Stone Mage: Revenge of the Villain System

Ronin frowned at this. "Are you sure, Your Highness? The experiment would be a little.... painful."

Cermin just went inside the wagon. "Well, do you have to like take out blood samples or something? I remember doctors do that."

".... I suppose, yes." Ronin said.

"I don't mind, then! Oh, but there are no syringes here. This is a medieval fantasy setting..... Does that mean..."

He suddenly wore a disgusted face. "Will you be using leeches?"

"No, no leeches, just..."

He sighed. He knew very well he couldn't easily escape this one, Cermin won't let him be in peace unless he reveals this 'experiment'.

"It's a sleep experiment." Ronin said. "You would have to be put to sleep while we do it."

Cermin blinked. "Oh.... How would you do that?"

He pulled out a jar. "Sedating potion. Well, we don't usually use this."

(I usually just use the One Word Command, but when I run out of tries, we have to resort to this. And you have and Don pulled way too many volunteers.)

The One Word Command skill used to be for only one person at Level 30. But as the level increased, the former number was multiplied by 2.

So the number of people he can command at Level 31 was 2, then 4 at level 32, 8 people at level 33, and so on...

And they just had him command 31 volunteers. But he still has enough tries to command Cermin.

The reason why he didn't choose to do so was that Cermin wasn't like the other volunteers. He would encounter him again.

And if he uses another command to Cermin in the future, then the former command will be lost, and he will remember what he did.

"How about you sit on that chair, and drink this?" Ronin said. "Then, once you were asleep, the experiment will begin."

Cermin nodded happily. "Ok! But then... Wouldn't that mean I wouldn't feel it? The pain?"

Ronin chuckled. "Maybe, maybe not."

Ronin promised himself that he wouldn't take Cermin's Flame first and let it grow until the moment of his actual betrayal. The moment he had enough Flame to reach the level of a god.

And he would stay true to this promise, since he only keeps the promises he makes to himself.

So what is he planning to do with Cermin now? Well...

He had learned a way to control the amount of Flame that he takes from the people he killed.

It turns out that the Flame doesn't get transferred upon death, but when a person was on a brink of death.

That's why he feels that ecstasy while killing, but loses it after. That ecstasy was when he was stealing Flame...

Eating someone's life force.

It felt so good the same way eating something delicious felt so good.

If he could prolong the time when the person was on the brink of death, and not kill him too much, then he could just take a few Flame.

And the greatest method for that was choking.

When he chokes someone, the Flame transfers to his body slowly. Once he gets enough of what he wanted, he can just let go.

He needed this knowledge as it would be suspicious if so many people lose so much of their Flames and many of them came from this wagon.

If before, he used to steal about 70% of someone's Flame through stabbing...by choking people, he can control that to just 20-40%.

Yes, it would impede his leveling up, but at least it would save them from any trouble with suspicion.

He first learned this other method when a specimen woke up in the middle of being sedated, before he was stabbed, and attacked Professor Espinella.

Ronin took one of the wagon's curtains and wrapped it around the man's neck, and that was when he first felt it.

A little taste. Long, prolonged feeding he can enjoy.

He can have a little taste of Cermin too. Maybe just 5%.

As Cermin drank the sedative, Ronin just watched him get drowsy on that chair with his hands behind his back.

His excitement felt like it was reaching to the moon. To wrap his hands around that golden neck....

To feel him suffocate, slowly... Gasping for breath and blood rushing on his face as if he would explode.....

Cermin felt a little funny from the potion, like he was drunk. His eyes were drooping, but he still noticed that excited expression Ronin was wearing.

"Hehe... You're looking too happy with hurting me..... Heh....."

He had fallen asleep, his head lolling to the side. Ronin went beside him....

And whispered: "I do. I can't wait to hurt you."

He wrapped his black fingers on that neck, just making small dents at first. He can feel his jugular veins, and put pressure on it a little, just checking how far asleep Cermin was.

And he was sleeping like a baby, no sign of waking at all.

Ronin went on to tighten his grip, that ecstatic, intoxicating feeling rushing to him again.

Cermin choked, but he was far down in his slumber that he could not open his eyes. He just furrowed his brows like someone having a nightmare.

Ronin squeezed and squeezed, his eyes going bloodshot from the adrenaline.

He wanted more.... He wanted so, so much more...

"Hah... Hah...." Cermin huffed and caught his breath, and was stirring a little.

Ronin finally got over his high, and stopped before he could take too much. But Cermin's Flame...

It somehow tasted better than everyone else's. Even that little taste sent Ronin's mind reeling that he ached just to kill him.

But he let go, and just waited for the prince to awaken.

When Cermin woke up, he immediately touched his neck.

"I... My throat hurts." Cermin said. "Haha.... I feel like I was suffocating."

"Side effect of the experiment." Ronin said plainly.

The chair had managed to send a few electrolytes to heal the markings, so Cermin didn't see the red marks Ronin's fingers made on him.

"I had the strangest dream too....." Cermin looked a little frazzled. "It was dark and then... The darkness had hands and it just squeezed my neck while smiling."

Ronin just shrugged. "I'll note down that feedback. The experiment is over, let's go have lunch."

He was really good at acting that nothing has ever happened, but his mind never let go of the sensation of killing Cermin.... even just for a little bit.

He can't wait to taste more of his sweet death.