Dismembering

From across the street, Lucas began following Eric. The focus of his attention remained on Eric.

"Why am I even doing this?" Lucas asks.

[You just said you would solve Bob's first problem. The target is the first problem.]

"You said that. And what do you mean by solving the problem?" Lucas stopped his steps.

[You know what I meant by solving the problem.]

Lucas moved to sit on the metal bench on the side of the street. "If you don't describe it properly, I am not moving from this place."

[You are forcing me this time.]

Then suddenly, a memory surfaced in his mind. It became vivid with every passing second. He clutched his head. He wanted to scream but couldn't.

Those memories kept playing on and on. Lucas closed his eyes. But the memories felt more real like he was living those memories once again.

'Stop. Stop it. Just stop it, please. Please stop.'

[Now, you understood. This is what I meant by solving.]

Lucas didn't make a sound. He took in long breaths, gasping for air.

'I can't do this.'

[Yes, you can. Remember that day. Standing in front of those people you looked at the sky and announced this...]

Another memory played in his mind.

[I am not trying to justify your actions. The reason I give you this mission is that you and Bob have a similar past. But the future is different for both of you. Bob is searching for redemption for his past sins, and you have already moved on.]

'You are mistaken. Our past doesn't come close to even matching by a single percentage.' Lucas looked at the back of Eric moving further away in the dark.

'I cannot do this.' Lucas wrapped his hands around the metal bench.

The memories played again and again.

Lucas did not scream and even get flustered, instead his eyes showed calm and clarity.

'Forcing me into over stimulation state, you will gain no different result.' Lucas said.

This time the memories had no effect on him. Lucas even leaned on the bench sitting more relaxed.

[I wonder if I can change your mind with this....]

Another memory surfaced in his mind. A few more extra scenes were added by the system as well.

'Interesting... so what benefits will I get.' Lucas seems to have changed his mind a bit.

[The greatest enemy is time. With the rewards from me, you can greatly reduce the time taken to achieve our mutual goal.]

'Mutual goal,' astonishingly in an overstimulation state he showed a smile, 'Happy co-operation then.'

[Happy co-operation. You are more complicated than I had speculated.]

He stood up and started following the target again. His eyes were sharp and unwavering. His brain opened up as a result of the overstimulation. His brain activity and processing speed have shot up to double the original number.

…

Eric took a sharp turn and entered an alley. Lucas hastened to not lose sight of him. Eric was taking a piss facing the wall in the alley.

Lucas entered the alley with a light step. He waited for Eric to finish his job and notice him.

When Eric turned around, he was surprised to find someone standing in the dark.

Eric saw the man raise his cane. He felt something was wrong. He tried to reach for the gun, but it was too late.

*Swoosh* There was no noise, just the sound of a bullet cutting through the air.

The body of Eric fell backward. *Thud*

He took a life. There was neither flinch nor any change in his expressions.

Lucas moved closer to the body.

There was no blood spilling from the bullet wound in the head. Lucas did not even ask about this abnormality. His mind was still simulating his next actions.

He picked up Eric on his back and carried him out of the alley. He started walking, taking the street. The not-so-lit streets provided the perfect cover for him to move without raising any suspicions. It was the time of the night when everyone was sleeping.

After an hour of walking, he came across a small bridge. The bridge was a little away from the main road, the bridge led to the small community park.

The water flowing under the bridge was too small. It was a man-made stream from the community park for aesthetic purposes only.

Carrying the body, Eric followed the flow of the stream.

In the distance, the water stream merged with the larger body of flowing water. It was the Harmony Channel. The Harmony Channel was the subsidiary of the longest river on the Valentia Continent.

He calculated and it was the perfect place for dumping the body.

He removed all the clothes from Eric's body. He then threw the body in the water. The stream wasn't big enough to drag a full-size man. He needed to aid the water stream to carry Eric's body with it.

"How sharp is the blade?" Lucas asked.

[You will be surprised. There are a few added effects as well.]

Lucas pulled out the blade, and the first thing the blade fell upon was the neck. It passed through the neck like a butter knife. He picked up the head and put it on the side upright, its face facing the body.

The body was dead for an hour, the blood didn't spurt. It flowed like viscous honey. It was slowly taking the time and mixing with the water. Like two best friends, blood started following the stream down the path.

Lucas didn't wait and the blade moved again splitting him vertically in half, precisely from the middle. The entire body was wide open in the water.

The guts spilling out from the intestines, two lungs resting peacefully and the heart has already lost its color.

An alcoholic smell mixed with guts and blood spread out in the air. Lucas didn't even blink and his hands moved again and again.

Eric was finally small enough to be swayed by the stream to move forward with it.

Time passed, and Eric's body has finally moved on with the water stream.

The head of Eric watched as his body left him abandoned in the hands of a devil. There was still shock in those eyes. The head patiently waited for its fate.

Lucas's focus shifted towards the head after the body was far away from his sight.

Grabbing by the hair, he threw the head on the water. The head landed with its face-first on the water. It was unable to even see its fate.

The blade moved again, the head split into two half opening like a rose, and dropping to right and left simultaneously. The brain matter seemed shy when first coming into contact with the water. It didn't mix well with the water, like the blood.

But eventually, the domineering water pulled the brain matter and dragged it along with it. The brain matter was not alone though. The skull, eyes, ears, and nose followed closely behind it.

…

He double-checked the area for anything left behind.

Lucas picked up the bullet. It disappeared in his palms.

He burned the clothes a little distance from the stream and waited till everything was mixed with the soil.

He backtracked his path and returned to the alley again. He sat on the metal bench with a tired face and exhausted body.

"I did it. And I felt…"

[Nothing.]

Lucas didn't utter a word and waited.

"Why is it taking so long? Why am I not returning?" Lucas said calmly.

[You don't have to fret over it. You will return. It will take some time. Your adrenaline has shot way high than it should have. If your brain returns to normal, you will faint directly.]

"Understood, I will return to the room then. If I faint, I would like to faint in a safe area." Lucas stood up. He felt extremely tired and light-headedness.

Lucas made a call to the hotel and asked for a taxi. He took the taxi a few blocks away from the Bar and returned to the hotel.

Entering the room, he fell on the bed. His body immediately shut down.