Season 4: CH1: Nuclear Threat.

  “Scrub! Squeak! Clean! Scrub! Squeak! Clean! Scrub! Squeak! Clean!”

  A hundred voices chanted in unison.

  “Scrub! Squeak! Clean! Scrub! Squeak! Clean! Scrub! Squeak! Clean!”

  My goblins, spiders, skeletons, and slimes. My horde of monsters shouting their mantra either out loud or telepathically as they cleaned my throne room and worshipped my yellow form.

  “Scrub! Squeak! Clean! Scrub! Squeak! Clean! Scrub! Squeak! Clean!”

  Music to my non-existent ears.

  Within the underground chamber of the Gracemia estate, I surveyed my forces. Sweeping my consciousness over my soldiers that guarded my new dungeon.

  Some time had passed since the Normus Mountain incident.

  Two months to be exact, and in that time with that effort spent crafting my dungeon beneath the Gracemia Estate and training my soldiers.

  All of whom were being watched by me and the careful gazes of the paladin named Berus Gracemia and her entourage of inquisitors and separatists.

  Lhikan stood beside the paladin, the two holy knights observing with mixed fascination the hordes of monsters scrubbing the floors of my home.

  However, while Lhikan had a smile with eyes that gleamed with anticipation, Berus had a more gloomy look.

  I could tell she wasn't a fan of my army. That she had her reservations about utilizing a monster army to change her nation or that she still distrusted me.

  Still, what was now in motion couldn't be stopped.

  Not by Berus, not by anyone. Even if I were to be struck down here and now, the downfall of the human nations were already in motion and my will would be enacted no matter the cost.

  Slimey would make sure of it.

  “Lord Hiro,” Lhikan said, kneeling with his head bowed in reverence, an act that seemed to catch the retinue behind him off guard, “Lady Berus and the members of the Reformists.”

  Leave us.

  At my order the monsters dispersed, retreating into the tunnels I had dug to lay claim to my new domain.

  The humans eyed my servants with suspicious eyes, some, hiding their distrust completely while others blatantly moved their hands towards their weapons.

  Fortunately my minions left without incident, leaving me alone in my chamber to entertain my guests.

  Suddenly, laughter, a jaring, condescending tone that directed my attention to a member of Berus’s Reformists.

  “Is this a joke?” A knight said, pointing at my yellow duck body upon my golden throne fashioned of gems and rare metals. “You said you had a weapon to fight the demon hordes, how is a rubber duck-”

  The man vanished. His sudden disappearance causing the delegation of humans to draw their weapons.

  Sigh…

  “It's a trap! Berus you sold us out!” A reformist exclaimed, brandishing his weapon at the paladin who merely scowled.

  Slimey. I sent, reaching out to my minion no doubt teetering on the edge of dissolving a human.

  “Yes master?”

  Give the human back and apologize.

  “But they insul-”

  Now.

  Out of the shadows, Slimey emerged beside my throne, the tall priestess with wide hips and beautiful face merely a facade to disguise her true predatory nature.

  However, it wasn't her beauty that distracted the party of humans, but rather the man she dragged by the neck in her hands as she slowly approached.

  “My apologies Lady Berus,” Slimey kowtowed, holding the knight out by his neck as if offering the woman a gift, “The insult your cohort exoled to my master stirred my heart and moved my hand. Though I wish to remove his tongue, I would urge you humans to-”

  The lights within dimmed, casting the room into shrieks and shadows as I activated synchronize, my ability taking control of the throne I sat upon to reveal its true nature.

  That of a slime.

  The chair of gold and metal quickly waned, warping in a flash to twist and contort into a body.

  But not just any body, but my body. The form of my once lost human self. The legendary Hero.

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  “Slimey, enough. Release the man,” I ordered, walking out of the shadows to bow before the group of stunned humans who immediately recognized my visage. “Forgive my subordinate.”

  “My Lord-!” Slimey shrieked only to go wide-eyed and quiet at my silent command before releasing the man and vanishing into the shadows.

  “I welcome the delegation of the Human Reformationists to my humble chambers and apologize for my subordinate’s behavior in these trying times,” I said, speaking to the humans attending to their assailed friend. “Please, accept my apology by way of these fine jewels and crafted items.”

  As if on cue, a loud concerted clinking of metal on metal sounded, the telltale sounds of men in armor moving.

  Except, these weren't men, but goblins, goblin knights to be exact that entered the chamber carrying boxes of rare jewels.

  “Goblin knights?!” One of the entourage exclaimed before a collective gasp was heard as their eyes settled on a black as night goblin with long blonde hair and large frame.

  Gobledo. My Goblin Paladin.

  As humans that utilize holy attributes, their faces were ones of mixed confusion as they stared at my Goblin oozing with holy energy. The same energy commonly utilized by humans and those of pure nature.

  But, their astonishment was replaced with greed as their eyes cast down upon the chests of items held in my goblin's hands.

