Chapter 47: Home sweet Home
And so both Roy and Dio went on their way, none the wiser of the imminent doom they had just narrowly escaped...
The vehicle moved so fast the surrounding scenery was nothing but blurs. But thankfully, this particular carrier showed why it was Epic-ranked and far more advanced than the regular Buggy.
Firstly, it had a pathfinder system used to geo-lock locations the driver had been to, allowing it to help navigate the most optimal path forward.
Additionally, despite the vehicle’s speed, it offered an HD depiction that aligned and displayed paths. So instead of the driver only seeing blurs during rapid movement, it allowed him to see his path clearly — almost as if boosting his cognitive perception.
And so, within minutes, Roy had surprisingly scaled the vast terrain separating him from his territory.
[Host has arrived at his territory...]
Glancing at the notification brought him a sense of peace and happiness — like the feeling of returning home after an exhausting journey.
He eased off the acceleration, allowing the speed of the police cruiser to wane, taking his time to inspect the progress as he drove past.
Utility Hunters could be seen in troves, scampering about, busy with all kinds of labor — working on what seemed to be a transportation road.
Roy estimated their numbers to be over 100, which was a lot compared to the number of recruits he had left behind.
It seemed more and more Hunters had come to take refuge in his land, seeing his territory as a place of safety.
The workers halted in their duties as they gazed at the moving car with mixed expressions of confusion and wariness...
*What the hell was a car doing here?
Who was that driving it?
And again — what the hell was a car doing here?*
The sight of modern tech was jarring compared to the new reality they found themselves in. Though it still felt surreal, it had to be admitted that humanity had been transmigrated into a fantasy realm.
No one expected to see things like modern tech again.
Roy continued his motion unimpeded until he finally reached a massive dome-like structure. His eyes lit up in both delight and surprise.
He was well aware of what this dome was — it was the actualization of the city defense mechanism blueprint he had given Richard before leaving.
And though Richard had promised to get things done as fast as possible, Roy never expected it to be completed this quickly. One had to understand the magnitude of such a creation.
It couldn’t even be compared to the steel rampart — it was thousands of times larger, equipped with more sophisticated offensive tech systems. It was safe to say this massive dome was a creation on the scale of the Great Wall of China... only more advanced.
The manpower and resources required to build such a construct would be astronomical. After all, this wasn’t a system-crafted construct — it was man-made.
Then Roy realized something and rushed to check. He needed to see the number of subordinates he had — something he hadn’t bothered to check since leaving his territory.
[Subordinates Count:
Police Officers: 187
K-9 Unit: 36
Civilians: 356
Prisoners: 40]
His expression turned strange. These numbers — apart from the prisoners, whose count couldn’t increase due to full cell capacity — had grown massively.
Especially the police officers. He had only made arrangements for 50 before he left. He couldn’t even imagine how Richard had reached these numbers.
Most especially the K-9 Unit. Before he left, there was only one classified in this category — Alpha. But now...
He couldn’t help but feel satisfied. He really hadn’t made a mistake leaving his territory in Richard’s hands.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Four guards dressed in heavy police gear approached the vehicle, their expressions stoic and cold.
Roy nodded in satisfaction. These recruits weren’t bad — having such control over their emotions and not letting their surprise or confusion slip. Indeed, not bad...
"We require you to step down from the vehicle. Make sure your arms are up and without weapons."
Their orders resounded, Glocks drawn, while maintaining a safe distance.
Roy was beside himself with pleasure. If the others are just as disciplined, our chances of overcoming the Variant Calamity would soar astronomically.
He waved his hand, banishing Dio back into his cell. Before the poor man in orange even knew what was happening, he found himself surrounded by familiar bars and familiar people.
"Boss Dio! You got us scared in worry — where have you been?" Jack’s deep voice rang with concern.
And he was replied with a brutal slap.
Pow!
"How dare you call me Boss? How am I the Boss? Boss Roy is the almighty Boss! If you want me dead, just say it..."
...
Back on the outside, after sending Dio back into his cell, Roy stepped down from the vehicle.
He didn’t follow instructions by lifting his hands or anything. But the moment everyone on sight caught a glimpse of him, an instinctual reaction branded deep into their souls took hold.
Plop!
The synonymous sound of knees thudding against the ground rang out.
"Greetings, Lord!"
Just like how a stray wolf would instinctively recognize the authority of an alpha...
Or the instinctual devotion of a bee soldier toward its queen...
This was the phenomenon playing out here. Most of them had never met their Lord — they didn’t know his face or had ever seen him. But the moment they laid eyes on him, the bond between a Lord and his sworn Hunters took hold.
The reverence and recognition of authority came from the depths of their very souls. They weren’t unwilling — they merely recognized their sovereign.
Roy casually beckoned for them all to be at ease.
The civilians got to their feet and returned to work. Now their confusion was settled. After all, all sworn Hunters knew their Lord’s occupation by default, and they were aware that their Lord was a cosmic policeman.
Most of them even dreamed of joining the prestigious ranks of police officers. It was said they were given great weapons and gear similar to modern tech. In this light, it was understandable if their Lord owned a police cruiser.
The officers, on the other hand, followed diligently behind Roy as he made his way into the city.
Roy decided to move on foot, even though the journey toward his outpost was still quite distant. He preferred to experience the developments and the newly built city firsthand.
As he made his way through the scant but lively city — still obviously under development — some sites were under construction, others not even started. But the number of buildings was impressive. He could argue that his city now was comparable to Vera’s.
Seriously, how did that guy do all this in a day... I can’t wait to find out. With that, he inquired from the guards behind him.
"Where is Richard?"
The officers glanced at each other, hesitating for a beat before replying.
"Lord, Captain Richard took a troop and ventured into the Beast Lord Amon’s territory in order to recover all K-9 units," they quickly informed him without holding back.
Roy frowned, his brow knitting. It had barely been four days since he left, and his territory was already clashing with another Lord — and it had to happen while he wasn’t present.
"What’s the whole story?" he questioned in a commanding tone, his voice noticeably chillier.
Glancing at each other, one finally volunteered to explain in detail.
"Lord, in your absence, Captain Richard focused on recruitment. Though we don’t have all the details, we are aware that he recruited three others who were also given Captain rank."
"It is said that it was due to them that infrastructure and recruitment advancement was so prosperous and fast."
Giving recruits a Captain rank? They better be worth it. Before leaving, Roy had granted Richard limited authority over his territory and recruits — and rank assignment was among them.
The thing was, Roy had no intention of giving just anyone the rank of Police Captain. They had to have an absurd amount of potential — enough to move him before he would even consider it.
"I don’t have much info about this but apart from the three Captains, Captain Richard didn’t summon any more human Hunters with recruitment vouchers. Instead, he focused on bolstering our ranks with K-9 units, allowing the top-performing officers to bond with one."
Roy’s eyes glistened. He finally understood how the K-9 Unit had grown so much. But if he focused on recruiting K-9s, how did he get this many officers?
It seemed the more the officers explained, the more questions Roy had.
Only Richard can explain fully... but before that, let’s hear what predicament he found himself in...
The officer continued his explanation without a hitch.
"It was at this stage that the neighboring Beast Lord Amon struck..."