“There has been a challenge,” Tyrese said.
“I heard. One of your n apparently.” Tyrese’s face froze for a second at that.
“Not one of my n any longer.”
“So before or after the arrival?” I asked.
“Before. We will clear a large section of the plaza and you both start at opposite ends. Last one alive wins and is the Champion.”
“I see. I don’t have an issue with the fight.” I did have an issue with Tyrese I needed to sort out.
“Good, then we should get going, it will take a mont to get everything set up.”
“How much did the person pay for his skill?” I asked. Tyrese froze in mid-movent while getting out of his chair. He slowly sat back down and looked at . I could almost sense the sweat and fear bubbling out of him. Didn’t think I would put 1 1 together, did you?
“He was one of the initial people before the auction was started up.”
“And why is he challenging . I don’t think a mber of your guard would have the guts after seeing what I have done?”
“He lost a good friend.”
“Hmmm. I don’t collect any of the tax revenue. But that revenue is going to your organization. Also, you are benefiting from the dungeon.” I drumd my fingers on the chair’s arms as I thought about how to respond. Killing him was an option, but that would be going backwards. I would just get soone equally as problematic, and Purgatory would descend into chaos.
Well, it already was chaos, but even more chaos. I liked the stores that had sprung up and I didn’t want them ruined.
“This is on you. You helped set this system up and approved,” I just stared at him for a minute before I spoke up. Wisely he didn’t say anything else during that ti.
“Yes, but I don’t want people you are supporting to co after . Makes wonder if so extra crystals weren’t slipped his way to boost his stats. So, Acid Shot or Entangling Roots?”
“The acid.”
“Alright, if another skill shows up or anyone interferes, then I will consider it your responsibility. You aren’t planning anything, are you?”
“No.” Tyrese stared right at . “I don’t appreciate the threat.” I scoffed at that.
“Hmmm, that is the privilege of being your social equal and stronger in individual power. I also haven’t forgotten the role you played with Carlos. This person from the Red Dawn is a threat from you aid at . I prefer to be more direct and clearer in my threats so there is no confusion or misunderstandings. You pull this shit again. You better not miss since I will be coming for you.”
“Trust , your ssage is heard loud and clear.”
“Good. The betting, I want it all when I win. Managing costs co out of your pocket and I do an your pocket not the general fund. Consider that your punishnt.” Tyrese nodded. If he had refused, then I really would have to kill him since I was not about to roll over and accept the situation after everything he had done.
It was insanity to repeat the sa thing over and over expecting different results. I wasn’t going to go through a repeat situation of trying to stabilize this place. The only reason I wanted even marginal control was so I could veto stupid decisions and keep an eye on things.
Still, the sword of Damocles was real and hung over my head. This place was a viper’s nest. I avoided getting bit this ti, but next ti I might not be so lucky. I got up from my seat and Tyrese did the sa. I let him go first and walked behind him, staring at the back of his head. I could tell he was sweating, which was exactly what I wanted.
I made my way outside and Tyrese began organizing things. I had to force myself to pay attention as I leaned against a building in the plaza watching people move about. It was tempting to zone out and think about other things, but this was the mont in ti I could least afford to be careless.
More guards arrived and soon a table and chair were set up in the style Carlos used to do. I missed the man. It was frustrating, but I felt we had an understanding. It was disappointing he had thrown that in the trash. If I had let him live, what would things be like now? I let out a sigh and let the thought drift away, it was useless and depressing.
I had no idea how Tyrese was in charge, but no one ca to power with kisses and hugs. There were bodies behind him, the sa way I was sure there were bodies behind Ken. Where did the crystals co from to open up his bakery? He sure as hell wasn’t going out and killing monsters himself.
Was there a hidden underworld kingpin already forming? While it seed unlikely, it also was a possible conclusion with what I had been seeing. A shadow nesis to my unrelenting power. It was funny, I always admired Lex Luthor over Superman, a regular human against a demi-god. Now I was the demi-god and there might be a Lex Luthor out there plotting my downfall. Hmnm, not might, I could sense plots brewing against . The sll of treachery was in the air.
No one was staring at , that I could tell. That would have been too perfect. Timing in real life wasn’t like timing in a comic. There plot impossibilities could be overlooked, coincidences beca everyday occurrences. When that happened in real life, that ant people were arranging things.
Still, sothing resonated inside of thinking about an arch nesis. If they were real, I was disappointed they didn’t want to talk and have a battle of wits with so snappy dialogue. I guess showing up before and declaring themselves my arch-nesis would be a good way to get lted. Still, this person might not even be real. It might even be Ruth. I considered that idea carefully.
