Liquidation: From Big Boss to Bloody Demon Sauce Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Back Through The Glade

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I observed the approaching dawn through the crude hide tent the trolls had hastily erected for us, quietly pondering the monumental challenge that awaited us at North Mountain. Dawn in the Dark Glade was absolutely nothing like the sunrise back on Earth. The heavy, suffocating red mist that perpetually hung low in the toxic air simply seemed to lighten a few shades, almost as if it were being illuminated from within by some massive, unseen subterranean heat source. There were no birds, no morning dew. Just the grim realization that it was time to move forward and secure our assets. Taking a last, lingering look at the bleeding sky through the tent flap, my gelatinous form wiggled to the side, silently instructing Grimora to wake up. She had casually used her Ether to transform her heavy leather combat attire into a sleek, incredibly sexy, white silk nightdress before going to sleep, making her very easy on the eyes as she gracefully rose from the dirt floor. The thin fabric clung to her curves perfectly. It had me desperately wishing that I had a more substantial, biologically complete body to greet her with. I didn't really remember a time in my past life that I had ever felt this profoundly trusting in a woman, but looking at her, and feeling the deep, unquestioning loyalty humming through our pact, I had to admit it was a nice change of pace from corporate backstabbing. “Fast asleep?” I asked dryly, vibrating the words through my mass, highly amused at her cat-like abilities to fall into a deep slumber and wake up fully alert in the blink of an eye. “Merely conserving my magical reserves for the journey ahead, master,” she retorted playfully. With a simple thought and a brief flash of pink Ether, she morphed her clothing back into her usual, heavily armored leather form effortlessly. She stepped forward, her black leather boots crunching the dry surface beneath. “And our new workforce?” I prodded, intending to formally establish the sequence of our operational actions for the day. It was absolutely crucial that each member of our newly acquired syndicate followed the business plan already meticulously charted in my mind. The Dao of Absolute Acquisition required order. “The trolls are moving around out there, making enough noise to wake the permanently dead,” she grumbled, her delicate nose wrinkling in disgust. Her discontent with their lack of professionalism was clear as a bell. “It's good to start early. Let them be loud for now. We don't want them grumpy and rebellious throughout the entire journey. Unhappy labor might feel more inclined to lead us directly into a terrible, lethal trap,” I laughed. I focused my attention on Grimora, noting that her rosy skin turned visibly paler at the thought. Looking a little more closely at our connection, I saw her large, pink eyes focused on the hide ceiling, profound boredom pulling at her features. She hated dealing with lower management. “I highly doubt a few words of administrative flattery would change their dim, violent minds dramatically,” she complained, folding her arms under her swollen chest in a dramatic, exasperated huff. “But I'll go out there, greet them, and tell them we are packed and ready to move.” "Sounds good," I agreed, expanding my mass to follow her out of the tent. Outside, the air was filled with a sudden, oppressive rise in temperature. There was a faint, sharp copperish smell hanging thickly in the air—a gruesome residue of the trolls' carnivorous activities from the night before. Grimora led the way towards the largest, most ramshackle hut in the center of the camp, where the massive brutes were presumably active. The grating noise that had been assaulting us from early morning turned out to be the trolls loudly grumbling amongst themselves in their guttural language as they packed whatever meager supplies they thought would be useful. They had a pathetic variety of items, ranging from crude, rusted weapons to heavy, blood-stained sacks of what looked l