A Waste of Time-Chapter 8: Stolen Breath

"You two have disturbed my peaceful training in the forest, but I'm a generous person. How about I treat you to a meal first before you go?" Daemon said before clapping his hands, and Ippo made his way from the forest while carrying the pheasants, which helped cover his naked body. The scene was absurd, almost theatrical — a deliberate display of their peculiar power dynamic.
"As you can see, I'm showing you both that killing me is going to earn the two of you nothing but trouble... My life is safeguarded by this clone technique, and every detail I've witnessed here during my training was recorded by the main clone back in the Sect."
While showing a wide smile, he moved towards Ippo and handed him the spare cloth.
"In exchange for that meal, I'm going to take Ao's clothes and Weapons since the stingy geezer back in the Sect forbids me from stealing Weapons or killing others to rob what I want. But if you pay a visit to that village in that direction, you'd understand why I'm living here on my own... Simply because I'm afraid I'd kill the whole lot of them if I stay too close for too long."
This time, Ippo was the one speaking while Daemon stood there next to him with his arms crossed.
"Master said that spending my time in solitude chopping wood in the forest and earning my keep as a lumberjack for a few years ought to chip away at my Killing Intent," Daemon said.
"That's why my true body has been locked in the darkest dungeons of the Sect since last year," Ippo added.
"Otherwise, I'd be spreading my clones everywhere to experience life all over the world." Daemon's eyes glowed — a glint of genuine ambition, cold and calculating, shining in their depths.
"Tsk. Master is so stupid. What's the use of Cultivating the Myriad-Fiends Mantra if I'm restricted to just three clones?" Ippo scowled, genuine annoyance twisting his face.
"Humph. It's all because that third brother of ours, that sissy, is happy wagging his tail to Master to gain his favor... Did you see what happened last night?" Daemon was pulling at his hair, his eyes reddening.
"Tell me about it... Master gave him permission to Dual-Cultivate with the top ten winners of the Flower Peak Faction! All ten of them are going to be his to pick and choose every night once little brother reaches sixteen! That's only seven years from now — while we're forbidden from leaving this forest until we succeed in refining our Killing Intent and reach Major-Accomplishment in the Asura Path. Why don't you kill us? There's no way we're going to complete this task before sixteen!" Ippo was on his knees, fists digging into the ground to show his unwillingness.
"Why don't we kill them?" Daemon directed his attention towards the pair of confused Assassins when he said that.
Ru and Jia flinched, and their postures immediately shifted into a defensive pose. Ru's right hand reflexively fell on the handle of his Sword at his hip, while Jia's hands dropped to the hilts of her Daggers.
"Good idea! So what if we fail? That way, we get another chance to be reborn in the Sect. All we need to do is be butt-licking sycophants whenever we're around the old geezer. Kill! Kill! Kill!" Ippo stopped banging on the ground and looked up at the ones who forced both himself and his master to perform this dangerous play. His eyes were deranged and full of malice — the clone’s glee a perfect reflection of Daemon’s own twisted satisfaction.
"Hahaha... We lose nothing, but we get to unleash a few hounds from the Disciplinary Hall after them while we wait for our coming-of-age ceremony and the news of their demise! Kill! Kill! Kill!" Daemon’s mind flashed with the memory of the object that impaled his body back on Earth, and a burning rage overtook him.
[Extreme Psychological Disturbance Detected : Activating Grunt's Race Trait]
[Battle Frenzy : Strength/Agility/Vitality/Endurance +3]
[Damage Received +150%]
[Extreme Fatigue For One Hour]
Ru and Jia still hadn’t believed the duo’s performance completely — but once Daemon’s body was overtaken by the Skill of Battle Frenzy, everything changed. A primal terror, cold and absolute, gripped their hearts, stripping away every shred of bravado. Their legs trembled uncontrollably.
"That's it, big brother, let your Killing Intent burn brighter than the sun itself!" Ippo, immune thanks to his unique bond, fanned the flame with a fanatic look.
"W-wait! Please wait... I'm begging you to spare me and my big brother Ru. I-I... I'm willing to be your follower... no! Your concubine... If not, then y-your... s-slave!" Jia and Ru were already on their knees, shivering, as Daemon stepped forward.
"Big brother Daemon... That girl’s a fine catch, but it’s too bad for such a babe... Tsk, tsk, tsk," Ippo sneered. "But we've got no use for slaves. Anything without a nice working brain is worthless to us... I bet you'd do just fine as a maid. Who knows — maybe if you serve me and my big brother well, one of us will reward you with a fine seed to carry our Supreme-Bloodline."
"You," Daemon muttered, locking eyes with Ru — and Ru felt like his soul was clamped between the death-reaper’s fingers. Daemon seemed the very embodiment of ruthless power.
"What do you have to say about your sister being the plaything of my little brother? He might just make you watch every night while they have their fun!" Daemon squinted dangerously. If the answer lacked the expected total surrender — he’d end the threat right here.
He was certain he could cross the few meters between them in a blink. The small Axe in his hand would cleave that man’s neck in one clean swipe.
"Without a doubt, I’m yours to command and pledge my lifelong allegiance to you, young master Daemon, and all your clones," Ru choked out. He regretted not accepting the first offer that might have let him walk away intact — but he’d pushed this maniac too far. Now there was no middle ground. Only total submission — or certain annihilation!
I’ve kicked a steel gate like a fool. The signs were right in front of me — but I ignored them just to clean up a loose end. Sigh.
A cold taste of self-recrimination filled Ru’s mouth.
"Good choice. You might regret it now — but that’s going to change very soon," Daemon said, twirling on his heel before striding away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to vent before I explode from all this Killing Intent." He vanished into the woods — the siblings were left gaping at how the boy disappeared so fast. In seconds, he was more than five hundred meters away!
If he could cross that distance in this terrain, he’d be a blur on flat ground.
Roar.
Growl.
Awooo.
Less than twenty seconds later, the howls and yowls of startled beasts rang out from deep in the woods.
Even Ippo wondered if the true body was really going on a killing spree.
Of course, Daemon was just scaring the animals off while watching the countdown on his Buff. When it hit thirty seconds, he slipped away — but not before snatching flowers, fruits, and whatever the creatures had been guarding in their lairs. A faint, predatory satisfaction hummed beneath his fatigue.
Worth every second. Bless Grunt... I squeezed every drop out of that Buff today.
Daemon thought as he circled back towards his shelter and wedged himself between two rocks. Dizzy. Exhausted. But thrilled.
He curled up in the cool shade and leaned his head on the stone. When he closed his eyes, sleep claimed him before he even knew it — dragging him into well-earned oblivion.
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