Arte - Proof of Death.

  A second wing magical mark took shape on the back of Viers’ left hand.

  As expected, the blood of a Level 4 peak is something else. This much gain in Proof of Death.

  Each foe resulted in acquiring experience and benefits to become stronger so he could win against an even stronger foe. Rinse and repeat. The Monster Hunter mentality that Viers adapted.

  With the deceased Baharir’s soul and body secured, it was time for the sweep. The Tower itself was full of useful things.

  But the first thing Viers did after the battle was meet with the caged man who he suspected to be an otherworlder.

  “You won! Thank the Gods. Good Sir, please help me!” The brown-haired man wearing rags in his mid twenties said to Viers.

  “Do you understand me?” Viers said in Earth’s English.

  The man’s eyes looked like saucers from the shock. “Yes! Yes! Are you from Earth as well?”

  “Aye.”

  The man began to shed tears. He talked about how glad he was to meet another earthling. How he had suffered under the yoke of Baharir.

  “Focus. He’s dead now and can't hurt you anymore. What’s your name?”

  “Pardon me, friend. I’m Loki.”

  Viers picked up a gun, one of many in the room, and pointed it at him.

  “H-hey, wha-”

  “I know many Lokis. Myth Loki, boy Loki, movie star Loki, villain Loki, footballer Loki, which are you? Are you trying to trick me!?”

  “Whoa whoa, chill, man,” Loki raised his arms, looking genuinely scared. “I’m just an engineer! I don't know what my parents were thinking about giving their son a Norse god’s name but I suffered plenty in my childhood because of this name. I’m just a junior engineer from Norway!”

  After a few tense seconds where nobody talked, Viers lowered the gun. His soul sense felt the guy wasn't lying.

  “You don't seem to be lying. Apologies. You can't be too careful. In the worst-case scenario, I thought you might be truly the Trickster God.”

  “Y-yeah, man. Cool. I wish I was careful too...”

  “Engineer you said. So these are your inventions?” Viers gestured to the earth-inspired things in the room.

  “Yeah... They are my creations. By the way, you are?”

  “Peter, nice to meet you. Like you, I’m from Earth.”

  Peter was just a random name that Viers borrowed. It was certainly not his Earth’s name. He opened Loki’s cage and gave the man some food and water. The former prisoner accepted those gratefully. As he ate, Viers asked about his story.

  Loki was transmigrated to this world around five years ago by a Goddess. He was dead in a traffic accident. Not by a truck, when Viers asked, surprisingly. The Goddess apologized for the mistake and sent him here to this world.

  Almost dead in the wilderness, he got the good fortune of being saved by some kind people and began to live in the small town of said people. Loki tried to learn magic but his talent was low.

  Apparently not the cheat-kind of isekai for Loki.

  Despite this, Loki tried to find his own way in this world so he began crafting, using the engineering knowledge he had from Earth. It was a success.

  It took all the willpower Viers had to not roll his eyes when he heard this.

  From simple things like water wheel and plow, to eventually steel and guns. Even though creating those was difficult with this world’s technology, the availability of magic was a game changer. Loki just wanted to help his friends and town from monsters and bad Pathseekers.

  This is the very definition of generic isekai beginning. I don't even know how many novels I’ve read using this template.

  Then suddenly everything changed.

  His creations caught the eye of the Magisterium, more specifically, Baharir. Loki’s town was in the Zetel Sultanate territory, the Magisterium's own backyard.

  “Then I got kidnapped. I guess a steam engine is too much,” Loki smiled in self-mockery. “The Tower Master himself came and took me away from my workshop, can you believe that? Unbelievable.”

  Viers could certainly believe it. Even in Earth's modern era, some people could just be taken and not be heard from ever again.

  “Then Baharir used me to create things for him. They even got inside my head, man,” Loki said.

  “Yes, I can see that. The Corpo is using your inventions to make big bucks. They have mammoth-sized ambition,” Viers said as he looked at the sketches of railways and landline telephones.

  “I don't want to help them but they forced me, Peter. If I don't, then my friends will...” Loki sighed.

