Chapter 357 - 355:“I really hate this goddamn author.”
"This.... This..." the old abyss walker seemed lost for words as he looked between me and the ruined landscape .
"So? How do we do this? Get myself cleared for this mission that is?" I asked.
I had no time or mind to waste trying to comfort the man’s probably broken sense of llogic at this moment.
"This...." He stopped. Taking a deep breath to compose himself. He finally centered himself enough to speak.
"My lord. I... I don’t think I have enough power to handle.... This." He pointed at the devastation beneath me.
My face turned sour.
BANG!
The man was instantly brought to his knees. Shulvan had dropped him with a single chop.
"Ehh? Why’d you do that?" I asked. Stunned.
"My lord looked upset, so I made the source pay." He answered in a deadpan tone.
Shaking my head wryly, I looked to the distressed abyss walker.
"Old man. Explain clearly. What do you mean by you can’t handle it?" I asked, signaling for shulvan to release the man.
"Haaa... thank you."
"No bother. Now, answer me."
"Well... the problem is, these lands. The Raukhar forests. They’ve been a menace for even longer than sand city has existed. Many have tried to conquer these forests. But none have done so, and that’s precisely because of the Cataclysmic-grade alpha inhabiting these forests."
"There’s a reason these forests. The steel mountains. And the ashen plains are never on the list of mission locations at the guild branch of this city. It’s because they’re a sure death sentence, since not even the cure the guild master of the sand city branch can do anything about them."
"Steel mountains?" I asked. Brow raised in curiosity.
"Yes. The most dangerous of these lands. Not just here. But if the entire outer fringes. You’ve been to the ashen plains. The steel mountains are another story entirely. It’s a never ending forge like territory that spawns an endless army of abyss golems. The lands themselves span an entire quarter of the outer fringes of the abyss. The ruler of the mountains being an abyss golem more powerful than even the three current emperors of the outer fringes."
"It’s the one place none within the outer fringes dare trespass."
Now. That. Got my attention.
The fact that the outer fringes of the abyss, according to shulvan, covered the entirety of the middle and lower worlds. Yes. These outer fringes of the abyss span the entire universe and they cover the middle and lower worlds. Now, for one single mountain to occupy an entire quarter of such a place....
"I guess I have a new target." An excited grin tugged the corner of my lips.
"So. This place is dangerous. What’s that got to do with you being unable to handle it?"
"What I mean is, your accomplishment is something beyond anything an abyss warden should ever be capable of. It would take a squad of multiple High-marshals just to dare attempt such a thing, and even then, the casualties would be more than 90%."
"90%? You guys are that weak? I’m starting to lose faith in your ranking system."
"My lord. It’s not that our ranking system is flawed. It’s that the infernals are just that much more powerful. The abyss. They’re the true rulers of the abyss. They were born a natural predator of this place. They have adapted and grown within these lands. So, putting a cataclysmic grade infernal against a law creator is almost always a mistake. And non higher than those ranks would bother with such a thankless task, since there are bigger fishes out there."
"That means..."
"Yes. Now that my lord has done the impossible. There’s none, not even my guild master, that are qualified to score your mission."
"Hmmm... this is indeed a dilemma." I mused.
Well. Talk about suffering from success. Turned out I was too exceptional.
"Haaa..." I let out a long breath.
"My lord needs not be bothered much. I think I know a work around." The man suddenly spoke up.
"A work around?"
"Yes."
"Tell me."
"Well. If I spoke to my guild master, telling him of your exploits. I’m sure he can assign you a temporary rank of High Marshal until you leave for a bigger city where an appropriate rank worthy of your accomplishments will be given."
"Hmmm.." I thought it over quietly. But, was there really anything to think about?
"Alright. Let’s do that." I clapped, finally standing up.
"Umm... my lord. There might be a slight problem."
"What is it?"
"Your umm... your.."
"Assistant. He’s my assistant."
".... Right. Your umm, assistant. He sort of made a scene in the city. So, if we went there now, with him in tow, we might be rejected."
"Hmm? Shulvan. What did you do?" I got curious.
"I merely made two ants understand their place when they tried to hinder my lord’s wishes."
"Damn! Did some of my arrogance rub off on you during your creation? Why did you way of talking change so drastically?"
"I am sorry if I’ve upset you my lord." He bowed dramatically in apology.
"Stop that." I berated. Turning to the old abyss walker.
"Don’t worry about their reactions. I’m a very persuasive person. I’m sure we’ll be able to look past the inconvenience and get things sorted out." I replied.
The man looked unsure as he still seemed reluctant.
My eyes slowly lost their warmth.
BANG!!
His knees hit the air with a heavy thud as they shattered..
AHHHHHHHHH!!!
A scream of agony left his lips before..
"Silence." A hand wrapped around his neck forcefully.
"You sully my lord’s ears with you incessant wailing." I got to give it to shulvan. It seems this recreation something had given him a lot of perks. Including my persuasion skills.
"Kuh... Kuh..."
"Now nod your head slowly if we’re on the same page. You’ll take us to that guild master. Explain everything. Then get my rank sorted out."I spoke like a man coercing a child.
His head moved in a slow nodding motion.
"Good." I signaled to shulvan and he let the man go.
Cough! Cough!
He fell into a violent coughing fit.
"See? Like I said, very persuasive. Now, let’s get going. I don’t have all day." I waved my hands and a new shirt appeared over my exposed upper body.
I grabbed the old man by the scruff of his neck. Turned to shulvan.
"Make yourself less... whatever this edgy stuff you got going on for yourself is." I ordered.
"At your command, my lord."
SWOOSH!!
A crimson light bathed his figure for a brief moment before disappearing.
In its place, was a man in a tailored black butler’s suit.
His jet black hair having been cut short. A monocle rested on his right eye. A white neatly folded handkerchief in the breast pocket of the suit.
"Is this to your liking, my lord?" He bowed with such etiquette I could only stare in frozen dumbfoundment.
"You... what the fuck is this?" I couldn’t help it. He look too much like a normal young butler. Not a day over 28, with handsome features that would make any woman swoon.
If I didn’t know he was an abyss walker. I would never be able to tell. He looked too human.
"How the fuck do you even know to look like this? WHY the fuck do you even know to look like this?"
"Well, sand city is a frequent spawning spot for most outsiders. I’ve seen a lot of them, especially the humans, having people accompanying them in such attires. They’re usually young masters or lords and ladies so I thought this look would be best."
I just stared. Speechless.
But. At this point in my life. I had already come to terms with the fact that I was bound to experience alot of fucktastic shenanigans in my lifetime.
So. I discarded All desires to question why people were entering the abyss with their butlers.
I discarded ALL desires to understand why aliens even had butlers that had the same aesthetic look as humans.
I discarded all desire’s to understand HOW THE FUCK they were even able to spawn alonsgside their fucking butlers to begin.
Wasn’t everything supposed to be random? So, what the actual fuck?
For my own freaking sanity. I just sighed. Shook my head and then.. gone.
I didn’t even feel like giving any words in reply. I just. Left.
"Haaa... I really hate this goddamn author."
(A/N: once again. I didn’t even do anything. But no problem. Keep blaming me.)
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A/N: at this point. Dante deserves a time out. Any little thing and the fucker is cussing me out. Sigh... anyhoo..
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Thanks for reading...