-Zeke's POV
As I made my way up north to purchase a building for our venture, a feeling of giddy anticipation coursed through my veins. Although I found nothing unusual about Kael, whose real name is Brey and whose record is clean, I'm not sure why he hides it. But he is without a doubt hiding something, kuhuhuhu. The idea of controlling the market is just too exciting! The thought of manipulating the greedy nobles and amassing wealth fills me with a sense of ecstatic joy that I can barely contain. My laughter reverberated through the streets, causing passersby to quiver with a mix of fear and awe at my audacity.
After inspecting several properties, I finally stumbled upon the perfect one - a towering, three-story retail store that would serve as the ideal base of operations for our endeavor. As I approached the owner, a portly man with a bushy beard, I decided to forgo any semblance of friendliness or negotiation.
"I'm buying this building," I declared, my voice oozing with a sinister undertone. "Here's 10 gold coins," I continued, naming a completely unfair price but leaving no room for discussion.
The owner seemed taken aback by my forceful demeanor and tried to object. However, I silenced him with a cold, menacing stare that sent shivers down his spine.
"Take it or leave it. But remember, if you choose to refuse my offer, I won't hesitate to make your life a living nightmare. I'm sure the authorities would love to hear of your various dealings~hmhmhmhmh," I threatened, my voice dripping with malice.
Watching the owner's face twist with fear and trepidation was like music to my ears. It only served to fuel my already unnatural sense of excitement and thrill.
Without further ado, the owner reluctantly agreed to my terms, and I handed him the money. As he scurried away, I felt my laughter rising within me, unchecked and unhinged.
As I entered the backroom, my senses were immediately overwhelmed by the scent of criminals who were enjoying themselves. They stared at me, bewildered and unsure of what to do. But I was ready for them, eager for a chance to let loose. I couldn't hold back.
"Kuhahuahaha! Gentlemen, you've been evicted!" I announced, my voice deceptively cheerful. "Now, you can leave peacefully, or you can choose to fight me. But I should warn you, no one is getting through me. Struggle with all your might!"
The criminals exchanged nervous glances before deciding to take their chances. "Oi! You bastard, who the hell do you think you are? Get him, boys!" They lunged at me, their weapons brandished and their faces twisted in anger. But I was in my element now, and nothing could stop me.
As they came at me, I laughed manically, dodging their attacks with effortless grace. My magic crackled around me like a tempest, and I reveled in the feeling of power that surged through my body.
One by one, the beautiful melody of their heartbeats stopped the sound of their screams of agony only fueling my laughter and my thirst for violence. And as the last criminal fell, bloodied and defeated, I surveyed the scene. There were three new people that came for the fun, they all coated their weapons in aura and charged.
"Ooh, you poor critters. If you're going to coat your weapons, at least do it properly." I reached into my pocket, retrieving a small dagger. The beautiful light of mana coated it, radiating through the room. I sliced the air, cutting the remaining three in half with a single strike.
Yes, this was what I was born to do. To wreak havoc, to revel in chaos and violence, to rule with an iron fist and an unhinged laughter that echoed through the streets. And no one, not even the gods themselves, would be able to stop me.
A figure wearing all black suddenly appeared. "Boss, we have come across a problem. Arden is making his move. He might start a war with the old man. How should we proceed?"
"Oi, Zero! Perfect timing. Have this cleaned up. As for Arden, deal with it yourself. I'm no longer interested in that man. Oh, and find some merchants worth trading with."
"As you command!" In an instant, all the bodies were gone, leaving a clean room. After confirming that there were no traces, I walked out of the building, pleased with my night.
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"ASH! Why the heck were you so late? Do you know how worried I was?! I thought you were kidnapped or you could've fallen and broken your leg! That's it, you're no longer allowed to go out!!"
The sister's voice was filled with anxiety and frustration as she scolded her younger brother. She had been waiting for him to come home for hours, and the longer he was gone, the more worried she became.
"But sis, I was only 5 minutes late. I was working overtime. You know how fast I am, sis," Ash replied, trying to defend himself.
"No! Not only have you hidden the fact that you've been working instead of going to school, but you also won't tell me where you're working!! How could I remain calm when my baby brother disappears without me knowing where to? I'm already working to get you your education, so you better go to school on Monday."
The sister's voice trembled with anger and fear as she imagined all the dangers that could have befallen her brother. She wanted nothing more than to protect him, but it seemed that he was determined to disobey her.
"I get it, sis. I'll go to school on Monday, but please get off me. You're going to break my back!!" Ash pleaded, feeling overwhelmed by his sister's tight embrace.
"SO WHAT?! MAYBE THAT WILL STOP YOU FROM RUNNING OFF!" The sister's voice rose to a fever pitch, as she struggled to control her emotions.
"Ok, ok, you win. I won't disobey, sis. So please, go easy on me," Ash conceded.
❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋ ❋
The second I accepted the call from the TSI, a small red holographic screen appeared in front of me, showing a clear image of Eira. "Hey Kael, I managed to make my personal one on time. Seriously, it's such a hassle engraving the runes. Why would anyone become a rune master? Anyways, I'm currently hiding in an abandoned storage facility. How are things going on your side?"
"Everything is going as planned. Tomorrow, come find me at noon; I'll send you the coordinates. I've already recruited the most important person. He made an oath, so you can be at ease. We'll have a meeting tomorrow and set up our foundation."
"So you managed to recruit the boy. But how are we going to make connections to underground merchants? You said the boy is a rookie, so it's safe to assume he has no connections."
"The boy won't be responsible for that. I partnered up with another person for that task. Ah, I'm sorry I didn't mention it beforehand. Although he's a bit crazy, I can guarantee his connections and skills are top-notch."
"Huh! You can't just add more people without mentioning it to me. Oi, we're business partners! Are you trying to screw me over!?"
"Calm down, Eira. I had no such thoughts, but we need Zeke. I'm giving him part of my share, so don't worry about it. If we want to make large-scale profits, we need him."
"And how the hell am I supposed to trust him!? I barely trust you!"
"He's the one who made the oath, so don't worry about it."
"..."
"..."
"Fine, but you better keep him in check. He needs to know that I rank higher than him!"
"Don't worry, we'll all meet tomorrow. You can tell him yourself, although I will say he's a bit psychotic so he might just laugh at you. By the way, how long will it take you to make another device?"
"I was already halfway done with three devices when we met, so building another one won't take long. But any more will take two days."
"I see. We'll work on improving the production rate tomorrow. Right now, we just need one to present and make our first sale. Since it's difficult to get ahold of, I believe we might be able to get a platinum coin through an auction. With that, we'll be able to get more materials and better equipment. By the way, does the TSI have any security features?"
"Why would it need any safety features?"
"You idiot! If by chance the device is exposed to a high concentration of mana or aura, it could destabilize the core and cause it to explode. Although the chances of that are rare, if we want customers to return for more, we need to prepare for all situations. Otherwise, our enemies will use it to their advantage."
"Tsk, fine, I'll implement some features. Have you found our base of operation? I can't stand being in this place; it's too cold. I need somewhere I can relax."
"Don't worry about it. Zeke should have it by tomorrow. Like I said, he's someone we need, so try to keep your emotions in check when you meet him. It's getting dark; let's end the call here. We'll meet tomorrow in the alleyway. I sent you the coordinates."