  “So he knew you’re from another world?” Viers asked.

  “Most likely.”

  “And this?” Viers showed Baharir’s inactive lightsaber.

  “One day, that scum wanted me to create the strongest weapon for his personal use. I, uhh, thought they wouldn't be able to make it, being a work of fiction and all. After getting the design concept from me, I don't know how, but he did it. I swear he was planning to turn this tower into a Death Star eventually.”

  “Right... About this Goddess you met, is her name Estelle?”

  “Err, no. I met a Goddess but her name is not Estelle. Her attire was similar to Roman gods.”

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “I see. Thanks for being honest with me. More food?”

  “Yes, thank you. I’m starving. You’re a really good gu-”

  Viers cut him four times, vertically. Drawing two red lines across Loki’s face.

  Even more so than a tomato on a chopping block, red juices splashed everywhere. He held nothing back, backed by the full might of his Level 4 cultivation. The Level 2 engineer, from a different world or not, had no chance. Viers made it so he did not feel pain.

  The shock in the otherworlders’s eyes was eternal.

  “Thank you for your cooperation. Please ask your Goddess for an isekai refund. This world is not accepting newcomers.”

  Viers swung his katana to remove the blood and sheathed the sword the cold-blooded samurai way.

  “The Admin says so. Better luck next time.”

  ***

  While Viers had no enmity with Loki, he just had to go. There was no place for him in the story. Viers’ story.

  Save for two things, the rest Viers destroyed. He tossed a bomb into the room, erasing any trace of the otherworld.

  One was Loki’s soul. Locked in Viers’ soul supermax, Tartarus. Viers had no intention of making him suffer. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’d examine his soul for anything of use before sending him on his afterlife journey. But, if he met him again, Viers had no problem killing him again and again until he or his Goddess got the point.

  The other was the lightsaber. Would there be anyone foolish enough to let it lying around?

  He got the katana, the greatsword that made him remember his saga in the Lands Between, and lastly, the coolest sword in existence, a lightsaber.

  To those who disagree Viers would say: “The lightsaber is the coolest weapon ever. Search your feelings. You know it to be true.”

  Although the Star Wars brand went down the gutter in the hands of a certain mouse company, the coolness of lightsabers in the first six movies and some games stuck in Viers’ childhood memories and remained with him to this day.

  With those three varieties, Viers had enough swords. He didn't need more sword loot. He’d rather master using them.

  Once Viers had a sword of light Divine Weapon that left him and chose Ciel. That thing was closer to the Excalibur from the Fate series when it glowed golden. A cool weapon for sure, but if Viers had to choose, he would choose the lightsaber in a heartbeat. There was no doubt about that.

  What troubled Viers was what color his lightsaber should be. He was definitely a red guy based on the lore but he liked to use other colors too when playing SW games. It was a very important dilemma but he tabled it for now.

  Now then...

  Viers used his soul sense. There were still ongoing battles on the lower floors but nothing noteworthy. The two lives that somewhat mattered to him, Jessica and Izabella, were fine. The signals from their cards were normal and they were not in combat. Since Jessica was fine, odds were the rescue of the elven mother was a success too.

  Viers thought all was well and began organizing his priorities that followed after victory. As he exited the room, there was someone waiting for him. It was the red-robed man that Baharir called a cultist.

  “Done with your business? Congratulations on your victory. Killing a Tower Master in his own Tower? It was no small feat and a bold one.”

  “You’re still here?” Viers tilted his head slightly. “I thought you would be running away by now, or ambushing me.”

  “And where’s the fun in that? Besides, I have unfinished business with the Tower Master, though, he is now in no condition to finish the deal. Unexpected, I admit. I suppose now I have to make a new deal with whoever is in charge,” said the man to Viers.

  “Well, I’m the one in charge.”

  “Really? You’ll take control of a Magisterium branch? I thought you and your men would take whatever of value not nailed down to the floor and leg it. It’s the more common procedure. What makes you think the Magisterium HQ will allow you to occupy the Tower?”

  “I’m gonna make them an offer they cannot refuse,” Viers walked to a fancy chair that definitely belonged to the late Baharir and crossed his legs.

