RD 5 Ch 50

I stared at the sudden winter that had encompassed the area, as well as the fleeting forms of the last few of those hideous, demonic monsters.

“Well, you don’t see that every day, now do you?” Nyx said from behind me, lowering her bow after firing a few more shots at the retreating forms. Her arrows tracked them through the sky before diving like hawks after their prey.

“No, I suppose you don’t.” I flicked my blade to the side. The last of the beasts’ bodies around me were being claimed by the system, leaving behind piles of system gold and loot.

About twenty feet in front of me, however, the scenery abruptly changed to a solid sheet of ice. I looked at the items on the ground and then down at myself. It was possible that one of them dropped something I could wear. My brief fight with the beasts had splattered me with their ichor, which had stuck to me and eaten clean through my clothes barely leaving them clinging to my form.

“I know. You look pretty good like this,” Nyx said, her eyes roving me up and down as the serpents on top of her head bobbed excitedly.

“You know your snakes give you away every time,” I said, nodding at the serpents.

Nyx only shrugged. “Well then, it’s a good thing I’m honest to a fault. I mean, I literally think I can’t lie with these bastards giving me away every time.” She tried to grab her serpentine hair, only for them to wiggle out of her grasp with hissing laughter.

“If they’re connected to you, that means they know your thoughts, right?” I asked.

Nyx paused at that before shrugging. “I guess. It doesn’t make much of a difference to me. They are me as much as they pretend they are not. Though they have no restraint and do whatever I want.”

They all bobbed excitedly on top of her head as if reveling in the ability to tease her.

Now that the field was clear, I could see the source of the blast as well as the rest of our group. Circe and Merlin were slumped against each other, sitting on the ground, while Ricky and Kathy stood like they’d been petrified in place. At least they were all getting along.

“We’ll have to go pick them up, it looks like.” I nodded and was already moving to join the group.

Nyx was clapping her hands as we headed their way. “Nice shot,” she said with a giant grin.

“I suppose you could call it that,” Merlin said from the ground. “Though I do think we need to recruit this guy, if for no other reason than to make sure he doesn’t make someone else one of these.” Merlin glanced down at the palm of her hand, which held a few scant scraps of what looked like the remains of a rubber ducky.

I had a feeling, given the explosive effect, that one of Ricky’s miracle enchantments had been involved in the giant frosty blast that had just happened. “Well, well done, Ricky,” I said, only for my gaze to shift to Kathy. “And I guess thank you for coming along.”

“No, this was insightful,” she said, glancing back at Ricky with a very different look than she’d had when looking at him before.

“Well, as much as it would be fun for us to stick around, I’m afraid this has caused some new concerns that we’ll have to address. Ricky, if you’d like, I would take you back with us while we work on them.” I offered.

“Oh, I don’t know.” He hesitated. “You know, there are some things…” He began to make an excuse only for Kathy to put a hand on his shoulder.

“He’ll come with you. And I’ll come too.” She answered.

Ricky did a double take, and then literally pinched himself in the hip to make sure the moment was real.

I was tempted to pinch myself at the sudden change in Kathy’s opinion, but there was no need. The ichor from the demonic beast was still sizzling against my skin as my regeneration healed nearly as quickly as it was trying to burn through me. I very much felt the pain.

My own self-consciousness must have drawn their attention, because Circe suddenly looked me up and down. “Bran, put some clothes on.” She told me.

“I will, when I get a chance.” I gestured at myself and then at the field behind us. “But perhaps we should collect some loot before we let the scavengers from the town pick this over.”

Ricky’s eyes suddenly went wide. “Oh my gosh. There must be so much loot here.” He seemed giddy at the prospect, and my group only gave a shrug.

“Some. But it’s so-so.” Circe waffled her hand before wind swirled around the remnants of the battlefield, drawing up much of the loot before us and swirling it closer.

“Oh, that’s convenient,” Nyx said, putting the butt of her bow down and leaning on it enough that it bent ever so slightly.

“Yeah, it really is,” Kathy said dryly, glancing over at Circe and Merlin. “So, where is this place you’d take Ricky?”

I frowned slightly. She was talking as if she was going to be the one negotiating for Ricky, and she already agreed. Like the man had gotten an agent or something.

