Book Three – Chapter Eleven – Part Eight – Shattering the Collar

The ‘thing’ she saw was 15 kilometers wide and 3,000 kilometers deep. Declaring it a hole was a word that didn’t have enough power to describe the fruits of Servi’s labor. Calling it a pit wouldn’t do it justice, either. If anything, it felt more like a warning... A warning to the world of what the Mad Dog could do when the collar was off. If that didn’t cut it, then perhaps it’d be more accurate to call it a scar on the world’s surface?

Continuing off of that line of thought, if Itarr had not continued to repair the makeshift cage, the damage would have been far, far, far worse. On top of that, if she was just a little bit slower, then it wouldn't be wrong to say that Arcton, Canary, Waveret, and many of the other towns occupying southeastern Lando would have been vaporized out of existence. In fact, such an outcome would cripple the world as a whole. If Lando lost the majority of its farming lands, and it would have if Itarr failed, then other countries wouldn't just stand by and wait for Lando to get things in order. Mass panic and conspiracies would spread like wildfire, fueling frights and scares, which would then lead to brisk skirmishes with Westera and Keywater. Those had the chance to spark into a full-blown conflict, and if it did, the continent of Gea would be ravaged by the flames of war. And that was not to say that the other countries on the other continents in the world would just idly stand by. Everyone wanted their own slice of the pie. Even if their bellies were full, it was just never enough.

In either case, the worst-case scenario appeared to have not happened.

There was nothing in the world, except for one particular girl, who could leap down into the gaping jaws of hell and survive the otherworldly heat at the bottom.  

The realization of just how deep it was struck Servi like a brick when she looked down. After a certain point, the light just stopped, almost as if it was being eaten. Even the sun couldn’t penetrate the remains of a girl’s brutal attack. In that case, the words ‘impenetrable void’ came to her mind. The sun and its light were amongst the most powerful of objects in the known world. Together, they cast a wonderful glow on the planet, yet even it couldn’t illuminate the abyss.  

That showed just how strong Servi was, but that wasn’t the scariest part.  

“There were 15,000 people here, and now their souls rest in my ring. That’s another 15,000 stacks. Or 30,000 if that includes you. If I had just a little bit of strength, then…” I’d be able to reach the core of the planet...and I'd be able to touch the moon with a single jump...

Servi stared into the unblinking abyss below her for a few seconds before she started to leap over to the edge. When she canceled Air Step, Servi felt the warm grass between her toes. Her hand reached out to touch the thick, rugged bark of a nearby tree. The smell of nature invaded her nose, tickling it with something other than the rotten scent of death. Looking up, thick blankets of green littered her vision. It blocked the sun, leaving her alone in a wave of shadow. After spending so long in darkness, she wanted to experience the sun’s warmth, even if it was a waste on someone like her.  

The tree she touched vanished as it found a home inside her ring. It left behind a sizable hole in the ground where its roots had made its home. The group of trees to her left and right suddenly shook as an invisible force ripped them from the only comfort they had ever known. Their abrupt ascent into the sky left more holes to be filled, and Servi took care of that, grasping large chunks of dirt from the nearby mega pit.  

It was a task that pushed Servi’s increased ability with Telekinesis to the limit. She stacked it over 10,000 times, crudely shaping the invisible anchor points until they formed a hand-like shape. Servi realized she withstood the light strain with ease. She controlled it on over to the edge of the massive hole and sent it down a distance of fifty meters. Like a warmed scooper through ice cream, her ‘hand’ effortlessly excavated enough dirt to fill in two holes. It was hard at first, considering she was working with. Keeping the anchor points tight enough to prevent any dirt from leaking through was one thing, but it couldn't be too tight. The precision needed was like that of balancing a pin on top of a tower of cards.

Her actions were similar to a pair of complementing machines. The trees were yanked, and the hole was filled. Servi repeated those actions many times until she was satisfied. 

While Servi's current situation was also the best time to test the range on her janky new ability, she simply settled for stealing dirt from the pit’s walls.  

