Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 485 RETURNERS SUCK

“There’s gotta be something we are missing,” Easton mumbled. It was a few days after the conference. 

All hell had broken loose after it was over. One of the reporters that was a Hunter, that I may have may have personally invited to the conference, had stayed up during the whole thing. He had heard my explanation, and even gotten video of the Ruler. Though his camera didn’t work when we were teleported to that other dimension, or wherever the hell it was, it was enough to cause a panic. 

Riots had already broken out and people were panicking. Hunter Associations and guilds around the world were increasing recruitment. Not so much for the fight I had called for, but to ensure they were as strong as possible to protect their own. I knew it was a possibility, but I had to keep thinking of ways to bring them to my side. 

“How is training going?” I asked, trying to change the subject. 

“Good, portals disappeared like you guessed,” Easton said. “I’m kind of figuring out my Rift skill so I was able to speedrun Jin-Ah a little. I’m level 90 so I should be okay when this thing happens.”

“That’s another thing,” I said, my head rocking back as I looked at the ceiling. “Monarchs took us over after we got to level 100. They might try to trap you and the other Players to bring more of their Monarch buddies to this side.”

“Ugh,” he said. “Gotta admit, despite all your preparations, this world kind of sucks.”

“You’re telling me,” I said, spinning my glass of whiskey to let the ice clink together. “There was a reason the Cup of Reincarnation kept being used.”

“You sure you don’t want to?” Easton asked again. 

“Fuck no,” I said. “It probably wouldn’t work how we want. I bet it would send this entire world back in time ten years. Then I would have to spend ten years here trying to get back to this point. Returners are only for when all other options are thrown out.”

“There is the other one,” he mumbled.

“What?” I asked. 

“The Cup of-” He stopped as I flashed him a signal. It was something only he and I would know. A thumb pointing to the side. 

Back when we were kids I went through this weird phase. Trying to be edgy or original like I hoped every kid did at one point in their lives. For some reason I thought a thumbs up was too mainstream. Instead, when I wanted to give one I would stick up my thumb and turn it to the right or left. Making it more of a thumbs side, instead of up. I couldn’t tell you why I did it, I just did. Currently Easton and I used that as a way to signal when we wanted to watch what we said. Make certain we were careful with our words. We didn’t trust speaking or the Chat function. This was the only way we could discreetly give one another hints. Luckily we were the same person, and often had the same train of thought as one another.  

“Cup of Life,” he corrected. I nodded, showing him he was right on track. “Maybe I could open a portal to…wherever they took us and take that. We could get more Players at least.”

“True,” I said. “Think you could?” 

“It’s worth a shot,” I said with a shrug. “For all I know they’re watching us though.”

“True,” I said. “But maybe you can focus on that. If you can't, you could at least make a Portal somewhere for us to run to.”

“Very true,” he said with a sigh, playing up like we had no secret plan. “I think I’ll go open the portal to the world I can. Maybe see if there are any Portals to other worlds on that planet. Work on variety.”

“Sounds good,” I said. “Good luck, man. I’m uh really glad you’re here. My plan would suck without you.”

“Finally you admit it,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll call in the favor sometime. I just like to, you know, not suck at this whole conquering canons thing.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, waving him off. He opened a red portal and disappeared instantly, showing he was getting better at the skill. Whether mana was mixing with it to make it stronger or not, he was the only reason we could level our new Players. 

“What about you?” I asked Jinwoo. He was sitting in the shadows not paying attention to our conversation, as per usual. His dad was having a welcome home time with his mom, so the man tended to stay away from home at night. Which was why he had shown up at my hotel in Seoul in the middle of the night with Easton. 

“I don’t like this,” Jinwoo said.

“Which part?” I asked. “The species coming after us? The lackluster plan of fighting it out?” 

“All of it,” he said. His eyes dark, he was actually angry. His Shadows began to close in slightly, ready to defend or attack, depending on what Jinwoo wanted. I ignored them. Instead I studied JInwoo. He wasn’t the short weak Hunter I grew to know. We had been around the same height when we were kids. I awoke as a Hunter at an early age, but was only D-Rank. He awoke as E-Rank soon after. I was accepted into a guild on a contract as primarily a porter, he was allowed to squeeze into the weakest of dungeons when people were desperate for bodies. 

He was once called the weakest Hunter. And after he became a Player he should have been the strongest. It was not something he ever meant to do, mainly he pushed himself to bring his mother out of a coma. Once he did that he stopped trying as hard. If I had let the canon go as it was supposed to, there would have been a lot more death. In Jeju Island and many other dungeons around the world. 

