Chapter 16: The God of Vengeance
Candice gulped, her eyes darting around the deserted tavern, her heart pounding in her chest.
The movements of a Hero Squad member?
This was valuable information, indeed.
In the hierarchy of the Heavenly Continent’s human world, the Hero reigned supreme.
Below him were the three pillars of power: the Emperor, the High Priestess, and the Pope.
Next came the ten members of the Hero Squad, the Thirteen Sages, the President and Vice-President of the Adventurer’s Guild…
These individuals, possessing immense power and influence, were revered throughout the land. The Hero Squad, in particular, were celebrated for their bravery, their role in pushing back the Demon Beast hordes, buying humanity precious time.
And this mysterious man had just casually revealed the movements of one of its members. This was no small matter.
“Which one?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Benson, the Immovable Shield,” Qin Chu replied, his gaze fixed on her.
He had a long list of enemies.
Pope Augustus of the Holy See and Saint Monique, the High Priestess of the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess, the ones who had bound his magic and Battle Qi with the Heavenly Cage Shackles and the Earth Mother’s Embrace.
Emperor Wadsworth of the Auville Empire, who had ordered his soldiers to release the Dark Witch, injecting her with a rage-inducing elixir, leading to his near-fatal injuries.
Carlos, the former President of the Mercenary Alliance, now the leader of the post-war Guardian Alliance, the one who had beheaded him with the Sword of Damocles.
Lex, the head of the powerful merchant guild that controlled ninety percent of the Heavenly Continent’s media, weapon manufacturing, and food and medicine production, the one who had poisoned him, slowly weakening his body, and orchestrated the smear campaign that destroyed his reputation.
And the twelve Sages, excluding Natia, the ones who had summoned him to this world, the ones who had orchestrated his execution, amplifying the power of the magical restraints that bound him, tearing his body apart.
But his most hated enemies were his former comrades, the members of the Hero Squad.
Ekaterina, the Crimson Valkyrie.
Eileen and Airi, the Twin Thieves.
Athena, the Great Mage.
Ronald, the Noble Swordsman.
Calmuse, the Mad Berserker.
Sylph, the Phantom Archer.
Benson, the Immovable Shield.
Karsus, the Death Knight.
And Loseweisse, the Holy Maiden, the woman who had called him “darling,” who had fed him medicine with her own lips, who had cared for him, who had urged him to recover… the woman he had loved most.
He had enemies everywhere he looked.
The Emperor, the Pope, the High Priestess… their betrayal, their desire to eliminate him, had angered him, but it hadn’t truly broken him.
It was the betrayal of his friends, of his lover, that had shattered his soul.
The camaraderie, the laughter, the shared battles… all of it a lie.
They had watched him die, their faces twisted with smug satisfaction, their hands stained with his blood.
They had desecrated his body, scattering his remains to the far corners of the continent, his head buried beneath the Holy City, trampled upon by millions.
What kind of hatred, what kind of malice, could drive them to such acts?
He had considered them family, friends, lovers… but to them, he had been nothing more than a pawn, a disposable tool.
All those happy memories… all of it a lie.
He yearned to kill them all, to bathe in their blood, to make them suffer as he had suffered. But he wasn’t strong enough, not yet.
He would have to resort to more… creative methods.
And compared to the tortures they had inflicted upon him, any action he took, no matter how ruthless, would be justified.
The Hero Squad members, tasked with protecting the Heavenly Continent, were scattered across the land, battling Demon Beasts. His summoning had brought them to the capital, where they served as his mentors, teaching him the ways of Battle Qi, combat skills, and magic.
Despite their loathing for him, they had pretended to be his friends, sharing stories of their adventures, revealing their movements, their plans.
He knew where they were, when they would move, who they would meet.
He had chosen Benson as his first target for two reasons.
First, Benson was a solitary individual, rarely traveling with companions, making him vulnerable to ambushes.
Second, Benson, like Qin Chu in his previous life, was utterly devoted to Loseweisse, obeying her every command.
He would use the Demons to cripple her, to sever one of her most loyal pawns.
The memories, vivid and painful, fueled his rage. His eyes burned with a crimson fire, his body radiating an icy chill.
Candice shivered, her fear intensifying. Though he hadn’t unleashed his power, the aura that emanated from him was terrifying, otherworldly. He seemed less like a man and more like a demon, his very presence a violation of the natural order.
“Apologies,” Qin Chu said, noticing her discomfort. He reigned in his emotions, his face once again a mask of calm indifference.
Candice swallowed, forcing a smile. “I-It’s alright,” she stammered.
“Do you want me to… relay this information to my superiors?” she asked, her voice hesitant.
“Yes.”
“But… how can I be sure this information is accurate?” she asked, her fear battling with her curiosity. “What if this is a trap?”
She believed him, believed in his hatred for the Hero Squad. But the stakes were too high.
If this was a deception, the consequences would be dire. The Demons would suffer heavy losses, and she, the one who had provided the false information, would face a gruesome punishment. The thought of their methods, their penchant for creative torture, made her shudder.
Qin Chu smiled, his hand moving across the map, circling another location. Candice’s eyes widened as she recognized the spot.
“The seventh son of the Eternal Monarch, Nagath,” he said, his voice soft yet menacing. “He’s hiding here, isn’t he? Waiting for the Hero, hoping to eliminate him before he becomes another Jie Luo.”
“What do you think will happen to your precious prince if I reveal his location to the humans?”
Candice understood. He wasn’t trying to destroy the Demons. He merely wanted to use them, to manipulate them into eliminating his enemies.
“Why don’t you deal with them yourself?” she asked, her curiosity overcoming her fear. “Surely, with your power, even Benson wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Qin Chu hadn’t considered that. He paused, his fingers tapping against the bar, his mind racing, searching for a plausible excuse.
Candice, realizing her mistake, quickly backpedaled. “My apologies, sir,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I shouldn’t have asked. It’s… none of my business.”
She bit her lip, her eyes wide and apologetic. Curiosity killed the cat, she thought.
She was a clever girl, quick to recover from her missteps.
Qin Chu smiled, his expression enigmatic. “Indeed,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “It’s best to keep some secrets buried.”
She was clever, but also hopelessly curious. Her mind, he could tell, was buzzing with questions, especially those pertaining to her own past.
But she was also afraid to pry too deeply, worried about incurring his wrath.
Her lips twitched, her gaze darting between him and the map, her desire for knowledge warring with her fear.
She was adorable.
Far too innocent for the dangerous role she had been forced to play.
She couldn’t hold back any longer. She had to know. Why did he know so much about her? And then she realized, with a jolt of horror, that she didn’t even know his name.
“My apologies, sir,” she stammered, her cheeks flushing crimson. “I don’t even know your name. How rude of me.”
Qin Chu, of course, had no intention of revealing his true identity.
He considered for a moment, then spoke.
“You can call me…”
“Horus.”
The God of Vengeance.
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