[{Congratulations on completing your assigned missions. You are now both fitting pawns.}]
The message was more of an insult rather than something they had to be proud of. The killing of humans wasn't something that scarred them given that they had a deep seated hatred for humans for turning their race into sport with the rise of adventurers.
However with the rise of abominations, the once apex predators that were humans were reduced to nothing more than fodder for the abominations. The problem however for them as well was that their position on the hierarchy dove further than it already was prior.
*Ding*
An influx of messages bombarded the two detailing what they had earned from the completed task.
[{You have received a special cloak that reduces your presence to those around you.}]
[{You have received the skill retrieval for your dagger allowing you to summon it back at your grasp at will}]
Seryn who was still bothered with her dagger let out a sigh of relief seeing this message.
[{You have now been granted access to the shop function from which you can buy or sell any items that you so desire}]
An array of items flooded her vision, her gaze turning that into awe at the treasures she came to see. However her moment of glee didn't last long as she realized the prices of the items on sale.
[{Skill: Quick Steps is 100,000 coins}]
Looking at how much she had earned from the mission, her face turned ugly. 'How am I going to be able to afford any of these things here?!' She shouted in her mind as the quick steps skill was the cheapest item for her to purchase. Most of the items were in the million coin range if not higher.
[{Item: Godhood Marrow- Allows the user to attain a godhood like physique and understanding. 1,000,000,000 coins}]
At this point she was sure that he was toying with her.
[{Congratulations! The more obedience points you have, the cheaper the items at the shop will be. A hundred obedience points will make everything in the shop for free while no obedience points will further increase the expenses of the items}]
Her eyes narrowed on the ending of the statement. 'So that means that there is a way for me to lower my obedience points. But how?' Right on cue a message popped up for her.
[{Obedience points reduction bar. 500,000,000}]
A defeated laugh escaped her lips seeing this. As for Dargath, things were far simpler, the system giving the essence of his skills and how to improve on them.
*Ding*
[{Obedience meter can be erased and user can attain free will only at the completion of a single task}]
Knowing how sadistic Jarren was, she was sure that it wouldn't be easy.
[{Kill Dargath or Guinevere}]
She was unsure of who the latter was but the former made her skin crawl. 'Did he receive such a notification to kill me as well.' Her mind raced at the possibility, aware should a fight occur between the two of them that she wouldn't have a great standing with her lacking physical statistics.
Stealing a glance at Dargath, his face remained unreadable further disturbing Seryn.
[{This is an exclusive mission. Only you have this}]
Her body eased up however the notion of her strength ticked in her mind. 'I have to grow strong, stronger than those around me should I want to survive.' She looked at her hands, clenched as they dug into her palm before releasing them. The two of them were now nestled in a makeshift camp in the woods far off from the town.
It was rudimentary with a dying fire, some fallen logs for benches and the two with each of their own tent to sleep in. "I'll go and hunt for the night. I won't be long." Dargath mused out of the blue flashing a warm smile before taking his leave. She did the same heading in another direction.
...
"A reduction obedience meter? Why are you so intrusive with my toys." Jarren's tone playful as he watched Seryn claim the lives of a pack beasts. Her movements refined and attuned however her speed and stamina had much to be desired. "What? If she was going to have a complicated system then what problem would there be with such a function."
His response equally playful. "I'm sure that you would have implemented such a feature with Dargath should you please." Callista already had her mind made up declining his offer. "I don't like to copy, too bland. Besides I don't have that much use of the brute once I'm done with this world."
The two were in their room, Callista absorbed in a book while he was busy with solo chess. "You're so dismissive darling. I fear that you may forget me so quickly." His taunts eliciting a chuckle out of Callista. "Darling I couldn't forget you even I I were to try."
*Click*
He placed down a chess piece, his eyes assessing the board as he turned it around.
"I didn't think that you would take matters into your own hands and have Guinevere killed." The room fell silent, not with hostility but familiarity. "What? She will have more than enough time to reconsider your offer."
Her protests satiating Jarren as he tuner the board once more. "I'm sure that she's not pleased with her being on a hit list regardless." Callista shared his playful sentiment as she said. "Well I'm sure that she has to make the call sooner or later if she wants to be done with. Either acceptance or death."
"No wait! I'll make sure to have her as a fitting ornament in my world." Jarren was inwardly shocked with Joe cruel Callista turned in an instant. "I thought that you had some form of affections for her with the kisses you two share." Placing down her book, she faced him.
Her masked eyes making it hard for Jarren to take her seriously. "We both know that Clomere would be far more ruthless than I so you should view her as the bigger monster, not me. A cute innocent little kitty." Her tone turning sweet as she made her way to his lap.
