The Systemic Lands

Chapter 213: 503 – A Impassioned Speech

I was standing a bit behind the balcony, listening to President Bob wrap up his speech. “Thank you people of Purgatory!” Clarissa came up as President Bob stepped back. There was applause and some cheering. President Bob was nervous for some reason, I thought he was a good public speaker?

“Today we celebrate over 500 days since the first arrival. We owe our very survival to him. Forcing the Ritualist back, protecting this city, exploring the boundaries of the Systemic Lands, and the only person to kill a level 4 monster. Champion Michael!” She was a good hype person.

I stepped forward as Clarissa stepped back from the balcony. It was basically just a big window with a railing, at the corner of the building looking at the plaza and the Airship Port across the North Street. I looked out over the plaza, there thousands of people all gathered and cheering me. It was heady feeling. I waved with my right hand and the crowd cheered some more before quieting down.

“People of Purgatory!” I spoke as loudly as I could. Thankfully I had never been a quiet person or afraid of public speaking. “It is a great honor to stand up here today, looking at how prosperous our city has become!” There was a round of cheering and clapping. Then people quieted down after about fifteen seconds.

Thankfully I had seen enough political speeches to know that I needed to include applause breaks. “The efforts of Chief Administrator Clarissa, President Bob, and General Smith, have all insured the stability of this in my absence. For while it is an impossible task, I dream to clear and escape the Systemic Lands!”

The cheers were quite enthusiastic. Everyone wanted to escape this hellish death trap. It was never going to happen, but I wanted my speech to be positive and uplifting, not dark and depressing. It wasn’t really a lie, since I was talking about a dream that was never going to happen.

“While the monsters, terrain, dungeons, and murderous psychopaths all seek to kill us and prevent us from clearing the Systemic Lands. We shall not go quietly. We shall endure and overcome!”

It seemed people like the content of my speech. I noted there was a lot more cheering for me than for President Bob. That was a good thing, otherwise, we might need a new President and that would be a headache to arrange. It also confirmed that Clarissa wasn’t trying to undermine me in my absence by stirring people up against me.

“Recently our city has conquered the city of Truth and is now controlled by Governor General Gerold, who led the RMPF to victories over the Ritualist.”

Victories were always popular, even if it was mostly me. People liked it when the top people were a bit humble. Also no need to mention all the dead now. They were martyrs and corporate icons for the businesses they had left behind.

“Team Leader Sam of the Union has taken over the city of Neo Brasilia with my assistance and has been appointed as the Governor General. Wealth and opportunities abound for those willing to work hard for them!”

I scanned the crowd of people cheering. It was a rush to command the adoration of thousands of people. I never imagined myself being in such a position. They truly believed in me or were caught up in the hype my name carried. One could easily become lost to chasing this kind of adoration.

“Now, we stand poised for a new era. We will unlock the fourth level of the store tomorrow morning for one million points. Further opening up possibilities. Without everyone working together to build this city, this wouldn’t have been possible!”

Got to get people to accept those taxes. Pay up and unlock everything for me. I wanted to save my points, while everyone else could pay for the communal city stuff. It was going to be brutally expensive, of that I had no doubt.

“I think what people are most looking forward to is some more food. I know I could use a juicy steak once we get meat!”

That got a lot of passionate yells. People loved food. The idea of getting more food options was something everyone would look forward to. Clarissa did have a point about food research, which was why I included that line.

“Let us look to the future. When more brave heroes step forward, onto the Immortal Council, to shield this city from all threats. I welcome that day. Let all people work hard to gather the strength necessary to succeed!”

Most of them would die and horribly at that. Even more would never try. But it was the idea that anyone could stand up here with me that stoked the flames of ambition in people. Even if 10,000 people died, having one success was more than enough. Level 4 monsters would quickly crush those hopes and dreams, but hopefully some would survive and become a core power block to protect this city and use as high level meat shields.

“Thank you people of Purgatory, for this amazing-“ A threat! My left hand was vibrating as I quickly scanned to figure out where my danger sense had pinged off of. Nothing from the crowd in front or below me. Something was about to happen. No time. I slammed my hands downwards on the railing, pulling myself up and to a handstand on the railing, clearing my previous position.

