Chapter 48: Amon
"Beast Lord Amon?" This piqued Roy’s interest.
Previously, he had speculated that since earthlings also had beasts, they too could become Lords... but to think he was right.
Sigh... Racism is about to have a whole different meaning. He could already foresee the future divide and chaos this would cause.
Even now, he had an inkling of why they were already clashing with a Beast Lord...
The guard narrating continued.
"Yes, Beast Lord Amon is the name he announced to us that he went by."
"Right before he kidnapped all our K-9 unit..."
Roy’s eyes twitched. He had been right. "What species is this Lord?" He could already tell this Lord wasn’t human — all that was left was to know his species.
"Ah... about that, sir... he was a Mountain Grey Wolf, also a canine. He said he came to redeem his people and add them to his pack..." The poor guard stuttered, his words conveying how ridiculous it sounded.
By now, they had already arrived before the police outpost, the heart of his territory.
Roy sighed, not because of the guard’s statements, but at the disparity.
Compared to Vera, who had a majestic, ominous onyx spire centering her city, his was but a mere humble outpost.
Small, lackluster, plain, and not intimidating in the slightest — these were the words that could describe the building.
How was this fair?
Others got cool constructs — massive, colossal structures as their default residence. But him?
He started to get a taste of how Vera and her nine subordinates must have felt as they watched him mow through dungeon beasts effortlessly.
This feeling... it wasn’t pleasant in the least.
Yes, he had cheat-like skills and perks, but at what cost?
He sighed once more. He had to be quick in upgrading the outpost into something greater — at least something befitting of the cosmic policing headquarters.
Meanwhile, not noticing his Lord’s change of mood, the guard continued speaking.
"I am not clear on how Beast Lord Amon got his hands on the whole of the K-9 unit, but what is clear is that this was done against their will."
"And that’s why Captain Richard had no choice but to go meet with the Lord — to see if it was possible to retrieve the K-9 unit without violence."
The guard let out a deep breath, having finished relaying the events that led Richard outside.
"I see. How thoughtful of Richard. He probably made this choice in an attempt not to escalate the situation... too bad he will fail." Roy quickly deduced.
It wasn’t that he was pessimistic — it was just the conclusion he pieced together after hearing the vague bits about the Lord.
For one, it was a Beast, and it would surely be dealing with an inferiority complex.
Meaning it would try its best to prove it was now superior to humans, who were once the apex predators and dominators of Earth.
Tch! Just a rabid mutt. I’ll deal with it if it pushes too far. He resolved to go on a dog-butchering spree.
He might have been feeling complacent, but the truth was that he had every right to.
Right now, even early-comer Lords like Vera would be hard-pressed to defeat him. If her ability, Absolute Exchange, wasn’t in the picture, then she wouldn’t be a match at all.
Also, his three stats had been compressed into one triple-functioning attribute, making his stats triple their weight and overtly balanced.
Plus, all the loot he had brought back home promised a massive boost in the overall strength of his territory as a whole.
All these components assured him that the pressure of another Lord — especially a fellow newcomer — couldn’t faze him.
As Roy arrived before the entrance of the outpost, the three guards stopped in their tracks and saluted before making their way back to their posts.
Before Roy left, he had placed a restriction on entry to his main building — only those of Captain rank and the Treasurer could step in. Speaking of Treasurer...
The moment Roy stepped into the chill change of atmosphere, he caught sight of Ashley first.
Her violet silky locks draped across her back, her exquisite amber pupils catching sight of him.
As she walked forward, Roy couldn’t help but admire her uniform once more. Indeed, it was pleasing to the eyes.
"Master, you are back!" Her delicate voice chirped in surprised excitement.
"Yes, sorry I came late. I heard what you guys have been up to..." Roy smiled as he spoke. Recalling something, he quickly instructed:
"Oh yes, go to the cells. Go meet Dio and tell him that I said to hand over all the loot to you."
"Ah..." Her betrayed hesitation at hearing the instruction was clear, but she quickly nodded resolutely.
This sight made Roy sigh in relief. He really would have been disappointed if her mind was so frail as to be traumatized by a failed rape attempt.
After all, this was Arcana, and there were bound to be things thousands of times worse that might happen. He wouldn’t want a fragile mind that was easy to break among his inner circle...
Thank goodness. Hehehe, I’m going to be rich... He rubbed his hands in anticipation of his foreseeable wealth.
The thought of all his gains doubling almost made him drool.
Who said he couldn’t eat his cake and have it?
Thinking of something, he decided to inquire from the system.
Come to think of it, system — if Ashley’s Order of Double is a second-class Order, why is its perk so overpowered, almost on par with, if not more than, mine?
[For the question to be answered properly, Host has to be aware that Orders are classified into three sections...]
[The weakest, third-class Orders, give perks with the lowest potential, meaning their bearers’ aptitudes would be mediocre if not worse. They might have unique perks that seem useful, but they would be severely limited.]
[The second-class Orders are different. Their perks have high initial potential, but in the long run their limits begin to show. Host’s subordinate Ashley falls into this category.]
[It might seem that her perk is more powerful, but in terms of long-term potential it is limited. Once Hunters reach the wall of talent, the limit of stats, and begin to acquire Legendary-rank items, one would see how lacking her Blessing of Double is...]
[As for the first-class Orders, these are the true rule-breakers. The likes of Host’s subordinate Ashley can’t come close to Vera or Host himself in terms of potential. After all, Host’s skills promise massive buffs in damage and element, not in stats. The limit of stats can hinder the effect of Host’s skills...]
Understanding dawned on Roy. It seemed there were things he hadn’t taken into account. And It turned out he had to scrap his plan of handing his Legendary items to Ashley.
Apparently, her Order had limits... He sighed regretfully.
Coming out of his thoughts, his gaze rested on two figures bowing toward him in the corner.
"Ah, I see. You guys are the new Captains Richard enlisted... I see one of you is missing."
The two answered with a hint of reverence in their voices. "Greetings, Lord. Vladen followed Richard in the venture to Amon’s territory."
"I see..." Roy answered, distracted by their info, which he was already inspecting.
Holy shit! Where the hell did Richard find such gems!