Chapter 173: Day 370 (2) – Viewpoints 16

Fethee

“-you.” I stumbled and looked around. I had just been thanking a customer. There was screaming. The smell. People were killing other people. They were eating them! I stumbled back and looked at someplace I could escape to.

There! Near some stone pillars there was a cart and two people in armor looking at the scene. All the crazy people were staying away from them. I rushed over along with several other people. One person leaned against the cart. I barely even see the man in dark blue armor with gold dragons on it move.

I heard the crack as the man’s head twisted at an impossible angle and he went tumbling along the ground. “Don’t touch my stuff. All of you make a path or get melted.” English wasn’t my best language, but I got what he was saying. Don’t touch the cart.

Then balls of liquid formed in the air. Bigger than soccer balls and shot forward from the man. People began to melt and scream. Impossible! I didn’t want to die. I looked around. There was nowhere else to go. This was bad. The man set out and I quickly decided to follow behind his cart, making sure not to touch it or think about touching it. I didn’t want to get eaten or melted. He didn’t seem to care, but the cannibals were scared of him and his companion.

We left the plaza and made our way through an empty stone city. The screaming disappearing behind us. It was creepy. Where were we? What had happened? I noted the three other people with me had questions as well, but no one dared speak up, or else the man might melt us.

The man came to a stop and turned to face us. “Any of you speak English?” I didn’t want to be left behind. Someone like this was like a gang boss. If they asked questions like this and no one answered they would get angry. Better to speak up than risk their displeasure.

“I know some.” He nodded at that. I was glad to see I was right.

“Anyone else?” No one spoke up.

“You can pull my cart, the rest of you can go away or get melted.” I mentally sighed in relief but didn’t say anything out loud. I needed to keep my head down and get my bearings.

“What is going on?” A girl asked. Stupid. You don’t ask questions of a boss. You shut up and try to survive.

“You don’t have the right or strength to ask me questions. You, what’s your name?” He was asking me!

“Fethee,” I quickly said. That was my name. I hoped that was what he asked.

“Fethee, pull the cart. Yes or no?” He spoke quickly and English wasn’t my best. “I don’t have all day. Hurry up.”

“I will pull the cart,” I said. I hoped that was right.

“Alright, you take over for Naran. The rest of you, you aren’t needed. Leave me alone or die. Let’s go.” I quickly took over for the other man and began pulling the cart. It was heavy but I didn’t dare slack off in the slightest.

I walked just behind the two and listened to their conversation as we walked. They spoke quickly and it was hard to understand. Well, I would pull the cart and keep my head down. Hopefully I would be useful enough to survive whatever was going on and get back to my family. I didn’t want to get eaten alive.

Tom

So much pain, day after day of torture. I had been stiped naked and felt cold. “Well, Purgatory is refusing all negotiation attempts. They don’t even want you. Apparently Champion Michael said we could kill you even and he wouldn’t blink an eye.”

Michael, so much regret. I was such an idiot. Now I was stuck here. I let out a groan as the man kicked me in the side. Blood dripped out of my mouth onto the cold hard floor. “Useless piece of trash.” It was hard to tell the voices apart. My eyes had been cut out long ago.

“Careful, he still has his uses.”

“Waste of points. We need to properly mobilize. We weren’t able to force the teams away from the dungeons.”

“Well it was a skirmish and we didn’t commit.”

“And they are grinding up all the monsters around the city. We are barely hanging on.”

“You know the plan. We discussed. Let’s leave him.”

“Fine.” The two people left me in darkness again. The hunger, the pain. It was a constant reminder of my all the mistakes I had made. I didn’t have any tears to shed. I had been hoping Ruth would rescue me, but she had never showed up. After all the help, after our time together, I felt betrayed.

I had been such an idiot. Now, all I could do was wait for death to claim me. Please let death come for me.

Sam

“We need to do something for Laura!” Gertrude shouted at me outside the dungeon that my team, the Black Horned Crows, was currently stationed at. Her team was stationed here as well, since two teams were needed to make sure Truth didn’t get an edge on skill points. They were camped a short distance away, but Gertrude decided to create some drama, that I needed to deal with.

“Too emotional.” One of my teammates muttered and I wanted to nod at that. Gertrude sent him a harsh stare.

“Gertrude, what do you want us to do? Complain to Champion Michael?” My teammates chuckled at that. It was a joke, that if you had complaints take them up with the Champion. He would deal with you promptly. Apparently Gertrude didn’t get the memo.

“If that is what it takes. She was tossed away with no regard.” I let out a sigh at how someone could both be an intelligent lifeform but lacking in any common sense.

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“If you want to poke the dragon, feel free to. Me and the boys are focusing on skill points and grinding. Not whatever it is Laura was doing.” I held up a hand to stop Gertrude from jumping in and interrupting me since I wasn’t done. “I wasn’t done. We stand no chance against Champion Michael and have no means of convincing him.”

