The champion uses his sword as support to stay standing. He stares down Rob as Rob methodically reassembles from his trampled remains. If it had eyes, they would be filled with shock. Perhaps horror.

The champion affirms its resolve and points its sword at Rob as a declaration of challenge. Rob doesn't need a decree, not from this creature. Rob will lord this place. Rob won't need to follow the 'declaration' of some [Skeleton Champion].

The champion pushes off the ground and charges at Rob, not waiting for him to reassemble completely. Rob is mostly torso and is now significantly shorter than the champion. The sword swing is parried by a shovel, reflecting the blow upwards.

The sword comes back down with the speed of lighting, but Rob is already 'sidestepping.' With his legs still missing, het gets close and slinks around the champion. Rob hangs on the back of the armor and repeatedly slams his shovel against the champion's helmet.

Rob doesn't want a quick and easy fight. If he desired a cakewalk, Rob would've abused his infinite ammo [Bone Shot] maneuver. The helmet deforms under Rob's blows as the skull underneath cracks and splinters with every slam.

The champion dropped his sword at some point and is desperately trying to get Rob off of it. It claws at Rob with its gauntlets, but Rob refuses to move. It resorts to jumping off the wall with Rob underneath it. It saw Rob's resilience firsthand, but it decided to sacrifice its own life to try to deal as much damage as possible regardless of the futility.

Bones spill broken out of the champion's armor as Rob has been shattered into thousands of pieces. I guess it didn't matter if Rob wanted a longer fight. I give him some of my mana to expedite the reassembly process, and Rob successfully claims ownership over this sector.

[[The User's tamed [Skeleton Gravelord] is attempting to take over this [Necropolis].]

[Sector Ten of the [Endless Graveyard] has a new lord. This ripple is felt across the fracture.]

[City One has a king for the first time in a long time. The Road has been revealed. Congratulations. Nine more to go.]

"...Congratulations, Rob. Apparently, you're a king now."

Rob gives a thumbs-up and walks away. He has subjects to tend to and a magic caster to unbury. We fly to the top of the wall and peer off the side.

Skeleton monsters of all types can be seen loosely sprinkled across the landscape as far as the eye can see. 'No tombstones, no trees, just the rare undead. To the side, I see a worn dirt road leading over the horizon. But the main thing that catches my eye is the sun of this fracture in full view.

The sun is black and has visible cracks along its surface. It's frozen in time, mid-explosion. Surrounding it is the beginning of an event horizon.

