Chapter 35: 35: Come with me if you want to live!

You remove the semi-translucent tab from your sight, leaving the allocation of Spell Points for later, and without wasting a second take a determined step toward the chaos. Your energy has increased up to 250 with the level up. That is all you need to know right now. With a wave of a hand, you cast [Summon Spider] and follow it up with [Summon Imps].

“Capture them alive, if possible,” you say to your six fresh Summons as they charge into the fray.

[Energy 145/250]

You cast [Shadow Bolt] into the back of the muscle mountain with the morning star. He reels in pain and receives two violent blows from Gamma’s shields—one to the elbow, no doubt destroying the nerves and shattering both bones in the arm, and another to the face, dislocating his jaw and sending spit and teeth flying to the side as he falls in the same direction.

[Energy 135/250]

[Congratulations! Spell [Shadow Bolt] is now level 2!]

“Don’t kill him!” with a strong voice you command the bunny girl who was about to crack open the man’s skull. At least, he’ll make some money from the tooth fairy, you think as both you and Gamma eye your next targets.

“Eat one of these,” you say to Gamma as you summon two [Hellfruits] and toss them to the battle bunny. “Give the other to Alpha. We’re taking the rest of the bandits alive. Make sure to remember that. Now go and help Alpha before she dies!”

[Energy 125/250]

Gamma eats gulps down the fruit nearly whole and, with a slightly dissatisfied frown, runs to Alpha, who is barely alive at this point. You see her bleeding all over and it’s safe to assume that she will keep fighting as long as her body continues to function. Which won’t be long at this rate.

Luckily for Alpha, your Spider is back on the ceiling and resumes what she was doing before being rudely interrupted by an ice pillar to the head. Which is, supporting your forces with crowd control. And she is particularly keen to return the favor to the purple-haired ice mage, showering her with spider webs. And while the woman is able to block the web barrage by casting an ice shield, she—and her companions—now also have to deal with both Gamma and slightly rejuvenated Alpha, as well as with two fresh, blood-thirsty cackling loli imps.

You crouch at the defeated man, look him in the eyes and say, “Your master has fled. You now have two options. Fight for me like your life depends on it—which it does, regardless of what you choose—and I’ll give you this.” You summon a [Hellfruit] and show it to him. “Or I can have one of my minions force-feed you a troglodyte’s body and find out if it’s true that their meat melts human innards from inside out.”

You cast [Submission] to make the choice easier for him. You now have a walking meat shield at your side. He’s still badly hurt and his arm is useless, but he doesn’t need it to do his job.

[Energy 100/250]

One of the bandit's charges at you but a single cast of an upgraded [Shadow Bolt] strips him of life. His lifeless body falls forward, carried by inertia and he lands on the floor a couple of feet from you.

[Energy 85/250]

“Hm, I suppose you weren’t even worth wasting energy on Submission,” you say and step to the side from the body.

“Make sure to always be between me and an incoming attack,” you remind your new toy. “If you survive, I’ll patch you up. Serve me well and I might even let you have some fun—”

You interrupt yourself. You start getting ideas about experimenting with a few of your neglected spells but now is not the time. The tide turns quickly in your favor, but you’re already thinking ahead.

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The purple-haired woman clad in red robes is one of the few real threats left on the field, but she’s getting increasingly outnumbered. Not feeling like spending even a single extra minute in the increasingly toxic hall you cast [Drain Life] in her back just when she’s dealing with one of your imps.

[Energy 70/250]

The woman arches her back as her already-dwindling life essence is clawed right out of her. Alpha uses that opportunity to lunge with her rapier and pierce the woman’s heart.

“No, stop, you damn automaton! I need her!” you shout and rush to the woman as she falls to the floor.

You cast [Hellfruit] and take a bite out of it as you run. Landing next to the woman, you take out the chunk of the fruit from your mouth and shove it into hers, forcing it down her throat. Then you take another chunk of the fruit and place it in her mouth, moving her jaws forcefully with your hands to imitate chewing.

“Guah!” the woman’s body desperately gasps for air. She’s alive, you sigh in relief. Perhaps due to the fact that the fruit had enough liquid to trickle down to her stomach. You’re not sure at which exact moment the healing from the fruit takes effect.

The woman struggles to breathe and is still bleeding profusely, so you summon another [Hellfruit] and—before handing the fruit to her—say a single line “Come with me if you want to live!”

Has there ever been a man who didn't want to be a hero and say that line to a pretty girl at least once in their life? Though you cast [Submission] to make her more willing to cooperate.

[Energy 40/250]

“Alpha! Gamma! Work with the imps to drag survivors out of this place back below!” you command your minions. “The fire will die soon enough and smoke can’t descend after us.”

“You—what’s your name?” you ask the muscle man under your command.

“Hercule,” he grunts an answer.

“Perfect! Take the woman and a couple of other willing bodies!” you command him. “Anyone who doesn’t cooperate can stay here and die or run away if they can. It doesn’t matter—they will die either way!”

As the noxious black smoke thickens you tear a piece of your clothes to cover your mouth and summon a [Hellfruit] for yourself to eat.

[Energy 35/250]

You’re now faced with a decision on how to proceed. The major threats are dealt with and a decent size of the enemy force is subdued or eradicated, but the bandit fortress is not under your control yet. Would the others run away? Or attempt to regroup and fight? For an average mercenary, the choice is obvious, though you would probably prefer for them to come to you, instead of spending rumors about you in all four corners of the world.

Either way, your summons will disappear soon enough so charging forward right this moment, without restoring your energy first is out of the question. But by the time you lock up your new prisoners and return here, you'd probably have at least half of your energy. One valuable target has already escaped. Perhaps letting go of more of them or letting them regroup would not be wise. Though with your strongest ally gone you can't go running into trouble either.

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