Death's Disciple [Sys Apoc, OP Villain MC, LitRPG] Chapter 58: 1.58 Counting Bodies

Read chapter 58 of Death's Disciple [Sys Apoc, OP Villain MC, LitRPG] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

1.58 Counting Bodies Chapter 58 Richard: The shadows off to the side of the park area didn’t feel particularly safe, even as I hid in them. My stealth skill wasn’t like Adam’s in that I still had to make sure I was properly hidden and quiet to not get noticed. Something that was getting harder and harder to do as the crowd of people began to rapidly fill the area. Adam’s little stunt approaching the rift did exactly what he said he had wanted: gather attention. There were many more police squads and various Hunters that had come at the mention of the name ‘Azazel’. They all were staring my friend down as he stood behind his mana barriers in a relaxed position. Behind the armed and armored figures were various news crews, all with cameras pointed at the scene, their many company vans abandoned in the nearby parking lot. Around them were other random civilians, each with phones or data pads out, recording the show for themselves. “What do you hope to achieve here today? Do you want the dungeon for yourself?” One of the news casters shouted out over the crowd. I watched as the crowd hushed the moment Adam, Noah, opened his mouth to speak. “To show the world the folly of their various government agencies’ greed. That is what I hope to achieve. I do not want this dungeon. These Dungeons are the enemy of mankind, containing things that seek to destroy us. It appears that the government has forgotten that, and now rolls the dice with people’s lives for profit.” “What do you mean?” “What seeks to destroy us?” “Are you going to kill the beasts inside?” Many questions were shouted out in unison, and I watched as Adam raised a hand, silencing them once more. He had quite the presence, all things considered. “Just as the European Union does right now, with the contract negotiations regarding the Rare Dungeon Rift in its territory, the New States Union seeks to put gaining a few more System credits from a contract bid over the safety of its citizens. Every hour, every minute, they hold out, letting a Hunter party clear a dungeon for the sake of a slightly better payout; they put people at risk. It is only a matter of time before another dungeon breach occurs, and who is to say it's not a Rare Dungeon next? An Epic Dungeon?” He was beginning to raise his voice now. His cadence was still smooth and rich, but passion and anger began to fill the spaces in between the words. Adam actually was a good orator. I needed to try learning a thing or two from him in that area. “So you want to force this rift to breach to what, teach them a lesson? You’d kill people just to make a point?” Another newsperson asked. It was a good question. And it certainly painted Azazel in a bad light, even if he wasn’t already drenched in bad publicity as it was. Adam shook his head. “No, I’m killing no one by forcing this dungeon to breach. The train is already set on the track and is already in motion, with people tied up in its path. The System may have built the train, and constructed the track, but it is the world governments who are deciding when the lever gets pulled to divert the train off course. And it has the gall to charge the highest bidder for the ‘honor’ of getting to pull the lever!” His mana began to ripple then, a halo of power becoming visible above his head. I didn’t know exactly what skill he was using, but I guessed it was [Aura Mastery], another thing I needed to get from the Dungeon Shop. “I am no more responsible for deaths that come from this than anyone else wanting to control the lever. I simply won’t let anyone pull it.” That was a lie, of course. Adam had told me ahead of time what was going to happen, what his plan was. I told him the same thing. He would be killing people. “Yes, Richard, I will be. And I shoulder that burden.” That was what he said. And it seemed like a simple admission of guilt when he said it. But the look in his eyes, it showed a serious sorrow for only a split second before vanishing entirely. Like a switch being flip