Number six (02)

The Black Mountain Castle is a group of caves that were carved and prepared to become a castle inside the mountain. It is said to have existed for hundreds of years and is now the new king's palace or rather a prison for the new king's enemies.

The castle and the surrounding atmosphere have always caused fear in the hearts of those who see it, but now it has become even more terrifying due to the sounds of prisoners being tortured inside.

A tall woman in her twenties with beautiful features and long black hair was walking slowly among the cells. The sound of her high heels drowned out all other sounds, and no one dared to breathe, they stoped their moans. This beauty, wearing tight clothing and a short skirt revealing slender legs, is actually the most enthusiastic lover of torture.

The whip in her hand is not an ordinary whip; it is a sacred weapon that seals its power as soon as it touches someone's skin. It contains tiny thorns immersed in a special venom that multiplies the amount of pain. These thorns penetrate the flesh with each blow, and when pulled, one feels like their soul is being dragged along.

"Tak, tak, tak," the sound of the high heels that was heard in the hallway finally stopped. The door of the cell opened, and the woman stood in front of the young man with red skin, hanging from chains by his hands. She stared at him with contempt. "Oh, number six, did you miss your big sister? Why don't you answer me? Did I treat you harshly last night?"

Slowly, she placed her hand on his torn body from the severity of the beatings, and her face showed signs of ecstasy as she licked the blood that clung to her fingers. The young man raised his head and answered in a weak voice, "When will he return? How long do I have to wait?", number five emitted a light laugh and whispered sweetly to him, "Oh, are you tired of my company? And I came all this way just for you. You have always been cruel to me."

*Howl*

The sound of the wolf's howl stopped number five, and she looked annoyed. She turned to find a plump-cheeked young man standing behind the huge wolf that was over a meter tall. He is the fourth brother, the beast tamer, and responsible for managing the affairs of the ancestral island.

His training level was very weak, but his intelligence and skill in managing the king's affairs made him take a number in the special squad.

*Ahem, ahem, ahem*

Number four coughed three times and calmly addressed them, "My leader has arrived, so stop fooling around and...!" He suddenly screamed, "You traitor, why did you release him?"

*Boom*."

Before the girl could comprehend what had happened, she received a kick to her chest that threw her far, colliding with the wall. Due to the enormous physical strength of number six, the girl lost consciousness. He took advantage of the situation and picked up the whip.

"Attack him, tear him apart," the obese man with the wolf shouted, and the latter started growling as he prepared to pounce on his prey. Number six smiled and, with a wave of his whip, calmed the giant wolf, ignoring his master's orders.

"You fool, you're supposed to be the smartest of us all, yet you didn't realize that number five has replaced your beast with a wolf she tamed herself."

At that moment, the obese man realized that the wolf in front of him was not the same one he had tamed and that he had been betrayed, but it was too late.

"Let's get back to our business. What were you shouting... Ah, I remember... "Attack him, tear him apart".

The enraged wolf jumped on number four obese body and tore his neck with his fangs, blood splattering and staining the cell's floor. In an instant, number four died without even being able to scream.

Number six walked steadily towards one of the prisoners, and after freeing him, he handed him the whip and said, "The giant wolf over there will obey you as long as you hold the whip. With him by your side, you have nothing to fear. Going past the guards won't be a problem, but remember that the beast has a true master. What do you think will happen if his master wakes up?"

He pointed to the unconscious girl and said nothing more. Of course, the prisoner understood his intention perfectly.

Ignoring the words of thanks and gratitude from the other prisoners, number six left and headed towards the throne room. He paid no attention to the screams of number five, and the fight between the guards and the giant wolf, he was staring at the giant door that had been left wide open, waiting for his opponent.

"My dear child, you have broken your old father's heart, number six. Is this how you betray your father? Is this how a good son behaves?"

The throne room was a massive cave with a giant chandelier decorated with golden skulls hanging from its ceiling. The throne chair was black, and a man in his fifties with long white hair and crimson eyes sat on it.

His face was covered with a light beard, and although he was in his fifties, he was thin, and wrinkles filled his face. It was the result of his unique poison techniques, which weakened his body day by day, but not enough for anyone to dare to stand up to him.

"Tell me, remind me how you got rid of your five brothers?" the king, nicknamed the Plague, asked.

Number six approached the king with steady steps and answered the question as if he were giving a report on one of his tasks, as usual.

"I wouldn't classify the mission as first-class, as the saying goes, a divided house cannot stand."

"My killing of number two was inevitable, as that man truly hated me. Number three acted on his own and killed number one's beloved, paying the price with his own life.

You know number one would feel guilty for that, likely isolating himself in some temple. There's no need to mention number four and five matters, as I still don't know why you gave them numbers in the first place."

*Ha ha ha*

The crazy old man's laughter shook the throne room.

"Ah, you truly resemble me. We are indeed two sides of the same coin. Your death will truly sadden me, perhaps more than the killing of my sister. It might even approach the sadness I felt on the day I knew about my mother's suicide. It's unfortunate, but in the next round, I won't choose you."

Jin didn't fully comprehend the old man's last sentence, but he didn't have time to think about it. In the blink of an eye, the old man disappeared from the throne and reappeared in front of number six.

*Swoosh*

The king's sword had pierced number six's chest. In the midst of the silence, the sound of blood could be heard pouring onto the floor.

Despite that, number six's smile remained broad, while the king was aggressive and furrowed his brow. The boy didn't resist or try to dodge his attack, and this meant one thing.

"A trap. You used yourself as bait. What are you planning to do?" Number six grabbed the king's hand firmly, and a terrifying smile appeared on his face. "Of course, it's a trap. I know very well that you found a way to cheat death, so I brought something special just for you."

A golden magical circle appeared on number six's chest, and it began to shine as he chanted audible incantations. "Savi...Dina...Kata...Ba...Baho...Bally..." The louder he spoke, the brighter the golden light shone until it covered his entire body and obscured the king's face.

He tried to back away, but he couldn't escape number six's powerful grip. The golden light continued to shine until it covered the entire hall. For seconds, the blinding light swept through the entire stone castle.

Finally, number six released his grip, and the king jumped back. Although his eyes were damaged by the light, he could tell he was still okay.

"No matter what you want to do, it's not going to work..." Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain and cried out, "What is this pain that's engulfing me? What are these flames that are consuming my bones?"

Slowly, he opened his eyes to see a smiling face in front of him. But the smiling face wasn't number six's face, it was his own face.

He finally understood the nature of the spell. It was a body-switching spell, and he was now dying in number six's body. It wasn't because of the sword that was stuck in his chest, as number six's powerful and genetically modified body with cells regeneration capability wouldn't easily succumb to such a wound. The reason was the poison that was contained in the sword, which was now melting his body from the inside.

*Bam*

Number six's body, which was inhabited by the king's soul, fell to the ground of the throne room. His last crazy laugh erupted, "A beautiful move, young man. You made me die by my own poison. You truly are one of my greatest achievements."

In his last moments, the smile never left his face as he repeated, "You are my best son...two sides of the same coin."