Day 21
They circled the bloated farm covered in green fields with massive battle chickens roaming freely like they owned the place. At first, the multicolored dots seemed to be meandering about the property, possibly after killing off the farmer. A closer inspection revealed a terrifying truth. The battle chickens, numbering well over 1000, were working the farm.
"Rarely have I seen a farmer so successful. You said he was stubborn, and you broke his hands. I'm guessing you used your ogre." Scout said.
"His family must have broken the law," Tony said.
"Your incompetence disturbs me. We didn't sign up to break into whatever this is." Mr. Birdmask said.
Tony looked between the bird-masked individual and the Easton young man wrapped in a worn, luxurious robe fit for a princess. Every movement of the man was filled with shaking, and Tony hadn't had the guts to ask why they brought a cripple along. Meng Bao was the man's name, and the mercenaries treated him like a champion or at least a senator.
"There are chimera rabbits among the other monsters; the area is filled with psychic energy. At least one is a powerful telepath." Martin said.
The mage was a Yorkshire academy dropout. From what Sandy could get, Martin Luthur's only strength as a mage was in his avatar. No, that didn't mean he had lots of mana to use or powerful skills. Martin's avatar could physically move matter and interact with the world. While that sounded as cool as the 6 Kaiju, it wasn't. Strong for an avatar was being able to move dust particles under a light. There were no mage skills that could synergize with an avatar's physical effects on the world. Mr. Bird found him apprenticed to a hamlet enchanter near the Easton border. That was before Mr. Bird loaded the useless mage with enough fire skills to join the army as an artillery mage upon signing.
"We have air superiority, and you're all about burning things to a crisp. Open fire. I'm not paying you to play nice with the farmer." Tony said.
"You want one of my people to open fire on a civilian assisting the Weston government with taming land in a level 4 territory." Mr. Bird said.
"By the gaping maws of giga, Hydras makes sense. What is a level 4 territory? We use ranks for monsters and levels for human classes."
"Far, take a breath; if you get pissed off at every ignorant person we meet, you'll be mad all day." The cripple said.
His questions remained unanswered as they stared at a rank two hawk diving toward a young hen out in the open pulling weeds. The bird looked fine; its feathers were a beautiful shade of red and rusty brown glossy in the sunlight. It looked like a healthy specimen, maybe two years old, so in its adolescence. So why did it die the second it committed.
"No, that isn't possible. Scout, I did not just see a telepathic assassination. Tell my eyes to tell me lies, and we are not entering this farmer's property unannounced." Martin said.
"You never mentioned something like this before; why is it special?" Mr. Bird asked.
Tony had a feeling they were stumbling on a well-kept secret, protecting the masses through ignorance instead of fines because it was too dangerous. This wasn't the first time he ran into this kind of government work. What shocked him was how remote they were. Nothing happened in Rasputin.
"It shouldn't be possible, and it sure isn't easy. Fell and psychic energies aren't used together. Only artificial insemination showed any results worth a damn, and they weren't what I would call promising. Mind killers are impossible to control; they turn on the tamers who try first. Dungeon-made ones aren't impossible to find, but how could a farmer take one out of a dungeon."
"How are we certain this isn't the farmer's doing." Mr. Bird said.
A shiver ran down Tony's spine at that thought.
"I left him with broken hands and an open gate." Tony looked over the side with his binoculars to see a very tall gate that was alive; somehow, the gate had become a monster. Down below, watching them beside a chimera rabbit of all monsters, was the same farmer he remembered but different. A maneater was perched on the man's shoulder one of the most dangerous monster's to tame besides dragons and giants.
An aura of purple energy appeared around the man, mixed with flecks of black in the farmer's aura. Only the man was bigger, wider in the chest, and armed with dungeon-dropped weapons on his hips.
"Those are chainswords." Meng Bai, of all people, said.
How could the cripple tell from so far away? Were his eyes that good was that why Mr. Bird kept him around.
