Under One-Eyed Wolf's orders, all the gang members had gathered, ready to witness their leader uphold the gang rules.
Vasa's bald head glinted in the firelight, beads of sweat trickling down his face, though he made no attempt to wipe them away.
In a sense, he had helped Slade escape.
One-Eyed Wolf sat commandingly in his chair, with the bruised and barely conscious Skinny Monkey at his feet.
When Slade was brought before him, One-Eyed Wolf grinned menacingly. "Slade, my 'Abacus Snake,' what's the matter? Got your wings now? Want to fly?"
Slade observed him with mild amusement, finding his angry demeanor oddly endearing.
Hmm... so silly, yet strangely cute!
The one-eyed wolf stroked his chin, feeling uncomfortable under Slade's unflinching gaze.
Even though Slade was technically in his grasp, the boy's fearless demeanor made him feel as though he was the one being surrounded.
Could it be... that he passed the test?
The thought made him uneasy.
If that were true, not only could he not lay a hand on Slade, but he'd also have to figure out how to please the boy.
First, though, he needed to confirm if Slade had passed the test.
With that in mind, the one-eyed wolf quickly wiped the ruthlessness off his face and forced a friendly smile.
"Slade, it's not that I don't want you to take the test, but why make all this trouble? You're still young, you haven't seen the real dangers of this world."
"Becoming a wizard apprentice might seem like a shortcut, but the path ahead is full of dangers..."
"Why not stay in our little gang? We can join forces to make it great and be the ones calling the shots. That's much better than being some wizard apprentice!"
One-Eyed Wolf spoke with such sincerity, almost as if he genuinely saw Slade as his successor.
This sudden shift in tone left the gang members stunned. They exchanged confused glances.
What was their boss up to? Why was he suddenly so friendly? Wasn't he supposed to be enforcing the gang rules? Was this some kind of vice-leader ceremony? Should we smile too?
Slade remained silent, simply watching the endless rambling of One-Eyed Wolf with a smile.
After a while, seeing Slade's lack of response, the one-eyed wolf's smile finally faded. He then asked directly:
"By the way, how did the test go? If you really passed, let me know, and we'll all celebrate here!"
Slade's smile faded instantly. He sighed and shook his head. "Becoming a wizard isn't that simple. I didn't pass the test..."
At those words, One-Eyed Wolf's face instantly darkened. He clenched his teeth and growled, "Damn it, stop pretending! Acting all high and mighty!"
"There are rules in the gang! Traitors get a leg cut off so they'll always remember who their master is!"
Slade raised an eyebrow, wondering if One-Eyed Wolf was going to snap. If he was lying, this would definitely set him off.
Before Slade could finish his thought, One-Eyed Wolf barked out an order, "Yellow Fang, execute the order!"
"Yes, boss!" Yellow Fang eagerly responded, licking his lips as he picked up a heavy iron rod. His twisted excitement grew as he walked slowly toward Slade, eager to see the despair on his face.
However, things didn't go as planned.
Instead of showing despair, Slade looked utterly disgusted as the iron rod swung toward his leg.
Yellow Fang's excited expression faltered, his face freezing in confusion... wait, was he actually taunting him even as the iron rod approached?
The kid had guts!
The rod came down with a sharp whistle, aiming for Slade's leg. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
"Kneel down! You little insect!"
Mary screamed in fear, her eyes squeezed shut as she clung tightly to Slade's arm, causing his head to throb.
Just as the iron rod was about to crash into Slade's leg, a sudden shift occurred!
A dense, pitch-black mist materialized from thin air, quickly wrapping around Yellow Teeth's arm and spreading through his entire body at an alarming rate!
"Ah, !!!"
Yellow Teeth let out a blood-curdling scream, the excruciating pain overwhelming him as though he was being torn apart from the inside out.
In the horrified silence of the courtyard, Yellow Teeth's flesh began to rot away at an unnatural speed, his skin shriveling and turning ashen, his eyes bulging before they dissolved into dust...
In mere moments, a living man had transformed into nothing more than a hollow skeleton.
Yet, his signature yellow teeth remained intact on his jawbone, an eerie, unsettling sight.
The skeletal figure trembled, its jaw clicking in place, while a ghastly green fire flickered in its empty eye sockets, as if it were "glaring" at the one-eyed wolf.
Slade eyed the ghastly yellow teeth and couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Tsk, not even negative energy could clean those yellow teeth..."
The terrifying, otherworldly scene instantly rendered the entire courtyard silent!
All the gang members froze in place, their blood turning cold with fear.
They had never witnessed anything like this before.
