A Black Market LitRPG

Johan stood outside the office and watched as the armoured man approached, escorted by two guards. He noticed the armoured man hardly even gave a glance to those suffering from the effects of Agent Black, as though he was completely undeterred by such maladies.

"Some water perhaps? We don't have tea nor potions, sorry about this mess." Johan smiled as Kyle sat opposite him, the two of them alone in their office.

"You seem quite calm about all of this. Are you not afraid that I will kill you immediately?" Kyle still had his armour and weapons on, along with a helmet that masked his face.

"Wouldn't be the first time someone tried it. I’ve already been declared dead more than once." Johan chuckled. “Though I can clearly guess you’re not here to kill me. Not your first time seeing Agent Black as well, is it?”

“I have encountered it before, yes. Lets skip the guessing game.” Kyle took off his helmet, revealing his face. “I am Kris Greyborn. I was working with Dekar in the catacombs of Tenar.”

“Ah, I have heard about you from him. The Ghost of Tenar, you called yourself. An apt name. Your actions have already become legend, inspiring many others to find the truth. So, what does the Ghost of Tenar want with my ragtag bunch?”

“I plan to reinstate both you and Dekar back into government. I will take down the current government in a week.”

“So Dekar can uphold his end of the deal? He isn’t here right now, he is in Tenar.”

“Deal or not, I will get what I am owed.” Kyle didn’t really care that Dekar was in power, as the basis of the deal had already been long thrown out of the window. What Kyle truly wanted was a puppet government – and President Johan was going to be his force.

Johan sat quietly, examining Kyle’s demeanour and posture. “You... you’re a man lusting after money. Your only ideal is power. You want to use me.”

“That is the way of the world.”

“No, the world can be made better. The end goal isn’t power, but how you use that power.”

“I did not come here for a lesson in ideals or philosophy. I came here to strike a deal.”

“Why would I strike a deal with a man who has a bottomless pit of greed?” Johan scoffed.

“You have me labelled quite well, despite us having met for the first time.”

“I’ve seen many of your kind – nobles, landowners, businessman. They always strike a deal first, to lure you in. Giving benefits, gifts, discounts, subsidies. But once they have you hooked into their system, they immediately turn you into their next cash cow, and move on to the next sucker to hook. Am I wrong?”

Kyle was slightly astonished, but had half expected this to happen. He had already known from Dekar and Hayden that Johan was a principled man, strong -will and unwilling to back down if he had a choice. A natural trait of all leaders. “Are you sure you want to go this route?”

“Don’t bother trying to threaten me. I can already guess what your plan was. You wanted me to act as a figurehead, to serve as a front for all the crimes and sins you were about to plague the people. I do not make deals with devils, Mr. Greyborn, Ghost of Tenar or not. I had high hopes that the Ghost of Tenar or the ruler of Desham would be far more idealistic, but instead all I see is a vulture, one who wants to take advantage of Versia.”

“Fine. Have it your way.” Kyle got up of his chair, preparing to leave when two guards suddenly entered the office, blocking the exit.

“Who say I was going to let you go? If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from this entire affair, is that corruption and evil must be snubbed at their root.” Johan pulled out an arctech pistol, aiming it right at Kyle. “You’ve caused in enough chaos in Versia – now its time to pay up.”

“Observers, blow up the entrance.” Kyle spoke, seemingly to thin air.

“Huh?” The guards and Johan were confused, before suddenly a defeaning blast and follow-up shockwave swept through the base like a raging wind, tearing up makeshift bedding and tents. The bouncer was incinerated, the flesh melting from his bones as the fires of the arcia bomb dropped from the stealth hovercraft swarmed the area, gulping at the air in the base while people screamed and ran.

It was a clearly visible sight, with the military all across Creuliz having a clear sight of it.

“What was that? A bombing? Where is that location?”

“Doesn’t seem to be anywhere important, sir, but it’s near one of their suspected hiding areas.”

“Quickly, all nearby forces to investigate!”

The soldiers began to swarm in on their position, heading towards the billowing cloud of smoke that began to choke out the basement, filling the air.

Kyle immediately kicked into action the moment the explosion happened, his body already braced for it as he drew his lightning sword, stabbing it deep into the chest of the guard and skewering him through.

Penchant for Violence! With a tight grip on the sword, he flung the body towards the other guard and instinctively ducked as he avoided three shots from Johan while rolling on the ground. Kyle kicked the backrest of his chair towards Johan, forcing Johan to dodge as well and allowing Kyle to recover.

Kyle lunged for the rifle that the first guard dropped on the ground and immediately fired at the second guard, ramming him with a storm of pellets. The pellets tore through his face, ripping out his brain tissue and splashing the floor with blood.

“So you’ve shown your true colours.” Johan grimaced as he took cover behind the office table. “Don’t you need me for your legitimacy plan?”

“You seem to be mistaken about something, Johan – I don’t care what happens to Versia after the current government falls. My plan doesn’t revolve around you. All I want is what I am owed.” Kyle retorted, picking up the second guard’s rifle instead now that the first was emptied.

Johan’s face blanched, immediately imagining how Kyle would overturn the entire capital in a blaze of fire, making everything Versia had achieved in the last fifteen years turn to rot. “You dare?!”

