered of the originals.


    By no means an architectural masterpiece, I decided that doors, windows, and a bright coat of paint would probably be enough to make the building sufficiently liveable.


    I was surprised when I noticed one of the younger architects looking out of a fourth-story window. A couple of minutes later, three more architects and engineers had joined him.


    As horrifically boring and utilitarian as the building may be, it appeared that the novelty at the least had sparked a significant interest.


    I struggled somewhat to wrap my head around their reactions.


    It wasn¡¯t like multi-story buildings didn¡¯t already exist. Businesses such as inns and bunkhouses already served multiple patrons simultaneously in a similar fashion, and the apartment complex was just a progression toward more efficient space management.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the architects to begin adapting the brutish design into a more aesthetically pleasing form. Under the guidance of the architects, the small army of Ochram¡¯s projections transformed the concrete rectangle into a building that, while tall, wouldn¡¯t otherwise look out of place in the Semenovian capital.


    It was the little things that made the biggest difference. Faux moulding that imitated window and door frames, and shallow grooves in the exterior to mimic bricks and mortar. It was the details that would have driven me mad, but Ochram¡¯s projections didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. They appeared to enjoy bringing out the details, humming happily in a deep rumbling chorus while they worked.


    The apartment complex had taken me about an hour to create from scratch. The Ochrams had erected a close copy beside it in under five minutes.


    Granted, most of my time had been spent trying to recall and refine the overall design, but I also had the benefit of working without mana constraints.


    To make the most of my time, I relegated myself to a supporting role erecting the outer shells and internals, leaving the details and refinement to the Ochrams.


    With the amount of required housing remaining a somewhat vague concept at best, I temporarily diverted my efforts to erect an official structure that would serve as the actual processing centre. With a similar layout to a Department of Transportation building, it featured a large lobby and waiting area that took up half of the space available on the ground floor.


    A long counter separated the lobby from the large meeting rooms beyond and the stairs to the second floor beyond them in turn. The second floor was divided into several dormitories and other facilities instead of offices, intended to serve as temporary housing for whoever would be working at the processing centre. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Behind the processing centre, I made another apartment complex. However, instead of comparatively large spacious rooms, the apartments were limited to a single sleeping space and a washroom. Large by Western prison standards on Earth, the holding areas would provide Gric with a place to send anyone otherwise destined for Acheron or Tartarus.


    After completing the processing centre and detention facility, I turned my attention toward a barracks for the soldiers that would be stationed in the general vicinity to encourage order.


    Instead of going taller, like the apartments, I copied the Asrusian barracks concept. Focused around efficiency rather than comfort, the entire base was composed of less than half a dozen large buildings.


    I then returned to Summoning projections and using my authority to draw large volumes of stone to form foundations, roads, and the rough shells of the apartment buildings.


    While not the destination of the final judgement from ancient Greek myths, given the nature of the waiting involved, I decided to name the isolated territory Asphodel.


    Throughout, Gric had set the soldiers to work harvesting lumber while he kept an eye on the nobles. The latter became much easier after the nobles decided to begin touring the buildings.


    Vadim and his sister Irina were doing their best to project an air of confidence and control in front of the young nobles and the soldiers. I would have believed their confidence to be genuine if Gric hadn¡¯t informed me otherwise.


    The more time I spent developing Asphodel, the more uneasy I felt about the territory set aside for the Semenovians lying fallow. While I could justify spending time and effort on Asphodel as a long-term investment, I wanted the Semenovians to develop their territory mostly on their own.


    The Asrusians were upset enough already and demonstrating favouritism toward their long-time rivals would only make it worse.


    I decided that Asphodel could wait. A processing centre wouldn¡¯t be particularly useful if the people it was intended to process had nowhere else to go.


    It was slightly inefficient, but I cancelled Ochram¡¯s projections prematurely to make it clear that my imminent suggestion was not up for debate.


    ¡°Prince Vidam,¡± I nodded my head slightly as a token sign of respect and then repeated the gesture toward his sister who was otherwise occupied in a debate with one of the engineers.


    ¡°Champion Fharad,¡± Vidam gave me a stiff bow, perhaps uncertain where my assumed position ranked in the overall hierarchy and playing it safe to avoid damaging his father¡¯s political standing.


    ¡°I believe it is time that your artisans'' efforts are redirected toward raising your people¡¯s first city,¡± I advised, injecting a sense of urgency into my tone as a reminder of the events transpiring outside of my Demi-Plane.


    Vidam spared a few moments to look at the cluster of apartment buildings. ¡°Will you be providing further assistance?¡± He asked, trying and subsequently failing to hide his foundering optimism.


    ¡°Not directly, no,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°However, if I may make a suggestion?¡±


    Initially disappointed, Vadim eagerly motioned for me to continue.


    ¡°The Tyrant is willing to provide indirect assistance that will allow your people to proceed on their own. However, the available pool of potential candidates is currently rather limited.¡± I paused and took a few moments to look meaningfully at Irina. ¡°Only a handful of members belonging to your Faction currently possess the attributes required for the Class, and only one is currently in a position to unlock the Class without assistance.¡±


    ¡°My sister? Irina?¡± Vadim guessed hesitantly, ¡°But she already has a Class...¡±


    ¡°She is a potential candidate,¡± I agreed, ¡°But not the one I was referring to. Unfortunately, he elected to stay behind.¡±


    Vadim¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion and concentration. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide. ¡°You don¡¯t mean-¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I interrupted candidly. ¡°However, he appears to have already made his choice, so I strongly recommend resetting the Classes of as many of the remaining candidates as possible.¡± I issued Vadim a quest to that effect that listed the candidates'' names and rewarded him for each candidate that unlocked the Pact Binder Class.


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 64 - Scions of nobility - 3 of 6


    Vadim agreed almost immediately and rushed to his sister¡¯s side to pass along the news.


    Given how productive Ochram had been, I doubted they would find Cin to be a disappointment. As both an Earth Mage and a Daemon, Cin was able to be Summoned by Pact Binders who passed Gric¡¯s discerning standards. With mana stones and the mana of her Summoner as the only restrictions to Cin¡¯s productive output, I had few doubts that the Semenovians would quickly discover how best to streamline the initial development of their city.


    I also had other reasons for recommending the Pact Binder Class.


    One of those reasons was stabilising the Semenovian food supply.


    Currently, the Semenovians were subsisting on whatever supplies of meat the military could secure from the Labyrinths. My general impression was that the military was barely reaching general demand. So, with that in mind, diversification seemed like an ideal measure for both the long and short term.


    Growing crops en masse was Qreet¡¯s specialty and she took a considerable degree of pride in it. She especially enjoyed her unofficial title as ¡®The Lady of the Harvest¡¯.


    Another reason was supplying on-demand medical care from Wraithe.


    No doubt, Wraithe would make her presence known in time and source recruits for a Semenovian branch of her Faction.


    Vadim didn¡¯t waste time, passing through the Breach and returning to the old Semenovian capital just as soon as it appeared.


    ¡°Champion Fharad?¡± Princess Irina appeared quite nervous and made a visible effort not to clutch at the folds of her dress.


    ¡°You want to know more about the Pact Binder Class?¡± I guessed, having put both Irina and her mother the Queen on the list of recommended candidates for the Class.


    Irina nodded.


    ¡°Are you familiar with the Summoner Class?¡± I asked. ¡°The two are really quite similar.¡±


    ¡°Only that it Summons monsters to fight on your behalf,¡± Irina replied with a hint of embarrassment.


    ¡°That¡¯s about the core of it,¡± I confirmed, ¡°The primary difference between the two Classes is that the Summoner creates generic examples of the monster in the same way as the Labyrinths. The Pact Binder creates a projection, a copy of a specific monster complete with all its memories and even Class levels.¡±


    ¡°Wh...really?!¡± Irina gasped in surprise and took a half step closer before getting a grip on her excitement.


    ¡°There are limitations with both Classes,¡± I continued while suppressing an amused smirk. ¡°Spirits, Daemons, Devils and Angels-¡±


    ¡°And Elementals!...¡± Irina interjected enthusiastically, catching me off guard. She blushed and stared down at her feet, ¡°Sorry, I didn''t mean to interrupt...¡±


    ¡°Elementals?¡± I pressed, curious to learn more.


    ¡°Well...¡± Irina fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment before taking a deep steadying breath and regaining her nerve. ¡°Mother says they are a sort of Spirit? Like some of the more exotic undead. Only, instead of wrapping themselves in decaying flesh, they join with an element, like water...I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t realise that is what you meant when you spoke of Spirits earlier...¡±


    I hadn¡¯t, but she didn¡¯t need to know that.


    I nodded sagely in agreement and tried not to look like too much of an idiot. ¡°To unlock the Pact Binder Advanced Class, you must learn the true name of one such individual. If you are lucky, you can leverage that connection to learn the true names of others and add them to your portfolio of Summons.¡±


    Irina nodded to show she was listening, but I could tell that she was distracted.


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, champion Fharad, I was just wondering how I am supposed to learn a true name to unlock the Class?¡± Irina smiled in apology and gave a helpless shrug.


    Gathering my mana, I Summoned Cin¡¯s Projection.


    Easily eight feet tall, even without her armour, the crimson-skinned Daemon stared at me with a confused expression on her Orc-like face for a fraction of a second before recognition flared in her eyes. To my immense relief, Cin opted to remain silent instead of offering a typical greeting announcing my title.


    ¡°This is Irina,¡± I motioned to the Semenovian Princess. ¡°She is considering the Pact Binder Class and requires a true name to unlock it.¡±


    Cin puffed out her chest and smiled broadly, exposing a mouth full of sharp fangs and a long writhing tongue. ¡°You wish to Summon me, mortal?! The almighty Terramancer! Master of Stones! Despoiler of Soils!-¡±


    ¡°Cin...¡± I sighed and resisted the urge to outright chastise her.


    ¡°Sorry...¡± Cin apologised sheepishly. ¡°I was just trying them on for size...¡±


    ¡°To be more like Qreet?¡± I guessed shrewdly.


    Cin¡¯s cheeks turned an odd shade of purple as she blushed with embarrassment.


    ¡°Just give it time, I¡¯m sure the common folk will come up with something,¡± I reassured her, reaching up and patting Cin consolingly on her broad heavily muscled shoulder.


    Irina looked confused, and I couldn¡¯t blame her for it. Cin had many Orcish features and would have been able to pass as one with ease if she didn¡¯t have a large horn protruding from her right temple.


    ¡°Perhaps it would be best if you introduced yourself, properly,¡± I suggested, giving Cin a nudge.


    Cin nodded obediently. ¡°Uh, hello, Human, I am Cin, the Earth Mage. Perhaps you have seen some of my work?¡± She asked optimistically.


    Irina just stared, her mouth hanging slightly agape.


    ¡°I am talking, aren''t I?¡± Cin asked nervously, glancing back at me for reassurance and confirmation. ¡°Ochram said I was talking too much, so I started talking to myself, only in my head instead of with words...¡±


    ¡°I think she is just overwhelmed at having met you,¡± I replied supportively.


    ¡°Oh. Oh!¡± Cin grinned happily and waited patiently for Irina to react.


    ¡°You...You¡¯re a...a...¡± Irina gulped dryly and took a shaky step backward, very nearly tripping on the hem of her skirt.


    ¡°A Daemon, yes,¡± Cin interjected enthusiastically, drawing herself up to her full height with pride once more.


    Somehow, Irina¡¯s face managed to grow a shade paler. ¡°A Daemon...¡± She wheezed breathlessly, eyes wide with terror.


    ¡°A Daemon,¡± I confirmed calmly, ¡°And her name is Cin.¡±


    Irina stared at me incredulously but seemed incapable of making a response.


    ¡°Your mother and father have already been informed, and while I cannot claim that they approve, they at least appear to understand that the Daemons who serve the Tyrant can be trusted,¡± I warned in as neutral a tone as I could manage. ¡°It is by their efforts that the ground you stand upon now, and that of your future city, was torn from the belly of the Labyrinth. These Daemons are not to be confused with those from your stories and rumours. They are different,¡± I smiled at Cin approvingly.


    In some respects, I saw the Daemons as my adopted children. Besides being responsible for their behaviour, I was always proud to find them going above and beyond the rules I had taught them.


    ¡°In time, you will understand,¡± I reassured her. ¡°However, in the meantime, I ask only that you trust in the Tyrant¡¯s judgement and that of your parents.¡±


    Irina closed her eyes and slowly nodded her head, although she appeared less convinced by my argument and more defeated in general.


    A demonstration was in order.


    ¡°Cin, why don¡¯t you show the princess what you can do?¡± I suggested slyly.


    Cin twitched excitedly and her horn gave off a dark red light, ¡°As you command!¡± Cin¡¯s eyes took on a manic intensity and the ground trembled as she thrust her hands toward the sky and five more apartment complexes erupted out of the ground.


    ***** Irina ~ Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Asphodel *****


    Irina could only look on in disbelief as the Daemon, cackling with diabolical glee, erected several more buildings in the span of a handful of seconds.


    The Tyrant¡¯s champion, Fharad, nodded approvingly at the Daemon. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take a close look at the internal structures as well,¡± he warned with a stern yet fond tone. ¡°The layout is simple enough, so I don¡¯t want to find out you cut any corners.¡±


    The Daemon nodded emphatically in agreement, ¡°Of course! I just wanted to ensure I had enough material to work with!¡± She called over her shoulder as she began running toward one of the comparatively older buildings.


    It took Irina a few moments to regain her bearings and puzzle out exactly what was bothering her. ¡°She¡¯s like a child...¡± Irina muttered softly, surprising herself with her observation.


    ¡°In many respects, she is,¡± Fharad agreed, his attention still firmly locked on the Daemon as she disappeared into one of the buildings. ¡°However, underestimating her intelligence would be a mistake.¡±


    Irina elected to remain silent while she considered his words.


    Learning that the monster, the Tyrant, that governed these strange lands consorted with Daemons was quite a shock. However, somehow it was the Daemon¡¯s attitude and behaviour that unsettled her on a more profound level.


    The priests had always insisted that Daemons were little more than bloodthirsty ravenous Beasts that leveraged their perverse cunning to corrupt humanity. Second, only to the evil of Devils, the Daemons were to be purged at any cost.


    Only...This Daemon didn¡¯t seem interested in committing acts of evil and depravity at all.


    ¡°Have you ever considered the stories the monsters tell one another about humans?¡± Fharad was still watching the Daemon¡¯s progress through the building, but it was clear that Irina held his focus and not the Daemon.


    Irena frowned in thought before eventually shaking her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very flattering,¡± Fharad commented dryly. ¡°Butchers, rapists, thieves and slavers. Humanity has been and is all of these things-¡± He raised a hand demanding her patience. ¡°-but people, individuals, can transcend that darkness and become so much more when allowed the opportunity.¡±


    Irina tried not to scowl in disapproval. The last thing she wanted was to make an enemy of the Tyrant¡¯s champion and risk damaging the tenuous alliance her mother and father had forged. ¡°You are saying we are no different than Daemons?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Fharad sighed and slowly shook his head before fixing her with a stern and calculating gaze. ¡°I am saying that Daemons, and by extension, most monsters, can become so much more than their base instincts when given the opportunity. Humans are proof of that.¡±


    Without saying another word, the Tyrant¡¯s champion slowly followed after the Daemon, leaving Irina alone with her thoughts.


    Irina had been involved in the politics of her father¡¯s realm long enough to understand that people, humans, were capable of truly abominable things. However, that did not mean that she would readily accept the flawed premise that a Daemon¡¯s redemption was simply a matter of providing an opportunity.


    ¡°Why not?¡± The cold rasping voice caught Irina entirely by surprise and she very nearly released an embarrassing squeak.


    Turning about to face who had spoken, the embers of Irina¡¯s anger died almost immediately.


    It was another of the Tyrant¡¯s champions, the man who had slain the traitor Baron with a single blow from his fist. Unlike the dark-skinned Fharad, this champion elected to remain fully armoured and kept his face concealed beneath his helm. ¡°Why not?¡± The champion repeated with a hint of impatience in his otherwise arrogant and dismissive tone.


    ¡°Ah, apologies, champion, but I believe I was otherwise distracted and failed to notice the subject of our inquiry...¡± Irina apologised and did her best to curtsy without looking like a bumbling fool.


    Although she could not see his eyes, Irina felt a sudden chill and was convinced that the champion was glaring at her from beneath his helm. ¡°You are quite convinced that your understanding of Daemon nature, despite lacking any evidence to support its voracity, is the truth. Why are you so convinced that a Daemon would be incapable of being more than your petty Angel worshipping sycophants have declared them to be?¡±


    Irina baulked under the verbal onslaught, literally giving ground beneath his ire.


    ¡°If the Tyrant entertained such a small and feeble-minded prejudice, yourself and your people would have been left to rot!¡± The champion snarled quietly. ¡°So do not dare to entertain such thoughts in my presence!¡±


    Irina meekly nodded her head. ¡°I apologise for the unintended offence...¡±


    The champion growled wordlessly at her and then stalked away, directing his attention toward a gaggle of young nobles.


    ¡°Of course, this all happens when Vaddy isn¡¯t here...¡± Irina grouched bitterly. She allowed herself to wallow in her self-pity for a moment. ¡°Ah...maybe it is better that he wasn¡¯t here...¡± As much as Irina would like to see her older brother taken down a peg, she shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if he lost his temper.


    Glancing toward the friendlier of the two champions, Irina¡¯s attention was inexplicably drawn toward the Daemon as well. The two of them were animatedly chatting with one another in a way that seemed oddly familiar, but she couldn¡¯t quite place it.


    As if she felt Irina¡¯s gaze, the Daemon suddenly looked at her and smiled.


    Irina shuddered.


    When the Daemon looked away again, Irina felt a profound surge of relief. However, catching a familiar scent on the wind caused her to tense up worse than before.


    ¡°Irina? Why aren¡¯t you assisting in the construction efforts?¡± Her mother quietly demanded, passing by Irina''s left and continuing toward the Tyrant¡¯s Champion and the crimson Daemon.


    Falling into step behind her mother out of habit, Irina decided it would be best if she didn¡¯t say anything at all. At best, her mother would find something else to chastise her for, and at worst...Well, Irina didn¡¯t want to consider it.


    ¡°I noticed you haven¡¯t unlocked the Pact Binder Advanced Class yet,¡± the queen commented dryly. ¡°Is there a particular reason you are abstaining from your duties?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just...¡± Irina stared briefly at the Daemon and then directed her gaze firmly toward the ground. ¡°No reason...¡± She mumbled dispiritedly. The fact that her mother hadn¡¯t batted an eye at the sight of the Daemon meant she didn¡¯t have a problem with the thought of working with one. Arguing her own reservations would only make things worse, so Irina decided to remain silent.


    In hindsight, Irina realised she should have expected her mother wouldn¡¯t have any moral qualms over dealings with Daemons. After all, they had so much in common with one another...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 64 – Scions of nobility – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 64 ¨C Scions of nobility ¨C Part TwoPlayed around with the format of 66 Part Two which caused the late release, appologies. :)


    The new art comission is now up on the Patreon art post and more are coming soon.


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 64 - Scions of nobility - Part Two


    The arrival of the Semenovian Queen, Katia, signalled a true beginning of the construction of the Semenovian port city and De-Facto capital for their Faction. Unlike her daughter, Katia abandoned her Water Mage Advanced Class and accepted the Pact Binder Advanced Class the moment the offer was presented to her.


    With the Queen prepared to take on the role of leading, or at least directing, the construction efforts for the city, I decided it would save a great deal of time to simply explain things to her rather than repeating myself.


    ¡°At the most basic level, the mana costs associated with Summoning projections of Daemons can be heavily subsidised by offering raw mana stones,¡± I fought to keep my voice even and controlled as I conjured a mana stone from Sanctuary¡¯s treasury into my palm. ¡°The tier of the mana stone directly determines how much mana it can substitute.¡±


    Queen Katia nodded with polite but eager interest, signalling for me to continue.


    Tossing the mana stone to Cin, I released a quiet sigh of relief as my nerves calmed themselves once more and the mounting demands of my addiction ebbed. ¡°Mana stones cannot substitute the use of your mana entirely. However, the amount of mana required is largely dependent on your relationship with the Summoned target and their Arbiter.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, champion Fharad,¡± the Queen pressed her delicate hands together in apology and dipped her head forward slightly in deference. ¡°I am unfamiliar with the title of Arbiter and how their opinion may be improved. Please, forgive my ignorance.¡±


    ¡°It is to be expected,¡± I replied honestly. ¡°If you had known, I would have found it surprising.¡±


    Queen Katia nodded politely and waited for me to elaborate. However, her daughter, Irina, scowled faintly and furrowed her brow distrustfully.


    ¡°Simply put, Daemons have an established hierarchy and the Daemon at the top is recognised as their King or Queen,¡± I explained patiently while gathering my mana. ¡°This monarch controls which Summons will be answered, how much of the raw mana the Daemon answering the Summon will receive for their Evolution, and can even artificially extend a Summon using their mana. Assuming, of course, the monarch has a reason to do so.¡±


    A faint chime rang as a projection of Gric appeared at my side.


    Wearing only an armoured kilt and a few articles of jewellery, Gric made no attempts at hiding his true nature. However, with his original self located somewhere within a few hundred feet of our current position, his projection didn¡¯t appear at all surprised by the Summons or the company he now found himself in.


    Gric made a point of narrowing his eyes slightly at Irina before directing his attention toward the Queen. ¡°I am Gric,¡± he stated with only a nominal degree of interest.


    ¡°Firstborn! Daemon King! Overseer of Sanctuary! Chancellor of the Faction Council! And Tyrant¡¯s representative of the Senate of Species!¡± Cin added excitedly with sycophantic zeal. She looked like she would have continued if I hadn¡¯t given her a silent warning.


    Just as vain as any of his lesser kin, Gric smiled faintly and ever so slightly held himself a little taller.


    Queen Katia bowed low and accompanied the gesture with an elegant curtsy. ¡°It is an honour to make your acquaintance your Majesty. It is my sincerest hope that we may come to a mutually beneficial relationship.¡±


    Gric inclined his head slightly in response, ¡°All shall be as the Tyrant wills,¡± he replied bluntly.


    If the Queen was offended by Gric¡¯s refusal to acknowledge her title, she didn¡¯t show it. ¡°It shall be as you say,¡± she agreed graciously. ¡°Of course, it may be presumptuous of me to assume as much, and yet...I was under the impression that the Tyrant had already made it clear that he supported the efforts to evacuate and house our people.¡±


    Gric stared back at the Queen for several long seconds in absolute silence. ¡°The Tyrant has allowed you to take measures to resettle your people. This is not the same as securing his support or mandate for action.¡±


    Queen Katia¡¯s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly but she managed to maintain her overall expression of gratitude and convivial diplomacy. ¡°That is...disappointing...¡± She admitted, briefly dampening her positive attitude. ¡°However, I do hope that we may come to an amicable agreement amongst ourselves!¡± The Queen implored earnestly.


    ¡°You have nothing I deem valuable with which to trade,¡± Gric stated coldly. However, despite the finality in his tone, Gric did not terminate his projection.


    Which meant there was something he wanted and was simply positioning himself for a better bargaining position.


    Curious to find out what Gric wanted, I decided to stay and watch.


    ¡°If it is a matter of mana stones-¡± The Queen suggested.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Gric interrupted.


    Queen Katia didn¡¯t miss a beat, taking his interruption in stride. ¡°Then perhaps, if myself and my esteemed husband, the King, currently lack a suitable subject of trade, sir might be interested in a deferred payment of some sort instead?¡±


    Gric¡¯s stoic expression shifted slightly in response, betraying, or rather, baiting, the Queen toward the outcome he desired.


    ¡°If sir is willing to accept a deferred payment or agreement for future collaboration, I am vested with the authority to make such a commitment on my people¡¯s behalf,¡± the Queen pressed, seizing on the bait.


    Gric disagreed immediately. Instead, he made an exaggerated show of considering the offer. At least, exaggerated by the established standard of his emotional range of expression that didn¡¯t involve or relate to imminent violence. ¡°A future favour it is then...¡± Gric agreed with pronounced reluctance. Without further warning, Gric terminated the projection.


    ¡°That is another factor to consider when Summoning projections,¡± I cautioned. ¡°The projection is capable of self-termination. Just because you have Summoned them, it doesn¡¯t make them your Slave.¡±


    Queen Katia slowly nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Then how-¡± Irina baulked as she garnered her mother¡¯s undivided attention.


    ¡°How will Gric remember the deal that has been struck?¡± I asked and then looked pointedly at Cin and motioned for her to answer.


    ¡°We remember everything!¡± Cin replied eagerly.


    The Queen winced and her face grew a shade paler.


    ¡°To the best of my knowledge, it is the nature of all projections,¡± I elaborated.


    Already thoroughly cowed by her mother, Irina stiffly nodded her head as means of acknowledgement while staring at the ground.


    ¡°I will leave the rest to your best judgement then,¡± I declared and left them to consider their options on how best to proceed.


    Erecting a tower by the docks, I watched from a distance as the Queen and her cadre of newly initiated Pact Binders set a small army of Daemons to work drawing dark stone structures from the depths of the earth.


    The Semenovians were not playing around.


    With Gric serving as their bridge between worlds, trains of wagons bearing building materials and mana stones arrived with increasing frequency. The mana stones would last all of a handful of minutes before being depleted as more of Cin¡¯s projections were Summoned to join the efforts of the persisting host.


    In a mere handful of hours, the outermost borders of the city had grown to encompass the docks and warehouses I had prepared earlier.


    Unlike the Asrusians, the Semenovians implemented far fewer defensive walls. However, it was not a particularly fair comparison given that each apartment complex was a significant fortification unto itself.


    Despite the buildings still lacking doors and shutters for the windows, I decided that the Semenovians¡¯ progress was sufficient to begin rehousing their first wave of refugees.


    I Summoned a projection of King Savva beside myself atop the tower and gave him a few moments to acclimate to our surroundings.


    ¡°W-Where?...¡± Savva looked in shock at the empty sky before his eyes locked onto the dark grey expanse of the city below.


    ¡°Your new capital,¡± I commented neutrally, ¡°Or at the very least, your first city¡± I amended.


    Savva''s eyes widened still further as new buildings erupted from the earth in rapid succession. ¡°I read the reports...but this?...¡± He slowly shook his head and I caught him glancing at me from the corner of his eye.


    He was afraid.


    Ignoring his fear, I pressed on. ¡°Progress will begin to slow if the Pact Binders do not receive fresh recruits. It¡¯s time to begin evacuating the first city.¡±


    Savva stared blankly back at me for several moments before rallying and returning to his senses. ¡°Right, yes, of course,¡± he agreed, shaking off his awe and focusing on his duty to his people.


    ¡°Which city shall be first?¡± I prompted. I needed to know where to send my champions to reduce the difficulty in forming the Breach at the correct location.


    Savva remained silent for a few moments before nodding determinedly to himself. ¡°Verdantst. It is the city most exposed to the Confederate advance.


    ¡°You will be accompanied by three of the Tyrant¡¯s champions. They will assist you in maintaining order as the city is evacuated,¡± I decided. Dividing my champions seemed like a needless risk given the potential danger, so I decided it would be best to have Randle, Faine and Jayne move as a group and look out for one another.


    ¡°I will see it done!¡± Savva declared decisively. He looked down at the city one last time, his eyes burning with determination as I terminated his projection.


    Briefly Summoning Randle, Faine and Jayne, I passed along their orders and then relocated myself onto the roof of the processing facility within the territory of Asphodel.


    Using most of my mana, I Summoned an armoured projection of Gric and then used my authority to trade its place with the original.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Gric observed calmly, likely having pulled the relevant information from my surface thoughts.


    I nodded and set about conjuring simple furniture to make myself comfortable.


    ¡°Am I permitted to exercise lethal force?¡± Gric asked curiously as he laid out a thick rug and scattered it with cushions.


    ¡°If necessary,¡± I agreed, knowing full well that Gric would take his interpretation from the upper limit that flitted through my mind as I answered the question.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Gric nodded somewhat distractedly. ¡°And the infiltrators?¡± He asked a few moments later as his focus returned.


    ¡°Detain them if possible, and have Sebet collect them,¡± I decided. ¡°If they resist, I trust you to exercise your best judgement.¡±


    Gric made no reply and instead made a point of fluffing a pillow a little more vigorously than he may have done otherwise.


    A long silence passed between us, which was not unusual or otherwise unexpected. Gric¡¯s responsibilities, combined with his highly developed telepathy, often left our interactions dominated by periods of silence. However, this particular stretch of silence held a weight that suggested Gric was attempting, and failing, to determine how best to raise a subject I might find upsetting.


    ¡°Gric, what is it?¡± I asked, prompting him to speak his mind.


    Gric flinched. I doubted anyone else would have noticed the infinitesimally minor twitch in his hands and fingers, but I had known Gric long enough to sense his tells as much as visually recognise them. ¡°I...¡± Gric paused and took several deep breaths. Removing his helmet, he turned to look me straight in the eye.


    The profound degree of doubt and uncertainty in his eyes caught me entirely off guard, but it was nothing compared to the raw and undisguised fear that lay beyond them.


    Even with the abnormal height Sebet had provided to my Human form, Gric was at least a full head taller. However, the slouching of his neck and shoulders that accompanied his uncertainty created something of an optical illusion where I instead felt like Gric was the shorter of the two of us and that he was the one staring up at me instead of the other way around.


    ¡°I...I desire to take a Queen...¡± Gric croaked while rolling his shoulders uncomfortably.


    Already caught off guard, it took me a few moments to properly register what Gric had said. Even so, I still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I desire to take a Queen,¡± Gric repeated quietly.


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± I struggled to find the right words. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought you said...¡± I replied lamely as I struggled to force my brain into action. ¡°Why?¡± I asked, still struggling to wrap my mind around the bizarre shift in events.


    ¡°A King cannot rule alone,¡± Gric replied with absolute certainty. Even so, the answer felt like a deflection.


    Just like the other Daemons, it was difficult to rationalise Gric¡¯s true age against his physical appearance. Not even a single-year-old, Gric possessed the body of a fully grown adult and until this moment, had me convinced he possessed a similar degree of emotional and intellectual maturity.


    ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± I asked, still scrambling to come to grips with the abrupt shift in subject matter and who I was discussing it with.


    Gric¡¯s gaze wavered and he glanced away. ¡°No...¡± He admitted quietly.


    ¡°Sit,¡± I motioned to the cushion he had been preparing earlier and then settled myself down on the rug.


    Gric obediently lowered himself onto the cushion but still seemed unable to look me in the eye.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked curiously, deciding it would be as good a place as any to start. ¡°Who do you intend to take as your Queen?¡±


    Gric fidgeted uncomfortably but said nothing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t offer any advice if you won¡¯t talk to me,¡± I warned him. Although I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I was hardly the best source of advice on the subject in the first place.


    Lash had been the one to initiate our incredibly short and intense courtship. If it had been left to me, I wasn¡¯t convinced I would have had the nerve to actively pursue a relationship at all.


    Gric¡¯s silence dragged on for a handful of minutes before he showed signs of being ready to speak again.


    ¡°Her name is Talia...¡± Gric whispered hoarsely.


    ¡°What is it about her that you think would make her a good Queen?¡± I asked curiously, uncertain of what criteria Gric, or any other Daemon, would find attractive in a potential partner.


    Gric hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think she would make a good Queen?¡± I asked, surprised that Gric didn¡¯t have at least a small list of utilitarian reasons why she would be well suited to the role.


    Gric grunted in irritation and shifted uncomfortably. ¡°I did not say that,¡± he growled. Although the anger seemed to be directed toward himself rather than toward me specifically.


    ¡°What do you like about her then?¡± I asked, shifting tacts.


    Gric blinked in surprise and after several moments raised his gaze to stare at me in confusion.


    I believed I had identified the source of the problem.


    ¡°Gric...Your future Queen, Mate, Wife or whatever, they don¡¯t have to be the perfect person to fill the role of a Queen. You know that, right?¡± I asked supportively.


    Gric¡¯s confusion only appeared to intensify.


    ¡°Who told you otherwise?¡± I did my best to keep my mounting frustration from my voice. It wouldn¡¯t help anyone if I lost my temper with him. Especially since Gric served as the example all the other Daemons followed. Except for Ril, of course.


    ¡°No one told me,¡± Gric replied warily.


    ¡°Then why?¡± I pressed.


    Gric scowled. ¡°The Tyrantess is perfect,¡± he stated definitively. ¡°She commands respect and has the strength to rule in your absence. No one dares to cross her.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s all that matters?¡± The source of Gric¡¯s distress was slowly coming into focus but I had to be certain.


    Gric¡¯s right eye twitched, ¡°Even the Human nobles, they choose wives for their mental strength and aptitude for political intrigue-¡±


    ¡°And you think Talia can¡¯t,¡± I interjected.


    Gric¡¯s reptilian pupils contracted and his lips drew back in a sharp-toothed snarl.


    ¡°Gric,¡± I sighed and raised my open hands to show I intended no harm or offence. ¡°It¡¯s okay if Talia isn¡¯t perfect...¡± It was strange that I had to argue such a thing, but given Gric¡¯s lack of overall life experience, I realised that I should have anticipated it. ¡°Lash isn¡¯t perfect Gric, and that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not perfect either. Far from it even. I know that¡¯s probably difficult for you to accept, but it¡¯s the truth.¡±


    Gric¡¯s aggression subsided and left him looking incredibly uncomfortable.


    ¡°I never would have thought myself capable of being a leader, and I strongly suspect Lash felt the same...¡± I explained wistfully. ¡°I think Lash has taken to it better than I have, but that might be a cultural thing,¡± I mused. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s the difference between being the second absolute authority instead of the first. It¡¯s still an immense degree of pressure, but perhaps it¡¯s because you can take some measure of comfort in the fact that someone else is otherwise responsible regardless of what you decide? I don¡¯t really know for certain.¡± I shrugged helplessly. ¡°Anyway, my point is, few people are naturally gifted leaders. Most people learn on the job and bring their way of doing things. Do you think Senn would lead the others the same way you have?¡±


    Gric slowly shook his head, ¡°No,¡± he agreed.


    Their leadership styles would be incredibly similar, both being Daemons, but elements of their unique personalities would no doubt create a certain degree of difference all on their own.


    ¡°So why does Talia have to be the same as Lash?¡± I was relieved to see that Gric was seriously considering the question instead of dismissing it out of hand.


    Gric frowned but said nothing. Not that I had expected him to do otherwise, but the whole situation had taken me quite by surprise.


    I used my authority to filter through the registry of my subjects. Accounting for variations in the spelling, there were several hundred potential candidates with a name matching the one Gric had provided.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Gric looked confused and profoundly unsettled by his admission.


    ¡°And that bothers you?¡± I pressed.


    Gric nodded but quickly caught himself, ¡°I did not doubt you, I just...It is difficult to understand...¡± He flinched, flashing his fangs and clenching his fists before settling into a cold expressionless state once more.


    I leaned forward and rested my right hand on Gric¡¯s shoulder. I then gave his shoulder an affirmative squeeze, ¡°I¡¯m proud of you Gric. For trying,¡± I elaborated and gave him a reassuring smile.


    There was no telling how much Gric and the other Daemons had diverted from their base nature and what role I played in that divergence. However, given that everyone seemed convinced that Daemons were nothing more than vicious killing machines that lived only for death and destruction, I couldn¡¯t help but feel an immense degree of pride and appreciation that the Daemons had chosen to be different. That they had chosen to be something more.


    A faint smile crept across Gric¡¯s lips and his eyes flashed with pride.


    ¡°Take some time to think things through, and if you still feel the same way about Talia, we can try and figure things out from there, alright?¡± I was a little annoyed at myself for not pushing to uncover Talia¡¯s identity. However, until Gric had worked through his feelings, it didn¡¯t seem appropriate to pursue matters any further.


    Gric nodded and rose to his feet. He replaced his helmet and then casually stepped off of the rooftop.


    A scattered multitude of cries rose in surprise and alarm but were quelled as Gric began assigning the gathered officials and soldiers to their respective posts.


    Remotely viewing my champions, I found Randle, Faine and Jayne standing a short distance behind King Savva alongside a small formation of high-ranking officers.


    The main road of the city was packed to such a degree that it sparked a momentary panic in my mind as I recalled the horrors of Mournbrent. However, the bodies crowding the street belonged to the living, not the undead.


    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Randle warned and nodded toward the sky. ¡°We should probably get into position.¡±


    Following Randle¡¯s withdrawal, my attention was directed toward the savaged lawn of a noble¡¯s estate.


    A deep tunnel had been dug into the earth beneath the estate. Supported by thick beams of timber to prevent a collapse, dim lanterns hanging from the ceiling provided just enough light to illuminate the wooden boards that covered the ground.


    ¡°My Tyrant, we decided a minor degree of subterfuge would assist in maintaining calm during the evacuation,¡± Randle explained hurriedly while retreating into the tunnel.


    In addition to their defensive formation outside of the tunnel entrance, Savva¡¯s elite soldiers were positioned every ten or so feet along the length of the tunnel. However, the tunnel quickly proved to be only ninety feet long.


    At the end of the tunnel, a large group of out-of-uniform soldiers stood behind several horizontal poles that cut across the width of the tunnel. Judging by how the soldiers were positioned, I could only assume that the soldiers would be providing a form of audible deception by walking on the spot to cover for the people carried away by the Breach. The poles would help bear their weight and presumably allow them to continue for longer without becoming exhausted.


    Just like the tunnel itself, it was a rather clever and low-tech solution for a problem I hadn¡¯t fully considered.


    ¡°We thought here would be best, my Tyrant,¡± Randle motioned to a space roughly fifteen feet back from the end of the tunnel before moving out of the way and a short distance back up the tunnel.


    Already gathering my mana, I cleared my mind as best as I could and focused on the indicated section of the tunnel and the distant receiving ground in Asphodel.


    I remained vaguely aware of Randle speaking in the background but I mostly ignored him.


    After several minutes of intense concentration, the Breach was successfully formed and I was able to dial back my concentration by several magnitudes of intensity.


    Randle was already on the move, briskly striding up the length of the tunnel and back toward the entrance.


    After receiving the news from Randle, Savva had his soldiers who were holding back the crowd slowly pull away and begin directing the crowd toward the tunnel.


    With no immediate need to review what was happening on the other side of the Breach, I stopped remotely viewing Randle and tried my best to make myself comfortable.


    Contrary to my initial expectations, it took several minutes before I noticed the sporadic dip and regeneration in my mana that signalled the transportation of the first refugees.


    I could only assume that the refugees had taken some coaxing to enter the tunnel, or that Savva had made some sort of speech before allowing the first wave through.


    After slowly getting to my feet, I looked out over the ledge of the processing building and toward the staggered column of refugees that was slowly making their way down the main road.


    It still surprised me that humans cost so little mana to transport from one location to another simply because humans were considered weaker than monsters. The Breach itself cost more mana to maintain over a single minute than the number of refugees that passed through it during the same amount of time. Of course, once the refugees entered my Demi-Plane, they were automatically converted into monsters, which meant travelling back through the Breach would cost me far more mana. Although a single Human would still cost less mana to transport than a Goblin.


    As if to prove me wrong, a chunk of my mana suddenly evaporated as five monsters passed through the Breach and entered Asphodel.


    <Gric, we have intruders.> I warned, trusting that Gric was monitoring my surface thoughts for just such an eventuality.


    <I have found them.> Gric replied calmly.


    As the procession drew closer to the processing facility I felt a familiar sensation drift through the periphery of my mind as my focus was drawn toward a small cluster of refugees in the middle of the road and close to the front of the procession.


    <Slaves...> Gric¡¯s telepathic communication was strangely distorted and contained several flickering images from memories that were not his own. <Slaves and Confederate infiltrators.>


    Numbering five in all, the infiltrators had stopped in their tracks and drawn together into a defensive formation. Without warning, all but one of the infiltrators collapsed to the ground. The last infiltrator left standing began to collapse but managed to stop themselves at the last moment by widening their stance. However, it only bought the infiltrator a handful of seconds before they collapsed just like the others.


    <The infiltrators have been neutralised.> Gric reported dispassionately. <I suspect that there will be others.> He added shortly afterwards, projecting a stolen memory of a military camp into my mind.


    Taken from the perspective of one of the infiltrators, the memory showed dozens of men and women kneeling before a Confederate commander.


    The original owner of the memory held an intense and bitter hatred for the commander, and I could sense the pain in the periphery of the memory as the Commands anticipated and enforced compliance.


    What I didn''t understand was why the infiltrators had cost so much mana to transport through the Breach.


    <They are not human.> Gric stated, providing another stolen memory that explained the situation better than he could have done.


    The infiltrators were werewolves.


    In their true forms, the infiltrators looked very nearly identical to the hybrid lycanthropes popularised in modern movies. Just like their cinematic counterparts, the second memory made the destructive and violent potential of the infiltrators painfully clear.


    They were intended to be more than just spies. They were the Confederates¡¯ attack dogs. When the attack on the city began, the werewolves would be set loose on the populace, inflicting carnage and sowing chaos through the city.


    However, the evacuation had changed things and no doubt their masters had changed their orders accordingly. Given the extreme interest Mournbrent¡¯s Gateway had attracted, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Confederate commander was hoping to find that the city was being evacuated using another Gateway.


    <More are coming.> Gric warned and I could see him briskly marching down the street toward the first wave of fallen infiltrators.


    <I will handle it.> I replied calmly, already accessing my authority to establish a new rule for inbound travel to my Demi-Plane.


    The solution wasn¡¯t perfect but it would serve for the time being.


    Any other Slaves not under my control, or that of my subjects, would be sent to the cells of Tartarus instead of arriving through the Breach into Asphodel.


    Of course, this meant that any human spies or infiltrators, as well as any monsters acting outside of Enslavement Bonds, would still slip through the net. But that was why I had Gric.


    Mere moments after exercising my authority, several Slaves attempted to pass through the Breach and were redirected to Tartarus. Curiously enough, I didn¡¯t detect a notable spike in mana consumption, so I could only assume that they were human.


    <Have someone warn the others.> I ordered, unwilling to risk the loss in mana it would require to Summon a projection.


    <It will be done.> Gric replied obediently, already diverting his path of approach toward the unconscious infiltrators and waving over one of the soldiers stationed along the side of the road.


    Under other circumstances, I would have simply challenged the Slaves owners for control. However, the Spatial Breach Spell was new to me and I doubted I would be able to maintain it and challenge a decently levelled Slaver at the same time without compromising my efforts towards them both. After seeing what had happened to Gric¡¯s projection that passed through an unstable Breach, I was not willing to take unnecessary risks.


    If keeping the Breach within my line of sight didn¡¯t provide a noticeable reduction in the degree of concentration required to maintain it, I wouldn¡¯t have left myself within striking distance of potential enemies. But it did, so I was resigned to wearing my armour for the immediate and foreseeable future.


    With the number of infiltrators increasing with each passing minute, I wasted no further time in gathering a dedicated guard detail to oversee my safety.


    Given so many lives hinged upon not only my immediate survival but my clarity of focus, I used my authority to draft the services of two dozen high-level Humans from the neutral border Factions and a handful of Kobolds. With a quest offering high rates of compensation based upon both their individual and collective contributions and diligence, none of the draftees appeared to mind the disruption to their plans for the evening.


    Preoccupied with maintaining the Breach, I gradually lost track of time.


    The Alerts informing me of infiltrators being redirected to Tartarus had proven to be a minor distraction in the beginning. However, after a few hours, the novelty had lost its draw factor and I had reached a point where I no longer paid it any attention whatsoever.


    The mind-numbing boredom had been difficult to handle at first, but I found that I could maintain a somewhat zen-like state of meditation provided my bodyguards or the mounting numbers of refugees below didn¡¯t make too much noise beyond the established background levels. Although the lack of stimulation proved to be another problem entirely.


    So I was not particularly put out when Sebet sought me out in person.


    ¡°Forgive the intrusion, but I require your permission to prosecute a raid,¡± Sebet stated with mild impatience, deliberately ignoring the wary stares of my assembled bodyguards.


    It took me a few moments to shift mental gears and consider the ramifications of Sebet¡¯s request.


    As per our agreements, if she was seeking my permission to act, it meant that she wanted to exercise the full range and intensity of her powers. Given that she had a standing list of exceptional circumstances that would allow them to be used without my permission, I could only assume that what Sebet intended was liable to involve a substantial degree of collateral damage or a significant risk of exposing her true nature and identity.


    ¡°Why?¡± I demanded, mentally bracing myself for the potential guilt I would share If I allowed Sebet¡¯s request. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It is a sensitive matter,¡± Sebet replied evasively while staring down one of the humans nearest her. Wearing one of her human disguises, she still gave off a primal sense of danger despite carrying no obvious weapons. <It involves freeing a large number of hostages and Slaves.> Sebet continued telepathically without missing a beat. <I could accomplish a certain degree of success without leveraging the full extent of my Abilities. However, I believe you would agree that these circumstances warrant a more decisive and complete prosecution of our enemy''s forces.>


    A stream of memories filtered through our connection and I felt an intense wave of anger and disgust build up inside of me.


    ¡°You have my permission...¡± I hissed bitterly, doing my best to force down the writhing mass of bile welling up within my guts.


    Sebet made no attempts at hiding her profane hunger and anticipation. If anything, she went out of her way to advertise it, grinning madly and hyperventilating before disappearing into a Breach of her own making.


    As tempted as I was to remotely observe Sebet and confirm events with my own eyes, I knew that it would be a mistake.


    Sebet¡¯s rules of engagement defaulted to one-upmanship, at best, and perverse and endlessly imaginative cruelty for its own sake, at worst. I did not pity murderers and rapists, but I knew that witnessing the things Sebet was capable of, what I was allowing her to do, would chip away at my soul.


    Unfortunately for the Confederates, I was otherwise occupied and wasn¡¯t willing to risk the lives of the refugees just so I could intervene in the operation personally and make alternative arrangements.


    <Fighting has broken out within the city on the other side of the Breach.> Gric reported distractedly. <The Semenovians appear to have things under control, but there have been casualties.>


    <It was inevitable...> I hadn¡¯t meant to send that particular thought through our connection but supporting the Breach made it difficult to filter my projected thoughts. <Do we know how much longer this city will take?> I asked, wanting to put some mental distance between myself and my earlier nihilistic slip.


    <Unclear...I will investigate.> Gric replied determinedly.


    While I waited for Gric to investigate, I absently observed the slow procession of refugees making their way into the processing facility below.


    Working at full capacity, the officials and their support staff would continue through the night until the next shift of their contemporaries were ready to replace them. They had managed to maintain a brisk enough pace so far that only a relative minority of refugees had chosen to leave the ¡®queue¡¯ and take advantage of the apartments to recover.


    Although I suspected the primary reason most of the refugees remained in the column was out of a primal need to seek shelter in the herd. Also, as tired as the refugees may be, the moonlight and torches didn¡¯t cast the apartments in a particularly welcoming light.


    The distribution of food and clean water by the Semenovian soldiers seemed to make some small measure of the difference in setting the refugees at ease. However, the radical shift in their environment was proving to be more than some of them could handle.


    Emotional outbursts and breakdowns were becoming increasingly frequent amongst the newer arrivals and there didn¡¯t seem to be anything more the soldiers could do beyond what they were doing already.


    I was reminded of how much they had lost to the depredations of the Liche and how little time they had been given to adjust to their new reality. The more I thought about it, the more surprised I became by the resilience of those who doggedly continued moving forward.


    If our places were reversed, I wondered if I would have been capable of the same resilience and tenacity...


    ***** Vidam ~ Verdantst / Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane *****


    Tasked with accompanying the rearguard protecting the trailing tail of the refugee column, Vidam knew that his father had given him the responsibility for politically motivated reasons.


    Unlike the commoners from his family¡¯s historical holdings, the precious few of the easterners recognised his house sigil, let alone knew him by name.


    Vidam knew that if he intended to rule over them as his subjects, he needed that to change.


    To be fair, Vidam could appreciate that his father was in the same position.


    Lesser men would be satisfied with accepting the fealty of their vassals and be done with it, but Semenovs were not lesser men.


    It was a common myth amongst the noble houses of the empire that singular heroes were responsible for turning the tides of battle and vanquishing terrible foes. The reality was far simpler. Battles were paid for in blood, and the common folk had considerably more blood to shed than their noble counterparts.


    The earned loyalty of the rank and file was essential in periods of crisis and had demonstrated its worth many times over throughout his family¡¯s history. So it made sense as they struck out into a new and uncertain future that they should prepare themselves for the worst.


    Several flying Beasts carrying Confederate scouts had been spotted circling the city before nightfall and there was no telling how many of them remained or whether they had successfully invaded the city itself.


    The drafted militia lacked the discipline, experience and training to face an organised incursion, so they had been ordered to evacuate alongside the other refugees. Left with only a relative handful of professionally trained soldiers, the city at large had been abandoned in favour of concentrating their forces to protect the civilians against potential infiltrators and vanguard elements of the approaching Confederate army.


    Of course, this meant that the gates to the city were undefended and unmanned. An easy target for the enemy to secure entry to the city. Or at least they would have been under other circumstances.


    Vidam had been informed that the Tyrant¡¯s champions had taken precautions to prevent the gates from falling so easily, but he didn¡¯t know what exactly that entailed.


    Despite his fears of an imminent attack, the night passed without any major incidents and Vidam was able to evacuate alongside his men just before midday.


    Through a magic he didn¡¯t quite understand, Vidam was teleported alongside his father to the site of their new port city and capital.


    Following his father, Vidam tried his best to project an air of confidence and purpose as he walked through the city. The morale of the common folk within the city was higher than those he had left behind, but not by much. However, Vidam struggled to maintain the correct energy as he found himself staring at the multitude of small fortresses that would serve as homes for his subjects.


    Having witnessed firsthand the carnage wrought by the undead, Vidam appreciated the safety and security the fortresses would provide in the event of a similar disaster. Especially now that craftsmen were hard at work fitting doors and shutters as fast as they were able.


    Approaching the docks, Vidam was surprised to find a small fleet of ships bearing the Tyrant¡¯s sigil in the harbour. As he drew closer, Vidam discovered a host of commoners and merchants haggling with a small horde of pale-skinned Goblins, offering coins in exchange for the monsters¡¯ wide selection of wares.


    Having already been warned of the low trading value the coins carried within the Tyrant''s domain, Vidam wasn¡¯t particularly surprised that a number of the wealthier-looking merchants were becoming particularly upset as they learned that their fortunes had quartered overnight.


    In stark contrast, many of the commoners were pleasantly surprised to find their handful of trinkets and tools to be in relatively high demand and command competitive value against the Goblins'' wares.


    For their part, the Goblins offered simple clay jars filled with salt, spices, smoked meats of alarmingly diverse varieties, and oddly enough, a large store of perfectly formed iron ingots.


    ¡°Surprising, isn¡¯t it?¡± His mother commented somewhat distractedly as she made her way through the outer crowd and toward them alongside her guards.


    ¡°Monster mines are not rare,¡± Savva replied hesitantly. ¡°But it is strange that they would offer so much for trade without knowing our needs...¡±


    ¡°I think that is an incorrect assumption,¡± Katia countered and motioned toward a small gathering of older Goblins down the far end of the pier. ¡°Assuming my sources can be trusted, and I don¡¯t see any immediate reasons why they cannot, the spices, preserved meats and iron are the staples of their established cargo.¡±


    ¡°They were not expecting us?¡± Savva asked, giving voice to Vidam¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°Apparently not,¡± his mother smirked wryly and motioned vaguely toward the river. ¡°The Asrusians and a number of the monster tribes have settlements on the river. With the trade routes still in early development, the merchants are only carrying what they know will sell in the frontier settlements.¡±


    ¡°And that is what we are,¡± Savva grunted uncomfortably, making no attempts at arguing against the obvious truth of the matter.


    ¡°For now,¡± Katia agreed, ¡°But I have learned that we may be able to recover faster than we anticipated.¡± She paused for dramatic effect, ignoring her husband¡¯s impatience. ¡°The Tyrant has access to someone capable of creating Gateways.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Vidam snorted, only realising his mistake after the damage was already done.


    His father shot him a narrow-eyed glare in warning, but otherwise left Vidam be. Even before rising in status to become the Crowned Prince, his father had been very particular about how Vidam should present himself and behave in public settings. ¡°You can be sure of this?¡± He asked warily.


    ¡°My source had no cause to lie and given the identity of the Gateway maker, she would be in a prime position to know,¡± his mother replied confidently. ¡°Although I am sure the illustrious representatives of the Tyrant could confirm her existence for us if they so choose.¡±


    ¡°Gateways...¡± Vidam whispered hoarsely under his breath, still unable to accept that the Tyrant would have such capabilities and not make greater use of them.


    ¡°Of course, securing her services will not be easy,¡± his mother warned while steering his father and their collective assemblage back toward the centre of the city once more. ¡°I have been told that she should be considered quite particular with whom she does business and will not hesitate to make outrageous demands if pressured.¡±


    ¡°We can assume the Asrusians already have many Gateways at their disposal then,¡± his father growled irritably, still sore over the agreement he had been forced to make to secure their former enemy¡¯s assistance against the Confederates.


    ¡°I cannot be certain,¡± his mother hedged conspiratorially, ¡°But I strongly suspect that the personal ownership of Gateways is being artificially restricted. Which, if true, means the Asrusians'' advantage is far less significant than we originally feared.¡±


    ¡°We can only hope,¡± his father replied dourly. ¡°This is an immense opportunity, but it feels like we are wandering blind in a blizzard. One wrong step could see us ruined beyond all hope of recovery, and we wouldn¡¯t know it until it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°It is dire, and the path is difficult to see,¡± his mother admitted, ¡°However, the tracks are there. We just need to take things slow while I learn from our rivals'' mistakes. Because you can rest assured that the Tyrant had ulterior motives for this campaign of compassion.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± His father asked guardedly.


    ¡°All the merchants have confirmed that the Asrusians were in a place of favour until quite recently. Then, without warning, they were set aside.¡± His mother rested her index finger against her lips and smirked slyly. ¡°I strongly suspect that their Lord Regent, or most likely one of their high-ranking officers, made a misstep of some kind and soured their relationship with the Tyrant. If true, it would mean that our presence is intended to serve as a means of keeping the Asrusians in check.¡±


    His father¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°We don¡¯t have the resources for that, and it will take months to bring our Kingdom into any semblance of order, and years to become truly stable.¡±


    ¡°Assuming we do not have outside assistance,¡± his mother agreed, her smile widening ever so slightly. ¡°After all, we would be able to fulfil our intended role much more effectively if the right people acknowledged it was in their best interests...¡±


    Vidam wasn¡¯t sure his mother was correct in her assumptions, but he lacked her political instincts and knew better than to second-guess his mother in front of his father.


    Keenly aware that his presence was not required, Vidam decided to seek out the comfort of a warm bed, and with any luck, a warm and willing partner to share it with.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 65 – By my authority – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 65 ¨C By my authority ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 65 - By my authority - Part One


    The monotony of maintaining the Spatial Breach over such a prolonged period had given me ample opportunity to consider a functional alternative that wouldn¡¯t require my direct involvement. Of course, in hindsight, it seemed obvious.


    A Breach-powered Gateway.


    Assuming the Spatial Breach Spell functioned the way I thought it did. It should be possible to make an artifice containing the Spatial Breach Spell with a predetermined destination while powered and maintained by a stockpile of mana stones.


    Using my authority to dismiss my bodyguards and relocate myself to an isolated corner of Acheron, I set about gathering materials to test the viability of my theory.


    Keeping things simple, I embedded a mana stone within a custom-formed stave of stone. While imbuing the stave with the Spatial Breach Spell, I kept my focus fixed on two points within my immediate line of sight.


    If the concept couldn¡¯t function within the simplest parameters, then I would have no use for it.


    Sending a pulse of mana into the stave to trigger the Spell, I felt a mild sense of satisfaction and a profound sense of relief as a pair of inky black voids formed in the distance.


    Planting the bottom end of the stave in the dirt, I released the shaft and began to count.


    Just shy of three minutes passed before the mana stone was depleted and the Spell unravelled. However, despite the short duration, it was the proof of concept I required to justify continuing the experiment at scale.


    Expending half of my total mana, I Summoned a projection of each of my five champions and explained the nature of my experiment as well as the success I had met thus far.


    ¡°It will lack the versatility of a true Gateway,¡± Gric commented neutrally, ¡°However, I support the distancing of yourself from such activities. Your time is too precious to monopolise upon a task that could be delegated to others.¡±


    Currently, in her Euro-model disguise, Sebet made a show of rolling her eyes and crossing her arms across her chest. ¡°My compatriot has a point, Great One,¡± she shivered and looked like she was going to be sick. However, Sebet quickly mastered herself and rallied. ¡°There are other matters that would benefit from your attention, and so long as this evacuation requires your immediate involvement, it represents a risk to your greater interests.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Faine made no attempts at elaborating further, seemingly content with the points Gric and Sebet had already raised.


    Jayne didn¡¯t appear quite so convinced. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to question your assessment, my Tyrant, but what about the concentration component?¡±


    ¡°The Breach wouldn¡¯t have persisted so long if it had required my personal intervention to maintain it,¡± I clarified. ¡°During my experiment, I felt none of the usual mental pressure that I have come to associate with the regular casting of the Spell.¡±


    Jayne didn¡¯t seem fully convinced but didn¡¯t appear to have anything further to say either.


    To be fair to Jayne, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that there was not some form of upward limitation. It just meant that the artifice was capable of maintaining a Breach in test conditions without my interference or input. There was a possibility that the moment someone attempted to pass through the Breach that it would become increasingly unstable.


    Unprompted, Gric and Sebet turned to regard Randle with mild expressions of surprise and approval.


    ¡°That is an interesting proposition,¡± Gric commented.


    ¡°Assuming we can replicate the feat,¡± Sebet added.


    I looked at Randle and waited for him to explain himself.


    ¡°Ah, ahem, well,¡± Randle shifted somewhat uncomfortably before shaking off his surprise. ¡°I was just thinking of the Liche¡¯s arrival using the Spatial Breach Spell,¡± he explained hesitantly. ¡°If we could figure out how the Liche did it, that would let us simply evacuate a city, walls and all in one go. Wouldn¡¯t it?...¡±


    Sebet and Gric both nodded while glaring warily at one another from the corners of their eyes.


    ¡°Well...¡± I paused and seriously considered the matter.


    Increasing the dimensions of the Breach was not an incredibly demanding task. However, it presented several issues that were otherwise mitigated or negated by using a static location.


    Put simply, a city-sized Breach would be glaringly obvious to any spies watching the city in question. Furthermore, the amount of mana required to fuel a Spell that large would draw attention from even the least mana-sensitive individuals for miles around.


    As for stealing the city outright...


    To the best of my knowledge thus far, the Breach didn¡¯t allow the passage of unattended objects. However, that was under the rules that governed the normal version of the Spell. There was a real possibility that the Empowered Spatial Breach Spell was what had allowed the Liche to transport not only its undead hordes but a chunk of the imperial capital as well.


    I still wasn¡¯t convinced that it was a good idea.


    However, combining Randle¡¯s idea with my Gateway emulating artifice was another matter entirely.


    ¡°I will perform a series of tests then,¡± I decided. ¡°Thank you all for your insight.¡±


    Setting aside a recently Conquered territory as an isolated stand-in for a heavily populated city, I then spent a few minutes guesstimating just how many mana stones it would require to transport upwards of half a million humans through a Breach.


    I used my authority to shape a large stone plate roughly the size of a small village. With a wave of my hand, hundreds of recessed pockets formed on the plate''s surface. Raising a plinth at the centre of the plate, I shaped a simple locking mechanism that would hold a corresponding key in place and prevent it from being knocked loose by accident.


    Uncomfortable with handling so many mana stones, especially unsupervised, I Summoned a new projection of Sebet and set her to work laying out the mana stones. At the same time, I imbued the key and plate with the Spatial Breach Spell.


    ¡°And who shall test the stability of the Breach?¡± Sebet asked with a knowing and uncomfortably expectant look in her eyes. She had read my mind. We both knew it. Sebet just wanted me to admit it aloud.


    ¡°Do you...Do you have prisoners due for execution?¡± I had crossed a line and I knew it. Even if I didn¡¯t go through with it and backed down, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet answered eagerly, striking before I had the chance to reconsider. ¡°I have dozens of the truly deserving prepared for just such a contingency!¡±


    ¡°Dozens?...¡± Sebet¡¯s comment caught me momentarily off guard. However, recalling the surge in infiltrators that had been redirected during the evacuation, I realised that the spike had only occurred after Sebet had engaged in her sortie against the Confederate forces.


    ¡°And you have my word that they all thoroughly deserve the worst we can imagine!¡± Sebet pressed fervently. ¡°To feel guilt over their passing would be a sin unto itself!¡±


    I immediately thought of the halfling Anette, and how she had been blinded and kept as a sex slave. Then there were the Elves and...and so many more...


    Anger, guilt and disgust briefly struggled for dominance as more names and faces came unbidden into the forefront of my mind.


    Forcing the emotions down, I took a moment to settle my breathing.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed dourly. ¡°Fetch them.¡±


    A Breach opened only moments later and a man wearing nothing more than a breechcloth tumbled out of the darkness. Perhaps in his late thirties, he bore a multitude of small scars and had a robust physique. Without obvious injuries and otherwise, in peak condition, the man made no attempts at fighting for his freedom or moving to escape.


    He just lay there, twitching and moaning. His eyes were wide with terror, darting to and fro as they searched for something only he could see. Slackened jaw trembling as he cried out in silence.


    Several more men and women joined him a few moments later.


    Sebet¡¯s true self stepped through the Breach and terminated her projection, ¡°To die now would be mercy,¡± she commented, kneeling beside one of the female prisoners and roughly caressing the woman¡¯s face with the claw on her right thumb. ¡°I could show you their crimes as proof, Great One,¡± Sebet suggested somewhat distractedly, ¡°But I suspect you would despise me for it.¡±


    ¡°You have acted under your oaths and contract,¡± I replied quietly, forcing myself to look at the assembled prisoners and not look away. ¡°I¡¯m already complicit.¡± Filled with disgust, I relocated the prisoners to the testing site, scattering them over the territory with minimal thought toward their wellbeing, or toward them at all. ¡°However, you are right...I don¡¯t want to see what they did...¡± I was going to have nightmares either way, but I doubted anything my mind could come up with would be worse than reality.


    I took several minutes to clear my mind before imbuing the Spatial Breach Spell into the combined key and plate of the artifice. Assigning the two Breach locations came easily enough, but I was beginning to realise that I may have been making assumptions about the core elements of the Spell.


    Technically, the Breach occupied two places simultaneously. I had assumed that meant that both ends of the Breach required the same amount of space. But what if I made one side larger than the other?


    ¡°A curious observation, Great One,¡± Sebet commented with a curious smile.


    Gathering her mana, Sebet formed a new Breach of her own. The side closest to her was roughly the same size she had used previously and the other was roughly three times its size. Stepping through the Breach, Sebet reappeared a few moments later on the other side of the larger end of the Breach.


    Sebet passed through both ends of the Breach several more times before dismissing the Spell.


    ¡°I believe that confirms your suspicions, Great One.¡± Sebet appeared quite happy about how things had worked out, although I wasn¡¯t sure precisely why.


    From what I had managed to observe, the distribution of the Breach only determined the available surface area to accommodate the transfer from one end to the other. Entering through one end would allow travelling through the Breach and arrival through its mirrored opposite, even if the exit point was much smaller than the starting point.


    Expanding the dimensions of an active Breach would also theoretically draw a stationary target through to the other side. Although I wasn¡¯t sure how that element of expansion would influence the costs involved in sustaining the Spell overall and whether it would pose a risk to those who were relocated through such a method.


    Combining the use of the Breach with my authority would theoretically allow the collection side of the Breach to be considerably larger. With my Dimensional Authority relocating new arrivals and their belongings automatically, the Breach presumably only needed to be big enough to allow for wagons and handcarts.


    Of course, that was assuming my observations had been correct in the first place.


    I made the changes to the artifice and assigned a new anchoring point for the smaller end of the Breach, just beyond the boundary of the artifice itself.


    After sending a pulse of mana into the artifice, I stepped back and waited as the mana within the artifice began to build in intensity.


    Contrary to my expectations, the overall mana levels channelled by the artifice remained comparatively low.


    ¡°The test subjects have passed through intact,¡± Sebet announced confidently and with a notable degree of disappointment.


    After removing the key and terminating the Breach, I relocated Sebet and myself so we could visually confirm the state of the prisoners.


    Not exactly certain what I had expected, I still found myself somewhat disappointed to find the prisoners loosely piled atop one another and devoid of any obvious signs of significant injury.


    ¡°You anticipated failure?¡± Sebet asked curiously, a hint of amusement twinkling in her eyes.


    ¡°I did,¡± I admitted bluntly. ¡°Interdimensional travel shouldn¡¯t be this easy to mess around with...¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sebet asked, her amusement intensifying as she casually lifted one of the women by her throat and performed a callous investigation of the prisoner¡¯s terror-stricken face. ¡°Your authority provides an incalculable advantage when dealing with such matters,¡± she callously cast the prisoner aside with a sneer of contempt and directed her attention toward the next prisoner. ¡°In this place, you are a god,¡± Sebet observed matter of factly, ¡°Granted, your authority is not yet absolute, but it is only a matter of when and not if you will ascend into your true power.¡±


    Sebet was incapable of lying to me, so I couldn¡¯t dismiss her observations out of hand. However, the idea of being or becoming an all-powerful god didn¡¯t sit well with me. The responsibilities I held already were often more than I could bear, and accumulating more power would only exacerbate that burden further.


    Sebet paused what she was doing and looked at me with the same confused and bemused expression as before, but said nothing before returning to her work.


    Repeating the experiment, I watched as the enlarged Breach rapidly expanded across the testing grounds and consumed the prisoners one by one.


    The utter silence of the Spell lent its appearance and progress across the open ground a profoundly unsettling aura.


    ¡°I estimate the final cost to encompass one of the larger human cities will be close to fifty-tenth Tier mana stones,¡± Sebet announced confidently upon my return. ¡°Compared against the results of the first test and my observations, I am confident ten or more humans could be transferred through a Breach in exchange for a single first Tier stone.¡±


    The potency of mana stones varied wildly according to the Tier of the monster they were taken from, but the average progression rate was roughly five to ten times the value between each Tier.


    Assuming a city had five hundred thousand people, the artifice would require fifty thousand Tier one mana stones. Of course, using higher Tier stones would allow for a far greater margin of error and reduce the preparation time considerably. Assuming everything worked as intended.


    ¡°Do you require another test, Great One?¡± Sebet asked supportively while diligently swapping out the low Tier mana stones from the artifice with higher Tier stones from a satchel hanging from her waist ¡°I believe I could locate a hostile force for a field test,¡± she offered with a predatory grin.


    I very nearly refused out of hand on general principle, but I didn¡¯t quite manage it.


    The artifice required further testing before I was willing to risk innocent civilians, and as uncomfortable as it made me feel, it was far better to use our enemies as test subjects than our people.


    ¡°Do it,¡± I agreed somewhat reluctantly.


    ¡°As you command!¡± Sebet announced eagerly and began gathering mana for another Breach.


    Unwilling to remain unsupervised around so many exposed mana stones, I relocated myself to the top of the tower overlooking the Semenovian port city.


    I passed the time by dividing my attention between watching the city below and tracking Sebet¡¯s progress across the Werrian countryside. However, it didn¡¯t take Sebet long to begin homing in on a large Confederate military encampment.


    The camp was in an incredibly sorry state. Tents free of bloodstains, ragged holes and fire damage were far and few between. Bodies of the fallen were transported just outside of the camp and lined up into neat rows, making it unsettlingly easy to tally the number of their dead.


    It only took a glance for me to determine that the dead significantly outnumbered the living.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a profound sense of relief that the dead were, in fact, dead and not unliving abominations.


    <You did this.> It wasn¡¯t a question. Sebet had found the encampment far too quickly for it to be a coincidence.


    <I did.> Sebet confirmed without a shred of deception or guilt. <Or rather, I am responsible for it.> She clarified. <The war Beasts and combat Slaves I liberated performed the majority of the overall destruction. Fighting so many enemies is difficult when otherwise limited to a human form.>


    I decided that I didn¡¯t want to know the details. Sebet had already been clear about her motivations when she requested permission to act in the first place.


    Returning to Acheron, I recalibrated the stored Spell within the artifice to target the centre of the Confederate camp. Before I had the chance to hesitate and reconsider, I sent a pulse of mana into the artifice and then shifted the entirety of my attention to remotely monitor the camp through Sebet¡¯s perspective.


    Unable to feel the mana building through the remote connection, I was almost as surprised as the soldiers when the Breach suddenly appeared in the centre of the camp. However, that was where the surprise ended for me. Having already witnessed the rapid expansion of the Breach once before, I felt a mild sense of anxiety and impatience over determining the outcome of the test.


    While I had no love for the Confederate soldiers, I didn¡¯t want to discover that any negligence on my part had caused unnecessary suffering. I refused to allow myself to become a sadist.


    Caught entirely by surprise, the soldiers barely had time to register what was happening before being overrun by the boundaries of the Breach as it expanded toward the outer reaches of the camp. A few soldiers on the edge of the camp attempted to flee but didn¡¯t make it far. Despite running as if their lives depended on it, the relentless expansion of the Breach was faster and caught them before they fled more than a few dozen feet.


    <You have taken them all.> Sebet reported with absolute confidence before dashing through the approaching boundary of the Breach herself.


    With a single thought, I redirected Sebet to my location before removing the key and terminating the Spell.


    ¡°I detected no serious injuries during the abduction process, but I will need to visit the dark cells beneath the fortress of Tartarus to be certain,¡± Sebet commented brightly. ¡°Although I strongly suspect that the few injuries I detected were self-inflicted in their attempt to flee or otherwise due to being caught by surprise.¡± She shrugged dismissively, seemingly uncaring regarding such an eventuality.


    I relocated the both of us to the grounds just outside of the inner walls of Sebet¡¯s fortress within Tartarus. ¡°Check them thoroughly.¡± I glanced warily at Sebet¡¯s subordinates, unsure whether the Scouts and Rangers amongst them might have overheard my order.


    My paranoia subsided as I recalled how just about everyone else simply assumed I was the highest ranking champion and acting within the vested authority.


    ¡°That has generally been my observation as well,¡± Sebet commented cheerily as she briskly strode away and toward the entrance to her fortress. She paused suddenly and smiled apologetically, ¡°I must apologise, but I will be delayed somewhat in my return. There is another sensitive matter that requires my attention.¡±


    Keenly aware that I could compel her to elaborate, I resisted the resurgence of paranoia and waved Sebet off to deal with whatever it was that had proven so urgent.


    Wandering the inner grounds surrounding the fortress to pass the time, I discovered a training field that had been absent during my previous visit.


    There was an aura of desperation surrounding the greenest of Sebet¡¯s prospective subordinates that caught me somewhat off guard. They had a manic intensity to them that would have been inspiring if they weren¡¯t so goddamn terrified.


    I briefly considered and summarily rejected inquiring about Sebet¡¯s methods of motivation. Her oaths would have punished her if she was doing anything against my laws. However, there were loopholes regarding anyone who was not one of my subjects, and I could tell at a glance that they weren¡¯t.


    Which meant they were either mercenaries from Mournbrent, spies, or infiltrators that had been caught entering my Demi-Plane and redirected to Sebet¡¯s dungeons.


    I had given Sebet free rein to recruit her subordinates, so I wasn¡¯t upset that she had chosen to recruit and rehabilitate prisoners who would otherwise rot away within her prison. I trusted that Sebet wouldn¡¯t recruit anyone whose prior crimes would have earned a death sentence according to my laws. Sebet was simply too smart to do something that stupid. However, I found it odd that there were so few members of her Faction and still so many recruits.


    Observing the dark haunted eyes of those who had passed Sebet¡¯s recruitment process, I could only imagine that the potential recruits had far worse trials ahead of them than combat and endurance training.


    Once Sebet had concluded her assessment of the captured soldiers and her errand, we returned to the artifice.


    I Summoned projections of my remaining champions and the members of the Semenovian royal family before explaining the function of the artifice.


    ¡°Forgive me, but if I understand correctly, this means the nature of the remaining evacuations will require a different approach. Does it not?¡± Queen Katia asked, more to the group at large rather than me specifically.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Vadim muttered a little too loudly, drawing an angry glare from his father and an exasperated eye roll from his sister.


    ¡°No, he has a point,¡± Sebet nodded in agreement and motioned for Vadim to continue.


    The King and Queen shared worried glances but said nothing.


    ¡°Well...¡± Vadim shifted somewhat uncomfortably before taking a deep steadying breath. ¡°If we plan the evacuation to take place at night, and warn the citizens not to use lanterns or torches, they won¡¯t see the Spell coming until it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°We could say that the lights would attract Confederate scouts...¡± His father agreed with a mild degree of hesitance. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You believe this would work?¡± The Queen asked with a calculating look in her eyes as she divided her attention between her husband, her son, and the artifice.


    The King was quiet for a few moments before nodding to himself with mounting confidence. ¡°It is not a perfect solution, but it will work.¡±


    ¡°What about the infiltrators and scouts?¡± Faine asked warily. ¡°Surely the infiltrators will suspect something and put the scouting units on alert?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a compromise,¡± I admitted honestly. ¡°A trade-off between secrecy and speed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the tunnel ruse will hold up against dedicated scrutiny anyway,¡± Jayne commented. ¡°Even if they assume we had some sort of Gateway and managed to extract it after performing the evacuation. That isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. It might just encourage the Confederate commanders to move up their invasion plans.¡±


    ¡°Or worse-¡± The dark bitterness in Randle¡¯s voice drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°-They might have their infiltrators and saboteurs attack the civilians as a means of distraction while they hunt for a Gateway that doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°My cousin has the right of it,¡± Faine agreed soberly. ¡°Such forces will exact an abominable toll on the populace so long as they believe they can justify the costs against the potential gains-¡±


    ¡°And a Gateway is an immeasurably valuable prize indeed,¡± the Queen agreed quietly.


    ¡°The darkness and curfew will work to our favour then,¡± the King decided. ¡°Patrols will need to be few and far apart, but I doubt that would raise suspicion given the low morale of the drafted militia.¡±


    ¡°You intend to make it easier for them,¡± Gric observed with a hint of approval in his voice. ¡°Then perhaps it would be prudent to take matters a step further.¡±


    The King met Gric¡¯s intense unblinking stare but still showed minor signs of discomfort in doing so. ¡°I am open to suggestions, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Lure your enemies into a trap by deliberately adjusting the deployment of your troops and making a show of fortifying a fake extraction site,¡± Gric suggested helpfully, ¡°Diverting one or two of the more experienced Pact Binders should be sufficient to eliminate any aggressive operation the Confederates might otherwise attempt.¡±


    ¡°Of course, personal Teleportation will still present certain degrees of risk,¡± Sebet commented snarkily. ¡°Unless one or more of the Tyrant¡¯s champions were to intervene?¡±


    ¡°That was my intention,¡± Gric growled darkly, his eyes flashing dangerously.


    Sebet just smirked in response and shrugged innocently.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I warned the two of them before turning my attention back toward the King and Queen. ¡°Assuming this method is adopted, when will the next city be ready for evacuation?¡±


    King Savva hesitated, but only for a moment. ¡°We can have the next city prepared by nightfall.¡±


    ¡°And the next?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°We will do our best to have the remainder in a state of readiness by tomorrow evening!¡± Queen Katia replied hurriedly while giving her husband a light jab with her elbow.


    ¡°Yes!¡± King Savva agreed, taking his wife¡¯s lead, ¡°We will see to the preparations immediately!¡±


    ¡°Then I will not keep you any longer.¡± I dismissed the Semenovians'' projections and turned to face my champions. ¡°I am proud of what we have accomplished so far but do not grow overconfident. Make sure you are well rested and prepared to face any new challenges that may come our way.¡±


    Upon receiving their affirmations, I dismissed their projections and relocated the artifice to the isolated territory that had been part of the test conducted earlier.


    Alone again, I swapped my magical plate and mail armour for generic boiled leathers and then relocated myself to the receiving grounds on the first floor of my Labyrinth.


    Entering one of the larger inns, I paid for a private room. The room had been expensive, but it was clean, spacious, and the bedding was of high quality.


    After locking the door and stripping off my armour, I collapsed onto the bed and closed my eyes.


    Opening my eyes, I stared blankly at the ceiling for several moments before realising the pressure that had been building inside of my mind was gone.


    Despite feeling as if no time had passed at all, the darkness all around me made it clear that I was very much mistaken.


    After somewhat stiffly donning my armour, I slowly made my way downstairs and paid to extend the rental of the room for another evening. The innkeeper was flexible in accepting alternative means of payment, so I made a point of being generous by paying for my lodgings with Elixirs.


    Unlike the mana stones, which fluctuated in value to a certain degree, Elixirs held a consistently appreciating value. There simply wasn¡¯t enough supply to meet the growing demand.


    The Alchemists were aggressively scaling up their operations, but the overall population and by extension, the demand for the Elixirs, was growing faster than they could recruit and train more Alchemists.


    Leaving my Labyrinth behind, I returned to the artifice and slid the key back into place.


    Sebet arrived through a Breach a few moments later. I had no doubts that she intended to indulge in another massacre under the pretence of saving more Slaves. However, despite knowing full well what she intended and why, I also knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to say no without hating myself for it.


    ¡°I believe such measures are now outdated, Great One,¡± Sebet commented with palpable reluctance and regret, catching me thoroughly off guard. ¡°Deploying the Breach artifice would be far more efficient and effective without compromising your moral standards...¡± She gagged as if the very words that came out of her mouth had made her ill. After a few moments, Sebet¡¯s vigour returned. ¡°Besides, they will have no means of escape once they enter your domain.¡± A dark grin spread across her lips, splitting her otherwise human face impossibly wide and forming a toothy crescent that extended from one ear to the other.


    ¡°Gric will be auditing your activities once this is over,¡± I warned her. Reminding Sebet that only the guilty qualified for her special interest and attention.


    ¡°Of course, Great One,¡± Sebet acknowledged, bowing her head respectfully, ¡°I am looking forward to it!¡±


    She was probably telling the truth.


    Sebet and Gric despised one another on a primal level. However, they were both incredibly competitive by nature. Without violence as a means to determine their superiority over one another, they had settled upon ruthlessly auditing each other for potential overreach in their respective authorities.


    Rolling my eyes, I Summoned a projection of King Savva. ¡°Are the preparations complete?¡± I asked while trying not to sound overly excited.


    King Savva nodded grimly. ¡°Our allies were able to leverage their authority and influence to put the city under curfew. Our influence in the east is not sufficient to seize control without eliminating the surviving nobles native to the city. Unfortunately, this left us unable to officially push for the citizenry to prepare their belongings for evacuation...¡±


    That wasn¡¯t good, but it could certainly have been worse.


    ¡°Lord...If I may? I have a question,¡± King Savva asked boldly despite his apparent nervousness.


    Curious, I nodded and waved for him to proceed.


    ¡°We were told of the Tyrant¡¯s Labyrinth, but have not been informed where it is,¡± the King explained worriedly. ¡°As new arrivals and untested vassals, I understand that the Tyrant may hold reservations against us. However, without access to the Labyrinth, my people will suffer greatly. We are already stretched thin doing our best to provide what shelter we can, but gathering sufficient amounts of food is proving beyond our capabilities.¡± He paused and took a handful of deep breaths to steady himself. ¡°If it is within your authority, I would ask you for answers.¡±


    ¡°You are not being punished,¡± I stated firmly. I wanted that to be clear. ¡°Your people have not been issued access to the Labyrinth at this time because the Tyrant has concerns regarding potential outbreaks of violence between members of your Faction and those of the Asrusians.¡±


    King Savva winced. ¡°Apologies, but the result appears to be much the same despite the intentions...Only, it is my people who suffer without even the opportunity to resolve our differences peacefully.¡±


    I sighed and nodded in agreement. He had a point and I wasn¡¯t so proud that I couldn¡¯t see that. ¡°The denial of access was intended to be temporary. Lasting only long enough for you and your people to establish themselves before interacting with the existing Factions en masse.¡± King Savva made as if to speak, but I held up a hand and motioned for him to wait. ¡°The Tyrant will learn of your request, and I suspect he will review his decision in your favour.¡± I stared the King in the eyes and nodded approvingly, ¡°Do not be afraid to raise such issues in the future.¡±


    Visibly relieved, and standing somewhat taller and straighter, King Savva nodded determinedly in return. ¡°I will remember,¡± he promised.


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 65 - By my authority - 3 of 6


    Dismissing Savva¡¯s projection, I began cycling through the remote perspective of my three human Champions until settling on Faine.


    Unlike his two cousins who were standing guard over King Savva indoors, Faine was slowly circling a large but badly damaged fountain in the middle of a deserted road. Illuminated only by the moon and stars above, the white stone of the fountain still held a certain beauty to it that I could not explain or fully understand.


    Faine appeared to be aware that I was watching him and stopped circling the fountain. However, since neither of us had any form of inherent telepathy, I focused on reassigning the external target area for the Breach instead.


    ¡°Forgive me, Great One, but may I try?¡± Sebet asked eagerly.


    I hesitated for a moment but decided against it. ¡°We haven¡¯t tested that yet. I think it would be best to wait for a military target.¡±


    ¡°A wise decision,¡± Sebet agreed amiably, not in the least put out at being denied immediate gratification.


    Sending a pulse of mana through the key, I watched and waited for the Breach to take shape. Within a few moments, the familiar inky black form of the void swallowed up the fountain and Faine along with it.


    With a thought, I relocated Faine to join Sebet and Myself atop the artifice.


    ¡°Any pain or discomfort?¡± I asked anxiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± Faine replied as he took a few unsteady steps before finding his balance again. ¡°I think it¡¯s just the usual dizziness, and that¡¯s clearing up on its own.¡± He paused and considered things for a few moments in silence. ¡°There was a moment where it felt like the rug had slipped beneath my boot, but it happened so quickly that I didn¡¯t have time to react to it before the dizziness set in.¡±


    ¡°That...sort of makes sense considering how you were absorbed into the confines of the Breach, rather than entering under your power...¡± I reasoned somewhat hesitantly. ¡°Although it¡¯s still too early to be certain.¡±


    ¡°How long will the Breach take to evacuate the entire city?¡± Faine asked curiously.


    ¡°At least an hour,¡± I replied, basing my guess on what I had observed from our earlier test against the Confederate encampment. It was slower than I expected, but still much faster than the static emplacement within the tunnel.


    ¡°Hours? Not the entire day?¡± The shocked look on Faine¡¯s face served as a reminder that my expectations needed a certain degree of adjustment. ¡®And the Spell no longer requires you to maintain it?¡± Caught up in his thoughts, Faine stood and stared at the key for a solid minute in complete silence.


    Once Faine returned to his senses, I sent him to assist Gric with processing any human infiltrators, spies or domestic criminals that might be mixed among the newest arrivals.


    ¡°There are bound to be quite a few criminals,¡± Sebet commented cheerily. ¡°They tend to survive and even find ways to thrive during such disasters. Although the extreme political corruption the Werrians enjoy certainly doesn¡¯t hurt either.¡±


    ¡°Enjoyed,¡± I corrected, ¡°Past tense.¡±


    ¡°Ah of course!¡± Sebet readily agreed. ¡°Werrians will cease to exist as a people, soon enough.¡±


    That had not been my intention, but Sebet was correct. Between the mass evacuation and the annexation of the people inhabiting the remaining cities, the Werrians as a collective people would cease to exist.


    For the Confederates, dissolving the Werrians national identity was a key element in preventing rebellion. For me, unconditional adherence to my laws would render core elements of their culture impossible to practise without forfeiting their lives. Between us both, no one would be identified as traditionally Werrian, functionally removing their culture and identity from the global stage. The ruthless and relentless march of time would see to the rest.


    ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not...¡± Sebet shrugged indifferently. To her, it was probably of no real consequence whatsoever.


    Staring up at the sky, I wondered if I would ever reach such a point of casual indifference.


    In many respects, the person I had once been was no more. I had changed because it was the only way I could survive...The only way to protect what mattered to me most...


    ***** Terrance ~ Werrian countryside / Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane *****


    Standing shoulder to shoulder alongside the fellow members of his squad, Terry fought hard against the beast within himself and resisted the urge to launch himself at the young Lieutenant standing only a handful of feet in front of him. As much as he knew he would enjoy ripping the little sadist limb from limb, Terry also knew that now was not the time for rebellion.


    The pain in the core of his mind ebbed as the thoughts of murder subsided.


    Terry caught himself just in time to stop himself from touching the spiked steel collar around his neck.


    A series of involuntary twitches ran through his body as he recalled the mind-shattering pain that had accompanied his previous mistake.


    A fresh wave of anger welled up within him and Terry had to fight hard to push it back down again.


    ¡°Alright, you mangy curs,¡± the Lieutenant sneered contemptuously, ¡°Your assignment is to hunt down and incapacitate any targets matching this description-¡± He held up a large parchment portrait containing a detailed charcoal sketch of a knight in heavily stylised full plate armour. ¡°-Upon securing a target, Sergeant Fivo will arrange for their extraction. Am I understood?¡± His eyes narrowed dangerously, and a perverse smile crept onto his lips, hoping that Terry or one of his squadmates would fail to comply in full.


    ¡°We understand and obey!¡± Terry barked in unison with his squadmates.


    The Lieutenant''s smile fell immediately upon realising no one had resisted or made a mistake. ¡°You had better,¡± he spat contemptuously, glaring balefully at them as he stalked away and toward his tent.


    ¡°That¡¯s our orders then,¡± Sergeant Fivo declared irritably as he stomped to take the Lieutenant¡¯s place. ¡°I know you lot are troublemakers, and I know you would like nothing more than to fry me up like a choice cutlet. But mind me, I¡¯ll give as good as I get before those collars turn your mongrel brains to mush!¡± He warned darkly while thumbing the pommel of his sword. ¡°Don¡¯t need to come to that though...¡± Sergeant Fivo stepped closer, the guard covering his face nearly touching Terry¡¯s nose. ¡°I know you dog soldiers have good hearing,¡± he whispered hoarsely, ¡°So I¡¯ll tell you a secret, just for us, you lot and me. You do right by me, and maybe I forget a few things that happen out there. Yeah? Maybe you pocket a few things, maybe you don''t, but if any of you try to stick me, you can be damned sure my memory will be goddamned perfect. You get me?¡±


    Neither Terry nor his squad mates made a reply, but Sergeant Fivo appeared to take that as an affirmative.


    ¡°Now, the Scout taking us into the city couldn¡¯t get into the fancy district, so I expect things will get quite bloody by the time we reach the targets!¡± The Sergeant chuckled morbidly, ¡°So better keep your ears and eyes sharp, eh?¡± He took a step back as the aforementioned Scout made his appearance.


    ¡°They have put up some sort of cloud Spell,¡± the Scout muttered bitterly, ¡°So we are going in blind...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡± Sergeant Fivo asked with forced optimism.


    The Scout shook his head.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Sergeant Fivo cursed, ¡°And here¡¯s me just one last campaign from retirement!¡±


    ¡°Gets worse,¡± the Scout baited with a wry smirk. ¡°One of Count Lionel¡¯s vanguard units got wiped out. Early investigation says the dog soldiers went nuts and routed the rest of the unit before escaping into the wild.¡±


    ¡°Bugger me...¡± Sergeant Fivo groaned, ¡°And you just had to go and give this lot ideas, didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± the Scout snorted contemptuously and didn¡¯t seem remotely concerned. ¡°I would be worried if I was the one issuing Commands, but I¡¯m not, and neither are you. It doesn¡¯t matter if one of them tries to go for either of us, they''ll just end up dead, and they know that. It¡¯s the Lieutenant and all his favourites that have put big targets on their backs, not us.¡±


    ¡°You got a point,¡± Sergeant Fivo agreed somewhat hesitantly, ¡°And I think anyone who happens to be listening would agree that I am and always have been a rather understanding and accommodating man.¡±


    ¡°Yeesh, I didn¡¯t mean you have to bend over and play house slave,¡± the Scout sneered.


    ¡°Compared to some of the shit his Lordship has had me do over the years, sacrificing my arse to see retirement is not something I would dismiss out of hand!¡± Sergeant Fivo joked and let loose a braying hacking wheeze of a laugh that left Terry convinced the man was choking to death but somehow forgot he was meant to fall dead after running out of air.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that funny,¡± the Scout commented while withdrawing a finely worked cane from a specially made sheathe hanging at his waist.


    Without needing to be asked, Terry lifted his right hand and carefully rested it on the shoulder of the man next to him as the man to Terry¡¯s left did the same.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Sergeant Fivo wheezed, ¡°We had better get moving before the Lieutenant finds an excuse to collar us too!¡± He clapped his right hand down on the Scout''s left shoulder and firmly planted his left hand on Terry¡¯s neck, just above the collar. ¡°And you mind what I said, yeah? No funny stuff and we all come back alive.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard you,¡± Terry growled quietly, fighting the urge not to rip the Sergeant¡¯s arm off. He knew better than to trust in the Sergeant¡¯s promises and the Scout¡¯s attempt at misdirection.


    The core Commands given to every dog soldier were the same. Obey your master above all, and obey the chain of command.


    Both the Scout and Sergeant Fivo were entirely capable of ordering Terry and his squadmates to rip out their throats and bleed to death. And Terry had witnessed Fivo make that exact order for his own amusement to settle a bet while drunk and enjoying a run of well-deserved bad luck at cards.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± the Scout muttered nervously and raised the tip of his cane toward the night sky.


    Anticipating the discomfort that always seemed to accompany magical transportation, Terry braced himself.


    The fleeting sensation of weightlessness jangled his nerves and disappeared a fraction of a second later. However, just as Terry began to relax, a second similar sensation took hold of his senses and caught him unawares.


    Before he could react, the second sensation passed just as quickly as the first and his new surroundings began to assert themselves.


    Surrounded by walls of stone, Terry barely had enough time to register that he had been separated from his squad before the stone walls disappeared and he found himself standing in an open field beneath the night sky.


    Terry¡¯s instincts flared as his enhanced senses alerted him to the imminent danger. He was no longer alone.


    A tall pale-skinned young woman with large bat-like wings and goat-like horns stared at him with piercing green eyes as her long spiked tail flicked excitedly to and fro across the ground. However, despite her fangs and claws, as well as the barely restrained killing intent she gave off in near palpable waves, Terry¡¯s instincts directed his gaze away from her and toward the man standing to her right.


    Despite minor discrepancies, Terry immediately recognised the man¡¯s armour as a match for one of his intended targets.


    Before he could even begin to think, the familiar pain began to build within his mind.


    Acting on instinct alone, the beast inside of him seized control and launched Terry toward his target. His nails hardened into claws, teeth became fangs, and hair grew into fur, as his bones, muscles and sinew broke themselves apart and assumed the physical form of the beast.


    In less than a second, the beast had closed the distance between them and their target. And yet, Terry felt something was very wrong. Beneath the pain driving the beast forward, he could sense its fear. Only pain drove it forward as every instinct screamed for escape.


    For the briefest moment, Terry felt the pain inside of his mind disappear. Then, as if the reprieve had been nothing more than a delusion, the pain returned a hundredfold.


    With a whimper, the beast fled, leaving Terry convulsing on the grass as his brain turned to sludge.


    ¡°No.¡± The voice clove through Terry¡¯s agony and left him gasping for breath as the frayed and thoroughly abused elements of his nervous system reluctantly returned to their thankless task of keeping him alive.


    Trying to push himself to his feet, Terry could only manage to prop himself up on his elbows before succumbing to his exhaustion.


    All the while, the demon woman and the armoured man watched him without saying a word.


    ¡°Terrance.¡± The man¡¯s deep booming voice rumbled like thunder. ¡°That is your name, isn¡¯t it.¡± It was not a question, just a statement of fact.


    Terry struggled to understand how the man knew his name when it wasn¡¯t even written on his Status information.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer my questions,¡± the man continued, not sounding the least bit surprised by Terry¡¯s silence. ¡°But things will go much better if you do.¡±


    ¡°Why-should-I?¡± Terry gasped raggedly. ¡°You-gonna-torture-me?¡± He demanded defiantly.


    ¡°No,¡± the man replied in a somewhat subdued tone. ¡°I am not a sadist...¡± He slowly nodded his head toward the horned woman, ¡°But she is.¡±


    The man allowed his statement to settle, perhaps expecting Terry to provoke him further. However, Terry had noticed the genuine reluctance in the man¡¯s tone and the slowly widening and all too familiar smile on the woman¡¯s lips was unmistakable. He was telling the truth and she would enjoy inflicting pain.


    ¡°I can generally guess at the why of your arrival,¡± the man commented, ¡°But I need specifics if I am to grant you any degree of freedom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s-all?¡± Terry gasped incredulously. He held no loyalty to the Confederates or his former Masters. They could all burn in hell so far as he was concerned, and would, if there was even an iota of justice in the world. But he knew better than to hope.


    ¡°Who did you kill,¡± the man asked quietly, ¡°And why did you do it?¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 65 – By my authority – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 65 ¨C By my authority ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 65 - By my authority - Part Two


    Taking no chances, I reinstated the default Command forbidding attempts of violence against my person and extended it to include Sebet as well. The Command nearly killed the captured Awakened when I seized control over his Enslavement. However, until I had a better idea of his character, I wasn¡¯t leaving anything to chance.


    <He doesn¡¯t appear to understand the intended context of the question.> Sebet warned as the ragged barely clothed Awakened began anxiously working his scruffy bearded jaw.


    ¡°They-sent-for-you,¡± the Awakened wheezed, cringing painfully with each syllable.


    ¡°It appears the Confederate command has noticed our movements and become suspicious,¡± Sebet explained with only mild interest, ¡°Only a capture mission to secure actual intelligence,¡± she rolled her eyes and snorted derisively. ¡°I will know more after I interrogate this Lieutenant,¡± Sebet purred dangerously. She could have communicated through telepathy, so I had to assume that Sebet was speaking aloud to gauge how the Awakened would respond.


    The Awakened just stared at Sebet in fear and confusion. A disappointing, if rather typical, reaction upon realising Sebet could read minds.


    Despite myself, I found that my approximation of the threat posed by the Awakened decreased quite considerably.


    ¡°Let me rephrase the question then,¡± I grunted uncomfortably, mentally preparing in case I was forced to act. ¡°I know you¡¯re from Earth and that you killed someone. I want to know why.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The Awakened wheezed stubbornly, ¡°Why-ask?¡±


    Sebet¡¯s eyes narrowed and her lips tightened in disapproval. ¡°Self-defence,¡± she hissed quietly. ¡°You don¡¯t want to hear the details.¡±


    The Awakened¡¯s fear and confusion turned to anger and shame. Expressions I had come to recognise only too well.


    I suppressed my sympathy and used his reaction to serve as a reminder of why I was screening him in the first place. All of the Awakened were damaged, it was why we were chosen. Without knowing the extent of his self-control, there was no way I would risk releasing him into the general population.


    Oaths or not, each Awakened was capable of unleashing destruction on an immense scale within mere moments and without preparation or warning. ¡°After you died, did you harm anyone outside of the immediate need for self-defence or being Commanded to do so?¡±


    I felt the rage inside of him continue to build. However, for whatever reason, it lacked the feral aspect that had accompanied his earlier transformation. I had already looked at his Status and knew that the rage itself was divided into two parts. The first was an emotional response. The second was a Class Ability and the foundation of his Berserker Advanced Class.


    Very nearly every one of his Class Abilities enhanced or depended upon his mental instability, making him all the more unstable in the process. Making matters worse, his Species'' core Racial Ability depended upon a stable mental state to maintain control during his metamorphic transformation.


    If he was left as he was, he was a little more than a ticking time bomb.


    ¡°No...¡± The awakened wheezed defiantly.


    I looked to Sebet for confirmation, uncertain whether the Awakened was refusing to answer the question or had answered honestly.


    ¡°He has killed, but only when compelled to do so,¡± Sebet commented with mounting interest, ¡°With one exception.¡± She smirked approvingly at the Awakened and tittered in amusement. ¡°One of his Masters was careless and lost his head, hehe.¡±


    ¡°How did you survive?¡± The default Command prohibiting attempted harm against the Master would ordinarily kill a Slave outright if left to run its course. Even assuming that the Master had incredibly low Willpower, he wouldn¡¯t have had much time. And that was assuming that anyone had the motivation to try and save him in the first place.


    ¡°By pure chance,¡± Sebet replied in his stead. ¡°One of the Slavers detected a masterless Slave and seized control before his brain melted.¡±


    I was conflicted. Only one other Awakened hadn¡¯t tried to kill me or those I was responsible for, and Jacque was still something of a wild card. Technically, both she and her son were my subjects. They had sworn the Oaths to abide by my laws, but only while within my extra-dimensional territory. Furthermore, as natural telepaths, neither Sebet nor Gric could read their minds without being noticed.


    I suspected Jacque had simply intended to leave herself and her son with a way out of their obligations should I devolve into a despot or raving lunatic. I doubted I would act any differently if I was in her place.


    But what should I do with Terry?


    At a bare minimum, his Class would have to go. The undermining of his self-control and mental stability in exchange for combat prowess was a disaster waiting to happen.


    In stark contrast to myself, it appeared that Terry¡¯s Willpower had deteriorated during his Enslavement, or had otherwise been incredibly low to begin with. He had a modified Willpower of three and was losing three points to his Advanced Class progression. So even without his Class, Terry would have below-average Willpower.


    ¡°I know I haven¡¯t given you a reason to trust me, and having someone read your mind is a violation of your privacy, but I needed to be sure that you were different from the others,¡± I apologised, conjuring a basket of dried spiced meats and a water skin then tossing them within arms reach.


    ¡°Diff-erent?!¡± Terry snarled, ¡°From-You?!¡±


    I slowly shook my head. ¡°No,¡± I replied grimly. ¡°Different from the others...¡±


    Against my expectations, something in my words appeared to have undermined his anger.


    ¡°The Liche was someone like us, someone from Earth,¡± I explained dryly, pushing back the worst of the memories while trying to remain in the present. ¡°She butchered millions of people and would have kept going if I hadn¡¯t stopped her...So I had to be sure...I have to make sure you aren¡¯t a psycho killer that will begin murdering people the moment I free you from your Enslavement...¡±


    Terry stared up at me in shock and fear, all semblance of resistance and anger had evaporated. ¡°You-killed?!...¡±


    ¡°And several others besides...¡± I replied grimly. ¡°Whoever chose us, chooses who will be reincarnated in this world...They have made damned sure to pick people who have the potential for spreading immense death and destruction...And just to be sure, they take the worst part of who you are, the biggest weakness, the part of yourself you hate most, the thing that will make you the most unstable, and give it a twisted form all its own...¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Terry wheezed incredulously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± I admitted bitterly. ¡°Without some immutable authority to explain, all we have are assumptions and observations...¡±


    Terry took a long draught from the water skin and devoured half of the basket''s contents before working up the nerve for another question. ¡°On Earth, you killed someone too?¡± He had regained a portion of his strength thanks to Iron Gut¡¯s Synergy but was still unable to lift himself off the ground.


    ¡°I did...but I¡¯m not sure if what I remember is what happened...¡± I warned. ¡°I was in my home, at the top of the stairs. Men with knives had broken in and were attacking me...I was bleeding badly...Dying...I threw one of them through the bannisters and...and I think I fell on him...¡± I shook my head and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all a blur. The adrenaline and shock of it all...and I still can¡¯t be certain that¡¯s what happened...¡±


    ¡°So it was self-defence, like me,¡± Terry commented, seemingly choosing what he wanted to hear but looking far less afraid of me than he had been only a few moments prior.


    ¡°If what I remember can be trusted,¡± I replied with a healthy degree of scepticism. There was a very real chance that I had tampered with my memories so they aligned with my existing perceptions of my character. It was a well-documented phenomenon on Earth, so I had to accept that there was a possibility of it being the truth.


    Sebet or Gric could probably confirm the truth of it, but I didn¡¯t want either of them poking around so deeply within my mind. It wasn¡¯t a matter of trust. Simply put, I had nothing to gain by learning the truth, and potentially a great deal to lose. I was better off not knowing for certain. At least for the time being.


    ¡°You said that whoever brought us here, they did things to us...¡± Terry had finally forced himself into a sitting position and was staring at his trembling hands in his lap, ¡°They made us monsters...¡±


    ¡°As best as I can tell, yes,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So you are like me?¡± Terry asked hesitantly.


    I could tell by the way he had asked the question that he wasn¡¯t referring to my just being a monster, but in a far more literal sense. ¡°No,¡± I replied honestly, removing the vambrace from my arm and pulling up the sleeve of the gambeson and mail to expose my tattoo. Triggering the transformation, I fed mana into my armour so it would adjust to the sudden shift in size.


    Terry stared up at me in what I could only assume was a combination of fear and awe. ¡°You...You¡¯re a giant...¡± He breathed hoarsely.


    ¡°Not quite.¡± I removed my helmet and exposed my face for the first time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡± Terry admitted after a drawn-out and rather tense stretch of silence passed between us. ¡°You said they took a weakness and made it real...¡±


    I smiled wryly and nodded. ¡°This is difficult to accept, but my appearance hasn¡¯t changed much since I first arrived,¡± I explained dryly. ¡°I was born with a whole host of genetic abnormalities. Around the time the Shrek movies came out, I earned a rather unpleasant nickname...And whoever brought us here seemed to think the nickname was a good fit, because they made it official. It was the only thing they did...¡±


    Realisation slowly dawned on Terry¡¯s face, ¡°You mean, they made you a-¡± He caught himself at the last moment and by following his sudden shift in focus, I realised my unarmoured hand had balled into a fist without my noticing.


    ¡°An Ogre...yes...¡± I answered in response to the interrupted question. Taking a deep breath I forced myself to calm down. ¡°I have changed somewhat since my arrival, but not as much as you might think. I couldn¡¯t hide in plain sight either.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would have made a difference...¡± Terry muttered bitterly. ¡°They could tell that I wasn¡¯t one of them and sold me into slavery the first chance they got...¡±


    ¡°Because you couldn¡¯t speak the language?¡± I guessed. It was one of the biggest hurdles I would have faced even if I had a more normal appearance.


    Terry nodded. ¡°That was all it took for them to damn me to this hell...¡±


    I wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. Monsters were far too valuable a resource for most people to resist taking advantage of. Slavery, in general practice, was the norm for this world, and that made every man, woman, and child a commodity. Monsters were just the most convenient target due to being othered right out of the gate.


    ¡°Well, Terry, you have a choice,¡± I stated calmly. ¡°Understand that I can¡¯t have someone else like me running around and murdering people, not when I am in a position to stop them. So you have three options.¡±


    Terry tensed defensively but nodded to show he understood.


    ¡°The first option is exile. I will move you to a place where no one will be able to hurt you and you won¡¯t be able to hurt anyone else. However, you will also be utterly alone except for low-level monsters you may hunt for food.¡± I paused for a few moments to allow the gravity of the situation a chance to settle into his mind. ¡°The second option is integration. If you choose to become my subordinate and swear Oaths of fealty to obey me and my laws, you will be free to live just the same as all my other subjects. With the noted condition that you change your Class to one that doesn¡¯t undermine your Willpower...¡±


    ¡°Why? Why would you want me?¡± Terry demanded quietly, narrowing his eyes at me suspiciously. ¡®What¡¯s in it for you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Sebet replied, beating me to the punch. ¡°Nothing except the risk that you might snap at any moment, maiming or badly injuring one or more of the millions of other people he has already taken under his protection.¡±


    Terry baulked. ¡°M-Millions?!¡± He stammered in shock.


    ¡°Millions,¡± Sebet confirmed coldly.


    Terry slumped defeatedly and seemed to collapse in on himself, appearing to shrink in size despite occupying the same amount of space. ¡°Why?...¡±


    ¡°Because I can,¡± I replied somewhat glibly, still adjusting emotional gears. ¡°Because I believe you are worth giving a second chance. A chance to be better, heal, and find happiness and love...¡±


    ¡°Love?!¡± Terry barked incredulously, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing! It¡¯s just a lie people use to justify hurting you! A lie to stop you from fighting back!¡±


    Sebet shrugged subtly, saying nothing.


    ¡°Or, shitty people will use whatever is at their disposal to manipulate you and get what they want,¡± I countered calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you, but that isn¡¯t the whole truth either,¡± I admitted bluntly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you. So I am offering alternatives that are incidentally to your benefit to get what I want. Even if you can¡¯t bring yourself to believe that someone would offer you a chance at a new life out of a sense of genuine benevolence, you can trust me when I say I don¡¯t want to murder you in cold blood. But I will if you leave me no other choice.¡±


    Terry remained deathly silent for what felt like the better part of half an hour. His eyes glared determinedly at the ground, lips twitching and nails digging into the skin of his arms as the rage slowly built up inside.


    Disappointed in myself, I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable.


    Just as I resigned myself to the role of executioner, Terry began to stir. ¡°I...I don¡¯t want to live like this anymore...¡± He croaked.


    My heart sank.


    ¡°I...I¡¯ll swear the oath or whatever...I just don¡¯t want to be a Slave anymore...¡± Terry whimpered defeatedly.


    By the time I overcame my emotional whiplash, Sebet had already coached Terry through the oaths, leaving me with the final task of abolishing his Enslavement.


    Despite fumbling with the latch, Terry insisted, somewhat manically, that he be allowed to remove the collar himself. As the collar came away, it revealed a ragged ring of scar tissue around his neck. Given how cruelly the collar would have chafed during his transformations, I was not surprised.


    ¡°You will be left In Sebet¡¯s care until we can unlock an alternative Advanced Class,¡± I decided after giving the matter some more thought. ¡°It will also allow you to unwind a little and learn more about how I do things differently. Alright?¡±


    Terry nodded numbly while absently rubbing at his neck with a distant expression of disbelief on his face.


    I had never been subjected to the horrors of wearing a collar over any significant amount of time, so I could only imagine how it must feel to be rid of it. However, given his evident trauma, only time would tell if I had made the right decision in sparing his life.


    After sending them both away with my authority, I wasn¡¯t surprised when Sebet returned a short while afterwards through a Breach. After all, I knew what she wanted.


    ¡°You want to use the artifice on the Confederate encampment,¡± I commented neutrally. She had made no secret of her desire to use the artifice for such a purpose, so it was rather obvious.


    Sebet nodded eagerly, ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed with only minimal hesitation.


    The artifice needed further testing, and if it could be operated without my direct involvement, then I would be free to return to my family that much sooner.


    ¡°Restock the mana stones, confirm your target, and then come find me.¡± I was tempted to just hand Sebet the Key and be done with it, but I had a responsibility to take matters seriously.


    ¡°By your will, Great One!¡± Sebet declared cheerily, leaving through the Breach she had maintained throughout.


    Just as Sebet left I felt a new stretch of territory become available for integration. At the same moment, a string of notifications imposed themselves in front of my eyes and completely obstructed my vision.


    [ Conditions for {Intermediate Dimensional Authority} have been met. Candidate {Tim} is now bestowed with {Intermediate Dimensional Authority}. {Conquest} has been upgraded to {Invasion}. Subordinates may now be granted {Limited Dimensional Authority} while in possession of a {Key of Awakening}. ]


    [ {Invasion}: Neutral/Hostile {Dimensional Assets and Territories} can be contested by subordinates possessing the {Overseer} Title without a {Key of Awakening}. A subordinate possessing both the {Overseer} title and a {Key of Awakening} will increase the scale of Neutral/Hostile {Dimensional Assets and Territories} contested by the {Invasion}. Possession of multiple {Keys of Awakening} provides no additional effects. ]


    [ Construction of the {Intermediate Dimensional Plane} and Conversion of existing {Dimensional Assets and Territories} will now commence. ]


    [ Connection to the {Universal Communication Network} status: (Pending...) ]


    [ Connection to the {Universal Communication Network} status: (Error...) ]


    [ Connection to the {Universal Communication Network} status: (Connection Not Found...) ]


    [ Connection to the {Universal Communication Network} status: (Terminated) ]


    [ Connection to the {Awakened Monarch Network} status: (Pending...) ]


    [ Connection to the {Awakened Monarch Network} status: (Error...) ]


    [ Connection to the {Awakened Monarch Network} status: (Error...) ]


    [ Connection to the {Awakened Monarch Network} status: (Error...) ]


    [ Connection to the {Awakened Monarch Network} status: (Error...) ]


    [ Connection to the {Awakened Monarch Network} status: (Connected) ]


    ¡°What the?...¡± To a certain degree, I had been expecting the advancement of the Demi-Plane. I just hadn¡¯t anticipated that things would change to such an extent.


    Leveraging my newly increased authority to search for answers, I was left even more confused than before when just thinking about the pair of networks gave me a grating headache and left me with nothing to show for it.


    Sweating profusely in the wake of the pain, I removed my helmet and conjured a barrel full of cool fresh water to help clear my head.


    As the pain began to recede, Sebet and Gric each stepped out of their respective Breach in near unison. Daemon and Devil alike wore expressions of exaltation and expectation.


    ¡°Great One! We have sensed your ascension and wish to pay our respects in your hour of triumph!¡± Sebet declared with manic intensity, her wings twitching and flapping with every step she made in my direction.


    Far more composed, Gric wore a triumphant grin and his eyes burned with pride. ¡°My Tyrant, this is indeed a well-deserved triumph!¡± He pumped his right fist and clenched it so tightly that his knuckles popped with a loud crack.


    I didn¡¯t doubt that their primary intentions were exactly what they appeared to be. However, I knew Gric and Sebet well enough to be certain that they also wanted promotions. To share in my authority, even in a limited form.


    With a thought, I vested both of them with the newly available Limited Dimensional Authority.


    Essentially, it would allow them to move themselves and others throughout the Intermediate Dimensional Plane at will. It would also allow the reshaping of natural landscapes, but not the relocation of territories.


    ¡°Endless gratitude! Great One!¡± Sebet exclaimed with perverse glee, jogging on the spot and pumping her clawed fists in her excitement.


    Gric dropped to one knee and bowed his head low, ¡°My Tyrant! I will endeavour to prove your trust is well founded!¡± He promised fervently.


    Despite the difference in their outward reactions, I knew that the promotion meant a great deal to them both.


    Sebet wasted no time in jaunting from one side of my Intermediate Dimensional Plane to the other, reshaping a mountain within Tartarus to her likeness within a single second before returning.


    Much to my surprise, Sebet¡¯s desire to test the artifice had only intensified and she wasted no time at all in replacing the mana stones and attempting to bend the artifice to her will. As I had hoped would be the case, the artifice responded to Sebet the same as it had with me.


    Objectively, I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why it shouldn¡¯t have done so, since we both had access to the Dimensional Breach Spell, and the artifice was otherwise just a repository for mana stones. But a part of me had still expected her to fail, or at least suffer a minor setback.


    With Sebet and Gric ready and able to take care of the remaining evacuation efforts, I was tempted to return home and wash my hands of the Semenovian drama altogether. However, as much as I wanted it to be over, I refused to shirk my responsibilities. Even if my remaining role was to watch as my subordinates performed the actual work, I needed to make myself available in the event they needed my leadership.


    The remaining evacuations were scheduled to begin during the next evening. so I spent a couple of hours rigorously assessing options for policy regarding the loan of Overseers to the multitude of Factions scrambling to acquire territory.


    So far as I was aware, my involvement in a Conquest, and presumably an Invasion, was awarded an Overseer alongside a cache of monster eggs. There was a real possibility that a subordinate granted sufficient authority would trigger the same rewards. If true, the number of Overseers would increase exponentially.


    However, it presented a political problem all its own.


    It wouldn¡¯t take the Factions much time at all to realise that Overseers working under my orders were seizing territory far above what they should otherwise be capable of. Stripping Hana of her title had been an exceptional circumstance and I had no intentions of making a habit out of it. Which meant I would hold the monopoly on the services of the Overseers.


    I doubted that appreciating I was sticking to my principles would rank highly amongst the Faction Leaders¡¯ concerns.


    Fortunately, Overseers like Ochram were living beings of free will and not just inanimate objects. Meaning I could leave the terms of their activities up to them if I chose to do so. While I had no intentions of throwing my Overseers into the political deep end, it was nice knowing that I had a certain degree of wiggle room.


    Ultimately, I decided to follow the same taxation principle I already employed with Artefacts. For every four territories seized, three would be allocated to that faction''s use, and the remainder would be mine.


    Assuming the involvement of an Overseer with Limited Dimensional Authority was sufficient to generate additional Overseers, I intended to waive taxation on those territories.


    My military experience, in every regard, was incredibly limited. Seizing territories from the Labyrinths was not particularly complicated. However, there was a great deal of established military infrastructure that made things considerably easier to manage over the long term.


    I needed to establish a standing military of my own, and I intended to make it a priority once the Semenovian refugee crisis was resolved. However, forming an elite fighting force from scratch, and filling the leadership positions required to effectively field it would take time. Which made using friendly and subordinate forces the next best alternative.


    So long as the Factions believed they were getting sufficiently compensated, I doubted there would be any significant problems. It was the transition from that state of affairs to the next that had me concerned. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t anything I could do about it at the moment that wouldn¡¯t make things worse.


    Retiring to the inn, I tried to get as much rest as I could manage.


    As the sun began to set, I left the inn and made my way to Asphodel.


    Looking down the main street I was somewhat surprised to find that only a hundred or so refugees remained to be processed from the previous evacuation. Then I noticed the increased scale of the processing facility. It had nearly doubled in overall size since I had last seen it.


    Using the roof of the processing facility as a vantage point I realised that the number of apartment buildings had nearly quintupled in my absence. Drawn toward movement on the outermost buildings, I relocated myself to investigate further and found Gric patiently erecting three apartment complexes simultaneously.


    Motioning for Gric to continue what he was doing, I watched with interest as Gric meticulously built up the new apartments in a similar fashion to a 3D printer. Using his elevated position to his advantage, Gric was free to work on the building layer by layer and slowly work his way skyward, ensuring each level met his standards before moving on to the next.


    Unlike the apartments I had created, which were little more than empty shells, Gric was shaping fully formed homes, complete with functional doors and windows that could be barred from the inside. Having expected Gric to adhere to more Spartan design principles, I was pleasantly surprised to find upon closer inspection that he had gone so far as to engrave intricate landscapes into the walls.


    ¡°That is not a problem, is it, my Tyrant?¡± Gric asked with the faintest trace of nervousness in his voice.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± I replied hurriedly, ¡°I was just surprised. I¡¯m impressed with what you have accomplished.¡±


    A small smile tugged at the corners of Gric¡¯s mouth. ¡°Gratitude, my Tyrant.¡±


    Watching Gric work, I gained a better understanding of how to shape the stone using authority alone. I lacked Gric¡¯s intense and sustained focus, so I could only work in relatively short bursts. However, the results spoke for themselves.


    ¡°This is?¡± Gric asked curiously.


    ¡°A distribution centre,¡± I answered before relocating the both of us inside.


    ¡°Like a warehouse,¡± Gric commented as he walked around the perimeter.


    ¡°More or less,¡± I agreed. ¡°The general idea is to have workers use this distribution centre as a base while patrolling the main road and offering food and water.¡±


    Gric nodded in understanding and disappeared.


    I issued several quests across all the Factions to secure the materials needed to furbish the distribution centre and secure a small fleet of handcarts. I wasn¡¯t certain of the normal costs of each item, but the rapid rate with which each quest was completed suggested that the rewards I had offered were probably higher than the market rate.


    Recruiting Semenovian and Werrian volunteers was just as simple. Granted, the workforce was older than I would have preferred, but they were motivated and would be accepted far more readily than volunteers I could secure from the other Factions.


    The quests had already divided the workforce into teams according to their roles and they wasted no time in sorting through the materials I had secured and preparing themselves for the night ahead. A large degree of those preparations involved eating a large meal while the cooks prepared monstrously large batches of stew. However, given the sorry state they were in, I doubted they would make it through the night without it.


    Besides the cooks, it was the small army of carpenters that were the busiest of the volunteers.


    Many of the handcarts needed at least some degree of minor changes to begin their new life as food carts. In most cases, it was as simple as raising the railings to increase the number of bread loaves that could be carried without tumbling over the sides. For others, the bed of the carts were reinforced so they could handle more weight than their original owners had intended.


    Each role was rewarded according to their performance in that role, so the carpenters were taking no chances and took every opportunity to improve the handcarts within the allotted time frame.


    Observing their progress was like watching a tv drama during a special time-crunch event. The carpenters all knew that the preparation period presented their best chance for accruing rewards, and they were throwing everything they had into wringing the quest for all it was worth.


    Watching the thousands of volunteers swarming through the distribution centre, it was difficult to reconcile the fact that they probably wouldn''t be enough to satisfy the absurd scale of demand.


    It had taken longer than twenty-four hours to process a single city of refugees. Even assuming that Gric¡¯s expanded workforce would double the rate of processing the refugees, which was unlikely since the new staff wouldn¡¯t be nearly as experienced, there would be concurrent evacuations taking place. A twelve-hour processing rate per city would still leave a backlog that would drag on into the next couple of days. And that was assuming there would be no problems.


    Leaving the distribution centre behind, I was pleased to find that Gric had continued erecting apartments in my absence and had even retrofitted the originals.


    In anticipation of the refugees'' arrival, Semenovian soldiers and militia were arriving in increasingly greater numbers and taking positions along the main road and at the entrances of each of the apartment buildings.


    Gric¡¯s improvements generated a considerable degree of interest and it quickly got to the point that the junior officers had to begin chastising their men for leaving their posts and exploring the apartments.


    King Savva and a host of his vassals and allies were waiting atop a series of raised platforms on the outskirts in preparation to address the incoming refugees and direct them toward the processing centre. The hope was that familiar faces would provide at least some measure of reassurance to the refugees who would otherwise be understandably disoriented and frightened by their sudden change in locale and circumstances.


    With Gric otherwise occupied, I assumed Sebet would be the one who would open the Breach.


    Sure enough, just as I was beginning to wonder when the first wave of evacuations would begin, my authority alerted me to the host of new arrivals entering my Intermediate Dimensional Plane and being redirected to Tartarus, Acheron and Asphodel respectively.


    Fighting back a smile, I watched as the first of the geriatric volunteers began racing down the main road, the lantern swinging madly to and fro as the old man pushing the handcart stacked full of bread attempted to edge out his competition who were only a handful of seconds behind him.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one that found the impromptu cart race to be entertaining. After overcoming their initial surprise, many of the soldiers and even the officers cheered on the volunteers as they raced past them and down the road.


    I couldn¡¯t help but snicker in amusement after I spotted a small cadre of ramshackle carts stacked with spare parts and supplies trailing behind the food carts. It appeared that the carpenters were taking a more proactive approach to securing their rewards. Not that I could blame them.


    Being uprooted from their homes and faced with an utterly alien economy to contend with, it only made sense that they would try to wring every ounce of reward from the quest that they could before the opportunity came to an end.


    The initial excitement took a while to settle down. However, the presence of the volunteers, and the supplies they provided, seemed to go a long way toward maintaining a sense of calm and order to the unending processing of refugees.


    What had me worried was the sheer number of criminals Gric was relocating to Tartarus. I knew Gric was taking his duty seriously and had applied a more lenient standard to account for the actions of the truly desperate. However, while assault and theft were being temporarily overlooked, murder and rape were not.


    Otherwise unable to reconcile the sheer number of individuals being sent to Tartarus, I travelled to Sebet¡¯s fortress so I could get some answers.


    ¡°Forgive me, Great One, but I believe you have underestimated the living conditions of the Slaves within this particular society,¡± Sebet cautioned as she led the way down into the prison below her fortress. ¡°While not worthless, they were not considered people, merely property.¡±


    ¡°I know that...¡± I grunted irritably, still trying to wrap my mind around the sheer numbers at play.


    ¡°Then you know that assault, murder, and rape would be ubiquitous in such a society, provided Slaves were afforded the same legal protections and definitions as a citizen,¡± Sebet stated candidly. ¡°Still, two in every hundred is lower than I had initially expected...¡± She mused distractedly while rubbing her chin. ¡°Perhaps it is because the population was so thoroughly ravaged already? It is hard to be certain...¡±


    As we entered the prison proper, I could see for myself that Sebet had not been exaggerating. The prison had been expanded more than a hundredfold since I last saw it. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Little more than an immense pit, barred walls worked into the sides of the pit forming the cells for the criminals imprisoned within. Each of the hundreds of layers had a thick inner ring that provided a walkway between the cells and a landing for the four Dwergi mechanical elevators that provided access between each layer and the fortress above.


    Looking down into the pit, I could see several Dwergi work teams busily adjusting the landings on several layers. Given the enmity the Dwergi held toward the Werrians, I could only assume that Sebet had negotiated for their services with that fact in mind.


    ¡°I did,¡± Sebet readily admitted, ¡°As well as several dozen warden and guard positions for the maintenance of the prison.¡±


    ¡°They will abuse their positions to get revenge, you know that, don¡¯t you?¡± I complained flatly.


    Sebet nodded and shrugged indifferently, ¡°And now you do as well,¡± she countered. ¡°So the question is whether you will override my decision, or allow it to stand?¡± Sebet had a winning hand and knew it.


    Anyone Gric believed to be capable of rehabilitation would have been sent to Acheron, not Tartarus. Furthermore, Sebet was obliged to send any prisoners who met the conditions for parole forward to Acheron as well. The majority of the soldiers Sebet had abducted had already been relocated.


    However, the problem came from how many people Sebet was capable of processing within a given amount of time, and whether parole candidates would suffer from ¡®accidents¡¯ before having their chance to be processed.


    ¡°I have taken steps to minimise those risks,¡± Sebet declared confidently. ¡°This is the prison for the guilty, and the guilty alone. Those awaiting further scrutiny are held elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Show me,¡± I demanded.


    Sebet bowed her head obediently and the pit I was more familiar with took its place. Or rather, the transition between locations happened so quickly that it tricked my brain into thinking that it was what had happened. ¡°Its scale is adequate for my needs,¡± Sebet explained with a modest shrug. ¡°And I have made a point of leaving no one waiting any longer than a single hour. As much as it pains me to say it, Overseer Gric has a talent for rooting out the bad seeds...¡± An irritated snap from her tail left a deep gouge in the stone wall and floor.


    Using my authority, I could tell that the cells below us were empty, confirming that Sebet had been telling the truth and hadn¡¯t made an idle boast. ¡°Then this is the best I should expect, for now at least,¡± I decided, unwilling to go out on a limb for those that failed to meet the already lenient probation standards.


    At a certain point, actions and choices needed to have consequences.


    ***** Chen ~ Wang Chen¡¯s Interdimensional-Plane ~ Peak of a Thousand Swords *****


    The cold winds rolling off the mountains brought clarity and focus to Chen¡¯s mind as he circulated Healing Chi through his body. All the while, the faint but rich fragrance of the rare mountain grasses and flowers eased his aching spirit.


    Chen¡¯s last battle against his rival, Gim Yi, had very nearly become his last when his rival deployed a new secret technique. A decades-long rivalry had very nearly ended in the blink of an eye.


    Chen scowled as he stared down at the long bloody tear in his robes. Beginning above his right shoulder and ending just above his left hip, the blow had very nearly killed Chen on the spot. He had only survived by sacrificing several powerful Elixirs and ceding the contested territory.


    As bad as the wound had been, the damage to Chen¡¯s pride was worse.


    Shrugging away the damaged portions of his robe, Chen grit his teeth in defiance as the frigid air bit deep into his exposed flesh.


    Pain was the reward for his failure and Chen would not allow himself to shy away from it.


    Chen took what consolation he could in the fact that the divine system allowed him to choose which territories had been lost. Careful management had ensured that he and his rival had more or less been exchanging the same barren stretches of land between one another for the past twenty years. However, as a result of their last battle, Chen was now dangerously close to losing the populated territories of his Hidden Plane.


    Losing the peasants and minor nobles of the outermost territories wasn¡¯t of significant concern. However, losing populated territories would be reflected in his overall rank amongst the other Monarchs, and losing significant ground in the ranks would trigger a feeding frenzy only two Monarchs in living memory had ever survived.


    Chen¡¯s scowl deepened, causing wrinkles to mar his otherwise beautifully immaculate face. With his long waist-length hair already in disarray, Chen paid his appearance no mind. So long as he remained on the Peak of a Thousand Swords, no one, not even his disciples would be able to approach him.


    Allowing his emotions time to settle, Chen conjured new robes and absently cast the bloody rags to the winds. They had not been inherently magical, so they were easy enough to replace. The armour that had once covered them was a different matter but had been lost as one of the conditions of his surrender.


    Magical armour was not particularly difficult to come by, and greater tiers of protection were not excessively rare. However, armour with unique effects that could enhance a Monarch¡¯s Abilities were jealously guarded treasures. Losing the Jade Dragon armour hurt Chen more than the sword that had sheared through his internal organs.


    Hours passed by in near complete silence as Chen reflected upon the battle and what he could have done differently.


    However, the only answer Chen could find was to set aside his pride, and he would rather die than sink to Gim Yi¡¯s level.


    Besides, it no longer mattered. Now that Chen was aware of the seemingly broken sword¡¯s true nature, it was simply a matter of accounting for its hidden length and acting accordingly.


    ¡°Filthy Korean dog!¡± Chen cursed quietly before slowly donning a new robe and descending from the peak.


    Gim Yi was always pulling underhanded tricks to compensate for his innate lack of skill and discipline. Even so, they had rarely worked and had never accomplished anything so devastating.


    In terms of swordsmanship alone, Chen knew he was far superior to Gim Yi. The problem lay in the fact that Gim Yi openly acknowledged this fact and made a point of keeping his distance whenever possible. As a practitioner of sword arts himself, the disadvantage of using weapons outside of his discipline should have made Gim Yi far weaker than he otherwise was. However, for whatever reason, Gim Yi proved almost equally as capable with bows, spears and clubs as he was with the sword.


    Chen suspected foul play.


    Chen had not managed to gather definitive evidence, but the signs all pointed to Gim Yi having unsanctioned support from the divine system.


    Settling his heart, Chen did his best to push thoughts of Gim Yi from his mind. The loss itself was bad enough, but facing his descendants and disciples with a disturbed heart and mind would only invite panic. So long as Chen was in control, he knew they would have no choice but to believe in his previous explanation.


    ¡°The minister of treasury humbly greets the honoured Patriarch!¡± Wang Feng, Chen¡¯s minister of the treasury, announced in greeting while bowing so low at the waist that his forehead very nearly struck the ground between his feet.


    ¡°Minister Feng, I trust you have good cause for seeking me out so soon after exchanging pointers with my old acquaintance...¡± Chen was smiling, but the coldness in his words caused the temperature surrounding them to plummet.


    ¡°A-Ah, n-n-no, I-I m-m-mean y-y-yes!¡± The minister stammered, his teeth chattering noisily. Despite the chill, he remained incredibly excited.


    With a minor effort of will, Chen dispelled the cold air. ¡°Truly?¡± He asked with an expression of mild interest. The minister was responsible for a wide range of duties and most of them were incredibly dull subjects of conversation.


    ¡°Indeed! I swear upon my life, honoured Patriarch!¡± The minister replied with fanatical zeal.


    Wang Feng was not one of Chen¡¯s disciples, nor was he one of Chen¡¯s descendants. He was a man entirely devoid of combat instincts. However, Wang Feng had an unparalleled gift for commerce. It was why Chen entrusted Wang Feng with handling his family¡¯s finances and even allowed him to marry into his clan and take his prestigious family name. It was an honour Chen¡¯s disciples would have sacrificed their right arms to attain.


    Chen motioned for Wang Feng to proceed.


    ¡°A new Monarch has joined the rankings!¡± Wang Feng exclaimed excitedly, ¡°Furthermore, his rating is incredibly low! Even lower than the Turtle King after his loss to the Storm Dragon Prince!¡±


    Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Fresh meat!


    With a flick of his wrist, Chen conjured the divine system interface and the Monarch Rankings. Sure enough, he found a new entry at the bottom of the list. The Monarch¡¯s name was missing, leaving only the title of Tyrant.


    Just as Wang Feng had said, the Tyrant had only one hundred and seven points, leaving the Tyrant trailing far behind the next lowest entry at nine hundred and twelve points.


    There was no way the Tyrant would have any treasures worth fighting over. However, Chen was more interested in something else. He wanted the Tyrant''s territories.


    Without hesitation, Chen used his divine authority to issue a formal challenge against the Tyrant. To his immense delight, Chen received confirmation that his challenge had been received by the Tyrant.


    Reading the confirmation, Chen could hardly suppress his immense surprise and delight at securing the Tyrant¡¯s first mandatory challenge.


    Eyes burning with greed, Chen smiled as he imagined the surprise and horror the Tyrant must be feeling as they read the divine system¡¯s mandatory challenge and its conditions for refusal. In almost every respect, the penalty was worse than losing. Assuming, of course, that your opponent accepted your surrender.


    ¡°Fwa! You have secured the mandatory challenge, honoured Patriarch!¡± Wang Feng exclaimed with pride and sycophantic deference. ¡±I should have expected nothing less!¡±


    ¡°Hrmf, indeed, you shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Chen preened pridefully. ¡°No doubt this bumpkin will attempt to draw out the grace period for all it is worth before accepting the inevitable.¡± Which would suit him just fine. Chen¡¯s wounds had only very recently healed and he still needed time to recover to return to his peak fighting form.


    If such an opportunity hadn¡¯t appeared, Chen would have waited a full week before challenging one of the lower rankers to recover territory.


    ¡°Truly the heavens look upon you with great favour!¡± Wang Feng cheered, buoying Chen¡¯s spirits to greater heights.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Chen agreed with feigned humility.


    Gim Yi might have won the battle, but with the heavens¡¯ favour, Chen was confident that he would ultimately win the war. After all, there were only so many tricks Gim Yi could play before Chen¡¯s blade relieved his head from his shoulders.


    All Chen had to do now was wait for his prey to accept its fate.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 66 – A Monarch’s pride – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 66 ¨C A Monarch¡¯s pride ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 66 - A Monarch¡¯s pride - Part One


    Waves of cold fury dominated my mind as I stared at the gold and crimson notifications fixed in front of my eyes. I had been only a handful of days, at most, from returning to my family and being able to relax. To have events take such an unexpected and dangerous turn was beyond infuriating.


    [ {Divine Patriarch ~ 10623} has issued a {Supremacy Challenge}. The Monarch has ( 23h 59m 37s ) to dictate the terms of the conflict. ]


    [ The penalty for refusing the {Supremacy Challenge} has been escalated due to {Monarch Inactivity} and is temporarily set at ( 50% ) of all {Dimensional Assets and Territories}. ]


    [ Terms of Engagement: The challenged Monarch has the right to determine the scale and stakes of the conflict. The minimum stake is set at ( 1 ) {Standard Territory}. In the event of a Monarch¡¯s death, all remaining {Dimensional Assets and Territories} will be assigned to the Monarch¡¯s designated descendant. ]


    At first glance, the information didn¡¯t make a great deal of sense on its own. However, a fraction of a second later, my authority filled in the gaps and made things clear.


    Divine Patriarch was the title and alias of another Awakened. Like me, he had an extradimensional space and his subjects. The numbers denoted a score and ranking amongst other Awakened. The twenty-four-hour countdown was absolute. If I didn¡¯t provide an answer before it ran out, I would forfeit by default and lose half of all the territories I had taken from the Labyrinths and all the people who lived in them.


    As the challenged party, I had the right to dictate whether we would face one another in a duel, or an outright battle. There was no upper limit on how many subordinates I could allow, and the thought of carnage on such an impossible scale sent shivers down my spine.


    I was also responsible for choosing how many territories would be set as a mandatory wager. The limit that I could set was the number of territories I currently controlled. Or rather, the maximum number of territories was set according to the Monarch with the least territories. I didn¡¯t know how many territories the Divine Patriarch had, just that he had more than me.


    The conflict itself was open to a certain degree of interpretation but the alternatives were no less violent. Similar to ancient honour duels, there was the option to have seconds fight on our behalf if we so chose. So long as there was conflict and lethal combat, the system was disgustingly amenable.


    I had been an idiot to dare to hope that who or whatever controlled the Labyrinths would just leave me be. The conflict was what they had wanted from the beginning, so it made a sick sort of sense that they would take more direct steps toward ensuring that goal was met.


    Refusing the challenge was absolutely out of the question. I had a duty and responsibility to protect my subjects. Based solely on my experiences of other Awakened thus far, I doubted they would be treated with anything approximating basic dignity or respect, let alone be allowed control over their own lives.


    Through a force of will, I suppressed my rage and forced myself to assess my options rationally.


    The challenge presented several significant risks, but it also provided an opportunity., not just for additional territories, but for information.


    I used my mana to Summon projections of Nadine and Clarice alongside my champions. After explaining the situation, I took a certain degree of comfort in the fact that I wasn¡¯t the only one to find the sudden danger of the challenge to be profoundly unsettling.


    ¡°This fucker wants to take advantage of us because he thinks we are weak!¡± Clarice snarled with a feral ferocity burning in her eyes. ¡°I say we take them for all their fucking worth!¡±


    Unsurprisingly, Sebet nodded in agreement while smiling approvingly. ¡°There will never be an opportunity quite like this one, and in exchange for accepting a certain degree of risk, there are considerable gains for your efforts.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s the point?¡± Nadine interjected hurriedly. ¡°These territories, they¡¯re just floors from the Labyrinths, right? Why do you need to take crazy risks?¡± She looked to Gric for support and was emboldened when he motioned for her to continue. ¡°Your increase in authority is going to make seizing more territory from the Labyrinths even faster now, right? So it seems needlessly reckless to risk anything more than the bare minimum. It just isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    Jayne moved to stand beside Nadine as a show of support. ¡°She speaks true, Majesty. We have little to gain, but much to lose-¡±


    ¡°Only if we lose...¡± Randle interjected reservedly, not quite convinced one way or the other.


    ¡°Which would mean the death of his Majesty or his proxy,¡± Faine added pensively. ¡°It would be truly reckless to believe that our enemies will allow a surrender without exacting a punishing price in exchange.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason not to take such risks!¡± Nadine insisted, planting her feet determinedly and fearlessly facing off against the two knights.


    ¡°I believe you have misunderstood my intentions...¡± Faine commented calmly. ¡°Lives are at stake. His Majesty and his proxies will face vicious opponents who intend to take their lives. I would go to my death gladly if it meant the continued peace and security of His Majesty¡¯s realm.¡± His expression hardened and his jaw tightened, ¡°However if His Majesty were to die, everything would be at risk. Valuing His Majesty¡¯s life against a single day''s labour is simply unacceptable!¡±


    ¡°We could wager unpopulated territories to mitigate the risks to civilians,¡± Sebet added in support while riding Faine¡¯s momentum. ¡°Six territories could be made available before the deadline comes due. Providing six more territories than we would have had otherwise. If they are unpopulated, they could be set aside as insurance against future challenges. If they prove otherwise, we may gain access to much-needed information regarding our enemy.¡±


    ¡°We are lacking information required to determine the appropriate degree of risk...¡± Gric agreed bitterly and with visible distaste.


    ¡°So we wager the six then!¡± Clarice insisted animatedly, ¡°That¡¯s gotta hurt them far more than just one!¡±


    ¡°Assuming we win...¡± I commented dryly. ¡°I have yet to defeat a truly dangerous Awakened on my own,¡± I reminded her.


    Each time I had fought an Awakened, I had several allies backing me up or outright taking the lead. Furthermore, my experience with fighting one on one in general was severely lacking.


    There was no telling how many years the Divine Patriarch had been training, or how many rivals he had killed. For all I knew, I could be headed straight for slaughter.


    Nadine grimaced, clenching her teeth and lowering her eyes.


    Sebet stepped forward, ¡°With all due respect, Great One, you should designate a second to fight in your place!¡± She insisted, earning approving nods from the other champions which were accompanied by a combination of acceptance and grim determination.


    ¡°No,¡± I refused to survive by sacrificing the lives of those I was supposed to protect.


    ¡°Then allow us to fight alongside you, my Tyrant!¡± Gric demanded angrily, ¡°You should not face the danger alone!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I agreed with only the faintest trace of hesitation. Facing an unknown enemy on my own would be suicide.


    Of course, that raised the question regarding who I should bring as my backup. Almost immediately, I thought of Ushu and Cooper. However, I was forced to dismiss them as viable candidates. Their incredible size made them well-suited to larger-scale conflicts but incredibly vulnerable to elite enemies. During the fight with the Liche, Ushu had made a point of steering clear of a close-quarters engagement. And if Ushu wasn¡¯t going, there would be no chance whatsoever that he would allow Cooper to go alone.


    All of the Humans and formerly wild monsters were simply too weak. Despite their Class levels, their stat progression and lack of competitively ranked Racial Abilities would make them a liability. Which was a shame given the advanced tactical acumen the Humans had accumulated and built upon over the generations.


    Conversely, most monsters had too few Class levels. Losing established Class levels when changing Classes was a short-term loss for the individual, but collectively it left few individuals within the range regular humans would categorise as elite.


    Only four monsters had high-Class levels and high stats, and their levels were largely due to my funnelling Exp directly toward their level progression.


    Gric and Sebet were each at the peak of their respective Evolutionary potential and were amassing larger volumes of mana with each passing day. Their Classes were not the absolute highest level, but they were the highest Master tier Classes by a substantial margin. Unfortunately, some of their Racial Abilities were designed to exclusively function with members of their Species.


    Ophelia¡¯s Evolutionary progress was not as great as Grick and Sebet¡¯s. However, her Class levels were the highest and her Abilities were entirely metered toward battle.


    Losing out to Ophelia, Lash had the second highest Class level. However, her Evolutionary progress was far lower and there was no way I was going to even consider taking her. If the worst were to happen, and I died, I needed to know that Lash would be able to take care of our children. If she came with me, there would be no way I could guarantee her survival, especially since I couldn¡¯t even guarantee my own.


    Unfortunately, Gric, Sebet and Ophelia all presented a shared yet otherwise unique problem. They all belonged to Species on some sort of heavenly extermination list. Angels wanted them killed on sight.


    A title such as Divine Patriarch didn¡¯t necessarily mean that he had any association or dealings with Angels, but there was no way of knowing he didn¡¯t either.


    Gric, Sebet and Ophelia were all capable of disguising themselves as humans to varying degrees, but there was no way of telling if their disguises would be enough. Making matters worse, while disguised, Sebet and Ophelia would lose a considerable degree of mobility and utility. Leaving me to wonder if perhaps I could power-level Rikit or one of the veteran warriors from Lash¡¯s tribe.


    There was another minor problem as well. Gric, Sebet and Ophelia all lacked Racial Abilities that could Synergise with others. Which meant that I would be the only one providing Abilities that would provide benefits for the group as a whole.


    ¡°You are right to be cautious, Great One,¡± Sebet commented approvingly, surprising the Humans who were not privy to reading my surface thoughts. ¡°Angels can detect their own as readily as breathing. However, they have no such acclimation regarding the detection of Daemon or Devil-kind. On this, I can attest to having witnessed as much first-hand.¡±


    ¡°The Battle-Maiden¡¯s capabilities would be too disadvantaged by such a handicap,¡± Gric stated matter of factly, seemingly pretending as if Sebet had not spoken and that they were in agreement with one another. ¡°It would be far wiser to choose another or to go without.¡±


    ¡°We could, of course, always use Summons to gain beneficial Synergies,¡± Sebet continued after waiting for Gric to finish speaking. ¡°My portfolio may not contain nearly as many options as others,¡± she looked pointedly at Gric, ¡°However, I am certain I can still be of use.¡±


    Gric¡¯s right eyebrow twitched in annoyance but he grunted in agreement.


    ¡°The three of us then,¡± I decided after a lengthy deliberation.


    ¡°Tim...Are you sure about this?¡± Nadine asked quietly. ¡°No one would think less of you-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I interjected bluntly. ¡°If I don¡¯t step up now, it will make the next time that much harder...This is the new normal now. The challenges will keep coming...¡± I tried not to grind my teeth as the mounting stress tightened the tendons in my jaw. ¡°Even if I am not as prepared as I could be, I need to do this.¡±


    Unwilling to have Nadine tempt me further, I dismissed her projection. It was cowardly and underhanded, but I knew myself well enough to know my limits.


    ¡°I need a training montage...¡± I muttered bitterly, wishing that matters could be so simple.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gric agreed soberly, ¡°Training would be the best use of our time.¡±


    ¡°Training?¡± Jayne and her cousins perked up at the mention of the word.


    ¡°I wish to volunteer our services, Majesty!¡± Randle declared with earnest determination, earning immediate shows of support from Faine and Jayne.


    ¡°They are the best qualified,¡± Sebet commented approvingly. ¡°Amongst those who are aware of your alternative identity, at any rate,¡± she qualified before Gric had an opportunity to correct her. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t forget about me!¡± Clarice demanded irritably, ¡°I might not have their noble training or whatever, but I bet I know a thing or two that they don¡¯t!¡±


    Sebet smirked lasciviously, causing Clarice¡¯s cheeks to flush.


    ¡°A-About fighting to win!¡± Clarice barked while deliberately avoiding eye contact with Sebet. ¡°Winning is what matters! So you need to know how to fight dirty!¡±


    ¡°Victory by any means,¡± Gric rumbled approvingly.


    With no better time than the present, I conjured a magical club from Sanctuary¡¯s treasury and got to work.


    Knowing full well that a last-minute training montage wouldn¡¯t magically make me a better fighter, I was still confident that the training was necessary to prepare my state of mind for the battle ahead.


    With projections of Faine, Jayne and Randle swapping in and out as my opponent, I divided my efforts between my Human and true form. I had no way of knowing the Divine patriarch¡¯s size or the Abilities he would have access to.


    The name gave me cause to suspect that he was some sort of Eastern martial arts devotee from a manga or old badly dubbed movie. However, the name could just as easily fit a high-ranking clergyman.


    To that end, my sparring against the three knights was not limited to traditional melee combat. As projections, they were free to burn through their mana at a truly alarming rate without the need to worry about downtime recovery. After all, the mana was all mine to begin with and I could regenerate their entire supply within a matter of minutes between bouts.


    To a certain degree, Faine, Randle and Jayne had initially pulled their respective punches. However, as our training continued, and they became more comfortable with the idea of harming me for my good, the trio collectively made it clear that the kids'' gloves were coming off.


    Fighting was easier in my Human form but far more dangerous. My defensive and offensive Racial Abilities were made considerably weaker due to the proportional differences in anatomy and scale. I was still profoundly stronger and sturdier than any human, but for the sake of preparedness, the knights¡¯ projections were as well.


    The difference was so extreme when fighting in my true form, that I had to check with the projections several times just to make sure that they were benefiting from my Synergies. With magical armour intercepting the overwhelming majority of attacks and my Toughness soaking the rest, I took very little actual damage.


    Of course, Spells made everything considerably more complicated.


    Technically, Barrier was able to cancel just about anything. It was expensive to maintain, but usually, a single pulse was enough to counter any given Spell. However, therein lay the problem. It was immensely difficult to practise fighting against a spellcaster when both parties could just effortlessly counter the other¡¯s Spells.


    Making matters worse, a handful of Spells had to remain strictly off-limits due to their inherent dangers.


    Even so, we did our best to replicate real combat conditions as closely as possible. All the while, the deadline remained in my peripheral vision. Hours, minutes and seconds slipped away with increasing speed as I became more engaged in the training.


    All too soon, I found myself left with a single hour remaining. Calling an end to the training, I dismissed the projections, stripped off my armour and assumed my true form.


    With a pulse of mana, I Summoned short-lived projections of my children.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Already larger than most humans, Suzy tackled my right leg and smushed her chubby cheek into my thigh while grinning up at me with unrestrained excitement.


    Pete approached at a comparatively more subdued pace to his sister but was smiling broadly. ¡°Up!¡± He demanded, raising both arms and flexing his webbed fingers.


    ¡°Ups!¡± Suzy chorused excitedly, grabbing hold of my right arm and swinging off of my forearm as I bent down and lifted Pete with my left.


    Pete pressed his face against my chest and hugged me with open arms.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± I gave them both a brief squeeze and couldn¡¯t help but smile as Suzy and Pete positively thrummed in response.


    ¡°Miss you!¡± Suzy parroted, rubbing her face against my chest and leaving trails of mucus I preferred to remain unidentified.


    ¡°Mum, miss you too,¡± Pete added somewhat reservedly.


    ¡°Mummy sad!¡± Suzy agreed energetically despite remaining otherwise focused on spreading the unidentified mucus.


    ¡°Mum should see too,¡± Pete suggested in a determined tone that took me by surprise.


    I had never spent time around children as an adult while on Earth, so my expectations were somewhat malleable. The rapid physical development of monsters was something I had come to accept as relatively normal. However, the social and neurological development was something I doubted I would ever truly become comfortable with.


    Earthling babies and children were a blank canvas and needed to learn everything from scratch. Monster children were proving to be very different. Beginning life with a reserve of imprinted knowledge radically altered their mental development.


    I had intended to Summon Lash from the beginning, but the twins'' perceptiveness still caught me momentarily off guard.


    ¡°I agree,¡± I gave them both another squeeze and Summoned a projection of Lash.


    The Summoning process provided a certain degree of expectation for the projections to follow, but the way Lash¡¯s amethyst eyes lit up as she looked at me made my heart skip a beat before hammering into high gear.


    Without saying a word, Lash threw herself against my chest with enough force to drive the air from my lungs before wrapping one of her arms around Pete¡¯s legs and the other around Suzy¡¯s waist with considerably greater care than she had shown me. Not that it mattered. Lash could break three of my ribs for all I cared, I would still be happy to see her.


    Suzy giggled and squealed with delight, wriggling and squirming between the two of us like a snotty monkey while Pete wore a self-satisfied smile and lightly kicked his legs against Lash¡¯s exposed side. Not that Lash seemed to mind.


    Deciding that Lash deserved the truth, I explained the truth of why I had Summoned projections of her and the children rather than returning home in person.


    As always, Lash surprised me with how readily she accepted the reality of the situation. Lash was by no means happy about it and was somewhat concerned, but mostly she was just angry at our enemies. Although I wasn¡¯t sure how much of it was an act just to give me peace of mind. In either case, I appreciated it.


    I had deliberately provided Pete and Suzy¡¯s projections with only enough mana for roughly ten minutes each, so I made sure to tell them both how much I loved them and gave them another hug before they disappeared.


    ¡°You do not expect victory,¡± Lash commented quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated...¡± I replied hesitantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this guy is capable of or how strong they are. I know that winning isn¡¯t impossible. Even if I had to fight the Liche one on one, I believe I could have destroyed her. It¡¯s just...¡± I struggled to find the words to express the maelstrom of thoughts crashing through my mind and failed.


    Lash stared up at me with her glowing amethyst eyes, genuine concern warring in their depths, ¡°You are afraid you will return broken.¡±


    I nodded. There was more to it than that, but ultimately I was afraid of turning into someone, or rather, something, that would be a danger to my family.


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Lash insisted with irreproachable confidence. ¡°You will defeat our enemies and return home to us,¡± her tone shifted and took on a measure of demand to match her confidence.


    Despite myself, I had to fight hard not to smile. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I agreed determinedly, ¡°When this is over, I will return home.¡±


    Lash stared intensely into my eyes for a few moments before nodding in satisfaction and resting her head against my chest. I held her tight until the mana sustaining her projection ran out and I was left alone once more.


    Returning to my Human form, I donned my armour and waited for Gric and Sebet¡¯s arrival. While I waited, I formed a simple spiked club out of stone and then used my blood to Empower the Shape Stone Spell to make it supernaturally resilient.


    After hanging the other club from my belt, I decided to be somewhat creative and test an idea that had been forming in my mind for quite some time.


    Conjuring a rope, I cut it into roughly footlong lengths and then tied a large knot at the end of each piece. Using my authority, I then shaped small nearly fist-sized spheres around the end of each rope bearing the knot. It took a few tries to get them just how I wanted but I was satisfied with the final results.


    Tying a smaller knot around the other end of each section of rope, I used the second knot to hang six of the improvised weapons from the belt on my left side. The knots prevented the rope from slipping through on its own but weren¡¯t so big that a decent tug couldn¡¯t pull them free.


    Gric and Sebet arrived in person shortly afterwards.


    Gric had chosen armour similar to my own but with more manoeuvrability and less overall protection. He carried a winged mace in his right hand and had a spare hanging from his belt.


    Sebet¡¯s armour was surprisingly conservative compared to what I had expected. She had chosen a set of studded boiled leather with an open-faced steel helmet and banded steel vambraces. Unsurprisingly, she carried a whip on each hip and a small collection of knives beside.


    ¡°What are they?¡± Sebet asked curiously, leaning down and pointing animatedly at the stone balls hanging from my belt. ¡°A form of simulacra to shame our enemies and announce our sexual prowess?¡± She asked hopefully.


    ¡°Not as such, no...¡± I replied awkwardly. ¡°They¡¯re weapons.¡±


    ¡°Ranged bludgeons?¡± Sebet didn¡¯t seem particularly impressed, ¡°At least a bola would have two...¡±


    ¡°They''re grenades,¡± I clarified with a hint of irritation, realising too late that it was only now that they were reading my mind that they would understand what I was talking about.


    ¡°Impressive!¡± Sebet remarked with renewed interest, ¡°And the flaws will make that much more shrapnel, clever clever.¡±


    ¡°As expected of the Tyrant,¡± Gric declared proudly.


    ¡°I made some for both of you as well. The Thundering Strikes Spell is too volatile to store in advance, but these should perform better than random rocks on the ground,¡± I offered them two each.


    ¡°I will use them well, my Tyrant,¡± Gric swore solemnly before hanging them from his belt over his left hip.


    ¡°These will be fun!¡± Sebet hissed eagerly while making a point of hanging them so they clattered and clacked below her groyne. ¡°Never underestimate the potential openings you can generate from an enemy¡¯s inferiority complex or bashfulness!¡± Sebet exclaimed lasciviously while giving a hard pelvic thrust to test that her prostheses were well anchored.


    I had to admit that Sebet had a point. She was making profoundly uncomfortable and that feeling on its own was rather distracting without even considering Sebet¡¯s deliberate attempts to exacerbate it further.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I ordered and was glad when Sebet immediately fell back into line.


    I used my Racial Ability to mark them both as my Bodyguards. I had no intention for Gric or Sebet to sacrifice themselves on my behalf, but the Bodyguard Ability would make them that much faster to act if I needed help.


    Clearing my mind, I directed my focus toward setting the details of the challenge. The instant the details were finalised, we were transported onto an open field.


    The knee-high brown grass grew in ragged patches and waved in the light western breeze, leaving large stretches of exposed stone-ridden soil. A full moon in the sky cast the fields in an eerie and ominous silver light.


    Three men in Eastern-style banded armour were staring back at us from roughly thirty feet away.


    The man standing in the centre took several steps forward, leaving his companions behind. ¡°So, you have finally overcome your cowardice and accepted your fate!¡± He declared contemptuously. ¡°But of course, it is to be expected of uncultured Western barbarians!¡±


    The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew that he was the Monarch who had issued the challenge.


    The two men that had remained behind snickered and guffawed in amusement as they slowly moved to join their companion.


    All three men carried an Eastern straight-edge sword in their right hand and carried the empty scabbard in their left. However, they didn¡¯t appear to have any other weapons.


    The Monarch raised his sword and made a show of inspecting its edge. ¡°You should feel honoured, for this day, you face the Divine Patriarch! Master of the Thousand Sword Style! The supreme deity of the Golden Orchards!¡± He declared proudly, sweeping his blade through the air with blurring speed and confirming his identity. ¡°If you surrender now, I will only demand that you leave your right arm behind as payment! As utterly lacking as it may be!¡±


    The Monarch¡¯s boastful taunting drew more laughter from his subordinates.


    Gric¡¯s fists trembled with rage but he held his ground.


    <He¡¯s a tough nut to crack...> Sebet hissed in irritation before turning her attention toward the subordinate on the Monarch¡¯s right. Her lips curled into a cruel smile. <This one I can work with!>


    Weathering the Monarch¡¯s taunts, I stared back at him in silence.


    One of the conditions I had set for our duel was a ten-minute preparation period before the actual conflict was to commence. Violence from either party would result in their defeat. I had wanted more time to allow Sebet to gather more information, but the system had not allowed it for a battle involving so few people.


    Similar to Jacque, Sebet¡¯s telepathy was native to her Species. In direct contrast, Gric¡¯s telepathy was the result of insane bioengineering. He had evolved his brain to the point that it became a literal weapon.


    ¡°Grk!¡± Sebet¡¯s target snapped into a defensive stance. ¡°They have Hidden Mind arts! Brother, raise your defences!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The other subordinate cursed but made no other signs of reacting to the warning.


    Sebet snickered with satisfaction. <Their defences will drain their mana, and I have already found all that I could without alerting them.> She had made her presence known on purpose. Sebet¡¯s grin quickly faded. <You were right to be cautious, Great One. From what I managed to learn, they all possess a Master Tier Class that combines body enhancement Spells and Abilities with extreme close combat enhancements. Their bodies are comparatively frail, but striking them a lethal blow will prove...difficult...>


    <Then we stall them until the battle turns in our favour.> I replied stoically.


    ¡°You dare to employ such underhanded tricks?¡± The Divine Patriarch sneered contemptuously. ¡°Just for that, I will demand you surrender your right leg as well! And You!-¡± He pointed the tip of his sword at Sebet, ¡°Do not think that your bestial beauty will spare you from my wrath! Such diabolical sorcery cannot be permitted to exist!¡±


    Sebet¡¯s concern turned to amusement. ¡°Diabolical Sorcery? But I haven''t even started yet?¡±


    Given the threat we were facing, Sebet was free to use the full extent of her Abilities. However, she would still no doubt be hampered by our collective efforts to keep her and Gric¡¯s true identities a secret.


    <They look human...> I observed warily.


    <They are Human.> Sebet replied calmly, conveying their status as monsters with a mild telepathic inflection. <They appear to be a mana-specialised Sub-Species of some kind. Although there aren¡¯t that many of them, and even those few are mostly half-breeds.> Sebet gave a noncommittal shrug before becoming deadly serious again. <The Monarch is different, he has mana to burn and knows it. The rank of his subordinates doesn¡¯t matter to him, he won¡¯t think twice about sacrificing one of them if it means he can land a decisive strike against you.>


    That seemed about right, but it was good to know for certain.


    <We will do our best to draw them away.> Sebet continued, her thoughts became anxious and uncertain. <But they have orders to ignore us and attack you exclusively.>


    <We will not allow it!> Gric¡¯s thoughts boomed like thunder and his already impressive frame began to swell, taking on more muscle and causing his outermost armour to groan under the strain as it tried to accommodate his increasing size.


    I rested my free hand on Gric¡¯s shoulder and sent a steady stream of mana into his armour, compelling it to grow and adjust to his shifting form. Gric could have done it himself, but his mana wouldn¡¯t regenerate nearly as quickly as mine.


    ¡°Nothing to say for yourselves?¡± The Divine Patriarch scoffed. ¡°I suppose it is to be expected from such lowly savages.¡± This brought more laughter from his subordinates, but there was a certain nervousness in their voices.


    Gathering my mana, I began casting the Lesser Summon Servant Spell to Summon a small host of generic Beasts for their Synergies.


    ¡°Hmph! Low-grade Magical Beasts? Is this how you plan to fight me?!¡± The Divine Patriarch demanded with amusement. ¡°Just like you, they are far too weak! Ha!¡± He flourished his sword dismissively.


    Making sure to also Summon a few furred Kobolds and hide them amongst the Beasts, I decided to try and lean into the enemy''s expectations to give us an advantage.


    Falling to one knee, I feigned weakness as if Summoning so many Beasts had severely depleted my mana.


    ¡°My Tyrant!¡± Sebet and Gric moved quickly to try and shield me from the sight of the enemy, but not so quickly that they would undermine my ruse.


    Unsure how familiar the enemy was with Summoning Spells, I decided to push our deception one step further.


    I gave all of my Summons a mental order to flee.


    At first, it didn¡¯t look like the Divine Patriarch would fall for it, but then he began to laugh.


    ¡°Such incompetence! Never have I seen a monarch so weak that they would lose control over Magical Beasts of such a low grade!¡± The Divine Patriarch roared with amusement, waving and pointing with his sword as he encouraged his subordinates to join in his merriment. ¡°Do you see now why we are the chosen of heaven?! The Western barbarians lack mastery over themselves, and yet they still attempt mastery over others! This is the peak of foolishness!¡±


    ¡°As in all things, you are right, Divine Patriarch!¡± The leftmost subordinate agreed, despite sounding somewhat cautious.


    ¡°It is just so, Divine Patriarch!¡± The other subordinate replied stiffly, his attention focused entirely on us and not the Beasts scattering across the plains.


    Allowing Gric and Sebet to pull me back onto my feet, I pulled one of the grenades free from my belt and mentally prepared myself for combat.


    The final handful of seconds passed with increasing slowness as anticipation on both sides steadily grew to a feverish intensity.


    ¡°This is your last chance!¡± The Divine Patriarch snapped angrily. ¡°The heavens know that I am a pious and charitable man, but my mercy has its limits! Surrender now, or face my wrath!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± I roared in defiance and drew my arm back in preparation to throw the grenade at the Divine Patriarch¡¯s chest.


    With only twenty feet between us, he wouldn¡¯t have much time to dodge. However, I was hoping that he would try to deflect or block the grenade instead. With any luck, the sheer kinetic force of the blast would destroy his weapon.


    However, for all of the Divine Patriarch¡¯s arrogance, he hadn¡¯t taken his eyes off of me for even a single second of the rapidly expiring ten-minute grace period. Worse still, he had begun gathering mana of his own, suggesting that he could sense my mana just the same as I could sense his.


    It was an important reminder that the enemy had fought such challenges before and that his arrogance was not entirely unjustified.


    ¡°So be it!¡± The Divine Patriarch sneered dismissively. ¡°You have spurned my generosity and must now face the consequences of your stubbornness and impropriety! Allow this senior to provide you with instruction on proper etiquette!¡±


    The instant the ten-minute grace period ended, the Divine Patriarch disappeared.


    At the same moment, Gric began shoving me away from himself and toward Sebet, who grabbed hold of my arm in turn and pulled with all her might.


    Pain erupted from my right shoulder as the blade of a straight-edged sword sheared through my pauldron and briefly entered my peripheral vision.


    <MOVE!> Gric and Sebet¡¯s thoughts slammed into my mind like a sledgehammer and compelled me to act.


    Using a portion of the mana I had already gathered, I used Shadowstep to reposition myself. Only instead of buying distance, I used Shadowstep to turn myself about and face my attacker.


    Grinning like a madman, the Divine Patriarch was in the middle of retracting his blade in preparation for a second thrust when we locked eyes with one another once more. His surprise lasted only a fraction of a second before he continued his attack. However, the Divine Patriarch¡¯s attention was almost immediately diverted as the claws of Gric¡¯s right hand raced toward the open face of his helmet.


    Raising his sword to block or perhaps deflect Gric¡¯s attack, the Divine patriarch was instead launched off his feet and thrown away at extreme speed. Unfortunately, the Divine Patriarch managed to reorient himself mid-flight and then reestablish his footing without any apparent effort.


    Grenade still in hand, I flooded the lump of specially prepared stone with destructive mana, grit my teeth and then hurled it at the Divine Patriarch with as much strength as I could muster. Pain flared from my injured shoulder, but I ignored it, refusing to take my eyes off of my target.


    As the grenade flew from my hand and sped toward the Divine Patriarch, I realised my mistake. His subordinates had yet to act, and I had just turned my back on them both.


    ***** Bai ~ Fields of despair *****


    Racing alongside his brother Jun under the effects of their respective supreme footwork techniques, Wang Bai felt a thrill of anticipation as the tip of his sword inched closer to the exposed back of the enemy Monarch.


    Thoughts of reward and prestige raced through his mind, but Bai refused to allow them to distract him from his duty.


    <Look out!> Jun¡¯s warning came just in time for Bai to prepare himself for an incoming mental attack.


    Even with the benefit of the warning, Bai nearly tripped and lost his footing as an impossibly immense pressure slammed into his mental defences.


    Momentarily distracted, Bai didn¡¯t see the attack coming until it was too late.


    A length of bloodstained leather cord wrapped itself tight around Bai¡¯s extended right arm and snapped tight as a vice before yanking him off course.


    Still moving at impossible speeds, Bai was surprised to find that the enemy Monarch¡¯s female retainer was responsible for ensnaring him with a whip. However, the bigger surprise came from her ability to overpower him through sheer brute strength alone.


    The female retainer wore a wicked grin and her eyes flashed with predatory hunger.


    The pressure on Bai¡¯s mental defences strained to the breaking point.


    ¡°BROTHER!¡± With a flash, Jun¡¯s sword sheared through the whip and freed Bai from the female retainer¡¯s monstrous strength.


    Keenly aware that they had now failed in their surprise attack, Bai leapt backward alongside his brother to gain distance on the female retainer. They had underestimated her capabilities and paid the price for it once already.


    A thunderous explosion erupted from the direction of the Divine Patriarch, casting dust and dirt into the air. Bai could only assume that the Divine Patriarch had used a secret technique to counter the enemy Monarch¡¯s attack because he appeared to be unharmed.


    Even so, Bai could sense the Divine Patriarch¡¯s disappointment and knew that both himself and his brother would be severely punished after the battle was concluded.


    ¡°Grk...¡± Jun staggered and very nearly collapsed before catching himself at the last moment.


    ¡°Jun!¡± Bai knew better than to let the enemy out of his sight, so he could only rely on peripheral vision to assess his brother¡¯s condition.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m fine...¡± Jun croaked, shaking his head groggily and trembling slightly as he briefly lost his balance. ¡°Their mind arts...¡± Jun didn¡¯t seem able to complete the sentence, but Bai understood what he meant.


    The pressure within his mind had been slowly but steadily increasing with each passing moment.


    ¡°We need to kill the mind art user!¡± Bai insisted and began preparing his supreme heron footwork technique for a fresh assault. Renewing his focus upon the female retainer, Bai wreathed his blade with sword Chi and prepared to charge.


    ¡°No!...¡± Jun croaked, ¡°Not her...HIM...¡± Still trembling, Jun pointed the tip of his sword at the second retainer.


    Tall and powerfully built, the second retainer was just as heavily armoured as his master. Not that it would do any good against concentrated sword Chi.


    Now that Bai¡¯s focus was fixed upon the retainer, he recognised the signs that had led his brother to identify him as their true assailant.


    The retainer was standing incredibly still and was staring fixedly at the both of them with unblinking eyes.


    ¡°We will take him together then!¡± Bai hissed determinedly. It was not too late to assuage the Divine Patriarch¡¯s wrath. They just needed to take decisive action.


    ¡°Together!...¡± Jun agreed and returned to a combat-ready stance.


    Confident that his brother would follow, Bai charged.


    Once more moving with impossible speed, Bai aimed the tip of his sword at the retainer¡¯s heart.


    Bai¡¯s sword pierced the steel plate with expected ease, but before it could find purchase in his flesh, the retainer disappeared.


    Suspecting the retainer had used the same shadow relocation technique that his Monarch had demonstrated earlier, Bai spun about and raised his sword to defend himself. Now staring at the retainer¡¯s back, Bai was momentarily caught off guard.


    At that exact moment, the tip of Jun¡¯s sword erupted from the retainer¡¯s back. A few fractions of a second later, two feet of bloody steel marked the success of their assault.


    ¡°Unfortunate, hehe...¡± The retainer chuckled wetly. With blurring speed, the retainer¡¯s right hand snatched hold of Jun¡¯s neck, and his left slapped against Jun¡¯s back.


    Before Bai could take even a half step forward, a wet ripping sound filled the air and Bai could only watch in horror as his brother¡¯s head was ripped from his shoulders.


    The pressure on Bai¡¯s mental defences swelled and for a brief moment, it appeared that they would hold. Then, they collapsed.


    Bai¡¯s anguish was swept aside in a torrent of indescribable agony as the invisible force tore through his mind and violated the very core of his being.


    Utterly paralysed and unable to contact his Divine Patriarch for help, Bai collapsed to his knees and was left staring at the ground.


    Jun¡¯s death repeated over and over again before his eyes, and Bai could do nothing to stop it.


    ¡°Bai! Get up!¡± Jun¡¯s panicked voice tore Bai free of his stupor.


    Lifting his head, Bai couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    Jun was alive...And at his feet?...


    The enemy Monarch¡¯s retainer lay dead at Jun¡¯s feet, his neck severed with impossibly keen precision.


    ¡°How?...I...I saw you die...¡± Bai accepted his brother¡¯s hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.


    ¡°The Divine Patriarch arrived just in time!¡± Jun exclaimed excitedly, bowing his head respectfully to the Patriarch who Bai only now realised was standing a short distance to his right.


    ¡°But...I saw it...I felt it...¡± Bai shook his head and tightened his grip on his sword.


    ¡°Enough of this foolishness!¡± The Divine Patriarch snapped in irritation. ¡°If I had intended to do everything myself and spend all my time minding after children, I would have done so!¡±


    Bai struggled hard not to flinch. ¡°Apologies Divine Patriarch...¡± Still feeling woozy, Bai did his best to bow with adequate sincerity as his brother did the same.


    ¡°Wang Bai! Clearly, you have been neglecting your practice against mind art techniques!¡± The Divine Patriarch scowled disapprovingly. ¡°You will report to Elder Huang for discipline upon our return! Perhaps then you will appreciate the discipline required to be considered a true cultivator!¡±


    ¡°As you say, most honoured Divine Patriarch!¡± The Divine Patriarch¡¯s words had forced something approximating clarity upon Bai¡¯s mind, and he did not intend to waste it or test the Divine Patriarch¡¯s patience further.


    ¡°Now, if you wish to regain any semblance of my favour, I suggest you bring me the Tyrant¡¯s head!¡± The Divine Patriarch hissed impatiently and pointed to the enemy Monarch who was quietly watching them from roughly thirty feet away.


    Without another thought, Bai wreathed his sword¡¯s blade with sword Chi once more and raced toward his target.


    <What foolishness is this?!> The Divine patriarch demanded, his voice booming through Bai¡¯s mind like an avalanche. <If you are to expect any leniency for your family, then you will explain yourself immediately!>


    Bai¡¯s vision blurred and it was all he could do just to stop himself from toppling over. ¡°Divine Patriarch?...¡± Bai tried to communicate through the mental link but spoke aloud unintentionally.


    A sharp pain erupted in Bai¡¯s chest.


    Looking down at his chest Bair found that his Ironscale armour had been punctured and that his lifeblood was now spilling freely through the hole. Having devoted his life to mastering the way of the sword, Bai immediately recognised the source of the puncture but couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe it was true.


    <Ah...I believe I understand now...> There was a dangerous finality in the Divine Patriarch''s tone of voice that sent shivers down Bai¡¯s spine. <It is a shame, but you are of no further use to me Wang Bai. In the end, you both proved not to be of much use after all...I must see to things myself...>


    ¡°D-Divine P-Patriarch?¡± Bai¡¯s strength failed him and he collapsed to his knees. The Tyrant disappeared and in his stead stood the Divine Patriarch.


    Staring down at him with cold cruel eyes, the Divine Patriarch wore an expression of utter contempt and disgust. With a casual flick of his wrist, the blade of the Divine Patriarch¡¯s sword severed Bai¡¯s neck and sent his head tumbling to the ground.


    As the darkness claimed him, Wang Bai could only hope that his brother Jun would not share in his fate and that the Divine patriarch would show him mercy.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 66 – A Monarch’s pride – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 66 ¨C A Monarch¡¯s pride ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 66 - A Monarch¡¯s pride - Part Two


    If there had been any lingering doubts in my mind regarding the Divine Patriarch¡¯s character, they evaporated after I witnessed the Divine Patriarch plunge his sword through the heart of his own subordinate. I assumed that the man had been mind controlled by Sebet, but he had shown that Sebet was not in complete control, coming up short of attacking his master.


    That distinction hadn¡¯t mattered.


    ¡°Truly a shame,¡± the Divine Patriarch commented with utter indifference. ¡°One can only hope the next generation will prove more diligent in their training.¡±


    My grenade had left no visible signs of damage. However, the force of the blast appeared to have temporarily impaired the Divine Patriarch¡¯s ability to react. Unfortunately, he had recovered faster than I could reach for a second grenade.


    Turning to face the Divine Patriarch, Gric revealed the gruesome state of his armour. Drawing the sword out of his chest, a thin line of dark green ichor dribbled over bright crimson blood left behind by the Divine Patriarch¡¯s second subordinate. ¡°I will go first,¡± Gric announced boldly.


    ¡°An amateur-¡± The Divine Patriarch sneered, disappearing and then reappearing in front of Gric, ¡°-is of no threat to me!¡±


    Despite the Divine Patriarch¡¯s speed, Gric had managed to raise his newly claimed sword to meet the attack.


    However, the blade was shorn in two and the Patriarch¡¯s sword bit deep into Gric¡¯s chest.


    Grinning in triumph, the Divine Patriarch was caught off guard as the bladed tip of Sebet¡¯s whip cracked against the side of his helmet and released a deafening explosion.


    Fragments of burnt leather scattered to the wind as the whip recoiled, now a full foot or more, shorter than it had been a moment before.


    The Divine Patriarch was carried away by the blast like a leaf on the wind. However, he quickly reoriented himself in the air and landed gracefully upon his feet. However, this time, his composure was considerably more compromised.


    The Divine Patriarch¡¯s helmet was missing and his long silvery-white hair was hanging loose in a state of disarray. A thin line of blood ran down his right ear and trailed down his neck. Dabbing at the blood with his free hand, the Divine Patriarch stared down at his bloody fingers in shock.


    Gric grunted with discomfort and stared down at the long gash in his torso. Releasing a pulse of mana, the severed bones and tissue began rapidly knitting themselves back together.


    Briefly resting my hand on Gric¡¯s shoulder, I sent a pulse of my mana into his armour.


    Despite our armour having provided no meaningful protection thus far, the enemy seemed to require mana to bypass it. Which meant repairing our armour would continue forcing the Divine Patriarch to spend his mana.


    ¡°Y-YOU?!...¡± The Divine Patriarch sputtered in rage. His face had turned a dark blotchy red bordering on purple. He raised his sword and pointed it at Sebet, ¡°YOU DARE TO MAKE ME BLEED?!¡± He shrieked angrily.


    Sebet spun her whips lazily in response while establishing distance from Gric and me.


    Gric cast down the broken sword and reached for his mace.


    I stopped him and offered him my stone club instead.


    Gric hesitated for a moment but snatched it and blurred into motion as the Divine Patriarch made his move.


    The same as before, the Divine Patriarch disappeared and then reappeared on Sebet¡¯s flank.


    Sebet ducked low beneath the horizontal slash that was intended to behead her and rolled to the side.


    With my gathered mana I bound the Divine Patriarch¡¯s legs using the long grass. It wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to do more than slow him down, but I lacked the reflexes required to become directly involved in high-speed combat without becoming a liability.


    The Divine Patriarch¡¯s blade came within inches of Sebet¡¯s thigh but missed as the Divine Patriarch was forced to break himself free of the corded grass binding his shins.


    Contrary to my expectations, instead of assisting Sebet, Gric remained at my side and maintained a position that kept himself between the Divine Patriarch and myself.


    Since our original plan was to deplete the enemy¡¯s mana reserves, I adjusted my expectations accordingly.


    With a small degree of assistance on my part, Sebet dodged several more strikes by contorting her body in exotic and outright bizarre positions. Each time the Divine Patriarch¡¯s sword was about to land, Sebet¡¯s joints and spine would bend at otherwise impossible angles. However, Sebet¡¯s unnaturally dexterous movements also had the unmistakable side effect of making her downright disturbing to look at.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± The Divine Patriarch roared with rage and his sword blurred into motion.


    Sebet disappeared in a burst of shadow, reappearing at my side and collapsing to the ground as a multitude of deep gashes opened across her chest, abdomen and thighs.


    <I...I¡¯m fine...> Sebet coughed up a mouthful of blood and pieces of what may have been her lungs.


    Seemingly winded by his attack, the Divine patriarch made no immediate signs of pursuing Sebet further despite his obvious anger.


    Still wary about spending too much of my mana, I decided to take a small risk and attempted to bind the Divine Patriarch¡¯s legs in earnest.


    Despite his mild exhaustion, the Divine Patriarch was able to break himself free and leap clear before I managed to establish a meaningful hold. However, the moment he landed, the grass around him burst into life and began aggressively latching onto his body.


    Sensing Gric was responsible, I funnelled my mana into the grass and left the direction of the Spell to him. While not nearly as adept as Hana, Gric¡¯s degree of control far exceeded my own.


    Thick gnarled roots erupted from the ground, seized the Divine Patriarch¡¯s right leg and began to squeeze. All the while, cords of grass snaked under his armour and worked their way toward his throat.


    The Divine Patriarch fought back with desperate ferocity, mulching the roots and grass almost as fast as Gric could replenish their ranks and bring them to bear. However, it wasn¡¯t good enough. After freeing his trapped leg, the Divine Patriarch leapt up into the sky.


    Instead of falling, he hovered.


    A large sword had appeared from nowhere and materialised beneath his feet, immediately arresting his fall. Balanced atop the sword as if it were a skateboard, the Divine Patriarch glared down at us in fury. ¡°YOU HAVE NO HONOUR! YOU HAVE NOTHING BUT VAGABONDS AND CHEAP TRICKS!!!¡±


    Sebet groaned and shakily got to her feet.


    Very nearly, but somehow not quite naked, her front was caked with fresh blood. However, just like her armour, Sebet¡¯s wounds were gone.


    ¡°TO WASTE MEDICINE ON SUCH WEAKLINGS?! HAVE YOU NO PRIDE AS A MONARCH?!¡± The Divine Patriarch screeched, the blade of the sword in his right hand shaking violently with each syllable. With a flick of his left wrist, Several long iron stakes materialised around him and then drove themselves into the ground below to form a crude circle.


    Immediately, I felt my connection to the mana fueling the Plant Growth Spell within its confines disappear.


    <It¡¯s some sort of defensive magic item.> Gric warned a fraction of a second later.


    With a second flick of his wrist, a stack of wooden cards appeared in the Divine Patriarch¡¯s hand and then raced outward before circling the inner perimeter formed by the iron rods.


    The wooden cards bore large symbols representing characters from what I was only vaguely confident belonged to one of the Chinese languages. Beyond identifying the characters as being potentially Chinese, I had no idea what they represented.


    <Shield.> Gric and Sebet answered in unison.


    <The two sets of items will block all attacks.> Gric elaborated with considerable irritation.


    <He hoarded everything for himself.> Sebet added while eyeing the headless corpse at Gric¡¯s feet hungrily.


    Forcing down my disgust, I motioned for her to proceed.


    Sebet wasted no time in tearing off the armour with her claws and helping herself to low-hanging fruit.


    Just because she had reversed her injuries with the Sculpt Flesh Spell didn¡¯t mean she had recovered her missing HP. Given our reserve food supplies were limited, and Sebet had left nothing for a Surgeon to work with, pseudo-cannibalism was not something I was too proud to deny her. If only because the subject was our enemy and we had an immediate need.


    The Divine Patriarch stared down at us in silent horror, an unstoppered gourd mere inches from his lips. ¡°Barbarians...Savages...¡±


    If only he knew...


    <Where are his items coming from?> I asked, deeply concerned that the Divine Patriarch was in the process of initiating his recovery.


    I was keenly aware that access to my Dimensional Plane was temporarily cut off, limiting us to the items we had brought with us.


    There was the possibility that he had a Class Ability, like Toofy¡¯s Scavenger Class, that provided a personal pocket dimension for storing items. However, it didn¡¯t fit the extreme combat focus of his Class.


    Gric was just as unsettled as I was. <It¡¯s a Dimensional Storage Ring.> He explained irritably after a few moments, providing memories from the Divine Patriarch¡¯s now-deceased subordinates that matched the actions the Divine Patriarch had taken thus far. <It has limited space, but he has filled it with consumable healing and recovery items...>


    Well, fuck...


    Judging by how readily the Divine Patriarch had established his defences, I had to assume he could lower them just as quickly. Which meant exposing my shoulder so I could receive medical care would be a mistake.


    The food I had consumed before accepting the challenge was being put to work healing my shoulder, but I had no true way of knowing if I had taken meaningful damage. The attack itself had only dealt four HP in damage. However, HP and damage only reflected a relative value of lost life force, not damage to tendons or the nervous system.


    Rolling my shoulder experimentally, I was reasonably confident that it was just a flesh wound but decided to dip into my supply of rations just in case.


    One of the benefits of maintaining a human form was the increased satiety rate from eating relatively small amounts of food. Of course, I would have almost certainly taken less damage in my true form.


    As the Divine Patriarch huffed, snorted, gulped and guzzled his way through more than a dozen small containers and gourds contents, his manic state began to ebb.


    <I believe it is time we considered using Drain Life.> Sebet suggested earnestly while licking her fingers clean.


    <I agree.> Gric replied after only a couple of moments'' consideration. <The enemy has demonstrated no meaningful resistance to Spells, and drawing out the battle presents too many risks.>


    As much as I loathed the Spell, I had to admit that they had a point. Beyond my personal feelings, there was no justifiable reason not to use the Drain Life Spell.


    Especially since I had already given Sebet the green light to commit cannibalism.


    <Fine.> I agreed, doing my best to push down the mounting disappointment I felt toward myself. <The sooner we are done here, the sooner we can return home...>


    ¡°To think that a barbarian would possess such strength...¡± The Divine Patriarch drawled spitefully. ¡°To face one such as I and force me into such dire straits...Hrmf, hahahahaha!¡± His calm facade shattered and revealed a desperately cruel expression of amusement and contempt. ¡°Except, you are not strong at all! It is only through the trickery of your lapdogs and the sheer incompetence of my servants that we arrived at this moment! You are nothing! And now I will prove it before the heavens!¡±


    <Danger!> Gric and Sebet warned in unison


    Acting on instinct, I pushed my mana into forming the Barrier Spell.


    The Divine patriarch raised his sword toward the empty night sky. ¡°STORM OF A THOUSAND SWORDS!!!¡±


    Shrieking howls filled the night air as hundreds of swords materialised in the sky and began pelting the ground. Upon striking the ground, the swords exploded and sent loose dirt and debris flying in all directions.


    My Barrier had barely expanded enough to cover my head before three swords crashed into its surface. After making contact with my Barrier, the swords began to rapidly dissolve as if they had been immersed in a powerful acid. However, they still maintained a considerable degree of their initial momentum and despite losing their cutting edge were still capable of landing heavy hits against my armour.


    The strikes of the corroded blades left shallow scratches in my armour but failed to deal any meaningful damage.


    Protected by my expanding Barrier, Gric tanked the hits with stoic determination while Sebet batted away any approaching swords with the broken sword of one of the Divine Patriarch¡¯s subordinates.


    Visibility rapidly deteriorated as the sustained barrage destroyed the surrounding area. However, the Divine patriarch¡¯s distinctive mana signature and his extreme rate of expenditure made his position stand out like a beacon.


    It was impossible to tell who had the larger reserve of mana, but at the rate the Divine Patriarch was expanding his mana, I was confident that my Barrier would outlast his assault.


    As my mana dropped below one-third, the rain of swords abruptly ended.


    ¡°You survived? Tch!¡± The Divine Patriarch called out with evident aggravation and disappointment.


    A trio of opaque sapphire crescents streaked out of the debris field and plunged through the outermost limits of my Barrier. Just like the swords, each inch travelled through the Barrier stripped away the edge of their form until nothing was left.


    Despite the risks, I was forced to dismiss the Barrier a short while afterwards to avoid depleting my mana reserves outright.


    <He is consuming more potions.> Gric warned, still determinedly staring at the Divine Patriarch through the haze of debris.


    <We can¡¯t keep fighting on the defensive...> Even if I increased my mana regeneration by sacrificing HP, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover even half of the Barrier¡¯s upkeep cost. <We need to destroy his defences!>


    <I will break the enemy Barriers.> Gric announced and tightened his grip on the large stone club.


    <We all will.> I decided.


    With the overwhelming number of armour-piercing attacks the enemy was throwing our way, I had decided that my true form would be the safer choice after all.


    ***** Chen ~ Fields of despair *****


    Chen inhaled the essence of yet another rare and infuriatingly expensive medicinal pill to accelerate the recovery of his Chi. He fought hard to suppress the disruption that would be caused by his anger. However, it became increasingly difficult as the running tally of expended treasures continued to grow.


    The Western Barbarian and his servants should have been dead already, or at the very least, begging for his mercy. However, despite suffering several fatal blows and receiving two of Chen¡¯s most powerful Techniques, none of them died.


    Although their exact fate remained unknown, Chen could still sense faint traces of their unrefined Chi.


    Why had the Tyrant been placed so low in the rankings?!


    Despite the Tyrant himself having contributed little to the engagement thus far, Chen was forced to admit that his subordinates were deceptively capable. If they were not so old and hadn¡¯t caused him immense frustration, Chen might have considered offering them a chance to serve him.


    But that only made the Tyrant¡¯s ranking all the more strange. Controlling subordinates was a tricky business, requiring equal parts strength and guile to keep them in line. Hardly a decade would go by without some group or other attempting to plot Chen¡¯s replacement or the diminishment of his Divine status.


    Even his enemies had similar problems, most often originating from their offspring. It was incredibly common for those much higher in the rankings to suddenly fall as the result of an attempted coup. The requisite purges and executions to instil order could cause even an unsuccessful but popularist coup to severely deplete a Monarch¡¯s score and overall ranking.


    The worst instances always seemed to come from within the Monarchs¡¯ own families. This was one of the reasons why Chen guarded his best techniques so zealously from his children. Their very talent was a threat, and so long as Chen sought immortality and godhood, he would never allow them to progress to a stage where he could be threatened by them.


    Of course, this presented issues when rival Monarchs opted for battles between elite subordinates. While Chen faced minimal resistance and risk of rebellion from within, it left him lacking truly powerful subordinates to support him in battle. And as the Western barbarians had demonstrated, capable subordinates could more than compensate for a lacking Monarch.


    Lifting yet another medicinal pill toward his mouth, Chen paused. He had felt something, a disturbance in the Westerners¡¯ Chi.


    Most likely preparing some form of primitive Technique to attempt piercing the Defensive Arrays, Chen felt inclined to ignore them and continue recovering his Chi. But there was a part of him that had begun to doubt.


    Techniques that had served Chen for the better part of half a century had failed. Not because they had been blocked through extreme skill, but because their effects and damage had been countered and even outright reversed.


    Chen had felt certain that the woman had to be some kind of monster, or perhaps an Evil Spirit. And yet, her true form had been laid bare by his blade. She was human.


    She was human but restored her physical form without the need for Rituals, Techniques or the circulation of Chi!


    The other servant had been stabbed straight through the heart and laughed as he tore Wang Jun¡¯s head off his shoulders. He had even removed the blade and taunted Chen with it, flaunting his indestructibility.


    Chen felt an entirely unfamiliar shiver of fear run down his spine as an unwanted and utterly unpleasant thought made itself known in his mind.


    What if they were Demonic Cultivators? Or worse, Demons?


    Chen recalled the unnatural movements of the female servant, the destructive Technique she had landed against the side of his head, and her blatant cannibalism...


    ¡°My cultivation...¡± Chen couldn¡¯t help but recall the rumours of Demons and Demonic Cultivators stalking the higher rankings. By stealing the Chi and accumulated cultivation of others, they grew in strength far faster than those on the righteous path. ¡°Heavens protect me...¡± Chen whispered and directed his flying sword to increase its elevation.


    Forfeiting was out of the question, and petitioning for surrender was unlikely to accomplish anything besides damaging his pride. Which left Chen with no other option than to fight.


    ¡°I suppose I have no choice...¡± With a flick of his wrist, Chen returned the medicinal pill to his storage ring and withdrew a half-foot-thick stack of talismans. Originally plundered from a temple during his youth, the captured priests had sworn that the talismans held the power to Banish and bind Evil Spirits.


    The powers of Demonic Cultivators were based heavily upon Demonic influences. So even if the talismans didn¡¯t purge their corrupted Chi outright, the Demonic Cultivators would be crippled. And if they truly were Demons in disguise, the talismans should Banish or Imprison them outright.


    Of course, there was one major problem. The Defensive Arrays were attuned to Chen and his Chi. The foreign Chi in the talismans would not function unless they were physically removed from the Defensive Arrays area of influence. This meant Chen would have to leave the safety of the Defensive Arrays to activate the talismans.


    Shamed by his fear, Chen clenched his jaw tight in anger. He was not a coward and refused to allow such thoughts to persist.


    Directing his flying sword forward, Chen rose from his meditation stance and prepared himself for battle.


    True to Chen¡¯s expectations, the enemy began moving the moment he left the Defensive Arrays. However, they were not so reckless as to attack him while he remained so close to a guaranteed position of retreat and safety.


    With no small measure of reluctance, Chen decided to leave the Defensive Arrays behind and lure the enemy into a trap.


    Channelling a burst of Chi into his flying sword, Chen sped north for a full minute before dismounting on a barren patch of earth and returning his flying sword to his storage ring. Pulsing another burst of Chi into the stack of talismans, he was relieved to confirm that they were not just useless slips of paper.


    The holy energies ever so faintly radiating from the talismans were both a comfort and a cause for concern. If the enemy was able to detect the heavenly energies, there was a real possibility that they would not fall for his trap. So, Chen tried to mask the energy within the talismans with his own.


    Announcing his presence by expending Chi was usually reserved as an intimidation tactic against those significantly weaker than himself. Under other circumstances, Chen enjoyed the heady rush of superiority that came with proclaiming his dominance.


    But this was different.


    If Chen was stronger, and wasn¡¯t certain that he was, the enemy had demonstrated enough collective strength to prove they were a genuine threat.


    Sensing the approach of the enemy, Chen purged the unnecessary thoughts from his mind. The slightest hesitation or delay could prove to be the determining factor, and Chen refused to have his immortal legacy terminated by his incompetence.


    The now scantily clad woman was the first to exit the clouds of debris, and as Chen had feared, she showed no signs of having taken any permanent damage.


    Pale skin shining silver in the moonlight and long flowing hair of burnished gold trailing in her wake, Chen would have mistaken her for a fallen goddess if he had not witnessed aspects of her true nature.


    She moved with unnaturally perfect grace and absolute surety, devouring the distance between them with voracious zeal. All the while wearing a demented and impossibly wide grin on her otherwise beautifully fine-featured face.


    The second servant was right behind her. His movements were less graceful but radiated immense strength and power as he launched himself forward with each stride.


    There was no sign of the Tyrant, but Chen could vaguely sense his presence and was relieved to find that he was approaching at a considerably slower pace.


    This suited Chen just fine. The more time he had to debilitate or eliminate the Tyrant¡¯s subordinates, the more prepared Chen would be to face the Tyrant himself.


    As he had expected, the Tyrant¡¯s subordinates parted ways and changed their approach to flank Chen from opposite sides. If he was in their place, Chen would have likely done the same.


    As they drew closer still, Chen felt a fresh rush of fear as he sensed the foul Chi emanating from their extended claws.


    His intuition had been vindicated.


    Chen was now certain they were channelling Demonic Energy.


    Bracing himself, Chen gathered his Chi and waited for his moment to strike.


    Somewhat predictably, the pair of Demonic Cultivators activated their advanced footwork Techniques to close the remaining distance and shift to a new flank.


    Chen had seen them use the Technique multiple times already and had known they would use it.


    Leaping backward, Chen raised the talismans and filled them with as much Chi as they could hold. He thrust the now glowing talismans toward the unsuspecting enemy.


    One by one and in blurring succession, the talismans took flight and raced toward their respective targets.


    Seemingly stunned by the divine energies within the talismans, the Demonic Energy users could do nothing as the talismans began forcibly attaching themselves to their bodies.


    ¡°SEAL!!!¡± Chen roared with equal parts anxiety and triumph.


    For a brief moment, nothing happened.


    Then, without warning, the woman released a deafening scream of rage and anguish. Beneath the surface of the talismans, her flesh and bones twisted and flowed like water as they took on a new form.


    Her true form.


    ¡°A Demon!¡± Chen hissed with fear and took a half step back before catching himself. Despite suspecting her true identity, Chen had not expected, nor desired, to be proven right.


    Although the exact nature of her transformation was obstructed by the blinding golden light of the talismans, Chen had no problems making out the pair of horns adorning her head.


    To Chen¡¯s immense relief, her companion appeared to be human. Or, at least, as human as a Demonic Cultivator could be.


    Which made Chen all the more confused when both of them disappeared.


    ¡°They were both Banished?¡± Chen muttered with uncertainty. He looked down at the remaining talismans in his hand. So far as he had been able to tell, the Demon had taken just as many talismans as the Demonic Cultivator, which struck him as being wrong somehow.


    Unless...


    Unless the second subordinate had just as much Demonic Energy as the Demon?


    Chen now regretted having executed the priests of the temple. If he had imprisoned them rather than executed them for their lack of respect, he would have been able to learn more about the talismans upon his return. Burning down the temple out of spite now left a bitter taste in his mouth as well. Chen may not be able to read the language the sacred texts and scrolls were written in, but he had a literal horde of servants who facilitated such tasks on his behalf.


    Sensing the approach of the Tyrant, Chen stood ready with the remaining talismans.


    As prepared as he had believed himself to be, Chen felt a wave of unimaginable terror as the Tyrant stepped out from the debris cloud and into the moonlight.


    Easily four times Chen¡¯s size, he could feel every one of the Tyrant¡¯s ponderous footsteps as the Tyrant stalked toward him with a giant mace in hand.


    A terrifying thought crept into Chen¡¯s mind.


    What if the Tyrant had fed upon his subjects until only he and his most devoted servants remained?...


    It would explain how his servants were so powerful and his associated score had been declared so low...After all, one¡¯s subjects couldn¡¯t contribute toward the count if they were dead...


    The Tyrant broke into a lurching run, his feral snarls echoing from his helmet with every breath.


    It took everything Chen had to hold his ground. Of all the monsters he had fought, none of them had come close to the Tyrant¡¯s sheer size and bulk.


    He knew that other Monarchs made fantastical claims of being True Dragons and Great Serpents, but those claims had always been proven false when Chen faced those Monarchs in person. The largest Monarch he had ever encountered had been an Oni bandit king from R¨¬b¨§n folklore. But even he had only been a little over twice Chen¡¯s height.


    Chen fought hard not to flinch as the Tyrant lifted his giant mace in preparation to strike.


    The distance between them was being swallowed up with increasing speed. However, unlike his servants, the Tyrant appeared committed to making his final approach without the use of a movement Technique.


    Not that Chen could risk assuming that the Tyrant didn''t have one.


    Chen¡¯s prudence was validated less than a second later as the Tyrant disappeared only to reappear behind Chen and blanket him in his shadow.


    Reacting as fast as he was able, Chen leapt out of the path of the Tyrant¡¯s attack while flooding the talismans with mana and directing them toward the Tyrant.


    Dodging the attack with feet to spare, Chen¡¯s relief turned to shock and confusion as the mace struck the ground and the world erupted around him.


    Dazed, ears ringing, and unable to breathe, Chen stared up at the sky in confusion. Unable to account for how he had gotten there.


    Reaching for his face with a numb trembling hand, Chen recoiled as he discovered the tangled mess of his dislocated and broken fingers. In a panic, he lifted his other arm and was relieved to find that he was still holding his sword.


    Striking his chest with his left forearm, Chen silently whimpered as pain jolted through his chest and up his arm and into his mangled fingers.


    Rolling onto his side, Chen spat up a mouthful of blood and desperately gasped for air.


    After forcing the fresh oxygen into his lungs, clarity and awareness came crashing back into the forefront of his mind.


    The Tyrant!


    Ignoring the pain, Chen forced himself up onto his elbows and frantically searched the darkness for signs of movement. Finding himself alone, he hurriedly withdrew the highest-grade Medicinal Pill from his Greater Storage Ring. Too desperate to waste time on ceremony and appearances, Chen stuffed the pill into his mouth and used the built-up bloody saliva in his mouth to force the pill down his throat.


    The miraculous healing effects of the pill took root almost immediately and began repairing Wang Chen¡¯s broken body while also restoring a portion of his depleted Chi.


    As the feeling began to return and the pain receded, Chen forced himself to his feet and began slowly limping back toward the Defensive Arrays.


    Travelling atop his flying sword would have been faster, but Chen¡¯s internal injuries left him temporarily incapable of channelling Chi to any meaningful degree. And without his Chi, the sword was little better than a sharp heavy slab of steel.


    However, it was to Chen¡¯s immense relief that his internal damage appeared to be the result of purely physical trauma and not the parasitic predation of Demonic Energy. While both were no doubt equally debilitating, Chen had the good fortune of possessing medicines that could reverse mundane sources of damage.


    With each step, Chen regained a portion of his strength and was able to breathe ever so slightly deeper without coughing up blood.


    Fuelled by powerful Chi, the Defensive Arrays stood out like beacons in the darkness. Allowing Chen to retreat with relative confidence despite the burst blood vessels impairing his eyesight. All the same, crossing the open ground of the plains filled Chen with a fear he had not experienced since the earliest years of his infancy.


    Although Chen had not seen him, he knew the Tyrant was out there.


    The airborne dust and debris made it impossible to see much further than an arms-length in any direction, but Chen knew that it was also concealing him from the predatory gaze of the Tyrant.


    Sensing vibrations through the ground, Chen fought back against the urge to panic and stood deathly still.


    Scanning his surroundings, Chen couldn¡¯t see any more than he had a few moments before.


    Holding his breath, Chen slowly continued creeping toward the Arrays.


    Judging solely by the varying intensity of the vibrations caused by the Tyrant¡¯s footsteps, Chen believed that the Tyrant was unaware of his location and was wandering around in hopes of finding him.


    Chen had taken no more than a dozen steps before a long mournful howl echoed across the plains.


    The vibrations caused by the Tyrant¡¯s footsteps paused as if he was considering the source of the noise. When the Tyrant began moving again, Chen could feel that he was no longer wandering about, the Tyrant was headed in his direction.


    Chen ran.


    Savage barking rang out in the near distance and the heavy footfalls of the Tyrant were now not only headed in Chen¡¯s direction but increasing in frequency.


    Chen had forgotten that the Tyrant was capable of Summoning magical beasts and now realised that it was a race to see who could reach the Defensive Arrays first.


    Convinced he was no longer able to hide, Chen used the Boundless Step movement Technique to quintuple his pace at the expense of consuming his Chi. Injured as he was, Chen couldn¡¯t manage even a tenth of his usual speed and could feel the Tyrant growing closer with every passing second.


    Calling several pills from his Storage Ring, Chen stuffed them into his mouth and swallowed them down with an expensive Elixir. The enhancing effects of the pills dulled the pain, enhanced his flagging stamina, hardened his bones and replaced his missing blood. However, the effects would cause irreparable damage to Chen¡¯s body and prospects of future Cultivation if he wasn¡¯t able to meditate and remove the accumulated impurities within the hour.


    The side effects had been the reason he was so wary of taking them sooner, especially with the Tyrant¡¯s location being unknown at the time. Now things had changed, and Chen¡¯s priorities had changed alongside them. He needed time to recover and plan out a path to victory, or at the very least, avoid a catastrophic defeat.


    To make that happen, Chen needed to reach the Defensive Arrays.


    Leaving the slowly settling debris cloud behind, Chen felt a renewed sense of hope as he laid eyes on the overlapping Defensive Arrays. Spending more Chi to increase his speed further, Chen closed half of the remaining distance in a single stride but lost his balance as the increased strain caused internal damage to his right leg.


    Desperate and unwilling to have taken the potentially permanent damage in vain, Chen launched himself forward and unceremoniously rolled the remaining distance using his built-up inertia and momentum.


    Now safely behind the powerful protections of the Defensive Arrays, Chen felt a sudden surge in confidence.


    All I have to do now is...


    Chen¡¯s thoughts faltered as he laid eyes on the Tyrant now charging toward the outermost boundary of the Defensive Arrays.


    The Tyrant carried no weapon but had his right fist drawn back in preparation to strike.


    ¡°Impenetrable...¡± Chen muttered nervously. ¡°At least for a time...The Arrays...They should be able to¡±


    Seemingly striking open air, the Tyrant¡¯s fist crashed into the invisible field of the Earth Defense Array. The steel rods of the Array flared with a pale crimson glow and twisted ever so slightly inward as if struck by a smith''s hammer.


    Looking on in horror, Chen watched as the Tyrant drew back his fist and struck the boundary of the Defensive Array again and again in tireless succession. Each strike made the rods binding the Array glow brighter and deform with greater severity.


    It had become clear to Chen that he would not have the hours of preparation and recuperation he had originally hoped for. At most, he suspected that he only had a few minutes before the Earth Defensive Array failed, and the Spirit Defensive Array shortly after.


    ¡°W-Wait!¡± Chen cried out while trying to keep most of the fear from his voice and project an air of now thoroughly undeserved confidence. ¡°We can end this peacefully!¡±


    The Tyrant made no reply and continued battering at the Array.


    ¡°Do not think just because you got lucky and caught me off guard that you can just do what you want!¡± Chen cautioned angrily, what remained of his pride demanding some form of retribution for the injustices it had suffered. ¡°We should end this now! I will even call it my loss!¡±


    The steel rods of the Array groaned as they became ever more warped and twisted under the Tyrant¡¯s relentless assault.


    ¡°You refuse to give me even a little face?!¡± Chen shrieked incredulously. ¡°Do you know how many Monarchs I have killed?! Those who underestimate me DIE!¡±


    With the Array now on the brink of collapse, Chen began slowly backing away. ¡°I¡¯LL GIVE YOU TWICE, NO, FIVE TIMES WHAT YOU WAGERED!!!¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a wailing shriek, the steel rods were torn apart and scattered to the wind.


    Mouth dry and heart hammering inside of his chest, Chen raised his sword in a panic and hurriedly began limping away to try and put as much distance between them as possible. ¡°S-STAY B-BACK!!¡± Chen warned, gathering every ounce of his remaining Chi and converting it into Sword Chi for his final stand. ¡°IF YOU DON¡¯T LET ME GO, IT WON¡¯T END HERE!!!¡± Chen threatened feverishly, ¡°I¡¯LL MAKE SURE YOUR ENTIRE DYNASTY IS WIPED FROM LIVING MEMORY!!!¡±


    Against all Chen¡¯s expectations, his final threat appeared to have given the Tyrant pause. ¡°You are threatening my family?!¡± He demanded, his voice rumbling like thunder.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s right!¡± Chen replied hastily, seizing upon the Tyrant¡¯s obvious weakness. ¡°Even if you killed me! My descendants will wipe your kin from the face of existence and seal their souls in perpetual torment! So you better-¡± Survival instincts honed from a thousand battlefields screamed at Chen to stop negotiating and RUN.


    Temporarily crippled. Chen already knew he had no chance of escaping on foot, and without Chi to fuel his movement Techniques, he had no other immediate means of escape barring a declaration of Forfeit.


    Refusing to sacrifice his Empire without making one final effort to seize victory from the jaws of defeat, Chen drew back his sword and focused on the Tyrant¡¯s massive head.


    Even the fastest healing monsters died after taking enough damage to the brain.


    ¡°STRIKING STAR OF THE DIVINE HEAVENS!!!¡± Chen roared, sweeping his sword in a perfect arc and sending a silver crescent of Sword Chi racing toward the Tyrant¡¯s forehead.


    Caught off guard and denied the use of movement Techniques thanks to the surviving Spirit Defensive Array, the Tyrant was unable to avoid Chen¡¯s attack.


    Just as Chen had hoped, the Sword Chi sheared near effortlessly through the magically reinforced steel of the Tyrant¡¯s thick-browed helmet. However, it angled off course almost immediately afterwards and sped away into the night after carving a tear in the side of the Tyrant¡¯s helmet.


    Unable to comprehend what had happened, Chen came to his senses too late to dodge the grasping hand of the Tyrant.


    Caught beneath the armpits, Chen attempted striking his sword through the gaps in the Tyrant¡¯s gauntlet but lacked the raw strength required to penetrate the thick leather without the aid of his Sword Chi.


    The Tyrant¡¯s grip tightened and forcibly drove the breath from Chen¡¯s lungs.


    ¡°F-F-F-F...¡± Chen wheezed in terror, all thoughts of Empire and pride abandoned in the face of his imminent demise.


    The Tyrant lifted Chen off the ground with effortless ease and stomped out of the Spiritual Defensive Array¡¯s protective field. ¡°No one threatens my family,¡± the Tyrant growled coldly.


    ¡°F-F-Fo-¡± Chen¡¯s ribs creaked under the Tyrant¡¯s grip and his right hip gave out entirely.


    ¡°There is no forgiveness for what you intended.¡± Like a giant vice, the Tyrant¡¯s fist closed one step further, breaking several of Chen¡¯s ribs and driving Chen¡¯s armour into the void.


    ¡°R-Rf-F-F-¡± Tears streamed down Chen¡¯s cheeks and blood ran over his lips as the broken tips of his ribs were driven into his lungs.


    ¡°Whenever someone so much as THINKS-¡± The Tyrant¡¯s fist tightened two steps further to accent his point before relaxing again. ¡°-of threatening MY FAMILY! They will remember what happened to YOU!¡±


    Demonic Energy surged out of the Tyrant¡¯s fist and flooded into Chen¡¯s broken and unresisting body.


    Chen wanted to scream.


    The Demonic Energy brought a pain that Chen would never have thought existed, forcing his awareness to experience each excruciating moment as entropy gnawed away at his body.


    Even with his Cultivation already left in ruins, Chen still desperately wanted to survive. Kharma had already shown generosity far more than what he knew he had deserved, and while his deeds had mattered little in the eternal perspective of an immortal, Chen now found himself petrified at facing the judgement of the heavens for a second time.


    ¡°-et.¡± Barely more than an involuntary cough, Chen nonetheless felt an unimaginably profound sense of relief as the arbiters of the heavens sent confirmation of his request.


    Unable to read the confirmation due to the damage to his eyes, Chen felt a momentary pang of fear. Until now, he had never had cause to Forfeit a battle and did not know if it required a spoken confirmation to take effect.


    Please! PLEASE! I BEG! LET ME LEAVE! LET ME LIVE!


    All at once, Chen was evacuated from the Battlefield and left to collapse onto the hard stone floor of his decadently furnished personal chambers.


    Spitting up blood, Chen only vaguely acknowledged that he had left his sword behind and that the rings that had adorned his left hand were now missing.


    ¡°DIVINE PATRIARCH!¡± The cry of alarm came from the direction of the main door and belonged to his steward, Fu Leng.


    Fu Leng was not a cultivator, which was the primary reason Chen had chosen him for the position of steward in the first place. Cultivators were far too ambitious to be trusted and too arrogant to accept such a position without ulterior motives.


    ¡°H-He-eal-errr...¡± Chen groaned, requiring several rasping and bloody coughs to convey the single word of his request.


    Fu Leng had knelt beside Chen and had been attempting to remove Chen¡¯s broken armour but stopped at once. ¡°A-As you command!¡± Fu Leng stammered, rushing to his feet and sprinting out of the room. ¡°HEALER!!! CALL THE HEALER!!!¡±


    Thanks to the effects of the pills he had taken earlier, Chen was able to remain conscious and even roll onto his side so he wouldn¡¯t drown in his blood. He also knew that it was thanks to the pills that he was still alive at all. Without their combined effects holding his insides together, Chen knew he would have bled out the moment he left the Tyrant¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Oh, Father, whatever has happened to you?¡± A familiar and overly feminine voice exclaimed with feigned concern. ¡°When I heard the steward calling for a healer, I couldn¡¯t have ever imagined that you would be found in such a state...¡± Jie, Chen¡¯s youngest daughter, glided through his periphery before kneeling beside him. ¡°Of course, the announcement of your Forfeit was all the news I had needed to recognise that something was wrong,¡± she continued conversationally, ¡°So I made sure to bring a powerful medicine I have been preparing for just such an occasion! You should feel most grateful to have such a filial daughter, father!¡±


    Chen felt profound regret over sending Fu Leng away. If he had remained, Chen doubted Jie would have been nearly so tempted.


    ¡°Wondering about the steward?¡± Jie asked curiously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will be joining us shortly.¡±


    Mere moments later, there was a loud thud as someone was cast onto the floor beside Chen.


    ¡°Too loyal for his good,¡± Jie sighed disappointedly, ¡°The poor steward never did understand the importance of making friends. The fool was under the impression that you, dearest father, would live forever. What a disappointment it must have been to find this empty shell. Why, anyone could understand that it was enough to compel him to take his own life.¡± Jie paused for a moment, and Chen could readily imagine a smug satisfied smile dancing on her lips as she was prone to do when gloating over defeated rivals. ¡°In fact, several prominent guards are prepared to attest to this fact right now, and only wait for one final confirmation.¡±


    His daughter was nothing more than a blurry mess, but Chen did his best to glare all the same. Jie had always been the most vicious of his children.


    ¡°I will make things simple for you, Father,¡± Jie cooed sweetly as she gently shifted bloody strands of hair from his face. ¡°Surrender all of the remaining Territories to me, and I will allow my younger siblings and their families to live. Deny me, and I will see them stripped of their cultivation and sold to the cheapest brothels remaining in the Empire. Besides, we both know that dividing the Empire any further will see them doomed anyway...¡±


    Chen didn¡¯t doubt Jie was capable of following through on her threat and knew she was telling the truth. After selfishly Forfeiting half of his collective territories, dividing them any further would only trigger a feeding frenzy. Of which Jie could use to Challenge and kill her siblings anyway.


    Deep down, Chen already knew that his body was beyond repair. He had been fooling himself to think otherwise. He was going to die, and it didn¡¯t matter how afraid he was of facing judgement for his sins, death would come for him all the same.


    Using his divine authority, Chen decided to secure the future of his dynasty and nominated Wang Jie as the sole inheritor of his Empire.


    Unable to resist or defend himself in any way, Chen could only choke and splutter as a foul ichorous liquid was poured down his throat and stole the final moments of his life.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 67 – Cultivating the future – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 67 ¨C Cultivating the future ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 67 - Cultivating the future - Part One


    Absently rubbing my forehead, I shuddered as I recalled the pain the Divine Patriarch''s final desperation-fueled attack had inflicted. As acclimated as I had become to pain, the slash through my frontal lobe had been something entirely beyond the scope of my existing experiences.


    The only possible explanation I could think of that explained why the Divine Patriarch¡¯s attack had been deflected, was that it had struck the Artefact, Pyrrhic Will, which lodged in my brain.


    The Drain Life Spell had presumably restored any damage the attack had caused, given that it had knit the bone, veins and flesh together without leaving so much as a single scar.


    Stripping my armour, I did my best to ignore the host of obnoxious notifications obstructing my vision. The overwhelming majority of the notifications were errors of one kind or another, and they were steadily growing in number with each passing moment.


    Taking several deep breaths of fresh air, I waited for the errors to resolve themselves.


    Having no means of addressing the problem on my own, or knowing what the source of the problem to begin with, there was nothing else I could do besides wait.


    The sudden disappearance of the error notifications and restoration of my vision caught me off guard.


    I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much time had passed, but the rising sun in the distance led me to believe that at least two hours had passed since my return. I could have used my authority to confirm the exact amount of time that had passed, but I didn¡¯t see the point.


    Staring at my right hand, I expected to feel revulsion and disgust in response to what I had done.


    I felt nothing.


    He was a threat and needed to be eliminated...


    Despite the mess of notifications obstructing my vision, the notification announcing the Divine Patriarch¡¯s death had taken a position of prominence in the centre of my vision. As if the Labyrinths had wanted to make sure I knew the fate of my enemy.


    No matter how many times I blinked, the notification remained. It wasn¡¯t until I exercised my authority to actively dismiss the notification that it disappeared.


    As I looked down to dismiss my armour back to the treasury, I was momentarily taken aback upon discovering the two bodies of the Divine Patriarch¡¯s subordinates and their assorted equipment. Further investigation revealed several other items as well.


    As best I could tell, it appeared that everything that had not been on the Divine Patriarch¡¯s person had returned alongside me as some form of reward. Not just limited to the possessions of the enemy, I found scraps of Sebet¡¯s ruined armour and the weapons we had brought as well.


    Feeling a sudden surge of panic, I used my authority to search for Gric and Sebet. Between the notifications and fear of permanent brain damage, they had both somehow managed to slip my mind. I hadn¡¯t received death notifications during the challenge, but that was no guarantee of their wellbeing.


    As my mind raced and prepared to go into overdrive, my authority cut it off at the knees. They were both fine. Whatever the Divine Patriarch had done to them, it had left no lingering effects.


    A fact I would have realised sooner if I checked my group status in my lower peripheral vision.


    After taking some time to reflect on the aftermath of the battle, I was forced to admit that things could have gone considerably worse for us. The Banishment Spell had been powerful enough to kill the Bleak-Fang¡¯s guardian Spirit and dealt the killing blow to an Awakened in the Hurst Labyrinth. Sebet and Gric being forcibly returned home seemed utterly tame by comparison.


    No doubt reacting in response to my use of authority, Gric and Sebet both appeared a few moments later.


    ¡°You are victorious!¡± Sebet cheered elatedly, flapping her leathery wings fiercely and rising a few feet off the ground before landing once more.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Gric interjected confidently, ¡°Our Tyrant would never fall to such a weakling!¡±


    Gric¡¯s words rang somewhat hollow given how close the Divine Patriarch had come to inflicting catastrophic brain damage. ¡°Are you both alright?¡± I already knew that they were, but I still couldn¡¯t help myself from worrying.


    ¡°I was just checking to make sure everything was in the right place when I felt your return, Great One,¡± Sebet admitted sheepishly, ¡°But it¡¯s nothing serious. I would have felt if something was wrong by now. Organs are finicky like that.¡±


    ¡°Organs?¡± It took me a moment to identify what Sebet was referring to. ¡°I was talking about the Banishment,¡± I clarified earnestly.


    ¡°We are in prime condition, my Tyrant,¡± Gric replied stoically. ¡°Such Spells cannot harm us. We are beyond them.¡±


    Sebet grinned and nodded. ¡°Our titles aren¡¯t just for show. We are immune to death from Banishment and similar effects!¡±


    ¡°However, we will be unable to leave your domain for quite some time...¡± Gric added with extreme distaste. ¡°This is our home, it binds us and protects us. But that protection has its price.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be bound long though,¡± Sebet interjected cheerily, ¡°Whatever Spell was contained within those strange scrolls was incredibly weak. If there hadn¡¯t been so many of them, we may have been able to resist the Banishment entirely.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean you can¡¯t die? Or that you specifically can¡¯t be killed by being Banished?¡± I pressed anxiously, not quite ready to leave the matter be.


    ¡°For me?¡± Sebet qualified, ¡°It is both, mostly, sort of...It¡¯s complicated,¡± she shrugged helplessly, ¡°I have insurance, and the title and personal domain you provided me with insurance for that insurance.¡±


    ¡°A mortal blow would diminish me considerably,¡± Gric admitted candidly, ¡°However, so long as I am in your favour, my Tyrant, death will not claim me and Banishment will pose only an inconvenience.¡± His absolute confidence, bordering on conceit, was profoundly reassuring.


    ¡°That¡¯s a load off of my mind...¡± I released a deep sigh and massaged my temples to try and alleviate some of the accumulated stress. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you are both fine, but I think I need to be alone for a while.¡±


    ¡°As you command,¡± Gric growled obediently but procrastinated a few moments before disappearing.


    Sebet frowned and I felt her looking through my surface thoughts. ¡°Hrm...A recommendation for your well being, Great One?¡±


    I motioned for her to elaborate.


    ¡°You need to get laid,¡± Sebet insisted with deadpan conviction and sincerity. ¡°Holding onto all that stress will negatively impact your health...¡± Sebet then stared me down until she felt confident that I was taking her seriously. With a self congratulatory nod, she disappeared.


    After sending the spoils of war to Sanctuary¡¯s treasury, Ieft Tartarus behind and used my authority to transport myself into the mana-enriched lake of The Grove.


    Almost immediately, I felt the built-up tension bleed away.


    Sinking to the bottom of the lake, I closed my eyes and allowed my conscious mind to drift.


    My earlier indifference worried me. Before the battle, before every battle, my biggest fear was that something inside of me would snap and leave me forever changed. Leaving me unable to trust myself around Lash and our children.


    My thoughts turned to the other Awakened. The Fairy.


    As best I could tell, he was, had been, a soldier.


    On my order, Sebet had imprisoned him intending to prevent him from harming himself or others.


    The way I saw it now, it was a matter of when and not if I would one day find myself in a similar position. So it was in my best interests to see if the PTSD and other psychiatric ailments of the Awakened could be successfully treated, and preferably reversed outright.


    Lacking a Doctorate in Psychiatry, Pharmacology, or anything else that would have been conventionally useful, I was inclined to think of alternatives outside of the toolkits available to conventional medicine. Specifically, I was curious to know if Sebet¡¯s power of suggestion and hypnosis could be used to affect permanent and constructive change.


    I issued Sebet a quest to that effect, but I doubted she would have much success in the short term. Therapy was a long-term process of gradual growth and healing. Mind Reading, hypnosis and domination might provide shortcuts, but only time would tell if the changes they wrought would be permanent.


    Crossing the lake, walking rather than swimming, I was thoroughly impressed by Hana¡¯s efforts in terraforming the lakebed. Exotic plants of all shapes and sizes had claimed what spaces they could and brought a new sense of life to the lake.


    Cresting the surface amidst a cluster of giant lily pads, I decided to indulge in a childhood habit and pretended I was some sort of ancient sea monster. It wasn¡¯t lost on me that it was a lateral form of acting at best, given I was quite literally a Lake monster.


    ¡°Tim?!¡± Toofy¡¯s cry of surprise caught me entirely off guard. She was standing on one of the lily pads and appeared to have been in the process of harvesting the large flower when my head suddenly crested the surface.


    Mid-gurgling-growl, I felt a rush of embarrassment and tried to think of how best I could explain myself.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Toofy exclaimed excitedly, barely able to contain her excitement.


    ¡°Y-Yeah...I¡¯m back,¡± I replied somewhat awkwardly, realising that Toofy wouldn¡¯t understand any half-baked explanation I could provide for my behaviour anyway.


    ¡°TIM¡¯S BACK!¡± Toofy howled, cupping her hands and directing her voice toward my home. ¡°Toofy was waiting! Waiting to tell others!¡± She declared proudly.


    ¡°You have been waiting this whole time?¡± I was taken aback and quite touched.


    Toofy cackled and shook her head. ¡°Toofy not waiting long.¡± Given Toofy had yet to adopt standard units of measurement, of any kind, there was no way of knowing how long she had been waiting.


    ¡°Daddy?!¡± Suzy had come running out of the cave and begun scanning the area intently. It only took her a few moments to spot my head floating amidst the lily pads. ¡°DADDY!¡± Suzy shrieked with excitement and began running toward the lakeshore as fast as her legs could carry her. She made it four steps before tripping over her own feet and tumbling face-first into the mud.


    A surge of fear jolted through my limbs and had me moving before I realised what had happened.


    Spirits not dampened in the least, Suzy raced down the mild yet thoroughly muddy slope like a bizarre swamp-dwelling penguin.


    Despite my confusion, paternal instincts continued driving me forward. Just because the initial fall hadn¡¯t hurt her, it didn¡¯t mean rocks hidden in the shallows wouldn¡¯t. Especially given her drastically increased momentum.


    Suzy still managed to reach the shallows before I could. Thankfully, she quickly proved to be unharmed, gliding through the water and circling me twice over before scrambling up my chest and breaching the surface. ¡°Daddy!¡± Suzy wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed hard, rubbing her chubby cheeks and teeth against my collarbone.


    While gently and, due to our size disparity, rather awkwardly hugging Suzy back, I saw new movement at the mouth of the cave.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Pete cheered and jumped into the muddy trench left behind by Suzy. The confidence with which he slid down the muddy embankment made me realise that the twins had most likely been using it as a natural Slip and Slide for quite some time and that Suzy had never been in any real danger.


    Just like Suzy, Pete swam through the water with a seal-like grace before clawing up my chest and giving me a tight hug.


    Between the combined attention of the twins, I didn¡¯t see Lash approach until she was charging through the shallows. Unlike the twins, Lash wasn¡¯t shy about bringing her full strength to bear and jostling for her share of my attention and affections.


    All the while, Toofy hopped about with ever-increasing excitement, nearly falling off her lilypad a dozen times in as many seconds.


    Five days passed in a blur as I spent some much-needed time with my family and friends. Now that I had returned, I felt an extreme reluctance to leave or do much of anything outside of their company.


    Unfortunately, I had responsibilities that I couldn¡¯t afford to ignore.


    Faced with the requirement to engage in a challenge against another Awakened Monarch every fifty days, I decided that at least four hours of each day would need to be set aside for combat training of some form or another.


    Then there was the matter of the new subjects and territories I had been awarded for pressing the Divine Patriarch to Forfeit.


    Instead of the six territories I had wagered initially, the Forfeit had awarded one hundred and seven territories, and one hundred and fifty-seven thousand people.


    While I had been spending time with my family, Gric had been investigating the new arrivals and searching for a reliable central authority that I could speak with. Unfortunately, that did not appear to be possible.


    The people that had accompanied the territories taken from the Divine Patriarch all belonged to relatively small rural communities.


    By Gric¡¯s estimation, roughly a quarter of the adult population were farmers and tended fields year-round while another third of the adult population served as general labour or alternated jobs regularly. The majority of the remaining adults worked more niche professions such as forestry, carpentry or the like.


    A near-infinitesimal segment of the population served as soldiers, and Gric had not been pleased by those he had encountered. Little more than state-appointed brigands, the soldiers were a blight on the communities they were assigned to protect.


    Gric had wasted no time in sending the guilty to Acheron and Tartarus, but the issue of selecting a central authority still remained.


    Preferring to resolve the issue sooner rather than later, I refurbished the stone throne room I had used for my first official meeting with the Semenovian King and Queen. Once everything was to my liking, I had Gric use his limited authority to gather representatives from each of the rural communities and assemble them in the newly formed antechamber.


    Just the same as the official induction of the Semenovians, I Summoned a projection of Lash so she could sit beside me and participate without drawing her away from our children or putting her in danger.


    Gric had made changes to the throne room as well. Possessing a far greater understanding of material stress tolerances, he provided the building with a vaulted ceiling and decorated it similarly to the apartments.


    Recessed lights provided illumination and provided a low-key atmosphere of intimidation to the room. It wasn¡¯t strictly necessary, but I had decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt either.


    At the appointed hour, a procession of elderly men in plain but well-kept robes entered the throne room a dozen or so paces behind Gric.


    When Gric stopped roughly a dozen feet from my throne, the procession of village elders quietly and solemnly fanned out into five equally spaced columns that filled the central space of the throne room. With near-perfect synchronicity, each row knelt and bowed so low that their foreheads were pressed against the cold stone floor.


    ¡°WE GREET THE HONOURED PATRIARCH!!!¡± The elders shouted in unison, their voices laden with terror.


    ¡°Well, that needs to change,¡± I muttered quietly, earning an approving nod of agreement from Lash.


    ¡°They are not warriors, and are infirm with age,¡± Lash commented disapprovingly, ¡°Give them pillows!¡± Lash ordered. Old Variants were exceptionally rare and held venerated status in their communities due to the exceptional perseverance surviving to such an age in the Labyrinths required.


