We gathered back at the anchor. "Is everyone unharmed?"

Helen is a little upset, "Do you know my barrier almost broke?" That was within expected parameters, ma'am. Of course, telling you this would make you even more upset.

"I am proud it didn't break and sorry for using this tactic without a previous test. But we could not let any demons escape. I needed you two down there to get the survivors. I will take more care next time." I dodged a bullet for not using gravity magic. I doubt I could chant the spell before the boulder went out of range though. This requires further investigation. Anyway, I think its time to be cheesy. I step forward and take her waist, "But I'm more sorry for scaring you."

She just stares at my eyes, "Liar!" But a faint smile takes over before I release her.

"Am I a liar for saying that I'm sorry or for assuming you were scared? Because I am really sorry. But you are right, it was rude of me to assume you were scared. Of course, it would take more than a falling rock the size of a house to scare you. Anyway, what was that red flare you were tossing around? I couldn't recognize it."

She puffs her chest, "Ultimate fire magic, Phoenix Strike."

A tap on my shoulder from the demon expert takes us out of the pink zone.

"Look, I hate to interrupt, but there is a company of demons marching in our location. What should we do now?"

"I think the plan was to recon them and then start a harassment campaign. But I want to try something different. Can't we talk to them?"

The angel yells, "Demons can't be reasoned with!"

"Is it so? Are you telling me they created a society that thrived for over seven thousand years and they can't be reasoned? They would've crumbled if that was true. And I don't think they were just letting the humans have their space. When we interrogated the succubus she said their concern was the draining of mana from the area around the willow meadow. But unfortunately, that princess held no deeper info. I think they can be reasoned with. If not, I'll just kill them all after I tried to talk."

"You have a face like you are going to do something very stupid again," says Marcy after staring at me for a while.

"Probably. I'm sending you three back to Willow Hill. Don't worry, I won't fight. I'll just try talking to them, if they refuse I'll back off. I can cast teleport in 15 seconds now."

Marcy pats her hair and armor, raising a little dust cloud.

"It is no use arguing. And I must admit I am also shaken by that blast. Let's go back then, I want to take the dust off of my hair. You also want me to reinforce the defense and scout for threats around the hill, right?"

"Yes. I must settle this or I won't be able to rest. If I can stop the demon army company marching on us now, the better. If not, I'll kill every single demon out there. I'll come back to get you before any combat."

"Good. Let's go then. Helen, Zahariel. Let him do his thing."

I join hands with them and teleport to Willow Hill. Shraaizar was sunbathing near the permanent anchor. With all this turmoil the external requests were reduced to a minimum. My naga sister is not one to skip her work.

"Welcome home, Grendel. I assssume you demolished our enemiesss."

I give her a smile and a thumbs up. I start to prepare to teleport back when Helen stops me.

"Grendel, wait. We will keep your... our place safe. So go with a calm heart. You are going to talk, not fight. Don't let yourself be provoked and lose your cool. If they really want to fight then we will fight at your side."

"Am I this nervous?"

"Yesss. You ssseem almost asss angry as when you fought those four human hunters," replied Shraaizar.

"Thanks, everyone. I will go there just to talk. I promise I won't deal a single HP of damage to any demons."

Teleport!

Before scouting the army whereabouts, I'll go across the craters and scavenge anything that seems useful. I'll restrain myself and get only the stuff that pops up in {Treasure Sense}. Rummaging through the destruction I wasted twenty minutes for nothing. Well, can't be helped. If there is no treasure, there is no treasure. Now I'll just fly and search for the marching company invisible.

Shouldn't be too hard to find a demon military unit in this place. Two hours of flight later I spotted smoke north from where I was, and when I went to investigate I found their camp.

There was one thing that bugged me. The demon scouts and Ranna thought Willow Hill to be a human settlement, but we were using monsters for defense. The only human they met was Cloude. But they didn't think it was odd. Now I figured out why. They don't have much intelligence on the state of human affairs. So they don't know humans no longer have tamers. Because the demons do have tamers, they just assumed the humans also had theirs.

I am sure of it now. Because there are twelve huge winged lizards behind the demon unit camp. Judging from their scorpion tails, wyverns. I am not in range to do a broad sweep with presence detection. I am still invisible, but two wyverns looked up to the sky in my general direction. Dragon senses? Wind disturbance? Magic perception? Who knows.

