Chapter 45: The Grand Liquidation
"No one leaves without a receipt," I pulse, my dark surface reflecting the flickering campfires and the lethal streaks of light raining from the sky.
The Falmuth military camp has transformed from a site of arrogant celebration into a slaughterhouse of surgical precision. There is no clashing of steel, no heroic last stands, and certainly no dignity. There is only the rhythmic, terrifying hiss of water droplets focusing sunlight into high-intensity thermal needles. It's the ultimate audit—clean, swift, and utterly impartial.
Men are dropping in mid-stride. Horses are collapsing in their tethers. The "Great Power" of Falmuth is being liquidated, one soul at a time. From my position at the perimeter, I watch the panicked survivors sprint toward the edge of the camp, their eyes wide with the realization that their fancy armor is nothing more than a conductive coffin.
Notice. 12,400 souls harvested. Rimuru Tempest is maintaining a 99.9% accuracy rating. The magicule siphoning from the Anti-Monster Barrier is being overridden by the sheer volume of spiritual energy entering the ritual circuit.
Azathoth, forget the peasants. Locate the Otherworlders. Shogo and the rest aren't the types to die quietly in their sleep. They're high-value assets, and I haven't finished stripping their data.
Confirmed. Shogo Taguchi and Kyoya Tachibana are currently attempting to breached the northern quadrant of the [Transaction Domain]. They are utilizing [Berserker] and [Severer] to force a physical exit.
"Not on my watch," I pulse.
[Spatial Motion]
I appear ten feet in front of the northern gate. Shogo is there, covered in the blood of his own allies, his face a mask of primal, ugly terror. Kyoya is beside him, his blade shaking as he looks up at the sky where the beams of light continue their silent work.
"You!" Shogo screams, spotting my obsidian form. "You're behind this! Stop it! Stop it right now!"
"I'm not the one holding the ledger, Shogo," I pulse, my voice a resonant, icy frequency. "I'm just the one making sure you don't skip out on the bill. You've damaged our infrastructure, killed our personnel, and lowered our property value. Your souls are the only currency left to settle the account."
"I'll kill you first!" Shogo lunges, his crimson [Berserker] aura flaring.
[Transaction Domain]
I don't even let him get close. I intensify the gravity within the domain to its absolute maximum. Shogo hits the ground as if a mountain just landed on his back. Kyoya tries to swing his blade, but the air is so thick it feels like he's trying to cut through solid diamond.
Notice. 19,000 souls harvested. The threshold is imminent. Suggestion: Finalize the acquisition of the Otherworlder traits now. Once the Harvest Festival begins, the 'Gift' mechanic will reorganize your soul. Any unintegrated fragments will be lost.
Understood. Azathoth, execute the final strip-mine.
[Law Manipulation – Copy]
I glide over the pinned Shogo and the struggling Kyoya. My surface brushes against them, and I feel the jagged, chaotic code of their Unique Skills.
Analyzing [Survivor]... Acquired [Regenerative Logic].
Analyzing [Severer]... Acquired [Spatial Thinning].
Soul Capacity: 49.2%. Warning: CRITICAL SATURATION. Any further input will trigger an unscheduled system crash.
That's enough. I've taken the best parts of Falmuth's R&D department. Let Rimuru have the rest.
"Goodbye, gentlemen," I pulse. "Your investment has reached zero."
A twin beam of light descends from the sky, piercing through the roof of the domain. Shogo and Kyoya go still. Their magicule signatures vanish.
Notice. 20,000 souls harvested. The conditions for the Harvest Festival are met. The ritual is transitioning from 'Harvest' to 'Transformation'. Notice: Rimuru Tempest has entered 'Evolution Sleep'.
Suddenly, the world feels very heavy. The violet barrier above the city finally shatters, but it's replaced by a weight that is far more profound. It's the weight of a World-Level Law being rewritten.
Notice. Gift of the Harvest Festival detected. As a soul-linked peer, User is eligible for 'Reconstruction Gift'. Initiating Evolution Sleep.
Wait, already? I think, my internal Deadpool sounding a bit groggy. I haven't even cleaned the blood off the plaza yet... I hate... unscheduled... downtime...
My obsidian membrane turns translucent, then a deep, impenetrable void-black. I fall toward the blood-soaked grass of the Falmuth camp, my consciousness retracting into the absolute center of my soul where [AZATHOTH] is already beginning the final audit.
Evolution Standby: 0%... 1%... 5%...
Current Magicule Reserves: 15.3% (Draining for reconstruction). Location: Falmuth Camp Site. Status: EVOLUTION SLEEP. Soul Capacity: RESTRUCTURING.
Chapter End .