The Systemic Lands

Chapter 48: Day 112 (3) – Time to D-D-D-Duel

It was time. I opened up the shutter and checked outside. No one was near my building. So, an ambush most likely. Well, I was full up on energy. I picked up my shield. “This is going to be a fight. Ready?”

“Ready,” Ruth said and had a sword and shield in her hands.

“Let’s do this.” I pushed the door open. No ambush. We both exited and I closed and locked the door behind me. We then advanced towards the Guild building at the North side of the plaza. I noticed several people looking at both of us from the unclaimed buildings.

I stopped in front of the building and a shutter opened at the top. “We can do what you did-“ I raised my hand and the person quickly ducked out of sight. I shook my head at that.

“One entrance and exit? No back exits?” I asked.

“Yes, for security. Not up to fire code, but they did it for security reasons,” Ruth said quite loudly. I suspected she was trying to place fear into them before we attacked, and I had no disagreement with her decision.

“Perfect. Acid Shot.” I targeted the door into their building. It began to quickly melt away. I went up and delivered a hard kick. The door swung open.

“Acid Shot.” The person behind the doorway was hit by the skill. She collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain as she melted. I stepped inside.

“DIE!” I blocked the sword trust with my shield.

“Acid Shot.” The man left their midsection open. They fell to the ground screaming. I was making a chorus of death cries.

“Five people behind!” Ruth called out to me.

“Back outside then.” I quickly stepped back outside. “Acid Shot.” I took out the one person without a shield by aiming for his legs. He fell to the ground screaming out the last bits of his life. Three of them rushed me, while one went after Ruth.

I blocked an attack, there was an opening. People weren’t used to taking in skills into account when fighting. “Acid Shot.” Another one down. That was when two people with swords came out of the Guild building, and advanced on me. That put me at four to one. With only five attacks left.

“Acid Shot.” I targeted Ruth’s opponent in the back since he didn’t have a shield pointed in my direction. I didn’t wait to listen to his screams as I ran away. Ruth quickly joined my side breathing heavily. I stopped spun. My pursuers quickly brought up their shields.

“Acid Shot.” I targeted the leg of one of them. He fell to the ground screaming as his leg melted off. This skill was as bad or worse than burning to death. Regardless, I would not stop no matter how much they screamed. The remaining three people quickly ran off. I noticed they didn’t go back to the Guild building.

I advanced on the building again. “You keep watch outside, shout if there is trouble?” I asked Ruth.

“Got it,” she replied. I carefully entered the building again. The bottom floor. There were three buildings the Guild owned connected together. There were two staircases to the upper floor.

“All clear?” I called out.

“No one,” Ruth called back. I carefully made my way up the stairs. I brought up my shield up to block an arrow.

“Acid Shot.” The archer fell to the ground screaming in her death throes. Three people stood behind her with large tower shields and swords. “You think those will help you?”

“Maybe, but I know you don’t forgive or forget bastard.”

“Perhaps. I have made many enemies.” My eyes searched for other people as the group advanced on me. “Acid Shot.Acid Shot.” I used the skill twice in succession on person to my left and right. They blocked with their shields, quickly dropping them as the acid rapidly melted them.

I slowly backed up down the stairs, quickly checking to confirm there was no one behind me. “Get him, he has to be out of energy!” The man who spoke before called out. The other two with him had thrown away their melting shields and rushed me.

I leapt off the side of the stairs and onto the first floor. No guard rail made such a move incredibly easy. I retreated outside. “Trouble?” Ruth asked.

“Three of them. Don’t want to fight in a building they know,” I replied as I turned to face the door, I had originally melted to enter the building. The three men rushed out. I had my sword out in my right hand. I was out of energy for the moment.

We began to trade blows as I was slowly forced back across the plaza. I had to be careful not to be flanked. This forced my continual retreat. Ruth kept up a watch to make sure no one came up behind me.

“Everyone! Help me! Rush him, he has no energy left to use his skill!” That bastard appealing to the crowd I was sure that was watching.

“You think so? Well, then come get some!” I shouted back. I swung my right hand out to the side with my sword and then swung it back inwards, while letting go of my blade. It flew through the air and went into one of the men’s legs. He collapsed to the ground with a pained cry.

“Acid Shot.” I spun to the side while back peddling. I had gained enough energy during the entire confrontation for another use of the skill. The man that had been to my left fell screaming to the ground as he melted. That just left me and the speaker, who still had a shield. It was the council member who had run off before.

He rushed and I pivoted to circle around while blocking with my shield. He kept up the pressure, not giving me a chance to pick up a weapon off of the ground like I had planned. My shield was slowly being hacked apart as I was forced to block over and over again. This was not looking good.

“Just die!” The man screamed.

“Acid shot!” I swung my hand out and the man quickly brought his shield up and ducked behind it. I sprinted over to the man who I had thrown my sword into. I slammed into his back as he was trying to make his way to the pillars. He went sprawling on the plaza ground. I kicked his head, and he went still.

The speaker was right behind me, and I was forced to block again before I could pick up a sword. Suddenly he stopped attacking. There was a sword sticking out of his chest. It was pulled free, and he fell to the ground dead, with Ruth standing behind him.

“Thank you,” I said, working to bring my breathing back under control.

“You’re welcome,” Ruth replied. I looked around and no one else was around, but several people were watching from the edge of the plaza. My mind drifted to the fact Ruth had helped me there at the end and if people would think that was weakness. It was too late to worry about that.

“That was him by the way. The Gasp.” She gestured at the person she had killed.

