Chapter 64

In just two hours, Lucifer butchered dozens of guards and workers across the three caverns.

An ugly, small goblin arrived at Lucifer's last slaughter. His status as a 3rd-tier was shown by his elaborate attire; a mix of skulls, bones, and treated leather. The weapon on his back was a looted druegar crossbow and from the lack of a bolt quiver, he had to use some kind of elemental mana.

Lucifer had expected him, having left false tracks for him to follow. They would not confuse a smarter hunter, but for the goblin intelligence, it was enough.

The goblin picked up an olive-green leg, drenched in blood, and smelled it. Then he looked around, clearly activating the [Tracking] skill. He slowly and carefully strolled, picking up more limbs and examining them, searching for clues.

Lucifer observed the 3rd-tier goblin, buried under rocks. The minions hid on the other side of the cavern and waited for Lucifer's signal.

The goblin walked in a spiral, slowly but surely nearing their carefully prepared ambush point, like a complete moron, to Lucifer's immense amusement.

As the goblin stood on the big, bloody X, confused, the three minions pulled the rope. It wrapped around his leg and made him fall directly on his face.

"Ahh, the comedy!" Lucifer laughed.

Now, the second part.

Moron, Idiot and Tafur leapt to him and helped him up while bawling and wailing their 'sincere' apologies. Their hands manhandled him, touching him everywhere.

The 3rd-tier goblin hit them several times to vent and then questioned them as they kneeled before him.

At that moment, a powerful [Flux Missile] hit him in the neck. The crimson blood sprayed all around, adding another 'flavour' to the already stinky cavern. The goblin was completely frozen, not able to comprehend the situation.

Another purple missile struck, bruising his chest, breaking his ribs with multiple loud cracks.

At that moment, the goblin finally cast a weak [Mana Shield], just in time as another purplish missile hit the wall created by the shield, causing the shield to flicker,

He grabbed his neck wound to stop the bleeding and touched all around his waist as if searching for something. He furiously looked back up at the three goblins, but they were long gone. And with them the crossbow and pouch containing the life-saving potions from their leader.

He angrily screeched and proceeded to chase them. Normally, he would be much faster, but the wounds slowed him down by a lot. His curses won't be repeated down onto paper, they were enough to send shivers down Luci's spine.

The third 20-FP [Flux Missile] landed on his already flickering shield. The [Mana Shield] gave up and shattered like glass.

He staggered back on another carefully prepared spot with a big, bloody X. The three minions tried to use the goblin's crossbow, but… well… they were idiots. They missed by a large margin, large enough to make Luci doubt his decision to make them his slaves...

[Your spell Flux Missile gained a level]

"Oooh, nice!" Lucifer's focus wavered as he heard the message. That was a mistake as the 3rd-tier finally gathered his wits and located his nemesis.

As the heavily injured and bleeding 3rd-tier goblin arrived near Lucifer, the three minions pulled another rope.

Even though he was prepared and even evaded the rope, Lucifer was prepared too and shaped a wall at his feet. He fell on his face once again. The Devilish Sorcerer, living inside the unconscious, living pebble had to hold himself from erupting into hysterical laughter.

Another [Flux Missile] hit between the eyes of the incredulous goblin, sending him flying backwards, some may have awarded him for the number of flips he completed.

Lucifer had to calm down first. He had not had such a good laugh for a long, loooong time.

The three morons quickly bound the 3rd-tier hunter with a rope like a caterpillar. It should be enough to hold him down, Luci hoped, as it was from a 3rd-tier Monsters tendons.

Lucifer even envied the 3rd-tier a bit. He was still bleeding, but his natural regeneration was able to keep him alive and relatively kicking. What he would give for that…

"Kraaaakh! Bast… ards!" The 3rd-tier goblin gnarled at the three goblins and struggled to free himself.

The ropes started to tear, but then he felt something inside in his neck wound. It was a [Flux] stick. The goblin remembered the rumours about the so-called Ghost. He had never believed them. It was a mistake.

Idiot, the tablet goblin, stood above him and shoved the tablet before his face shivering in fear and excitement. He defeated a mighty 3rd-tier! His superior! As a mere 1st-tier!

"If you move, you die. Blink if you understand!" The hunter read the crimson letters on the table while he felt the flux stick twitch. He blinked. Several times. Just to be sure.

"Good. Me, Lucifer," at that, Moron, The Stone Bearer, showed him Stone. "Swear allegiance or die."

The goblin began to laugh, his spit flying around, but his spine slightly cracked as the deep-purple stick penetrated deeper, wiping off his crooked smile.

"Last chance! Swear or die!" New celestian letters appeared on the smooth tablet.

"Gsae! Gulub! Rarto! Luc… Luci… Lucifer!" The gruff, unwilling voice echoed in the cavern.

[3rd-tier goblin swore allegiance to you as a slave]

[As a subordinate, you cannot have a slave without the direct approval of your master, entity Stone]

[The allegiance mark is transferred to entity Stone]

"Tche! Luckily, in our small hierarchy, I am still above them. I want to be free…" his thoughts froze for a nanosecond and his mind reset. Did his subconsciousness lose? Who could know?

"Success! The second part finished! Too bad I don't have time for more. Having a proper army to command… Should have realized this sooner. I was such an idiot back then, Luci said reminiscing. Have to hurry though," Lucifer thought about the urgency of his situation the whole way back to the still-growing camp.

Only two and half days were left to his untimely death.

The camp became much more silent. It was half-empty with just the necessary guards patrolling and weak drones hiding in tents.

The 3rd-tier hunter, renamed by hateful Lucifer to Kretin, inquired about what was happening; their big boss had ordered a full sweep off the tunnels and caverns to smoke out and kill the predator.

Lucifer counted the six groups each containing one 3rd-tier, four 2nd-tiers and twenty 1st-tiers. Lucifer shivered. So many experience packs, lined up… His imaginary mouth watered…

Lucifer inwardly smiled. Well, he could not smile otherwise. The plan proceeded as planned.

Kretin refused to join, showing the wounds and explaining that he was ambushed by the Ghost, but after realizing he could not kill him, the Ghost ran away. The 4th-tier boss crooked mouth curved, possibly into a grin, and ordered to move out.

They returned to their 'headquarters', the tent formerly owned by Jarka.

Dafur was nowhere to be seen, so Lucifer commanded Moron, Idiot, and Tafur to find him. He graciously allowed Kretin to quaff his potion after part of it was poured on Stone. To Lucifer dismay, it did not work.

In another twenty minutes, the minion trio returned with a report instead of the dwarf; Dafur was with the shaman and the leader.

"Idiots! Fine… Not your fault… I have a new order for you!" Lucifer wrote on the tablet.

"Bossa?"

"Push Moron to the second tier! Do not return until that!"

"Understood, bossa!" The goblins were exhilarated. They ran out of the tent, leaving only a trail of dust behind them.

Lucifer was bored of the wait and decided he would fill the time with training. He was content for now. Everything went well.

However… Somewhere back in his mind, even deeper than the battle between his subconsciousness and [Subordinate] talent, he waited for the major problem to arise.