Chapter 21: Creepy Crawlies
- Mars -
I observe the beautiful Monarch in front of me, as I slowly walk to her throne. There's a thick bloodlust in the air, but weirdly enough I don't feel that much hostility from her or her loyal ant protectors. I should keep in mind that could easily change at any second, thanks to the venom leaking from her fangs.
Name: The Monarch of Plagues, Querehsha
Level: ?
Race: Monarch
Title: Queen of Insects
Thoughts about you: She's excited to meet you. Thinks you look delicious
Affection: 15
I don't know if I should be relieved or worried that she thinks I'm looking delicious.
However, one thing is clear for the both of us during this standoff; A full out battle between us would most likely end in a stalemate. She could easily escape anytime since Monarchs can create Gates on command. And I'm definitely not weak enough that she can just one shot me. But I still need to be wary about any possible tricks or traps.
"The Monarch of Plagues..." I break the uneasy silence, trying my best to disarm her with my charm. "How lovely it is for me to finally meet a fellow Monarch."
My party carefully follows behind me, my shadows and demon allies ready to launch an attack on my signal as I approach the lone queen Monarch.
"You really aren't Ashborn, are you?" She uttered out loud, her lips slowly curling into a wider smile as she studies me further. "Yet I can still sense him on you, there is no mistaking his aura..."
I use the brief respite to check my surroundings, it seems we're alone in the nest, counting the numerous S-rank guard ants enclosed closely around her, ready to charge at me and my small but powerful group.
"No, I'm Ashborn's heir, Mars Valentino." I introduce myself, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach as my Monarch and Ruler senses throb the closer I get to her. "Queen Querehsha, I take it you're not here to kill me?"
"Hmmm. Still deciding." Querehsha wondered out loud, her voice sounding almost playful. "It would definitely be no fun if you're too weak. I need to test you first."
"And how are you going to do that?" I ask, before the rocky surface underneath us began to shake recklessly.
In an instant, dozens of giant centipedes emerged from the ground below, taking my party by surprise.
The enormous centipede monster that spawned underneath me died near instantly when I formed a light spear on pure instinct, plunging the electrified spear deep into its head.
These are the monsters from Jinwoo's penalty zone, I never thought I would encounter these disgusting things. I guess I shouldn't be surprised she can summon insects just as easily as I can shadows.
I fly into the air, watching the sudden battle unfold, my eyes darting to the Insect Monarch, where she is leisurely sitting back in her throne as if she is in no danger at all.
It's obvious she has no interest in joining the battle, rather I think she just wants to see how strong me and my current forces are. So this is her idea of a test?
Looking elsewhere, I spot Beru who had already made quick work of the centipede that attacked him, he was currently being swarmed by the royal guard ants. He should be able to handle that much, at least. The key difference between the royal protector ants and the ants outside couldn't be more clear. The scores of humanoid ant monsters outside all had wings and were basically A-rank Beru clones. But the guard ants deep in the cave were simply giant ants, not looking like their mutated winged relatives, they weren't standing on two legs either.
My demons composed themselves after the initial assault, their battle-tested experience shining as they worked as a team to exterminate the centipedes one by one. A couple of demon knights died in the surprise attack, but Metus can always resurrect any fallen Radiru warriors. Esil is proving herself as the S-rank noble demon warrior she is, she's definitely no damsel in distress.
"KIIIIEEK!" Beru screamed, soaked in blood as he emerged from the pile of decimated ants, his frenzied eyes and antennae pointed towards Querehsha. "YOU BITCH!"
Laughing to myself, I don't stop my deranged ant general, interested to see what would happen if Beru leapt at the Monarch.
"I thought I already taught you this lesson last time, you rude child of mine." She said with a bored look on her face.
Querehsha raised a hand dismissively, and two huge green hands of mana appeared, locking the squirming Beru in place.
Out of nowhere, I sense danger from directly above me, where a boiling green stream of acid flooded me. Thankfully, my armor is resistant, but my wings still feel the harsh sting.