“Well, he can go to the Citadel, of course,” Nyx said quickly. “That’s the big base. It’s over where Vein City used to be.”

Kathy nodded. Vein City was large enough before the apocalypse that she likely at least knew it was on the East Coast. “All right, that makes some sense. Did Vein City survive the apocalypse?” She asked.

“No. Well, sort of.” I shrugged. “We’re there, and so it did better than most. We actually had two of the demon portals form nearby. One we’ve managed to completely enclose and use as a farming ground. The other is a few miles away from the Citadel, and we just go clear it out from time to time.”

Ricky had just begun getting over his disbelief that Kathy was acting rather friendly toward him, and turned to face me with his own questions. “Wait, you just go clear it out? Like it’s a chore?” He pressed.

“Essentially,” Nyx said. “Bran went the first time and killed the big gate guardian and all of the high-level monsters. Now, whatever spawns tries to set up a base around it, but we don’t let them get their footing to the point that we can’t rip them out.”

“I’m sorry,” Ricky said, shaking his head as he processed the information. “I just can’t believe that you can just kill that many demons so easily. I mean, yeah, this time we used my enchantment, and it was very effective.” He said that statement with no small amount of pride. “But you can’t just kill demons that easily.”

Nyx gave him a strange look. “Have you checked out Bran’s stats? If not, I would suggest you do so.”

With her encouragement, I quickly received an Inspect from both of the people before me. I allowed it to happen and did my best to hide my smirk as Kathy and Ricky’s jaws hit the floor.

“If you’re done gawking, how about we head back?” I said, glancing over at Merlin for support.

“One teleportation coming right up. But Ricky, would you at least like to pack up what you plan to bring? And Kathy, do you have what you need?” Merlin asked before slugging back a potion.

“Oh, right.” Ricky perked up. “I have to get my ducks.”

Kathy gave him a long look. “You’ll be quick about it and only back what you need.”

Ricky’s eyes opened in shock, and to my surprise, he didn’t even refute her, just nodded along. “Yes,” he said quickly.

When I looked to Merlin for help, she looked away as casually as she could. Something had happened while I left her with them.

“Well, that’s different,” I said lightly. “I guess we’ll talk about that later. Merlin, take us back. And then, if you would be so kind, bring a few of the Mul Branova back here. We’ll make sure Ricky can get packed up in no time. The last thing I want either of these people to do is wait around in an area that clearly has demon problems.”

“So that was caused by demons?” Ricky asked, only for Merlin’s teleport to take effect. A second later, and we were back in his shop before I could answer.

“Yes. I spotted a demon in town when we were out earlier. My guess is, when my Inspect punched through his attempt at hiding himself, they jumpstarted whatever plan they had been developing.”

As soon as we returned to the shop, I took a moment and ripped what remained of my tattered shirt off, pulling a spare out of my spatial ring. It was a travesty every time I lost one of the shirts from the old world. Never again did they make clothing quite so soft.

“Demons are bad, right?” Kathy asked.

“Very bad. Since they want to kill or possess every human on the planet.” I told her dryly.

“Okay, that’s bad,” Kathy corrected herself.

“Hard to argue with that logic,” I agreed. “If not kept in check, or better yet, outright destroyed, demons will take over our planet and eradicate all humans. The two races are diametrically opposed. As much as I wish it weren’t the case, we cannot share the Earth with them, not if we want to use it as well.”

Kathy rubbed her forehead. “And Ricky’s gonna help you with that?”

The man was already rushing around his shop, throwing rubber duckies into spatial rings he had, with care to remember which ring each one went into. While he was doing that, Merlin drank another potion and winked out of existence, though no one seemed to find that strange. The two newcomers seemed to be adjusting rapidly to the new reality around them.

“Ricky’s crafting ability is unique. And what we need right now, most of all, is better transportation than relying on Merlin for everything. If you could mimic her teleportation, or better yet, create multi-directional gateways, we would be extremely happy to support any and all material needs you had for such a project.” I told him.

Ricky glanced down at all the rubber duckies around him. “Really? You think I can make something like that?”

“I’m happy to give you the best instruction I can for inscription. The problem is, I need your ability to bridge some of the fundamental problems we have right now in making them ourselves.” I answered.

Ricky scowled. “Wait, you know how to make them?”

