My Joker System: From Low Mana Trash to the Mightiest Wizard!
Chapter 187: Atrox Seres

Chapter 187: Atrox Seres

Surprisingly, the Chaos Platoon’s operations ended up being smoother than Hal expected, and before they knew it, two weeks had already passed.

The skies weren’t dimming yet, but that time of the day was approaching.

Beneath, grayish-white smoke rose to the heavens, and a breeze, with just the right amount of coldness, blew by, caressing the skin of twenty youngsters all at the age of twenty-three and below as dead leaves gently fell.

They laughed and chatted quite merrily, enjoying the picturesque pond a few meters away from their makeshift log benches, foldable chairs, and earthen table as three of them took the helm in roasting a large chunk of purple meat.

It wasn’t as appetizing as regular meat in terms of appearance, but the taste was just fine—a bit more savory and complex, even.

The Chaos Platoon formed bonds, eating meat while drinking beer and sodas, courtesy of Hal’s recently unlocked Chaos Shop.

The prices of mundane products were equivalent to five to ten [Common]-tier draws each, with the more luxurious options exceeding even that.

However, Hal knew these guys would stay with him for a long time, so he believed that such expenditures could even be considered small compared to the bonds they would form by doing leisurely, mundane things together.

Having a barbecue by the pond while drinking alcoholic and carbonated beverages sure was a great way to unwind after a bloody day of hunting Fell Beasts.

They were becoming accustomed to the job by now and were slowly growing numb to the pressure.

Even the Yhohan, Rocky, and Hao Squadrons weren’t that reluctant to engage C-ranked Fell Beasts anymore.

That said, Hal had gained quite a lot of points over those two weeks, totaling a little over 13,000.

It seemed that the Fell Race’s actions and everything related to them affected fate’s plans the most.

If his assumptions about how he earned his points were true, that is...

Hal grew quite exhausted from socializing after a while, so he stopped chiming in on the conversations for a few minutes, simply relaxing on his foldable chair and pondering while appreciating the pond and the brownish-red ground.

He took a generous sip of the slightly alcoholic soda in his hands.

’I wonder how the operations in the Eastern Outlands are coming along?’ he mused.

As per his master, the slightly older Pierro and Felix were assigned to that area, while he and Ennya were sent to the southeast.

’Tch,’ Hal inwardly clicked his tongue, slightly displeased. ’In the end, they still trust those two more than me!’

Pierro defeated Ennya in the Arcana Primis Cup while he narrowly eked out a win against Felix.

It was evident that the battlefield in the east was a bit more important than the one he was on.

’Whatever...’ he exhaled with a shrug, letting go of his emotions. ’Once Ennya and I develop further, we’d be stronger than those two anyway...’

He was, at the very least, confident in surpassing Pierro in future achievements.

Felix, on the other hand, would be a bit more difficult to overcome.

A one-hundred-twenty-percent-boosted void elemental magic was simply too destructive and lethal to underestimate.

Even now, he didn’t know how he survived the darned void eyes.

’But a win’s a win...’

He continued relaxing with his platoon for another half an hour after that thought...

**

*

Meanwhile, in a camp filled with makeshift tents made from beast hide and bones, and populated by the Fell Race’s purple-skinned warriors, a seemingly mutant, mulberry-skinned Fellkin with a pair of black, ivory horns that curved and extended upward, black irises and scarlet pupils, and a lean physique emerged from the largest tent.

The male Fellkin, whose skin color differed from the rest, also had striking black stripes resembling those of a tiger, and his horns were considerably longer than those of anyone else in the camp.

His aura was also somehow colder.

More wicked and cruel...

Outright sinister...

In fact, the moment he exited, everyone in the camp kneeled, regardless of how far they were from the fell individual.

The Fell Beasts roaming around the area also trembled after sensing his presence.

"W-We greet the Atrox Seres!!" roared the Fellkin in unison.

The Atrox Seres merely scanned his eyes over the camp in response, his cold gaze making each individual shiver whenever his eyes passed over them, even for half a moment.

His stare then settled on the Fellkin Warrior closest to him, who was also among those who had the longest horns in the camp.

"Hakiba, didn’t I summon you?" asked the Atrox Seres in a cold, threatening tone, leaving the veteran Fellkin named Hakiba trembling.

"I-I was just finishing up a few things regarding the battle preparations, Lord Atrox," the veteran explained.

However, the next thing he knew, his vision was sliding sideways, his eyes soon at the same level as his feet, staring at the long and sharp toenails of the Atrox Seres.

Hakiba was dead, smoothly sliced into dozens of pieces like a cucumber on a chopping board.

The atmosphere dropped a few dozen degrees colder.

However, no one dared speak, awaiting the Atrox Seres’ next move.

They could only pray to their twisted gods that their lives wouldn’t be taken next.

"Daku, follow me."

Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened, as the Atrox Seres merely returned to his tent and called for another veteran.

The Fellkin named Daku didn’t dare delay a single second and followed the Atrox Seres inside his tent.

After all, Hakiba had been merely ten seconds late, yet had ended up in dozens of slices.

Atrox Seres leisurely returned to his seat inside the tent, as if he hadn’t just taken the life of one of the more capable Fell warriors to make it east of the Maegrath Continent.

The fell lord then took a sip of a viscous purple wine brewed from the blood of Fell Beasts, mixed with a small portion from the females of his race.

Wiping his mouth crudely with the back of his wrists, the Atrox Seres locked his gaze on Daku.

"So, tell me, how are the preparations coming along?"

"R-Reporting to Atrox Seres!" Daku began. "The so-called Magna Prospects of the lesser race, along with their subordinates, have continued exterminating the Fell Beasts over the past two weeks. The situation is the same in both the east and southeast."

"Good. Continue distracting them with the weaker Fell Beasts. Make them think they’re accomplishing something while our forces wrap around. Any messages from Kurava?"

"None so far, Lord Atrox! It seems everything is proceeding as planned on his side!"

"Good. You’re dismissed."