After a few minutes, Servi had plucked and filled 200 trees and holes. She and the area around her were assaulted by a storm of leafy, green leaves. They scattered when their homes took flight. With it being summer, her eyes weren’t blessed with flakes of red, yellow, or orange.   

As an aside, she realized there was no better chance to test her durability. The particular tree she chose was nearly 25 meters tall with a diameter of 71 centimeters, and it weighed over 13,000 kilograms.   

If she knew anything about forestry, she would’ve known that heavy object about to rush towards her was a hickory tree. Most of the other trees around here were oak or maple. They were durable and sturdy, but hickory took it to a different level. It was amongst the densest woods in Lando, but it failed to compete against metallic options like iron or steel. Regardless, it was stiff and rugged. If it was far smaller, like a small 2x4, then a Kobold could just rip it in half. But a fully grown, mature tree?

It was simply impossible when accounting for the races of the world. Perhaps the mighty giants could accomplish the titanic task, but finding one that wouldn’t attack on sight was rarer than discovering a dragon that valued a Human’s opinion.  

Launching it at herself like a reverse slingshot, Servi formed a tight fist and swung in a straight line, meeting the approaching tree with her fist. The results, however, didn’t surprise her. She had a difficult time piercing her own skin with her own strength. Considering that was true, did she really need useless armor? 

Her fist acted like an immobile wall the projectile had to pierce, but her arm stood its ground, never giving an inch. The simple strike contained all of Servi’s power, meaning she gave it everything she had with nothing left in the gas tank.  

While her attack couldn’t destroy the thick tree on a molecular level, her arm pierced right through it and left a noticeable wound that stretched its entire length. An explosive pop rung out, which was the cause of hundreds of birds abandoning their homes en masse. Servi looked down at the piece of wood she had forcibly ejected from the tree and absorbed it. There would probably be a use for it later. If not, there was still no harm in taking it.

Servi then reversed her Telekinesis, sending the tree that landed behind her back to where it belonged. Her projectile barreled through many trees, felling most of them. The few natural towers stronger than it withstood the ferocious assault, shattering the would-be missile of destruction and vastly slowing it down. When it came to a complete stop, it had left a wake of destruction and a multitude of dead hatchlings.  

Even while testing, the broken Human couldn’t get away from her core concept. The red souls barreling her way proved that.  

She looked down at her hand and arm, which remained reasonably uninjured from using her entire reservoir of strength. Other than some fractured fingers, a bruised knuckle, and a dislocated shoulder, all of which were instantly taken care of, she was fine. If she was the Servi of before, she wouldn't even have an arm to look at, much less half of her body. Even three-quarters of her full strength was a dream unattainable for most of the world. Unless she encountered a foe so far beyond the category of legend that it breached into the world of myth, there wasn’t any need to unleash it all. It also stood to mention that nearly any attack would just bounce off her skin since it was as hard as armor. Perhaps it couldn't naturally block against a nadrium sword, but iron, steel, mythril, even some skills like Sword Beam would probably bounce off. No longer would she shatter her entire body if she wanted lift Feral's shield.

Servi was a girl who couldn’t create, but she knew she was perfect for destruction. But regardless of her thoughts on philosophy, she had a few more things to do before she could close out the the worst week of her life.  

“Okay, Itarr, bring them down,” Servi said after she pulled a bed from her ring. It belonged to that scum, Parrel. Chuckling, she was glad he could still be beneficial even after he had perished. Still, a part of her wished she had a chance to put him through some real torture.  

Like an angel, Momo’s sleeping body was gently lowered from the sky. Her pink hair listlessly swayed in the blowing wind. Even though it was clumped and greasy, it still had the same shiny luster that took Servi’s breath away. Once she was close enough to the ground, Servi held out her hands, supporting her as she finished out the last leg of her journey. It was only when Momo’s pretty head touched the pillow that Servi took a breath of relief. Her pink lips slightly pursed when she took in a small breathe of air, then she uttered a single word.  

