January 15th, 2022
***
Richter stared silently at Drek for several moments before answering.
"Can I say no?"
Drek gave an awkward chuckle. "Well, not really," he admitted.
"But we're not here to kill ya'. And the more cooperative you are, the better it'll be for all of us."
Richter took a deep breath and swore in his mind. He stretched his sore body and sheathed his sword, putting Koga and Reed in better spirits.
"Well, at least I get to live. What's the proposition?"
Drek glanced at Stel, nodding for him to jump into the conversation.
"Our names are Stel and Drek. We're humans, just like you. And our father runs one of the top three families on our home planet - Carson II. We accepted a contract to monitor your progress and bring you to him if we deemed you capable enough."
Richter's eyebrows furrowed. "So you don't know what he wants with me?"
"Nope. But that's standard for jobs like this. Officially, we're just Mailmen. There's a 'package' our client wants and we do our best to deliver it. Mailmen don't need to know why or what the package is for. It's none of our business."
"Even though the client is your father?..."
Drek grimaced. "We're not on great terms. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have accepted the contract but" -he downed a mana potion and threw a look to Stel- "this knucklehead screwed things up. It's very rare for Mailmen to have a strong connection to the client."
Richter nodded along and took a minute to think. A shiver passed through his body as the cold fog froze the sweat on his body. The corrosive Vikten Queen blood had reduced his clothing to rags. Stel picked up on Richter's condition and reached into space, pulling out an extra set of clothes.
"They might be a little tight since I'm scrawnier than you."
"It's fine, thanks."
Richter pulled off the tattered rags, exposing his scars to the curious gazes of Stel and Drek. Questions floated around in their minds but they held back from asking.
Richter turned around and noticed that the off-putting blue portal had disappeared. Instead, a more natural vortex had appeared. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"I didn't realize monsters could summon exit portals."
Drek and Stel shared a quick look before the former spoke up.
"It's quite common for Mutants to possess a skill like that. But I have to ask...You don't know much about the System, do ya?"
Richter shook his head. "How would I? It appeared out of nowhere."
Drek was about to respond when his communicator flashed red. He fished it out of his utility belt and flipped it up, reflecting Clare's image."
"Hey, you guys missed your daily check-in. What's goin" - Clare's eyes widened as she noticed Richter standing confused and slightly to the side. She quickly closed her eyes and tried to hide her image - "You idiots! If you were with the package you shouldn't have answered! Don't get me involved in your mess."
Drek shrugged helplessly. "We're doing our best. Things are slightly complicated. We made first contact, but getting out will be a bit troublesome. At least six Hounds are waiting outside for us."
Stel turned to Richter and whispered quietly: "Hounds are essentially just Bounty Hunters. The main difference is that Hounds operate above board, meaning they have legal authority, strong backing, and support. They got the name because that's their role. Sniffing out and taking down bounties that their clientele place.
Clare and Drek continued their conversation. "Are you asking for help?" Claire raised an eyebrow.
"No." Drek exposed hints of a nefarious grin. "There was a low Tier 3 Mutant in this dungeon, so I've got a plan. We'll talk later, we need to hurry before they call reinforcements."
He faced Richter and Stel.
"Richter, you might be safe when we step through, but I wouldn't bet on it. While we're the main targets, you're on the Cull List. So just try to run somewhere populated."
"The Cull List'? The hell is that? Is it why some guy tried to assassinate me some days ago?"
Drek sighed and Stel adopted a pitiful expression. "Fine, I guess we can spare a moment to explain.
"The Cull List is based on the Culling Effect. Resources are finite, and none more so than XP. So when a new planet gets adopted into the System it creates an opportunity for other planets to raise their own power. The Cull List is established, containing info on the weakest members of that planet. Then the list gets passed around. Outside forces will send their low-level members to the new planet and kill those on the list. This way, the other planets get to raise their power without fighting over their own dungeons or starting wars."
Richter scowled impatiently. "But I'm not-"
"We know you aren't weak, Richter." Stel chipped in meekly. "But in the System, knowledge is power. And those who don't know anything are considered weak. That's why you were near the bottom of the list."
Richter let the words digest in his head. But his heart felt heavy. Thoughts of his disciples flickered through his mind.
'I hope you're all alright...'
He rolled his shoulders, stepping closer to the portal.
"So then, what's in it for us? Why would new planets allow this to happen?"
"Because it reduces waste," Drek said simply.
"By killing the weak and stupid, you reduce the odds of someone unworthy taking valuable resources. That way, they go toward people who can make better use of them. If you want to get off the list just keep leveling up. If you live long enough to reach Tier 3, they'll take you off.
Drek stepped up next to him with Stel in tow. "One last thing: we actually don't need you till you reach level 25. That's when you'll unlock your subclass. I decided to meet you sooner 'cause that's how I do business."
Stel elbowed him in the abdomen.
"And because we were being chased...but regardless, if you live long enough, we'll meet with you once the condition has been met. Take this."
Drek handed Richter a small scroll.
