Inside the grand yet half-decaying safe zone of the Mayor’s Manor, Shock could sense an overwhelming presence even before his eyes settled on the figure seated comfortably by the fireplace.
“Oh…?”
“Hm?”
It was CEO, the businessman that didn’t hesitate to kill his goon to pass the gate.
Partner, CEO’s loyal henchman, stood silently to the side, his gaze flicking between Shock and his boss.
“Well, well, well,” CEO greeted, his voice smooth yet menacing. “I didn’t expect to see someone else so soon… Shock, was it?”
Shock’s eyes narrowed as he stood his ground.
He wasn’t particularly thrilled about this encounter but knew it was inevitable.
Both of them, and every single participant in this trial, had one common enemy: Stark Heartsouls, or Chosen, which is who they know him as.
Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out the item he had obtained from defeating the Inquisitor.
It glimmered slightly as he held it up for the CEO to see.
“This,” Shock began, “is the Skill Canceller.”
CEO raised an eyebrow.
Partner, who had been standing stiffly, leaned in with mild curiosity, his head tilting slightly as if trying to get a better look.
“And what exactly does it do?” CEO asked, though there was a glint in his eye that suggested he already knew.
Shock’s lips curled into a thin smile. “Cancels any skill usage when you’re close enough to your target. A single touch, and their abilities are locked. Completely.”
CEO leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “Now that,” he mused, “is quite the treasure.” He gave Shock a calculating look, the kind that promised both opportunity and danger. “What do you intend to do with it?”
Shock shrugged, as if the immense power of the item didn’t particularly concern him. “You already know, no need to keep the act up,” he sighs.
Partner chuckled lightly but quickly stopped as CEO shot him a brief glance.
With his item in hand, Stark’s feared [Heaven’s Spear], which is the perk everyone was scared of, could be deactivated.
And even for a single second.
Even if it was for a single moment, the moment Stark lost that ability, then they would kill him.
It was a mutual understanding between everyone.
The room was tense, the unspoken power dynamics between the three of them thickening the air.
“Interesting,” CEO finally said, his eyes gleaming. “But what brings you here, really? It’s not just to show off, is it?”
Shock glanced around the luxurious, albeit eerie, surroundings of the Mayor’s Manor before replying. “Moonscorch.”
“Ah.” CEO sighed, “Same here.”
Even CEO got infected, and it wasn’t a surprise, because beside the girl that was meditating (her name is Lilith), everyone got moonscorched by now.
“So, what’s the plan?” Shock asked, he wasn’t in the mood for small talk, “Why are you here?”
CEO’s expression darkened slightly. “There’s power to be gained here, and tasks to complete,” he said. “Three tasks inside this Manor. We each get one.”
Shock didn’t fully trust CEO, not even close.
But for now, he saw no point in making enemies when they could temporarily cooperate.
He glanced at Partner, who had been listening silently, and noticed something unsettling in the man’s demeanor.
The look in his eyes suggested he was just waiting for an excuse to strike.
“Fine,” Shock said, relenting. “Let’s get this over with.”
They would need to kill each other by the end, but increasing your chances of survival is a good thing.
They all stood up, the mood shifting toward action.
As they exited the room and walked toward the grand staircase leading to the Mayor’s chamber, the eerie silence of the manor settled over them.
The old wood beneath their feet creaked ominously, and the air carried a faint, sour odor, as if the building itself was decaying from within.
The moonscorched butler reappeared as they approached the door, “I hope you enjoyed your rest, s—”
Before the creature could finish, CEO waved his hand lazily, and in a swift, brutal motion, a shockwave of dark energy surged forward.
The butler disintegrated instantly, leaving nothing but a pile of ash where it once stood.
“Too noisy,” CEO muttered, not even bothering to glance at the now-dead servant.
Shock watched silently, making a mental note of CEO’s nonchalance toward killing, but also filing away the power he’d just witnessed.
“Let’s go kill that Mayor,” CEO said, a grin creeping across his face. “It’s time we clean house.”
Shock simply nodded, still unsure of what CEO’s real intentions were, but willing to go along with the plan for now.
The three of them made their way up the grand staircase, passing portraits of former mayors who all seemed to gaze down with hollow eyes.
The air grew heavier as they neared the Mayor’s chambers.
The massive wooden doors loomed ahead.
“Here goes nothing,” CEO smirked, stepping forward.
