Shovels In Spades

'Amazing! Fantastic! Exciting! Electrifying! Delectable! Savoury! Delicious!' Pheldorapod practically screaming in his mind as he saw Daz appearing on his stage once more.

The reaper was quite clearly still in pain, but his eyes were wide open this time as he stared at his opponent.

'Such visceral and raw hatred! The emotions filling every pore of his body! This, system, this is what I live for!' Pheldorapod had to actively avoid physically shaking from how overjoyed he was right now.

The man Daz was having such a violent reaction to, was, of course, Davido Hamilio, his father.

The two men stayed silent while one glared and the other simply wore a sharp smile on his face.

Clearly aware that any confrontation they were going to have wasn't going to happen until he had introduced them and started the fight, Pheldorapod quickly adjusted a few of his monocles before he addressed the auction's participants.

"My good testees of Earth, I'm sure you're all familiar and friendly with the very active Archreaper, Daz, no? He has both challenged and been challenged the most times out of all of the surviving Earthians! Quite the marvel, no? It's almost like he knows what to bid on and when to use his own tickets..." Pheldorapod teased.

"We all know his achievements as well as the backs of our very own tentacles, so I shan't say them again. I doubt anyone is interested in any of them anymore, except, perhaps, for his fourth one which I am still not allowed to reveal," Pheldorapod said as he shook his squishy head sadly.

"Now, the challenger of this ticket usage, however... My, oh my, what an equally interesting subject we have here," the alien claimed as he moved across the stage and then motioned to Davido.

"It would be a cardinal sin, my good friends, if you didn't recognise the name 'Davido Hamilio'!" Pheldorapod said grandly. "Indeed, he is the very same man that almost tampered with Earth's tests! The very same man who gave the common folk a chance to breathe on the last day of your second cycle, but also restricted most of you more... adventurous testees from gaining merit points on that day!"

While he let that information settle, Pheldorapod's mind worked in the background silently. 'He has two golden tickets, no? I wonder what he plans to do with the second? Perhaps keep it until the next auction? Doubtful considering I rarely host these special auctions... Aha! He's going to sell it to a player, isn't he? I suppose that would beg the question; why is he using one ticket now when he stands to gain more by selling them both?'

"Ahem, to list Davido's achievements, good testees of Earth, he has a total of three!" Pheldorapod shouted.

"First, he is one of the four current emperors of Earth. In fact, he is the one with the largest territory and he has the most people serving and living under his rule," the octopus claimed.

"His second achievement is quite the feat! Davido here has been ranked first for merit points ever since the tests on Earth began!" Pheldorapod exclaimed excitedly.

Clearing his nonexistent throat again - a tic of his it would seem, he continued, "And lastly, for his final achievement, he has accomplished both of these points without killing or hurting a single monster nor fellow testee! How marvellous, no? Some would say that he is the ideal testee. Performing splendidly without even raising a finger. How envious..."

Daz's opinion of the alien was rapidly dropping as he went on and on about how 'amazing' his father was.

Sensing the reaper's displeasure, Pheldorapod used a tentacle to stroke his hairless head and then waved in an exaggerated manner. "Well then, without further ado, please, let the final challenge of the Grand System Auction begin!"

Daz did not want to talk to Davido. He did not want to look at Davido. Hell, he did not even want to be near Davido.

In less than a second, he summoned both of his clones and used his justice chains before he and his clones used the Laughing Skull skill in conjunction.

"What...?" Daz muttered in shock.

Nothing happened. It sounded simple, but the complexities held behind those two simple words sent Daz's throbbing mind into a frenzy.

Not only didn't a single Justice Chain appear to bind Davido, but the three Laughing Skulls had also appeared to have done no damage to the man before they faded away.

Confidently walking forwards, Davido approached Daz silently as he stretched his arms out.

'What the fuck is he planning?' Daz asked himself before he glanced over to Rimmy. "Rimmy, crush him!"

"Rimmy!" Following the will of his master, Rimmy's core entered its main body before it controlled the thirty-foot-tall golem, sending it rocketing across the stage.

He punched the spot where Davido was standing, but no matter what he did, no matter how quickly he swung, every single attack of his completely missed.

Davido was still moving in a straight line towards Daz, so it made absolutely no sense that none of his attacks were hitting their mark.

In a small fit of rage, Rimmy rapid-fired his skill, Crystal Cannon. Davido's smile shifted. "Well, I can't exactly avoid all of those, now can I?" he asked Daz with a soft tone.

What happened next, not only shocked Daz and Rimmy but even Pheldorapod.

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Every shard of crystal flying his way, miraculously entered Davido's body, then somehow exited it from the other side, leaving the man unscathed.

Daz frowned heavily. 'What the fuck? Is that a skill?'

"Why don't you find out, Darenzo?" Davido asked as if he knew exactly what his son was thinking. "I do not mind if you look at my status and my skills. In fact, I encourage it."

'Is this a trick? Is he trying to trap me? I won't fall for his petty taunts!' Daz yelled internally to himself. "Clone One, Clone Two, kill him," he ordered as he summoned Hamson and handed the shovel to Clone Two.

Davido shook his head faintly. "A shame. You are smart and confident, Darenzo, but you are too agitated right now to think wisely," he said with mild disappointment lacing his every word.

The two Daz clones employed their sixty-percent of Daz's stats perfectly, as well as his Shovel Arts and his Death Beam, but nothing hit Davido. Every attack simply passed through his body like he was an illusion or a ghost.

Daz stumbled backwards as Davido approached him, but his headache stopped his steps short. "Get away from me..." he weakly muttered in defiance.

Davido did no such thing. He wrapped his arms around Daz and hugged his head to his chest.

Rimmy, Clone One and Clone Two all stood at the ready, prepared to attack any second. They didn't want to hurt Daz, and they didn't know the rules behind whatever Davido was using to avoid their moves, so caution was the best option in their minds.

"Oh, Darenzo, Darenzo, Darenzo." Davido patted Daz's back softly as he smiled from ear-to-ear. "How proud you've made me. You're a perfect survivor, you're a perfect son, you're a perfect creation, but above all else, you're a perfect Hamilio."

Davido pulled back from the immobilised and stunned Daz before he rested his hands on the reaper's shoulders. "You have met my expectations and blown them out of the water, my son."

He took one of his hands and brushed back Daz's hair affectionately. "You're handling the side-effects of your level-three awakening expertly, but allow me to help you."

He gently kissed Daz's forehead, then a look that strongly resembled that of a proud father emerged on the deranged man's face. "Continue being a perfect survivor, a perfect son, a perfect creation, and above all else, a perfect Hamilio."

His eyes flashed golden for a few seconds as he stared at Daz. "My expectations have only grown, my son. Do not let me down, Darenzo." Davido then chuckled faintly. "Look after Rose properly, won't you? She's very important in the grand scheme of things." A moment of silence passed before Davido said two more words. "I surrender."

Daz was frozen stiff even after his father's body faded away.

Seeing that the reaper wasn't going to speak, Pheldorapod announced his victory then quickly returned Daz to his suite before proclaiming that the Grand System Auction had now ended.