Building An Empire Starting From The Labor Camp In Exile-Chapter 61: Subordinate and serving

"Maybe I am crazy, but that’s what I will do—become the Emperor," Atrox said. He didn’t say the reason he wanted to be the Emperor was to have everyone under him. He wanted to be the sky so the rain wouldn’t fall on him.

He thought about it and looked at the three people in front of him. ’I need people I’ll be able to use... to work for me. People who are to be trusted to an extent. And they’ve been with me, however briefly, when I didn’t have power. Of course, they have their own motives, but that only makes it better’

’People who want are people that can be controlled’

Now that I’m at the starting point, that’s when I should look for people who will walk with me... hmm... wait... when did I start thinking like some lord? I guess all the training they gave me in the Clan is still with me. And, I’m still some lord. Father didn’t officially remove me...’

Atrox smiled ruefully. ’I shouldn’t be thinking of many things at once. One thing at a time—be an Emperor’

He made his voice bleak and heavy as he said, "Taiwo, Tiber, Slya. You three owe me your lives. I won’t collect them. Serve me till your death."

The mood in the room cracked with tension at the unexpected words that came out of his mouth. They all had different reactions. For Tiber and Slya, it was a simple thing. They currently had no purpose except to look forward to the construct the Nyxori promised them.

But now that the Nyxori were out of the picture, they’d only go back to being wretched workers who looked forward to vomit food and dreamless sleep. It was simple, but there was a big problem—they had no power to serve.

But for Taiwo, this wasn’t so simple. She’d seen Atrox kill to save himself, and she knew and accepted that he would only continue to do the same. But her problem was that she owed him her life, twice.

Atrox more or less saw this play on their faces, but he kept his own thoughts hidden behind a smooth mask. Only his eyes burned.

He already knew what he was to do. "Taiwo, unfortunately, you are not suited to serve me."

Tiber and Slya whirled to face him in surprise, but he ignored them as he continued.

"But I will leave you be for now. I will come to collect my debt someday. Remember, the more powerful I become, the more dangerous the debt becomes."

She shuddered, pressed her hand to her face, and bowed. "I accept."

Atrox nodded and then shooed her away so they could talk with more privacy. She was only too glad to leave them be.

Atrox looked at the remaining two. "So I’m a Knight, and you two are normal humans. You’re ill-suited to serve me. How do we get over this problem?"

Tiber and Slya looked at each other before Tiber spoke. He cleared his throat. "Well, the fastest way is to find a construct that’s at Knight rank and bond with it."

Atrox frowned. "Won’t that be too much for the body? A normal human jumping to a Knight rank just like that?"

Tiber nodded. "Yes, it will be, but it won’t be that big of a problem. Some normal people can still make a bond with an Errant Knight rank construct as their starting point, but that’s really pushing it—especially if it’s a powerful construct. It might tear the mind and body apart."

Atrox nodded. "Tell me more about the construct. How does it function? The core... is the construct a core? Do you have to have the construct with you all the time?"

Slya answered, "From the information we gathered, once you bond with a construct, it’ll create a link between the two. The construct then will disappear into the spirit world. It’s where it’ll grow while you feed it with essence here, and it’ll feed you with power. Something like that."

Atrox nodded. He’d gotten what he needed. "So for you to serve me, you need to be turned into construct Knights."

Tiber and Slya nodded. Then Slya hesitantly asked, "Do you... have a way to get us constructs?"

He didn’t reply to her. He weighed the pros and cons of taking them as his subordinates. First, it boiled down to the fact that he would need people in his inner circle with his ambition. It was better to choose them himself when he was still relatively unknown.

’At best, we’ve known each other, and they’re less likely to have ulterior motives. And if they do, all I have to keep in mind is that everyone can betray me at any time’

He raised his hand, and a black light gathered. It was the essence of his power—Pactbinding. What he wanted to do now wasn’t something he was sure would work, but he wanted to give it a chance.

The dark light spilled over onto the ground and formed a bowl that was darker than midnight. "Put a drop of your blood into that bowl, the two of you," Atrox said. He was following the basic technique the power showed him.

They glanced at the bowl fearfully, but they bowed their heads and did as they were told, using their knives to cut their skin. Their blood mixed with the darkness in the bowl and disappeared within.

Atrox felt it immediately. Their blood carried their essence, their will, and a small, very tiny part of their soul. He focused on it and poured his essence into the bowl, using almost all the essence in his core in one go. He spat out words that lingered in the air, a thing of weight that scratched the air.

The language of the demons tumbled from his mouth in harsh grunts that everyone strangely understood.

"I, Atrox Soryu, give Tiber and Slya powers in the Infernal Dominion. I bond them to me and share with them from my powers. If they betray me, let the power turn on them and reduce them to ashes!"