Rise of the Eromancer

"Hm…"

A light flashed across the air; momentarily washing out the stony ground in white, as well as the faces of the people who were lying 18 feet below ground.

18 feet, because anything deeper than the size of the hole he dug would turn the hole into a Dig. A bit confusing, but that is just how things work in the Underworld — there was a certain volume of depth in which the gravity would start to shift completely.

Another flash of light snapped in the air as Rhys took another photo of the corpses of the Venom Brawlers; proof that he had completed his mission.

Elize, who was the last one to die by his hands, just had a single hole on her forehead, with the fear of expression still lingering on her lifeless face; perhaps a testament to how quickly Rhys killed her, as he promised.

"..." Rhys then glanced at Elize's belly, which was only starting to swell. And with a small but very deep sigh, he raised his hand and closed his fist. And as soon as he did so, all the rocks and boulders that were attached to the threads that were actually protruding from the tips of his fingers all fell down to the hole, completely covering the Venom Brawlers' corpses.

He stared at the Venom Brawlers' burial site for a few seconds, before letting out another deep sigh and walking toward their truck.

He then grabbed something from his utility belt — a red armband and a cap with the insignia of the Underworld Corps; wearing them as he entered the truck.

He took one final glance at the burial site he made, before just tilting his cap and driving away. And as always the case, the drive back to the base was uneventful. There was no need to even worry about gas, as the truck was powered by the helios' rays.

Rhys had noticed this before, but there was not really an onslaught of monsters in the Underworld… because most of them were already digging toward the Surface somewhere.

Rhys already considered himself busy with his duty in the Underworld Corps, he couldn't truly imagine how much more load Explorers have, as they pretty much do everything they do, plus everything else.

Perhaps the only advantage of being an Explorer was the sense of freedom that came with it — Rhys needed that.

And he had already done what he had set here to accomplish…

…it was time to go back to the Surface.

***

"Zeus, Recruit. Didn't you just leave a week ago? I heard you also brought the contraband in the base."

"Monsters, Ayesha," Rhys saluted as he entered Ayesha's office; this time, wearing his full uniform as a Sergeant of the Underworld Corps.

And upon seeing Rhys all dressed up, Ayesha could not help but raise an eyebrow as she looked at him from head to toe.

"What's with the drip?" Ayesha scoffed as she gestured to Rhys to sit in front of the desk.

"...This is my uniform, Ayesha."

"I mean why are you wearing it? You have somewhere you need to be, Recruit?" Ayesha sat on the desk in front of Rhys, placing both her bare feet on his chair's armrests.

"I am reporting the success of my last mission, Ma'am," Rhys sighed as he leaned his back on the chair, "I wanted to look presentable."

"Presentable my ass," Ayesha rolled her eyes out before suddenly leaning closer to Rhys and very softly grabbing his hair, "If you wanted to look presentable, you should get a haircut and show your irritatingly perfect face."

"...I only want to show it to you, Ayesha," Rhys grabbed Ayesha's hand as he also leaned his head closer to hers. Ayesha, however, leaned away and started shaking her head.

"Naughty," Ayesha smirked; licking her slightly red, plump lips, "But we actually have guests."

Ayesha then quickly lifted herself up from her desk with one hand, before swiftly leaping onto her chair as the door opened.

Rhys glanced back at the door, only to immediately stand up and give a salute.

"General Banner, sir!" Rhys stood up as the General of the Surface Army and Ayesha's adoptive father, General Banner, suddenly entered the room with 2 other people he didn't recognize.

The last time he saw the General was… when Ayesha knocked him out.

"Sorry, Recruit…" Ayesha then winced as she gestured to Rhys to sit back down, "...I couldn't really hold them back anymore. My excuses aren't working."

"..." Rhys was slightly confused as to what was happening, but the only thing he could really do was sit down as he watched as General Banner and his associates looked at him from head to toe.

"Sergeant Rhys Wilder."

"Sir!" Rhys sat straight up as General Banner addressed him directly. He was even more confused now, as he remembered the General being brash—almost an older version of Ayesha.

"I know this may be hard for you, but I want you to recall the events that happened on the day your first platoon was wiped out. Start with the date, and if you can remember the time."

And as soon as Rhys heard the General's words, the faces of all his comrades that have died throughout his service flashed through his mind. His face, however, remained completely stoic as he looked the General in the eyes.

"The date was…"

And as Rhys started recounting the scenario as it happened, he was careful not to divulge information that would lead to them knowing too much about him… and his other abilities.

But as soon as he was done telling them the events, one of the General's associates took out some sort of tape recorder, adjusting her glasses as she did so. Rhys wasn't really surprised as it would be even more weird if they weren't recording the conversation. But instead, however, they played something for him.

His own voice.

[Please… Arachnea… you want me, right? You want to eat me!]

[...go. Let them go, please!]

[I can save all of you. I… I can talk to it!]

And as Rhys heard his own voice, as well as the voices of his departed friends; the stoic expression on his face very slowly faded away. And as he closed his eyes, the General's associates quickly removed the tape and once again adjusted her glasses.

"I apologize that you have to hear that again, Sergeant Wilder," General Banner let out a small sigh as he looked at Rhys and Ayesha,

"We recovered it from the jeep's internal DVR. Whatever remains of it, that is. But I know it is just not me, but…

…It seems like you and the God of Spiders have a connection to each other?"