Before long, the lights in several rooms that had been extinguished earlier were kindled one after another.
A medley of footsteps, accompanied by a volley of curses, heralded the entry of a dozen or so men and women who crowded into the chamber.
They all bore fierce visages, and even the women, with their stout, barrel - shaped waists, were evidently no strangers to misdeeds, having likely participated in numerous nefarious activities alongside the rest.
"Are all present?" Surrounded by such a throng, Glen betrayed no sign of unease.
Emboldened by the presence of his cohorts, Chels' tone grew more assertive. He took a step forward and said,"Mr. Glen, regardless of the number of men you may have brought outside, engaging in a confrontation here is decidedly ill - advised. How about we vacate the town and resolve this in an uninhabited locale?"
He held great confidence in his own group. They had engaged in skirmishes with other gangs before and had never emerged vanquished.
Even his sisters were renowned for their ferocity, scarcely yielding in prowess to the men.
Glen smiled."There is no necessity."
Chels' countenance shifted. Just as he was about to label Glen a fool, his vision blurred, and consciousness deserted him in an instant. In his final moments, he heard the shouts of his siblings.
When he regained his senses, he found himself hanging upside - down in a desolate wilderness, along with his brothers and sisters.
The others had already roused and were struggling vigorously.
"It appears you are all awake," Glen's voice resonated from below.
The group looked downward and beheld Glen beside a collection of items, wearing a cruel smile.
All of them flushed with indignation, attempting to hurl invectives, but with their mouths gagged, they could only emit futile moans.
"I deemed it too lenient to dispatch you forthwith. Thus, I have resolved to torment you to death gradually, for only then can I assuage the ire in my heart," Glen said, unveiling a series of curious objects one by one. He continued,"I have contrived these on the spur of the moment. I possess some knowledge of the ancient penal methods of my previous life. You are in for a truly eye - opening experience anon."
Those hanging upside - down from the tree did not fully fathom Glen's words, yet they grasped that he intended to torture them to death.
Some, already cowed, sought to plead for mercy, but were unable to utter a word.
Glen loosened a rope, and the bald - headed man descended. He struggled desperately, his eyes wide with terror.
The others made frantic noises, imploring Glen to desist. They had grown up together, and their bond of kinship was profound. The mere anticipation of the bald - headed man's impending fate was intolerable to them.
Glen dragged the bald - headed man onto a large, fixed chopping block. Amidst the horrified gazes of all, he retrieved a boning knife.
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"The first item on the agenda: death by slow slicing."
In the ensuing time, these individuals experienced the depths of hell. Perhaps, even in the netherworld, the suffering would pale in comparison to what they endured during this period.
A few days later, rumors of the mysterious disappearance of Chels' family spread throughout Kanchi Road Town, soon evolving into a terrifying tale.
It was said that those who perpetrated evil deeds would, in due course, vanish, much like Chels and his ilk, perhaps consigned to hell or carried off by some other entity.
Glen learned of these rumors at a later time.
Upon his return to Bayek, Glen busied himself with the construction of employee dormitories on the farm.
At the Dude Town shop, with the additional personnel, Luther and his companions were no longer overwhelmed with toil.
After several days of unremitting labor, Glen gradually found some respite. He was awaiting Gothaya's response. Should she desire to depart, he could arrange her journey.
However, up to this point, the elven lady had not approached Glen. Thus, he was compelled to set aside the matter of the elven lady for the time being.
Over the next few days, Glen transferred all the magical apparatus brought from Cambourne Ridge to the basement. After a process of arrangement and installation, a proper - looking magical laboratory was completed.
Having long conceived of a practical device in his mind, Glen set aside all other matters and dedicated himself to its research.
During this period, Tia assumed full responsibility for the meals on the farm and at home. Her days were scarcely less arduous than those of the others.
For days, she had been eager to urge Glen to pen more fairy tales, yet aside from mealtimes, he remained sequestered in the basement.
Observing Glen's feverish enthusiasm and intense dedication, the little maid could not bring herself to voice her request.
Bayek Town remained as tranquil as ever. The commotion in the outer forest did not elude the notice of some perceptive townsfolk.
Miss Puppet surreptitiously slipped away from her brother on several occasions to frolic at Glen's farm. She seemed to delight in observing the bustling humans and the comical antics of the livestock.
Initially, the farm workers were startled upon encountering this talking puppet. Based on their past experiences, they would typically take action.
Moreover, Glen had cautioned them against interacting with those from the town, as they were generally monsters of level three or higher.
This instilled considerable fear in them.
However, through their interactions, they came to realize that this exquisitely crafted puppet harbored no malevolent intent. Thus, they simply ignored her presence, and at times, even engaged in brief conversations with her.
Miss Puppet was overjoyed, yet her brother was incensed.
Parindes would invariably storm over and drag Aina away, repeatedly admonishing her not to associate too closely with outsiders. Aina would always promise compliance, yet still managed to slip away.
The puppet brother in the blue vest sorrowfully discovered that his obedient and sensible sister was no more.
Those working on Glen's farm, including the elf Kyle, were permitted to venture out to procure supplies, yet they were required to disguise themselves.
This was especially true for Kyle, as the elven race was prone to attracting trouble.
In Glen's subterranean laboratory, the flickering chandelier swayed. Glen stood before a magical apparatus, his hands deftly assembling an object, accompanied by intermittent dancing magical arcs.
BOOM!
An explosion reverberated. The magical apparatus shuddered violently, and a cloud of black smoke billowed forth, blackening Glen's visage.
"Cough, cough." Glen coughed out a puff of black smoke, wiped his face with his sleeve, and smoothed his tousled hair. Then, he lifted an object resembling a telephone receiver from the magical apparatus.
After a meticulous inspection from all angles, finding no flaws, Glen took a deep breath and murmured,"It ought to be a success."
Grasping the handle of the "telephone receiver" in one hand and placing it to his ear, Glen pondered its mode of operation and then silently recited an incantation in his mind.
Simultaneously, in the police station of Dude Town, Chief Dogli, who was perusing documents, suddenly noticed a curious object gradually materializing from a state of intangibility before his eyes.
He immediately grew vigilant and prepared to vacate the room, yet a familiar voice emanated from the object:
"Hello? Can anyone hear me? Is Chief Dogli present?"
Dogli froze. It took him a moment to recognize that it was Glen's voice.