rslcontracting Chapter 164: Altar of Order
Chapter 164: Altar of Order
One month later, on the northern side of the desert.
*Hissssss*
*Krrrerk*
A gruesome fight was taking place between the sandworms, the scorpions, and Zyrus’s summons. Well, his summons were more like flies that buzzed around the large monsters, but the key here was that both sides were going all out.
“So this was your goal…” Zirnitra mumbled as he observed the slaughter down below.
“Splendid, isn’t it?”
“Guuooooo!” the ghoul was even more excited. It was, after all, one of the main perpetrators of this disaster.
Everything started when the scorpions ‘found’ the ghoul’s hideout. It was filled with the corpses of sandworms which were akin to feast in the scorpions’ eyes. Just when they were about to kill the ghoul, it ran away on the brink of death.
The same thing repeated over the days as the ghoul led them to more and more hideouts. The scorpions stuffed themselves with poisoned corpses without facing any issues, but unbeknownst to them, their resistance was getting weaker with every meal.
It was after another week when they 'encountered' a group of sandworms while they were enjoying their feast. The scorpions were greatly outnumbered which led to severe casualties; and such encounters became more and more frequent as the days passed by.
They were the only two races that existed in the desert, so apart from consuming mana they ate one another to sustain their lives. With their limited intelligence they didn’t notice that this equilibrium was broken when Zyrus killed sandworms and fed their poisonous corpses to the scorpions. Not only did it reduce the scorpions’ resistance, but it also increased their poisonous abilities since they now carried the plague created by his bloodline.
It wasn’t long before both sides entered a frenzied slaughterfest. It was one thing if their leaders were alive, but Zyrus had killed them without giving them the opportunity to create a cohesive pack. A whole month of kill-eat-sleep cycle had made them no better than mindless beasts.
“Guoooo,”
“No, we’re not going there yet,” Zyrus calmed down the overly excited ghoul and raised his vigilance. It wasn’t that difficult to destroy an entire species with brains alone. What he focused on was the fact that he hadn’t found a single trace of the hidden entity. All clues pointed at the fact that it too didn't belong to the native world.
“My liege, there’s been no movement.”
“Well then, it’s time we finish this off.” Zyrus channeled his mana and launched a barrage of Arcane Lances upon the battlefield. The first part of the mission should be completed after this.
[Good day]
It was the repeat of the same skill, but this time, his summons were alive. Glory allowed them to tank the enemy’s attacks while their own attacks inflicted plague in return.
“Elsid, Zirnitra, activate the formation.”
*Spalatter*
The abyssal legion self-detonated after spreading the plague. The desert was marred with black miasma as far as the eyes could see. Even the grains of sand were turning into black tar under the abyssal mana.
*ROOOOOAR*
“March Forth!”
The desert rumbled under the commander’s orders. Dunes arose from the ground and engulfed Elsid and Zirnitra within.
“Guoooo,”
Zyrus kneeled beside the excited ghoul and watched the transformation. The pain he felt was far worse compared to his fight against Oroszlan. But at the same time, the might of the legion of abyss had skyrocketed.
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*GRRROOOOAARRRR*
A towering abyssal creature emerged from the sky-high pillar of sand. Both the scorpions and the sandworms had stopped their fight in the face of the new enemy.
Zyrus absorbed the corpses in the momentary impasse and channeled all his mana. This was the perfect chance to use Ghoul Reanimation.
The abomination formed by the abyssal legion started wreaking havoc on the battlefield. Its claws stained the sky black whereas its tentacle-like legs pierced through every living creature. It was impossible to tell whether it was a humanoid, a tree, or an octopus.
*ROOOOOOAR*
But whatever their transformed state may be, his summons had done their job. In just 20 seconds the battlefield had become devoid of life.
“Now then, let’s awaken your friends.”
“Guooooo,”
[Ghoul reanimation]
*Crrrack*
*Sizzzle*
The mountains of flesh crumbled and rivers of blood dried out. Thousands of monsters were turned into beating hearts, enveloped by cages of bones.
