I Killed the Hero and Took His Achievements-Chapter 28: Castle of Capitalism

[Location: Royal Palace - Entrance Gate]

Kenji stood heroically before the massive golden gates.

"Okay team," Kenji said while channeling his inner anime protagonist. "This is the final war. We rush in immediately, then we use the Power of Friendship. We take down the Evil Emperor."

Alice (Paladin) raised her shield. "I’ll tank!"

Elara (Archer) nocked an arrow. "I’ll cover!"

Shadow (Rogue) vanished. "I’ll backstab!"

Haru (Mage) adjusted his glasses. "I’ll analyze!"

They lunged in. BOOM. They hit the massive golden gate. It didn’t open. A glowing blue screen appeared on the door.

[Welcome to Royal Palace.]

[Entry Fee: 1,000 Gold.]

[Please insert coin or swipe card.]

Kenji froze instantly. "A toll counter?! At the final dungeon?!"

"We don’t have gold!" Alice cried. "We spent it all on potions!"

Kenji kicked the door. "Open up, you greedy bastard!"

[Access Denied.]

[Initiating ’Poor People’ Protocol.]

A trapdoor suddenly opened under their feet. "AAAAHHH!" They fell into the stinky sewers.

————————————————————

[Floor B1: The Sewer Level]

They landed in knee-deep sludge.

"Gross," Elara gagged.

"Look!" Haru pointed. "Enemies!"

From the pipes, Shadow Slimes emerged. But they weren’t like normal slimes. They had Avarice’s logo branded on them.

[Mob: Tax-Collector Slime]

[Effect: Hits steal 10 Gold from your inventory.]

"They’re stealing our loot!" Shadow yelled, slashing a slime. The slime divided into two.

"Don’t slice them! Use magic on them!"

I watched from the surveillance monitors in the Throne Room while eating popcorn. "Classic," I chuckled nefariously. "They haven’t figured out the elemental weakness yet."

"Master," Sylvia asked, pouring me more exquisite wine. "Why sewers? It’s so unhygienic."

"It builds character and frustration. Frustration leads to mistakes. And mistakes lead to debt."

On the holographic screen, Kenji used his [Cheat Skill: Adaptability]. His sword glowed marginally. [Skill Acquired: Slime Slayer]. SWISH. The slimes vaporized.

"He’s learning," I noted. "Good. Let him level up."

————————————————————

[Floor 1: The Lobby]

The Hero Party climbed out of the sewers and entered the Grand Hall. It wasn’t filled with guards, but it was filled with Slot Machines. Neon lights flashed. Bunny-girl succubi walked around serving drinks.

[Mini-Boss: The Dealer]

[Level: 30]

A tuxedo-wearing skeleton stood in the center. "Welcome!" The Dealer rattled. "To proceed to the next floor, you must win a game of High Stakes Poker."

"We don’t have time for games!" Kenji shouted. "Fight me!"

"Violence is forbidden in the Casino," The Dealer smiled (skull-wise). "If you draw a weapon, the Boss activates."

The Boss was a Level 50 Iron Golem standing in the corner.

Kenji grounding his teeth. "Fine. We play."

They sat at the table.

"Ante up," The Dealer said.

"We have no money!" Alice cried.

"Then bet something else," The Dealer pointed at Alice. "Bet your Holy Light."

"What?"

"If you lose, you lose your Paladin Class. If you win, you pass."

Alice trembled. "Kenji... my class..."

"Trust me, Alice!" Kenji said confidently. "I have a very high Luck!"

[The Game Begins.]

I watched eagerly. "He’s going to cheat," I told Sylvia. "Watch."

Kenji looked at his cards. A pair of 2s. Garbage. He activated [Cheat Skill: Fate Bender]. The cards in his hand shimmered. The 2s turned into Aces. "All in!" Kenji shouted resoundingly.

The Dealer revealed his hand. A Royal Flush.

Kenji slammed his Aces down. "Four Aces! I win!"

The Dealer paused. "Wait. I shuffled the deck. There are only four Aces total. I have the Ace of Spades."

Kenji sweated profusely.

The Dealer’s eyes glowed red.

[Cheating Detected.]

[Boss Protocol: Active.]

The Iron Golem roared loudly.

"RUN!" Kenji flipped the table.

They sprinted for the stairs, the Golem was smashing the floor behind them.

"So much for honor," Seraphina sighed while watching the feed. "The Hero is a rascal."

"Takes one to know one," I grinned viciously.

————————————————————

[Floor 2: The Waifu Gauntlet]

They reached the second floor. This was Sylvia’s bedroom. Waiting for them was... Ahri. She sat on a velvet couch, playing with a powerful ball of fire.

[Boss: The Fox Seductress]

[Level: 45]

"Hello boys," Ahri purred gracefully. Her charm aura was at max output.

Haru (The Mage) instantly got a nosebleed and fainted. [Status: Charmed.]

Shadow (The Rogue) blushed. "S-she’s my type."

Kenji stepped forward. "Be careful guys! She’s a trap!"

"I’m not a trap," Ahri stood up angrily, her nine tails fanning out . "I’m a DPS Witch." She snapped her fingers. [Skill: Fox Fire Storm.] Blue fire filled the room entirely.

"Shields!" Kenji yelled loudly.

Alice raised her shield. CLANG. The fire hit too hard. Her shield completely cracked.

