Ruthless: Path of Conquest

James looked on in near awe as a half-dozen bats fell from the sky, shot through with bullet holes that, in several cases, had visibly shredded their thin wing membranes. As they fell, fireballs and small bolts of lightning struck them. Even a few carefully aimed rocks undoubtedly hurled by the Goblins using their slings.

But he was most impressed by the fact that manmade weapons had brought down creatures he thought were out of his own effective attack range.

How are their rifles more effective than my powers?

Roscuro had returned to him now, floating across the air as smoke. Even if he were to turn back into a hatchet, the bats were outside James’s accurate throwing range. Apparently not out of bullet range, though.

Those are quite impressive weapons, Roscuro thought. I wonder if I can transform into that shape. Could you explain how they work?

Only vaguely, James replied. The way it works is that the hollow tube contains something called a bullet. He sent a mental picture. Bullets are made of metal. They are tiny projectiles that can sometimes move faster than the speed of sound.

Oh, like arrows! Roscuro thought.

Yes, but also no. They’re so much better than arrows… James spent a little time trying to explain gunpowder.

So the projectiles are propelled by small explosions, Roscuro summarized. The barrels are shaped the way they are so that you can easily point and aim at a target. In short, they are like arrows if arrows required less skill and were significantly more effective at hitting far-off targets.

I think that about sums it up, James replied. He felt very dumb, not knowing very well how guns worked when they were such a pivotal technology in world history—and in the history of the former United States in particular.

Well, at least I only look dumb in front of Roscuro, he thought without sharing that sentiment with the Soul Eater.

Hm. I do not believe I can generate explosive materials with my current capabilities, Roscuro sent. It may be interesting to see what I could do if you collect some of this gunpowder, though.

I’ll keep it in mind, thank you, James sent.

By now, the sound of gunshots was fading, and James’s allies were finally reaching the area where he had made his stand against the creatures. He saw that the monsters the gunmen had shot down lay strewn about the field. They were clearly not all dead. Some wiggled and writhed in noticeable pain. But they weren’t going anywhere. Not a single beast had escaped James’s territory alive.

We should go spear the wounded, Roscuro suggested gleefully. Put them out of their misery…

Oh, no! James thought suddenly. The wounded farmers! I was so caught up in killing bats that I didn’t check if they were all right. He turned his head to look around at the people who had been bleeding when he first arrived, but everyone seemed to be fine.

“Is anyone hurt?” James asked.

Then his voice was overwhelmed by the sound of cheering.

“James! James! James!”

There were smaller voices shouting things underneath the general roar of those who’d followed him, but it was harder to hear them.

“How many did he kill?”

“Incredible!”

“That’s the King!”

“That’s why he’s the King!”

Several of them surrounded him and made as if to lift him onto their shoulders. James gently pushed their hands away. He had to raise his voice to be heard over the cheers.

“Hey, is anyone hurt? I saw they were attacking some farmers when I got here.”

The crowd quieted for a few seconds, long enough for a farmer to shout, “We got potions into them, sir! No one was killed.”

Then the cheering went up again.

“James! James! James!”

The crowd seemed infected with James’s hatred for the monsters. He suddenly realized it wasn’t enough just to kill the bats that had come here. He needed to go into their territory and teach them a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget.

“It’s not over!” James shouted.

The crowd instantly quieted. “I’m going to go and deal with the monsters in that territory. They’re clearly aggressive. Trying to carry off our farmers! I won’t ask anyone to follow me, except those who are ready to go willingly. Those who are willing to potentially lay down their lives to destroy this menace.”

“Fisher King! Fisher King! Fisher King!” This time, the cheering began with the Goblins, suddenly presented with an opportunity to display the valor they had not been able to demonstrate against the bats that had invaded. James had noticed they were the only ones in the crowd who seemed slightly deflated after the bats were killed.

“James! James! James!”

Dave Matsumoto stepped forward from within the crowd and raised his pistol in the air.

“I think I speak for most of them when I say we’re ready to follow you!” he shouted.

James had never seen the man so fiery, but Dave looked quite emotional as he spoke. There were tears in his eyes but a strange smile on his face.

