Chapter 78: The Storm (1/2)
After so long, the fateful day had come.
The Piggybank ship, after a long time being repaired, was now ready to cross the ocean and reach the New World. The golden aircraft shone brightly under the sun, Vainqueur marveling at his own perfect reflection on its surface. His elite lackeys, from Charlene to Malfy and his Pocket Minions, observed him with awe, fear, and hope.
For the road to El Dorado would soon open!
Congratulations! For successfully causing your minions to breed on an incredibly large scale, you earned a level in [Dungeon Breeder]!
+10 SP, +1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 SKI, +1 CHA, +1 LCK.
Vainqueur should have felt happy about this, but something bothered him since morning. He couldn’t put his claw on what. A tension was in the air. An invisible weight on his wings.
It must have been the presence of Knight Kia, who had kept pestering Manling Victor for a rematch since she recovered. Jolie had stayed at her other minions’ bedside, to cheer them up until they recovered.
“You were going very easy on me,” Victor whispered to her. “I could tell.”
“True, and Rolo exhausted me beforehand,” the knight replied, unable to accept her defeat. “But that doesn’t diminish your accomplishment either. Do you know how long it has been since anyone could even slightly push me? Imagine if we fought at full strength—”
Sensing the spotlight getting away from him, Vainqueur cleared his throat, interrupting the discussion.
“Today is a great day!” the dragon began his speech. “I, Vainqueur Knightsbane, will do what no dragon has done in the past! I will cross the ocean alongside my chief of staff and a crew of loyal dwarves! The Empire of Murmurin, at last, shall expand beyond the horizon!”
“For the international revolution!” Marbré raised a fist in support.
While Vainqueur expected his minions to rejoice, only Marbré, Buzz, and Junior did so. The rest glanced fearfully at Manling Victor as if fearing he would not return. In response, the chief of staff handed them floating skulls, similar to those he summoned against Knight Kia.
“These are [Whispering Skulls], which allow long-distance communication,” Manling Victor explained. “Even if [Scarlet Study] is blocked, you should be able to contact us through them.”
“I will have one planted in central square, to remind everyone you’re only leaving temporarily,” Batling Charlene said.
“As soon as we land, I shall open a [Golden Path] to my hoard, and allow settlers to claim lands in my name,” the dragon laid out his plan. “Dwarves will build a portal linking both continents, so the empire may expand without the need of ships. I expect you minions to be ready to build a new colony the second the gate opens. Anyone caught touching my hoard in my absence shall be eaten.”
“We’ll cross the ocean too, if a bit later,” Kia said. “Jolie wants to join one of the exploration fleets led by Gardemagne’s princess Merveille, so we will meet again on the other side.”
Vainqueur ignored her, turning to his elite minions. “You have proven yourself the most powerful of my lackeys, and your strength shall be called upon once we have crossed the ocean; for the wicked Furibon awaits on the other side, stronger than ever.”
Manling Victor shifted, worried about fighting the vicious lich again. As if to comfort him, his mimic pet approached him with a rainbow crest, offering it to its master. “Gift,” Junior insisted.
“Not swordy enough,” Buzz added.
“Not swordy,” Junior grunted. “Shieldy.”
“Your Majesty should use it first,” Manling Victor said, ever dutiful, “Even if you have not reached level sixty yet, the fomors will target you first.”
“And I shall teach them to fear again,” Vainqueur replied. “Minion, must I remind that when you begged to become my eternal servant, you had more levels than I did? If you reached the threshold before me, then you should make use of this Crest. If there are any side-effects, it is better for you to serve as my level tester than trying it myself.”
Also, the item came from the cursed Moon, and the dragon wanted nothing to do with it.
“Your concern is always touching,” Manling Victor said, accepting the [Heroic Crest] and immediately using it; the shield dissolved into a blinding cloud of multiple colors, surrounding and empowering the Vizier.
Congratulations! Your minion broke past the sixty levels class ceiling! His [Crested] Perk has been upgraded to [Epic]!
[Epic]: Marks one as a mythical adventurer and demigod. Allows access to the most powerful of classes and entrance to [Valhalla] upon reaching level 99. This replaces [Crested].
