The Systemic Lands

Chapter 141: Day 327 (3) – An Uncomfortable Truth

A beam of energy swept out burning the grass, melting the ground, and incinerating the mental attack monsters to our left.

“Charge!” I shouted and took the lead. There was shouting behind me, but I needed to focus. I stepped to the side and lunged forward, dragging my blade through a wolf. It collapsed to the ground and turned to dust.

Arrows flew at me. I dived out of the way and rolled up to my feet. Acid Shot x2! Several of the archers went down. I kept moving forward.

“Minor Tremor! Minor Temor!” Monsters to either side of me collapsed to the ground. I heard the screams of people behind me, but I couldn’t stop pushing forward.

I reached the line of archers and cut down one as I rushed past them. I quickly raced up the hill in front of me. I spotted the Ritualist on the hill across from me. He was standing there calmly, staring at me. He then grinned at me.

I looked around, but besides the trampled grass, I didn’t spot anything. I grinned back channeling pure Joker energy at the Ritualist. I then darted towards my left while keeping an eye on him as I circled around.

My army was winning. So why were you just standing there? I noted several of the summoner ants fly over and above him. But he didn’t summon more monsters. Soon I was to his East with the battle happening to his West.

I focused carefully on the exact angle I wanted this attack. Acid Shot. A summoner ant flew down from the air and intercepted my attack. He didn’t want to move for some reason even though he could have easily side stepped that long range attack. Using himself as bait, clever, but not clever enough.

“Well, I suppose I won’t be able to trap you that easily again,” the Ritualist said. I wasn’t going to say anything, I was going to let my acid do the talking for me and listen to his screams.

The ground began to shake. The last time this happened was when Death appeared. I was immediately on guard and checked my surroundings. Around the Ritualist eight monstrosities burst out of the ground. Huge amounts of vines began to crawl out of the ground.

“My special level 3 hybrids. Took forever to get the combination just right. Funny thing Champion Michael. I don’t need to kill you. I just need to kill everyone else, and you won’t have the strength to fight me alone.” Everyone was back fighting the main force. His monsters were between me and them. Still their lives didn’t matter, only killing the Ritualist.

“What is even better is combining monsters. It took a long time get right. But meet my finest creation. The level 3 hybrid Vine Summoner of Endless Strangulation.”

Why was I worried? It was just a bigger target and I just needed to kill the Ritualist. I rushed forward. Vines exploded out of the ground, but I easily dodged them and kept moving forward. Acid Shot.

“Minor Tremor! Rock Lance!” Naran shouted.

“Acid Shot!”

“Acid Shot!” Other people cried out. The vines were quickly wiped out and I was almost within striking distance of the Ritualist.

“Consider this a taste of what is to come!” Acid Shot. His head was engulfed while he was still smiling. The body shifted and a boulder appeared in his place before crumbling to dust. That wasn’t him. I looked around, nothing. All the monsters were falling over dead.

I raced to the good doctor as the last of the monsters were dusted or killed. “Which direction?”

“Direction? No monsters, I can’t spot any tethers either.” I stared at the doctor for a long moment. “What?”

“Unfortunate, good thing your military training from the air force kicked in.”

“I was in the army, why are you bringing that up?”

“Imposters, I needed to be sure you weren’t leading me in the wrong direction.” The idea of a mimic replacing a person I knew was concerning. That was why I needed to be sure. I knew Naran was good since I saw him use his skills.

“Last I saw was due East,” the good doctor said.

“That means the Ritualist retreated,” I let out a sigh. “Naran.”

“Yes, Michael?”

“Let’s go. Doctor, climb up.”

“What? There are people here who need help.”

“Piggyback. I am going to be running and you can’t keep up with the speeds I am going to go at. Climb up and wrap your legs around my waist. No arguments.” He stared at me for a good ten seconds before nodding. I bent at the knees and the doctor climbed onto my back and wrapped his legs around my waist. He still had blood from earlier in the day from the surgery.

I started running with Naran right next to me. I couldn’t run at my fastest since I had to carry the good doctor. Naran was able to keep up. There, ahead of us. I spotted a large group of monsters moving towards the East.

We continued to rush forward, and I held my sword ready in my hand. I only had energy for one more Acid Shot. Enough to melt one Ritualist. I charged in and swung, cutting down a werewolf, its head went flying off and it collapsed into a pool of blood. The human monster hybrids didn’t turn to dust unfortunately.

I swung out with my other hand and backhanded a wolf that went flying to the side with its jaw hanging loose.

Swinging again, I cut down a white weredeer. I could see the Ritualist just ahead.

“That’s him!” The doctor shouted in my ear.

“Off!” The doctor hoped off. I rushed forward. The Ritualist spun around to face me, holding a young woman hostage. That wasn’t going to stop me. If he thought a hostage would make me hesitate in the slightest, he knew nothing about me.

That was the very reason I hesitated. The Ritualist had to know that. Another trap. This guy’s head had to be twisted to come up with trap after trap.

“Champion Michael, we meet face to face again.” I couldn’t tell if this was the real one. This was incredibly fustrating.