As I do my best to ignore the lingering pain coating my wings, I look up at the hidden aggressor. I can count eight legs and at least a dozen sickening red eyes staring down at me with hostility.
Ugh, I hate spiders.
This was the sickening dungeon boss that almost killed Jinwoo early on? But it's S-rank at least, I'm assuming powered up by Querehsha's presence?
Name: Buryura
Level: 55
Race: Giant Arachnid
It's faster than it looks, the grotesquely huge spider launching at me just as quick as Beru launched at her a second ago.
I'm no pushover, using my own [Ruler's Authority] stop the freaky arachnid in its tracks, keeping it suspended in the air, just as the other Monarch held Beru in place.
The Queen of Insects is looking at me expectantly, awaiting my next move.
"Have I passed yet, Querehsha?" I ask her, glancing at my victorious Radiru soldiers, who are now finishing up the remaining A-rank centipede monsters with the help of a dozen more S-rank demon warriors I had summoned.
"Not quite." She answered bluntly, ignoring them, instead gesturing to the spider I'm holding captive. "Kill it."
I look in her eyes, searching for a hidden meaning behind her words. But she's dead serious, and I remember Ashborn's warnings of her particular brutal and violent nature. But in the end, I'd much prefer to have her on my side than with Antares.
I agree. She would be of much better use as an ally, young Mars.
The contained arachnid is hissing at me, it's under so much pressure it can't even open its toothy maw to shoot more venom at me. I don't think she wants me to simply kill it quickly, she wants to see if I can match her sadistic personality.
With a sigh, I deliberately open my closed fist at a tortuously slow pace, where my fingers extend in different directions. In perfect response, the spider is forcefully tugged, crumpling and twisting under my brutal authority. Buryura looks more like a tangled up and bloody puppet on strings now, its legs being agonizingly ripped off one by one, the morbid noises echoing throughout the tunnel.
Querehsha's smile grew much brighter in disgusting delight as the spider contorted and squealed in pain.
She released my ant general from her grasp as Buryura's last leg tore off, satisfied with my performance.
"KIIIEEK!" Beru screeched, the freed ant rushing back towards me, laughing to himself as he sliced off the limbless spider's head, putting it out of its dreadful misery.
"Arise." I waste no time, commanding the souls from the mass of dead bug monsters around us.
The resulting scenery makes me shudder as hundreds of shadowy insectile legs burst free from the carnage in the cave. The centipedes in particular look terrifying as they crawl out unnaturally from their mortal shells.
Royal guard ants, poison-toothed giant desert centipedes and the resurrected Buryura immediately submit to me, ignoring Querehsha as I am now their new king. These shadow soldiers will prove to be a creepy addition to my army. I already feel bad for the enemies I send my shadow insects to torment. Imagine a gigantic centipede bursting out of your own shadow...
"You passed. Ashborn truly found a worthy successor to the Shadow Monarch." She says with a murderous glee, finally standing up from her throne. "Let's talk, Monarch to Monarch, shall we?"
She suddenly began chanting in ancient monster tongue, where a text box appeared in front of me.
[Queen of Insects, the Monarch of Plagues, Querehsha, has activated the Skill: Pledge of Honesty (Deal)]
[Once the Skill has been granted, both the initiator and the acceptor cannot lie to one another]
[Will you accept the Pledge of Honesty?]
I mentally accept the offer, feeling the ancient spell take hold over the both of us.
[Pledge of Honesty (Deal) has been formed]
[By the mutual consent of both the initiator and acceptor, both parties will be unable to lie to one another until the contract is terminated]
"I'll let you ask a question first, Mars. Consider it a gift from your senior Monarch~" Querehsha offered me with a wink, her bloodlust continuously flooding the messy nest.
Despite her cruel nature, I can feel she is much more respectful to me, like I have been accepted by her.
I'm not sure how many questions she'll let me ask, so I'll make sure each one counts.
"Has Antares arrived yet?" I ask first, wanting to keep it simple, since the Monarch of Destruction will be the biggest obstacle in this universe.