“Let’s go, then!” James yelled. “Come with me and kill these things!”

He marched toward the border with the bats, and he heard the sound of hundreds of footsteps following after him. As he strode forward, the Goblins ran ahead of him, drawing small knives, and they began killing the bats that remained alive on the ground.

“Sir, you don’t want to do any reconnaissance or planning before you launch this invasion?” Hester asked from behind his ear.

“No,” James whispered quietly back. “Not when I’ve got this many people as fired up as I am. We’re going to cut through these things like hot knives through butter. Can’t risk letting the monsters form an alliance with the thing in the forest or something.”

“Oh, yes,” Hester said. “That makes sense, then.”

But in truth, James would have gone into the land of the bats by himself at this point, completely unarmed. He wanted to do more killing. He wasn’t quite satisfied with what little he’d had the chance to do. He wanted to tear out more of the monsters’ throats and crush more of their heads. He was still full of wrath, boiling just beneath the surface.

The suddenly-formed militia followed James with ferocious energy across the border. Only a few of those who had come out stayed back.

He paid them no mind. His eyes were focused forward as he plunged into enemy territory.

The climate changed as soon as James crossed the border. He felt a wave of hot, moist air hit him. It was as if he’d stepped through a portal from Orlando in Fall straight into the Everglades in Summer. The scenery was not swampy like the Everglades, though. There were a number of trees that he imagined he might see in the Everglades, but the soil beneath his feet was firm enough.

James lacked the frame of reference to describe the biome he found himself in, but it featured densely packed trees and vines that looked like they would have been more at home in Central America than in Florida. He was more focused, however, on the abrupt shift in climate.

What the fuck? These things can change the weather? Is the Ruler more powerful than me or something? The thought only made him angrier. I’ll kill him and steal his powers.

That reminded him that in his wrath, he had neglected to even Pillage the bodies of the dead bats he’d killed. The thought slightly dampened his fury.

Okay, I’m not going to go that crazy. I can’t afford to miss out on gains just because I’m angry.

He took deep breaths and tried to find the calm space inside himself. He felt a wall of ice descend between himself and the anger that had motivated him. It was still there. A cold fury.

He wondered what his Wrath Meter would show if he looked at it now. He was angry, yet he was also now much more in control of himself.

But he didn’t want to take the time to stop and look. He needed to move forward. He could feel the squad behind him ready to move. Some part of him suspected that if he paused too long, their courage might falter. He didn’t want to find himself forced to rally the troops before they had even encountered the enemy.

And his instincts and superhuman senses seemed to have suddenly sharpened as soon as he tried to get his anger under control. Now he could sense the life all around them. Could distinguish the immovable life of the trees and the smaller plants that grew from the living species.

He also had the presence of mind to finally arm himself properly. He reached into his magic satchel and pulled out his Ego Spidersword, Ego Exoshield, and Solar Helm. He was wearing his Royal Exoarmor almost all the time now already, and it had healed its damage from the battle with Samuel over the previous day. Now he felt ready to slaughter the entire population of this land of bats by himself if necessary.

But he knew he wouldn’t have to. He had a formidable force of brave soldiers with him.

And just to make sure they would be at their best…

Command Presence!

It was the other Skill, besides Zone of Interest, generated by the Alpha Presence Talent he’d taken from the coyote boss back in Orientation.

[Command Presence: Generate a field made from your aura that increases the power and cohesion of allied forces within the aura. Scales with Charisma, Will, and Intelligence. Consumes Stamina and Mana.]

His aura spread out within a limited area, giving a boost to everyone around him. People stood straighter and looked more prepared to back each other up and stand firm. And compared with the time he had used Zone of Interest back in Orientation, the drain on his resources seemed smaller now.

The benefits of continuously getting stronger.

He turned to his soldiers and put a finger to his lips, signaling for quiet. There were nods and murmurs of assent.

“Quiet,” people whispered to their neighbors.

Then James led his soldiers further into the enemy’s territory, heading straight to the nearest non-plant life that he could sense. Hanging huddled in a tree, he saw them. A cluster of a dozen bats, quivering slightly as they tried to hide from the sunlight. For the first time, it struck James as slightly odd that the bats were coming out of their territory in the middle of the day.