Why did I trust her? She left her role as an information gatherer and brothel leader in the Red Dawn to help . She was at a key eting as a Captain, so her initial position was real. She knew I didn’t go to the brothel, but she went there to check on the girls. That concern would be hard to fake but didn’t prove anything.
If I checked there, I was sure she would have an alibi already in place, real or otherwise. I thought back on the eting to set up the Charter. She had been the one to suggest the title of Champion, not . I really thought back on what happened.
She suggested Sicario was inappropriate, and I needed a more heroic title. I didn’t disagree and considered the issue mostly pointless. Still, the title had already spread around as well. But Tyrese and the guards could be doing that to keep content and not have it as a plot to distract .
I checked my surroundings again. The guards were setting up a periter and Tyrese looked ready to give a speech. I would have to think on this issue of a mastermind later. I walked over making sure to project confidence with my posture, head high, and not fiddling with my hands.
“There is a challenge to our reigning Champion Michael. The Challenger Jay.” I looked over at the man and he was glaring at . “Take your positions on opposite sides of the area set up. May the best man win. Do not engage each other until I call out a start.”
I didn’t say anything and walked away to my position, listening carefully to any shouts that would give away a sneak attack. Nothing happened and I reached a good distance away. I stopped and turned, facing my opponent, my black cloak billowing out behind . That had been a great purchase.
“Begin!” Tyrese shouted and waved his arm. Jay had an iron shield, but I wasn’t worried. I slowly advanced, scanning the crowd. There was shouting, yelling. A betting table was set up for people to bet against , paying out four to one. There was no betting in place for .
The thing was, I would get all the crystals from the betting. This was my side hustle like the other leaders had for the casino, brothel, and bakery. I had death matches. Also, if I was dead, I wouldn’t have to worry about paying out, win-win.
“Acid Shot.” At the sa mont Jay used the skill roots burst from the ground. I wanted to roll my eyes at how predictable such a move was. I quickly moved out of the way of both skills. The roots were slow and useless if soone was prepared and kept moving. I had experience fighting the super brown sli.
Acid Shot was a skill I was intimately familiar with. I could predict the trajectory just looking at Jay’s hand out of the plaza ground.
I wasn’t sure if such a skill would work on stone, but apparently it did. “Ahhhh!” A man was killed by the guards in the crowd. There were screams and Tyrese was announcing sothing about interference. Well at least he was taking it seriously, otherwise he would have been next. Still, I was unhappy about what had happened.
I slowly advanced. “Acid Shot!”
“Acid Shot.” Our skills hit each other. I had my shield ready just in case, but I didn’t need to bother. I wanted to see how much the power upgrade impacted the skill. The result was utter victory. My ball of acid engulfed my opponent’s ball of acid and continued forward.
He wasn’t ready for my counterattack killing him. The acid hit his outstretched arm and it began to lt. He began screaming in pain. “Acid Shot. Acid Shot.” I used the skill two more tis and quickly finished him off in a lting pile of bloody acidic goo. There was silence over the plaza.
“Your Champion, Michael!” There were so cheers, but they were few. At least there was no booing. “We will clear the plaza for the arrival and after that, speeches, and then the vote will be held for your Elected Representative as well as the auction for the dungeon.” I briefly wondered how they would fix the lted stone, then smiled slightly as it wasn’t my problem to deal with. Probably throw a blanket over it and it would self-repair eventually with no one watching.
Ruth ca over. “Impressive.” I looked at her. She wasn’t bald but her hair was short, so probably not a hidden Lex Luthor. Villainy by hairstyle, if only it were that simple. I looked at the lting corpse. His hair was a ss as his skull slowly sank into the acid. Still, the thought lingered. Was I overly paranoid, or paranoid just enough?
“It was pointless, but it is done with.” I let out a sigh. “Thinking about leaving right away.”
“There is sothing I want to do first. Can we stay tonight?”
“Hmm, alright. Also, half.”
“Half what?”
“If you are staying at my place, you pay half for any upgrade you want and there will be a rental fee.”
“What brought this on?”
“Just thinking about the things, I can control. You can afford things yourself now. Rent is 500 points per night.”
“Alright.” She sounded unsure, but I wasn’t about to allow freeloaders, no matter how much I liked them. You stay, you pay. A lesson I had learned from my father. I couldn’t allow feelings or sentint to cloud my judgent, now more than ever.
I walked away, towards the eting Chamber, my black cloak billowing behind . A guard at the entrance nodded at and I nodded back as I entered. Well maybe not a billow, but a swirl at the very least. I went over and took a seat at my table at the back of the large hall. I was on the right-hand side, or to the left of the person sitting in the center.
