Chương 22: B1 | Chapter 20

Aidan I frown as I stare at the people warily standing in the middle of the alleyway. One of many alleyways that are currently filled with voidlings who have pretty much taken them over across the city. And the people in question, all humans, don't look very comfortable standing in the middle of a bunch of ants the size of wolves. Especially when said ants are completely still, not even moving an inch as they watch them. Honestly, I'd be nervous as hell in their position too. If I was still human, that is.

Anyway, I identify them as I feel them identifying me. Only to find most of the humans in the entourage to not be very noteworthy. Except the three people standing at the front of the humans. [Reginald Vagner – Level 23 Human Spirit Illusionist] [Rex Stone – Level 24 Human Bowman of Death] [Akira Fuji – Level 25 Human Arcane Swordsman] Now those three are very noteworthy. Especially the third one, Akira Fuji. Because I know he's on the leaderboards. Even if he's at the bottom of said leaderboards' top ten.

The man has long hair held in a ponytail, with a clean face and deep brown almost black eyes as he looks at the black mist rising from my body. He's also wearing some nice armor that implies he's found some blacksmiths to work with. His two high level friends are wearing similar types of armor as well. With the Rex Stone guy having an especially notable scar across one of his eyes while the other is just big despite his Class implying he's an illusion user.

I put my hands in my jacket pocket, not really knowing what to do with them anymore now that I'm not frequently rolling a stone in my palm for the alleviation to my hunger. But that doesn't stop the black mist from rising out of my pockets from my hands. Which looks rather weird.

"So you're the leader of the voidlings," Akira Fuji says while turning his gaze from the mist back to my face. Clearly stating a fact rather than asking a question.

"And you're the leader of the largest faction of humans," I return as his gaze goes back to examining my clothes. Which are very clearly human clothes.

"Did you take those clothes from a human, or…" Akira starts before narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion.

"I was originally a human," I tell him, deciding that there's no real reason to keep it a secret. And my name is obviously human. Plus, even with my species change, I still look similar enough to Ali to be recognized as her twin. Just with pitch black eyes and a strange black mist rising from my skin that she obviously doesn't have. Akira and the other humans look surprised by that, but most of them only for a few seconds before they recover.

Meanwhile the voidlings around us don't show any reaction one way or another. Not that I was really expecting them to. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The fifth ranked already knew since I mentioned to him I was searching for my family. And the voidlings in general only care about the hierarchy. They don't care about who is a voidling and who isn't. All that matters is if someone is in the hierarchy or not.

"That makes this easier then," Akira states in a straightforward manner.

"Would you be willing to form a partnership with us? We can offer you a direct contact with the dwarves for blacksmithing, the witches for alchemy, and an alliance should one of our separate forces be attacked by one of the larger factions." I raise a brow at that before asking, "And what would our side be expected to give in this partnership of yours? I should mention that our voidlings don't necessarily need armor."

As for alchemy products, I don't even know what alchemy does in this System beyond what Ali mentioned her mentor told her. That it includes potions and the like. That said, she focuses on poisons and not alchemy in general. I don't know if the voidlings can even use potions though. Which could be a problem. Wait a second, why should I bother with these negotiations myself? I don't actually plan on staying with this faction after reaching Bronze Tier…

I glance at the fifth ranked before finding him already nodding his head towards me as if understanding what I'm about to say. So I turn to Akira Fuji and state, "How about you negotiate with my representative here instead." At my words, the fifth ranked takes a step forward, bringing their gazes towards him. Gazes that are slightly trembling, likely from surprise at the sudden change. And some slight unwillingness. Probably because I'm a former human while this guy is clearly not. I don't really care though.

I'm not really the leader type.

"Very well," Akira Fuji states with a nod of his head. Good. Now I can go and hunt a little to raise my Class level some- My thoughts are interrupted when an explosion rings out from further away in the city. Then some voidlings begin running around up and down the walls before the fifth rank nods his head and turns to me as he says, "The lizardkin have begun their assault on one of our alley camps." Okay, maybe I'll go fight these lizardkin instead of the monsters outside of the city.

They'll probably give more source mana anyway. Since they'll be higher level.

"Before your hunt, would you give this one the honor of making you an offering?" the Fifth Ranked asks, surprising me for a moment. An offering? I really hope he's not trying to make a sacrifice or something. Elsewhere in the Forest City"Attack! Slaughter these pests till they can never be seen again!" Rejax Swallowtail shouts while raising his sword into the air as a force of thousands of lizardkin charge at the voidlings around the entrance to the various alleyways on this street.

And Rejax doesn't hold back from joining them as he himself rushes in without hesitation. They should have their allies joining them soon after all, so there's nothing for them to fear. Even though they failed to recruit the ratkin, they managed to recruit one of the larger factions of wraths in the Ancient City. With the number of wraths being in the tens of thousands range. Easily enough to squash these pathetic bugs! Rejax is absolutely confident in his plan.

Go forth, slaughter the bugs, and have the wraths join them in the assault to slaughter more bugs! Everything should go well. These bugs are just bugs after all. They may look different from the zelbar, but they're still just bugs. And they're young ones too. But all of these thoughts come crashing down when Rejax sees hundreds more bugs pouring out of the alleyways into the streets to clash with his own lizardkin.

If these were the same level and power as the previous bugs and the ones Rejax has seen thus far, everything would still be fine. Only, these are not the same. These bugs are all twice the size of the bugs Rejax has seen thus far, with their levels being twice to three times the previous bugs' levels. Rejax's eyes widen in shock at the sight, with an even more shocking sight appearing after that in the form of humanoid bugs joining. What?! But aren't these things supposed to be just as weak as the zelbar?!

Why are there so many?! And how are they so strong?! Thoughts continue spinning throughout Rejax's mind at a rapid pace, meanwhile the battle between the wraths, lizardkin, and the bugs continues raging on. But after joining the fray himself, Rejax, the greatest warrior in their tribe, finally regains his composure and begins to adjust his plans. Because bugs have taken too much from him already! The zelbar have slaughtered his family, and he will never let the bugs have their way!

It doesn't matter if they're black and shiny bugs, or regular ones like the zelbar. He'll slaughter them all!