Chapter 40
The frigid, dimly lit corridor resonated with the discordant symphony of pain as Myre stood amidst the gruesome aftermath of Klaus's malevolence. Ken's body convulsed in agony on the remorseless ground, a macabre dance of suffering, while Keeryl lay sprawled, unconscious, and vulnerable. Myre's eyes darted from one scene of despair to another, capturing the haunting image of Klaus's penetrating gaze. A chill raced down his spine, forcing an involuntary step backward. The enigma of Klaus's sudden appearance and the ruthless efficiency with which he dismantled the towering Keeryl left Myre paralyzed with disbelief.
Myre's heartbeat roared in his ears like the relentless thunder of a high-octane racing engine as Klaus vanished into the shadows, leaving an unsettling void. Suspense hung in the air, an eerie calm before the inevitable storm.
"Scared, Myre?" Klaus's voice, colder than a blade's edge, echoed behind him. Myre's scream pierced the silence as he spun around, sword slashing through empty air. Klaus, a phantom in the shadows, eluded his desperate attack, only to reappear with a bone-chilling grip on Myre's shoulder.
A surge of malevolence crackled through the air.
Second Circle Magic: Gravity Flow.
An invisible force pressed Myre down, an oppressive weight that forced him to his knees. Klaus, the sadistic architect of pain, pressed his leg onto Myre's back and pulled him closer with precision.
A grotesque sound echoed through the corridor.
CRACK!
The dislocation of Myre's shoulders served as a macabre prelude to the screams of agony that followed. Klaus released his grip, allowing Myre's broken form to crumple to the ground, writhing in unrelenting pain.
"No, No, No. We can't have people disturbing us, can we?" Klaus's words dripped with icy menace, sending a shiver down Ken's spine as he observed the nightmare from his position on the cold ground.
Third Circle Magic: Silent Zone.
A luminous purple magic circle unfolded on the cold ground, casting a foreboding glow as a light purple dome enveloped the entire corridor. The suffocating silence descended like a burial shroud, muffling the sounds of suffering within.
"Now, nobody will be able to listen to your melodious screams," Klaus declared with a sadistic smile, his gaze shifting back to Ken. Despite the torment, Ken's resilient body endured the agony, transforming it into a grotesque ballet of pain.
Momentarily distracted by Myre's torment, Klaus refocused on Ken as the boy contemplated escape.
'Sh*t, I have to run,' Ken thought, desperation clouding his mind. Infusing mana into his legs, he dashed forward, a fleeting hope of liberation.
SSSHH
The sound of his hurried steps echoed through the corridor, a desperate symphony of survival. But just as freedom seemed within grasp, Klaus materialized in front of him.
"Ah!" Ken's surprised cry hung in the air as Klaus's powerful slap sent him careening into a nearby wall.
'Greed, can you morph into a dagger?' Klaus inquired, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
{What for?}
'I will engrave in their bodies the price of messing with me.'
The air hung heavy with the stench of fear and agony as Klaus's cruel intentions unfolded like a macabre symphony. Greed, reluctant and obstinate, resisted Klaus's demand to morph into a weapon.
{I don't want to, it's too bothersome.}
"Just say you can't. I guess you're not that 'Great,'" Klaus taunted, emphasizing the word 'great' to deliberately fray Greed's nerves.
{The great me can change into anything, just watch,} Greed retorted with an eccentric tone, succumbing to Klaus's challenge by morphing into a small dagger. Ken, still reeling from the impact of Klaus's slap, watched in horror as the innocuous ring on Klaus's finger transformed into a lethal blade.
"T-t-that's a real blade! P-p-please forgive me; i-it was M-yre's idea, I swear," Ken pleaded, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Who cares whose idea it was? We're just having a little chat among trainees, aren't we?" Klaus dismissed, appearing suddenly in front of Ken.
"Since you like to run like a little mouse, let's see if you can still run with no tendons," Klaus declared, forcing Ken onto his stomach before ruthlessly slashing the tendons on Ken's feet.
SLASH
"AAAHHRG!" Ken's agonized screams reverberated through the corridor as blood gushed from his maimed legs.
*DING*
[First Blood]
[The Trait Gluttony Lv1 is Activating...]