It also solves the problem with 200 units being too little to overwhelm us. They are fielding twelve A-rank tame monsters. And if they have wyverns ready, That is the source of all the wyvern venom to use in their arrows. The thing is expensive as hell in human lands because you harvest the venom from a wyvern you killed at a great cost. But these guys can get wyvern venom with the same ease that I can get troll blood.

Welp, more reasons not to fight them at my home territory. I'll land nearby and set an anchor. Now move away from the anchor, undo the invisibility and the dragon wings, and just strut there.

I'll even whistle some tune and step on a lot of branches and leaves. How clumsy.

Skill Whistling awakened.

Shiing!

I used to be a merry troll walking in the woods but then I took an arrow to the knee.

Not the knee, it hit my shoulder. Still, it was a shame to be taken out by a poisoned arrow. From the looks of it, wyvern venom.

I kneel down from the pain as the venom works its way on my system, but clears really fast. Sorry Shraaizar, but this thing is the real deal. I bet it is fresh. I will use this opportunity and now that i am really close to the ground I'll hide a twilight, a snail, and a sentry totem here.

About one minute later, the arrow was already out of my body from the regeneration muscular action and the venom was cleared. Still not the ticket to the level 10...

I stood up and then two more arrows came at the same time. I dodged one but the other got me in the belly. Again, fresh wyvern venom. The thing is ten times as potent than the dried conserved version shitty Guild Master used.

I think they are not believing I'm not dying from these arrows, I'll buy time by exaggerating the effects.

Skill Poison Resistance level 10.

"Finally!" I cheer after recovering from the venom. Also, set title: Mithriadist. More arrows, but at this time I just ignore them. The skill up and the title reduced the total poison damage taken by more than 84% compared to the first arrow. I just have to dodge the ones that are going to hit some vital spot.

A horn sounds to alert the camp. We should see some action now. I think I'm gonna get an empty quiver and store these arrows.

Appraisal resisted.

Hey, nice try. More arrows come and more appraisal attempts too. Appraise is resisted by magic. And I bet there is no top-class appraiser in their ranks.

"Who are you!" A shout in badly worded human language comes.

"I want to talk! Take me to your leader!" I answer with fluent demon language.

Another, different horn and the arrows stop. I almost got my second full quiver. Maybe some weapon collector in Colchester wants to buy them.

A reaction from presence detection, coming form behind. The twilight totem hinders the stealth of enemies but this guy is good.

The would-be assassin slashes at my seemingly exposed neck, but I dodge.

"Stupor." A black-clothed male demon with not-so vestigial wings and small upright and sharp horns falls on the ground next to me. Next, let's stop this stupid aggression. "Bewitch."

He got temporarily pacified. There are other presences, but it is time to show I mean business. I toggle my Intimidating Presence.

I'll also use the intimidating shout. "If you think I don't mean business, you will regret it. But right now I am here just to talk. So stop shooting me and sending assassins before I lose my cool and end your lives. Bring me your leader or perish."

I also turn to the charmed assassin, "Hey my new best friend, what is your name, race, job and levels and what is the name of your commander."

"I am Xoll'maraz a Cambion Assassin. Level thirty-five and twenty-six. My commander is Droz'girul."

"Nice. Now help me subdue the other two that are coming for me. You don't want me to get hurt neither your other friends."

"Affirmative!"

Xollmaraz and I run to subdue the other two assassins that stepped into the twilight totem area, and after half a dozen spells I have two new friends. I don't sense anyone else approaching here. And the bewitch won't last forever. I need to neutralize these guys before they become trouble. Solution? Teleport with them to the prison. I'll anchor the place I am now, change them to villagers and get them stuck in some rock and then pop back.

Thankfully I didn't run into anyone while abducting brainwashed demons. But now Xollmaraz and his buddies are safely stored, naked in the prison, gagged and stuck in a wall. They can make the succubus princess company.

And now teleport back to where I was. There is some demon in red metallic armor looking around, probably searching for me or the missing assassins. Hard to not notice someone popping in from nowhere even with the reduced visibility from the twilight totem. Behind him, there are five other demons with less ominous armors.

"There you are, creature. You shall pay for this invasion of our lands and for attacking our brethren." And he draws his sword.