"Not yet, but he will soon. His vessel is almost complete, ready to receive him." She informed me, where I'm sure she could see the wave of relief hit me. "My turn. Tell me what exactly happened to Ashborn?"
"It's quite simple, really. He retired. Ashborn no longer wanted to be the Shadow Monarch and has been looking for a replacement this whole time." I smile confidently, happy she asked me an easy question. "With the help of the Architect, he found me. He willingly and happily passed on his powers to me."
"Hmmm. Is that so..?" She eyed me up and down, licking her lips with a new dangerous glint in her eye.
"It is. Would you consider joining me against Antares? As you can see, my Shadow Army is growing by the day." I decide to speed things up and be direct, since I no longer feel any blatant hostility from her. "Since we both know Antares will never submit to me, it's inevitable I will face off against him."
Her eyes gloss over, she's imagining the bloodshed of the upcoming Monarch War. The final cycle is currently unfolding.
"This is certainly not what I expected when you first walked in here. Antares would be outraged at the betrayal. Although..." Querehsha said with an alluring giggle, seriously thinking about my offer and the resulting consequences. A smug smile appeared on her face once she turned her gaze to the demons Esil and Metus standing behind me. "Baran would roll over in his grave if he saw his demons allied with the Shadow Monarch."
"I bet he would. But is that not more proof you should join me instead? I will not be indecisively passive like Ashborn was..." I feel my Shadow essence deep within me flair wildly, as if possessing me, I can tell my eyes are beginning to glow a pure and powerful purple. "Querehsha, The Monarch of Plagues... Will you not stand by my side? I want the Queen of Insects and her subjects to join me. But if I must I will not hesitate to squish and flatten you and every single insect that stands in my way. I don't care if you're a monster, a Monarch or a Ruler... When the war will end, and the final battle is over, I promise you that me, my shadows and any allies I pick up on the way will be the ones standing tall."
"Heh. Let me ask you one question before I give you my answer." She laughed to herself, a devious smile itched on her face. She snapped her fingers as the throne behind her dissipated into thin air. "Do you want to fuck me?"
With that last question she showed me her true form, growing in size as stingers and slimy insectile appendages grew out her back.
She is as hot as she is fucking crazy, and the smug way she looks at me it's like she already knows the answer, since it's impossible for me to lie to her.
"...Yes. Querehsha as much as you disgust me, I do want to fuck the shit out of you." I have to admit proudly with zero shame. "But make no mistake, there's no way I'm going to let you dominate me."
"Let's make it official then." She decided with a much happier tone in her voice, my words seem to have pleased her greatly. She begins to float towards me, landing softly once we're face to face. "We should seal this alliance with a kiss, don't you agree?"
Fine, I'll play her games for now, but I won't let her control the pace. I grasp her face with my hands roughly, planting a quick kiss on her plump lips, where I'm pleasantly surprised at how sweet her pheromones are.
"MMph-" I groan out when she pulls me in her tight embrace, not letting me go, where I can feel her alarmingly long tongue wrap around mine.
Querehsha cutely giggles as the kiss becomes deeper. My eyes soon widen as she pushes some of her sweet saliva down my throat with her freakish tongue, finally letting go of me.
Before I could react to the lewd and unexpected move a sudden window appeared
Perk added:
[Querehsha's Kiss]
You are now immune to all plagues, poisons and toxins
Well that's convenient. Although I wonder if I can turn that off, it would suck if all alcohol I drank became neutralized. Oh well.
"You're welcome." Querehsha teases me, licking her lips seductively.
"Thanks, I guess." I wipe my own lips dry, still tasting her lingering presence on my tongue. "Querehsha, for now, just continue on like nothing has changed. There's no need for the other Monarchs to be suspicious. I'm going to lay low, at least until Legia arrives, which could be any day now..."
"That's smart, Mars. I'm sure he'll agree to anything if means freedom from the Ruler's shackles." She nodded in agreement. " Is that all? Do you want to cancel the Pledge of Trust?"