“Servy…” Her left hand gripped the golden blanket she rested on, but let go after Servi’s finger touched it.  

Momo was alive, and she was safe. Servi couldn’t have wished for anything better. An urge to hold her hand over took Servi, and she didn’t waste any time ignoring it. It was warm and soft, and she felt a beating heart pulsing through it. “That’s right, Mosie... Servy is here. You don’t have to worry about anything.” Servi wiggled her hand free and stepped back.  

Now that she was looking at it, the bed was obviously made for a man as large as Parrel, even though he had his own personal room. All of the beds in the mansion were giant, but Momo was far smaller than he was. With that being the case, she had ample room for a particular bag and sword that meant the world to the sleeping Singi.  

Her safety and well-being required the lives and souls of over seventeen thousand people. Servi knew that was a low estimate and possibly the best case scenario, but she was ready to up the total loss of life to over a hundred thousand. Even ten million wasn’t out of the question. The world was even at risk if that was what it took to assure Momo’s safety.  

She was a priceless treasure in Servi’s murderous heart; the one thing that kept her going.

Leaning over her, Servi gently whispered in her fuzzy ears for the second time. “Mosie, it’s almost over. By the time you wake up, we won’t have to deal with any of this anymore. Be strong for me, okay?” Her eyes darted to Momo’s empty hands. The broken Human took out Momo’s sword and folded her best friend’s hand around it. “There’s your grampy’s sword. I kept it extra safe for you. And here’s your bag. I promise I didn’t look inside,” Servi said. She took out a black messenger bag. In some ways, it was even more beloved than the thin sword Momo’s left hand cradled.  

After placing the bag’s strap in her right hand, Servi took one final look at her best friend. Tears wanted to fall down, but Servi was a girl who had lost the ability to cry. And she didn't want to cry. At least, she didn't right now. After all Momo had been through-- the pain and loneliness-- she had to suffer through, doing a single thing to disturb her friend from getting the rest she deserved was at the bottom of the Servi’s list. That was why she turned around and walked away ten meters, which was just far enough away.

“Itarr, bring the rest of the fuckers down. It’s time to finally finish this.” 

Got it. Itarr wrote on the flying stone tablet. They’re descending.

Like moths to a flame, Servi's worst enemies violently rushed down from a height of 16 kilometers. Itarr spared no luxury in comforting her foul enemies. Now that she knew Momo was safe and sound, the violent hungering for revenge welled up inside her divine soul. For the first time in a while, she shared a similar feeling to the Mad Dog. She aspired to rip and tear limbs and bones. She wanted to twist and turn hands, slicing off strips of skin, and doing whatever she could to make her best friend’s captors feel the same despair as their victim.  

A few meters before they would’ve slammed into the ground, Itarr stopped her Telekinesis. The sudden, erratic jolt woke up Sakdu, who vomited a disgusting mess from his alligator-like mouth, Roger, who groaned in pain fighting against the invisible bonds of Telekinesis, and Carrie, whose tail whimpered like that of a scared kitten. Since that was the only thing not restrained, it cowardly clung itself to its master's waist.

But they were awake, which meant it was time for the finale to start. 

To begin the most frightening moments of their lives, Servi took them on a tour of the pit of hell she made. She used Telekinesis to fly them out around eight kilometers while dipping them ten kilometers into the hole. She didn’t spare any concerns for safety, either. At the speeds they were flying, it was no wonder Carrie and Roger lost consciousness a few times. Sakdu felt his breakfast tunnel up from his stomach and spewed a thick string of green vomit when he couldn’t force it down.  

The gaping, never-ending void had a profound effect on all three of their psyches. The vast diameter, the deep darkness, the unknowable void that rested in the depths... It battered down the trio's wills, attacking their minds as they were forced to come to terms with the impossible. Just looking at it swallowed them up, sinking their hearts to the pits of their stomachs. A single lapse in Telekinesis was all it would take to remove the invisible force keeping them from death.  