    ¡°As you command, my Tyrantess,¡± Gric acknowledged, bowing his head in deference. With a wave of his hand, Gric conjured a moss-filled pillow behind each of the elders. ¡°You will be seated!¡± Gric commanded, the cold steel in his voice making it clear that he was to be obeyed, and promptly.


    The host of elders nervously shuffled backward onto their respective pillows, still bent over and cowering for fear of meeting my gaze.


    Given the height disparity, there was little chance of that happening by accident.


    ¡°I defeated your previous Monarch,¡± I stated matter of factly. ¡°But I am not like him. When you address me or my representatives, you may raise your voice to be heard but no more unless strictly necessary. Similarly, a formal and respectful bowing at the waist is more than sufficient to demonstrate respect both to me and my representatives. Am I understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± The elders cried in reply. Kneeling on the provided pillows and leaning forward at a hard ninety-degree angle.


    No longer shouting in terror, I took that as a marked sign of improvement.


    Examining the elders in silence, I was surprised to find that they were all human. Or rather, that they all ¡®looked¡¯ human. To a man, they all belonged to the Human Taoist SubSpecies which provided an exclusive progression of Chi in the stead of all other stats.


    While Chi appeared to be interchangeable with mana, the Racial Ability Eternal Tao directly linked to the individual¡¯s total Chi. Eternal Tao claimed to increase natural life expectancy depending upon rank and the total Chi the individual possessed. However, it provided no specifics on what that ratio may be.


    None of the Elders possessed a Class, and I suspected it was most likely a means to keep the rural masses subservient to the central authority. Even the Soldiers assigned to maintain order were incredibly Spearmen and Swordsmen. However, they also appeared to be several evolutionary steps beyond the elders and a quick inspection revealed that their Classes were different from those I was already familiar with.


    Both Classes existed outside of the Tiered structure I was familiar with and appeared to have no means of exponential progression. Instead, both Classes had a Martial Mastery Class Ability named after their respective weapon that provided an accelerated ¡®Enlightenment¡¯ for related Techniques.


    As best as I could tell, the second Class Ability both Classes possessed, Path of Enlightenment, functioned somewhat similarly to my Grimoire Ability. Techniques, which appeared to be something in between Class Abilities and Spells, could be learned and then individually ranked up through ¡®Enlightenment¡¯. As best I could tell, even with the assistance of my authority, the Enlightenment was another form of hybridisation. Consisting of real combat experience, observation and active reflection.


    The more Techniques the Spearmen and Swordsmen learned, the more difficult it became to progress their Enlightenment overall. Which made sense if dividing their focus was intended reasoning.


    It was strange that the system I was familiar with up until this point had awarded Exp, Experience, for completing quests and killing monsters, but nothing else. Meanwhile, a more ¡®realistic¡¯ representation of growth and progression existed in parallel.


    It was stranger still to consider that I had been pitted against someone who used this other system. While it was absurd to think that the Labyrinths would encourage anything close to a fair fight, it still made me uneasy to learn that what I had learned up until this point could not be trusted or relied upon.


    What if there were other systems?


    ¡°I have gathered you all as representatives of your respective communities to make you aware of your obligations and to facilitate a painless transition into the realm of your new peers.¡± While I didn¡¯t want to intimidate them unduly, I wanted to make their position clear. ¡°As representatives of your communities, you will be expected to select a primary representative who will have the responsibility of representing your collective interests within the Faction Council as well as ensuring that every citizen within your communities learns and upholds my laws.¡±


    None of the elders made noticeable signs of movement, most were sneaking glances at those beside them.


    ¡°Every citizen is required to swear oaths of fealty, to obey my authority and laws. No one is above my laws! From the poorest widow to the wealthiest Lords, all will face equal judgement under my laws.¡± I paused to allow the weight of my words to sink in. ¡°No doubt, upon your return, you will notice the absence of the bandits in your midst. The men who had masqueraded as soldiers for your protection.¡± I fought hard to keep the worst of my anger down. ¡°They have been removed and will face the severest punishments under my laws for their crimes!¡±


    Muted gasps echoed through the ranks of the elders but quickly fell to silence as the elders recognised their breach of protocol and courtly etiquette.


    Dismissing the elders back into the antechamber, I left matters in Gric¡¯s capable hands.


    After swearing their oaths, the elders would be allowed the remainder of the day to choose a temporary head representative. Provided the temporary head representative was capable of securing and maintaining a majority of support, and proved an able administrator, I would award them a Faction leader title. Until then, they would all technically fall under Gric¡¯s governance.


    After returning to Sanctuary, I spent some more time with my family before beginning my daily combat training.


    In direct contrast to the training I had engaged in before the Divine Patriarch¡¯s challenge, I made a point of training while in my true form. It was significantly more dangerous for my sparring partners, but there was no shortage of volunteers.


    In the late evening, I made another attempt at opening the Spatial Ring the Divine patriarch had left behind. Unfortunately, I was no more fortunate than I had been the last time.


    Having similarly failed at activating the flying sword, I strongly suspected that the magic items required magic from the other system to function. If true, it made a strange sort of sense and gave me a small measure of reassurance.


    If items were not cross-compatible, then it would limit the potential scope of one on one confrontations.


    Of course, I was also assuming that I was right about there being two systems in the first place.


    There was still a great deal I didn¡¯t know about the world and the Labyrinths. There was every possibility that the Divine Patriarch had come from another world entirely.


    Unsettled by the implications, I decided that claiming an entire Labyrinth outright was going to take a much higher priority.


    The Labyrinth I had created for public use was seeing high levels of traffic and had proven that the most dedicated groups were capable of fighting monsters up to the equivalent of the sixtieth floor. Teamwork, magic items, Synergies, stats from Class and Species progression, and Class and Racial Abilities, all provided an incredible advantage.


    The high-tier monsters were still not to be taken lightly. Sebet¡¯s Contracts saw regular use from groups that overestimated themselves or let down their guard. It was a shame that Sebet couldn¡¯t create Contracts that would provide insurance within the real Labyrinths. If she could, I did not doubt that we would be able to claim an entire Labyrinth in under a handful of months.


    There were advantages to delaying a concentrated push. The chief advantage was that each floor added to my Labyrinth provided five floors worth of experience, levels, and magic items. Which allowed the forces that would be claiming the Labyrinth that much more prepared for the dangers ahead.


    However, there was no justifiable reason I couldn¡¯t have it both ways.


    Once the Daemons had finished plundering what they could from the Semenovians¡¯ former capital, I would redirect them toward Hurst instead. Only this time I would provide them with a significantly larger force. An army that could hold the portal site outside of the Labyrinth indefinitely while the Daemons and an elite force worked their way through the Labyrinth.


    With my plans for the Hurst Labyrinth decided, I reapplied myself to my training and spent quality time with my family.


    I was sitting with Lash by the lake, watching Toofy play with Pete and Suzy in the shallows when Sebet appeared surprised.


    Visibly agitated, it was obvious that Sebet was not bearing good news. ¡°Great One, there has been a complication regarding our efforts in the Aldmeri Dominion...¡± Her lips curled with distaste and she flicked her forked tongue with dissatisfaction. ¡°The local Slave traders have categorically refused to break their contracts and sell their stocks of Ogres. The owners of the mines and quarries are too politically connected to risk crossing so openly, and of course, they won¡¯t sell their Ogres either!¡±


    ¡°I assume these attempts have only been made through conventional means?¡± I asked warily.


    Sebet nodded and grew even more agitated. ¡°Access is heavily restricted and the meetings were always well guarded and had many witnesses...¡± She twitched her clawed fingers irritably and lashed her tail. ¡°Using our Abilities would be ill-advised...That is, assuming subtlety is still preferred?¡± Sebet¡¯s eyes flashed eagerly in anticipation.


    ¡°It¡¯s too soon to move openly,¡± I replied, fighting back the foul taste that the words had left in my mouth.


    ¡°Tch...¡± Sebet clicked her tongue and hissed with irritation. ¡°What about a false flag? Are we allowed to instigate conflict to loosen their supply lines? Or perhaps, predate upon their supply lines through a third party?¡± She asked with renewed optimism.


    ¡°Assuming you can get away with it?¡± I qualified.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet replied eagerly, seizing on the opportunity with unsettling ferocity. ¡°We can take control over one of the bandit troupes from the neighbouring kingdoms!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any innocents caught in the crossfire,¡± I warned, immensely uncomfortable with sanctioning murder but conflicted given the targets would be Slavers.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet repeated, her words thrumming with three profoundly similar yet slightly different voices. ¡°I will see it done, Great One!¡± She bowed and disappeared as suddenly as she had arrived.


    ¡°You believe Suzy and Pete need others like them, like you, to be happy?¡± Lash asked quietly, all the while watching the twins clumsily chase after Toofy along the lakeshore.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they need other Ogre children to be happy...¡± I replied hesitantly, trying to order my thoughts. ¡°But I also think that having other children to play with, children their size will be good for them.¡±


    ¡°They have one another,¡± Lash countered curiously, ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    She had a point and I couldn¡¯t immediately explain my complicated feelings toward freeing the Ogres. There was an unexplainable urge on the fringe of my consciousness that insisted itself upon my mind, insisting that I free those who shared my blood.


    ¡°We could always make more...¡± Lash purred, leaning in close and tickling my ear with her warm breath. ¡°More brothers and sisters for them to play with...¡± She rose to her feet and draped her arms over my chest, dragging her claws over my skin. ¡°So we must practise!¡± Lash growled, biting at my ear before retreating toward our cave.


    Returning to the lakeside with a clearer head sometime later, I made my way over to my private training grounds and began some warm-up exercises.


    Fesk and Nadine were signing intensely to one another as I approached and suspiciously stopped once I had arrived.


    #Ready?# Fesk signed somewhat awkwardly, the movements of his fingers impaired by his protective gauntlets.


    #Is something wrong?# I signed back, feeling incredibly uncomfortable prying into someone else''s relationship.


    Fesk looked pointedly at Nadine and she nodded. #We want a child.# Fesk signed stiffly, his pale red eyes staring up at me determinedly.


    ¡°That...Was not what I had been expecting...¡± I admitted awkwardly.


    #We want a child.# Fesk repeated, refusing to blink or look away.


    #Can I ask why?# I signed back.


    Fesk looked confused and hesitated. #We want a child. To have children.# Fesk signed slowly, his confused expression making it clear that there was some key piece of information that was not being communicated. He turned to Nadine. #Help?#


    #Okay.# Nadine signed back and began making her way into the sparring grounds. ¡°We, herm, we aren¡¯t the only ones you know...¡± Nadine commented defensively, her cheeks reddening slightly. ¡°Loads of people have been asking when you will, you know...¡±


    ¡°Set the Human Mothers Moon, right...¡± It had slipped my mind quite some time ago and I may not have remembered on my own.


    ¡°So?¡± Nadine pressed, forcing herself to look me in the eye, ¡°When are you going to do it?¡±


    Already quite off balance, I tried to buy a little time to get my thoughts together. ¡°Why the rush?¡± I asked, somewhat confused by her urgency.


    Nadine was somewhat taken aback. ¡°I just...I feel like it¡¯s time...¡± She replied lamely before rapidly regaining her nerve. ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Nadine demanded defensively.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± I admitted. ¡°It just seems...sudden?¡± I shrugged helplessly.


    ¡°Tim...You got Lash pregnant within a fortnight...¡± Nadine commented flatly, making it clear that she did not approve of the double standard.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair...¡± I sighed, ¡°It¡¯s just...I don¡¯t know, I just wanted to make sure you aren¡¯t just running into all this for...well...not the wrong reasons...but without thinking it through? Ugh, this is all so messy...¡± I groaned irritably. ¡°It¡¯s not that I disapprove, because I don¡¯t. It¡¯s just that I care about you and want to make sure this is something you want...¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Nadine¡¯s anger and indignation quickly gave way to embarrassment. ¡°You mean that?¡± Nadine asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied sincerely. ¡°You are one of the closest friends I have ever had, but all of this is new and confusing...I just really don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    #You can say yes?# Fesk signed boldly, earning a smile and a playful shove from Nadine.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ¡®just¡¯ say yes,¡± I countered in good humour. ¡°There are too many people to have the Mothers Moon and then so many expecting mothers all at once.¡± I sighed and rubbed at my temples, ignoring the mild pain caused by the hard steel plates of my gauntlets. ¡°It¡¯s not so much a security issue anymore, but it definitely remains a logistics issue...¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± Nadine frowned and furrowed her brow in thought. ¡°Well, you can change the day, can¡¯t you?¡± She asked, already knowing the answer but wanting confirmation.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Can you split it up in any way?¡± Nadine pressed.


    I gave the matter some thought and made sure to use my authority. I nodded again.


    ¡°So, just divide it by the months we were born then,¡± Nadine insisted excitedly, ¡°Or even by the day of the week.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, your birthday is coming up soon?¡± I guessed with a smirk.


    ¡°Ah, maybe?¡± Nadine replied evasively.


    ¡°That will have to do...¡± I decided after making sure that my authority was capable of retroactively determining someone¡¯s birthday.


    After sending Faine to formally inform the Semenovian and Asrusian authorities of the intended change, I began the arduous but far less stressful task of trying to smack Fesk with a padded club.


    Knocking about Fesk, and later Randle, made me feel considerably better. The focus required when fighting had a way of clearing my mind that was borderline impossible to accomplish through meditation.


    After the first set of spars, I decided to make things considerably more difficult for myself by sparring against an Orc and Human opponent at the same time.


    Fighting while not using my Spells put me at a considerable disadvantage, but I found that I enjoyed the challenge.


    The absence of true mortal danger and the relatively fleeting duration of the pain I sustained while sparring made it easier to seek out and suggest more aggressive sparring scenarios for my training. With Lash and our children watching, I had an additional incentive to give it my all and avoid embarrassing myself.


    For their part, Lash seemed to quite enjoy my manhandling of the Orc warriors and was reasonably confident I understood why. It had a great deal to do with Orc culture and the warrior hierarchy. Orcs followed the strongest warriors and challenged one another for a place amongst them. Demonstrating that even the largest Orc warriors were a non-threat, placed me impossibly high in their hierarchy and entitled me to a commensurately high degree of prestige. The prestige that Lash shared as my mate. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suzy just seemed to enjoy the violence and excitement of the spectacle. Lash had her work cut out for her stopping Suzy from leaping into the fray. I was just glad that she showed no violent tendencies toward Pete or any of their other playmates. It was one of the oddities I couldn¡¯t help but notice in the twins'' psychological development. Without being told, they seemed to understand that there was a time and a place for certain activities.


    Of course, not all of my training was conducted as straightforward sparring. Randle, Jayne and Faine took turns teaching Asrusian military doctrine and tactics.


    Given my painful degree of ignorance in battlefield tactics and command, I tried to give their lessons the same energy and focus as my sparring.


    Pete was enthralled by the visual aids that supported the discussions on Asrusian military tactics and doctrines.


    After my training concluded, I made a stone chess set and was surprised when I discovered Pete and Suzy already knew the rules. Suzy didn¡¯t seem to like the game all that much, but Pete was over the moon. It made me wonder what other board games he would enjoy.


    I wasn¡¯t particularly good at chess and had never given it much interest, but I couldn''t help but feel an immense degree of pride watching Pete take carefully calculated moves across the board. By Earth''s standards, his current degree of comprehension would have marked him as a prodigy in the making.


    But things were not so simple.


    Imprinted knowledge was something I felt like I would never grow used to. Especially since I had no real way of knowing how much Earth-related knowledge the twins possessed.


    I spent most of the remaining hours of the day playing chess and checkers with Pete while Suzy and Lash skipped rocks across the lake.


    Before settling down for the evening, I decided to see what Gric and the new arrivals had been up to.


    More or less in line with my expectations, Gric insisted upon and fabricated a large town to serve as a default capital for the newcomers. Generally fitting a traditional Chinese aesthetic, at least so far as I could tell, the central building vaguely resembles pictures I had seen of the imperial palace within the forbidden city.


    Considering Gric may have pulled inspiration from my mind, the resemblance wasn¡¯t particularly surprising. What was interesting was the use of different types of stone in the core architecture of the building. All of Gric¡¯s prior projects had been monotone affairs, so it was impressive to see he was branching out and trying new things.


    Homing in on Gric himself, I found him within what I could only assume was the throne room of the palace. Although it was mostly unfurnished, Gric had made noticeable efforts to transform the larger blank surfaces into a canvas for a range of visually striking engravings.


    ¡°Do you find them suitable?¡± Gric asked with the barest hint of anxiousness in his voice.


    ¡°I think they are amazing!¡± I exclaimed in approval. Even through my thick skin, I could feel the depth of detail in the branches and leaves of the willow tree engraved into the rear wall. ¡°You have a real talent for this!¡±


    Already possessing perfect posture, Gric still somehow managed to stand a little taller. ¡°I am glad it pleases you, my Tyrant,¡± he replied happily. ¡°Acting Chief Administrator Zhu Wen suggested that additional decoration would encourage a suitable level of awe from those attending court.¡±


    I nodded but looked pointedly toward the pair of large jade thrones. ¡°I¡¯m sure the sheer size of my throne will contribute in that particular regard as well,¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°That was my thoughts as well,¡± Gric agreed seriously. ¡°It is an important reminder of your authority and the respect you are due as Tyrant.¡±


    I continued nodding but my attention had shifted toward the second throne. Only ever so slightly smaller than my own, the throne had additional embellishments that padded out its size to put it roughly on the same scale as my own.


    ¡°I knew you had concerns regarding the height of the previous iterations...¡± Gric explained with a faint trace of nervousness. ¡°I believe the creative use of perspective will make it difficult to make such assumptions through casual observation...¡±


    Carefully considering the height of each seat, I was inclined to agree. Lash would still be smaller than I was, but the difference would be far less pronounced than it would have been otherwise. ¡°You have done well, I¡¯m proud of you Gric,¡± I rested my hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.


    I could practically hear Gric¡¯s spine popping as he strove to stand a little taller.


    Gric¡¯s mentioning of the Chief Administrator reminded me of my theories regarding the Divine Patriarch¡¯s treasures. ¡°Can this Zhu Wen be trusted?¡± I asked, knowing full well that Gric could already divine my true meaning through passively reading my surface thoughts.


    ¡°He has sworn the oaths...¡± Gric replied, hesitating slightly.


    ¡°There is something wrong?¡± I asked, concerned by Gric¡¯s lack of confidence.


    Gric nodded slightly and appeared to be somewhat annoyed. ¡°The acting Chief Administrator, in addition to several others, had mistakenly attempted swearing oaths upon their Path of Enlightenment, although they had called it the supreme Tao at the time.¡± He shifted uncomfortably. ¡°They had not expected the oaths of fealty to be binding otherwise. Of course, they were quickly proven wrong after I made sure they do as instructed...But they were all so surprised...I do not think their former master was capable of extracting such oaths.¡±


    I understood why it made Gric nervous. ¡°Did you test to make sure the oaths were binding?¡± I asked bluntly.


    Not offended in the least, Gric nodded again. ¡°Exhaustively,¡± he replied. ¡°The oaths hold, but Sebet was unable to replicate their oath of supreme Tao with any prisoners besides the bandits I delivered shortly after integration.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...Incredibly strange...¡± I agreed with mounting concern. ¡°Those bandits, were either of you able to find out whether the Divine Patriarch had Slave Bonds? So far as I can tell, none of the subjects I gained through his Forfeit were Slaves. Given what I experienced of his personality, it seems strange that he wouldn¡¯t have at least permitted the practice.¡±


    ¡°We found no such references,¡± Gric replied while slowly shaking his head. ¡°However, the extreme disparity in combat capabilities made such practice largely unnecessary. Those who are not chosen to be warriors are incredibly weak and utterly incapable of defending themselves from the warriors.¡± He scowled with contempt and revulsion, ¡°Warriors of their Patriarch would often kill the citizenry over the most minor infractions or imagined insults. Not one of the representatives was aware of a single instance of a warrior being held to account for their crimes.¡±


    ¡°That would explain the mixed reactions...¡± I muttered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have much faith in such claims if I had lived through something like that either.¡±


    Gric¡¯s expression lightened. ¡°On that account, the removal of the bandits has gone a long way proving your intentions, my Tyrant. Some are afraid that others will simply replace them under your banner, but I have made it clear that they shall largely be responsible for governing themselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t believe that either,¡± I sighed and could tell by the look in Gric¡¯s eyes that I was correct. ¡°That does raise another issue though. Have they put any thought into what they will call themselves? It¡¯s rather difficult keeping my thoughts straight without a collective identity I can refer to besides the ¡®new arrivals, and that will only become even more confusing over time...¡±


    Gric nodded but seemed hesitant. ¡°The most popular choice is the Nongmin Alliance...¡±


    For whatever reason, the name wasn''t translated by the system, but my authority still made me aware of its meaning. ¡°Well...It¡¯s better than nothing...¡±


    If they wanted to call themselves the Farmers Alliance, I wasn¡¯t going to stop them.


    ***** Zhu Wen ~ Imperial Province / Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane *****


    Hurriedly straightening and smoothing his robes one final time, Zhu Wen took several deep calming breaths to settle his nerves.


    Reaching the massive jade doors of the audience chamber, Wen couldn¡¯t help but fret as he witnessed how violently his hands were shaking.


    Despite having been elected by his peers, Wen still found the prospect of being summoned by the Imperial Patriarch to be an immensely stressful proposition. Arbitrating the disputes of his neighbours had not prepared him for such a prominent role and Wen was terrified that he might say or do something that would bring the Imperial Patriarch''s ire down upon them all.


    <We are waiting.>


    Zhu Wen jumped in fright, convinced he would never grow used to the remote message technique of the Imperial Patriarch¡¯s Imperial Governor. Fighting down his fear as best he could manage, Wen pushed on the doors.


    The huge Jade swung open with a near weightless ease, allowing Wen despite his advanced age to proceed into the audience chamber without assistance.


    Eyes cast downward to show respect and avoid tripping over the hem of his robe, Wen didn¡¯t notice the presence of the imperial Patriarch until it was too late.


    ¡°The Tyrant has a task that requires your attention and discretion,¡± the Imperial Governor stated coldly.


    Wen hurriedly bowed, catching himself just in time to bow low at the waist instead of prostrating himself and performing a full kowtow. ¡°I am honoured to serve the imperial Patriarch!¡± Wen replied fervently, hoping his earnestness would cover his near-crippling anxiety.


    The Imperial Governor grunted in approval before approaching Zhu Wen directly. ¡°The Tyrant wants you to circulate your internal energy through this ring,¡± he held out a ring expectantly in the palm of his jade-coloured palm.


    ¡°Ah, at once!¡± Wen agreed and gathered the embarrassingly weak Chi from his Dantian before projecting it toward the ring. To Wen¡¯s immense surprise, the ring suddenly leapt from the Governor¡¯s hand and onto Wen¡¯s left index finger. ¡°Ah! A thousand apologies! It was not my intention to-¡±


    ¡°Very interesting,¡± the Imperial Patriarch¡¯s rumbling growl stole the voice from Wen¡¯s lungs. ¡°Tell me, acting Chief Administrator Zhu Wen, can you access the items inside of the ring?¡±


    Too afraid to even speak, Wen probed the ring with his internal energy. ¡°...!!!¡± What he found within made his heart come to a complete stop inside of his chest.


    A veritable mountain of treasures lay before him. Elixirs, medicinal pills, Technique manuals, weapons, armour and much much more.


    ¡°It is as you suspected, my Tyrant,¡± the Imperial Governor commented with due deference. ¡°Acting Chief Administrator, you will now withdraw the contents of the ring for the Tyrant¡¯s inspection.¡±


    Still unable to speak and feeling incredibly faint, it was all Zhu Wen could manage to nod weakly in reply.


    Not entirely sure how to withdraw items stored within the ring, it took Wen a few moments to discover the trick of it and begin drawing out the priceless cultivator treasures contained within.


    As the pile began to grow, Wen could feel his long-stagnated internal energies begin to stir. The simple act of standing near the Elixirs was progressing his cultivation further in a matter of seconds than he had experienced in years of earnest meditation.


    The Imperial Governor casually picked up one of the Elixirs and inspected it with his reptilian eyes before holding it out to Zhu Wen. ¡°Consume it,¡± he ordered.


    Wen wasn¡¯t sure how much more his heart would take. ¡°I-I, erm, esteemed Imperial Governor, I couldn¡¯t possibly...Such a treasure would be wasted on one such as-¡±


    The Imperial Governor¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    ¡°I...Uh...A-As you say...¡± Zhu Wen broke out into a flop sweat and shuddered uncontrollably as he accepted the Elixir. All but collapsing to the ground as he sat down in preparation for circulating his internal energy, Wen was painfully aware that he was under intense scrutiny.


    Ideally, circulating internal energy required a clear mind and heart to sense the ambient energies in the vicinity and attempt to draw them into the Dantian. Wen now found that there was so much energy that he had to fight it to prevent it from flooding into his meridians and killing him outright.


    ¡°Interesting...¡± The Imperial Governor sounded incredibly far away and Wen was not entirely certain he had spoken at all.


    Zhu Wen¡¯s meridians throbbed painfully as built-up impurities were torn free by the unstoppable tide of internal energy. Having barely taken in a tenth of the Elixir¡¯s energy and already doubled his internal energy capacity, Wen could take no pleasure in the achievement.


    It was too much. There was simply too much energy, and Wen¡¯s efforts to guide it through his meridians had as much success as a leaf controlling the winds of a great storm.


    Then, quite suddenly, Wen became aware of a change within his meridians and the paths between them. The damage inflicted by the elixir was being reversed. More than that, the pathways and meridians were being strengthened and better adapted to taking in larger amounts of energy. All the while, the impurities were being forcibly driven from Wen¡¯s body.


    Caught in a combination of intense euphoria and unimaginable pain, Wen could only stay the course as his cultivation of the Tao continued climbing to heights he had never dared to dream of.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 67 – Cultivating the future – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 67 ¨C Cultivating the future ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 67 - Cultivating the future - Part Two


    The fist-sized crystal in Zhu Wen¡¯s hands was losing its lustre at an increasingly accelerated rate. Through observing Zhu Wen¡¯s status, I learned that he was increasing his Chi in a similar manner of progression monsters accomplished with mana stones. The Racial Ability, Eternal Tao, had also ranked up several times. However, the sudden influx of energy appeared to have been more than Zhu Wen¡¯s old body could handle and he had begun haemorrhaging HP.


    Gric¡¯s timely intervention had stalled the deterioration of Zhu Wen¡¯s health, but it had brought an unexpected change in the old man¡¯s status. While his Species was unchanged, a new entry had been made in his status.


    Cultivation Inheritance: {Daemon King¡¯s Veins}.


    Leveraging my authority to search for answers, I received a cluster of error notifications instead. More or less what I had expected, I turned my attention back to Zhu Wen¡¯s status and noticed that he had unlocked but not yet accepted a new Class.


    Daemonic Cultivator.


    Ignoring the imprisoned soldiers, made Zhu Wen the first of his people to unlock a Class, which was all the more interesting due to Gric¡¯s involvement. My best guess was that Gric¡¯s use of the Sculpt Flesh Spell to stabilise the old man¡¯s condition has met the requirements from the other system. What those requirements were was unclear, but I suspected that merging their energies, or mana, was probably significant.


    If this was true, then there was the possibility that Sebet, Orphiel and Ophelia might be able to do the same with slightly different results.


    Of course, I would need to confirm that the Class and Cultivation Inheritance were objectively beneficial first before considering facilitating any sort of voluntary experimentation. Especially since altering someone''s circulatory system was bound to carry immense risks, and I wasn¡¯t sure the cultivation Classes could be replaced or reset either.


    There was another unsettling possibility that gave me cause for concern.


    Banishment.


    How would someone with Daemon King¡¯s Veins be affected by Banish Spells? Would it weaken them? Rip out their circulatory system? Or not affect them at all?


    Short of testing it, which would require a living volunteer, there was no way of knowing what would happen. I found both circumstances profoundly unsettling.


    As time passed, I noticed that the other crystals were losing their lustre as well. However, while a small portion of their energy was drawn toward Zhu Wen, the majority seemed to be evaporating and slowly dispersing into the surrounding area.


    The energy wasn¡¯t lost, but it was like emptying a swimming pool of fresh water into the pacific ocean. The energy was diluted to the point where there was almost no difference between the existing ambient mana and the new energy.


    Using my authority, I separated one of the reserve territories and relocated the pile of treasures alongside the three of us into the empty Foothold of the territory. I then divided the territory, separating the foothold from the remainder.


    The concentration of the energy became far more noticeable within the restricted space but the crystals continued shedding their energy at roughly the same rate.


    To pass the time, I carefully sorted through the pile of treasures to sate my curiosity. I found many cord-bound books and was surprised to discover that not all books were written in the same language. As best I could tell, there were two different yet visually similar languages. I felt confident that they were Japanese and Chinese, but wasn¡¯t familiar enough with either language to make a confident guess regarding which was which.


    Searching for any Beasts that may have accompanied the new territories, I was intrigued upon discovering several Beasts clustered within the same territory.


    After preparing a large stone cage for each Beast, I used my authority to retrieve the Beasts so I could inspect them in person.


    Unsure of what I had expected, I still found myself to be somewhat surprised by the tri-horned house-cat-sized rabbits that now occupied the cages.


    Unlike the rabbits from the first floor of the Hurst Labyrinth, the horned rabbits appeared to be quite docile. At least, until I moved closer to take a better look.


    The moment my hand came within a few inches of a rabbit¡¯s cage, the rabbit charged the stone panels with deceptively intense speed and power. However, the rabbit¡¯s horns glanced off of the stone without doing any damage.


    Judging that the rabbits were likely territorial rather than aggressive, I was still somewhat confused by their presence.


    The near absolute absence of Beasts from the rural territories was incredibly strange to me. Especially given that the rabbits almost certainly contained an equivalent of the mana stones.


    Curious to see whether the errors extended to the tri-horned rabbits, I designated the empty weapon store as a spawning ground for the rabbits.


    As I prepared to shift my attention back toward Gric and Zhu Wen, I felt a shift in the ambient energy and was surprised to find that the energy was no longer dispersing into the air. Instead, it was slowly gathering in the carpenter¡¯s workshop.


    After several minutes, a pale orb of silvery light the size of a pea appeared on the floor. Immediately afterwards, the body of a tri-horned rabbit materialised around the orb. Within moments, the tri-horned rabbit began cautiously exploring its surroundings and gnawing at the legs of a table.


    Over an hour, five more rabbits joined the first. However, contrary to my intentions of generating male clones, three of the rabbits had different coloured fur, and one of them was female.


    Concerned that the rabbits might be Variants and have close to human-level Intelligence, I gathered my mana and Summoned a projection of Sebet.


    ¡°I need you to read their minds,¡± I ordered anxiously, ¡°I need to know if they have comparable Intelligence to the Beast Variants.¡±


    Sebet looked surprised but bowed her head obediently. ¡°As you command, Great One!¡± Her surprise turned to increasingly intense confusion as she regarded each of the rabbits in turn. ¡°They are not Variants...¡± She hedged with a hint of uncertainty, ¡°But there is something not quite right about them either...Their thoughts are purely driven by instinct, but some instincts don¡¯t make sense...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make sense, how?¡± I pressed, feeling vindicated in my paranoia.


    ¡°Well...One of the least confusing instincts is compelling them to seek out sustenance,¡± Sebet raised her hand to signal she wasn¡¯t finished with her explanation. ¡°It isn¡¯t the same as their instincts compelling them to find food and water, but it is similar. Remarkably similar to a monster¡¯s drive to consume mana stones, but somehow... vaguer?¡± Sebet narrowed her eyes suspiciously and scanned the air. ¡°I suspect...yes, I suspect that their instinct is compelling them to seek out this strange mana in whatever form it may take. And yet...¡± She looked at the rabbits with unconcealed confusion, ¡°They have an absurdly strong filial instinct and won¡¯t attack or eat one another to get at the energy...¡±


    Most Beasts of the same Species wouldn¡¯t attack one another, but they held no reservations regarding cannibalism. It was possible that Sebet might have interpreted the thought patterns of the rabbits incorrectly, but doubting her would defy the point of seeking her expertise in the first place.


    I nodded in appreciation and then pointed to Gric and Zhu Wen, ¡°I want you to take a look at Zhu Wen¡¯s status information and compare it against his peers. Once you have done that, I want you to determine what exactly Gric has done, and...and let me know if you can replicate it if required.¡±


    Sebet had already turned her mind toward the task before I had finished giving the order, no doubt seizing the thoughts from my mind. She grew slightly more surprised and excited with each passing moment but otherwise performed her tasks in absolute silence.


    The number of rabbits within the workshop continued to grow and they had begun gnawing at the walls, having already devoured the workshop''s store of wooden planks and half-finished furniture. Despite their damage to the building, I was glad to discover that they were still bound to the grounds of the workshop by my authority.


    ¡°The answer is in the books,¡± Sebet announced, already making her way over to the books I had neatly stacked off to one side. Briefly glancing at the books, Sebet began picking her way through one of the stacks I had identified as being Japanese or Chinese. Setting two books aside, Sebet began reading a third with intense interest.


    ¡°Anything useful?¡± I asked, my anticipation mounting in the wake of Sebet¡¯s announcement.


    ¡°Useful?¡± Sebet asked somewhat distractedly, ¡°Almost certainly, but not what I was looking for...¡± She made a point of reading through the remainder of the book before picking up another. ¡°Not this one either...,¡± Sebet sighed, briefly eyeing the remaining books before returning to her studies.


    The crystal in Zhu Wen¡¯s hands flashed faintly and evaporated.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaah!¡± Zhu Wen released a loud ragged gasp and his empty hands stiffly fell into his lap. He probably would have collapsed, but Gric still had Zhu Wen¡¯s head firmly clasped within his right hand.


    ¡°The Great One wants to know what you did,¡± Sebet commented distractedly.


    Gric blinked, slowly, his two sets of eyelids dragging across his eyes as his pupils slowly shifted into focus. ¡°My...Tyrant...¡± Gric slowly shook his head and took several deep breaths, blinking a dozen times in increasingly rapid succession before seeming to fully return to his senses. His mana was incredibly low and it had taken a toll on him. ¡°Yes...I was preserving the acting Chief Administrator¡¯s life by reconstructing his deteriorating circulatory system...¡±


    ¡°Using the Sculpt Flesh Spell,¡± Sebet added snarkily without raising her eyes from her book.


    ¡°Yes...¡± Gric confirmed, flaring briefly at Sebet before policing his emotions. ¡°The assistance proved...counterproductive...accelerating the damage...demanding more mana...Self-destructive and wasteful!...¡± He growled irritably, returning his attention to Zhu Wen and popping the knuckles of his right hand as he released the old man from his grasp.


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± I interjected calmly. ¡°Besides progressing his Evolution, you also gave him a new ability.¡±


    Gric slowly shifted his focus to Zhu Wen who was panting breathlessly on the ground. Gric frowned. ¡°Daemon King¡¯s Veins?¡± His eyes narrowed dangerously and he glared down at Zhu Wen, ¡°Explain yourself!¡±


    Zhu Wen stared up at Gric with an expression of pure bliss plastered on his face, ¡°I-I cultivated!... I actually cultivated! I¡¯m a cultivator now! I Can¡¯t believe it!¡± Tears streamed freely from his eyes and he threw himself forward to the ground, smacking his forehead in his zeal to show Gric his respects.


    Gric¡¯s scowl deepened and he released a low growl.


    ¡°Collected inheritances!¡± Sebet cheered in triumph, briefly rising into the air as she batted her wings excitedly, ¡°I have found it!¡± Still holding the book tightly in her left hand, Sebet pointed at Zhu Wen with her free hand, ¡°Powerful Cultivators, ancient Magical Beasts, and SPIRITS!-¡± She motioned emphatically between herself and Gric, ¡°-Can bestow Inheritances by imprinting their internal energy upon a worthy successor! Or by donating viable organs rich in internal energy!!!¡±


    Instead of becoming upset, Gric¡¯s anger subsided.


    ¡°So...Gric has internal energy?¡± I asked, uncertain whether I understood her correctly.


    ¡°Not at all!!!¡± Sebet replied excitedly, her barbed tail crashing through the wall of the former guild administration building as she turned to give me her full attention.


    There was something I still didn¡¯t understand, something Sebet seemed to think was obvious.


    ¡°I have received a cultivation Inheritance?!...¡± Zhu Wen wheezed, his face growing deathly pale and drenched with sweat.


    ¡°He cheated!!!¡± Sebet cried with savage glee, ¡°He tricked the system!!!¡±


    Gric glowered at Sebet but said nothing.


    ¡°Wait...Cheated?...Tricked the system?...¡± I parroted, frowning briefly before blinking in surprise.


    Sebet was right, without meaning to, Gric had cheated. He had uncovered an exploit.


    Gric didn¡¯t ¡®need¡¯ internal energy, not if he was actively manipulating the physiology of someone else who already had it. Someone who was actively flooding their body with so much internal energy that it was tearing them apart.


    ¡°But what does it do?¡± It took me a moment to realise I had spoken aloud. Not that it would have made much of a difference in present company.


    With a visible force of will, Sebet calmed herself down. ¡°Great One, the exact nature of each Inheritance is somewhat esoteric and depends upon the source. However, a common theme holds that Inheritances will amplify the efficiency of converting energy into internal energy, and infuse said internal energy with properties related to the source.¡±


    ¡°Making Zhu Wen¡¯s internal energy, his mana? It¡¯s infused with Daemon mana?¡± I asked, wanting to confirm I hadn¡¯t missed something important.


    ¡°Yeesss,¡± Sebet waved her hand and winced. ¡°Chi and internal energy aren¡¯t strictly interchangeable...¡± She warned. ¡°To the best of my understanding, Chi represents a pool of readily available internal energy that will replenish over time without causing permanent harm to the cultivator. I think an apt example would be comparing the cultivator¡¯s internal energy to the blood-producing marrow in their bones, and the Chi as the blood.¡±


    I nodded in understanding. The marrow and blood analogy probably wasn¡¯t the best fit, but I felt like I had a decent grasp on the core concepts. ¡°The internal energy saturates their bodies and begins stockpiling a surplus over time. Probably by stripping the energy from their food alongside drawing in any ambient energy in the air by breathing. Enough to replenish the surplus, but not enough to contribute to their progression. Just like mana and MP...¡±


    Sebet nodded vigorously. ¡°That appears to be the case.¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I had been using the two interchangeably, but I now realised that it had been holding back my core understanding. Mana was the foundation of monster anatomy and evolution, and MP was the excess.


    The humans of Nadine¡¯s world had to cheat the system to gain access to Classes and mana. Which made them an outside influence...An unexpected variable?...


    Officially drawing in the humans, converting them into Monsters. I couldn¡¯t help but feel like I had done something that broke some sort of unspoken rule. That I had derailed an experiment, or carefully laid plan...


    Turning my mind away from the disturbing implications of the unverifiable theories, I found myself staring at Zhu Wen.


    In all the excitement, the old man had fainted before I had a chance to have him check his status and review the Inheritance for a potential description. Attempting to check it myself had resulted in errors, but I was reasonably confident that Zhu Wen would be able to review it without issue.


    ¡°I suppose we will need to wait...¡± I muttered, unable and unwilling to temper my disappointment. ¡°Gric, would you mind returning him home and ensuring he is cared for?¡±


    ¡°I obey your will!¡± Gric declared proudly, thrusting out his chest and squaring his shoulders before bowing his head. Gric and Zhu Wen disappeared shortly afterwards.


    ¡°We have been distracted by other matters, but I will make interrogating the soldiers a higher priority!¡± Sebet was working her way through another book and grinning evilly. The pages of the book had primitive diagrams of human anatomy paired with long thin needles and I recalled assuming it was a reference book for acupuncture. ¡°There is so much we have yet to learn!¡±


    Unsettled by Sebet¡¯s intensity, but generally supportive of her enthusiasm overall, I was inclined to agree.


    Training cultivators to a high enough standard to participate in a Monarch Challenge was a long-term goal at best. However, Sebet had the right idea for moving forward. Everything we learned about the alternate system would reduce the dangers of being blindsided during a future Challenge.


    Going through the motions of forming a quest that would coach those eligible through unlocking the Daemonic Cultivator Class, it now came as no surprise that the core requirement was exposure to Daemonic internal energy. What surprised me was the alternate Swordsman and Spearman Classes required almost an identical set of requirements to those I was more familiar with.


    The key difference was a minimum level of Chi as a requirement alongside slightly lower Strength, Agility stats, and possession of a suitable weapon. The quests for the older Spearman and Swordsman Classes would have tailored exercises and activities to coach the participant toward raising necessary stats and unlocking the Class.


    Experimenting with quests for the new Swordsman and Spearman Classes, I learned that they were incredibly similar in that regard as well. With the noted exception that it made seeking out a Breathing Technique a strongly advised optional requirement to meet the minimum Chi standard for the Class unlock.


    I found that strange since they wouldn¡¯t be able to ¡®learn¡¯ the technique and add it to their collection until after they unlocked the Class. Of course, after watching Zhu Wen consume the energy crystal, I had to assume that the Technique had benefits that went beyond the limits and descriptions of the system.


    Leaving Sebet with the books, I felt a pang of jealousy that she could become fluent in written languages with so little effort. However, the jealousy quickly passed after reminding myself ¡®how¡¯ she had obtained her fluency.


    It made me uncomfortable at how comfortable I had become with allowing Gric and Sebet to rifle through the minds of our enemies. But I wasn¡¯t naive enough to believe that denying them core aspects of their being and sparing our enemies'' privacy would be a good idea.


    The workshop had collapsed outright and a writhing mass of fur had taken its place.


    Briefly glancing back toward the pile of crystals, I confirmed that they still seemed to have most of their energy. Although that was assuming the brightness of the light indicated the energy level.


    After sending the rabbits to the larger portion of the isolated territory as an experiment, I cancelled the spawn zone that previously occupied the workshop grounds.


    Presumably, traces of the energy existed in the atmosphere of the recently acquired rural territories, so I was curious whether the rabbits would be able to survive on their own in an environment that was, theoretically, otherwise devoid of the energy.


    Returning to Sanctuary, I continued my combat training.


    It felt somewhat strange when Fesk requested permission to engage in unarmed combat training to try and unlock the Pugilist Classes and evolve his Class further. At least, that is what he claimed. After assuming my human form and we both stripped down to our boxers, I began to suspect that Fesk may have ulterior motives.


    Despite his recent gains in height, Fesk was still a full head shorter than I was, standing at about six feet tall. However, where I was beefy like an old-timey strongman, Fesk was wiry with the tightly packed muscle of a featherweight boxer.


    My suspicions intensified when Fesk insisted on exchanging blows rather than just allowing him to perform the necessary objectives of his quest.


    Completely without subtlety, Fesk walked straight into the reach of my fists.


    Expecting to take a hit, I threw a straight punch at Fesk¡¯s chest.


    Narrowly dodging the punch, Fesk dropped low and threw a punch of his own at my abdomen.


    Dodging the hit was impossible, but it provided an opportunity to teach Fesk a lesson. Taking the hit, I hammered Fesk¡¯s collarbone and kneed him in the chest, sending him tumbling across the hard-packed dirt.


    As Fesk leapt to his feet, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the thick patches of shimmering obsidian scales clustered over his shoulder, sternum, and right hand. He smiled and shrugged unapologetically before raising his fists.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± I chuckled, readying myself for another exchange.


    Fesk nodded and leapt forward, throwing a straight with his left fist toward my face.


    Deflecting Fesk¡¯s left arm with my right forearm, I hammered my right fist into his gut and sent him tumbling backward for a second time.


    Rising to his feet, Fesk¡¯s entire midsection was covered in more of the obsidian scales.


    ¡°You know, if you just want to be hit, Ophelia is always looking for sparring partners,¡± I nodded toward the Large willow trees in the middle of the lake.


    Fesk furiously shook his head in a panic.


    ¡°Maybe you should stop letting me hit you then?¡± I suggested. ¡°This isn¡¯t meant to be just for your benefit, remember?¡±


    #Apologies.# Fesk signed and bowed his head before raising his fists again.


    Fesk used his superior Agility to duck, weave or deflect most of my attacks. Meanwhile, I had little choice but to angle myself as best as I could to reduce the effectiveness of Fesk¡¯s attacks in turn.


    After trading blows for the better part of an hour, Fesk¡¯s significantly lower Toughness forced us to end the match.


    Exhausted, Fesk collapsed into the dirt and grinned up at me as he shakily raised his arms and hands. #Two points!# He signed excitedly. #I got two points!#


    Nadine gasped, hands covering her mouth and eyes focused on something only she could see.


    ¡°What? Did it work?!¡± Clarice demanded, needling Nadine in the side with her elbow.


    ¡°Two points?¡± I offered Fesk my arm and helped him back onto his feet.


    #Toughness.# Fesk signed shakily, visibly trembling from his exhaustion.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Helping Fesk stagger over to Nadine, I realised that I should have expected as much.


    The two primary means of increasing the Toughness stat outside of Evolution and Class progression were to perform exhaustive exercises and repeatedly take damage.


    Fesk¡¯s true motives had now become clear.


    ¡°Those scales, that¡¯s one of Ushu¡¯s Warlock Abilities, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked curiously, choosing to overlook the minor deception.


    Fesk nodded.


    ¡°And you were splitting damage with one of your mount Bond-related Abilities.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. I already knew that it was a staple of mount-related Classes and that Clarice and Nila both had similar Abilities.


    Fesk nodded again.


    ¡°You, ah, you¡¯re not mad are you?¡± Nadine asked nervously, all the while going through the motions of applying a soothing ointment to Fesk¡¯s back and shoulders. ¡°We thought about telling you, talking about it, but...¡± Her cheeks flushed, ¡°I just thought you didn¡¯t like talking about that sort of thing...¡±


    I had been following things just fine but felt like I had just been transplanted into an entirely different conversation.


    Clarice rolled her eyes and hissed with frustration, causing Nadine to panic. Clarice hesitated, locking eyes with Nadine and pressing her lips together while malicious thoughts danced behind her eyes. ¡°They...¡± She hesitated again. ¡°They just want higher Toughness to help with taking care of their kid,¡± Clarice explained lamely, looking away and glaring at nothing in particular. ¡°You know, because babies are up all night crying and soiling themselves...¡±


    Shocked beyond words, Nadine stared at Clarice with wide-eyed surprise.


    Unwilling to press things further, I wandered over to Lash and sat down so I could give my feet a rest. Unfortunately, being so small put me at the mercy of Pete and Suzy.


    ¡°Daddy small!¡¯¡¯ Pete giggled, poking experimentally at the gap in my ribs where my gills should have been.


    ¡°Small! Small!¡± Suzy parroted happily, pulling at my right leg and inspecting my unwebbed toes.


    Very nearly as large as I was, between the two of them the twins manhandled me without much effort. Lash could have shifted the balance but seemed to be content with letting Pete and Suzy indulge their curiosity.


    I hadn¡¯t taken any lasting damage from the sparring, so I resigned myself to Pete and Suzy¡¯s poking and prodding.


    Suzy slapped my thigh to get my attention. ¡°Play?¡± She asked with overflowing optimism and pointing toward Fesk, Nadine and Clarice


    ¡°You want to play with your aunties?¡± I asked, curious to see what games Suzy had in mind.


    ¡°Play!¡± Suzy agreed emphatically, bouncing up and down in her anticipation.


    ¡°Hrm, okay, so long as mommy agrees?¡± I shifted Suzy¡¯s attention to Lash.


    Suzy looked up at Lash expectantly, ¡°Play?¡±


    Lash smiled and tickled Suzy¡¯s chin, ¡°Go play,¡± she agreed supportively.


    ¡°PLAY!!!¡± Suzy pumped her fists toward the sky and shrieked excitedly as she charged toward her aunts.


    ¡°Uh oh,¡± Pete giggled in amusement


    ¡°PLAY!!!¡± Suzy shrieked and tackled Clarice to the ground, causing the both of them to tumble across the ground in a tangle of limbs.


    Expecting Clarice to begin cursing up a storm, I was surprised that she had managed to keep her cool.


    ¡°OH YEAH?! WELL, TAKE THIS!!!¡± Clarice roared, mercilessly squirming her fingers under Suzy¡¯s armpits and establishing dominance with practised ease.


    After reducing Suzy to a cackling giggling mess, Clarice turned her attention toward Pete.


    ¡°Don''t think I can¡¯t see you back there!¡± Clarice warned with feigned malice. ¡°Do you think I would let you go after your family betrayed me like this?!¡±


    Pete giggled nervously and slowly began backing away. And I couldn¡¯t help but notice he was heading toward the water.


    Clarice and Pete burst into motion at about the same time. However, despite Clarice being faster, she lost a considerable amount of momentum when she was forced to shield her eyes as Pete threw a handful of dirt at her face. Once Pete reached the muddy banks of the lakeshore, it was all over.


    ¡°That little shit,¡± Clarice snickered only to then catch my eye. ¡°What? He is. He¡¯s pulled that trick at least five times now, and two of those times were with that glowing goop they like smearing on everything!¡±


    ¡°It is true,¡± Lash chuckled, waving back at Pete who had taken refuge in the lake.


    ¡°Why do you keep chasing him then?¡± I asked, genuinely curious why she would keep doing the same thing and expect different outcomes.


    Clarice looked at me like I was an idiot. ¡°Because that¡¯s the game!¡± She groaned exasperatedly. ¡°And it was way better before Pete started throwing things! I¡¯m just glad Suzy doesn¡¯t pull that shit. I bet he learned it from Toofy! She¡¯s always giving him bad ideas!¡±


    ¡°Like escaping into the lake?¡± I guessed, pointing my thumb back toward Pete who was now slowly patrolling the shoreline.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Clarice agreed. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m glad someone else gets it! The point is to chase them and MAYBE catch them, that¡¯s the fun!¡±


    Suzy had begun slowly crawling toward Clarice, taking care to approach her blind spot.


    ¡°And before you mention it, yeah, this is the way the game has to go now!¡± Clarice spun about on the spot and threw her arms wide, catching Suzy completely by surprise, ¡°RAAAAAAGH!!!¡±


    Suzy yelped and desperately scrambled to run away, taking a good five seconds before gaining sufficient traction on the hard-packed dirt to do so.


    Clarice proved her point by approaching with all the speed of a snail, all the while flailing her arms and making squealing, grunting noises. She waited until Suzy had gained a sufficient lead, gave me an ¡®I told you so¡¯ look, and then began chasing after her.


    I looked over at Pete and found him excitedly paddling along the shore to watch the chase. I shrugged. ¡°He seems to enjoy this version of it just fine, and he¡¯s still getting some exercise.¡±


    ¡°Suzy likes it this way,¡± Lash agreed cheerily, getting to her feet and walking toward the Lake to keep Pete company.


    With Fesk receiving Healing from Nadine, I Summoned a Kobold to provide its Synergy to help him recover from his exhaustion.


    Even with the assistance of the Synergy, I assumed Fesk would probably need an hour to fully recover. So I decided to rotate through to weapons training until he was ready to fight again.


    It was difficult to know whether I was making genuine progress at the moment. However, Randle was not shy about expressing relief over improvements I had made since we first began my training with the mace and other blunt weaponry. There was no malice behind it, and Randle seemed genuinely pleased, so I overlooked his all too often poor choice of words.


    Sparring with Fesk again, we both seemed to have learned a great deal from our earlier fight. Unfortunately, neither of us appeared to have much luck in leveraging what we had learned into any sort of advantage. Making matters worse, without a trusted, and competent, unarmed instructor to provide constructive advice, we devolved into the same basic patterns.


    Unlike Fesk, I wanted to increase as many of my martial proficiencies as possible to better face the other Monarchs. Which meant I couldn¡¯t count our time spent sparring against my daily training quota.


    Later in the evening, I decided to follow up on Zhu Wen and sate my curiosity regarding the Inheritance. Given Sebet may have contributions to make as well, I relocated myself to the larger portion of the partitioned territory and Summoned their projections.


    I realised that I could have just Summoned a projection of Zhu Wen earlier, but decided not to dwell on it.


    ¡°P-Patriarch!¡± Zhu Wen barely caught himself in time to avoid throwing himself on the ground.


    ¡°Chief Administrator,¡± I nodded approvingly. Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day, and I doubted such a deeply ingrained mannerism would be unlearned for quite some time. So I appreciated the effort.


    ¡°H-How may I serve the P-Patriarch?¡± Zhu Wen stammered anxiously, his wispy beard and moustache aquiver.


    ¡°I wish to know the description attached to your Inheritance,¡± I replied calmly, willing the poor old man to calm down for fear he would have a heart attack.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Zhu Wen cried with visible relief. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Zhu Wen raised one palm into a meditative pose and closed his eyes. ¡°This one humbly seeks the Heavens'' Will.¡± Upon opening his eyes, his pupils began moving to and fro in the manner I had come to recognise was associated with inspecting the status.


    Although, curiously, his eye movements followed slightly different patterns which I could only assume were related to how the written language was presented.


    Zhu Wen quietly cleared his throat to signal he was ready to begin and focused intently on his status. ¡°The veins of the divine Daemon King carry the blessings of his indomitable fortitude, and insatiable hunger for power.¡±


    Gric¡¯s frown deepened and Sebet smirked with amusement.


    Zhu Wen cleared his throat once more and blinked to dismiss his status. ¡°That is all that is written, Patriarch. However, I have some small understanding as well, if the Patriarch wishes to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I motioned for him to continue.


    Gric and Sebet no doubt knew the answer, but it was important to encourage and reward initiative.


    Zhu Wen nodded determinedly, ¡°Ah, I do not mean to presume the Patriarch¡¯s knowledge of such matters, so I apologise if my limited understanding is imperfect.¡± He took a brief moment to take a steadying breath. ¡°I have reflected on the blessings of the Daemon King¡¯s Veins and believe that the King of Daemon¡¯s insatiable hunger has immensely increased the effectiveness of my meagre breathing technique. Allowing me to draw energy at a rate I had not believed to be possible.¡± Even with his hands clasped firmly together, it was hard not to notice how badly they were shaking. ¡°The King of Daemon¡¯s fortitude...I believe it has greatly strengthened my Meridians and Dantian¡¯,¡± Zhu Wen gulped nervously and stole a quick glance at Gric. ¡°I believe this resilience allows me to use Elixirs and other treasures to force the progression of my cultivation and suffer the pain of tribulation without fear of death...¡±


    Gric nodded grimly.


    I took a few moments to think over what Zhu Wen had said and could see the obvious advantages the Inheritance would provide. However, my curiosity wasn¡¯t satisfied. ¡°What are your thoughts regarding the Daemonic Cultivator Class?¡± I asked, trying not to sound overly eager.


    Like a rabbit caught in a car¡¯s headlights, Zhu Wen froze in shock.


    Several moments passed.


    ¡°I-I, erm, th-that is t-to s-say...¡± Zhu Wen stammered, eyes wild and fighting to focus. ¡°P-Patriarch, I-I would n-never...Th-that is t-to s-say...¡± Sweat had begun pouring down his forehead and caused his long loosely bound hair to damply press against his skin. Zhu Wen took several deep breaths to calm himself. ¡°As a path of divine cultivation directly associated with the heavens, it is no doubt immensely powerful and reserved for those of deserving station and ability...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...diplomatic,¡± I commented wryly, ¡°But not quite what I wanted to know.¡± I motioned for Zhu Wen to remain calm and allow me to explain myself. ¡°I was more interested in your thoughts regarding taking the Daemonic Cultivator Class for yourself.¡±


    Somehow, Zhu Wen¡¯s eyes managed to grow wider still.


    <He is attempting to think of what he could offer in exchange for such a gift.> Sebet snickered, making no attempts at hiding her enjoyment at the expense of his distress. <After all, it is difficult to swear one¡¯s life to service, and that of your descendants, when you are already required to do so.>


    ¡°I believe there has been another misunderstanding.¡± I did my best to keep the exasperation from my tone. ¡°All of my subjects are free to pursue the Classes that they believe will best allow them to support themselves and their communities. I neither expect nor desire, compensation in exchange. Similarly, there are precious few Classes that have been restricted from public selection, and only to ensure that more stringent checks and balances are applied to those committed to pursuing them.¡± I took a brief moment to centre myself. ¡°I strongly suspect that there may be Techniques that will need to abide by such restrictions, and perhaps Cultivator Classes as well. However, at this moment, no such restrictions exist.¡±


    Sebet commented dryly. <Assuming the Techniques function as described...>


    ¡°I...we...may all pursue cultivation?...¡± Zhu Wen inquired breathlessly.


    ¡°Assuming they follow my laws, all my subjects are free to live their lives as they see fit.¡± I wanted to hammer home the importance of my laws and how little I wanted to actively meddle in people''s lives.


    Especially since the stronger and more self-reliant my subjects became, the less worried I needed to be about repeat incidents involving sentient disasters like the Liche.


    ¡°Then! For the prosperity of my people! I will selfishly accept the Patriarch¡¯s generosity!¡± Zhu Wen bowed so low and quickly I was afraid he might break his spine.


    ¡°Great One, if I may?¡± Sebet asked aloud.


    I motioned for her to continue.


    ¡°I strongly suspect that learning and acquiring the Techniques requires physical possession and engagement with special manuals and other texts. To that end and to provide for considerable demand, I suggest that copies of approved Techniques should be produced by currently Classless citizens of the Nongmin Alliance.¡±


    ¡°Hrmph!¡± Gric snorted condescendingly. ¡°If proximity, physical interaction, and engagement are all that matter, why not engrave the texts on immense plaques that would be available to dozens or even hundreds at once?¡±


    ¡°Why not both?¡± I suggested. ¡°We aren¡¯t sure what will work, and both have their merits. So it seems prudent that we try both.¡± It was no longer a suggestion, I had made up my mind.


    With no benefit to bickering further, Gric and Sebet abandoned their grievance and returned to their established mutual dislike of one another.


    All the while, Zhu Wen appeared not to have heard much of anything after learning he and just about everyone else, would be free to become Cultivators. An understandable reaction for someone who had lived their lives in perpetual fear of being killed and abused by demi-gods in their midst.


    I doubted I would react much differently if our places were reversed.


    ***** Zhu Min ~ Imperial Province / Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane *****


    Touring the gardens of the Imperial Palace, Min couldn¡¯t help but feel angry at herself for jumping at every shadow. Years of taking exhaustive measures to hide from Deng Li and his aggressive advances had left her utterly ill-equipped to appreciate her newfound freedom.


    Min felt like she could hardly take three steps without feeling a desperate need to look over her shoulder.


    The eldest, and only, surviving child of her late parents, Min understood only too well how fortunate she was to be alive. Thanks in no small part to the paranoia that she now found so utterly vexing.


    Sitting on a bench by a small pond, Min released a deep sigh and clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking.


    ¡°Min¡¯er! Min¡¯er!¡± The excited cries of Granduncle carried over the wall of a nearby courtyard and sent Min scrambling for cover.


    Min was halfway up the accommodating trunk of the willow tree before she realised what she was doing and wrestled back control from her fears.


    Heart hammering in her chest, Min slowly and carefully made her way down from the tree.


    ¡°Min¡¯er! Min-Ah!¡± Granduncle, despite his immense age, moved with a grace and speed Min had never witnessed before this moment. As he drew closer, she was surprised to find that many of his deepest wrinkles and darkest blemishes had disappeared, making him look younger than Min had ever seen him before.


    ¡°Is there something wrong, Uncle?¡± Min asked anxiously, trying to put on a brave face despite her fear.


    ¡°Wrong?¡± Granduncle looked surprised for a moment but quickly shook it off. ¡°No, nothing is wrong. It is quite the opposite! After endless trials and tribulations, the heavens have finally blessed us as compensation for our suffering!¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t understand...¡± Min remembered Granduncle speaking similar words shortly after their transmigration and his personal summons to attend the new Patriarch.


    News of Deng Li and his ilk being imprisoned and punished for their crimes had seen unfettered celebration from every family in their community, and many more besides, she had no doubt.


    What would cause Granduncle to celebrate further?


    Life had taught Min that despite claims made by the pious to the contrary, the heavens were tightfisted misers. And yet, Min knew Granduncle was not a man to celebrate without cause.


    ¡°The Patriarch has decreed that all are permitted to pursue cultivation!¡± Granduncle briefly rested his trembling hands on her shoulders before drawing Min into a tight embrace. ¡°We need never be at the mercy of evil men!¡±


    ¡°Permitted to cultivate?!...¡± Min couldn¡¯t believe it.


    The Divine Patriarch had been utterly ruthless in rooting out and making examples out of anyone who pursued cultivation without his express blessing. It had been one of Deng Li¡¯s most commonly exercised responsibilities...


    ¡°You are certain, Uncle? You have not misunderstood or...¡± Min couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it, but his advanced age only made it a matter of time before his mind would begin to rot and begin fabricating false memories.


    ¡°Yes, Min¡¯er! I received the proclamation from the Patriarch¡¯s lips myself!¡± Granduncle declared emphatically. ¡°There is much we need to discuss, but first, I must insist that you join me and pay respects to the Imperial Governor! He has agreed to bestow you with a cultivator¡¯s Inheritance in exchange for assisting his research into cultivation! Come! We must go!¡±


    Too shocked by the news to resist, by the time Min came to her senses, Granduncle was guiding her to bow before a towering figure she could only assume was the Imperial Governor.


    Staring into his cold reptilian eyes, Min¡¯s fears of encountering a corrupt official evaporated in the face of near absolute indifference.


    ¡°This is your grandniece, Zhu Min.¡± It was not a question. Without being introduced, the Imperial Governor had been able to identify her on sight alone.


    ¡°Yes, Imperial Governor!¡± Granduncle excitedly bowed his head. ¡°Min¡¯er is literate and can be trusted to work unsupervised-¡±


    ¡°They are not coming back,¡± the Imperial Governor commented, interrupting Granduncle and staring at Min. ¡°And once they have been sufficiently punished, they will be executed for their crimes. No one is above the Tyrant¡¯s justice.¡± There was an absolute and undeniable surety in his voice that bordered on becoming profoundly unsettling in its certainty.


    Objectively, Min knew that she should find the Imperial Governor¡¯s declaration unsettling. However, she was surprised to discover that she felt an intense sense of relief instead.


    Deng Li was gone, and he wouldn¡¯t be coming back.


    The Imperial Governor tilted his head slightly to one side and stared at her with what Min could only approximate qualified as mild but growing interest. ¡°You did not exaggerate, temporary Chief Administrator Zhu Wen. Your grandniece has qualities that make her a candidate of particular value and deserving of an Inheritance.¡±


    Min didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Despite her confused state, Min realised that she must have lost track of her surroundings again. One moment, she had been standing in what she felt certain was the antechamber of the Imperial Palace. The next...Min didn¡¯t know where they were...


    Standing upon a raised dais in the centre of an impossibly large and detailed stone lotus, Min now stood a full head taller than Granduncle but was three heads shorter than the Imperial Governor.


    ¡°Sit,¡± the Imperial Governor commanded, his voice containing no malice but carrying an expectation of obedience.


    ¡°Ah, Imperial Governor, if I may?¡± Granduncle interjected nervously. ¡°Min¡¯er does not-¡±


    ¡°Show her,¡± the Imperial Governor waived his right hand dismissively, drawing Min¡¯s attention to the long sharpened claw-like nails that adorned each of his fingers.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Granduncle bowed respectfully before turning to Min again. ¡°Min¡¯er, please, do as I do,¡± he gave her a reassuring smile and gingerly sat down on the floor. After crossing his legs to the point of pressing the soles of both feet against his abdomen, which Min¡¯er wouldn¡¯t have believed was possible without witnessing it herself, he cupped one hand in the other and rested them a handspan above his feet. ¡°Min¡¯er, this is the Blooming Lotus Breathing Technique! Please, do your best to follow this old man¡¯s example, even if it is lacking!¡±


    Lacking? Despite her youth, Min wasn¡¯t certain she could match Granduncle¡¯s newfound flexibility, let alone surpass it. If he was lacking, then she couldn¡¯t imagine what someone would look like if they were ¡®proficient¡¯, let alone gifted.


    Despite her concerns, Min carefully lowered herself to a sitting position. Taking great care not to accidentally damage the petals of the stone lotus, she manually guided her legs and feet into the correct position and somewhat unsteadily cupped her hands together while fighting to keep her balance.


    The pose was incredibly uncomfortable, but Min¡¯er persevered, choosing to have faith in Granduncle that had taken her in and cared for her after the death of her father.


    The memories of her father¡¯s death brought tears to her eyes. However, Min refused to show weakness before the Imperial Minister and embarrass Granduncle. She pushed the memory into the back of her mind and did her best to blink away her tears without arousing suspicion.


    Even so, Min felt the Imperial Governor already knew of her weakness. Just as he had known her name. Sneaking a glance up into his eyes, Min expected to find disappointment. What she found instead surprised her.


    No longer looking at her, the Imperial Governor¡¯s formerly serene mask of cold indifference had cracked, revealing a deep and profoundly unsettling anger that had been seething just beneath the surface. Eyes flashing like emerald lightning, the full force of his attention returned to Min and stole her breath away.


    However, as if sensing her eyes upon him, the Imperial Governor¡¯s serene mask snapped tightly back into place, demonstrating a terrifying degree of control and focus. Meeting her eyes, the corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly in the faintest hint of a smile. A smile that Min couldn¡¯t help but interpret as a sign of his approval.


    More confused than ever, Min looked to Granduncle for answers but realised he was just as confused as she was.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 68 – Master of Dungeons – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 68 ¨C Master of Dungeons ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 68 - Master of Dungeons - Part One


    The Dwergi had kept to their word and were making significant headway in both the constructions of their city and the grounds of the arena above. Sufficient progress had been made in constructing the arena to allow exhibition matches between the more eager and highly qualified contestants enrolled in the champion selection tournament. However, due to the exhibition matches not being an official part of my selection tournament, I had left the physical rewards of the exhibition matches to the Factions involved.


    Much to my surprise, the Dwergi had managed to convince Ril to create a Gateway for their city and connect it to the greater network. In my conservative estimation, they had jumped the queue by several dozen places.


    I imagined that successfully bribing Ril was quite the feat since no one else had managed to do the same.


    Returning to The Grove, I found that I had company.


    Upon realising he had my attention. Zod, one of the smaller one-horned Daemons, smiled and made a formal bow, flourishing his scholarly robes. ¡°Good day, my Tyrant! I, ah, I was hoping that I might take a small measure of your time to raise my concerns regarding your Labyrinth?¡± Similar to Wraithe, Zod had several prominent rodent features which made his nervousness all the more difficult to ignore.


    ¡°Concerns?¡± I motioned for Zod to continue.


    Most of the Daemons had found their niche and were doing incredibly well for themselves due to their obsessive nature and compulsion to improve the subject of their focus. With that in mind, I was interested to hear what Zod had to say.


    Reassured, Zod nodded emphatically. ¡°Mrmrm-Indeed my Tyrant! It is most inefficient! And it is not fulfilling its core purpose!¡± He said the last with visible scorn and flattened his ears disapprovingly. ¡°The mindless monsters simply wander about, waiting for slaughter, and the hatchlings have grown lazy. They know where the danger lies and have lost all fear! Without their fear, the hatchlings are easy prey for the stronger monsters! This simply will not do! Eh...Ah, that is to say, that I believe the Tyrant should reconsider...¡± Zod lost his nerve and chittered nervously.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying the predictability of the open fields leaves the newcomers unprepared to face higher-level monsters?¡± I asked, wanting to make sure I understood the issue correctly.


    ¡°Mrmrm-Precisely!¡± Zod squeaked with relief. No doubt, he had expected I would take offence at the indirect criticism.


    ¡°What would you change to address the problem?¡± I asked. It was obvious that Zod had some ideas already, so I saw little point in delaying the subject.


    ¡°Mrmrm-Everything!¡± Zod exclaimed, seemingly unable to hold himself back any longer but immediately regretting his actions. ¡°Eep...I erm, that is to say...Many areas could be improved?¡± He shifted anxiously from paw to paw, whiskers aquiver.


    I fought back the urge to laugh and motioned for Zod to continue.


    ¡°Mrmrm-Dungeons!¡± Zod Squeaked excitedly, ¡°I would make Dungeons!¡±


    I had been indulging Zod up until this moment, but now he had my attention. ¡°Go on,¡± I prompted.


    ¡°I would make Dungeons! My Tyrant! Dungeons to teach hatchlings about danger! Dungeons to teach hatchlings fear!¡± Zod¡¯s small beady eyes sparkled with barely contained excitement. ¡°Traps, tunnels, ambushes, RIDDLES!!! I would teach them to be prepared for everything!¡±


    ¡°Do you mean, using the Dungeons as a sort of graduation requirement for accessing the higher floors?¡± I asked cautiously, ¡°Or, replacing the floors with dungeons outright?¡± It was a simple enough question, but the distinction made a great deal of difference.


    ¡°Mrmrm-With your permission, my Tyrant, I would do both!¡± Zod withdrew a thickly folded piece of paper from his robes. With long trembling fingers, he carefully unfolded the paper over a dozen times to reveal a detailed architectural diagram. ¡°The plans for the first-floor dungeon!¡± Zod proclaimed with immense pride.


    The open grounds remained divided into respective difficulties based on the level of the monsters and the provisional space for a basecamp and entrance to the dungeon. However, the subterranean layer of the first floor had been subsumed by twisting tunnels, corridors and chambers of various sizes. Several exit locations were scattered throughout the Dungeon and, according to Zod¡¯s notes, afforded a different score to the ¡®Delvers¡¯ based on the difficulty assigned to reaching each exit.


    ¡°Delvers, that¡¯s your name for the adventurers?¡± I queried.


    Zod nodded emphatically, ¡°Mrmrm-A new identity is essential! It provides purpose and direction! Allows the establishment of new authority!¡±


    ¡°They will question your rating system less if it is part of a larger restructuring...¡± I nodded in appreciation. ¡°Not everyone will agree, but most will go along to get along, and once the majority takes to the changes, the remainder will follow. Or something like that?¡±


    ¡°Mrmrm-Yes-yes!¡± Zod confirmed gleefully.


    ¡°Progression-based rankings would make it easier to integrate the Cultivators...¡± I paused upon realising that Zod likely had no idea who I was talking about.


    ¡°Cultivators?¡± Zod tilted his head to one side and his tail twitched with uncertainty.


    I gave Zod a slightly paraphrased explanation of the Cultivators and my understanding of their capabilities. All the while emphasising how little we currently knew for certain.


    ¡°I...I see...¡± Zod shifted to and fro in uneasy silence for several minutes before seeming to come to a decision. ¡°With all due respect, my Tyrant, I think you are correct. However, the Cultivators will need access to an entirely different Labyrinth...Can they even benefit from Synergies?¡±


    ¡°That...That¡¯s a very good point...¡± I had checked to see if their Racial Ability had been capable of Synergising with myself, Gric and Sebet, but not the other way around. ¡°One moment...¡±


    Zod bowed respectfully and made a show of making sure I had as long as I wanted.


    Gathering some MP I Summoned a projection of Zhu Wen to stand a short distance from Zod.


    Zhu Wen moved to bow low out of reflex but stopped short. Eyes wide with awe and wonder, he stumbled backwards and very nearly tripped over Zod¡¯s tail. ¡°So much energy...¡± He whispered hoarsely.


    ¡°This is a Cultivator?¡± Zod asked, sniffing at the newcomer inquisitively while taking in his strange attire. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°A beginner,¡± I insisted, somewhat distracted by inspecting Zhu Wen¡¯s information.


    ¡°My Tyrant?¡± Zod sounded concerned which set off silent alarm bells in my mind.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I cast out my authority to actively detect potential threats.


    ¡°Is the Summon meant to gather mana like this?¡± Zod pointed a hooked claw at Zhu Wen¡¯s back.


    ¡°What?¡± Turning my attention toward Zhu Wen¡¯s projection, it took me a few moments to confirm Zod¡¯s claim for myself.


    Somehow, Zhu Wen¡¯s projection had become entirely self-sustaining.


    Concentrating further, I realised mana was actively being drawn toward him. However, only a small portion of the mana was being actively consumed. The remainder appeared to be lingering just long enough to maintain a certain concentration before dispersing again.


    As best as I could tell, the circulation was entirely in sync with Zhu Wen¡¯s breathing. Breathing in drew the mana in and breathing out dispersed it or otherwise sent it away.


    ¡°I can feel the energy...But I cannot internalise it...¡± Zhu Wen muttered distractedly to himself. ¡°Unless?¡± He abruptly sat down in the mud and settled into what I assumed was one of his newly learned Cultivator Techniques.


    The effects of his breathing intensified almost immediately. The mana concentration in his vicinity ebbed and flowed like tidal waves, reaching intensities that left me giddy and light-headed.


    ¡°Mrmrm-Astounding!!!¡± Zod shrieked, hopping animatedly to and fro in his excitement. ¡°To actively gather such concentrations of mana without consuming it!¡± The gnarled horn protruding from his left temple had taken on a faint inky-blue light that stood in stark contrast against the dark blue, almost black, of his hide and fur.


    I was inclined to agree. However, I had noticed there was more to it than I had first realised.


    I had Summoned a Cultivator using MP, and the projection had been created with a proportionately small amount of Chi. Not only did this demonstrate strange compatibility between the two systems that I hadn¡¯t anticipated, but Zhu Wen¡¯s projection was now actively replenishing his Chi independently in addition to maintaining his form with mana.


    Concerned that there may be other unforeseen consequences and factors at play, I cancelled Zhu Wen¡¯s projection.


    ¡°Zod, did you see where Zhu Wen was drawing the energy from?¡± With access to Daemons who could see the flow of mana, it would have been stupid to overlook his opinion.


    ¡°Mrmrm-The Cultivator had tapped into the Dryad¡¯s root network!¡± Zod exclaimed fervently. ¡°Mrmrm-He was intercepting energy intended for The Grove!¡±


    I fought the urge to wince. Messing with the trees in The Grove was a big deal. It went against one of only a handful of promises I had made to Hana shortly after she created The Grove in the first place.


    Looking out over the lake, I found Hana steadily paddling her way across the water atop a giant lilypad.


    With no doubts in my mind regarding why she was headed in our direction, I released a deep sigh and mentally prepared myself for the worst.


    ¡°I will give your proposal serious consideration, Zod, but I think it would be best if you were to leave,¡± I advised, exercising my authority and sending Zod and his carefully laid plans a safe distance away.


    Due to her height and natural grace, it was difficult to tell if Hana was actually rushing in my direction or simply making good time as a result of good form. However, as she drew closer, I was surprised to find that Hana didn¡¯t look upset at all.


    ¡°Who was that you were meeting with?¡± Hana asked curiously. ¡°I have not sensed their presence within The Grove before.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Wen? He is one of the new arrivals,¡± I replied evenly. Somewhat thrown off guard by Hana¡¯s unexpectedly mild reaction.


    Hana crouched low and ran her hand through the grass. ¡°Do you feel it?¡± She asked quietly, staring intently at the ground.


    ¡°Feel what?¡± The mana was so dense that I was having difficulty sensing anything else.


    ¡°It¡¯s...different...¡± Hana gracefully flourished her hand and the grass surged with new life, growing several times its original size in a handful of seconds. ¡°Do you feel it now?¡± Hana asked quietly.


    Very nearly replying in the negative, I paused upon recognising the familiar energy contained within the Divine Patriarch¡¯s store of crystals. ¡°This is the internal energy from the other system,¡± I replied confidently. It was incredibly faint, and difficult to detect through the ambient mana, but impossible to ignore once I had identified it.


    ¡°Other System?¡± Hana made no attempts at hiding her confusion, and it served as a reminder that even those considered to be members of my inner circle were not necessarily up to date on current events.


    I spent twenty minutes doing my best to explain things in a way that Hana would be able to understand and pass along to her sister. She understood the general concepts easily enough, but Hana¡¯s true focus was on their alternative form of mana.


    ¡°So, this internal energy, is what I am sensing?¡± Hana asked somewhat distractedly as she coaxed the grass into producing seeds.


    ¡°I think so...¡± I was reasonably confident that was the case, but pretending to be an authority on the matter would be beyond arrogant at this point.


    ¡°And these other Humans, the Cultivators, absorb the internal energy and convert it into a different internal energy and Chi?¡± Hana stored the seeds away within a hide pouch on her belt. ¡°Which you think are equivalent to mana and MP...¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I think you are right...¡± Hana murmured, her attention still firmly fixated on the patch of grass. ¡°And this, Zhu Wen, you are certain he is not a Druid?¡±


    ¡°As certain as I can be,¡± I replied hesitantly, realising that Hana may have uncovered something important. ¡°Why would you think Zhu Wen was a Druid?¡±


    Hana frowned slightly and nodded down at the grass. ¡°He changed the plants...They are still producing mana, but they are producing internal energy as well...I can¡¯t use it to encourage spontaneous growth, but its production scales alongside the growth created through mana...¡±


    ¡°Are you sure the plants weren¡¯t able to do this on their own?¡± I asked warily. ¡°Maybe they were just reacting to his presence?¡±


    Hana glanced at me incredulously for a moment but quickly became uncertain. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted quietly. ¡°It¡¯s possible that the grasses were just doing what I had taught them to do...And maybe they were unable to tell the difference between one form of mana and another...¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should investigate their native territories then?¡± I suggested, after giving it some thought. ¡°If there is some sort of problem, I would prefer to know about it before integrating the territories en masse.¡±


    Hana crossed her arms defensively and bowed her head. She remained silent for quite some time but eventually nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, but I don¡¯t want to be gone for long...¡± Hana made a show of staring back at her Heart Tree, one of two colossal willows that dominated the centre of the lake.


    Between leaving her sister or her Heart Tree, it was unclear which would cause Hana a greater degree of distress. Knowing this, I had no problems with promising to keep our visit brief.


    Relocating the both of us with my authority, we arrived in the middle of a long dirt road. Large fields of wheat on either side of the road waved lazily in the mild breeze.


    With the unique vantage afforded by my height, I could make out a village in the distance and several other large fields bearing different crops of vegetables.


    Taking the initiative, Hana had already crossed the road and was inspecting the closest immature stalks of wheat. ¡°They contain the same energy,¡± she announced confidently but with an air of confusion and mild hesitation. ¡°Yet, it is far less than what was present within my grasses...¡± Hana frowned slightly and gently ran her fingers over the wheatstalk¡¯s leaves. ¡°It shows no problems with accepting my mana and direction...So why is its energy so low?¡±


    I was about to say something but held myself back as Hana began determinedly striding into the wheatfield.


    ¡°I sense stronger energy coming from the roots deeper in the field!¡± Hana called over her shoulder while pointing toward the centre of the field.


    Following her progress, I became distracted upon noticing a sizable procession of people rapidly making their way out of the village and headed in my direction.


    I had known that my sudden arrival would draw attention. However, I had not expected what appeared to be the entire village to investigate.


    Despite technically owning the land we were standing on, I couldn¡¯t help but feel we were trespassing. It was a particularly strange sensation considering I was capable of restructuring and aligning the ground we were standing on at will.


    After taking a few moments to use my authority to change into clothing that better suited my status, I mentally prepared myself to explain my presence.


    Technically, I didn¡¯t need to explain myself, and I knew I could get away with not doing so. However, I strongly suspected that skulking about the countryside without providing an official explanation would quickly result in a host of rumours to sate public curiosity.


    Rumours which would quite possibly damage my reputation in one way or another as happenstance and coincidences were attributed to malevolent intent.


    Besides, now that I had been discovered, it felt rude not to acknowledge the locals'' potential concerns.


    Just because the Labyrinths had branded me a Tyrant, it didn¡¯t mean I had to act like some two-bit third-world dictator.


    As the villagers drew closer, their collective momentum decreased until they were barely making any forward progress at all. After what looked like a hurried but intense discussion, an elderly man, probably the village headman or elder made the final approach on his own.


    The elderly man stiffly knelt on the road and bowed. ¡°North Village of the Ma provincehumbly greets the Patriarch!¡± He declared, straining himself to project his thin reedy voice and be heard.


    The assembled villagers down the road fell to their knees and bowed on queue, falling only a fraction of a second behind their elder.


    ¡°Thank you for your...prompt welcome,¡± I did my best to avoid sounding as awkward as I felt but knew I had produced mixed results at best. ¡°Please. Rise. I gain no comfort or satisfaction in seeing my elders suffer such discomfort on my behalf.¡± In truth, it made me immensely uncomfortable.


    The village headman stiffly rose to his feet but had grown immensely anxious.


    Had the Cultivators played games along these lines? Playing with the common folk in a sick game of Simon says?


    ¡°If it brings you peace of mind, you can consider it an order,¡± I insisted, only to force down a sudden swell of anger when the command showed immediate signs of alleviating the elder¡¯s anxiety.


    ¡°Heavens bless your magnanimity, Patriarch!¡± The elder¡¯s head remained bowed, although it was unclear whether it was out of respect or fear.


    Unsure how I was meant to respond, I decided to spend a few moments checking on Hana¡¯s progress.


    To my surprise, Hana appeared to have already satisfied her curiosity in the centre of the wheatfield and was briskly making her way back to the road. She looked perplexed and made it clear that she had something on her mind that she wished to discuss. ¡°There are bodies buried in the fields,¡± She announced bluntly, motioning back toward the centre of the wheatfield.


    It took a few moments for my brain to register what she had said and even now I wasn¡¯t completely sure. ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked cautiously.


    ¡°Under the fields, there are Human bodies,¡± Hana repeated, elaborating further to compensate for the lack of initial response. ¡°Is this common? Those dwelling within Sanctuary have renewed the soil with the bones of powdered Beasts, but never with their dead...¡±


    ¡°No, Hana...It isn¡¯t common...¡± I replied quietly, my focus subconsciously shifting to the shivering form of the village headman.


    ¡°We are the lifeblood of the Empire...¡± The headman announced hoarsely, his voice dangerously close to breaking under the weight of the bitterness and sorrow carried by his words. ¡°It is on our backs that the Empire grows strong...It is our lives...the lives of our children...that provide for the Empire¡¯s future...¡± The Headman lifted his head and stared up at me with tears streaming down his cheeks. ¡°The enforcers claimed ¡®this¡¯-¡± With trembling arms, he waved to the fields on either side of the road and beyond, ¡°-is the will of heaven...¡± The headman clenched his bony fists so tightly his skin turned bone white. ¡°It is the mandate of heaven that the weak are consumed by the strong...¡±


    I fought hard to keep down the bile rising in my throat.


    ¡°The...¡± My voice cracked and had to take a moment to collect myself. ¡°The enforcers were killing villagers to fertilise the fields?! Why?!¡±


    The headman pointed to the centre of the nearby wheatfield with a violently trembling finger, ¡°They say the crops that feed upon our dead are of higher quality...And the merchants...the merchants always wanted more!...¡±


    I made a mental note to follow up on the claims with Sebet. However, the raw sincerity of the Headman¡¯s hatred and sorrow left me without doubt regarding what he believed to be the truth.


    ¡°The Divine Patriarch is dead, and his enforcers are being punished for their crimes. You need not fear their kind again...You have my word.¡± It was an easy promise to make. I had all the resources I needed and was capable of producing far more.


    Factions ¡®could¡¯ levy taxes. However, the majority had realised that voluntary contributions in exchange for Exp from quests were far more effective.


    Fulfilling my promise to Hana, I returned her to The Grove. We would have the opportunity to speak further later in the evening.


    The headman nodded but it was clear that his mind was elsewhere. Given that we were standing within striking distance of multiple mass graves, his distraction seemed appropriate.


    ¡°I take no tithe from my subjects...I have no need to do so. Similarly, while this land is under my rule, you are free to make use of it however you see fit...¡± Although I had not truly expected it, the headman had begun to stir. ¡°If yourself or others wish to rebury the victims, you have my express permission to do so. I...I know that quite some time may have passed, and some may be difficult to identify, locate, or...I have servants who are uniquely suited to provide you with assistance. You need only ask.¡±


    ¡°How...¡± The headman¡¯s voice cracked and he took several deep breaths. ¡°How much?¡±


    I felt a fresh wave of sympathy for the old man. ¡°There is no price, no debt or indenturement...I just...I can only imagine what you and your people have been through, and I want to help...¡±


    ¡°Then...We will be honoured to accept the Patriarch¡¯s assistance!¡± The headman bowed low and was quickly joined by the remaining villagers.


    Dividing the majority of my MP into three equal parts, I Summoned projections of Sigrun, Kara and Skuld.


    Despite being a couple of months old, the three sisters had grown into lanky long-limbed teens and appeared to have modelled their fashion sense after Clarice. Favouring short-sleeved tunics, leather britches and short-cropped hair, the three sisters bore a stronger resemblance to one another than they perhaps should have done. The primary means of telling them apart lay in their choice of tribal warpaint, with Sigrun favouring grey, Kara favouring red, and Skuld favouring blue.


    Triplets in name only, the three sisters were hatched from separate eggs and were only sisters because the thought of separating them had seemed cruel.


    Like a trio of corvids, the three Valkyrja silently watched the villagers with mostly silent interest. While incapable of initiating telepathy, the Valkyrja could openly speak with one another in a guttural croaking tongue that sounded vaguely similar to what I remembered of northern European languages from Earth but was otherwise completely unintelligible.


    ¡°Sigrun, Kara, Skuld-¡± I fought the urge to flinch under their unsettling gaze. ¡°I want you to assist the villagers as best you can, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± The trio agreed in unison, grinning with disturbing degrees of intense enthusiasm.


    Any concerns I had harboured about exposing the immature Valkyrja to the mass graves and cruelties of the previous regime evaporated and were quickly replaced with concerns about exposing the villagers to the Valkyrja.


    Death was the Valkyrjas¡¯ domain and I could sense that the violence of the deaths had awakened something in them. Forcing them to deny a core aspect of their identity would be cruel, but it was unnerving to witness the intense focus that had taken hold of them.


    I had originally intended to leave and allow things to proceed as they may. However, I had now resigned myself to see things through.


    One by one, Sigrun, Kara and Skuld leapt impossibly high into the sky. Before they could fall more than a handful of inches, dark ethereal feathered wings erupted from their backs and arrested their descent.


    The clear skies quickly became overcast and within minutes storm clouds had begun rolling in from the distance.


    As the storm clouds drew closer and thunder began rumbling in the distance, Sigrun conjured a spear into her right hand and began to sing. The words themselves were entirely unrecognisable, but the meaning behind them was clear.


    We now stood upon hallowed ground, and the Valkyrja would now pass judgement on the dead.


    Kara spent a small amount of mana and materialised a strange-looking three-stringed instrument in one hand, and a small bow in the other. Joining her voice to Sigrun¡¯s, she began to play.


    The voice of the stringed instrument was strange. Falling somewhere between an out-of-tune violin and a cello, it grated and frayed the nerves in a way that I had never experienced before. It was not, strictly speaking, unpleasant, and lent itself well to the mournful and combative vocals.


    As if she had simply been waiting her turn, Skuld conjured an instrument of her own. Remarkably similar to the stringed instrument carried by her sister, although considerably larger, Skuld¡¯s instrument only bore two strings instead of three. Both instruments had a leather over-the-shoulder strap, but Kara¡¯s strap appeared to be largely for show and Skuld¡¯s was out of necessity.


    The voice of Skuld¡¯s two-stringed instrument was much deeper and richer but also carried the same unnerving tone as its smaller cousin.


    ¡°The field!¡± Cried one of the villagers. ¡°Something is happening in the field!¡±


    Possessing a considerably elevated field of view, I could see that the villager was right. The ghostly figure of, what I assumed, was a small boy of six or seven years old, had appeared near the centre of the wheatfield and was now slowly walking in our general direction.


    One by one, more figures appeared in the field. Most of them appeared to be quite old, walking with bowed backs and short uncertain steps. However, there were also a depressingly high number of young women and small children.


    The small boy was the first to pass over the threshold of the field.


    ¡°Lee!!!¡± An elderly woman broke free of the crowd of villagers and rushed toward the child as fast as her walking cane and pronounced limp would allow.


    The small boy paused mid-step and turned to face the old woman. Impassive until that moment, the boy smiled.


    Tripping in her haste, the old woman scrambled the last remaining steps and reached for the boy with trembling hands.


    Expecting her hands to pass through the boy¡¯s ghostly form, I was completely caught by surprise when the old woman pulled the boy into a fierce embrace.


    The scene repeated itself as more of the ghostly figures left the wheatfield. However, while many of them were recognised and sought out by their living relatives, a small number had begun to gather on the road beneath the Valkyrja and were beginning to fade away.


    The quality and style of their clothing looked different, and combined with the fact that the villagers were now actively seeking out their relatives and acquaintances, I could only assume that the abandoned apparitions may have belonged to travellers that had been passing through the village when they died and were subsequently buried.


    There was also a distinct possibility that the cities and towns had exported their dead...


    As the Valkyrja continued to sing, apparitions began appearing in the other fields surrounding the village.


    The sheer scale of death was soul-numbing to contemplate. Especially since it was only one small village amongst hundreds.


    The number of apparitions gathering on the road began to dramatically increase. Amongst the approaching crowd, I noticed people who didn¡¯t belong. Men, women and children of strikingly different ethnicities, and even a few monsters, were scattered throughout.


    My next surprise came when apparitions wearing armour and carrying weapons began to leave the fields. My surprise escalated when the ranks of armed and armoured apparitions began slowly ascending into the sky.


    Many faded after rising only a handful of feet off of the ground. However, a small number continued to rise.


    A bolt of lightning raced from the sky, striking the head of Sigrun¡¯s spear and arcing into the highest of the apparitions. Thunder roared overhead, and for a fleeting moment, the apparition regained physical form before erupting into a burst of blinding light that rivalled the lightning itself.


    A sudden chill ran down my spine.


    For that briefest of moments when the apparition had appeared to take on physical form, my authority had alerted me to a new arrival within my domain. Only, now it was gone.


    As another floating apparition was struck by lightning, I received yet another notification. However, just the same as before, there was no trace of the individual¡¯s records afterwards.


    Confused, I reviewed the Valkyrjas¡¯ status¡¯ in search of answers.


    It took me only a handful of seconds to find what was responsible.


    Einherjar.


    In its simplest terms, the Racial Ability would mark any individual that passed the standards of the Worthy Dead Racial Ability. Once marked, the individual would be stored in an extradimensional space and can be ¡®Summoned¡¯ to fight a specified enemy or group of enemies. However, unlike other Summons that could be duplicated by creating multiple projections of the original, the marked individual, the Einheri, is its true self and can¡¯t be Summoned by other means.


    If a Summoned Einheri is slain, it will reform within the extradimensional space over time. Similarly, when the Einherjar have no more enemies to fight, they would be Banished to the extradimensional space and would then Regenerate over time.


    A few months ago, I would have found something like this profoundly disturbing. However, while a part of me rankled at the thought of subjecting the fallen to a potential eternity of conflict, I now knew better than to take matters at face value.


    Assuming the Worthy Dead selection criteria were somewhat similar to Viking myths, and having already witnessed many of the apparitions fail to be chosen, I strongly suspected that one of the key criteria required the prospect to desire such an afterlife.


    Fighting for eternity was comparable to hell for me, but Earth¡¯s history was littered with people who would have leapt at such an opportunity if given the chance. So, bearing that in mind, I wasn¡¯t going to begrudge Sigrun and her two sisters their private army of battle junkies. Especially since I may need them in the near future.


    By the time the last of the apparitions had left the fields and faced the Valkyrjas¡¯ judgement, all but the villagers, except for the headman, had returned to their homes.


    Out of what may have been tens of thousands, only five apparitions had met the vague conditions set by the Worthy Dead Racial Ability. Which was considerably fewer than I had expected but was perhaps for the best.


    Sigrun and her sisters had spent very little of their MP and could have stayed a few more hours. However, there was nothing else for them to do right at this particular moment, so I figured it would be best to dismiss their projections early. Especially since I wasn¡¯t sure how fine their degree of control over their powers was and didn¡¯t want to deny the people of other villages the opportunity for closure with their murdered loved ones.


    ¡°Thank you, Patriarch, for your immense kindness!¡± The village headman bowed respectfully, his back as straight as an arrow despite his obvious fatigue. ¡°And thank you Divine Spirits for your heavenly grace!¡±


    Dismissing her spear, Sigrun returned the gesture, mimicking the headman¡¯s movements. ¡°You are most welcome.¡±


    Kara and Skuld grinned in a way that wasn¡¯t quite friendly. Possessing an almost predatory or condescending vibe.


    Concerned that they would say or do something that would cause an unnecessary understanding, I followed through on my initial plans and terminated their projections.


    ¡°I intend to repeat the service for other villages, but it occurred to me that perhaps some of your people may have missed their opportunity to participate due to an absence related to travel. If possible, I would like to reduce such a likelihood in the future by approaching matters in a more organised fashion,¡± I explained while doing my best not to rush matters unnecessarily. ¡°I would appreciate it if you would play a part in ensuring that at least the neighbouring villages are informed of what you have seen and of my intentions for the future.¡± I bowed my head and pressed my hands together in a lesser affectation of the respectful bowing the headman and villagers had given me.


    ¡°It would be my honour, Patriarch!¡± The headman declared, brimming with gratitude and pride. ¡°I will see to it that every province learns of your bountiful generosity!¡± The headman bowed again before hurrying back toward the village with an unmistakable spring in his step.


    Reflecting upon everything that had happened, my mind drifted to a darker place.


    I had commissioned a statue to be made in the likeness of Lash¡¯s sister to help her process her grief. At the time, I had believed that would be the closest I would be capable of bringing them together again. But the Valkyrja presented an altogether different opportunity.


    A final chance to say goodbye...


    However, it had not gone past my notice that there was a distinct possibility of doing more harm than good.


    Lash had made significant progress in processing her grief. Which made it far more complicated than simply presenting her with the offer. Like offering a reforming addict another hit of their favourite poison, offering Lash the assistance of the Valkyrja wasn¡¯t truly equivalent to presenting her with a choice at all.


    But eventually, the news would get out, and Lash would learn that I had kept it from her. Worse, she would learn of the lengths I would have taken to keep it from her.


    I had dug myself into a hole and there was no way out of it without making it bigger.


    Cursing myself for being an idiot, I used my authority to return to The Grove.


    Pete and Suzy were swimming after Toofy out on the lake, while she furiously paddled away on a small canoe that bore a striking resemblance to a giant bean pod.


    Hana, Lash and Anette were chatting on the shore while watching the twins'' desperate but ultimately futile pursuit of Toofy out on the lake. Futile, because Toofy was cheating.


    With Ril propelling the canoe from beneath, there was no way Suzy and Pete would be able to catch Toofy unless she allowed them to do so. Thankfully, neither Pete nor Suzy seemed to mind.


    I was just impressed that the twins had developed the motor skills necessary to compete against their negative state of buoyancy and could remain on the surface for so long.


    ¡°They grow up so fast,¡± I commented sheepishly, nodding Hana in thanks as she vacated her seat so I could sit next to Lash.


    ¡°Do they?¡± Anette asked quietly, sounding thoroughly confused.


    ¡°No! I will not have any more of that,¡± Hana rebuked irritably. ¡°The Angels returned your sight less than a week after you entered MY Grove. And I don¡¯t want to hear any more bad jokes about not seeing this or that! It isn¡¯t entertaining or humourous in the slightest!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see much of Anette past Lash¡¯s perfectly sculpted thighs. Admittedly, that was mostly due to distraction. However, I was reasonably certain I saw Anette stiffen in response.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little funny...¡± Anette countered quietly, demonstrating a rebelliousness and confidence I hadn¡¯t witnessed until this moment.


    ¡°HA!¡± Lash barked and snorted in amusement. ¡°Because you are small! I understand this one!¡± She grinned at me, positively beaming with pride, and giving me cause to sympathise with Hana.


    ¡°Hehe...¡± Anette chuckled quietly, earning a narrow-eyed glare from Hana as a warning.


    Hana sniffed in distaste and then promptly ignored Anette entirely. ¡°There was nothing wrong with the fields, and I had no problems coaxing the local plantlife into following my instructions,¡± she shot Anette a brief glare. ¡°I don¡¯t believe there is any danger in joining their realm to ours. At least, none that I was able to find.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Hana,¡± I nodded appreciatively.


    ¡°It was no trouble,¡± Hana replied graciously, ¡°But I would like to speak with one of these ¡®Cultivators¡¯. Assuming you can find one that can be trusted to linger within The Grove. The changes they promote on plant life in their vicinity are quite interesting, and I would like to observe these changes in action.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± I agreed without hesitation. It was an easy enough request to fulfil. ¡°I¡¯ll have Gric vet potential candidates. I¡¯m sure there will be no shortage of volunteers.¡±


    Hana smiled and bobbed her head in appreciation, ¡°Thank you, Tim.¡± She then turned to Lash and waved farewell.


    Retrieving her oar and boarding one of the giant lily pads near the shore, Hana began slowly paddling her way home.


    ¡°You should find Hana a Mate,¡± Lash insisted, catching me entirely off guard.


    ¡°What?!¡± I demanded, ¡°Where did this come from?!¡±


    Lash stared at me for a moment, her initially expectant expression growing increasingly incredulous. ¡°You have found Mates for the others,¡± she stated calmly, nodding toward Nadine and Fesk who appeared to be enjoying the early evening picnicking by the lake.


    ¡°I think you are giving me a lot of undeserved credit,¡± I insisted defensively. ¡°It¡¯s just coincidence. I didn¡¯t plan or have any intentions for any of it.¡±


    Lash shrugged, making it clear she didn¡¯t think it mattered. ¡°You are the one that found them,¡± she countered firmly.


    ¡°Technically...Sure,¡± I reluctantly agreed, ¡°But I didn¡¯t set anyone up! I didn¡¯t arrange dates or anything! It all just happened on its own!¡±


    ¡°Do that then,¡± Lash replied smugly, resting her head against my chest. ¡°Have it happen.¡±


    I let out a frustrated groan.


    I was probably just about the worst possible person to play at being a matchmaker. I was still struggling to adjust to being involved in other people¡¯s relationships on just surface levels. I had almost no life experiences to draw upon for reference, and those I did have, were from observing the same relationships Lash was insisting I was responsible for creating.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just do what Hana asked then...¡± I muttered defeatedly, ¡°I¡¯ll have Gric vet candidates like I promised I would, and that should do it, right?¡±


    ¡°Should it?¡± Lash breathed contentedly.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said I just need to do what I usually do...¡± I accused, letting out another deep sigh.


    ¡°Then it will work,¡± Lash stated, confidently drawing my arm tighter around her waist and snuggling in closer to make herself comfortable.


    Doing my best to ignore Anette¡¯s muffled laughter. I mentally reviewed what I remembered of Zod¡¯s plans to introduce Dungeons into my Labyrinths and decided I would give him a chance. There was no real harm in allowing the Daemon to operate a Dungeon on the first floor of my Labyrinth and potentially a lot of benefits.


    Besides, Zod had made a good point. My Labyrinth was too predictable and was teaching bad habits that could get people killed. Measures needed to be taken to address that, and they needed to be taken as soon as possible.


    Without an actionable plan of my own, Zod had presented the only viable option. I just had to hope that the experiences provided by the arena and the Dungeons would be enough to reverse the potential damage I had already caused.


    ***** Zod ~ Tim¡¯s Labyrinth (First Floor) / Tim¡¯s Demi-Plane *****


    Standing before the Dwergi High Council, Zod fought down the urge to fidget as the assembly of wizened men and women collectively examined the refined draft of his Dungeon blueprints. Close to an hour had passed already, but Zod was keenly aware of the Dwergi penchant for paying inordinate attention to the smallest details and knew he just needed to be patient. Especially since that attention and appreciation for details was why he had approached them in the first place.


    That, and their secretive distrustful nature, combined with an extreme in-group preference for maintaining confidences, made their people ideal candidates to assist in creating, maintaining, and operating his Dungeons.


    After all, the Dungeons would lose a great deal of effectiveness if everyone learned of the dangers well in advance of entry.


    Zod was broken from his musings as the councillors ended their muted discussion and their Chancellor, Surthek, stepped forward to address Zod directly.


    ¡°We are interested in your proposal, esteemed Daemon Zod,¡± Surthek made a point of injecting a deliberate pause. ¡°However, we have questions and several recommendations.¡±


    ¡°Mrmrm-Very well!¡± Zod agreed excitedly, ¡°Please proceed! I will answer what I am able!¡± The council had already given their word to keep their meeting and its contents private, so Zod had few reservations about discussing matters further.


    ¡°There is the matter of compensation,¡± Surthek commented bluntly. ¡°Your plans have made no mention of what compensation our people will receive for their labour. Could you enlighten us as to why?¡±


    ¡°Mrmrm-Ah! Yes...¡± Zod bowed his head briefly in acknowledgement of the oversight. ¡°Those are only the blueprints for the Dungeon-¡± He carefully withdrew a thick ledger from the messenger satchel on his hip and offered it to the Chancellor for inspection and review. ¡°-I have two proposals, both for the initial construction costs and ongoing employment. I am, I must admit, lacking my understanding of the Dwergi economy. So I understand if the first proposal is unacceptable and in need of revision-¡±


    Surthek nodded in understanding as he accepted the ledger, seemingly not offended in the least.


    ¡°-However, the second proposal is far simpler,¡± Zod claimed confidently. ¡°For services rendered, including initial construction, maintenance, and ongoing employment, I suggest providing compensation through a quest.¡±


    ¡°A quest?¡± Surthek¡¯s pale bushy eyebrows rose in surprise and a host of muted murmuring broke out amongst the assembled councillors.


    ¡°The quest would, of course, through its core nature, determine a suitable level of compensation for workers to select as their reward for their services. Although...¡± Zod hesitated slightly as he delved deeper into a realm he was far less comfortable with. ¡°I am not entirely sure rewards will scale in reference to the internal economy of your people... To the best of my knowledge, economies of other Factions have reshaped themselves in reaction to the quests, and not the other way around...¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± Surthek furrowed his craggy brow in thought for a time before eventually nodding determinedly. ¡°The primary concern, as I see it, and I am confident my fellow councillors will agree-¡± To a man, the councillors preemptively nodded in unison. ¡°-That the contents of the potential rewards for the quest would determine if it is a fair means of compensation.¡±


    Zod nodded in understanding and was relieved that the subject of discussion was moving back in a direction he was more comfortable with. ¡°Mrmrm-This undertaking is of considerable importance to the Tyrant, and he had permitted an extensive list of rewards as compensation. Manastones of all tiers are intended to form insurance, of a kind, against a lack of variety in the rewards or personal need for denominations of currency for trade. However, the unrestricted access in selecting Evolution Elixirs is what I believe your people will find most agreeable overall.¡±


    Surthek¡¯s eyes flew wide in surprise, and after overcoming their initial shock, the councillors broke out into a fierce debate amongst themselves.


    ¡°To ensure we have no misunderstandings...The Tyrant is offering unrestricted and ongoing access to Evolution Elixirs, of all tiers, as a reward through the quest?¡± Surthek queried, his coal-black eyes glittering with desire.


    ¡°Higher tiers may fluctuate in availability,¡± Zod cautioned soberly, ¡°Otherwise? Yes, it is as you have said. The Tyrant was VERY clear on that particular point.¡±


    Surthek hastily nodded, appearing considerably more agreeable than during their initial greeting. ¡°We shall need to discuss this offer further, as a matter of due diligence, of course.¡±


    ¡°Mrmrm-Of course!¡± Zod agreed happily, ecstatic that his Dungeon was another step closer to being realised.


    Surthek turned to leave, but stopped, appearing as if he had forgotten something. ¡°Ah, yes, we did have another subject of particular interest. With the concerns regarding compensation now addressed, several councillors wish to know if you have considered fashioning many smaller Dungeons instead of the proposed singularly large Dungeon.¡± He hurriedly wet his lips and pushed on, perhaps fearing that Zod would interrupt or take offence. Although he didn¡¯t truly have cause for either as Zod was intrigued. ¡°Smaller Dungeons may have higher costs, but could be delved simultaneously without contaminating your proposed grading system through unanticipated group interactions! Furthermore, smaller Dungeons could be made from articulated segments that can be changed out between delves, safeguarding against learning the layout of the Dungeon by wrote, while still encouraging the recognition of certain key features as signs of potential danger!¡±


    ¡°Mrmrm-Segments?! Like a puzzle!¡± Zod had several such children¡¯s toys in his home and had given several more as gifts to the Tyrant¡¯s children, albeit somewhat grudgingly. The best puzzles in his collection were shaped in such a way that it was easy to place them together incorrectly according to the pattern imprinted on the topmost surface, encouraging a higher degree of skill. So Zod was very much on board with the Dungeons taking on board that particular element. However, it did raise a small number of concerns as well.


    The most notable concern being how they would move the segments without troubling the Tyrant over every recalibration...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 68 – Master of Dungeons – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 68 ¨C Master of Dungeons ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 68 - Master of Dungeons - Part Two


    As I had expected, Gric had two volunteers, a young man and one young woman, fully vetted by morning and awaiting my final approval.


    Inspecting the candidates'' information revealed that they each possessed a different Class. Already familiar with the Swordsman and Spearman Classes, I found myself considerably more interested in the Alchemist and Daemonic Cultivator Classes belonging to the two candidates.


    What I had failed to notice when inspecting the status of the imprisoned Spearmen and Swordsmen was that their Class Abilities Ranks were based on the same progression as their Techniques. Requiring hands-on experience and understanding to meet the requirements to increase in Rank.


    Immensely similar in its core nature to the Apprentice Alchemist, Alchemist and Master Alchemist, the Alchemist possessed Abilities that provided intuitive identification of alchemical ingredients, their properties, and means of preparation.


    The Daemonic Cultivator Class Abilities took me somewhat by surprise when I first encountered them and gave me serious cause for concern. The first Ability, Daemonic Essence, Daemonified the body and allowed the active expenditure of Chi to provide Physical Damage Reduction and increased Momentum.


    The second Class Ability, Gluttonous Soul, was what worried me. According to its description, ambient energies, and unprotected Internal Energies, could be actively drawn to restore the Chi and bolster the Internal Energy of the Class holder. When combined with the Breathing Techniques, which actively drew ambient energies, it presented the possibility of a significant threat. Especially since there was no explanation for what qualified as an unprotected target.


    The young woman, and Daemonic Cultivator, Zhu Min, possessed the same Cultivator Inheritance as Zhu Wen, and briefly reviewing the family records with my authority confirmed she was very likely Zhu Wen¡¯s grandniece. She had dark hair, and light hazel eyes, and wore simple pants and a shirt paired with what looked like straw sandals.


    The young man, Wei Jin, possessed no Inheritance at all and wore a strikingly similar outfit. However, Jin¡¯s shirt was sleeveless and Min wore a tightly bound sash about her waist. His eyes were a darker shade of brown and wore his long black hair tied back into a simple ponytail. Very nearly as short as Min, who looked to be about five feet tall, Jin had a hollowness in his cheeks that when combined with his slight frame gave me the impression that he was somewhat malnourished.


    After studying them both for the better part of five minutes, I decided to allow Jin entry to Sanctuary.


    ¡°I am honoured to be of service to the Patriarch!¡± Jin declared emphatically, pressing his palm and fist together and bowing low at the waist.


    Dismissing him with a wave of my hand, I directed my attention toward Zhu Min, who had grown nervous after the protracted deliberation. ¡°Zhu Min, I am sorry, but I cannot permit you to enter The Grove at this time.¡±


    Zhu Min¡¯s face fell, but she made no attempts to argue or otherwise change my mind.


    ¡°The ways of cultivation are new to me and one of your Class Abilities has given me serious cause for concern...¡± I carefully studied her face for signs of anger or resentment but found none. ¡°The potential for widespread and irreparable harm is simply too great to ignore at this time. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sure you must be disappointed.¡±


    Visibly disappointed, Zhu Min fiercely shook her head. ¡°No, I cannot be ungrateful after the Patriarch has given myself and my people such gifts and kindness!¡± She mimicked Jin¡¯s bow. ¡°Thank you for your consideration, honourable Patriarch!¡± Min began slowly backing away in preparation to leave.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I motioned for Min to stop and waited until I had her full attention and she had overcome her surprise. ¡°Until we better understand your Class and its Abilities, I would like to relocate you to another place where the risks to others will be mitigated or otherwise eliminated.¡±


    Zhu Wen had procrastinated in choosing a Class due to his desire to fulfil Sebet¡¯s request in transcribing and making copies of the Technique manuals found in the Divine Patriarch¡¯s ring. Which made Zhu Min the first of my subjects to take on the Daemonic Cultivator Class.


    In some respects, it was better that Zhu Wen had not taken the Class right away. Although I was sure Zhu Min would not necessarily share that view.


    ¡°I...I yield to the Patriarch¡¯s wisdom...¡± The hesitation in her voice was obvious, but Min managed to maintain a stoic expression regardless.


    Aware that words would do little to resolve her doubts and fears, I used my authority to relocate us both to the isolated Foothold where Zhu Wen had opened the Divine Patriarch¡¯s ring.


    The ambient energy was more or less the same as before I left. However, I could already sense the ambient energies beginning to gather around Zhu Min.


    With every breath she took, the energies around her were depleted and replaced by those further afield.


    ¡°Zhu Min, at least for the time being, this will be your home,¡± I motioned to the empty buildings around us but kept Min as the focus of my attention. ¡°Your oath of fealty prevents you from intentionally breaking my laws without consequence, but it is the potential unintentional harm that has given me cause for concern.¡±


    Zhu Min nodded meekly in agreement, surely having read through her Abilities several times already.


    ¡°How we will proceed from here is somewhat up to you. Long-term observation may yield the information we require. However, such a study would likely take years...¡± I hesitated as I considered the alternatives. ¡°There are more direct measures that would identify the dangers and limits of the Gluttonous Soul Ability. However, these methods carry a high risk of emotional and psychological harm...Which is why I will leave the final decision up to you.¡±


    ¡°With the Patriarch¡¯s blessing...I will face the dangers of the alternative methods...¡± Despite her obvious fear and apprehension, Zhu Min put on a brave front and set her jaw determinedly. ¡°If my path of Cultivation is a danger to others, I want to know if I can control it!¡±


    I nodded approvingly, glad that she had willingly chosen the expedited path. ¡°We will start with something simple, but important.¡± I motioned toward the empty stone cages in the middle of the street and used my authority to relocate a Vrabbit and a tri-horned rabbit into separate cages.


    The Vrabbit began attacking its cage almost immediately, but its cousin appeared content to simply wait things out.


    ¡°If you would begin your breathing Technique, I would like to see what effects it has on the two Beasts,¡± I instructed and motioned to the pair of monstrous rabbits.


    Surprised by the sudden appearance of the rabbits, Zhu Min took a few moments to overcome her shock and obediently settle into the pose required to activate her breathing Technique.


    Using what I had observed of Zhu Wen¡¯s breathing Technique in Sanctuary as a comparison, I found myself unprepared for the sheer difference created by the Gluttonous Soul Ability.


    If Zhu Wen¡¯s Technique had the effect of a small stream, the effect of Zhu Min¡¯s Technique was akin to a deep treacherous river.


    Both rabbits collapsed within a fraction of a second of one another, their limbs spasming feebly as their fur hung ever more loosely against their bones.


    In less than a second, Zhu Min had drained them of all but the smallest fragments of life.


    Vindicated in my concerns, I remained somewhat perplexed that I had remained entirely unaffected. The raw ambient mana had become considerably thinner, but it had not been devoured, only moved.


    Curiously, the concentration of mana gathering around Min had increased noticeably at around the same pace as the Vrabbit¡¯s deterioration and had lessened shortly afterwards. Assuming it was not simply a coincidence, it meant the Gluttonous Soul Ability was capable of stripping the mana out of regular Beasts and Monsters that did not use Internal Energy or Chi, but otherwise remained incapable of processing the mana.


    Sending the half-dead rabbits away, I relocated a cloned Carnifex into one of the larger cages.


    After several long minutes, the Carnifex had remained unchanged.


    Then, without warning, it collapsed into seizures just as the rabbits had done. Sending the Carnifex away to Tartarus, I turned my attention to Zhu Min¡¯s status information in search of answers.


    It didn¡¯t take long.


    While her Class Abilities remained at their initial Rank, Zhu Min¡¯s Eternal Tao Racial Ability had increased in rank several times. If my understanding was correct, the progression of the Eternal Tao Ability served as a sort of requirement for stealing the energy out of other beings with the Gluttonous Soul Ability. Perhaps following some form of internal calculations to determine if the target was comparably weak enough to qualify as ¡®unprotected¡¯.


    The possibility of inherent passive defence against the Ability was somewhat reassuring and explained why I had remained unaffected thus far. However, it raised serious concerns regarding whether Zhu Min would be allowed back into the general population.


    If the simple act of breathing was capable of stripping the mana out of people, there was no telling what harm she might cause as her Eternal Tao increased.


    Of course, it was also painfully easy to see how powerful an asset she could be when fighting the forces of other Monarchs. Assuming we could find a way to prevent accidental friendly fire.


    Observing Min closely, I became certain she would not stop channelling her breathing technique unless otherwise compelled.


    As troubling as her continued progression would become if left unchecked, I decided to seek out a second opinion before continuing any further based solely on my observations.


    Summoning a projection of Sebet, I explained what I had witnessed thus far and provided another live example so she could witness the issue first-hand.


    ¡°I understand how this would prove...distressing,¡± Sebet observed dryly while prodding the barely living Carnifex. ¡°But there are certain countermeasures that may prove effective...Although some are more intrusive and inconvenient than others...¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡± I motioned for her to continue and fought back the faint urge to flinch as she executed the Carnifex by driving a clawed finger through its ear and into its brain.


    ¡°The Cultivators manuals contain instructions on creating special enchantments that can suppress or redirect energies. Mostly, these special enchantments, or, Arrays, as they call them, serve as a means for defending against offensive Techniques or gathering energies to make breathing Techniques more effective.¡± Sebet shrugged noncommittally. ¡°I have my doubts whether an Array would do much good.¡± She made a show of considering the matter further. ¡°Some of the manuals that teach advanced forms of the breathing Techniques reference drawing upon the energy of specific elements to imbue it into their Chi. This suggests that our volunteer may be capable of choosing her targets. Or may be capable of learning to do so.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any suggestions on how best to do that?¡± I asked, pushing down a momentary flare of jealousy. Reading had been a profound source of enjoyment in my former life, but my fluency in local languages was barely passable at best. Which made me incredibly envious of Gric and Sebet¡¯s ability to simply pull the knowledge and fluency of other languages from people''s minds.


    ¡°Well...at its most basic level, the Techniques reference visualising the Chi as a means of providing the necessary focus...¡± Sebet paused and tapped distractedly at her cheek for a few moments. ¡°Presumably, our volunteer would be most familiar with her own Chi. So perhaps it is worth considering pairing her against her own projection.¡±


    I decided to give Sebet¡¯s suggestion a chance and Summoned a projection of Zhu Min.


    ¡°Patriarch?¡± Zhu Min¡¯s projection blinked in confusion and cautiously began taking in her surroundings. However, she staggered backward several steps and released a muted cry of alarm upon spotting her original self meditating on the ground. ¡°I...I don¡¯t understand...¡±


    ¡°It is magic, my dear,¡± Sebet replied with an easy if somewhat condescending, smile. ¡°A common enough Spell that has mirrored the form and consciousness of your true self so that we may better explore options to train your Abilities.¡±


    Zhu Min¡¯s projection gasped in surprise and her eyes widened with wonder. ¡°The Patriarch has such powers?!¡±


    ¡°And many more besides,¡± Sebet confirmed with particular pride. ¡°Including the extension of such miracles to his most trusted lieutenants!¡± She flashed her teeth and made a show of extending her leathery wings in a fearsome display of predatory might before settling down once more.


    ¡°Zhu Min, while you have been meditating, I have conducted tests to determine the potential dangers of your Abilities...¡± I motioned to the distant cages and the dead Carnifex. ¡°It is our understanding that you may be capable of choosing targets to suffer the effects of the Gluttonous Soul Ability while passing over others. However, it will most likely require significant training to do so.¡±


    Zhu Min¡¯s projection in understanding but otherwise said nothing.


    ¡°It was suggested-¡± I motioned briefly to Sebet to provide credit for her efforts, ¡°-That you would be most familiar with your internal energy and Chi, making you a prime subject to practise against.¡±


    ¡°The Patriarch wants me to attack myself to gain control over my Abilities?¡± Zhu Min¡¯s projection asked with obvious hesitation.


    ¡°Only if you are willing,¡± I qualified, reminding her that this was a strictly voluntary process. ¡°You are allowed to bow out at any time, and if you feel your life is in danger, I would strongly encourage you to do so.¡±


    Zhu Min¡¯s projection wavered. ¡°I...I will try...¡±


    I nodded approvingly. ¡°I will remember this. Regardless of the outcome, I will see you rewarded for your bravery and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good.¡±


    ¡°I!...Erm!...Gratitude, Patriarch!...¡± Zhu Min¡¯s projection gushed in surprise, bowing low five times rapidly.


    ¡°Sebet, I want you to watch over Zhu Min in my absence and see that she has what she needs,¡± I ordered and motioned to the nearby buildings. ¡°Training materials, food, drink, bedding, and anything else she may need.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Great One!¡± Sebet agreed enthusiastically, wasting no time in conjuring a wooden training dummy that looked like it was drawn straight from an eighties martial arts montage. ¡°There are numerous diagrams in the more rudimentary manuals,¡± Sebet explained with a slight shrug. ¡°I have commissioned something more...engaging, from the Dwergi, but it will be at least a few days before it is completed.¡±


    Given the static nature of the thick trunk festooned with wooden pegs, I strongly suspected that Sebet¡¯s commission would more strongly resemble the rotating and segmented design that had often been used for comedic effect in comedies and cartoons. Not that I was opposed to the idea in general principle, but there was another potential avenue for training that I was somewhat annoyed at myself for not considering sooner.


    I had initially rejected the idea out of hand because it failed to provide meaningful benefits to myself. However, there was a long history on Earth of fighters and athletes reviewing footage of themselves to correct mistakes and improve their performance.


    So why not provide my champions and other promising subjects with the same opportunity? Provided they had the mental fortitude to endure the potential death of their projection, such training could prove invaluable to their development.


    After briefly returning to Sanctuary to assume my Human disguise, I relocated myself to the first floor of my Labyrinth so I could inspect Zod¡¯s progress. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon arriving in the first-floor staging area, my attention was immediately drawn toward a large set of iron tracks and wooden sleepers set into the road. The tracks led into a large stone building a short distance away and were kept under careful watch by a dozen Dwergi.


    While I was remotely observing the stone building, a small procession of iron banded wagons appeared through the staging ground portal and were then guided onto the tracks by another team of Dwergi. Fitted with fixed axles, hollowed treads and braking levers, the wagons bore a striking resemblance to overly large mining carts.


    Following the procession of wagons, I was intercepted by one of the Dwergi guarding the entrance to the building.


    ¡°Apologies, Human, but entry is not permitted without express permission from the oversight committee or the Tyrant...¡± His dark eyes hastily scanned my armour and suddenly widened in surprise. ¡°Apologies!¡± He bowed his head fervently in respect and backed out of the way, ¡°Please, proceed!¡± The Dergi turned to his fellows and waved them aside, ¡°Make way for the Tyrant¡¯s champion!¡±


    After only a moment''s hesitation, the Dwergi guards hastily moved aside.


    I dipped my head in respect and then continued following the wagon train along the tracks and into the building.


    Once inside, the wagons passed through a switching station and began a gentle descent down a nearby tunnel and alongside a second set of tracks.


    Travelling down the tunnel took the better part of an hour before I suddenly found myself standing within a huge domed stone chamber.


    The chamber floor was covered in a complicated web of iron tracks and more of the train-wheeled wagons.


    What looked like hundreds of Dwergi moved about the right side of the chamber in small teams, unloading more of the wooden sleepers and iron rails, and laying tracks across the floor. Meanwhile, smaller teams of Dwergi masons were building segmented walls and ceilings atop large wooden pallets on the left side of the chamber.


    Circling along the edge of the chamber, I approached the masons'' worksite to take a closer look.


    As I drew closer, a small team of Dwergi began assembling a robust crane in the bed of one of the larger wagons. Using the crane, the Dwergi transferred one of the completed building segments off of its palette and onto a steel rail-mounted frame.


    Once mounted on the steel frame, the stone blocks were bolted to the frame from beneath and then trundled away and toward the centre of the chamber. While the rest of the team pushed the steel frame, another member used a long-handled wrench to manually change the switching stations and guide the group¡¯s progress.


    As the hours passed by, several more of the completed segments joined the first and began to take on a more recognisable shape.


    The design of the Dungeon was different and considerably smaller compared to what Zod had initially proposed. However, I was incredibly impressed by the interchangeable nature of the segmented structure and the possibilities it afforded.


    A smaller Dungeon would limit the number of potential simultaneous participants, but I hadn¡¯t been convinced several different groups could run the same larger Dungeon without causing problems anyway.


    Thoroughly immersed in watching the Dwergi construct the Dungeon and rail network, I didn¡¯t notice Zod¡¯s presence until the rat-faced Daemon went out of his way to announce himself.


    ¡°Sorry, Zod, I was just distracted by all of-¡± I motioned to the chamber at large, ¡°-this.¡±


    ¡°Mrhm-Oh! No offence has been taken!¡± Zod replied emphatically, ¡°Mrhm-I have an immense appreciation for the Dwergi industry and work ethic myself!¡±


    ¡°Do you have a general timeframe for the Dungeon becoming active?¡± I asked somewhat awkwardly, adjusting my original words at the last moment to fit with Zod¡¯s understanding.


    Zod stared at the Dwergi for a couple of minutes while forming his reply. ¡°Perhaps...Perhaps another day?¡± The Daemon hedged somewhat uncertainly. ¡°The structure itself will be finished by the late evening, but there are tests that must be performed to ensure everything is up to specifications!¡±


    According to Zod¡¯s original plans, wands of Summoning would be provided to a dedicated staff of Dungeon minders to populate the Dungeon with cloned generic monsters. The minders would need at least some training in directing Summoned monsters in combat, especially given the important role they would play in setting the general difficulty of the Dungeon.


    I nodded to show I understood and motioned toward the incomplete Dungeon. ¡°How will ¡®Delvers¡¯ enter the Dungeon?¡± I strongly suspected that the tunnel I had used would not be the intended entrance and was curious whether Zod intended to use magic instead.


    Zod pointed towards the far end of the chamber, ¡°A special tunnel is being prepared to connect the surface with a permanent entrance to the Dungeon. Assuming the prototype is deemed satisfactory, this chamber will serve as an assembly, storage and distribution hub for the other Dungeons of the first floor...¡± Zod looked up at me with a nervous yet profoundly hopeful expression on his furry face.


    ¡°Which you will then, presumably, use as a model for the other floors,¡± I continued, more than happy to be supportive and raise Zod¡¯s spirits after witnessing the progress made thus far.


    Many of the Humans were content with remaining on the lower floors and farming low-level monsters to earn a living and provide for their families. However, despite their ambition and a desire to fight higher-level monsters, the remaining humans actively fighting in the Labyrinth dropped off considerably after the fifth floor.


    The primary reason for the dropoff in numbers was just as Zod had said. The predictable nature of the wild monsters made them cocky and ill-prepared for threats of a higher calibre. The issue wasn¡¯t limited to the Humans, but they were by far the most numerous of my subjects and the most vulnerable to increased danger due to their stagnated Evolution.


    With so few people fighting higher-level wild monsters, my passive Exp income had come close to drying up entirely and stagnated my Class progression.


    Basic, Advanced and Master tier Classes, received full Exp while killing monsters five tiers lower than their Class level, and half Exp for killing monsters nine tiers lower than their Class level.


    My Unique Class was different, requiring monsters ten tiers higher than each Class level to gain Exp. The same standard was applied to any Exp that I would otherwise leech from my subjects, rendering the overwhelming majority of incoming Exp worthless as it defaulted to a value of zero.


    Making matters worse, personally striking out and killing wild monsters would make little difference. I needed millions of Exp for my next level and would require millions more for the next. With the base Exp values decreased by ninety per cent, I NEEDED thousands of people generating Exp on my behalf to make any meaningful headway.


    Leading forces into the higher floors of the Labyrinth would be one of the few scenarios where the rewards would justify the effort. However, I required an elite core of exceptionally high-level subordinates before I could justify taking such a risk.


    The added pressure of the mandatory Monarch Challenges made the success of Zod¡¯s project all the more important.


    Progressing my Evolution was far simpler and hadn¡¯t hidden a serious bottleneck. But the benefits were less profound than those I could gain through progressing my Class due to its low level.


    ¡°I-¡± The words on the tip of my tongue were forgotten as a cascade of error notifications dominated my vision. Amidst the chaos, a single notification bearing a different message was barely visible.


    [ Authority is insufficient! ]


    [  ????????A?????d????m?????????i????????n????????i??????s???????t???????r??????a????t???????o?????r???????? intervention required! ]


    Reading the notification, I felt a chill run down my spine.


    What had Gric and Sebet attempted to do?


    Wasting no time, I Summoned them both.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± I demanded, trying, and failing, to keep my voice level.


    Sebet looked accusingly at Gric while he returned the gesture in kind. After a handful of seconds, their outward animosity collapsed and shifted into expressions of profound concern.


    ¡°To the best of our knowledge, we have done nothing to warrant these notifications,¡± Gric declared solemnly.


    I had no reason to suspect Gric of lying to me, but it didn¡¯t make sense. The two of them were the only people I had granted any degree of my authority.


    Sebet and Gric glanced at one another in unison. Alarm and absolute certainty settled onto their faces.


    ¡°You must return to Sanctuary!¡± Sebet hissed urgently as both she and Gric combined their authority and attempted to drag me from the stone chamber and relocate me somewhere else.


    Confused, I exercised my authority to return to Sanctuary.


    Throwing off my helmet I cast my eyes about for signs of danger.


    The pull of Sebet¡¯s borrowed authority intensified but was otherwise still utterly incapable of forcing me to do anything.


    Gric abruptly appeared before me and snatched my left arm, ¡°Something is wrong with the hatchling!¡± Through sheer strength alone, he tore me off my feet. Diving into the lake and dragging me after him.


    Initially too stunned to react, and then forcing the water from my lungs to avoid drowning, Gric had managed to drag me to the centre of the lake bottom before I had the chance to strip off my bracer and activate the tattoo to return to my true form.


    Disoriented, it took me a few moments to realise that we were not alone.


    Still tugging at my arm, Gric pointed to Sebet, Lash and Suzie, and toward the unnaturally still form of Pete on the lake floor.


    My blood ran cold.


    With a single powerful stroke of my arms, I closed the distance between us.


    Pete¡¯s outermost eyelids were open, but the second set was firmly closed, revealing the whites of his eyes but nothing else. Laying on the lake floor like a broken doll, it was impossible not to notice that he wasn¡¯t breathing.


    Forcing down my mounting terror and panic, I gently pressed a finger against Pete¡¯s throat and searched for a pulse.


    <My Tyrant! The authority!> Gric pleaded, trying and failing to convey memories into my mind.


    Reminded of the notification, I realised that Pete and Suzy might possess a fragment of my authority. There was also the possibility that attempting to use that authority may have backfired in some way when Pete attempted to make use of it without my express permission.


    Uncaring of what Pete had been attempting to do, I resolved to deal with it AFTER I was certain he was safe and whole. Concentrating my will, I formed the words in my mind and approved Pete¡¯s request.


    A fresh cascade of errors blocked out my vision and my heart hammered uncontrollably in my chest.


    [  ????????A?????d????m?????????i????????n????????i??????s???????t???????r??????a????t???????o?????r????????  Identification {Not Recognised} ]


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    [ Limited integration approved... ]


    [ Limited integration of ???????{?????I??????t???????e?????????r???????a????t??????i????????o???????n?????? ????#???????0????????3?????}???? {Commencing}... ]


    [ Limited integration of ???????{?????I??????t???????e?????????r???????a????t??????i????????o???????n?????? ????#???????0????????3?????}???? {Complete}... ]


    [ S???????y???s??????t???????e??????m????? ?????h???????a???s????? ????????v???????i???????o????l??????a?????t???????e????d???? ????????p???????r????????i?????m????????a???????r??????y??? ???????d????????i??????r??????e???????c????t?????i???????v??????e??????s??????.?????????.???.?????? ]


    [ ??????????A??????u???????t?????o?????m???a????????t?????e??????d?????? ????????N???????o????????t???????i??????f????i????c???????a??????t?????i??????o???????n????????? ??????o?????f??? ????{??????C?????????o???r???e???????? ????S?????y???????s????????t??????e??????m??????}???????? ????????t?????a????????m?????????p???????e???r???i?????????n???g??????? ?????h????????a???????s???????? ?????f?????a??????i???????l???????e?????d?????.??????.??????.?????? ????????  ]


    [ ??????C????e????????n?????s??????u?????r?????e???? ?????P???????r????o??????t??????o???c???????o?????l???????? ??????h?????????a???????s??????? ????????f?????a???i???????l???????e?????d?????? ??????d????u????e????? ???????t?????o??????? ????????i????n??????s??????u?????????f????????f?????????i?????????c?????????i??????e?????????n??????t????? ?????a?????u???t???????h????o???????r??????i????t???????y????????.???.???.?????? ?????????]


    [ ???????S??????y?????????s?????????t?????e????m???????-????W?????i????????p???????e??????? ?????h???a??????s???????? ???????f?????a?????????i????????l??????e????d??? ????d??????u???e??????? ???????t???????o??????? ???????i??????n?????s???????u??????f???????f???????i?????c??????i???e???????n???t??????? ???????a??????u?????t???????h???o???????r?????????i?????t?????y?????.??????.????????.???? ]


    Ignoring the garbled text of the notifications, I felt a profound wave of relief pass through my body as Pete¡¯s chest began pumping fresh oxygenated water through his gills.


    Gently sweeping Pete up in one arm, I used my free hand to motion to the shallows near our home to let Lash know where I was headed.


    Just as relieved as I was, Lash nodded vigorously to show she understood and took a firm hold of Suzy before following along at my side.


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Lash demanded, her body thrumming with adrenaline and her eyes searching the lake and shoreline for threats. ¡°Pete was just sitting! Then he stopped breathing!¡± She released Suzy and reached for Pete with a trembling hand.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m not sure...¡± I admitted, feeling incredibly useless. ¡°But I think Pete and Suzy have both inherited part of my authority, and that Pete did something he shouldn¡¯t have...¡± It made me feel ill to accuse my son without proof and to blame him for his current sorry state. Carefully raising Pete upward, I transferred him into Lash¡¯s waiting arms and guided them both toward shallower waters where Pete could remain submerged without Lash needing to continuously tread water.


    The one major advantage gills possessed over lungs, was that manually passing water through the gills in an emergency was far easier and immensely less invasive than cycling air through the lungs, provided there was oxygenated water at hand.


    The whole situation made me feel guilty and personally responsible. As if I had left a loaded gun out on a table and Pete had decided to play with it.


    ¡°Pete is okay now?¡± Lash asked anxiously.


    ¡°I think so...¡± I tried to inject more confidence into my voice, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to lie. Even if it would have made her feel better. Trying to feel useful, I scanned Pete¡¯s status information for negative Conditions but found none.


    I was about to dismiss his status entirely but paused. There was something not quite right about it but I couldn¡¯t identify it.


    Just the same as Suzy, Pete lacked a Class but had several Basic Classes registered as ¡®Unlocked¡¯ by meeting stat and basic knowledge requirements.


    Unable to shake the feeling that there was something not quite right about his status, I decided to perform a side-by-side comparison of Pete and Suzy¡¯s status.


    After only a handful of seconds comparing one against the other, my attention was drawn toward a faint afterimage effect around the right side of Pete¡¯s status information. Concentrating on the sliver of the afterimage caused the status to briefly flicker and shifted the ghosting effect to the left side.


    Momentarily confused by what I could only assume was some form of glitch, my heart skipped a beat as I began to notice entries that did not belong on his status sheet.


    [Pete - Lake Ogre {Demi Monarch} ] [Chi: 0*/0* {Water} ]


    [Class: None.]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party]


    [Bloodline: {Tyrant 3} +1 Willpower.]


    [Cultivation Inheritance: {Tyrants Blood} ]


    [Strength: 12 ]


    [Agility: 8 ]


    [Toughness: 15 ]


    [Intelligence: 13 ]


    [Willpower: 13* (14*) ]


    [Presence: 8 ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Eternal Tao {Rank 0}): Through meditation the Taoist becomes a receptacle for universal energy. Through shedding imperfections and gaining insight into the true nature of being, the Taoist gains mastery over existence. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Water {Rank 3}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the waters of life and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [Group Synergies: {Hide/Expand}]


    [Unlocked Classes: None ]


    The longer I read through the entries on Pete¡¯s status, the more incredulous I became. I had no idea how Pete had done it, or if it had even been deliberate, but he had somehow created a second status sheet...


    After carefully reading through Pete¡¯s second status page, and temporarily removing him from my Party, I was stunned to learn that while the second status page did not acknowledge his original Racial Abilities under the Racial Ability category. However, they were still represented in their original values under Group Synergies. Which was strange, but no more so than everything else.


    As best as I could understand, both status sheets were active and held no immediate conflicts with one another. I suspected this was because both sheets shared only a small amount of the same information.


    ¡°Lash...You said Pete was sitting just before it happened?¡± I asked, somewhat hesitantly. Now suspecting that I was more responsible for what had happened than I had previously assumed.


    Lash nodded, ¡°Just sitting, not playing or doing dangerous things...¡± Her eyes narrowed slightly, having caught on that I knew something I had yet to share.


    ¡°Before everything...Was Pete watching Jin? The visitor I brought for Hana,¡± I clarified somewhat awkwardly.


    ¡°We spoke with him earlier...¡± Lash replied, somewhat confused by the change in subject.


    ¡°Did Jin meditate at any point? Sit with his eyes closed and his legs crossed?¡± I pressed, just about ready to admit my unintended complicity.


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t know...¡± Lash admitted quietly, ¡°I was watching Suzy...¡±


    Gric crested the surface of the lake and was joined by Sebet a few moments later.


    ¡°With your permission, I will uncover the answers you seek, my Tyrant, Tyrantess,¡± Gric bowed his head to each of us in turn before waiting for an answer.


    ¡°We checked Jin already...¡± Sebet commented somewhat apprehensively, ¡°But the evidence is not particularly conclusive...He was meditating earlier, but it¡¯s difficult to tell what is going on in memories packed with so much raw information...¡±


    Gric scowled disapprovingly, ¡°The information isn¡¯t the problem. It¡¯s the filter! They bombard themselves with all that sensory stimulus but have almost no means of interpreting any of it!¡±


    Lash looked to me to make the call.


    ¡°Do it,¡± I ordered. They were both bound by oaths and wouldn¡¯t knowingly cause any lasting harm.


    ¡°It is as you feared, my Tyrant...¡± Gric reported after a momentary delay.


    ¡°Not only did he learn of the breathing Technique from speaking with Jin, but he actively attempted to copy it...¡± Sebet reported hesitantly.


    ¡°And the authority?¡± I bowed my head and closed my eyes, accepting that I was ultimately responsible for everything that had happened.


    ¡°There were no signs...but he lost consciousness very abruptly...¡± Sebet hedged.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault...I should have anticipated something like this might happen...¡± In hindsight, it was inexcusably reckless to have brought the Cultivators into Sanctuary as I had done. It had been obvious from the beginning that their system and our own had compatibility issues. Furthermore, I should have known that Pete and Suzy, as my heirs, would possess at least some degree of my authority...


    Our son had nearly died as a result of my stupidity...


    ¡°No!¡± Gric barked determinedly, his voice heavy with bitterness, ¡°It is my fault! The Tyrant placed Sanctuary and its people in my care! And I have failed you!...¡±


    ¡°The Daemon is right,¡± Sebet agreed with wounded pride, ¡°You should not bear the burden of this mistake alone...As your advisors, we are tasked with providing counsel to guide your decisions...We have failed in this duty...¡±


    ¡°It is done,¡± Lash stated firmly. ¡°Pete lives, nothing else matters!¡±


    Recognising the tone of her voice, I opened my eyes and confirmed that Lash had made up her mind and wouldn¡¯t hear anything more on the subject.


    ¡°You¡¯re right...¡± I agreed, pressing down the feelings of guilt and forcing my mind to focus on what needed doing. ¡°I doubt this will be the last time Pete attempts this meditation...¡± I grimaced as I recalled the pain Zhu Wen had gone through when meditating and absorbing the glowing crystals. ¡°Gric, Sebet, I need translated copies of all those manuals.¡± I needed to better understand what I was dealing with, and identify what steps could be taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of my children.


    ¡°As the Tyrant/Great One, wills!¡± Gric and Sebet answered in unison.


    No doubt a direct result of recent events, Suzy was unusually subdued.


    ¡°Suzy will need to learn as well...¡± I decided, earning a surprised and worried stare from Lash. ¡°We can¡¯t risk her doing it on her own and having...this...happen again...¡±


    Lash slowly nodded in understanding, but she seemed to dislike the idea about as much as I did.


    Pete began to stir and thankfully appeared none the worse for his near-death experience.


    Taking that as her cue, Suzy began playing in the weeds.


    Watching Suzy play, I felt a small measure of the accumulated weight slip off of my shoulders. Only for it to return tenfold as a new notification dominated the centre of my vision.


    [ {Exalted Admiral ~ 10241} has issued a {Supremacy Challenge}. The Monarch is free to accept or refuse. The {Supremacy Challenge} will be automatically refused after ( 23h 59m 42s ). ]


    Even though I was free to refuse the challenge out of hand, it served as an unpleasant reminder that such conflicts were now a permanent fixture in my life and could not be ignored. Eventually, I would be forced to accept a challenge, and I couldn¡¯t afford to just wait until accepting a challenge became mandatory.


    Sooner or later, I would need to become actively engaged in choosing my enemies and taking the fight to them.


    ***** Pavlo ~ Tim¡¯s Labyrinth *****


    Ducking behind a nearby pillar, Pavlo felt a surge of immense relief as the Goblins¡¯ sling stones clattered harmlessly to either side.


    ¡°HYA!¡± Ivan¡¯s roar was accompanied by a meaty crunch. ¡°Take that! You sons of bastards!¡±


    Readying an arrow and drawing back his bow, Pavlo peaked out from behind the cover of the pillar and snapped off a shot at one of the four remaining Goblins.


    ¡°Decided to rejoin the fight, eh?!¡± Jakob called out with a hearty laugh as he smashed the boss of his shield into a Goblin¡¯s unprotected skull, killing it instantly.


    ¡°I never left!¡± Pavlo called back, loosing three more arrows, downing one Goblin and wounding the other.


    ¡°GRA!¡± Ivan cleaved his axe through the head of a wounded Goblin and viciously kicked the final Goblin in the chest, sending it crashing against the wall. ¡°Is all too easy!¡± He roared.


    Pavlo was inclined to agree.


    The Tyrant¡¯s newly opened Dungeon was advertised as a proving ground and future requirement for advancing through his Labyrinth, but it had not proven in any way difficult thus far.


    Of course, Pavlo had to concede that the Dungeon was intended for fresh-faced amateurs of the first floor, and not seasoned mercenaries such as themselves. All the same, Pavlo couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed.


    Ivan finished off the remaining Goblin and the monsters collectively disintegrated into nothing. ¡°Shame, is no treasure,¡± he grunted disappointedly, kicking his boot at the now empty stone paver where the goblin had lain only moments prior.


    ¡°Eh? What are you talking about?¡± Jakob demanded with a toothy grin. ¡°We are being paid handsomely for testing this Dungeon as it is. Whatever you might have gotten for those tiny manastones is nothing compared to what we will receive after finding the exit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Pavlo agreed, ¡°The last group couldn¡¯t talk about what they did down here, but sure wasn¡¯t shy about how much they earned doing it!¡±


    ¡°Gah, fine!¡± Ivan grunted irritably, ¡°Let us be going on with it then!¡± He hefted his bearded axe and stalked determinedly toward the large stone door that stood opposite the passageway then had entered by.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Pavlo warned earnestly as Ivan reached for the large door handle, ¡°We should at least take a few moments to check for traps!¡±


    Ivan hesitated for a moment and looked back over his burly shoulder at Pavlo with a patronising glare. ¡°Is weak Dungeon,¡± he stated matter of factly, ¡°Traps would also be weak.¡± Ivan sniffed contemptuously and reached for the door handle once more, adjusting his footing to better account for the door¡¯s weight.


    A quiet crisp click rang out through the chamber and Ivan stared down at his left boot.


    ¡°Bloody bitch!...¡± Ivan cursed and hurriedly stepped backwards.


    The sound of grinding stone drew all eyes to the empty passage behind them. Only now, a thick stone slab blocked the passageway entirely.


    ¡°And now there is no way out but forwards...¡± Jakob sighed disappointedly. ¡°There were two other passageways we could have taken from that last room, Ivan. You might have just lost us the bonus offered for finding the hidden treasure...¡±


    Ivan grimaced and hung his shaggy bearded head in shame. ¡°Ivan is sorry...¡±


    ¡°No use crying over it now...¡± Pavlo sighed dispiritedly, ¡°Just try to remember what we are being paid to do!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ivan will remember!¡± Ivan swore grimly and turned toward the large stone doors. Proceeding with infinitely more caution than before, he slowly drew open the rightmost door just wide enough for Pavlo to poke his head through the gap and investigate what lay beyond.


    It was just as well he had.


    Five more Goblins lay in wait, spears at the ready and slings twirling in preparation to loose the moment the Pavlo and his team revealed themselves. However, it wasn¡¯t the Goblins that gave him cause for concern. It was the pair of Orcs standing behind them.


    It didn¡¯t matter how many levels Pavlo had, Orcs would always represent a serious threat.


    It was a simple matter of anatomy. Orcs were natural killers, packed with muscle and with bones dense enough to block hardened steel. Then there was the Racial Abilities that amplified their natural advantages tenfold.


    ¡°That bad, eh?¡± Jakob grunted quietly.


    Pavlo grimly nodded. ¡°Five more Goblins with spears and slings...and two Orcs with shields and clubs...¡±


    ¡°Shit...¡± Jakob cursed. ¡°You think you could kill one if we surprise them?¡±


    ¡°They know we are coming...¡± Pavlo replied grimly. ¡°The first person through that door will get bludgeoned by those slingers... Stabbed too, probably...¡±


    ¡°They were hearing us coming...¡± Ivan grunted softly, balling his left fist in frustration.


    ¡°I guess we can add that to the mistakes we have made so far...¡± Jakob hissed irritably. ¡°Oh well, what¡¯s done is done. We need to deal with it. I¡¯ll go first and give you time to try and take out one of the Orcs-¡± He nodded at Pavlo, ¡°You have your throwing axes still?¡± He looked to Ivan and waited for the brute to nod in confirmation. ¡°Then, you will throw your axes at the Goblins and thin their ranks on the left while I close from the right!¡±


    ¡°Ivan understands!¡± Ivan agreed emphatically, setting his large axe against the unopened door and drawing his pair of throwing axes.


    ¡°I guess we are doing this...¡± Pavlo sighed nervously, knocking three arrows and gathering his mana. It had been a long time since he last fought an Orc, but he knew better than to risk it all on a single arrow.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Jakoc hissed, raising and bracing his shield.


    Ivan nodded.


    ¡°As I can be...¡± Pavlo replied.


    ¡°Now!¡± Jakob barked, signalling for Ivan to open the door.


    Rushing just past the opening, Jakob raised his shield and ducked his head.


    Following behind Jakob, Pavlo waited just long enough to head the impacts against the iron banded shield before ducking out of cover and loosing his three readied arrows toward the rightmost Orc.


    As Pavlo had feared, the Orcs had been expecting an exchange of ranged attacks, and their shields were already raised.


    Two of Pavlo¡¯s arrows smacked against the Orc¡¯s shield, biting into the boot but otherwise doing no harm whatsoever. However, the third arrow flew wide and struck the Orc¡¯s right inner elbow, effectively crippling, or at the very least, impairing his fighting potential with his right hand.


    Burning more mana, Pavlo snapped off five more arrows as Jakob rushed toward the Goblins.


    The first three arrows clattered off of the Orc¡¯s shield. The fourth grazed the Orc¡¯s right shoulder, and the fifth grazed the Orc¡¯s brow.


    Ivan entered the chamber and threw his first axe without even taking time to aim. Even so, the blade of the axe caught one of the Goblin¡¯s in the face, burying itself haft deep and killing it instantly.


    As Ivan prepared to throw his second axe, Pavlo loosed two more arrows, now targeting the Goblins that were shielding the right Orc¡¯s otherwise unprotected legs. Lacking armour or shields, the Goblins attempted to dodge out of the way, causing one arrow to miss and graze the Orc¡¯s calf while the other found its mark in the belly of its intended target.


    Ivan¡¯s second axe flew wide, missing Jakob¡¯s back by less than a foot but somehow managed to strike the rightmost Orc in the chest.


    The Orc staggered and its shield dipped just long enough for Pavlo to send a seeker arrow through its right eye.


    Now within arm¡¯s reach of the Goblins, Jakob suddenly took on a blurring burst of speed. Crashing through their broken ranks and sending the leftmost Orc tumbling to the ground.


    Pavlo burnt through half of his remaining mana to send five arrows into the exposed midsection and abdomen of the orc, accidentally catching one of the Goblins in the crossfire.


    ¡°Ragh!¡± Ivan had retrieved his axe and was now charging toward the enemy, and unfortunately momentarily blocking Pavlo¡¯s line of sight in the process.


    Readying another arrow, Pavlo carefully prepared to take his next shot. However, as Ivan cleared his line of sight, Pavlo¡¯s eyes detected signs of movement from the far left side of the room.


    Pulling his aim hard to the left, Pavlo loosed his arrow with nothing more than instinct to guide it.


    Barely three feet from his face, the arrow shattered mid-air, sending splinters flying in all directions, and two arrowheads tumbling toward the stone floor.


    ¡°Archer!¡± Pavlo roared in warning, ducking backwards just in time to avoid an arrow to the chest. Realising his mistake, he leapt forward into the room again and blindly fired another arrow in the direction of the enemy archer.


    Expecting a Goblin, Pavlo very nearly lost his footing as his eyes settled on the towering form of an Orc. An Orc that had been lining up a shot on Jakob, but was now focused entirely upon Pavlo himself.


    Fighting back the urge to panic, Pavlo could only assume that the Orc archer¡¯s sudden shift in target was somewhat motivated by the feathered wooden shaft now protruding from its abdomen...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 69 – Affinity for Violence – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 69 ¨C Affinity for Violence ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 69 - Affinity for Violence - Part One


    While Pete and Suzy slept, Lash and I spent the night reading through translated cultivation manuals supplied by Gric and Sebet. Despite the size of the manuals, the written contents were best described as brief instructions or discussions of vague concepts. References to diagrams were uncommon yet tended to be straightforward and to the point.


    I learned that the contents of the manuals had been greatly simplified as part of Gric and Sebet¡¯s efforts in making them more accessible. Although, it came with a warning that some of the original concepts'' meanings would be altered in the process. This made this particular edition of translated manuals useful as a basic introduction, but unreliable for guiding the long-term growth of the Techniques themselves.


    Lash had made a considerable effort in becoming literate. However, her reading speed was still comparatively quite low.


    Feeling a keen sense of anxiety over the unknown, I elected to read aloud to help ease her stress alongside my own.


    Out of curiosity, Lash attempted one of the breathing Techniques. However, after half an hour of trying different Techniques, she was unsuccessful in generating a second Status sheet. Lash hadn¡¯t triggered any alerts or errors either, so I was not overly upset by it.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work...¡± Lash observed bluntly, making no attempts at concealing the bitterness and anxiety in her voice.


    I had reviewed the alerts and notifications before Lash had begun her attempts, and now strongly suspected that Pete¡¯s second Status screen held the answer.


    Pete was explicitly identified as a Demi Monarch.


    Lash narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°You know why,¡± she accused.


    I slowly nodded, wanting to lower her expectations somewhat since I wasn¡¯t certain. ¡°I think it is because Pete is my son...¡±


    Lash furrowed her brow as she puzzled through my admittedly poor choice of words. ¡°Pete is your heir. That is why?¡± Lash asked somewhat warily.


    ¡°I think so...¡± I agreed. ¡°And If I am right, Suzy is probably capable of the same.¡±


    ¡°You as well,¡± Lash commented, relaxing and releasing a deep sigh of relief.


    ¡°Probably...¡± I had no guarantees, but it was a relatively simple process to prove it one way or the other.


    Lash stared at me expectantly.


    Suppressing a sigh, I took a few moments to review the manuals laid on the table. Recalling that Pete had unlocked an Affinity for water, I decided to select a breathing Technique that referenced a strong association with water Affinity.


    I didn¡¯t know what the Affinity would do but was confident that it would be better to have it than not.


    Awkwardly standing on my right foot and raising my left knee, I carefully extended my arms to either side. With my palms facing skyward and roughly level with my hips, I did my best to ignore my wavering sense of balance and focus on my breathing.


    With each breath, I tried to push the other thoughts from my mind and envision the flowing of water.


    Focusing on the ebb and flow of the ocean from my memories, I felt a deep sense of peace wash over me and through my very being.


    Opening my eyes, I was startled to find Lash staring at me intently. Her face was less than an inch away from my own and her bright luminous amethyst eyes dazzled me with their intensity.


    ¡°You are awake!¡± Lash cried out with surprise, nearly slipping off her chair as she took an involuntary half-step backwards.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Suzy cried out excitedly, abandoning her toys and splashing through the two-foot-high water covering the floor.


    After stiffly lowering my left leg, I swept Suzy up into a tight hug, eliciting a series of squealing giggles and laughter.


    Looking around the room, I found Pete sitting at the bottom of the bathing pool. Relieved to see that he was breathing, I released another deep sigh.


    ¡°He has been sitting for days...¡± Lash commented with understandable concern.


    ¡°Days?¡± I very nearly gave myself whiplash.


    Lash nodded, her earlier surprise now firmly replaced by concern.


    ¡°Daddy sleep!¡± Suzy exclaimed eagerly, excited to be part of the conversation and draw attention back to herself.


    ¡°How...How many days has it been?¡± I asked, my throat suddenly feeling incredibly dry.


    ¡°Five days...¡± Lash replied, frowning slightly. ¡°The books, they said waking could cause harm...¡± Her shoulders sagged and I became aware of the dark rings under her eyes.


    I pulled Lash off the chair and drew her into a tight embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...I¡­I didn¡¯t mean to leave you all alone like that...¡±


    I had no reason to doubt Lash¡¯s words but couldn¡¯t help myself from exercising my authority to confirm it for myself.


    Five days...


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± I repeated quietly. I could only imagine how worried I had made her after what had happened to Pete.


    Thinking of Pete, my eyes were drawn toward the bathing pool.


    Pete was no longer meditating at the bottom of the pool. Instead, he was stretching as if having woken from a long deep sleep.


    ¡°Pete is awake,¡± I relaxed my grip on Lash and angled her towards the bathing pool so she could see for herself.


    Slipping out of my grasp, Lash rushed across the floor and dove into the bathing pool. Suzy wriggled free shortly after, pointing and laughing at the edge of the pool while Pete patiently accepted their mother¡¯s pent-up worry and affection with an air of confusion and embarrassment.


    Sitting on the edge of my bed and massaging my stiff joints, I decided to check and see whether the meditation had succeeded in creating a second Status page.


    Bringing up the Status, my eyes were immediately drawn to the faint outline on the right side of the Status pane. Concentrating, I opened the second page and inspected its contents.


    A momentary surge of static obstructed a portion of the topmost information but quickly resolved itself, allowing an unobstructed view of the second Status page.


    [Tim - Lake Ogre-Mage {Monarch} ] [Chi: 10*/10* {Water, Earth, Thunder, Wood, Death, Space} ]


    [Class: None.]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Lash¡¯s Mate]


    [Bloodline: {Tyrant 3} +1 Willpower.] [Bloodline Progeny: Pete, Suzy.]


    [Cultivation Inheritance: {Tyrant¡¯s Body} ]


    [Strength: 25* ]


    [Agility: 10 ]


    [Toughness: 29* ]


    [Intelligence: 12 ]


    [Willpower: 18* (19*) ]


    [Presence: 8* ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Eternal Tao {Rank 10}): Through meditation the Taoist becomes a receptacle for universal energy. Through shedding imperfections and gaining insight into the true nature of being, the Taoist gains mastery over existence. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Water {Rank 3}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the waters of life and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Earth {Rank 2}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the indomitable earth and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Thunder {Rank 2}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the tumultuous thunder and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Wood {Rank 1}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the seeds of nature and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Death {Rank 0}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the inevitability of death and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Space {Rank 9}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the ether of dimensions and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [Group Synergies: {Hide/Expand}]


    Overcoming my initial surprise and curiosity, I grew somewhat concerned by the Racial Abilities at the bottom of the page.


    Aren¡¯t the descriptions incredibly repetitive? And why do I have so many Affinities when Pete only has one?


    Bringing my authority to bear, I was further surprised to find that I was allowed a limited degree of insight in place of the headache I had otherwise expected.


    The manuals had made vague references to various Affinities but made no concrete claims regarding what they were capable of. However, if the information uncovered by my obstructed authority could be trusted, individual Affinities could prove to be incredibly powerful.


    Somewhat referenced by the description of the Affinities'' respective and repetitive descriptions, an Affinity allowed a measure of direct control over its designated influence through the manipulation of Chi. How that was accomplished in a practical sense was not explained.


    Where my authority failed, the cryptic instructions of the Technique manuals provided additional insight. Assuming key elements were preserved in the translation, and my understanding was correct, Chi could be reserved to fulfil several ongoing effects in the vicinity of the practitioner. Chi could also be expended similarly to MP.


    From what I had personally witnessed while fighting the Divine Patriarch, Sword Affinity Chi could be reserved to sharpen and enhance the damage of a blade to the point that it ignored the magical and mundane properties of armour. Similarly, the Chi with Sword Affinity could be expended to make attacks at a distance.


    I wasn¡¯t certain how much of that potential was based on the Techniques themselves. Some of the Techniques were quite explicit in requiring certain Affinities to function, while others hinted at losing effectiveness without them.


    Assuming ten Chi was probably a beginner level for Cultivators, I doubted I would be able to accomplish much of anything with it. Especially without a Technique to provide structure and generate the desired effect.


    All the same, I concentrated on projecting the Chi inside of my body into the surrounding water and experimentally waved my hand.


    To my immense surprise, large ripples followed the movement of my hand.


    My surprise quickly gave way to cynicism as I realised that I may have accomplished the feat by using my authority unintentionally. After all, while within my domain, there was little I couldn¡¯t do through an application of will.


    Concentrating on the water, I was reasonably confident that I could sense the unique energy signature of the Chi. Relaxing my mind, I experimented with moving the water independently without moving my hand.


    Sure enough, the water infused with my Chi moved under my remote direction and continued sending ripples across the greater surface of the water.


    Continuing to manipulate the water, I raised my Status again and inspected it for a second time. Curiously enough, I found that a number had appeared alongside the water Affinity represented at the top of the page.


    [Chi: 0*/10* {Water 10, Earth, Thunder, Wood, Death, Space} ]


    Experimenting, I confirmed that the value would change in real time as I invested or withdrew my Chi from the water. I also learned that I could only send the Chi-infused water about ten feet away from myself before small amounts of Chi would begin to disperse into the surrounding area and decay into the native energy of the alternate system.


    Through losing small amounts of Chi, I also learned that it naturally replenished on its own but at a rather slow rate. The majority of the replenishment was accomplished by drawing the energy back into my body by breathing. However, a very small amount was independently generated from within my body itself similarly to regenerating MP.


    Recalling the special energy-rich crystals, potions and medicines that had been stored within the Divine Patriarch¡¯s magic ring, I realised that the Cultivators¡¯ system had a similar method for rapidly replenishing Chi to MP and HP. This also meant that my Iron Gut Racial Ability might also accelerate the conversion of resources into Chi.


    Unfortunately, the Divine Patriarch¡¯s former subjects had little food to spare, so it would be quite some time before I could properly test the theory.


    Unless...


    Exercising my authority, I assigned the larger segmented territory as a spawning location for the tri-horned rabbits.


    Conjuring one of the male rabbits into my waiting hand, I crushed its neck between my thumb and forefinger and made my way over to the kitchen. Going through the motions, I reflected on how killing rabbits had once been a profoundly traumatising experience, and that butchering one would have been inconceivable.


    Things had changed.


    I had seen and done too much to consider such a mundane and practical necessity as anything else.


    Using my authority to discard the offal and other unwanted remains, I skewered the meat and set it to cook over a small fire and a large bed of coals.


    One of the unexpected perks of monstrous children was their innate understanding and respect for fire. Pete and Suzy were still as enamoured with fire as any other child would be, but demonstrated no interest whatsoever in ¡®playing¡¯ with it.


    ¡°Food?!¡± Suzy yelped excitedly, sniffing at the air as her eyes zeroed in on the rabbit. Drool began freely dribbling down her chin.


    Realising my mistake, I began preparing a proper meal for the whole family. No matter how distracted she may have been, Lash wouldn¡¯t have starved Suzy. But I could tell just by looking at the ravaged state of our pantry, that Suzy¡¯s otherwise irreconcilable appetite hadn¡¯t been managed as well as it could have been.


    A combined effect of her rapid growth and manic degree of activity was influenced by the Iron Gut Ability, Suzy had a near inexhaustible appetite.


    Setting a pot of water to boil on the coals, I lifted Suzy onto the simple stone counter so she could help me prepare meat and vegetables for a hearty stew. To tide Suzy over, and ensure more ingredients reached the cooking pot, I gave her a string of salami-like smoked sausages that had somehow survived her earlier predations.


    ¡°Mowr!¡± Suzy demanded, waving a chubby hand between the remaining pieces of meat on the chopping board and to the cooking pot.


    ¡°More?¡± I asked, making a show of raising an eyebrow in mock surprise. ¡°More meat?¡±


    ¡°Mowr!¡± Suzy replied emphatically, nodding her head vigorously as she tore through another smoked sausage the size of a man¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Maybe I should add some sausage then?¡± I asked, nodding toward the remaining links clutched tightly in Suzy¡¯s other hand.


    Suzy baulked and scrambled backwards across the counter. ¡°Uh uh!¡± She refused, turning her back and jealously guarding her treasures.


    Chuckling in amusement and shaking my head, I returned to cutting vegetables.


    Leaving the stew to cook, I lifted Suzy off the counter and onto the edge of the dinner table.


    Jealously guarding the final sausage, Suzy eyed me warily.


    ¡°You are a lot like your aunt Toofy aren¡¯t you?¡± I asked rhetorically and tickled her dribbly chin.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± Suzy grinned happily and continued chewing away.


    Returning to the kitchen, I rotated the skewered rabbit and did my best to ignore Suzy¡¯s ravenous gaze.


    Watching Pete and Suzy wolf down the better part of the giant pot of stew, I was reminded why raising children was meant to be a collaborative effort of the entire tribe.


    Many families living within Sanctuary still participated in sharing huge communal meals. It was more fuel efficient and generally resulted in the best cooks preparing the food. At the same time, the remaining adults tended to the children or assisted with basic preparations.


    With Pete and Suzy otherwise distracted, I followed through on my intended test. After deliberately depleting my Chi, I ate the roasted tri-horned rabbit and patiently waited to see the results.


    More or less as I had expected, the rate of Chi recovery increased dramatically. However, the accelerated recovery was short lived and provided only a single point of Chi.


    Given the low amount of internal energy possessed by the tri-horned rabbit, I assumed that something with higher internal energy would provide a greater level of Chi recovery. However, I doubted the duration likely wouldn¡¯t increase, due to Iron Gut¡¯s effects.


    Watching the twins eat, I was startled when the stew began flowing out of Pete¡¯s bowl and straight into his mouth.


    Gulping down the mouthful of stew, Pete gave me a proud yet subdued smile.


    Had he learned to move the water by watching me? Or had he figured it out on his own?


    Pete repeated the trick several more times, even going so far as to feed his sister the final dregs out of the pot.


    It came as little surprise that Suzy¡¯s interest in Pete¡¯s newly acquired trick had peaked.


    ¡°Play?!¡± Suzy demanded, grinning madly as she tugged at Pete''s arm.


    Pete awkwardly looked to Lash and I for guidance.


    Despite her obvious hesitation, Lash nodded in approval. ¡°You are certain I cannot?¡± She asked quietly.


    ¡°...¡± I had been about to reply out of hand but stopped upon realising I wasn¡¯t actually sure.


    I had assumed that Pete¡¯s Demi-Monarch authority had been the requirement. However, there was no guarantee of that being the case. Just because it had been the trigger for the limited System overlap, didn¡¯t mean that was the reach of the System overlap.


    Technically, anyone vested with my authority ¡®might¡¯ qualify.


    Summoning Gric or Sebet would see the matter settled soon enough, but Lash had brought another oversight to my attention.


    I had yet to give her the limited authority that would allow her to freely traverse and manage our domain.


    It took all of a second to correct the mistake.


    ¡°Maybe...¡± My belated reply caught Lash somewhat off guard. ¡°My initial understanding may have been wrong,¡± I admitted bluntly as a partial explanation.


    Her eyes were still partially unfocused, most likely from reading the notification of her increased authority. However, it didn¡¯t stop Lash from quickly shifting her focus. ¡°This will help?¡± She asked determinedly.


    ¡°It might,¡± I replied, taking care to manage her expectations. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the limited authority will be enough...¡±


    Jaw tightening and brow set, Lash nodded to show she understood.


    Lash was as familiar with the breathing Techniques as I was and wasted little time in leading the efforts in coaching Suzy. Once Suzy was settled, Lash assumed the same meditative stance alongside the twins.


    Energy began circulating toward Pete almost immediately.


    Despite her fidgeting, Suzy began taking in some of the same energy. Diverting increasingly greater portions as the minutes passed by.


    Unfortunately, despite being surrounded by the energy and even briefly taking some of it into her body, Lash¡¯s Status remained unchanged and she failed to convert any of the energy into internal energy.


    According to what I had learned from the manuals, failing to convert the ambient energy into internal energy through a breathing Technique was a strong indicator that Lash would not be able to unlock the second System page.


    Minutes turned to hours and Lash remained unchanged. Shortly before midnight, she reluctantly left the pool and joined me on our bed.


    I did my best to console her, but Lash said little by way of reply and settled down to sleep while I kept watch on our children.


    Just like Pete and myself, Suzy had acquired the Affinity for water. However, shortly after midnight, Suzy abandoned meditation and fell asleep. Although it was unclear whether it had been a deliberate choice or simply a result of remaining still for such a long period of time.


    Summoning Sebet and Gric during the night, I learned that they had both attempted to unlock the second System, and that they had both failed.


    Sebet shrugged with an air of indifference. ¡°I beg the Great One¡¯s pardon, but I had not held much hope for emulating the feat of a Monarch and their progeny.¡±


    Gric narrowed his eyes warily at the Devil. ¡°It is as she says,¡± he agreed with obvious reluctance. ¡°There is no shame in failing to emulate the Tyrant¡¯s greatness.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t so certain Lash would feel the same.


    ¡°I need to unlock a Class,¡± I explained, shifting the conversation toward a more productive subject. ¡°Besides the Swordsman, I didn¡¯t read any instructions on unlocking other Classes.¡±


    ¡°I have learned of others,¡± Sebet volunteered with only a hint of hesitation, ¡°Although, the information pertaining to the methods involved in unlocking them is lacking at best.¡±


    With the information no doubt taken from the minds of the imprisoned Swordsmen and Spearmen, I wasn¡¯t overly optimistic.


    ¡°All the same, I would like to know my options,¡± I explained while mentally preparing myself for disappointment and frustration.


    With Sebet clearly taking the lead, Gric made his way over to the pool and carefully lifted Suzy out of the water before transplanting her on the bed beside Lash.


    Sebet sat herself down on one of the large stone chairs at the dinner table and took a few moments to gather her thoughts. ¡°You are aware of the Daemonic Cultivator Class already, and as best as we have determined, it requires some form of Daemonic essence to be absorbed or be otherwise present in the body. Although I strongly suspect any form of Fiendish essence may suffice...¡± Sebet paused and made a strange face before shaking it off. ¡°This alternate System doesn¡¯t appear to recognise that there are fundamental differences...¡±


    Gric snorted quietly in disapproval.


    ¡°Otherwise, there are references to Martial Experts and Martial Masters, which specialise in the pursuit of combat through advanced understanding of weaponry and martial pursuits. Bearing a striking resemblance to the Knight in many respects.¡± Sebet conjured a thick leather bound tome and distractedly flicked through its pages before evidently finding what she was looking for. ¡°Yes, I have already Contracted a Knight to take several volunteers to test the theory.¡± She closed the book and it disappeared in a burst of heatless flames. ¡°Of course, Mage-like Classes were claimed to exist as well. Strangely enough, it is these Classes that seemed to command the greatest degree of prestige. Which is odd considering the martial inclinations of those in the entrenched positions of power.¡±


    ¡°Classes like the Alchemist?¡± I guessed, realising that the Class had not been represented in manuals at all.


    ¡°Oh, most definitely!¡± Sebet agreed emphatically. ¡°The Alchemists are at the centre of everything. Without them, everything would collapse!¡± She leaned forward and wore an eager smile, seemingly delighting in the discussion of this particular subject. ¡°In their world, the Cultivators actively compete against one another in very nearly every pursuit. Subscribing to a fundamentally flawed interpretation of might making right,¡± Sebet snickered condescendingly. ¡°The consumable items produced by Alchemists provide shortcuts in acquiring power through Cultivation, making conflict with an Alchemist an incredibly uncommon occurrence.¡±


    ¡°How did Jin unlock the Class if we don¡¯t have instructions in the manuals?¡± I pressed. The background information was interesting, but not an immediate concern.


    ¡°He was apprenticed as a child,¡± Gric replied quietly. ¡°Through coincidence, he happened to be visiting his home village when the territories changed hands.¡±


    Sebet smiled and nodded slightly in agreement. ¡°My investigation has revealed the same.¡±


    ¡°Are there others?¡± I asked, wondering whether it was good or bad fortune that had made Jin my subject.


    Sebet slowly shook her head and absently tapped the surface of the table. ¡°There are no others that we have found, and we have been quite thorough.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I sighed and motioned for Sebet to continue. ¡°What about these other Classes?¡±


    ¡°This is where the information becomes increasingly unreliable,¡± Sebet apologised, prematurely lowering my expectations. ¡°Celestial-¡± She grimaced distastefully, ¡°-Sorcerers, according to limited accounts, specialise in casting devastating Spells. Inscriptionists produce magic items and specialise in permanent enchantments that can cover many miles. They are responsible for creating the arrays and formations referenced in the recovered texts.¡±


    ¡°Any others?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t overly impressed with the limited options thus far, but they were certainly better than nothing.


    ¡°There are claims of others...¡± Sebet replied with a noted lack of enthusiasm, ¡°Such as the Divine Beast Master...But there is absolutely no evidence to support their existence beyond drunken hearsay.¡±


    That was fair enough. With the villagers being as isolated as they were and relying heavily upon the contents of the imprisoned soldiers'' memories for information, it was unrealistic to expect much more than this.


    Without a Class, I couldn¡¯t learn and properly benefit from the Techniques written within the manuals. Which meant that the benefits of the second system would be limited to whatever I could accomplish through the Affinities.


    Despite knowing that rushing things was generally a bad idea, I also couldn¡¯t help but focus on the limited difference afforded to each Class through their unique Class Abilities. Even if I chose the ¡®wrong¡¯ Class, it would still be capable of most of the same things as the others. Or so I assumed given what I knew of the Class Abilities thus far.


    Briefly setting those thoughts aside, I retrieved one of the manuals from the table and flicked through the pages until arriving on one diagram in particular.


    ¡°Theoretically, this Array shouldn¡¯t require any techniques, right?¡± I asked, leaving the question open for either of them to answer.


    ¡°The energy gathering Array?¡± Gric clarified, moving closer to take a better look at the diagram.


    ¡°There was no mention of a Technique being required,¡± Sebet confirmed, leaning forward with increased interest.


    ¡°It just states that a suitable amount of energy is required to initiate the Array¡¯s effects,¡± Gric confirmed. ¡°The villagers have already erected several Arrays in shared spaces. However, the energies within those territories has resulted in a limited effectiveness of the Arrays.¡±


    ¡°It will increase the concentration of the energy, but it will take time for the ambient energy to build to high enough levels to create truly worthwhile effects,¡± Sebet agreed.


    ¡°Hana has been experimenting with creating hybrid vegetation,¡± I explained for Sebet¡¯s benefit.


    Gric lived in The Grove and faintly nodded in acknowledgement, confirming that he had kept abreast of recent events.


    ¡°Really?¡± Sebet¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°May I ask, has she met with much success?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admitted, ¡°It has been a few days since then. But the initial experiment seemed promising.¡±


    ¡°I will investigate further!¡± Sebet decided with an expression of keen interest. I wasn¡¯t sure what had given her cause for such an intense interest, but I trusted in her oaths and our standing Contract to keep her honest in pursuing my best interests.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be certain, not yet at least, but I think sponsoring the growth of a handful of Cultivators will increase the rate at which the required energies within the territories will increase...¡± I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Sebet¡¯s interest had only intensified further.


    ¡°Cultivators can be used to generate more of the required energy?¡± Dark thoughts passed behind her eyes. ¡°Yes...I can help with this...¡±


    My thoughts briefly turned to the prisoners kept within her dungeons. Before I could feel tempted to feel sorry for them, I reminded myself of the crime they had committed.


    There were others far more deserving of my pity.


    If Sebet wanted to use them in a Matrix-esque battery farm, I wasn¡¯t going to stop her.


    Far better that some form of good comes from the destruction they had wrought.


    ¡°I will be returning to the Hurst Labyrinth soon...¡± It took me a few moments to realise that I had spoken aloud.


    Sebet and Gric nodded attentively. I had declared my intentions in no uncertain terms before, so it made sense that they weren¡¯t surprised.


    ¡°When I do, I will be taking on a more active role. I need to gain more combat experience. Training is fine up to a certain point, but I have begun hesitating again...¡± I looked down at my hands. I found that they were tightly balled into fists. ¡°With everything, everyone, relying on me, I can¡¯t afford to hesitate...¡±


    With nothing further to discuss, I dismissed their projections.


    I had thought he was still meditating, but as Pete climbed out of the bathing pool, he proved otherwise. Raising his arms, Pete opened and closed his hands in a silent request to be picked up.


    Lifting Pete off the floor, I hugged him to my chest and made my way over to the bed.


    Slipping free on his own, Pete crawled under the blanket and rested his head on Lash¡¯s stomach. Within moments, he fell soundly asleep.


    Looking down at my family, I was reminded of the first time I had laid eyes on my children. Reminded of the promises I had made to myself.


    There wasn¡¯t anything I wouldn¡¯t do to protect them.


    Resisting the urge to join my family, I left the cave and made my way over to the training grounds by the lake.


    Summoning a generic Orc warrior, I gave it the silent command to attack me to the best of its ability.


    Less than half my height, the Orc made it two steps before I dealt it a vicious backhand to the side of the head. As its skull tore apart, the Spell collapsed and the Orc disappeared.


    Flexing my fingers and staring at the space where the Orc had disappeared, I felt nothing.


    The Lesser Summons possessed no true will of their own and harboured no independent thoughts. They were little more than sophisticated puppets.


    I Summoned an Aurochian and repeated the same order I had given to the Orc.


    Far larger than the Orc, the minotaur-like Aurochian released a savage roar, lowered its head and charged.


    Stepping to the side to avoid the Aurochian¡¯s charge, I resisted the urge to initiate an immediate counterattack. With our shared Synergies and the Aurochian''s high Toughness, it would only have left me open to a potential retributive strike.


    Instead, I baited the Aurochian into making another charge. Only, this time, I didn¡¯t dodge.


    Catching the Aurochian by the shoulders, I threw him hard to the side.


    Unable to arrest his momentum, the Aurochian slid across the muddy bank of the lake and into the shallows.


    Stalking after him, I infused my Chi into the water and attempted to bind him.


    Through brute strength alone, the Aurochian freed its limbs and began struggling to fight its way clear of the water.


    Changing tactics, I directed the water away from the Aurochian¡¯s limbs and into its nostrils.


    Sensing the danger, the Aurochian desperately slapped at the water to keep it clear of his face. However, the more fiercely it fought, the more focus I could afford to direct the water.


    Within seconds, the Chi-infused water had displaced the air in the Aurochian¡¯s lungs and he began to drown.


    Staggering onto dry land, the Aurochian desperately clawed at his throat. All the while, his chest heaved in an attempt to expel the fluid from his lungs.


    The Aurochian''s HP began to rapidly deteriorate, and within half a minute of struggling, he collapsed into unconsciousness.


    Drawing the Chi back from the water, I cancelled the Lesser Summon.


    I sincerely doubted that a Cultivator would ¡®allow¡¯ me to drown them similarly to the Lesser Summon. However, there was no guarantee that all of my future enemies would be Cultivators. So keeping the trick in my back pocket was probably a good idea.


    Assuming my scale of control increased alongside the progression of the Affinity or available Chi, otherwise mundane bodies of water could be weaponised to considerable advantage.


    Shifting my attention toward the packed earth of the training grounds, I infused a section with my Chi and willed it to move.


    The dirt tumbled free from the ground and began rolling more or less according to how I directed. After some coaxing, I found I could even make it fly. Although it required considerably greater concentration to do so.


    Further experimentation confirmed that I could do the same with water. However, the increase in required concentration was less than it had been with the dirt. I could only assume that it was due to my higher water Affinity.


    The Wood Affinity was much the same but required a different way of thinking to keep the plants intact.


    Using my authority to shape the spiked head of a mace from a large stone, I experimented with throwing and retrieving the spiked ball with my Chi.


    I quickly learned that ¡®throwing¡¯ with Chi required considerably less concentration. Similarly, I could use the same low level of concentration to retrieve the spiked ball again.


    Experimenting with the shape of the stone, I tried throwing axes, knives and spears. After hours of practice and depleting my available Chi, I felt somewhat conflicted over the results.


    Accuracy with ranged attacks had been an issue for me for a long time. However, altering the trajectory mid-flight was nothing short of cheating. So long as I had Chi, and was throwing a stone projectile at a target within a certain range, I could correct the projectile¡¯s course and ensure it would land where I intended.


    Of course, hitting a moving target would likely require more concentration than adjusting to strike a stationary target. That was just a given. However, it did make me wonder what else was possible.


    I spent three days practising and gradually gained a better understanding of the Chi manipulation¡¯s limits. During this time my earth and water Affinities increased by two ranks. Curiously, Eternal Tao increased by a single rank as well, increasing my maximum Chi by a single point even though I hadn¡¯t spent any time practising the breathing Technique.


    During those three days, the Exalted Admiral issued a second Challenge. However, because it was not mandatory to accept it, I ignored it just like the first.


    Zod¡¯s Dungeon initiative was showing great promise, and I permitted him to expand it further. For the sake of efficiency, I granted him an entire territory to dedicate to his Dungeons.


    As part of my preparations for the Hurst Labyrinth, I experimented with making stone weapons and armour, strengthening them with my blood and the Shape Stone Spell. All but invulnerable to the magic weapons I had on hand, I intended to test the armour¡¯s limits while fighting within the Hurst Labyrinth.


    Recruitment for the Subjugation force had begun in earnest and had caused a certain degree of unease amongst the established Factions. The primary source of this unease was due to the enlisted being moved into the Subjugation Faction for the duration of their service.


    There was a considerable degree of soft influence that could be exerted within a Faction through Promotions and the like. Losing that influence was bad enough, but it was made many times worse by the fact that those belonging to different Factions were not bound to recognise the authority of those outside their Faction.


    Of course, not all Factions were so concerned. A few had leapt at the opportunity with open arms.


    The members of Rikit¡¯s ever-expanding pack of Gnolls, the Blood Fur Faction, were one such Faction. Desperate to prove themselves, the males of the pack were signing up in droves.


    Taking it a step further, the Flameheart Kobolds were volunteering in pre-formed platoons.


    Somewhat unexpectedly, a small contingent of Dwergi had expressed a desire to enlist as well. And they were not alone.


    As the mustering date drew closer, very nearly every Species within Sanctuary was represented amongst the ranks of the enlisted.


    Of course, there was no shortage of Humans either. A minority of which I had requested explicitly from the border lords to serve as a temporary leadership corps. In addition to their regular duties, the senior and junior officers would be responsible for scouting the enlisted for potential officer candidates and grooming them for command.


    Regardless of what I discovered at the peak of the Hurst Labyrinth, there was a genuine possibility that I would need a professional standing army in the near future.


    ***** Durkan ~ Tim¡¯s Labyrinth ~ Subjugation Force basecamp *****


    Standing shoulder to shoulder with the veteran warriors of the clan, Durkan felt an immense degree of pride burning within his chest. Not only had the Tyrant accepted them as his warriors, but they had also been afforded the special honour of serving as his honour guard and Bodyguards.


    Clad in magical stone armour and tightly gripping the shaft of an equally magical stone spear, Durkan did his best to stand as tall as he was able so he would not dishonour the Tyrant and his gifts.


    In his heart, Durkan knew that their appointment as the Tyrant¡¯s Bodyguards was almost certainly out of the Tyrant¡¯s affection for his mate, the Tyrantess. However, rather than feeling disheartened, Durkan burned with a desire to prove himself useful and worthy of the title of thunder warrior.


    ¡°You will be the tip of my spear,¡± the Tyrant rumbled, his intense gaze settling on Throk, their leader, as he addressed the greater group. ¡°Seizing and securing the portal chamber is the highest priority, and will almost certainly carry the greatest dangers. So I entrust this task to you, my thunder warriors!¡±


    Despite towering over the Humans and other Monsters in the war camp, Durkan¡¯s head barely reached the Tyrant¡¯s chest. Such was the Tyrant¡¯s immense size.


    With a swipe of his hand, the Tyrant tore a bloody rent in reality revealing a large stone chamber less than a dozen feet from where they were standing.


    ¡°Now go!¡± The Tyrant barked savagely, waving them toward the portal.


    ¡°Raaagh!¡± Throk¡¯s roar was muffled by his helmet, but he charged forward with the vigour of an Orc half his considerably advanced age.


    Joining his voice to the others, Durkan roared and advanced shoulder to shoulder with his fellow warriors.


    Passing through the portal, Durkan felt a fleeting sense of weightlessness before his boots settled on solid ground again.


    Just as the Tyrant had anticipated, the large stone chamber was swarming with human warriors.


    Rushing forwards, Throk impaled the nearest human with his massive stone spear.


    Before the human had a chance to realise what had happened, his body burst apart in an explosion of bloody gore as thunder roared from the head of Throk¡¯s spear.


    ¡°For the Tyrant!!!¡± Throk roared, viciously kicking another human in the chest and sending him crashing into several of his fellows.


    ¡°FOR THE TYRANT!!!¡± As one, Durkan and his fellow thunder warriors charged.


    Too dazed by the surprise attack to defend themselves, two dozen human warriors fell in rapid and bloody succession. Their screams echoed off of the stone walls and terrified those who remained.


    ¡°A BREACH!!!¡± A human near the far end of the chamber screamed while frantically hammering his fist on an immense iron-banded door. ¡°THERE IS A BREACH!!!¡±


    Another human pulled hard on a large lever halfway down the length of the chamber. Shortly after, a massive wall of crossed iron tipped with spikes began descending from the ceiling.


    Realising that the wall of crossed iron would block their advance, Durkan dropped his mace and rushed ahead of his fellows. Ignoring the humans in his path, Durkan braced himself as best he could and caught the descending wall of crossed iron with both hands.


    Despite Durkan¡¯s immense strength, the immense weight of the wall of crossed iron was gradually forcing him to give ground.


    Very nearly driven to his knees and with the spikes scraping against his armour, Durkan ignored the humans¡¯ arrows and held firm.


    All at once, his burden became lighter.


    Looking to his left, Durkan took heart at the sight of his older brother, Durak, who was now lifting the wall of crossed iron alongside him. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Together!¡± Durak grunted, heaving at the lowest bars of the wall of crossed iron with all his might.


    ¡°Together!¡± Durkan replied, redoubling his efforts.


    With the path clear, their fellow warriors rushed past them and into the ragged ranks of the humans beyond.


    ¡°Our...glory!¡± Durak groaned, adjusting his stance to match Durkan¡¯s and better carry the immense weight bearing down on them.


    ¡°Our glory!¡± Durkan agreed enthusiastically, his chest swelling with pride. Despite being left behind, Durkan knew his brother was right. Without them holding the path open, the attack would have stalled and possibly failed.


    The terrified screams of the humans fell silent as those who had not fled were overrun and cut down.


    ¡°Forward!¡± A shrill cry from behind announced the arrival of the Kobolds. ¡°Secure the prison! Yes! Go now!¡±


    A tide of tiny scaly bodies surged past Durkan¡¯s legs and down the length of the chamber. Breaking upon the immense door at the far end of the chamber, the Kobold horde drained into the smaller doorways on either side, eliciting a fresh wave of cries from the human survivors.


    ¡°A portcullis?¡± A gruff voice commented appraisingly from somewhere beneath Durkan¡¯s knees. ¡°It is good we were told to expect this!¡±


    A chorus of muted yet equally gruff voices agreed.


    The immense weight of the wall of crossed iron abruptly disappeared.


    ¡°You are free to move now!¡± The gruff voice announced, ¡°The portcullis has been braced!¡±


    While looking for the owner of the voice, Durkan was surprised to find that the wall of the chamber had swallowed a good portion of the crossed iron, seizing and holding it in place. Cautiously ducking out from under the crossed iron and its spikes, Durkan took the opportunity to take several deep breaths and shake some feeling back into his arms and shoulders.


    ¡°You did well stopping that portcullis!¡± The gruff voice declared approvingly, drawing Durkan¡¯s eyes downward and toward a small cluster of stout armoured figures carrying thick staved stone spears. The lead figure bowed his helmeted head in appreciation before leading his fellows forward. ¡°Hurry along! We have less than an hour to properly fortify this travesty of stonework!¡± He bellowed, waving his spear and causing the stone walls to run like water and toward the immense door at the far end of the chamber.


    ¡°Dwergi,¡± Durak explained somewhat breathlessly as he returned Durkan¡¯s weapon. ¡°Cave diggers, Stone Shapers...¡±


    Durkan had heard the same rumours, but it was something else entirely to witness it for himself.


    Taking care not to step on or knock down the smaller monsters around them, Durkan and his brother made their way forward to rejoin the other warriors.


    ¡°Sons of Sark and Nula! Glory is yours!¡± Throk declared, earning the immediate approval of the most senior warriors.


    ¡°Your glory!¡± The other warriors repeated, striking their chests as a sign of their respect.


    ¡°Your glory, brother!¡± Durak cheered.


    Overwhelmed, Durkan humbly accepted the collective praise of his seniors in silence.


    In the caverns and tunnels of their old home, using your body to delay a collapse and keep the path open for the clan¡¯s retreat was one of the greatest sacrifices a warrior could make. Second only to blocking a tunnel with their body to stall the tide of a ravenous Bloodhunter horde.


    It was how Durkan and Durak¡¯s father had died, crushed beneath the stones of a home they had chosen to forget.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 69 – Affinity for Violence – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 69 ¨C Affinity for Violence ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 69 - Affinity for Violence - Part Two


    With the External portal secured and a garrison stationed to make sure it remained that way, I led the remaining forces into the Hurst Labyrinth.


    The Confederate defenders stationed within the first Footholds knew we were coming for them. However, it didn¡¯t make a difference.


    One by one, the Confederate garrisons fell.


    Seven Invasions had thoroughly routed the Confederate forces within the Hurst Labyrinth, awarding seven territories over nine days.


    I had integrated all but the first floor, leaving it to serve as a secondary garrison to intercept and imprison anyone who attempted to enter the Labyrinth through subterfuge or teleportation. Of course, there was still a persisting risk that infiltrators could teleport into the Labyrinth by targeting other floors. However, that risk would continue to shrink as floors were converted to territories and integrated into my realm.


    To maintain a fast pace and keep the subjugation force concentrated while on the move, I left the search for Variants to Gric and Sebet.


    The newly acquired territories wouldn¡¯t be fully integrated and would otherwise be kept separate as emergency collateral. However, if Variants were found, Gric and Sebet were under orders to secure oaths of fealty. Assuming the Variants complied, they would be provided with new lands to call their own.


    Entering the tenth floor, I felt a small degree of excitement. By all accounts, this was where I would begin to encounter those who shared my Species.


    Wielding staves packed full of mana stones and bearing the Shape Stone Spell, the Dwergi wasted no time in levelling the Foothold and erecting a fortress in its place. The design had changed slightly with each floor, but the foundations remained the same.


    Occupying twice as much space below ground as above, the fortress would be all but impregnable. However, the primary entrance to the outermost walls remained open.


    It was a deliberate flaw in the otherwise perfect defences of the fortress.


    The open gateway provided unimpeded but somewhat directed entry to what the soldiers referred to as a kill zone. In reality, the gateway was connected to a large open field that was flanked by thick high walls on all sides. The battlements and arrow slits set into the walls gave hundreds of firing positions for anyone capable of holding a bow or spear. However, it was an adaptation made to accommodate and make the best of my request and not an intended feature.


    Once the Invasion was initiated, I would descend the wall and fight the wild monsters within the kill zone. Fighting on the front lines was an important component of my mental conditioning and training.


    Duels and sparring were useful, but at a certain point, they became counterproductive.


    While my magically reinforced and hardened stone armour made me practically invulnerable to harm, the desperation and savagery of the wild monsters provided an energy and atmosphere that couldn¡¯t be replicated in more ¡®controlled¡¯ conditions.


    Standing in the centre of the kill zone I initiated the Invasion.


    Several warhorns blared in response, serving as a warning to those not present to witness the act itself.


    Within less than a minute, the soldiers stationed atop the outermost walls began firing at the approaching enemies. After another minute, the first wave of Beasts began spilling through the front gate.


    Large wolf-like canines covered in bony spikes led the charge, their mouths foaming with rage as they advanced under a withering hail of arrows. Thick layers of exposed bone covering their heads served as natural armour, shielding their eyes and denying my soldiers easy kills from atop the walls. However, several of the canines fell from shear trauma alone, their hides bristling with arrows, javelins and bolts.


    Already driven past the point of sanity by the Invasion, the Spineback Howlers¡¯ simply trampled over their fallen and continued forward.


    One of the thunder warriors stationed on my flanks roared, raising his large stone axe high into the air. His wordless cry was echoed by the others, each brandishing their gifted weapons with pride and savage conviction.


    Like me, they would be near impossible to injure directly. Similarly, the mana stones embedded within their weapons powering the Thundering Strike Spell made every one of them an avatar of raw destructive power.


    As my appointed honour guard, they were committed to remaining at my side. However, out of necessity, that commitment left the closest of them just over a dozen feet away. Standing too close would only get in the way, and as zealous as my Bodyguards were, they knew they had to afford me enough room to actively defend myself.


    Just like Lash, the thunder warriors were all at the physical peak of their Species'' potential, and each member stood roughly as tall as my chest. Although capable of fighting shoulder to shoulder when necessary, the thunder warriors needed nearly as much space as myself to reach their full martial potential.


    The first Howler to come within six feet of a thunder warrior was decapitated by a brutal backhanded swing of his flanged mace. The second was impaled on a broad-headed spear and exploded as the owner activated Thundering Strikes and tore the Howler''s body apart from the inside out. The third was brought to an abrupt halt and very nearly backflipped as yet another thunder warrior clove the blade of his axe into the Beast¡¯s head and into the ground.


    The weapons carried by the thunder warriors changed with each battle and sometimes during. It was all part of their collective goal of unlocking the Knight Class. The primary requirement of which was gaining substantial experience, and a certain degree of mastery, in a wide range of weaponry. The most senior warriors were closer than their juniors, but not by much.


    Their clan has specialised in using wedge-headed axes with spiked counterweights that resembled the axes used by firefighters on Earth. It was only after accepting my protection and living above ground that they had begun slowly experimenting with other weapons. However, they still struggled with the concept of engaging with ranged weaponry.


    The scarcity of materials below ground, and the blood that was shed to acquire them, made most of the former Deep Orcs pathologically incapable of discarding a weapon so casually. Even when provided with a dozen throwing axes or javelins, they would distribute the majority to their fellows and keep one or two as a backup to their primary weapon.


    Putting such thoughts aside, I committed myself to the battle ahead.


    Using my Chi, I impaled several Howlers with spikes formed from the stone floor. Waiting a few moments for the next Howlers to overtake them, I cast the Thundering Strikes Spell.


    Bloody shards of bone and stone raked through the tide of fur and teeth, felling only the closest but wounding countless others.


    With a practised breath, I drew my Chi back into my body, and a small portion of my expended MP alongside it.


    I had discovered, through limited experience, that combining attacks from both systems was considerably more efficient than using only one at a time.


    I imbued my Chi into a javelin and threw it into a distant Howler. Upon impact, I used the Chi to imbue the wooden shaft of the javelin with something approximating life and then cast the Plant Growth Spell. Within moments, the Howler was torn apart from the inside, branches and roots erupting from every orifice and creating innumerable more as I directed the magically animated flora into other nearby Howlers.


    Using the bodies of the Howlers as fertiliser, I continued the assault.


    As the ranks of the Howlers began to thin, new Beasts took their place.


    Raptor-like Beasts leapt freely over the fallen Howlers, their toxic green plumage shimmering in dizzying patterns as they caught the light of the midday sun. Unfortunately, their exotic plumage did not protect them from the archers¡¯ arrows and they began to fall in droves.


    Wingless slate-grey-shelled beetles the size of human children charged alongside them and fared somewhat better. However, their comparative survivability was better attributed to the Dazzling Shriekers¡¯ drawing focus rather than possessing a powerful defensive Racial Ability of their own.


    The beetles that entered the reach of the thunder warriors were quickly smashed apart and released a foul-smelling ichor.


    The remains of the Howlers and Shriekers smoked and smouldered as they were exposed to the ichor, dissolving and burning in equal measure.


    Despite their primitive origins, the thunder warriors were not stupid. Upon recognising the threat, they made sure to prioritise engaging the grey beetles above the other Beasts.


    The caustic ichor of the beetles quickly proved to be a greater danger to the oncoming Beasts than ourselves. Burning and disorienting the approaching Beasts before they entered into melee range, making them easy targets.


    Time passed in a blur, my mind acclimating to the violence and going through the necessary motions as Beasts threw themselves to their deaths.


    Then, I felt it.


    Someone had attempted, and immediately failed, to challenge my control.


    I had no Slaves and there were no Slaves within my army.


    Absently crushing a Vileblood Beetle with my mace, I turned my focus toward the individual who had issued the challenge. Too used to receiving information on command, I felt a momentary surge of frustration as my mental inquiry failed to provide the target¡¯s Status information.


    Suppressing my irritation, I realised that there was a simple explanation.


    The failed challenger was an Ogre.


    Ploughing through the mountains of corpses, I made my way toward the gateway.


    As one, the thunder warriors began pushing forwards, anticipating my intentions to a certain degree.


    Viciously dashing apart the Beasts that stood in my path, I passed through the gateway and searched the surrounding forest for the Ogre.


    Almost immediately, my eyes were drawn toward a surprisingly small figure cowering in the hollowed trunk of a tree. Despite their size, my Racial Ability filled me with absolute certainty of their Species.


    Reminded of Pete and Suzy, I felt a surge of rage.


    ¡°Forward!¡± I snarled, pointing to the Ogre¡¯s hiding place and breaking into a lumbering jog.


    Ignoring the Beasts, I trampled the smaller individuals underfoot and swatted anything larger aside with my mace.


    Crackling roars of thunder erupted in my wake as my Bodyguards struggled to keep pace.


    My eyes remained locked on the small Ogre, the sight of its obvious fear filling me with irrepressible rage.


    Flooding the Plant Growth Spell with MP, I sealed the hollow tree and compelled it to move toward me.


    Roots tore free of the dirt and began hastily dragging the tree across the ground like a bizarre land squid. All the while, impaling and ripping apart any Beast that got in its way.


    Concentrating intensely, my pace slowed. However, the independent movement of the animated tree more than made up for the difference.


    Infusing my Chi into the tree, I warped its form and moulded it into a form that roughly resembled a large dog crate. Seizing the handle I warped the wood to bind itself to my arm.


    With the small Ogre secured, I turned my back on the Beasts and began my return to the fortress.


    As one, the thunder warriors fell into step behind me, hewing down the approaching Beasts with single-minded ferocity and determination.


    Returning to the kill zone, I found the ground bloody but otherwise stripped clean of corpses.


    Knowing it was the work of the Dwergi, I paid it no mind.


    Expending a surge of MP, I parted the wall opposite to the kill zone and strode through the gap, taking only enough time to allow my Bodyguards through before sealing it shut again.


    Depositing the wooden carrier case on the ground, I used my Chi to part its sides like the petals of a flower and reveal the Ogre within.


    Barely four feet tall, at most, the small figure had tucked itself tightly into a corner. Knees pulled tightly against their chest and arms crossed protectively over their head, the small Ogre released a terrified squeak and vainly attempted to press themselves deeper into the corner.


    Retracting my hand, I fought down the rage within and forced a state of calm into my mind.


    ¡°Food and water,¡± I demanded, motioning toward the opened case.


    A thunder warrior dutifully stepped forward, redeeming quest rewards from thin air and silently depositing them in the case before retreating.


    Squatting beside the case, I nudged the waterskin and package of jerky toward the small Ogre. ¡°Eat,¡± I insisted softly, ¡°Drink.¡±


    Just the same as before, a fleeting flicker of resistance registered in my mind before failing utterly.


    The small Ogre shivered. Sniffling and snivelling, they snatched at the waterskin and jerky, dutifully obeying the command.


    Watching the child eat, I couldn¡¯t help but notice something strange. Although they were irredeemably filthy, caked with mud and tattered so badly they were barely a step above being rags, the style and quality of the small Ogre¡¯s clothing were almost certainly human.


    With deliberate care to appear as non-threatening as possible, I removed my blood-spattered helmet and set it aside. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid of me,¡± I explained quietly, trying to sound as reassuring as I could manage. ¡°You are safe here.¡±


    The small Ogre stopped eating and looked up at me with dark watery eyes. ¡°E-Eg, s-safe?¡± The small Ogre squeaked, dirty streaks running down their cheeks as tears fell from their eyes.


    ¡°You are safe,¡± I repeated, injecting my words with as much confidence and reassurance as I could muster.


    Without saying another word, the small Ogre, Eg, lowered their head and continued to eat in near silence. Despite their initial hesitation, it quickly became obvious that Eg was ravenously hungry.


    Only too familiar with the sensation, I ordered more food to be deposited in the case.


    A half an hour passed before Eg¡¯s appetite was sated and I still had not sensed another Ogre.


    Having watched the small Ogre for quite some time, I had decided that Eg more strongly resembled Suzy than Pete. Leading me to believe she was a girl, and likely only a couple of months old.


    By human standards, that would have made Eg a toddler, but a Variant¡¯s development was difficult to pin down under human standards and expectations. There was a real possibility that she was as young as a month old, although the state of her clothing made me think otherwise.


    It was not unheard of for Variants to make use of human clothing, weapons and tools they scavenged or traded from human merchants. However, I had been told that Ogre Variants were captured on sight. Making trade an incredibly unlikely means of acquiring her clothing.


    The stains were old, but the majority of the damage to Eg¡¯s clothing looked recent. Suggesting that she had found or otherwise acquired the clothing some time ago. However, when also considering her half-starved state, I became certain that someone, almost certainly a human, had been caring for her.


    I also became increasingly certain that whoever that person was, they were mostly likely dead.


    Most Variants had a wildness to them. It was part of what allowed them to survive in the brutal conditions of the Labyrinths. But when I looked at Eg, it felt like I was looking at an abandoned human child left to go fend for themselves.


    She looked all but helpless.


    Scanning Eg¡¯s features, I realised that I lacked a proper frame of reference for what an Ogre was supposed to look like.


    As best I could tell, Pete and Suzy had taken after Lash to a far greater degree than myself. Inheriting my height and general build but little else. However, looking at Eg, I recognised a thickness in her features that reminded me of the face I used to see each morning when I looked in the mirror.


    But as much as Eg reminded me of my old self, she looked far too...normal.


    Too...human...


    In retrospect, the hair was something of a giveaway. Just like Pete and Suzy, Eg was mostly bald, the tangled mess of her dark red hair sprouting from the crown of her head but nowhere else.


    Gathering my MP, I Summoned Lash.


    Already generally aware of the situation through the impressions provided through the Summoning, Lash wasted no time in kneeling beside the crate and inspecting Eg for herself. ¡°So brave,¡± she cooed soothingly, gently thumbing a tear from Eg¡¯s cheek. ¡°It is alright, you are safe now.¡±


    Lips trembling, Eg had initially recoiled from Lash¡¯s touch. However, after determining Lash intended her no harm, Eg stopped resisting and allowed herself to be drawn from the crate and into a warm comforting embrace.


    I leaned in and kissed the top of Lash¡¯s head. ¡°I need you to take care of her...I...¡± I felt a fresh wave of hesitation building in my chest, the temptation to leave the battlefield to others. With a force of will, I renewed my resolve. ¡°I will return later...¡± I promised, already counting down the hours until I would Summon her projection again during my recuperation period.


    It was the single indulgence I had allowed myself as a source of motivation to continue the Invasions.


    Strapping on my helmet, I looked at Lash one final time before parting the wall and returning to the battlefield.


    Three hours passed, and still, the Beasts continued flooding into the fortress.


    The Dwergi emptied the kill zone at the end of each hour. All the while, a work detail of soldiers ferried corpses into a central processing station where any useful materials would be harvested before the remains would be dumped into one of the storage pits.


    The Ogres arrived in force just as the floor of the kill zone was restored.


    Unlike the Beasts, wild humanoids were heavily influenced to seek out the source of the Conquest or Invasion but were not compelled to do so. Which was why the Ogres had arrived as a relatively organised and somewhat unified force. However, the moment they stepped across the threshold of my supremacy aura, they became incapable of defying my will.


    I was the apex of our Species, literally a born leader and Born to Rule enforced it.


    On the other floors, any wild monster that attacked the fortress was killed as a matter of course. Those who did not would later be extended the opportunity to swear oaths of fealty alongside the Variants. However, until this moment, there had likely been less than a dozen or so individuals who had met those conditions.


    The Ogres were different. They had been denied the opportunity to attack in the first place, regardless of their original intentions.


    And now I had a choice to make.


    Just shy of being Enslaved outright, the Ogres were bound to my will. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Which made them my responsibility...


    Regardless of their original intentions, the thought of having them killed filled me with an intense feeling of revulsion.


    ¡°Hold the grounds before the entrance,¡± I ordered, waving the thunder warriors forward while slowly advancing toward the gateway myself. I looked toward one of the Human officers on the wall, ¡°The Ogres are not to be harmed!¡¯ I commanded loudly, the tone of my voice making it clear that I would accept no excuses for failing to abide by it.


    The command was quickly echoed up and down the walls and into the fortress proper.


    Unlike Eg, the assembled Ogres continued their approach toward the fortress. Only now, they were fighting against the Beasts instead of alongside them.


    Larger than a Human, the tallest of the approaching Ogres were only eight feet tall at the most. Many were a full head shorter.


    Clothed in simple hides and armed with clubs and crude wooden spears, the Ogres'' Racial Abilities and numbers carried them through the carnage. Shrugging off vicious wounds and retaliating with single-minded ferocity, the Ogres steadily moved out of the forest and began the final approach toward the fortress.


    ¡°Let them through,¡± I ordered, waving my Bodyguards aside and motioning for them to establish a larger perimeter.


    One by one, the hundred or so Ogres warily passed the thunder warriors, and to a man, proceeded to bow their heads and lift their hands, offering up whatever they happened to be holding.


    It was a gesture I recognised as a demonstration of supplication and deference amongst primates. Which, while initially surprising, also seemed somewhat appropriate considering what I knew of Ogres thus far.


    My eyes were drawn to the largest of the Ogres, a heavily scarred brute with thick bone piercings embedded in his forearms.


    Sensing my gaze, the Ogre gulped loudly and began to nervously shift his immense weight from one foot to the other. ¡°Ugg obey! Ugg boys obey!¡± The Ogre declared, his deep voice thick with fear. ¡°Obey biggest! Ugg not lie! Uh, uh...Ugg promise!¡± Ugg insisted with earnest desperation, greasy bloody sweat dripping down his scalp.


    Timorous murmurs of assent rose from the other Ogres and they lifted their offerings higher while pressing their chins hard into their chests and comically displacing the fat of their second and third chins.


    Despite being spattered with gore, the assembled Ogres looked more like frightened children than monsters. It would have been quite amusing if it wasn¡¯t for the pitched battle taking place behind them.


    I pointed back toward the fortress. ¡°Go, sit by the back wall while I decide what to do with you all,¡± I commanded.


    To my immense surprise, the Ogres hurriedly moved to obey without a single individual attempting a challenge. Eyes still firmly fixed on the ground, causing them to stumble and bump into one another.


    ¡°Withdraw,¡± I commanded, waving the thunder warriors back into the kill zone.


    I re-entered the fortress proper and waved over one of the supply officers. ¡°I want the Ogres armed and fed,¡± I ordered bluntly. ¡°Spears, halberds, great axes, war hammers, anything that will suit their size but won¡¯t require a great deal of skill to use without posing a significant risk of generating collateral damage.¡±


    I would have ordered armour for the Ogres as well, but I doubted they would be able to equip anything meaningful without direct supervision and instruction.


    ¡°As you command, Majesty!¡± The supply officer snapped a quick salute before gathering his subordinates and marching into the kill zone.


    Returning to the kill zone myself, I allowed the Ogres a few minutes to gorge themselves on supply rations and then formed them into a rough semblance of a formation.


    Despite being rather simple-minded, the Ogres understood that they were being tested. Ugg in particular made a point of grunting and growling at any of his smaller kin that strayed from the places I had assigned them.


    After watching the Ogres fight for half an hour, and witnessing their formation devolve into a chaotic sprawling melee several times in rapid succession, I decided to try a different approach.


    Withdrawing the Ogres from the battlefield, I had them enrolled in basic training.


    I had low expectations overall but was reasonably confident that with enough repetition and training, the Ogres would be able to hold a basic formation without breaking ranks every few minutes.


    A series of horn calls announced the sixth hour of the Invasion and the rotation of forces stationed on active duty.


    Withdrawing into the subterranean levels of the fortress alongside my Bodyguards, I stripped my armour and began cycling through the list of approved visitation Summons. Each Projection would have enough MP to last up to two or three hours, depending on the degree of activity. In some instances, the MP was divided among several projections. Although that situation was rare and required special consideration for approval.


    For most, it was an opportunity to catch up with family members and spouses. For a few, it was the opportunity to engage in more intimate activities. In either case, it was a guaranteed perk of serving in the subjugation force. Provided they possessed no demerits, each soldier was entitled to a visitation request once per twenty-four-hour period of active service.


    The precise workings of the overall schedule were managed by a team of support officers and clerks. All I had to do was use the provided reference information to Summon the requested projections.


    The entire process took between half an hour to an hour, depending upon how many requests were approved.


    During my active periods, it served as a short break from the violence of the Invasions. However, in my self-imposed rest periods, I found it tested my patience more often than not. Delaying the time I could spend alone with Lash.


    It didn¡¯t stop me from Summoning her early, but I still found it difficult to truly relax until we were alone.


    The projection of Lash I had Summoned earlier was still active, so I resisted Summoning a second. The overlapping memories created by multiple active projections could disorient the original unless carefully managed. So it was simpler and more considerate just not to do it.


    Entering my chambers, I found Lash sitting on a second smaller bed, quietly humming and gently stroking Eg¡¯s back while she slept with her head resting on Lash¡¯s lap.


    At a glance, I could see that Eg had been thoroughly washed and given new clothes.


    Changing into a fresh set of clothes, I entered the recessed pool containing my bed and released a sigh as my dry skin was rejuvenated by the water.


    Reluctant to risk awakening the child, I left Lash with Eg and resigned myself to sleeping alone.


    Returning to the battle, it didn¡¯t take long for me to fall back into the brutal rhythm of violence.


    Hours passed in a bloody haze and the signal came for the second shift change.


    Withdrawing from the battle, I remained just behind the wall to the kill zone. There were only a couple more hours until midnight and I needed to be awake to concentrate on the Born to Rule Ability and reduce its range of influence. When the new wave of wild Ogres arrived, I didn¡¯t want them butchered by the Beasts.


    Sitting on a block of shaped stone, I passed the time by practising my Chi control. Spinning a stone blade end over end and trying to increase its speed without losing control. I found that picturing images of propellers helped both with concentration and increasing the speed of rotation. Which matched my experiences with controlling Spells as well.


    My control was still insufficient to maintain the effect during combat conditions, but I believed that it was only a matter of time before I had enough practice to do so.


    Shortly before the next shift change, a runner from the wall delivered a report to the on-duty officer, prompting her to seek me out in turn.


    ¡°Majesty, please excuse my interruption,¡± the officer apologised.


    I stopped my Chi control practice and motioned for her to continue.


    ¡°More Ogres have been spotted approaching our position,¡± the officer reported.


    ¡°The wild respawn?¡± I asked. Less of a question and more of a base assumption.


    The officer hesitated, immediately drawing my full focus. ¡°It is unclear...Those with superior senses have only just confirmed their presence. It will take some time for further details to become available...¡±


    ¡°Bring me the best scout,¡± I ordered, gathering my MP and preparing to cast the Keen Senses Spell.


    If there were more Variants, and they were out in the open, I had a responsibility to shelter them from the warzone I had created.


    The runner was sent back to the wall and returned shortly afterwards with a mottled grey-furred Gnoll in tow.


    ¡°Hehe, Ruk-Ruk obeys the Tyrant! Hehehe,¡± the Gnoll cackled nervously, tail tucked between his legs.


    I motioned for Ruk-Ruk to come closer and bit the inside of my cheek.


    Whining anxiously, Ruk-Ruk obeyed. Despite towering over the nearby Humans, he was still head and shoulders shorter than I was while sitting down.


    Resting my hand on his head, I combined the MP with my blood and cast the Spell.


    Thin tendrils of blood streamed from my mouth and toward Ruk-Ruk¡¯s head, covering his eyes and entering his ears and nostrils.


    Ruk-Ruk continued to whine but made no attempts to pull away. The sclera of his eyes took on a deep bloody hue and crimson tears replaced the black markings on his face.


    With the enhanced Spell complete, I withdrew my hand and allowed Ruk-Ruk a few moments to acclimate himself. I was uncertain how the enhanced version of Keen Senses would differ from the original, but I strongly suspected it would be in some way permanent.


    Bloody drool dribbling from his mouth, Ruk-Ruk licked at his muzzle with a flat wide tongue that looked painfully raw. Ears twitching, he sniffed at the air and opened his eyes wide with wonder. Tail wagging excitedly, Ruk-Ruk cackled and looked up at me earnestly. ¡°Gift is great, hehe! Tyrant, generous! Hehehe.¡±


    I acknowledged his thanks with a nod and then pointed back toward the wall. ¡°You can repay me by investigating the approaching Ogres further. I want to know if there are Variants amongst them.¡±


    Ruk-Ruk nodded eagerly, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he turned and ran back toward the wall on all fours in a loping sprint.


    He returned less than a minute later. ¡°Females! Hehe! Cubs!¡± Ruk-Ruk announced excitedly. ¡°Shaman guides! Spirit protects! Hehehe!¡±


    ¡°Variants...¡± I nodded to show I understood. I turned to my Bodyguards. ¡°We are leaving,¡± I growled, rising to my feet and looking down at Ruk-Ruk again. ¡°And you will guide us.¡±


    Ruk-Ruk¡¯s tail wagged so fiercely it was a wonder it didn¡¯t snap off entirely.


    Chasing Ruk-Ruk out of the fortress and through the forest, I was impressed by his ability to navigate through the scattered tide of Beasts and maintain his intended heading. All the while, stabbing, slashing, biting and clawing at any Beast that presented an opportunity.


    I was keenly aware that a male''s standing and marital prospects in Gnoll society were based heavily on reputable observations of their prowess in hunting and battle. So it didn¡¯t surprise me that Ruk-Ruk was taking this opportunity to show off.


    Assuming the enhanced Keen Senses Spell had some form of permanent effects, I doubted Ruk-Ruk would have trouble finding a Mate.


    All the same, I made a mental note to mention his usefulness to Rikit when Summoning the next wave of companionship projections.


    After running for several minutes in the dark, I was becoming worried. However, the sounds of distant combat began filtering through trees ahead.


    The shrill cries of the beasts were broken by defiant roars and the crash of heavy weapons striking bone and timber.


    Crashing through the trees with renewed vigour, I came face to face with a small band of pale grey-skinned Ogres with glowing acid-green eyes. At their head was a spectral bear.


    Contrary to my expectations, the Ogres carried no weapons. Those on the edge of the group fought the Beasts with their bare hands. Ripping, tearing and bludgeoning them with hooked claws and sharp calcified growths that protruded from the back of their knuckles.


    The bear Spirit turned in my direction and roared, drawing the immediate and undivided attention of the Ogres behind it. ¡°The Living Mountain has come!¡± Its growling voice rumbled like a landslide, echoing through the forest.


    Overcoming their surprise, the grey-skinned Ogres whooped in celebration, redoubling their initial momentum. And now headed in my direction.


    ¡°Allow them to approach,¡± I commanded. ¡°And cover their flanks so we may speak freely and without interruption.¡±


    The thunder warriors grunted obediently and began fanning out into the nearby trees. Hewing down Beasts as they moved through the shadows.


    Sparks flew as razor-sharp claws scraped across stone armour, and Beasts cried out in hollow fury as they were hewn down with ruthless efficiency.


    The increased haste of the Ogre troupe revealed women, children and even a handful of elders at the core of their loosening formation.


    Free to ignore the Beasts outright and pass through the obstacles in its way, the bear Spirit closed the distance between us in a matter of seconds. ¡°Living Mountain!¡± Similarly sized to a north american grizzly, the spirit pressed its snout hard into the earth at my feet, splaying out its forelimbs in an awkward approximation of a kowtow. ¡°Living Mountain! This one humbly begs a boon!¡± The humility in the strained snarling speech of the spirit was at direct odds with my expectations.


    After experiencing the haughty indifference and selfishness of the Pale-Fang¡¯s guardian Spirit, I had expected that other Beast Spirits would be the same.


    It was nice to be proven wrong.


    ¡°This one has little to offer, but this one can guarantee that the charges under this one¡¯s care will serve the Living Mountain with the utmost loyalty!¡± The Spirit¡¯s claws curled like fingers and it pressed its snout deeper into the ground. ¡°So, please! I beg! Extend to them your protection!¡±


    ¡°You knew I would be here,¡± I commented, probing the Spirit for information without admitting to any ignorance on my part.


    The Spirit nodded. ¡°This one may be weak, but this one has felt the approach of the Living Mountain for several cycles...¡±


    If the Spirit was telling the truth, it meant the Spirit had somehow sensed me across multiple floors of the Hurst Labyrinth. Even if I hadn¡¯t originally intended to take in the Ogres, I would have done so just to learn what the Spirit knew.


    ¡°I will offer them my protection,¡± I readily agreed. ¡°However, they will be expected to follow my laws and provide for themselves through honest labour.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± The Spirit agreed hastily, ¡°This one¡¯s charges will obey the Living Mountain¡¯s every command!¡± Shimmering spectral tears ran freely down the Spirit¡¯s snout. ¡°The Living Mountain is most just and benevolent!¡±


    The Ogres had caught up and staggered briefly as they entered Born to Rule¡¯s range of influence. The effect was so concentrated that I doubted resisting would have delayed the Lesser Domination any longer than conceding at the first opportunity.


    One of the elders pushed through to the front of the group and shambled forward on unsteady legs. ¡°Living Mountain-¡± The elder pointed to me with a gnarled clawed finger and then back toward the other Ogres. ¡°-tribe obey. Tribe follow Living Mountain?¡± He squinted up at me from behind the thick wrinkles ringing his comparatively dull green eyes.


    ¡°Your tribe is under my protection and you are now my people,¡± I replied. ¡°Obey my laws, and your tribe will prosper. That is my promise to you and your people.¡±


    The elder bowed his head and raised his trembling hands in supplication. Despite his advanced age, the elder¡¯s claws were thick and sharp, and his body was packed with thick muscles beneath his wrinkled skin. As frail as he appeared to be, it was only by Ogre standards. If he had a mind to, the elder could probably tear a grown man in half without breaking a sweat. ¡°Living Mountain commands. Tribe obeys.¡±


    At the elder¡¯s words, the other members of the tribe emulated the gesture in cowed silence that bordered on reverence.


    With my Bodyguards intercepting and dispatching the approaching Beasts, I was able to lead the tribe of Ogres back to the fortress without incident. However, the brutal efficiency of the thunder warriors had made quite an impression in doing so.


    The Ogres stared at them in open-mouthed awe, flinching, baring their teeth and whooping in fright with every Thundering Strike.


    ¡°Such power...¡± The Spirit commented quietly. Its words were nearly lost to the riotous thunderclaps echoing through the forest.


    Making the final approach toward the kill zone, I noticed something I hadn¡¯t expected.


    A dozen or so Ogres were gathered against the far wall and were attacking it with savage abandon.


    One of the Ogre¡¯s had lost hold of its weapon and by chance noticed me while moving to retrieve it.


    For a moment, it was unclear what the Ogre would do. Then, without any attempts at alerting his fellows, the ogre screamed a warcry and charged.


    Hundreds of Beast bodies littered the ground and caused the Ogre to trip several times.


    With all of my bodyguards positioned outside, there was no one else between myself and the Ogre. Even so, I stared down at the Ogre with complete confidence.


    The moment the Ogre came within twenty feet of me, he tripped over his feet and collapsed. Only this time, he didn¡¯t get back up.


    I looked over at the remaining Ogres and expanded my aura.


    One by one, they dropped their weapons and fell to their knees, expressions of absolute terror plastered on their faces.


    Gathering my MP, I opened the wall and led the tribe of green-eyed Ogres into the fortress.


    ¡°Snatcher! Snatcher!!¡± Cried one of the Ogres, pointing angrily at one of the nearby officers.


    The officer stared back at the Ogre with surprise. ¡°I...Uh, that is...Majesty-¡±


    I raised my hand and motioned for silence. ¡°Do not worry, I understand what is happening and know that you are innocent.¡± Gric had been incredibly thorough in vetting candidates, and I trusted his judgement implicitly.


    The officer relaxed and nodded silently in appreciation.


    I turned to the officer¡¯s accuser. ¡°These Humans-¡± I waved toward the fortress at large, ¡°-are not snatchers. Anyone who attempted such a crime would be severely punished...¡±


    It was technically a white lie, given the teams I had loaned to the Midnight Caravan specialised in seizing control over Slaves.


    ¡°Gronk wrong,¡± the elder agreed, ¡°No snatchers,¡± he shook his head emphatically at the Ogre who had made the accusation and gave him a bonk on the head.


    The Ogre looked confused, seeming to doubt himself as he looked between the officer he had accused and the elder.


    The elder narrowed his eyes and began raising his fist for another strike.


    ¡°Gronk wrong!¡± The Ogre yelped in a panic, backing away and shielding his head with both hands.


    The elder huffed and nodded to himself in satisfaction before cautiously glancing in my direction. No doubt afraid that Gronk had damaged their reputation or put their asylum application at risk.


    Trying not to laugh, I ordered food, water and blankets to be provided for the tribe.


    After sending someone to fetch Ugg, I set him to work recruiting the wild Ogres that were beginning to arrive with increasing frequency. Although it was confusing for the new arrivals, Ugg proved surprisingly competent at the role.


    Making no attempts at arguing or bargaining, Ugg simply throttled anyone who didn¡¯t immediately accept his position of dominance. These beatings became less frequent as those already beaten stood in solidarity with Ugg, joining in on said beatings and intimidating those who arrived after them. As if they had not just received such a beating themselves for not recognising his authority.


    Watching the process from the outside, I could tell that Ugg was holding back while delivering the beatings and making sure the others didn¡¯t take things too far. It was obvious that he had a significant amount of experience in recruiting through such measures. Taking into consideration the force Ugg had commanded in the first place, it made sense that he would have experience in recruiting weaker subordinates.


    If there wasn¡¯t such an immense difference in power between us, I might have been worried.


    ***** Mugu - Hurst Labyrinth ~ Tenth floor Subjugation Force fortress *****


    Huddled alongside the other members of his tribe, Mugu ran his clawed hand over the smooth stone wall of their new home. His senses were fading and his memories did not answer his call as readily as they once did, but Mugu was certain he had never experienced such smoothness in all of his life.


    Hands trembling, Mugu was reminded of the strange dried meat he was still holding in his other hand.


    The younger members of the tribe were still watching him, waiting on Mugu to make his decision,


    Mugu felt a flush of embarrassment for losing focus. ¡°Meat good, eat,¡± he pronounced and then stuffed the dried meat into his mouth.


    Agra, Gron and Nug experimentally nibbled at their own dried meat strips. One by one they nodded in approval. ¡°Meat good,¡± they agreed before helping themselves to more.


    Releasing a collective sigh of relief, the younger tribe members began helping themselves to the meat and feeding the children.


    There was a strange taste to the meat, but Mugu found it tasted far better than cave crawlers, and it didn¡¯t make his insides burn either.


    ¡°Mugu, it is time we showed our respects to the Living Mountain!¡± Bee-Yawn, the tribe¡¯s guardian Spirit, insisted impatiently.


    After struggling with the large words for a moment, Mugu slowly nodded in agreement.


    They had already been given so much. It was time to ask what they could do in return.


    Drawing the furless hide tighter about his shoulders, Mugu hissed as an uncountable host of minor pains flared across his body. After the pain passed, Mugu removed the bone necklace from around his neck and passed it along to Agra, signalling his intention that she would be the new leader if he did not return.


    Agra had pushed and demanded Mugu to pass on the necklace for a long time. But now that she was holding it, Mugu could tell that she was having intense doubts.


    It had been the same for Mugu when he had been given the necklace by...


    Mugu tried to remember the name of his father but was unable to do so. Worse still, he couldn¡¯t remember what his father¡¯s face looked like either.


    Mugu looked down at his wrinkled and withered hands. They began to tremble and his knees suddenly felt weak. He could still remember a time when his hands had been different. Remembered the day the village burned. He could still smell the smoke and hear the screams of his people...


    ¡°Mugu...¡± The tribe¡¯s guardian Spirit reached out a paw and pressed it against Mugu¡¯s chest. ¡°The village is gone...But your people endure! Do not dwell on such dark chapters of your past. Instead, look to the bright future and the opportunities you have given to your people!¡±


    The Guardian Spirit had been the one who had shown Mugu the caves. Allowing him to lead a small number of his fellow tribesmen to safety. However, the caves held dangers of their own. Despite enduring as best as they were able, Mugu was the last of the tribe who had seen the village with his own eyes.


    He was the last one left...