"No, it's fine. Keep the link active. I'll contact you if I need you for anything." I sigh in relief. "Stay ready, if things go my way the Beast and Frost Monarchs will join us as well."
"Okay Mars, you're the boss~" Querehsha winked at me one more time, before she disappeared through a green portal she conjured.
Finally left alone in the den, I turn to my own forces who have stayed silent during the meeting between Monarchs.
"Jeez, Mars. How many women do you need until you're satisfied?" Esil comes up to me with a cute pout on her face.
"I'm sorry, Esil. You might have to get used to this side of me. You know it's not too late to cancel our engagement..." I honestly offer her up my sympathy, pulling her into my arms.
"It's fine... Most Demon Kings in history had large harems, after all." She breathes out in content, relaxed in my embrace.
As I reassure my fiancée, I look up to my new shadow soldiers, where Beru is already commanding the multi-legged summons.
"Lord Mars, it makes me proud how you convinced the barbarous Monarch of Plagues to follow you. The rest of the Monarchs better prepare for your arrival!" Metus declared with love in his eyes, turning to the crowd of demons surrounding us. "All hail Lord Mars~"
The demon knights accompanying me joined in, cheering out loud much to my embarrassment, thankfully no one is here to witness this.
"Thank you, Metus. You and the rest of the demon knights did a good job dealing with the centipedes." I reward the demons who are just as hungry for praise as my regular shadow soldiers.
Beru suddenly appeared by my side, on his knees forcing the rest of the newly risen shadow insects to bow their heads low to me, as if he didn't want to lose to Metus in his devotion for me.
"My Liege, I promise to get stronger... I will not make a fool of myself in front of any more Monarchs..." Beru hissed out in disappointment.
"It's fine, Beru. You did well." I order him to stand back up, where tears are forming in his eyes, his antennae drooped down like a guilty puppy's ears.
It's almost scary how much they worship me, but it's strangely comforting too.
There are thousands of magic crystals in the nest, but I'll leave them alone, it's going to take a lot of money to rebuild this island. I'm sure I'll be compensated just fine for exterminating the ants infesting Jeju. Although maybe just massively increasing the strength if my army is enough, my link with the rest of my shadows outside have given me the all clear.
You have done well, partner. Querehsha has always been a pain to deal with.
Thanks, Ashborn. As long as I keep her under control she will prove most valuable in the upcoming conflict with the rest of the Monarchs. I wonder who I'll meet next?
I recall all of my new soldiers and the demons back inside my shadow, leaving Beru alone by my side.
"Let's go. I want get the fuck off this island already."
- Baek Yoonho (White Tiger Guild) -
The island was no longer in the middle of a dangerous battle, as Mars' soldiers proved to be quite effective at crushing the ants. If the battle had gone on for long, many of the ants would have spread out wide, causing problems for the hunters around the island.
Apparently only a single pack of ants escaped, but Liu Zhigang dealt with them as soon as the monsters reached Chinese waters.
Yoonho watched as Knight's guildmaster Park Jongsoo tried to leave the destroyer warship, which has already moved up to the island after the majority of the fighting has ceased.
Mars' polite summon Igris was standing in his way, bowing like a professional salaryman giving bad news.
"What do you mean we can't get off the boat yet? The ants have all been slain already!" Jongsoo cried out, who must feel the considerable power gap between the two.
"There are more dangerous ants further inside. My King has instructed me not let you off until he has returned." Mars' intimidating knight stated to Jongsoo, respectfully remaining in the Knights guildmaster way. "It is for your own safety."
Igris was accompanied by the same shadows responsible for beating Korea's strongest hunters the day before, a not so subtle threat by Igris and the other soldiers to wait until Mars comes back.
"Ugh..." Jongsoo sighed out in defeat, feeling humiliated by a summon.
"It's fine." Yoonho pulled the anxious Jongsoo back. "I doubt Mars will be taking that much longer anyway..."
