Chapitre 9: Hostage Pig
Young Caius was overjoyed. In the past two years, nothing had brought him as much satisfaction as this moment.
For years, Caius Jr. had lived in the shadow of Adrian Eternus, even though they were nearly the same age. In fact, Caius Jr. was a year older. However, in all other aspects, the two individuals were completely distinct.
Adrian began his journey with the Shadowborn Mercenary Corps as a regular recruit, advancing through the ranks with exceptional skill and unwavering determination. On the other hand, Caius Jr. had used his family name to obtain a captaincy.
That had occurred years ago. Since then, Adrian's power has continued to increase. As each year passed, his combat skill grew stronger, and his position within the corps rose consistently, posing a continuous challenge to Caius Jr.'s future inheritance. The mere idea of Adrian outshining him was maddening, simply intolerable.
Adrian had become quite a nuisance for Caius Jr. He ensured that he never revealed his resentment openly.
He was acutely conscious of his own shortcomings and understood that he was no match for Adrian. Adding to the challenge, he questioned whether even his elderly father, Caius, could prevail against Adrian in a face-to-face encounter.
Two days ago, Caius Jr. caught wind of chatter about Adrian's daring, unauthorised attack on a caravan—a gutsy move in his quest for power over his father.
He was overcome with panic at the possibility of Adrian successfully sabotaging Caius, endangering everything Caius Jr. believed he deserved. The progress he had made could potentially slip away.
However, luck favoured him.
Adrian unexpectedly fell ill two days ago, struggling with a severe illness that showed no signs of improvement. Filled with enthusiasm, Caius Jr. encouraged his father to take advantage of the opportunity to defeat Adrian and his supporters. Much to his astonishment, Caius readily agreed.
Presently, Adrian and his outnumbered team found themselves trapped in a confined area, encircled by numerous mercenaries.
Caius Jr. could be seen from afar. As he observed Adrian fend off the mercenaries with a remarkable display of sheer strength and determination.
A mix of admiration and fear intertwined within him, yet a feeling of exhilaration surged through his veins. He quietly murmured words of encouragement to himself: "Keep pushing yourself, Adrian. When you are feeling tired, I will be there to end you."
He vividly imagined the scene, enjoying the fantasy, until a sudden shout brought him back to reality.
One of his guards called out, "Caius Jr., dodge him!"
Caius Jr. glanced up, feeling a chill run down his spine as he watched Adrian rushing toward him. Adrian gracefully jumped down from the shelf, wielding his sword above his head, emitting an air of deadly determination.
There was no time for Caius Jr. to respond; he could only gaze in astonishment as Adrian narrowed the gap between them. One of his guards swiftly moved, positioning himself between Caius Jr. and Adrian, who was skillfully wielding his sword. His blade struck with such force that the guard groaned, barely deflecting it.
The guard's sacrifice was in vain. Adrian's second blow proved lethal, causing the man to crumple to the ground.
Adrian was three steps away from Caius Jr. The young half-orc found himself rooted to the spot, completely immobilised by fear. Adrian was unstoppable at this distance.
However, another guard swiftly intervened, pushing Caius Jr. toward safety, gaining valuable extra time for him to run. The guard, a third-tier fighter, stood firmly in place, resolute in his mission to hold off Adrian until Caius Jr. could escape.
Adrian seemed to understand his intention. He scoffed, saying, "In your dreams."
Adrian smoothly adjusted his sword's trajectory with a precise movement of his wrist. Caius Jr. 's guard attempted to block with his weapon, only to be overwhelmed by a dazzling red light—the powerful spell of the Enraged Magus, Furious Missile.
The spell exploded on contact. Caius Jr.'s vision became hazy as he witnessed a burst of raw magical energy. A small stream of blood flowed down his face, causing intense pain to radiate through his skull due to his broken nose.
Caius Jr. felt a chill run down his spine as Adrian moved forward. The renowned "Shadow Blade" shimmered coldly as it made contact with Caius Jr.'s neck.
Adrian, despite his laboured breath, managed to hold the blade steady, causing a slight line of blood to appear on Caius Jr.'s neck. The youthful half-orc refrained from making any sudden movements; a single mistake could swiftly result in his death.
Adrian's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Step back," he warned Caius Jr., "or this young prince's head will meet the ground!" he bellowed to the mercenaries.
The presence of danger rendered everyone immobile. Moments ago, the mercenaries were poised to charge, but now they remained still, casting anxious glances between Adrian and Caius Jr. Caius's men, aware of their leader's deep affection for his son, refrained from risking his life.
Tension heightened as Caius advanced, his complexion drained of colour due to intense anger. He locked eyes with Adrian. "Adrian," he said, "set my son free. Shall we resolve this through conversation?"
Adrian curled his lip in disgust and casually expelled saliva toward Caius Jr.'s face, causing the young half-orc to shrink back.
Adrian scornfully advised the old man to save his breath. "If you want your son to survive, kindly instruct your men to retreat. Would you perhaps be interested in determining if my sword is sharp enough to effortlessly cut his throat?"
Caius's countenance took on a sombre hue. After a prolonged, tense moment, he gave a subtle nod to his soldiers, indicating for them to lower their guard.
Adrian let out a dark chuckle. "That, my friend, is what I consider a masterful negotiation."
He raised his voice gently, requesting, "Kuro, could you please bring the others over?"
Emerging from the shadows was a massive orc named Kuro, accompanied by four resilient fighters who showed signs of wear but maintained a strong demeanour. Even with their injuries, their eyes shimmered with determination.
With his allies supporting him, Adrian faced Caius and spoke in a tone laced with mockery. "Now that my friends have arrived, perhaps we can engage in conversation. Do you happen to have an alternate strategy in mind, my wise friend?"
Please subscribe to my Patreon membership to read chapters in advance and support me:
https://www.patreon.com/Venerable_Shameles?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Venerable_Shameles
Venerable_Shameles Beat me with power stones ~pls~
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone