The bandit tied up in the cellar didn’t know how long had passed.
He only felt that the sky outside was getting darker and darker, and blood was still sizzling out of his right ear.
Unable to treat the wound, the bandit could only let the blood keep seeping out.
Finally, he heard the sound of a door opening, and light footsteps came from above.
“Who?”
The bandit excitedly looked up.
He thought it was someone else from the stronghold coming to save him.
However, when he looked up, all he could see was still the petite figure with silver-white long hair.
Her crimson pupils were even brighter in the darkness, making the bandit feel fear.
Seeing that it was Liyakade, the bandit immediately dared not speak, not even daring to breathe.
Although when they hadn’t left earlier, the bandit was still shouting that their leader would teach them a lesson, after being left alone for so long, the increasingly obvious pain continuously coming from his ear finally made the bandit calm down.
Now he couldn’t move, his Magic Circuit was destroyed, and he even had a large wound on his ear.
In a place like the cellar, which was slightly damp and had many insects, it was very easy to get infected.
If he got infected with some other bacteria, what awaited him would not just be this level of pain.
Furthermore, if some beast was attracted by the smell of blood, then without Magic Power, he would more likely be devoured alive by such a beast, which would be even more miserable.
Therefore, in the bandit’s view, the situation was at least a bit better than before.
But was it really better?
“Where did you take that man?”
Seeing that Liyakade kept silent, the bandit, unable to bear the tense atmosphere, finally spoke up.
The man he referred to was the Zhuanghan who had been with him earlier.
“Take a guess?”
Liyakade smiled charmingly and did not immediately answer the bandit’s question.
The crimson arc light in her eyes flickered slightly, and several crimson thorns suddenly extended from above.
Just like the way she dealt with the Zhuanghan earlier, the thorns quickly wrapped around the bandit’s limbs, and the Blood Thorns grew into the bandit’s tendons.
“Ah!!! Mercy, mercy! Lord, please spare me!!!”
The unimaginable pain assaulted the bandit’s mind.
He trembled and twisted his body, hurriedly begging Liyakade for mercy.
“I can let you off, but first, you have to play a game with me.”
After hearing the bandit’s heart-wrenching cries and pleas for mercy, Liyakade smiled in satisfaction and then stopped her control over the Blood Thorns.
Mi La, standing behind Liyakade, heard the bandit’s so pleasant voice, and her body couldn’t help but tremble with excitement, whether from the thrill of revenge or from the desire for bloodshed under Liyakade’s influence.
“…W-what game…”
As Liyakade eased her control over the Blood Thorns, the bandit finally caught his breath.
He breathed deeply the dusty air in the cellar, feeling that even this dirty air could make him feel the sensation of life.
Seeing Liyakade like this, if he didn’t play with her, he would most likely be killed so cruelly.
So he had to play whether he wanted to or not.
Seeing that the bandit had become much more docile, Liyakade didn’t waste words.
With a light jump, she landed in front of the bandit, took out the Angel Contract she had just signed, and held it out in front of him.
Then, she repeated the game rules that she had explained to the Zhuanghan earlier.
“Got it?”
“G-got it…”
“Good. Then, what is your choice?”
The bandit was silent for a moment.
The game rules Liyakade had explained were not complicated.
There were only four possible outcomes.
For them, the best was to not tell Liyakade where their lair was.
That way, they would only lose an arm and not expose the lair’s location.
Overall, it seemed the most suitable decision.
And Liyakade had signed the Angel Contract, so after the game ended, she had to keep her promise and let them go.
She could no longer harm them, nor could she even follow them.
Any method of learning the stronghold’s location from them was not allowed, unless they spoke up voluntarily.
‘Although I lost my Magic Circuit and an arm, at least I survived. And I didn’t expose the stronghold. I can take Liyakade’s information to the leader and claim credit. That way, not only do I survive, but at least I’ll have food and drink for a short while. Better to live in dishonor than die in honor.’
“Of course I won’t tell you where the stronghold is. They’re all my brothers. How could I tell you?”
“You…”
Having thought it through, the bandit quickly gave Liyakade his answer.
After hearing this, Liyakade’s face stiffened, as if she was choked.
“Hahaha, you bitch! Did you think my brothers are all cowards who fear death?”
Seeing Liyakade’s expression, the bandit immediately understood what the Zhuanghan’s choice had been.
He must have also chosen not to tell Liyakade, which is why she showed such an embarrassed expression.
“Still want to play a game? You bitch, you really think you’re smart, huh? So what if your level is higher than ours? You still can’t lay a hand on us now, can you? You slut! When our leader gets here, I’ll make you pay!”
“…Shut up.”
The Zhuanghan had already started impatiently showing off to Liyakade.
The reason Liyakade had a strange expression was simply because it was too hard to hold back her laughter.
Thinking about what was about to happen when the bandit met the Zhuanghan, Liyakade couldn’t help but want to laugh.
For that reason, even letting the bandit have his moment of gloating was fine.
She couldn’t let him ruin the fun.
If the bandit started crying and begging for mercy now, it wouldn’t be interesting.
She had to let the bandit revel in his triumph, and then in an instant, plunge him into the abyss of despair.
That was when his expression would be most enjoyable.
“Pah! Why should I shut up? You can’t touch me now!”
Hearing Liyakade tell him to shut up, the bandit got even more worked up and continued to curse Liyakade with foul language.
Mi La cast a pitying glance at the bandit.
The bandit immediately reacted and started cursing Mi La as well.
“What are you looking at!? You’re a little slut too. Just wait for your grandpa to teach you a lesson, hahahaha!”
“Get out.”
If she let the bandit keep rambling, Liyakade was afraid she would really laugh out loud.
She grabbed the bandit and threw him out of the cellar.
Then, dragging the bandit, she went all the way to where the Zhuanghan was lying.
Hearing the bandit’s cursing voice, the Zhuanghan immediately understood that his accomplice had been brought over.
“Alas… now it’s time to reveal your answers.”
Liyakade looked a bit dejected.
She kicked the bandit on the ground, then continued.
“You go first.”
“Heh, you slut, why do you want me to say it again? I told you, brothers don’t sell each other out.”
“Mhm, you heard that, right? Your Dage’s answer.”
Liyakade looked at the Zhuanghan.
The Zhuanghan was stunned for a moment.
Then, a look of ecstasy appeared on his face, and he couldn’t stop laughing.
“Hahahaha! Great! I guessed right, I guessed right!”
Seeing the Zhuanghan so delighted, the bandit thought that the Zhuanghan had made the same choice as him—not to tell Liyakade the location of the stronghold.
However, the bandit felt something was off.
Even if they both chose not to tell Liyakade, they would still lose an arm.
Why was the Zhuanghan so happy?
“I chose to tell her, so I can leave without a scratch now. Hahaha! Hey! Bitch! Aren’t you going to untie me!?”
Hearing the Zhuanghan’s unrestrained laughter, the bandit suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
His smile froze bit by bit, like when you hold your breath underwater to the limit, and the moment you stick your head out, someone grabs you and drowns you back to the bottom of the sea.