Chapter 16: Memory Lane
Sitting in my domain, I focused on my minions who were hard at work… working.
Well, everyone but Dave.
For Dave, I allowed the large lizard to relax on a bed entirely woven by spiders. One that been stripped of its stickiness thanks to my slimes partially dissolving the webs.
It had taken some time, and some experimentation, but Dave now had a bed to lay on for when he wasn't out hunting.
A thank you for his hard work after our recent expedition, after all he had tried his best and deserved something for nearly dying and having his teeth knocked out.
Since returning to my domain my list of minions had expanded to include: Slimey, Dave, Spooderman, ten cleaning slimes baptized by Slimey, five other spiders, and now two skeletons.
The skeletons were something I had found after they had wandered into my spider alarm system, the skeletons getting stuck in the webs spun at the edges of my domain to ensnare and reveal any intruder.
And they had worked! Much sooner than I had expected!
Hector: Minor Skeleton LvL: 7
HP: 70/70
MP: 0/0
Skills: Undead.
Chloe: Minor Skeleton LvL: 5
HP: 50/50
MP: 0/0
Skills: Undead.
The skeletons weren't very strong though, and didn’t possess skills other than undead which let them reform so long as their core remained intact, but what they lacked in strength, they more than made up for it in FINGERS! AND TOOLS! Both had rusty swords, allowing me to use them as fighters.
However, unlike my other minions, these undead possessed no thoughts or feelings, at least, none of which I could discern. There was obviously a will there, something for me to dominate, but it felt extremely muted, dull. A blank slate awaiting a master to paint their canvas on.
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So that’s what I did.
Since I had dominated both skeletons at the same time, I decided to name them togther.
Hector and Chloe.
The taller skeleton with a thicker pelvis bone being Hector, and the smaller skeleton missing a few ribs being Chloe.
Named after my companions of old course. My original adventuring team.
Both of whom were no doubt long departed from this world after my defeat at the hands of the demonlord.
I wonder what they would say about my current predicament? Hector would obviously laugh and probably toss me into the lady’s bathroom to describe the things going on like the degenerate he was, while Chloe would most likely panic and attempt to rush me to the nearest temple with tears in her (blue?) eyes.
Hmm. It’s been so long I can barely remember their faces. Its like I can picture them, remember their voices, the laughter, and sometimes the scenery like our campsites and inns but their faces…they were just blurs… gaps in my memory caused by the erosion of time.
An odd sense of melancholy began to take root, a feeling of sadness that permeated within my rubber body as a string of fractured memories played out.
One of my former life. Reminders of my failure.
I could see them, shards of memories long thought lost resurfacing in a way that was both sweet yet bitter. The life I had left behind, the friends I no longer had. The world I had failed.
And now that same world had moved on after my absence.
It kinda hurt.
Putting that aside, I focused instead on my minions. I couldn’t influence the past, only look to the future, and right now, the future I envisioned was one of purity, of cleanliness, of peace, and prosperity! One ruled by my hand!!! Errr, beak?
But to do that I had to make sure my employees were up to the snuff! That they wouldn’t lose to one measly human! That no one and nothing could hurt or threaten to take away my freedom ever again!
To that end I watched my minions grow, observed their mannerisms, tracked their levels.
It was a slow process but I guess that's why they call it grinding.
But it would all be worth it if I could rise from this filth and ascend to heights unexpected by even the god that sent me here!
Hours on hours passed, my minions gaining skills and experience by scouring the floor.
Despite the time sink, it didn’t seem as though my minions were really gathering strength. From what I surmised, three days had passed, and in those three days Slimey had only leveled up once while Dave had reached level fifteen. My other employees were having a good go at it, but it seemed that my two champions had hit a bottled neck, stifling their growth.
A big no no.
Now I was stuck in a dilemma… should I continue the pace that I’m at. Slow and steady? Safe? Or should I send them out to scour once more into the unknown for stronger foes? Could we even handle stronger foes?
It was all about balancing risk and reward.
I didn’t want my precious babies to be hurt obviously, but if there was no pain how could I suspect them to gain?
I knew what needed to be done. OF course I knew. But I am reluctant after my last encounter.
Sigh.
Hesitation is defeat. This I know, and procrastination is the death of time. My enemies wouldn’t wait for me to get stronger nor should I expect them to.
Turning my attention to Slimey who was having fun with its black dress and Dave that was munching on a monster core being fed to it by Spooderman, I gave my orders.
It was time for round 2.