Welp, it's time to go. I'll get Dylan to enter this fracture since he's Rob's underling, technically. He's knowledgeable about the undead, so I'm sure he'll find something valuable we can export out of the fracture now that we have ten sectors worth of 'citizens' gathering loot. We'll deal with the 'city' thing later.

~~~

Name / Nickname

Ellis Vincere / The Last Winner

Race

Human

Class

Monarch Master (Rank A)

Level

110 (11m/350m)

Titles

Proud Owner of a Rock, Fell the Mighty, Heptad Attuner, Indulger… ▽

~

~

Health Points

14,504 / 14,504 (+270% bonus)

Mana Points

1000 / 1155

Armor Points

0

Might

280 (195 +10% + 15 + 50 )

Agility

229 (185 +10% + 10 + 15)

Vigor (P)

784* (618 + 10% + 25 + 45 + 50)

Mind

231 (126 + 75 + 30)

Spirit

304 (225 > 245 + 20% + 10)

Perception

45

Charisma

85 (35 + 15 + 40)

Attunement

100

Luck

12 (2 +10)

Unused

0 > 90

Ninety stat points and nine places to put them. Unused points can't be put into [Luck], and let's ignore [Attunement]. That leaves seven. I don't see any justification for investing in [Perception] and [Charisma], but I will at least throw them the scraps.

Let's keep [Might] and [Agility] the same number - at least their base value - while continuing to invest in [Vigor]... At this point, I'll drip-feed it instead of putting all my eggs in one basket. [Spirit] increases every level by two, so I'm basically always putting points into that one... Then there's [Mind].

[Mind] gives me mana. I have two skills that use mana heavily. First is [Heal Anything] and then [Bolster Resistance]. As my resistances grow big and fat, the mana cost for [Bolster Resistance] grows and grows.

Reading books and progressing with my [Scholar] title will give me more [Mind]. It currently gives me a bonus of +75, and I'll have to read around one million books total to go from D to C. That's ten average libraries worth of books, and duplicates do nothing to increase that total. Yeah... I'll just put points into it while getting Free Chains or somebody to get me my books in the meantime.

Name / Nickname

Ellis Vincere / The Last Winner

Race

Human

Class

Monarch Master (Rank A)

Level

110 (11m/350m)

Titles

Proud Owner of a Rock, Fell the Mighty, Heptad Attuner, Indulger… ▽

~

~

Health Points

15,041 / 15,041 (+270% bonus)

Mana Points

1400 / 1400

Armor Points

0

Might

285 (195 > 200 +10% + 15 + 50 )

Agility

245 (185 > 200 +10% + 10 + 15)

Vigor (P)

813* (618 > 630 + 10% + 25 + 45 + 50)

Mind

280 (126 > 175 + 75 + 30)

Spirit

304 ( 245 +20% + 10)

Perception

45 > 50

Charisma

95 (35 > 40 + 15 + 40)

Attunement

100

Luck

12 (2 +10)

Unused

90 > 0

Oh. I don't feel good. My entire body feels like my internal organs are being crushed. My resistance might not be able to keep up with my health soon. I can see the irony.

I pull out my sword and slit my wrist. Blood pours out in excess, like the jet setting on a hose. The bleak and lifeless soil is moistened with my blood as I 'relieve the pressure.' Thousands of health and gallons of blood later, the unwell feeling is alleviated.

It's a waste of blood, but It felt like I didn't have enough time to rush to the mansion and find a barrel... Oh. As my health regenerates, I can feel the burden of having so much pressure in my body once again.

Is this how a cow feels?

[Thisss one has no comment.]

Instead of wasting more blood, I decided to stop limiting the blood flow to my [Ring of Thorns]. I'll allow it to match my current passive regeneration of 90 health/second. ...That's 7,776,000 health per day.

No fucking wonder I feel like I'm about to fucking explode! I'm making way too much fucking blood. I was worried that having a potion industry relying on my nectar would be improbable...

I think I will crush the Ken family now. At least the members are from the same generation as I am. We'll see when I get there.

~~~~

After a mandatory shower, a meeting with my council, and an awkward taxi ride, I find myself standing in front of a gate with a massive gold emblem of a sword.

Yup. Ken family.

Somewhere between my shower and having my consul meeting, I informed my two masters that I was finished preparing for the 'sparring match.' They told me the Ken family had been preparing while I was gone. Master Wang informed them that I was doing some hardcore training and they should do the same if they don't wish to be humiliated.

I mean, he isn't wrong.

Master Giles, his pet rat, Master Wang, Rain - for some reason -, and Val arrive moments after I do. I look at Val, and before I can ask her what she's doing here, my foster sister answers.

"Your master Giles told Dad and I about this martial get-together. I'm here because Dad doesn't have the stomach to see you get gutted."

"You want me to get cut?"

Val shrugs, then says, "If they even get that far, sure. I want to see where you are out without your beasts. People around the institute say you are only the representative because of them."

"...That sounds dumb. Haven't those people seen me get shot? Or fuck up those contestants in that tournament. Even if my beasts were my sole strength as a tamer, why would that be bad?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going to be secretly recording the fights so I can shut them up."

"Master Wang. Master Giles. Rain. I'm assuming my masters will oversee the fights and Rain is here to harvest my blood if it spills."

"That's correct, disciple... Although I don't know the motives of Wang's daughter, we are here since it's our honor on the line in addition to keeping and elders of the Ken family from intervening unnecessarily."

"I'm here for the bloodshed."

"I'm here to collect the bloodshed."

"Coolio. Let's go in before I get bored. Here, take Duchess, Flash Gordon, and Prometheus. Don't burn my foster sister, Prometheus."

