The Infinite Bk. 05 Ch. 07

"They're well beyond being a mere thorn in our side. They've completely upended our invasion plan," said the white-haired female ghoul.

"They've only postponed it. I was promised an army that would level Uther, and I will not be detoured by excuses." The icy words came from a man at the end of the room, conjured from smoke from the others. He was the only non-Profane among them, a man with long hair and a scar over his eye.

"You would do well to remember who you are talking to, Liege. Your money can't buy power. It can't make you any less of a fragile sack of meat," the split-jawed ghoul warned.

"Is that not what I've been doing all this time? Funding your operation? Supplying your labs? The venom in your pawns' veins might as well be melted gold from my coffers. But if you can't protect your assets or deliver on your promises, perhaps I should look elsewhere."

"Let us not say anything we may regret," said the succubus.

"Calm yourself, Liege," said Curcio. "You'll get your army, we'll just have to "look elsewhere," as you say. I'm on the verge of creating a new breed of parasites, one that will make recruiting in large numbers much easier. It will simply take a little preparation. One thing that will be required is control over Welindar."

"Finally," a deep voice growled.

In stepped a towering beastman, wielding a vast arsenal of honed muscles. His absent shirt showed the numerous scars that adorned him from past battles, and how he carried himself spoke of a long trail of victories. He was partially-transformed, with rounded feline ears high on his head and a striped tail swishing behind him. He had white hair and an ambitious gleam in his eyes.

"The Wandering Spirit and the prince have made a mess of Welindar in my absence, no thanks to those defective parasites. It seems I must show the people the natural order of things and remind them that only the mighty are fit to rule."

"You would do well not to mock my work, Kaisen," Curcio grumbled.

"Tch, I agreed to help you under the condition that I would receive a perfected parasite, free of flaws, to help me reach the pinnacle of strength. So far, all I've seen are ugly beasts that can do little more than squash small fry. One of your upper-rank is dead, her fortress reduced to dust, killed by the man who escaped your clutches before. Perhaps the Liege is correct, and he and I should look for new partners. Even the Wandering Spirit turned you down because he knew a bad deal when he saw one."

Moving with inhuman speed, Tysinger drew his sword and swung at Kaisen, only for the beastman to catch the blade. His hand was wrapped in mana like a thick glove, protecting his palm and forming scythe-like apparitions extending from his talons.

"Ha! Trying to cut my head off? The Profane truly are a disappointment if that's the best you could do."

"What makes you think I want to cut your head off? Then you can't suffer." Tysinger then leaned forward, pushing with seemingly little effort, and Kaisen's smirk withered as his own strength failed to hold him back. The serrations on Tysinger's sword cut his palm, and as his blood touched the metal, the blade came alight with crimson mana, burning like flames. "You are little more than arrogant child pretending to be an adult, a foolish beast who thinks that because he stands at the top of a small hill, he rules the world."

"That's enough, Tysinger. You've made your point," said Scyler.

"As you wish," Tysinger replied, sheathing his sword. Kaisen looked at his palm and the blood streaming from the wound.

The tall, lanky ghoul laughed mockingly with his raspy voice. "If you believe yourself to be so powerful, prove it. Conquer Welindar before the Wandering Spirit returns. Try providing results instead of just demanding them."

"Very well, I will devour the prince like a deer and the people will bow to their rightful king. I'll make the entire city into my throne."

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