    ¡°Mugu!¡± The Spirit¡¯s essence flared and pressed into Mugu¡¯s soul, driving back the despair and lifting the fog that had crept into his mind. ¡°It¡¯s not your time Mugu. The tribe endures, but it still needs your guidance! No one else can see me! And even if Agra could, I sincerely doubt she would listen!¡±


    Mugu chuckled softly. The Spirit was right, and until Mugu knew for certain that they would be able to endure without him, he would endure as well.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 70 – An unexpected alliance – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 70 ¨C An unexpected alliance ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 70 - An unexpected alliance - Part One


    I could tell that the old Ogre was surprised by my appearance. No doubt, he had thought I was some form of living rock Elemental like Ochram. It would certainly explain the name they had given to me thus far.


    ¡°I am like you, but different,¡± I explained, flexing my fingers and revealing the membrane of webbing between them. ¡°I live beside the water, not underground.¡±


    The elderly Ogre, Mugu, nodded in understanding, flexing his clawed fingers seemingly without realising it. ¡°Tribe live under sun...Live with trees... Snatchers, humans, attack. Mugu take children. Follow Spirit. Hide under caves...¡± Speaking the words aloud, he seemed to age several decades within a handful of seconds. Which was particularly alarming given how old he had appeared to begin with.


    I looked down at the Spirit, ¡°As a Shaman, he was the only one that could see you.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. I knew enough about Shamans and Spirits to know that a special ritual was required to gain a form of spiritual sight and unlock the Shaman Class.


    ¡°The tribe has felt this one¡¯s presence, but have not laid eyes on this one nor heard this one¡¯s voice,¡± the Spirit confirmed.


    ¡°When was the tribe first attacked?¡± I asked.


    There was a chance that I could find those who were taken. However, that possibility would almost entirely depend upon how much time had passed since the incident in question.


    Mugu¡¯s face fell and he slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Mugu was the eldest of the children...¡± The Spirit explained while looking at the elderly Ogre with an expression of sympathy. ¡°If the scattered blood of the tribe persists, it is through offspring sired elsewhere...¡±


    ¡°Yours is not the first tribe I have liberated from bondage,¡± I stated calmly, forcing myself to set aside the immense degree of sympathy I held for the old Ogre¡¯s struggles and suffering. ¡°And they will not be the last.¡±


    Mugu nodded his head but seemed distracted. ¡°Child?¡± He pointed toward the large bed where Eg was sleeping on Lash¡¯s lap. ¡°Living Mountain child?¡±


    When I had introduced Lash earlier, I hadn¡¯t mentioned the child, but now that Mugu had called attention to her, I could feel Lash¡¯s eyes settling on the back of my head.


    ¡°An orphan,¡± I replied diplomatically. I wasn¡¯t entirely opposed to the idea of adopting Eg, but I wanted to at least discuss the matter properly first. ¡°Our children are safe at home.¡±


    Mugu frowned slightly and appeared confused.


    I Summoned projections of Pete and Suzy. Confident in the knowledge that the Spirit was incapable of doing them harm and that such a thought wouldn¡¯t cross Mugu¡¯s mind, to begin with.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Suzy shrieked excitedly and pulled herself up my leg and into my waiting arms. She smushed her face into my chest and squeezed hard with her arms in a rough approximation of a hug.


    Pete smiled up at me but quickly became distracted by the Spirit and Mugu. Retreating cautiously behind my leg, he continued to stare at the elderly Ogre with open curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I reassured him while rubbing Suzy¡¯s back affectionately, ¡°He is a friend.¡±


    After hesitating for a few moments, Pete set his brow determinedly and ventured back out into the open. ¡°I. Am. Pete,¡± he declared, taking great care to pronounce each word correctly and pointing to himself as he spoke his name.


    I felt a surge of pride witnessing his progress. Even by Variant standards, Pete¡¯s vocabulary was considered incredibly advanced. All the more so when his Species was taken into account. Calling Pete a genius wouldn¡¯t be far out of place.


    Mugu¡¯s dull emerald eyes settled on Pete and his brow rose sharply in surprise. However, despite his surprise, new life settled into the features of his face. A wrinkled smile settled onto his withered lips. ¡°Mugu,¡± the elderly Ogre replied, pointing a clawed and gnarled finger at his chest.


    ¡°Mugu?¡± Pete repeated, thinking the name over before nodding in satisfaction. ¡°Mugu is...¡± He frowned and gnawed distractedly at his lip for several moments. ¡°Shaman?¡±


    Mugu stared for several moments before blinking several times in surprise. ¡°Mugu, tribe Shaman,¡± he nodded with a dumbfounded expression on his face.


    Pete nodded to himself and looked pointedly at the Spirit bear. ¡°Is, tribe Spirit?¡± He asked curiously, moving closer, but only by a couple of steps. Remaining within arm¡¯s reach of the safety afforded by my physical presence.


    Stunned, Mugu nodded and cautiously looked up at me. ¡°Child Shaman?¡± He whispered hoarsely.


    I slowly shook my head. ¡°Pete has not chosen a Class.¡± Even if he did, he would have access to the adaptive Classes that accompanied the Lordship titles. Although that would require a more significant explanation than I was currently prepared to give.


    ¡°Spirit play?¡± Suzy asked with budding excitement, hanging from my collarbone one-handed and eyeing the Guardian Spirit with avid interest.


    ¡°Erm...It would be this one¡¯s honour to entertain offspring of the Living Mountain and Tyrantess!¡± The Spirit declared with earnest fervour.


    Suzy cocked her head to one side and scratched at her cheek before looking pointedly at Pete.


    ¡°Says yes,¡± Pete translated.


    Grinning from ear to ear, Suzy leapt down to the ground with reckless confidence before charging at the Spirit, fingers splayed wide and reaching toward the Spirit¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Esteemed Living Mountain! I would be remiss if I did not warn-¡± The Spirit was interrupted mid-sentence as Suzy tackled his spectral neck and seized handfuls of his shaggy fur. ¡°-I...Am...Ethereal?...¡±


    With the Spirit too confused to react, Suzy easily pulled herself up the Spirit¡¯s neck and onto its back. ¡°Heehee!¡± She grinned in triumph and seized one of the Spirit¡¯s ears, drawing back its ephemeral skin and exposing its tooth-filled jaws.


    Pete rolled his eyes and looked expectantly at Mugu, patiently waiting for the elderly Ogre to acknowledge him so they could continue their conversation. ¡°Mugu, tribe. Has. Children?¡± Pete asked with keen interest, motioning somewhat offhandedly toward his sister and then toward himself.


    Mugu nodded.


    Pete smiled and nodded to himself with obvious satisfaction.


    Suzy had migrated from the Spirit¡¯s back and was now straddling its head, prying open its jaws with her arms and peering curiously into its mouth.


    ¡°Suzy...¡± Lash¡¯s subdued voice carried from the other side of the room with practised ease.


    Suzy froze, her eyes immediately darting toward her mother. Smiling awkwardly, she patted the Spirit¡¯s head and climbed off of its back. ¡°Just playing?¡± Suzy said with practised fluency, her tone hopeful that she had not earned the dreaded punishment of the quiet corner.


    ¡°Please, let there be no punishment on this one¡¯s account!¡± The Spirit implored, somehow understanding Suzy¡¯s predicament without also understanding the mild nature of the punishment.


    ¡°No puh-nish-ment!¡± Suzy parroted emphatically, her tongue tripping slightly over the unfamiliar word.


    Eg whimpered, immediately drawing the combined attention of the twins.


    ¡°Who?-¡± Pete began to ask, curiously cocking his head to one side as Suzy rand to their mother¡¯s side to investigate directly.


    ¡°Suzy!¡± Lash hissed, pinning Suzy in place as she was about to leap onto the bed.


    Suzy shrunk back and slowly returned to my side.


    Lash¡¯s expression softened but also became conflicted.


    ¡°Suzy,¡± I lifted her up and hugged her. ¡°Mommy isn¡¯t mad at you,¡± I reassured her. ¡°She just doesn¡¯t want you to hurt the girl by accident.¡±


    Tears had begun welling in Suzy¡¯s eyes, but she blinked them away. ¡°Girl?¡± She asked curiously, peeking over my shoulder.


    ¡°A girl, like you,¡± I replied. ¡°But she isn¡¯t big like you. So you might hurt her if you aren¡¯t careful.¡±


    Suzy winced and shrunk back a little. She was unfortunately already quite familiar with the concept. Her size and raw Strength made playing with other children a dangerous affair. Besides her brother, Suzy had no other children her age to play with, and I suspected this was part of the reason she was so reckless.


    Pete wasn¡¯t always interested in playing with her, and even when they did play together, he wasn¡¯t nearly as interested in playing the same games or putting in the same degree of energy and effort. This, in turn, had given rise to several undesirably reckless and aggressive habits in Suzy. making it that much more dangerous for her to play with others.


    It was a vicious cycle. A cycle I sincerely hoped the children from Mugu¡¯s tribe would be able to break.


    Pete had approached the bed and stared at Eg with open curiosity. ¡°Girl? Like Suzy?¡± He asked apprehensively, grimacing slightly.


    Lash snorted quietly in amusement and shook her head. ¡°Just a girl.¡±


    Pete sighed and looked incredibly relieved. It would have been considered cruel to anyone who hadn¡¯t witnessed Suzy¡¯s unrestrained enthusiasm first-hand.


    ¡°Her name is Eg,¡± Lash continued, drawing back the blanket slightly and gently pushing Eg to meet Pete¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Pete waved shyly.


    Too timid to leave the shelter provided by the blankets, Eg silently waved in reply while trying to shrink back out of sight. She would have succeeded, but Lash was determined not to allow it.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Suzy echoed, waving excitedly over my shoulder. She quickly became disappointed when Eg did not attempt to wave back. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°She is just shy,¡± I consoled her. ¡°Everything is strange and scary for her. She needs time to grow used to everything.¡±


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Suzy made no attempts at hiding her disappointment and rested her chin on my shoulder.


    ¡°Living Mountain...¡± Mugu paused uncertainly as he became the centre of attention but quickly regained his nerve. ¡°Tribe children. Sue-zee. Play?¡± He suggested somewhat hesitantly.


    Suzy perked up almost immediately. ¡°Play?!¡±


    From what I had seen earlier, the children of Mugu¡¯s tribe were smaller than Suzy. However, the difference was less pronounced than the difference between herself and the Orc children living within Sanctuary. The Ogre children were also a proportionately better match in terms of overall scale.


    It was worth giving a chance.


    Glancing back at Pete, I could tell that he was more interested in remaining with his mother and Eg, so I didn¡¯t bother asking if he wanted to join us. Asking might have pressured him into accepting for the sake of seeking my approval, and I wanted to avoid that form of manipulation.


    I rose to my feet and motioned for Mugu to lead the way.


    Sitting on my neck, Suzy pulled at my ears and hopped up and down excitedly like some sort of bizarre jockey.


    I pretended not to notice the extreme lengths the off-duty soldiers made to avoid looking in our direction and by extension acknowledge what Suzy was doing.


    Mugu¡¯s tribe had been provided with a large chamber to call their own and sufficient supplies to see them through the remainder of the Invasion. However, they had not lit any of the torches or braziers, confirming my suspicions that they were no doubt a SubSpecies acclimated to living underground in a similar fashion to the Deep Orcs.


    While I could see in the dark, my visual acuity suffered significantly, and making out details became difficult. However, Suzy and Pete had no such problems, having inherited at least some degree of Lash¡¯s superior darkness-attuned vision.


    The emerald eyes of the tribe locked onto me the moment I reached the doorway.


    ¡°Living Mountain...¡± Was echoed in hushed anxious voices for several moments before Mugu motioned for silence.


    ¡°Tribe safe!¡± Mugu declared emphatically, bringing immediate ease to several of the most dour faces in the room and smiles to many others. He nodded appreciatively in understanding and motion toward Suzy. ¡°Sue-zee. Living Mountain child. Wants play. Tribe children play.¡± partly a description, it was only through careful and deliberate emphasis on certain words that the elder¡¯s intention was made clear.


    ¡°Play!¡± Suzy parroted excitedly, slapping my head several times in rapid succession.


    ¡°Play?¡± One of the tribe¡¯s children peeked out from behind the mass of adults, his glowing green eyes staring up at Suzy.


    Like a hawk, Suzy homed in on the speaker and grinned, ¡°Play!¡± She repeated, hurriedly scrambling off of my neck and sliding down my arm.


    Within less than a minute, Suzy had a small horde of children shrieking with anxious laughter as they engaged in a game of what might generously be described as tag.


    Despite having a height advantage, Suzy didn¡¯t dominate the game to the degree I had expected.


    The children of Mugu¡¯s tribe demonstrated a surprising ability to navigate their surroundings without looking at where they were going. Although they were by no means agile, suddenly leaping sideways and through the legs of the adults or over a cache of supplies would take them out of Suzy''s immediate reach.


    Not that Suzy minded in the slightest. With enough momentum and a favourable angle, Suzy proved she was capable of bowling over just about any obstacle, inanimate or otherwise.


    After nearly an hour of terrorising the other children, I was strangely pleased to find that it was Suzy who looked the worst for wear. I was even more impressed by just how thoroughly worn out she had become in such a short period of time.


    Stranger still, Suzy had made quite the impression on the tribe.


    They had not seen me fight and had made assumptions based on my size and ability to use magic. However, after witnessing my daughter in action, it seems that their estimations of my abilities have increased severalfold.


    It was strange that Mugu hadn¡¯t been surprised by the twins'' sudden appearance through Summoning. However, given his poor eyesight, there was a decent chance that the elderly Ogre may have just assumed he hadn¡¯t seen the magical method of their arrival, to begin with.


    Despite being thoroughly tuckered out, Suzy was incredibly reluctant to leave the other children behind. It wasn¡¯t until Mugu and the other elders accepted my invitation to live in Sanctuary that Suzy relented.


    While returning Suzy to Lash¡¯s side, I briefly Summoned Hana and expressed my desire for a robust safety wall that would stop young children from wandering into the lake unsupervised. The smaller pools within Sanctuary already possessed such safety measures, albeit for different reasons. So Hana agreed without needing much of an explanation.


    I hadn¡¯t intended for the twins to linger for so long, and with the rate at which Suzy had burned through her allocated MP, her projection disappeared shortly before reaching my quarters.


    ¡°Suzy had fun playing with the other children but-¡± I was interrupted mid-sentence as Lash bowed her head and sighed.


    ¡°Suzy will be excited...¡± Lash chuckled softly and stroked Eg¡¯s back through the blanket. ¡°One moment,¡± it wasn¡¯t a request, just an acknowledgement of her responsibilities. ¡°Pete, come here, good boy!¡± Lash affectionately pinched Pete¡¯s chin as he obediently climbed onto the bed and sat beside Eg. With great care, Lash transferred Eg¡¯s sleeping head from her lap to his.


    Pete shifted awkwardly with embarrassment but said nothing.


    With equal care, Lash left the bed and made her way to my side. ¡°You will send her to me?¡± She asked quietly, her voice heavy with desperation and conviction. If Lash didn¡¯t get the answer she wanted, it was clear that she would continue pushing until she did.


    ¡°I will,¡± I agreed. I had no problems with Lash taking care of Eg in the short term, or even long term. But outright adoption would require a proper conversation. So far as I could tell, Lash was aware of this and had deliberately avoided the issue to respect my wishes.


    Lash smiled appreciatively and I leaned down so we could share a kiss.


    In the relatively short time she had been caring for Eg, Lash¡¯s projection had suffered from significant discomfort. The drying of her skin, especially around her gills, could only be properly alleviated by immersing herself in water or spending significant time beneath damp blankets or sheets. Something she could not do without compromising her care for Eg.


    ¡°You are a great mother,¡± I praised appreciatively. Glad that someone so caring would watch over our children and care for the while I was away.


    Lash blushed, her eyes sparkling from the unsolicited praise.


    Eg whimpered, squirming fitfully in her sleep.


    Sighing quietly with disappointment, I gave Lash¡¯s projection a moment to prepare and then dismissed it.


    Summoning Lash again took only a few moments, but the disruption was enough to redirect my attention toward other matters.


    Most notably, the final hours of the Invasion.


    From what I had experienced thus far, the opening and closing hours of the Invasion carried the greatest impact on morale.


    Returning to the battle, I experimented with attacking the Beasts using my Chi-controlled stone blade.


    The results were mixed.


    Attacks against the Howlers were often reduced to glancing blows that inflicted minor flesh wounds. The Beasts¡¯ bones and spines significantly reduced the momentum of the blade.


    The Shriekers took considerably more damage but were also harder to hit. However, their bones lacked the same density as the Howlers¡¯ and provided minimal resistance.


    The other Beasts fell somewhere between the two extremes but made it clear that I needed far more practice before the attack could be relied upon to any meaningful degree.


    Drowning Beasts with Chi-infused water required greater concentration and time. However, the natural defences of the Beasts were largely irrelevant.


    Moving blood in a similar manner to water proved possible, but it was hundreds of times more difficult to control. Furthermore, the range was reduced to the point where I had to very nearly be touching the target¡¯s body before I gained any meaningful amount of control. However, once I had control, it was all over.


    Wood chi proved the most universally capable while requiring the least amount of concentration. Reshaping wooden projectiles, weapon shafts, and even the roots under the ground, I could invade the Beast¡¯s bodies like a malevolent parasite and directly attack their most vital organs. Retrieving and reinvesting the Chi proved to be the most time-consuming and concentration-intensive element, and it was still more favourable than controlling the stone blade or drowning Beasts to death.


    Spells were still the most effective weapons in my arsenal. Shape Stone in particular could impale hundreds of Beasts simultaneously or even entomb them alive. The only limit was my capacity to regenerate MP. Which was a minor issue at most in the current circumstances.


    Yet Thundering Strikes proved the more lethal Spell in terms of raw concentrated damage.


    Easy to understand and easier to use, I intended to provide every one of my soldiers with at least one weapon capable of casting the Thundering Strikes Spell.


    With less than a single hour remaining until the successful completion of the Invasion, I made a point of using Thundering Strikes with every attack.


    Each swing of my mace sent the bloody ruin of mangled corpses flying through the air and crashing into the ever-thinning ranks of the remaining Beasts.


    The post-battle cleanup would be made somewhat simpler. Standards for harvested materials would remain the same, but there would be far fewer targets that qualified for harvesting anything beyond their mana stones.


    It was another reason for cutting loose and making a show of things. Especially since my Bodyguards, the thunder warriors took the opportunity to demonstrate their true destructive potential.


    As the final Beasts within sprinting distance of the fortress met their grisly end, the Invasion came to a close.


    With practised efficiency, junior and senior officers began rotating soldiers from active duty and onto support roles in preparation for relocation to the next fortress. A watch was maintained from the walls, but it was for the sake of maintaining discipline rather than an expectation of the fortress coming under attack.


    Withdrawing into the bowels of the fortress, I opened a Breach that allowed Mugu¡¯s tribe to travel to Sanctuary directly instead of waiting for the integration of the territory. I also made a point of explaining matters to Gric and left instructions to secure the required oaths and make sure they understood my laws.


    I provided Lash and Eg with a Breach of their own, cancelling Lash¡¯s projection shortly beforehand and allowing Lash¡¯s true self to collect Eg in person.


    I kept Bjorn, the tribe¡¯s Guardian Spirit behind.


    ¡°When we first met, you claimed to have sensed my presence in advance of my arrival.¡± I made no attempts at being subtle regarding what I wanted. ¡°How?¡± I demanded.


    The large spectral bear shifted uncomfortably, even going so far as to cower slightly. ¡°The Living Mountain cast waves through the ether with such vigour and ferocity that it would have been impossible for this one not to notice!¡±


    ¡°The ether? What''s that?¡± I pressed, thoroughly dissatisfied with what I saw as a non-answer.


    ¡°Living Mountain! This one intended no offence! Forgiveness, please!¡± The Spirit threw itself into a hasty kowtow.


    ¡°What is the ether?¡± I repeated, doing my best to suppress my mounting impatience.


    ¡°It...It is the in-between...¡± The Spirit replied quietly, its body growing deathly still. ¡°The space between places...Where souls are devoured and given new purpose and form...Where Spirits are born and die...¡±


    ¡°Souls...Soulless...¡± It was what the Variants called the wild monsters. Soulless.


    ¡°This one has memories that are not his own...¡± Bjorn continued, his voice subdued. ¡°Memories that belong to another...And yet...This one also has memories that this one knows with absolute surety are his own...Still, they cannot be separated and bleed into one another seamlessly like water...¡±


    ¡°This ether...Is there a way to see it without being a Spirit?¡± I asked, my interest piqued.


    Bjorn remained silent for quite some time. ¡°A powerful Shaman may gain glimpses of the ether through rituals...¡± The Spirit didn¡¯t seem particularly confident in its answer.


    ¡°You said that the ether takes in souls and repurposes them,¡± I paraphrased. ¡°Does that include the souls of the humans?¡±


    The Spirit silently nodded.


    I felt a surge of revulsion in my gut.


    I had long believed that there was something inherently predatory about the Labyrinths. I still lacked concrete evidence, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the Labyrinths were some form of extradimensional parasite.


    Which made the Monarchs some form of catalyst for initiating widespread conflicts and bloodshed.


    But why allow the Variants free will? Why allow them to exist?


    The single-minded savagery of the wild monsters, the soulless, would surely have been enough for such a simple purpose.


    It wasn¡¯t like the Variants could be considered a mistake either. There were too many elements supporting and perpetuating their continued existence.


    ¡°If there is nothing else this one can do?...¡± The Spirit asked hesitantly.


    ¡°You wish to leave?¡± I was surprised that the Spirit had taken such an initiative.


    ¡°Forgiveness! Please!¡± The Spirit begged, ¡°But the tether that binds this one grows thin, and the ether draws closer! This one must shorten the tether for fear it will break!¡±


    ¡°Tether?¡± I couldn¡¯t see any bindings on the Spirit¡¯s form, physical or otherwise.


    ¡°The tribe, their Shaman Mugu¡¯s belief anchors this one to the shore!¡± The Spirit was becoming increasingly distressed and the edges of its form had begun to flicker.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I opened a Breach and allowed the Spirit to leave.


    My thoughts turned to Ushu, the young Serpent-Kin Shaman that had sacrificed himself protecting Sanctuary.


    ¡°Why had their Guardian Spirit refused to help?¡± If such a tether exists, protecting the Shamans of the tribe should have been its highest priority.


    I wasn¡¯t convinced that Bjorn had lied or been otherwise deliberately misleading. However, I found myself left with more questions than answers and was all the more disturbed by it.


    Speaking with Gric earlier, I learned that the champion selection tournament was making steady progress. Increasing in intensity and scale as the Dwergi drew closer to completing the venue for the final rounds.


    I had originally intended to attend the tournament and witness as many of the matches as possible.


    But my plans had changed...


    If I was able, and had the time to spare, I still intended to attend the finals. However, there was a real possibility that I would have to delegate the task to my existing champions.


    The original plan had been to seek their input regarding each candidate''s suitability for the role and responsibilities. Just because someone was a good fighter, didn¡¯t mean they possessed the qualities I expected of someone who would be elevated to such a position of power and influence. Gaining access to my Grimoire of Flesh alone would increase just about anyone¡¯s destructive potential severalfold.


    The last thing I wanted was to be responsible for handing an unrepentant and unprincipled psychopath the tools to spread misery and destruction on an extreme scale.


    Oaths could only go so far before I enslaved someone in all but name.


    With these thoughts weighing heavily on my mind, I raised a massive pillar of stone and used it to provide a vantage point to the portal to the eleventh floor.


    Using a Breach I covered the distance in seconds instead of days or hours. Opening a second Breach, my bodyguards were quick to rejoin my side.


    Carrying the guild tokens, we passed through the portal and arrived within the eleventh-floor foothold.


    A foothold that we had presumed was abandoned.


    The Orc¡¯s occupying the foothold looked just as surprised to see us as we were to see them.


    At a glance, I was reasonably certain that most, if not all, the Orcs were Variants. The tribal war paint made it impossible to be absolutely certain. However, the fact that they had not attacked us on sight was a good sign.


    I looked to one of the older members amongst my thunder warriors and motioned him forward.


    Past experiences with revealing my Species to Orcs had incredibly mixed results, and I wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed if possible.


    Lurr passed his axe off to a companion and removed his helmet, exposing his face for all of the other Orcs to see. ¡°Bring chief to Lurr!¡± He demanded proudly.


    I fought back the urge to flinch.


    Sometimes I forgot how crude Orc diplomatic exchanges could be.


    The Orc natives muttered to one another for a few moments and then a handful of warriors retreated and went running off into the greater foothold. The warriors that remained bore expressions of extreme unease.


    Which was to be expected given that the smallest of the thunder warriors similarly towered over them to how I towered over the thunder warriors in turn.


    Another factor for their unease may have been caused by the disparity in each group''s armaments.


    The tribal Orc warriors carried neolithic weapons and wore armour made from bark, wood and bone.


    While my thunder warriors'' weapons and armour were predominantly made of stone, the lethality and protective qualities of each were many magnitudes greater.


    Waiting for the arrival of some sort of leader, I began to notice subtle differences in the markings of the warriors. After noticing the difference in markings, I also realised that the Orcs were mostly separated according to the same markings.


    Assuming my observations were correct, there were five or six different groups. Two of the potential groups were mingled together to a significant degree, so it was difficult to be certain if they were one group or two.


    More warriors had filtered into the main street, bolstering their collective numbers into the low hundreds. However, they continued to show the same wary interest without signs of overt aggression.


    In other circumstances, I might have been impressed by the courage of my thunder warriors in facing down so many potential enemies. However, I knew only too well that if a fight broke out, our side would almost certainly emerge unscathed.


    Several minutes passed before a small host of larger and prominently decorated Orcs arrived. Upon laying eyes on Lurr and the other thunder warriors, their confidence plummeted. Exchanging worried glances, the new arrivals engaged in a short panicked conversation before electing one of their number to represent them and approach Lurr directly.


    Easily eight feet tall, the heavily muscled Orc in black warpaint was forced to crane his neck upward so he could look Lurr in the eyes, but only because Lurr chose to look down at him in turn. ¡°Korr, Black Sky lesser chieftain,¡± he grunted, bearing his teeth in a vain attempt to appear intimidating.


    Lurr leaned down until they were close to eye level, the light of his eyes casting Korr¡¯s face in a pale amethyst glow. ¡°Lurr! Tyrant¡¯s thunder warrior!¡±


    The other thunder warriors slammed their fists against their chests in near unison, causing the tribal warriors to fall back in fright.


    ¡°Fetch. Your. Chieftain!¡± Lurr growled, punctuating each word by jabbing his armoured finger into the smaller Orc¡¯s chest.


    Korr fled.


    A handful of seconds passed in stunned silence before every other warrior did the same.


    Lurr and the other thunder warriors laughed and began establishing a perimeter.


    Exploring the foothold, it became clear that the local Variants had been in the process of looting everything that wasn¡¯t nailed down. There were also signs of the different tribes attempting to stake their claim.


    There was no real telling how far away the tribes¡¯ would be. So I decided to open a Breach and allow the Dwergi to begin forming the subterranean levels of the fortress.


    At worst, the fortress would be that much closer to being ready for the next Invasion.


    With so many unaffiliated Variants in the vicinity, I couldn¡¯t send out the scouts in good conscience. There was simply too high a risk of provoking an incident with the locals.


    Relying on the intelligence acquired from the Labyrinth codex looted from the guild headquarters, I knew we would need to expect a significant presence of airborne monsters on this particular floor.


    Flying bugs, bats and birds would ignore the rolling hills and make good time flying above the forest canopy. Covering huge tracts of ground and arriving well ahead of most of the other wild monsters.


    Then there were the wild Orcs to consider as well.


    Killing the Soulless wouldn¡¯t hurt morale to any meaningful degree. I had witnessed several large-scale purges first-hand and hadn¡¯t seen a single Variant complain or so much as bat an eye over the carnage. However, there was a risk that local Variants would be caught up in the fog of war.


    Variants had something of a sixth sense for spotting the soulless of their Species but had a blind spot when it came to other Species. Similar to how most people on Earth struggled to consistently identify and differentiate strangers from other ethnic backgrounds.


    Surveying the forest around the foothold from my place behind the walls, I spotted one of the giant mantis-like Beasts carefully prowling through the foliage. Its camouflage made it incredibly difficult to spot initially. However, once I knew what to look for, I couldn¡¯t help but notice a dozen or so of the Beasts roaming within the same general vicinity.


    As tall as adult humans and covered in thorn-like hooks, they were only marginally less tolerable to look at than the bright pink and green-shelled anaconda-sized centipedes that patrolled in their wake.


    Mentally reviewing the registry of the Invasion force, I felt immense relief after confirming that several Naga and a handful of Serpentmen would provide Venom Resistance Synergies.


    Both Species and their SubSpecies had Evolved from the Serpent-Kin. The Naga had changed their legs for long thick tails but otherwise hadn¡¯t changed much at all. The Serpentmens¡¯ snake-like characteristics had been intensified, making them strikingly similar to the Lizardmen, only much slighter in frame and lacking a tail.


    Looking away from the registry, I was just in time to witness a comparatively short dark-furred Beast rip and tear its way through a pair of the giant mantis¡¯.


    Covered in blood, some of which was its own, the vicious little furball spared no time in rounding on the nearest centipedes.


    The carnage continued for the better part of a minute before the furball was overwhelmed and torn to pieces. However, it didn¡¯t bring an end to the violence.


    The mantis¡¯ and centipedes continued to converge on the location, biting, stinging, and clawing at one another as they fought for their share of the spoils. Generating dozens more corpses in the process.


    Just as the latest wave of newcomers were contented with their hard-won spoils, the forest erupted into yet another orgy of violence.


    A swarm of tiny bat-winged Beasts had swooped in from the canopy above and descended on the hapless competition. Clinging to their prey like leeches, they bled their prey dry within moments, leaving behind desiccated husks.


    Arboreal Bloodseekers.


    A forest SubSpecies that I was convinced had to be related to the Vrabbits and Bloodhunters from the earlier floors.


    It would take full-body armour to protect against the predators of the swarm. Armour that also happened to be in relatively short supply.


    Mass deployment would be out of the question. But there was, perhaps, a means of exterminating the Bloodseekers en masse.


    It would require the cooperation of at least one Venomancer and a gruesome assortment of freshly mangled corpses.


    Conveniently enough, I had ready access to both...


    ¡°Apologies, Majesty...I may have misheard your command?¡± The Dwergi Earth Mage apologised, glancing at his fellows for support and confirmation.


    ¡°I want the contents of several refuse pits transferred to the new fortress,¡± I repeated patiently. ¡°I intend to use the Beasts¡¯ remains as part of a trap to cull the local Beasts numbers.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± The Dwergi nodded to one another in understanding.


    ¡°This, Majesty, we can do!¡± The Earth Mage agreed emphatically, bowing his head before leading his fellows toward the refuse pits.


    Watching them go, I blinked away yet another notification alerting me to the Admiral¡¯s latest Challenge request.


    Keenly aware that it was only a matter of time before such a challenge would become mandatory and seize half of my realm as collateral, I returned to Sanctuary and made preparations to put an end to the Admiral¡¯s constant Challenges.


    ***** Gim ~ Yi Gim¡¯s Interdimensional-Plane ~ Ocean of Celestial Providence *****


    Staring out over the endless waves, Yi Gim sighed in exasperation as his latest Challenge was left unanswered.


    In truth, he had little desire to face the Tyrant in battle. Especially after learning that his oldest rival had been forced into such a precarious position as to forfeit to survive their confrontation. However, the Tyrant had left no other means by which he could be contacted.


    Somehow, and Yi Gim still didn¡¯t know how it was possible, the Tyrant was not listed under the Monarch Communication Exchange.


    Even the most secluded and private Monarchs were listed on the Exchange, and while it was not advisable to make unsolicited diplomatic advances, it could be done.


    Despite his forfeit, Wang Chen had died and been succeeded by his eldest daughter.


    The sudden coup had caught Yi Gim and many other Monarchs by surprise. Allies of the Wang dynasty had, of course, stressed that Wang Chen had died as a result of his injuries during a Supremacy Challenge. However, thanks to his informants and the informants of his allies, Yi Gim knew otherwise.


    Wang Chen had indeed been left on the brink of death after forfeiting the Supremacy Challenge. However, it was his daughter who had seized the opportunity to force the issue of succession and then executed Wang Chen to complete the transfer of authority.


    In the weeks since seizing power, Wang Jie had initiated several challenges against weak Monarchs to solidify her position and prove her strength to the allies she had inherited from her father. However, to the best of his knowledge, she had made no attempts nor made any claims intending to avenge her father¡¯s death.


    Given Wang Jie¡¯s cunning nature, it came as no true surprise. Yi Gim assumed that she would request one of her allies do the deed on her behalf, and provide as little warning as possible to secure the greatest advantage.


    Of course, it was only a guess.


    Which was more than he had to work with when attempting to decipher the intentions and motivations of the Tyrant.


    Wang Chen had been the aggressor. That was an indisputable fact. Every spy at his disposal and information broker had confirmed as much with absolute certainty.


    After winning the Challenge, the Tyrant had done nothing, and his rating in the rankings had changed little.


    The Tyrant¡¯s actions, or lack thereof, perplexed Yi Gam to no end. It had come to occupy greater degrees of his time than he should have allowed. Yet Yi Gam could not help it.


    To defeat someone ranked so much higher was rare. To force them into a forfeit was unprecedented. It proved that the Tyrant had considerable strength at their disposal and that the confrontation had been so firmly decided in his favour that he most likely only sustained light injuries.


    So why does he not press his advantage?


    There were no limits to how many Challenges a Monarch could issue and leave pending simultaneously. Allowing an ambitious Monarch to cast a wide net and secure greater territories. It was a risky strategy, but one often employed by newly ascended Monarchs.


    Which made the Tyrant¡¯s lack of activity so incredibly strange.


    Yi Gim was startled from his thoughts as a confirmation notification appeared before his eyes.


    The Tyrant had accepted his Challenge, setting the terms of engagement to allow up to two subordinates to accompany each Monarch in open battle.


    Intending the Tyrant no ill will, Yi Gim nonetheless erred on the side of caution and selected the familiar battleground of the Ruinous Atol.


    With the battlefield confirmed, Yi Gim chose two talented members of the latest generation to accompany him.


    Hu Hae, his great grand-niece was considered a rising genius and specialised in water-based Techniques. Despite lacking in raw strength due to her relative inexperience, the Ruinous Atols would more than cover for that particular shortcoming.


    Gam Seok, of no immediate relation Yi Gim was aware of, was closer to what would be considered a traditional martial artist. Specialising in weapon-based Techniques and leveraging his Refined Body to wear opponents down through gruelling attrition when necessary.


    With the final selections made, Yi Gim felt his soul become temporarily displaced as he was transported to the battlefield.


    Having been afforded no warning, Hu Hae and Gam Seok¡¯s immediate reaction was to arm and armour themselves with weapons and armour from their personal Storage Rings.


    Yi Gim had been overseeing a floating airship combat exercise but decided that trading his ceremonial armour for something more robust was the more prudent option.


    ¡°Great uncle?¡± Hu Hae asked nervously, slowly retreating into the surf behind them forming the beginnings of a simple defensive Technique.


    Yi Gim raised one hand to call for silence. Staring across the small island he understood why his grand-niece was so intimidated.


    The Tyrant was an absolute giant. Clad in crimson-plated armour, the Tyrant looked about twenty feet tall and was almost as wide.


    Yi Gim felt a certain degree of reassurance in the fact that such armour would provide a considerable disadvantage if Yi Gim retreated his forces from the island. The fact that the Tyrant¡¯s retainers wore similar armour was reassuring as well, just not to the same degree.


    ¡°Why does he not attack?¡± Gam Seok muttered grimly, tightening his grip on his spear.


    Yi Gim withdrew a small airship from his Storage Ring and motioned for Hu Hae and Gam Seok to retreat. ¡°For now, fall back,¡± he ordered. ¡°If I can-¡± Yi GIm staggered and nearly fell to the ground as a powerful presence clashed against his mental defences.


    Cycling his Breathing Technique on instinct, Yi Gim felt the presence lose its purchase. However, suspecting a trap, he continued cycling.


    ¡°Great uncle!¡± Hu Hae cried in concern and he felt her Chi flare as she launched an offensive Technique toward the Tyrant and his retainers.


    Huge crashing waves roared past Yi Gim and swept across the island, uprooting trees and crushing them to splinters as the waves converged on their intended victims.


    Just as the waves were bearing down on the Tyrant, Yi Gim felt a second surge of Chi.


    The waves parted and continued harmlessly into the ocean beyond.


    ¡°No way!...¡± Hu Hae exclaimed, bordering on the verge of panic. ¡°They have someone with water affinity!¡±


    Yi Gim felt Gam Seok take hold of his arm and allowed himself to be drawn along as Gam Seok retreated from the beach and onto the airship.


    Several long moments passed in tense silence.


    With each second, Yi Gim had expected the Tyrant or his retainers to press the attack. Only, nothing happened. After what Yi Gim estimated to be a full minute, the presence pressing on his mind retreated. However, he took little comfort in it.


    The person the presence belonged to hadn¡¯t retreated for fear of losing in a contest of Chi or will. They had simply decided to stop.


    With his mind no longer under attack, Yi Gim directed his full attention toward the Tyrant.


    He hadn¡¯t moved, and neither had his retainers.


    ¡°Wh-Why?-¡± Gam Seok¡¯s spear clattered to the deck and he stiffly turned to look at Yi Gim. ¡°Why do y-y-you c-c-c-c-ontinue t-t-to- Grk! Gah!¡± Gam Seok clutched at his head and screamed.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Yi Gim barked, seizing Gam Seok¡¯s forehead with one hand and sending a wave of Chi to dislodge whoever had taken control of his mind.


    Like water crashing on the cliffs, Yi Gim¡¯s Chi had no effect.


    A second presence joined the first and Gam Seok¡¯s screams came to an abrupt and immediate end. ¡°Why do you continue to challenge our master?¡± He demanded in a voice not his own, staring straight into Yi Gim¡¯s eyes with cold unwavering intensity.


    ¡°Sought an audience as an opportunity so we may speak,¡± Yi Gim replied truthfully. ¡°I held no hostile intentions-¡±


    ¡°You attacked us,¡± Gam Seok rebuked coldly.


    Yi Gim bit back his retort, convinced that pointing out precisely who had attacked who first would be unproductive. ¡°I can only request that such an incident be considered an accident prompted by the concerns of a devoted retainer.¡±


    Gam Seok continued to stare back at him for several moments without saying a single word and barely taking a handful of shallow breaths. ¡°Very well.¡± Gam Seok¡¯s eyes grew unfocused and like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed unceremoniously to the deck.


    ¡°Hu Hae, attend Gam Seok, and remain vigilant for another mental attack,¡± Yi Gim ordered, withdrawing a powerful but short-ranged portable Array from his Storage Ring. He took great care to encircle both Gam Seok and his grand-niece within the Array before activating it. ¡°This will give you warning to prepare your mental defences and provide some measure or resistance to a concentrated attack.¡±


    Yi Gim knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Not if both retainers attacked in unison. However, the Tyrant¡¯s retainers had withdrawn despite holding a clear advantage. So Yi Gim believed that they could be reasoned with.


    At worst, he would ransom their release through surrender, and a little protection could go a long way during such negotiations.


    Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, Yi Gim exchanged several items from his Storage Rings to bolster his mental fortitude at the cost of reduced combat prowess. However, given the circumstances, it seemed an appropriate tradeoff.


    The Tyrant had advanced to the centre of the island, his two retainers lagging a respectful distance behind.


    Doubtless, they were probably capable of closing such a distance in a fraction of a second. However, it was the gesture that mattered more than anything else.


    It demonstrated that the Tyrant was willing to negotiate and converse in conditions that roughly approximated good faith.


    That, or he didn¡¯t perceive Yi Gim as a great enough threat to warrant his retainers¡¯ involvement.


    In either case, Yi Gim would take the opportunity provided to initiate a dialogue and find what answers and common ground he could. After all, he had forged alliances under far more desperate and dangerous circumstances than these and was still alive.


    So why not trust that his fated luck would hold a little longer?

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 70 – An unexpected alliance – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 70 ¨C An unexpected alliance ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 70 - An unexpected alliance - Part Two


    After my battle with the Divine Patriarch, I knew better than to let down my guard.


    <This one considers himself a negotiator.> Gric commented neutrally, his telepathic tone wary but otherwise indifferent.


    <To what end?> I asked, confused, why someone of that temperament would initiate a Challenge in the first place.


    <Apologies, Great One, I was unable to pierce his mental defences and determine his greater motivations...> Sebet¡¯s irritation was exacerbated by Gric¡¯s smug contempt. <But the care this Monarch has shown for his subordinates appears to be genuine and is consistent with memories taken from his retainer.>


    <This was my observation as well.> Gric agreed, the smugness in his mental presence replaced by mild irritation as he found himself in agreement with Sebet.


    The rival Monarch had descended from his flying ship and replaced his helmet with a shining pale white headband. Appearing similar in age to the Divine Patriarch and of a somewhat similar nationality, the Admiral had a thick wiry grey-white beard that lent his presence a certain gravity that the Divine Patriarch had lacked.


    Dark eyes studied me from behind deep wrinkles and weather-worn cheeks.


    I felt a foreign source of energy move in my periphery, brushing against me with a touch so faint that I could have mistaken it for the wind.


    The Admiral¡¯s wrinkled brow furrowed slightly in confusion but was quickly banished and replaced by an expression of wary concern. ¡°I am Yi Gim, and I extend greetings to a fellow Monarch!¡± He inclined his head as a sign of respect, but not so much that it could be confused for deference.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked bluntly.


    If he was offended, Yi Gim didn¡¯t show it. ¡°I would speak with you, Monarch to Monarch. I have questions, and I am prepared to offer answers in fair trade,¡± he explained politely. ¡°For the sake of transparency, many of my questions regard a long-term rival, now deceased. Wang Chen.¡±


    <He speaks of the one who named himself the Divine Patriarch.> Gric supplied helpfully.


    ¡°What about him?¡± I motioned for Yi Gim to proceed. Depending on what he wanted to know, I was willing to exchange information.


    ¡°To build trust between us, I will begin with a simple question and allow my fellow Monarch to ask a question of greater import,¡± Yi Gim qualified, his eyes continuing to stare up at me with dark intensity. ¡°It was Wang Chen who issued the Supremacy Challenge, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    I nodded.


    Yi Gim sighed quietly and stroked his beard with his right hand, keeping his left firmly locked on the scabbard of his sword and angling it for an easy draw. ¡°I suspected as much, but I thank you for answering, all the same,¡± he inclined his head respectfully and waited expectantly.


    ¡°Why did you Challenge me?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Yi Gim nodded appreciatively. ¡°That is a worthy question,¡± he commented approvingly. ¡°I suspect you will not believe me. However, in truth, my primary intention was to engage in a civil exchange of information. Just as we are doing now, in fact,¡± Yi Gim chuckled softly and scratched at his cheek. ¡±I had expected to engage in such an exchange while crossing swords or exchanging Techniques...but I find our current means of discourse far more pleasant and desirable.¡±


    I grunted in agreement. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could trust him, but a civil discussion was preferable to another life-or-death battle. Especially with the opportunity to acquire some real answers.


    ¡°If I may? I will ask my next question.¡± Yi Gim paused for a moment and made a show of thinking things over. ¡°Why are you not represented on the Monarch Communication Exchange?¡¯ He asked, eyes narrowing slightly as if anticipating a lie or misdirection.


    ¡°That is...It¡¯s the first I have heard of it...¡± I admitted, somewhat confused. ¡°That is some sort of intermediary for speaking with other Monarchs?¡± I guessed. Most likely, the errors were somehow related. However, I wasn¡¯t sure how exactly.


    Yi Gim nodded. ¡°Interesting...¡± He muttered quietly.


    ¡°What is the purpose of the Labyrinths?¡± The question had been on the forefront of my mind for the past few days and slipped out of its own accord.


    Yi Gim¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Labyrinths?¡± He stared at me for several moments in complete silence before coming to his senses. ¡°Apologies,¡± Yi Gim bowed his head, ¡°I had not expected such a question...¡± He appeared confused and more than a little unsettled. ¡°The Labyrinths are how worlds are incorporated into the greater universe and are the vessels that facilitate reincarnation...¡±


    ¡°Reincarnation...The rebirth and creation of the Awakened...The incorporation of worlds...¡± None of it was new to me, but hearing it all from a single source was profoundly unsettling.


    ¡°The Labyrinths in your world, they are still active...¡± Yi Gim guessed, nodding slightly to himself. ¡°That is...beyond strange, I dare say it is unprecedented...¡± He gave me another appraising look and silently arrived at a decision. ¡°I know that you will no doubt ask anyway, so I will offer this information freely. Monarchs should not be capable of entering the rankings before the incorporation of their designated world. This is probably why you are not listed and do not have access to the Monarch Communication Exchange...¡±


    A long silence passed between us.


    ¡°Your low rating,¡± Yi Gim commented dryly, ¡°It makes sense now.¡± he smiled wanly. ¡°I cannot decide if the heavens smile upon you with favour, or are seeking to destroy you outright...¡± Yi Gim admitted. ¡°In just about any other circumstance, I would expect anyone else in your position to have died. Forgive me, but I feel compelled to ask. What Divine Treasure allowed you to grow strong enough to defeat Wang Chen?¡±


    ¡°Divine Treasures?¡± I asked uncertainly. ¡°Do you mean Artefacts?¡±


    ¡°Artefacts?¡± Yi Gim¡¯s brow twitched. ¡°You possess magical objects of power?¡± He asked with strained incredulity.


    I made no reply.


    Yi Gim¡¯s mouth hung agape and he staggered backward several steps before stopping himself. ¡°H-How?...¡±


    ¡°I fought other Awakened¡¯ and seized opportunities...¡± I replied glibly, now realising that I had revealed something I should have kept hidden.


    Yi Gim stared at me silently for quite some time. ¡°This...¡± He waved his right hand, motioning to refer to all of me. ¡°Your body is not the result of an Ancestral Bloodline, is it? You...You¡¯re one of them...¡±


    ¡°One of them?¡± I asked guardedly, already tensing in preparation for a fight.


    Yi Gim blinked several times while struggling silently with his thoughts. ¡°The great enemy of the heavens...A servant of the chaos wastes...¡±


    ¡°A servant of what?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    I felt a sudden rush of energy extend from Yi Gim¡¯s body and press against the core of my being. On instinct alone, I resisted. However, contrary to my expectations, I was not able to break free.


    ¡°Not suppressed...Just undeveloped...¡± Yi Gim looked more confused than before. ¡°Even with a Divine Treasure...How?...¡±


    ¡°You will cease your attack. IMMEDIATELY!¡± Gric snarled, the stone plates of his armour rattling ominously as his muscles swelled in preparation for combat.


    ¡°It¡¯s in your best interest,¡± Sebet agreed, claws inching free of her gauntlets as her fingers twitched in anticipation.


    The pressure increased for a split instant and then withdrew. ¡°Apologies...I...Such an action is unconscionable...I just never expected...¡± Yi Gim apologised, visibly shaken.


    ¡°A monster?¡± I supplied dryly.


    ¡°A monster?¡± Yi Gim repeated. ¡°No, yes, well...¡± He took a deep breath to steady himself, ¡°I did not expect to meet a servant of chaos without reaching the position of Supreme Monarch...¡± No doubt realising that I had no idea what he was talking about, Yi Gim raised one hand for patience. ¡°The top ten Monarchs in the rankings represent the heavens in their divine war to suppress the servants of chaos.¡±


    ¡°So what now then?¡± I asked, preparing myself for the inevitable descent into violence.


    Yi Gim¡¯s grip visibly tightened on the scabbard of his sword and the fingers on his right hand twitched slightly. Grimacing, he removed his left hand from the scabbard and crossed both hands across his chest in an open show of defiance. ¡°You are not what I expected,¡± Yi Gim admitted.


    Surprised by his restraint and transparent attempts at de-escalation, I motioned for Gric and Sebet to stall any hostile activities.


    ¡°From all I have been told, you should have attacked me at first sight, or the very least, the moment I lowered my guard...¡± Yi Gim explained with mounting confidence. ¡°And earlier, you allowed my subordinates to retreat. You would not have done that if you were even half the beast they claim your kind to be.¡±


    Reviewing my own experiences with other Awakened, I was inclined to agree. However, Wang Chen hadn¡¯t seemed that different either.


    ¡°But...¡± Yi Gim paused and smiled faintly. ¡°I am sorry, I have asked far more questions than I have answered. Forgive me,¡± he bowed, only this time bending at the waist rather than simply inclining his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied dismissively. I had learned a great deal from our exchange, as much from his questions as my own. So I didn¡¯t begrudge his relative monopoly over the questions that had been asked. ¡°What were you going to ask?¡±


    Yi Gim nodded in appreciation. ¡°I was told that your kind could not Cultivate. That you had different abilities.¡±


    ¡°But you know I have Chi,¡± I commented, following his train of thought.


    ¡°Just so,¡± Yi Gim agreed.


    Despite our rapport, I knew that divulging the complete truth would be an incredible risk.


    Recognising my hesitation, Yi Gim smiled grimly. ¡°Ah, of course. We all have our secrets.¡± He glanced back toward his flying ship and I felt Chi passing back and forth several moments before it came to a stop. ¡°I know you have little cause to trust me. However, one of my original goals in contacting you was to seek out an alliance.¡± Yi Gim stared up at me for several moments before smiling slightly. ¡°What I have learned only makes me more interested.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we in competition with one another?¡± I asked warily. Putting aside the fact that we seemed to be part of two completely different Labyrinth blocs, the Monarchs were geared into direct competition with those on the same side as well.


    ¡°Ah, you wonder how such alliances would survive such divisive infighting?¡± Yi Gim nodded sagely. ¡°Long-term stability is only gained through such alliances. Through exchanging Oaths swearing not to attack one another, alliances of like-minded individuals may trade territories freely amongst one another. Buying time to develop manpower, resources and personal power without fear of being caught unawares or unprepared for a mandatory Challenge.¡±


    ¡°It seems...odd, that alliances would be allowed...¡± I commented dubiously.


    Yi Gim wavered his hand noncommittally. ¡°Cultivators are driven to progress, sometimes to the point of excess...Alliances that focus exclusively on trading territories are prone to succumbing to infighting and societal collapse. Despite being less aggressively metered than the unaffiliated, alliance members will not pass up the opportunity to seize territories from weaker Monarchs.¡±


    It was more ruthless than I had expected and made a sort of sense. ¡°Surely you have other allies already. Why do you want an alliance with me?¡± So far as I was aware, it wasn¡¯t possible to fight alongside an ally, so there didn¡¯t seem to be much point in having more than a single ally to trade territories with.


    ¡°I do,¡± Yi Gim admitted. ¡°However, much like the chisels of a master carpenter, well-chosen allies can each serve a unique purpose. Bang Dae is an excellent information broker, but I would never knowingly show him my back, Oaths or no.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand what you mean. However, it doesn¡¯t explain why you want me as an ally specifically.¡± I pressed.


    ¡°That is true,¡± Yi Gim readily agreed. ¡°And if I am honest, I am not sure what benefit you can provide me that another ally does not already provide. But I have personally witnessed enough acts of providence to know an opportunity when I see one.¡± He stared at me intensely for a few moments and nodded to himself, ¡°I am convinced that you represent an opportunity I cannot allow to pass by to another.¡±


    ¡°Even if it meant swearing an oath on your life?¡± I asked warily.


    Yi Gim hesitated, but it was a reaction I had expected. Few could lay down their lives as collateral without hesitation.


    ¡°Trust is earned,¡± Yi Gim replied calmly. ¡°A man¡¯s reputation only holds value to those who know of the quality of the man. If exchanging Oaths would set your mind at ease, then I am prepared to do so.¡±


    ¡°After you then,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Hrmf, hehe,¡± Yi Gim chuckled in amusement. ¡°The alliance was my suggestion, so it makes sense that I should go first.¡± he took a few moments to collect himself. ¡°I swear to the heavens that I will not knowingly or deliberately cause harm to the Monarch known as The Tyrant. Should I break this oath, may my heart demons consume my Cultivation and destroy my soul!¡± Yi Gim grimaced and staggered slightly before righting himself.


    Before repeating the oath for myself, I distinctly recalled having not held it in particularly high regard. However, afterwards, I felt quite differently.


    Unlike Oaths I had sworn in the past, this particular Oath settled in my abdomen like a ball of chains. Instead of fading over time, the sensation persisted.


    ¡°You grow used to it,¡± Yi Gim commented with a wry grin. ¡°It doesn''t get easier, but you do get used to it.¡±


    With Oaths now preventing us from attacking one another without consequence, Yi Gim¡¯s subordinates disembarked from the flying ship.


    Upon their arrival, Yi Gim had them swear Oaths of secrecy to prevent them from divulging anything pertaining to me that they had witnessed thus far or in the future without his explicit permission to do so.


    ¡°It is a common practice and precaution when discussing internal and alliance matters,¡± Yi Gim explained helpfully.


    The young man, Gam Seok continued to stare grimly at Sebet and Gric but made no open signs of hostility. He then surprised me by bowing his head with one fist clenched over the other. ¡°I thank you for your instruction in mind Techniques!¡± He rumbled somewhat defensively. ¡°If there is another opportunity to do so in the future, I would like to exchange Techniques again!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly a fair fight,¡± Sebet purred, her pride and ego stoked by Gam Seok¡¯s praise.


    ¡°True battle rarely is,¡± Gam Seok replied respectfully.


    ¡°Even so, you put up a stronger resistance than most,¡± Sebet complimented.


    Gam Seok then glanced at Gric and winced. ¡°I thank you for the praise, senior, but I know I must train harder...¡±


    Gric grunted approvingly but said nothing.


    In stark contrast to Yi Gim and Gam Seok, the young woman, Hu Hae wore lighter armour that favoured agility and freedom of motion over protection. A veil of fine bronze chain concealed the majority of her face but only served to draw focus to her deep blue eyes.


    Since swearing her Oath, Hu Hae had stared at me without even taking the time to blink. It was rather unsettling.


    ¡°I must apologise for my grand-niece,¡± Yi Gim bowed his head respectfully. ¡°Those who possess Affinities are rare within the lands of myself and my trusted allies. Indeed, it came as quite a surprise when you dismantled her Technique using pure Water Affinity alone.¡±


    The image of the oncoming tsunami was still fresh in my mind. In truth, all I had done was force my Chi into the centre of the oncoming waves and formed a wedge. The waves had passed by so quickly that I hadn¡¯t needed to maintain the effort for more than a handful of seconds.


    ¡°When you say rare, just how rare do you mean?¡± I asked curiously.


    Yi Gim paused to consider for a few moments. ¡°Outside of specific Bloodlines, it is almost entirely unheard of. This is partially due to families actively incorporating talented individuals into their ranks through marriages and formal adoption. Within all of my territories, I would confidently assume there are fewer than one hundred individuals with an elemental Affinity, and most belong to one of the great families formed by my descendants.¡± He proudly rested a hand on his great-niece¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Hu Hae is considered something of a prodigy, Even without access to an area rich in Water Chi, she has developed her Affinity diligently.¡±


    ¡°I assume those sorts of places are similarly rare?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh, most definitely!¡± Yi Gim agreed emphatically, ¡°Rarer even. I am aware of monarchs of higher ranking rumoured to possess a Sacred Realm or Hidden Realm saturated with one form of Chi or another, but have unfortunately yet to encounter one myself.¡± He shrugged helplessly. ¡°We have done our best to develop Chi-rich environments through other means, but plants possessing Chi Affinity are incredibly rare and are slow to propagate.¡±


    ¡°How would you even trade for them?¡± I asked, confused how any meaningful degree of trade could take place during a Challenge without accepting an immense degree of risk.


    ¡°It is possible to travel to territories held by other Monarchs...Or rather, our subjects can travel between realms under certain conditions.¡± Yi Gim motioned to his subordinates. ¡°Provided both Monarchs allow it. A pair of powerful enough Teleportation Arrays can provide a temporary link between realms.¡±


    ¡°Which would also allow spies and saboteurs...¡± I observed dryly.


    ¡°Just so,¡± Yi Gim agreed, making no signs of having taken offence. ¡°Trade is usually restricted to a single trading partner for this very reason. The dedicated military presence required to maintain security can just as easily become complicit in illicit dealings that weaken a Monarch¡¯s realm even as trade enriches it.¡±


    ¡°So why engage in open trade at all?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sometimes, assuring mutual benefit or even engaging in a minor loss is required to ensure one¡¯s continued survival,¡± Yi Gim replied calmly. ¡°The yak will not attack the bird that grooms its hair. So too will a Monarch resist attacking another that brings him sufficient prestige and wealth through trade.¡±


    It made sense, but inviting enemies through the backdoor would only delay the greater danger. However, there were things I needed and I currently had no means of acquiring them.


    Assuming Yi Gim could be trusted, he presented an opportunity.


    If I was going to make the most of the second system, I needed manuals and resources.


    ¡°What do you trade?¡± I asked, trying not to seem overly eager.


    ¡°It depends upon the needs of each party,¡± Yi Gim replied unhelpfully before smiling slightly in apology. ¡°Spirit Stone is the most commonly accepted medium,¡± the Storage Ring on his right hand flashed and a flat green pebble roughly an inch in diameter appeared in the palm of his hand. ¡°The precise value varies. However, the quality of the spiritual jade, and its receptivity to Chi, is the most important factor in determining each stone''s value. Grade ten purity is the highest, while grade one is the lowest. Although merchants and nobles may defer to simpler terms, such as high, middle or low grade.¡±


    ¡°And what is that stone worth?¡± I asked, pointing to the stone in his palm.


    Yi Gim¡¯s smile widened slightly and the wrinkles around his eyes grew deeper. ¡°This is an eighth grade, or high grade, Spirit Stone-¡± He patted the sword hanging at his side, ¡°I would expect to pay five hundred of these for a blade of this quality.¡±


    ¡°May I see?¡± I extended my hand, motioning toward the stone.


    Misunderstanding my request, Yi Gim deftly untied the scabbard from his belt and gingerly tossed it up into my hand.


    It wasn¡¯t what I had wanted, but it presented another opportunity to take a closer look at the weapons of the Cultivators.


    Unfortunately, it looked more or less the same as the swords I had taken from the Divine Patriarch. The hilt and scabbard both had artistic wave patterns, and the swirls appeared to line up with and continue onto the blade. However, the transition to the blade was made from some sort of dark stain rather than etchings or engravings.


    Just the same as the other swords, injecting MP into it did not change its size, or do anything else. However, infusing it with Chi was a different matter entirely.


    Something inside of the sword seemed to come alive.


    It felt like an extension of my own body, a limb I never knew I had.


    Balancing the flat of the blade on the end of my finger, I was able to cause it to begin spinning with just a thought. Testing the limits, I willed the blade to spin faster.


    Flicking the sword into the air, I watched it turn end over end and directed it to land point-first on the reverse side of my palm.


    ¡°Wait!-¡± Yi Gim cried out in alarm but stopped mid-leap as the sword landed harmlessly on the stone plate of my gauntlet.


    Now spinning on its point like a drill, I accelerated the rotation speed and watched carefully for signs of damage.


    Having satisfied my curiosity, I returned the blade to its scabbard and tossed it back to Yi Gim.


    ¡°I''m glad I followed my intuition,¡± Yi Gim chuckled nervously, returning the sword to his side.


    I shrugged. ¡°I would like to take a look at the Spirit Stone,¡± I clarified.


    ¡°Oh, of course!¡± Yi Gim replied with forced cheer, tossing up the small green stone onto my waiting palm.


    As I had expected, the Spirit Stone contained concentrated internal energy. Instinctively, I sensed that I could strip the energy out of it if I wanted to. However, I wasn¡¯t certain I could replace it afterwards, so I left it alone.


    ¡°Do the veins appear naturally?¡± I asked, curious whether I could create the stones to facilitate trade.


    Yi Gim nodded. ¡°The veins of spiritual jade are formed over hundreds of years.¡± He was quiet for a few moments but something else appeared to come to mind. ¡°Although it is rare, Tribulations have been known to transform the materials within their immediate surroundings. However, the Spirit Stones harvested from such events are often low grade.¡±


    I nodded politely and thought things over. ¡°Is it the internal energy or the jade itself that determines the value?¡± I asked, wondering whether Ochram could create this special jade from other forms of stone.


    The question took Yi Gim by surprise and he took a few moments to consider his response. ¡°I suppose it would depend upon who you ask,¡± he replied, stroking his beard contemplatively. ¡°To most lower merchants, it is the collective that matters. The absence of purity matters just as much as the absence of internal energy. However, an Inscriptionist would place far greater value on the purity of the spiritual jade, as they can readily gather internal energy to replenish the stones with only a little effort.¡± Yi Gim shrugged indifferently, ¡°Weaker Cultivators would place an emphasis on the internal energy of the stones and demand the exchange be reflected only in the total available internal energy.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± It was good to know that there was some wriggle room, but I still didn¡¯t know if I could replicate the Spirit Stones at all.


    I offered the Spirit Stone back to Yi Gim but he raised his hands in refusal. ¡°Keep it, please. Consider it a gift,¡± he insisted, removing a wooden token from his belt and tossing it to join the stone already in my hand. ¡°A communication token,¡± Yi Gim explained hurriedly, withdrawing a twin from within his Storage Ring. <Injecting Chi into the token should allow us to communicate without the Monarch Communication Exchange. Although it may prove particularly draining over such a distance.>


    Unlike regular telepathy which provided impressions and emotions, the communication provided by the token was the same as mundane speech.


    Inspecting the token, the edges were lined with text that I didn¡¯t understand but recognised as being written in an Eastern Asian alphabet.


    ¡°It was made by our most accomplished Formation expert,¡± Yi Gim explained proudly, ¡°And the wood is thousand-year-old ash. I am confident that you will not find better!¡±


    I nodded in thanks but couldn¡¯t help but worry whether the token could be used for more nefarious or clandestine purposes. I would need to have the token kept somewhere safe to limit any potential harm.


    ¡°Is there anything in particular you or your people need in trade?¡± I asked. I needed alternatives in case creating jade turned out to be a bust. I doubted Technique manuals were cheap, and any that were wouldn¡¯t be worth learning from.


    ¡°In bulk?¡± Yi Gim qualified. ¡°The same as everyone else, I suppose. Elixirs, medicinal pills, rare alchemical ingredients or materials...¡± He shrugged apologetically, ¡°Cultivation resources are always in demand. However, the prices fluctuate heavily based on quality and demand.¡±


    ¡°I don''t suppose you have any examples on hand?¡± It was a reach, but Hana¡¯s ability to grow just about anything would be a welcome backup in case Ochram¡¯s jade didn¡¯t work out.


    Yi Gim began to shake his head but stopped and looked toward his grand-niece. ¡°Hu Hae?¡±


    Hu Hae fidgeted nervously for a few moments beneath her uncle''s gaze before withdrawing a small jade case from her Storage Ring. ¡°A midnight lotus, uncle...¡± She briefly lifted the lid, revealing a lotus with pale blue petals. Replacing the lid, she offered the case and flower to her uncle with palpable reluctance and disappointment.


    Yi Gim appeared more conflicted than his grandniece but inevitably relented. ¡°I will see you receive another, Hae-er,¡± he promised, accepting the case containing the flower and squeezing her shoulder slightly to emphasise his conviction and sincerity.


    Instead of accepting the lotus flower myself, I motioned Gric forward to take it in my place.


    Extending my senses, I felt a faint familiar presence mingled amidst its energy.


    ¡°The midnight lotus possesses a trace of Water Affinity,¡± Yi Gim explained. ¡°It is unlikely that a realm with lower maturity will possess such a treasure, but stranger things have happened,¡± he gave me a small smile, acknowledging my unique situation.


    What little he knew of it.


    ¡°Why is the Affinity so valuable?¡± I asked, ¡°Beyond its rarity, I mean.¡±


    ¡°The proper pill made from such a material can increase the related Affinity in a Cultivator with the same Affinity,¡± Yi Gim explained earnestly, sparing a moment to glance guiltily at his grand-niece. ¡°Materials with stronger Affinity can even impart that Affinity to a Cultivator under the right circumstances. It is why even the faintest trace of Affinity can drive up the price of the most common materials.¡±


    ¡°What about the rings?¡± I nodded to Yi Gim¡¯s hands. ¡°Are they expensive?¡±


    ¡°Spatial Storage Rings? Oh my yes, very expensive!¡± Yi Gim replied. ¡°Working with Spatial Chi is notoriously difficult, and the storage space itself comes at the expense of a territory. So no matter the size, they are always a prized treasure.¡±


    That was good news. I had looted several Storage Rings from Wang Chen and his subordinates. If worse came to worst, I could always sell one of them to buy what I needed.


    ¡°You have asked a great deal about what I may want from you,¡± Yi Gim commented astutely. ¡°However, we have not yet discussed what you may want from me.¡±


    I acknowledged his observations with a curious nod. ¡°As I am sure you have already determined, your realm and my own are at different stages of development.¡±


    Yi Gim nodded politely and waited for me to continue.


    ¡°This makes knowledge a high priority,¡± I explained. ¡°However, I am also aware that such knowledge, particularly relating to Cultivation, comes at a premium.¡±


    Yi Gim nodded again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not foolish or arrogant enough to demand or expect the secrets and treasures of your realm. However, I suspect that you would be willing to sell those of your rivals and that others will feel the same,¡± I explained patiently while gauging his reaction.


    Yi Gim¡¯s lips slowly parted into a wolfish smile. ¡°It is just so,¡± he admitted happily. ¡°Turning the fall of a rival into profit and prosperity is the duty of every Monarch.¡±


    After discussing matters a little further, Yi Gim formally offered his surrender alongside a single territory.


    Accepting his surrender, I was immediately returned to Sanctuary.


    The loophole seemed entirely too convenient when compared to what I had previously known of the Labyrinths. However, taking into account what I had learned from Yi Gim, it made a strange sort of sense.


    Resources were intended to filter upward to those fighting in their great war. Diverting their attention to pursue the resources en masse would be inefficient. Strong-arming a robust ¡®middle class¡¯ into paying protection without putting up a fight would be far more favourable.


    With the middling Monarchs doing all the fighting and negotiating, those at the top would be free to demand whatever they wanted without risking their position by weakening themselves.


    All the while, those at the bottom were set upon from all sides. Their resources to be acquired and managed by those already possessing experience and the means to efficiently exploit them.


    I should consider myself lucky that only two other Monarchs had taken an interest in seizing my resources. However, the sudden and unexpected defeat of the Divine Patriarch may have played a more prominent role in deterring aggression than I had expected.


    I found Hana experimenting with new plant life in a small garden near the lake. Jin, the Cultivation Alchemist, followed behind her while making suggestions and observations on the results. Thoroughly absorbed in their conversation, Hana didn¡¯t acknowledge my presence until the very last moment, waiting until I reached the outer boundary of the garden.


    ¡°Welcome home, Tim!¡± Hana called out cheerily, waving clear a path and approaching me directly.


    Gric appeared at my side without warning, the jade case containing the lotus still securely held in his right hand.


    ¡°Ah! G-Greetings m-mighty M-Monarch!¡± Jin exclaimed fearfully, bowing rigidly at the waist with his eyes firmly fixed on the ground.


    Ignoring Jin, at least for the moment, I motioned Gric forward. ¡°We acquired something that may help with your experiments.¡±


    Already excited, Hana¡¯s eyes lit up with expectation and barely restrained curiosity.


    Gric opened the case and offered it to Hana.


    ¡°Oh!... It¡¯s certainly interesting!¡± Hana exclaimed, sparing only a moment to gently scoop the lotus out of the jade case before wandering toward the lake shore.


    ¡°I will seek out Ochram,¡± Gric volunteered, closing the case and patiently waiting for my approval.


    ¡°Alright, but take this as well,¡± I passed him the Spirit Stone. Ochram probably wouldn¡¯t need a second reference, but I had no other immediate use for it anyway.


    Gric accepted the Spirit Stone and disappeared.


    Following Hana, I found her kneeling in the shallows and cradling the lotus between her palms.


    ¡°It has taken root, but it is weak,¡± Hana explained without looking away from the lotus. ¡°My mana isn¡¯t enough. Just like the others, it needs more than The Grove can provide...¡±


    Closing my eyes, I released a steady stream of Chi and extended my consciousness. Feeling a gentle tug, I allowed myself to be drawn toward the source.


    In contrast to its serene, if somewhat wilted physical appearance. The spiritual presence of the lotus felt like a starved animal. It gnawed at the periphery of my extended consciousness, trying, and failing, to tear off a piece of me to sate its hunger.


    As time wore on, the desperation of the lotus ebbed. Somehow, it was able to fortify itself through my presence.


    ¡°It is as if you are the sun,¡± Hana commented curiously. ¡°Even now, it turns to you to sustain itself,¡± she pointed to the bent stem of the lotus and I could see that she was right, on both counts.


    It needed internal energy, or Chi to sustain itself, and so did the others. However, the other plants Hana had experimented with seemed far less desperate. Even now and despite the distance between us, they had latched onto my Chi and seemed to be growing stronger.


    Hana had noticed as well and appeared to be thinking something over. ¡°Tim, Jin said there were special Spells, boundaries that helped contain the special mana the plants need-¡±


    ¡°Formations?¡± I interjected, having read references to such an effect but for the purposes of bolstering Cultivators themselves.


    ¡°I think that was the word he used,¡± Hana agreed. ¡°Is there some way we can get those?¡±


    ¡°I...I¡¯m not sure...¡± I replied honestly. ¡°There are Formations written in some of the books I¡¯ve read, but none of them mentioned plants.¡±


    ¡°Ah! With all due respect, M-Monarch!¡± Jin interrupted hastily, ¡°Any of the basic energy gathering and Chi concentration Formations would be sufficient!¡± He suddenly paled and threw himself into another low bow. ¡°Forgiveness Monarch! It was not my intention to assume!¡±


    With a thought, I conjured a large tome into my right hand. It contained every Formation and Array Sebet and Gric had found within the Divine Patriarch¡¯s Cultivation manuals. ¡°Show me,¡± I insisted, striding onto the shore and using MP to form a bookstand from the nearby stones.


    ¡°Ah! At once!¡± Jin agreed obediently, scampering like a dog eager to please its master. That, or terrified of being found wanting.


    Jin carefully but hastily flipped through the tome, pausing on each page only long enough to confirm its contents before moving on. After a minute of searching, Jin stopped and shakily pointed to the diagram on the open page.


    ¡°This is it!¡± Jin declared awkwardly, his voice cracking slightly. ¡°Hrm! If the garden is surrounded by such a Formation, the plants are sure to flourish!¡± I am sure of it!¡±


    ¡°What do we need to do?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand the characters written into the Formation¡¯s design, but I was reasonably confident I could copy the overall design by using the book as a direct reference.


    ¡°Ah, well...I think we need Spirit Stones...¡± Jin replied anxiously, his face growing pale. ¡°Th-the Formations I have seen have all been made...from...Spirit Stones...¡±


    I let out a deep sigh and fitted a bookmark to mark the page.


    Using my authority, I relocated myself to Ochram¡¯s location and found myself standing on a craggy mountainside.


    ¡°My Tyrant!¡± Cin, one of the one-horned Daemons and Ochram¡¯s apprentice, cried out excitedly in welcome. Her clothes were dirty, caked in mud and clay, but she looked happy. It made me glad to see another one of the Daemons finding fulfilment in their chosen role.


    ¡°Master!¡± Ochram rumbled warmly, his voice causing a minor rockslide nearby. ¡°Your gift was most delicious!¡± He slapped his stomach with one disproportionately large hand and licked his cracked lips with hunger and satisfaction.


    ¡°He ate the Spirit Stone,¡± Gric clarified snippily, clearly irritated.


    ¡°And for that, I apologise,¡± Ochram insisted.


    ¡°And the case?¡± I pressed, affording Ochram a certain degree of grace for his contributions thus far.


    ¡°Still intact,¡± Gric replied calmly, revealing the case firmly clasped in his right hand. ¡°Ochram was about to attempt to replace what he destroyed.¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± Ochram agreed hurriedly. ¡°I mean, I am!¡± He corrected, gathering his MP.


    The ground beneath our feet shuddered violently and began running like water.


    Refusing to panic, I trusted in Ochram¡¯s process.


    Minutes passed and the mountainside continued to shake.


    I could only assume that Ochram was searching for the minerals he needed to form the correct composition for jadeite.


    I wasn¡¯t a geologist, but I was reasonably confident that jadeite was formed from metamorphic rock, and I had no way of knowing if the stone within the Labyrinths followed the same principles from Earth. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My concerns were set at ease as a pillar of green stone emerged from the ground. Several more minutes passed and the pillar continued to grow. After roughly half an hour, Ochram breathlessly ended his Spell and collapsed onto his arse.


    ¡°I have. Done my. Best. Master...¡± Ochram wheezed, slapping at his chest with fistfuls of nearby loose dirt and pebbles as if refreshing himself with water.


    Visually inspecting the stone, it looked rough and wasn¡¯t particularly impressive. However, I was surprised to find that it was particularly receptive to Chi. I wasn¡¯t sure it was up to the same standard as the Spirit Stone. However, comparing it to the case that had contained the lotus, it was clear that the product of Ochram¡¯s labours was superior.


    Provided you ignored the uncut and unpolished exterior.


    Returning to Sanctuary with the small pillar of artificial jadeite and Gric in tow, I found Hana and Jin just where I had left them. Interrupting a conversation in the process.


    Jin shied backward and reflexively snapped into a respectful bow.


    Hana rolled her eyes and turned to me for support. ¡°Tim, can you just tell him to stop this already?¡± She pointed at Jin and released an irritated sigh. ¡°It is incredibly frustrating to have Jin bowing and scraping at anyone that so much as looks in our direction.¡± Hana scowled and looked up at me expectantly. ¡°We are doing something important, aren''t we? So why not give him an official title or something?¡±


    I looked down at Jin, who was determinedly staring down at the ground. ¡°Has he been helpful?¡± I asked, making sure to keep my tone even.


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± Hana stammered, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. ¡°I, ah, yes, I would say he has been helpful...Why?¡±


    ¡°Given the current lack of competition, and his unique qualifications, I could award Jin the title of royal Alchemist,¡± I observed hypothetically.


    ¡°Is that a real title?¡± Hana asked curiously.


    I shrugged, ¡°As real as any other,¡± I replied glibly. ¡°Admittedly, the title would carry greater weight if Jin were actively plying his trade...¡±


    ¡°We are working on that,¡± Hana replied with a sigh and then collected herself. ¡°Will you really give him the title?¡± She asked. ¡°Even if you just made it up, I think it would go a long way toward boosting his confidence.¡±


    I glanced at Jin who had remained determinedly silent throughout. ¡°I will,¡± I agreed and smiled at Hana, ¡°He is the most accomplished Cultivation Alchemist in the entire realm, after all.¡±


    Hana smiled and lightly punched my thigh, ¡°Always so magnanimous!¡± A trail of small flowers bloomed in her hair and she returned to her garden.


    ¡°If you want a ceremony to accompany the title, then I suggest you assist me in ensuring this Formation is constructed correctly,¡± I warned Jin, smirking as I used MP to reshape the jadeite into a large wide-lipped bowl.


    ***** Chul ~ Ruinous Atol *****


    Standing at his Monarch¡¯s side, Ma Chul struggled to repress his frustrations over the command to attend a preliminary trade negotiation in person.


    As head of the Jade Moon Hall, Ma Chul had literally hundreds of subordinates qualified to engage in such low-scale negotiations.


    Making matters worse, Ma Chul knew from personal experience that his Monarch, Yi Gim, would not engage in any meaningful levels of trade through such personal means. There was too much risk involved and too many unknowns to afford to bring anything of substantial value.


    ¡°Hall Master Ma, you have made sure to bring the requested items?¡± Yi Gim asked quietly, his formal robes fluttering elegantly in the breeze.


    Ma Chul bowed respectfully, ¡°Yes, Monarch.¡±


    Offering so many low-level manuals and Alchemy materials presented little risk, but also carried almost no room to generate a meaningful profit. Ma Chul suspected that he may have to take a loss to save face for his Monarch.


    The Western barbarians and their Monarch had only recently been integrated into the greater universe of true Cultivation. Anything they had to offer in exchange would almost certainly be of low quality.


    ¡°And you are confident you have sufficient Spirit Stones for trade?¡± Yi Gim pressed. ¡°I have allowed my grand-niece a stipend should anything catch her eye, but I expect the Jade Moon Hall to cover its own expenses.¡±


    ¡°I understand, my Monarch, and yes, I have brought more than five hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones!¡± Ma Chul replied hurriedly, fearing his Monarch¡¯s wrath.


    Yi Gim frowned slightly and it sent a shiver of fear running down Ma Chul¡¯s spine. ¡°You are confident such a small number of Spirit Stones will be sufficient?¡¯ He asked, with a hint of disappointment in his voice.


    ¡°Do you really think they will have something of value to trade, uncle?¡± Hu Hae asked with barely concealed scepticism.


    Yi Gim was silent for a few moments, considering the question seriously before replying. ¡°I believe they will have something that will surprise us,¡± he replied confidently. ¡°My intuition is rarely wrong. Although, I admit that mercantilism is far from my greatest strength.¡±


    Hu Hae looked as if she was going to speak further but stopped as the barbarians¡¯ representative began crossing the island, signalling a beginning to the proceedings.


    Tall and imposing, the representative had skin the colour of pale jade and the eyes of a serpent. Ma Chul couldn¡¯t sense the man¡¯s internal energy but could feel raw power radiating from his heavily muscled body in waves. Cruel and beautiful to behold, Ma Chul would have believed him to be the Monarch if Yi Gim had not already stated otherwise.


    ¡°Monarch Yi,¡± the representative¡¯s deep commanding voice seized the attention of all in attendance with effortless ease. ¡°The Tyrant wishes to settle a private matter before the discussion of trade.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Yi Gim agreed and motioned for the representative to proceed.


    The representative turned to Hu Hae. ¡°The Tyrant has tasked me with delivering a gift as thanks for what was freely given during our last meeting several days ago.¡± In the span of a heartbeat, he disappeared and then reappeared. Only now, he was holding a jade pot the size of Ma Chul¡¯s head.


    Staggering, Ma Chul nearly fell to his knees as his spiritual perception passed over the jade vessel.


    Removing the lid, the representative angled the pot to reveal its contents.


    Ma Chul felt an intense aura of Chi wash over him and broke into a sweat as his eyes settled on the flower floating in the pot of Chi-enriched water.


    ¡°A midnight lotus?!¡± Hu Hae exclaimed excitedly, her azure eyes flashing with happiness.


    ¡°Just so,¡± the representative replied with the barest hint of a smile.


    Overcoming his initial shock, Ma Chul took a closer look at the jade vessel barely stopping himself from crying out in fury. The jade was of the highest purity he had ever laid eyes upon. Easily of the ninth or perhaps even tenth level of purity. Which only made the amateurish engravings marring its surface that much more offensive.


    To allow such materials to be marred by unskilled hands was a travesty beyond words. Masters of the Masons Hall would carve out their own eyes rather than behold such an injustice.


    ¡°It is now yours,¡± the representative passed the pot and lid to Hu Hae so she may take ownership of it and inspect the midnight lotus more freely.


    ¡°It feels...stronger...¡± Hu Hae looked to her uncle for confirmation, and Ma Chul did likewise.


    Yi Gim nodded sagely in agreement, ¡°At least two stages greater in Water Affinity,¡± he confirmed, motioning to the petals. ¡°See how their inner light ebbs and flows like the tide. It is a sign of higher quality and higher Water Affinity alike.¡±


    ¡°Two stages?!¡± Hu Hae exclaimed breathlessly.


    ¡°Assuming Master Yeo¡¯s skills hold true, I have no doubts that a pill made from this material will increase your Affinity,¡± Yi Gim confirmed with an approving and expectant smile.


    ¡°We have other materials for trade,¡± the representative interjected, ¡°All of similar quality.¡±


    Hu Hae hugged the jade pot and snatched the sleeve of her uncle¡¯s outer robe. A gesture that while endearing, would have resulted in a severe punishment for anyone outside of the Monarch¡¯s family. ¡°Uncle!!!¡±


    ¡°Do not fret, Hue-er,¡± Yi Gim replied confidently, ¡°I gave Master Ma explicit instructions to prepare for such an eventuality. Didn¡¯t I Master Ma?¡±


    Ma Chul¡¯s blood turned to ice water in his veins. Accounting for the Alchemy materials and manuals, the half a million low-grade Spirit Stones, and even his Storage Ring, Ma Chul knew that he had barely enough capital to trade for two midnight lotus of such quality.


    Of course, that was assuming the other Monarch¡¯s trade representative was willing to cut him a deal...


    Mouth dry and hands trembling, Ma Chul swallowed every ounce of pride within his body and kowtowed to his Monarch. ¡°Most honourable Monarch! As the Master and representative of the Jade Moon Hall! I beg you! Please extend me a line of credit for the sake of the realm!!!¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 71 – Exchange and favours – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 71 ¨C Exchange and favours ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 71 - Exchange and favours - Part One


    Watching proceedings from the opposite end of the small island, I was reminded of the question I had deliberately avoided during our last meeting four days prior.


    What was at the top of the Labyrinths?


    I had already pushed the absolute limits on how far I was willing to trust a stranger. A stranger with incentives to see me dead and take everything I had. However, economic co-dependence was a powerful motivational tool in its own right. Now that we had a better understanding of how we could both profit from one another without the need for aggressive overtures, I felt confident that I could press for answers without triggering an irreparable diplomatic incident.


    Of course, I was assuming Yi Gim had the answers I was looking for.


    I had defeated the Divine Patriarch, Yi Gim¡¯s long-term rival, which presumably placed me on at least a similar level of combat capabilities as Yi Gim himself. And I was as far from reaching the top of a Labyrinth as I had ever been.


    I was also assuming that our Labyrinths would be the same, despite little evidence to support such a theory.


    <Judging by how possessively his niece is clutching at your gift, I believe you have made the right choice, Great One.> Sebet praised with unapologetic and painfully blatant sycophantry.


    The efforts of her clones had met with unexpected difficulties in recruiting local bandits to serve as cover and misdirection in their plan to free Enslaved Ogres en masse.


    Put bluntly, someone seemed to be aware of what they were trying to do and was taking steps to eliminate every bandit hideout, haven and bolthole within striking distance of the country¡¯s borders.


    With each failure, it became increasingly apparent that outright military intervention would be required. Causing Sebet¡¯s potential contributions in the matter to decrease in equal measure.


    Not that I blamed them for it. Sebet and her clones¡¯ failures were not from a lack of effort.


    <My Tyrant, the trade representative of Monarch Yi Gim has requested payment involving the exchange of dimensional territories.> Gric reported dutifully. <The Monarch is willing to negotiate, but not with me.>


    <Very well.> I replied, pleasantly surprised by the opportunity to gain even a single territory without the need to fight for it.


    I made my approach toward the centre of the small sandy island with Sebet dutifully following a short distance behind me.


    Yi Gim did likewise. However, his grand-niece was practically champing at the bit, earnestly matching pace with her Monarch in what surely would have been considered a serious breach of impropriety. The fact that Yi Gim did nothing to correct her behaviour was not necessarily a bad thing. If our places were reversed, I may have kept a tighter leash on Pete or Suzy¡¯s behaviour. However, my actions would have been motivated by caution and concern.


    The fact that Yi Gim allowed his grand-niece such latitude was probably due to a combination of pride and confidence in his own abilities and position to protect her. That, or it was a ploy to demonstrate a deliberate lack of formality to make himself more approachable and set himself apart from our peers.


    Like a CEO wearing upscale casualwear at a shareholder meeting.


    Yi Gim bowed his head slightly in greeting and his grand-niece bowed stiffly at the waist, all the while cradling the small jade pot that contained one of Hana and Jin¡¯s modified midnight lotus flowers.


    I nodded in reply and allowed Yi Gim the opportunity to explain himself, despite already being informed by Gric.


    Smiling pleasantly, Yi Gim gestured to the jade pot while seeming to take great care with his actions. Possibly fearing they may be mistaken for an attack, or perhaps required by the multiple layers of ceremonial robes and extravagant clothing he was wearing. ¡°I must offer my sincerest thanks for the gift provided to my niece. I must also admit that it is far greater than I had any right to expect. I had thought that perhaps my gift would prove too much, but now I fear that it will pale in comparison...¡± He shrugged self-deprecatingly and produced an ornately carved wooden case the size of his palm from within the left sleeve of his robes.


    <There is something alive within that container.> Sebet warned.


    Yi Gim offered the case with both hands. ¡°A rare Abyssal Serpent egg,¡± he explained courteously. ¡°As an aquatic celestial beast, it possesses an innate Water Affinity. I had originally intended to hatch the beast myself. However, the most suitable locations within my realm have proven too dangerous to make the attempt.¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s innocuous comment initially passed me by as I waved Sebet forward to accept the gift. However, as my mind began forming the words to inquire about the conditions required to hatch the egg, and what care the beast would need, Yi Gim¡¯s words silently ran through my head once more.


    ¡°There are places within your realm that are too dangerous for you?¡± I asked clumsily, prioritising the meat of the question itself over the precise phrasing in my rush to get at the answer.


    Yi Gim sighed and nodded. ¡°There are several such locations I dare not enter lightly,¡± he admitted with a hint of bitterness. ¡°Oh, in my youth, I Conquered many territories. But my realm was young then. However, while I governed and pursued my Cultivation, so too did the beasts, and there is only so much lesser men and women could accomplish on their own. Inevitably, beasts within the most isolated and Chi-rich locations began breaking through to higher levels of Cultivation.¡± He chuckled wryly and shook his head. ¡°Materials obtained from such beasts are important to the development of future generations of Cultivators, but it is a perilous balancing act. If my presence was detected, it would no doubt trigger a beast wave to descend on nearby cities. Which is a price I do not wish to pay for the sake of my own empowerment and vanity.¡±


    ¡°And you couldn¡¯t just...lock those territories away? Or trade them off to an enemy?¡± I asked, trying not to reveal my suspicions.


    ¡°Walls can only be built so high,¡± Yi Gim replied, shaking his head and releasing a bitter sigh. ¡°Walls of such scale would lack in the strength necessary to stop or even stall the strongest beasts. So such methods are immensely impractical.¡± He gave me a commiserating and apologetic smile. ¡°I fear it is a reality you will no doubt need to address in due time. Culling the beasts in their infancy will provide security but at the expense of the resources they would provide. Stagnation is the death of Cultivation and presents a greater threat than the beasts ever could. At least, that has been the prevailing opinion amongst our peers and is one I personally share.¡±


    <The girl wishes to say something.> Sebet nodded toward Yi Gim¡¯s grand-niece.


    ¡°You do not agree?¡± I asked, looking down at the young woman.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Hu Hae looked to her grand-uncle for reassurance and permission.


    Yi Gim nodded and motioned for her to answer, seemingly curious to hear her answer for himself.


    ¡°Hrm, well, what of the hidden worlds?¡± Hu Hae asked nervously. ¡°Honoured uncle, you have told me that other realms subsist on the resources obtained from the confines of such treasures...¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± Yi Gim agreed. ¡°However, heaven has not seen fit to grace us with such a treasure.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t be made?¡± I raised my right wrist and revealed the Divine Patriarch¡¯s Storage Ring hanging from a thin chain.


    Yi Gim just stared blankly at me for several moments before slowly shaking his head. ¡°I am not familiar with the methods of constructing a Spatial Storage Ring, but I can only imagine that the skill and power required to create a hidden world would be many times greater. Comparing one to the other is akin to comparing rafts to warships...¡±


    ¡°And you possess no other means to partition those territories to isolate the danger?¡± I asked, now all but certain that the differences between our two realms were far greater than I had initially believed.


    ¡°Alas, no,¡± Yi Gim shook his head and shrugged.


    I decided to change the subject to cover for my line of questioning. ¡°I was told you wanted to discuss terms of trade,¡± I prompted.


    Yi Gim nodded amiably. ¡°Indeed. The Cultivation materials you have provided have exceeded our initial expectations by a not-inconsiderable margin. Passing up such an opportunity to acquire materials of this quality is unacceptable.¡± His demeanour intensified tenfold. ¡°Would you be amenable to accepting territory in exchange or perhaps as collateral for a future payment?¡±


    ¡°I am open to negotiation,¡± I replied while doing my best to avoid sounding overly eager. To avoid revealing that Yi GIm was offering something far in excess of what I had originally wanted.


    ¡°I am glad,¡± Yi Gim smiled appreciatively and turned aside, conjuring a massive table. ¡°I have several territories that, while undeveloped, may prove adequate as compensation...¡± A large pot of ink appeared on the table. Flourishing his right hand, Yi Gim sent ink flowing across the recessed surface of the table with his Chi. Within a few moments, the ink began taking on familiar forms, representing mountains, forests, plains and roads. ¡°Unlike the wastes that I ceded during our last meeting, these territories hold considerable potential,¡± he motioned to the far right side of the table with his left hand, drawing my attention to what looked like an expansive mountain range. ¡°These mountains contain several low-quality spiritual jade veins and low-quality ores. I am aware that the jade likely holds little value to you...but perhaps the ores will make this territory worthy of your consideration?¡±


    ¡°What value do spirit ores hold?¡± I asked, wanting to be sure my assumptions were not misplaced.


    The jade itself presented immense value, provided Ochram could refine it into higher grades. But I wasn¡¯t so certain about the ores. Although, technically, the ores were just a different composition of minerals. So Ochram may be able to do the same with them. The Mould Earth Spell, combined with Shape Stone, increased the scope of both Spells. But Ochram possessed senses I did not, so I knew better than to think I could accomplish anything close to what he had done already.


    I made a mental note to ask him to try after I returned.


    ¡°Weapons and armour forged from such ores more readily accept Chi, allowing them greater durability and a higher efficiency in channelling certain Techniques,¡± Yi Gim replied happily, no doubt pleased to upsell the value of the territory.


    ¡°Can they hold Affinity like the plants? Or are they more neutral, like the jade?¡± I asked, still uncertain how the natural laws of the alternate system functioned.


    Yi Gim smiled wryly and slowly nodded. ¡°Indeed, spiritual ores and metals ¡®can¡¯ contain natural Affinities, but it is immensely rare...More often, the ores are artificially impregnated with a desired Affinity from other materials during the smelting process. However, the methods cause the loss of significant degrees of the materials¡¯ Affinity during the process...¡±


    ¡°Making naturally occurring Affinities superior,¡± I observed, increasing the priority of discussing matters with Ochram by several degrees.


    ¡°Just so,¡± Yi Gim agreed. His amiable expression faltered for a moment and his eyes wandered over myself and Sebet, curiosity growing increasingly obvious as he did so. ¡°If I may ask?¡± He motioned to Sebet¡¯s armour. ¡°Why do you wear armour made of stone? I must admit, I cannot sense any Chi within. Are they perhaps treasures from your world?¡±


    ¡°Not as such...¡± I replied hesitantly, unsure how much I wanted to trust someone I had spoken with only once before. ¡°I made them with magic or sorcery...I¡¯m not sure what ¡®you¡¯ would call it...¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and admiration. ¡°Is that how you defeated Chen? Did these sorcerous stone plates turn his Sword Chi?¡±


    ¡°I wore no such armour at the time...¡± I replied dryly, snuffing out the distant flickering embers of lingering guilt with ruthless pragmatism. The Divine Patriarch had made actionable threats against my family and was responsible for massacring his own people. His memory deserved no pity from me.


    Yi Gim¡¯s eyes widened further still, ¡°No armour?...¡± He had obviously misunderstood my meaning, but I saw no benefit in correcting him. ¡°Apologies, I had forgotten that your unique position would afford certain unforeseen advantages...¡± He paused and appeared to be thinking things over. ¡°I intend no offence. However, are you a sorcerer then?¡± Yi Gim asked.


    Technically, I supposed I was.


    I nodded.


    ¡°A sorcerer with such a body...¡± Yi Gim smiled wryly and shook his head. ¡°Forgiveness, please, but stories from the great war portrayed such individuals as frail or even sickly in constitution. To my eyes, you appear as a warrior in the prime of his life.¡±


    ¡°I am something of an exception,¡± I replied, readily admitting to the obvious while keeping the details to myself.


    ¡°I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge a desire to trade for any unwanted treasures you may possess,¡± Yi Gim stated with unreserved longing, causing me to wonder what exactly the stories had promised to stoke such desperate yearning.


    ¡°Many items would hold little practical value,¡± I warned, tempering his expectations. If Yi Gim was serious about trading such items, I would prefer not to jeopardise a long-term trade deal over a simple misunderstanding. ¡°Their extreme durability can also be compromised by certain Techniques, and without mana, you would not be able to repair them...¡± He wouldn¡¯t be able to resize them either, but that was a minor detail in comparison.


    ¡°Ah, I see...¡± Yi Gim¡¯s excitement ebbed somewhat.


    ¡°However, assuming the items work as intended within your realm, there are other items that may interest you.¡± My items had continued to function without issue within the territory of the Challenge, but there were no guarantees that the effects would survive within a Cultivation Monarch¡¯s realm outright. ¡°Resistances to Disease, Poison and the elements, just as an example.¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s interest grew again. ¡°If the rumours from the highest ranking realms can be trusted, such treasures would be invaluable.¡±


    I was capable of gaining just about any Resistance I wanted through Summoning and Synergies, so I didn¡¯t carry such items. However, Sebet did.


    Without being asked, Sebet removed one of the rings decorating her right hand and held it up for all to see. ¡°This is a ring of Lesser Poison Resistance,¡± she purred. ¡°Its effects, as self-explanatory as they may be, are magnified by the wearer¡¯s Toughness. A child given possession of this ring would easily possess the resilience of a grown man of considerable constitution. Worn by a healthy adult, even the most potent Poison¡¯s effects would be considerably reduced or potentially negated entirely. Of course, Poison should not be mistaken for Venom-¡± Sebet removed another ring. ¡°-which is why I wear this for Lesser Venom Resistance.¡±


    Yi Gim stared at the rings with unabashed awe and a covetous gleam in his eyes.


    ¡°Is your need for such items so great?¡± I asked warily, disturbed by the implications.


    ¡°Need? Ah, perhaps not...¡± Yi Gim admitted sheepishly, ¡°However, I will admit that certain beasts, Techniques, even entire clans and a few Monarchs, would present a greatly reduced danger with such treasures on hand...¡±


    ¡°Ten territories,¡± Sebet demanded bluntly, rolling the rings through her fingers with impossible dexterity, speed and flexibility.


    The sheer audacity of Sebet¡¯s demand brought my train of consciousness to an abrupt and chaotic halt.


    ¡°T-Ten territories?...¡± Yi Gim gasped, no doubt as incredulous as I was.


    ¡°Each,¡± Sebet amended casually as if it was an afterthought.


    ¡°Done!¡± Yi Gim roared emphatically, very nearly pouncing on Sebet.


    Even through my shock, I could feel intense satisfaction radiating from Sebet¡¯s telepathic link to my mind.


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 71 - Exchange and favours - 2 of 6


    It took several moments for me to overcome Sebet¡¯s sheer audacity. However, once I did, I was forced to admire her initiative. In the span of a few seconds, and at the cost of mere trinkets, Sebet had secured twenty territories.


    ¡°Uncle?!¡± Yi Gim¡¯s niece baulked, expressing the outrage and concern that I had expected from Yi Gim himself.


    ¡°Hush Hae¡¯er!¡± Yi Gim replied firmly, waving her to silent obedience. ¡°This investment has value beyond your understanding. Trust that I know what is best for the realm.¡±


    Hu Hae bowed her head respectfully. ¡°Of course, uncle...¡±


    ¡°See that your esteemed father has Usan province evacuated,¡± Yi Gim ordered, conjuring a wooden plaque from his Storage Ring and pressing it into her free hand. ¡°You may tell him that there is no cause for alarm and that the costs of relocation will be covered at the expense of the national treasury. Also, express my desire that the relocation be completed with expedience.¡±


    ¡°Yes, uncle,¡± Hu Hae bowed again and retreated to a discreet distance.


    ¡°I expect the territories will be available within four to five hours,¡± Yi Gim announced cautiously. ¡°I trust this delay will not prove too great an inconvenience?¡± He asked with an unmistakable hint of nervousness in his voice.


    <The Divine Patriarch was only one rival of many.> Sebet explained confidently. <We learned as much from the retainer while he was indisposed. But the value of the items has exceeded my initial expectations. Perhaps the boy had misunderstood the depths of his Monarch¡¯s enmity toward this particular rival?>


    I had expected to spend at least some amount of time negotiating and haggling before arriving at a final deal. ¡°I am content to wait,¡± I replied aloud before turning my attention to the telepathic link. <Which rival?¡± I pressed sternly, annoyed that Sebet had not informed me of her intentions in advance.


    <A Monarch known by the title of the Demon of the Fog.> Sebet explained hurriedly, suitably cowed by the reproach. <She is a Cultivator that is said to specialise in poisons and...and is responsible for crippling Monarch Yi Gim¡¯s first daughter...>


    I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Yi Gim conjured further furniture and an assortment of fresh fruits accompanied by bottles of what I assumed was alcohol. Of course, there he didn''t have a chair large enough to accommodate my size, so I contented myself by dragging stones from the beach and shaping them into a throne with magic.


    I abstained from eating but Yi Gim appeared to take no offence. Most likely, he had expected it.


    As time began to drag and small talk grew thin, Yi Gim suggested the inspection of the materials and manuals that had been arranged for trade before they had known the value of what I would offer.


    With little else to do to pass the time, I agreed.


    Unfortunately, it quickly became obvious that there was little I could engage with directly. I couldn¡¯t read the languages contained within the manuals, and while some of the plants and other materials looked familiar, they were otherwise alien to me.


    Irritated, I gathered my MP and Summoned Jin, surprising Yi Gim and his niece in the process.


    ¡°Can you identify these materials?¡± I asked bluntly.


    Jin nervously eyed the Cultivators across the table and began to shake violently.¡±I-I-I-I...¡± He stammered ineffectually while trying, and failing, to shrink in upon himself and hide from sight.


    ¡°Sebet...¡± I sighed with irritation.


    ¡°I will fix him,¡± Sebet promised, having gathered her MP in anticipation of my request even before I made it.


    All at once, Jin stopped trembling. His eyes grew unfocused and all signs of fear fled his face, replaced with a dazed expression of contentment. Without being asked, at least not aloud, Jin turned back to the table and inspected the materials.


    Yi Gim and Hu Hae both shifted uncomfortably, eyeing Sebet warily. An understandable response considering the extreme personality change that took place in front of them. Especially given both of them had also experienced Sebet¡¯s telepathic assault previously, and the Ability she had used on Jin was fundamentally similar.


    ¡°Lions grass, veilberries, ginseng, ironwood, sageleaf, serpents kiss...¡± Jin obediently rattled off the names of the materials one after another, barely pausing for breath.


    ¡°Your servant appears quite knowledgeable,¡± Yi Gim commented conversationally.


    ¡°I was hoping he would,¡± I replied, noticing too late that I had allowed my impatience to taint my words with audible irritation. ¡°Jin is an Alchemist,¡± I added, volunteering the information and softening my tone as a means of apology.


    Yi Gim¡¯s niece gasped in surprise.


    ¡°An Alchemist?¡± Yi Gim exclaimed, ¡°And you can summon him with only a wave of your hand? Impressive, on both counts.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I acquired Jin¡¯s allegiance comparatively recently.¡±


    Yi Gim nodded in understanding, ¡°A sign of the heavens'' favour to be certain,¡± he commented approvingly. ¡°I suspect his Cultivation will grow in time, but I have been told it is not as important for Alchemists. Skill and secrets are said to hold far greater sway in successfully plying their craft.¡±


    I could only take his word for it.


    ¡°You mentioned earlier that beasts are used as materials,¡± I observed, motioning toward several preserved items now laid out on the table and stored within wooden cases of varying sizes. ¡°Could you explain why?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Yi Gim agreed amiably. ¡°I am no Alchemist, but it is rather common knowledge that certain traits of the beasts can be passed on through reinforcement, enhancement and recovery pills. In a similar fashion, hide, bone and tendons may be turned toward the creation of armour and weapons. However, that is an undertaking of a different calling altogether.¡±


    It made sense but I was somewhat disappointed. Given the fantastical nature afforded to the plats and minerals, I had expected the same of the beasts as well. ¡°So a beast''s Affinity could not be passed along in a similar manner to the plants?¡± I asked, wanting to be certain.


    ¡°It is possible,¡± Yi Gim admitted, ¡°But I would stress that it is closer to the exception rather than the rule. Few Alchemists are skilled enough to develop the Affinity-rich beast materials into Affinity fortification pills. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the Affinity fortification pills rely heavily upon the experience the Alchemist holds with the prospective materials. As I stated earlier, skill and experience mean more to an Alchemist than their level of Cultivation.¡±


    With my initial curiosity sated, I was reminded of the question I had forgotten to address previously. ¡°Last we met, we spoke of the Labyrinths,¡± I commented, shifting the subject with the subtlety of a bull.


    ¡°I remember,¡± Yi Gim confirmed, motioning for me to continue.


    I nodded in thanks. ¡°Do you know what lies at the highest level?¡± It was a simple enough question, but I noticed a subtle shift in Yi Gim¡¯s bearing.


    He was afraid.


    ¡°I was never so bold to try for the peak...¡± Yi Gim admitted, deflecting the question. ¡°Pressures from without, the chaos of the great war, held my focus on protecting what territories I held already...¡±


    ¡°You heard no rumours from those who tried?¡± I pressed, refusing to let the opportunity slide.


    Yi Gim¡¯s lips pressed tightly together, disappearing beneath his beard.


    ¡°We can assist you in curing your daughter,¡± Sebet¡¯s promise blindsided Yi Gim, catching him completely off guard. To a lesser extent, she had surprised me as well. However, I trusted in Sebet¡¯s talent for ruthlessly seeking out and capitalising on social advantage.


    ¡°Wh-What?...¡± Yi Gim gasped breathlessly, desperation, incredulity, hope and doubt warring within his eyes.


    ¡°The toxins that ravage your daughter¡¯s body and spirit can be purged,¡± Sebet repeated, elaborating on her original statement with absolute confidence.


    Yi Gim¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, his body tensing in anger. ¡°How?!...¡± He glanced toward his grand-niece and realisation dawned on his face. ¡°How?¡± Yi Gim¡¯s tone had softened, asking rather than demanding.


    ¡°My master has powerful healers,¡± Sebet replied, bowing her head in deference toward me as she did so. ¡°Healers capable of traversing realms and performing even miracles when they must...¡±


    I was unsure whether she was referring to Orphiel and Ophelia, Wrathe, or all three.


    Yi Gim remained silent for several minutes, eyes downcast as he slowly came to a decision. ¡°What is your price?¡± He asked quietly.


    ¡°Information,¡± Sebet replied without skipping a beat.


    Yi Gim¡¯s face contorted several times, shifting emotions like waves in a storm.


    Throughout the exchange, Hu Hae watched silently, seemingly too stunned and uncertain to act.


    Yi Gim looked up, but not at Sebet. Instead, he levelled a determined stare up at me. ¡°I demand an Oath.¡±


    ¡°Only if you swear in kind,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°I have said as much during our last meeting, but I will say it again. There is much I do not know and I value information. If curing your daughter will secure that information, then I am willing to swear an Oath to uphold such a bargain.¡±


    Yi Gim slowly nodded in agreement.


    After exchanging Oaths, I removed a two-foot-long stone rod from my belt and passed it down to Yi Gim. ¡°The head at the far end lies on a threaded screw. Tightening the screw will Summon Wraithe, one of my healers. She may not be able to completely fulfil my Oath on her own. However, her insights will determine how best to proceed.¡±


    Yi Gim accepted the crimson stone rod. ¡°There is something inside...¡± He commented quietly, the hint of distrust in his voice.


    ¡°They are Manastones. A source of power that will Summon Wraithe in my stead,¡± I explained patiently. ¡°You may remove the head of the staff by turning in the opposite direction. However, I must warn you, the Spell will not work without the Manastones. So do not lose them.¡±


    Yi Gim nodded grimly, and after briefly investigating its contents, he stored the rod inside his Storage Ring.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn,¡± I prompted.


    ¡°You must understand, I do not speak of these things lightly,¡± Yi Gim cautioned, hesitating even as he readied himself to speak further. ¡°I have not seen the peak with my own eyes. That much is true,¡± Yi Gim confirmed. ¡°However, the lieutenants and retainers of allies now passed, made sure to pass warnings of what lay within,¡± His face paled. ¡°Heavenly demons...Fallen gods of immense power and boundless cruelty...They brought death, destruction, and ruin upon all that dared trespass in their realm...¡± Yi Gim shivered and his hands trembled. ¡°Once they were awakened, their servants and lieutenants rampaged across the land, leaving nothing but ruin in their wake...Nearly too late, we learned that the heavenly demons could not enter Labyrinths that were not their own. So we retreated to our strongholds and defended our realms as best we were able...¡±


    What he had said didn¡¯t quite fit with what he had told me already. ¡°You said that you were not added to the rankings until the Labyrinths were finished taking in your world,¡± I commented, still uncertain what form that absorption was meant to take.


    ¡°I believe...I suspect...it is the heavenly demons and their minions that prepare the world for the change...¡± Yi Gim replied quietly. ¡°Other Monarchs, from other worlds, have confirmed as much. Yet, I have not seen it for myself...¡±


    ¡°So reaching the peak is to doom the world...¡± I had no guarantees that the fate of these other worlds would be shared by the one I tangentially occupied.


    A shiver ran down my spine.


    How would I know if someone was close to reaching the peak? How would I defend my people?


    My eyes were drawn toward Sebet.


    <I do not know for certain...> Sebet answered in response to my unspoken question. <Heavenly demon has several potential interpretations...However, Demonic Cultivation is sufficiently terrifying that I believe your assumption may prove true...Angels, Daemons, and Devils...it is our kind that may occupy the peaks of the Labyrinths in our world. My memories of my beginning are...vague...and others I am forbidden to give form...But I suspect that the Angels at the least may occupy the peak...Or perhaps their more Evolved brethren.¡±


    ¡°I see it weighs on you,¡± Yi Gim observed, nodding slightly in approval. ¡°It will be many nights until the memories of that time subside once more. However, I hope that this knowledge will prove useful to you and your people.¡±


    I bowed my head slightly in thanks and then motioned to Sebet. ¡°My second has other questions. I would appreciate it if you could answer at least a few more questions while we continue to wait.¡±


    Yi Gim agreed and was relieved when Sebet¡¯s line of questioning was directed away from the Labyrinths and toward Cultivators and Monarch politics instead.


    It was depressing to learn that many Cultivators held callous attitudes toward anyone they deemed weaker than themselves. Worse still, to learn that it was believed to be an inescapable aspect of pursuing Cultivation.


    In purifying their bodies and concentrating their spirit, character defects and negative emotions would be amplified during meditation unless purged regularly. However, the purging process generally took as much time as meditation, delaying the progress of an individual''s Cultivation. As such, less scrupulous Cultivators skipped the purging rituals entirely, relying on spiritual suppressants to avoid catastrophe while ascending to higher levels of Cultivation.


    These defects and concentrated negative emotions were the heart demons that the manuals had spoken of. The more powerful the Cultivator, the more real the heart demons would become. Malevolent spirits could corrupt a Cultivator from within, consuming them and then puppetting their body to unleash incredible devastation.


    The required rituals for purging the heart demons had been included in the prepared manuals, which proved quite the relief after learning of the destruction a possessed Cultivator could inflict before being subdued.


    The politics between Monarchs were less interesting, more or less falling in line with my existing expectations from what Yi Gim had told me already.


    With precious few exceptions, the Monarchs were ruthless. All desired to add territories to their realms and rise through the rankings. However, it was the intended means and methods that varied. Some Monarchs were content with seizing small gains as the opportunities presented themselves, all the while hiding within alliances or paying protection to more capable Monarchs. Others gambled heavily, leveraging their land and people aggressively against their targets. Often losing as much as they gained.


    By his own admission and insistence, Yi Gim considered himself and his cabal of allies to be moderates amongst their peers.


    With only the Divine Patriarch to serve as a comparison, I could only agree and mentally prepare myself for the inevitable deluge of Challenges that were sure to come my way.


    Despite Yi Gim¡¯s overt awe regarding the subject of sorcery, I quickly learned that many Cultivators had Techniques that should be considered magic in their own right. Telekinesis was painfully common, especially amongst the more martially inclined Monarchs. Allowing them to attack with potentially dozens of weapons simultaneously in a whirlwind of overwhelming violence.


    Elemental attacks were even more common. Launching fire, ice and even lightning at their enemies.


    However, Yi Gim claimed it was the niche specialties that posed the most significant dangers. Techniques that impaired or stripped away the senses. Illusions that were indistinguishable from reality. Strikes that paralyzed their victims. Swords that cleaved through matter like water...and poisons that savaged the vitality of the victim...These and many more besides.


    There seemed to be no end to potential Techniques a Monarch could possess. Making it impossible to prepare for all potential eventualities.


    Much to my surprise, Yi Gim animatedly advised against it. Insisting that developing a small number of reliable Techniques and playing to my advantage would prove far more effective.


    Cultivators, and by extension, the other Monarchs, specialised with a burning passion. Limiting themselves to a handful of Techniques to prevent stagnation from divided focus. Techniques could be discarded, but it was a truly rare occurrence due to the requirement of obtaining a Technique the Cultivators themselves believed to be superior and then investing the time to master it.


    The sharing of techniques was a strange subject. Simple, beginner, Techniques were considered fair game and often passed to servants and friends as gifts. However, the Techniques of the clan and family were to be kept an absolute secret, guarded with one¡¯s life. Simultaneously, those same Techniques, when plundered by a rival, may be offered in trade or sold outright. Rarer still, knowledge of a Technique might be deliberately destroyed to prevent a rival¡¯s descendants from benefiting from it.


    The ruthlessness of the Cultivators created a substantial degree of waste, encouraging short-term benefits and gains at the expense of collective progress and stability.


    Yi Gim claimed to do his best in curbing the worst of it, but I came to realise that his control within his realm was considerably weaker than my own. Yi Gim was the Monarch, wielding the political power and authority of a king.


    A king with rivals amongst his ruling aristocracy.


    It came as a considerable shock to Yi Gim to learn that every one of my subjects had sworn Oaths of loyalty and obedience. His shock only increased upon learning the limits of my laws and how little I imposed upon the greater population.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡± Yi Gim admitted, shaking his head in confusion. ¡°How do you support infrastructure without taxes?¡±


    I suppressed a smirk, ¡°I have resources they want, and I offer it in exchange for what I want.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be so simple...¡± Yi Gim challenged incredulously. ¡°Surely greed would make such a practice untenable...¡±


    ¡°Not when someone else will do it,¡± I countered. ¡°That same greed, or personal need, will compel someone else to seize the opportunity before the first person reconsiders and comes to their senses. I rarely make such an offer to just one person, and if I do, that person is usually inclined to agree because they are returning a favour or want to bank one for later.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± Yi Gim replied pensively before letting out a sigh and shaking his head. ¡°If I attempted to extract even a handful of Oaths, it would cause an open rebellion...How did you manage such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I saved their lives,¡± I replied dryly.


    Yi Gim was quiet for a minute or so, just looking up at me with a piercing stare. ¡°All of them?¡± He asked incredulously, ¡°You aren¡¯t exaggerating?¡±


    ¡°Not all of them-¡± I agreed.


    Yi Gim relaxed.


    ¡°-But definitely most,¡± I insisted firmly.


    Yi Gim gave me a wry look. ¡°I am certain there is a story there,¡± he commented with overt interest.


    I shrugged.


    I hadn¡¯t thought of things from that perspective before. Everything had just sort of happened...


    Yi Gim looked disappointed. However, he quickly rallied. ¡°Another exchange then?¡± He offered, ¡°My story for yours? We still have at least an hour before the required relocation effort is completed.¡±


    Hu Hae turned toward her grand-uncle and raised the wooden token in her hand. However, before she could say anything, she was silenced by a weighty look from Yi Gim.


    Technically, I could probably leverage his Oath to compel Yi Gim to provide his origin story without revealing anything further about myself. But I felt no compunction to sour our relationship. Especially since we seemed to be getting along so well.


    Which was odd, since I was reasonably confident I hadn¡¯t given Yi Gim my name. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed, making no attempts at concealing my reluctance.


    Yi Gim beamed and turned to his grand-niece. ¡°Hae¡¯er, my memoirs, please!¡±


    Hu Hae hesitated, glancing warily at myself and Sebet before relenting and withdrawing a thick twine-spined set of books from her Storage Ring and depositing them on the table.


    The thin leather covers bore characters I couldn¡¯t read but bore a simplified but strikingly accurate portrait of Yi Gim¡¯s face on each cover. Comparing each in order revealed that the portraits each represented Yi Gim at different stages of his life, with the odd exception of the first and last volume bearing nearly identical portraits.


    ¡°So you may read at your leisure!¡± Yi Gim insisted enthusiastically. Conveniently ignoring the significant discrepancy in scale.


    ¡°You just so happened to have your biography on hand?¡± I asked dubiously.


    ¡°Uncle has me make copies for practice...¡± Hu Hae muttered quietly, cutting her grand-uncle off before he had the opportunity to reply.


    ¡°Writing practice?¡± I pressed, reasonably certain that a Cultivator wouldn¡¯t waste their time perfecting calligraphy.


    ¡°Ah! Water Affinity practice!¡± Hu Hae elaborated hurriedly, moving her hands and drawing ink from the pot on the table with her Chi. ¡°Uncle says it builds control...¡± I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was profoundly embarrassed.


    I looked pointedly at Yi Gim.


    ¡°It does!¡± Yi Gim insisted adamantly. ¡°And it also builds character!¡±


    Hu Hae groaned in disgust and shook her head.


    Yi Gim looked up at me expectantly, no doubt waiting for me to hold up my end.


    <It was a joke...> Sebet explained wearily. <The Monarch is waiting to see if you share his sense of humour...>


    The young woman¡¯s reaction now made a great deal more sense, and I was inclined to agree with her.


    ***** Wraithe ~ Yi Gim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Bay of Tranquility *****


    Staring at her surroundings, Wraithe felt somewhat at a loss. She was surrounded by human soldiers on all sides and wasn¡¯t sure what she was meant to do.


    The primal instincts locked away in the hind sections of her brain clamoured for release. Demanded Wraithe rip, tear and gorge her way through their ranks until her bloodlust was satisfied.


    Only, Wraithe knew that there was no satisfying those particular instincts and urges. The only way to control them was to starve them out and keep them under tight lock and key.


    After all, losing control during a critical moment in surgery would have horrific consequences for everyone else involved.


    All the same, Wraithe couldn¡¯t help her claws from twitching, which caused the soldiers to draw their swords in turn.


    ¡°Aehrm...¡± Wraithe scanned the crowd of faces and looked for someone in a position of authority. If she was shorter, she may not have seen him, but standing over seven feet tall, Wraithe spied an older man standing by the bedside of a middle-aged woman on the opposite side of the room.


    Directing her senses toward the far side of the room, Wraithe¡¯s nose twitched excitedly.


    She could smell the faint scent of the Tyrant on the old man. More importantly, Wraithe could smell corruption and decay emanating from the bedridden woman.


    In a blur of motion, Wraithe leapt into the air and used the ceiling to bounce over the soldiers and toward the bed.


    Blades whistled through the air behind her, but Wraithe ignored them. She was aware that her current self was merely a projection, and no matter how badly her projection was harmed, her true self would endure.


    What mattered now was attending to her patient.


    Wraithe stepped aside just in time to avoid disembowelment.


    The old man now carried a sword and its blade occupied the space her abdominals had occupied less than a fraction of a second before.


    ¡°If you would step back,¡± Wraithe insisted firmly, ¡°I need to assess the patient!¡± She shooed the old man backward with a sternness only someone who had worked a hundred work hour day in the span of twenty-four hours could manage.


    The old man backed away. He quickly realised what he was doing and prepared to advance anew. However, it didn¡¯t matter, Wraithe was already taking the woman¡¯s temperature and scanning her body with a powerful detection Spell to identify the cause of her poor condition.


    ¡°You are the healer?¡± The old man asked the tip of his sword levelled three inches too low to strike her heart.


    ¡°I am a Surgeon!¡± Wraithe replied automatically out of reflex before catching herself. ¡°Ah, yes, I am a healer...¡± She amended distractedly. The detection Spell was returning a disorienting tide of information and Wraithe was struggling to keep pace and make sense of it all.


    ¡°Can you truly heal her?¡± The old man asked, his sword falling to pointing at the floor, seemingly forgotten despite his tight grip on the blade.


    ¡°Hrmmmm...¡± Wraithe scratched at her large ears and fussed at her whiskers, carefully considering her reply. ¡°I can neutralise the Venoms and Poisons...¡± Wraithe hedged and assessed the remaining MP reserves of her projection. ¡°I can reverse the necrosis...¡± She carefully weighed her options against the theoretical leftover MP. ¡°I could remove the Spirit Possessing her, but it will cause a small amount of damage...A Shaman would prove a better choice.¡±


    Wraithe preferred giving options when there was permanent damage involved in the prospective treatment plan. Especially when the patient¡¯s condition appeared to be relatively stable.


    Their Surgeon hadn¡¯t been competent enough to heal the poor woman, but they had at least stalled the deterioration.


    Wraithe¡¯s eyes drifted to the pair of magical rings adorning the woman¡¯s left hand and her approximation of the local Surgeon plummeted. Magic items were keeping her stable, not the bizarre bowls of smouldering herbs and foul-smelling unguents lathered on the poor woman¡¯s body.


    ¡°She will need a bath drawn,¡± Wraithe demanded, ¡°To remove all of-¡± She pointed at the foul-smelling paste, ¡°-this!¡± Wraithe¡¯s nose twitched in irritation, ¡°And I shall need a mortar and pestle and the best medicinal herbs you can provide!


    Nobody moved.


    Wraithe glowered, extending her rear jointed legs and rising another two feet higher than the surrounding soldiers. ¡°NOW.¡± The word carried every ounce of authority Wraithe could muster, and she was satisfied to see several of the soldiers immediately running to leave the room.


    ¡°Go! Do as it demands!¡± The old man commanded, sending the remaining soldiers falling over one another as they rushed to obey.


    A young woman entered shortly afterwards but came up short as she laid eyes on Wraithe.


    ¡°It is the healer,¡± the old man explained, motioning vaguely toward Wraithe with his sword.


    Wraithe began experimentally dabbing at the thick foul-smelling paste covering the bedridden woman¡¯s fingers and hands. The toxins within her body were so potent that they had saturated and contaminated the paste, rendering it utterly useless and counterproductive.


    Wraithe could feel the toxins attempting to soak through her skin and gain purchase in her flesh and blood. This would have caused her a certain degree of concern, but Wraithe was immune. All the Daemons would have been. Anything short of the most caustic concentrated digestive venom would only prove a momentary inconvenience.


    ¡°Uhm, my name is Hu Hae,¡± the young woman bowed, the veil covering her face slipping briefly and revealing a small patch of burnt skin.


    ¡°You, stand still,¡± Wraithe ordered, wiping her fingers clean and closing the distance between them with lightning speed. She snatched at the young woman''s shoulder with one hand and pulled away the veil with the other.


    The young woman screeched in alarm and kicked at Wraithe¡¯s legs.


    Wraithe ignored the pain and angled the young woman¡¯s face to one side, revealing more of the scar. ¡°Who treated this?!¡± Wraithe demanded angrily, ¡°All this scar tissue and not a single sign that someone attempted so much as a moisturising salve!¡±


    Wraithe removed a projected copy of the burn cream from her satchel with her tail. Its effects would be severely reduced compared to the original, but her confidence in the local humans¡¯ medical supplies was nearly non-existent.


    Still holding the young woman tightly with her left claw, Wraithe removed the cork lid and took a large dollop of the paste with the fingers from her right hand.


    Ignoring the young woman¡¯s cries of fear, Wraithe patiently applied the salve to every inch of scar tissue she could find. Taking care to obstruct the old man¡¯s view with her own body to provide the young woman with a measure of privacy.


    Thoroughly battered, Wraithe spent a small measure of MP.


    The young woman¡¯s cries stopped and a flash of golden light briefly illuminated the room. As the gold light faded, Wraithe felt a surge of intense satisfaction.


    Releasing the young woman, Wraithe returned to the bedside of her original patient and willed her body not to waste MP restoring her body. Tending to the young woman had already drawn the margins tighter than she would have preferred. Besides, the pain would be temporary. Barely more than a flicker in the conscious mind of her true self.


    Wraithe glanced over her shoulder.


    The old man had helped the young woman to her feet and restored her dress to preserve her modesty. However, the young woman was paying him little attention. Instead, she was staring intensely into the distorted reflection afforded by a polished silver platter on the wall and gingerly poking at the pale white skin that had replaced the gnarled scar tissue on her face and neck. Tears ran freely down her face and she had to cup a hand over her mouth to stifle her sobbing.


    Wraithe turned back to the unconscious older woman and allowed herself a moment to indulge in the satisfaction of changing a young woman¡¯s life.


    This was what made the pain worthwhile.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 71 – Exchange and favours – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 71 ¨C Exchange and favours ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 71 - Exchange and favours - Part Two


    I had sent Sebet and Gric to explore the new territories taken in payment from Yi Gim and gave Hana and Jin the combined alchemy materials in addition to the newly acquired Storage Ring. I then had the manuals sent to the library to have translated copies prepared so I could review their contents for myself.


    I decided to keep the most recently acquired territories isolated for the time being. My discussion with Yi Gim had convinced me that deliberately allowing a certain number of energy-rich territories to ¡®grow wild¡¯ may be in the best interests of the Cultivators amongst my subjects. Similar to Zod¡¯s Dungeons and my Labyrinth, Territories could be set to contain beasts of a predetermined strength, serving as training for the Cultivators and a source of alchemy materials.


    Of course, this meant that I would need to inspect the territories for myself and divide them accordingly.


    The new territories were likely to hold far greater levels of ambient energy than those I had taken from the Divine Patriarch. This meant they would also accelerate the development of any Cultivators that remained within for at least a short period of time. However, leaving the territories locked away and giving the beasts time to grow in numbers and strength would accelerate the rate at which the ambient energy would grow.


    Opting for a wait-and-see approach, for the time being at least, I decided that it was high time I confronted the pair of imprisoned Awakened within Sebet¡¯s tower. Sebet had made assurances that, while somewhat unstable, neither man presented a credible threat to anyone besides themselves unless sufficiently provoked.


    With a thought, I relocated myself to Sebet¡¯s tower and let myself inside, ignoring the guards who were falling over themselves in their haste to formally acknowledge my presence.


    Descending into the prison beneath the tower, I found the quarters of the fairy after only a few moments of searching. Whether it was a reflection of her sense of humour, or having anticipated my arrival, Sebet had painted a butterfly-winged outline of a fairy over the steel bands and wooden planks of the door.


    To accommodate the human-sized door, I transformed into my human disguise. Before unbarring the door, I took a few moments to better acclimate to the drastic change in size.


    Opening the door, I was somewhat surprised to find the room beyond was relatively well furnished. Less a prison and more akin to moderately priced accommodations at a reputable inn.


    A young man with dark hair sat in the middle of the room. Stripped to the waist and wearing nothing else besides linen boxers, the young man sat before a painting easel fitted with a blank canvas.


    Looking over his shoulder, it took me a few moments to process the image on the canvas.


    Bloody hands clutched at ruptured intestines in the rain, attempting to press them back inside the stomach of a young man in a blackened bloodstained uniform, half submerged in a pool of bloody mud and water.


    ¡°It¡¯s not finished yet...¡± The young man commented quietly, dabbing his brush at the blended red paint on the palette held in his left hand. ¡°I¡¯ll set it aside like the others when I¡¯m done...¡±


    I looked around the room for a second time but saw no signs of another painting.


    ¡°Was there something you...wanted...¡± The young man had turned to look over his shoulder and appeared confused by my presence. ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked, almond-shaped eyes narrowing slightly with concern. ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to be here...¡±


    ¡°We have met before,¡± I replied, ¡°Although I don¡¯t recall exchanging names at the time.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t narrow it down pal...¡± The young man frowned and looked pointedly toward the door. ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll forget you were here, but the longer you stay, the more trouble you will be in,¡± he warned.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± I replied calmly.


    The young man was about to say something else but stopped. He appeared confused. ¡°You sound familiar...¡±


    ¡°I would say the same, but except for the American accent, that would be a lie.¡± I hadn¡¯t expected to find the fairy in human form and the change in scale had drastically changed his voice. ¡°I¡¯m the one who found you in that Dungeon,¡± I prompted, deliberately deepening my voice.


    The young man¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°You! You¡¯re the Aussie!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I am, although I go by Tim.¡±


    ¡°Daniel, erm, Dan,¡± the young man replied hurriedly, setting aside his brush and paints. He smiled nervously and extended his right hand.


    I extended my own and gave his hand a firm shake in greeting.


    ¡°I uh, thought you were taller?¡± Dan joked nervously, ¡°And paler too.¡±


    ¡°This is just temporary,¡± I replied with a smirk. ¡°This room would be uncomfortably cramped for the both of us otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I guess it would, hehe,¡± Dan scratched at the nape of his neck and began to fidget. ¡°So, uh...Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you some sort of bigshot?¡±


    ¡°I came to talk with you,¡± I admitted, ¡°To see if you could be reasoned with.¡±


    Dan seemed confused.


    ¡°Do you remember what we spoke about in the Dungeon?¡± I asked, guiding the conversation.


    Dan nodded.


    ¡°You seem much more stable,¡± I observed while deliberately avoiding looking at the painting.


    Dan cringed slightly in response. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take credit for that...¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Assigning credit wasn¡¯t the cause for raising the subject,¡± I clarified. ¡°I wanted to speak with you and gain a better understanding of your character. Judging you at your worst holds a certain degree of relevance, but mostly only if you had remained that way.¡±


    Dan furrowed his brow slightly in response. ¡°I¡¯m being judged?...¡± He asked cautiously.


    ¡°Assessed would be a better word for it,¡± I amended. ¡°To see whether you can be trusted to leave this tower and-¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to leave!¡± Dan interrupted, backing away defensively and nearly toppling the easel in the process.


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± I asked, caught off guard by the unexpected response.


    ¡°The Devil! She said I could stay here as long as I wanted!¡± Dan exclaimed with an increasingly manic tone of voice.


    I took three slow and deliberate steps back toward the door. ¡°I never intended to force you to leave. Only to determine if you could.¡± Seeing I had done more damage than good, I saw myself out. ¡°If there comes a time where you change your mind, just say as much to Sebet. I¡¯ll return then.¡±


    Closing the door, I saw Dan sit down on the bed and bury his face in his hands. I felt a profound sense of pity for the man and decided to leave him be. PTSD treatment and rehabilitation were outside of my skill set, so I had to trust that Sebet knew what she was doing. Or rather, that her motives and methods were at least nominally in his best interests.


    Leaving the prison, I used my authority to guide me to the second Awakened.


    Unlike Dan, Terry had been given a considerable degree of freedom after swearing oaths of fealty and obedience to the laws. However, he was still restricted to the territory until a small number of conditions were met to my satisfaction.


    Specifically, Terry needed to change his Class, increase his Willpower, and demonstrate he could control his bestial alter-ego to the point that it wouldn¡¯t slip out of its own accord.


    Wandering the training grounds beneath the shadow of Sebet¡¯s tower, I found Terry stripped to the waist and lifting free weights apart from the other men and women training on the grounds.


    After what had happened with Dan, I chose to continue observing from a distance for a while longer.


    Abandoning the weights, Terry began punching and kicking a half-buried log that served as a crude alternative for a punching bag.


    Without warning, his hands and fingers turned to claws and Terry began slashing at the log instead.


    Despite the savagery of Terry¡¯s attacks, the intense focus in his eyes and the strict rhythm of his strikes made it clear that he was still very much in control.


    For an hour, Terry slowly rotated his position around the log, carving at its face more or less equally on each face. However, instead of striking through what remained of the core, Terry caught himself and backed away, changing his claws back into human hands once more.


    Panting heavily and slick with sweat, Terry nodded grimly to himself and pushed the upper portion of the log, snapping the core and driving the broken portion safely to the ground before turning on the portion still buried at his feet. Transforming his hands into claws again, Terry knelt down, anchored them into the log and heaved. Making sure to lift with his legs and not his back, the submerged portion of the log came free seemingly without effort.


    Dropping the lower half alongside its fellow, Terry sat on the log and continued panting, his long brown hair hanging wetly around his face as it absorbed his sweat.


    Seeing an opportunity, I made my approach.


    I had only taken a few steps before Terry lifted his head and looked directly at me from across the grounds. In and of itself, this was not particularly surprising or noteworthy. Awakened had a way of identifying one another that transcended traditional means.


    His current Species, Moonsoul Lycan, had Feral Senses, which enhanced his senses to the same levels otherwise present during his transformed state. So there was also a decent chance that Terry had recognised me by sense of smell.


    Closing the distance between us at a casual pace, I remained very much aware of Terry¡¯s unblinking stare.


    Unarmed and unarmoured as we both were, I suspected thoughts of violence must have entered his mind, even if they were fleeting. Emulating the physical form of a Human, I was certainly at my weakest. However, it did not make me weak. I suspected Terry knew this as well.


    I conjured a bucket of water from the washroom inside of the tower and set it down on the ground between us as a gift. ¡°Hello, Terry. Are you doing well?¡± I asked, taking care to watch for signs his control may slip.


    Terry gratefully took up the bucket and upended it over his head and back, gulping down a few mouthfuls of the cool clean water in the process. Setting the bucket aside, Terry rose to his feet and looked me straight in the eyes, revealing intense silver-blue irises. ¡°Doing better,¡± he grunted somewhat shortly before clearing his throat and taking a deep calming breath. ¡°I am doing better, thanks for asking.¡±


    ¡°Have you settled on a class?¡± I asked curiously, not attempting to conceal my interest.


    Terry slowly shook his head and cast his eyes downward in visible disappointment and frustration. ¡°None of them have Willpower,¡± he complained bitterly. ¡°Any that do, require it to begin with!¡±


    I nodded in understanding.


    I had already reviewed Terry¡¯s Status and confirmed the state of his Willpower and the Classes he had unlocked thus far. However, his opinions and feelings on the matter were part of the test.


    ¡°But I can see your level of control has increased significantly from the effort,¡± I noted, giving credit where it was due.


    Terry smiled briefly but quickly frowned again. ¡°Another year and I might be able to stop it from getting out entirely...¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t one of the conditions, Terry,¡± I interjected firmly.


    Terry looked at me in confusion, ¡°You said-¡±


    I struck Terry across the face with an open palm, very nearly dislocating his jaw in the process.


    ¡°Wha?!-¡± Terry staggered, confused but alert. He nearly managed to dodge the returning backhand but wasn¡¯t quite fast enough and caught it on the nose.


    I swept his legs out from under him and watched Terry fall to the mud before firmly planting my right foot on his sternum.


    Stunned, Terry clawed at my trouser leg in an attempt to throw me off and allow him to breathe.


    I removed my foot and stepped back.


    Blood running down his face from his broken nose, Terry glared up at me with barely contained fury raging behind his eyes. Dragging himself to his feet, he clenched his fists and leaned in close, leaving less than a finger¡¯s breadth between his face and my own. ¡°WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!¡± He roared savagely, the lurking presence of his alter ego adding a depth and danger beyond what normal men were capable of.


    ¡°Proving a point,¡± I replied calmly.


    ¡°What?!¡± Terry snarled angrily. ¡°What point?!¡± He demanded, chest heaving like mighty bellows and sending bloody spittle from his mouth to spatter against my face.


    ¡°That your efforts haven¡¯t been a waste. That I can trust you to face violence and not immediately succumb to the desires of your other self.¡± I made a point of looking downward at his clenched fists.


    Terry did the same. However, in his agitated state, it took him several long moments to catch my meaning.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t change,¡± I observed approvingly. ¡°Even after I struck you, made a show of harming and humiliating you, you remained yourself. You remained in control.¡±


    Terry unclenched his muddy fists and stared at his hands in shock. ¡°I...I was in control...¡± He seemed to be struggling with the reality of the situation and had begun shaking his head in confusion.


    ¡°Your old Class held far more responsibility than you might think,¡± I explained patiently. ¡°Combined with low impulse control and a massive amount of stress, you were a ticking time bomb. However, removing that class, giving you a goal to provide structure, and a safe environment to decompress, has allowed you to make real choices again. Choices beyond mind-melting pain and its absence...¡± I remembered the pain vividly and understood what it was like to have choices and options stripped down to the barest minimum.


    Terry remained silent, but I could see newfound clarity taking shape behind his eyes.


    Of course, I chose not to mention the fact that his hesitation may have been attributed partially to a rational part of his brain acting out of self-preservation. Strictly speaking, our confrontation may not have qualified as training, and fighting back may have literally cost his life as a result of his Oaths.


    It would have undermined the core point I was making, so I erred on the side of discretion. Besides, as the aggressor, the burden and punishment extracted by the Oaths would have been on me.


    Provided they applied to me in the first place...


    Waiting for Terry to collect himself, I conjured a barrel of water so he would be able to clean off the worst of the mud and dirt.


    Wetting my hand, I wiped off the blood from my face and chest. Such things didn¡¯t bother me as much as they used to, but I didn¡¯t have much else to do and decided to make the most of the opportunity.


    ¡°Now, I just need a Class. Right?¡± Terry asked hesitantly. ¡°Something that will increase my Willpower. Then I¡¯m free, right?¡±


    ¡°You have met my conditions already, but I would appreciate the gesture,¡± I replied supportively.


    ¡°Really?¡± Terry looked up at me in surprise. ¡°I could leave? Right now?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want. You have sworn the Oaths and put in the effort. I¡¯m a man of my word, and you are free to leave whenever you decide you are ready.¡± It wasn¡¯t a test in so many words, but I had a task and an opportunity for Terry, provided he was willing to take it.


    ¡°There¡¯s something you aren¡¯t telling me...¡± Terry¡¯s eyes narrowed suspiciously.


    ¡°The others, the Lesser Lycans the Confederates were using as shock troops. We have captured many of them, taken control over their Slave Bonds just as I did with yours,¡± I explained patiently. ¡°I want to rehabilitate them, but I can¡¯t. At least, not without your help.¡±


    Terry scrunched his face in confusion. ¡°Why would you need my help?¡± He demanded warily.


    ¡°I am just another Master, another Slaver, in their eyes. Many have been pushed too far, seen too much...Been forced to do things they cannot reconcile with...¡± I released a deep sigh and motioned for Terry to clean himself up. ¡°As damaged as you are, as damaged as you believe yourself to be, somehow, I managed to reach you...¡± I took a few moments to gather my thoughts. ¡°There are thousands of them, Terry. We have tried helping them, but we can¡¯t reach them. We, I, need someone they can look up to, someone they can trust.¡± I stared Terry straight in the eyes. ¡°I want you to help me save them.¡±


    Terry baulked. ¡°I¡¯m no saviour!-¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± I agreed calmly. ¡°I just...I just need you to show them that there is a way out...Show them that if they put in the work, they can rebuild their lives...¡±


    Terry had been backing away but now he hesitated. ¡°Why do you care?¡± He demanded quietly. ¡°Why run around saving people when they don¡¯t owe you anything?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how I was raised,¡± I replied calmly.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious?!¡± Terry snarled incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to stand there and tell me that you do all this just because your parents told you to?! That it has nothing to do with being king and lording over-¡±


    ¡°Parent,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°What?!¡± Terry lost his momentum as he tried to take in what I had said.


    ¡°Parent, singular,¡± I elaborated. ¡°My mum raised me on her own.¡±


    ¡°How does that make any difference!¡± Terry demanded.


    ¡°Because she wasn¡¯t much older than I am now when she found a half-starved and deathly dehydrated infant abandoned in the garbage and decided to take on a responsibility the infant''s own mother had refused...¡± I tried my best to keep my voice steady but couldn¡¯t quite manage it. ¡°I exist because my mother chose to make her life more difficult. Because she decided to change another person¡¯s life for the better.¡±


    Terry averted his eyes. ¡°I...I didn¡¯t...¡± He muttered stiffly through his clenched jaw.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for your pity, Terry. I just want you to think things over before making your decision,¡± I explained quietly. ¡°Our actions have consequences, and so does our choice of inaction.¡± I turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait...¡± Terry hissed reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m not the right person for this...You know that...¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I agreed. ¡°But we won¡¯t know for certain if you won¡¯t try.¡±


    Terry remained silent.


    ¡°I would have preferred you volunteered before offering the reward,¡± I admitted with a sigh. ¡°However, if it helps you make up your mind, so be it.¡±


    ¡°Reward?¡± Terry commented suspiciously.


    ¡°To give you the best chance of reaching those in most urgent need of your help, I will give you the means to Evolve further and provide a title to unlock a Class that will adapt and change alongside you.¡± Looking over my shoulder, I was gratified to see an expression of stunned confusion on Terry¡¯s face. ¡°Each Species has a leadership caste and Evolution that makes them the literal default leaders of their Species. If we are lucky, you will unlock such an Evolution for yourself.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? I¡¯m not a leader-¡± Terry protested.


    ¡°I know...¡± I admitted. ¡°But the Evolution carries benefits that will compensate for it. Trust me.¡±


    Terry shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re assuming I can even unlock the damned thing in the first place,¡± he countered.


    ¡°Terry...You remember what I said about the Labyrinths, what they want us to do?¡± I prompted.


    Terry nodded.


    ¡°The Abilities of the leadership caste Evolutions multiply the destructive potential of an Awakened with each subject of their Species the Awakened can gather. The destructive potential is completely insane...¡± I slowly shook my head and sighed. ¡°Now tell me that doesn¡¯t sound like something the Labyrinths wouldn¡¯t try to rig as a desired outcome?¡±


    Terry flinched but quickly rallied. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who keeps banging on about the Labyrinths,¡± he countered. ¡°For all I know, you could have lied about everything!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I agreed impassively. ¡°I could also be wrong,¡± I pressed, surprising Terry further. ¡°But what do you have to lose?¡±


    Terry remained silent.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie to you Terry,¡± I promised. ¡°Because the adaptive Classes take on parts of the other Classes you have previously unlocked. There is a chance that -¡±


    ¡°Those other Abilities will come back...¡± Terry interjected dryly, shifting uncomfortably and still refusing to meet my gaze.


    I nodded.


    A long silence passed between us and Terry appeared to arrive at a decision.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it...¡± Terry agreed, his voice laden with reluctance, hesitation and a not-inconsiderable amount of fear.


    I had become increasingly worried that he would refuse. So Terry¡¯s response came as quite a welcome surprise.


    Sparing a few moments to allow Terry to clean himself up, I relocated the both of us into the swamp.


    ¡°At this point, it¡¯s seen as something of a tradition,¡± I explained, offering Terry a large Taming Collar.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking...¡± Terry insisted, eyeing the nearby partially submerged log that wasn¡¯t really a log.


    I shook my head. ¡°Children have done this,¡± I added, stretching the truth somewhat.


    ¡°No way...¡± Terry scoffed. ¡°Kids have really wrestled crocs and gators?!¡±


    ¡°Wrestled and tamed,¡± I corrected. ¡°Yeah, they have. It¡¯s actually far safer than you think. So long as you don¡¯t take unnecessary risks-¡±


    Terry gave me a deadpan stare.


    ¡°Just wait for it to leave the water first, and remember that the jaw muscles are far weaker at opening than they are at closing,¡± I warned, giving the same advice I gave everyone else.


    ¡°This feels so needlessly dangerous...¡± Terry complained, shaking himself to limber up.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°Which is why it''s considered something of a right of passage amongst the teens and young adults.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me...¡± Terry cursed, taking several steps back as the Swamp Lurker began clawing its way up the bank.


    ¡°If you want, I could immobilise it for you?¡± I offered.


    Terry said nothing and continued watching the Swamp Lurker as it ever so slowly stalked closer. ¡°You said kids do this? You weren¡¯t lying?¡± He asked nervously.


    ¡°When we visit Sanctuary proper, you will struggle to find a teen over three feet in height without some form of pet,¡± I replied honestly. ¡°With the Goblins and Kobolds, it¡¯s closer to a hundred percent.¡± I used my hand to roughly represent the height of said individuals.


    ¡°Fuuuuuck...¡± Terry groaned and lowered himself into a tackling stance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bait it for you,¡± I volunteered, moving forward with a confidence that surprised even myself. I had done as much as a hundred times or more, often for small children and going so far as to physically clamp the jaws shut on their behalf.


    ¡°I uh, I guess this is the sort of thing you Aussies do all the time, eh?¡± Terry observed nervously while trailing a couple of steps behind me and to the right.


    ¡°Oh hell no!¡± I replied, glancing at Terry from the corner of my eye while keeping an eye on the Swamp Lurker. ¡°People who do that sort of thing are crazy! Saltwater crocs are fucking dangerous!¡±


    Terry nearly tripped on a root but managed to catch himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look,¡± I demanded. ¡°Danger is relative. Things are different in this world!¡± I leapt forward, provoking the Swamp Lurker into a lunge aimed at my left arm before hurriedly turning to the side.


    The Swamp Lurker¡¯s jaws clacked harmlessly closed and it whipped its head to the side as fast as it was able to make sure I stayed within its sights.


    ¡°I¡¯d do it now!¡± I suggested, unable to stop myself from smiling as I nodded toward the hissing jaws of the Swamp Lurker.


    Terry took a firm grip on his rope and grimaced.


    I waved my hand through the danger zone, provoking the Swamp Lurker into snapping again and keeping its attention focused solely on me.


    Terry leapt forward, slamming bodily onto the back of the Swamp Lurker, winding himself in the process. However, he persevered and grappled the Swamp Lurker¡¯s mouth shut and fumbled the noose over its snout and lower jaw. In a frenzy of adrenaline, Terry frantically wrapped the rope around its jaws until he nearly ran out of rope and lost his handhold.


    ¡°Forget the rope!¡± I called out in warning. ¡°Get the collar on!¡±


    Terry was nearly thrown off the Swamp Lurker¡¯s back as it began to thrash in earnest.


    Stepping in, I took hold of the loosening ropes and slammed the Swamp Lurker¡¯s head into the mud. Still, in my Human form, it was an odd experience to merely stun the Beast instead of killing it outright. ¡°The collar!¡± I repeated, lifting the Swamp Lurker¡¯s head and preparing to slam it again if Terry wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    More frantic than before, Terry somehow managed to slip one end of the collar under the Swamp Lurker¡¯s Head. After fumbling with the straps for a few moments, he managed to slip the tongue through the buckle and snap it shut.


    All at once, it was over.


    ¡°Chil-dren-do-this?¡± Terry panted breathlessly, rolling off the Tamed Swamp Lurker and into the recently mixed mud beside it.


    ¡°They do,¡± I grinned. ¡°But they practise on the Tamed ones first.¡±


    ¡°You-fuck-ker!¡± Terry swore with a manic grin on his face.


    I pulled the rope off of the Swamp Lurker¡¯s jaws and then helped Terry to his feet.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Terry wheezed, rubbing at his chest and wincing painfully.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to keep him,¡± I motioned to the Swamp Lurker off-handedly, ¡°You can always sell it or give it away to one of the hunter families.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Terry looked confused. ¡°You mean, after all that, I should just give it away?¡± He demanded incredulously.


    ¡°Do you want a pet croc?¡± I asked sceptically. ¡°You haven¡¯t even sorted out your new living arrangements yet, and they need a fair amount of space.¡±


    ¡°I...well...no...¡± Terry looked down at the obedient Swamp Lurker and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s just...After all that...Giving it away...it feels weird...¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You get used to it.¡±


    Terry grunted noncommittally.


    Walking back toward Sanctuary, I pointed out the different families of hunters moving about the swamplands.


    ¡°Why are they staring at us like that?¡± Terry asked nervously.


    ¡°Not many Humans are allowed near Sanctuary, and fewer still are allowed inside,¡± I replied.


    ¡°But we aren¡¯t human...¡± Terry challenged, ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know that,¡± I countered. ¡°But it¡¯s fine, one of the Daemons will let us in.¡±


    ¡°Demons?¡± Terry looked concerned for all of three seconds before shrugging it off. ¡°There¡¯s a Devil, so why not demons?¡± He muttered to himself. ¡°Next you¡¯re gonna tell me there are angels too,¡± he snorted derisively.


    I said nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking...¡± Terry gasped incredulously. ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?!¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Orphiel and Ophelia. Technically, they are Fallen Angels, but there are regular Angels out there somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell...¡± Terry swore.


    ¡°Does that mean...you know?¡± Terry glanced uncomfortably toward the sky.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, uncertain what he was talking about.


    ¡°Is God real?¡± Terry whispered with a paranoid glint in his eye.


    ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied indifferently. ¡°If God does exist, I haven¡¯t seen any evidence of it. But this could just as easily be a forest for the trees kind of situation, you know?¡±


    Terry took a few moments to think it over and nodded.


    Approaching the checkpoint, Terry and I took our place in line behind the traders and visiting dignitaries.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just skip the line?¡± Terry whispered.


    ¡°We could,¡± I agreed offhandedly. ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t get the full experience otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Like if I practised on a tamed croc first?¡± Terry asked, narrowing his eyes and glaring accusingly.


    I nodded, taking no offence and accepting no guilt.


    Terry frowned. ¡°Why does it matter?¡±


    I gathered my thoughts and seriously considered the question. ¡°I want you to appreciate what I have built,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°Appreciate why things are the way they are.¡±


    ¡°And wrestling a giant crocodile is meant to help with that?¡¯ Terry asked uncertainly.


    ¡°A little,¡± I agreed. ¡°Most of the monsters within Sanctuary are tribals. Hunting and gathering what they need from the environment was a way of life for them.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡± Terry interjected.


    ¡°Progress marches on,¡± I replied. ¡°To increase their quality of life, and avert a handful of disasters in the making, I had to introduce them to certain aspects of modern civilization.¡±


    ¡°And by modern you mean,¡± Terry paused and gave me a conspicuous look, ¡°Modern.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± I nodded, deliberately ignoring the people ahead of and behind us.


    The key to hiding in plain sight, or so I had learned, was to act as if nothing strange was transpiring in the first place. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Sanctuary has schools, a hospital, and an impressive library donated largely by the Asrusians,¡± I explained with a small measure of pride. ¡°And yet, families continue to hunt, just as they always have.¡±


    Terry was about to say something in reply, perhaps even ask another question. However, he quickly fell silent.


    Following his gaze toward the checkpoint, it quickly became obvious why.


    Easily five times the size of the nearest wagons and with shimmering amber scales, Dar watched the procession pass him by with intense focus. Two pairs of reptilian eyes glared intensely at everything that moved, while a third pair were set upon Terry and myself.


    I let Terry stew a little before choosing to explain things. ¡°That¡¯s Dar, one of the Daemons I was talking about.¡±


    Wide-eyed, Terry didn¡¯t seem able to stop himself from staring. ¡°He¡¯s fucking huge...¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°About half Ushu¡¯s size now, I think. Although Dar¡¯s definitely heavier.¡±


    ¡°Ushu? Is that another demon?¡± Terry asked distractedly.


    ¡°Hehe, no,¡± I chuckled, unable to stop myself. ¡°Ushu¡¯s a Dragon.¡±


    Terry very nearly tripped over his own feet. ¡°You¡¯re serious?!¡±


    I nodded, smiling to myself.


    ¡°And we will get to see it?!¡± Terry whispered excitedly.


    ¡°Almost certainly,¡± I confirmed. ¡°If you play your cards right, you might be able to convince Dhizi or Copper to give you a ride.¡±


    ¡°Dhizi? Cooper?¡± Terry looked at a loss again.


    ¡°Dhizi¡¯s a...Wyvern?¡± I scratched at my chin and realised I hadn''t checked her Status in quite a while. ¡°Anyway, Cooper is Ushu¡¯s daughter, and far cheaper to bribe into offering rides.¡±


    Terry was still mulling things over when it was our turn at the checkpoint.


    I conjured a roasted Swamp Lurker and dropped it in front of Dar. ¡°A snack to help tide you over,¡± I chuckled, rubbing his scaly jaw as he curled his long tongue around the Swamp Lurker and swallowed it whole.


    ¡°PRO-CEDE,¡± Dar chuffed happily, slowly waving and undulating his long crocodilian tail.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± I promised, giving his jaw a good thump and earning a meaty rumbling hiss of happiness in return.


    With Dar having the final say over who could pass through the checkpoint, the guards let us through without challenge. Although I was fairly certain one of the younger Human guards recognised my Human alter ego.


    ¡°That thing was acting like a giant puppy...¡± Terry whispered incredulously.


    ¡°His name is Dar,¡± I insisted, shooting Terry a warning glare. ¡°And yeah, he kinda is. Most of the Daemons are like that underneath it all. They''re just kids really.¡±


    ¡°You''re joking!¡± Terry demanded.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I shook my head determinedly. ¡°Monster kids mature differently to people. It¡¯s weird to deal with sometimes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s weird to deal with?¡± Terry commented incredulously. ¡°Not, say, the fact that guy is like a hundred times your size?!¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± I waved Terry off dismissively. ¡°The whole size thing isn¡¯t as big a deal as you may think. Besides, smaller Daemons can be just as dangerous...¡± I felt an involuntary shudder as I thought of Ril.


    Meeting another Daemon at the second checkpoint, we passed into Sanctuary proper.


    ¡°That one was...different...¡± Terry commented distractedly.


    ¡°Senn?¡± I nodded in agreement, ¡°She tends to know what she wants and won¡¯t apologise for it. Not much of a team player, but she has an independent streak. Which has its advantages.¡±


    Terry was going to say something else but became distracted as a group of Elves passed us by on their way to the orchards.


    ¡°Were those elves?!¡± Terry hissed, eyes wide with awe and a hint of lust.


    ¡°They are,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°You didn¡¯t see many kinds of humanoid monsters until now?¡±


    Terry hesitated for a moment and then shook his head. ¡°Nothing that looked so human, just...what''s the word? Mostly human, you know?¡±


    ¡°Like the Gnolls?¡± I nodded toward a small pack of female Gnolls on their way to the merchant district to sell their wares.


    ¡°Yeah, like them,¡± Terry agreed.


    ¡°Anthropomorphic,¡± I replied. ¡°It means having human characteristics.¡±


    ¡°Right...besides the others, all I remember fighting are monsters like that,¡± Terry commented quietly. ¡°Them and ordinary people...¡± Darkness passed behind his eyes but gradually disappeared.


    We passed a small lake that was set aside for communal leisure, allowing Terry to witness a broad cross-section of Sanctuary¡¯s monstrous population.


    One of the Goblin teens approached us directly. ¡°Can have?¡± She asked sweetly, pointing to the Swamp Lurker and flashing a smile that held an alarming higher ratio of tooth than it did smile.


    Confused and uncertain about what to do, Terry looked to me for help.


    I shrugged. ¡°If you don¡¯t want him, now¡¯s the chance to pass it along.¡±


    The Goblin girl¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Yes, Teek take!¡± She agreed animatedly.


    Still uncertain, Terry hesitated.


    The Goblin warily glanced over her shoulder and back at her friends who were watching proceedings with avid interest. ¡°Teek give thing!¡± She offered, pulling a small iron spinning top from a large single pocket that covered her stomach. The Goblin, Teek, critically assessed Terry¡¯s reaction for signs of interest before replacing the spinning top in the pocket and fishing out another item.


    This repeated several times before Terry accepted a Swamp Lurker tooth necklace.


    After coaching Terry through the transfer process, we both watched as Teek giddily rode her newly acquired pet back toward her friends. Once the Swamp Lurker reached the water, they began taking turns, three at a time, riding the Swamp Lurker around the lake.


    ¡°Did I just get ripped off?¡± Terry asked, dubiously inspecting his newly acquired necklace.


    ¡°Given you didn¡¯t pay for the taming collar in the first place?¡± I qualified. ¡°No, I¡¯d say you¡¯re definitely ahead overall.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...not what I meant...¡± Terry muttered, flushing slightly with embarrassment. ¡°I mean, it just feels like I sold the family cow for a handful of magic beans...¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all relative,¡± I insisted. ¡°If you tried to sell the croc on the open market, I think you would quickly discover that the collar I provided was worth considerably more than the Beast himself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking,¡± Terry seemed at a loss. ¡°How could that collar be worth more than that giant murder machine?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s magic, and because it contains the Manastone from a much stronger monster,¡± I replied matter of factly.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that sooner?!¡± Terry demanded.


    ¡°Because you needed to learn the lesson at some point, and at least this was low stakes compared to what may come later,¡± I chastised him, refusing to feel guilty over it. ¡°Technically, all you have done is trade something of mine for a neat keepsake.¡±


    ¡°Assuming we ignore the whole life or death croc wrestling in the swamp...¡± Terry replied, deadpan.


    ¡°You¡¯re making it out to be a much bigger deal than it was,¡± I sighed. ¡°At worst, you might have dislocated one of your arms before I could step in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being serious right now?¡± He demanded incredulously.


    ¡°I am,¡± I agreed neutrally. ¡°Again, I will remind you that things are different here. Wrestling and Taming Swamp Lurkers is not the life or death struggle you are making it out to be.¡±


    Terry scowled. ¡°You¡¯re telling me, that if you had a kid-¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I interjected.


    ¡°What?¡± Terry looked confused.


    ¡°I do have a kid,¡± I repeated. ¡°Two actually, twins.¡±


    Terry stared at me for several moments before seeming to regain a grip on his earlier momentum. ¡°Right, well, you¡¯re saying you would be totally okay with one of your kids wrestling one of those crocs out in the swamp?!¡±


    ¡°I would,¡± I replied calmly.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Terry swore.


    ¡°I think you might understand why once you have met them,¡± I cautioned.


    Terry¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°Fuck...¡± His anger ebbed and I could only guess that he realised how poor a comparison he had unintentionally made.


    Even though he was not to know for certain, Terry had to have guessed at how large Pete and Suzy would have to be, given they were my children. I couldn¡¯t wait to see the look on his face and remind him of this conversation after we entered The Grove and realised just how much damage Suzy could do to a wild Swamp Lurker without even realising it.


    ***** Lash ~ Tim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Sanctuary *****


    Hosting a small gathering had been Tim¡¯s idea, but Lash was finding that she was enjoying herself far more than she had originally expected.


    ¡°He utterly adores you, you know?¡± Jacque, the pale-skinned and auburn-haired mate of the Asrusian Regent commented with a sigh. ¡°You and your kids.¡±


    Lash smiled, appreciating the unasked-for compliment.


    ¡°And what huge monsters they are!¡± Jacque chuckled, waving past the table of food and drinks and toward the children playing hide and find in a small fortress nearby. ¡°They look about as big as Tim when I first met him!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Lash took a moment to think back and found herself nodding in agreement. It made her happy knowing that Pete and Suzy wouldn¡¯t be found wanting for potential mates once they matured.


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s what I like about you,¡± Jacque chuckled, downing another fermented juiced fruit drink. ¡°Everything¡¯s so simple and uncomplicated. You appreciate things for what they are!¡±


    Before Lash could acknowledge the compliment, the Werrian Queen, Katia, imposed herself into the conversation. ¡°I quite agree. The children of the Tyrant and Tyrantess are so full of vigour! If my own children were not so old, I would perhaps dare to propose a match!¡±


    ¡°She means she would try to marry them off,¡± Jacque explained, helping herself to a wedge of cheese. ¡°Which is a little strange, given the way monsters were treated in the empire. Wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± She directed the last toward the Queen.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Katia replied with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°It is only natural to learn from one¡¯s mistakes and move forward.¡±


    ¡°Hrm...Is it?¡± Jacque challenged casually.


    ¡°It is,¡± Katia insisted and then turned to Lash. ¡°Now that the subject has been raised. If I may be so bold, may I ask what the Tyrant¡¯s intentions are regarding the wild Ogres recruited from the Hurst Labyrinth?¡±


    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± Jacque swore, ¡°That¡¯s about as subtle as a brick through a window. If you are going to ask for something just ask. You might pull one over on Lash because she doesn¡¯t know all the tricks yet-"Jacque turned and looked up at Lash, ¡°-No offence intended, I think you''re great!¡± She turned back to Queen Katia and pointed an accusatory finger at her chest. ¡°But do you really think Tim won¡¯t hear about it? And if you think something like this could be manoeuvred without him or one of his Daemons looking in on it, I have a bridge I want to offload for cheap!¡±


    ¡°What does she want?¡± Lash asked guardedly, trusting in the intentions of Tim¡¯s friend and former companion.


    ¡°She wants to marry off some war widows to the wild Ogres,¡± Jacque replied candidly. ¡°Thinks it will make Tim, and to a lesser extent, you, think more fondly of them for it. Like they are doing you a favour, and that the shared ancestry of the next generation will win them some political points.¡±


    ¡°Just like the Asrusians with the Orcs?¡± Queen Katia interjected eyes narrowed at Jacque and hard like iron.


    Jacque scowled right back. ¡°You think just because I warm the Regent¡¯s bed that I will defend the decisions of his bannermen?¡± She downed another cup of fermented juiced fruit. ¡°You¡¯re damned right I will! But I¡¯m not gonna pretend it¡¯s all out of the goodness of their hearts either. Tim wouldn¡¯t trust me if I went around telling convenient half-truths all the time. Especially given how angry he gets when he learns he¡¯s been lied to! Far better to go with an ugly truth and state your case!¡±


    Lash nodded in agreement. If there was one thing Tim hated, it was being lied to.


    There was a great deal that he had shown he could forgive, given enough time. But being lied to wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Queen Katia pursed her lips and took a deep breath to calm herself. Smiling again, she looked up at Lash. ¡°I will readily admit, there is a component of self-interest-¡±


    Jacque rolled her eyes.


    ¡°-However, it is the intention of the King that such an effort will assist in integrating the Semenovian people more firmly under the Tyrant¡¯s rule. Prejudices will no doubt take generations to resolve themselves, but bold action now may save a considerable degree of time later. ¡°Queen Katia paused and took a deep breath as if preparing herself for battle. ¡°As I am sure the Tyrantess is aware, my people lost many menfolk to the ravages of the Liche and its undead hordes. Leaving widows who now struggle to support themselves and their families. Your ways, your culture, is different to ours. Motherhood and the home are cherished roles for our women, and they are ill-prepared to face  wild Beasts to feed themselves and their families.¡±


    Jacque grimaced, ¡°She has a point there...¡± She acknowledged with visible reluctance. ¡°Werrians are a pretty traditional lot, to begin with, and Semenovians are even more so.¡±


    Queen Katia was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected support but quickly rallied. ¡°My husband, the King, has drafted a petition requesting resettlement of willing monsters within our lands, wild or otherwise.¡±


    ¡°It will be absolutely fucked for biodiversity,¡± Jacque commented with a sigh, ¡°But it¡¯s not a bad idea otherwise. And Tim¡¯s been dithering over what to do with the wild ones for ages.¡±


    Lash nodded in agreement. Military service had just been a measure to buy himself time. There was no actual plan on what to do with the wild monsters and the Thralls once their service ended. Just a vague idea of letting them go and find their own way.


    ¡°I will talk to Tim,¡± Lash decided. Seeing no downside to discussing the matter. Tim would agree or he wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°My thanks, Tyrantess!¡± Queen Katia pulled at the sides of her long dress and bowed in the strange way that most of the human women did.


    A small grey-skinned child with ghost-white hair peeked out from beneath the table.


    Without even looking, Jacque knocked an apple off of the table and into his waiting hands. ¡°Being so small, it really does feel like he¡¯s cheating,¡± she chuckled, glancing toward Pete, Suzy and Eg who were still searching the small fortress.


    The grey-skinned child waved shyly at Lash and she waved back. He really was a cute little thing, but certainly frail by comparison. She couldn¡¯t begrudge him making the most of his limited advantage.


    Not when the other children were easily three or more times his size and ten times his weight.

 Chapter 72 – Sorcery and Spellcraft – Part One

    Chapter 72 ¨C Sorcery and Spellcraft ¨C Part OneMy plan to introduce and expose Terry to the people of Sanctuary was working just as I had hoped it would. I wanted him to understand that I did things differently, that I was in no way like his former Masters. To appreciate that his confinement had been motivated by a desire to protect the men, women, and children now going about their lives around us.


    Arriving at the fortified gateway to The Grove, the Orcs and Lizardmen on guard stared at Terry with intense suspicion but allowed us through after recognising my alter ego.


    Passing through the gateway, Terry quickly came to a standstill as he began silently staring at the supernatural beauty before us.


    ¡°This place is...¡± Terry shook his head, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Magical? Beautiful?¡± I suggested with a grin.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± Terry agreed, staring out at the lake with reverent awe.


    ¡°Wait here a moment,¡± I ordered. ¡°I need to change. But if you are good, I¡¯ll introduce you to Ushu.¡±


    Terry frowned and looked like he was going to protest, but changed his mind as I mentioned Ushu. ¡°That¡¯s the dragon, right?¡±


    ¡°One of the Dragons,¡± I corrected with a chuckle.


    Terry looked toward the sky and gave a dry gulp.


    Suppressing the urge to tell him he was looking in the wrong direction, I used my authority to relocate myself to my cave. Shedding the non-magical clothing that was a part of my Human alter ego¡¯s disguise, I stowed them away inside the Storage Ring.


    Changing back to my true appearance was unpleasant but I felt much better once it was over. Being so small had a way of messing with my head.


    Using my authority again, I reappeared beside Terry who had obediently remained where I had left him moments prior.


    ¡°Fuck me?!¡± Terry cursed, jumping back several paces in surprise. ¡°Someone your size should NOT be allowed to move around like that...¡± He hissed, sweating nervously.


    I shrugged. ¡°If you found that surprising, maybe you aren¡¯t ready to meet Ushu...¡±


    Terry scowled.


    ¡°Just an observation,¡± I commented before nodding toward the lake.


    Dorsal spines and fins had broken the surface, announcing Ushu¡¯s imminent arrival.


    Terry turned just in time to witness Ushu¡¯s head crest the surface of the lake.


    I conjured several roasted Swamp Lurkers and tossed them into Ushu¡¯s waiting maw. He was capable of conjuring food for himself, or even hunting for it, but feeding him like this was a nicety and I saw no reason to do away with it.


    ¡°Terry, this is Ushu,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile smugly as I made the introduction. ¡°Ushu, this is Terry, he¡¯s a guest.¡±


    Ushu huffed indifferently, spraying Terry, and to a lesser extent, myself, with lake water and small chunks of roasted meat.


    ¡°How is Cooper doing?¡± I asked, curious since I hadn¡¯t had much time to look in on her lately.


    ¡°HUN-TING,¡± Ushu replied proudly, his booming voice a cross between crashing boulders and a deep rasping hiss.


    Using my authority, I located Cooper far to the southeast, most likely in the giant river that surrounded Sanctuary¡¯s swamp. There weren¡¯t any Beasts large enough to pose a threat to her, but I suspected Ushu¡¯s pride was more closely related to the initiative and act itself, rather than anything she would face while doing so.


    Ushu disappeared back into the lake, sending fresh waves out in every direction and drowning the bank with displaced water.


    ¡°That was a dragon!¡± Terry exclaimed excitedly, ¡°A real fucking dragon!¡± He stared intensely at the lake, watching Ushu descend deeper until he diverted course toward his cave. ¡°Those were wings right?¡± Terry asked uncertainly, ¡°You said he could fly?¡±


    I nodded and conjured two barrels of Evolution Elixir. ¡°You might be able to convince him to take you for a ride sometime. But now, it¡¯s time to push for your Evolution.¡±


    Terry warily approached the barrels. His nose twitched and familiarity settled in his eyes. ¡°This the alcohol the Devil gave me?¡± It was less a question and more of an observation.


    I nodded anyway. ¡°Evolution Elixir, it¡¯s a more concentrated form of the Manastones and has the addictive component stripped out of it.¡±


    ¡°She said something like that before...¡± Terry muttered. ¡°I remember...¡± He grew pale and trembled in a manner I was all too familiar with. ¡°I needed it...needed it more than anything...The things I did...¡± A haunted look settled in his eyes.


    I knelt on one knee to bring us closer to eye level. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like,¡± I told him, but didn¡¯t allow my voice to soften. Sympathy wasn¡¯t what he needed right now. ¡°It¡¯s why you swore an Oath never to knowingly consume a raw Manastone without my express permission. Not because I don¡¯t trust you to resist the temptation, but because I know there is only so much you can take. I¡¯m in a position to remove that burden, so I have done it.¡±


    Still pale, Terry nodded to show he understood my intentions. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sitting on the grass, I removed the lids from both barrels and conjured a simple clay cup for Terry.


    Without saying a word, Terry accepted the cup and hesitantly filled it from one of the barrels. However, as he was raising the cup to his mouth, he hesitated and began staring at his distorted reflection.


    Taking the other barrel, I raised it to my lips and gulped down half of its contents. By scale, the barrel was comparable to the cup in Terry¡¯s hand. However, the proof of the alcohol inside was not intended for casual consumption.


    I had never been a drinker while on Earth. So alcohol had taken a great deal of getting used to. Poison Resistance combined with my high Toughness helped delay serious inebriation almost indefinitely. But the quantities and proof involved still weren¡¯t to be taken lightly.


    Eyes wide, Terry stared at me for several moments before returning to his drink. Grimly setting his jaw, he tilted his head back and drank.


    Expecting Terry to react to the lethally high-proof alcohol, I was surprised when he drank the whole cup down in one steady pull and then reached for another.


    Terry drank with an almost robotic repetition. However, his smaller size quickly caught up with him and he had to relieve himself. Afterwards, the cycle repeated anew.


    ¡°Should be dead...¡± Terry croaked in disbelief, staring at the bottom of the empty barrel.


    ¡°If we were on Earth, you would be,¡± I agreed dryly.


    ¡°Was dead...¡± Terry snickered to himself before scowling darkly.


    I promoted Terry to the rank of Underlord and conjured another barrel of Elixir. All the while, watching his Status like a hawk.


    With each minor Evolution achieved, the hair on Terry¡¯s head thickened, spreading down the nape of his neck, across his shoulders and down the sides of his face. By no means clean-shaven before, Terry now had ragged sideburns, casting his already hard features in a considerably more intense predatory light.


    Terry¡¯s fingernails and toenails were slowly replaced by thick pale claws, and the canines in his mouth had grown sharp and prominently protruded from his gums whenever he opened his mouth.


    With less than a third of the second barrel remaining, Terry lowered his cup and stared at the open air.


    Several minutes passed in silence.


    ¡°You were right...¡± Terry grunted reluctantly. He dropped the clay club and its remaining contents into the barrel. ¡°I could still back out...¡± He muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t owe them anything...¡± Terry momentarily lost his balance before righting himself again, only now with teeth bared in anger. ¡°You can¡¯t make me do this!¡± He snarled, baring his fangs and glaring at me with savage fury.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I agreed calmly. ¡°And wouldn¡¯t, even if I could,¡± I added.


    Terry hung his head and clenched his fists so tightly that his claws pierced his own palms and caused them to bleed. ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Want. this!¡± He hissed, ¡°I don¡¯t owe them shit!¡± His fists tightened, causing more blood to trickle onto the grass.


    ¡°The choice is yours Terry. We can end this all right now,¡± I insisted firmly.


    ¡°Why?!...¡± Terry growled angrily, ¡°Why are you making this so difficult?!¡± His shoulders slackened and he unclenched his fists. Cupping his face in his hands, Terry groaned in anger and frustration. All the while smearing blood across his brow and around his eyes. He slumped to his knees and began slowly rocking back and forth.


    Looking away from Terry and taking in our surroundings, it felt wrong that such a trying test of character would occur in such a beautiful and magical place. Years of conditioning from television, movies and books had left an expectation for overcast skies at the very least. Although I doubted Terry would remember events in the same manner as myself.


    My contemplation was broken by an unexpected alert announcing my increase in level. The new Dungeon training program hadn¡¯t been in effect for very long and there were few individuals in the higher tiers of my Labyrinth. So it came as a pleasant surprise.


    The increase in level allowed another Spell to be added to Grimoire of Flesh, but it also provided a new Class Ability. Sorcery.


    [(Class Ability: Sorcery.): The progeny of a powerful magical bloodline, mana flows in your veins and may be called upon in your hour of need. The {MP} cost of {Spells} may be substituted for {HP}. The {HP} cost of {Spells} is reduced by {Presence}.]


    Reading through the contents of the Class Ability, I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be pleased or concerned. Sorcery provided a third means of casting Spells to my repertoire, but it carried greater risks than the cowl settled on my shoulders. It would serve well enough in certain emergencies, but losing HP carried substantial short-term risks.


    The only major advantage it provided was that I didn¡¯t need the Kobolds¡¯ Synergy. However, it did provide the means to Summon, said Kobolds in certain emergencies, allowing for the less riskyMP regeneration exploit. Assuming the circumstances allowed, of course.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Terry snarled bitterly. ¡°Fuck it!¡± He lowered his hands, revealing his bloody face. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± He raised his head and stared intensely at the notifications only he could see. ¡°Moonsoul Packleader! Accept!¡±


    The hair on Terry¡¯s body began taking on a silvery-white highlight and he grew a half-foot taller in the span of a few seconds. However, nothing else appeared to happen.


    Reviewing Terry¡¯s Status information, I was relieved to find that his new Evolution had triggered a change in his Class. Making Terry a Lycan Lord.


    At a glance, I recognised Savage Nobility, Birthright and Born to Rule now present as Racial Abilities. Confirming my suspicions that leadership castes were intended to breed true amongst their population and maintain control through raw Strength if necessary.


    However, in place of Takesation, which provided me Exp from my subjects and provided increased drop rates for items in exchange. Terry possessed the Pack Bond Class Ability, which generated a small portion of Exp from his subordinates but also allowed Terry to remotely experience the sensations of a subordinate. It carried a MP cost, but to my surprise, the cost could be paid by either party.


    Hunter¡¯s Call was similar to Summon Servant but was limited to compatible Species. However, it could also be used as a Lesser Summon of the caster¡¯s Species. Allowing Terry to Summon Lycan Lords if he so chose.


    Pack Leader was interesting. Terry could designate a target and award buffs to any allies that attack or are attacked by the target. However, the effects would only be active so long as Terry was in the same general proximity or ¡®short range¡¯ of the target. Only one target could be nominated at a time, but there wasn¡¯t a cost associated with the Ability. So it would be up to Terry to make the most of it.


    The Class didn¡¯t provide a bonus to Willpower, focusing on Strength and Agility. However, it didn¡¯t have a negative either, so I was willing to take it as a win overall. Besides, there was a decent chance that exercising Born to Rule would develop his Willpower stat over time.


    Despite his somewhat drunken state, I could see that Terry was quietly reading through the changes for himself. He was also sobering up at an extraordinary rate as the result of beneficial Synergies.


    ¡°What now?...¡± Terry asked hesitantly.


    I pointed toward the lake and conjured a fresh change of clothes and a towel. ¡°You clean yourself up, we get a warm meal inside you, and then we introduce you to your people.¡±


    ¡°My...People...¡± Terry repeated grimly. He shook his head and waded into the shallows.


    Giving Terry some privacy, I mentally set about creating a new Faction and assigning Terry as the Faction leader.


    The former dog soldiers of the Confederacy had been Slaves originally. However, I had set them loose in a cluster of isolated territories at Sebet¡¯s request.


    There were tens of thousands of them.


    Sebet had been very thorough in liberating as many of them from their former Masters as possible. However, unlike most of the other Slaves, the dog soldiers were well and truly broken.


    The result of generations of selective breeding in captivity, there was a lethargy to them that largely defied explanation. Free of their Enslavement, the majority defaulted to the bare minimum to keep themselves alive. Eating and drinking, but only if the food and water was provided for them.


    A small number had gone outright feral, taking to the wild in their transformed state and hunting anything that moved. Including one another.


    All of them had demonstrated extreme xenophobia, attacking or cowering before anything that wasn¡¯t one of their own. According to Sebet¡¯s reports, the same individual had proven capable of either irrespective of the approach she attempted. The only guaranteed method to establish contact and hold a conversation had been through Domination or Seduction.


    Given the sheer scale involved, and the ethical ramifications, introducing Terry as a leader and hoping for the best was our only real option. Of course, Sebet and Gric had remained firmly divided on whether Terry would prove equal to the task, and whether he would even accept the responsibility in the first place.


    Both of them had read Terry¡¯s mind and explored his memories in detail, and somehow arrived at wildly different conclusions regarding his expected behaviour. However, what surprised me most was who had been proven right.


    Still affording Terry a measure of privacy, I stared out across the lake and at the distant figures attending Lash¡¯s garden party.


    Taking Sebet¡¯s advice, Lash had hosted the party to network with the highest-ranking Human women amongst our subjects. The intention was to put a face alongside her title, ensuring compliance in future endeavours without the need to rely on the title of Tyrantess. In short, Sebet wanted Lash to establish a base of soft power she could call upon in the future as needed.


    It was one of the interesting dichotomies between the other monsters and the Humans. Lash did not need to wine and dine the Kobolds, Gnolls, or anyone else. They already came just short of worshipping the ground we walked on. In the Labyrinths, the strongest ruled. Whether that strength was raw brawn or ruthless cunning, it didn¡¯t really matter. Because the strongest also had an unquestionable duty to serve and protect the tribe.


    Humans were different...


    To say Humans were ruled by self-interest would perhaps be unkind, but not altogether inaccurate. On a micro-scale, people were generally good. However, at the macro level, politics dominated everything. Manipulation in all its forms was the standard, and it was something Lash would need to learn.


    Of course, it came as no real surprise that Jacque, the Doppelganger and a fellow Awakened, had decided to attend as well.


    Her presence was not altogether unwelcome. However, I sincerely hoped Jacque would abstain from stirring up too much trouble. As a natural mind reader and something of a provocateur, there was significant potential for political and social strife if she decided to put her mind to it.


    On a whim, I Summoned a projection of Jacque.


    Devoid of her human disguise, Jacque¡®s skin was a pale slate-grey and her hair was shock white.


    <Thought I saw you lurking across the lake.> Jacque commented with immutable amusement, the cheeks of her mouthless face rising in a strange approximation of a smile. <And you have gotten biiiig!> She made a show of looking me up and down before bobbing her head from side to side and snapping her fingers.


    I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes.


    <You know you love it!> Jacque snickered sassily. <How have you been doing you big lump?>


    ¡°I have kids now,¡± I replied somewhat awkwardly but unable to suppress a smile.


    <So I saw!> Jacque replied cheerily. <I always knew you had a type, and I was only a couple of guesses from bodybuilder-> Her body rippled and took on a hardened muscular physique. <Just a shame I can¡¯t do anything about my height! Otherwise, maybe we could have had a shot, eh?> Jacque slapped her heavily muscled thigh in amusement before changing back to her original self.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just her muscles!¡± I retorted awkwardly.


    <Oh, believe me, I know.> Jacque¡¯s eyes changed, taking on a deep amethyst hue. <It¡¯s her eyes, right? That¡¯s definitely what you were going to say, don¡¯t even try to deny it!>


    Even knowing she couldn¡¯t read my mind without my noticing, I felt a pang of momentary paranoia all the same.


    <Oh relax!> Jacque thumped my thigh playfully. <You and your kids are just about the only things your lady will talk about if given half a chance! In fact...> She looked pointedly across the lake. <Yup, she¡¯s doing it right now.>


    I wasn¡¯t really sure what to say.


    <Hrm? Oh, sorry bout that. Was having a bit of a chat with myself.> Jacque explained distractedly. <Got to say, it¡¯s pretty weird being in two places at once like this.> She shook her head vigorously and pointed to Terry. <So anyway, who¡¯s the naked beefcake staring at us from the lake?>


    ¡°His name is Terry, he¡¯s-¡± I began to answer but was interrupted.


    <Terry? That¡¯s a weird name.> Jacque commented distractedly.


    ¡°Jacque, he¡¯s one of us,¡± I explained, ignoring the rude interruption. ¡°And he hasn¡¯t heard a single word you have said so far.¡±


    Jacque took an involuntary step backward, immediately on guard. <And you just let him in?!> She demanded incredulously.


    Terry had been watching us from the beginning, but his embarrassment and curiosity had now turned to caution. ¡°Like us?¡± Terry repeated, eyeing Jacque cautiously, ¡°You mean, like from Earth? Or just one of your subjects?¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± I replied with a sigh. ¡°Terry, this is Jacque. She was the first one of us that I met in this world-¡± I explained.


    <Second.> Jacque interjected.


    ¡°What?¡± I looked back at Jacque in surprise.


    <I was the second Awakened you met.> Jacque repeated, elaborating slightly.


    ¡°Then...Who was the first?¡± I asked, now profoundly concerned and trying to remember everyone I had encountered on the first floor.


    <You really didn¡¯t know?> Jacque stared up at me with genuine surprise. <Kiki, that shopkeeper from the Hurst Labyrinth. She was one of us as well.>


    ¡°The...The Tailor?¡± My throat suddenly felt incredibly dry.


    <That¡¯s the name the muggles were calling her.> Jacque confirmed. She furrowed her brow and became momentarily lost in thought. <You took over the first floor...But I haven¡¯t heard anything about Kiki running amok. Do you have her locked up or something?>


    I stiffly shook my head, recalling the confrontation with The Tailor in the swamp. ¡°That evil Spirit that was inside the shopkeeper. She was going to attack Sanctuary, and had already killed dozens of Variants...¡±


    <So you killed her?> There was no judgement in Jacque¡¯s voice, but there was a certain expectation in its place.


    ¡°No...¡± I felt a fresh sense of loss as I recalled Ushu¡¯s face. ¡°A young Shaman Banished her, but I don¡¯t know where.¡±


    Jacque stiffened. <You just Banished her?...> She winced painfully. <That was a big mistake, Tim. You see, Kiki¡¯s an irredeemable addict. Even before she died, she would do anything for her fix. That''s why she¡¯s here! Fuck! She brained a dude in broad daylight because she thought he ¡®might¡¯ have a little oxy on him!>


    ¡°You knew her from before?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Jacque waved me off dismissively. <Nah, not in person or anything. Just the news reports. She killed more than thirty people before they found her, already dead from an overdose in some alley.>


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me sooner?!¡± I could feel the anger building inside of me and felt little reason to restrain it.


    Jacque flinched and backed away guiltily. <I honestly didn¡¯t think she would be a problem.> She waved at our surroundings expansively. <I mean, you''re pretty resourceful, and like I said. I thought you might have just offed her already...Shit...Kiki seriously came here? Fuuuuck...> Jacque irritably kicked at the grass and stared worriedly toward the gate. She then stared briefly across the lake before determinedly meeting my eye. <You need to track her down Tim. You can¡¯t just leave Kiki running around out there.>


    I forced my anger down and took a deep breath. ¡°If you had told me what she was sooner, maybe I could have done something and saved countless lives in the process!¡±


    Jacque retreated a handful of steps, still defiant as ever but with new fear in her eyes.


    I took another deep breath and forced myself into a state of calm. There would be time for anger later, but now was the time for decisive leadership. With a thought, I terminated Jacque¡¯s projection and turned to Terry. ¡°I need to go take care of this...¡±


    There must have been something about the way I said it, or perhaps it was the expression on my face because Terry silently back at me with the same fear I had seen in Jacque¡¯s eyes only moments earlier.


    I Summoned a projection of Gric and avoided looking at Terry. ¡°When he¡¯s ready, take Terry where he needs to go,¡± I ordered.


    Gric nodded obediently and gave Terry an evaluating stare. ¡°Your will be done, my Tyrant.¡±


    Safe in the knowledge that Gric would see to things in my absence, I created a Spatial Breach and returned to the Hurst Labyrinth.


    Preparations for dealing with the blood-seeking bats and other Beasts had been made days prior, and the formerly wild Ogres had been undergoing strict weapon drill training in my absence. They were by no means remotely close to a professional standard, but they seemed to be capable of holding a formation. Which was a marked improvement.


    In other circumstances, I may have found it amusing to watch men and women half the Ogres¡¯ size patrolling through their midst and cursing the Ogres like Hollywood movie drill instructors.


    It also didn¡¯t escape my notice that several of the largest Ogres had been given temporary field promotions. Which was smart, given the smaller Ogres would do just about anything their larger compatriots demanded of them. Limiting the number of Ogres the instructors needed to cajole and intimidate down to a relative handful.


    I opened a second Breach, allowing my thunder warriors to join me within the Labyrinth. If I had been thinking straight from the beginning, I would have gathered them first. However, despite the short notice, they were all accounted for within a few minutes of maintaining the Breach.


    ¡°We will begin the Invasion within the hour,¡± I announced to no one in particular, knowing full well that my voice would carry and the news would be passed along by everyone within earshot.


    Sure enough, the open yard of the fortress was quickly entombed in stone as Dwergi Earth Mages enacted their final preparations.


    After donning my armour, I spent my remaining time deliberating which Spell should fill the empty position within my Grimoire of Flesh. After giving it a great deal of thought, and weighing my suspicions against the chance that the Grimoire of Flesh was influencing my Chi Affinities, I decided to choose the Fire Lance Spell.


    Sure enough, after confirming my choice, I discovered that I had gained the Fire Chi Affinity. However, it was only Rank one, making it considerably lower ranked than the others.


    Fire Lance was a rather straightforward Spell, which was why I had chosen it to begin with. One of the first Spells unlocked by Fire Mages, the Spell scaled in destructive power relative to the amount of MP used to power it. Of course, the more MP it was given, the more unstable it would become, requiring more time to stabilise it. Assuming stability was a required feature.


    It took the form of a javelin and its general size was scaled according to the level of MP used to create it. A basic Fire Lance was roughly two feet long and an inch thick. Composed of roiling flames, it did little damage to stone surfaces but bit small chunks out of wood or other flammable materials.


    Propelled under its own power, the Fire Lance would lose destructive potential as it bled MP while travelling toward its intended target. Or whatever it happened to hit otherwise.


    Spending only a single MP and exercising my Fire Chi Affinity, I found that I could keep the Fire Lance suspended in my immediate proximity without the need to release it toward a target. However, it would continue bleeding MP all the while, albeit at a slower rate than it should have done otherwise.


    As best I could determine, the Chi I was injecting to control the flames was forcibly retaining the MP as an unintended beneficial side-effect.


    Of course, my Fire Affinity was not limited to controlling magical fire. Similar to controlling water, stone and dirt, I could invest Chi into mundane flames and move them through the air. However, the moment I would withdraw my Chi, the flames would die.


    With the poisoned and envenomed defences fully prepared, I initiated the Invasion. However, with the fortress completely entombed, there was nothing to see and precious little to do. So I continued practising.


    Aware of the need to meet my existing obligations to my soldiers, I crafted several hollowed-out staves that would allow designated officers to use the Summon Servant Spell. In that same vein, I made sure to transfer immediate family members into the Faction to ensure the Spell would work as intended.


    Of course, this required consulting extensively with Gric to make sure I was transferring the correct people and that their former Factions¡¯ were alerted to the cause for the transfers.


    No doubt, a handful of bureaucrats within each Faction had been given minor heart attacks when I began the reshuffle without warning. However, I doubted they or their superiors would complain after learning who was responsible.


    At least, not directly.


    I had little doubt that some of the more ambitious Lords would attempt to negotiate for some form of compensation or another. That was a given. I just had to decide what I was willing to give.


    Growing increasingly stressed by the knowledge that another psychotic Awakened was on the loose, and had been for quite some time, I wasn¡¯t able to sleep.


    There were no guarantees that The Tailor, or Kiki, as Jacque had called it, was even in the Hurst Labyrinth anymore. But I had a way of finding out.


    The Deep Ogres¡¯ tribal Spirit had sensed me coming from multiple floors away, which meant Wisp should be able to do the same.


    With access to Spells specifically designed to target and control Spirits and Undead, Wisp was uniquely suited to tracking and fighting this Awakened.


    As a means of keeping myself busy, and trying to take my mind off the Awakened on the loose, I spent my sleepless hours making magical weapons that would be awarded to my most dedicated soldiers.


    Technically, I was making attachments that contained Spells. Which could be paired with existing weapons and whatever Manastones the soldiers had on hand or fueled by the soldiers¡¯ own MP.


    Limited by the materials on hand, I only managed to create a hundred or so stone and leather trinkets containing the Fire Lance and Thundering Strike Spells.


    Depending on the situation, and the Class of the soldier, the Spells may only provide a small boost in utility. However, I already knew for a fact that archer-type Classes became mobile artillery pieces with the Thundering Strikes Spell.


    Of course, my Bodyguards had provided ample evidence that Thundering Strikes was just as devastating when used to aggressively prosecute a melee as well.


    Thanks to the Kobolds¡¯ Synergies, I felt no fatigue despite remaining awake for over thirty consecutive hours.


    Dismissing the notifications and opening the wall of the fortress with a casual wave of my hand, I warily stomped out of the darkness and into the light of the late afternoon sun.


    A month or so earlier, the grisly sight before me may have given me pause. However, surveying the carnage laid forth before me, I felt nothing but impatience.


    The steeped walls of the fortress were bedecked with corpses.


    Beasts in their thousands had impaled themselves on stone spikes and spines that bristled across the surface of the Fortress walls. Some showed signs of feeding upon and attacking one another before succumbing to blood loss and pain. However, many more lay dead at the foot of the Fortress where their bodies lay scattered about and floated within a wide moat of dark crimson liquid.


    Calling it blood wasn¡¯t entirely accurate. It contained a large amount of blood and offal, but it was also heavily diluted with water and impregnated with virulent Poison and Venom.


    Any beast that made it past the thorn walls and came into contact with the foul liquid would quickly find itself in the grips of a lethal seizure. Its blood cells breaking apart and its tissue necrotising in mere seconds. If ingested directly, the Poison and Venom would act even faster, liquidating organs before fouling the Beast¡¯s bloodstream with their contents.


    If the victims had been human...humanoid...it would have qualified as a war crime.


    Ironically, the cleanup would take no time at all. There would be no signs of what had happened and no risks to future occupants or travellers.


    That fact somehow made it worse instead of better.


    If they had been people, I knew that the sight would hold far greater weight, and the fact that it didn¡¯t, bothered me. Step by step, piece by piece, I was becoming someone I didn¡¯t recognise. I was losing myself, sacrificing a sliver at a time.


    ¡°Weakness...¡± I grunted angrily under my breath.


    Weakness was what I had lost. Sacrificed to ensure a future for those who looked to me for protection. Complaining and whining about it like a child wouldn¡¯t solve anything and was just another sign of weakness that had yet to be purged.


    I pushed the feelings down, forcing my mind to the task at hand.


    Issuing orders for the army to establish a long-term vanguard position on the next floor, I left for the city of Hurst.


    Retrieving the markers that would allow entry up to the forty-fifth floor Foothold, I Summoned Wisp and set about explaining my plan.


    For the sake of expediency, I would have three of Wisp¡¯s projections take a floor each at a time and search for the Awakened. Once they found her, I would bring in Ophelia, Gric and Sebet, and then we would take the fight to the Awakened directly.


    The Awakened wasn¡¯t necessarily undead, but Ophelia was just as capable of fighting Spirits as she was against corporeal targets. A benefit of technically being a Spirit herself.


    I would have considered bringing Orphiel, but there was little point. Very nearly the textbook definition of a pretty boy, almost any combat situation where he might prove useful would be better served by Summoning another projection of Ophelia instead.


    Bringing Gric and Sebet was just as much out of the sense of redundancy as exploiting their unique Abilities. Possessing all the Spells at my disposal, their projections would be capable of taking risks I just couldn¡¯t justify taking myself.


    The same reason why I would be leaving most of my Bodyguards behind.


    They were not expendable, but I didn¡¯t have enough MP, or HP, to just Summon projections of them all either. And if I was honest with myself, they probably wouldn¡¯t be all that useful against an evil Spirit. If they didn¡¯t have the Bodyguard Ability, and the job description of the same, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to take any of them at all.


    With Wisp¡¯s projections now searching the Labyrinth, I began recovering my MP in earnest in preparation for Summoning Ophelia. Technically in occupied enemy territory, I decided against using Sorcery to substitute my HP. At this particular moment, it was an unnecessary risk.


    Time passed and I had to replace Wisp¡¯s projections.


    Shortly after the second wave of Wisp¡¯s projections entered the Labyrinth, one of their number returned.


    ¡°Great one,¡± Wisp rasped in deference, bowing his head respectfully. ¡°It is as you feared. I sense a powerful and malevolent Spirit lurking deeper within the Labyrinth.¡±


    Ophelia¡¯s projection, already restless from the waiting, grew agitated. ¡°Where is it?¡± She demanded, her copper halo intensifying to an almost blinding white-gold.


    With his face hidden in the darkness of the living shadows that formed his robes, Wisp bore Ophelia¡¯s righteous anger with cold indifference. ¡°Deeper,¡± he repeated coldly before turning to address me once more. ¡°I must return if I am to determine the target¡¯s precise location...¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± I agreed, waving toward the pile of tokens laid out on the floor. ¡°Exercise your best judgement.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Great One,¡± the cowl of Wisp¡¯s robes bobbed in respect. He dropped a token for the fifteenth floor onto the smaller pile and retrieved a new token. Without saying another word, he silently retreated through the portal.


    I looked pointedly at Gric and Sebet, ¡°Pass news along to the other two and have them return so they can move on to different floors,¡± I ordered.


    Sebet and Gric both bowed obediently, retrieved tokens of their own and disappeared through the portal.


    Separating the tokens for floors that had already been searched, I anxiously considered those that remained.


    Depending upon which floor the Awakened was staying on, there was the distinct probability that fighting them would carry exponentially greater risks. Firstly, because the monsters native to the floor would be hostile, and as a corporeal being, that would mean that they would pose a danger to me but not necessarily to the Spirit.


    Secondly, surviving on a high-level floor would strongly suggest that the other Awakened was capable of handling monsters of that level without particular difficulty. Or at the very least, a high chance of taking significant damage before being able to retreat from an unfavourable battle.


    Lastly, because I wasn¡¯t certain what level of wild monster I could handle in a straight fight.


    Dominating monsters on the tenth floor through raw Strength and size was one thing, but for all I knew, a monster from the twentieth floor might be capable of doing the exact same thing to me.


    The projections returned shortly after Sebet and Gric left. Sparing only the time to bow their heads, they discarded their previous tokens before taking up new ones and leaving through the portal again.


    The longer I waited, the more I could feel my nerves beginning to falter under the weight of the unknown.


    Wisp¡¯s projections returned twice more, the most ambitious taking a token to the twenty-eighth floor. Four full floors ahead of the other two projections. However, that projection returned only a handful of seconds later, scythe in hand and radiating an aura of cold hostility.


    ¡°Great One!¡± Wisp¡¯s rasp had taken on an intensity and urgency otherwise entirely alien to his character. ¡°I have found the malevolent Spirit!¡± The blade of his scythe made a high-pitched keening noise as if it had been struck by a tuning fork.


    Ophelia¡¯s wings flared to life, momentarily blinding me with their brilliance and intensity. When I regained my sight, she was already gone, and so were the others. Leaving only myself and my Bodyguards.


    Snatching up a token to the twenty-eighth floor, I felt a final surge of hesitation. What I intended to do, what I was doing, was stupid and reckless. I knew this. However, I had witnessed firsthand what other Awakened were capable of when they set their minds toward destruction and violence. Failing to act wouldn¡¯t make me complicit, but the decision would no doubt haunt me all my life.


    Tightening my fist around the token, I took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.


    This was a responsibility I had taken upon myself, and now I was going to see it through.


    ***** Maera ~ Twenty-Eighth floor ~ Hurst Labyrinth *****


    Weary beyond the bounds of her mortal flesh, Maera fought with every scrap of her flagging will just to draw a new breath and continue serving as Conduit. She was dying, had been from the beginning. To serve as Conduit was to die. It was the law of the exchange. The price demanded for power.


    Maera could feel her body unravelling, unable to support the immense strain demanded of it.


    ¡°I will make it quick,¡± the thing that was not her father promised, its rotten breath reeking of corruption and a foulness that threatened to steal the final dregs of life from her body.


    With an effort Maera believed she no longer possessed, she slowly opened her eyes and locked gazes with the rotting corpse of what had once been her father, and the corrupted Spirit that now inhabited it. ¡°No...¡± Maera croaked, her voice barely more than a whisper.


    The once handsome, but now sallow features of her father¡¯s face contorted in fury. ¡°You are thinking this trap will hold me?!¡± The malevolent Spirit snarled, disgorging small chunks of putrid rotting flesh from the ragged hole torn in her father¡¯s throat. ¡°No! It is failing! We know this!¡±


    ¡°It...It. Doesn¡¯t. Need. To. Hold.¡± Maera wheezed determinedly, ¡°Just. Last. Enough...¡±


    ¡°No escaping me,¡± the malevolent Spirit sneered contemptuously. ¡°Just making me HUNGRIER.¡±


    Maera felt the impossible emptiness in its words and nearly collapsed then and there.


    <It is nearly done, child.> The voice was calm, familiar, and reassuring. A voice that she had known since infancy. A voice belonging to someone who knew her better than her own parents. <Hold the faith, child, and know that your sacrifice has saved your people.¡±


    ¡°Iris...¡± Despite the bloody tears running from her eyes, nose and ears, speaking the name of the tribe¡¯s guardian Spirit aloud returned a fleeting sense of vitality even as her body was coming apart at the seams. <You. Will. Fight?> Maera didn¡¯t understand. They had trapped this Spirit because Iris had sworn she was not its equal.


    What had changed?


    <If it is my part to play.> Iris replied, her words gathering what remained of Maera¡¯s faltering mind and spirit and gently holding them together as best she could. All the while, her very presence within Maera¡¯s body was tearing those same pieces and the mortal shell that housed them apart. <Child, see now, the enemy senses its doom approaching.>


    The thing that was not her father had backed away from the barrier and was intensely scanning the surrounding woodland. Broken fingers twitching in anticipation or fear, it scowled and glared at Maera anew. ¡°Let. Me. Out!¡± It demanded quietly, all the while anxiously glancing at the gathering shadows around them.


    <It. Is. Afraid...> Maera couldn¡¯t believe it.


    A Spirit so powerful that it had managed to overwhelm the entire circle of elders, more powerful than Iris, was afraid?


    <Such a corrupted soul knows little else, child.> Iris answered softly. <However, I too feel fear in facing what approaches us. And yet, I find comfort in knowing their intent lies not with the tribe, nor even you, child.> ¡°They come for you.¡± Maera said aloud in a voice not her own, her blood-caked lips parting into a victorious smile.


    ¡°LET ME OUT!¡± The malevolent Spirit howled, the rotten limbs of its stolen vessel tearing apart and distending to reveal black oozing pitch seething beneath the surface. ¡°LET! ME! OUT!¡±


    Unsure and uncaring who was responsible, Maera laughed and drew the bindings of the prison tighter. Every second she held the Spirit in place brought its pursuers that much closer and while Maera had precious little left to give, she had nothing else left to lose.


    <This is not the destiny I envisioned for you, child.> Iris apologised graciously. <And yet, you have exceeded all expectations. I will remember your name, Maera, daughter of Maia and Icarion.>


    ¡°I! SAID! LET! ME! OUT!¡± The malevolent Spirit screamed in rage, now towering over Maera in the grotesque remnants of what had once been her father¡¯s corpse.


    Flesh as black as midnight and with limbs as crooked as tree branches, the thing stooped with a hunched back glaring at Maera with empty soulless eyes and wide yawning mouth full of long needle-like teeth.


    ¡°Everyone you love. Everyone you know.¡± Its face drew closer, coming within less than an inch of the barrier. ¡°I. Will. Eat. Them. All.¡± A pale bloated tongue slithered over its lips and teeth, leaving streaks of dark pus and blood.


    Maera knew it would cost her, but she was past caring. Through Iris, she could sense other Spirits drawing nearer. Even if she collapsed the barrier then and there, it would make little difference now. ¡°No,¡± Maera wheezed spitefully, her grin so wide she could feel the fragile skin of her lips tearing apart.


    With an abominable shriek, the thing lashed out, crashing its misshapen twisted limbs against the Barrier with all the force and fury it could muster.


    Once. Twice. Thrice. The Barrier held, each time chipping away at Maera¡¯s faltering vitality. On the fourth strike, Maera felt the final piece of herself collapse, no longer able to support the strain demanded of the Conduit.


    As the final fragments of her consciousness disintegrated, Maera had one final glimpse of the tribe¡¯s guardian Spirit, Iris, flowing out from her body, assuming her true spectral feline form and leaping at the malevolent spirit with claws and teeth bared.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 72 – Sorcery and Spellcraft – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 72 ¨C Sorcery and Spellcraft ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 72 - Sorcery and Spellcraft - Part Two


    The Foothold was surrounded by rolling hills and large bushes with temperate woodlands at irregular intervals. Unsurprisingly, the Foothold itself was abandoned. However, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I was drawn toward flickering lights in the distant woodlands.


    ¡°They flee the enemy!¡± Wisp rasped in parting, born aloft and propelled forward as the back of his robes sprouted ephemeral feathered wings of shadow.


    Without saying a word, Ophelia raced through the air behind him, sword drawn and blazing with bright amber light.


    Gric bowed his back and hissed in pain. In a spray of gore, leathery bat-like wings erupted from the dense musculature below his shoulders. Crouching low, Gric leapt thirty feet into the air and unfurled his wings, shedding torn skin and spattering blood into the cold night air that disintegrated almost as quickly as it lost contact with his body. <I will go ahead, my Tyrant!> With a powerful stroke of his wings, Gric began racing after Ophelia and Wisp.


    ¡°So dramatic...¡± Sebet snickered, already hovering a dozen feet off of the ground, born aloft by wings nearly identical to Gric¡¯s in all but colouration and membrane density. Without saying another word, Sebet raced away to join the others.


    ¡°Get the others,¡± I ordered.


    Taking only a moment to slam his fist against his breastplate, the Bodyguard leapt back through the portal.


    ¡°Weapon,¡± I commanded, holding out my hand expectantly.


    The closest of my two remaining Bodyguards immediately surrendered his axe.


    After pulling off the gauntlet of my free hand by squeezing it in my armpit, I gripped the blade of the axe and sawed it into my skin just deep enough to draw blood. Gathering my MP, I cast an Empowered Ward Spell on the axe.


    ¡°You will take the others and see the refugees to safety,¡± I ordered, returning the axe.


    The thunder warrior nodded grimly, his face hidden behind his helmet but body tense with anticipation.


    I turned to the other Bodyguard, ¡°You¡¯re with me.¡±


    Lurr nodded, moving his grip up the shaft of the axe and holding it just below the head with one hand.


    Replacing the gauntlet, I took a moment to ready myself and then began lumbering forward. Fighting against gravity, I slowly increased my speed, gaining momentum.


    Too large for the stone arch of the gate, I crashed into it and then through it, too dense to be denied with so much built-up momentum and mass.


    Lurr followed a few paces behind and on my left, a giant of an Orc and seemingly none the worse for the weight imposed by his stone armour.


    ¡°Ignore the Beasts!¡± I commanded, ¡°We go through them!¡±


    A large-scale skinned cat leapt out of a nearby bush, striking my right thigh. Its hooked claws scraped against the stone plates, finding no purchase and becoming blunted for the attempt. Narrowly avoiding being crushed underfoot, the Beast roared in fury and began to give chase.


    Two more of the large felines dashed out of another cluster of bushes ahead of us.


    The first of the pair leapt at Lurr. However, without breaking stride, Lur jumped, causing the scaled feline to pass harmlessly through the open air.


    The second feline slammed into my abdomen and raked its hind claws while desperately clinging to the leather straps of my belt. All these while being battered by my thighs.


    Snatching at the feline, I only managed a partial grip on one of its hind legs due to a lack of friction caused by the Beast¡¯s scales. Aware that I probably wouldn¡¯t get a better grip if I tried again, I yanked at the Beast¡¯s leg, pulling it free of my belt and tossing it to the side.


    Confident that I had caused the Beast at least some degree of movement-impairing injury, I put the Beast out of my mind.


    Another feline nearly blindsided Lurr, causing him to stumble and begin to fall as he barely managed to dodge its claws.


    On instinct, I reached out to help him, knowing full well that I wouldn¡¯t be able to arrest my gathered momentum in time.


    Then something strange happened. I felt my Chi leave my body and latch onto Lurr¡¯s armour.


    Instead of tumbling into the dirt, Lurr continued falling forward. Body locked in an awkward stumbling pose, the distance between us remained the same.


    Confused and still focused on keeping my own footing, it took me a few moments to realise what I was doing.


    Dividing my focus as best as I could, I drew Lur closer and righted his body.


    I could feel the pressure of his muscles straining against my hold on his armour, and I did my best to give ground without surrendering control entirely. Unsure if the loss of control would result in Lurr tumbling to the ground anew.


    More Beasts began sprinting across the hillside, howling and shrieking as competing Species joined the hunt.


    With my Chi already invested in Lurr¡¯s armour and aware that the Chi wouldn¡¯t deteriorate, I decided to move Lurr higher off the ground and float along behind me instead.


    If we were not in immediate danger, I would have attempted flying in such a manner myself.


    Crashing thunder echoed across the hills behind us, signalling the arrival of the remaining thunder warriors and their advance toward the refugees.


    Reminded of the refugees, I gradually altered course to avoid leading the Beasts directly toward them.


    The others were quickly disappearing into the distance, so I had to rely near-entirely on my connection as their Summoner to provide directions.


    Now running through the woodlands, my speed slowed as I was forced to make at least some effort to avoid the larger trees. Stamina flagging, I used Lesser Summon Servant to Summon a Kobold to benefit from its Synergies, consuming the mana I had regained in the interim.


    Without a will of its own, the small scaly Kobold held itself in place behind my neck. Clutching at the rim of my breastplate and out of harm¡¯s way.


    Bolstered against Fatigue and Exhaustion, I redoubled my efforts.


    I could feel that the advance force had begun losing mana in earnest, signalling the beginning of the battle. As Summons, every action they took exacted a toll on the mana provided to them by their Summoner and the Spell used to Summon them


    It came as no surprise that Ophelia¡¯s projection was absolutely haemorrhaging mana. However, what did surprise me was the sudden termination of Sebet¡¯s projection.


    Sebet¡¯s projection had not died, I was certain of that. She had somehow depleted her mana in one go, ending the Summon.


    Confused, I continued running through the woods.


    I could feel that I was growing closer, but the unfamiliar terrain made it difficult to tell how much ground I had actually covered.


    The crashing thunder was growing fainter and less frequent. I could only hope it was because my thunder warriors and the refugees were getting closer to the portal.


    It took me a while to notice, but the beasts that had been chasing us were gone and the woods were empty.


    An inhuman shriek was carried on the wind and set my teeth on edge.


    We were close.


    A bright flash of amber light cast long shadows in the surrounding woods and was followed by another shriek.


    Ophelia¡¯s projection, already low on mana, had died.


    Crashing through one final wall of branches, I stumbled into a blackened smouldering crater. Easily over a hundred feet in diameter, the blackened earth and smouldering trees explained why Sebet¡¯s projection had terminated so abruptly.


    Near the centre of the crater, Wisp and Gric were harrying a twisted giant monstrosity.


    Easily twenty feet tall, the thing was close to my own height. However, where my body was thick and broad, its limbs and torso were gnarled and emaciated. Which only served to make the jagged broken angles of its bones all the more pronounced and grotesque.


    Despite its deformities, the thing was impossibly agile and quick. Lashing out at Gric and Wisp with broken claws and barely coming up short.


    Littered with wounds, the thing paid them no mind, fighting with feverish ferocity.


    ¡°STAY STILL!!!¡± The thing shrieked, desperately snatching at Gric¡¯s legs. Only to be denied and wail in fury as Gric kicked at one of the thing''s fingers, breaking the digit and very nearly tearing it free of the thing¡¯s knuckle. However, in less than a second, the finger snapped back into alignment. Still torn but somehow unaffected by the injury.


    I lowered Lurr to the ground and retrieved my invested Chi.


    I was still low on MP but was now able to begin replenishing it in earnest since I was no longer physically exerting myself.


    Unsure how we were meant to kill a Spirit, I drew the stone blades from my belt and invested them with as much Chi as I could manage.


    Even if the blades couldn¡¯t harm the Awakened Spirit, there had to be a limit to how much damage the body it was possessing could handle.


    Throwing the blades in rapid succession, I divided my focus between increasing the speed and force of their rotation and guiding them toward their intended target.


    For their part, Gric and Wisp made no changes to their behaviour and continued to bait the thing into chasing them, remaining just out of its reach.


    Striking from opposite directions, the stone blades scythed effortlessly through the thing¡¯s midsection, temporarily splitting it into three separate pieces. Just like before, the pieces quickly snapped back into alignment but remained unhealed. However, they appeared less cohesive than they otherwise should have been. Assuming the separated finger represented what was the norm for its Ability.


    Having gotten the attention of the other Awakened, I felt a pressure build in my mind as its cold black eyes stared hungrily at me from across the expanse of the crater. Familiar with the aura of fear it was generating, I held firm and pushed back.


    The corpse-body of the Awakened flinched, recoiling backwards as if I had struck it in the face. Needle-like teeth bared in its impossibly wide mouth, the Awakened snarled and hissed in pain. ¡°YOU!!! I WILL EAT!!!¡± The Awakened shrieked, leaping forward and halving the distance between us almost instantly.


    Holding my ground, I willed the Chi-infused stone blades to return.


    The ground before my feet erupted in a shower of dirt and a barbed stone spear lanced through the corpse-thing¡¯s mouth and continued through the back of its skull.


    At the exact same moment, Gric¡¯s projection hurled a bolt of fire at the back of the thing¡¯s head and disappeared.


    Striking just as the back of the thing¡¯s skull burst open, the bolt of fire entered the thing¡¯s head and exploded.


    Momentum temporarily arrested by the stone spear, the Awakened within barely had time to realise what had happened before the brain of its host erupted in flames.


    My stone blades tore through the thing¡¯s chest, sending chunks of rotting putrified flesh and bone flying through the air.


    Seemingly unable to act, the thing just stood there, limbs twitching and spasming.


    Until this moment, Wisp¡¯s reserve of MP had remained relatively untouched. That changed as Wisp drew open his robes and revealed the withered husk of his borrowed body.


    Emaciated beyond gender and little more than silver-white skin stretched over the bones beneath, a pale white flame burned in his eyes and exposed chest cavity. With each passing moment, the flames within him grew brighter, drawing trails of oily black smoke off of the stolen body of the Awakened.


    The damaged sections of the corpse-thing¡¯s body began losing its cohesion and slowly fell out of alignment.


    Without furious vigour, I set the stone blades to work. Hewing through the corpse-thing with vicious purpose.


    Still alight, the corpse-thing began to struggle, slapping at the stone spear impaled in its head. Losing flesh to the thorn-like barbs adorning its length, the thing was seemingly beyond caring.


    Before I could react, the thing shattered the spear and fell backwards, its skull was still impaled but it was otherwise free.


    Burning MP, I attempted to impale it anew by using the nearby stones. However, the thing leapt clear with unnatural speed, contorting its body with sickening and otherwise impossible flexibility.


    I decided to change tactics.


    Expending another chunk of MP, which left me dangerously low once more, I Summoned a second projection of Wisp.


    Uttering an Unearthly wail, the second projection readied his scythe and charged.


    For all its fearlessness up until this point, the corpse-thing baulked at the second projection¡¯s approach.


    Critically low on mana, I nearly fell to my knees but managed to arrest my descent with the help of a nearby tree and Lurr¡¯s assistance.


    Resisting the urge to remove my helmet and eat, I grit my teeth and pushed through the Mana Fatigue.


    ¡°You must leave, Tyrant,¡± Lurr demanded grimly. ¡°Clan comes first!¡± He pulled on my arm, trying to draw me back the way we had come.


    ¡°I can¡¯t...¡± I hissed angrily. ¡°I won''t!¡± I yanked my arm free and pointed at the corpse-thing doing battle against Wisp¡¯s projections. ¡°I won¡¯t let that thing run loose any longer! I refuse to let it hurt anyone else!¡±


    Lurr stared up at me silently for several moments and then turned back toward the battle without saying a word. The weight of his silence somehow carried both condemnation and admiration in equal measure. As my Bodyguard, he held Oaths that now came at odds with one another. To obey my commands, and to safeguard my life, even at the expense of his own.


    I had forced him into an impossible position, and I knew it. To prosecute one, was to neglect the other.


    With Wisp¡¯s second projection taking the offensive so aggressively and my current level of concentration lacking, I withdrew my stone blades from the fight.


    Sensing a sudden concentration of mana nearby, my eyes were drawn to the sky above the crater.


    A ragged black tear blotted out the stars and three familiar figures appeared shortly afterwards.


    Sword and wings blazing with amber light, armed with a divine blade, Ophelia descended like a righteous meteor.


    Dodging Ophelia¡¯s surprise attack, the corpse-thing lost its entire right arm at the shoulder.


    Completely disconnected from the main body, the limb shrivelled and turned to dust, releasing more of the oily smoke which was promptly devoured by Wisp¡¯s first projection.


    Releasing an ear-bleeding shriek, the corpse-thing still hadn¡¯t finished dodging Ophelia¡¯s attack when it was struck by Sebet¡¯s surprise attack.


    White-hot flames incinerated the corpse-thing¡¯s midsection, turning it to ash and releasing more smoke.


    Collapsing in on itself to try and maintain some sort of physical connectivity, the corpse-thing was unprepared for Wisp¡¯s follow-up attack, losing its right leg below the knee.


    Instead of joining the fight, Gric fell back to my side. It took me a few moments to realise it, but his right arm was hanging limp at his side. Covered by his armour, I had no way of seeing what was wrong, and his Group Status information showed he should be at full HP.


    ¡°I am fine, my Tyrant,¡± Gric stated somewhat defensively. ¡°I simply require time to recover.¡±


    A sudden pressure on my mind drove the curiosity from my thoughts.


    Blinking my eyes back into focus, I found Wisp¡¯s first projection was now gone and the second had taken to the sky to take his place. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°PURGE THE UNCLEAN!!!¡± Ophelia howled, lopping off the corpse-thing¡¯s remaining forearm at the elbow and following through its chest, leaving a trail of amber flames in the wake of her blade.


    Crippled and barely holding itself together, the corpse-thing abruptly collapsed. However, a towering shadow remained.


    The edges of the shadow continued shedding oily smoke just as the corpse-thing had before it. Only now it was from every inch of its body.


    Narrowly avoiding Ophelia¡¯s sword, the shadow fled, putting as much distance between itself and Wisp as possible. Incidentally sending it directly toward me.


    ¡°Protect the Tyrant!¡± Gric roared, gathering his mana and charging toward the rapidly approaching shadow. Gric fired several Fire Lances point blank into the centre mass of its incorporeal body.


    Too close to dodge, half of the shadow¡¯s body was incinerated on the spot. Unfortunately, shedding the greater portion of its mass only served to make it faster.


    ¡°NO!¡± Gric bellowed in rage, spinning on the spot and gathering more mana as he pointed a clawed hand toward the fleeing shadow.


    A bolt of fire the size of my arm sped down from the sky, burning away another substantial portion of the shadow but failing to destroy it entirely.


    Lethargic from depleting my MP, I barely managed two steps backward before I found the shadow within arm¡¯s reach.


    ¡°RAAAAGH!!!¡± in a blur of movement, Lurr swept in from my left side, his axe thrumming with mana. The edge of the axe cut through the shadow but the Spell within failed to trigger.


    Time slowed.


    I could see the shadow coiling around the axe, its tendrils hungrily seeking out the hands that held it.


    Acting without thinking, I reached out for Lurr with my Chi taking hold of his armour and drawing him back away from the shadow.


    But I was too late, the shadow was inside of his armour and I could feel Lurr¡¯s body beginning to spasm in the grips of a seizure.


    As quickly as they had begun, the seizures stopped and Lurr grew deathly still.


    The notification in my peripheral vision left no room for doubt. No hope.


    ¡°HAHAHAHA!!!¡± A demented laugh echoed from within Lurr¡¯s helmet and I could feel his body begin to move. ¡®HAHAHA-hurk!¡± The laughter was cut short as I used my control to snap Lurr¡¯s arms to his sides.


    ¡°Kill it...¡± I ordered, ¡°That abomination inside of his body. I want it destroyed...¡± I felt numb, still struggling to process what had happened.


    Everything was going our way, and then...it wasn¡¯t...


    Levitating Lurr¡¯s armour, just as I had done on our original approach, I began walking toward Wisp in the centre of the crater.


    I could feel something besides Lurr¡¯s body pressing against the armour, trying to escape. Like a beast in a cage, it railed against its confines. However, it failed to make any progress.


    Unintelligible shrieks continued pouring out from within Lurr¡¯s helmet, growing increasingly desperate and feral as we drew closer to Wisp.


    Ophelia said nothing, silently stepping aside and stiffly lowering her head in respect.


    Wisp¡¯s second projection descended from the sky, staring at the thing inside of Lurr¡¯s armour with the naked flames burning in his eyes. ¡°You have contained it...¡± He rasped in what passed for surprise. ¡°It cannot get out...Remarkable...¡± Wisp traced the armour with a thin delicate finger, leaving a trail of pale silver light in its wake. ¡°I will see the Spirit destroyed,¡± he promised, eyes burning eagerly in anticipation, ¡°Oh yes...¡±


    ¡°Make it suffer!¡± Sebet purred excitedly, ¡°Make it scream and beg for mercy!¡±


    ¡°Leave no room for escape!¡± Gric snarled angrily, ¡°See the will of our Tyrant is done!¡±


    ¡°Destroy it...¡± Ophelia hissed, wincing and favouring her left side, ¡°Purge it from existence!¡±


    Wisp nodded in response to each demand, but his focus remained on Lurr¡¯s armour.


    ¡°The coward returns!...¡± Gric growled in warning, using his left hand to point toward a shimmering golden feline at the edge of the crater.


    ¡°It fled the moment we arrived,¡± Sebet added disdainfully. ¡°Claimed this was not its fight.¡±


    The edges of the second Spirit¡¯s body coiled like smoke. However, unlike the Awakened trapped within Lurr¡¯s armour, its essence was not drawn toward Wisp but was absorbed back into the majority of its form.


    With exaggerated caution, the Spirit slowly made its approach.


    Without being asked, Sebet and Gric moved to intercept it.


    As the Spirit drew closer, it became apparent that it was injured. Limping badly and bearing patches of discolouration that were close to being entirely invisible, it was clear that battling the Awakened had exacted its toll.


    ¡°You will stop there!¡± Gric barked in warning, making no attempts at hiding his naked aggression.


    ¡°On that much, we agree,¡± Sebet snickered, uncoiling her whip and gathering mana.


    The golden Spirit stopped in its tracks and with visible difficulties, settled on its haunches. ¡°I intend no harm to you or your master,¡± the Spirit claimed in a soft feminine voice.


    ¡°And yet you brought harm with your abrupt absence!¡± Sebet countered venomously. ¡°Do you not see how aggrieved our master is? The death of his servant is on your head!¡± She accused, pointing a clawed finger toward the Spirit.


    ¡°I have a duty to my people...¡± The Spirit replied calmly with only the faintest hint of what might be regret. ¡°If I fall, those who are remembered will be forgotten...¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Gric snarled. ¡°The fate of your people is yet to be decided!¡±


    The Spirit recoiled as if Gric had struck it across the face. ¡°You would not...¡±


    ¡°Do not presume to know our intentions!¡± Sebet sneered contemptuously. ¡°We came to your aid and were met with deception and death! For this, there will be a reckoning!¡±


    ¡°You speak of death?¡± The Spirit replied heatedly, ¡°One life pales before the dozens sacrificed to ensure this victory!¡±


    ¡°Ah, but you have made it clear already!¡± Sebet crowed victoriously, ¡°Not all lives hold equal value, do they?!¡±


    The feline Spirit remained silent.


    ¡°She knows we could take her without effort,¡± Sebet sneered contemptuously. ¡°Weakened as she is, one solid strike would end it...¡± She grinned maliciously and bit her lower lip.


    ¡°Enough...¡± My voice was barely above a whisper but it didn¡¯t matter.


    Sebet had been about to continue speaking but bit her tongue.


    The Spirit took confidence in the changing tide of the conversation. ¡°I thank you, deliverer, for saving my-¡±


    ¡°Shut up...¡± I hissed, pressing down hard on the rage building inside of me.


    It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have brought him with me. I was reckless and it was Lurr who had paid the price for it.


    ¡°Many lives have been sa-¡± The Spirit continued.


    ¡°I said SHUT UP!¡± I snarled.


    Wisp continued his work in silence for several minutes, very nearly running out of mana. ¡°It is done,¡± he rasped approvingly, ¡°You need only release the bindings...¡±


    ¡°W-Wait!¡± The thing inside of Lurr¡¯s armour cried out in fear. ¡°No need to kill! I serve you! Do anyth-AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!¡± The desperate pleas turned to screams as I withdrew my Chi from the armour.


    The silver tracings flared to life and the flames in Wisp¡¯s chest and eyes roared with new life.


    After less than a dozen seconds, the screaming stopped and Lurr¡¯s armour collapsed to the ground, his body presumably still inside.


    ¡°It is done,¡± Wisp rasped with immense satisfaction.


    Lifting Lurr¡¯s body, I opened a Spatial Breach to return to Sanctuary, ignoring the pain as my HP was drained in place of my MP.


    Stepping through the Breach, I knelt on the ground and set down Lurr¡¯s body.


    He was old. One of the oldest members of Lash¡¯s clan that had survived the Necromancer¡¯s purge.


    Unbuckling Lurr¡¯s helmet, I hesitated.


    I had seen what the other Awakened had done to its previous hosts and I was afraid of what I might find.


    Thunder rumbled overhead and it began to rain.


    I stared up at the dark clouds gathering in the sky and felt the anger and guilt inside of me wrestling for control.


    My skin felt hot and it was difficult to breathe. So I removed my helmet and cast it aside.


    Rain splashed against my face, cold and indifferent to my pain.


    Lurr was not the first person to die prosecuting my crusade against the other Awakened. Hundreds of Asrusian soldiers had died fighting the Liche. But Lurr was different. I could have left him behind and it likely wouldn¡¯t have changed anything.


    I should have followed my intuition...


    I SHOULD have left them all behind...


    Anger overcame my guilt and turned to rage.


    Thunder crashed and bright flashes of lightning lit up the night sky, casting The Grove in flickering violet light.


    I removed Lurr¡¯s helmet and looked down at his cold pale face. His eyes stared back into mine, empty, lifeless and blind to the world around us. There was no judgement, no condemnation or stoic pride in having fulfilled his duty. There was nothing.


    A part of me wanted him to hate me, to blame me for what had happened. But it was impossible.


    I set down Lurr¡¯s helmet by his head and gently closed his eyes as best as I was able.


    What remained of the clan wouldn¡¯t blame me either. I knew this only too well. They would tell me that it was an honour to make such a sacrifice for the common good. That Lurr had few years left with which to serve, and that an honourable end was the best he could hope for.


    It changed nothing.


    Lurr was dead, and it was my fault.


    Making matters worse, it had now set an official precedent. An act that the others would seek to emulate.


    I had saved Lash¡¯s people, but only to feed them through a meat grinder.


    Brushing the wet hair off Lurr¡¯s face, I could sense that his Manastone was gone. The other Awakened had consumed it when possessing his body. It was almost certainly what had killed him.


