Chương 8: I Threatened a Village for Food

POV: The Dark Lord, Milo Miles I lifted us both into the air. We rose slowly at first, Nyx still draped against my side in her perfect lovesick pose, until we cleared the broken rooftops and the smoke and the upturned faces of the villagers staring after us. Then I tilted forward. Nyx's body shifted with mine, going from upright to almost horizontal in the rush of wind, but she didn't lose her grip. If anything, she pressed in tighter, her arm sliding from my chest to hook around my neck for balance.

Her wings unfolded just enough to act as stabilizers, the leathery edges catching the air with small, precise adjustments. To anyone still watching from below, we must have looked like a single dark silhouette streaking off across the evening sky. The moment we cleared the treeline beyond the village, her grip on me loosened. She let go and started flying on her own beside me. We just flew side by side in silence for a while, towards my so-called kingdom. Suddenly, inside my head clicked.

"We'll talk once we land," I heard her voice.

"Okay," I thought. The wind was probably too loud for us to talk properly, and with mental link, I could not really concentrate on conveying only the thoughts that I wanted Nyx to hear. My fears of being slapped would override my thought. I could hear a few pings while we were flying. My Terror Level probably increased again. Several minutes later, we landed. Nyx landed properly, while I stopped inches from the hut. Thank goodness I did not stumble–I could not bear seeing another hole in my abode.

Nyx crossed her arms and told me check my Terror Level, which I did. NAME Milo Miles CLASS Dark Lord LEVEL 9999 TERROR LEVEL 8"It's at level eight now," I said as I switched to the skills panel. SKILLS PASSIVE Mental Link, Intimidating Aura, Flight OFFENSIVE New skill available! DEFENSIVE New skill available! SUMMONS None Woah, two new skills? That was pretty sweet. I tapped on the offensive skill first. Hopefully, there would be a cool skill like summoning a fireball or lightning bolt.

Sleep Gas Exhales a purple cloud of smoke. If inhaled by another living creature, that creature will fall asleep. Sleep duration may vary. Sleep Gas? Exhale? So I would need to use my mouth, right? Wouldn't that make it somewhat useless since I need to be at a close range? Besides, this skill's execution does not seem befitting for a Dark Lord. I sighed and clicked my tongue before tapping on the defensive skill. Smokescreen Creates a cloud of smoke. The smoke is regular smoke, no special properties.

I thought this skill was not that useful either. It would only produce smoke. It's not like I could teleport away or something. I still needed to run or fly away. Though, it did not specify how much the smoke could be produced. Maybe if I kept on using it, I could create a massive amount that could be somewhat helpful?

"Done yet? Why are you taking so long just to read some skill texts? Did you fail primary school?" Nyx's sharp tongue was already operating at full speed. I was about to say I had been thinking on how to utilize these seemingly useless skills, but I figured that would only net me more harsh insults–probably another pig-brain–so I did not.

"Just some basic skills. Apparently, I can create smoke now," I said as I turned off the skill panel, "Anything else new for Terror Level eight? Like, a new kingdom? A slightly bigger hut, perhaps?"

"Ehh, nope. A slight upgrade would be at Terror Level ten," Nyx said as she raised her arms up while slightly arching her back.

"Anyways, there's plenty of insults I could hurl at you for the poor performance at the village, but I'm too hungry for those. You got the food ready?" Right. The food. Nyx looked at me suspiciously. She walked past me and stepped into the hut, stopping near the entrance. Inside was the usual pathetic sight; a single bed in the corner, a few holes in the walls, and nothing else. She turned and glared at me.

"Okay," I said, taking a slow step backward.

"There's a very good explanation for this."

"Oh yeah? What? You couldn't find any food in the forest except for rats?" Her pace quickened toward me. Well, that was exactly the case. I admit I did forget to bring the rats back, but judging by her response, even if I had brought the giant rats back, she wouldn't have appreciated them.

"The forest is big, Milo. There are plenty of other options. I busted my ass and swallowed my pride to save your dignity in that village, and you couldn't even—" Her face was inches from mine now.

"Okay, okay, I'll fly out and get some—" Her eyes rolled back, and she dropped to the ground. … Huh? That was when I noticed it — faint traces of purple drifting in the air between us. I pulled up the Skill HUD and tapped the offensive tab. Sleep Gas Exhales a purple cloud of smoke. If inhaled by another living creature, that creature will fall asleep. Sleep duration may vary. Thought so. But I didn't remember activating it. Come to think of it, did I just need to think of the skill to use it?

Had it triggered subconsciously when my brain registered Nyx as a mortal threat? I looked down. Nyx was sleeping soundly, eyes closed, her chest rising and falling in a slow, even rhythm. Well. Either way, she was down. I princess-carried Nyx into the hut and laid her on the bed. If anyone had seen me walking inside a run-down hut in the middle of a forest while carrying a girl, they would have labelled me a creep. Heck, if Nyx had known I carried her like this, she would break my arms.

