Cthulhu Gonfalon

“Did you hear?”

“What?”

“The solitary thief master, ‘Family Exterminator’, who has been rampant in our region for many years, has really caused some trouble and managed to escape.”

“What? That guy is a very ruthless man. He became enemies with the smugglers of the Iron Sand Chamber, and when that chamber hired assassins to kill him, he not only killed the assassins but also all the members on the Iron Sand Chamber…But since a person as ruthless as he is has fled, who is it that he provoked?”

“He provoked two enemies, one not very powerful, another very powerful. Which one do you want to hear about first?”

“Let’s start with the one that is not so powerful.”

“Black Ax.”

“…Black Ax?! Are you talking about the professional criminals who believe in Poisonous Tomahawk (alias of the God of Gangsters)? They aren’t very powerful? You must be kidding me!”

“Who is kidding you? This guy ‘Family Exterminator’ took thirty thousand gold coins and four pieces of magical equipment for a deposit and hired 150 elites from the Black Ax to help him attack the Brutal Hunter’s temple. But after the Black Ax elites completed the task and looked for him for the rest of their pay, they couldn’t find him.”

“Tut! That explains why he is ‘Family Exterminator’! He is so bold as to even cheat those from the Black Ax! Who is the other enemy? Don’t tell me that he’s some king.”

“Yes, the other enemy is His Majesty, Brutal Hunter.”

“…I thought he just attacked the temple, which is not rare in our western wilderness. But, provoking the god behind the temple? You must be kidding me again!”

“No one’s kidding you! This guy killed the chief priest of the temple and also desecrated the idols. The Brutal Hunter has delivered his oracle: any believer who kills him will immediately earn a seat in the Holy Kingdom! Anybody who is not a believer and kills him will have a reward: a piece of legendary equipment!”

“…Do I still have enough time to convert right now?”

“Drop it. Even if you convert, could you really find this guy ‘Family Exterminator’? After all, even if you find him, it is unknown who will kill whom!”

“…Of course, I won’t have enough of an advantage to beat him. But as long as I think of that big reward, chances are that I will tap into my potential and kill him with a hammer!”

“You are just bragging! If you really have the mind, clean your rusty hammer and tomorrow we’ll go hunting for the black lizard. Do you dare?”

“Of course. If you are not afraid of death, what should I be afraid of?”

Similar conversations took place in almost every pub in the western part of the Wild Empire, in the area adjacent to the Gobi desert. Adventurers everywhere really admired the “Family Exterminator” whose whereabouts were unknown after he’d caused such trouble. There were many troublemakers, but there were few who could make trouble in such a fantastic way!

Just like wolves sharpening their gaze on a hunt, the street was filled with many people searching for him like wolves at peak vigilance. But no matter how they searched for him (they dug underground until reaching a sewer three feet below ground, they climbed mountains, and they even caught and beat all those who wore a faceless robe and forced them to reveal themselves), they could not find the former solitary master thief who had been here.

They also appealed to powerful magic casters for help, hoping to detect his position with a prophecy spell. But the results were nothing but chaos, as if he was covered with clouds.

Perhaps this guy was actually dead? People guessed so but could not sure.

This courageous guy was also very clever. Could he have died quietly in a corner, preventing his enemies from finding his body for the reward?

“Ahhh!” A scream echoed in the wilderness.

“Clench your teeth if you are a man. What a disgrace that you weep so much!” Sui Xiong angrily rebuked this spineless guy.

Saying this, he lifted a tentacle holding a big wooden stick and punched Ray right in the face. Blood flew in all directions from his face, and he could hear the crack of tendons and bone.

Ray couldn’t help screaming loudly again, but Sui Xiong was unmoved. He cast a treatment spell that restored Ray’s vitality and then hit him again with the stick.

So Sui treated his wounds and hit him with the stick in turn. After doing this several times in succession, at last Ray’s facial muscles and bones had been completely adjusted. Now even his relatives and friends (assuming he had them) could not recognize him face to face.

“Look, what a good plastic surgeon I am!” When Ray finally recovered, Sui Xiong made an ice mirror in front of him that reflected his appearance. “Now you can safely walk the streets and no one will recognize you.”

“Your Majesty, Void Mask, your cosmetic surgery is really outstanding. Next time I encounter one of my buddies, please be sure to give him some cosmetic surgery too!” Ray said gritting his teeth. “I believe he will be very grateful to you…”

“No need to be grateful. To be honest, I do not like you, an evil guy who has committed many murders, and I don’t want to waste time on your buddy either. The reason I gave you plastic surgery is simply to avoid any trouble we might encounter on the road.” Sui Xiong changed his appearance when saying this and turned into a small jellyfish that was only one foot wide. He settled onto the head of Ray like a hat, and said, “Let’s go, we have a long way to go.”

