“Master, is something wrong?” Osric inquired, concerned by the younger boy’s sudden action.

“Both of you, stay here. Protect Amara and the others,” Elysian ordered, his voice reflecting the gravity of the situation.

“But master…”

Elysian immediately stopped Osric's objection. “This is not up for discussion. It’s an order,” he stated firmly.

When he heard the commanding voice of his liege, Osric immediately understood the severity of the situation. “Yes, master,” he responded without any hesitation, nodding at the noble’s command. Recalling the gruesome scene outside, he had an idea of the danger they faced. If he was right, now was not the time for any argument.

Rising to his feet, Elysian slowly approached the entrance while carefully unsheathing his dagger.

“Young master, I will…”

“Hey, big fella, hold up!” Osric exclaimed, his expression serious. “Come here. Our master has spoken, and we must obey. Our task is to protect Ms. Amara and the captives.”

Bran glanced at the departing back of the younger boy before sighing with helplessness. Turning towards the former soldier, he nodded and stood beside him.

As he approached the entrance, Elysian saw no one. Yet he was certain he had sensed someone just moments ago while speaking with his servant.

Carefully exiting the hidden room, Elysian wielded his dagger in such a manner that it allowed him to swiftly counter any potential threat. As he focused on his senses again, he didn’t detect anything. Adjusting his strategy, he concentrated all his aura on one sense at a time. Starting with his eyes, he then shifted to his ears when no danger was detected. He methodically repeated this process with each of his senses, scouring for any clue that might reveal the whereabouts of his enemy.

As time passed, Elysian’s expressionless face gradually changed into a frown as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. No matter his efforts, he couldn’t detect anything. Frustrated, he sighed in resignation. 

 

‘Sh*t! I couldn’t detect that b*stard. This only means one thing: his level of cultivation is way higher than mine. Damn it!

Is this it? Am I really going to die here? Damn, I just got a second chance. This can’t be the end, right? F*ck! F*ck! F*ck!

Hey, Eye, could you offer some help? If I die here, you die too. 

Wait, do you even die or just get a new owner? Well, no matter. Could you help me for old times' sake? After all, I’m your master.’

 

When the artifact did not respond, he tried again.

 

‘Come on, man. Help me out here. I’m not even asking you to kill him. I just want you to tell me his location. I know he can’t hide from your eyes. How dare this b*stard challenge you? The gall of this f*cker! Come on, show him what you’ve got. Make him pay for his insolence.’

 

When he received no response from the artifact again, Elysian grew so irritated that he wanted to scream then and there. However, he couldn’t even do that since that meant certain death in his current situation. What frustrated him even more was that the Eye outright ignored him. He could potentially die here, yet that son of the b*tch did not even have the decency to talk to him. Even if the Eye had just mocked him, he would have been less annoyed since it showed it still cared. But no, the b*stard was completely indifferent.

 

‘You worthless piece of sh*t! This is how you choose to treat me?!’

 

 

Elysian’s mouth just hung open, his face flushing red in frustration. Originally, he thought that he would be pleased when he finally got a response back; instead of relief, it even made him more annoyed.

 

‘F*ck you!’

 

Without a choice, Elysian decided to change his strategy again. Rather than focusing on his perception, he opted to enhance the reaction speed of his body. Breathing in and out in rhythm with his heart, he lowered his posture, directing all his aura into his legs. ‘Hebimichi Kamae,’ he murmured, his face devoid of emotions, while his gaze emitted an intensity and edge that screamed danger to those who beheld it.

 

‘You think I’ll go down easily? I’ll fight until the end! Even if it costs me my life, I’ll make sure to take this killer with me.’

 

Suddenly, everything fell into place inside Elysian’s head. As he realized something, his eyes widened, and a smile spread across his lips.

 

‘Now, I finally understand why this b*stard was ignoring me. You’re just messing with me, aren’t you? You think it’s funny! Scr*w you!’

 

 

 

Sighing deeply as all the tension left his body, Elysian stood straight and relaxed. “Old man, if you don’t come out now, I’ll make sure you’ll regret it,” he declared, his voice devoid of any humor.

Eerie laughter suddenly surrounded him, and a shadow emerged from the corner as Jareth stepped out of it. “It’s finally getting exciting, and now this happened, tsk. You’re just too good, kid,” Jareth said, chucking as he gazed at the boy. “I’m sure I’ve hidden myself pretty well. How did you even know it was me?“

Out of nowhere, Elysian threw his dagger near the old man’s head, where it struck the wall with a resounding thud. The dagger was so close that the mercenary’s smile became strained as he slowly glanced at it. “Now, that was funny,” he quipped, his voice carrying a dangerous tone. “Do you think so, old man?”

Jareth laughed awkwardly in response as he pulled the dagger from the wall. “Looks like humor isn’t your thing, huh, kid?” he quipped. His demeanor shifted suddenly, his expression growing more serious as he studied the boy more intently.

“Why are you staring, old man?” Elysian inquired, raising a brow. “You know, you look rather rotten and creepy when you do that.”

“Really?” the mercenary asked, amused by the statement. “Then, what do you call yourself, who masterfully plotted a plan for that clueless boy to kill that man against his will?”

“What are you talking about?” Elysian questioned, frowning as he gave the mercenary a piercing glare.