Three thousand kilometers was a long way to fall, totaling just a little bit above thirteen minutes that anyone would've spent in total free fall. Even before any potential jumpers reached the halfway mark, the sunlight would cease to exist. The air at that depths would be far hotter than that on the surface, which meant the body would broil from the temperature alone. The wind rushing to their eyes guaranteed blindness as the temperature increased. And the skin would have effectively cooked itself before the body had a chance to slam into the hard surface at the bottom.

At the very least, any jumpers wouldn’t be concerned about potentially surviving the fall and dealing with the life-changing injuries resulting from it.  

When Servi finally brought the three of them back after five minutes of staring death in the eye, Sakdu whispered with a trembling voice. It was full of fear he hadn’t felt since that horrible day some ten years ago.  

“Nearly a decade of work in the making… Gone… All that time spent planting the dormant seeds, wasted… The promises I made to my family, broken. My men, destroyed. It’s all gone…” he whispered. The words came in short spurts. He still couldn’t believe what he experienced. “You’re a monster who’s killed thousands—no, tens of thousands… You created a… I don’t even know what to call that, but you… you’re not even Human…” His sharp teeth jittered, clacking from the dark aura the monster emitted. Somehow, he felt the anguished cries of all she had killed, but perhaps it was fear forcing him to hear things that didn’t exist.  

Sakdu had been shown that there was something else out there that eclipsed even the dark rage he held in his heart.

“You’re right. There’s no way a Human could’ve accomplished the things I’ve achieved.” Servi shrugged as she spoke with a tone like that of a bored schoolgirl. What little words Sakdu wanted to use to get out of his situation alive had no choice but to fall on ears that wouldn’t give him the time of day.  

“Was the life of that girl worth the lives of innocent babies? Does that not wage war on your consciousness?” he asked. Servi tightened up on the Telekinesis, spreading his hands apart until it looked like he was crucified on an invisible cross. She walked up to him and jabbed her hand into his mythril chest plate. With her new durability, her fingers showed no signs of breaking or fracturing. She didn't even feel the closest thing to discomfort.

She pulled her hand down, peeling off the armor like the skin of an orange. “A monster I may be, but you’re far worse than I am. But to answer your question… Yes, Momo was worth all of the lives I took this week and more. I’d kill the Gods and crush the stars if it meant she would be safe. I’d even slam the moon into the ground, destroying this pathetic planet if it meant she’d be in a place without pain or fear.” 

“But why?!” Roger exclaimed. His face visibly shook from terror. Servi slapped his face with a thin strip of mythril before answering. Carrie only watched in silence as a warm spot developed between her legs.  

“Because she’s my best friend. Is that so hard to believe? You were going to destroy a town for revenge. I destroyed an evil organization for friendship. We're both murderers, yet we do it for different reasons.” Servi put a hand to the Elf’s fractured face. It had already started to swell and turn red. Sakdu begged her to stop when she pinched the bridge of the Elf’s nose, but she only smiled while ripping it off.  

He screamed in pain, but Servi wasn’t totally finished. She manipulated one of his hands to repeatedly stick a finger inside the new hole she had made. Against his will, he actively continued to yank muscle and a few bits of bone.  

“STOP!!!!” 

Servi turned to the Kobold and resumed her mythril peeling. “Why should I? I’m sure you bastards put her through far more hell than this. So tell me what the fuck you did to her! I swear you better tell me the fucking truth! Anything you fuckers did to her... I'll do back to you!!!” Servi growled, baring her teeth.

Servi continued to peel away at his armor until he was left in his skivvies. As she did, Sakdu and Roger pleaded with the deranged girl.  

“We didn’t abuse her!!!! She always had food, and we never hurt her!!!” 

“Then was she raped?! I swear… If you raped her, I will tear off your fucking cock and force him to eat it!!!” Servi took out a nadrium dagger and jabbed it into Sakdu’s thick thighs, effortlessly bypassing the pitiful pale skin. Though he had scales everywhere except on his hands and legs, Sakdu had more than the average Kobold. Unfortunately, they weren't in the spots where he needed them at this very second.

