The person in the photo could be seen heavily bleeding with several shards poking out, while his whole body was severely burned while parts of his organs were impending to escape out of his body. This is disgusting, even for someone like me who had to experience the gruesome world of the game realm.
"Your mental fortitude is better than I expected, to not be overreacting to this picture.
As you can see the person in this picture is suffering a lot. Care to take a guess who it is?" The old man arrogantly asked while holding the device for me to look.
Something feels wrong. Why do I have the feeling that the person on the image is related to me somehow? Wait it can't be ...
"His highness?" I asked in trepidation and fear while praying that what I guessed shouldn't come true.
"Correct. Although right now, he is in a much better state." The old man smiled as he started clapping.
"That's not POSSIBLE! I was told his highness was safe and well. You are lying!" I rejected what he said, but in my heart, I knew I was trying to just deny the truth.
"Do you know why his enemies launched an attack on him? Let me give you a clue, it something to do with you."
No, it can't be true. I was the reason for the attack we faced as soon as we entered the capital.
I loathed myself for letting revenge blind me and let it harm the person I decided for the first time in my life to protect.
"No, you are lying. I am sure I didn't lose the device until I entered the capital. So how were you all prepared before that without even knowing the contents of the recording device." I still tried to deny everything going as far as possible to shift the blame away from me.
"You are very smart and observant. No wonder that brat took a liking to you." The old mans smiling grew as he carried on.
"You see that device is not your everyday simple recording device. It's a live transmission recording device. Whatever is recorded in it was transmitted to us in that second.
As soon as we realised John was capable of vanquishing a grey zone from your transmission we prepared our forces to capture him."
"Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT!" I clenched my fist tightly as the wound on my arm, from my fight with the maid, tore open again.
"Imagine how much pain John had to go through in that state.
Now imagine what he would do if he found out the person who caused him to go through that hellish pain was the very person he saved and promised to help."
There was no one better than me who understood the pain of being scorched alive better than me. I had once half my body scorched alive in one of my mission in the game realm. But luckily the timer reached zero before I was killed.
I only had to endure the pain for a few seconds before I was brought back and healed in the rest area. The pain I had endured that day raised conflicting questions in myself if I wanted to carry on with my path of revenge through the game realm.
And here was his highness who had to go through the whole thing. But unlike me, his highness couldn't escape from the pain in a second. He had to suffer through it most likely for a long time before a healer got there.
"Any person that went through that sort of pain and agony would most likely have their mental state slowly go unstable.
So in your case, imagine what would happen if he finds out you were the cause? Forget him forgiving you, he would gladly make sure to show you what true hell is for what you made him go through. Even if he pardoned you do you think he will remain sane for long, with the pain he had to endure that day?"
Reality struck me hard as I realised the consequence of what I did.
"If you are to backstab us let me tell you the very next moment this piece of device will arrive in John's hands." The old man said as he activated another crystal showing the deal I made with him when he came to me that night.
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"YOU BASTARD!!" I jumped out of my bed as I grabbed him by his neck.
"Hehehe, you think killing me will make your problems disappear? This is just a copy of the original. If my superiors found out that I died by your hands then they will make sure to deliver this on my behalf. So, think this through properly. Hahaha." The old man started laughing, while I slowly lowered him in despair.
"I can't do this. I made an oath to him that I will serve him." I tried explaining to the old man as much as I could for him to not use me.
"Relax we know about your oath. We are not asking you to betray him or anything. We will just occasionally just ask you for certain information about John from you. That's all we need. We won't put him in danger using your information trust me. We just need to know what he is hiding from us. I will contact you again when needed. Take a rest and get well soon." He said while casting a spell to heal my bleeding arm.
Suddenly I was in shock. That spell... It was a rank 4 magi spell. I never had the chance to kill him. He was simply toying with me.
Oh gods, what have I done?
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Albert hadn't checked the room for any bugs as he simply didn't expect us to know about their secret deal. Besides he was in a hurry as he had to leave quickly before Dexter, Titus and Maximus noticed that he was not with Smith.
