As Blade waited, he glanced at the unconscious man, noticing the deep scars hidden beneath the tattoos. Some were old, remnants of past battles, while others were fresh, likely inflicted during his torment. It was clear that the Slaughterer had lived a life filled with suffering.
After a while, the man stirred. His breathing grew heavier, and his fingers twitched. Blade remained seated but kept his hand on his sword, ready in case the man awoke in a frenzy.
With a gasp, the Slaughterer's eyes snapped open. His body tensed as if expecting pain. His gaze darted around, filled with fear and confusion, before finally landing on Blade.
"You… You didn't kill me?" the man rasped, his voice hoarse from exhaustion.
Blade shook his head. "No. I had the chance, but I chose not to."
The Slaughterer stared at him, his expression unreadable. Then, with great difficulty, he sat up, wincing as pain shot through his body. "Why?"
Blade met his gaze, his tone firm but calm. "Because you were never the monster they made you out to be."
The man's eyes widened. He looked down at his own trembling hands, hands that had taken countless lives. A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. "You don't know what I've done…"
"Maybe not," Blade admitted, "but I know what was done to you."
Silence stretched between them. The Slaughterer clenched his fists, struggling to process the kindness he had long been denied.
"What's your name?" Blade finally asked.
The man hesitated before speaking. "...Varuk."
Blade nodded. "Varuk, do you want to be free from your torment?"
Varuk looked at him, uncertainty and hope battling in his weary eyes. "...Is that even possible?"
Blade unsheathed his sword, but this time, there was no hostility in his movements. "I intend to try."
"I want you to serve me," Blade said, standing up as he looked at Varuk.
"What?" Varuk asked, staring at him in disbelief.
"Why? Why would you want a killer like me as your servant?" Varuk asked, raising his hands as if he could still see the blood staining them.
"The one who killed all those people wasn't you, but the Slaughterer. And that Slaughterer is no more," Blade said as he extended a hand toward Varuk. "Even if you did those things, are you now willing to take pride in helping others? Will you stand by my side and make a difference?"
Varuk looked at Blade, his expression conflicted. After a moment, he took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "I will serve you. I am indebted to you. This life is yours to do with as you see fit."
Blade shook his head. "No. Live for yourself," he said, offering a small smile. "Follow me, and live your life with purpose."
Varuk stared at him before nodding slowly. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he had a choice.
Soon, they emerged where the guards were waiting.
"You killed him?" one of the guards asked.
Blade nodded. "Yeah, the Slaughterer is no more," he said.
The guards exchanged glances before stepping aside, allowing Blade and Varuk to pass.
"Who's he?" one of the guards asked, eyeing Varuk with suspicion.
"My summon," Blade replied calmly. Without further questions, the guards let them leave.
"Wait outside for me," Blade instructed Varuk, who nodded and stepped away.
There was a chance that Zebra might identify him, so Blade waited. Though he wanted to kill him, he couldn't do it now. If he acted too soon, people would see him entering, and killing Zebra would mean exposing himself. For now, he had to be patient.
"Though, it's not like I can't kill him," Blade muttered as he used his magic creation skill.
In his hand, he crafted the spell Detonate—a magic spell with a set delay that would go off like a bomb after the timer ran out.
[Checking the validity...]
[Spell is possible.]
[Would you like to use one of your creation spell slots for Detonate?]
Blade nodded as the spell was created.
[ Detonate level 1
You can set all types of spells or skills at the desired timing and location.
*Current limit : 1
As the level rises, the number of spells or skills simultaneously can be set will increase.
Resource Consumption: 500 Mana + Spell or skill mana consumption
Skill Cooldown Time: 1 minute. ]
Blade nodded as he entered Zebra Castle.
"You have killed him?" asked Zebra, sweat forming on his brow.
Blade just looked at him coldly and said, "I did."
Zebra gulped. "G-Give me the earrings."
"Understood!"
Earl Zebra reluctantly handed over his most prized treasure. The Black Quartz Earrings increased the wearer's intelligence by 15%. They were a beautiful artifact passed down through his family for generations. He never imagined that a day would come when he would actually have to part with them.
And now, it felt wasted.
'I was supposed to give this to the knights who are coming to kill the Slaughterer... Shit, I need to send assassins after this guy.'
Earl Zebra's greed caused him to make a wicked plan.
Blade just looked at him and smiled as he left the castle.
BOOM!
A minute after he stepped out, the entire castle erupted into golden flames, consuming Zebra and everyone around him. The explosion lit up the night sky, marking the end of the corrupt noble.
Blade glanced back at the burning ruins, unfazed.
"Was that you?" Varuk asked, his voice filled with awe.
Blade nodded. "I told you, I will free you."
Varuk clenched his fists and bowed his head.
[ Varuk's Loyalty has increased to 100 points. He will now lay his life down to protect you. ]
Blade smirked as he activated his next skill.
"Register Varuk under Rune of Wisdom." Blade mumbled as the notifications rang.
[ You have registered Varuk in the Rune. ]
[ All of your stats have increased by 5% for recruiting a Super-named NPC. ]
[ You can now copy one skill from your servant, Varuk. ]
[ Varuk Status Screen is now available for you to see ]
[ All these effects will remain as long as Varuk lives. ]
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