Chapter 10: Good Help is Hard to Find

Chapter 10: Good Help is Hard to Find

Blue hair snorted. “Well, looks like we get to do this the fun way then.”

“Lady Via...” I could practically hear Rel trembling behind me. “W-what—”

“Why don’t you go back to the warehouse.” I shook out my hands as the men drew their weapons. “It appears negotiations have broken down.”

Blue jerked his head. “Kill her.”

My hand snapped up, focusing on that feeling of mana as I channeled my new skill. “Demon-itize!”

A crackling bold of black leapt from my hands as I felt my MP take a precipitous dip. Blue hair’s eyes widened as he threw himself to the ground. My skill raced over his head, splashing harmlessly against a building on the far side of the road.

I bit back a curse as Blue sprang back to his feet.

“Don’t just stand there, you imbeciles! Get her!”

Dee and Dum shared another glance, before turning back towards me.

I growled. “Demon-itize!” Another black bolt leapt from my fingers, Blue swore explosively as he ducked.

This time, it left a discolored streak through his hair—mind the spikes, gents. He howled as he saw a strip of it fall out to the ground. “I’ll get you for that! Bitch!”

“Why don’t you come and make me?”

Dee and Dum charged.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via Ñøv€l-B!n.

I turned, sprinting after Rel into the collapsed building. My MP was over two thirds depleted now. Whatever my new skill actually did, it was clear I couldn’t just go throwing bolts around like party favors. I bit back a hiss as I saw my MP bar tick up slowly in the corner of my vision.

Wasn’t this what... Int or Wis was supposed to help with? Why did this stupid system have to use stupid nonstandard stats as well!

I sprinted through the broken doorway of the warehouse, ducking as a piece of metal cut through the air above my head. “Not me! Hit them!”

“Ah!” Rel jumped, voice going high pitched in surprise. “Sorry.”

I snatched the rusted sword from his hands. “And if you’re going to use it, hit them with the other side!” I shoved it back into his hands by the rusted sheath. And he blinked up at the pommel for a moment before the sound of footsteps jerked him out of his stupor.

I need to summon another one of those demons!

There was a moment’s pause as I cast out with my skill.

Then. “Hmmm?” The voice sounded bored, “What was that?”

I raced deeper into the warehouse. “Computer, activate self-defense protocols! Assign all new encounters, Designation: Adversary!”

My spider bot beeped once as it came online again, interrupting whatever diagnostic process it was undergoing. It skittered into the shadows.

Another one of those demons from two days ago, same deal!

Dum ran through the doorway, only to get clocked in the head by the hilt of Rel’s ‘sword.’ The man staggered backwards, clutching at his face.

Unfortunately, while it drew blood, Rel didn’t exactly have the best upper body strength. The big man didn’t go down and managed to block the second swing with his own club.

“Well.” The voice clicked it’s tongue. I paused; did it even have a tongue? “Normally, I’d say that based on your previous actions I can’t find anyone willing to take your contract...”

I glared, raising my hand as Dee and Dum forced their way through the door, Rel stumbling back in shock.

“Buuuuut hobblefiends are too dumb to think about any of that stuff.”

Great. My eyes narrowed. Then get me the same kind of demon I summoned yesterday, for the same deal.

I felt more than heard the smirk in his voice. “Coming right up! Oh, and they are actually called hobblefiends.”

I pushed the rest of my mana into the summoning circle forming in front of me. It expanded, growing big enough for another one of those red imps to fall out of the air with a chittering screech.

As one, every occupant of the warehouse froze.

“Demon!” Dee (or was that one Dum?) shouted.

“Get the big ones!”

The hobblefiend gibbered gleefully at my command, dashing forward on its lumpy arms and legs. It leapt over Dum’s first swing and sank his claws deep into his leather jerkin.

I blinked, eyes widening. There was a roar behind me, and I spun—

Only for Dum to catch my arm in his massive hand. I swore, pulling away, but the man pulled me into a bear hug and lifted me off my feet.

“What’s your skull fucking made of?” I kicked at the air. “Titanium?”

Blue laughed again, walking closer. “Oh, you’ll have a long time to learn about skull fucking when I’m done with you.”

“Really?” I glared at him. “That’s your best material? Fucking hell, and here I was starting to think you were half competent.”

Blue glared. “Beat the shit outta you well enough.”

“Oh, look at the big strong criminal!” I simpered. “It took him two whole thugs and himself to take out a woman and a little boy! I’m so scared!”

“I’ll show you scared you little cunt—”

Then my spider dropped from the ceiling onto Dum’s titanium skull.

He screamed, grip loosening. “Get it off! Get it off!”

I jerked my arm free, grabbing onto Blue’s jerkin.

“Demon-itize!”

This time the oily black bolt sank right into his chest. He gasped, staggering backwards, hands flying to his... undamaged shirt.

Blue let out a laugh. “Well, that wasn’t so—”

His left arm exploded. He screamed.

I blinked.

Well... it hadn’t really exploded, now that I took a second glance. Instead his pink human skin had more sort of... popped like a balloon to make room for a new scaled arm with massive talons.

He caught the scaled with his other hand, arm straining to hold back the new demonic appendage.

“Wh-what did you do to me?!”

I tilted my head. “You know, now that I think about it, the name Demon-itize is actually pretty obvious once you get past the pun.”

He blinked stupidly at me.

Then the rest of him popped too.

I took a step back to dodge the blood splatter.

Left in his place was a hunched over lizard-like thing, with dark green scales and a scrunched-up face. There were two extra arms coming out from the middle of its chest—kind of like a T-rex—and a short mane of blue hair in... homage perhaps, to the man who’d spawned it.

I felt a connection spring into place between myself and the demon the moment we made eye contact. But, unlike the hobblefiend or the little jellyfish demons I’d summoned before, this creature felt more like an extension of myself than a living, thinking creature. I narrowed my eyes, willing it to move to my side.

It bounded forward, claws carving divots into the dirt floor.

I jerked back, shrieking.

Then it landed next to me, sitting down and staring at me. Almost like a cat asking why the human was being so stupid—it did what I wanted it to, didn’t it?

Maybe I was just projecting...

With a shake of my head, I turned to face the other two thugs. Dum was cowering in the corner as my spider bot menaced it with its forelimbs, and Dee was still lying on the ground, moaning softly as he cradled his jewels.

No, he was sobbing.

I sighed, walking over to Rel. He looked at me with his large eyes, blinking slowly as I pulled him to his feet. I gave him a nod. “You did well.”

He blushed slightly, glancing to the side with a shrug.

Then I tuned to face my newest... acquisitions. “Now then.” I crossed my arms. “I trust there will be no further problems?”

Both men nodded violently.

It was a start.