Author's note. I will be covering the monsters listed in the MGE as the story requires them. When we need more academic monsters the more academic ones will be used, when we need dungeon type monsters those will be used, and so on.
Chapter 2. Acquisition
"Ok, where to start?" Mike thought as he approached a small town. He took the time to properly survey the residents and found that his attire should blend in rather well. "Well that's a start, but I still need to get caught up on the events between the last Demon Lord's fall and now. But that will take time, which means I'll need a place to lay low for a while." Mike then spotted an incident that both raised his hackles and made his day. A figure around his age had just shoved a young boy into the mud. Mike could recognize privilege, his sister had reeked of it for the first decade of her life. "A place to lay low means money, and I think I know just where to get it."
Mike watched carefully, tracking his prey through the town. It came as no surprise that he entered one of the largest homes the town had to offer. Mike smiled, the man he had seen earlier had been well dressed and the money that could be found in that house could only be guessed at. Night was when he would strike, he wouldn't kill any of them. Unless they got in his way.
But he had no problem traumatizing them.
When darkness fell Mike let his glamour fall, the sky would have been partly cloudy tonight but Mike had been carefully manipulating the weather for the last few hours. Now the sky was pitch black, and no one could see him as he alighted upon the roof of the building. Mike had a list of spells just perfect for this. One to detect life forms, another to manipulate their dreams, and a few for illusion.
Mike found his target easily enough, one of three life signatures in the entire building, in a room on the second floor. And a quick bit of telekinesis had the window lock undone. Mike smiled as he began to weave the magic that would trap this asshole in an endless nightmare loop of a shadowy monster with blood red eyes and sharp teeth terrorizing him. The spell would also keep him from awakening until Mike allowed him to, so he decided to loot the room to his heart's content. A large bag of gold coins was the first thing Mike took, but he realized that he would need a container if he truly intended to rob these people.
A traveling pack, albeit a small and decorative one, would suffice. Unfortunately the rest of the room's contents would be impossible to sell without them being easily identified. The rest of the rooms held much the same, though Mike to care to grab any currency that he found. He also noted that the parents of the man were in the perfect position to witness his little prank.
First he allowed the asshole to wake up, his scream was more than loud enough to carry to his parents and wake them. He then made long scratching noises with his nails outside the man's door. Mike could see the fear in that bastard's face as he looked around.
"Who's there?" He had tried to make it sound demanding, but it sounded pitiful to Mike. As for Mike, the footfalls of the parent's approach signaled the next stage of the plan.
Mike cloaked himself in shadow and make his eyes glow bright. The man's face paled in terror, he tried to scream but couldn't get the sound out.
"Anthony, what's the matter?" The father had arrived with his wife in tow. They saw their son backing away from a figure with bright red eyes. Mike smiled and lashed out with his tail, equally shrouded, and snared Anthony's foot. Mike levitated back, dragging the now shrieking boy with him. Anthony desperately scrabbled at the floorboards, trying to find purchase. His mother's screaming mirroring her son's while his father could only gaze on in shock.
Mike eventually finished dragging Anthony to the first floor, releasing the whelp only after reaching the middle of the living room. The family could only look on in fear as the shadow cloaked Incubus regarded them, before casting a powerful fire spell that ignited the floor. The family all went running outside, not even trying to save their home. Mike smirked, since he knew that the flames would produce a copious amount of smoke. And as this smoke rose so would he, using it as a cover to hide in as he flew into the clouds.
By the time he landed again Mike was laughing cheerfully. He could see the fires from the hills on the outskirts of the town, and the sight of them brought a sense of satisfaction. Mike had been designed to destroy, but due to the mix-up between him and his sister he had been allowed to develop as he saw fit. He would gladly destroy but he would do so for his own ends, for his own amusement. The fact that he got to punish a rich, arrogant little bitch was just icing on the cake.
For now though, he would rest. Tomorrow, maybe around noon, he would enter town, get some information, and maybe hear some tidbit of interesting information. If all else failed he could listen for any work that may come his way. His skills would make for one hell of a mercenary or bounty hunter. Propping up against a tree Mike pulled out a coin from the lockbox, this particular one was one that he had seen the researcher rolling when distracted. Mike stared at the dulled surface, pondering the various questions he had pushed aside until now. How long had passed since he was put in stasis? What was the situation between humans and monsters? And what was he to do now?
Mike jolted awake, having fallen asleep without realizing. The sun's position making it clear that it was still fairly early in the morning. Stretching up Mike took stock of the town, and could only smile in amusement. The fires had been put out, and though the ruins still smoked slightly they were most assuredly not a threat anymore. Mike started making his way towards the town, making sure to take his time. Even going slow he still reached the first of its buildings within an hour, there he spotted the tavern, called the Drunken Hog. A somewhat heavyset man was smoking just outside, peering in the direction of the burned building. When he spotted Mike he puffed out the smoke and said merrily.
"Welcome to the Drunken Hog lad, best tavern in Wellwood. I'm Randall, the proprietor of this fine establishment." Randall seemed friendly enough.
"Wellwood, hm. Not a name I'm familiar with. But hey, new age means new names." Mike thought, before slipping into the identity he had conceived. "Hello, a pleasure. Nice to finally reach civilization again. Though, it would seem that the Hog is probably the only tavern in Wellwood. If not, then I think the town may have a drinking problem." Mike said, drawing a chuckle from Randall.
"Well then, what can I do for you lad. Never seen you around here before." Randall said, emptying his pipe.
"Lived in the family house a few miles in the woods, but the damn thing caught fire a few days ago." Mike figured that if he seemed to be a victim of the same fire starting being that he masqueraded as last night that he may divert suspicion of his appearance and even evoke some pity.
"You too huh? Same thing happened to the Ashcove family last night. Sorry for your loss lad." Randall said.
"Worked like a charm." Mike thought. "It's not a problem, family died some time ago. It's just been me and an empty house for years, and there was nothing of value left for the fire to take." A little extra tragedy to sweeten the deal.
"Strong lad this one." Randall thought, completely buying into the story. "Tell ye what lad, come on in. we'll share a drink and ye can tell ye tale."
"I wouldn't want to impose, I'm just trying to make my way to any city with a museum." Mike said, drawing a raised eyebrow from Randall.
"And why would ye do that lad?" The barkeep asked.
"After the fire died out I managed to scavenge a few items, including a jar of coins I couldn't recognize. They seem old, and I figured if anyone could tell me about them, and if they're worth anything, someone in a museum could." Mike said, handing one of the old coins to Randall. The barkeep turned it a few times, but honestly couldn't recognize it. He could only concede to Mike's story.
"Aye, never seen these before. I guess your best bet would be them folks at the museum over in Nerval." Randall said, handing the coin back.
"Got a map I could see? I don't know my way that well." Mike said, adopting a somewhat bashful countenance.
"Sure thing lad, come on in." Randall said, ushering Mike in. once inside Mike found himself handed a map. He could spot Nerval immediately but let Randall point to it, best let the man feel helpful. "There it be, museum smack in the middle. Got relics from way back there, even those of the last Demon Lord. But be careful there lad. That city be one where monsters live as well, they say peacefully but be on yer guard."
"I will, thank you." Mike said, attempting to hand the map back.
"Keep it, it'll do ye more good than it will me. Ye may want to visit Old Aunty a few streets over. That crone got everything from cloaks to packs, should stock up while ye can."
Mike nodded and exited the tavern. He mentally patted himself on the back for his performance, and thought. "If mercenary doesn't work out, I know that I'd make one hell of an actor."
