Chapter34-Helpless and Broken

"Urghhhh!"

Tears streamed down my face as I gasped for breath, the world spinning around me in a blur of pain and fear. 

Scar's cold laughter echoed in my ears, mixing with the throbbing ache that pulsed relentlessly from my mutilated finger.

He leaned back, observing my suffering with a sickening satisfaction. "That's just the beginning, Michael. You have a lot more to endure before we're done here."

I struggled against the ropes that bound me, but they held fast, cutting into my skin with every futile attempt to break free. 

Steve stood nearby, a silent sentinel, his presence a reminder that escape was impossible.

Scar's eyes locked onto mine, his expression devoid of mercy. "Remember this pain, Michael. It's only fair, considering the pain you caused me."

"Michael, I'll break your mind into pieces... I'll torment you so much that you'll remember me even in hell, hahahaha."

***

The room was cold and dark, the air thick with the stench of blood and fear. 

My wrists are shackled in the chair, my body tied in the dim, flickering light.

Every muscle in my body ached, and the metallic taste of blood lingered on my tongue. I blinked, trying to clear my blurred vision, struggling to comprehend the shadowy figure approaching me.

It was Scar, the sadistic bastard who had captured me. My heart pounds with a mix of terror and defiance.

"How are you feeling now, Michael?" Scar's voice was a sickly sweet mockery of concern, his lips curling into a cruel smile.

I didn't respond, my mind racing with fear and the desire to survive. 

I had only seen and heard stories about tortures, and now I was living through it. 

The pain was unbearable, but I couldn't give in. 

If there was one thing...

I wanted after all those tortures, it was to never let myself be...

Broken by him.

"I see you're still holding on," Scar continued, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. "But everyone has a breaking point, Michael. And I'm going to find yours."

Scar stepped closer, holding a pair of pliers in his hand. 

My eyes widened in horror as scar reached for my fingers...

The pliers clamped down on my nails, and with a quick, violent motion, Scar ripped one out. 

I screamed, my voice echoing off the walls, the pain shooting through my entire body like a bolt of lightning.

And with that, my seventh nail was gone. Yeah, the seventh, which means there are still three more to go.

Scar has been ripping out one nail every half hour. 

So, in another 30 minutes, my eighth nail will also be gone.

I don't even know how I'm feeling anymore. My mind and body are both consumed with unbearable pain.

I was initially surprised that I hadn't passed out despite losing so much blood.

I should have been unconscious by now, shouldn't I?

Then I remembered, the higher your rank advances, the stronger your resistance becomes.

My eyes are filled with tears as I remember how I begged Scar to stop at first. 

I even asked him to kill me quickly instead of torturing me like this. 

What else could I have said?

I'm not the main character of a story with cheats or some super powerful plot armor.

It hurts...

It hurts to the core...

I've screamed countless times, hoping someone would hear me and come to save me, but now all my hopes are shattered. I don't expect anyone to save me.

And from the way the blood keeps gushing out from where my nails used to be, it's clear that at this rate, I only have a few hours left.

"Do you know why I do this, Michael?" Scar asked casually as he tossed aside the bloody nail he had been examining. "It's not just about the pain. It's about control. It's about showing you that no matter how strong you think you are, you're nothing compared to me."

My mind was a whirlwind of agony and despair. 

I tried to focus on something, anything, to distract myself from the searing pain in my fingers. 

I thought of Allen, Lia, Ethan, and all the people I met after arriving in this world.

I didn't want to give up. 

Why?

I had spent 90 percent of my life dealing with pain, betrayal, and anger... 

But the other 10 percent, the moments of happiness amidst the hard times, are precious to me... because of her.

In my previous life, I gave up on everything, whether it was winning a match or standing up to bullies.

But when she came into my life, I began to understand the true meaning of living a happy life. 

She loved me, and I loved her.

It was perfect. 

It should have been a happy ending, but fate had other plans. 

Something beyond my control happened, the biggest test I ever faced to be with her.

