Outside, the air of Oakhaven was crisp and clear, completely oblivious to the narrative bomb that had just detonated inside the tavern.
Mordecai walked at a brisk pace, pulling up his internal HUD to check his mana levels. The [Edgelord Rizz: Physical Edition] maneuver had surprisingly not drained his reserves, but it had definitely drained his patience.
Moreover, the [CLICHE' NAUSEA] debuff was hitting harder than usual.
"My Lord," Pyroetta spoke up, matching his stride. Her face was still flushed with residual anger. "Why did you... touch the enemy? I could have incinerated her. It would have been highly efficient! It should've been me, not her!" The mosquito added.
"It was a System Override, Pyroetta," Mordecai sighed, rubbing his temples. "The management upstairs panicked because the plot was advancing too quickly. They forced a trope to distract her. It's the equivalent of HR throwing a pizza party to stop employees from unionizing. It's cheap, it's annoying, but it works."
The mosquito surely didn't understand what he meant by saying 'System Override'. Her internal software was rebooting, so all she felt was only jealousy and anger.
Vera clanked beside him. "Boss. She looked at you like you were... food. Should I prepare a preemptive strike on the Heroes' Palace? I can drop a localized meteor from the stratosphere. They won't even see it coming."
"Negative, Vera. That would be an unauthorized use of company assets," Mordecai replied. "Besides, the System has explicitly stated that the 'Revenge Quest' is currently unavailable. If we attack now, we'll hit a plot wall. We need to focus on resource gathering. Which brings us to our actual job."
"...System?" Vera asked, confused.
Mordecai looked at her, forgetting that he was one of the few humans with an IQ higher than average.
"Oh, nothing in particular. Just imagine that an ancient being is constantly talking and giving orders." He sighed.
Vera nodded, not asking further questions.
Then, Mordecai used his [Telepathy] to call out for Ugo.
He stopped in a secluded alley of the city and started to talk. Vera and Pyroetta were guarding him.
<
<
<
Ugo let out a spectral sigh that vibrated through the hilt of the Sword of Eternal Damnation. <
<
<
'Ah, he's speaking just like a normal human being.'
Mordecai stopped walking, a look of profound disgust crossing his face—lazy programming.
<
Mordecai digested this information. A normal adventurer would have turned back. A normal Hero would have cursed the Gods.
Mordecai, however, felt a deep, warm sense of corporate satisfaction.
<
<
Mordecai leaned against the cool brick wall of the alleyway, crossing his arms. <
<
<
The spectral voice took on a hushed, reverent tone. <>
Mordecai's eye widened slightly. <>
<
Mordecai's breath caught in his throat. Not out of emotional attachment, but out of sheer financial awe.
<
<
<
He stepped out of the alleyway, looking at his two current employees.
"Let's go, we gotta walk for a bit," Mordecai said.
His two subordinates followed him without speaking a word.
[FEEDBACKS FROM THE HIGHER REALMS CHAT: CONNECTION RESTORED]
WAIFU_HUNTER99: HOLD UP. DID HE SAY, DEMON ALCHEMIST?
NTR_Lover69: NEW WAIFU DETECTED. I REPEAT. NEW WAIFU DETECTED.
PlotArmorEnjoyer: 3000 YEARS LOYAL EMPLOYEE??? BEST GIRL ALREADY.
DragonLover77: PLEASE TELL ME SHE'S INSANE. I WANT HER TO BE INSANE.
TsundereSupremacy: PYROETTA IS GOING TO LOSE HER MIND LMAOOOO
Pyroetta_Lover04: DON'T YOU DARE ADD ANOTHER DEMON GIRL. SHE'S TRYING HER BEST.
CorporateSlave42: HE CALLED IT AN ACQUISITION 💀💀💀
LUKAS_THE_GREAT: THIS ISN'T A RAID. THIS IS A MERGER.
Vanilla_Lover69: WATCH HER FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM IN 3 SECONDS
WAIFU_HUNTER99: BETTING 500 COINS, SHE CALLS HIM "MY LORD" AND BLUSHES
TsundereSupremacy: PYROETTA JEALOUS ARC LETS GOOOOOO
JinWoo: 3000 YEARS WAITING FOR HER BOSS??? THIS IS NOT A WAIFU. THIS IS A RELIGION
SystemAdmin: PLEASE KEEP REACTIONS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE DEGENERACY LIMITS.
arisebutcorporate: imagine saying ARISE and getting an HR department instead