The town of Luffa was bigger than Hallibrush and had large sections of its walls reinforced with stone. They were a step before becoming a city. The local lord had made excellent investments that increased trade and business, making the people prosperous. Unlike Hallibrush, Luffa had satellite versions of various guilds and an OWP office.
Michael and Liara checked at the Mercenary Guild office for more job details. An employee was pointing out a spot on the map.
“This is the area the ogre is believed to have made its home. We have not found it yet, but it has been spotted at these locations.” The man explained.
“The guild uses such information to determine the most likely area for the ogre’s home. It is sometimes too dangerous to enter its hunting ground. But with this, it should make it easier.” Liara explained to Michael. He thanked her.
The employee continued. “For the Gore Bulls, they have been spotted grazing in the northwest plains here.”
Liara noted the location on her Crys-Link map.
“Thanks for the info.” Michael thanked the employee, and the two headed out.
Luffa was lively, with stalls and people going about their lives. Occasionally some people would look at Liara curiously, but it didn’t bother them.
“When would be a good time to go for the ogre?” Michael asked.
“Usually the evening, just before sundown. They can see in the dark but much prefer to hunt during the day.” Liara answered.
Michael nodded in understanding. It was the time that most things were awake.
Their goal was to deal with the ogre first since it was causing issues for the town hunters and putting the farmers at risk. Gore Bulls usually avoided civilization and rarely left their territory. The other problem with ogres is that even one could destroy an ecosystem due to their massive appetite.
“Do we want to eat here or have some of the prepared meals?” Michael asked.
Before the two left Galgalake, Rana and Lily made twenty meals to fill Michael’s meal bins. The two loved Rana’s cooking, but they decided to try some of the local cuisine, which was Gore Bull meat.
Through some of Rana’s market research, she found a popular restaurant for them to try. The demi woman also demanded that the two bring back a few Gore Bulls for her to cook with. Rana was skilled enough that she would be able to dismantle and utilize the components best.
Michael and Liara entered the restaurant. It was busy, but they were able to get some seats.
“Welcome to Gore Burger! May I take your order?” A cute demi-mouse asked.
Michael ordered a ribeye steak with onion rings. Liara asked if they had a special.
“Our special today is our Bloodier Then Hell Burger!” The server commented cheerfully.
Liara requested the special, and the server left.
Michael snickered to himself. “The place really goes for gory terms for their products. I mean, sheesh, I just ordered the ‘It was just Mooing Steak.’”
Liara laughed, agreeing with him. Michael pulled out his Crys-link and called Rana on a video call.
Before long, an image of the demi woman floated above his device.
“How are things in Luffa?” She asked.
“Prosperous as you predicted. I just sent you an image of their menu.” Liara said.
“I received it. Not many places can be successful with such product names, but the owner is quite talented in marketing to the rougher crowd common in Luffa.” Rana commented.
“Still, the food looks good here,” Liara commented as a server walked by with someone’s order.
“When do you two think you will be returning?” Rana asked.
“You just want to spend some private time with Cael.” Liara teased.
Rana became bashful. “I will not deny that. But the demon woman is still sniffing around.”
“Really? Maybe I should have throttled her more?” Liara huffed.
Michael had a hell of a time trying to explain that nothing had happened between him and Listamati. Still, they eventually understood that the woman was obsessed with Michael for unknown reasons.
“Were you able to find out anything?” Michael asked.
“I tried contacting some people I knew in Venture, but they didn’t know why she is pursuing you. At the very least, I can say that she does not seem nefarious in her desire. But personally, I don’t want another woman in the house.” Rana huffed.
“Maybe we should talk to her together?” Michael asked
“You’re a bit too soft, big guy.” Liara teased, but Michael had to agree. He was soft in certain situations.
“Lia is right. She may lie or put on an act. It may be best that I continue to investigate her. I will let you two know if I happen to find anything out. Be careful out there. See you two when you return. Don’t forget about my request.” Rana said goodbye, and they ended their call.
Michael was getting more curious about Listamati’s deal but didn’t want to bypass Liara and Rana. He knew they wouldn’t leave him at this point. He just didn’t want to disappoint them.
A few minutes went by, and their order came out.