I remembered how I tried my best at first, but in the end, I gave up because of my circumstances, only to be fooled by destiny.

That's when I lost one of my most precious loved ones. 

If only I hadn't given up, I might have been able to...

So now, for the last time, I don't want to give up.

"I hate to admit it, but your will is really strong, Michael," Scar said, his voice a low, menacing growl. "But willpower alone isn't enough. You need to understand what it means to truly suffer."

Scar picked up a scalpel, the blade glinting ominously in the dim light. My breath hitched as Scar brought the scalpel to my chest, slicing a deep, deliberate line across my skin. 

The pain was excruciating, but I bit down on my lip, refusing to give Scar the satisfaction of hearing me scream again.

"Tell me, Michael," Scar said, his eyes gleaming with sadistic delight. "Do you know what happens when a hunter is given a regeneration potion? Your body parts recover, including your nails, but the pain never truly stops. It just keeps coming, wave after wave, until it drives you insane."

I... Know... 

My vision blurred with tears, the agony of my wounds nearly overwhelming me. I wanted to scream, to beg for mercy, but I knew it would be useless. 

Scar was relentless, a monster who thrived on the suffering of others.

"I won't... break," I whispered, my voice hoarse and trembling. "You can do whatever you want to me, but I won't give in."

That's for sure...

Scar laughed, a cold, heartless sound that sent chills down my spine. "We'll see about that, Michael. We'll see."

Scar turned to Steve, who was leaning against the boulder, watching my torture with a smirk. "Steve, can you get me a regeneration potion?"

Steve looked up, a bit unsure. "Are you sure, Scar? That was a reward from the boss for completing that high-class hit."

Scar's gaze didn't falter. "Yeah, I'm sure. Hand it over."

With a sigh, Steve stood up and went behind the boulder. He came back with a red bottle and gave it to Scar.

Scar looked at me with fake sympathy. "Michael, I'm really sorry for your condition. I'm going to show you some mercy by healing your nails with this potion. Now, open your mouth."

I clamped my lips shut, wary of the potion. 

I didn't want to open my mouth because I wasn't sure if it was really a regeneration potion. I had already been fooled by them once and got myself captured, so I wasn't going to fall for their tricks again.

But part of my brain believed it might be real, especially after hearing Steve sigh and reluctantly hand it over.

But Scar's patience wore thin. 

He grabbed my face with brutal force and shouted, "Open your damn mouth!"

His strength pried my mouth open, and he poured the potion down my throat. 

A few seconds later, he released me, and I started coughing uncontrollably. Some of the potion spilled out, but I managed to swallow some of it.

Slowly, I felt the regeneration process begin. 

One by one, my nails started to grow back, but the pain only intensified. 

The side effects of the potion meant that the more severe the injuries, the greater the pain during regeneration.

Desperate to ease the agony, I bit down hard on my lip, feeling the blood flow. 

The pain was overwhelming, but I refused to give Scar the satisfaction of my suffering...

Every injured part of my body was healing at an incredible rate, like my tissues were being destroyed and reborn over and over again.

The regeneration potion usually starts working in seconds. 

It's more effective than any other healing potion, which is why it's so expensive. 

Only platinum rankers and big shots can afford them.

These potions are ranked from Bronze to Gold, and those are the ones mostly sold in the market. 

If you want a higher rank, you must be a VIP of the government, or you can buy them on the black market, where the price is ten times higher than from a normal seller.

The rank name on the bottle makes it clear that these guys have a Platinum rank potion, which means they definitely bought it from the black market.

I excluded the first possibility...

They couldn't be VIPs, or they wouldn't dare attack me since my father is also one of the top VIPs when it comes to buying potions or anything else.

Scar looked at me with a mysterious grin. "Michael, ready for another round?"

Confused and cautious, I questioned, "What do you mean by another round?"

Ignoring my question, Scar picked up the pliers and moved them closer to my finger. 

Fear gripped me as I watched, realizing his cruel intentions.

'Ah, ah, not again...'