Chapter 272: [Freedom Dove] - Nerio’s part (24)
"Hic, hic, sob sob sob..."
The dark room was dimly lit only by moonlight shining down through the hollow roof, casting a faint glow. The walls crumbled, the tables and chairs shattered and scattered everywhere. Somewhere, water dripped with a steady plink, the sound echoing across the room. And of course, far more distinct than that was the unending sobbing.
Lucian, Leonard, and an artificial ape were tied to chairs and bound tightly to a large pillar.
What bound them wasn’t rope but something web-like, wound around in countless layers.
The webs spread everywhere, and hanging upside down from above were two large cocoons spun from those threads. Judging from their size, they were clearly human.
"Sob sob sob..."
Leonard sat on the chair, unable to stop crying, as though his tears were about to dissolve the web.
Eyes closed, Lucian couldn’t take it anymore and roared: "What the hell, crying and crying—who even did anything to you?!"
[Lucian, if you struggle a little harder, the web will snap already. Why the hell are you still sitting there...]
[Am I the only one worried about Leonard’s eyes?]
[x2 curses, one from lilac, one from the evening bell. The fact that Leonard isn’t dead yet is already a miracle.]
[He looks so pitiful when he cries, hu hu hu, and his god doesn’t even protect him.]
Leonard, as if deaf to Lucian’s words, continued sobbing uncontrollably.
The artificial esper rolled his eyes in annoyance. Since being trapped here, all his powers had been sealed off, yet somehow, he looked unnervingly calm.
Lucian had even thought about stuffing webbing into Leonard’s mouth to shut him up, but just then, he froze.
As though sensing something, Leonard’s sobbing quieted down a little.
"What is it?" the artificial esper couldn’t help but ask.
Right then, water poured down from the ceiling, forming a hollow cylindrical column enclosing the abandoned room.
The torrent cascaded endlessly, yet didn’t spill outward, simply maintaining its shape.
Lucian smirked: "Finally, you’ve come."
[So Lucian was waiting for Nerio.]
[Stop speculating. I think there’s a high chance Lucian is on the same side as the artificial espers.]
[No, you’re the one who should stop speculating. Just by looking, it’s obvious Lucian is either neutral or on Nerio’s side.]
At that moment, a figure emerged from within the water column—and of course, it was none other than Nerio.
The hem of his coat fluttered slightly with each step as he walked forward. He smiled at Lucian: "Hello."
Lucian seemed surprised that Nerio would smile at him, instinctively feeling a twinge of doubt.
But before Lucian could say anything, Nerio stopped in front of him and thrust one hand straight into Lucian’s chest, piercing through!
"Thud!"
Fresh blood spurted out. Lucian’s eyes widened at Nerio, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. His mouth twitched: "You..."
Nerio pulled his hand back. In his palm lay Lucian’s heart, still beating strongly, blood streaming down his fingers, bright red.
Lucian’s chest was now nothing but a hollow cavity, blood gushing out as though it would never stop until his body was completely drained.
[wtf?]
[Does Lucian have some grudge against Nerio?]
[What the hell—did Nerio really decide to wipe out humanity?]
Before the shocked eyes of the viewers, Lucian’s body collapsed. With no heart left, he was dead beyond doubt. His face was pale as ash, the only color the vivid red staining his chest.
[He’s really dead? Damn, I can’t believe it—Lucian actually died? That face was supposed to survive until the final episode!]
[No, he’s not dead yet. Don’t forget how the "Corpse Collector" dungeon went—Lucian suddenly disappeared, looked dead, but he was still around afterward, wasn’t he?]
[Oh, so that’s insider info. I didn’t watch that one, so I didn’t know.]
[So now Lucian’s just hopping servers?]
[Will Nerio let Lucian live?]
The artificial esper tied up nearby couldn’t help but stare at Nerio in fear, his eyes fixed on the still-throbbing heart in Nerio’s hand. He swallowed hard; if not for the bindings, his legs would probably have been shaking so badly he couldn’t stand.
Nerio didn’t bother paying him any mind—or rather, very few things in this world seemed worth his attention.
He slowly walked toward Leonard.
Leonard was still sobbing, his eyes blurred, seeing only the vague outline of Nerio.
"Nerio, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, sob sob sob."
Nerio frowned slightly at him, seemingly puzzled: "Sorry for what?"
"Hic, hic, I shouldn’t have betrayed our love. I regret it so much... I’m sorry..." Leonard cried, then suddenly stared in surprise at Nerio’s legs: "Your legs are healed? That’s wonderful, that means you can dance again. I regret it so much. I should never have done that, but I was so scared... It’s my fault. I should have died instead..."
The more he spoke, the more Leonard lost control. Vines began sprouting from his flesh, writhing wildly out of control. Their target was clear: his own carotid artery. Small flowers spread across Leonard’s face, growing thicker and denser until they nearly covered his features. His tears turned into fresh blossoms.
[Holy crap, I’m terrified—what even is this supposed to be?]
[I don’t know, but those flowers on Leonard’s face are seriously disgusting!]
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."
Leonard seemed unaware of his transformation, eyes wide as he stared at Nerio, waiting for forgiveness.
Nerio frowned, then directly shoved Lucian’s heart into Leonard’s mouth, cutting his apologies off in his throat.
Leonard’s eyes widened; he didn’t process what had happened. But instinctively, fangs sprouted in his mouth. The heart was far from small, yet he bit down and devoured it piece by piece until nothing was left. Blood leaked from his lips, mixing with saliva, dripping messily onto the floor. The flowers on his face withered away in an instant, and the writhing vines receded rapidly.
The artificial esper at the side nearly pissed himself watching the scene, cold sweat pouring down his pale face. Was Nerio going to rip out his heart next and feed it to Leonard?!
Nerio didn’t care about his thoughts at all.
Watching Leonard’s face gradually return to normal, Nerio raised his bloodstained hand and pressed a vivid red handprint against Leonard’s cheek.
Leonard had just regained clarity when the slap landed. It didn’t hurt, but he still let his head tilt obediently to the side.
"Are you clear-headed now?" Nerio’s voice rang out—childlike, yet carrying unmistakable disdain and harshness.
Leonard nervously looked at him, instinctively nodding. Just as he was about to speak, Nerio gripped his chin, forcing his head upward.
Nerio narrowed his eyes at him: "No, you’re not. Hold your head high, you understand? Even if you’re a dog, you still carry the title of my top believer."
His fingers brushed against Leonard’s sharp fangs as he smirked: "It doesn’t matter if you’re a beast or a monster. Only I get to bully you. If you allow anyone else to, that’s an insult to me. Understand?"
Nerio patted Leonard’s cheek. Leonard, dazed, nodded with shining eyes. The artificial esper had no idea which of Nerio’s words could sway this lunatic so completely.
"Let’s go." Nerio turned to leave. Leonard immediately got up, tearing through the dense webs without effort.
The water column vanished with Nerio’s steps, leaving the artificial esper still bound in place, ignored from beginning to end.