Even if the guildmasters wanted to force themselves onto the island they wouldn't be able to, as the shadow captains are accompanied by hundreds of reinforcements. Most of the high orcs and medieval soldiers were busy gathering all of the defeated ant monsters in one giant pile.
"Don't tell me Mars will be absorbing all of those ants into his army?!" Choi Jong-In said in disbelief. "Thousands and thousands of A-rank ants monsters at his disposal... That's fucking ridiculous."
"Damn it. His soldiers are even blocking my drones from entering the volcano..." The cameraman and hunter complained out loud.
Yoonho looked back to the remains of the mountain, where the wyvern was perched up top, preventing all access to the volcano along with the shadow giant.
"Yeah I wouldn't want to get on their bad side... Let's just wait for Mars." Cha Hae-In suggested to the hunter who was desperate to get the inside scoop.
The rest of the guildmasters settled down, patiently waiting for Mars to complete the mission. An arriving helicopter disturbed the waters, landing on the warship as Go Gunhee and Woo Jinchul stepped out, a huge smile on the old chairman's face.
"He really did it..." Gunhee laughed to himself, before quickly transforming back into business mode, as he approached the group of hunters. "Inspector Jinchul, let the reinforcements know they can start heading back, and warn the extraction team to be ready once Mars is finished."
Baek Yoonho observed the jolly chairman with a smile on his face. The old chairman's biggest blemish on his record was his response to Jeju Island's dungeon break and subsequent failures at liberating the island from the ever-evolving ant monsters.
"Congratulations, chairman." Ma Dongwook greeted Gunhee with a firm handshake. "We have officially joined the rare few countries to have ever cleared an S-rank gate. America, China, Russia, France and now Korea!"
"Well technically it was basically Mars all by himself, but there should definitely be a celebration in order." Gunhee nodded, who is looking like he has much more pressing thoughts in his mind.
The hunters immediately sensed a shift in the shadow's demeanor, they all looked towards the hole originally created by the high orc sorcerer.
"Mars is finally done." Yoonho announced to the group, with his enhanced beastly senses he can tell two powerful sources of energy are rapidly en route to their location from the heart of the ant nest.
He shivered slightly, he memorized Mars' scent. The other presence was unmistakable, it was the alpha ant that Mars encountered earlier. The young hunter has grown considerably stronger since even before Mars started the raid over an hour ago.
What the hell is that level of growth?!
- Mars -
Flying at full speed behind Beru I check on the two quests I completed
You have completed one of Venus' Tasks
Clear Jeju Island
Reward: World Jump
[World Jump] allows the user to travel the multiverse, after completing specific Canon events. The previous world(s) will be frozen in time while the Gamer is exploring in any other dimensions.
New Universe Unlocked: Highschool DxD
Well, well, well. That answers some of my questions on how world jumping works. So that means I don't need to worry about Antares and the other Monarchs while I'm in DxD, right? I could just hop over to a different universe, and get much stronger, and more specifically get some pretty overpowered shadow soldiers.
Once I take care of some business here in Korea, I'll be making the jump to the world of dragons, devils and tits. Hopefully I'll find enough help to take care of Antares and his armies. I need to limit as much casualties as I can, I don't want to be the king of a devastated wasteland.
Anyway, that's over half of Venus' tasks completed, I wonder what happens when I finish them all?
Quest Completed: No More Hiding
Objective: Reach National Rank Status
Reward: Spiritual Body Manifestation
My eyes shoot open when I see the second window pop up. I stop flying in an instant, landing on the ground where I try testing out this new skill. Taking off my armor as fast as I can, I close my eyes, focusing this new power on my Ruler wings.
In a blink, my 6 black wings are gone, having retracted back inside my body. I feel off balance, having gotten used to the extra weight protruding from my back.
Beru patiently waits for me, confused as I laugh out almost maniacally, finally having complete control over my wings. The control is trivial, as I extend and retract my wings with ease, it's as simple as breathing now.
"Wait does that mean..." I close my eyes once more, focusing [Spiritual Body Manifestation] from within, where I feel my boundless mana covering me whole.