That was a man who wasn’t fickle. The peace treaty with the Ritualist and how he didn’t care for our complaints just solidified that. Better to keep my mouth shut and get power to survive this place. “If you really feel that strongly, then grind up to get on his Immortal Council. I am sure there are some level 3 zones you can explore.”

More like die horribly. I knew enough not to touch them or level 3 monsters right now. The fact that Champion Michael fought level 3 monsters on a regular basis was all I needed to know. “You know if we all come together then there is safety in numbers. That is the purpose of the Union.”

“I thought it was to make things simple and gather information, so we didn’t get into pointless fights. Not mess about with the city. I won’t march to my death, but there is no upside for helping out here. Only a range of downsides, with being melted a strong possibility.” I wasn’t going to add that she had some leeway since she supposedly slept with Michael.

She had bragged about it a bit, which made me think of her as a slut. Trying to sleep her way to the top. No self-respect whatsoever. Probably why she had made the effort to come here and complain. The fact she was out her complaining, not grinding up the points or the night with Michael indicated she had been dumped like a piece of trash.

“It could be you next,” Gertrude said.

“I doubt that. One thing I learned, is not to have a political opinion. Now get out of here, you are annoying and smell of elderberries.”

“Really Sam. You won’t help?”

“No. Final answer. Do not pass go.” She glared at me and then left with her team.

“What a bitch,” one of my teammates said and I nodded.

“If she wants to get melted, she is welcome to do so. But draco dormiens nunquam titillandus,” I said. I always loved that quote. From one of my favorite book series. I should make it my motto, since it was quite apt.

“What does that mean?” my teammate asked. I didn’t use it often, but this was the perfect situation for it.

“Don’t tickle a sleeping dragon. That goes for the rest of you. There haven’t been any issues, but don’t even get an idea about Michael. Don’t get ideas about ideas. I mean it. If you do, then bugger off. That man will melt anyone if they piss him off.” I got bunch of nods at that. Stupidity was a deadly disease, and I didn’t want to get infected.

I also needed to pay attention to when those bastards from Truth were going to make a move. They were getting more antsy every day.

Estevo

Ever since I had left Neo Brasilia and came to Purgatory with Champion Michael, things had been a lot better. Kind of, the battles had been scary, but I had managed to survive. Now I was a Captain in the RMPF. Survival equaled promotion.

I was in charge of the South gate at the moment. It was one of the quieter gates, since cart teams tended to leave from the West, East, or North. Not much to the South but lots of swamp. It was rotation day, today.

Once people were done clearing, the level 1 monsters, they would pack up their stuff and move over to the East gate. The rotation went West, North, South, and then East. The best part about being at the South gate was that people knew enough to not cause problems, but they weren’t worried about the future yet.

After the East gate, people were let go to find their own paths, forming a team, starting a team, and staying outside the city to grind level 2 monsters at the borders of the zone. I didn’t hold out much hope, but there was talk that enchanted equipment was going to be available.

That stuff wasn’t going to show up for a long time, and when it did it would be reserved for the elites. I knew how these things worked. I just wanted peace and quiet. No monsters, no battles, and a low chance of dying horribly.

That was why I liked gate duty. Other Captains might complain about it, but it was honestly relaxing. Walking on top of the wall, looking out at the city and the land. Making sure everything was in order. Much better than the chaos that had been Neo Brasilia.

I had heard things weren’t going well there, but I put it out of mind. I had cut all ties, and this was my life now. I was a citizen of Purgatory through and through. Best decision I ever made in this hell.

I passed by the summoner on duty with his monsters. There was one wolf monster with each group that patrolled the walls. Best way to get an early alert and out of the way of new people, so they didn’t get any ideas.

Gertrude

I let out a sigh. If I had managed to convince Sam, then everyone else would have been on board. But no one wanted to be the one to stick their neck out.

Michael had just brushed me off as well. I know we didn’t have a relationship, but it hurt. He looked at me like I was nothing. Now Laura, my friend, was locked away. Even with Clarissa clamping down on the taxes, no one had complained.

Everyone knew that eventually the workaround would be figured out and stopped. I get people not wanting to confront Michael, but even forming a group to stand up to him caused people to turn away. It wasn’t right that Laura was thrown into prison like that.

The only option was to grind up the points to get on the Immortal Council. It seemed so far away, but I was going to do it. I wasn’t going to let my friends get put into prison for no reason. I was going to get Laura out.

The problem was that I didn’t know how. Laura had been right. Clarissa had taken over everything and was Michael’s iron fist within Purgatory. The only thing I could do right now was focus on grinding up my stats and look for a chance to make my case to free Laura.

I could only hope she was doing alright, locked away.

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