The Systemic Lands

Chapter 58: Day 150 (2) – A Wild Challenge Appears

“There has been a challenge,” Tyrese said.

“I heard. One of your men apparently.” Tyrese’s face froze for a second at that.

“Not one of my men any longer.”

“So before or after the arrival?” I asked.

“Before. We will clear a large section of the plaza and you both start at opposite ends. Last one alive wins and is the Champion.”

“I see. I don’t have an issue with the fight.” I did have an issue with Tyrese I needed to sort out.

“Good, then we should get going, it will take a moment to get everything set up.”

“How much did the person pay for his skill?” I asked. Tyrese froze in mid-movement while getting out of his chair. He slowly sat back down and looked at me. I could almost sense the sweat and fear bubbling out of him. Didn’t think I would put 1+1 together, did you?

“He was one of the initial people before the auction was started up.”

“And why is he challenging me. I don’t think a member of your guard would have the guts after seeing what I have done?”

“He lost a good friend.”

“Hmmm. I don’t collect any of the tax revenue. But that revenue is going to your organization. Also, you are benefiting from the dungeon.” I drummed my fingers on the chair’s arms as I thought about how to respond. Killing him was an option, but that would be going backwards. I would just get someone equally as problematic, and Purgatory would descend into chaos.

Well, it already was chaos, but even more chaos. I liked the stores that had sprung up and I didn’t want them ruined.

“This is on you. You helped set this system up and approved,” I just stared at him for a minute before I spoke up. Wisely he didn’t say anything else during that time.

“Yes, but I don’t want people you are supporting to come after me. Makes me wonder if some extra crystals weren’t slipped his way to boost his stats. So, Acid Shot or Entangling Roots?”

“The acid.”

“Alright, if another skill shows up or anyone interferes, then I will consider it your responsibility. You aren’t planning anything, are you?”

“No.” Tyrese stared right at me. “I don’t appreciate the threat.” I scoffed at that.

“Hmmm, that is the privilege of being your social equal and stronger in individual power. I also haven’t forgotten the role you played with Carlos. This person from the Red Dawn is a threat from you aimed at me. I prefer to be more direct and clearer in my threats so there is no confusion or misunderstandings. You pull this shit again. You better not miss since I will be coming for you.”

“Trust me, your message is heard loud and clear.”

“Good. The betting, I want it all when I win. Managing costs come out of your pocket and I do mean your pocket not the general fund. Consider that your punishment.” Tyrese nodded. If he had refused, then I really would have to kill him since I was not about to roll over and accept the situation after everything he had done.

It was insanity to repeat the same thing over and over expecting different results. I wasn’t going to go through a repeat situation of trying to stabilize this place. The only reason I wanted even marginal control was so I could veto stupid decisions and keep an eye on things.

Still, the sword of Damocles was real and hung over my head. This place was a viper’s nest. I avoided getting bit this time, but next time I might not be so lucky. I got up from my seat and Tyrese did the same. I let him go first and walked behind him, staring at the back of his head. I could tell he was sweating, which was exactly what I wanted.

I made my way outside and Tyrese began organizing things. I had to force myself to pay attention as I leaned against a building in the plaza watching people move about. It was tempting to zone out and think about other things, but this was the moment in time I could least afford to be careless.

More guards arrived and soon a table and chair were set up in the style Carlos used to do. I missed the man. It was frustrating, but I felt we had an understanding. It was disappointing he had thrown that in the trash. If I had let him live, what would things be like now? I let out a sigh and let the thought drift away, it was useless and depressing.

I had no idea how Tyrese was in charge, but no one came to power with kisses and hugs. There were bodies behind him, the same way I was sure there were bodies behind Ken. Where did the crystals come from to open up his bakery? He sure as hell wasn’t going out and killing monsters himself.

Was there a hidden underworld kingpin already forming? While it seemed unlikely, it also was a possible conclusion with what I had been seeing. A shadow nemesis to my unrelenting power. It was funny, I always admired Lex Luthor over Superman, a regular human against a demi-god. Now I was the demi-god and there might be a Lex Luthor out there plotting my downfall. Hmnm, not might, I could sense plots brewing against me. The smell of treachery was in the air.

No one was staring at me, that I could tell. That would have been too perfect. Timing in real life wasn’t like timing in a comic. There plot impossibilities could be overlooked, coincidences became everyday occurrences. When that happened in real life, that meant people were arranging things.

Still, something resonated inside of me thinking about an arch nemesis. If they were real, I was disappointed they didn’t want to talk and have a battle of wits with some snappy dialogue. I guess showing up before me and declaring themselves my arch-nemesis would be a good way to get melted. Still, this person might not even be real. It might even be Ruth. I considered that idea carefully.