    Still cradling his head in my hand, I was reminded of the loss of my mother. The circumstances of their deaths were completely different to one another, and in the case of my mother¡¯s illness, I held no blame. Yet I couldn¡¯t shake the forced comparison.


    Then there was Ushu...


    The first to die fighting at my side against the Awakened¡¯. He had been so young...


    The flashes of lightning and crashing thunder grew more frequent, slowly falling into rhythm with the blood pounding in my veins.


    Where would it end?


    My friends? A memory of Emelia bedridden and clinging to life came unbidden to my mind.


    What about Lash? Pete? Suzy?


    No, I wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    Everything turned white and I felt limitless energy tearing through my body. Every nerve in my body cried out in agony and died, leaving only an echo of the pain in its wake.


    Blind to the world, I braced myself just in time for a second surge of energy to burn through my body. Despite my expectations, the nerves I had believed were dead flared with new life. Bringing another wave of indescribable agony.


    Screaming into the void, pain tore through my body over and over.


    Afraid of losing myself to the pain, I focused my will and fought back, bracing myself in anticipation for each new wave of pain. Little by little, the pain lessened and my sight returned.


    Steam rolled off of my body in great waves, the rain evaporating as it struck my armour or unprotected face.


    Shattered stones littered the blackened soil around me and the rain hissed like angry serpents even as it was swallowed by the roasted dirt.


    Looking skyward, I was momentarily stunned upon realising that I had almost certainly been struck by lightning. However it was not this fact alone that surprised me, it was that I had survived.


    Before I could even think to act, another arc of lightning lanced through my body.


    There was no pain this time, only power.


    I felt it travelling through my body, growing ever so slightly weaker in intensity and strength by the time it travelled through my right arm and into Lurr¡¯s body.


    Muscles convulsing from the shock, Lurr¡¯s limbs spasmed and seized uncontrollably.


    Ashamed that I was unintentionally desecrating his corpse, I tried to remove my hand from Lurr¡¯s face. The nerves in my hand didn¡¯t answer in time, and another bolt of lightning surged through my body and into Lurr¡¯s.


    Pressing down on Lurr¡¯s chestplate for leverage I yanked my right arm back, removing my hand from his face and revealing the blackened scorched flesh beneath.


    Sickened by my unintended actions, I felt another wave of rage and revulsion boiling up inside of me. Which only intensified as I was alerted to an invader entering my realm.


    Rising stiffly to my feet, I pushed the rage down so I could think clearly enough to teleport using my authority. I was responsible for what had happened to Lurr, but that Spirit bore some of the guilt as well, and I would see it paid its share.


    Just as I was about to relocate to Sebet¡¯s tower, I saw movement from the corner of my eye.


    Looking down at Lurr¡¯s body, I stared in silent horror as the fingers of his right hand twitched and skittered on the blackened dirt like a crazed spider.


    Repulsed and enraged at the possibility of the Awakened still being alive, I reached for my mace. However, before I could draw it from my belt, Lurr¡¯s eyes and mouth flew open and his back arched painfully as he gasped for air.


    Stunned into inaction, I could only watch as Lurr¡¯s body seized and convulsed for several seconds before laying limp in the dirt.


    Panting heavily, his one remaining eye glowed with amethyst light and rolled wildly about in its socket before inexplicably settling on me. ¡°Ty-rant...¡± Lurr gasped and then collapsed. If it weren¡¯t for his loud laboured breathing, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to believe my eyes.


    Somehow, Lurr was alive.


    Recognising Lurr as the invader, I cautiously knelt at his side and tore off my gauntlet to take his pulse. Still leary that the other Awakened might have somehow survived and was using some form of camouflage.


    Against my expectations, Lurr¡¯s pulse was steady and strong. His skin was also warm to the touch, but a small voice in the back of my mind was only too eager to attribute the returning temperature to the lightning that had scorched his corpse.


    The lightning...


    Looking at my own hand, I found burns on my fingers and palm. The burns had already begun to heal and were nothing compared to the blackened flesh on Lurr¡¯s face.


    Fixated on the burns and Lurr¡¯s fused eyelid, something in my brain clicked and I began acting without thinking.


    Using my authority, I relocated us both to the entrance of Sanctuary¡¯s hospital.


    Learning that I had relocated Wraithe as well, I didn¡¯t have time to say as much as a single word before the Daemon began shouting orders and calling for her assistants.


    In a blur of activity, Lurr was dragged into the hospital and out of my sight.


    ¡°He is alive...¡± I croaked uncertainly, still struggling to believe what I had seen with my own eyes.


    I stood there in the rain, repeating it over and over again, refusing to stop until I could understand what had happened. Understand how Lurr had miraculously returned to life when he had been stone-cold dead.


    Try as I might, my thoughts returned to the lightning.


    Spontaneous resuscitation was practically unheard of, and even CPR had a terrifyingly low chance of reviving someone in ideal conditions. Even so, I couldn¡¯t help but think that the lightning had somehow jumpstarted Lurr¡¯s heart. But it still didn¡¯t explain how Lurr had escaped brain death.


    Deprived of oxygen for more than a handful of minutes, the brain would die. All the things a living being took for granted that were carried out largely without their conscious knowledge, would end and without artificial means to replicate their processes, the body would remain dead.


    And yet Lurr lived...


    He spoke, I saw him breathing and felt his pulse.


    He was alive...


    The system had declared him dead. I had read the notification over and over again, there was no room for misinterpretation.


    Lurr had died.


    ¡°My Tyrant?¡± Wraithe tentatively tapped my arm to try and get my attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening, Wraithe, continue please.¡± I pushed my thoughts aside and gave Wraithe my undivided attention.


    Reassured, Wraithe stood a little taller. ¡°The burns are largely superficial, limited to discolouring of the skin-¡±


    ¡°Except for his eye,¡± I predicted.


    ¡°Just so,¡± Wraithe agreed. ¡°The eyelids could be separated, but without the possibility of returning his sight, it may be better to allow the lids to fuse...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a question you should be asking him,¡± I replied cautiously. ¡°Is he conscious? Has he said anything?¡±


    Wraithe shook her head. ¡°I established a connection through telepathy, but the warrior¡¯s thoughts are...somewhat scattered...¡±


    ¡°He was dead,¡± I stated bluntly by means of explanation. ¡°That will do it to you...¡±


    Wraithe slowly nodded in agreement, and I could tell she was hesitating, deciding whether to reveal something. ¡°There is more, my Tyrant,¡± Wraithe volunteered nervously, ¡°The warrior¡¯s manastone is gone, I felt no traces of it when establishing the telepathic link...¡±


    ¡°I discovered as much as well,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And there is something else,¡± Wraithe hesitated again, her rodent tail flicking side to side nervously and her ears flattening against her skull. ¡°I sensed something else inside of him, something that shouldn¡¯t be there...¡± She poked at my abdomen, ¡°He carries the same energy I sense in you, my Tyrant...The same energy born by the others in that foreign realm...¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡± I was struggling to shift mental gears. ¡°You are saying Lurr has Chi?¡± I demanded incredulously.


    Wraithe gnawed at her index finger and became lost in deep thought for a few moments before nodding her head vigorously. ¡°Yes, I think that is what they called it.¡±


    ¡°How?...¡± I extended my senses and was stunned as I realised Wraithe was right. It was faint, but I could feel Lurr¡¯s presence on the second floor of the hospital. I could feel the rolling thunder in his guts.


    Wraithe yelped in surprise, leaping back a step and pointing at my hands, ¡°My Tyrant!¡±


    I stared down at my hands in shock. Small arcs of lightning crackled over my fingers emitting the unmistakable scent of ozone into the air.


    I felt no pain, but I could sense the Chi gathered around my hands. It was mine, there was no mistaking that. It was as much a part of me as my own hands and heart.


    Wraithe perked up and looked back toward the Hospital. ¡°The Warrior is awake!¡± She declared excitedly, scampering back through the hospital door without saying another word.


    With a thought, I drew the lightning back into myself returning it to an undetermined state as raw Chi. To satisfy my curiosity, I drew it out again. Only this time, I drew to my limit.


    Violet and magenta arcs of lightning raced over my body, illuminating the darkness and casting a host of flickering shadows into the night.


    Unexplainable power could be just as dangerous to me as it was to my enemies. I needed answers and I only had one person I could ask who had a decent chance of having the information I needed.


    ***** Yi Gim~ Yi Gim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Bay of Tranquility *****


    Yi Gim sat at his daughter¡¯s bedside and held her hand supportively while a handful of his most loyal retainers continued delivering and organising the supplies demanded by the Tyrant¡¯s mysterious healer.


    The fact that the healer had miraculously reversed the worst of So Eun¡¯s ailments in a single visit was nothing short of miraculous. Dozens of Alchemists and physicians had declared her a hopeless case, only prescribing medicines that would draw out her life but nothing more.


    Yi Gim had entertained the thought of thanking his ally through the communication token but had ultimately decided against it. He could sense that their exchange felt alarmingly one-sided already and was concerned that unless the scales were righted in the near future, it would cause their mutually beneficial relationship to rapidly unravel.


    Any idiot privy to the information Yi Gim had garnered thus far would be able to tell that the Tyrant needed Yi Gim many magnitudes less than he needed him.


    Somehow blessed by the heavens, the Tyrant had already demonstrated the richness of his lands and the incredible competence of his retainers. Adding to the fact that he personally possessed dual Affinities, there was no doubting his imminent meteoric rise through the rankings.


    Lacking only in knowledge, which he could just as readily gain from anyone else, the Tyrant¡¯s only failing seemed to be his amenable temperament. Unlike just about every other Monarch Yi GIm had encountered, the Tyrant seemed utterly disinterested in doing battle unless provoked.


    Yi Gim knew better than to mark him as a pacifist. The Tyrant had far too much-repressed violence in his soul. Like a poorly trained beast, he was simply waiting for an excuse, waiting for a victim to do something that would justify unleashing his savagery.


    With a handful of potential Monarchs laid low by his hand before becoming ranked, the Tyrant¡¯s strength and resolve were beyond question. Once provoked, he or his enemy would die.


    ¡°Patriarch, our task is completed,¡± his chief retainer and house steward, Ran Joon, declared dutifully.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Yi Gim removed the sorcerous Summoning stave from within his Storage Ring. ¡°Remember, I will tolerate no violence or provocations toward our guest without proof of a credible threat. Am I understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± Ran Joon and the lower-ranked retainers announced in unison.


    Yi Gim nodded in approval and gingerly prepared the stave for its activation.


    ¡°Tell me again Father, tell me that you did not bargain away your soul for my sake,¡± So Eun insisted earnestly.


    ¡°Not my soul, dear one, and far less than the rings adorning your fingers,¡± Yi Gim answered honestly. ¡°However, those treasures are far more valuable than what was demanded for them in payment. Twenty territories is a small price to pay to counter a master poisoner¡¯s arts.¡±


    ¡®Twenty territories?...¡± So Eun questioned uncomfortably.


    ¡°You do not appreciate the state you were in,¡± Yi Gim replied, his voice strained. ¡°Twenty territories is nothing. Once you are whole again, I will take the cost of those treasures from the Demon of the Fog¡¯s hide!¡±


    So Eun¡¯s face paled. ¡°Father! You cannot endanger your life by entertaining such foolishness!¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°It is not foolishness, Eun¡¯er. Reckless? Perhaps, but not foolishness. With these treasures, we have the chance to make the Demon of the Fog pay for what she took from us!¡±


    So Eun gripped tightly at her blanket, ¡°It won¡¯t bring Hyun back...¡± Her eyes darkened with rage, ¡°But if you believe it is possible, I would see him avenged!¡±


    ¡°When the time is right,¡± Yi Gim agreed dourly. ¡°We may yet bargain for other treasures to gain a greater advantage.¡±


    ¡°You believe so, father?¡± So Eun asked earnestly. ¡°Does our ally possess so many treasures that he can just give them away without poisoning his heart toward us?¡±


    Yi Gim held up the stave. ¡°Our ally, the Tyrant, he made this with his own hands. I saw it with my own eyes.¡±


    So Eun stared at the stave in astonishment.


    ¡°Provided we offer something of suitable rarity or value, I do not doubt we could secure further treasures,¡± Yi Gim declared confidently. ¡°The danger lies in asking beyond our value, positioning ourselves as lesser rather than equals.¡±


    ¡°Then, how do you intend to improve our position?¡± So Eun pressed, tempted with vengeance and refusing to let it go.


    ¡°Upholding the Oaths we exchanged will close the gap,¡± Yi Gim replied confidently. ¡°Our ally is powerful and has rich resources at his disposal. However, he lacks knowledge and connections. The first I am bound to provide as requested, but the second will be the means by which that knowledge will increase our position and standing.¡±


    So Eun was quiet for a few moments and then nodded in understanding. ¡°He cannot value what he does not know exists, and securing them for trade, leveraging our connections, handling the risks, that is our value.¡±


    Yi Gim nodded approvingly. ¡°Exactly so.¡±


    <Yi Gim?> The deep rumbling voice of the Tyrant sounded in Yi Gim¡¯s mind, connected through the communication token.


    <I am here, Tyrant.> Yi Gim replied hurriedly while making sure he didn¡¯t sound overly eager and not to use the Tyrant¡¯s name. A family name had not been given when last they spoke, and Yi Gim was concerned that expressing too much familiarity would be rude.


    <I have a question whose answer is not clearly explained within the books you provided.> The Tyrant explained bluntly.


    <If it is not dedicated to paper, I am afraid I cannot guarantee an answer.> Yi Gim replied honestly, tempering the Tyrant¡¯s expectations.


    <I am aware.> The Tyrant observed dryly. <But I suspect you know the answer. Or at least know enough to satisfy my curiosity.>


    Intrigued, and glad for the Tyrant¡¯s confidence, Yi Gim waited for the question.


    <What do you know about the Thunder Affinity?> The Tyrant asked.


    Yi Gim was somewhat surprised. He had expected a more esoteric subject. <Above all, it is exceedingly rare and very powerful. Only a dozen Monarchs can claim their subjects possess the Thunder Affinity. A small handful possess it themselves.>


    <But what does it do?> The Tyrant pressed impatiently.


    Yi Gim made sure to keep a mental note of it. He knew that the Tyrant had two Affinities of his own, and if he had a subordinate with the Thunder Affinity, that would definitely be worth remembering.


    <It allows the Cultivator that bears such a gift to control the lightning and thunder of the heavens. To imbue its essence into Techniques and even simple martial attacks.> Yi Gim explained eagerly. <However, its greatest value is defying Heavenly Tribulations! Redirecting or even consuming the deadly energies and denying them their intended target.>


    The Tyrant remained silent for an extended period, but Yi Gim felt confident that there would be something else.


    <Why isn¡¯t there a Lightning Affinity? Why does Thunder Affinity allow control over Lightning?> The Tyrant demanded. Although his tone made it clear he was more annoyed by the subject rather than Yi Gim himself.


    <I do not know...> Yi Gim answered honestly. <It is just the way things are. If you are interested in theories, I could locate several prominent works on the subject?>


    <No. It doesn¡¯t matter.> The Tyrant seemed distracted. <Thank you for your answers.>


    <It was a pleasure honouring our agreement.> Yi Gim replied brightly. <And if you are willing to engage in trade again, I can seek out more rare and valuable material components.>


    <I¡¯m interested.> The Tyrant replied bluntly. <I¡¯ll let you know when I am ready.>


    The connection was severed before Yi Gim could make a formal farewell. However, he remained aware of the Tyrant¡¯s earlier distraction and chose not to take offence. He knew only too well that the position of Monarch could require abrupt changes in one¡¯s plans.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 73 – Within and without – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 73 ¨C Within and without ¨C Part One


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 73 - Within and without - Part One


    Staring at my Status information, I was having difficulty understanding how it could have changed so drastically and in such a short period. There was nothing new, but the values relating to my Affinities and Chi had increased dramatically.


    [Tim - Lake Ogre-Mage {Monarch} ] [Chi: 37*/37* {Water, Earth, Fire, Thunder, Wood, Death, Space} ]


    [Class: None.]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Lash¡¯s Mate]


    [Bloodline: {Tyrant 3} +1 Willpower.] [Bloodline Progeny: Pete, Suzy.]


    [Cultivation Inheritance: {Tyrant¡¯s Body} ]


    [Strength: 25* ]


    [Agility: 10 ]


    [Toughness: 29* ]


    [Intelligence: 12 ]


    [Willpower: 18* (19*) ]


    [Presence: 8* ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Eternal Tao {Rank 37}): Through meditation the Taoist becomes a receptacle for universal energy. Through shedding imperfections and gaining insight into the true nature of being, the Taoist gains mastery over existence. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Water {Rank 8}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the waters of life and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Earth {Rank 6}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the indomitable earth and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Fire {Rank 1}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the flames of destruction and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Thunder {Rank 13}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the tumultuous thunder and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Wood {Rank 2}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the seeds of nature and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Death {Rank 5}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the inevitability of death and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Affinity of Space {Rank 10}): The soul of the Taoist is one with the ether of dimensions and may draw upon its essence through meditation and a deeper understanding of the Tao. ]


    [Group Synergies: {Hide/Expand}]


    Scanning the information over and over again, I only became more confused.


    According to the books, Affinities were only meant to increase in rank when exposed to high concentrations of raw energy containing that same Affinity. However, except for the lightning, which I was still not entirely convinced had been a Tribulation, I hadn¡¯t been exposed to any Affinity-rich energy besides...my own magic.


    The presence of the Fire Affinity clinched it. All of my Affinities were somehow derived from the Spells I could cast. It was difficult to accept the possibility that casting those Spells would somehow increase their related Affinities, but I had no other way of explaining what had happened.


    And Lurr...I still didn¡¯t know what to think.


    I wouldn¡¯t know the extent of the damage or any potential changes until he regained consciousness. Assuming there were any changes to be found at all.


    ¡°My Tyrant...¡± Gric had appeared without my noticing and I was concerned to discover his left arm was still hanging limp at his side.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured,¡± I observed aloud, too tired to care that he would certainly have been aware of that particular fact.


    Gric nodded and shrugged somewhat indifferently. ¡°I will heal,¡± he declared with unshakable confidence.


    ¡°Wait...¡± Something didn¡¯t quite fit. ¡°You arrived injured...and so did Ophelia...¡±


    I felt a sinking feeling in my gut as my subconscious pieced things together.


    ¡°You were projections...It shouldn¡¯t have been able to hurt you...¡± It was the reason I had allowed them to rush ahead, to take risks...Because I thought their true selves would be safe...


    ¡°The Spirit¡¯s attacks persisted through the termination of our Summoned projections,¡± Gric admitted obediently. ¡°In time, our injuries will heal...¡± A trace of uncertainty in his voice ran contrary to his words and gave me cause for concern.


    Extending my senses toward Gric¡¯s arm, I very nearly recoiled in fear and disgust upon making contact with the entropic energies raging within. Gric seemed to have it contained, but I couldn¡¯t believe he would be able to drive the energies out on his own.


    It came as an even greater source of surprise and disgust that I could feel the energies being drawn toward me. Like tendrils of a sickly leviathan, the entropic energies bled out of Gric¡¯s arm and trailed through the air toward my body.


    Despite my revulsion, I maintained my concentration. It was my fault that Gric had been infected in the first place. So purging the infection from his body was also my responsibility.


    Contrary to my expectations, as the tendrils of entropy touched my skin, I only felt a mild decrease in ambient temperature. The energies drawn into my body were swept toward my abdomen and disappeared.


    After ten minutes of intense concentration, the final traces of entropic energies were removed from Gric¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Thank you, my Tyrant,¡± Gric bowed low on one knee.


    ¡°Send for Ophelia,¡± I ordered, suppressing my discomfort. ¡°I will be waiting by the lakeside.¡±


    ¡°As you command, my Tyrant,¡± Gric replied before abruptly disappearing through the use of my authority.


    After scanning Lurr and confirming there were no signs of the entropic energies, I used my authority to return to the lakeside.


    Investigating the site of Lurr¡¯s resurrection, I quickly realised that I had been wrong in assuming the lightning was mundane in nature. Without even trying, I could feel the Thunder energy radiating from the scorched earth.


    Assuming a meditation stance, I drew the energies into my body. As the energy made contact with my skin, small sparks skittered up and down my arms, releasing the faint but otherwise unmistakable acrid smell of ozone. However, unlike Gric¡¯s arm, the earth refused to surrender the final vestiges of the energy contained within. Furthermore, the remaining Thunder energy seemed to be replenishing itself. Albeit at an incredibly slow rate.


    Born aloft by wings of shimmering copper light, Ophelia made no attempts at masking her approach from her home above the centre of the lake. Stripped down to her civilian attire, Ophelia clutched at her side with one arm and wore a mask of grim acceptance. As she drew closer, the ashen hue of her skin became unmistakable.


    Despite her pain, Ophelia dismissed her wings and prepared to kneel.


    Catching Ophelia beneath the arms with one hand, I was able to support her entire body weight without conscious effort. ¡°Show me,¡± I commanded, nodding toward her midsection.


    Ophelia averted her eyes and silently lifted her tunic just high enough to reveal two long black welts that circled her hip and ran across her abdomen. The blackened skin was cracked and weeping discoloured pus.


    Probing Ophelia¡¯s body with my heightened senses, I began actively drawing the Death energy out of her wounds.


    Gasping in relief or pain, it was difficult to tell which, Ophelia stiffened in my grasp. However, she made no attempts to shy away or escape.


    Inch by inch, the black stain in Ophelia¡¯s flesh receded, leaving ragged and raw inflammation in its wake. However, with the Death energy removed from her wounds, the infection began to recede and the inflamed flesh slowly began knitting itself back together.


    After the last of the Death energy was drawn out of her body, I gently set Ophelia down on her own two feet.


    Although somewhat unsteady and still quite pale, Ophelia¡¯s eyes shone brightly with gratitude. ¡°My thanks, Tyrant!¡± Her wings flashed into being once more and she leapt into the air, throwing her arms around my neck and drawing herself into a tight embrace.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I deflected somewhat awkwardly and gingerly patted her back. ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do.¡±


    Ophelia maintained the embrace for a few moments longer and then pulled away. ¡°I will remember your kindness,¡± she promised and then slowly began making her way back to her home in the willow trees at the centre of the lake.


    Watching Ophelia go, something stirred in the dark corners of my mind. I felt an unexplainable pang of irritation.


    How dare she express such familiarity! And of course, she should remember his magnanimity!


    Just as quickly as the thoughts had asserted themselves, they disappeared. Leaving me deeply concerned.


    Reviewing my Status again, I discovered my Thunder and Death Affinities had both increased by several ranks since I had last checked. Achieving the seventeenth and ninth rank respectively. Even my Chi had increased by one point.


    Slowly walking along the lakeshore in the moonlight, movement in my peripheral vision drew my attention toward the surface of the lake. However, besides my reflection and the ripples caused by my heavy steps, I saw no other signs of movement.


    Shaking my head to try and clear my thoughts, I turned away and continued my walk.


    Unwilling to return to my bed until my thoughts were fully accounted for, I spent the remainder of the night silently patrolling the lakeshore in the rain.


    By the time the sun began peeking over the treeline, I was convinced I understood the cause for the increasingly intrusive thoughts and emotional instability.


    Heart Demons.


    While my active Cultivation efforts were pathetic to the point of being almost non-existent, using magic had somehow caused my Chi to grow by leaps and bounds. Poisoning my mind in the process.


    If the Heart Demons were not purged, I would only grow increasingly unstable over time.


    Even after purging the Heart Demons, I would need to repeat the process regularly to prevent them from influencing my thoughts and emotional state.


    Having identified the problem, I now had to make preparations for the treatment.


    Yi Gim had provided written instructions for the ritual. However, material components, such as the incense sticks, or the meditation shrine, were not something I had on hand.


    At my request, Gric saw to the construction of the meditation shrine, while Sebet assisted Jin the Alchemist in sourcing medicinal herbs for the incense sticks from the territories acquired from Yi Gim.


    For the sake of safety, the shrine was built in an isolated territory that could only be accessed with my authority.


    The book had been incredibly clear on the dangers presented by purging what it referred to as mature Heart Demons. Not only a danger to Cultivators themself, the manifestations of the Heart Demons would lash out at any target that presented themselves.


    Capable of taking just about any form someone could imagine, the Heart Demons would also possess just as much Cultivation and all of the Techniques of the Cultivator that created them.


    I had no Techniques for the Heart Demons to make use of, but I had concerns that they would have just as much access to my Spells and other Abilities. Which, of course, the book couldn¡¯t confirm or deny, given my situation was altogether unique.


    While overseeing Gric¡¯s construction of the shrine, I received a notification informing me of Lurr¡¯s recruitment. I hadn¡¯t doubted he would do so, but I felt a mild sense of relief after reading the confirmation. It was a vote of confidence I wasn¡¯t sure I deserved, especially considering how Lurr had died.


    Watching Gric carve the symbols into the jade floor, I was reminded of my poor stone carving skills. Even with a diagram to follow, and using the power of my mind, the results were pretty terrible. At least, they were when writing with characters I wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    I had no problems carving English words and sentences, and could even embellish things somewhat without compromising quality. However, using the English translations seemed weird in a way I couldn¡¯t explain.


    So far as I was aware, the language the words were written in didn¡¯t matter. The fact that I possessed several diagrams for the same Inscription in two different languages was proof enough in that regard. However, there was a certain mysticism in using the ancient alphabet of a foreign culture. An invitation and expectation of nuance and meaning beyond the literal translation that added a certain value.


    The words generally looked nicer as well, lending themselves more readily to Gric¡¯s aesthetic tastes.


    Of course, Gric could only carve the characters. He had no Chi with which to imbue them with power and bind them to a greater purpose.


    Following the translated instructions as best I could manage, I spent the entire day draining my Chi into the dormant Arrays. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In every sense, the defensive Arrays would turn the shrine into a prison once they were activated. Intended to prevent corrupted Cultivators from running loose under the influence of their Heart Demons, the Arrays would not only prevent the Cultivator from escaping but would draw upon the Cultivator¡¯s Chi to subsidise their activities.


    In other circumstances, I would have asked for a volunteer to test the shrine and its Arrays before considering using it myself. However, my role in Lurr¡¯s death still weighed heavily on my mind, and I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of sending someone else to die for my own sake.


    Of course, I had concerns that the Arrays might fail, but I had no other means of recourse. Waiting for one of my subjects to reach a sufficient level of strength and competency to create and power the Arrays on my behalf was unacceptable. I had no way of knowing how much the Heart Demons had influenced my mind already, and waiting would only see things grow worse.


    I needed to make sure my mind was my own. Any degree of subversion or manipulation, no matter how minor, posed a threat to every man, woman and child under my protection.


    Gric briefly disappeared and reappeared again moments later, holding a large box that smelled strongly of myrrh. A smell I only recognised thanks to visiting a high-budget Christmas nativity display hosted by a nearby church in my early teens.


    Inspecting the contents of the box, I found more or less what I had expected. There was a large stack of thin wooden sticks coated in the dried granulated tree sap, approximating what I assumed were intended to serve as incense sticks. Provided they worked, I didn¡¯t really care about their questionable appearance.


    The fact that Jin had known what I wanted, and had succeeded to any meaningful degree at all was worth seeing him rewarded. Assuming I survived, I would do exactly that.


    Without needing to be asked, Gric began setting the incense sticks into small holes set into the pillars ringing the central meditation circle of the shrine. Scorching the tips between his fingers to set them smouldering and gradually build a thin cloud of smoke within the shrine.


    The ritual¡¯s instructions had called for five sticks of incense for an adult. So Gric set out roughly forty-seven of them. He probably would have set out more, but there weren¡¯t any left in the box. Given the stakes involved, I couldn¡¯t blame Gric for erring on the side of caution.


    Having fulfilled his duties, Gric left the shrine and assumed a vigil outside.


    Settling into a meditative pose that matched the diagram, I took my time to try and clear my mind of unnecessary thoughts. However, the longer I breathed in the smoke, the more agitated I became.


    A sudden surge of nausea left me clammy with sweat, dry retching and clutching at my gut.


    No longer sitting, I was on my hands and knees, panting in pain as the nausea continued growing in intensity and urgency.


    Without my consent, my stomach heaved and a torrent of thick foul black ichor spewed out over my teeth and lips and onto the floor. Unable to breathe, it was all I could manage to keep my arms straight and keep my face out of the slowly rising pool of foulness below me.


    As the flow began to ebb, it left a deep raw pain in its wake. As if the foul ichor had ripped out the protective lining of my stomach and oesophagus.


    Shakily pulling back and settling onto my haunches, I took several ragged gasps to try and stop my vision from spinning.


    ¡°Pathetic!¡± A familiar deep booming voice hissed contemptuously.


    Raising my head I found myself staring at a large pair of muscular legs the size of tree trunks.


    Without warning, a foot snapped out of the ichor covering the floor and smashed into my chin, sending me reeling backward and foundering in the foulness beneath me.


    ¡°Get up! Fight!¡± The voice demanded. ¡°Stop cowering like a child!¡±


    Searching for the source of the voice, the breath caught in my throat as my eyes settled on a face I knew only too well. I had seen it staring back at me thousands of times before. It was my own reflection.


    Bristling with barely restrained rage, my reflection glared down at me with an expression of irreconcilable disgust and contempt. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± He growled angrily, ¡°It''s always been your fault!¡± My reflection clenched his right fist and lashed out at a nearby pillar, shattering the jade with effortless ease and sending splinters flying in all directions. ¡°You¡¯re a coward!¡± He snarled bitterly, stabbing an accusing finger down at my chest. ¡°It¡¯s your fault they died!¡±


    Repressed memories were torn free of their restraints and flooded my mind. Broken bodies, discarded and left to rot in the sun. Impaled on pikes, limbs torn from their bodies, heads dashed apart...


    The faces of children imprisoned underground. Their pale lifeless bodies stacked like firewood...


    ¡°YOUR FAULT!!!¡± The voice repeated. ¡°YOU HAD THE STRENGTH TO SAVE THEM!!! AND YOU DIDN¡¯T!!! YOU¡¯RE A FUCKING COWARD!!!¡±


    Staggering to my feet, I faced my reflection and opened my mouth to argue, but the words refused to shape. Deep down, I knew he was right.


    Too often, I had disguised my cowardice as indecision or caution when presented with danger.


    In this world, I was a living tank. The number of enemies that had proven capable of harming me, let alone presenting a credible threat, could be counted on both hands.


    If I had chosen to act sooner, how many lives could I have saved?


    Without warning, the right fist of my reflection crashed into my left cheek and sent me stumbling into the wall.


    ¡°COWARD!!!¡± My reflection roared, raising both fists with violent intentions and stalking after me. ¡°FIGHT!!!¡± He demanded, throwing a left hook at my head.


    Barely raising my arm in time to block the blow, I staggered and nearly lost my footing as the ichor shifted beneath my feet.


    ¡°FIGHT!!! FIGHT!!! FIGHT!!!¡± My reflection repeated, throwing three more punches in rapid succession.


    Rattled and off balance, I threw a blind punch and made a breakaway from the wall.


    I caught a vicious kick to the gut instead and was thrown face-down into the ichor. Before I could regain my bearings, I was caught about the neck and dragged back out again.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE TRY TO RUN!!!¡± My reflection snarled, punctuating its point by smashing my head into the wall. ¡°YOU DON¡¯T HAVE THAT CHOICE ANYMORE!!!¡± He drove my head into the wall again and I felt the jade fracture. ¡°YOU FIGHT!!! OR!!! YOU!!! DIE!!!¡± He punctuated each word by crashing my head into the wall over and over again, breaking through the jade with the final blow and releasing my neck.


    Groggily pulling my head from the wall, I tried to get to my feet but staggered and nearly collapsed before grabbing hold of a nearby pillar for support.


    ¡°SO WEAK!!!¡± My reflection howled in frustration, tearing at his scalp with his clawed fingers and drawing blood. He drew back his fist and prepared to throw another punch.


    Pushing away from the pillar, I narrowly avoided my reflection¡¯s strike.


    The pillar was not so lucky.


    With every instinct in my body screaming for me to fight or run, I threw another punch and struck my reflection in the lower back.


    Acknowledging the blow with a grunt, my reflection rounded on me with a savage grin on his lips. Without saying another word, he slammed his fist into my face.


    I felt the cartilage in my nose give way and collapse under the force of the blow but took the hit as best as I could manage. Rolling his fist to one side, I boxed his left ear with a right hook.


    I felt an immense degree of satisfaction as my reflection stumbled and collapsed into the ichor. Unfortunately, he was up and on his feet less than a second later, teeth bared in savage glee.


    ¡°YES!!! YES!!! FIGHT!!!¡± My reflection roared, spraying ichor in all directions as he launched himself forward and caught me about the waist.


    I failed at his back with my fists and elbows but had the air crushed from my lungs as he slammed me into another wall.


    Momentarily stunned, I continued striking at his back, but it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect.


    Pivoting hard, he lifted my feet off the ground and smashed the back of my head into another pillar. ¡°YOU BETTER GET READY TO DIE!!!¡± My reflection roared with joy, releasing me and allowing the remaining momentum to send me face-first into yet another pillar.


    The vision in my right eye turned blood red and was growing darker with every passing moment. Ignoring the pain, I forced myself to my feet. Reaching for my magic, I suppressed the urge to panic when my efforts came up empty.


    ¡°Uh uh uh!¡± My reflection waved his finger reproachfully. ¡°This is between us!¡± He cackled, stretching his neck and releasing an unhealthy crunching cracking sound. ¡°And if you want to beat me, you better be ready to kill!¡± He snarled with a demented smile and lunged for another attack.


    Broken, bruised and abused, I felt a fresh wave of anger flood new strength throughout my body. With a savage snarl on my lips, I ducked under my reflection¡¯s lunging strike and hammered my left fist into his right kidney.


    Still smiling, my reflection staggered, ¡°YESSSS!!!¡± He howled.


    Refusing to lose the initiative, and unable to stop myself even if I wanted to, Adrenaline drove me forward. I threw one punch after another in rapid succession, not even taking time to aim.


    Driving my reflection to the ground, I screamed in fury and hammered his chest like a savage ape. With each blow, I felt the blood in my veins burn hotter and push away the pain.


    All the while, my reflection threw punches of his own, smiling and laughing as they bounced ineffectually off my shoulders and brow.


    I could feel his ribs beginning to give out, cracking and snapping, being driven into his lungs and heart, but I didn¡¯t stop.


    I couldn¡¯t stop.


    As the blood haze lifted and the adrenaline began to ebb, I slowly regained control and bore witness to what I had done.


    The torso of my reflection had been reduced to a mangled bloody mess, but he was somehow still alive.


    ¡°Fin...Ish...It!...¡± My reflection demanded, choking on his blood with each syllable. Still smiling all the while.


    Revolted by my own actions, I hesitated.


    ¡°Be...Free!...¡± My reflection insisted, discharging another mouthful of blood in the process.


    Reaching out with my right hand, I wrapped my fingers around his throat and began to squeeze.


    ¡°That¡¯s...It!...¡± My reflection gasped. ¡°No...No...Merssss-¡± With a smile on his bloody lips, the last flickering embers in his eyes died out and he grew limp.


    I withdrew my hand and stared at it as if it were a poisonous snake. I hadn¡¯t tightened my grip enough to cut off the blood flow, but I had still gone further than I had thought myself capable of. I had shown I was capable of it.


    The body of my reflection dissolved beneath me, collapsing into the ichor covering the floor.


    Ever so slowly, the ichor seeped through the jade floor and disappeared, leaving me utterly alone within the walls of the shrine.


    After staring at the floor for what felt like hours I gingerly raised my head and was surprised to find that the interior of the shrine was intact. The pillars and walls damaged during the battle with my reflection were pristine and unmarked.


    Stiffly rising to my feet and intending to investigate further, I nearly collapsed upon realising all of my injuries were gone as well.


    Over several minutes, I slowly came to realise that everything I had experienced was probably just a hallucination. However, despite the lingering feelings of revulsion, I also felt more at ease. Which was difficult to reconcile, given the root cause for both states of being.


    Leaving the shrine, I spared a few moments to reflect upon what had happened.


    The book containing the ritual had been infuriatingly vague regarding the form the Heart Demons would take. However, the absence of the irreconcilable irritation and anger that had been building within my mind was convincing proof all on its own.


    ¡°It is done, my Tyrant?¡± Gric asked reservedly, perhaps having witnessed events through reading my mind.


    ¡°It is,¡± I replied quietly. ¡°At least, for now.¡±


    I would need to undertake regular meditation from now on. Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing how severe any future experiences would be in comparison. I would just have to wait and see.


    ¡°I want to see them.¡± I decided, postponing my return home so I could be certain I was fully in control. ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°The refugees are waiting in the foothold,¡± Gric replied obediently, no doubt having read my mind and anticipated the question in advance. ¡°The Spirit waits alongside them,¡± he added with marked disdain.


    ¡°And my warriors?¡± I asked, choosing to ignore Gric¡¯s enmity.


    ¡°Training against the wild monsters beyond the walls, my Tyrant,¡± Gric rolled his shoulders and looked uncomfortable.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I pressed, knowing that something had to be on his mind.


    ¡°I wish to lead an expedition,¡± Gric replied quietly. ¡°To extend an offer of vassalage and protection to Talia¡¯s people.¡±


    Gric¡¯s request caught me off guard and it took a few moments for me to adjust my thinking. ¡°Her people are not Enslaved?¡±


    ¡°Many are,¡± Gric conceded, ¡°However, after interviewing those you have liberated, I am confident that the majority of her people are either dead or engaged in a generational siege.¡±


    I chose to ignore Gric¡¯s indifference toward the two radically different states of being. ¡°So, you know where they are then?¡±


    Gric paused and considered the question for several seconds. ¡°I know where they were,¡± he replied confidently.


    ¡°Which Labyrinth and floor?¡± I pressed, suspecting Gric was being altogether too literal in his answer.


    ¡°I am uncertain,¡± Gric admitted honestly. ¡°However, the survival of Talia¡¯s people, combined with knowledge of their Enslavement suggests it cannot be greater than the fiftieth floor.¡±


    I sighed and had to remind myself that Gric had a radically different perception of danger than a regular person would have. Stronger enemies were seen as opportunities for Daemons, not danger. ¡°Who do you intend on taking as part of your expedition?¡± I decided to just go with it and try to assess his plan on overall merit.


    ¡°I shall suffice,¡± Gric replied with absolute confidence. ¡°I will Summon assistance if needed, but will cover more ground and without attracting notice if I am alone.¡±


    I had to admit, he had a point.


    ¡°What will you do if you find them and they don¡¯t want to leave?¡± I asked curiously.


    Gric stared up at me with grim determination. ¡°I will convince them.¡± His expression softened nearly imperceptibly. ¡°A future beneath your rule is the only logical choice. An opportunity to live and grow, free of predation.¡± Gric paused and his expression hardened again. ¡°I will convince them,¡± he repeated with absolute confidence.


    ¡°You have my permission.¡± I decided to place my trust in Gric. Despite his overt authoritarianism, I knew Gric wouldn¡¯t cross certain lines without cause to do so.


    In many respects, this would serve as a test. Not only of Gric¡¯s ability to broker alliances but to prove my trust was well placed.


    Despite his evident desire to leave on his expedition, Gric decided to accompany me back to the Hurst Labyrinth.


    A reminder of his considerable restraint. Or at least, his ability to prioritise.


    Using a Dimensional Breach, we arrived just outside of the Foothold gate.


    To their credit, my thunder warriors stationed at the gate had their weapons readied and prepared to strike the moment I passed through the Breach. Better they were prepared than not.


    The entirety of the Foothold behind them had been claimed by the refugees. Men, women and children took shelter wherever they could find it.


    It was impossible not to recognise the fear and uncertainty on their faces, even if they were covered in fur.


    Human in almost every respect, the refugees had large feline eyes, ears and tails as well as long teeth and hooked claws.


    Hundreds of eyes watched my every movement, no doubt expecting trouble.


    The tribe¡¯s warriors, such as they were, formed a screening wall on either side of the street, serving as a living barrier. Many carried spears, although a handful also carried several javelins on their backs.


    Looking to the rooftops, I wasn¡¯t at all surprised to find a scattering of archers. However, despite their bows being strung, not a single one of them had an arrow ready at hand.


    It was a smart play. Ensuring a show of force without the risks of overt provocation.


    Even without my armour, I was confident that their spears, arrows and javelins wouldn¡¯t do any good. My thick skin had been tested against sharpened steel and found them wanting. I had little to fear from mundane stone and wood.


    A large tent made from Beast hides had been erected in the clearing near the portal, and a large if somewhat crude, wooden totem resembling a large predatory cat lay within.


    A small cadre of the cat-people sat around the totem, none of which looked over twelve years old. I could only assume they were the tribe¡¯s Apprentice Shamans. However, as I drew closer, I realised none of the young teens were aware of the Spirit in their midst.


    Such as it was, the distinction didn¡¯t seem like it would matter much longer. Just as Ophelia and Gric had been wounded, the Spirit was utterly savaged.


    Black claw marks stained its hide and spectral flesh, and with each passing moment, the Spirit¡¯s radiance grew dimmer and dimmer.


    Without looking, I could feel Gric¡¯s sense of smug satisfaction.


    A wizened old woman was escorted out of the crowd by a pair of older female warriors. She spoke with a croaking gasp as if struggling for every breath. She was passionate and it became obvious that she was asking for my help. Even without understanding a single word she was saying, I could guess at her intentions.


    ¡°The tribe elder is begging for your protection, my Tyrant,¡± Gric paraphrased, almost certainly reading her mind to get at the message directly.


    ¡°I had assumed as much, but thank you Gric,¡± I replied appreciatively. There was no cause to be rude, he was just being helpful.


    The Spirit weakly rose to its feet and began tottering towards us.


    The elderly cat-woman followed my gaze and stared at the open ground in confusion, unable to see the guardian of their tribe drawing closer.


    I recalled Gric and Sebet¡¯s outrage and remembered the anger I felt upon learning that the Spirit had abandoned the fight.


    Looking at the Spirit now, I felt nothing but pity. I knew better now and without the anger clouding my mind, I could clearly see that the Spirit had barely escaped the encounter intact.


    The Spirit came up short, and with visible effort, settled on its haunches and craned its neck to try and meet my gaze.


    ¡°You want me to protect our people,¡± I guessed, testing the Spirit¡¯s character.


    ¡°I do...¡± The Spirit replied in a hoarse whisper, its words marked by pain.


    ¡°There are no Shamans left in your tribe?¡± I pressed, wanting to confirm my suspicions.


    ¡°None...remain...¡± The Spirit echoed, slumping its shoulders in defeat. ¡°Apprentices...Too young...¡± IT slowly nodded its head toward the teens meditating before the totem.


    I squatted down and looked the Spirit straight in the eyes. ¡°You abandoned my team,¡± I accused but withheld any semblance of malice.


    ¡°I...did...¡± The Spirit replied truthfully. ¡°I regret...this...¡±


    ¡°Hindsight¡¯s a bitch,¡± I agreed grimly and then let out a sigh. ¡°You said you carry your people''s history with you,¡± I prompted.


    The Spirit stiffly nodded its head. It had begun to tremble and was no doubt in considerable pain.


    I reached out and rested my hand on the Spirit¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m not a cruel person,¡± I explained patiently, resisting the urge to grimace as I began drawing the Death energy out of the Spirit¡¯s wounds. ¡°I can understand why you bailed when you did, and if our places were reversed, maybe I would have done the same.¡±


    The Spirit stiffened beneath my touch, its incorporeal body gaining something approximating a physical form.


    ¡°You? You are...helping me?...¡± The Spirit stared at its wounds in surprise.


    The cat people cried out in surprise and alarm, spreading panic like wildfire.


    Whatever I was doing appeared to have made the Spirit visible to those without spirit sight.


    The withered old woman raised her arms high, with no small degree of effort and made a keening, wordless cry.


    As one, the tribe fell silent.


    The old woman, with the assistance of her two helpers, fell to her knees and bowed before the Spirit.


    ¡°The children...They...see me?¡± The Spirit was as surprised as I was.


    Not sure what to say, I decided to just say nothing.


    ***** Gric ~ Tim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Sanctuary *****


    With the Tyrant¡¯s business concluded, Gric briefly returned to Sanctuary just long enough to see Talia settled into her evening routine before leaving in pursuit of her family.


    Despite the Tyrant¡¯s concerns with relying on borrowed memories to provide reference points for the Dimension Breach Spell, Gric knew from experience that the Spell would work or fail outright.


    Concentrating on Talia¡¯s memory of the stone basement beneath the Foothold, Gric began feeding his MP to fuel the Spell. Although capable of distancing himself from the emotions attached to Talia¡¯s memories, Gric felt that to do so would be akin to a betrayal of her trust.


    As such, Gric allowed Talia¡¯s fear and despair to pass through his mind without interference. Using it to focus his resolve.


    Expending nearly half of his maximum MP to establish the Spatial Breach, Gric felt a pang of hesitation. However, it passed almost as quickly as it had arrived.


    If the Tyrant needed him, Gric was certain the Tyrant would just Summon him.


    Passing through the Breach, Gric was somewhat surprised to find signs of somewhat recent conflict.


    Dried blood stained the walls, and the doors to iron cages were torn off of their hinges.


    Following the blood trails upstairs, Gric concluded that several persons had been dragged back up the stairs after the conflict. However, it was unclear whose side they had been on.


    Scratching a sample of the dried blood off the stone wall with one of his claws, Gric pressed the dried blood against his tongue and compared it to the records stored in his brain.


    After a few seconds of analysis and comparison, Gric was certain the blood was human. The revelation was accompanied by a certain degree of subconscious approval that Gric found somewhat confusing.


    While he would prefer events unfolded in such a way that Variants were not harmed, the visceral sense of satisfaction attached to learning that humans had been injured was something else.


    Studying his thought processes, Gric concluded that his coupling with Talia had generated a not insignificant bias against the humans of the outside world.


    Setting his personal discoveries aside, Gric slowly ascended the stairs and spared a moment to appreciate the broken door hanging off a single mangled hinge. The room beyond the door had more dried blood. Except this time the majority was staining the walls rather than the floor.


    Investigating the bloodstains, Gric found arrowheads and broken shafts stuck in the walls. Tearing apart a small section of a wall to withdraw an arrowhead, Gric was intrigued to find the arrowhead was carved from hardened bone.


    Pocketing the arrowhead, Gric left the building and found himself staring at the blackened remains of the Foothold walls. Several of the buildings bore scorch marks and had lost their wooden roofs, but the foothold¡¯s wall had been burned to the ground.


    Casting his consciousness outward, Gric felt a dozen lesser minds in his general vicinity, but they belonged to wild Beasts and were of little interest.


    Gric spared a few seconds to create a Ward and then began retracing the steps of Talia¡¯s Enslavement. As her memories of the event were...scattered and not otherwise entirely reliable, Gric expected to backtrack several times during his pursuit.


    Walking into the dark underbrush of the surrounding forest, Gric discovered trace amounts of human blood that seemed to more or less follow his intended course. However, after following the trail for the better part of three hours, the paths diverged.


    Presented with a choice, Gric decided to follow the blood. If Talia¡¯s people were alive, and still fighting, then it stood to reason that they would be the ones taking the humans prisoner.


    A mere handful of minutes after following his new path, Gric became aware of a small group of humanoid beings of higher intelligence watching him from a distance. Cloaked and hidden as they were, Gric could not make out their Species but was otherwise certain they weren¡¯t human.


    They were far too sure of their movements and intimately familiar with the terrain. A lesser being wouldn¡¯t have noticed them at all.


    Unfortunately, his stalkers also possessed abnormally robust mental defences. So any attempt at rifling through their memories would alert them to his presence within their minds.


    Instead, Gric decided to provoke a confrontation by walking slower and feigning fatigue.


    Just as he had expected, his shadows began closing the distance between them.


    Suppressing his instincts, Gric allowed the fast-moving projectile to race between his legs and strike the ground in front of his feet.


    interpreting the arrow as a form of warning, Gric came to a stop and waited for his pursuers to reveal themselves.


    Sure enough, three cloaked and hooded figures emerged from the shadows of the surrounding forest, weapons drawn and prepared to fight


    Although Gric¡¯s current appearance somewhat resembles several of the Elven SubSpecies, he knew that a true member of the Species wouldn¡¯t be fooled. As such, he made no attempts at passing himself off as someone he was not.


    Instead, Gric opted for a more direct approach. ¡°I carry no weapons, and I hold no ill intent,¡± he stated calmly in the tongue of Talia¡¯s people.


    The cloaked figures froze, turning their hoods slightly to glance at one another.


    ¡°I seek the kin of Talia, daughter of Fulwin and Tamera,¡± Gric continued, seeing no point in wasting further time.


    Two of the figures looked to the third, waiting for some form of decision.


    ¡°You will come with us,¡± the figure commanded darkly, his voice ringing with authority and a commanding tone that was used to being obeyed.


    ¡°I will go with you,¡± Gric agreed amiably, putting up no resistance as his wrists were bound with hide cords. Without even testing the bonds, he knew he could tear them apart without difficulty.


    Escorted by the cloaked figures, Gric eventually entered the outskirts of a fortified town. The immense earthworks and bristling rows of palisades would have intimidated any human that laid their eyes upon them. However, Gric was not particularly impressed.


    The treeborn architecture and intricate web of rope bridges were another matter entirely.


    More sophisticated than many of the tribes and clans that had sworn loyalty to the Tyrant, the Elves of this village appeared to have adopted human technologies and crafting methods. There were small details here and there, artistic embellishments such as the human bone wind chimes and the like. However, the planks that formed the core building material of the town were far too uniform in size and shape.


    Using his keen sense of hearing, it didn¡¯t take Gric long to determine that one of the few buildings located on the ground, served as the town¡¯s sawmill, and another as its prison.


    Pressed into the prison, Gric could now see what had befallen the prisoners taken from the Foothold.


    Five men and two women were locked away in private cells. Broken, beaten and starving, they stared vacantly at the walls of the prison. Flinching and cowering in fear as their jailors passed them by, the prisoners otherwise fell into a catatonic stupor in their absence.


    Even without reading their minds, Gric could guess at the reason for their imprisonment. Many of Sanctuary¡¯s residents had envisioned exacting vengeance on their former masters. Returning every crime upon their heads in kind.


    It was not a dream harboured solely by the Variants either. Human Slaves harboured just as much resentment for their former Masters.


    Gric¡¯s connection with Talia¡¯s memories left him with conflicted feelings on the subject. He understood the primal need to hurt those that had hurt you, to make them suffer. However, the reality of doing so ran contrary to what the Tyrant expected of him.


    Gric was allowed to pass judgement upon the guilty, expected to do so even. It was one of his sworn mandates. But this wanton sadism was befitting of a depraved mind and irredeemably demented soul. It was why such fates were entrusted to Sebet.


    After searching each prisoner¡¯s mind just long enough to confirm their guilt, Gric sent their already failing bodies into cardiac arrest.


    Guards posted outside of the prison were alarmed and angry, but, of course, had no way of knowing Gric was responsible. Even so, they glared at him with their dark almond-shaped eyes and appeared quite content with levelling blame at his feet regardless of a lack of evidence.


    Gric shrugged, it didn¡¯t matter. He had far more pressing concerns on his mind.


    The actions of this tribe, or at least a number of its members, made them criminals according to the Tyrant¡¯s laws. Recruiting them would require them to face judgement under those same laws, defying part of the reason for Gric seeking them out in the first place.


    At best, the Tyrant would see the offenders sent to Tartarus or Acheron, depending on the severity of their crimes and the leniency in his heart. He was not without mercy and understood things in a way Gric still struggled to grasp. But being with Talia had bridged that gap in understanding considerably.


    There was a third alternative for relocation, but Gric was not yet certain the tribe deserved it. Isolation. There were no guarantees that the entire tribe would pass initial judgement. However, provided their society had not devolved as a consequence of wantonly indulging their vengeance, the majority would live. Perhaps even the entire tribe. But Gric doubted it.


    There were always predators hiding amongst the prey. Always.


    Worming his way into the minds of his guards, Gric was proven right. The guard had literally betrayed his people, orchestrating events to deliver three former rivals into the arms of the human Slavers so he could make advances on a female who had no interest in him. When she spurned his affections, he saw her captured as well.


    Confused that such sloppy methodology would go unnoticed, Gric probed deeper and discovered the cause. His mother sat on their tribe¡¯s ruling council and had used her influence to redirect blame elsewhere.


    Another youth had been banished in the guard¡¯s place, a young male with a familiar face.


    Although badly scarred and disfigured, the resemblance was such that Gric was almost certain the Elf named Keith was the same youth from the guard¡¯s memories.


    Gric had never had cause to investigate Keith¡¯s background in any meaningful degree of depth before. But it was certainly something he intended to rectify upon his return to Sanctuary.


    In the meantime, however...


    Gric brought the full weight of his consciousness to bear on the guard¡¯s mind.


    Like an overripe fruit left to rot in the sun, the guard¡¯s mind collapsed on contact, offering no resistance as Gric forcibly exerted control over his body. Lacking any semblance of finesse, the act would leave the guard a gibbering invalid once Gric released his hold.


    Such was Gric¡¯s intent.


    ¡°Hrather? Are you alright?¡± The other guard asked with mounting concern. ¡°Did you catch something from those Beasts?¡±


    Puppeteering Hrather¡¯s body from within, Gric shook his head. ¡°No...No, I didn¡¯t sleep well is all.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± The other guard asked, not convinced by Gric¡¯s deflection.


    ¡°Maybe I should go see the healer,¡± Gric suggested, using the other guard¡¯s concern to his advantage.


    The guard nodded encouragingly, ¡°Just send Jasiel and Fenrith down to take your place, I can watch the outsider well enough on my own till they arrive.¡±


    Gric patted the other guard¡¯s shoulder in passing to show his thanks. ¡°I will remember this favour.¡± His words had the expected effect, causing the other guard¡¯s eyes to flash in greedily.


    Leaving the prison behind, Gric ascended a large rope ladder and passed four warriors stationed at the top without challenge.


    Using Hrather¡¯s memories to guide him, Gric puppeted Hrather through the winding walkways of the town and to the ruling council¡¯s chambers.


    After passing unchallenged up to this point, Gric progress was abruptly ended as four guards stationed outside of the council chambers barred his way.


    ¡°You know the rules, Hrather!¡± The lead guard all but spat with naked disdain, ¡°No entry while the elders are in seclusion!¡±


    Feigning insult, Gric narrowed Hrather¡¯s eyes and bared his teeth in anger. ¡°I have important information for the elders!¡± He hissed heatedly, ¡°News relating to the outsider!¡±


    The head guard crossed his arms defiantly and shrugged. ¡°Then you tell them AFTER they have ended their seclusion.¡±


    Gric admired the older male¡¯s commitment to duty, and his disdain for Hrather was undoubtedly another sign of his discerning character. Unfortunately, Gric had places to be. ¡°The outsider claims to have news of others who were lost to the humans!¡±


    The head guard made no attempts at hiding his doubts as he searched Hrather¡¯s face for signs of deceit. ¡°This is true?¡± He asked warily.


    Gric had Hrather nod.


    ¡°I will inform the council of this development...¡± The head guard announced grimly. ¡°Do, not, move.¡± He punctuated each word by jabbing Hrather¡¯s chest just hard enough to make it hurt.


    Without saying another word, the head guard passed through the reinforced doors, making sure to close them behind himself, and disappeared.


    Of course, Gric could still sense his presence on the other side, and the elder council besides, but he could not hear what was said.


    The head guard returned a few minutes later and escorted Hrather into the council chambers.


    Such as they were, it amounted to a large room with comfortable chairs occupied by the tribe¡¯s elders. Although it appears the title of elder was used more loosely within this tribe than the others Gric had previously encountered.


    Hrather¡¯s mother, who appeared middle-aged by human and most other Species standards, occupied a seat close to the primary position amongst the gathered elders. She seemed both elated and deeply concerned by her son¡¯s presence and was no doubt looking for means to leverage events to her advantage.


    Gric doubted she would manage such a feat.


    The prime elder considered Hrather with barely veiled disdain. ¡°We have discussed the outsider at length, including his claims regarding the taken-¡± He motioned expansively toward the other elders. ¡°-and what troubles us is the timing of his arrival.¡±


    Several elders nodded in firm agreement.


    Hrather¡¯s mother was not amongst them.


    ¡°Surely you can understand our concern that this outsider is just another taken turned traitor against our people,¡± it wasn¡¯t a question, but a thinly veiled accusation. Making it clear that the prime elder suspected Hrather¡¯s sins. ¡°And now you press the outsider¡¯s claims on his behalf-¡±


    ¡°Elder Faras, surely you are not accusing MY SON of aiding our enemies?¡± Hrather¡¯s mother interjected venomously. ¡°There are few who have slain more human filth than he.¡±


    The prime elder, Faras, glared at Hrather¡¯s mother with naked fury, his wrinkled hands tightening on the arms of his chair to the point his hands turned snow white.


    ¡°Or do you possess information you have kept secret from this council?¡± Hrather¡¯s mother needled maliciously. ¡°Perhaps you have some evidence of a crime?¡±


    The prime elder said nothing.


    ¡°By all means, if you have such information, we should all hear it,¡± Hrather¡¯s mother pressed, gloating over her rival. ¡°Of course, this council has heard your baseless claims before, and without evidence, we all see those claims for what they are. Feeble attempts at desperately clinging to your position as-¡±


    ¡°I have evidence,¡± Gric interjected coldly, making no attempts at all to conceal his true voice.


    As one, the elders'' eyes settled on him in disbelief.


    ¡°Hrather, son of Hroth and Narcina, has negotiated with Slavers and delivered nine of his tribe into Slavery to satiate his ego.¡± Gric stared back at the council through Hrather¡¯s eyes. ¡°With the assistance of his mother-¡± Gric pointed to Hrather¡¯s mother, redirecting all eyes in the room, ¡°-Hrather covered his tracks and avoided judgement if not suspicion. For his crimes against a citizen of Sanctuary, I will carry out the sentence befitting the entirety of his crimes.¡±


    Before the elders or the head guard could react, Gric sent Hrather into cardiac arrest and withdrew himself from the criminal¡¯s mind.


    Gathering his MP, Gric opened a Breach and entered the council chambers directly.


    In the short time that had passed in his absence, Hrather¡¯s mother had abandoned her seat and was screaming incoherently while desperately reaching for the fallen body of her son while the head guard held her hard against the floor.


    With a single thought, Gric rendered her unconscious.


    The head guard abandoned Horther¡¯s mother but was visibly conflicted in doing so. No doubt uncertain how great a threat Gric truly represented to the assembled elders, and whether Hrather¡¯s mother could be left unattended while he intercepted said threat.


    Gric decided to take the first steps and introduce himself. ¡°I am Gric of Sanctuary, and I have travelled a great distance to seek the kin of my Bonded lifemate, Talia, daughter of Fulwin and Tamera. And to present an offer of protection for your people.¡±


    Gric couldn¡¯t help but notice as everyone present briefly looked down at the corpse and unconscious woman on the floor, and resisted the urge to shrug indifferently. He knew that once they took the time to process what had happened, they would come to realise the enormity of the favour he had done for them.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 73 – Within and without – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 73 ¨C Within and without ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 73 - Within and without - Part Two


    As Gric had expected, the guards waiting outside the door were quick to obey the order to enter the room, with a dozen additional reinforcements following quickly behind them.


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    Gric had already witnessed the movements of the head guard and had a strong grasp of their best capabilities as a result. They were no threat to him.


    ¡°You! Outsider!¡± Snarled one of the elders with barely concealed terror. ¡°You claim to be one of us? And-¡±


    ¡°I am not one of you,¡± Gric interjected coldly. ¡°I am the Bonded lifemate of one who was stolen into Slavery. A female that had blood ties with your people. Just because I choose to take this form, does not mean I hold desires to lower myself to your level. It is a convenience...¡± He thought of Talia and her sad smile, ¡°And a consideration for my lifemate, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Where is your proof?!¡± The same elder hissed venomously.


    Despite their obvious dislike for the man, the other elders looked to Gric expectantly. They too wanted answers.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Gric agreed haughtily. ¡°But I will warn you now. I will rip the arms off of anyone who dares to touch her without our consent...¡± Beneath his murderous gaze, the room fell deathly silent.


    Without needing to concentrate, Gric Summoned Talia¡¯s projection.


    Summoned through the Summon Subordinate Class Ability native to his Daemon King Class, Talia¡¯s projection would persist so long as Gric had the mana to maintain it. Technically not a Spell, the primary difference to conventional Summons lay in the persistence of the projection Summoned. Summons from most other means would persist despite the condition of the Summoner. However, if Gric was to fall unconscious, Talia¡¯s projection would immediately disappear.


    Talia¡¯s sudden appearance stunned the guards and elders into silence.


    ¡°Where?...¡± Talia¡¯s confusion quickly turned to surprise as she became aware of the people gathered around them. ¡°E-Elder Faras? Elder Ulthue?¡± She addressed the head elder and another elder in turn, seeming to recognise them.


    Both elders stared back at Talia for several moments before the latter hurriedly pushed past the guards. ¡°Talia? Child, is it really you?¡± The older woman reached for her with trembling fingers but stopped abruptly as she caught Gric¡¯s stare from the corner of her eye.


    Unaware of the cause for the elder¡¯s hesitation, Talia closed the remaining distance between them and embraced the older woman in a tight embrace.


    Still staring at Gric, the elder Ulthue returned Talia¡¯s embrace and went so far as to try and shield her from Gric with her own body. Clearly not understanding Talia¡¯s true nature as a projection, and radically misunderstanding his capabilities and intentions.


    ¡°Elder Ulthue...¡± Talia pulled away just far enough to look the older woman in the eyes. ¡°My family?... Are they?...¡± Her voice broke before she could fully articulate her question, already fearing the worst.


    Elder Ulthue looked to the head elder.


    Head elder Faras stared warily at Gric with a calculating gaze before looking to the head guard. ¡°Gather her kin,¡± he commanded firmly.


    The head guard briefly bowed his head and then swiftly left the room.


    ¡°Talia, sweet child, you must forgive us. We know you have endured much since you were taken, but this outsider has brought death to our people...¡± The head elder made a point of looking down at Hrather¡¯s body, still sprawled out on the floor beneath the unconscious form of his grief-stricken mother.


    Following the head elder¡¯s gaze, Talia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°G-Gric?¡± Confused, she looked to Gric for answers. Despite the evidence she had witnessed with her own eyes, Gric could see that Talia had not accepted the head elder¡¯s claims at face value. She placed a higher trust in him than the leader of her own people.


    ¡°It is true,¡± Gric answered truthfully, refusing to sully Talia¡¯s trust with lies. ¡°The male, Hrather, sold your people to Slavers to settle personal grievances and advance his mother¡¯s political aspirations.¡±


    Talia grew tense and her eyes darkened. She stared at Hrather¡¯s corpse with anger and disgust.


    ¡°I confirmed his role in Keith¡¯s Enslavement, and in accordance with the Tyrant¡¯s laws, carried out his sentence,¡± Gric elaborated before turning to the head elder. ¡°Am I correct in assuming this stronghold is occupied by several tribes?¡± As damaged as Talia¡¯s memories were, she had not recognised the other elders, which Gric found odd.


    ¡°We do not owe this outsider any answers!¡± The antagonistic elder interjected. ¡°He has brought death to our home and must be punished!-¡±


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± The head elder snapped. ¡°We will investigate this matter thoroughly, Elder Varga. On that, you have my promise. Elder Narcina¡¯s quarters will be thoroughly searched and-¡±


    ¡°There is a secret compartment hidden beneath a wooden sculpture in her bedroom,¡± Gric interjected. ¡°It contains several Items that will incriminate not only herself but also several others.¡±


    The antagonistic elder grew deathly pale. ¡°Lies!¡± He hissed defensively. ¡°Esteemed elder Narcina¡¯s reputation is beyond reproach! To entertain such accusations is tantamount to treason!¡±


    Except for the head elder and elder Ulthue, the remaining elders fell into an intense battle of words, leveraging threats and influence while flinging insults at their opposition.


    It did not pass Gric¡¯s notice when one of the guards closest to the door left the chamber after receiving a discrete signal from the head elder.


    Gric had not known the Elves possessed their own signing language, He made a mental note to learn it later.


    Disturbed by the shouting, Talia pulled free from Ulthue¡¯s grasp and fled into Gric¡¯s waiting arms.


    Realigning his shoulder blades, Gric unfurled his wings and wrapped them protectively round about her, shielding Talia from the world.


    The spectacle brought the ongoing argument to an abrupt standstill as everyone¡¯s attention was drawn toward Gric.


    ¡°You will be silent,¡± Gric commanded, teeth bared in contempt.


    ¡°You are not of our kind...¡± One of the elders gasped in horror, earning murmurs of assent from the others.


    ¡°I am not,¡± Gric answered with unrestrained disdain, returning the chamber to an ominous silence.


    The silence was broken shortly thereafter as more guards entered the chamber alongside a small host of Elves bearing Talia¡¯s likeness.


    ¡°My Talia?! Where is she?!¡± Cried an older male at the head of the group, a female of similar age holding tightly to his arm and frantically searching the room with her eyes.


    Gric unfurled his wings and then retracted them, allowing Talia an unimpeded view of the new arrivals.


    Several moments passed in absolute silence, each side staring at the other.


    ¡°Father! Mother!¡± Talia cried out in disbelief, tears streaming down her cheeks as he rushed unreservedly into their waiting arms.


    Talia¡¯s relatives drew inward, embracing one another and crying tears of joy. Or so Gric assumed. Without reading their minds, he couldn¡¯t be certain.


    The head elder made several discreet orders through the Elven sign language and the guards carried away Hrather¡¯s body.


    Shortly afterwards, the head guard and the guard sent to investigate elder Narcina¡¯s quarters returned with a wicker box.


    Investigating the contents of the wicker box, the head elder¡¯s face darkened with rage. No doubt having read elder Narcina¡¯s correspondence with the Slavers.


    Keeping such incriminating evidence on hand struck Gric as being incredibly stupid. However, most corrupt leaders he had investigated kept such documentation as a means of blackmailing other individuals they were in league with.


    ¡°Ghalen! Arrest these traitors!¡± The head elder roared, shaking with fury as he pointed at three of elder Narcina¡¯s most vocal defenders.


    To Gric¡¯s eyes, the accused couldn¡¯t have looked more guilty if they had tried.


    The head guard stalked toward the traitors with a club in hand. The murderous darkness in his eyes made it clear that he had investigated the contents of the box himself and was no less furious than the head elder.


    Making no attempts at restraining the traitors, the head guard savagely beat them with his club until they lost consciousness. Enraged, he would have beaten them to death if several of his subordinates hadn¡¯t stepped in.


    It was obvious, even to Gric, that it had become personal. Whatever he had learned from the contents of the box had transitioned his established disdain into a murderous rage.


    Studying the head guard¡¯s face, Gric was unable to match his features against the handful of Elves living within Sanctuary. Whoever he had lost, there was an incredibly high chance they were already dead, or in such a state their death would be a welcome alternative.


    ***** Tim ~ Tim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Sanctuary *****


    After revealing, and subsequently curing their Guardian Spirit, the Maenad held me in an uncomfortably high regard. My discomfort only increased as the Spirit used its temporary corporeality to encourage its people to throw themselves on my mercy and swear their undying allegiance.


    It was an underhanded move, and entirely unnecessary. I would have extended the offer anyway.


    The Spirit¡¯s encouragement only served to make matters far more awkward.


    I was used to being seen as a liberator and took a certain degree of comfort in the respect and gratitude it afforded. The Maenads¡¯ fanatical awe and fervour was something else entirely, and I didn¡¯t like it.


    It was for that reason that I made a point of leaving them to their own devices just as soon as I could justify doing so. Settled in a new patch of land all their own, and provided provisions that would last them a month, I left them to build their new home.


    Shortly after returning to The Grove, Gric requested a semi-isolated territory. After listening to his reasons for the request, I decided that it would be for the best.


    The Elves needed time to shift off of a wartime footing, and I had plenty of territories to spare. So long as Gric committed to acclimating them to Sanctuary¡¯s diaspora of Species, I didn¡¯t have a problem with it.


    After settling matters with Gric, I spent the remainder of the day with my family.


    Explaining Lurr¡¯s situation to Lash required a great deal of assumptions and guesswork on my part. However, Lash had already been informed of Lurr¡¯s death through his death notification, and later been notified by the Daemons of his presence in the hospital. So all that had remained were the details bridging the events together.


    Deciding to check in on Lurr together, we were disappointed to find that he was still unconscious.


    ¡°It strongly resembles a mana starvation coma,¡± Wraithe explained worriedly. ¡°Only, his energy is gradually fading instead of replenishing itself...Mana solutions have been administered, but only provide momentary spikes in restored energy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we just need to increase the dosage?¡± I suggested neutrally.


    Wraithe shook her head vigorously in disagreement, her fingers and nose twitching anxiously. ¡°I am sorry, my Tyrant, but we have tested the limits of his liver quite thoroughly already. To go any further would invite disaster.¡±


    ¡°What about Hana and Jin¡¯s plants?¡± I asked, ¡°Have you tried feeding him a loose mash?¡±


    Wraithe sighed dispiritedly and nodded. ¡°It had similar results...¡±


    ¡°So maybe it''s a specific source of energy that he¡¯s missing,¡± I reasoned aloud, grasping at straws. ¡°None of Hana¡¯s mutated hybrid plants possess Thunder energy or Affinity, and the Evolution Elixir and Mana Potions certainly wouldn¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°That is a fair assumption,¡± Wraithe agreed, albeit somewhat hesitantly. ¡°But how will we acquire this energy?¡±


    ¡°I have a few different ideas...¡± I admitted, drawing on my Chi and taking hold of Lurr¡¯s left hand. ¡°Move back,¡± I waved Lash Wraithe back, uncertain whether injecting Chi directly into Lurr¡¯s body would be dangerous.


    Once the others had moved back to what I hoped was a safe distance, I tried injecting my Chi into Lurr¡¯s body.


    Like running raw honey through a fine sieve, the majority of my Chi splashed outward and found almost no purchase. However, a small portion did find purchase.


    Releasing my hold on that small portion of Chi, I could sense it being drawn toward Lurr¡¯s abdomen, bolstering his energy ever so slightly with each passing moment.


    Emboldened by what I hoped was positive progress, I continued circulating my Chi and transferring it through Lurr¡¯s hand.


    As my Chi came close to being depleted, I felt a mild lethargy building in my core and decided to stop.


    Unfortunately, Lurr was still unconscious and unresponsive.


    ¡°Do not be dismayed, my Tyrant!¡± Wraithe chittered excitedly, ¡°The patient¡¯s energy has been restored by nearly half of what was lost! Perhaps two, maybe even three, more of such treatments will prove sufficient to revive the patient!¡±


    I had never ¡®spent¡¯ my Chi before and had no way of knowing how long it would take to replace it. So I was finding it difficult to share in Wraithe¡¯s optimism.


    ¡°The Humans have answers,¡± Lash suggested supportively. Either guessing at the source of my unease or identifying the next logical step I should take in the current circumstances.


    I rested my brow against hers and took a moment to appreciate the familiarity that had grown between us.


    The short respite afforded unexpected clarity, drawing inspiration to the forefront of my mind. I didn¡¯t need to question the Humans. I needed to construct an Array that would draw and concentrate energy into a small area.


    If the environment was rich enough in energy, Lurr might be able to recover on his own. Even if he couldn¡¯t, the concentrated energy would allow me to replenish my Chi at an accelerated rate.


    Of course, I needed an environment rich in the alternative energy to begin with. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be much of a difference.


    So it was fortuitous that I had recently gained several such territories from my fellow Monarch and probationary ally, Yi Gim.


    Despite being incapable of manipulating the alternative energy themselves, Gric and Sebet could sense it just the same as mana, So I wasn¡¯t at all surprised when they both identified the same mountain range as possessing the highest naturally occurring concentration of energy.


    The abandoned cities within the territories possessed dozens, even hundreds, of energy drawing Arrays of varying scale and power. However, their efficiency and effectiveness were at odds with their sheer distance from the highest concentrations of energy. Furthermore, the majority were compromised as a result of their jade foundations being stripped out and carted away by the former owners.


    Of course, Yi Gim''s warning had proven true as well. The Beasts of the Cultivation system were drawn toward the higher concentrations of energy and fought one another over territory.


    The mountain range in question was home to a giant ape and a cadre of much weaker Beasts. According to Gric and Sebet¡¯s report, the ape would drive off any Beast that grew too strong but otherwise left the weaklings alone the majority of the time. However, it was not out of a sense of charity or benevolence. The ape allowed them to remain so they could serve as a convenient food source to supplement its omnivorous diet.


    Exercising my authority, I imposed a barrier around the largest mountain that would prevent entry by anyone lacking my explicit permission and then expelled its occupants to the surrounding mountains. After confirming that the local Beasts were incapable of traversing the barrier, I placed similar barriers around the abandoned cities.


    I hadn¡¯t decided what I would do with the cities just yet but decided it would be prudent to prevent undue damage while I considered my options.


    Upon arriving at the peak of the mountain, I was momentarily overcome by the sheer density of the energy present in the air. Even without an Array to gather and concentrate it, the energy was many times greater than I had experienced thus far.


    With each breath, I could feel my body being reinvigorated.


    Ignoring the bones littering the peak, I used the Shape Stone Spell to level space for the Array and then erected five pillars following the instructions for a large-scale Array. With Gric¡¯s help and penmanship, we carved the required symbols into the ground and pillars.


    Gradually, the concentration of energy began to grow, signalling the success of our efforts. However, even after regenerating my Chi, I still felt somehow incomplete. The sensation was slowly fading, but it was impossible to ignore outright.


    Reviewing the instructions and descriptions of the different Arrays and Formations, I eventually stumbled upon the answer.


    While I could not be absolutely certain, there was a reasonably high chance that I had depleted my Thunder Affinity-infused Chi when injecting Chi into Lurr. Furthermore, an absence of ambient Thunder-aligned energy to draw on was delaying the accumulated concentration of Thunder Affinity in my Chi.


    Making matters worse, standard Arrays and Formations were incapable of drawing energies aligned with specific Affinities. Thus, any energy gathered by the Array or Formation would be mixed according to the ambient energy within the draw radius of the Array or Formation.


    Which was a problem if I specifically required Thunder-aligned energy to recover the Affinity.


    Of course, the same manual that identified the problem also provided a solution. I needed a Formationist.


    Where other Cultivation Classes gained combat benefits in the form of passive increases to Momentum, Reaction Speed, Spatial Awareness and the like, the Formationist, at least according to the references inferred from the manual, were different.


    A Formationist could, theoretically, imbue their Arrays and Formations with their own Affinities, inducing effects otherwise outside of the scope of other Cultivators. They also had the Ability to create temporary Arrays and Formations out of Chi without the need for physical anchors and foci.


    Of course, this meant that possessing at least one Affinity would be required to make the Formationist Class worthwhile. Incidentally, also increasing the value of the Class for every Affinity beyond the first.


    Yi Gim had told me that Affinities could be gained by taking special pills and medicine made from high-Affinity materials. So I was reasonably confident that, if given sufficient time, Jin could provide these benefits in the future. However, I needed that Array sooner rather than later, and Thunder Affinity was supposedly amongst the rarest Affinities.


    Leaving myself as the only available candidate for the Class.


    It was somewhat ironic since one of the primary uses listed for the Chi and energy gathering Arrays was infusing plants of a matching Affinity with the aligned energy and increasing their potency. In turn, making them more effective and increasing the effectiveness of the pill or medicine.


    There was no reason to justify my procrastination in selecting a Cultivation Class. I had been giving the matter almost no thought whatsoever. It was only while dealing with the Cultivators or matters directly relating to them that I thought about it.


    A part of me wanted another adaptive Class. However, I knew that it was incredibly unlikely that the already highly malleable Cultivation system would possess such a Class. The reason being that it would be painfully redundant.


    After giving the matter a great degree of thought, I decided that passive combat benefits were not nearly as valuable as the means to rapidly replenish my combat power. Furthermore, there were the realm-wide benefits Affinity-aligned Arrays and Formations could provide.


    Why pursue personal power, when I could just as easily raise an army with the same effort?


    Besides, being a Formationist would allow me to directly increase and support Pete and Suzy¡¯s development. Making them that much more capable of protecting themselves and one another.


    Allowing Gric and Sebet to review my train of thought directly, I was relieved when they both not only agreed with my decision but also actively insisted upon it. Albeit for reasons I hadn¡¯t considered.


    ¡°A temporary Formation that draws the mana from your enemy¡¯s bones and leaves them defenceless! It is just too powerful!¡± Sebet Gushed enthusiastically. ¡°And we do not know the limits of what Affinity aligned Formations could accomplish!¡±


    ¡°Mobile defensive countermeasures cannot be undervalued,¡± Gric insisted determinedly, ¡°Blocking Spells without expending MP on a Barrier and imprisoning swift enemies have self-evident benefits. Strengthening the next generation should not be undervalued either.¡± It was unclear if Gric was referring to Pete and Suzy, or the population of Cultivators at large.


    Confirming the Class selection, my expectations were confirmed upon reviewing my alternate Status sheet.


    [ ( Class Ability: Affinity Endowment ): Through practice and divining the nature of the eternal Tao, the Taoist may draw upon their connections to the universe and impart the Affinities of their soul into worthy vessels. The effect is determined by the Rank of the Affinity. ]


    [ ( Class Ability: Soul Foci ): Understanding their relationship to the Tao, the Taoist may use the foundations imposed by their soul as a temporary Anchoring Foci. The base duration is determined by {Willpower}. ]


    Attempting to form a temporary Formation, I gathered my Chi and pictured a simple Chi gathering Formation in my mind.


    Almost immediately, golden lights flared into existence around me and formed the characters of the Formation. There wasn¡¯t much Chi in the immediate area, but I could feel trace amounts feeding into the Formation and bolstering its strength ever so slightly.


    Content with the test, I withdrew my Chi and allowed the Formation to collapse. I decided to test it more thoroughly at a later time.


    Layering and linking a chi-gathering Formation to power the energy-gathering Formation, I met with several failures before stumbling upon how to imprint a specific Affinity on the Formations. The key lay in concentrating on thoughts I associated with the specific Affinity.


    Because of my hang-ups over lightning being included under the classification of Thunder, it made alignment to the Thunder Affinity a somewhat more involved thought process than Water or Earth.


    Despite the setbacks, the combined Array appeared to be working. However, there was still a problem. There was very little ambient Thunder energy to harvest with the Array.


    Giving the matter some more thought, I arrived at a rather simple solution.


    If I wanted to accelerate the accumulation of Thunder energy, I needed to trigger another Heavenly Tribulation.


    Once there was a foundation of the energy present on the mountain, Lurr would be able to generate more of the energy on his own...


    Except his Chi was slowly disappearing instead of expelling a surplus as ambient energy...


    I would need another Cultivator with Thunder Affinity to generate the additional energy Lurr would need. Or a host of Affinity-bearing plants he could consume.


    Considering the options, I decided seeking Hana¡¯s advice and expertise would likely provide better results. Especially since Thunder-aligned materials would be required to try and raise a Thunder Affinity within a Cultivator anyway.


    ¡°I think I understand what you want, Tim,¡± Hana replied somewhat distractedly as she explored the peak with child-like curiosity. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t be able to accelerate their growth like normal plants...¡± She leaned over the cliffside to take a closer look at a tree growing further down the mountain. ¡°What about a tree?¡± Hana asked with a smile on her lips while her grass-like hair flew wildly in the wind


    ¡°A tree would be fine,¡± I agreed amiably, more concerned with finding a viable option than indulging a personal preference.


    Plucking a small round fruit from the tree, Hana stepped away from the cliff and inspected the fruit more closely. Nodding in approval, she held up the fruit so I could see it more clearly.


    To my immense surprise, it looked like a small peach. ¡°I didn¡¯t know peach trees could grow in the mountains...¡± I admitted somewhat awkwardly.


    ¡°Peach?¡± Hana repeated curiously, ¡°That¡¯s an odd name, but now that you have said it, I can¡¯t think of a different one that would suit it better...¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s like that,¡± I chuckled self-deprecatingly. ¡°The name you hear first tends to stick.¡±


    Hana nodded in understanding, rolling the peach around in her palm. ¡°It will need access to soil,¡± she insisted distractedly, motioning offhandedly to the bare stone dominating the grounds within the boundary of the Arrays. ¡°At least a few feet across and as much depth as you can provide.¡±


    ¡°Calling upon Ochram would seem appropriate,¡± Sebet suggested helpfully. ¡°Transmuting and transporting stone in such volumes would certainly fall under his unique expertise.¡±


    Gric grunted wordlessly in agreement, grimacing with distaste.


    Summoning Ochram, I allowed Hana to explain the tree¡¯s current and future needs.


    After only a few minutes of ¡®talking shop¡¯ the pair seemed to have become fast friends, avidly discussing ideal soil aeration and the effects of nitrate concentration on topsoil retention. Or something like that...I found it difficult to follow half of what they were saying. Especially since the terms they were using were utterly alien to me and I had to guess at what they approximated in Earth definitions.


    While they were busy, I decided that it would probably be best if I took a few precautions and upgraded the materials used for the Formations.


    Regular stone would work fine, but the unique peculiarities of the Cultivation system would guarantee a better result using jade instead. The higher the quality of the jade, the more efficient and powerful it would make the Formations.


    Furthermore, intending to deliberately attract lightning, it seemed prudent to source the construction of conductors that would bear the burden of redirecting the supercharged plasma away from vulnerable organic matter. Theoretically, so long as the Thunder-infused Chi was drawn into the range of the Thunder-attuned energy-gathering Formation, that was all that really mattered.


    Sketching a diagram and attaching measurement references, I sent Gric to place a rush order with the Dwergi forge masters for thick spools of copper wire and five hundred-foot-long iron rods.


    I had very little understanding of how modern lightning rods were made, or even what they looked like. I just knew that the core principles involved required a highly conductive material to draw the lightning away from shorter less conductive objects.


    Ideally, I would have preferred to commission solid copper rods, but copper was profoundly rare within my realm. Unlike iron, which dropped as a bonus reward from certain monsters, copper had to be imported. Making it far rarer and considerably more valuable under the immutable laws of supply and demand.


    More or less starting over gave Ochram and Hana free reign to prepare the ground to their exacting specifications. Including boring through the heart of the mountain to secure flowing water to create a new stream that would run down the mountainside.


    By the time Gric returned several hours later, Hana and Ochram had terraformed the barren mountaintop into a secluded paradise. Not quite the equal of The Grove, there was still a certain something about the place that lent it a peace and tranquillity all its own.


    Hana had done her best, but she strongly suspected that the first few generations of plant life would struggle to survive against any amount of lightning, magical or otherwise. The fact that she had been able to alter several species of plants to take on Thunder Affinity at all was already incredibly impressive and had vastly exceeded my original expectations. So I made a point of thanking Hana and accepting any damages as my own responsibility.


    Ochram had made a small amount of unexpected progress as well. Managing to slightly alter the jade and surrounding stone to provide a marginal level of Thunder Affinity. The contribution was an unexpected boon, so I didn¡¯t bat an eye at Ochram¡¯s request for more of the Chi-infused jade to snack on.


    The Spirit Stones held value in trade, but I considered Ochram¡¯s work to be far more valuable and gave him the freedom to do whatever he wanted with the remainder leftover from his initial tests.


    Hana didn¡¯t ask for anything, convinced that all the new interesting plants I had ¡®gifted¡¯ to her were more than adequate compensation. All the same, I made a mental note to try and find more exotic plants for her collection.


    With Gric and Sebet¡¯s help, we anchored the iron rods into the mountain and submerged a net made from the copper wiring into the stone. Although the net was connected to the iron rods, I wasn¡¯t sure whether it would generate the grounding effect I wanted. However, it was well outside my knowledge base to begin with, so I could only hope for the best.


    With everything else seemingly accounted for, all I needed was a Cultivator that I could push to trigger a Tribulation.


    Given the low energy present in the populated Cultivation territories, one volunteer would be more or less the same as another. However, there were two Cultivators that possessed far higher Cultivation than the rest.


    The first was Jin. He had a headstart on the others due to being a Cultivator before becoming my subject. I was also reasonably certain that working alongside Hana amidst their hybrid botany projects had provided a small amount of incidental development.


    The second was Zhu Min, the Daemonic Cultivator. I had left her in relative isolation to train her Gluttonous Soul Class Ability. Specifically, to develop her control over the Ability to avoid inflicting harm upon others accidentally.


    Technically, Zhu Min¡¯s grandfather, Zhu Wen, could be considered a distant third as a potential candidate. However, the overwhelming majority of his Cultivation had been achieved through absorbing the crystalised energy Cultivators called Elixirs. Even with that boost, his progress was far lower than that of his granddaughter.


    As the only Cultivation Alchemist within my realm, Jin was too valuable to risk with the uncomfortably large number of unknowns in play.


    Leaving Zhu Min as the next best option. Assuming she had developed at least some degree of control.


    Using my authority to relocate to Zhu Min¡¯s isolated training ground, I was joined almost immediately afterwards by Sebet.


    ¡°She really has been making great strides under my guidance,¡± Sebet volunteered pridefully. ¡°After I identified the correct motivation, it was all rather simple.¡±


    ¡°Motivation?¡± I pressed, unable to restrain my suspicions.


    Sebet waved one hand in feigned bashfulness, ¡°Oh Great One, it was nothing quite so debased!¡± She grinned despite herself. ¡°I simply leveraged mild hypnosis to convince the little lamb that the furballs were small children. Her motivation and subconscious control increased by leaps and bounds overnight, just like that!¡± Sebet snapped her fingers and looked incredibly pleased with herself.


    ¡°And you have since removed the hypnosis, right?¡± I pressed, making no attempts at hiding the warning in my tone. Sebet had trod a dangerous line in hypnotising another one of my subjects. Most likely, she had only been capable of justifying it to her Oath and Contract due to the danger Zhu Min¡¯s Ability had presented to the wider population.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet replied hurriedly but without any traces of guilt or regret. ¡°I was very careful, and wouldn¡¯t have resorted to such measures if our little lady had made greater progress of her own initiative and motivation.¡± She shrugged indifferently. ¡°She is quite proud of her accomplishments, so I don¡¯t think she minds. Not that it would make much difference if she did,¡± Sebet smirked and flicked her tail in amusement. Although it was unclear exactly why.


    We found Zhu Min meditating before a cage containing a surprisingly large horned rabbit.


    True to Sebet¡¯s claims, Zhu Min appeared to have gained control over her Gluttonous Soul Ability. At the very least, I couldn¡¯t feel external pressure on my mana and internal energy.


    Despite her deep state of meditation, Zhu Min was quick to acknowledge our presence. Leaping nimbly to her feet and then bowing in one fluid motion. ¡°Patriarch! Master!¡±


    ¡°Oh I do so love that word,¡± Sebet purred, causing Zhu Min¡¯s cheeks to flush slightly.


    Ignoring Sebet¡¯s blatant provocation, I motioned to the caged rabbit. ¡°You were training your Gluttonous Soul Ability just now, correct?¡±


    Zhu Min nodded earnestly, ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡±


    ¡°In your own opinion, do you believe you can uphold your Oath and obey my laws?¡± I would have a more unbiased test performed before releasing Zhu Min into the general population, but I was curious to hear her own thoughts on the matter.


    ¡°I...¡± Zhu Min worried at her lip and glanced anxiously toward the caged rabbit. ¡°I am, Patriarch,¡± the tone of her voice was not particularly convincing, but there was a strong possibility that I had caused her to doubt herself just by asking the question.


    I made a show of nodding in approval to try and set her at ease. ¡°I want you to know that I appreciate the risks you have taken in pioneering a new path for your people, Zhu Min,¡± I insisted with all the sincerity I could muster.


    After overcoming her surprise, Zhu Min had to fight to stop herself from beaming with pride.


    ¡°Which is why I have another opportunity for you,¡± I continued while suppressing a faint sense of guilt rising from my gut. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you. There are certain risks I can¡¯t fully account for or otherwise eliminate. So there is a very real danger that you might be injured...¡± I took a steadying breath and was relieved to find my conscience had been satisfied. ¡°However, you will be compensated for those risks. Besides the rewards inherent to the opportunity itself, and so long as it is within my power to provide, you may name your own price as compensation.¡±


    There would, of course, be certain limitations, but I doubted Zhu Min had the poor sense to ask for something she knew I wouldn¡¯t approve of.


    ¡°I...¡± Zhu Min began worrying at her lip again, understandably conflicted over the offer.


    ¡°Perhaps it would help if she knew more of the opportunity?¡± Sebet suggested with altogether too much confidence to have arrived at that particular approach without trawling the young woman¡¯s mind first.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I agreed, appreciating the insight. ¡°In the simplest terms possible, I want to push your Cultivation and trigger a Tribulation so I can harvest the Thunder-aligned energies.¡±


    Zhu Min¡¯s eyes widened in shock and she took several steps backwards before stopping herself.


    ¡°Of course, most of the risks are related to the lightning itself. I have made certain precautions, but there are no guarantees that the lightning will behave as I expect it to,¡± I explained while doing my best to suppress my rising nerves. ¡°From my understanding, you would face the Tribulation eventually. However, the Arrays I have created might alter events in ways I haven¡¯t anticipated. Which is why-¡±


    ¡°I will do it!¡± Zhu Min called out with what quickly proved to be far more intensity and volume than she intended. Blushing hard with embarrassment, Zhu Min stared hard at the ground. ¡°I-I-I...Uh...I beg your forgiveness, Patriarch! I did not intend to speak out of turn!¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to forgive,¡± I replied quickly, dismissing her need for an apology before she could suggest sacrificing her reward for an entirely unnecessary pardon.


    If we had been in a public setting, I would have handled things somewhat differently. However, with just the three of us as witnesses, Zhu Min¡¯s informality was practically harmless.


    Zhu Min stiffly bowed her head in gratitude but remained determinedly silent.


    ¡°She¡¯s embarrassed, but very willing,¡± Sebet tittered with a lascivious grin, evidently taking considerable enjoyment in her wordplay. ¡°So perhaps it would be best if we were to proceed to the next stage of the plan?¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± With a thought, I relocated the three of us back to the mountain.


    ¡°Easy!¡± Sebet called out in warning, dashing to Zhu Min¡¯s side and catching her by the shoulders before she could collapse to the ground. ¡°It appears the ambient energy might be a bit much for her,¡± Sebet explained somewhat sheepishly. ¡°She will need at least a few minutes to acclimate. But I suppose this is still in line with our original intentions.¡±


    ¡°Active use of the Breathing Techniques is more effective,¡± I sighed, ¡°But you¡¯re right. No point crying over spilt milk.¡±


    Sebet settled Zhu Min against a mossy boulder and helped make her comfortable. Without a captive audience and a helpless victim, she didn¡¯t seem interested in indulging her perverse sense of humour. Or rather, her perverse sensibilities in general.


    <It¡¯s not an act.> Sebet interjected, interrupting my train of thought. <I know that is what you were thinking, and I strongly encourage you to consider things otherwise.> She shared several deeply disturbing and entirely unwanted images involving Clarice and what I realised had to be their consensual sex life. Or whatever it the deranged equivalent Sebet had substituted in its place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t confuse the requirements of your Contract with an excuse to ¡®share¡¯ such things again, Sebet,¡± I warned, banishing the unwanted images into the darkest corners of my mind I could find.


    ¡°Apologies, Great One. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Sebet promised, her lips pursed in just such a way that it was painfully clear she was making a show of not smiling.


    ¡°Thin ice, Sebet,¡± I cautioned with an exasperated sigh, ¡°Thin ice.¡±


    ¡°Noted...¡± Sebet rolled her neck and shoulders then assumed a decidedly altogether neutral expression.


    While Zhu Min slowly acclimated to the energy concentration, I sent Sebet hunting for suitable Beasts lower down the mountain and set about creating reinforced stone cages.


    The same thing that had made Zhu Min a potential disaster would now expedite my plan. By consuming the internal energy of the Beasts, her Cultivation would increase by leaps and bounds. Making a matter of when, not if, she would trigger a Tribulation.


    Of course, rapidly accumulating so much energy would almost certainly generate Heart Demons, requiring Zhu Min to purge them before I would risk allowing her to mingle amongst the greater population. It was something she would have to have undertaken anyway, but I had no way of knowing how her Gluttonous Soul would influence her development of the Heart Demons.


    There was a real chance that Zhu Min would survive the Tribulation unscathed, only to lose her mind confronting an insurmountable manifestation of her own subconscious.


    Trying not to dwell on outcomes I couldn¡¯t fully control, I tempered my guilt by reminding myself that Lurr would probably die without a timely intervention. Furthermore, I wasn¡¯t forcing Zhu Min to participate...


    I had just made her an offer she would truly struggle to refuse...


    Sebet wasted no time in hunting down Beasts and using her authority to remotely teleport them into the available cages.


    For the most part, the Beasts appeared normal, almost passable compared to their Earth counterparts. Of course, there were minor details, like the foxes having too many tails, and tigers with neon green fur, but that was relatively normal compared to some of the nightmare-fueled abominations the other system was capable of.


    Then again, there was still plenty of room for surprises.


    To her immense credit, Zhu Min acclimated far quicker than I would have given her credit for.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed when exactly she had started drawing in and cycling the ambient energy with her Breathing Technique, but I could sense Zhu Min¡¯s internal energy growing with each passing second.


    After nearly an hour, and gaining several Ranks in the Eternal Tao, her progress slowed. However, it wasn¡¯t because she had outgrown the ambient energy provided by the mountain. It was because Zhu Min had absorbed so much of the ambient energy that it couldn¡¯t be replaced fast enough to sustain her rapid rate of advancement.


    That changed when Sebet returned and began lobotomising the caged Beasts with the Sculpt Flesh Spell, rendering them brain dead and allowing Zhu Min to effortlessly devour their internal energy.


    Somehow, Sebet¡¯s utter indifference lent the events a sense of cruelty I became convinced it otherwise would have found lacking.


    I had seen videos of livestock being culled by compressed air bolt guns. But Sebet had an air of psychopathy that was utterly alien to any frame of reference or comparison my mind attempted to establish.


    When a Beast¡¯s internal energy was drained, Sebet discarded it. Sending the bodies who knew where.


    After watching Sebet dispatch the seventh Beast, I closed my mind to it.


    There was no life without death, and in readjusting my perspective, it was little different from butchering Beasts for food...


    Only, instead of killing them for their meat, we killed them for their souls...


    Lost in my own thoughts, I didn¡¯t notice the darkening sky and gathering storm clouds until the first drops of rain began running down my face.


    Looking skyward, I could sense Thunder-aligned energy gradually building above us. Seemingly too far for the Arrays to reach, I could only direct Zhu Min to the centre of the Arrays and wait.


    The temptation to relocate her to ¡®safety¡¯ evaporated just as soon as I realised the building energies were actively following her.


    The books discussing the Tribulations had said it was possible to avoid or even deflect the lightning strikes through the use of powerful Techniques. However, they had not mentioned the possibility of escaping a Tribulation outright, and now I knew why.


    The Tribulation was generated by the Cultivation system itself. Anywhere the system had a foothold, the Tribulation would be able to follow. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With no telling if its reach extended to the world outside, I realised Zhu Min was probably already sitting in the safest place possible.


    Even so, I couldn¡¯t help but flinch as the first flash of lightning arced from the sky.


    With no telling whether the iron rods would serve their intended purpose, I felt my heart stop beating in anticipation of the worst.


    However, blinded as I was by the lightning, I had no way of knowing what had happened.


    As if recognising this fact, my heart began beating again.


    It was only after the lightning storm generated by the Tribulation faded that I was able to see what had transpired.


    Two of the iron rods had been halved in height, melted like wax candles. Still cherry red, hissing and spitting as they are struck by the rain. The other rods were in better shape but had not escaped altogether unscathed.


    To the best of my knowledge, lightning was not meant to have enough lingering energy to melt metal. Which made the damage all the more daunting, and the fact that I had survived, even more miraculous.


    Putting the lightning rods out of my mind, my attention was drawn to Zhu Min¡¯s unconscious form sprawled out on the ground. However, before I could even begin to move, Sebet appeared at her side and helped Zhu Min to her feet.


    Dazed and unsteady on her feet, Zhu Min was grinning wildly from ear to ear. ¡°I did it!¡± She cried triumphantly, ¡°I survived the Tribulation!!!¡± She flinched and momentarily lost her nerve as thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, but I couldn¡¯t blame her for it. It appeared that the system had a sense for dramatic timing, which I found far more upsetting than the assumed interjection itself, no matter how well-timed it objectively may have been.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 74 – Power and privilege – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 74 ¨C Power and privilege ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 74 - Power and privilege - Part One


    Just as Hana had predicted, most of the plants were too weak or were just outright unfortunate and failed to survive the Tribulation. Turned to ash and swept away by the wind despite the presence of the lightning rods. However, those that remained carried varying levels of Thunder-aligned energy.


    While Zhu Min sought privacy to change her blackened and singed clothing behind a boulder, I took the opportunity to inspect the surviving plants more closely.


    Compared to the hybrid plants grown within The Grove, these plants seemed to contain between five to ten times their counterparts'' energy. Although it was somewhat difficult to calculate due to the surrounding stone radiating the same energy.


    Intended as a general experiment, I located a portion of surviving moss and used the Plant Growth Spell to trigger new growth and spread the moss over the recently abandoned rocks nearby.


    More or less as I had expected, the Thunder-aligned energy within had been diluted as it spread throughout the newly increased mass of the plant.


    I decided to perform the same experiment with the peach tree Hana had planted in the centre of the Arrays.


    Lacking Hana and the Daemons¡¯ natural ability to ¡®see¡¯ the flows of mana and other energies, I simply allowed the tree to grow wild.


    Minute by minute, the sapling grew into a young tree, forking a large branch toward each of the massive jade pillars that formed the anchor for the Arrays.


    When my MP began running low, I decided to experiment with feeding Chi into the tree instead. Contrary to my experience with Lurr, the tree drew in Chi like a sponge. Furthermore, it continued to grow at a rate roughly half as fast as it had when targeted by the Plant Growth Spell.


    Carried away contributing to the explosive growth of the tree, I came within a few breaths of depleting my available Chi before cancelling the transfer.


    Against my expectations, I felt a vague sense of disappointment, longing and regret emanate from the tree. This strongly suggests that the tree had some form of sentience that was otherwise absent in the plant life outside of the Arrays.


    I was drawn away from my thoughts upon noticing I had kept Zhu Min waiting. She had made no attempts at actively seeking my attention, but the intense eagerness in her tense frame made it abundantly clear that it had taken a considerable degree of effort.


    ¡°You have decided on your reward?¡± I guessed, smiling slightly in amusement despite myself.


    ¡°Yes, Patriarch!¡± Zhu Min nodded emphatically while bowing slightly at the waist.


    I motioned for her to continue.


    ¡°If the Patriarch will allow it...¡± Zhu Min momentarily lost her nerve but pushed through with grim determination. As if she was facing down a powerful foe on the battlefield. ¡°I would humbly ask for the guidance of a martial arts master!¡± Zhu Min bowed stiffly to the exact degree bordering on what I had forbidden, pressing her fists together so tightly that the cartilage in her joints popped like cracking bones.


    Reflecting upon my established expectations, I realised that I had made a fundamental miscalculation in assuming a Cultivator¡¯s requests would fall in line with a regular person¡¯s.


    Regardless, I had made a promise and intended to keep it.


    ¡°It may take some time,¡± I cautioned, tempering her expectations. ¡°However, I will keep to my word and find you a suitable teacher.¡±


    Zhu Min raised her head slightly and I could see she was positively beaming with gratitude.


    ¡°Thank you, Patriarch!¡± Zhu Min exclaimed fervently.


    Studying Zhu Min¡¯s face, the absence of anger and doubt in her response was rather confusing. After reflecting on my own behaviour leading up to my Tribulation, I had thought I had gained some insight into identifying signs of Heart Demons. Yet, I couldn¡¯t see or sense any signs of their presence within Zhu Min.


    Exercising my authority, I relocated us both to the otherwise isolated shrine.


    ¡°Zhu Min, are you familiar with the Ritual method of removing Heart Demons?¡± I asked while directing her attention toward the entrance of the shrine.


    Zhu Min nodded somewhat uncertainly.


    ¡°As a precaution, I would like you to perform the Ritual before returning to your grandfather,¡± I explained bluntly. ¡°I have witnessed your control over the Gluttonous Soul and am impressed by your measure of mastery. However, pushing your Cultivation to the point of generating a Tribulation may have subtly altered your emotional receptivity, and by extension, your control. So please, allow me this indulgence.¡± I motioned to the Shrine again, this time more insistently.


    Zhu Min nervously bowed her head, ¡°I will do as you ask, Patriarch.¡±


    Entering the shrine, I was pleased to find that Gric or Sebet had made another incense delivery during my absence.


    Theoretically, Zhu Min would only require a handful of sticks at most, but having more on hand was reassuring.


    After referencing the manual for instructions, Zhu Min set about placing the incense bowls round about herself with meticulous care. After fussing for fifteen minutes, she carefully lit the incense sticks and settled into a meditative pose on the floor.


    Standing outside of the shrine, the extreme contrast in the lighting made it difficult to see what was happening within. Or rather, it did, until I cast the Keen Senses Spell on myself.


    With my sight magically augmented, the sunlight was reduced considerably, allowing me to see the inside of the shrine in great detail. However, it took several moments for me to properly understand what I was looking at.


    Zhu Min appeared to be sweating a dark ink-like liquid which stained her clothes before slowly pooling on the floor.


    Without warning, Zhu Min leaned forward and violently expelled a torrent of black liquid across the floor.


    Unlike the comparatively thin substance shed from her skin, the black vomit had a thick tar-like consistency. Furthermore, it appeared to be moving of its own accord.


    Little by little, the tar drew itself together and began taking on a vaguely humanoid form. After completing its transformation, it bore a rough resemblance to Zhu Min herself. Albeit, naked and bearing fangs, claws and a thin whip-like tail.


    As if sensing my presence, the creature spun about and charged toward the entrance of the shrine.


    The instant it crossed the threshold, its body collapsed into inert material and began rapidly disintegrating.


    The creature, as short-lived as it had proven to be, reminded me of the dark reflection I had faced when performing the Ritual. Except the battle that had followed had taken place entirely within my mind. Furthermore, if a creature had appeared in the shrine, Gric would have told me.


    Knowing full well I was jumping to conclusions, I suspected the creature was probably created due to Zhu Min being a Daemonic Cultivator. Besides the shared naming scheme with Heart Demons, there had been a decidedly demonic appearance to the creature.


    In the handful of minutes I spent thinking about the problem, the thinner ink-like substance had evaporated and Zhu Min had begun to stir.


    Opening her eyes, Zhu Min smiled happily and appeared pleasantly surprised and refreshed. Rising to her feet and smiling all the while, she spent a few minutes stretching her arms and legs. Throwing an experimental punch, Zhu Min quickly followed it up with a rising kick, upsetting one of the incense bowls in the process.


    Squeaking in alarm and surprise, Zhu Min leapt after the bowl, diving and intercepting it before it could crash into the wall. Incidentally, she covered herself in the disturbed ash and sand in the process.


    Objectively, I could understand her cause for alarm. While the bowls were entirely replaceable, they were made from high-purity jade. Which made them incredibly valuable. The fact that Gric, or Ochram could effortlessly repair or outright reform the bowl was largely beside the point. Especially since Zhu Min was not privy to those particular facts.


    Zhu Min Seemed determined to ignore my presence until all five bowls were returned to the storage alcove and the floor was meticulously swept clean.


    ¡°I am sorry for my clumsiness, Patriarch...¡± Zhu Min apologised, blushing intensely with embarrassment.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I reassured her. ¡°When you return to your grandfather, inform him that I require a dedicated staff to maintain the shrine and ensure the Ritual is conducted correctly.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Patriarch!¡± Zhu Min agreed hurriedly, only too eager to obey.


    ¡°Thank you, Zhu Min. I will send for you when I have found a suitable instructor,¡± I promised and then used my authority to send her home.


    Returning to the mountaintop, I used my authority to transport Lurr from the hospital and then laid him down beneath the peach tree at the centre of the Arrays.


    Drawing on the ambient Thunder-aligned energy, I took Lurr¡¯s hand and began the gruelling cycle of injecting Chi into his body.


    After an hour of cycling, Lurr began to stir and I felt a great weight lift off of my shoulders. Even if he required my direct intervention, Lurr would live.


    Sometime later, Lurr opened his eyes and stiffly rose off of the ground. ¡°Where?¡± His one remaining eye darted inquisitively over our surroundings.


    ¡°We are within my realm,¡± I replied, regretting the unintentional vagueness almost immediately. ¡°A large tract of territories currently held separate from Sanctuary,¡± I added for necessary context.


    Lurr slowly nodded in understanding, accepting the situation at face value.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any other questions?¡± I asked, somewhat perturbed by how readily Lurr¡¯s curiosity had been quenched.


    Lurr shook his head.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± I pressed, shifting the subject to what I hoped would prove to be more fertile ground.


    Lurr frowned and grew contemplative. Without warning, electricity arced over his hands and forearms. ¡°This is?...¡± He looked up at me in what I could best interpret as a ¡®mild sense of alarm¡¯.


    ¡°Electricity...but that¡¯s not what you wanted to know...¡± I sat myself down next to him and willed the same electrical discharge to play over my hands as well. ¡°The new energy inside of you, It¡¯s like mana...Except it has ¡®this¡¯ connected to it.¡±


    ¡°Mana,¡± Lurr¡¯s mild concern evaporated and was replaced with one of undeserved confidence.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to break the news, so I decided to go with my tried and true method of just blundering straight through it. ¡°Your old mana is gone, replaced by, this-¡± I wiggled my fingers for emphasis, causing the electricity to crackle ominously. ¡°-and unfortunately, this mana isn¡¯t regenerating on its own...¡±


    Lurr nodded sombrely, showing he had followed everything thus far and appreciated the danger he was in.


    ¡°I created this place to gather the special mana you need,¡± I motioned to the pillars and the peach tree. ¡°You can probably feel it?¡± I asked optimistically.


    Lurr nodded and glanced at the tree.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I insisted, feeling a profound sense of relief. ¡°We can work with that.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t leave?¡± Lurr asked, catching me off guard.


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t know yet,¡± I admitted honestly. ¡°This is new ground, Lurr. Frankly, I¡¯m surprised you''re even alive...¡±


    Lurr lowered his eyes and nodded. ¡°Was dead...¡± He grunted quietly.


    ¡°You remember?¡± I asked, surprised at the implications.


    Lurr shook his head, ¡°No...Hear voices. Voices say, was dead...¡± He stared up at me with near fanatical devotion, ¡°Say, Tyrant, bring back.¡±


    ¡°That''s...Not entirely wrong...¡± I couldn¡¯t deny my involvement but wasn¡¯t comfortable with what Lurr was implying.


    ¡°This-¡± Lurr motioned to the surrounding area, ¡°-good. Am alive. Different, not bad,¡± the wrinkles around his eyes gathered as his lips were drawn into a wide smile. ¡°Am old, life changes,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking it all far better than I would have,¡± I commented with a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements so you can have visitors,¡± I promised. ¡°Just, make sure not to touch anyone or immerse yourself in water just yet, alright?¡±


    Lurr nodded obediently, ¡°Will obey.¡±


    Offering my forearm, I recruited Lurr for the second time. After conjuring some basic supplies, I left Lurr alone so he could acclimate to his new life.


    Reviewing Lurr¡¯s information while sitting at the bottom of the lake, I felt a rising sense of confidence that Lurr would be able to live a relatively normal life. That is, according to Orc standards.


    So far as I could tell, Lurr¡¯s stats and Species were the same as they had been before his untimely demise. He had lost his Class and Racial Abilities, but had taken on the Thunder Affinity and gained a handful of ranks in the Eternal Tao instead.


    Lurr had also gained a Cultivation Inheritance. However, I strongly suspected that it was at least partially responsible for his underlying condition.


    Storm Heart.


    An Inheritance that would make him immensely powerful so long as he had Thunder-aligned Chi in the tank. However, he would need to chase the storms to stay alive. Or, have the storms brought to him. Just as I had feared, Lurr would die if he was deprived of Thunder-aligned energy. On the upside, he would be allowed to leave the mountain. Just not for long periods of time.


    Of course, this meant that Lurr would need to learn a breathing Technique so he could accelerate his recovery. That, and extend the time he could spend away from the mountain before falling into a coma.


    Of course, now that I had confirmed Lurr was under the banner of the Cultivation system, there was a possibility that Gric or Sebet could artificially apply a second Inheritance.


    I didn¡¯t have enough of a comparison to know if Daemonic Veins would be of any benefit. But it was worth looking into.


    On that train of thought, I had a promise to keep and needed to contact Yi Gim.


    As distasteful as it was, I needed to inquire about the going rate of buying a human being...


    It came as little surprise that Yi Gim was far less squeamish than I was. While he was by no means particularly enthusiastic, he was open to discussion.


    <I want training instructors.> I repeated,


    <And, who will agree to swear Oaths...> Yi Gim interjected, repeating the most demanding of my conditions. <Finding even a single individual that meets these specifications will be...difficult...> There was a lengthy pause. <However, as a gesture of our mutual goodwill, I will have my servants make enquiries.>


    <Thank you, Yi Gim. I appreciate the gesture.> I replied sincerely while suppressing my hesitation. <Of course, depending on how many candidates you can provide, I can make more of the higher tier Water Affinity materials available as compensation.>


    <That will, of course, be much appreciated.> Yi Gim replied happily. <If you are willing, I could increase the potential number of candidates by advertising certain benefits offered by your patronage.> He suggested somewhat slyly. <Of course, as a precaution, we would not disclose your identity. Only the benefits your patronage would afford.>


    <That seems agreeable.> I replied after considering the potential risks. <When can I expect an update on the progress of my request?> I took care not to make the question an outright demand. As allies, it would only serve to sour our relationship if one of us attempted to dominate the other. Inequalities in trade were one thing. The value being entirely subjective in nature. Outright treating the other as subordinate in what was intended as a partnership, was just asking for trouble and resentment.


    <An initial round of inquiries will take at least a few days...> Yi Gim answered somewhat distractedly, no doubt relaying an estimate from one of his subordinates. <Assuming you are willing to accept a certain degree of risk, I could have recruiters extend the search to the realms of my other allies?>


    I was confident that Gric and Sebet would be able to root out any spies. Especially if submitting themselves to an inspection was a requirement to accept the position. So I was reasonably confident that the risks would be minimal.


    I agreed.


    <Very well. Until we speak again, farewell.¡± Yi Gim terminated the connection.


    I remained at the bottom of the lake a while longer, taking the opportunity to restore the missing balance of my Chi and MP while monitoring my internal energy.


    I hadn¡¯t realised it in the moment, but my Wood-aligned Chi and energy had been just about tapped out. Reflecting upon its absence, I suspected that it was probably the cause of the peach tree¡¯s unexpected growth spurt. The Wood Affinity¡¯s description supported this assumption, but I hadn¡¯t used it in that way before.


    In hindsight, I should have realised the role it had played much sooner.


    Unlike the Thunder Affinity, recovering the Wood Affinity-aligned Chi was far easier and faster due to Hana¡¯s ever-expanding garden of hybrid plants. Even the regular plantlife generated small amounts, and with so many plants in the vicinity, the quantity provided a certain quality all its own.


    Returning to the shore on my way home, I was momentarily taken aback after spotting Pete and Suzy skating across the surface of the lake. Chasing after the Lizardmen hatchlings in what I assumed was a modified version of tag, the twins engaged in dramatically different styles of skating.


    While both seemed to be actively controlling the water through their Water Affinity, Pete¡¯s movements were careful and methodical, like a figure skater. In stark contrast, Suzy¡¯s movements were far more aggressive and improvised, reminding me of the few times I had watched ice hockey on television.


    I was so engrossed in watching the twins that I didn¡¯t notice Lash until the prow of her canoe narrowly passed by my right ear. She grinned at me unapologetically and began rowing after the twins in earnest, rapidly closing in on them. While her technique was rough, Lash more than made up for her lack of skill with raw enthusiasm and brute strength. Shearing through the water with a speed Olympic athletes would have killed for.


    It took me several moments longer to notice Eg, our not quite yet, yet, in all but name, adopted daughter clinging tightly to Lash¡¯s waist for dear life.


    Taking Pete and Suzy¡¯s lead, I decided to try and use my Chi to walk on water.


    Several failed attempts later and still as buoyant as a boulder, I figured there had to be a fundamental aspect of the trick I still didn¡¯t understand.


    After another hour of trial and error, I identified the problem.


    I was simply too heavy.


    I could support part of the weight of one arm but had nowhere near enough Chi or perhaps Affinity, to support even a tenth of my entire body weight.


    Rather than spending the remainder of the evening faffing about on my own, I joined Lash and played with Pete and Suzy instead.


    Before putting the twins to bed, I made a point of letting them know how proud I was of their accomplishment. They had adapted to the alternate system far faster than I would have ever expected. It made finding a qualified and trustworthy instructor all the more pressing.


    As talented as my children had proven themselves to be, I didn¡¯t want them accidentally hurting themselves. Or god forbid, accidentally hurting someone else.


    Eg and the other Ogre children could probably walk off most typical injuries. But the other variant children probably couldn¡¯t. Especially the Humans and the imminent wave of hybrids. That was before gaining Chi and Affinities, which would only multiply the existing dangers in who knew how many possible ways.


    It was taking a little getting used to with Eg sleeping in our bed.


    Specifically, because she slept with both eyes open, and resting her head on Lash¡¯s chest left her staring right at me.


    As deeply unsettling as it was, I did my best to just ignore her and sleep.


    That was when I learned Eg suffered from night terrors...


    Watching Lash gently rock Eg back to sleep, I was forced to appreciate how easy Suzy and Pete had been as infants.


    Just the thought of raising a regular human child in this world was enough to bring me to the precipice of having a panic attack.


    With a handful of nonconsecutive hours of sleep under my belt, I made myself, the twins and Eg as presentable as possible and then took them to the Dwergi arena. Lash would join us later, but I wanted to give her another few hours of sleep.


    As concerning as the reality made me, I had grown strangely acclimated to going without regular sleep. At least concerning not feeling tired.


    With Eg shyly clinging to Pete, and Pete behaving himself, they made it that much easier to keep an eye on Suzy as she raced through the small marketplace of the arena.


    To their credit, the merchants, stall vendors and other visitors took Suzy¡¯s insatiable curiosity in stride. No doubt, a considerable element of their patience and understanding was the result of her status, and I had an obvious bias. However, I was convinced that a few of the Dwergi merchants were truly pleased by Suzy¡¯s unfiltered stream of questions regarding their products.


    Even if it was just an excuse to gush over the quality of their products concerning their competitors.


    It probably didn¡¯t hurt when I bought the children a small number of gifts from their stores either.


    After touring the market, we were escorted by one of the Dwergi council members to a massive viewing box in the arena.


    Huge amounts of food and drink were laid out on a table at the back of the viewing box and the kids wasted no time in casually grazing its contents while comparing their gifts.


    While the children were otherwise occupied, several large stone thrones were created using magic and then padded with massive cushions.


    ¡°If there is any way we may be of service, please, do not hesitate to ask, my Tyrant!¡± Drislek, the Dwergi council member, insisted proudly. ¡°Additional refreshments will be provided as needed.¡± He spared a wrinkled glance toward the children and smiled with a grandfatherly air before seeing himself out.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Suzy crashed into my thigh with deliberate force and waved the whistling staff I had bought for her. True to its name, the air passing through the small holes at the end of the staff made a keening whistling sound according to how hard Suzy waved the staff about. ¡°Listen! Hehe!¡±


    ¡°It makes a whistling noise, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I asked, leaning down and raising her onto my shoulder.


    ¡°Mhm! Whistle!¡± Suzy waved the staff even harder, accidentally clipping my ear before changing pace.


    I pursed my lips and whistled a short tune, nearly causing Suzy to topple off my shoulder in surprise.


    ¡°Daddy whistle?!¡± Suzy exclaimed in bewilderment, grabbing at my lips with her free hand and looking inside my mouth for the source of the whistle. Unable to find the invisible whistle, Suzy frowned and huffed indignantly. ¡°Daddy trick!¡± She accused, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.


    I pursed my lips and whistled again.


    Suzy stared at my mouth in surprise.


    A second whistle derailed Suzy¡¯s investigation, drawing both of our collective attention toward Pete and Eg who were sitting on the floor by the table.


    Eg shied back under the unexpected attention but was too late to conceal her musical talent.


    ¡°Eg whistle?¡± Suzy scratched at her scalp in confusion.


    Eg released a short peep, drawing Pete¡¯s attention as well.


    ¡°Show Suzy!¡± Suzy demanded, aggressively leaping off of my shoulder and toward Eg. However, I was able to snatch her out of the air before she could frighten Eg any further.


    ¡°Suzy, look at me,¡± I insisted firmly and pointed to my mouth. ¡°Just copy me, okay?¡±


    Suzy nodded emphatically.


    I made a show of pursing my lips. ¡°Just pinch your lips together like this, then blow with your breath,¡± I explained and then released a warbling whistle.


    Suzy took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and then blew an incredibly wet raspberry directly into my face. Her face fell, ¡°No whistle?¡±


    ¡°Try breathing more gently,¡± I suggested, taking a few slow breaths as an example.


    Suzy nodded determinedly and proceeded to blow another raspberry in my face.


    To be fair, I now realised that it may not have been entirely her fault. While Eg had tusks like the rest of us, hers were far smaller and were able to fit under her upper lip. Suzy¡¯s tusks were much longer and she couldn''t do that. Which made it difficult for her to form a seal on the sides of her mouth. Inevitably resulting in a great deal of spit flying into my face.


    Pete made a short peep and immediately proved me wrong.


    Lowering Suzy to the floor, I let her pester Pete for his secret.


    Roughly half an hour, and three small-scale tantrums later, Suzy had gotten the hang of it and the trio were competing to see who could whistle the loudest.


    It was only after Lash arrived another hour later, that I realised teaching Suzy to whistle may not have been the best idea when Lash was already somewhat on edge due to a lack of sleep.


    Watching the semi-finals wasn¡¯t particularly entertaining. Most matches were determined through gruelling attrition, drawn-out games of cat and mouse, or a handful of strikes made with objectively excessive force.


    It didn¡¯t help that only a single contestant capable of casting Spells had managed to qualify for the semi-finals.


    Magic had a fantastical quality about it that spoiled more mundane combat¡¯s potential entertainment value through direct comparison. There was no getting around that.


    Keith had proven an exception.


    Keith¡¯s matches were incredibly short. Armed with a short sword and a fistful of small knives, he wasn¡¯t interested in fighting fair or even showcasing his potential. The moment each match started, Keith went for an artery. Even going so far as to accept grievous wounds to trade for otherwise fatal ones against his opponents.


    With Sebet¡¯s Contracts providing insurance against death and otherwise permanent harm, Keith fought like an absolute psychopath.


    The scarred elf had downed Orcs and Gnolls more than three times his size by matching their raw savagery and pitting incredible speed against brute strength. He avoided decapitation and dismemberment by inches so he could bleed his opponents out and secure victory.


    Unfortunately for Keith, those aggressive and suicidal tactics didn¡¯t work against Trask.


    As tall as an Orc, twice as heavy and covered in thick hide and hard emerald scales, Trask was a living tank. One of the few Lizardmen that regularly left Sanctuary and hunted in my Labyrinth, Trask¡¯s matches had been far more boring to watch. Armed only with a morningstar, he had defeated every one of his opponents with a single strike or forcing a forfeit by triggering special clauses in Sebet¡¯s Contracts.


    Lacking the raw Strength needed to pierce Trask¡¯s armoured hide, Keith was slowly worn down and worked into a corner.


    With all the patience of a cold-blooded predator, Trask didn¡¯t rush his inevitable victory. He took no chances, guarding his eyes and keeping his mouth firmly shut to avoid exposing any weaknesses.


    Cornered, all but disarmed and no doubt thoroughly exhausted, Keith didn¡¯t give in. Even after Trask pulped Keith¡¯s left arm with the head of his morningstar, Keith continued fighting.


    With Keith as injured as he was, it didn¡¯t take Trask much longer to deliver the final blow and secure the top-ranking position in the tournament.


    As the host of the tournament, I allowed the Dwergi council to announce the rewards given to the top-ranking participants. The Quest had made the physical rewards available already, but I felt it would be more appropriate if the audience was given a reminder regarding what the participants had been fighting for.


    I performed the promotions to Underlord in person.


    As the undisputed victor of the tournament, Trask¡¯s promotion earned the loudest applause. But the others were not forgotten.


    In second place, and something of a dark horse, Keith received only slightly less applause.


    If Gnar was upset about taking third place, he didn¡¯t show it. Every matriarch of the Gnoll Faction, Rikit included, had witnessed his accomplishments and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Gnar was Bonded before sunset. The tournament had literally demonstrated that Gnar was superior to just about every other male in his pack, and showed just how strong he truly was. There wouldn¡¯t be many males that could compete against his credentials.


    If Brok wasn¡¯t already taken, he would probably be in a similar position to Gnar. Orcs did things differently, but ranking fourth overall, and first of your Species carried significant weight.


    Itzal, the only female finalist and Spellcaster that had made it to the semi-finals, was positively beaming with pride, and I couldn¡¯t fault her for it. As a Venomancer, she had been at an extreme disadvantage against opponents with high Toughness, and as a Naga, she lacked the mobility to outmanoeuvre melee-specialised opponents in such open terrain. Except for Keith, Itzal had been more than ten levels lower than the other finalists.


    All things considered, she had done incredibly well for herself, and with her winnings, Itzal was sure to do even better in the days to come.


    Of all the finalists, only Keith appeared to be upset with his placement. Despite being in a painfully similar boat to Itzal, and receiving slightly fewer rewards than Trask, Keith gave off an air that left the impression he had been somehow robbed of what he felt he deserved. However, for all of his anger, he didn¡¯t lash out at the other finalists.


    The more I watched him, the more certain I became that Keith was actually upset with himself. That he had somehow let someone down and blamed himself for it. For some unknown reason, he had NEEDED first place. And after doing everything in his power to achieve that goal, he had come up short.


    Having made my public appearance, I withdrew to the private viewing box and returned with my family to The Grove. After seeing them settled, I relocated myself somewhere private so I could address the tournament winners without fear of being overheard.


    One by one, I Summoned Trask, Keith, Gnar, Brok and Itzal. Opting for projections so their true selves could enjoy the limelight of their respective accomplishments.


    Without being asked, Trask, Gnar, Brok and Itzal bowed their heads.


    Keith just stared up at me in confusion. Making no attempts at hiding expectations that he, and most of the others, should not be here.


    Then it clicked.


    I understood why Keith was so upset at placing second in the tournament. Someone had leaked the true purpose of the tournament. What''s more, they had made a mistake while doing so.


    Initially, I had intended to take only one champion. I had just the one slot available from The Tyrant¡¯s Fists Class Ability at the time. Things have changed since then. Most notably, the Ability had ranked up and doubled the total number of people I could nominate.


    The tournament had always been intended to find worthy candidates, and what Keith had apparently not been told was that the selection criteria had never been restricted to who came first.


    ¡°Who told you?¡± I asked curiously, intent on getting straight to the meat of the matter.


    ¡°The Devil...¡± Keith muttered sourly. ¡°Said you would make the winner your champion...¡± He looked pointedly at the other finalists and then back at me. ¡°She lied, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°She certainly didn¡¯t tell the whole truth,¡± I agreed tersely, connecting another one of the dots. ¡°Is this why you joined my expeditionary force?¡±


    ¡°I needed levels...¡± Keith replied shamelessly, ¡°Couldn¡¯t get them on my own...¡±


    ¡°You could have teamed up,¡± I countered dryly. ¡°Even if you insisted on excluding the Humans, you would have no shortage of potential teammates.¡±


    ¡°Too slow...Even with the Contracts, they won¡¯t take risks...¡± Keith sneered irritably. ¡°The expedition was the only way.¡±


    ¡°Which leads me to the most pressing question of all,¡± I levelled my gaze at Keith and made it clear that I wouldn¡¯t tolerate any half-assed answers. ¡°Why is it that you so badly want to become my champion? You do realise that the position would require you to fight for the interests of ALL of my subjects and your fellow citizens? You wouldn¡¯t be allowed to just pick and choose who is and is not deserving.¡±


    ¡°I know that...¡± Keith replied grimacing and contorting his scarred face in frustration. ¡°But I could be out there freeing other Slaves!-¡±


    ¡°Some of which would be human,¡± I interjected, carefully studying his reaction.


    Keith¡¯s right eye twitched as he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. ¡°I know that,¡± he repeated stiffly.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t making a convincing case for why I should choose you as a champion,¡± I explained patiently, appreciating the fact that Keith had kept his arguably justified xenophobia in check thus far.


    ¡°I can¡¯t forgive them for what they have done to us!¡± Keith snapped bitterly, twisting his lips into a savage snarl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to,¡± I interjected calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to forget what has happened either. However, if you want to be my champion and wield power in my name, you need to separate the evil actions of the guilty from those who had no hand in it.¡± I took a moment to align my thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s difficult, I know that, and I know that you are aware that many of the empire¡¯s Human refugees were directly or indirectly involved in the Slave trade. Either owning a Slave or somehow benefitting from a Slave¡¯s labour. However, it¡¯s not a simple issue where you can just point the finger at whoever you feel like and decide they are the ones to blame and deserving of punishment.¡±


    Keith scowled but stiffly nodded his head. ¡°I understand...The sins of the few do not belong to all, but when I look at them-¡± He clenched his fists and grimaced, ¡°I remember EVERYTHING...¡±


    I slowly shook my head in disappointment. No matter how justified he felt in his anger, Keith was only making a stronger argument against his viability as an ideal candidate. He was a ticking time bomb of raw nerves and righteous anger just waiting for the right trigger.


    This was ironic, because the same reasons that gave me misgivings in trusting Keith with a fraction of my power, were the reasons I didn¡¯t trust myself.


    ***** Oba Shoji ~ Feng Liao¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Thousand Gardens City *****


    Broken, bloody and defeated, Oba Shoji could only blink back tears as his grandson was crippled before his eyes. The foundation of his Cultivation damaged beyond the skill of all but the greatest healers¡¯ ability to reverse.


    What had begun as nothing more than an argument between the hotblooded youth of the rising generation, had all too quickly escalated to the brink of open war with the Xiao clan and its allies.


    Already outsiders and without support or allies of their own, Oba Shoji and his clansmen had debased themselves to preserve the clan. They had surrendered everything, even their dignity to prevent a war. Even then, it hadn¡¯t been enough.


    The Xiao dogs had reneged on their promises, discarding their honour and seizing young Sora.


    Unwilling to simply allow the honourless curs to simply do as they pleased, Oba Shoji and the other elders of the clan had tried to rescue his grandson. To his immense shame and regret, they had failed.


    Too cruel to grant his clan a swift death, the Xiao bastards had left them to rot and die a slow agonising death in the long shadows of the city¡¯s rancid bowels.


    Already, the boldest of the rats had begun testing them, probing for the greatest place of weakness so they might fall upon the most vulnerable of the clan.


    Broken as they were, the elders would hold them back for a time. But it would only be for a time.


    The rats of the city were beyond counting, and they had no qualms in climbing over the bodies of their fallen. Just as content to feed on their own while preparing for the final feast.


    In his heart, Oba Shoji knew that the clan¡¯s days were numbered.


    ¡°Clan leader!¡± Yasui Tadashi, one of the few servants who had refused to abandon the clan, rushed down the broken cobblestone street with a piece of parchment clutched tightly in his hand.


    Broken as they were, the warriors and elders of the clan peered out from their hiding places and followed Yasui¡¯s progress with grim finality. Accepting the inevitable doom that was about to befall them.


    No doubt, the Xiao dogs had grown impatient and intended to visit further humiliation upon them before delivering the final blow.


    After all, what else could compel a servant as old as Yasui to run as if chased by a host of needle vipers?


    ¡°Clan leader!¡± Yasui repeated breathlessly, pushing aside the rotting shade cloth that served as the door to Oba Shoji¡¯s hovel. ¡°Clan leader, you must read this!¡± The elderly servant insisted, bowing and earnestly presenting the rolled parchment in both hands.


    ¡°Have they made more demands?¡± Oba Shoji grunted darkly, ¡°Do they dare lay claim to the daughters of the clan? They have no shame! Heavens curse them!¡±


    ¡°Clan leader, the heavens may yet smile upon the Oba clan!¡± Yasui declared with undeserved optimism that bordered on outright delusion.


    All the same, he had piqued Oba Shoji¡¯s interest. Accepting the parchment, Oba Shoji gingerly unfurled its length while ignoring the pain emanating from his broken fingers.


    Three bodies of text marked the surface of the parchment, each written in one of the primary languages of the core realms.


    Oba Shoji was experienced enough with the other two languages that he could understand their intent but defaulted to his native tongue as both a matter of personal preference and the flagging demands from what remained of his pride.


    ¡°Where did you find this?¡± Oba Shoji demanded.


    ¡°I came across a small party of visitors from an allied realm in the sunfire petal market, clan leader. They were posting these notices on every available space they could find,¡± Yasui reported diligently. ¡°Talk in the market claimed that the visitors had also made several small speeches, but I had not witnessed as much for myself.¡±


    ¡°You saw these visitors?¡± Oba Shoji pressed, unwilling to take the contents of the parchment at face value.


    Yasui bobbed his head. ¡°Yes, clan leader. I know my eyes are not what they used to be, but they appeared incredibly earnest in their duties.¡±


    If their situation were not nearly so dire, Oba Shoji would have laughed at Yasui¡¯s claims of failing vision. He knew for a fact that the old servant¡¯s eyes were as shrewd as ever, Even without a talent for Cultivation, Yujiro¡¯s line had impeccably resilient vitality.


    ¡°If it was not for the Oaths, this recruitment notice couldn¡¯t be anything else but a trap,¡± Oba Shoji contemplated aloud while reading through the expected requirements and promised benefits.


    ¡°Others in the market expressed similar sentiments, clan leader,¡± Yujiro agreed supportively. ¡°Many were convinced it was some form of scam...However, they carry the Golden Dragon¡¯s seal alongside the seal of their own Monarch, the Azure Shark.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure of this?¡± Oba Shoji demanded, already weighing the risks against what little the clan had left to lose.


    Yujiro raised his head and met his lord¡¯s eyes, ¡°Yes, clan leader, I am certain of it.¡± True to his word, Yujiro emanated unimpeachable certainty.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Oba Shoji had made up his mind. ¡°Inform the elders to draw back the perimeter. No one is to leave or enter until I return.¡±


    After changing into the most presentable of the clothing that remained to him, Oba Shoji left the slums and made straight for the lilting orchid winehouse. As the established drinking establishment for city law enforcement and visitors to the city, it was the most likely location he would be able to find the servants of the Azure Shark Monarch.


    A clear sign that the clan¡¯s luck was changing for the better, Oba Shoji laid eyes on the recruiting party just as they were leaving the Winehouse.


    After taking a moment to address his appearance, Oba Shoji committed to his final approach.


    Five in all, the recruiting party leader was of the third rank and his subordinates were of the second. This came as a surprise given the suspicion and paranoia that marked the character of all Monarchs. However, after taking a few moments to scan the surrounding area with his spiritual senses, Oba Shoji quickly realised that the recruiters had a dedicated escort that outnumbered them three to one and were all of the third rank.


    The recruiters were by no means unaware of their escort and even exchanged courteous nods with their presumed counterparts.


    With confirmation that the recruitment had the implicit consent of the Realm¡¯s Monarch, a substantial degree of risk was removed from the equation.


    Realm migration was incredibly rare and often dangerous. The paranoia of the Monarchs levied a presumption of guilt upon those attempting to leave just as readily as those attempting to enter. Making the job of Realm sentries much simpler if they defaulted to summary execution for anyone lacking even a single form of requested identification and certification.


    As Oba Shoji expected, he was identified and became the recruiters¡¯ focus the instant he stepped onto the street. Even with his injuries and advanced age, he was still a fifth-rank Cultivator. Even if he wanted to do so, there was little Oba Shoji could do to hide his presence at such a close range.


    Rather than becoming intimidated, the recruiters grew excited and their leader eagerly moved forward to meet him halfway.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± the head recruiter placed one fist in the other and bowed respectfully. ¡°I am Yu Seon-Geuk, representative of the esteemed Monarch, Yi Gim, long may he reign! Might I ask your name, esteemed senior?¡±


    Oba Shoji returned the greeting, forcing the pain from his battered back through sheer force of will. ¡°This senior is Oba Shoji,¡± he replied politely, unwilling to risk upsetting the man despite the unwanted reminder of his age and increasingly distant youth. ¡°An esteemed representative of a Monarch need not bother themselves by bowing to one such as myself.¡±


    The recruiter stared at Oba Shoji appraisingly for several heartbeats and then his smile became markedly more genuine. ¡°Thank you, senior, I am gladdened by the respect you show for my master.¡± He bowed his head slightly in respect. ¡°Please excuse my impertinence, but might I ask if the cause for our meeting is related to our recruitment notices?¡± He asked, positively brimming with expectation.


    ¡°I must admit that it is,¡± Oba Shoji replied politely. ¡°However, I have several concerns that were not fully addressed by the contents of the notice,¡± he held up the furled parchment for emphasis. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Then please, raise your concerns and I shall do my best to lay them to rest,¡± the recruiter insisted eagerly, motioning toward the Winehouse.


    Despite his outward demeanour, the recruiter quickly proved that there were certain aspects of the notice that he was forbidden to discuss in greater detail. Most notably, who would be the recipient of said instruction.


    Testing the waters to determine how many of the clan would be allowed to accompany each instructor, Oba Shoji was taken aback when the recruiter insisted that there was no limit. So long as they were members of the clan, the agreement between the Monarchs had no upper limits.


    Similar to the topic regarding the intended patron, the subject of compensation was blunt, but also unexpectedly intriguing. While the recruiter apologised for not being at liberty to discuss the particulars, beyond a guaranteed plot of land, there was an unexpected glint of what Oba Shoji could only interpret as envy in the recruiter¡¯s eyes.


    This told Oba Shoji two things. First, that he was almost certainly sworn to silence, and second, that the compensation was sufficient to not only warrant special precautions, but it also made a third rank Cultivator desire the opportunity for themself.


    The desires of first and even early second rank Cultivators were often firmly focused on the mundane. A desperate scramble to accumulate wealth as a means of acquiring power. Third rank Cultivators were another breed entirely.


    Powerful enough to take what they wanted from first and second rank Cultivators, they had little need for such small levels of wealth. Third rank Cultivators had the greed of dragons in their hearts and wouldn¡¯t show such overt envy and desire for anything less than a merchant¡¯s life savings or a hidden cache of ancient herbs.


    Becoming increasingly convinced that it was precisely the opportunity his clan needed to not only survive but perhaps even thrive. Oba Shoji¡¯s inquiries were cut short as a fat balding pig in expensive silks threw open the door to the Winehouse.


    ¡°OBA FILTH! YOU DARE TEST OUR XIAO CLAN¡¯S MERCY AND LEAVE YOUR RAT HOLE?!¡± The quintuple-chinned man demanded, sweat already beading his brow from the mere effort required to open the door. He pulled a heavy cudgel from his belt and leapt forward with incredible speed.


    In his battered condition, Oba Shoji barely rose from the table before the fat man¡¯s head was sent tumbling to the floor.


    The lead recruiter, now standing behind the headless corpse, cleaned his sword with a swatch of cloth and then returned it to its sheath.


    A handful of heartbeats later, five of the observers stationed outside rushed into the Winehouse and surrounded the lead recruiter.


    ¡°Apologies, honoured guides, but it appears that a stray boar has entered the city and I was forced to put it down,¡± he bowed respectfully, and carefully withdrew a pouch from within the confines of his formal robes. ¡°For your troubles,¡± he tossed the bag to one of the observers and then withdrew another, slightly larger pouch, ¡°For the inconvenience such a mess will no doubt cause your superiors.¡± he tossed the bag to the same man, forcing the recipient to sheath their sword or lose out on what was obviously intended as a bribe. ¡°And lastly, to wet your throats. As I am certain chasing this beast and disposing of its remains will prove quite tiring,¡± a third and considerably larger pouch quickly joined the others.


    Peeking quickly inside each pouch, the observer very nearly dropped them in surprise.


    Despite not being able to see the contents, with the pouches open and their concealment Arrays compromised, Oba Shoji¡¯s spiritual senses were more than adequate to discern what lay within. However, he simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe it. The pouches were packed to bursting with what could only be the highest-grade of Spirit Stones!


    The observers exchanged furtive looks with one another and nodded almost imperceptibly in agreement.


    A spokesman stepped forward for the group and bowed his head slightly in polite greeting. ¡°As a representative of his most majestic Golden Dragon, I thank you stranger for preventing further damage to public and private properties of the city.¡± He bowed again, and this time was joined by his fellows.


    Without saying another word, the spokesman waved his hand over the corpse, absorbing it into a Spatial Ring, and then left with his compatriots in tow.


    Oba Shoji couldn¡¯t help but stare at the broken door. ¡°That was a small fortune...¡± He breathed incredulously. Unable to comprehend how even a Monarch¡¯s representative could cast such a thing away without so much as a second thought.


    ¡°Several fortunes,¡± the lead recruiter corrected good-naturedly as he returned to their table. ¡°Such trifles lose their lustre when compared to true treasures,¡± he commented with the unmistakable hunger and desire returning to his eyes as he gazed upon something Oba Shoji could only guess at. ¡°Provided you accept my magnanimous Monarch¡¯s offer, I have no doubts that you will come to share our point of view.


    Looking at the rest of the group, Oba Shoji could see the same greed burning just as fiercely in their eyes and knew that if he passed up this opportunity, it would be no different to spitting in the face of the heavens themselves. ¡°When can we leave?¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 74 – Power and privilege – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 74 ¨C Power and privilege ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 74 - Power and privilege - Part Two


    Except for Keith, the other finalists were presented the opportunity to fight against a projection of one of the Ainsleys to earn a place amongst them as my champion.


    Gnar had declined, content with the prizes and prestige from the tournament. Becoming my champion would raise his status amongst his kind, but it would also carry additional risks. Gnar was one of the handful of Gnolls that had fought alongside Rikit and nearly starved to death within the undead-infested city of Mournbrent. Compelled by his Slave Collar to defend the grounds of the tannery workshop while his Masters fled the city.


    I respected Gnar¡¯s choice and dismissed his projection.


    Itzal had requested time to consider her options. Given she was still the monster equivalent of a teenager, I had no problems accepting her deferment. However, I didn¡¯t dismiss her projection right away.


    Trask and Brok accepted the instant they were asked and chose to fight Randle and Faine respectively.


    Under normal circumstances, Randle would have fared far worse than Keith had done against Trask. However, Thundering Strikes proved more than capable of bypassing Trask¡¯s natural defences, inflicting a heavy toll in the opening exchanges of their duel. Randle didn¡¯t emerge unscathed, but once Trask made the mistake of going on the defensive, it was all over.


    Brok fared a little better against Faine but was ultimately defeated when the terrain was reshaped to imprison him. Allowing Faine to execute him at his leisure.


    Randle and Faine had both been at an Evolutionary disadvantage. Possessing significantly less Strength, Toughness and combat Racial Abilities. However, their specialised Class and access to my Spells proved more than capable of compensating for their fundamental disadvantages.


    ¡°They can both casst Sspellss?¡± Itzal¡¯s tail undulated with what I assumed was an expression of intense interest. Most of her face was hidden behind a soft leather veil, so it was difficult to be certain without seeing her face.


    ¡°It is a boon granted to all my champions,¡± I replied evenly, pretending not to notice Keith¡¯s mounting frustration.


    Itzal¡¯s serpentine eyes widened briefly in surprise before taking on a hungry predatory intensity.


    ¡°Each Spell I learn through my Ability is shared with my champions, making them more formidable and able to counter a wider range of threats,¡± I added, baiting the hook.


    Itzal¡¯s long forked tongue darted from beneath her veil, tasting the air as she silently studied Randle and Faine¡¯s projections. After several minutes had passed, Itzal humbly lowered her head. ¡°My Tyrant, it would be my honour to sseerve you ass your champion,¡± Itzal hissed in supplication. She raised her head and then pointed determinedly at Randle and Faine. ¡°To prove my ssinsserity, I would fasse them both!¡±


    Itzal¡¯s request caught me off guard for a moment. ¡°Are you certain?¡± I asked, allowing her to alter her request.


    Itzal nodded determinedly. ¡°I am ssertain, my Tyrant!¡± Her tail lashed the ground violently and her eyes flashed with anticipation.


    I dismissed Randle and Faine¡¯s damaged projections and then replaced them, dividing my MP between them.


    Without needing to be asked, Randle and Faine made their way over to an open space and began planning their means of attack.


    Already gathering her MP, Itzal took her place a few dozen feet away from them and loosed the cord holding up one end of her veil, revealing her face.


    Mostly human in appearance, the rounded mound and slits where her nose should have been immediately set her apart. However, as Itzal unhinged her jaw, her face took on an altogether monstrous appearance that banished any passing resemblance she had shared with humanity.


    Arriving at some form of silent agreement, both sides began to move at the same time.


    With his spear set in front of him, Faine charged forward.


    Standing his ground, Randle raised a wall of stone at Itzal¡¯s back to cut off her line of retreat and began encircling her from both sides.


    Itzal continued gathering her MP and held her ground while throwing bone javelins at Faine.


    Dodging and knocking aside the javelins with his spear, Faine slowed his advance but didn¡¯t stop. Eyes glowing under the effects of the Enhanced Senses Spell, he showed no signs of struggling to predict where the javelins would land and ignored several that otherwise overshot or came up short of his advancing position.


    All the while, Itzal continued expending her dwindling store of javelins, seemingly unperturbed by their lack of effect. Coiling her tail, she began slowly bobbing from side to side, anticipating Faine¡¯s final approach.


    With Itzal cornered, Randle began advancing to support his cousin more directly, gathering MP and making sure to keep his focus firmly fixed on Itzal.


    Just as Faine was about to enter striking distance, Itzal suddenly sprang two dozen feet into the air, narrowly avoiding Randle¡¯s prepared Fire Lance.


    With a loud hiss, Itzal expelled a stream of pale shimmering amber liquid from her mouth. As a direct consequence of her flailing movements, the stream turned into a mist and quickly blanketed the surrounding area.


    Randle fired several more Fire Lances in rapid succession. However, Itzal¡¯s unpredictable flailing prevented all but one Fire Lance from accomplishing anything more than a glancing strike.


    Following Itzal¡¯s movements, Faine began stalking toward her anticipated landing site, spear at the ready. Then, without warning, he stumbled and began to scream. Discarding his spear, Faine threw off his helmet.


    The skin of his face was blistered and inflamed, his eyes raw and bloody.


    I immediately dismissed Faine¡¯s projection and a second later did the same for Randle. They had already lost. Allowing the battle to continue would only serve to generate additional suffering.


    They were only Human, and without the right Synergies, they didn¡¯t stand a chance against Itzal¡¯s potent airborne venom.


    She hadn¡¯t used this tactic in the tournament, so I could only assume Itzal had kept it in reserve intending to use it as a trump card. That, or she had been afraid of being disqualified.


    If the venomous mist had spread to the crowd, Itzal would have potentially faced serious consequences.


    Using my authority, I dispersed the mist and returned Itzal¡¯s projection to the group, sharing her Venom Resistance with Keith before he experienced similar symptoms.


    Itzal slowly and somewhat stiffly slithered across the large swathe of dead grass. Despite her pain, she wore an unmistakably smug smile as she considered her handiwork. However, Itzal¡¯s smile quickly disappeared as she fixed her veil back into place.


    ¡°That was very impressive, if somewhat unconventional,¡± I commented, appreciating the unexpected upset.


    Itzal bowed her head respectfully. ¡°Thank you, my Tyrant. I only ssought to prove my true worth.¡±


    I nodded in approval and then Summoned several projections.


    Faine stared grimly at Itzal for several moments before giving her a terse nod of approval.


    Randle chuckled nervously and looked quite relieved, while Jayne, who had been absent until this point, appeared quite understandably confused.


    ¡°Trask, Brok and Itzal, you have proven your strength in combat, but now you must prove your strength of mind and character.¡± I motioned to the Ainsleys. ¡°Each of you will apprentice under a champion so they can determine your worthiness to join their ranks. During this apprenticeship, you will have access to the same Spells and Class. However, if you fail to meet our expectations, they will be taken from you.¡± I paused and waved Faine forward. ¡°You may choose first,¡± I commanded.


    Faine bowed obediently and considered his options. ¡°I will take Brok,¡± he decided after a short deliberation. He spared a moment to smile apologetically at Itzal, ¡°There are no hard feelings between us, but I do not want others to think my final decision will be motivated by bias.¡±


    ¡°I undersstand,¡± Itzal replied calmly.


    Jayne gave her cousin a questioning look but said nothing.


    Positively brimming with pride, Brok joined Faine and they both stood off to the side.


    I waved Randle forward.


    Randle gave Itzal an apologetic shrug. ¡°Sorry, but I think Trask is a better fit.¡± He gave Trask a welcoming nod and they both moved off to the side.


    ¡°I guess that just leaves the two of us,¡± Jayne declared, stepping forward of her own accord. ¡°I am sure my cousins have simply failed to appreciate your talents.¡±


    Randle snickered quietly before catching Faine¡¯s eye and falling silent.


    ¡°I am grateful for your undersstanding,¡± Itzal replied appreciatively.


    I reshuffled the aspirants into my personal Faction and promoted the Ainsleys to the Lord rank, allowing them to Summon the projections of the aspirants through the Summon Servant Spell. After giving them all a few minutes to make arrangements amongst themselves, I dismissed their projections and turned my undivided attention toward Keith.


    Keith had remained silent throughout, despite his evident frustration.


    I gave Keith an appraising look and waited until I was certain he was in control of himself. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a chance, Keith.¡± I ignored the stunned look of surprise on his scarred face. ¡°Your trial is going to be different than the others. Not just because you would fail otherwise, but because I think it will help you by gaining perspective.¡±


    Keith frowned slightly but remained silent.


    ¡°I am going to make you Gric¡¯s temporary assistant, and resident ambassador to the Cultivators.¡± I could tell by the obvious confusion in his eyes, that Keith had no idea who or what the Cultivators were, and knew I needed to explain things. ¡°They are humans with a different kind of magic, from a completely different world.¡±


    Keith scowled darkly but reined in his emotions with visible effort.


    ¡°Gric will check in on you from time to time and assess your progress. However, you will be free to terminate the test at any time,¡± I explained patiently, keenly aware that he would need time to think things over to appreciate the opportunity for what it was.


    Sure enough, Keith remained silent for quite some time. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Keith agreed stiffly, fists firmly clenched at his sides and struggling to meet my gaze.


    I nodded to express my approval and appreciation for his internal struggles. ¡°Just the same as the others, you will be given the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the Spells and Class during your assessment. However-¡± I fixed Keith with an icy glare, ¡°If you abuse these gifts, you will be punished. Am I clear?¡±


    Ashen-faced, Keith stiffly nodded, ¡°I understand...¡±


    Attacking other citizens would cause the Oaths to exact a punishment automatically. However, these protections did not extend to others. If Gric required his assistance outside of my realm, I wanted Keith to know that he was not free to indulge in wanton sadism.


    After Summoning Gric and explaining matters in more detail, I dismissed them both and set about fulfilling my end of things.


    Two days passed in relative calm, requiring only minimal involvement on my end to assign newly Conquered territories to requested regions of the realm.


    Almost exclusively nocturnal, the Deep Ogres from the Hurst Labyrinth were slow in establishing connections with the other residents of Sanctuary. However, they had found common ground, quite literally, with Lash¡¯s people and seemed quite happy with their new lives.


    The Deep Ogres¡¯ weight and inability to swim made the swamp too dangerous for them to hunt for their food. However, the stone caverns beneath Sanctuary provided an ample hunting ground which they were uniquely equipped to exploit. Furthermore, being able to destroy the Stone Dolls with a casual backhand swipe awarded them the opportunity to trade iron ingots for other commodities.


    The Ogres still within the Labyrinth were receiving training from my expeditionary forces. After proving they could be trusted, and receiving some discipline, they would be allowed to settle in my realm permanently. Somewhat curiously, more of the wild Ogres had independently approached the fortress and after being cowed into submission by the larger Ogres, they had sworn oaths of loyalty and obedience.


    It was for this reason that I had decided to accept the Semenovians¡¯ petition and would direct the Ogres their way once the Ogres earned their full rights of citizenship. I had concerns regarding what may amount to inbreeding in future generations due to the wild Ogres'' complete absence of genetic diversity. However, I ultimately decided that it would be the Semenovians'' problem to sort out.


    While they were less technologically developed than the people of Earth, the natives were not complete idiots. Even the primitive peoples of Earth had recognised the dangers of inbreeding and taken steps to mitigate them. At least, whenever they weren¡¯t deliberately encouraging it.


    Voicing my concerns to Sebet, I was only mildly surprised by the fact that she already had a potential solution to the problem.


    The Sculpt Flesh Spell.


    With Gric¡¯s assistance, Sebet was confident that she could not only change a wild Ogre¡¯s appearance but introduce genetic diversity that was otherwise lacking. Provided the procedure worked as intended, there would be no difference between the altered Ogre and a variant besides a limited Evolutionary potential.


    With the understanding that it could be extended to wild monsters of all Species, I decided to give the matter a great deal of thought before coming to a decision.


    As great as the opportunity may be for the wild monsters already under my protection, the procedure would introduce a host of ethical ramifications when dealing with wild monsters in the future. Just by existing as a hypothetical, it now meant that I had to consider every sapient monster the same as I would a human being.


    The razor-thin line that had divided them was gone, and I wasn''t sure I could handle the moral implications of what that entailed.


    With hundreds of wild Orcs, Goblins and Gnolls already settled within my realm, there was no shortage of volunteers for Sebet¡¯s experimental operation. However, Gric had insisted Wraithe take his place, arguing that she was more suited to medical matters.


    Despite the obvious move to distance himself from Sebet, Gric did have a point. As a Daemon, Wraithe was just as capable of intuitively decoding genetic structures, and her medical knowledge provided an insight Gric would otherwise lack. Furthermore, the Sculpt Flesh Spell could easily be imprinted into an object for her use, only requiring Sebet¡¯s input to determine aesthetic variation.


    Aesthetics were not a consideration for most Daemons. In fact, Gric was the only one who appeared to have made an effort to ¡®fit in¡¯ by mimicking the general appearance of the Elves. Every other Daemon seemed perfectly content with their utterly chimaeric appearance.


    The first subject to volunteer for the procedure was a Gnoll that had been liberated during the great Asrusian withdrawal.


    Truth be told, beyond the colouration in his fur, I had great difficulty in identifying how much of a difference the procedure had made. However, the Gnoll himself seemed quite shocked when presented with his reflection in a mirror.


    I had a much easier time noticing the changes in the Orcs and Goblins.


    As word spread, a line began to form outside of the hospital. When I came back in the evening, the line had extended around the side of the hospital and wrapped around several of the towering trees that served as residential apartments.


    Just as I was headed back to The Grove, I sensed Yi Gim¡¯s token attempt to establish a connection.


    I accepted the connection and waited to see what Yi Gim wanted.


    <Greetings!> Yi Gim announced cheerily. <I have fortuitous news regarding your request!>


    <Oh? I thought you would need more time.> I admitted.


    <As did I.> Yi Gim agreed in good humour. <In truth, I had no luck in recruiting an instructor from within my realm. However, an incident within the realm of a close ally has provided an opportunity.>


    <I¡¯m listening.> I pressed, trying not to sound too eager.


    <The Oba clan, five hundred and seventy-two souls, including its faithful servants and retainers, has been displaced in the wake of a confrontation with another clan.> Yi Gim explained in the same tone someone else might discuss the weather. Albeit with an undercurrent of anticipation. <Assuming you still intend to offer land for resettlement, the clan, in its entirety, is willing to swear the Oaths you require!>


    <Five hundred and seventy-two people?> It took me a few moments to adjust my expectations to fit the new scale of the arrangement. <How many are capable of serving as instructors?>


    Yi Gim remained silent for a few moments and I could sense that his attention was elsewhere. <According to the interviews conducted by my servants, the clan has fifty-three qualified and experienced instructors. However, the clan leader and elders have made it known that they are also willing to serve as instructors for students seeking advanced guidance. Which would bring the total number of instructors to sixty-four...>


    <That is sixty-three more instructors than I expected.> I admitted with wry amusement. <But you are right, this is a great opportunity. I will take the whole clan.>


    <Excellent!> Yi Gim replied excitedly. <How do you wish to proceed?>


    <I will provide another magic item to facilitate the transfer.> I replied after giving the matter some thought. While I didn¡¯t want to disparage my ally, committing to a Challenge on such a scale was a risk I was not willing to take.


    <You possess the means to cross realms?...> Yi Gim asked hesitantly, sounding more than a little troubled.


    Aware that Yi Gim had the same access to impressions through the link as myself, I knew that lying would probably make things worse. <Under certain conditions, yes.>


    Yi Gim remained silent for quite some time. <Would this treasure allow travel to other realms?> There was a hidden intensity to his question, but I felt no ill will directed towards me.


    <No, it wouldn¡¯t. But I might be able to arrange one that could...> I hedged, curious to learn what Yi Gim wanted the capability for.


    <Would you be willing to sell such a treasure to me?> Yi Gim asked bluntly. <I can offer more territories in exchange.>


    My hairless brow rose in surprise despite myself. A Summoning Spell would require minimal effort on my part, and the costs would be practically nothing. The only true risks lay in exposing Gric to potential harm through projections.


    Provided Gric was Summoned to Yi Gim¡¯s realm, and then Summoned to the realm in question, he would be able to open a Spatial Breach. Although that was assuming such Spells weren¡¯t blocked by the authority of other Monarchs.


    I had assumed that Yi Gim would allow a Breach to migrate the clan of Cultivators. But there was something in his tone, a sense of alarm, that made me wonder whether other Monarchs were capable of barring entry to their realms via teleportation magic.


    <That depends.> I replied warily. <What do you intend to use it for?>


    <Vengeance...> Yi Gim replied bluntly, hiding nothing. <I would enter the realm of my enemy and take her head.>


    <Your enemy would let you enter their realm?> I asked, surprised that Yi Gim would provide an answer to my question without needing me to broach the subject without justifiable cause. <Wouldn¡¯t she simply deny your entry?>


    <The Demon has no such treasures that I know of.> Yi Gim replied flatly.


    <And you¡¯re confident she will fight you, and not just flee to a far corner of her realm? Or banish you into a prison?> I pressed, struggling not to sound over-eager.


    <I do not intend to announce my intentions.> Yi Gim replied darkly. <When I strike, it shall be without warning. The Demon of the Fog will only learn of my presence when my sword pierces her vile heart!...>


    It wasn¡¯t the cut-and-dry answer I had wanted, but it was definitely worth investigating further.


    <How do the merchants cross realms?> I asked, changing the subject slightly. <Why not use the same method?>


    <Teleportation Arrays and Formations are heavily regulated and well-guarded.> Yi Gim stated matter of factly. <And gaining access to the Demon¡¯s realm in such a manner would require passing through the realms of several other Monarchs, including those of her allies...>


    It made sense that Yi Gim wouldn¡¯t consider that an option.


    <Assuming I am willing...> I hedged somewhat hesitantly. <The magic item will still need to pass through those realms...>


    <I can make arrangements.> Yi Gim replied flatly, refusing to elaborate.


    <Half.> I replied in kind.


    <Half?> Yi Gim asked uncertainly.


    <When you kill your enemy, I want half the library and anything else you manage to lay hands on before leaving.> I elaborated.


    <I agree to these terms!> Yi Gim agreed. <When do you wish to make the trade?>


    I gave the matter some thought. <I will need at least an hour.> I hedged, allowing enough time to discuss the matter with Sebet.


    I had initially intended to use Gric as the target for the Summons and opening a Breach to Yi Gim¡¯s realm. However, Sebet would be much better suited for entering enemy territory.


    <I will wait for your word then.> Yi Gim agreed and then terminated the connection.


    Explaining things to Sebet took almost no time at all. She was already aware of Yi Gim¡¯s situation and unsurprisingly, was fully on board with exploiting the situation for our advantage.


    ¡°With all due respect, Great One, this opportunity is just too good to pass up!¡± Sebet insisted excitedly. ¡°Gaining access to an established teleportation network, as disjointed as it may be, would open up all manner of possibilities!¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to access through Yi Gim¡¯s realm? Or the Demon¡¯s?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Either? Both?¡± Sebet shrugged indifferently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make much of a difference.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Have you considered establishing a permanent connection?¡± Sebet asked, redirecting the flow of the conversation. ¡°Allowing for more direct trade would make infiltrating other realms less obvious.¡±


    ¡°Assuming you could pass as a Cultivator, which I am fairly certain you can¡¯t,¡± I replied somewhat offhandedly.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Sebet agreed and then shrugged, ¡°Perhaps not. In either case, I do not doubt that other Monarchs would attempt sending their spies in turn. Spies that would be caught and could be ¡®persuaded¡¯ to serve your interests.¡±


    ¡°That...Is a good idea...¡± I agreed after giving it some thought. ¡°Assuming Cultivators aren¡¯t somehow immune to the effects of my authority.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sebet agreed emphatically. ¡°The new migrants will serve as a perfect test.¡±


    I grunted in agreement and then informed Yi Gim that I was ready.


    Accepting the Challenge that came a few moments later, I found myself standing on a familiar sandy island.


    Bathed in the moonlight, the sand shone like pale silver.


    Limited to two subordinates, Yi Gim approached with his grand-niece at his side and a portly balding man in expensive robes trailing a short distance behind.


    <I will handle the trade negotiations.> Sebet volunteered with a predatory smile as she sized up the merchant.


    Trusting in her ability to secure a good price, gave her a small nod of approval.


    Accepting the large jade crate from Gric, Sebet moved a discreet distance away and waited. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a small dismissive wave of his hand, Yi Gim sent the merchant scurrying after her.


    ¡°It is good to see you again,¡± Yi Gim tilted his head slightly in greeting and his grand-niece bowed respectfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you are both doing well,¡± I replied, lowering my head slightly in return before offering Yi Gim a large jade pot. ¡°A bonus as compensation for your efforts,¡± I explained in answer to his obvious surprise.


    Accepting the pot, Yi Gim bowed his head in thanks. Withdrawing a large table from his Storage Ring, he set the pot down on the table and withdrew the lid. Eyes wide, he staggered backward a step before catching himself. ¡°Your gift...It is much appreciated!¡±


    The pot contained several of Hana¡¯s more potent hybrids with the Water Affinity. Not the most successful specimens of her experiments, but more than enough to serve as a gift to express my gratitude.


    I removed the long steel pole from my belt and set it against the table. ¡°This is the ¡®other item¡¯ we discussed earlier,¡± I explained while keeping a careful eye on the merchant, unsure of who Yi Gim had trusted with the knowledge of our earlier conversation.


    Glancing sidelong at the merchant, Yi Gim nodded in understanding and took the staff into his Storage Ring.


    ¡°It works the same,¡± I added, trusting in Yi Gim¡¯s common sense to discern the rest.


    ¡°I am incredibly grateful for your generosity and understanding,¡± Yi Gim bowed in appreciation, his voice heavy with genuine sincerity. ¡°If there is anything I can do to repay this kindness, you need but ask.¡±


    ¡°If you are sure?¡± I feigned indecisively.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yi Gim asked attentively.


    ¡°I have been approached with a request to establish a more permanent trading arrangement,¡± I explained and motioned toward Sebet and the merchant. ¡°Would you be open to establishing a formal trade alliance facilitated by Teleportation Formation?¡±


    Whatever Yi Gim had expected, it quickly became obvious that hadn¡¯t been it. ¡°Of course!¡± He agreed excitedly. ¡°I will have preparations made immediately!¡±


    ¡°One moment,¡± I raised my hands and motioned for him to wait. ¡°I had not expected an answer so soon,¡± I lied. ¡°I have other subjects who must have their concerns addressed first, lest I show undue favour.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I understand,¡± Yi Gim nodded in understanding, concealing the lion¡¯s share of his disappointment.


    ¡°When I am ready, and assuming there are no further complications, I will be sure to let you know,¡± I promised. ¡°At such a time, I would insist that only those you trust be allowed the use of the Formation.¡± It was a largely unnecessary requirement, given Yi Gim was incredibly unlikely to share such an opportunity with his rivals or those out of favour. However, it did encourage the idea that I was not in full support of the trading through the Formations.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yi Gim agreed solemnly, ¡°I would not dream of allowing malcontents to sully the honour of my family and Realm.¡±


    But you would traffic an item of dubious purpose through an ally''s realm to fulfil your revenge.


    Keeping my thoughts to myself I smiled and nodded in appreciation for his understanding. ¡°Has your grand-niece made any progress in acquiring the Water Affinity?¡± I asked, curious that I could barely sense the faintest trace of the Affinity within her.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± Yi Gim replied soberly and gently patted his grand-niece¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hae¡¯er was unlucky and the last pill failed to imprint the Affinity on her Dantian.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, more confused than I had been before. I could definitely sense something.


    Yi Gim stared at his grand-niece for a few moments and then nodded. Although now he seemed less certain. ¡°Might I ask why you believe otherwise?¡± He asked politely.


    ¡°I am not sure,¡± I admitted and extended my senses outward with fewer reservations. ¡°She has no Inheritance?¡± I asked somewhat distractedly, having located the traces of Affinity I had sensed earlier and now in the process of attempting to identify it.


    ¡°None that we know of,¡± Yi Gim looked to his grand-niece for confirmation and she stiffly nodded her head in agreement.


    Hu Hae had grown tense under my scrutiny and her nervousness was impairing my ability to observe the traces of Affinity.


    I looked at Gric and nodded toward the young woman, ¡°Do you sense it too?¡±


    Gric frowned slightly and stared at her for several moments before slowly nodding his head. ¡°There is a parasite lodged within her abdomen,¡± he explained with all the passion of a dead fish.


    ¡°Parasite?!¡± Yi Gim stared at his Grand-niece in alarm.


    Hu Hae¡¯s face grew ashen and she looked like she was going to be sick.


    ¡°It does not appear to be attached or otherwise anchored to her flesh or internal organs. I could remove it,¡± Gric continued before shrugging indifferently. ¡°Although, perhaps someone else would prove better suited?¡±


    Hu Hae clutched at her stomach and looked at Yi Gim with pleading eyes. ¡°I want it out!¡± She whispered hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯ll cut it out if I have to!...¡±


    Yi Gim held her shoulders and remained silent as he scanned her abdomen. ¡°It is true...There is something there...However, its true presence evades me...¡± Still holding Hu Hae¡¯s shoulders, Yi Gim turned to face Gric. ¡°You are certain you can remove it without hurting her?¡±


    Gric tilted his head slightly to one side, like a curious bird. ¡°There will be no lasting physical impairment,¡± he replied with what they no doubt assumed had to be deliberately evasive specificity. However, I knew Gric well enough to understand that he was just accounting for the effects of the Sculpt Flesh Spell.


    Not that Yi Gim or his grand-niece were to know that.


    ¡°It is just his way,¡± I explained, avoiding referring to Gric by name. I was uncertain whether the effect that obscured his true name would work with Cultivators and had not had the mind to test it at an earlier opportunity.


    I really should have considered the matter before volunteering Wraithe¡¯s services. But what was done was done.


    ¡°You vouch for his skill?¡± Yi Gim pressed.


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied with absolute confidence. ¡°He would not claim to be capable of something outside of his abilities.¡±


    ¡°I want it out!...¡± Hu Hae hissed through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Very well...¡± Yi Gim agreed and stepped aside.


    Gric looked to me for permission.


    I waved him forward.


    Removing his right gauntlet, Gric stepped forward and then knelt on one knee so he was closest to eye level with her abdomen. ¡°This will feel...unpleasant...¡± He announced to no one in particular and then pressed his bare palm against Hu Hae¡¯s stomach.


    There was a slight delay and then Hu Hae retched, spitting up a mouthful of bile that narrowly missed striking Gric¡¯s arm. Seemingly unable to pull away from Gric¡¯s hand, she retched four more times before Gric released her.


    Plucking at one of the pools of bile, Gric rose to his feet and held up a dark grey mass the size of a small grape. ¡°The parasite,¡± Gric declared dispassionately.


    The grey mass writhed in Gric¡¯s grasp, but proved no more able to escape than Hu Hae.


    ¡°Are you familiar with this?¡± I asked, looking to Yi Gim for answers.


    Yi Gim slowly shook his head and looked deeply concerned.


    No longer able to camouflage itself within Hu Hae¡¯s insides, the Affinity within it had become more readily recognisable.


    ¡°The parasite has a Water Affinity,¡± I observed aloud, mostly for Gric¡¯s benefit. ¡°Is it possible that the parasite somehow diverted the effects of the pill?¡±


    Yi Gim froze for a few moments and then scowled. ¡°It is not impossible,¡± he replied quietly. ¡°However, I am far more concerned with learning how my niece was exposed to the parasite.¡±


    ¡°It is less than five days old,¡± Gric interjected calmly, holding the parasite less than an inch in front of his face so he could study it more closely. <Wraithe has spoken of this female before, and she would not have missed a parasite of this size.>


    ¡°The healer would have noticed it,¡± I explained for Yi Gim¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°That narrows things down quite considerably considerably. Thank you,¡± Yi Gim bowed his head respectfully and then returned his attention to his grand-niece.


    <I might be able to narrow the list of potential suspects.> Gric offered helpfully. <I detected recent scarring in the female¡¯s digestive tract. It is most likely that the dormant parasite was hidden within her food. However, there is a slim possibility that the parasite was ingested through alternative means.>


    Not quite certain what Gric was talking about, I noticed that he was no longer staring at the parasite, but at Hu Hae and Yi Gim. Specifically, the small porcelain jar and grape-sized pill in Yi Gim¡¯s hands.


    ¡°The pills.¡± I was momentarily taken aback after realising I had spoken aloud and gained Yi Gim¡¯s undivided attention.


    Initially confused, Yi Gim¡¯s expression hardened and his eyes took on a murderous intensity. ¡°The pills...¡± He echoed quietly, trembling with anger as he withdrew a token from his Spatial Ring and clutched it tightly in his fist.


    Several minutes passed in near-complete silence.


    ¡°That ungrateful swine!¡± Yi Gim cursed viciously. ¡°He dared to betray me?! After everything I have done for his family?!¡±


    ¡°You have found the culprit,¡± I guessed.


    Yi Gim nodded grimly in affirmation. ¡°Chief Alchemist Yeo Moon. The filthy traitor confessed to everything...¡± He took a deep breath and calmed down somewhat, ¡°My niece was not his intended target...¡±


    <The assassin surrendered himself too easily.> Gric grumbled suspiciously, glancing at Sebet from the corner of his eye while working his jaw in aggravation.


    ¡°This man worked alone?¡± I asked, willing to serve as a proxy to indulge Gric¡¯s suspicions.


    ¡°He claimed as much...¡± Yi Gim answered, his scowl deepening as nodded in understanding. ¡°This is all too...convenient...¡± With visible effort, Yi Gim returned to a state of calm and control. ¡°I am sorry, but I must attend to this matter in person.¡±


    With that, we cut our meeting short.


    Sebet and the merchant had been forced to settle up sooner than she would have preferred, but it didn¡¯t stop Sebet from proudly presenting her earnings afterwards.


    ¡°I would have pressed harder,¡± Sebet crowed triumphantly, passing over a newly acquired Storage Ring. ¡°But I didn¡¯t want to sour future negotiations. The Cultivation resources should serve as excellent reference and training materials for our resident Alchemist. I made sure to secure several of every pill available, just to be safe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I nodded approvingly.


    Once Jin had the skill and confidence to begin producing Alchemy products of his own, he could train others. With enough Alchemists, reliance on outside trade would decrease radically, and with recent events occupying the forefront of my mind, securing the services of trustworthy Alchemists had to become a high priority.


    The Cultivators were already at risk for psychological instability. The last thing I needed was outside interference exacerbating matters further.


    With Gric¡¯s assistance, I turned my attention to preparing the displaced Cultivator city for the imminent arrival of the displaced clan. It was intended to serve as a temporary holding area while Oaths were secured from the new arrivals and a more permanent settlement location was found. However, if the new arrivals decided they wanted to keep the city, they would be welcome to it.


    So far as I was concerned, the Cultivator cities held little difference from one another beyond minor elements of architectural preferences. The new arrivals would be free to reshape the city to their needs anyway, so it made no real difference.


    I felt the token at my waist attempt to form a connection and after taking a few moments to settle my thoughts I allowed it to do so.


    Yi Gim apologised anxiously. <And I am aware this goes beyond the intended scope of our alliance...> He established wearily and I could feel the apprehension building in his words. <However, I must ask for your assistance in this matter...¡±


    ¡°Your traitor, the Alchemist, he has sworn an Oath that is protecting the other parties involved?> I guessed, confident that Yi Gim would have little problem extracting an answer otherwise.


    There was a common misconception about torture, predominantly held by those who had never experienced true hardship or pain. That somehow, will and bravado alone would be enough to resist the efforts of someone willing to take your body apart piece by piece to get the outcome they wanted. Hundreds of cultures throughout history have given rise to experts in the field, and their success rate speaks for itself. Given enough time, and the skills of a motivated expert, nobody could resist torture for long.


    They would either agree to do anything to end the pain or die from the accumulated trauma.


    ***** Oba Shoji ~ Tim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ City of the Phoenix *****


    Leading his clan through the empty streets of the city, Oba Shoji forced down his feelings of unease and put on a brave face to better inspire his juniors. However, no matter where he chose to look, he couldn¡¯t help but find signs of previous occupation.


    Sweeping his senses through the city, Oba Shoji was momentarily taken aback upon discovering a lone individual located deeper in the city. Only a first-rank cultivator, the stranger was most likely a servant or some other representative of the clan¡¯s new Monarch.


    Eager to make a good impression, even if the representative was just a servant, Oba Shoji left the elders to keep watch over the clan while he moved ahead on his own.


    With his injuries healed thanks to medicines provided by the servants of the Azure Shark Monarch, it took Oba Shoji only a handful of seconds to traverse the city and arrive at the city centre. However, he was somewhat surprised to find that the man he believed to be the Monarch¡¯s servant was not alone.


    Two tall figures, a man and a woman, armoured in crimson stone armour flanked a heavy-set and dark-skinned man sitting on a bench beside an ornate fountain.


    Although he could not see their eyes and could sense no traces of Chi or internal energy within them, Oba Shoji¡¯s instincts warned him not to provoke them. Whoever they were, Cultivators or not, they were incredibly dangerous and he had their undivided attention.


    ¡°You must be Oba Shoji, the leader of the Oba clan,¡± the dark-skinned man commented, rising from the bench and staring back at him with an intense piercing gaze. Despite being barefoot and clothed only in a white skirt fixed to his waist by ornate jewellery, the man gave off an all too familiar aura.


    Oba Shoji fell to his knees and pressed his head against the ground as fast as he could manage. ¡°The Oba clan pays homage to the Monarch!¡± Oba Shoji cried with earnest sincerity, hoping the Monarch before him would overlook his rudeness.


    ¡°Figures...¡± The Monarch muttered under his breath. ¡°No point staying like this then...¡±


    There was a sickly series of wet cracking and crunching sounds, and the Monarch¡¯s shadow was engulfed by something considerably larger.


    ¡°Rise,¡± a deep booming voice commanded.


    Eyes fixed determinedly on the ground, Oba Shoji obeyed.


    ¡°You were not to know,¡± the voice growled with unmistakable irritation. ¡°But I will make it known to you now. I find the spectacle of my subjects debasing themselves to be extremely distasteful. If you wish to show respect, you will look me in the eyes when we speak with one another and will bow no further than thirty degrees at the waist. Am I understood?¡±


    ¡°Ye-es M-Monarch...¡± The breath caught in Oba Shoji¡¯s throat as he raised his head and laid eyes on the monster that had taken the place of the dark-skinned man.


    Taller than many of the surrounding buildings, Oba Shoji had to crane his neck upward to look the monster in the eyes. The monster¡¯s pale blue-green skin was drawn tight over large hardened muscles and bore scrawling tattoos of unknown origin and purpose.


    ¡°Good...This is better,¡± the monster, Oba Shoji¡¯s new Monarch, rumbled in approval. ¡°I need you to understand something,¡± the Monarch insisted gravely. ¡°I am a man of my word, and I keep my promises.¡± He waved a table-sized hand expansively at the surrounding city streets and buildings. ¡°This is just intended as temporary accommodation. I promised that your people would be allowed to choose a suitable location for their resettlement. If you wish to keep the city, that can be arranged.¡±


    ¡°Keep the city?...¡± Oba Shoji glanced at the buildings around them uncertainly.


    The monarch shrugged indifferently, ¡°There are several others, and they hold no value to me. Better they see use than to slowly collapse into disrepair.¡± He looked pointedly at the large man on his right and then pointed to an open section of the street.


    The large man in stone armour bowed his head briefly and then knelt on one knee while resting his right hand on the floor.


    The stone surrounding his hand began to flow like water and within less than a minute had taken on a disturbingly realistic three-dimensional representation of a small continent. Small cities and towns dotted the landscape amidst rolling plains and dense forests.


    ¡°These territories are unoccupied, so you are free to choose the place you believe is best suited to your people¡¯s needs,¡± the Monarch rumbled, impressing upon Oba Shoji that making a decision sooner rather than later, would be in his best interests.


    ¡°A defensible location, far from the stronger beasts would be best...¡± Oba Shoji suggested nervously. Only now realising that the underlying motivation for recruiting his clan was almost certainly because the previous inhabitants of the continent had been overrun and consumed by a beast tide.


    ¡°The beasts will not be a problem,¡± the Monarch replied dismissively. ¡°I can guarantee they will not pass beyond the boundaries of any location you choose for your people.¡± The absolute certainty in his voice gave Oba Shoji pause.


    Did the Monarch intend to post protectors to ensure their safety?


    ¡°If the beasts are not a concern...¡± Oba Shoji gathered what remained of his flagging nerve and against his better judgement, decided to take an objectively ill-advisable risk for the sake of his grandson¡¯s future. ¡°A location rich in Wood-aligned Affinity would be best...¡± Oba Shoji volunteered nervously. ¡°It would let us grow Alchemical ingredients and pay a greater annual tithe!¡± He added hurriedly, attempting to justify his otherwise indefensible greed and overreach.


    ¡°I don¡¯t take tithes, bribes, or taxes,¡± the Monarch growled disapprovingly. ¡°I have no need for them,¡± his tone softened and he pointed to a forest at the base of one of the smaller mountains. ¡°That forest should meet your needs.¡± He stared at Oba Shoji for several long moments, his eyes boring into Shoji¡¯s very soul and his spiritual sense sweeping through Shoji¡¯s body like an unstoppable tide. ¡°Do members of your clan possess the Wood Affinity?¡± The Monarch asked, all intensity abandoned as quickly as it had arisen.


    Oba Shoji felt a sudden surge of fear. He had overreached and now he would pay the price. ¡°No, Monarch...I offer my sincerest-¡±


    The Monarch waved his hand dismissively, pressuring Shoji into silence. ¡°You are not in trouble,¡± he chuckled darkly, ¡°What I wanted to ask you, is whether you would want them to?¡±


    Stunned beyond words, Oba Shoji could only stare in awe as a wooden bench behind the Monarch sprouted roots and slowly transformed into a tree before his very eyes.


    For a Monarch to even consider fostering an Affinity outside of their bloodline was utterly unheard of. It was unprecedented. Unthinkable. However, if the offer was indeed genuine, Oba Shoji couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that instead of being recorded as the clan leader who almost presided over the destruction of the clan, he would instead oversee the greatest expansion in strength the clan had ever known.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 75 – The approaching storm – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 75 ¨C The approaching storm ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 75 - The approaching storm - Part One


    Settling the Oba clan into their new city was a relatively straightforward process. Just like the other refugees I had taken under my banner, they were highly motivated and wanted to settle in and establish a home for themselves as quickly as possible.


    With the native beasts forcibly evicted and incapable of passing through the established boundary, the clan was free to explore the city. So it came as little surprise when the clan ultimately settled within a palatial estate that had no doubt once housed the family of the city lord or governor.


    The grounds of the estate held large fields and gardens. However, the gardens were overgrown and the fields were empty.


    Under Hana¡¯s care, the fields took on new life. Providing a harvest of comparatively Chi-rich grains and vegetables that would serve as a foundation for the clan¡¯s future self-sufficiency.


    For my part, I erected several Energy Gathering Arrays around the estate and combined them into a singular Formation that would concentrate the effects into the fields and gardens. Drawing both Wood-aligned energy and unaligned energy, the Formation would serve as an experiment to determine the effects on both the plants as well as the Cultivators themselves.


    While creating the Formation, I found myself staring at the mountain that had become Lurr¡¯s new home.


    I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I hadn¡¯t done enough on his behalf. However, short of forcing the Cultivators to trigger more Tribulations, I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    As my thoughts began to wander anew, I realised I had overlooked a specific tool that was uniquely suited to providing a certain measure of assistance.


    Stormcaller.


    The Artefact that had once belonged to the Liche and could manipulate the weather and enhance certain Spells.


    I had entrusted the Artefact to Garn¡¯s safekeeping, allowing the Daemon to Conquer additional territories on my behalf.


    After completing the Formation, I relocated to Lurr¡¯s mountain and after Summoning Garn¡¯s projection, explained my intentions.


    I wanted Garn to gather a thunderstorm above the mountain as a test to determine if the energy of the storm could be syphoned into the Arrays.


    Garn would not be available for several hours but agreed to do as I asked once he returned to Sanctuary.


    In preparation for Garn¡¯s return, and fulfilling my promise to Lurr, I began experimenting with Teleportation Arrays and Formations.


    I had witnessed several examples while remotely viewing Sebet within Yi Gim¡¯s realm and had written instructions from a manual. However, even with these advantages, it took the better part of the day before I managed to create a stable connection.


    Similar to Ril¡¯s Gateways, the paired Formations could be powered externally by the traveller¡¯s Chi or internally from a reservoir collected by an Array. Furthermore, while I could link the two Formations in an exclusive connection, I opted for an open but otherwise conditional connection instead. Provided the traveller had a token allowing access to their intended destination, they would be able to teleport to any Formation that was added to the network.


    I had hoped that my Spatial Affinity would be able to play a role in the creation of the Teleportation Arrays. Unfortunately, I had no examples or instructions to draw from, and any attempts at explicitly including my Spatial-aligned Chi met with failure.


    The worst of the experiments caused the Spatial Chi-infused jade of one Formation to violently implode while the other exploded, sending the material of both Formations skittering down the mountainside.


    With a stable Teleportation Formation set in the Grove, and the other on top of Lurr¡¯s mountain, Garn was the first to test the connection established between them.


    Despite being utterly alien to the Cultivation system, Garn traversed the connection without any signs of difficulty.


    ¡°My Tyrant,¡± Garn chittered, jaw vibrating in excitement, causing his razor-sharp incisors to faintly scrape against one another and produce a small spray of sparks.


    Lean to the point of emaciation, Garn was the exception to the Daemons'' more literal pursuit of strength. However, his incredibly light frame, supported by powerful tendons, allowed Garn to traverse all manner of terrain without giving away his presence. Similarly, his minimalist form combined with his large bat-like wings allowed Garn to propel himself through the sky at great speeds while expending little energy.


    Despite his differences, Garn was still a Daemon. Still a natural-born apex predator.


    ¡°There were no problems?¡± I asked, unable to keep the concern from my voice.


    Garn vehemently shook his head, dark eyes gleaming from the shadowed recesses of their sockets. ¡°No, my Tyrant! I am whole and healthy!¡±


    I had to fight hard not to smirk. ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± I admitted freely. ¡°I had not expected any... complications...But I¡¯m still thankful there weren¡¯t any.¡±


    Legs bent and back arched to keep himself low to the ground, Garn made a point of standing a little taller. ¡°It is my pleasure to serve!¡± He insisted happily, beaming with appreciation. It didn¡¯t bother him that I had placed him in a potential position of danger, only that I cared he had escaped unscathed.


    Not for the first time, I had to remind myself that the Daemons weren¡¯t dogs. As loyal as they were, there was a darkness in their souls, a host of barely restrained destructive impulses, that left the Daemons firmly entrenched on the human end of the spectrum.


    ¡°Even so,¡± I insisted, ¡°I¡¯m glad for your assistance.¡± I removed my magical cowl and passed it to Garn. ¡°To boost your MP regeneration so that we can give the test the best chance at success.¡±


    Garn graciously accepted the magic item without complaint, and after changing its size, carefully pulled it over his head and settled it on his shoulders.


    I Summoned a generic projection of a furry Kobold and motioned for Garn to proceed.


    Lurr watched our activities from his place beneath the peach tree but otherwise seemed content to remain an observer.


    With Stormcaller clutched tightly in one clawed hand, Garn began gathering his MP.


    I immediately felt a shift in the ambient energy atop the mountain. Through Garn, the Artefact was agitating the ambient energies from the surrounding area and drawing them toward the mountain.


    Within less than a minute, dark storm clouds had begun gathering overhead and the strong smell of ozone filled the air.


    I could feel the energy changing, aligning itself to the storm. It lacked the same concentration as the energy already present on the mountaintop. However, the volume was on an entirely different scale and increased with each passing moment.


    Thunder-aligned energy was being drawn into the Formation, but not nearly fast enough to outpace the rate at which new Thunder-aligned energy was being made just beyond its boundaries.


    To my surprise, small arcs of electricity began playing over the leaves and branches of the peach tree.


    Extending my senses, I was even more surprised to find that the peach tree was actively drawing energy toward itself. The amount of energy was comparatively small, but I could feel it straining itself, desperately clawing at the energy around itself as if it were on the brink of starvation.


    Leaving Garn¡¯s side, I approached the tree and considered it more closely.


    It was dying.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew it, just that I did. Despite appearing at the peak of health, it was dying.


    Resting my hand against the trunk of the tree, I could feel its intangible presence pulling at my spirit, pulling at the energy in my veins.


    Resisting the urge to pull away, I settled into the steady rhythm of my breathing Technique and began releasing the energy it craved in a small steady stream.


    Even with my assistance, I only became more aware of the tree¡¯s approaching demise. However, there was something else as well, a second presence that was slowly taking shape in the tree¡¯s branches.


    Looking at the branches, I watched as a small bud slowly took shape into a fruit and began to swell.


    Smouldering leaves began falling in droves and the tree¡¯s branches began to blacken, wither and burn.


    The tree¡¯s desperation suddenly increased several-fold and I felt it pulling at my soul with frenzied vigour. However, despite all its efforts, it lacked the strength or perhaps the means to do anything without my consent.


    Against my better judgement, I allowed the tree to draw not only on my Chi but my internal energy as well.


    Despite my internal energy being replenished nearly as fast as it was drained, the draining itself was accompanied by a small degree of pain throughout my entire body. The pain didn¡¯t decrease with time but it didn¡¯t increase either. I resolved to cut off the connection if the pain increased further, reasonably certain that the pain indicated a certain degree of risk for a danger I was otherwise unaware of.


    Persisting through the pain, I felt a feeling of what I could only interpret as gratitude emanating from the tree.


    Then, without warning, it died.


    I felt its spirit collapse beneath my touch and felt the bark of the tree crumble against my fingers.


    As if it had rotted from the inside out, its limbs and trunk began to crack and splinter.


    Reaching out my hand, I gently cradled the solitary peach in my palm.


    The remainder of the tree fell to the ground shortly afterwards, leaving nothing but a ragged crumbling stump to mark its passing.


    A part of me insisted that I should feel something in response to what had happened. The tree had been alive, in its own way. Now, all that remained was an empty husk and the watermelon-sized peach cradled in my palm.


    Lurr knelt beside the stump and bowed his head.


    Thunder rumbled ominously overhead and heavy rain began to fall.


    Several minutes passed before I realised I was cradling the peach protectively against my chest, shielding it from the storm. There was something about the action that just seemed...right...Like I was acting on protective instincts from the primitive recesses of my brain.


    Even without extending my senses, I could feel a spirit-stirring within the peach, similar yet distinct from the spirit I had sensed within the tree. Stranger still, I could sense small traces of mana circulating alongside the Affinity-aligned energies.


    Unlike the hybrid plants scattered about the mountaintop, the two energies moved in harmony with one another, instead of competition. A phenomenon that I had only witnessed within myself and my children.


    Uncertain how long I had been standing in the rain, I was drawn from my thoughts as I felt the energies within the peach begin to stir. Synchronising with the swelling energies within, the flesh of the peach moved beneath my fingers and I could feel something taking shape inside.


    After what felt like the better part of an hour, the skin of the peach tore apart along its seam. However, instead of exposing the creamy orange-pink flesh I had expected, I found a small girl of about six or seven lying in my palm instead.


    Clothed in a short robe that matched the skin and flesh of a peach, the small girl had short pink hair and pale skin. Except for her hair, she looked human. Just by looking at her, I was surprised to find that I knew her name.


    Momoko.


    The ramifications of that particular fact struck me harder than all the strangeness I had witnessed thus far. This was because there was only one explanation for how I could know the child¡¯s name without her being recruited as a subject.


    She was my daughter.


    Momoka was as much my child as Pete and Suzy. At least, so far as the system was concerned.


    Sure enough, I found Momoka¡¯s name had joined the twins on my Status.


    Hundreds of thoughts began flying through my mind, each competing for prime of place and my undivided attention. Subsequently ensuring that none of them received more than a few moments of my time before another took its place.


    ¡°Is child?¡± Lurr¡¯s surprised exclamation gave me a few moments of peace as my mind was forced to shift mental gears.


    ¡°Her name is Momoka,¡± I replied, somewhat automatically.


    Lurr nodded, scrunched his wrinkled brow, looked at Momoka for a few moments and then up at me. ¡°Is Tyrant¡¯s daughter?¡±


    The old warrior¡¯s intuition caught me momentarily off guard. ¡°She is,¡± I answered truthfully, knowing that lying not only wouldn¡¯t work for any meaningful amount of time but wouldn¡¯t serve much purpose either.


    Lurr relaxed and nodded to himself, seemingly content with my answer. He looked at the child with the same gentle warmth all the Variants used when dealing with children. Species didn¡¯t really matter to them. Which may in part be related to Evolution occasionally diverging a son or daughter from their parents¡¯ Species.


    I could only hope Lash would be nearly so accommodating...


    Adopting Eg was one thing, but accepting Momoka would be something else entirely. Eg was a parentless orphan and would be a companion to Pete and Suzy. Momoka was...I was rankled at the thought of identifying her as a bastard, but I couldn¡¯t think of another word that fits the general circumstance.


    The system had determined that Momoka was my daughter. My daughter, not mine and Lash¡¯. By definition, it made her a bastard.


    Lash had, initially, expected and even somewhat encouraged the pursuit of secondary wives. At the time, I had, rather bluntly, insisted I was monogamous and had no intentions of seeking another wife. Nothing had changed since then, but Momoka¡¯s existence would give Lash more than ample cause to doubt me.


    Still unsure what exactly had happened, I wouldn¡¯t blame her if she did.


    Returning to Sanctuary, I explained things as best I could to Lash. All the while cradling Momoka¡¯s sleeping form against my bare chest.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Lash stated confidently, taking me entirely by surprise.


    ¡°You do? Why?¡± I asked, unable to stop myself.


    Lash considered me for a moment, her amethyst eyes staring into my soul. ¡°You lie badly,¡± she replied matter of factly, smiling slightly to herself in amusement.


    ¡°That...That¡¯s probably true,¡± I admitted, keenly aware that I had never given it much practice.


    ¡°Her name is...Mo-mo-kay?¡± Lash uncertainly sounded out the name one syllable at a time.


    ¡°Close,¡± I replied supportively, offering Lash the opportunity to hold Momoka and take a closer look at her. ¡°I am reasonably certain it''s pronounced, Momoka.¡±


    ¡°Momoka,¡± Lash repeated, earning a muted mumble from the small girl pressed against her breast. Smiling down at Momoka with maternal grace, Lash gently rocked her into a deeper sleep.


    Saying the name aloud, and hearing it several more times besides, made me realise something that made me feel profoundly uncomfortable. Momoka didn¡¯t sound Chinese or Korean. It sounded Japanese.


    Given Hana¡¯s involvement on the mountain, specifically with the peach tree, I felt all but certain what I would find if I were to check her Status.


    Before I could work up the nerve, Hana awkwardly invited herself into our home. ¡°Tim? Do you have a moment? There¡¯s something-oh!...¡± She blinked in surprise, her emerald green eyes firmly focused on Momoka.


    ¡°She hatched from a peach,¡± I said calmly as if it explained everything and wasn¡¯t at all absurd.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Hana eyed Lash nervously, ¡°Do you mind if I?...¡± She held out her hands and nodded toward Momoka.


    Lash sighed with visible disappointment and reluctantly passed the small girl into Hana¡¯s waiting arms.


    Hana¡¯s face glowed with understated happiness as she cradled Momoka in her arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would feel like this, holding her I mean...¡± She blushed with embarrassment but it passed quickly as she looked down at the slumbering child in her arms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know how this happened?¡± I asked, already certain that I would be disappointed.


    Hana shrugged unhelpfully. ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    I explained events as best as I could remember them, making sure not to leave anything out.


    Hana appeared just as confused as I was. ¡°I don¡¯t understand either...¡± She admitted somewhat shyly. ¡°But there is a chance that you may have further altered the tree...But the Spirit you said was inside the tree-¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a Spirit kind of spirit,¡± I interjected, ¡°It was...something else...like a soul...¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t it have been a Spirit from the other system?¡± Hana asked.


    ¡°Maybe...¡± I agreed somewhat hesitantly. ¡°I haven¡¯t met any others, so I don¡¯t have a frame of reference to work with.¡±


    Hana frowned in obvious confusion and glanced down at Momoka, her suspicions obvious.


    ¡°It felt similar,¡± I admitted, after giving it some thought and reflecting on what had happened.


    Our conversation was interrupted as Nadine stiffly invited herself in. ¡°Tim? There¡¯s something you need to come and see,¡± she insisted anxiously.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, already moving toward the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s...hem...somewhat private?¡± Nadine''s pale cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment.


    After leaving the tunnel, I began walking toward Nadine and Fesk¡¯s home.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not us!¡± Nadine called out as she jogged to catch up.


    I stopped mid-stride and looked back at Nadine in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s Clarice and Sebet...¡± Nadine hissed, shielding her mouth from view despite our relative isolation.


    With a single thought, I relocated us both to Sebet¡¯s tower.


    ¡°And I¡¯m assuming that I am not going to like whatever it is I am walking into?¡± I asked, already sending out my senses and locking onto Sebet¡¯s position. As a powerful Devil, she shone like a beacon despite her lack of Chi.


    Before Nadine could reply, I relocated us both to Sebet¡¯s location.


    Firmly closing my eyes, I tried to push the images of Clarice¡¯s compromising position from my mind. It was a feat made all the more difficult due to the assorted bindings and esoteric objects I had to remove by using my authority.


    Despite her nakedness, and the compromising position I had found her in, Clarice showed no signs of embarrassment as she raced across the room. Vaulting over modified chairs, tables and several articles of furniture that were affixed with exotic paraphernalia that my mind couldn¡¯t ignore or reclassify as anything beyond their obvious carnal purposes.


    Sebet lay unconscious on the floor in her true form, clad in a strange outfit made of thin leather belts and buckles, a riding crop and something...abandoned at her sides.


    ¡°She just cried out and fell!¡± Clarice exclaimed anxiously, hurriedly unbuckling the belts and buckles around Sebet¡¯s neck and chest.


    Despite her embarrassment, Nadine was close behind her.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t lost any HP, and there is nothing noteworthy in her Status,¡± I announced for Nadine¡¯s benefit. ¡°Is it possible that, whatever you two were doing, may have caused enough stress to cause her to faint?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Clarice replied firmly, ¡°We weren¡¯t doing anything yet.¡± She ran her fingers anxiously through her short red hair and I couldn¡¯t help but notice how badly she was shaking. ¡°She said something about an ambush and then...then she just fell...¡±


    ¡°An ambush?¡± My eyes drifted to Sebet¡¯s face and something in my mind clicked.


    Casting my consciousness to remotely observe Sebet¡¯s clones, I found nothing. They were gone.


    ¡°I know what knocked Sebet out,¡± I announced grimly, too overcome by considering the implications to care about Clarice¡¯s state of undress. ¡°Her clones, the Empowered Summons, are dead. Their collective memories were probably too much to handle...¡± Clarice¡¯s sincere concern was unsettling, but it also made me feel more than a little guilty. Whatever Clarice and Sebet¡¯s relationship was, it mattered to her. ¡°Sebet will be fine...She just needs to process all the memories,¡± I explained in as comforting a tone as I could manage.


    Clarice nodded quietly and remained by Sebet¡¯s side, worriedly working at the remaining straps and buckles.


    I caught Nadine¡¯s eye and nodded toward the far side of the room, intending to afford Clarice a certain degree of privacy.


    Nadine whispered some encouraging words to Clarice and then followed me across the room.


    ¡°How did you know Clarice needed help?¡± I asked bluntly, ¡°And why did you need my help?¡±


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks blushed and she remained silent for several moments. ¡°Clarice and I were going to go shopping in one of the markets. I went looking for her when she didn¡¯t meet me at the appointed place...¡± The blush left her cheeks and Nadine worried at the hem of her tunic, ¡°I went looking for Clarice and heard her calling out from the crack under the door-¡± She pointed to the floor beneath the only door in or out of the room. ¡°I tried opening the door, but it¡¯s locked...¡±


    ¡°And since Sebet and Clarice are probably the only ones with keys...¡± I guessed and nodded my head in understanding.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind?¡± Nadine asked nervously. ¡°I mean, we haven¡¯t exactly spoken much recently...¡± She explained anxiously, ¡°Not that I haven¡¯t wanted to!¡± Nadine added hastily, ¡°It¡¯s just, that Fesk and I have been busy, and Clarice has her own thing going on as well...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I get it,¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy as well, but I probably could have made more of an effort...It¡¯s just, there is always something demanding my attention. Something that needs doing. And on the rare occasion there isn¡¯t, I just feel like I should be spending it with Lash and my kids, you know?¡±


    Nadine nodded in understanding, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone could blame you for feeling that way.¡± She looked back toward Sebet and Clarice and then grew sombre. ¡°Even busier now, I don¡¯t doubt.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± I agreed, unwilling to commit to anything further without receiving an explanation from Sebet.


    A long silence passed between us.


    ¡°Tim, have you given any thought to when you are going to begin the Humans¡¯ Mothers Moon?¡± Nadine asked somewhat awkwardly. It caught me off guard by the change in topic.


    ¡°I have...¡± I stalled while shifting mental gears. ¡°I wanted to inform and educate the Human population first. Let them know about what to expect and how to plan around it. But I kept getting busy...¡±


    ¡°I could take responsibility for it,¡± Nadine volunteered eagerly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t need to give me a title or anything, most of the nobility already know we¡¯re friends.¡±


    ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± I asked warily, ¡°Go village to village and town to town giving sex-ed classes?¡±


    Nadine¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly in response, but she determinedly held her gaze. ¡°If I have to, but I think it would be more efficient to just invite all the lords and ladies and explain things in one go. Jacque wasn¡¯t shy about letting Lash know how many Asrusians have made subtle inquiries, and the Semenovian Queen was rather blunt in asking Lash about it as well...¡±


    ¡°So you want to host a sort of sex-ed symposium?¡± I knew I was being somewhat facetious, but it wasn¡¯t a bad idea.


    Theoretically, the nobility would pass information along to their respective subjects. After all, they had a vested interest in not only maintaining the numbers of their subjects but also increasing them. The more subjects they had, the more promotions that would be available. More subjects would also allow those who had an Underlord or higher title to receive more Exp to assign as quest rewards.


    The fact that the latter benefits wouldn¡¯t manifest for quite some time wouldn¡¯t matter. The majority of the established nobility had proven they had a penchant for taking the long view on most issues, or at least investigating the benefits of doing so.


    ¡°You should do that,¡± I decided. ¡°Send invitations in my name if you need to, and you can take what you need from the treasury to pay for it all.¡±


    Nadine nodded eagerly, ¡°Alright, but where should I host the gathering? You probably don¡¯t want them in Sanctuary, right?¡±


    ¡°The city hall in Port Gidian, or any of the major cities would probably serve your needs,¡± I suggested, ignoring the sore subject of Humans visiting Sanctuary in large numbers. ¡°The Dwergi would probably be more than happy to host the event if you don¡¯t want to be worried about being seen playing favourites.¡±


    ¡°Playing favourites?¡± Nadine asked nervously, frowning slightly as she considered things. ¡°You¡¯re right, maybe approaching the Dwergi would be for the best...They do have a Gateway. Which would make it just as easy for most nobles to attend...¡±


    ¡°They could make a conference hall to fit your needs at short notice as well,¡± I added. ¡°Earth Mages make things convenient like that.¡±


    ¡°I suppose they would,¡± Nadine smiled briefly but it faded as she glanced at Clarice from the corner of her eye. ¡°Do you really think Sebet will be alright?¡± She asked quietly.


    I nodded slowly, confident in my instincts. At least in this particular instance. ¡°If Sebet doesn¡¯t wake up on her own, I¡¯ll have Gric or one of the other Daemons help her. I haven¡¯t experienced the effects of the memory overlap, but I strongly suspect Sebet¡¯s special Coven Ability is working against her, multiplying the number of memories...¡± It was the only explanation I could think of and it seemed right when I spoke it aloud.


    Nadine shifted uncomfortably for a few moments, nodded, and then moved back to Clarice¡¯s side. Offering whispered words of comfort. Conjuring a blanket from Sanctuary¡¯s storage, I joined them a few moments later, draping the rough cloth over Clarice¡¯s bare shoulders before sitting on the floor more or less beside her.


    Closer to her eye level, I could see just how scared Clarice was. Holding Sebet¡¯s limp hand so tightly that black ichor dribbled down from the Devil¡¯s palm and down her arm,


    Unable to bear seeing Clarice in such distress, I exercised my authority and ¡®requested¡¯ Gric¡¯s presence.


    As a vessel for a small portion of my authority, I was able to give Gric the choice to refuse the call. Not that I expected he would. I just intended to provide him the opportunity to settle whatever he may be doing before accepting. With so many of my friends and closest allies in committed relationships, there was an increasingly high risk of interrupting something or calling upon them at an inopportune time. It was one of the primary reasons I preferred Summoning copies of them instead. However, it seemed inappropriate to do so now, given the cause of Sebet¡¯s current condition.


    Several minutes later, Gric accepted the request. Standing only a few feet away from Sebet, he stared down at her unconscious form coldly. ¡°She is trapped within herself,¡± Gric commented indifferently, ¡°Such incompetence...¡± He muttered disdainfully.


    Clarice stared at Gric incredulously, hurt swelling in her eyes.


    Gric shifted uncomfortably. ¡°I am sorry...¡± He apologised, surprising us all with his unexpected and unsolicited expression of remorse and demonstration of rudimentary empathy.


    I knew that Gric was not deliberately cruel by nature. It was not because I believed Gric was misunderstood and had a warm fuzzy heart under his gruff exterior. Far from it. I knew that Gric viewed cruelty for its own sake as woefully inefficient and a waste of his time. However, I had believed Gric held similar views toward overt displays of compassion and remorse...


    It was strange to witness evidence to the contrary, and I had to wonder if Gric¡¯s relationship with Talia had borne entirely unexpected fruit.


    If I was honest with myself, I had initially suspected Gric had begun his relationship with the Elf for more ¡®primal¡¯ and entirely utilitarian reasons. Later, I learned that Gric was trying to better understand people, and I had not given the matter much further thought until he had left Sanctuary to seek out Talia¡¯s people.


    Even so, I hadn¡¯t expected Gric¡¯s nascent empathy to extend any further. Much less toward Clarice.


    Not because Clarice had done anything to earn his ire, not really anyway. But I had expected her association with Sebet to warrant a form of inherited enmity.


    It was then that I realised how much of an idiot I was being. If I was the Daemons¡¯ father, then Clarice, Nadine and even Emelia could be considered their mothers. We had fed them, clothed them, and cared for them as hatchlings. As short a time as that had been, the Daemons looked up to us with near-fanatical devotion.


    Earning Clarice¡¯s disapproval, and worse, her disappointment, it was little wonder even Gric had seen fit to apologise.


    Without saying another word, Gric stared coldly at Sebet¡¯s face and his dark eyes grew ever so slightly unfocused.


    Several moments passed in silence.


    ¡°This will take a while...¡± Gric grunted unhappily, ¡°She had confused herselves and become...entangled...¡± He looked away from Sebet and fixed me with an intense stare. ¡°There is something else, my Tyrant. She appears to have uncovered something important...¡± Gric¡¯s eyes grew unfocused again, but he didn¡¯t look away. ¡°There is a conspiracy, a reason why they are seizing the Ogres and won¡¯t let them go...¡± His brow furrowed in frustration and his lips slowly curled into a snarl. ¡°They....They are taken to the biggest city...the capital, taken somewhere...¡± Gric shook his head and hissed in annoyance, ¡°She is being most unhelpful,¡± he scowled at Sebet with open disdain, deliberately avoiding looking at Clarice as he did so.


    ¡°You are talking about the Aldmeri Dominion?¡± I pressed, throwing off my initial unbalance.


    Gric nodded in the affirmative. ¡°I cannot yet be certain, but it appears that these humans make no distinction between adults and children. All are taken to the city and later are put to work...She made no indication as to why this is so...and the information was taken from another shortly before the copy was terminated...¡±


    ¡°So it could just be a rumour then?¡± I asked, trying to suppress my disappointment. It was a blow to go so long without an answer only to learn that it wasn¡¯t any more solid than a bank of sand in a storm.


    A fraction of my own disappointment was reflected in Gric¡¯s eyes. Despite literally being nothing besides the messenger, passing along information on Sebet¡¯s behalf no less, he was taking my disappointment personally.


    ***** Albert ~ Bastien¡¯s Demi-Plane ~ Gate of Triumph *****


    Standing atop a concrete fortification, Albert felt a familiar thrill of excitement run up his spine, he had visited this site often since coming of age five years prior. Having served the duration of his mandatory enlistment with distinction, Albert was no longer a conscript and now held an officer''s commission of Captain in the Seventh Legion.


    Despite sharing the blood of the first Emperor himself, Albert chose not to take banishment to the Seventh Legion as a punishment, but as an opportunity. With only a relative handful of truebloods to compete against for glory and prestige, Albert¡¯s accomplishments would stand out all the brighter.


    Climbing down the ladder on the side of the bunker and into the trenches, Albert acknowledged the stiff salutes of the line troopers with a firm nod. Despite their status as thinbloods, Albert knew better than to disrespect them without cause. Not only would such reckless callousness damage morale, but it was dangerous to an officer¡¯s chances of survival.


    Officers who went out of their way to insult and deride the thinbloods had a long-standing history of falling on their swords or becoming isolated in the heat of battle.


    Just because the thinbloods shared a single face, did not mean that they were stupid. There were several documented cases of troopers using this trait to their advantage. Exacting revenge and then changing uniform and identification tags with another trooper that had fallen in a previous skirmish or raid deeper in the Labyrinth.


    ¡°Six! Eleven!¡± Albert called out and raised his left hand above the trench line to signal his location.


    Several moments later, two troopers in heavy overcoats, iron cuirass and helmets fell into step beside him.


    ¡°Are the men ready?¡± Albert asked without breaking stride, calculating each step to land on a wooden sleeper instead of the mud at every available opportunity.


    ¡°Ready and eager, sir,¡± Six replied, his deep crimson face splitting into a sharp-toothed smile.


    ¡°We issued extra rations, just as you said, sir,¡± Eleven added, mirroring Six¡¯s approval.


    ¡°Good,¡± Albert replied with immense satisfaction. ¡°While we do not have the honour of serving as the tip of the spear, maintaining high morale will be crucial to ensuring we gather as many merits as possible.¡±


    Six and Eleven nodded obediently in agreement. As thinbloods, they both knew that Albert was their best hope for advancement and a retirement worth fighting for. If they accumulated enough commendations they would earn full citizenship and the right to seek out a Mate.


    ¡°Good,¡± Albert repeated, this time to himself. He had groomed Six and Eleven for the better part of two years, all in anticipation of this opportunity.


    Albert¡¯s father had died serving in the Fifth Legion after his troopers broke ranks, fleeing the field and leaving him for dead with a broken leg. Torn to pieces and devoured by the wild Beasts of the frontier, there hadn¡¯t been anything left to burn at his funeral.


    It was a lesson Albert had taken to heart. While on the campaign, he would not only need people to watch his back but also people who would be strongly motivated to ensure his continued survival.


    As his official bodyguards, Six and Eleven held just the right amount of ambition to fulfil Albert¡¯s needs.


    After returning to his quarters, Albert waved toward a long shallow straw-filled crate by the wall. ¡°There is something special for the both of you in there,¡± he commented distractedly while giving his sabre a final inspection before sheathing it and attaching the scabbard to his belt.


    As an officer, there was an established tradition that required Albert to carry a sabre. Even if he never chose to make use of it, he still needed to keep it in good condition. A superior could call for a surprise inspection and use poor maintenance of equipment as an excuse to justify a request for demotion.


    Albert knew better than to give any potential detractors such an opportunity.


    Placing his rifle on the table, Albert gave it the same meticulous care he had afforded to the sabre.


    While cleaning the bore, Albert couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the first Emperor¡¯s genius. Before the Emperor united the tribes under his rule, the humans had taken from them at will. However, the early rifles created by the first Emperor had changed things.


    With fire and blood, the first Emperor drove the humans from the tribes¡¯ lands and took his throne. The Felix Seven, so named after the first Emperor and seventh iteration of its line, was now the standard armament of troopers and officers alike. Far stronger and more accurate than the primitive weaponry of the humans, the Felix Seven could reliably hit targets fifteen hundred feet away and inflict grievous injury.


    Briefly glancing at the pair of short-barrelled Bastien Ones¡¯, named for the current Emperor, now in the admiring hands of Six and Eleven, Albert felt another surge of pride. Lacking the range of the Felix Seven, the Bastien One was only effective out to a range of ten feet. However, it ripped foot-wide holes in any target within that ten feet, felling even the strongest Beasts if a trooper had the nerve and state of mind to hold his ground and fire at point-blank range.


    Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Six and Eleven gleefully began taking the Bastien Ones apart and meticulously cleaning their firing mechanisms.


    Albert had considered requesting a Bastien One for himself, but he had ultimately decided against it. Securing just two of the cutting-edge weapons had cost him many favours, a third would have left him without recourse against his rivals.


    Besides, Albert preferred the greater utility afforded by the Felix Seven. Even Six and Eleven would be required to carry a Felix in addition to the Bastien. Not that they would begrudge the extra weight and general encumbrance.


    Once finished attending to his equipment, Albert spared a few minutes to review his latest orders. Finding no contradictions with his existing order, he burned the papers in the brazier by his desk and then tied his shoulder-length hair back into a tight tail before donning his helmet.


    Reviewing his appearance in the small mirror fitted onto the wall, Albert¡¯s focus was immediately drawn to his deep blue skin and eyes. They were the most obvious indicators of his status as a trueblooded descendent of the first Emperor. Thickbloods had varying shades of mauve and even burgundy skin and eyes, but never the deep rich blue unique to the truebloods.


    One of the things Albert appreciated about the helmet was how it protected his ears from view. Only the size of his first two fingers, his ears were considered small by the standards of his people, and Albert had long since grown tired of the jibes of his rivals. Inherited from his mother, they were thankfully offset by the strong flat nose Albert had inherited from his father.


    With his ears hidden from view, Albert believed he cut quite the heroic figure. Even if he did say so himself.


    Leading Six and Eleven out to the mustering grounds, Albert took his place ahead of his men. With two hundred troopers in all, including ten thickblood Sergeants who reported directly to Albert himself, the force was dwarfed by the greater ranks of the legion itself.


    Numbering in the tens of thousands, the Seventh Legion had a single mandate from the Emperor. To pass through the portal, take the fight to the humans on the other side and then fortify the land surrounding the other side of the portal.


    Standing at attention, Albert watched as the general of the Seventh Legion climbed the ceremonial steps that had been assembled before the portal. With one smooth motion, the general drew his sabre and levelled it towards the portal. ¡°For the Emperor! CHARGE!¡±


    A mighty cry rose from the legion and a thousand men marched in lockstep towards the portal. When they came within the final hundred feet, they broke into a run and rushed through the portal.


    On cue, Albert signalled his men forward as other Captains did the same.


    Passing through the portal, Albert found himself in a large stone courtyard flanked on all sides by high stone walls pockmarked by rifle fire and adorned with bleeding corpses.


    The gate on the far end of the courtyard had already been blown apart by a specially prepared explosive. A bunker buster, as the Troopers called them. Paying homage to the notorious mishandling of such an explosive that blew apart a munitions bunker more than three decades prior.


    Gunfire rattled from beyond the walls and several large bells rang ominously in the distance.


    Ignoring the dead troopers scattered around the courtyard, Albert led his men forward and through the gate.


    After passing through several more specially prepared human fortifications, Albert and his men now stood on the streets of the human city itself.


    Humans and thinblood troopers lay dead and bleeding out in the streets. The humans¡¯ armour was no match for the troopers'' rifles, but a human with enough levels could still manage to inflict a fatal injury if given the opportunity to do so.


    ¡°SIR!¡± Six called in alarm grabbing Albert by the arm and pulling him back just in time for an arrow to thrum past Albert¡¯s face and splinter against the cobbled street.


    Several rifles fired in a staggered retort and a bloody human corpse tumbled from a nearby rooftop, striking the ground with a wet crunch.


    Four troopers rushed forward and stabbed the mangled body with their bayonets, although it was unclear whether it was out of bloodlust or caution.


    Nodding to Six in thanks, Albert drew his sabre and pointed toward the left fork in the road ahead of them. ¡°Forward!¡± He barked, ordering the troopers forward.


    Troopers surged past Albert and began charging down the road, rifles raised and scanning the surrounding rooftops.


    Following behind his men, Albert watched as time and again, the humans would throw themselves the oncoming tide of troopers. The overwhelming majority died without accomplishing anything besides depleting the troopers'' stores of ammunition.


    The strategy made little sense until Albert realised there were very few females amongst the humans¡¯ dead, and he had seen no signs of their children whatsoever.


    Now that he had noticed this, Albert realised that the humans were throwing themselves at the troopers with the sole intention of slowing the legion¡¯s advance.


    In all his years fighting the humans, Albert had never seen anything like it. The humans had always been so selfish and cowardly, fleeing the field and leaving their wounded for dead.


    It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Why were they behaving so differently now?


    Albert could understand the drive to preserve the children. He wasn¡¯t a thinblood. But why were the females abandoning their Mates to die? Surely more of them would have lingered to buy more time for the children to escape?


    Distracted to a dangerous degree by his troubled thoughts, Albert forced himself to focus on his immediate surroundings.


    From the corner of his eye, Albert spotted movement in the space between the nearby buildings.


    Waving Six and Eleven forward, Albert held his sabre at the ready.


    Six and Eleven slung their rifles over their shoulders and changed to the Felix which was better suited for a close-quarters confrontation.


    A human child with torn pants and sandy hair stumbled out from its hiding place. The child, no more than a few feet tall, stared at Albert with haunted eyes. Hands covered in blood and with bloody streaks on its cheeks, the child bore no signs of personal injury. However, looking past the child, Albert saw a human female sprawled out on the ground, her clothes soaked with blood.


    Tears streaming from its eyes, the human child screamed and revealed a small knife that had been hidden behind its back. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before the child could so much as take a step...


    Before Albert could order them to stop...


    Six and Eleven levelled their weapons and fired.


    The child¡¯s right arm and most of its torso evaporated into red mist, killing it instantly.


    Staring down at the child¡¯s mutilated body, Albert felt an irrepressible surge of revulsion and anger. ¡°Why did you do that?!¡± He demanded.


    Six and Eleven glanced warily at one another in confusion.


    ¡°The human was carrying a weapon,¡± Six replied evenly, not the least affected by what he had done.


    ¡°The human was going to attack you,¡± Eleven agreed, just as matter-of-factly.


    ¡°It was a child...¡± Albert countered hoarsely, struggling to suppress the bile rising in his throat.


    Six and Eleven both shrugged indifferently and Albert felt a cold chill run down his spine as he came to appreciate just how great their differences were and why the Seventh Legion had been chosen for this ¡®honour¡¯.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 75 – The approaching storm – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 75 ¨C The approaching storm ¨C Part TwoI''ll be taking a one-week break to prepare for the holidays but will be back and posting on the 16th-17th.


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 75 - The approaching storm - Part Two


    ***** Kema ~ Asrusian Former Capital *****


    Antennae waving lazily in the breeze and wings silently thrumming at her back, Kema surveyed the city below her with disgust and a deep profound sense of vindication.


    The human vermin carried the same mark as the two Devil¡¯s she and Amun had dispatched only hours earlier. However, while rifling through the minds of the city¡¯s inhabitants, Kema had stumbled upon a far greater prize than she ever would have anticipated.


    The city was home to a potential candidate.


    Kema¡¯s outer mandibles clacked with intense anticipation, exciting the brutish form of her companion, guardian, and Mate, Amun.


    As large as a Giant, Amun, as with all males of his line, had been bred for the rigours of physical combat and absolute obedience. Armoured in thick obsidian carapace and driven by muscles and tendons that could shatter mountains, Amun was a living weapon.


    The powerful beating of Amun¡¯s wings released a keening drone that would gradually drive lesser minds to madness. Or it would have done if Kema was not actively masking their presence by altering the minds of those below them.


    <There is danger?> Amun asked, agitated by her excited state and scanning the warren of stone below them with his entirely mundane senses.


    <No.> Kema replied, withholding only a fraction of her disdain. <My investigation has yielded unexpected fruit, is all.> She impressed the enormity of her discovery onto his mind but did not elaborate further. All males were linked to the Norn Queens, and there was no telling who may be watching from within.


    <They carry the mark.> Amun replied, demonstrating a disconcertingly rare sign of personal initiative.


    <Indeed...> Kema carefully combed through Amun¡¯s thoughts for signs of outside influence but found no one¡¯s touch besides her own.


    Amun¡¯s mind returned to its default state, scanning for potential threats and endlessly repeating the litany of loyalty. <To serve the Norn Queens is the greatest honour. To die in their service is the greatest reward...>


    Kema removed herself from Amun¡¯s thoughts, maintaining only the minimum connection required to facilitate direct communication should it prove necessary.


    While carefully scanning the minds of the human vermin, Kema was only marginally surprised to find that those dwelling within the most fortified structure of the hive had extensive dealings with the potential candidate she was searching for.


    The more she learned, the more excited Kema became.


    The Ogre¡¯s deviations from the standard matrix of his kind were unheard of. In all of the Dominion¡¯s records, only those chosen by the masters would possess deviations on such a scale.


    If the Ogre was one of the chosen, then there was a real chance that he might be the subject they had been searching for.


    Activating the sub-minds in her psychic consciousness, Kema began spinning an intricate web of Spells over the city. Layer by layer, she established contingencies that would deny the Ogre the support of his most valuable allies.


    Ideally, the Ogre would succumb to her psychic assault and allow her to deliver his unresisting body to the Norn Queens without a fuss. However, Kema was not nearly so foolish to believe that would be possible.


    There were precious few who would try to break free of Enslavement and fewer still who would succeed. Willpower played its role but was not the determining factor. However, the aversion to pain was deeply rooted in lesser minds and drove many to receive greater pain as a matter of course simply to avoid accepting pain as a result of their active choosing.


    The Ogre had broken its own Enslavement, which was rare enough, only to then break the Enslavement of thousands of others. A feat that was unique enough on its own and enough to warrant caution. However, learning that the Ogre had freed hundreds simultaneously was another matter entirely.


    The scale of nerve stimulation involved should have killed him. The fact that it hadn¡¯t, made the Ogre a far greater threat. However, it also made him that much more likely to be the one the Dominion had been searching for.


    Furthermore, the Ogre¡¯s strengths were offset by an otherwise fatal flaw. A flaw Kema was only too happy to exploit to her advantage.


    With her Spells in place, Kema delivered her demands.


    ***** Tim ~ Tim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Sanctuary *****


    There was nothing else I could do for Sebet, and little I could do for Clarice. Even though I wasn¡¯t sure what I should do, I decided to stay as a show of support.


    A deep unsettling sense of unease quite suddenly replaced my lingering awkwardness.


    Rising to my feet, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like something was wrong.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sebet asked, concerned by my abrupt shift in temperament.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± I admitted bluntly, ¡°But something feels...wrong...¡±


    Gric frowned and his eyes grew unfocused. After several moments, his eyes flashed with anger. ¡°An outsider is killing civilians in the Asrusian city outside of the Dimension Plane,¡± Gric announced angrily.


    Shocked by Gric¡¯s words, I removed the filter and was immediately bombarded by a stream of black Death Notifications. ¡°No...¡± In the span of a few seconds, dozens and then hundreds of names passed before my eyes. ¡°NO!¡± I roared, conjuring my armour onto my body and relocating myself and Gric to Sanctuary.


    With a thought, I drew my thunder warriors to my side. ¡°We are under attack!¡± I barked, bringing them all to immediate attention. ¡°Locate the enemy AND DESTROY THEM!¡± I roared, overcome with grief and enraged by the notifications streaming through my peripheral vision.


    Without saying another word, I bridged the gap between my realm and the world beyond, traveling directly to the portal located on the castle grounds within the Asrusians'' former capital. However, instead of the castle grounds, I found myself standing in the centre square.


    There was no sign of Gric and all of my thunder warriors were missing.


    Screams of terror rose from the city around me, but the centre square was eerily silent. Littered with the bleeding broken bodies of men, women, and children.


    On reflex, I gathered my MP and prepared to Summon Gric. However, just as I was about to complete the Spell, I felt something was amiss and canceled the Summons.


    Extending my senses, I became painfully aware of the currents of mana surrounding me and the city at large.


    Before I had the chance to identify any of the other Spells, something huge crashed through a nearby building at incredible speed and struck the right side of my helmet.


    Stunned by the blow, I staggered and fell to the ground.


    Before I could rise, something struck my stomach with enough force to lift me off the ground and crash through a nearby brick wall.


    Disoriented and rendered half-blind by the ruptured blood vessels in my right eye, I barely managed to claw myself free of the fallen building before taking another blow to the chest. Thrown through several more buildings, I ignored the pain radiating from my chest and gathered my MP into my armour.


    As I had expected, my attacker wasted no time in continuing their assault. Only this time, as their attack landed on my shoulder, I was not the only one sent flying.


    Gathering more MP I prepared to pulse the Barrier Spell and attempt to purge the enemy Spells from my immediate area.


    Before I could cast the Spell, an immense mental strain settled onto my mind like a blanket of barbed wire. Unable to complete my Spell, I barely raised my arms in time to block the next blow from my attacker.


    Knocked backward but otherwise still on my feet, I got my first proper look at my assailant.


