Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 253 Romanticization of the Wild

"Surrender…

…or I humiliate you in front of everyone that is watching us right now."

There was a silence after that, with only Rhys's breaths whispering in the air, as Lance did not really seem to have any need to actually breathe. He just stood there, almost as if thinking about his next step.

"You don't feel pain," Rhys continued to whisper into his ear, "That means I wouldn't feel that bad once I rip off your limbs and crush your head. It's your choice — you can continue to fight, but I assure you that is the next thing that will happen."

"Woah…" Lance then finally breathed out as he wiped the imaginary sweat trailing down his forehead, "...You are really intense. Has anyone told you that? Fine, fine…

…I surrender."

The boosters attached to Lance's body all closed down at the same time as he backed away from Rhys; shaking his head several times as he let out a long and very deep sigh of disappointment.

"I got what I wanted, anyway," Lance shrugged before pointing at the nearest drone hovering above them, "All of you saw that, right!? How fucking strong Rhys Wilder is!? So, don't you ever trash talk me again on social media, you little fucking bitches!"

"Wait…" Rhys's eyebrows started to lower as he heard Lance's words, "...You did all of this because someone bad-mouthed you on social media?"

"Well, yeah. I can't let that pass. This is my career, bro. I can't have people doubting me. I might lose my sponsors," Lance shrugged; snapping his fingers and controlling the drones to return to him. The drones seemed to have been materialized by his abilities, as they disappeared as soon as he touched them.

The cameras, however, Lance stored inside a bag that he also materialized. More and more, Rhys was thinking of how convenient their abilities were,

"Of course, I don't really need money. My country practically pays for everything I do, since 99% of their military power is, well… Me. All their weapons, vehicles, helicopters — I made them, and I can just take it away with the snap of my fingers."

"Huh…" Rhys then looked at Lance's bag before looking at the skies to make sure there weren't any drones left. And then, without even any warning… he once again pulled on the threads attached to Lance and punched him in the face.

"What… are you doing!?" Lance screamed as he found himself on the ground. Rhys, however, did not say anything as he just started stomping on his head instead — his head was already starting to dent, and if it wasn't for the soft ground, it would have definitely already been crushed,

"I already surrendered!"

"You did," Rhys said, "But you fired a missile at us back on Typhon's Island — you targeted my people, and I can't risk you doing that again."

"Wait, wait!" Lance raised his hand, but Rhys just grabbed his wrist and continued stomping on his head, "That… that wasn't me!"

As soon as he said that, however, Rhys quickly stopped stomping on his head.

"Speak," Rhys whispered.

"Well, it was me, but—Wait, wait. Just listen!" Lance raised his voice as Rhys was about to step on his head again, "It was me, but I was ordered to do it by my country. It's just that I have a small grudge against you, so I just saw that as a win-win."

"...Why would your country want me dead?" Rhys let go of Lance; dragging him up with the threads.

"N… no, not them," Lance shook his head and just let out a slightly nervous laugh, "I did some little digging of my own, and it would seem they had a meeting with some foreigners just a day before they ordered me to do it."

"Foreigners…?"

"Amerkans," Lance winced as he looked away, "They might have made a deal or something, I'm not sure. That's the only thing I know. So… please, don't kill me? Well, it's not like you can, actually — my entire body is a bomb."

"What…?"

"Yup," Lance once again chuckled, "Once I know I am going to die, I'm just gonna explode and take everyone with me — the strength of 50 megatons. That's a lot. It will kill you, as well as everyone else within 4 kilometers, I think. Wait, how about this…

…I'll come and aid you when the time comes that you need me? You're a politician and a soldier, you should know how important it is to have allies backing you up."

"I'm not a politician — and you are not my ally."

"I could be," Lance smiled, "And you don't really have a choice…? Because I will explode if you plan to kill me. You get an ally, I don't explode — win-win?"

"He is telling the truth, Rhys Wilder."

And as Rhys was staring Lance in the eyes, Maria emerged from his shadows and approached the two of them, "I am sure you know it too, you have been trained to read emotions in the Underworld Corps."

"Not as much as you," Rhys just glanced at Maria before finally letting Lance go.

"And you could always just assassinate him once he is back in his country," Maria followed up, causing Lance to just let out another awkward chuckle, "Lance Aquino is known for his impulsiveness, perhaps even more so than you, Rhys Wilder — but he is also known to keep his words."

"I… don't know why you seem to know so much about me, but that's true," Lance pointed at Maria.

"I know everything about you, Lance Aquino," Maria looked Lance in the eyes, "I also know you have three girlfriends, all from different countries, who absolutely have no idea about each other, and one of them is Larissa Jokic — Ranked 12th Strongest Explorer in the world… and known to be extremely violent."

"Woah… ha…haha," Lance once again pointed at Maria, "Let's… let's not get hasty here."

"I do have to say," Maria slightly tilted her head to the side, "You are almost as promiscuous as Rhys Wilder — the only difference is that his women all live in harmony and are willing to share, most of the time."

"God damn it!" Lance clasped his head, "I lost in battle and in rizz!? Fuck, fuck!"

"We should go, Rhys Wilder," Maria then pulled Rhys's sleeve, "He will not be a threat to you — and if he does not fulfill his end of the deal, then all it takes is a simple push of a button to reveal all of the conversations he had with his girlfriends to each other."

"Wait… you also have access to my messenger!?"

And once again, Maria moved to the top spot of the scariest woman in Rhys's life. She probably knows something that Rhys doesn't even know about himself.

"Ack. I guess I don't need to tell you how you can contact me," Lance then just let out a loud sigh as the boosters once again emerged all over his body, "I'd visit your territory, but I have somewhere else I need to be. Wait, you don't happen to know where the 17th Strongest Explorer is right now?"

"I do," Maria answered as Lance pointed at her again, "You can have it for a price."

"Send it to me," Lance smirked, "I need to show my followers that I'm still stronger than most of the people in the rankings."

And with those words, Lance finally flew away — leaving so casually almost as if he did not just level several miles of field.

"...I forgot how colorful life is outside of prison," Rhys could really only shake his head before he and Maria disappeared into the shadows. Fortunately for them and the rest of the convoy, no one else challenged Rhys and they were finally able to return back home.

"What… is that?"

"Ho…? I did not know you have zuch tastes, my Fuhrer."

"I didn't take you for a narcissist, dude."

And the first thing that welcomed them was a statue of Rhys, perhaps more than 10 floors high… and the statue was still a few hundred miles before the city.

"What the—You told me it was a small settlement!" Dominique could not help but just widen her eyes as she looked at what seemed to be a developing city resting beside Rhys's statue, with a lot of buildings still in the process of being built.

"...I wasn't gone for that long," Rhys was also in disbelief as he looked at the city, "And are those people… actually praying in front of my statue? And Maria, why is there a statue here in the first place?"

"The people built it," Maria just shrugged, "And the others approved of it as well, Ayesha thought it would be funny."

"...What else aren't you telling me?" Rhys could really only look Maria in the eyes. Maria, however, just returned his stares before a small, and very subtle but obviously mischievous smile crawled on her face.

Rhys did not need to wonder for long, however, because as soon as he stepped out of the truck…

…all the people started crowding over them, all of them, trying to touch him like he was some sort of deity.