"She’s too strong!" Alice cried. "Level 45! We’re only 25 levels behind!"

Kenji looked exceedingly desperate. He closed his eyes. [Cheat Skill: Limit Break.] His aura exploded immensely. Gold light surrounded him entirely. [Level Up: 20 -> 25 -> 30.]

He moved faster than the eye could see. SLASH. He cut through the fire. He aimed for Ahri’s neck.

Ahri smirked evilly. She didn’t dodge. Instead, she used [Mirror Image].

Kenji slashed a clone.

The real Ahri appeared behind him. She kicked him in the back.

CRACK. Kenji flew into the wall miserably.

"Very weak," Ahri yawned. "Master said you were a hazard? You’re just a feral puppy."

Kenji stood up. He was bleeding and he was extremely enraged. "I won’t give up!" Kenji screamed. His sword glowed brighter than ever. [Skill: Protagonist Will]. He charged again but this time, his speed doubled. He managed to graze Ahri’s arm, a small cut.

"Okay," Ahri touched the blood slowly. Her eyes narrowed. "Now I’m mad."

"Ahri! Retreat!" I ordered decisively via earpiece.

"What? Master, I can kill him right away!"

"No. He leveled up 10 times in one fight. That’s what exactly I wanted. Let him pass. He needs to feel assured before the fall."

Ahri seethed. She dispelled her fire completely.

"You got lucky, puppy," she hissed. "The Boss is waiting for you upstairs." She vanished in a puff of smoke quickly.

Kenji panted, holding his sword. "We... we did it. We drove her off!"

"Kenji is amazing!" Alice said cheerfully.

They proceeded to head for the final stairs.

————————————————————

[The Final Floor: Throne Room]

The doors opened.

Kenji and his exhausted party walked in.

I sat behind the desk. Sylvia stood to my right. Seraphina to my left.

I was signing paperwork. "Just a moment," I said, not looking up. "I’m finalizing high tax for the goblins."

Kenji walked up to the desk. He slammed his sword down. "Cain Cross!" Kenji shouted. "Your terror reign ends now!"

I finished the signature. I put the pen down. I looked up to see them viciously. "Kenji," I smiled pleasantly. "You look terrible. Did you enjoy the sewers?"

"Shut up! I’m here to save Princess Sylvia!"

Kenji looked at Sylvia. "Princess! Run to me immediately! I’ll protect you eternally!"

Sylvia looked at Kenji. She looked at his dirty armor and his exceedingly desperate face. She looked at me who is clean, powerful and rich. She laughed maniacally. "Save me?" Sylvia sneered wholeheartedly. "From what?" She leaned down to me and kissed my cheek lustfully. "I’m indeed where I want to be, ’Hero’."

Kenji’s brain broke. [Mental Damage: Critical.] "No... you’re brainwashed and controlled!"

"She’s employed," I corrected him. I stood up menacingly. I walked over the desk. "You cleared my test, Kenji. I’m impressed. You went from Level 1 to Level 30 in a week. That Infinite Growth skill is truly broken."

I drew the Soul-Eater’s Fang. "But there’s a problem with infinite growth." I activated my Void Ring. "If you grow a plant too fast..." I vanished [Shadow Step] then I appeared directly in front of Kenji. I grabbed his throat [Trait: The Usurper.]. "...it has weak roots."

Kenji tried to swing his sword but I was faster and stronger. "Release me!" Kenji gagged. [Cheat Skill: Adaptability activating...]

"Oh no you don’t," I muttered. [Skill: Market Crash.] I spent 1 Million Gold instantly. A massive red aura crushed Kenji. His stats plummeted.

[Debuff: Poverty.]

[Strength -90%. Speed -90%.]

"My... my power!" Kenji panicked. "It’s gone!"

"It’s not gone," I said. "It’s just devalued."

My Left Hand glowed Crimson. I placed my left hand onto his chest.

Kenji screamed. It wasn’t physical pain but it was the pain of losing his identity.

I felt it. A golden ball of light inside him. [Infinite Growth]. I grabbed it. I pulled it. RIIIIIIP. I tore the skill out.

Kenji collapsed. His entire being turned grey and his levels dropped drastically.

[Level 30 -> Level 1.]

I held the golden orb in my hand. It pulsed with limitless potential.

[Skill Acquired: Infinite Growth (SSS-Rank).]

[Effect: Removes Level Cap. EXP gain +1000%. Stats increase indefinitely.]

I felt it instantly. My mana core expanded, my muscles knit tighter and the limits of my human body completely shattered. I looked down at Kenji. He was crying on the rug.

"Alice... help me..."

Alice raised her sword, shaking terribly.

I looked at her.

"Do you want to die for a Level 1 loser?" I asked.

Alice looked at Kenji, then at me. She dropped her sword decisively.

"Atta girl."

I walked back to my desk. "Guards," I called. Shadow Snipers appeared from the walls quickly. "Throw the ’Hero’ in the dungeon. But don’t kill him."

"Why?" Sylvia asked.

"Because he still has Plot Armor," I said. "If I kill him, the System might spawn a stronger one. We keep him as a pet. A substitute."

I sat down on my exquisite throne. "Now." I looked at the Global Map. "I have the Gold, the Tech and the Infinite Growth. It’s time to trigger the Planetary Integration."

"Sparky!" I yelled into the comms.

"Yeah Boss?"

"Fire up the ship. We’re going to shoot a hole in the sky."