I nodded. “Easily. It’s just the amount of high-ranked resources to produce them is currently outside of something we can do. I can give you as much as you want, heck, we can even see if we can use my blood to make a very unique SS rank run of duckies for you.”

Kathy grimaced at the thought. While we’d all been giving them some information about what was going to happen, Merlin returned, winking into existence. This time she had a dozen Mul Branova, led by Amanda.

Kathy immediately scowled at all the women. “And who are they?” she asked.

Though her question was drowned out as they all saw me present and immediately fell to their knees, bowing in reverence. “Lord Bran,” they cried out in excitement.

“Welcome,” I said as calmly as I could. “Please rise. We have work that needs to be done.”

“Of course, Lord Bran. At once.” They all shot to their feet in a rustle of red robes.

“I need two of you with her.” I pointed at Kathy. “Your job is to help her pack up and bring her back here as quickly as you can. The rest of you, this shop, everything in it needs to be carefully cataloged and put away. We’ll find a spot for Ricky’s shop somewhere in the Citadel.”

“Of course, Lord Bran.” They echoed back.

I didn’t normally see Amanda in her red Mul Branova robes. Usually she still wore her driver’s outfit around me, but it seemed that something had changed. Either that, or she wore the robes when she was not around me and had been surprised at this request for assistance.

Amanda quickly spun around and pointed to two of the people behind her. “You two, with her. You, ” she picked a third “, stay with them and ensure that no one bothers them. The rest of you, you’re on clearing the shop duty.” She waved a hand, and there was not a single word of question in her orders. The women moved with an alacrity and did just as they were commanded.

I didn’t mind her slight alteration of my plans, there would likely be someone bothering the Mul Branova, those red robes had a tendency to draw men’s eyes.

Kathy sputtered as the two Mul Branova nearly picked her up and marched her out the door.

“Please, we must hurry. Lord Bran’s will is absolute, and we will not be found lacking in his presence.” They pushed Kathy forward while the woman looked at me with even wider eyes than when she saw my stats.

I could tell at this point Ricky was Inspecting them, his own face going slack as he saw their strength. Not a single one of them was below level one hundred, and with SS classes on each of them, that put them well above even those he would see from the nearby sects.

“Well then, I think you have this handled. I’m going to step outside,” I said. Without any further warning, I left the shop and glanced up and down the street. Unsurprisingly, the townspeople were looking twitchy after the recent monster stampede.

I recognized the greeter from when we had first arrived. She spotted me and began rushing my way. Curious, I stopped and appraised her, wondering what she would have to say.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” she said, stepping up close and giving me a far more cautious evaluation than when I had first arrived.

“You’re fine. I’m just careful after recent events,” I said diplomatically even though I was still on edge from the fight.

“Of course. That makes perfect sense.” Her words did not match the frown as she looked at me and then looked over my shoulder.

Amanda had stepped out behind me, and the door was open long enough for the woman to see the Mul Branova bustling about, as well as the group that had carried off Kathy.

“I’m afraid I don’t recognize which sect you all belong to,” she said cautiously, as if she was worried she might upset me.

“Don’t mind them, and you don’t have to worry about us. We’ll be back, but right now we are taking Ricky and Kathy with us.” I told her.

The greeter blinked. “Did you take the others with you too?”

I had been half ready to dismiss her and leave, but her question drew my attention immediately. “What others?”

“The others that have gone missing. I almost half wish you would tell me that it was you.” She said with worry in her eyes.

I shook my head gears already spinning in my head. “Unfortunately, it was not. I’m afraid to inform you that your town has a very real demon problem. I would look into that before you accuse me.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” she rushed to apologize.

It was flattering to have someone so concerned about my level that they were delicate with their words. However, I didn’t have time to entertain her, or whatever exactly was going on in the town. I had Ricky and Kathy, and that would have to be enough for the moment.

Unfortunately, while reason told me to simply move on, my curiosity was rarely so easily sated. “So, for curiosity’s sake… how many went missing?”

“All of them?” She stumbled over her words.

I blinked, this time far more serious, when I turned back to her. “All of what?”

“All of the craftsmen. They’re all gone.” She said it with wide eyes that told me just how badly we had fucked up.

Because apparently, while we dealt with what I thought to be the most important problem at hand with the stampede, it seemed the demons had swept through the town and collected enough crafters that they could outfit an entire army.