Jareth could only shake his head while chuckling at the boy’s denial. “Do you think you could fool me, boy?” he asked, grinning deviously. “With your senses on full alert, you wouldn’t have missed anything from the moment the thug regained his consciousness to when he attacked you.”

The young noble just stayed silent, staring at him without showing any emotion.

“Also, I find it interesting that you didn’t kill all the thugs alone. Except for the aura user, you could’ve easily killed them all with just a flick of the peanut like you did this morning,” Jareth pointed out, not shying away from meeting the boy’s stare. “You’re quite sly and cunning, boy. Your actions are so subtle yet full of meaning behind them. It’s unsettling, honestly. You’re scary.”

Elysian countered with a predatory grin. “It looks like I’m falling short, huh? I don’t see any fear in your eyes, old man,” he quipped. The mercenary just chuckled, shaking his head. “And as for your thoughts on my actions, I couldn’t care less. They’re my people; it’s my responsibility to prepare them for the dangers ahead, increasing their chances of survival. It’s better they get accustomed to killing now than freeze up later and get themselves killed.”

“If that’s what you think, then so be it. I don’t really care what you do with your own men. It’s none of my business,” the mercenary responded. “I’m just telling you what I observed.”

 As Jareth was about to throw back the weapon, his eyes widened in surprise. The relic appeared different from the one he had given the boy that morning. Closely inspecting the dagger, he noticed that the rust had greatly diminished. Even the holes on the blade disappeared. The weapon was starting to resemble the treasured relic it had once been in the past.

“What did you do?” Jareth questioned, glancing slowly at the boy.

“Hmm, nothing,” Elysian replied, smirking at him before shifting the conversation. “Will you return my dagger or not?”

Staring at him for a moment, Jareth snorted when he realized the noble wouldn’t answer his question. Smirking deviously, he quipped, “When you threw it, I thought you were returning it to me.”

“You thought wrong,” Elysian responded, frowning as he stared coldly at the old man.

“Relax. Jeez, I won’t take it from you,” the mercenary stated, tossing back the dagger.

Sheathing the relic, Elysian stared at him for a moment. “So, you’re the b*stard that killed these poor people,” he remarked, his voice lacking any emotion. “I can’t believe you’re this heartless, old man. You even played with their corpses,” he stated, sighing as he shook his head. “Isn’t that low, even for you?”

“You have the gall to criticize me, boy?!” Jareth exclaimed, scowling at the young noble. “I’ve seen you do worse. Why did you torture that poor man? Why not…”

“Ah, you’ve been watching me since then,” Elysian interjected, smiling at him without humor in his eyes.

“It seems you’ve got me there, kid,” the mercenary responded, chuckling at the boy’s move. 

“May I know the reason why you’re following me?” Elysian questioned, his tone calm yet serious.

“I was bored,” Jareth answered flippantly, smirking at him.

“Really?” the noble asked, not believing his words.

“Yes, I’m always bored. In your case,” Jareth replied, pausing briefly to consider. “Hmm, it’s mostly curiosity.” Seeing the boy’s frown deepen, he hastily added, “But can you blame me? You’re torturing that poor man in the open. Half the city could have heard what you’re doing. Count yourself lucky that they’re too scared to get involved.”

“With the gangs running the streets, who could blame them?” Elysian asked. Raising a brow, he continued, “But that doesn’t explain why you killed all the members of the Crimson Talon here.”

“Watching you torture and kill that man earlier,” Jareth remarked with a vicious grin. “Well, let’s just say you’ve stirred that dark side of me that I’d prefer to stay hidden. I can’t let you have all the fun.”

“You’re twisted,” Elysian stated, snorting at his maniacal grin. Suddenly, he grinned back and added, “It seems we’re both alike.”

Both of them suddenly burst into laughter in the dark, cold room, like two deranged demons of wrath and vengeance clawing their way out from the deepest abyss, bringing suffering and fear to those who deserved it.

“It seems we both get along quite fine, kid,” Jareth remarked, smiling approvingly at the young noble as if finally meeting a kindred spirit from the realm of monsters.

“It appears so, old man,” Elysian smiled back, studying the mercenary’s expression carefully.

“By the way, I have a gift for you,” the mercenary remarked. “You’re searching for the leader of the Crimson Talon, right?”

“Yes, why?” Elysian asked, hope clear in his voice. “Don’t tell me you’ve killed him already?”

Jareth scoffed at the boy’s question. “Of course not. Why would I spoil the fun for you?” he responded, watching the annoyance on the boy’s face. “But I know where he is.”

“Fun? Are you kidding me?” Elysian questioned, scowling at his words. “Fighting against his second is hard enough already. I couldn’t even imagine how tough facing that b*stard is going to be.”

“Well, good luck,” the mercenary said, his eyes growing serious. “You’ll need it a lot, trust me.”

“If he’s too much for me to handle,” the noble remarked, pausing for a moment as he studied the old man’s expression. “Are you going to step in and help me?”

“No, kid, you’re on your own,” Jareth stated bluntly, not mincing any words. “If you’re going to die, then it’s simply your fate.”

“You’re a heartless b*stard, you know that?!” Elysian exclaimed, scowling at him.

“Yeah, I know,” the mercenary retorted, grinning. “You’ve been calling me that.”

Elysian could only sigh in resignation, knowing full well that it was going to be an exhausting and painful night, assuming he even survived it.