Chương 250: Chapter 247 - The Usurper

The news report was titled JUDGEMENT DAY. In bold and all caps as if it was the most important thing in the world… and skimming the article, Ryan realized why that might have been the case. Sightings have confirmed that the Great and Terrible Artigan has returned once more. Reports indicate the elf walking around the city freely. Watching, waiting, judging. Has the promised time come? The Adventurer's Guild has remained silent when asked about how this elf has gotten ahold of a gold ranked badge.

Artigan, the first elf to have appeared out of nowhere to cause trouble for the world. Some say he was the original article, the herald to have sparked the continuous disasters that the world had faced since then. While historians argue over whether it truly was Artigan that killed Demon Strategist Avale and Valmere's General Dupoire, they do have a consensus on the rest of his deeds. Back then, he had been running around as a very confused human with a Witch Tyrant on his ass.

It turned out that the confusion hit the historians too. It is confirmed that Artigan slaughtered the army sent by both kingdoms. It is also confirmed without a doubt that he was the one that killed Duchess Rudalia and stormed the Valmere's Capital. Then without a trace, he simply disappeared. It was only until the uprising and execution of Baron Uldatron that the name was repeated once again.

"All of you don't understand, Judgement Day is coming. Artigan will be back, he threatened all of us with a cleansing if our Kingdom does not meet his standards. You bring disaster on our heads with these changes, Theskar! A world governed by the masses, are you mad? You doom us all!" Oh. Whoops. In the previous trial, Ryan had threatened all of the nobles with his return and promised to deliver judgment if the kingdom wasn't up to his standards.

He remembered saying that he'd kill King Theskar first then everyone else if he didn't like what he'd seen. He had done that to keep them in line. To try and minimize the noble uprising from happening. Now Ryan was realizing that perhaps he should have given more clear instructions to the nobles. Then again… Ryan started to check up on the references in the news and came to a funny conclusion.

The real issue that caused the noble uprising was giving up land and educating the masses as well as giving them better chances for higher positions… For some reason, the nobles thought that those changes were too radical and believed that Artigan would be against it and used it as justification to rally and rebel. Okay, maybe it's not my fault. Ryan decided to blame the nobles once again. Looking at some of the statements, he fully believed that they believed Artigan would have been on their side.

That Theskar's changes would have broken society into anarchy and a chaotic order that Artigan wouldn't be happy with. The thing was, he remembered making it clear that he was from humble beginnings to the nobles as well. Ryan shook his head. He saw it for what it was. Their desire to hold onto their wealth and power colored their view to make themselves believe that they were right and everyone else was wrong. He'd seen it before. Just like dragonslayer Ineza.

Just like the governments of Earth back in the Settler war. Maybe just threats and displays of power aren't enough after all. Human bias… hmm… Ryan shook his head, remembering that one for later as he continued with the article. From the execution of the nobles, his threats blended into history. A message that slowly died until it was only mentioned as a historical curiosity and then turned into a bit of an urban myth.

The article even debated as to how powerful a century older Artigan would be and whether the ascended Guildmaster Agrinth would be capable of putting him down. It also debated whether Artigan receiving the gold badge was an admission that the Guildmaster couldn't bring him down after all. Now that was interesting. I could probably do something with that if Agrinth keeps refusing to meet with me. Nobody other than Fetterue knew how strong he really was.

With his titles and aura, his presence could match and even exceed some of those in the ninth realm. If he pushed his concepts and used [A Glimpse of Perspective] like he'd done with Fetterue he could make even ninth realms freak out. A funny little plan started to form in his head and he knew he had to stick around to try it out at least. Just a little bit of payback for making the top rankers of the adventuring world be called 'heroes.' Ryan flicked to the end of the article and read the comments.