Why did I trust her? She left her role as an information gatherer and brothel leader in the Red Dawn to help me. She was at a key meeting as a Captain, so her initial position was real. She knew I didn’t go to the brothel, but she went there to check on the girls. That concern would be hard to fake but didn’t prove anything.

If I checked there, I was sure she would have an alibi already in place, real or otherwise. I thought back on the meeting to set up the Charter. She had been the one to suggest the title of Champion, not me. I really thought back on what happened.

She suggested Sicario was inappropriate, and I needed a more heroic title. I didn’t disagree and considered the issue mostly pointless. Still, the title had already spread around as well. But Tyrese and the guards could be doing that to keep me content and not have it as a plot to distract me.

I checked my surroundings again. The guards were setting up a perimeter and Tyrese looked ready to give a speech. I would have to think on this issue of a mastermind later. I walked over making sure to project confidence with my posture, head high, and not fiddling with my hands.

“There is a challenge to our reigning Champion Michael. The Challenger Jay.” I looked over at the man and he was glaring at me. “Take your positions on opposite sides of the area set up. May the best man win. Do not engage each other until I call out a start.”

I didn’t say anything and walked away to my position, listening carefully to any shouts that would give away a sneak attack. Nothing happened and I reached a good distance away. I stopped and turned, facing my opponent, my black cloak billowing out behind me. That had been a great purchase.

“Begin!” Tyrese shouted and waved his arm. Jay had an iron shield, but I wasn’t worried. I slowly advanced, scanning the crowd. There was shouting, yelling. A betting table was set up for people to bet against me, paying out four to one. There was no betting in place for me.

The thing was, I would get all the crystals from the betting. This was my side hustle like the other leaders had for the casino, brothel, and bakery. I had death matches. Also, if I was dead, I wouldn’t have to worry about paying out, win-win.

“Acid Shot.” At the same moment Jay used the skill roots burst from the ground. I wanted to roll my eyes at how predictable such a move was. I quickly moved out of the way of both skills. The roots were slow and useless if someone was prepared and kept moving. I had experience fighting the super brown slime.

Acid Shot was a skill I was intimately familiar with. I could predict the trajectory just looking at Jay’s hand out of the plaza ground.

I wasn’t sure if such a skill would work on stone, but apparently it did. “Ahhhh!” A man was killed by the guards in the crowd. There were screams and Tyrese was announcing something about interference. Well at least he was taking it seriously, otherwise he would have been next. Still, I was unhappy about what had happened.

I slowly advanced. “Acid Shot!”

“Acid Shot.” Our skills hit each other. I had my shield ready just in case, but I didn’t need to bother. I wanted to see how much the power upgrade impacted the skill. The result was utter victory. My ball of acid engulfed my opponent’s ball of acid and continued forward.

He wasn’t ready for my counterattack killing him. The acid hit his outstretched arm and it began to melt. He began screaming in pain. “Acid Shot. Acid Shot.” I used the skill two more times and quickly finished him off in a melting pile of bloody acidic goo. There was silence over the plaza.

“Your Champion, Michael!” There were some cheers, but they were few. At least there was no booing. “We will clear the plaza for the arrival and after that, speeches, and then the vote will be held for your Elected Representative as well as the auction for the dungeon.” I briefly wondered how they would fix the melted stone, then smiled slightly as it wasn’t my problem to deal with. Probably throw a blanket over it and it would self-repair eventually with no one watching.

Ruth came over. “Impressive.” I looked at her. She wasn’t bald but her hair was short, so probably not a hidden Lex Luthor. Villainy by hairstyle, if only it were that simple. I looked at the melting corpse. His hair was a mess as his skull slowly sank into the acid. Still, the thought lingered. Was I overly paranoid, or paranoid just enough?

“It was pointless, but it is done with.” I let out a sigh. “Thinking about leaving right away.”

“There is something I want to do first. Can we stay tonight?”

“Hmm, alright. Also, half.”

“Half what?”

“If you are staying at my place, you pay half for any upgrade you want and there will be a rental fee.”

“What brought this on?”

“Just thinking about the things, I can control. You can afford things yourself now. Rent is 500 points per night.”

“Alright.” She sounded unsure, but I wasn’t about to allow freeloaders, no matter how much I liked them. You stay, you pay. A lesson I had learned from my father. I couldn’t allow feelings or sentiment to cloud my judgement, now more than ever.