“We shouldn’t have put ourselves out there,” Jinwoo said. “The Monarchs will become more aggressive because of it. You saw it in their past. They enjoy killing humans. They relish in it.”

“What about the undead?” I asked, locking eyes with him. 

“What?” 

“The Undead,” I said. “All of these Monarchs are Kings of a species. You are the king of the Undead. You’ve only been making undead of those you killed. But that species is out there in the cosmos. We could ask them for help. There might be draugrs, liches, or any number of undead species kicked off this planet that we could call for help. You’re their King.”

“I…didn’t think of that,” he mumbled, a little lost. 

“You didn’t because they would hate humans just as much. Even me,” I said looking around to make sure Easton wasn’t there. “I took the place of the King of the Fairies, the Monarch of Light. I could potentially call them, but I know they wouldn’t help. Not only do we not have a way to find their worlds. They all hate humans.” I sighed, trying to convey what I needed to without losing him. He had recently got his family back, and above all I needed him there to help with the fighting. 

“We are alone, Jinwoo. There are no beings out there on our side. We could have trillions of monsters to fight. You saw the wars they raged. So many dead…and so many undead,” I said, smiling at him. “We can only count on ourselves. We have to bring everyone together. No fighting this alone, its an impossible task. One that only has either a reset or power button at the end, and by god, don’t you dare think about resetting.”

He frowned. I knew his Haki pulsed every time we talked of the Cup of Reincarnation. That was still what he wanted to do. I had to steer him clear of that. If Easton was able to do everything I hinted at, we would have access to that cup, but I didn’t want to use it. 

“Head home. Spend time with your family….get stronger. We will need you ready when they attack,” I said as I stood. He nodded, but continued to stare at nothing. I shook my head, I had given him enough warning. 

I went back to my bedroom. A passed out Cha Hae-In splayed upon it. With Hancock gone she and I hadn’t strayed far from one another. Both of us taking comfort in one another.

Disrobing, I moved to on top of her, kissing her cheek as she laid on her chest. “Good morning,” I whispered. 

“Leave me alone,” she said. “I know it isn’t morning.” She huffed as my dick poked between her ass cheeks. “I see now why Hancock asked for help. This is too much.”

“What? I’ve been going easy on you,” I said in her ear. She frowned as I laid on her skin to skin.

“You have,” she said with a frown. “You know I will not be offended if you wanted to sleep with others.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, surprised by the offer. “I thought…”

“I am the other woman,” she said, opening her eyes to stare at the wall. “You were not mine to begin with. Who am I to demand things of you?” 

I frowned, hating it when she talked all formally. I grabbed her hip and flipped her over like a pancake. Her breasts swaying with the motion she stared up at me emotionless. “I like you,” I said. She frowned. “It’s not love, I’m sorry. We haven’t known each other that long. But I would like to get there. No matter…what happens with Hancock.” 

“We will-” I cut her off.

“We will do our best,” I said with a sad sigh. “I want to save her.” And if I can’t I will Escape World until I can. “But right now she would kill us without hesitation. If we face her we need to have the same mindset. Or we will never get her back.” 

“I don’t like this,” she said, tears in her eyes unbidden. “I am an S-Rank. I’m supposed to be one of the strongest people in the world. This all feels like…a guillotine hanging over us. I shouldn’t be scared. I-I just want to have Hancock here, making me laugh.” She sobbed openly and I pulled her to me. 

As she continued to cry I let my own sadness leak out. It felt like I lived lifetimes with Hancock. Always finding her in the Manhwa worlds, we hadn’t strayed far apart. I remembered her excitement in Second Life Ranker. Every freaking cheat she got in that world. Each life she chose somehow better than the last. Her obsession with magic and learning to harness it. That stupid pet snake of hers that tried to kill me every chance it got. All of it was wrapped up into a crazy dark haired busty queen that I sorely missed. 

As Hae cried, we somehow began to have sex. Desperate to feel something other than the terror she moved me into her and the sobs turned to moans. My own sadness pushed back. I channeled my rage at being unable to do anything about it into having sex with Hae. Her whole body as light as a feather I thrust into her with all my strength as the bed groaned and threatened to break. 

She cried out in pleasure, accepting the pain for once. Our lips on one another she moaned my name as thought’s of Hancock were pushed back and we focused on trying to get what pleasure we could. As our lips let go, our eyes drew one another in. My body hovering over her’s by a few inches, her nipples brushed across my chest as I continued to thrust into her. 

