Chapter 20 - Demons, No You Can't Rule Them
"I am not sure if you have been told, but the world runs on strange stuff called MP or Monster Points. You can earn them from killing monsters that have marks be a quest given by myself or someone else, but you can also gain them from exploring new places and even developing new areas," Mex explained.
"Developing? So you mean if I made a city or a town? Or maybe if I took one over and made it better?" I asked with interest.
"Yes, that is how we Demons do it, but you would have to collect a large number of monsters to make a city and prevent them from eating each other. For us demons, it's different; we don't eat our own kind that often. You don't have to build something so big as a town, but if you even created a business that helped monsters, you could earn points," Mex explained to me.
That was some helpful information, but I wasn't sure if I could make a business out of taking care of monster girls. Still, other things could be done, but I wasn't sure if that was the route I wanted to take.
"Okay, and then taking one over would be a bad idea as well?" I asked, and Mex nodded his head.
"All the demons act the way they do because I act this way; not all Demon Keeps are the same. Some of them have violent and crazy Lords, which makes the other Demons that way, but if there is no controlling demon, they go into a frenzy. The Demons will start to kill and eat everything, including each other, until another high enough ranked Demon comes to quell them, or they are killed," Mex told me.
Well, they might be the humans of the world, but they were still monsters underneath. I was just going to have to get used to this world being just varying shades of evil.
"So, no trying to take over a city, got it. So then I guess I am just left with defeating monsters and exploring?" I said after rubbing my hand over my face a couple of times.
"For now, but first, I have a question to ask. How do you acquire the girls you take care of?" Mex asked me, leaning forward, showing great interest.
"Not too sure yet. I think I have to do things for them to help them and to satisfy them. Why do you ask?" I asked, having a slight idea what this crafty Demon was needling towards.
"Oh, don't worry about it, there is a pack of Sahuagin bothering one of my fishing villages to the west about an hour's walk away. I am sure you can make it there faster; even without the Hero System, your body should have gone through some heavy changes to help you deal with the dangers in this world, right?" Mex asked me.
A slight wince escaped me as the memory of the excruciating pain returned.
"Good, then you will still gain power like everyone else. You can train your body like you did in your previous life; as I can see, you are well built, but there doesn't seem to be much weight to your mass," Mex commented as he looked me over.
That stung a bit, but that's what you get for cheating. Coming into the world had made all the muscle I had gained from working out and using steroids look like a bodysuit that I was wearing and not my actual muscles.
"Yeah, the result of my mistake, but it's good to hear that I can work out and get stronger. So, I just have to go and kill or deal with the Sahuagin? What is a Sahuagin?" I asked with no idea what he was talking about.
"These are Reef Sahuagin, and they look like fish, I suppose, but they can walk on land. Unlike the monsters you have seen, there are bodies similar to yours, but they have fish heads filled with very sharp teeth. They also like to tote around spears to stab people with," Mex mentions at the end.
"Well, that doesn't sound too bad, and it's not like I am weaponless. Are they any good to eat?" I asked curiously.
"No, they have to lean on bodies, and the meat is tough, but I don't suggest killing these ones, and that's why I am sending you to this Quest first. I just need to find out why they are horranging my village," Mex told me, and I nodded.
"Well, that doesn't sound too bad, but they tend to be very grouchy folk. I think it might have something to do with their faces, but that's not really something that can be changed. Still, it doesn't change their sparkling personalities of, throw spears, and then scream gutturally later," Mex said as he waved his hands around in a, ooo look at me, I'm scary, manner.
"Sure, why not, but before I go, do you mind if I go up and see the girls? I don't want to just leave, and they do not know where I went," I said to Mex, and he nodded with a knowing smile.
"Sure, it's good to see that you actually care about them, but I don't think that they will notice that you are gone. Monsters tend to have a very short attention snap, and Mary and Jilly are no exception," Mex said as we both stood.
"Maybe, but this is more for me to check on them. Maybe the girls have forgotten about me, or maybe they haven't, but I would like to see them regardless," I said.
"Yes, fascinating! You are one strange animal, Kazz Foreman. I look forward to our future endeavors, but by all means, go see the girls, and you can meet my little Nushi. One thing, Nushi doesn't come out of her room much or see very many people, so she tends to be a little rough around the edges. Mary normally comes and stays at the castle with Nushi, but she likes to wander off, and then Jilly usually brings her back," Mex said, leading me up the stairs.
Well, that made sense why he was so friendly with the girls, and if they were his daughter's only friends… I had a bit more respect for Mex after that. Now, it was time to meet this daughter; she was a Demon, so she might be pretty cute.