    Only a foot shorter than me and wearing shiny black armour, he had long arms and legs but only three fingers on each hand. As he prepared to charge, the face guard of his helmet briefly split down the middle and shifted in place before settling again. He made a strange clicking croaking sound and made a show of flexing the fingers on his right hand which was bleeding a thick greenish-yellow fluid.


    Trying to gather MP for another Spell, I was forced to abandon the attempt as the pain in my mind flared in response.


    The black armoured man made another guttural croaking clicking sound and shook his head. Clenching his bloody fist, he squared up to begin another round.


    Left with no other choice, I drew my mace and prepared for combat.


    To my surprise, the enemy drew a hammer of his own from thin air.


    Ignoring the pain as best I could manage, I charged forward and used my Chi to try and shift the ground beneath his feet.


    The enemy hopped backward, drawing back his hammer and then leaping forward in a countercharge.


    I realized my mistake just in time to veer off course and narrowly avoid the head of the hammer. However, the enemy continued the motion, spinning and stepping into the blow, closing the distance between us before slamming the hammer into my back.


    Thrown forward, I crashed into another wall.


    Keenly aware that I couldn¡¯t remain still, I stepped to the side and narrowly avoided another blow from the hammer.


    The pressure on my mind increased by another step and it was all I could do not to scream. Then, without warning, the pain abated.


    Just in time for the hammer to crash into the front of my helmet and break my nose.


    Driven past the point of reason, I grabbed at the shaft of the two-handed hammer and warped the wood, twisting and coiling the shaft around the enemy¡¯s arm and binding it with thorns. However, try as I might, I couldn¡¯t tighten the hold fast enough to do any real damage before he threw me off.


    Just as quickly as the hammer had appeared, it disappeared again, leaving my Chi without a vessel.


    Instead of drawing a new weapon, the black armoured giant backed away several steps and nodded approvingly. ¡°Is-k-k-k. Good-k-k-k,¡± he croaked, gasping at the beginning and then stuttering the end of each word with more of the same strange clicking sounds. ¡°Was-k-k-k. Easy-k-k-k.¡± He raised his fists and advanced.


    With lightning speed, the giant leaned out of reach of my mace and then surged forward, seizing my wrists and pinning both arms against the crumbling wall at my back.


    Investing my Chi into the broken masonry, I pelted bricks and mortar at his head, throwing him off balance just long enough to break away.


    Retreating even as I continued the assault, I quickly realized that the giant was taking no visible signs of damage and only appeared to be surprised by the unconventional nature of the attack itself.


    Gathering my MP I pulsed the Barrier Spell in a desperate bid to nullify the enemy¡¯s Spells.


    The black armoured giant stopped mid-charge, watching the Barrier as it expanded outward and passed over his body. ¡°K-k-k-k...¡± The giant began gathering its MP and projected a dull grey Barrier of its own.


    My MP began to hemorrhage at an accelerated rate and my Barrier collapsed before it had expanded more than a couple of dozen feet.


    ¡°Weak-k-k-k,¡± the giant taunted, canceling its Barrier and beginning its advance anew.


    Raising my mace, I gathered what MP I could, and prepared a Thundering Strike. Bringing the mace down in a double-handed strike, I aimed for the giant''s head, hoping that I could end the fight with a single blow.


    Raising both arms and ducking low, the giant caught the strike on his crossed forearms. More of the greenish-yellow liquid burst from beneath the giant¡¯s vambraces and from between the spaces in his gauntlets, but the giant held firm.


    Pain erupted from my abdomen.


    Looking downward with my one good eye, I could only stare in surprise upon spotting a second pair of hands holding long thin blades planted firmly in my abdomen.


    Slowly rising to his full height, the giant seized hold of my wrists and leaned in close. The plates of his helmet jittered, revealing several small black eyes behind the visor and releasing a foul stench. ¡°Weak-k-k-k,¡± the giant repeated, only this time, I saw what was behind the visor. Or rather, realized it was not a visor at all.


    The giant was some form of mutant anthropomorphic arthropod.


    ¡°Give-k-k-k. In-k-k-k,¡± the giant mutant insect demanded, plated mandibles clacking in triumph. Releasing its hold on the blades still firmly lodged in my abdomen, it slipped its hands beneath my helmet, wrapped its clawed fingers around my throat, and began to squeeze.


    Gasping for breath and choking on my own blood, I gathered most of my remaining MP and drove my knee up into the giant mutant beetle¡¯s groin. Empowered by my spilled blood, the giant mutant was sent flying skyward.


    Unfortunately, removing the giant beetle¡¯s claws from my throat did not bring the relief I had expected. Worse still, I could feel blood running freely down my chest.


    Resisting the urge to strip off my helmet and apply pressure to the site of the bleeding, I pulled off my gauntlets and activated the tattoo that allowed me to take on human form.


    After several moments of intense agony, the physical pain became nothing more than a memory. However, without enough MP to trigger the tattoo a second time, I was unable to return to my true form.


    Shedding my armour like a hermit crab, I retreated into the broken building to seek shelter and attempt to regenerate both my HP and MP.


    While I could use Sorcery to activate the tattoo a second time, it had already been made painfully obvious that I wasn¡¯t going to defeat this enemy through brute force,


    Stumbling over the broken masonry and into the room beyond, I continued forward, clearing a path with my Chi and closing it as best I could manage behind myself.


    With only the magical skirt securely fixed about my waist for protection, I struggled to think of a time when I had ever been more vulnerable than I was at this moment.


    Brick, mortar and timber exploded overhead as one of the mutant beetle¡¯s limbs came scything through the roof a dozen paces behind me.


    Drawing bricks from the wall, I formed a loose shield at my back and continued running forward.


    The cloth around my knees was shredded by chips of flying brick and mortar, but my legs remained unharmed thanks to my high Toughness and Thick Skin Ability.


    The building collapsed behind me as the mutant beetle¡¯s right arms cleaved through the wall a couple of feet above my newly assumed head height. A second later, one of its left claws shot through the wall a handful of inches behind my back, narrowly missing my elbow and knocking aside a large portion of the brickwork that was serving as my shield.


    Attempting to throw the creature off, I launched the remaining bricks back the way I had come and took up a new shield from the wall ahead of me.


    Just as I had hoped, an explosion of dust and debris erupted from two buildings back.


    Pushing back against my mana fatigue, I began cycling my Chi to draw in as much raw mana as I could manage.


    All too quickly the mutant beetle seemed to realise it had been fooled and began collapsing the walls closest to it in rapid succession. Using its extended arm to claw through them one after another without stopping.


    Making a hole in the wall on the opposing side, I leapt through just in time to narrowly avoid the mutant beetle¡¯s claws before tumbling onto the rough cobbled street.


    Scrambling to my feet, I dashed toward the buildings across the street.


    The ground rumbled beneath my feet and a round shadow began rapidly growing in size on the street in front of me, blocking my path. Trusting in my instincts, I leapt forward for the second time.


    The mutant beetle¡¯s legs crashed into the cobblestones with the force of a meteor, sending shards of stone and other debris flying in all directions as I sailed between its legs.


    Spinning on the spot, the mutant beetle clawed viciously at my back but was too poorly positioned and caught nothing but air.


    Hitting the ground running, I sprinted headlong at the brick wall in front of me and blew it out of the way with my Chi.


    Spotting movement from the corner of my eye, I prepared to throw myself to the ground or back the way I had come.


    Even with the copious volumes of adrenaline being dumped into my system, my authority identified the source of the movement as an ally. A split second later, it corrected the assessment, designating them as one of my subjects.


    Matilda, a mother of five children.


    Acting without thinking, I leapt back the way I had come and into the open street.


    The mutant beetle, legs bent in preparation to give chase, stared at me for a long moment before cocking its head quizzically to one side and working its large plated mandibles in what I could only assume was a sign of confusion. Just as it was preparing to charge, it stopped for a second time. Unlike before, it now seemed agitated, limbs and fingers twitching as its gaze shifted from me and onto the building behind me.


    Striding confidently forward, as if I had never been a threat, to begin with, the mutant beetle stalked toward the building where Matilda was hiding behind an overturned table. However, instead of tearing down the wall, or bashing in the roof, it just stood beside the door and waited.


    Guessing at the creature¡¯s intentions I began to run down the street to try and lure it away.


    ¡°STAY-K-K-K!!!¡± The mutant beetle demanded angrily.


    I felt a fresh surge of pain lance through my brain and nearly fell before catching myself.


    ¡°P-Please! D-Don¡¯t leave me!¡± An older woman¡¯s voice cried out in terror.


    Looking over my shoulder, I nearly tripped a second time as I laid eyes on the woman from the house, Matilda, standing in the middle of the street with a knife to her throat. Only, it wasn¡¯t the mutant beetle that was holding her at knife-point. It was Matilda¡¯s hand that pressed the knife against her throat.


    ¡°P-Please!!!¡± Matilda repeated, tears streaming down her face.


    Stopped dead in my tracks, it only took me a moment to realise that the older woman had to be under some form of Compulsion or Mind Control. Concentrating my will, I ignored the pain and pushed back as hard as I dared.


    The knife fell from Matilda¡¯s trembling hand and she bolted for the safety of what I assumed was her home.


    Before she could even reach the door, the pain returned. Only this time it was several times greater in intensity.


    Wailing cries echoed up and down the street, as a procession of small children stiffly marched over the debris and rubble to gather at the mutant beetle¡¯s side. Dozens of men and women followed in their wake, desperately attempting to drag their children back to safety. However, whatever Compulsion controlled them, also lent the small children impossible strength, allowing them to overpower their parents with ease.


    However, before the last of the children could reach their intended destination, the Compulsion was severed, allowing their parents to snatch them up and flee.


    With contemptuous ease, the mutant beetle snatched up one of the parents.


    Michael, father of two children.


    ¡°STAY-K-K-K!¡± The creature commanded, squeezing Michael¡¯s torse for emphasis and causing the young man to cry out in pain and fear.


    ¡°Run!-Urk!¡± Michael cried desperately, his words intended for his wife and children, and not for me.


    A young woman with dark brown hair, wearing a baker¡¯s apron and fiercely clutching at two small children, Thomas and Sarah, stared back at Michael with tears in her eyes and ran for all she was worth.


    Fighting back against my rage, I knew I now had to make a choice.


    If I ran away, more civilians would die. The creature had made its position incredibly clear on that particular point. However, I stayed, if I tried to fight it as I was, I would almost certainly die.


    Looking into the pale desperate face of a father willing to do anything to protect his children, I only grew more conflicted.


    While I deliberated, the mutant beetle drew closer.


    With less than a couple of dozen feet between us, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the creature had loosened its grip. An action that was at odds with its earlier ruthless demonstration.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± I stated in as calm a voice as I could muster and decided to test a hunch. ¡°Let him go, and I¡¯ll fight you.¡±


    The creature¡¯s mandibles clacked noisily in excitement and it released Michael, allowing him to fall to the ground. Paying the civilian no further mind, the mutant beetle¡¯s clawed fingers began to twitch in anticipation. ¡°Fight-k-k-k! Yes-k-k-k! Good-k-k-k!¡± What looked like thick ropy drool had begun running down the many tiny limbs surrounding its hellish mouth before it was blocked from view as the thick mandibles snapped back into place.


    Keenly aware that I lacked the size and Strength to do any meaningful damage in my current state, I decided that since I was doing something stupid anyway, I might as well double down while I was at it.


    With a thought, I called Shiverfang into my waiting hands, and after a moment''s hesitation, designated Pete as my official successor.


    The difference in strength between the creature and myself had been disadvantages to begin with. I held no delusions regarding my chances of survival, let alone victory. Should the worst happen, I wanted to give my children the best odds for their survival, and that meant keeping them together. Dividing my territories between them might be the fair thing to do, but it would be no different to throwing them to the wolves.


    At least together, they had a chance of growing old enough to fight the Monarchs on some form of equal footing.


    The mutant beetle had halted its advance and had begun staring intently at Shiverfang, perhaps sensing the potential danger it represented. Only to then draw four short-bladed swords from thin air, two of which were still coated in my blood.


    Perversely, the creature appeared to have an established sense of fair play. It didn¡¯t matter that Shiverfang was an Artefact and no longer than one of his swords. So long as I was armed, the mutant beetle appeared resolved to do likewise.


    Without further warning, the creature lunged forward, sweeping its two lower swords together in a scissoring motion that very nearly took my head off. It followed up the attack with a sequence of scorpion-like strikes from the two other swords that cleaved away at the street.


    Attempting to parry one of the swords aside, I quickly realised my mistake and attempted to guide the blade of my spear towards the mutant beetle¡¯s exposed chitinous fingers.


    With a flick of its wrist, the mutant beetle knocked me aside and initiated a fresh barrage of strikes.


    Dodging as best as I was able and literally shifting the street beneath my feet to stay one step ahead, I was forced to admit that I was outmatched in just about every respect. Without Chi and its accompanying Affinities to provide an unfair advantage, there was no way I would have survived long enough to make it thus far.


    If I could drag the fight out long enough, there was a chance I could return to my true form and make a better play for time. Perhaps even last long enough for Gric and the others to come to my rescue.


    As if reading my thoughts, the creature increased the intensity and frequency of its attacks, turning the street into a broken mess of rubble. Inadvertently making it easier for me to break the line of sight and avoid a concentrated sequence of attacks. However, it was also wearing down my stamina at a much greater rate.


    Ducking below a shearing horizontal strike and blocking another with the shaft of Shiverfang, I lost contact with the ground and was sent flying up into the air.


    All four blades at the ready, the creature watched my ascent with absolute focus.


    Keenly aware that there would be no way to dodge or block all four attacks simultaneously, I resolved to abandon my plan to return to my true form.


    Gathering what MP I could spare, I launched a Fire Lance at the mutant beetle¡¯s face. The attack almost certainly wouldn¡¯t do any real damage, but the creature wasn¡¯t to know that.


    As I had hoped, the mutant beetle moved to shield its face, momentarily blinding it.


    Already committed to remaining in human form, I decided to push my luck further. Feeding a small amount of MP into Shiverfang¡¯s blade, I shifted my grip and brought the edge of the blade down on the uppermost of the mutant beetle¡¯s right hands.


    In a blur of motion, the creature raised its right arm and sword to catch the blow, just the same as it had done several times already. It must have come as a shock when the sword was sheared in half and one of the fingers of its left hand was nearly amputated.


    Scoring a line from collar to crotch, I regretted not being able to make better use of the opportunity.


    Anticipating a retributive strike, I leapt to the side but quickly became confused after realising the creature had not chased after me.


    The broken sword disappeared just the same as the hammer from earlier. Having transferred the sword from its injured hand to replace the one that was lost, the creature appeared to take an intense interest in its damaged finger and the copious amounts of foul liquid welling out of it.


    Then, the bleeding stopped and the chitinous exoskeleton began knitting itself back together before my very eyes.


    The creature flexed its freshly healed digit and nodded approvingly. Turning back to face me again, it appeared almost surprising that I hadn¡¯t attempted to run. Perhaps forgetting that it had a literal city full of hostages that prevented me from doing exactly that.


    ¡°Good-k-k-k! Fight-k-k-k!¡± The mutant beetle clacked excitedly. ¡°Remember-k-k-k! You-k-k-k!¡±


    Thoroughly unflattered, I prepared myself for the creature¡¯s next attack. Then it occurred to me that I still didn¡¯t know precisely what the damned thing wanted, or why it had attacked the city to begin with. I had simply assumed that the creature¡¯s goal was to kill me because it had done little else so far.


    But what if there was more to it?


    ¡°Wh-¡± Before the first syllable had left my mouth, the mutant beetle launched itself into a vicious charge. Forced to abandon my curiosity or risk biting off my tongue, I was quickly overwhelmed despite the creature having lost one of its weapons.


    Already bruised to the point that my insides felt like minced meat and my brain throbbing in tandem with my heartbeat, I couldn¡¯t react fast enough to dodge out of the way and caught a glancing blow to my right shoulder. Blood began running down my arm and compromised my grip, making it that much harder to fend off the next blow.


    After several more exchanges, my right arm was too weak to continue holding Shiverfang and it fell to the ground before I could transfer it to my left hand. Staring defeatedly at the bloodied Artefact and fighting hard to breathe, I decided to make one final gamble.


    With great effort, I placed my bloody and trembling fingers against my transformation tattoo and activated Sorcery. Enduring the indescribable pain, I staggered and nearly collapsed.


    Up until this moment, I had done my best to ignore my Status. I had known I was losing, and that I had very little HP left. However, with my death all but guaranteed, and the creature watching on like the spectre of death itself, I didn¡¯t see any point in avoiding it any longer.


    [ HP: -12/60 ]


    I grimaced and fought back the urge to laugh after I realised I had gained another point of Toughness after getting so thoroughly beaten. I was also conscious despite my HP being firmly placed at a negative value.


    Despite the transformation healing my wounds, most of my vitality was gone. I could feel my body beginning to cannibalise itself for the nutrients it needed to compensate for the shortfall. However, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    Even as the creature set aside its weapons, it was obvious that the results of the fight were a forgone conclusion. Now I was just delaying the inevitable.


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 75 - The approaching storm - 6 of 6


    Taking a hard blow to the abdomen and crashing head over heels through a nearby building, I found it somewhat ironic that fighting the mutant barehanded had somehow turned out to be the best option.


    Despite its immense size, the creature seemed to lack an Ability to amplify its unarmed damage, and while I couldn¡¯t land a clean hit due to its superior flexibility and Agility, our exchanges were far less skewed in its favour than they had been.


    My loss was still a foregone conclusion, but it would be delayed far longer than I had expected.


    Blocking another punch with my elbow, I felt a grim sense of satisfaction as the mutant beetle¡¯s fist made an audible crunch on impact.


    Unphased, the creature raked the claws of its right arms down my left side, leaving shallow cuts in their wake.


    Kneeing the creature in the abdomen, I rolled to the side, to escape the impending grapple, using my Chi and Earth Affinity to assist my movements as best as they could. Which was admittedly little, since I was now far larger and heavier than I had been in my human form.


    The mutant beetle didn¡¯t let up, swiping at my back and delivering several glancing blows in rapid succession but dealing little damage.


    Pivoting on the spot, I attempted to deliver a backhanded blow to the creature¡¯s upper right arm. More or less as I had expected, my blow struck nothing but empty air as the mutant beetle ducked under my fist and slammed both of its left fists into my ribs.


    Grunting and doing my best to ignore the pain, I backed away as best as I was able and shielded my chest with my left arm.


    Taking the bait, the creature raked at my left arm with its serrated claws but found no purchase and did little damage as its chitin scraped over the dense bones and hardened flesh of my forearm. However, after a minute of persistent attacks, the skin of my forearm was a bloody mess and the creature''s claws had begun to find the purchase they needed to deal the damage the creature desired.


    Shifting tactics, I was caught by an unexpected blow to the left kidney. Before I could recover the mutant beetle delivered a barrage of strikes against my ribcage and diaphragm, driving the air from my lungs and leaving me unable to retaliate or effectively defend myself.


    I felt one of my ribs give way beneath the ruthless assault and could feel the blood beginning to pool in my right lung.


    Staggering backward, I raised my fists and coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    This was the end, I could feel it.


    The mutant beetle slowly stalked forward, apparently having arrived at the same conclusion I had. ¡°Worthy-k-k-k. Prey-k-k-k,¡± it clacked sombrely, seemingly disappointed that our battle would soon come to an end.


    ¡°Wh-Why?!¡± I demanded, falling to my hands and knees as oxygen deprivation rapidly began to take its toll. A fatal weakness that was inherent to my substantial size and mass.


    The creature seemed to consider the question for several moments before arriving at an acceptable answer. ¡°Orders-k-k-k...¡± It replied quietly. ¡°Must-k-k-k. Obey-k-k-k,¡± Despite the absurdity of it all, the creature almost sounded apologetic.


    The pain in my head had gone beyond the threshold of my perception and I could feel my nervous system shutting down.


    Ironic, given that a lack of oxygen would have resulted in the same outcome if it had been given the chance.


    Falling to my side, I vomited another mouthful of blood onto the street and fought hard to draw another breath but found I couldn¡¯t manage it.


    [ HP: -30/60 ]


    With the world growing darker by the second, the numbers remained in perfect focus, a final twist of the knife announcing my defeat and impending death.


    Pushing such thoughts aside, I tried to make my final thoughts of my family but found I couldn¡¯t remember their faces...


    ***** Lurr ~ Asrusian Former Capital *****


    Forced to take a seemingly endless string of detours to avoid the hordes of Humans fleeing toward the portal, Lurr could only watch in horror as the Tyrant¡¯s HP had deteriorated.


    With no more Humans to get in his way, Lurr had begun charging headlong down long stretches of empty stone paths and leaping the humans'' surface caves to make up for lost time.


    Only, it was not enough.


    Even through his tears, Lurr could see that he had failed.


    The Tyrant had fallen.


    Lurr could feel the energy inside of him begging for release. Overcome with grief and rage, he did exactly that.


    Power surged through his veins and lent him a swiftness he had never known was possible.


    Stone paths and the surface caves passed in a blur, like rivers coated in ash.


    Guided by his connection to the Tyrant, Lurr spared no thoughts for potential enemies he might encounter in his path. Solely focused on avenging the Tyrant or at the least, retrieving his body.


    It would not undo his failure, but it was the least he could do for the Tyrantess and her children.


    Arriving far sooner than he had expected, Lurr found two unfamiliar monsters beside the Tyrant¡¯s body.


    Howling with rage, Lurr charged. Before either creature had time to react, Lurr buried his axe shaft deep into the belly of the smaller creature, sending both it and his axe flying down the path.


    The larger creature, which had been moving to fight back, abruptly leaped backward, abandoning the fight and retrieving its companion.


    Lurr prepared to give chase but stopped as a board of letters and words appeared before his eyes.


    [ Save the Tyrant!!! ]


    [ Reward: {To be named by the individual/s that complete the Quest. (Divided according to contribution.} ]


    [The Tyrant has fallen and is in critical condition! Gric, the King of Daemons, has called for all loyal subjects to escort the Tyrant to safety and ensure he receives {Healing} before it is too late! ]


    Does the Tyrant live?!


    Casting the creatures from his thoughts, Lurr hurriedly removed the token from his belt and took hold of the Tyrant¡¯s cold bloody hand.


    Concentrating as best as he was able, Lurr focused on his memories of Sanctuary and The Grove. Specifically, the magical portal the Tyrant had created so Lurr could visit his grandchildren and tribemates.


    The energy within him swelled and surged through his body but was quickly drawn toward the token in his tightly clenched fist. Like an unstoppered waterskin in the hands of a reckless child, Lurr could feel the energy was leaving his body at an unsustainable rate and could only hope that it would be enough.


    Mere seconds from losing the last of his energy, Lurr felt a profound sense of relief as the human camp was left behind and replaced with the familiar sights and smells of The Grove.


    ¡°HERE!!!¡± Lurr roared, straining his voice and lungs to make himself as loud as possible.


    Just as he was preparing to take a second breath, one of the Daemons appeared beside him with a strange-looking staff in hand.


    Without saying a word, the many-limbed female Daemon snatched the Tyrant¡¯s hand from Lurr¡¯s grasp and they both disappeared.


    Through his connection to the Tyrant, Lurr could feel the Tyrant''s presence and knew he had not been taken far. Despite the lethargy creeping into his veins, Lurr forced his weary legs to chase after the Daemon.


    Leaving The Grove, Lurr was not surprised to find that he was headed for the house of Healing. After all, if Wraithe, the Healing Daemon, had not appeared to receive the Tyrant, the other Daemon would have taken the Tyrant to her.


    Entering the house of Healing, Lurr took the steps in long strides, descending each floor with reckless speed.


    Pushing past the Serpent-Kin at the bottom, Lurr was shocked to find the healing Daemon straddling the Tyrant¡¯s waist and slamming her fists against his chest.


    ¡°BEAT DAMN YOU!!!¡± Wraithe shrieked, slamming her fists against his chest in a double-handed blow while one of the Serpent-Kin pressed a strange leather mask over the Tyrant¡¯s face. The Daemon repeated her assault for several long moments before noticing Lurr by the entrance to the room. ¡°YOU! COME HERE!¡± She demanded.


    The authority in her command had Lurr halfway across the room before he even realised what was happening.


    ¡°Hand here!¡± Wraithe snapped, grabbing Lurr¡¯s wrist with a strength that belied her small frame. ¡°Now shock him!¡± She demanded urgently, ¡°Use whatever you have in the tank! Just do it now!¡±


    ¡°...¡± Lurr wanted to do what she wanted, but he didn¡¯t know how.


    ¡°Think lightningy thoughts!¡± Wraithe snapped, causing several of the nearby Serpentkin and lesser Healers to flinch away in fear.


    ¡°Lightning...¡± Lurr closed his eyes and did his best to remember the storm that had returned his strength.


    He remembered the strange spell that had hung in the air. The wet feeling of the rain against his skin. The way his heart had raced as the power coursed through his veins.


    The lingering remnants of the energy inside of him began to stir.


    Lurr remembered the Tyrant watching over him, his eyes betraying his deep and sincere concern for Lurr¡¯s wellbeing. The elation on the Tyrant¡¯s face upon learning of their success...


    Lurr felt the energy flow down his arm and into his hand. The scent of the storm filled his nostrils and the energy disappeared.


    A fresh wave of lethargy threatened to drive Lurr to his knees, but through sheer grit and stubbornness, he remained standing. Determined to see things through to the end.


    Wraithe wrapped her clawed hand around the Tyrant¡¯s throat.


    The room remained silent as a tomb.


    On the verge of collapse, Lurr felt an unexpected surge in strength as energy began passing through his hand, up his arm, and back into his body.


    The Tyrant¡¯s body jerked and dark blood spattered over his mouth and chin.


    ¡°HIS SIDE!!!¡± Wraithe shrieked excitedly, ¡°TURN THE TYRANT ONTO HIS SIDE!!!¡± She leaped off his waist and began straining her wiry muscles to their limit trying to roll the Tyrant over.


    Still somewhat lethargic, Lurr was slow to act. However, it didn¡¯t matter. Several other Daemons had entered the room without him noticing and lent their strength to Wraithe mere moments after the words had passed her razor-sharp teeth.


    The Tyrant jerked again, hacking, wheezing, and expelling more of the dark blood.


    Unsure what to do, Lurr considered backing away to give the Healers more space. However, before he could act on those thoughts, Wraithe pinned him in place with a deadly glare.


    ¡°You! Stay put!¡± Wraithe commanded. ¡°We are not out of the woods yet! Not by a long shot! And those lightning hands of yours will be needed!¡±


    Relieved to learn he had a justified reason for staying close to the Tyrant, Lurr nodded obediently and rested his right hand on the Tyrant¡¯s shoulder. Unsure whether the Tyrant would need the energy himself, Lurr tried giving it back. However, it was as fruitful as pushing against a river, and Lurr quickly found himself receiving far more than he was able to return. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Whatever you are doing, keep doing it!¡± Wraithe snapped without turning her head, but sparing a momentary glare from the corner of her eye to indicate she had been speaking to Lurr. ¡°The Tyrant is not stable enough for invasive surgery! And there is no way I will risk complications from the Devil¡¯s Spell when the Tyrant is barely hanging on by a thread as it is!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a feeding tube?¡± One of the younger Healers, a short scrawny Human suggested meekly.


    The room went silent and the small Human cowered as all eyes turned to stare at him.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Wraithe asked, her voice dangerously sweet and full of the promise of violence.


    The small Human gulped nervously and backed away, his body already drowning in sweat. ¡°I-It-t¡¯s j-jus-s-st,¡± the Human stammered.


    Wraithe was no longer paying attention to the Human and her face shifted expressions so quickly Lurr couldn¡¯t keep track. ¡°No...No James is right! YOU!¡± She pointed a dangerously sharp claw at many-legged Daemon, ¡°Go to the Dwergi and demand one of their larger leather hoses!¡±


    The many-legged Daemon nodded and disappeared.


    ¡°Feeding tube...that¡¯s a good catch, James,¡± Wraithe commented approvingly, ¡°We can get far more nutrients into the Tyrant¡¯s belly with the hose rather than relying on massaging his throat...letting his Racial Ability do most of the work and restore his vitality that much faster. I¡¯ll remember this.¡± She gave the small Human a firm nod of approval before returning her focus to the Tyrant.


    The small Human would have collapsed but was supported by a small crowd of other lesser Healers.


    Unsure what the Healers intended, it wasn¡¯t until Lurr witnessed them poking a hollow leather rope down the Tyrant¡¯s throat that he began to understand.


    The Tyrantess arrived shortly afterward, and despite putting on a brave face, Lurr could tell she still feared for the worst.


    As time dragged by and the Tyrant¡¯s vitality returned, it became increasingly difficult for Lurr not to share the same feelings himself when the Tyrant failed to awaken.


    ¡°The Tyrant just needs time to recover...¡± Wraithe explained gently, patting the Tyrantess¡¯ arm reassuringly. ¡°To have survived at all, it is already something of a miracle...¡± Her long whip-like tail twitched and she eyed the Angels and other Spirits standing quietly in the corner.


    The Spirits had arrived as a group and spoken with no one, seemingly content with waiting in the corner. However, despite taking their vigil in the corner of the room, they didn¡¯t appear to be looking at the Tyrant.


    Following their collective gaze to the far side of the room, Lurr was surprised to find another Spirit was staring back at them.


    Lurr was even more surprised to find the Spirit had the Tyrant¡¯s face. However, the dark empty depths of the Spirit¡¯s eyes felt so wrong that he couldn¡¯t accept that they were in any way alike at all.


    As if sending his gaze, the Spirit turned to face Lurr instead, and he felt his blood run cold.


    ¡°Soon...¡± The Spirit whispered, causing the Spirits opposite to flinch and close ranks around the youngest amongst them. ¡°Mine...In time...¡± The Spirit promised nonchalantly and then evaporated like a small pool of water in the midday sun.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 76 – In death’s shadow – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 76 ¨C In death¡¯s shadow ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 76 - In death''s shadow - Part One


    Staring at his reflection on the lake¡¯s surface, Pete struggled to process the maelstrom of emotions warring inside of his heart.


    From the first day he had learned to read, Pete had become aware that his father¡¯s absences were motivated by necessity and not by personal desire. Learning the importance of the numbers on his father¡¯s Status information had given Pete peace of mind. Peace of mind that came from the understanding that his father was practically invincible.


    Even after watching his father¡¯s HP and MP deteriorate, Pete had convinced himself that his father would somehow come out on top. That he would return victorious, just as he always had before.


    Sensing his father¡¯s return, Pete had exercised his nascent authority to silence the doubts within his mind.


    He was ashamed to admit as much, but Pete now wished he hadn¡¯t.


    The memory of his father¡¯s broken bleeding body was more than he could bear.


    Learning that his father¡¯s wounds had been healed did not banish the memory from Pete¡¯s mind. In some respects, it had only made things worse.


    No matter the injury, his father had managed to bounce back and return to the peak of health within a matter of hours, if not minutes. However, two days had already passed and his father showed no signs of waking up.


    Pete couldn¡¯t help but notice how the adults would stop speaking in his presence, hiding what they knew of his father¡¯s condition. Leaving Pete¡¯s fears and doubts to fester.


    As much as his mother tried to hide it, Pete recognised the same fear had taken hold in her eyes as well.


    Collapsing into the lake, Pete rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky.


    Everything within this world would one day be his. It was a possibility his father had discussed on several occasions. Except it had always been about a distant hypothetical rather than an imminent responsibility.


    Following in his father¡¯s footsteps had been something Pete had accepted as a matter of course. However, now that the provisional authority of the realm had settled on his shoulders, he realised he was far from prepared to shoulder the immense burden and responsibility.


    For the first time in his life, Pete felt incredibly small and vulnerable.


    Moving his arms and legs out of reflex, Pete slowly travelled deeper into the lake, seeking the darkness of the depths so he could hide from the world and wait for his father¡¯s return.


    Alone in the darkness, Pete paid no attention to the passage of time, actively attempting to lose himself in a dreamless slumber.


    Sensing one of the Daemons attempting to connect to his mind, Pete rebuffed them.


    When the attempt was repeated, only with greater urgency, Pete begrudgingly allowed the connection to take hold.


    <Big brother?> The voice was quiet and gentle, lending a small yet entirely unexpected degree of comfort.


    Opening his eyes, Pete found himself staring into the small earnest face of his youngest sister, Momoko. They had met only once before, but Pete could sense the kinship they shared. A bond that was only slightly less strong than he held with twin, Suzy.


    Believing himself undeserving of comfort, Pete closed his eyes and tried to shut out the connection.


    <Listen to Momoko?> Momoko asked quietly. <Can help?> She insisted with gentle yet surprisingly intense resolve.


    <Help? How?> Pete replied gloomily, resenting his sister for disturbing his isolation.


    The image of a massive mountain was shared through their connection and Pete could feel his sister¡¯s intense longing and underlying need to return there. <-help to grow. Help Momoko help Daddy.>


    Pete¡¯s malaise retreated by several degrees as his mind snapped into intense focus. <Help Father?> He demanded, pressing his sister for answers.


    Momoko nodded vigorously, causing her hair to swirl and sway in the water around them. <Spirit weak. Needs new growth...> She scrunched up her small face and shook her head, seemingly unsatisfied with her choice of words. <Needs support. Needs shared strength?...> Momoko appeared somewhat frustrated at not knowing the right words to communicate her intent.


    Images of a tree being struck by lightning flashed through Pete¡¯s mind.


    <Lightning. Power. Share with Daddy. Restore spirit...> Momoko had scrunched up her face and pressed her forefingers against her temples to concentrate her thoughts.


    <Restore father¡¯s spirit...> Pete rolled the thought through his mind, unsure why he was so ready to trust in his newly hatched sister¡¯s words.


    Momoko repeated with surprising clarity. Her thoughts had been gaining coherence and fluency with each exchange, but the sudden leap was somewhat alarming.


    <Why me?> Pete asked, only to recognise the answer immediately afterwards.


    She needed his authority to navigate the disconnected and isolated territories of the realm.


    Momoko nodded and smiled, her eyes flashing with dangerous intensity.


    Focusing on the image of the mountain in his mind, Pete pictured himself and his sister standing on the cold dirt and stones atop the peak.


    Just as Pete willed it, his command became reality.


    ¡°Young master?¡± A rasping voice called out in surprise, drawing Pete¡¯s attention toward a tall, gaunt and bat-winged Daemon perched atop one of the larger boulders.


    ¡°Garn,¡± Pete acknowledged the Daemon¡¯s presence with a curt nod.


    ¡°If I may ask?¡± Garn crawled down from the boulder on all fours, presenting himself before Pete on even ground. ¡°What purpose has brought the young master and mistress to this place?¡±


    Momoko ignored the question and began making her way toward a blackened patch of earth and a burnt stump at its centre.


    ¡°To heal father...¡± Pete replied quietly, still following his youngest sister¡¯s progress across the mountain.


    Garn¡¯s wings twitched excitedly and his clawed hand tightened around the artefact left in his safekeeping. ¡®How may I assist you?!¡± The Daemon asked earnestly.


    Unsure of the details of Momoko¡¯s plan, Pete remained silent.


    Having arrived at the blackened stump, Momoko fell to her knees and wrapped her arms as best as she was able around the remains of the trunk.


    Drawing closer to investigate what his little sister was up to, Pete was taken aback upon discovering she was crying.


    Had their intended plan failed already? What part had the tree been required to play?


    ¡°The mistress was hatched from a fruit born of the tree,¡± Garn explained quietly, guessing at the source of Pete''s confusion. ¡°The tree passed shortly before the mistress hatched...¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Pete didn¡¯t know what to say. Already wrestling with the possibility of his father¡¯s death, Pete felt a profound sense of empathy for her loss. However, his feelings quickly turned to alarm when Momoko suddenly disappeared without warning.


    Moving closer to investigate, Pete suddenly had to scramble away again as the earth beneath his feet began to tremble and shake violently.


    The blackened stump disintegrated as a new sapling surged out of the dirt and began growing at a tremendous pace.


    Suppressing his panic, Pete could sense the mana fueling the tree¡¯s growth. He became somewhat confused upon discovering that the tree was both the source and recipient of the mana.


    After a handful of minutes, the tree¡¯s growth came to an abrupt end and Momoko reappeared, sitting at the base of the trunk, her eyes still puffy from her tears.


    ¡°Sister...¡± Pete closed the distance between them with a few quick strides, lifted her into his arms, and hugged her tightly.


    Despite possessing the proportions of a Human, Momoko returned his embrace with deceptively intense Strength and vigour.


    Some time later, Momoko pulled away and Pete set her back down on the ground. As he did so, Pete became confused after realising his youngest sister had appeared to have grown nearly twice her original height without him noticing until this moment.


    Furthermore, Momoko appeared to have not only grown taller but somewhat older as well. By no means an adult, she shared the slim lanky build Pete had come to recognise as belonging to the older children who were half a year old. Or, in the Human¡¯s odd frame of reference, around twelve years old.


    ¡°Thank you, big brother,¡± Momoko¡¯s smile radiated a profound and undeniable sincerity.


    Pete shrugged bashfully and stared pointedly at the tree behind her. ¡°This tree is you?¡± He asked, wanting to confirm what his authority already claimed was true.


    Momoko nodded and placed one hand against the trunk of the tree, ¡°I am the tree, but the tree is also me,¡± she amended without a trace of guile or humour. ¡°We are of two bodies, but one soul...Or...It is the body and I am the soul?...¡± Momoko frowned slightly and seemed to grow distracted by her own thoughts.


    ¡°A Dryad?¡± Pete asked uncertainly. He had reviewed his sister¡¯s Status and knew she was not a Dryad, but Momoko¡¯s explanation fit what he knew of Hana and her sister.


    Momoko scrunched up her face as she considered her reply. ¡°It is not entirely different...¡± She hedged. ¡°But mother and auntie do not share their senses in the same way...It is difficult to explain...¡±


    Pete nodded to show he understood. He had encountered several instances while watching and learning from the Daemons and other monsters within Sanctuary. Not all monsters share the same extraordinary senses. Each had their strengths and limitations, and some had unique advantages.


    Momoko turned to look at Garna and held out her hands expectantly. ¡°I need those,¡± she pointed to the magical hood on his shoulders and the staff in his hands.


    Garn appears momentarily taken aback. However, after considering Momoko¡¯s demand, he surrendered both items without complaint.


    Smiling in gratitude, Momoko took the items to her tree and threw them up into its branches. Instead of tumbling back down to the ground, the hood and staff were caught by two large spindly hands formed from the tree¡¯s branches.


    The storm clouds overhead began to grow darker and rumbled ominously.


    As the rain began to fall, Pete could feel the tree circulating mana and Chi simultaneously, drawing, spending and generating both resources in a dizzying and repetitive cycle.


    Momoko slowly and somewhat stiffly walked away from her tree. The distracted look in her eyes suggested that whatever it was the tree was doing required a certain degree of her concentration to continue. ¡°Big brother, has Daddy shown you how to Cultivate with breathing techniques?¡± Momoko asked earnestly.


    Pete nodded and used his authority to conjure a leather book. One of several books gifted from his father, the leather pages of the book were made by the Daemons to be entirely waterproof, and a reactive glowing ink impregnated into the leather allowed its contents to be read in the dark.


    This particular book contained details and descriptions and step-by-step instructions on several dozen different breathing Techniques as well as a collection of stories related to the more famous among them.


    Pete offered his sister the book but felt a pang of reluctance and regret as she took it from his hands.


    Struggling under the weight and the awkward size of the book, Momoko set it down on the ground and began slowly turning the pages. Eventually, she settled on a page demonstrating the Breath of the Forest breathing Technique. The illustration depicted a young Human adult male with long hair and colourful robes sitting beneath several large trees being swept by a powerful wind. It was also one of the few breathing Techniques accompanied by a story. However, Momoko didn¡¯t appear interested in the story at all, focusing only on the large detailed illustration.


    ¡°This one, can you teach me, big brother?¡± Momoko asked, eagerly pointing to the illustration.


    Pete couldn¡¯t help himself and frowned. ¡°You need my help?¡± He asked, confused and uncertain of what his youngest sister intended.


    Momoko gingerly shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t understand this,¡± she pointed to the words on the page opposite the illustration.


    ¡°You...can¡¯t read?¡± Pete realised he had made several poor assumptions based on his youngest sister¡¯s appearance and chastised himself for it.


    ¡°No...¡± Momoko pouted, puffing out her cheeks in exaggerated irritation, ¡°I can read and write-¡± She drew several dozen characters into the mud in rapid succession. Only, she wrote them vertically rather than horizontally. Were it not for her supreme confidence, Pete wouldn¡¯t have believed her claims.


    ¡°The tallest tree draws the strongest storms,¡± Garn translated, surprising them both in equal measure.


    ¡°You can read this?¡± Pete demanded, pointing to the markings his youngest sister had made in the mud.


    Garn nodded in the affirmative. ¡°Indeed, young master. It is one of the three known languages of the Cultivators,¡± he explained in his dry croaking voice. ¡°It is the King¡¯s command that all Daemons learn the languages of the Tyrant¡¯s subjects,¡± he provided as an explanation for his first explanation.


    Having known Gric his entire life, Pete didn¡¯t find the command particularly surprising. Discovering, preserving and distributing information was one of Gric¡¯s self-imposed duties, and language was a core component of that aspiration.


    Sitting on the ground beside the book, Pete slowly worked his way through the description of the Technique and the accompanying instructions. While he was technically literate, he was not yet proficient enough to read even half as fast as he could speak the same words aloud and was in no hurry to make a fool of himself.


    Thankfully, the illustration provided most of the necessary description all on its own. Demonstrating the correct form required to initiate the required meditation for the Technique and even clues for how the subject of the meditation itself.


    After explaining the contents of the Technique and the clues represented in the illustration, Pete left his youngest sister to practise on her own for a little while and cleaned his book in the nearby spring. Despite its resistance to water and extreme durability, knowing that the book was soiled by the mud irked Pete on a profoundly deep level that he couldn¡¯t put into words.


    It was an opinion that Pete knew was shared by his father. A thought that had once given him a small degree of comfort but now brought only a mounting sense of unease as his thoughts turned to the uncertain fate of his father.


    Watching Momoko meditate beneath her tree, Pete was left alone with Garn and his own thoughts for company.


    Growing increasingly anxious regarding his future and all of the responsibilities he would be expected to take onto his shoulders, Pete came to a decision.


    Exercising his authority, Pete returned to the bottom of the lake and began to meditate, drawing the mana-rich water into his body and over his gills with increasing speed. Similar to drawing in the Cultivation energy, Pete drew the mana out of the water and took it into himself.


    Losing himself to the rhythm and repetition, Pete retained only enough awareness of his surroundings to read the notifications as they appeared in front of his eyes. Evolving several times in as many minutes, Pete continued drawing raw mana into himself, reinforcing and building upon his increasing reserve of MP.


    Following his father¡¯s path had been the logical choice. However, Pete was still surprised and somewhat concerned that the Tyrant subEvolution had been made available after achieving the Ogre Mage Evolution he had originally intended.


    Shouldn¡¯t it be reserved for the Tyrant?


    Taking it as a sign, Pete intended to follow his father¡¯s example and accepted the prompt offering the accompanying Class. Using his authority, Pete relocated himself to the Dwergi arena.


    So little time had passed since their visit and Pete found it upsetting that so much could be allowed to change.


    Why couldn¡¯t they just be left alone?


    Blinking away his tears, Pete looked out from the viewing box and focused on the duelling platforms below.


    Despite the late hour, hundreds of Humans occupied the public seats overlooking the arena and viewing platforms.


    Nearly as many Humans, and a few others, were waiting their turn on the centremost stage. Besides being the largest of the platforms in the arena, the Dwergi changed the terrain between each duel, making it a unique experience for each duel.


    Watching the Dwergi work unlocked the first Spell Pete was looking for. After accepting the Shape Earth Spell into his Grimoire of Flesh, a jagged mountain range was imprinted into his skin and Pete grimly noted that he had gained the Earth Affinity.


    Due to stringent requirements, Spellcasting Classes were comparatively rare and exclusively specialised, making Pete¡¯s acquisition of the desired Spells agonisingly slow.


    ¡°Young master...¡± Without warning, Gric had appeared at his side and was frowning with disapproval. ¡°The Tyrantess is distressed by your absence...¡± His slitted pupils narrowed, darting to and fro as they took in Pete¡¯s new appearance. ¡°You have grown,¡± Gric commented matter of factly, neither approving nor disapproving of Pete''s actions.


    ¡°Need to help,¡± Pete insisted, ¡°Need to be ready...¡±


    Gric¡¯s stare intensified. ¡°Your place is at the side of the Tyrantess,¡± he countered. ¡°Disunity in crisis is selfish and invites further disaster.¡± His right eye twitched and Pete could feel the Daemon King observing his surface thoughts. ¡°How does your absence help?¡± Gric probed.


    Pete wasn¡¯t exactly sure of the reason himself. He just trusted that his youngest sister knew what she was doing.


    ¡°The youngest mistress...¡± Gric purred dangerously.


    Pete felt a tug on the core of his being and intuitively understood that Gric was attempting to exercise his own authority to move them somewhere else. Assuming he would be presented before his mother, and feeling increasingly guilty about abandoning her, Pete allowed Gric¡¯s authority to temporarily supersede his own.


    However, instead of appearing before his mother, Pete found he had returned to the mountain.


    Gric stalked through the mud and toward Momoko. ¡°Young mistress, how does this aid the Tyrant?¡± He demanded, breaking her concentration.


    Flustered and thoroughly caught off guard, Momoko shrank back from the Daemon and disappeared into the trunk of her tree.


    Gric growled in frustration, balling his fists and causing his back to crackle and pop under the immense pressure. However, he became calm again just as quickly. ¡°Young mistress...I apologise for my impertinence...My fervour in pursuing my duties led me to ignore any discomfort I may cause...¡±


    After several long moments, Momoko cautiously peeked out from the trunk of her tree. ¡°You aren¡¯t mad?¡± She asked timidly.


    Gric took a deep breath and assumed a serene expression similar to the Humans depicted in Pete¡¯s book. ¡°I am not mad, young mistress. I am just deeply concerned for the welfare of the Tyrant.¡±


    Momoko gnawed at her lower lip and looked to Pete for support.


    ¡°It is safe,¡± Pete stated confidently. Even if he wasn¡¯t bound by oaths of loyalty, Gric wouldn¡¯t hurt them. Pete knew it with the same certainty that the sun would rise each morning and set again each evening. Gric¡¯s honour and pride simply wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    As Gric gave Pete a small nod of thanks, Momoko took the opportunity to dash past him and hide protectively behind Pete¡¯s back.


    ¡°Gric is...¡± Pete struggled to find the right words to set his youngest sister at ease. ¡°He is father¡¯s friend. He protects us.¡±


    Gric¡¯s back cast back his shoulders and tilted his head so his three horns caught the moonlight. ¡°As always, I endeavour to find myself deserving of the trust placed in me and my kin.¡±


    Garn nodded silently in emphatic agreement.


    Holding tightly to Pete¡¯s arm, Momoko continued to hesitate.


    ¡°Gric will help,¡± Pete insisted, resisting the urge to become frustrated at his younger sister. He knew she was just frightened and wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose.


    ¡°Big brother is sure?¡± Momoko asked timidly.


    ¡°Big brother is sure,¡± Pete repeated with absolute confidence and feeling a certain sense of pride in reassuring his sister. Given Suzy¡¯s reckless and utterly fearless nature, it was altogether a unique experience for him.


    ¡°Okay...¡± Momoko nervously stepped out from behind Pete''s back but continued holding tightly to his arm. ¡°Father¡¯s internal energy is out of balance...¡± She explained quietly. ¡°Father used Death Chi to preserve his life...but it is a poison and has damaged father¡¯s spirit...¡±


    Gric¡¯s eyes flashed with recognition but he remained silent. No doubt worried that any action he might take would cause Momoko to run and hide again.


    ¡°How do we heal this damage?¡± Garn asked respectfully, taking great care to appear as unthreatening as possible.


    ¡°Father needs new energy to heal his spirit and restore balance,¡± Momoko explained with increasing confidence. ¡°If I gather enough, I can heal Father!¡±


    ¡°You are certain?¡± Gric asked quietly.


    Momoko nodded determinedly.


    ¡°And what role does the young master play in this plan?¡± Gric shifted his gaze from her and onto Pete instead.


    Momoko¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°I needed brother¡¯s help to return to the mountain...¡±


    ¡°So the young master can return home now?¡± Gric pressed. ¡°Lurr possesses a token that will allow him to ferry the young mistress back to The Grove when-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Momoko cried, tightening her grip on Pete¡¯s arm. ¡°Uncle must stay with Father! And big brother must stay with me!¡±


    Gric furrowed his brow slightly but said nothing.


    ¡°The young mistress is certain of this?¡± Garn asked nervously.


    Momoko nodded so fiercely that she had to push her wet hair out of her face afterwards.


    ¡°Perhaps the young master could spare a few moments to ease the worries of the Tyrantess?¡± Garn suggested, sharing a sidelong glance with Gric.


    Pete shifted uncomfortably. He had not intended to upset his mother. However, as much as he had been able to justify his absence, Pete knew it wouldn¡¯t mean much in the face of his mother¡¯s worry. He also knew that he should have told her where he was going. The only reason he hadn¡¯t, was out of fear that she would have forbid him from leaving.


    ¡°I could come back after...¡± Pete said somewhat uncertainly, trying to reassure his youngest sister despite his doubts.


    ¡°I will go with big brother,¡± Momoko stated meekly, her fingers trembling with fear and uncertainty.


    Pete had never thought of his mother as a source of potential danger, but he realised that he had always considered the issue from a privileged perspective. As her child, Pete knew, on a primal level, that his mother would never knowingly cause him harm without incredibly good cause.


    Of course, that protection did not automatically extend to Momoko...


    She was his sister, but not his mother¡¯s daughter...


    But Eg wasn¡¯t her daughter either, and she received the same love and affection as he and Suzy. So Pete couldn¡¯t be certain how his mother would react.


    Aware that delaying would only make matters worse, Pete used his authority to take himself and Momoko to his mother.


    It came as no surprise to Pete when he found himself in the dark lower levels beneath the hospital. His mother had left his father¡¯s side on only a handful of occasions over the past couple of days and was never away for long.


    Having expected to find his mother angry at him, Pete was devastated upon realising she was disappointed in him. That he had let her down and fallen short of her expectations.


    Gutted, Pete staggered and would have fallen if he hadn¡¯t caught himself against the wall.


    ¡°You were gone...¡± His mother said quietly with hurt in her eyes. ¡°Why did you go?...¡± There was no judgement in her voice, but he could still hear the same undertone of disappointment.


    ¡°Pete bad!¡± Suzy growled, gnashing her teeth even as she snuggled deeper into their mother¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Hush Suzy...¡± Their mother cooed soothingly without taking her eyes off of him. ¡°Pete will explain...¡±


    ¡°Youngest sister...Momoko, she needs my help...¡± Pete answered quietly, feeling too guilty to quite match his mother¡¯s gaze. ¡°She says she can help Father...¡±


    Suzy glared at Momoko and hissed between her teeth.


    With a fearful yelp, Momoko fled and hid behind Pete¡¯s back.


    ¡°Suzy,¡± their mother growled in warning, unintentionally upsetting Eg and causing her to whimper in alarm.


    Suzy flinched and looked away, choosing to stare at nothing in particular just so she wouldn¡¯t have to look at him.


    ¡°Youngest sister has a plan...¡± Pete repeated earnestly, ¡°And she needs help...¡± Pete had been avoiding looking at his father, but couldn¡¯t help himself any longer. As much as he hated seeing his father in this condition, a part of him needed to confirm that he was still there. That he was still alive.


    Lurr, who had remained silent up until this moment, loudly cleared his throat and drew all eyes to himself. ¡°Tyrant¡¯s heir not fleeing. Son chases father¡¯s shadow,¡± he pointed to Pete¡¯s tattoo, recognising its significance. ¡°Says Tyrant will heal. Lurr believes,¡± Lurr bowed his head to Pete in respect.


    Pete couldn¡¯t help but fidget uncomfortably as his mother¡¯s eyes settled on his tattoo. However, instead of becoming further disappointed, a small measure of weight appeared to lift off her shoulders.


    ¡°You have his Evolution,¡± his mother commented with unexpected approval and a measure of surprise.


    Pete nodded.


    His mother¡¯s eyes grew unfocused for a moment as she reviewed his status. ¡°And his Class...¡± Her expression grew conflicted and Pete wasn¡¯t sure what she was feeling. ¡°I trust you...¡± His mother said quietly and beckoned for him to come closer.


    Closing the distance between them, Pete leaned into his mother¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± his mother insisted, tightening her embrace briefly before releasing him again.


    ¡°I will, mama,¡± Pete promised.


    Sparing one final look at his father, Pete took Momoko¡¯s hand and returned to the mountain.


    ¡°The Tyrantess approves,¡± Gric observed with absolute certainty. ¡°How may I assist the young master?¡±


    Reassured by his mother¡¯s approval and Gric¡¯s support, Pete decided to make the most of his available resources. ¡°I need more Spells,¡± he explained bluntly, driving straight to the heart of the matter.


    ¡°Which Spells?¡± Gric asked without judgment or reservation. ¡°Name your requirement and I will do my best to see it met.¡±


    Pete shifted somewhat uncomfortably. ¡°I need Spells that will match Father¡¯s Affinities...¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Momoko joined in excitedly, ¡°Big brother is so smart!¡±


    Gric cocked his head slightly to one side but said nothing. Instead, he cycled through several Spells in relatively rapid succession. ¡°These are the Spells granted to me by the Tyrant,¡± he explained carefully while dismissing a ragged black tear in the sky. ¡°To my knowledge, the Tyrant does not possess any others.¡±


    Taking the elemental Spells into his Grimoire of Flesh, Pete confirmed that the Spells had granted him their corresponding affinities. However, he paused when confronted with the Drain Life Spell. ¡°I do not want it...¡± Pete admitted, feeling ashamed for his cowardice.


    If the Affinity was able to lay his father low, Pete doubted he would be able to keep his promise to his mother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it,¡± Momoko replied supportively, sharing a small smile through the rain. ¡°We don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°You are sure?¡± Pete asked uncertainly.


    Momoko hesitated, but only for a moment. ¡°We don¡¯t need it!¡± She repeated, this time with seemingly unflappable conviction.


    Choosing to trust his sister, Pete selected the Spatial Breach Spell as the second to last entry into his Grimoire of Flesh. Until he gained more Exp, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn any other Spells. So he thought it best to keep the final space in reserve.


    Now that he possessed the Thunder Affinity, Pete could feel the immense power concentrated around them. More than mana and the raw Cultivation energy, he could feel the storm being drawn into his body with each new breath. Building and growing inside of him, spreading from his abdomen and into his veins.


    Assuming his meditation stance and cycling his breathing Technique amplified the effects over a hundredfold. Similar to how his Water Affinity increased while meditating in the lake, his Thunder Affinity¡¯s rank began to climb. Only it was increasing with every few minutes rather than days.


    As the ambient Thunder Affinity-aligned energy began to ebb, the progress of his Affinity began to drop.


    Feeling his youngest sister take hold of his hand, Pete experienced a renewed surge of energy flood through his veins.


    All but blind to the storm, Pete was slow to recognise an unfamiliar smell building in the air, and entirely unprepared for the sudden flash of light that stole his vision. Pete¡¯s fears were forgotten as he felt a massive surge of power pass through Momoko¡¯s body and into his own.


    Feeling a sense of panic as the power threatened to overwhelm him, Pete felt a profound sense of relief as the power receded through his connection to his youngest sister. When the power returned a handful of moments later, Pete managed to keep his nerve until the power receded again. As the power returned for a third time, he discovered that he could direct its flow through his body, drawing away at its strength and taking more of its essence into himself before guiding it back to Momoko.


    Despite the danger, Pete was surprised to discover that he was enjoying himself and couldn¡¯t stop himself from grinning from ear to ear.


    ***** Gregory ~ Asrusian Former Capital *****


    Walking the empty streets of the former capital, Gregory couldn''t help but feel a lingering but profound sense of despair. With the citizens refusing to remain within the city, only a small garrison remained to hold the castle and control access to the Labyrinth.


    It would only be a matter of time before the Confederates seized control over the city, likely under peaceful pretences.


    As much as Gregory wanted to believe that it was the people who made the country, not the land they lived upon, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a profound sense of loss.


    Surveying the destruction wrought by the unknown enemy, Gregory had no delusions regarding the need to evacuate the civilians from the city.


    According to the reports, the monster had been capable of levelling stone buildings with a single strike, and there was no shortage of physical evidence to support this claim.


    Working alongside the other soldiers, Gregory had pulled hundreds of broken bodies from beneath the rubble of fallen buildings. No doubt, many of them had been seeking shelter, placing their hopes in the strength of their stone walls to save them. Only to find themselves crushed to death by those same walls.


    A small number of soldiers had taken to blaming the Tyrant for the disaster, believing he had fled from the battle and left the civilians to fend for themselves.


    Gregory knew that the rumour was unfounded. By chance, he had been on leave within the capital when the enemy had attacked the city. While trying to locate the enemy, Gregory had received the Quest announcing the Tyrant¡¯s critical state.


    Surveying the ground of the battle in person and having read the eyewitness reports, Gregory knew better than to accuse the Tyrant of cowardice.


    The Tyrant had faced the enemy and fought until the bitter end.


    Kneeling and pressing his hand against the edge of the large patch of dried blood that covered half of the street, Gregory considered it nothing short of a miracle that the Tyrant had survived.


    Tracking the devastation of the battle, it became clear to Gregory that the Tyrant had been outmatched from the beginning. Brief exchanges would be made and then the Tyrant would retreat, perhaps intending to buy time to regenerate MP or attempt to cast a Spell before engaging in another brief but brutal exchange. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The blood trails the Tyrant had left in his wake made it painfully easy to retrace his steps. Even collapsed buildings only provided a minor inconvenience. Confirming the flow of the battle rather than obfuscating it.


    While retracing the Tyrant¡¯s steps, Gregory discovered the Tyrant¡¯s crimson stone armour half buried in rubble. After sending a description of the location to his men and giving orders for its retrieval, Gregory removed the wand from the case on his belt and teleported to the receiving chambers of the Lord Regent.


    ¡°Enter,¡± the Lord Regent commanded a fraction of a second after Gregory¡¯s arrival.


    As one of a handful of individuals who possessed the means to bypass the Anchor protecting the Lord Regent¡¯s residence, the speedy invitation came as no surprise. Especially given the Daemons¡¯ intense dislike for wasting time while on the Tyrant¡¯s business.


    Entering the Regent¡¯s study, Gregory was not surprised to find he was not alone.


    The monster, Jacque, a Doppelganger and friend of the Tyrant was wearing her usual disguise. Emulating the appearance of the Lord Regent¡¯s late wife down to the most esoteric details, it came as little surprise why the Lord Regent actively pursued her company.


    Gregory had observed the pair reference past conversations with immaculate detail, even going so far as to argue over whose retelling was closer to the truth. A feat that was made all the more impressive considering the Doppelganger was working entirely off of the Lord Regent¡¯s memories.


    Of course, the Doppelganger was an entirely different person whenever the Lord Regent was outside of earshot. Making it clear that it was all an elaborate act.


    Taking on her true form, except for a lipless gash that served as her mouth, the Doppelganger made it clear that she would not be affecting a persona. ¡°Did you find out who these Amun and Kema bastards are?!¡± The Doppelganger demanded rudely.


    Gregory made a point of addressing his attention to the Lord Regent. ¡°Beyond what we have already learned from witness testimony, it is still unclear what role the second individual played in the attack-¡±


    ¡°Besides murdering a couple of thousand people you mean?¡± Jacque jibed, her white pupiless eyes glaring at him from across the room.


    Gregory had seen the bodies for himself and would have suspected suicide were it not for several key factors. Foremost amongst them was the extreme degree of coordination with which regular civilians had taken knives to their throats and ended their lives. A close second was how they had chosen to do so while begging and screaming for passersby to help them. Many of them had been neighbours. Making the attack all the more chilling and repulsive.


    Amun, whoever they were, had conducted the execution with ruthless efficiency. Demonstrating a truly disturbed, or perhaps, monstrous, mind.


    ¡°I have been telling you, those people you had me take a look at, they felt weird...¡± Jacque insisted and gave an exaggerated shiver. ¡°There are only a few things that register like that, and according to you lot, Tim killed one of them already.¡±


    ¡°You are referring to the monster that was known as ¡®The Tailor¡¯?¡± The Lord Regent asked for clarification.


    ¡°Yeah,'''' Jacque nodded and made another show of shivering. ¡°Kiki was demented. An addict that would do ANYTHING for her next fix...But this shit...It has autistic psychopath written all over it, and from what I saw in those civies'' heads, I¡¯d bet this Amun is another bug.¡±


    ¡°The unaccounted-for fluids at the scene would support this hypothesis,¡± Gregory agreed, albeit somewhat grudgingly. ¡°If we could speak with the Tyrant¡¯s men, we could-¡±


    ¡°Fat chance of that happening,¡± Jacque interrupted. ¡°Have you forgotten that you¡¯re at the top of his shit list?¡±


    Gregory had not forgotten. Hardly a day went by without him dwelling on the damage he had done to the reputation of the Kingdom. Casting them out of favour just in time for the Semenovians to step into the void. Although, thankfully, the Semenovians seemed too preoccupied in their rebuilding efforts to make the most of the opportunity.


    ¡°Okay, so maybe he doesn¡¯t have a shit list per se,¡± Jacque continued, casually swinging her hips and sitting herself down on the Lord Regent¡¯s desk. ¡°But he isn¡¯t happy about what you did, and the Daemons, ooh boy do they take that sort of thing seriously. You have no idea how badly they would treat you lot if given the chance. You think Gric¡¯s giving you the cold shoulder now? The Arctic would look like the Bahamas if you tried sneaking into Sanctuary right now.¡± She paused and rubbed at her temples. ¡°The Arctic is a frozen wasteland and the Bahamas is basically a tropical paradise...keep forgetting you mooks don¡¯t get those sort of references...¡±


    ¡°The context was more than adequate,¡± the Lord Regent reassured her before turning to face Gregory again. ¡°What of the rumours amongst the soldiers?¡± He asked gravely.


    ¡°I think it is growing worse,¡± Gregory replied. ¡°The crackdowns performed by the officers don¡¯t appear to be working.¡±


    ¡°I told you it was the wrong way to go,¡± Jacque gloated. ¡°Tim won¡¯t give two shits about people finding out he got his ass kicked fighting to protect people. It¡¯s kind of just a thing he does at this point. He probably won¡¯t even care that much when he finds out people have been badmouthing him. But it¡¯s not Tim you need to worry about, is it?¡±


    The Lord Regent grimaced. ¡°The Daemons will hold us responsible,¡± he commented, already accepting the inevitable.


    ¡°Unless Tim explicitly tells them not to? You can bet your ass they will,¡± Jacque crowed. ¡°The Daemons don¡¯t spare a great deal of nuance for this sort of thing. If they don¡¯t see this as some sort of betrayal, then I would be incredibly surprised.¡±


    ¡°You believe the Tyrant will recover then?¡± The Lord Regent inquired, ignoring the doom and gloom and choosing to focus on the silver lining.


    ¡°Whoever they are, they made a mistake in not finishing Tim off when they had the chance,¡± Jacque hopped off of the table and paced the far end of the room. ¡°Tim heals crazy fast, even without those Surgeons of his. He¡¯s probably physically good to go already. It¡¯s the other part that we need to worry about...¡±


    ¡°The other part?¡± Gregory asked before he could stop himself.


    ¡°Everyone seems to take Tim¡¯s good nature for granted...¡± Jacque commented darkly, ¡°But none of you have taken a look at what¡¯s under the hood-gah, fuck! Hidden beneath the surface? Yeah that works, now where was I?¡±


    ¡°Misunderstanding the Tyrant¡¯s intentions,¡± the Lord Regent offered helpfully.


    ¡°More than just a handsome face,¡± Jacque purred lustily before growing sober again. ¡°This is the same shit as the Liche and Vampyres all over again. That brutal attack on the civies is a huge no-no. It¡¯s the sort of thing that fucks him up in the head. Tim¡¯s too soft for that sort of shit and it makes him take it real personal...¡± She paused and pinned them both in place with a lengthy stare. ¡°It¡¯s basically a guarantee that he¡¯s going to somehow blame himself for what happened. Which means a little bit more of the person you want and need him to be is going to be cast aside so he can pressure himself into getting his hands dirty and seek revenge.¡±


    ¡°You are confident in this insight?¡± The Lord Regent asked.


    ¡°Fuck yeah I am!¡± Jacque replied earnestly, ¡°I watched it happen in real-time. I was inside of his head as he rationalised each step along the way...Pray Tim hasn¡¯t recovered yet and is in some sort of coma. If he isn¡¯t, you''re looking at another war...¡°


    ¡°Then we must prepare accordingly...¡± The Lord Regent withdrew a small stack of papers from inside his desk and began drafting orders. ¡°This is one of the reasons I never desired the throne,¡± he sighed wearily. ¡°It is a far better position to offer advice from the wings while comforted in the knowledge that the final decision and responsibility would not rest on my head...¡± Pausing briefly, he stared out the window and at the two young boys receiving riding lessons outside. ¡°At least the Tyrant¡¯s Oaths have ensured there is no need to worry about misguided assassination attempts...¡±


    ¡°Small miracles,¡± Jacque tittered, changing her appearance and crossing the room to look out the same window. ¡°I don¡¯t think some people appreciate how big a deal it is to be able to let your kid play outside and not have to freak out the moment they run around a corner...¡±


    ¡°I am sure many parents have found peace of mind in the Tyrant¡¯s policies,¡± the Lord Regent replied, returning to his work. ¡°It is just unfortunate that those who could assign private protection for their children do not necessarily share that view.¡±


    Remaining at attention, Gregory grunted in agreement. It was rare that members of the nobility suffered meaningful consequences for their decisions and vain aspirations. With murder and assault explicitly forbidden and enforced by the Oaths, the troublemakers among the nobility would be limited to attacking one another with words, or perhaps duels in the Dwergi arena, if they were feeling particularly ornery.


    ¡°Captain?¡± The Lord Regent remained focused on his work but motioned for Gregory to approach. ¡°What do you make of this report?¡± He nodded to a small stack of papers by his right hand.


    Gingerly reaching for the report, Gregory quickly scanned its contents. ¡°It is another Labyrinth Raid?¡±


    Raids were rare due to the extensive controls imposed upon most Labyrinths. However, every so often, a city would suffer a Raid as a result of poor management and the alignment of unfortunate circumstances.


    ¡°Keep reading,¡± the Lord Regent urged.


    Gregory did as he was told but quickly found himself doubting the remaining contents of the report.


    ¡°I had the same look on my face no less than an hour ago when I read the report for myself,¡± the Lord Regent commented soberly, setting aside his quill.


    ¡°An army of Hobgoblins all armed with magic wands?¡± Gregory insisted incredulously. ¡°Surely this report isn¡¯t credible?¡±


    The Lord Regent spared a glance toward Jacque, his expression grim.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t wands,¡± Jacque commented dryly without looking away from the window. ¡°They¡¯re a weapon that uses science, alchemy I guess you could call it, to throw small metal projectiles at incredible speeds over long distances...We call them guns...¡±


    ¡°Alchemy?¡± Gregory only became more confused.


    Jacque sighed and ran one hand through her long brown hair. ¡°If it helps, think of it like a crossbow. Only, without the arms and firing just the head of the bolt...¡±


    ¡°We have spoken on this at great length already,¡± the Lord Regent admitted, ¡°And I doubt we are the only ones to do so. As I am sure you are aware, Captain, the city of Ghelk is on the far side of the Confederacy. So it is safe to assume that if we have learned of these strange weapons, others have as well.¡±


    ¡°Fat load of good it will do them,¡± Jacque snorted contemptuously, evidently aware of something they were not. ¡°The thing about guns is, the bullets, the projectiles they fire, they need a special powder to make them work. You could steal as many of the bullets and guns as you want, but if you don¡¯t know how to make more of the powder it won¡¯t amount to much.¡±


    ¡°In the same vein as possessing a hunting bow and a brace of arrows, without the knowledge to replace those that are lost or damaged,¡± the Lord Regent elaborated for Gregory¡¯s benefit, ¡°yes we discussed as much before...¡±


    ¡°I also remember telling you that guns are a really bad idea...¡± Jacque warned icily. ¡°You can bet your arse Tim knows about guns, and it should tell you all you need to know about them when you take notice that he hasn¡¯t ¡®reinvented them¡¯...¡±


    As the Doppelganger¡¯s words sank home, Gregory felt a chill run down his spine. For all the gifts in Healing the Tyrant had provided, it had never occurred to him that the Tyrant might possess knowledge of such destructive weaponry as well.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 76 – In death’s shadow – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 76 ¨C In death¡¯s shadow ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 76 - In death''s shadow - Part Two


    Unable to contain the enormity of the energy entering her body, Momoko diverted a portion of her regenerating MP to fuel her physical growth and delve deeper into the heart of the mountain. As her roots took in raw materials, Momoko increased the girth of her trunk and branches, lacing them with trace minerals.


    In addition to reinforcing her body, the trace minerals served as a medium to increase Momoko¡¯s ability to store Chi in preparation for future needs.


    Burrowing through the stone core of the mountain was a slow and laborious affair.


    As if sensing her difficulties, Momoko received unexpected assistance from her older brother, Pete.


    The knowledge and ability to cast Several Spells entered her mind.


    Using the Shape Stone Spell, Momoko turned large stretches of stone to sand, allowing her roots to surge through the mountain with far greater speed.


    As the storm continued to rage above them, Momoko cemented her dominion over the mountain.


    Now able to process and store the majority of the incoming energy, Momoko focused on cycling the energy through her body and passing the refined energy along to her brother. Pete then refined the energy further and returned it.


    Forming a small but complete circuit, they both gradually internalised the refined energy and used it to expand their respective foundations. Allowing them to draw in more refined energy. However, Momoko¡¯s instincts warned her that there was a limit to how much energy they could internalise.


    If they pushed themselves too far too quickly, Heart Demons would establish a foothold in their souls and do potentially irreparable damage.


    Deactivating the Artefact, Momoko shifted her MP toward growing her branches and extending her root network beyond the mountain.


    ¡°Sister, stop,¡± Pete warned, breaking from his meditative trance.


    Trusting in her brother, Momoko did as he asked. ¡°What is wrong?¡± She asked, unsure what would give him cause for the sudden warning.


    ¡°There are beasts outside of the barrier,¡± Pete replied grimly. ¡°I can¡¯t make it bigger...¡±


    ¡°Barrier?¡± Momoko expanded her senses and was alarmed to find that her older brother was right. Thousands of Beasts were gathered just beyond the limits of her outermost roots and had churned up the earth in their attempts to draw closer to them.


    ¡°Father¡¯s barrier...¡± Pete elaborated, his expression darkening with repressed sadness. ¡°It keeps the Humans and others safe from wild Beasts. The Beasts can¡¯t cross over it...¡±


    ¡°Oh...I don¡¯t know that Spell...¡± Momoko murmured distractedly.


    ¡°Not a Spell,¡± Pete corrected neutrally, ¡°Father¡¯s authority.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Momoko repeated, suddenly becoming aware of another set of senses she hadn¡¯t known she possessed until that moment. ¡°Could we make it bigger...No...nevermind...¡± She felt the answer make itself known to her the moment she considered it. ¡°Could we make others?¡± Momoko didn¡¯t feel the same resistance, but it wasn¡¯t encouraging either. She tried not to feel too disappointed or frustrated.


    Momoko had intended to increase her size until she possessed enough raw power to bring balance to their father¡¯s internal energy. Being hemmed in by the barrier and the Beasts beyond it was an obstacle, but not an insurmountable one.


    Even if their sister, Suzy, was given the same foundation, they would still lack the raw power they required. So, Momoko decided to change her plans accordingly.


    If they couldn¡¯t rely on raw power, then they would need to learn finesse.


    ¡°We need a teacher,¡± Momoko insisted, looking to her brother for answers.


    Pete silently considered the request for a handful of seconds and then nodded to himself. ¡°Father recruited Cultivators to teach us,¡± he paused and pointed to the west. ¡°They are over there.¡±


    Momoko expanded her senses further and eventually confirmed his words for herself. However, she was having extreme difficulties separating herself according to her two bodies, which was a problem if she wanted to travel by using her limited authority.


    ¡°Big brother, could you take us there?¡± Momoko asked somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Just us I mean, and not my tree?¡±


    Pete considered the question for a moment, blinked both sets of eyelids, and then nodded confidently. ¡°I can do that,¡± he agreed. Pete closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath.


    Momoko suddenly became aware of her two selves gaining a tremendous degree of distance from each other. Although it wasn¡¯t painful, the sensation of such a separation was uniquely unpleasant and left her feeling a profound sense of anxiety. However, the gentle hand of her brother on her shoulder diminished that anxiety considerably.


    The empty stone buildings and streets surrounding them did not remain empty for long.


    Several men and women in matching clothing and armour had appeared in the distance shortly after Momoko and her brother¡¯s arrival. However, they made no signs of intending to draw closer.


    Each Cultivator''s armour bore a large sigil bearing a bright white flower resembling a water lily and contained a small measure of Chi. It wasn¡¯t enough to present a threat, but enough that Momoko couldn¡¯t ignore it either.


    The Cultivators possessed a higher stage of Cultivation but lacked the advantages Momoko and her brother shared, making them considerably weaker in terms of the volume of their internal energy. Of course, they no doubt had Techniques to make better use of the internal energy they did have, so it would be unwise to dismiss them out of hand.


    ¡°The Faction Leader is coming,¡± Pete announced, looking down the large road and toward several approaching Cultivators Momoko could sense but not yet see. ¡°They can¡¯t hurt us,¡± Pete reassured her, squeezing her shoulders gently. ¡°Father made them swear.¡±


    Momoko nodded to show she understood and made an effort to calm herself.


    Within a handful of minutes, the Faction Leader, accompanied by six elderly men and women, had arrived and immediately bowed their heads low in respect.


    ¡°I apologise for our rudeness,¡± the Faction Leader said earnestly. ¡°I regret that I did not ask how those such as yourselves should be addressed...¡±


    ¡°Addressed?...¡± Pete rumbled slowly as if he were digesting the word to unlock its meaning.


    ¡°We are royalty,¡± Momoko interjected spiritedly. ¡°Crown Prince and Princess are most fitting!¡± She tried not to sound overly excited, but it was a losing battle. The sometimes conflicting information in her head was in perfect agreement regarding the legitimacy and prestige of the titles.


    ¡°The Oba clan pays their respects to the Crown Prince and Princess of the Tyrant!¡± The Faction Leader and Cultivators, including those who remained at a distance, declared in near unison.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Pete replied simply, directing his immediate attention to the Faction Leader. ¡°My youngest sister says we need a teacher.¡± He spoke with his usual slow and deliberate pace, masking his discomfort with such long sentences with an almost perfect mask of impassivity.


    The Faction Leader bowed and nodded in understanding. As if he had been expecting their arrival. Which he may have done, if her older brother¡¯s earlier assertions were correct.


    ¡°Our grand elder, Oba Daigo, has been preparing dutifully to fulfil our obligations,¡± the Faction Leader asserted obediently. ¡°Advanced age has lessened the grand elder¡¯s mobility. However, the grand elder is the Oba clan¡¯s most accomplished and worthy instructor in the path of Cultivation. I dare not presume to say the grand elder is worthy of providing the Crown Prince and Princess instruction. I only hope that the grand elder will prove himself in your eyes.¡± He bowed again, seemingly for good measure.


    Pete looked to Momoko, leaving the decision up to her.


    ¡°Experience is more important than combat ability,¡± Momoko replied, reassuring her older brother. So long as the grand elder possessed the knowledge they required, or could learn and transfer that knowledge to them, his restricted mobility was of no concern.


    The Faction Leader bowed once more for good measure and motioned respectfully back down the large road. ¡°Then it would be my honour to escort the Crown Prince and Princess to the grand elder.¡±


    Following behind the Faction Leader, Momoko held tight to her older brother¡¯s hand, drawing comfort and reassurance from his steady heartbeat.


    Easily more than twice Homoko¡¯s size, her older brother had to slow his stride to avoid dragging her as he walked.


    While most of the city was empty, the portion occupied by the Cultivators was as lively as a festival. At least, Homoko assumed that to be the case, having yet to experience a festival for a proper contrast. It was another inconsistency introduced by the conflicting information stored within her mind.


    It came as little surprise to Momoko that her older brother received the overwhelming majority of the Cultivators'' attention. Besides his immense size, Pete carried an unmistakable aura of command that demanded obedience from those around him.


    What little attention Momoko received, made her feel increasingly uncomfortable. So it came as quite a relief when they left the crowds behind and entered a secluded garden hidden away within a high-walled courtyard.


    ¡°I beg your patience, highnesses, I will fetch the grand elder so he might attend to your needs,¡± the Faction Leader bowed respectfully and retreated out of the garden, taking the other Cultivators with him.


    Releasing her brother¡¯s hand, Momoko sat on a bench beneath a wizened cherry tree. Taking comfort in the welcoming aura of its nascent soul.


    Pete strode into the small pond and laid down on his back, resting his shoulders on the muddy bank as he stared up at the sky. Without moving so much as a finger, he invested his Chi into the water and directed it over his otherwise dry and exposed skin. Little by little, the deepest tension lines in his face began to fade.


    After a short wait, an elderly man in long dark robes supported by a sturdy wooden cane hobbled into the courtyard. His snow-white beard and moustache were cut short and his long wispy hair was pinned back with a ceremonial bone clasp. Deep wrinkles creased his face and his withered gnarled hands bore a closer resemblance to claws.


    Yet, despite his obvious infirmities, the old man was still a Cultivator and a very powerful one at that. Momoko knew on an instinctual level that it would be dangerous to underestimate him. She also knew how she could make a favourable impression.


    Cycling her Chi and MP, Momoko implored the nascent soul of the cherry tree for assistance.


    Thrumming with joy, the cherry tree agreed.


    ¡°The grand elder of the Oba clan pays his respects to the Crown Prince and the Princess,¡± the old man, already bow-backed as he was, stiffly lowered his head in respect. His dark eyes, clouded by cataracts, widened as Pete emerged from the pond.


    ¡°Your eyes...¡± Pete rumbled distractedly, ignoring the greeting, or perhaps not having heard it to begin with. ¡°They are so cloudy...Can you read?¡±


    If the grand elder was upset by her older brother¡¯s rudeness, he showed no signs of it and simply shook his head. ¡°I must apologise to the Crown Prince. The years have taken a heavy toll despite my Cultivation and the best efforts of my family.¡±


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Pete gathered his MP and a split instant later, a Daemon had joined their conversation.


    ¡°Young master!¡± The rodent-like Daemon exclaimed in surprise, ¡°How might I be of assistance?¡±


    ¡°Wraithe,¡± a small smile touched the corners of Pete¡¯s lips. ¡°Can you restore this man¡¯s sight?¡± He asked, pointing a large finger toward the grand elder.


    Wraithe circled the elderly man and considered him with intense interest. ¡°Replacing the eyes would be simplest...Carry the fewest risks...¡± The Daemon muttered thoughtfully, wringing her long-clawed fingers with mild anxiety. ¡°However, regrowing the lenses would be the least invasive...¡±


    ¡°Pardon, highness, I do not understand?¡± The grand elder apologised, baulking slightly under the Daemon¡¯s intense scrutiny.


    ¡°Wraithe will fix your eyes,¡± Pete explained calmly. ¡°Allow you to read again.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± The grand elder didn¡¯t seem to know how to react. Which was reasonable considering the position he was in.


    ¡°The procedure will be mostly harmless,¡± Wraithe reassured the grand elder while taking a much closer look at his eyes. ¡°Cutting off the nerves would make the procedure painless, but also take longer. I have also been told that it is a uniquely unpleasant experience feeling the nerves being reattached afterwards...¡±


    ¡°I am unfamiliar with the healing arts...¡± The grand elder admitted, somewhat taken aback. ¡°Are you a physician?¡±


    ¡°I am a Surgeon,¡± Wraithe replied with a considerable degree of pride. ¡°I attend to the Tyrant himself when he needs me.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± The grand elder¡¯s surprise quickly gave way to immense gratitude. ¡°I am honoured to have earned such consideration!¡±


    ¡°Yes yes,¡± Wraithe waved aside the implied flattery dismissively. ¡°My time is limited and I will require an answer. Under normal circumstances, I would more fully explain the risks and methods involved in each procedure. However, this projection lacks the mana to fulfil such an obligation in addition to performing the required procedure. So, I urge you to make a decision.¡±


    The grand elder nodded in understanding and furrowed his wrinkled brow as he considered his options. ¡°I am not afraid of pain. It is an old friend. If I am to serve the Tyrant and his dynasty to the best of my abilities, I would ask you to restore my sight by the most guaranteed means.¡±


    Wraithe huffed in approval, twitching her whiskers briefly before nodding to herself. ¡°Alright then, replacements it is-¡±


    ¡°The cherries will help with the pain,¡± Momoko volunteered. She had copied the fruits from one of her mother¡¯s trees and had intended to present them as a gift.


    The Daemon plucked a cherry from the tree and nibbled at it with her large chisel-like teeth. ¡°Possesses...pain suppressant and anti-inflammatory properties...Well done, mistress, most impressive.¡± She plucked a handful from the tree and pressed them into the grand elder¡¯s hands. ¡°Consume these, now, and be sure to chew them thoroughly without biting down on the seeds.¡±


    The grand elder humbly did as he was commanded.


    Then, without warning, Wraithe took hold of the grand elder¡¯s arm with one hand and seized his head in the other.


    Demonstrating considerable bravery, the grand elder remained silent as his aged eyes atrophied and slipped free of their sockets. It wasn¡¯t until Wraithe released him and the grand elder opened his eyelids that he cried out for the first time.


    ¡°I can see!¡± The grand elder proclaimed with borderline manic excitement, his vivid green eyes flashing with the vitality and wonder of a young child. However, his excitement ebbed quite suddenly as he stared at his gnarled and swollen knuckled hands.


    After determining the grand elder¡¯s vision had been restored to her satisfaction, Wraithe disappeared.


    ¡°Highness, you have my undying gratitude for your act of kindness,¡± the grand elder bowed his head, demonstrating a greater degree of flexibility than he had only a few minutes prior.


    Momoko felt a profound sense of pride in that fact.


    Pete shrugged indifferently, probably made uncomfortable with receiving the compliment and not knowing what to say in reply.


    ¡°Teaching us what we need will be more than enough,¡± Momoko interjected, earning a grateful smile from her older brother.


    ¡°It will be my greatest honour to serve as your instructor, Highnesses.¡± the grand elder bowed again, this time with a little less formality. ¡°If I may ask? Do your Highnesses have a specific subject or target of curiosity in mind?¡±


    Momoko knew what she needed, but she didn¡¯t know what the Technique would be called. ¡°We need a Technique that can share and balance internal energy,¡± she explained while suppressing her fears that the elderly Cultivator would guess at their motivations. Undermining their father¡¯s position was the last thing she wanted to happen.


    ¡°That...is an incredibly advanced...and dangerous, Technique,¡± the grand elder cautioned diplomatically. ¡°For most Cultivators, the act of sharing energy is considered quite difficult-¡± His voice caught in his throat and his eyes widened in surprise as he realised Momoko had initiated such an exchange with her older brother. ¡°-Of course, talented individuals such as yourselves may see things differently...¡±


    ¡°The danger is why we need you,¡± Momoko explained, already aware of her limitations. ¡°This is as easy as breathing,¡± an irony given that she didn¡¯t, strictly speaking, need to breathe at all.


    ¡°I see...¡± The grand elder replied, still visibly shocked by their display of aptitude in manipulating energy and Chi.


    Momoko felt the grand elder¡¯s perception sweep over herself and her older brother.


    ¡°And such solid foundations...¡± The grand elder chuckled softly and shook his head. ¡°I should have expected as much from a Monarch¡¯s descendants.¡± With a stiff wave of his hand, a leather-backed book was withdrawn from the depths of his soul. ¡°The Malevolent Soul Transmission Technique, despite its intimidating name, would also allow a benevolent exchange of internal energy, assuming it is performed with a high degree of proficiency.¡±


    ¡°Then you will teach us this Technique!¡± Momoko insisted eagerly.


    The grand elder held up one hand, imploring patience. ¡°I am sorry, but I must insist upon a certain degree of patience. This Technique is incredibly dangerous and requires a spirit refining Technique to mitigate the greatest risks.¡±


    ¡°Then teach us this second Technique,¡± Pete demanded flatly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the grand elder agreed, ¡°I will be only too happy to teach your Highnesses a spirit-refining Technique once I have obtained the necessary resources, I must humbly beg for your patience while arrangements are being made.¡±


    ¡°What materials?¡± Pete asked, refusing to let the matter go.


    The grand elder deflated somewhat. ¡°I will be honest with Your Highness, the Oba clan¡¯s stores of Cultivation materials and medicines are severely depleted. The herbalists are confident that the first crop of medicinal herbs will be ready within five weeks, and that rarer herbs can be obtained from the wilds-¡±


    ¡°Show me the fields!¡± Momoko demanded, hopping spritely to her feet.


    ¡°Of course, Highness,¡± the grand elder dipped his head respectfully and motioned toward the northern entrance to the courtyard.


    Surveying the fields of medicinal herbs and exotic vegetation, Momoko was inclined to agree with the herbalists'' estimates. Without an array to draw in and concentrate the ambient energies, those tending to the fields were forced to do their best to emulate the process.


    However, waiting five weeks was unacceptable.


    Gathering her Chi and MP, Momoko enveloped the closest of the fields in her spirit.


    The vegetation soaked in her Chi and mana, growing at an unbelievably accelerated rate, accomplishing months of growth in a handful of seconds.


    The effect was amplified further when her older brother lent his strength to hers, providing additional Chi and MP, allowing Momoko to cover another field.


    Separated from her other self, Momoko knew better than to push herself beyond her limits and left herself with roughly a third of her established capacity in reserve.


    ¡°I...I had never dared to presume to witness such an event with my own eyes...¡± The grand elder breathed hoarsely in amazement. ¡°To exercise such control over the Wood Affinity while so young...it is indeed a humbling experience...¡±


    ¡°Can you teach us now?¡± Pete asked somewhat impatiently. Frowning slightly as he watched the herbalists begin to harvest the fields with immense care.


    ¡°The materials still need to be processed-¡± The grand elder began to explain but was abruptly cut off as the Alchemist Jin appeared in front of him.


    Seemingly just as surprised as the grand elder, Jin leapt back several paces in one bound and looked around the area in alarm. After spotting Momoko, he appeared to relax.


    ¡°You will help prepare the materials,¡± Pete commanded, pointing to the grand elder and then to the herbalists in the fields. ¡°Tell Jin what to do.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course...¡± Jin replied nervously, ¡°However, may I return to my workshop first? I was in the middle of a rather volatile experiment...¡±


    Pete grunted in the affirmative and Jin disappeared. ¡°Jin is an Alchemist,¡± he stated bluntly using an explanation.


    ¡°Ah...¡± The grand elder didn¡¯t seem to know what to say but appeared quite impressed. ¡°I am not familiar with this Technique...¡±


    ¡°Father¡¯s Technique,¡± Pete lied, bending the truth to conceal his use of authority and making it clear through his tone that he would not appreciate further inquiries.


    Taking the hint, the grand elder shifted topics. ¡°I know of two spirit-refining Techniques, that suit your Highnesses unique Affinities-¡± He smiled and seemed bemused by the statement. ¡°I must apologise, it is every instructor''s dream to have a hand in teaching such gifted students.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Momoko beamed, gladdened to receive such unsolicited praise.


    ¡°Two Techniques?¡± Pete pressed, returning focus to the primary subject of the conversation.


    ¡°Ah, yes, the Tranquil-Waves Refinement Technique and the Immolating-Soul Refinement Technique. Of course, each has its strengths and weaknesses. However, Tranquil-Waves is perhaps better suited to your needs,¡± the grand elder explained patiently. ¡°Besides increasing your ability to replenish Chi, the Tranquil-Waves also allow increased absorption rate of special medicines and Elixirs when consumed in liquid form. Additionally, while I cannot confirm as much for certain, the Water Affinity will likely enhance this effect.¡±


    ¡°And the other one?¡± Pete pressed.


    The grand elder hesitated. ¡°The Immolating-Soul Refinement Technique produces faster results. However, it carries unavoidable risks relating to overstraining the spirit. The Cultivator I took this Technique from did not have a natural Fire Affinity. So I am uncertain how the Affinity would influence the primary effects...¡±


    ¡°What do spirit refining Techniques do?¡± Momoko asked, confused by the unexpected gap in her inherited knowledge.


    ¡°In their simplest terms?¡± The grand elder pondered the question for a few moments before arriving at an answer. ¡°A spirit refining Technique serves a similar purpose to breathing Techniques, except the process draws upon your internal energy rather than the ambient energy surrounding us. Replenishing Chi and accelerating the recovery of the body rather than developing and building upon your internal energy.¡±


    ¡°Why do we need it?¡± Momoko asked. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t increase or reinforce our internal energy, how is it supposed to help?¡±


    The grand elder smiled patiently and nodded in understanding. ¡°Spirit refining Techniques are typically associated with combat. However, they also provide the means to prolong or intensify the effects of certain pills and Elixirs. Bolstering the soul through the use of special medicines reduces the risks of the Malevolent Soul Transmission Technique. Which is why I must insist upon learning the spirit refining Technique first.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Pete agreed with a grunt of impatience.


    ¡°What about body refining Techniques?¡± Momoko asked, committed to making the most of their opportunity. ¡°What Techniques can you teach us?¡±


    The grand elder was slightly taken aback. ¡°The Tyrant entrusted an extensive number of Technique manuals to our clan¡¯s safekeeping,¡± he hedged while better considering her question. ¡°To my knowledge, there are twenty-six body refining Techniques, many of which would synergise with one or more Affinities.¡±


    ¡°Father will want guidance,¡± Pete commented introspectively before directing his attention back toward the grand elder. ¡°What body refining Technique would make me strongest?¡±


    ¡°Forgiveness, Highness, it is a complicated question and has many potential answers...¡± The grand elder hedged. ¡°Certain Techniques would benefit more from a combination of Affinities than others, and brute strength is not necessarily superior to enhanced agility, perception or insight...It very much depends upon the individual and their personal talents.¡±


    ¡°What about...durability?¡± Pete pressed.


    ¡°Durability?¡± The grand elder repeated.


    ¡°Resistance to physical harm,¡± Pete reiterated, ennunciating each syllable with deliberate care.


    ¡°Several Techniques come to mind,¡± the grand elder volunteered. ¡°Although, the most effective Techniques require enduring considerable pain to achieve their mastery.¡±


    ¡°Father doesn¡¯t fear pain,¡± Pete replied darkly, confusing the grand elder.


    ¡°If pain is not a consideration, the Crucible Of One Thousand Blades would provide an immense degree of resilience to physical forms of attack...¡± The grand elder answered hesitantly. ¡°However, the training regimen borders on suicide. Mastery of the Technique requires an initiate to accept strikes from an opponent''s blade against their bare unprotected flesh...¡±


    Pete remained undeterred, which Momoko found rather upsetting. ¡°What about a technique for my big brother?¡± She asked, wanting to change the subject. ¡°Something that won¡¯t get him killed.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Princess, no body-tempering Technique is without risk. However, I understand your intentions and would suggest the Jade Mountain Reinforcement Technique, which provides resistance against physical and spiritual attacks, and a measure of increased Strength., alternatively, the Heart of Celestial Waters Technique, which provides considerable resistance to spiritual attacks and increased Agility and speed. Each has their strengths and would benefit from one or more of His Highness¡¯ Affinities.¡±


    ¡°Techniques would increase stats?¡± Pete asked, confused by the grand elder¡¯s explanation and reminding Momoko that he was not born with the same knowledge that she had been taking for granted.


    ¡°I will speak with my big brother alone,¡± Momoko declared, seizing Pete¡¯s hand with both of her own and dragging him back toward the courtyard so they could speak in private.


    The grand elder bowed respectfully. He watched them leave for a few moments and then turned his attention toward the excited herbalists in the fields.


    Momoko waited until her big brother had made himself comfortable in the pond again before explaining.


    ¡°Big brother, Techniques are like Abilities. Some are simple and will make you faster or stronger, giving Momentum or something like that. Understand?¡± Momoko asked, wanting to be sure her brother understood before moving on to the next subject.


    Pete slowly nodded.


    ¡°Body tempering Techniques are much stronger and often have a passive and an active set of Abilities. Depending on the Technique, the active Ability might be a strengthened version of the passive effect, or it could be something else entirely...¡±Momoko paused for a few moments to scan through her imprinted knowledge base and provide an example. ¡°The Iron Body Tempering Technique, which is common knowledge to most Cultivators-¡± She assumed, considering its fundamentally basic nature. ¡°-provides resistance to damage by passively increasing the Toughness of the practitioner concerning their reserves of internal energy. The higher their mastery of the Technique, and the more internal energy they have, the more Toughness stat they gain. But the Technique also has an active component, allowing the practitioner to spend Chi to close their wounds and expel poisons and venoms from their body. Did this explanation help?¡±


    Pete nodded slightly but it was obvious that he still had questions. ¡°How do you find internal energy numbers?¡± He asked anxiously. ¡°I can¡¯t see them.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Momoko felt a rush of embarrassment. ¡°It is represented by your Ranks in the Eternal Tau, big brother.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡± Pete frowned and slowly drew together his brow in confusion. ¡°The number is the same as my Chi?¡± He asked uncertainly.


    ¡°It can be,¡± Momoko replied supportively. ¡°But special treasures can change that number. So it¡¯s not always accurate to judge it that way.¡± Her other body had access to a substantial volume of externally stored Chi. It was less readily accessible during a fight and wouldn¡¯t carry Affinities without special preparation, but was otherwise no different to the Chi stored within both of her selves.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Pete¡¯s frown intensified and then faded away. ¡°If they are so powerful, why not learn more than one body tempering Technique?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°Not all Techniques are compatible, and body tempering only works when it has no competition...¡± Momoko hadn¡¯t been sure of the answer until he had asked the question, so she decided to continue thinking the problem through. ¡°But sometimes, you can develop a new Technique. Most of the advanced Techniques were made by combining basic Techniques through trial and error. Which can easily prove to be fatal...¡±


    Pete nodded, accepting her explanation without contest. Demonstrating a profound degree of trust in her words. ¡°Otherwise, Chi is just MP?¡±


    ¡°Chi is just MP,¡± Momoko agreed with a grin.


    ¡°But what about Affinities?¡± Pete asked. ¡°He said different Affinities fit better with different Techniques?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not complicated,¡± Momoko replied reassuringly. ¡°Just think about how having increased control over water might prove useful if you cast an ice Spell or something like that. You could make it suddenly change shape, or size, or move unpredictably.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense...¡± Pete agreed distractedly, stepping back a step just in time to narrowly avoid being tackled to the ground by his twin.


    Suzy had appeared from nowhere, using authority to travel just as they had done.


    ¡°Pete being bad!¡± Suzy growled. ¡°Making Mama sad!¡±


    Pete scowled darkly, but there was a look of hurt in his eyes. ¡°I am helping Father!¡± He growled defensively.


    ¡°Running away!¡± Suzy accused with a sneer. ¡°Pete always run!¡±


    Pete¡¯s confidence wavered. ¡°I am doing my part...¡±


    ¡°Bleh!¡± Suzy stuck out her tongue in disgust and levelled her gaze on Homoko. ¡°Why you here?¡± She demanded bluntly, her eyes glimmering with a desire for violence. ¡°You take Pete?¡± Despite the clumsiness of her words, there was no escaping or overlooking the unmistakable threat carried in her voice.


    Less than half her older sister¡¯s size, and nowhere close to being as physically gifted, Momoko chose to run first and try to explain herself later.


    ***** Amun ~ The Hive ~ Antioch¡¯s Realm *****


    Amun stood in the centre of the hall of judgement and patiently awaited the inevitable. He had failed in his duties several times over and there was only one punishment that would meet the severity of his crimes.


    Death.


    Amun had witnessed only one such execution in his life and had never expected to meet such a fate himself. However, after reflecting upon his actions, he knew that he would have only done one thing differently.


    The codes of honourable engagement as decreed by the ancestor had been followed to the best of his ability. It was Amun¡¯s personal failings, lowering his guard on the cusp of victory, that had earned him this fate.


    Failing to protect his mate and personal charge was a mortal sin, and Amun would offer no excuses for his failure.


    Amun took what solace he could in the fact that his adversary had all but proven himself as an omega candidate. It was his sincere hope that another member of the warrior caste would succeed where he had failed, and capture the candidate for closer inspection.


    Increased activity from the workers scuttling in the shadows announced the approach of a Norn Queen.


    Already standing at attention, Amun remained perfectly still, blending his dark carapace into the deep shadows of the chamber. He knew it would not hide him from the Norn Queen¡¯s notice, but there was no point in deliberately antagonising the Norn Queen either. Drawing needless attention to himself in such circumstances would only invite further trouble.


    Rather than pass through the chamber, the Norn Queen, protected by a shield of living bodies, made her way to an observation alcove.


    As best as Amun could guess, the Norn Queen was one of Kema¡¯s mentors and had come to witness his execution to satisfy a desire for justice.


    Minutes passed in silence before members of the soldier caste began forming orderly ranks around the periphery of the chamber. Any soldier not explicitly commanded to perform other duties would attend the ceremony. To watch as Amun was taken apart, piece by piece in payment for his failure. To serve as a reminder.


    As time continued to pass, larger and more venerated members of his caste took up positions against the far walls. The eldest, and largest, were more than four times his size. Their chitinous shells were scarred with echoes of battles fought in their youth. Battles that carved out the borders that would form the Dominion.


    Centuries-old, each of the venerated elders had seen more combat than thousands of their younger kin combined. An honour Amun would never earn.


    Suppressing his disappointment, Amun could hear the muted clicking and clacking of the assembled warriors'' whispers.


    Without a connection formed by a Norn, they had to resort to primitive signals and speech to communicate. However, with so many warriors conversing simultaneously, Amun couldn''t understand anything that was being said. Anything besides the same words that were repeated over and over again with such repetition that it was impossible for him not to notice.


    Failure...Disgrace...Execution...


    If it was allowed, Amun would have long since removed his head to end his shame. To do so now would only bring greater shame, not only upon himself but the warrior caste itself.


    So, Amun bore his shame with what little grace and dignity he could gather and awaited his judgement.


    The Justiciar was the eldest of all the warrior caste and stood so tall that he nearly scraped the ceiling with the top of his head. Were it not for the efforts of the workers, expanding the hall to accommodate his size with each passing year, he would have done so long ago.


    Carapace gilt with gold and encrusted with priceless jewels, the Justiciar was not only the oldest and highest appointed member of the warrior caste. He was also Consort Primaris to the council of Norn Queens. The progenitor of many across all castes.


    If the legends were true, the Justiciar was older than any of the living members of the Hive. A hatchling from the founding and a witness to the majesty of The Creator.


    Through his mere presence, the Justiciar imposed immediate and absolute silence upon the chamber.


    ¡°Duty and honour.¡± The two words effortlessly carried through the chamber and stirred the hearts of the warrior caste. ¡°These words and what they represent, have incredible power,¡± the Justiciar spoke with practised ease, pacing every rhythmic breath to allow for uninterrupted speech. ¡°Duty provides us with purpose and honour compels obedience. Without them, we are lost. Doomed to endure the suffering of the lesser Species. Forever mewling and stumbling about in search of purpose and direction.¡± The Justiciar raised his arms toward the ceiling in open supplication. ¡°Through The Creator, we have unity. We have a purpose!¡±


    Amun became confused, unfamiliar with the divergence taking place in what was ordinarily a predictable procedure of events.


    ¡°For generations, we have pursued our mandated purpose with diligence and dignity. Enduring failure with boundless grace and humility...¡± The Justiciar paused, lowering his arms and slowly panning his gaze over the assembled members of his caste. ¡°Warrior Amun fought with honour against a worthy foe. Yet he failed to protect a Norn, failed to uphold his duty.¡±


    Amun felt the collective weight of every warrior''s gaze bearing down on him and prepared himself for the end.


    ¡°However...¡± The word cut through the oppressive silence like a scything talon, drawing all eyes from Amun and back to the Justiciar. ¡°Warrior Amun¡¯s actions have confirmed the presence of THE omega candidate, and such an act in service to The Creator will not go unrewarded or unrecognised!¡±


    Clacks, chitters and clicks erupted around the chamber but were brought to an immediate end as the Justiciar stared them down.


    ¡°In recognition of his contributions in prosecuting The Creator¡¯s will, warrior Amun will lead the vanguard to seize the omega subject.¡± The Justiciar pulled a sharp pointed diamond from its carapace and carefully drove it into the chitin covering Amun¡¯s brain.


    The diamond passed through his chitin with effortless ease and punctured the soft flesh beneath.


    Staring into the eyes of the Justiciar, Amun realised that his execution would continue, just not as he had expected. Surrendering himself to the inevitable, Amun welcomed his death.


    A pulse of mana passed through the diamond and Amun ceased to be.


    ***** Albert ~ Ghelk City ~ Former city of the Confederacy *****


    Standing atop the outermost wall of the human city, Albert couldn¡¯t help but stare at the distant war camps on the horizon.


    The human world was far larger than he could ever have imagined.


    Unfortunately, there were many times more humans as well.


    Albert wouldn¡¯t know the exact numbers until the Scouts returned, but he could see well enough through the long tube of his farseeing glass to know that the seventh legion was severely outnumbered.


    Possessing defensive works and higher terrain would count for something, but the humans had brought a staggering number of Slaves. They possessed so many Slaves, that Albert was confident that the humans would be able to deplete the seventh legion¡¯s ammunition stores and still have Slaves left over.


    Making matters worse, more human armies were arriving with each passing hour and entrenching their respective positions. Hemming in the seventh legion and denying any chance of leaving the city.


    It came as a small comfort that the seventh legion¡¯s standing orders had been to fortify and hold the city. Sallying out against such odds would have been outright suicidal.


    Stepping down from the wall, Albert decided to take his mind off of the dangers outside by performing an inspection of his men.


    Performing a headcount, while his men stood at attention, Albert realised that several troopers were missing. Even accounting for the losses sustained when taking the city, the numbers didn¡¯t add up.


    With Six and Eleven on his heels, Albert performed a thorough search of the abandoned buildings that served as the barracks for his men.


    Finding no trace of them, Albert began expanding his search.


    Growing increasingly concerned that the humans had secret means of entering the city at their leisure, Albert struggled to keep his paranoia in check. However, as he drew closer to the outdoor prison containing the captured humans, his paranoia turned to disgust and anger.


    A handful of troopers standing outside of an abandoned building bolted at his approach, leaving several rifles standing upright against the wall of the building.


    Pitiful pleading and pain-filled moans came from the broken windows of the building, accompanied by deeper primal grunting.


    ¡°These troopers have abandoned their posts...¡± Albert muttered hoarsely, fighting hard to suppress his rage. ¡°Arrest them...¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± Six and Eleven barked in immediate reply, readying their weapons and preparing to enter the building.


    ¡°Kill any trooper that resists!¡± Albert snarled, seizing the rifles by the door and binding them together by their straps.


    Every rifle bore a serial code that could be matched to the trooper it was entrusted to. Two of the rifles belonged to troopers who had fled, the remainder belonged to those within.


    Albert would issue a warrant for those who had escaped but doubted they would be found unless he offered up some sort of reward in exchange. The near-identical appearance of the troopers made it possible to dodge such investigations with disturbing frequency. However, a trooper''s desire for recognition and fast-tracked citizenship was a powerful tool.


    Eight troopers, bound at the neck and in varying states of undress, marched awkwardly out of the building with Six and Eleven following closely behind.


    ¡°Why are you not at your posts?!¡± Albert hissed angrily.


    The troopers cowed but said nothing.


    ¡°This is a dereliction of duty!¡± Albert seethed, his mind racing as he tried to determine how far he could stretch the law.


    Depending upon the severity of the infraction, the punishment could be as little as several lashes on the skin of their backs.


    Looking through one of the broken windows, Albert made his decision.


    Drawing his sabre, Albert swept the blade through the first trooper''s jugular.


    Their victims were human, an ancient enemy of his people.


    He drove the point of his sabre through the next three trooper¡¯s throats with one thrust.


    Just because the humans were murderous barbarians, it did not mean they should sink to the humans¡¯ level.


    The remaining four troopers attempted to run but were shot in the back by Six and Eleven.


    ¡°Attempting to evade lawful arrest,¡± Six announced impartially and began reloading his rifle.


    ¡°Bolted the moment they hit the street,¡± Eleven commented with a shrug as he did the same. ¡°Should we clean this up?¡± He asked, kicking at the dead troopers.


    Albert grunted in the affirmative.


    All at once, he realised what he had done.


    ¡°Oh shit...¡± Albert swore under his breath, wincing as he looked at the trooper bodies littering the street. He could be demoted for this.


    Unless...


    Albert spun on his heel and began briskly walking in the direction of their field headquarters. Making sure to keep the bundle of rifles tightly pinned beneath his arm.


    Rehearsing a more favourable and provocative series of events in his mind, Albert believed he was as prepared as he could expect to be.


    Entering the large stone building that served as the field headquarters, Albert approached the General¡¯s command station, saluted and stood at attention. Without urgent news to report, he would be expected to remain this way until the General saw fit to address him.


    ¡°Captain? Why are you not with your men?¡± The General demanded, his dark orange eyes narrowing in an open show of dislike.


    ¡°Sir!¡± Albert made a fresh salute, just for good measure and was relieved when the old General relaxed somewhat. ¡°I was performing a routine inspection of my men, in preparation for a potential enemy attack, and discovered several troopers were missing.¡±


    ¡°Missing?¡± The General repeated, his eyes hardening and ears stiffening almost immediately. ¡°They didn¡¯t try to desert, did they?¡± He growled quietly.


    ¡°Not as such, sir,¡± Albert presented the bundle of rifles but didn¡¯t set them on the war table. ¡°I found them indulging their carnal desires using human prisoners. Having abandoned their posts and leaving us potentially vulnerable to a counterattack while in dereliction of their duties!¡±


    ¡°Thinblooded scum!¡± The General hissed venomously under his breath before rounding on Albert again. ¡°What did you do with them?!¡± He demanded.


    ¡°Several troopers fled before I could question them and confirm their identities and eight others raised their hands against me as my seconds and I attempted to apprehend them,¡± Albert explained while taking care to remain one step lower in intensity than the General. ¡°We had no choice but to execute them on the spot.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡± The General nodded in understanding, ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t have troublemakers returning and fomenting revolt in the ranks!¡±


    ¡®I agree sir!¡± Albert nodded seriously, his face a mask of concern. ¡°And to stop such an event from recurring, I would like to volunteer as warden.¡±


    The General appeared surprised by the request and gave Albert an appraising look. ¡°I hope you do not take offence, Captain, but I had you pegged as a social climber.¡±


    ¡°No offence taken, General,¡± Albert bowed his head respectfully. ¡°I have a mother and three siblings at home to support. While I would never pass up a promotion, our mission is too important to jeopardise for the sake of potential advancement.¡± He took a deliberate pause and made sure to look disappointed. ¡°I know there is more glory in serving a post on the walls. But If I can prevent more troopers from falling to indolence, then I will have made a far greater contribution to our inevitable victory. Keeping a few hundred troopers'' rifles pointed in the right direction may prove to be exactly what we need in the battles ahead.¡±


    The elderly General smiled and nodded approvingly. ¡°You''re a good sort, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Monet, my General,¡± Albert supplied helpfully, ¡°Albert, Monet.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Very good, Captain Monet. Effective immediately, I am assigning you the post as a warden over our prisoners of war,¡± The General scribbled a note down on his ledger and then gave Albert a crisp salute. ¡°See that you give them no quarter,¡± he insisted, ¡°Troopers and humans both!¡±


    Albert returned the General¡¯s salute and crisply nodded in the affirmative. ¡°You can be sure of it, General. I will not let you down.¡±


    Leaving the field office, Albert briskly jogged down the cobbled street so he could reunite with his bodyguards and explain the extent of their new duties. Leaving them behind had left him vulnerable, but Albert suspected that the General would have had far more probing questions for the two troopers if they had been present.


    All things considered, and provided he made it back to his bodyguards in one piece, Albert thought things had gone rather well.


    At least for the time being, the crisis caused by his impulsive actions had been averted.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 77 – Fear the Reaper – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 77 ¨C Fear the Reaper ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 77 - Fear the Reaper - Part One


    Memories flooded Sebet¡¯s mind in an endless loop, overlapping and repeating themselves faster than she could react or process them. Dragging her deeper into a suffocating embrace from which she could not escape.


    There was nothing wrong with the memories themselves. In fact, many of her most recent memories brought Sebet an unexpected degree of entertainment, and fort...


    Ignoring the memories imposing themselves on her mind as best she could, Sebet¡¯s thoughts turned to her consort, Clarice.


    The fiery-tempered Human had initially intended as nothing more than an outlet for her carnal and sadistic impulses. However, the predatory empathy unique to Sebet¡¯s Species had proved to be her undoing.


    In normal circumstances, a Succubus would leverage what it learned from invasive telepathy and manipulate its prey into surrendering everything up to and including their life. However, the Tyrant¡¯s laws, Oaths, and the Contract that bound her soul had left Sebet in a situation where she could not indulge her instincts outside of specifically dictated circumstances.


    Full of repressed neurosis, shame, and doubt, Clarice had been comically effortless to read and seduce.


    The problems began after bedding her.


    Compelled by instincts deeply rooted in her subconscious, Sebet had come within a hair''s breadth of breaking her Contract and ending her own life. The intervention of equally powerful self-preservation instincts had bought Sebet enough time for her rational mind to intervene and seize control.


    Presenting Sebet figuratively stranded and unsure how to proceed.


    Sebet knew, on a primal level, that she was supposed to feed on her prey when they were at their most vulnerable. Until that moment, she hadn¡¯t understood why.


    The same tools that made her kind unparalleled predators also created a weakness.


    Empathy.


    If the prey of a Succubus could survive long enough, the same empathy that allowed a Succubus to effortlessly manipulate and disarm its prey would introduce a cascade of increasingly complicated emotional attachments. Made more complicated by the lustful encounters that preceded feeding.


    To sate her ego, Sebet had almost convinced herself that the flaw was deliberate. Intended as a means to secure a mate and ensure the proliferation of her Species. However, this flimsy rationalisation had collapsed under minimal scrutiny. Succubi did not require consent to secure a mate. Domination proved more than sufficient at securing the necessary Bond and could be established as the Succubi required it.


    Which left Sebet and Clarice bound to one another by codependency.


    ¡°Pathetic...¡± The overlapping memories collapsed into darkness, revealing Gric¡¯s cold calculating eyes. ¡°While you slumbered, the Tyrant was assaulted...¡± The Daemon¡¯s thoughts radiated a numbingly intense hatred and loathing.


    ¡°Attacked?...¡± Regaining her mental bearings was difficult, but she was not so far gone that she couldn¡¯t recognise the danger.


    ¡°Fatally wounded!¡± Gric¡¯s eyes burned with emerald flames and Sebet felt a sharp pain building in the core of her being.


    She could tell that he was not attacking her on purpose, but it didn¡¯t make much difference. A petty rivalry wasn¡¯t worth her life. So, Sebet screamed for all she was worth, giving voice to the pain.


    The intensity in Gric¡¯s disembodied eyes did not diminish, but the pain receded almost immediately. ¡°Our enemies laid an ambush. Anchors tore us from the Tyrant¡¯s side, preventing us from returning...¡± His voice wavered and Sebet realised that his anger hadn¡¯t been directed toward her but toward himself. ¡°We failed him...¡±


    Memories taken from the Tyrant¡¯s mind played out around her, immersing Sebet in the Tyrant¡¯s desperate battle for survival.


    Almost immediately, Sebet recognised the presence attacking the Tyrant¡¯s mind. Fragments of the same presence were present within the final streams of consciousness from her other selves.


    Able to sense the Tyrant¡¯s pain, Sebet quickly concluded that her other selves had most likely been terminated by a similar attack. Caught off guard, it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult to overwhelm their mental defences.


    As the battle wore on, Sebet became increasingly surprised by the Tyrant¡¯s mental fortitude. In isolation, his choices were subpar at best. However, when accounting for the pain disrupting his thoughts, his decisions were better than Sebet would have otherwise expected.


    Her opinion changed when it became clear the Tyrant held no intentions of retreating from the battle.


    ¡°Stupid...¡± Sebet hissed, chastising the Tyrant as he weathered another glancing blow from the enemy¡¯s claws. ¡°You did everything you could! Just leave! Run! Live to fight another day!¡±


    Sebet felt the Tyrant¡¯s resolve and knew he wouldn¡¯t make the smart decision. The CORRECT decision.


    He knew he couldn¡¯t win, and he remained anyway. Committing himself to die.


    ¡°WHY?!¡± Sebet shrieked, raging at the Tyrant¡¯s monumental stupidity. ¡°What good would dying here serve?!¡±


    Sebet briefly felt Gric¡¯s thoughts align with her own and was reminded that she was not alone.


    ¡°Why did he do that?...¡± Sebet asked despondently. Watching The Tyrant¡¯s inevitable collapse had wearied her to an extent she hadn¡¯t thought possible.


    ¡°The Tyrant could not leave them...¡± Gric replied, drawing several instances of the memory into focus, directing Sebet¡¯s attention to the Humans fleeing and cowering in the periphery of the battle.


    Her anger all but spent, Sebet felt a fresh stab of irritation stoke the embers. However, before she could give voice to her grievances, new memories of past events joined those from the battle.


    Pale and bloated bodies are left to rot in the sun. A massacred village of Goblins, their small pale bodies left to rot and bloat in the sun. A Goblin child impaled on a spear and pinned to a tree.


    Humans, men, women, and so many children...haphazardly discarded in the corners of dark and fore-stained rooms. Their pale lifeless faces locked in expressions of pain and terror.


    A city of shambling corpses. More children...


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing a pattern...¡± Sebet commented wryly.


    Gric gave the impression that he was about to reply but abruptly stopped short of doing so. Distracted, the presence of his mind turned elsewhere.


    Sensing a mounting feeling of alarm, Sebet attempted to force her beleaguered consciousness back into the waking world.


    Opening her eyes for what felt like the first time in over a century, Sebet began to rise from the unfamiliar bed but stopped herself upon realising she wasn¡¯t alone.


    Hair slick with grease and clothes breaking of sweat and fear, Clarice was awkwardly slumped over her midriff with her legs hanging over the side of the bed. Were it not for her arms wrapped around Sebet¡¯s midsection, Clarice probably would have fallen off of the bed.


    Feeling blood begin to rush to her groyne, Sebet was quite suddenly made aware that the changes she had last made to her body had not been reversed during her incapacitation. Seeing no point in letting the opportunity go to waste, Sebet reached for Clarice¡¯s head with one hand while drawing away the blankets with the other.


    Less than an inch from touching Clarice¡¯s hair, Sebet froze.


    Two death notifications had appeared in rapid succession.


    Before Sebet could process what had happened, five more notifications joined the others.


    Through force of will, Sebet forced her mind into action.


    Every one of her Acolytes was protected by extensive Contracts. To die while within Tim¡¯s realm meant their attackers were capable of inflicting injuries that could bypass the Contracts.


    Casting her mind toward her tower and hastily rereading the notifications, Sebet was shocked to learn that her Acolytes had all been slain by the same individual.


    Anuk¡¯ra.


    Not recognising the name, Sebet decided to exercise her limited authority and move her Acolytes to safety.


    In other circumstances, she would not have been overly concerned for their well-being or general survival. After all, each Acolyte¡¯s death made her ever so slightly stronger. However, there were three key issues.


    Firstly, Sebet didn¡¯t have so many Acolytes that she could let them die so frivolously. Secondly, she had spent a considerable amount of time grooming several talented individuals and didn¡¯t want to see that investment expended for no discernable benefit. Lastly, but most importantly, the Tyrant would not be pleased to learn she had allowed so many of her subordinates to die.


    Sebet didn¡¯t have permission to move her Human Acolytes to Sanctuary. So she settled for depositing them in a Human city instead. Intending to interrogate them in person, Sebet released a stressed sigh and shook Clarice awake.


    ¡°B¡¯wah?¡± Lips and chin slick with drool, Clarice blinked tiredly while staring blankly at the far wall. Pawing away the drool with her wrist and forearm, a host of complicated emotions raged behind her eyes.


    As a Human, Clarice couldn¡¯t see in the dark. However, her prey instincts had set her on edge. Alerting her that she was being observed and causing her to look toward the faint traces of light filtering under the door at the far side of the room.


    Unable to help herself, Sebet silently extended her already elongated tongue and lashed it across Clarice¡¯s cheek, aiming at the lingering traces of drool.


    True to form, Clarice let out a shriek and swung a vicious backhanded blow through the air beside her face as she scrambled back from the bed. Just as quickly as she had retreated, Clarice leapt forward again, advancing on her unseen enemy.


    Incidentally, causing her to stumble over Sebet¡¯s bed and land in a deliciously compromising and accommodating position.


    Before Sebet could act on her lustful intentions, Gric made his presence known in her mind.


    <We are being invaded!> Gric announced grimly, sharing a disturbingly vivid memory of several large chitinous warriors bearing down on him from the remains of what had once been Sebet¡¯s tower. <Are you fit for battle?>


    <Of course.> Sebet replied hurriedly, silencing Clarice¡¯s cries of alarm by fiercely pressing her lips over Clarice¡¯s mouth and forcing her tongue down her throat.


    <Arm yourself. Join us in Acheron.> Gric stated bluntly and then severed the connection.


    Drawing Clarice closer, Sebet squeezed the fiery redhead¡¯s tight muscled buttocks with a clawed hand. Taking care to pierce the skin just enough to generate the pain her consort desired without going so far as to cause a meaningful injury.


    With a force of will, Sebet drew herself away. Gazing at Clarice¡¯s flushed face and dazed expression, she felt an immense degree of satisfaction. Her consort was not a particularly difficult individual to seduce, but there was a measure of pride to be found in a job knowing she had her in the palm of her hand.


    ¡°I will be back later,¡± Sebet purred, raising her consort¡¯s chin affectionately with a clawed finger and forcing her to meet her gaze. ¡°Be ready for my return...¡± Before Clarice had the chance to react, Sebet used her limited authority to relocate to Acheron.


    Debating whether the increased testosterone would be a boon, Sebet ignored the stares of the Tyrant¡¯s Bodyguards and began donning her stone armour. It wouldn¡¯t provide the same degree of protection it afforded while in her Human form, but its near indestructible composition would provide an invaluable benefit all the same.


    While Sebet was occupied donning her armour, Several of the most prominent Daemons, as well as the Tyrant¡¯s champions, appeared on the surrounding plains.


    If she had not experienced the Tyrant¡¯s desperate battle for herself, Sebet would have been tempted to think Gric was overestimating their enemies'' capabilities. As it was, she wouldn¡¯t be ashamed to admit that she felt a certain degree of relief as the massive scaled form of a dragon blocked out the sun and cast them all in shadow.


    Another one of the Tyrant¡¯s ¡®rescues¡¯, the dragon, Ushu, was truly massive. Close to two hundred feet long from snout to tail and thirty feet tall at the shoulder, his pale green and blue scales shimmered with a sickly venomous iridescence as they caught the light. Born aloft by huge leathery wings, not all that different from her own, the beating of Ushu¡¯s wings was strong enough to force the few Humans in attendance to huddle together or risk being blown off their feet.


    It was just as well they had taken the precaution.


    Making his landing, Ushu¡¯s immense weight and intense speed caused the ground to shake treacherously underfoot. This caused several of the Tyrant¡¯s Bodyguards to lose their balance and fall to the ground.


    For their part, the Daemons were radiating an intense aura of violent anticipation. Each a unique abomination unto themselves, Sebet was unsettled to learn that she was unfamiliar with the majority''s capabilities.


    She was aware of Gric, Qreet, Dar and Senn, as the key players amongst the Tyrant¡¯s menagerie of Daemons. Each of them playing a key combat or administrative role within the realm.


    Almost as large as the dragon, Dar was a mountain of muscle, bony protrusions and heavily scaled flesh.


    Although small in comparison to Dar, Senn¡¯s serpentine lower body afforded her a considerable degree of height as she required it. Allowing the four-armed Daemon to strike at a deceptively greater distance than an enemy would otherwise anticipate. Bearing two blood-forged stone spears and a pair of blood-forged wave-bladed swords, Senn was one of the few Daemons equipped with manufactured weaponry.


    The overwhelming majority of the Daemons wore no armour and carried no weapons, seemingly trusting in their claws, teeth and unnaturally resilient hides to carry them through the battle.


    Even Qreet, a spindly-limbed female Daemon with a deep amethyst hide, seemed content to go to war in nothing more than a dark tattered robe and a magical staff.


    Of course, Gric was a notable exception. Wearing the blood-forged stone armour created by the Tyrant, Gric had retracted his wings into his body, no doubt to eliminate a potential weakness.


    The sudden arrival of the Fallen Angel, Ophelia, brought a momentary lull to the anxious murmuring of the Tyrant¡¯s mortal servants. Even the Orcs, who had no history of worshipping the Angels, fell silent and looked upon her radiant aura with awe.


    Presented to the Humans as an avatar of war, Ophelia had grown incredibly powerful feeding on the Humans'' worship and faith. Every article of clothing, her armour, and weapons were low-level relics. Sanctified by repeated exposure to raw Divinity and given purpose by her Divine Portfolio. Were she not one of the Fallen, and a fellow servant of the Tyrant, Ophelia¡¯s presence would have given Sebet considerable cause for alarm.


    The pair of Fallen Angels had been reinvesting almost all of their accumulated Divinity into cultivating the Humans'' religious fervour. However, even without the relics, Ophelia was incredibly dangerous. A true masochist, the Fallen Angel revelled in her own pain and drew strength from it, making her a greater threat as any engagement dragged on.


    Which was thankfully more than could be said for her progenitor, Orphiel. Little more than a foppish minstrel, it was a wonder he had agreed to join the battle at all. When the fighting started, Sebet wouldn¡¯t be at all surprised if he were to flee at the first sign of danger.


    At Gric¡¯s telepathic command, the gathered forces of the Tyrant spread across the open field. Each group or powerful individual claiming a section of ground as their own.


    Gric¡¯s plan at its core was simple. He intended to use his limited authority to draw invaders from Tartarus in small numbers and position them for execution within Acheron. All the while providing support through the same authority.


    Sebet couldn¡¯t fault the plan at face value, but the plan would fall apart if the both of them were somehow compromised. So it came as no surprise when Gric strongly advised her to stay out of the battle and remain an observer.


    <Casting out the telepath may not be possible.> Gric admitted through a private connection. <If something goes awry. It is your responsibility to initiate a retreat. Keep your mind closed and remain hidden if you are able.>


    <If I am able?...> Sebet resisted the urge to make a snide remark, recognising that Gric had not commented to agitate her. Despite the confidence he had projected to the others, Sebet could sense the profound unease warring beneath his calm exterior.


    They were taking a risk in engaging the enemy. A risk that was arguably unnecessary.


    Tartarus was a single territory and was isolated from the rest of the realm. There was nothing the invaders could do beyond vandalising the place and fighting amongst the other invaders imprisoned beneath the tower.


    Assuming they didn¡¯t have a Labyrinth Lord of their own...


    If they did, then it changed everything.


    Without the Tyrant to answer a challenge against his rival, Tartarus would be taken from the greater realm, and worse still, there would be no telling where the new portal to the world beyond would establish itself.


    The risk of the primary cluster of territories being chosen was incredibly high. Which would leave the Tyrant himself at incredible risk, and with him, the entire realm.


    <I¡¯ll do it.> Sebet agreed determinedly and began raising her mental defences to their highest levels. Cut off from Gric¡¯s telepathy, she felt a momentary sense of grim approval before his mind turned elsewhere.


    While Sebet rarely indulged in outright reading the minds of those around her, cutting herself off from the most freely available emotional impulses of the crowd left her feeling unexpectedly ill. As if for the first time in her life, she was experiencing true sobriety. Worse even, her skin began to itch and she very nearly began lowering her defences without realising she was doing it.


    Sequestering herself alongside the trio of Humans, Sebet gnawed anxiously at her lower lip, distracting herself with the taste of blood and pangs of pain the injury provided.


    Although they were the weakest individuals of the assembled force, the Humans had an advantage the others lacked. They had access to the Tyrant¡¯s Artefacts.


    Only time would tell if the Artefacts would level the playing field sufficiently for the Humans to pose a viable threat. However, at least for the time being, it made sense to allow them the opportunity to prove themselves.


    A discordant wail echoed over the plains, drawing all eyes to Orphiel and his bizarre lute. Plucking his fingers at the strings with one hand while holding the neck of the instrument with the other, ghostly apparitions appeared at his back, striking a rhythmic beat on ephemeral drums.


    The surprisingly upbeat and simple tune took Sebet by surprise.


    Increasing in intensity, Oprhiel began striking at the cords in earnest. ¡°This is your time to pay! This is your judgement day!¡±


    Sebet felt a rush of power wash over her and reinforce her will.


    ¡°We made a sacrifice! And now we get to take your life!¡± Synchronising with the lyrics of Orphiel¡¯s strange song, a hulking chitinous monster appeared in front of the Humans.


    Already in motion, the three Humans struck at the gaps in the chitin between its knees and ankles, driving it to the ground.


    One of the males, carrying a vicious-looking mace, continued striking at the fallen creature¡¯s knee, mangling the chitin and crippling its leg with Thundering Strikes.


    Carrying the Tyrant¡¯s spear, the second male stabbed deep into the left side of the chest of the creature in pursuit of its heart while the female levelled her bow at its head and released several arrows in rapid succession.


    Despite their ferocity, the Humans failed to subdue the chitin-plated creature and were forced to fall back several steps to avoid being struck in turn.


    However, before the creature could regain its footing, thick gnarled vines covered in poisonous thorns erupted from the ground and seized its arms and legs, momentarily stalling its movement.


    Leaping back into the fray, the Humans redoubled their efforts, hacking and bashing at the creature with savage abandon.


    A clean strike from the spearman severed the creature¡¯s head but failed to kill it outright.


    All around, others were having similar problems dispatching their opponents.


    No matter how savagely they were beaten, skewered and torn apart, the creatures would continue to fight on and gradually piece themselves back together.


    Only Dar and Ushu appeared capable of generating sufficiently catastrophic damage to end the creatures outright and prevent their regeneration.


    So, it came as little surprise to Sebet when Gric appeared to change strategies. Using his authority, Gric began redirecting injured creatures to Ushu and Dar, all the while continuing to feed new arrivals to their other forces.


    Invigorated by Orphiel¡¯s performance, the battle continued at a feverish pace.


    With no telling if or when a rival Lord would arrive, Gric was wasting no time in assigning each available group a new opponent.


    As MP began to grow thin, the Humans became increasingly vicious, targeting areas and organs they believed would inflict the most pain and debilitation rather than the greatest amount of damage.


    Others had begun doing the same.


    The Tyrant¡¯s bodyguards, fighting three or four-on-one, had taken to tackling and pinning the creatures while another member of their group amputated the creatures¡¯ limbs.


    Surprisingly, Ophelia had yet to enter the fray, and Sebet could only assume that Gric was holding her in reserve.


    Watching the Humans ready themselves for their next opponent, Sebet felt a faint but unmistakable premonition of approaching danger.


    ¡°Fall back!¡± Sebet snarled, exercising her authority just in time to draw herself and the three Humans back several dozen feet.


    Less than a second later, another creature appeared where they had just been standing. Otherwise identical to those that had come before, there was something profoundly unsettling about the creature that gave Sebet pause.


    A fraction of a second later, Sebet felt something attempt to gain access to her mind. If she hadn¡¯t already been prepared for it, they might have gained a foothold before she could react. However, as a pulse of mana emanated from the newly arrived creature, Sebet realised that she had made a mistake.


    Before Sebet could so much as cry out in alarm, the creature released a pulse of mana and was immediately surrounded by hundreds of its kin.


    With her blade drawn, Ophelia raced through the sky and down toward the anomalous creature.


    Dozens of new arrivals appeared in her path but disappeared almost as quickly, banished from the territory by Gric¡¯s authority.


    Uncertain why Gric allowed the creature to remain, Sebet attempted to remove it from the realm herself.


    [ Authority is insufficient for this request. ]


    Reading the notification that appeared before her eyes, Sebet felt a fleeting pang of fear before managing to return to her senses.


    Shifting priorities, Sebet began banishing as many of the creatures as she was able.


    Working in tandem with Gric, they managed to banish all of the other creatures from Acheron. New arrivals and no doubt several returnees, continued to appear but were banished just as quickly as they arrived. Giving Ophelia a clear approach.


    Sweeping her sword toward the creature¡¯s neck, Ophelia was thrown to the side as a large obsidian blade appeared in the creature''s hand, clashed against hers, and cast her aside.


    Trask, one of the Tyrant¡¯s most recent recruits, bellowed a warcry and charged. Only to collapse mid-stride several large steps later.


    The three humans collapsed limply to the ground, limbs spasming and twitching in the grips of a seizure.


    Orphiel¡¯s music stopped and he toppled from the sky.


    Ushu shrieked and howled in rage, lashing at the ground with his tail and smashing his head into the earth.


    The Tyrant¡¯s bodyguards dropped their weapons, falling to their knees and crying out in pain as they clutched at their blood-forged helmets.


    The Daemons charged, but not toward the creature. Surrounding Gric with a wall of fangs, claws, flesh and bone.


    Recognising the danger they were in, Sebet used her authority to begin evacuating their forces, delivering them straight to Sanctuary¡¯s hospital.


    The instant Sebet exercised her authority, the creature turned on her and she felt an ancient presence attempting to force itself into her mind.


    Staggered under the weight of the mental attack, Sebet barely managed to leap into the air in time to avoid the strike from a second creature that had appeared behind her.


    Easily three times the size of the other creature, the new creature carried a glaive that had to be close to a hundred feet long. The blade was so impossibly large that it would have crushed and dashed her apart.


    Furiously beating her wings for all she was worth, Sebet narrowly dodged a pair of giant daggers that the creature cast after her. However, even though she dodged the attacks themselves, the change in pressure caused by their passing dragged Sebet off her intended course and sent jolts of pain radiating from her left wing.


    Banishing the larger creature before it could continue its attack, Sebet gathered her MP and threw a lance of fire at the remaining creature. Expecting the attack to fail, Sebet descended in its wake as fast as she was able, gathering more MP.


    Blocking the lance of fire with an open hand, the creature caught Sebet by the neck with the same hand.


    ¡°Now you die...¡± The creature said dismissively, clattering and licking its disgusting myriad of tiny feeding arms around its mouth. Increasing the pressure, its chitin-covered hand effortlessly crushed her windpipe and spine.


    Sebet gurgled in triumph and cast her Spell. Almost immediately, she felt a sudden surge of rejuvenating energy flood into her body.


    The creature¡¯s grip weakened and its arm began to wither.


    ¡°Jokes on you!¡± Sebet cackled wickedly, ¡°I¡¯m into this shit!¡± Snatching at the creature¡¯s weakened wrist to brace herself, Sebet lashed out with the talons on her right foot and anchored them into the crack between several plates that protected the creature¡¯s jugular. Locking her toes, Sebet sent another pulse of the Life Drain Spell out through her foot.


    No doubt recognising the danger it was in, the creature flailed and battered her with its three remaining arms. However, its claws failed to find purchase on Sebet¡¯s armour and lacked a viable angle to reliably strike at the gaps her armour couldn¡¯t cover in her true form.


    ¡°Grlkgka!¡± The creature gurgled hatefully, clearly enraged by how Sebet had managed to turn the tables.


    ¡°RAAAAAGH!!!¡± Dar¡¯s deafening roar was the first and final warning of his approach. However, instead of tackling the creature, Dar leapt over them both and crashed into something behind them.


    Glancing over her shoulder, Sebet was surprised to find that the giant creature had already returned.


    Tackling the giant creature to the ground, Dar ripped and tore at its desperately flailing limbs with savage and single-minded abandon.


    When a second giant creature appeared on his flank, Dar ignored it and buried his horned head in the first creature¡¯s bowels. Drawing out the creature¡¯s digestive tract and other internal organs in a spray of gore the second creature impaled Dar¡¯s flank with a long thin sword.


    Witnessing several more of the giant creatures appearing around her and the other Daemons, Sebet knew she had to act fast.


    Drawing on as much MP as he could spare, Sebet amplified her Spell tenfold.


    Already desperate, the creature¡¯s attacks became increasingly frantic. However, they lacked the strength to do any meaningful damage.


    Just as Dar had done before her, Senn bodily tackled another giant creature that was rapidly closing on Sebet. Coiling about its body, she pinned three of its arms and savagely assaulted its armoured face.


    Massive vines covered in hooked thorns intercepted three others and drew them into a yawning pit.


    A barrage of elemental missiles drove back another.


    With the tides turning in their favour, Sebet expected Gric to join the fray at any moment and help her deliver the killing blow.


    Several tense moments passed and Sebet¡¯s MP began to run dry.


    Looking toward the cluster of Daemons, Sebet was shocked to find Gric hanging onto Qreet and another female Daemon¡¯s shoulder for support. Still under the effects of the Enhanced Senses Spell, Sebet could see trails of blood running from beneath his helmet and even make out his laboured breathing.


    Staggering, Ophelia regained her feet and cast aside her battered and misshapen helmet. Blood was running freely down her cheeks like amber tears and her eyes were lacking focus. Struggling to put one foot in front of the other, she grit her teeth in grim determination and raised her sword.


    Weakened by the life force Sebet had stolen, the creature collapsed to its knees.


    Almost entirely out of mana, Sebet took the opportunity to disengage, rolling off to the side and drawing her whip in one fluid motion.


    Just as Sebet leapt clear, Ophelia drove the tip of her sword through the gap in the armoured plates protecting the creature¡¯s eyes and into whatever lay beyond. Seemingly lacking the strength to penetrate the chitin on the other side, Ophelia¡¯s strike came to an abrupt halt.


    For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then, without warning, amber flames erupted along the length of Ophelia¡¯s blade.


    The creature shuddered and the same amber flames erupted through the gaps in the chitin covering its body.


    As the chitin and flesh burned away, Sebet expected to find a kill notification. However, no such message came.


    Making matters worse, more of the creatures were appearing with every passing moment.


    All but certain the creature was dead, Sebet could only assume that whatever Spell or Ability it had used would continue to run its course until the MP used to create it ran dry. Furthermore, given that she and the others were in no fit state to continue fighting against such overwhelming numbers, Sebet decided that they had to retreat, regroup and form a new strategy.


    Exercising her authority to take them all back to Sanctuary, Sebet could only take Gric¡¯s lack of resistance as tacit approval. Which meant he was almost certainly in a far more critical condition than she had realised.


    ***** Tim ~ ????? ~ ????? *****


    It was a typical Spring day in the Adelaide suburbs. Parents were helping their children cross the street on the way to school. Men and women were lining up at the bus station or getting into their cars to head off to work. And all of them were staring suspiciously at me while I was doing my best to pretend that I didn¡¯t notice.


    Head and shoulders taller than the other men waiting at the bus stop, and nearly twice as wide, I stood out like a sore thumb. By every modern aesthetic, barring height and facial symmetry, I was the poster child for ugly.


    Entirely bald from the crown of my skull to the bottom of my feet, or Alopecia Totalis, I was wearing a large Bunnings straw sunhat and a pair of dark-tinted swimming goggles to avoid getting sunburnt in forty-degree heat. Of course, this only served to draw even more attention to myself, but it was a necessity I couldn¡¯t go without if I wanted to be able to read anything once I arrived at university.


    I would have preferred to wear sunglasses, but the irregular shape of my ears and the wideness of my face would have required them to be custom-made. While not exactly poor, I didn¡¯t have so much money that I could frivolously waste it on what essentially boiled down to a matter of aesthetic preference.


    It wasn¡¯t like those two things would change much of anything anyway. The diagnosed cause of my Alopecia was minor nerve damage that encompassed nearly my entire body. While making me somewhat more resistant to pain, my abnormally thick skin also made me more resistant to abrasions and similar trauma. The combination of the two left my skin a pale and unnatural greenish-grey.


    I was a monster waiting at a bus stop in the South Australian suburbs. It would have been weird if I didn¡¯t draw attention.


    When my bus arrived, I moved down to the disabled access point halfway down the length of the bus and waited for the driver to open the doors. While I technically could squeeze through the main door and past the driver, it would be an uncomfortable experience for both of us.


    When the doors opened, I pretended not to notice as the bus lurched slightly to one side in reaction to my weight. Waving my MetroCard past the card reading machine, I shuffled to the opposite side of the bus and stood in the space normally reserved for wheelchairs or mobility scooters. Again, while I could technically fit in a regular seat, getting out of it on time was another thing entirely.


    Once the bus driver had finished adjusting the hydraulics to compensate for my weight, and the remaining passengers had boarded, the bus slowly moved on to continue its route.


    Removing the earbuds from my pocket, I pushed them into my ears and pressed the play icon displayed on the app on my phone.


    Listening to music was a necessary distraction and made the half-hour bus ride tolerable.


    Staring listlessly out the window, I felt a fleeting sense of deja vu. However, given that I made this trip a dozen or more times in any given week, I paid it little mind.


    After getting off the bus at my intended stop, I walked through the park beside the hospital parking lot so I could loop around to the university buildings located nearby. The hospital was a teaching hospital affiliated with the university, so it was common for medical students and teachers to cross through the large parking lot.


    I was at the point in my nursing degree that I would begin making similar trips of my own to acquire my required job placement hours. Of course, that was assuming my application was accepted.


    One of the downsides of the university being so close to the teaching hospital was that it made securing the job placement hours incredibly competitive and often meant that the supervisors were short-tempered regarding student error.


    I had applied to several accredited nursing homes and hospices that I could reach by bus or train, so I wasn¡¯t particularly worried. According to my teachers, no one had ever failed the job placement requirements component of their degree because of a lack of available opportunities. Those who failed, presumably, lacked the initiative to cast a wider net.


    I was hoping to secure a placement at a hospice I was already familiar with. It was the same long-term care facility that had provided care for my Mum before she passed away. The staff had been nothing but kind to my Mum despite their busy schedules. So, lacking any other meaningful direction in my life, I decided to honour my Mum¡¯s memory by training to become a nurse for a hospice or other long-term care facility.


    Most of the jobs I was aiming for required a relatively high degree of physical strength and fitness in addition to general knowledge of medical practices and procedures. The former I already possessed in spades, and the latter was why I was attending university.


    I stopped briefly as I reached a park bench close to the edge of my route. It was occupied by a grizzled old man sleeping beneath a crude tent formed by a filthy blanket hung over the back of the bench and the end of the seat. Out of habit, I withdrew a plastic-wrapped cheese and butter sandwich from my satchel bag and set it down on a free space on the bench.


    I had never spoken to him before, but the old man was always there, sleeping on the bench when I was on my way to university. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No more scruffy than any of the other homeless people I had encountered, he was the exception in that I had no negative experiences with him whatsoever. Our entire relationship began and ended with me leaving sandwiches on the bench.


    Getting up to leave, the rustling of plastic wrap drew my attention back to the old man.


    He had pushed away the blanket and was now sitting on the bench instead of lying on top of it. Visibly haggard and with a great deal of overgrown hair, it was hard to guess at his age. His wild hair, stained Metallica T-shirt and torn faded jeans made him sort of look like one of the stagehands for a rock band. Or rather, what I thought they might look like since I had never seen anyone like that in person.


    The old man was already halfway through the sandwich, happily chewing away with crumbs in his bushy moustache and beard.


    Feeling quite awkward, I turned to leave again.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± the old man grumbled and muttered under his breath.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, looking back at the man only to find he appeared to be talking to himself and not to me.


    Crossing the street, I momentarily removed my sun hat so I could remove my tinted swimming goggles. I had a poor enough reputation on campus as it was, and I had no desire to worsen it further.


    I was just about to ascend the steps to the main building but paused and looked around when I heard the voice of one of my professors nearby.


    ¡°Damnable contraption! Wheels are meant to make it easier! Not more difficult!¡± Professor Anders cursed.


    Skirting around the hedge and approaching the wheelchair access ramp, I found Professor Anders fussing with the wheel locks of a large road case.


    The elderly Professor''s expression brightened as he noticed my approach and apparent interest. ¡°Ah, Tim, be a good man and help me with this would you?¡± Professor Anders asked cheerily, in stark contrast to his earlier frustration.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I shrugged and knelt beside the road case, checking each wheel lock to see what might be the problem. One of the wheel locks was broken and wasn¡¯t releasing its brake, causing the wheel to drag and spin the rest of the case. ¡°The lock¡¯s busted,¡± I explained, pointing to the offending wheel lock, ¡°I could just carry it for you if you want. I think my first lecture today is one of yours anyway.¡±


    Professor Anders beamed with gratitude, ¡°While I do not wish to impose, I must accept your offer for the sake of prudence. Ms Gilligan requires the contents for today¡¯s Senior First Aid classes.¡±


    Taking hold of the spring-loaded handles on either side, I lifted the case without much trouble and very little effort.


    Because I had taken the classes before, I already knew which rooms had been set aside for Ms Gilligan¡¯s classes.


    Technically not a member of the teaching staff of the university, Ms Gilligan¡¯s Basic First Aid and Senior First Aid classes were not restricted to students of the university. It was something of a subcontracting situation from the business side of things. Frequented by students, members of the public and most often the employees of local businesses that required renewal of their certifications.


    All the same, Professor Anders made a point of remaining slightly ahead of me. The three feet of difference in our respective body height drew more attention than usual. However, a well-timed scowl from the Professor had the unerring effect of convincing other students that they had better things to do.


    ¡°Thank you for the help Tim,¡± Professor Anders said quietly, ¡°If you would just leave it by the door, that would be quite enough. Thank you. You really shouldn¡¯t be here after all.¡±


    I nodded and set the crate down by the door.


    Professor Anders began making his way over to Ms Gilligan with a big goofy smile on his face. It was the worst-kept secret on campus that they had been ¡®not dating¡¯ for the better part of a year. Since it was none of my business, I began making my way toward Lecture Hall C for my first lecture of the day.


    Unlike some of the other students attending the lecture, I wasn¡¯t surprised when Professor Anders was a little late.


    When I first started attending university, I had tried on previous occasions to sit in the back row so I wouldn¡¯t stand out as much. Unfortunately, my odd appearance drew the attention of lecturers and teaching aides like moths to a flame. It was incredibly rare for me to attend a lecture and not be called on to answer a question or provide an opinion on the subject material of the lecture.


    I hated it.


    What made it worse was when most of the students in the lecture hall turned to look back at me while I gave my response. I wasn¡¯t able to just watch the lectures online either. Because my presence was so painfully obvious that it made my absences impossible to overlook.


    Technically, I could tell my tutors and professors to ¡®shove off¡¯, but the medical field was such a close-knit profession that a recommendation letter from my Professors could affect my entire career.


    My only option was to suck it up and minimise my anxiety by sitting in the far side of the front row. At least there I would only be able to see a few people staring at me instead of everyone.


    I spent the time between my scheduled lectures and classes sitting in a private study space in the library.


    Rather than just goofing off or wasting time, I divided my time between practising sign language with the help of a mirror and reviewing basic medical procedures I expected to be commonplace in palliative care.


    Leaving university in the early evening, the old man was nowhere to be seen as I made my way to the bus stop to head home.


    The clouds gathering in the early evening sky suggested that it would be raining by the time I reached the bus stop, so I took out the compact umbrella from my satchel bag and waited for the first drops to fall. The weather was always weird around this time of year and I had just grown to accept it.


    The bus ride home was proving more or less uneventful. However, I was halfway home before I realised someone seemed to be following me.


    Without stopping, I glanced over my shoulder and found a young woman with dark brown hair, wearing a business jacket and skirt making an effort to deliberately match my pace down the wet sidewalk. She had an umbrella of her own, so I didn¡¯t understand why she was sticking so close to me.


    It was only after she made a sudden left turn and made a dash to the front door of a nearby house that I vaguely recalled having seen her on the bus several times before. I also now had an unobstructed view of two rough-looking men who had suddenly pulled up short halfway down the street.


    Both were wearing baseball caps and dark raincoats, so I couldn¡¯t make out either of their features. All the same, there was something about them that unsettled me.


    By the way, they both abruptly turned around and double-timed it down the street, I could only assume that they had a similar feeling about me.


    I noticed the woman peeking through her curtains and gave her a shy wave as I prepared to continue down the street.


    She pulled the curtains shut before I even managed to raise my hand.


    Finishing my walk home, I dried out my umbrella and set aside my things before making dinner. I listened to music to fill the silence of the empty house while I ate alone at the dinner table and while washing the dishes in the sink.


    Going to bed early, I checked and rechecked that my alarms were set to the correct time and then fell asleep.


    Waiting at the bus stop in the morning, I saw the woman in the business suit again but decided against trying to talk to her. There were just too many ways for it to go wrong.


    After getting off the bus, I left a fritz and cheese sandwich for the old man on the bench and turned to leave.


    ¡°Hey,¡± a gruff voice grunted from the direction of the bench, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you.¡±


    I turned back to the bench and found the old man staring at me while he unwrapped the sandwich I had left for him,


    ¡°Yeah you,¡± the old man confirmed before taking a bite of the sandwich.


    ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t keep any money on me,¡± I apologised, expecting the old man to ask for a handout. I hadn¡¯t carried cash since I was seven years old, buying books from a local library¡¯s book sale.


    The old man waved his hand dismissively, ¡°You can keep yer plastic,¡± he grunted, ¡°Though I wouldn¡¯t say no to another sandwich,¡± he suggested hopefully.


    I considered the sandwich inside my bag and then my pudgy stomach. ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed, reasoning that missing a meal wouldn¡¯t kill me. I fished out the other sandwich and handed it to the old man.


    The old man grinned as he chewed on a bite from the first sandwich and gratefully accepted the second sandwich with a surprisingly clean and well-manicured hand. ¡°Yer a good kid, you know that? But you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    I shrugged noncommittally, ¡°Sorry, but I have classes to get to, so...¡± I began to turn away. The old man made no further attempts to stop me, so I continued on my way.


    The woman followed me on the way home from the bus stop again, maintaining a fixed distance between us until we reached her house. Just like last time, she didn¡¯t say a word.


    The next couple of days passed in much the same way. I had made the habit of packing an extra sandwich for the old man because the dip in energy had made it difficult to concentrate during longer classes.


    The old man ended our brief conversations in the same way each time. Insisting that I shouldn¡¯t be there.


    Taking it as a sign that perhaps he considered the bench to be his property and didn¡¯t want me trespassing, I took it as a sign to keep our interactions brief.


    During a less-than-engaging lecture, I couldn''t help but think back on what had happened earlier that week. I considered calling the police about the two men but talked myself out of it after deciding the woman must have done so already. Besides not being any of my business, I didn¡¯t know what was going on. For all I knew, she might owe them money and was pretending I was her bodyguard or something.


    It wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone used me like that either. The handful of people I had thought were my friends in high school had been the same way. They had taken every opportunity to make me out to be a brute on their leash who would do whatever they wanted. By the time I realised what they had done, it was too late.


    Half of the school had already believed I was a brutish psychopath just because of how I looked, so it didn¡¯t take much ¡®convincing¡¯ for everyone else to believe the same.


    I was a tool, something to be used and then discarded once I was no longer of value. That was the hard lesson I had learned from the experience. I was better off keeping myself to myself. All the same, it was difficult to fight my better nature.


    Despite everything, I still wanted to help people. I had convinced myself for a long time that it was because I was a good person and that is what a good person would want to do. However, as I grew older it became more difficult to continue lying to myself. I didn¡¯t help people because I thought it would make them like me, I helped them so they would leave me alone.


    It was far better to be known as the ugly helpful idiot than... an ogre...


    ¡°Donkey!¡± Someone called out in a poor excuse for a Scottish accent.


    Without looking, I could already tell that it was one of the teenage boys lurking in the back of the bus. So I did my best to ignore them.


    ¡°I said, Don-keh!¡± The boy repeated more insistently before snickering along with his friends.


    ¡°Fucking Shrek...¡± I muttered bitterly while increasing the volume on my phone and absently staring out the bus window. All the while doing my best to ignore my distorted reflection.


    Ever since the first movie had come out everyone thought they would be the first to make the joke at the expense of my unfortunate appearance. The first few hundred times I had just tried to ignore it. However, when some people realised it bothered me, they would make a point of mentioning it where they knew I would hear it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t belong here, you ugly piece of shit!¡± The pimpliest teen snickered, his voice cracking from fear as I glanced in his direction.


    When it became obvious that I wasn¡¯t going to attack them or retaliate in any way, the taunting continued and only grew worse. To stop myself from dying from second-hand cringe, I decided to get off the bus.


    Turning the volume of my music back down again, I noticed that my neighbour from down the street had gotten off the bus as well.


    She was doing her best to look busy on her phone, going through the motions of sending a text or browsing the internet.


    Already irritable from having to put up with the dickheads on the bus, I wasn¡¯t in the mood for playing at being her unwitting bodyguard. Instead of continuing along the bus route, I began heading for the nearby beach instead.


    As I expected, my neighbour began to follow me, most likely thinking I was just taking a more straightforward route than the winding path the bus would usually take. However, even when it became obvious that I wasn¡¯t heading home, she continued to follow me out onto the beach.


    The sky was overcast and the clouds were only growing darker with each passing minute. Strong winds coming in from offshore were driving waves up and over the jagged rocks.


    Unlike most of the beaches shown on postcards, this beach had a harsh transition between the bare rocks creeping out from the ocean and the dunes littered with sparse vegetation.


    I had visited this beach all the time with my Mum before she became ill, and it was where I sought refuge from the world whenever I needed to think.


    Walking down the dunes, I began heading for my favourite spot amongst the rocks.


    Spotting what looked like a small child lying face down in the shallows. I threw aside my bag and ran toward the water.


    It was my favourite beach, but it held considerable local notoriety for claiming the lives of unwary tourists.


    Adrenaline pumping through my veins and blood pounding in my ears, I charged into the surf and toward the child.


    Deathly pale and clothes tattered by the rocks, the small girl looked close to eleven years old. The disturbance caused by the waves caused her dark inky black hair to splay outward and conceal her face. But I could see several trails of blood in the water and couldn¡¯t help but fear the worst.


    Reaching into the water, I drew the small girl up into my arms as gently as I could manage and began charging back toward the shore.


    ¡°HEY!¡± The sudden screech caught me unprepared and I very nearly pitched face-first into the surf.


    Looking toward the source of the noise, I reflexively dropped the small girl into the water before my conscious mind was able to process what had happened.


    Feeling a second wave of panic overtake the first, I began fumbling through the agitated surf for the little girl.


    ¡°Do you have a habit of just grabbing people!¡± An indignant voice squeaked, drawing my attention to my left and the small pale-skinned girl treading water slightly out beyond my reach. ¡°Uh uh, you keep your hands to yourself!¡± She warned and curled back her lips to reveal a mouthful of needle-like teeth behind the pitch-black hair plastering her face.


    ¡°I...I thought you were drowning...¡± I muttered defensively while backing away and raising my hands to try and show I meant no harm.


    ¡°Ironic,¡± the girl snickered, cocking her head to one side and staring at me intensely from behind her hair. ¡°Because you know, you really shouldn¡¯t be here, Tim.¡±

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 77 – Fear the Reaper – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 77 ¨C Fear the Reaper ¨C  Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 77 - Fear the Reaper - Part Two


    Confused, I stared back at the small girl while trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.


    ¡°How...How do you know my name?¡± I asked warily, struggling to justify the strangeness of everything that had happened up until this point.


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t belong here,¡± the pale-skinned girl repeated condescendingly. ¡°This is nothing more than a twisted memory.¡±


    ¡°A memory?¡± I repeated, feeling an undeniable element of truth in the words as I spoke them aloud.


    ¡°A TWISTED memory,¡± the girl corrected irritably. ¡°Someone is taking advantage of your weakened state to try and do...something...¡± She looked toward the shore and stared at the young woman in the business suit. ¡°Or maybe...Maybe it wasn''t twisted at all...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡± I admitted somewhat hesitantly.


    ¡°I would ask what you remember, but that would be a wasted effort,¡± the girl commented dismissively. ¡°Now, be quiet and let me concentrate.¡±


    Still confused and uncertain of what I should do, I shifted uncomfortably in the surf. I hadn¡¯t been spoken to so forcefully by a child in over a decade. Even then, it hadn¡¯t amounted to more than proclaiming I was a ¡®poop head¡¯.


    ¡°Strange...¡± The small deathly pale girl muttered and hissed irritably between her teeth. ¡°I can¡¯t sense any signs of tampering...¡±


    The familiar siren of an ambulance drew my focus from the small girl and toward the shore. Flashing red and blue lights cascaded down the scraggly face of the dunes and illuminated a pair of well-built EMTs rushing toward the beach and...


    I felt an intense sense of vertigo and nearly collapsed into the surf.


    The young woman who had followed me to the beach was waving her arms at the approaching EMTs, phone in hand and frantically pointing to the form of a second small girl lying in the sand at her feet.


    Except it wasn¡¯t another girl. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I glanced to the side and was surprised to find that the girl was still there despite clearly...


    I felt another wave of vertigo, only this time, I collapsed into the water. Soaking my clothes and momentarily stunning me into inaction as the ice-cold water seized at my nethers.


    Gasping in shock I scrambled to draw myself upright again. All the while staring at my doppelganger on the beach.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t breathing!¡± My other self called out in a panic, kneeling at the girl¡¯s side and drawing his hands from her chest, ¡°She was out in the water and...Oh god...¡±


    ¡°I...¡± I looked down at my hands and felt a wave of nausea begin to build in my gut. My hands had begun to shake violently and I couldn¡¯t stop it. Acidic bile rose in my throat and I vomited into the waves rushing past my thighs.


    Pressing my hands under my arms, I watched in stunned silence as the EMTs performed emergency CPR for several minutes, and then stopped.


    Police arrived a short while afterwards, detaining my other self and asking questions I was too far away to hear. Even without hearing the words, I could tell by the hard look in their eyes that they assumed the worst. Assumed that my other self had been directly involved in the girl¡¯s drowning.


    To my immense surprise, the young woman who had followed me to the beach appeared to be arguing with the police, and against my expectations, seemed to change their minds.


    The hard eyes of the officers became indifferent or sympathetic, and after a second round of questioning, my other self was left alone.


    Rising to his feet, my other self retrieved my bag from where I had cast it aside and began retreating up the dunes.


    As my other self turned his back, the officers, EMTs, the young woman and even the body of the small girl disappeared. The beach persisted through the disappearances, taking on a serene yet cold ambience.


    ¡°This is...¡± The pale girl cocked her head curiously to one side and slowly took in the beach. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be possible...To persist despite your absence...¡± She turned to consider me, her eyes still concealed by the wet hair plastered to her face. ¡°Gric has claimed this place belonged to your mother. Is this true?¡±


    ¡°It was my mother¡¯s favourite place...¡± I replied numbly, trying and failing to process everything that had transpired. My eyes were drawn toward a grassy patch on the uppermost dunes. ¡°It was where she died...¡± I added, almost as an afterthought.


    ¡°Oh...¡± The girl sounded embarrassed, even somewhat sympathetic.


    ¡°She made me take her here...Wanted to look out at the sea one last time...¡± I continued quietly. ¡°After her funeral, I spread her ashes from the top of the dunes...¡±


    A long silence passed between us, broken only by the rushing waves and distant rumble of thunder.


    Looking away from the dunes, I realised the small girl was gone.


    Feeling irreconcilably tired I closed my eyes and allowed the reassuring crash of the surf to clear my mind, surrendering myself to the ambient noises that had ingrained themselves in my soul since childhood.


    ***** Ril ~ ????? ~ ????? *****


    Ril watched in silence as the manifestation of Tim¡¯s subconscious faded and merged anew with the avatar of his memory.


    Having lost the manifestation that allowed her to communicate directly with Tim¡¯s subconscious, Ril had no choice but to follow his avatar in silence.


    Tim¡¯s world was more or less as she had expected. Ril had feasted on the souls of several Labyrinth Lords over the centuries. The most recent had been roughly four or maybe five decades earlier.


    From what Ril could tell, very little had changed.


    Tim walked alone through the empty streets. Any passersby who saw his approach abruptly decided they had taken a wrong turn and hastily moved to rectify their mistake. If Tim noticed, he made no sign of it.


    Tim¡¯s home was spacious but he had a way of making the open spaces appear cramped, barely passing between furniture without knocking them out of the way with his bulk.


    Listlessly wandering from room to room, Tim eventually ascended a sturdy set of stairs to the second floor of the house and entered his room.


    Just the same as the rest of the house, his room was sparsely furnished. However, the walls held unframed portraits of scantily clad muscular human females.


    Some of the females were flexing their muscles. Others were engaging in what Ril could only assume was intended as exercise or competition.


    Given Tim¡¯s choice of mate, Ril decided that the portraits represented targets of unrequited romantic or lustful interest. Which made Tim¡¯s despair all the more telling.


    Despite staring at the wall opposite his bed, Tim wasn¡¯t looking at the portraits of scantily clad females. He wasn¡¯t looking at anything.


    Hours passed in utter silence.


    Tim hadn¡¯t moved an inch or made a single sound.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed the two large human males skirting outside his house either. Which Ril found strange.


    According to her prior experiences traversing the minds of lesser beings, a subject should not know about events outside of their perceived experiences as they originally experienced them. Yet Ril had seen the two males approach through the window behind him and was now following them outside of the house.


    ¡°In an¡¯ out, real clean like,¡± the first male grunted quietly, withdrawing a hooked iron club from the inside of his coat and giving it a menacing heft.


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± the second male agreed, drawing a large knife from his coat in turn. ¡°We¡¯re just scaring him or?...¡± He left the remainder unspoken.


    ¡°Boss wants to know what he¡¯s about,¡± the first male replied. ¡°Wasn¡¯t specific in how we go about it.¡±


    The second male grinned excitedly, eager for violence.


    ¡°He¡¯s a big fucker...¡± The first continued quietly as they arrived at the back door of the house. ¡°So, he gets antsy, drop him.¡±


    The second male nodded eagerly.


    Testing the door, both they and Ril were surprised to find it wasn¡¯t locked.


    Entering through the back door, the two males slowly prowled through the house with their weapons at the ready.


    Checking in on Tim, Ril found him still sitting on his bed and staring at the wall.


    Ril could see the two males quietly ascending the stairs and came to a realisation.


    This was how he had died. Wallowing in self-pity and despair, Tim had been murdered in his own home.


    Except...


    Ril considered Tim for several long moments and would have frowned if she had a body to do so.


    Something still didn¡¯t fit.


    Every other Labyrinth Lord Ril had the displeasure to have known, had been a hardened killer. Some of them had been soldiers and had expressed regret over their actions. Others had been demented beyond reason, viewing their own Species as lower forms of life to be preyed upon. Tim was different...


    He was...pathetic...


    The sudden crash of breaking glass and ceramic drew Ril¡¯s attention back toward the two invaders in the hall.


    To Ril¡¯s surprise, the noise caused Tim to stir as well.


    Eerily silent for someone so large, Tim rose to his feet and left his room.


    The invaders were headed toward a closed door down the opposite end of the hall and didn¡¯t see his approach.


    They didn¡¯t see Tim look down at the small broken portrait of a smiling middle-aged female and a broken funerary urn.


    They didn¡¯t see the rage burning in his eyes.


    Perhaps sensing the danger, the second male turned his head and caught sight of Tim looming over him. ¡°OH FUCK!!!!¡± He yelped in fear and swung wildly at Time while trying to run away.


    Ignoring the crimson gash across his chest, Tim grabbed the second male by the throat and squeezed.


    There was a wet crunch, and like a puppet with severed strings, the second male grew limp and proceeded to void his bowels and bladder. Ril could tell that he wasn¡¯t dead, at least, not yet.


    Letting out a low dangerous growl, and still firmly holding the second male by the throat, Tim stalked toward the first.


    Terrified, the first male dropped his club and fumbled for something at his back while retreating from Tim. ¡°S-STAY BACK!¡± The terrified male squealed, his voice pleading rather than demanding Tim¡¯s compliance.


    The second male gurgled something unintelligible, choking on his own spit as Tim maintained his vice-like grip on his oesophagus.


    Backing away toward the stairs, the first male drew a small strange weapon from behind his back, and it took Ril a few moments to identify it as one of the bizarre metal-spitting weapons the humans employed in this world. ¡°I SAID STAY BACK!!!¡± The first male repeated, waving the weapon frantically in what he probably hoped was an intimidating fashion.


    Tim stopped and appeared to consider the weapon for a moment. But only for a moment. Renewing his advance, Tim cast the second male over the railing and onto the floor below.


    He landed with a second sickening crunch, and from her vantage, Ril could see that the man was dead. The side of his head had struck the corner of a small table, breaking the table and cracking the male¡¯s skull.


    The weapon in the first male¡¯s hands barked several times in rapid succession, spitting metal from its muzzle and into Tim¡¯s body.


    Crimson patches began to spread across Tim¡¯s chest and back, not that he paid them any mind.


    Advancing on the remaining intruder, Tim grabbed the male by his shoulders and began to pull.


    The male howled in pain and his shoulders and chest began making muted wet crunching sounds as Tim slowly but steadily ripped the male¡¯s right arm out of its socket. To Ril¡¯s surprise, Tim didn¡¯t stop there and continued pulling, dislocating the other shoulder.


    In his pain, the male dropped his weapon.


    Tim didn¡¯t notice, or didn¡¯t care, and continued to draw the male¡¯s arms in opposite directions.


    With a wet ripping sound, the male¡¯s right arm tore free from his torso, causing him to swing in Tim¡¯s grasp and pump blood from the ragged stump of his shoulder over Tim¡¯s feet and the landing at the top of the stairs.


    Raising the intruder by his arm, Tim glared into the dying man¡¯s eyes with hatred and rage that gave Ril pause. This was not the Labyrinth Lord she knew. He was something else, something...darker...


    As the last of the light left the male¡¯s eyes, Tim cast the dead male and his crudely amputated appendage down the stairs.


    As the rage left Tim¡¯s eyes and he slowly staggered back toward the fallen portrait, Ril became aware of the blood running down his calves and ankles. Each breath was accompanied by a wet rattle that grew more severe with each passing moment, matching pace with his increasingly pale skin.


    Ril had seen the signs often enough to realise that he was dying. However, what she did not understand was why.


    Ril knew Tim well enough to know that he possessed the knowledge to extend his life through mundane means. So it didn¡¯t make sense that he would choose to do nothing.


    Trembling Tim stiffly lowered himself to the floor and rested his back against the wall. Reaching for the broken portrait, Tim looked down at the face of the female in the portrait with an expression of regret and shame. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± He rasped wetly, ¡°I...I just can¡¯t...I¡¯m so tired...I just...I want it all to end...I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    Gasping for breath, Tim shakily set the portrait down on the floor.


    Spitting up a mouthful of blood, he slowly closed his eyes and stopped breathing.


    Several minutes passed, and Tim died.


    Bracing herself for the memory¡¯s collapse, Ril was surprised to find herself in the early stages of being ejected from Tim¡¯s mind.


    By no means a specialist, Ril had enough experience to compensate for a lack of raw power and supporting Abilities. So she was unsettled by the fact that she couldn¡¯t reestablish her hold and continue to the next scene of Tim¡¯s subconscious. However, as she returned to her body, Ril was shocked to discover why she had been driven from Tim¡¯s subconscious.


    Tim, was awake.


    Eyes black as pitch, Tim rose from his bed in complete silence, and before anyone present could react, disappeared.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Toofy cried out in distress, breaking the silence.


    Although she was unsure why, Ril felt a pang of guilt. She had intended to wake Tim from the beginning, but she had not expected him to wake of his own accord. Taking Toofy¡¯s hand, Ril gave it a reassuring squeeze, ¡°I will find him Mama, and bring him back.¡±


    On the verge of hysterics, Toofy looked at her with a conflicting expression of relief and profound concern. ¡°Ril is sure? Ril be safe?¡± She asked hesitantly, evidently unwilling to place her in harm''s way, even to rescue her friend.


    ¡°I will be safe, Mama,¡± Ril promised, touched by Toofy¡¯s concern for her wellbeing. Another reminder of why she needed to reestablish the status quo.


    For all his faults, Tim had created this fleeting moment of happiness, and Ril intended to make it last as long as she was able.


    Gathering her MP, Ril cast out her senses and locked onto Tim¡¯s position. Thankfully, he hadn¡¯t left the realm, so the MP expenditure would be minor.


    Teleporting close to Tim¡¯s location, Ril instinctively ducked low to the ground intending to hide herself from sight.


    She was just in time to witness a mature Coleopteran warrior become impaled by several stone spears projecting from the ground a few feet ahead of her position.


    Mind racing, Ril took in her surroundings with supernaturally accelerated speed.


    They were in the isolated territory nominally identified as Acheron, which was overrun by hundreds of the Coleopteran warriors.


    Scowling darkly, Tim exuded an aura of pure undiluted rage.


    Gathering MP at a dangerously reckless scale, he cast dozens of white-hot lances of fire at the closest Coleopteran warriors.


    Despite the extreme speed of the magical missiles, the Coleopteran warriors were faster and managed to dodge out of the way.


    Or so it seemed.


    Correcting course mid-flight, the projectiles chased the Coleopteran warriors down, gaining in speed with each passing moment.


    They didn¡¯t seem to realise, but Tim was baiting them closer deliberately.


    Appearing to take the bait, one of the Coleopteran warriors charged Tim directly, a host of magical weapons ready to eviscerate his unprotected flesh.


    Indifferent to the danger, Tim made no outward signs of intending to defend himself. However, his reserve of gathered MP remained just as bountiful as before.


    And yet, Ril could sense another Spell had been activated.


    Stumbling, the Coleopteran warrior was struck in the back and its wings were immediately incinerated. Before the Coleopteran warrior could attempt to regain its composure, its carapace began to crack and wither.


    Within a handful of heartbeats, the Coleopteran warrior was reduced to a mound of crumbling ash.


    With the Coleopteran warrior¡¯s death, Tim redoubled his offensive efforts, sending dozens more of the fiery missiles into the scattering ranks of the Coleopteran warriors.


    Twice more, larger Coleopteran warriors attempted to charge Tim directly and engage him in a bloody melee. Both Coleopteran warriors fared no better than the first.


    Changing tactics, the host of Coleopteran warriors began hurling weapons from a distance.


    The instant the weapons left their owners'' hands, they disappeared.


    The world shifted.


    Tim appeared before one of the largest Coleopteran warriors and it immediately collapsed to its knees. Still assaulting the other Coleopteran warriors with fire, Tim conjured another and drove it straight into the collapsed Coleopteran warrior¡¯s head.


    The Coleopteran warrior released a keening cry that made Ril¡¯s ears ache abominably.


    Tim appeared unaffected and made a point of twisting the flaming lance.


    Ril felt an immensely powerful, and familiar, presence attempting to gain purchase on her mind. However, before she could deflect the attempt, Tim intercepted it.


    There was a desperate unseen scramble for dominance, and then the presence retreated.


    Bleeding from his eyes, ears and nose, Tim withdrew the flaming lance from the Coleopteran warrior¡¯s head and sent it after someone else.


    Tim spat bloody phlegmonto the fallen Coleopteran warrior and its body disintegrated.


    Senses overloaded by the Spell he had just cast, Ril collapsed prone into the dirt. Trying to rise, she collapsed anew as Tim began repeating the Spell in rapid succession. A Spell she couldn¡¯t help but recognise.


    Life Drain.


    To Ril¡¯s knowledge, the Spell was meant to be ruinously costly, and that was before Empowering the Spell.


    Directing her senses toward Tim, Ril only became more confused. As best she could tell, Tim was not losing MP at all. Searching her memories, Ril decided there was only one possible explanation.


    Tim was using Sorcery.


    Intended as a last-ditch measure, the Ability allowed the use of HP in place of MP for casting Spells. Using Sorcery to cast Life Drain would, theoretically, allow for indefinite casting of the Spell. Provided Tim had a living target to drain and replenish his HP. However, using HP when he still had MP available was nothing short of reckless. A recklessness that was compounded when paying for the Empowered effect on top of the original Spell.


    The Coleopteran warriors began to retreat, Teleporting from the territory. However, their retreat was abruptly terminated as Tim set down an Empowered Anchor and exercised his authority to draw all remaining Coleopteran warriors within his realm to the wartorn fields of Acheron.


    ¡°Die,¡± Tim commanded, triggering a cascade of spontaneous disintegration.


    Ril could only watch as Coleopteran warriors died by the score without being allowed so much as a chance to defend themselves.


    It was a massacre.


    Unnerved by Tim¡¯s unexpected ruthlessness, Ril now understood the purpose of reliving the memory of the final days of his previous life. It was a simple matter of manipulation by stripping away the convenient lies that formed the bedrock of his self-perception.


    Tearing down the person he thought he was and leaving something far darker in its place.


    If Tim had been left to his own devices, he may have arrived at this point in the not-too-distant future, but there had been no certainty of it.


    Recognising her failure for what it was, Ril felt a rare churning of shame twist her insides.


    If she had made the effort to do so, Ril knew she could have derailed the memory. Allowed things to remain as they were for a while longer.


    Tim began slowly pacing down the length of the field.


    Following him from a distance, Ril wasn¡¯t sure what to do. In his altered state of mind, there was no guarantee of her safety, and while she had no fear of death, Ril knew that Toofy would be inconsolable.


    Was this any different? She wondered.


    Every moment that passed made the changes that much more likely to stick.


    She was too late to change what Tim had seen, but perhaps not too late to change his perception.


    Making her choice, Ril scampered out of her hiding place and took on speed to catch up to-


    Ril nearly lost her footing as she suddenly appeared at Tim¡¯s side. He hadn¡¯t stopped walking, but it was obvious that he was somewhat aware of her intentions.


    ¡°You saw it all, didn¡¯t you...¡± Tim observed darkly. Beneath his anger was a profound undercurrent of despair that made it clear he was not referring to the massacre of the Coleopteran warriors.


    ¡°I did,¡± Ril admitted truthfully.


    Tim grunted unintelligibly in response.


    ¡°It should not change who you are,¡± Ril asserted, probing Tim to more accurately gauge his mental state and receptivity.


    Tim looked down at her with an incredulous expression on his face. ¡°How could it not? I murdered two people...I tore a man¡¯s arm off...¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± Ril agreed, trying not to sound dismissive. ¡°They intended you harm, and you defended yourself.¡±


    Staring ahead and at nothing in particular, Tim shook his head.


    ¡°Your story has not changed,¡± Ril insisted determinedly. ¡°Only the details of a chapter long since passed.¡±


    Tim scowled. ¡°I murdered two people...¡±


    Struggling to come to grips with his source of distress, Ril decided to probe deeper. ¡°You have slain thousands before coming into this knowledge,¡± she accused. ¡°Why must two lives matter more than they?¡±


    Tim tightly pressed his lips together and his fingers twitched dangerously. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t...¡± He agreed quietly. ¡°But they do...¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Rill pressed.


    Tim¡¯s hands balled into fists and trembled from the tension.


    Ril considered widening the space between them but promptly discarded the idea. ¡°You did not believe yourself capable of such violence. That is why it is different,¡± she reasoned.


    Tim unclenched his fists but said nothing.


    ¡°But this is where you were wrong,¡± Ril insisted. ¡°You have always been capable. What you lacked was motivation.¡±


    Tim frowned and furrowed his brow. He stopped walking shortly after as he became increasingly lost in thought. After several tense minutes of silence, he closed his eyes, sighed deeply and opened them again.


    The blackness that had clouded his eyes was gone, and while Tim still appeared troubled, he was no longer teetering on the brink of homicidal rage.


    ¡°Thank you, Ril,¡± Tim said quietly.


    Ril eyed him warily, nodded tersely in acknowledgement, and then Teleported away.


    ***** Tim ~ Tim¡¯s Realm ~ Sanctuary *****


    Staring up at the early night sky, It was difficult not to wish everything to disappear. The thoughts themselves left me feeling profoundly guilty, threatening to form a self-perpetuating loop of angst.


    Although Ril hadn¡¯t said it in as many words, I was behaving like a child.


    Why should two lives matter more than the others?


    I had killed thousands and was responsible for the deaths of many more.


    I was still disappointed and upset with myself, but it was something I would just have to deal with.


    If I was truly honest with myself, the brutal death of the two home invaders hadn¡¯t been the main cause for my distress.


    Giving up. Allowing myself to die without making so much as a token effort to prolong my life, that¡¯s what disturbed me most of all.


    There was a big difference between falling down the stairs and bleeding to death while unconscious and making the conscious decision to bleed out.


    It wasn¡¯t suicide, but it wasn¡¯t much better.


    Giving up like that...It shook me to my core. What made it worse was feeling and agreeing with all the motivating justifications my past self had made. Reconciling those feelings against my current experiences was messy and thoroughly depressing.


    I was confident that I had regained a certain degree of equilibrium but still wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea of being around other people. I didn¡¯t want them to see me like this.


    Thankfully, I had a ready excuse.


    Turning my attention toward the mounds of dust scattered throughout the territory, I felt a fresh stab of guilt over my reckless behaviour.


    While effective, relying so heavily on Sorcery had been dangerous. If the enemy had fled en masse, there was a chance that I could have drained myself into a critical state before I was able to use my authority and draw them back. Assuming they didn¡¯t flee my realm entirely.


    Unlike other battles against the Humans, I felt no guilt in killing the giant insects.


    They had butchered innocent civilians, attempted to murder me in cold blood, and invaded my realm. I did not pity them.


    Reviewing the notifications gave a name to the Species I was at war with.


    Coleoptera.


    To my knowledge, Coleoptera was the scientific designation for beetles or something along those lines. Which seemed to fit the general physical appearance of the monsters themselves.


    I regretted not taking a prisoner when I had the chance. Despite my victory and purging the beetlemen from my realm, I still had no idea what they wanted and why they had ambushed me in the first place.


    Continuing to review my notifications, one in particular drew my attention. I had gained another Class Ability.


    Eldritch Core.


    It provided a second, albeit smaller, source of MP. It was incapable of independent regeneration but could be filled using my existing MP. The primary benefit lay in the Eldritch effect being applied to any Spell cast using MP from the core. Afflicting affected enemies with Panic, Fear or even Terror.


    I couldn¡¯t argue with the obvious benefits such effects would have in combat situations and having extra MP available for emergencies would provide peace of mind.


    Searching through the piles of ash, I began gathering a collection of exotic but otherwise mundane weapons.


    I had hoped that by inspecting the weapons, I would discover how the Coleoptera¡¯ had conjured their weapons out of thin air. However, after carefully examining hundreds of weapons, I was no closer to discovering how the enemy had called them to hand in the heat of battle.


    Close to giving up, I stumbled across a large diamond. Unlike the weapons, the diamond contained an immense amount of mana. Approaching the diamond, I felt the faint touch of a malign presence on the periphery of my mind. Identifying the diamond as a threat, I gathered my MP and tried to decide which Spell would work best at destroying the diamond.


    Perhaps sensing my intentions, the malign presence within the diamond lashed out with a telepathic attack.


    Weathering the attack, I decided to conjure Shiverfang and deliver a Thundering Strike to the core of the diamond.


    <STOP!!!> More a command than a desperate plea, the telepathically transmitted voice boomed through my mind like thunder.


    <Why should I?> I demanded curtly, making a point of inching the tip of Shiverfang¡¯s blade closer to the diamond.


    <I POSSESS ANSWERS.> The voice failed to elaborate further.


    <What answers?¡± I pressed warily.


    <ASK. I WILL ANSWER.> The voice replied evasively.


    <Why did you attack me?> I demanded bluntly, determined to destroy the diamond if I didn¡¯t like the answer.


    <DUTY COMPELS US.> The voice replied.


    <Duty?!> I demanded incredulously. <You killed thousands of innocent people!>


    <DEATHS OF LESSER SPECIES ARE OF NO IMPORTANCE.> The voice replied dismissively.


    Disgusted by the voice¡¯s reply, I scored a deep cut into the diamond. Hoping that the damage to the crystal would cause the owner of the voice some measure of pain.


    <ATTACHMENT IS WEAKNESS.> The voice asserted. <DUTY IS ALL.>


    <Duty to who?> I asked icily. <What could justify so much death?!>


    There was no immediate reply. <SEEK OUT THE DOMINION. SURRENDER YOURSELF TO FATE.> The voice demanded and then disappeared, removing itself from my mind.


    ¡°Fate?...¡± I scowled and drove Shiverfang through the diamond, cleaving it in two.


    Whatever binding lay within the diamond collapsed and the mana dissipated. I continued dissecting the diamond into increasingly smaller pieces, just for good measure. If the item was capable of independently establishing a telepathic link without the target''s consent, there was no telling what else it could do if left to its own devices. Better to see it destroyed than run that risk.


    Mulling over the words of the presence that had communicated through the diamond, I was forced to accept that the beetlemen would just keep coming. I couldn¡¯t just defend my borders and hope they would leave my people alone.


    They had tried to kill me and had very nearly succeeded.


    Twice I had fought them, but I still wasn¡¯t sure of their true strength. The first confrontation, an ambush, had been on their terms. The second, a massacre, had been on mine.


    While within my realm, I had a massive advantage. The advantages afforded by my authority gave me cause to believe that while I may be able to kill up to a dozen or so of the beetlemen in what approximated a fair fight outside of my realm, I would inevitably fall to a coordinated strike or hastily prepared ambush.


    I wasn¡¯t nearly so powerful that I could just sweep enemies aside in perpetuity. I had learned as much while fighting the undead. Eventually, I would need to sleep, and that would make me vulnerable.


    Even if I were to flee back to my realm, I would then lose any ground that was taken.


    There was also the matter of defending my realm while I was otherwise indisposed.


    During my absence, two territories had been invaded, and there was no telling how much further the invaders may have been able to push if I hadn¡¯t returned when I had.


    I needed to make some changes.


    With Tartarus and Acheron, both compromised already, I merged them both together. Taking the water from several unassigned territories, I flooded the newly joined territories until the tallest landmarks were completely submerged beneath a hundred feet of water.


    After seeding the new territory with aquatic wild monsters to form what might pass for a hostile yet functioning ecosystem, I set the new default arrival point to my realm in the centre of the territory.


    Anyone who was not one of my subjects or lacked a token marking them as an ally would be stranded in a small freshwater ocean of aquatic predators.


    Intending to take matters further, I transplanted several of Hana¡¯s experimental Affinity-aligned plants and actively spread them across the surface and bottom of the water. I used the Plant Growth Spell and my Wood Affinity to exponentially multiply their numbers.


    Even though they were unquestionably vicious, the aquatic monsters were not what I intended to guard the territory. They would serve as a tertiary defence, but it was not their primary purpose.


    They would be the guardian¡¯s food.


    Sitting on the ocean floor, I conjured a dark grey and blue egg into my hand. A gift from Yi Gim, the egg was said to contain a powerful water serpent with the Water Affinity. It would almost certainly need time to grow. However, if the monsters of the Cultivator world were anything like the monsters from within the Labyrinths, it would only take a few months to develop into a serious threat.


    The Water Affinity aligned energies were currently incredibly thin, but they would grow in time.


    With that thought in mind, I gathered my Chi and then focused my mind on using it to surround and permeate the egg. Using my authority to prevent the currents from diluting my Chi, it wasn¡¯t long before I felt the creature within the egg begin to stir.


    When my Chi ran dry, I drew upon my internal energy directly. Although it caused me pain, the activity within the egg intensified close to a hundredfold.


    Just as I was beginning to consider cutting off the flow of internal energy, the sides of the egg began to crack. Convinced to persist through the pain, I patiently and eagerly waited for the egg to hatch.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long.


    Keen on escaping its ovum prison, the serpent made a desperate attack against the side of the shell and cast a cloud of amniotic fluid into the surrounding water. No larger than my pinky finger, the tiny serpent had eel-like fins running down the length of its body and a pair of thin arms with webbed fingers. Long thin tendrils beneath the serpent¡¯s snout trailed through the water as the serpent circled my hand and wove between the fingers of my right hand.


    Spined fins on the sides of its head waved in time with its movements and disturbed its loose pale white mane. Providing a stark contrast against the serpent¡¯s obsidian scales that seemed to trap and smother the light surrounding its body.


    A notification had appeared in my peripheral vision as the serpent had hatched, but I paid it little mind.


    [ Unidentified Species has been detected. ]


    [ Incorporating Species into Codex. ]


    Gently scratching the underside of the serpent¡¯s chin with my finger I was surprised when another notification appeared in the centre of my vision.


    [ Abyssal Serpent {Kwan} has requested a {Soul Bond}. Accept? (Y/N) ]


    Attempting to answer in the affirmative, my words were reduced to a stream of bubbles and muffled blubbering noises. The notification didn¡¯t seem to care and took my answer as I had intended, confirming the bond.


    The tiny serpent, Kwan, spun several times on the spot and then nuzzled against my face. <Hungry. Feed.> A childish voice demanded eagerly.


    I hadn¡¯t sensed a telepathic link form and was taken somewhat by surprise.


    <Hungry.> The voice repeated insistently, skittishly eyeing the surrounding water.


    Conjuring a roasted Swamp Lurker carcass, I watched in amusement as Kwan raced toward it.


    <Gratitude!> Kwan released several dolphin-like clicking noises as he plunged his head into a hole in the Swamp Lurker¡¯s side and began feasting on the flesh within.


    Watching the tiny serpent gorge itself, I felt some of the more oppressive tension in my mind and shoulders begin to ebb. However, my attitude changed rather significantly after inspecting Kwan¡¯s Status.


    His first Status was more or less in line with what I had come to expect from Ushu, Dhizi and Cooper, gaining defensive Abilities from his scales and as an aquatic predator.


    It was Kwan¡¯s Cultivation Status that concerned me. If I remembered things clearly, Yi Gim had said the serpent would possess the Water Affinity. Which was true. However, Kwan also had the Death Affinity, and it was considerably higher than the Water Affinity.


    Concerned that the Affinity might have negatively impacted Kwan¡¯s health, I did my best to look him over for signs of deformity or disease. A task made more difficult by his feeding frenzy.


    Finding no physical signs that would justify my concerns, I was left to wonder how Kwan had taken on the Affinity in the first place.


    I wasn¡¯t left wondering for long.


    I was the cause.


    Since the last time I had checked my second Status, I had gained over a hundred ranks of Death Affinity. Causing it to take the place of my most dominant Affinity by a massive margin.


    While I was not particularly knowledgeable regarding Cultivator shenanigans, it was safe to assume that saturating Kwan with my internal energy during his formative development would have certain consequences.


    As for the massive gain in Death Affinity itself, I was convinced that my prodigious use of the Life Drain Spell was to blame.


    Still unable to discern any negative effects from the Affinity, I settled into an uneasy meditative state.


    <Hungry! Feed!> Kwan had doubled in size within less than an hour but was still smaller than the Swamp Lurker he had devoured. The physics of the transformation would have troubled me if I hadn¡¯t witnessed Pete and Suzy eat up to twice their body weight in a single sitting many times before.


    Conjuring another roasted Swamp Lurker, I noticed that Kwan¡¯s teeth looked far more in line with those of a terrestrial meat eater rather than those of an aquatic predator.


    Taking a closer look, I could also see small bony nubs beginning to sprout from within his pale mane.


    By nightfall, Kwan had grown as long as my arm but was still too small to leave behind and fend for himself, and nowhere near strong enough to serve his intended role as guardian for the portal.


    I couldn¡¯t keep avoiding my family either, so I used my authority to take us both back to Sanctuary.


    Leaving Kwan in the shallows with a pile of Swamp Lurker carcasses, I slowly made my way up the bank of the lake and toward the cave that served as my home. Looking over my shoulder as I walked, I spotted Momoko sleeping beside Hana in the boughs of the willow tree on the lake. She appeared to have grown while I was away, but I was too far to tell just how much.


    Pushing aside the leather curtain that served as an intermediary door at the bottom of the passage, I found my family was already asleep.


    Pete, Suzy and Eg were snuggled up around Lash on our bed.


    After gently lifting Suzy out of the way so I could make enough space to lie down, I set her down on my chest and stared up at the ceiling in silence.


    Mentally and emotionally exhausted, I began falling asleep almost immediately.


    ¡°DADDY!!!¡± Suzy cried out excitedly.


    Heart hammering in my chest, I sat bolt-upright and would have sent Suzy flying off my chest and into the kitchen table if she hadn¡¯t already wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.


    Forcing down the panic through a force of will, I tried to smile but it came out as a grimace.


    I had a terrible headache and a vague achiness had settled into my bones.


    Climbing onto the bed, Pete gave me a quiet but firm hug and then unceremoniously yanked his sister off of my neck. ¡°Father needs rest,¡± he hissed quietly and continued dragging Suzy toward the kitchen where Lash was cooking something on the cast iron stove.


    Suzy initially put up a fight and looked like she was going to argue, only to meekly capitulate and redirect her manic energy toward Eg, Lash, and what I strongly suspected was something approximating pancakes being fried on the stove.


    Settling back onto the bed again, I tried taking my temperature with the back of my hand and found I was running a fever.


    The tepid water running through our cave leached away the worst of the accumulating heat, so I decided to just bear with it and try to sleep through the worst of it.


    A deafening roar from outside echoed down the tunnel and I had barely managed to stagger to my feet when panic flooded through my connection with Kwan into my mind. ¡°DANGER! FLEE! HIDE!¡± Kwan shrieked.


    ¡°Snake!¡± Suzy cried excitedly and splashed across the kitchen with her arms wide.


    Eg let out a yelp in surprise, diving for cover behind Lash.


    Pete briefly looked up from the book he was reading at the table and then continued reading.


    <HIDE!> Kwan repeated, suddenly appearing on the far side of the kitchen from the direction of the tunnel to the surface and bounding through the kitchen¡¯s knee-deep water in a panic. With Suzy trailing right behind him, Kwan leapt up and onto the bed and then wormed himself into the gap between my back and the moss that served as my mattress.


    The terrified serpent demanded, only marginally less terrified than a few moments prior.


    Mind dulled by pain and fever, I splashed my face with water so I could try to focus. Thinking things over, and ignoring Kwan¡¯s renewed pleas for help as Suzy began to give chase, I realised Ushu must have driven Kwan out of the lake.


    ¡°Suzy...Sweety, please stop chasing Kwan,¡± I pleaded while massaging my temple to try and relieve the tension.


    ¡°Hrm, okay,¡± Suzy agreed happily. Then she frowned and scratched her head in confusion. ¡°Who Kwan?¡±


    Grunting quietly from the pain, I reached behind my back and took a firm hold of Kwan¡¯s tail then dragged him out into the open. ¡°This is Kwan,¡± I explained, keeping a firm hold to stop the serpent from squirming away.


    ¡°Ooooh...¡± Suzy nodded in understanding and then frowned with disappointment. ¡°Kwan no play?¡± She asked.


    Kwan bared his teeth and hissed in a vain attempt to intimidate Suzy while trying to back away.


    ¡°No...¡± I sighed and kneaded my forehead to try and take the edge off my headache. Feeling guilty, I came up with an alternative. ¡°But you can feed him if you want?¡±


    Suzy¡¯s lips parted into a wide toothy smile. ¡°Okay!¡± She agreed happily, bobbing up and down in her excitement.


    Pete looked up from his book. Expecting him to join Suzy, I was surprised when he exercised his authority to conjure a large clay pot at Suzy¡¯s side instead and then continue reading his book.


    Suzy grinned back at Pete and then pulled the lid off the pot.


    Kwan stopped hissing and curiously tasted the air with his tongue. <Food?>


    Suzy shoved her fist into the pot and drew out a fistful of shredded roast meat. ¡°Eat!¡± She commanded, throwing the meat into the air.


    Lash sighed with a bemused smile on her lips and shook her head as meat scraps were scattered roundabout our bedroom.


    Abandoning his pride and fear, Kwan dove toward the closest scraps and scarfed them down, much to Suzy¡¯s enjoyment.


    Suzy¡¯s cackling and giggling made it difficult to try and get back to sleep. But at a certain point, the exhaustion proved too much to handle.


    Slipping into oblivion, I was reminded of my repeated promises to protect my family at any cost. Despite the anguish I felt over the revelation regarding my true character, I realised that, in a fucked up way, it might have been to my benefit. I wasn¡¯t the man I had thought I was. I had no more excuses.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 78 – Violence and vengeance – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 78 ¨C Violence and vengeance ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 78 - Violence and vengeance - Part One


    Tran Quang Dat casually scanned the procession of shackled peasants with mild interest. The Black Viper clan had offered the slaves as alternative payment in place of Spirit Stones, and Dat had decided to accept.


    On other occasions, she may not have been as accommodating. However, Dat was nearing a breakthrough in her research and required fresh and unspoilt materials.


    As Monarch, Dat was within her rights to seize any individuals or even entire clans, if she so chose. However, such actions were best left as a last resort. It was far better for a clan to beggar themselves into her debt than for her to give the clans cause to rebel.


    Dat had learned from her father¡¯s mistakes and was loath to demonstrate her true strength unless it was absolutely necessary. It was also a contributing reason why she did not levy taxes. She found it far more effective to demand tribute as needed, allowing the clans periods of unchecked prosperity in exchange.


    Truth be told, statecraft was not Dat¡¯s strength. That honour would have been attributed to her elder brother, had Dat not killed him while fighting for their father¡¯s throne. Research had always been her true passion, and it was the foundation of her power.


    Already five times the age her father had been when he drew his final breath, Dat had come to face several hard truths. Chief among which was her mediocre talent for Cultivation. Even by consuming Elixirs, she would only have another fifty or sixty years before mortality would begin eroding her strength.


    While research into advanced Techniques was a given, the primary focus of Dat¡¯s research efforts lay in the alternative pursuit of immortality. Specifically, developing a vessel possessing a favourable Bloodline and Affinities.


    Dat had acquired the necessary foundations for the soul transfer Technique after plundering the vaults of another Monarch years earlier. Technically, using the Technique would render her functionally immortal, hopping from body to body to avoid the degradation of old age. However, the problem lay in securing hosts that would foster and improve Dat¡¯s capabilities rather than just maintaining them.


    Wherein lay the importance of her research.


    Leaving the reception and interment of the slaves to her minions, Dat retreated to her inner sanctum within the palace.


    A hazy mist bearing the scent of summer flowers permeated the air.


    One of Dat¡¯s early successes, the mist carried a respiratory poison that would kill an intruder within less than a minute of exposure. Assuming, of course, that their Cultivation was below the fifth rank. Even those above the fifth rank would need to consume rare and valuable medicines and then cycle their Chi to stave off death, leaving them vulnerable to the attacks of Dat¡¯s servants.


    Of course, none of her servants were Cultivators. The risk of their betrayal was far too great to accept.


    Dat had found a more elegant solution that eliminated the risk of betrayal in its entirety.


    It was something of a misconception that Tran Quang Dat, Demon of the Fog, and Supreme Matriarch of Poisons, relied entirely on poisons. In truth, Dat¡¯s interpretation of poison extended far beyond the literal and rather limited definition. She was just as comfortable and proficient in producing and deploying drugs as well.


    It was through her pharmaceutical expertise that Dat ensured the loyalty of her servants, and a host of well-placed spies besides. Without regularly ingesting the antidote, the lungs and heart of the subject would rapidly deteriorate. If necessary, Dat also had the means to trigger the deterioration by exposing the subject to an airborne catalyst.


    Knowing better than to catch her eye, servants flitted about in the mist, seeing to their duties in near complete silence.


    Descending an immaculate stone staircase, Dat lowered her veil in advance to ward off the unspeakable stench of decay that awaited her within the confines of her laboratory. Tying the veil in place with one hand, she manipulated a complex pattern within a sliding puzzle to unlock the door.


    It was a simple mechanism and could be solved by a child, but the mechanism itself was not intended to stop an intruder.


    Cycling her Chi just long enough to confirm that her immunity against the poison painted on the tiles of the puzzle still held, Dat continued through the passage beyond.


    Nearing the end of the passage, Dat was met with another door and a second puzzle.


    She passed through five such traps in all before reaching the outermost limits of her laboratory. Compelled by internal mechanisms, the doors had sealed themselves in her wake, denying potential spies entry.


    Skirting the periphery of her laboratory, Dat made her way toward the receiving chamber where the gathered slaves would be held awaiting her arrival.


    Passing through the outermost holding cells, Dat looked upon her failures with scorn and open disdain.


    Unlike most Affinities, the human body was not naturally equipped to accept the more inherently dangerous Affinities. In particular, the Poison Affinity had proven nearly as lethal as the aptly named Death Affinity.


    In the earliest years of Dat¡¯s research, the test subjects had died within seconds. Screaming their throats bloody and foaming at the mouth as the Poison Affinity blackened their veins and shut down their internal organs.


    Of course, Dat had made several noteworthy leaps in her research since then.


    The progress had been made somewhat accidentally while pursuing her research into Bloodlines.


    Grafting the internal organs of beasts into test subjects before feeding them the experimental Affinity pills reduced the fatality rate from one hundred per cent to close to one hundred per cent. Of course, the grafting procedures exacted a toll as well, but practice and meticulous record-keeping had reduced fatalities considerably in that regard.


    All the same, the survivors of her experiments were loathsome to behold, a true affront to the senses.


    Warped and twisted by the beast organs and experimental Affinity pills, the surviving test subjects were more beast than human. Bearing only the faintest trace of lingering humanity.


    Of course, some were less grotesque than others. A handful could even pass for a human, in the right light.


    Naturally, the test subjects shied away from her presence, seeking out the darkest shadows their cages could afford.


    Such fear gave Dat a small thrill of amusement. Should she wish them dead, they would have long since died already. Their continued existence served a deeper and more fulfilling purpose. Most provided living examples of extended graft failure and its associated symptoms. Allowing Dat to develop medicines to delay or reverse the breakdown and rejection.


    The others served as living incubators, storing the organs Dat intended to graft into future subjects. Through trial and error, she had discovered certain subjects were more resilient to the grafting process than others. Furthermore, a select few were also capable of adapting the grafted limbs and organs into their bodies.


    Organs, limbs, hair and even skin harvested from these subjects were invaluable for Dat¡¯s ongoing research into developing a vessel with a powerful Bloodline and the Poison Affinity. Although she sincerely doubted the wretches would appreciate the relative mercies she extended them when compared to the sorry state of the others.


    Not that it mattered. Dat had long since lost count of how many subjects had expired within the dark expanse of her laboratory. There were records, but it would require a substantial amount of time to tally the total from the diaspora of sources. Dat simply lacked the motivation and cause to discover the answer.


    Pulling a lever on the wall, Dat took great care when grasping the rod of the mechanism, to avoid the hundreds of small needles that would have otherwise injected lethal neuro-toxins into her bloodstream.


    Sometimes, when it amused her, Dat would order one of her assistants to open the door. More often than not, it would result in the fool collapsing to the ground in a shivering heap. It was a means of weeding out the dull and clumsy, as well as reminding the remainder of the consequences of earning her ire.


    As the large door ascended to the ceiling, Dat¡¯s assistants and servants began corraling the shackled slaves over the threshold and toward the cages that would serve as their new home.


    ¡°One-thousand and forty-two slaves. Just as the Black Viper clan¡¯s Patriarch promised, Supreme Matriarch,¡± one of her nervous assistants announced with his head bowed and gaze firmly locked on the floor.


    ¡°This is...sufficient,¡± Dat replied without addressing the assistant directly. ¡°For now...¡±


    The assistant retreated and joined the others, driving the slaves toward the waiting cages.


    Banishing the servants, Dat sealed the massive door and then began slowly making her way toward another staircase. Descending into the depths, she passed through several dozen more trapped hallways and gateways.


    Crossing the threshold into her innermost sanctum, Dat made a point of reviewing the integrity of the life-sustaining Array that encapsulated the chamber. Satisfied, she approached the stone table in the centre of the chamber and meticulously inspected the bindings of the prime test subject.


    Bearing the same markings as the life-sustaining Array, the bindings drained Chi from their host to power the Array. Provided the Array was given a small boost from time to time, the prime test subject would be able to survive nearly indefinitely without the need for food or drink. Of course, it would do nothing to stop the feelings and primal desire for such mortal necessities, but that was hardly Dat¡¯s concern.


    The prime test subject represented the culmination of Dat¡¯s work thus far. Possessing both the Poison and Water Affinities as well as a Vipers Veins Bloodline. Were it not for the accompanying side effects, she would have considered the prime test subject a success. However, Dat would never consider such a heinous abomination as a viable option.


    Studying the prime test subject''s body for signs of change, Dat had to fight hard to suppress her disgust.


    Clothed only in thin undergarments, the young woman¡¯s body was incredibly pale. The dark jade veins just beneath her skin might have been considered beautiful, were it not for the large reptilian right arm grafted to her right shoulder.


    Almost a match for the young woman¡¯s height, the knuckles on the clawed hand would drag along the ground. Provided the prime test subject was ever permitted to leave the table, of course.


    The serpentine tail grafted to the young woman¡¯s spine would not have been entirely without its charms, assuming it was presented with the right emphasis and given the correct care. The same could be said for the slitted pupil of the young woman¡¯s right eye and the scattering of white-jade scales on her cheek and brow.


    So Dat found it all the more unfortunate that the collective contributions to the prime test subject¡¯s appearance were so fundamentally revolting. Made all the more so by the hundreds of scars littering her chest and abdomen.


    Stirring from her drug-induced stupor, the prime test subject bucked and grunted in fear. Heaving for breath past the leather gag that prevented her from biting down on her long forked tongue.


    The reaction only intensified Dat¡¯s revulsion and she had to resist the urge to put the creature out of its misery. ¡°Not yet Thirteen,¡± she chided with a predatory smile. ¡°There is still much more I can learn from you.¡±


    Tears streamed down the prime test subject¡¯s left cheek and she tried to shake her head but managed little more than a shudder, held firmly in place by her restraints.


    ¡°This is why you will never amount to anything, much less become a Monarch!¡± Dat spat in disgust. ¡°Perhaps your next sister will prove more deserving of her heritage!¡± The thought that Thirteen, and her twelve predecessors, had shared her blood, had been carried within her womb, disappointed Dat on a level she could not begin to articulate.


    Reining in her anger, Dat retrieved her ledger and began taking notes on Thirteen¡¯s progress. Once she was finished, she debated and considered the potential effects of additional grafts.


    From what Dat had learned thus far, there was a limit to how many grafts a host could support before succumbing to systemic organ failure. Most of Thirteen¡¯s siblings had only managed five grafts. Eleven, who had only died earlier that year, had survived with eighteen grafts. But hadn¡¯t gained an Affinity or a Bloodline. Making her survival noteworthy, but ultimately useless for Dat¡¯s purposes.


    However, Eleven and Thirteen¡¯s shared tolerance for the procedures did suggest that their sire was a valuable contributor to Dat¡¯s future research. Which was somewhat aggravating, given he was the grandson of the Pale Crocodile clan Patriarch.


    Seducing the fool while disguised as a servant girl had worked easily enough in the past. But he was now married and his wife was rarely away from his side for long.


    Assassinating the wife wouldn¡¯t be difficult, and neither would placing the blame on one of the other clans. The problem lay in what would happen to the Pale Crocodile Patriarch¡¯s grandson. Clan wars were notoriously unpredictable.


    Every clan had their secrets and dedicated kill teams for dispatching noteworthy members of enemy clans. Even the weakest clans had caches of ancient weaponry that held the potential to slay Cultivators of considerably higher Rank.


    Dat decided she would need to give the matter greater thought.


    Abandoning Thirteen to the darkness, Dat left to inspect the newly arrived materials in greater detail.


    While retreating to the holding cells, Dat was drawn from her thoughts as a notification informed her of a Supremacy Challenge issued by another Monarch.


    ¡°Exalted Admiral?¡± Dat drawled derisively, trying and failing to place a face to the name. Given she had a considerably greater ranking score, Dat presumed the self-named Exalted Admiral was one of the many Monarchs she had pillaged in decades past. It made no sense for a Monarch to declare a Supremacy Challenge with the ranking and implied difference in their strength otherwise.


    Never one to pass up the opportunity for more materials, Dat couldn¡¯t help but consider how best to reap the benefits from the unexpected bounty.


    As the challenged party, Tran Quang Dat was free to choose the scale of their conflict.


    In years past, Dat had favoured smaller more intimate conflicts, limiting the involvement to no more than five participants on either side. However, after several close encounters that nearly cost Dat her life, she had adopted a more practical approach.


    Leaving the battle to be fought solely by subordinates was out of the question. There was too much at stake and too much that could go wrong. Besides, Tran Quang Dat had no direct subordinates qualified to fill the necessary roles.


    Of course, if Dat was going to supervise events in person, she had the means to produce formidable, if temporary, Cultivators to serve as her support.


    A special cocktail of combat drugs and Elixirs could transform even the weakest of her otherwise mundane servants into a frothing berserker capable of killing Cultivators of up to the sixth rank in a fair fight. Assuming the Cultivators were foolish enough to fight them head-on and the engagement didn¡¯t drag on overly long.


    The combined effects of the drugs were, of course, lethal. So the key was deploying the berserkers where and when they could achieve the most damage.


    Settling into her throne, Dat pulled on a silk cord to her right and a mournful chorus of bells tolled throughout her palace.


    Within a minute, three hundred men and women in black robes and faces concealed behind thick grey veils prostrated themselves on the throne room floor.


    ¡°One through Thirty of the combat division, you have been afforded the honour to serve as my vanguard against the forces of another Monarch.¡± Tran Quang Dat allowed a few moments for that news to sink in. ¡°So long as you serve with distinction, the standard rewards for your families will be honoured.¡±


    There was the faintest stir amongst the ranks of the servants. As well there should be.


    The servants were forbidden to marry and Dat had taken steps to render them incapable of bearing and siring children. However, Supremacy Challenges presented a unique opportunity for creating a familial legacy.


    As a standing rule, Tran Quang Dat made a point of gathering the extended relatives of the expired servants and elevating them into a new minor clan. Even going so far as to sponsor their development for several years based on how well the servants had performed their duties. Placing a large portion of the newly acquired territories under their rule.


    Their relatives would never be told why the Supreme Matriarch had shown them favour. It would only complicate matters politically. But her servants would know, and it lent them a degree of motivation that exceeded that of the most loyal clan guardians.


    There would also be a certain degree of competition. The family of whichever servant made the most noteworthy contributions would be the ones placed in the position of primacy within the new clan and given the greatest degree of support.


    Most of the servants would die during the challenge as a matter of course, but it wasn¡¯t uncommon for the last ones standing to throw themselves collectively at even the weakest opponents. Just to guarantee that their families would not be overlooked and miss out on the opportunity for ascension.


    Infighting was surprisingly rare. At least, deliberate infighting was. Disobeying Dat¡¯s commands would disqualify them from accruing merits, after all. However, sometimes the drugs proved too effective, and the hypno-indoctrinations were overwhelmed by pure emotion.


    Not that it particularly mattered. Dat always ensured she was well out of harm''s way, and the spectacle tended to throw the enemy off balance. Allowing her to exploit that distraction and typically come out ahead in the overall exchange.


    The majority of the servants flooded out of the throne room in near silence, leaving those who had been chosen.


    ¡°You will arm yourselves with rank six equipment from the armoury and accept a consignment of combat drugs upon your return,¡± Dat ordered, dismissing her servants with a wave.


    In their absence, Dat conjured a table and the aforementioned combat drugs from one of her Storage Rings. Each portion was stored in a wooden box bearing the label corresponding to the specific combination of drugs and Elixirs that would determine the minor specialisation of whoever consumed them.


    There were limits to how far the human body could be pushed. So Dat had made certain concessions to ensure a more balanced fighting force.


    Just because Dat planned on poisoning the enemy to death from afar, did not mean she was stupid enough to believe a Cultivator wouldn¡¯t last long enough to be a threat. Especially if this Monarch was already familiar with her methods of engagement.


    To that end, Dat would have ten hulks, specialised in soaking damage and drawing attention while pinning down their targets. Ten vipers, with enhanced speed and reflexes, intended to make the most of the opportunities afforded by the hulks. And ten skulkers, falling somewhere in the middle ground between the hulks and vipers, intended as an interceptor to counter any concerted counterattacks.


    Dat¡¯s servants returned a short while later, bearing identical armour but an otherwise respectable variety of weapons. Without being told, they each gravitated toward the package of drugs that best suited their capabilities. No doubt having discussed the possibilities while donning their armour.


    Withdrawing and effortlessly donning her armour from her Storage Ring, Dat surveyed her servants with an imperious glare. ¡°You will now consume your Elixirs,¡± she commanded.


    The servants obediently withdrew the aforementioned Elixirs and silently did as they were instructed. While they were not Cultivators, Dat¡¯s combat servants were all well instructed in the necessary breathing and circulation Techniques to make the most of the Elixirs and combat drugs. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Technically, after consuming the Elixirs, there was no true difference between them and novitiate Cultivators. However, Dat had made a point of ensuring her servants never entertained such notions themselves. That would encourage dangerous trains of thought Dat didn¡¯t approve of.


    ¡°Administer antidotes one, five and six,¡± Dat ordered, conjuring a small number of pills into her mouth and swallowing them to guarantee immunity from her intended opening salvo of attacks.


    While her servants obeyed her commands, Dat began gathering her Chi and withdrew a large cloudy glass bottle full of milky white liquid from her Storage Ring.


    ¡°I accept the challenge,¡± Dat stated calmly, grinning with anticipation behind her armoured veil.


    The throne room disappeared and was replaced by the entirely unexpected sight of a fog-laden swamp.


    Momentarily thrown off-balance by her enemy¡¯s choice in battleground, especially given his ranking title, Dat had to begin her Technique from scratch to prevent a suboptimal dispersal.


    Worried that the enemy would attempt a lightning raid, she mentally commanded nine of her servants to initiate their respective transformations.


    As the poisonous fog billowed out of the bottle and spread across the acrid water and boggy swampland, Dat extended her senses and sought out the approaching forces of her rival Monarch.


    And found nothing.


    Confused, Dat extended her senses further. Minutes passed in near silence, broken only by the deep ragged breathing of the hulks and muted panting of the vipers.


    After several minutes of searching, Dat found the rival Monarch and their forces. They were retreating, at great speed. No doubt having anticipated Dat¡¯s preemptive attack. Not that it would do them any good. The poisonous fog would encompass the entire territory within the hour, sooner if Dat was left to her own devices.


    No longer worried, Dat thanked the heavens for her good fortune. It appeared she would be allowed to claim this Monarch¡¯s territories and resources without a real fight, and more importantly, without risk to her person.


    As the minutes passed slowly by, Dat had time to better consider the enemy¡¯s choice in terrain.


    There was a chance that the other Monarch had hoped the native fog would somehow dilute or counter her poison. However, the more Dat considered this possibility, the more inclined she was to disregard it. Cultivators were arrogant to a fault, and Monarchs were even more so, but they weren¡¯t that stupid.


    Dat became convinced that there was something about the swamp that she had not considered, something important.


    There were no beasts and the local resources were all thoroughly mundane.


    Several death notifications abruptly broke Dat¡¯s train of thought.


    Confused, she glanced warily at the servants around her. Confirming that they were all accounted for only made things worse.


    With the knowledge that the slain servants were located back within her realm, Dat had to fight hard to suppress her fury.


    Who would dare?!


    Her eyes locked onto the names of the killers. Or rather, killer.


    Gric.


    Fifteen of her servants had died in the span of a few seconds and more were joining them with each passing moment.


    Resisting the temptation to prematurely attack the Grand Admiral¡¯s forces so she could return to her realm, Dat reminded herself that her countermeasures would prevent the invader from doing irreversible damage.


    Servants could be replaced.


    Another string of death notifications streamed through her peripheral vision and Dat¡¯s left eye twitched with barely suppressed rage.


    Her servants could be replaced, but the thought of the invader doing as they willed within HER realm was positively galling.


    <Supreme Matriarch!> The terrified voice of one of her assistants transmitted through her right earring and directly into Dat¡¯s mind. <There is an intruder in the palace! They have broken into the labo-> The assistant¡¯s voice was abruptly cut off. The connection was severed and a new death notification appeared in front of Dat¡¯s eyes.


    Dat felt a deep chill take hold in her gut.


    Her earring was linked directly to a talisman within her laboratory. Combined with the final frantic words of her now-deceased assistant, it was now clear that the invader was a genuine threat.


    ¡°We are going on the offensive!¡± Dat snarled, ¡°Administer a full dose!¡±


    Obeying her command without question, Dat¡¯s servants downed the lethal dose of combat drugs and screamed as their bodies were reforged for their deadly purpose.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡± She commanded, pointing in the direction of the fleeing Monarch.


    The hulks and vipers raced off into the fog, leaving the skulkers to serve as her protection. Unlike the others, the skulkers wouldn¡¯t compromise her safety without explicit and individually assigned instructions to do so.


    A ragged howl sounded from one of the hulks and Dat¡¯s eyes grew wide in surprise.


    A new death notification appeared before her eyes, announcing the hulk¡¯s death.


    Barely more than a hundred feet from her current position, Dat could hear a frantic battle taking place within the fog. However, her focus remained fixed on the death notification. Specifically the name of the hulk¡¯s killer.


    Gric.


    ¡°Impossible...¡± Dat muttered stiffly. It had to be some sort of trick, a gambit deliberately intended to throw her off balance.


    Taking several calming breaths, Dat extended her senses so she could assess the enemy¡¯s capabilities.


    A fresh wave of unease settled in her bowels.


    The enemy had completely hidden their inner energy and Chi, rendering them close to invisible. Were it not for the Chi-laden fog, Dat wouldn¡¯t have been able to locate them at all.


    Assassin. The Grand Admiral had brought a heavens damned assassin!


    Another hulk died and was quickly followed by a pair of vipers.


    The severed head of a hulk tumbled unceremoniously through the fog, landing at Dat¡¯s feet. The several links of vertebrae trailing from the ragged stump of the hulk¡¯s neck came as a surprise. Dat had expected an injury more in line with a blade, so it took her a few moments to mentally adjust her frame of reference and identify the weapon responsible.


    The assassin was fighting barehanded.


    Exclusively unarmed Cultivators were beyond rare. Most notably because of the time that was spent training the required external Techniques was time rivals spent surpassing them. Furthermore, unless the external Techniques were mastered, they couldn¡¯t compare to the readily available protection and strength afforded by low-ranked armour and weapons.


    However, that same weakness could also be a strength. A master of unarmed Techniques didn¡¯t need armour and weapons to be an effective combatant. In many cases making them faster and far more unpredictable in the process.


    Dat barely leapt to the side in time to avoid taking a spear to the back. Raising her sword defensively, she watched in stunned silence as two skulkers turned on one of their own, hacking and stabbing at the rogue in their midst even as the rogue thrust its spear at Dat¡¯s face.


    Deflecting the strike, Dat gathered her Chi and threw a large steel needle into the rogue skulker¡¯s face, striking him in the eye.


    The rogue skulker collapsed almost immediately and was summarily hewn apart.


    No sooner had the skulkers dealt with the rogue, than two more turned on their fellows with just as little warning as the first.


    Recognising the danger she was in, Dat attempted to locate the source of the enemy''s influence on the minds of her servants and came up empty. There was no puppeteer controlling their actions. Which left a disturbingly finite number of possibilities.


    Chief amongst which was someone who had altered the hypno-indoctrination of her servants without Dat noticing, and marked her as their enemy. Her fears were quickly proven correct as the skulkers ceased attacking one another and rounded on her in silent unison.


    Quenching her fear with cold calculating anger, Dat conjured a glass orb from her Storage Ring and cast it against the ground.


    The closest skulker only managed two steps before vomiting a torrent of blood and collapsing to the ground. The other skulkers followed shortly after.


    Extending her senses, Dat took a small degree of reassurance that the remaining hulks and vipers were still alive and fighting against the assassin. Withdrawing a pair of vials bearing meticulously noted warning labels, Dat steeled herself for direct confrontation and began stalking toward her enemy.


    Moving silently through the fog, Dat got her first look at her would-be assassin.


    Head and shoulders taller than the augmented bodies of the hulks, the assassin''s exquisitely chiselled muscles were covered with fine jade-green scales. Naked except for a blood-spattered breechcloth, the assassin bore several shallow wounds but paid them no mind, shrugging off an axe blow to the gut and delivering a vicious backhand that ripped a viper¡¯s jaw clean off its head.


    Hardened claws on the end of the assassin''s fingers knocked aside swords and spears with almost comical ease and the assassin¡¯s acid-green eyes flashed with predatory exaltation.


    Stunned by the assassin¡¯s strange appearance, it took her a few moments to notice the three black horns protruding from the assassin¡¯s brow.


    Dat nearly surrendered on the spot.


    DEMON!


    As if sensing Dat¡¯s presence, the demon ripped the jugular from the last remaining hulk and stared directly at her. Taking several glancing blows from the surviving vipers in the process. Not that the demon appeared to mind in the slightest.


    Paying no thought to what would become of her servants, Dat threw the glass vials for all she was worth.


    Standing perfectly still, the demon made no attempts to dodge.


    The glass vials struck the demon¡¯s chest in rapid succession.


    The vipers collapsed, spasming and seizing in the bog.


    The demon¡¯s chest began to smoulder, but he still appeared unphased.


    Dat withdrew more vials from her Storage Ring and cast them at the demon, reinforcing her body with the Swaying Adder Body Reinforcement Technique to enhance her natural flexibility and dexterity. One after another, Dat continued the assault, pitching vials of her deadliest poisons and debilitating drugs at the demon, paying no heed to the expense she would face to replace them.


    If the demon wasn¡¯t dead, or at least severely crippled by the time her ring was empty, Dat was resolved to surrender. Half her realm be damned.


    As the smoke and fog began to shift, Dat felt a profound sense of relief. Blistered, burned and melting like a wax candle, the demon¡¯s internal organs were hanging from its open chest cavity and abdomen. However, as the demon''s face was revealed anew, Dat felt a primal surge of terror.


    Even in its compromised state, the demon was still smiling at her, utterly unphased by the trauma of its physical form.


    Before Dat could think to run, the demon disappeared.


    At her wit''s end, Dat cast out her senses in a desperate bid to locate where it had gone.


    After several tense minutes, Dat realised that the Demon was just gone. Warily inspecting the Demon¡¯s last occupied position, she briefly entertained the idea that she had somehow managed to kill it. A few seconds of reviewing her notifications dispelled that thought in its entirety.


    The demon hadn¡¯t died, but Dat couldn¡¯t see any signs of its remnants either.


    Giving the matter a great deal of thought, Dat arrived at an unlikely answer that would explain what had happened. The Grand Admiral, or one of the Monarch¡¯s minions, had conjured the demon through some forbidden ritual, and once it had taken a certain amount of damage, it had simply ceased to exist.


    As immensely unsettling as it was, Dat had to believe it was true. The alternatives were far too disturbing otherwise.


    Her relief was short-lived.


    It didn¡¯t take Dat long to realise she was now heavily outnumbered and critically low on supplies. There was still a good chance that she could eke out a pyrrhic victory. At worst, Dat was willing to declare an outright surrender, but she wanted to explore her options first before accepting such a massive loss.


    Whatever damage had been done in her absence, there was no undoing it now. Furthermore, if a second demon was responsible, Dat had all the more reason to drag out her inevitable return.


    If the demon was summoned by a ritual and running on borrowed power, Dat would much rather it disappeared without the need for a direct confrontation.


    Committed to drawing out the challenge, Dat withdrew a portable defence formation, activated it and took shelter within. Consuming an Elixir to restore her Chi and take the edge off of her nerves, Dat renewed her efforts in expanding the reach of the poisonous fog.


    Hours passed in tense silence and Dat grew increasingly pessimistic about her chances of seizing victory from the jaws of defeat. Her mood only grew worse as she detected the presence of the enemy Monarch growing closer.


    Suppressing the urge to curse, Dat held out little hope that her enemy was sufficiently weakened by the poison for a traditional confrontation to end in her favour. The defensive Array would afford a certain measure of protection and advantage, but if her enemy was a skilled fighter, the Array wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference.


    Dat did find it odd that the Monarch had left their subordinates behind and could only assume that they were either entrenched within a defensive Array of their own or awaiting some form of signal to begin their attack.


    Dat was forced to abandon the last of her hopes when the Grand Admiral strode confidently out of the fog, seemingly unaffected by the poison that surrounded them. Concealed beneath his azure brigandine and enclosed helmet, the Grand Admiral stalked toward Dat with his sword drawn and aura of murderous intent.


    ¡°Am I to understand you would not be willing to negotiate?¡± Dat asked resignedly, buying time while scanning her rival for potential signs of weakness.


    ¡°I will kill you! Foul witch!¡± The Grand Admiral hissed angrily and stopped just shy of crossing the boundary of the Array.


    More or less the response Dat had expected, she decided to make an offer on the off chance her rival might be tempted to see reason. ¡°Surely, whatever grievance exists between us could be settled by the exchange of ten territories.¡± Dat would be only too willing to palm off some of the more troublesome clans if it would guarantee her life and prevent further losses.


    ¡°Neither land nor treasure will deter me from my righteous vengeance!¡± The Grand Admiral took a probing swipe at the barrier created by the Array.


    The wooden panels that formed the boundary of the Array rattled but otherwise held firm.


    ¡°You dare speak of righteousness?!¡± Dat sneered contemptuously. ¡°You consort with demons, and you dare to stand in judgement of me?!¡± Far from indignant, she was hoping that her rival was sufficiently off balance to reveal how he had managed to contact and control the demon in the first place.


    Much to Dat¡¯s profound disappointment, her rival remained silent and retreated to the edge of her visibility. Removing what appeared to be a thick stone rod from his Storage Ring, the Grand Admiral tossed the rod through the air and toward Dat¡¯s array.


    Confused, Dat braced herself and prepared for the worst.


    The rod exploded, collapsing Dat¡¯s defensive Array and knocking her off her feet with the raw concussive force of the blast.


    Half deaf and gasping for breath, Dat had barely managed to crawl to her knees before recognising the imminent threat to her life.


    Rolling to the side, Dat narrowly avoided the tip of the Grand Admiral¡¯s blade only to nearly have her legs seized by tendrils of brackish swamp water that were grasping for her ankles.


    Conjuring a pair of poisoned needles from her Storage Ring and throwing them toward the visor of her enemy¡¯s helmet in the same motion, Dat didn¡¯t have time to confirm whether her attack found its mark before she had to backflip to avoid a trio of spears formed from the nearby body of water.


    Drawing the whip from her hip, Dat used her established momentum and lashed the barbed tails around the Grand Admiral¡¯s left hand and pulled with all her might.


    As she had hoped, the Grand Admiral¡¯s gauntlet was pulled free of his hand and the barbs of her whip left bloody streaks in his exposed flesh.


    Ignoring the wound, the Grand Admiral caught Dat¡¯s whip and nearly dislocated her shoulder as he used his leverage to yank the whip¡¯s handle from her grasp.


    Trying not to show weakness as she gasped in pain, Dat threw several more needles in rapid succession, aiming at the Grand Admiral¡¯s exposed hand and hoping volume would compensate for her compromised accuracy as she retreated.


