Chapter 148: I Would Rather Die!
Adrian's vision was clouded by the rapid, flickering bursts of light that pulsed around him. He squinted, struggling to make sense of the blurred shapes and shadows that darted through his line of sight, while his mind pieced together fragments of awareness.
Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the intense, chaotic light that surged in waves, reflecting the unpredictable fluctuations of power rippling through the RIGL laboratory. This was no ordinary place; each surge hinted at the vast, sinister experiments draining the facility's energy.
Then, he saw him—Rhemon, the enemy he'd vowed to crush, the embodiment of darkness that had clawed its way back to life through the vile scheming of Ashley Duve and Ikehara. Every time Adrian remembered how Rhemon had returned from the grave, he felt the familiar burn of rage coil in his chest, but now that fury was dangerously close to consuming him. He could feel his jaw clench, his teeth grinding together, fighting the restraints and the surge of anger that threatened to break loose.
As Adrian glanced down, he noticed the heavy dog-collar-like chains that were secured around his wrists and ankles, binding him to a crude wooden frame.
Thin, sharp needles glinted under the laboratory's harsh light, and he felt the chilling pinch of syringes embedded in his arms, siphoning energy from his veins, leaving him feeling weaker with every pulse. Yet, it wasn't only his energy being drained; he could sense an alien substance being pumped into him, a foreign presence twisting through his body, making his blood feel as though it was burning ice.
A slow, mocking voice sliced through the buzzing lights. "You're awake. Good…" Rhemon's tone was dripping with a sadistic satisfaction that only stoked Adrian's fury further. His attention snapped back to the figure of the villain, who stood watching him with a look of sick delight.
"You look pissed," Rhemon sneered, his eyes gleaming with twisted amusement. "That's good. Very good." He moved closer, deliberately pulling a chair across the floor and seating himself just out of Adrian's reach, every action calculated to taunt, to remind Adrian who held control. Rhemon's grin was wide and unsettling, the smirk of a man who relished his power, feeding off the helplessness of his captive.
Adrian strained against his restraints, the veins on his arms bulging as he fought to break free. "What's your game, Rhemon?" he demanded, his voice rough, yet steady, barely masking the boiling fury within.
"Oh, it's not a game, my dear Adrian," Rhemon replied, his smile stretching wider, eyes narrowing with cruel intent. "You and I are going to change the world, but first…I'll need to make a few adjustments. Just sit back, and let the new world order take shape."
Rhemon raised a hand, giving a small, dismissive signal to one of the lab-coated doctors, who was meticulously jotting down notes on a clipboard, eyes flicking back and forth as he recorded every bit of data on Adrian's vitals. The doctor froze, dropping his pen and clipboard as though they were trivial objects, and rushed over, his posture radiating obedience.
"Yes, Lord Rhemon…" he murmured, bowing his head low, eager to catch whatever whisper of command might fall from Rhemon's lips.
Rhemon leaned in, speaking in a low, quiet tone that carried only a hint of the malice coiled behind his words. The doctor nodded, wide-eyed, scurrying back to retrieve his notes, trembling slightly as he returned to present the clipboard to Rhemon like an offering. Rhemon took it, flipping through the pages, eyes scanning over Adrian's detailed records with a smug satisfaction.
Finally, he looked up, fixing Adrian with a gaze that gleamed with cold amusement, his expression sharpened by a predator's glee.
"Ah, I see you've recently advanced to the second level of the Sun's Legacy," Rhemon said with a mockingly impressed tone. "Quite an achievement. You must be proud. It makes me envious, you know…if you'd managed to reach the fourth level, I might've been tempted to graft your powers into my own. Imagine that—a being of my strength with your unique abilities. But, alas, you're still a few levels too weak."
He tilted his head, his gaze darkening. "Still, your current level will do. Instead of tearing your powers from you in one swoop, I'll siphon them bit by bit, using your precious energy to create more level three agents…and, with a bit of luck, perhaps even elevate a few to level two. It's a small sacrifice, Adrian, but a noble one," he sneered, "for a cause far greater than yourself."
Rhemon chuckled, a slow, menacing sound that echoed through the sterile lab. Adrian could feel an uncomfortable tightening in his chest, a dread unlike any he'd felt before. The revelation settled over him like a cold, creeping fog, and his eyes darted to the syringe still embedded in his arm, draining his essence with every passing second.
The truth struck him hard: Rhemon planned to milk his energy dry, using him as nothing more than a resource to empower his twisted army of agents. Adrian's muscles tensed, his jaw clenched, the reality of his helplessness twisting into a sick, nauseating fear.
"Damn you…" Adrian hissed under his breath, his eyes blazing with fury and defiance. Yet beneath the anger, a cold panic took root, spiraling through him. If Rhemon continued, it wouldn't matter what level of the Sun's Legacy he reached—he'd be nothing but a hollow shell, a vessel drained of every spark of power.
'This insane bastard…he'll stop at nothing to gain power, even if it leaves me like an empty husk…' Adrian's mind raced, his breathing quickening as he struggled against the restraints, realizing just how desperate his situation had become.
Rhemon caught the flicker of fear in Adrian's eyes, that brief moment of doubt that confirmed he'd finally understood the grim reality of his predicament.
This wasn't a game, and Rhemon savored every second of the young man's realization, like a predator watching its prey stumble into a snare. He leaned closer, his voice soft but laced with an arrogance that hinted at the countless lives he had broken before.
"l can end this, Adrian. In fact, I can spare your life. All it takes is a single choice," Rhemon began, his tone dripping with faux compassion.
"Swear fealty to me. Pledge yourself under a Kaelrian blood oath-an unbreakable bond, forged beneath the heavens themselves. Serve me as your lord, Adrian, and I will accept you as one of my own. A small sacrifice for survival, wouldn't you agree?"
Rhemon's smile widened, already convinced Adrian had no way out. He thought his offer was irresistible, his trap so perfectly constructed that Adrian would have no choice but to surrender.
But Adrian, despite the burning ache in his body, the relentless agony coursing through his veins, found strength in his resolve. He met Rhemon's gaze, and a slow, defiant smile crept across his blood-streaked face. He let out a dry, mirthless chuckle, every word dripping with mockery.
"You...actually think I'd fall for that? You think these pathetic 'kindergarten tricks' of yours could somehow fool me into your little circle of pet rodents? You're even dumber than I thought,Rhemon," Adrian spat, his voice laced with contempt.
"l'd sooner die than kneel to you and your band of overfed, power-hungry clowns."
Rhemon's confident smile twisted into a snarl, his self-assured mask cracking under Adrian's unyielding defiance. He felt a surge of anger boil up inside him, hotter than anything he had felt in years, more intense than the fury Solaris himself had once provoked.
Before he could contain himself, his hand lashed out, a vicious smack landing across Adrian's face with enough force to split his lip, sending a spray of blood across the floor.
"You insolent worm!" Rhemon hissed, his voice trembling with barely restrained rage. He stared down at Adrian, the vision of a defiant, blood-streaked face meeting his glare only fueling his fury.
He wanted to tear Adrian apart, to crush that unyielding spirit, but he forced himself to hold back. Killing Adrian would mean the collapse of his carefully laid plans, and he couldn't afford that-yet.
Instead, he clenched his fists, storming out of the room with a murderous intensity, his steps unsteady, as though the force of his own rage had shattered his sense of direction. The doors slammed shut behind him, leaving Adrian alone, battered but resolute, with a flicker of hope flickering amid the agony.