“So, it is over?” I asked. “Wait, that was a dumb question. Anyone else I need to kill, since it is never over.”

“Not unless you plan on depopulating the city,” Ruth replied.

“No. No.” I shook my head. I really didn’t want to do that. Too much work, and no reward. “They have any loot?” I asked.

“Nothing but swords that would be worthwhile.” I shook my head at that. “Over there.” I looked over where Ruth pointed. Underboss Roger and then minions were approaching armed and with a chest. They stopped a short distance away from both of us in the plaza.

“You finished?” Underboss Roger asked me.

“Depends? That the payment?” I asked.

“For previous services, yes.” He gestured and two of his men set the chest down in front of me and retreated. “So…”

“Now what is the question.” I looked at him. “This can’t happen again.”

“We agree on that,” Roger said, and we stared at each other for about a minute.

“Stop comparing dick sizes,” Ruth said, and I looked over at her. “We won, but killing everyone is a pain. You want no taxes, correct?” Ruth looked at me.

“Yes, and also for the city to invest in services and upgrades.”

“Alright, you want stability?” Ruth looked at Roger.

“That and not be subject to one person’s whims.” Roger looked at me as he said the last bit. I stared right back.

“You are going to let this happen?” A man had come forward from the side. Ruth leaned into me and explained who he was.

“The baker, Ken. He has a support of a lot of the non-aligned people.”

“He just wiped out the ownership of most of the buildings. Unless Carlos set something up?” There was silence at that. “I don’t even know why I am bringing this up, but aren’t you people supposed to stop stuff like this? Why do I pay my taxes otherwise?” He pointed at me.

“Are you threatening me?” I asked loudly and slowly. All whispering and muttering ceased. It finally dawned on the baker Ken, that I was right there and had just killed a lot of people. He nervously glanced at the melted bodies around the plaza.

“Um, no, I didn’t mean-“

“You meant what you said. But you are comfortable here in Purgatory, while I risk my life out there exploring. You have not earned the right to speak about me in any way. Roger, I am prepared to extend the previous deal I had with Carlos to you. Mercenary contract, no taxes.”

He took a deep breath and glanced at Ken. That man had that much power, interesting. Then Roger looked back at me. He let out a long sigh. “People won’t accept me making a unilateral decision like that.”

“So, you need this man’s permission?” I gestured at Ken.

“I speak for the people,” Ken said and glared at me.

“If I decided to kill you, would the Red Dawn defend you?” I asked and looked at Roger.

“I won’t protect you from him, Ken.” The baker looked off to the side and clenched his hands into fists.

“Still, I am not unreasonable. Roger, does this man really have the support of the useless people in Purgatory?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Then get a table and six chairs. Let’s hammer something long term out. Me, you, and him. One advisor each. I am not doing this shit again. We come up with something that works or I really will depopulate this city and implement an unrelenting dictatorship.” An offer and a threat. I doubt they wanted to call me on my threat after what I just did.

There was a long moment of silence before Roger spoke. “Alright, Ken?”

“Yes, let’s settle things without being barbarians.” I gestured at Ruth, and we brought the chest over to the pillars as the Red Dawn scurried about. I earned 20,000 points and spent 389 on a restoration, leaving me with 20,625 points. I let Ruth claim the other 5,000 points for her efforts. It was a shame a restoration didn’t refill my energy.

I spent 4,400 more points on 10 upgrades which went to Regeneration, bringing it up to 90. Once we were finished, Ruth and I went over to the table that had been set up. The Red Dawn guards had cleared a large perimeter.

I took a seat along with Ruth. Roger and Tyrese sat down for Red Dawn. I glared at Tyrese, and he quickly looked off to the side to avoid my gaze. Ken and someone who I didn’t know sat down as well. There were three tables arranged in a triangle. I noted that the bodies were being cleaned up by Red Dawn as well.

“I propose a triumvirate. One vote held by the strongest person, one by the Boss of the guards, and one elected by the people,” I suggested to get things started.

“How would that work exactly, you aren’t in Purgatory that often,” Roger said.

“Major issues and decisions are held off until my return. There isn’t that much to decide. I would be more concerned about me finding other people out there first,” I said.

“What’s to stop you going on a rampage?” Ken asked.

“Nothing except my word, which I have not broken. If all parties stick to the agreement we make here today, then I will abide by it. Carlos broke his word to me first.”

“He has a point,” the man next to Ken spoke up.

“Perhaps, but we are all trying to survive here. Would you pay a tax as well?” Ken asked.

“No, for the simple reason, I am exploring unexplored areas. I represent the combat potential of this city. If another city is pouring everything into a single person, well it would be bad for us if we fought.”

“We haven’t seen anyone, have you?” Roger asked.

“No, but I haven’t been strong enough to explore beyond the next level of monsters. The difficulty scaling is no joke.”

“The higher difficulty monsters are quite dangerous,” Tyrese said. I gave him a look. “People encountered some past the slime forest, forced to retreat.” I nodded at that.

“Alright, no taxes for you. Then the rest of us?” Ken asked.

“I suggest 25% for pillar use, no tax on businesses directly,” Ruth said.

“With what we lost today, it will be hard to build back up,” Roger said.

“It will be, but it will make the situation more bearable and encourage people to startup businesses and get crystals,” Ruth countered.

“Two fifths will be reserved for the next upgrade. Two fifths to the Red Dawn and one fifth for charity helping new people,” I suggested.

“That is still too much. You bring in six to eight thousand crystals a day?” Ken asked.

“Will be more like two to four at that percentage,” Roger countered.