They made him pause. Surprisingly, there was only outrage and a demand that he be brought to justice. There was no fear or the danger of a full out fight happening in the city with ascendants. Do these people not realize what happens if two ascendants go at it in a city? They had no idea he wasn't an ascendant either. There were also more than a couple of diamond ranked adventurers being tagged and the words "we citizens support the adventurers so you protect us." repeated again and again like a mantra.

Or propaganda. Perhaps this was a curated comments section? Either way, Ryan seemed to have full reign to cause some chaos. At the very least, this would be a good opportunity to test the reactions of the masses if he revealed himself on Earth. He would just need some time to think and plan. With that in mind, Ryan headed back downstairs from the roof of Fetterue's Mage Tower. When he got down there, the level was right below him, Fetterue was waiting for him with her assistants behind her.

They looked nervously at him. Possibly because of his aura, or possibly because they realised he was Artigan.

"What's going on?"

"All of my assistants here have been sworn to secrecy and know that you are a secret agent of King Theskar. They know about your exile from your too-enthusiastic actions." Was that the angle she wanted to play with her assistants?'

"Okay… but why are they here?" Fetterue smiled at him.

"We have people from various different realm grades here. All the way from mortal, to realm nine." She meant herself.

"Did you not say you needed to practice [Class Change] to avert a disaster? Well, would you not want a century's worth of expertise from the greatest researcher in this world?" Well, when she put it like that, Ryan really couldn't say no. There was too much to learn here. —— Earth. But you see, disasters did not wait for you to level up, they did not wait for you to prepare, and, as Grand Mage Fetterue had noted, sometimes when the cracks start to show in a society…

Well, there were decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. Especially when the greatest bait was left out in the open. A man in a simple swishing beige tunic stepped foot on Farallon Islands. A simple man with a simple katana sheathed by his side. A man because he had not trusted the suspicious entity's offer for a brand new customized body. A simple suspicious man. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

One who at the time, did not have the benefit of others' experiences The Skillful Tyrant had not always dressed up simply and carried a katana, but it was important to play the part. Not only because it helped put people's guards down but because the class he wore seemed to work better with it. Surrounding him were the corpses of the undead. Monsters that were periodically summoned—and destroyed by dragonslayers.

It had recently happened and only a couple dozen had started to spawn, looking around for living things to kill. They did not notice him, and he was not interested in small fry either. The Indonesian man looked up. Up at the fleshy pillar that was almost as big as some skyscrapers. A terrifying presence indeed. But he was used to that. After all, he was just as dangerous. He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Looks like my stealth still needs work. Are you planning on standing in my way, little copycat [Witch]?" Grettfield and her team appeared from the dark, ink coming off of them in the darkness of the night. [Barbarian] Ulhen already had his white wings out while [Guardian] Yomar looked grave indeed.

"Leave Tyrant."

"Here I thought you would want this eyesore out of your territory."

"You are incapable of removing this threat cleanly. Nor do I believe you will beat her here on Earth. Leave." It was a fair assessment. On Earth, his own Legend was vastly limited. Meanwhile, Pinkie had truly managed to copy some of the Passive Tyrant's true talent and her physical strength. If Pinkie had even a modicum of control, he would probably lose the first couple encounters here. He would win eventually, but it was a matter of surviving those few encounters. But it would be worth it.

The Skillful Tyrant shook his head more at his true class than Grettfield's team.

"If your full team were here on Earth and this was your domain, I'd hesitate to take you on. But with the three of you here, like this? Where only one of you is at full strength?" Grettfield's two other team members were realmbound and couldn't return to Earth. Meanwhile Grettfield had used her [Final Chapter] skill and burned her potential. Yomar had one of his greatest skills active at all times to help keep that Lich King caged. The Skillful Tyrant had seen through them all.

"Now that is insulting." His presence cut through the air, it slammed against their barriers and sliced every single undead that had spawned on the island. It broke against Pinkie's skin as well hitting two —one other. Seffara had just arrived to get a faceful of slashes on her skin. While it wasn't enough to cut deep, it was enough to make her bleed from everywhere her melted armor wasn't. Which was unfortunately part of her chest. She covered her exposed bleeding breast.