Prometheus warbles and undulates. Duchess looks offended that I pawned her off so casually, and Flash Gordon is Flash Gordon. Rob and Khan will watch from the stands instead of being held.

I push open the doors, and a man is waiting for me on the other side. A fox mask hands from a cord around his neck. He has a scruffy beard and a bored expression. There is a sword on his hip, where his hand casually rests.

"You the guy?"

I nod.

"Come this way. Spectators will have to find their own seats."

The swordsman leads me deeper into the Ken family's compound. Beautiful flower gardens flank the cobblestone path on the road to the arena we will be fighting in.

It's a training ground retrofitted for this purpose. I was correct to assume there would be stands as two spectator stands are sitting on opposites of the makeshift arena. One side is filled with sword-wielding, kimono-donning, fox mask-wearing people. The other side is empty.

Master wang mummers under his breath, "The whole extended family is here. Hehe."

Roughly three hundred people are spectating the match. I guess they want to make a show of me and 'regain their honor' or whatever. Sitting above the crowd is a box with nine old farts looking at me like I've committed the gravest sin.

I'm not going to bother remembering their names or faces. They don't deserve it.

My masters, the women, and Rob sit in the raised box provided on our side as Khan takes up the entire visitor's stand. It's quite the sight. I don't think the members of the Ken family are intimidated by my cute, man-eating, flying armored sharks.

I'm standing in the middle of the training ground, trying to look stoic instead of impatient.

"Ellis Vincere, a dual disciple of the path of the broken body and the Giles taming method, we see your challenge and meet it. This-"

"Didn't you challenge us because you lost a court case?"

The old ass who was talking, fumes at my interruption. Like a disciplined army, the Ken family members reach for their swords. I sarcastically put my hands up.

The elder I insulted raises a fist to halt the members. Even though they can't see him, they stop and settle down. I wonder if he has something similar to my [Royal Decree] or if that's just discipline.

"Wang and Giles, we told you to restrain your disciple. He oozes disrespect and dishonor. We won't allow another case of insolence!"

"Lick my balls starting from the taint." Responds Master Wang.

"I concur." Follows Master Giles.

"THATS IT! NO INTRODUCTIONS! SOMEONE CHALLENGE HIM. WHOEVER TAKES THAT BASTARD DOWN GETS MY SECRET SWORD TECHNIQUE!"

"What do I get?" I ask.

A man with a fox mask leaps from the stands and lands in the arena. A swordsman who jumped at the challenge and stood before me before anyone else answered my question.

"Is fighting for the honor of your masters not enough?"

"Oh. I guess that's cool."

"Elder, please inform the outsider of the rules before our fight! Please!"

"EHEM. Ehem. If you die, you die. Same with maiming and dismemberment. You can surrender at any time. No consumables and only your Gi and swords can be used in battle."

"Hey, I'm down with beating all your family members with only one arm, but that would be embarrassing for you. If I lose, not much honor in beatin' a cripple."

The elders talk to each other before a different one speaks out. "If the arm has any unique properties or hidden weapons, and you use them, you lose the match by default.

"Okay. I don't care either way."

I take off my rings and my belt bag. My health drops to 14,116, and my [Might] to 235. Rob comes down from the box and grabs them from me. The internal pressure seems manageable, even without my ring constantly drinking my blood.

"I am a member of the branch family. You may learn my name if you defeat me. I am using the [Soul Reaver], an A-rank blade, and I'll be fighting you using the [Necromancer's Waltz] fighting style. I am level 200.

"We're doing introductions? Okay. You already know who I am. I'm using the- one second." I summon my bloodstained, barbed blade with a barrage of blood. "-this brutal fucker. I'm going to fuck you up. I'm level 110."

Hush whispers among the crowd echo after revealing my level.

"110?"

"Is it going to be over in the first match?"

"Dumbass should've trained harder."

"Representative of humanity? Laughable."

"Public education these days..."

The swordsman doesn't wait for the whispers to quell. He advances using confusing footwork. It's reminiscent of a bloodthirsty undead out for my flesh. 'Wait a minute... I know how to deal with this.

I punch him in his skull, like all the other undead I've dealt with.