I can't believe this worked.
Here I am in front of Dungeon town with a wagon loaded up with supplies to sell, and ready to traverse two kingdoms.
It's one of the fancy wagon types to.
Twenty-feet long and ten-feet wide, it is made from a durable metal that is lighter than it should be, its wheels are solid metal five inches thick with spikes for traction, a ladder leads to the roof, the roof has a raised edge five-feet high with slots in it to shoot arrows, the driver seat is protected by two steel plates with hundreds of small perforations as to not obstruct the view, and in the wagon is dozens of capacity chests filled with only the gods know what.
When I asked what I'd be transporting Siel just said someone at the capital would take it of my hands, and that I should avoid looking through them.
Which means I'm smuggling a shit ton of contraband into the literal capital of the empire. At least he said for my troubles I could take a reasonable percentage of the pay.
I smiled at the thought of that.
After all, I consider seventy-five percent to be very reasonable.
"Hey!"
I look over at Jay and the rest, he and Flora are arguing like usual.
For a being touched by two gods, he sure doesn't act like it.
"But why can't we just teleport there? We used those circle teleporters before."
He asked the runt of a mage.
She in return replied with that snarky tone of her's.
"Because it's too expensive, idiot! A simple pass from Harvain to Saltwater costs thousands of gold, what do you think a trip to the capital would cost?!"
"Well, it can't be that far, can it?"
"It's two kingdoms away!"
"Small kingdoms?"
"No! Did you even look at the map?"
"That's one janky ass map! Nowhere on the map was a hint of a scale!"
"Just look at the inland sea!"
"Well, it can't be that big. Seas are smaller than oceans, so logically those kingdoms can't be that large."
His moronic logic shocked her into silence, not for long, but impressive nonetheless.
"There's no actually measurement, but it's at least over three hundred square miles."
"What?! But that's like... um... Patty? Yes, just as I thought, that's like five times the size of the Pacific Ocean! I did think that! Shut up Patty!"
And it's times like this that truly confuses me.
There is no ocean called Pacific, that I know of, and he constantly argues with someone - or thing - called Patty.
A being either completely invisible, or not at all real.
Add that to the ever growing list of weird phrases that he says, and it makes him even more of an enigma!
No monster this intelligent - that is not tamed - should be acting this gentle with the mortal races.
It makes no sense.
My thoughts drifted back to when I first made it back to town out of the dungeon.
_______________
"I can't fucking believe you sent a fucking High-ranking monster to fight us!"
I screamed at Siel as I slammed the mana heart of the bladepede onto the table he was sitting at.
"It worked, did it not?"
He replied with a causal glance upwards.
"That's not the point!"
"Isn't it? If I hadn't used the desert crawler, they might have defeated the boss on their own.
Where would that have left you in gaining their trust? Haysith told me that with all of you fighting, you had good odds to win."
"And what were the odds?"
"Forty-nine to one, but that was just a rough estimate."
"A one in a forty-nine chance, that's what you sent my way!"
He wiped the spittle off his face from my understandable outburst.
"It wouldn't have been the first time that they've fought above their rank and won. Ledina had told me that when she sold them their wolf wildier Jurea pulled out a dragon's heart, she assured my that it was - or at least close to - a Mid-rank."
"So, you risked my life on the knowledge of an employee that you tried to kill?!"
"She actually told me that information before I sent her into harm's way, and any good business man will tell you that any worthy venture must be weighed against the risks and benefits.
A one out of forty-nine chance is leagues better than another party fighting a rank above them - never mind two - it was completely worth the risk."
"Fine, but you better give me the best price for this heart!"
"Of course, and how went the plan?"
"Off without a hitch, except for the two goons you hired betraying me."
"Isn't that what they were supposed to do?"
"They were supposed to rough me up and leave, not cut a huge gash in my leg and steal my supplies."
Luckily for them this damn ruby slows my reactions and robs me of my more animalistic traits.
Perfect for hiding in plain sight, not so much for protecting yourself.
"They stole the spell scroll? But then how did you convince them to let you tag along?"
"I said that they took the scroll, not that they kept it for long.
Those fools cut me, letting all the monsters in the vicinity know of a free meal, then ran straight into the waiting jaws of the nearest monster.
I don't think they even made it a thousand yards.
Besides that, they're all easy to manipulate.
Flora would follow her greed to the pits of the worst hell, the target and slave are big softies at heart, and Jurea will follow the lizard's lead without falter. I think she's a monster fucker."
Finally a look of shock, that quickly disappeared, appeared on his face.
"She wouldn't be the first.
So, what rank is it?"
"It's still a Low-rank. Surprising, isn't it? It surprised me as well."
He frowned.
"Low-rank, that's... inconvenient."
"Why? You should be able to do what you want, it's more powerful than any Low-rank I've seen before."
"Because I am not doing something as simple as a conjuring, I'm seeking to summon a god. Anything less than a Mid-rank would mean death.
High-rank would be preferred, for absolute certainty that it would succeed."
Fuck! If he can't use it, then this was a complete waste of time!
No, a corpse would sell A lot cheaper than a living monster, but there still is a market for it.