She showed no signs of waking up. In fact, it seemed like she was having quite a good sleep. I needed to get some food, fast, before Nyx woke up. I was not sure how long it would take since the skill explanation explicitly stated that the sleep duration may vary. As I thought about food, I then looked at the hut's interior and noticed something missing–something fundamental that was perhaps as important as food. Bathroom. There was no bathroom in the hut. So if I needed to…

let things out, I would need to do it in the bushes in the middle of the forest? Personally, I thought I could still somehow manage it, but what about Nyx? She was an employee of the Afterport, so perhaps she could go back home and clock in again the next day? This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I did not have answers to any of those questions in my head, but I figured that I should get that Terror Level to ten quickly.

If I had to rely on Nyx again, she would lash out at me. Not that I blamed her. She had genuinely gone out of her way to raise it to eight, and I really appreciated it. Anyway, Food first, then Terror Level. As I was about to step out, I heard footfalls. Not slow ones — heavy, fast, the kind that came with the rustle of leaves and the snap of small trees giving way.

A few seconds later, Luke the Cerberus burst through the treeline, his three heads swinging from side to side as he skidded to a stop just outside the clearing. It must have marked this forest as its homebase. Luke then sat down on his haunches, all three heads tilted slightly to one side. Like an oversized, three-headed golden retriever waiting for a treat. Come to think of it, Nyx said she had briefed Luke to destroy the buildings in that village.

Which meant Luke was somehow capable of understanding our language? Or she just spoke dog or wolf-language to it? Nyx was asleep now, and waking her up just to let her teach me instructing a mythical beast while she was hungry would have been unwise. I tried talking to Luke.

"So, uhh, Luke? Can you understand what I'm saying?" The three heads turned to me and nodded in unison. Great.

"Okay, so I need food. Real food, like fruits or fish. When you came back here earlier, did you see anything edible on the way?" This time, the three heads shook in unison. Not great. This forest must have been cursed. Not that it wasn't appropriate for a Dark Lord's domain, but we still needed food. Maybe I should find a random village and get some from there. That didn't seem like a bad idea — except going back to the previous one would have been weird.

In their minds, I was the Dark Lord who had ordered his minion to destroy their village. Marching back in to demand food wouldn't exactly help the image. As if having my ass sticking up with my head buried in the dirt wasn't enough damage already. I looked at Luke's center head.

"Uhh, do you know where the nearest village is? I mean another village. Different from the one you just… destroyed." I figured he could smell humans or something. No harm in asking. The three heads nodded.

"Really? Is it far? Can you take me there? Actually, can you fly? It would save us a lot of time if you could." The three heads shook. Damn. I supposed there was no other choice. I could ride him, and he ran pretty fast too, so it shouldn't take too long. Fingers crossed.

"Or… maybe you can shrink down in size? So I can carry you mid-air instead?" Luke looked at me for a heartbeat. Then he was enveloped in white light. Shortly after, his form began to change into something humanoid. The light dispersed, and what stood in front of me was a little girl. Short. Small-framed. Wild black hair sticking out in every direction. She wore an oversized dark coat that looked like it belonged to someone three times her size, fur-trimmed at the collar, sleeves dangling past her hands.

She had three eyes. One crimson, one green, and a third on her forehead, glowing a pale, icy blue. She tilted her head, looked up at me, and grinned. A huge, toothy, deeply unsettling grin that absolutely did not fit her round, childlike face.

"Okay, I suppose I could carry you now," I said, lowering myself to one knee. I slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her shoulders, and lifted. She was startlingly light. Like holding a child. Which, in fairness, was what she currently looked like. She blinked up at me — three eyes, slow, curious — and the unhinged grin from earlier softened into something almost… content. I tried not to think about the fact that I was now princess-carrying a Mythical-Class beast.

I flew while Luke pointed the directions for me. It was kind of cute, actually; watching her gesture with her oversized sleeves flopping around in the wind. She made little mmph sounds with each point, like a very serious toddler giving very serious instructions. Despite looking mostly human now — minus the third eye — it seemed she didn't know how to speak. Though I wondered how she could understand it. The flight took about as long as the last one.

I landed several hundred meters before the village entrance, set Luke down, and we continued on foot. There was a wooden board near the entrance. It read Milly Village. Should I pretend to be a beggar with a kid and ask for food? My cult-leader robe wasn't exactly the look for that. Besides, this was a village. An opportunity to raise my Terror Level. Guess it was back to Dark Lord mode. But first, one thing to check.

"Luke, can you still shoot fire or something in your current form? I'll need you to scare some people off in a bit." Luke nodded. Then she lifted one dangling sleeve toward the village entrance. Her red eye flared, a small magic circle bloomed in front of her arm, and a fireball shot out. It traveled far, slammed into an empty cart, sending it tumbling end over end, flames already crawling across the wood. Oh shit.

