Chapter 186: A hero?
Vacuse looked at them thoughtfully and then he sighed. His face turned cold. "It’s because you guys are weak. And even those who are strong are not that impressive. I am the Dragon heir and I only hold you to the same standards I hold myself."
It was the truth.
When he was a weakling, didn’t he do the things the weak do? But now, he was strong. He could afford his arrogance.
But his words only seemed to make most of them even angrier, so much so that one of them pushed his way out and pointed his finger at Vacuse.
"You! You think because you are the Dragon heir, you can do what you want?"
Vacuse looked at him and smiled. "Yes, I can. Who will stop me?"
The man stared at him helplessly and then his face turned cold. "If... if not for your guards, do you dare to bully anyone? You hide behind them. Isn’t it too easy for you?"
The whole courtyard settled down and stared at the man. None of them had the courage to personally face Vacuse like that, but now someone did, and they found their courage.
Vacuse shrugged, his voice turning cold even though his eyes were still dancing with friendly light. "Well, I am somewhat of a big bully myself. Think about it, I am called Kinkiller!"
The man paled but then gritted his teeth. "Well then face me! Stop hiding behind your guards and fight me! I will show you that I am strong!"
"Why should I fight you? What benefit is there to it? What will you gain from it, eh?"
"I... if I win, then you have to let me join!"
Vacuse stared at the man silently, a slight frown on his face. He didn’t understand it. Why was the man behaving like that when Vacuse was standing in front of him?
He tilted his head. The man was in the second stage, but his pathway and rank were so low that it was pathetic. Even though Vacuse wasn’t unleashing his aura pressure, shouldn’t the man know that he was much stronger?
Something... is wrong.
Vacuse narrowed his eyes and the red suddenly turned a deep purple. His eyes widened slightly and then he smiled. "Of course I will take you on, but I will only fight your master. What frightening powers you have."
Eh?
Silence followed his words.
Everyone, even his attendants, frowned in confusion. They didn’t understand what he was talking about. The man that had been challenging him earlier became still and his face shut down as if he had been cut away from a controlling string.
And then from the crowd someone stood. A young man who seemed a few years older than Vacuse. A wiry smile crossed his lips. "You caught me, my lord. Not many people have been able to do something like that."
The man came forward, carrying a small black flute in his hand. He bowed. "I am Cheir."
Cheir was in the second stage as well.
Vacuse looked at him without expression. A lot of people might not have been able to see it, but Vacuse had become even more sensitive to the flow of Forc energy, especially when it was connected with others.
That was why he noticed that someone was controlling the man that challenged him. Of course it wasn’t that simple or easy, as Cheir himself stayed perfectly hidden. Even now that he was standing in front of Vacuse, he couldn’t sense him.
How curious.
"How many?" Vacuse finally spoke.
Cheir grimaced, and from the assembled Soulbearers, two people walked out. Their faces were blank, their eyes devoid of anything. Empty, as if their very souls had been devoured.
Vacuse’s face hardened.
It seemed Vacuse had overlooked the strongest of those who had gathered. In fact, he wouldn’t have even noticed him at all if not for one of his puppets challenging him.
Of course, he had seen power that controlled puppets before, but not of living flesh that could still talk and interact freely. And for him to control three at once, then he must be strong.
Vacuse looked at Cheir. "So you want to challenge me."
At first Cheir’s face was meek and soft, but then he shrugged and his face became cold and sinister. He sneered. "Of course. I will kill you and devour your soul. I’ll make you into my puppet. I have no SSS rank, you know."
Vacuse blinked. "You hate me?"
Indeed, he had detected a lot of hate from Cheir’s voice, as if they shared deep enmity, but it was the first time that Vacuse was hearing of the man.
Cheir raised his brows. "Of course I hate you! No offense, but you are a pile of shit."
If anyone had been shocked and surprised before, now they were visibly stunned. They moved away from the place as if recoiling from the retaliation that was to come from the Dragon heir.
His attendants stirred, but Vacuse didn’t give them any orders, so they settled for glaring at the bold Cheir.
For the moment, Vacuse was amused. "No one has described me with such colorful words. At least not to my face."
Cheir looked at him with half disdain. "Well they should! Do you know what you did? That stupid war that your family caused! It killed a lot of villages! And then the policies that came after!"
That... wasn’t what Vacuse was expecting. And it took him a moment to process things due to his shock. Something like this truly existed? Seriously?
A... hero?
Vacuse shuddered.
He had read about such nonsense when he was small, and that was it—nonsense. The world was simply too unforgiving to allow such. But then again... there was one standing in front of him.
Vacuse also felt dubious.
Can a hero be going around devouring souls and creating puppets out of their bodies?
But then again, there’s nothing new under the sun. At least there shouldn’t be.
"So... what’s your hero name? You must have one, right? Going around doing good deeds and saving old women and their pets."
But now, it was Cheir’s turn to be surprised. "Who the hell said I’m a hero?"