I walked away, towards the Meeting Chamber, my black cloak billowing behind me. A guard at the entrance nodded at me and I nodded back as I entered. Well maybe not a billow, but a swirl at the very least. I went over and took a seat at my table at the back of the large hall. I was on the right-hand side, or to the left of the person sitting in the center.

It was tempting to go get my book and pen to take notes and plan more research. But I could do that any time, right now I needed to observe and think.

I always tried to look at facts and be objective, but the idea of a hidden enemy just wouldn’t leave. The more I thought about a bakery and their slow business, having two building plots and items worth around 40,000 points at the very least, made me question things.

The points were coming from somewhere and it wasn’t a business, it was people. People funneling the profits of murder and theft? It just didn’t add up. The same with the restaurant. But why the façade?

Ken had set up when Carlos was still alive. Carlos was pressured by the Guild to give in and tax me, along with a Council. Not a conspiracy, but people with different interests.

Carlos wanted to avoid a fight. The Guild was applying overt pressure and Ken covert pressure. That was why he let Lady Shi take the forefront at that time. With a growing crime rate, people would be unhappy. If Ken had thieves working for him, he would be tapped into the atmosphere of the city and control the criminal element.

Ruth…she knew and was working to counter Ken. No, that didn’t feel right. She could just expose everything to me, and I would lop his head off, or melt it. If Ken really was the secret leader of the thieves and murderers, then I needed to think how it all fit together and why I didn’t know, or someone didn’t tell me.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Ken entered the Meeting Chamber and walked towards me. “Ken, how did you pay for your bakery?” I asked before he could say anything. Might as well cut straight to it and not dance around the question that was bugging me.

“Some investors and a bit of farming monsters myself.” His answer was smooth, and he didn’t look away in the slightest. I couldn’t tell if he was lying.

“Investors, really?” That smelled more than a three-day old fish left out in the sun.

“The Guild actually, wanted businesses up and running to compete against Red Dawn. Doesn’t matter now after you dealt with them.” That tied things up a bit too nicely but made sense. I killed his investors, so instead of being a patsy he could come out of the shadows. “Interested in investing yourself?”

I was at another crossroads. I had two choices, one was to continue the confrontation, the other was to dig in at the truth by trying to become closer. The second option tired me out thinking about it, but the first was my default and felt like I was thinking in a rut and being mentally lazy.

“You know, I won’t interfere in the city, unless there is a crisis, or I am bothered. Is there going to be a crisis Ken? Is there?” I asked vague questions. His breathing hitched which was all I needed to know. He was trouble and he was scheming something.

“No trouble.” I could see an actual drop of sweat roll down his face. I delivered my warning to both him and Tyrese. Now hopefully they could leave me out of their schemes. I didn’t hold much hope.

“Good, very good.” Tyrese entered at this time with two guards carrying a chest. He set it on my table. He looked over the shaken Ken.

“Trouble?”

“We were just chatting, about how I don’t plan to intervene in the affairs of Purgatory unless there is a crisis, or I am targeted. Ken was just agreeing with me.” Tyrese looked at Ken.

“That was it. I need to prepare my welcome speech for the new arrivals.” Ken stepped away. I stood up and opened up the chest.

“How much?” I asked.

“Around 1,000. Not many people were that keen on betting against you.”

“Every bit helps.” I pulled out an empty pack and began moving the crystals over.

“Before the speeches by Ken and the other guy, I was hoping you would speak. About the monsters and the conditions outside the city. Try and put a good spin on it.”

“I can do that.”

“Thank you, leaving tonight?”

“Tomorrow morning most likely. A bed is a rare thing, and I quite enjoy mine.”

“Very well, if you need anything let me know. Also, congratulations on your win.”

“Thank you.” No need to be rude, even if I thought the challenge was his attempt to stir up trouble and probe my combat ability. His men had killed the person who had interfered. Time to put pressure on him in return for the incident.

“I hope you deal with the people behind the interference and assassination attempt. I trust no one will be spared and several heads will be removed. Including whoever was Captain of those men. Otherwise, I would feel the need to get involved.”

“Of course. I will take care of it. You don’t have to worry.”

“I appreciate that. I want us to work together for a long time and move past this last incident.”

Tyrese went and took a seat on the opposite side from the center compared to me. We had decided that the Elected Representative should get the center position. I wasn’t around that much, and Tyrese was okay with that minor decision.

The guards took the chest away once I transferred over the crystals. There had been 985 5-point crystals. A paltry amount to me. I then realized that I earned more than the entire city of Purgatory in a single day. I had known it before, but now it truly hit home.

The scaling was not just the difficulty but returns as well. It made the possibility of stronger monsters slightly more palatable. If I could grind those, there would be a huge influx of points.