  How typical…

  “Lord Hiro, we are here to discuss the terms of your cooperation,” Berus cut in, reminding her people what their task was.

  “Of course,” I said, offering a bow and directing the delegation towards a new chamber I had set aside for this exact purpose.

  Berus had wanted to keep my existence under wraps for longer, to hide the nature of the being known as Hiro. Or, what remained of me anyway.

  But I had other plans as the troop of humans found themselves seated in a lavish room of red velvet and gold.

  “First we would like to discuss the disaster at the Normus Mountain range,” Berus said, opting to stand, the paladin recognizing the true nature of the furniture.

  “What's there to discuss?” I replied, sitting down at the largest chair in the room reserved for myself. “I told you before, I encountered Barberoll and we fought.”

  “You want us to believe the great demon Barberoll-” Berus began, her face turned into a scowl as I lifted my hand, an action that silence the woman.

  “Believe what you want, I've stated the facts as they were,” I replied, turning my attention to the delegates, pawns of those higher up who were weary of my existence.

  Of course what I spun was a lie. The entire mountain range had been obliterated and irradiated due to a nuclear reactor detonating.

  But these fools didn't know that, and I had no intentions of explaining the existence of Virgil and the Lemodian dwarfs.

  “Ehem… respectfully, the inquisition reports a complete, and utter ecological disaster! With the entire area poisoned by some unseen spell!” A member of the delegation exclaimed.

  Ah… that would be the radiation.

  “And its spreading, carried into the winds where demon territory lay,” Another member pipped in, “Our entire frontline are experiencing increased demon activity and heightened aggression. Whatever this poison is, it has the demons whipped Into a frenzy.”

  “No doubt fleeing from the poison.”

  “The High council is debating on pulling back the line. They're worried that with Barborall’s return, the major cities could be in jeopardy.”

  You mean they want to protect their wealth. Is what I wanted to say, instead I stayed silent, allowing the envoys of the human Reformists delegation to yap incessantly.

  “If you really are who you say you are, why aren't you fighting the great demon?” The knight Slimey had kidnapped previous said, the man still rubbing his throat.

  “I've been asleep for a couple of thousand years, can't a man get the lay of the land first?” I replied, flashing a smile as the torchs that illuminated the room dimmed with the delegation visibly growing uncomfortable.

  The discussions went on for some time, the ambassadors complaining about the radiation, asking what I could provide, and proof of who I said I was.

  Of course, I side-stepped, giving vague answers and assurances while parading my wealth until finally, the meeting was over.

  “That went better than I anticipated,” Berus said, watching as her adjutant Donut and Lhikan led the diplomats away from the conference room. “Still too much complaining.”

  “Yet they were all too happy to accept my gifts though,” I replied, standing with my arms crossed as the conference room began to shimmer and ooze, revealing cobblestone and dirt that had been obscured by the tapestry of slime.

  Slimey reformed, changing into her humanoid form to stand beside me in the vestments of a priestess.

  She turned, standing with a small grin with eyes filled with expectations.

  “You did excellent.”

  At my praise the humanlike skin tone Slimey wore turned pink, going flush as I turned my attention back to Berus.

  “You surprised me Lady Berus.”

  “How so?” The paladin replied.

  “Selling out your allies.”

  “Those parasites aren't allies. They're fence sitters. Once they're eliminated we can push for actual reform,” Berus replied.

  I couldn't help but chuckle.

  “If you say so, do you have what I asked for?” I sent back as I eyed my timer. My minion synchronization would be ending soon, fortunately I had leveled it just enough to allow the meeting to run it's course.

  “Donut has them prepared. But first, tell me what really happened at the Normus Mountain range, no previous clash between Barberoll or you had ever released such destructive power,” Berus demanded, her tone and expression irking Slimey.

  Through my bond with my champion I could feel her surpressed bloodlust, her desire to consume, and destroy the person so brazen to talk to me in such a manner.

  I smiled.

  “I nuked the place.”

  “Nuked?”

  “Call it a skill.”

  The paladin narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over me as she tried to ascertain my power level.

  It wasn't very much mind you, not to the degree of a powerhouse like Berus, but that didn't mean I wasn't a threat. Especially with my knowledge of sciences and the age old trick of a nuclear deterrent in my back pocket.

  “Looks can be deceiving paladin,” I said, “What I know could bring this world into a new age of peace but also doom it.”

  “And how do I know you plan to help us, not-doom us?”

  “Guess you'll have to wait and see,” I shrugged before my smile vanished. “If I find what I see wanting, I might just nuke everything and start this world over.”

  A bluff, but no war was ever won with truth and facts.

  Berus clenched her jaw, the only taletell sign of the usually stoic woman in distress.

  “So… once again, I ask. Do you have what I asked for?” I repeated, flashing a small smile.

  “I do, Donut will bring it down shortly,” Berus Gracemia said, eager to leave as she no doubt wondered about the beast she had brought into her home.

  “Good,” I sent back, watching the paladin in armor saunter off before my consciousness transfered back into my yellow plastic body.

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