I crouched upwind steadying my hybrid rifle, taking aim at a berserker boar.
They're nothing special, just a simple animal really, but their tusks make for excellent spear points.
I really love my hybrid guns, don't get me wrong I love my regular guns too, it's just that I think my work really shines through with my hybrids.
The normal ones work just as the ones in his world does, my hybrids use glyphs to work.
Apply a little mana to it and a fire glyph super heats the bullet while a wind glyph propels it out of the barrel at high velocity.
Of course, this method makes the bullet firing silent, but it relies on mana use, and that at the best of times is unreliable.
So, at any point in time you can switch back to the regular way to fire bullets, it's noisy but it gets the job done efficiently.
I took a deep breath, and then when I was letting it out, I applied my mana to the rifle.
The bullet whizzed out of the barrel, and before I could even blink the boar was falling down dead.
It was a clean shot straight through the head.
"What kind of weapon is that?"
I spun to my left, and standing there with his spear was Geoff.
How did he sneak up on me when Thonie is here?
I was about to raise my gun towards him, when he pulled me up and behind him.
"Watch out! I don't know how, but there's a slagan behind you."
He had his spear pointed towards Thonie, who was about pounce and rip him a new one.
Ironically, because both of them are protecting me from the other.
I went in between both of them.
"Hold it! He's not an enemy, so calm down. And you! This is my pet, you idiot! Don't go pointing your weapon at her, or I'll take it from you and shove it up your ass."
He lowered his spear.
"Um... sorry... I guess, I just never saw a slagan as a tame before."
"What are you even doing out here anyway? Didn't the guard put the forest on lockdown for hunting?"
"Then, what are you doing out here?"
"My land, my choice. And don't change the subject."
"Fine, I'm out here looking for my friends killers."
"Your friends? As in the two guards that died? Didn't they kill the beast that did them in?"
His grip on his spear tightened, his knuckles were turning white.
"Barryn's a fucking liar! There is no way that the third tier beast that head belonged to killed my friends, they'd have wiped the floor with a Mid-rank! Never mind anything less.
It's obvious that bandits killed them, and Barryn got paid to look the other way. I'm going to find whoever killed them, and gut them.... slowly."
I could see the conviction in his eyes.
"Yeah, you do you. Look, about my weapon..."
He decided to cut off my attempt of an excuse.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your earth staff."
"My what?"
"It is a staff that shoots rocks, isn't it? I mean I thought that was a pebble that hit that beserker boar, right? You probably don't want anyone stealing your idea."
"Close enough. Look, it's going to get dark soon, do you want to head back to my place?"
His cheeks turned bright red, when he misinterpreted what I meant.
"I... ugh.... appreciate the offer, but I got to get back to town, my shift starts in a couple of hours."
I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, I figured, I have a teleportation circle that leads into town."
"Wow! Really? Are you sure I can use it?"
"Yeah, just help me drag that boar back. Every time Thonie helps she starts to eat it before we get back."
What followed was an awkward trek back to my place.
Him trying to start up worthless conversation, and me trying and mostly falling to ignore him.
"This is your place?!"
When we got back to the pseudo village, his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"What? I told you I had built it up."
"There is a distinct difference between a hut with a fence around it and this!
I think this wall is sturdier than the wall surrounding Saltwater!"
We did clear over a hundred acres of the land so far, and walled off a good portion of it.
"Well, that's a given."
"How long did it take to build this? Three or four years?"
"I've only been here around two months or so, so around three weeks."
"That's impossible! Even with a hundred men it'd take months or years to build this! The wall is not only sturdy looking, but has no discernible slant. Which means that not only is the foundation good, but the stone was perfectly cut. Where did you get the needed stone and other supplies for this?"
"I had help."
"I'll say."
When we got to the gate, I whistled.
One of the beastfolk I freed looked down at us, then left to crank the pulley.
After a few moments the stone block that weighed a couple tons was hoisted up, allowing us to open the gate and enter.
If there is a Mid-rank or higher monster or demon out there, I'm not taking any chances.
When Geoff saw the beastfolk he tensed up, he probably thinks they're slaves.
"So, how many slaves do you own?"
"None, they're all as free as they can be."
"Oh?"
"Yes, and you can drop that right there."
Geoff tossed the boar into the shed I use to dismantle my kills, a couple of beastfolk started cutting it up as soon as he left.
"My nation doesn't believe in slavery the same way yours does.
The only way you become a slave is if you sell yourself into it to pay for your debts, or are captured in combat.
