Chapter 646: [Bonus - ] No.

Chapter 646: [Bonus Chapter] No.

"Who sent you?"

Thoren’s detached voice echoed through the dark trench, carrying no anger or curiosity beyond the question itself.

He stood before the young man with his hands resting naturally at his sides, his deep blue eyes fixed on the trembling figure lying beneath the undead Skybreaker Roc’s massive talon.

The question was simple, yet it caused the young man to tremble as though he had been struck by a powerful blow.

He had already witnessed two of his companions die in front of him, and he knew very well that the same fate awaited him if he made the wrong move.

He swallowed nervously, his eyes darting between Thoren and the enormous undead creature holding him down.

The talon resting against his chest was a constant reminder that his life was no longer in his own hands.

"P-Please... Please..." he stammered, struggling to find the right words as fear overwhelmed him. "If I talk, will you please let me go?"

His voice trembled with every word, and his expression was filled with desperation. ℴ

However, Thoren merely stared at him.

"No."

The answer came without hesitation.

The young man froze, his mouth remaining slightly open as he struggled to process the blunt rejection.

He had thought that providing information would be enough to negotiate for his life.

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

"Hmm?"

The young man stared at Thoren in disbelief, his mind desperately searching for another way to persuade him.

But before he could form another sentence, a sharp pain suddenly erupted in his chest.

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking echoed through the trench.

"Ahhhhh!"

A terrible scream escaped his lips as the undead Skybreaker Roc pressed its talon deeper into his chest.

The pressure crushed his ribs against his internal organs, sending waves of unbearable pain through his entire body.

His back arched instinctively, and his hands shot toward the massive claw in a desperate attempt to push it away.

His fingers scraped against the hard surface of the talon, but his efforts accomplished nothing.

The creature barely seemed to notice his resistance.

Its talon remained firmly in place, pinning him against the muddy ground while the pressure continued to increase.

Each breath became more difficult than the last, and the young man felt as though his chest had been trapped beneath a massive boulder.

He screamed again, his voice breaking beneath the intensity of the pain.

Thoren watched without changing his expression.

There was no visible anger in his eyes, nor was there any excitement at the sight of the struggling man.

He simply observed the scene, waiting for the answer to his question.

"...Nooo..."

The young man’s voice weakened as he struggled to draw another breath.

His eyes were wide, and tears gathered at their corners as he stared at Thoren with desperate pleading.

"Nooo... Please... Don’t... Don’t kill me!"

His words came out in broken fragments, interrupted by painful gasps.

"I’ll tell you everything! Please!"

Only moments ago, he had believed that Thoren might spare him because the undead Skybreaker Roc had stopped its attack.

He had mistaken the pause for mercy, convincing himself that there was still a chance to escape death.

Now, he finally understood.

Thoren had not stopped the creature because he intended to release him. He had stopped it because he wanted answers.

The realization made the young man’s fear even worse.

He had no idea how much longer he could endure the pain, and the calm expression on Thoren’s face gave him no hope of survival.

"Ahhhhh!"

Another scream tore through the trench.

The undead Skybreaker Roc increased the pressure of its talon, crushing the remaining ribs beneath its immense strength.

The young man’s body jerked violently as the pressure spread through his chest, leaving him struggling desperately for air.

The pain was overwhelming.

It consumed his thoughts until he could barely remember why he had come here in the first place.

"Please... Please, stop..."

His voice had become hoarse, and his hands gradually lost their strength.

He could no longer push against the talon, nor could he find enough breath to produce another proper scream.

Thoren tilted his head slightly.

"Who sent you?"

He repeated the question in the same detached tone, showing no impatience despite the man’s continued cries.

The young man stared at him; his face twisted in agony.

"It is Vaela!"

He screamed the name at the top of his lungs.

"Vaela sent us! She told us to kill you!"

The words escaped him in a desperate rush, as though revealing the truth might somehow make the pain disappear.

At that moment, he no longer cared about protecting Vaela or preserving the reputation of their group.

He did not even care about the consequences of betraying her. All he wanted was for the pain to end.

However, Thoren’s expression remained unchanged.

"Vaela?"

He repeated the name quietly, allowing the information to settle in his mind.

He was not particularly surprised.

During their first meeting, Vaela had already demonstrated the kind of person she was.

She enjoyed using her strength to humiliate weaker people, but when confronted by someone she considered stronger, her attitude changed immediately.

She had tried to provoke him earlier, only for Draven and his party to stop her.

Perhaps she had taken that as an insult.

Whatever the reason, Thoren did not care.

"Anything else?"

The question caused the young man’s expression to collapse.

"...Kill me..." The words escaped his mouth in a broken whisper.

He no longer had the strength to beg for his life.

The pain had become unbearable, and the terror of waiting for another moment of suffering was almost worse than the pain itself.

"Please... just kill me..."

Thoren looked at him briefly.

Then he gave the undead Skybreaker Roc a simple command.

The undead Skybreaker Roc immediately lifted its talon from the young man’s chest and moved. Before the terrified man could react, its massive claw closed around his head.

His eyes widened.

For a brief moment, he struggled weakly, but the effort was meaningless against the strength of the undead creature.

Crack!

The undead Skybreaker Roc crushed his head in a single motion.

Blood splattered across the muddy ground, staining the nearby stones and the creature’s dark talons.

The young man’s body twitched once before falling completely still.

The smell of blood quickly spread through the surrounding darkness, mixing with the damp scent of mud and the stale air trapped beneath the earth.

Thoren glanced at the three bodies without displaying any particular emotion.

Turning around, Thoren continued deeper into the trenches.

Soon, his figure disappeared from sight, leaving behind only the cold bodies, the scattered blood, and a thick stench that lingered in the air long after he was gone.

***

[AN: A bonus Chapter for all my readers — thank you for sticking with me.]