With a swift, powerful kick, he flung the doors open.
Inside, sitting at the head of a grand rectangular table, was the Mayor.
He was an unsettling figure, clothed in fine, noble attire, though his grotesque face was a reminder of his moonscorched condition.
Beige skin sagged unnaturally from his face, and atop his bald head were two menacing, triangular horns.
He regarded them with a smile that was far from welcoming.
“Guests,” he said in a slow, deliberate voice. “Do enter.”
Shock, CEO, and Partner cautiously stepped inside, sensing that something was very wrong.
As soon as all three crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind them.
“…?”
The Mayor snapped his fingers, locking them all in here with him.
They couldn’t escape anymore, and they actually tried.
Kicking the door didn’t work anymore.
“Take a seat,” the Mayor said, his smile widening.
CEO’s eyes narrowed as he turned back, “How about I—” he tried to attack.
But before he could do anything…
“Take. A. Seat.” The Mayor’s voice carried an undeniable weight of authority.
BOOOOM!
Without warning, an explosion of force sent CEO flying across the room, slamming him into the wall.
The impact was so powerful that it ripped through his defenses, a notification briefly flashing in his peripheral vision.
[You have taken 132,284 damage.]
Shock’s breath caught in his throat.
Even CEO wasn’t immune to the Mayor’s dominance.
“Shit…” Shock and Partner didn’t expect this, and so they respected the Mayor’s wish, taking a seat, CEO following closely as they all sat around the table.
The mayor’s voice cut through the silence once more, calm and composed. “Let us enjoy some delicacies while we speak now, shall we not?”
[Termina’s Mayor – Level 600]
Shock’s eyes widened at the level indicator. Level 600.
They were hopelessly outmatched.
It’s not because the [Crimson Moons] are level 600 that enemies are below that after all.
Quite the opposite: the moons were the strongest since they are the apostles, but regardless, some enemies above level 600 are present.
The Mayor was one of them.
He was extremely powerful.
TOO powerful for any of them to take.
“This is bad,” Shock muttered under his breath, his mind racing as he weighed his options, “We shouldn’t have done that…”
But before he could strategize further, the Mayor’s eyes locked onto him.
“No talking while around the table, gentlemen.” The Mayor’s smile faded slightly, his tone growing colder. “This is your first and final warning.”
In the eerie silence that followed, Shock studied the Mayor.
But he mainly looked at the weird horns.
[Do not mention his horns under any circumstances.]
[You will be instantly cut if you do.]
A warning panel appeared before all three of them.
‘Ah shit…’ both CEO and Shock sighed.
Partner, on the other hand, made the biggest mistake of his life: he gulped nervously, his face pale.
But even that small sound was enough.
SLASH! SLASH!
With two swift movements, the Mayor’s hand, holding an ornate knife, slashed through the air, and Partner was cut clean in half.
-999,999!
Blood splattered across the table as Partner’s bisected body crumpled to the floor, his lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling.
CEO and Shock sat frozen, too cautious to let out a single sound: they weren’t angry or sad for the death of Partner, they just didn’t want to be next.
A bead of sweat dripped down Shock’s temple as he realized the sheer impossibility of their situation.
‘What the hell have we gotten ourselves into…’
This was supposed to be a place where they would complete tasks, level up, and dominate all others.
Yet, now, even though they thought they had been so powerful, and that they would be able to defeat the moons.
They were locked in a twisted game with the mayor, who seemed to enjoy seeing them struggle.
The Mayor wouldn’t kill for no reason, but both CEO and Shock knew saying anything that it didn’t like would be an instant death.
With the bloodied knife still in its right hand, and a massive fork in its left, they knew it could reach them.
After all, it had moved so fast while killing Partner that they had a hard time following it.
As if mocking them, three panels appeared in front of them.
[Task #66: Defeat the Moonscorched Mayor.]
[Task #67: Take the ‘Basement Key’ from the Mayor and enter it.]
[Task #68: Defeat the “Basement Demon”]
‘Ah shit… here we go again…’ CEO and Shock let out a quick smile.
It wasn’t the first time they were in impossible situations, after all.
As [Domination] class users, they had been ready for this, maybe not at the level they are currently at, but there was no denying it was exciting.
If it came to it, they would fight the Mayor.
But for now…
“Let us play, gentlemen,” the Mayor laughed as he pointed both of his giant utensils at them.