"If you're thinking about selling its dead body, the failed ceremony would destroy it entirely. We either succeed or fail together."
Fuck.
"So, what now?"
"The royal tournament is due to start in six months time."
"No, I can't abandon my men for over a year."
"You gave them the long range communication item I had given you, they'd be able to contact you whenever the need arose. What's a year, in comparison to untold wealth and freedom?"
"Communication means nothing if I'm two kingdoms away."
"They are a group of eighty strong bandits, most in the region wouldn't even want to try their luck taking them down."
I chose to ignore how he knew my men's exact numbers, he probably has a High-rank mage or two in his employ.
"Fine, I'll go, but how am I supposed to convince them to come with me?"
"I'll leave that decision up to you. I have prior engagements."
After that I came up with the idea of me selling at the tournament, and he must have decided to kill two birds with one stone.
_________________________
"All I'm saying is, that if we carve a teleportation circle on the cart, we'd be able to teleport back and forth."
Jay's statement pulled me back to the present.
"All I'm saying is, that you're an idiot!"
"Hey! It's a great idea! We'd be able to go back and forth between home and traveling."
"The reason teleportation circles are carved into rock is that they have to be stable, any instabilities and parts of you end up on another continent!"
"Well, excuse me for not knowing, where I'm from there isn't any teleportation!"
If I didn't know them, I'd think they were mortal enemies.
I finished the final preparations for the wagon.
"We're all set, we can head out."
Jurea and Eric climbed up onto the wagon, while Flora looked at Jay expectantly.
"Well...?"
"Well what?"
"Take me into your subspace."
"Yeah, no."
"What! Why not?"
"We are on guard duty, and you can't guard if you're in a subspace."
"You and the other two will be here, besides the road will be bumpy!"
Jay got onto the wagon, and pulled her up too.
"If you don't want it to hurt as much, grow an ass."
"My ass is perfectly proportioned!"
This is going to be a long trip.
...........
Are you sure about this?
I questioned the little whore as a few demon bodyguards, Amisra, and I walked through the forest.
And why share all of this with me now?
It's about time that you learned your place.
With these added weapons not only will my army be stronger, but deprive the humans of them as well.
I looked around.
There is a serene pond with a babbling brook, a few fruit trees, lazy animals frolicking about, and about a dozen other things besides a cache of weapons!
There better be.
The animals fled as I went over to the pond and knelt down beside it, then I touched it with my hand.
______________________
My lungs are on fire!
I'm drowning!
I don't want to die!
I struggle to surface, but the arms holding my neck are like iron.
It's impossible, I'm going to die.
No!
I don't deserve to die! I did nothing wrong!
My hands leave my assailant's arms, and search the bottom of the riverbed for anything that could help.
My fingers brush past a heavy rock.
I grasp it, only for it to slip back out of my hands.
I stretch my hand out yet again.
Yes, my hand finds purchase.
The rock's sharp edges dig into my skin drawing blood, but I ignore it.
I swing the rock with all of my strength, and hit my would be murderer's head.
As the arms holding me down let go, I surface puking up whatever water that's in my lungs.
I looked around and see my attacker holding her bloody head.
I try to stand up and run away, but my wobbly legs give in and I'm forced to crawl.
"Where do you think you're going cunt?!"
I looked back to see her standing above me.
The blood leaked down her face, her red hair wild in most places and matted with blood in others, and she is holding a very big stick.
She swung the stick onto my back, and kept hitting me.
"Ow! Stop! Please stop!"
"Go on beg for your pathetic life! Go on, I want to hear you!"
She yanked my face to meet hers with my hair.
"I didn't kill your husband, I don't deserve this!"
She spit in my face, then slapped me.
She started to drag me back to the river.
"You're the reason he's dead!"
I was hitting her arms with all of my strength, but she just shrugged it off.
"He chose to fuck me!"
It's not my fault that he wanted to give me gifts.
"YOU KNEW HE WAS MARRIED!"
She stopped dragging me for a second to kick me in the face.
Then, she started to drag me back to the river again.
Once we were at the river again, she looked me in the face.
"Any last words?"
The blood is leaking like a sieve from her head wound, making her appear more like a monster rather than a human being.
But this maniac doesn't even care!
"You don't have to do this! I have many powerful suitors, and they'll know if I go missing!"
Yeah, that's right, I'm loved because I'm the prettiest girl they've ever seen. I'm perfect, and therefore protected.
If this bitch doesn't want to be hunted down like a filthy animal and strung up, she'll have to let me go.
She can't kill me, I'm going to live!
"Unapologetic even to the end."
Her eyes are dead looking.
"I did nothing wrong you crazy bitch! He chose to cheat on your frigid ass, he chose to give me gifts, AND HE'S THE ONE WHO DIDN'T PAY BACK... UMPH."
She punched me in the nose.
"Burn in hell BITCH!"
She held my face back under the water, this time she held my hands behind my back.
No, no, no, no!
This isn't fair!
I was going to marry and be rich, live a life of luxury, and finally die from old age in a palace somewhere, doted on by my husband, children, and secretly by my dozens of lovers.
But I was being robbed of the life I deserve, by this fucking harlot!