Aren’t they the most famously nocturnal animals in the world?

But he had no time to solve that mystery now.

He used Identify on the closest one.

Common Bloodsucker Bat, Lv. 12

They’re not exactly weak, but we should have no trouble taking this group. A perfect chance to give my people some experience.

He turned back to his group, who were waiting for him.

“Everyone with quiet projectile attacks, like arrows or magic, prepare to launch whatever you’ve got on my signal,” he said in a stage whisper.

Dozens of heads nodded as people whispered chants or loaded bows and Goblins loaded slings.

James waited calmly until it looked like almost all of them were poised to attack. It took around a minute.

Then he pointed at the enemy.

Go! he thought.

A wave of magic, stones, and arrows shot forward almost completely silently.

The bats saw the volley of lethal attacks flying through the air, but they had no time to dodge. With the tree at their backs, they only had a moment to scream out as the missiles struck.

“Perfect!” James said loudly as the bats began falling from the tree toward the ground. The tree itself was beginning to burn from being struck with all the balls of fire and lightning, but James did not care much about that now.

Roscuro, javelin form! he sent.

The Soul Eater obediently transformed, and James instantly hurled the javelin into the furthest fallen bat’s chest. It let out a horrific shriek and began disintegrating.

James was already moving with the Spidersword as the javelin found its target, decapitating the nearest bats with a single stroke each.

Once they’re on the ground, it’s like killing fish in a barrel.

Other soldiers from his side flanked him, striking down bats before James could reach them, and he had to hold back his desire to smile. Because this killing business was a serious affair. If it wasn’t so serious, he might begin to enjoy it…

Roscuro returned to his hand, and James threw the Soul Eater at one of the few bats that was still clinging to the tree for dear life.

The ones with that much vitality left could potentially try to fly away and warn their brethren, he thought. I can’t let them go. I won’t lead this expedition into a massacre. A significant part of why James was leading this invasion, even after his rage came under control, was his desire to train his forces and strengthen the bonds between them.

The group quickly wiped out the remaining creatures from the tree. As his focus relaxed slightly, some of the System’s alerts popped into view.

[You killed White-Furred Bloodsucker Bat, Lv. 14! You gained 650 exp!]

So there are different species of these things living together, he thought. Or does the fur color not denote separate species relative to the fact that they’re both bloodsuckers?

The alerts kept coming.

[...]

[Sufficient experience accrued! Predator in Human Skin leveled up!]

[Evolver Human leveled up!]

[Sufficient experience accrued! Fisher King leveled up!]

Nice. It seems like I get Fisher King experience when I lead people into battle.

He Pillaged one of the bats that he knew he’d killed personally and selected Talent as his theft target.

[Common Bloodsucker Bat’s body processed.]

[You obtained Common Levitation Cloak, 3x Common Bloodsucker Meat Bundle, and Common Bloodsucker Arrows!]

[Talent obtained: Ultrasonic Pitch!]

The Talent came with the two Skills Echolocation—which James thought might be a good gift for a blind person, given that he could use Skill Transfer—and Otherworldly Shriek.

I guess that was what those horrendous screeches were, he thought. Though the attack hadn’t been particularly effective against James while he was in his enraged state earlier, he remembered the bats he fought in the Fisher Kingdom shrieking loudly in his face.

Now that he had killed another handful of bats, and slaked some of his thirst for blood, the questions that he’d been suppressing to secure a successful ambush came roaring back into focus. James couldn’t help wondering why they had sent such a small number of creatures to fight in his territory.

It seemed like a monumental miscalculation, though perhaps that was the character of the Ruler here. Reckless and rash.

Were they probing for weakness? Was it a rogue group? If I were to stop now, and just leave these bodies as a warning—no, that’s foolish. No fucking warnings unless I deliver them in person to someone in this place who has power over these things. If I just leave a burned out husk of a tree where a bunch of bats used to be, all they’ll think is they’ve been attacked. The bats would just escalate at that point. It’s what I’m doing.

“What next, sir?” came a woman’s voice. One of the Mages, though James did not know her name.

“We advance,” he said.