"Goddamnit, I need better armor. That was rude, Hadi." The Skillful Tyrant just sneered at her.

"Do you think hitting dragonslayer lets you stand here with them? You might be a little better than the riff-raff but you need at least another two realms for me to be even slightly interested in you."

"I'm a married woman, I have zero—" As demonstration, the Skillful Tyrant flicked a finger and a slash went right for Seffara's neck. She dove just in time, some of her hair was sliced through as the slash continued until it cut the water, far, far in the distance. The [Guardian] moved, putting himself between the Skillful Tyrant and Seffara. He glanced back at her.

"Get out of here, you're a burden."

"I'm not leaving." The Skillful Tyrant shook his head.

"Listen to them, Seffara. The only thing you're good at is being a pretty face to lure women into choosing physical classes. You have no idea how hard it was to make sure you didn't die in the war. If it was before, his taunt wouldn't have cut her so deep. But the fact that she was furious meant that she knew he spoke the truth. Seffara must have learned about the promise the Witch Tyrant had made with Barry to keep her alive. The Skillful Tyrant grinned in amusement. Seffara grinded her teeth in anger.

"Are you really willing to put millions in danger just for some achievements? I always knew you were selfish, but this? You're going to destroy everything the other Tyrants have built." As a response, the Skillful Tyrant just laughed. He laughed in her righteous face without a care in the world. They knew each other well. They had clashed many times in the Settler war and had exchanged a few words in the decades since. They both instinctively hated each other." You still don't get it.

What history shows is that power is the only thing that matters. Look at us, we won and because we are so powerful, the only thing they can do is worship us. Nothing else matters, you silly woman." Grettfield stepped forward.

"The Passive Tyrant has promised Pinkie her protection. You killing Pinkie while she is depressed will only serve to anger her. Do you think even you will escape her wrath?"

"Hah! Ayla might rough me up a little but she won't kill me. Not when she's so angry with the Witch right now. Not when— hmph, enough of this." Everyone tensed as he turned to the pillar of flesh and addressed it with his aura. His words cutting against her skin." Pinkie, do you wish to die? I can give you a swift death." All of the color drained from Grettfield's face. Everyone on the island turned to stare at Pinkie's colossal form.

When there was no response, Seffara just turned to the Skillful Tyrant in both outrage and confusion.

"How does executing someone that wants to die help you with achievements." But he ignored her. His eyes were only for the immense creature in front of him. With so much budding, beautiful potential.

"I can do more with your potential than you ever could. I even have the will and the desire to bring her back. She is my precious niece after all." Of course he had paid attention to what was said at the little meal with the rest of the Tyrants. He knew exactly what was going on, as well as any of them. Better even. Pinkie was suffering under the greatest grief right now and he had the solution. The Skillful Tyrant's voice turned into a whisper.

He did mean his words here, he might have been a bit of a bastard but those he considered his family? He would do everything for them. That was why he knew the Passive Tyrant would never kill him. You might dislike your family, maybe even hate what they did. But they were family. How could you kill that?

"Surrender yourself to me and I promise you a better chance than you ever had at helping bring her back."

"What the hell is he talking about?" The Skillful Tyrant put his hand on his katana and smiled a grin that someone else might call truly evil. He laid his true class to bear on the rest of the world. And it turned red. A dark red that was so alien to anything they knew was right and sane with the world.

"I am the [Usurper of Talent]. Let me end your suffering and bear your torch." And Seffara and the rest finally understood the true nature of the Skillful Tyrant, why she instinctively hated him so. He was an opportunist, a murderer, a thief that had somehow gotten away with stealing something so fundamental from someone else and wore what he stole from someone else. A [Usurper]. A Pioneer that had taken the Skeleton Lord's deal and accepted the path of a demonic class. He had a hand on his katana.

