Chapter 322 - Spite (Patreon)

Abby watched as one of the three armies that sought to kill her was in the process of being destroyed.

How Tanael could accomplish so much in a very short time was beyond her. Her sight did not extend far enough to the attackers’ camps’ direction to know what exactly her paid muscle did but the result was extraordinary.

Army one was in chaos; the leader, the obscenely fat man, was killing his own allies while there was a massive green slime rampaging. The slime was highly corrosive, reducing people and structures with its gelatinous body and seemingly impervious to attack.

For now, Abby was happy that one of the three knives poised at her throat had been dealt with.

Meanwhile, Viers was harvesting. More accurately, consuming. At first, Viers changed his face into Suman Siffo using his magic mask and methodically culled the strong pieces in incursion force by summoning them to his tent one at a time.

After a while, he got found out, then he emerged and started killing rampantly, with the assistance of Arsène who transformed into the Toxicell Slime. Seeing the fearsome monster in action, the loss of key figures, and the madness of their ‘leader’ resulted in a sharp drop in morale.

If they were to band together, it would give Viers a fair amount of annoyance but that was why he offed the key figures in the army first. The rest of Suman’s asskissers were inexperienced rich kids and, in the heat of battle, had fallen to panic and confusion. As screams and blood engulfed them, their fight-or-flight instinct got so skewed towards flight that they were unable to think of anything else.

Only, there were no exits, just deeper paths into the Dungeon, where Abby stationed many of her monsters as meat walls.

Thus, they were doomed.

Viers already got the gist of the situation from Suman Siffo's soul. He knew the three armies were from a place called Tartazia. It was the de-facto leader of a Biome, not unlike Dia’s albeit much bigger. However, what surprised him was Tartazia got a System! Although they had deployment orders in the past from the ‘Voice of the World’, the target was never the same place.

Different Biomes can have different world settings. Guess the rumors are true.

Viers was in the middle of something so he didn't delve too deeply into the lore of Tartazia. These people represented rare resources and Viers had no intention of letting them go to waste.

Suman Siffo’s eating ability was already promising but Viers was greedy for more. Viers continued his search-and-destroy operation with ice cold efficiency.

“Welcome back,” Abby said.

“What’s the situation?” Viers asked after he returned to the command room.

“Army two is one third through the Dungeon. One of them is tough as nails. Army three is trailing behind but they are steadily making progress.”

“Abby, I got intel from army one. Take a look.”

Viers gave soul search information about the remaining two armies. Army two was House Monte, led by the house head, Aldo Monte. Army three was House Glaz, led by Arri Glaz, after his father's recent passing.

“The Monte is a bruiser type, tough-bodied hard-headed stuff. We’ve got plans for this. They have gone deep enough. Shall we begin the strategy?” Viers asked Abby, the leader.

“Let’s do it.”

Three concepts that Viers hated in video games: water level, difficult platforming, and confusing layout.

There were more but Viers deployed these three against the Monte forces. They might have the upper hand in straight up battle strength but how would they fare against the challenges that Viers prepared for them?

All at once, multiple times!

Conclusion: they would’ve review bombed the game if they could.

Monsters, traps, and guerilla tactics kept chipping the invaders’ strength.

For example, Viers framed that to pass a room, they had to push a switch, which was in an underwater maze. After a time-consuming endeavor that had several casualties, they thought they managed to unlock the next level. Turned out the path brought them back from where they started.

In another example, there was an area where they had to pass a narrow stone bridge, with boiling lava underneath and swinging pendulum guillotines from above. Halfway through the very narrow path, they were peppered by archers and other ranged attacks. Some brave souls put their bodies on the line and tanked the damage for their comrades on their backs.

And then, from a hidden wall at the side, Viers shouted: Fus Ro Dah!

He always liked sending enemies tumbling down to their deaths. The downside was the loss of loot but Viers had to make choices here and didn't regret it.

