Chapter 76: Sometimes, not everything has a perfect ending
"Who the hell dares to trespass this prison?"
A voice echoed loudly through the place as Kevin and the Elder Butler entered.
Over time, several figures also began to appear near the area, which had just been destroyed minutes earlier.
Six Jailers — all of them at the Adept Rank.
The smoke on the ground gradually faded, revealing the forms of two figures.
"Well, so this is the place he built. I didn't think he could create it in such a short time," Kevin muttered, scanning the entire area with his right eye.
He had already taken in every corner of the place.
'And, I guess he has done his work here''
"Yes, Sir, I think so! This is terrible!" the Elder Butler said, looking around the arena with eyes full of anger — as if someone from their own clan had dared such a thing in a divine place.
This act was tainting their Clan. He wouldn't stand by if such a thing were exposed outside.
It was clear: this would bring pure shame to them.
"Huh, you're not one of our Clan," the Butler grimaced, his old face hardening as he stared at the Jailers in front.
"Who are you people?"
...
A heavy silence passed between them.
Then, one of the Jailers spoke with a deadly voice:
"No one is allowed to know about this place. So, all of you will die beneath our hands!"
"Surround them!"
At once, the Jailers moved in, encircling Hector and the Butler.
As they did, Kevin calmly looked around with closed eyes — then suddenly snapped out of his trance.
"Keep them off me. I need to do this myself," Kevin ordered urgently — and in an instant, he vanished.
"Stop him! Don't let him run!" the leader of the Jailers shouted in anger — but then, the area around them changed instantly.
The ground twisted and jutted upward, forming countless spikes, each five meters long.
"No foolish bastard can escape from me," the Elder Butler said coldly, glaring at the Jailers, his arms folded behind his back.
Standing in the center of the ground spikes he had created — now caging all the Jailers — he slowly glanced toward a place farther away.
That was where Kevin had gone.
He needed to make sure his young master was safe before he could fully turn his attention to the Jailers around him.
They had begun crushing the spikes and stood in battle stances, ready to charge at any moment.
They were no longer reckless like before.
It seemed they had finally realized the true strength of the Elder Butler.
Of course, they had to — if they didn't want to die. After all, the Elder Butler was an Elite-Rank individual.
One of the Jailers, staring at him with dead eyes, asked:
"Did you hide your true power?"
It made sense. The mana he sensed earlier from the Butler had matched that of an Adept — just like them.
Before that question, the Elder Butler had remained silent, only giving them a mocking look.
Only two people could ever command him — Kevin, and Kevin's little sister — so he would never reveal his strength without his young master's permission.
To avoid attention, he always hid his mana under the shell of an Adept-Rank persona.
But now… the time had come.
He would tear these f*ing bastards apart** while his young master handled his own battle.
It would happen quickly — but before he finished them off, he needed some information.
"Who are you people? Why are you here? I know you're not from my Clan."
"You … just lowborn outsiders.
He spat in disgust as he looked at the outsiders standing in our divine, forbidden forest.
Yet, none of them said a word. They simply smiled, as if everything the Elder Butler had just said meant nothing to them — like it had gone in one ear and out the other.
"Kill him!" the leader of the Jailers shouted maniacally. With crazed howls, they lunged at the old man, as if their lives depended on it — even if it meant death.
***
In the dark, dusty space, only the sound of the drop of bloods echoed.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Kevin walked forward calmly, not glancing anywhere. He simply stepped forward, step by step — until his eyes suddenly locked onto an uncertain figure among the corpses inside the damp, foul-smelling prison.
For a moment, all of his senses focused on that corpse. Then, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
He spoke with a voice as if none of this surprised him:
"Lucky for me... I already prepared a fancy coffin for you, Hector."
Then, Kevin lifted the corpse and brought it over to his Elder Butler.
He needed him to check Hector — to see if, somehow, there was still hope to save him.
Meanwhile, all of the Jailers had already been crushed under the old man's overwhelming power.
The gap between Ranks was simply too great, and sheer numbers were useless before absolute strength, unless someone used a power like that of a Legendary Coin.
"Your friend is truly... incredible," the Elder Butler said, wiping sweat from his forehead as he carefully examined Hector, who now lay on the ground.
By now, Hector had become thin and deathly pale.
In some places, bones jutted out through the skin, yet no blood flowed — as if it had all been drained long ago.
His clothes had been shredded by something like whips, and what remained was a filthy, foul-smelling patchwork of rags.
His cheeks had sunken in, revealing the sharp shape of his jawbone — a horrifying sight.
And yet… There was still something they didn't understand.
There was something strange about Hector's body — he was still alive.
It didn't make sense.
Something was keeping him alive, like a dying candle that could be snuffed out at any moment.
And now, their task was simply to save him… before it was too late.
"But I suppose his eyes will be blind forever," the Elder Butler said with a weary sigh, shaking his head slightly.
"Even if we use a royal capsule, he'll still lose his sight."
Hector's eyes had been destroyed by a slash.
They might regenerate with the help of a royal capsule — but the vision would be lost forever.
"Well, I guess this is what Haley's doing..." Kevin replied calmly.
"His mana is something special — no one in our generation could ever gain something like that."
"Sometimes, not everything has a perfect ending."
"The fact that he's still alive, that's already a miracle."