"Wait, wait! Can we talk? I've come here to talk, not fight!"

"Corpses don't talk!" And he swings at me. He is very good and fast, probably an elite. I had to proc full defense to avoid getting badly hurt. His sword has a skull motif and fits his theme.

"Are you Droz'girul?" While I can evade everything he throws at me, I'll try talking.

"It doesn't matter who I am once you are dead!" Enough with this obsession with considering me already dead. Open your mind!

"Psychic Assault!" He resisted.

"Your mind tricks won't work on me!" Are you a blue junk merchant with bug wings and a short elephant trunk?

"Sorry but I have to try! {Stupor}!"

"You won't prevail over me! {Bone Sever}!" Full defense ends, he uses some weird technique and severs my arm. I have Steel Bones almost maxed out and everything else, but he cleaved through in a clean cut.

I have to grapple him while I can grapple. I let my guard down and he stabs my chest on the right side. Pushing forward and burying the blade deeper in me I grab his neck. "Possession!"

I'm in! What is the deal with these overpowered stats? Dual tier five. Damn, this demon commander is powerful! Before anything else, I'll store my arm in the item box. And teleport away with my new catch.

Name: Droz'girul Race: [5] Astharothian (level: 55) Job: [5] Captain (level 39) Prowess: 172+20 (HP: 6104) Agility: 116+20 (Stamina: 670) Magic: 86+20 (MP: 1166)

I appear at the permanent anchor and Zahariel is there.

"Beowulf, is that you?"

"Yeah. Got a big one this time. I think he is the commander, the guy has a fifth tier job I've never heard of. I'd love to chat but I have to put him in jail before this possession drains my whole MP."

He has two troublesome skills called [Herculean Strenght] and [Psychic Aegis]. This is probably the reason he resisted my mental magic. Very bad. I'll delete it. Also, change his job to 'villager'. I run to the jail with Zahariel in tow. Reaching there, I'll strip him naked via item box. I'm getting almost out of room on the wall to stuck demons too. Almost, I still can fit one more.

I end the possession and my arterial pressure reminds me I am missing an arm. In some games, trolls can reattach lost body parts. Hope it works. Yes, it does. I can feel the flesh mending and the feeling of the arm returning. A few minutes later and I am as good as new.

"Let's get out of here. We shouldn't talk in front of the prisoners," I tell to hush my winged friend that was going to make some statement.

We decided to gather everyone to debrief my scouting mission. My bloodless scouting mission. My own blood doesn't count.

"... And this is how I increased my demon collection to seven," I finish my exposition.

"They are bringing twelve wyverns?" Marcy looks at the drawings and listings I've made depicting their forces deployment and slams her fist on the table. "Damn, mom and I had trouble to bring one down with Helen and Alvus' support, and now twelve?"

"We have time to pack everything and run, right?" Helen suggests. "Let's retreat everyone to Mirfield. They will take four days to get here at least."

"There is a problem with moving. Two days from now the evolving goblins will wake up. Five days later and the monkeys will also finish evolving."

Shraaizar completes, "It isss not good to move monstersss during the evolution. They are too vulnerable and things can go awry. They might even die or devolve."

"Can't we finish them before they get here?" Zahariel has always been all for killing them.

"Talking didn't work. Either they were too overconfident, or they were too vicious and didn't care about talking. We can try to kill enough of them to make them give up. They lost four of their elite already. I bet that commander guy is the strongest one in that army."

"I think taking on that many is too much even for us," Marcy seems to be crunching some numbers in her head. "Even if we bring in Mercy and Alvus, we would need some expendable cannon fodder and our victory condition is zero casualties on our side. The wyverns are the biggest problem. Even with our poison resistance, if we get envenomed it will take us out of combat the least."

"I have an option. I can infiltrate their camp if I go alone. I'm going alone. They can't defeat an enemy they can't see. I'll infiltrate, divide and conquer. And even bring home some Exp to boot. I need your help to set up the stage though."

Helen looks at me, "Are you doing something dangerous again?"

"No. I am doing something completely safe this time. I got a good experience raiding the knights that night with Mercy. Come, we need to go to the mountains now to set up the stage. We are going to kill all of these wyverns without any of you at a risk of taking a single HP of damage."