ALL NOVEL Chapter 110 – Floor 9: Part 31
Chapter 110 – Floor 9: Part 31
Mayor Goodwin stood on the edge of the city of Reesh and watched as Demon Lord Mathew approached. Sitting astride his horse, Midnight, Mathew cut an imposing figure. Following behind him on a smaller, brown mare was his Chronicler, Yule.
Tales of Mathew’s accomplishments had reached all the way to Reesh, and Mayor Goodwin could hardly believe that he had defeated Demon Lord Mercy and her allies, along with the Lords and Ladies of the Lightmore Lineage.
As of now, Mathew was the highest-ranked Demon Lord, a title that would undoubtedly bring a fair share of scrutiny and problems to Reesh. The once humble town that had been no more than a backwater was a bustling city filled with nearly a hundred thousand people.
They came from all over the world, seeking the protection and peace provided by the Demon Lord Mathew.
Of course, they would need to accept the restrictions and tyranny of Mathew, but most were willing to accept any level of constraint if it meant safety from the Demon Lords like Mercy or even the Lords and Ladies of the Lineages who took advantage of them.
Goodwin was satisfied with what they had built here and the maintained security and laws of Mathew’s personal Guard.
As the Demon Lord approached her, she gave a deep bow of respect and obedience to her lord. All of her staff and retainers behind her copied her immediately.
“Lord Mathew, welcome home.” She said, and the crowd with her chorused her words.
“It’s good to be back. Things look to have been peaceful while I was away.” Mathew said, climbing off of his horse and sending the magical Midnight back into his inventory as a small statue. Providing Yule with a hand off her horse, he let one of the Mayor’s staff members lead the mare away.
“Things have indeed been well. Lord Algrond and others of his Lineage have kept their distance while you were gone.” Goodwin explained, and Mathew shrugged at the words.
“That’s fine. If he wants to come looking for trouble, I’m more than happy to oblige him. Come, tell me what I missed.” Mathew said while leading the way to his mansion. Once on the outskirts of town, the city had built up around it, leaving his home in nearly the center of Reesh.
Overlooking the city, what had been intended as a formidable palace meant to set him apart from the locals had become a symbol of prosperity, with its graceful spires and large gardens.
Mayor Goodwin started by telling him the details of Reesh’s development before reviewing some rumours and information regarding their neighbouring towns. When they had finally crossed the threshold to Mathew’s mansion, leaving the crowd behind, Goodwin had finished.
“We’ll need to prepare for the arrival of the Lords and Ladies. Now that Mercy and the others have been dealt with, we’ll have a target on our back. We’ll have help. I’ve already spoken to Alivia and Aster, and they have agreed to move here for support.” Mathew explained as he gratefully sat on his throne at the center of the large hall.
No sooner did he settle when a loud ‘Ding!’ rang out. Lifting his silver wristband, Mathew checked the message.
Congratulations, you have accumulated 5000/5000 Reputation!
Your name has spread far and wide. You have become a focal point for the hostility of the entire Floor, a Villain of unsurpassed magnitude. As a fire clears the dead brush and fallen trees of a forest, so to have you burned away the stagnation and oppression that rots the Ninth Floor.
Heroes have begun to rise. Small, fledging sprouts that will grow into mighty oaks to defend the land and its people.
Reward: The Blessing: Villainous Smite – Wave of Destruction
Villainous Smite – Wave of Destruction
Strike the ground with all of your strength and mana, depleting your reserves and generating a destructive force that radiates outwards in all directions. The attack's size and scale are directly determined by the amount of mana you hold within you.
Mathew had just finished reading the message when another Ding! Rang out.
New Objective: A Source of Animosity
You are a Demon Lord, the source of animosity for an entire world. Defend your territory against the forces of the Lineages.
Secondary Objective: Defeat the Lords and Ladies of the Lineages.
“Great.” Mathew muttered, already wondering how he would accomplish that. He thought that he would be free to leave this Floor once he had built a reputation. But it looked like these prophesied ‘Heroes’ needed time to get their act together.
“Goodwin, prepare rooms for the other Demon Lords. They should be arriving soon. Have the Guard double the watch on the walls and prepare for the arrival of an army from the Lineages.” Mathew ordered, surprising the Mayor.
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“Who is that old woman?” Mathew asked from atop the wall surrounding Reesh. Made of a wood and stone, the wall wouldn’t do much to stop the army arrayed against them. But it didn’t matter much. The true battle would be between the Demon Lords and the Lineages, with everyone else relegated to little more than spectators.
Next to him, Alivia was flicking through her new deck. This one was weaker than her last. The Aether she had earned hadn’t been able to replace the valuable cards she had lost against Lucas. But, with the help of the others chipping in a pile of Crystallized Aether, it wasn’t a significant difference.
It helped that she had chosen support cards rather than direct offensive spells and abilities, reducing the cost. Since support cards required allies, they cost less Aether. Sure, she would need to buy more before she went onto the next floor, but hopefully, the bonus from accomplishing her objective would pay for it.
“That old bag is the ‘Matriarch.’ She’s their leader.” Alivia said, and Aster nodded.
“She’s the reason the Demon Lords a few centuries ago lost in the first place.” Aster added, and Marvin snorted.
“Looking good for an antique. She doesn’t look a day over eighty.”
“She uses the blood of the locals to stay alive. We need to kill her, Mathew. She’s worse than Osmund.” Aster said, turning to look at him.
“We will. Are any of these Lords and Ladies actually decent people?” Mathew wondered out loud, and Joseph was the one to respond this time.
“Doesn’t look like it. I don’t agree with killing them. We send them packing and let the local Heroes handle it. It's their business what happens here, not ours.”
“I agree.” Aleks said.
Their conversation was interrupted by a loud horn that carried across the distance between them easily. A group of Lords and Ladies were approaching the wall under a white flag, the symbol of Parley. Looking at the others, Mathew leapt over the parapet and easily dropped a dozen feet to the ground below.
Pulling out the statue of the horse from his inventory, Mathew climbed on top of Midnight and rode the short distance to the meeting, with the others following closely behind. As he did so, Mathew activated ‘Fear’ to give himself an aura of menace and terror, although he kept it from its full power.
He just wanted enough to put the other side on edge.
Reigning in Midnight a short distance away from the gathering, Mathew assessed the people arrayed before him. The Matriarch was a small, elderly woman wearing a thick, white robe. He could feel the mana within her, a mixture of divine Aether and something else. A sinister, dark corruption that he assumed came from whatever method she used to maintain her life.
A step behind her were a dozen Lords and Ladies, some wearing armour or extravagant clothing. Each had an aura of power around them, and Mathew knew that these were the best from amongst their ranks.
They were leagues ahead of Algrond and the members of his Lineage who had fought Mathew before.
But, to the Demon Lords who had faced Mercy and the Lower Ranks, the Lords and Ladies lacked that bloodthirsty edge that came from surviving through hell. They had clawed their way through the Tower of Avarice, and nothing the Lineages had faced could compare.