Chapter 185: I Look Forward to the Day I Completely Tame You, Senior Ingrid (6k)
The vibrant light gradually faded, and Hiltina’s figure rushed to the edge of the nuclear power plant’s ruins.
However, beneath that steel cliff, the only response was the red furnace, where streams of molten steel flowed slowly like lava.
The steel structures that built this nuclear power ruin were slowly collapsing, shattering into thousands of fragments that fell into the red flow, further melting into liquid iron… A heavy rumble echoed in the wind.
Yet, Ingrid’s figure had already vanished into the roaring furnace, no longer existing.
“Senior Ingrid…”
Hiltina tightly clenched her silver teeth, staring at the crimson steel lava.
In her hand, the spare Emblem Armor dagger was also broken, cracked into glimmering metal shards scattered everywhere, beyond repair.
This was the price Hiltina had to pay for using “Infinite Sword: Fantasy Collapse,” causing the weapon used to shatter completely, leaving no possibility of repair.
It was the most intense battle technique; no matter the damage it could inflict on the enemy, the moment of determination to use it had already sealed the dagger’s fate.
Such decisiveness, resembling Ingrid’s actions not long before, as she stood resolutely in front of Hiltina.
Choosing to remain in the nuclear power plant alone instead of withdrawing to the border after the overall situation had been determined… From the very beginning, Ingrid had resolved to d*e here, envisioning her own demise.
If it weren’t for that, she wouldn’t have decisively slashed out with that sword when Hiltina tried to save her, thus cutting off her last chance of survival.
“So, Senior Ingrid…”
“From the very beginning, even when trapped in the deepest hell, you never stopped gazing at the stars, right?”
Hiltina stood at the cliff’s edge, gazing at the crystal that Ingrid had left behind, containing all the information of the “Graveminder,” whispering softly to herself.
“You compared yourself to a moth that would be burned to ashes by the light…”
“But if it weren’t for your yearning for glory and honor—”
“How could a moth, already accustomed to being in darkness, be foolish enough to chase after that fleeting light…”
“A moth to the flame, bringing about its own demise?”
Her whispers were swallowed by the roar of the molten steel and went unheard by anyone.
…
Consciousness gradually awoke in the darkness, with a damp sensation in the air.
When Ingrid opened her eyes again, she felt the warm, humid sea breeze brushing against her face.
The sky was as blue as if washed, and it seemed she was on an unknown coast… But when Ingrid tried to stand up, she discovered that her body was restrained by some kind of shackle, unable to move even a little.
Was she… in the world after d*ath, the legendary underworld?
As this thought arose, Ingrid quickly dismissed it.
Memories in her mind gradually resurfaced, reminding her of everything that had happened earlier.
From Hiltina’s perspective, she was swept away by the light cannon created by “Fantasy Collapse,” plunging into the molten steel furnace behind the nuclear power plant, consumed by the scalding molten steel, leaving no trace.
However, from Ingrid’s perspective—
At the moment she fell from the cliff, about to plunge into that steel furnace, something happened that made her question whether it was an illusion.
If the world could be compared to a movie reel played at normal speed, at this moment, the entire world felt like it had been paused.
Everything, whether the surging steel lava or the roaring storm, the rushing light… even Ingrid’s body that was falling according to the laws of gravity, was frozen in that moment, like a still photograph.
Then, Ingrid saw a crack suddenly appear in the still air.
A fluffy white tail stretched out from the dark fissure, wrapping around her waist, and she was pulled straight into that dark gap by the tail.
Wait…
That fluffy white tail—
Though just a fleeting glance, recalling that tail that pulled her into the spatial crack, Ingrid felt it was quite familiar.
She seemed to have seen the owner of that fluffy tail somewhere before.
“We meet again, Senior.”
A clear voice mixed with the sea breeze rang clearly in Ingrid’s ears, breaking her reverie of this inexplicable familiarity.
She instinctively looked up.
Then, not far away, she saw a black-haired boy, sitting on the rocks by the shore, swinging his legs in boredom.
Rast.
Ingrid recognized the boy’s face.
She and him had crossed paths a few months ago at the Tower of Secrets…
At that time, the Noble Alliance and the royal family had yet to sever ties, and Rast seemed to be searching for some secret archives within the Tower of Secrets. At Hiltina’s request, Ingrid, using her authority as the Inspectorate Minister in the military and Tower of Secrets, helped Rast with that small task.
But aside from that, there had been no further interactions between them.
Ingrid had decided to help him because she had reviewed Rast’s newcomer file, knowing that he came from a rather remote border town.
Most students at Starry University were from noble backgrounds; it was few and far between for someone like Ingrid and Rast, who came from poorer regions.
Their similar backgrounds and circumstances made Ingrid feel a bit of compassion for Rast, leading her to look after him within her means.
However, that was just the most ordinary care a senior could provide to a junior, nothing more.