Just like the Ruler vessels, I can now call forth my Ruler spirit, where I feel much more in tune with my powers. My strength and reflexes in particular are increased significantly.
My spiritual armor is almost identical to Ashborn's shadow-black appearance. The main difference is instead of his wild shadow mane, I have a single ribbon hanging from my shadow helm, inspired by my first ever shadow soldier. Instead of Igris' distinct bloody red ribbon, mine however, is a regal purple.
This might just be my most powerful form, so for now I'll only use it in case of emergencies.
"O Shadow Monarch..." Beru fell into a full dogeza, smacking his head on the floor, not even looking at me. "I am so blessed to be the first to bear witness your True Form. Oh how I love you, my Liege..."
"Uh, thanks Beru." I sigh out fondly at my yandere ant general.
Turning the spell off, I put my demonic armor back on without the helmet, wings out.
Kang and my assassins are waiting for me at the entrance, where the island is eerily silent. There is no longer the chaos of a full on battle, just my shadows cleaning up any remaining straggler ants.
Further ahead near the shore I can see Igris and some of my strongest shadows with Korea's guildmasters. Flying towards them, I land back on the battleship, with Beru right by my side.
"My King." Igris greeted me first, with a deep bow. "We have claimed victory, the soldiers are preparing the corpses of the ants for extraction when you are ready."
"Well done, Igris." I pat him, as well as my shadow generals eagerly waiting for my praise. "And the rest of you shadow leaders."
I sense a rather melancholic mood from the hunters gathered around me, like they are breathless. The S-rankers and guildmasters around me are looking at me differently, I guess if anyone had doubts I was National rank, those are completely wiped out now.
"Young Mars." Go Gunhee spoke first, bowing deeply to me. "I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for this country... For me..."
Everyone else joined him in his thanks, as they show me respect and gratitude for what I've done.
Name: Go Gunhee
Level: 96
Race: Hunter (Ruler Vessel)
Class: Monk
Title: S-rank among S-rank, the Sky above Skies
Thoughts about you: He is proud of you, thankful he placed his trust in you. Whatever you need, he'll help you with.
Reputation: 100
Name: Cha Hae-In
Level: 83
Race: Hunter (S)
Class: Master Swordswoman
Title: The Dancer
Thoughts about you: She's relieved you're safe, she wants to learn everything about you and your powers.
Affection: 95
Name: Choi Jong-In
Level: 76
Race: Hunter (S)
Class: Grand Sorcerer (Fire)
Title: The Ultimate Soldier
Thoughts about you: He is speechless, you've shown power above the other National Ranked hunters, he believes only Thomas Andre can be a challenge to you now.
Reputation: 70
Name: Baek Yoonho
Level: 74
Race: Hunter (S)
Class: Brawler (Tiger Transformation)
Thoughts about you: He is horrified at your insane power growth, he's thinking about how you went from cracking S-rank to becoming the world's best hunter within days.
Reputation: 90
Name: Lim Tae-Gyu
Level: 68
Race: Hunter (S)
Class: Ranger
Thoughts about you: He can't believe a hunter command such a horrifying army while also still being a strong fighter.
Reputation: 40
Name: Ma Dongwook
Level: 56
Race: Hunter (S)
Class: Tanker
Thoughts about you: He loved watching you and your shadow soldiers during the raid, he is glad Korea has you fighting for them.
Reputation: 50
Name: Woo Jinchul
Level: 49
Race: Hunter (A)
Class: Fighter
Thoughts about you: He is immensely appreciative of what you did, especially since there wasn't a single casualty in taking the island back.
Reputation: 100
Name: Park Jongsoo
Level: 47
Race: Hunter (A)
Class: Tanker
Thoughts about you: He wishes you would absorb his Knight's guild, he imagines working for you to be one of the safest jobs possible in the hunter world.
Reputation: 30
The glazing is insane, but I guess I gotta get used to it.
