The Deceitful One

Outside the cave entrance, the ruin formation had finally stopped glowing. All the corpses had shriveled up completely, having already served their purpose.

Although the runic formation had now stopped working, the five Blood Path Transcendents standing guard outside did not leave their place.

They wouldn't stop guarding the entrance until they saw Sean come out himself.

Meanwhile, Ron who had been constantly observing the runic formation, saw that its glow had finally subsided. He turned to look at Alfredo who was still taking great joy in torturing Bryan,

"The runic formation has stopped working. Does this mean Master has advanced?"

Alfredo stopped what he was doing and turned his head to look at the area around the cave. His eyes shone with excitement, "Yes! It means Master has finally advanced to Rank 4!"

Ron too was very happy after hearing this news. He then pointed at the five Transcendents standing at the cave entrance and asked, "What about them? Their job is now over, yes?"

Alfredo looked at them and solemnly shook his head, "I don't know about them. Anyways, they'll only listen to Master's instructions. I don't think they'll leave until he comes out. Or who knows? Perhaps Master might have more use for them."

Ron nodded his head in understanding. He then turned to look at Bryan who was barely identifiable now after having gone through so much torture.

His ribs were visible from the front, there were wounds on his lungs, and most ghastly to look at were his intestines that were protruding from his stomach. Alfredo had really gone all out during the torture session!

Ron couldn't help but puke as he saw Bryan's state. A few moments later, after having wiped his mouth, he looked at Alfredo in disgust, "What the fuck kind of torture is this? Are you so twisted in the head?"

Alfredo grinned widely as he replied, "It's what he deserves!"

He then looked at the runic formation and sighed in disappointment, "Alas, it looks like Master's work is already done and I can't torture Bryan anymore.

"Oh, how much I wished I could have taken him with me to Nadir and used his body for my experiments. I would have tortured him for months, maybe years!

"But it doesn't matter, anyways. I've released all of my pent-up frustration and anger now."

Ron looked at Alfredo and cursed inwardly, 'This fucking demented bastard…'

He then looked at Bryan who was still lying listlessly on the ground and staring at the sky, "He's gone through enough. Just put him out of his misery."

"Oh?" Alfredo smirked, "Are you taking pity on this kid?"

Ron scoffed as he walked towards Bryan, "If you aren't going to kill him, I will."

Alfredo's eyes narrowed as he cut off Ron's path. All of a sudden, he grabbed Ron's neck and glared at him, "He's mine! Only I can kill him. Do you understand, boy?"

Ron was flabbergasted, he didn't know why Alfredo was reacting in such a way. But come to think of it, Bryan had indeed killed Alfredo's grandson.

So it was reasonable that Alfredo would want to be the one to finish Bryan off. However, this sudden reaction by Alfredo still seemed excessive to Ron.

Ron lifted both his hands in the air as an act of surrender, "G-Go ahead."

Alfredo removed his grasp from Ron's neck and snorted as he turned around and walked back towards Bryan, "Your time has come, boy. It's unfortunate that I won't be able to play with you anymore."

He crouched down beside Bryan and raised his dagger to pierce the latter's heart and kill him once and for all. Alfredo looked into Bryan's damaged eyes and grinned from ear to ear.

However, right as he was about to bring down the dagger and stab Bryan in the heart, Alfredo saw the corner of Bryan's lips faintly curl up into a smirk. And the next moment, Bryan had slipped inside his own shadow and disappeared!

Alfredo's eyes widened in disbelief as he thought, 'How can he use his spiritual force? Did he remove the runic paper from his nec-'

But his thoughts abruptly came to a pause because his spiritual sense perception was triggered. He turned around only to see Bryan emerging from behind Ron's shadow!

"Behind you!" Alfredo screamed!

Things had taken such a drastic turn so fast that Ron was still reeling in from the fact that Bryan had just escaped. He didn't even realize that Bryan was now behind him!

When he heard Alfredo's warning, Ron's heartbeat quickened and fear engulfed him. However, it was already too late for him! All he could manage to do was slightly shift his body to the side.

Bryan had stepped out from Ron's shadow as he pounced at him. Both his eyes were shut, but his face had contorted to such a degree that it made him appear extremely demonic.

"FUCKING DIE!!!" Bryan stabbed his right hand through Ron's back as he aimed to pierce his heart and kill this snake who had betrayed him and the rest of the members of the Strike Team.