As I did a handstand on the railing for an instant in front of thousands of people, I looked at where I had been standing. Behind from the crowd! I quickly moved my hands to spin myself while doing a handstand on the railing. Three arrows went past me, barely missing my armor. There was shouting in the crowd. I dropped down towards the plaza, next to the building wall.

I kicked off the wall of the building midfall and went sailing over the heads of the crowd towards one of my attackers. “FREEDOM!” One of my attackers screamed. My danger sense flared. He turned to dust. Everything began to turn to dust around him.

“Air Burst!” I quickly halted my forward movement and went backwards in an uncontrolled tumble. Several other people nearby had been dusted or partially dusted. They were screaming and bleeding.

The last two attackers jumped at me. “FREEDOM!” Both of them screamed. Acid Shot x2. Both were intercepted by my skill and began to melt. Then they turned to dust and my acid didn’t, but was blasted outwards instead.

“Aqua Sphere!” The dusting explosions hit my liquid shield, and were thwarted as my sphere was pushed inwards slightly from two directions, like someone softly squeezing a balloon. I dropped the skill. Soldiers of the RMPF were moving in to secure the area and quickly move the wounded out of the way. There was screaming and bleeding from the bystanders of the attack.

I scanned the area, but no more threats. I judged the angled and distance and leapt back up to the balcony with a strong kick off the ground. I noted the arrows had melted a portion of the building. They were enchanted. The assassins had used level 2 crafting crystals. Clarissa pushed her way through her guards who had put her under a bunker of shields and quickly stood in front of me. Good, she didn’t try to hide or run away.

“How. Did. This. Happen,” I enunciated every single word slowly and loudly. An assassination attempt was understandable, and I was surprised one hadn’t happened sooner. An assassination attempt with enchanted equipment and crafting bombs was not.

“I will follow up immediately,” Clarissa said.

“Clarissa. They used primed crafting void crystals. I am unhappy. Very unhappy.” People were screaming in pain in the background, but they didn’t matter in the slightest. “Go and get me answers, quickly,” I said. She didn’t say anything back but was already rushing out of the building with her guards in tow, while quickly giving instructions.

President Bob was standing quietly off to the side with his guards. He looked down and slumped the moment I glanced at him. Pathetic, where was that fighting passion the man had against the Ritualist?

I left the building through the front door and returned to my house. I went to the conference room and sat there and waited. I could rampage about, but that wouldn’t help anyone or anything. Clarissa could easily find me when she wanted to. I didn’t hide where I had gone. I knew she had my movements watched and tracked while I was in Purgatory.

Perception and its danger sense were invaluable. But I had acted poorly when the source of the threat was unclear. Moving into a handstand, while the quickest way to move from my position, was sub-optimal. I also paused in that position. I should have kicked off the ground into the air and then used Air Burst or just used Air Burst right away. Hind sight was twenty, twenty, but I would be ready for the next attempt.

The big issue was that unlike a monster people could threaten me, then adjust their attack while I responded to that threat. How would that even work with two people with a high Perception stat? Was it like a Jedi fight, using one’s danger sense and trying to counter an opponents? Could the danger sense be trained more? How would a fight like that even work and what was the best way to gain an advantage? More things for me to look into after I dealt with this mess.

A couple of hours later, Clarissa showed up. Elliot was being dragged in behind her along with another man. Both of them looked roughed up with their ripped clothing and some minor bruising, but there were no visible signs of torture.

“Champion Michael, the culprits are dead. But the breach in security was caused by these two,” Clarissa said without hesitation.

“Go on, explain everything,” I replied. I wanted the long explanation.

“Tim is part of our research team. Using his authority and for testing purposes he bribed Elliot to for several crafting void crystals at level 2 and arrows with a level 1 melt enchantment. He then sold them to people who were interested in them. While he claims he had no knowledge of what they had planned, that is unconfirmed at the moment.”

“The three men had been people close to Laura, who she had been training as an assassination squad in secret as part of a Union team, for fanatical devotion. Once you killed her and they learned of that, they planned an assassination attempt,” Clarissa explained.