You can't be born into slavery, and if you're too old or sick, you can't be one either.
Also, our slaves are paid - less than non-slaves - so they can actually stop being slaves.
And finally there are laws in place to protect them.
I've never agreed with how y'all treat those you consider less than yourselves."
We continued onto my forge, where the circle is.
"Well, you can count me as one of the ones who doesn't think that way either. And you've really got to rethink that boulder in front of your front gate, that must be a hassle every time you have to come and go. If something is chasing you, you don't want to have to stop and wait."
I activated the circle.
"Not really, I've got smaller hidden entrances I go out of with people I trust."
He looked at me, then shrugged his shoulders.
"That's fair. Look, if you ever need any help to fight off whatever, you know where to find me."
"I won't, but thanks."
I shoved him into the portal.
"Hey! Get out of there! You damn over-grown garden snake!"
Ugh, seems like Thonie found her way into one of the animal pens again.
She's already grown to the full size of an adult slagan, and is more than any of the beastfolk can handle.
I should probably go out there... nah, she'll tire out - eventually.
I've got more important matters to attend to.
I pulled out the blueprints for my next project.
...................
I stood in front of the completed twenty-first altar, hoping I'd be able to snag a higher class demon.
If I fail to get one, my invasion is a non-starter.
No matter how many lesser demons I have.
I'd be able to conquer this little town for sure, but anything bigger would have knights or more experienced adventurers.
Lesser demons are servants by nature, most never become stronger than Mid-rank.
But enough of that idle thought, time to get back to the task at hand.
At each of the altars is one of my lesser demons with an animal to sacrifice.
With higher demons the trick of just spreading blood and viscera around doesn't work, instead to grab their attention you have to extinguish lives.
Humans or other mortal species would be better, but that's how you get heroes on your ass.
As soon as the moon reached its zenith each sacrifice was killed, and its blood leaked over the altars.
Amisra knelt down before the altar.
Work, damn you.
We all started to chant.
After ten minutes the air turned sour, and the already frigid temperature dropped until it was freezing.
In front of the altar a swirling vortex of chaotic energy formed.
Out of it came a claw hand, then another, and then a puss filled head followed.
The demon that stood before Amisra is twenty-feet tall, bones were stabbing out of its body, decaying skin hung loose on its body, twin tails ending in stingers, and its eyes - all fifteen of them - stared down at Amisra full of malice.
It reached down and stabbed its clawed hand into her, then it ripped open her chest.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Oh, great, you're back.
Why would I do that?
You do remember how it felt when I possessed you right?
And you probably felt like you were dying too, and I'm only a lesser demon.
This is how demon possessions work. If she lives it was successful, if not..... I'm going to be having her corpse for dinner.
The demon started stuffing itself into Amisra.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"
Dark lords she's a screamer!
Darisyn is right, tinnitus sucks, and they're not even considerate enough to muffle their screams just a little fucking bit.
<.....>
The demon finished possessing Amisra and stood up.
She looked a little different.
Her crystalline skin looks sturdier, with crystal armor sticking out in advantages places.
Two crystal horns travel the length of her face then jut outwards, looking like tusks that protects her face.
And she gained a crystal prehensile tail, that is razor-sharp and ready to slash my enemies.
She looked over at me.
"So, you are the one who summoned me."
She said that question as a statement somehow.
"Yes, I'm the humble servant of....."
Without letting me finish, she spoke again.
"I am the demon knight Deanoma, I will serve you.... for now."
Are you fucking daft? There's no way a lesser demon can force a higher one to make an oath.
The only thing my crest would do is rupture her host, possibly sending her back.
And that's only if she isn't powerful enough to hold her host together.
Because I need her power, also as soon as I'm promoted to a higher demon I can control her.