As the lights started to fade my last thoughts were...
...
...
...
I did nothing wrong.
___________________
I stumbled backwards away from the water.
It had been so long since I had seen one those visions, I thought I had forgotten about that life.
"Mistress!"
Amisra had run up to me to help me to my feet by grabbing my arm.
I ripped it a way from her.
"Let go of me! What kind of underlings allow their betters to get their hands dirty!"
She took a few steps back, and bowed her head.
"Forgive me, I would never..."
"Just go get my weapons, all of you!"
I said while pointing at the pond.
Without missing a single heartbeat, they all leapt into the water.
Ow! Volume dumb cunt!
You trying to give me a headache?
Enough!
It was nothing but an episode, lesser demons have those when we come into contact with things that reminds us of our deaths.
Yes, now you're getting it.
The reason why the mortals will never win, all lesser demons were mortals who died and went to hell!
The more they kill their enemies, the more demons that will rise against them.
Don't be ridiculous, if that were the case, I wouldn't have been sent there.
I was perfect in life, and was tragically struck down for no reason.
But don't worry, the bitch who sent me to hell, also died from her head wound and became a demon as well.
Poor little Sadisl, couldn't even stay on the mortal plain for a single day, ha!
Like I would remember.
Yeah, after which I spent who knows how long in hell - time there is wonky to say the least - and very little of that time was I a demon with any privilege at all.
Of course not, before getting the honor of being chosen by your master you spend your time being mercilessly tortured.
It's like you're being raped in every hole while only feeling pain, while on fire, while every second lasted an eternity, while being frozen, while acid is poured on you, while all of your limbs are ripped off, while...
And that was the rest periods, and only if you were good.
Nothing.
An absence of everything.
You felt nothing, saw nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing, heard nothing, and there was no air.
So, you suffocated for eternity all alone while hoping for it all to just end, you begged for the torture.
While you're being tortured, you would thank them from the bottom of your heart because they allowed you to feel something, anything.
Then, if you're lucky, a higher demon will come and mix their essence with yours.
They give you new life, and they ask for so little in return.
Absolute obedience, loyalty, servitude, or to even die in their name!
You're given a purpose, to serve the one who took a worthless piece of waste and gave them meaning again!
And if you become a useful type of demon, all the better.
Finally understanding how amazing I am, and how lucky you are to have been chosen by me are we? Good.
As for your question, how you died determines what kind of lesser demon you become.
Everyone loved me, so I became an avatar for that love.
I'll forever be grateful to my master for saving me, instead of the millions upon millions of other souls!
Even though he was weak, he spared his power to make me whole.
He made me strong!
I won't rest until he's where he belongs, ruling everything! And me at his feet, worshiping him like the god he is.
Snap!
The sound of a twig breaking pulled me away from my conversation.
Looks like I get to entertain myself by ripping apart a dumb woodland creature.
When I turned around, instead of seeing a bear or wolf, a group of four men with an assortment of weapons drawn were running towards me.
I started to turn into smoke when a rock sailed from one of their hands and hit me on the head.
Before I could recompose myself the first of the men was almost upon me, hunting javelin raised high.
Without warning a giant explosion of light and sound occurred, disorienting them.
I immediately shifted to my demonic form, and slashed out the throat of the first one nearest to me.
The next one got his heart ripped out, and the third one got his neck snapped.
And the fourth... wait, where is the fourth guy?
There! He had held back while his buddies charged me.
After seeing my display, he took off running, leaving his friends corpses.
I followed, only to trip on the corpse of the one whose throat had been ripped out, and land on the heartless one.
I felt an energy pass from me, and go into the corpse.
The dead - or rather undead - body popped up.
"I'm alive!"
I don't know why, but I was seeing both the corpse and Altwain at the same time.
Instead of questioning it, I gave it an order.
"After the escaping one! Kill it!"
Without hesitation, he ran into the woods after the soon to be dead.
Ha! It appears you had a powerful ability all along, you just were too wimpy to activate it.
Your ability obviously has something to do with murdering victims, something you refused to do while you were still in control of your body.
"Mistress! What happened?!"
Out of the pond came Amisra and the rest carrying an assortment of weapons.
The water falling off her body was intoxicating.
I'm glad I make her dress as scantily as possible.
"Never mind that, is this all there was?"
"No mistress, there is an underwater cave filled with weapons down there."
"Good."
New powers, a cache of weapons, and a monster army when Darisyn returns.
This day can't possibly get better.
I stand corrected! The whore has finally found her place!
I gleefully threw her into a hellscape, while turning towards home.
"Amisra, retrieve all the weapons and bring them to the estate."
I felt the same energy that had left me before, return.
Oh, yes, before I forget.
I went over to the two that I killed, and consumed them while chuckling to myself.
I guess these sheep didn't realize that they were stalking a wolf.
The knowledge of my impending victory energized my way more than the food I had just eaten.
Fuck building an altar every other day, I'm going to work through both night and day until all twenty-one of them are rebuilt!
Then, before Darisyn gets back I'll have summoned more high demons than I'll know what to do with!
I wonder what he's doing right now?
With that body meant for war.
Amisra will definitely be pressed into service tonight.