    ¡°MY VENGEANCE WILL NOT BE DENIED!!!¡± The Grand Admiral roared.


    Dat looked over her injured shoulder just in time to witness an oncoming tsunami of poisoned swamp water crashing down above and behind her. Lacking a counter to the Technique, Dat had little choice but to brace herself and take the hit, hoping that the poisoned needles and whip would exact a worthwhile toll in exchange.


    Carried by the momentum of the waves, Dat was slammed into several trees before she managed to claw her way to freedom.


    Badly battered and suspecting she had several broken ribs, Dat was just about ready to call it quits.


    Seeing the Grand Admiral preparing another tsunami and showing no signs of keeling over from the toxins she had injected into his body, Dat decided it was time to cut her losses.


    Dat desperately backpedalled on her hands and feet to buy herself enough time. Gritting her teeth against the pain of her battered body. ¡°I...I forfeit!¡± Dat hissed bitterly.


    Just like that, half of her realm¡¯s territories were lost and Dat was returned to her throne.


    Were it not for the corpses littering the floor, the throne room would have been just as she had left it.


    The demon had shown no mercy and had ripped her servants limb from bloody limb.


    Stiffly rising from her throne, Dat sought out the hidden cache of pills stored within the false backing of her throne. Opening the secret compartment, Dat cast all pride to the wind. She stuffed the handful of pills into her mouth and swallowed them all in one ill-advised gulp.


    Coughing dryly as the pills caught in her throat, Dat whimpered in pain as the spasms brought fresh waves of agony from her broken ribs.


    Someone struck her hard on the back, forcibly ejecting the pills from her throat.


    Surprised that any of her servants had survived, Dat was almost ready to offer their family a reward for the timely intervention. Then she remembered having thoroughly reviewed the list of death notifications.


    Too afraid to look, Dat couldn¡¯t help but whimper in terror.


    ¡°I knew you would run,¡± the demon stated with vindication and amusement in equal measure. ¡°No one does what your kind does and stands their ground.¡±


    Claws like hardened steel seized the back of Dat¡¯s neck and she was dragged back around her throne before being cast to the floor.


    ¡°It is a weakness you all share, after all,¡± the demon continued, snorting with disgust. ¡°There is no sacrifice too great, no bond too sacred, not when faced with the power you crave...Just so long as someone else pays that price on your behalf...¡±


    ¡°Whatever...you...want...¡± Dat gasped, fighting hard to speak through the pain. ¡°I...will....give...Just...let...me...¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the demon replied flatly, circling her and then kneeling so she could see the look of utter contempt on his face. ¡°That is not how this works.¡± He reached out and calmly took hold of her right shoulder, pauldron and all. With one smooth jerk which seemingly took no effort at all, the demon tore off her arm.


    Dat screamed.


    ¡°You deserve worse,¡± the demon stated coldly. ¡°Much worse.¡± he used her severed arm to slap her across the face. ¡°I can only hope he will be as accommodating.¡±


    Through the shock and pain, Dat became aware of the yawning black abyss opening behind the demon¡¯s back. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we found out.¡±


    ***** Tim ~ Tim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Sanctuary *****


    Woken from my dreamless slumber my vision was dominated by a gold-bordered notification that was ten shades too bright for my sunlight-deprived brain to handle.


    [ The former {Monarch} {Thirteen} has willingly relinquished their sovereignty and sworn fealty to {Tim}! ]


    [ The former {Monarch} {Thirteen} has become {Tim¡¯s} {Vassal}! ]


    I read through the notifications several times before the contents finally began to stick.


    Doing my best to ignore my throbbing migraine, I accidentally sent Pete, Suzy and Homoko tumbling to the floor. I hadn¡¯t realised the three of them were lying on my chest and stomach until it was too late.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Suzy bounced back almost immediately, not in the least bit put out by the sudden tumble.


    ¡°Hey Suzy,¡± I tussled her hair and then gave her chubby chin a tickle for good measure. ¡°Sorry for waking you up.¡± I directed the last more toward Pete and Homoko who both looked as tired as I felt.


    Pete shrugged good-naturedly and climbed back into bed.


    ¡°T¡¯sokay,¡± Homoko yawned, tiredly slurring her words and giving me quite a shock as I realised just how much she had grown. ¡°S¡¯magic...¡± She mumbled dismissively and made a half-hearted wave of her hand before following Pete¡¯s lead and collapsing face-first into the pillow.


    ¡°Play now?¡± Suzy suggested hopefully.


    ¡°Suzy I-¡± I made the mistake of looking her in the eye and couldn¡¯t bring myself to say no. ¡°I need to do something first, okay?¡±


    ¡°Kay!¡± Suzy agreed, surprising me with her unexpected maturity. It felt like just yesterday she would have behaved like a kicked puppy if I didn¡¯t drop everything at a moment''s notice. Not that I was complaining. ¡°Toofy play too?!¡± It wasn¡¯t so much a question as a frantic demand. She pointed toward our dining table where Toofy was loudly snoring while also gnawing at a large piece of jerky.


    Of course, where there was Toofy...


    My eyes were immediately drawn to the pale mass of white scales beneath the table.


    Ever since my confrontation with Ril, I had found her presence to be profoundly unsettling. As weird as it was to acclimate to real monsters, there was a disturbing weight to her gaze that I just couldn¡¯t ignore anymore.


    ¡°Maybe later,¡± I hedged, ¡°Auntie Toofy is sleeping.¡±


    Suzy considered Toofy for a few moments, eyed one of her favourite glowing-moss stuffed balls for a suspiciously long few moments, then groaned exasperatedly and slumped backwards onto the bed. ¡°Kay...¡±


    Before I could properly appreciate Suzy¡¯s exaggerated angst, I felt Gric trying to make contact within my mind.


    <Your obligation to our ally, Yi Gim, has been fulfilled, my Tyrant.> Gric announced proudly.


    <Yi Gim¡¯s rival is dead?> I asked, wanting to make sure I understood the situation correctly.


    <Indeed!> Gric seemed positively brimming with pride. As well he might, given what he may have been through. <As agreed, Yi Gim->


    <Who is Thirteen?> I interrupted, far more interested in learning who this stranger was and why I was now responsible for their realm.


    <Ah...> Gric suddenly seemed to feel quite embarrassed. <Infinite apologies, my Tyrant. I had simply followed what I believed to be best...> He hedged ashamedly. <I had not anticipated these particular consequences...>


    <Gric...> The migraine made it difficult, but I made sure not to lose my temper. <Who is she?>


    A profound sense of resignation echoed through our connection. <Thirteen is slain Monarch¡¯s daughter and sole heir...> Gric explained quietly. <She has sworn the oaths...> He added somewhat hopefully.


    <That...> I sighed and massaged my temples. <I had kind of assumed, but that is a genuine relief to have confirmed. But did you know her identity before you brought her here?>


    <Yes, I did...> Gric replied honestly, not even hesitating for a second. <However, she swore the oaths before I allowed her through the Breach...>


    <Why did you recruit her at all?> I asked, still confused as to why Gric had done all of this.


    <Because it was the right thing to do.> Gric replied firmly, all self-doubt banished from his projected thoughts. <And...And because she deserves the peace you can offer, my Tyrant.> There was almost a hint of a challenge in his tone, making it clear this was a hill he would die upon if necessary.


    Surprised by Gric¡¯s conviction, it only confirmed that I needed to meet this person for myself. This was unfortunate because I had already promised to spend time with Suzy and I really didn¡¯t want to square up against another Monarch while feeling like thrice hammered shit.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 78 – Violence and vengeance – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 78 ¨C Violence and vengeance ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 78 - Violence and Vengeance - Part Two


    Using my authority so we wouldn¡¯t disturb the others, I left the cave with Suzy and made a spiralling waterslide for her to play with. Thankfully, Suzy appeared more than satisfied with riding the slide on her own, so long as I was actively watching and praising her bravery.


    Kwan, roughly twice the size he had been before I last went to sleep, refused to approach the water. However, he did make a few attempts at entertaining Suzy by controlling the water from a distance. Forming translucent copies of himself and having them dance and fly for her amusement.


    Cycling my breathing Technique throughout, I was relieved to find my migraine¡¯s intensity was lessened by minor degrees. Which was something else I hadn¡¯t fully appreciated until I had time to consider things.


    The severity of my migraine and the lingering ache in my bones had been reduced somewhat considerably while I had slept. My internal energy had regenerated somewhat as well. So I couldn¡¯t help but think my unwell state was related to overtaxing myself when hatching Kwan.


    My thoughts turned to Pete and Momoko¡¯s exhausted state.


    Was I responsible?


    Seeking answers, I was stunned to find that they had both learned several Techniques and progressed their respective Cultivation far higher than my own. One of the Techniques all but spelled out their actions, cementing my guilt.


    I couldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t, make excuses. I was doing what needed to be done to keep them safe, and I hadn¡¯t asked them to involve themselves. However, I hadn¡¯t forbidden them either.


    Sending Suzy back to bed, I resolved to take more active steps to rejuvenate myself.


    Donning my stone armour, I exercised my authority and locked onto Gric¡¯s position. Going through the motions to teleport myself to his general vicinity, I became aware of what I assumed was the Vassalized Monarch¡¯s native authority.


    I arrived in a dark smokey chamber.


    Closing my inner eyelids against the smoke and dismissing several notifications that marked my successful resistance to a host of Conditions. I found Gric standing beside a cloaked figure my authority immediately identified as the native ruler of the realm, Thirteen.


    ¡°My Tyrant,¡± Gric bowed his head respectfully. ¡°I must apologise! I have been trying to locate the reservoir that feeds the braziers but have met with little success...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied somewhat dismissively, devoting the majority of my attention to the unexpectedly weak Cultivator cowering at his back. ¡°You are Thirteen, the designated heir of the former Monarch.¡±


    Seemingly uncertain how they should behave, the cloaked figure attempted to shy away and bow at the same time. However, they tripped on the edge of their cloak and tumbled forward onto the stone floor.


    With my vision somewhat distorted by the smoke, it took me a few moments to be certain of what I was seeing.


    Rather than trying to rise, Thirteen curled herself tight into a foetal position and grew deathly still, cradling her pale emaciated body with a scaly arm that was several sizes too large for her frail frame. The tension made the scars on her sallow flesh stand out like bloody crescents on a field of fresh snow.


    Without saying a word, Gric knelt beside Thirteen and gave me a helpless and somewhat frustrated shrug. <Was I wrong to offer her a haven?> He asked, uncertain but also giving off the impression that he might challenge my answer if he deemed it unsatisfactory.


    <No...> I slowly shook my head and reevaluated my position. <You did the right thing Gric.> If I had seen someone in that state, I doubt I would have had the heart to act any differently.


    <There are others.> Gric commented darkly, his thoughts rumbling like distant storm clouds. <Sebet and Wraithe are treating those they can, but...> He looked pointedly at Thirteen. <There are sources of damage that cannot be corrected without causing greater harm, or even death...My Tyrant, we need to know where you wish to keep them...Many are a danger to others...Their minds broken or bodies poisonous to the touch...>


    <I¡¯ll set aside a territory for them...> I replied distractedly, imagining what had been done to the young woman cowering on the floor but on a far larger scale. Struggling to process the horror such images invoked in my mind. <I need to see for myself...>


    Locking onto Sebet¡¯s position, I felt the same resistance to my authority as before. As I pushed through the resistance, Thirteen released a faint whimper. Whether it was out of pain or fear was unclear.


    Appearing a short distance from Sebet, I had just a handful of seconds to recognise that I was surrounded by hundreds of people. Then, the screaming started.


    Men, women and children, many of them bearing ugly surgical scars and monstrous limbs, began fleeing in all directions. Whether they lacked the strength of the will, some of them simply collapsed to the floor and narrowly avoided being trampled.


    <You need to LEAVE!> Wraithe demanded angrily.


    <It would be best!> Sebet agreed, activating her limited authority and attempting to send me elsewhere.


    Realising I was only going to cause more harm, I used my authority to return to the other room.


    I sat in silence for the better part of an hour, processing what I had seen in the other chamber. Cages stacked high to the ceiling, caked with grime and excrement, saturated in misery. Tables scattered with axes, knives and coarse thread. All were stained with blood so old it permeated their very being.


    As horrific as those particular details were, the stark utility of the drainage system chilled me to the bone.


    There were no visible attempts to mitigate the suffering of those being operated upon. Yet the operating tables had deliberate grooves cut into their surface to direct bodily fluids toward the drains beneath the tables. Similarly, the cages were positioned above massive grates that would serve as their only means of expelling waste. Requiring as little interaction with the prisoners as possible.


    The Monarch responsible was dead, but it did little to stem the rising tide of revulsion and anger inside of me.


    Someone needed to pay for this.


    <Apologies, my Tyrant...I was quite thorough...> Gric apologised and made a point of looking at several of the larger bloodstains on the floor.


    I briefly considered leaving my realm and chasing down the Beetlemen, but just as quickly dismissed the idea. I wasn¡¯t nearly ready to face them on even ground again.


    All the same, I couldn¡¯t shake the increasing need to do something...Anything...


    [ {Baldr Vragison ~ 6521} has issued a {Supremacy Challenge} against your Vassal {Thirteen ~ 3623}. {Thirteen} lacks explicit permission and cannot engage in the {Supremacy Challenge}. The Monarch will take the Vassal¡¯s place and has ( 23h 59m 47s ) to dictate the terms of the conflict. ]


    [ The penalty for refusing the {Supremacy Challenge} has been escalated due to {Vassal Inactivity} and is temporarily set at ( 50% ) of {Thirteen¡¯s} {Dimensional Assets and Territories}. ]


    The notification took me by surprise and only further stoked my anger.


    Why couldn¡¯t they just leave us alone?!


    ¡°Single combat!¡± I snarled viciously. ¡°Just me and him! For everything he has!¡±


    [ The monarch has chosen a duel between Monarchs. The Stakes have been set at ( 38 ) Standard Territories. ]


    ¡°NO!¡± Gric cried out in alarm rising and leaping toward me with arms open wide, as if believing he could stop what was to come by tackling me to the floor.


    The smoky stone chamber disappeared and was replaced with a bleak expanse of rugged scrubland.


    A tall broad-shouldered man with long blond thickly braided hair and wearing a burnished chain hauberk stared back at me from a few dozen feet away. The look in his slate-grey eyes made it clear that I was not who he had been expecting.


    ¡°Greetings! I am Baldr Vragison! High King of the shattered isles and the frozen sea!¡± Baldr¡¯s voice was rough but held an unmistakable singsong quality my brain subconsciously associated with the northern European countries from Earth. Although I had no way of knowing which one specifically. ¡°I have given my name, so it is only fair you give yours!¡± He demanded with an air of amusement.


    Gathering my MP, I made a point of staring Baldr dead in the eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Despite the distance between us, Baldr seemed to have heard what I said. ¡°Stranger, you do not wish for the Skalds to honour your legacy?!¡± He sounded genuinely concerned. ¡°Felling one of your size and strength will guarantee my story is told for hundreds of generations to come! It is not right that your memory would be tarnished in this way!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I repeated darkly, forming a large hammer from the stone beneath my feet.


    ¡°Earth-shaper?¡± Baldr¡¯s words were carried with unexpected clarity despite the distance between us. ¡°It is another witch then?¡± He pulled his spear free of the earth at his side and bright runes blazed along the length of the shaft, radiating a powerful aura of Chi.


    Concentrating my MP into the head of the hammer, I cast the Thundering Strikes Spell and charged.


    ¡°Thurr! Bless me with your might!¡± Baldr raised the leaf-bladed head of his spear to the sky, seemingly ignoring my advance.


    Thunder roared overhead and lightning saturated with Chi forked from the sky, striking Baldr¡¯s spear and arcing over his armour. A cyclone of runes flashed to life around him and Baldr¡¯s body began to swell in size.


    Conjuring a shield out of thin air at the last possible moment, Baldr deflected the blow I had intended for his skull. However, he had not expected what would follow and was sent flying backwards across the scrublands as the pressure from the explosion threw him off his feet.


    Digging the butt of his spear into the ground, Baldr abruptly terminated his impromptu flight across the scrublands and regained his footing. Still surrounded by the floating runes, his increase in size was dramatic and in other circumstances may have been a cause for concern. However, he was still less than half my height, now twelve or fourteen feet tall at the most.


    ¡°By Wodin! That was a mighty blow!¡± Baldr roared vigorously, casting down his shield, now splintered and mangled, conjuring a replacement in its stead. ¡°Stranger! Why not give your name?!¡±


    Casting the Thundering Strikes Spell again, I hurled the stone shaft of the hammer in his general direction. We were close enough that I was confident I could hit him, provided he didn¡¯t move, but beyond that, I had little confidence.


    The improvised projectile sailed a foot wide of Baldr¡¯s head and struck the ground a short distance beyond. While unphased by the stone spear flying past his head, Baldr made a point of crouching low and taking cover behind his shield from the accompanying shrapnel that flew back in his direction.


    Casting the Shape Stone Spell, I raised five massive pillars from the earth and formed a temporary Chi Gathering Formation. Combined with the Formation already inscribed into my armour, most of my MP could be recovered by cycling my breathing Technique to restore my Chi.


    I didn¡¯t expect the fight to drag on, but I wanted to be prepared if it did.


    Baldr eyed the pillars with concern for a few moments before shaking his head and striking the stave of his spear against the flat of his shield. ¡°Stranger! Will you not fight me as a man?!¡±


    Ignoring the pain from my migraine, I began stalking toward my enemy.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Baldr struck his shield thrice more in rapid succession and broke into a purposeful jog.


    Just moments from coming within striking distance of one another, the runes on Baldr¡¯s spear flared to life and the shaft extended several feet. Driving the spear forward with a mighty roar, Baldr¡¯s savage grin turned to surprise as the head of the spear skittered harmlessly off my plate armour and off to my left side.


    Despite his surprise, Baldr managed to catch my backhand against the rim of his shield, turning my strike aside and leaving me open for a retaliatory strike of his own. Or would have, if his shield and spear were not equally out of position.


    Before I could drive my knee into his chest, Baldr leapt forward and to the side, placing him at my back.


    I felt another light impact against my back, accompanied by a metallic clanging sound.


    Rolling forward because of my established momentum, I scrambled at the dirt and redirected myself toward where I expected Baldr to be. Only to find that he wasn¡¯t there.


    Hearing a throaty roar coming from above, I resisted the urge to look up. Instead, I surrounded myself with Death-Affinity enriched Chi.


    The roar turned to a pained yelp of surprise and the shaft of Baldr¡¯s spear clattered harmlessly off my right pauldron. Baldr himself landed two dozen feet away, his right arm hanging limply at his side. ¡°Hel! You have the cutting winds of Helheim at your call?!¡± He dropped his shield and slowly backed away. ¡°Stranger! I seek no further conflict with you! There is no honour in falling to such sorcery!¡±


    Taken aback, I stared at the cowering Monarch in surprise.


    ¡°I yield!¡± Baldr called out, raising his left arm and showing his open palm as proof of his intentions. ¡°Stranger! Name your price! There is no glory to be found here!¡±


    Anger swelled inside of me and for a moment, overwhelmed me. Seizing control over myself once more, I took several deep breaths and realised Baldr might provide the solution I was looking for. ¡°Submit!¡± I demanded bluntly.


    Baldr stared back at me in surprise.


    ¡°Submit!¡± I repeated, taking several steps closer to intimidate him further. ¡°Swear fealty to me and I will let you live!¡± I expanded my aura and a large swathe of plant life between us withered and died.


    If Baldr chose to Forfeit, I would gain half his territories. However, I didn¡¯t want his territories, I wanted the Monarch himself.


    I already had hundreds of thousands of subjects who could be drafted to wage war against my enemies. However, the majority were nowhere near strong enough to survive the opening engagements, let alone a protracted war. Which was why I needed subordinates who could take the fight to my enemies NOW. Subordinates who were already equipped to face higher stakes.


    I needed more Vassals.


    Irritated by Baldr¡¯s indecision, I ramped up the theatrics by adding Thunder Chi to my aura, causing the air to crackle and hum with electricity.


    ¡°Allfather preserve me...¡± Baldr retreated several more steps and then fell to one knee. ¡°I...I cannot blindly pledge servitude to one who wields the power of Hel...¡±


    ¡°Fealty!¡± I snarled. ¡°NOT SLAVERY!¡±


    Baldr flinched but didn¡¯t look away. ¡°You would swear upon your name?¡± He asked tentatively.


    ¡°On my name, I keep no Slaves!¡± I swore grimly. ¡°I free them!¡±


    Instead of relieving his concerns, Baldr became increasingly nervous.


    ¡°If you or your people have Slaves, they will be taken from you and given their freedom,¡± I stated bluntly, leaving no room for interpretation. ¡°Rapists and murderers will be punished per my laws! And those with lesser sins will be given the opportunity to reform...¡±


    Baldr grimly considered his options for the better part of a minute before removing his helmet and laying it on the ground before him. ¡°As ruler of my people, I, Baldr Vragison, High King of the shattered isles and the frozen sea, swear my fealty! Should I break my oath, may my soul be damned to the wastes of Helheim for eternity!¡±


    After Baldr¡¯s Oath, the Supremacy Challenge was concluded and I was returned to the stone chamber. Thirteen was gone but Gric remained.


    ¡°You are well?¡± Gric asked earnestly, looking me up and down with evident concern in his eyes.


    Lying would be pointless, so I didn¡¯t bother trying to do so. ¡°I¡¯m not...¡± I admitted bluntly but didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to just wait around, I need to act!¡±


    Gric didn¡¯t disagree, but I could tell by the unchanged look in his eyes that he did not approve.


    ¡°Those Beetlemen and whoever sent them need to be put down,¡± I insisted. ¡°And I am not going to throw men and women into a battle which they are not prepared for.¡±


    ¡°So you will send these subjugated Monarchs in their place?¡± Gric guessed, proving he was more than capable of reading my actions to determine my intentions. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed. ¡°They would just be fighting amongst themselves anyway, so why not put their aggression and experience toward a good cause?¡± Even I couldn¡¯t help but notice the defensive tone in my voice as I said the last.


    ¡°Confronting rival Monarchs is inevitable,¡± Gric commented neutrally. ¡°I only fear that you are placing yourself in too much danger! Why not take me with you?¡± He pleaded.


    There was little reason why I shouldn¡¯t. I knew that. But the part of my brain making the decisions wasn¡¯t making it a priority. More than that, I had become too complacent. Allowing Gric, Sebet, and others to fight my battles for me.


    I had nearly died because I allowed panic to dictate my actions, and the only way I could see to change that was by exposing myself to danger and acclimating myself to it. Just as I had learned to kill when needed, I needed to learn how to keep a level head in battle.


    My agitated state wouldn¡¯t make things any easier, but I didn¡¯t have the time to wait for things to sort themselves out either.


    ¡°When I can, I need to do things on my own,¡± I knelt on one knee to bring us closer to eye level with one another. ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, everything we have fought for, everything we have built, could be destroyed...I know you don¡¯t want that...¡±


    Gric balled his fists so tight that his blood began spattering the floor beneath our feet. ¡°I. Can¡¯t. Accept. That!¡± He growled, baring his teeth and accentuating each word with a tense flutter of his wings.


    ¡°You have to,¡± I replied firmly. ¡°This is something I need to do.¡±


    Gric scowled and his right eye began to twitch. Then, without warning, he disappeared.


    Despite being resolved to my new course of action, I felt a momentary crisis of confidence as I reconciled the fact that I would need to discuss the matter with Lash. While I had been able to stand my ground against Gric, it was largely due to the dominant position in our relationship. With Lash, it was different.


    All things considered, someone could probably make the argument that I held the dominant position in our relationship. But only because I was something approximating a nascent Emperor on top of everything else. When it came to matters regarding our relationship and dynamics, Lash was the one who took the lead in almost every instance.


    It wasn¡¯t in a domineering or oppressive manner, and I certainly didn¡¯t have a fetish for such things. She was just far more confident and acclimated to our relationship.


    In the simplest of terms, Lash didn¡¯t have the neurosis and fears of rejection that made me second guess and overanalyse the simplest of requests. At any given moment, she knew who she was, what she wanted and what she would do to get it. I didn¡¯t.


    I was growing more assertive and pushing myself to be less passive, but it was an ongoing process and Lash had a hell of a head start.


    In many ways, Lash and I were fundamentally different people. Our lives before meeting one another were utterly alien to the others'' experiences with very little common ground to speak of. Even now, if we set aside our mutual attraction and infatuation with one another, our children would be considered the greatest bond between us.


    Most likely because of my life on Earth and a host of neurosis, I still had to work through, I considered our children to be more hers than mine. Defaulting the prime position of advocacy for their wellbeing in the process.


    If Lash argued against what I intended to do...What I had already begun to do...I wasn¡¯t sure I could continue.


    Returning to The Grove, I stripped my armour and settled down beside the lake so I could prepare and gather my thoughts.


    Suzy was still shooting headfirst down the slide I had made for her and was joined by a handful of the Lizardmen¡¯ children as well. Although strangely uniform in how they descended the slide, the Lizardmen were no less animated than Suzy in expressing their enjoyment while scrambling to take their place back at the top.


    Toying with the idea of Summoning a projection of Lash so I could talk to her without disturbing her sleep, I ultimately abandoned the idea when I saw her leaving our cave and headed my way.


    Without saying a word, she sat down beside me in the mud and waited.


    I told Lash everything. What I had done. What I intended to do and why.


    A long silence passed between us and as it dragged on, I became increasingly certain that Lash would call me an idiot or a fool. That I was taking too many risks for little gain and should just stay within Sanctuary.


    ¡°I understand...¡± Lash said quietly, breaking the silence. She was staring at Suzy just the same as I was with a hard calculating look in her faintly glowing eyes. Lash took hold of my arm and drew it around her shoulders, resting her head against my chest. ¡°All I ask...¡± Lash stared determinedly up into my eyes, her jaw and brow set to let me know that her condition would not be up for negotiation. ¡°Return to us...¡± She demanded bluntly.


    There were different ways to interpret her demand. However, I knew Lash well enough to know that she likely meant as many interpretations as I could think of. Lash was strange like that sometimes.


    ¡°Always,¡± I promised solemnly.


    Searching my eyes for a few moments, Lash slowly nodded in satisfaction. Looking back toward Suzy and the increasingly long line of Lizardmen children, Lash pointed to the slide and then nodded toward Eg who was awkwardly watching from the entrance to our cave. ¡°She cannot swim,¡± Lash commented. ¡°She wants to join, but cannot. She is afraid. Afraid of the water. Afraid of being alone...¡±


    I hadn¡¯t considered Eg¡¯s limitations and how that would affect her socially when I was making the slide. I hadn¡¯t been thinking of Pete or Momoko either. I was just trying to make Suzy happy by giving her a piece of play equipment.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t difficult to provide an alternative.


    Exercising my authority, I raised an embankment around a small section of the lake for safety. I laid out the smooth recessed stone path down a mild incline to encourage an even distribution of water and to somewhat compensate for certain children''s timorousness or inexperience. With the water supplied through stone pipes buried beneath the path, I hoped they would avoid the abuses hoses suffered on Earth.


    All told, the effort only took a couple of minutes.


    I had barely finished when Suzy noticed the latest addition to the small waterpark.


    Inspecting the path closely, Suzy slapped at the running water and inquisitively followed its progress down the path. Uncertain whether she would understand its intended purpose, my doubts were banished when Suzy looked pointedly back toward the slide and moved back several long paces.


    Taking a short run up to gain momentum, she threw herself onto the makeshift slip and slide, sending sheets of water spraying out either side of the path before ploughing face-first into a patch of comparatively shallow mud. Cackling like a demon, Suzy ran back to the top of the slip-and-slide to go again.


    ¡°Despite appearances, it should be quite safe,¡± I explained and then nodded toward Eg. ¡°It looks a lot scarier than it is. So you might need to go with her the first couple of times.¡±


    Lash nodded in understanding but didn¡¯t get up right away. ¡°Are there others?¡± She asked uncertainly, struggling to find the right words. ¡°Other, large toys?¡±


    ¡°Play equipment?¡± I qualified, reasonably certain that Lash could guess at the meaning from context.


    Lash nodded.


    ¡°Well...Yeah, I could make more...but not all of it would be well suited for bigger children...¡± I cautioned, earning a confused but curious look in return. ¡°All of the play equipment I know of was designed for human children,¡± I wavered my hand a few feet above the mud. ¡°And some things are more complicated than just making them larger.¡±


    I got to my feet and conjured a long thick length of rope. After tying the rope between two large trees, I spent roughly ten minutes making a crude pulley from magically shaped stone and wood which formed the foundation for the zipline mechanism.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an ideal representation,¡± I cautioned, wanting to bring Lash¡¯s expectations more in line with the primitive hack job I had put together. ¡°But the idea is that you hold onto these handles and sort of fly from one end to the other. Where I am from, we called them flying foxes, but I think the proper name is zipline or something like that...¡±


    ¡°Fly?¡± Lash asked curiously, eyeing the handles with increased interest.


    ¡°More or less,¡± I shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll understand after trying it.¡±


    Lash nodded and after listening to my instructions raced down the length of the rope. Very nearly being thrown off as she reached the far end.


    I had never built a zipline before and the angle had proven far more aggressive than I intended. Not that Lash seemed to mind.


    ¡°How to go again?!¡± Lash asked excitedly, still hanging from the handles a good ten feet off the ground.


    I tied a length of rope to the handle and made a platform Lash could drop onto without risking bruising her tailbone. ¡°The few I had seen used a rope or length of cord to drag it back to the start,¡± I explained and pointed to the rope I had just attached to the handle. ¡°The Dwergi could almost certainly make something more durable. If you think the kids would like it-¡±


    ¡°They will love it!¡± Lash declared emphatically, clearly quite taken with the flying fox herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have one of their engineers take a look then,¡± I promised, making a point of enjoying the moment.


    Aware that my resolve was faltering, I said my goodbyes and left.


    Before seeking out another target, I had to settle things with Baldr and lay the groundwork for those who would come after.


    Isolating a single territory, I made a Teleportation Array and relocated my faux throne room to the centre of the territory.


    Borrowing the expertise of two Semenovian and Asrusian diplomats, I redecorated the throne room to repurpose it into something more closely approximating a meeting hall that would host councils of war.


    The meeting table was made of stone, allowing me, or others, to shape its surface and provide visual references.


    After compensating the diplomats for their expertise and time, I dismissed their projections and used my authority to Summon Baldr to the meeting hall.


    Dressed in a pale blue tunic tied at the waist with a thick leather belt and wearing green pants, Baldr¡¯s feet were bare and he appeared to be unarmed. However, the copper raven amulet hanging from his neck gave off a faint trace of Spatial Affinity. Making it quite likely that he was less than a second away from being combat-ready at any given moment.


    My suspicions quickly proved true as a familiar spear suddenly appeared in Baldr¡¯s left hand. However, it was his blackened right hand that held my attention.


    ¡°I intend you no harm,¡± I cautioned while making it clear that I would punish any attempt at violence in kind.


    Baldr was my Vassal but was not fully bound by the Oaths extracted from my other subjects. At least, not yet.


    Recognition warred with surprise in Baldr¡¯s slate-grey eyes as he saw my true form for the first time. ¡°So you are a giant...¡± He muttered, becoming noticeably more ill at ease.


    Extending my senses, I locked onto the Death Chi still contained within his right hand.


    As if he could feel my eyes beneath his skin, Baldr jerked his right hand backward and retreated several steps.


    Focusing on the Death Chi, I began cycling my breathing Technique and slowly drawing out the Chi I had embedded in his hand.


    Despite his obvious reservations, Baldr surprised me when he set down his spear and assumed what I could only assume was a cycling stance of his own.


    After ten minutes of concentrated effort, I was finally able to draw the last of the Death Chi from Baldr¡¯s hand and forearm.


    Without saying a word, Baldr withdrew a waterskin from his pack and tore free the plug with his teeth. A faint scent of fermented berries and raw honey wafted from the waterskin as he tilted his head back and began downing the contents.


    Little by little, the colour returned to his hand and Baldr was able to begin stiffly moving his wrist and fingers. Which was just as well. While I could have used Baldr as a cautionary tale to cow future Vassals into line, I doubted he would have been able to maintain primacy within his own Realm without direct support.


    It was far better for my plans if Baldr could be returned to prime fighting condition.


    Unsurprisingly, Baldr became markedly less skittish with the initial restoration of his hand. Whether that was because I had demonstrated a more reasonable side of myself, or he no longer had to worry about the loss of his dominant hand, was anyone''s guess. Likely, it was a combination of the two and a dozen other factors besides.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want there to be bad blood between us,¡± I explained bluntly. ¡°If you need anything else to assure your recovery, I will make sure you get it.¡±


    Baldr brusquely shook his head. ¡°My thanks, Lord, but I have restorative draughts in abundance.¡± He raised his right arm and flexed his fingers. ¡°Already I feel the Vanirs¡¯ magic returning life to what was nearly lost.¡± Baldr shifted uncomfortably. ¡°I do not intend disrespect, Lord. Yet, I do not know the title or name to give what is due.¡±


    That was a fair point. I had been far from forthcoming during our last meeting. However, it was also curious that Notifications hadn¡¯t provided some of the answers.


    ¡°My title is Tyrant, but Lord or Majesty will suffice if you have a personal preference,¡± I replied amiably, uncertain whether my title would even translate meaningfully into the northern European lexicon.


    Baldr nodded in understanding and patiently waited for me to continue.


    ¡°As for my name? You may call me Tim.¡± Despite myself, I was still surprised when my name didn¡¯t elicit a noteworthy reaction. I kept forgetting that my name wasn¡¯t that weird in a wider context. Or rather, it was just as weird as something like Tyranox or Glunt. Even the handful of Ogres that had learned my name didn¡¯t bat an eye over it.


    ¡°Lord, if I can ask another question?¡± Baldr asked somewhat uncertaintly.


    I motioned for him to proceed, curious to see what was foremost on his mind.


    ¡°Lord, you said my people would be bound to your laws...¡± Baldr explained carefully. ¡°I was holding council when delivered to this place...Spreading word of my defeat and conditions of surrender.¡± He shifted somewhat uncomfortably. ¡°Slaves tend the fields of many battle-hardened warriors, Lord...So I ask only if loyal men are required to see the law fulfilled?¡±


    ¡°It will not be necessary,¡± I replied confidently. ¡°However, as a gesture of goodwill and transparency, I will allow you to assign a small contingent of observers so you and your people might better understand the new way.¡±


    Baldr bobbed his head in acknowledgment and seemed somewhat mollified. No doubt glad that he and his confidantes wouldn¡¯t be excessively implicated in what would certainly cause a tremendous uproar.


    Gathering a measure of MP, I Summoned Gric and Sebet to my side.


    Gric appeared just as sullen as when I had left him last, but Sebet looked particularly eager to get started.


    ¡°This is Gric and Sebet,¡± I motioned to each of them in turn. ¡°They are the second highest authorities and enforcers of my laws and speak with my voice in almost all things.¡±


    Sebet, wearing her true form, grinned at Baldr with barely restrained anticipation. ¡°Attempting to impede our duties would be most unwise,¡± she added cheerily, morphing her body and taking on the form of a tall northern European woman with long blonde hair and piercing sky-blue eyes.


    [ {Heaven¡¯s Fury ~ 3352} has issued a {Supremacy Challenge} against your Vassal {Baldr Vragison ~ 6521}. {Baldr Vragison} lacks explicit permission and cannot engage in the {Supremacy Challenge}. The Monarch will take the Vassal¡¯s place and has ( 23h 59m 47s ) to dictate the terms of the conflict. ]


    [ The penalty for refusing the {Supremacy Challenge} has been escalated due to {Vassal Inactivity} and is temporarily set at ( 50% ) of {Baldr Vragison¡¯s} {Dimensional Assets and Territories}. ]


    Baldr gave a start, confirming that he had no doubt just received the same notifications I had.


    ¡°A rival of yours?¡± I asked, somewhat surprised by how profoundly unsettled Baldr had become after receiving the notifications.


    ¡°N-No...Ah, I mean, yes, Lord...¡± Baldr stammered, appearing more than a little uncertain of his own words. ¡°I slew Heaven¡¯s Fury in battle not three days ago...¡±


    ¡°This would be their heir then,¡± I guessed.


    Baldr nodded. ¡°It would be my guess, Lord.¡±


    ¡°Which would make it unlikely that they would be stronger than you,¡± I reasoned aloud. However, it was important to note that I had scared Baldr into surrendering rather than fighting him in a true contest of arms.


    Baldr shrugged. Either uncertain of the answer, or unwilling to give voice to what might be an unwelcome truth.


    <The late Monarch did not seem any more competent than your first champions...> Sebet commented hesitantly. <Although it is difficult to be certain when dealing with these Cultivators...>


    <You think I can take his replacement?> I asked. I was already committed to facing the new Heaven¡¯s Fury, but I wouldn¡¯t ignore any potential advice that could make a difference.


    <I believe so...> Sebet agreed cagily before rallying abruptly. <Even if the battle turns against you, you can just Summon us to guarantee your victory.>


    That was a fair point, but I wouldn¡¯t use any Summons unless I absolutely had to. Otherwise, it would defy the point of fighting these battles in person in the first place.


    <Although...> Sebet stroked her chin thoughtfully.


    She suggested helpfully. <So you are better acclimated to fighting stronger foes from different altitudes.> Sebet suppressed an amused smirk, evidently not afraid of showing she was entertained by her own joke.


    It wasn¡¯t a terrible idea.


    Conjuring my second, smaller, set of plate armour, I dismissed Gric¡¯s projection and set about donning my armour.


    While I was otherwise occupied, I gave Sebet instructions to begin coaching Baldr on our laws in preparation for inducting his subjects.


    After a few moments, I made a stone mace with the Empowered Shape Stone Spell. So long as past experience held true, the magically reinforced stone could deliver a Thundering Strike without blowing itself apart in the process.


    Resisting the temptation to take additional support, I confirmed my selection and initiated the Supremacy Challenge.


    In stark contrast to the bleak scrublands where I had fought Baldr, I was now surrounded by rolling green hills with scattered gatherings of bushes and trees. A squat stone tower stood atop the tallest hill and probably afforded an expansive view of the immediate surroundings.


    Taking a few experimental steps across the grass, I became increasingly nervous as my boots sank deep into the dirt and I struggled to gain proper traction.


    ¡°HEATHEN!!!¡± The roar of anger and indignation immediately drew my attention southward and toward a figure that looked oddly similar to the man whose company I had just left. The new arrival¡¯s shield was oval-shaped rather than circular, and his hair was considerably darker. ¡°YOU WILL RETURN GOD¡¯S FAITHFUL OR FACE HIS WRATH!!!¡± A corona of pale golden light gathered above his head and a dark chorus of voices singing in near perfect harmony washed down the hillside.


    Recognising some of the words as Latin, I found myself grinning like an idiot. Simply too overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all.


    The enemy had his own theme song. Or was it boss music?


    Seeking more favourable terrain, I strode toward the closest trees and began using my MP to encourage the growth of their root network underfoot. It didn¡¯t have as great of an effect as I had been hoping for, but it was certainly better than nothing.


    ¡°HAVE YOU NOTHING TO SAY?!!!¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury demanded, incidentally causing the voices of his supporting chorus to rise in both volume and intensity.


    I was tempted to Summon Orphiel or Ophelia, just to see how he would react, but resisted the urge.


    Instead, I raised the visor of my helmet so he could see my face and recognise I was not the person he thought I was.


    ¡°SO BE IT!!!¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury cried.


    A sudden surge in his Chi was all the warning I received before being blinded by golden light.


    ...


    In so much pain I couldn¡¯t breathe, I had collapsed to the ground, barely regaining my senses in time to watch as Heaven¡¯s Fury began charging to close the final distance between us.


    Having difficulty gathering my thoughts, I grit my teeth and forced myself to my feet.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury¡¯s spear narrowly missed my exposed face and was driven wide by my gorget.


    Lashing out more out of a primal desire for retribution rather than recognising the opportunity for a counterattack, I thrust my mace square into his sternum and knocked him off his feet.


    Pausing only long enough to paw my visor down, I kicked at Heaven¡¯s Fury¡¯s shield, refusing to let up the pressure and allow him to regain the initiative.


    Abandoning his spear, Heaven¡¯s Fury rolled to one side and tried to rise while protecting himself with his shield. However, a second kick knocked him back down before he could even get his feet beneath him.


    Having lost my mace, I seized him by the collar of his gambeson with my left hand and delivered a Thundering Strike to his face with my right.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury bucked from the impact, but I refused to let go, delivering several more blows in rapid succession.


    ¡°FAITH IS MY SHIELD!!!¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury roared, his teeth stained crimson with his own blood.


    Just as my fist was about to connect for what may have been the ninth or even tenth time, there was another bright flash of golden light. I reeled backwards as pain erupted from the left side of my face and the vision in my left eye was briefly turned into a kaleidoscope of broken colours.


    Snarling in anger, I cast Barrier and bodily threw Heaven''s Fury back to the ground.


    The halo above his head wavered for a moment and then winked out entirely as his head struck the earth. The invisible choir grew silent.


    I seized Heaven''s Fury by the throat and began to squeeze. ¡°Yield!¡± I growled menacingly, struggling to suppress the urge to just continue tightening my grip.


    ¡°Never!¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury hissed, sending traces of bloody spittle through my visor and into my eyes. A half second later, he struck the side of my helmet with the rim of his shield but failed to accomplish much of anything.


    Unable to maintain the Barrier much longer without depleting my MP, I was forced to end the Spell.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury grinned savagely. ¡°GOD IS WITH ME!!!¡± He struck me again with his shield, only this time it hit with the force of a speeding truck.


    Losing my grip on the collar of his gambeson, I was knocked backwards and tumbled to the ground.


    The invisible choir began chanting again and I became vaguely aware of the golden light steadily building in my peripheral vision.


    Suppressing my anger, I forced myself to my feet.


    ¡°DIE HEATHEN!!!¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury howled with fanatical fervour and drove a spear made from golden light at my chest.


    It struck the crimson plates, wavered, then shattered, disintegrating into a thousand tiny pieces and evaporating into nothingness.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury stared at his empty right hand in stunned silence.


    Before he could recover, I created a lance of fire in my right hand and returned the blow in kind. Despite lacking a physical presence I could apply direct pressure to and increase the force of the blow, I was still able to exert my Fire Affinity to roughly approximate the same general effect.


    Hauberk glowing cherry red and gambeson smouldering beneath, Heaven¡¯s Fury staggered backward, barely managing to keep his feet as he grimaced in pain.


    ¡°Submit!¡± I commanded, raising my fiery spear for another blow.


    ¡°NEVER!!!¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury roared and a second smaller carona joined the first. Blood began trailing down his face and from beneath the sleeves of his hauberk and gambeson. ¡°MARTYRDOM BEFORE APOSTASY!!!¡± A sword made from golden flames appeared in his right hand, except I couldn¡¯t sense any flames within it.


    There was a terrifyingly large amount of Chi, but no fire.


    Given the almost liquid nature of the blade, I wasn¡¯t confident that armour would stop it.


    Carefully backing up several steps to give myself some options, I decided on a new strategy and began investing my Chi into the ground beneath us.


    As Heaven¡¯s Fury began his advance, I drew his legs into the earth, burying him to his knees. Struggling in vain to free himself, the fanatic glared at me with absolute hatred in his eyes. ¡°COWARD!!!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I drew him deeper, burying him just shy of his waist. No matter how much he struggled, I continued drawing him deeper. Once I was confident he couldn¡¯t break himself free, I dismissed my sword. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, not unless I have to.¡±


    Heaven¡¯s Fury glowered back at me in hateful silence.


    ¡°Before you attacked me, you said something about returning your people?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°If you have harmed them-¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury began to hiss.


    ¡°I''m not the one who took them,¡± I interjected firmly.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury stared blankly at me for a few moments before slowly shaking his head. ¡°No, this is some sort of trick...¡±


    ¡°I defeated the man who took them,¡± I countered. ¡°I am the one who is seeing to their freedom even as we speak.¡± There were no guarantees that Baldr or his people had mistreated those they gained through Conquest and other means, but I wasn¡¯t so optimistic as to blindly believe everything had been sunshine and roses either.


    ¡°No...You lie! It is not possible!¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury spat bitterly.


    ¡°What would it take for you to believe me?¡± I asked, prepared to Summon one of the missing people by name.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury glared at me with naked disdain. ¡°The word of a heathen means less than nothing! Only divine revelation from almighty God would convince me otherwise!¡±


    For obvious reasons, that wouldn¡¯t work. So, I decided it would be worth trying the next best thing.


    I just had to hope Orphiel was better at diplomacy and improv than he was at fighting.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 79 – Death and dominance – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 79 ¨C Death and dominance ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 79 - Death and dominance - Part One


    Gathering my MP, I decided to err on the side of caution and provide Orphiel with the means to make a show of things if necessary. I was already going out on a limb assuming the enemy Monarch was a Christian. What complicated matters was my lack of certainty regarding what he expected an angel to look like.


    If my assumptions were wrong, I wouldn''t get a second chance.


    Hardening my heart to the potential execution that would follow, I invested most of my MP and Summoned Orphie, hoping for the best.


    ¡°.¡± Orphiel¡¯s voice reverberated with an unearthly echo that preceded and followed his every word. He was using a suppression Ability from his Class but as his Summoner, I was immune to its effects.


    Understandably caught off guard, Heaven¡¯s Fury momentarily stopped circulating his energy.


    Having cast aside his usual carefree attitude, Orphiel looked down on us both with stern condescending disapproval.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury¡¯s eyes hungrily drank in the sight of Orphiel¡¯s wings and halo. All the while, traces of his energy appeared to be probing Orphiel for potential weaknesses, or perhaps attempting to verify his authenticity. If that was the case, I just had to hope that the sheer volume I had dedicated to Orphiel¡¯s Summoning would meet with Heaven¡¯s Fury¡¯s expectations. ¡°I...I am not worthy...¡± Seemingly ashamed of his actions, he firmly closed his eyes and did his best to turn his head downward and away from Orphiel.


    ¡°.¡± Orphiel agreed. ¡°¡± He softened his tone slightly and opened his arms wide. ¡°¡±


    I backed away several steps and slowly began exhuming Heaven¡¯s Fury as a sign of good faith. With so little distance between us, it was difficult not to notice the simplistic religious iconography worked into his equipment. Although that on its own wouldn¡¯t have told me much about Heaven¡¯s Fury and told me nothing that his fanaticism hadn¡¯t made obvious already.


    What was of more interest was the relatively low level of protective technology. The other Cultivators had all possessed brigandine or a combination of brigandine and other armour. So it was strange that both European Cultivators had chosen to wear mail hauberks over padded cloth gambesons.


    While there was an argument to be made for the manoeuvrability of lighter armour, Cultivators had enough strength to spare that they could brute force through such limitations.


    It was a strange train of thought to consider when magic presented such obvious advantages. However, I was beginning to suspect that part of the reason for their low ranking was related to their technological development.


    ¡°Forgiveness, holy messenger,¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury knelt on bended knee and bowed his head with his hands clasped high in supplication. ¡°What is Heavenly Father¡¯s will?¡±


    ¡°¡± Orphiel commanded, working off of the limited exposition I could provide as motivation during his Summoning. ¡°¡±


    I wasn¡¯t raised in a religious household, so I had little knowledge of Christian doctrine beyond the superficial and surface-level things commonly raised in the media while on Earth. However, just by judging the other Monarch¡¯s reactions, Orphiel appeared to be doing a convincing job. Although there was a definite possibility that zealotry and earnest piety were doing the heavy lifting.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury remained silent for the better part of a minute. No doubt frantically arguing with himself to determine what he should do.


    ¡°I...¡± Heaven¡¯s Fury¡¯s shoulders slumped briefly. He took a deep breath to steady himself and squared his shoulders anew. ¡°I humbly submit to Heavenly Father¡¯s will...¡±


    Orphiel¡¯s stern expression softened and he nodded approvingly.


    Heaven¡¯s Fury opened his eyes and appeared taken aback by Orphiel¡¯s sudden demonstration of approval. Blinking back tears, his eyes narrowed distrustfully as he turned his gaze toward me. However, despite his obvious distrust, he appeared resolved to keep his word. ¡°Under the eyes of heaven, I submit myself to your mercy...¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without warning, Orphiel¡¯s projection was impaled by a spear of golden light and exploded.


    A half second later, Heaven¡¯s Fury was impaled in kind, his face locked in an expression caught between elation, rage, and confusion.


    I had expected to fail and had taken the appropriate precautions. Surrounding Heaven¡¯s Fury with stone spears embedded in the earth. When he played his hand, I played mine.


    Despite his grievous wounds, Heaven¡¯s Fury took a little over a minute to die.


    With his death, I was returned to the stone meeting room.


    Alone with my thoughts, I was surprised I felt nothing beyond a vague sense of disappointment. ¡°I tried...¡± I said aloud, giving voice to my thoughts to try and gain a greater measure of my mental and emotional state. Probing for a hidden weakness or invasive psychosis. ¡°I tried...¡± I repeated, accepting that I felt no guilt whatsoever.


    Leaving the hall behind, I relocated myself to Lurr¡¯s peak.


    Distracted by the massive peach tree that had grown in my absence, it took me several moments to realise that I was standing in the centre of a lightning storm.


    The cool rain felt good against my skin, countering the uncomfortable warmth radiating from my bones and permeating my muscles. Each breath, pushing back the migraine to the periphery, leaching away the pain.


    Without making a conscious decision to act, I removed my armour, returned to my true form and fell into the familiar rhythm of my breathing Technique.


    Seconds passed into minutes and minutes into hours.


    When I opened my eyes again, I found Kwan encircled around my right arm, his head resting on my hand.


    Deep in my meditative state, I could sense a large portion of the raw energy around us was being diverted toward Kwan. Which had two immediately observable effects.


    First, there was little energy left over for me to breathe in and absorb into my established foundation of internal energy. Second, what remained was incredibly concentrated and was aligned nearly exclusively with the Thunder Affinity, and to a lesser extent, the Wood Affinity.


    Taking deeper breaths only prompted Kwan to do the same. Dismissing the urge to lash out in irritation, I observed Kwan more closely and determined that he didn¡¯t appear to be acting out of malice.


    Exercising patience, I continued to observe and discovered something new.


    Kwan wasn¡¯t just drawing in the ambient energy around us, he was also drawing on my excess Chi. Greedily absorbing the trace amounts that would have otherwise been caught by the Arrays before breaking down into ambient energy that carried my Affinities.


    Instead of internalising my Chi, Kwan was gathering and circulating it just beneath his skin, causing his scales to shimmer and pulse with power.


    Curious, I attempted to perform the same feat with my own Chi.


    Kwan shifted his grip on my arm and stared up at me with open curiosity. <Training?> He slowed his circulation and began tentatively loosening his grip on my arm.


    ¡°No, I was just trying to figure out what you were doing,¡± I replied with an exaggerated shrug, unsure of how well Kwan could interpret body language.


    Kwan tilted his head slightly to one side and appeared confused. <Tim. Imitate/Follow. Kwan?>


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded and tried not to smile as Kwan¡¯s snout bobbed up and down trying to follow my movements.


    <Confused. Kwan. Training.> Kwan renewed circulating his borrowed Chi in earnest and then slowed again.


    Reviewing Kwan¡¯s status information, I discovered that he had gained a Technique. The Iron Titan Body Reinforcement Technique. The listed progress hadn¡¯t reached a single percentile but it was an impressive feat regardless.


    ¡°How did you learn this Technique?¡± I asked, trying to make sense of what was happening.


    <Instincts/Knowing.> Kwan¡¯s answer, made through impressions, was difficult to accept at face value. <Food? Hungry. Hunt. Feed.> He waved his tail with anticipation and tasted the air with his tongue.


    ¡°You want to hunt?¡± It was the first time Kwan had broached the subject and it caught me off guard. Until this moment, he had been perfectly content with gorging himself on precooked food, so it was a strange request.


    <Need, Hunt. Feed. Training!> Kwan¡¯s reply was confusing but insistent. <Feed! Training!> He repeated insistently, pushing impressions of feasting on internal organs accompanied by a near-overwhelming taste of blood.


    Something clicked in the periphery of my mind, piecing together Kwan¡¯s needs and intentions ahead of my conscious thoughts. ¡°Iron? Iron Titan Body Reinforcement Technique...¡± Understanding flooded into the forefront of my mind. ¡°You need iron for the Body Reinforcement Technique!¡±


    Kwan looked back at me uncertainly. <Feed? Blood?>


    Using my authority, I teleported one of the horned rabbits into my left hand and out of ingrained reflex, pinched off its neck with my thumb. Killing it instantly.


    Kwan¡¯s snout twitched and his tongue darted hungrily in the air. <Feed!> He demanded, gnashing his teeth and undulating his tail excitedly.


    I dropped the rabbit into Kwan¡¯s jaws and waited.


    Greedy and impatient, Kwan swallowed the rabbit whole and immediately began circulating the borrowed Chi again. After ten minutes, Kwan¡¯s efforts were rewarded by gaining his first percentile of progress in the Body Refining Technique. A fact that he appeared incredibly pleased about. <Training! Success!> Kwan shrieked and hissed with excitement, twisting to and fro to inspect his scales.


    Despite his complete lack of concentration, Kwan was still circulating a smaller portion of Chi beneath his scales. Which made me wonder if it was a property all Body Refining Techniques shared.


    The manuals I had read on the subject did not deal with concrete details and required an inordinate amount of personal interpretation. However, I didn¡¯t recall any of the Body Refining Techniques mentioning reserving a portion of the practitioner¡¯s Chi. It was the Body Enhancement Techniques, which provided short bursts of physical enhancement, that required a continuous supply of Chi to function.


    So I was unsure what to make of this particular development.


    <Hunt! Fight!> Kwan bared his teeth and flexed his claws aggressively.


    The demand was not altogether unexpected. Another common feature of Body Refining Techniques, especially those oriented toward defence, was something referred to as tempering. Which was just a roundabout way of saying the Cultivator needed to be the recipient of physical violence to advance the Technique to the next stage.


    Technically, I could probably just throttle Kwan to achieve the required result. But I doubted he would appreciate it.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, curious to see how Kwan would fare in an actual fight.


    Just as Kwan began bounding and slithering down the mountainside, I used my authority to draw him back, catching him about the neck to prevent him from leaving on his own.


    <Fight?> Kwan didn¡¯t test my grip but angled his head to look up at me. No doubt confused by what was happening.


    I nodded and slowly began descending the mountain. ¡°Going alone would be incredibly foolish,¡± I commented disapprovingly. ¡°There are thousands of beasts below the mountain. Even if you are stronger than most of them, which I doubt, their sheer numbers would overwhelm you.¡±


    Kwan lowered his head and his dorsal crest flattened against his neck and back. <Forgive?>


    ¡°Just remember to think first next time,¡± I insisted. If Kwan was to serve as the gate guardian of the realm, he needed to be more than just a bloodthirsty beast.


    As if to prove my point, a riot of bestial cries rose from the forest at the foot of the mountain.


    The gathered beasts were competing for access to the mountain, attacking and killing one another. All so they could control a territory closer to the mountain and the dense ambient energies drawn there by the Arrays.


    From my vantage point, I observed that most Species seemed to hold a loose alliance amongst their own kind. Although the strategy varied wildly with some choosing to simply ignore one another while others actively worked together, bringing down their rivals through the weight of numbers where necessary.


    Amidst the carnage, a beast resembling a lion the size of an elephant with dark jade-green-coloured scales and a pale white mane watched my descent with avid interest from atop a large pile of bones.


    Untouched by the fighting, the scaly lion was given a wide berth by the smaller beasts and appeared to pay them no mind whatsoever. Making it clear that there was almost certainly an insurmountable difference in their strength.


    Kwan had noticed the strange lion as well and was becoming increasingly agitated as we drew closer to the foot of the mountain.


    Stopping a short distance from the invisible barrier, I lowered Kwan into the river that encircled this side of the mountain. The old banks of the river were flooded with the runoff generated by the unending storm higher up the mountain, drowning small bushes and reeds that hadn¡¯t been given enough time to adapt.


    Anchoring himself to the riverbed with his claws, Kwan effortlessly resisted the pull of the river¡¯s current and made his way to the middle of the river where it was deepest.


    Striding through the river, I took up a position a short distance from the bank opposite the barrier and began searching for a suitable opponent.


    All the while, the scaly lion continued watching us, muscles tense and ready to pounce despite the considerable distance between us and the invisible barrier that would deny its trespass.


    Singling out a large hairy ape amidst the ongoing battle, I used my authority to teleport the ape onto the opposite shore of the river.


    Understandably confused, the ape took a few moments to realise that it had somehow passed through the barrier and could make a play for the peak of the mountain.


    All it had to do was cross the river.


    Eyeing me suspiciously, the ape bared its teeth in an overt sign of aggression. Picking up a stone, the ape hurled it at my head.


    Before the stone could connect, I seized control of it with my Chi and made a show of orbiting the stone around my body. Making it obvious that such an attack wouldn¡¯t work against me.


    Frustrated, the ape tore off a branch and threw it with even greater force.


    Catching the branch with as little effort as the stone, I sat myself down on a nearby boulder and waited.


    The ape threw several more improvised projectiles before losing its patience. Huffing in a rage, the ape backed away from the river and then broke into a loping run, propelling itself forward with large powerful forearms. Coming up just a few feet short of the river¡¯s edge, the ape suddenly slammed both its fists against the ground and launched itself up into the air.


    Unfortunately, the ape¡¯s flight was abruptly arrested as Kwan shot out of the water and sunk his teeth into the ape¡¯s right leg. The ape barely had time to shriek in surprise as its momentum was arrested, causing Kwan¡¯s teeth to shred its calf and shin muscles to bloody ribbons.


    Flailing wildly in a panic, the ape fell into the river.


    Blooms of crimson stained the river''s current as Kwan moved in for the kill, striking and dragging the ape deeper into the river, denying it access to the surface and any hope of escape.


    Less than a minute later, Kwan dragged the Ape¡¯s corpse onto the bank and made a show of pressing its head into the mud with his claw. Expressing dominance and marking his territory.


    Amused by Kwan¡¯s demonstration, and the pride that motivated it, I began reshaping the river. The whole point of this exercise was for Kwan to exchange blows to progress his Technique. Not to facilitate a one-sided succession of ambushes.


    With that in mind. I created a broken causeway that would allow passage across the river and force Kwan into shallower water. Of course, Kwan would still possess several undeniable advantages, but it was far less one-sided than it had been before.


    Experimentally traversing the causeway, Kwan stared at me with what I could only assume was an expression of distinct displeasure and confusion.


    ¡°This was meant to be training, remember?¡± I scolded the indolent serpent.


    Kwan flinched and bobbed his head in a demonstration of submission. <Training.> He agreed submissively.


    Nodding in approval, I began searching for his next opponent.


    Settling on a boar the size of a small car, I teleported the beast inside of the barrier and positioned it on the opposite side of the causeway.


    Visibly agitated, the boar sniffed and huffed at the air with its snout and waved its six deadly tusks to and fro as it investigated the surrounding bushes.


    Kwan clawed his way out of the depths of the river and onto the causeway, releasing a loud sharp hiss in a challenge.


    Squealing and grunting in anger, the boar tore its way through the underbrush and onto the causeway. To my surprise, its hooves didn¡¯t slip or skid on the wet stones, allowing it to gather more momentum as it barreled headlong toward Kwan.


    Hunkering down, Kwan watched the approach of his enemy with nervous excitement, undulating and flicking his tail with sufficient force to generate a loud snapping sound reminiscent of a whip.


    The boar¡¯s spear-like tusks drove toward Kwan¡¯s head with intense speed and ferocity, glinting dangerously in the midday sun and radiating Chi.


    Imitating the ape, Kwan abruptly launched himself into the air, narrowly dodging the boar¡¯s tusks and slapping it in the face with his tail. Possessing far greater reach than the ape, Kwan immediately arrested his movement by striking down at the boar with his fangs and biting down hard into its bony hunched neck.


    Unfortunately, the boar¡¯s densely packed mane of thick bristly hair and its large vertebrae prevented Kwan from dealing a fatal blow. Making matters worse, his claws appeared unable to pierce the boar''s hide, slapping ineffectually at the boar¡¯s sides.


    The boar began bucking and shaking, trying to dislodge Kwan. While unsuccessful in throwing Kwan off its back, the boar managed to deliver several glancing blows against Kwan¡¯s lower body and tail as it indirectly trampled Kwan with its sharp hooves.


    Refusing to let the boar go, Kwan maintained his grip and continued slashing at the boar¡¯s sides with his claws.


    As the minutes dragged on and both combatants began to tire, the boar abruptly lost its footing and tumbled off the causeway.


    Despite his fatigue, Kwan entangled the boar¡¯s legs with his tail and they both sank to the bottom of the river.


    Even with the outcome now all but decided, I was impressed that Kwan continued fighting to constrict and drown the boar through mundane means. Especially since drowning the boar through manipulating the Water Affinity would be faster and infinitely less tiring.


    After five more minutes of desperately struggling against the inevitable, the boar finally succumbed to oxygen deprivation and died.


    Sensing Kwan¡¯s extreme fatigue, I used my Chi to draw both him and his prize out of the river and onto the shore.


    <Gratitude...> Kwan, lying splayed out on the ground, huffed tiredly and critically regarded the boar¡¯s carcass. In addition to his exhaustion, Kwan was bleeding from several small cuts and a handful of light punctures caused by the boar¡¯s hooves and tusks. <Tim. Help. Feed?> The Abyssal Serpent mewled pitiably.


    ¡°Why not eat the other one first?¡± I suggested, nodding toward the ape¡¯s carcass a short distance away.


    Kwan panned his head toward the ape and hissed with excitement. <Feed!> Dragging himself across the mud with his claws, Kwan pounced on the corpse and began ripping his way into its abdominal cavity, prioritising the ape¡¯s most nutrient-rich organs.


    Keeping myself otherwise occupied while Kwan engaged in a savage feeding frenzy, I confirmed that he had progressed his Body Reinforcement Technique by another percentile.


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± a low rumbling voice announced disdainfully from the opposite side of the river.


    Looking for the source of the voice, I was only slightly surprised to find the scaly lion had abandoned its hill of bones and was now standing a short distance away.


    Sweeping my senses over the lion, I was surprised to find that it possessed more internal energy and Chi than the Monarchs I had fought thus far. Reminding me of Yi Gim¡¯s concerns in facing a calamity he had called a beast tide. An event where wild beasts would storm Cultivator cities and massacre the populations in an unrelenting wave of savagery and death.


    No doubt aware of my appraisal, the lion stared back at me with unconcealed disdain. ¡°Your predecessor had more respect!¡± The scaly feline growled arrogantly. ¡°He would never have dared erect a barrier and cast this majesty from his throne!¡±


    ¡°You consider yourself a king?¡± I demanded flatly, unimpressed by the beast¡¯s lack of respect and undeserved confidence.


    ¡°This one IS A KING!¡± The lion roared, gnashing its teeth with barely concealed rage.


    The sounds of fighting throughout the forest died out immediately, and I could feel tens or even hundreds of thousands of eyes and ears turned in our direction.


    ¡°This one speaks, and the weak obey!¡± The lion continued, lifting a stone in its right paw and crushing it to gravel without visible effort. ¡°This is the rule of this world! This is the rule of the strong!¡±


    ¡°The weak are meat, and the strong do eat?¡± I commented glibly, quoting a line from an otherwise thought-provoking movie I had watched during my time on Earth. ¡°You would freely admit with your own voice that you should be considered nothing more than food in my eyes?¡± I warned darkly.


    The lion curled its leathery lips in disdain and anger. ¡°You present no threat to this one¡¯s life-¡± Its words halted abruptly as I exercised my authority and drove its body into the ground and pinned its limbs in place with barbed stone spears.


    ¡°This is MY WORLD,¡± I proclaimed coldly, ¡°Your continued existence is allowed through MY GRACE!¡±


    The lion roared in pain and fury. ¡°YOU WOULD DARE?!¡± It tore itself free, snapping the stone spears and then slamming its body against the barrier.


    I removed a skyscraper-sized chunk of stone from deep beneath the ground and dropped it.


    Confused, the lion looked to the sky. Eyes wide with surprise, it tried to run.


    I teleported the lion back to its position by the barrier.


    Scrambling in a panic, the lion tried to flee five more times and was returned to the exact same position in a handful of heartbeats after each attempt. ¡°CEASE THIS NONSENSE! RELEASE THIS ONE IMMEDIATELY OR FACE THIS ONE¡¯S WRATH!!!¡± The lion demanded, its obvious fear undercutting its attempt at intimidation.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied flatly. ¡°Swear fealty to me or die,¡± I countered. ¡°Swear upon your soul to serve my family and obey my laws, and I will allow you to live.¡± I surrounded the lion with a private barrier that forbade more than five feet of movement in each direction.


    Despite being initially intimidated, Kwan had regained his courage and bared his teeth at the tiger in open provocation. <Dominance!>


    The lion desperately unleashed a torrent of emerald flames against the barrier but met with no success. Panicking after the failure of its Technique, the lion furiously slashed at the barrier with its claws, sending scything lights from its claws to crash against the barrier. However, the latest barrage of attacks met with no more success than the flames that had preceded them, causing the lion¡¯s panic to increase tenfold.


    With only a handful of seconds left before the artificial meteorite would strike its target, I was beginning to worry that I had overextended myself. If I allowed the meteor to strike, the damage wouldn¡¯t be limited to the scaly lion. A fact that I had not given proper consideration when initiating my aggressive negotiations and would only serve to undermine my credibility if the lion failed to yield.


    ¡°WAIT!!!¡± The lion howled in terror and backed as far against the edge of the barrier as it could manage.


    More than happy to temporarily banish the projectile, I still made a point of maintaining my cold expression of indifference toward the lion. So far as he was to know, it was only a temporary reprieve.


    Chest heaving and limbs trembling, the lion pressed its head to the ground. ¡°This one submits to the Majesty¡¯s will...¡± It croaked. ¡°This one swears to serve his Majesty and his bloodline and obey Majesty¡¯s laws...This one swears it upon the heavens and the immortal Tao...Grk!...¡±


    A small string of notifications appeared confirming the lion¡¯s fealty as well as registering a new Species to my first system.


    With the lion¡¯s capitulation, I dismissed the newly erected barrier.


    While looking to the lion for a name, I was somewhat surprised when the automated query failed to provide an answer. It wasn¡¯t the first time such a thing had happened, but it was still rare enough that it took me a couple of moments to identify the cause.


    The lion didn¡¯t have a name. So, naturally, the registry couldn¡¯t provide the information I had asked for.


    Crooking my finger, I motioned for the lion to approach.


    Limping from the wounds I had inflicted on its limbs, the lion obediently passed through the barrier and crossed the causeway before prostrating itself at my feet.


    Looking at the beast I had been calling a lion up close, I realised that my initial assessment was not particularly accurate. Only bearing a passing resemblance to a lion, the beast had a short almost pug-like snout, a heavy wide brow, and a disturbingly large lower jaw. The proportions of its limbs weren¡¯t right either, with the forelimbs bearing what looked like twice as much muscle and bone as they otherwise should.


    As strange as it seemed, the beast bore a striking resemblance to the stone statues of lions one of my former neighbours had prominently displayed in their yard. I had never asked where they had immigrated from, but I was reasonably confident that they were Chinese.


    ¡°You need a name,¡± I decided, curious to put a name to the beast¡¯s origins and look at its status.


    ¡°This one would gladly accept any title bestowed by the Majesty...¡± The beast replied with fearful humility.


    I hesitated.


    Naming people was not something I would consider one of my strengths.


    After considering the options for several minutes, I decided to use the recent memory of my neighbours as inspiration and borrowed their family name.


    ¡°Then your name will be Feng,¡± I announced, using my authority to apply the name and then raise Feng¡¯s status.


    ¡°This one expresses immense gratitude to the Majesty!¡± Feng declared fervently, pressing his head deeper into the mud.


    ¡°Taotie?¡± The word felt as strange as it sounded, and I was forced to admit that learning Feng¡¯s Species wouldn¡¯t provide any answers.


    The rest of Feng¡¯s status was a different matter entirely.


    Feng possessed only three Techniques. Breath Of The Heavenly Demon, which was presumably responsible for the emerald flames Feng had used against the barrier. Vorpal Winds Of Fury, the scything arcs of energy thrown from Feng¡¯s claws. The final Technique, Gluttonous Greed Of The Taotie, was a mystery at first but Feng was quick to identify it as his Body Reinforcement Technique.


    ¡°This one gains strength by devouring the bodies and souls of the dead,¡± Feng explained humbly.


    As grisly as his claim was, it wasn¡¯t all that different to the progression of Evolution from consuming mana stones. Which the system appeared oddly in agreement with, providing a Racial Ability by the same name and providing the same general effect. However, what was most shocking was Feng¡¯s second status outing him as a Demon.


    One of the same Demons that the Cultivators blamed as the source of Demonic Cultivators.


    This was odd considering Feng, an actual Demon, was only indirectly capable of the same terrifying feat Zhu Min could perform at will as a Demonic Cultivator.


    Furthermore, Feng¡¯s Body Reinforcement Technique appeared to be stuck at a progress of twenty per cent. Which struck me as odd.


    While it was true Techniques became increasingly difficult to progress as they neared perfection, Feng¡¯s Technique didn¡¯t seem all that complicated. The best I could figure was that he probably needed a higher tier of prey to facilitate his advancement, or perhaps some form of enlightenment.


    From the context of the manuals I had read, enlightenment was generally used as a catchall term for receiving inspiration to fill in holes left by poor instructions in a Technique¡¯s training method. The more detailed a manual teaching a Technique was, it generally required less ¡®enlightenment¡¯ to progress. However, it was also possible to alter and evolve Techniques through inspiration-driven deviation.


    Moving Feng into my party, I gave him the carcass of the boar so he could accelerate the healing of his wounds.


    Feng swallowed the boar whole, dislocating his jaw like a snake and gulping it down in a single disturbingly practised motion. Despite the size of the boar, his stomach remained the same size as before, suggesting some kind of Spatial magic was at play.


    Kwan was somewhat put out over losing his prize. Baring his teeth and hissing angrily at Feng to express his displeasure.


    ¡°Are there others?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°Who can speak like you do I mean?¡±


    Feng nodded solemnly. ¡°This one¡¯s rivals stalk the Majesty¡¯s barrier even now, seeking to claim the peak for themselves.¡±


    ¡°How many are there?¡± I prompted, already extending my senses to search for them. If they were as strong as Feng, then I wanted to recruit them as well.


    After all, the more powerful individuals I could gather for my counteroffensive the better.


    ¡°This one has three rivals,¡± Feng answered respectfully. ¡°None dared stand against this one alone, seeking an alliance with one another to secure the peak and divide amongst themselves.¡±


    Although I was disappointed that the other potential recruits wouldn¡¯t be as powerful as Feng, I had to remind myself that three recruits of even half his strength would still be better than nothing.


    It didn¡¯t take me long to find the three individuals Feng had spoken of. While they were not as powerful as he was, they still possessed far more Chi and internal energy than the other beasts battling around the base of the mountain.


    Relocating them and then imprisoning them just as I had done to Feng, I was almost surprised by how comparatively normal they appeared in comparison.


    The first was a giant crow with three eyes and white feathers with crimson tips. The second was a large wolf with a shaggy black coat of fur and a mane of bristling spines. The last was a fox with bright red fur and five tails.


    The crow and wolf were of comparable height, standing as tall as a human, about five and a half feet tall at the shoulder. While the fox was just the size of a large dog. However, there was also a hazy outline of a much larger and fiercer fox that extended past the barrier.


    ¡°It is the five-tails illusions,¡± Feng sniffed disdainfully, eliciting a savage snarl from the illusory fox while the true fox cowered as far back into the barrier as it was allowed.


    ¡°Snivelling coward!¡± The wolf barked. ¡°Surrendering to this...¡± He paused and became momentarily uncertain of himself. ¡°Thing...¡± He finished lamely. ¡°To sell your pride so cheaply! Disgraceful!¡±


    ¡°Yet this one stands upon the mountain and you do not,¡± Feng sneered. ¡°Better to live as a servant in a palace, than a lord in the mud.¡±


    ¡°Brother Taotie speaks wisely,¡± the three-eyed crow cawed with what sounded like profound reluctance.


    ¡°You too, brother crow?!¡± The wolf demanded incredulously, baring his fangs in anger and frustration.


    ¡°Brother wolf, we have tested this barrier many times,¡± admonished the crow wearily. ¡°It is no weaker today than yesterday or the days before. The peak is beyond our reach.¡±


    ¡°Then we will take the humans¡¯ palace!¡± The wolf barked.


    ¡°That is also impossible...¡± The three-eyed crow sighed, shaking its head wearily. ¡°Their lands are protected with a barrier many times larger than this mountain and is just as strong...¡±


    ¡°Impossible...¡± The wolf replied breathlessly.


    ¡°This Monarch is unlike any other I have seen,¡± the fox agreed in a strangely feminine voice that took me slightly off guard. ¡°To trap us so easily...¡±


    ¡°Your lives, pitiful as they may be, are completely within the Majesty¡¯s hands,¡± Feng gloated, seemingly having already forgotten or forgiven having been in the same position only minutes before.


    As one, the crow, wolf and fox looked away from one another and toward me instead.


    <Dominance!> Kwan hissed aggressively, ignoring the considerable difference between his Cultivation and theirs.


    I gave Kwan a firm rap on the back of the head with my knuckle as a reminder not to become overly arrogant.


    ¡°You have the same choice as Feng,¡± I announced firmly. ¡°Serve, or die.¡±


    The three beasts shared glances with one another, then, one by one, bowed their heads in defeat.


    ***** Baldr ~ Tim¡¯s Realm ~ Baldr¡¯s Vassalage ~ Bay of storms fortress *****


    Despite the fair weather of the season, Baldr¡¯s coastal fortress was packed to bursting with visitors. Jarls, Karls and their warriors had gathered from far and wide to trade their slaves for the Godstone the Tyrant¡¯s representative promised in exchange.


    Having expected a pebble of lesser Godstone per head, Baldr and his Karls had been the first to witness the Tyrant¡¯s immense wealth. Indeed, they were the reason word had spread so quickly and led to the current issue of overcrowding.


    Accompanied by his most trusted warriors, Baldr watched as the Tyrant¡¯s representative silently appraised a pair of slaves. A middle-aged woman and a young boy.


    ¡°They have been well cared for,¡± the representative declared with the utmost confidence, materialising a chunk of Godstone the size of Baldr¡¯s head into her hand. ¡°Be sure to thank your stable boy, Ulfr, for his kindness. You would not have received such a prize otherwise,¡± she insisted and tossed the Godstone to the slaves¡¯ former owner, a Karl from one of the eastern isles if his facial tattoo was anything to go by.


    Despite having witnessed hundreds of such transactions already, the purity of the Godstone still caused Baldr¡¯s heart to freeze in his chest.


    ¡°And remember, the Tyrant will not tolerate the taking of slaves in the future,¡± the Tyrant¡¯s representative cautioned with a sinister smirk.


    The visiting Karl nodded emphatically to show he understood and silently backed away to make room for the next in line.


    With a wave of her hand, the former slaves disappeared. An understated yet compelling demonstration of the Tyrant¡¯s power.


    Jarl Alrik Gutherson, accompanied by his Huscarls, led a procession of what Baldr conservatively estimated to be about two and a half hundred slaves. In stark contrast to the slaves who had just preceded them, Jarl Alrik¡¯s slaves were in a truly sorry state.


    Despite the poor showing of his slaves, Jarl Alrik eagerly awaited the assessment and began waving forward a small procession of wagons to receive his anticipated payment.


    The Tyrant¡¯s representative slowly made her way amongst the slaves, taking a few moments to silently stare at each of them in turn. Once she was finished, a hail of Godstone fell neatly into the wagons and the slaves disappeared.


    Jarl Alrik was about to follow his retreating procession of wagons but stopped dead in his tracks as he caught the representative''s eyes.


    ¡°Hel awaits those who abuse little girls, Alrik Gutherson,¡± the Tyrant¡¯s representative stated with a sharp-toothed and unmistakably predatory smile. ¡°See that you remember that.¡±


    Thunder rumbled ominously overhead and a chill wind swept in from the sea.


    Baldr couldn¡¯t help but glance toward the trio of young women sitting and standing on the rooftop beside him. Tall and bearing a balanced amount of muscle, they carried their weapons with intimate familiarity, leaving no doubt regarding their readiness for combat. Silvery wings of light flickered in and out of existence in time with the thunder, revealing their divine origins.


    Valkyries.


    They too were representatives of the Tyrant. However, it had been made clear to Baldr, in no uncertain terms, that they were serving in the role as observers only. Their cold hard eyes silently judging all who entered their sight.


    Jarl Alrik was not the first to receive special attention and consideration from the Tyrant¡¯s representative. And just like the others, the valkyries looked upon him with unrestrained scorn and disgust.


    Baldr looked to his eldest son, Knut, and gave him a firm nod.


    Understanding his father¡¯s intentions, Knut dutifully marked Jarl Alrik¡¯s house sigil down on a slate alongside six others. They would need to take steps to ensure a smooth succession for his replacement. After what happened to the household of Jarl Ulfr, they could not just assume a living relative would be available to take up the title.


    The Tyrant, and later his representative, had made it clear from the beginning that certain crimes would warrant execution. However, Baldr had foolishly believed that the judgement of the guilty would be passed down in front of witnesses. That it would serve as a public example, just as the old laws had done.


    An honourable death on the battlefield was one thing. The threat of Hel reaching out from Helhiem and claiming powerful men and women, entire households in the night, was something else entirely. Carrying terror on a level Baldr still hadn¡¯t managed to rationalise.


    Despite the rumours, Jarl Alrik arrogantly turned his back on the representative and scoffed derisively while shaking his head. No doubt, if he knew what Baldr knew, Jarl Alrik would be on his hands and knees, grovelling and begging in the dirt trying to bargain for his life and eternal soul.


    ¡°Father,¡± Baldr¡¯s second son, Hafi, pushed through the ranks of the Huscarls and presented a stone slate bearing the diagrams for the new ritual site. ¡°The sculptors say the important runework could be finished in just a few days if we can meet their price,¡± he announced optimistically, smiling in the same way that came so easily to him and his late mother.


    Welcoming the distraction despite knowing the headache it would cause him later, Baldr looked over the plans to refresh his memory. ¡°And what is their price?¡± He asked, bracing himself for what would almost certainly involve a near ruinous ransom in all but name.


    Hafi nervously scratched at the back of his neck. ¡°Well...It¡¯s certainly more than we initially expected...¡± He admitted. ¡°After all, the large amounts of Godstone now available has increased demand for their skills...¡±


    ¡°Hafi...I¡¯m not a comely lass and do not need sweet nothings whispered in my ear...¡± Baldr growled goodnaturedly, already quite aware of the effects the Tyrant¡¯s actions would have on trade within his realm.


    ¡°Apologies father, it¡¯s just...The demands are outrageous...¡± Hafi admitted apologetically.


    ¡°I told you letting Astrid apprentice as a sculptor would pay off someday!¡± Knut interjected smugly. ¡°Three fists of Godsilver isn¡¯t so expensive now, is it?¡±


    ¡°Astrid is still a journeyman, and her master is the one that¡¯s skinning us alive!¡± Hafi hissed back irritably. ¡°He is demanding less than the others, but we have sacked entire realms for less!¡± It was almost certainly an exaggeration, but Baldr couldn¡¯t fault his son for it. Losing such wealth to wanton greed was never a pleasant experience.


    ¡°Perhaps this Tyrant could be persuaded to provide sculptors?¡± Knut snickered, repeating a suggestion Hafi had made earlier.


    A suggestion Baldr had already rejected.


    If the Tyrant could freely part with so much Godstone on a whim, there was nothing they could offer that would tempt his favour.


    <Now, that just isn¡¯t true.> The soft feminine voice of the Tyrant¡¯s representative purred within Baldr¡¯s mind.


    Judging by the shocked expressions of his sons, he guessed that they had heard her as well.


    <The Tyrant expressed his desire for a numerous and proficient fighting force to exact retaliation upon a deserving foe. An expression of sincere interest would all but guarantee the Tyrant¡¯s goodwill.> The representative insisted with absolute confidence.


    Baldr stared out across the crowd and found the Tyrant¡¯s representative smiling and looking back in their direction.


    <Just something to consider.> The representative added before turning away.


    ¡°I was not aware you had given the representative one of the family¡¯s far-speaking runes, father...¡± Knut whispered nervously.


    ¡°You should have warned us!¡± Hafi added worriedly.


    Anxiously working his jaw, Baldr began trying to think of how best to explain that he had not, in fact, given the representative one of the Family¡¯s far-speaking runes at all. Furthermore-


    A sudden look of panic flashed in Hafi¡¯s eyes, signalling that he had likely just realised that the far-speaking rune pinned to his left ear had remained dormant throughout. Meaning, that the representative was capable of interjecting herself as she willed, and there was likely nothing they could do to stop her.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 79 – Death and Dominance – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 79 ¨C Death and Dominance ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 79 - Death and Dominance - Part Two


    Having extracted Oaths from Wolf, Fox and Crow, I gifted them each a Storage Ring and sent them to collect fresh beast corpses to serve as materials for Jin¡¯s Alchemy. Feng would remain behind on the mountain and serve the function of a supply depot, accepting the corpses from the others and storing them within a fourth Storage Ring with a larger internal capacity.


    Feng would also serve as Jin¡¯s minder while on the mountain and had explicit instructions not to allow Jin to wander beyond the protective barrier.


    Too dangerous to allow outside of my supervision, Kwan¡¯s training had to be put on hold while I made the arrangements. However, once I was finished, Kwan was ready to throw himself right back into it again.


    While Kwan recuperated between skirmishes, I spent my time reading through the freshly translated books taken from the realm of Yi Gim¡¯s rival.


    Many contained the dictated notes of the dead Monarch¡¯s research. Referencing acts of immense personal cruelty in meticulous detail. I managed to read three pages before setting the records aside in their entirety.


    The Technique manuals were far less disturbing but became somewhat boring when read back to back. There were only so many times I could read the claim of ¡®ultimate power¡¯ without rolling my eyes and shaking my head with cynicism.


    Every self-proclaimed master professed the virtues of their Techniques and made outlandish claims of invincibility. It just seemed to be the way things were done.


    Which made it difficult to determine which Techniques I should learn for my personal use.


    I didn¡¯t have familial or cultural traditions to guide my preferences or mentors I could trust to make the decisions on my behalf.


    Watching Kwan dodge the spiked antlers of a large deer, I decided to simplify matters and take his lead.


    To the best of my knowledge, Reinforcement Techniques were practised to amplify or manipulate physical attributes. The exact combinations of offensive, defensive and utility-driven enhancements varied wildly from Technique to Technique. However, the majority possessed at least some measure of Damage Reduction and Damage Enhancement, enforcing a tiered ranking structure of combat strength amongst Cultivators.


    The Cultivators I had fought thus far had been countered by the effects of Racial and Class Abilities, evening the playing field or outright skewing battled in my favour. Which, of course, would mean future battles would become that much more one-sided if I committed to acquiring and mastering Cultivator Techniques as well.


    Unable to find a written copy of Kwan¡¯s Technique, I settled for learning from him directly instead.


    Curiously, my decision to learn the Iron Titan Body Reinforcement Technique was all it took to add the Technique to my Status.


    Kwan¡¯s limited ability to communicate and knowledge of anatomy made it difficult to understand what exactly I needed to do. However, after a few hours of trial and error, I was able to successfully initiate a self-sustaining current of Chi just beneath my skin.


    What was strange was that the probationary status of the Technique did not disappear until after I began meditating as Kwan instructed. Focusing my mind on thoughts of striking and being struck by others. Dominating my opponents through raw endurance and strength rather than skill.


    Quite familiar with the concept, I had chosen to actively reflect on my early experiences fighting the Orcs and Goblins on the first floor of the Hurst labyrinth. Remembering the vibrations that would pass up my arms as I struck Orcs with my club, the pain as their primitive weapons crashed into my flesh.


    If I had been human, there was no way I could have survived.


    The second element of the training required eating iron-rich foods, or liquids, and drawing that iron into the skin. However, this part of the training would only be effective after receiving physical trauma to the skin and straining the muscles beneath.


    To that end, I decided to engage in an experiment.


    Taking on my Human form, I was both surprised and relieved that the Chi circuit persisted through the transformation. It was a variable I hadn¡¯t considered until after the transformation. So I was glad there didn¡¯t appear to be any complications.


    Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I asked myself one last time whether what I intended was a good idea. Unable to come up with a compelling reason to back down, I resolved myself to the imminent self-inflicted hardship and gathered my MP.


    Donning a helmet as a precaution against potential brain damage, I conjured a staff and offered it to Ophelia¡¯s projection. ¡°This is going to sound strange...¡± I cautioned awkwardly. ¡°But I need you to hit me-WOAH!¡±


    I had barely finished talking before Ophelia jabbed the end of her staff at my bare chest.


    ¡°You said to hit you...¡± Ophelia retorted, narrowing her eyes accusingly.


    ¡°I did,¡± I admitted and hastily raised my arms into a defensive posture as Ophelia prepared for another strike. ¡°But I wanted to explain why first!¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Ophelia nodded in understanding and lowered the staff.


    ¡°It¡¯s for a type of training. It requires being the recipient of violence-¡± I explained while eyeing the staff warily.


    ¡°Which is why you want me to hit you,¡± Ophelia interjected matter of factly and without a shred of judgment.


    ¡°More or less, yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ophelia grinned and swung her staff into my right shin.


    Barely registering the pain, I grabbed the staff but recoiled out of reflex as Ophelia rapped my knuckles.


    If I were human, it would have probably split the skin, but beyond a faint pinch of pain, I felt nothing.


    Growing bolder, I began actively intercepting Ophelia¡¯s attacks with my forearms while trying to snatch the staff from her grip.


    Seeing that her attacks were not causing me serious injury, Ophelia grinned all the wider and her eyes began to glow with a rich amber light. ¡°Yessssss!¡± Compensating quality for quantity, Ophelia began striking the same places over and over with unsettling accuracy.


    With each strike, the pain increased, eventually becoming bad enough that I lost control over my right knee. Losing most of my mobility in the process and making me an easier target.


    Forced to abandon offence entirely, I weathered Ophelia¡¯s blows as best as I was able. All the while internally counting down her projection¡¯s remaining duration.


    The upside to Ophelia¡¯s manic onslaught was the increased MP drain incurred to maintain her projection. What could have been an hour became something closer to twenty minutes.


    Ophelia disappeared mid-strike but her staff carried enough established momentum and force to send a painful jolt up my arm from my left wrist before falling harmlessly to the ground.


    Unable to stop myself from wincing as I inspected my swollen fingers, I had to remind myself that the pain served a greater purpose. I had to remind myself again as I exsanguinated Kwan¡¯s latest kill and combined the blood with rough flour to form a crude dough.


    Most of the body''s iron was in its blood. Although it didn¡¯t amount to as much as people might think. If the blood bread didn¡¯t work, I would have to think of other potential alternatives. While I found the idea of eating blood bread strange, I loathed eating liver and kidneys. There was something about the texture that had always made me gag.


    Although it really shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise, Kwan showed an increasing degree of interest as the loaf continued to bake.


    <Food?> Kwan tasted the air with his tongue and huffed at the dark brown mound uncertainly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you would like it,¡± I replied, uncertain if Kwan would be able to digest the flour without complications.


    Kwan huffed unhappily and settled down to begin cycling again.


    While it could definitely have used some salt, the blood bread wasn¡¯t the worst thing I had ever eaten. Although it did sit heavy in my gut, it was a mildly distressing experience all on its own.


    Cycling my Chi again, I tried to picture the iron in my stomach being drawn out and carried by the veins of Chi toward my skin.


    As I continued to meditate, the pain began to subside, making it easier to concentrate and direct the flow of my Chi. Unfortunately, that increase in control did not appear to provide any noticeable benefits. Suggesting that the Technique itself would handle everything so long as I maintained the correct state of mind.


    <Dominance. Strength!> Kwan repeated encouragingly.


    I followed Kwan''s advice and shifted my focus from the one-sided loss I had suffered at Ophelia¡¯s hands and back to my encounters with the wild Orcs of the Labyrinth. The victories I had won through brute strength...


    It felt like years had passed since then, but it had been only a matter of months.


    Sensing an increased draw on my Chi reserves, I was surprised to find the automated circuit had extended beyond my skin and into my muscles.


    Looking to Kwan for a reference point, I was equally surprised to find that he appeared to be undergoing the same change. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Checking my Status, I confirmed that my mastery of the Technique had reached eleven per cent and that it appeared to be rising. As my injuries healed, the progress began to slow.


    Comparing Kwan¡¯s progress against my own, I was inclined to believe that the artificial method was the more effective of the two. However, repeating the experiment for a second time left me feeling disappointed.


    The changes made to my skin and the presence of the Chi circulating just beneath didn¡¯t seem to have made a difference. My knuckles and the multitude of welts were just as swollen as before, and the pain felt more or less the same.


    Despite being discouraged, I continued preparing another batch of blood bread while watching Kwan battle against what looked like a large and heavily muscled water buffalo.


    My heart skipped a beat as the horns of the buffalo caught Kwan in the chest and sent him tumbling into the water. However, when Kwan reappeared, leaping from the water with fangs bared, there was no sign of his injury. Similarly, the buffalo¡¯s hooves failed to leave any marks on Kwan¡¯s scales either.


    After reviewing his Status and confirming that Kwan had taken damage from the attack. I realised that the Body Reinforcement Technique must have played a part in downgrading the injury. Like a suit of armour, preventing penetration but unable to stop the concussive force behind the blow outright.


    To test the theory, I conjured a low-level magical dagger from the treasury and lightly dragged the blade across my left palm. Failing to draw blood, I increased the pressure and tried again.


    I repeated the test several times, increasing the pressure and amount of force with each attempt. It wasn¡¯t until I tried stabbing my hand at full force that I managed to leave a shallow cut. Generating a disproportionate amount of pain in the process as the muscles and tendons were badly bruised.


    I barely had a few moments to entertain delusions of near invincibility before remembering the first Monarch I had fought in a Supremacy Challenge. He had the means of not only cutting through my Ability reinforced hide but the magical armour I had been wearing at the time as well. So while the Iron Titan Body Reinforcement Technique would no doubt prove incredibly valuable as a defensive tool, it was by no means something I could just take for granted.


    However, the defensive properties of the Technique did offer training opportunities I would not have otherwise been comfortable engaging in before. Notably, engaging in mock bouts with real weapons.


    While waiting for my HP to recover, I noticed a new modifier had been added to both of my Status sheets. Strength and Toughness had both gained a single point bonus. Cross-referencing Kwan''s Status, I found he had gained the new inputs as well, but they were both zero values.


    As best I could figure, the reason I hadn¡¯t noticed the changes sooner was because I had grown too accustomed to the existing Class and Bloodline bonuses. The fact that Kwan possessed neither a Class nor a Bloodline only served to confirm my theory that the new bonuses were the result of the Body Reinforcement Technique.


    What didn¡¯t make sense was the massive leap in my skin¡¯s durability.


    While my Toughness did increase my passive Damage Reduction through my Thick Hide Racial Ability, it shouldn¡¯t have increased by such a significant margin. The only reasonable assumption I could make was that the Body Reinforcement Technique was providing a second stacking source of Damage Reduction. However, there wasn¡¯t an official description in the Status I could use to confirm or deny the theory.


    Recognising that I needed professional advice, I began mentally reviewing the list of Factions. Searching for the clan of Cultivators that I had recruited to serve as mentors and teachers for my children and the other nascent Cultivators under the Farmers Union Faction.


    It didn¡¯t take long.


    After allowing Kwan time to recuperate, I exercised my authority and teleported us both to the general vicinity of the Faction Leader.


    Suddenly standing before a lavish palace, decorated with vibrant silk flags and curtains bearing intricate and exquisite designs, it occurred to me that I should have spared a few moments to dress myself first.


    Wearing nothing more than my armoured kilt, I locked eyes with the armed guards and glared in an open challenge to their authority.


    After overcoming their initial surprise, the guards cast their eyes downward and fell onto bent knees. ¡°The Oba clan recognises the esteemed Monarch!¡± The guards barked in near unison. Although it was unclear whether it was primarily intended to serve as a greeting or alert those within the palace.


    Kwan preened pridefully, striking an intimidating pose and rumbling with pleasure. Mistaking the deference of the guards for genuine terror.


    As I was preparing to address the guards, a small staggered horde of white and grey-haired elderly men and women began sprinting out of the palace. Leaping down the stairs and landing on the road with heads bowed and fists pressed together in a show of respect.


    Behind them, men, women, teenagers and even children came streaming down the steps of the palace. Most wore simple clothing, suggesting they were most likely servants, while the core clan members wore dark robes accented with bright reds, orange and gold.


    ¡°How may the Oba clan serve the esteemed Monarch?¡± Implored an old man at the forefront of the gathering. My authority immediately identified him as the Faction Leader, Oba Shoji.


    ¡°It is a private matter,¡± I prefaced neutrally, uncertain whether the display represented a true representation of the clan''s loyalty, let alone their potential trustworthiness. ¡°I would speak with you alone.¡±


    ¡°As the Monarch wills,¡± Oba Shoji Oba Shoji waved one hand to his side, sending an invisible ripple of Chi through the assembled crowd.


    As one, the crowd rose to their feet, heads still bowed and retreated into the palace. All except for Oba Shoji himself and an elderly man who appeared thirty years his senior.


    ¡°Please forgive this one for his impudence,¡± the elderly man, Oba Kei, apologised. ¡°This humble servant wishes only to compliment the esteemed Monarch for producing such talented and magnanimous offspring!¡±


    Kwan flicked his tongue, tasting the air above the elderly man.


    Impressions of each child were communicated through our link.


    Pete and Suzy both had a portion of my authority, so they might have encountered the Oba clan while exploring. However, the thought of my children just wandering around was deeply unsettling.


    Then I recalled their odd behaviour. How Pete and Momoko had been doing...¡¯something¡¯...manipulating my inner energy...


    ¡°You are my children''s teacher,¡± I stated aloud, recognising Oba Kei¡¯s role in events.


    ¡°It has been this one¡¯s profound honour,¡± Oba Kei answered in confirmation.


    ¡°Then it is you I wish to speak with,¡± I decided. Convinced that trusting the man further would pose less of a risk than including anyone else. ¡°You may leave us, Faction Leader,¡± I added, making my desire for privacy known.


    ¡°As the Monarch wills,¡± Oba Shoji bowed his head and retreated just as the others had done.


    ¡°Please, rise,¡± I ordered, uncomfortable with the idea of such an old man being made to hold such an awkward pose.


    Oba Kei obediently rose to his feet but kept his head bowed.


    ¡°I will tell you now what I have told countless others. Bowing respectfully is more than adequate, and I would even accept a slight bow at the waist or kneeling on one knee. However, I will not tolerate the sight of free men and women grovelling on their hands and knees.¡± I took a moment to calm myself. ¡°I would appreciate it if my thoughts on this subject are made known so it is not repeated.¡±


    ¡°It will be as the Monarch wills,¡± Oba Kei promised.


    ¡°Good,¡± I sighed and let the tension melt from my shoulders. ¡°I require your expertise as a teacher,¡± I stated bluntly, pushing to the heart of the matter. ¡°My Bonded Beast and I are engaged in learning the same Technique, but I could use advice.¡±


    ¡°Wisdom is one of the noteworthy advantages of age,¡± Oba Kei chuckled softly. ¡°I will offer what insight it allows.¡±


    ¡°Regarding Body Reinforcement Techniques, what are considered the most effective means of training?¡± I asked, making no attempts at concealing my intense interest.


    Oba Kei raised his head, revealing a pair of strangely intense emerald green eyes. ¡°Begging pardon, esteemed Monarch, it would depend upon the Technique in question.¡± He furrowed his wrinkled brow and gave Kwan an appraising, yet respectful stare. ¡°Body Refining Techniques have a trend toward testing and pushing the established limits of the physical form. The most efficient means of training is most often the most dangerous, carrying dire consequences for failure.¡±


    I had more or less guessed as much already but remained silent. There was no point in seeking an expert''s advice if I was just going to ignore it.


    ¡°Techniques that are compatible with both human and Celestial Beasts are incredibly rare...¡± Oba Kei slowly looked away from Kwan, and for a fleeting moment, gave me a piercing stare before casting his eyes downward again. ¡°May this one ask which Technique the esteemed Monarch and his Bonded Familiar are engaged in mastering?¡± He asked politely.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Iron Titan Technique,¡± I replied while making an effort to disguise my eagerness for his insights.


    Oba Kei frowned slightly and carefully ran a hand through his long wispy beard. ¡°I...I must confess, I am not familiar with this particular Body Refinement Technique...¡± He apologised. ¡°If this one might be so bold to ask, might I see the written description for the Technique?¡±


    I felt a mild flush of embarrassment, realising that I may have done something incredibly foolish. ¡°I do not have a written copy of the Technique,¡± I admitted honestly and decided I might as well go all in while I was at it. ¡°I am learning the Technique from Kwan, my Bonded Familiar.¡± Adopting the elder¡¯s terminology as a means of showing I was open to outside ideas.


    ¡°Ah...¡± Oba Kei nodded silently to himself and continued stroking his beard, returning his attention to Kwan. ¡°The esteemed Monarch¡¯s Bonded Familiar is a rare breed of Serpent...¡± He released faint tendrils of Chi that came just shy of touching Kwan directly. ¡°An Abyssal Serpent?!¡± Oba Kei took an involuntary step backward before catching himself and reasserting control. ¡°Apologies esteemed Monarch! I had not expected to bear witness to such a legendary Calamitous Beast in my lifetime!¡±


    Kwan hissed pridefully and waved his dorsal frills.


    ¡°Calamitous Beast?¡± I asked, already losing track of the different names the Cultivators gave to the Beasts of their world.


    ¡°A term referring to the most powerful breeds of Divine Beasts...¡± Oba Kei choked out through his shock. ¡°Legendary Beasts of providence!...To learn a Technique from such a Beast...¡± He slowly shook his head, lips opening and closing several times before staying firmly closed.


    Taking it all as praise, Kwan had begun undulating his tail, unrepentantly knocking down several flag posts in the process.


    To be fair, I felt a little less like an impulsive idiot.


    Oba Kei softly cleared his throat, although it appeared to be an attempt at finding his voice rather than a desire to draw further attention to himself. ¡°Esteemed Monarch, might this humble one ask which Transcription Techniques have been employed to gain knowledge of the Technique?...¡± He asked timidly, almost on the verge of outright cowering.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t employed any Techniques, just intuition,¡± I replied, settling on a half-truth. My authority gave me insights about certain things, but I would prefer that knowledge not become widespread. ¡°I have successfully progressed to the first rank of the Technique without difficulties. I just wanted to know if there are more efficient means available.¡±


    Oba Kei gulped dryly and nearly tugged at his beard by mistake. ¡°Esteemed Monarch, to have progressed at all without instruction is...well...¡± He blinked hard and quickly began waving his hands defensively. ¡°It is to be expected! Of course! I didn''t mean to suggest-¡±


    ¡°No offence taken,¡± I insisted and motioned for calm. ¡°Tell me more about these Transcription Techniques.¡±


    Visibly glad for the change in subject, the elderly man dabbed at his brow with the hem of his long sleeve. ¡°Transcription Techniques are rare, most often employed to forcibly take the knowledge of a Technique from a restrained enemy. However, there are less invasive Techniques that are employed by Beast Tamers to learn and share the Techniques of their Bonded Beast Familiars.¡± For a moment, there was a distant look in Oba Kei¡¯s eyes. ¡°Before our fall...our clan raised all manner of Beasts...¡±


    ¡°Why not tame new Beasts?¡± I had a fairly good feeling as to why but wanted to know for certain.


    ¡°Many of our most talented Cultivators have suffered damage to our foundation because of the backlash suffered from losing our Familiars...¡± Oba kei replied quietly. ¡°The clan leader¡¯s son barely survived... Others were not so fortunate...¡±


    Backlash. That was another subject I was unfamiliar with. However, just from the context, I could assume it was caused by the Bond being broken in some way.


    ¡°Those who are strong enough and have an intact foundation are too few in number and too low in Cultivation to hunt for new Familiars, and there is no market to purchase eggs...¡± Oba Kei gave a helpless shrug. ¡°In time and with your goodwill, our clan will recover. However, I doubt I will live long enough to witness such a day...¡±


    ¡°What would it take to repair someone''s damaged foundation?¡± I asked, both to satisfy my curiosity as well as to safeguard against potential dangers in the future.


    Shoji Kei was silent for several long moments, taking his time to seriously consider the question. ¡°Minor damage heals with time and regular meditation. Recovery can be accelerated with generic Elixirs, so long as they are taken in moderation. Profound damage, from sources such as a backlash, requires Soul Balm. An Elixir made from rare ingredients that would bankrupt most minor sects...The greater the damage, the more Soul Balm that is required...¡± He was silent for a few moments before coming back to himself again. ¡°While not the same, the foundation can be overdrawn and generate strain. If left untreated, it may cause damage. However, in most instances, rest is sufficient. Elixirs will abate the symptoms, but will not accelerate recovery. In extreme instances, the strain can be alleviated through the exchange of internal energy...¡±


    Recognising what my children had done on my behalf, I nearly felt enough pride to outweigh the shame of my reckless actions.


    ¡°Can this strain be fatal?¡± I had to fight hard not to cringe over my past stupidity.


    ¡°It can be...¡± Shoji Kei answered sombrely.


    ¡°This Soul Balm Elixir, do you know how it is made?¡± I asked, eager to change the subject.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no, esteemed Monarch...¡± Oba Kei Apologised. ¡°Our clan has not produced an Alchemist in several generations...And the guilds would never divulge their secrets willingly...¡±


    ¡°Is it a common recipe?¡± I pushed. ¡°Something that is relatively well known amongst Alchemists?¡±


    Oba Kei gave me a strange look and then seriously considered the question. ¡°I believe it would be. Damage to the foundation is quite common amongst the impulsive youths of the clans, sects and great houses...The expense means little when compared against an uncertain future.¡±


    Now aware that my stupidity was not as uncommon as I would have hoped, I made a mental note to begin recruiting Alchemists.


    ¡°What does it take to form a Bond with a wild Beast?¡± I asked, curious to see where I had done things differently.


    ¡°Strictly speaking, a willingness to accept the Bond from both parties is all that is required.¡± Oba kei gave a small shrug and smiled faintly. ¡°However, it is common for wild Beasts to reject a Bond with those they deem inferior. Requiring a demonstration of strength to convince them otherwise.¡±


    ¡°So it wouldn¡¯t matter if there is a significant difference in their levels of Cultivation, just so long as both parties are willing?¡± I pressed, wanting confirmation before taking things any further.


    Oba Kei nodded, his eerily vibrant eyes narrowing slightly as if having guessed at my motives.


    ¡°This should come as little surprise, given my position as Monarch. I have recently begun expanding my realm and taking in new subjects. Subjects who have not yet been given cause to show respect that is due.¡± I was somewhat surprised by Oba Kei¡¯s solemn expression and passive acceptance of what I was saying. Which made it difficult to maintain the proper tone and impart the gravitas I was aiming for. ¡°My intention is for the Oba clan and the Farmer¡¯s Union to take on a leadership role and guide the newcomers through their transition.¡±


    Oba Kei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he barely caught himself in time to avoid falling to his knees. Instead, he bowed low at the waist, releasing a host of arthritic crackling sounds as his spine bent further than it probably had in years, perhaps even decades. ¡°The esteemed Monarch is too generous!¡± He cried emphatically.


    After discussing the details further, Oba Kei provided me with a manual detailing a simple Transcription Technique and we took the opportunity to discuss the Iron Titan in more detail. Specifically, what I had managed to figure out on my own already and the common ground it shared with similar Techniques.


    Using the Technique on Kwan proved disappointing, generating three words as the sum total of its instructions.


    Fight. Feed. Dominate.


    On a similarly disappointing note, Oba Kei was unable to suggest a more efficient or effective form of training to progress the Iron Titan Technique. However, after I explained how my Racial Ability would accelerate the healing of physical injuries of all subjects within my realm, without revealing its source, Oba Kei suggested training against the warriors of the clan.


    The training would provide several noteworthy benefits. Foremost, providing the conflict the Iron Titan Technique required. I would also have the opportunity to establish myself as a genuinely powerful figure before the clan and could take the opportunity to learn a combat Technique without the expectation of already mastering the Technique. As a side benefit, the clan would have the opportunity to train their remaining warriors, most of whom were relatively inexperienced, against a powerful opponent.


    Reminded that I still hadn¡¯t committed to learning a Technique that could weaponise my Chi, I was inclined to agree. Furthermore, I was going to take things a step further.


    Choosing a combat Technique was easier than I had expected it to be. After revealing my true form and confirming my Affinities, Oba Kei recommended a deceptively simple Technique named the Elemental Fist. Contrary to the name, the diagrams within the manual depicted a fighting style that included a variety of kicks and the use of straight swords and other weapons.


    The Elemental Fist was an almost universal Technique designed to take advantage of available Affinities and weaponise them for offensive advantages in combat. It had derivatives specifically tailored to mimic or enhance specific elemental Affinities. However, I had so many Affinities that locking myself down with a specific Element would be an objectively stupid idea and a waste of my potential.


    Especially considering I was capable of gaining further Affinities by learning new Spells.


    Oba Kei had initially recommended learning a Movement Technique as well. However, he changed his mind after learning of my Spatial Affinity. Reasoning that I would be better off going without until I could secure a Movement Technique to take advantage of the Affinity.


    While Oba Kei made the necessary preparations, I made contact with my ally Yi Gim.


    Conjuring the token from where I had left it, I injected a small amount of Chi and waited.


    Several minutes passed and I was beginning to think I had chosen a poor time to make the call when the connection abruptly established itself.


    I felt a profound sense of weariness pass through the connection. <Heavens shine upon me!-> I felt Yi Gim¡¯s concentration slip for a moment, followed by a flicker of pain. <My honoured ally, I require your aid!> The connection dropped for several seconds before establishing itself again. <-assassins and saboteurs! Hidden amongst the populace-> Another flash of pain. <-fight at full strength while protecting them. I beg, extend sanctuary to my family and you may name your pr-> The connection was severed.


    Assassins and saboteurs.


    Presented with the possibility of losing my only Monarch ally and means of circumventing mandatory Supremacy Challenges from the top rankers, I began to act before I was consciously aware of what I was doing.


    Armour contained within my Storage Ring materialised on my body and a thick stone club appeared in my right hand.


    The memory of a bedroom appeared in my mind and the space before me was torn asunder, replaced by an inky black void.


    Stepping into the void, I was only vaguely aware of Kwan moving at my back.


    As the void bled away, the image of the opulently furnished bedroom from my mind was replaced by splintered ruins, smoke and flames.


    Pushing through the wreckage, I found myself standing on an open road riddled with the bodies of what appeared to be my ally¡¯s servants. Many bore expressions of surprise, seemingly caught unawares by whoever had slain them.


    Buildings up and down the road were burning, casting smoke, cinders and ashes into the wind, making it difficult to see more than a dozen feet in most directions.


    Drawn to the sounds of battle, I looked toward the sky and amidst the smoke found Yi Gim desperately fighting for his life against a trio of dark-robed and hooded figures.


    Forming a javelin from the broken masonry, I took aim, impregnated the newly formed projectile with MP and cast it at the enemy.


    Despite the element of surprise, the enemy must have sensed the MP within the javelin, because one of their number broke away and attempted to intercept it with a small bronze shield.


    A shimmering barrier of pale golden energy radiated outward from the shield, increasing its surface several times over in less than a fraction of a second. However, as the javelin struck the shield, both the shield and its magical barrier shattered. Torn apart by a deafening roar of thunder.


    Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, the former owner of the shield fell. Tumbling end over end before crashing face first into the paced street below.


    Kwan shrieked in warning, lashing out with his tail and demolishing a crumbling wall. Catching the dark-masked man behind it by surprise. Before the man could react, Kwan punched and caught him in his jaws.


    With a wet crunch, Kwan bit down hard and tore the man¡¯s body in half, spilling entrails across the ground.


    Following Kwan¡¯s actions I was nearly caught off guard as another dark-robed figure leapt over the opposite wall and launched himself at my back.


    Alerted by the loose stones moving underfoot, I swung my club hard in a simple arc intended to drive the enemy back and buy me time to think.


    My club connected with the curved blade of a sword and the enemy was thrown backward into the wall with an unsettling crunch.


    Gasping for breath and trying to rise to his feet, the enemy raised his sword and pointed its tip in my direction. No doubt intended as a threat, the danger was undercut by how badly his arm was shaking.


    Advancing, I ignored his sword, allowing it to scrape harmlessly over my armour. Swinging my club with a vicious backhanded blow, I tore the man¡¯s head free from his shoulders.


    Two more dark-robed combatants leapt over the wall. The first was split in two mid-flight, ripped apart as Kwan¡¯s tail whipped through his midsection. The second managed to adjust his trajectory in time to tumble over Kwan¡¯s tail. However, before he could move to safety, a spear of water condensed from the air and drove through his chest, killing him instantly.


    Kwan howled in triumph, crushing the man¡¯s body beneath his claws.


    Extending my senses to search for more hidden threats in our vicinity, my attention was immediately drawn toward a powerful and complex source of Chi out in the smoke. Recognising the source of Chi as a gathering of Arrays or Formations, I spared a glance toward Yi Gim and his ongoing battle in the sky.


    Now only outnumbered two to one, he appeared to be holding his own. Both enemies appeared to be directing as much of their attention toward me as they were toward him. Making them more cautious than they had been previously, preventing me from ambushing them again. However, it came at the expense of allowing Yi Gim breathing room he wouldn¡¯t have had otherwise.


    Deciding to trust that Yi Gim would be able to hold at least a little while longer, I began moving toward the active Arrays.


    Bright flashes of light up ahead were accompanied by surges of Chi from the Arrays. The closer we came, the more aware I became of harsh voices cursing and shouting in a language I didn¡¯t understand but recognised as being vaguely familiar.


    Stepping out of the smoke, I found several dozen more of the dark-cloaked figures. Half their number were kneeling at fixed intervals around a multi-story pagoda, exuding a dark crimson Chi forming a living offensive Formation. The other half were hurling what looked like jars of burning oil against a pale silver barrier surrounding the pagoda.


    Second, by second, the barrier protecting the pagoda was being drained of its strength, and each impact from the jars of burning oil accelerated the deterioration.


    Gathering ym MP and Chi in equal measure, I raised five massive pillars from the earth and activated a Formation of my own.


    Like the changing of the tide, the Chi powering the offensive Formation began flooding away from the barrier and toward my pillars.


    Several of the dark-robed figures engaged in the living Formation let out cries of alarm while the majority of their number collapsed outright. Their bodies forcibly drained for all they were worth and unable to halt what they had begun.


    The call to battle caught in their throats as Kwan barrelled out of the smoke and began loping towards them, jaws wide and bloody maw yawning wide in anticipation for the kill.


    Several figures attempted to flee, scattering in all directions. Only to find that they were now contained within a second barrier.


    The smart move would have been to stand back and wait them out. Starve them of Chi and move in only once they were well and truly incapable of defending themselves.


    However, I had come to accept that I was not as smart as I had once thought I was.


    Stepping over the threshold, my attention gravitated toward one man in particular.


    Carrying two long curved swords, the man was tall, heavily built and incredibly broad in the shoulders. Making a show of waving his subordinate back, he pulled back the veil of his hood, revealing a dark tanned face and a large dark moustache. Far from upset, he wore a savage grin and appeared to be glad for the interruption. He said something and opened his arms expansively, but I couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying.


    Ignoring Kwan, who had closed the distance between us and was now hunting down his men, the man gave me a strange look and then exaggeratedly made a show of clearing his throat. ¡°Many greetings to you, stranger. I am Aydin, an assassin of the Twelve Stars Order. May I ask your name and to which mercenary band you belong? We may be able to settle our misunderstanding without further bloodshed.¡± The last was almost lost as Kwan tore off a man¡¯s arm, generating a gut-wrenching scream of pain and terror.


    There was an opportunity to learn something here and dragging things out would only play to my advantage if we came to blows. However, there was a real possibility that the enemy was just trying to buy time so his companions outside of the barrier could kill Yi Gim without my interference.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied flatly and adjusted my grip on my club.


    ¡°No?¡± Adjin asked, his wide face thick with confusion.


    ¡°No,¡± I repeated and began closing the distance between us.


    Adjin¡¯s expression hardened and he nodded in understanding. ¡°So it shall be.¡± He drew his veil back into place and charged. Wearing no armour, Adjin moved much faster than the other Cultivators I had fought in the past, closing the gap in less than a second.


    Metallic shrieks pierced the air as his curved blades scraped along my right side.


    Before I could react, several blows rained down on my back.


    Staggering slightly as I was thrown off balance, the hits kept coming. However, my armour held, repelling strike after strike with ease.


    Sensing Adjin¡¯s mounting frustration, I bought myself some space by turning the surrounding ground into spiked stone caltrops.


    Leaping clear before his sandalled feet could be impaled, Adjin was visibly trembling with rage. Both of his swords were emitting a baleful black aura that felt oddly familiar.


    Recognising the energy for what it was, I smoothed out the ground and made a show of cockily waving him forward.


    Adjin¡¯s Chi flared and he raced forward with impossible speed, swords held back over each shoulder in preparation to scissor through my neck and separate my head from my shoulders.


    I didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    Before he could realise what was happening, I directed the dark energy gathered in his swords down each hilt and into his hands.


    Yelping in pain, Adjin¡¯s charge went wide and he barely managed to keep his footing. Dropping his swords, Adjin howled in pain and fear as his hands withered into gnarled husks before his eyes. The baleful energy continued up his arms, stripping their vitality and leaving nothing but grey flesh and protruding bones in its wake. Aven after it stole his voice, Adjin continued his screams in silence.


    Standing over the man who had thought himself my equal, I felt nothing but contempt and disgust. ¡°Death is not yours to command...¡± I stated coldly and gathered the ambient Death Chi toward myself. ¡°IT IS MINE!¡± With one push, I took what little of his life remained.


    Confident that Kwan had things well in hand, I impregnated my armour with Earth Affinity aligned Chi and slowly willed myself into the sky.


    Utterly inexperienced with flying, I barely managed a relative speed comparable to a brisk walk. However, as I came drifting through the smoke, one of the two remaining enemy figures locked in battle against Yi Gim abruptly disengaged and disappeared into a cloud of acrid green smoke.


    The second figure made to do the same but was cut short as Yi Gim¡¯s sword impaled the man¡¯s chest.


    Releasing his sword, Yi Gim cradled his abdomen with his right arm as his left hung limply at his side.


    ¡°You...You serve the Tyrant?¡± Yi Gim gasped, his lips and beard stained with blood, his skin pale and peaked.


    Extending my senses, I found traces of Death Chi circulating dangerously through his body. Exerting my will, I overcame Yi Gim¡¯s flagging defences and drew the contaminated Chi out of his body.


    Yi Gim hissed in pain, reflexively reaching for the empty scabbard at his hip.


    ¡°That was Death Chi,¡± I explained tersely. ¡°It would have rotted you from the inside out if I had let it be.¡±


    Relief flashed across Yi Gim¡¯s face, no doubt having recognised my voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t...Nnng!...Didn¡¯t know if anyone was coming...¡± He panted, drawing a small brown pellet from his Storage ring with visible effort. ¡°They have my...My family shrine besieged...¡± Yi Gim pleaded. ¡°Please! I beg you! Lend me your strength to break the siege!¡± He gulped down the pellet and grimaced with pain, very nearly falling from the sky.


    Catching Yi Gim by his good arm I wrapped it behind my neck and supported his side with my other hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be necessary,¡± I commented wryly as we drifted through the smoke and in the general direction of the pagoda.


    Despite the pain it must have caused him, Yi Gim turned his head to look at me. Not that it would have done much good with my helmet and visor concealing my face.


    I could see the fear in his eyes. Fear of dying. Fear for the uncertain fate of his family. Fear that I would turn on him...


    As we passed out of the smoke, I could tell that at least one of his fears was at least briefly alleviated by the sight that awaited us. Although it was worth noting that the others had probably grown considerably worse.


    Watching Kwan manoeuvre a fallen assassin into his gullet and swallow him whole, I couldn¡¯t blame him.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 80 – Wolves among sheep – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 80 ¨C Wolves among sheep ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 80 - Wolves among sheep - Part One


    Assisting Yi Gim to the ground, I began gathering my MP in preparation to Summon Wraithe to tend to his wounds. Perhaps guessing at my intentions, Yi Gim began shaking his head in refusal. However, we both abruptly lost interest in one another as an urgent horn call peeled through the smoke.


    ¡°No...¡± Already pale from blood loss, Yi Gim¡¯s face grew ashen with dread.


    Before I could ask what the horn call meant, a deep rhythmic rumbling came in reply from a different area of the city. Growing louder, layers began to take shape as more drums throughout the city joined the first.


    The horn sounded again but was abruptly cut off.


    ¡°Is the enemy still loose in the city?!¡± I demanded, already sending a mental command to Kwan to cease feasting and return to my side. ¡°What do the drums mean?!¡±


    If they were intended as a warning or signal that the city was under attack, why hadn¡¯t they been sounded earlier?


    ¡°The city is under attack...¡± Yi Gim replied grimly, withdrawing more items from his Storage Ring.


    Scrolls, herbs, prayer beads and more began to orbit around him as he forced his wounded arm into a meditative pose before his chest.


    ¡°The Northern wall is breached...A Beast Tide has descended upon the city...¡± Yi Gim¡¯s voice was barely more than a whisper, his face filled with despair and inconsolable rage.


    Saboteurs and assassins. Yi Gim¡¯s earlier transmission echoed in my mind. Combined with how badly Yi Gim was taking the news, I could only assume that the city¡¯s more advanced defences were compromised.


    I had a choice to make.


    I could leave, very likely damning Yi Gim in the process.


    I could seek out the defensive Arrays intended to protect the city and try to fix them. Assuming they could be fixed.


    Or, I could intervene more directly and face the Beast Tide.


    It was a day for making bad decisions.


    Without saying a word, I began rising into the air.


    Screams and desperate shouts began drifting through the smoke and a deep rumbling like distant thunder now fought against the steady implacable beating of the drums.


    Launching myself forward through the smoke, I mentally took stock of my options.


    My limited experience with the Cultivation System¡¯s Beasts had left me largely unimpressed with their individual combat capabilities. However, the most powerful Beasts I had seen were something to be wary of. Not for their might but their intelligence and ability to control weaker Beasts. But that intelligence could also be considered a weakness.


    A gap in the smoke revealed a towering wall close to a hundred feet tall up ahead. A section of the wall, approximately forty or fifty feet wide, had collapsed.


    A ragged line of defenders stood atop the rubble desperately trying to hold back the unrelenting assault of Beasts converging on their position from the rolling foothills beyond. Bodies of the fallen defenders lay strewn amongst the rubble, savaged and mangled to the brink of barely being recognisable.


    Beasts had already begun forcing their way through the gaps in the defenders'' formations and had begun targeting the fleeing civilians.


    Withdrawing a large flagpole from my Storage Ring, I took a firm hold on either side of the midsection and twisted the flag-bearing side in a clockwise motion. Sensing the Spell activate beneath my fingers, I hurled the flagpole at the collapsed section of the wall and used my Chi to anchor it deep into the broken masonry.


    Propelling myself forward beyond the wall, I stripped my armour back into my Storage Ring and activated my tattoo, assuming my true form as I plummeted toward the ground. Gathering my MP, I reshaped the breach, forming the rubble into a bristling redoubt of pikes and spears.


    Closing the breach would have stopped the Beasts'' advance, but only momentarily. The breach provided easier access, drawing more of the Beasts than the surrounding walls, but not all of them. If I sealed the breach, the entire length of the wall would come under siege. Armed with claws as hard as steel, the Beasts showed no difficulties in scaling the wall. Which made funnelling them into a dedicated kill zone the preferable option.


    Crashing into the ground, it took me a few moments to regain my wits.


    Claws and fangs scraped and dragged across my bare skin but failed to penetrate.


    Thrashing my arms I crushed a pair of horned wolves into the ground and drove myself to my feet.


    A six-horned bull charged into my right thigh, sending a dull surge of pain racing up my leg.


    The bull¡¯s neck snapped from the impact, sending its body tumbling into a spike-maned boar that was charging from my flank.


    Drawing my stone machete from my Storage Ring, I cleaved the head from an elephant-sized bear bearing down from my right and then severed the spine of a giant lizard with bright ruby and sapphire scales.


    <FIGHT!> Kwan came leaping over the ramparts and barrelled headfirst into the oncoming beasts, tackling a lion and ripping its head free in one savage motion before leaping toward his next target.


    Relying on momentum and brute strength rather than skill, I hacked and slashed at anything and everything that came within reach. Sparing no time to finish off the wounded and crippled, I kept pressing forward, driving a wedge into the seemingly endless tide.


    Overcome by bloodlust, the Beasts ignored their fallen, trampling them underfoot in their desire to bring their horns, tusks, fangs and claws to bear.


    My size didn¡¯t appear to intimidate them in the slightest. Beasts, big and small alike, threw themselves at me with equal ferocity and disregard for their own lives.


    Forced to close my second set of eyelids to stop blood from blinding my eyes, my vision was restricted to my immediate surroundings. Not that it made much of a difference.


    ¡°THE TYRANT CALLS!!!¡± Lurr¡¯s familiar voice boomed from the direction of the breach and a bolt of lightning arced from the sky, striking several Beasts to my left and right. Leaving them charred beyond recognition.


    ¡°WE ANSWER!¡± Came a rumbling chorus of Orcish voices.


    Thunderous explosions erupted from the ramparts accompanied by the savage war cries of my Orc Bodyguards.


    ¡°For the Tyrant!¡± A trio of human voices called.


    ¡°FOR TYRANT!¡± A guttural voice roared. Trask¡¯s hunched and heavily muscled form appeared in my periphery moments later, scales slick with blood, flesh and fur hanging from his massive jaws.


    Arrows began striking the flying Beasts from the sky, sending them into mouth-frothing seizures and convulsions as they ploughed into the dirt. ¡°For the Tyrant!¡± A feminine voice hissed from beyond my field of view and low to the ground.


    ¡°Protect the city!¡± I ordered, waving my champions back toward the breach and the impromptu ramparts. ¡°Protect the civilians!¡±


    Trask, already engaged in battling a six-legged elephant, tore at its eyes with his claws and then ran back toward the ramparts.


    Half blind, the elephant howled in pain and prepared to give chase.


    Remotely forming the stone at its feet into a spear, I drove the head of the spear through its chest and into its heart, felling it on the spot.


    Hacking my way through several more Beasts, I spied an isle of immobile flesh amongst the hordes stampeding over the distant hills. Briefly retracting my secondary eyelids, I discovered I was still too far away to make them out clearly. Enhancing my sight with the Keen Senses Spell, I released my machete and invested it with Chi, sending it whirling around my body to ward off attack while I was otherwise preoccupied.


    Looking to the hills with enhanced vision, I was momentarily taken aback to find an organised army staring back at me. Armed and armoured in a similar style to the Cultivators of Yi Gim¡¯s realm, it took me a few moments to realise that they weren¡¯t human. They were monkeys.


    Standing upright and at a distance, they were nearly indistinguishable from the human defenders atop the walls.


    The largest of the monkeys stared back at me with cold calculating eyes, Raising one hand, he pointed to me with his spear and released a whooping shriek.


    Three large monkeys pushed past their smaller kin and began charging down the hill.


    Storing my machete and withdrawing my club from my Storage Ring, I began laying into the nearby Beasts in earnest, preparing the field for what I assumed was going to be a more intense engagement.


    As the trio of giant monkeys drew closer, the other Beasts began giving me a wide berth, as if flowing around a barrier only they could see.


    The lead monkey had bright red fur and carried a large two-handed cleaver-like blade. His bloodshot eyes locked onto my club and I felt a foreign energy source attempt to worm its way into the stone. The monkey slowed its approach and glared with almost comical intensity.


    Rebuffing the intrusion with a momentary surge of will, I formed a trio of spears in the monkey¡¯s path and drove them toward his guts.


    Confirming my suspicions, the spears shattered as the monkey radiated a pulse of energy bearing the Earth Affinity. Shrieking in aggravation, the monkey sent the broken shards racing back in my direction.


    Seizing control of the shards with my Earth Affinity, I redirected their trajectory into the Beasts passing by on either side.


    Despite his evident anger, the red-furred monkey slowed its approach so the two other monkeys could catch up.


    The smallest of the three monkeys, carrying a large ornately decorated bow, came up short and began loosing stone-headed arrows. Exercising his Earth Affinity, the arrows raced and circled through the air in an attempt to strike me from behind.


    Confident that I possessed a stronger Earth Affinity, I could have redirected or struck down the arrows. However, I wanted to gauge the strength of the enemy, so I allowed five of the arrows to strike my back.


    The arrows failed to penetrate but I felt a mild stinging pain on the level of a paper cut, suggesting I had likely received a handful of shallow cuts. Having failed to deal even a single point of damage collectively, I closed my second set of eyelids and made the archer a low priority. If the archer were the only thing I had to deal with, my passive healing would easily outpace their damage. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The second largest monkey had red fur just like the first but carried a long-hafted bladed spear. After joining up with the other monkey, the pair charged. The monkey with the cleaver banked to my left while the monkey with the spear approached to my right.


    While I had been willing to take the arrows as a test of resilience, I was not willing to do the same with the cleaver or spear.


    Again I felt a foreign influence attempt to gain purchase on my club, and again, I rebuffed it without effort.


    Energy gathered around both of the monkeys'' weapons and I could only assume it was in preparation for some kind of special attack. Perhaps even a Technique.


    Sure enough, the largest monkey, still twenty feet shy of closing into melee proper, swung his cleaver in a vicious vertical arc, sending a crescent of pure energy racing toward me.


    At the same moment, the second-largest monkey leapt forward and thrust his spear towards my chest. Dozens of phantasmal copies of the bladed spearhead appeared in orbit around the original, disappearing and reappearing again in rapid succession.


    Aggressively leaping away from the crescent of energy and striking at the shaft of the spear, my club briefly made contact with one of the phantom blades and I was shocked to discover that it possessed a physical presence. If the attack hand landed, there was no telling how much damage I may have taken.


    With the largest monkey at my back, I grabbed at the other monkey¡¯s spear in a gamble to reduce his combat effectiveness. If I could wrest it free of his grip, I could remove it from the battle by depositing it in my Storage Ring.


    Unfortunately, despite the advantages of my height and reach, the monkey was quick in identifying what I intended and just as swiftly committed to a vicious counterattack. Cancelling his Technique, the monkey adjusted his grip and smashed the butt end of his spear against my knee and sent a jolt of pain up my leg.


    Momentarily losing my balance, I was in a poor position to deflect the larger monkey¡¯s cleaver and lost my club parrying the cleaver away from my chest.


    In recognition of the danger, I used my Storage Ring to don my stone plate armour instantly and used my Earth Affinity to pull my club back into my right hand.


    The pair of monkeys'' initial confidence was gone and they exchanged wary looks with one another. Eleven feet tall, the monkeys were nearly twice as tall as their smaller kin and the human defenders on the wall. But they were less than an eighth of my total mass and half my height.


    Unarmoured, I was an obstacle that could be overcome through teamwork. Now, I was a threat on an entirely different scale.


    Blocking the cleaver with my outer forearm, I backhanded the larger monkey and sent him tumbling backward from the force of the blow.


    At the same time, the monkey with the spear attempted to drive his spear up through the plates protecting my back. He succeeded but the blade of his spear failed to deal any damage, stalled out against a fine mesh of stone chain-mail.


    A gift from the Dwergi Earth Mages, empowered by my blood. The chain hauberk was equally as strong as the plates that served as my outermost defences.


    Rounding on the other monkey, I ignored his spear and delivered a heavy blow to his left shoulder, shattering his pauldron and breaking the bones beneath. Spun about by the force of the blow, the monkey raised his spear to try and fend off my next strike, losing his spear and receiving an opportunistic kick to the guts as I leveraged the opening for an advantage.


    Arrows pelted against my armour like rain, skittering over the immaculate crimson surface without so much as leaving a mark.


    Snatching up the spear, I claimed it as my own and made it disappear.


    Having lost his spear, the monkey began limping away while clutching at its left arm.


    Following my gaze, the smallest monkey quintupled its efforts, loosing arrows with blinding speed to cover the other ape¡¯s retreat.


    No more effective than they had been before, I seized the injured monkey with my free hand and took a blow from the largest monkey¡¯s cleaver with the back of my breastplate. Squeezing just hard enough to make it clear I could crush him to death if I wanted, I turned to face the larger monkey, taking another blow against my thigh.


    Rather than becoming intimidated by the sight of his immobilised companion, the larger monkey bared its fangs and snarled. Eyes bloodshot with rage, the monkey leapt into the air and brought its cleaver down on my head.


    Or tried to.


    Accelerating the momentum of my club with Earth Affinity, I hammered home a blow to his right hip with a meaty crunch that sent the monkey barrelling off course and tumbling into the path of the stampeding Beast Tide.


    ¡°Brother! No!¡± The words caught me by surprise, as did the feminine inflection. Looking for the owner of the voice, my gaze settled on the archer who was now furiously loosing arrows into the Beasts trampling over the larger monkey.


    While I had suspected the monkeys were intelligent, I hadn¡¯t anticipated being able to understand them.


    Crippled and half trampled to death, the larger monkey drew upon its Earth Affinity to form a tortoise shell of stones to protect itself.


    Ignoring the danger it was in, the monkey already trapped within my grasp began clawing and biting at the plates protecting my hand and forearm. Just like the other monkey, its eyes had turned red with rage.


    Unwilling to kill the Beast, I cast it aside. Taking care to send it in the same direction as its wounded companion.


    I turned my helmet to give the appearance of staring at the archer and then waited for the giant monkey still waiting on the hill to make its move.


    Sure enough, making a show of broadcasting my next target appeared to be all the push the giant monkey needed.


    Leaping into the air, the giant monkey drew a pair of crescent-bladed axes. Spinning in the air to build and capitalise on the momentum, the giant monkey hurled the axes with supernaturally enhanced force.


    Batting the first axe away with my club, the shock of the impact stung my hand and disrupted the nerves, allowing the second axe to knock the club from my grasp entirely.


    Despite appearing to have disarmed himself, a large ornate wooden stave capped and winged with carved jade materialised in the giant monkey¡¯s hands just in time to deliver a hammer blow against my right pauldron.


    Most of the impact was absorbed and dissipated by my armour, but a small portion managed to pass through into my neck and the meat of my shoulder.


    Using the staff for leverage, the giant monkey flipped over my shoulder and delivered a second blow to the back of my right knee.


    Ignoring the pain, I withdrew a staff of my own from the Storage Ring and intercepted a strike directed toward my head. For a moment, our weapons remained locked in a stalemate with neither side able to secure an advantage. However, as the giant monkey lost its established momentum, I gained the upper hand and was able to cast him backwards and put distance between us.


    Larger than the monkeys that had come before him, he looked closer to fifteen feet tall but shared their same lanky build. Unlike the other monkeys, this one bore a multitude of scars and wore a horned crown upon his brow made of jade.


    I could see the complex thoughts taking place behind his amber-coloured eyes. Feel his anger and frustration.


    ¡°Surrender,¡± I demanded flatly, making no effort to argue my case or otherwise convince him to comply. I could tell that he wouldn¡¯t listen to anything I had to say. The only way I was going to convince him to surrender was through violence. However, I still deemed it important to make my position known in advance. That I was willing to end the conflict without resorting to killing them all.


    Just as I expected, the giant monkey bared its fangs in anger and snarled. ¡°Kang no surrender!¡± He thumped his breastplate hard, leaving knuckle dents on its surface. ¡°Kang kill furless-thing!¡± Resting his stave over one shoulder, the giant monkey, Kang, hunched his back and broke into a three-limbed charge.


    Content with remaining on the defensive, at least for the time being, I did my best to anticipate Kang¡¯s intended avenue of attack. Sweeping low, my staff caught nothing but air as Kang leapt into the air and jabbed the butt end of his staff into my visor.


    Mildly disoriented, I was struck twice more before I managed to raise my arm and deflect the next attack, throwing the enemy off his rhythm and forcing him to retreat.


    Pressing forward, I weathered several more strikes before successfully jabbing the giant monkey in the chest. Denting his breastplate and knocking the wind out of him long enough for me to close the gap and slam my left fist into his face.


    Reeling from the blow, the monkey was too stunned to defend himself and I managed to land four more punches before he struck me with a glancing blow to the side of the head and scrambled away. Howling with rage, the monkey drew back his staff and began gathering his energy for an attack.


    A piercing scream from further up the hill brought us both to an immediate halt.


    Looking toward the source, I was surprised to find Kwan had skirted the battle and pinned the female monkey. Binding and constricting her arms and legs as he prepared to bite her head off.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I ordered, shouting the words aloud for the giant monkey¡¯s benefit. I hadn¡¯t intended to take hostages to get what I wanted, but I wasn¡¯t going to surrender the advantage that had presented itself either. <Threaten, but do not kill!>


    Kwan released a low dangerous hiss positioning his jaws over the female monkey¡¯s head with deliberate and exaggerated care. All the while staring the giant monkey down. <Dominance!>


    ¡°NO!¡± Kang howled with rage and an undercurrent of concern I recognised all too well. Taking two steps up the hill, he came to an abrupt halt as Kwan¡¯s fangs pressed hard enough to draw thin trails of blood. Eyes burning with rage, the giant monkey bared his fangs and pointed a clawed finger back toward Kwan and his hostage. ¡°Release Soomin! Release Soomin NOW!!!¡± Kang roared, striking at his chest and the ground in a display of intimidation.


    ¡°Surrender,¡± I countered calmly. I wasn¡¯t certain of the exact relationship between Kang and the female ape he had identified as Soomin, but it was obvious that he cared for her a great deal. Letting go of that leverage when there were so many more lives at stake would be beyond reckless.


    Kang howled and indulged in another fit of rage, dropping his staff and clawing at his head. ¡°NO! KANG WON¡¯T!¡± Blood ran down his clawed fingers. ¡°RELEASE!¡± Kang repeated desperately. ¡°RELEASE!!!¡± As thick tears of blood began running down his cheeks, I became aware of a dozen other signs I had been too preoccupied to notice sooner. I became aware of the malign intelligence staring back at me from behind Kang¡¯s bloodshot eyes.


    Before Kang or his hidden passenger could react, I seized his head in the palm of my right hand, incidentally making contact with Kang¡¯s crown.


    The assault on my mind came just as I feared it would, striking hard and as deep as it could manage.


    Enduring the pain I mentally locked in on the enemy¡¯s presence and began to retaliate, bearing down on it with all the will I could muster.


    I felt it baulk at my touch, writhing and contorting in an attempt to free itself from the pain I carried with me, that I shared through my very presence.


    The attempts by the presence to free itself intensified a hundredfold and then collapsed entirely. The fragments of its remaining will disintegrating in the endless burning pit of pain contained within the Artefact lodged in my brain.


    No longer empowered by the enchantments that had contained the malign presence, the jade crown cracked and crumbled under my palm.


    Releasing Kang¡¯s head, I took a step back to allow him the opportunity to recover. However, I did not lower my guard and I made a point of stowing my staff away and claiming his.


    Just because a third party was pushing him toward certain actions, did not mean he was an innocent pawn or bystander. The eagerness of Kang¡¯s subordinates had all but confirmed as much already.


    Sparing a glance back toward the city, I was relieved to see that my champions and Bodyguards had the breach well in hand. More defenders had taken to the walls and were holding their ground.


    A flying ship approaching from the east gave me cause for concern. Unfamiliar with the symbols representing the local clans and Factions, I had no way of knowing if they were friends or foes. Or worse, opportunists who would take stock of events before choosing a side.


    A sudden movement drew my full attention back toward my enemy.


    Kang had collapsed to his knees and remained upright through the support of his long lanky arms. ¡°Furless?¡± He croaked uncertainly, bloody drool dribbling down his chin. ¡°Furless free Kang?...¡± he stared up at me with unabashed and almost childlike confusion.


    ¡°I did,¡± I confirmed bluntly.


    Kang¡¯s thick features expressed a flurry of shifting emotions before achieving a state of relative calm. ¡°Furless release Soomin?¡± Kang asked, pointing back toward Kwan and his hostage.


    ¡°After you surrender,¡± I replied firmly.


    Kang scowled and his brow furrowed with dissatisfaction.


    ¡°You have nothing to gain and everything to lose by choosing to fight me,¡± I warned coldly, making a point of looking over at Kwan and then the two wounded monkeys still desperately leveraging their Earth Affinity to avoid being trampled.


    It was subtle. Far more subtle than I would have given a savage anthropomorphic monkey credit for. However, my armour was infused with my own blood and bent to my will above all others. So Kang¡¯s attempts to leverage his Earth Affinity to seize control over my armour and take me hostage failed before they had even begun.


    Backhanding Kang¡¯s jaw, I removed a length of stone chains from my Storage Ring and used my Earth Affinity to snake the chains around Kang¡¯s arms and bind them behind his back. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try that again,¡± I warned with a growl. ¡°I have given you a choice, and to make things perfectly clear, the alternative is death. I don¡¯t take Slaves...¡±


    Surprised and no doubt confused by his failed gambit, Kang tried breaking the chains with brute strength and then his Earth Affinity, failing on both accounts.


    ¡°Surrender, become my subordinate, and I will take you and your people away from this place,¡± I promised. ¡°I will give you land to call your own and rule over as you see fit. A land where your people can live in peace. If that is what they desire.¡±


    Kang stopped struggling and stared at me distrustfully. ¡°Furless promises,¡± he sneered with disgust. ¡°Fish swim. Bird flies. Furless lies!¡±


    I decided to take a calculated risk and removed my helmet.


    Kang¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°Furless? I won¡¯t argue against that,¡± I shrugged and conceded the point. ¡°But I am not human.¡± I looked back toward the breach and raised my right arm. ¡°LURR! TO ME!¡± I commanded.


    There was a clap of thunder, an explosion of airborne debris and then Lurr¡¯s crimson armour could be seen streaking across the open ground at impossible speeds.


    ¡°My Tyrant!¡± Lurr roared and held his bloody axe at the ready.


    ¡°Remove your helmet,¡± I commanded.


    Lurr immediately moved to obey.


    ¡°He is not human either, and neither are they. For the most part,¡± I argued, motioning to my forces holding the breach. ¡°They all live beneath my aegis and serve because they choose to do so.¡± I donned my helmet and had Lurr do the same.


    Kang¡¯s features writhed in response to another internal conflict. However, before he could arrive at an answer, a horn aboard the approaching airship released a decidedly aggressive call.


    Despite my misgivings, the ship did not target the city and instead altered course toward Kang''s army.


    Following the path of the ship with his own eyes, Kang appeared to have made his decision. ¡°Kang...Kang chooses life...¡± His shoulders slumped in defeat for a handful of seconds before looking to his people, who had themselves begun to panic.


    Unsure what would cause such a large host to become so quickly unsettled, I received an answer as beams of superheated plasma lanced from the ship and left smouldering trails of burnt flesh and bones through the Beast Tide.


    Understanding that I would need to make an exception if I wanted Kang¡¯s loyalty and not his enmity, I began gathering my MP and mentally segregating a territory to serve as a holding ground. Outside of my realm, what would have normally taken a fraction of a second and a passing thought now took me the better part of a minute and my full undivided attention. By the time I was ready, Kang was on the verge of outright panic himself.


    ¡°Tell your people to enter the portal!¡± I commanded and tore open a fifty-foot-wide Breach on the far side of their formation, farthest from the approaching airship and its death lasers.


    Confused, Kang hesitated for just a moment, long enough for another laser to strafe through the Beast Tide. ¡°FLEE! HIDE IN CAVE! FLEE!!!¡± Kang howled, spurring his people into near-immediate motion.


    Already panicked, they didn¡¯t need to be told twice and broke ranks the instant they were given the excuse. Not that I could blame them for it. I wasn¡¯t particularly thrilled at the prospect of standing in the open either.


    By the time the last of the monkeys had passed through the Breach, my primary mana reserves had been all but depleted. Cycling my Chi helped me recover a portion of it, but I was too distracted to perform the cycling optimally.


    ¡°Fetch those two there!¡± I ordered, directing Lurr toward the two large monkeys sheltering from the Beast Tide. <Release her and return to me!> I mentally commanded, willing Kwan to return to my side. I didn''t want him to be mistaken for one of the Beasts, or for someone aboard the airship to have that excuse. ¡°Tell them to cooperate. I can¡¯t protect them if you don¡¯t,¡± I insisted while looking toward Kwan and the female monkey. ¡°I need more time before I can send you all to safety,¡± I explained tersely when Kang failed to act immediately.


    ¡°Soomin! Jii! Jung! Come! No attack!¡± Kang barked in a commanding yet strangely pleading tone. Confirming that they were almost certainly more than just his subordinates.


    Kwan obediently released the female monkey, Soomin, reluctantly sliding his way back down the hill and away from the Beasts that were not surging through the space the monkeys¡¯ army had recently abandoned.


    After hesitating and appearing to evaluate her chances of breaking through the Beast Tide, Soomin slung her box over her chest and broke into a loping run on fours down the hill while trying to keep her distance from Kwan.


    Lurr returned with the others and I began draping them in more lengths of chain. Intended more for appearances than restricting their actions, I was surprised Kang appeared to understand the difference, snarling and staring down the two males when they made signs of resisting. However, when it came time for Soomin¡¯s turn, he appeared far more conflicted.


    As a concession for his assistance, I dipped into a portion of my recently recovered MP and formed a pair of stone shackles to bind her wrists. With all four of the monkeys possessing a high Earth Affinity, the shackles were practically worthless as a restraining measure. As an added precaution, I left a scattering of arcane markings on the surface of the cuffs to serve as misdirection.


    Sensing no energy within the manacles, the three smaller monkeys exchanged confused glances while Kang gave me a small nod of thanks or perhaps approval.


    Leading the monkeys back toward the breach, I sent Kwan on ahead, eager to see him out of immediate danger from friendly fire.


    Lurr dutifully trailed behind, covering our retreat and hacking down any Beasts that strayed too near.


    Traversing the mounds of corpses preceding the ramparts, I made a point of acknowledging each of my Bodyguards and champions as I passed. Except for Lurr and a small handful of my Bodyguards, everyone else had accepted the call of the beacon in a suboptimal state. Given the lack of warning I had provided, it came as no surprise that many were missing portions of their armour, secondary weapons and other combat supplies. Which made me appreciate their willingness to answer on such short notice.


    Faine, Jayne and Randle were no exception, missing the lion''s share of their plate armour, save for breastplates and helmets worn over padded gambesons. To their credit, they had not presumed to take positions on the front line and appeared to have reshaped the breach and ramparts to better serve as a kill zone while casting offensive Spells from the rear.


    Trask and Itzal had both gone without armour altogether, wearing nothing but their everyday clothes. In Trask¡¯s case, his scales were thick enough to serve as armour on their own, so I wasn¡¯t as concerned. However, Itzal¡¯s scales, as a Naga, were flexible but not particularly resilient, and her long thick tail was a large target. If she didn¡¯t have the benefit of our combined Synergies, I would have taken her aside then and there and given her a stern warning regarding her earlier foray into the open ground beyond the walls.


    As it stood, Itzal appeared to be enjoying herself immensely, loosing streams of ¡®borrowed¡¯ arrows into the approaching Beasts.


    After cresting the rubble of the breach, I discovered a small contingent of what I assumed to be city guards and militia positioned on the street on the other side. Open crates of arrows stowed against the nearby buildings matched those Itzal had stashed atop the ramparts.


    Archers nervously raised their bows at my appearance but were just as quickly commanded to lower them by what I assumed was an officer amongst the guards.


    Receiving an anxious but respectful nod from the man I assumed to be an officer, I led Kang and the monkeys down the rubble and settled them down with their backs to the wall. ¡°They are my prisoners, and are not to be touched!¡± I commanded. ¡°To be clear, I am a representative of your Monarch¡¯s ally and speak with my Monarch¡¯s full authority! So unless your Monarch commands you otherwise, NO ONE is permitted to act in defiance of this order! Understood?!¡±


    The officer was first to act, standing at attention. ¡°Understood!¡± He barked and was quickly followed by the professional guards in unison and a staggered echo from the militia.


    Probably a low-ranking officer, he probably couldn¡¯t muster enough clout to serve as more than a political speedbump, but it was better to make the effort and have some warning than not. Besides, the threat of crossing a Monarch would probably give most people pause on their own, regardless of who was delivering the threat.


    Turning my attention back toward the monkeys, I was forced to consider what I should do with the pair of injured males. Just because Kang had surrendered, did not mean his subordinates would do the same. Especially after taking a beating and being left to stew in their pain. Another gesture of goodwill wouldn¡¯t go amiss, but there were complications to consider.


    Summoning Wraithe was out of the question. I had no way of knowing for certain how many of the locals knew of her existence or how they would react to her appearance. The exotic composition of my relief force was no doubt already pushing the limits to breaking point.


    With Wraithe disqualified, my mind defaulted to the next best option and I Summoned a projection of Nadine instead.


    Already generally aware of the situation, Nadine acted contrary to my expectations. She hesitated.


    Drawing a crate of basic medical supplies from my Storage Ring, I knelt on one knee to bring us closer to eye level so I could ask what was wrong. Then I noticed the abdominal bulge beneath her tunic.


    Nadine was pregnant.


    Extending my senses, I felt a brief pang of panic after discovering what felt like an empty cavity. Only to realise that I had never Summoned a projection of a pregnant person before and that the Spell wouldn¡¯t also just Summon a projection of the egg as well.


    ¡°I uh, I mean, we-¡± Nadine looked expectantly to her right and then turned in a full circle with mounting embarrassment before realising she was alone.


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant,¡± I interjected, ending her protracted source of embarrassment.


    Blushing self-consciously but smiling all the same, Nadine nodded. ¡°We were going to tell you but we just thought you would already know...And you were busy...¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± I replied, understanding how easy it was to lose track of things and have everything begin revolving around the pregnancy and how easy it was for everything else to fall away. ¡°And I had kind of assumed after I was petitioned so it could all happen...¡±


    ¡°Right...¡± Nadine chuckled awkwardly.


    ¡°Congratulations by the way,¡± I commented sincerely. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a great mum.¡±


    Nadine looked surprised for a moment and then smiled with gratitude. ¡°You really think so?¡± She asked nervously, still smiling despite herself.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I reassured her and allowed myself an indulgent chuckle at Fesk¡¯s expense. ¡°I¡¯ll bet Fesk is freaking out.¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Nadine demanded, evidently stunned by my predictive insight. ¡°Oh...Duh!¡± She slapped her forehead and grinned while shaking her head self-deprecatingly.


    Our little reunion was cut short by another near-deafening chorus of horns sounding from the airship.


    ¡°We can talk more when I return,¡± I apologised and prepared to terminate the Spell.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Nadine called out just in time to stay my hand. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? You needed my help to patch some people up, didn¡¯t you?¡± She looked pointedly toward the monkeys and grew somewhat uncertain of herself.


    ¡°Only if you are feeling up to it,¡± I qualified, uncertain of how the transferred stress of the memories would affect her pregnancy.


    Nadine held up one hand, signalling for patience as she swivelled her hips and cautiously bent at the waist. Appearing to be pleased with the results, Nadine grinned. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m definitely up for it! And don¡¯t be surprised if I make you Summon me again later! I could use a good night¡¯s sleep!¡±


    ¡°That...Hrm...That¡¯s an interesting use for the Spell...¡± I admitted after taking a moment to consider things. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that for later.¡±


    With a spring in her step, Nadine began gathering supplies from the crate. All the while groaning appreciatively whenever she had to bend over or pivot her hips.


    Leaving Nadine to her work, I gave the monkeys a silent warning. If she came to any harm, I would visit it upon them a hundredfold in return.


    ***** Yi Gim ~ Yi Gim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Bay of Tranquility *****


    Yi Gim watched the patrolling Hong clan airship with unreserved suspicion. It was difficult not to in the current circumstances. Deploying an airship and fueling such powerful destructive Formations was a profound expense. An expense Yi Gim¡¯s closest allies within his realm had not appeared capable of justifying.


    Still healing the wounds he had received from the assassins, he nonetheless could not afford to show weakness before a clan whose political allegiance was so uncertain.


    Consuming as many Elixirs as he dared, Yi Gim spared one last look toward his family sanctuary to confirm that the defensive Arrays were still holding true and then set out to meet the Hong clan¡¯s relief force.


    With the surviving retainers watching over his family within the sanctuary and the city guards deployed on the walls, Yi Gim had little choice but to proceed alone. He took a certain measure of pride in witnessing several of the minor clans and sect branches had mobilised alongside the city guard and made a mental note to reward them once the crisis was over.


    Just because protecting the city was also in their best interests didn¡¯t mean he should take it for granted. Yi Gim had learned that lesson the hard way in his youth and was loath to repeat it.


    With the citadel in ruins, the city was crippled to the point that Yi Gim wasn¡¯t certain it would be able to recover within his lifetime. The defensive Arrays and scouting Formations had taken generations to establish, such was their ruinous expense.


    Yet, without them, the city would slowly wither and die.


    Mass migrations would strain political alliances and shift the balance of power, breeding resentment and sowing potential seeds of rebellion.


    Yi Gim looked up at the Hong airship again and scowled.


    That was assuming rebellion had not taken root already.


    Contingency contracts were by no means uncommon, and Yi Gim had survived such a contract before. However, the assassins and saboteurs had acted too quickly for their actions to be motivated by retaliation for the Demon of the Fog¡¯s demise. Furthermore, the assassins had not declared whom they were engaged in avenging. Another oddity that fed into Yi Gim¡¯s mounting paranoia.


    Several high-ranking Cultivators descended from the airship of flying swords. However, instead of flying toward Yi Gim to pay their respects or at least offer formal greetings, they were headed toward the collapsed section of the wall.


    Headed toward the Tyrant and what Yi Gim believed to be a relief force composed of his elite subordinates.


    The uneasy feeling in Yi Gim¡¯s gut grew worse.


    What if this had all been the Tyrant¡¯s plan from the beginning?


    Yi Gim felt a deep wave of shame for entertaining such a thought and not casting out the moment it raised its ugly head.


    The Tyrant had saved his life not even an hour earlier that same day. What¡¯s more, he had Yi Gim in the palm of his hand and had made no hostile actions whatsoever. Even going so far as to defend Yi Gim¡¯s city at the risk of his own life...


    Gathering his Chi, Yi Gim withdrew a small one-man boat from his Storage Ring and deftly leapt inside. As he began circulating his Chi to power the Formation, the boat leapt up into the sky and began racing after the Hong Cultivators.


    Although more Chi intensive to sustain than a Movement Technique, the enchanted boat was considerably faster and wouldn¡¯t strain his already damaged channels unless he depleted his Chi entirely and attempted to power the Formation through internal energy.


    The Hong Cultivators had a head start and arrived first.


    As Yi Gim feared, they showed the Tyrant no respect at all and remained upon their flying swords. Making matters worse, they had drawn weapons and appeared to be making threats.


    ¡°-care not which Monarch you claim to serve!¡± A Hong elder in mustard yellow robes sneered contemptuously. ¡°You will grovel in the dirt and BEG for my mercy! I am a Hong elder! A being so far beyond your feeble comprehension that you should rightfully call me god!¡±


    The other Hong Cultivators snickered and jeered in agreement, seemingly convinced that the Tyrant, and indeed his entire relief force, would throw themselves to the ground at any moment and begin pleading for their lives.


    ¡°NO,¡± the Tyrant replied darkly.


    The jeering stopped and the self-identified Hong elder began shaking with rage. However, before he could say a word, the prayer beads hanging over his chest constricted around his throat. His concentration broken, the elder toppled from his flying sword and landed face-first in the dirt.


    Face hidden behind his helm, the Tyrant¡¯s face was unreadable. However, Yi Gim couldn¡¯t help but notice that the Tyrant''s Familiar appeared particularly pleased with itself.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 80 – Wolves among sheep – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 80 ¨C Wolves among sheep ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 80 - Wolves among sheep - Part Two


    The posturing and boasting of the Hong clan¡¯s Cultivators had abruptly ended after their spokesman was yanked from his flying sword and driven face-first into the street. Exercising my Earth Affinity and indulging Kwan¡¯s request had felt good in the moment, but it had also given me cause to reflect on my sudden recklessness.


    While I was fairly certain my Heart Demons had not been given sufficient time to aggregate to dangerous levels, I decided that visiting the temple at the next available opportunity would still be a good idea.


    ¡°You dare?!¡± The Hong clansmen cried in near unison. Each man reached for a sword carried on their waist.


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied calmly, remotely seizing control over jade pendants and stone beads carried by the clansmen and slamming them to the ground alongside the primary representative.


    If they were revealed to be Yi Gim¡¯s allies, I was prepared to apologise and make amends. However, their behaviour thus far led me to believe that they were driven by opportunism rather than loyalty. Which made their allegiances almost beside the point.


    I had felt them casting out their senses. Felt them judging me and my subordinates, convinced we possessed inferior Cultivation and eager to abuse the perceived difference in power.


    ¡°I represent the interests of my Monarch,¡± I repeated coldly. ¡°And I will not tolerate such disrespect.¡±


    ¡°As is your right!¡± Yi Gim called out loudly from down the street. He was making his approach on foot and affecting a calm and unhurried demeanour.


    ¡°M-Monarch!¡± The Hong spokesman sputtered, straining his neck to face Yi Gim. ¡°These mercenaries have insulted my Hong family and openly spat upon the rule of your auspicious dynasty!¡±


    The other Hong clansmen swore fervently in agreement. All the while smiling maliciously and staring at me from the corner of their eyes. It was obvious that they thought they had me trapped.


    ¡°Swear upon your Dantian!¡± Yi Gim replied coldly, his smoke-stained face hard and uncompromising.


    ¡°M-Monarch! That is too much!¡± The Hong Spokesman cried with a hint of fear masked by intense incredulity. ¡°As an honoured elder of the Hong clan, I swear upon the name of my Hong family that my words are true! This should be enough!¡±


    Yi Gim stopped a dozen feet away from the prone Hong clansmen and scowled. ¡°And if I say it is not?¡± He replied in a deadly calm tone.


    The Hong spokesman cringed.


    The airship began to adjust its course and was now headed in our direction. Its angle of approach would cut past the breach entirely, so I was not immediately concerned for my subordinates'' safety.


    Using my mana, I erected five pillars concealed within the nearby buildings. Using the pillars as a foundation, I then expended a small amount of Chi to form a temporary Formation before investing more of my Chi.


    Yi Gim didn¡¯t appear to be aware of the approaching airship but my activities had managed to catch his notice.


    The Hong clan¡¯s spokesman began to laugh. It was a weird and unhinged laugh that sounded like it belonged in a movie. ¡°I will not debase myself before you any longer!¡± He barked savagely. ¡°This is the hour of our ascension!¡±


    An incandescent sequence of rotating scripts formed before the prow of the ship.


    ¡°Surrender!¡± The Hong spokesman demanded with a snarl. ¡°Surrender and we might allow your women a place in the Patriarch¡¯s harem!¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s disgust matched my own. Before he could bring his sword to bear, I had used the Hong spokesman¡¯s beads to crush his own throat. Yi Gim removed his head outright with a single smooth strike from his sword less than a second later.


    No longer held by his will, the Chi and internal energy flooded out of the spokesman¡¯s body and into the Formation, bolstering its reserves.


    The cries of fear from the other Hong clansmen were lost as a torrent of superheated plasma ignited the air and rolled over a shimmering orange barrier above our heads.


    As I had hoped, the Fire Affinity within my Chi was absorbing the attack and leaching away its strength. Unfortunately, the lack of oxygen in the vicinity presented a different and equally pressing danger.


    After five seconds the stream of fire guttered and died.


    Several dozen smaller projected formations sprang into being along the portside as the airship came about. Streams of pressurised air, water and fire raked across the barrier, searching for weakness. Except for the air-based attacks, the majority unintentionally strengthened the barrier instead of depleting its energy.


    ¡°As I thought!¡± Yi Gim growled bitterly. ¡°Nothing but cowards!¡±


    ¡°Mercy!¡± Cried one of the Hong clansmen.


    ¡°I had nothing to do with this!¡± Cried another.


    ¡°That your elders would so willingly sacrifice you to forward their schemes is not surprising,¡± Yi Gim observed dryly. ¡°However...Sacrificing a fellow elder...Now we can see the depth of their commitment.¡±


    ¡°Is the airship valuable?¡± I asked without taking my eyes off of the airship. If I could get my hands on three or four of them, my counterattack against the beetlemen would require a far smaller force than I had initially anticipated.


    Yi Gim was taken by surprise and took a couple of moments to regain his composure. ¡°Several fortunes...¡± He replied hesitantly.


    I reflected on the fact that I hadn¡¯t seen other airships since my arrival. ¡°Unfortunate...¡± I muttered with disappointment and turned to my champions gathered in the ramparts. ¡°Champions! Clear the ship!¡± I ordered, tethering a Breach in their midst and above the deck of the airship.


    Already low on MP I had to tap into my reserves to maintain the connection so all my champions could pass through to the airship.


    The salvos from the airship came to a scattered halt and bodies began rolling and flying off of the deck. Most fell to the ground but a few individuals appeared to be fleeing the ship atop more of the overly large flying swords.


    I terminated the Spatial Breach to conserve what remained of my MP.


    ¡°Do you have people who can capture it?¡± I asked, directing my attention back toward Yi Gim. ¡°Or someone that can bring it down without destroying it?¡±


    ¡°No...But there should be a control Formation somewhere on the deck,¡± Yi Gim replied hurriedly. ¡°The precise form varies depending upon the maker of the vessel. I should be able to locate it,¡± he offered but then winced as he considered the Hong clansmen¡¯s flying swords on the ground.


    Recalling that he had made his approach on foot, I could only assume Yi Gim wasn¡¯t in a fit state to fly on a sword of his own.


    Considering the Hong clansmen for a few moments, I made a decision.


    Their superiors had attacked me with the intent to kill and seen the four surviving men as acceptable collateral damage.


    I had no reason not to kill them and just be done with it. However, I decided not to. Even if it was just to prove to myself that I was capable of making that decision.


    After choking them out with a length of chain, I offered Yi Gim one of my human-sized stone machetes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fly you up there with my Affinity,¡± I explained handing over the machete.


    ¡°I will just need to hold on I suppose,¡± Yi Gim replied with a strained smile.


    I shrugged. ¡°I would have offered something...larger, but I have others to consider,¡± I made a point of looking over at the monkeys draped in chains by the wall. Yi Gim didn¡¯t know that I held only a token degree of control over three of the monkeys, and I wasn¡¯t inclined to explain myself at this particular moment.


    Yi Gim¡¯s smile faded and he became deeply concerned. ¡°Why have you taken those Beasts prisoner?¡± He asked in hushed whispers.


    ¡°Because we aren¡¯t so different,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°Because taking four prisoners removed thousands of combatants from the battlefield.¡± I stared Yi Gim down. ¡°Because I am more than a simple-minded brute...¡±


    ¡°I...It was never my intention to...Ahem...¡± Yi Gim closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I apologise. You have been an exemplary ally during these trying times and I failed to show you the respect you have earned.¡± He bowed solemnly and then turned his attention back toward the airship, which was now drifting over the city.


    Satisfied, I invested my Chi into the machete and used my Earth Affinity to pull Yi Gim into the air and toward the airship.


    He looked far more heroic and dignified flying through the air than I had expected he would.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange seeing this side of you...¡± Nadine commented distractedly while dabbing an alcohol swab onto the small puncture wounds on the female monkey¡¯s neck. With the potential infection sites sterilised, she moved on to smearing a clotting and rejuvenating paste that would accelerate the healing process. ¡°Tim...¡± Nadine set down the jar and stared down at the crate of supplies.  ¡°Do you hate us?...¡±


    The suddenness of the question caught me off guard.


    ¡°No...¡± I slowly shook my head. It was something I had given a considerable degree of thought, on and off for quite some time. ¡°I never hated you...¡±


    Nadine looked up at me in shock. It was not the answer she had been expecting.


    ¡°I hated myself...I hated living...¡± I explained quietly. ¡°Long before I met any of you...I wanted to die...I wanted everything to be over...I didn¡¯t want to feel or to think!¡± I took a deep breath to try and calm myself down, to try and regain control. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to end it and I couldn¡¯t make the changes I needed so the pain would stop...When they killed me, I thought that was going to be it. I thought everything was going to be over. When it wasn¡¯t...I gave up. I convinced myself that what was happening was my punishment and that I deserved it...It was just so much easier to do whatever I was told to do.¡±


    My old self would have been mortified by confessing as much aloud, let alone in front of an audience. Somewhere along the way, I had stopped caring about such things. There were better places to have this conversation. That was a fact. However, the less-than-ideal circumstances also made the cathartic release that much more powerful.


    I had spoken of such things with Lash and even Hana in private. Although not nearly as succinctly as I had done in this particular moment. Of course, it was only through talking it out on those occasions that I had gained the insight to piece everything together.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry...¡± Nadine apologised and looked thoroughly ashamed of herself, unable to even raise her head let alone meet my eye. ¡°Even after I realised you were hurting, I didn¡¯t stop it...I just kept pushing you...¡± She covered her eyes with one hand and shook her head regretfully. ¡°Even though I knew it was hurting you, I kept pushing you-¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± I agreed. ¡°And so did Emelia and Clarice.¡±


    Nadine cringed and wrapped her arms defensively over her abdomen and chest.


    ¡°You also treated me with far more kindness than you had to.¡± It was an indisputable fact. After freeing so many Slaves and listening to their stories of abuse and torment, it would have been pretentious of me to in any way suggest our experiences were on the same level. ¡°I had heard what you said about the Willpower stat. I knew how to break free from the beginning.¡±


    Nadine stiffened like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. ¡°Y-You knew?...¡± She croaked. Perhaps reflecting upon just how much danger they might have been in if circumstances had been different. If I had been someone different.


    ¡°Even if you had ulterior motives for doing so, it doesn¡¯t change how you treated me.¡± I let out a nervous chuckle and shook my head. ¡°As fucked up as it may be to hear, that was the kindest and most considerate anyone had behaved toward me since my Mum passed away...¡±


    Cheeks wet with tears, Nadine stopped staring at the ground and looked up at me. ¡°That...That is pretty fucked up,¡± she agreed, hiccuping slightly as she smiled seemingly despite herself.


    I might have shed a few tears of my own if the dry air hadn¡¯t already stripped a dangerous amount of moisture from my skin already. Then again, perhaps not. While the subject made me feel melancholic, it almost felt as if I was talking about events that had happened to someone else. Who I was back then and who I was now were two very different people.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for springing this on you,¡± Nadine apologised awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s just...After learning what happened to Fesk, to his sister...It¡¯s all I seemed able to think about...¡±


    I hadn¡¯t known Fesk had a sister, but just from the context, and the fact that the Thralls had been the Vampyrs'' Slaves, it wasn¡¯t difficult to make educated guesses as to what may have happened to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s...It¡¯s why he won¡¯t let Ophelia heal his scar...¡± Nadine reached for her throat but didn¡¯t seem to be aware of what she was doing until after her fingers made contact. ¡°I-I shouldn¡¯t be talking about that!¡± She pulled her hand back and looked away. ¡°It¡¯s Fesk¡¯s story to tell, not mine...¡±


    Fesk¡¯s choice was not as uncommon as Nadine might like to think.


    Working in concert with one another, Ophelia and Sebet were capable of reversing just about any injury in under a minute. Sebet, in particular, excelled in removing scarrified tissue. However, the problem lay within the patients themselves. Not everyone wanted to put the past behind them. Viewing the erasure of the physical evidence of what was done to them as a betrayal of their core selves. A betrayal of lives long since lost.


    It was a complex issue and one I preferred not to think about given its inherently depressing nature.


    At a glance, I could tell that Kang and the smaller monkeys had been following our conversation. At least, my half of the conversation anyway. Another reminder of how strange the translation functions of the Labyrinths and their supporting systems functioned.


    If Kang had doubted my word before, and he most assuredly had, then he now appeared somewhat open to the possibility that I might be telling the truth.


    All it had taken was spilling my guts over a deeply personal subject in public...


    The abrupt shift in the airship¡¯s heading served as good an excuse as any to end my conversation with Nadine and redirect my focus toward the ongoing siege of the city.


    The walls were holding. However, more Beasts were arriving on the horizon with each passing minute. Worse still, their average strength appeared to be increasing as well.


    I now understood why Yi Gim had been so afraid of triggering a Beast Tide. It would only be a matter of time before the defenders became exhausted and were overrun. As strong as my Bodyguards were, they would eventually tire as well.


    Evacuating the city made the most sense but I was uncertain whether Yi Gim had the capabilities of doing so.


    And if he did, how many people would be left behind or otherwise lost in the chaos?


    Of course, there was another way. Abusing the Supremacy Challenge to remove the city from the path of the Beast Tide. However, I doubted Yi Gim would agree to it. As trusting as he had been thus far, my proposal would undoubtedly push him past his limits.


    Summoning additional forces carried greater risks but it was also an opportunity to expose my untested army to a large-scale engagement in a relatively controlled setting.


    Removing the separated segments of a second banner from my Storage Ring, I aligned the threads and twisted the two halves of the long iron stave together. With the Beacon activated, I planted the banner into the street at my side and waited.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long before a grizzled Human in his mid-fifties appeared before the banner. A dark surcoat bearing a fanged grinning face hanging over his magical plate and mail. ¡°My Majesty!¡± Despite his advanced age, Lord Garrick wasted no time in falling to one knee and bowing his head, taking only the time needed to angle his scabbard to allow for the motion.


    ¡°I am calling my army to a full mobilisation in defence of this city,¡± I explained and motioned toward the breached wall.


    ¡°Understood, Majesty!¡± Lord Garick¡¯s face appeared to shed twenty years as a fervent grin of anticipation settled onto his lips. ¡°I will summon my senior staff at once so we may begin the briefing!¡± Rising to his feet, he removed a half-foot-long rod with a threaded tail and moved to the back of the banner. Aligning the tail with the matching hole, he screwed the rod into the back of the banner and activated a second Beacon that was powered by the MP supply of the first.


    A little over two dozen men and women, the majority in their late forties to early sixties, appeared one by one as they answered the call of the Beacon. Only a third of their number wore armour, but all wore surcoats or uniforms bearing my sigil.


    ¡°This city belongs to my ally, Yi Gim. Its defences have been compromised by betrayal and sabotage. Leaving it vulnerable to the crisis taking place at this very moment.¡± The intensity of the gathered men and women¡¯s collective gaze created a pressure that I was unused to dealing with and I had to pause so I could gather my thoughts again before moving on. ¡°A relentless horde of Beasts, what the locals call a Beast Tide, is assaulting the city. Civilians have retreated deeper into the city and taken refuge where they can-¡± Or so I assumed since I had not seen signs of any civilians in the past half hour, ¡°-and those who can bear arms have taken to the walls and streets in defence of their home. Your orders are to break the siege. I leave the means and methods at your discretion!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Majesty!¡± The assembled officers cried.


    Lord Garrick spun on his heel to address his officers and began barking orders. Commandeering an empty nearby building to serve as his base of field operations.


    Smaller Beacons were activated.


    A flock of Harpies took to the sky with bows in hand and began engaging the flying Beasts in their own element. Intercepting them before they had a chance to make it to the defenders atop the wall. Serving not only as interceptors but scouts, select members of each flock made frequent trips back and forth between the battle in the sky and the officers on the ground.


    Packs of Gnolls began scaling the walls, and under mundane banners bearing my sigil, took the place of the battle-weary defenders. Not that the local defenders abandoned their posts. Understandably, they remained nearby and kept a suspicious eye on those who had come to relieve them.


    Thralls began appearing in their hundreds, establishing a screening formation around our position in the city. More organised and better trained in traditional military tactics and discipline, they were largely left to their own devices with little direct intervention from the senior staff and Human officers.


    The return of my champions heralded the return of Yi Gim himself.


    Despite donning a new helmet, it was obvious from what little I could see of his face that he was confused. ¡°The situation in which we find ourselves is indeed most dire. However, while I must stress that I appreciate your assistance and the spirit in which it is so readily given...I find it troubling that so many mortals would be pressed into service...¡±


    Mortals. It was a term Cultivators used when referring to those who lacked what they determined was a minimum acceptable level of Cultivation.


    Outright admitting that my forces used a different system would no doubt cause problems. So I opted for a white lie.


    ¡°They bear treasures that compensate for their lack of Cultivation and have natural advantages besides,¡± I explained without going into further details.


    Yi Gim¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he stiffly followed the movements of a Thrall patrol. ¡°You don¡¯t mean...Surely not all of them bear such treasures...¡± He whispered hoarsely.


    ¡°Not high-grade treasures,¡± I replied, avoiding the heart of the subject. ¡°We have spoken of these treasures before. They are not as valuable as you believe them to be.¡± This was an outright lie. The more I learned about the Cultivators, the more I came to realise that treasures, magical items, were exceedingly rare. ¡°We could make a deal for a consignment of weapons if you are interested?¡± I offered, eager to recruit Alchemists to support Jin¡¯s production of Cultivation resources.


    ¡°I owe you much already...¡± Yi Gim sighed disappointedly, ¡°And with the restorations to be made-¡± He motioned to the city at large. ¡°-I am sorry, but I cannot justify such an expense...¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand,¡± I interjected calmly. ¡°I am more interested in making the exchange for another favour.¡±


    Yi Gim perked up immediately but took a moment to calm himself. ¡°What form would this favour take?¡± He asked, trying not to sound overly eager.


    ¡°I want to recruit Alchemists who can prepare Cultivation materials,¡± I explained. ¡°The Alchemists I have already can¡¯t meet the increasing demand. I have the raw resources already and would prefer to export complete products rather than paying someone else for the privilege of selling those same materials back to me at a criminal markup.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± Yi Gim nodded to show he understood but didn¡¯t seem particularly supportive. ¡°Recruiting a clan or sect on the verge of collapse or financial ruin is one thing. However, dealing with the Alchemists and their guilds is another thing entirely...Alchemy requires a special mind and a substantial degree of training. The guilds hold a monopoly over the Alchemists themselves because they are the ones that identify the future Alchemists at a young age and bring them into the fold. Binding them with Oaths and the wealth and prestige their profession commands...¡± He smiled apologetically. ¡°While there are some rogue Alchemists, their products are quite often inferior and even dangerous. I could not, in good conscience, recommend recruiting such individuals.¡±


    ¡°What about the guilds?¡± I pressed.  ¡°Would it be possible to tempt a guild to relocate?¡±


    Yi Gim shook his head and was about to reply but stopped himself and appeared to reconsider. ¡°If anyone else were to ask, I would tell them it is impossible...However...Alchemists have a weakness I believe you are well positioned to exploit...¡± Yi Gim Chuckled dryly and shook his head. ¡°It is your resources. Specifically, those of extreme rarity and high quality. Alchemists are always searching for such materials to fuel their research.¡± He made a stalling gesture. ¡°The larger guilds are too firmly rooted in their respective areas of influence and jealousy would not allow them to permit their branches to take up such an offer. However, smaller guilds may be tempted to relocate, provided you are willing to...to...¡± Yi Gim staggered backward a handful of steps as the first platoon of Ogre infantry materialised in the street.


    Just like the Gnolls and Harpies, the Ogres were wild recruits who had accepted a contract of military service in exchange for full rights and citizenship.


    ¡°Apologies...I had not realised how great your stature was amongst your own people...¡± Yi Gim commented with awe.


    The largest of the Ogres were half my height and close to twice Yi Gim¡¯s, striking a stark contrast as they marched past our position and toward the wall.


    ¡°Tha¡¯s Tyrant!¡± One of the smaller Ogres exclaimed in a bad excuse for a whisper.


    ¡°Is big!...¡± Another Ogre rumbled in awe.


    ¡°Biggest!¡± Yet another Ogre agreed excitedly.


    ¡°QUIET!¡± Bellowed the largest Ogre, swatting an Ogre over the back of the head who had remained silent throughout. ¡°You make Ugs boys look bad!¡± The Ogre, Ugs, growled angrily. ¡°Look front! March!¡± He spared a nervous glance in my direction before determinedly fixing his gaze on the breach and ramparts.


    Another platoon of Ogres appeared and the same scene played out more or less the same as the first had done.


    ¡°They hold you in such reverence...¡± Yi Gim observed quietly.


    It wasn''t how I had interpreted their actions, but I could understand why Yi Gim might have come to that conclusion. Most notably, because he didn¡¯t understand what they were saying.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cultural thing,¡± I explained. ¡°It is similar with my wife¡¯s people as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Yi Gim politely signalled for me to elaborate.


    ¡°Size...height and bulk, are a societal virtue,¡± I motioned to Lurr and the Orcs over at the Ramparts. ¡°My Bodyguards are a peak specimen in that regard, and I suppose I am for mine.¡±


    ¡°You suppose?¡± Yi Gim asked curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Are they not your people?¡± He nodded to another group of new arrivals.


    ¡°No...¡± I replied a little too quickly. ¡°I mean...It¡¯s complicated...¡±


    Yi Gim said nothing and waited patiently for me to continue.


    ¡°They are my subjects, and you could say we share common ancestry...¡± I was trying to be careful not to say something I shouldn¡¯t. So far as I was aware, Yi Gim still, somehow, believed I was fundamentally human. Mutated or altered, but otherwise human. ¡°When I was reborn, reincarnated, I was alone.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Yi Gim nodded in understanding. ¡°I had thought your differences were related to your Bloodline or perhaps a Cultivation Inheritance,¡± he admitted sheepishly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely unrelated,¡± I lied, capitalising on Yi Gim¡¯s uncertainties. ¡°My children bear a stronger resemblance to me and their mother than them.¡±


    ¡°Which is to be expected,¡± Yi Gim agreed distractedly as he watched another group of Ogres pass by. ¡°What are they preparing to do?¡± He asked. ¡°Their bulk is too great to fight in the confines of the breach alongside the others...So why are they forming ranks-¡±


    ¡°If I were to guess, I would say that they intend to take the fight beyond the wall,¡± I observed neutrally while casting a glance toward the small group of senior officers coaching a handful of Ogre Sergeants, and one Mountain Orc Captain, through what I assumed to be some sort of battleplan.


    ¡°You are serious...¡± Yi Gim commented and made a self-deprecating snort while shaking his head. ¡°Of course you are serious...Do your men not fear death?¡±


    It was a good question. There were times when I had serious doubts. Then again, I was little better myself.


    ¡°From what I have experienced thus far, They will be in little danger,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°As stronger Beasts take the field, that will no doubt change. However, at least for now, they will make a bigger difference fighting outside the walls rather than behind them.¡±


    A lengthy silence passed between us.


    ¡°I will see what can be done to recruit the Alchemists you have asked for...¡± Yi Gim stated firmly. ¡°However, I do not know how I am to repay you for your intervention in this crisis...¡±


    I hadn¡¯t intervened under the expectation of being compensated. So it took me a few moments to think of something Yi gim might have or perhaps have access to, that I would want.


    Territory was always useful and presumably Yi Gim would be willing to part with some of the territories he had recently gained from the death of the Demon of the Fog.


    Then again, perhaps it was better not to ask for anything at all. Generating further goodwill could have a significantly greater payoff in the long run. Especially given the basis of our formal alliance.


    Then again, there was a potential transaction that could prove mutually beneficial to us both.


    ¡°This Hong clan and their fellow conspirators...I presume you wouldn¡¯t feel put out if they were taken off of your hands?¡± I asked while doing my best to keep my voice even and steady.


    ¡°That would very much depend upon what you intended to do with them,¡± Yi Gim replied somewhat hesitantly while looking down at the four unconscious prisoners bound at our feet.


    ¡°Those directly involved in this-¡± I motioned to the city at large, ¡°-will face a punishment fitting for their crimes. As for the rest...They will be given a second chance in a new environment.¡±


    ¡°A city for a city?¡± Yi Gim mused aloud, not sounding at all adverse to the idea.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± I observed neutrally.


    ¡°And yet, it is what will most likely prove necessary...¡± Yi Gim replied wearily. ¡°The measure of influence the Hong clan has within their sphere of political influence is only possible through the cooperation and obedience of dozens of lesser clans...¡± He sighed and made as if to rub at his temples before remembering he was wearing a helmet.


    ¡°So you would prefer to give up an entire city full of people outright?¡± I was surprised by Yi Gim¡¯s conviction. All previous exchanges of territory had been made after evacuating and migrating the occupants. If we followed through on this proposal, it would mark a dramatic change in what was implicitly allowed in trade.


    ¡°I lack your means of uncovering traitors,¡± Yi Gim stated matter of factly. ¡°And it is very likely that the city will soon declare itself in open rebellion. Assuming it has not done so already...¡± He chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°Of course, I would be grateful for any leads your subordinates uncover regarding other traitors remaining within my Realm.¡±


    ¡°I would be willing to agree to that condition,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You might think my choice to be cruel,¡± Yi Gim commented dryly. ¡°However, putting down this rebellion would cost far more lives than a single city. The new territories on the northern border of my Realm have not yet been occupied, let alone pacified. In the time it would take to chase down the Hong clan¡¯s leadership and mete out the smallest shred of justice, the north would fall into chaos...¡±


    I could see where Yi Gim was coming from and couldn¡¯t fault him for his logic. As brutal as it was to consider, sometimes, amputation was the only way to prevent a deadly infection from spreading.


    With a payment all but formalised, Yi Gim and I engaged in the shortest Supremacy Challenge I had experienced thus far. Ending the Challenge a handful of seconds after it was initiated. Any fears I had regarding potential safeguards in the system against abuse were swept aside as I returned to Yi Gim¡¯s Realm in the same place I had occupied moments before.


    To maintain morale and provide an official narrative of events, Yi Gim excused himself so he could make his presence known and take control of the loyalist defence of the city.


    Nadine¡¯s projection had depleted the last of its MP during our conversation, leaving me alone with the four giant monkeys.


    I levelled my gaze on Kang, the largest of the four monkeys. ¡°I¡¯m going to allow you to prove your loyalty and commitment. A chance to earn additional resources to aid in the resettlement of your people.¡±


    Kang stared back at me for several long moments in silence and then averted his gaze. ¡°Kang obey...¡± He replied, relaxing his body and releasing the tension in his muscles.


    His capitulation had an immediate effect on the others. Causing them to become subdued and docile. However, it didn¡¯t stop them from sneaking wary glances in my direction.


    ¡°Send children away?¡± Kang asked submissively, eyes still firmly locked on the ground as he motioned his head toward the three other monkeys.


    ¡°If that is what you want,¡± I agreed, more than happy to remove the dangerous variables they represented.


    Kang nodded eagerly, his thick expressive features broadcasting extreme relief.


    Opening a Spatial Breach, I pushed the three Monkeys through with my Earth Affinity and then severed the connection. With MP costs directly linked to the mass of individuals travelling through the Breach, I was brought uncomfortably low on MP yet again. However, I considered the exchange to be firmly in my favour overall.


    With his children functionally serving as hostages to ensure his good behaviour, I would be able to lend Kang more trust than I would have otherwise been able to justify in the circumstances. It also allowed me to show Kang that I was willing to cooperate with reasonable requests and that I wasn¡¯t everything he no doubt feared me to be.


    Offering Kang his staff, I dropped the chains from his arms and shoulders and returned them to my Storage Ring.


    Kang accepted his staff and made a quiet series of ook noises while bobbing his head, gaze still determinedly averted from my own. Had he not spoken less than a minute earlier, I would have thought Kang was a trained animal from a Hollywood movie set.


    Turning my back on Kang, there was a tense moment where I expected him to strike me from behind in an opportunistic ambush. Glancing over my shoulder, I found Kang had moved but only so he could fall in line behind me.


    The idle ¡®whispers¡¯ and chatter amongst the Ogres multiplied tenfold as I passed through their ranks. Even a few of the Sergeants joined in before the Mountain Orc Captain began hollering for order.


    Armed with clubs, morningstars, maces and hammers, the Ogres wore magical heavy plate armour over padded gambesons. The armour had the effect of increasing the Ogre¡¯s bulk, and a few of the smaller Ogres seemed to have stuffed their breastplates in an attempt to appear bigger than they actually were, with sleeves and corners of loose bedding hanging from the gaps.


    Tempting as it was to explore the absurdities of Ogre fashion and the weirdly specific insecurities serving as its motivating force. I had more important things to be getting on with.


    The ramparts were a bloody mess.


    Mounds of mangled corpses were piled atop the rubble and impaled upon the stone spikes. Many more lay around in the surrounding area,


    If left to continue as things were, the ramparts would be overrun within the next couple of hours. The trail of bodies that served as a record of my Bodyguards¡¯ gradual retreat was proof of that undeniable fact.


    Surveying the assembled Ogres from the top of the ramparts, I realised that I hadn¡¯t appreciated just how many of them there were until that moment. There were hundreds of them and more were arriving with every few minutes that passed.


    It occurred to me that the recruiters must have been far more proactive than I had anticipated, and I wasn¡¯t sure how I should feel about that.


    On the one hand, I had a pressing need for an army that could fight toe to toe with powerful monsters without suffering catastrophic casualties. On the other, there would be far more wild Ogres that would need to be integrated into Semenovian society than I had expected. There was also the lingering issue of whether they constituted a slave army in all but name.


    Join me or die, was something I could justify when the intention was to return autonomy within a matter of hours or even minutes. Requiring thousands of service hours before extending the same was a grey area that became decidedly uncomfortable when individuals were being actively recruited en masse.


    Citizenship through service had been an initiative so I wouldn¡¯t have to butcher prisoners or maintain massive internment camps. It was a convenient means of assuaging my morals without compromising my responsibilities.


    My attention was drawn to a group of new arrivals as an entirely different set of drum beats drowned out those coming from the centre of the city. An Ogre just a hair shorter than the Sergeants was striking a pair of padded clubs against a massive hide drum strapped to his gut. Despite sharing the same face as all the other Ogres around him, the childlike joy in his eyes and the tongue pressed firmly between his teeth in an exaggerated show of concentration made him stand out like a chicken amongst geese.


    What came as an even greater surprise was the effect the drums had on the other Ogres. Within seconds of the drummer''s arrival, the other Ogres had begun stamping their feet in time with the beating of the drum, amplifying the sound and causing the ground to tremble.


    Then, they began to chant...


    ***** Mud ~ Yi Gim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Bay of Tranquility *****


    Thinking had always been a chore that Mud loathed. Not only was it difficult, but it almost always went unrewarded. Often seeing Mud punished for having made the effort. Whenever possible, Mud made it a point not to think at all, sitting and doing nothing until deeply rooted instincts roused him to act in self-preservation.


    That all changed when Mud was told about ¡®the Tyrant¡¯, an Ogre so huge he could snatch the sun and moon right out of the sky if he wanted. The Tyrant was so big even humans and other monsters worshipped his bigness.


    Spindly and short, humans were weak and made bad warriors. But their small brains were always running around. Always on the move. Always...thinking...


    So the humans started thinking for them.


    Mud had never been so happy.


    Doing what the humans said was much easier than thinking. It also let Mud relax without the need to worry if a many-toothed thing would be trying to eat him when he tried thinking again. Because if there was a many-toothed thing, the humans would just tell him what to do.


    Standing in the presence of the Tyrant himself, everything just made sense.


    Mud could feel the Tyrant¡¯s mind moving about, thinking such huge thoughts that Mud could even hear some of them inside his head.


    Mud could tell by the way all the other Ogres looked at the Tyrant that they could hear him thinking too.


    ¡°Tyrant! Tyrant! Tyrant!¡± The chorus of Ogre voices chanting in time with the drums was hypnotic, drawing Mud in and pressing the Tyrant¡¯s thoughts into his head.


    <Battle approaches...> From the top of the spike-covered hill, the Tyrant raised one massive arm.


    A near absolute silence descended as Mud and the other Ogres became deathly still, following the Tyrant¡¯s unspoken command.


    ¡°I have sworn to defend this city and its people from the Beasts beyond these walls!¡± The Tyrant rumbled, his voice like crashing boulders rolling down a mountainside.


    A quest box appeared in front of Mud¡¯s eyes but disappeared before he could say the words like the humans had taught him to do.


    ¡°Fight in my name! Prove to me your worth!¡± The Tyrant commanded. ¡°Drive them back from the walls! KILL THEM ALL!!!¡± He roared, raising his spiked club high and splitting the spiked hill in two as he charged into the space that lay beyond.


    Mud¡¯s savage warcry joined the chorus of his brothers and his feet and legs began moving on their own. There was no need to think, only to act. The Tyrant had done the hard part for them already and now all they had to do was obey.


    Mud was one of the first to pass through the broken wall and follow the Tyrant. One of the first to witness his raw power and savagery with his own eyes.


    Beasts too numerous to count were pressing in all around them and the Tyrant was felling as many as Mud had fingers on his hand with each swing.


    The awe Mud felt for his Tyrant¡¯s might was quickly overtaken by primal rage as one of the Beasts DARED to strike at the Tyrant¡¯s back.


    Gripping his club so tight his bones ached, Mud slammed head first into the strange hissing thing and drove it back into the seething tide of fur, fangs and flesh. Trusting in the Tyrant to do all the thinking for him, Mud released a savage roar and lashed out with his fist and club at anything that moved and wasn¡¯t identified as a follower of the Tyrant.


    On each side of him, Mud¡¯s brothers crashed into the living wall of Beasts with bone-shattering force, throwing the Beasts back through sheer weight and fury.


    Afraid of being left behind, Mud pushed forward, savagely beating down a horned thing with too many teeth that managed to leap over his brothers¡¯ heads and was preparing to attack them from behind. More of his brothers rushed past to join the charge, but others lingered, joining Mud in killing the Beast.


    ¡°FOR TYRANT!!!¡± Roared a Sarge, raising his flag high with one hand and caving in the skull of a slithering Beast with his hammer held in the other.


    ¡°FOR TYRANT!!!¡± Mud roared, joining his voice to his brothers¡¯ and pressing forward as a surge of new strength spread through his body.


    Surrounded by his brothers, Mud impatiently waited for the enemy to reappear. All the while, he watched the Tyrant relentlessly pushing forward ahead of them.


    The charge had slowed and Mud was glad to hear that he was getting closer to the enemy. Little by little, the brothers around him were spreading out and making room, bringing the enemy closer to brothers like Mud who were stuck behind them.


    Face to face with the enemy again, Mud pressed one arm into the Beast¡¯s mouth to keep its teeth busy and pulped its spine with his club.


    Another Beast tried to use the opening to sink its claws into Mud¡¯s face but a Sarge caught it by the neck, crushing the bones between his fingers and making it go limp.


    ¡°No hurt!¡± The Sarge growled angrily, dropping the dead Beast and slamming his fist down on the head of another. ¡°Hurt, no good!¡±


    Mud nodded vigorously in agreement, bashing his club into the thick meaty leg of another Beast.


    ¡°Tyrant says, protect little ones!¡± The Sarge cried, reaching down a Beast¡¯s throat and ripping out a trail of its organs.


    Mud continued nodding and swinging his club. It made perfect sense to him that they should protect the humans. They were so small and easily hurt.


    ¡°Protect you!¡± The Sarge insisted, smashing his fist into the snout of a tusked Beast trying to gore Mud¡¯s belly.


    You?


    Several long moments passed while Mud continued clubbing the Beasts.


    With so many things already being thought on his behalf, Mud had a surprising amount of mental energy to spare. Without meaning to, he began puzzling over what the Sarge had said.


    Cracking the skull of another Beast, Mud knew he should have felt proud for doing as the Tyrant wanted, and he did. However, it didn¡¯t feel as good as he expected it to.


    An uncomfortable pressure had begun building in Mud¡¯s head as the incomplete thought demanded more of his attention and energy.


    The Tyrant roared and Beasts¡¯ bellies exploded from the strength of his swings, ripping and tearing their bodies apart and sending blood, bones and organs flying over the nearby Beasts, blinding them.


    Mud looked back at the Sarge and couldn¡¯t help but notice how small he was when compared against the Tyrant.


    ¡°Sarge big...Sarge small too...¡± Mud muttered, his head already too full to continue his thought in silence. The pressure reached an almost painful intensity and Mud was so surprised that he stopped attacking.


    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 80 - Wolves among sheep - Part Two


    The posturing and boasting of the Hong clan¡¯s Cultivators had abruptly ended after their spokesman was yanked from his flying sword and driven face-first into the street. Exercising my Earth Affinity and indulging Kwan¡¯s request had felt good in the moment, but it had also given me cause to reflect on my sudden recklessness.


    While I was fairly certain my Heart Demons had not been given sufficient time to aggregate to dangerous levels, I decided that visiting the temple at the next available opportunity would still be a good idea.


    ¡°You dare?!¡± The Hong clansmen cried in near unison. Each man reached for a sword carried on their waist.


    ¡°I do,¡± I replied calmly, remotely seizing control over jade pendants and stone beads carried by the clansmen and slamming them to the ground alongside the primary representative.


    If they were revealed to be Yi Gim¡¯s allies, I was prepared to apologise and make amends. However, their behaviour thus far led me to believe that they were driven by opportunism rather than loyalty. Which made their allegiances almost beside the point.


    I had felt them casting out their senses. Felt them judging me and my subordinates, convinced we possessed inferior Cultivation and eager to abuse the perceived difference in power.


    ¡°I represent the interests of my Monarch,¡± I repeated coldly. ¡°And I will not tolerate such disrespect.¡±


    ¡°As is your right!¡± Yi Gim called out loudly from down the street. He was making his approach on foot and affecting a calm and unhurried demeanour.


    ¡°M-Monarch!¡± The Hong spokesman sputtered, straining his neck to face Yi Gim. ¡°These mercenaries have insulted my Hong family and openly spat upon the rule of your auspicious dynasty!¡±


    The other Hong clansmen swore fervently in agreement. All the while smiling maliciously and staring at me from the corner of their eyes. It was obvious that they thought they had me trapped.


    ¡°Swear upon your Dantian!¡± Yi Gim replied coldly, his smoke-stained face hard and uncompromising.


    ¡°M-Monarch! That is too much!¡± The Hong Spokesman cried with a hint of fear masked by intense incredulity. ¡°As an honoured elder of the Hong clan, I swear upon the name of my Hong family that my words are true! This should be enough!¡±


    Yi Gim stopped a dozen feet away from the prone Hong clansmen and scowled. ¡°And if I say it is not?¡± He replied in a deadly calm tone.


    The Hong spokesman cringed.


    The airship began to adjust its course and was now headed in our direction. Its angle of approach would cut past the breach entirely, so I was not immediately concerned for my subordinates'' safety.


    Using my mana, I erected five pillars concealed within the nearby buildings. Using the pillars as a foundation, I then expended a small amount of Chi to form a temporary Formation before investing more of my Chi.


    Yi Gim didn¡¯t appear to be aware of the approaching airship but my activities had managed to catch his notice.


    The Hong clan¡¯s spokesman began to laugh. It was a weird and unhinged laugh that sounded like it belonged in a movie. ¡°I will not debase myself before you any longer!¡± He barked savagely. ¡°This is the hour of our ascension!¡±


    An incandescent sequence of rotating scripts formed before the prow of the ship.


    ¡°Surrender!¡± The Hong spokesman demanded with a snarl. ¡°Surrender and we might allow your women a place in the Patriarch¡¯s harem!¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s disgust matched my own. Before he could bring his sword to bear, I had used the Hong spokesman¡¯s beads to crush his own throat. Yi Gim removed his head outright with a single smooth strike from his sword less than a second later.


    No longer held by his will, the Chi and internal energy flooded out of the spokesman¡¯s body and into the Formation, bolstering its reserves.


    The cries of fear from the other Hong clansmen were lost as a torrent of superheated plasma ignited the air and rolled over a shimmering orange barrier above our heads.


    As I had hoped, the Fire Affinity within my Chi was absorbing the attack and leaching away its strength. Unfortunately, the lack of oxygen in the vicinity presented a different and equally pressing danger.


    After five seconds the stream of fire guttered and died.


    Several dozen smaller projected formations sprang into being along the portside as the airship came about. Streams of pressurised air, water and fire raked across the barrier, searching for weakness. Except for the air-based attacks, the majority unintentionally strengthened the barrier instead of depleting its energy.


    ¡°As I thought!¡± Yi Gim growled bitterly. ¡°Nothing but cowards!¡±


    ¡°Mercy!¡± Cried one of the Hong clansmen.


    ¡°I had nothing to do with this!¡± Cried another.


    ¡°That your elders would so willingly sacrifice you to forward their schemes is not surprising,¡± Yi Gim observed dryly. ¡°However...Sacrificing a fellow elder...Now we can see the depth of their commitment.¡±


    ¡°Is the airship valuable?¡± I asked without taking my eyes off of the airship. If I could get my hands on three or four of them, my counterattack against the beetlemen would require a far smaller force than I had initially anticipated.


    Yi Gim was taken by surprise and took a couple of moments to regain his composure. ¡°Several fortunes...¡± He replied hesitantly.


    I reflected on the fact that I hadn¡¯t seen other airships since my arrival. ¡°Unfortunate...¡± I muttered with disappointment and turned to my champions gathered in the ramparts. ¡°Champions! Clear the ship!¡± I ordered, tethering a Breach in their midst and above the deck of the airship.


    Already low on MP I had to tap into my reserves to maintain the connection so all my champions could pass through to the airship.


    The salvos from the airship came to a scattered halt and bodies began rolling and flying off of the deck. Most fell to the ground but a few individuals appeared to be fleeing the ship atop more of the overly large flying swords.


    I terminated the Spatial Breach to conserve what remained of my MP.


    ¡°Do you have people who can capture it?¡± I asked, directing my attention back toward Yi Gim. ¡°Or someone that can bring it down without destroying it?¡±


    ¡°No...But there should be a control Formation somewhere on the deck,¡± Yi Gim replied hurriedly. ¡°The precise form varies depending upon the maker of the vessel. I should be able to locate it,¡± he offered but then winced as he considered the Hong clansmen¡¯s flying swords on the ground.


    Recalling that he had made his approach on foot, I could only assume Yi Gim wasn¡¯t in a fit state to fly on a sword of his own.


    Considering the Hong clansmen for a few moments, I made a decision.


    Their superiors had attacked me with the intent to kill and seen the four surviving men as acceptable collateral damage.


    I had no reason not to kill them and just be done with it. However, I decided not to. Even if it was just to prove to myself that I was capable of making that decision.


    After choking them out with a length of chain, I offered Yi Gim one of my human-sized stone machetes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fly you up there with my Affinity,¡± I explained handing over the machete.


    ¡°I will just need to hold on I suppose,¡± Yi Gim replied with a strained smile.


    I shrugged. ¡°I would have offered something...larger, but I have others to consider,¡± I made a point of looking over at the monkeys draped in chains by the wall. Yi Gim didn¡¯t know that I held only a token degree of control over three of the monkeys, and I wasn¡¯t inclined to explain myself at this particular moment.


    Yi Gim¡¯s smile faded and he became deeply concerned. ¡°Why have you taken those Beasts prisoner?¡± He asked in hushed whispers.


    ¡°Because we aren¡¯t so different,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°Because taking four prisoners removed thousands of combatants from the battlefield.¡± I stared Yi Gim down. ¡°Because I am more than a simple-minded brute...¡±


    ¡°I...It was never my intention to...Ahem...¡± Yi Gim closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I apologise. You have been an exemplary ally during these trying times and I failed to show you the respect you have earned.¡± He bowed solemnly and then turned his attention back toward the airship, which was now drifting over the city.


    Satisfied, I invested my Chi into the machete and used my Earth Affinity to pull Yi Gim into the air and toward the airship.


    He looked far more heroic and dignified flying through the air than I had expected he would.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange seeing this side of you...¡± Nadine commented distractedly while dabbing an alcohol swab onto the small puncture wounds on the female monkey¡¯s neck. With the potential infection sites sterilised, she moved on to smearing a clotting and rejuvenating paste that would accelerate the healing process. ¡°Tim...¡± Nadine set down the jar and stared down at the crate of supplies.  ¡°Do you hate us?...¡±


    The suddenness of the question caught me off guard.


    ¡°No...¡± I slowly shook my head. It was something I had given a considerable degree of thought, on and off for quite some time. ¡°I never hated you...¡±


    Nadine looked up at me in shock. It was not the answer she had been expecting.


    ¡°I hated myself...I hated living...¡± I explained quietly. ¡°Long before I met any of you...I wanted to die...I wanted everything to be over...I didn¡¯t want to feel or to think!¡± I took a deep breath to try and calm myself down, to try and regain control. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to end it and I couldn¡¯t make the changes I needed so the pain would stop...When they killed me, I thought that was going to be it. I thought everything was going to be over. When it wasn¡¯t...I gave up. I convinced myself that what was happening was my punishment and that I deserved it...It was just so much easier to do whatever I was told to do.¡±


    My old self would have been mortified by confessing as much aloud, let alone in front of an audience. Somewhere along the way, I had stopped caring about such things. There were better places to have this conversation. That was a fact. However, the less-than-ideal circumstances also made the cathartic release that much more powerful.


    I had spoken of such things with Lash and even Hana in private. Although not nearly as succinctly as I had done in this particular moment. Of course, it was only through talking it out on those occasions that I had gained the insight to piece everything together.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry...¡± Nadine apologised and looked thoroughly ashamed of herself, unable to even raise her head let alone meet my eye. ¡°Even after I realised you were hurting, I didn¡¯t stop it...I just kept pushing you...¡± She covered her eyes with one hand and shook her head regretfully. ¡°Even though I knew it was hurting you, I kept pushing you-¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± I agreed. ¡°And so did Emelia and Clarice.¡±


    Nadine cringed and wrapped her arms defensively over her abdomen and chest.


    ¡°You also treated me with far more kindness than you had to.¡± It was an indisputable fact. After freeing so many Slaves and listening to their stories of abuse and torment, it would have been pretentious of me to in any way suggest our experiences were on the same level. ¡°I had heard what you said about the Willpower stat. I knew how to break free from the beginning.¡±


    Nadine stiffened like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. ¡°Y-You knew?...¡± She croaked. Perhaps reflecting upon just how much danger they might have been in if circumstances had been different. If I had been someone different.


    ¡°Even if you had ulterior motives for doing so, it doesn¡¯t change how you treated me.¡± I let out a nervous chuckle and shook my head. ¡°As fucked up as it may be to hear, that was the kindest and most considerate anyone had behaved toward me since my Mum passed away...¡±


    Cheeks wet with tears, Nadine stopped staring at the ground and looked up at me. ¡°That...That is pretty fucked up,¡± she agreed, hiccuping slightly as she smiled seemingly despite herself.


    I might have shed a few tears of my own if the dry air hadn¡¯t already stripped a dangerous amount of moisture from my skin already. Then again, perhaps not. While the subject made me feel melancholic, it almost felt as if I was talking about events that had happened to someone else. Who I was back then and who I was now were two very different people.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for springing this on you,¡± Nadine apologised awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s just...After learning what happened to Fesk, to his sister...It¡¯s all I seemed able to think about...¡±


    I hadn¡¯t known Fesk had a sister, but just from the context, and the fact that the Thralls had been the Vampyrs'' Slaves, it wasn¡¯t difficult to make educated guesses as to what may have happened to her. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s...It¡¯s why he won¡¯t let Ophelia heal his scar...¡± Nadine reached for her throat but didn¡¯t seem to be aware of what she was doing until after her fingers made contact. ¡°I-I shouldn¡¯t be talking about that!¡± She pulled her hand back and looked away. ¡°It¡¯s Fesk¡¯s story to tell, not mine...¡±


    Fesk¡¯s choice was not as uncommon as Nadine might like to think.


    Working in concert with one another, Ophelia and Sebet were capable of reversing just about any injury in under a minute. Sebet, in particular, excelled in removing scarrified tissue. However, the problem lay within the patients themselves. Not everyone wanted to put the past behind them. Viewing the erasure of the physical evidence of what was done to them as a betrayal of their core selves. A betrayal of lives long since lost.


    It was a complex issue and one I preferred not to think about given its inherently depressing nature.


    At a glance, I could tell that Kang and the smaller monkeys had been following our conversation. At least, my half of the conversation anyway. Another reminder of how strange the translation functions of the Labyrinths and their supporting systems functioned.


    If Kang had doubted my word before, and he most assuredly had, then he now appeared somewhat open to the possibility that I might be telling the truth.


    All it had taken was spilling my guts over a deeply personal subject in public...


    The abrupt shift in the airship¡¯s heading served as good an excuse as any to end my conversation with Nadine and redirect my focus toward the ongoing siege of the city.


    The walls were holding. However, more Beasts were arriving on the horizon with each passing minute. Worse still, their average strength appeared to be increasing as well.


    I now understood why Yi Gim had been so afraid of triggering a Beast Tide. It would only be a matter of time before the defenders became exhausted and were overrun. As strong as my Bodyguards were, they would eventually tire as well.


    Evacuating the city made the most sense but I was uncertain whether Yi Gim had the capabilities of doing so.


    And if he did, how many people would be left behind or otherwise lost in the chaos?


    Of course, there was another way. Abusing the Supremacy Challenge to remove the city from the path of the Beast Tide. However, I doubted Yi Gim would agree to it. As trusting as he had been thus far, my proposal would undoubtedly push him past his limits.


    Summoning additional forces carried greater risks but it was also an opportunity to expose my untested army to a large-scale engagement in a relatively controlled setting.


    Removing the separated segments of a second banner from my Storage Ring, I aligned the threads and twisted the two halves of the long iron stave together. With the Beacon activated, I planted the banner into the street at my side and waited.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long before a grizzled Human in his mid-fifties appeared before the banner. A dark surcoat bearing a fanged grinning face hanging over his magical plate and mail. ¡°My Majesty!¡± Despite his advanced age, Lord Garrick wasted no time in falling to one knee and bowing his head, taking only the time needed to angle his scabbard to allow for the motion.


    ¡°I am calling my army to a full mobilisation in defence of this city,¡± I explained and motioned toward the breached wall.


    ¡°Understood, Majesty!¡± Lord Garick¡¯s face appeared to shed twenty years as a fervent grin of anticipation settled onto his lips. ¡°I will summon my senior staff at once so we may begin the briefing!¡± Rising to his feet, he removed a half-foot-long rod with a threaded tail and moved to the back of the banner. Aligning the tail with the matching hole, he screwed the rod into the back of the banner and activated a second Beacon that was powered by the MP supply of the first.


    A little over two dozen men and women, the majority in their late forties to early sixties, appeared one by one as they answered the call of the Beacon. Only a third of their number wore armour, but all wore surcoats or uniforms bearing my sigil.


    ¡°This city belongs to my ally, Yi Gim. Its defences have been compromised by betrayal and sabotage. Leaving it vulnerable to the crisis taking place at this very moment.¡± The intensity of the gathered men and women¡¯s collective gaze created a pressure that I was unused to dealing with and I had to pause so I could gather my thoughts again before moving on. ¡°A relentless horde of Beasts, what the locals call a Beast Tide, is assaulting the city. Civilians have retreated deeper into the city and taken refuge where they can-¡± Or so I assumed since I had not seen signs of any civilians in the past half hour, ¡°-and those who can bear arms have taken to the walls and streets in defence of their home. Your orders are to break the siege. I leave the means and methods at your discretion!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Majesty!¡± The assembled officers cried.


    Lord Garrick spun on his heel to address his officers and began barking orders. Commandeering an empty nearby building to serve as his base of field operations.


    Smaller Beacons were activated.


    A flock of Harpies took to the sky with bows in hand and began engaging the flying Beasts in their own element. Intercepting them before they had a chance to make it to the defenders atop the wall. Serving not only as interceptors but scouts, select members of each flock made frequent trips back and forth between the battle in the sky and the officers on the ground.


    Packs of Gnolls began scaling the walls, and under mundane banners bearing my sigil, took the place of the battle-weary defenders. Not that the local defenders abandoned their posts. Understandably, they remained nearby and kept a suspicious eye on those who had come to relieve them.


    Thralls began appearing in their hundreds, establishing a screening formation around our position in the city. More organised and better trained in traditional military tactics and discipline, they were largely left to their own devices with little direct intervention from the senior staff and Human officers.


    The return of my champions heralded the return of Yi Gim himself.


    Despite donning a new helmet, it was obvious from what little I could see of his face that he was confused. ¡°The situation in which we find ourselves is indeed most dire. However, while I must stress that I appreciate your assistance and the spirit in which it is so readily given...I find it troubling that so many mortals would be pressed into service...¡±


    Mortals. It was a term Cultivators used when referring to those who lacked what they determined was a minimum acceptable level of Cultivation.


    Outright admitting that my forces used a different system would no doubt cause problems. So I opted for a white lie.


    ¡°They bear treasures that compensate for their lack of Cultivation and have natural advantages besides,¡± I explained without going into further details.


    Yi Gim¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he stiffly followed the movements of a Thrall patrol. ¡°You don¡¯t mean...Surely not all of them bear such treasures...¡± He whispered hoarsely.


    ¡°Not high-grade treasures,¡± I replied, avoiding the heart of the subject. ¡°We have spoken of these treasures before. They are not as valuable as you believe them to be.¡± This was an outright lie. The more I learned about the Cultivators, the more I came to realise that treasures, magical items, were exceedingly rare. ¡°We could make a deal for a consignment of weapons if you are interested?¡± I offered, eager to recruit Alchemists to support Jin¡¯s production of Cultivation resources.


    ¡°I owe you much already...¡± Yi Gim sighed disappointedly, ¡°And with the restorations to be made-¡± He motioned to the city at large. ¡°-I am sorry, but I cannot justify such an expense...¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand,¡± I interjected calmly. ¡°I am more interested in making the exchange for another favour.¡±


    Yi Gim perked up immediately but took a moment to calm himself. ¡°What form would this favour take?¡± He asked, trying not to sound overly eager.


    ¡°I want to recruit Alchemists who can prepare Cultivation materials,¡± I explained. ¡°The Alchemists I have already can¡¯t meet the increasing demand. I have the raw resources already and would prefer to export complete products rather than paying someone else for the privilege of selling those same materials back to me at a criminal markup.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± Yi Gim nodded to show he understood but didn¡¯t seem particularly supportive. ¡°Recruiting a clan or sect on the verge of collapse or financial ruin is one thing. However, dealing with the Alchemists and their guilds is another thing entirely...Alchemy requires a special mind and a substantial degree of training. The guilds hold a monopoly over the Alchemists themselves because they are the ones that identify the future Alchemists at a young age and bring them into the fold. Binding them with Oaths and the wealth and prestige their profession commands...¡± He smiled apologetically. ¡°While there are some rogue Alchemists, their products are quite often inferior and even dangerous. I could not, in good conscience, recommend recruiting such individuals.¡±


    ¡°What about the guilds?¡± I pressed.  ¡°Would it be possible to tempt a guild to relocate?¡±


    Yi Gim shook his head and was about to reply but stopped himself and appeared to reconsider. ¡°If anyone else were to ask, I would tell them it is impossible...However...Alchemists have a weakness I believe you are well positioned to exploit...¡± Yi Gim Chuckled dryly and shook his head. ¡°It is your resources. Specifically, those of extreme rarity and high quality. Alchemists are always searching for such materials to fuel their research.¡± He made a stalling gesture. ¡°The larger guilds are too firmly rooted in their respective areas of influence and jealousy would not allow them to permit their branches to take up such an offer. However, smaller guilds may be tempted to relocate, provided you are willing to...to...¡± Yi Gim staggered backward a handful of steps as the first platoon of Ogre infantry materialised in the street.


    Just like the Gnolls and Harpies, the Ogres were wild recruits who had accepted a contract of military service in exchange for full rights and citizenship.


    ¡°Apologies...I had not realised how great your stature was amongst your own people...¡± Yi Gim commented with awe.


    The largest of the Ogres were half my height and close to twice Yi Gim¡¯s, striking a stark contrast as they marched past our position and toward the wall.


    ¡°Tha¡¯s Tyrant!¡± One of the smaller Ogres exclaimed in a bad excuse for a whisper.


    ¡°Is big!...¡± Another Ogre rumbled in awe.


    ¡°Biggest!¡± Yet another Ogre agreed excitedly.


    ¡°QUIET!¡± Bellowed the largest Ogre, swatting an Ogre over the back of the head who had remained silent throughout. ¡°You make Ugs boys look bad!¡± The Ogre, Ugs, growled angrily. ¡°Look front! March!¡± He spared a nervous glance in my direction before determinedly fixing his gaze on the breach and ramparts.


    Another platoon of Ogres appeared and the same scene played out more or less the same as the first had done.


    ¡°They hold you in such reverence...¡± Yi Gim observed quietly.


    It wasn''t how I had interpreted their actions, but I could understand why Yi Gim might have come to that conclusion. Most notably, because he didn¡¯t understand what they were saying.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cultural thing,¡± I explained. ¡°It is similar with my wife¡¯s people as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Yi Gim politely signalled for me to elaborate.


    ¡°Size...height and bulk, are a societal virtue,¡± I motioned to Lurr and the Orcs over at the Ramparts. ¡°My Bodyguards are a peak specimen in that regard, and I suppose I am for mine.¡±


    ¡°You suppose?¡± Yi Gim asked curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Are they not your people?¡± He nodded to another group of new arrivals.


    ¡°No...¡± I replied a little too quickly. ¡°I mean...It¡¯s complicated...¡±


    Yi Gim said nothing and waited patiently for me to continue.


    ¡°They are my subjects, and you could say we share common ancestry...¡± I was trying to be careful not to say something I shouldn¡¯t. So far as I was aware, Yi Gim still, somehow, believed I was fundamentally human. Mutated or altered, but otherwise human. ¡°When I was reborn, reincarnated, I was alone.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Yi Gim nodded in understanding. ¡°I had thought your differences were related to your Bloodline or perhaps a Cultivation Inheritance,¡± he admitted sheepishly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely unrelated,¡± I lied, capitalising on Yi Gim¡¯s uncertainties. ¡°My children bear a stronger resemblance to me and their mother than them.¡±


    ¡°Which is to be expected,¡± Yi Gim agreed distractedly as he watched another group of Ogres pass by. ¡°What are they preparing to do?¡± He asked. ¡°Their bulk is too great to fight in the confines of the breach alongside the others...So why are they forming ranks-¡±


    ¡°If I were to guess, I would say that they intend to take the fight beyond the wall,¡± I observed neutrally while casting a glance toward the small group of senior officers coaching a handful of Ogre Sergeants, and one Mountain Orc Captain, through what I assumed to be some sort of battleplan.


    ¡°You are serious...¡± Yi Gim commented and made a self-deprecating snort while shaking his head. ¡°Of course you are serious...Do your men not fear death?¡±


    It was a good question. There were times when I had serious doubts. Then again, I was little better myself.


    ¡°From what I have experienced thus far, They will be in little danger,¡± I replied calmly. ¡°As stronger Beasts take the field, that will no doubt change. However, at least for now, they will make a bigger difference fighting outside the walls rather than behind them.¡±


    A lengthy silence passed between us.


    ¡°I will see what can be done to recruit the Alchemists you have asked for...¡± Yi Gim stated firmly. ¡°However, I do not know how I am to repay you for your intervention in this crisis...¡±


    I hadn¡¯t intervened under the expectation of being compensated. So it took me a few moments to think of something Yi gim might have or perhaps have access to, that I would want.


    Territory was always useful and presumably Yi Gim would be willing to part with some of the territories he had recently gained from the death of the Demon of the Fog.


    Then again, perhaps it was better not to ask for anything at all. Generating further goodwill could have a significantly greater payoff in the long run. Especially given the basis of our formal alliance.


    Then again, there was a potential transaction that could prove mutually beneficial to us both.


    ¡°This Hong clan and their fellow conspirators...I presume you wouldn¡¯t feel put out if they were taken off of your hands?¡± I asked while doing my best to keep my voice even and steady.


    ¡°That would very much depend upon what you intended to do with them,¡± Yi Gim replied somewhat hesitantly while looking down at the four unconscious prisoners bound at our feet.


    ¡°Those directly involved in this-¡± I motioned to the city at large, ¡°-will face a punishment fitting for their crimes. As for the rest...They will be given a second chance in a new environment.¡±


    ¡°A city for a city?¡± Yi Gim mused aloud, not sounding at all adverse to the idea.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± I observed neutrally.


    ¡°And yet, it is what will most likely prove necessary...¡± Yi Gim replied wearily. ¡°The measure of influence the Hong clan has within their sphere of political influence is only possible through the cooperation and obedience of dozens of lesser clans...¡± He sighed and made as if to rub at his temples before remembering he was wearing a helmet.


    ¡°So you would prefer to give up an entire city full of people outright?¡± I was surprised by Yi Gim¡¯s conviction. All previous exchanges of territory had been made after evacuating and migrating the occupants. If we followed through on this proposal, it would mark a dramatic change in what was implicitly allowed in trade.


    ¡°I lack your means of uncovering traitors,¡± Yi Gim stated matter of factly. ¡°And it is very likely that the city will soon declare itself in open rebellion. Assuming it has not done so already...¡± He chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°Of course, I would be grateful for any leads your subordinates uncover regarding other traitors remaining within my Realm.¡±


    ¡°I would be willing to agree to that condition,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You might think my choice to be cruel,¡± Yi Gim commented dryly. ¡°However, putting down this rebellion would cost far more lives than a single city. The new territories on the northern border of my Realm have not yet been occupied, let alone pacified. In the time it would take to chase down the Hong clan¡¯s leadership and mete out the smallest shred of justice, the north would fall into chaos...¡±


    I could see where Yi Gim was coming from and couldn¡¯t fault him for his logic. As brutal as it was to consider, sometimes, amputation was the only way to prevent a deadly infection from spreading.


    With a payment all but formalised, Yi Gim and I engaged in the shortest Supremacy Challenge I had experienced thus far. Ending the Challenge a handful of seconds after it was initiated. Any fears I had regarding potential safeguards in the system against abuse were swept aside as I returned to Yi Gim¡¯s Realm in the same place I had occupied moments before.


    To maintain morale and provide an official narrative of events, Yi Gim excused himself so he could make his presence known and take control of the loyalist defence of the city.


    Nadine¡¯s projection had depleted the last of its MP during our conversation, leaving me alone with the four giant monkeys.


    I levelled my gaze on Kang, the largest of the four monkeys. ¡°I¡¯m going to allow you to prove your loyalty and commitment. A chance to earn additional resources to aid in the resettlement of your people.¡±


    Kang stared back at me for several long moments in silence and then averted his gaze. ¡°Kang obey...¡± He replied, relaxing his body and releasing the tension in his muscles.


    His capitulation had an immediate effect on the others. Causing them to become subdued and docile. However, it didn¡¯t stop them from sneaking wary glances in my direction.


    ¡°Send children away?¡± Kang asked submissively, eyes still firmly locked on the ground as he motioned his head toward the three other monkeys.


    ¡°If that is what you want,¡± I agreed, more than happy to remove the dangerous variables they represented.


    Kang nodded eagerly, his thick expressive features broadcasting extreme relief.


    Opening a Spatial Breach, I pushed the three Monkeys through with my Earth Affinity and then severed the connection. With MP costs directly linked to the mass of individuals travelling through the Breach, I was brought uncomfortably low on MP yet again. However, I considered the exchange to be firmly in my favour overall.


    With his children functionally serving as hostages to ensure his good behaviour, I would be able to lend Kang more trust than I would have otherwise been able to justify in the circumstances. It also allowed me to show Kang that I was willing to cooperate with reasonable requests and that I wasn¡¯t everything he no doubt feared me to be.


    Offering Kang his staff, I dropped the chains from his arms and shoulders and returned them to my Storage Ring.


    Kang accepted his staff and made a quiet series of ook noises while bobbing his head, gaze still determinedly averted from my own. Had he not spoken less than a minute earlier, I would have thought Kang was a trained animal from a Hollywood movie set.


    Turning my back on Kang, there was a tense moment where I expected him to strike me from behind in an opportunistic ambush. Glancing over my shoulder, I found Kang had moved but only so he could fall in line behind me.


    The idle ¡®whispers¡¯ and chatter amongst the Ogres multiplied tenfold as I passed through their ranks. Even a few of the Sergeants joined in before the Mountain Orc Captain began hollering for order.


    Armed with clubs, morningstars, maces and hammers, the Ogres wore magical heavy plate armour over padded gambesons. The armour had the effect of increasing the Ogre¡¯s bulk, and a few of the smaller Ogres seemed to have stuffed their breastplates in an attempt to appear bigger than they actually were, with sleeves and corners of loose bedding hanging from the gaps.


    Tempting as it was to explore the absurdities of Ogre fashion and the weirdly specific insecurities serving as its motivating force. I had more important things to be getting on with.


    The ramparts were a bloody mess.


    Mounds of mangled corpses were piled atop the rubble and impaled upon the stone spikes. Many more lay around in the surrounding area,


    If left to continue as things were, the ramparts would be overrun within the next couple of hours. The trail of bodies that served as a record of my Bodyguards¡¯ gradual retreat was proof of that undeniable fact.


    Surveying the assembled Ogres from the top of the ramparts, I realised that I hadn¡¯t appreciated just how many of them there were until that moment. There were hundreds of them and more were arriving with every few minutes that passed.


    It occurred to me that the recruiters must have been far more proactive than I had anticipated, and I wasn¡¯t sure how I should feel about that.


    On the one hand, I had a pressing need for an army that could fight toe to toe with powerful monsters without suffering catastrophic casualties. On the other, there would be far more wild Ogres that would need to be integrated into Semenovian society than I had expected. There was also the lingering issue of whether they constituted a slave army in all but name.


    Join me or die, was something I could justify when the intention was to return autonomy within a matter of hours or even minutes. Requiring thousands of service hours before extending the same was a grey area that became decidedly uncomfortable when individuals were being actively recruited en masse.


    Citizenship through service had been an initiative so I wouldn¡¯t have to butcher prisoners or maintain massive internment camps. It was a convenient means of assuaging my morals without compromising my responsibilities.


    My attention was drawn to a group of new arrivals as an entirely different set of drum beats drowned out those coming from the centre of the city. An Ogre just a hair shorter than the Sergeants was striking a pair of padded clubs against a massive hide drum strapped to his gut. Despite sharing the same face as all the other Ogres around him, the childlike joy in his eyes and the tongue pressed firmly between his teeth in an exaggerated show of concentration made him stand out like a chicken amongst geese.


    What came as an even greater surprise was the effect the drums had on the other Ogres. Within seconds of the drummer''s arrival, the other Ogres had begun stamping their feet in time with the beating of the drum, amplifying the sound and causing the ground to tremble.


    Then, they began to chant...


    ***** Mud ~ Yi Gim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Bay of Tranquility *****


    Thinking had always been a chore that Mud loathed. Not only was it difficult, but it almost always went unrewarded. Often seeing Mud punished for having made the effort. Whenever possible, Mud made it a point not to think at all, sitting and doing nothing until deeply rooted instincts roused him to act in self-preservation.