[The Trait Gluttony Lv1 Absorbed a Small Portion of The Target's Blood]
[All Stats Increased by 0.01]
Klaus couldn't help but smile as the notifications appeared, reveling in the suffering he inflicted.
"I guess even this trait wants me to make you guys suffer," Klaus remarked with a dark smile, observing Ken's anguished reaction.
"Stop gesticulating like a maggot," Klaus commanded, joining Ken's hands together and impaling the dagger through them.
"AAAAARRGG!" Ken screamed in pain, rendered immobile as the dagger pinned his hands to the ground.
"Now, let's go and see our sleeping beauty over there," Klaus said, walking toward the unconscious Keeryl, humming as if the screams were a melodious melody to his ears.
"It's time to wake up," Klaus declared, gently slapping Keeryl's face before the dazed trainee regained consciousness.
"Huh, what the f*ck happened?" Keeryl muttered, his confusion turning to shock as he realized the grim reality.
"K-K-Klaus?" Keeryl stammered, attempting an awkward smile, only to be met with Klaus holding him by the collar, a sinister grin on Klaus's face.
"I hope you had a pleasant dream," Klaus sneered before raining punches on Keeryl with relentless fury.
Smack! Smaaack!
Unable to scream, Keeryl moaned in pain as Klaus continued his brutal assault.
Smack! Smaaack!
Blood splattered on Klaus's face and clothes as Keeryl's broken nose and jaw dripped crimson.
Smack! Smaaack!
*DING*
[The Trait Gluttony Lv1 Absorbed a Small Portion of The Target's Blood]
[All Stats Increased by 0.01]
Klaus halted the onslaught upon seeing the notifications, dragging Keeryl by his hair towards the still-screaming Myre. With a cruel grip on Myre's long hair, Klaus walked back towards Ken, dragging the two battered trainees like lifeless sandbags. The corridor echoed with the twisted harmony of their suffering, a nightmarish tableau orchestrated by Klaus's malevolence.
"Hmmm, you're bleeding a bit too much," Klaus remarked casually, his cold gaze fixed on Ken, who cried out in pain as his legs formed a gruesome pool of blood. Without warning, Klaus smacked Myre and Keeryl's faces together, the sickening sound of impact resonating through the corridor as he maintained his merciless grip on their hair.
"Do you see in what state you'll be in a few minutes?" Klaus taunted, his voice dripping with malice as he continued to force their faces together. The sickening thud of their heads colliding reverberated through the corridor, a gruesome punctuation to Klaus's sadistic display. With a cruel flourish, he released his grip, letting them thud heavily onto the unforgiving ground, their groans of pain adding a discordant note to the eerie silence.
Lowering himself to Ken's level, Klaus coldly observed the boy's agony. "I'll give you a small chance to make it up to me," Klaus declared, his eyes piercing into Ken's tearful gaze.
"A-anything, I'll do anything, please," Ken stammered, his voice barely audible amidst the sobs that wracked his body.
"Good boy!" Klaus exclaimed, his hand resting ominously on Ken's head.
Second Circle Magic: High Heal.
A blinding white light enveloped Ken's body, erasing his wounds and pain as if they never existed. Ken's gasp of disbelief echoed through the corridor as the magic worked its sinister wonders.
"Huh!" Ken exclaimed, a mix of shock and confusion evident on his face. Klaus rose to his full height, a malevolent glint in his eyes.
"Stand up," Klaus commanded with a calm tone that sent shivers down Ken's spine.
"J-just who are you?" Ken questioned, his legs trembling as he stood before the enigmatic figure who had become the embodiment of terror.
Klaus, unfazed by the inquiry, cast a spell, causing Ken's training sword to levitate from the ground near the shattered wall into his hand. The cold metal gleamed with ominous intent as Klaus handed it to the bewildered Ken.
"Take this and beat them up until I ask you to stop," Klaus ordered with the most sinister smile Ken had ever witnessed—a cruel grin that hinted at the depths of malevolence within Klaus's twisted nature. The corridor, now filled with the moans of Myre and Keeryl, became a stage for Ken, thrust into a role as an unwilling instrument of Klaus's sadistic orchestration.