One he had started to wear only after he killed a certain ninth realm. Someone who the Skillful Tyrant targeted the moment he hit the tenth realm. Zahiru the Settler Swordfront. Everyone thought Zahiru had just been targeted as just a regular part of the purge. It was not so. Hadi had sent Zahiru a fake offer and ambushed the ninth realm while he himself was an ascendant. Hadi slew Zahiru and stole the talent from the most prodigious [Swordsman] to have ever lived.

Finally, after all those decades, the Skillful Tyrant had found someone worth replacing that talent with. [The Usurper] waited… and waited. His hands twitched on the handle, ready to draw and cut even reality in twain.

"Leave me alone." The booming response had just as much presence as the [Usurper]. Hadi scowled in annoyance, then smiled and put his hands up.

"Well, let me know if you change your mind." And Hadi the Skillful Tyrant jumped up, disappearing from everyone's view. Everyone tensed as they lost track of him including the dragonslayer from the Table. A slash came for the neck. The hidden and forgotten dragonslayer barely dodged in time. He took out his daggers, and instead was forced to use his skill. [Impossible Dodge] The enchantments on the dagger were cut, the metal was cut, even his class and skills were cut before they could activate.

It was said that the Skillful Tyrant could cut through anything. It was no lie. A multiple layered barrier appeared near the edge of the swing. The cut had not been made for destroying barriers and took an adjustment to cut through them all. It was barely enough time for the hidden dragonslayer to rip open a scroll of [Instantaneous Relocation]. Hadi adjusted to cut the scroll and the instant spatial portal in half. The hooded dragonslayer's arm came off with it.

The [Barbarian] flew up on wings of white, buffed by rolling black script rolling throughout his body. His [Earth-Shattering Strike] went down on the Skillful Tyrant. The fully physical Epic hit the entire vicinity of the Tyrant, raising a tidal wave of water higher than Pinkie. The distraction gave enough time for the hooded dragonslayer to dash towards them. The hidden dragonslayer from America's Table took a breath and shattered a vial of regeneration against his exposed arm.

His skill and class had been cut and he was revealed to the world. He was no longer hidden from everyone's notice. The hooded dragonslayer nodded at Grettfield." Allies. We use Pinkie's body to block his attacks. If she doesn't choose to fight back then all we can do is run for the portal."

"Not to worry. I think that should be enough time." The hooded dragonslayer tilted his head at her, showing his confusion. But she was staring at the Skillful Tyrant. He stood archly over the water, an arrogant ruler over the turbulent waters, looking down on them with contempt. Hadi had not wanted to fight with Pinkie while this dragonslayer had been hidden in view. It meant that the Tyrant considered this hooded dragonslayer as a larger threat than Grettfield's three unit team.

The Tyrant put a hand on his katana as he—"HADI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The voice echoed throughout Earth as, once again, the Passive Tyrant showed up for the second time on Earth in decades. The dark red of the [Usurper's] presence spluttered out as Ayla appeared with a flash. She grabbed both the katana and Hadi's ear and started pulling him away from Pinkie." I made a promise. You know I made a promise as well."

"Ow, ow, Ayla, please, you're tearing—" Shhhk. The Skillful Tyrant's ear actually tore off. Ayla stared at the ear in her hand for a second, then threw it away and grabbed Hadi's other ear. This time the [Usurper] did not resist and let himself get dragged away. The hooded dragonslayer blinked, then turned to Grettfield. The Witch of San Kingsgrove winked at him.

"A true [Witch] never relies on hard power alone. I notified the Passive Tyrant as soon as I detected him. The rest was simply stalling. By the way, who are you? I feel as though I should know your name from somewhere. Is this a mental skill? Or a class?" The hooded dragonslayer didn't say anything. He retreated immediately, not willing to answer a [Witch] with lies or the truth. When everything was done and settled, Grettfield sighed in relief. That had been far too close.