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Chapter 229 - Bad Timing (Thank you for your support, Ariil Fenris!)
🕑 Added 2024-12-01 12:00:14 +0000 UTCThe heat wave that took over the surroundings was so intense that Arias and his guards were unable to keep their eyes open. They protected their faces out of reflex… something was off. It looked like an enemy attack, but the enemy failed hitting them by a couple of centimeters.
Before anyone could understand what was going on, Arias felt a sharp pain on his back, followed by a powerful, shocking wave that took control over his body. When the wave finally vanished, he found himself floating in the air, not floating, but being pulled upward while someone was keeping him in place with a technique on his neck that he had never seen before… Eventually, Arias passed out.
… …
The plan worked and even gave me another idea… after using arrows with Great Fireballs scrolls attached to them and blinding everyone around with the power of the flames; I climbed down from the branch of a large tree and then grabbed the target by the neck after piercing his back with a shock arrow, then pulled ourselves back to the branch before the smoke could dissipate.
The flames had illuminated the area for a while, but the rising smoke made me disappear in the darkness of the forest while carrying the target.
“Enemy attack! Get ready for battle!”
While those shouts were echoing in the area, I reached the place where I left Glacien five hundred meters away. I couldn’t use camouflage while carrying someone, but I could cover Glacien while she carried the target with a piece of the camouflage tent and that would hide them to some extent.
“Let’s go. We won’t have much time.”
Glacien began to run while carrying the target and I kept my eyes on the surroundings to make sure that no one would follow us. I figured out that returning to the dwarven territory would be the best place to interrogate the target, so I decided to head to the border as much as possible.
Still, before long, the target began to move, and I realized that he had woken up… I could try to shock him with an arrow, but it wouldn’t have the same effect, the surprise factor was one of the things that knocked him down good previously and my submission technique won’t work again either, even if he doesn’t have a weapon, he probably knew a spell or two that would make things harder for me.
“Guard the area, girl. I need to talk with our friend here.”
I grabbed the target by the neck and then put an arrow close to it. I didn’t want to do this. It felt like it would be a path with no return, but I needed answers. It was weird how I felt worried about this, but not about killing. Maybe it was because of what it entailed… When I killed someone, I did it for self-defense or in retaliation when I was almost killed. I could say that it was justifiable.
Torture wasn’t justified, no matter the reason… at least not right now in my head. That was why I killed Rowan so fast, even though he enjoyed making me suffer for a while. Maybe the fact that I was a vampire and could regenerate faster with my vampiric powers influenced that, even though I lost an arm thanks to him, at least for a while.
“Stop pretending that you are sleeping… it is time to answer for your actions. You are going to die anyway, but it is your choice if you are going to die suffering a little or a lot.”
The guy didn’t react, but when the claws on my gloves emerged and pierced his neck, he panicked a little, imagining that I would cut his throat just like that. Still, was he imagining that I wouldn’t kill him if he remained unconscious?
“I am sorry! I am sorry! Please, don’t kill me!”
“... Tell me who is your insider in Arslan’s group.”
“Insider? What are you talking about?”
“I heard your little speech earlier. I know that you have an insider passing you information about their side. Don’t make me waste my time. No one is coming to save you.”
“I don’t know… what you are talking about.”
I let out a sigh… as expected, this wasn’t going to work unless I made him suffer for a bit. Still, every single part of my being made me feel like I shouldn’t do this… even my instincts. I didn’t know why they would be working at a time like this, but they never betrayed me until now, so I couldn’t help but hesitate.
“... Can you smell this arrow? It is called Decay Arrow. It has a poison made with the blood of vampires. This completely ignores the defenses of living beings. If I touch any part of your body with this, all the flesh around will disappear in a matter of seconds. Do you want me to use this on you?”
The target began to sweat bullets at my words… This type of guy should be easier to break. He shouldn’t have any loyalty toward others, only to himself. Besides, the insider should only be another grunt. Why would he be loyal toward another pawn?
“Just so you know, I have plenty of these. I can use them to chop off your limbs or melt your face. Do you want to test that?”
I let the anger take over my body and then the hunger as well. My eyes turned red and the target’s eyes opened widely. He finally realized that I wasn’t joking. I could only guess that he didn’t recognize me since three years ago. I hide pretty much all of my physical features.
I calmed down and my eyes got green once more. Thanks to that, I began to feel terrible… this wasn’t like me. Always choosing the easiest option to achieve my goals, I was worried about Clarice, but would that justify my actions?
“... It is Cellica. She is informing us of their movements.”
“... How and why?”
Cellica might have seemed a bit eccentric and unpredictable at times, but there was no logical reason for her to betray the elves. As a member of the upper class in their society, she already enjoyed the privileges and status that came with her position.
