The sun was at it's peak, and the wind was beginning to blow gently. The breeze blew from around the trees and hit their bodies, caressing them softly. Although some rays of sunlight came through, it was still mostly dark.

The member's of the blood wolf's and Lucifer & Oxy had finished cutting the era's of all things — mutants — they had killed. In total, they had approximately killed 400 of them. 360-380 of them had been killed by oxy and Lucifer.

Their corpses were spread out on the ground. Their bodies looking pathetic and pitiful, even in death.

Although they were called "mutants", they simply looked like humans, yet their skin showed signs of withering and their skin was thin, looking like it would stretch out or tear if someone put too much pressure on it.

"Ugh, the smell..."

One of the blood wolf's said as they rubbed their nose.

At that moment, Luna, who'd been gathering the dead Karakter's ear's, approached them.

"Hey, I'm done."

She said in a tired voice.

She was covered in some dirt and in her hand she was holding two large plastic bags.

"The bags are a bit heavy but I'll carry them."

Lucifer said as he approached her and picked up the bags from her hands.

"So, how much money do you think we'll get for this?"

"Let's see.."

Saul said before doing some mental calculation's.

"If one karakter is ¥10,000, then we have got ourselves approximately ¥4,000,000."

"Four million yen......."

Taguchi mumbled to himself.

"I mean, it's not an amount to scoff at but..."

"Think of it as a bonus, pretty good. Drinks are on me after we return to Neo-Tokyo's."

There were no one's that protested what Saul had said, who would anyway? Money was money, and free money was something everybody wanted. And the amount of money they had gotten was quite large, it was four million yen after all. That would equate to around 30,000 dollars in USD.

That was the amount that a middle class family would have difficulty getting. That was the amount of money they could get from killing 400 monsters.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Hirata said with a half-smile.

"We also have the children of the forest and werebears, we'll get more money from them."

"True." Saul said as he nodded.

The other blood wolf's nodded in agreement as well.

"The werebear's will give a good amount, but I'm not so sure about the children of the forest."

Taguchi then spoke up:

"So, how's this 'bonus' money being to be distributed, i mean Sato-san did most of the heavy lifting."

"Huh, now that I think of it...." Saul said, as if having just realized something, a somewhat troubled expression crossing his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I hadn't given that much thought."

All eyes fell on Lucifer, which surprised him a little since he just did what he had to.

"Just split it equally. I don't really care all that much about money anyways."

While on the outside he was shining like a brilliant hero, on the inside he was weeping.

"Are.. You sure?" Saul asked, his eyes staring at Lucifer as if not quite believe what he had just heard. It wasn't a small amount he was dismissing. He was essentially declining a lot of money.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Lucifer shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. It wasn't a big deal to him. It indeed was, but he was playing the role of a valiant hero who is selfless.

"I would've been a terrible superhero."

The others remained silent for a bit before Luna spoke up.

"You're one crazy guy, Sato-san..."

For people living in this era, the money in which Lucifer had nonchalantly declined amounted to a lot, so she was amazed at him. The rest of the group exchanged glances, and even Taguchi and Luna looked bewildered. After a while, Saul was the one who spoke up again:

"Well, if you don't want it...."

"Yeah, I don't."

"Alright then. We'll just split it evenly between us."

Saul decided, and everyone but Lucifer nodded.

After the discussion and other matters were concluded, Saul called for them to move out. The group shouldered their baggage and entered the forest. There were trees felled by dead bodies nearby. The earth was already dried out. It looked like an barely walkable stretch of forest, but the scenery before their eyes slowly transformed into something like a grey labyrinth.

There were no landmarks in the forest, and it was impossible to tell in which direction one was moving. A sense of unease filled everyone, as though they had been swallowed up. The sky-scraping trees further intensified that uneasiness, and most people would have been frightened by this scene. However, Lucifer had an non-human mind and felt no fear, apart from the vestiges of his human mind. He calmly praised the magnificent natural vista before him.

In Hollow — forest and other natural zones, he considered these things to be simple in-game scenery. Even now, he still thought the same way. Lucifer — who was proud of his former in-game's base — was filled with complex emotions. He had not expected that natural forest could be so awe-inspiring.

"I see why Juviel-san liked nature so much…"

He looked around as he surveyed the forest, but it was peaceful, and he saw no traces of any animals. Aside from the distant sound of roars, there was no sign of life here at all.