"Far, I want to meet this man." The cripple said to Mr. Bird.
That was an Easton surname like Meng. Tony didn't think they were spies. Easton mercenaries weren't unheard of, and Tony hired them among many possible candidates due to their record. They couldn't be spies. Tony was sure he would have seen a sign. Besides, they were as far from somewhere important as they could possibly be in Weston. The Rasputin territory was a terrible place; many farmers tried to begin civilizing the land but none managed it. Atom would be no different.
"We need to land outside his area of control. There are other telepaths mixed in among the battle chickens. I don't think they are mind killers. On a lighter note, do you think he's having sex with that chimera rabbit?" Scout said.
"Eww, come on, that's gross. Let's be serious. If I bombarded the farm, what do you think our odds are?" Martin asked.
Tony was glad he wasn't the only one thinking of taking an offensive option. The farmer might have gained some new skills, but Sandy was undoubtedly the stronger psychic. Monsters gained attributes by eating other monsters that included monster plants. She gained over 4 attribute points since he got her.
"We are facing an unknown I would rather not risk it. Anyone with Willpower below 50 will be in danger. That rabbit isn't a mind killer." Everyone let out a collective sigh. One was bad enough; at least it was a farmer with low Willpower and no way to increase it without spending hundreds of thousands of Westons. "They are on the move; the battle chickens are moving to defensible structures in separate groups. The farmer is moving toward the gate, and I can sense his telepathic field retreating." Scout said.
"Maybe we should go back. I'll still pay you." Tony said.
"No, we didn't come all the way out here to retreat. Either the farmer is trying to trick us, or he at least wants to treat us fairly. I think our position is stronger than you think." Mr. Bird said.
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"If he twitches out of line, I'm putting an arrow through his eyes," Scout said.
"Of course, but let's not be too hasty; we are guests. If violence occurs, it won't be from our side." Mr. Bird said.
Tony got the message loud and clear: antagonize the farmer until he made an attack then his mercenaries would kill him. That was why if Atom had family that was important if Tony was brought before a court, he could honestly say he didn't instigate the fight.
"Is that maneater kissing him? Maybe we won't have to worry about a fight after all. They are well known for their poisonous lips." Martin said.
…
Day 21
It happened far sooner than anticipated, and I almost couldn't believe it. I wanted to kill their mount and then pick them off with fell slashes and high-speed attacks. They would be dead before they hit the ground. Before I could begin, Fu lunged and locked her lips with mine. I was so stunned I stood there as her tongue explored my mouth and her soft, lovely red lips pressed against mine. Anger was the last thing on my mind as I caught and supported her.
She pulled away, leaving a line of spit between our lips. "Be careful of my fangs; they are coated in venom and can cut your tongue." Fu pressed her lips back against mine and melted against me.
I tapped her little bony tube in her tongue a few times and felt little fibrous brushes in her mouth; it was odd but sweet. By the time we broke away, heaving for breath, she had a light blush on her face. Our relationship had just moved on to the next level.
"Revenge is something to share and savor together. One of them hurt you, so let us help you hurt them a hundred-fold. I'll string them up, drink them slowly, and you can cheer me on as I suck them dry." Fu said.
I pet her hair she was so sweet. "Don't be mad, but there is a rank 3 form I like, and I wanted you to think about it. It's Peak and locks you into a very specialized series of Ranks, limiting your choices to three peak ranks until 6, where you have over 10 open up." I said.
"Don't worry about me. I'll look at it when we have time. Before this starts, can you tell us what was done to you?" Fu asked.
"I would like to know as well so I can measure out my contempt properly," Isobel said.
When I told them, they were all angry on my behalf, and that felt good. For the first time in a long time, I felt as sane as I ever was.
"Do you have plans for me?" Veronica asked.
"I have; wait for me, and we'll talk," I said.
Veronica sighed, and I rubbed the bright feathers on her neck.
"He probably wants us to have forms to have sex with him," Fu said.