Michael’s steak was thinly sliced for him and had a spread of stir-fried peppers on top.
Liara’s burger had a red theme to it. Bun, meat, tomatoes, sauce, everything was red and made to look like its namesake, bloodier than hell.
Michael laughed as Liara inspected it, trying to figure out how to eat it and not get it all over herself.
Holding his steak knife up to her, he suggested cutting it in half to make it easier to control.
Liara smiled and did so. As Michael said, it made it a lot easier to eat. A nearby patron who mistakenly ordered the burger saw what Liara did and copied it happily.
The peppers on the sliced ribeye had a good flavor and a bit of a spicy kick. The meat was juicy and not dried out in the least bit.
The couple shared bites of their meals with each other lovingly, drawing a few looks of jealousy from men and giggles from ladies.
Neither of the two cared as they were in their own little world.
One patron became too agitated and approached their table.
Slamming his hands on the table. “Hey!”
His actions startled Liara just enough to cause her to drop what was left of her burger. It splattered to the floor, bringing a look of sadness to her features. She was really enjoying the burger.
“Do you two min-!?” The man tried to continue his tirade, but Michael seeing Liara sad lashed out with a quick overhead ‘THUNK’ to the top of the man’s head.
The floor cracked, and the man was driven into the floor like a nail. His head lulled, and he foamed at the mouth.
Michael internally regretted his actions, but he eyed everyone in the room. “No one makes my wife sad.” That is all he said.
The men went to mind their own business, but the ladies squealed at how sweet the situation sounded.
Michael stood, picked the man like a weed, and tossed him out of the restaurant. After, he went to the counter to apologize to the owner and compensate them for the damage.
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To his surprise, the owner was laughing hysterically instead of being mad. He only asked for a couple hundred Tress to repair the floor. Michael also offered to pay for the man’s meal since he tossed the man out, but the owner turned it down, saying the laugh he had was well worth the cheap meal the man ordered. After paying for their meal and generously tipping the server, the couple headed out.
“You did well, my dear husband. Let’s head back to the inn. This appreciative wife wishes to reward her protective husband.” Liara’s face was flushed with a lustful grin on her face.
They quickly returned to the inn to ‘Rest’ until later.
Liara sat on Michael’s lap as they slipped through the darkness beneath the trees. The two of them arrived at Luffa quickly, thanks to the ability of One with Darkness.
Michael brought them to a stop.
“You find it?” Liara asked.
“Something else…” Michael moved to bring them into the forest.
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“Run, John!” A demi-human man in hunter’s gear yelled while dragging the young man with him.
“Dammit! I thought it was said to be deeper inside!” The young man, John, yelled.
The two ran as the ogre charged after them, slowly gaining with its long strides.
“Shit. Get back to the town, John!” The old hunter turned and fired an arrow at the ogre, angering it.
“Dad!” John yelled as his father drew the ogre’s attention away.
“Dammit, RUN!” John’s father yelled, narrowly dodging a strike from the ogre’s log weapon.
John didn’t want to leave his father behind. He drew an arrow and fired at the ogre.
The ogre got irritated but continued in pursuit of John’s father.
Blood drained from John’s face as he watched his father get clipped by the ogre’s weapon, sending the man flying.
“NO!” John charged at the ogre, firing arrow after arrow, trying to draw it away.
The ogre lifted its log to John’s despair. The log weapon swung down, only to be caught by the biggest demon John had ever seen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael punched the ogre in the chest, sending it rolling back.
[OW! DAT HURT!] The ogre complained.
Liara rushed to the fallen hunter and checked him. “He’s still alive, Cael.”
“Get them back. I’ll deal with this.” A wild grin came to Michael’s face.
Michael didn’t experience it when he dealt with the goblins, as his disgust drove him. But now, his Lord of War skill was coming to play.
Lord of War. This passive skill drives one to crave victory in battles. Blessed with combat abilities beyond his foes, all will fall before the Lord of War. When a challenge is seen, the desire to face it stirs the spirit to seek battle. You are immune to mental effects such as fear, captivation, hypnotizing, domination, and any other abilities that try to affect the mind. This skill dramatically boosts physical stats and gives mastery of non-magic-related combat skills. Active Skills: War Cry, Intimidate, Warlord, Eternal March, Resupply, Indomitable Fortress, Tactical Map, Siege Knocker, and Unstoppable Charge.