It was tempting to go get my book and pen to take notes and plan more research. But I could do that any ti, right now I needed to observe and think.
I always tried to look at facts and be objective, but the idea of a hidden enemy just wouldn’t leave. The more I thought about a bakery and their slow business, having two building plots and items worth around 40,000 points at the very least, made question things.
The points were coming from sowhere and it wasn’t a business, it was people. People funneling the profits of murder and theft? It just didn’t add up. The sa with the restaurant. But why the façade?
Ken had set up when Carlos was still alive. Carlos was pressured by the Guild to give in and tax , along with a Council. Not a conspiracy, but people with different interests.
Carlos wanted to avoid a fight. The Guild was applying overt pressure and Ken covert pressure. That was why he let Lady Shi take the forefront at that ti. With a growing cri rate, people would be unhappy. If Ken had thieves working for him, he would be tapped into the atmosphere of the city and control the criminal elent.
Ruth…she knew and was working to counter Ken. No, that didn’t feel right. She could just expose everything to , and I would lop his head off, or lt it. If Ken really was the secret leader of the thieves and murderers, then I needed to think how it all fit together and why I didn’t know, or soone didn’t tell .
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Ken entered the eting Chamber and walked towards . “Ken, how did you pay for your bakery?” I asked before he could say anything. Might as well cut straight to it and not dance around the question that was bugging .
“So investors and a bit of farming monsters myself.” His answer was smooth, and he didn’t look away in the slightest. I couldn’t tell if he was lying.
“Investors, really?” That slled more than a three-day old fish left out in the sun.
“The Guild actually, wanted businesses up and running to compete against Red Dawn. Doesn’t matter now after you dealt with them.” That tied things up a bit too nicely but made sense. I killed his investors, so instead of being a patsy he could co out of the shadows. “Interested in investing yourself?”
I was at another crossroads. I had two choices, one was to continue the confrontation, the other was to dig in at the truth by trying to beco closer. The second option tired out thinking about it, but the first was my default and felt like I was thinking in a rut and being ntally lazy.
“You know, I won’t interfere in the city, unless there is a crisis, or I am bothered. Is there going to be a crisis Ken? Is there?” I asked vague questions. His breathing hitched which was all I needed to know. He was trouble and he was scheming sothing.
“No trouble.” I could see an actual drop of sweat roll down his face. I delivered my warning to both him and Tyrese. Now hopefully they could leave out of their sches. I didn’t hold much hope.
“Good, very good.” Tyrese entered at this ti with two guards carrying a chest. He set it on my table. He looked over the shaken Ken.
“Trouble?”
“We were just chatting, about how I don’t plan to intervene in the affairs of Purgatory unless there is a crisis, or I am targeted. Ken was just agreeing with .” Tyrese looked at Ken.
“That was it. I need to prepare my welco speech for the new arrivals.” Ken stepped away. I stood up and opened up the chest.
“How much?” I asked.
“Around 1,000. Not many people were that keen on betting against you.”
“Every bit helps.” I pulled out an empty pack and began moving the crystals over.
“Before the speeches by Ken and the other guy, I was hoping you would speak. About the monsters and the conditions outside the city. Try and put a good spin on it.”
“I can do that.”
“Thank you, leaving tonight?”
“Tomorrow morning most likely. A bed is a rare thing, and I quite enjoy mine.”
“Very well, if you need anything let know. Also, congratulations on your win.”
“Thank you.” No need to be rude, even if I thought the challenge was his attempt to stir up trouble and probe my combat ability. His n had killed the person who had interfered. Ti to put pressure on him in return for the incident.
“I hope you deal with the people behind the interference and assassination attempt. I trust no one will be spared and several heads will be removed. Including whoever was Captain of those n. Otherwise, I would feel the need to get involved.”
“Of course. I will take care of it. You don’t have to worry.”
“I appreciate that. I want us to work together for a long ti and move past this last incident.”
Tyrese went and took a seat on the opposite side from the center compared to . We had decided that the Elected Representative should get the center position. I wasn’t around that much, and Tyrese was okay with that minor decision.
The guards took the chest away once I transferred over the crystals. There had been 985 5-point crystals. A paltry amount to . I then realized that I earned more than the entire city of Purgatory in a single day. I had known it before, but now it truly hit ho.
The scaling was not just the difficulty but returns as well. It made the possibility of stronger monsters slightly more palatable. If I could grind those, there would be a huge influx of points.
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