Chapter Thirty-Six: Escape from the Demon's Clutches

Solaise began to weep again, yet her gaze—oh, that gaze—was enough to make one tremble; it belonged to a goddess of vengeance.

I said, "You can't escape. The Rangers have already cast an unbreakable net."

Korov laughed. "Oh, I will escape, and easily. The walls of Black Coffin Town are nothing to me. The only reason I remain here is unfinished business."

He meant Solaise; even now, he had not abandoned his intent to kill Solaise and Clockwreck.

I asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Korov replied, "Simple. We agree on a meeting place. I bring your people, you bring mine, we exchange, and then we each go our own way. Problem solved." He seemed to be joking, yet his tone was rigid and cold, revealing his cruelty with ease.

I said, "You killed a Ranger. Do you think we'll just let that go?"

Korov said, "Let me repeat myself. I did not kill Rita Mann; I simply allowed her a miraculous rebirth. All you need to do is hand Solaise over to me, then capture Clockwreck and let him take the blame. You can answer to your superiors, and so can I. I trust the Rangers to be pragmatic people."

I replied, "Impossible."

Korov sighed. "Don't be so categorical. In one hour, we'll meet at the ruins of Eternal Stream. Bring me my daughter, and I don't want to see any other Rangers. Otherwise, this child... will also experience a miraculous rebirth."

Salvador began to groan violently, as if enduring torture. I switched off the Vaga headset.

Solaise fixed her vengeful eyes on me, her expression terrifying. "Will you comply?" she asked.

I said, "What is the terrain at Eternal Stream like?"

Solaise replied, "It was a campsite last century, surrounded by dense woods. He’ll have plenty of places to hide." She clenched her fists and stood. "I have to go, but don’t think you can use me as a hostage."

I considered briefly, then smiled. "He’s made a grave mistake. We don’t need to go to Eternal Stream at all—he’s already revealed his current hiding place."

Solaise and Mirse asked simultaneously, "Really?"

I asked Vaga, "Can you pinpoint his location, Little Angel?" Korov was no scholar or mad scientist; he couldn’t have known the Vaga headset was more than a communication device—it could also be used for tracking.

Vaga replied, "I've locked his location. He’s at Motion Page Plain, in a villa made of Black Coffin materials."

Solaise asked, "Who’s 'Little Angel'? Is she a Ranger scout?" Her constant distrust of everyone only made her even more intolerable.

I said, "Little Angel is an admiring, delicate young girl who often leaps into my arms, nuzzling my itchy beard and pleading for my affection, just like a sweet, watery daughter."

I meant to flatter Vaga, but she replied, "I can reduce your account balance at any time, you know?"

I was startled, thinking desperately, "Why would you do this?"

She said, "If you say anything else that makes my skin crawl, I’ll punish you."

In this foul, decaying world where good and evil blur, I couldn’t blame her, nor was it my fault—this world itself was to blame.

I said, "He’s at Motion Page Plain. We must go before he leaves."

Solaise immediately said, "I’ll lead the way. I know the area well."

I had Vaga notify Lesteel and have him send support; Vaga promised that the prematurely mature boss, Abi, would dispatch reinforcements.

The three of us headed to the tavern entrance, but suddenly, another man sitting by the door rose. He was a cold, brooding, handsome youth, dressed in a black vest, his muscles evenly defined, a demon's long horns tattooed on his neck. He looked only eighteen, a year or two younger than Solaise. The moment I saw him, I knew who he was—his face alone twisted my guts and stoked my anger.

Mirse drew his sword and swung at the youth, but the boy stood unmoving. At the last moment, Mirse restrained himself, and the blade stopped mere centimeters from the youth’s cheek.

Solaise called, "Clockwreck?"

Clockwreck said, "Sister, it’s been a while. What must come, comes, doesn’t it?"

Solaise said, "I heard about you. Your beloved met the same fate as Tai."

Clockwreck replied, "I also overheard your conversation. This Ranger refused to give me and Solaise up. That’s good; I trust him now."

I cursed him inwardly—a wild brat daring to eavesdrop on the conversations of the superior races. I knew he wasn’t truly at fault, but Hellfire made me despise him. Especially with two living corpses together, I felt as if surrounded by piranhas. The drunken residents around us cast increasingly hostile glances.

I said, "Let’s leave here first, find Korov’s lair. We can’t waste a single second."

We stepped onto the street. Mirse looked displeased; were it not for his skill with Mindblade, he’d have drawn his sword long ago. He instinctively distanced himself from Solaise and Clockwreck, leaving me feeling isolated.