  “And if they send a Level 5 to solve the problem without negotiating?” The man’s curiosity was piqued.

  “Then the Magisterium will lose a Level 5 personnel on top of losing a Tower, fufufu...”

  Viers still had a mask, a ghost mask that covered the lower half of his face. His chuckling made him look quite sinister.

  “Bold claim. Well, it makes no difference to me, dealing with Baharir, you, or some new guy from the Magisterium. Introductions then, stranger who defeated Baharir. I’m a member of the Warbringers, known as Red Eyes.”

  “Warbringers, followers of the Devil God of Fire and Destruction, Chalchar. I thought you people are all crazy murderous lunatics.”

  “My bloodlust is currently sated, thank you and your friends for spilling so much blood. I recognized the Blood Church and the Bone Ravens. Working together, imagine that.”

  “Hmph. Since we are using made-up names, I’m Ghost. Tell me Red Eyes, do you have a Black Dragon?”

  “...No? What a strange question. I never have.”

  “A pity. Sorry for the random query. Now then, what deal do you want to make?”

  “Weapons, supplies, personnel. Baharir should already have prepared the goods and I have the money.”

  “No. Apologies, but this Tower will no longer manufacture weapons in the guns category, effective immediately. As for orphans and children taken from their homes for their parents' debt, they are no longer available either. Going to send them back to their families.”

  “Figures,” Red Eyes sighed. “I somehow get the feeling it was going to be like that. Even though you don't strike me as the soft kind.”

  By now, Jessica should already have seen the children in the Doctor’s lab. He didn't want to upset her for some currency. He had loads of it. Besides, he planned on using those children to buy the Church's favor.

  Red Eyes and Ghost sensed people were starting to make their way up here.

  “I better get going... Aww, shucks. My master is going to scold me for this. I told him our reputation is shit in diplomacy.”

  “Wait.”

  Viers tossed Red Eyes a sphere with a magical sign in it.

  “A way for us to stay in contact. I can't sell you children but I do have things that might interest you or your warmongering cult.”

  “Hmm, I’ll take your word for now. Cheers.”

  Red Eyes waved his hand with his back turned. After a couple of steps, the man was gone.

  Viers relaxed a little.

  ...What a dangerous man. Red Eyes... It seems the rumors are not entirely of hot air.

  Red Eyes was a Level 4 Pathseeker, a strong one at that. Viers was not looking forward to a scuffle after his draining fight with Baharir. His instincts told him Red Eyes was close to him in age and battle strength. Not one to be underestimated. No wonder Baharir dealt with him in person. Thankfully, the man retreated without fuss.

  Before long, one of his raid party members made their way up. It was Lykin.

  “You won, Ghost? Am I the first one to arrive?”

  “Yes, and yes, Claw,” Viers said.

  “Good. Imaginary Domain!”

  “Imaginary Domain.”

  At the sudden Imaginary Domain, Viers responded with one of his own. He was still seated, his fist propping his chin. He wasn't surprised in the slightest. What did he expect from a bunch of selfish, murderous, devil worshipers?

  “So, thinking this is the opportune moment to strike, did you?”

  “Your fight with the Tower Master is something, alright. Never thought a Level 4 low could do so much against a peak and win to boot. However, you are low on Victa. I’m sure of it.”

  Without Victa, even the strongest Pathseeker was just a man.

  On one side, a sea. On the other, darkness. The darkness sometimes showed gigantic maws of beasts. In that darkness, the claws of Lykin glinted with light.

  “Your Domain won't last for long. Soon... Well, don't think bad of me, darling,” she licked the metal claw tip.

  “You’re right to discern that my Victa is low,” Viers said calmly.

  With a slow movement of his hand, souls appeared in front of him, like floating small gray fires.

  “Arte - Soul Energon.”

  The souls replenished a sizable amount of Viers’ Victa and faded to nothingness in a million pieces. It was then that Lykin thought she miscalculated.

  “...Fuck.”

  “Mistake,” Viers smiled and the sea roiled with a mighty force.