Book Three – Prologue – Part One – An Unfortunate End

Roko was a man who had a bright future ahead of him. Blessed by a Major God of Earth, he had a variety of Earth skills available for him to use from the moment he was born. Though his parents were unknown, he thanked them every day for the single gift they had given him. That, of course, was his resilient body that some believed to be blessed by the very planet itself. He rarely got sick, and any wounds he received were healed in a matter of days. By the time he was twenty, he was a local celebrity in the town he was born and raised.

He had women and girls aplenty that wanted to be his one and only. It would not be strange, or even unusual, to spot a different girl leave his house every morning in the early hours before daybreak.

Yes, he was blessed in the three areas he thought mattered the most: his looks, personality, and skills. To most, he was the perfect man.

Such a man had enemies, and it wasn’t that common for those who were upset or jealous of him to try to take him down a notch. It was a regular occurrence, and people even started betting on how many times he would be attacked in one day.

Those were the good times for Roko, and it seemed like he had life by the horns. And he really did. For a while, at least.

Until the Mafia came.

It was outstanding and frankly terrifying. In a matter of days, the governor died from mysterious causes. But that was just the beginning. Anyone who even hinted they wanted to take that spot found themselves at the end of a sword or dagger after finding their family dead. Some were unlucky and had to pass away while having their insides metaphorically set aflame by poison.

But the townsfolk didn’t know why people were dropping dead left and right. After a few months, nobody was brave enough to even want to become a leader, and chaos occurred. The town guard became nothing more than a mercenary troupe who lent their help to the highest paying noble, and the streets were filled with blood and bodies for weeks.

The Mafia, still unknown and operating from the shadows like a secret organization, took the chance to infiltrate the nobility and the commoners by using the little war they had created. By using their words, sweetly laced with the poison of what their victims wanted to hear, the town soon found itself at the whims of the Mafia before they even realized what was happening.

It took about a year for it to happen, but the town was soon under the total control of the Mafia, and the fighting stopped. But most people believed it couldn’t be more than a rumor.

“Mafia? Running the town? Like a secret organization? Please, you’ve read too many novels,” Arke said to Clank as she brushed her brown hair with a simple black comb. Arke and Clank were friends who had been together since childhood. One day, Clank saw a man with a large bandage covering his cheek carry a body down a dark alley. He followed them and overheard a particular conversation that only fueled his fear. Running like a bat, he made his way to Arke and told her of what he saw. She dismissed him, and she went on her way.

The next day, while walking down the street to her job as a baker, Clank’s decapitated head was tossed at Arke. His eyes were gouged out, leaving two black voids that stared into nothingness. The once blond hair that adorned his head was gone, and a big brass nail came out from where his neck would’ve been. She immediately cried out in fear as a large man approached her. Like Clank said before he died, it was a man with a bandage adorning his cheek.

“Say nothing. Forget everything,” the bandaged man said as he flashed the bloody knife used to cut off the head of her friend.

Arke could only nod as her bladder lost to fear, staining the dirty ground with a yellow liquid. The air filled with the smell of ammonia.

She knew the truth of the town, and she couldn’t tell anyone. If she did, only a living hell awaited her. From the novels she had read, she knew what happened to captured women. Between living the rest of her life without speaking of what she knew or dying and suffering a horrible fate, Arke chose another option.

The very next day, she ran into the most crowded area she could find with a knife held to her throat.  She looked feral.  Her eyes, bloodshot and dripping with tears, were proof she was being pushed to the mental brink by the death of her beloved friend.  Her hair, frayed and starchy, had ragged cut marks where she attempted to cut her own hair in a frantic state.  The apron she wore at her job no longer had the clean white sheen to it.  Instead, it was covered in blood from where she cradled Clank's disembodied head in her lap and against her chest.

“THE TOWN IS BEING CONTROLLED BY A GROUP CALLED THE MAFIA!!! THEY KILLED CLANK, AND THEY’LL KILL ALL OF YOU!!!” She then slit her own throat and died. Her last sounds in this world were her body’s futile attempt to breathe and live. Soon, everything went black, and she no longer existed. Her final thought was an apology to Clank, her dearest friend, who she had a fondness of.

Growing up together, the two were nearly inseparable. Playing pranks, working in a baker’s shop together, fighting one day over something stupid, and reuniting the next with a simple apology. Their relationship was almost a textbook romance, with all the ups and downs. Even their friends figured the two would eventually marry and settle down in a small house. Arke even fell asleep with a smile on her face when she imagined her future together with him.

But neither said anything when they were alive, and the two died before their feelings could be known. Hours before Arke's death, that was her biggest regret.

The Mafia hadn’t accounted for this, and they had to work hard and long to undo the damage caused by Arke. It was a valiant attempt, but they couldn’t silence everyone who searched for the truth without arousing suspicion.

The truth was out there, but people regarded the Mafia as an open secret. Something people knew but didn’t believe in.