Letting out a cry, she came loudly. My hands on her wrists I pistoned in and out of her, focused on my own pleasure as I shoved in harder. Somehow a mix of angry and end of the world sex, I didn’t stop. Her pussy pouring juices on me I grunted a final time and laid on her as I came. She cried out, her hands released as she kissed me. Her legs wrapping around my waist I wasn’t done. Pulling back again, I started up again. Doing the one thing I loved to distract myself as I took her for the tenth time that day. 

—

The Monarchs hunted the failed vessel of the Shadow Monarch. Along with him they chased down all the potential vessels of the Rulers. Those few people that had the potential to bring down the full strength of the heavens on the Monarchs. One by one they died. Always secretive, as the Monarchs preferred to strike before anyone knew what was going on. 

Unfortunately they failed at killing the lone Monarch vessel. For some reason the Shadow Monarch had given Sung Jinwoo control, every single time. All three hundred and twelve times he had come back, it was always the same. Each one allowing him to get a little bit closer to his end goal. 

“I hate it,” Antares said, blocking me from the vision. I turned to see him behind me. The red haired man with the immaculate dragon armor. All around us was darkness, the visions of the reiterations that had passed leaving us as he approached. “Three hundred and twelve times. I have been at this point.”

“Coo-” I tried to say but he continued on. 

“I’ve been at this point, but you were never there.” He looked at me as if confused. Not so much that I was there, but why a mere bug like me was standing before him. There was a lot of hate for me from this Monarch. “Never has the Monarch of Light given up. Why would he? For all the others knew, we were going to win this.”

“He didn’t,” I said. “He died like a bitch.” Something deep in my mind pulsed in anger. I ignored it, putting on a smile. “What is this? A dream?”

“Something like that,” Antares said. He played the camera footage from the International Hunter Conference. “Interesting stuff. For so many repeats, I actually run into something new. Never before has someone warned these people we were coming.” 

“I’m not much for keeping secrets,” I said with a shrug.

“I doubt that,” he said. He paused the video footage at the appearance of the angelic Ruler. “What did he have to say?”

“I’m assuming you know,” I mumbled. I was hoping to lock him into a deal before I revealed anything, but his haki said he knew. “Then why ask?”

“Why repeat myself three hundred and twelve times?” He asked.

“You’re crazy?” I said. “Doing the same thing over and over again, hoping for a different result.”

“That…is true,” he said. “But I don’t do the same thing over and over. Always I get to this point. The Rulers attack and defend your people. You get wiped out. And I lose more than I care to. Forever I am forced to drink of the cup. All to try again.” 

“Why bother?” I asked, unsure what his end goal was. 

“Why would I ever give up?” He asked with far more conviction than I thought. “Why would I ever give my enemies the satisfaction of winning? Why wouldn’t I try a thousand times? A billion until the one chance that lets me reach my goal comes to fruition?”

“Which is?” I asked, my mouth dry. This being had way more conviction than I did. I was ready to give up after failing once. I needed to learn something from this guy. 

“Going beyond,” he said. “My story ends here if I let it. I rebelled, which, is not good. Unforgivable in fact. My friends, those that put their trust in me, all destined for death. I won’t let that happen. I don’t care how many times it takes. We will win. We will kill all of you. We will…” He seemed almost lost after the last sentence. Unsure what else there was.

“Why?” I asked. “Why Earth? What the fuck is so special about ti?”

“Ha,” he said, legitimately laughing. “You don’t know? Or perhaps you didn’t notice?”

“Notice what?” I asked.

“You saw, those visions the Architect concocted to distract you while we Monarchs took your bodies,” he said. “The Earth is everything. It is the Promised Land.”

“What the fuck are you saying? Earth is a crap hole. It’s got…Jersey,” I said. I almost said Gotham but remembered it wasn’t a thing in this world.

“How has the Earth changed in the last few years?” He asked. “Ten years before the first portal, it was nothing. There was no mana there. Nothing. But when the first portal opened, the Earth came to life. Granting power to…what do you call them, Hunters? That was how it was back long ago. When all the species resided there. The Earth granted power, and our people flourished.”

“What are you saying? The Earth is special?”

“Not now, but it will be. You only got a taste of it. The Earth becomes so much more when all the species are in one place. Mana will thrive once more there. And order will be restored. Your people at the bottom, and mine at the top.”

“Fucking hell, so this is just a land grab?” I asked. 

“No, it is so much more than that,” he said, almost angry again. “This is making things right. This is putting things back the way they are supposed to be. The King of Men put you first. It is time we put our people first, and take back what was stolen.”