Despite the success, Abby and Viers’ side also suffered losses. They couldn't design a truly non progressable Dungeon, the System forbade it. Sometimes, fighting was unavoidable. Nevertheless, after several days of fighting, Lord Aldo Monte issued a full retreat.

“We’ve weathered the push for now,” Abby said.

“That depends on their next move,” Viers replied.

Viers, after his great achievement of decimating one of the three armies, didn't participate directly. Even if his Victa regeneration massively eclipsed normal people’s, he still wouldn't waste it. It was a good excuse for Abby, very rational.

Just like Abby gained energy from the wounds of the fighters inside her body, Viers similarly got an ample harvest of souls. These human natives from some unknown Biome provided valuable resources after their death.

“Good. Good. This time the Incursion is very unlike the previous one. I hope they’ll be sensible and stay put,” Abby sounded pleased.

There was a time limit in this Incursion. If they didn't finish Abby off before the time ran out, it would be the attacker’s defeat and they’d get deported back, according to Abby’s previous experiences.

“Your contribution does not go unnoticed. I’ll compensate you with a fitting reward,” Abby said.

“Happy to be here,” Viers said sincerely.

There were a great many things happening at the starting area of the remaining Monte and Glaz forces. After Viers’ raid of the Siffo forces, their defensive perimeter was very tight. Viers didn't find any opening to exploit.

Abby’s opponents were chosen by the System; they had some measure of ability. They weren't so weak for Abby to iron-wall them, even with Viers’ help.

In the end, the attackers refused to give up and launched an all-out push. Monte and Glaz joined forces instead of doing it separately which increased their dungeon clearing power. After the tricks did all they could, it came down to the clash of force.

“Prepare for the final battle,” Abby stood firm. No matter the case, she had no intention of losing and dying. The tribes of the goblins and orcs including the remaining monsters at her disposal were arrayed in a formation for war.

Even though this was all happening in the Dungeon, the final showdown was in a wide-open area.

Both sides roared and charged. The battle had begun and Viers was going to fight dirty.

Even when none among his opponents matched him in power.

***

“Hyaaah!!”

Arri Glaz pulled out his sword from the body of an orc warrior. “We’re almost through, everyone, on me!”

“Lord Glaz, wait! There’s- There’s something wrong at the HQ!”

Following the line of sight of the messenger, Arri saw there was indeed some sort of commotion.

Arki!

Arri was torn. He had to break through the enemy lines but his brother was in danger.

“Go. Leave this to me, Milord.”

“Fatah, you-” Arri said to the old warrior beside him.

“Even if it costs me my life, I’ll open a path forward.”

Arri gritted his teeth, gave a single powerful nod to Uncle Fatah, and ran back to the HQ.

“GLAZ! GLAZ! GLAZ!”

The war cries of the vanguards became fainter and fainter as Arri got closer to the HQ at the back. He got this awful feeling in his chest. There, he found the camp was attacked and someone was about to swing his sword down on his brother!

Not on my watch!

“Arki!”

A powerful slash separated his brother and the assailant.

“Brother! Everyone is… They’re, ugghh. Protecting me-”

Arki hugged his brother while crying. Arri saw that many of the loyal men of House Glaz were dead. The sight of their bodies filled him with fury.

“You…” Arri’s gaze seemed to be on fire. “You’ll pay for what you’ve done.”

The assailant didn't answer, only attacked.

At Arki.

“Targeting an opponent two Levels lower than you? Have you no honor?” Arri blocked the descending steel and shouted, veins bulging on his forehead.

“Then he shouldn't stand on the battlefield,” Viers said, followed by an even stronger attack.

“Fuoooh!!” Arri deflected Viers’ blows splendidly. But he sensed the strength of his opponent.

“Arki, run!”

“B-but-”

“DO IT!”

The younger brother obeyed his elder brother’s command. However, Viers’ deviousness was not so easily escaped.

A four-pronged attack was launched at Arki’s position. Water, wood, fire, and air. The young Level 1 had no chance of surviving one, let alone four attacks from Level 3s.