"Luke, I said later! You didn't need to demonstrate it!" The few villagers near the cart scrambled away, screaming. Some pointed at me. Others were already shouting that the Dark Lord had arrived. Must have been the robe. I should've taken it off.

"Okay, new rule. When I say fireball, you cast it at the ground. Not in a straight line. Got it?" She nodded again, perfectly serious. I stepped forward, slowly. The damage was done. Might as well commit. After a few steps, I lifted off the ground and floated toward the village entrance. A crowd had gathered now, maybe twenty or thirty people. A buff man who looked like he was in his late forties, stepped forward from the front.

"Are you the village chief?" I asked, looking down at him from the air.

"That's right. What do you want from us?" His voice was firm. Steady. Like a man who had already decided he was willing to die if it meant the village lived. Good. I could work with that.

"I see you are not trembling, despite being in the presence of the Dark Lord," I said, channeling every villain monologue I had ever heard in a JRPG.

"I admire your courage." The chief's jaw tightened, but he didn't speak.

"Allow me to be direct," I continued.

"You have all heard, no doubt, of what befell the other village not far from here." A ripple of fear moved through the crowd behind him. Whispered names. Someone gasped. Apparently, news had traveled fast.

"I do not wish to repeat that here. Not tonight, at least."

"Then what is it you want, Dark Lord?" the chief asked. His voice had dropped — quieter, more careful.

"If it is gold, we have little. If it is lives — take mine. But I beg you. Spare the village. There are children here. We have done nothing to invite your wrath." For a moment, I almost broke character. He was offering his own life, just like that. The man hadn't even drawn a weapon. He had simply stepped forward and put himself between me and his people. It made me think of Evelisse, of how she had stood between her mage friend and the Cerberus. Heroes weren't only the ones with swords, apparently.

I cleared my throat and forced the chill back into my voice.

"Your bravery is noted, chief. But I have no use for your life, nor your gold." I let the silence stretch for a beat, watching him.

"What I require is far simpler. Food. Your finest. Delivered every day to the edge of my forest entrance by early morning," I said as I pointed towards the direction of the forest.

"Fail to deliver, and I will not be so patient the next time I visit. Do this, and Milly remains untouched." The chief blinked. Whatever demand he had been bracing for, that hadn't been it.

"…Food?" he repeated, as if making sure he had heard correctly.

"Food," I confirmed.

"Whatever you can spare without starving yourselves. Fruits, meats, breads. You see, I admire your courage, so I would spare this village as long as you serve me. Worship me." He inclined his head slowly. He thought for a little while.

"Then… You shall have your food, Dark Lord. By early morning. Every day."

"Good. Put it wherever as long as it is close to the forest, and my trusted beast shall retrieve it." I let my gaze sweep across the crowd, slow and deliberate, the way I imagined a real Dark Lord would.

"Then this village shall live. For now." I looked at the villagers. Some had gone pale; others stood frozen in place, eyes wide, hands gripping the arms of whoever stood beside them. No one dared meet my gaze for long.

"But know this," I added, letting my voice drop.

"If you miss even one day of food, bad things will happen." Then I glanced over to Luke. Honestly, I hadn't even noticed when she'd walked up beside me.

"Luke. Fireball." She raised one dangling sleeve again. A small magic circle bloomed in front of it, and a fireball roared out — this time aimed at the ground, several meters past the village chief. It hit the dirt with a heavy whoomph, leaving a scorched black crater behind. The chief flinched. So did half the crowd.

"Do not disappoint me," I said. I turned away and floated upward. Okay. Time to fly. Luke skipped over and lifted her arms expectantly. Uhh… If I scooped her up now, with the village chief and the entire population of Milly watching, what would they think? A Dark Lord, princess-carrying a small girl off into the sky? No. Absolutely not. That was not happening. I leaned down and whispered out of the corner of my mouth.

"Hey, Luke. Can you just… turn back into your Cerberus form? I'll fly off, you follow on foot. Once the villagers can't see us anymore, I'll land and carry you the rest of the way." She nodded. White light enveloped her small frame, swelling outward as her silhouette grew. When the light faded, the three-headed Cerberus stood in her place. A wave of gasps swept through the crowd behind us. Good. Free Terror Level points. I lifted higher into the sky and shot forward, Luke breaking into a thundering sprint below me.

Trees rustled and bent as he tore through the underbrush, keeping pace effortlessly. After about two minutes, when the village was well out of sight, I dropped down to a clearing. By the time my boots touched the dirt, Luke had already shifted back—small again, sleeves dangling, three eyes blinking up at me expectantly. She raised her arms. I sighed and scooped her up. Then, mid-flight, it hit me. I had secured food for tomorrow, but not for tonight. I prayed Nyx would sleep through until morning.