Chapter 13: Subordinates? (1/2)
Atop the sandy beaches of Purgatory, a lone figure plodded on. It was a small imp covered in wounds and judging by his intermittent hobbling, a very tired imp.
An imp like him could only be described as the perfect prey for the denizens of Purgatory and this was proven once more as he got ambushed by a member of his own species. The imp swaggered from behind his rock into plain view as soon as he confirmed the injuries on his prey.
The injured imp finally noticed the newcomer and turned around in panic and ran. With a giant stride, he took off like the wind, his previously injured facade dissipating with the wind as well.
“No. 2! You idiot, you’re running in the wrong direction!”
Staring at the back of the escaping small imp, I jumped out and shouted at him in an exasperated voice. Thankfully, No.2 only ran a few more steps before hearing me. He suddenly recalled the plan we discussed beforehand and changed directions towards us.
However, the newcomer imp immediately realized we were comrades and beat a decisive retreat. His tiny back faded into the distance as he ran further and further away…
“No. 2, you retard!” The prey escaped and I wasn’t happy. I rapped his head with my claws, leaving a small bump behind.
Behind me, two more small imps walked out. One of them was similarly wounded while the other was perfectly uninjured. Like a pair of monkeys, they mimicked me in openly reprimanding No.2……
Ahem…I guess I should explain the current situation.
Remember when I had killed that large imp? There were three small imps who appeared shortly after. I originally wanted to kill them but those three potatoes bent the knee before I even had the chance to lift a finger….
And so, I came to possess three subordinates. While they were each dumber than the other, I didn’t despise them as a result of that. Like the kind and caring person that I am, I sheltered them and gave them succour. Furthermore, I even went through the trouble of giving them each a well thought out name: No.1, No.2, and No.3.
The injured ones were No.1 and No.2 while the uninjured one was No.3.
The one who was baiting that small imp but ended up getting smacked on the head was No.2.
After that fateful meeting, we made a pact. Whatever prey we captured, its soul would go to me while the corpse was theirs.
On a separate note, the severity of this potato’s injuries were all faked. His performance could only be described as oscar winning. If this was Earth, he would’ve been an A-lister in hollywood. Too bad, he’s stupid and couldn’t even lure the prey into the right direction…
Well being stupid is fine as long as he can be trained.
I led No.1 and No.3 to our new hiding spot while No.2 went off to bait more imps. No.2 looked at me with a slightly pitiful expression as he rubbed the tiny bump on his head as if to say he’s too hurt. However, I would have none of his crocodile tears. In the end, he obediently went off to be the bait.
Two minutes later, No.2’s running figure entered our sights. Closely behind him was another small imp. He did it! He ran in the right direction!
Awesome, he deserves a raise…
Just as I stepped out to kill that newcomer, an unwelcome sight entered my vision…why the heck is there two groups chasing No.2!?
In the front there was only one imp but ten meters behind it was another group of six small imps…Jesus, are you trying to get me killed!?
“Hide, quick hide!”
The beach was littered with several rock pillars which we quickly hid behind. Soon, No.2 joined us in hiding behind the rocks. Following closely behind him was the imp from the first group.
However, this imp didn’t attempt to find No.2, but instead continued running until he finally ran past us…
Is he not a comrade of those six imps?
Just as this thought occurred to me, the six imps ran past us as well, ignoring the fact that No.2 had simply vanished from their sights. Their dimwitted brains could not comprehend the implications of No.2 suddenly disappearing and was focused solely on chasing that red butt who was slowly fading into the distance by now…
Just as well, I didn’t intend on ambushing these six imps. We only had four members on our side and two of them were even injured, putting us at a numerical disadvantage. While they had all gotten stronger from consuming that large imp, No.1 and No.2 were still injured and were unable to fight at 100% of their power. Given this situation, retreating was the best option available.
However, before I could give the order to retreat. That idiot No.3 had a lapse of sanity and rushed out at the leading imp of that second group. As he collided with his target, they tumbled onto the ground violently. The imp who had been ambushed had no time to react before his head collided with a nearby rock.
As expected of an SSS ranked rock, the small imp was knocked out after that collision, allowing No.3 to chomp down on his neck unopposed.
No.3 was the only uninjured one who ate the large imp’s flesh so the strengthening effect on him was especially pronounced. His body was brawnier than the other two and naturally possessed a higher strength. To him, ripping a normal imp’s throat to shreds was as easy as breathing.
However, No.3 did not finish off his opponent. After confirming that his opponent was incapacitated by his bite, he got up and glared at the other five. He roared at the five imps who were still stunned from his sneak attack, his mouth dripping with fresh blood.
The combination of his roar and the blood painted a truly terrifying sight.
Damn, that roar’s as good as a crowd-control skill.
Seeing that No.3 had temporarily stunned the other five imps, I ordered No.1 and No.2 to attack. Upon receiving this order, they fearlessly charged into the fray and pounced on their respective targets. As for me, I charged one of the imps, with two rocks waving in the air.