The ogre got up and looked at Michael in confusion. [Great Master?]
“Nothing personal. But you are causing problems here.” Michael said.
Liara took the two hunters out of earshot to heal the wounded man and keep them from discovering that Michael could communicate with monsters.
[Why help meat? Meat for squishing and eating.] The ogre was upset.
“I happen to like them more than you. You smell as bad as the last one I killed.” Michael answered, pulling out his jager mace.
[Huh?! You not Great Master! You phony!] The ogre roared and charged at Michael.
With a single swing from Michael, the ogre’s log weapon was reduced to splinters.
[Huh?] The ogre looked dumbly at the piece left in its hand.
Michael swung for the head, pile-driving it into the monster’s torso.
The heavy body fell to the ground with a thud, and Michael headed to Liara.
“Is my dad going to be okay?” The young man asked.
Liara had finished treating the man’s internal injuries and was getting the man’s arm reset.
“He’ll be fine. Though his arm is going to be sore for a week. He will need to take it easy for a few days so that the bone sets correctly.” Liara explained as she finished.
Michael came up. Liara informed him that the hunter would be fine and that she had healed him.
With Michael’s power, they needed to take precautions against letting him do too much in front of others. Perhaps he could be more open once he is stronger and has strong support. Michael needed to lay low with the Heroes continuing their goal to get stronger.
Speaking of the Heroes. Another part of Rana’s work was investigating the Heroes around the world. Right now, she could only get general information and rumors about the five.
Hana, the Hero of Io, was well-liked by the people. She could not inspire soldiers into battle, but she used her high magic capabilities to help some local towns. The most recent rumor about her was that she was assisting a village to the northeast with a drought.
In Asterialaven, the capital city of the demon nation, the Hero of Nanduun, a man by the name of Greggory, was accepted by most of the common demon populace. Rumors, though, said that relations between the Hero and half of the nobility were strained.
The Hero of Tilra, a woman named Lindsey, was doing little battling herself as she was strictly a healer with the goal of reaching the Saintess class. Rumor of her was that she was traveling throughout many nations with the help of the temples to heal the sick or wounded.
Orbus’ Hero, a fiery woman named Haley, was making a name for herself. She was going about the nation she was summoned to, exposing corruption. It did lead to some negative impacts with the rapid vacuum of several high-ranking nobles being ousted, but the royal family of the nations was doing well to mitigate the damage.
The final Hero, Sylfaerune’s, a man named Gabriel, was well-loved by nobles and the military. Rana tried gathering what the general populace thought of him, but very little was available. The latest rumor she could get was that the Hero was headed to a new dungeon to train.
Michael asked Rana to investigate why each of the Heroes was acting separately. If there was a reason, he was curious to know.
“Dad!” The young man was thankful his father finally opened his eyes.
“Welp. I guess I didn’t die.” The father looked up at Michael and Liara. “I’m guessing you two saved us?”
Michael nodded.
“Much obliged.” The man sat up, feeling discomfort in his arm.
“Take it easy on the arm for a few days. A full week before you should be fine.” Liara advised him.
“Thank you. My name’s John. This is my son, John Jr. We owe you our lives.” John bowed his head as his son helped him up.
“Truly! I wish I could have seen the battle!” John Jr. exclaimed.
His father knocked on his son’s head. “I told you to run! I’m proud of your bravery, but you still should have run.”
“Sorry, Dad.” John Jr.’s shoulders slouched.
“Let’s get you two back to town,” Michael said, leading the way back.
The Johns invited the two of them to their small home in town for dinner. John Sr.’s wife was quite distraught to hear that her husband of nineteen years had come so close to death. The small woman thanked both Michael and Liara profusely.
John Jr.’s wife, who looked to be a few months pregnant, joined in helping her mother-in-law cook a feast. With them being a family of hunters, they had some excellent cuts of meat, including the Gore Bull.