"But we are so different I didn't think you were interested," Veronica said.
Clearly, Veronica was far more interested in interspecies dating than I thought. Seeing my other girls look at her and then back at me before smirking clued me in on they were just teasing. Why would they be interested in a human? Fu must have only wanted to cheer me up. I snorted at my own thoughts and how they clashed with reality. Fu wanted to do unspeakable, probably dangerous things to my body. My good bunny girl Isobel wanted me to pound her into submission. Veronica wanted me to do so much.
Yesterday had been nonstop, and today promised to be worse than yesterday before my uninvited guests flew over our airspace. If they had been a little lower, I would have killed them all and not had a second thought about it. Gwen would have been lost to the automated auction system, and tracking her down would have been impossible.
With them living that changed things and not in a good way. I even withdrew my telepathy to my own mind to show I wasn't going to kill them immediately. Why would they let me in close where I can put my full power to the task of killing them? I was strong for a rank 2 even if humans didn't use that system for themselves.
Humans used levels, and I was still level 10. After my last sales, I had enough experience points to cross into level 50 without any trouble. I wouldn't do it outside the dungeon. The immediate power-up wasn't worth having common farming skills. Hopefully, to them I appeared as nothing more than a level 10 farmer with some extra skills.
I approached the gate so much larger and sturdier than before. The henges were made of monster wood stronger than unenchanted steel. Ada had put some runes on it to blunt tamer skills. While our work wasn't finished yet, we placed posts around the property to dampen the effects of low-level tamer skills. A butterfly was etched into the wood, symbolizing metamorphosis into a stronger being. It, combined with numerous other etchings covering the gate, empowered it further. Tony and his cronies wouldn't get past it below rank 3. At my approach, the latch opened by the gate's own power before it swung open, revealing Tony holding Gwen in his arms.
"Do you remember Sandy? We tossed out her old name; it was trash like this place she didn't want to be reminded of it." Tony said.
The mercenaries all glanced at Tony before one wearing a mask took the lead. She bowed in the Easton fashion just enough to be polite and show no deference. It was almost insulting how shallow it was, which was impressive.
"That was the politest I think I've ever been insulted. What's your name miss? I never thought I would have to add another name to my book of grudges so soon after Troy Raves." I turned my attention to the tamer. "Well, Troy, you feces-eating dog, what's your excuse for not being clever enough to politely insult me," I said.
"That was a well-known Easton slur from a decade ago. Why do you think I'm a female my voice is clearly male? Or was that your poor attempt at an insult?" Ms. Bird Mask said.
I had to wonder if she was somewhat slow in the head. Perception could do some crazy things to a person's body. I could literally smell the female hormones rolling off her. She moved with a different center of balance than her compatriots. The way she stood spoke loudly of someone without balls and a more flexible pelvis by the way she leaned from hip to hip while she stood. I could hear her heart beating and the pulse of her blood pressure compared to the others; she had lower blood pressure. If I really let my senses go all out, I wans't sure what evidence I would find to further confirm what I already knew. This was yet another trump card I had no plan to share.
Some pre-slaughter banter sounded fun to me. If the woman wanted to pretend voice modulators didn't exist, that was on her.
"Your thoughts are filled with Yin." The bird-masked woman retreated a step.
"Your telepathy is not extended beyond your body; how would you read her thoughts?" Tony pushed the red robe-wearing mage aside.
"My name is Tony Graves, remember it. My family name resounds throughout the ages. The Graves have conquered more territories than you can imagine." Tony said.
"Then they must regret not drowning you at birth then. I hope you have other siblings to inherit your name. I didn't know Jony Naives was such an important name it sounds a little feminine to me. " I said.
Gwen unleashed a psychic wave that tried to grip my body in a purple field. Fell Wind negated the attempt with little fanfare.
"You're the farmer, you tell me. I bet you know all about regretful parents."
Those wounds might be only weeks old, but I wasn't going to lose by starting the violence. When I finished this slaughter, it would be so sweet.