right now?> Shut up! I threw her back into a hellscape. "Come, let us depart, I hope whatever hovel you've secured is up to my tastes." "Of course, I'm sure you'll love it, I destroyed a young couples lives and made their home into a b....." "I don't care." "Of course, come we'll have to wait until the next full moon to try to summon another high demon." We all started back towards my brothel, when Darisyn went up to the altar. "Mistress, would you prefer to have it summoned now?" "Of course, I would, but that's impossi....." Darisyn cut his exposed flesh and dripped a drop of blood onto the altar. "Come forth." All the moisture in the air froze and dropped to the earth as ice, all of the plant life in the vicinity withered and died, and a smell so putrid the dead would retch permeated the air. The ground shook as the demon made his way up to this realm, a fiery crevice appeared right under the altar destroying it. The demon that appeared dwarfed Deanoma, it's visage too gruesome to truly describe. "HOW DARE YOU SUMMON THE GREAT DUKE GARGOLOSE T...." Darisyn nonchalantly cut him off. "Just a duke? I must be weaker than I thought. Oh, well, you'll do." Darisyn raised his palm towards the demon, and the demon turned into energy and was sucked into him. He transformed right before our eyes. Whereas before he was like a war-torn soldier, he was now like a prince fresh from battle. He went from handsome to drop dead gorgeous. Not that I notice such things like that. Darisyn was standing and looking at his hands in confusion. "How is this possible? Not only was I forcefully summoned, but forced into a seamless possession." "Is that you Gargolose? I kind of thought Darisyn would retain control." It wouldn't have surprised me if Darisyn could control a duke level demon. "That is the great Duke Gargolose The Dread to you, and he let me have control as soon as I fully integrated. This is one weird mortal." "I REFUSE TO BE PARTY TO ANY WAR EFFORT WITH HIM!" Deanoma screamed while pointing at Gargolose. Gargolose slowly turned his gaze to her. "Am I supposed to know who you are?" Smoke started to rise from her skin. "I am the demon knight Deanoma! And you slaughtered my master! The great duke Asmotidius." Gargolose cracked a smile. "Assey! Oh, I remember him! He screamed like a bitch getting its skin flayed when I ripped off his genitalia and ass fucked him with it. I do have one good thing to say about him though, his offspring tasted divine with just a hint of salt. Hehehe!" Her full might exploded forth, forcing me to my knees. Shit! She's going to attack him, and I'm going to lose a demon knight when he slaughters her. She must know that a knight can't even hope to beat a duke, but we demons aren't known for our rationality. Flames sheathed her claws as she swiped her hand at Gargolose. He lazily caught her arm, stopping that momentous force with ease. "Are you really going to abandon our mistress?" "I would never follow a weakling like her, especially if it means working with you!" "Fine, you just made my decision for me." He raised his hand and put it in front of her face, then a bright light flashed and she had a dazed look on her face. "Ugh, what happened? The last thing I remember is that demon and pain.... a lot of pain." He let go of her and she wobbled away from him holding her head. "Who do you serve?" He asked her. "My mistress of course, now will you tell me what's going on?" "Amisra? Is that you?" (Me) "Yes, of course it is mistress, who else would I be?" I turned towards Gargolose. "Great Duke Gargolose The Dread how did you do this?" "I apologize mistress, but I am not Gargolose, I am Darisyn. I had to take back control for a little while to prevent him from destroying one of your assets. As for what I did, I just trapped Deanoma in a mental hellscape. Amisra will be able to use most, if not all, of her powers as a demon knight, and she'll still be completely loyal to you. Once you've become more powerful you can reverse what I've done and fully place Deanoma under your will." "And Gargolose just let you do this?" "No, there was no time to consult him, so I just did it. Forgive me." He just did it? He just took control of a duke demon! "Are you going to imprison him too?" "No, he and I have come to an arrangement. I do apologize, but you'll have to rebuild the altars, when I forcefully summoned him I broke all of them." What the hell is he! "That's fine, I was finished with them for now anyway. So, when is Gargolose coming back?" "I am back. He took control from me so easily, what is he?" If only I knew. "My subordinate, I only let truly powerful servants serve me. After all, my master was one of the devil generals in the great war." Gargolose knelt before me. "Any who could make this host obey them is worthy of my servitude. I =.=.=.=.=.=.=.= pledge my undying loyalty to you." Shit! I didn't actually expect him to make a pact with me! "A most wise decision, those who follow me will be duly rewarded when my plan comes to fruition. Now, the true question at hand... between my body type and a flat chested boy looking wannabe, who is more attractive?" "Is that humor? Of course, you as a succubus would out do any other." I couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "You and I will get along just fine I think." _______________________ Hours later when we were back in my brothel Gargolose the Great Duke of Dread was on his knees with tears of complete rapture in his eyes as he stared up at Tiniyra. "All of these millennia I was blind to what true beauty is, no one in this or any other realm could ever be compared to you! If I had known such beauty existed in the mortal realm, I would've destroyed hell itself to claim you as mine!" Oh, fuck me! I swear if there is a worst place than the deepest part of the worst hell, I will find it and throw you in!