Shovels In Spades

"All is well?" the Yaoguai asked as it noticed Daz's return from the tower.

Shrugging, the reaper answered, "As well as it could be considering I chose not to lie or try to manipulate the emperor of China."

"China, what is that? I am also unfamiliar with the term 'emperor," the Yaoguai admitted as it allowed Daz to get on its head once more.

"China's a country- well, actually, an empire now, I suppose. An easier way to look at is that it's a large landmass a bit north of here," Daz explained. "An emperor is just the ruler of over 1,000,000 people according to the system."

"I see. And you are not an emperor but a lower class of ruler, correct?" the Yaoguai questioned.

Daz nodded. "That is correct. I am a king. I have a little over 400,000 citizens in total. I will be promoted to a high king when that number reaches 500,000, though it does not matter."

"It doesn't?" the demonic bear asked as it began to walk away from the Chinese encampment.

Daz shook his head. "No. They are all just stepping stones on my path to becoming Earth's sole Sovereign."

"I see. Shall I take us back to Yilan City or have you other plans?" the Yaoguai asked.

"No. There is plenty of daylight left. I see no reason to not try to meet the Indians who have also set up camp here. Head in that direct-" An internal alarm issued by his Survivor's Instincts stopped Daz's next few words from leaving his mouth.

"King Daz?" the Yaoguai called in confusion. Usually, the child of the system sat upon him was extremely confident with his words whenever he spoke, so for him to so abruptly stop concerned the beast.

"... Bring us back to Yilan City," Daz said as his brow furrowed in a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Why?" Naturally, the Yaoguai's interest was piqued by its ruler's sudden change of heart.

"My instincts told me that going there with just you and I would be dangerous. My instincts are never wrong when it comes to my safety," Daz explained.

"I see. Can all those of your kind do the same? I am unfamiliar with your system-given species' capabilities," the Yaoguai asked as he ran through the countryside of Taiwan back towards Yilan City.

Daz shook his head. "No. This is a thing that, to my knowledge, only 3 people can do. Myself, my father, and my grandfather."

"A hereditary ability then. Very interesting," the Yaoguai commented.

Daz saw no point in speaking beyond that so he instead closed his eyes and began thinking of what he should do now that he was aware of the fact that visiting the Indian force on the western shore of Taiwan may prove to lead to a fatal encounter.

'I wasn't expecting this upon coming to this place... To think that something here can actually put my life at risk... It should just be a branch of an army of one of India's 8 kings... Can one such branch really threaten my life? How? Can they sever the link to the system as well? Surely not, right? I can't believe that's such a common power,' Daz thought.

He stroked his chin before sighing. 'It would be foolish to not consider the possibility, at least. Okay, let's look at this from a different angle. So if I think about going alone... Yup, alarm bells. What if I don't go with just Yaoguai? Still getting a lot of ringing but it feels weaker. So more people will help. That wouldn't be the case if they could shut off system upgrades like the Truthians can. I could easily kill thousands and thousands of ordinary system-stripped people, after all.'

Daz was pleased with his revelation. As much as he detested the power he had inherited from his father, he would be a liar if he said that it wasn't incredibly useful and a lot more versatile than it might first appear.

'Okay, and if I consider going with Crusher? Ah, considerably less of a risk to my life. Lovely. Now, let's keep mentally adding people until I can't sense these annoying warnings anymore,' Daz decided as he peacefully sat atop the Yaoguai's back.

Daz wished he wasn't surprised when he returned to the heart of Yilan City only to find Crusher bench-pressing with a building somehow attached to her head, but surprised he still found himself to be.

Noticing his and the demonic bear's return, Crusher grabbed her hammer - also named Crusher - and waved it, resulting in the building on her head floating away somewhere into the city.

She then moved her body so as to jump up onto her feet without using her hands. "'Sup?"

Daz shrugged as he landed after vaulting off of the Yaoguai's head. "Same old same old. You know how it is, meet the friend of your father who's the evil dictator of over a million people, tell him to fuck off and warn him I can launch nukes, then try to go for a nice stroll to meet even more eastern friends only to find out that they may not actually be friends."

"Hahaha! Funny shit but, like, ain't you technically a dictator too?" Crusher asked.

Daz nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Technically, yes, but I'm one of the good ones."

"Hahaha I bet every dictator says that. Anyhoo, unfriendly Indians or unfriendly locals? Has my chance to treat some heads like watermelons at a Japanese beach party finally come?" Crusher questioned with a toothy grin on her lips.

Daz squinted at her. "You are such a strange person."

"Really? First time anyone's ever called me that." Crusher scratched her head. "You'd think it'd have come up by now."

"I can detect lies, remember," Daz pointed out.

Crusher sighed then said, "Yeah, Uriel, you can, but you sure as hell struggle with sarcasm... Anyway, Indians or locals?"

"Indians. I considered going to visit them to see what kind of attitude they have like I did with the Chinese," Daz explained.

"Let me guess, the ol' instincts gave you the 'fuck no, bro, bro, no, don't go there! We gunna die if we go there!' spiel?" Crusher speculated while she started chuckling, clearly, she was amused by herself.

"Yes. Not quite in those words since, you know, my powers don't talk to me, but yes, that was the message more or less," Daz responded.

"'Kay, so what's the plan, Uriel? Smash an' grab? If so, let me know what need's grabbin'," Crusher said as she hoisted her hammer over her shoulder with confidence.

"Well, for right now, It'd be rather helpful if you could grab Dorian for me. Master Merit too," Daz answered with a curt smile.

"Ahab and the plump weasel? Sure. Gimme a minute," Crusher said as she sniffed powerfully to clear her nose then cracked her back as she stretched.

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The next moment she bolted into the mall behind her and had returned in under 10-seconds. Under her left arm could be seen the dangling Dorian who had an expression of resignation on his face as if he were used to this.

Under Crusher's right arm was the wildly thrashing Master Merit who, quite clearly, hadn't expected to be picked up like some sort of sack of produce. "Unhand me this instant, you barbarian!"

Crusher nodded quite happily. "Sure thing, buddy."

With a loud thud, Master Merit slammed into the concrete beneath him. Quickly picking himself up and dusting his suit off, he plucked his top hat that had rolled off of his head from the floor and put it back on. "I should have expected that."

"Yeah, you should've, haha," Crusher laughed. "Careful what you wish for and all of that."

Uncaring in regards to the minor quibbling of the two, Daz requested something of the system. 'Show me their loyalties, System. Just their loyalties, please. I do not need to see their entire statuses.'