231 Ghost of Vengeance
Kai stood atop a pile of flesh, its foot firmly planted on the stomach of the person it despises the most.
On its lips was a cigarette, and it turned on and off the flame. Its mind elsewhere.
“I know this is a trick. If I take the gift, I can easily do this to you. I can make your life a living hell.”
He spat on the ground. “But I watch for now how a certain revenge fare before I decide. You say that you may be dead already or lived a fulfilling life?”
“I can simply wish for a world where you’re at my discretion to torture then.”
It willed itself to wake up without any aide from others. Kai simply woke up slightly annoyed with all the hands around it…..
And free itself with just pure strength and willpower. Its body may be small, but despite suddenly having a physical form…..
It was still not human after all.
It was still a system, and it had never been happier to be a system in its life. Its Neverland had shown it how great an experience revenge was, what made it so appealing to everyone.
However, it was now invested in whatever was happening between the two men who were involved in its death. Kai searched for Ronin and Cermin in the island of corpses, wondering what they’re vengeance dream was.
Does Cermin even want vengeance on someone?
Kai had a feeling somehow that he does have, but it was not towards someone you’d expect.
And it was right. Because the person that Min Cheng wanted to die the most…..
“Grahhhh!!!!!”
He continued to slash away at the bodies at a distance, full of wounds and blows from the hands that burst from the ‘ground’.
Not thinking about his defense, and merely attacking and attacking to save people.
Or perhaps, as sort of penance.
It made sense to Kai.
The person that Min Cheng wanted to die the most was himself. But he could not commit suicide, and so he chose to commit martyrdom by being a hero in the transmigration machine.
To slave his life away into saving others as if to pay of for his crimes, though that was unclear to Kai. It only knew that one way or another, Min Cheng had wronged Ou.
It continued to watch from a distance. Another trait that Kai Li had when it was still a human boy was its enjoyment towards people-watching.
He can stare at people in the streets that pass by for hours, trying to involve himself in their lives through mere observation.
Maybe because his life was so boring and had no direction, that anything revolving around others became interesting to him.
And now, it had a certain topic of interest to watch out for. That would be revenge, and the aftermath of revenge.
Once Ronin did manage to kill Cermin, what would he feel? Would it be fulfillment? Emptiness?
He will still accept the gift and try to gain 1M H-points or V-points to get its revenge on that jiejie, but it would simply want to watch someone play through the game first before playing it.
Cermin finally caught sight of him watching and lurking like a little kid watching someone play in an arcade, trying to gouge what it will do when its turn comes.
“Kai! Have you seen Ronin?”
“I haven’t.” Kai said plainly. “Maybe he’s still in one of the mounds—”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
The whole island started to shriek,a dn they had to cover their ears. Every single corpse struggled and panted as if gasping for breath.
They grasped their own neck, and the fog had fully lifted. When they look up the cliff…..
They saw two figures, one kneeling in front of the other. A sort or rope or leash around the kneeling man’s neck, like he was the other’s dog.
“My Lord… I beg you….. Ku… Don’t take my vengeance away from me…..” Hyacinth begged as the Whip of Runes just kept on getting tighter around his neck.
“Your vengeance is petty and incomparable to my own.” Ronin said, pulling on his neck more. “At least you had a family, you had a daughter and a wife who loved you.”
“Even the rumors spread about you only made you unable to step foot in one kingdom, and there were many more where you could travel and be considered a stranger. No, it’s nothing but paranoia in the first place.”
Ronin leaned in, and smirked. “Meanwhile, I had lost my life. Lost what little I have. I had no one to show ‘love’ or ‘affection’ to me, I had always been a monster.”
“And you’re just a privileged little pretty boy that doesn’t understand that not everyone likes the same thing you like, covet the things you covet.”
Hyacinth sputtered thick black blood now from the pressure on his windpipe. The island continued to be in disarray and chaos, shaking like an earthquake.
“Then….. If you won’t let me take my revenge….. At least please kill him…..” Hyacinth said. “Whether my feelings were petty or not, rational or not….. I know that you know that the hatred is pure and true.”
“It’s the truest thing in the world….. Hatred. Even if I die, please kill him just like this. In the worst way possible….. I want him to suffer….. Even if its not by my own hands….”
Ronin did not make any expression. Hyacinth was crawling now and reaching for his thigh.
“Please kill him…. Kill him….. Kill him… Urk!”
Ronin pulled him up using the whip around his neck, grasping his chin. “Fine. I will kill him, but that’s because I wanted to. I feed on Death.”
“His power may be on the same level as yours if he can banish you out of Sephyrine like some god. That will be the only purpose for me killing him.”
Hyacinth, whose face was turning purple now and closed to death, managed to smile with pure, unadulterated joy.
“Thank you….. My Lord… My vengeance is fulfilled…”
He embraced Ronin like some friend, which Ronin hated very much. However, his body had stiffened already in that position as he took his one last wheezing breath, saying:
“May your vengeance be fulfilled as well.”
Ronin pushed the corpse off him. “I don’t need your blessing for that.”
The whole island had quieted down. The corpses were no longer animated. It was still an island of corpses, but no longer a moving one.
Only after Cermin and Kai managed to reach the top. They looked at the dead Hyacinth in surprise.
“Is he a Daemon? But where was his….. darkness?”
He referred to the Obsidian part of the Daemons as darkness….. how very fitting. It was always a body part that held the darkest parts of themselves.
“His soul.” Ronin said as he let go.
Cermin frowned. “H-His soul? I don’t understand…..”
“Have you two noticed something about the shape of the Sleeping Giant’s Cove?” Ronin asked them.
They were never able to fully pay attention, but now that they’re standing on top of it, the ‘head’…..
“The forehead…” Kai pointed out. “It has the mark.”
The mark from the branding iron of Zephyros Rozenaur.
“Yes. Ghosts do exist.” Ronin said. “This was possibly the place where he killed himself after his wife died.”
“Ghosts can become demons?” Cermin was confused.
“All ghosts were humans once too. All Daemons were once humans. I don’t see how it’s impossible.”
He then thought to himself. ‘Maybe even Celestial gods can become Daemons too…..’
But he merely stood up and sighed. “This isn’t the cave we’re looking for. I already expected the right answer to be in the Abyssal Realm.”
“But how do we get there now? This island no longer moves, and there’s no ships for us to take.” Cermin said. “We’re stuck here.”
“Not really. We have another means of transportation. But I’d have to ask you to hold on tight to them.” Ronin smiled…..
And used Cermin’s sword to cut himself on the stomach.
“Ronin!” Cermin explained. “Why did you do that—”
But once he released himself from the sword and blood dripped down, the wound closed.
Ronin had received a new skill from killing someone like Hyacinth. However, there was no need for holographic information.
The knowledge just automatically came to his mind even without Kai saying anything.
It was like recalling a forgotten memory. Possibly the memory of Ronin Dreadborne.
He was now at Level 90. His new skill…..
Was Flame Regeneration.
It was obvious already what it does. Using up his Flame, he can heal his own wounds instantaneously…..
And manage to bleed as much as he wants to activate his Daemonic Hounds.
His blood grew into three giant dogs, 20 feet in height. They offered their backs for their master to mount, and did the same for others.
“We’ll probably reach Sephyrine by dawn this way. Let’s leave this No Man’s Land on its own.”
He wore a smile than was much like the dark night sky around them….. something to fear for.