Ashley

I quickly open the message and read it after my brief surprise ends.

Hello.

My name is Dhalia Velonna Blight, the Queen of Purgatory and first Successor to Hel, the Primordial of Death.

I will not beat around the bush, the reason I am contacting you is simple.

I wish to be in your favor so that I can make an important request in the distant future, once you’re strong enough. And to that end, I will aid you when I can.

Do not feel like you must repay me for any of the favors I will be granting you.

Simply consider my request when I make it in the future.

To start, I would like to represent Purgatory in creating an alliance between us and yourself.

Please think it over and respond once you are out of the Unique Domain.

Goodbye.

Well that’s… unexpected.

“Very,” Chaos adds, sounding just as surprised as I am. “Hel and her Successors are all famous for their lack of any sort of emotions, whether anger, sorrow, happiness, or love. They are the epitome of pragmatic and work-focused loners, and they also refuse to work with most other nations in any capacity beyond their job of managing the cycle of death and reincarnation.”

That’s what I heard on the forums as well.

And, to be honest, I can respect that sort of attitude.

For some reason it makes me trust them more as well. The fact that they have no emotions.

Emotions are a confusing mess and make some peoples’ actions illogical. So someone without emotions is easier to figure out the motivations for.

I think I’ll work with them.

“That was a surprisingly fast decision,” Chaos says, almost making me imagine him with a raised brow because of his tone.

I just shrug before looking up at the ceiling of the shed, ignoring the movements I hear outside along with the kobold’s little shouting screeches and roars. Noise caused by their continued search for me, which has been ongoing for a little while now.

After they no doubt noticed the signs of my presence left outside of the fortress, and possibly the missing kobolds as well.

There’s only so long they can go without realizing a good third of their weaker forces are missing.

I go ahead and look at the System Forums revolving around Val while I wait for them to calm down again. For them to come to the conclusion that whatever was happening isn’t happening anymore.

And what I find on the System Forums is rather interesting.

There’s a lot of focus on me and what’s happening to two of the world’s Successors, along with what it means for the future after we die – there being quite the number of people assuming we’re already dead at this point – and quite a bit of progress on the world itself. Returning order to it in its entirety, setting up the power structure between the new Spire Lords and Ladies now that territory is distributed and people have access to their Skill Trees, and so on.

I find the corner of my lips tilting downwards a little though when I see the news about how my so-called parents are pretty much on top of it all though. With both of them being the strongest powers there are. Followed shortly after by my older sister and younger brother. Neither of whom I’ve met.

The Black Enforcer even started up a guild of his own, registered with the System and everything. One to manage Gates under his authority. Since he’s the Lord of more than one Spire now.

Not sure why. Something about the others just giving up their authority.

I doubt it was that simple, though.

Don’t really care either. So long as he doesn’t try anything against me.

On that note, everyone has left my and Blake’s territories alone other than some people freely dealing with the Gates in the area that open up. Likely partially due to the pressure from the Tower of Chaos for everyone else to piss off. But the ones dealing with the Gates will likely all flee whenever this Unique Domain starts to get close to bursting.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

In fact, the people in the capital overall are starting to build up some defenses within my territory in some sad attempt to fight off against the UM for when it ‘inevitably defeats me and Blake and breaks free’.

It’s kind of sad how everyone just assumes I’m going to die.

How pathetic.

Although…

My mind returns to the Successor of Death who seemed so absolutely sure I would win.

“It is my assumption that Hel understands the true power of Assimilate, unlike many of the others,” Chaos explains his thoughts on the matter.

That would make some sense, but I’m still curious about her absolute certainty.

“Well that,” Chaos begins, “would be because the Successors of Death and Hel are the types to put all of their coin on one single gamble for a big win.”

So they just put everything on me and aren’t even considering the consequences of if I lose. Is that it?

“Pretty much,” Chaos continues. “And they’ve never been wrong before, so I’m quite happy about this.”

Hmm.

By the way, how are you always available to talk to me like this anyways? Don’t you have work to do as a Primordial?

I’ve been wondering this for a while now.

“Work?” Chaos asks, sounding genuinely confused for some reason. “Why would I need to work? I can just leave that to my clones.”

I open my mouth for a second, only to close it again without making a sound.

That actually makes sense.

I pity the clones though.

“No need to do that, I give them all time off as well,” Chaos adds, briefly making me wonder what sort of thing the clones of the Primordial of Chaos would do for fun on their time off. But then I realize I don’t really want to know.

Anyways, after hours of waiting, the kobolds finally calm down.

So I peek out of the shed before teleporting to the shadows within the wall near the shed. Something only possible because of the strange black and red sun high in the sky no doubt being on the opposite side of this wall. Which is rather convenient for me.

Even if said sun doesn’t exactly give off much of any light.

Then I quickly use my new skill, Concealment Veil, to hide my presence entirely until I get close to a pair of kobolds on the first floor of the wall. Kobolds I make quick work of by stabbing one through the throat before teleporting to the other through my shadow and doing the same to them.

Not even using up any mana or energy in the process beyond a single unit of each.

And without pausing for a second, I reactivate Concealment Veil and rush to find my next target. And my next. And the next.

And after killing a few dozen more kobolds with several kobold guardsmen mixed in, I proceed to rush back towards my lovely little base within their base. Then I repeat this process over the course of the next day and a half.

Until the fortress begins to have a rather large shortage of kobolds in general. On the walls, at least.

I can sense more kobolds deeper within the fortress.

Stronger ones.

Much. Stronger. Ones.

I purse my lips for a few seconds before opening my newly updated status.

Ashley Sinclair *

33/44 #

31/31 #

Level 62

84

PHY

83

MEN

127

MAG

Chaos Energy

24/34 #

Successor of Chaos

Overall, some really nice changes. I also gained another 441 new Skill Points during the rest of the kobold hunt as well.

Enough to get a few more skills.

Skills that I won’t make stealth ones this time. Mostly because there isn’t as much stealth that I can do in the inner fortress, what with the monsters there being much stronger than me and – according to Blake – have higher perception as well.

So combat is more important now.

Right as I’m about to return to the shed to start my purchasing spree, though, I begin to hear drums.

What the…

I stop right outside of the shed window as I sense a large number of the powerful creatures within the fortress heading for the walls. With two of them entering my sight on opposite sides of the shed, both heading for entrances to the walls. And both of whom stop when they see me.

A chill runs down my spine when I identify the first one.

♢ Level 68 Destruction-Touched Kobold Knight – 384 Potential Skills – X ♢

Well, shit.