HBWnovel Chapter 183 - Someone Who Was Thought Dead (2)
Chapter 183 - Someone Who Was Thought Dead (2)
his eyes were hollow and passive.
it was strange. i wasn't sure how to describe it, but it was as if zero was there but wasn't actually 'there.' it looked as if he was devoid of a conscience, which would make a lot of sense considering i had killed him.
i had seen his head rolling on the ground. so, for him to stand before me meant that something was wrong. either they had managed to bring him back to life with the help of some unknown power, or the person on the stage wasn't the zero that i had killed.
"this is a new experiment that i have been working on with miss virdi. we have decided to call it a super soldier."
'super soldier?'
i frowned at those words. i had a vague idea of where they were heading with this, and i didn't like its sound.
in fact, i despised it.
"those super soldier just like this man right here," the elven king said as he started walking around zero. "will listen to everything we order them to do, no matter what. they don't have a conscience of their own."
it was just like i had guessed.
"let me demonstrate."
the elven king smiled widely and proudly as his chest was bumped up. "i want you to get on your knees and act like a dog."
zero's expression did not change even remotely as he immediately got on his knees and started barking like a dog, just like the king had ordered him.
as he did so, my eyes instinctively found their way toward laura, who i imagined to be fuming. after all, this was her brother... and he was acting like a dog in front of all of the nobles. it was humiliating.
however, she didn't have the slightest reaction as she kept looking back into my eyes while all of this was going on.
"the fact that they will listen to everything we say, however, isn't that great. what's even better is their resistance to pain. no matter the pain inflicted on them, they will never flinch."
as the king uttered those words, he pulled out a long sword from his waist and swiftly cut one of zero's arms.
everyone's eyes widened, shocked by the actions the king was taking.
however, just like he had advertised, zero did not flinch, nor did he have any reaction.
"and you know the best part about all this?" the elven king turned around with a smirk. "well, i'll just let you watch."
seconds passed by, and suddenly, right around the fresh cut, the blood coagulated, and zero's arm was slowly regenerating on its own. and within one minute, it looked as if he had never lost it in the first place.
with this in mind, i flew from my original spot toward the lightning that would reach the elves in less than a microsecond. many of them would die if i didn't arrive in time.
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i cast as many protective layers onto my body and calculated the trajectory of the lightning so that i could tank it with my body. i knew that this might be a ploy from laura or the king, but i did not care... i didn't believe that she would try to kill me right now. she had had the opportunity to do so two times now, and she had not done it.
there was something that was restricting her from doing it. as for what that was, i had no idea.
nevertheless, casting a layer of protective magic onto my body, i got in the way of the lightning strike, tanking it with my bare body.
-bzzzt!
as soon as it hit, i could feel my mind going numb as i could barely keep them open. the only thing that i could feel at the moment was a burning sensation in my chest.
this lightning strike wasn't a normal one, that bastard... he had mixed a lot of aether within it.
if i had not done anything, almost every noble would have died.
'did aldin really abandon his people to such a degree?' i asked myself as i could feel my mind getting lighter and lighter. 'he didn't side with the demons for his people's survival but for his own greed?'
i didn't know what to think anymore... in fact, i could barely even think.
and then, within a few seconds, i lost consciousness.
***
"ugh... where am i?"
my mind felt heavy and strained.
i tried to raise my back, but i could not; my chest, especially the area around my heart, felt heavy. as i looked at it, my chest was not of my usual color. it was black, and my skin was charred.
"don't try to move, caedrel. you'll only make things worse," a distinct voice exclaimed right beside me.
"argh... what are you talking about. it's only a lightning strike; i'm fine."
"it wasn't only a lightning strike, idiot. it was special. it was unlike any lightning strike that i had ever witnessed. and if you hadn't done anything to stop it, then most elves would have died right there."
that was the thing that confused me the most. why would aldin attack his very own people? no matter how hard i tried to think of it? there was no logic to his actions.
"aelua, can you please tell me what happened after i lost consciousness?"