Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

Chapter 111 – Floor 9: Part 32

“You have the honour of standing before Demon Lord Mathew the Enduring! Conqueror of Reesh and Lord of the lands which you stand upon.” Mayor Goodwin announced Mathew, giving a deep bow in his direction from where she stood in front of the Lords and Ladies of the Lineage.

Mathew had used just a tiny bit of his ‘Fear’ Blessing’s power, giving his aura a tinge of terror and inspiring dread in those who looked upon him.

To the army arrayed before him, Mathew looked like a figure out of their worst nightmares. Taller than a giant and as fearsome as a dragon, he rode a horse made of night itself. His eyes were burning pits of fire and his clothing made of shadows that writhed around him.

Each person who gazed upon him swore afterwards that they could hear the wailing of the souls who died at his hand.

To the Lords and Ladies who were better able to resist the Blessing’s effects, Mathew was an imposing young man with an impression of power and an unshakable will. Even the Matriarch felt a trace of unease as she watched the Demon Lord reign his horse to a stop and observe them.

Once the Mayor had finished her announcement, it was the Lineages' turn to speak. A young man from amongst their number had the honour of introductions, but the Matriarch cut him off just as he opened his mouth to speak.

“We will dispense with the formalities. The time has come for you and the other Demon Lords to leave these lands.” The Matriarch stated, and Mathew snorted at the words.

“You do not believe me? I know many things, Mathew of Manhattan. You have been tasked with defeating the Lineages by the gods of the Tower of Avarice, have you not?” The Matriarch added. But rather than be shocked by the words, Mathew simply shrugged.

“So, you read the Chronicles left by the last group of Players? That will make this easier. Yeah, you’re right. We can’t leave until we clear your lot away and make room for a new crop of heroes, less corrupt and selfish than you. So, you were correct in stating that it’s time we left these lands. Once you and the others are defeated here.” Mathew replied.

“You’re all just as bad as Mercy and her Demon Lords. We’ve heard about what you’ve done here. Oppressing the locals, exploiting or even killing them. You call us Demons, but you are the true evil in this world!” Alivia added.

The others nodded their heads at her declaration.

“Interesting perspective, I suppose. A very naïve one as well. Wherever you may go, you will always find those with power and those without. We are the strong, protecting the weak from a harsh world. Without us, our world's monsters would destroy everything we have built. So what if a few have to die in order to safeguard the rest? Isn’t their oppression worth it to endure their survival?” The Matriarch countered.

Alivia flushed red with anger and was about to retort when Mathew gently rested a hand on her shoulder to calm her. He shook his head slightly when she looked at him in response.

“Save your sophistry for someone else. I don’t care how you rationalize your actions, and even if we did care to try and understand you, it doesn’t change our objective. You and the Lineages will fall here today. Those who read the Chronicle of this floors history can be the ones to judge you.” Mathew asserted.

The Matriarch, unfazed by his words, shook her head in response.

“Very well. Rather than trying to convince you, let me provide you an alternative to the slaughter about to take place.” She offered, but this time, it was Aster who responded.

“No alternatives or bargains.” Aster expressed her disdain with a frosty look toward the old woman.

“You should not be so quick to reject my offer. Otherwise, this day will go very poorly. For both sides.” The Matriarch raised her hand and gestured sweepingly toward those gathered on both sides.

“Regardless of who wins this day, there will be countless deaths on both sides. I offer you a way to achieve your objective, safeguarding the people of this world while eliminating the Lineages forever.” The Matriarch said, and the Lords and Ladies behind her shot quick looks at the old woman. If they were surprised, they held it in.

“You’d sell out your own? I can’t say I’m surprised.” Alivia said scornfully.

“No, this will help them as well.”

“Very well. Let’s hear your offer.” Mathew said in resignation. He didn’t look forward to more death and killing. He was more than happy to hear the old woman out if he could avoid it and still achieve his objective.

“Open the Tower to the Lineages, allow us to serve the gods and achieve our dreams and desires.” The Matriarch asked. This time, Mathew caught the expressions of the Lords and Ladies change. There was a layer of excitement and longing there.

Mathew let out a sigh.

“Why is it that people always want to enter the Tower? You wouldn’t be so keen to do so if you knew what waited for you there.” Mathew muttered quietly, so low that even Yule, who was beside him, barely heard his words.

“No way! Even if we could control who enters the Tower, why would we let you lot in? It’s bad enough that Mercy and the others have been running loose through the floors.” Alivia shouted, shutting down the idea immediately.

Mathew thought it over for a moment, running his hand through his hair as he did so.

“It’s not impossible. But Alivia is right; we don’t have any control over who enters the Tower. It would be up to the gods to decide, and they aren’t exactly easy to contact. It would be easier if you had a patron deity, someone who overlooks this Floor, but you don-” Mathew was cut off by a loud ‘Ding\ as a message arrived through his silver wristband.

Slowly raising it up to his eyes, Mathew already knew what it was going to say.

The god of Mischievous Depravity is pleased with your performance on this Floor. It was their pleasure to offer the Lords and Ladies of the Lineages passage into the Tower as their Patron Deity, provided they align themselves to its Demesne.

Mathew read through the message twice before letting out a loud sigh and lowering his wrist to rest it on the saddle of Midnight.

“Very well. The god of Mischievous Depravity had agreed to allow all the Lords and Ladies of the Lineage to enter the Tower, provided you align with them. I don’t know what that means, but you should be aware that there are consequences to doing so.” Mathew said, relaying the message to the Matriarch in its entirety.

For the first time, the elderly woman looked pleased. A glow of power surrounded her, a white aura that extended like a halo around her. She didn’t even hesitate before kneeling on the ground, uncaring of the grass and dirt that stained her robes.

“I accept the offer to enter the Tower, and I do so Pledge myself to the god of Mischievous Depravity.” She stated firmly. No sooner did she finish when a pillar of light appeared in front of her. The light twisted and formed a door, a portal that Mathew recognized through the opening as leading to the first floor of the Tower.

Rather than the office building Mathew had seen on Earth, this Tower had the appearance of a large inn or tavern, with a long desk at one end. But, standing there just as she had been when Mathew had entered was the young woman in a grey suit jacket and skirt.

The Matriarch entered the portal immediately, disappearing in a flash of light.

“How about the rest of you?” Mathew asked, and there was a flurry of activity as others pledged themselves and disappeared through portals.

In mere minutes, the battle of Reesh was over. Standing with the other Demon Lords in a field outside of the city, Mathew ordered the army arrayed against them to disperse. Without the Lords and Ladies of the Lineage to oversee them, they submitted to the Authority of the Demon Lords.

Within a week, news of the battle had reached every corner of the continent. Any Lord or Lady that hadn’t been witness to the events there soon learned of the offer to enter the Tower.

Within a month, there were only a handful of the Lineages left on the Ninth Floor. Algrond, still training hard to defeat Mathew, decided to stay to defend his land, but his family was allowed to leave through the portals.

Free of the oppression of the Lineages and driven to remove the Demon Lords from their world, a new line of Heroes rose. Within a year, the first of these Heroes arrived at Reesh to challenge Demon Lord Mathew the Enduring.