No matter how Ingrid recalled, she could never connect that newcomer, who had only just entered Starry University for half a year, with the frozen world she had just experienced, and that tail that tore through space.
“I know Senior must have many questions now, but those things can be explained slowly later.”
“So, I’ll be brief.”
“Senior, you are the one I saved.”
“If it weren’t for my ‘Time Stasis,’ you’d likely have been completely submerged in the molten steel, with nothing left of you…”
“Being immersed in scalding steel, feeling the searing heat slowly burning away your body, is something I have quite a bit of experience with… Trust me, even if you wanted to commit s*icide, it would definitely be one of the most painful ways to d*e.”
Rast sat on the large rock, looking at Ingrid from a distance, his voice calm and undisturbed.
However, the information he revealed made Ingrid secretly alarmed.
Ingrid stared into the boy’s dark eyes, wanting to use her experience in the military to detect some hints from his expression.
As the saying goes, “the eyes are the windows to the soul”; during the interrogation of criminals, often it’s not necessary for the other party to respond; just by observing their details and expressions, one can often find the answer… As the head of the Inspectorate, Ingrid’s experience on this was definitely profound.
But soon, Ingrid realized it was futile.
Those dark eyes, at first glance, appeared clear and bright, like serene stars submerged in the lake; however, upon closer inspection, they seemed like a black abyss, swallowing everything, leaving only pure void, with not even light able to escape.
This was a being she had never heard of or seen before… Her past experiences of interrogations and torture were simply ineffective against Rast.
“Why… did you save me?”
After a long silence, Ingrid spoke in a hoarse voice.
“Though I’d love to say it was because you helped me back at the Tower of Secrets… Unfortunately, just as you said, the sins you committed cannot be compensated by any heroism, let alone that small favor you did for me.”
“So let’s talk about some more realistic reasons.”
Rast smiled slightly: “I am actually secretly preparing to establish a secret organization and urgently need manpower.”
“And you, Senior, are the first candidate I have in mind, as you are undoubtedly flawless in terms of capability and character as a subordinate…”
“Cold and indifferent, not wasting words, putting in full effort, and willing to do whatever it takes without any government departmental hesitations. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have become the most useful and efficient black glove, hands stained with bl**d.”
“And most importantly, your identity is very clean and untainted…”
Rast’s clean face held a gentle smile: “The Noble Alliance and other secret organizations, as well as the cults, abandoned you when they decided to withdraw from the Empire.”
“And in the eyes of the military and the imperial royal family, you have already perished in the Gustav Nuclear Power Plant, incinerated by molten steel, leaving no remains.”
“You have been erased from the files of major intelligence organizations, becoming a thorough dead person.”
His words paused for a moment: “And a dead person who is considered to have no remains in the eyes of the world is naturally much more convenient and useful as a tool and pawn.”
“After all—dead people can do many things that living people cannot.”
The boy’s profile bathed in the sea breeze was soft in line, the features distinct… Just like Rast’s clear voice, it made those who heard it feel as if they were enveloped in spring wind.
However, if one were to carefully understand his words, one could sense the coldness and cruelty hidden beneath that gentle voice.
As the head of the military’s Inspectorate, while also being a black glove sullied with countless bl**d… Ingrid was acutely aware of the true meaning behind Rast’s words.
It was only at this moment that she suddenly realized—
When they first met, that hardworking, ambitious boy, who had come from a humble background and was trying to enter Starry University… The polite and humble Rast was merely a trivial facade and disguise.
The real Rast, perhaps, was far colder and indifferent than the impression she held, unscrupulous, making it impossible to see his true heart.
“What you mentioned, the organization to be established…”
After a moment of silence, Ingrid spoke again, her voice hoarse: “Does Starry University and Hiltina herself know?”
“Of course, they do not know. They will never know.”
Rast’s answer still held a gentle smile.
“What I want to establish is a secret organization utterly loyal to me, lurking in the shadows of historical curtains, secretly interfering with the entire world…”
“If it were known to idealists like Starry University or Hiltina, exposed to the light, it would lose all meaning of existence.”
“So…”
Ingrid looked into Rast’s eyes: “Can I take this to mean—”
“It’s a secret organization similar to ‘Bronze Rose,’ or those cults that roam the continent, launching bl**d sacrifices, right?”
“Exactly.”
Rast smiled and nodded: “This force will not be constrained by any country or laws in the West, completely loyal to me.”
“As for the members of the organization, they need not have any will of their own, merely needing to carry out my will alone.”
“Establishing a cult, infiltrating nations, manipulating wars… No laws and no hesitations, wielding the butcher’s kn*fe against innocents and even children to achieve goals, or launching bl**d sacrifices targeting cities…”
“Senior Ingrid, isn’t this precisely the life you were once best at and had long since grown accustomed to?”
His words paused briefly: “Trust me, if you choose to join, one day you will gain powers and influence far beyond the past. You will hold a position above all people and beings.”