By now I'm quite familiar with my spiritual powers, I can sense that they all have about a hundred things each they want to discuss with me, but are holding back in respect for the old man Gunhee more than anything.
"I'm sure if you guys had my powers, you would do the same..." I try my best to erase this somewhat awkward feeling. "Chairman, if I could have a quick word in private?"
I leave everyone behind, walking with Go Gunhee towards the growing pile of dead ants, while Igris and Beru follow us.
"Mars, what did you need to talk about?" Gunhee asked me, a mix of different emotions splattered all over his face.
"I just wanted to let you know I made contact with one of the Monarchs inside the ant den." I reveal to him, pausing for a moment to gauge his reaction. "So I couldn't let any cameras inside the mountain until I knew everything would be okay. Don't worry, it went well. But I do need your help with something tricky."
"What is it?" He asked, seemingly okay with missing a ton of context.
"Please don't ask me how I know, just trust me. I'm not exactly sure when, but a S-rank gate will spawn in Japan in the near future." I admit to my trusted General, who is looking fairly concerned at the prospect. "I'll need exclusive access to it, and I'd rather not just claim it by force."
"Hmmm. Okay Mars, it might be a little difficult, since our last encounter with the Japanese hunters, but I'll see what I can do." Gunhee answered after a bit of thought. "And I appreciate the heads up, you couldn't believe the international incidents Hwang Dongsoo almost caused..."
"Thank you for your support, sir. I will be counting on you to deal with all that as we continue. And about what happened last night in the hospital..." I bring up me completely healing Jinah and Jinwoo's mother of the incurable eternal slumber.
"Not to worry. It's already been taken care of, no one knows and no one will find out." Go Gunhee assured me. "But I do hope you tell me how to cure the disease."
"I will, once I find out a way to mass produce the potion." I shake his hand for the trouble. "I need to get going, can you take care of the rest from here?"
"Heh young Mars, you've done more than enough, and then more." Chairman Gunhee chuckled with a infectious smile. "I can't let you do all the heavy lifting, we can take care of the cleanup of the island from here."
I'm glad I chose Gunhee as my trusted confidant, he has all the political sway to help me achieve my goals without much resistance.
"I'll contact you later." I mirror his bow, watching him leave as I turn my attention to the stack of mountain of dead ants in front of me. "Arise."
The sight of thousands of ant shadows crawling out of the mass of corpses is chilling.
I ignore the atmosphere I created, feeling the stare of all the hunters starting to cleanup and gather resources from the island.
If that display of necromancy didn't keep any hunters from getting too close to me, then the joint efforts of Igris and Beru did as my two strongest shadows keep anyone else from approaching me.
I've gained a ton of levels since, and I've realized I'm actually addicted to leveling up. It's a weird feeling, like with each level I gain, I lose something in return. But whatever the cost is, it's worth it. In the end it doesn't matter. I just need to keep moving forward.
