Kaijin Fighter: So I Have to Make Monsters, So What?-Chapter 1294: Malevolence, Rising
With the assistance of these monstrous warriors, the Kaijin, Dante proceeded to do what any self-respecting would-be tyrant with a hatred for the world in his position would do: violently expand.
Using his newfound abilities, Dante first gathered up enough [Malevolent Gold] ore in order to make a dozen or so more [Cores].
Once they were in his hands, Dante proceeded to capture even more aether beasts and forcibly "uplift" them into becoming Kaijin.
The initial batch consisted of small and low tier aether beasts, such as Thunderfur Bats, Purple Toxin Geckos and Blood Wolves.
This early batch of Kaijin weren't the brightest, but they were loyal and strong enough for Dante to capture even higher tiered aether beasts.
Eventually, this ballooned into Dante raising an army of uplifted Kaijin.
Now, one would think that having an army of nigh unkillable monsters would be enough for Dante, but alas, he wanted more.
He needed more.
As such, he began to use the Kaijin not just for hunting, but for working the mines of [Malevolent Gold] as well. Unfortunately, this didn't work out too well.
For a reason he couldn't determine yet at the time, the [Malevolent Gold] gathered by the Kaijin was noticeably weaker than the pieces that Dante had gathered himself.
He had no idea why this was the case...until he and his Kaijin had stumbled upon a mining operation being ran by slaves and a sect of questionable repute.
It was in that moment that Dante realized that one of the key ingredients to [Malevolent Gold] was mortal suffering.
Needless to say, the natural progression of this realization was to take over the mine, place the slaves under new ownership and begin a mass scale operation of harvesting [Malevolent Gold].
And from there, the rest was a history that spanned over a century and then some.
Dante learned that the Kaijin could get stronger by devouring one another, he learned that he could use the excess gold as a means to trade for additional resources of both the mundane and aethered variety and that he himself was growing stronger by the day, just by being in this accursed place.
Due to all of these factors, Dante was able to establish the [Mines of Malevolence], which was supposed to be a means to and end for his plan of inflicting pain onto this world.
But alas, what Dante failed to realize as he lingered in this cursed mountain range, was that it had sunk it's ethereal claws into his person and had no plans of letting him go. After all, shouldn't a "lord" protect their land?
...Flashback Over...
[So what do you think, Master Quijano? Are the cores suitable for the next step of the plan?] Delictum asked.
"Hmmm."
Over the years, Dante had become more and more critical of the cores that he and his minions were able to produce.
The mad bastard wanted both quality and quantity in equal measure, even if it meant piling even more bodies into the corpse pit. Then again, maybe that was the point.
Regardless, Dante looked over the cores for a few moments before finally letting out a noise of approval.
"While the number isn't up to snuff, the quality is at least what I'm aiming for," Dante informed Delictum. "We're going to need to ramp up the amount made though."
[I shall see to it that we get more slaves shipped in,] Delictum concluded. [We were originally planning to just replace the ones that have died, but I think we'll be able to raise the amount by at least thirty percent if we make use of cheaper grains in the slave food.]
"Very well," Dante nodded in approval. "Speaking of slaves, have you determined which ones will be suitable for the experiment?"
[I have, Master Quijano.]
From the folds of uniform, Delictum produced a scroll that Dante quickly unfurled.
Upon the scroll was a list of names, of slaves that the Kaijin found difficult to mentally break.
In other words, the perfect candidates to be uplifted.
Hypothetically speaking.
Looking through the list, a brief smile manifested on the man's face.
"Looks like most of these candidates were members of that failed revolt a couple years back. They still have hardened spines after all of this time?"
[Surprisingly, yes,] Delictum nodded. [Granted, if they didn't have such rigid spines, then they wouldn't be Aether Lords.]
"Fair enough."
Dante handed the list back to Delictum, who proceeded to reroll the scroll and place it back into his pocket.
[Do you wish to begin the experiment tonight? I can have some of the others go and rouse them from their sealed slumber,] Delictum offered.
"Save it for tomorrow," Dante answered. "In fact...those new guests of ours. They were able to injure the Kaijin, weren't they?"
[Yes, they were,] Delictum answered, acid dripping off of his words. [I look forward to sending them into the more dangerous parts of the mine to—]
"Actually, I have better idea in mind," Dante interrupted. "What do you think about doing some...live testing?"
____At a campsite away from the mines____
[So...is there any reason why you needed the zako to escape from the mines as opposed to just... self-destruction?] Razorstella asked.
'Honestly, I kind of forgot that was an option due to the heat of the moment. You know how it is.'
[You really need Logos and Pathos back in your head, huh?]
'That or grow as a person.'
[Fair.]
After Blazejudicator and Nepeherage rescued the stone zako, and technically Zhen Liu, from being placed under a metaphorical microscope, they brought them back to the camp to reunite with the other kaijin and the people who hadn't been kidnapped yet.
As well as some unusually injured aether beasts, but that was a topic for the morning.
Now was the time for...other questions.
As Zhen Liu and the Kaijin conversed with one another in order to formulate a plan of action and surveillance, and the Zhen Clan scions were busy tending to the aether beasts, Antonio and Maggie were left alone to their own devices.
Or more specifically, Antonio had an opportunity to ask about a little detail he didn't think about until that moment.
^How do you know [Chaos] speak?^ Antonio asked point-blank and with zero hesitation.
^Pardon me?^
At this deflective question, Antonio took on a more serious expression.
^Earlier, when the kaijin were talking to each other, they were speaking [Chaos] speech. A type of language that actively requires one to have [Chaos] in order to speak and understand it,^ Antonio explained. ^I didn't think about it since everyone here basically understands and speaks it, but you...you were a slave in a mine being operated by kaijin.^
As soon as this detail was shared, Maggie visibly clenched her teeth.
^Now, maybe because I've been hanging around these guys for an extended period of time, but I can't help but be a little paranoid about the fact that you understand the Kaijin and the kaijin didn't seem to react to your ability to,^ Antonio continued, since Maggie stayed silent.^Which leads me to one of two conclusions.^
Learning from the times Zhen Liu would act unnecessarily intimidating to get his point across, Antonio held up two fingers.
^I would've said three, but the chances of someone teaching you how to use [Chaos] in there is very slim. Then again, maybe someone taught while you were outside of the mines.^
Maggie wanted to defend herself, to say something in response to this unusual accusation, but she couldn't.
Especially when she was already called out before she could answer.
^The first option is that you were born being able to use [Chaos],^ Antonio stated. ^I have some experience with that, and apparently the chances of that occurring is significantly higher than zero.^
Putting down one of his fingers, Antonio immediately moved on to explaining his second guess.
^The second option is that Razorstella was right and you're actually some kind of honeypot trap. I know the kaijin can take on human form, toy-like forms and the shape of accessories as a means of travelling around, but I have no idea whether or not that applies to the Kaijin of this mine. Although, seeing as some can turn into their original animalistic forms and that whole regeneration thing they got going on, I can't say it's not a possibility. So I have to ask, which of these guesses is the most accurate one?^
^That...^
Uncomfortable with the accusations being leveled against her, Maggie failed to realize that the bundle in her arms had repositioned in such a manner that it was going to spill at any moment.
Whether it was a matter of good timing, or purposeful action was unclear, but Maggie ended up dropping the item in her arm before she could say a word.
The sound of bone hitting rocky ground did wonders in ending the conversation...and bringing everyone's attention to what she had just dropped.
[What the hell is that thing?]
[I...think it's a horse skull?]
[But why is it stitched like that?]