    That all changed when Mud was told about ¡®the Tyrant¡¯, an Ogre so huge he could snatch the sun and moon right out of the sky if he wanted. The Tyrant was so big even humans and other monsters worshipped his bigness.


    Spindly and short, humans were weak and made bad warriors. But their small brains were always running around. Always on the move. Always...thinking...


    So the humans started thinking for them.


    Mud had never been so happy.


    Doing what the humans said was much easier than thinking. It also let Mud relax without the need to worry if a many-toothed thing would be trying to eat him when he tried thinking again. Because if there was a many-toothed thing, the humans would just tell him what to do.


    Standing in the presence of the Tyrant himself, everything just made sense.


    Mud could feel the Tyrant¡¯s mind moving about, thinking such huge thoughts that Mud could even hear some of them inside his head.


    Mud could tell by the way all the other Ogres looked at the Tyrant that they could hear him thinking too.


    ¡°Tyrant! Tyrant! Tyrant!¡± The chorus of Ogre voices chanting in time with the drums was hypnotic, drawing Mud in and pressing the Tyrant¡¯s thoughts into his head.


    <Battle approaches...> From the top of the spike-covered hill, the Tyrant raised one massive arm.


    A near absolute silence descended as Mud and the other Ogres became deathly still, following the Tyrant¡¯s unspoken command.


    ¡°I have sworn to defend this city and its people from the Beasts beyond these walls!¡± The Tyrant rumbled, his voice like crashing boulders rolling down a mountainside.


    A quest box appeared in front of Mud¡¯s eyes but disappeared before he could say the words like the humans had taught him to do.


    ¡°Fight in my name! Prove to me your worth!¡± The Tyrant commanded. ¡°Drive them back from the walls! KILL THEM ALL!!!¡± He roared, raising his spiked club high and splitting the spiked hill in two as he charged into the space that lay beyond.


    Mud¡¯s savage warcry joined the chorus of his brothers and his feet and legs began moving on their own. There was no need to think, only to act. The Tyrant had done the hard part for them already and now all they had to do was obey.


    Mud was one of the first to pass through the broken wall and follow the Tyrant. One of the first to witness his raw power and savagery with his own eyes.


    Beasts too numerous to count were pressing in all around them and the Tyrant was felling as many as Mud had fingers on his hand with each swing.


    The awe Mud felt for his Tyrant¡¯s might was quickly overtaken by primal rage as one of the Beasts DARED to strike at the Tyrant¡¯s back.


    Gripping his club so tight his bones ached, Mud slammed head first into the strange hissing thing and drove it back into the seething tide of fur, fangs and flesh. Trusting in the Tyrant to do all the thinking for him, Mud released a savage roar and lashed out with his fist and club at anything that moved and wasn¡¯t identified as a follower of the Tyrant.


    On each side of him, Mud¡¯s brothers crashed into the living wall of Beasts with bone-shattering force, throwing the Beasts back through sheer weight and fury.


    Afraid of being left behind, Mud pushed forward, savagely beating down a horned thing with too many teeth that managed to leap over his brothers¡¯ heads and was preparing to attack them from behind. More of his brothers rushed past to join the charge, but others lingered, joining Mud in killing the Beast.


    ¡°FOR TYRANT!!!¡± Roared a Sarge, raising his flag high with one hand and caving in the skull of a slithering Beast with his hammer held in the other.


    ¡°FOR TYRANT!!!¡± Mud roared, joining his voice to his brothers¡¯ and pressing forward as a surge of new strength spread through his body.


    Surrounded by his brothers, Mud impatiently waited for the enemy to reappear. All the while, he watched the Tyrant relentlessly pushing forward ahead of them.


    The charge had slowed and Mud was glad to hear that he was getting closer to the enemy. Little by little, the brothers around him were spreading out and making room, bringing the enemy closer to brothers like Mud who were stuck behind them.


    Face to face with the enemy again, Mud pressed one arm into the Beast¡¯s mouth to keep its teeth busy and pulped its spine with his club.


    Another Beast tried to use the opening to sink its claws into Mud¡¯s face but a Sarge caught it by the neck, crushing the bones between his fingers and making it go limp.


    ¡°No hurt!¡± The Sarge growled angrily, dropping the dead Beast and slamming his fist down on the head of another. ¡°Hurt, no good!¡±


    Mud nodded vigorously in agreement, bashing his club into the thick meaty leg of another Beast.


    ¡°Tyrant says, protect little ones!¡± The Sarge cried, reaching down a Beast¡¯s throat and ripping out a trail of its organs.


    Mud continued nodding and swinging his club. It made perfect sense to him that they should protect the humans. They were so small and easily hurt.


    ¡°Protect you!¡± The Sarge insisted, smashing his fist into the snout of a tusked Beast trying to gore Mud¡¯s belly.


    You?


    Several long moments passed while Mud continued clubbing the Beasts.


    With so many things already being thought on his behalf, Mud had a surprising amount of mental energy to spare. Without meaning to, he began puzzling over what the Sarge had said.


    Cracking the skull of another Beast, Mud knew he should have felt proud for doing as the Tyrant wanted, and he did. However, it didn¡¯t feel as good as he expected it to.


    An uncomfortable pressure had begun building in Mud¡¯s head as the incomplete thought demanded more of his attention and energy.


    The Tyrant roared and Beasts¡¯ bellies exploded from the strength of his swings, ripping and tearing their bodies apart and sending blood, bones and organs flying over the nearby Beasts, blinding them.


    Mud looked back at the Sarge and couldn¡¯t help but notice how small he was when compared against the Tyrant.


    ¡°Sarge big...Sarge small too...¡± Mud muttered, his head already too full to continue his thought in silence. The pressure reached an almost painful intensity and Mud was so surprised that he stopped attacking.


    The Sarge had been talking about him!


    Enraged, Mud pushed forward.


    If there was one thing Mud was certain of, he was not small, and he was going to prove it!


    The Sarge had been talking about him!


    Enraged, Mud pushed forward.


    If there was one thing Mud was certain of, he was not small, and he was going to prove it!

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 81 – Name your enemy – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 81 ¨C Name your enemy ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 81 - Name your enemy - Part One


    Minutes turned to hours and there was still no end to the Beast Tide in sight. Kang and the Ogres had been pushed back toward the wall but were refusing to give up any further ground. The Ogres had been resupplied with new weapons and were desperately trying to break out from their encirclement but had met with little success.


    I could feel their disappointment and fear in the back of my mind. Their fear that they had let me down. that they would be left behind, that they were not enough...


    Which was ludicrous. The field was piled high with so many bodies that the Ogres had to have killed more than a couple of hundred Beasts each and with more to spare besides. The fact that they had not been overrun and only driven back under such an unrelenting assault was a testament to their strength, durability, and unwavering morale.


    So long as I faced the tide head-on, the Beasts¡¯ momentum and numbers prevented them from turning back and making any form of meaningful attacks against my back. However, I was also isolated and couldn¡¯t retreat. The blood-soaked earth made it dangerous to linger in any single place for too long or retread previous ground. I had to continue slowly pushing forward to new ground if I wanted to avoid slipping and falling beneath the tide of bodies.


    While my armour had protected me from the worst, my body ached. Thrice I had risked conjuring water from my Storage Ring to douse my skin and rehydrate. However, less than optimal concentration had wasted the majority of the water, spilling it over my armour instead of beneath.


    Despite the pain, I had barely lost a quarter of my HP and was well on my way to recovering half of my MP. I had Healing and Mana Potions inside of my Storage Ring, but they functioned according to relative mass and were not to be wasted without good cause. While a Human would only need a couple of standard-sized Mana Potions to recover most of their MP, I would need to drink closer to fifty. What constituted a single draught for someone my size would wipe out a quarter of the Alchemist Faction¡¯s daily production quota.


    Backhanding a three-eyed bull with my machete and intercepting a red-furred lion mid-leap with my fist, I caught a glimpse of Kwan from the corner of my eye.


    The gluttonous little serpent was still opportunistically gorging himself while covering my back. His lack of direct engagement in the battle would have infuriated me if I had not made a profound discovery through our link. While I was still uncertain whether our proximity to one another was a factor, Kwan and I seemed capable of transmitting energy back and forth between ourselves.


    Which was the current cause of Kwan¡¯s ravenous hunger. He was functionally paying the bill for the constant healing being performed by my Iron Gut Ability. Without the steady stream of incoming energy, I would have been in a far more desperate situation a long time ago.


    Unfortunately, Kwan himself did not appear to have figured things out on his end. Complaining through our link about his desperate hunger.


    Making matters worse for him, Kwan also appeared to have grown larger since the beginning of the battle. His feeding frenzy was not only fueling my ongoing recovery but accelerating his growth as well. Just as the Iron Gut Ability had done for other monsters in the past.


    I nearly lost my footing as a ram with ridiculously large horns crashed into my right knee.


    Suicide charges from such Beasts were becoming more frequent and I was growing concerned that there was someone or something intelligent directing the actions of the horde.


    Deciding to take a small gamble, I gathered most of my MP and Summoned another ally intending to scatter the Beast Tide or force the hidden hand out into the open.


    The field was suddenly cast under a deep dark shadow.


    Kwan Demanded in a panic.


    Powerful gusts of wind swept over the oncoming Beasts, whipping up clouds of loose dirt and debris.


    There was a sharp intake of breath and then a belching roar.


    A stream of caustic acid strafed the ranks of the horde, melting the flesh and bones of anything and everything it touched, leaving nothing but a smouldering sludge-filled crater in its wake. Beasts that couldn¡¯t arrest their momentum tumbled into the sludge and died, howling and screaming as the flesh sloughed off their bones.


    Before anyone could react, a second torrent of acid strafed the horde. Followed by a third and then a fourth.


    Reservoirs temporarily depleted, Ushu arrested his flight and landed on the field, causing the ground to shake beneath his immense weight. Raising his long neck to the sky, Ushu released a bellowing roar that burst one of my eardrums.


    Hundreds of feet long from snout to tail, and close to the same in wingspan, if not more, Ushu struck a terrifying figure as he reared up on his hind legs and clawed at the sky. Releasing another ear-shattering roar, Ushu leapt forward and began trampling Beasts underfoot.


    Chaos erupted amidst the ranks of the horde as Beasts trampled one another in a desperate bid to escape.


    Which was just as well. Ushu¡¯s projection had depleted all but a fragment of the MP I had provided and would not last much longer than a minute at most.


    A savage warcry rose from the entrenched position of the Ogres. As a single hulking mass, the Ogres began to charge.


    Although slow at first, the Ogres continued to gather speed and began overtaking the slowest and wounded Beasts. Surrounded, the Beasts were bludgeoned from all sides, trampled underfoot, and left in bloody ruin.


    Even after Ushu¡¯s projection disappeared, the majority of the Beasts continued to flee. Those that did not were trampled or met their end at my hands or those of the approaching Ogres.


    Kang had followed the Ogres back out onto the field but was maintaining a cautious distance from them. Not that I could blame him.


    Battered and bruised, I considered chasing the Beasts myself but promptly dismissed the idea. I needed to secure somewhere safe to recuperate and allow my body time to recover. However, instead of quitting the field, I maintained my position.


    Despite appearances, the Ogres were on their last legs. I could feel it.


    Hours of continuous fighting had taken their toll. Despite taking no fatalities, several Ogres bore truly horrific injuries. It was the minds of these Ogres that shone the brightest in the periphery of my mind. They were still standing, still fighting, because of me. Because of the Command I had given them.


    So long as they were acting in obedience to that Command, the Ogres would compel their bodies into action. Drawing on my will to outright ignore their pain and exhaustion.


    As the scattered ranks of the Ogres drew closer, the extent of their injuries only became more obvious. Many were missing entire sections of their magical armour and had resorted to using improvised weapons. Almost all bore wounds that would have felled smaller men.


    With the slowest Beasts dead, and the remainder beyond the ability of the Ogres to chase, it wasn¡¯t difficult to decide to lead the Ogres off the field and back to the safety of the city walls.


    Already exhausted, the number of Ogres drawing on my will to sustain themselves began multiplying exponentially. But the time I passed the breach I felt as if massive lead weights were bearing down on my shoulders.


    Surgeons began performing triage the moment the first wounded Ogres passed through the ranks of my Bodyguards and champions. Marking and shoving Ogres toward the open-air surgery bays erected along the wall. Shouting to one another so they could make themselves heard above the laboured breathing and bewildered grunting of their charges.


    Large tables bearing more meat, and huge open-topped barrels of beer, were laid out in the street. Any Ogres that passed the Surgeons'' initial inspections were redirected toward the buffet by burly Hill and Mountain Orcs.


    Ogres who moved too slowly or presented even the hint of resistance were challenged with the simple statement of ¡®Tyrant¡¯s orders¡¯.


    I had made no such order, but the desire for my approval appeared more than enough to motivate even the most cantankerous Ogres to comply.


    Removing my outermost armour, I settled into a meditative pose and cycled my Chi while using my Water Affinity to cover my skin with water from my Storage Ring. While initially refreshing, the sensation became less profound as the water temperature began rising to match my body temperature.


    A sharp snarl from Kwan broke my concentration and drew my conscious mind back into focus on my surroundings.


    ¡°Tyrant?¡± Kang, head bowed and his eyes firmly fixed on the ground, took a wary step forward. He flinched as Kwan hissed and bared his fangs in warning, but determinedly held to his course. Kang was unarmed, having left his staff propped up against the wall well out of easy reach. ¡°Kang speak?¡± He asked respectfully and with no small measure of fear.


    ¡°Speak,¡± I agreed, motioning for him to continue. No doubt, he wanted to join his people, or at least check on them to guarantee their fair treatment.


    Kang shifted nervously and made several sounds that I initially mistook for words but were just gibberish generated by his extreme nervousness. Similar to how the Gnolls would giggle when stressed, anxious or overly excited. ¡°Tyrant promise Kang. Promise Kang people safe,¡± Kang stated with notable uncertainty.


    ¡°I did,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Assuming they have not turned upon one another in your absence, they are in no danger and no harm will have come to them.¡±


    Kang appeared relieved but was still nervous. ¡°Kang have more...More people.¡± He seemed to struggle with finding the right words and only grew more nervous from the delay.


    Reflecting upon events, I had to admit that I should have assumed as much from the beginning. ¡°Where are they?¡± I asked, suppressing the urge to groan as I rose to my feet.


    Kang furrowed his massive brow and remained silent for several long moments before pointing toward one of the nearby buildings. Or rather, he pointed in a direction that was obstructed by the buildings. ¡°No far,¡± Kang replied anxiously.


    ¡°You¡¯re worried the remnants of the Beast Tide will put them in danger?¡± I guessed, trying to make sense of his behaviour.


    Kang stiffly nodded. ¡°Kang afraid...Others weak...¡±


    ¡°Then why leave them unprotected?¡± I didn¡¯t expect an answer, so I wasn¡¯t disappointed when Kang failed to answer. Either he had thought they would be safe with the Beast Tide directing attention elsewhere, or he had left defenders behind but was not confident in their ability to hold against a concentrated attack.


    Already weakened by the prolonged conflict outside of the walls, I was in no rush to run headlong into more danger. Even assuming Kang¡¯s people would not be initially hostile, the surrounding area would be teaming with wild Beasts that had splintered from the broken Beast Tide.


    ¡°Lurr!¡± I called out in the direction of the breach and waited.


    Lurr came running almost immediately. ¡°My Tyrant?¡± He eyed Kang with unreserved suspicion and an imminent threat of violence.


    ¡°I need you to take my other champions and follow Kang to the home of his people. With the Beast Tide driven off, at least for the time being, he believes his people will be in danger,¡± I explained patiently. ¡°If feasible, have the others evacuate them through a Spatial Breach Spell. If not...Send someone back through a Breach and we will work something else out...¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Tyrant! I will do as commanded!¡± Lurr obediently set off to gather my champions.


    ¡°If harm comes to them, I will hold you responsible,¡± I promised, fixing Kang with a deadly stare.


    <Intimidation!> Kwan made another low dangerous hiss, leaning in close to Kang¡¯s face with his fangs bared and dripping with venom.


    Kang drooped his head lower in a show of submission. ¡°Kang...Understand...¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± <Enough.> I mentally rebuked Kwan, drawing him back and away from Kang.


    I issued my champions a Quest to reward them for their imminent undertaking and as a means to provide the Exp they otherwise might have earned if not fighting Beasts from the Cultivation system.


    I still found it strange that the Cultivation Beasts provided no Exp whatsoever. There was no reason I could think of that would explain it.


    While watching Kang¡¯s departure, I was approached by Yi Gim and several armoured men who appeared to be of a similar age. Despite a certain degree of ethnic blindness on my part, it was obvious that the new arrivals were not closely related to Yi Gim or one another. A considerably larger group of armed men trailed behind them at a respectful distance. Despite their efforts to appear otherwise, they appeared quite intimidated by the Ogres gathering around the buffet.


    ¡°Maneaters...¡± One of the men muttered a little too loudly, drawing the attention and ire of his seniors. Although each man appeared to have different reasons as justification.


    For his part, Yi Gim appeared profoundly offended on my behalf. Two of the men beside him seemed more concerned about how I would react. While the last looked downright terrified. Perhaps entertaining thoughts that I would prove the accusation true then and there, making an example of them.


    ¡°My sincerest apologies!¡± Yi Gim apologised and bowed low at the waist.


    The men beside him and their gathered retinues were quick to emulate the gesture.


    ¡°I accept your apology,¡± I replied calmly while making a point of frowning disapprovingly at the man who had made the remark. He wasn¡¯t to know, but the Ogres would probably eat him without a second thought if they were allowed the option. What I found interesting was the underlying cause of the remark. ¡°Why would you call them that?¡± I demanded, singling the man out with a dark stare.


    The men on either side of the accused discreetly distanced themselves.


    ¡°Apologies, Monarch! I intended no disrespect!¡± The man threw himself down onto his hands and knees in a panic.


    Yi Gim looked on with concern but said nothing.


    ¡°Then answer my question,¡± I demanded bluntly.


    He began trembling so badly that his banded armour began to jingle and rattle. ¡°Of course! Just as the Monarch desires!¡± He choked out fearfully. ¡°It is because our most honoured guests are-are...¡± He released a strangled gasp and collapsed.


    Yi Gim cleared his throat and took a half step forward, placing himself in front of the other men in a shielding gesture and drawing focus toward himself. ¡°It is because...they are Ogres...¡±


    The translations provided by the system were never perfect. However, watching Yi Gim¡¯s lips move and listening to what was said, It felt like a great deal was being lost in the translation. Like the translator was defaulting to words that were technically correct but missed the intended meaning.


    If I wasn¡¯t so surprised by the fact that they had all been able to identify the Ogres on sight, the translation would have bugged me a great deal more than it otherwise had.


    ¡°My subjects are not cannibals,¡± I stated bluntly while doing my best not to panic.


    The faces of the other men grew pale.


    It took me a moment to realise that what I had said might be misconstrued. I should have included myself in the statement to avoid such confusion.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Yi Gim agreed, bowing his head respectfully. ¡°For suggesting otherwise, we again offer our most sincere apologies!¡± He led them in another deep bow at the waist.


    ¡°For the sake of our continued cooperation, it is forgiven,¡± I replied, still fighting to lower my heart rate and think of a way to broach the subject from a less aggressive avenue.


    ¡°Thank you for your patience,¡± Yi Gim bowed his head once more and then adopted a more neutral stance as he stepped aside. ¡°Prominent authorities from within the city have gathered to pay their respects and give thanks for coming to our aid,¡± Yi Gim explained, motioning to the three old men beside him.


    The men bowed low again and the eldest among them stepped forward. Unlike the others, he wore only a breastplate and open-faced helmet over short blue and green robes, and despite his age, he moved with a fluid grace.


    ¡°I am Seon Hyun-Ki, Grand Elder of the Still Waters sect. It is an honour to have fought alongside such a formidable ally.¡± Seon Hyun-Ki bowed respectfully and stepped aside, standing opposite Yi Gim. The two men appeared to hold one another in high esteem. So I could only assume Hyun-Ki was a reasonably loyal subordinate or subject.


    The next man to step forward was mostly hidden beneath his cyan armour, making it difficult to take note of any distinguishing features. Despite his earlier fears, he appeared to have received a sudden boost in confidence. ¡°Greetings most esteemed Monarch! I am Ji Daesung! An elder in good standing of the Suwon clan! It is a great honour to have made the acquaintance of such an accomplished warrior!¡±


    Yi Gim scowled ever so slightly before regaining control over himself and concealing his distress.


    ¡°Please, if the most esteemed Monarch ever requires anything. Know that my Suwon clan is at the Tyrant¡¯s service!¡± Ji Daesung insisted eagerly.


    More than capable of recognising when someone was buttering me up for a favour, I wasn¡¯t impressed.


    The third and final man frowned impatiently and dryly cleared his throat to signal for Ji Daesung to move along. As if to taunt the man, Ji Daesung slowly bowed at the waist and held the pose for several long seconds before finally stepping aside.


    ¡°Heavens¡¯ blessings upon you Monarch for your timely intervention,¡± the third man made a modest bow and then removed his helmet. The right side of his face, scalp and neck were a ruin of scar tissue. A pale green jade prosthetic eye rested in his right eye socket. The fake eye bore a host of small scripts in place of the iris and a larger singular character in place of the pupil. ¡°I am Do Jung and have the honour of holding the post of Supreme Commander of Monarch Yi¡¯s forces within this city.¡± He bowed again, this time to Yi Gim, before returning his focus to me again. ¡°As a grandfather, father and uncle, I offer my sincerest thanks for your timely arrival and intervention!¡± Do Jung clasped his fists tightly and bowed low.


    Several men amongst the troupe of retainers did the same. Whether they were his relatives or subordinates was unclear, but the sentiment appeared genuine.


    I inclined my head as a show of graciously accepting the gesture.


    Three members of the combined retinues, including the man who had given cause for the original apology, fell back several steps in a panic and reached for their weapons. Earning castigating glares from their masters.


    To be fair, even sitting down, I was twice the height of the tallest man present, and the discussion of cannibalism was almost certainly still circulating within their minds. I was large enough that biting a man in two was not outside the realm of possibilities. Assuming, of course, that I ever had cause to do so.


    However, now that I had the opportunity to pay more attention to them. Those who had reacted the most poorly appeared to bear identifying markings on their armour matching that worn by Ji Daesung. Which would explain why he seemed to be taking their reaction the most poorly.


    ¡°The rhythm of the drums changed,¡± I commented conversationally to Yi Gim. ¡°Is that a signal that the danger is less severe?¡±


    Visibly relieved by the excuse to change subjects, Yi Gim nodded gracefully in agreement. ¡°Indeed it is. Until we are certain that the danger has passed, the drums will continue. However, as you have noticed, the rhythm and intensity announce our expectations to all within the city so they may react and prepare accordingly.¡±


    While it wasn¡¯t as direct as issuing Quests might be, it certainly had the advantage that it didn¡¯t require literacy to achieve the desired results.


    An intense burst of Chi abruptly drew not only my attention but also the attention of everyone present.


    ¡°WHERE IS HE?!!! WHERE IS THE BASTARD WHO MURDERED MY SON?!!!¡± A grief-stricken voice demanded. ¡°SURRENDER HIM NOW AND I WILL MAKE YOUR DEATHS QUICK!!!¡±


    ¡°This is?...¡± Do Jung shared an anxious glance with Seon Hyun-Ki and Yi Gim. The tone in his voice suggested that he knew who the voice belonged to but was hoping he was wrong.


    ¡°Hong Lei...¡± Yi Gim confirmed grimly, ¡°Grand elder of the Hong clan...¡±


    Perfectly capable of seeing where things were headed, I slowly rose to my feet and began to stretch.


    ¡°No, this is my responsibility,¡± Yi Gim insisted. ¡°I owe you too much already. Please, allow me to settle this matter.¡±


    ¡°If you insist...¡± I shrugged in a show of indifference.


    After everything that had happened, I assumed Yi Gim probably wanted to make the most of the opportunity to remind his subjects of his strength.


    Before he could leave, I withdrew an ornate crimson jade cutlass from my Storage Ring and offered it to Yi Gim. ¡°This was meant to be a gift,¡± I lied.


    Ochram had made dozens of such weapons, experimenting with the means of developing weapons for use by the Cultivators among my subjects. The Spiritual Jade of the blade could serve as a battery, providing an external source of Chi that could be drawn upon during battle. A small energy gathering Formation running down the length of the blade would, hypothetically, allow the sword to regenerate its reserves independently of the owner over time.


    It was an early effort, to be certain. However, the Empowered Spell that strengthened the blade was my primary cause for offering up the weapon. I had taken several risks saving Yi Gim¡¯s life and safeguarding his position. The last thing I wanted was for him to be cut down in an honour duel.


    Armour would have been better, but I had nothing on hand that wouldn¡¯t clash with his cultural aesthetic. A weapon could be explained away easily enough. Armour was far more difficult to explain, and would only invite further speculations regarding his personal competency.


    Or at least, those were my thoughts behind limiting myself to the cutlass.


    ¡°I...This...¡± Yi Gim slowly shook his head but was unable to take his eyes off the sword. ¡°It is too much...¡± He breathed, grimacing as if the words caused him immense pain. ¡°I cannot accept this...¡±


    ¡°I insist,¡± I tilted my fingers and dropped the cutlass.


    As I had hoped, Yi Gim¡¯s awe of the sword compelled him to snatch it from the air before it had a chance to fall against the dirt in the street.


    ¡°It is an early effort by my refinement specialist,¡± I explained, partially for the outsiders¡¯ benefit and to raise Yi Gim¡¯s prestige. ¡°I am not familiar with such weapons, and it is many times too small for me besides. You would be doing me a favour in testing its strength on my behalf.¡±


    Yi Gim glanced discreetly toward Seon Hyun-Ki, Ji Daesung and Do Jung. ¡°If it is the sincerest wish of my trusted ally, how can I refuse?¡± He bowed, balancing the blade of the sword on both palms. ¡°Thank you for your gift.¡± Conjuring a scabbard from his Storage Ring, Yi Gim sheathed the cutlass and affixed it to his waist. With a final curt nod of thanks and one hand on the hilt of the cutlass, he marched off toward the breach in the wall.


    Seon Hyun-Ki, Ji Daesung and Do Jung made small bows, politely excusing themselves before leading their retinues after Yi Gim.


    Despite my initial intentions to remain uninvolved, the incoherent shouting from beyond the wall and the clash of steel became too much to ignore.


    Rising to my feet, I began making my way toward the breach.


    A scraping sound at my back gave me pause. Looking over my shoulder, I found one of the Ogres carrying my machete. On the smaller side, even for the wild Ogres, the awkward length and weight of the machete resulted in the tip of its spine dragging across the ground.


    ¡°F-For Tyrant!¡± The small Ogre, Mud, insisted with a nervous stutter, jostling the machete in his arms excitedly to show his eagerness to obey.


    It occurred to me that I must have lost track of the weapon at some point during the battle.


    Created from the Empowered Shape Stone Spell, the machete was impervious to mundane sources of damage. Its short trip across the street pavers had left shallow scars in the stones and mortar. Given the state of the surrounding streets and the wall looming ahead, the damage was negligible.


    ¡°You retrieved this from the battlefield?¡± I asked, taking my time to enunciate each syllable clearly. The Ogres were not particularly bright, and if I wanted an accurate answer I needed to make sure I wasn¡¯t being misunderstood.


    Mud nodded his head vigorously, causing the tip of the machete¡¯s spine to clatter against the street. ¡°Mud do!¡± The little Ogre confirmed eagerly.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hand it over sooner?¡± I pressed, curious to hear the reasoning behind carrying the machete around instead of returning it.


    Mud¡¯s brow devolved into a mass of thick wrinkles as he considered the question. After several long moments of silence, he appeared to have arrived at his answer. ¡°Sarge say-¡± Mud cleared his throat and stood a little taller by straightening his back, ¡°-No talk when Sarge talk! Do things Sarge say! Mud talk, Mud hit!¡± He spoke with an almost cartoonish quality, imitating the larger Ogre Sergeants, who were in turn imitating their human drill instructors. Mud beamed with pride and cast a wary eye at one of the nearby Sergeants, who gave Mud a calculating glare in return.


    No doubt, if I wasn¡¯t present, Mud would likely have received a beating or some other form of punishment. Unless I was misreading their intent, which was entirely possible. While Ogre expressions were about as subtle as Orcs, certain cultural differences ran contrary to what my Western sensibilities and social conditioning expected.


    ¡°So you were waiting until you had a chance to speak with me alone?¡± I guessed, trying to keep things simple.


    Mud nodded.


    Credit where it was due, he had taken his original orders and expanded upon them in a way I hadn¡¯t expected. Assuming I was giving credit to the right motivations.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± I ordered and continued toward the breach.


    Mud giggled and guffawed with happiness as he began jogging to keep pace, causing the machete to clatter against the street in a weird musical accompaniment.


    Ogres up and down the road stopped their gorging and stared at Mud with envy. Which was fair enough. However, it was the glares of the Sergeants that made me realise I had made a mistake.


    I had just made Mud a target.


    Until this moment, the Ogres had a simple hierarchy. The largest were the ones in charge and were given the greatest privileges.


    Glancing over my shoulder, it quickly became clear that Mud hadn¡¯t noticed.


    I ¡®could¡¯ order the Ogres to leave Mud alone, but I had experienced enough bullying on Earth to know that such orders would only make things worse. I wouldn¡¯t be able to think of every potential means of harassment, and the more I sheltered him, the worse it would get.


    The only real option at this point was to remove him from their influence outright. Which would almost certainly make things just as bad if he was ever to return to the ranks.


    Short of knocking Mud down, publicly humiliating him and setting him firmly back in his place, keeping him in my immediate vicinity would be the best means of protecting him.


    ¡°ENOUGH!!!¡± The same voice from before howled in rage.


    Passing through the breach, I found Yi Gim exchanging lightning-fast sword strikes with an old man with long white hair and flowing crimson robes.


    Seon Hyun-Ki, Ji Daesung and Do Jung were similarly engaged against four men wearing the same robes with the addition of breastplates and helmets.


    ¡°YOU WILL SURRENDER HIM TO ME!!!¡± The old man in crimson robes roared, brandishing a large ruby in his left fist. ¡°SURRENDER HIM NOW!!! OR I WILL DESTROY YOUR ENTIRE REALM!!!¡±


    The ruby pulsed with an internal light, sending waves of powerful energy flooding in all directions. Golden script encircled the ruby and trailed up the old man¡¯s arm before dissipating in the wind.


    As if sensing my presence, the old man turned away from Yi Gim and stared back at me with absolute hatred burning in his dark sunken eyes. ¡°YOU!!! YOU TOOK MY SON FROM ME!!!¡± He howled with rage. ¡°NOW I WILL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU!!!¡± He clenched his fist around the ruby.


    For a moment, there was absolute silence.


    Yi Gim and the other Cultivators, including those on the side of the enemy, leapt backwards dozens of feet in a single bound, anticipating danger.


    Translucent cracks spread across the sky and small pieces began raining down like shards of a broken mirror, revealing an inky black void beyond.


    Large clawed crimson fingers reached out from the void, anchoring into the edges of the sky bordering the void and sending new cracks emanating outward as whatever lay within attempted to draw itself out.


    Blood streaming from the cuts made by the shattered ruby in his hand, the old man howled with demented laughter. ¡°A TREASURE EVEN MONARCHS FEAR!!!¡±


    A dark crimson face with shark-like teeth appeared within the void and began to descend slowly.


    ¡°BEAR WITNESS TO ABSOLUTE DESTRUCTION!!!¡± The old man screamed, his face twisted in a deranged smile. ¡°FACE YOUR END AT THE CLAWS OF A DEMON LORD!!!¡±


    The creature within the void opened its mouth, causing the air to ripple like water. No sound passed its lips. Instead, the distortions carried a wave of absolute silence in its wake.


    Kwan¡¯s consciousness shook my own before abruptly all but cutting off our connection.


    Pain erupted within my head, causing me to stagger and nearly fall. Crimson blotches appeared in the corners of my eyes and I could feel the blood beginning to well within my ears.


    The creature¡¯s gaze drifted, its serpentine eyes settling on me. Thick bloody tears fell from its eyes and struck what I could only assume was some form of invisible barrier at the mouth of the void. Despite its tears, the creature¡¯s mouth twisted into a wide tooth filled smile.


    Something tried to enter my mind but recoiled before it could bring more than a token degree of pressure to bear.


    The creature¡¯s smile faltered, its eyes narrowing with uncertainty.


    The probing touch came again and retreated just as quickly as before.


    The creature¡¯s gaze shifted behind me and it appeared to have regained its confidence.


    I felt the pressure on my mind for a third time. This time via proxy.


    The creature¡¯s face recoiled and it looked toward the walls.


    Fleeting applications of pressure made it obvious that the creature was targeting more of my subordinates. Most likely hoping to find someone with low Willpower. Unfortunately for it, all of those challenges were defaulted back to me.


    Realising its dilemma, the creature changed targets yet again.


    The old man¡¯s laughter abruptly turned to screams of pain and terror.


    Sinews and muscles ran like water as bones broke themselves apart over and over again, twisting and bending as they took on new forms.


    Having witnessed as much each time I transformed before a reflective surface, I continued watching with a wary eye while evaluating my options.


    The smartest move would be employing the Banishment Spell. The creature¡¯s arrival and blatant act of Possession made it the exact target the Spell was made for. However, there was a problem. The creature within the void had not disappeared or changed locations. It was still up there, slowly drawing itself closer and eroding the edges of what I could only assume was its prison.


    Leaving it in two places at once.


    As I continued watching, I became aware of my mistake. A nearly imperceptible stream of ephemeral crimson energy was flowing out from the creature and was entering the old man¡¯s broken and misshapen flesh. Fueling his continued transformation.


    Left with the uncertainty of how much MP would be needed to Banish the creature, I decided to err on the side of caution and withdrew a barrel of Mana Potion from my Storage Ring. Hesitating for only a moment longer, I downed the discoloured brew in one large gulp.


    Ignoring the burning sensation of the alcohol, I could feel the new MP beginning to circulate through my body. Gathering that MP I set my focus on the creature within the void and prepared to cast my Spell.


    ¡°Wait...¡± The ruined remains of the old man raised a misshapen hand.


    The space between us evaporated in an instant, leaving only a handful of feet between us.


    ¡°We...can...negotiate...¡± The twisted thing wheezed.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied confidently. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can.¡± The thing had attacked me at the first opportunity it got. Then, if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, it tried to do the same with my subordinates and subjects.


    Nearly twice the old man¡¯s original height, the thing wearing the old man¡¯s skin stared back at me from behind milky white eyes. ¡°This...is...unwise...¡± It warned in a dry rasping voice. Its neck popped, crackled and crunched as it turned to face Mud. ¡°The...weak...will...suffer...¡± It threatened with a grin, revealing a mouth full of broken teeth and bloody ruin.


    That was enough.


    Without giving further warning, I conjured a stone spear from my Storage Ring and drove it through the chest of the old man¡¯s broken body. ¡°Banishment!¡± I growled, twisting the shaft of the spear and hooking the anchoring spikes into its stolen flesh.


    Right away, I could tell that the MP I had on hand wouldn¡¯t be enough. Worse, I might not have enough HP to maintain the attempt through Sorcery either.


    Unable to stop the Spell, I only had two options. I could ride it out and hope for the best.


    Or...I could take another risk...


    Faced with the prospect of losing HP either way, I decided to Empower the Spell with my blood.


    Ignoring the pain, I conjured Healing and Mana Potions from my Storage Ring and downed them in rapid succession using ym free hand. After exhausting my limited supplies, I began gorging myself on my emergency provisions, ripping and tearing through meat, gizzards and bone in a near-frenzied state.


    Even with these measures, my MP and HP continued to drop.


    The broken body of the old man bucked and flailed its limbs around with spastic abandon as if it was being electrocuted on a Saturday morning cartoon. However, the thing sheltering inside of it showed no signs that it was being driven out.


    Making matters worse, the thing seemed to be growing stronger, drawing in more of its power at a vastly accelerated rate.


    Without warning, one of the old man¡¯s twisted arms seized the spear shaft. A half a second later, claw-like fingers on its other hand swiped at my left hand. The fingers and sharpened nails shattered on impact with my gauntlet but reformed themselves in close to a fraction of a second afterwards.


    ¡°No...¡± The thing wheezed with the same deflated and understated voice. ¡°Stop...this...¡± It seized the shaft of the spear with both hands. However, instead of attempting to draw itself closer to try and strike at my exposed face, it tried to dislodge itself from the spikes, barbs and crossguard.


    Quickly overcoming my surprise, I changed my grip on the spear and drove the head of the spear down into the ground, staking the creature in place. Now, if it wanted to free itself, it would need to draw itself over the entire spear shaft to escape. A feat that would be made all the more difficult with my right foot driving down on its pelvis.


    ¡°Stop...¡± The thing wheezed. ¡°Anything...Name it...¡±


    I glanced up toward the creature in the sky and was relieved to find that it appeared to be in a similar state of distress to its puppet. Instead of drawing itself closer, it seemed to be trying to push itself away, although to little avail. It had also grown noticeably smaller, having lost what I guessed was close to a fifth of its original size.


    ¡°Submit.¡± The demand slipped out of my mouth before I even realised what I had said.


    ¡°Submission...¡± The thing wearing the old man¡¯s skin croaked pitiably. ¡°No...Never...again...¡±


    I twisted the spear and increased the pressure on the thing¡¯s abdomen. All the while ignoring the disgusting sensation of the bloated organs and ropes of muscles moving beneath my foot.


    I shrugged indifferently. I hadn¡¯t intended to make the offer in the first place and was under no compulsion to argue the matter. The old man had claimed the thing in the sky was a Demon Lord, and I had no reason to willingly take on such a headache when I was on the verge of being rid of it.


    Or was I?


    Setting aside my emotions and taking a few moments to concentrate, I realised that I had been operating under a potentially dangerous misunderstanding. The Demon Lord was not being Banished at all, it was being imprisoned and bound within my spear.


    Like an embalming machine connected to a corpse, the Spell was draining the Demon Lord¡¯s energy through its puppet proxy. Contrary to appearances, the form looming in the sky was not a physical presence, but one made of energy. Meaning, the Demon Lord¡¯s mind was being transferred alongside its power.


    The puppet¡¯s current boost in strength was due to the Demon Lord¡¯s resistance and a testament to its will. Somehow drawing energy away and empowering its puppet before the energy could enter the spear.


    Sensing movement in my peripheral vision, I found Yi Gim staggering in my direction. He had cast off his helmet and had dark crimson trails of blood running from the corners of his eyes and from his ears. Jade cutlass in hand, he pressed determinedly onward, his gaze firmly locked on the flailing flesh puppet pinned on my spear.


    Adjusting my grip, I held up one hand to signal for him to stop. My eardrums had already repaired themselves, but I had no way of knowing if Yi Gim would recover nearly as quickly.


    Yi Gim stared back at me for several long tense moments before slowly nodding his head in agreement. He then motioned to his ears and shook his head, perhaps guessing at my train of thought.


    With my MP in a state of freefall and his communication token compromised or otherwise destroyed, we had no choice but to trust one another.


    Creating a temporary energy-gathering formation centred on myself, I did my best to cycle my Chi and draw the traces of mana from the surroundings. However, the violent and desperate thrashing of the Demon Lord¡¯s puppet made it difficult to maintain a decent level of concentration. Which directly impacted the amount of mana I could gather.


    Mud appeared in my peripheral vision, wobbling unsteadily on his feet and with my machete raised above his head. With a savage snarl, Mud brought the blade of the machete down with all the force he could muster, cleaving through the puppet¡¯s right arm.


    The puppet shrieked in pain or fury. The amputated arm withered at an impossibly fast rate, the gnarled fingers curling and drawing tight into the palm like a grotesque spider.


    Mud roared back at the puppet and heaved, raising the machete for another strike.


    ¡°Wait!...Wait!...¡± The puppet rasped, but Mud was indifferent to its pleas, having been deafened like nearly everyone else.


    The machete fell a second time, shearing off the puppet¡¯s right leg at the knee. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just the same as the arm, once removed from the puppet¡¯s body, the leg withered and its retracting tendons caused the amputated limb to briefly spasm in the dirt.


    Mud nodded grimly to himself and raised the machete for a third time, lining up the blade with the puppet¡¯s right hip.


    ¡°No!...¡± The puppet hissed, abandoning its assault on the spear and raising its left arm as if to try and ward off the imminent attack.


    Mud ignored it, bringing down the machete for a third time. However, his aim proved poor and the blade fell hard against the puppet¡¯s right thigh, breaking the bone and hacking a curving slice into the flesh, but leaving the remaining portion of the limb attached.


    If I wasn¡¯t protected by my stone-plated boots, I would have taken the botched amputation far more seriously.


    Mud scowled and yanked the machete free for another try.


    ¡°Mercy!...¡± The puppet gasped, losing its left hand and half the left forearm as Mud lost his balance and the machete fell across the puppet¡¯s chest.


    Casting a glance skyward, I felt a surge of relief upon discovering the Demon Lord¡¯s body had shrunk to the dimensions of an average human. Assuming the size of the Demon Lord¡¯s body was relative to its remaining energy, I was on track to complete the Empowered Banishment and still have just over half my HP to spare.


    Perhaps recognising its final chance to negotiate was at hand, the puppet raised its head and stared up at me with its empty white eyes. ¡°Parley?!...¡± It wheezed pitiably, flinching as Mud prepared for another strike.


    ¡°Submission, or eternal imprisonment,¡± I replied grimly, motioning for Mud to wait a moment. If I had to, I would have no problems burying the spear beneath a mountain in an isolated territory and throwing away the proverbial key. As an unknown that presented a host of potential dangers, I was inclined to rescind the offer and just be done with it.


    The puppet¡¯s head rolled back lifelessly against the dirt and a corrupted notification appeared before my eyes and was followed by several more before an uncorrupted notification took their place announcing the Demon Lord¡¯s recruitment.


    Just as the old man had claimed, the creature now residing within my spear was, in fact, a Demon Lord. While interesting, the Species was far less interesting than the accompanying title.


    Purge Operative {Tier One}.


    As disturbing as the body of the title was, the implications of the tiered rankings were far more unsettling. A fact that was made worse with the understanding that the Demon Lord was almost certainly one of the ¡®heavenly forces¡¯ that had driven Yi Gim and the other Monarch Cultivators from their previous world.


    Suppressing the urge to panic, I was now incredibly thankful that I had decided to Empower the Banishment Spell. If I hadn¡¯t there was no telling what might have happened. For all I knew, Banishing the Demon Lord would have returned him to his kind and potentially opened the door to future reprisal.


    Ambushing an unprepared enemy was one thing. Surviving an ambush in turn was another thing entirely. A lesson I had learned only too well.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 81 – Name your enemy – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 81 ¨C Name your enemy ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 81 - Name your enemy - Part Two


    I could feel the Demon Lord trapped inside of the spear trying to work its way free. Fighting against the binding of the Empowered Banishment Spell in a fit of fury, desperation, and to my immense surprise, fear.


    While the Demon Lord was technically my subordinate, it had not sworn any Oaths as a guarantee of good behaviour. As such, I was quite content with leaving it within the spear until such a time that I was confident I could engage it from a position of overwhelming advantage.


    While I was preoccupied, the enemy Cultivators attempted to flee. However, deafened as they were, they failed to notice Yi Gim chasing behind them until it was too late.


    Free to pick them off one by one, Yi Gim ruthlessly cut them down from behind. Making a point to cripple each man by severing their spine before moving on to the next. Once all four Cultivators were disabled, Yi Gim drove the crimson jade cutlass through each man¡¯s abdomen, destroying their Cultivation.


    Stripping their belongings with the use of his Storage Ring, Yi Gim stared grimly into the faces of the traitors as they expired from their injuries.


    After the last traitor drew their final breath, Yi Gim began consuming medicinal items from his Storage Ring.


    Feeling guilty about Mud¡¯s sorry state, I used a small amount of my HP to flash burn a Beast¡¯s corpse with Sorcery and the Fire Lance Spell. My hunger drove me to repeat the process several more times.


    With the Demon Lord ¡®gone¡¯, Kwan had left his hiding place and had resumed gorging on the field of corpses.


    ¡°You defeated a Demon Lord...¡± Preoccupied with sating my hunger, Yi Gim¡¯s observation caught me by surprise. ¡°You defeated it...On your own...¡± He stared at me with a look I had known only too well back on Earth. It was the same way people would look at a feral dog. A potential threat that might be set off by a slight misstep or harsh word. ¡°It¡¯s impossible...¡± Yi Gim slowly shook his head, taking a moment to stare up at the sky where the void had occupied minutes before. ¡°But I saw it with my own eyes...I saw you defeat it...¡± He looked down at his hands, at the crimson cutlass I had gifted him. ¡°Why? Why did you spare my life?¡± Yi Gim asked quietly. ¡°You had such power all along...So why?...¡±


    ¡°You apologised,¡± I replied honestly.


    Yi Gim stared back at me impassively, but I could see the doubt in his eyes.


    ¡°You knew I had certain advantages,¡± I recalled, thinking back on our first meeting during the Supremacy Challenge. ¡°An underestimation, to be sure,¡± I conceded. ¡°However, I probably didn¡¯t register as being a true threat. Not to you.¡±


    Yi Gim nodded faintly in agreement and waited.


    ¡°You chose the pursuit of peace anyway.¡± I raised a hand to forestall the expected response. ¡°I know you were looking out for your subordinates, but that¡¯s a part of it as well...I don¡¯t know how I would have acted in your place...¡± I admitted candidly. ¡°But I¡¯d like to think I would have had the courage to do the same...¡±


    Yi Gim nodded again, his expression softening. ¡°Territory can be replaced. Those we love...¡± He looked over at the twisted remains of the old man. ¡°Only a fool would place a price on their lives...¡±


    I nodded in agreement. If it meant protecting my children, I would resort to just about anything. If something were to happen to them...


    ¡°The assassins...they might return,¡± I commented, redirecting the conversation slightly. ¡°What do you intend to do?¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s face fell slightly and he turned to regard his city with a critical eye. ¡°I¡¯m not sure there is much I ¡®can¡¯ do,¡± he replied candidly. ¡°I lost many retainers in the ambush...Good men and women who have been loyal to my family for generations...¡± His fists trembled with anger but there was a weariness in his eyes as well. ¡°Recruiting and training replacements will take time, time and money that is needed to pay for repairs to the city...¡± Yi Gim relaxed his hands, closed his eyes and took a slow calming breath. ¡°If your intent was to offer temporary replacements, I must sadly decline. After all that has happened, such open reliance on an external force would only sow seeds for further chaos.¡±


    ¡°I am aware, which is why I would not have made that offer,¡± I agreed.


    Yi Gim appeared surprised and furrowed his brow as he considered ulterior intentions.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to offer shelter to your family while you resolve issues within your realm,¡± I explained somewhat reservedly. ¡°Assuming they are willing to take the appropriate Oaths to guarantee good behaviour, I would make the same.¡± Reciprocating the Oath wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Anywhere they would be permitted to go, the local populace would be bound by similar Oaths guaranteeing good behaviour.


    Yi Gim was so surprised that he nearly dropped the cutlass in his right hand. Resting his left hand on his brow, he dipped his head and stared at the cutlass. ¡°What did I do in a past life to deserve such favour from the heavens?...¡± He whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to extend that offer to your key allies and subordinates as well,¡± I added, pretending not to have heard what he said. ¡°At the very least, that should help lighten the load in regards to your security. As for resources...¡± I suppressed my misgivings and focused on the potential gains. ¡°We could also use this as an opportunity to begin our previously discussed trade arrangements.¡±


    We had discussed the possibility of establishing a formal trade route between our realms during a previous encounter. I figured if I was taking in outsiders long term, now would be as good a time as any to take the plunge. Besides, any merchants operating within my realm would have to submit to the same Oaths, and a few others besides, to guarantee their good behaviour.


    ¡°If I had not witnessed events myself, I would fear alternative motives,¡± Yi Gim admitted. ¡°However, what use are hostages for a man that could simply take all he wanted regardless?¡± He smiled wryly and stared toward the city again. ¡°I do not doubt your intentions...However, I will need some time to settle my mind and discuss matters with my family.¡±


    I had expected as much and nodded. ¡°We will need to resolve our communications issue before I leave,¡± I cautioned, withdrawing the communication talisman from my Storage Ring and presenting it to Yi Gim for clarity.


    Yi Gim snorted softly and smiled. ¡°In all the confusion, it slipped my mind. I will see that it is resolved within the hour,¡± he promised. Offering a small bow, he began making his way back to the city.


    Ji Daesung and his subordinates cast terrified glances over their shoulders as they hurried to fall in line behind Yi Gim.


    Seon Hyun-Ki and Do Jung¡¯s subordinates were similarly frightened but the men themselves spared a moment to bow respectfully before taking their leave.


    Allowing the procession to return to the city first, I returned to roasting Beast meat with magical fire. After a few minutes of doing so, and with little else occupying my thoughts, it occurred to me that I could simply use my Fire Affinity to maintain a flame independently of my magic.


    Sure enough, early experimentation confirmed that I could not only move the flames via pyrokinesis but also substitute Chi for a physical fuel source. Experimenting further, I was surprised to find that I could spontaneously generate fire at a small cost in Chi as well.


    Considering the results while sating my appetite, I realised that I should have suspected as much from the beginning. After all, I had spontaneously generated small arcs of electricity over my body in the past, and generating flames was little different, at least in theory.


    The possibilities of combining Affinities proved distracting to the point that I nearly rendered a whole shank of Beast inedible. However, despite the lump of meat being just a few seconds shy of charcoal, Mud didn¡¯t appear to mind. An otherwise unsurprising discovery given the Ogres seemed perfectly content to eat everything raw if left to their own devices.


    Returning to the city sometime later, I found teams of soldiers and civilians had begun leaving the city through one of the gates. They were loading the Beast carcasses onto wagons and carts which were, in turn, being sent back into the city.


    I had no idea how much the meat, hides and other materials would be worth, but I doubted it would cover the cost of the Arrays and Formations destroyed in the attack. Otherwise, Yi Gim¡¯s initial outlook for the city wouldn¡¯t have been so grim.


    Repairing the wall, the physical structure itself, was a simple matter and took me only a few seconds of effort.


    Sending the relief force back to my realm was more or less the same process as I had used for their arrival, only in reverse. The withdrawal was undertaken in phases to ensure order was maintained throughout and no one was left behind.


    Of course, certain supplies and materials were left behind anyway. Deemed expendable or too cumbersome to transport through the use of the Beacons. Mostly consisting of soiled fabrics and empty wooden storage containers, I was confident the less well-off locals would recycle and repurpose the materials within short order once they returned.


    For my part, I withdrew to the grounds of Yi Gim¡¯s estate alongside Kwan, Mud and my Bodyguards.


    To my surprise, the ¡®temporary¡¯ Formation I had raised to protect the pagoda was still in effect. I had originally expected the Ability to last minutes or up to an hour. However, at its current rate of deterioration, it seemed likely that it would last up to twelve or more hours longer before failing outright. The deterioration that had taken place already had reduced the overall efficiency of the Chi drawing effect, but the minimal effort it had taken to create it was more than a fair tradeoff.


    Meditating alongside Kwan within the Formation, I became aware of new subjects being taken under my authority. After taking a moment to investigate, I confirmed that they were Kang''s people and had been recruited to his Faction.


    Assuming that one of my champions had insisted upon recruitment before transportation was permitted, I decided to spend a small amount of MP to remotely view their location and take a look for myself.


    Selecting Randle as my target, I took a deep calming breath and shifted my perspective.


    Randle was standing in the clearing of a dense bamboo forest, his armour spattered with fresh blood.


    Two anthropomorphic tigers lay at his feet, blood trailing from their mouths. They wore nothing besides a breechcloth and didn¡¯t appear to have carried any weapons. However, the hooked claws on the ends of their toes and fingers left them far from defenceless. The same could be said for their teeth if Randle hadn¡¯t broken most of them.


    The stillness of the tigermen made it clear that they were dead but Randle was still on his guard, watching the surrounding forest with intense focus.


    ¡°The natives are involved in some form of a feud, Majesty,¡± Randle explained quietly, made aware of my presence through the Ability. ¡°These strange Felids began attacking the settlement sometime after the Faction Leader left with their elite forces. Losses have been minimal, but some don¡¯t want to leave without exacting some form of retribution first.¡±


    [ How many? ] I asked, writing the words in the soil with the Shape Earth Spell.


    Randle frowned and considered the question for several moments, all the while scanning the surrounding forest for signs of the tigermen. ¡°Those who won¡¯t leave? Maybe a couple of hundred?¡± He guessed with surprising glibness. ¡°There are far more civilians than we had expected. The count was well over a couple of thousand when I left and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth counting them all right now...As for these Felids? It¡¯s uncertain...It¡¯s been difficult to get actionable numbers from the Faction Leader, but we think the two groups are probably similar in overall size...Which would put their potential numbers in the tens of thousands...¡±


    It took me a few moments to process the scale of what we were dealing with.


    [ 10000+ ? ] I wrote, wanting to make sure I hadn¡¯t misunderstood or misheard what he had said.


    Randle nodded grimly. ¡°Jayne was raising the subject of making contact just a short while ago. Trask and I volunteered to bait out the Felid skirmishers to take some pressure off the settlement, so I don¡¯t know what they have decided.¡±


    [ Take care. Remain vigilant. ] Although cliche, I couldn¡¯t think of any other advice to leave for him.


    Cancelling the connection, I shifted to Jayne¡¯s perspective.


    Jayne was standing atop a crumbling moss-covered tower, affording both her and now myself, a prime vantage point of the overgrown city beneath her.


    Many of the buildings within the city were in a state of partial collapse, shored up with crude repairs made from materials sourced from the forest encroaching upon the city''s boundaries. A small number bore similarly crude additions which more often than not combined a second story between two or more buildings.


    Long thick ropes hung across every street and road, allowing the monkeys within the city to traverse their home without ever touching the ground.


    Even at a glance, it became immediately obvious that Randle''s estimate had been right. Thousands of monkeys, big and small, were gathered around the centre of the city, their chittering and whooping cries carrying on the wind and announcing their collective fear.


    Smaller packs of larger monkeys patrolled the ropeways of the city with their weapons drawn and ready. The city¡¯s original walls, or what remained of them, were abandoned outright. Instead, the defenders patrolled over stone and wooden barricades that were combined with the walls of adjacent buildings. Forming a second smaller settlement within the grounds of the city.


    Jayne was distracted and didn¡¯t appear to have noticed my presence. Following her line of sight, I quickly realised why.


    The forest was on fire.


    Thick plumes of smoke were rising from the forest beyond the northern wall and were multiplying with each passing moment. A clear sign that the fire was almost certainly being spread with malicious intent.


    Jayne leapt from the tower, creating a Spatial Breach in the open air. Falling through the Breach, she landed in the city centre, joining the two Orcs, Lurr and Brok, the Naga, Itzal, and her cousin, Faine.


    ¡°They have set fire to the forest!¡± Jayne shouted, raising her voice to make herself heard above the chaos.


    ¡°Cowards!¡± Brok snarled, earning a rumbling growl of agreement from Lurr.


    ¡°Why not do this earlier?!¡± Faine asked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here worth stealing! So they lose nothing by burning it down!¡±


    Itzal frowned but said nothing. Likely carrying a very different interpretation of what constituted as valuable due to her tribal origins. Judging by the looks on Brok and Lurr¡¯s faces, they appeared to carry the same opinion.


    ¡°We need to bring back Randle and Trask!¡± Jayne insisted.


    Brok and Lurr nodded in agreement and each set off in a different direction.


    ¡°What about his Majesty?!¡± Faine asked, cupping his hands around his mouth to better make himself heard above the cries of the monkeys overhead. ¡°There are way too many of them to evacuate on such short notice!¡±


    Jayne was about to speak but instead pointed to the wall beside them.


    [ I am here. ] I wrote on the wall, making myself known.


    ¡°What should we do, Majesty?!¡± Faine asked.


    I took a few moments to think before making my decision and writing it on the wall. [ Fetch Gric and Sebet. Others, evacuate with civilians. ] I issued a second Quest to that effect as well, announcing my intentions to those who were currently absent.


    Faine¡¯s expression soured but he quickly regained his composure. ¡°As your Majesty wills!¡± After sharing a brief glance with his cousin, Faine opened a Breach and returned to Sanctuary.


    The MP drain required to maintain the remote viewing wasn¡¯t high, but it was slowly reaching the point where I would be better off just traversing through a Breach outright. However, once Gric arrived, I would be able to communicate with them again anyway, except without the cost of MP. If I was needed, Gric or Sebet could pay the cost for the Breach.


    With those thoughts in mind, I was about to cancel the connection but stopped myself at the last moment as someone brushed against the periphery of my will.


    Seizing on their presence, I became engaged in a desperate but altogether one-sided battle of wills. Bearing down on my opponent''s mind, I was surprised to find that it was both familiar and foreign at the same time. Instincts dictated that the individual was a subordinate, identifying them as an Ogre. However, the mental presence of the stranger was utterly alien to what I could sense from Mud.


    It felt different. Different in the same sort of way as Eg. An Ogre, but also not an Ogre. Something less, and yet also more.


    Unable to bring my full will to bear through a proxy, it was all I could manage to keep the individual from fleeing.


    Driven by my curiosity, I opened a Spatial Breach and entered the overgrown city. Before I could command them otherwise, or close the Breach, Mud and Kwan passed through behind me, depleting a chunk of my MP that I had intended to hold in reserve.


    Despite my irritation, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to chastise Mud for acting on good intentions. Especially since I could feel those intentions radiating from his otherwise simple mind.


    Kwan was a different matter. I could feel his intentions as well and was far less impressed by his desire to sate his appetite and instil fear in new enemies.


    Cowing Kwan with a glare, I felt somewhat glad that I had chosen to open the Breach on the edge of the overgrown city rather than at its centre. No doubt, Kwan¡¯s sudden appearance would have only exacerbated the rising panic of the locals. Which was seemingly what he had intended given he was currently sulking and sneaking glances back toward the centre of the city while tasting the air.


    Making a note to discipline Kwan later, I turned my focus toward the stranger.


    Free to exert my will directly, the stranger¡¯s resistance collapsed almost immediately.


    I sent a mental command for the stranger to present themself to me. Compelling them toward my location.


    While waiting for the stranger to arrive, I had Kwan and Mud hide themselves in the nearby ruins.


    Sensing movement in the nearby bamboo, a hail of primitive spears announced that the stranger was not alone. However, I felt no other Ogres besides Mud and the stranger.


    The spears were thrown with such force that the stone heads and wooden shafts exploded on impact, sending shrapnel skittering and flying through the nearby city streets.


    The barrage of primitive projectiles continued for a few moments before abruptly coming to an end.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± A ragged voice from the forest snarled. ¡°Kill it! Or my brothers will flay your families alive!¡±


    Four tigermen rushed from the bamboo forest with claws and teeth bared. No larger than those I had seen when remotely viewing Randle, they looked to be about eight feet tall but it was hard to tell with them running on all fours.


    Mud planted his feet and began raising his machete while Kwan tensed in preparation to strike.


    ¡°No. I want them alive,¡± I commanded.


    Mud nodded obediently and dropped the machete. Hunkering down like an American football player, he charged and intercepted the lead tigerman, driving him to the ground with what sounded like bone-shattering force.


    Startled by Mud¡¯s sudden appearance, the two remaining tigermen were slow in shifting their attention toward the immediate threat. A mistake that allowed Kwan to strike from the shadows and immobilise them within his coils.


    ¡°Stay!¡± Mud barked firmly and gave the tigerman pinned beneath him a hard slap across the face, dislodging one of the tigerman¡¯s fangs.


    ¡°IDIOTS!¡± The voice called out in panic. ¡°INCOMPETENT PRIMITIVES!¡±


    A fourth, and much taller, tigerman stiffly stepped out of the forest.


    Unlike the others, the fourth tigerman wore banded armour and carried a large steel sword on his hip.


    Despite all appearances, he was also the stranger my Ability had identified as an Ogre.


    Confused, I spent a small amount of MP to cast the Keen Senses Spell. Looking more closely, I only became more confused. Besides the armour and his weapon, the fourth tigerman appeared no different than the others. Except he registered as an Ogre, and I had no idea why.


    In stark contrast to his earlier behaviour, the fourth tigerman had gone completely silent. We stared at one another in silence, each waiting for the other to speak.


    ¡°What are you?¡± I asked, leveraging my will to compel an answer.


    I felt the stranger¡¯s panic as he made a frantic attempt to break free of my will. ¡°Grk!¡± The stranger¡¯s body shook violently as I brought the full weight of my will to bear. ¡°GAH! Enough! I...I am H-Horangi!¡± The stranger gasped.


    ¡°And your name?¡± I pressed, realising I had no idea what a Horangi was.


    ¡°Yejun...¡± The stranger hissed reproachfully. ¡°My brothers will have your hide for this indignity!¡± He snarled.


    Despite the brave front, I could feel his terror. What was strange, was that I wasn¡¯t the primary source. The stranger, Yejun, seemed to be more afraid of his own siblings than he was of me.


    ¡°Why are you attacking these people?¡± I asked, shifting focus toward the greater issue rather than just indulging my curiosity.


    Yejun tried to marshal his will and put up a fresh resistance but caved almost immediately. ¡°Made...Made a deal with the humans!...¡± He groaned, trying and failing to hold the words back. ¡°Eliminate the primitives...In exchange...NO!¡± Yejun violently shook his head and tried to resist. ¡°They will know I told you! Stop! I can¡¯t!...¡± He cried out fearfully, raising his hands to try and cover his mouth.


    Any semblance of sympathy I may have felt had evaporated.


    ¡°In exchange for what?¡± I demanded coldly.


    ¡°Exchange...for...¡± Yejun began to jerk and twitch flooded with pain in response to bitterly contesting my will. ¡°N-No! I-I w-won¡¯t t-tell! Y-y-y-ou-w-w-w-urgh...¡± He collapsed to the ground, shuddering and shaking in the grips of a seizure.


    Even after mentally retracting the compulsion, Yejun¡¯s convulsions continued.


    Watching him thrash and spasm in the dirt, I felt nothing but disgust and anger. I had known him all of two or three minutes and was already convinced that his death was more than justified.


    ¡°You!¡± I pointed to the two tigermen, not caring which of them would answer. ¡°What humans was he talking about?! And what were they offering?!¡±


    The tigermen glanced at one another and came to a silent agreement between themselves.


    ¡°Humans look same. Uncertain...¡± One of the tigermen replied nervously. ¡°Humans say, kill monkey clan. Promise powerful treasure...¡± He looked to his companion and gulped nervously. ¡°We no want kill. Horangi force clan. Horangi kill children...Horangi...Horangi eat us...¡±


    Given Yejun¡¯s earlier outburst, I was inclined to believe him.


    ¡°Cannibals?...¡± Something clicked in my mind and I thought back to what one of the Cultivators had said. ¡°Man-eaters...¡± That was what the subordinate had called the Ogres.


    There was what Yi Gim had said as well. The weird translation that had just seemed off.


    Thinking of Yi Gim, something else clicked into place.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t his true appearance, is it?¡± I asked.


    The two tigermen shook their heads.


    I had appeared before Yi Gim in both my true form and in a human disguise. At the time, I had thought his authority as a Monarch identifying me was the reason he had been able to take things in stride.


    But what if it was something else? What if he believed that I wasn¡¯t just a Monarch? That I was something else? S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I pointed to Mud. ¡°These Horangi, do they look like him?¡±


    The tigermen nodded.


    Shapeshifters...


    Cannibal shapeshifters...


    Cannibal shapeshifters that were involved in a plot to assassinate a Monarch, my ally, and plunge his entire realm into chaos...


    Setting aside any consideration for what they may have demanded in payment, the civilians of Yi Gim¡¯s realm were now in incredible danger. With the Monarch¡¯s forces compromised, realm security would be weakened. Allowing the shapeshifters the opportunity to predate upon the population with a greatly reduced chance of being discovered.


    ¡°You said they have taken prisoners?...¡± I really didn¡¯t want to ask. Memories of broken bodies discarded and strewn about a stone basement came unbidden to my mind. The faces of men, women and children frozen in terror. Their empty eyes pleading for help that would never arrive.


    I took a calming breath and let the memory fall away.


    The tigermen nodded again, this time more vigorously.


    ¡°Take children! Keep hidden!¡± The second tigerman exclaimed earnestly. ¡°You help us?¡± He pleaded. ¡°Kill Horangi! Save children?!¡±


    <Release them.> I commanded.


    Kwan immediately did as he was told, loosening his coils and freeing the tigermen.


    Following Kwan¡¯s lead, Mud awkwardly pushed himself upright, liberating the half-crushed tigerman from beneath his prodigious weight.


    ¡°How many more of them are there?¡± I asked coldly, shutting down the vulnerable parts of my mind in preparation for what needed to be done.


    ¡°Minsu, Chihun, Shi-Woo, Yin-Jun,¡± the first tigerman replied eagerly, rattling off names so quickly that it took me a few moments to gain a proper account.


    ¡°Four of them?¡± I asked, counting off four fingers and holding them up just to be certain.


    All three of the tigermen nodded. Although the third was having great difficulty and seemed far more preoccupied with bracing his ribs.


    I knew that the smart decision would be to wait for backup to arrive and coordinate a plan of attack.


    Today was proving a day for acting otherwise.


    I figured Gric and Sebet would make contact once they arrived and could catch me up if necessary.


    I withdrew stone chains from my Storage Ring and tightly bound the Horangi¡¯s body. Once he was secure, I slung him over my shoulder and turned to address the tigermen again. ¡°Take me to them,¡± I commanded.


    Only too eager to obey, the two healthy tigermen supported their injured kinsman between them and led us into the forest.


    Any attempts at stealth would have been pointless, so I didn¡¯t bother.


    More of the tigermen revealed themselves as we travelled deeper into the forest. Although few in numbers at first, they quickly gathered in the hundreds.


    At first, the tigermen we encountered appeared committed to obstructing our path, even going so far as to throw spears and stones from a distance. However, after a brief exchange with our guides and revealing Yejun¡¯s unconscious body, they quickly changed their allegiances.


    After repeating this process a few dozen times, word began to spread ahead of us. Not only ensuring safe passage but also drawing away the warriors that had been sent to attack Kang¡¯s people.


    Uncertain how far we would have to travel to discover the tigerman village or city, the sudden appearance of two Horangi in my peripheral senses nearly caught me off guard. If I hadn¡¯t been expecting them, they would almost certainly have been able to take the opportunity to slip away.


    Keenly aware of what was at stake, I pounced on their minds with as much force as I could bring to bear and demanded their complete obedience.


    Caught off-guard, the mind of one Horangi collapsed outright, stripping him of all agency. Leaving him little more than a puppet. The other Horangi managed to put up a semblance of a fight before collapsing into unconsciousness from the pain.


    Five minutes passed and another Horangi entered my field of influence. However, he managed to slip out of range again before I could act.


    Deeply concerned that the Horangi would escape, I cast Yejun off my shoulder and broke into a lurching run.


    <Watch him!> I commanded.


    <Obedience.> Kwan replied, falling away from my side and seizing hold of Yejun before his body had a chance to come to a stop on its own.


    <If he tries to escape. Kill him.> I added, now far more concerned with damage control than taking prisoners.


    Kwan made no reply but I couldn¡¯t pretend not to notice a marked rise in his bloodlust and hunger. There was every chance that he would execute the Horangi at the first opportunity, regardless of what I had instructed.


    Making matters worse, for the Horangi. Kwan knew that I knew, and he also knew that I didn¡¯t care.


    Running as fast as I was able through the dense bamboo forest, I took the most direct route possible toward the direction where I had last sensed the fleeing Horangi. Unable to manoeuvre more than a few degrees in either direction while running full tilt, I employed my Affinities as best as I was able to shift obstacles out of my way. Unfortunately, more often than not, I had to simply plough straight through them instead. Relying on sheer strength, mass and momentum to see me through.


    With the memories of several large-scale atrocities circulating in the back of my mind, I continued pushing myself to put in greater effort. To run faster. To catch the enemy BEFORE they had the chance to slaughter the helpless...


    Without warning, two Horangi appeared in the periphery of my consciousness and launched a combined counterattack, sending lances of pain through my mind. However, the efforts of the weaker Horangi collapsed almost as quickly as they began. No doubt unprepared for the pain generated from the Artefact lodged in my brain.


    The stronger Horangi faltered but quickly rallied, somehow rendering himself immune to the pain.


    <Surrender!> The Command was simple and carried the collective weight of my entire will.


    The Horangi¡¯s mental defence strained, cracking and bending under the weight, but it didn¡¯t break. <I refuse.>


    Maintaining the pressure, I became vaguely aware of a wooden fortress atop a mountain in the distance.


    Opening a Breach and stepping through to stand before the fortress, the majority of the distance between us had evaporated, magnifying the effects of my will.


    The Horangi¡¯s defences buckled almost immediately but he was still somehow immune to the pain.


    <STAY.> I Commanded, forcing his body to act against him as I tore the gate of the fortress from its rope hinges.


    The Tigermen within the fortress struck at me with their spears and claws but found no more success than those who had tried before them. For my part, I ignored them, focusing solely on finding the Horangi.


    Leveraging brute strength, I smashed through the walls in my way, scanning each room with a mounting sense of dread and anticipation. All the while, the Horangi struggled to free itself from my will. Growing more desperate as the space between us grew smaller and smaller.


    Crashing through another wall, I found myself standing before the mouth of a massive pit. Preparing to descend the large stone stairs built into the side of the pit, I felt yet another Horangi presence appear on the periphery of my mind.


    Unlike the others, the newcomer was utterly unprepared and collapsed the moment I brought my will to bear.


    The Horangi below attempted to use the opportunity to break free but failed.


    We were so close now I could probably maintain the pressure without trying. But I refused to take that risk, maintaining my focus as best as I could manage. Forcing the Horangi into compliance and immobility.


    I could smell the scent of blood, death and decay on the warm air rising from the bottom of the pit and fought to hold back my despair.


    ¡°Not again...¡± I growled, refusing to accept the possibility of failure.


    Bracing myself, I stepped off the stairs and fell into the darkness of the pit.


    Exercising my Earth Affinity, I was able to slow my descent at the last moment and land on my feet.


    The bottom of the pit was littered with bones, but nowhere close to the number I had expected. What came as a far greater surprise was the size of the bones. While I did not have the time to make anything more than a casual observation, I couldn¡¯t see any bones small enough to belong to a child. I took what small comfort I could in that fact.


    Turning to face the direction of the Horangi, I found a tunnel blocked by the flayed hides of adult tigermen. Many of them were undergoing purification and I realised that they were most likely the source of the foul smell I had detected from above the pit.


    Unwilling to touch the rotting remains, I snapped the rope they were hanging from and then surveyed the stone passageway beyond.


    Contrary to my expectations, the passage was incredibly short, no more than a couple of dozen feet long at most. Beyond the passage was a large stone chamber, and standing at its centre in clear view was the Horangi desperately attempting to break free of my will.


    Lips curling in hatred, I could feel the Horangi¡¯s thoughts squirming beneath my touch but otherwise remaining hidden. Even so, there was something foul about them that was triggering a primal response in my subconscious.


    Each step closer I came to the Horangi, the more convinced I became that he was deserving of death. A disconcerting realisation given how disturbingly similar we appeared to be.


    Nearly fifteen feet tall, the Horangi was hairless and had a muscular build bearing black tiger-like stripes over sickly pale skin. He was naked except for a leather harness with a metal plate that covered his heart.


    Behind the Horangi was a large stone table, and on top of the table was the mutilated body of another Horangi.


    No...


    Something in my subconscious refused the interpretation. Flagging it as incomplete in the same manner as the earlier interpretation.


    It wasn¡¯t a Horangi...It was something else...


    The stumps of its arms and legs were tied with discoloured lengths of rope and stank of gangrene. Septic veins spread like fractures against a wasted frame of pale violet skin. Entire sections of flesh had been shorn away, leaving the raw exposed sections of muscle to rot. Sunken eyelids were drawn back from empty sockets and mangled optic nerves. All the while, bloody drool pooled from a dislocated jaw.


    The longer I looked, the more abuses I discovered and the more vindicated my subconscious became.


    Unable to stomach the sight any longer, I turned my full attention toward the Horangi. ¡°Why?!...¡± I demanded refusing to accept that such acts of hate could be justified, driven to find some sort of answer to make sense of what I had seen.


    The Horangi stared back at me and raised his chin, glaring up at me defiantly in silence.


    ¡°Wrong answer...¡± I growled, stalking forward and took a firm grip on his left shoulder. ¡°I asked you a question!¡± I tightened my grip and felt his bones begin to give.


    The Horangi grimaced and gasped in pain, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention to him. My new vantage point had added yet another dimension to the violations of the Horangi¡¯s victim.


    Deaf to the Horangi¡¯s screams, several long moments passed before I was able to overcome the initial shock and begin making conscious decisions again.


    Lifting the Horangi by his shattered shoulder, I stared him straight in the eyes and seized his genitals with my left hand.


    Understanding and terror flashed in the Horangi¡¯s eyes and he railed against my control with every fibre of will he could muster. Unable to so much as raise a finger to defend himself as I ripped his reproductive organs free from his body and cast them against the far wall, detonating them in a rain of blood and pulped flesh.


    Ignoring the pain, I sacrificed a chunk of HP, using Sorcery to open a Breach back to my realm and Summoning projections of Wraithe and Sebet.


    Wraithe took in our surroundings in silence, awaiting my orders while Sebet began walking around the room wearing a bemused smile.


    I pointed to the Horangi¡¯s victim on the stone table. ¡°To the hospital...¡± I growled, trembling with rage and fighting to maintain control.


    Wraithe nodded and silently moved to obey, lifting the violated soul with absolute care and hastily carrying them through the Breach.


    ¡°And ¡®Him¡¯?¡± Sebet purred excitedly, baring her fangs and biting down on her lower lip with anticipation.


    ¡°I want to know why...¡± I continued staring the Horangi down, carving the pain and terror on his face into my mind. ¡°I want him to suffer!¡± I snarled.


    ¡°I can do that, on both counts,¡± Sebet promised, grinning from ear to ear. Like a cat with a mouse caught in its sights, she slowly crept forward, her tail snaking back and forth in her wake. ¡°I really must thank you, Great One,¡± Sebet groaned with arousal. ¡°It has been so long since I have enjoyed the company of a true sadist,¡± her eyes glittered with malice and anticipation. ¡°Turning the tables provides an experience that simply cannot be replicated through other means!¡± She smiled coquettishly and feigned a blush. ¡°But you don¡¯t want to hear about what I have planned...¡± Sebet purred, returning her gaze to the Horangi, making no attempts at hiding the perverted hunger in her eyes.


    ¡°No...¡± I growled, catching her by surprise.


    ¡°No?¡± Sebet repeated, confused and unable to read my surface thoughts for answers.


    ¡°I need to know...¡± I insisted.


    ¡°Why he did it?¡± Sebet asked curiously, ¡°Orrrr?¡± She let the question hang while waiting for an answer.


    ¡°Everything! All of it!¡± I snapped. ¡°I...I need to make sense of this! And I need to know how you intend to make him pay for what he has done!¡±


    Sebet cocked her head to one side and raised her eyebrows in an exaggerated proclamation announcing her surprise. ¡°That is unexpected...


    ***** Gric ~ Yi Gim¡¯s Interdimensional Plane ~ Monkey Clan ruins *****


    Evacuating the Celestial Beasts through the Dimensional Breach, Gric couldn¡¯t help but worry. While he was still convinced that standing up to the Tyrant had been the correct thing to do, he was becoming increasingly alarmed at learning just how much danger the Tyrant had faced without his support.


    Making matters worse, The Tyrant¡¯s mental defences were raised at their highest level, blocking all of Gric¡¯s attempts to establish a telepathic connection.


    <You shouldn¡¯t worry.> Sebet snickered smugly, grinning mischievously at him from her position across the overgrown square.


    Gric couldn¡¯t help but scowl. There were precious few exceptions where she would have a cause to be so pleased with herself and for it not to be a cause for serious concern.


    <You really do worry too much.> Sebet taunted. <The Tyrant is perfectly safe, and you would know that if you hadn¡¯t made such a determined effort to lose his confidence.>


    Gric wanted to counter with a barb of his own but came up short. His efforts were undermined by resurfacing doubts. <You have confirmed the Tyrant¡¯s safety?> Gric asked, swallowing his pride to try and settle his concerns for the Tyrant.


    <Mhm.> Sebet replied smugly. <He¡¯s wearing his armour and everything. Although it¡¯s just as well he has those extra eyelids! Going without his helmet and all, he would have needed some form of splash guard.>


    <No helmet? Splash guard?> Gric shifted uncomfortably and felt a marked rise in his anxiety. <You are not tempting the Tyrant with debauchery?!¡± He demanded coldly. <The Tyrantess would not be pleased!>


    <Hrmph! Only you would think me so stupid as to provoke the Tyrantess!> Sebet sneered. <Besides, not all forms of debauchery and expulsion of bodily fluids revolve around sex! The fact that I derive sexual pleasure from them anyway is beside the point.>


    Gric grimaced with disgust and loathing. The fact that Sebet remained in the Tyrant¡¯s favour, while he was not, was a serious motivation for rigorous introspection.


    <It¡¯s so nice to see the Tyrant move beyond his comfort zone!> Sebet continued in the same smug tone. <It really makes a gal feel like her work is appreciated when the boss gets hands-on, you know?>


    Ignoring the Transcendent Beasts shuffling through the Breach, Gric fixed Sebet with a cold calculating glare. <What is it that the Tyrant is doing, exactly?> He demanded, already gathering his mental reserves in preparation to brute force Sebet¡¯s mental defences if she attempted to side-step the question.


    <You aren¡¯t supposed to do that.> Sebet warned with a small smile, silently acknowledging the fact that they both knew who would come out on top in a direct battle of wills, and that Gric was not bound to the same restrictions that she was.


    Gric made no reply.


    <Fine.> Sebet made a show of shrugging nonchalantly and leaning with a bored expression against a pile of rubble. <If you really must know, we are in the middle of interrogating a prisoner.>


    Gric relaxed his will but remained wary of signs of deception. <Just an interrogation?>


    Sebet rolled her eyes at Gric and gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look. <It¡¯s rarely ¡®just an interrogation¡¯.> She sniffed haughtily. <Which you would know if you ever used anything remotely resembling finesse when rifling through a target''s mind.¡±


    <Finesse is for the weak.> Gric replied, returning the contempt twofold.


    <Nothing to worry about then?> Sebet huffed and cut the connection. She stuck her tongue out at him and then looked pointedly elsewhere, ignoring him.


    Gric scowled darkly and considered launching an attack on her mind. Stifling his urges, Gric became aware of another Daemon''s presence within the Realm. His position as Daemon King gave him knowledge of all Summons and Pacts made targeting his subordinates. The fact that he was not alerted through this method left only a handful of possible candidates.


    Sure enough, Gric¡¯s ¡®request¡¯ for a telepathic link was answered almost immediately, identifying the Daemon as Wraithe. She was one of the few Daemons who was given a Faction all of her own in recognition of her contributions, putting her outside of his hierarchy. At least, for the time being.


    <Are you with the Tyrant?> Gric asked, forgoing all semblances of formality. Such frivolity was unnecessary amongst their kind and would not only go unappreciated but waste both their time.


    <I am.> Wraithe replied somewhat distractedly. Fleeting impressions of exposed muscle and sinew drifted from her end of the connection.


    In other circumstances, such impressions would have bothered him. However, on this rare occasion, Gric found himself glad of them. <Sebet is performing an interrogation?> He asked.


    There was a marked pause as Wraithe considered the question. <A subject is undergoing repeated mutilation.> She replied somewhat hesitantly. <I am not aware of any attempts at extracting information having taken place.> More impressions passed through their connection along with half-formed thoughts of whether it would be appropriate to ask if junior Surgeons could use the subject as teaching materials.


    Gric was about to ask another question but became aware of something trying, and failing, to worm its way into the projected copy of Wraithe¡¯s mind. Seizing on the presence, Gric expected to follow it back to the subject of the Tyrant and Sebet¡¯s interrogation.


    What he discovered gave him far more cause for concern. The presence was reaching out from the Cultivator ring hanging from the Tyrant¡¯s neck, and now that it had become aware of Gric, it had begun trying to latch onto him as well.


    Worse still, with the Tyrant¡¯s mental defences raised, Gric had no way of knowing if the Tyrant¡¯s judgement had been compromised.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 82 – Within and Without – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 82 ¨C Within and Without ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 82 - Within and Without- Part One


    Preoccupied with watching Sebet ply her craft, I didn¡¯t notice Mud¡¯s presence until he stepped into the light of Sebet¡¯s magical lantern. Awkwardly squatting on the blood-slick floor, he began poking about the small pile of severed fingers, toes and flayed skin Sebet had taken from Horangi.


    Initially irritated by Mud¡¯s intrusion, I decided that there might be a sick sense of poetic justice in forcing the Horangi to watch as Mud consumed his discarded body parts in front of him. Leaving Mud be, I turned my attention back toward Sebet and the Horangi.


    ¡°Tyrant?¡± Mud had retrieved something from the pile and was holding it up for my inspection. No doubt acting under the assumption that he would need my permission before stuffing it in his mouth and eating it.


    Suppressing my irritation and anger, I waved him away dismissively.


    ¡°Tyrant?¡± Mud repeated, this time more insistently, straining himself to raise his arm higher.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± I snarled, rounding on the puny reject with my fist raised and half a mind to put him out of our collective misery.


    Mud cowered like a beaten dog, his dark eyes looking up at me with earnest regret and confusion. Too stupid to know what he had done-


    What had he done?


    Mud was just standing there, trying to show me something...What was so infuriating about that?


    I closed my eyes and took a long deep breath.


    Opening my eyes again, I could now see that there was a small wooden talisman in Mud¡¯s outstretched hand. Threaded on a simple leather cord, I vaguely recalled having seen it worn about the Horangi¡¯s neck.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t magical,¡± Sebet commented distractedly, grinning to herself as she slowly worked a barbed needle into the Horangi¡¯s left eye. ¡°Oh! My mistake! It is magical. It carries a Cultivation enchantment for...mental clarity? One moment, that didn¡¯t seem quite right...¡± Sebet stared intensely at the Horangi for several seconds in silence while twisting the barbed needle ever so slightly. As if she was a safecracker honing in on the correct combination. ¡°Mental fortitude!¡± Sebet declared proudly. ¡°He was hoping it would prove sufficient to...to...¡± Her expression hardened almost immediately. ¡°To protect him while he feasts on imprisoned Demons? Ah...That was the deal they made.¡±


    ¡°Demons?¡± I reached for the talisman so I could inspect it more closely. ¡°Why would he need the talis-¡± The instant my fingers touched the wood, waves of exhaustion crashed through my body and mind. Leaving me feeling thoroughly abused and beyond exhausted. However, the anger and rage were also gone, providing a moment of clarity.


    Drawing the talisman from Mud¡¯s palm with shaking fingers, I fought hard to suppress the early stages of an entirely justified, but otherwise unproductive, panic attack.


    Someone had been inside my mind!


    The enormity of the violation filled me with a sensation of near-overwhelming revulsion, and once it had settled, it was replaced by RAGE!


    With a thought, the spear materialised from my Storage Ring. Disgusted at the thought of touching it, I used my Earth Affinity to make it float unaided.


    ¡°Let me make one thing absolutely clear!¡± I growled, barely holding back the thoughts demanding I succumb to my more destructive impulses. ¡°If you EVER try to mess with my mind again I WILL DESTROY YOU!¡±


    A red-skinned human with white hair and wearing silver-white robes tumbled out of the spear, seeming to appear from thin air. His slitted pupils, shark-like teeth and protruding horns left no doubts in my mind that he was the Demon Lord I had imprisoned within the spear. Or, at the very least, some form of limited projection.


    Sebet looked on with naked curiosity, studying the Demon Lord with intense interest and baring her own teeth in a show of intimidation and willingness to assist in carrying out my threat. ¡°Gric will want in on this!¡± She purred dangerously, creating a Breach with a wave of her hand.


    The instant the breach formed, Gric stepped through and immediately began stalking toward the Demon Lord. ¡°YOU DARE?!¡± He snatched the Demon Lord by the throat, effortlessly lifting him off the floor and holding him at eye level with only a few inches between them.


    ¡°I do as-urk!¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s confidence evaporated as Gric began to squeeze. In a panic, the Demon Lord struck at Gric with his fists and feet, launching several destructive Techniques in rapid succession.


    Just as quickly as he was injured, Gric¡¯s torn flesh knit itself back together. ¡°BEG!¡± He snarled, fangs bared and eager to rip into the Demon Lord¡¯s face. ¡°BEG THE TYRANT¡¯S FORGIVENESS!!! THROW YOURSELF AT HIS MERCY, FOR! I! HAVE! NONE!!!¡±


    Sebet cackled with amusement and waited to see how the Demon Lord would react.


    Striking a downward blow on Gric¡¯s forearm to try and break or disrupt his hold, the Demon Lord¡¯s form blurred for a moment. A loud crunching sound echoed through the chamber as his body abruptly moved to one side while his neck remained firmly locked within Gric¡¯s fingers.


    A series of more muted crunching noises emanated from the Demon Lord¡¯s neck shortly afterwards and his limp body suddenly jerked to life again. ¡°Let me go!¡± He demanded fiercely, baring his teeth in an attempt to intimidate Gric into compliance.


    ¡°No!¡± Gric hissed back without a shred of fear.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± I waved the spear out of my way and fixed the Demon Lord with a glare, gathering my Death Affinity and injecting it into the spear.


    The Demon Lord grew deathly still, all vestiges of resistance having evaporated in an instant.


    ¡°You will swear Oaths of fealty, obedience and whatever else I can fucking think of!¡± I growled menacingly. ¡°Because if you don¡¯t, I will end you here and now! AM I UNDERSTOOD?!¡±


    The Demon Lord timidly nodded his head.


    Sebet, Gric and I spent the next hour binding the Demon Lord under every conceivable Oath we could think of. By the time we were finished, Sebet¡¯s Contract and Oaths looked like a joke in comparison. A fact she had taken great pains to accomplish.


    Even now, I was struggling to hold myself back.


    The more time I had been given to consider what had happened, the more violated I felt. If the Demon Lord had been allowed to continue spreading his influence in my mind, everything I had fought for would have been in jeopardy...


    I had been seconds away from striking Mud down and almost certainly killing him outright.


    The memory-filled me with absolute revulsion.


    At least under Enslavement, there was the choice between obedience and pain. This had been different. The decisions felt like they were my own...I hadn¡¯t even considered someone else had been pulling the strings...


    Leaving Gric to watch over the Demon Lord and the stone spear, I returned to Yi Gim¡¯s city with Sebet¡¯s projection and Mud in tow.


    Standing in the open grounds of Yi Gim¡¯s estate, it didn¡¯t take long for his surviving servants and guards to pass along news of my arrival.


    ¡°Apologies, I have not had enough time to-¡± Yi Gim stopped abruptly, his light-hearted apology all but forgotten. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± He asked, worriedly scanning our faces for signs of trouble.


    ¡°Several...¡± I grunted awkwardly, unsure of how I should broach the subject. ¡°Sebet?¡± I motioned for her to take the lead.


    ¡°The contracted assassins and betrayal of the Hong clan were only parts of a larger conspiracy,¡± Sebet explained, presenting a stained scroll she had uncovered from the Horangi lair. ¡°The mastermind employed the shapeshifters known as Horangi to instigate the Beast Tide. The Horangi also manipulated the Monkey Clan into joining the Beast Tide to seek revenge for killings the Horangi had enacted while assuming the form of local Cultivators.¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s face paled at the first mention of the Horangi and only grew paler as Sebet continued her retelling of events.


    ¡°Of course, the Monkey Clan was not intended to keep or even hold the city for any meaningful amount of time,¡± Sebet continued, flourishing her hands for dramatic effect. ¡°The Horangi had also used their shapeshifting powers to establish a feud between the Monkey Clan and Tiger Clan. They had intended to pit the two clans against one another. Either wiping themselves out or becoming weakened to the point of insignificance.¡±


    Accepting the scroll, Yi Gim scanned its contents with mounting concern. ¡°And the Horangi?¡± He asked with reluctant optimism. ¡°Can I assume they have been dealt with? Or...-¡±


    ¡°All save the ringleader are dead, Monarch,¡± Sebet interrupted politely.


    Surprised, I looked to Sebet for confirmation.


    <Your pet was rather liberal with the instructions you provided while indisposed...> Sebet explained apologetically.


    ¡°And this ringleader?...¡± Yi Gim pressed.


    ¡°Currently under guard and in our custody,¡± Sebet replied reassuringly. ¡°Fit to answer questions, if required.¡±


    Yi Gim nodded in understanding and then turned to address me instead. ¡°Would you relinquish the Horangi to me?¡± He asked. There was steel in his tone that made it clear that there was a great deal riding on how I decided to answer. Not that it made much of a difference to my intentions.


    ¡°Do you have a prison capable of holding it?¡± I asked in return. More than happy to turn the Horangi over, so long as it wouldn¡¯t be free to escape immediately afterwards.


    Without skipping a beat, Yi Gim nodded firmly. ¡°I do.¡±


    <He does.> Sebet confirmed. <At least in his mind, the prison has defences ten times stronger than those originally possessed by the city.>


    ¡°Then I have no problems with leaving it in your custody,¡± I replied and gave Sebet a nod to make a show of my approval as the explanation for what would come next.


    A breach opened between Yi Gim and myself. The Horangi''s surgically mutilated body was cast through the Breach and landed in an unceremonious heap. The Breach closed again immediately afterwards.


    Yi Gim¡¯s face contorted with obvious disgust.


    ¡°A byproduct of our interrogation,¡± Sebet explained apologetically with a smile that undermined the effort.


    Yi Gim¡¯s expression hardened and became decidedly neutral. He nodded in thanks and then waved forward one of his retainers. ¡°Take it to the black cells,¡± he commanded, refusing to look directly at the Horangi as it was clapped in irons and hauled away.


    ¡°I intend to take the Tiger Clan away as well,¡± I stated bluntly, deciding that addressing the issue now would be better than waiting until later. ¡°Even without the Horangi manipulating them, leaving them would likely just cause more problems.¡±


    I was also incredibly curious to discover why there were anthropomorphic Beasts in the first place, and two sources would prove less vulnerable to bias than one. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Transcendent Beasts?¡± Yi Gim qualified before shrugging dismissively. ¡°You may take them with my blessing. Although more reasonable than their unenlightened kin, we have never managed to broker a peace between us. In this time of uncertainty, it is better that they are not a concern.¡±


    It was a rather callous way of talking about sentient sapient beings, but in the circumstances, I couldn¡¯t fault him for it.


    ¡°There is something I would like to ask, if I may?¡± Sebet probed diplomatically.


    Yi Gim nodded, motioning that she could continue.


    ¡°The Horangi were gifted prisoners as payment for their services,¡± Sebet explained with mounting enthusiasm. ¡°This is confirmed by verbal accounts as well as the document you now possess,¡± she pointed to the scroll in Yi Gim¡¯s hands. ¡°The exotic nature of the prisoners themselves could provide a vital clue in identifying the mastermind behind this attack.¡±


    Yi Gim¡¯s composure cracked. ¡°How?¡± He demanded, raising the scroll and hastily scanning its contents for a second time. Searching for the answer Sebet claimed lay within. ¡°It mentions only specific tastes...¡± He challenged with disgust before lowering the scroll again.


    ¡°One of the prisoners survived,¡± Sebet replied with a wide smile. ¡°They are in no state as of this moment to answer our questions. However, their existence provides the opportunity to narrow the potential list of suspects.¡±


    Yi scowled and stared at Sebet impatiently, waiting for her to be on with it.


    ¡°These Horangi, they are considered quite rare, yes?¡± Sebet asked, deliberately edging around the answer Yi Gim wanted.


    ¡°They are,¡± Yi Gi replied curtly. ¡°In all my years as Monarch, I have seen only one with my own eyes.¡±


    Sebet nodded confidently. ¡°Their nature as shapeshifters would ensure as much. But tell me, what about Oni?¡±


    <Oni?> I asked, struggling to keep up with Sebet¡¯s sudden shift in focus.


    <A type of Ogre from the folklore of your world.> Sebet explained with a hint of confusion. No doubt having taken that knowledge from my mind. ¡°Also known as demons or devils?> She projected images pulled from memories I had nearly forgotten existed, and a number I sorely wished she had not seen. However, her claim held merit beyond just the physical. Which was good, considering the prisoner¡¯s miserable state. The prisoner had also ¡®felt¡¯ like an Ogre in the same way the Horangi had.


    Yi Gim was slow to react, seemingly as confused by Sebet¡¯s abrupt shift in focus as I had been. ¡°They are rare...¡± He hedged but began to frown, knitting his brows together as he began making connections I was not aware of.


    Sebet promised appeasingly.


    ¡°You are insinuating my ally, Ouji Akira, is responsible?¡± Yi Gim asked darkly.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Sebet replied with a smirk. ¡°Just that whoever IS responsible has access to both his realm and yours. Although it is quite likely a fellow Monarch and ally is responsible,¡± she insisted. ¡°Only a friendly face would require so much chaos and collateral damage to justify and facilitate their rule. Only a close ally would be positioned to take advantage of the family members who survived the slaughter, seizing their territories and the Realm at large...¡±


    Yi Gim appeared to have grown physically ill, and I couldn¡¯t blame him for it. Sebet had raised one of the immense weaknesses of trivialising the Supremacy Challenges. The trading of territories functioned only because of trust. And that trust could be wielded as a weapon to stab an unsuspecting scion in the back. Taking them for all they were worth and leaving no witnesses.


    Sebet wasn¡¯t finished. She was only waiting for Yi Gim to finish processing what he had been told before dropping a far more dangerous truth. Something I had learned already, but now realised, explained the presence of the surviving Oni that had been held prisoner.


    ¡°Whoever is pulling the strings has access to imprisoned Demons.¡± Sebet¡¯s claim cut just as deep as we had expected. Causing Yi GIm to stagger several steps backward before regaining control over himself and reasserting a semblance of composure. ¡°Impossible...¡± He breathed incredulously in denial.


    We had witnessed the liberation of an imprisoned Demon Lord only a handful of hours prior. I didn¡¯t doubt Yi Gim would come around, but I could understand why he would prefer to live in denial.


    ¡°The Hong clan had a Demon Lord squirrelled away,¡± I commented, forcing Yi Gim to address the reality of our situation. ¡°Is it so hard to believe that a Monarch has done the same with weaker targets and on a larger scale?¡±


    Yi Gim winced but I could see he was already coming around. In a position like his, he couldn¡¯t just pretend that threats didn¡¯t exist because he found them upsetting.


    Sure enough, Yi Gim took a deep calming breath and stowed away the scroll within his Storage Ring. ¡°Thank you for bringing this to my attention,¡± he said, wearing a strained smile. ¡°With things such as they are, may I ask if your offer of sanctuary is still on the table? I believe there is sufficient evidence to now justify this measure without the need for debate.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied supportively.


    <I have recommendations that would need tacit approval.> Sebet interjected. <If I may?>


    I nodded and motioned for Sebet to take the lead again.


    ¡°The city that served as the Hong clan¡¯s base of power could prove a valuable teaching tool for a future Monarch and their attendants,¡± Sebet suggested with an open smile. ¡°Of course, we would sweep the territory to ensure certain threats are eliminated, and the populace adheres to the Tyrant¡¯s laws.¡±


    ¡°If there is no danger, then what will there be to learn?¡± Yi Gim asked hesitantly. Not immediately adverse to the concept but he obviously held several reservations.


    ¡°There is more to running an empire than spilling the blood of one¡¯s enemies,¡± Sebet replied calmly with a faint teasing tone. ¡°It will provide an opportunity to study economics, politics and broader social interactions in a comparatively low-risk setting. It should also be noted that the locals will not automatically abide by the edicts of their new ruler. Presenting the opportunity to learn the finer points of diplomacy, specifically in regards to obtaining leverage when violence is absolutely not an option.¡±


    Repeating and rephrasing her point appeared to bear fruit, causing Yi Gim to reconsider.


    ¡°And, of course, you would be free to provide or withhold advice on your own initiative,¡± Sebet observed, eyes flashing with anticipation of imminent victory. ¡°Just as you intended before,¡± she reminded him.


    Yi Gim remained silent for the better part of a minute before appearing to make up his mind. ¡°Alright,¡± he agreed with minor signs of reluctance. ¡°May I ask an additional favour?¡± He asked, directing the question toward me rather than Sebet.


    ¡°You may,¡± I agreed amiably.


    Yi Gim bowed slightly as a show of gratitude. ¡°I am in immediate need of resources to train new guards and servants and accelerate the Cultivation of those who will remain behind. Would it be possible to take the Hong clan¡¯s treasury as an advance payment for our previous arrangement regarding the Alchemists'' recruitment?¡±


    ¡°I may want to keep samples of certain materials,¡± I hedged, erring on the side of transparency. ¡°Otherwise, I see no problem with it,¡± I agreed. ¡°After the territory is secured, your people can take inventory and I will send the materials directly to you. Does that sound agreeable?¡±


    ¡°Most agreeable,¡± Yi Gim confirmed, breathing a little easier and losing a handful of the deeper wrinkles from around his eyes.


    I remembered the business I had been conducting with the Oba clan and figured it would be worth offering another mutually beneficial business opportunity. ¡°If there are more Beast eggs available for trade, I would be willing to buy them for a good price, or offer materials in trade.¡±


    Yi Gim was momentarily taken aback but rallied quickly. ¡°Do you have anything particular in mind?¡±


    ¡°Not particularly,¡± I admitted. ¡°However, higher tiers would be preferable. Although I am open to taking lower tiers as well. I am promoting the recovery of the clan of Cultivators you helped recruit for me. Bonding with Beasts is one of the steps I am taking in that endeavour.¡±


    Yi Gim nodded in understanding and absently fussed with the Storage Ring on his right hand. ¡°Hatching and then Bonding with powerful Beasts requires access to rich sources of matching Affinities...¡±


    <He wants another favour but knows it is too much to ask. He does not wish to overreach and unravel all that has been established thus far.> Sebet prompted.


    ¡°I am willing to provide access to your people, under the same conditions we have agreed upon already,¡± I stated magnanimously. ¡°Although, any Beasts that are hatched will be required to make Oaths as well. I have been experiencing a discipline issue with my Abyssal Serpent, Kwan, and would prefer to avoid potentially dangerous incidents where possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Of course! That is a perfectly reasonable request, given the circumstances!¡± Yi Gim agreed with a combination of extreme relief and excitement. ¡°I have only a few eggs set aside and already promised to younger members of my family. However! I am more than willing to serve as an intermediary to the reputable merchant halls of the Realm. Our previous dealings have already made quite the stir in certain circles, so I am certain they will prove quite accommodating of your request.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal then,¡± I agreed.


    After finalising preparations for the transfer, Yi Gim provided me with a new communication talisman and a manual detailing their creation so I could make my own.


    Before Sebet¡¯s projection ran its MP dry, I had her deliver a message to Gric.


    He was to take the Demon Lord¡¯s projection and the spear to a newly isolated territory and leave them there. I hoped that the isolation would give the Demon Lord cause to reflect upon his poor choices. If not, I was more than willing to make things far more unpleasant. Destroying the Demon Lord outright wasn¡¯t off the table.


    With nothing requiring my immediate presence, I gathered Kwan and then returned to my Realm.


    Recent events had given me more than enough cause to revisit the shrine and purge my Heart Demons. So that was exactly what I intended to do.


    Igniting the incense, I assumed a meditative pose in the centre of the floor and took several deep breaths.


    After spitting out a golf ball-sized globule of ichor, I tensed in anticipation for the gut-wrenching torrent that would follow. Only to be left kneeling on the floor for several long awkward minutes before realising that was all there was going to be.


    Relieved and also deeply concerned, it took the better part of an hour to come to grips with my conflicting emotions.


    I was relieved that purging my Heart Demons had been so easy. However, I was also deeply concerned that my more questionable actions leading up to the events involving the Demon Lord had been made without external interference. My choices and actions had been entirely my own.


    For peace of mind, I remained in the shrine and meditated for a couple of hours.


    Relocating both groups of Transcendent Beasts was going to take the better part of a week at its current rate. So, with a small degree of reluctance, I set about assembling a mass transportation device.


    Little more than a giant stone plate embedded with mana stones and enchanted with the Spatial Breach Spell, the mass transportation device would accelerate the relocation efforts up to a hundredfold. The main limiting factor was the mana stones themselves, which were easy enough to replace.


    Even with the sustained Breach providing near limitless travel, the relocation still took two days to complete. At a certain point, the monkeys and tigermen simply couldn¡¯t be coaxed to move any faster. The fear of the unknown was just too great, as for the tigermen, they had serious concerns that they were walking into an ambush.


    The extra time allowed me to amend my plans with the Oba clan and inform them of my intent to provide Beast eggs for their healthy clan members and the Affinity-rich locations to hatch them. The news seemed to have made up for the unease and uncertainty experienced during my unexplained absence.


    The subjugation of Divine Trident City, the former power base of the Hong clan, went faster than expected but was not without issues. The Hong clan members within the territory had rebelled and taken control of the city in a near-bloodless coup before the territory had changed hands. However, the success of their rebellion had given them an undeserved feeling of invincibility.


    Gric approached the highest-ranking family members first and then worked his way down through the hierarchy. Each man and woman was given the same choice for themselves and their immediate families. Swear the Oaths or face exile.


    The majority of the primary family line attempted violence, which earned immediate exile. Or chose exile of their own accord. The branch families proved more pragmatic, opting to take the Oaths and reorganise into new minor clans after negotiating for a portion of the clan¡¯s former wealth for themselves.


    Word of what had happened to the Hong spread quickly within the city and the lesser clans and sects were quick to bend the knee for fear of losing their treasures, lands, or members. Especially once it became obvious that everyone, from the lowest beggar to the highest nobles, would be bound by the same Oaths.


    Performing recruitment and extracting Oaths from the general population was a much smoother affair. The common folk lacked Cultivation to begin with and had no preconceived hangups regarding the swearing of Oaths. Even after the effects of the Oaths became known, the common folk remained largely indifferent. Of the opinion that honest men and women had nothing to fear under the heavens. However, it did present a rising need for gainful employment.


    According to Gric¡¯s observations, there were few beggars, but many thieves, and against his expectations, the majority of the thieves had chosen to take the Oaths over being exiled. Expressing a desire to become honest men and women now that they had been given a second chance. The only problem was a shortage of available sources for legitimate employment.


    An issue Yi Gim¡¯s people would need to address in the near future, but was forestalled by temporarily employing the reformed thieves as custodians for the city. Putting them to work repairing damage caused during the coup and generally cleaning the city.


    True to my word, I sent the Cultivation materials taken from the Hong clan to Yi Gim alongside a large shipment of Spiritual Jade to serve as payment for the Beast eggs. Yi Gim would probably keep most of the jade to use in repairing and replacing the Arrays and Formations damaged in the attack, but that was his concern, not mine.


    I had continued my Cultivation training but often found myself more interested in watching my children¡¯s lessons rather than undertaking lessons of my own. Hearing how talented they were never got old and filled me with an immense degree of satisfaction


    Lash had taken to attending their lessons for the same reasons, making it that much harder for me to remain on task instead of bonding over our children¡¯s continued development.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lash suggested helping Suzy with her training that I found a comfortable middle ground. Prone to becoming over-excited and losing control over her augmented strength, I received no shortage of bruises to fuel the development of the Iron Titan Body.


    Despite my relative complacency, the threat posed by the beetlemen remained at the forefront of my mind. They had not returned to the city or made attempts at a second invasion of my Realm. However, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they were making preparations of their own.


    Each day I delayed our counteroffensive added more levels and more recruits to our forces. Increasing our chances for victory through strength of arms. Of course, this was assuming the enemy wasn¡¯t doing something similar.


    I had realised early on that the beetlemen wouldn¡¯t be the only danger we would face. If my worst fears were realised, we would be fighting Slaves beyond counting as well.


    I briefly considered turning the Demon Lord against our enemy but decided against it. Even bound by Oaths, his powers were too much of a wild card. Furthermore, it had taken a direct immediate threat made with the Death Affinity to bring him into line. This was a problem because only Kwan and I had that particular Affinity.


    At least, for now.


    I had been considering the potential consequences of assigning a Cultivator as one of my champions. If the addition of the Grimoire of Flesh functioned the same as it had for me, the Cultivator would gain Affinities matching the core element or nature of each Spell. Assuming it worked at all.


    The biggest problem was that the Cultivators didn¡¯t have Classes or information panels from the other System. So it was unclear whether they would even qualify as valid subjects for the Ability.


    I decided to pay Zhu Min, the Daemonic Cultivator, a visit. She had been engaged in deep meditation when I last checked in on her, so we hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to talk.


    Zhu Min had been training on her own for quite some time and I was curious to see what progress she had made with controlling her energy-draining Ability.


    Unfortunately, Zhu Min was meditating within a special energy gathering Array in her isolated territory when I arrived, so I had to settle for Summoning a projection so we could have a conversation.


    ¡°Patriarch!¡± Zhu Min¡¯s projection hurriedly inclined her head as a sign of respect. ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡± She asked earnestly. No doubt eager to prove herself, believing she somehow owed me a debt for pushing her onto the path of becoming a Daemonic Cultivator.


    ¡°I wanted to see how your control over your Abilities has come along,¡± I replied calmly while debating whether I should also reveal my ulterior motives.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Zhu Min bobbed her head in understanding and assumed a standing meditation pose. Taking a calming breath and then exhaling, she began slowly moving through the motions of what looked similar to Tai Chi exercises. It was almost certainly something else but had no other frame of reference for the movements and it seemed to fit well enough.


    The moment Zhu Min began going through the motions of her exercise, she very slowly projected her internal energy into a surprisingly large area around both of us. While her internal energy came close to me, it came short on all fronts, deliberately held back by Zhu Min¡¯s control.


    The small amount of ambient energy in our vicinity was drawn back to Zhu Min as if carried on a strong current. The ambient energy was quickly converted into internal energy and was projected outward, increasing Zhu Min¡¯s reach.


    While using my authority to relocate a wild Beast to further test Zhu Min¡¯s limits, it came as a shock when I realised she should not have had internal energy to work with, in the first place. Summoning Cultivators with MP did not provide them with Chi or internal energy.


    To make certain, I Summoned a second projection, Zhu Min. Scanning the second projection for traces of internal energy, I only became more confused after confirming the projection was indeed devoid of both Chi and internal energy.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Patriarch?¡± Zhu Min¡¯s second projection asked nervously.


    ¡°Join your other projection in the demonstration,¡± I directed, convinced that I had missed or otherwise overlooked something important.


    Zhu Min¡¯s second projection bobbed her head obediently and settled into the same motions as the first projection.


    Following every movement, I quickly realised that what I had missed had begun right at the start.


    The act of taking in her first breath drew in small, almost negligible amounts of ambient energy. Which was then converted with her Daemon Veins into internal energy. Which allowed Zhu Min to cast a net out of that internal energy to draw in more ambient energy. Like priming a pump, she only needed a small amount of ambient energy to get herself started.


    What was particularly interesting was how quickly the ambient energy could be converted into internal energy.


    Other Cultivators spent hours carefully and meticulously refining the energy and binding it to their foundation.


    Refining energy with a matching Affinity seemed easier, which made it faster as well, but my sample size wasn¡¯t large enough to be certain other factors were not skewing the data. Especially since Pete and Suzy not only had a plethora of Affinities, but also had Inheritances of their own. There was a genuine possibility that I was attributing the effects to the wrong source.


    Momoko was such an extreme outlier that using her rapid progress as any sort of reference point was just asking for trouble.


    Which left me just about where I had started. Uncertain of what to believe and no clear idea how to begin looking for the answers.


    With a sigh, I set my questions aside and exercised my authority to drop a low-tier Beast into one of the empty cages.


    After only a moment''s hesitation, Zhu Min¡¯s projections latched their nets of internal energy over the Beast. A spectral echo of the Beast was ripped free of its body and torn in two as the projections each sought to draw the spirit into themselves.


    Drawn into the bodies of the projections, the sundered halves of the Beast¡¯s spectral form disappeared. Rapidly disintegrating on impact, as if cast into a vat of caustic acid. Or perhaps torn apart by tens of thousands of tiny threads...


    Despite being broken apart into raw energy, the remains of the spirit took longer to assimilate than the ambient energy had and didn¡¯t provide as much energy as I had expected.


    As best I could determine, the resistance provided by the Beast¡¯s spirit made processing the Beast¡¯s energy less efficient than the otherwise unresisting ambient energy.


    Repeating the experiment several more times and arriving at the same outcome, I decided to try something else.


    Despite acquiring internal energy, the projections¡¯ bodies were still created from and fuelled by MP. Eventually, the MP would run dry and their bodies would collapse. Curious to see what would happen to the internal energy, I prematurely terminated the second projection.


    No longer bound by the form of the second projection, the mass of its internal energy began disseminating into the immediate surroundings. However, before it had time to spread, the remaining projection seized and promptly devoured the energy.


    To my immense surprise, the energy was assimilated in a mere handful of seconds.


    The tier one Beasts, divided as they had been, had taken close to half a minute to fully internalise into each projection¡¯s foundation. So it was quite a shock to stumble across a potential shortcut to the development of Daemonic Cultivators.


    And perhaps others?


    There were Cultivation treasures explicitly designed to draw upon Chi and internal energy to fuel their functions. The source of power required appeared directly linked to the degree of explosive power or scale of the effect produced by the treasure.


    Unfortunately, the only means I could think of to transfer internal energy to a non Daemonic Cultivator involved the use of a Technique. Which limited the number of people I could call upon to participate in further experiments. If I didn¡¯t include my children, there was only one Cultivator I was aware of who could serve as a candidate.


    ¡°Thank you for your patience, Zhu Min, you have put my worst concerns to rest.¡± I produced a small jade token on a silk cord and pressed it into her hands. ¡°This will allow you to move through the Cultivation territories at will. When you are done meditating, wait for me at Momoko¡¯s Peak.¡±


    The pendant was keyed to several of the most stable Teleportation Arrays I had managed to create thus far. While not as convenient as teleporting through the use of authority, it allowed the crossing of greater territory boundaries that no other Cultivator, except for Lurr, possessed.


    ¡°I-I...Uhm...¡± Zhu Min¡¯s projection stammered, becoming flustered by the unexpected praise. She took a really deep breath and appeared to regain control. ¡°Thank you! Patriarch!¡± She bowed at the waist coming just shy of the established limit.


    It amazed me how the Cultivators were capable of such precise movements, and committed to bowing just shy of the precise degree that would earn my displeasure. It was becoming a source of mild amusement in its own right.


    Leaving Zhu Min and her projection behind, I used my authority to travel to Momoko¡¯s Peak.


    I had assigned the mountain peak the name after installing the Teleportation Array and linking it to the greater network. While it was possible to travel the Teleportation network without the use of named locations, it was much easier to conceptualise the location when it had one.


    Besides, in my mind, it was Momoko¡¯s mountain. The tree that was bound to her soul had claimed the mountain in a very literal fashion by sinking its roots deep and spreading them wide. Going so far as to lay claim to a solid ring of forest at the foot of the mountain as well, coming just shy of the barrier enforced by my authority.


    Besides the tree and the Taotie, Feng, I was all alone.


    Lurr was visiting his family in Sanctuary, and Momoko was training with the Oba clan alongside Pete and Suzy.


    Sending Feng down the mountain with instructions that I was not to be disturbed, I Summoned a projection of Oba Kei. My children¡¯s teacher and the grand elder of the Oba clan.


    ¡°My Tyrant! How may-¡± His wrinkled eyelids flew wide with surprise and his unnaturally bright jade green eyes flashed with astonishment. ¡°Such dense energy!...¡± He gasped, looking one way and then another with awe. ¡°And such Affinities!...¡±


    While I had not expected such an extreme reaction, I realised that I should have.


    The difference between the energy-gathering Arrays established in the city, and those surrounding the mountain and atop the mountain, were like night and day. This was only exacerbated by Momoko¡¯s tree actively enriching the ambient energy with the Wood Affinity. Although saturating would perhaps be a more accurate description.


    Coming to his senses, Oba Kei coughed and made a show of bowing in respect. ¡°Apologies, Tyrant, I had thought such disrespectful displays were beyond me at this age,¡± he apologised awkwardly. ¡°I did not intend any disrespect.¡±


    I dismissed the apology with a casual wave. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There is nothing to forgive. Sometimes I forget how different things are for those not actively involved in my projects.¡±


    Oba Kei¡¯s nervous smile twinged a little as I downplayed our surroundings to something as mundane as a project. Or at least that was my assumption.


    ¡°On the subject of your Summoning, I have an experiment I believe could benefit from your participation and experience,¡± I explained, shifting the subject toward more productive matters.


    ¡°If I can be of assistance, it would be my sincerest desire,¡± Oba Kei answered with earnest sincerity.


    I nodded in both thanks and as a show of my approval. ¡°This is a touchy subject, I know, so I apologise for asking. We have previously spoken regarding the damaged foundation of your clan members-¡± I paused, allowing Oba Kei the opportunity to affirm the statement and adjust before moving on. ¡°What I would like to know is why the medicine is required to restore their foundation? And can it be repaired through other means?¡±


    Oba Kei remained silent for quite some time, his eyes downcast and distracted. ¡°The medicine is not the only way...At least, in theory...¡± He hedged uncomfortably. ¡°The most ancient texts make claims that new veins can be carved and damaged veins repaired, with internal energy...Unfortunately...¡± Oba kei briefly lost his momentum and had to take a few moments to centre himself again. ¡°Unfortunately, all our attempts using the Techniques at our disposal have failed. It is not enough to just inject internal energy into another person. One needs to be capable of shaping and maintaining the veins long enough for them to heal. otherwise...It is like building a castle from mud in the rain...¡±


    Cultivation was strange in that the Chi flowed through the vascular system of the body, but also had much smaller veins that lacked physical structure. Internal energy resided in the same location as the bladder but had no physical presence either. The ¡®science¡¯ was difficult to accept, but my first-hand observations were even more difficult to deny.


    ¡°There may be alternatives...¡± I hedged, not wanting to oversell my suspicions.


    Despite my intentions, Oba Kei perked up immediately at the news. New hope burned brightly in his eyes.


    ¡°It is purely theoretical,¡± I warned ¡°And could prove incredibly dangerous, potentially fatal...¡±


    It was clear by the look in his eyes that Oba Kei was not deterred in the slightest.


    ¡°We would need relatively healthy volunteers...¡± I held up a hand signalling the grand elder to remain silent. ¡°You are responsible for the education of my children, and I will not proceed with coerced volunteers. I need you to understand that even if what I am proposing succeeds, the subject may need to be terminated or imprisoned to ensure the safety of the realm...¡±


    Oba Kei¡¯s enthusiasm was curbed ever so slightly with confusion and curiosity. Unaware of the concerns I had only recently put to rest with Zhu Min and Daemonic Cultivators.


    Just because Zhu Min had proven capable of the mental discipline to achieve the minimum level of control I required, did not mean others would be able to do the same.


    Of course, there would be entirely new dangers to consider as well. Assuming the Daemonic Veins and Gric¡¯s best efforts met with failure. Would Sebet fare any better? And what would her efforts create in place of the Daemonic Veins?


    For that matter, what would happen if Orphiel or Ophelia tried healing them by reversing and taking the damage upon themselves?

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 82 – Within and Without – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 82 ¨C Within and Without ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 82 - Within and Without - Part Two


    Oba Kei had not been exaggerating when he had claimed there would be no shortage of volunteers. If anything, the warnings I had forced Oba Kei to provide the potential candidates had only seemed to increase their resolve and commitment.


    Hundreds of men and women, of all ages, had put their names forward for the experimental procedures. Their otherwise normal appearance was marked by symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion. A physical symptom of their damaged or destroyed Cultivation foundation.


    The palace within the Oba¡¯s City of the Rising Phoenix served as the registration site while an isolated territory would serve as a quarantined location for performing the experiments.


    I had taken the territory from one of the Cultivator landmasses to ensure that it had ambient energy. The ambient energy wasn¡¯t a critical component of the experiments, but I thought it would make observing the effects easier. Especially if the restorations produced similar effects to Zhu Min and Zhu Wen¡¯s Daemonic Veins.


    ¡°So...I just need to try Healing a few of these Humans from the other world?¡± Orphiel asked uncertainly.


    ¡°That is all, for now,¡± I confirmed, motioning him forward and toward the Oba clan elder.


    The elder looked like she was in her eighties or late seventies and had lived a hard life. Her back was bowed and she needed the assistance of her walking cane to stop herself from falling from the chair. Oba Namiko had fought her way to the front of the line to serve as the first volunteer, shamelessly leveraging her seniority as justification.


    Or rather, that was how I had interpreted it until Oba Kei had provided an insider''s insight. Far from being selfish, the clan elders were adamant that they would be the ones to pave the path forward with their blood.


    They had already lost their Cultivation and were too old to work the fields and too exhausted to do anything besides wait for death. If mistakes were to be made, they would be the ones to make the sacrifice so the clan¡¯s future generations would prosper.


    Orphiel lazily drifted forward on wings of amber light. Lifting Namiko¡¯s chin with one finger, he stared deep into her sunken cloudy eyes. Orphiel¡¯s eyes began to glow and his wings flashed with blinding light.


    When the light faded, Namiko appeared twenty to thirty years younger. Her deepest wrinkles had receded, her back had straightened, and the swelling from her knuckles had disappeared. However, the biggest difference was Namiko''s eyes. Formerly clouded by cataracts, her eyes shone with an inner light that was fading with each passing moment.


    Orphiel had looked better. The years Namiko had lost, Orphiel had found, with interest. However, his youth was returning at a truly miraculous pace. In under a minute, Orphiel had returned to his former self and didn¡¯t look pleased.


    ¡°That was particularly unpleasant...¡± Orphiel commented grimly while gingerly flexing his fingers.


    ¡°It did not produce the desired result either,¡± Sebet sighed and shrugged with exaggerated disappointment.


    Taking a few moments to extend my senses, I confirmed Sebet¡¯s assessment and allowed Orphiel to take his leave.


    ¡°The Ability probably wasn¡¯t able to identify the damage,¡± I reasoned aloud, encouraging other potential explanations for what had happened.


    ¡°Quite possibly,¡± Sebet agreed.


    Gric remained silent.


    ¡°Should I go next?¡± Sebet asked with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°Because I will need references so I can try for the best possible outcomes.¡±


    ¡°References?¡± I asked dubiously.


    Sebet feigned innocence. ¡°Just as an artist requires a model so they might learn bodily proportions, I would act with greater surety if I had a couple of prime specimens to serve as references,¡± she explained reasonably.


    Gric scowled. ¡°It is not required,¡± he countered with absolute confidence. ¡°You have ¡®studied¡¯ young Cultivators at great length already.¡±


    Sebet didn¡¯t falter for even a moment. ¡°A live reference on hand-¡±


    ¡°Is not required,¡± Gric interrupted in an open challenge.


    ¡°I am simply taking steps to maximise the chances of a favourable outcome,¡± Sebet countered, making a show of taking offence at the implications. ¡°Although...I could take another approach...¡± She commented slyly. ¡°However, I would need permission...¡± Sebet made a show of looking to me to break the stalemate.


    ¡°What does this alternative approach entail?¡± I asked warily. ¡°Exactly. If I think you are leaving anything out, I will not even consider giving permission.¡±


    ¡°Magnanimous as always, my Tyrant!¡± Sebet cried approvingly. ¡°As per our Contract-¡± A flash of flames in her right hand materialised a copy of our Contract. ¡°-article five, subsection three, clause twelve, paragraph two: If an action would, under reasonable scrutiny, be determined to remove bodily autonomy from an ally, as defined in article nine, permission must be acquired from a designated witness, also defined under article nine, before the attempt can be made. Breach of Contract will result in a tier seven penalty, as defined in article ten.¡± Sebet made a show of taking a deep breath and smiled. ¡°I intend to Possess her, my Tyrant.¡±


    My mood soured almost immediately.


    ¡°If I may explain myself?¡± Sebet urged earnestly. ¡°It is far easier to make changes with the Sculpt Flesh Spell when I can feel the changes being made.¡±


    ¡°That is true, my Tyrant,¡± Gric agreed with visible reluctance and an expression of distaste. ¡°I have practised extensively, so I am equally proficient. However, I am not surprised others have not dedicated the time required to match this achievement.¡±


    Sebet¡¯s right eyebrow twitched in irritation but otherwise made no signs of intending to argue to the contrary.


    ¡°You have my permission to use Possession just this once,¡± I conceded. Presuming Sebet behaved herself, and the subject was willing, there was a big difference between what had happened to me and what was functionally a medical procedure.


    ¡°Thank you for your vote of confidence, my Tyrant!¡± Sebet declared emphatically, positively beaming with pride. She rounded on the two Oba clan members who had remained silent throughout, zeroing in on Namiko. ¡°Do I have permission to temporarily enter your body and suppress your consciousness for the purpose of this procedure?¡± Sebet asked eagerly, her eyes betraying an intense urgency.


    Kei and Namiko shared a silent glance.


    ¡°I am willing,¡± Namiko declared with absolute confidence, ¡°You have my permission. My life for...the...Oba...¡±


    Before the Oba elder could finish her statement of loyalty, Sebet¡¯s body turned to red-tinted smoke and rushed into Oba Namiko¡¯s body through her nose and mouth.


    ¡°This is?...¡± Oba Namiko raised her hands and stared at them with a look of clinical curiosity. ¡°Not as strange as I had expected...¡± She sounded disappointed.


    ¡°You are supposed to be performing a Spell,¡± Gric commented dryly. ¡°Not indulging your myriad of self-indulgent deviances.¡±


    Oba Namiko rolled her eyes in an altogether undignified manner. ¡°Please, you probably think your little Elf¡¯s choking fetish is far out there,¡± she muttered incredulously. ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t. After all she¡¯s been through, engaging in choke-play with you is practically therapy.¡±


    Gric glowered back at her, causing Namiko to flinch. He would make certain Sebet would pay for that later. However, Gric was not so petty that he would sabotage or disrupt official business to sate his ego.


    Sebet¡¯s mana began radiating through Namiko¡¯s body. After about five minutes, the mana receded. ¡°I have repaired what damage I could find,¡± she announced and then took several deep breaths, drawing in the ambient energy. ¡°Is this functional?¡± Namiko turned to Kei for an objective opinion.


    ¡°The damage has been repaired,¡± Gric observed neutrally before Kei could even place his fingers against Namiko¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°A miracle!...¡± Kei breathed hoarsely a few moments later. ¡°The damaged veins are gone! These veins are those of a once-in-a-generation prodigy!¡±


    Reviewing Oba Namiko¡¯s Status information, I could see why Kei was so excited. Namiko had gained the Fiendish Queen¡¯s Veins and Fiendish Queen¡¯s Dantian Inheritances. Although they both carried an asterisk that attached the Lust subclassification. Sebet was technically a Succubus Queen, so it wasn¡¯t all that surprising.


    Leveraging my authority to gain insight into the Inheritances, I discovered both the veins and Dantian held the same benefits. The veins and Dantian had a receptive quality that drastically increased the efficiency of the Cultivator gaining their first Affinity and replenishing Chi of that Affinity. Both inheritances also multiplied the effects of ¡®Dual Cultivation¡¯.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time I had encountered the term and in the context of Sebet¡¯s intervention, it made sense.


    Explaining the existence and benefits aloud, for Kei and the clan¡¯s benefit, I studied his face expecting to find warning signs of outrage or profound embarrassment. I had known enough old people back on Earth that I really should have known better.


    ¡°Multiplies the effects of Dual Cultivation?!¡± Kei exclaimed with surprise. ¡°That¡¯s wondrous news! With this, the future of the clan is secured!¡±


    Given the zealous fervour that Cultivators approached their Cultivation, taking advantage of a multiplying effect was a given. The fact that it involved consensual sex with an equally driven partner was just a bonus. A bonus in the eyes of the older generation, was the children such couplings would inevitably produce, securing the future of the clan.


    I wasn¡¯t aware of the Kama Sutra¡¯s providence back on Earth, but the Cultivators had several copies of its equivalent. Because of course, they did. Anything relating to Cultivation and the progression of Cultivation was meticulously recorded and jealously safeguarded for future generations.


    Sebet ejected herself from Namiko¡¯s body and assumed her physical form. ¡°Am I to assume we have a winner?¡± She asked, grinning from ear to ear.


    I had been expecting far more trial and error. However, the absence of detrimental side effects left the decision up to the members of the Oba clan themselves. ¡°It¡¯s their decision,¡± I stated neutrally.


    Unlike the Daemonic King¡¯s Veins, the Fiendish equivalent hadn¡¯t unlocked a unique Class. So far as I could tell, they hadn¡¯t unlocked any Classes at all.


    ¡°The Fallen Angels may produce different results if given the means to use the Sculpt Flesh Spell,¡± Gric interjected, undercutting Sebet¡¯s victory lap. ¡°Perhaps offering such an opportunity to the members of the Farmers Alliance would strike a fitting compromise for scientific inquiry, given the Oba clan appears more than satisfied with this remedy.¡± The way he had stared at Sebet throughout, it was obvious that Gric was driven by spite as he was by duty. However, he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°We will need to convene a special council to discuss this,¡± Oba Kei said.


    Oba Namiko nodded in agreement. ¡°However, I do not doubt we will vote in favour of this miraculous intervention!¡±


    Oba Kei nodded decisively in agreement. ¡°Thank you, Tyrant! The Oba clan owes you a debt we cannot ever hope to repay!¡±


    Kei and Namiko bowed respectfully, first to me and then to Sebet.


    Using my authority, I sent them back to their city.


    ¡°Do you think you could similarly alter Zhu Min¡¯s Dantian?¡± I asked Gric.


    ¡°Almost certainly,¡± Gric replied confidently. ¡°To guarantee success, the Dantian would need to be damaged. However, I am confident in my ability to make the changes without resorting to such methods.¡±


    Teleporting Zhu Wen and Zhu Min to our location, I gave them a brief explanation of what we were doing and the success we had thus far.


    ¡°You wish to create more Daemonic Cultivators?¡± Zhu Wen asked, obviously uncertain of my intentions.


    ¡°Possibly...¡± I admitted and then decided to come clean with a more complete explanation. ¡°We are at war. Our enemy can use teleportation to both rapidly deploy and retreat their forces. Before I can initiate a counterattack into their lands, I need to make sure those left behind can defend themselves and one another in the event of an emergency.¡±


    Zhu Wen looked confused. ¡°Apologies, my Tyrant. I don¡¯t understand...¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Uncle, there is something you do not know...¡± Zhu Min interjected before I had the chance to explain. ¡°The Monarch¡¯s Realm is not yet severed from the world beyond. The enemy must originate from that world.¡± She looked to me for confirmation and I nodded to show she was right.


    ¡°Oh...¡± Zhu Wen¡¯s eyes widened in shock and he remained silent for several long moments. ¡°And others have participated in these experiments?¡± Zhu Wen asked tentatively.


    ¡°A successful experiment was completed before your arrival,¡± Sebet replied, taking the initiative to inject herself into the conversation.


    ¡°I wanted to ask whether either of you would consider allowing Gric to alter your Dantian, theoretically applying the same benefit already provided through your altered veins,¡± I explained, cutting straight to the point.


    ¡°It would make it even easier to absorb unprotected energy?¡± Zhu Min asked, surprised that such a feat would even be possible.


    ¡°Provided it works and has the same effect,¡± I cautioned. ¡°It might also make it more difficult to control.¡±


    Zhu Min slowly nodded and became contemplative while Zhu Wen worried at the sleeves of his robes.


    Seemingly convinced of his grandniece¡¯s inevitable decision, Zhu Wen stepped forward. ¡°I would volunteer myself,¡± he proposed boldly. ¡°It is the duty of the older generation to lead the way, after all,¡± Zhu Wen gave a small reassuring smile to Zhu Min.


    Despite appearing as if she was going to argue, Zhu Min released a quiet sigh and returned her granduncle¡¯s smile as a show of support and appreciation.


    Gric rolled his eyes and I could tell he was fighting hard not to make a cutting remark in retaliation for the perceived insult implied by their lack of faith in his abilities.


    A fact that Sebet hadn¡¯t failed to notice and found quite entertaining.


    Resting his large clawed hand on Zhu Wen¡¯s scalp, Gric gathered his MP and injected it into the elderly man¡¯s body.


    Zhu Wen released a moan of discomfort and bowed his knees. However, before he could so much as utter a single word, Gric removed his hand and stepped away.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Gric declared with a conservative yet smug smile on his lips. ¡°A testament of what is possible when a task is undertaken by a professional.¡±


    Sebet smiled wryly back at him but said nothing.


    ¡°Do you feel any different?¡± I asked Zhu Wen. ¡°The change to your Dantian has provided the expected Inheritance, you look like something is wrong.¡±


    ¡°Apologies, Patriarch...¡± Zhu Wen apologised awkwardly with no small measure of embarrassment. ¡°I am fine, I just...I have an urgent need to relieve myself...¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± I nodded awkwardly in understanding and returned Zhu Wen to his home. ¡°We should make a note of making restroom facilities available during future experiments,¡± I commented and then turned my attention to Zhu Min. ¡°Besides an irritation of the bladder, everything appears to have gone as expected. However, if you don''t want any further inheritances, then you are more than welcome to leave things as they are.¡±


    Zhu Min fidgeted nervously for a few moments before finding her nerve and seeming to come to a decision. ¡°If the patriarch will allow it, I want them all. The Inheritances I mean,¡± her cheeks flushed with embarrassment but she kept her nerve. ¡°This is our home and I want to do my part to protect it!¡± Zhu Min declared adamantly.


    ¡°A complete Inheritance?¡± So far as I was aware, my Tyrant¡¯s Body was the only complete Inheritance we had on record. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked Gric and Sebet. As the resident experts in artificial Inheritances, their opinions carried considerable weight.


    ¡°Theoretically possible,¡± Gric commented with mild interest. ¡°Almost certainly painful,¡± he added, almost as an afterthought.


    Zhu Min pressed her lips tightly together but remained determined.


    ¡°Certainly worth trying,¡± Sebet agreed. ¡°Could you imagine the benefits if it succeeds? I am totally on board with making an attempt on a subject of my own! What was that elder¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Oba Namiko,¡± Gric answered dryly. ¡°You could also have identified her by her Inheritances.¡±


    Sebet¡¯s memory was close to infallible. So I could only assume the little show she was putting on was for Zhu Min¡¯s benefit.


    With a wave of his hand, Gric created a stone chair and motioned for Zhu Min to be seated. After she sat in the chair, he offered her a thick strap of leather. ¡°For the pain, and so you don¡¯t shatter your teeth,¡± Gric explained calmly.


    Hesitating for just a moment, Zhu Min nodded in thanks and bit down into the leather.


    ¡°Just to be clear on our objective. The goal is a full body Inheritance?¡± Gric asked for clarity.


    ¡°Ideally,¡± I agreed.


    Gric nodded to himself and then took a firm hold of Zhu Min¡¯s shoulders from behind the chair, pinning her in place.


    Gathering his mana, Gric began injecting it into Zhu Min¡¯s body.


    At first, nothing seemed to happen. However, after about a minute, Zhu Min¡¯s body suddenly grew stiff and she seized the stone arms of the chair. Breathing heavily through her nose and past the leather strap clenched between her teeth, it quickly became clear that Gric¡¯s prediction had been proven correct. The greater transformation did indeed inflict pain on the recipient.


    Clinging tightly to the arms of the chair, Zhu Min¡¯s fingers distended, gaining two extra inches in length. The nails on her fingers fell out and were rapidly replaced by thick claws that left trails in the stone arms of the chair. This process repeated itself moments later when Zhu Min¡¯s toes burst out of her shoes.


    ¡°All of her primary organs have been altered,¡± Sebet observed, watching the transformation and Zhu Min¡¯s Status to track the procedure.


    Gric grunted by way of acknowledgement but didn¡¯t stop.


    Blinking back tears of blood, Zhu Min released a muffled scream as three calcified protrusions erupted from her forehead.


    ¡°That did it!¡± Sebet cried with excitement.


    Checking Zhu Min¡¯s Status for myself, I confirmed that she did, in fact, now possess the Daemon King¡¯s Body Inheritance. Even without it, I could see the ambient energy being drawn toward her. Like the gravity of a celestial body, she appeared to be drawing the energy toward herself without conscious effort.


    Releasing Zhu Min¡¯s shoulders, Gric offered a hand to help raise her to her feet.


    Shakily rising to her feet, Zhu Min spat the strap of leather from her mouth, revealing sharp wolf-like canines that had punctured the leather. In addition to gaining almost two feet in height, not including the hooked trio of horns protruding from her forehead, the iris of Zhu Min¡¯s eyes had turned blood red and the pupils were slit like those of a serpent.


    ¡°Ihd ihd whark?¡± Zhu Min mumbled unintelligibly. She gingerly rubbed at her jaw and winced.


    ¡°It will take getting used to, but you will return to full function,¡± Gric stated with clinical detachment. ¡°You are just unused to the increase in jaw strength.¡± He leaned down to take a closer look at her horns and the inflamed flesh surrounding each eruption site. ¡°The swelling will subside on its own. However, treatment by a Surgeon should accelerate the process without reversing or compromising the alterations.¡±


    Taking that as my cue, I used my authority to teleport Wraithe to our location.


    ¡°Swelling and pain management,¡± I explained and waved her toward Zhu Min.


    Already reaching for supplies from the bandolier draped over her chest and the satchel at her side, Wraithe pushed past Gric so she could make an assessment of her own.


    Gric narrowed his eyes at Wraithe but didn¡¯t make a scene. Instead, he retreated several steps and watched her work.


    ¡°She needs supplements to compensate for the rapid bone growth, and a large meal and plenty of fluids to replace the missing blood,¡± Wraithe commented while applying a glowing blue salve to the swollen tissue at the base of Zhu Min¡¯s horns. ¡°Otherwise...She appears to be in good health.¡± Wraithe conjured a handful of small yellow-white pills in one hand and a metal cup in the other. ¡°Swallow these,¡± she instructed, pressing the pills into Zhu Min¡¯s mouth.


    Left with little choice, Zhu Min did as she was told.


    ¡°Good, now drink,¡± Wraithe pressed the cup into her hands, allowing her to do that herself.


    Zhu Min washed the pills down and drank the rest of the cup¡¯s contents for good measure.


    ¡°Drink,¡± Wraithe repeated, tapping the cup with one claw and refilling its contents.


    Zhu Min hesitated but did as she was told.


    ¡°What gave you cause to think the horns were the key?¡± Sebet asked with unabashed curiosity.


    ¡°Hrmph,¡± Gric snorted derisively and looked down his nose at Sebet. ¡°It was the only part that was missing,¡± he replied condescendingly. ¡°What is a king without his crown?¡± Gric gingerly tapped the rightmost of his horns.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly aggravating that what you just said makes sense...¡± Sebet groaned. ¡°Although I suppose it will be similar to the Fiend Inheritance...Do you think it will require the wings and tail? Or just the horns? After all, mine don¡¯t serve a higher function like yours do.¡±


    Gric frowned but gave the question serious consideration. Despite their dislike of one another, Gric wouldn¡¯t put his personal feelings above the task at hand. ¡°It isn¡¯t about what you have,¡± Gric replied distractedly. ¡°You are not a Fiend.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh, I see where you are going with this,¡± Sebet agreed, ¡°We need to figure out what a Fiend looks like.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I interjected without really meaning to do so. Drawing both of their attention as a result. ¡°I think Zhu Min¡¯s transformation is quite close to what a Fiend would look like. Or, at least, close enough. Fiend probably covers a wide range of variations since the cultural references aren¡¯t limited to just Western or Eastern mythologies...¡±


    ¡°I guess we will find out,¡± Sebet sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting while watching Wraithe continue attending to Zhu Min.


    ¡°I want to give Orphiel or Ophelia a crack at it,¡± I decided. ¡°Just so we know what our options are.¡±


    ¡°The Oba might not be as keen to volunteer for the unknown, now that they have a sure thing that fulfils their needs,¡± Sebet commented. ¡°Although I suppose we could use that as leverage?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I refused flatly, leaving no room for debate. ¡°I will not coerce any of my subjects into volunteering.¡±


    Sebet shrugged, making a show of indifference. ¡°What about testing on some Beasts?¡±


    ¡°It might not even work...But we have nothing to lose in trying,¡± I conceded. ¡°And if it does work...Well, it could provide a substantial boost in the strength of our reservists.¡± I considered another option but almost dismissed it out of hand.


    Gric and Sebet both stopped what they were doing and stared at me with expressions of profound surprise.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible though, right?¡± I huffed dismissively and ran a hand over my scalp to try and ease the tension. ¡°If they aren¡¯t recognised by the system, then the changes wouldn¡¯t mean anything.¡±


    Gric and Sebet exchanged glances with one another.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that for certain,¡± Gric hedged warily.


    ¡°And we lose nothing by trying...¡± Sebet added with only a hint of hesitation.


    Creating a stone cage, I used my authority to teleport a horned rabbit inside. ¡°We need to know if a Beast from the Cultivator System can be given an inheritance first,¡± I decided, allowing Gric and Sebet to choose amongst themselves who would make the first attempt.


    No doubt having come to a silent agreement, Gric approached the cage and seized the horned rabbit by the scruff of its neck. Ignoring its futile attempts at clawing and biting his arm, he began injecting MP into its body.


    Similar to what had happened to Zhu Min, a trio of new horns erupted from the rabbit¡¯s skull.


    Lacking the means, or immediate desire, to tame the rabbit, it was difficult to tell whether Gric¡¯s modifications had managed to make changes beyond just the physical. However, after sending Zhu Min and Wraithe away, so she could rest and recuperate, it quickly became clear that the rabbit was drawing ambient energy toward itself. Albeit at a rate that was much slower than Zhu Min had been capable of.


    ¡°Are we all satisfied with that result?¡± I asked.


    Gric and Sebet both nodded.


    ¡°Gaining a more transparent means of confirmation would require altering one of the Transcendent Beasts or Soul Binding to a regular Beast. So I think this is sufficient proof for the time being,¡± Sebet reasoned aloud.


    ¡°It is proof enough to justify experimenting on a regular Beast,¡± Gric agreed while callously wringing the rabbit''s neck.


    It was a necessary precaution, so I thought nothing of it.


    Replacing the dead-horned rabbit with a Vrabbit, I gave Gric the go-ahead to continue the experiment.


    Seizing the Vrabbit, Gric slowly injected his MP into its body.


    Ten minutes passed with no signs of change. Then fifteen minutes, twenty minutes...


    Roughly an hour into the experiment, horns erupted from the Vrabbit¡¯s skull.


    ¡°The Cultivator energy is too thin here,¡± Gric commented. ¡°Drawing it into the Beast¡¯s body, and keeping it in place long enough to make the modifications, was considerably more difficult than performing the same alterations on a Beast native Cultivator System.¡±


    ¡°Even so, it appears to have worked...¡± Sebet observed, accepting the struggling Vrabbit from Gric and inspecting it more closely. ¡°Of course, a collar would confirm it,¡± she exercised her limited authority to conjure a Taming Collar into her free hand. With exceptional manual dexterity, and with intimate familiarity, Sebet latched the collar around the Vrabbit¡¯s neck one-handed.


    Inviting myself into Sebet¡¯s party, I inspected the Vrabbit¡¯s Status for myself and quickly confirmed that it not only had a second Status but had gained the Daemon King¡¯s Crown Inheritance. What was strange was that the Species designation was simply listed as ¡®Beast¡¯. I only had Kwan to serve as a reference point, but I was reasonably certain most Species were entitled to an individual designation.


    Then again, the Vrabbit had been backdoored into the System. So there wasn¡¯t really much of an established precedent to go by.


    ¡°We should continue this experiment on Momoko¡¯s Peak,¡± I decided. ¡°Confirm the energy saturation levels actually play a role in the alteration process.¡±


    Sebet and Gric both nodded in agreement.


    Exercising my authority, I relocated us.


    ¡°It would stand to reason that we could alter ourselves as well,¡± Sebet observed with overt interest. ¡°Increasing our potential combat capabilities by a considerable margin.¡±


    ¡°That is not guaranteed,¡± Gric countered grimly. ¡°Altering ourselves may carry unforeseen risks.¡±


    ¡°Our Tyrant has both,¡± Sebet pressed eagerly. ¡°And his Bodyguard, Lurr, changed Systems outright-¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Gric growled. ¡°Lurr was a corpse! He lost all powers and Abilities granted by the primary System! And we should not be compared to the Tyrant!¡±


    ¡°Then what of his offspring?¡± Sebet countered. ¡°Pete and Suzy have no justifiable explanation for gaining representation in both Systems! Unless it is the Tyrant¡¯s authority that allows it to be so! Authority, that we both possess.¡±


    Gric scowled but said nothing.


    ¡°That might be why Orphiel¡¯s attempt failed to produce the desired results,¡± I reasoned aloud, reconsidering events with the new hypothesis in mind. ¡°We need to test this theory.¡±


    ¡°There is no guarantee that they possess the necessary skills...¡± Gric commented in a more reasonable tone. ¡°It would be better to have Wraithe make an attempt first. She possesses none of your authority but has the skills required to make the alterations-¡±


    ¡°And we already know that Daemon Inheritances are possible,¡± Sebet interjected, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gric agreed with just the barest hint of irritation at being interrupted.


    With a new plan and a new set of theories to test, I began making fresh preparations.


    A Summoned projection of Wraithe, armed with a wand facilitating the Sculpt Flesh Spell, was quick to prove that while she could make physical alterations, she couldn¡¯t generate the Daemon Inheritances or induct a Beast into the Cultivator System. Proving both Gric and Sebet¡¯s theories were correct, at least nominally correct.


    Granting a subordinate a portion of my authority was simultaneously an incredibly big deal, and as trivial as designating a hall monitor. I could rescind that authority at any time I wanted. A stark contrast to the authority Pete had gained after being nominated my heir. I wouldn¡¯t be able to rescind his authority, even if I wanted to.


    Presented with the choice between Orphiel and Ophelia, even as a temporary appointment, I had to side with Ophelia.


    Orphiel spent the majority of his time on personal pursuits. Which was fine. However, Ophelia spent her time on personal development. Faced with the decision based on who would be more responsible, I was more convinced to select Ophelia.


    ¡°You want me to try to do what?¡± Ophelia asked, experimentally hefting the stone wand and eyeing the test Vrabbit warily.


    ¡°Reshape its veins so they may carry this foreign mana that surrounds us,¡± Gric explained patiently.


    Ophelia cast a dubious glance toward Gric before staring at the Vrabbit again. ¡°Is this even possible?¡± She asked, making no attempts at hiding her doubts.


    ¡°We have made such alterations several times already,¡± Sebet replied confidently. ¡°However, we possess the ability to see the mana currents within living beings, so-¡±


    ¡°I can do that too,¡± Ophelia interrupted, still staring at the Vrabbit.


    ¡°You can?¡± Sebet asked, masking her surprise far better than I would have managed in her place.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Ophelia distractedly nodded in the affirmative. ¡°Maybe if I watched you do it first?¡± She suggested. ¡°Because I don¡¯t even know where to begin...¡±


    It was a fair request. Ophelia spent the majority of her time training and was only passingly familiar with internal anatomy. Sebet had extensive hands-on experience, and Gric possessed an intuitive knowledge of biology that bordered on the insane.


    Selecting one of the unaltered Vrabbits, Sebet picked it up by its scruff and held it up so Ophelia would have an unobstructed view.


    Although capable of completing the alteration process in as little as half a minute, Sebet dragged it out for Ophelia¡¯s benefit. Making sure she had the best opportunity to succeed when attempting herself.


    Or, so I assumed. I couldn¡¯t see mana in the same level of detail that the three of them possessed. While I was using a magnifying glass and marvelling at the detail of the ants, they were looking through a microscope and tracking the movement and mitosis of cells. There really was no comparison.


    I was proven right when Ophelia, after witnessing the procedure a single time, began replicating the feat on her own.


    ¡°Is that what you wanted?¡± Ophelia asked uncertainly, seemingly unconvinced that she had done anything of particular note.


    ¡°Exactly so!¡± Sebet praised, leaning in closer so she could inspect the Vrabbit more freely.


    ¡°Corrupted Heavenly Veins,¡± I announced for the others'' benefit, assuming they hadn¡¯t been watching the Status from the beginning. ¡°Its properties are...Wait a sec...¡± I closed the Status and then opened it again so I could be certain I was looking at it with fresh eyes. ¡°Projects an Aura of Corruption, which erodes hostile Auras and Techniques...¡±


    ¡°Aura? Isn¡¯t that from one of the sword Techniques?¡± Sebet asked warily.


    Gric remained silent for several moments and then nodded confidently. ¡°It is one such instance of Aura,¡± he confirmed. ¡°The Sword Aura. Capable of extending along objects or being projected from the practitioner¡¯s body, the Aura can possess a near-impossible sharpness and indestructibility. Or so the manuals have claimed. If true, it is likely balanced against the strength of the practitioners themselves.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was it,¡± Sebet agreed.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a good thing then?¡± Ophelia asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Seems to be...¡± I replied distractedly, more interested in another question that had come to mind just at that moment. ¡°Can we apply multiple Inheritances?¡±


    ¡°That...Hrm...May I?¡± Sebet took the Vrabbit from Ophelia and began injecting mana into its body.


    Nothing happened.


    Sebet shifted her mana away from the vascular system and toward the primary internal organs. No joy.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange...¡± I commented, somewhat confused by the results. My authority-driven intuition had remained more or less silent throughout. However, that usually implied a more complex or nuanced answer than it was equipped to provide. ¡°What if it¡¯s a matter of compatibility?¡± I suggested and turned to Gric, ¡°Could you give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gric agreed, accepting the Vrabbit from Sebet. Injecting his mana, Gric went straight for the internal organs.


    ¡°It¡¯s still not taking on the Inheritance...¡± I muttered, closing the Status and opening it again, just to be certain.


    ¡°What about Lurr?¡± Sebet asked pensively. ¡°He has an altogether different Inheritance. If we cannot impart another Inheritance to Lurr, then it would be safe to assume it is beyond our means.¡±


    Gric grunted in agreement but didn¡¯t look happy about it.


    ¡°Who should make the attempt?¡± Ophelia asked, taking a pragmatic rather than just theoretical approach to the problem. ¡°If only one of us can impart a, uh...¡±


    ¡°Inheritance,¡± Gric interjected.


    ¡°An Inheritance,¡± Ophelia flashed Gric a bright smile in thanks. ¡°They have different effects, don¡¯t they? That¡¯s why you are comparing them, correct? So which Inheritance would grant Lurr the greatest advantage?¡±


    Those were good questions.


    ¡°We will explain the differences to Lurr and let him choose,¡± I decided. ¡°Assuming he wishes to participate,¡± I added, feeling guilty that I had taken his potential participation as a given.


    Unfortunately, due to Lurr¡¯s unique health situation, I couldn¡¯t just Summon a projection to talk things out. Without the Thunder Affinity-Rich Chi he needed to live, any projections of him I summoned would almost immediately fall into a coma.


    ¡°There is someone else...¡± Sebet hedged. ¡°Two people really. Although I suspect one of them would not fit our purposes...¡±


    ¡°Who? Wait...No,¡± I refused flatly. ¡°I will not subject someone already so mistreated, to further experimentation. That is the exact form of cruelty that I am fighting against!¡±


    ¡°It was merely an observation...¡± Sebet replied with exaggerated innocence.


    Ophelia frowned but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Gric, could you explain things to Lurr and see if he is willing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gric replied obediently but paused just shy of leaving. ¡°Will the second Status and Cultivation be extended to all of your subjects? Or just those who will stand in Sanctuary¡¯s defence?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until I opened my mouth to answer that I realised I hadn¡¯t given it nearly enough thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I admitted. ¡°I need more time to consider things. Why?¡±


    Gric shifted uncomfortably and I could tell he was about to tell me his equivalent of a lie. That is, several truths adjacent to the issue he wants to address. ¡°From a practical standpoint, the more Cultivators there are, the more Cultivation energy will be produced. Allowing Cultivators, such as yourself to progress more quickly. Also, the Cultivation System doesn¡¯t discriminate in the same manner as the native System. Humans and wild monsters who have a capped Evolutionary potential would still have the opportunity to grow stronger-¡±


    ¡°But how would you make that conversion possible en masse?¡± I challenged, curious to see how much thought Gric had put into the idea and what answers he had come up with.


    ¡°We could make a template for a Contract that applies the Sculpt Flesh Spell?¡± Sebet suggested, rubbing at her chin while slowly pacing back and forth. ¡°Although, that might default the Inheritance to the Fiend as well? I¡¯m not sure, there is a lot of new ground being covered here. We will need to test it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want people taking on the Daemon Inheritance either,¡± I commented. ¡°The Daemonic Cultivator Class is just too dangerous in the wrong hands.¡±


    ¡°You could just ban and restrict it, the same as you did with the Slaver Classes,¡± Sebet argued offhandedly. ¡°The Inheritance itself isn¡¯t dangerous, only what people may do with it.¡±


    Sebet¡¯s willingness to argue in favour of another Inheritance came as quite a surprise. I would have expected the influence she stood to gain from a greater number of people holding her Inheritance would have motivated her toward the opposite.


    ¡°That¡¯s true...¡± I agreed warily, waiting for the other shoe to drop.


    Seemingly content, Sebet made no further attempts at arguing her point. Although she did indulge in a surreptitious smile that appeared to be at Gric¡¯s expense. ¡°Of course, it raises the question regarding which Inheritance would best suit the Tyrantess...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her choice to make, not mine,¡± I stated firmly. Although it did raise the issue that I now had a burden of transparency to uphold. If I kept this matter from Lash, it would only cause problems down the line.


    Exercising my authority, I teleported myself to her location.


    As I had expected, I found Lash observing our children¡¯s Cultivation lessons. As usual, Eg was at her side. Watching the lessons with wonder and longing in her eyes, but was unable to participate.


    We could change that.


    Watching the kids train for a while, I used that time to consider how I would explain the results of what we had been working on. However, after twenty or so minutes of tying my brain in knots, I decided that the direct approach would be best.


    ¡°We discovered how to turn people into Cultivators,¡± I commented in a somewhat forced casual tone, trying not to make a huge deal out of what was objectively a pretty huge deal.


    ¡°Hrm?¡± Lash hadn¡¯t been paying attention and stared blankly at me for several seconds before narrowing her eyes at me. ¡°You said...¡±


    ¡°We discovered how to turn people into Cultivators,¡± I repeated, smiling awkwardly.


    Lash drew in a sharp breath in surprise. ¡°This is true?¡± She asked, trying to suppress her excitement.


    I nodded and braced myself just in time for Lash to leap up into my arms and fiercely press her lips against mine. While I was quite a bit larger than her, Lash had proportionately more muscle for her size and the advantage of leverage. Relieved that I managed to keep my footing, I kissed her back and then rested my forehead against hers.


    ¡°There is a choice you would need to make first,¡± I explained with a smile. ¡°Depending on who helps you unlock the Cultivation System, you will get different powers.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t?¡± Lash asked with a bemused smile.


    I shook my head and shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t actually tried, but I don¡¯t have the eyes for it. I can¡¯t see the mana nearly as well as they do.¡±


    Lash slowly nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not so sure I can pass on the extra benefits that Sebet, Gric and Ophelia can,¡± I admitted after giving it some more thought. ¡°And it is worth taking the time to consider which of the benefits would suit you best,¡± I added earnestly.


    Lash was about to say something but fell silent as Suzy shattered the central post of a training dummy and sent its top half hurtling in our direction.


    Angling to the side, I caught the rogue remnants of the dummy on my back before turning back toward the training yard again. ¡°Nice hit Suzy!¡± I called out supportively and pumped my right fist in the air for good measure.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Suzy called back, jumping up and down while pumping her fists. ¡°Suzy smash!¡± She cackled excitedly.


    The teaching assistants, Oba Kei¡¯s senior students, looked on with envy and a small degree of fear. After throwing several rapid rounds of rock paper scissors, the losers ran off to fetch a new dummy and dispose of the broken pole protruding from the training ground floor.


    Suzy went through roughly three dozen training dummies a day and the decline in the frivolous aesthetics on the dummies was a testament to the strain she was putting on the craftsman responsible for their construction.


    I had no doubt that said craftsmen were probably weeping tears of blood when presented with the splintered remains of their labour. However, the small fortune they were making from replacing the dummies had to count for something.


    ¡°What about Eg?¡± Lash asked after Suzy returned to her training.


    Eg was peeking over a low stone wall, her eyes wide with child-like wonder as she watched a large snake made from Pete¡¯s Water Affinity loop and spiral through the air alongside a second snake made of fire.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the same boat as you,¡± I replied with a smile before realising the idiom might not translate. ¡°Ah, I mean, she just has to choose,¡± I clarified.


    Lash gave me a strange look and snorted softly while smiling and shaking her head. ¡°You say strange things sometimes,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Just say what you mean,¡± Lash insisted, proud of her progress in exercising more refined and elaborate speech to express her point.


    Convincing her to make the effort in the first place had been akin to pulling teeth, so I wasn¡¯t going to argue. I was more than happy to just enjoy the relative moment of peace.


    If Gric and Sebet¡¯s proposal proved viable, the next few days would prove to be incredibly demanding. I took what comfort I could in the knowledge that duel System users would make far more formidable combatants, increasing our chances of victory against the beetlemen and their masters. Most importantly, increasing the odds of me making home to my family, healthy and whole.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 83 – Against the unknown – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 83 ¨C Against the unknown ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 83 - Against the unknown - Part One


    Spending time with Lash and discussing the Inheritances allowed me to reconsider a number of my original assumptions. As per usual, a certain degree of my thinking had been subconsciously restricted by proximity. I had focused too much on those who were nearby or otherwise frequented my thoughts, ignoring those who were further afield.


    Once I stopped to consider the matter properly I found it difficult to stop. There were potentially dozens of Inheritances that could be discovered and bestowed upon willing subjects. Some, like Wisp, the Valkyrja¡¯ and perhaps the Dryads, could be added to the list immediately. Already possessing the means to see and track mana with intense detail.


    Reviewing the growing store of Technique manuals, I found a simple diagnosis Technique. Intended as a means for physicians to locate and diagnose irregularities in a Cultivator¡¯s body, the Quivering Palm Diagnosis Technique used a method descriptively similar to sonar to provide the user with internal imagery of the target in real time.


    Assuming the Technique functioned as advertised, it might prove a viable substitute for those without detailed mana-sight.


    Returning to the testing grounds with Lash and Eg in tow, I was just in time to witness an Oba elder obtain a complete Inheritance from Sebet.


    Much to my surprise, the elderly Cultivator had gained a pair of ram-like horns, a whip-like tail, sharp fangs and pitch-black sclera in both eyes. The complete Inheritance had changed him, just as it had done to Zhu Min.


    Before I had the opportunity to investigate, another elder underwent the same complete transformation in less than a second. The disintegrating Contract floating in front of him was enough evidence to assume Sebet was continuing with her experiments.


    Once I was certain I had Oba Kei¡¯s attention, I motioned for him to approach.


    ¡°How may I serve, my Tyrant?¡± Oba Kei bowed respectfully and then repeated the gesture for Lash and Eg.


    ¡°There is a Technique that may prove valuable in our Inheritance experiments,¡± I explained. ¡°The Quivering Palm Diagnosis Technique. Have you heard of it?¡±


    Oba Kei nodded and pointed toward one of the gathered Oba elders attending Sebet. ¡°Elder Shinji is our clan¡¯s foremost expert in esoteric Techniques. Shall I send for him?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I nodded.


    Oba Kei looked toward Shinji and beckoned with two crooked fingers.


    Despite his diverted attention, elder Shinji hurriedly excused himself and rushed to attend Oba Kei. ¡°Grand elder, how may I be of assistance?¡±


    ¡°The Tyrant has need of your expertise,¡± Kei replied in a hushed tone, directing his attention toward me instead.


    ¡°My Tyrant, it is an honour,¡± Shinji bowed respectfully. ¡°How may I serve?¡±


    ¡°I was told you are an expert in the Quivering Palm Diagnosis Technique,¡± I explained patiently while motioning for silence. Some members of the Oba clan had the habit of interrupting when they felt they were given undue praise and I didn''t want to repeat myself. ¡°Assuming you had a dedicated student, how long do you believe it would take for them to gain a firm grasp of the Technique?¡±


    The wrinkles on Shinji¡¯s face grew deeper as he considered the question with deathly sincerity. ¡°Assuming the student is willing, my Tyrant? I believe it would take a week at most. If they are willing gifted, it would not be unreasonable to expect proficiency within one to two days of serious training. This is assuming the students have access to an Energy Gathering Array or Elixirs, to accelerate their Chi recovery.¡±


    ¡°I would like to borrow elder Kei for a few moments, if I may?¡± Sebet had made her approach shortly after elder Shinji had left.


    ¡°You¡¯re testing another Contract?¡± I asked, nodding toward the MP-infused scroll in her left hand.


    Sebet grinned. ¡°Just so, my Tyrant.¡± She shifted her attention toward Kei. ¡°With your permission, we would like to test your theory regarding contamination.¡±


    ¡°Contamination?¡± I asked, not immediately following what she meant. Then I noticed Kei¡¯s eyes and I remembered my concerns regarding the Contracts. ¡°With his consent, you may proceed.¡±


    ¡°For the good of the clan and the Realm, I am willing to do anything that is asked of me,¡± Kei stated humbly. ¡°If I may ask? What will this experiment prove?¡±


    ¡°The Contracts are a power unique to Sebet¡¯s Species,¡± I explained, nodding at the Contract. ¡°We want to determine if Inheritances, besides the Fiend, delivered through a Contract are ¡®contaminated¡¯ or negated outright.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Kei nodded approvingly.


    ¡°This is also a test to determine if Inheritances can be improved, or ¡®upgraded¡¯,¡± Sebet continued, sparing a moment to point her clawed fingers at Kei¡¯s unnaturally bright green eyes. ¡°You possess a partial Inheritance already, making you a prime candidate for our next round of tests.¡±


    ¡°It will be my honour!¡± Kei announced with pride. ¡°I need only mark the Contract with my blood, correct?¡± He asked, raising his right thumb to his mouth and exposing his teeth.


    ¡°Just so!¡± Sebet agreed, pressing the Contract forward with anticipation.


    Although he was keeping his distance, Gric was watching the proceedings with a keen eye as well.


    ¡°You may want to cover Eg¡¯s eyes and ears,¡± I whispered to Lash in warning, while motioning for a delay.


    Once Eg was suitably prepared I motioned for Kei and Sebet to continue.


    ¡°Just so you understand, this Contract has been tailored to your exact specifications,¡± Sebet explained while motioning to medical diagrams scattered throughout the contents of the Contract. ¡°It is another part of the experiment. We want to determine if and how much quality is lost when a Contract signatory receives a more generalised package. You may proceed when you are ready,¡± a predatory grin split her lips and cast her in an altogether deliberately predatory light.


    Without a shred of fear, Kei bit his thumb and then swiped the bloody digit on the bottom of the Contract.


    With a flash of MP, the blood disappeared and the sigils of Contract swarmed to life. A torrent of MP swept out of the Contract and into Kei¡¯s body.


    In just under a minute, Kei¡¯s aged body underwent a rigorous reconstruction. While it did not return him to the prime of his youth, the grand elder looked at least twenty to thirty years younger. Of course, he now had a trio of horns protruding from his forehead, claws on the end of all his toes and fingers, and serpentine eyes, but he didn¡¯t appear to mind.


    ¡°Zero contamination!¡± Sebet declared excitedly. ¡°And the inferior Inheritance was overwritten!¡± She pumped her fists excitedly and did a short sprint on the spot, failing or otherwise unwilling to contain her excitement.


    ¡°Oh! Oh by the heavens! I can¡¯t remember the last time I could do this!¡± With his hands firmly planted on the back of his hips, the grand elder was leaning backwards at the waist.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t overly painful or distressing?¡± I asked, curious to see how the Contract may differ from the manual approach.


    Coming to his senses, Kei coughed into his sleeve in embarrassment and then bowed respectfully. ¡°Apologies, my Tyrant! There is a small degree of pain and discomfort, but it is nothing compared to decades of training and Cultivation. I am perhaps not the person best suited to answer such questions.¡±


    He had a point. Presumably, all of the elders were veterans of who knew how many conflicts. The titles were not awarded for age. They were earned through deeds and milestones of Cultivation. Individual clans held different standards on who could become an elder, but tier six, roughly Rank one hundred and twenty of the Eternal Tao Racial Ability, was the minimum universally accepted Chi requirement. Without extreme talent to accelerate the internalising of raw energy into Chi, the majority of elders would naturally be quite old before they met the minimum standards.


    The tiers were also heavily related to the progressions of certain Techniques, but the Chi requirement was a secondary identifier.


    ¡°You have been made aware of the test you will need to pass before returning to your regular duties?¡± I asked.


    Kei nodded soberly. ¡°I was informed as much, and now that I have undergone the change, I appreciate why it is needed. Drawing upon ambient energy has always taken effort. To have the universe turn upon its head so suddenly...I can appreciate the danger I might pose to younger practitioners.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand.¡± I smiled approvingly and felt a considerable degree of relief. It felt good when more experienced experts agreed with precautionary measures and didn¡¯t have immediate recommendations for improvement. ¡°Zhu Min is eager to learn more about martial arts and she has experience with controlling the energy drawing effect. So I hope you will both take the opportunity to learn from one another.¡±


    ¡°My Tyrant is wise. I will do as you say,¡± Kei agreed happily.


    Gric and Sebet¡¯s tests continued for another couple of hours while Lash and I watched from a distance and discussed the results.


    ¡°What about Eg?¡± I asked, sparing a glance at the small Half-Ogre. ¡°You wanted an Inheritance for her, but I don¡¯t think she is old enough to decide for herself. Hell, we have barely uncovered a handful of them as it is. A better-suited inheritance may be identified a week from now.¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± Lash agreed reservedly. ¡°Being different, only watching, is also bad,¡± she countered while gently stroking Eg¡¯s scalp.


    ¡°True,¡± I agreed with a sigh. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to force a decision on her and find out later that I ruined her life...¡±


    Lash snorted and shook her head, grinning incredulously. ¡°Worrier, this is what the Humans say. You fight tomorrow and tomorrow''s tomorrow in the mind,¡± she tapped the side of her head. ¡°Prepare, plan, build...¡± Lash smiled and squeezed my hand supportively. ¡°Make our home, protect us...¡± A playful light began dancing in her eyes. ¡°All of this!¡± Lash exclaimed with a grin. ¡°Yet not perfect makes you afraid?¡± She snickered playfully. ¡°Perfect is good. Not perfect? Is also good,¡± Lash insisted. ¡°Choosing now, gives time to grow, to join others.¡±


    She had a point. Several really.


    ¡°So, what would you choose?¡± I asked, shifting topics slightly. I was curious to learn where her preferences lay and why. ¡°Assuming the other Inheritances are an option,¡± I added, including a dozen more hypothetical Inheritances that accounted for Ochram, Hana, Wisp, the Valkyrja, and a whole host of other monsters.


    Lash didn¡¯t even hesitate for a moment. ¡°Earth and stone,¡± she declared with absolute confidence. Given her origins, it made sense. While she tolerated her time above ground for the sake of our relationship and our children¡¯s happiness, Lash was never truly at ease while above ground during the daylight hours.


    I nodded to show my approval and then looked pointedly at Eg. ¡°What about her?¡± I asked, hoping Lash would have some sort of insight that would make the choice easier.


    ¡°Flowers...¡± Eg mumbled quietly, anxiously wringing her fingers while avoiding eye contact.


    Lash smiled affectionately and gave Eg a one-armed hug. ¡°Her answer,¡± she announced proudly.


    ¡°So, an Inheritance from Hana or Momoko then.¡± I was glad that I had asked. Something related to the Wood Affinity wouldn¡¯t have been my first guess and probably wouldn¡¯t have been amongst my final selection if the choice had been left up to me.


    With their desired Inheritances currently unavailable, I returned Lash and Eg to the Oba clan training grounds.


    While Lash and Gric continued their experiments, I set about actively compiling a list of potential sources of additional Inheritances. While doing so, I discovered several of the Viking Cultivators, including their former Monarch, possessed an Inheritance already. Or rather, they had recently obtained an Inheritance.


    Einheri¡¯s Spirit


    The Inheritance functioned differently to the others I had investigated thus far. Instead of amplifying the connection to a particular Affinity, manipulating energy, or otherwise accelerating development, the Einheri¡¯s Spirit Inheritance covered an entirely different niche. Specifically, the effects of compatible Techniques would be amplified. The caveat being that the amplification was directly linked to how close the bearer of the Inheritance was to their death.


    Despite the morbid nature of the Inheritance, I refused to dismiss it out of hand. Intuition granted by my authority told me that the Titan¡¯s Body reinforcement Technique was compatible with the Inheritance. In fact, almost every Technique related to developing and strengthening the body was compatible. While I didn¡¯t have any weapon-based Techniques, my intuition told me that they were compatible as well.


    While the easy power promised by the Fiend and Daemon Inheritances was tempting, the Einheri Inheritance offered something approximating insurance. With the memories of how badly I was beaten while fighting the beetlemen still fresh in my mind, the prospect of growing stronger when otherwise outmatched was not something I could pass up.


    More than that, I had a mounting sense of certainty that the other Inheritances were mutually exclusive by their very nature. If I chose any one of them, I would be incapable of taking on other Inheritances in the future. With the Einheri¡¯s Spirit, I felt those same restrictions but also a vague impression that there were other Inheritances that shared at least partial compatibility.


    However, the more I reflected upon the source of the Inheritance, the more misgivings I felt at the prospect of taking on compatible Inheritances.


    With only one way to be certain regarding the nature of the potentially compatible Inheritances, I Summoned a projection of Wisp and commanded him and his ward, Marco, to return to the Realm.


    Otherwise occupied with thinning the ranks of the undead leaving the Mournbrent Labyrinth and containing the remainder within the city, Wisp¡¯s primary duty was serving as Marco¡¯s keeper. A parole officer of sorts.


    Traumatised by years of debauchery and butchery committed while Enslaved to the Vampyrs, Tobi¡¯s older brother had not been in a fit state to remain within Sanctuary.


    Or rather, I had not trusted him to remain.


    Reflecting upon my choices and motivations, I felt disappointed in myself. Sending Marco away had been an emotionally charged decision based too much on my personal feelings of revulsion and anger. It was a punishment in all but name. Penance for sins Marco bore little if any degree of responsibility.


    It was a wrong I needed to make right.


    If I could set aside an isolated territory for a Demon Lord, I could make at least the same effort for a tortured soul to find a measure of peace.


    The animated mass of vines, Briarheart, remained in Mournbrent. With Wisp¡¯s prolonged absence, his cabal of Warlocks would need additional support to maintain their combat efficiency.


    Upon sensing Wisp and Marco¡¯s return, I sent Marco to the territory I had set aside for him and teleported Wisp to my side.


    After explaining what Sebet and Gric were doing I wasn¡¯t surprised when Wisp promptly excused himself to investigate their experiments for himself.


    Soon enough, Wisp was experimenting on horned rabbits, and later, Tamed Vrabbits. Confirming that, he too, could provide an Inheritance.


    The Sanctified Soul.


    The Inheritance provided immunity to the entropic qualities of the Death Affinity and allowed the Death Affinity to suppress hostile undead. Although quite niche in its application, the first effect was a powerful form of self-defence. Having witnessed the effects of the Death Affinity first-hand, the prospect of becoming immune to it was incredibly tempting.


    Summoning projections of Sigrun, Kara and Skuld, I repeated the explanation I had provided to Wisp under the expectation that they might be interested in joining the experiments as well. However, they showed little interest in the experiments. Instead, they appeared far more interested in me.


    ¡°You are chosen,¡± the Valkyrja triplets croaked in unison, spectral wings burning with silver with light.


    Sensing their Divinity entering my spirit, I realised my earlier concerns no longer mattered. The choice was no longer mine to make.


    ¡°Death bringer, avatar of carnage, army of one. For these deeds, we name thee, Einheri!¡± In a sudden flash, the trio of projections expended their collective mana and disappeared.


    Unsettled by the qualifications the Vakyrja had attributed to my name, I did my best to push them from my mind and focus instead on my new Inheritance. The Einheri¡¯s Spirit.


    While I had been heavily leaning toward choosing the Einheri¡¯s Spirit Inheritance, a part of me still resented that the choice had been taken from me. To regain a sense of control, I approached Wisp and told him to try and bestow the Sanctified Soul.


    ¡°It may carry certain risks...¡± Wisp warned quietly, his voice like dry crackling leaves. ¡°Power, no matter how slight, always has its price...¡±


    Taking a moment to leverage my authority against the hypothetical, it only increased my confidence. ¡°Do it,¡± I commanded.


    The hood of Wisp¡¯s robes bowed in acquiescence and a pale emaciated hand extended from his right sleeve. ¡°May your soul shun corruption and deny the presence of the corrupted...¡± Wisp traced his fingers through the air to form a symbol I wasn¡¯t familiar with but felt comparable to the Catholic Signum Crucis.


    A burning feeling swept through my senses and brought me to my knees. Unable to push back against the mounting pain, I grit my teeth and bore with it. Determined to outlast the source of the pain, I forced myself to meditate and use the pain to deepen my understanding of myself.


    As the pain guttered and died I opened my eyes and found a considerable amount of time had passed. What had been the early afternoon was now the early morning. Rather than feeling disoriented, I found I was able to account for the time that had passed by recalling snippets of whispered comments made by the Oba clan¡¯s elders.


    All of the elders, save for Kei, had been returned to their city a few hours before I ended my meditation. But Kei continued in conversation throughout. Unable to identify the owner of the voice through the pain, I was surprised to find Marco standing in the early morning sun alongside grand elder Kei.


    Deathly pale, Marco wore simple trousers and a tunic beneath a battered breastplate. While there was sadness in his eyes, I found no traces of the suicidal hysteria that had all but defined him during our last meeting. In its place was a calm resolve that I could only hope came from a newfound purpose.


    It took me a while to realise that Marco remained unharmed despite standing in direct sunlight. A feat I had been told was impossible for anyone who changed into a Vampyr. Investigating his Status, I found my answer.


    Just the same as Wisp, Marco had been Purified. Still an undead and physically unaltered, Divinity had driven the ¡®corruption¡¯ from what constituted his soul. Removing the predatory drives that had stripped bare his humanity and left him acting on primal impulses. Allowing reason to prevail so long as he had the will to act.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how that corruption was responsible for spontaneously combusting in direct sunlight. But I supposed it didn¡¯t particularly matter either. So long as Marco was in full control of his mental faculties, I wouldn¡¯t treat him much differently than anyone else.


    ¡°You look better,¡± I commented, interrupting their conversation.


    Defiance flashed in Marco¡¯s eyes. Unlike the majority of my subjects, Marco was technically still my Slave.


    With a dismissive wave of my hand, I cancelled Marco¡¯s Enslavement and banished the collar from around his neck.


    ¡°I acted in anger. I shouldn¡¯t have done that to you, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I apologise and meant every word.


    Stripping people of their free will and forcing them to act as I wanted them to was always the easier option. The shortcut that guaranteed compliance and allowed no room for evil. However, it left no allowance for good either. Forced to action under Enslavement, good men and women would be stripped of their humanity and perform heinous acts, just to stop the pain.


    ¡°You...¡± Marco¡¯s clawed fingers twitched and his lips parted to reveal predatory canines. Then, he stopped, closed his eyes and counted to ten. Opening his eyes again, all signs of his earlier anger had vanished. ¡°You could have killed me,¡± Marco commented neutrally. ¡°Should have killed me...¡± He added after a moment''s hesitation. ¡°I...I am glad you did not...¡± Marco briefly balled his hands into fists but unclenched them again. ¡°I was afraid, terrified, of the thought of my family seeing what I have become...the terror and disgust on their faces...I could not bear the thought of it...¡±


    Oba Kei supportively patted Marco¡¯s right shoulder and gave him an understated yet reassuring smile.


    Taking comfort in the gesture, Marco smiled in return, even if it was somewhat pained in comparison. ¡°I have had time to think, to reflect on what I have done...I can¡¯t make things right. I can¡¯t return the lives I took...But I can try to make the world better! So long as I am alive, I can fight to protect people who can¡¯t protect themselves! And maybe...maybe one day I can look in my parent''s eyes and not see a monster staring back at me...¡±


    I kept the grim reality of his situation to myself. Being reminded that he was, in fact, literally a monster, would be cruel and accomplish nothing productive. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Have you considered writing a letter?¡± I asked, recalling how distraught his parents had been during their brief stay within Sanctuary. They had already believed him dead and that their younger son, Tobi, would likely join him any day. Tobi¡¯s miraculous recovery, thanks to the Angels, had spared them mourning a second child, but Marco¡¯s survival, even in his monstrous state, was potentially life-changing news.


    Marco flinched. ¡°I...¡± He looked down at his boots in shame. ¡°I want to...¡± He admitted quietly. ¡°But I can¡¯t bring myself to do it...What if they demand to see me? What if...¡± Marco lost his voice and shook his head. ¡°They saw me...In the city...In Mournbrent...Saw what I did...¡±


    ¡°They saw what the Vampyrs made you do,¡± I corrected, emphasising the difference. ¡°I remember what you told me, you know. That you tried to keep them safe, taking others in their place.¡±


    Marco hung his head in shame.


    ¡°What they made you do was abominable, and I think, if you gave your parents a chance, they would surprise you,¡± I insisted.


    Back on Earth, some parents had lost their children to cults and addiction. Despite all their children put them through, and the harm they brought to others, their parents were willing to look past it all and give their child another chance. I didn¡¯t know Marco and Tobi¡¯s parents well enough to make that judgement, but I wanted to believe they would.


    ¡°Maybe...¡± Marco conceded but didn¡¯t sound like he believed it.


    ¡°Tobi has made close to a full recovery, and he knows you''re alive.¡± It was a white lie, a half-truth at worst. Tobi had never truly believed his brother had died. Only that he had gone missing. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel ready to contact your parents, you could at least write to your brother.¡± Tobi wasn¡¯t aware of what Marco had done unless their parents had told him, which I doubted was the case. So there was less pressure.


    ¡°I...I¡¯ll think about it...¡± Marco agreed, this time with a semblance of commitment.


    I actually hadn¡¯t spoken with Tobi since before the Liche¡¯s ambush on Sanctuary. Which seemed like an eternity ago despite being so vividly burned into my memory.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to stay where you will in the meantime,¡± I reassured him. ¡°Your life is your own.¡±


    Marco looked up at me with a confused look on his face. ¡°Just like that?¡± He asked hesitantly.


    ¡°You have sworn to obey my laws,¡± I replied evenly. ¡°Twenty-four-hour observation or house arrest is likely to do more harm than good at this point. But if you don¡¯t want to face the world just yet, I could make arrangements on your behalf.


    ¡°I...Thank you...¡± Marco replied softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone would ever truly trust me again...Even with the Oaths...Thank you.¡±


    I left Marco and Oba Kei to continue their previous conversation in private. Leaving food and water behind, in case I forgot to pass along instructions to Zhu Min regarding Oba Kei¡¯s required training.


    Speaking with Marco had reminded me of Fesk, and by association, Nadine, and what was almost certainly the imminent hatching of their first child. It was difficult to be certain, given each Species carried their egg, or eggs, for different lengths of time. However, the hatching itself was entirely dependent on there being sufficient mana in the vicinity. Which Sanctuary had in abundance.


    It wasn¡¯t far off to assume that since the egg had not yet hatched, then Nadine was due to...give birth? Lay her egg...Very soon, and for her child to hatch shortly after.


    Returning to Sanctuary, the darkness cast by the walls of towering trees surrounding The Grove served as a reminder of just how early it was in the morning. However, the small gathering of pale-skinned and white-haired men and women gathered beneath the tree that served as Fesk and Nadine¡¯s home, led me to believe that my earlier assumption was likely far more accurate than I had expected.


    A long drawn-out groan of pain echoed from beyond the curtain leading to Fesk and Nadine¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°How long has this been going on?¡±I demanded, singling out one of the assembled Thralls at random.


    ¡°Not long...¡± The male Thrall replied hesitantly, earning a shove and irritated huff from the female at his side and judgmental stares from several others.


    ¡°Just over an hour,¡± the female curtly corrected, directing the majority but not the entirety of her attitude toward the male.


    ¡°Wraithe is present?¡± I asked, already directing my senses toward the bedroom.


    ¡°And several more Surgeons,¡± the female Thrall confirmed more or less as my authority did the same. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take this long,¡± the Thrall pressed, ¡°Something has gone wrong!¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to distract Wraithe during what might be an emergency Caesarean, so I opted for a more direct source.


    ¡°Ooooh? Huh? Oh! Fuck me! That feels so much better!¡± Nadine¡¯s projection swore with visible relief.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happening up there?¡± I asked, injecting a thread of authority into my voice to try and focus Nadine¡¯s projection toward the issue at hand.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m laying an egg?¡± Nadine replied, looking at me as if I was daft. Only for her expression to quickly change to profound concern. ¡°It¡¯s hard to remember...Wraithe gave me something...for the pain...Oh! Oh no...I...I think it''s stuck...And Wraithe and the other Surgeons were talking about cutting me open?¡± She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to do that...¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!¡± Nadine howled from the confines of her bedroom.


    ¡°I uh...I think I have a knife?¡± Nadine¡¯s projection admitted sheepishly but with no small measure of concern. ¡°Or maybe a sword?... It¡¯s difficult to remember...¡±


    ¡°Setting aside the relatively low risks of a Caesarean-¡± I raised my hand to forestall any potential argument. ¡°There is a much better way of going about this.¡±


    A little annoyed at being dismissed, Nadine¡¯s projection exaggeratedly raised an eyebrow while firmly crossing her arms across her chest.


    ¡°We call in an expert,¡± I replied to Nadine¡¯s unspoken question.


    ¡°Wraithe¡¯s supposed to be an expert,¡± Nadine countered dryly.


    ¡°A different kind of expert,¡± I replied, gathering my MP for another Summon. ¡°Quite frankly I¡¯m a little disappointed this is necessary...¡±


    Appearing in her true form, Sebet made a show of beating her large leathery wings and lashing her tail.


    ¡°Her egg is stuck,¡± I stated bluntly. ¡°Please see to unsticking it.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sebet replied enthusiastically.


    ¡°As noninvasively as possible,¡± I amended.


    ¡°I would not dream of doing otherwise!¡± Sebet agreed heartily, grinning all the while.


    ¡°And everything is to be returned to the way it was,¡± I added, unable to shake the suspicion that Sebet was up to something.


    ¡°Standard procedure!¡± Sebet concurred.


    ¡°And no weird sex stuff!¡± Nadine¡¯s projection interjected heatedly, having overcome her shock and now thoroughly concerned for a whole host of new possibilities.


    It lasted only a fraction of a second, but I was certain I saw Sebet flinch.


    After receiving several more explicit conditions, Sebet alighted to Nadine and Fesk¡¯s bedroom with markedly less enthusiasm than she had demonstrated only a minute before.


    ¡°This kind of feels like I¡¯m cheating...¡± Nadine commented guiltily. ¡°On myself, the other me, I mean...¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to feel guilty about,¡± the female Thrall interjected supportively, earning a chorus of similar sentiments from the other female Thralls.


    I could see where Nadine was coming from but decided it wasn¡¯t best to discuss the matter in front of the current audience.


    ¡°The screaming stopped...¡± I observed, trying to make conversation. ¡°So that¡¯s a good sign.¡±


    Earning a host of judgmental stares, I pretended not to notice and sat myself neck-deep in the lake. It was then that I noticed Ushu was doing laps in the depths.


    After giving it some thought, I realised that it made a sort of sense. Fesk was Ushu¡¯s Bonded partner and they shared a form of telepathic link. Ushu doing laps was somewhat equivalent to a family friend pacing in the delivery waiting room in the maternity ward.


    This made me wonder, given Clarice was in the bedroom, why Sebet had been excluded. After giving the question just a few seconds of thought, and referencing my most recent interaction with Sebet, the question more or less answered itself.


    After a couple of minutes, a wave of muted cheers filtered down from the tree. I was going to take that as my cue to cancel Nadine¡¯s projection, but noticed she was slowly making her way up the stairs toward her bedroom. Rather than overthink her motivations, I exercised my authority to relocate her to the landing just outside the doorway, saving her from having to make the trip. Earning a wave of gratitude once she got her bearings.


    Toying with the idea of changing my form, I was surprised to find that my tattoo was gone. More than just a patch of magically discoloured skin. The tattoo was a binding Contract between myself and Sebet. Its abrupt disappearance was more than a little concerning.


    Before I could Summon another projection of Sebet so I could investigate, my authority alerted me to an intruder¡¯s sudden appearance through the primary entry portal.


    Kwan announced only moments later, transmitting an image of an obese man in brightly coloured clothes and a damningly extreme amount of jewellery carrying a thick golden sceptre.


    Rather than argue with Kwan, I relocated the intruder to a tiny subdivided and thoroughly isolated territory. If this was some form of trap, the small portion of territory would be added to the watery vanguard Kwan and a host of wild aquatic Beasts currently occupied.


    Using my authority to draw Sebet and Gric to my location, I donned my armour and prepared to face the potential threat.


    Only marginally more impressive on land, the obese garishly dressed noble was a quivering mass of dark flesh and soiled silk. ¡°W-Wait! He squealed, raising the golden sceptre as if it was a shield. ¡°I come bearing a message on behalf of the High Lords of the Dominion!¡± peeking past his pudgy eyelids, the messenger appeared genuinely surprised to still be alive. ¡°A-As a messenger, I am not to be harmed!¡± He insisted weakly. ¡°In accordance with the rules of war-¡±


    ¡°The message!¡± Gric snapped irritably.


    <His mind is rife with sabotage.> Gric explained. <Attempting to tamper with or touch anything would trigger some form of trap.>


    <Most likely a defensive measure.> Sebet interjected. <We, I, encountered such precautions while working within the Dominion¡¯s borders.>


    The messenger¡¯s six chins jiggled in fear as he whined pitiably. ¡°Th-The H-High L-Lords want peace! Th-They offer th-this Artefact as c-compensation f-for p-past grievances!¡± He thrust the sceptre forward and made as if to let go.


    A part of my subconscious had me reaching for the sceptre before my conscious mind could act. However, Gric was faster.


    Exercising his limited authority, Gric relocated the sceptre outside of my reach.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t-¡± My conscious mind caught up to what had happened and my train of thought was momentarily derailed by a sudden rush of anger. ¡°That isn¡¯t an Artefact!¡± I snarled.


    The messenger squealed in terror, pissing and defecating himself as he tripped and stumbled over his distended boots in an attempt to escape.


    The sceptre reappeared in the messenger¡¯s hands and before he could react, he disappeared.


    ¡°A Beacon? Or some form of conditional Teleport Spell?¡± Sebet asked curiously.


    ¡°It is proving a favoured tactic!¡± Gric snarled. ¡°We will need Anchors to deny their freedom of movement!¡±


    ¡°Empowered Anchors would be better,¡± Sebet interjected. ¡°I suspect the obelisks contain a similar Spell. It would be wise to level the playing field.¡±


    Through force of will, I calmed myself down and reevaluated what had happened. Abandoning the tiny territory, I amalgamated it into Kwan¡¯s domain.


    Regrouping on our testing grounds, I crafted a stone stake and used my blood to cast an Empowered Anchor Spell. Purchasing the services of a Semenovian volunteer, we revoked their citizenship and had them attempt to use a wand containing the Teleport Spell.


    After several dozen attempts at varying distances, and failing to successfully teleport, the volunteer was compensated and had their citizenship restored.


    An Empowered Anchor covered a tremendous distance, but it also consumed a substantial amount of mana to block teleportation attempts. For lack of a better idea, I settled on an upscaled casket loosely based on the Ark of the Covenant from the Indiana Jones movie.


    The interior would be filled just shy of bursting with mana stones and the whole thing would be reinforced by the Empowered Shape Stone Spell. Four Ogres should be able to carry it about as necessary without much difficulty.


    Following a similar design principle, I made several more caskets and keyed them to matching staves that would activate defensive and offensive Spells.


    Issuing a formal mustering order, I had Gric and Sebet compile an official list of our prospective forces.


    When approached, Baldr, High King of the Broken Isles, and former Monarch, volunteered himself and a hundred of the best warriors his people had to offer. The presence of the three Valkyrja sisters had triggered a string of honour duels and the Vikings were only too eager to prove themselves in open battle.


    Despite an intense desire to participate, the Oba clan was still too unstable, leaving only two elders to represent them in our forces.


    Despite their numbers, the tigermen were in the grips of a leadership crisis. All of their leaders had been killed by the Horangi as a means of cementing their dominance and crippling any attempts at rebellion. With seniority generally dictating strength amongst Cultivators, it was best just to leave them be.


    True to our implicit understanding, Kang volunteered himself, and only himself, for military service. The massive monkey¡¯s children were the next most powerful among his people, so I didn¡¯t press the matter further. As a father, I could understand his reluctance to involve his children in the wars of his conquerors.


    The Semenovians and Asrusians both wanted to field armies in the tens of thousands. However, after receiving detailed first-hand accounts from Faine, Jayne and Randle regarding the devastating capabilities of the beetlemen, they settled for sending only their most elite forces. Even those men and women would likely be relegated to a supporting role to avoid catastrophic casualties.


    Zhu Min had wanted to join as well. However, the amplification of her Abilities after recently receiving a completed form of her Inheritance made her a potential liability. Until she reestablished control, she would need to remain sequestered for both her and everyone else''s safety.


    The Ogres would serve as the core of our forces. Although they were lacking in Evolutionary potential and were relatively low level, they had the greatest benefit from my synergies.


    My Bodyguards and champions would serve as my personal vanguard. The beetlemen had made it clear that they were after me specifically, so it made sense to keep my most competent and loyal warriors close at hand.


    Since my return from Yi Gim¡¯s Realm, I had left Mud to wander Sanctuary while I attended to other matters. He had spent most of that time eating, sleeping, and training with Ophelia. Which had kept him far busier than I otherwise would have expected. Whether he had gained any meaningful combat experience from the training, was yet to be seen.


    I had originally intended to make a force composed of individuals that possessed both Systems. However, with the beetlemen now acting through their human proxies, it was made clear that waiting any longer would come at the expense of surrendering the initiative in its entirety.


    To assist in the defence of the Realm in my absence, Ushu, Dhizi and Cooper relocated to the oceanic vanguard. Anyone attempting to launch a sneak attack in my absence would face far greater resistance than they otherwise expected. However, that also meant that I needed to take Kwan with me since he and Ushu did not get along.


    As much as I wanted Ushu to come with us, he had refused to leave.


    Sebet had bluntly vetoed Clarice¡¯s participation outright. Which came as a surprise, although it really shouldn¡¯t have at this point. With Dhizi already committed to the home guard¡¯s vanguard, Clarice didn¡¯t have much to offer in terms of fighting capabilities. The same was true for Nadine and Fesk. To say nothing of the fact that they were probably exhausted and would soon have a newborn child to look after.


    Further experiments were put on hold, pending our return. However, Sebet was permitted to create an open Contract that would allow human Cultivators to take on the Fiend Inheritance. The Oba clan were restricting its use to those who had damaged Foundations, but Zhu Wen was allowing his people, including those recently annexed from the former Demon of the Mist¡¯s realm, to make their own decisions.


    Interestingly, speculation regarding potential Inheritances that may be made available in the future resulted in relatively low rates of conversion amongst the general population. Those without an immediate need seemed willing to wait and see how things would pan out.


    As our departure grew imminent and the Empowered Beacons were undergoing a final round of tests to guarantee our eventual return, I made a point of spending time with my family. Both as a reminder of what I was fighting to protect and who I wanted to return to when it was over.


    However, a persistent voice in the corner of my mind insisted it was because I might never see them again.


    The sentiments weren¡¯t mutually exclusive, but I didn¡¯t want to tempt fate by entertaining the possibility of failure.


    Refusing to dismiss my paranoia outright, I continued directing Sebet and Gric to prepare against increasingly unlikely scenarios. The beetlemen were alien and unknowable, making it nearly impossible to guess what they might attempt.


    For all I knew, I was heading into a trap. Goaded and baited to a place of their choosing, a place they held dominion...


    But I didn¡¯t see a viable alternative.


    A war of attrition favoured the side most willing to sacrifice their people, and I knew I didn¡¯t have the heart for it. The thought of losing people to the fighting ahead was already difficult to bear.


    If we didn¡¯t take the fight to them, they would continue bringing the fight to us. Placing us in a war on two fronts.


    The Supremacy Challenges were an ongoing source of concern and they wouldn¡¯t be going away. The sense of security I had entertained after establishing my alliance with Yi Gim had been dashed apart after witnessing the betrayal he had suffered from within and without.


    While the Oaths I extracted from my people eliminated the possibility of rebellion, it did not prevent a dedicated and motivated enemy from striking otherwise without warning.


    Yi Gim had said that the top rankers of the Cultivators Supremacy Challenges possessed the means to accomplish brute force entry to Realms of their choosing. It was only a matter of time before my Realm became a target...


    There was always the danger of other Awakened to consider as well. Each and every one of them were potential Monarchs, future rivals set to war for the scraps of a world teetering on the brink of apocalypse.


    It was something I had tried not to think about but was brought to the forefront of my mind after confronting, defeating and containing the Demon Lord.


    Assuming Yi Gim¡¯s retelling was accurate, delving too deeply into any of the hundreds of Labyrinths would trigger a planet-wide invasion. An invasion with the sole purpose of executing an extermination of all sentient life, humans and Variants alike.


    While I refused to accept it. A part of me, despite all evidence to the contrary, was afraid that when that day came, those I counted amongst my most trustworthy and powerful agents and allies would be forcibly turned against us...And that same part of me hoped their Oaths would fail.


    Better to Banish those I had raised as children, than to watch them die, knowing their blood would be on my hands...

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 83 – Against the Unknown – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 83 ¨C Against the Unknown ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 83 - Against the Unknown - Part Two


    The obelisks scattered throughout the Dominion¡¯s territory made all forms of known teleportation impossible. Which meant our incursion across the border had to be made on foot.


    A silver lining lay in the fact that the Quest System would continue to function regardless. Eliminating the need to carry extensive supplies and draw slow-moving wagons.


    The majority of the Human forces had been provided mounts by their respective Factions or already possessed their own. Riding atop large carnivorous Beasts, they would outpace the Ogres in a contest of speed but not endurance. The Beast riders and their leaders would need to find a balance while on the march because we planned on taking as few rest stops as possible.


    A token contingent from the scaled Kobolds Fireheart Faction was set to provide a high-Rank Synergy to delay the onset of Fatigue and Exhaustion. Assuming the stockpile of provisions within Sanctuary held out, only short breaks would be required to restore small amounts of missing HP before pushing onward again.


    With my champions serving as both vanguard and remote viewing point for our departure site, I was made aware of an otherwise unexpected development.


    Without warning, Agents of the Midnight Caravan had established a camp a short distance from our own.


    Initially caught unawares, my champions had quite understandably assumed the strangers were a potential threat. After all, we were trespassing on foreign soil. Inclined to undertake a preemptive strike to secure prisoners for interrogation, my champions had cancelled the attack at the last moment after detecting several of my subjects amongst the ranks of the strangers.


    During a tense confrontation, the strangers had named themselves as agents of the Midnight Caravan. The organisation was committed to liberating Slaves of all humanoid Species, by any means, up to and including murdering the Slaves'' masters if necessary.


    During my previous interactions with their representatives, I had been given the impression that they had a few hundred members at most. From what I was seeing by remotely viewing my champions, it was now clear that those assumptions and impressions had been actively encouraged to conceal their true numbers.


    Conservative estimates made from observing their camp had already surpassed a thousand and more were arriving with each passing minute.


    Unlike the Asrusian and Semenovian soldiers, the agents of the Midnight Caravan were, for the most part, lightly armed and armoured. The overwhelming majority bore scars that marked them as former Slaves. Which wasn¡¯t particularly surprising, given their current allegiance. Recruiting from the Slaves they liberated was guaranteed to be an easier proposition than recruiting from a population that was generally, at best, indifferent toward Slavery.


    Beasts amongst the ranks of the Midnight Caravan were few and far between. Which didn¡¯t bode well for them. While they possessed no shortage of hand-drawn carts, there was little chance of their army keeping pace with ours over the long march ahead. Limiting themselves to the handcarts also reduced the amount of supplies they could carry.


    Assuming that they intended to care for any Slaves they liberated, their margins for a return trip would be quite small. This was strange, considering their entire reason for entering the Dominion¡¯s territory in such numbers was presumably to liberate as many Slaves as possible.


    ¡°Majesty, a representative of the Midnight Caravan, wishes an audience,¡± Randle announced to the command tent at large to draw my attention away from his cousin, Faine, whom I was remotely viewing at that moment.


    Shifting focus to Randle, I watched in silence as he marched out of our relatively small camp and toward a trio of men and women gathered outside of the sprawling camp belonging to the Midnight Caravan.


    ¡°My Majesty is with me,¡± Randle announced imperiously. ¡°What you say will reach His Majesty¡¯s ears as if speaking with him directly.¡± He then removed a small leatherbound stone slate from a pouch on his belt and waited for their response.


    A dark caramel-skinned man in his late fifties with elaborate facial tattoos stepped forward and fixed his gaze above Randle¡¯s right shoulder. ¡°I am Imram, speaker of the Midnight Railroad. We have learned of your intention to invade the Dominion and wish to negotiate terms for a formal alliance in the field.¡±


    Randle scowled but remained silent, diligently watching the stone slate for my response.


    <We have a standing alliance already. What do they want?>


    ¡°His Majesty wants to know the specifics of your request,¡± Randle paraphrased with an air of overt suspicion. Applying pressure by reminding them they were not invited and their presence was suspect.


    Imram¡¯s lips tightened for the briefest moment and his eyes narrowed before regaining his composure. ¡°I am certain your master-¡±


    ¡°His Majesty!¡± Randle interjected curtly.


    ¡°His Majesty...¡± Imram amended with visible distaste. ¡°Has been made aware of the desolate expanse that lies in the way of your intended destination-¡±


    ¡°What do you know of our intentions?!¡± Randle demanded, interrupting the Midnight Caravan¡¯s representative for a second time and with greater hostility.


    The other members of Midnight Caravan retreated a handful of steps and reached for their weapons.


    Imram calmly motioned for them to hold fast, his gaze shifting to the hulking Lizardman Trask who was coming up behind Randle. ¡°Only that the-His, Majesty, intends an incursion into the borders of the Dominion,¡± he answered evasively. ¡°Such an incursion will provoke a long-established response in the form of armed contingents of Slaves. Slaves, which we intend to liberate.¡±


    ¡°You intend to trail behind our forces then,¡± Randle accused with disdain. ¡°Is that the cause for your request?¡±


    Imram pursed his lips and took several moments to regain his composure. ¡°We wish for mutual cooperation,¡± he replied with stiff formality. ¡°The desolate expanse within the Dominion¡¯s borders is treacherous. Reliable sources of fresh drinking water are few and far between. They are also well fortified and guarded...¡±


    ¡°That is not a problem for us,¡± Randle stated dismissively.


    ¡°We are aware...¡± Imram replied, his voice straining slightly. ¡°Your master, His Majesty, has established mutually beneficial arrangements with our organisation in the past. We desire to establish another arrangement.¡±


    ¡°What do you have to offer?¡± Randle asked sceptically. Mirroring my own thoughts. After all, there was precious little that I couldn¡¯t acquire on my own and in far greater quantities.


    Smirking confidently, Imram slowly withdrew a sheathed dagger from a satchel at his side. ¡°The Midnight Caravan has several Artefacts that may take His Majesty¡¯s interest,¡± he offered Randle the dagger.


    Randle accepted the dagger and through our link, I was able to identify it.


    Named Needle, wounds delivered by the dagger have a chance to apply the Stunned Condition. Its second ability could be activated by expending MP, allowing the weapon to ignore a target¡¯s Toughness similar to the spear, Shiverfang.


    It was obvious that they had done their research or otherwise had someone who was capable of making astute observations. After all, the value was relative, and to me, denying a potential enemy access to that weapon was worth several fortunes.


    Accepting so many strangers into the expeditionary force would invite a certain degree of risk. However, unless I committed to running them off, many of those same risks would exist solely from their relative proximity anyway.


    <Establish terms. Do not relinquish the dagger under any circumstances.>


    Randle took a moment to read my directions and nod in the affirmative before returning his attention to the Midnight Caravan¡¯s representative. ¡°His Majesty is willing to negotiate. State your terms and we will determine fair compensation.¡±


    The gathered representatives relaxed, quietly confiding their relief in one another for securing peaceful negotiations.


    ¡°Protection and provisions for any Slaves that are encountered,¡± Imram demanded firmly.


    ¡°Protection is vague,¡± Randle qualified. ¡°What are your expectations?¡±


    Imram smiled shrewdly. ¡°That is what we must negotiate,¡± he admitted somewhat begrudgingly. ¡°If His Majesty is amenable, we would have this condition defined as liberating, shielding, and escorting all encountered Slaves back to a place of safety.¡±


    Randle baulked at the sheer audacity of the demand.


    ¡°Of course, we are not averse to any or even all of the liberated Slaves being taken into the fortified Labyrinth under His Majesty¡¯s control,¡± Imram added somewhat hastily. Shrewdly positioning the care of the liberated Slaves onto my shoulders while framing it as a concession. Mistaking a key element in my established motivations for taking in Slaves in the past.


    Biting back a response of his own, Randle looked to the stone slate for directions on how to proceed.


    <Too much. Too Greedy. All Artefacts or no deal.>


    Randle¡¯s frustrations evaporated and he grinned maliciously for a few moments before assuming a cool demeanour. ¡°You are asking His Majesty to accept a considerable degree of risk and responsibility. So it is only natural that His Majesty is appropriately compensated...¡±


    Imram¡¯s confidence wavered and was slowly eroded by doubt. ¡°One Artefact is not sufficient?¡± He asked uncertainly.


    Randle assumed a haughty stance and incredulous expression. ¡°As I am certain you are aware, a single Dominion army could have as many as a million Slaves. Any city would have ten or twenty times that number. So what price would you place on the lives of so many people?¡± He asked, shifting the moral imperative back to Imram and the Midnight Caravan members. If they were to lowball an offer of compensation, it would now appear as if they didn¡¯t value the Slaves'' freedom or lives. A concept that was antithetical to the ideals that bound them.


    Recognising what Randle had done, Imram¡¯s right eye twitched from the stress. ¡°Our organisation has paid for liberty before,¡± he cautioned. ¡°While we firmly believe that the lives of such people are priceless, we are not so detached from reality that we cannot comprehend basic economic principles...¡± Imram levelled an honest and somewhat intimidating stare against Randle. ¡°How much does His Majesty want?¡±


    ¡°Everything,¡± Randle replied smugly.


    Instead of growing frustrated or crying out in outrage, Imram nodded slowly in understanding. ¡°Am I to assume that this would extend a line of credit?¡±


    Randle looked at the stone slate.


    <That is agreeable.>


    ¡°His Majesty agrees to these terms,¡± Randle announced magnanimously.


    If the Midnight Caravan had only required provisions for themselves, it would not have been difficult to accommodate the request.


    The problem arose with the prospect of feeding, watering, sheltering and protecting potentially millions of people. That was many times beyond Sanctuary¡¯s ability to support for any real amount of time.


    Which meant the resources would need to come from the other Factions. Factions who were entitled to the goods produced through their sweat and labour.


    While I ¡®could¡¯ take what I wanted, it would defy the point of awarding them such autonomy in the first place. It was far better to approach them with a mutually beneficial offer.


    Once the threat posed by the beetlemen was dealt with, or at least reduced to a reasonable degree, the Factions would be allowed to resume their efforts in seizing labyrinth territories. A practice that would be accelerated with access to additional Artefacts. Artefacts I would be willing to loan on the same existing principles we had already established.


    Fulfilling the roles of both middleman and participant, I would ensure everyone came out ahead. In exchange for the Artefacts, the Midnight Caravan would have my assistance in liberating, feeding, watering, and safeguarding the Slaves. The Factions would provide the necessary supplies, and receive access to the Artefacts, allowing them to expand their borders. Which would increase the size of my Realm and provide powerful weapons that could be used in the event of a true crisis.


    A crisis that was not all that different to what I was dealing with right at this particular moment.


    With the deal settled, the gathered leadership of the Midnight Caravan were invited into the expeditionary forces by a myriad of groups so they could benefit from the Synergies.


    Within the hour, Randle accepted four more Artefacts. A sword, a crossbow, a breastplate, and a vambrace.


    Silverite was somewhat underwhelming as far as Artefacts were concerned. Seemingly forged from pure silver, the blade of the one-handed sword shone with an impossibly immaculate finish. Blows dealt by the sword would apply detrimental Conditions against the undead, but that was it. Silverite was otherwise little different from any other magical sword.


    Ghost was more interesting. The crossbow, mechanism, body, string and all, was completely silent. Spending one point of MP would render a loaded bolt invisible for ten seconds. Allowing the owner to ambush enemies with ease, so long as they had a decent hiding place to strike from.


    Sineater was...disturbing. The wearer of the breastplate would take on negative Conditions generated by allies so long as they were within ten feet of one another. By spending MP, the wearer would temporarily become immune to the effects of negative Conditions and gain a damage bonus equal to the number and overall severity of the negative Conditions they possessed. In theory, you would want to place the armour on a loyal Bodyguard to gain the greatest benefits. However, the Artefact didn¡¯t restrict the source of the Conditions to just one ally, making it incredibly dangerous.


    The vambrace...well...I couldn¡¯t read the description without wondering if someone who knew of Earth had made them. Named Submission, the vambrace would negate the momentum of any object that made direct contact with it. Spending MP would actively draw projectiles off target and toward the vambrace.


    Taking Submission for my personal protection was a no-brainer.


    With the issues regarding the Midnight Caravan resolved, and the Faction Leaders arranging and debating matters in the Faction Council, I spent the final hours of preparation time with my family.


    I didn¡¯t know what to expect once I entered Dominion territory but there was a mounting sense of unease growing in the back of my mind. A mounting certainty that I was going to do something that would erode or compromise what was left of my original self.


    What was left was what made me human...and I didn¡¯t want to find out who I was without it.


    But I couldn¡¯t just ignore the threat either.


    Spending this time with my family made me more certain than ever that there wasn¡¯t anything I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice if it meant I could keep them safe. Even if it meant giving up that final part of me...


    If a monster was what they needed, then I would become that monster.


    After kissing Lash and my children goodbye, I relocated to our remote staging ground site.


    Technically, any one of my champions who had visited the staging area near the Dominion¡¯s border could calibrate and activate the Dimensional Breach. However, given the gravity of the situation, there was a certain degree of expectation that I would be the one to signal what was technically an invasion of a hostile power.


    For practical reasons, my forces were sent through first. If the Dominion or locals were to initiate an ambush, the Ogres were far better suited to weather those attacks than anyone else. Not only would they survive, but they would quite possibly reverse the situation outright.


    The Cultivators went next but made a point of maintaining their own respective groups. While each group trusted, or at least, respected me. They knew very little of one another, so it was somewhat understandable.


    As a compromise, acknowledging the political jockeying between the Asrusians and Semenovians, I had them send their forces through at the same time. Each Faction was allowed roughly one-third of the Breach¡¯s width to transport their forces.


    The Kobolds from the Fireheart Faction were last, but not without good cause. Working in cooperation with the Dwergi, the Kobolds had crafted what I could only describe as a primitive wooden tank. Although they insisted it be called the dragon turtle.


    Besides being powered by tamed Carnifexes, I knew very little about how it worked. All I knew for certain was that the bunker-like shell housed at least one ballista and that the Dwergi had sworn up and down that it was the pinnacle of their engineering art.


    Once the wooden tank was through the Breach, I closed it and banished the magical mechanism to an isolated territory.


    Left on my own, except for Mud, I waited a couple of minutes before remotely viewing Gric and Sebet¡¯s progress on the other side. Confident that things were well enough in hand, I opened a smaller Breach and joined them.


    Accommodating the Midnight Caravan meant assigning one of our Empowered Anchors for their protection. We still weren¡¯t sure how far the Spell¡¯s effect would carry, so there was a possibility it would prove to our overall benefit by slightly improving the overall coverage.


    Baldr¡¯s Cultivators took the front of the formation. He and his warriors were far more individualistic fighters and didn¡¯t hold ranks while marching. Instead, they banded together in small groups and conversed with one another as they struck out across the barren scrublands. The groups would drift apart and reform with different members every so often, but never seemed to grow larger than six or seven men and women per group. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Asrusians and Semenovians were strikingly similar in almost every respect. The Knights of each Faction maintained strict regimented lines while their mounted Rangers roved about on the periphery. Small detachments of Rangers would be sent out at fixed intervals to scout the horizon in whichever direction their commanders were feeling most paranoid about at that given moment.


    Kang and the Oba clan¡¯s elders were perfectly content to travel alongside me, my Bodyguards, Gric, Sebet and Mud in the centre of the formation amidst the Ogres.


    Marching in time with the beating of the drum, the Ogres effortlessly kept pace with one another while singing ¡®The wheels on the cart go round and round¡¯, ¡®Food tastes nice¡¯ and ¡®Twinkle twinkle little sword¡¯. Which sounded far more ominous and menacing than they otherwise had a right to be. Although, I supposed anybody who wasn¡¯t familiar with the original nursery rhymes probably wouldn¡¯t be as inclined to share my opinion.


    As the hours passed by without incident, it became increasingly difficult to maintain the original levels of wariness and constructive paranoia.


    Faced with potentially a week or more of the same before reaching the Dominion¡¯s capital city, I decided to constructively pass the time by creating a mobile Chi Gathering Formation. Formed using stone pillars, the act of keeping those pillars in correct alignment and constantly on the move required a considerable degree of concentration and focus. However, I couldn''t just blank out on my surroundings either, which made for a taxing but rewarding mental workout.


    Hours passed into days and tensions began to rise from the Midnight Caravan¡¯s camp. We had passed several towns and made no attempts at making contact with any of them. While I could understand their frustrations and the reasons they might think I was reneging on our deal, I had spoken with their representatives several times already and made my position abundantly clear.


    The beetlemen were my primary target. Diverting focus was out of the question. Once they were dealt with, then I would begin liberating Slaves.


    If we were going to make ourselves responsible for protecting thousands of Slaves, I would prefer it was undertaken while on the return trip.


    As the fringes of the Dominion capitol came into view, I was still struggling to understand why we had been left alone.


    Then I saw the army of beetlemen amassed outside of the city walls and the lone towering figure standing before them.


    Easily five times my own size, the beetleman¡¯s chitinous shell was adorned with gold and jewels that would have bankrupted entire nations back on Earth.


    They had been waiting for us. Waiting for me.


    With a complete disregard for its own safety, the giant beetleman began purposefully consuming the distance between us. Although unarmed, that could change in an instant. ¡°Finally-k-k-k. After an eternity of waiting-k-k-k. I will see my duty fulfilled-k-k-k.¡± The beetleman¡¯s mandibles clacked and clattered like the grinding of tectonic plates and its footfalls made the ground tremble with every step. ¡°Now-k-k-k. You WILL come with me-k-k-k.¡±


    The arid scrubland to the left, right and rear of our position collapsed, stranding us atop a plateau as thousands more beetlemen surged out of the ground and surrounded us.


    ¡°Follow-k-k-k.¡± The giant beetleman gestured toward a trench branching outward from the collapse and toward the city. ¡°Follow-k-k-k, and none shall be harmed-k-k-k. Resist-k-k-k, and they will all die-k-k-k.¡±


    I felt hundreds of minds begin pressing on the boundaries of my own.


    They had made their position absolutely clear.


    I could go with them willingly, or they would take me by force.


    ¡°No!¡± Gric snarled, ¡°I will not allow it! Not again!¡± He seized my arm and anchored his claws into my flesh. ¡°We can fight them! You can escape!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can...¡± Sebet muttered darkly. ¡°They were hiding before...but there are hundreds of them now...¡±


    ¡°Not for long!¡± Gric hissed, closing his eyes and growing deathly still.


    I felt one of the minds encroaching upon my own, die. Then, everything went dark.


    ***** Sebet ~ Dominion Capital *****


    Sebet had only a moment''s warning to recognise what her rival Gric intended, but it was so monumentally stupid she refused to believe he would do it.


    Then, the Tyrant had collapsed.


    In exchange for taking a single life, the enemy retaliated against the Tyrant directly.


    Eyes wide with doubt and fear, still clinging to the Tyrant¡¯s arm like a lost child, Gric watched looked on with horror as the Tyrant fell.


    Sebet felt what was coming and barely managed to shield her mind in time.


    Gric arched his back and screamed, extending his psychic presence in all directions with reckless abandon.


    Dozens of their enemies fell into vicious seizures and convulsions while others fell to their knees and tore at their heads with their claws. However, the warriors were not Gric¡¯s targets. They just happened to be in the way.


    Gric was now locked in a desperate battle against the hundreds of minds who had assaulted the Tyrant, and to Sebet¡¯s shock, he was winning.


    The Tyrant was not dead and the enemy refused to surrender their hold on his mind. A feat that was proving far more difficult than Sebet would have expected after they overwhelmed him so completely just moments prior.


    Savage howls of rage rose from the ranks of the Ogres and they began pelting the enemy with stones, javelins and anything else they could lay their hands upon.


    ¡°FOR WODIN!!!¡± Baldr bellowed, raising a thundering spear to the sky as he leapt the gorge and led his warriors in a charge against the giant Coleoptera warrior.


    ¡°FOR HIS MAJESTY!!! FOR SANCTUARY!!!¡± The three Ainsleys roared, sending out a surge of mana as they formed bridges across the encircling trench.


    ¡°FOR ASRUS!!!¡± A senior Asrusian Knight cheered and charged across the nearest bridge, triggering a wave of fur and steel as his fellows proclaimed the same and followed.


    ¡°FOR SEMENOVIA!!!¡± Prince Vidam howled, leading his Knights into a packed charge on the opposite side.


    Without saying a word, the Tyrant¡¯s Bodyguards and remaining champions formed a defensive ring around him.


    When the Coleoptera began leaping across the expanse, the Ainsleys erected stone palisades to slow them down while more physically gifted champions, like Trask and Brok, moved to engage the enemy directly alongside Kang and the Oba elders. Leaving the Naga Itzal to support them with venomous ranged attacks from the rear.


    ¡°Potions!¡± Lurr commanded, pulling free the Tyrant¡¯s helm and doing his best to raise the Tyrant¡¯s head and shoulders.


    In short order, twenty healing potions were emptied into the Tyrant''s previously empty helm.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Sebet ordered, ¡°Using them now would be a waste!¡±


    Lurr scowled darkly at Sebet from beneath his helm. ¡°Why?!¡± He demanded.


    Bound by Oaths that predated those she had made to the Tyrant, Sebet had to tread a very fine line. ¡°The enemy is still battling within his mind!¡± She pointed to Gric, whose body was frozen at the peak of his scream of rage. ¡°Gric is driving them out, be patient!¡±


    It was not a lie, but it also wasn¡¯t anything close to the truth either.


    The Tyrant should be dead, but he wasn¡¯t, and after witnessing the attack firsthand, Sebet now knew that it was his authority that was keeping him alive. Through his authority, Tim had made himself functionally immortal.


    The problem lay in the fact that the enemy appeared to be aware of this fact, and had known about it for quite some time. Which complicated matters since the enemy didn¡¯t need to worry about the Tyrant being accidentally killed.


    There was also the subject of their motivations for seeking him out in the first place.


    So far as Sebet was aware, the Dominion¡¯s search for Ogre Variants had preceded the Tyrant¡¯s arrival by centuries. So unless the Tyrant was some form of defective perpetual, Sebet wasn¡¯t sure how the Coleoptera would have known to look for him in the first place. Let alone what they could want him for.


    ¡°WITNESS ME!!!¡± The exultant howl of triumph broke Sebet from her musings and snapped her focus toward Baldr and his horde of Cultivators.


    Storm clouds had gathered above their battle, and Sebet could see the Valkyrja triplets lazily drifting amongst the clouds, watching the battle unfold below them. One Cultivator in particular had garnered their undivided attention.


    Covered in wounds, his chain hauberk hanging useless over his waist, the Cultivator was beset on all sides. Despite the loss of his armour, each new wound taken was shallower than the last. Howling with psychotic laughter, the Cultivator cleaved through Coleoptera limbs and weapons as if they were nothing more than mud.


    He crippled or killed thirty-one Coleoptera warriors before taking a blow to the back of the head and falling lifeless to the dirt.


    The Valkyrja released a keening wail and the storm clouds rumbled ominously. A bolt of lightning arched from the three sisters and struck the corpse of the fallen Cultivator. When the light faded, the corpse of the Cultivator was gone.


    ¡°FLOKI IS CHOSEN!!!¡± Baldr roared with fanatical zeal and threw himself back into the fight against the giant Coleoptera.


    ¡°HE IS CHOSEN!!!¡± The other warriors roared in a savage chorus.


    There was another flash of lightning, this time arching to the faltering ranks of the Asrusian knights.


    An ash-white twin of the fallen Cultivator leapt out from the lightning and into the unprepared flank of the Coleoptera. ¡°AHAHAHA!!! ETERNAL BATTLE AWAITS!!!¡± The Einheri howled with glee, disembowelling a Coleoptera twice his size with a vicious backhanded blow from the axe in his left hand and amputating one of its arms with the sword in his right.


    Faster and stronger than he had been in life the Einheri cut a swathe of devastation through the Coleoptera¡¯s left flank and showed no signs of slowing.


    The Tyrant¡¯s right hand twitched.


    ¡°The Tyrant! He moved!¡± One of the Bodyguards shouted, pointing to the Tyrant¡¯s right hand.


    ¡°WITNESS ME!!!¡± Another Cultivator roared.


    The Tyrant¡¯s face twitched.


    ¡°WITNE-¡± A third Cultivator was cut short and a pair of lightning strikes arced through the sky in rapid succession.


    Nearly blinded by the Valkyrjas¡¯ display of Divinity, Sebet almost missed it.


    The Tyrant had awakened.


    The Tyrant rose to his feet with an eerie and deathly silence. Bereft of his helmet, Sebet could see the inky blackness of his eyes and knew something was terribly wrong.


    ¡°Fall...¡± With a wave of the Tyrant¡¯s hand, dozens of the closest Coleoptera warriors collapsed to the ground and disintegrated into clouds of dust.


    With the Tyrant¡¯s revival and the death of the Coleoptera, the Ogres were whipped into a rabid frenzy. Breaking ranks, they surged across the bridges, past the embattled Asrusians and Semenovians and smashed into the Coleopteras¡¯ lines.


    Sebet watched with morbid fascination as an Ogre tackled a Coleoptera warrior three times his size to the ground and began eating it alive. Biting down and swallowing anything and everything that entered its mouth, shearing through magical steel as if it were nothing.


    Confused, the Coleoptera were slow to react and took heavy losses from the vicious counterattack.


    Strangely, the small Ogre, Mud, had not joined the others, instead standing vigilantly at the Tyrant¡¯s side.


    As Sebet continued to observe, the reason became clear.


    Lifting the smaller Ogre as if he weighed no more than one of his Children, the Tyrant looked toward the giant Coleoptera warrior. Mana flooded from the Tyrant''s hand and into the smaller Ogre¡¯s body, causing Mud¡¯s skin to crack and burst from the strain.


    Stunned by the Tyrant¡¯s callous disregard, Sebet watched as the small Ogre was launched through the air and toward the giant Coleoptera warrior.


    To his credit, Mud managed to raise his machete midflight. However, despite being preoccupied with defending against Baldr¡¯s vicious assault, the giant Coleoptera managed to materialise and raise a massive shield at the last moment, blocking Mud¡¯s attack.


    Or so it seemed.


    Expecting the little Ogre to detonate in a hail of bone, blood and gore, Sebet was stunned into stupified inaction by what happened instead.


    Opening his mouth wide, Mud unleashed a torrent of superheated plasma against the shield, boring a hole through the magical metal and into the Coleoptera¡¯s bejewelled carapace.


    Caught off guard, the giant Coleoptera lurched to one side, doing its best to evade.


    After hitting the ground, Mud renewed his assault on the giant Coleoptera, incinerating half of a chitinous arm before the Coleoptera managed to retreat into the ever-thinning ranks of its remaining warriors.


    Now beset on all sides, Mud released short bursts of plasma into the ranks of the Coleoptera, turning any who approached into mounds of ash.


    Distracted by the destruction Mud had unleashed, Sebet hadn¡¯t noticed the Tyrant was on the move.


    Walking at a leisurely pace, seemingly without a care in the world, the Tyrant had begun making his way toward the trench leading to the city.


    Worried that one of the Coleoptera had managed to gain control over his mind, Sebet was disturbed to find that it wasn¡¯t the case at all. The Coleoptera had all but retreated from the Tyrant¡¯s mind, and those that remained were engaged in a life-or-death struggle with Gric.


    There was something else pulling the Tyrant¡¯s strings. Something deeply embedded within the Tyrant¡¯s own mind. An irresistible instinct calling and demanding that he answer.


    Recognising the potential threat for what it was, Sebet gathered her will and attempted to suppress it but found that she couldn¡¯t. Her contract explicitly forbade her from tampering with the Tyrant¡¯s mind, and whatever this was, it enjoyed those same protections.


    Frustrated, Sebet tried reaching out to Gric but found he was too far gone to be reasoned with.


    Briefly entertaining the idea of somehow restraining the Tyrant, Sebet had to dismiss the idea because anything they could attempt, the Tyrant could do better or reverse outright. There was also no telling what would happen to anyone that provoked him.


    The only consolation was that the Coleoptera were now in full rout, streaming down the trench and back toward the city. Putting the majority of the Tyrant¡¯s army right behind them, and providing a buffer between the enemy and the Tyrant.


    Demonstrating no fear whatsoever, Baldr and his Cultivators didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment when the trench descended into a tunnel leading beneath the city walls. Charging ever forward in their bloodlust and desire for a warrior''s death.


    The Ogres were right behind them with Mud leading the charge.


    For their part, the Asrusians and Semenovians were more reserved, leary of what could easily prove to be a trap. Or at the least, wary of an environment that would afford the enemy any number of opportunities for ambush. All the same, they diligently brought up the rear, refusing to remain behind.


    The Kobold contraption was damaged beyond repair, but the scaly little things showed no reservations in hitching a ride with the mounted Humans and urging them forward.


    With the Tyrant moving at such a sedate pace, the fighting disappeared around distant corners and a maze of branching passages. Were it not for her ability to remotely view the battle from the minds of their allies, Sebet would have had grave concerns regarding a potential counterattack. However, that was the thing. The enemy WAS trying to launch counterattacks, they just aren''t working.


    The Cultivators didn¡¯t care about taking losses and the Ogres soaked whatever damage the ambushers could deliver, then they hacked the Coleopteras down and continued forward. In the Ogres'' case, ripping free hunks of flesh or entire limbs to feed upon and regain their HP.