“Goddammit,” I mumbled. Still not seeing the use of this. But villains rarely made sense. Instead I decided to change tactics. “One week,” I said. @@novelbin@@

“What?” He asked, brought from his own imaginings. 

“Attack in one week,” I said, pointing in the direction he had shown me visions of what was supposed to happen. “I saw what you were going to do. Attacking women and children? Guerrilla warfare? Random and indefensible? That’s not the attack method of a Monarch.” I tsked as if sickened by the idea. “Instead let’s make this a real fight. Your armies against my single one. You saw, the Rulers are staying out of it this time.”

“Rulers are not trustworthy,” he said.

“As trustworthy as Monarchs, I’m sure,” I shot back. “Dude, just put it all on the table. You have 19 Monarchs, on your side. We have two.”

“And those that drank from the Cup of Life,” he said, showing he knew that too. I wondered if maybe some humans were working with him. I had made sure to keep that out of the news. I filed that away for later. 

“And those guys,” I nodded. “What? You think they can get as strong as you in a week? Come on, you’ve been doing this for far longer. You’re going to kick our asses.” I smiled wide at him, egging him on. Instead of biting he began to pace as he thought in the mindspace. 

“No,” I said immediately. “It’s all or nothing. Whatever is special about the Earth, I would rather die trying to keep it than let you have it.”

“Ah…your…Hancock was it,” he said, her name making my gut clench. “You won’t leave her.”

I didn’t see how they were related but I nodded. “No, I will not leave her.” Whatever was supposed to happen in this world, it could all end before I let her down. She was coming back to me, whether she liked it or not. 

“Then I will give her to you,” he said with a wicked smile. “There are others the Monarch of Venom could take over…”

“What?” I asked, I hadn’t thought of that. 

“Yes, that sister of the Monarch of Shadow. She could easily…” He continued to talk as I received a notification. 

“Mother fuckers,” I said. Whatever was controlling these worlds knew I was tempted by his offer. Far too tempted. I didn’t see why the Monarch of Venom had to be Hancock. I would simply have to give up my friend’s sister. A girl I grew up with and thought of as my own sister.

“Fucking hell,” I said, wanting to rage at my System. The Rewards should have said something like, Hancock Fixed, but it had to be this lame as hell reward that had no details. It could be saving Hancock or not, I had no way to know.

I began to internally struggle. On one hand I could have Hancock, and lose my friends sister. A girl that only one of my backstories grew up with. She was funny, and innocent, but not Hancock. Another part of me knew that if I accepted this, I would be making a deal with the devil. In all the stories I’d read, making deals with the bad guys never ended well. 

I let out a long sigh, debating between the two options. In the end I asked myself, what would Hancock want? She wouldn’t want me to sacrifice someone else, that was for sure. She would want me to save her without hurting her friends. Her nakama. Her crew. 

“No deal,” I said, moving the notification away. “No, I will get Hancock back…or kill her in the process.”

“Too bad,” he said. “My queen was hoping for another body.”

My eyes bulged, pissed off beyond compare at the idea of this guy touching Hancock. “I will fucking kill all of you,” I said, meaning every word. “I will destroy your entire species. I will end your fucking lineage so that there is no need for another King of Dragons, because they will all be fucking dead!” 

“Good,” he said, unafraid. “I promised to do the same to the King of Humans. So…where were we?” He put a finger to his chin. “Right, a simple fight. I’ve thought it over and fine. Let’s do it. Let’s…change it up. We will attack your planet in fourteen days from….now.” I frowned, I had originally said a week. He extended it. This fact brought a smile to my face. I now knew he wasn’t as prepared as he was letting on. 

“Fine by me,” I said. “Where?”

“You and your precious females and younglings. You wanted limited collateral damage. Where would you like?”

“My island,” I said, acting like it just came to me. “Jeju Island.” It was about 50 miles from end to end. That would hopefully limit how many portals they could open to spit out monsters. Fairly flat after my construction crews blew up the old ant mound, it was also deserted and if a lot of monsters died there then I could take more spoils.

“Fine,” he said, sticking out his hand. “Fourteen days.”

“All of your forces against mine. Winner takes the planet,” I said. He hesitated but nodded. We shook and he disappeared. 

I woke up, Hae-In on top of me. Light streaming inside I saw the time was 7am. I nodded, ready for the countdown to begin. I rolled Hae-In off of me. Getting to my phone I had to make a few calls, there was a lot of prep work that needed to be done. There was a gang war going on, and I wanted to make sure I had all of the pieces in place.