After the explosion, Arki waited for the pain that never came. He opened his eyes and he saw his brother’s back, shielding him. It was a truly heroic sight.

Arki screamed from the overload of emotion.

Viers was about to deliver a beheading but he got struck from the side.

“Hah! How pathetic, grin-face, to be struggling against some random small fry. Get up.”

It was a youth wearing black armor. A bit mean looking, grinning.

“...Oi. Answer me.”

Arki did not.

“...Are you dead?”

The newcomer’s face became as emotionless as a stone.

“...Dheuv… Brother is- Brother is- Uwaaaahhh…”

“Don't you fuckin’ kidding me!” Dheuv grabbed Arki’s lapel and raised them to his eye level. “The man who defeated me can't be dead in a place like this! Answer me!”

Arki’s lifeless eyes told him otherwise.

“Ruaaaah!”

Dheuv swung his sword behind him, just in time to meet Viers’ sword.

“Was it you? Against a lowlife like you-!” Dheuv was absolutely furious. They traded eight blows in the span of three blinks.

“I’m the only one who’s allowed to kill that bastard!”

“Ah, you must be the rival then? I recognize your type,” Viers replied. “Sadly, the world doesn't revolve around you two.”

Dheuv’s sword began emitting lethal darkness energy, powering up significantly.

“What have you done! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, YOU SCUM!?”

“Shut the Hell up! You’re too loud!” Viers used his other hand to Bearclaw Dheuv’s face and smash him to the ground, a feat that absolutely baffled Dheuv. The shock in his gaze told Viers that.

“I’m-”

A heart obliteration.

“Just-”

A slit in the throat.

“Stronger-”

A soul wrest.

“Than you both.”

Viers spat to the side, expelling a bit of blood. Dheuv’s initial attack got him to bite his tongue.

For a small fry, he sure talked like a big shot… Oh.

Viers got a realization that he avoided a couple of troupes just now. If was a little bit chatty earlier, he wouldn't be able to finish Arri before Dheuv intervened. And then, the two bitter rivals would fight side by side against a common foe, a master recipe in shounen manga arcs, elevating each other to new heights during the fight.

And satisfyingly defeat the big bad villain.

Too bad then. Your opponent was me.

Viers knew from the start that Arri was somewhat of a threat. According to the information that he gathered from the souls of the dead and the living, though mostly from the dead, this young head of the Glaz had the signs of a budding powerhouse.

According to his observation, if Viers’ base power was a hundred, Arri was around sixty or seventy. This was before factoring the mystical abilities like Viers’ Horizon that could be severely OP but Viers figured he could be a threat so he targeted the obvious soft spot, the younger brother.

Sure enough, Viers’ lethal approach resulted in a quick end for Arri.

Naturally, what Viers did was something detestable but he wasn't arrogant enough to think that he was so far above his Level 3 peers that he was invincible. There was a chance that Arri could match him in combat so he removed him from the board using the most efficient way he could think of.

Before Viers stepped on the battlefield, he left his morals at home.

After the defeat of Dheuv, Viers didn't remain still for a cool pose. Instead, he dashed to the shaken younger brother.

He wasn't like those sissy villains that didn't kill the protagonist when he was weak and found him unworthy to kill. Viers simply didn't get the logic of not killing potential enemies. Therefore, he could not let go of the youngster who witnessed the death of his elder brother at his hands.

Before the flower of bad karma blooms, nip it in the bud.

Still, Viers was not in time for what came next.

Instead of staying in a state of shock or brain short-circuit as Viers preferred him to be, Arki struggled in the face of death and he respected him for that.

As Arki burned the fake face of Viers into his tear-filled eyes, he grabbed the pendant on his brother’s neck.

“With my blood, I release you from the ancient seal… Destroy everything.”

In that final act of pure spite, Arki’s body exploded, sending flesh and blood everywhere.

And a dragon roar assaulted Viers, before busting both of his eardrums.

…Aw, crap.

…Oh, yeah!