Servi’s hand gripped the pulsing handle, dragging it ever close to the proof that indicated he was male.

“Williana! Stop this!!” Carrie cried. Her hands were empty. The black spear she seemed to take excellent care of was sitting right beside her on the ground. That was the last little bit of courtesy Itarr would show her.  Servi rushed over to the screaming Singi and grasped her by the chin. “My name isn’t Williana, you fucking pathetic excuse of a Singi! It’s Servi. And shut the fuck up!! I’ll deal with you later.”  

The red-eyed girl moved her head to a pair of trembling fuzzy ears and whispered. “I’ll cut off your tail and choke you with it. Then I’ll throw your discarded body in that hole. You’re going to fucking die all alone. You won’t have a goddamn person to mourn you when I inevitably take your soul…” Servi pulled her head back, tapped her future victim on the neck, and practically skipped back to Sakdu.  

“Now, I’ll ask again. Did. You. Rape. Her?” 

“No! I told you we didn’t! Don’t fucking walk away from me when I’m trying—” Roger exploded, displaying a rare emotional outburst of anger. Servi shut up him up with a quick slap, then healed his body. Then she took her knife and cut away his white jacket, revealing an emaciated body nearly as thin as a stick. He looked sickly. The ribs in his chest were well defined against his skin. That certainly wasn't supposed to be there, considering she sent a few stacks of Remedium Lux through his body to repair his nose.

Sakdu strained against Telekinesis, turning his neck just a bit. His eyes widened. In a commanding voice, he shouted. “Roger, what’s happening to you?! Tell me! Now!” It seemed to Servi that Sakdu didn't know his companion looked the way he did under his coat. Perhaps he was hiding secrets of his own?

“Aww, don’t be turning away from the main issue at hand. ANSWER MY GODDAMN QUESTION!” Servi reinserted her knife, this time choosing to stab her floating Kobold in the opposite thigh. Crimson streamed down his pale-skinned legs, covering his toes and falling to the ground. It was slowly forming a small puddle.  

“I TOLD YOU!!! I DIDN’T RAPE HER!!! NO ONE RAPED HER!!! PLEASE, USE YOUR POWERS TO HELP ROGER!!!” 

“Ah, so you didn’t touch her?” Servi absorbed her dagger and used Remedium Lux on Sakdu’s wound. She turned to Roger and placed a hand over his chest. Her fingers clearly rubbed over one of his ribs, and she felt how cold his skin was.  

“THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU!!!” Sakdu screamed. Servi turned away and used a quick Kaasuvuoto on Momo to make sure the shouting wouldn’t wake her up. If she had to witness the events that were about to be played out, Servi didn’t know what she would do.  

“Seems to me that he’s been having trouble putting down food. I’d say there’s an issue with his stomach. It’s probably an ulcer… Maybe it’s some other gastrointestinal problem?” Servi transformed her persona, which was incredibly shocking to the three witnesses, into that of a doctor, and started a completely different conversation. Her fingers graced Roger’s stomach. If he showed any sort of pain, she’d take that information into consideration and touched a different area. It was only when he vocally cried out and begged her to stop poking the right side of his lower abdomen that she knew what the problem was.  

“It’s his appendix. It’s ruptured.” Servi said that as if it was the easiest thing in the world. She did stop to think about why she knew such information. She also knew what the mantle was and how far down it started, and math was something that came easy to her. It was almost like she had an excellent education. In that case, was she a graduate of a school similar to the one Old Man attended when he was younger? Did she go to a different school, one that was focused on the sciences? Servi believed her advanced knowledge of some things and total ignorance of everything else only served to increase the mystery behind her unknown past.

“Appendix? Gastro—Bah! Can you fix him?” Sakdu demanded. He so desperately wanted to embrace his beloved friend in a hug. If only it would take away the pain and give it to him. 