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"Why are there no birds chirping?"

Luna said with a confused expression, his eyes searching the surroundings.

"Yeah, now that i think of it, there aren't any. There's no traces of life at all, not even any birds or animals. It's creepy. It's as if we've entered a haunted forest or something," Lucifer answered.

Suddenly Saul began to laugh and spoke:

"The bird control act of 2095."

"...Pardon me?"

Lucifer shot a glance at Saul in confusion.

"2095's bird control act, you don't know about it?"

"No, mind explaining?"

Saul coughed once before answering:

"In short, the birds in the forest carry a special virus that's transmissible to humans, one which could result in death to anyone who contracts it by getting bitten. Thus, a law was passed which allowed the killing of any bird within a 100 km radius is any city, so this is the result, almost all birds in Japan are dead."

"..."

Lucifer was flabbergasted at this ridiculous law, so he couldn't help but go silent. In his previous life, there were birds everywhere, and there were even times when he saw birds being eaten as a food source. He had a hard time comprehending how a law

Like this could have been passed.

"...What issue?"

Lucifer didn't even want to hear the answer, knowing it would be something ridiculous or ridiculous stupid. Still, he asked.

"Well, you see..."

Saul scratched his cheek with his right index finger, his expression growing bit awkward as he replied:

"Birds are a necessary part of the ecosystem because they act as insect-controllers. After all the birds were gone, there were a fuckton of insects, and people don't like bugs."

"What did people do then?"

Lucifer asked, his eyes still roaming the empty forest.

"Well, they went on a insect extermination."

Saul said with a shrug: "The Japanese government called for all citizens to exterminate all the insects on their property. And the result of that was a pesticide war where insects were exterminated using pesticides, insecticides, or gas which further intoxicated the forest's and the results are as you can see."

"It certainly looks like it..."

Lucifer nodded as he walked.

Saul looked back at Lucifer and said:

"Why don't we split ways for a bit?"

"What's that so?"

"Nature call's."

As Lucifer nodded, he saw Taguchi, Hirata and Saul go in one direction while Luna and Nomi went in another.

"Ahhhh! Finally! I was thinking that they wouldn't ever leave."

Lucifer internally mused.

They moved about fifty meters into the forest.

Trees and vegetation blocked the way behind them, so they did not worry about being spotted. There was someone nearby who could immediately deal with anybody who was following them, so there was no need to fret about that either.

"Here should be fine."

"Yes."

"Then, let's discuss how to improve my reputation here."

"…May I ask how you plan to do that? Does it involve finding the person they want?"

Lucifer looked quietly at oxy, and then shook his head:

"I plan to fight the King of the Radiated Forest."

Oxy seemed to have a question mark over his head, so Lucifer explained further:

"My aim is to impress my might upon them in an easily understandable way."

"…Was the battle with the werebears not enough to convince them of your power?"

"…You're not wrong to say that, but children of the forest and werebears are not enough. When they discuss my accomplishments back in town, there's a world of difference between saying I slew an werebear in one blow and saying I defeated the king of the Radiated Forest. One of them will spread much faster and further than the other."

Lucifer paused and said:

"This is why I need to put on a good show."

"I see! As I thought, your plans take everything into consideration, Lucifer-sama! Still, how will we find that King of the Radiated Forest?"

"I've already planned for that."

Just as oxy was about to ask, a third speaker cut in.

"Yup~ that's why I'm here."

Oxy jerked his head over toward the source of the sudden voice. He even thrust his right hand out, preparing to aim and cast a spell. However, his face changed immediately upon seeing who the speaker was.

"Dark-sama! Please don't scare me like that."

"Sorry"

A Greater Doppelganger popped out from behind a nearby tree, with a beaming smile that seemed to say ehehe on his face. He was the second strongest person Lucifer had under his control right now who guarded Lucifer's house — Dark.

"May I ask when you arrived?"

"Hmm? I've been following behind you and Lucifer-sama ever since you entered the forest."

Dark was a Doppelganger-cum-Spy, so tracking people in the forest was chiild's play to him. While it was true that Hirata was also a spy, the difference in their abilities was so great that there was no way he could have spotted her.

"So, my job here is to find the monster called The king of the Radiated Forest, then urge it to attack Lucifer-sama."