The one-eyed wolf's sinister grin disappeared, replaced by a deep, gut-wrenching terror. With a strangled cry, he turned and bolted, desperate to flee.
It was a wizard!
Slade had brought a wizard!!!
"Since you're here, stay here."
A cold, unyielding voice echoed through the courtyard.
A wave of black mist surged from the shadows like a tidal wave of death, swallowing the entire area in an instant!
The one-eyed wolf tried to flee with all his speed, racing to escape the encroaching black mist, but Yellow Teeth's skeletal form lunged at him, its arms wrapping tightly around his legs.
With chilling determination, Yellow Teeth sank its yellow teeth into the one-eyed wolf's fat backside, tearing off a large chunk of flesh.
"Ugh, "
The one-eyed wolf let out a pained scream before the black mist fully consumed him.
The sound of bones crunching and flesh being shredded filled the air, only to fade into silence.
When the black mist cleared, the courtyard was left in an eerie stillness, with only Slade and Mary, frozen in terror, remaining, surrounded by hundreds of skeletons, their eyes glowing with green soul fire!
The skeletons silently picked up discarded weapons, standing motionless, like emotionless killing machines.
From the distance, the black-robed wizard emerged, seemingly as though he had never left.
He surveyed the new "materials" with a look of satisfaction and nodded toward Slade.
Slade exhaled deeply and bowed respectfully toward the wizard in gratitude.
"Thank you for your help, my lord. Slade will forever remember your kindness."
"Hehehe, "
The wizard let out a low, strange laugh before vanishing once more into a cloud of black mist, leaving behind only his final words:
"Remember, my name is Clark..."
Was this the wizard's method?
Indeed, it was both powerful and unnerving!
Slade couldn't help but wonder just how strong these skeletons were.
Suppressing the rush of excitement building in his chest, his desire to become a wizard only grew stronger.
Powerful! So powerful!
Only a profession this formidable was worthy of him, Slade!
Now that his long-awaited revenge was complete, Slade felt no reason to linger.
Considering how the Blood Hand Gang had exploited the common folk for so many years, they must have accumulated some wealth. With that thought in mind, Slade confidently made his way toward One-Eyed Wolf's room.
The blonde girl, who had witnessed everything from the window, was huddled in a corner, trembling with fear.
"Take me to the valuables here," Slade commanded, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
As One-Eyed Wolf's bedmate, the blonde girl was aware of many of his secrets. Now that he was dead, she had lost her protector and dared not disobey Slade.
With her guidance, Slade quickly located One-Eyed Wolf's hidden treasure, a secret compartment in the floor.
Inside, he found a hefty greatsword, a combat manual titled Mad Blade Slash, and a heavy box.
The box contained thousands of gold coins, property deeds, and an assortment of jewelry and gems.
These items were incredibly valuable, enough to support Slade for decades at a knightly academy, and they likely held significant purchasing power in the wizarding world as well... or so he hoped.
But carrying all of it was impractical.
It was already late, and Slade was exhausted. Unable to transport everything, he decided to stay the night.
That evening, Slade settled into One-Eyed Wolf's luxurious room.
He instructed the blonde to prepare hot water for a bath so he could cleanse himself of the grime of the world.
Seeing Slade's decision to stay, the blonde's eyes flashed with a hint of joy. She immediately called Mary to help prepare the bathwater.
Once Slade was comfortably settled in the tub, the blonde quickly changed into her most daring lingerie, "Crimson Passion."
Not to be outdone, Mary, too, selected a sultry outfit from the blonde's wardrobe, "Velvet Temptation", and changed into it.
The two girls sashayed toward the bathtub, their hips swaying with every step.
The blonde leaned against Slade's back, her chest pressing against him, her hands sliding down his torso with a sensual touch.
Mary, a little shy, bit her lip as she hesitated, then tried to join him in the tub.
Feeling the heat from both their intense gazes, Slade felt his composure slipping.
In the end, he managed to suppress his desires and sent both girls away.
It wasn't that he had any aversion to cleanliness; he simply wanted to focus on his personal growth.
Only when the bathwater had completely cooled did the fire in Slade's chest finally subside.
Later, lying on the soft bed, Slade began to analyze the Mad Blade Slash manual.
Soon, he had memorized the moves, techniques, and all the crucial elements of the form.
Unable to resist, Slade grabbed the greatsword and began to experiment.
"Mad Blade Slash!!"
With a roar, Slade swung the massive sword, but it was no different than a child flailing about with a stick.
Without the proper physical conditioning, breathing techniques, and life energy to support him, Mad Blade Slash was nothing more than an empty display.