“I can. Do you want me to?” Servi asked. She walked back and forth in front of her three hostages while whistling a tune. Sakdu tried to appeal to whatever good was left in Servi, but that didn’t work. He then altered his approach and said he'll worship her power and promised to bring her gifts worthy of a monster like her, but she only laughed. 

“Give up on your dream of revenge. If you do that, I'll save your boy toy.” 

“Fine! I will. I’ll give it all up if it meant he won’t be suffering—” 

"You just fucking disgust me! You're giving it all up at the very end?!?!” Servi cursed Sakdu's name and smacked Roger in the spot where he'd receive the most pain. His agonizing pleas for help resonated deep within her sadistic core.

“SAVE HIM, PLEASE!!!” Sakdu shouted.

Servi sighed. With a blank look on her face, she calmly placed a hand on Roger’s lower right abdomen, gripped it, and effortlessly tore it out. It almost looked like all the blood in his body had decided to leave at once. At the same time, she used a thousand stacks of Remedium Lux to heal the agonizing damage she caused.  It was her pleasure to watch the wound heal right before her very eyes, yet she didn't smile.

Sakdu roared, reminding Servi of his rage while being forced to watch his closest ally scream in agony. Servi still kept a silent and blank expression. A few seconds later, Roger weakly allowed his head to fall slightly while the ‘doctor’ probed his midriff. Her head robotically turned to the raging Sakdu and smacked him. He managed to stop his threat-fueled rant long enough for Servi to explain herself.  

“He’s fine. I tore out his appendix and whatever was else in there. It should all be mostly healed up, I suppose. If not, I can just remove everything from the chest down and heal it. And if that fails? Eh, I'm sure he'll live long enough if I take his head and immediately start the healing. Hey! Wake up!” Turning her attention to her patient, she clocked him across the cheek, much to Sakdu’s chagrin. 

“Eehhh…” Roger whispered. Tears fell from his eyes, which were covered by his black hair, when he realized the pain he lived with for years was no longer there. In its place remained the remnants of Servi’s brisk operation, yet it paled to what he felt before she came along. Sakdu understood that Servi did what he had asked just from the cheerful expression on his Elven friend’s comfortable face.  

“Look, I held up my end of the bargain.” Servi shrugged. Her actions were a far cry from when she took on the moniker ‘The Mad Dog.’ Healing her enemies? Itarr wanted to believe it was almost a joke.  

You aren't going to let them get away with this, are you? Itarr asked via ID.  

Servi started to laugh; it eventually grew until she was on the verge of losing herself to the hilarity of the situation.

Sakdu, Roger, and the shivering Carrie wordlessly stared at the girl chuckling at her very own ID. Wiping her eyes of non-existent tears, she powered through her mad fit of lunacy to explain. “Hahaha… No, of course not. Itarr, do you think I'd allow them to get off scot-free? This will end with their deaths. Ah, that's not 'if they die', it's 'when will I allow death to take them.'"

Roger crossed eyes with Sakdu, who nervously started to laugh of his own accord. Then the Elf joined in. Only the lone red-headed Singi remained silently. Like a long-lost friend, Servi stood up, walked up to Sakdu, and put an arm over his shoulder.

“What did you do to Momo? I need to know so I can make sure you suffer in just the right way. If you fail to do that, then... No, I don't want to spoil the suffering I have for you."

“I’ve told you we didn’t do anything! Why can’t you believe us?! Why would I lie to you in my current condition?” Roger argued. Servi just shook her head.  

Servi removed herself from Sakdu and stepped back, the unpleasantness in her voice started to grow like a savage desire. “Because this was a war between you and me. And in a war, being ruthless and violent is pretty much your only option. You have to strike fear in your enemies, so their fighting spirit vanishes. Have them sleep with a dead comrade, or throw them a skull filled with piss and make them drink it. Hell, have one of them flay a captured ally alive and see how long it takes for them to shut down. Leave only one alive as a warning to the rest. Are you really telling me you didn’t do any of that? Can you truly sit here and tell me that you absolutely left her alone? That you didn't think to mess with her? That you actually kept your fucking word in staying your hand?"