“At that time, you can train those who once bullied you, those who looked down on you from above, into your own playthings.”
“You can make them fall from grace while helplessly grinding their teeth in hatred for you, forced to kneel like a little dog—just as they once looked down on you from the clouds.”
“After all, this world is a vast forest of the law of the jungle, where the strong have the right to toy with the weak, and the weak should obediently become the playthings of the strong, right?”
“All these years, we have risen from obscurity, desperately climbing up, unscrupulously elevating our positions, seeking power, and wanting to stand at the pinnacle of this world…”
“Isn’t it to grasp our own destiny, shedding the identity of the weak, and in a stronger stance, to bully and toy with others, turning them into our own toys?”
Rast’s smile was as warm as the sun: “You should understand, Senior…”
“What I just said isn’t empty bravado.”
“If I didn’t have a trump card that no one else could fathom, how could I possibly have saved you without alerting Hiltina…”
“So, let us rule above all those living…”
He extended his hand toward Ingrid:
“Shall we turn the whole world into our plaything?”
However, looking at the hand extended toward her, Ingrid slowly closed her eyes.
“It seems the past me, as well as Mr. Silver and Hiltina, have never truly understood your heart, Rast.”
“Though born in obscurity, your heart harbors ambitions that could devour the entire world.”
“I understand that the ability to save me from the cliff just now, even freezing the whole world, is anything but ordinary; even legends have no such records.”
“Perhaps one day, your ambition will truly overturn the entire world, climbing to the highest point in this law of the jungle, becoming the supreme being above millions, making everything in this world crawl at your feet, turning them into playthings.”
“At that time, those who choose to follow you would be your dragon-slaying merit, a being above ten thousand… As for the filthy bloodshed along the way, it’s merely a necessary sacrifice on the path to kingship, mere fodder.”
“However—”
She gently opened her eyes, looking into Rast’s eye that seemed to consume all light like a black hole, not retreating at all.
“After witnessing the glory of the sun—returning to the dark and oppressive space to conjoin with evil, I cannot do it.”
“I refuse your invitation; k*ll me.”
…
Hearing Ingrid’s response, Rast sighed softly.
“Just as I suspected, you refused me, Senior.”
He looked down at Ingrid, who was kneeling on the ground: “But, I happen to have set my sights on your abilities—”
“You must completely pledge your loyalty to me, becoming my most loyal subordinate.”
He snapped his fingers: “Killing you outright… would be too wasteful—”
“In that case, let’s employ some punishment—after all, isn’t that how it’s depicted in anime?”
“No matter how noble and unyielding a knight is, once subjected to enough torture, they will eventually break and fall into corruption—”
“And then be tamed into obedient servants and lackeys.”
With that snap of his fingers, Ingrid felt the metal mechanism that had imprisoned her suddenly activated, accompanied by the sounds of gears turning and metal extending.
Only then did she realize her situation; she seemed to be bound by shackles forged from deep-sea precious silver inside an iron coffin.
The handcuffs and shackles made from deep-sea precious silver restricted all her mobility and sealed off her magical power, causing all her extraordinary abilities to become ineffective—at this moment, Ingrid was imprisoned in shackles, bearing no differences from an ordinary person.
The steel coffin slowly closed, then, driven by mechanisms and chains, the coffin imprisoning Ingrid began to move slowly toward the sea.
“Do you think I’ll yield like this, Rast?”
Ingrid looked through the gaps in the steel coffin at the boy outside, her tone calm as ever.
“I certainly know that you are the head of the military’s Inspectorate; ordinary so-called torture and various interrogation methods wouldn’t work on you.”
“So this time, I’ve carefully prepared something for you—after all, with the crimes you’ve committed, trafficking people, conducting bl**d sacrifices, slaughtering countless innocents and even children… No matter how cruel the punishment, it’s not excessive, is it?”
Rast spoke from outside the steel coffin:
“The deep-sea precious silver shackles can nullify all extraordinary abilities, and I happen to possess a certain time-reversing ability, enabling me to revert your physical state to just one second prior to your d*ath.”
“So, you will be imprisoned in this coffin, submerged in the deep sea—you will d*e of suffocation due to lack of oxygen, yet will be reverted to the moment before your d*ath once again… This cycle will repeat endlessly.”
“You will be trapped in the submerged coffin, experiencing a continuous cycle of suffocation and resurrection in an endless loop, cycling between life and d*ath, dying and rebirthing, until you completely yield and bow down to me.”
“Well then, farewell, Senior.”
“I look forward to the expression you’ll wear when we meet again, completely shattered pride and dignity.”
“And the day you are completely tamed, becoming gentle and obedient, and resurrected anew.”
Rast’s words came accompanied by the sounds of dragging chains.
Before she could open her mouth, Ingrid plunged into the boundless deep sea with the steel coffin.
(End of Chapter)