Ray had no choice. He sighed and wore this dangerous thing that creeped him out on his head. They trekked over the mountains and walked toward the South.

After walking for a while, Sui Xiong could not help but ask, “Hey…since I have knocked you around a bit, have you found any inspiration to break the bottleneck that has existed in you for a long time? Have you seen a path to success?”

“No.”

“So, do you regret what you have done? Has it occurred to you that what you did yesterday could have killed you, and what you do today has given you new life? Have you said to yourself, ‘I had no choice, but now I want to be a good person’…and other ideas like this?”

“No.”

“… A natural-born defeatist cannot be taught to succeed!”

After walking for a while, Sui Xiong again could not help but ask, “Ray, I have a very powerful trick that can help others abandon evil, become good, and mend their ways. Even if they cannot go to heaven after they die, at least they can have a chance at an atonement that helps them avoid going to hell. Are you interested?”

“I’m doing well now, and it hasn’t occurred to me to mend my ways.”

“If you keep doing this, you’ll go to hell after you die!”

“That is what I deserve. If a bad guy like me doesn’t go to hell, something must be wrong with this world!”

Sui Xiong was dumbfounded, and could not help but ask astonishedly, “I didn’t realize that you are still an angry youth at heart! So you think this world is a bit wrong, don’t you? It seems so! I did not expect us to have so much in common!”

“…Sorry, I do not want to have things in common with a jellyfish!”

“Hey, I’m a god. Isn’t it good to have things in common with a god?”

“Oh, then let me correct myself: I don’t want to have anything in common with a god who looks like a jellyfish and disguises himself as a hat on my head,” said Ray, expressionless. “Please find your followers if you want to chat about this. I presume they agree with you unconditionally. ”

“… Ray, has anyone ever told you that you were boring?”

“There have been many.”

“Myself included!”

A little further down the road, they had moved away from the Gobi desert and entered the depths of the Graystone Mountains.

The Graystone Mountains were famous for their rich deposits of graystone. The graystone mine appeared to Sui Xiong as something similar to limestone. Its texture was not solid, but it was excellent for mining. After being burned by fire, it would turn into a powder that could be re-solidified when mixed with water and mud. Although it was not as solid as rock, it was still more solid than ordinary bricks. Considering the cost of production and transportation, it was a suitable material for buildings.

Because of this, there were many quarries on both sides of the Graystone Mountains, with the Commonwealth of Gold Coins to the west, the Wilderness Empire to the east, and the Eagle Kingdom to the south. Many roads and houses had been built bending the stone of the mountains to the human world.

Inside the Graystone Mountains was also very dangerous. A variety of dangerous devil monsters and particularly fierce creatures resided there. Adventurers generally did not go far into the mountains, because they were afraid of encountering them and bearing unnecessary risks.

In this mountain range, the most common dangerous creature was a special species, the Fierce Gnome. They were roughly half the size of an average adult, but their muscles were unusually well developed and they had a variety of heaven-sent abilities to cast spells.

For example, all of them had command of the Stone Skin spell that a mage at a certain level or above could use. This spell would become a rock-hard layer near the body of the caster, allowing them to withstand many attacks. Though they originally lacked a strong defense due to backward technologies, this ability made them as strong as armed soldiers.

In addition, they had the abilities of Bloodthirsty and Fury. The former gave them more courage in battle, absorbing the lifeforce of those who had died so that their wounds could heal and their physical strength would recover quickly; the latter allowed them to get amazing power and speed within a short period of time. Some particularly fierce ones could even confront devil monsters after using this spell. Compared to their small bodies, it was if they were breaking the laws of nature due to their incredible strength!

Ordinary Fierce Gnomes were quite powerful, and they also had their own system of civilization, a variety of powerful and special forces, and even protection from their deities. So when adventurers saw their tracks in the woods, most of them chose to avoid coming into contact with them.

But these people certainly did not include Sui Xiong.

“You said, the Fierce Gnome is a very violent, cruel, aggressive, unreasonable creature?” he said suspiciously, floating in the air and waving his tentacles. “Totally wrong! Can’t you see they are very reasonable, very warm and very hospitable?”

Looking at the Fierce Gnomes with their colorfully painted bodies, hopping around them and continuously saluting Sui Xiong, Ray could not help but feel his heart flood with a feeling of helplessness.

He thought, Aren’t you cruel, furious, rude, and unreasonable little creatures?! Why abandon your integrity as soon as you meet a god who is willing to be friendly and get along with you?!

Where is your dignity and pride as a wild race! Aren’t you afraid of the fury of the gods in heaven, as you please outsiders so blatantly!

Apparently you haven’t considered my feelings! Do you know that I was still singing your praises not long ago? Do you know I just told someone about how brave you are! Do you know that I was prepared for a fierce battle and I was even ready to die here!

Buddies, we all have to make a living, but you make me so mentally tired by being so cooperative, Ray thought to himself.