“So, when it comes to dealing with Gore Bulls, the best way I have found is to ambush one from a distance. They are territorial and typically team up in groups of three to four to deal with interlopers. If you drop some from a distance, you just have to wait about an hour before the bulls stand down and move on.” John Sr. explained.
“Are they as strong as an ogre?” Michael asked.
“Individually, no. The greater the threat, the more will join in the fight. The other thing with their team-ups is that if you cut down one, another will fill the space. Their teamwork is quite exceptional, so you must be careful hunting them. If you let down your guard, you will learn why they are called Gore Bulls.” The seasoned hunter said.
“Thanks for the information.” Michael tried to compensate the hunter with some Tress, but the man turned them down.
“This is the least I can do, Mr. Caeldaemos.” John Sr. gave a happy smile.
“Oh, Father, did you hear?” John Jr.’s wife came in, setting down a few plates of food.
“Hear what?” He asked, helping her to her seat.
“A Hero is supposedly coming here!” She said, bouncing in her seat excitedly.
Michael and Liara tensed.
“Really? Is it Io’s?” John Jr. asked as he came in with his mother, carrying the last few plates of food.
“Yes! I’m so excited to see a Hero.” The young lady grinned happily.
John Sr. turned to Michael. “What do you think, Mr. Caeldaemos?” Completely unaware of how worried Michael was.
“Well, I have seen her before. She seemed to be a nice person, but I felt… nervous… being around her.” Michael answered.
John Sr. laughed aloud. “True! Being close to a hero might make anyone nervous. But not as nervous as the Demon-Lord would be!” The kind family laughed together, none the wiser that said Demon-Lord was sitting at their table.
“Speaking of the Demon-Lord, did you hear anything at the town hall meeting this afternoon?” John Sr.’s wife asked.
The mirth died down. “None yet. It really is the strangest thing. This has never happened before. Our world might be in for a rough patch because the Demon-Lord might be smart. Bidding their time to strike the Heroes when they are unaware.” John Sr. stated.
Liara decided to chime in. “Could it be possible that the Demon-Lord could be different than the last ones?” She asked.
“Different, how?” John Sr. asked.
“Like, what if we got lucky and this one didn’t want to kill everyone?” Liara asked.
The family of hunters stopped to think about Liara’s question.
“I would find it hard to believe that a Demon-Lord like that could exist, but if something like that were to happen… I don’t know.” John Sr. felt it would be nice if something like that could happen.
“So, just as an example. You heard about Hallibrush, right?” Liara asked.
The family said they had heard of the human baron that attacked the town.
“How would you feel if instead of my lovely husband here who saved the town, it was said that the Demon-Lord saved them?” Liara asked, hanging onto a frozen Michael’s arm.
“You were the demon that saved Hallibrush? Heh, I’ll believe it. You did take down that ogre with a single hit. But, if it was the Demon-Lord that saved them, I would question what purpose it had. Like, what if the Demon-Lord’s goal was to take over a nation of people and attack the rest of the world? I don’t know, miss. It really is hard to tell for a question like that. If the Demon-Lord was truly a good being, then I guess I would welcome it.” John Sr. finished his answer.
The old hunter’s answer weighed on Michael’s heart. He at least had a bit of an answer. Michael would have to try to overcome the massive mountain of a stigma of fear and hatred of Demon-Lords if he hoped to have a peaceful life in the future. For now, he would stick with the plan his family devised: first, make himself out to be a well-known mercenary. To do that, he needed to climb the ranks.
The couple enjoyed the dinner the hunter family treated them to and left to return to the inn.
It was nighttime, and the main roads were lit with magic lamps. Liara hung on Michael’s arm as they headed down the less busy street.
“I’m sorry, Michael,” Liara said.
“For what?” He asked.
“I’m sure I made you nervous with those questions.” Liara looked away from him, feeling guilty.
“It’s alright. I was nervous, but it did give me something. It helped to put into perspective how big a mountain I gotta climb.” Michael answered, putting a hand over hers.
“That we have to climb. Rana and I are in this with you, okay?” Liara leaned into him.
Michael smiled. He was happy the two ladies decided to put their faith in him. He would do everything he could to never disappoint them.
They turned in for the night. Tomorrow they would finish their job with the Gore Bulls and get out of Luffa before, they hoped, Hana arrived.