Vainqueur could not wait to gain that Perk too; he could almost smell the riches that would follow his coronation to divinity.
“Now, time for promotion,” Manling Victor declared. “Some of you can gain access to higher forms as per my [Mook Promotion] Perk. Now, a promotion grants greater power, but as Junior here can attest…”
The mimic let out a growl, scratching his back.
“This comes with physical changes.”
“Can I grow wings like you?” Chocolatine asked. “That would make it so much easier to hunt food!”
“I have no idea what you will turn into,” Victor replied. “So the choice is yours.”
“With a war on the horizon, I believe higher power should be embraced,” Jules said. “Even though I am not ready to ascend into a greater form yet.”
“Only Buzz, Charlene, Miel, Allison, and Chocolatine meet the criteria currently,” Victor confirmed.
“Mr. Victor, not I?” Tasty Malfy asked, disappointed. “After so many bribes?”
“Sorry,” the chief of staff replied, “You should come with us to the New World once we have established the permanent gateway there. Maybe you only need more practical experience?”
“So will the others who are not yet fit to lead my armies,” Vainqueur added. The dragon had organized the tournament to test the strength of his servants, and while some like Rolo the golem had proven themselves powerful, most needed more training to match the fairy lords. “I will have all of you become worthy of becoming my minion generals.”
Allison sighed. “Just go through with it, Vic.”
The chief of staff activated his Perk, five minions immediately undergoing a transformation before Vainqueur’s eyes.
Miel the angel grew taller, thicker, and gained two new sets of wings in addition to her existing ones; the lowest set of wings, however, belonged to bats instead of birds. Her once pristine white skin darkened a bit, and her eyelids developed an unnatural dark shade.
Untasty Allison grew sweet-smelling flowers all over her body, from her hair to shoulders. Antler-like horns of wood grew from her head, taking the shape of a small crown.
Buzz Jelly, who had bravely crossed space and fought off the lead wasteland on the Moon, transformed into a slime of liquid steel, strong, yet flexible.
Sweet Chocolatine’s transformation… was most disappointing. Her human ears turned into those of a silver wolf, and nothing else.
Meanwhile, Batling Charlene changed spectacularly. She gained two enormous bat wings from her shoulders, and two smaller ones from her waists, which instantly closed around her legs like a robe. Curved horns grew among her hair, and her nails became claws. Her skin grew paler still, like that of a corpse, while a third crimson eye opened right below her throat. She smiled, her lips revealing sharp fangs everywhere.
Alchemical Vampire Charlene was promoted to [Blood Trismegistus].
Buzz Jelly was promoted into an [Iron Slime].
Angel Miel was promoted into a [Heartless Angel].
Dryad Allison was promoted into a [Hamadryad].
Werewolf Chocolatine was promoted into an [Alpha Werewolf].
“I don’t feel all that different,” Chocolatine complained, her new ears wagging.
“Speak for yourself!” Batling Charlene replied, carressing her body with her claws. “I can feel the bloody power coursing through my veins!”
”Yes, that's what is inside that counts!” the werewolf rejoiced on a second thought.
“Finally promoted, and to Seraphim!” Miel rejoiced, flaunting her new wings, before noticing the batlike pair among them. Malfy chuckled at the sight. “What? Why do I have a set of these?”
“Nothing,” the demon cackled. “Nothing at all.”
“Sword of empire!” Buzz rejoiced, Junior petting it on the head. “I sword!”
“I definitely gained new Perks out of it,” Allison observed. “More charisma, more luck too… oh, and my range has expanded!”
“How much?” Chocolatine asked, curious.
“I can only move within one mile of a tree,” Allison said. “Any tree, with which I can meld and teleport through at will with the [Greenbond] perk. I am no longer bound to my orchard!”
“You should check your new abilities before we open the portal,” Manling Victor said. “And welcome the new western governor, when she deigns showing up.”
“Mr. Victor, you should have that woman killed,” Malfy said with a grumble. “She is treacherous, old money, and most importantly, competition. She's outdated.”