v2c21: Lannis’s Little Gift
When Eugene’s men arrived at Lannis’s house, the air was thick with the pungent smell of potent potions and the lingering smoke from explosions.
Several Goat Eyes gang members lay groaning on the ground, their legs mangled by the blasts, bone shards protruding from the shredded flesh. The sight chilled the spines of those arriving behind them.
Lannis’s usual antics involved mostly property damage, leading people to believe she was just a harmless pyromaniac. But seeing their comrades maimed, they remembered that she was a madwoman, truly unhinged. If provoked, her retaliation would be swift and brutal.
She had spared these men, not out of mercy, but as a warning to those who followed. The sight of their mangled bodies, their screams echoing through the air, was far more effective than a pile of lifeless corpses.
Eugene stared coldly at the small figure perched atop Lannis’s wall, observing them with amusement.
He recognized her instantly. It was Lannis, the explosives-obsessed madwoman.
“Lannis! Why did you destroy my solvent machine? We don’t have any unresolved grudges, do we? You bombed my warehouses, so I detained you temporarily for compensation. It was a perfectly reasonable action,” Eugene said, his voice laced with barely suppressed rage, his eyes like a viper’s, fixed on Lannis. “But you collaborated with the Black Hats to attack my factory? That’s going too far.”
“Hahaha, I apologize, but I never ask about grudges before I blow things up. You should know that, you well-dressed old geezer,” Lannis’s voice boomed, amplified by some magical device, her laughter echoing around the Goat Eyes gang members.
“Hey, Lannis, you know I have to kill you today, right?” Eugene said, his anger morphing into a chilling smile. “You attacked the foundation of the Goat Eyes Gang. This is far more serious than stealing my woman or bombing my warehouses. You’ve made me very unhappy, and there’s only one way to restore my good mood: First, I’ll cripple you, then I’ll burn down your house right before your eyes. I know you were once Lavoisier City’s wealthiest citizen, Miss Rebecca’s assistant. You possess many of her belongings. I’ll destroy them all, just to see if a madwoman like you can feel sadness.”
“Hahahahahaha…” Lannis cackled. “You want to enter my house? Have you asked my explosives for permission? If you dare trespass, something wonderful will happen! Explosions! Explosions! Beautiful fireworks! Boom!”
“Capture that damned halfling!” Eugene roared, losing his patience.
“I’ll get her!” a gang member with a metal prosthetic arm shouted, rushing forward. He aimed his arm at Lannis, perched on the wall.
Hiss! Bang!
Steam erupted from multiple vents on his prosthetic arm, and the metal hand split open, firing a barbed arrow attached to a long chain. The arrow, imbued with a magic array, pierced Lannis’s shoulder, the barbs anchoring it securely.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The chain retracted, pulling Lannis’s small body towards them. Eugene finally got a clear view of her face.
Or rather, what was supposed to be her face. It wasn’t Lannis at all, but a doll made of a strange material, dressed in her clothes! Its lifeless eyes stared at Eugene, mocking his rage.
“Surprise gift!”
Lannis’s shrill laughter echoed from the magical amplifier. Eugene, sensing danger, quickly retreated. At that moment, the doll in the metal-armed gang member’s hand exploded!
Boom!
The overzealous gang member’s body was ripped apart by the blast, dying instantly. Eugene, thanks to his quick reaction, was relatively unharmed, but the shockwave and the searing heat singed his face, sending him and several nearby gang members flying.
He crashed to the ground, then quickly scrambled to his feet. He smelled something burning. He touched his face, realizing his meticulously groomed mustache had been partially singed off!
“Fuck!” Eugene roared, his usual composure shattered, his true nature, a ruthless thug, exposed.
“Ehahahaha!” Lannis cackled. “Get out! Get out! One more step into my house, and I’ll blow you all to bits! Do you even know where you’re standing? You think I only planted explosives within my property? You’re standing in my minefield! I’ll send you all flying, high enough to touch the sun!”
“Damn it! I’ll kill you, Lannis!” Eugene shouted, grabbing a nearby man by the collar. “Master! Protect me! I’ll pay you!”
The man he had grabbed was thin and frail, his face pale, his eyes vacant. He turned to Eugene and nodded slightly.
The man stomped his foot, chanting a spell. A network of white bones erupted from the ground around him, spreading rapidly, covering an area of over ten meters in diameter. Several gang members, unable to dodge the rapidly growing bones, screamed as their feet were pierced.
Lannis detonated the explosives beneath their feet.
Thump!
A muffled sound echoed from beneath the bone-covered ground. The bones shattered, but the explosion’s flames and shrapnel were contained, unable to reach Eugene, who stood at the center of the blast zone. A few gang members vomited from the shockwave, but Eugene was unfazed.
“You hired a necromancer? You’re resourceful, old man!” Lannis cackled. “Perhaps he can collect your corpse after you’re dead!”
“Still so arrogant on the brink of death!” Eugene said, his smile twisted. “You won’t be laughing for long! Master! Take care of her!”
The bones that had covered the ground rose into the air, their sharp edges glinting menacingly, aimed at Lannis’s house. With a single thought from the necromancer, they could turn the house into a beehive.
“It’s too good for you, but you can finally shut up. Oh, wait, I suppose this necromancer can resurrect you and make you suffer even in death,” Eugene said with a cruel smile.
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