Judge Jury Executioner

Well I was now Ouranos' attack dog. I do get some monetary reward for completing those tasks from the chat-group, but I highly doubt it would be anything immediately useful or necessary.

Sure money is great, I'd never knock it. But would it kill you to give me something like a training guide or a step-by-step instruction manual to improve my skills. Not just in fighting, but cat grooming, engineering, cooking, and so on.

I can get those from the SHOP as well, in fact I have them wish-listed. But I don't get them as rewards for my chain quest.

What I do get, are things I really don't need, or in fact, want. A bunch of fancy sticks and shields and armours. With stat boosts and a bunch of other nonsense.

The armour of the 300 simply uses whats there. I grow with the effects of that armour, with the others, I have no idea where the boost comes from? Where does it go? How does is affect my growth in this world?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not throwing them away. In fact I've so far combined 7 sets of armour giving me a boost of 200-500% in various stats. The weird thing is the boost only works if it's a complete set of armour.

I've the done the same thing with the pointy sticks and shields. I now have a sword and shield set capable of fighting on their own. It's like auto attack and defend. I have no idea how much damage they can take, but farming the top 18 floors is getting annoyingly easy.

I will head deeper once I have a better idea of the jungle levels. I need maps and intel only higher ranked familias have. I can go in blind and wreck anything that I come across, or just wreck the entire floor. But that seems quite idiotic. Not to mention the feeling of being watched.

My time in Vietnam has made me wary of jungles and forests. My usually composed mindset and outlook becomes extremely paranoid. I feel like I'm being watched, even if there is no one there. I checked with my MAP.

I have seen men get shot, blown to bits, fall into spiked pits and stabbed in the back as they walked by a gopher hole.

The battlefield never truly leaves you. It becomes a part of you. It rests deep in your soul. No matter how much time passes. Or how many lives you live, war leaves its mark.

My original 'Nam kit is still there. Just enchanted to withstand a direct hit from a 2000lb thermobaric bomb. Knossos proves to be a very effective proving and testing range. Away from the eyes of the general public. I test all my creations there. Old and new.

I know I can get to the 50th floor quite easily. The Udaeus is honestly of no consequence. And neither is the Behemoth on the 50th floor. It's just my mental block of the jungle that's keeping me from making my way there. Also the Amphibeana/Hydra monster on the 27th floor. Amphibious assaults are a bitch-and-a-half.

While I gather actionable intel from the guild and retired adventurers, I am also working on napalm and white phosphorus bombs. Some of my automations/drones are now equipped with flamethrowers and shotguns. They are the vanguard for clearing out the dungeon in front of my section. In all honesty, I just need two of those and two rear-guard drones on the first 19 floors. But I always take the entire contingent of 120 drones.

Can I go alone? Yes. Am I stupid enough to do so? No. Other adventurers give me a wide berth whenever we cross paths. Some who are a bit battered ask for security services to the exit, which I help with, because I literally have nothing better to do.

I have thoroughly mapped the first 19 floors, in several permutations. The Hermes familia has gotten those maps. The guild will get them as well, 3 months after they do. So, in about a week.

I will honour my end of the deals made. As long as the other party does the same. Hermes knows not to cross me. Not only because of my current backing, but the implied confirmation that I have killed several deities and their entire familias.

I am also in the process of making a magic rifle. It uses monster cores to shoot out mana/mind bolts. For me and other mage types it's alright. Anywhere from 100-3000 shots. But for new adventurers, it's only 1-10 shots. The number increases as you increase your mind stat, but it can also be increased by using better monster cores. Or processing them into power-packs.

The power-pack option is the best option, for now. Simply because any mage worth their salt can make one, or at least recharge one. The power-packs I'm making simply take 50 monster cores, and combine them into a magical amplifier. The little amount of Mind most adventurers have can easily get them to the 9th floor. Then they have to get better or get dead.

Hephaestus familia will take care of the manufacturing of the barrels. Goibniu will make the receiver and trigger assembly. And Asfi will sell the power-packs, that I make.

Why not sell them myself?

Can't be seen around town too much. Especially now, when people know I have free reign to hunt and kill criminals.

The Loki and Freya familia have figured out that I have powerful backing. Whose, is not too difficult to guess. For now they're leaving me alone. Which I'm thankful for. I cannot match any of the level threes and higher in those familias in a straight fight. Well, the stats say I can, but stats aren't everything. Experience and skill matter as well.

For all intents and purposes I'm a low level executioner. I need to level up, but I will only do so, when I feel I am plateauing. It's honestly not worth levelling up when you're stats aren't maxed out. I think I will hit the level 3 cap in a few months. Then I can properly start expanding my area of operations. I honestly want to go to Rakia, and let loose. But the cunts are coming to me in a few weeks. So I'll have to be prepare a proper welcome for them.