Day 21
Far Ming knew a man with secrets when she met one. Cultures may differ, but confidence borderlining foolishness was attractive if it didn’t come from a possible enemy. The man’s unruly hair blew in a wind that focused on Atom alone, a mix of silver, white, black, and red in a mix that resembled ash. The man’s skin was filthy and his shoes were falling apart like she expected from a poor Weston farmer taking a losing gamble in the Rasputin territory. It was his misfortune that he had something of value to the tamers at large. Despite the story, Tony tried to feed them; she knew what tamers did to monsters it was why they were the dominant power in Weston. There were no signs of broken hands or a broken gate, only a mind killer wearing a smile of all things. He had given his price and obvious maneuver to pull himself out of debt.
“You filthy peasant, that’s ten times more than we were going to pay you for the dungeon.”
“That is not for sale. You can either purchase a single entry into my dungeon with all the hospitality that entails, or you can barge in and take your chances.” Atom said.
Scout was ready to take the farmer class up on that offer, but she made a hand sign to stop him.
Easton and Weston had incompatible systems. Cultivation to seek immortality and leveling to synergize with a class had two completely different goals. To her senses, Atom felt no stronger than a 2nd stage Chi concentration realm cultivator, someone who had only just begun their journey to immortality. For her, an adept at the 9th stage of the pillar realm, he was a gnat to be squashed at any time. Unfortunately, that was far more than what she sensed from the rest of her party, Young Master Meng included. Something was going on with Atom’s body, and she didn’t like it.
They had a plan, and the end goal was in sight. Westons weren’t a problem if it bought them hospitality.
“10,000W each for a month with room and board. We will act as guests, and you will be our generous host.” Her counter was fast, but the smile didn’t slip from the man.
Easton had skill shards that they traded to Weston and the warring Theocracy to the south. Rumor had it that the saints could purify skill shards to make them safe for human use. All they needed was the right combination and a method to remove them afterward.
That was her entire reason for coming to such a remote territory. She had items in her spirit bag that could alter a dungeon’s theme and drop permanently. Once they entered, she would drop them for the dungeon to absorb and change. They needed a young dungeon for the best results and this one only appeared a couple weeks ago.
All she wanted was to get inside the dungeon, drop the items, and ironically farm the dungeon for all the skills shards her young master needed. If that meant killing a farmer, so be it, or if that meant buying the use of the dungeon for an extended period, then so be it.
“If you sign a waiver of liability contract for your time in the dungeon, then something can be arranged.”
“No, you aren’t getting away with this. 100W and only paid as a bonus after we purchase the dungeon. You’ve already faced one dungeon surge. I doubt the next one will be so kind.” Scout said.
The wind started picking up around them, and she sensed the danger rising. Sacred hospitality was something Weston considered sacred, and from what Tony said, they would get off cheaply at 10,000W each for a month. If they had gone to a tamer it would be 10,000W each for a single entry. Waivers of Liability would have already been signed as a matter of course.
Tony and Scout wanted to throw their weight around and impress them with their Weston authority. There was only one problem. No one was coming to enforce any laws of another territory in Rasputin for mercenaries and a research assistant.
She did her research before they arrived. Atom Walker was from an up-and-coming family. He sacrificed his happy life for his family so his elder brother could have a marriage to a unique bloodline. If word somehow traveled back that he died to a bunch of Easton mercenaries, the Meng family would have to pay reparations and most likely send a kill squad for them. Young Master Meng wasn’t the only young lord crippled who left their home in the hope of finding a method to fix himself; it was a tale as old as time.
Tony decided to settle the matter in the most Weston way possible. “I have an idea; since you seem so confident, why don’t we have a three-on-three battle. If you win, I’ll give you Sandy back and take your deal, and when I win, you set us up with room and board and sell us the dungeon for 100W.” A contract was printed immediately after being generated and offered by their employer.
“I’m not a tamer; you’ll just use your skills to take any monster of mine that fights you.” Atom said.
Far Ming sighed. Settling disputes with monster battles was also a part of Weston's culture.