“How could a single organization take over a whole town without anyone knowing? It’s impossible and hard to believe,” those were the words that the Mafia themselves spread by using some nobles that were on their payroll.

Then, on one fateful day, Roko was strolling through the outskirts of town. He had on a red shirt that fitted his chest just right, black pants that hugged his waist, and brown shoes that had just been made not even thirty minutes ago. Feeling cocky, he walked to the house of a girl, Annie, he fancied the night before and knocked on her door.

“Huh, that’s strange. Annie said she’ll be at the door waiting for me,” Roko said to himself.  He reached into his pocket to pull out a key but stopped when he heard the door open.

“That’s more like it. I’m coming in, baby.”

These rich broads always have the fanciest house in the middle of nowhere.

He walked in and immediately wished he walked right back out. He saw Annie on her knees sitting beside a Kobold with the number 0 engraved into his face. Annie was sparsely clothed, wearing scraps of brown cloths that only covered her chest and crotch. Her blue hair looked knotted, and her brown eyes were dirty. A look of ecstasy blanketed her face as she licked the Kobold’s legs.

The house was ransacked. Broken tables and chairs littered the living room, except for the one the Kobold sat in. The wallpaper looked like it was scraped off using a fingernail, and fist-sized holes were in the walls.

“Master, give me more! Please, master!” cried Annie. Her pink tongue hung out like a dog as she panted. Red scratches covered her arms and legs, and a bloody knife laid at her feet.

“Wha— Annie?!?!” Roko exclaimed. Suddenly, the door shut behind him as he felt a burning pain in the back of his legs. Two men in black suits were hiding by the door, and they used a small dagger to cut the back of his knees. Immediately, he fell, and he felt two thick arms grip his neck and head, forcibly lifting him to his knees.

“Roko,” growled the Kobold as his massive body stood up. Annie begged one more time, but he ignored her.

“Who the fuck are you?!?! Let her go!!! GAAHAH!!” he yelled. The man to his left took out a small metal pipe and struck Roko in the face, making sure to aim for his jaw.

“Be silent and listen. Undoubtedly, you’ve heard rumors about us,” the Kobold said. “My name is Sakdu.” The very words out of his mouth were nearly enough to stop his heart. “I am the one who leads the Mafia.”

“It's real?” Roko asked in a much quieter tone.

“It is, and I am the leader. We have come to you because we wish to hire you.”

“Why?” Roko groaned in pain as he felt something wet and warm drip down his legs.

“Do this, and you will live. Refuse, and you will die.”

“Don’t really have a choice, do I?”

Why am I so calm?! Is it because I’m about to fucking die?! I don’t wanna die!!

“Bring it in,” Sakdu commanded. He sat back down in his chair as an Elf in a white suit brought in a silver platter. On it sat three pills that were nearly indistinguishable from each other, except by the color. One was white, one was pink, and the other one was red.

“The white one gives pleasure, the pink gives lust, and the red provides rage."

“Master, please!!! Give your lowly bitch slave a pill!!!!” Annie degraded herself in front of everyone as she begged for a pill.

“See? The strongest one can bring a girl to this horrible state in just a few hours. Here, take it,” Sakdu tossed the pink pill to the floor, and Annie rushed for it like a wild animal being given a life-saving piece of meat.

Almost immediately after swallowing it, she calmed down and laid on her back. One hand went to her crotch, and the other went for her chest. Her breath hastened, becoming ragged as she fingered herself in front of everyone. Ignoring her, Sakdu continued to speak. “See? Without it, a person will do anything for it. That being said, what I just gave her was the strongest pink pill we have.”

“Why do you want to hire me?” Roko couldn’t keep his eyes off of Annie as she forced her fingers to go deeper and deeper. The sounds she made did something to Roko, and he felt his pants get tight.

“We wish for you to distribute these to amongst your peers. We want to expand our control.”

“Why? AAHAHH!!” Roko questioned.  He received an answer in the form of a knife stabbing his neck.

“You don’t need to know. Do this, and you will live. Refuse, and you will die.”

“Can I—” the man to Roko’s left flashed a bloody knife, and he immediately shut up.

“Yes or no, that’s all.”

It didn’t require more than a microsecond of thought. I die if I refuse, and I’ll live if I accept. Hell, I’ll probably die later on, but I can probably have some fun.

“Yes,” Roko curtly replied.

Sakdu growled and showed off his yellow teeth. “Heal him.”

The man to Roko’s left started chanting for Remedium Lux, and soon a white light filled Roko’s body. All of his wounds healed up. Well, most of them. He felt a dull pain echo in his jaw.

Standing up, Roko shook with fear as Sakdu walked up. He was nearly three and a half meters tall, with a body that consisted of green scales. Fur adorned his hands, and pale skin in patches went down his legs. Unlike most Kobolds, he did not have a tail. “Come with me. I’ll explain the terms of our deal. Keep in mind, you say anything about our existence, and I will personally carve you up to feed to her.”

