LaPlume

Between the howls and wails, the screams and cries of women being raped, and the villagers being eaten and butchered like cattle, there was a middle-aged man who was desperately running away while yelling his lungs out.

''Why.... WHY!!! YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKERS!!!''

His clothes were in tatters and marred in blood, with his body being barely able to function. His state was simply beyond recognition.

As for where he was running to... It didn't matter... He just wanted to flee the hellish scene that was unfolding behind him.

His remote village, the one he had lived in his entire life, was now a fiery beacon illuminating the night.

''Whyyyyy areeeeeee youuuuuuuuuu runninnnnnnnnnnng awwaaayyyy froooooom usssssssss?''

Terrifying low growls and voices could be perceived behind him, and every time he heard them, his body released adrenaline to try to override its limits, but to no avail as his injuries were just too severe.

The humanoid creatures pursuing him were like shadows, barely distinguishable through the cover of the night.

Their eyes, akin to black holes, were fixed on their prey as it struggled for its pathetic life. Their faint and sinister giggles kept reverberating through the darkness...

***

As blood rushed up his throat and leaked at the corners of his mouth, his sinister appearance aggravated to where he resembled a devil.

During his maniacal laugh, his punctured lungs had finally given out, causing his whole body to collapse on the ground and dyeing it a scarlet shade.

His mind went blank, while his consciousness left his battered body.

***

After what appeared to be a few minutes, he suddenly woke up.

He was startled at first, but he soon realized that he had indeed died.

Everything around him was black, without an ounce of life in sight.

He was basically a spirit floating in the absolute void.

''So this is what happens when you die... You just drift in darkness... That's actually underwhelming. I wonder if I'll just fade away''

When Derrick's thoughts started to drift, a prompt appeared in front of him.

[Welcome to System Nemesis, Derrick Tarlin]

[Would you like to seek revenge? Yes/No]

System Nemesis

Derrick dropped Alma near the edge of Terra before returning to Akata right away, as he didn't have any business in the city.

He simply had to wait for further details concerning the future transaction and plans of Brigand.

With 200 soldiers leaving on diplomatic missions, he now had to wait for the aftermath.

He was sure there would be issues arising, as these were all groups of refugees, meaning their distrust towards any type of organization would be sky-high.

He had given the green light to Eloise to do as she saw fit, as he really wasn't well versed in negotiations of this nature. Derrick also wanted her to gain experience, since this situation was way more forgiving than one occurring on a battlefield.

With everything under way, he was left with… nothing to do!

This feeling disturbed Derrick, who figured it was time to find more mines. What he wanted more than anything was gold, to the point of even skipping silver and copper mines.

Gold