This was a waste of time. Sure, Tony hired them to handle this mission for the research center, but that was to get them in the door; his part was over his usefulness was at an end. She nodded her head, and Scout separated himself from Tony, leaving him alone against Atom.
“So you don’t have faith in your team. I’m not surprised it was easy taking Sandy; I barely had to try. She’s gotten so much more powerful under my care. I think I’ll rank her into a rain deer soon.” Tony said.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The smile on Atom’s face remained, but his eyes emoted uncertainty. “Isobel, will you fight for me?” Atom asked.
It was good fortune that stabbing Westons in the back when they made a blunder and were no longer useful l was a part of Easton’s culture.
…
Three times, she fought against the monster that slaughtered her countrymen. Humans referred to her kind as monsters, but they haven’t seen Atom move. Every step he made followed a dance of death with twin blades that cut deep and left the enemy’s hollow. The might to destroy a castle wasn’t enough to defeat him; the speed to slaughter armies couldn’t outpace him, and using his broken leg to her advantage couldn’t overcome him. She still held the chainsword he handed her in what felt like lifetimes ago. They could not feel the edge where psychic power ended and fell began pushing the air itself to her former enemy’s ends. What cover was there when the air itself turned against them? Worse, they were outside the gate.
Atom looked at her with desperate eyes that no monster should have. He gave her his trust after they had clashed three times and so who else deserved her loyalty. For Isobel, it certainly was not the bug that tried to clumsily ply her mind. Telepathy must not have been well understood. Atom hardly needed to stretch his direct psychic might to assist her.
“I will,” Isobel said.
Insidious was the only word fitting a tamer’s power. She felt it lash and sooth the edges of her psychic awareness. The twisted power would hollow her out and fill her strongest memories with lies. She felt it in splashes of images rising like nightmares from the fell Atom held under leash. This place remembered what was done not too long ago and it echoed for those sensitive to the fell.
Atom wielded power that he couldn’t truly witness; the shadow of psychic power danced to the tune of a blind man. In a way, it was fitting for the monster to unleash his might without truly knowing what he wielded.
Isobel tapped her foot on the ground, standing in front of Atom within arm’s reach. Who knew when his patients would run dry? When that happened, she wanted to be within arm’s reach to be saved from the storm that would follow his wrath.
“I choose you, Loki. Show this bunny why you are the strongest.” An ogre appeared with a scar on his bicep. The ax in the beast’s hand looked concerning.
“Do you have any orders?” Isobel asked.
“Have fun,” Atom said.
She drew her chainsword and flicked it on. They were both ranked two monsters, but from the moment the ogre moved, it obviously favored its weak arm. She narrowed her eyes; the ogre had no psychic protections of any kind. Isobel flicked her wrist and snapped the head off the ogre’s ax.
“Cheater that can’t be allowed. Stand still and let Loki pummel you; then, you can join my team. Doesn’t that sound great?” Tony said.
“I would rather die,” Isobel said.
“Do you want to concede this battle or risk your monster’s life?” Atom asked.
At those words, she understood what was going on. All of this was theatre to get them into the dungeon. Atom was going to make them pay for the privilege of being hunted by him. That’s why he was smiling no matter what any of them said. Their goal happened to coincide with his own. It wasn’t what she would call a plan. Atom expected them a day later, but that was ok. She would pick up the slack and teach him properly.
“Loki doesn’t need a weapon the handle you.”
“Below the knee. I believe regrowing that only costs about 5,000W. So do both.” Atom said.
Her stomach clenched, and she felt butterflies. That was what she wanted, Atom’s was so terribly expensive she loved it. She bent her knees and let her telekinesis take over, boosting her already incredible speed to new levels. When she moved, the overgrown celery stalk didn’t know what hit him. Isobel barely felt pressure on her chainsword when she cut.
The ogre’s leg split off, and she raised her hand and brought it down. A hammer of telekinesis splattered the limb into watermelon guts. It had white splinters in it instead of seeds. Her ears twitched before she jumped, avoiding an attack from Tony.
“Stop,” Her blade paused an inch away from the filthy tamer’s neck.
“This is a three-on-three match; we have two more monsters to go.”
