Chapter 36: How To Become A Tyrant.

Her voice was grim as she said, "When the worm evolves, your body will become stronger. But your weak mind won’t be able to keep up and resist the worm. So your mind will be eaten, and you will lose control permanently."

"Forget resisting temptation. You will die as a person and be overtaken by the worm, transforming into a mindless beast who only knows to eat."

"The only way to evolve safely is to get help from a Tyrant. Only a Tyrant can curb and restrict a worm," she said, sighing.

"That is why many Apostles actively seek out Tyrants to serve them. It is also why you must work hard for the Meat Brute Order and gain the favor of Lord Bane."

"Take missions and run errands fit the Meat Brute Order. When you’ve done enough, Lord Bane will help you survive your evolution to Rank 3. That’s if you manage to get a Rank 2 worm," she said with a snort.

"Knowing how rare Flesh Titans are, it will be very difficult to get a Rank 2 flesh worm on your own. But if you know anyone who can help you get it, it is Lord Bane. That’s another reason you should serve him well."

Then she clapped and said, "Any questions?" 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Barnabas shook his head like a bell, while Robert and Alexander raised their hands to show they had questions.

She glared at Robert and said, "Is this about your sister?"

Robert shrank beneath the intensity of her glare. But he still nodded slightly.

She sighed and said, "We’re nearly done here. Just a couple of things to set up, and you can go find your sister."

She snorted and glared at Alexander next. Then she said, "My patience is thin right now. For your sake, ask a question relevant to what I just said."

Alexander wasn’t sure, but he still said, "I want to ask about Tyrants."

"What about Tyrants?" she asked with a frown.

"How do I become a Tyrant?" he said, stepping back to avoid any incoming hits and punches.

But Tessa didn’t hit him. She snorted and said, "Your ambitions are too big. I hope you won’t bite more than you can chew one day."

After berating him, she decided to answer his question. She said, "It is simple. To become a Tyrant, kill another Tyrant. You’ll automatically replace them."

Robert and Barnabas’s mouths fell open when they heard her words. Then they took another step back, trying to distance themselves from the top floor. Unfortunately, their backs were already against the wall, so there was nowhere else to go.

It wasn’t the part about killing someone that surprised them or filled them with dread. It was the part about fighting Lord Bane, an entity who could read their minds and stood like a mountain before them.

Even Alexander, whose consciousness had distanced itself from his senses, reacted to the news. His normal eye twitched as he struggled to contain his emotions.

’Is she joking?’ he asked himself, his mind suspicious that Tessa was pulling another prank on them.

As for his worm, it said, "We’re definitely not fighting that guy."

"No, I’ve changed my mind. We’re not getting anywhere close to him. He gives me the creeps."

Alexander, remembering the faint heat he felt from Lord Bane, said, "For the first time in a long time, I agree with you. He felt like a volcano about to erupt. I don’t want to be anywhere near that guy when he erupts."

"At least, not yet. I’m in no condition to withstand an eruption from him. But who knows about the future? Anything can happen."

"Anyway, I still think she is exaggerating to scare me. And even if Tessa is right, that can’t be the only way to become a Tyrant. After all, how did the first Tyrant appear?"

While he brainstormed with his unusually obedient mental neighbor, Tessa chuckled at their expense. Apparently, she found their reactions amusing and worthy of a laugh.

Alexander didn’t mind and was waiting for her to tell them the truth about how to become a Tyrant.

But when Tessa spoke, "So that’s that about how to become a Tyrant."

Then she asked, "What are your names anyway? It is high time I knew what to call you."

"I am Robert Kurf," Robert replied.

Barnabas also said, "I am Barnabas Tusk."

As for the last person, he said, "I am Alexander."

"Just Alexander, for now. If I’m worthy in the future, maybe someone will call me Alexander the Great," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Wow. You’re just one cocky piece of shit, aren’t you? Where did that timid miner I had to force to swallow the worm go?" she asked, shaking her head in pity. "He was so funny and adorable."

"He died," Alexander replied nonchalantly.

Tessa didn’t take his words seriously. She shrugged and opened the elevator door, saying, "Let’s go to your sleeping quarters."

Apparently, as Bosses in the Meat Brute Order, their accommodation was now in the main building. Alexander wasn’t sure he wanted to live in the same building as someone who could read minds all the time, but he didn’t have a choice.

Tessa took them to the ground floor where they would live from now on. Along the way, she introduced the Meat Brute Order, saying, "There are 7 Big Bosses and 33 Small Bosses, including you three, in the Meat Brute Order."

"Most of the Big Bosses aren’t around. They are stationed year-round at resource centers. Four of them have permanent posts like that. The remaining three do various things at the headquarters and sometimes lead transportation caravans."

"The Small Bosses like you can be stationed with Big Bosses at resource centers. But most of your job is to run errands and missions like transportation missions."

"Most of the source of income for our order is the resource posts, which are the mines you know of," she said meaningfully to the three of them.