"Just rip this scroll once you choose your subclass and it'll notify us. Good luck. And don't even think about killing any of the Hounds outside. You don't need to make any more enemies."
Drek and Stel nodded at each other before jumping through the portal, leaving Richter to digest the information. A few minutes later he felt ready to leave. He tensed his body and stepped through the portal.
***
Not unsurprisingly, Drek and Stel stepped out into an ambush the moment their feet hit the damp ground.
[Barrier - ???%]
A massive earth wall rose up to protect them, tanking every one of the skills thrown their way. Drek grit his teeth, sweat dripping down his brow as the wall slowly cracked and crumbled.
"Hurry up Stel!"
His brother fumbled with the crystal figurine of the Vikten Queen.
"Got it!"
Mana surged through his fingertips-
[Crystallize: Release - 50%]
-as the screech of the beast echoed through the forest. Drek punched open a hole in his barrier and lifted the Vikten Queen, his muscles screaming under the stress.
"Have fun!"
He chucked the creature as hard as he could toward the Hounds. Each paled slightly at the sight of a massive plant mass flying in their direction.
"Scatter!"
The six humans spread out, simultaneously trying to chase after the duo and dodging the creature's attacks. They couldn't afford to kill it. Otherwise they'd end up on the bounty board too.
Drek pulled Stel onto his floating metal disk and pumped mana into it.
"Hold on tight!"
The wind blistered their skin from the friction as they took off, barely weaving between the trees near the ground.
***
[Mana Surge - 10%]
Richter's blade cleaved a vine in two the moment he stepped out. The sounds of explosions and chaos flooded his ears as he observed the action. Bark and twigs rained down around the surroundings. Vines were curled and tangled, forming a maze between the tree trunks around them, as if the Vikten Queen was trying to box them in.
Some of the Hounds were in rough condition with chunks of meat torn from their stomachs. The six were slowly growing exhausted, struggling to find a way out of their predicament without killing the creature outright. Luckily the Vikten Queen was vengeful.
Its head whipped around the moment it caught Richter's scent, glaring at him with murderous intent. It was time for round 2.
But Richter had a different plan this time around.
'It's a plant. Surely it's weak to fire, right?'
Blue lit up his eyes as everyone present watched his actions. The Hounds paled slightly in shock at the speed of his mana flow.
[Sunder - 20%]
The Vikten Queen recognized the orb that had damaged it before. The same trick wouldn't work twice. Their vines retracted around the main body, forming a protective shield, but the projectile never came.
[Mana Surge - 40%]
His blade sliced cleanly through the orb, projecting the slumbering propellent at the creature. A single spark from the blade created a cascade of blue fire heading straight toward their body. The Hounds took this chance to sneak off, glad to be alive and out of harm's way. They'd chase after Drek and Stel once they recovered.
The spread of the flame was too wide to avoid. It screeched in agony as the blue death effortlessly ignited, spreading across their vines and the trees of the forest. Trying to roll on the ground was futile, and patting out the flames only spread it further. Richter watched for a moment, admiring the carnage with a light smile.
'Looks like it is weak to fire. Good matchup for me.'
His mana roused one final time.
[Chain Cast: Sunder - 5% --> Mana Surge - 10%]
The small orb blasted a hole straight through the creature's forehead, turning its brain to mush - assuming it had one. The body crashed backward with a loud thud, slowly croaking as the flames consumed what was left. A sweet notification played in his ears.
[ 'Vikten Queen Level 29' killed. 40 copper awarded. 130% XP awarded]
[Level up! You have reached level 19. Attribute points awarded.]
'Hmm? I thought they said it was Tier 3. Guess they were off a little.' Richter shrugged, paying little attention to the discrepancy. Admittedly, trying to gauge the level of a monster accurately was quite a finicky task. An identification scroll could be used, but that was such a waste. This was the same mistake the Hounds made. If they knew it was Tier 2 they would have killed it instantly.
Regardless, Richter stretched as his mana refilled automatically.
He sheathed his sword, checking his surroundings with his Sense before exhaling in relief. His muscles ached from exertion after the whole ordeal. He set out toward the town to inform them of what happened.
***
"Is it over?..."
"Y-yeah." The young woman gulped, lowering the pair of binoculars from her eyes.
She was one of the 6 Hounds from earlier. They set up camp far away after running from the Vikten Queen.
"He killed it. And...It looks like he knows how to Chain Cast."
The six faces sagged, cloaked in a mix of envy and frustration. Not a single one of them was capable of doing it.
"What a bunch of bullshit. That guy? Weak? Did they put him on the list to sabotage other planets? I refuse to believe he learned it on his own. He must have more knowledge than he let on."
One of the guys reached out and clasped his friend on the back.
"Calm down, it is what it is. Maybe we can still profit from this. If we're the first to learn about it, then we can turn in the information for coins. You still have the broker's contact information from before?
One of the other guys fished out a slip of paper from his pocket. "Yeah, right here. Let's go."
With that, the six set out to their destination, casting one last glance in Richter's direction.
***