Betraying her people would not only risk her standing, but also likely jeopardize everything she valued. Why would she destroy a system that already worked in her favor? Her actions, though unorthodox, had never indicated dissatisfaction with her role or the structure of Elven society. It simply wouldn’t make sense for her to risk everything for a change that offered no clear benefit to her.
Moreover, she genuinely looked like she loved Arslan, so she was essentially causing him a lot of trouble… I couldn’t understand what was going on.
“... We don’t know what she is thinking either… She is hard to predict. While our intel says that she doesn’t have any reason to betray Arslan, until now, all the intelligence she provided has been accurate.”
Was she planning to betray the insurgents at the final moment in order to look more impressive to Arslan? Or was she planning to overtake him? Both possibilities seemed plausible. She might even be planning for either outcome.
“... How are you receiving messages from her?”
The target looked to the side in order to avoid my gaze and buy some time. I could tell that he was planning something. Perhaps I should really show him that meant business and at least chop one of his arms to make him speak.
I decided to ignore that path… Despite the circumstances, I couldn’t allow myself to sink so low. Even if the justification seemed noble, there were certain lines that simply shouldn’t be crossed. Some actions, no matter how well-intentioned, carry consequences that erode something fundamental, principles, dignity, my even sense of self.
To take such a step would be to compromise a part of who I was, and that was a price I wasn’t willing to pay. There had to be another way, one that didn’t demand I betray the values I held onto, even in the face of desperation. I couldn’t reach a point that would make others think that I was indeed a monster.
“I guess it is time to end this… at least you won’t suffer that much.”
The target realized that I was serious and finally decided to put his plan into action. From under his cloak, he grabbed something and then infused it with mana… in the next moment, I felt the danger of my life and then kicked the enemy away with all my might after letting go.
Still, in the next moment, some magic chains emerged from the ground and locked my legs in place. At the same time, they began to burn my legs… it was some sort of holy magic spell. My parameters began to drop alongside my health. Even my stamina and mana were drained.
“Hah, not so tough now, huh?”
I pulled my bow from my magic bag, but soon the target did the same… It looked like he had confidence in winning as long as I was weakened. Before he could do anything, Glacien got in front of me and began to growl at him.
“What is this? I didn’t think that vampires kept real pets with them. I only thought that they only kept humans as pets.”
“You still have a chance… give up now and this won’t hurt.”
“You still think that you have the upper hand? Why do you think I had this ring with me that would be effective against you, huh? You won’t be able to surprise me anymore.”
“... You were alive until now because of my mercy, but it looks like that got to your head.”
“You need to learn your place… you might have some qualms about making your enemies suffer, but I don’t have it.”
The target summoned an arrow and then nocked it while pointing at Glacien. In the end, things ended up like that… my naivety almost caused us problems again. Before the target could unleash his arrow, I fired mine.
He unleashed his arrow and then they collided in the air, causing an explosion in the area. The target soon got ready to unleash a barrage of arrows at me, but soon when he activated Rapid Fire, his vision got blurry and then he fell on his knees. He never realized, thanks to the strong smell of my decay arrow, that my claws were coated in poison too and his stamina was drained by the poison. Good thing I didn’t use all the poison I got from the previous labyrinth.
In the next moment, I fired four decay arrows at the enemy and made him lose his limbs. Thanks to the shock and the lack of stamina, he wouldn’t agonize, aside from convulsing on the ground. I approached him and studied his eyes.
“I told you, didn’t I?”
I nocked the next arrow and then prepared to release it, but before I could happen, a blast of energy flew in my direction.
Comments
Blackjack
...so he isn't willing to torture an enemy, but is willing to fire multiple arrows, deliberately targeting their limbs to dismember them, to cause them considerable pain and suffering....heavy sigh 🤦🏾🤦🏾🤦🏾
The on point heavy
Yeah... I agree you can't half ass an abduction/interrogation you either should go all the way or not at all. Regulus is being an idiot again why do they make them do this? sigh Because yes, as a 40 year old man he should know better, in war or fugitive times you can't base your actions off modern earth ideals, not only are they generally irrational and only effective within certain microcosms, but they actively put you in harms way or get you suckered into ploys and cons.
MagicWafflez
sigh. he should have properly drug this guy further away before starting. now look what happened. that said, ugh. of course it's that chick. tbh he should leave the elves to their fate. also clairvoyance person should have already picked this up and told him... idk what it means for their alliance if they didn't.
LOOKOUT
He has a myriad of stealth skills yet he chooses the most reckless way to complete his revenge. Also the fact that he refuses to hurt someone who's clearly out for his life and not some kind of civilian.
soldier eraser
The gloves have, but he can retract them.
ThoMiCroN
Regulus doesn’t always have claws, does he? That would be inconvenient for crafting.
TYRELL GRAY
At this point, we can say our MC is stupid, he’s 40 something. I hope he lost terrible to the point where it changes his ways?
TYRELL GRAY
Is that his brother?
