Liquidation: From Big Boss to Bloody Demon Sauce Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Take Notes

Read chapter 26 of Liquidation: From Big Boss to Bloody Demon Sauce by Magic on NovelPedia.

I had not expected the journey outside of the dragon's territory to feel so dangerous, yet not run into any trouble. It had my environmental awareness completely dialed to the maximum. From Grimora's constant, wary glances and Grimjaw’s low, continuous growling at the shadows, it was evident that even the apex predators felt this sector was teeming with imminent threats. We passed through balding, twisted trees that seemed to literally bleed thick, black sap, their branches whispering unspeakable horrors as the wind pushed through them. Every creepy, multi-legged crawler, every iridescent, venomous insect was a living enigma in this foreboding glade. One could easily argue that the treacherous demons were the very embodiment of Xeenar's dark side, but from what I could see, violence and decay were the planet's only side. After an hour of grim, tense silence, Grimora suddenly halted. Her pink eyes narrowed, aggressively scrutinizing the dense thicket ahead. A heavy branch snapped in the distance, followed by a low, guttural growl. Exactly the kind of audio feedback I didn’t want to hear. “Get behind me, master,” Grimora instructed. Her words were spoken in a tight whisper, but they carried a biological urgency that couldn’t be denied. “I sense incoming hostiles.” My sizable form quivered, the scent of danger mixing with a strange hit of adrenaline, making my perception sharper than ever. This was my very first unscripted encounter in the Dark Glade. The day my hostile takeover truly began. Summoning my courage, I directed Grimjaw to step behind her. The two-headed hound bared its terrifying teeth, its muscles coiled like springs as it watched the shadows. After a short, agonizing moment, a disgusting little green creature with pointed ears and panicked, wide eyes came screaming from the brush, tearing through the thorns without a care for its own skin. Grimora let out a low growl, and through our newly forged pact, I could feel a wave of intense disappointment radiate from her. It was such a weak, pathetic creature. The succubus casually drew back her hand, the Ether shaping her fingernails into six-inch, razor-sharp blades, but the screaming goblin simply ran past her without even looking back. "That is not a good sign," I noted dryly. Grimora looked down at me and nodded. You don't run blindly past a succubus unless something significantly worse is auditing your life from behind. From my expanding sensory range, I could feel heavy, rhythmic vibrations shaking the dirt. There was a group of massive, eight-foot-tall humanoid creatures headed our way. We could try to run, but based on their stride length, they would easily outpace Grimjaw. It was clear from their relaxed, heavy thudding that they were in no particular hurry. They were actively hunting that goblin, and it just knew well enough to break line of sight. Part of me considered heeding the running creature's clear warning and ordering a tactical retreat, but the executive part of my brain saw this as a prime acquisition opportunity. We needed labor. "Master, five Blackrock Trolls are approaching our position," Grimora stated, staring through the bleeding trees in the direction of the noise. She looked back at me, her eyes flashing with violent eagerness. "Would you like me to liquidate them?" I paused, letting my fluid form shift slightly as a lingering realization finally snapped into focus. "Before we deal with them, I have a question. Why do you keep using words like 'liquidate'? Earlier you were talking about 'deadlines' and 'acquisitions.' You even referred to me as your CEO. Where exactly are you getting this vocabulary?" Grimora blinked, her pink eyes widening as if she had only just realized what she was saying. A look of profound shock washed over her beautiful features, quickly followed by a heavy awe. "That... that should have been Luriel's first clue about how unique you are," Grimora breathed, her voice dropping to a reverent whisper. "And my own. A succub