    With each successive failure, the Coleopteras'' numbers grew thinner and their warriors grew smaller. What had seemed like an invincible tide of chitin-armoured bodies, was being torn apart by raw unadulterated savagery.


    The fighting rapidly intensified as the Coleopteras initiated what Sebet assumed had to be their last stand.


    The fighting was still strong when Sebet followed the Tyrant out of the tunnels and into a massive carved stone chamber.


    Mangled, and mutilated, but still desperately holding its ground, the giant Coleoptera was leading a desperate defence of a large passageway located on the opposite side of the chamber. Outnumbered and losing warriors with every passing second, their defeat was all but guaranteed. However, the Coleopteras had descended to the same primitive savagery as the Ogres, launching themselves at their enemies and trading their lives to inflict horrific injuries on the Cultivators.


    Contrary to Sebet¡¯s expectations, the Tyrant did not continue his leisurely chase of the Coleoptera. Instead, he changed direction, heading for a passage built into the wall to the left of where they had entered.


    Gric, who was being carried by Lurr, began to stir. Lethargic and weak, he tried to speak but the effort seemed to be beyond him.


    Uncertain how many of the Coleoptera mind hunters remained, Sebet cautiously opened her mind and established contact with Gric.


    As drained as he appeared on the outside, it was nothing compared to the state of his mind. Beyond exhaustion, Gric¡¯s Psyche was balanced on a razor¡¯s edge and felt unbelievably fragile. <All...except...one...> His thoughts frayed and came apart as quickly as they were formed, making it difficult for Sebet to understand. <One...left...> With an effort that appeared to cost him most of his remaining energy, Gric passed along the message again. This time, more insistently.


    Sebet felt Gric¡¯s intentions and recognised that she now had a decision to make. She could stay beside the Tyrant and follow him to wherever it was he was going. Or, she could hunt down the last of the mind hunters and finish what Gric had started.


    After a few moments of consideration, Sebet made her choice.


    Unfurling her wings, Sebet raced across the open floor of the chamber with incredible speed. Even without extending her senses, Sebet knew that the Coleoptera warriors were guarding the approach to the final mind hunter. The last female of their Species within the Dominion¡¯s borders.


    Sebet had seen bits and pieces of the other females strewn about the tunnels, but not enough to have belonged to the hundreds she had felt at the onset of the battle. However, Sebet knew better than to question Gric¡¯s skill at seeking out rival telepaths. Once he had their scent, it was all over.


    Selecting a javelin as a quest reward, Sebet cast the Thundering Strikes Spell upon it and hurled it at the giant Coleoptera.


    Bereft of weapons, and already on its last legs, the giant Coleoptera attempted to lurch out of the way but wasn¡¯t fast enough. The javelin bore deep into an exposed wound on its left side and then exploded, ripping free chunks of flesh and chitin and causing the giant Coleoptera to lose its footing.


    The moment the Coleoptera struck the ground, it was set upon from all sides and viciously hacked to pieces.


    Numbering less than a hundred in all, the remaining Coleoptera warriors were overwhelmed in a matter of seconds. Torn limb from limb and devoured in an orgy of bloody violence.


    With the Coleoptera warriors dead, the fervour of Baldr and his Cultivators began to ebb.


    The same could not be said for the Ogres. Like hounds that had caught the scent of fresh game, they continued charging down the passageway with single-minded determination.


    Following behind the Ogres, Sebet withdrew into herself, raising her mental defences as high as they could go. She was a natural manipulator, but she lacked Gric¡¯s raw power, and if he couldn¡¯t defeat the final mind hunter, then Sebet knew better than to risk a direct confrontation on the mind hunter¡¯s terms.


    After only a couple of minutes, the curving passageway opened into another large chamber. At its centre, a massive Coleoptera female, nearly the same size as the giant Coleoptera warrior, lay in wait in the centre of the chamber.


    In stark contrast to the males, female Coleoptera were thinner, lighter, and had segmented claws as sharp as swords.


    Wing¡¯s beating so loudly it made Sebet dizzy, the female Coleoptera slowly ascended toward the ceiling.


    <In the name of The Creator! Leave!> The mind hunter¡¯s thoughts tore through Sebet¡¯s mind with almost effortless ease.


    Stunned into immobility, Sebet was surprised to find that the Ogres, while moving much slower than before, were still on the move. Settling to serve as a distraction, she did her best to push back against the mind hunter and occupy its attention. <Why?!> Sebet demanded. <You attacked us first!>


    <We served the will of The Creator!> The mind hunter retorted incredulously. <Your lives are of no consequence before The Creator¡¯s majesty and divine edicts!!>


    Sebet staggered under the mental assault but forced herself to remain standing. For all of the mind hunter¡¯s power, it appeared acutely accustomed to pain, surrendering its advantage and retreating each time the Tyrant¡¯s protection was brought to bear.


    The Ogres were gathering beneath the female Coleoptera now but had no way of reaching her.


    <Call off your mongrels!> The mind hunter demanded impatiently, betraying a hint of fear.


    The ogres began clambouring atop one another, forming a living pyramid of flesh.


    Taking a chance, Sebet struck back. It amounted to little more than spitting into a raging bonfire, but it was enough to loosen the mind hunter¡¯s grip and provide Sebet with an opportunity.


    Or not.


    Sebet shrieked in pain as the mind hunter struck deep into her mind and began excavating everything within reach.


    A bright flash of light illuminated the chamber and brought an immediate end to the pain.


    Crumpled on the ground, Sebet gasped for breath and watched in stunned silence as the female Coleoptera crashed into the far wall, leaving a trail of acrid smoke in its wake.


    One of its six wings had been reduced to a smouldering stump and the female Coleoptera was struggling to reestablish a semblance of balance.


    Acting as one, the Ogres began surging after her. Those who had formed the higher levels of the living pyramid tumbled to the ground.


    Pushing herself to her feet, Sebet tried to gather her MP but was knocked down to her knees as the mind hunter renewed its assault. However, before the mind hunter could regain a proper foothold, a ball of liquid fire erupted from the horde of Ogres, narrowly missing one of the female Coleoptera¡¯s five remaining wings and forcing her to focus on the more immediate threat.


    Releasing a chittering clattering scream, the female Coleoptera dove low over the Ogres and swiped at the source of the fireball.


    Acting with freakish unity, two of the Ogre Sergeants leapt into an intercept path and impaled themselves on the female Coleoptera¡¯s claws.


    Drawn off course by the unaccounted-for weight, the female Coleoptera was too slow in recognising the danger.


    Seizing the Coleoptera¡¯s legs, the Ogres dragged her to the ground and pinned her beneath a mass of bodies.


    Sebet felt the mind hunter¡¯s fear and desperation. The mounting terror as the Ogres ripped the remaining wings from her body and began tearing free her carapace to feed upon the flesh beneath.


    Lingering just long enough to make sure the mind hunter wouldn¡¯t get back up or perform a miraculous retreat, Sebet then retreated back down the passageway to rejoin the Tyrant.


    Spotting the Asrusians and Semenovians trailing down the passageway the Tyrant had been heading for earlier, Sebet gingerly pressed onward while nursing her head. Feeling thoroughly abused in one of the few ways that generated absolutely no pleasure whatsoever, Sebet was sorely tempted to down one of the emergency Healing Potions just so she could clear her head and think clearly again.


    Reaching the end of the passageway and entering another large chamber, it took Sebet a few moments to realise that the Tyrant was missing.


    Looking toward the far wall, Sebet found the Tyrant¡¯s champions and Bodyguards gathered before a pair of giant steel doors. Polished to a mirror shine, the steel doors couldn¡¯t have looked more out of place if someone tried.


    ¡°Where is the Tyrant?¡± Sebet demanded, fighting back the urge to panic. She could not feel his presence and couldn¡¯t help but fear the worst.


    Slumped against the left door, Gric was feebly striking it with his fist.


    ¡°Through door...¡± Lurr answered grimly.


    ¡°His Majesty touched the door and disappeared...¡± Faine elaborated grimly. ¡°We tried to follow, but we couldn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°The doors are too heavy?¡± Sebet asked, feeling a pang of panic despite herself. She rushed forward without waiting for a reply and pushed hard against the door on the right side.


    Jayne and Randle¡¯s reply fell on deaf ears as Sebet stared at the notification that appeared the moment she touched the door.


    [ Access Denied - Administrator Authority {Insufficient/Corrupted} ]


    [ Suggested course of action - Seek out {Tier 1} Administrator for resolution. ]

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 84 – Origins in Trauma – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 84 ¨C Origins in Trauma ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 84 - Origins in Trauma - Part One


    Gradually becoming aware of my surroundings, I found myself standing in front of a hospital check-in desk. After several minutes of staring blankly at the opposite wall, I realised there was no one manning the desk.


    Numbly turning my head to the side, I expected to find an adjoining waiting room bustling with chairs and patients. Instead, I found myself at the intersection of three sterile corridors and a strangely familiar elevator.


    As the rust slowly shook free from my mind, I reasoned that I was standing at a nurse or security station. It was strange to find it unmanned, but understaffing was a common issue in the medical sector.


    A flashing light on the desk caught my attention and invited another possibility.


    The staff might be responding to an emergency.


    Opening my mouth to speak, I struggled to think of what to say. Eventually settling on calling out for assistance, I felt a rush of confusion and embarrassment when I uttered a dry grunt instead. Roughly clearing my throat, I tried again but did little better.


    Anxiously looking down each of the corridors in turn, I found an opaque glass plaque on the wall that listed several departments located deeper in the building.


    Sluggishly reading the list of departments, I settled on Administration and slowly began shuffling down the corridor.


    After following the directions provided at key intersections, I eventually found myself standing in front of a metal door. A large sign on the wall confirmed that beyond was the administration department.


    While looking for a door handle, my eyes were drawn to what looked like a biometric scanner beside the door.


    Unsure what to do, I slowly retraced my steps and followed the directions designated as Security.


    Wandering the corridors, it occurred to me that the recessed lighting fixtures in the ceiling were not active and I had been exploring without a light source from the beginning.


    Growing increasingly worried that I had been left...wandered into...


    I paused mid-stride and tried to remember how exactly I had arrived at the hospital.


    Unable to account for what I felt was a substantial amount of lost time, I had to fight hard not to succumb to the fear building in the back of my mind.


    It was then that I noticed. except for a leather wrist brace buckled to my right wrist and forearm, I was stark naked. Making matters worse, someone had tattooed my arms and chest as well.


    Mortified by my discovery, I tried covering myself as best as I could manage.


    A faint scream from further down the corridor drew my attention away from my nakedness and toward the source of the noise.


    Except, there was no one there.


    My head throbbed painfully, causing me to stagger and almost collapse from the pain.


    ¡°Tame Monster!¡± A young woman shouted, this time from the opposite end of the corridor.


    Lurching awkwardly in place, I clumsily pressed my back against the wall to keep my balance and looked for the source of the voice.


    Just like before, there was no one there.


    The pain inside my head continued to build and I could feel the pressure building behind my eyes.


    ¡°I...can¡¯t believe it actually worked...¡± The voice whispered, somehow originating behind me despite the wall being at my back.


    Growing increasingly nauseous, I shakily rose to my feet and continued down the corridor.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The young woman¡¯s voice snapped at my back, ¡°Where do you think you are going, Ogre?!¡±


    Hissing between my teeth, I tried to ignore the auditory hallucination. Convinced it was the result of stress or perhaps a concussion.


    Time passed in a blur and I found myself leaning hard against the wall of a T intersection, staring at a blackened metal door down the end of the corridor. The sign on the wall read, Security, in large bold letters. The biometric lock beside the door was broken and some of its pieces lay scattered on the floor.


    Unsure what to do, I continued shuffling down an adjacent corridor.


    ¡°It¡¯s as smart as a human, remember. It understands everything we say, everything we have been talking about...¡± A different voice insisted. A voice belonging to another young woman.


    Am I so desperate for female companionship that my brain would leverage a concussion to combat my loneliness?


    ¡°You must be confused and have all manner of questions for us,¡± the voice prompted with disarmingly convincing sincerity.


    ¡°Not real...¡± I croaked, determined to cling to my sanity as long as possible. If I had a concussion, indulging hallucinations would probably see me killed before help could arrive or I could make it to a fire escape.


    While I wandered the corridors looking for signs to indicate an alternative exit to the elevator, the voices persisted in their one-sided conversations.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as all that,¡± The second young woman¡¯s voice said reassuringly, ¡°It is difficult for most people when they first start out. But it is also something everyone just gets used to over time.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to get used to THIS?!¡± I snapped, shouting at the empty corridor to vent the frustrations that were amplifying the pain in my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking much better already,¡± the voice commented cheerfully.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to help!¡± The first voice added excitedly.


    ¡°Do you have any questions for me? I will answer if I can,¡± the second voice offered kindly.


    I tried to ignore them.


    ¡°Hrm, you are probably a bit overwhelmed and can¡¯t decide what to ask right?¡± The second voice observed with a sympathetic tone. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I will try and explain some things that at least I think you will need to know if we are going to work together, alright?¡±


    I snorted derisively and shook my head, nearly collapsing to the floor as the pain in my head briefly flared to new debilitating heights.


    ¡°This is real, Tim...¡± The second voice insisted. ¡°You definitely have brain damage, but that doesn¡¯t make any of this any less real.¡± The tone of her voice had changed. Taking on a weight and weariness that was almost unrecognisable from the artificial congeniality used only a handful of seconds earlier.


    It was beyond unnerving.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you are close to remembering,¡± the second voice explained impatiently. ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re also unbelievably close to forgetting just about everything else...Everyone else...¡± The way the voice emphasised the last was borderline accusatory. ¡°I know you can hear me!¡± The voice growled angrily, ¡°And I know you want to just close your eyes and wait for everything to get better on its own. But it won¡¯t. Deep down, I know you know that.¡±


    It was fucked up to admit it, but I knew the voice was right. Since Mum had died, I was all I had. Even before she had passed, there was only so much she could do...


    ¡°And now there are people who depend on you!¡± The second voice insisted earnestly. ¡°You promised them a life better than the one you left behind!¡±


    ¡°Left behind?¡± Without thinking my hands drifted to my chest and abdomen.


    I remembered standing at the top of the stairs...The two men who had broken into the house...


    ¡°I died...¡± I croaked dryly without conscious intention, surprising myself. ¡°I¡¯m dead?¡± I resisted the urge to shake my head despite my confusion, afraid of triggering more pain.


    ¡°You died,¡± the second voice agreed somewhat sympathetically. ¡°But it was a new beginning, not the end.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I remember?¡± I asked with mounting reluctance.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a fucking coward!¡± A new voice replied with intense scorn and a tinge of disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re meant to be better than this! You don¡¯t run away from danger! YOU ARE THE DANGER! So get off your ass, stop crying, and fix this!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how!¡± I snapped irritably, wincing in pain as the throbbing in my head intensified.


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± the third voice replied belligerently.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± I snarled.


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± the third voice insisted argumentatively.


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± I hissed, blinded by the mounting pain.


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± the third voice sneered with amusement.


    ¡°NO I FUCKING DON¡¯T, CLARICE!!!¡± I roared, slamming my fist into the wall at my side, shattering the concrete and sending chips flying down the corridor.


    ¡°Told you...¡± Clarice¡¯s voice snickered, fading almost as quickly as my mind and memories violently reasserted itself.


    Falling to my knees, I vomited a mouthful of blood onto the floor. I tried not to look at the small pinkish-grey chunks standing out against the slowly expanding pool.


    The pain in my head receded and was replaced by a gnawing hunger in my gut.


    Pushing myself to my feet, I looked toward the blackened door.


    Extending my senses, I was driven back to my knees as I was blinded by the extreme volume of foreign mana that surrounded me.


    It was in the walls, the doors, the floor, the ceiling, the very air I was breathing...It was everywhere...It was...Everything...


    Heaving a new pool of bile onto the floor, I retracted my senses and tried to make what I had felt fit into what I already knew.


    I couldn¡¯t do it.


    No matter how hard I tried, it didn¡¯t fit.


    This place was utterly alien to me.


    At first, I didn¡¯t realise why. After all, it was all so familiar.


    Too familiar.


    The corridors, the signs and the doors could have belonged to almost any corporate office building on Earth.


    Except...I wasn¡¯t on Earth...


    Forcing myself back to my feet again, I made my way back to the blackened door and studied the sign on the wall. Just to be sure.


    Security


    I had been in too much pain and suffering from trauma-induced amnesia, so I hadn¡¯t appreciated it before. But now that I was ¡®myself¡¯ again, I could appreciate just how strange it was for a sign to be written in English.


    All of them were. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Investigating the broken panel by the door, I discovered it was not part of a biometric lock at all. It bore the same general appearance, but there were no wires or electronics of any kind. It lacked the means to interact with the door on any level I was aware of.


    The door which I now realised I could open if I wanted to.


    Standing so close, I could feel my authority resonating with the blackened doors.


    Confused, I willed the doors to open.


    There was a sharp sound of metal grating on metal as the doors shuddered into hidden recesses in the wall.


    An armoured body fell across the threshold, sending the helmet and head within tumbling over the floor before coming to rest against my foot.


    Distracted by the dozens of similarly armoured bodies strewn about the large chamber beyond, I struggled to process what I was looking at.


    The room itself had rows of what looked like lockers built into the walls. Several had open or broken doors, revealing contents covered in a thick coat of dust.


    The broken remains of what may have once been a security checkpoint lay just beyond the door on the left-hand side. It had been blown apart by some kind of explosive. Cursory observation suggested the explosion was likely responsible for the bodies piled against the far wall and damage to the lockers as well. However, there were bodies in the middle of the room, as well as the one that had been pressed against the door.


    Whatever had happened here, it hadn¡¯t taken place all at once.


    The bodies, which I now assumed to belong to the security forces of the facility, had died at different times and appeared to be human. They were tall and the armour added a certain degree of bulk, putting them in the general range of seven and a half to eight feet tall.


    I wasn''t sure if it bore any meaningful significance, but it seemed important to make those distinctions.


    Taking a knee, I picked up the helmet so I could take a closer look at it.


    More or less resembling a heavy motorcycle helmet and made of some kind of metal, the helmet had a bizarre face guard. Also made from metal, the face guard had some form of silver plating and was contoured to take on the chiselled features of a Greek god. Complete with an accompanying beard. The eyes were replaced with some form of hardened glass, but the opposite side was covered in dust and desiccated organic matter.


    The remains of the man who had worn the armour in life.


    The remainder of the armour had a similar look to dirt biking armour, but it had a far more intimidating aesthetic and bulk to it.


    The armour of the body now draped across the threshold bore several craters roughly a half-inch to an inch in diameter. Evidence that the owner had probably died as a result of violence shortly afterwards.


    Cautiously investigating the room from the doorway, I discovered several dozen articles of dust-covered rubble were actually some kind of weapon. Given the shapes, I assumed they were some form of firearm, but didn¡¯t recognise any of them.


    I had never been into guns, so that didn¡¯t surprise me all that much.


    Now that I was looking more closely, I recognised similar craters marking the armoured bodies not scorched and blackened by the explosion.


    Armed with a greater appreciation for what had transpired, I removed the body from the doorway and set the accompanying head down beside his body.


    On a whim, I thumbed away the dust on the chest piece until I uncovered a name engraved into the metal.


    Kaine


    Reading the name, I felt a profound sense of loss but had no idea why.


    Covering my mouth with one hand in an attempt to avoid breathing in the dust, and firmly clamping down the muscles that controlled the plates protecting my gills, I cautiously entered the chamber.


    As I had feared, each footstep kicked up massive clouds of dust, making it difficult to breathe.


    No longer convinced that investigating the chamber and rooms beyond was necessary, I turned to leave but stopped in my tracks. With my vision impaired by my secondary eyelids, I had nearly missed it.


    My equipment and clothing lay in an unceremonious pile behind a broken wall in the blasted checkpoint.


    Attempting to make the hole wider with my Earth Affinity, I was surprised to find that it didn¡¯t work. Trying again with the Shape Stone Spell, I met with a similar failure.


    Frustrated, I did my best to ignore the dust and tried to tear the compromised wall down with brute force. Against my expectations, chunks of wall tore free with no more resistance than plasterboard.


    Stumbling into the room beyond, I snatched up my tunic, pressed it against my mouth and took a deep breath to calm my nerves.


    The increasingly dense levels of dust in the air were making me feel decidedly claustrophobic.


    Draping the necklace with the Storage Ring around my neck, I swiftly stored my equipment inside and used its power to clothe myself. Fully clothed, I retreated to the corridor.


    Considering my options, I made another brief foray into the room to seize the weapons lying on the floor. They were too small for me to use, but I wanted to take a closer look at them later and didn¡¯t want anything to do with the dust storm that had overtaken the room.


    Sealing the door behind me with my authority, I began to leave but stopped after taking just a few steps.


    I looked back at the body I had left against the wall.


    Leaving the body behind felt...wrong. Like it was some form of betrayal.


    Returning to the body, I tried to think of reasons for what might be causing these feelings, but beyond my recent bout of brain damage, I came up empty.


    Crippled by indecision, I eventually settled on storing the body and armour inside the Storage Ring.


    Retracing my steps, I began making my way back to what I assumed was the entrance and exit to wherever the hell I happened to be.


    While walking along the silent corridors, I had time to consider why the scale of the passageways and chambers I had encountered all seemed well suited to my size. Even the doors were large enough that I could pass through them without stooping.


    Passing by the plaque listing the different departments, one of the listings, in particular, stopped me in my tracks.


    Laboratory


    In my formerly compromised state, I had been acting under several questionable assumptions. After what I had seen, and now with a more or less clear head, the word held entirely different connotations.


    Driven by morbid curiosity, I was about to begin following the signs but stopped myself at the last moment.


    Travelling the empty building was becoming an increasingly unnerving experience. Mostly because I was doing so alone.


    Gathering my MP I attempted to Summon Gric but was met with the same failure as the Shape Stone Spell.


    Settling for a weapon instead, I withdrew a short mace from my Storage Ring, took it in a firm grip, and then continued down the corridor.


    Following the directions toward the lab, I passed several chambers recessed into the walls on either side of the corridor. Unlike the desk at the entrance, these alcoves had more of the lockers I had first found within the security wing.


    Opening the lockers with my authority, I found more of the firearms that had littered the ground in the other chamber. Only these were clean enough that I could get a proper look at them. Not that it gave me a better idea of what to expect.


    Storing the guns away for later, I continued following the signs and eventually came across a massive reinforced door. Easily twice the size of the others, the door looked quite imposing in the darkness.


    Attempting to use my authority to open the door, I was shocked when my authority experienced resistance for the first time. Opening the door wide enough to slip through took the better part of a minute. With concerns the door might begin to close once I crossed the threshold and no guarantee that I would be able to open it from the other side, I decided to wait until it was opened the entire way.


    While the door was retracting into the wall, I found that the chamber beyond was empty and that there was a second seemingly identical door on the opposite wall.


    Assuming the chamber was meant to be some sort of quarantine or sterilisation checkpoint, I was confused by the absence of protective equipment, washing stations, and other paraphernalia my studies had led me to expect in such facilities.


    Crossing the threshold, I couldn¡¯t help but flinch as the door began closing behind me. Just as I feared it would. However, my fears were alleviated upon discovering I could halt and even reverse its progress by leveraging my authority. Although it would begin closing again so long as I remained within the chamber.


    Armed with peace of mind, I approached the opposite door.


    I quickly discovered that the second door wouldn¡¯t begin opening until the first was completely closed. Reinforcing my assumption that the chamber was meant to fulfil an additional security or quarantine role.


    As the second door slowly slid open, I couldn¡¯t help but stare in awe at the massive chamber that lay beyond.


    Rows upon rows of huge glass cylinders dominated the chamber, standing like silent columns in the darkness. Contrary to the other sections of the building, large machines were packed against the walls and cables of all sizes trailed in a seemingly haphazard pattern across the floor.


    There was also a faint glow deeper within. The source was hidden behind a barrier of fallen machinery, but the near complete darkness of the chamber at large made it impossible to ignore by comparison.


    Cautiously crossing the threshold, I released a stressed sigh when the door began automatically closing behind me, just as the first had done.


    Investigating one of the closest glass tubes, I found I was unable to make out the contents due to a special tinting pigment in the glass. I had originally expected the exterior to be coated by a thin layer of dust, so the discovery raised several questions I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to find the answers to.


    Shifting my focus to the machines connected to the glass cylinders, I became frustrated upon discovering the buttons, dials and levers had almost no descriptive inputs I could use to guess at their potential functions. Beyond a large switch bearing the same symbols as the rear power switch on my old computer, everything else was a crap chute.


    Making matters worse, the position of the switch indicated the power to the machine should have been active. So there was no way to illuminate the contents of the glass tube.


    I tried using the Fire Lance Spell to serve as an alternative means of illumination, but the Spell failed just like the others had done.


    Following a trail of cables to a machine set against the wall, I was surprised to find what looked like computer screens were built into a section further along the wall. Similar to the wall of security screens I had once seen in the University back on Earth, I wondered if they were intended as some form of remote viewing station for the other sections of the lab.


    Continuing deeper into the chamber, I found more of the computer screens in matching formats to the first and wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it.


    Closing in on the collapsed machinery, I quickly shifted interest after hearing traces of a feminine voice coming from the other side. Circling the debris, I located the source of the dim light and the voice I had heard a few moments before.


    What looked like a touch-screen tablet with a black case lay face down on the floor a handful of inches from a withered corpse slumped against the base of the wall. The corpse wore a long white lab coat over a soiled blouse, dark skirt and long socks. The security I.D. clipped to the coat was covered with dust, but it was thin enough that I could see the name and face beneath.


    Her name had been Eliza Eckart. With only the photo as a reference, I assumed she had been in her mid-thirties or perhaps early forties when she died. She had dark hair pulled back into a tight bun and had a hardness in her eyes and face that made it difficult to consider her as anything else besides a religiously professional individual.


    Carefully removing the I.D. from the coat, I wiped the dust away and looked at the photo again.


    I knew her. I was certain of it.


    I knew her face, I knew her voice...The same voice coming from the tablet on the floor.


    As I carefully lifted the tablet off the floor, I uncovered the inbuilt speaker and heard Eliza Eckart''s ghost speaking out from beyond the grave.


    ¡°-can only hope that you can forgive us for what we have done and that our sacrifice in some small way makes up for the horrors we have committed...I...I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so so sorry...¡± There was stifled sobbing and then a long silence. The screen flickered with a fractal image and I could barely make out what looked like a pip tracking across a bar at the bottom of the screen. There was an awkward throat-clearing sound and a resigned sigh. ¡°My name is Eliza Eckard, and if you are listening to this, I...¡± She hesitated and made a strange strangling sound before clearing her throat again. ¡°It means I¡¯m dead...¡± She stated flatly. ¡°And it means you have returned...¡±


    There was a lengthy pause that gnawed at my nerves.


    ¡°If you came seeking vengeance, I can only hope that our deaths offer you some measure of comfort...What we did...There is no excuse...I have come to terms with this...¡± Eliza took a deep shuddering breath to steady herself. ¡°No doubt, you have questions, but they will need to wait. You are in incredible danger! Entering the facility will have alerted Elis to your presence, you need to leave before he finds you!-¡±


    I felt a sudden sense of unease.


    ¡°-The data-slate will have the answers you seek, but you need to run! Hide somewhere Elis can¡¯t find you!¡± Eliza insisted with mounting desperation, her voice beginning to crack under a weight of intense emotions. ¡°It¡¯s not the life you deserve, but there is nothing else I can do...I can only hope that you can forgive us for what we have done and that our sacrifice in some small way makes up for the horrors we have committed...I...I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so so sorry...¡±


    As the message began to repeat, I took the tablet, or data-slate, as Eliza had called it, into my Storage Ring. unsure how I should feel about someone who had so fervently professed to have done me wrong, I almost left Eliza¡¯s corpse behind. However, I felt the same sense of conflicting emotions I had experienced when leaving Kaine¡¯s remains earlier.


    After sweeping her body into the Storage Ring, alongside a pile of the fallen machinery to clear a more immediate path to the exit, I began hurriedly striding across the room and directly toward the exit.


    I was roughly halfway across the room when the recessed lights in the ceiling suddenly flashed to life, momentarily blinding me as my eyes struggled to adjust to the brightness.


    As my vision returned, I found I had become somewhat turned about while disoriented and was now facing one of the tubes. Staring at a glass-eyed and distorted reflection against a background of pale green liquid.


    Only, it wasn¡¯t my reflection...


    Some part of my subconscious pieced together what was happening before the horror had a chance to take hold, driving me away from the contents of the tube and back toward the exit.


    Unable to stop myself from retching as I stumbled toward the door, I felt the bile spill over my lips and splash against my chest but paid it no mind.


    I could feel hundreds of cold dead eyes watching me and desperately needed to be somewhere, anywhere, else.


    Hundreds, there were hundreds of those glass tubes...


    Panic and stress began eating at my mind, eroding my self-control. Making it all the more difficult to leverage my authority against the door. Briefly losing control, I tried, and failed, to remove the door by putting it inside my Storage Ring before forcing myself through the gap and breaking a rib in the process.


    Unlike before, the door closing firmly behind me now served as a source of profound relief. Which lasted all of a dozen seconds before an unexpected male voice nearly made me jump out of my skin.


    It took several seconds before I calmed down long enough to realise the voice had been some sort of recording related to the room and its security.


    ¡°Authority level accepted,¡± the voice announced impartially.


    I tried not to flinch and concentrated on opening the door.


    The pain from my broken rib, and the ravenous hunger that pain generated, lent me enough restraint and distraction to wait until the door was a third of the way open before slipping through and breaking into a stiff jog.


    It was strange, but the corridors had seemed far less foreboding and ominous in the dark. Now that everything was brightly lit, I kept expecting to find enemies waiting for me around every corner. When those enemies failed to materialise, it only served to feed into my mounting paranoia, raising my expectations that the next corner would be the one that would be used for an ambush.


    I felt a perverse sense of disappointment when I managed to make it back to the elevator without incident. As if not being attacked or chased through the winding corridors was somehow a bad thing...


    Slapping my right hand against the doors to the elevator, I felt a surge of profound relief as a notification appeared in front of my eyes announcing my imminent departure.


    As the teleportation took hold and my body began to disappear, I witnessed the arrival of two statuesque figures in radiant gold and silver-plated armour. They had arrived facing away from the elevator and didn¡¯t appear to have noticed my presence. But the vantage point gave me an unrestricted view of the eight wings of golden light tightly furled at their backs and laurel-like demi-corona of the same golden light hovering at brow level about their helmets.


    Teleported away, I reappeared in a dimly lit stone chamber.


    Overwhelmed by all I had seen and experienced already, I reflexively raised a wall of stone to protect myself when I detected movement from the periphery on my right side.


    ¡°Tyr-OOF!¡± Something hit the wall hard enough to send cracks webbing outward from the impact.


    ¡°Tyrant!¡± A chorus of brutish voices cried from the darkness, sending waves of relief crashing into my mind and sweeping away my fear. Ogres began pressing in from the darkness, their magical armour hanging in broken tatters, while others were borderline naked.


    ¡°Tyrant are back!¡± One of the Sarges announced with big salty tears running down his cheeks. ¡°Ugg tell you! Tyrant no leave!¡±


    Several Ogres in Ugg¡¯s vicinity nodded emphatically in agreement, struggling to hold back tears of their own.


    Cheers rose from deeper in the chamber and as lanterns sprung to life, they revealed the battered ranks of the Asrusian and Semenovian Knights and scouts.


    At a glance, I could tell that roughly a quarter of their number was missing.


    The cheering mass of the Viking Cultivators looked smaller than I remembered as well. Although they were too numerous to get an accurate count while they were milling about.


    I was abruptly reminded of my broken rib when Gric staggered out of the shadows, seized me about the chest and began squeezing as if his life depended upon it. ¡°I...failed...you...My...fault...¡± Gric rambled feverishly, his skin radiating a persistent heat that gave me serious cause for concern.


    Setting aside my pain, I conjured a barrel of fresh drinking water and dumped it over my front, splashing the water over Gric as a matter of course.


    Faint trials of steam rose from Gric¡¯s skin and I felt a subtle change begin shifting through his body. Slowly releasing his grip, Gric stiffly and awkwardly took several steps backward. His inherently rapid healing had been treading water paired with the Synergy from the other Ogres, but now that I had returned, it was kicked into high gear.


    I could see Gric¡¯s strength returning with each passing second, and the unmistakable shame and embarrassment that accompanied it.


    ¡°I wanted to do something similar,¡± Sebet announced with a smirk, approaching from my left-hand side. ¡°But after he disembowelled Mud, I thought better of it.¡±


    ¡°How was...The beetlemen attacked his mind as well?¡± I asked, struggling to match my hazy memories of events against Gric¡¯s sorry state.


    Sebet snorted with nervous amusement. ¡°They did, but he gave worse than he got,¡± she admitted dryly. ¡°Left their mind hunters as easy pickings for the Cultivators and Ogres. But that sort of aggressive approach has its price.¡±


    I nodded, gaining a new appreciation for Gric''s mental fortitude.


    ¡°We need to leave,¡± the words passed my lips without me really thinking about it. A shadow of my former urgency forced its way through the waves of relief coming from the Ogres and demanding that it be heard. ¡°Something, someone...An enemy is coming, and we need to not be here when that happens.¡±


    They had held themselves back until that moment, but my declaration brought my Bodyguards and champions leaping into action. Driving our forces into a hasty retreat through dark tunnels and more of the massive carved stone chambers.


    Surrounded by my Bodyguards and a swarm of Ogres, I didn¡¯t fully realise what I was doing until I reached the surface and noticed the host of notifications that had piled up in my lower peripheral vision.


    In the span of a couple of dozen minutes, I had killed tens of thousands of people and seized control of more than several times as many Slaves.


    Reminded of the deal I had made with the Midnight Caravan, I directed my champions to move ahead of our forces and open the city¡¯s walls so we could enter without facing stiff resistance.


    Our return to the surface and move on the city brought the surviving members of the Midnight Caravan rushing to join us. They appeared to have lost more than half their numbers, but from the way they were excitedly conversing with one another and cheering, anyone could have been excused for thinking they were mentally deranged.


    Entering the outskirts of the city, I had to ignore the screams and cries of fear of the general populace and continue repeating the same standing order over and over again, directing the Slaves toward the Viking Cultivators gathered outside of the city.


    I had given the responsibility of protecting the Slaves to Baldr and his Cultivators because I didn¡¯t trust them to exercise restraint when faced with the escalating chaos of the capital. Their status as former Slavers and raiders was hardly ideal, but I was trying to do my best with the tools I had at hand.


    Despite a mounting desire to flee, I decided that honouring my word and liberating the Slaves within the city was a higher priority. Sweeping the city would take hours, but the trip back to Sanctuary would take days anyway. So it made sense to do as much good as I was able, while I still had the opportunity to do so.


    Leaving the city in the late evening, at the head of a literal horde of former Slaves. I began entertaining the possibility that my precautions against the beetlemen were also thwarting the movements of this great enemy. Assuming they had the same authority I did, then they would be restricted to the same means of travel.


    That rationale began to wear thin as night fell and shadows took hold. By morning, I had changed my mind and decided to leave the Asrusians and Semenovians behind to fulfil my obligations to the Midnight Caravan and the Slaves we had liberated.


    Now convinced that my presence would only put them all in greater danger, I left them with all but one of the Arks. Just in case. I then set out at all speed for the border.


    Even with the Kobold¡¯s Synergy bonus, the protracted forced march was an utterly miserable affair.


    Haunted by what I had seen, the twilight hours were the worst. Already hovering on the brink of mental exhaustion, my mind was playing tricks with the light. Gold-winged angels would appear with each flash of light, while grotesquely distorted reflections of my own face stared back at me from the shadows with milky white eyes.


    In such an agitated state, and my guard raised, Sebet and Gric couldn¡¯t read my mind. Which meant our conversations had to be held aloud and in person. Their retelling of events and my strange behaviour before my abrupt disappearance only served to feed into my mounting paranoia.


    Making matters worse, the sudden appearance of the two Angels continued replaying in my mind. With each repetition, I became increasingly convinced that one of the Angels had reacted to my presence.


    The ever-so-slight movement of the Angel¡¯s helmet could be explained by a seemingly endless number of reasons. But with the potential dangers in play, I had to assume the worst.


    ***** Amenitael ~ Elysium ~ The Throne of Domination *****


    Kneeling before the Council of Purity, Amenitael ignored his injuries and kept his gaze firmly locked upon the pristine gold and silver veined marble floor.


    In other circumstances, his dishevelled appearance would have been cause for reprimand and light censure. However, the will of Elisariel, High Speaker of the Creator, overruled all. Even the Council of Purity.


    ¡°You claim the sacred hall of The Creator was destroyed?¡± Zarthael hissed with barely restrained fervour.


    ¡°I do,¡± Amenitael replied calmly. He had the bruises and lacerations to prove it, but that didn¡¯t amount to much before the likes of Zarthael and his ilk.


    ¡°Heresy!¡± Zarthael barked, slamming his delicate silver-white fist against the arm of his throne, sending arcs of divinity radiating from the blow.


    Illuvital raised one hand for calm. ¡°This was the cause for Amarithael¡¯s demise?¡± She asked, her seven sapphire eyes attempting to bore into Amenitael¡¯s soul and lay bare the truth.


    ¡°It was,¡± Amenitael replied with genuine remorse. He had not wished for his brother¡¯s death, but it had been an unavoidable sacrifice. Amarithael¡¯s loyalty to the High Speaker of the Creator had been unshakable and he had begun to notice things, begun to suspect...


    Illuvital lowered her hand and nodded, seemingly content to accept his answer.


    ¡°Yet you survived,¡± Raziphael commented shrewdly, tenting his fingers before his lips in a show of deep contemplation. ¡°Why is it that Amarithael was struck down and yet you have survived?¡±


    ¡°Amarithael...My brother...He shielded my body with his own...¡± Amenitael croaked with genuine sorrow. ¡°Were it not for Amarithael¡¯s sacrifice, I would not have survived...Such as I am, I owe my continued existence to his sacrifice.¡±


    Raziphael narrowed his singular cyclopean ruby eye in an overt demonstration of doubt and scrutiny. No doubt hoping Amenitael would break under the pressure.


    ¡°Enough,¡± the High Speaker of the Creator¡¯s melodic voice commanded from his throne on high. ¡°A devoted servant has endured much loss and hardship to deliver us this news. Casting baseless dispersions against his character is unwarranted, and ill-advised...¡±


    The Archangels of the Council of Purity immediately purged all pretences of hostility and bowed their heads in reverence and deference. ¡°It is as you say,¡± they recited in unison, ¡°We shall endeavour to do better and live up to the divine purpose bestowed by The Creator.¡±


    ¡°As is only right,¡± the High Speaker of the Creator agreed condescendingly. Not that the council showed any signs of having noticed his tone as anything other than rapturous exaltation.


    Once the veil was pierced, there was no returning to blissful ignorance.


    ¡°Amenitael, Seeker of the Radiant Dawn, do not think your service will go unrewarded,¡± the High Speaker of the Creator declared in a fatherly tone. ¡°You shall be granted the honour to lead the pursuit of the heretic responsible for this desecration. Alas, there is a righteous need for immediate action. Indeed, the trail has almost certainly grown cold in your absence. So I ask that you bind your wounds with your brother¡¯s memory, so it may serve as a reminder of your divine duty in this most sacred of Quests.¡±


    ¡°As The Creator wills,¡± Amenitael declares solemnly and with the utmost sincerity.


    Although they spoke the same words, they carried a very different meaning to Amenitael. As one of the few who saw the High Speaker for the charlatan he was, Amenitael would make any sacrifice to see the deceiver''s plans thwarted and for the deceiver''s enemies to prosper. Amenitael was willing to hope that the alleged heretic and subject of the deceiver''s obsession may hold the key to the deceiver''s destruction. However, finding the heretic would also see them that much closer to the deceiver''s grasp. And this, he could not allow.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 84 – Origins in Trauma – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 84 ¨C Origins in Trauma ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 84 - Origins in Trauma - Part Two


    As we approached the border, it became increasingly apparent that our earlier trespass had not gone unnoticed.


    Crude watchtowers had been hastily erected and gave the enemy scouts an unobstructed view of our approach, and ample time to provide warning to their allies.


    Instead of an army, a small contingent of Knights riding large horned lizards rode out to intercept us. Showing no immediate signs of aggression, it became clear that they intended to engage in some form of diplomacy.


    Unable to assume a human form and unwilling to draw additional attention to myself, I sent Sebet forward with the Oba clan¡¯s elders to see what the Knights wanted.


    Wearing her stone armour, Sebet cut quite the contrast amidst the Oba elders in their Eastern-styled brigandine and breastplates. Thankfully, their altered helmets did much to disguise their horns as ornamental decorations as well as conceal their faces.


    Sebet and the elders approached the Knights on foot.


    One of the Knights drew closer but did not dismount. No doubt intending the gesture to serve as a form of indirect insult. Or perhaps as an intimidation tactic, forcing Sebet to crane her neck to look him in the eye.


    Or to avoid having to do the same if he were to dismount since Sebet was currently eight feet tall.


    <Bad news, I am afraid.> Sebet reported almost immediately. <They are intending to launch an ambush.>


    <You are certain?> I replied somewhat irritably.


    My nerves and general mental state were in poor condition after days of forced marching without sleep, and I was in no mood for diplomatic shenanigans. If they intended violence, that was exactly what they would get.


    <Their spokesman¡¯s mind is shielded with a magic item. So I cannot probe too deeply without being noticed...> Sebet hedged. <However, his companions have no such protection and are quite impatient to be on with it. They are convinced that we are rogue mercenaries and have angered the Dominion in some way. So they are going to kill us to try and keep the peace.> S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    <They aren¡¯t afraid we are working for the Dominion?> I asked, confused that they would act with so little information.


    <The Dominion doesn¡¯t hire mercenaries.> Sebet replied glibly. <They do not need them. Or I suppose they HAD no need of them.> She amended with a hint of amusement.


    <If they cannot be dissuaded...then they will need to be put down...> I ordered, hardening my heart to the senseless deaths that would soon follow.


    In the blink of an eye, the Oba clan elders leapt into action. Moving so fast that their bodies were a blur of motion, they landed behind the mounted Knights with swords drawn and stained with blood.


    The five Knights toppled from their saddles in pieces, scattering onto the ground in bloody chunks of armour, flesh and bone.


    With a thought, I seized control over their mounts, Dominating them without effort and Commanding them to my side.


    Sebet retrieved something amidst the dirt and gore, presumably the lead Knight¡¯s source of psychic Resistance.


    A panicked horn call trumpeted from the enemy camp.


    ¡°Shields!¡± Baldr called out excitedly, rousing his warriors from their mental fatigue. ¡°Spears forward! Wodin watches us! Move!¡±


    The clear skies overhead rumbled with thunder and storm clouds began to appear as if by magic. Which, of course, they had.


    Viking Cultivators giggled and chuckled with deranged battle-lust as they jostled from the prime of place at the head of their ragged formation. Each sparing a handful of moments to whisper prayers to small pendants worn about their necks.


    My bodyguards formed a solid wall of magically fortified stone shields. Not so subtly penning me in place. Both as a means of protecting me from the enemy, and discouraging me from engaging in direct combat.


    Mentally directing the Ogres, I formed them into a second ring of defence around myself. Many of them were missing armour and weapons, and while they were no doubt capable of killing an armoured Knight with their bare hands, a spear to the brain or heart would kill them all the same.


    Besides, based solely on what I could make of the troops I could see marching out of the enemy encampment, they wouldn¡¯t be needed.


    The majority of the enemy force, roughly four hundred or so infantry and as many bowmen, was on foot, dressed in mail and padded cloth armour. If their armour wasn¡¯t magical, and I had no reason to believe it was, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Baldr¡¯s men. No doubt the enemy¡¯s confidence to act came from the hundred or so mounted heavy cavalry.


    Then, I felt it.


    First one, then five, fifty, ninety...


    Close to a thousand slaves began spilling out of the side of the camp in a ragged rushed formation.


    With a single thought, the Ogres began moving with deadly purposeful silence. Taking up a vanguard position ahead of even Baldr and his warriors, the Ogres each assumed their place with uncanny precision.


    Wailing cries of despair rose from the ragged horde of Slaves as they passed the human infantry and laid eyes on what was ahead of them. Here and there, Slaves staggered as they tried, to resist the Commands of their Masters to little avail.


    As the horde of Slaves grew closer, laughter carried from the ranks of the infantry and archers trailing behind them.


    With a surge of MP, I drew stone up from beneath the barren plain and formed a bristling wall of stone palisades in front of the Ogres.


    As one, every Ogre leaned forward and began snapping spikes free from the palisade and gathering them up in their free hand.


    With a second surge of MP, I smoothed the ground again.


    The wailing from the Slaves grew louder as they began their final approach. Several had already collapsed. However, it was unclear whether it was from the pain, abuse, malnutrition or a combination of all three.


    Bracing myself for the pain that would follow, I took a deep steadying breath. With Every scrap of will I could bring to bear, I seized at the magical Bonds of the Slaves in a bid to free them from their Masters.


    Just as I anticipated, pain rippled through my mind, clawing and digging at my ragged nerves but failing to find a permanent purchase.


    Caught unawares, the weakest amongst the Masters died without putting up a fight, increasing the burden upon those that remained. Creating a cascade of death they couldn¡¯t hope to escape, let alone survive.


    Urging the Slaves onward, I sent another Command to the Ogres.


    As one, every second Ogre in the formation moved three paces forward and three to their left, forming open channels allowing the Slaves to pass amongst them and beyond without breaking stride.


    The laughter came to an abrupt end and was replaced with confused shouting from officers and soldiers alike.


    Before returning the Ogres'' autonomy, I gave them one final command.


    <Throw.>


    Ogre Sarges roared and swarms of stone javelins took flight in rapid succession.


    Cries of terror and pain erupted from the ranks of the enemy infantry as javelins hammered into their frontmost ranks and drove into those behind. Binding dying men together and stalling the enemy''s advance, causing those behind to suffer the same fate.


    Enemy archers hastily returned fire but met with no success. As dim-witted as they were, the Ogres stuck to their training and shielded their eyes and throat with their free arm, causing the archers¡¯ arrows to bounce harmlessly off the Ogres'' thick hides.


    The cavalry began moving around the periphery in earnest, no doubt hoping to charge on our flank and incite a rout.


    Without being told what to do, my champions turned their attention toward the cavalry and began preparing countermeasures. Spikes and palisades and thick walls of brush and thorns rose on our flanks, directing the cavalry back toward the centre where Baldr and his Cultivators had just initiated a one-sided slaughter amidst the ranks of the infantry.


    Just like the Ogres, the Cultivators proved all but invulnerable to the scattered volleys attempted by the archers who were attempting to hold their ground.


    Half of the enemy force was already dead or actively fleeing the battle and more were doing one or the other with every passing moment.


    Baldr was singling out officers at every opportunity and hacking them down almost as quickly as he identified them. Besides wreaking havoc on enemy morale, it was growing apparent that Baldr¡¯s executions were making the man himself quite frustrated.


    It was hardly a surprise since the Cultivators were practically monsters with class levels. Making the confrontations ridiculously one-sided.


    When the remainder of the infantry was routed, the heavy cavalry fled as well. Leaving the infantry and archers behind in a cloud of dust.


    Baldr¡¯s Cultivators didn¡¯t take any prisoners, and a small part of me, deep down, deeper than I had expected, felt ashamed for not taking steps to prevent what amounted to outright executions.


    Then I considered the sorry state of the surviving Slaves, and that small part of me went silent.


    The human Slaves were understandably terrified out of their wits and many of them had broken down into hysterics or near catatonia, with few in between.


    The monsters had begun segregating themselves by Species, regarding one another and above all others, myself, with hard leery eyes.


    Recognising an Orc majority, I turned to Lurr and waved him forward. ¡°See that they are given food and water. If any are dangerously malnourished, make sure the others don¡¯t starve or overfeed them.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Tyrant!¡± Lurr slammed his gauntleted fist against his chest in respect and approached the mass of Orc Slaves.


    Suspicions amongst the other Slaves rapidly evaporated after witnessing fresh food and water being liberally distributed amongst the Orc Slaves. After only a couple of minutes, they began actively seeking out the supplies on their own.


    However, the majority of the human Slaves were so out of sorts that they didn¡¯t realise what was happening. Those that were aware of the food and water being distributed, hung back out of fear of the monsters.


    Without being asked, the Ainsleys began making their way over to the humans.


    ¡°How far are we from the outermost range of the Anchors?¡± I asked, directing the question toward no one in particular.


    ¡°At our established rate?¡± Lord Garick qualified, his wrinkled brow creasing still further as he contemplated the question. ¡°Roughly a half day''s march, Majesty. Accounting for any, ahem, new arrivals, it could take a full day. Likely longer.¡±


    ¡°Recommendations?¡± I pressed, trying not to let on just how tired I was.


    ¡°Sleds, Majesty,¡± one of the more junior, although by no means young, officers volunteered. ¡°We could fashion the tents and the like into simple sleds. With the Ogres drawing the Sleds, and the Slaves riding them, we should only lose the time it takes to fashion the sleds themselves. Which shouldn¡¯t take long at all.¡±


    ¡°At worst, we could make litters to carry them,¡± another officer suggested in agreement with his peer. ¡°Poles and cloth are all that is needed, and the Ogres have strength to spare.¡±


    ¡°See to it,¡± I agreed, tacitly giving both men carte blanche to see it done.


    We were on the move again within the hour. The stretchers had proven faster and simpler to make, but the humans had gone into hysterics at the prospect of approaching the Ogres. This meant that Baldr¡¯s warriors had to be called upon in place of the Ogres.


    While physically capable of the task, the Cultivators were not particularly enthusiastic about it. If they had been given a choice in the matter, they no doubt would have refused. Or at the very least, would have attempted to excuse themselves under one pretence or another.


    So it was good that they didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter. The irony of this was not lost on me.


    The original plan had been to use the Beacons and Recall for the return trip. The Slaves required an alternative method.


    As the hours passed by, I didn¡¯t think much of it. However, as our surroundings became somewhat familiar, I became increasingly aware of the problem.


    I was so tired that it didn¡¯t matter what I decided to do at this moment. The moment I got home, my brain would make every excuse it could think of, no matter how stupid or unrealistic, just so it could shut off and I could sleep.


    Which left me a finite number of options on how to proceed, and I didn¡¯t like any of them.


    So, naturally, I settled for the simplest solution I could think of.


    Once we were free of the Anchors, I had the Ogres shepherd the Slaves through a massive Breach. Saving time at the expense of burning through almost all of my MP, my reserve of MP, and a chunk of my HP as well.


    Which was definitely a risk. However, the moment I returned home, it ceased to matter.


    The instant my head touched my pillow, darkness claimed me.


    Opening my eyes, I felt a brief surge of panic as events reasserted themselves in my conscious mind. However, my authority just as quickly diverted my attention by imposing lost events and the passage of time into my mind.


    Ten days had passed since my return. During that time, Slaves had been arriving in steadily increasing numbers. In my absence, Sebet had been manually exercising her limited authority to redirect the Slaves away from a watery grave. It was only in the past five hours that she and Gric had changed places.


    ¡°Daddy can play now?¡± Suzy asked, drawing my attention back to my immediate surroundings.


    My daughter was sitting on my chest with her head tilted to one side and resting in her webbed palm. Her expression made it clear that she was bored and wasn¡¯t particularly optimistic regarding her chances of a favourable answer.


    I could see the tablet with the broken screen on the bedside table and knew that investigating its contents for answers was not an undertaking that I could take lightly. Assuming it held any answers at all, I would need to devote my entire attention and focus to finding and understanding them.


    I gently shifted Suzy aside so I could sit up and stretch. The trapped gas escaping my joints sounded like a string of firecrackers and drew Pete¡¯s attention away from the small pile of books spread out over the dining table.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I replied, doing my best to smile but uncertain whether it managed to reach my eyes. ¡°I just need to handle some work first.¡±


    Suzy¡¯s expression flipped on a dime, shifting from grim acceptance to jubilant optimism in less than a heartbeat. ¡°Really?!¡± She asked excitedly, eagerly hopping up and down, unable to contain her happiness.


    ¡°Really really,¡± I answered, picking her up and planting a kiss on her forehead before setting her down again. ¡°Take Pete and Eg, and I¡¯ll come find you when I¡¯m ready to play, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Suzy agreed eagerly. Spinning on the spot, she momentarily lost her footing in the two-foot-tall water covering the floor before scrambling toward her brother.


    Seeing his sister coming and knowing exactly what to expect, Pete was already on the move. Having abandoned his books, he was nearly halfway out the door by the time she reached the table.


    Shrugging into the clothes I reserved for ¡®official business¡¯ I relocated myself to the throne room on its isolated mountaintop. Incidentally catching a handful of cleaning staff and decorators by surprise. Allowing them to continue their work, I sent a Quest to all of the Faction Leaders, informing them and requiring that they or a designated representative travel to the throne room and adjoining council chambers within the hour.


    While waiting on my throne for their arrival, I summoned a projection of Lash and held her close.


    ¡°You are awake,¡± Lash observed brightly after stealing a kiss.


    ¡°I am now,¡± I chuckled trying to avoid thinking of the circumstances of the past month, if only for a few moments.


    Lash smiled and there was a glimmer of pride and satisfaction in her eyes as she made herself comfortable on my lap.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to pull you away from whatever you were doing,¡± I explained while doing my best to relax and enjoy the feeling of her body against mine. ¡°We can talk more in person later.¡±


    ¡°This is fine,¡± Lash replied without judgement, resting her head against my chest briefly before smirking and glancing up at me from the corner of her eye. ¡°For now,¡± she amended huskily.


    ¡°I already promised Suzy I would play with her and Pete,¡± I cautioned, intending to temper her expectations.


    ¡°My turn will come later,¡± Lash commented without the faintest hint of jealousy.


    I wrapped my left arm around her waist and gave her an appreciative squeeze instead of a spoken promise.


    We remained this way, taking reassurance in one another¡¯s company until the first of the Faction Leaders arrived in the antechamber. However, it was only after the last of the invited Faction Leaders arrived that Lash took her place on the throne beside mine. Albeit with visible reluctance before assuming a more commanding and regal demeanour.


    Opening the doors with my Earth affinity, I motioned for the assembled Faction Leaders to enter the throne room.


    All told, there were close to a hundred people. While the largest Factions belonged to the Humans, Dwergi, Scaled Kobolds and Gnolls, there were many other Species that had sufficient numbers to warrant representation. Most of these Factions only had a few hundred members, but a few numbered in the low thousands.


    What¡¯s more, the influx of Slaves from the Dominion was almost guaranteed to swell the smaller Factions'' ranks multiple times over. Assuming the liberated Slaves joined existing Factions rather than petitioning for their own.


    Although motioning for silence was unnecessary, I made a point of doing so anyway as a means of signalling the beginning of the meeting.


    ¡°The Coleopteras, the beetlemen that invaded Sanctuary, are all dead,¡± I announced with grim finality.


    This news came as little shock to the Humans and a few of the other Factions that were on close terms with them. I could tell just by looking into the eyes of the Semenovian King, Asrusian Regent, and Dwergi Chancellor that they were waiting for the other shoe to drop.


    ¡°A new enemy, an older enemy, has presented itself,¡± I continued. ¡°Although the threat they present is currently uncertain, I will be taking steps to bolster the strength of all willing individuals to secure Sanctuary¡¯s safety.¡±


    Faction leaders exchanged uncertain glances.


    ¡°Furthermore, I am permitting the renewed and accelerated acquisition of Labyrinth territories.¡± I paused, waiting for the cacophony of gasps and muffled exclamations of surprise to die down. Those possessing the Overseer title can now initiate a Challenge independently without need of an Artefact, while others in possession of an Artefact may proceed as before.¡± I had to pause again as a fresh wave of excited murmuring rose from the crowd. ¡°As some of you already know, I have come into possession of new Artefacts and I intend to make them available for this endeavour. However, in the interests of mutual gain and establishing closer ties, my Artefacts, both old and new, will only be made available to those who agree to cooperative undertakings involving a minimum of five other Factions per Artefact. To encourage greater consideration for involving the smaller and less established Factions, those who finalise a commitment to cooperation with no less than ten Factions will be forgiven Sanctuary¡¯s territory taxation for the duration of this campaign.¡±


    Dead silence fell over the throne room and I could see the gears turning behind the Faction Leaders¡¯ eyes as each of them hastily determined how best to gain an advantage for their people.


    While territories taken from the Labyrinths added to Sanctuary¡¯s overall mass, there were no guarantees that the territories taken would be desirable to the Faction that claimed them in the first place. In other circumstances, they would petition for the territory to trade hands. Or if they were lucky, it would be taken as tax. My offer was intended to change that.


    ¡°Each coalition will be required to mark their conquered territories and register the territory with head librarian Yor. This record-keeping system will ensure that distribution of these territories can be undertaken without undue disruption.¡± I had spent a considerable amount of time in the past fiddling about with borders and the like before and was not keen on repeating the process on a much larger scale. ¡°In that same vein, I will require all participating Factions to negotiate their current and future borders accordingly. Territories will not be placed without the express agreement of all neighbouring Factions. Attempts to circumvent or manipulate this mandate will be met with harsh consequences.¡±


    A few Faction Leaders of the more cunning Species, Humans included, shifted nervously under the intense but deliberately vague warning and consequences.


    ¡°We will convene again later this evening,¡± I announced firmly. ¡°In the interim, I expect you all to begin making preparations for what lies ahead. You are dismissed.¡±


    Murmuring quickly arose from the crowd as they headed out the door toward the council chambers, quickly rising to a dull roar.


    Once the room was empty, I Summoned projections of Sebet, Yor and Wraithe. These three were also Faction Leaders. While Yor and Wraithe probably didn¡¯t need or want any territories, they were still entitled to use their position to negotiate for things they had a use for.


    Sebet¡¯s case was more unique and I wasn¡¯t certain how I felt about it. Just like the Daemons, she was entitled to participate in the negotiations. However, she didn¡¯t have a pressing need for territories either, and unlike the Daemons, Sebet had a distinct advantage when negotiating for whatever she wanted.


    ¡°I strongly disagree,¡± Sebet countered once I had explained what had transpired and my misgivings. ¡°I am a Queen, in my own right, and I have several subjects already. What¡¯s more, with the influx of new arrivals, I expect their numbers to grow. After the loss of the territories formerly placed under my care, I have been left in something of an awkward position, and it is affecting my ability to live up to my assigned duties as effectively as I might do otherwise.¡±


    ¡°That is technically true, on all counts,¡± I agreed dryly. ¡°However, wouldn¡¯t ruling over thousands of people also distract you from your duties?¡±


    Seebet grinned slyly. ¡°Not as much as you may think,¡± she replied calmly. ¡°In fact, it would allow me to delegate more freely, making it easier to dedicate more of my attention elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Mhm...¡± I grunted, making it clear I was still unconvinced.


    ¡°I¡¯m bound by Oaths AND a Contract,¡± Sebet reminded me with a hint of exasperation. ¡°What exactly are you worried I might do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°And that¡¯s what worries me.¡±


    ¡°What about probation then?¡± Sebet wheedled. ¡°Give me a few months to prove I can do it and don¡¯t have any ¡®nefarious¡¯ ulterior motives.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I relented. ¡°Just as before, Gric will have the right to audit your operations at any time.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sebet agreed with a Cheshire grin.


    Shaking my head, I waved her away and then turned to Yor, who was still patiently waiting for further instructions. ¡°I was thinking if each Faction had the means to Summon you directly to a conquered territory, you could leave identifying markers and keep a central record in Sanctuary¡¯s library.¡±


    ¡°I can certainly do this, my Tyrant!¡± Yor agreed eagerly, doing an amusing skittering dance on her eight spider-like legs. ¡°Just like Wraithe, you¡¯re entitled to negotiate for territories of your own as well, if you want to,¡± I added.


    Yor wrinkled her brow in confusion. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this present the appearance of a conflict of interest?¡± She asked warily.


    ¡°It would,¡± I agreed. ¡°However, you could use the territories as leverage for a public good. If you are so inclined.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I like that idea!¡± Yor agreed and clapped her chitinous hands excitedly. ¡°I could use the land to build more libraries! And Universities to write more books to fill them with!¡±


    Wraithe had been somewhat disinterested up until this point but perked up after hearing that. ¡°I could have more hospitals built? And schools to teach and train more Surgeons?¡±


    I nodded encouragingly.


    Leaving them to sort things out independently, I dismissed Lash¡¯s projection and returned home. After removing my royal costume, I went outside and found my children were all waiting for me.


    Upping the ante on the slip and slide, I made several water slides. The simplest was a chute on a forty-five-degree angle that emptied into the water. The most thrilling, and potentially dangerous, for Humans, had a series of winding turns and was initiated from roughly fifty feet in the air.


    Crafting the steps to access the taller waterslides had required soliciting Hana''s expertise. While I was comfortable working with stone, Hana was able to mutate a local moss into forming a gripping and absorbent surface to walk on.


    It was only after completing the final slide that I noticed a few things.


    First, Eg had Evolved and taken on a similar Evolutionary path to myself and my children, with the Lake adaptation. Allowing her to breathe water while in the water, just like us. Although she was still understandably cautious when going into the water on foot and outright frightened before completing her first trip down the gentlest waterslide.


    Second, the screams and laughter of the kids had drawn a large degree of attention and spectators. Amongst which was Nadine, Fesk and their newly born child, Edwin. Affording me my first glimpse of the pudgy little toddler. Besides his white wispy hair and overly fair skin, he looked human. If it wasn''t for the intense look in his dark eyes, that is.


    Like all monster children, Edwin had an established foundation of knowledge imprinted into his brain. Whether or not he was capable of understanding most of it was unclear. However, it did create an almost unsettling degree of awareness that wasn¡¯t present in human children.


    Third, and last of all, I noticed Mud was belching plumes of flame between mouthfuls of roast Beast and some type of alcohol. An amusing sight on its own merits, but decidedly disconcerting and infinitely more interesting after I realised his blazing belching was suffused with Chi and the Fire Affinity. My surprise only intensified after inspecting his Status and realising he had gained access to the Cultivation System and had a second Status.


    What¡¯s more, Mud had already learned a Technique. An impressive feat in its own right, that only became more so with the knowledge that Mud, just like the other wild Ogres, was utterly illiterate.


    Summoning a projection of Sebet for her expertise, I didn¡¯t expect for her to have an answer already on hand to explain the phenomenon.


    ¡°My Tyrant, you are the one that altered him...¡± Sebet stated warily. ¡°Do you not remember?¡±


    I slowly shook my head and tried to suppress my mounting concerns.


    ¡°While fighting against the Coleopterans, you, erm, you used Mud as an improvised projectile...It was during this time that you altered him,¡± Sebet explained. ¡°As for the Technique...I am uncertain, but I shall consult with Oba Kei to find answers on your behalf.¡±


    After giving my approval, I transported the projection to Oba Kei¡¯s location and then returned to my children. My short period of distraction had not gone unnoticed and I didn¡¯t want to upset Suzy any more than I might have done already.


    To make it up to her, I made one last water slide. While it didn¡¯t have as many twists or turns as the others, the slide and an upward-angled chute at the end would send anyone half my size or smaller flying through the air before landing in the lake.


    I took special care to pay attention to Suzy whenever it was her turn to use the slide.


    After a couple of hours, and the kids had worked up a ravenous appetite, Toofy volunteered to take them out of The Grove to get something to eat from Sanctuary¡¯s market. I would have thought it was a convenient coincidence if Lash hadn¡¯t handed Toofy an incredibly shiny silver mirror a few moments later.


    Leaving the other residents of The Grove to enjoy the new attraction, Lash and I slipped away so we could spend some time alone.


    Several hours later, I was staring at the ceiling with Lash draped over my chest, explaining what had happened during my absence, what I had seen, and the significance of the tablet on the bedside table.


    I had spoken of my life on Earth before, but it was difficult to adequately explain the technology I had once taken for granted. A great deal of it required either specialised knowledge or an existing understanding of certain concepts. Which Lash, as a native of this world, lacked.


    So it was difficult to convey how utterly strange I found what was altogether overly familiar the technology appeared to be.


    She listened anyway and did her best to show she was giving my concerns serious consideration.


    ¡°You have questioned the Angels?¡± Lash asked after I fell into a lengthy silence.


    ¡°Not yet...¡± I admitted.


    ¡°You are afraid to ask. Afraid to know the truth,¡± Lash commented sympathetically, paraphrasing several comments I had already made to that effect when retelling events.


    ¡°I am...But not just for myself,¡± I amended. ¡°These Angels, if they are searching for me, the trail will lead them here. To our family, our people...If I go looking for them, it will make it that much easier for them to look for me, and through me, everyone else.¡±


    ¡°You need to know,¡± Lash observed with quiet confidence. ¡°Not knowing, it will drag you down until every breath is a struggle.¡±


    ¡°I know...¡± I agreed and let out a long sigh as I mentally shifted gears. ¡°I¡¯m not sure Ophelia would know anything...but Orphiel...I have been thinking back on how he acted back when we first encountered him in the Labyrinths. Even if he doesn¡¯t know anything about ¡®this¡¯, he knows something...Almost certainly, at the very least, how I can find someone who has the answers I want.¡±


    ¡°What of Ril?¡± Lash asked, taking me by surprise. ¡°As a Forever, she should know?¡±


    ¡°A Perpetual...¡± In all of the focus I had given to the Angels, I had forgotten about Ril entirely. ¡°It''s possible.¡±


    Distracted by the possibilities, I lost track of time. When I realised how late it had become I reluctantly left our bed and began getting dressed.


    Lash did the same but surprised me by opting for a more elaborate outfit.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me.¡± It took me a moment to realise it, but felt incredibly obvious in hindsight.


    ¡°I am going with you,¡± Lash confirmed supportively.


    I had grown increasingly accustomed to ¡®holding court¡¯ with important people, so I didn''t get as nervous about it as I used to. However, it still felt nice knowing that Lash cared and would be at my side of her own accord, rather than because I Summoned a projection of her.


    Teleporting to the throne room, I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. I had given the Faction leaders a deadline, but it was intended to light a fire under their collective asses. With so many competing interests, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if a vocal majority called for more time. However, upon arriving in the throne room, I found several servants and subordinates of the Faction Leaders eagerly anticipating my return.


    Allowing them time to discreetly leave and spread the word of my arrival, I delayed opening the doors to the throne room for several minutes.


    When the doors opened, the Faction Leaders, including Sebet, Wraithe and Yor, began filing into the throne room.


    I motioned for silence.


    Francis Asrus, Regent and current Faction Leader of the Kingdom of Asrus Faction stepped forward and bowed respectfully. ¡°My Tyrant, Tyrantess, at your command we, your loyal servants and subjects, have deliberated for many hours-¡±


    Here it comes.


    ¡°-And have arrived at an amicable resolution.¡± Francis Asrus beamed with pride as he waved expansively to his peers. ¡°In the best interests of all, we have come together under a single banner.¡±


    Banners bearing Sanctuary¡¯s mark rose from the crowd.


    ¡°For prosperity. For security. For Sanctuary!¡± Francis Asrus withdrew a thick roll of parchment from beneath the folds of his cloak, raised the parchment in his fist for dramatic effect and was met with cheers.


    I felt Sebet¡¯s thoughts briefly touch upon my own. <You¡¯re welcome.>


    When the cheers died down, Francis Asrus respectfully approached me and offered the parchment. ¡°This document bears the formal terms of our coalition and the signatures of all Faction Leaders called upon for this most worthy and historic undertaking.¡±


    Accepting the parchment, I passed it along to Lash so I wouldn¡¯t accidentally damage it. ¡°Then you have my blessing to prosecute this campaign in accordance with my laws. Be bold. Be brave. Secure new lands so your descendants will have room to grow and live without fear of scarcity! Be vigilant so they will never know predation! This is our home! This! Is! Sanctuary!¡±


    Cheers erupted from the crowd, with none so loud as the monsters liberated from Slavery.


    ¡°Go now!¡± I commanded, ¡°Convene your councils of war and secure our future!¡±


    After everyone had left, I settled back into my throne and took several deep breaths to calm myself. ¡°Was that a bit much?¡± I asked, feeling awkward.


    Lash looked back at me with a confused look in her eyes.


    ¡°The speech. You don¡¯t think it was overly dramatic or anything?¡± I specified.


    ¡°This is important,¡± Lash replied, still appearing uncertain as to what I was talking about. ¡°If this is not for drama, what should be?¡± She struggled a little with finding the right words, but I could see what she meant.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I agreed. ¡°Thanks,¡± I leaned down and kissed her.


    While drawing back into my throne, I noticed that Lash had begun reading the document.


    ¡°This is?¡± Lash pointed to a paragraph near the middle of the document.


    Before I leaned down again to take a closer look, Lash rose from her throne and hopped up onto my lap.


    ¡°Each Faction will be afforded a minimum allotment of land suitable to their needs?¡± I read aloud seeking confirmation.


    Lash shook her head and pointed to the paragraph again and in the same place as before.


    ¡°Additional lands will be awarded in accordance with their contributions and participation?¡± I asked.


    Lash nodded.


    I skimmed through the document again and pointed to a section closer to the bottom. ¡°Basically, providing food and other supplies, warriors, magic items, potions, and Overseers all has a predetermined value. So long as each Faction meets the minimum commitment they agreed to, they get a fixed number of territories. If they exceed that commitment, they can earn more.¡±


    ¡°This is fair,¡± Lash stated approvingly.


    ¡°Mostly,¡± I agreed. ¡°This agreement actually favours the smaller Factions though. From a logistical perspective, at least. The larger Factions have surrendered a small portion of their prospective gains to guarantee the smaller Factions will receive territories for meeting easier contribution levels.¡± The paragraphs detailing Faction tiers and qualified the conditions of who belonged to what tier, was somewhat complicated, but that was the gist of it.


    ¡°Why?¡± Lash asked curiously.


    ¡°Goodwill, most likely,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°Even the Human Factions won¡¯t be able to use all the land they stand to gain. So giving up a few territories out of potentially hundreds means little compared to securing Synergies for securing the territories in the first place. There might come a time in the future when the smaller Factions could help them with other things as well, so getting on good terms now, when it''s easy, is prudent.¡±


    Lash nodded and continued reading.


    Securing Overseers would need to be a high priority, as every Overseer committed to the campaign would increase the rate at which new territories could be taken.


    In the past, I had wondered if Overseers could be used to recruit new Overseers by Conquering fresh Labyrinths. I just didn¡¯t have the opportunity to test it before events drew my focus elsewhere.


    To that end, I Summoned a projection of Skreia, a Harpy and Overseer. Coincidentally, she was also a Faction leader and had stood within the hall only moments earlier.


    Skreia bowed her head in respect. ¡°My Tyrant and Tyrantess!¡± The long dark feathers by her ears twitched nervously. ¡°How may I serve?¡±


    ¡°It depends,¡± I replied. ¡°As both an Overseer and a Faction Leader, I am going to give you a choice.¡±


    Skreia bobbed nervously from one talon to the other.


    ¡°As the leader of your people, it would be reckless to send you out onto a battlefield,¡± I explained, trying to make my reasoning as clear and simple as possible. ¡°With your permission, I would like to strip your title of Overseer, and replace it with another title.¡±


    Skreia gave me an odd look with her piercing dark eyes. ¡°That is all?¡± She asked hesitantly.


    ¡°That is all,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I abide by the Tyrant¡¯s will,¡± Skreia answered with visible relief. ¡°If I must give up one title for another, then so be it.¡±


    I had gotten the answer I wanted, so I tried not to overthink it.


    Dismissing Skreia¡¯s projection, I replaced her Overseer title with Lord.


    Considering potential candidates for the test, it didn¡¯t take me long to narrow the list down to three people.


    Summoning projections of the Ainsleys, I explained my intentions and allowed them to make the final decision for themselves. After a rather lengthy discussion, It was decided that Faine would be the one to temporarily take the Overseer title.


    Dismissing the Ainsleys projections, I gave Faine the temporary promotion and then returned home with Lash.


    While Lash stored the parchment somewhere Suzy wouldn¡¯t find it, I decided to bite the bullet and press Orphiel for some answers.


    Teleporting to an isolated territory using my authority, I took a few minutes to get myself into the right state of mind and then pulled Orphiel to my position.


    ¡°-that¡¯s so...huh?¡± Orphiel looked around in confusion.


    ¡°I have questions, and I want honest answers,¡± I rumbled, not above employing a certain degree of intimidation to set the tone for our conversation.


    ¡°Ah, okay?¡± Orphiel replied with visible discomfort.


    ¡°Where do the other Angels live and how many of them are there?¡± I demanded.


    Orphiel¡¯s discomfort bled away and was replaced by confusion and a small degree of belligerence. ¡°I can¡¯t answer that,¡± he replied bluntly and then hastily raised his hands in surrender. ¡°No really, I literally cannot speak of it.¡±


    ¡°Or you¡¯ll die?¡± I guessed cynically.


    ¡°What? No. I just can¡¯t talk about it...¡± Orphiel answered with a snort. ¡°It¡¯s protected information, so mindreading won¡¯t work either.¡±


    ¡°Protected how?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it,¡± Orphiel replied with an exaggerated shrug and wave of his arms.


    ¡°What do you know about authority?¡± I asked, already knowing what the answer would likely be.


    ¡°Can¡¯t talk about...¡± Orphiel answered, although his eyes had narrowed slightly.


    ¡°What about, a secret facility buried under the Dominion?¡± I conjured Eliza Eckart¡¯s I.D. from my Storage Ring and pressed it close to Orphiel¡¯s face. ¡°A place filled with machinery and technology that is far too advanced for this world.¡±


    Orphiel had only looked at the I.D. with minor curiosity, but the mention of advanced technology caused his eyes to flare wide in a show of surprise. ¡°I...¡± He frowned and furrowed his brow. ¡°I don¡¯t know about such a place...¡± He replied with exaggerated and deliberate care. ¡°Such a place would probably be very-I can¡¯t talk about it...Damn it!¡± Orphiel swore. He took a deep breath. ¡°Ieeeeee-can¡¯t talk about that...¡± Orphiel scowled and looked just about ready to rip his hair out. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! It¡¯s every Cherubims'' dream to make a pilgrimage! I may be Fallen, but it wasn¡¯t my fault!¡±


    ¡°Pilgrimage?!¡± I demanded, recalling the memory of the two Angels that had arrived just as I was leaving.


    ¡°To bear witness to-to...¡± Orphiel scrunched up his face and considered his next words very carefully. ¡°Lay eyes upon his glorious wor-I can¡¯t talk about that!¡±


    As Orphiel descended into a string of expletives, I began having serious doubts about whether he would be able to give any meaningful answers at all. Which was frustrating, because he clearly had the answers I wanted. Or some of them, at least. But if he had to skirt around the actual answer to such an extent, then it defied the point of asking in the first place.


    I took several deep calming breaths and prepared to ask another question.


    It was going to be a long evening.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 85 – Might Makes Right – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 85 ¨C Might Makes Right ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 85 - Might Makes Right - Part One


    No Matter which questions I asked, Orphiel failed to provide anything close to a satisfactory answer. After hours of trial and error and with close to nothing to show for it, I let Orphiel go.


    Retrieving the tablet from my bedside table with my authority, I gently thumbed the cracks that marred the right side of the screen. To my astonishment, the cracks slowly receded, restoring the screen into a single piece of glass. As my surprise faded, I could feel the screen drawing on my MP and changing it into the foreign mana.


    After about half an hour of draining my MP the last of the cracks were gone. However, the screen continued draining my MP.


    Based upon what I assumed was a progress bar in the centre of the screen, it was using me to regain its charge.


    After being stored in my Storage Ring, the tablet had been unresponsive, so I took this as a favourable sign.


    Hours passed by and I slipped into a state of deep meditation as a means to pass the time.


    A notification of Faine¡¯s triumph and the abrupt appearance of a large wooden chest broke me from my meditation.


    Just as I had suspected, the change in the rules of Conquest and Invasions allowed my Overseers to recruit new Overseers into the fold.


    While the potential recruit deliberated the recruitment offer, I used my authority to determine how much time had passed. I was intrigued to find it had been only a little longer than twenty-four hours since Faine had been given the promotion to Overseer. Which meant he had used an Artefact to claim an entire floor with a single challenge.


    Frustrated at myself for losing an entire day I could have otherwise spent with my family, it didn¡¯t take long for me to become distracted again.


    This time, the distraction came from the abrupt arrival of the new Overseer, Gilkt.


    Standing just over six feet tall, Gilkt was bare-chested and wore a breechcloth embroidered with copper and silver coins that overlapped one another like the scales of a fish. Which made sense aesthetically, since the gills on Gilkt¡¯s neck and chest, combined with his webbed fingers and toes, and thin spiked teeth marked him as an aquatic monster.


    Pushing his long seaweed-like hair from his face, Gilkt stared up at me in awe and a noteworthy level of discomfort. His skin was slick with a translucent slime and it only served to enhance his overall nervous disposition. Opening his mouth to speak, Gilkt made several odd choking noises before I realised what was wrong.


    With a thought, I flooded the isolated territory with water until the water rose just past my waist. When Gilkt didn¡¯t respond favourably to the influx of fresh water, I tapped into the realm¡¯s limited reserve of salt water instead. For good measure, I conjured a roasted Swamp Lurker tail from my Storage Ring to accelerate his recovery.


    After several tense minutes of waiting, Gilkt appeared to be on the mend and was viciously working his way through the last shreds of meat on the tail. Treading water, he rose to the surface, although only far enough to raise his head above water. ¡°I give thanks for the bounty,¡± Gilkt said with gratitude. ¡°May the tides favour your kin.¡± His voice sounded like creaking timbers, shifting in pitch as he spoke.


    Unsure what to say, I resolved myself to simply nod and acknowledge the gesture of goodwill instead.


    ¡°I have given no cause to earn this right, yet I must...¡± Gilkt croaked, his voice lowering several octaves as he tore a cord bearing strings of golden coins from his waist and thrust them above the surface. ¡°The Leviathan draws closer to the final kinhome...The Leviathan is beyond our strength...I beg...Shelter them and we will serve for all of our days!¡± Gilkt lifted the coins higher with both arms outstretched in earnest supplication. ¡°I will give anything! Everything! I beg!¡±


    ¡°Keep your coins,¡± I replied in what I intended as a calming tone.


    Gilkt¡¯s face fell and he did as he was asked.


    With Gric still on the mend, and Sebet already committed to several other high-priority tasks, my options were limited. ¡°I will offer aid. I want that to be clear,¡± I clarified to avoid further misunderstandings.


    Gilkt¡¯s eyes grew unnaturally wide in surprise, his eyelids drawing back all the way and giving him an increasingly alien appearance.


    ¡°One part of the problem lies in the lack of available living space,¡± I explained while running through potential solutions in my mind. ¡°Freshwater makes you incredibly sick, and I don¡¯t have much salt water to offer beyond what we are swimming in at this very moment. The other part of the problem lies in locating your people.¡± I paused for a moment to allow him time to internalise what I had said. ¡°Do you know which floor of the Labyrinth you are from?¡±


    Gilkt looked at me with confusion. ¡°I have heard this word spoken by surface traders...I do not know what it means...¡±


    ¡°I thought that might be the case...¡± I sighed and altered the surrounding terrain to provide a landlocked plateau.


    Gathering my MP I Summoned a projection of the Asrusian Regent, Francis Asrus.


    ¡°Majesty.¡± Francis Asrus''s projection bowed respectfully, taking care not to bow too deeply. ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡± He cast a curious glance at Gilkt from the corner of his eye but did not presume to speak further.


    ¡°I need a wand of Teleportation. Preferably one capable of penetrating deep into a Labyrinth,¡± I replied candidly. ¡°This is a time-sensitive matter and is related to the acquisition of additional Overseer titles for the campaign.¡±


    The Regent¡¯s eyes flashed with determination. ¡°I have such a wand within my office,¡± he replied decisively. ¡°I can lay hands upon it in less than a minute from my current location.¡±


    ¡°See to it,¡± I commanded and dismissed the projection.


    Using my authority, I teleported Trask onto the plateau the Regent had just vacated. ¡°I have a task for you, assuming you are willing?¡±


    ¡°Alwayss,¡± Trask rumbled aggressively, assuming a lower centre of gravity and sweeping his thick crocodilian tail across the plateau as he surged into the water. Trask could not breathe underwater but he was capable of holding his breath for hours, possibly even days, at a time.


    ¡°You will accompany Gilkt to his home via Teleportation,¡± I motioned to Gilkt to make it clear who I was referring to. ¡°Remotely viewing your location, I will open a Breach to evacuate Gilkt and his people. Depending upon the threat present in the location, you will then initiate an Invasion or retreat to Sanctuary. In the event of an Invasion, I will reinforce your position with Summons and Spells. Otherwise, you will be on your own. Understood?¡± I removed Gilkt¡¯s Overseer title and gave it to Trask, replacing it with Trask¡¯s Lord title.


    ¡°Trask undersstandss,¡± Trask replied, sending thick ripples in all directions from the deep rumbling of his voice.


    Nodding in a show of approval, I used my authority to fetch Francis Asrus and the wand of Teleportation that was assumedly now in his possession.


    ¡°Majesty,¡± Francis Asrus bowed respectfully, mirroring the movements of his earlier projection before withdrawing a dark shaft of wood from beneath his cloak. ¡°As promised,¡± he raised the wand in both palms.


    ¡°Your cooperation will be remembered,¡± I stated formally and accepted the wand.


    Francis Asrus made a complicated expression that was difficult to read. ¡°We are all in this together, Majesty. I am only doing my part.¡±


    Of course, such an act would be counted as an important contribution. So it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand how he might be motivated to temporarily surrender such a valuable item. It was also quite likely that he had recognised what was happening, and that assisting in the recruitment of additional Overseers would result in more territories being acquired at a faster rate.


    However, it was also possible he was not aware of Gilkt¡¯s former Overseer status and was just acting to acquire political capital. This made more sense, considering Gilkt and his people would probably possess enough members to warrant their own Faction, entitling them to become signatories and gain territories.


    After sending the Regent back to his office, I explained how the wand worked and passed it off to Gilkt.


    Activating the wand as a test run, Gilkt managed to Teleport onto the rocky plateau after a couple of minutes of concentration. On the second attempt, he managed to bring Trask along with him.


    When Gilkt Teleported for the third time, I felt him and Trask leave the boundary of my Realm.


    Remotely viewing Trask¡¯s location, I found him standing in waist-deep water in a dimly illuminated grotto. Surrounded by desperate faces and a ring of bristling spears, tridents and bidents, Trask faced the danger with impeccable stoicism.


    ¡°Stop! This is not an enemy!¡± Gilkt croaked earnestly, throwing himself between the nearest spear points and Trask.


    ¡°Explain! Outcast!¡± One of the larger warriors, a full head taller than Gilkt, demanded, poking the tips of his trident dangerously hard into Gilkt¡¯s midsection.


    ¡°I have found an escape!¡± Gilkt cried, pressing forward and causing the points of the warrior''s trident to draw blood.


    Horrified, the ring of warriors drew back a handful of steps in fear, pointing at the rapidly expanding blooms of blood in the water and releasing panicked cries of alarm.


    ¡°You have doomed us!¡± The warrior croaked in alarm, backing away from Gilkt with a mixture of revulsion, hatred and terror.


    ¡°I save us!¡± Gilkt countered viciously, ¡°I find our escape!¡± He knocked the warrior¡¯s bone trident aside and jabbed the wand at the warrior¡¯s pale throat.


    The confrontation was brought to a momentary halt as the walls of the grotto shuddered and churned the water.


    Everyone grew deathly still.


    ¡°Tyrant...¡± Trask had been unphased until this moment, staring back at Gilkt¡¯s people with indifference and contempt. However, he was now on full alert.


    Possessing a Racial Ability that made him functionally invisible to most aquatic predators, Trask¡¯s sudden concern was not something to be taken lightly.


    Gathering my MP I forced open a Dimensional Breach near his location.


    The grotto shook again, this time dislodging small pockets of loose stone from the walls and ceiling.


    Trask slowly turned his head one way and then another before settling upon a large pool of water being given a wide berth by the locals.


    The walls, ceiling and floor shuddered again, this time with more than ten times the intensity, dislodging large chunks of stone from the walls and ceiling.


    Panic erupted from the local civilians and warriors alike, but it quickly became obvious that they were trapped and had nowhere they could run to.


    ¡°SSILENCE!!!¡± Trask roared, his guttural voice booming through the caverns of the grotto drawing all eyes toward him and the Breach. ¡°THISS! ISS! ESSCAPE!!!¡± He pointed emphatically to the Breach just as another cavern was rocked by another quake.


    ¡°FOLLOW!!!¡± Gilkt cried, waving his arms high above his head, trying to make himself heard above the panicked cries of his people as he approached the Breach.


    Movement from the large pool brought a fresh wave of panic to the crowd and terrified warriors began forming a ragged defensive line, placing themselves between the pool and the retreating civilians.


    Releasing a savage roar, Trask began stalking toward the pool, pushing the warriors aside to clear a path. Just as he reached the pool, dozens of slick grey tendrils rose out of the water and groped at the air, coiling like eyeless serpents. Thin mucus-covered hairs uncurled from the tendrils, waving to and fro as if carried by the wind.


    Before Trask could act, another tentacle and a new host of tendrils slowly swarmed into the grotto.


    The grotto shook again and this time elicited a wailing cry from a child deeper in the caverns.


    The tendrils flailed with excitement, surging through the air and toward the child.


    Trask swiped at the air, causing the hair-like protrusions to fizzle into dust and the tendrils to spasm weakly as they fell to the water.


    Another quake hit the grotto, only this time it was more intense than all the others combined and showed no signs of stopping.


    The tentacles thrashed in pain and rapidly withdrew back into the pool, sloughing dead flesh as they scraped against the bare stones.


    Trask gave chase without a single moment of hesitation, teeth bared and eyes burning with the thrill of the hunt.


    The pool gave way to a twisting labyrinth of flooded caverns faintly illuminated by small chunks of luminescent seaweed and coral. The twists and turns tore away more pieces of the dead tendrils and tentacles, making it easy for Trask to follow in their wake.


    Armoured in thick cords of muscle and dense leathery scales, Trask ignored the chunks of stone collapsing from the collapsing caverns and tunnels, continuing his dogged pursuit of the retreating enemy.


    My focus shifted abruptly as Gilkt passed through the Breach. He had brought two other people with him, but they were automatically diverted to Kwan¡¯s aquatic killing field.


    Sensing Kwan¡¯s interest, I used my authority to teleport the new arrivals to my current location. <They are refugees.> I explained somewhat distractedly.


    Blinded by the abrupt shift in ambient light, the two females Gilkt had brought through the Breach cried out with keening wails of confusion.


    Gilkt paid them little mind and hastily dove back through the Breach. He reappeared a handful of moments later. However, this time he only managed to bring one person back with him.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I commanded, physically barring Gilkt¡¯s reentry to the Breach with a hastily erected wall of stone while retrieving the latest new arrival. ¡°This means of transportation carries a cost! Convince the others to pass through without accompanying them on every trip!¡± I still wasn''t certain how many of them there were. So the prospect of losing MP just to transport Gilkt over and over again made me nervous.


    Gilkt nodded anxiously. ¡°Will obey.¡±


    The instant I lowered the wall, Gilkt raced through the Breach. Moments later, another one of his people appeared in Kwan¡¯s territory. Then another, and another.


    Quickly checking Gilkt¡¯s Status for his Species, I set a temporary ruling with my authority that would allow those of the same Species to enter my realm unobstructed. Which quickly proved to be the right decision. Gilkt¡¯s people had begun stampeding through the Breach and Trask had just entered open water.


    Rising clouds of silt and other debris obstructed the ocean floor. Whip-like tentacles could be seen racing through the periphery, maintaining a cloud of debris that made it impossible to lay eyes on the Leviathan¡¯s core.


    Undeterred, Trask began racing toward the field of debris.


    As Trask grew closer, the true scale of the Leviathan became impossible to ignore. Almost half Ushu¡¯s size and at least twice as long, the Leviathan had a sinewy serpentine body covered in dull grey scales. Except, in place of legs, or even fins, it had a swimming mass of barbed tentacles.


    While size did not guarantee combat prowess, larger monsters generally received greater benefits from their stats and Racial Abilities compared to smaller monsters. For this reason, I had cause to err on the side of caution.


    Gathering my Chi and triggering Sorcery, I Summoned Kwan using Sorcery to substitute two-thirds of my HP in place of the MP cost required to sustain his projection.


    Trask¡¯s approach had until this moment gone unnoticed. However, Kwan¡¯s abrupt arrival immediately drew the Leviathan¡¯s undivided attention.


    Kwan announced through our Bond, taking me by surprise.


    I felt a massive surge of Chi flood into the projection, causing its body to swell and writhe, nearly doubling its size in several seconds.


    The Leviathan drew itself back and pressed itself defensively against the ocean floor. It was still considerably larger than Kwan¡¯s projection by a noticeable margin, but it had seemingly lost its confidence as the superior apex predator.


    Like a bullet, Kwan shot through the water and clamped his jaws onto the Leviathan¡¯s neck, catching the larger monster completely off guard and sending Trask tumbling in his wake.


    In a flurry of desperate violence, the Leviathan bludgeoned and jabbed at Kwan with its tentacles in an attempt to drive him off. When it failed, the Leviathan tried raking its barbs against his body.


    Benefitting from Trask¡¯s Synergy, the barbs scraped harmlessly across Kwan¡¯s scales, leaving him unharmed.


    While the two serpents tumbled through the water, Gilkt¡¯s people were passing through the Breach in increasing numbers. First in pairs or small groups and then in a ragged line of desperate terrified bodies.


    Shifting my focus back to Trask, I was just in time to witness Kwan deliver the death blow to the Leviathan.


    With his jaws still firmly locked on the Leviathan¡¯s throat, Kwan flooded his enemy with Chi carrying the Death Affinity. As the Chi spread, the Leviathan''s body atrophied and sloughed desiccated chunks of pale withered flesh. Tentacles ripped and tore themselves apart, the bonds that bound them together rupturing under the strain of the Leviathan¡¯s death throes.


    Discontent with victory alone, Kwan released the leviathan¡¯s neck and began savaging its head. Ripping away the flesh and crushing the exposed bones in his jaws.


    Attuned to Kwan¡¯s emotions and thoughts through our Bond, I knew he was searching for the Manastone embedded in the Leviathan¡¯s brain.


    <STOP.> I commanded.


    I felt Kwan consider my command, entertain the prospect of disobeying it, and then reluctantly comply. <Dissatisfied.> Kwan replied irritably, his emotions pressing through the link and amplifying my desire to succumb to temptation and consume the Manastone. Then, as if recognising what he was doing, Kwan withdrew his thoughts, leaving feelings of shame and regret in their wake.


    Small aquatic Beasts that had remained hidden throughout the battle now gorged themselves on the Leviathan¡¯s rotten carcass. The larger Beasts that began appearing shortly afterwards quickly became Kwan¡¯s prey. Torn apart and consumed in large meaty chunks to satisfy the serpent¡¯s bloodlust and hunger.


    Trask navigated the carnage with ease. He was ignored by Beasts small and large alike. Leaving Kwan to his feeding frenzy, Trask began making his way back through the partially collapsed tunnels and caverns leading to the grotto.


    Despite the hundreds of refugees that had already passed through the Breach, hundreds more remained within the grotto. Clutching at small knives and spears made of bone, the warriors'' ranks were bolstered many times over by the tribe¡¯s hunters and able-bodied craftsmen.


    Taking a few moments to reflect upon those who had already passed through the Breach, I could now see that the males who remained were noticeably older and bore scars that the younger males lacked. It also became impossible not to notice the absence of the elderly or infirm.


    Ignoring the bristling wall of polearms, Trask ascended from the poo and began slowly approaching the Breach,


    Stricken with awe, the warriors and militia melted away at his approach. Staring at Trask with expressions of disbelief and fear.


    Singling Gilkt out from the crowd, Trask stalked toward him with single-minded purpose. An action that objectively carried a menacing aura of intent by the Lizardman¡¯s brutish and savage appearance, regardless of his intentions.


    To his credit, even as the militia melted away around him, Gilkt stood his ground. While Trask intended him no harm, Gilkt had no way of knowing that for certain.


    ¡°Beasst iss dead,¡± Trask rumbled with pride and cast a rotten chunk of the Leviathan¡¯s flesh into the water between them. ¡°Tyrant prevailss!¡±


    Gilkt stared at Trask in mute silence for several moments as his mind struggled to process the unexpected news.


    ¡°Take otherss,¡± Trask pointed to the warriors, militia, and the stragglers hesitating on the periphery of the Breach. ¡°Take to Tyrant. Take to ssafety.¡± He carefully rested a clawed hand on Gilkt¡¯s shoulder and gave him a nod of approval. ¡°Tyrant sseess. Tyrant planss. Believe.¡±


    Trembling, perhaps from the weight of Trask¡¯s arm, Gilkt stared at the chunk of flesh floating in the water. ¡°It is dead?...¡± He whispered hoarsely, eyes wide and needle-toothed mouth agape in shock.


    Trask grunted in the affirmative and released Gilkt¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tyrant claimss thiss land! Thiss water! Leave! Guide tribe! Prepare return!¡±


    It was obvious Gilkt didn¡¯t quite understand what Trask was talking about. However, instead of challenging the Lizardman, he turned his focus toward the militia and warriors gathered near the grotto¡¯s entrance. ¡°We leave! Now! He waved at them and emphatically directed them toward the Breach. ¡°Do not cast aside your lives! Protect our people!¡± Gilkt commanded sternly, changing his tone when it became clear no one was willing to abandon their post.


    One of the militia was first to retreat toward the Breach. Emboldened, several more slowly moved to join him. Soon, all of the militia were on the move and the warriors began to join them.


    Before passing through the Breach, Gilkt made a point of thoroughly searching the grotto and adjoining caverns. Once he was certain no one had been left behind, he joined the others in the isolated territory.


    Leaving them supplies, I relocated to another isolated territory, collapsed the Breach and gave Trask the go-ahead to trigger the Invasion.


    Next, I directed Faine to actively pursue recruiting additional Overseers by Invading other Labyrinths. In the meantime, I had the eggs that preceded Gilkt¡¯s arrival sent to the communal nursery in Sanctuary and put up for adoption.


    On my own again, I turned my attention toward the tablet.


    The screen now responded to my faintest touch, causing me to believe that it was sufficiently charged to hold up against at least a cursory investigation.


    A host of symbols I didn¡¯t recognise appeared in a keyboard format on the lower portion of the screen below an input box in the centre of the screen.


    Unsure how to proceed, I spent several minutes considering the different symbols. Eventually, I was forced to admit that I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Withdrawing Eliza Eckart¡¯s I.D badge from my Storage Ring, I released another sigh of disappointment.


    I had briefly entertained the idea that the badge might have a passcode or something similar written on it. A foolish idea, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything else.


    Frustrated, I set the tablet and badge aside so I could clear my head. However, Just as I was rising to my feet, I heard a faint chime come from the speakers of the tablet.


    Investigating the cause of the sound, I was surprised to find that one corner of the badge had landed on the tablet and that the image on the screen of the tablet had now changed.


    A string of symbols had entered themselves into the input box and removed the digital keyboard.


    Retrieving the tablet and the badge, I watched as the screen changed, transitioning briefly to present a string of indecipherable symbols before settling into what bore a strong resemblance to a smartphone interface.


    To my astonishment, the names of the folders appeared to be written in English while the folders themselves bore more of the same symbols.


    Reading through the names of the folders, I was given the impression that the tablet had been used for taking research notes. Opening a folder at random seemed to confirm that theory when a plethora of dry subfolder names adhered to an alphanumeric sorting system.


    With a little experimentation, I learned how to return to the hosting screen again.


    My attention was drawn toward one folder, in particular, simply titled Answers.


    Opening the folder revealed several more folders and several dozen loose files of indeterminate contents or substance. As if whoever had gathered the files and folders hadn¡¯t been given the time to present them in a more orderly format.


    With no way of knowing if the order mattered, I chose a file in the top left of the screen as an experiment to see what would happen.


    After tapping the icon, a partially minimised video appeared on the screen.


    Eliza was standing in front of a row of mirrors and washroom sinks, splashing her face with cool water. She appeared slightly younger than in the photo used for her I.D. bearing a vitality not present in the photo.


    Wearing a long white lab coat over a shirt and pants, she bore a striking resemblance to stock photo footage that would have answered just about any generic search engine result for ¡®scientist¡¯.


    ¡°Chance of a lifetime Liz,¡± Eliza muttered nervously. ¡°Let¡¯s just try not to fuck this up...¡± She reached toward the screen, raising a pair of conservative glasses that housed some form of micro camera recording the video. Fitting the glasses onto her face, she took a few moments to police a few stray hairs that had escaped her bun and then made her way toward the exit.


    Eliza stepped out into a familiar-looking corridor and joined up with a small group of men and women wearing the same style of lab coat with I.D. badges affixed to the breast pocket.


    An older man with thin grey hair and a retreating grey hairline clicked his tongue at Eliza disapprovingly. ¡°You have set our orientation tour behind by several minutes, Mrs Eckart! I will have it noted in your next performance review!¡± He turned on his heel and motioned impatiently for Eliza and the others to follow him, denying her a rebuttal.


    Even accounting for his abrasive actions thus far, I was surprised to find that I held an intense dislike for the man that I otherwise couldn¡¯t account for.


    ¡°Prick,¡± a man in his late twenties and green eyes muttered before falling into step behind him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what the recruiters told you,¡± the older man sneered arrogantly. ¡°All of you are replaceable. If I think you aren¡¯t living up to expectations, you¡¯re gone. Am I clear?!¡±


    Eliza and the others replied in the affirmative but wore sour expressions on their faces.


    ¡°!Good!¡± The older man chuffed to himself with an exaggerated sense of self-importance. ¡°With the Tiamites nearing their end goal, this research has never been more important! The very fate of humanity is at stake!¡±


    A small contingent of soldiers or guards wearing the strange helmets passed them in the corridor.


    ¡°Without the research conducted within this facility, we would not have the dragonslayer arms nor armour!¡± The older man crowed proudly, waving a hand at the security force and puffing out his chest with pride. ¡°Mass production should become possible within the decade and will dramatically alter the course of the war!¡±


    The man with green eyes shook his head incredulously. ¡°Like we would stand a chance in open war...¡± He muttered darkly.


    His comment earned a myriad of responses from the others in his group. A couple of the others agreed with him and appeared saddened by it.


    ¡°Of course, this is nothing compared to the work being undertaken in my department!¡± The older man continued arrogantly. ¡°As I am sure you will agree once you see it for yourselves.¡±


    The group passed through several security checkpoints before arriving outside of the laboratory.


    Expecting to find the quarantine chamber, I became confused when the door opened to reveal the larger room beyond. Except that the room was different than when I had found it as well.


    The walls were still packed with machinery and computer banks, but the glass tubes, and their contents, were gone.


    At least, that was what I thought until the group approached a large glass cage in the centre of the chamber.


    The floor of the chamber was spattered with dried blood and filth. Huddled in one corner of the cage was a grey-skinned child.


    The group released gasps of surprise and fanned out as they approached the cage so they could get an unobstructed view of the child.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± The older man opened his arms wide and gave a predatory smile. ¡°THIS is how we will win the war!¡± He motioned to the grey-skinned child. ¡°When we master this technology, the Tiamite¡¯s numerical advantage will mean nothing!¡±


    Looking at the child, I felt like my blood had been replaced by ice water.


    It was me.


    But it couldn¡¯t be.


    I had been an infant when my mother rescued me from a garbage bin. I had seen the baby photos in the album that proved as much. Of course, there were no photos of the garbage bins themselves, but there were dozens of photos proving my infancy.


    And yet...


    There was a feeling deep inside of me, an instinct, that recognised the child and insisted upon a truth that ran contrary to what I knew to be true.


    I remembered the rows of corpses suspended in the glass tubes and came to another disturbing conclusion. They had been me as well. The same part of me that claimed ownership of this child also claimed them as well.


    They were me. All of them.


    That should have been impossible.


    Of course, everything else that had happened to me should have been impossible as well, but it had happened anyway.


    ¡°This is subject XJ one four five. It represents the culmination of our efforts thus far-¡± the older man boasted.


    ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡± One of the scientists exclaimed.


    ¡°A monster we control!¡± The older man countered, narrowing his eyes dangerously. ¡°The foundation for an army that will guarantee our independence, our independence, nay, our ascendency over the decadent Tiamite Empire in perpetuity!!¡±


    The more experienced scientists already working in the lab paid him no mind whatsoever. Preferring to continue their work in silence. However, except for the green-eyed man and Eliza, the new arrivals clapped in vigorous support.


    The video ended and the players closed.


    Too numb to think, I tapped at the next file icon.


    A new application opened and I was bombarded by dense lines of impenetrable text. Taking a short break and then trying again, I met with no more success than I had the first time. There was too much-implied knowledge and overuse of jargon I was completely unfamiliar with to establish even a basic understanding of its contents.


    Skipping the parts I was struggling with, I was beginning to lose focus when I encountered a highlighted section of text. Tapping at the highlighted section, the existing text faded into the background and a short paragraph graph appeared in the foreground.


    [ Meltzer¡¯s soul-scrubbing protocols were reinforced after several control subjects from another research division escaped during a field test. Security around the current iteration of the primary test subject has been increased. ~Investigate research project Immortalis. ]


    Tapping at the paragraph to try and remove it from the foreground, my finger accidentally struck the final sentence and triggered another document to open itself through some form of macro or link.


    [ Project Terminated ]


    Almost all of the text within the document was encrypted or perhaps corrupted, taking the shape of strange symbols but in a cruder, less cohesive form. However, the legible segments were marked by more of the same highlighting tool from the previous document.


    Tapping one of the highlighted segments, I found that the segments appeared to be gathered in the secondary section of the document, roughly mirroring the location of the primary segments themselves.


    Some notes were innocuous or otherwise irrelevant, but others proved impossible to ignore.


    [ Another living weapon program? ]


    [ Also used mana constructs...Research invented the collars. ] S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [ Entire security division was ¡®replaced¡¯...Rumours claim they were fired for incompetence. Collars ineffective? ]


    [ Meltzer¡¯s soul scrubbing protocols have failed to reacquire or destroy Immortalis research subjects. Alterations responsible? Potential dangers to Project Tyrant? ]


    Before I even realised what I was doing, I had tapped the word, Tyrant, briefly highlighting both words before another application opened in the foreground.


    [ For promotional purposes only! ]


    An establishing shot of the universe slowly panned across the screen while orchestral music played in the background.


    ¡°For millennia, heroes have been called to fight back the Tiamite Empire¡¯s advance...¡± A gruff grizzled male voice narrated.


    One by one, the stars flickered and then disappeared.


    The scene changed and focused in on a tall blonde-haired and blue-eyed man in the plate and mail carrying a sword, a second dark-haired man with grey eyes in short robes carrying a staff, and a woman in similarly short robes with dark red hair and green eyes that carried no weapon at all.


    The trio stood at the forefront of an army that had to number in the tens of thousands.


    The camera slowly drew back to reveal a tide of monsters swarming out of massive portals and toward the army across from them.


    The further the camera retreated, the more clear it became that the trio¡¯s forces were hopelessly outmatched.


    Even so, dramatic music began to play and the trio leapt into action.


    The heavily armoured knight threw himself headfirst into the ranks of the oncoming monsters, hewing them apart with superhuman strength and speed.


    With a gesture, the dark-haired man in the short robes created a translucent golden wall that stalled nearly a full third of the monster''s foremost forces.


    Lightning arced from the red-headed woman¡¯s hands, incinerating monsters in their hundreds.


    ¡°The heroes have failed...¡± The narrator declared grimly.


    Alien spacecraft appeared in the sky and began raking the ranks of the heroes'' embattled army with some form of energy-based projectiles. Killing hundreds in only a handful of seconds.


    Men in strange plate armour and with detailed bearded masks descended from the ships and began encircling the heroes. Unleashing a withering hail of smaller energy projectiles from their guns as they advanced toward them.


    Overwhelmed, the golden shield shattered and two of the three heroes died where they stood. Their bodies perforated and torn apart until nothing remained.


    The third hero, the blonde-haired man in the plate and mail managed to kill one of the enemy soldiers. However, the enemy soldiers quickly proved to be almost as fast and as strong as he was.


    While other soldiers distracted the hero, another soldier stowed his gun on his back and drew a battle axe.


    Approaching from the hero''s blindside, the soldier struck him in the back, severing the hero''s spine and cleaving him in two. Shouting something in a language I didn¡¯t understand, the soldier raised his weapon high, eliciting a similar reply from every other soldier.


    As the light died in the hero¡¯s previously bright blue eyes, the camera slowly drew back again, revealing the scope of the massacre.


    ¡°We were wrong to think the righteousness of our cause would bring us victory...¡± The narrator continued in an increasingly agitated tone. ¡°To think that we could fight such evil without sullying our hands!¡±


    A short distance from the battle, a new portal appeared.


    ¡°The Tiamite hordes respect one thing and one thing only! STRENGTH!¡± The narrator roared.


    An armoured giant emerged from the portal and raised a proportionately large pistol. With a single shot, an enemy soldier was pulped on the shot, obliterated into a mangled mess of meat and metal.


    A horde of armoured Ogres began streaming from the portal.


    The giant roared and led the Ogres in a charge against the enemy.


    ¡°MIGHT MAKES RIGHT!¡± The narrator roared savagely.


    Monsters and enemy soldiers alike were blasted to pieces and crushed underfoot.


    Where the human soldiers had been killed by as few as two or three shots from the enemy weapons, the Ogres soaked sustained bursts of fully automatic fire and kept advancing. Ignoring otherwise fatal injuries in their fervour.


    The enemy soldiers began to panic, retreating deeper into the mass of monsters and toward their ships. However, their ships were blown apart before they could reach them. Changing course, they cast down their weapons and fled toward the portals that were delivering more of the monsters to the battlefield.


    ¡°The time for appeasement is over!¡± The Narrator snarled viciously, his words accentuated by a series of brutal executions made by the giant. ¡°It¡¯s time we start fighting fire with fire! To snatch victory from the jaws of defeat! It¡¯s time to unleash THE TYRANTS!!!¡±


    The giant removed its helmet and stared straight into the camera. Its impossibly black eyes stared back at me with a face disturbingly similar to my own.


    [ unauthorised distribution of this material is prohibited. ]


    The video ended and I found myself staring at the screen for several long minutes in stunned silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be some sort of super soldier to fight in this war?...¡± Saying it aloud only made it sound even more ridiculous. ¡°Or is that child just a clone? Am I a clone?...¡± I could feel my sanity slipping and hysteria creeping in from the corners of my mind. ¡°It could all be a lie...¡± I rationalised in a desperate attempt to gain some form of grounding before my imagination had a chance to run wild.


    But was the video so different to reality?


    I had collected several guns that looked incredibly similar to those in the video, not to mention the armour...I had led an army of Ogres into enemy territory and annihilated all opposition...


    I shook my head. Slowly at first, and then faster. ¡°No...It doesn¡¯t make sense...Why would they need me, him...that thing...if they already had an endless supply of monsters of their own? What about the Cultivators? How are they supposed to fit into all of this and the Angels?!¡± I could hear the hysteria creeping into my voice and clenched my jaw hard to stop myself from speaking.


    Not that it did much good.


    If this place is where I was born, hatched, made?... How did I arrive on Earth?


    I looked at the tablet and felt a profound sense of dread. However, as much as learning more about my origins horrified me, the prospect of not knowing was worse.


    Even so, despite everything, and after everything I had been through, there had been a part of me that firmly believed I was human. I could feel that part of me fading away. I could feel...something else...taking its place.


    My entire life people had called me a monster, and now I had proof that they were right all along...


    I had acted against my core nature, suppressing and denying violent impulses so I wouldn¡¯t become what they proclaimed me to be...And yet, here I am...Everything they claimed and more...


    ¡°I¡¯m a monster, and always have been,¡± I grunted dispondantly.


    A golden notification appeared before my eyes. Attempting to blink the notification away or remove it with my authority proved ineffective. Glaring at the notification, my aggravation quickly gave way to confusion and surprise as I read its contents.


    [ Unique Evolution is now available. Accept? {Y / Y} ]

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 85 – Might Makes Right – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 85 ¨C Might Makes Right ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 85 - Might Makes Right - Part Two


    I read the notification several times just to be certain. Contrary to previous Evolutions, this notification did not present me with a choice. It also didn¡¯t provide a description of the effects I stood to lose or gain from the Evolution.


    Unable to dismiss or move the notification, I could either accept the Evolution or resign myself to lose the majority of my vision.


    Without warning, that thin illusion of choice was stripped from me as well as a timer appeared and began a countdown that would automatically ¡®Accept¡¯ the Evolution.


    Bracing myself against the inevitable, I watched the timer countdown the final few numbers until the notification disappeared.


    For a moment, everything went dark. I could feel my bones, muscles and tendons running like water as my skin tore itself apart, knitted itself together and was torn apart all over again. There was no pain, just the unsettling awareness of being altered in real-time.


    As my vision returned, I felt someone pressing in on my conscious mind from the periphery.


    Expecting Gric or Sebet, I immediately raised my guard after they failed to identify themself.


    I could feel the unidentified intruder in my mind. Somehow, they had gained a foothold in the periphery and were able to maintain it despite my best efforts to drive them out. However, even with the foothold, they made no attempts at breaking out.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple procedure-¡± The voice of the older man caught me unawares and I realised I must have accidentally opened a new file on the tablet.


    Warily turning my attention away from the intruder in my mind, I was momentarily taken aback by the altered proportions of my hand.


    With the tablet as a basic reference, my hand and fingers appeared to have lengthened by up to a full fifth of its former size.


    Looking over the rest of my body, I learned that the elongation of my limbs and general profile had reduced the thickness of my bones by roughly the same degree. Returning my body to proportions I hadn¡¯t possessed since first arriving in this world. However, I still had gills, webbed fingers and toes, and thick sections of calcified hide.


    ¡°-you certain it doesn¡¯t feel anything?¡± Eliza asked, her voice barely above a whisper and filled with doubts.


    The invader within my mind stirred, drawing my attention away from myself and the recording. Strangely, this increased scrutiny only seemed to agitate it.


    ¡°This procedure has been performed countless times,¡± the older man sneered contemptuously. ¡°Century-long studies and peer reviews have confirmed that ¡®twitch¡¯ is a side effect of the anaesthesia and of no consequence.¡±


    I felt the invader briefly strain against the barrier in my mind before retracting itself again.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple procedure-¡± The voice of the older man repeated.


    Glancing down at the tablet, I was surprised to find that the video file was repeating itself. My right thumb had drifted from the far side of the tablet and was hovering over the far left of the progress bar.


    In my distracted state, I must have accidentally reset the video.


    I had been distracted by the changes to my body before, so I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the video''s contents. This time, I found it impossible to look away.


    The grey-skinned child was laid out and strapped down on a large metal table.


    The recessed drains on the surface of the table and the array of surgical tools beside the table brought unsettling memories of the time I had visited the hospital morgue while on Earth.


    Eliza¡¯s right hand stiffly entered the frame from the right side carrying a large syringe containing an unidentifiable mercurial liquid. As she brought the tip of the needle toward the grey-skinned child¡¯s neck, the child¡¯s cheek and brow twitched, causing Eliza to hesitate.


    ¡°Are you certain it doesn¡¯t feel anything?¡± Eliza asked quietly, her hand trembling and the tip of the needle less than an inch from the child¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Women...¡± The older man huffed dismissively. ¡°This procedure has been performed countless times,¡± he sneered contemptuously, snatching the needle from Eliza¡¯s hand. ¡°Century-long studies and peer reviews have confirmed that ¡®twitch¡¯ is a side effect of the anaesthesia and of no consequence.¡± The older man callously jabbed the needle into the child¡¯s throat and depressed the syringe. ¡°See? There is nothing to it.¡±


    The child spasmed briefly, straining against his bonds before growing deathly still.


    ¡°Compound one-seven-three dash five-four has proven ineffective,¡± the older man announced with mild disappointment before turning on Eliza. ¡°If you are incapable of performing even the most menial of tasks, perhaps I should transfer you to a different department?¡± He threatened. ¡°There is no shortage of candidates to take your place.¡±


    The perspective provided by Eliza¡¯s glasses drifted down to the floor, momentarily providing an unobstructed view of the older man¡¯s I.D. badge.


    [ Elis Montgomery. ]


    Beneath his name were more of the strange symbols, which was strange since Eliza and Kaine¡¯s badges didn¡¯t have these symbols.


    ¡°Nothing to say for yourself?¡± Elis sneered. ¡°Fine, gather your things and report to HR for your new assignment. I have no use for such a spineless coward in my laboratory!¡± He snapped in a self-righteous huff.


    The video ended with Eliza¡¯s gaze firmly locked on her feet.


    Mulling over what I had just witnessed, an involuntary twitch in my hand opened another file deeper in the folder.


    It was another video file.


    Eliza was staring down at a tablet she was holding with both hands. The contents were a jumbled mess but she didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°Do you ever think that maybe...Nah, never mind,¡± a strangely familiar male voice began to ask before abruptly aborting the attempt self-consciously.


    Eliza looked up from her tablet and toward the source of the voice. The change in perspective revealed that she was sitting at what appeared to be a breakroom table, while the person who had spoken was standing beside a sink and nursing a large mug with both hands.


    The man was wearing the same strange armour I had found in the security wing of the facility and that was advertised in the strange promotional video from earlier. His helmet was set on the bench behind him, revealing his dark tanned skin, brown eyes and near-black hair. He was clean-shaven, but his dark hair cast his neck and jaw in something close to a five o''clock shadow.


    ¡°Do I think what?¡± Eliza demanded with a surprising degree of intensity, catching the man off guard.


    He stared back at Eliza for a few moments in surprise before returning to stare at the contents of his mug. ¡°That thing they have us sending through the course every few weeks...You ever get the feeling that it¡¯s learning a little too quickly?¡±


    Eliza¡¯s focus briefly returned to her tablet before returning to the man again. ¡°Imprinted knowledge is what we are testing for...¡± She hedged with an air of anticipation in her voice.


    ¡°I know that...¡± The man replied and rolled his shoulders uneasily. ¡°It¡¯s just, sometimes when I am feeding it prompts...It will anticipate the next step...¡± He glanced at Eliza and then scowled, although it was unclear why since Eliza herself wasn¡¯t visible in the video. ¡°I know armour and weapon maintenance is meant to be part of that imprinted knowledge shit. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Eliza apologised, ¡°I wasn¡¯t doubting you. I swear.¡±


    ¡°Hrmf...¡± The man huffed irritably. Gradually his expression changed, becoming troubled. ¡°I tried to trip it up...gave it the assembly instructions out of order...¡± He admitted uncomfortably. ¡°At first, it did like it always does. Just going through the motions, you know?¡±


    Eliza nodded.


    ¡°Then it stopped...¡± The man gulped heavily. ¡°It looked at me and I could see the thoughts going through its head. Like it was trying to decide if I had noticed...And what it was going to do about it...¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Eliza asked quietly.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± The man replied with a hint of hysteria, his hands shaking violently and spilling a dark liquid over the side of his mug. ¡°I played it off like nothing had happened and kept going through the list.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell Moburn or the security chief?¡± Eliza asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Of course, I told them!¡± The man snapped, slamming his mug on the table, spilling more of the dark liquid, and revealing the name engraved into the chest piece of his armour. Until this moment, it had been hidden from view behind his arm, but now that he was leaning over the table, it was in full view.


    [ Kaine ]


    ¡°But the damned recording doesn¡¯t show shit. Just me telling it to do something out of order and it waiting for the next set of instructions...¡± Kaine ran an armoured hand through his short dark hair and released a manic bark. ¡°I nearly got put on review for that!¡± Abandoning his mug, he retreated to the counter and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. ¡°I know what I saw...¡± Kaine muttered.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Eliza stated with absolute confidence.


    Kaine looked surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been noticing some inconsistencies when comparing progress against the older reports...¡± Eliza explained, hastily tapping at the tablet before showing it to him. ¡°See?¡± The encryption or whatever it was that made the contents of the tablet in the video unreadable prevented me from seeing what she was talking about, but Kaine didn¡¯t appear convinced.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Kaine admitted, shaking his head.


    ¡°The progress,¡± Eliza urged, pointing to the tablet again. ¡°Look again and tell me that isn¡¯t suspicious.¡±


    Kaine shrugged apologetically and shook his head again.


    ¡°It¡¯s too even and consistent,¡± Eliza explained heatedly. ¡°You don¡¯t get results like this unless someone is skewing the data...¡± She sighed and tapped at the tablet again before pointing at it instantly. ¡°There are signs this might have started as early as eight hundred cycles ago...shortly after the second-gen trials started...¡±


    Kaine¡¯s face paled and it took him a few moments before he could look away from the tablet. ¡°But that would mean...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been faking it for a long time...¡± Eliza agreed uncomfortably. ¡°It¡¯s just that it has gotten better at it over time...¡±


    ¡°How has no one else noticed this?¡± Kaine croaked. ¡°Have you watched the recordings from the gen one lab?! They had to scrub everything and still couldn¡¯t stop their experiments from escaping into the testing grounds...It nearly brought an end to the whole-¡± He stopped abruptly and a look of realisation dawned on his face. ¡°Oh...¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°With the stakes being what they are with the war and all, it makes sense that no one would want to look too closely...¡±


    ¡°But that means...¡± Kaine¡¯s brow knit together and he took on a deeply conflicted look in his eyes. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t it tried to escape like the gen one experiment?¡±


    ¡°It probably can¡¯t...¡± Eliza replied uncomfortably. ¡°The gen ones were just altered Tiamite mana constructs, to begin with. It was only a matter of time before they slipped the restraints binding them to the labs and went on a rampage. The Tyrant project is different. It¡¯s bound to the facility itself. It literally can¡¯t leave the facility without one or more of the director''s authority.¡±


    There was drawn-out silence between them and Kaine grew increasingly troubled before the video ended abruptly.


    Surprised, I watched as my thumb moved off its accord and tapped at the screen and a new video began playing.


    Kaine was standing in the same room as the last video but appeared to have aged four or five years and had noticeable wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. His armour was scratched, dented, and spattered with blood, dirt and other grime. There was a faraway look in his eyes that made it seem like he wasn¡¯t quite all there.


    ¡°We were jumped by one of the gen ones today...¡± Kaine croaked dryly. ¡°Lucus and Daus were in pieces before we even knew it was there...¡± He gulped dryly and stared at nothing in particular for several long moments. ¡°A hundred and eighty-three deployments into the testing grounds without incident...¡± He stated grimly. ¡°Then, this...¡±


    ¡°I...I watched the recording...¡± Eliza admitted meekly, averting her gaze as Kaine¡¯s eyes darkened and drew toward her.


    ¡°Then you saw what happened...¡± Kaine said, his voice carrying an edge of hysteria. ¡°You saw what he did?!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t have been easy watching your friends-¡± Eliza began to reply but was abruptly cut off.


    ¡°Friends? Those fuckwits weren¡¯t my friends!¡± Kaine snapped angrily. ¡°Just some blood-hungry shit-heads who signed so they could kill shit without getting imprisoned for it,¡± he spat with disdain. ¡°What I¡¯m asking is, did you see what the Tyrant did?!¡±


    Eliza made no reply.


    ¡°He saved my fucking life!¡± Kaine swore emphatically. ¡°That THING had me dead to rights! I should be dead!¡±


    ¡°The Tyrant could have been following orders...¡± Eliza countered hesitantly. ¡°For all their faults, the collars have been shown to work on just about everything...¡±


    Kaine stared at her for several long moments, his right eye twitching as he shook his head incredulously. ¡°You don¡¯t get it!¡± Kaine barked savagely. ¡°The Tyrant saw that thing coming and watched those fuckers die! Do you get it? He just stood there and watched!¡±


    ¡°I...I¡¯ll watch it again,¡± Eliza promised in a conciliatory tone. ¡°Just calm down, I think-¡± The perspective provided by her glasses suddenly shifted toward the door on the far side of the room. ¡°Someone¡¯s coming! Shh!¡±


    The video ended abruptly and my hand began moving of its own accord again. Thoroughly unnerved by its autonomous actions, I felt a profound sense of relief and a small measure of confusion upon discovering I still had complete control and could stop the movement with a single thought. However, the moment I eased that infinitesimal degree of concentration my hand began moving again, opening another file and playing another video.


    Freaking out, I redirected my focus toward the invader within my mind. Scanning their presence for even the slightest signs that they might be responsible for the loss of my bodily autonomy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the point of this,¡± an unfamiliar male voice whined.


    Three armoured figures in a loose formation were trailing behind the armoured giant from the promotional video in a field of five-foot-high grass. The perspective of the video seemed to be recorded from a drone flying a little over seven or eight feet in the air and trailing behind the group.


    ¡°Shut it!¡± Kaine hissed, his voice distorted by the confines of his helmet.


    Condescending laughter arose from the other figures.


    ¡°You afraid of a few monsters, Kaine?¡± One of them snickered maliciously.


    ¡°Probably pissed himself,¡± another jibed obnoxiously, earning more laughter from the other.


    ¡°I said SHUT IT!¡± Kaine growled. ¡°The proximity alarm could go off and we wouldn¡¯t hear it because of your whining!¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± one of the armoured figures waved his left arm dismissively, causing his rifle to sway dangerously close to the figure to his right.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Kain barked, identifying himself as he knocked the other man¡¯s rifle away.


    ¡°Oh cry me a river princess,¡± the man replied dismissively. ¡°The safety¡¯s on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± crowed the other man in agreement with the first. ¡°Besides, the armoured¡¯ stop a few shots easy!¡±


    The armoured giant¡¯s helmet turned ever so slightly to look to the right of the group. Unfortunately, the angle of the recording left the source of the giant¡¯s curiosity a mystery. However, given the contents of the previous video, I could make an educated guess as to what it might be.


    While the smack talk continued, displaced sections of the tall grass marked the approach of the coming danger. When it came within ten feet of the armoured figures, it stopped.


    The armoured giant had tracked its progress and whatever it was, the giant was staring directly at it.


    I noticed the giant¡¯s hands had begun to tremble and remembered what Eliza had said about the collars during the previous recording. I realised Kaine was right, the giant had not only known about the danger but had waited to see what would happen. Perhaps even as a deliberate attempt to have its captors killed.


    Preoccupied with keeping the other two figures in his immediate line of sight, Kaine appeared unaware of stalks of grass silently collapsing behind him as he sidestepped a poke from the other man¡¯s rifle.


    The three men all seemed to notice the falling grass a few moments later at roughly the same time.


    ¡°Daus? I...I don¡¯t feel sss¡¯grrrd...¡±


    The man that had been harassing Kaine with his rifle, staggered, dropped his rifle and collapsed into several dozen small bloody pieces.


    ¡°THE FUCK?! LUCUS?!¡± The second man, presumably Daus, screamed and began to raise his rifle. However before he could fire a single shot, there was a blur of motion and his head disappeared from his shoulders.


    Something struck Kaine from behind, knocking him down to the ground.


    A small Goblin-like creature stepped out of the grass. Its skin was a mottled brown and green that blended well with the grass and dirt, while its eyes were black as midnight. The Goblin carried a large scythe but appeared completely unaffected by its size and weight. It made a point of ensuring it had the armoured giant¡¯s attention as it hooked the blade of its scythe under Kaine¡¯s neck and planted a foot in the square of his back. However, just as it opened its mouth to speak, and revealed gums packed with shark-like teeth, it was driven to silence as it found itself staring down the stocky barrel of the armoured giant¡¯s gun.


    ¡°No,¡± the armoured giant rumbled, the simple word accentuated by a thundering roar and several glowing projectiles that ripped through the Goblin¡¯s body.


    Thrown off its feet, what remained of the Goblin landed in a bloody heap. Far from afraid, it appeared confused. However, its attempts to vocalise the source of its confusion failed before they even began. The glowing projectiles had so thoroughly perforated its body that the Goblin managed only a single wet gurgle before growing deathly still.


    Scrambling onto his back, Kaine drew the pistol from his belt and swung it one way then another as he searched for the enemy. Unaware that the strange Goblin was already dead it took him the better part of a minute of frantic searching before working up the nerve to rise to his feet.


    Noticing the Goblin¡¯s corpse for the first time, Kain fired several shots into its body in rapid succession. Even with its head completely obliterated, Kaine refused to lower his gun, keeping it trained on the Goblin while awkwardly kneeling and fumbling for his fallen rifle.


    The armoured giant turned away.


    Already on edge and spooked by the sudden movement, Kaine turned his rifle and pistol on the armoured giant. Breathing hard for several long moments, he slowly lowered his weapons after realising the armoured giant appeared to be ignoring him.


    Kaine looked down at the bloody remains of the two men and the video came to an end.


    Expecting my hand to move on its own again, I readied myself to try and trace what was responsible.


    Sure enough, my fingers adjusted their grip and my thumb began moving toward another file.


    As I had feared, tracing the control led back to the unidentified intruder in my mind.


    <We. I. You.> Three words were spoken by three similar yet slightly different voices. Disturbingly familiar voices.


    The first voice belonged to the armoured giant from the recordings. The second belonged to the manifestation of the Heart Demons I had purged in the shrine. And the third voice...it was mine...


    In a very real and thoroughly disturbing sense, they were all me. The armoured giant was my clone, or I was his, and the Heart Demons were the collective emotional toxicity I had expelled during the cleansing ritual.


    But why were they in my mind?


    The intruder stirred,


    <Us.> The voices corrected as the intruder effortlessly breached my defences. <Make whole.>


    ¡°The new collar will guarantee such an incident is not repeated.¡± The voice of the older researcher Elis claimed with an air of absolute confidence. ¡°As I am certain this demonstration will prove.¡±


    ¡°You certainly sound confident...¡± A gruff male voice replied.


    ¡°Sir, I really don¡¯t think this is a good idea,¡± Kaine warned in a hoarse whisper.


    To my horror, my eyes moved of their own accord, turning to look down to where the tablet had landed on the ground.


    The angle of the recording showed Kaine standing before two older grey-haired men.


    The head researcher Elis appeared to have aged a decade or two since appearing in a previous recording but carried himself with the vitality and confidence of a much younger man. Dressed in a pristine white lab coat over a formal suit, it suggested he was trying to impress someone important. Although it was currently unclear who that may be.


    The man beside him wore a military trench coat over a nearly complete suit of armour. Forgoing a helmet, he wore a military cap bearing an insignia that looked strikingly similar to a clenched fist. His weathered face and deeply set wrinkles were somewhat at odds with his stiff movements. Suggesting he was not nearly as comfortable in the armour as his experience might suggest.


    ¡°Explain yourself,¡± he demanded curtly, steely grey eyes narrowing dangerously at Kaine in a show of distrust.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Kaine hissed, his jaw clenched as he fought to keep a respectful tone and demeanour. ¡°I don¡¯t believe the collar will be sufficient to-¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Elis sneered with an amused chuckle. ¡°Belief is for the feeble-minded! This is science! And I can guarantee the new collar will prove more than sufficient to guarantee the subject¡¯s compliance to even the most self-destructive commands!¡±


    The man I presumed to be Kaine¡¯s superior nodded in agreement, apparently far more willing to trust Elis over Kaine.


    ¡°Sir-¡± Kaine repeated but was immediately silenced by the raised hand of his superior.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hear any more of your unfounded rumour-mongering,¡± he snapped. ¡°We will discuss this later AFTER the presentation for the directorship is concluded and not a moment before. Am I clear?¡±


    Kaine lowered his eyes and clenched his fists. ¡°Crystal...¡± He replied grimly and retreated toward the source of the recording.


    ¡°They still won¡¯t listen...¡± Eliza commented quietly, earning a sullen nod from Kaine as he took up a position at her side, causing the perspective of the recording to pan toward the wider room.


    The room was divided into two sections. The first section was occupied by a large gathering of scientists and security personnel. The second contained a small team of security guarding a single scientist and keeping watch on the grey-skinned giant which was sedated and restrained on a large table.


    A wall of reinforced glass divided the two sections but had a normal-sized door that allowed access between them.


    The scientist on the other side of the glass was fitting a large steel collar around the giant¡¯s neck.


    ¡°They still think those security measures will be enough to hold him...¡± Kaine muttered dryly, shaking his head in exasperation. ¡°He¡¯s designed to take in mana and shrug off physical attacks...I thought these eggheads were supposed to be smart!¡±


    ¡°The Tyrant is supposed to be stupid,¡± Eliza whispered back nervously.


    ¡°He¡¯s far from stupid...¡± Kaine interjected with a shudder. ¡°I just can¡¯t understand how no one else can see it!¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t accept the possibility that he¡¯s been able to fool them. Their egos won¡¯t allow it!¡± Eliza replied stiffly. ¡°And without witnessing things firsthand, it''s too easy to explain away anything that they don¡¯t want to find...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned it before...¡± Kaine sighed defeatedly.


    A long silence passed between them and it looked like the presentation was just about ready to get underway.


    ¡°I was thinking about retiring...¡± Kaine said quietly, surprising Eliza. ¡°I just...What we are doing here...It doesn¡¯t seem worth the cost. What¡¯s the point of defeating the Tiamites if we sink to their level?¡±


    Eliza remained silent, her gaze firmly fixed on the armoured giant behind the glass.


    There was a blur of movement on the far end of the chamber and the view through the glass became obstructed by a crimson haze.


    Thick red droplets began running down the glass.


    A panicked cry came from the other side of the glass and was followed by bright flickering lights and a low-keening whine.


    The flickering and whining came to an abrupt halt as something struck the glass before picking up again less than a second later. However, a muted wet crunch brought it to an end for good.


    The room fell deathly silent.


    Without saying a word, Kaine took hold of Eliza¡¯s shoulder and began pushing her along the wall and toward the nearest exit.


    A loud impact drew Eliza¡¯s attention toward the glass and caused her to stumble.


    Large cracks had appeared upon its surface and were rapidly spreading toward the periphery.


    A scream rose amidst the crowd of researchers and scientists.


    A dark shape struck the opposite side of the glass, creating new fissures and causing the existing cracks to spread further.


    ¡°Security breach!¡± The warning came from one of the security teams and was quickly repeated by the others.


    The security officer closest to the glass on the right side by the wall grabbed a recessed lever and pulled it hard.


    A massive slab of steel fell from the ceiling covering the wall of glass.


    Kaine lifted Eliza to her feet, practically dragging her from the room and into the corridor. ¡°Cmon! We need to move!¡± He barked, his voice barely audible above the panicked cries of the scientists.


    Eliza looked back over her shoulder as they fled down the corridor and stumbled as a massive shadow was cast around the corner.


    The armoured giant escaped its confinement.


    The high-pitched whine of weapons fire and terrified cries of the scientists and security personnel chased them down the corridor.


    Kaine brought them both to an abrupt stop and then pulled Eliza through an open doorway into what looked like a breakroom. ¡°Get into the storeroom!¡± He ordered, insistently pushing Eliza toward a door on the left side of the room before throwing himself to the opposite wall and taking cover behind the corner of a counter.


    Eliza fumbled with the handle but managed to get the door open after a few increasingly tense moments of effort.


    The small room on the other side of the door was packed with shelves carrying small containers and sealed packages. Contrary to my expectations, it was not a room at all, but a small storage space recessed into the wall.


    Even if Eliza were to press herself hard up against the shelves, it was doubtful she would be able to close the door again. However, Eliza surprised me by dropping low to the ground and revealing a space beneath the shelves.


    After she crawled into the open space at the bottom of the storeroom, Kaine dashed across the room and closed the door behind her. Leaving Eliza alone with only the faint light cast by her glasses for the company as muffled screams continued filtering under the door.


    The chaos beyond the door continued and I took the opportunity to probe the gestalt consciousness that had invaded my mind.


    I could feel it watching the events unfold on the tablet with what I interpreted as grim acceptance. However, upon discovering my divided attention, it released a flare of aggravation and frustration.


    <Learn.> They demanded. <Understand.>


    The door to the storeroom slid open and someone hurriedly pressed themselves inside. However, due to the lack of space, they were unable to close the door behind them.


    With the door now open, I could see two other people had taken shelter in the room beyond. Hiding behind the table and chairs in the middle of the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± One of the new arrivals hissed in a panic, earning a hysterical series of whimpers from their companion.


    Sure enough, heavy footsteps could be heard drawing closer, causing Eliza¡¯s glasses, the source of the recording, to shake with increasing intensity.


    The footsteps came to an abrupt halt and Kaine hunkered down to hide behind the cabinets as best as he could manage while clutching at his energy rifle. Despite his earlier claims that it would be useless against the giant¡¯s natural defences, he didn¡¯t seem capable of letting it go either.


    A thundering boom shook the room and was followed by the screeching of distressed metal.


    One of the new arrivals released a muffled scream.


    A massive grey hand shot past Eliza¡¯s hiding place. A muffled crunch brought an abrupt end to the muffled screams. Moments later, grey arm and hand retreated with a pair of broken bodies in tow.


    Wet crunching and slurping sounds echoing from the corridor left no doubts as to what fate befell the bodies of the scientists and I felt a wave of nausea stir in my guts.


    The grey hand returned, now spattered with blood and drool. It fumbled through the room, tapping and flicking seemingly at random as it progressed through the room, narrowly missing Kaine in his hiding place.


    After reaching the far wall, the hand retreated. A few moments later, a series of increasingly muted footsteps could be heard moving away from the room.


    Looking toward the scientist taking shelter in the storeroom, Kaine raised one hand and vehemently shook his head while mouthing a warning.


    <It¡¯s still out there.> The translation came from the gestalt presence in my mind. Catching me off guard. <He knew...> There was a flicker of surprise.


    As time passed the scientist cowering against the shelves grew increasingly agitated. Then, without warning he dashed the door.


    A thundering crash echoed from the hallway beyond the door and bright crimson blood splattered across the middle of the room.


    Eliza stifled a gasp with her hands and stared across at Kaine.


    The giant¡¯s massive grey hand began pawing at the floor and walls of the room, crushing and otherwise destroying any furniture it encountered.


    Kaie was forced to abandon his hiding place and engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse while trying to make as little noise as possible. However, as the hand began to stray toward Eliza¡¯s hiding place, Kaine levelled his gun at the giant¡¯s arm and opened fire.


    Flinching in reaction to the surprise attack, the giant viciously swung its arm toward the opposing wall, narrowly missing Kaine as he desperately dove deeper into the room.


    A pulsing blue orb flew across the room and an explosion erupted from the hallway.


    A deafening roar briefly knocked out the audio from the recording and the grey arm retreated from view, revealing a ragged hole in the wall opposite Eliza¡¯s position.


    Before Eliza could react, Kaine rushed forward and dove through the hole in the wall.


    ¡°-VER HERE! HEY!¡± Kaine shouted, his voice badly distorted by the damage to the recording device. He punctuated each word with a whining burst of gunfire.


    The giant roared in anger and began stomping down the hallway.


    Shakily leaving her hiding place, Eliza froze as the giant¡¯s massive grey feet passed by the hole in the wall. However, when the giant continued on its way, she released a ragged sigh of relief and turned toward the door.


    Then, she froze.


    The floor and wall opposite her in the hallway were slick with blood and viscera. The shattered pulverised remains of the scientist were pooled in a crater just outside the door.


    Stifling a whimper, Eliza slowly made her way forward and gingerly traversed the crater.


    More gunfire and explosions had erupted from deeper in the complex and Eliza began determinedly running in the opposite direction.


    During Eliza¡¯s flight through the twisting maze of corridors, it became increasingly apparent that there would be few, if any survivors from amongst those who had attended the demonstration. Like herself and Kaine, many had attempted to hide in the nearest boltholes they could find. Only to have the giant-


    <Us. I. We.> The gestalt presence interjected, interrupting my train of thought.


    Irritated, it took me a few moments to realise that the presence had lessened quite considerably from before the video had begun. Even so, its control remained just as potent. Able to do as it will unless I contested the action directly.


    My musings abruptly stopped as Eliza left the all-to-familiar quarantine chamber and entered the laboratory.


    The gestalt presence seated with hatred at the reveal of the corpses suspended within the glass tubes. Or at least that is what I had thought. However, it quickly became apparent that the hundreds of corpses displayed throughout the room were not the subject of their focus. It was the team of scientists gathered at the far end of the chamber.


    Discovering she was not alone, Eliza hurriedly took cover behind one of the preserving vats, using the machinery at its base to conceal her presence.


    ¡°I WILL NOT RETURN A FAILURE!!!¡± Elis shrieked with rage, striking one of the other scientists hard across the face with an energy pistol and knocking them to the floor. ¡°I AM INITIATING IMMORTALIS PROTOCOLS! YOU CAN COME WITH ME, OR-¡± He levelled the gun at the scientist¡¯s head, ¡°-YOU CAN DIE HERE!!!¡±


    Cowed by the show of violence, the scientists collectively muttered their agreement.


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± Elis snarled with a demented grin and waved the injured scientist toward a section of machinery out of Eliza¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Now, get in the genesis chamber Douglas, and there will be no further need for this unpleasantness!¡±


    The injured scientist hesitated. However, as Elis aimed with the pistol, he stiffly did as he was told.


    With everyone distracted, Eliza began skirting around the edge of the room, using the machinery and glass tubes for cover until she achieved an angle that allowed her to see what Elis was doing.


    The bullied scientist had been backed into a huge metal vat covered in a diaspora of bare wires and arcane sigils. Once he was clear of the opening, the door slammed shut, restricting vision into the vat to a single viewing port near the top of the door.


    ¡°You should feel grateful, Douglas. This will no doubt constitute the greatest scientific achievement of your entire career!¡± Elis cackled maliciously and threw the large lever beside the console. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bare wires surrounding the vat crackled and arced, discharging what I had assumed to be electricity. As the sigils flared to life, mournful cries filled the air and disembodied spirits began circling the vat.


    Five tesla coils set in a crown atop the vat began sending arcs of electricity at the spirits. However, instead of striking them or passing through, the spirits were bound in webs of electricity and dragged toward the coils.


    As each spirit made contact with one of the coils, they released a pitiable shriek and disappeared. The shrieks of the spirits were accompanied by bright flashes of light from within the vat and the pained screams of the scientist trapped within.


    After several minutes, Elis reset the switch triggering the vat door to open.


    Smoke billowed from the open door and the imprisoned scientist staggered out into the open. Tripping over his own feet, the scientist fell to the ground. Throwing his arms out to try and break his fall, his skin burst in contact with the concrete, like a broken water balloon.


    Fine gold and silver dust spilled out of the scientist''s clothes, spilling across the ground. Within a handful of heartbeats, the dust began to disappear. Evaporating like spilled water on a midsummer day.


    ¡°Typical,¡± Elis spat disdainfully. ¡°Even in death, you¡¯re useless...¡± He pointed the pistol at another scientist, ¡°Choy, you¡¯re next!¡±


    Like a frightened herd of sheep, the other scientists retreated, leaving Choy to fend for himself.


    Whimpering and with tears streaming down his face, Choy reluctantly entered the vat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m sure the calibration process won¡¯t take more than a few more attempts,¡± Elis chuckled, smiling broadly as the door to the vat was locked firmly in place. ¡°If we had begun human trials sooner, ah, well...No time for regrets now!¡± He pulled the lever.


    One by one, the scientists were coerced into the vat. Each met the same fate as the first. Managing to take only a few steps before disintegrating into the gold and silver powder.


    ¡°Good data...¡± Elis muttered distractedly, manipulating keys and dials with his free hand. Seemingly unaware of Eliza who was slowly sneaking up behind him with a metal pipe. Without warning, Elis spun on the spot and fired the pistol, sending a short burst of energy projectiles racing through the air and toward Eliza.


    Eliza¡¯s pained screams as she tumbled to the ground announced that at least one of the projectiles had found their mark.


    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t see you skulking in the shadows?¡± Elis scoffed, turning his back on her in a show of open contempt. ¡°I am not good with faces, but it¡¯s clear you are from a different department. Otherwise, you would have known about the cameras...¡±


    Huffing and hissing through her teeth, Eliza raised a shaky hand covered in blood. ¡°Y-You¡¯re in-insane!¡±


    Elis stopped what he was doing and stared down at her contemplatively. ¡°Insanely brilliant, perhaps,¡± he countered dismissively before returning to his work. ¡°I always suspected the Tyrant program would fail, you know. The whole thing was far too inelegant a solution from the beginning. If only the directors had shared my vision...Ah well...¡± He shrugged and sighed in a way that made it clear he no longer thought it mattered.


    Using a nearby section of machinery, Eliza slowly dragged herself to her feet.


    ¡°Your tenacity does you credit,¡± Elis commented distractedly. ¡°However, it will accomplish nothing.¡± He grinned and pumped his free hand in triumph. ¡°I knew it was possible!¡± He cackled with a manic grin while staring greedily at a screen set into the control mechanism. ¡°I would offer you the chance to join me, but I don¡¯t think you deserve it,¡± Elis snickered condescendingly before retreating into the vat.


    At the last possible moment, just before the door finished closing, Elis threw away the pistol.


    Following the path of the pistol, Eliza began taking a handful of unsteady steps toward it before seeming to change her mind. Staggering back toward the console, the perspective afforded by her glasses revealed a three-dimensional rendered image bearing a passing likeness to Elis.


    Shirtless, with the physique of a classic Olympian statue and bearing Elis¡¯ face, it was the wings that identified it as a SubSpecies of Angel.


    Dismissing the image with shaking hands, Eliza began frantically accessing and altering a series of encrypted files.


    Fleeting images of scientists and security I.D.s suggested that she was accessing personnel files, but the encryption made it impossible to be certain.


    Replacing the image on the screen, Eliza stepped back just in time to stagger clear of the console as the vat door opened, revealing Elis''s transformation.


    Now more than ten feet tall and swollen with muscle, the remnants of Elis'' clothes hung in tattered rags from his hips and shoulders, leaving nothing to the imagination. Eight ephemeral wings of shining gold and silver shivered at his back, casting his mane of platinum blonde hair in waves of alternating light that made it look like it was flowing like water.


    Too busy admiring himself, Elis knocked Eliza down without even registering her presence. ¡°Absolute perfection...¡± He breathed with unabashed arousal.


    Whimpering from the pain, Eliza did her best to stifle herself to avoid drawing attention. However, it proved to be in vain.


    ¡°Still alive?¡± Elis chuckled. ¡°Well, we can change that. Just-¡± He paused, his arrogant expression swept aside in an instant.


    A powerful quake rocked the laboratory, dislodging machinery attached to the ceiling and sending it crashing to the ground.


    Despite having less than a second to react, Elis managed to nimbly leap to safety with seemingly effortless ease.


    Fortunately for Eliza, when Elis had knocked her down, he had inadvertently sent her clear of the falling debris.


    Without saying a word, Elis waved his right hand and opened a Dimensional Breach. Casting one last irritated glance at Eliza, he stepped through the Breach and disappeared.


    Three more quakes rocked the lab in rapid succession and then a claxon began to peel out in alarm.


    The door to the vat slid shut.


    Eliza retrieved the pistol from where Elis had discarded it and aimed it at the vat.


    The door to the vat slid open a few moments later, disgorging a fresh wave of smoke.


    The pleading cries of an infant echoed from within the vat.


    Slowly approaching the vat, Eliza did her best to keep a firm grip on the pistol. Locating the source of the noise, she levelled her pistol at the flailing form of a small grey-skinned baby that was wriggling and flailing on the floor.


    Aiming the pistol at the child, Eliza¡¯s finger slowly depressed the trigger but stopped just shy of firing. Already shaking from blood loss, she was struggling to bear the pistol¡¯s weight. Without saying a word, she lowered it again and retreated from the vat.


    Returning to the console, she set aside the pistol and shakily began manipulating the screen.


    The encryption made it nearly impossible to tell what she was doing. However, when the image of a portal appeared alongside a three-dimensional rendering of Earth, it began to make sense.


    The infant in the vat was me.


    <Us. You. I...> The gestalt presence was little more than a shadow of what it had been after first announcing its presence, and I now understood why. The boundaries of its presence had been eroding from the very beginning, bleeding its thoughts and memories into my mind. Unaware of them until this moment, I could feel the memories drifting in the periphery of my mind. Many of them were little more than tangled masses of intense emotions. However, others possessed an almost impossible degree of clarity and detail.


    A bright flash from the tablet drew my focus back to the video just in time to watch Eliza set aside the glasses and begin the audio recording that had led me to discover her body. Lab coat stained a dark crimson with her blood and her skin deathly pale, the tablet tumbled from her blood-slick fingers as she uttered her final words.


    Expecting the video to end, I was surprised when it continued playing for a considerable while longer.


    Just as I was prepared to close the video, signs of movement appeared on the edge of the screen.


    ¡°Who dared to change...¡± Elis¡¯ voice filtered through the recording. He sounded tense and incredibly nervous. ¡°Come on! Stupid piece of garbage!¡± He grumbled bitterly. ¡°What?! Locked out?! NONONONONO!!! ¡± Elis cried angrily, accentuating each denial with the sound of abused machinery and electronics.


    When the tirade came to an end, there was a flicker of light and then the recording fell silent once more. A few moments later, the video came to an end and I was left staring at my reflection cast in the inky black image cast on the screen.


    Having gradually overcome my aversion to deliberately inspecting my reflection, in no small part thanks to Lash¡¯s unwavering support and affection, my focus fell upon the newly discovered inconsistency almost immediately.


    The sclera of both my eyes had turned black as pitch and the irises were corona of jagged pulsing sapphire and emerald energy.


    Confused, it only now occurred to me that I had not reviewed my Status to confirm what the Evolution had altered.


    Opening my status, I felt the last vestiges of the Gestalt entity dissolve into my mind as I read the first entry at the top of my status screen.


    [ Tim - Eldritch Tyrant ]

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 86 – Into the Fold – Part One

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 86 ¨C Into the Fold ¨C Part OneOgre Tyrant: Chapter 86 - Into the Fold - Part One


    Continuing to read through my Status, I discovered several other important changes. The first thing I noticed was that my two Status sheets seemed to have combined into one. Containing entries that had belonged to both sheets.


    My MP, or Mana Points, and Chi had changed to M, representing pure Mana. The value was lower than what my MP had been but the change was not a loss.


    Instinctively, I could feel that Mana was tens of times more potent and possessed a latent will similar to Chi. Leveraging my authority, I learned the underlying reason. Mana was the true source of Mana Points and Chi, which were its diluted derivatives. This somewhat explained why my two Status sheets appeared to have been combined into a singular whole.


    The Mana entry was accompanied by a second change, M/s, or Mana per second.


    The potential ramifications of these two changes alone gave me pause.


    With Mana already multiple times more potent than MP, the M/s stat would allow consecutive casting while heavily investing in each Spell.


    Experimentally directing the Mana out of my body and into nearby objects confirmed that it seemed to function the same as Chi. However, investing my Mana into mundane stones or plants also triggered a dramatic change from the mundane into the supernatural.


    Wildflowers took on explosions of colour and grew tens of times their natural size. Leaves shimmering with otherworldly rainbows and stems dancing gently despite the absence of a breeze.


    The stones glowed with an internal light, casting odd-shaped shadows over the ground that made it look like a slow-moving stream.


    Observing these changes, I became aware that they were also gradually changing the plants and stones around them.


    As a test, I began investing Mana into a small stone to see how much it could hold.


    After reaching what I could only assume was its limit, the stone collapsed and lost its form. Disintegrating into an ambient cloud of Mana


    Repeating this test several more times, I was met with the same result and could only assume that inanimate objects and materials had a hard limit on what they could contain.


    Plants reacted differently. Instead of disintegrating, they expelled the excess into the air and soil where it was then absorbed by other nearby plants.


    Withdrawing one of the weapons from my Storage Ring, it was obvious that the intended purpose of my Mana manipulation was to recharge the internal battery that powered the weapon. However, it came as a surprise to learn how much Mana the weapon could contain without disintegrating. Furthermore, upon reaching what I assumed would be its limits, the weapon began similarly purging its excess to the plants. With the notable exception that the plants made no signs of absorbing the vented excess.


    In time, the experiments made me aware of a faint yet persistent drain on my Mana. With a thought, I identified Kwan as the source of the draining effect.


    Teleporting to his location, I became confused when I couldn¡¯t immediately lay eyes on him. Only to then realise that Kwan had grown to such an immense size that he was very nearly ALL I could see. A writhing sinewy mass of scales and flesh that extended for hundreds of feet in every direction.


    And he was still growing.


    Resting a hand against his scales, I could feel Kwan¡¯s mind had withdrawn upon itself. Mentally pressing through his defences, aching waves of fatigue and indescribable pain began flooding through our connection in waves.


    Gritting my teeth, I resisted the urge to shy away and close off the connection. Instead, I drew more of the pain and exhaustion into myself, pressing it down and seizing control over it.


    Little by little the Mana drain began to ebb. As it did so, a mounting sense of shame passed from Kwan''s mind to my own.


    <Believed. Strong enough.> Kwan stated apologetically, catching me by surprise with his use of actual words in place of vague impressions.


    When the transfer of Mana was brought to a complete halt, Kwan¡¯s immense body imploded, taking on the form of a pale-skinned young man with snake-like eyes and opaque scales lining his cheekbones and brow. Clothed in expensive-looking short robes constructed from his Mana, Kwan slowly drifted to the bottom of the freshwater ocean and slumped into an exhausted heap.


    Sweeping him up in one hand, I relocated us both to Momoko¡¯s mountain and then set Kwan down on a large flat rock so he could take in the sun.


    Reviewing Kwan¡¯s Status, I became momentarily confused upon learning his information had not changed in the ways I had otherwise expected.


    Kwan had gained the Mana stat but did not possess Mana regeneration. He had not lost his MP or Chi either. Furthermore, leeching my Mana appeared to have progressed his Evolution by leaps and bounds.


    Strangely, Kwan had gained a Technique as well. Mortal Guise. True to the name, the Technique was what allowed Kwan to take on a humanoid form. What made it interesting, was the primary effect of the Technique. The reduction in size and changing shape was just a side effect that facilitated a faster recovery speed. A smaller size also reduced destructive potential, but that was a situational factor the majority of the time anyway.


    Confident that Kwan was on the mend, I turned my attention back toward my own Status.


    [Tim - Eldritch Tyrant: - ] [HP: 74/74 ] [M: 157/157* ][M/s: 2.4 ]


    [Class: Eldritch Tyrant 15. +15 M.] [Exp: 75,482/1,000,000 ]


    [Party: Tim¡¯s Party] [Lash¡¯s Mate]


    [Bloodline: {Tyrant 3} +1 Willpower.] [Bloodline Progeny: Pete, Suzy, Momoko.]


    [Cultivation Inheritance: {Tyrant¡¯s Body} ]


    [Strength: 30* ]


    [Agility: 10 ]


    [Toughness: 37* ]


    [Intelligence: 14 ]


    [Willpower: 23* (24*) ]


    [Presence: 9* ]


    [(Racial Abilities: {Hide/Expand})]


    [(Legacy Class Abilities: {Hide/Expand})]


    [Class Abilities: {Hide/Expand}]


    [Techniques: {Hide/Expand}]


    [Group Synergies: {Hide/Expand}]


    My Evolution had changed more than I had initially released. Not only has my Species changed, but my Class had changed as well. Relegating the former Class Abilities to the Legacy tab. My new Class, Eldritch Tyrant, possessed no Abilities. However, the level appeared to contribute to my maximum Mana at a one-to-one ratio.


    My new Species possessed the same Abilities as before but had also gained two more. Eldritch Conduit, and Arcane Syphon.


    [ (Racial Ability: Eldritch Conduit.): Your connection to the Well of Souls allows you unparalleled control over the flow of Mana. Enemy {Spells} and {Mana Infused Attacks} are {Drained} of their {Mana} as they approach the Eldritch Tyrant¡¯s location. The rate of {Mana Drain} is determined by the Eldritch Tyrant¡¯s {Maximum Mana} (0.157 M/s). ]


    [ (Racial Ability: Eldritch Battery. ): Your presence alone can swing the tide of the fiercest battles, lending power to embattled allies and subordinates. Allies and Subordinates may draw upon the Eldritch Tyrant¡¯s {Mana} to bolster their own. The maximum range of the effect is determined by the Eldritch Tyrant¡¯s {Maximum Mana} (157 feet). The {M/s} that can be drawn is reduced beyond half of the maximum range of the effect (78.5+ feet). ]


    After taking a few minutes to process what I had read, I became somewhat confused. The Eldritch Battery Ability explained how Kwan had managed to draw on my Mana to fuel his Evolution and Cultivation. However, he should not have been able to draw on my Mana at such an extreme range. It blatantly defied the disconcertingly specific limits of the Ability.


    Silently contemplating the matter for the better part of an hour, I came up with a few theories that might explain it. The simplest explanation was that Kwan''s Bond to me provided a sort of backdoor access to the Ability. Another possibility was that my realm was skewing the calculated distance for the Ability.


    Sensing a new draw on my Mana, I became aware of changes taking place in the periphery of my vision.


    The trunk and branches of Momoko¡¯s peach tree had begun gently waving to and fro, notably out of sync with the wind that swept across the peak.


    Concerned for Momoko¡¯s well-being, I concentrated my will to cut off the flow of Mana. However, the drain on my Mana halted abruptly of its own accord, catching me off guard.


    My confusion turned to outright shock when I realised the peach tree had begun faintly radiating Mana in place of Chi. Even more shocking, the Mana wasn¡¯t mine. The Mana was similar, even familiar, but it wasn¡¯t the same.


    Indulging my suspicions, I inspected Momoko¡¯s Status and discovered that her two sheets had merged, just the same as mine and that she had gained the Mana and M/s stats. Likewise, her Species had changed to Eldritch Tree Spirit, awarding her the same Racial Abilities I had gained earlier.


    Concerned that such spontaneous Evolution might cause Momoko to experience the same distress as Kwan, I reached out for her with my authority and drew her onto the palm of my right hand. She appeared a fraction of a second later, eyes closed and sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose.


    Momoko¡¯s eyelids shot open and she sprang to her feet, eyes darting between me and her tree in a panic.


    Then, she collapsed.


    Horrified, it took me several moments to realise Momoko, at least her human...Spirit, half, had not possessed Mana when she arrived. Now, she did, and it had laid her out like a sledgehammer to the head.


    I could feel the Mana building inside of her, feel her skin burning.


    The trunk of Momoko¡¯s peach tree groaned, its branches twisting like serpents as the ground began to tremble and crack beneath my feet.


    Thunder boomed and dark storm clouds began to gather overhead.


    Drawing Momoko to my chest to shield her from the rain, I cast a wary eye toward the sky.


    Lightning arced from the clouds with furious intensity, homing in on my location with unnatural accuracy. The lightning rods diverted the lightning, just as they were intended to do. However, the forking bolts of lightning were becoming increasingly aggressive. Seemingly reaching for Momoko like the claws of a ravenous beast.


    Staring into the heart of the storm, I became convinced that something was guiding the fury of the storm beyond the original scope of the Tribulation.


    ¡°How...unexpected...¡± A soft male voice murmured in amusement. His words cut through the rumbling thunder with impossible ease, ensuring they were heard without cancelling out the roars of the Tribulation. ¡°Perhaps it is the will of heaven? Hehehe,¡± the voice commented in amusement. ¡°Little brother, let us not be enemies. Simply surrender the Divine Treasure into my hands, and I may consider taking you as an outer disciple.¡±


    ¡°Divine Treasure?...¡± Even without asking, I knew that he was referring to Momoko and her peach tree.


    ¡°Come now, little brother, such a profound Cultivation resource would be wasted on one of such little talents. Surrender it to me now, and I may prove merciful,¡± the voice sneered condescendingly.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied firmly and gently set Momoko down against the base of her peach tree and out of the rain.


    The rumbling thunder and patter of the rain were swept away by an oppressive and malevolent silence.


    ¡°Little brother...you will regret this,¡± all traces of humour were gone, replaced by indignation, rage, and sadistic anticipation.


    Using my authority, I relocated myself to Kwan¡¯s freshwater ocean and waited.


    Only a handful of seconds after my arrival, my authority alerted me to the invasion of another Monarch. A fraction of a second later, a tall lithe young man in fine emerald robes and carrying a golden straight-edged sword appeared in the water before me.


    His long hair was ornamented with expensive-looking beads and trinkets. Each of which radiated an aura matching what I would have expected from a powerful magic item from the other system.


    The invader stared back at me with cold arrogant eyes, their dark intensity carrying the promise of violence. ¡°Little brother,¡± the young man purred dangerously, unaffected by the water surrounding us. ¡°I am a merciful deity. Throw yourself down at my feet and beg, and I will make your end pain-¡± His brow knit together in confusion.


    Biting the inside of my cheek, I cast the Empowered Spatial Anchor Spell.


    The young man released a concentrated wave of Chi carrying the Thunder Affinity.


    I felt his Chi probe at my surroundings in an attempt to measure his Cultivation against my own.


    The young man physically recoiled as if he had stuck his bare hand against a cast iron stove, drawing his Chi back with lightning speed. Eyes wide and face deathly pale, he hastily raised his sword into a defensive stance. ¡°Ah, b-big b-brother,¡± the young man stammered, his sword wavering to and fro with the uncontrolled shaking of his arm. ¡°Th-this one intended n-no offence!¡±


    I felt a pulse of Chi emanate from what appeared to be a jewel-encrusted silver hand mirror tucked into the sash of his robe.


    Before the intended effect could activate, the Chi was immediately dispersed by the Empowered Spatial Anchor Spell.


    The young man froze.


    ¡°W-We c-can t-talk th-this o-over!¡± The terrified Monarch pleaded, releasing his sword and slowly floating backward through the water with both hands raised above his shoulders. ¡°C-Compensation! T-Take it! I l-leave the T-Treasure to you!¡±


    ¡°Treasure?...¡± With a thought, I teleported the Monarch back to his original position. Cold fury burned through my veins. ¡°She. Is. My. DAUGHTER!¡±


    Mana surged from my core, slamming into the Monarch¡¯s spiritual defences in an unrelenting tide.


    ¡°W-Wai-¡± The Monarch began to gasp, losing his voice as my Mana overwhelmed his internal energy and ravaged his spiritual Foundation. One of the Monarch¡¯s treasures activated, seemingly of its own accord, transforming the Monarch¡¯s body into some kind of monstrous hybrid with characteristics of both Beast and man. However, the presence of my Mana, or perhaps the Monarch¡¯s damaged Foundation, had caused the transformation to be critically unstable.


    Beyond the deformed bones and skinless flesh, the Monarch¡¯s very being was collapsing upon itself. The energy provided by the treasure fed into a chain reaction that was consuming and drawing power from the other treasures carried on his person.


    Thrashing in pain and lacking the cultivation to eschew his need for oxygen, the Monarch¡¯s final moments were spent desperately gulping down water in the hope of finding air.


    With one final mewling shudder, the Monarch grew incredibly still.


    Anticipating the danger, I cast Barrier but otherwise remained where I was.


    The Monarch¡¯s body exploded.


    Blinded by the intensity of the explosion, I felt the abrupt absence of the water that had, until only a moment prior, surrounded me. I felt a mighty gale whip and lash at my skin, burning and then freezing before relenting seconds later.


    My eyes recovered and I found myself standing a handful of feet from where I had been standing only moments before. Two deep furrows in the stone and silt marked my passage.


    Distant rumbling drew my attention to towering waves racing across the barren ocean floor, devouring the open ground with the insatiable hunger and ferocity of a wild Beast.


    Bracing myself for the impact, I tore massive sheets of stone from below the ocean floor to redirect and absorb the inevitable impact.


    Anchored in place, when the waves hit, I remained unmoved. Weathering the torrent of debris as it pelted and crashed into my body.


    Unharmed but still mildly disoriented, I waited for the silt and debris to settle before exercising my authority to leave. Just as I was about to leave, three intruders appeared a short distance from where I was standing.


    Failing to recognise their faces or clan markings, I flooded the surrounding water with my Mana.


    Disoriented, the invaders were slow to react. Too slow in recognising the danger.


    Leveraging my control over the water, two of the intruders began to drown. Flailing about and clawing at the water as they made a break for the surface.


    While I was following the movements of the two drowning men, the third disappeared.


    He was still floating more or less where he had arrived. However, he had concealed himself using some form of Technique, making him invisible.


    With a thought, I sent a fusillade of small stones in his direction, Investing every pebble with the Thundering Strikes Spell and as much mana as they could hold.


    At first, nothing happened. The stones would seemingly strike the open water and then detonate, sending shards whizzing in all directions. It wasn¡¯t long before streaks of blood began trailing through the water, carried in the wake of the shards. Crimson blooms announced the hidden intruder¡¯s end. Blanketing the water in a cloud of blood as the Cultivator¡¯s lifeless mangled body drifted to the ocean floor.


    Those who had fled toward the surface were still a long way from reaching the surface, even with their head start.


    Pulling on the Mana-infused water in their lungs, I began dragging them back.


    One of the intruders had withdrawn a large flying sword from a Storage Ring, leaving his companion for dead in his haste to reach the surface. However, the sudden inertia left his sword arcing off into the distance and well beyond his reach.


    The water surrounding the closest intruder flashed and sparkled as trinkets and baubles were withdrawn from a Storage ring and activated in a desperate bid for survival.


    Forming a spear from the nearby stone, I launched it at his centre mass. Until I was certain what I was dealing with, I saw no reason to move within arm¡¯s reach.


    Three feet from the intruder¡¯s chest, the stone spear became coated in a thick coat of ice and promptly shattered into dozens of pieces.


    I threw another spear and it met the same fate as the first.


    Changing my approach, I drove the two invaders toward one another.


    The sudden arrival of over a dozen armoured intruders forced me to change priorities.


    Unlike the trio that had preceded them, the latest arrivals were quick to regain their composure, erecting an Array almost immediately after their arrival. With the first Array erected, the group hurriedly set about raising numerous others. Intending to create a Formation, it was unclear whether it was primarily intended as a defensive or offensive measure.


    Chaos erupted within the ranks of the armoured cultivators as a new Monarch invaded my realm and suddenly materialised in the centre of their defensive Array.


    Wearing only a breastplate for protection over long flowing robes, the female Monarch dodged and weaved through the flurry of attacks with astounding speed and grace. Narrowly avoiding spear thrusts and elemental Techniques from all directions while taking in her surroundings.


    Despite appearing completely on the defensive, the armoured Cultivators surrounding the female Monarch began dropping out of the fight.


    One by one, their movements began to slow, their attacks losing their accuracy and ferocity as Death Chi eroded the Cultivators¡¯ life force. Although it was invisible to the naked eye, the Death Chi being projected and trailing from her palms stood out like burning torches to my enhanced senses.


    As the armoured Cultivators slowed, the Monarch took her counterattack one step further, slicing at the exposed sections of their armour with her long sharpened fingernails. Blood erupted from the wounds, clouding the water and obstructing her surroundings, further hampering the flagging assault of the armoured Cultivators.


    Seemingly no longer content to remain surrounded, the female Monarch began dancing around them instead.


    One by one, the armoured Cultivators fell. Dying from a combination of blood loss and corroded life force. However, as the final armoured Cultivator was on the verge of succumbing to their injuries, a third Monarch invaded my Realm.


    Time seemed to slow and the two Monarchs locked eyes with one another.


    The Array erected by the armoured Cultivators collapsed and the two Monarchs leapt away from one another, flying back twenty feet through the water before firmly planting their feet on the ocean floor.


    The newest arrival wore long dark silk robes embroidered with arcane sigils sewn from gold and silver threads. Dark-skinned and bald, with the lower half of his face concealed by a silk scarf, he carried a massive gourd upon his back. The gourd was stoppered with a large cork and plastered with so many overlapping talismans that it almost appeared to have been made of paper mache.


    The two Monarchs continued staring at one another for a handful of seconds longer. Neither side willing to make the first move and potentially expose themselves to a counterattack.


    ¡°Gu Lin, you are here for the celestial treasure as well?¡± The dark-skinned Monarch asked with a lilting sing-song accent that reminded me of a student I had shared classes with and had immigrated from India.


    The female Monarch, presumably Gu Lin, inclined her head slightly in affirmation. ¡°I am,¡± she replied softly, narrowing her almond-shaped eyes slightly as she studied the other Monarch¡¯s face. ¡°I do not think it is in either of our best interests to face one another directly, Jayesh. What say you?¡±


    The male Monarch, Jayesh, furrowed his brow slightly for a few moments before relaxing again and nodding in agreement. ¡°It would be most unwise. The Supreme One has been eyeing my realm most covetously of late, and I am most certain his gaze is not limited to my Realm alone.¡±


    Gu Lin frowned with concern, squeezing her dark-painted lips together in distaste. ¡°I have thwarted several plots in the past few months intended to weaken my position.¡±


    ¡°As have I,¡± Jayesh replied grimly. ¡°It is to be expected. The Destroyer does not wish to allow a challenger to rise, after all.¡±


    Gu Lin looked as if she was about to reply, but stopped abruptly as yet another Cultivator invaded my Realm.


    The latest arrival was not a Monarch. However, his arrival triggered a visceral reaction in the two Monarchs that had been peaceably conversing only moments prior. Immediately putting them both on high alert and even showing minor signs of distress.


    The Cultivator¡¯s combat robes were black and grey with a grinning crimson skull embroidered on the chest. His long dark hair was tied back into a thick braid that reached his calves. The end of the braid had the crossguard and blade of a dagger. No doubt intended as an unconventional backup weapon.


    ¡°You will leave this Secret Realm at once or incur my master¡¯s wrath,¡± the new arrival stated with a smirk and released a burst of Chi as a show force.


    I identified the two Monarchs'' source of fear almost immediately. The new arrival was a Demonic Cultivator. While it was unclear whether he was in the same league as the two Monarchs, it didn¡¯t appear to matter.


    ¡°We intend no disrespect to your honoured master,¡± Gu Lin replied diplomatically, bowing her head ever so slightly. ¡°A powerful Formation has us trapped. We cannot withdraw until it is located and disabled.¡±


    The Demonic Cultivator scowled with displeasure and withdrew a token from his robes. ¡°If this is a trick. My master will make an example of you,¡± he hissed venomously. ¡°Before the end you will beg for-¡± He stopped mid-sentence, his expression hardening as he glared at the wooden token. ¡°You appear to be telling the truth,¡± he conceded with obvious disappointment. ¡°You will locate this Formation, disable it, then leave,¡± he commanded imperiously. ¡°If you impede my search for the Transcendent Treasure in any way, you will face my master¡¯s wrath!¡±


    As the Demonic Cultivator returned the wooden token to his robes, another wave of invaders entered my Realm.


    Three dozen in all, the newcomers were armed with a wide range of exotic weapons and wore wolf-fur cloaks over brigandine armour. The sight of the Monarchs and the Demonic Cultivator gave them pause. But that was all.


    Without saying a word, the wolf-cloaks launched their attack.


    Jayesh and Gu Lin retreated in different directions, abandoning the Demonic Cultivator to face the brunt of the enemy force on his own.


    Far from intimidated, the Demonic Cultivator¡¯s lips split into a demented grin. ¡°A pack of dogs wish to bite a dragon?! Then come! Face my flames and curse your mothers for your birth!¡± Extending his right fist toward the enemy, he released a surge of Chi that materialised into a jet of boiling water. No doubt, he had forgotten we were fully submerged in water.


    One of the wolf-cloaked Cultivators raced ahead of his fellows and erected a barrier of ice by swiping his hook-bladed spear through the water and releasing a stream of Chi.


    Annoyed that his attack was thwarted, the Demonic Cultivator changed tactics, assuming a fighting posture and materialising a sickle-bladed sword from his Storage Ring. ¡°Face the dragon¡¯s fangs if you dare!¡± He snarled, eager for the fight and grinning all the while.


    Three of the Cultivators flew out from behind the wall of ice and launched lengths of spiked chains through the water and toward the Demonic Cultivator. Pulsing Chi through the chains, the Cultivators activated a Technique that caused the chains to begin writhing and darting like serpents.


    The Demonic Cultivator¡¯s limbs were bound and drawn tight together, leaving him vulnerable to attack as five more Cultivators rushed forward for the killing blow.


    ¡°Fools!¡± The Demonic Cultivator released a stream of Demonic Chi infused with Fire Affinity. The chains began to glow, rapidly changing from a dull maroon to cherry red before being torn apart and cast aside entirely. Limbs freed from the spiked chains, the Demonic Cultivator narrowly dodged the first Cultivator¡¯s sword while knocking the spear of the second Cultivator aside and burying the blade of his sword into the chest of the third.


    Demonic Chi roared to life within the Demonic Cultivator¡¯s sword and in less than a second, its victim was reduced to a lifeless husk.


    Exercising my authority, I stripped the sword from the Demonic Cultivator¡¯s hand and banished it to an isolated territory.


    Caught entirely unawares by the sudden loss of his weapon, the Demonic Cultivator took a heavy blow to the shoulder from the enemy¡¯s polearm. Before he could react, the other Cultivator on his flank stabbed his sword cleanly through the Demonic Cultivator¡¯s back and out his abdomen.


    Shrieking in pain, the Demonic Cultivator withdrew another sword from his Storage ring and wrenched himself free, leaving a trail of dark ichor trailing from his injuries. Before he could regain his composure, the wolf-cloaked Cultivators continued their attack. Furiously harassing him from one side and then the other.


    All the while, their surviving fellows established a not-so-distant perimeter. Planting runed staves into the silt and adorning them with painted wolf skulls.


    Convinced that allowing the Cultivators to continue fighting amongst one another would only draw my attention to my Realm, I began gathering my Mana for a decisive attack.


    For a brief moment, all of the Cultivators grew impossibly still.


    The Demonic Cultivator and the pair of Monarchs were first to act. Abandoning the conflict and racing away as fast as their demi-god physiques would allow. Propelling themselves through the water as much by the strength of their arms and legs as their special Movement Techniques.


    The weaker Cultivators were slower to act but moved in absolute unison. Rather than retreat, they surged forward with grim determination in their eyes.


    In other circumstances, I would have admired their bravery. However, I was in no position to be merciful.


    Waiving my right hand, I sent a wave of death scything through the water between us.


    Aquatic flora shrivelled and blackened in the Spell¡¯s wake, serving as the first and only warning of what was to come.


    To their credit, several of the wolf-cloak Cultivators raced forwards and attempted to bypass the Life Drain Spell by teleporting a short distance forward before the outermost reaches of the Spell could touch them. Unfortunately, for them, the Spell¡¯s wake was just as lethal. Stripping their vitality and ending their lives almost instantly.


    Witnessing the sudden death of their comrades, the remaining Cultivators formed a wedge shaped formation and pressed forwards. As one, they released a stream of Chi to power a hidden Formation.


    Unsure how their Formation would fare, I decided that I didn¡¯t want to take the risk.


    With a thought, I broke apart their formation by using my authority. Moving each of the Cultivators into an isolated position within the established wake of the Spell.


    To my surprise, the Formation held. Persisting through the disrupted position of the Cultivators and shielding them from harm. Unfortunately, the upkeep proved to costly to maintain. Several weaker Cultivators resorted to burning their internal energy, buying their group precious seconds at the cost of their own Cultivation. However, it was all in vain.


    Any ground the Cultivators gained was immediately lost as I used my authority to reset their positions. Combined with the means to maintain the Spell near indefinitely, it was a matter of when, not if, they succumbed.


    Despite the obvious futility, the Cultivators continued pressing forward. Their former grim determination is now replaced by the savage fury and desperation of a dying animal. Making their intentions perfectly clear.


    If they could, they would trade all of their lives to kill me. Knowing that was now impossible, they would settle for making me bleed.


    They just never had the chance. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The protection afforded by their Formation began to fail.


    In a show of absolute commitment, the crippled Cultivators dropped out of the Formation¡¯s aegis and were ravaged by entropic forces. Their sacrifice extended the survival of those that remained, but to what end was unclear.


    With only three of the wolf-cloak Cultivators left standing, my authority alerted me to the arrival of another invader.


    A giant spectral wolf appeared in the centre of the arranged staves. Its bright yellow eyes burning through the murk with primal rage and hunger. Although seemingly unaffected by the Life Drain Spell, the Spirit also appeared incapable of leaving the ground segregated by the runed rods.


    Two of the three surviving Cultivators began immediately drawing upon their internal energy and channelling it into the defensive Formation far in excess of its immediate upkeep. Once their Cultivation was utterly wrung dry, they abandoned the Formation and died.


    The lone survivor stared me dead in the eyes, and despite the distance between us, I could feel his unbridled hatred. Reaching over his shoulder, the Cultivator drew the hood of his cloak up and over his face. Fixing a grey-furred wolf¡¯s head over his own.


    The wolf Spirit leapt free from its imprisonment and lunged at the Cultivator¡¯s exposed back. However, instead of bowling the man over, the Spirit entered the man¡¯s body and latched onto his soul.


    Attempting to separate them with my authority, I was surprised to find that I couldn¡¯t do it. Wherever I attempted to move one of them, the other was dragged along with them.


    All the while, the boundary between the Spirit and the Cultivator¡¯s soul grew increasingly weaker. Causing the essence of both souls to intermingle, bringing about physical changes in the Cultivator¡¯s body.


    Bones were broken and reknit themselves into longer sturdier forms, extending the Cultivator¡¯s arms, legs and digits beyond the protections afforded by his armour. Fingers and toes tore free from their confines mere moments before his hands and feet did the same. The Cultivator¡¯s teeth and nails were violently expelled from his body by their new thicker and sharper replacements. The exposed limbs were covered in thick grey fur that seemed to repel the water despite experiencing complete submersion.


    The end result left the Cultivator with the general appearance of a wolfman from a D-List horror movie with cheap and exaggerated prosthesis. Only, the grotesque alterations appeared to be fully functional and responsive despite their disproportionate size.


    Without warning, the wolfman dropped the defensive Formation and raced forward several feet with claws and teeth bared.


    Indulging my morbid curiosity had dulled my reaction speed, allowing the wolfman to rake its claws across my abdomen before I thought to defend myself.


    Unfortunately for the wolfman, its savage surprise attack yielded no advantage. His claws failed to penetrate my hide and only time would tell if they had struck with sufficient force to have left a bruise.


    Using my authority, I relocated the wolfman into my hand and seized hold of him about his midsection. Bathing his body in the epicentre of the Drain Life Spell and denying him the means to escape.


    Curiously, he proved incredibly resistant to the effects of the Spell. While not outright immune, it became clear that it would take hours, perhaps even days before he would succumb outright.


    Assuming the Spirit was responsible, I prepared another Spell.


    Sending, or perhaps only guessing at the danger, the wolfman activated several techniques in rapid succession. Imbuing its claws and fangs with a dull radiance and deadly aura that prickled the survival instincts in the primitive sections of my brain.


    The wolfman unleashed a blurring flurry of attacks, ripping and tearing at my hand and forearm with the savagery and desperation of a cornered animal.


    Thin trails of blood began to spread in the wake of his attacks and I became aware of a burning sensation spreading up my arm. A quick glance at my combat Status confirmed that I had gained the Poisoned Condition.


    Unwilling to draw the fight out any further, I tightened my grip and did my best to ignore the sensation of the bones breaking beneath my fingers. Confident the wolfman wouldn¡¯t escape, I drew upon the last of the Mana I deemed necessary and then cast the Banishment Spell.


    I felt a brief moment of fierce resistance and then the two souls were ripped apart. The form of the giant wolf Spirit was cast out from the Cultivator¡¯s body and sent hurtling back into the circle created by the runed staves, like a grey-furred meteor.


    Bereft of the Spirit¡¯s protection, the Cultivator succumbed to the Drain Life Spell almost immediately. Stripped of his vitality and life force in only a handful of seconds.


    Releasing his corpse, spared a moment to inspect my wounded arm. The cuts had inflamed edges, suggesting infection. However, it was also possible that it was a symptom of the poison or venom that had been created by the Cultivator¡¯s Techniques.


    Concentrating further, I found that I could sense trace amounts of Chi in the wounds themselves. Using my Mana to surround and then expel the Chi from my body, I felt the burning sensation in my arm begin to subside.


    A handful of seconds later, the wounds themselves had completely healed over.


    Confident that I was in no immediate danger, I turned my attention toward the three invaders that remained.


    They had already reached the boundary of the territory and had nowhere else to go. So long as I maintained the Drain Life Spell, their deaths would be inevitable.


    Withdrawing a suit of magical armour from Sanctuary¡¯s treasury, I used my Mana to resize and shape it to my needs. It would not offer the same protection as my stone armour. However, my Evolution left my armour unfit for purpose.


    Donning the magical armour, I felt a lesser authority attempt to enter the territory. Fearing the harm that would befall Gric and Sebet, or my wife Lash, should they enter the bounds of the Life Drain Spell, I blocked their authority and established a standing rule that would forbid their entry until such a time as I removed it.


    Drawing the Demonic Cultivator to my general location, I was disappointed when he too proved resistant to the Life Drain Spell. However, it did not take long to identify why.


    Hands clasped before his chest and legs crossed beneath him, the Demonic cultivator was furiously cycling the Mana of my Spell to fuel his Cultivation. In so doing, he was staving off the worst of the Spell¡¯s effects. Extending his lifespan and vitality even as it was stripped from his flesh, bones and soul.


    The Demonic Cultivator¡¯s defenceless state was a testament to his precarious position. However, I was also aware that he was ever so slowly gaining ground. If left alone to cultivate, he would slowly become immune to the Spell and gain a substantial boost to his foundation in the process.


    Which made me certain I would not allow him to do so.


    Sparing only a moment to aim, I swung my machete down on the crown of his head.


    At the last possible moment, the Demonic Cultivator snapped open his eyes and sprang to the side. Losing an inch off his scalp in the process.


    A new sword appeared in his right hand and carved a line through the bracer protecting my right forearm as he tumbled away through the water.


    Suppressing my anger, I willed the Demonic Cultivator back to his previous position and took another swing at his neck. However, just as before, he proved too agile and twisted out of the machete¡¯s path while delivering another opportunistic strike of his own. Shearing off a segment of steel from the already damaged bracer on my right arm.


    This time, I felt the edge of the blade scrape against my skin. Except in stark contrast to the magical steel, my arm remained unharmed.


    Allowing the Demonic Cultivator a few moments to flee, I focused my attention on his sword instead.


    Similar to the sword he had drawn shortly after his arrival, the sword contained a similar energy signature to the Demonic Cultivator himself. Possessing a ravenous hunger for power. However, both the sword and the Cultivator himself were a pale imitation when compared to the literal Demon I had sensed within the original sword.


    Curiously, the sword appeared to be feeding upon the Demonic Cultivator¡¯s Chi as well as the ambient Mana that was intended to fuel my Spell. Providing the Demonic Cultivator with a substantial degree of protection from the Life Drain Spell in exchange for a comparatively small amount of his Chi. However, despite its protection, the Demonic Cultivator appeared incredibly reluctant to wield the sword.


    Seizing the sword with my authority, I set it aside within an isolated territory for later study.


    Suddenly bereft of the sword¡¯s protection, the Demonic Cultivator seemed to age half a century in a matter of seconds. The rapid ageing was brought to a halt when the Demonic Cultivator withdrew a strange orb with a dark marbled surface from his Storage Ring.


    Attempting to seize the Storage Ring and secure its contents proved impossible. I wasn¡¯t certain why, but I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on the matter either.


    Cracks had begun to spread across the surface of the orb, releasing a pulsing dark crimson light. Demonic energy seeped through the cracks, hungrily devouring the ambient Mana.


    Before I could even think to act, the Demonic Cultivator stuffed the dark sphere into his mouth and swallowed. He met my stare with a demented spiteful glare. ¡°If I die, I won¡¯t go alone!¡± I watched his mouth form the words, but it didn¡¯t feel right.


    I had been too overwhelmed by anger to recognise it earlier, but none of the Cultivators should have been capable of speaking underwater. Most of them hadn¡¯t even tried. Which made it all the more strange that others had and that I understood them.


    Demonic energy began consuming the Demonic Cultivator from the inside, devouring his chi and inner energy with ravenous intensity and impossible speed.


    Attempting to end whatever the Demonic Cultivator had planned before it could bear fruit, I took advantage of his momentary immobility and clove his body in two with my machete. Splitting him from shoulder to groyne in a single strike.


    To my immense surprise, my machete shattered upon striking the bedrock. Which should have been impossible. However, I quickly realised that the demonic Cultivator, or more specifically, the thing inside of him, was to blame.


    As if to prove my point, the Demonic entity within the Cultivator¡¯s corpse clawed itself free from the left side of the body amid a bloom of gore. As the haunches of the creature came free, the Cultivator¡¯s body was ripped inside out before forming the creature''s thick reptilian tail. Easily several times the Cultivator¡¯s original size, the bulk of its body appeared to be formed from Chi. Making it disturbingly similar to a Summoned creature rather than a living being of flesh and bone.


    However, that distinction lost a great deal of meaning in the wake of what I had learned only hours prior.


    Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Lizardmen, the Demonic creature was covered in dark violet scales and had wicked spines running down the length of its back.


    <I LIVE!> The Demonic creature howled, making itself known by forcibly transmitting its thoughts into my mind. It flexed its sinewy body and lashed its tail through the water with relish. It flared its nostrils and whipped its tongue through the bloody water. <Such rich energy! I will feast well and-> It seemed to notice me for the first time and became incredibly defensive, even swimming backward several feet before appearing to find its nerve.


    Which meant it hadn¡¯t intended to communicate with me in the first place...


    <I did not intend to encroach upon your domain.> The Demonic creature stated warily. <Deactivate the Formation and I shall leave...>


    ¡°No,¡± I replied flatly.


    I saw the creature for what it was and what the Cultivator had intended. Releasing it would make me a party to the carnage it would unleash.


    <We need not be enemies.> The Demonic creature insisted. <I could be a powerful ally...> It was lying. I wasn¡¯t sure how I could tell, only that I had absolute confidence in that fact. It would betray me, turn on me and kill me, at the first opportunity.


    ¡°No,¡± I repeated.


    The Demonic creature was becoming increasingly unsettled and agitated. <I am not a simpering cur to be trifled with!> It hissed dangerously. A hollow threat to cover for its mounting fear. <Do not mistake my acquiescence for weakness!>


    ¡°Don¡¯t mistake my candour for stupidity,¡± I countered before exercising my authority and strangling its neck with my right hand.


    The Demonic entity abandoned all pretence at diplomacy and furiously raked at my armour in an attempt to fight itself free. My armour was torn apart beneath its claws like styrofoam under a hot wire. Confirming my suspicions that Demonic creatures and the Cultivation method named after them rendered magical armour pointless.


    Tightening my grip, I gathered my Mana and blocked out the pain from its talons clawing at my chest and arm.


    Sensing what was coming, the Demonic creature whipped itself into a frenzy.


    It didn¡¯t make any difference. Unable to fight itself free from my grip, the Demonic Creature¡¯s seeming immunity to the Life Drain Spell likely wouldn¡¯t protect it from what I intended.


    Just by touching the creature, I could feel it feeding on my Mana. However, its rate of consumption was dramatically lower than my rate of recovery. Having witnessed Zhu Min¡¯s training, I was aware of the fact that Daemonic Cultivators could only internalise so much stolen energy before it began doing more harm than good.


    From what I had observed already, and how fiercely the Demonic creature was trying to escape, I was confident that the same principle would apply to Demons too.


    Aware of the potential consequences of being wrong, I formed several barbed spikes from the ground and attempted to impale the creature to gauge its durability to conventional attack.


    As I suspected, the stone proved incapable of piercing its scaly hide, crumbling beneath the impact without leaving so much as a scratch.


    Unwilling to risk potential damage to an Artefact, I conjured a high-level magical spear from Sanctuary¡¯s treasury and made a second attempt at impalement. The mana was stripped from the spearhead inches before it struck the Demonic creature¡¯s scales, causing the spearhead to deform under the force of the impact while dealing no damage.


    Forcibly injecting my Mana into the Demonic creature, I felt a profound degree of relief and satisfaction upon confirming the Demonic creature¡¯s limits to absorb Mana. The destabilising effect caused the creature to become bloated and swollen as if suffering an allergic reaction. Inwardly, the Demonic creature was coming apart at the seams.


    So it should have come as little surprise when the Demonic creature stopped fighting against the tide of Mana flooding its insides and chose to end matters on its own terms.

 Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 86 – Into the Fold – Part Two

    Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 86 ¨C Into the Fold ¨C Part TwoOgre Tyrant: Chapter 86 - Into the Fold - Part Two


    Motivated by sheer spite, the Demonic creature triggered a chain reaction within the core of its foundation by activating a powerful Technique. With no hope of controlling the Technique in its current state, the Demonic creature did the opposite, allowing the Technique to do as it willed.


    <SUFF-> The Demonic creature¡¯s gloating was cut abruptly short as his body converted to pure energy, generating a cataclysmic explosion.


    Despite escaping the epicentre of the blast thanks to my authority, my hand and arm now carried intense burns. Most of my armour had been vaporised, torn apart or otherwise consumed by the Demonic energy contained within the blast.


    Ignoring the coils of smoke and steam rising from my injured arm, I focused on Kwan¡¯s isolated border territory.


    The two Monarchs had survived the blast but I could not gauge their condition.


    The preexisting Anchor within the border territory and the Anchor worn on my person had both been destroyed. To deny the Monarchs an escape, I used blood from my burned hand to create a new Empowered Spatial Anchor out of stone made with the Empowered Stone Shape Spell and then deposited it deep in the bedrock of Kwan¡¯s territory.


    Taking in my surroundings, I was somewhat confused to discover I was standing outside the shrine I had created for purging Heart Demons.


    Zhu Min was overseeing the meditation of several younger Cultivators within the temple. Judging by the style of their clothes, and their names, I was reasonably confident that they were newer arrivals from the deceased Demon of the Mists Realm.


    Zhu Min had bowed briefly to acknowledge my presence but remained within the temple.


    Through my increased sensitivity to Mana and all of its derivatives, I could see the aura of Daemonic energy Zhu Min was using to surround each of the young Cultivators.


    Heart Demons were like a cancer of the soul. Not every Heart Demon would prove fatal, but they would alter the Cultivator¡¯s psyche over time if left unchecked.


    From my perspective, the negative influence on the Cultivators'' minds was the greater danger. Which was why I had made the regular purging of Heart Demons mandatory.


    So I was pleased to see that Zhu Min had found a way to augment her own training and development while also seeing to her responsibilities.


    The Heart Demons didn¡¯t have a physical form, per se. However, being made from the CUltivator¡¯s internal energy, they could be encouraged to take on forms that separated themselves from the host Cultivator.


    As each of the Cultivators materialised their Heart Demons through meditation, Zhu Min destroyed and devoured the Heart Demons with her Daemonic aura.


    I didn¡¯t want to break her concentration, so I moved out of her line of sight before Summoning Wraithe.


    ¡°My Tyrant!¡± Wraithe gasped in horror, her chisel-like teeth chittering and generating a spray of sparks as she laid eyes on my burned and savaged arm. ¡°Who has done this to you!¡± Anxiety almost immediately gave way to intense anger bordering on rage. ¡°I will! I will-¡± She closed her eyes and forced herself to take a long deep breath to calm herself. ¡°I will...see to your injuries, my Tyrant,¡± Wraithe began diligently inspecting my injuries while muttering a running list of the tools and materials she would need to best treat the burns and cauterised cuts.


    It occurred to me that Wraithe¡¯s job might be made much easier if she was given a small measure of my authority. Allowing her to take any materials she might need from anywhere within the Realm as needed. Wraithe had already demonstrated that she could be trusted. So it was an easy decision.


    Wraithe seemed to gain an immediate knowledge and understanding of the limited authority I had given her. Conjuring a dozen sealed glass jars containing foul-smelling pastes alongside a spool of thread and a large curved needle. She was halfway through stitching one of the deeper cuts before she expressed her thanks.


    Beneath Wraithe¡¯s steady gaze, the needle and thread gently, but firmly, drew my torn flesh back together again. The alcohol used to sanitise my wounds had also aggravated the burns. However, once Wraithe was finished with the stitches, she began liberally applying the burn cream from within the jars. A process that was performed with far less grace due to the substantial degree of surface area that needed to be covered.


    After close to half an hour of treatment, my wounds disappeared in under a few seconds. Thanks to Wraithe¡¯s Healing Abilities and the thoroughness of her treatment.


    Dismissing Wraithe¡¯s projection, I returned to the vanguard border territory. Committed to ending what had already been started.


    The ocean was gone.


    In its place was a large almost perfectly circular bowl formed from the bedrock.


    Curiously, the Life Drain Spell had persisted despite my disappearance and the rampant Demonic energy. It was far thinner than it had been before, but it was there.


    The Monarchs were both still alive as well. Hiding in the farthest reaches of the territory.


    With a thought, I pulled the female Monarch, Gu Lin, to my location at the bottom of the stone bowl.


    Mistaking her frantic movements for an attack, I sent her two dozen feet backward with my authority.


    After taking a moment to observe what she was doing, I realised that Gu Lin wasn¡¯t attacking at all. Performing what looked similar to Tai Chi on speed, she was actively shifting the Mana of the Life Drain Spell away from herself.


    From what I could tell, there was no Technique involved. Gu Lin was using her Chi and Death Affinity to manipulate the Spell. However, it also appeared to require absolute focus. While her eyes were open, she had not looked at me even once.


    Recalling the diplomatic relations between the two Monarchs, I decided that there might be room for other options besides execution. I was under no delusions as to why my Realm had been invaded. However, I also wanted to confirm HOW they had done it, and if possible, secure that means for myself.


    With a potential war on the horizon, extra territories, and soldiers, would not go amiss.


    Exercising my control over the Mana, I drew the persistent Life Drain Spell back from Gu Lin. Leaving her in the centre of the death-free bubble roughly ten feet across.


    It took the Monarch a few minutes to recognise she was not in immediate danger. Growing still, she stared at me for several long moments in utter silence. ¡°I offer my sincere thanks for your mercy,¡± Gu Lin inclined her head in greeting and a show of thanks. ¡°I know I have trespassed and wish to make amends...¡± She withdrew the amulet from around her neck and offered it with both hands. ¡°Such treasures are no doubt of little value to one with your peerless strength...Yet I have nothing else to offer...¡±


    ¡°How did you enter my Realm?¡± I demanded coldly, ignoring her attempt at bribery and flattery.


    Gu Lin flinched slightly but kept her arms and offer extended. ¡°An ancient treasure, supreme one. Taken from a Secret Realm...¡±


    ¡°How did you know to come here?¡± I asked. While I suspected the use of powerful Treasures, I needed to know for certain so I could devise some form of countermeasure.


    ¡°I experienced a vision while deep in meditation, Supreme One,¡± Gu Lin replied anxiously, her features becoming strained. ¡°In my greed, my eyes saw only a Celestial Treasure. I sincerely apologise for not recognising the Supreme One¡¯s claim-¡±


    Predictably, the anger came just the same as before. However, this time I was ready for it and kept it firmly under control. ¡°That Treasure...is my daughter,¡± I growled darkly.


    Gu Lin winced and threw herself to the ground, discarding the amulet and falling into a submissive kowtow position. ¡°I did not know! I beg the Supreme One¡¯s forgiveness!¡± She insisted in a panic. ¡°Whatever it takes to compensate for this sin, I will pay it! Even my right arm!¡± Gu Lin drew a jewelled dagger from the sash at her waist and moved the edge of the blade to her right armpit. ¡°As a mother, I would demand no less!¡± She began to apply pressure, causing blood to stain her robes and run down the blade of the dagger.


    ¡°Enough.¡± I confiscated the dagger and amulet with my authority. ¡°Your life is already mine to take.¡±


    Gu Lin threw herself forward, fearfully resuming her kowtow. ¡°Then! Anything! So long as it is mine to give!¡±


    ¡°Submit,¡± I demanded bluntly. ¡°Swear your loyalty to me and you will be allowed to make amends. Swear upon your soul to serve my Bloodline above all and in all things!¡± I elaborated, struggling to keep my anger from boiling over and simply killing her on the spot.


    It would be so easy...So much simpler...


    ¡°I...¡± Gu Lin¡¯s internal energy began to fluctuate. Perhaps in preparation for an attack. ¡°I so swear upon my soul...¡± She whispered hoarsely. Defeated and as long-lived as powerful Cultivators were, doubtless imagining what an eternity of servitude would entail.


    Acknowledging the notifications announcing the assimilation of Gu Lin¡¯s Realm, I made sure to keep it separated from the others. In the future, I intend to graft all of the Cultivation territories together into a single massive territory. However, it just wasn¡¯t practical without first taking some precautionary measures.


    Now that Gu Lin had become my subordinate, I could feel my anger toward her beginning to ebb. Which was a bizarre sensation made all the more strange by my awareness of it taking place.


    For her part, Gu Lin remained prostrated on the ground and appeared to be working up the nerve to talk.


    ¡°Speak,¡± I commanded. Catching myself at the last moment to prevent the order from forcing compliance through pain.


    ¡°Supreme One, this servant does not dare to presume your will...¡± Gu Lin answered tentatively, an unspoken ¡®but¡¯ hanging in the air as she waited for permission.


    I waved my hand, signalling her to continue.


    ¡°If it complies with the Supreme One¡¯s will, this servant¡¯s rival would also submit,¡± Gu Lin stated nervously. ¡°This servant¡¯s rival knows many sealing Techniques and could prove useful.¡±


    It was difficult to tell whether Gu Lin was throwing her rival under the bus, intending to bring him down into servitude alongside her. Or whether she was trying to save his life.


    I felt the anger bubbling up inside me again and forced it down.


    ¡°If he submits, he will live,¡± I replied dourly.


    Assuming the other Monarch arrived through a similar means to Gu Lin, it would be unwise to simply kill him. Leaving such a treasure to be seized by potential enemies would be a big mistake.


    Exercising my authority I moved the second Monarch, Jayesh, into a second sphere cleared of Mana.


    Jayesh was sitting cross-legged on the ground with his head bowed and both hands cupped in front of his abdomen. Large clay prayer beads hung from his hands and trembled seemingly of their own accord. Many of the beads were cracked and broken, faintly radiating Mana taken from the Drain Life Spell.


    If the state of the beads were anything to go by, the Monarch probably wouldn¡¯t have lasted another hour. However, as things stood, Jayesh appeared no worse for wear. Perhaps a little tired, but otherwise unharmed.


    Slowly opening his eyes, Jayesh¡¯s wrinkled brow furrowed with overt concern. His eyes briefly darted to Gu Lin before returning to study me again.


    ¡°Submit,¡± I demanded, scowling as I was forced to suppress my anger.


    Jayesh glanced at Gu Lin again before carefully unfolding his legs and transitioning into a kowtow. ¡°I humbly bow before your power.¡± <Gu Lin? What has happened? Is this the hidden master of the Secret Realm? Should we not team up so that we might escape?>


    Initially irritated by his disrespectful behaviour. It took me a moment to realise he hadn¡¯t spoken aloud and was not aware that I heard him.


    Gu Lin became deathly still. <Jayesh...This strength is beyond us...Do you not sense it?>


    Jayesh carefully extended his senses. Only to immediately withdraw them again. His bald scalp broke out in an intense sweat. <Impossible...A Transcendent Deity?!> Jayesh made a dry choking noise, his hands trembling against the bare stone.


    <You test the master¡¯s patience!> Gu Lin replied hastily.


    ¡°I submit...to your will...¡± Jayesh croaked dryly, seeming to struggle to get out the words.


    ¡°Swear upon your soul to dutifully and loyally serve my Bloodline above all and in all things!¡± I demanded, repeating what I had required of Gul Lin almost word for word.


    Jayesh¡¯s eyes bulged from his head and veins stood against his sweaty scalp. <A Soul Oath?!>


    <Submit, or die...But know that death may not end with you...> Gu Lin replied simply. ¡°The Treasure we sought...It is the Supreme One¡¯s daughter...>


    Jayesh froze. In a blur of motion, he suddenly slammed his forehead into the ground, causing the stone to crack and chip from the force of the impact. ¡°I SWEAR TO SERVE THE GREAT ONE!!¡± He roared. His chest heaved and his body trembled violently in the wake of his Oath. Like a drowning man pulled from the sea only to discover he was still marooned in the middle of a vast uncaring ocean.


    With the notifications serving as proof of the Bond, I was just considering my next move when I was alerted to several more invaders entering my Realm.


    Unlike the Monarchs and Cultivators that had come before them. The latest batch of invaders were from the other System. Most likely mercenaries, adventurers, or spies that had snuck their way through the external portal in the former Asrusian Capital.


    They had died almost immediately, so it was impossible to be certain without investigating the matter further.


    ¡°You will govern your Realms in accordance with my laws and directives,¡± I explained while remaining on alert for potential danger. ¡°Auditors will oversee the transition and guarantee compliance. They speak with my voice and you will obey them as such! Am I clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Supreme/Great One,¡± the two Monarchs replied in near unison.


    Using my authority, I sent the Monarchs back to their respective Realms. Taking care to deliver them to populated areas since I didn¡¯t know where they lived or what dangers might exist.


    Reluctant to leave the vanguard territory undefended, I realised I didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Either I manned its defence myself or had to accept the risk that whoever I left in my place might be crippled or killed by the overwhelming force of powerful Monarchs or their servants.


    Unless...I accepted a compromise.


    While Kwan was still almost guaranteed to be unconscious, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference to a Summoned projection.


    After gathering Mana for close to half an hour, I Summoned a projection of Kwan in his new humanoid form.


    Despite only being a projection, Kwan still appeared incredibly tired. ¡°Mmm-what?¡± He muttered, blinking blearily in an attempt to bring his eyes into focus. ¡°Where?¡± Kwan scratched at his head with clawed fingers while taking in his surroundings. Nostrils flaring his serpentine eyes suddenly snapped into intense focus. ¡°WHERE IS THE WATER?!¡± Kwan howled in anger and despair.


    Bending his knees slightly, he then leapt hundreds of feet into the air and remained there as if suspended by an invisible hand. Kwan turned one way and then another, all the while clutching at his head in a panic.


    <A Demon destroyed it all.> I explained and replayed my memory of events to show Kwan what had happened.


    <That¡¯s not fair...> Kwan sulked. <Can you bring it back?>


    Technically, I could. All I needed was a Spell or Technique that generated water or ice as an effect.


    Under normal circumstances, a Spell cast with MP or a Technique activated with Chi, would generate its intended effect and then dissipate.


    Mana appeared to behave quite differently. Persisting after the Spell was cast so long as it was kept in a stable state.


    Reviewing the list of Spells I could potentially add to my Grimoire of Flesh, I found four water-based Spells. Unfortunately, they all involved manipulating water rather than creating it from MP. However, there was a low-level Ice Spell, Ice Bolt, which would theoretically allow the infinite generation of water.


    I had spaces to spare but was holding out for a Healing Spell.


    Then again, the effects of a Spell were quite often open to a certain degree of manipulation based on the imagination and creativity of the caster. The Fire Lance Spell was intended as a ranged fire-based Spell. However, nothing was stopping the caster from using it to light a camp or kitchen fire or use it as an alternative to a traditional fuel-based fire outright.


    After thinking it over, I relented and added the Ice Bolt Spell to the Grimoire of Flesh.


    At Kwan¡¯s insistence, I began experimenting with the Spell to see how large a ¡®bolt¡¯ I could create.


    No sooner had I begun experimenting, than a new wave of intruders materialised within the stone basin.


    The wolf cloaks worn on their backs announced their intentions without them needing to utter a single word.


    Numbering fifty in all, the wolf-cloaks had come prepared. Active group Formations protected them from the Life Drain Spell¡¯s effects, allowing them free movement within the basin.


    A spokesman stepped forward from the group and pointed his crescent-bladed axe at my face. Dark eyes glinting with the promise of violence and yellowed teeth bared, he took a breath and-


    The spokesman¡¯s head disappeared, leaving a mangled stump of muscle and a shattered spinal cord.


    Fine droplets of crimson misted the faces of the nearest wolf-coat Cultivators. Confused, they stared at the empty space their leader¡¯s head had been only a moment prior. Unable or unwilling to accept what had happened.


    Another Cultivator, this one on the left flank, folded over at the waist and tumbled to the ground. His entire armoured midsection now missing and replaced by a ragged hole.


    A third Cultivator screamed in terror, staring at the bloody stumps where his hands had been only moments ago.


    The scream served as a call to arms, rallying the Cultivators from their collective stupor. However it did little good.


    Kwan was too fast to track with the naked eye and struck without warning, cleaving through flesh bone and steel with his bare hands and feet.


    Like a herd of frightened sheep, the Cultivators knew there was a predator in their midst but were powerless to do anything about it. So they changed targets.


    Seeing this as good an opportunity as any, I formed a stream of Ice Bolts in rapid succession and sent them flying into the centre mass of the Cultivators. Accelerating the bolts and altering their trajectories with my Mana control to guarantee they each found a target.


    Despite haemorrhaging numbers, the Cultivators pressed forward with weapons bared and a savage wordless warcry on their lips.


    A deafening roar from behind them stopped them in their tracks, seemingly rooting their feet to the ground. Two of the older Cultivators collapsed on the spot, gasping breathlessly while clutching at their chests. Kwan¡¯s challenging cry had strained their hearts to the point of triggering cardiac arrest.


    ¡°R-Retreat!¡± One of the Cultivators cried, fumbling for a jade token hanging from his waist.


    The cry was taken up by several others almost immediately afterwards but only served to generate further confusion and panic when their tokens failed to function as intended.


    Using the Shape Earth Spell, I impaled several more Cultivators. Skewering them from Groyne to shoulder and then rupturing then finishing them off with dozens of smaller horizontal spikes created from the first.


    Kwan took a deep breath, drawing in all of ambient Mana continuing to fuel the Drain Life Spell from within two hundred feet. Disappearing and then reappearing before a cluster of Cultivators, he opened his mouth and disgorged the Mana in a concentrated form several times more potent than the original Spell had possessed when I cast it.


    The Cultivators'' defensive formation buckled under the onslaught almost immediately. Left unprotected, the Cultivators'' flesh and bones disintegrated into a cloud of ash that blinded the nearest survivors who were lucky enough not to be caught in the initial blast.


    Attempting to escape, one of the Cultivators unwittingly ran through the concentrated Mana and disintegrated.


    Face marred by blood and ashes, a cultivator raised a knife to his throat with the intention of taking his own life. Only for the arm holding the knife to disappear.


    Now holding the man¡¯s knife, Kwan threw it at one of the dwindling number of survivors.


    The pommel of the dagger struck a man¡¯s temple with a sickening crack, sending his neck snapping backward at an unnatural angle. Having failed to find its mark as intended, and knocked off course besides, the dagger went sailing off into the distance.


    The suicidal Cultivator seized a sword from the ground with his left hand and angled the blade toward his throat. Only to find another terrified Cultivator already impaled upon the blade and staring back at him with desperate pleading eyes.


    Releasing the blade, the Cultivator cried out in terror and desperately scrambled away. Abandoning the others to their fate and fleeing toward the edge of the stone basin.


    Seemingly content to leave the Cultivator be, Kwan continued his bloody purge against the few invaders that remained within the centre of the basin.


    As something of a mercy, I cast Thundering Strikes on an Ice Bolt and shot it into the fleeing Cultivator¡¯s back.


    Initially impaled by the Ice Bolt, the Cultivator lost his footing and pitched forward. His chest exploded half a second later, killing him almost instantly.


    Kwan flexed his fingers and grinned triumphantly. ¡°So much power!¡± His eyes flashed dangerously as he surveyed the carnage within the basin, searching for another victim.


    In other circumstances, at another time, I would have found Kwan¡¯s bloodlust unsettling.


    Times had changed.


    What I needed was a loyal hound to protect the front gate and deal with any invaders. How those invaders were dealt with was not my concern.


    Expecting further incursions, I created five massive towers of ice on the periphery of the territory and then left Kwan¡¯s projection to his vigil. The pillars of ice would melt over time, but it would take hundreds of them to replace the entirety of what had been lost.


    Rather than hanging around and leaving myself open to attack. I decided it would be more prudent to simply create additional pillars as I worked elsewhere and then use my authority to deliver them. The five initial pillars were just intended as a show of good faith for Kwan.


    Returning to Momoko¡¯s peak, I was not surprised to find a small crowd waiting for me.


    Hana was the first to react to my presence. Her long emerald grass-like hair looked frayed and listless. ¡°Tim! What¡¯s going on? Is Momoko going to be alright?¡± Hana pointed frantically toward Momoko and her peach tree. ¡°I can¡¯t hear her voice! She won¡¯t speak to me!¡± Thick amber tears rolled down her cheeks.


    Kohana embraced her sister and tried to reassure her, but it was clear that she harboured concerns as well.


    And they were not the only ones.


    The crowd parted, mostly of their own accord, and partly from Lurr¡¯s not-so-subtle prompting. Revealing Lash and our two children seemingly sleeping at her side. ¡°They fell into slumber...and will not wake...¡± Lash said quietly. While lacking any overt signs of Hana¡¯s panic, there was no less concern.


    ¡°Tyrant,¡± Lurr stepped forward and bowed his head with grim resignation. ¡°Failed you...¡± He offered his axe and bared the back of his neck in expectation of punishment.


    Oba Kei slipped through the crowd, placing himself a step ahead of Lurr but not in front of him. ¡°My Tyrant, there was a terrible Tribulation storm! We did our best to shield them from the Heavens¡¯ wrath, but we were not strong enough...¡± His left arm hung limply at his side and a heavily bandaged hand could be seen peeking past the hem of his sleeve.


    ¡°Momoko is well,¡± I reassured Hana, sparing a moment to rest my hand on her shoulder as I brushed the others aside so I might approach my other children without trampling anyone in the process.


    ¡°There are no signs of injury, my Tyrant!¡± Wraithe announced anxiously while wringing her tail between her fingers. ¡°I cannot hear them either...Their minds are closed to me...¡±


    ¡°To me as well,¡± Gric added, his face ashen from failure.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Sebet chimed in awkwardly. ¡°But I only tried bec-¡±


    I motioned her to silence, making it clear I already understood from the context.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything close to the juice they have,¡± Jacque commented. ¡°And I can¡¯t hear their thoughts either. But I can feel they are still in there. So there is that,¡± she shrugged apologetically. Her current form imitated the appearance of Francis Asrus'' dead wife, regal dress and all. Striking a bold contrast between her appearance and her words.


    Jacque earned scrutinising looks from Sebet and the assembled Daemons.


    ¡°Poking about in my head won¡¯t give you anything more than I said already!¡± Jacque warned, hissing as she rubbed at her temple.


    A look from Gric brought the impromptu fact-finding mission to an abrupt halt.


    Toofy got up from her place at Suzy¡¯s side and wrapped my leg in a tight hug. ¡°Toofy sorry, Tim,¡± she sniffled, leaving a trail of tears and slimy mucus on my shin. ¡°Toofy not watch lessons...not there to help...¡±


    I gently lifted Toofy from the ground and hugged her to my chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay, everything is alright.¡±


    Toofy said something in reply, but it came out as an indecipherable string of mangled syllables.


    Gently patting Toofy¡¯s back, I continued toward the twins.


    ¡°You seem awfully calm...¡± Clarice commented warily. She winced and clenched her fists. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not saying you aren¡¯t worried or anything, just...You know...¡± She brusquely cleared her throat and focused on the twins instead. ¡°Nadine wanted to come but, with her new baby and all...¡± Clarice shrugged.


    I trusted Wraithe¡¯s attention to detail with my life, but I didn¡¯t feel satisfied until I had confirmed with my own eyes that they bore no injuries.


    ¡°They will be okay,¡± I reassured Lash. ¡°I had not expected it to happen so soon, but they are undergoing a significant Evolution.¡± I took a moment to motion to Kwan and Momoko as well. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take for them to wake. But when they do, they will be far more powerful than they once were.¡±


    In my heart and on an instinctive level, I knew everything I said was true. However, there was more I wasn¡¯t willing to divulge aloud. A part of me feared that giving voice to it would somehow collapse all potential possibilities into an absolute certainty Which was ridiculous and cowardly, given that I already knew it to be true.


    Momoko, Pete and Suzy would all pay a price for their newfound power. Just as I had done.


    I had seen the change in Kwan already. He had never been particularly averse to violence before, but there was an undercurrent of anger that had not been there before.


    The same anger and rage I felt within myself.


    If I could I would spare them, but it was already too late. And as much as I hated to admit, this power would help keep them safe in the uncertain days ahead.


    Shifting Pete and Suzy into the small lake, I did my best to make a temporary dwelling that would allow them a measure of privacy. I would have returned them to their beds in Sanctuary, but there was a distinct possibility that they might trigger a tribulation within the Grove. Which would place hundreds, even thousands of other lives at risk.


    It was better that they remained here on Momoko¡¯s peak. At least the lightning rods and isolated location would guarantee a certain degree of safety.


    Knowing full well that other matters demanded my attention, I remained with my family and did my best to explain what was happening in greater detail. Initially, it was mostly for Lash and Hana¡¯s benefit, but at a certain point, it required referencing what I had learned from the tablet. Which then required further explanations regarding the Angels and the danger they represented. Of course, including my inner circle meant that few of those who had gathered outside were excluded.


    Which was perhaps for the best.


    ¡°This is so fucked...¡± Jacque cursed with a hint of mania in her voice. ¡°I knew there had to be something really fucky about those Labyrinths! I just didn¡¯t expect it would be something this fucking stupid!¡±


    In a very literal sense, only Awakened like us could understand and appreciate the big picture.


    It was disturbing how accurate Jacque''s initial predictions and assumptions had been. What made it worse, was that the Awakened weren¡¯t even a primary focus of the System. They were a side project intended to synergise with the Tyrant project. A study to determine ideal personality profiles for a leadership caste.


    The Awakened project had changed focus long before Jacque had been selected as a candidate. Relegated as advanced training targets for the Tyrant project.


    The same went for the Labyrinths and Cultivator territories, They were both training fields intended to provide an approximation for what the tablet referred to as Tiamite Dungeons that existed outside in the real universe. The entire simulation was allegedly hosted using a modified Dungeon.


    Which made everything in the simulation an inversion of how the Dungeons normally functioned. Instead of projecting mana constructs externally, it generated mana constructs internally.


    Theoretically, it should be possible for a construct to leave the simulation. After all, the reason I had been created was to fight these Tiamites in a great war. Which would be rather pointless if these battles could only take place within the simulation.


    ¡°You learned all of this from this...artifice?¡± Sebet asked, her eyes wide with wonder.


    ¡°This is fucking nothing,¡± Jacque snorted, ¡°The internet would blow your fucking mind!¡±


    ¡°In-ter-net?¡± Sebet asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s like hundreds of thousands of libraries from all over the world, but you can find whatever you want from pretty much anywhere at any time,¡± I explained. ¡°Literature, art, music-¡±


    ¡°Porn!¡± Jacque interjected with a cackle, visibly calming down somewhat thanks to the change in topic.


    ¡°Pornography? Like lusty romances, indecent paintings and suggestively posed sculptures?¡± Sebet probed determinedly.


    Jacque and I shared a knowing glance.


    I made a point of breaking eye contact first and adjusting the twin''s submerged blankets.


    Jacque grinned lasciviously. ¡°This is gonna blow your mind...¡±


    The room went quiet as Jacque projected her thoughts for Sebet¡¯s viewing pleasure. Unfortunately, whatever was allowing me to eavesdrop on telepathic conversations between Cultivators made me privy to the entire exchange and with no way of knowing how to opt out of it.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Sebet bounced on her heels and gnawed at her lip in excitement. ¡°This in-ter-net is a valuable artefact indeed!¡±


    Gric snorted dismissively but said nothing.


    Clarice looked confused but quickly became embarrassed when Sebet repeated the presentation for her benefit.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I ordered upon realising there was a very real chance my children may possess the same ability as myself. ¡°You are not to raise such subjects around my children until they come of age. Am I understood?¡± I demanded firmly.


    ¡°Of course, my Tyrant,¡± Sebet agreed without argument.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair...¡± Jacque agreed apologetically. Her expression became conflicted shortly afterwards. ¡°Okay, so hear me out. What age would that be, exactly?¡± She asked tentatively. ¡°Cause remember, our kids are monsters, and they hatch with a whole mess of things already imprinted in their heads. And they grow up fast-¡± Jacque raised her right hand from her waist to above her head to emphasise her meaning. ¡°So-¡±


    ¡°Fifteen, minimum,¡± I interjected. Referencing a conversation I had with Lash on the subject months earlier. ¡°Intellectually, they might be equivalent to a modern eighteen or twenty-year-old as young as a few years old. But emotionally? Most of the tribes don¡¯t consider someone mature enough for a Bond until they reach at least fifteen.¡±


    Lash nodded in support and Toofy scratched her head uncertainly.


    ¡°Okay...¡± Jacque agreed tentatively. ¡°But what about Gric and the other Daemons?¡±


    I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose to ward off a headache. ¡°The Daemons are a special case...¡± I sighed tiredly. ¡°Especially Gric. I sincerely doubt there is much of anything you could show him that he hasn¡¯t seen thousands of times already...As for his emotional intelligence, I don¡¯t think I have the necessary doctorates to begin to approach assessing that.¡±


    Gric grinned smugly but soured when Sebet began to snicker.


    ¡°Enough,¡± I insisted. ¡°I have made my darling known, and that¡¯s what we will stick to. So, if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to spend some time with my family.¡±


    ¡°Mhm! Shoo!¡± Toofy nodded emphatically and splashed at the others until they began moving toward the exit. Content that she had seen them out, Toofy withdrew a large lilypad from her Storage and began making herself at home.


    Amused by Toofy¡¯s actions, I decided she could stay. Besides, I felt better knowing that she was looking out for Lash and my children.


    After spending a few hours with Lash and Toofy, I reluctantly set myself to work. With war on the horizon, I couldn¡¯t afford to remain idle.


    Travelling to the private training grounds in the Oba clan estate, I found Oba Kei directing a small brigade of servants to restore the courtyard to a semblance of order.


    The trees and light shrubbery were barely more than blackened ruins, but a small handful of young Cultivators were doing their best to coax the life that remained back from the brink using their Wood Affinity.


    The other servants were scrubbing, chiselling and carrying away blackened chunks of masonry and shattered tiles.


    ¡°My Tyrant,¡± Oba Kei bowed respectfully, his left arm hanging limply as he did so.


    ¡°Tyrant,¡± the servants repeated respectfully before returning to their work.


    ¡°How may I assist you, my Tyrant?¡± Oba Kei asked earnestly. No doubt still unfairly blaming himself for what had happened to Pete and Suzy.


    If anyone was to blame, it was me. Which made the old man¡¯s injury all the more galling.


    ¡°Do you remember our discussion regarding the means of repairing a damaged foundation?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± Oba Kei confirmed, his bright emerald eyes taking on new life and vigour. ¡°Is it time for the Celestial Beast taming ceremony?¡± He asked excitedly. ¡°Or perhaps a knowledgeable Alchemist has been located?¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I had intended to address the taming ceremony sooner rather than later, given I had been forced to cancel at short notice while dealing with the beetle-men. So I was fine with moving it forward as a priority.


    I raised a hand to forestall further questions. ¡°If I recall correctly, you said one possible means of repairing a damaged foundation was by the hand of a powerful Cultivator. Is that true?¡±


    Oba Kei nodded but appeared uncertain. Unlike most, he knew I was not much of a Cultivator at all. Barely an initiate.


    ¡°I would discuss something with you in private,¡± I told him and then relocated us both to an isolated territory. ¡°I will be blunt. Do you believe you could repair a damaged foundation-¡± I held up my hand again to forestall a reply until I was finished. ¡°-assuming you had at least a portion of my power at your disposal?¡±


    Oba Kei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he appeared too shocked to form a reply.


    To emphasise my point I gathered a portion of my Mana.


    Oba Kei¡¯s face grew deathly pale and he nearly fell to his knees before catching himself at the last moment. ¡°This...My Tyrant...You are a hidden Deity?!¡± He wheezed breathlessly.


    I chose not to answer. I actually wasn¡¯t sure where I would rank on the Cultivator power scale. Especially since my combat capabilities mostly came from Abilities in the other System.


    ¡°Yes or no?¡± Insisted.


    ¡°With just a drop of such power...¡± Oba Kei shook his head and attempted an expansive gesture that failed to translate due to his crippled arm. ¡°Even a foundation torn up by the roots could be grown into a once in a thousand year talent!¡±


    Despite his confidence, I didn''t want to get too far ahead of myself. So I made an effort to rein in my expectations.


    ¡°Is there an older clan member with a damaged foundation that would volunteer for this experimental treatment?¡± I asked, utterly unwilling to experiment on children.


    The elders of the clan had already participated in inheritance experiments that restored their Cultivation. But the procedure wasn¡¯t ideal. If someone¡¯s foundation was too badly damaged, the procedure could kill the patient.


    ¡°The Patriarch...¡± Oba Kei said quietly, seeming not to realise he had spoken. ¡°The clan Patriarch! His foundation is badly damaged and is in poor health. The Oba clan already owes a debt we cannot dream to repay in a thousand lifetimes...But if you can save the Patriarch and the young lord!... Even our ancient ancestors would sing your praises!¡±


    The young lord, Oba Sora, was the Patriarch, Oba Shoji¡¯s grandson. From what I had been told at the time, Sora had been crippled in a duel. Most of the remaining clan members had been crippled weathering opportunistic attacks from other clans before I decided to take them in.


    If Oba Shoji was already on death¡¯s door, it would be hard to find a more opportune test subject that met my moral requirements.


    ¡°Inform him of what I have proposed,¡± I ordered and relocated us both to the private training grounds. ¡°Return when you have an answer.¡±


    Oba Kei Bowed excitedly and raced from the training grounds with the use of a Movement Technique.


    To pass the time, I restored some of the damaged stonework and brought new life to the courtyard. Much to the amazement of the young Cultivators.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Oba Kei to return with his Patriarch¡¯s reply, along with the Patriarch himself.


    Like most of the other elderly Cultivators of the Oba clan, the Patriarch wore long robes that prioritised comfort while advertising status. Thin to the point of emaciation and riddled with liver spots, it wasn¡¯t difficult to believe he was on death¡¯s door. ¡°If it will see my Shoji made whole again, I will do anything!¡± Oba Shoji barked weakly while leaning on Oba Kei for support. The short affirmation was all it took to trigger a violent coughing fit that left his sleeve stained with blood.


    After returning to the isolated territory with the two Oba clan members in tow, I spared a moment to ¡®borrow¡¯ an I-beam from the Dwergi foundries to serve as an improvised lightning rod.


    ¡°So...How should we proceed?¡± I turned to Oba Kei for suggestions. ¡°Should I just inject the energy into his core? Or?...¡±


    Oba Kei nodded stiffly. ¡°In instances of severe damage, the Dantian must be forged anew,¡± he explained while settling the Patriarch into a sitting meditation pose on the ground.


    ¡°For the pain, Patriarch,¡± Oba Kei slipped a thick strip of leather with a strong medicinal scent between Oba Shoji¡¯s teeth.


    Oba Shoji grunted in thanks and then gave me a stiff nod to signal he was ready to proceed.


    Extending my senses, I gathered a tiny amount of Mana, barely a single point¡¯s worth, and injected it into the shattered remains of the Patriarch¡¯s core. Now there was nothing left to do but wait and see if the venerable Patriarch had the remaining will and grit to see the process through.