“No one else? What about the other team members?” I asked.

“Not that we can find or trace down. A kill order has been issued for the remaining two members. I found out about Tim through pressuring Elliot, who had altered his record keeping in order to sell the necessary supplies to Tim who acted as a middleman using his position of authority to avoid suspicion,” Clarissa explained.

“I am impressed, that you found out almost everything so quickly,” I said and honestly was. Speedy justice indeed. There were still two loose ends, but I wasn’t concerned about them at the moment.

“Well, there was only one place to get void crafting crystals and Elliot should have a record. He quickly cracked and that led us to Tim. I authorized regenerations under your name for the wounded,” Clarissa said, and I frowned. Both the men were very quiet throughout the entire explanation and my questions.

“How much?” I asked.

“Three people died, and the injuries came up to around one hundred thousand points. Very low Body stats for most of them,” she said.

“That is fine then.” I took a deep breath before continuing, “I made this threat a couple of times, but it appears we are ending this festival on a sour note. Bring them to the plaza, follow me,” I said and stood up. Clarissa, the guards, and the prisoners quickly followed me as I made way to the plaza.

It was twilight, but there were a lot of people were out and about. I went to the store. “Let people gather and watch, but keep them back,” I told the RMPF Captain stationed there. He gave me an affirmative. I went to one of the pillars and purchased a knife.

“No! Please no! I didn’t mean for anything to happen!” Elliot screamed suddenly. I purchased a table.

“Strip him and hold his arms and legs down on the table, make sure the other one is watching and is quiet,” I said. A crowd had already begun to form. I purchased lamp, fire starter, two buckets, and lots of salt to go into one bucket. I lit and set the lamp on the table so Elliot’s naked body could easily be seen. He was still screaming.

I reached my hand into his mouth and grabbed his tongue. He tried to bite my hand, but he didn’t have the Body stat necessary to do anything to me. The force of his bite was canceled out. I put my other hand on his forehead. I then ripped his tongue out of his mouth.

“Elevate the end of the table with his feet, so he doesn’t choke to death,” I said as dropped the tongue in the empty bucket. Tim was screaming into his gag while this was happening.

“People of Purgatory. Both these men stole supplies, accepted bribes, and facilitated in the attempted assassination of myself and the deaths of three people. All of that warrants death, but a person can only die once, and death is easy!” I shouted out.

I had no experience doing this. Skinning animals made me feel ill and this was worse, but I wanted people who did this kind of stuff to think very hard. Just like with Tyrese and the RMPF, I didn’t want this situation to come up again. It was time to remind people not to mess with me.

Also, it was practice for what was going to happen to Ruth and the Ritualist if I managed to catch them alive. Piece after piece of flesh was dropped into the empty bucket. I then took salt and rubbed into the bleeding wounds. Elliot kept letting out louder and louder blood choked screams with his throat, as blood poured out his nose since his head was angled downwards.

It was bloody and messy work. After about fifteen minutes, Elliot died. There was the occasional mutter, but no one spoke, and several people threw up. None of the RMPF soldiers threw up. Only the panicked screams of the next person remained. “Dispose of the corpse, and bring the next one up,” I said, my hands dripping with blood.

The guards didn’t hesitate. The corpse was quickly removed. I noted that Tim had soiled himself in the front and behind. He was tied down to the table. I then cut away the gag that had been placed over his mouth.

I plugged his nose with one hand and put my other hand over his mouth. He was forced to open his mouth. My fingers slid inside, and he didn’t have the Body stat to bite down. I then grabbed his tongue and ripped it out. I dropped it into the bucket already filled with gore. No need to make the poor cleaners pick up body parts if there was no need.

I then began to skin and salt Tim, while he let out blood choked gurgles just as Elliot had. With his head tilted downwards, blood ran out through his nose leading to coughing fits and panic as he struggled to breathe while his mouth filled up with blood and he was being tortured to death.

He only lasted about ten minutes. I dropped the knife into the bucket. My armor was a bloody mess. “This is what happens to people who associate or help enemies of Purgatory. Consider it a life lesson to all of you,” I said loudly and made my way back to my house for a shower.