“What are you talking about, you freak? Loki is hurt. I need to get him to a healer.” Tony said.
His eyes were watering, and snot ran down his nose; she almost felt bad.
“Do you forfeit?” Atom asked.
Scout stepped in. “I can take his place if you want to push this. Your little rabbit won’t last a second against my monsters.” Scout said.
It was funny how delusional these people seemed to be. Tony managed to return the bleeding ogre to his monster bag before drying his tears. “We are still battling. I’m not done yet. Get out of the way, Scout; this is a contracted battle.”
“Fonz come out. In an official battle, you can’t continue using a single monster. Either call on another one or forfeit.”
She eyed the unicorn and wanted to snap its horn and poke holes into its body until the beast’s precious white coat was stained with blood. But she wasn’t a selfish kind of girl she would let her companions, friends, or were they sister wives handle the others.
“Fu, I need your help.” Atom said.
Isobel shook her head; it would take some time, but they would get him out of his ruinous habit of asking instead of telling. Power and command were attractive traits, asking not so much.
…
Fu glowered at the beast before her; it still had a saddle on its back and looked half overheated. The poor creature hadn’t gotten rid of its winter coat and needed a blowout. Being kept in a monster bag for extended periods didn’t give its body time to naturally adapt to its environment. She couldn’t help but wonder what the monster tasted like. Fu couldn’t remember ever tasting unicorns it was bound to be tasty.
“I like my odds. Fonz crush the little spider and show it who’s boss.” Tony said.
Fu didn’t bother glancing back at her friend. He gave no commands, and that told her all she needed to know. Atom had a big heart when he could afford to, but Tony crossed the line. Atom was something of a killing machine. Kaiju even killed her own mother. Rong Da was a powerful beat of a spider with powerful telepathic abilities. Atom beat her, then went on a little killing spree, finishing off the other mid-bosses before meeting up with her. Her sisters liked to gossip, and he was the talk of floor 1.
She raised her spinneret and fired a quick stream of the web as the unicorn’s legs mid-gallop. It wasn’t that Atom rigged the fight and taught them what they needed to be prepared. No, that would have driven him into a rage, and they wouldn’t have gotten anything done. Atom only thought that tripping the unicorn’s legs would work out. She made plans for the rest.
Normally, her silk wouldn’t have been that strong. She jumped away from the falling horse. Making clothes with her silk had helped level it. She let the venom in her mouth build up and hoped not to choke.
She shot a line of sticky web at the unicorn and pulled herself to it. Fu bit it once in the side before hopping off before the poor equine monster knew what hit it. The venom in her mouth helped deaden the skin for her bite.
“Fonz, shake it off; we’re going to be a champion team; someday you can beat her,” Tony said.
Atom’s creepy smile was still in place never wavering or changing through the entire exchange. The other side was looking at Atom strangely at this point but that was ok. Ever since Atom fought her mother, Fu noticed he smiled when fighting seriously. It wasn’t the joy from fighting itself; she believed it was the joy from a challenge.
Powerful gusts of wind started to blow as a large red spot emerged where she bit the unicorn. The monster turned to her and shook its head. A single bite might not be fatal if Tony returned Fonz to his monster bag and didn’t withdraw the monster until he was at a healer. From what she researched, healers were incredible in the large towns.
“Don’t bite it a second time; string it up.” Atom said.
“No, that’s enough.” Tony returned Fonz.
“I might not be able to beat you but will you hurt Sandy. With the bond I have with her, it’s obvious you were special to her once. I think she was special to you, too. You should know I’m not going to forfeit; if you want to win this, you’ll have to kill her.”
“So you’ll gladly break monster rights’ laws out here in the frontier. And I thought you were a piece of feces before. I’ve already won two matches, so I can forfeit the next one and win.” I said.
“You should have read the fine print. To win, you need to win three matches. If you forfeit, then Sandy will fight your other two monsters. After you forfeit them, I win. Show me, farmer, you low-class trash, do you have the guts to hurt a friend.” Tony said.
Fu prepared herself. It would have to be quick, but if she timed it right, she could kill this fool with her bite before anyone could react.