Taking a seat, she glanced at the board. "What use is it when the two of you are nothing more than feral monsters? After all I'm sure that Guinevere will help illuminate your viewpoints and possibly change your lack of morality. Being the queen of good and evil that is." His words coming as a joke to Callista.
"Darling, don't make me laugh with that
She's no different from the rest of us. Only that she chooses to delude herself that she has the chance of redemption. Once one tastes the abyss, there is no going back." Her fingers wrapping around his neck as she moved a pawn on his table.
He merely watched, his gaze sharpening at her move. "Then in that case it would be hypocrisy to have you a snow white cat with such a dark and cruel heart." Unfazed with his remark, she moved the queen for the opponent. "Darkness doesn't have to be black. It can after all be bathed in radiance and light while casting the plague of misery and agony."
The game was already over ending in a checkmate. "Well said." His tone low as his hands reached for her fold. "No wait! My eyes are still sensitive. It would be best to wait a bit longer." Her words halting his advances. "You wish to flaunt your position to Guinevere, don't you?" She gave a mischievous giggle closing the distance between the two.
Her mounds pressing on his chest as face was no more than a few inches away from his. "There's nothing wrong with a bit of indulgence dear? A little pride fits me well." A soft kiss rang through the air. "You can adorn the stars as your crown however make sure that your neck can support then weight. The death of such a being would be pure anguish for this veil of reality."
Her fingers interlocked, her lips curling as if in approval. "I'm sure that you'll be there to support my head. After all what kind of owner would leave their cat to die in the harsh abyss?" He examined every inch of her face, his mind racing with thoughts on how to discipline her and yet he never did.
"Chuu~~" Another kiss followed confirming her beliefs. "I truly do have the best owner." A smile that meant more than just gratitude beamed on her face shot at Jarren who welcomed it. "I'll keep you safe if you make sure that you don't bare your fangs on every mouse that you see. There are some that fight back."
She didn't show a hint of worry on her face as her smile curled further. "Then let them resist, after all it'll make the game all the more sweater for me." With a final kiss, she got off his lap and went back to her book. "What about Clomere, do you plan on killing her as well?"
Callista didn't give an immediate answer as the book floated, pages shuffling till coming to a stop. "I'll have to see with her. Either keep her as a flower for me to wear or rot to be abandoned and forgotten in this pathetic world." Jarren began to arrange the pieces for a new game.
"Since when did you think that you can move as you please, dictate what I want?" Her face portrayed her intent. Malicious wrapped in a childish edge. "What? Cats can help ward off strangers or other hazards that can be a hazard to you. I'm merely doing my job." Her words feigning ignorance as she turned to face her book.
"Then in that case I hope that the cat doesn't have a bad sense of gauge or we might have something that we might regret..." His pause intentional. "...or have no one to keep us company." She didn't bother defending herself as she sank into her tomes and he reverting back to his game.
...
*Ding*
[{You have killed four rabid bloodhounds}]
[{20 coins earned}]
'If I keep going at this rate it would take me an eternity to break the thousand coin threshold let alone the million coin bar.' Seryn muttered to herself as her body brimmed with energy. With the target skill, she could hunt for hours on end without pause given that her energy and fatigue would be wiped with each altercation.
However her body would still need sustenance regardless of whether she was full of energy or not. She grabbed two of the four hounds and dragged them back to her base where Dargath was already busy with a bear. His body was riddled with marks, his expression exhausted as he grilled the beast over the flame.
It's hide put the side, the main course underway with the head now placed above his place of rest. "It was hard but I managed to get it down. However the fight I offered was no joke." He gestured at the scar that ran across his back that was once a deep gash. Injuries would be healed but the scars would be a testament of his growth.
"We can have those for breakfast." He mused eyeing her game to which she put on the racks. She sat opposite to him, letting the flames heat her body as she felt into thought. "Do you think that they will let us go or kill us?" Her voice echoing past the crackling dry wood and chirping of the grass behind her.
"I...don't know but either way, we can't choose what becomes of us. Be it toys, pawns or any other label they would wish to place on us." Dargath spoke with a sharp edge to his words, clearly irritated with their position. The idea of being toyed and pushed around didn't sit well with him unaware that was what Callista wanted from him.
"Do you think that we can bring an end to this suffering?" Her eyes drifting to her hands that were still coated with fresh hot blood of the hounds. The consciousness once something that marveled her grew more terrifying the more it was in her hands.
"There's no need to be so downcast Seryn. Of course all of this will be over soon. It might not be tomorrow but it won't last forever." Seryn wanted to comfort herself with his words and yet something deep inside her refused to believe it. It felt more like wishful thinking from a corpse rather than something hopeful. 'Let's hope that this all ends.'