Roko looked over at Annie, who still fingered herself. Every so often, her body would shake violently, and lewd liquids gushed out of her crotch as she whimpered. Then, she would start fingering herself again, splashing around her own nectar. This time, it was even faster as she began to bite her tongue. More and more liquid dripped from her crotch, but blood filled her mouth as Roko and Sakdu walked stepped over her.

“Master!!!” she cried out, looking up with a face that no longer resembled the kind and aloof girl he slept with last night.

Those few hours were pure passion as the two lost themselves to their carnal desires. Annie's pretty face kissed Roko’s chest as her hand massaged his manhood, but nothing of what he lusted after remained. He couldn’t even look at her now without being disgusted.

“Do good, and I’ll sell her to you. She’ll become yours and yours alone. Until then, she is mine. Pray to the Gods I remain in a good enough mood so I won’t be tempted to eat her,” Sakdu chuckled, and he didn’t mean it as a threat, but that’s how Roko received it. A wooden door closed behind them as they walked into a room that contained a wooden desk with two chairs.

Shit…. I don’t like the feeling of this…..

Three hours later, he walked out of the house with a renewed sense of purpose. The sun was brighter, and the air was cleaner.

I can’t believe that’s all I have to do! I got a shit ton of people who were looking for something unique, AND I get to keep ten percent!!! And my life, too.

He thought back to the conversation, which only took about ten minutes. The other 170 minutes involved him witnessing those who had made the mistake of disobeying Sakdu’s orders being beaten and tortured beyond all relief. He saw fingers chopped off, toes cut in half, and arms chewed off by those addicted to Monotonia.

Monotonia was the pill that Sakdu wanted Roko to spread and peddle, and it came in three colors. White, pink, and red. Sakdu described the white pills as being in a state of euphoria, but the user still had their senses. Pink was described as entering a hypnotic state where the only thing the user could think about was their lust. Any pain inflicted upon the user while under the effects of the pink Monotonia was registered as pleasure. And the red pill forced the user to consider all those around him as enemies. Love and joy and happiness were forcibly evicted from the user’s heart, leaving nothing but anger and hate that only multiplied minute after minute.

“Give these out and spread rumors of where to find them.”

“Where?” Roko replied. He stared at the small bag of colored pills sitting in front of him.

“These three shops,” Sakdu slid across a single sheet of paper, which looked tiny in his giant green hands.

“But what about the guards?”

“Don’t betray us, and you won’t have to worry about them. If the guards do anything at all, show them this,” Sakdu pulled out a silver card from the pockets of his black jacket. It held the number 0.  He handed it to Roko. “You do this, and we’ll pay you. Then, you’ll become a mobile dealer. Come to a specific spot, and we’ll give you a bag of pills. Sell it at a price we decide, and you get to keep ten percent.”

“…”

“Be truthful with us. If you lie or betray us in any way, this is what I will do to you,” Sakdu stood up and gripped Roko by the arm, who realized it could be snapped like a twig at any moment. He led him out of the room and up a set of stairs. Then, Roko was able to hear very faint screams.

“Enter,” Sakdu said as they stopped in front of a bright red door. They were still in Annie's house, and he recognized it as her room. The very place where he made love to her not even 12 hours ago.

Listening to what his new boss said, he cracked it opened and vomited from the smell.

“Weak,” Sakdu gave his new employee a push from behind, and he stumbled into the room. When he got up, he was met to a horrible sight: a Human, strung up by his entrails. His crotch was a bloody mess as if cheese grater chewed his testicles and penis, but it was like the Human didn’t even notice. A look of inexplicable happiness spread across his face as his life slowly faded away.

“The Pink Monotonia turns pain into pleasure, as well as making them succumb to their lust. Right now, he is experiencing pure bliss,” said the Elf, who stood right next to the strung-up man. He had on glasses, a long white coat, black hair covered his head, and red earrings decorated his long pointy ears. There was probably more, but Roko couldn’t see or focus on anything but the horrific sight.

“He betrayed us in a minor way, but it was his third time. As an act of kindness, I allowed him to take three Pink Monotonia before he died. You might not get that mercy. Now, we have more to show you.”

Sakdu led Roko to different rooms, and he encountered a diversified selection of delightful torture, which proved the Mafia didn't harbor a silly thing like consciousness.

“Annie is rich. This is the perfect place to do business for the time being. Her parents and relatives are dead, so we are not worried about being discovered. But that doesn’t concern you. Leave and come back tomorrow, but don’t you dare tell anyone. We have observers all over town that report to us. Remember Arke and Clank? We’ll know if you squeal. Now, leave me.”

Lifting him up by one hand, Sakdu tossed Roko out of the doorway and slammed it behind him.  As he stood up, he heard Annie's muffled cries of passion and excitement penetrate through brick walls.

He didn't dare want to imagine what was happening to her.