Within moments, everyone from the mercenaries to Occunians was hard at work. Ashton couldn't kill all of the beasts, but he took care of the majority. Those who survived were too afraid to show up again for a long time. At least, that's what everyone was hoping.
Even in victory, their task was far from over. Just because the beasts had been dealt with didn't mean everything was fine. After all, the one controlling them was still somewhere out there.
As for the beasts that ran away, they didn't flee from fear alone. They were running away in confusion, as if they weren't aware of what had happened moments ago.
As if that wasn't enough, Ashton couldn't brush off the feeling of someone watching them, hidden deep within the foliage of the endless forest. The alarming thing was even with his heightened perception; he couldn't feel anyone's presence in the woods. Whoever it was, they had to be master in becoming one with their surroundings.
[It wouldn't be wise to chase after them just yet.]
'I know. I'm not going to face an unknown enemy unprepared.'
[It's not like your plans live to fruition either way. Just look at what you planned and what happened today.]
'Technically, that was your plan. Feel free to bitch about your failure now.'
[...I liked you better when you had 2 two intelligence points.]
'I liked you more when I didn't know you existed.'
[The burning pain of humiliation aside, that was a good one.]
'Thank you! Been learning it all from you.'
"Reaper, you good?"
Laihud rushed to check him for wounds, only to be left with his mouth hanging wide open. As absurd as it was, there wasn't a single wound anywhere on Ashton's body.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Laihud. Thanks for asking." Ashton replied absentmindedly, finally turning away from the forest, "Tell the others to collect some corpses and leave. I don't think those beasts would appear here anytime soon."
"Wait, you're just gonna let them have it?" Vimur expressed his displeasure over Ashton's decision, "They didn't even do anything!"
"Be that as it may, it won't be fair to withhold them from getting what was agreed on just because I made a decision." Ashton replied, "Everyone would have gotten a chance to fight if I didn't charge at the horde like a war-crazed maniac."
"Still, it's not like they'd have been a lot of help." Anna chimed in, "But it's your decision at the end of the day, and what's next?"
"We need to fulfil Eula's request. But I don't think it'll be that easy." Ashton scratched his chin.
Ashton didn't mention why it would be challenging, but Anna instantly knew what he meant. Since no one had found the artefact till then, it only meant it had been hidden in a remote location or someplace none of them would ever find it.
Blindly going around the planet looking for the artefact would take them decades, if not centuries. Even then, there was no guarantee they'd ever find the staff on their own. They desperately needed clues, and the only ones who could provide some were the humans at Ashton's mercy.
"Vimur, keep a portion of the corpses separate from the rest." Ashton instructed him, "Be sure to throw some rare ones in it as well."
"Oh, you're amassing some for your exclusive use?" Vimur asked, hinting at Ashton's necromancy.
"Nope, you can say... It's for donation purposes."
"Donation? To who?"
"Some grumblers."
***
"What do we do now?"
Nico's former teammates were busy having a deep discussion amongst themselves. They had hoped the beasts would be able to complete what they failed to do; sadly, that wasn't the case.
Not only did Ashton survive, but the mercenaries also did not suffer enough loss for the army to overwhelm them into submission. As if that wasn't enough, the number of beasts he soloed was more than they had ever killed, even if outside help.
Those corpses were worth an astronomical amount of money. Even having a hundred or so of them should be enough for the city to last for a decade.
"With the cult representatives dead, we can't even contact the cult!" Someone let out in frustration.
"Even if you could contact them, how would you explain their people died?" Yet another blue-haired individual spoke up, "I heard one of the branch leaders has the ability to interrogate the dead. A single fallen cultist is all they'd need to know how we stab them in the back!"
"Enough!" Qalea slammed her fists on the table.
As she gazed around the room, all she saw were a bunch of defeated people struggling to keep their heads in the right place. More importantly, she couldn't believe they still wanted to kill Ashton, even after what they had witnessed.
"A bunch of dancing monkeys! That's what you all look like right now!" She yelled again, "Instead of thinking of ways to ensure our people's survival, you are busy cooking up ways to get revenge? How dull-headed can you possibly be!?"
Qalea's words seem to bring some sense of duty within the people. They were well aware of what was essential and what wasn't.
Still, they were in denial. Denial that their strongest warrior was dead. Denial that a mutant defeated them once again. Denial that they had no leg to stand on anymore.
Without speaking another word, Qalea got up and turned to leave when her subordinates stopped her.
"Don't tell me; you lectured us only to leave?"
"Leave? I would have left this forsaken planet long ago had it not been for my loyalty towards these people," Qalea sternly replied, "Even now, I will do anything to ensure their survival while you wallow in self-pity."
As soon as she said that, Ashton appeared before them like a shadow. The humans immediately jumped back in surprise. Large beads of sweat trickled down their heads from anxiety.
At that moment, they knew Ashton could have shortened their lifeline based on how much of their conversation he had heard.
"I heard you were willing to do anything?" Ashton asked Qalea with a smile, "If that's the case, then I might have a proposal for you."
"What proposal?"
"I assure you, you'll love it."