Dark swiftly genuflected before Lucifer, in the manner of a vassal to his liege.

It did not quite seem like Dark's style, but Lucifer responded in kind, listening to his report in his capacity as his master.

"The order you gave me to 'investigate and control the interior of the forest, verify if there are any lifeforms willing to obey you, and set up a fake base of operations,' is going well, Lucifer-sama."

"Is that so," Lucifer replied simply.

After having teamed up with the Blood wolf's, Lucifer had handed down different orders to each of his creations. The reason he ordered Dark to scout the Radiated Forest was in order to ensure his safety and collect information. As for the fake base, it might be better to describe it as more of a shelter. The reason he ordered him to build it there was to provide a hiding place

In case there was an emergency and he could not return to his home. In addition, it would be best to have an alternate base of operations to avoid his house's location being revealed. And of course, it could be used to store all manner of supplies and resources.

He had ordered him to find creatures which would obey him because he wanted to see if he could power level them. In addition, he wanted to learn about how one went about gaining levels in this world, if that was even possible for anyone.

Because of this string of tasks, dark and the vassals designated for construction, and other powerful entities had invaded the forest and disrupted

The balance of power within it. This was why the werebears and other monsters had chosen to flee, even at the risk of treading within the domain of the king of he Radiated Forest.

"Still, the construction of the fake base will take a long time to complete."

"That can't be helped. After all, it has only been a short while since I gave you that order."

While dark had access to Golems (which Lucifer had created) and undead (which Lucifer had created a hundred of at once by using an item) from his home, which could labor forever without needing to sleep or eat, this was not a task which could be easily finished, considering the amount of work that needed to be done.

"It's all right if it takes extra time. Try your best to make it perfect. Make ample preparations for defense, so we won't fall short if we're attacked."

"Yes! Understood!"

"Very well. Then, Dark, I'll leave the matter of the king of the Radiated Forest to you."

"Yes!" dark replied energetically as he will stood back up.

———————————————————

After Lucifer bade Dark farewell, The latter turned himself invisible and was currently flying through the forest at great speed. Once a great while, Dark would stop to observe the surrounding landscape. This was more like habit than anything else. He was well aware of the territory's lay-out and had little need to be checking it every other minute.

His vision had perfect night-vision and thermal vision, so he would not have trouble navigating in the darkness, even in the darkness of the Radiated Forest.

In addition, his sense of smell was very powerful, so even if he were to fly blind, he would not be in any real danger. Dark fighting strength was middle from the top among the current vassals of Lord Lucifer. However, that only took into consideration his solo abilities.

Dark's forte did not lie in fighting in his base form but as someone else. Of the hundreds of forms which dark could take, his strongest ones were any of the thirteen supreme beings of angels of hell.

For the most part, his original form was the weakest, which was why he preferred disguising himself rather than fighting in his original form. However, these forms were also his trump card so normally, if he wasn't in a fight, he would prefer to be in his base.

Dark's ability to change appearance was so incredible that there was no single soul (other than Lucifer of course) who would be able to even dream of seeing through his disguises if he put his mind to it.

After about thirty minutes of flying, Dark reached his destination.

Dark smiled. It was a cold smile which did not fit his youthful face. It was equal parts innocent and cruel.

"I kind of wanted it for myself, but Lucifer-sama did give me an order, so it can't be helped."

Dark knew where the King of the Radiated Forest made its lair because he had long wanted to subdue it for his own. The King of the Forest was much weaker than Dark's own monsters, so it had no value to him. However, it was an unfamiliar creature to Dark, and that inflamed his collector's desire. Something which he had gotten from his creator.

It was a shame to have to let it go, but if he was giving it up to his master, the Destined Ruler of this world to whom he owed all loyalty, then he had no complaints.

"Now then…"

Dark proudly walked up to the king of the Radiated Forest, all traces of his presence thoroughly erased. He had a passive skill which induced terror, startling awake the sleeping King of the Radiated forest.

Every hair on the King of the Radiated Forest stood on end, and it fled immediately. The speed of a terrified four-legged beast was startling. Yet Dark — Who was chasing it from behind — was faster still.

Dark shadowed the King of the Radiated Forest, harrying it towards Lucifer, like he was a guided specter of Death.

It had become a game of cat and mouse between the two, but it would only end on way.

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