“Are you willing to change your mind now?” Kyle smirked, aiming the rifle at the office table. “The military will be here any minute.”

Johan could already hear the klaxons of the military wagons blaring in the distance beyond the raging arcia fire that the other members were desparately trying to put out. He could not run the risk of capture yet again – he might never get out again, even if Dekar and Yona helped him. It might be years or even decades before he could do anything once more.

Yet he could not forsake his ideal and partner with Kyle. He stayed true to his convictions, steeling his heart. “You’re assuming I can’t get out of here.”

“Only if you get past me.”

Johan didn’t respond, instead using his body to ram the office table that he was using as cover, pushing it towards Kyle. However, Kyle was far too agile for it, leaping over the office table and immediately grappling Johan. “Last chance.” Kyle spoke into Johan’s ear as Johan struggled against Kyle’s grip. Weak, far too weak. How did a person like this even become President?

“I will never surrender to evil, you fucker!” Johan’s face turned red as he continued to elbow Kyle in the waist, ineffective due to the armour plating. Even if he managed to hit Kyle’s skin, it was of no use – Kyle was leagues above him in strength and combat ability.

“So be it.” Kyle let go of Johan, before lifting his rifle and firing every pellet he had in the magazine, taking great care to aim for the body instead of the face. The stalwart expression on Johan’s face remained strong, even as he was gunned down in a spray of pellets, blood leaking from every hole carved into his flesh and organs while his body slumped down to the ground, dead.

MG404: [System Message Killed: [ Johan ] + 5000 EXP]

MG404: [ Level Up: 39 - 40 All Stats Increased Bonus Points Granted ]

MG404: [Sub-Class Announcement Sub-Class Upgrade (Level 40) Congratulations, sub-class will be upgraded now. Please wait.]

“Pick up at Sector GG83.” Kyle dismissed the messages as he retrieved the bloodied lightning sword, knowing he could hardly initate an sub-class change right now in the midst of an active battle.

[Copy that. Moving to position now.]

As he stepped out of the home office, the members were busy fighting the fire, scrambling to find as much water as they could to put out the fire. The young man from before spotted Kyle, and noticed the copious amount of bloodstains on the floor, as well as Johan dead on the ground. “What...? What did you do?”

Kyle didn’t reply, instead raising his rifles and firing indiscriminately, killing everyone he came across. The members had little armour to no shielding, allowing each and every pellet to kill anyone who laid his eyes on him.

The young man tried to charge at Kyle, only to have his head chopped cleanly off by a swing of Kyle’s sword, the lightning searing through the neck like a hot knife through butter.

MG404: [System Message Killed: [Versian Rebel] +50 EXP]

This is My Turf!

Kyle simply walked through the fire, escaping the base quickly and running through the streets, avoiding the military patrols that were all converging on the blazing fire that dominated the city skyline at night. He soon reached a stealth hornet that was parked on the top of the building, allowing him to quickly escape into air. “All observers, retreat to Desham.”

Kyle had initially hoped he would be able to leave peacefully, though Johan had first forced his hand by intending to keep Kyle prisoner. Kyle did not take no for an answer lightly, and certainly not threat of imprisonment.

It would be a major setback to his first plan of using legitimacy to stabilize the country under President Johan as the figurehead, but it was not the only way to run a coup. However, Kyle still needed someone to act as the facade, someone who was still related to the government.

That would be Minister Dekar. Kyle of course did not plan to tell Dekar or any of the original revolutionaries that he was the one who killed Johan. Instead, he would pin the blame on the military at Creuliz, who would no doubt begin to take credit for the death of Johan and the successful stamping out of cults in the city.

Dekar is in Tenar right now, so I can accelerate the plan. News of Johan’s death will soon reach him, and I will appear at the right time.

The moment Kyle reached back to the base, the soldiers under him were gathered in the main hangar bay, waiting for the pre-operation briefing that was jointly led by Kyle and Feldon.

“In three days time from now, we will strike Tenar with everything we have. The Nest Division are aware of our stealth hovercrafts and have deployed countermeasures before, so we cannot assume that Tenar does not have any defences.”

“As such, the plan is simple – we will re-enter the catacombs from the dungeon’s entrance, before establishing a forward operating base. We will deploy explosives on this marked locations: each squad will have their own designated objectives to plant them.”

“Once that is completed, we will wait for Count Leon to approach the city with full force. On my mark, we will storm the government building and capture the seat of power. The final target is Mornero, current President of Versia. The ministers and other cronies are to be killed on sight with no hesitation. No one is to be captured alive or imprisoned.”

“By the end of the week, every government institution will be under our control. Versia will fall under us, and I will reinstate the former revolutionaries such as Minister Dekar and Hayden as rightful leaders.”

M.G.Driver

Same as Announcement on Chapter 122.

Hey all.

I know I have not uploaded for a very long time (about 20 days or so.)

There is a personal reason because of this, and I don't really want to go into too much details in a public space like this. Only Patrons and Discord members will know roughly what happened.

Patreon chapter is now Chapter 201, which means approximately 60 chapters ahead.

Please consider supporting me on Patreon as well, only if you have the extra cash: https://www.patreon.com/mgdriver