Chapter 16: Hello Neighbor!  

We marched through the streets in silence.

There weren’t many people in this part of the city. No jobs in the old docks, no real houses either. All that was left for people was a place to stay if they had nowhere else to go. Of course, they took one look at the murder lizard padding menacingly at my side and found somewhere they had to be quickly enough.

I took in the crumbling walls of old warehouses and other buildings. No wonder a ‘gang’ of six people could hold this section of the city; there wasn’t anything to hold, much less take. Really, why would anyone want to be the ‘ruler’ of this little patch of dirt?

Stupid question, there was always some would-be tyrant eager to extend his petty reach. God, it hadn’t even been twenty minutes and this place was already making me maudlin.

And people wondered why I preferred the company of robots.

“How much farther?”

Rel leaned forward at my question. “The people I talked to said people were busting down doors a little further south. Where the houses start.”

I nodded. “In other words, the only place with something actually worth stealing.”

“Exactly.”

It didn’t take much longer for us to find the Tarnished. I spotted the small group of men the moment we rounded the corner.

They were dressed better than the Scars had been, with distinctive metal armbands that marked their allegiance.

I was hoping for silver but was unsurprised to see mostly unadorned iron. How typical.

Two men, barely more than boys really, stood in front of one of the bigger houses. One had a pickaxe clutched in his white-knuckle grip.

The other was struggling in a headlock.

“I suppose negotiations didn’t go all that well.”

“’Bout as well as they went with us, Boss,” Dee said.

“Well.” I ran a hand through my hair. “We’ll see about that.”

The small group of Tarnished looked up as we came closer. The man holding the boy glanced towards his boss for a second, before shoving his hostage onto the ground and pulling out a mean looking dagger.

I took a moment to look over their levels.

<Leg Breaker lvl 6>

<Thug lvl 8>

Those two were the two highest levels of the bunch, with another handful of the same thrown in. And of course, at their head,

<Bale Blade lvl 8>

The Bale Blade, a young man with a long ponytail, saw us first, and moved to head us off.

“Gentlemen!” I placed my hands on my heads. “What exactly are you doing here? On my turf?”

The man crossed his arms. “Heard this place belonged to the Scars.” He grinned sharply, resting a hand on the sword at his side. “Or it used to, before I moved in.”

I sighed. “Like you moved back in with your mother?”

He snorted. “Think you’re funny, huh?”

“Please, I know I’m hilarious.”

The man flicked his sword from its sheath. “And who the fuck are you, anyway?”

“Why, I’m the new proprietor and this is my territory!” I waved my hands. “So, I suggest you go fuck in the off direction before I take care of you myself.”

The man glanced over his shoulder, jerking his head towards his squad. One or two of them eyed the demon at my side, warily, but they moved forward all the same.

I sighed. “Maybe one day people will start actually listening when I warn them.” Internally, I was already forming my first Summon Demon. By now, I had a feel for the spell, enough that I could skip the annoying middleman, so long as I knew what I wanted.

The other man just laughed, rolling his wrist. “Got a name?” He started walking forward. “You know, before I cut that tongue out of your pretty little face.”

“Hmmm. You can call me Empress.” I smiled at him. “Or you will, when you’re groveling at my feet.”

“Get her!”

The thugs charged. I waved my hand, summoning a half a dozen of my old standby, the hobblefiend.

Turns out Soul increased mana capacity, who’d ‘a thunk it! Thank god I put some points into that before this whole mess.

My gibbering army of demons launched themselves forward, with Blue only a second behind. I let out a satisfied grin as my little demons took down the first two criminals with ease. Then I turned to look at the rest of my entourage with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you going to make me do all the work this time as well?”

With bellowing laughs, Dee and Dum surged forward, flicking out their nightsticks. Rel ducked her head. “I helped last time.” Then she was running forward as well.

The two boys in front of the house stood paralyzed as well. They could stay out of the fight and I’d count it as a favor.

Ding

System Messages

You have slain a Thug lvl 8

For defeating an enemy twice your level, bonus experience has been awarded