“Hopefully for the last time Ritualist. When I melt you and listen to your screams.”

“Ah, but that is where you are mistaken. I am an unparalleled genius while you are an unparalleled brute.” Did that make me the hero? Always rushing forward into traps while the villain gloated. I didn’t mind buying time for my energy to come back. Two Acid Shots were better than one.

“What is your trap now? Using that woman to summon some kind of monster to fight me, which I will kill. Unless you have a level 4 monster hidden somewhere? No?”

“A summoning like no other. A four part summon, combining the best of the best. Enough to rival a level 4 monster.” He pushed the woman at me who burst apart screaming in a shower of gore and viscera. In her place was something that was shifting.

“Behold, the Juggernaut mark one.” It was a roiling being of flesh that seemed to constantly shift. A wave of dark green gas came out of it. The grass around it died and I backed up. The Ritualist stood there watching.

I felt a mental attack slam into me. I stumbled and the monster rushed me. The gas constantly coming out of its body forced me to back up. Acid Shot. I hit the monster in the torso. It collapsed to the ground screaming as it melted.

“That is a level 3 at best. Your vine monster was more impressive Ritualist,” I said with a sneer. He thought that was a level 4? Well he was clearly high on his own supply.

I slowly began to walk towards the Ritualist who had a look of fear on his face. Now that was the look I wanted. Trap after trap, but power was power.

I stabbed out with my sword. The body turned to rock and then dust. Another decoy. Dammit! I looked over at the good doctor.

“Where did he go?” I asked urgently.

“I don’t know. There are no more links for me to pick up. By the time I got close to that monster, there was no link.” I scanned the area around me.

“Look! He has to be somewhere.” I shouted in fustration. Naran came up to me as I slowly lost hope.

“He got away?” Naran came over to me.

“Another decoy.” I let out a long sigh. “After all that. I finally had him. I had him!” I shouted. “AHHHH!” The sheer frustration I felt was only eclipsed by my hate for the man. I would rather have ten discussions on politics than deal with this asshole. That was how much I loathed the Ritualist.

I thought about rushing towards Heaven. I was tired. Traveling through the night, then rushing over the city, then the battle, and trying to outthink the Ritualist. I was exhausted mentally and physically in a way I hadn’t been in a long time. Even when grinding, I hadn’t pushed myself this hard.

“We will prepare an army and march on Heaven tomorrow. Every day he leaves is a day too much. No mercy!” I looked up at the light source. “Depart first thing in the morning. I need to rest, and other people will need to rest as well. You see to the cart. I will sort out the army I am bringing along.”

I returned to Purgatory in silence and defeat. There were cheers at my return, but they quickly stopped after seeing the look on my face. Trap after trap. New technique after new technique. Gerold came up to me. “Is he dead?”

“No, he got away using decoys. We will rest tonight and then march in force on Heaven tomorrow.”

“Everyone is exhausted, we should-“

“No,” I said. “No celebrations until the Ritualist is dead. We celebrate victories.” I walked past the people who had died and were wounded in the most recent battle. There were people sobbing and crying. I spared them a glance, but I needed to rest. There was nothing I could do or wanted to do right now. The good doctor stayed behind to see to the wounded. I needed

I walked back to the plaza, Naran was right behind me. I just wanted the day to be over.

I reached my house and went to my room. I stripped myself of my armor and then got a shower. I collapsed on my bed. I was about to fall asleep when there was a knock on the door. I wrapped the sheet around me and opened the door.

It was Clarissa. “What is so urgent, right now?” I asked. I was exhausted.

“We need to talk,” Clarissa said. I gave her my death stare.

“And this couldn’t wait?”

“No, it couldn’t wait. May I come in?” I opened up the door all the way. She carried in a chair and sat down on it. I shut the door and sat on my bed. The sheet covering the lower half of my body. “I am going to say something you don’t want to hear, but you need to.”

“What is that?” I stared at her.

“We should make peace.” I closed my eyes and kept my breathing steady. She was right. I didn’t want to hear that. If I wasn’t sure she was on my side, I would killed her without hesitation for even suggesting such a thing.

“Why?” I asked as calmly as I could.

“The city won’t survive another large-scale attack like that. Everything is on the brink of collapse and anarchy.” People weren’t willing to fight for their lives? They would prefer to lie down and die?

“What? People aren’t rallying?” I asked.

“They are, but there may be an attempt to flee if there is another attack. If the Ritualist had left an opening, people would have fled.” Idiots, all of them were idiots and cowards.

“Cowards, let them die.”

“I am thinking of fleeing Michael.” I took a moment to process what she said. I noticed the stress lines on her face that hadn’t been there before. The strands of white hair on her head. The shaking hands. I might be able to continue, but other people weren’t. She seemed on the verge of a mental breakdown.

There was a reason people in the military trained and even then there were often mental issues after combat deployments. Still, I wanted, no needed, to kill the Ritualist. The undying hate in my heart could not be quelled that easily.

To declare peace after everything that happened was impossible. Still, I would consider him my only peer in the Systemic Lands, which meant he had the only requirement to discuss a cease fire. But that wasn’t going to happen.