We fully knew that whatever Albert was spouting to Ellis was mostly bullshit. Especially about the live transmission.
Live transmission device required its receiver to be at least within a 100m radius of the device. If a receiver were to follow us, it would have seemed weird to the Emperor and Steven that our faction agents never spotted them and let them follow us, while travelling through our factions base to get to the grey zone.
We had decided not to let Ellis know the truth about us knowing about his deal for now, as we could pretend to be ignorant about it while feeding those idiots the wrong info and moving them to our will.
He will be living in agony for a while being controlled and manipulated for a while, but he has to face the consequence of his actions.
"Most likely Albert might contact him. Otherwise, why would a training maniac like him decide to take a day off, considering the same person skips sleep for extra training. Something is suspicious when someone likes him want to take a day off." I replied to Dexter.
Dexter nodded as he folded the report he just read.
"Dexter I want no leaks about the exam even if they are in our faction. Is it possible?" I asked him.
"That's possible but the people in our faction wouldn't be happy about having one of their family member failing when the exam is monitored by their own faction." He replied while sighing.
"That's why I will give people like them a golden ticket."
"That idea of your is unique and effective but trust me it will cause a lot of annoyance among everyone including the commoners if you don't explain it properly. Anyway, I need to get everything ready for your exams." He smiled in excitement.
I shrugged my shoulder without a care as I walked out with the new hoverboard I had Dr Whizz make for me.
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The fire in the torches gave a fading light to the dark hallways of the prison under the royal palace.
*Tap**Tap**Tap**Tap**Tap**Tap*
The sound of several footsteps echoed back and forth across the dark hallway.
Albert and Smith finally arrived in front of a cell and peered into the ragged figure sitting inside the dark cell.
"Why are the dogs of the almighty empress here?" A cold sarcastic voice rang out from the cell to Albert and Smith.
"You weren't informed?" Albert asked in shock as he looked at Smith who in turn shook his head.
"Inform what?" The cold voice asked out with curiosity.
There was a brief moment of silence before Smith spoke up in sadness "The empress passed away 12 years ago."
There was a 1 second of silence before a burst of boisterous laughter rang out "Hahaha no wonder her pathetic dogs are here looking so helpless." Albert clenched his fist tightly for a few moments before slowly releasing them with a sigh.
"Did that women die yet? I can't wait to see the look on his helpless face as his world crumbles before him." Albert and Smith listened impassively as the figure in the cell wished calamity upon Steven.
"It seems like she hasn't from how calm you two seem. Oh well, I won't have to wait long before it happens anyway." Albert and Smith waited calmly as the person kept on talking.
"Hmm since you dogs are so patient it seems you really do need something of me. It's inevitable since you guys lost your master and have become stray dogs. So, what is it you want from me?" The voice rang out amusingly. Although the words coming from the cell was very insolent Albert and Smith listened to that person's insults, without reacting as only that person could help them right now.
"We need someone to talk." Albert replied calmly.
"Hmm, is that person the reason behind both of your eternal youth? Especially you cunning fox, I wouldn't even have recognised you if it wasn't for your clothes and voice.
But it is strange how the almighty commandments can't get a piece of single information out of a person. That person must have either got unpredictably strong right under your noses or is very interesting. Who is it?" The voice now contained a tinge of curiosity.
"3rd Prince John Field." Smith's voice rang out in the cold and dark cell, carrying his hatred and rage for that name.
"Oh, the son of the unrelenting berserker? " The figure in the dark stood up and came forth to the light revealing a very beautiful female of early '20s. Her long smooth blonde hair followed behind her as she walked towards where Albert and Smith stood. Her ragged and torn clothes along with the dirt and grime on her body not decaying her extraordinary beauty at all.
"Tell me what have I missed in the past 13 years?" The beautifully bewitching women asked as her cold green eyes pierced into Smith and Albert.