Chapter 897: More formidable than we though (2/2)
“Try to search all our activity areas and ask around for this person,” suggested Emily. She had a feeling that someone sinister happened to the guard.
“I have searched everywhere before coming to see you. I’m certain that he is not here.” Stratholme hesitated for a moment before he said, “Could it be… ?”
Emily knew when Stratholme meant to say. They were inside the Kiaran Residence. The activity area of the Han Family was very limited. With it being impossible that a member of the House of Han would attack one of their own, this meant that the divine guard’s disappearance was most likely of the House of Kiaran’s doing.
“Cover it up for as long as possible.” Emily wore a grave face as she said, “I do not want the House of Han guards to panic. But most importantly, I don’t want Sanguis and Gilbert to do anything reckless. They have only started calming down about Bollands being slapped. If they learn of this, all hell will break loose.”
Given their current circumstances, Stratholme knew that their only option was to continue to silently endure it and do nothing. Being heavily outnumbered, any kind of struggle will only end badly for them.
“I understand… “ Stratholme’s heart ached but he nodded and accepted the difficult decision.
“Sigh… This is all my fault. We should have headed for the Space Dominion instead of the Death Dominion. Had we went there instead, none of these would have happened… “ remarked Emily after letting out a sigh.
“Don’t blame yourself, we all made that decision. At least we are still alive,” replied Stratholme. He let out a sigh and left with his head drooping.
***Under the Kiaran Residence, in an underground prison shrouded under layers of defensive barriers.
In a prison cell sat a House of Han guard. There were bruises, wounds, and holes all over his body with some made to expose his bones. Some of his fingers and toes were missing, his chest had been badly charred and there were bizarre worms chirping as they happily munched on his rotting flesh. This House of Han guard had been tortured for an entire night and was barely recognizable. He had a numbed expression on his disfigured face and his weary eyes were staring into emptiness. There was not an ounce of energy left in him.
Click-dong! The prison gate was unlocked and slammed open. Sha-t’o walked down the stairs with his brows bunched. He glanced at the dying House of Han guard with disgusted eyes before asking in an annoyed voice, “I have given you one night. Have you gotten anything yet?”
The eerie-looking torturer put on a helpless expression and shook his head. Putting on a bitter smile, he answered, “Patriarch, I have seen many tough cases. However, this is the first time I have met someone who wouldn’t budge to any kind of torture. I have used more than twenty different tools but he wouldn’t say a word.”
“What a useless bunch of rubbish!” groaned Sha-t’o coldly before he reprimanded in a deep voice, “I had spent so many black crystal coins every year on maintaining you but you can’t even do your job right! Not only are you wasting my crystal coins and time, but I also have to spend my divine energy to finish the job myself! Absolute trash!”
“Bro- Brother-in-law… I really have tried my best… Not only that he wouldn’t say a word, he had bit his tongue off. There really is nothing more that I could do… “ When the torturer saw that Sha-t’o was angered, he immediately changed the appellation from ‘Patriarch’ to ‘Brother-in-law’. It seemed that they were relatives.
“He what?!” Sha-t’o was shocked by what he had heard. It wasn’t that Sha-t’o had never seen someone do it before, but for a random, average guard to do such a savage thing to himself - that was the first time he had seen it and it terrified him.
The prisoner they abducted was just a very ordinary guard of the House of Han, possessing merely mid-stage midgod strength. He was pretty much a cannon fodder type of existence. And yet, this ordinary character was stauncher than even the toughest criminal god. If such a group of experts one day came to possess adequate strength, they would be completely unstoppable!
It seems that I have to change my plan. No matter if the House of Han hand over those secrets, they will have to die. I cannot allow such a formidable threat to exist. thought Sha-t’o inwardly. He impatiently gestured to the torturer to be dismissed. After everyone exited the cell and he was alone with the House of Han guard, Sha-t’o went forward and pressed his hand on the dying guard.
A hazy mist glowing with eerie green light enveloped the guard’s skull. It rummaged through his mind and extracted memories from the depths of his divine soul.
Moments later, Sha-t’o withdrew. The House of Han guards had bled out from his seven orifices and no longer had any signs of life.
Sha-t’o walked out from the cell in a grave face. When he was in front of his highgods, he instructed, “Tell the House of Han to hand over every training method of their demonic combat formations within three days. Three days are all they have.”
“Patriarch, did you obtain useful memories? What did you find out?” asked one of the highgods.
“The House of Han is more formidable than we thought!” exclaimed Sha-t’o. From the memories of the guard, he learned that Han Shuo had killed Larikson’s highgods on their way to Soaring Cloud Mountain Range, attacked Hushveil City, defeating City Lord Hofs, and other things. Sha-t’o started getting worried.
“Understood!” replied the highgods immediately. Then quickly went to Dagassi and gave the House of Han the ultimatum.
On that night, Han Shuo who had been speeding his entire journey finally entered the domain of Witherbone City. At his current speed, he would reach the City within half a day.