He had never felt such hatred, disgust, and anger toward anyone before. Bryan planned to kill off Ron even if it meant him dying in the process. This way he could at least avenge his friends.

But due to Alfredo's timely warning earlier, Ron had managed to shift a bit to the side which subsequently caused Bryan to miss his heart. In the end, Bryan was only able to stab through Ron's lung.

"Fuck!" Bryan cursed loudly. He then tried to move his hand toward Ron's heart and destroy it but it was too late for him.

Alfredo had already approached Bryan and grabbed his head and smashed it to the ground! Spider-web-like cracks formed upon the point of impact, however, Bryan didn't even let out a sound, he had just gone through pain that was much worse. This was nothing!

"You sly bastard!" Alfredo glared at Bryan as he tried to crush his head with just his firm grasp alone.

Meanwhile, Ron dropped down to his knees as he coughed out a mouthful of blood. There was a hole on the right side of his chest, through which he was bleeding profusely.

He had just finished an arduous battle with Andrew earlier and was now completely out of stamina and spiritual force. He also didn't have any healing potions left with him.

Ron was beginning to fiercely struggle to breathe. He clasped his throat and tried to take large mouthfuls of air but failed miserably.

His body began to tremble in terror as he thought inwardly, 'N-No I don't want to die! I don't want to die!'

He turned around and crawled towards Alfredo as he tried his best to speak, "Al-Alfredo… h-help me…"

Alfredo, completely ignored him as he was fully focusing on crushing Bryan's skull.

"ALFREDO!!" Ron screamed and fell down on his stomach, his breathing almost coming to a halt.

Alarmed, Alfredo stopped what he was doing and turned to look around. His eyes widened when he saw Ron lying on the ground as a pool of blood began to form under him.

"No!" Alfredo panicked, "I can't let him die. Or Master will kill me."

He let go of Bryan's head as he proceeded to get up and walk towards Ron to heal him. However, right at that moment, Bryan grabbed Alfredo's forearm.

Alfredo turned to look back at Bryan and screamed, "You dare!?"

He then raised his other arm and cast Blood Claw in order to kill Bryan. But much to his horror, he realized that he was not able to get access to spiritual force from his mind runes!

Alfredo's eyes widened. He then looked at his forearm which was still under Bryan's grasp. And he could acutely make out a piece of paper stuck to it.

"Y-You!" Alfredo was dumbfounded, "When did you…"

Unbeknownst to him, when Bryan had grabbed his forearm earlier, he had already stuck the runic paper on it!

Bryan displayed his bloody teeth as he grinned from ear to ear, "I'll take both of you down with me!"

He then pulled Alfredo closer to him through just sheer strength alone. Bryan then put his legs around Alfredo's neck and strangled him in a triangle choke!

Bryan gritted his teeth, "Let's all die together!"

Alfredo struggled to get free from Bryan's hold meanwhile Ron's breathing had now become flat. If this continued for long, Ron would die within a minute!

"F-Fuck! Let me go!" Alfredo tried his best to free himself. But no matter what he tried, Bryan just wouldn't let go of him.

Alfredo even stabbed his free hand inside Bryan's intestines but he received no reaction from Bryan. It was as if he had become completely immune to pain.

Slowly, he too was beginning to lose consciousness due to the lack of oxygen flow. Bryan had tightly wrapped his legs around Alfredo's neck.

And one of Alfredo's arms was also tightly pressed together with his neck. This effectively hindered Alfredo from breathing.

Bryan gritted his teeth, 'A little more…a little more…"

However right at that moment, one of the five robed figures who was standing guard at the cave entrance, appeared in front of Bryan.

The figure forcefully removed Bryan's legs around Alfredo's neck and freed him!

"FUCK!" Bryan screamed in frustration as he failed yet again.

Alfredo began to cough violently as he clasped his neck. He then took out a healing potion from his pocket and gave it to the red-robed figure, "Quick! Heal Ron! Now!"

After getting his bearings together he looked back at Bryan, glaring with terrifying killing intent. But much to his horror and surprise, he saw a blond middle-aged man crouching down beside Bryan.

The man's upper clothes had already burnt off. On one hand, he was stroking Bryan's head and on the other hand, he was holding a weapon.

And that weapon was a black staff!