Inhuman Warlock

" You can be useful to me? You, who can't even save yourself, can be useful to me? You, who needs to beg for your life from me, can be useful to me? Why do you think I would ever need you or someone like you? What can you do that I cannot? Tell me one use of yours that I might need you for, and I might let you live."

"I-i..." The old man stuttered. " I know this place from top to bottom. I know all the secrets of Atlantis. I can help you easily take over this place and leave you to all that treasures that we have collected throughout the years. Let me leave. I'll make sure that I make it worth your time. Moreover, I also have a beautiful granddaughter. I can also give her hand in marriage. I'm sure you love her. She's the prettiest woman in Atlantis!"

" You know I've seen many shameless people in my life, but I've never seen one as shameless as you. You even thought about selling your daughter to me for your life? I don't even know how to react to that, but if you were thinking that I let you live after hearing that, then you were quite wrong. People like you don't deserve to live, and they don't deserve to be fathers. If you can't even respect your own daughter, how will you respect me after I let you live?" Lucifer asked, shaking his head.

He slowly raised this right hand towards the man at the end of the hall. The Royal Advisor felt as if his body was suddenly caught by an invisible force. His body suddenly started being pulled towards Lucifer, who had taken his seat on the throne once again, inside the barrier that the old man had cast.

The old man's body flew towards Lucifer but stopped right before it could reach the barrier. Old man landed on his knees and had his head lowered towards Lucifer as if he was his king?

Lucifer sat on the throne with pure confidence, looking down on the old man.

"You know so many things have happened since the day I met you: some good things and some bad things. Let's start with good first. It's because of you that I got to know that there is an even bigger world outside and stronger forces that control them. If you haven't trapped me in your barrier, I might never have known about them. And I would still be ignorant."

"It is also because I met them that I managed to find the way about the missing stones that I was looking for. So I guess that credit also goes to you partially."

"So I should let you live, shouldn't I? Since good things happened because of you?" Lucifer inquired.

"Y-yes!" The man nodded hastily. "Whatever happened was in the past, and I'm glad it resulted in your benefit. So you should let me live."

"Not so fast. Let me tell you the bad things that happened. Then you can decide properly," Lucifer smiled.

"Because you trapped me, I had almost died. I was tossed into space where I might be floating even now if that ship had not found me. So I might have been forced to live in eternity in darkness all because of you. That's the first thing."

"Secondly, because I was tossed in the space, I wasn't able to get back to Triton on time, and all my men who had fought for me since the beginning had died fighting. Even the people who were like family to me had died because I wasn't there to protect them, and it's all because of you. I've never lost so many men that I lost that day all because of you."

"Third, It's because of me not being there that Jian managed to defeat the Uprising right in front of the entire world. Because of that Uprising went through such embarrassment. The fear we had created in the entire world was gone in a single day. We were so close to having the entire world surrendered before us, but we were back to square one now because you stopped me."

As Lucifer kept explaining, the old man felt his heart thumping. The positives that Lucifer said were certainly less than the negatives. Did that mean he was going to die?

"Now you tell me should I kill you or should I not kill you? What do you think?" Lucifer asked.

In the background, the King had already stood up. He had sneakily started moving towards the door, intending to sneak out of the room. Unfortunately, as soon as I reached the door and touched it, he felt the space around him change. His body was suddenly standing back where he started as if he was teleported back. 

"My dear King, I told you you won't be able to leave. Think of the answer to my question. Don't waste your time on other things," Lucifer reminded the King.

It was as if this place was the hostage of Lucifer now. One of the strongest places in this world belonged to Lucifer now.

Lucifer shifted his attention back to the old man. "Have you decided if I should let you leave or not, depending on what I told you?"

"L-let me live. Please let me live. I think the positives are better than the negatives. Knowing about the external world is certainly more useful!" The old man replied.

"Really??? So you think knowing about the outside world is more important than losing your family and friends?" Lucifer asked. "Well, you know you had been honest; I might've let you live since you were just doing your job, but even now, you lie. Sigh." Lucifer shook his head.

A slit appeared around the neck of the old man as his body dropped to the ground. His eyes remained open even as he died.

That left only the King in the room other than Lucifer, and it was his turn. His body flew towards Lucifer this time.

As the King was forced onto his knees, he felt so humiliated. Throughout the years, he sat on the throne, and the world sat on its knees before him. Now, it was him who was forced to bow before someone. He felt like dying already.

'This damn AI! Why isn't this thing working suddenly!' he thought in frustration.

"So tell me, what's the difference between you and a Variant?" Lucifer asked. "Let me see if you can know how I defeated you all today."

"I am merciful and kind. Variants are arrogant and ruthless! That's the difference!" The King declared.

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