586 ghouls were thus born.
At the same time, the whole dungeon started trembling as if the space itself was collapsing. As a matter of fact, it was.
A pillar of gray light fell from torn skies and enveloped Zyrus within. In the next moment, he and his troops were teleported back.
…
Streit Bastion, main entrance.
Zyrus stood in front of the massive skyscraper once again. He thought he’d cause another ruckus by popping out along with hundreds of ghouls, but fortunately, that didn’t happen.
His eyes shifted towards the back of the parchment as he waited in the line. A ghoul’s green skull was drawn at the corner, along with the number 587 at the edge. Just like the inventory, the ghouls were stored in a separate space which was accessible by the parchment.
“Come in, may I know the purpose for your visit?” A pleasant voice called as he reached the end of the line.
“I’m here for the supplies,” Zyrus showed the same parchment to the elf receptionist.
“Special promotion….I see, come with me. You can get your supplies as a captain and even withdraw years’ worth in advance. With 10% compound interest of course.”
“….Just give me one year’s advance. Do I get to choose the supplies or is it fixed for everyone?” Zyrus replied with a weary face. He felt like he’d be losing his pockets if he traded his rewards with what he needed.
“Some are fixed, some are given based on your mission. On top of that, you get 1000 contribution points to purchase anything. Oh, and you can go to the Inheritance Hall as well after I update your badge."
“Wouldn’t I need to complete the mission for that?”
“You should, but those up said otherwise,” the elf lady shrugged and led Zyrus towards another chamber. After doing a basic check on his parchment and noting down some details, his brown badge now had another row called inheritance points.
“20 huh? Is that a lot?” Zyrus asked the lady who was now leading him to another hallway. Judging from the steel plated floor the place should be of significant importance.
“For a newbie captain, that’s a lot. The soldiers of different ranks such as Private, Lieutenant, Captain, and so on have access to different facilities. Tell me your goal and I’ll lead you to a suitable place. Additionally, you can get three pieces of free intel with your clearance level.”
“Exclude things that improve the soldier’s strength. Same goes for things like food and tools that aren’t special.”
“Hmmm… that’ll narrow it down by 45%.”
Zyrus was surprised at the sheer number of functions that the elf lady showed him. She held hologram in her hand, and pretty much everything imaginable was present on the menu. Craftsman, military trainers, vehicles, arms for hire, and even a freaking planetary battleship if you had enough contribution points.
“Just show me what I can get.”
“That leaves 5%.”
“Much better,” Zyrus took the hologram from the receptionist and scrolled through the items. Some supplies were given for free but were limited per mission, while others could be bought with contribution points.
What caught his eyes among the free items were two accessories. One was a name tag that monitored the location and vitals of the soldiers while the other was a portable inventory.
“Do my ghouls count as soldiers?”
This was the crux of it. Tags were useful on their own, but having 500+ extra inventory was what mattered here.
“They’re not summons so they should count. However, we need to draft an additional contract to limit the number of such beings.”
“Fair enough. Just count them as soldiers for all the freebies, minus the food and such. Convert them into extra points as well,” Zyrus agreed without hesitation since he wouldn’t be losing out either way.
“Got it, we’ll discuss the rest when needed. You can sell the free rewards on the trading forum, or we can purchase them at 10% discount and give you points right now.”
Zyrus negotiated with the elf for a few minutes before finishing the deal. Apart from the tags and inventory, he got surveying drones, pikes to mark areas on land, and a communication device. His map was also upgraded to assimilate all the new functions.
At last, he was left with a bit over 2000 contribution points.
‘Taxes sure suck huh.’
Few percentages here and there; and now he’d spent 500 points just on charges he couldn’t be bothered to remember. Nonetheless, it was worth it as long as he got what he needed.
Zyrus opened the tab which only had a dozen items left. First on the list cost a full 1000 points.
[Altar of Order]
Cost: 1000 Contribution Points
Stabilizes the laws of an entire area. It is possible to influence certain laws based on the environment.
Note: The altar carries the flames of order, which are crafted based on the specified dungeon or world.