I waited for something more. "Oh, that was your comeback. I'm going to make you regret that.
A wheezing Easton man interrupted the prefight banter. "We are getting off on the wrong foot. We are here to inspect your dungeon to calculate its monster build-up and what items it can drop. This will benefit you as well; we are willing to buy the dungeon and some of the land around it for twice the market value after the inspection. That was agreed on by the Rasputin Institute of Research and yourself."
"No, there was no discussion or agreement made. Rony never saw the dungeon. You have traveled as far onto my land as he had last time. He dishonored my property with his presence."
"Big on honor; that is odd for a Weston." The Easton said.
This was all a game; we both knew they had government backing, and I couldn't kill them out of hand. Tamers disappearing on a farmer's land were the stuff of nightmares. It happened sometimes, and someone had to take the blame when a rank 4 randomly saw a tamer and decided to off them while they were busy raping a farmer's daughter.
"Eastons are well known for it and stabbing Westons in the back. I like the tradition it is a great tool when there are no other reasons to kill in cold blood. Turning on allies can be justified quite easily by design, of course. You could say I'm quite interested in your country's culture."
"I prefer Weston for how useful their laws are. Did you know if the owner of a plot of land is in debt over 25,000W, a tamer can buy it and turn the farmers into sharecroppers? This is your last chance; let us be generous, or you will have a hard life until you can pay me back for your debt." Tony said.
The tamer raised a scanner at me. "You're only level ten. We're tired from traveling and are running out of patience. You can either let us in, or we will help ourselves; it's your choice. We know your level and your class. Do you think we can't kill you before you use your telepathy to kill one of us?" The other tamer said.
Wait, did they think my pest control and meat shortage solution was one of my trump cards? They also revealed that Tony had the money and possible support to use an outdated law in a territory far from any court.
It would require a backer in a high position, like one of the ten standard-type Representatives. All a North Weston League challenger had to do was defeat 10 Representatives of the House of Law to qualify for the North Weston Conference. Representatives had to serve in the military, be a net taxpayer, and have a law degree to qualify for a standard election. They also had to maintain multiple teams of various ranks to test challengers. They wouldn't use their reach here to back up a random washed-out research assistant in a standard dungeon check. This was a bluff that wasn't worth a pound of chicken feces.
Killing them here was a bad idea, but if they died in the dungeon, I might get off without even a slap on the wrist. Dungeons killed, but they were fair, and no one would believe a level 10 farmer could have anything to do with their deaths. They also weren't aware that I paid off my loan and was no longer in debt. Even if a dungeon couldn't be stolen, I would have to sign it over with three factors of authorization. If I could get them to tell me who knew they were here, that would make things so much easier. I'm sure they planned to have someone watch me while the rest of them entered the dungeon.
If I shut them out, they would use their resources and higher privilege to make my life harder. An audit would ruin my next six months. Tamers with rank 2 monsters were nothing but trouble. They have privileges I could only dream of after gaining the farmer class. I needed to get access to a tamer's privilege.
Time had not only made me powerful but bold. What was my brother's betrothal contract exactly? There had to be exit clauses and ways to force the bride to default. They were often made public for political reasons. Where would Lourie be at this time? I was, after all, finally able to travel the world and perhaps start my adventure as a tamer. Classes didn't matter when I had the power and money to take the profession, no matter what anyone said. There were only a few loose ends to tie and perhaps a teleporter to buy for 1,000,000W.
I focused my attention back on my uninvited guests. Did they know how many bodies were buried beneath my feet? Could they fathom the blood on my blades? Which of them could handle a rank 2 dungeon boss alone? This would not end the way they planned. This was my home and my dungeon.
"You said you had the money to buy my debt. Alright, 10,000W each to enter my land and participate in a dungeon crawl." I said.
50,000W wasn't that much, but to see the veins on Tony's face and neck bulge as his skin turned purple was glorious.