Name: Mars Valentino
Level: 119
Race: Fallen Ruler-Human Hybrid
Class: Battlemage (Holy Lightning Attribute) lvl. MAX
Title: Shadow Monarch Gamer
Perks:
Compassionate Commander
Demon Hunter
Ferocious Loyalty
Friendly Face
Lover's Link
Querehsha's Kiss
Skills:
Gamer's Mind (Passive) lvl. MAX
Monarch's Domain (Passive) lvl. MAX
Shadow Preservation (Passive) lvl. MAX
Hand-to-hand Mastery (Passive) lvl. 53 (Adept)
Magical Endurance (Passive) lvl. 81 (Master)
Physical Endurance (Passive) lvl. 99 (Master)
Spear Mastery (Passive) lvl. 77 (Expert)
Shield Mastery (Passive) lvl. 69 (Expert)
Holy Lightning (Active) lvl. MAX
ID Create (Active) lvl. MAX
ID Escape (Active) lvl. MAX
Observe (Active) lvl. MAX
Shadow Extraction (Active) lvl. MAX
Bless (Active) lvl. 5 (Novice)
Flight (Active) lvl. 51 (Adept)
Heal (Active) lvl. 6 (Novice)
Power Bestowal (Active) lvl. 11 (Novice)
Ruler's Authority (Active) lvl. 92 (Master)
Shadow Exchange (Active) lvl. 2 (Novice)
Spiritual Body Manifestation (Active) lvl. 2 (Novice)
Taunt (Active) lvl. 32 (Apprentice)
The Ancile (Active) lvl. 69 (Expert)
Shadows:
General (S+):
Beru
Igris
Elite Knight (S):
Tusk
Kaisel
Cyclops
Baruka
Iron
Kang
Tank
Orc Generals (4)
Hyakki (24)
Buryura
Yetis (8)
Giant Ants (36)
Knight (A):
High Orcs (450)
Golems (12)
Centipedes (25)
Winged Ants (8 100)
Assassins (10)
Mages (10)
Archers (10)
Infantrymen (19)
Bears (30)
Baruka's Warhorse
Elite (B):
Jackals (20)
Familiar:
Cerberus
Level: 1
Race: Demon (Canine)
Great, looks like my yeti shadows promoted. I'm happy to see my shadow army bulk up considerably. It's disgusting to think there were over 8 000 A-rank ants infesting Jeju...
Suddenly, the key in my Inventory began to pulse. Pulling it out shows the updated message
Item: Cartenon Temple Key
Item Class: ?
Type: Key
This key allows the user to enter the Cartenon Temple. This key can be used on the appropriate gate. The gate's location will be revealed after a predetermined amount of time
Time Remaining: 72 hours
Oh shit, three days until I have to go back to where it all began, huh? I shouldn't be too worried, but after meeting Querehsha here maybe I should be. All I can do for now is just focus on getting stronger, at all costs.
How many dungeons can I clear before the gate opens?
- BONUS -
Goto Ryuji (Blade Guild)
Goto Ryuji felt humiliated, he had already announced that he and his guild were going to be the main force in freeing Jeju Island for the Koreans. For Go Gunhee to publicly deny him, he would never forgive the disgrace.
What he couldn't possibly expect was a single brat clearing the ants with his unfathomable power. But it was just one kid after all, he just needed to catch him off-guard, where none of his shitty shadows would be able to save him. All he needed was a bit of help, and he noticed earlier another strong hunter who could do without Mars in this world.
Arriving at the most exclusive hunter's club in Seoul, Ryuji smirked when he found the man he was looking for. Just about every pair of eyes in the club turned to him, as the air in the club fluctuated in response to his magic power.
Hwang Dongsoo, sitting alone in the VIP area, and it looks like he's about three bottles deep. Perfect.
Ryuji gestured to the barkeep, signaling two more bottles to his table, before he sat down next to the Korean brute.
He wasn't confident in his Korean, and he doubted Dongsoo knew much Japanese, but luckily they both spoke passable English.
"Hwang Dongsoo." Ryuji acknowledged the Scavenger guild hunter, who finally looked up at him. "We need to discuss our Mars problem."
AN: New update finally dropped, I wanted to release this chapter for Halloween, but oh well. This past fall I've went back to school to finish my degree (rip) so not sure how frequent updates will come, but I'll probably end up writing more when I inevitably procrastinate during finals lol. I also erased about 100 hours of my life into Baldur's Gate 3, and I just made it past Act 2. I only had to restart my campaign like 5 times.
Anyway, I had to take a complete break from writing/reading for a few months simply for my own mental health. Writing surprisingly takes a lot out of me, but that might be due to me not planning this shit out haha. On the bright side I'm feeling that itch to write again. Now that I've committed to making this fic a lot more drawn out than originally planned hopefully it won't completely fly off the rails. For the sake of cutting out filler and keeping things more concise, future chapters might end up in the ~5-6k word count, we'll see.
On to the fic, expect Mars visiting a couple more dungeons in Solo Leveling, before he makes the anticipated jump to the lewd DxD world.
Thanks for all the feedback, appreciate y'all.