Solaise asked, "It’s been so long; how have you been?"

Clockwreck replied coldly, "This isn’t the time for chit-chat."

Solaise said, "I just… wanted to thank you for helping me escape back then. Otherwise… I’d have died long ago."

Clockwreck said, "Korov is a murderous lunatic. Hellfire makes him crueler than a demon, fiercer than a malformed corpse. Guess what I saw him do? I followed him into his secret lair—he hunts surviving humans, locks them in iron cages, forces them to breed, then slaughters them. We may have originated from those people."

Solaise closed her eyes and bit her lip. My stomach churned, and hearing such things from a living corpse made it even more sickening.

Mirse asked, "You don’t remember anything from your former lives?"

Clockwreck said, "Not a thing. We have no memories of who we once were."

Solaise lamented, "We were probably assembled from different corpses, so… we’ve become entirely different… people."

I asked, "So Korov raises humans like livestock?"

Clockwreck said, "More than that—livestock, slaves, targets for his rage, objects for his amusement. His cruelty knows no bounds. Even the demons pale beside the terror of Korov." He looked at me and added, "And he sells humans to Black Coffin."

I asked, "What? Black Coffin?"

Clockwreck said, "Yes, sells them to the Blood Pact Gang."

I shouted, "Absurd! Black Coffin’s population control is strict. Our food supplies barely suffice."

Clockwreck said, "I’m only telling you what I overheard."

I said, "Then you misheard. Black Coffin isn’t wealthy enough to buy slaves."

Clockwreck ignored me and faced Solaise. "I tried to kill Korov once, but failed. This time, our chances are still slim."

Solaise shook her head. "These two Rangers can help."

Clockwreck said, "I know very well—they’re not easy to deal with. But Korov… he’s an immortal monster. On the day we escaped, I planted bombs in his secret cave. The blast was strong enough to destroy a whole floor. I hid two hundred meters away, yet the explosion shook me. But… but I didn’t kill Korov."

Solaise asked, "Are you certain he was caught in the blast?"

Clockwreck’s facial muscles twitched. "One hundred percent. I saw the fire through a telescope. His flesh was completely incinerated, leaving only black bones—yet those bones kept walking. He noticed me, stared at me. Right then, I ran back to you and fled with you. I was terrified, terrified of the wounded Korov. I didn’t have a shred of courage left to try again."

He lowered his head, breathing heavily. "But now, he’s killed Rita, killed my beloved, killed the goddess who redeemed me. I have… only one path left."

Solaise said, "We must have our revenge. We can’t run from our fate any longer."

Mirse asked, "Your bombs… did they also kill Korov’s slaves?"

Clockwreck said, "Yes. It was necessary. I had no other choice."

Mirse’s eyes burned with hatred. "Then you and Korov are cut from the same cloth. You’re just another murderous corpse."

Clockwreck replied grimly, "Enough with your nonsense! Rather than let them suffer under Korov, I mercifully gave them release."

Mirse said, "But you’re a brutal butcher!"

I stepped between them. "Enough, Mirse. The world is ruined. We’re all ashes from the fire. Black and white, good and evil? You still believe in that? We all dwell in the gray, and it’s this dust that keeps us alive."

Mirse said, "They’re only looking out for themselves, not truly helping us! I suspect they could betray us at any moment."

I said, "So what? This world has no room for the pure, but we must also rid ourselves of pure darkness, pure evil—like Korov!"

Mirse turned away, walked a while in silence. "Longi, you’re not wrong."

Clockwreck wisely kept quiet. It was the right choice; any word from him or Solaise could provoke Mirse further.

I began to seriously consider taking in these two universally despised corpses. Undoubtedly powerful, yet equally problematic. They seemed distant, stubborn, but in truth, they were fragile. I sensed they used this icy facade to hide their vulnerability and self-doubt.

It was precisely this vulnerability and self-doubt that made them easy to move, easy to become dependent on humans.

In other words, if I could tolerate them and let them stay in Black Coffin, they would be eternally loyal to me.

They craved human kindness more than anything; a small gesture of goodwill would suffice.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. The pressing matter was to ambush Korov—if successful, I would become a hero in Black Coffin.

We reached the outskirts of Motion Page Plain. It had once been a sports arena, now collapsed; outside the ruins stood a solitary building, its windows aglow.

I swallowed Odin’s Eye and saw many people inside and outside the building, all guards. I couldn’t tell which one was Korov, nor could I hear Salvador’s voice. I only hoped he had survived. I had intended to groom him as my wingman, but now I wished only for his survival, lest Lamia be heartbroken.